//------------------------------// // The Umbrum // Story: A Bridge Between Brothers // by Rammy //------------------------------// ബഐബഐബഐ H.K. ബഐബഐബഐ Several hours of fighting the wind and snow we suddenly stumbled through an unseen barrier at the edge of the Crystal City proper. I was the first to recover as I had expected that this would happened as for the young dragons with me they were a bit more taken aback. "Whoa..." Garble and Spike gasped in unison. AS the two dragons where thrilled from the sight of the Crystal Empire I was not. This was bad as form a quick glance half of the buildings where infected by Sombra's dark shadow crystals. The only good thing was that it appeared that Sombra must be taking his time. The cloud of dark smoke that was him was moving up the main boulevard towards the Spire at a snails pace. Clearly he was doing this to maximize the fear in 'his' subjects. His arrogance could prove to be beneficial... "There is something you both need to know." I spoke up capturing the young dragons' attention. "A thousand years ago when even Luna and Oathbreaker's full might failed to kill him leaving them with sealing as the only recourse somehow Sombra had managed to tie the Empire's fate to his own. So when he was sealed so too was the Empire. He needs to be stopped before he manages to infect the entire Empire once again..." "How!? If Princesses Celestia and Luna could only seal him away how are we going to stop him!?" "There is one artifact that might work since we don't have the Elements... The Crystal Heart. It has to be hidden somewhere in the empire... Mostly likely the Spire..." "Sombra is an idiot pony for leaving something that can kill him around! He should have smashed it." Garble growled out. "Sombra would dare not to destroy it or risk losing the Empire. It's what drives back the endless winter." "Then what are we going to do?!" Spike wailed out. "I am going to hold off Sombra while you two go find Twilight. Surely by now she has figured out something. Oathbreaker would not have her come here otherwise..." "Enough talking!" Spike growled, already walking towards the Spire, Garble close behind. "The girls and the Empire need us now!" I nodded in agreement before I headed towards Sombra. I quietly walked up one of the sides streets with my sword in my teeth. I had to be careful that I didn't attract Sombra's attention too quickly. I could see a few ponies cowering in the shadows as I walk passed. I wasn't sure if it was from me, Sombra, or both. It didn't matter me me as I just had to make sure that Sombra didn't figure out what going on. If he suspected anything he would just ignore me and go straight at the Spire full speed. At least I was only a few blocks away from where Sombra was. A few minutes later I was able overtook Sombra and slipped down the alleyway that connected me to the street Sombra was on. I took a deep breath as I made some last minute mental preparations to confront Sombra. Now the hard part was about to begin. Slowing him down long enough for Spike to find Twilight and for them to find the Crystal Heart. "That is far enough Sombra." I shouted as I slowly emerged from the alleyway taking up a challenging stance in the middle of the street. "You darezzz." Sombra hissed down at me from at top his crystal. "I dare!" I yelled as I threw off my cloak. I was going to need to use every advantage I had against Sombra. Especially if he was going to use his smoke form and black shadow crystals to gain height. "Alicornsss..." Sombra hissed in surprise as I unfurled my wings. Gah I rolled my eyes in annoyance. His villainous lisp was already getting old, but I will handle anything to give me a moments rest or an opening for an attack. In this case an attack. I launched myself into the air and at him at full speed. Sombra yelped in pain when I slammed full force into him. He stumbled down his black crystal and slammed into the cobble street below. I rose up in the air and then dive after him. Unfortunately Sombra recovered fast enough that I ended up slamming into the street as his body faded back into smoke. He quickly reconstituted a few hoofs a way. A second wisp of smoke becoming the strangest sword I had ever seen. It was an long sword made from what seemed to be obsidian and it sported deep and sharp teeth along each edge. That was all I the admiring that i was able to do before I had to roll away as the sword came crashing down where I once was. I grunted as I got back onto my hooves. The design of Sombra's sword clearly was not going to be practical in battle as I could feel the immense mana needed to force to the sword out of the street. However, as a torture device it would be quite effective. Case in point my left barrel now sported a series of long but fairly shallow cuts. None of which alone would be remotely be life threatening but it did send my nerves screaming in pain. I wish I had brought my armor but I left it back in the Everfree Forest in the rush to get here. I would have tried to take advantage of this opening but Sombra sent a barrage of black crystals at me which I barely avoided by teleporting to the top of a near by house. A dark beam tried to slam into me but I deflected it with the flat end of my sword. Once the beam faded I retaliated with a beam of my own. The beam went right through Sombra as he returned to his shadow form. But it didn't bother me as I sent one after another at him. I didn't give me a chance to do much more then to back up until i had him backed up again a wall. Excellent I got you cornered. With a wave of my horn I encased Sombra in a crystal shaped shield. I let a grin creep up as I watched Sombra