//------------------------------// // World 4: Chapter 9 // Story: The Worst of All Possible Worlds // by TheTimeSword //------------------------------// The golden regalia laid dormant on the ground, the rug it had struck now creased. “You don’t get to treat me like I’m one of your emotionally out of control students. I will not be demeaned by your mistake! You failed, you believed in the wrong pony, and now we’ll all pay for it.” The sun princess strutted out of the throne room, every step she took was offset by the lack of a fourth shoe, which she did not bother stopping to grab. The large doors closed behind her with a lackluster thud. Sunset’s heart hurt, perhaps more than Tirek’s cheek, perhaps not. She didn’t know, she could barely believe it had happened. Her eyes dragged away from the door up to her new mentor, his big red hand to his cheek, covering the area. “Tirek…” she whispered ever so softly, her whole body moving on its own. She crossed to be in front of the centaur, staring up at his face that looked neither angry nor hurt. To Sunset, Tirek looked defeated, an emotion she knew all too well. “She shouldn’t have done that. Celestia—this Celestia—she’s so different from the others I’ve known. None of them… None of the ones I’ve met would have—” The centaur stopped her with a lift of his other hand. He did not remove the one from his cheek. “I am the Defender of Equestria and I have failed to defend it, Sunset. I was lucky enough to walk away with just this—though you are right. She should not have done that.” His yellow eyes dropped to the floor, to Sunset. “Remember what I said, Sunset? Taking your anger out on others… It’s not okay. I pushed her into a corner where she felt trapped, the only thing she felt she could do was lash out.” “I’ll talk to her.” Princess Luna stepped in front of the centaur, a sullen, sunken glance was all she gave Sunset. “I didn’t appreciate being called emotionally out of control. Though I suppose that would be accurate at a given point in my past.” She smiled at the centaur, her eyes drawing to the place where he’d been struck. Sunset couldn’t see anything past the beard and hand, but Luna had seen it from the other side. “You helped Luna? With what?” Sunset asked. The alicorn covered her mouth, a grin scrapping the sides of her muzzle. Tirek let out a hearty laugh. “An escaping Tantabus, I’d say. There are many forms of anger and many ways to contend with it. Luna’s here was anger for herself, for her mistakes in the past. Had she not made a speedy recovery, I’d say she would have been my first true apprentice. Instead, she was just one of the many students I’ve helped with their anger.” His thick arm reached down and patted around the alicorn’s neck. “Being forgiven by my sister did not decrease the weight that I put on myself,” Luna described. “It was only after Tirek’s return that I started questioning my past. With his help, my self-agonizing was cured. Of course, that was only after quite the fight.” The younger sister looked almost weightless as she spoke of her troubled past, a feeling Sunset pined for. “Do forgive my sister, Tirek. It is not out of anger that she does these things, but out of love.” “Out of love?” Sunset didn’t understand. “My sister loves Equestria, its people, the land. Everything,” answered Luna. “For Tirek to fail means that love becomes strained. Equestria trusts Celestia, and for Celestia, putting that trust in Tirek’s hands means she will be blamed should he fail.” That didn’t answer Sunset’s question, however. “Don’t people love Tirek? I’ve spoken with ponies and crowds and they all seem to love Tirek. Why would Celestia be blamed?” “You think you are the only one to not trust me, Sunset?” Tirek said alongside a forced laugh. “I’ve worked with many, but there are many more. There are still those who do not trust me, who believe I am truly the worst of all creations. They see Princess Luna and know that she has changed, yet they would not give me that same chance. No matter how much good in the world I do, there are still hidden thoughts of what if I return to my old ways? Why do I need all the magic?” He sighed and inclined his head, removing his hand from his cheek. Sunset could not see the mark, if there was one, due to the white forest of beard. “I guess I understand. If you fail, Celestia gets blamed for trusting you.” “Which in turn means what, Sunset?” Luna asked, clearly curious if the student did understand as she said she did. “They wouldn’t start a war but—” Twilight “—they’d leave. They’d go elsewhere. They’d take their magic and make another Equestria, and maybe some of them would get the bright idea to come back and challenge you, to truly start a war.” Luna did not acknowledge whether Sunset was right or wrong. “My sister has ruled over Equestria alone for a thousand years. She is not used to trusting so many new faces with power. Cadance had been the only one she confided in during my deserved absence, though she talked about grooming a student many moons ago.” Sunset’s face shriveled, and Luna saw the effect. “My apologies. I forgot that was technically you.” She bowed her head. “I will talk to her. I will see what is truly grinding at her. I bid you well, Tirek.” When the alicorn left to chase her sister, Tirek turned to Sunset. He eyed her over with a tepid gaze before turning to the throne. Sombra and the changeling remained well out of the conflict, their own conversation being quietly had. Whether they heard or saw what had happened, Sunset did not know. “Losing the dragons is one thing, letting them wreak havoc in Canterlot is another. Did you make the right decisions, Sunset?” “I-I tried… I thought…” She bit her tongue. “Sombra wanted to study the changeling so I left him here with it. I then went to find Celestia and stay by her side—but she and I exchanged words so I couldn’t… I just couldn’t deal with her. I’m… I’m sorry, Tirek.” “That’s not what I asked, Sunset. I asked if you made the right decisions.” The centaur did not look back at her as he spoke. “Well no, if I had then the dragons wouldn’t have escaped!” Sunset cried. He threaded a hand through his beard as he turned to her. “You’re right. They wouldn’t have escaped if you had been careful. If you were cautious and had thicker skin, you could have avoided this entire debacle. Yet instead, this happened.” A short chortle turned into a loud guffaw, his chest bouncing with joy. “A miracle it is if you were to ask me. It just so happens that we’ve run out of leads looking for these changelings.” He bent down to be more eye level with his student, which Sunset appreciated. “Celestia would have thrown a fit if I had suggested releasing the dragons and watching where they return. Now, thanks to you, we’ve got all of Equestria looking out for a few dragons that burnt a piece of Canterlot. Had we put out the word of changelings, the general public would have lost their mind thinking their neighbor was one. Dragons on the other hand?” Sunset sniffed, a quivering lip halted as she asked, “You’re not mad?” “I’ll take a strike to the cheek over losing you, Sunset. To see that you are alright, how could I be mad? No injuries, just a few ruined buildings. Celestia is angry, yes.” Turning his horse body, Tirek sat down on his hooves, leaning close to his student. “Celestia has been angry for a long time. My fault, really.” His eyes closed and the nose ring jiggled from an exhale of air. “You said earlier that she is not like any other Celestia you know. You’ve met many, I’d imagine. Yet I would say she is just like all the others you’ve met.” “What do you mean?” “She’s kind, caring, and merciful. She tries her best to make the world a better place, to defend her citizens, and to aid her sister whenever she can. But imagine this: Celestia was hurt by Luna turning to me for help with her self-loathing. Of course, she’d never tell her sister that. They’re cut from the same cloth, they hold themselves to a standard, and when they fail that standard they blame themselves, not each other.” Sunset nodded. “I know. In the previous world I was in, Nightmare Moon controlled the world. Celestia gave in to her sister, and she felt so bad that she remained locked on the moon, refusing to speak to anyone. Her heart was so heavy that, when I left, Nightmare Moon still ruled. Her sister was beside her, but I’m not sure that was good enough.” The yellow eyes sparkled. “A world ruled by Nightmare Moon?” he scoffed. “Interesting. You should speak to Luna; tell her of that. You two might get along.” Ruffling her mane with his meaty fingers, Tirek stood and turned. He snapped his finger and the bubble flew through the air. “Feel free to remain in Canterlot. It may take some time for us to hear word of the dragons. I will be speaking with this one in the meantime.” He bowed to Sunset. “If you need anything, come find me.” As Tirek left, Sombra trotted up, having to walk the length of the hall whereas the bubble traveled in seconds. “I was having quite a pleasant conversation. How was