(Castle Nevermore, King Sombra's Throne Room)
Nocturne paced back and forth nervously, she had gotten a note from one of King Sombra's Spies in Equestria, Her king had been badly wounded.
Nocturne said to herself, "Please come back to me, my king..."
Shadow Armor stood beside her, wounds fully healed, thanks to a healing factor King Sombra gave him.
He put a hoof on Nocturne's back and said, "King Sombra will return, and he will be fine Nocturne. If he could go hoof to hoof with Celestia and Luna 1000 years ago, he can certainly survive a beating from a Pegasus."
King Sombra transformed back into his Pony form, and knocked on the door before yelling in pain, "Nocturne! Help me..."
Nocturne heard the voice of her king and opened the door to find him on his knees, bleeding from the left side and scarred across the face.
"My king! You're hurt badly! What happened?!
King Sombra replied and coughed up blood, "I went up against my old student and I nearly beat him, before a Pegasus with metal wings dived out of the sky and sliced me open for dinner... I'm lucky I put up a shield before any critical damage was done."
Shadow Armor ran over as well, he uses his magic to scan Sombra's body.
He then gritted his teeth and said, "Judging from your wounds my king, if you didn't put up that shield you would had been eviscerated."
Nocturne cringed at that fact before Shadow Armor said that, she helped pry King Sombra's chest armor off, it fell into two perfectly sliced pieces. There was blood matted to his dark gray fur.
Nocturne finally said in a shaky voice. "My King, while we have the tools to heal Shadow Armor, your his wounds were much less severe, I'm afraid that the only place that is equipped to handle this is The Crystal Empire."
King Sombra growled, "Hah! That aggravating Prince Shining Armor and that love drunk princess Cadence would never help me, They would let me die."
Shadow Armor ignited his horn and prepared a teleportation spell,
"Then I will kill them as well."
Nocturne put bandages around King Sombra's chest to try and hold off the bleeding for now, and Shadow Armor teleported the three to the Crystal Castle's front gate.
Immediately, the guards spotted King Sombra and yelled for reinforcements.
They opened the gate and came out, spears pointed at the three. "I'd never thought I would see the day that King Sombra would return, you're under arrest!"
The Black Knight gritted his teeth, "This is a waste of my time. Out of my way." Shadow Armor blasted the both of them with a shockwave, and then turned his horn towards the giant crystal wood door. He noticed a bright red light off in the distance, he cursed under his breath.
"This Prince Shining Armor has to be as powerful as they say, because if he isn't... this kingdom will burn..."
(The Crystal Castle, Main Throne Room)
Shining Armor and Princess Cadence were talking with one of the delegates, Shining was obviously bored out of his mind. He was still on edge about a few nights ago, and Queen Chrysalis's intrusion didn't help at all.
Cadence poked Shining with her horn, "Hey! Pay attention Shining. This is important, apparently there is a sudden drought in the southern villages."
All of a sudden, the giant crystal doors were blown open as a Steel Gray Unicorn followed by a Dark blue earth pony who was carrying a familiar dark gray unicorn stallion rushed into the throne room. The Royal Guards rushed the intruders, but were blown back by a shockwave from Steel Gray Unicorn's horn.
Shining Armor got up and shouted, "What's the meaning of this?!"
He noticed the face of the Shadow King, King Sombra, he was laying on the back of the earth pony mare. The earth pony laid King Sombra on the floor, he tried to stand, but collapsed in pain.
"Who the hell are you?" Shining said as he stared at the Steel Gray unicorn in armor.
Shadow Armor glared back at his original source.
"My name is Shadow Armor, I'm the military commander of the mighty King Sombra, and the superior version of you."
Shining Armor snarled, "You're a faker!"
Shadow Armor spat back, frustration in his voice, "Faker? I think you're the fake Shining Armor around here. Your comparing yourself to me? Hah! You're not even good enough to be my fake!"
Shining Armor snorted like a actual horse and charged down his mortal enemy.
"I'll make you eat those words!" He said, fury in his eyes.
Shadow Armor rushed his look-alike, "you won't even get the chance!" The two unicorns locked horns, trying to overpower the other.
Shining Armor was forced back. He fired a blue laser beam of magic, Shadow Armor countered with a dark purple one.
Shadow Armor snarled, "Not Bad, for and imposter. But I'm still better."
Shining Armor charged Shadow Armor again, He was stopped by a dark green shield of vines.
Cadence looked closely, he looked like a copy of Shining Armor, except... evil and dark.
Shining Armor looked at his mortal enemy with contempt, he had bandages around his chest and dark red blood leaked from them, he stopped in front of him, then kicked him in the wound, causing the King to get up and growl in pain.
"So! I never thought I'd see the day you would return Sombra! I should have sent soldiers out looking for anything related to you and destroy it."
Cadence looked on as Shining and Sombra stared each other down.
Four years apart had done nothing to lessen the hatred between the two.
Sombra growled, "When did you become so sadistic, Shining Armor? As much as I hate you... I require aid. I'm badly wounded and my servants don't know how to help."
Shining Armor rolled his eyes, "So what! Once you're healed, you'll just try to take over again. Why should I help you?"
Shadow Armor put his hoof on Shining Armor's chest, "Because we bring grave news, you idiot."
Cadence stepped forwards and blocked Her husband from responding.
"What do you mean by grave news exactly?"
Nocturne stepped forward and said, "A fiery monster is coming to the Crystal Empire. She is hell bent on destroying my king, and she looks very familiar to your precious princess of the sun."
Cadence raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean exactly?"
King Sombra got up and said in the most authoritative tone he could, "You will not talk out of turn, Princess. I am the King!"
Shining Armor screamed at King Sombra, pure anger in his voice.
"NOT HERE!! You are Not king here, and you will never will be king here again!"
