//------------------------------//
// Remnants of an Evil King, Part II 
// Story: Spiders and Magic: Rise of Spider-Mane 
// by Maximus_Reborn 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Thirty "Remnants of an Evil King, Part II"

Shining Armor traveled ahead of Spider-Mane through the dark, cold halls of the temple with his horn emitting a light potent enough to reveal the path ahead. At first, following Sombra's trail was easy enough thanks to the destruction he left, such as smashed pillars and shattered masonry, but as they began to reach the lower levels, a keener eye was needed to continue the hunt. Shining slowed to a halt, having reached a hall with three alternate paths. Shifting his gaze and light through each route, the stallion paused once traces of a black mist dissipated through the hall on the furthest right.

"This way," he whispered, proceeding through the hall with quiet steps. The corridor was long, leading to what seemed like an endless, downward spiral of stairs. However, before Shining could continue, he turned around, finding Spider-Mane with his blank, white gaze fixed on something overhead. "What's wrong, Spider-Mane?"

Instead of a replying with words, Peter simply raised his hoof and pointed it at the object that held his interest. Shining raised his brow as he hesitantly joined the smaller stallion's side, and the moment he aimed his light toward the direction Peter faced, his eyes widened at the figure that stood over him. Fortunately, his nerves eased upon realizing the object was a stone statue, but its shape and resemblance were uncanny, leaving room for skepticism on both their parts.

The sharp fangs, soul-piercing eyes, wicked smile, and daunting figure were none other than that of Sombra's, causing Peter to tilt his head to the side.

"Whatisthis place?" Spider-Mane asked, shifting his gaze only to find another statue of Sombra standing behind Shining Armor. Both stallions turned their attention to the hallway on the left, cringing at the sight of multiple statues bearing Sombra's image. Shaking his head, Spider-Mane ran his hoof through his unkempt mane. "This isn't your average, spooky temple. It feels more like a shrine."

"That's actually a pretty accurate guess," Shining replied, directing his light to the light to the ceiling where a flame insignia stood before lowering it to find exact replicas on the floor panels.

To the average pony, this was just a simple symbol, but to Shining Armor and those familiar with the Crystal Empire's history, it was a representation of an evil king's hypnotic gaze. Once the light from his horn dimmed slightly, Shining faced Peter with a stern expression in his royal blue irises.

"Long ago, during Sombra's rule as king, this temple was built in his honor by the locales, but once he began using dark magic, this very place transformed into a shrine where he could freely hone his newly possessed powers. I guess in his spare time, Sombra felt the need to inflate his ego."

Spider-mane shrugged his shoulders. "Can somepony say 'overcompensating'?" He took a moment to analyze the statues, each sculpted with a different pose, but his brow furrowed as his mind picked up traces of a polarizing pattern among the stones. One half shared similarities to the pony they fought moments ago, particularly the venomous glare and sharp fangs, but the other held traits that would classify a loving king, namely a warm smile and calm gaze. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say Sombra just might have been a decent pony once."

Shining approached the statue Peter was referring to and nodded. "History suggested he wasverydecent. Like I said, the temple was made in his honorbeforehis fall from grace. Sombra was said to be a wise yet kind ruler, who did everything in his power to make certain the Crystal Empire and its inhabitants would flourish."

Pausing, Shining shifted his gaze to a statue that stood directly in front of the one he previously acknowledge, this bearing a resemblance to the present-day Sombra.

"But it was that same drive for power that turned Sombra into what he is today. He desperately wanted power and went through extreme lengths to achieve it. The dark arts indeed made Sombra stronger, but he became selfish, arrogant, merciless, and power-hungry, even going so far to attempt overthrowing both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. It was inthisvery temple that they used the Elements of Harmony to seal Sombra away, also condemning him to that cursed shadow form you've already read about."

"A classic case of 'power corrupts'. Then I guess there's still hope he'll listen to reason now?" Spider-Mane said, prompting Shining to shake his head disapprovingly. That same moment, he reached into his knapsack and retrieved two of the miniature, crystal hearts inside, offering them to the taller stallion afterward. "Since we know these work, it'll be a good idea for you to hang on to half our ammo. Don't drop it. Remember, we've only got four left."

