//------------------------------// // Feed The Machine // Story: The Ghost Of Me // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// "Oh boy, this is gonna be rough." Caboose declared. "The 'Crystal Sun' thing again. Like living through it wasn't bad enough..." "I've heard stories of the incident." Fletcher mused. "But I imagine it was a lot worse than it sounds." "Yeah... how exactly do you justify all that bullcrap you put us through?" Caboose frowned. "I mean, I get that you're a good guy now and all... but crap went down, mister!"' "I know... but would you believe me when I say that it wasn't all me doing it?" Black frowned. "Whaddya mean?" Pike asked. "Well, it was hard to explain..." Black shuddered. "When Sombra's horn was embedded in my head, it was as if something had entered my mind. That something... had a voice. It was as if Sombra himself was in my head, speaking to me...." "Ew, sounds nasty." Caboose cringed. "Hate to have somepony in my mind." "What about O'Malley?" Fletcher frowned. "Who?" Pike glanced at Caboose. "It's a long story..." Caboose cringed. "...Which has already been told. We should be focused on Black's right now." "Right you are, Caboose." Black frowned. "Both that and about having somepony in your head... it didn't help that my head wasn't exactly right at the time..." Many years ago... Black was standing in the wreckage of the Napoleon's mansion, perfectly still, ignorant of the fire all around him. In his mind, he was speaking with his new "roommate". "You..." Black frowned. "You're King Sombra." "That I am." Sombra smirked. "How gratifying that you recognise me." "This doesn't make any sense." Black growled. "You're dead. I heard in the papers how you were blasted to bits by a wave of pure love, or something sappy like that." "Yes, that was rather unpleasant." Sombra growled. "If I were a normal pony, I would be dead... but I am not a normal pony. My dark essence survived within my horn. I have been waiting all this time for somepony to free me. I cannot tell you how grateful I am that the time has finally come." "My pleasure." Black deadpanned. "But to be honest, it was dumb luck that you're here now. That blonde mobster with the attitude problem rammed me right into the box, and into you." "I don't believe in dumb luck." Sombra said firmly. "I believe in destiny... and I believe it brought you to me." "...Yeah, not really into that destiny bull-crap." Black scoffed. "Oh, come now..." Sombra began... before frowning. "Do forgive me, but what is your name?" "...Black... Black Knight Paladin." Black frowned. "Well, Black... since we are going to be spending a lot of time together, I would like to repay you for letting me free." Sombra declared. "With my powers, I can give you the ability to do and gain anything and everything that your heart desires..." "A tempting offer..." Black mused, before glaring. "But from what I've heard, you're a pretty rotten guy. Some might say, evil." "Evil, you say?" Sombra mused. "If I were evil, would I have helped you overcome your captors?" "Maybe..." Black shrugged. "Well, see for yourself, Black." Sombra smiled. On cue, one of the throne room's windows opened, showing the ruins of the mansion. The Napoleons brothers were spread, unconscious and bruised, among the wreckage. "...Whoa... did I do that?" Black frowned. "I kinda blanked out for a minute." "No... we did that." Sombra smirked. "I allowed you to tap into my power. Quite impressive, given that it was your first try." "Didn't even know I was trying..." Black frowned. "I imagine it feels good, finally having some retribution at last." Sombra prompted. "Yeah, it does." Black smiled viciously. "They kept me locked up in this place for years... and thanks to me, it's nothing but rubble." "And now, you can finish them off." Sombra smiled wickedly. "Consider it one of my many gifts to you..." Black looked upon the Napoleons, remembering the years of cold, dark, imprisonment they had served upon him. A twisted smile emerged on his face, as he considered all the magnificent vengeance he could serve upon them... But in the back of his head, Black felt a twinge of doubt... which was odd. Despite everything that had happened to him, and how much he relished his 'dark side', some part of him deep within still knew right from wrong. And that part was screaming at him not to do it. "...No." Black said quietly. "...No?" Sombra frowned. "Black, it is to my understanding that these fools imprisoned you for a very long time, and I could sense their intentions. They intended to drag you back into your cell... even kill you... and you want to spare them?" "I know what they did..." Black sighed. "But..." He wasn't sure how to say it to the evil king, so he went with the path most traveled. "They're just not worth it. They're mafia scum. Besides... I blew up their home." A burning wall crashed down, to emphasize his point. "...Hmm, excellent point, Black." Sombra chuckled. "Now, let us leave this sad pile of rubble. There are far better places to be in." "No argument here." Black agreed. The two left the grounds of the mansion. Unbeknownst to either of them, Natascha was watching from behind a nearby gazebo. Ever since she narrowly convinced the Taskforce to not attack the Napoleons, a part of her felt that the least she could do for them was to keep tabs on the Napoleons and on Black's welfare. Maybe look for an opportunity to help them get Black out of there... the last thing she expected was the Napoleons' manor to blow up. While everypony else was panicking over the explosion, Natascha was able to spot a familiar red stallion leaving the scene... but she noticed something ghastly on his head and something equally ghastly coming from his eyes... "Black... what has happened to you?" She whispered. Unbeknownst to Natascha, there was another observer nearby. One of the Forefathers' informants, a keen-eyed Pegasus stallion by the name of Farsight, had also witnessed the mansion's destruction from across the street, and Black's new look. "Wait'll the Ouroboros hear about this..." He muttered, flying away. As night fell, Black continued his trek through Bitaly, stopping every couple of miles to forage for food and to get some sleep. Inside his head, he and Sombra were deep in conversation. "So, where exactly should we go now... your majesty?" Black asked. "And more importantly... what do we do?" "It's simple, my new friend." Sombra smiled. "We return to Equestria, and make it our own." "What?" Black frowned, "Why would I do that?" "Why not?" Sombra asked. "While you were busy gorging yourself on those bitter roots you found, I decided to take a look through your memories..." "...Wait, you can do that?" Black grimaced. "Why would you go through my head like that?" "Well, it's certainly better than just standing around doing nothing." Sombra scoffed. "Besides, I was curious about who Black Knight Paladin really was... and my, you were such a naughty boy." Black gave a silent scowl. "Destroying a village full of vermin, just so you could save the world... only to have your name disgraced and hated for all of eternity because of that selfless act. Your so-called comrades luring you in with smiles and false promises so that they could make you into a weapon. And now... here you are, a renegade who owes allegiance to nopony." Sombra declared. "And all that other heroic stuff that bears no consequences." "And what's your point, exactly?" Black glared. "My point is, if you help me retake what is rightfully mine, you and I could rule Equestria together. We will force everypony, including this wretched 'Taskforce' to bow down to you, call you their master... no, a king... no, a GOD!" Sombra declared proudly. "Just imagine all that power, just within your reach... can you see it?" The words Sombra spoke seemed very enticing to Black. He had enjoyed calling the shots for the Changeling hunters, and back when he was heading his squad back in Saddle Arabia, he felt a thrill from having ponies to command. To rule all of Equestria was... oddly enough, looking pretty good... Suddenly, that same twinge of morality returned, urging him to rid himself of that thought. "No offense, but I don't really want to be a god. I don't want to rule anything..." Black growled, at the same time surprised by his own words. "All I ever wanted to do, before I got myself into this whole mess, was to protect Equestria. Defend it from those would threaten it." "And who's to say that you can't still do that?" Sombra suggested. "If you are the one in charge, you can ensure Equestria is safe, and remains safe." "Sounds more like tyranny." Black scoffed. "Kinda beats the purpose, don't you think?" "Tyranny is better than you think." Sombra retorted. "Why, if I were still ruling the Crystal Empire, I would never tolerate having a group such as those wretched Forefathers existing." "...Wait, you know about the Forefathers?" Black frowned. "Of course I do. The name constantly came up while I was going down your memory lane." Sombra shrugged. "And to be honest, the name does sound familiar. I believe they've been around as far back as when I was still ruling the Empire." "Hmph, figured." Black rolled his eyes. "They've been around too long, if you ask me." "Well, if I was still king, I would have made sure to eradicate those fools the moment they reared their heads from their vile hiding holes." Sombra growled. "Oh, is that a fact?" Black sneered. "Indeed..." Sombra nodded. "From what I learned, these Forefathers have been nothing but trouble to you for the longest time. A rash that you could never quite rid yourself of. With my help, we can expunge the Forefathers once and for all, and ensure Equestria is protected." "And you'd do all that out of the goodness of your heart?" Black said skeptically. "As I said, I owe you a debt for freeing me." Sombra declared. "And though I may have done things some