yours?” he asked Sunset. “Tirek’s pretty great.” His eyes studied her. “You sound like you mean it, but don’t look it.” “I messed up today, Sombra. I really thought I was getting through to Ember for a little while, but now she’ll probably be kicked out of Equestria. And who knows about the changelings.” Sunset fell to the floor, covering her head with her hooves. “Everything sucks.” “Everything?” Sombra rubbed his chin with the back of his hoof. “That’s quite a lot of… suck, as you put it.” “Sombra,” she said, her voice full of frustration. He unwrapped his cloak, pulling out the brown book with golden hemming. “I’ve got something that doesn’t suck.” His rigid jaw went wide with a grin. “A certain spell that may help you locate your time traveling friend.” Sunset perked up, throwing herself to her hooves. “Sombra! You’ve got something!?” “That changeling was rather helpful. A bit dimwitted, he certainly didn’t think I was using him. Yet talking with him I’ve figured out the way they utilize love. It’s strange and disgusting, I won’t bore you with the details because they’re actually not important. What is important is that I’ve invented a spell to counteract what they do.” “Counteract? You mean you can drain the love back from a changeling?” “No, no. I can drain their magic, much like Tirek. Well, I can’t, I don’t have magic. You have to have magic to drain magic. That’s not the point. What is the point, if you were to use this spell—” He sprung open the book and pointed to his written calculations “—then you’d be able to counteract the magic placed on it by draining it back out. After, you can use the second part of the spell to travel to whenever and wherever your friend is, but I’m still about three calculations away I’d say for that. You’ll soon be able to—” Surprising Sombra, Sunset planted a kiss squarely on his cheek, just off of his dark sideburn. “Thank you so much, Sombra. You have no idea how much this all means to me.” As soon as the astonishment wore off, Sombra shook his head and took off his spectacles. “Well, I just wanted to do something special for you.” His cheeks pulled back, revealing a razor-sharp grin. “Every day I become more and more interested in you, impressed by your ability to do so much. I was kind of hoping you and I could…” “Sombra.” Sunset held a brief candid smile. “I’m sorry. You’re special to me too. But it wouldn’t work. Even if you didn’t figure out the spell, I still wouldn’t be staying in Equestria. Tirek’s helping me with my anger, sure, but I’d still leave once all was said and done. I’d either go through the mirror or head to the border, maybe try and find Twilight.” Her smile dropped. “I wouldn’t be staying.” The charming grin of the stallion faded with every word said by the mare from another world. “I suppose I knew that already. That’s what attracts me to you, your willingness to pursue your own path. To be honest, I kind of hoped to dissuade you from moving on, but I didn’t feel that it was in my right to do so.” She pressed a hoof to his shoulder. “Hey, if you’re really interested in me, there’s always this world’s Sunset Shimmer. You might have to cross a mirror and remove her from power, but it’s an option,” she said, half-joking. Sombra’s head suddenly pulled back, his eyes narrowing as he stared back at her. “I could cross the mirror you spoke of? Could anyone?” She gave a nod and the stallion seemed to get lost in a thought. With a wave of her hoof, the stallion snapped back to reality. “Sorry. I suddenly slipped back into my evil roots.” “Oh?” She laughed at that. “Wanna fill me in, reformed villain to reformed villain?” He shared in her laughter, the two unicorns staring intently at each other. “Sunset. Don’t think I’m going to mess up this spell to get you home. I’m going to do my best to send you on your way. But if I fail, could I come with you? To wherever you go?” Her heart skittered like a gecko careening through the desert. It’s been a while since a stallion has been this into me. Flash didn’t really count, I was just using him to get popular. And we certainly weren’t this close. Well, maybe Flash was. She eyed the dark stallion. “You’re going to solve that spell, Sombra. You and I both know you’re smart enough. Anything more is on a bridge we can cross later.” The stallion sighed and nodded his head, his lips curling into a flat smile. “Right. Well, I better get back to it.” “Tirek said we could stay in Canterlot. Want to go find some rooms? Your back must be killing you.” She looked to his