struggle against hard and failing to escape the shield. Suddenly I could feel my mana field wavier. I grunted in pain before I vomited up ash. I dropped my sword as I lost my ability to hold on to it. Not now! "Who... are you?" Sombra gasped out as he stumbled out of the disappearing shield I had him in. I returned to my full height, glaring at him. It seems he's lost the lisp though the strange echo was still there. It could only mean that he had stop playing around and was getting serious and curious. I could work with the latter... the former was not good as my illness was now aggravated and this battle was only half started. "Oh come now Sombra, Shadow King," I grinned, thankful that Sombra's curiosity gave me time to recover, "as well versed in battle as you are you should know the sword I wield." "Leafcutter the sword of the War Alicorn." Sombra's eyes widen in recognition. Now that I felt better I rushed at Sombra using a spin attack as I got close enough. Sombra rolled to the side and tried to slash me in turn as I pass by him but I was ready. The purpose of the spin attack to fool my opponents into opening themselves for an surprise attack. I sent a massive electric charge along the ground. Before his attack could connect Sombra was knocked back by it right into a house. He it so hard that the house crumbled into the ground. Sombra didn't take long to come out of the rumble, eyes ablaze in anger. "I will cut you down!" I resisted the urge to smile as I effortlessly parried Sombra opening strike. His anger should make him sloppy leaving me a chance to hit him while he was in a corporeal form. Strike after strike blow and blow our bodies and swords danced. Neither of us able to break through each others defenses enough to do gain an advantage. As time went it on became clear to me why Luna and Oathbreaker were forced to take the desperate measure of sealing. Never before had even I faced an opponent such as the Shadow King... If only I was not weakened by the ash disease... "Will you die ALREADY!" Sombra roared as we skidded away from each other after a particular long stalemate clash of our swords. He dismissed his sword and sent a massive mana beam right at me. I skidded hard as I was pushed back by the attack, grunting as my hastily brought up shield began to crack. If I don't find a way to stop it... Sweat poured down my brow as I forced more mana into the shield. The cracks slowly closed back up. I then took began to push the beam back. I needed to get closer to have a chance. However, the beam and my shield suddenly failed at the same time nearly causing me to stumble. I gasped as I fought to regain my breath, thankful to have survived. I looked over to see that Sombra too was also short of breath. I didn't get anymore time to recover when I could feel the familiar pangs in my stomach. A second later I coughed up a glop of ash and blood. Great, just great. I grumbled before I threw up more of the ash. I nearly screamed as I violently and painfully shook. The spasms this time were the worst I had ever felt and I fell to the ground, nearly blacking out as I did. "Oh, how the might have fallen." Sombra grinned down at me, licking his fangs. I tried again to get up but I collapsed after only shakily raising a few inches. My vision was starting to spin and faded in and out of focus. Considering the amount of blood I have lost from all the cuts I had received so far coupled with all the ash I have vomited I should be unconscious. "Your body is weak allow me to end it... slowly." Sombra smirk only got more sinister as he took his time to approach me, his sword idly scratching the cobble street. He was playing with me thinking that I was done. But he was wrong. As long as I held breath I was not done. "I may fallen down Umbrum." I growled out as I forced myself to stand slowly wiping my mouth of the gooey ash once I was on my hooves. If my time was today I was going to do so standing like the warrior I am. "But I am not beaten just yet." "Please, you can barely stand. But I admire your determination. So I think instead I will end you quickly." Sombra rushed at me his sword at the ready. I managed to just barely parry the first slash but the second I was unable to. I roared in pain as Sombra sword slashed into my shoulder the teeth along its edge shredding it to strips. I managed to slam Sombra away with a weak magic beam before I removed the sword with a sickening splosh. I quickly applied a minor healing spell with the last of my mana to stop from bleeding out. Not that it would matter in the end other then give me and them by extension a few more moments... I breathed hard as I stood there glaring at Sombra who merely stood there watching me. I slowly picked up my sword from the ground in my teeth ignoring the pain in my shoulder as I did. I may be out of mana but I still could fight with my sword. However I nearly collapsed the moment I took a step forward. Much to my annoyance my body had reached its limit long ago and the adrenaline that had kept me going thus far, gone. At this Sombra neutral bored expression changed back to a sadistic grin. I was about to resign to my fate when I saw the road below me glow in power. Even though I was so tired I let a smile cross my face as I saw it and the terror of recognition on the face of the Shadow King. Reckoning was at hand and I was still standing to see it. "No. Nooo..." Sombra tried backing up. Suddenly the glow faded from the streets towards the Spire behind me. A wave of light then exploded outward engulfing everything. The last thing I saw was Sombra form shattering. "NOOOOOOO!" Well done young dragon... my little brother...