//------------------------------// // Trouble in the lab // Story: Sunburst and The Shadow Pony // by Miner //------------------------------// "Hi, Starlight," Sunburst said as Starlight got off of him and helped him up. Thorax shakes his head at Starlight's actions. Starlight looks over Sunburst worried what could have happened to him being gone for so long. "What happened to you? You just disappeared off the face of Equestria." Realizing that he forgot to tell Starlight that he was going to disappear for a while. He rubs the back of neck trying to think of how to tell his best friend that he was alone for weeks with a mare that she doesn't know, "Uh-huh. I was... helping out... Crystine." Starlight face went from concern to anger in a millisecond, "Who?!" Hoping to save himself from this predicament, Sunburst told Starlight all that has happened with Crystine. He even told her about his increase in muscle mass due to the dark magic inside of him, which she took an interest in before she snaps out of it. "Well, at least your new body build is a plus side to the dark magic in you. Anyways I think I can help you." "Really?" "I am Twilight's student. I think I have a way to get the dark magic out of you. Come on." Starlight grabs Sunburst in her magic and left the room before he could protest. Leaving Thorax alone wondering if he is going to have to deal with some similar with Twilight. "Is this safe?" Sunburst asked nervously as Starlight straps him inside a strange machine in Twilight's Laboratory. Starlight rolls her eyes at his comment, "I am not a mad scientist pony Sunburst. I know what I am doing." She said, moving to the control panel of the machine and started it up. "But you never did anything like this before." "That is why I am taking every precaution." Starlight uses her magic to bring a chalkboard next to her and starts drawing on it and then present to Sunburst her plan. The chalkboard has six drawings on it. The first one is a stick pony inside a box. The next one has another stick pony pulling something small out of the first pony. Next, has the second stick pony putting something in a small box. Next is similar to the second picture but has something bigger coming out. The next image has the second stick pony placing something in a larger box. And finally, the last picture has the two stick pony cheering. "First, I need to find out just how much dark magic is inside you. This device design by Twilight should do the trick. Next, I am going to see if I can contain a small amount of Dark Magic in this container." She said, pulling out a small metal box. "After a success containment, I will then construct a larger container and put all of the dark magic inside you in it. And that should do it." Sunburst ears go against his head as he remembers what Crystine said about removing the dark magic. "This is going to be painful isn't?" Starlight stopped working on the control panel and look at Sunburst in confusion. "What are you talking about? Magic may be apart of us, but for some reason, I never heard about anypony getting hurt by having it removed. Even when the Princess had their magic removed at one point, they never said anything about pain besides feeling drained. But then again they were users of light magic, not dark magic. So it might be? I don't know, but let me know if it does, and I will stop right away." "Alright." Sunburst took some deep breaths as he places his faith in his friend hooves. Starlight was just about finished setting the machine ready when somepony entered the room. "There you are." Rarity said, stopping Starlight. She was going to continue talking, but her speech was halted at the sight of Sunburst inside a strange-looking machine alone with Starlight in a closed room. Rarity's cheeks blushed as ideas ran through her head, "Oh my." "Now not a good time Rarity." Starlight said, looking back at Rarity. "My apologies Starlight. I didn't know that you are having private time with Sunburst. I will be going now." Rarity said, leaving the lab. It took Starlight a second to get what Rarity just said and turned red in the face. "WHAT! No! Rarity nothing like that was going on!" Starlight went after Rarity not realizing that she change one of the dials on the machine from light scan to heavy scan with a big caution note next to it saying 'don't use this setting I haven't fix it yet.' Sunburst notice that he is alone in the lab with the machine powering up. "Uh, Starlight. You left the machine on." He tried to call out to her, but she didn't hear him. Sunburst tried to get out of the machine but notice it was too late. "Uh, oh." "And that is all I am doing Rarity! There is no secret feeding or whatever you just said." "Oh, you mean a fedi-" KABOOM! "Sunburst!" Both mare race inside the lab to a cloud of smoke and dust. Coughing Starlight used her magic to open the windows of the lab to air out the lab. It wasn't long before some Changeling guards along with Thorax brother Pharynx came to the sound of the explosion. "What is going?!" Pharynx said right before they heard a