would label as 'evil', what the Forefathers have done is enough to turn even my stomach. They clearly need to be stopped." "...So let's say you're telling the truth." Black mused. "How exactly do you intend on stopping the Forefathers? There may be two of us in here, but technically, there's only one pony out there. And the Forefathers have an army." "Oh yes..." Sombra nodded. "I do recall back in my day the stories of the Forefathers and their enigmatic leader, the one they call 'Father'... is he immortal or just a line of many great leaders? That is the question." "Tell me about it." Black scoffed. "You know, ever since I joined the Taskforce, I haven't been able to learn a single thing about him. For all I know, this 'Father' is just some lanky nerd with a lot of time and money on his hooves who somehow commands the respect of those nutcases..." "I wouldn't be so sure of that, Black." Sombra frowned. "I have heard things... I hear that Father has power on par with the Princesses themselves... that he will stop at nothing to reshape all of Equestria in his image, and has annihilated all who ever dared to challenge him, be they single ponies, or entire armies." "If that's the case... then we'd probably have no chance of beating him." Black grimaced. "Which is why we must obtain more power if we ever hope to defeat him and the Forefathers." Sombra surmised. "What kind of power are you thinking?" Black asked. "That... I am not really sure." Sombra sighed. "I was stuck in my horn in the middle of a frozen wasteland for Faust knows how long. Any artifact I can remember is probably destroyed, drained of its power, or unable to be obtained at this point. We are on the run here, are we not?" "Yeah, we are." Black nodded. "Just the two of us, on the path of uncertainty, the road ahead black as night..." "If only the sun were to rise, and light our way..." Sombra mused. "...Sun..." Black murmured... before lighting up, recalling one of his earliest missions from long ago. "Hold on. A while back, me and the Taskforce went on this mission to snag a book. It mentioned this thing called the 'Crystal Sun'..." "...Hold on... the Crystal Sun?" Sombra gaped, his eyes widening in shock. "You mean, The Crystal Sun?!" "You've heard of it?" Black frowned. "Heard of it? Black, the Crystal Sun was an artifact from time long past! An object that holds powers beyond anypony's recognition! Crafted by the most powerful beings in the world... the Great Alicorns..." Sombra whispered. "...The Great Alicorns?" Black frowned. "You mean like Celestia and Luna?" "Those two wenches? HA!" Sombra scoffed. "The Great Alicorns are a level beyond that of those measly Alicorns. Those two sisters combined couldn't amount to even a fraction of only one's power. Oh no, the Great Alicorns are Alicorns from way back when... we are dealing with what could be their parents." "Really? How come this is the first I'm hearing of it?" Black asked. "Well, the Great Alicorns to this day are now only legends, forgotten by time. Only a select few know of their once-great existence." Sombra mused. "It is said that they wove the fabric of existence itself, that Equestria as we know it only came to exist by their whims." "So... you think this Crystal Sun might be the key to obtaining the power to destroy Father?" Black asked. "I know it is!" Sombra laughed wickedly. "If we can obtain the Sun and unlock its powers, we ourselves could become far stronger than all of the Alicorns in the world combined! We only need that book..." He turned to Black. "Where is it now?" "Well, if memory serves..." Black mused. "It's probably still locked up with all the other dangerous stuff back at HQ, in the archives." "Then we must appropriate it immediately." Sombra declared. "Are you nuts?" Black growled. "We can't go there, and I'm guessing you know why! The second anypony sees me, they'll haul my butt in for treason!" "Not if you have a little help." Sombra smirked. "As long as my horn is upon your forehead, you can access some of my dark magic. With my magic, and your knowledge of the structure, we can slip into the headquarters undetected, find the book, obtain the information we need, and then we will be on our way to making Equestria a better place. What do you say, Black?" The virtuous feeling within Black returned, pleading him not to agree with Sombra's insidious plan... but it was drowned out by other desires. Desires for power, for control... something that he had lost long ago... "Okay." Black nodded. "Let's do it." "I knew you would come around." Sombra smirked. "Now let us go... towards our destiny!" In a matter of days, after hitching a ride on a boat for Equestria, and trekking through forests and mountains, Black found himself just outside the Taskforce's headquarters' secret mountainside entrance. "Never thought I'd find myself back here again..." He mused. "So, how do we get in without anypony noticing?" "Call upon my dark magic." Sombra declared. "Envision the place you need to be. Focus and concentrate, and you shall be taken there." "I'd better." Black screwed up his face with concentration. "Concentrate." Sombra urged. "Concentrate..." "Nopony likes a backseat driver, you know." Black growled. "Less talk, more thought." Sombra snorted. Black pictured the archives as hard as he could. Just when he thought nothing would happen, dark green wisps emerged from his horn. The horn lit up, and a burst of shadows enveloped him. "Is... is this supposed to happen?" He asked. "Yes." Sombra smirked. The shadows cleared, and Black found himself in the archives. "Hey, it worked!" Black smiled. "As I told you." Sombra nodded. "Now, the book. Quickly." "Comin' right up." Black nodded. Black made his way through the archives. He spotted the book under a glass case. "Ah, The Way of the Crystal Sun. Just as we left it." Black smirked. "All too easy..." Black lifted up the case and removed the book. However, he was not aware that there was a silent alarm attached to the case, and by opening the case, he had tripped it. Unbeknownst to Black, Armory, Master Mind, and Incognito were in HQ at the time, sitting in the meeting room. Elite was off on official RDL business back in Saddle Arabia, while Ballista and Titan were on a mission. "Still no Forefather activities lately?" Incognito asked. "Not that we know of." Master Mind frowned. "I do not like it when they're this quiet. It means they're up to something..." "Or maybe they're about to give up?" Armory suggested. "Somehow. I doubt that." Incognito snorted. "Yeah, me too." Armory shrugged. "It was just a joke..." "I've heard better." Master Mind said flatly. Suddenly, a beeping noise was heard. "That's one of the archive alarms!" Armory held up the device from which the beeping was coming from. "Somepony has infiltrated the base!" "Impossible." Master Mind declared. "It wouldn't be the first time." Incognito pointed out. "Remember Natascha?" "Boy, do I..." Armory sighed. "But how could they have gotten into the archives without anypony noticing?" Master Mind frowned. "Well, we'll just have to find out." Armory declared. The three of them rushed to the archives. "Stay sharp." Incognito whispered, as he pulled out a crossbow. "Our would-be thief could be anywhere." "Wait'll I get my hooves on him..." Master Mind growled, as he flicked out his baton. "Let's just hope we can take him." Armory frowned, having only "Homer" with him. Swiftly, they rounded a corner, ready to aim... only to find Black, his back to them. "Wait... is that..." Master Mind gaped. "Black!" Armory gasped, overjoyed. "You're back!" "Uh-oh." Black froze. He had been so engrossed in the book that he had lost track of things. "Wonderful..." Sombra growled. "Black, I can't believe it's you!" Armory laughed with joy, as he made his way over to his old friend. "How in Equestria did you get out-" Black turned around, revealing the horn on his head, causing Armory to stop dead in his tracks. "Black?" Armory frowned. "...What is that on your head?" "Good question." Incognito agreed. "But the more pressing question is: What are you doing here?" Master Mind asked. "In the archives, holding a copy of The Way of the Crystal Sun, and tripping the silent alarm?" "Um..." Black murmured. "If I didn't know any better... I'd think you were planning on stealing the book." Incognito glared. "What?! Incognito!" Armory glared. "Why would Black want the book? He and Shadow went to great lengths to steal it from the Forefathers! ...Hey, maybe he just needs it to help stop one of the Forefathers' new plans. Maybe he-" "Well, it isn't just me anymore, Armory..." Black declared, his horn glowing. "...Black?" Armory frowned. "Yes..." Black nodded. "But not just me... with this horn, I now have the essence of King Sombra within me. His powers are now mine to control..." "Sombra?!" Incognito gaped. "As in the Sombra from the Crystal Empire? That Sombra?" "Surprised?" Black asked. "So am I. But he's a pretty good traveling companion." "Black... what are you thinking?" Armory asked, dread building within him. "You know what Sombra is, right? He's a monster! He enslaved the Crystal Empire! Made it disappear for a thousand years! Nearly killed everypony there!" "...Maybe..." Black scowled, disdain on his face. "But at least he didn't leave me to rot in the basement of a bunch of pasta munchers for TEN YEARS!" "...Oh..." Armory frowned. "Black... we can explain... we wanted to break you out... but we had no choice..." "Armory's right." Master Mind nodded. "We heard what the Napoleons were capable of. We couldn't rescue you, not without risking the entirety of the Taskforce operation." "So... you mean to tell me that you didn't help me... because you were scared of the mob?!" Black snarled, understandably livid. "Not 'scared', per se." Master Mind said indignantly. "We couldn't risk exposing ourselves-" Armory started. "Save it, guys. I don't think there's