Without a hint of hesitation, Shining Armor accepted the gift, placing both crystals carefully within his scarf. "Thanks." Both stallions returned to their original route at the descending, spiral stairs, but before they would progress, Shining faced Spider-Mane, not with a stern glare but a warm smile. He extended his hoof. "If we survive this, I'll buy you a drink."

Grinning, Peter accepted the gesture, bumping his hoof against Shining's in a friendly manner. "I tried drinking once. Never again. If you tell Twilight to stop waking me up before seven every morning, that will be even better."

Shining smiled. "You tell Cadance to stop flirting with you, then we have a deal. She doesn't do it on purpose-" He paused, rolling his eyes. "-but I know her signs."

"Seriously?" Spider-Mane hesitantly murmured, perplexed with the idea of a princess flirting with somepony so average.

Unfortunately, without giving them a chance to revel in the moment, a blaring alarm went off in Peter's head, causing the stallion to snap his head in the direction of the disturbance. The statues in the other hall came to life, ripping their hooves free from the ground while others did the same from the walls. Eventually, every statue of Sombra stood in the hall, their previously lifeless, stone eyes now filled to the brim with that malicious black mist.

Shining's brow furrowed at the sorcery before him, and Spider-Mane tilted his head to the side out of curiosity, only to sharply shift his gaze at the thrown spear that missed his head by a few inches. The statues began to trot in their direction,. their speed suddenly increasing from a slow, grouped trot to a heavy, galloping stampede.

Spider-Mane shifted his gaze between the Sombra statues and the descending staircase. "I'm all for surviving, but these guys seem completely against that notion. What do you say, Shining? Fight or flight?"

"Hallway's pretty narrow. Get behind me," Shining quickly retorted, prompting Peter to follow his instruction. Inhaling deeply, he fired beam of concentrated energy at the herd, but a shield formed at the last moment, canceling out Shining's magic before it could connect. He repeated the process, only for the shield to continuously absorb his magic. Shining gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. "Blast it! There's too much concentrated magic for me to break through with them grouped together. We need to fall back and separate them!"

Shining turned to gallop down the stairs, and Spider-Mane, with a swift kick, smashed the bottom of a stone pillar next to the door, causing its rubble to fall across the path. Once he finally caught up with Shining Armor, the white stallion increased his speed, forcing Peter to do the same.

"According to legend, Sombra used to train in the ritual chamber. It's said to be in the basement. If we're lucky, that's where we should find him!"

Spider-Mane's ears perked as the sound of rumbling echoed from behind, no doubt belonging to their pursuers. "If it's that easy, then he'll be waiting for us!" Fortunately, Peter found a way to remain positive. "I have another idea. That way, we'll be ready for whatever he throws at us!"

"If it's that easy, then he'll be waiting for us!" Spider-Mane's ears perked as the sound of rumbling echoed from behind, no doubt belong to their pursuers. Fortunately, Peter found a way to remain positive. "I have another idea. That way, we'll be ready for whatever he throws at us!"

Before Spider-Mane could go over the details of his devised tactic, the duo reached the bottom of the stairs. However, they skidded to an abrupt halt, finding the entire area filled with dozens more of Sombra's statues, and for a moment they contemplated backtracking through their previous route, but then their pursuers galloped in from the stairs. Suddenly, a black mist rose from the ground and spread across the door, cutting off the only visible escape route. The stone legion quickly spread throughout the room, eventually surrounding both stallions from every possible angle.

Shining's horn glowed with energy as he took a defensive stance. "Looks like Sombra had a plan of his own."

Once the statues charged their position, Spider-Mane let out a derelict groan. "Aw, applesauce."





Cadance continued to pace throughout the throne room, occasionally taking a moment to observe the activities with the crystal ball. Although Shining Armor and Peter were gone for a few of hours, exhaustion began to talk hold of the alicorn, evident by the dark circles under her eyes. Sombra's power was nearly restored, and it took a great deal of her magic to keep the barrier intact. Unfortunately, due to her weakening state, Cadance could no longer track Shining's movements inside the temple. Not knowing the condition of her husband's health was mentally exhausting in its own right.

Placing her hoof gently against the crystal ball, Cadance closed her eyes and took in slow, winded breaths. "Please, hurry. You two don't have much time..."