side, his saddlebags barely piercing the velvet red cape. He gave a stiff nod and she knew his insides must have been torn apart. I’m sorry Sombra. Maybe I might have changed my answer if you asked after Tirek fixed me. But as I told you, all your face does is remind me of a world where I failed. Where I failed you. Traversing the castle eventually led them back to Tirek. “Ah, my young student. Your rooms are already prepared for you should you desire stay.” The old centaur’s eyes transfixed suddenly on Sombra before turning back to his student. “Sunset, would you like your room together or separate?” He gave a wink, a slight nudge of his elbow bumped her chest. “Separate,” Sombra answered for Sunset before trotting to the room available. Tirek shot a surprised look to Sunset. “Separate?” he repeated tersely. “Did something happen?” A grin tugged at Sunset’s lips. “You could say that, but don’t worry about it. Any word on the dragons?” “Hah! Already? No,” he replied. “It won’t be for some time. Please, stay in Canterlot for as long as you like. I’ll see about drumming up a lesson or two for you if I can find the time. Be well, Sunset.” Sunset parted from her new teacher, choosing to rest in her room. Only one door down from Sombra, she already felt lonelier. The room was far too big for just one pony. Placing down her backpack, she hopped onto the bed and sprawled out, the satin red sheets and orange canopy mixed well with her fur and mane. It didn’t take long for boredom to set in. Of course, bored was really code for not wanting to think of regrets. Instead, she chose to drag out the journal she’d been given, flipping through to the end of the last world’s writings. She jotted down several things, but a name for this world eluded her. With nothing new, she chose to close up and head for the kitchen. Jostling a platter without magic was difficult up the steps, but she managed, returning to Sombra’s room. “Sombra, you up for dinner?” she asked him through his door, a few swift knocks had gained his attention. “I’d prefer to stay in and work on this spell if you don’t mind,” he answered from the other side. “That’s what I thought you’d say so I brought the food to you. Open up.” His laugh was short and loud, and he quickly came to the door, unlatching the bolt. “It takes a lot to outsmart you, doesn’t it? Come on in.” Sunset set her burden down on the closest table, a plethora of fruits and oats. “Hope you don’t mind me joining you for a bit. I don’t want things to be awkward between us. Not talking, not seeing each other. That’s not how I want things to turn out.” “I admit some feelings for you and you turn me down. Nothing awkward about that.” Sombra took an apple and bit down, laughing all the while, juice flowing down the sides of his chin. “Though I will absolutely spin the story once you’re gone. I turned you down, clearly. The dashing rogue I am.” “Oh, yes, of course,” she satirically agreed. “Quite dashing. You swept me off my feet with your knowledge of books.” I suppose that’s not technically wrong. With his mouth full of apple chunks, the stallion openly laughed. “Feet? Seems like you’ve been thinking a lot about this biped-creature world of yours.” She could feel the flustered red creeping up her neck. “Right, hooves. Some things never leave you no longer how long you’ve been gone. I know once I get back home I’ll be saying hooves and anypony.” She inclined her head. The stallion shifted around the room for a moment, dragging the spell book to the bed and toppling over onto the sheets, kicking his legs over the side. “Tell me more about it. About this other dimension. If this spell doesn’t work, couldn’t you just go get those mirror versions, drag them to the map as ponies, and launch yourself to the next world?” “Trust me, I’ve thought about it. Doing it your way may actually help Princess Twilight, and that’s more important. Searching other avenues and all that.” “Oh, well if I had known you were actually listening then I would have said dating a young stallion with black hair would triple your chances for saving time itself,” he snickered. “Right. Speaking of young stallions, I ran into a copycat you in the bazaar I visited. Talent Market.” “A copycat me!? That’s outrageous!” “Don’t worry. He was about as old as you, I’d say.” She scooped some oats into her mouth. “Not nearly as handsome, though.” Sombra swallowed and said, “Goodie. Everyone will think I’m old and not handsome. What is this world coming to?” A spark shot through Sunset’s mind, forcing