any point explaining..." Incognito told the two, as he glared at Black. "...Okay, Black, what are you and your new 'BFF' planning to do with that book?" "Isn't it obvious?" Black sneered. "With this book, we're going to seek out the Crystal Sun. And we're going to use its power to accomplish the mission... permanently." "Excuse me?" Master Mind frowned. "Me and Sombra will bring peace to Equestria... by taking complete control over it." Black declared. "We'll use the Crystal Sun's power to crush the Forefathers, and ensure everlasting peace." "By crushing all freedom along with the Forefathers?" Master Mind asked. "We won't allow this, Black, Sombra... whoever's in there!" "Try and stop us." Black sneered. "As you wish!" Incognito roared, as he and Master Mind charged. "I was hoping you'd do that." Black smirked. Incognito fired his crossbow, but Black dodged the bolt. Then, like lightning, he dashed over and kicked the weapon out of Incognito's hooves. He then kneed him for good measure. "Ugh!" Incognito stumbled back. "Enough!" Master Mind swung his baton. Black caught the weapon. "Shoulda stayed in the library, brainiac." Black flung the baton away, then kicked Master Mind in the chest. "Ooof!" Master Mind grunted, staggering backwards. "Do yourselves a favor and give up." Black sneered. "Never." Incognito declared. "As if we would surrender to a traitor like you!" Master Mind spat. "Suit yourselves." Black snarled. Sombra's horn glowed with dark magic, and released a burst of energy that knocked Master Mind and Incognito back, and into the walls. "Ohhhh..." The two groaned, slumping to the ground. "I never liked those two." Black said coldly. "Never..." As Black made to leave, Armory stood in his way. "Black, please don't do this." Armory pleaded. "Step aside, Armory." Black growled. "I can't let anypony interfere. Not even you." "And I can't let you leave." Armory stood firm, aiming his 'Homer' at Black. "I won't." "...Hmph, you can't stop me." Black growled. Before Armory could even fire the ropedart, Black grabbed him by the throat with one hoof, and lifted him into the air. "Gah!" Armory panicked, his hooves dangling as he glanced fearfully at Black. "Black... please... don't..." Within Black's mind, Sombra and Black watched Armory struggling in their grasp. "Come on, Black... finish him." Sombra urged. "Crush him like the insect he is, and let's go!" Black felt his hoof tighten, much to Armory's horror... but as he stood there, watching Armory fighting to break free, Black felt a sick twist in his stomach. This was his friend. The pony who had saved his life over and over again. And here he was, moments away from killing him... Black knew this wasn't right. Not one bit. "Well, what are you waiting for?!" Sombra demanded. "I..." Black struggled. In spite of everything, Armory was still that friend. And after all he had done for Black, hurting him was the last thing he could ever do to him... Suddenly, Black lowered Armory to the ground, and released him, much to Armory's surprise (and Sombra's outrage). Armory quickly breathed in several lungfuls of air. "What are you doing?!" Sombra growled at Black back in his mind. "We have what we came for." Black said flatly. "That's enough. Time to go." Black walked past the panting Armory, as the shadows began raveling around him. "B-Black, wait!" Armory tried calling after him. However, Black then vanished in a puff of darkness. "...Black..." Armory slumped to his knees, tears beading up in his eyes. "Oh, Black..." It was only a few hours later that Elite, Ballista, and Titan returned, having been called in by Armory. It took a couple of minutes to explain all that had happened. "...And before I could stop him, Black vanished into a wisp of smoke." Armory finished, as they all sat in the meeting room. Master Mind and Incognito had ice packs applied to their bruises. "None of us could do anything to stop him..." "I can't believe what I'm hearing." Elite shook his head. "Why would Black do this?" "Well, he said that he was going to accomplish the mission." Master Mind sighed. "And crush the Forefathers. And after the beating he gave us, I'm actually quite confident that he can pull it off." "But how did Black even got that horn?" Ballista scowled. "I thought Sombra was completely obliterated when that whole Crystal Empire mess went down!" "I think I might be able to answer that..." Natascha entered the meeting room. "Seriously?" Master Mind frowned. "We really need to improve our security measures!" "Oh, great. What do you want?" Ballista glared. "I'm sorry to intrude on you all again." Natascha apologized. "But I believe you might be interested in some information I have regarding Black." "Well, sorry to break it to you, lady, but we already know that Black has somehow gotten free from the Napoleons." Incognito scoffed. "The bruises would attest to that." "I guessed as much." Natscha mused. "And I'm guessing you noticed Black's new fashion accessory." "Yes, we did." Master Mind nodded. "Rather hard not to." "Well, I bet what you don't know is that I've been keeping an close eye on the Napoleons since our last talk." Natascha revealed. "I was hoping to find a way to help Black out, when suddenly, the whole place blew up!" "Wait, Black... blew up the Napoleons' home?" Armory gaped. "Oh yes." Natascha nodded. "I wasn't sure what happened 'till the smoke cleared. Then I saw Black walking away from the wreckage, with Sombra's horn on his head." "So it is Sombra's horn?" Incognito asked. "Yes." Natascha nodded. "And I fear that how Black got it might have to do with this dig the Napoleons had one of their associates go on a while back... one that took place in the frozen wastelands up north." "But that doesn't explain why Black would do this." Armory frowned. "I know him. He might've done a couple of bad things lately, but this? This isn't him!" "I realize that, Armory." Natascha sighed. "But I fear that whatever dark magic is in Sombra's horn is messing with his head. The Black you knew might not even be in there anymore..." "No..." Armory gaped. "Rrooo..." Titan whimpered. "This is far worse than I ever could have imagined." Elite declared. "...You do realize that none of this would have happened if we hadn't taken your advice." Ballista glared at Natascha. "If we had rescued Black right then and there, that thing wouldn't be stuck on his head." "Well, excuse me, but it's not like I knew this was going to happen." Natascha glared back. "How can we be sure, though?" Ballista growled. "You're always so blasted knowledgeable. Maybe you knew all along Sombra's horn was in there." "I'm not psychic, just well-informed." Natascha snorted. "You should try it sometime." "Don't tell me what to do, you double-talking hussy!" Ballista yelled. "Hey, leave her alone!" Armory snarled. "Of course you'd stand up for here." Ballista sneered. "You've got that pathetic little school-boy crush on her-" "That has nothing to do with it!" Armory blushed. "She can't have known all this would have happened, so lay off her!" "Make me, you-" Ballista started. "Look, it doesn't matter now." Elite declared. "Right now, we need to find Black and stop him from doing something he is surely going to regret." "...You're right." Ballista sighed, shaking his head. "If this Crystal Sun is part of the equation, who knows how bad things are gonna get if Black actually gets his hooves on it." "We can only hope it's out of his reach." Master Mind mused. "But if it's not, and he does find out where to get it, then where would he go?" Armory asked. "A very good question..." Elite frowned. A short distance away, Black was marching down a valley, the book in his magical grasp. "You should have finished them." Sombra growled. "Now they know about me, and about our plan to use the Crystal Sun." "Come off it, Sombra." Black scoffed. "It's not like they can stop us." "I don't know about that. I underestimated all those foolish ponies back at the Empire, and guess how well that worked out." Sombra glared. "Things will be different this time." Black declared, as he then brought the book in front of him and opened it to a page. "Now, according to this book, a long time ago, the Crystal Sun was divided into four pieces, and placed within the the care of the royal family of Equestria... and one in the care of the Queen of the Changelings..." "Ugh, you mean they actually gave a piece to those Changeling vermin?" Sombra grimaced in disgust. "Funny, I heard a rumor that you were into those things." Black smirked. "Maybe even the Queen..." "Either way, we must neutralize them." Sombra growled. "Nothing and nopony must interfere with our search. But how to do so, without alerting them to our presence? We can't simply go after them one at a time." "Hmm, yes, that is a good point." Black admitted. "We might need to think on that..." As the two continued on their way, trying to formulate a plan, they soon happened upon a small town, where a newspaper caught Black's attention. "Hello..." He glanced at it. "Says here there's some big royal summit happening in the Crystal Empire soon." "This is perfect!" Sombra smirked. "With all the royals there, we can capture them all at once. And then, the takeover of Equestria can begin!" "Just the two of us?" Black asked. "Not exactly..." Sombra cackled. "Since it's going to take us a while to get to the Empire, I can use that time to teach you a few things about being a King of dark magic..." And so the training began. Over the following days, Sombra taught Black all he was capable of, and all the spells he had come to learn. The most important lesson, as Sombra explained, was learning how to summon up an army of Shadow Ponies, using darkness to create pseudo-lifeforms. By the time Black was able to master all that Sombra had taught him, they had just arrived in the Crystal Empire, and Black made a beeline towards the Crystal Castle. By