Shining stepped to the side, causing one of the statues to miss in its ramming attempt, and he immediately followed up by blasting the same attacker in the back with a magical bolt. Its explosion spread enough to destroy several others in the vicinity. Leaping through the air, Spider-Mane delivered a diving kick, reducing a statue to rubble, but another rose from behind, attempting to grasp the stallion with opened hooves. However, Spider-Mane ducked at the last moment, spun around with his hoof held high, and slammed it over the stone's head, smashing it to pieces.

Suddenly, an idea came into mind, prompting Spider-Mane to swiftly count the number of enemies in the room, all while dodging any attacks that came in his direction. Once done with the task, he jumped high into the air before landing on the shoulders of one of the statues. Pushing off his weight, Spider-Mane managed to repeat the process several times, bounding from one statue to another, until he reached the center of the swarm.

Two statues attempted to lunge after the stallion, but Spider-Mane reached back, grabbed the nearest enemy by the head, and threw him into his own comrade, shattering both instantly. Before the others could follow suit, Peter extended his hooves and fired strands of webbing onto a pair of statues. He ducked his head, avoiding the grasp of another statue, and quickly retaliated by launching several more strands of webbing, this onto other statues. His hooves moving faster than the eye could see, Spider-Mane latched webbing onto each statue in the room and maintained a sturdy grip on each strand.

Stealing a glance overhead, Peter jumped as high as he could and perched himself on the ceiling, and before the statues could react, Spider-Mane shifted his momentum and swung them into the ceiling, smashing the collection of stones apart. However, he was not done. Not relinquishing his webbing, Peter pulled the weight to his chest, in turn managing to lift the gathering of statues several hoof-lengths from the ground.

Slack-jawed, Shining Armor could not hide his astonishment at the feat of strength, but the white stallion shook his head at a late realization and quickly aimed his horn at the large wad of webbing and enemies who were unable to defend themselves. Gritting his teeth, Shining gathered as much magical energy as he could, and the moment the tip of his horn glowed with a bright light, he rapidly fired countless bolts of energy, reminiscent of a turret. Each beam landed perfectly on a target, destroying every statue upon contact.

Chunks of stone flew off in every direction, and Spider-Mane felt the weight of his strands drastically decrease by the second until he peeked down, finding that only piles of rubble remained of his 'catch'. Just when Peter prepared to drop to the floor, his masked lenses widened at the multiple strands of black mist that rose from the statues' shattered remains, but instead of reforming, they retreated, as if being sucked under the closed door on the other side of the room by a vacuum.

"He's behind that door! Come on!" Shining yelled, galloping after the trail of mist.

Nodding, Spider-Mane followed, freeing himself from the ceiling and falling into a graceful web-swing. He approached the door with great speed, but instead of stopping in any fashion, Peter released his webbing and extended his lower hooves, delivering a kick to the once sound barricade. The stone wall caved in and fell forward, cracking before it eventually crumbled under the force of Spider-Mane's collision.

"Knock, knock!" Peter yelled, raising his hooves high over his head.

Shining entered the room shortly after, stopping by his friend's side. The room was vast, larger than any other in the temple by a large margin, but despite this, Sombra was easy to spot, having taken a seat in the center of the area with his head lowered and his eyes closed. A sword sat by his side, the tip of the blade imbedded in the ground, but the moment Sombra's eyes opened, the blade magically rose, levitating with a a dark aura of corruption, the sickly green, purple, and black energy trailing from its hilt.

Green embers simmered in the corners of his eyes, and tremors coursed throughout the room, forcing both stallions to focus on keeping their balance. Finally, the black mist began to flow from Sombra's body, filling the room with perpetual darkness. Fortunately, Shining was able to react, forming a shield around himself and Peter before the mist could consume them both. The entire vicinity fell into a black void, and effects of the dark magic took center stage, affecting this plane of reality. Shining dropped the shield, and his eyes widened at the drastic change of scenery.

Large pieces of the temple laid scattered around him, distorted, but to make matters worse, everything seemed to be floating in midair, with only darkness keeping them from drifting far. Spider-Mane's reaction was more out of nostalgia than fear. The room's current condition was similar to the distorted area Mysterio created when he acquired the Tablet of Order and Chaos, and just like then, Sombra stood at the center atop a small pillar, his blade still in his magical grasp and four massive tendrils reaching out of his back.

"You will not stop me. The Crystal Empire ismykingdom to rule!" Sombra roared, his voice echoing across the airwaves. The sword lowered, pointing directly at the pair on the opposing side. "Stand down and kneel. Or perish by my hoof. What say you?"