sneeze from inside the lab. "Sunburst! Are you alright?!" Starlight called out to her friend. There was no response, just the silhouette of somepony moving towards them. So she tried again. "Sunburst?" The silhouette stomped his hoof to the ground, and dark crystals erupted and hit some of the guards next to Starlight. As the silhouette moves closer, she could see that it was not her dear friend Sunburst but rather somepony that she thought she would only see in pictures. "Sombra." "That is King Sombra Starlight." Meanwhile in Twilight's chambers. Thorax had just returned to his Queen to find her startled by the explosion. "What is happening?" "There was an explosion in the lab. Our guards went to check it out. I am sure they can handle it." Just as soon as Thorax said that there was a loud thud against the wall along with the sound of Ponies fighting against each other. Shortly after a wounded guard entered the room and Thorax caught him. "What is going on?!" "Somepony in the lab started attacking everypony insight. You must get the Queen and her young out of here." "Where is Pharynx? Where is my brother." "Engaging the enemy right now. But you must leave your highness. It is not safe here." Twilight started gathering her young as her bodyguards surround her as they left the room through a secret exit at the back of the room. Thorax was about to join them, but stop and turned to guard. "I will return once Twilight and the children are safe. Please hold out until then." Pharynx duck behind a turned table as a blast of dark magic flies over him. His presses his back against the table and looks around and sees Starlight hiding behind a forcefield before she joins him behind the table. "Who is that pony Starlight?!" Pharynx demand from her as the enemy called her out by name. "I never meet him in pony before. But there is no mistaking it. He is Sombra." "You mean as in the evil king of the Crystal Empire? That Sombra!" "IT"S KING SOMBRA YOU PONIES!" Sombra shouted, sending shards of dark crystal everywhere. "How did he get inside the castle?" "Now not the time for that. We have to stop him somehow." Starlight and Pharynx split when Sombra destroy the table they were hiding behind. Sombra turned into a shadow and reappeared in front of Starlight enrage. "How do I know you pony? You are the second pony who I called out by name today." Before she could reply more guard charge at Sombra give her time to regroup with Pharynx. "Something wrong with him." Pharynx said, observing at the way Sombra is fighting his guards. King Sombra was known to be cruel tyrant, but for some reason, he is knocking out the guards rather than killing them. "It must have something to do with the explosion of dark magic with Sunburst. Sunburst memories must be mixing up Sombra's, and he is not thinking or acting like himself." "I have no idea what you are talking about, but what are we going to him?" "I have an idea. But I need you to trust me." She whispers to him before moving away from Pharynx to be in front of Sombra. Pharynx signal for his guards to regroup to him and await further orders. He sees her as he drops a guard. "I have you now, pony." She swallowed her fears and put up a strong face, "I know you are in there Sunburst. And I know that you would never hurt your best friend." Sombra let out a might laugh before he sends black crystals at her, but they miss her badly. Sombra is confused at this and tries again only to miss again. Starlight took a breath and started moving toward the Tyrant. Sombra continues to send his magic at her but only to come short or miss her completely. "Stay back, you mare!" But she doesn't and only stops once she is in front of the old king. "Come on Sunburst fight him." "I am not Sunburst Starlight!" Sombra shouted in her face as his voice shifts between the two, "I am Sombra, King of the Crystal Empire!" "Then prove it," Starlight sat down not putting up any form of defensive, "Hit me." She closes her eyes, not notice somepony else entering the room and moving behind the king. Sombra lifts his hoof to strike her, but for some reason, he can't bring himself to do it. Sombra has no idea what is going on. He has hurt so many ponies before this one. So what makes her any different form them? "I... I..." "Hay King." A voice said behind Sombra. "What?" Sombra turned around to see Crystine blowing some dust at his face. "Why you! ah Achoo!" No pony in the room had any words for what just happened. Where stood Sombra now stands Sunburst. Starlight was about to say something, but Sunburst started sneezing again switching between himself and Sombra with each sneeze. "Achoo, Achoo, Achoo, Achoo, Achoo, Achoo!" Right before Sunburst was going to sneeze again, Crystine put a hoof to his nose. "Sunburst what have I told you about your sneezes?" "Sorry," Sunburst said as Crystine let go of his nose. "You good?" "Yeah, I am good," Sunburst said, rubbing his nose before he notices that there are changeling guards everywhere and everypony in the room has a shocked look on their face. "Did I miss something?"