thattime, Black's body had been restored to it's former glory before his capture (due to extensive physical training on top of the magical), and he was ready. "This is it." Black declared as he approached the ballroom, draped in a cloak. "No turning back now." "Indeed." Sombra smiled. "Just do as instructed, and it will all go swimmingly." "I think I can handle it." Black frowned. "I should hope so." Sombra declared. "I would hate to have to take matters into my own hooves." I'd like to see you try..." Black sneered. "Besides, I've been waiting a long time for this." Black took a moment to savor what was to come. "...Well, are you ready?" Sombra asked. "...Buck yeah." Black nodded firmly as he slammed the doors open. What followed in the next couple of hours all came by in a blur. Black stormed into the summit, deciding to don his old nickname once more, even though he knew Celestia would recognize him on sight, summoned a huge horde of Shadow Ponies to his beck and call, and by the end of the day, Crystal Empire was brought under their control. Those who were there at the summit were immediately taken into the dungeons, which included all but a few. Those who escaped included Shine and his daughter Miracle. Black was completely unaware that Shine had a child, and it had slipped his mind that Shine would be there, but he knew, for Equestria's sake, that he couldn't pull any punches, especially for family. Luckily, they had managed to slip away, to his hidden relief. Unfortunately, he learned that none other than Sleight of all ponies had escaped with them, having somehow become the "King of the Changelings", which really ticked Black off. And along with Sleight, there was talk of some royal guard who had somehow slipped past the Shadow Ponies. But that pony was of no importance. After all, it wasn't like they were going to meet face to face one day... Now Black and Sombra had the Crystal Castle secured, and with almost all of the Alicorns contained, everything was going according to plan. "I just don't believe it, everything went perfectly!" Black chuckled inside his mindscape. "We have complete subjugation!" "I told you this was the way to go, didn't I?" Sombra asked. "Not only do you see your goals of saving Equestria accomplished, you get to enact some retribution on those who wronged you. The princess who sullied your good name, and the Queen that helped humiliate you and left you to be taken by those mafia scum." "Oh, yeah." Black nodded, the prospect of revenge sounding very good to him. "Sweet vengeance..." "Now remember, while there is vengeance to be had, let us not forget the task at hoof." Sombra reminded him. "We must discover where the pieces of the Crystal Sun are hidden, and as far as I can tell, only the Princesses and that bug know. I believe a little interrogation is in order." "With pleasure." Black smirked. The Princesses were brought before them. They were resistant at first, but once their loved ones were threatened, they quickly divulged the location of the pieces. "That was easier than I thought." Black mused. "Indeed." Sombra nodded. "These softhearted fools are so easily manipulated. They act so damn proud, but once you bring their loved ones into it, they break like a bunch of twigs." "...Yeah..." Black agreed... though for some reason, he was very hesitant to do so. "Now, since we got all that we need... drain their magic, just as I taught you." Sombra ordered. "Drain them?" Black frowned. Thought he had accepted learning the spell without question, he believed it would only be for smaller tasks, not this. "Isn't that a little extreme?" "We must ensure they do not escape." Sombra declared. "Draining them of their magic will not only render them powerless, but it will give us even more power. We have to ensure that no pony can stand against us! No pony! Or would you rather they continue resisting us?" "Yeah, but..." Black muttered. Though he had no love for his victims, he found the idea of draining them distasteful. "If you won't, than I will!" Sombra snarled. Before Black could say anything, his body suddenly acted on it own, and in an instant, tendrils came forth from the hornand latched onto Chrysalis, draining her of her magic, to a point where her body was reduced to a haggard husk. The now weakened Chrysalis glanced at her ragged hooves, stupefied by what had become of her. "No…NO!" Chrysalis howled, as she broke down, sobbing heavily. "SOMBRA!" Black gasped, horrified by what Sombra made them do. "What the BUCK?!" "I had to do it. You were taking too long." Sombra scoffed. "You could have killed her!" Black roared. "So? What do you care?" Sombra snapped back. "I... I don't!" Black shrugged weakly. "I thought so. Now for the others." Sombra sneered. Before Black could protest, Sombra proceeded to drain the Alicorns of their magic. Soon, it came to just Celestia, who oddly didn't offer any resistance, as Sombra used the tendrils to drain her magic... only for nothing to happen. "What the-?" Sombra, or rather Black's voice, gasped. He frowned. "What did you do? Where'd all your magic go?" "My magic now lies with my husband." Celestia declared. "You'll never find him, or our daughter." "...That little-" Sombra was about to scream in outrage... only for Black to shove him aside within the mindscape, allowing him to take back control. "We'll just see about that, sunbutt." Black growled. "To the dungeon with all of them!" "Dungeon?" Sombra growled, as the royals were led away. "No, you should kill them all!" "Why?" Black asked. "They're no threat anymore. Even Celestia is powerless right now!" "But her magic is still out there, within her husband. He could prove to be an issue!" Sombra mused. "We must recover the magic at all costs!" "Seriously?" Black growled. "You expect me to do anything for you, after that? I didn't want to take their magic, but you made me do it anyway! What the Tartarus, dude?!" "...Forgive me." Sombra said contritely. "But I had to make a show of force. Being so close to our goal, we cannot afford any shows of weakness. I couldn't risk it. It will not happen again, I swear." "It better not." Black snarled. "You may have been King in a past life, but as long as you're in my body, you answer to me, got it?!" "Okay, I got it." Sombra grunted. "...Now... about those Crystal Sun pieces..." "I'm on it." Black conjured up more Shadow Ponies. "You guys, fetch me those Crystal Sun pieces." He ordered one group, as they quickly vanished, and he turned to another group. "As for you, find Celestia's husband and her daughter... I need as much Alicorn magic as I can get… and whatever you do, bring them back alive!" The Shadow Ponies nodded, and slid out of the room. "As for me, I have business of my own to attend to..." Black declared to himself. "What business is this?" Sombra asked, within the mindscape. "Just a little reunion with an old pal." Black declared. "You really think now is the time for that?" Sombra asked. "Yes, I do." Black nodded. "And don't even think about taking the wheel ever again." "Perish the thought." Sombra sneered. Black's "business" involved locating and forcibly recruiting Twitch, who was easily cowed back into servitude, and convinced to help track down the escapees. He also charged Twitch with hunting down the Napoleons. He had heard they were in the Crystal Empire, and, no longer having the mercy he did towards them before, ordered Twitch to eliminate them. Sombra was simultaneously pleased and dismayed by the decision, mostly due to Black's choice of underling. "I can't believe you're wasting our time on that fool." Sombra growled as they returned to the Crystal Empire. "That 'fool' could still come in handy." Black smirked. "If all else fails, he'll make excellent cannon fodder." "I can definitely approve of that." Sombra smirked. Twitch's first attempt on the Napoleons ended with them getting away. Black was displeased, to say the least. "I'm very disappointed, Twitch." He growled. "I thought payback would be a good motivator. Apparently not." "I-it wasn't a total f-failure." Twitch trembled. "We m-managed to snag their medical records. We can still t-track them down." "Good." Black smirked. "Because I have business of my own to attend to." "W-what kind of b-business, boss?" Twitch asked. "I will send the Shadow Ponies to Canterlot." Black declared. "They will lay siege to the castle, and take the Crystal Sun shard." "Th-that'll be all too easy, boss." Twitch grinned. "I have it on g-good authority that the only royal left at the castle is Mist Paladin." Black froze up, instantly remembering the name. "Mist?" He said quietly. "As in Prince Shine's younger sister?" "Y-yep." Twitch nodded. "Maybe those Sh-shadow Ponies of yours could rip her limb from limb. That'd be quite a sight, huh? Especially given how she's p-preggo and all." Thoughts of Mist crying out in pain and anguish suddenly filled Black's mind. It was not an endearing image. "No." Black shook his head. "There will be no tearing limb from limb." "Huh?" Twitch frowned. "B-but boss-" "But nothing." Black growled. "I'm sending the Shadow Ponies to do a specific job, not indulge in wanton murder. Besides, having another Princess out there might work to our advantage." "H-how?" Twitch asked. "None of your business." Black snarled. "Uh... n-no offense boss, but that doesn't sound like you." Twitch admitted. "P-ponies say you're a stone-cold monster, who doesn't care about collateral damage. What's with the big swerve?" "It's none of your business." Black repeated. "It just seems pretty weird to me." Twitch declared, a defiant sneer on his face. "Why would you care about some pregnant mare you've never even met before? Maybe the big, bad Red Eclipse has a soft spot..." "My reasons are my own." Black declared. "And you will not question them, or else I'll rip out your tongue. Understand?" "Y-yes, boss." Twitch nodded. "Good." Black snorted. "Now