Shining huffed. "Stop stalling, you coward! You already know our answer!"

Extending his hoof, Spider-Mane shook his head disapprovingly. "Just surrender, We don't need to drag this out any further." His voice stiffened, taking a deeper, serious tone. "If you truly want to be the leader you once were, then stop what you're doing and join everypony in a time of peace." Spider-Mane brought his hoof down, firmly but not fiercely. "It's never too late to change!"

Shining brought his hoof over Peter's shoulder, all while keeping his steely gaze centered on Sombra. "It's truly commendable what you're trying to do, but it's too late for that. Sombra's only a shadow of who and what he used to be," he whispered, prompting Peter to simply give an affirming nod and take a defensive stance. Shining's horn glowed. "Let's end this so we can go back to our girls."

"You... have theaudacityto lectureme, child?" Sombra's voice lowered, his disgust readily apparent. Baring his fangs, he centered his venomous gaze on the strangely-garbed pony that spoke so freely to his better. That same moment, Sombra's body faded, melting into the surrounding darkness, but before anypony could react, he appeared just a few hoof-lengths behind Shining and the treacherous underling by his side.

That very instant, the tendrils on Sombra's back wrapped around his body and spun out in a wild lash, creating a whirlwind of black energy that sent both stallions flying in separate directions. "You will suffer a thousandfold for your insolence!"

Shining's body spun violently before it crashed onto the nearest platform, creating a dust cloud upon impact. Spider-Mane launched a strand of webbing in mid-flight, latching it to a nearby column. Once his momentum slowed, Peter flipped from his strand and landed perfectly on all four hooves on a floating piece of rubble.

However, in response to his spider sense, he peeked up and found Sombra directly overhead, or rather his sword falling with malefic intent. Spider-Mane leaped out of harm's way at the last moment, causing Sombra to slice the stone cleanly in half instead of his original target, but the dark being immediately followed up, sending all four of his tendrils at once. Peter's eyes widened underneath his mask.

The outside world seemingly slowed due to his spider sense, but because of his awkward position in midair, he could only watch as the tendrils swarmed from four angles, one from the front, two from each side, and the last from behind. Yet, perhaps out of instinct, his horn glowed in response, not in the usual, crystal white energy but a vibrant, bright yellow color instead. Spider-Mane's body disappeared in a flash of energy matching the color of his horn, causing the tendrils to inadvertently slam into each other. Halfway across the void, Spider-Mane reappeared, screaming as he plummeted into the side of a pillar.

"What the heck? I totally didn't mean to do that," Peter murmured, prying himself from the stone. He looked around, holding his hooves up across his eyes, but his sight landed on the appendage on his forehead, or rather the fact that it continued to glow. "My spider sense... Is my magic tuning in with it? How-?"

A tendril suddenly shot up from underneath Spider-Mane's body, colliding with his midsection. As the wind left his lungs, Peter was launched, smashing through three stone pillars before colliding with a column. A massive dust cloud rose from the impact, but Sombra did not let up, charging with his sword raised high. However, before he could close in on Spider-Mane's position, a crystal heart fell between the two, erupting with a bright of flash of light.

The black mist, as well as the tendrils, retreated from his body, and a disoriented Sombra threw his hooves over his eyes in a futile attempt to shield them. Suddenly, a magical bolt sped through the airwaves, striking Sombra squarely in the back. Howling in pain, he turned around, only to be shot directly in the face. The force knocked Sombra's head back and sent him into plummeting until he crashed on the platform where Shining Armor stood. Malicious intent filled the black stallion's eyes as he forced himself from the ground, but the moment he lunged forward to attack, Shining shot his leg, forcing him enemy to kneel against his will.

Shining continued with the assault, literally pounding Sombra into the ground with countless magical bolts, but a tendril emerged from behind and struck the white stallion across the face, knocking his hat, scarf, and crystal heart from his possession. Shaking the cobwebs from his head, Shining reached out to retrieved the crystal, but the tendril snatched it away, throwing it a few hundred feet across the room until it shattered against a wall. That same moment, a second tendril wrapped around Shining's neck and body, roughly pinning him to the floor.

Sombra stepped forward, holding his sword directly over his enemy's back. "Did you really think you could defeat me with little trinkets? You ignorant fool."