a memory. “You wanted to tell me a story earlier. About how you were defeated by Tirek. I wouldn’t mind hearing it.” Oats fell from her spoon as she looked at Sombra, patiently waiting. The stallion stared up at the canopy, an apple between his top and bottom teeth, the skin peeled against his gums. His grey eyes sat as still as a broken electric fan. His head shifted as he pulled the apple from his mouth, though his eyes remained stiff, lost in thought. To Sunset, he was a stallion who often took pauses to think, and this waiting had been something she’d grown accustomed to. A bit of juice rolled down his foreleg as the apple sat in his hoof. He mouthed something, and then said, “Being defeated by Tirek was the most humiliating thing I’ve ever experienced.” “Humiliating,” she said as a statement, not a question. But he answered her, “Yes. Very humiliating. His entire strategy to defeating me was so senseless, at the time I thought he was a mastermind. It was only afterward that I found him to be very—” He stopped at the word, his tongue between his teeth. “Brutish? Rough? Blunt?” she attempted to finish his sentence. “Uncouth,” Sombra replied. “Is that a word that’s still said these days?” “You wouldn’t catch me saying it in school,” she answered, knowing full well Rarity’s lexicon would house the term. “Right. Well during the war, I had built up an idea of him in my head. He managed to flank my army, crush my attempts at mind control, and even sneak into my city. Anyone who could do that, especially a single unit, deserved my respect and recognition. Do you want to know how he did those things?” Sombra asked, and Sunset nodded, curious. “He flanked my army by accident—he stumbled in through a snowstorm after wandering for ten days in the raging blizzard. Then, when I went to try and mind control him, I found the helmets I made would not fit. He didn’t even know the helmets were what cause the brainwashing. He thought about trying one on but, and I quote, they clashed with my horns.” The stallion groaned, dropping the half-eaten apple onto the floor. “The only thing Tirek has ever been good at, aside from draining magic, is talking. I must admit that. He talked me out of my power. Of course, it was because I thought he was a master infiltrator, but his words struck me in a way that made me believe I had no other choice but to give into him. And that’s the most humiliating thing. I was talked out of my crown.” “I’m pretty sure I would have preferred being talked out of my evilness over being shot with the magic of friendship. At least you listened to reason.” Sunset pushed her spoon into the bowl of oats, leaving the handle sticking straight up. She slumped over, placing her chin on the flats of her forelegs. “You went down with a fight! How is that more humiliating?” Sunset played with a wispy tendril of mane, glowering to herself. “Twilight listened to reason when I offered her a hand. She’s pretty smart. You’re smart too, Sombra. You might think it’s humiliating, but the alternative, the way it happened to me, I can say you took the smarter approach.” He bowed his head. “I can’t say your words make me feel any better, but thank you for trying. We’re a couple of sad sacks aren’t we?” “I’m so worried, Sombra. For Ember, for the changelings. The dragons aren’t part of Equestria in my world but they can be for this one. The changelings too. I don’t want them to go down my path—I’d prefer them to talk it out like you did. I know Celestia will be fuming when she sees Ember, and Cadance might not appreciate Chrysalis after what she did to her. Shouldn’t we give them a chance, though?” “You’re humming to the top crystal, Sunset. I’d be all for the introduction of dragons and changelings. Studying both will improve my resources as a magical advisor,” Sombra replied as he struggled to reach for the apple, refusing to get off the bed. “Tirek’ll be for it, I’d imagine, but convincing Celestia is another story. Had it not been for Luna, I would have been kicked out of Equestria like the changelings. Most people think Tirek marched alone on the Crystal Empire, but they were there, along with Cadance and Shining Armor.” “They were there? Then why did it take so long for Tirek to get inside?” she asked. Sombra laughed. “Another one of the reasons I alleged he was a great infiltrator. The princesses were a distraction. I focused so much on the things I could see that I did not bother looking at other possibilities.” “A distraction.” Sunset shot up from her seat. “That’s