leave me. I've had enough of your whiny voice for one day." "A-anything you say." Twitch nodded, leaving the room. Black walked over to a balcony, gazing into the horizon. "Little Mist, all grown up…" He said whimsically. "Hope you're ready to see your dear old uncle again..." Inside Black's mind, Sombra glanced at Black. "What was that about?" Sombra asked. "Why do you care about that Mist girl?" "I don't have to explain myself to you! Let's just send those Shadow Ponies over to Canterlot and get that damn piece, okay?!" Black growled, his voice carrying quite an edge to it. "Hmm, very well." Sombra grumbled. As his Shadow Pony minions spread out across Equestria, Black watched the chaos unfold with grim satisfaction, while Sombra was more gleeful about it. As each legion reached their destination, they contacted him telepathically, so he could speak his ultimatums directly to whoever was left to defend the Crystal Sun pieces. Turn around they might be watching And you never disappoint them Hide your innocence before they see right through You mustn't disappoint them You need the danger just to feel your heart beat You need to die just to find your identity You need the knife just to know that you can bleed You need the pain now just to feel anything We fall in line, we live the lie Give up, give up and feed the machine It grows inside, nowhere to hide Give up, give up and feed the machine Give up, give up and feed the machine The Shadow Ponies ran roughshod over Equestria, attacking such places as Ponyville and the Changeling territories. Through his connection to his minions, Black witnessed all the destruction. The terror, the anguish, the loss of life... The more he watched, the more he felt like a heavy weight was dropping into the pit of his stomach. "Something about this... just doesn't feel right." Black sighed. "All this chaos, just to obtain the Crystal Sun?" "Gird yourself, my friend." Sombra told him. "In the end, what we are doing will save Equestria. As they say, you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs." "Or a few hundred..." Black frowned. "I just keep getting this feeling that we're not really doing the right thing." "Trust me, that feeling will go away once you are in complete control." Sombra scoffed. "Now pay attention, the Shadow Ponies should be landing in Canterlot any moment now!" Sombra was correct, as the Shadow Ponies stormed the walls of Canterlot, overtaking everypony by surprise. It wasn't before long that they breached the castle. The moment they did, they opened up a communications portal for Black. "Hello?" Black glanced around, tapping his horn. "Is this thing on?" He glanced down at the trio of Mist, Blue Blazes, and Iron Hooves, smiling. "Ah, good. I'm still trying to figure out this thing." "Hmph, liar." Sombra scoffed from the mindscape. "Who are you?" Mist asked. "And why are your forces attacking us?" Black looked at Mist, eyes narrowing. "Wow, she's really grown up. She looks so much like her mother right now..." Black realized within his mind, marveling at her. "And she really is pregnant? Incredible... kids grow so fast these days." "Black, stay focused." Sombra growled. "Yeah, yeah..." Black nodded as he focused on Mist once more. "Why, I've simply sent them on a little errand." He answered Mist's question. "I'm Red Eclipse, and my employees are here for the shard of the Crystal Sun located in your vault." "Crystal what?" Blue frowned. "I'm afraid I do not know what it is you speak of." Mist glared. "But if you think we are just going to give it to some guy talking through a projection, then you are sorely mistaken!" "Wow, you've got spunk, kid." Black smirked. "I like that..." At that moment, Sombra, having sensed Black's hesitation once more, quietly took control again. "But my Shadow Ponies might not share that sentiment. In fact, they might lash out on this here city and it's ponies... heck, I bet they would love to play tug-o-war with that captain of yours." Sombra spoke in Black's voice. "Just try it." Iron Hooves snarled. "And I'm sure your family here at the Empire will want you to do as I say... not just for your sake, but theirs... and what of your foal?" Sombra asked. Mist stifled a growl as she felt her distended belly. "What do you mean?! What have you done to Mist's family?!" Blue roared. "Oh, I've done nothing… yet." Sombra chuckled darkly. "But the choice is yours, Princess. Either give me what I want, or everypony else will suffer for it... what do you do?" Mist shared unsure glances with both Iron and Blue, and then looked at her stomach and thought of her unborn foal, before she let out a sigh. "...Fine." Mist gave in. "Mist! I don't know what this 'Crystal Sun' is, but you can't just give it to him!" Blue protested. "I have no choice." Mist declared. "As Princess, I must put my subjects first." "Well said, kid." Sombra smiled. "Just so long as your Shadow Ponies leave the ponies of Canterlot alone once I give it to you." Mist snarled. "Of course." Sombra nodded. "You have my word." "Iron." Mist gestured. Iron gave a grunt as he quickly went to the vault and retrieved the shard, which looked like a quarter of a sphere, sky blue in color, shining in the light. With hesitance, Iron gave the shard to the head Shadow Pony. "Pleasure doing business with you." Sombra smiled. "Now, all of you leave." Mist ordered. "Actually... I think I'll have my Shadow Ponies stay here for a while..." Sombra chuckled darkly. "What?!" Mist gasped. "But you promised-" "That the Shadow Ponies would leave your ponies alone. I didn't say that they would leave Canterlot." Sombra elaborated. "As of now, Canterlot is now occupied and a part of the new world order for the foreseeable future." "You son of a-GAH!" Blue was about to attack, before being knocked down by a blast of dark magic from a Shadow Pony. "Blue!" Mist gasped. "I wouldn't do that." Sombra smirked. "I promised that they would leave you alone... but if you happen to get in their way, I can't guarantee your safety. Good day." As the viewing portal closed, Sombra relinquished control. And Black was far from happy. "What the HELL?! You did it again!" Black snarled. "You made me into your little puppet!" "My apologies." Sombra declared. "I feared your relation to Princess Mist would... color your judgment." "Well, I guess we'll never know, huh?" Black snarled. "You know, you could have just trusted me to handle it myself." "With the plan so close to fruition, I'm afraid I'm not willing to take chances." Sombra said flatly. "Don't forget, it's only because of me that you've gotten this far." Black growled. "If not for me, you'd still be stuck in this horn." "I am well aware of that fact." Sombra said testily. "But I've never exactly worked with a 'partner' before. Forgive me if I'm not an expert at it." "Just knock it off with the control, okay?" Black growled. "If it happens again, I won't hesitate to saw this horn clean off my head." "I can assure you that it will not come to that." Sombra said quietly. "It better not." Black growled. They pull you faster, the cadence calling And you never fall behind So choose a face, you're only crawling now You mustn't fall behind You need another death just to have a life to save You need a master just so you can beg You need a light just because you're so afraid Now bow and learn to be a good slave We fall in line, we live the lie Give up, give up and feed the machine Nowhere to hide, it grows inside Give up, give up and feed the machine Give up, give up and feed the machine Meanwhile, the Forefathers were keeping an eye on the situation, having been listening to the broadcasts of various news stations. The situation had even caught the attention of Father himself, as he sat at the head of the table while they listened to the latest broadcast. "Red Eclipse's forces seem unstoppable." A newsreader declared. "No weapon or pony can harm them. And with most of the royal ponies already captured by that monster, it seems as though all hope has been lost-" "This is... a very disturbing turn of events." Loveless frowned, switching off the broadcast. "Yeah... so much for the mob, am I right?" Ricochet joked. "This is no time for joking, Ricochet." Gridlock glared. "We have to do something! We can't let Black take over Equestria! We're the one who are supposed to be doing that!" "It doesn't seem like we have a choice." Harlhooves mused. "He seems to be on the cusp of ultimate power." "And what about Sterling?" Loveless fretted. "I've been trying to contact him for days, but something is jamming the signal!" "Forget him." Gridlock growled. "We have to do something about Black!" "Yes, but what?" Solomon asked. "This Shadow Pony army of his seems invincible." "So?" Ricochet smirked. "Just makes things more fun provin' them wrong, am I right?" "Not how I'd put it, but you got the right idea!" Gridlock nodded. "I say we march down there and kick his ass once and for all! Who's with me?!" "No." Father said suddenly. "Huh?" The other Ouroboros glanced at Father. "No? But Father, Black is-" Gridlock protested. "I am aware of that, Gridlock." Father mused. "But... I think the best course of action at this point in time is to simply wait and observe." "'Wait and observe'?! Are you saying we should just let Black take over Equestria and ruin our plans?!" Gridlock snarled. "No... I am saying that we should just hold back." Father clarified. "It would do us no good to get involved right now. Only when things start to become dire should we step in." "Are you sure that's wise, sir?" Harlhooves asked. "Until we know exactly what we're dealing with, a direct attack would be folly." Father said firmly. "We must bide our time. Bide our time..." "Yes, sir." Solomon nodded. "As you command, Father." Gridlock scowled. "Aw, I hate bidin' my time." Ricochet pouted. "It's no fun!" "But what of Sterling?" Loveless whispered. "He is still out