Spider-Mane shot a strand of webbing out, latched it onto the blade, and pulled it from Sombra's grasp before he could attempt to finish Shining Armor off. Leaping from the platform, Peter landed between both stallions, attempting to throw a wide kick at his enemy, but Spider-Mane's attack phased through Sombra's body, like a hoof waving through a puff of smoke. All three tendrils rose and attacked Peter simultaneously, but the fourth remained still, keeping Shining pinned against the floor.

As he cartwheeled, Spider-Mane managed to retrieve one of his crystal hearts. One of the tendrils closed in from the side, but Peter lowered his body almost to the point where he laid flat on the ground and managed to avoid the blow. The second attacked from above, forcing Spider-Mane to leap to the side. However, the third tendril sped through the air as if it had anticipated the stallion's movements, but Peter, using his gifted flexibility, contorted his body at the precise angle and perfectly dodged Sombra's attack.

Unfortunately, due to the speed the maneuver was performed, Spider-Mane lost his knapsack, but he paid it no mind, lunging forward to keep pressure on the black stallion. With a quick yet strong flick of the hoof, Peter tossed his crystal heart in Sombra's direction, and Shining, despite his compromising position, focused his energy, igniting the makeshift weapon. Sombra clutched at his eyes and roared in pain, the light's effect once again stripping his protections away and blinding him. However, before the last of his tendrils could disappear, he lifted Shining Armor from the ground and flung him off to the side, leaving him to fall from a perilous height.

Without so much as a second thought, Spider-Mane dove after Shining, forgetting about Sombra and the only remaining crystal heart. Speeding through the air, Peter caught up to the white stallion. Throwing Shining's large frame over his shoulder, Spider-Mane extended his hoof and fired a strand of webbing to the underside of a platform, using the momentum to swing into a graceful landing on the nearest floating stone. After he laid him down gently, Peter placed his hoof over Shining's shoulder out of concern, but the white stallion shook his head as a look of dismay filled his eyes.

"I'm sorry. You could have finished Sombra, but I-"

Spider-Mane chuckled, cutting off Shining's apology. "Don't worry about it. We can still take him."

Sliding his hoof under his limb, Peter helped his friend from the ground, earning a concerned yet genuine smile in return. However, once an important realization came to mind, he shifted his gaze to the platform Sombra stood on. Despite the distance between their positions, Spider-Mane's ears perked at an ominous sound of shattered glass, knowing the fate of the last miniature crystal heart. Suddenly, large banks of black mist funneled around Sombra's platform, confirming Peter's fear.

"Okay, I have a confession to make," Peter murmured, attempting to ignore the throbs coursing through his cranium. His spider sense was only reacting to the heightened level of danger that was brewing above.

Shining glared at the mist cloud, scoffing once it took the form of a tornado. "I know. Sombra destroyed my crystal heart, too."

Spider-Mane shook his head. "No, not that. It's worse."

"How so?"

"I think I'm pregnant," Spider-Mane suggested inanely, earning a baffled expression from Shining Armor. After an awkward silence occurred between the pair, Peter raised his hoof and nodded. "Oh, and Twilight's the father."

Shaking his head, Shining attempted to make sense of Peter's drabble, but he failed, quickly growing frustrated. "Shut up!"

The tornado grew in diameter as well as strength, managing to suck in nearby columns and pillars. Spider-Mane threw Shining Armor over his shoulder and proceeded to bound from one platform to whatever footing he could find, creating as much distance as possible between himself and the magically-generated storm. After a few moments, the entire structure of the temple gave away, its walls breaking in and succumbing to the tornado's pressure.

Once Spider-Mane landed on the ground, Shining forced himself from Peter's grasp, planted his hooves, and created a small shield around his area, protecting himself, his friend, and what little solid ground remained. Chunks of stone continued to fly into the vortex as it only grew larger and stronger. In the center, a familiar pair of crimson and green eyes emerged, glaring at the two ponies sitting within the shield. Suddenly, a fanged smile appeared underneath, forming the face of Sombra.

"You have limitless potential, little one, but your sentimentality makes you weak!" Sombra roared, his voice reminiscent of the booming sound of thunder. As his eyes glowed ever brighter, Sombra's crimson horn continued to release the black mist, thus adding more strength to the surrounding tornado, and the very foundation of the temple dissolved, leaving the shrine a distant memory and an empty crater. "I am power incarnate! Cower before your king's might! You-!"