what the dragons were called, yet the changelings have not yet made their move. Their infiltration seems ridiculous due to the fact that we know they’re coming.” Her mind raced. “But why would they want to sneak in? Tirek came to talk to you—would Chrysalis do the same?” “Tirek came to ask for my surrender. He planned to drain my magic regardless. Tirek has a great love for ponies and so he would make an excellent meal for a changeling, but it’s not like his magic would be drained. It’d be diminished, but not gone. Not like how he drains ponies. What would be the point of Chrysalis talking to him? What would she gain? I don’t feel like she would do that, but you’d know her better.” “I feel like we’re so close to solving this puzzle but we’re missing something. It’s starting to eat away at me.” Sunset glanced back at the platter of food, getting lost in her thoughts. Sombra rolled to his side, hopping off the bed. “If anyone can solve it, I’d say it’s you, Sunset. You know the changelings better than anyone here, and you’ve dealt with more villains than even Tirek.” “I do know the changelings better than most, that doesn’t mean I know exactly what Chrysalis is planning.” In the Resistance timeline, they had already gathered everyone into pods. There was no countering their upcoming plan. Defeat had already come. She sat in silence, and then a sudden set of goosebumps brushed up her forelegs, reaching her neck. “Pods,” she said and half-turned to face him. “The cocoons drained my magic. It drained pegasi and earth ponies too. No way anybody could smash out.” “Pod? Pods? You think that the changelings will drain Tirek and shove him into one of these cocoons?” Sombra asked, his eyes fixed on the mare. “It would have to be a big pod, at least Celestia’s size. Moving something like that in or around the city would obviously raise suspicion. They’d have to draw him somewhere.” “Back to the caves in the Badlands? No. Too out of the way.” Sombra trotted to the wall that held the door where his saddlebags laid against each other. He pushed open a flap with his hoof then reached in with his mouth, dragging out a large, rolled up parchment. “Let’s look,” he lisped just before dropping the paper onto Sunset’s table. Unraveling the scroll, he put Sunset’s bowl of oats on one corner to keep it from rolling back while he held down the other side. “A map of Equestria? You’re prepared for everything, ain'tcha?” He smiled across the table at her before tapping on the Crystal Empire. “Attacking here is what I would believe the changelings would do. They’d draw Tirek north, disabling most of the cities of Equestria from traveling to help him. If they’ve done any reconnaissance, they’ll know he can teleport. But he won’t if someone is in danger. No one but the princesses can help him at that point, at least, that’s what the changelings most likely believe.” “And if Chrysalis is there, she might show herself just long enough to distract him!” Sunset slammed a hoof down. “There’s a cave system you used! It’s large enough to hide their army and their trap, along with being too difficult and out of the way for the Crystal Empire to have built up around there!” “Yes, I know it. A back entrance.” His surprise flashed and then vanished. “Do you think they’re smart enough to find it?” Chrysalis is. “Maybe. It doesn’t matter if they find the entrance or not, there’s no guards to check newcomers or citizens to see if they’re a changeling. They can just disguise and walk straight in.” She then shot a look to Sombra which spelled trouble. “Tirek was planning to check in on the Crystal Empire tonight! He told Cadance that just before he and Luna left this morning!” Her head swung around to the window, night had descended upon the land. “We’ve got to find him, he might not have left yet!” Rushing out of Sombra’s room, Sunset went back to her own, grabbing her backpack and throwing it over her shoulders. The stallion appeared with his own saddlebags and cape just as she exited. “Any idea where his room is at?” she asked him, but the stallion shrugged. Sunset put her hoof to the grindstone, rushing down the halls in search of her new mentor. Castle staff disappeared for the night, most likely making their own dinners and heading for bed. Without guards, their search became tireless. It wasn’t until they stumbled down a few levels of the gigantic castle that they found Celestia and Luna talking in the throne room. “Let’s ask them,” Sombra said just before Sunset pulled him by the tail away