there." "Do not fret, Loveless. Sterling is more than capable of handling himself." Father mused. "I know that... it's just... it doesn't stop me from worrying..." Loveless frowned. The Taskforce listened to the same broadcast. Natascha had taken her leave soon after sharing the info about Black, having decided to reach out to her contacts in hopes that one of them could know how to stop him. The lack of communication suggested she had been unsuccessful. "And with most of the royal ponies already captured by that monster, it seems as though all hope has been lost." The broadcaster declared. "We can only hope our salvation arrives soon, before there is nothing left to save." "Great." Incognito scowled. "From bad to worse." "What can we do to stop this?" Armory asked. "For once, I haven't a clue." Master Mind sighed. "It truly seems hopeless." "Some genius you are." Ballista scoffed. "All brain, and no spine..." "And I suppose you have a better idea?" Master Mind growled. "Any idea's better than just sittin' here." Ballista retorted. Elite silently stood up, as he made to leave the room. "Elite, what are you doing?" Ballista asked. "I have had enough." Elite declared firmly. "I am done sitting back while Black takes over Equestria. I am going to the Crystal Empire, and putting an end to this mess!" "What, are you crazy?" Incognito gaped. "That place is swarming with those Shadow Ponies!" "I don't care!" Elite growled. "Black is there! I have to stop him from making the biggest mistake of his life!" "Don't be a fool, sir!" Master Mind protested. "In only a few days, Black has managed to capture not only the Crystal Empire, but also Canterlot, the Changeling territory, Ponyville, and Faust knows what other towns! Not to mention he captured the Alicorns, the most powerful ponies of them all! Black could easily kill you right on the spot if he wanted to! The chances of you stopping him are non-existent!" "I'll just have to take that chance then!" Elite declared. "If it means stopping Black, then I'll do it." "Elite, hold on a moment..." Ballista stepped forth. "Don't try to stop me, Ballista." Elite sighed. "I need to do this." "I understand that, Elite." Ballista nodded. "Which is why I'm coming with you." "You too, Ballista?!" Incognito gaped. "Wny not?" Ballista asked. "We're sworn to protect Equestria, right?" "But Black's forces..." Master Mind sighed. "We're no match for them." "So we're going to just hide and let Equestria be overrun?" Ballista scowled. "That's not what I signed on for!" "I hate to say it, but Ballista's right." Armory declared. "We can't just sit here, and let this all happen. We've got to at least try to help!" "But how?" Incognito frowned. "Those Shadow Ponies are invincible." "Every opponent has a weakness." Elite declared. "And I believe their weakness is Black himself. If we can somehow convince him to stand down, this can all be over." "That's a pretty big 'if'." Master Mind declared. "It's better to try and fail, then to never try in the first place." Elite declared. "You are free to stay here if you wish, but I must do this." "So do I." Ballista nodded. "...I'm with you guys." Armory smiled. "To the end." "...Yeah, me too." Incognito gave in. "...I suppose it would be best to at least try..." Master Mind gave in. "Rrrrf!" Titan barked. "Excellent." Elite smiled. "Gather what you need. We depart in five minutes." As the Taskforce member went to prepare, Ballista pulled Armory aside. "Armory, a word please?" Ballista asked. "Can it wait? We need to get to the Empire!" Armory frowned. "No, this is important." Ballista glanced back, making sure no pony was in earshot. "Armory, have you made any more ammo for Der Urknall?" "Of course I have." Armory answered, a bit confused. "Why are you asking?" "...Look, I'm going to be straight with you, Armory." Ballista sighed. "The chances of me and Elite convincing Black to stop all this madness is slim to nothing. And if we can't convince Black to stop this... then we're gonna have to stop him ourselves..." "Wait, what are you..." Armory suddenly caught onto what Ballista was suggesting, and scowled. "No. I am not doing that!" "Armory, please..." Ballista urged. "NO!" Armory snarled. "I can't believe you would even ask this of me! Me of all ponies!" "Look, Black may have all that power, but he's still just a pony." Ballista glared. "And if things goes the way I think they're gonna go, we need to stop him no matter what." "But if he's still a pony, surely we can reach him?" Armory pointed out. "Somehow?" "No." Ballista shook his head. "He's too far gone. You should know. You saw him." "But Black-" Armory pouted. "I know he's your friend." Ballista sighed. "He's mine too. But we can't let him take Equestria. We have to put an end to him... by any means necessary." "I... I couldn't..." Armory insisted. "You're honestly saying you'd put Black's life above all the lives in Equestria?" Ballista urged. "You still have a duty to perform, Armory. You owe it to all ponies, not just one." "I... I know." Armory sighed. "Good." Ballista smiled. "Now, here's what I ant you to do if things go south..." Back at the Crystal Empire, things had taken quite an unexpected turn. The Shadow Ponies were able to track Shine and his daughter all the way to Dodge Junction. The group had sought solace with Big Red and Cherry Jubilee, two of Black's oldest friends. In an ensuing struggle, Shine and Miracle had managed to slip away. In their stead, however, the Shadow Ponies had managed to capture Sleight, and to Black's surprise, Big Red. After Black batted Sleight around a bit and sent him to the dungeon, it was only him and Big Red. Big Red had a lot of choice words to share with Black over his current actions, and Black had some words of his own, several involving White (and not in a good way). One thing lead to another, and the two got into a small hoof-fight. Naturally, Black was able to overpower the big burly farm stallion, but after he did... Black got to thinking, as he sat on the throne of the Crystal Castle. 'What is wrong with me?' Black thought. 'All these years, I've been so sure of what I want. Why am I doubting myself? And all those things I said to Red about White... I didn't mean them, did I? No, that was Sombra. Wasn't it?' "You wanna know something, Black?" Black sighed, as within his mind, he was also sitting on the throne of Canterlot Castle. Sombra stood nearby, glaring at him. "In the past few days that we've been conquering Equestria, we haven't killed a single pony." Sombra frowned. "...Yeah, so?" Black frowned back. "I want to know what it is you're thinking right now!" Sombra glared. "It seems like every chance we have to murder somepony, you don't take it! You let them live, saying they're not worth the effort!" "Because they weren't!" Black frowned, "What would be the point of their deaths, huh?" "When has that ever stopped you before?" Sombra scoffed. "I have seen the sins you have committed, before you even found my remnant. I can see the hundreds of faces you have slaughtered, all in the name of this cause of 'protecting' Equestria... what did any of those ponies ever do to deserve your wrath?" "They were part of the Forefathers." Black answered. "The ponies who were willing to decimate countries and murder thousands. I had to put an end to them." "Oh, and what about those Changelings?" Sombra asked. "They were infected with that disease!" Black snarled. "It was the only way we could have saved everypony!" "...I was referring to those you killed ten years ago, when you were with that lovely gang." Sombra sneered. "Surely, those Changelings didn't have some sort of disease, did they?" "Well, no..." Black murmured, suddenly remembering the Changelings he tormented all those years ago. "Well, that was different!" "Really?" Sombra challenged. "Come now, Black, you aren't fooling anypony... you killed those Changelings because you wanted to. Because it made you feel good." "That's not how it went." Black insisted, remembering what he learned of Project: Argo. "I was protecting Equestria, even if it cost the lives of innocents." "Oh, please." Sombra smirked. "Murdering is a part of your nature. It's what you were meant to be." "No, it's not!" Black yelled. "Is it?" Sombra asked. "If it were, perhaps you would have refused to enact such atrocities. But you didn't, did you? You didn't refuse to slaughter those Changelings. And you didn't refuse to kill the targets you were given, did you?" "No..." Black admitted. "No. Because to you, these ponies are all the same. Disposable, expendable, no weight on your conscience if you removed them from the equation." Sombra sneered. "Just a little bump on your path to glory." "You shut up..." Black grit his teeth. "I know this, Black. Because I was there." Sombra smiled. "That is why fate has brought us together. You and I are cut from the same cloth." "I am nothing like you!" Black stood up suddenly. "Oh really?" Sombra smirked. "You are moments away from conquering Equestria, just like I was. You have the power of darkness at your beck and call. You are motivated by your own inner demons, just as I was. So far, the only difference I can see is that you refuse to embrace it. You and I want the same thing: subjugation of ponykind." "That's not what I want!" Black insisted. "I want to assume control of Equestria so I can protect it. So I can become strong enough to destroy the Forefathers, once and for all. I only use your magic so I can obtain the Crystal Sun and attain the power of the Great Alicorns! And now that I am moments away from receiving it, I no longer need you." "...If that is so, then why haven't you cast me aside yet?" Sombra asked. "Because... because... I can use this power for good." Black rationalized. "Why let your powers go to waste, you know?" "Oh, please." Sombra sneered. "I know the truth. You've gotten hooked on my black magic. The power, the glory. You just can't live without it." "Shut up..." Black growled. "Face it, you're becoming just like me." Sombra taunted. "SHUT UP!!" Black roared. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" "You can't hide it, Black!" Sombra smiled. "You are what everypony believed you to be, a perfect killing MACHINE!" Black was moments away from screaming, but before he let it out... "Black." In the real world, Black glanced up, hearing the voice. "Who's there?! Show yourself!" He yelled. "Black, calm yourself..." Black turned towards the shadows... where Elite and Ballista emerged from. "...Elite, Ballista?" Black gaped. "How did you..." "Get here?" Elite asked. "We let ourselves in." "Well, you could have called ahead." Black said flatly. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm kinda busy at the moment." "We noticed." Ballista growled. "We heard you dropped by the Headquarters." Elite noted. "You should have stuck around. It's been so long since we last saw each other." Ballista added. "Yeah, well... I was a little too busy to stay." Black declared. "Black... what is this?" Elite asked. "Using dark magic, unleashing Shadow Ponies, seizing towns, thinking of using the Crystal Sun? Have you taken leave of your senses?" "Of course not, director." Black said serenely. "In fact, for the first time in a long time, I'm thinking clearly." "Is that so? Then why are you doing this?" Elite growled. "For the mission, of course." Black replied. "For so long, we've been fighting the Forefathers, trying to keep them from taking over Equestria... yet nopony has thought that maybe it might be easier... if we took over Equestria, and protected it from them." "No one has thought of it because it's insane!" Elite yelled. "Black, you have to listen to me. You are not well. You've been locked in a cell for ten years. You have been experiencing an increasing mental decline. You have a BUCKING horn from a dead stallion sticking out of your head!" "What's wrong, director?" Black sneered. "Isn't this what you want? If I use the Crystal Sun, we will finally be strong enough to defeat the Forefathers. I could decimate the entire organization, and I could kill Father himself. No pony will be able to stop us..." "Black, I know you think that's peachy and all, but this is not the way." Elite insisted. "The Crystal Sun's power is too much for a ordinary stallion to handle. You would only make Equestria much worse than it already is." "I seriously doubt that." Black scoffed. "Listen to 'im, mate." Ballista urged. "You're near the bleedin' point of no return here." "And who's fault is that?!" Black roared. "Yours, with your stupid Project: Argo!" "...Holy crap, you know about Argo?!" Ballista gaped. "For how long?!" "For quite a while, actually." Black frowned. "I was pretty upset at first, but after taking some time to think about it... it all made sense... why else would you pick such a messed up stallion like me for your team..." "...So that's why you were acting that way..." Elite whispered. "Black, we can explain..." "Oh no, I think you made it quite clear..." Black glared. "You wanted me to be the perfect soldier... and what does every true soldier want? To put an end to the fighting, once and for all. Well, I'm about to accomplish that goal. Aren't you proud of me?" "Proud of this?" Elite spat. "Never." "Of course not." Black sneered. "You only ever thought of me as your personal little war machine, didn't you?" "That is not true!" Elite insisted. "I always saw you as a pony first, and a soldier second. And that's still true, even now." "Listen to Elite, mate." Ballista urged. "I believe somewhere deep down, you know this is wrong! Don't throw your equinity away for this!" "It's a little late to try appealing to my better nature, Ballista." Black spat. "Whether you wanted to or not, you both still wronged me. After everything I've done for you, you used me for your own gain. Because of you and your manipulations... I was torn away from my brother. I was branded a traitor. I was forced to leave the love of my life... and... and..." Black felt his eye grow misty. "...I'll never know my son..." "Son..." Elite gasped. "You've been watching over Belle, haven't you? So you know about Shade." "...And clearly, so do you." Black snorted. "Wait... have you... have you been visiting Belle and your brother all these years?" Elite frowned, as he turned to Ballista. "Ballista, did you know about this?" "Well, I knew about the visits." Ballista frowned. "I tried to stop him a lot of times before, but he wouldn't listen. I just hoped he would've learned to stop... but the part about Shade..." He glared at Black. "That was something he wasn't supposed to know about." "Seriously?" Black snarled. "Not know about my own son? No, of course not. It wouldn't do for your pet killing machine to have something close to a heart, would it?!" "Black, please." Elite begged. "That's not what I saw you as. Never. It's not too late to end this." "It'll end, alright... on my terms." Black spat. "And my terms only. And no pony is going to stop me. Not even you!" "...Is that your final word?" Ballista frowned. "Yes." Black glared. "All my life, I've had to live with this burden. The burden of being seen as nothing more than something dark and evil. All I ever wanted was to show that I was capable of the greater good... but every time I tried, I only delved deeper into that dark abyss... but no more. I will protect Equestria, and be it as a sociopath, a killing machine, or a tyrant, I will do it." "...Black..." Elite whispered. Ballista, realizing the time had come, turned his head towards the nearby window, then sharply tilted it towards Black. A short distance away, perched on a building not far from the castle, Armory was there, the sniper cannon primed and ready to fire right at Black. Armory quickly took note of Ballista's signal. "No..." Armory sighed, as he pointed the cannon towards Black. "...I'm sorry, Black... forgive me..." Armory moved his hoof towards the trigger, ready to put an end to the evil machinations of his once friend. However, as he held his hoof on the trigger, Armory felt his hoof shaking. "Come on, Armory." He told himself. "You have to pull the trigger. It's the only way to save Equestria. You have to... kill Black..." Armory had Black in his sights. But the face of his old friend was too much for him. "Do it..." He whispered, his hooves shaking. "Black isn't Black anymore. He's a monster. He needs to be put down..." Despite Armory's words, he couldn't stop himself from remembering all the times he'd shared with Black. His comrade, his friend... Tears welled up in his eyes. He just couldn't bring himself to kill Black in cold blood, no matter what he'd done. "...I can't do this..." Armory sniffed, tears falling down his eyes, as he lowered his trigger hoof. "I'm sorry, Ballista, I just can't..." Back in the throne room, Ballista could sense that something was off. That Armory would not be making that shot... "What are you waiting for?" Ballista whispered impatiently, his pupils shrinking in horror. "Take the shot..." "Ballista?" Elite turned to Ballista in confusion. "Take the shot..." Ballista whispered a little louder. "What are you saying?" Black murmured. Suddenly, something inside Ballista's head snapped, and his face turned red. "TAKE THE BUCKING SHOT, ARMORY!" Ballista roared. "What?!" Black growled. "Ballista?!" Elite yelped, suddenly catching on to what he meant. "What did you do?!" Black turned to the window, and saw the gleam of the gun barrel. "Oh, you son of a-RAH!" Black roared, firing a beam of dark magic through the window. The beam came right at Armory. "Oh, scheisse!" Armory cried, as he quickly ducked for cover. The blast struck the sniper cannon head on, destroying it. "Armory, no..." Elite gaped. Black then glared viciously at the two. "So, try to take me out, huh?" Black snarled. "I knew you were talking garbage. You were just distracting me, so I could be put down, like the rabid animal you think I am!" "Black, no." Elite shook his head. "It's not like that. I had no-" "Save it." Black spat, his flaring with green. "And die." Black blasted them both with Sombra's horn, sending them flying back a couple of feet. "Dammit, if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself!" Ballista snarled, as he pulled out a crossbow. "I'm sorry Black, but I can't let you do this!" "You're not letting me do anything!" Black snarled, as he quickly charged Ballista, breaking his crossbow in two. He followed up by grabbing Ballista's throat, then chucked the cockney stallion against the wall. "Ugh!" Ballista grunted. "Black, please!" Elite declared. "Stop this!" "Stop what?" Black snarled. "You did this to me. All of it! And I am going to make you pay!" "I don't want to fight you, Black." Elite declared. "But I will if I must!" "Ooh, scary." Black snorted. "Just fight already!" The two clashed, former commander and subordinate. Elite was more experienced, and packed a metal hoof, but Black had Sombra's power backing him up. Elite swung his metal hoof at Black's chin, knocking him back. "Grr..." Black snarled. "Just one more thing you'll be paying for..." "Believe me, I know I have much to answer for." Elite said sternly. "But this isn't the way." "I think it is!" Black lunged for him. Elite managed to evade some of Black's attacks, and strike back with his own, but Black was barely fazed. "...Okay, that's enough of the warm-ups." Black smirked, his eyes growing wispy. "Time to get serious!" Black, utilizing blinding speed, pummeled Elite with a flurry of punishing blows. "How ya like me now?" He taunted. Elite quickly collapsed under the onslaught. "I've been hoping for a chance like this for a while now, Director." Black growled, as he bore down upon him. "A chance to finally make you pay for what you did to me!" "Lay off him!" Ballista rushed over to help. "You