So long as I'm protecting the Shadow Realm, I can't ever lose again.
Now that I've started using the newly christened "Arcana Liber" to handle collating the opinions of the Shadow Realm, productivity has shot up. Nearly my entire timeslot devoted to office hours has been me sitting bored in my office, now that there's not as much need for me to personally meet with representatives. I wonder if Celestia has started her weirdass Open Court thing. Maybe I should do something like that, but obviously not as poorly as she implemented it. Maybe something like me vetting private meetings with individuals, or video conferences in an Arcana Nox server?
Someone finally comes into my office, a primly dressed mare I recognize. She's one of the ones to have been volunteering to go around the four Cells of the Shadow Realm and get opinions previously. She still sends them to me, but now they're much more manageable.
"Sir, I'm just here for a small report, there's been a few ponies who are curious about Project Howl. I just thought I'd tell you, and suggest that you perhaps distribute some clearer information on it later."
I nod. "I'll be sure to do that Mrs. Share, is there anything else?"
She shakes her head. "No, it's been pretty dead in the offices, now that we've moved to using digital management, sir. I'll send you a dream if anything comes up."
A "Dream". I never would have come up with a term like that. Well, people are funny. "Alright. Have a nice day, Mrs. Share."
She nods, trotting out and closing the door behind her softly.
I hum to myself, thinking about what projects I could develop next. Maybe do some more public appearances with Doctor and his kids.
I'm shocked at how quickly the Shadow Realm's attitude changed about the little dragons when the red one got into a fistfight with some pony in the street. They just instantly fell in love with the dragons after he punched that one pony's lights out. The Hidden Palace Zone's Black Flame furnace has got to be messing with our heads, somehow. Or maybe it's not a direct consequence, but a side effect of the citizens being allowed to express their anger so freely after escaping the Crystal Empire.
At least I was able to convince them to restrict fighting to appropriate buildings, and start using safety gear. I just had to market the stuff as "Civilian Armor", and suddenly it's in fashion for everyone outside of Wacky Workbench to be decked out in padded wraps, bike helmets and softened horseshoes.
Despite the sharp increase in ponies just... deciding to get into fights... Satisfaction has been higher than ever. They're just getting it out of their system, and then going right back to being as friendly as can be. Almost like the Black Flame furnace itself. Sucking the hate up, and turning it into warmth. There's probably something poetic to say about that, but for the life of me, I can't think of anything.
Yeah. I think I will check on Doctor. He's not a psychologist, but maybe he can give me an idea of why my ponies are turning into a bunch of saiyans. And little Padparadscha is always a treat to visit.
I press a hoof softly onto my intercom. "Tablet, if anyone calls, tell them I'm out for a long lunch. I'm straight up ghosting today."
"Yes sir, Lord Weiss."
And with that, I limp my way out of my office.
"Yes, sir. It has been rather strange, but I've already looked into the matter. There's no external force that's causing the effect. It's almost like something is being drawn out of the ponies instead. Due in no small part to the Shadow Realm's structure and activity, I'm certain," Doctor tells me.
"There's a lot of high-energy entertainment to be had, there's a war going on, however quietly we may be waging it, ponies are warm and fed. This sort of environment is going to make ponies more bold."
I nod, taking a sip of my tea with a grimace. I'm not really a fan of tea. "How have the little ones been treating you?" I say, changing the topic.
He tries not to encourage my smug expression too much, when he responds. "It's been fine. They're good listeners. Ruby has been soaking up everything I say like a sponge.
"I believe they may not have the same hoarding instincts as ordinary dragons, though. I've had to apologize on Sapphire's behalf more than once. He seems to enjoy stealing things and then leaving them in random places, with no rhyme or reason."
I chuckle at that. "Now that sounds fun."
Doctor nods. "It's not."
I hum to myself. "Any luck on project Senzu, Doctor? I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like a speedier recovery for my injuries."
Doctor nods again. "We've been working as fast as we can. I'll let you know when we have something."
Through Doctor's doorway, the little Padparadscha waddles in, nightvision goggles hanging loosely on his head. "Hi uncle, can I go hang out with Boolean, Doc? I done my work already."
"Yes, Paddy, you may. Take Ruby with you, please, Boolean's father has some research I'd like him to pick up," Doctor responds smoothly.
I hide my smile behind another sip of tea. "Work?"
Doctor looks a bit nervous. "Well, I have to teach them something. And they seem reasonably interested in biology. Ruby has chosen to be Dr. Axiom's apprentice, though. He has a real head for numbers."
I chuckle, mostly unfamiliar with the way the Crystal Empire handled it's education. A lot of ponies opt for apprenticeships over engaging with a school. That sort of bit me in the ass when I had to repurpose more than twenty school buildings that would have gone mostly empty, had I attempted to enforce my poorly thought out ideas for public schooling.
"I trust they'll be even more skilled than yourself, one day," I say, nodding with confidence.
"I also trust you've been treating them well? I did ask that you only extract data from them through observation, if you were going to do as you had planned."
Doctor nods much more rapidly. "I couldn't bring myself to bring them any harm or discomfort like that. They've been too good to me, sir."
That eases at least one of my fears. I'll skim over the security footage later today, to see if Doctor has gotten better at morality, or just better at lying.
"So where is Sapphire, then?" I question.
Doctor takes a drink of his own tea. "Oh he's at one of the stadiums. He's started playing Duel Monsters. I don't understand that game, but both he and Ruby seem to enjoy it."
"Tunnel 12-D Center Stadium? Isn't that normally for golem combat?" I question, trying to remember all of the stadiums in Wacky Workbench.
Doctor shakes his head. "No, the 13-B Center Stadium in Hidden Palace. He commutes there from time to time whenever he's ahead on his work."