from the crack in the doors. “Let’s hear what they’re saying first.” I want to know if they’re talking about me. Sunset leaned her head close to the door, her ear to the crack. The large walls and high ceiling reinforced the echo of the room, but even so, she found it difficult to make out. She pushed harder, holding onto the great door to keep it from moving. “Sunset, maybe we shouldn’t,” Sombra argued, his eyes dragging down the hallways. “Shh! I can’t hear them,” she replied as she leaned a sole eye in, getting a glimpse of the two alicorns walking toward their thrones. Their mouths were opening and closing, but she could not hear what they discussed. “Uh, Sunset.” “What!?” she whisper-yelled, throwing her glare at him only to see her new mentor standing with his arms folded. “I found him,” Sombra mumbled. “Tirek! There you are. We were looking all over for you.” The centaur stared down his flat snout at her. “Were you?” His voice held a distant note. “Well, yes.” Sunset looked back at the crack in the door. “I wanted to make sure you hadn’t left for the Crystal Empire yet. We wanted to go with you.” A brow stretched up on the centaur’s face, a wrinkle creasing across his forehead. “I’m just going to check on Cadance and Shining Armor. Won’t be more than a moment. Why do you want to go?” “Sunset thinks that—” the dark stallion started to say before Sunset shoved a hoof to his mouth. “I think it’d be nice to see Cadance again! That’s all.” She smiled a hefty grin, trying her best to make it look as realistic as possible. His face was impassively dark, it was clear he knew she was lying. Before he could question her or say any more, the centaur’s name was shouted. “Tirek? Is that you? Could you come in here?” Celestia called. Tirek absentmindedly sighed and pushed a meaty hand against the door, pressing past his student and Sombra. “Yes, Celestia. What is it?” he asked as he entered, Sunset and Sombra at his tail. “Some news of the dragons,” Luna answered him, a scroll in her magical grasp. “Already?” “A certain cerulean dragon has been seen crossing the border to the Crystal Empire. None have been foolish enough to make the approach and apprehend her, they’re going to wait for you. You were planning on visiting Cadance tonight, correct? Might as well stay in the Crystal Empire for a bit,” Celestia told him, remaining civil. The centaur threw a suspicious look over his shoulder at Sunset, and she knew he would have questions. “That’s correct,” he said as he turned back to Celestia and Luna. “I was planning on heading there now. If the dragon is there, I’ll apprehend her. The changeling is still here in Canterlot, watch over him while I’m gone.” He turned and tore a hole in reality, and then said, “Come, Sunset and Sombra.” “You’re not seriously bringing her, are you!?” Celestia stepped forward with a grimacing glare. “She’s the one who lost the dragons in the first place!” Tirek’s brows furrowed, a single finger raising to point at Celestia. “And you’re the one that lost Sunset.” He then turned back to Sunset and nodded. Sunset did not get to see the reaction of the elder alicorn, rushing through the tear at the centaur’s discretion. Upon the other side, she met with the Crystal Heart, its beauty reflecting her red and yellow mane. Sombra stood next to her, his dark eyes settled on the center. “Sunset,” the centaur said once he appeared behind them. “I’m not one to believe in happenstance so easily. You’re going to tell me exactly why it is that you wanted to come to the Crystal Empire at the same time Princess Ember is coincidentally spotted.” An uncomfortable smile flipped up her lips as she turned back to Tirek. “I can’t tell you. It has nothing to do with Ember, I can guarantee that,” she answered. “So it has to do with the changelings, does it?” he replied. “How’d you figure it out!?” “I didn’t. You just told me.” With his pointer, he tapped her muzzle, giving her a grin and a wink. “Told you he has a way with words,” Sombra snickered mockingly. Her stomach muscles tightened knowing she’d fallen into another of her mentor’s wordy trap. “Right, right,” she bemoaned. “Well, I think the changelings might hold a ruse for you, Tirek. It would be here in the Crystal Empire. Call it instinct, experience, or both. Something tells me they’re going to try it here.” “And what makes you think they’d go for me?” he asked, even though he clearly knew the answer. “You’re the only one who could stop them. They wouldn’t think anyone else would challenge them, or could