stay out of this!" Black blasted him with the horn, sending him flying across the room. Elite took advantage of Black's momentary loss of focus as he threw forth his metal hoof... Only for Black to catch it with his bare hoof. "...Nice hoof." Black sneered, as he crushed the appendage like it was made of paper. "Gah!" Elite yanked back the metal hoof, stepping back, but due to his messed-up metal hoof, he lost his balance. Black capitalized on his new advantage, throwing all his strength into each punch he threw at the stumbling stallion. Elite cried out in pain, trying his best to shield himself from each blow, but it wasn't long before Black had him back against the wall. Elite fell to his knees, his body sporting many bruises, and his cloak torn from the fight. He glanced up at Black, who looked down upon him with great disdain. "Black..." Elite panted. "I..." Suddenly, Black grabbed him by the hem of his cloak, bringing them face to face. "I've been waiting for this for so long... I will make you pay for using me... for making me give up everything for you... for making me think that you actually cared about me... this is where it ends, Director." He snarled. "Black..." Elite wheezed. "...You're not a monster. Not a conqueror... and not a sociopath... What you are is the most noble stallion I've ever known. All you've done, even now, has been for Equestria. Never before did I have the pleasure of knowing a stallion so dedicated to protecting the things he loved... and I'm so sorry that I took all that for granted. That I brought such pain upon you. Maybe you should just kill me. I more than deserve it." A single tear rolled down his cheek. "I failed you, my friend... Completely and utterly failed you." Black froze in place. Seeing Elite like that struck a chord with him. "...You did more than fail me." Black glared. "You used me. Made me part of your little Project: Argo." "It was never his project." "Huh?" Black glanced behind him, seeing Ballista rise to his hooves. "What did you say?" "I said... it was never his project." Ballista groaned, shaking off the pain in his body. "It was me... all me..." "What?!" Black gaped. "Black... I was the one who came up with the whole idea." Ballista frowned. "I wanted a pony who showed signs of sociopathy, a stallion who was incapable of feeling empathy, who lacked a conscience... who would be able to commit the most atrocious acts. A soldier who was willing to do what others wouldn't..." He let out a sigh. "And I thought that you would be that soldier..." "So what if it was your idea?" Black spat. "Elite still went along with it." "Not all the way." Ballista shook his head. "Ever since Elite met you, he told me of his doubts about having you in the project. How you weren't the sociopath that I thought you would be. But how could you not be?" He glared at Black. "I never meant for it to go this far, for you to become so utterly messed up... You were supposed to be the one. The perfect candidate... but Elite... Elite saw something in you that I just couldn't." "And how could I not?" Elite declared. "When I first met you, I knew you were more than a soldier. You were a stallion. A stallion who believed in what was right. One who stood for justice and honor. And I know, deep down inside, you still are... and I was always proud of you for that." Black, for a lack of words, was stunned. Everything he had come to think of himself had been proven wrong. Furthermore... he had finally realized what Pike meant. Here he was, moments away from killing the stallion he respected, on the verge on taking over Equestria, teaming up with Sombra of all pony... He finally realized what it was that was keeping him from killing thus far... it was the part of him that was still noble, the echo of the stallion he once was. Deep down, he always knew what he was doing was wrong. But up until that moment, he just didn't care. But now, he had finally realized the truth... "Um... what are you doing?" It was Sombra, who had watched teh whole altercation with glee... until that moment. "You have him right where you want him!" Sombra snarled. "Finish him! You must!" "No... I mustn't." Black declared. Black gently lowered Elite to the floor, and moved away from him. "Get out of here." Black declared solemnly. "Both of you. Before I change my mind." "Black..." Elite whispered, as Ballista rushed over to help him up. "...Thank you..." "Just..." Black sighed, closing his sole eye. "...Leave." "No! Stop them!" Sombra yelled. "Stop them!" Black refused to listen as he turned away from his former comrades as they departed. Elite and Ballista left the Castle, and regrouped with their fellows just outside the Empire. "Hey, what happened in there?" Incognito asked. "You guys look like hell!" "...Well, things did not go as well as we hoped." Elite admitted, as he glanced around. "Where's Armory, is he okay?" "Don't worry, I'm right here!" Armory stepped forth. "I'm okay." "You!" Ballista snarled, pointing his hoof at him. "What happened back there?! You were supposed to shoot him! You left us high and dry!" "...I'm sorry." Armory sighed. "I just couldn't do it." "Well, I hope you're happy." Ballista spat. "Because of you, we're all doomed!" "No, Ballista." Elite glared. "It's because of you." "What?!" Ballista growled. "Your Project: Argo caused all this." Elite said coldly. "It spiraled into disaster, as I always knew it would." "You don't know what you're talking about." Ballista spat. "The truth is-" "The truth is, I always hated Project: Argo!" Elite roared. "It was a sick, twisted joke of a Project from the very beginning. One that I should never have entertained!" "A joke?" Ballista snarled. "A joke?! Project: Argo could have changed everything!" "No it wouldn't..." Elite glared. "All it was in the end was your way of trying to make up for what happened all those years ago! And now, we're in this mess because of all the damage your project caused!" "It wasn't supposed to be this way, Elite!" Ballista yelled. "But I was trying to make things right!" "You were not!" Elite growled. "This whole Project was about proving your own superiority! It was about showing the world what a military genius you are! Well, it didn't quite work out that way, did it?" "How dare you." Ballista growled. "I was doing this for all of us! For the security of Equestria!" "Believe what you will." Elite snarled. "I believe that every that has happened, every terrible thing, was your fault!" "Say what?" Ballista spat. "Think about it: Black's descent into madness, his deserting us..." Elite pointed out. "And let's not forget what happened to another pony you thought had what it took to be a 'perfect soldier'. It didn't work out so well for him, did it? And all because of you." "That's it!" Ballista suddenly tackled Elite, and the two started fighting each other. "Arrogant thug!" Elite roared, as he punched Ballista. "Bleedin' heart wimp!" Ballista returned the blow. "That's enough!" Master Mind and the others rushed over. "Break it up!" Incognito added, restraining Elite. "Rrf!" Titan added, pulling Ballista away. "This isn't helping anypony!" Armory told Elite. "...You're right." Elite sighed heavily. "We can't help anypony like this. We'll have to shelve our dispute for now." "But only for now." Ballista spat. "We're not done here, 'boss'." "No, we are not." Elite growled. "But we must focus on the matter at hoof. We must find a way to save Equestria from Black, and Black from Sombra. And himself..." Back at the empire, Sombra was livid at Black for allowing Elite and Ballista to leave. "What were you thinking?!" He roared within Black's mind. "Not killing them was one thing, but allowing them to escape? You are far softer than I ever feared." "Call me whatever you want." Black spat. "I don't care. I'm done with you. I'm putting an end to this madness, right here and now..." "No..." Sombra glared. "It is I who is done with you. I've tried to be a team player, but it's become clear that you don't have the backbone to do what is necessary to attain true power... so I am taking over." "No, you're not." Black snarled. "This is my head, remember? And sure, you may be able to take the reins every once in a while, but it doesn't last. When you get right down to it, I'm still in control." "Is that so?" Sombra smirked. "I think you need to be taught just how wrong you are..." Suddenly, the floor of the mindscape cracked, and tendrils of darkness burst out of it, ensnaring Black. "What is this?!" Black struggled. "This is the end of your tiresome existence." Sombra sneered. "I'm taking full control of this body of yours... permanently." "You can't!" Black pulled against the tendrils. "I won't let you! This is my body!" "Not any more." Sombra cackled. "As of right now, Black Knight Paladin is no more. King Sombra has returned, and I shall reign supreme over all of Equestria!" "No!" Black screamed. "Yes." Sombra nodded. "And you will be free to watch, as I use your body to crush all those who oppose me, and transform all of Equestria into my kingdom of shadows! You were right, Black. I couldn't have done this without you. You have my deepest gratitude." "No. No. Noooooo!" Black roared, helpless to free himself. "I hope you enjoy the show." Sombra sneered. "...What have I done?" Black bowed his head in anguish. "Equestria is doomed, all because of me..." The present... "Okay, I'm surprised." Caboose declared. "And I was there." "So you weren't the one in control during the worst of it?" Fletcher asked. "No... not that it made it any easier." Black sighed. "Because Sombra was right. It was still my body doing it." "Oh, Black." Pike sighed. "i can't imagine what kind of nightmare that must have been." "Pray that you never learn." Black scowled. "Having my body imprisoned was one thing, but my mind... That was hooves down, the worst experience of my live. And things only went downhill from there..."