Sombra's words fell into his throat at a dumbfounding sight. For reasons unknown, Spider-Mane calmly stepped forward, abandoning the safety of the shield the Crystal Empire's princes held firmly. Even Shining Armor was taken aback by this irrational course of action, evident by his slack-jawed expression. Shifting his blank gaze skyward, Spider-Mane watched as Cadance's barrier walls began to crack, slowly succumbing to Sombra's power, but instead of heeding Shining's commands to fall back into his shield, Peter lowered his body and inhaled deeply, pushing a great deal of his focus into his hooves and legs.

While Sombra's shock remained intact, frustration began to take hold over him. The flames in his eyes grew, nearly reaching the height of his horn. The earth shook, splitting apart in various regions, but despite the ungodly calamity forming around him, Spider-Mane's posture remained steadfast, unyielding to the world that demanded him to do otherwise. As the wind whipped his tail about, Peter slowly directed his gaze to meet Sombra's, silently displaying his defiance.

"Why," Sombra paused, grinding his fangs to the core, "will you not kneel?!"

Spider-Mane snorted, pointing his hoof toward the sky. "Because you're a fool who abuses his powers! Those with power over others have the duty to use it responsibly." Suddenly, to the greatest of his ability, Peter jumped, soaring several meters before the strong winds of the tornado took hold and aided in his flight. Extending his hoof, Spider-Mane fired a strand of webbing onto a store and swiftly pulled himself onto it, flipping to a standing position. "Here I come!"

Sombra's horn glowed, prompting dark, magical energy to envelope several massive chunks of debris and levitate near his position. "Youstilllecture me?!" In rapid succession, he shot the collection of stones and columns in Spider-Mane's direction. "You are not worthy to speak down to me!"

A large stone was the first to reach its target. Spider-Mane leapfrogged over it, and before a column could collide with his frame, he managed to flip out of its path. As another stone quickly approached, Peter shot a strand of webbing out of both his hooves onto it, and with a swift jerk, he threw himself inches over the obstacle. Suddenly, six pillars hovered nearby, each firing after the stallion like a series of large arrows, but Spider-Mane jumped on the side of the nearest one, sprung onto the next, and repeated the process until he landed on the last.

However, just as he jumped forward, Peter turned around and latched a strand of webbing unto the bottom of the column. Making certain not to sever his line, Spider-Mane faced Sombra and used his free hoof to fire a second strand to the tip of a house-sized boulder. Once the second strand stretched to its limit, it recoiled, sling-shooting the stallion with the speed of a bullet, but Spider-Mane used the added momentum to do the same with the column in his possession, jettisoning it over his shoulder.

The large stone cut through the wind currents, like a knife cutting through butter, and it collided with the crimson horn at the height of the tornado, shattering on impact. Sombra's mouth shot open, unleashing a roar of agony as cracks formed around his horn. In response, the strength of the tornado significantly diminished, causing all of the airborne debris to succumb to the effects of gravity and plummet instantly. The black mist retreated, rushing back into Sombra's body before he, too, fell from the sky.

Fortunately for the corrupt king, Spider-Mane bounded from a stone and tackled the black stallion out of midair, placing his body underneath his at the last moment to lessen the impact of the fall. However, Peter quickly tossed Sombra to the side, flipping back to a vertical base. Well, as vertical as a quadrupedal stance could be, anyway. As Spider-Mane stood over him, seemingly unaffected from the fall he withstood, Sombra gritted his teeth and slammed his eyes shut, trying his best to tune out the pain coursing through his horn. Once again, his intentions were thwarted, and worse yet, a nameless, insignificant nopony actuallyhurthis better.

Sombra's eyes narrowed on the energy leaking from his horn. "How dare you..." he whispered, slamming his hoof into the ground. Snarling, he aimed his horn at Spider-Mane, determined to blast the cretin to oblivion, but his pain reached a fever-pitch, canceling out his magic before it could manifest. Sombra yelled, attempting to force himself to a standing position, but the strength in his limbs gave out, leaving the proud king to prostrate himself before somepony that should have been inhisrole. "Howdareyou!"

Once the last of the debris fell from the sky, Shining Armor dropped his shield, trotted over to Peter's side, and shoved the young stallion. "Are you crazy?! What were you thinking?! You could have gotten yourself killed!"