Shadow Armor sighed, "Can we please focus on the main issue at hand? A fiery she-beast is heading towards the Crystal Empire right now and we are arguing over who rules the Crystal Empire. Well there is not going to be an Empire if we do not stop her!"
Shadow Armor held out a hoof, "Let's put aside our grudges for now and defeat this monster before she torches the land. You understand me, correct?"
Shadow Armor then turned to Cadence, he sighed.
He couldn't believe he was lowering himself to the concept of "Negotiation"
"Princess of Love, please get Sombra out of here, he is in no condition to fight."
Cadence nodded and dragged King Sombra towards the rightmost door and pulled him though the hallway.
Shining Armor groaned and shook Shadow Armor's hoof, "Fine. Where is this monster anyways?"
Shadow Armor said with slight edge to his voice, "We still have a little time before she-"
Suddenly, the window above the door burst open and a Fire-covered Alicorn flew in, landing with a fiery crash, Shadow Armor and Shining Amor put up their shields to protect themselves.
When the fires died, The two unicorns saw the fiery she-Beast, it looked like Princess Celestia!
Shining Armor looked on with fear, "P-Princess C-Celestia? Is that you?"
Shining Armor approached the flaming Alicorn, she smiled and ignited her horn.
Shadow Armor grabbed Shining Armor with his magic and dragged him back as the Alicorn unleashed a red laser that tore through the ground.
Daybreaker smilied and said, "Hello Shining Armor. It is me Celestia! But, I go by Daybreaker now. I'm better, prettier, and more powerful than ever."
Daybreaker walked closer to Shining Armor. "Tell me, Shining. Where's you wife, Cadence? I want to show her who is really in charge here."
Shadow Armor blasted Daybreaker with a bolt of Purple Lightning, "That's none of your concern Daybreaker! Leave now before this gets ugly!"
Shining Armor saw the fury in Daybreaker's eyes, "Celestia, what happened to you? You were fine the other day..."
Daybreaker flew over to Shining and grabbed his face with her hoof, a soft smile on her face.
"Nothing's wrong my dear, I just realized that I haven't been exercising my power over this land. So, I decided that I don't need you and Cadence anymore. In fact, I don't need anypony anymore."
Shining Armor felt as if his heart was crushed, "What? What do you mean you don't need us anymore??"
Daybreaker stared at the white unicorn and said in a smug tone, noticing Shadow Armor standing next to Shining Armor.
"I see that you've met your copy Shadow Armor... at least he puts up a fight when he has to, unlike you.. You just put up shields and hide behind them like a coward."
Shining Armor began to cry, "Im not a coward!"
Shadow Armor scowled at his copy, "Pull yourself together Shining Armor! This isn't Celestia saying this! This is Daybreaker, so stand tall and fight!"
Daybreaker decided to pour more salt on the wound.
"And, you know what the best part is? Cadence only married you so that she can have a husband. You are nothing more than a figurehead for MY empire! In truth, Chrysalis should have been your wife, at least you would have been useful as her source of FOOD!"
Shadow Armor shouted at Daybreaker, "Chrysalis wasn't only trying to marry Shining Armor because she needed to feed her subjects! She was marrying him because she loved him!"
Daybreaker looked at the Dark Unicorn, a look of bewilderment on her face, "Shadow Armor, you were mortal enemies with Shining Armor and now your best buds? What's gotten into you?"
Shadow Armor blasted Daybreaker with a beam of green energy, which bored through her.
"Because I'm not Shadow Armor!"
green fire engulfed Shadow Armor, revealing Queen Chrysalis!
Shining Armor stared blankly at the Changeling Queen.
"What are you doing here?!"
Chrysalis walked over to Shining Armor and said, "I saw that bright fireball headed your way, and I wanted to help out."
Shining Armor asked, Did you really mean it when you said you loved me not just because you needed to feed your changelings?"
Chrysalis kissed Shining Armor, "Every word is true."
Daybreaker roared in agony as a hole the size of a grapefruit was carved into her chest, it would heal eventually thanks to her healing abilities, but it would take time.
Daybreaker roared in fury, "Queen Chrysalis! I should have known that you would have come to Shining Armor's aid! I guess you obsession with the little idiot actually paid off. I'll make sure I'll destroy your race first!"
Shining Armor looked around, "Then where is the real Shadow Armor?"
Daybreaker was hit from behind by a beam of Purple Lighting, causing her to crash into the ceiling.
Shadow Armor cried out, "Right Here! Thanks for the assist Queen Chrysalis."
Shining Armor looked confused, "Hold on. I thought you didn't like anything other than King Sombra?"
Shadow Armor answered his question, "I may be a nasty pony, but I still have standards, That includes... Ugh... working together with you, Shining Armor."
Daybreaker struggled to fly, she said between painful gasps of air. "This isn't over! I'll be back, and I'll destroy everything you care about!"
She laughed like a maniac and flew off, dodging various bursts of green energy balls.
Chrysalis attempted to take off after her, but Shining Armor stopped her.
"No. you're currently the only one that's been able to severely injure her, don't do anything foolish."
Shadow Armor nodded, "I have to agree with my inferior copy, you'll get yourself killed."
Chrysalis looked at Shining Armor, "I'll... get going now."
Shining Armor grabbed the Changeling Queen's hoof, "No, we need you here. I need you here."
Shining Armor pulled her close and kissed her!
Shadow Armor did the logical thing and turned away, but a slight smile was on his face.
"So, The Changeling Queen takes the White Knight after all, how unbearably cliché. Fate eventually pushed the two together despite what others thought was forbidden."
Shadow Armor turned his head towards Equestria, "Let's see if the Princess of Friendship and the Ruler of Fire respond to the Empress of the Sun's wrath."