challenge them, without you in the picture,” she answered his apparent question. “And just how are they going to stop me?” he asked, this time his voice stood more sincere; truly interested. “Drain you of your love but not your magic. They can’t do what you do, Tirek, but they can weaken you long enough to put you into a cocoon where you can’t use your magic or strength. You’ll be trapped, helpless, and Equestria will be theirs.” Sunset was confident this would be the way. Tirek stared at her, scanning her face to see just how self-assured she was, and his goofy smile signified he believed her. He gave a nod. “So. How are we going to stop them?” he asked, still grinning his white smile. His breath was warm on Sunset’s face but she didn’t mind. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest: her mentor believed in her! Celestia could learn a thing or two from you, Tirek. “Sombra and I are going to do some scouting. We think we know where they are. If we’re right, we’ll come find you and I think we can escort you so that they’ll be trapped instead of you,” she told him, glancing at Sombra for reassurance. “It’s through one of Sombra’s old entrances that we think they’re huddled up in. I’ve been through it before, it’s big and secretive enough to house an army and a pod your size.” Tirek’s face turned poor. His eyebrows angled to the sides of his eyes, staring directly at the dark stallion. “Sombra,” he said, “Why do you help Sunset? What reason do you have for doing all this? You’ve never involved yourself in politics and predicaments before now.” Sunset was curious too. She knew his feelings, but he didn’t have to continue to help her, yet he did. “We’re friends,” the dark stallion replied as he took off his spectacles. His grey eyes stared deep into Sunset’s. “What else are friends for if not to help each other? She’s helped me a lot already.” “Sombra, I haven’t done anything for you,” Sunset argued, feeling cheated by the answer. “You’ve gotten me out of my stuffy house to see things I hadn’t been confident enough to see on my own. You’ve helped me in learning things that improve my abilities as a magical advisor to Princess Cadance. And you helped me see that there might be someone out there for me.” The dark stallion breathed on his glasses, rubbing the bifocals with the lapel of his cape. He half-smiled as he put the spectacles back on. Tirek’s eyebrows flexed as he nodded, a hand covering his mouth. “You’re both going to make a tasty snack if you get caught, you know that right?” he asked, and they nodded. “Very well, do your business. I’ll maintain a presence with Cadance and Shining Armor. Come find me if you manage to locate any information—or if you’re right about their army.” Raising a hand, the centaur held it to Sombra, surprising the dark stallion who guardedly shook it. Tirek did the same to Sunset, but Sunset chose to tackle him in a hug, knocking him off of two of his four hooves. “Be careful, my little pony,” he whispered into her ear, holding her tight. “You too, Tirek,” she whispered back. Sunset stared at him as they parted, Sombra led the way into the castle. Moving up the stairs, the castle was silent, the staff had gone to sleep much like in Canterlot. To their surprise, when they entered the throne room Princess Cadance sat on her crystal chair with paperwork strung about in front of her. “Sunset? Sombra?” Cadance called as they entered. “It’s good to see you, but I thought Tirek was coming?” A bright smile shined for them, a smile Sunset quite liked. “He’s here. We’ve come for something else, though, it is good to see you again,” Sunset replied as she took a few steps, kicking up the red rug running the stretch of the room. “It’s here. Further down than I remember. I was looking in the wrong place when Cadance brought me here.” A trapdoor of metal and wood sat in the middle of the room. “So you did know about it,” Sombra said, impressed. He took the hatch’s handle by his teeth, pulling open the old, dusty hideaway with one heavy pull. “This is it. You ready?” he asked Sunset. “Of course I am,” she replied. “Alright then.” He inclined his head. “Ladies first,” he said with a smug grin. She rolled her eyes before leaning over to view the dim, long staircase she remembered walking down with her friends. That seems like so long ago, she thought to herself as she took the first step. Let’s just hope I’m right. “What in Equestria is going on!?” squawked Cadance, the sound of ruffled paper echoed down into the hidden staircase.