Spider-Mane shook his head. "Sorry about that. Sombra's horn was a big, red target." He shifted his gaze back to the grounded king. "Even though he studied in the dark arts, he's still a unicorn with an obvious weakness: no horn, no magic."

Throbs continued to pulsate through Sombra's cranium, but despite his immense pain, he managed to hold a smile. "It's only a small victory. You have no means to rid my presence. By the time you find one, I will have already recovered, and you do not wish to stand against me again."

"Yeah, you're right. I don't want to fight you again. I'm sure Princess Cadance is exhausted, and honestly, I'm sick of your high and mighty attitude," Spider-Mane firmly stated, shifting his balance so that he stood upright on two hooves. Tracing a hoof along his midsection, Peter pulled the upper portion of his costume up, revealing some of his stomach. Sombra's brow furrowed at Spider-Mane's strange actions, but his eyes grew wide as saucers once the stallion retrieved a miniature crystal heart from a hidden pocket within his costume. "So I think it's high time somepony put you in time-out!"

Shaking his head in disbelief, Sombra could only watch helplessly as Spider-Mane approached him with the crystal. "How is that possible? You said you only possessed four of those accursed gems!"

"So youwereeavesdropping. In my line of work, it's always a good idea to have a backup plan just in case things go south," Peter stated, stopping once he was only inches away from Sombra. "The moment I saw the crystal hearts worked, I figured you would devise a way to rid us of our supply. I didn't tell Shining, but we actually had five crystal hearts left when I told him we had only four. I guess you can say I wanted a little insurance."

Shining closed his eyes and smirked. "Sothatwas your plan. You crafty dog."

Sombra lowered his head, hiding his shame from the one who bested him in every way imaginable. To make matters worse, without his magic, there was no way he could resist. Somepony so young with this much potential had the credentials the be one of the greatest warriors in existence, using not only strength and skill, but wit to outmatch his opponent. Hesitantly, Sombra raised his head to meet with Spider-Mane's gaze and eventually gave the young stallion a respectful nod.

"So... what will you do?" Sombra calmly asked, in full defeat, still unable to force himself from the ground.

"It depends on your choice," Spider-Mane stated, sharing a glance with Shining Armor. Once the white stallion gave him an affirming nod, Peter turned back to Sombra. "You can either come back willingly with us to stand trial, or we can put you down here and now." Shaking his head, Spider-Mane voice fell to a desolate tone. "Please, it's not too late for you to change."

Scoffing, Sombra spat at the ground. "Save your pity. I'll gladly accept my defeat by your hooves, but I'd rather die than grovel before the wretched masses."

Spider-Mane's head fell in a saddened slump. "...okay. I guess I understand. Are you sure?"

"Finish what you started. I have no regrets," Sombra firmly stated, shifting his glare to Shining. "Well?"

Once Shining Armor's horn began to glow, the crystal heart mirrored its intensity, but instead of exploding in a ball of light, it hovered directly over Sombra's prone frame and maintained that position, spinning gently. The black stallion's body slowly began dissolving, like grains of sands at the mercy of the wind, and his presence seeped into the crystal,as if the heart was absorbing him. Slowly but surely, Sombra's form became transparent, continuing to fade into the crystal, which steadily darkened to black.

"The crystal heart replicas work in another way, too," Spider-Mane said, bringing Sombra's gaze in his direction. "Shift the properties at the right polarity, and the light of the crystal heart can be used to seal away evil." He paused, pointing his hoof at the damaged appendage over Sombra's forehead. "Which is also why I targeted your horn and disabled your magic. It gives us time to seal you away long enough for Princess Celestia to find a stronger means to keep you imprisoned."

Sombra huffed, disgusted with his fate. "Well played, young one." The last of his physical being disappeared from sight, but the sound of his voice could still be heard clearly. "You are a worthy adversary, but when I am free, do not think that means I will not make you suffer in ways you can only imagine." Sombra completely vanished into the crystal heart, prompting the jewel to transform into a shade of jet-black, but within its reflective surface, his crimson gaze appeared, glaring intently at Spider-Mane. It eventually faded away but not before giving one final word of warning. "We... will meet again."

Finally, Sombra's voice grew mute, and his eyes closed, allowing his presence to completely fade into the crystal. Spider-Mane reached out, grasping the jewel before it could fall to the ground. Shining Armor placed his hoof on the young stallion's shoulder, giving him the warmest smile he could muster, and Peter simply nodded, shifting his gaze back to the crystal heart. Deep down, Parker knew there was a chance Sombra's final words would come true, but he accepted it, knowing Spider-Mane would be there to stop him again.





Twenty-Two Days Remain

Peter stood with his gaze fixed on the marble floor of Canterlot Castle. The moment he and Shining Armor returned to the Crystal Empire, Peter decided to immediately take the next available train for Canterlot, figuring it was best to deliver Sombra to Princess Celestia as soon as possible, but deep down, it was an excuse to miss the city-wide celebration Cadance had planned to throw in Spider-Mane's honor.

Considering Cadance was suffering from a hangover, due to her excessive use of magic, it was better for the princess to follow her husband's advice and rest for the evening. While Peter was grateful for the appreciation the Equestrians showed him, it was clear he still had no idea how the gracefully accept that feeling, considering how long he dealt with the exact opposite treatment on Earth.

Having already given the crystal heart containing Sombra to Princess Celestia, Peter bided his time while she took the needed precautions to ensure the corrupted king's imprisonment was firm but fair. Peter shook his head and smiled. By the end of the day, everypony was saved, the villain was in custody, and Twilight's big brother finally gave his sister's stallion a golden seal of approval. Although life had a horrible tendency to kick him while he was down, Peter couldn't help but feel happy with his accomplishments for the day.

"Peter," Princess Celestia called out, freeing the stallion from his daydream. "I can not thank you enough for your heroism." Once a few hoof-lengths away, she paused and bowed her head out of respect. "Truly a job well done."

Scratching the back of his head, Peter chuckled nervously. "It's nothing, really! I'm just happy to help." Shrugging his shoulders, the stallion regained his composure. "Did you have any problems with Sombra?"

Princess Celestia shook her head, maintaining a warm smile on her face. "None whatsoever. Luna is transferring him to a covert facility for a chance of rehabilitation. Since you destroyed his horn, Sombra has no means with which to use his dark magic. Trust me. He'll be quiet." Her violet irises shifted to the right, widening for a moment, and Celestia's smile only grew in response. "There's another matter I need to address. Peter, it's time you meet Equestria's newest princess! She's quite eager to meet you."

"Another princess?" Peter asked, tilting his head to the side before laughing self-deprecatingly. "I'm honored, but why would she want to meet with-?"

"Peter!" A feminine voice called out from across the room, interrupting the stallion's question.

However, it was a voice Peter knew too well, its sweet tone impossible to forget. He slowly turned around, only for a pair of hooves to wrap around his neck that same moment, but his instincts kicked in, prompting the stallion to return the embrace in full. The side of the mare's head, particularly her violet mane, brushed against Peter's cheek, and her fresh scent filled his senses, reminding him of the crisp atmosphere of Ponyville. Slowly, both ponies pulled away to share a glance with each other, hazel irises meeting with violet orbs, before their lips synced, locking passionately.

Her air depleted, the mare hesitantly broke the kiss, but her hooves remained intertwined around her stallion's neck. "I'm sorry I couldn't see you out!" Twilight's voice dropped to a whisper, her lips quivering as she struggled to express herself. "When I heard you went after Sombra, I... I..." She placed her forehead against his, giggling at the hint of contact her horn felt as it graced along the side of her stallion's. "I was so worried. I'm happy to see you're safe."

"I'm just happy to see you, period," Peter replied honestly, pressing his lips against his girlfriend's muzzle.

A giddy sensation coursed through her body. Chills tingled across her spine, and Twilight felt her mind grow fuzzy. As she melted into this act of affection, something sprung to life from the mare's back, raising several inches from her body. Peter eyes shot open at the bizarre sight, and he stumbled back, nearly losing his balance in the process. "Twilight! You have-!"

Twilight's cheeks flushed to a shade of pink. She turned, smiling sheepishly at her bodily change. "Wings? Yes. Princess Celestia gave me the push I needed to finalize the spell that gave me these. So I'm still getting used to them myself."

Peter's eyes widened. The answer was standing before him, but his mind struggled to register the facts. "Then, the new princess is...?"

Reaching down, Twilight placed both of her hooves over one of Peter's and smiled sweetly. "...me."