I nod. That makes sense. "Pardon my ignorance, but, how exactly did they learn so much in a week?"
Doctor shrugs. "Magic. They were made to be a certain age, and they started acting it. I'm unable to give you a better answer right now."
I'll accept that for now, but it's certainly odd. Roughly a week after they're born, and they're speaking English, doing math and learning biology from the Royal Scientist himself.
I bet there's something useful to be found, studying that little phenomena.
"I'll head over there myself. I believe my student's friends play the game as well. Enjoy the rest of your day off, Doctor."
He nods. "As you command, Lord Weiss."
"Now, Elder Windego, attack his life points directly!" some blue kid shouts, as his monster unleashes a chilling blast of virtual ice at Sapphire, reducing his Life Points to zero.
Seems like this game has gotten pretty popular, judging from the packed stands.
"So, Eclipse, you like this game too?" I ask, looking askew at my student.
She shakes her head. "It's alright, but I'm mostly here to cheer on my friend Oil Slick, he's in the tournament too."
I nod at this. "That's an even better reason to be here than just being a fan. I'm here to check on Sapphire, myself."
"The dragon kid that was up there?" Eclipse asks for clarification, to which I nod.
Looking up at the stage, I see Sapphire is mostly taking the loss with grace, shaking the blue pony's hoof and probably saying something respectful. "Yup."
I slowly get up and limp my way down to the exit hall to meet up with the young drake, whose eyes widen when he spots me.
"Uncle," he states simply, looking me over.
I nod. "How have you been, Sapphire? Has Doctor been treating you well?" I ask, making him nod happily.
He points to the stands, indicating that he wants to watch the rest of the matches.
I just decide to acquiesce to the taciturn drake's request. As we walk back to the stands, he finally says what he had been chewing over since seeing me.
"You're healing, Uncle," Sapphire says simply.
"Slower than I'd like, but yes, I am," I confirm.
As we walk into the stands and take our seats, he speaks up again, as evenly as before. "I lost the game, uncle."
I nod. "That's not a bad thing. It's harder to grow when you don't lose once in a while."
Sapphire doesn't respond to that, but his eyes squint a bit as he chews on my words.
The Ref steps up on stage. "The next match will be between Oil Slick and Cabal Counter, as the final round of the Hidden Palace Duel Monsters Championship!"
Eclipse stomps and cheers while I stare on. I stand to my feet, much to Eclipse Flash and Sapphire's confusion, before summoning my armor and activating the silent alarm.
Instantly, ponies are quietly and rapidly leaving the stadium, dragging others along with them as the guards' radio crystals signal an alert.
Half of the ponies have already run, two particularly fast guards leading out Eclipse and Sapphire, the former of whom is shouting in confusion as to what's going on.
I sense it before I see it. That feeling of looking out from inside a mirror.
In the middle of the stadium, rising up from the holographic field emitter, Sombra appears in a slowly roiling cloud of smoke, smiling as brightly as the fires of hell.
"My, my. Look at this. Like rats, scrambling around in the dirt. Trapped in the dark.
"That's no way to live... No way at all," King Sombra tsks.
The dark king turns to face Weiss, who is standing tall in the stands alone, slowly walking around to the stairway leading down, never breaking eye contact with the dark ruler.
"And the king among the rats. Rising to the top, and yet still crawling underneath.
"Just to hurry things along, I'd like to let you know that there will be no more hiding," He says, throwing a small black dragon statue to the floor, where it cracks and splinters.
"I can track you into any hole you hide in. Well, aside from the one you've dug yourself into," Sombra chuckles.
Weiss pauses for a moment at the sight of the petrified Dragon of the Darkness Flame. After staring at it for a moment, Weiss simply continues his silent walk towards Sombra, while the rest of the ponies run away and vacate the stadium.
"What's wrong, cat got your tongue?
"Does the specter not speak?" Sombra questions, stepping forward.
Weiss's eyes narrow for a split second. "Shadowus!"
A tidal wave of black flames wash out from Weiss's horn, flooding the entire room and the various tunnels in front of him, as he jerks to the side and limps behind a pillar while the room is still darkened by the light devouring fire.
'Just have to hold him off until they can evacuate.'
The flames abate, leaving a surprised Sombra lowering a magical shield. "My, so quick to violence. I hope you aren't counting on hiding from me, now that I can sense you and your silly flames."
He chuckles, stalking forward. "Oh, who am I kidding. I really hope that's what you're counting on. It'll make things very entertaining."
Weiss considers this for a moment, before a sharp jolt of pain runs through his leg. 'Damn it, I'm not ready for this fight.'
"Trapfloor, Trapflora" Weiss whispers, making the ground around him flash twice, before he launches himself backwards, out of the way of Sombra's attack spell.
The blast of green and purple magic strikes the pillar, causing it to erupt in black crystals that spread over the ground like a blanket. Underneath, a flash of light signals Weiss's spell going off, as spires of purple crystal try to erupt and fail, only cracking the layer of Sombra's crystal smothering them.
Sombra laughs. "This is just cute. Like watching a child play pretend. Did you think I would fall for a trap like that? That I couldn't disarm it?" He comments casually, as he walks onto the cracked crystals and stalks closer to Weiss.
Suddenly, the floor flashes again, brighter than before, as Sombra tries to leap back before twelve gigantic purple thorns rip through the cracked black glass, spearing through Sombra's body, and forcing him into his shadow form.
'They always fall for the second one,' Weiss thinks, limping towards an exit while Sombra tries to reform as more and more crystal thorns rip up from the ground around him.
Stepping into the archway, Weiss creates a layer of stone that makes the exit he used look like a smooth patch of wall. It won't stop Sombra from figuring out where he is, but it might make Sombra try using a different route to get to him.
He activates his Radio Crystal. "Report, is Hidden Palace evacuated yet?"
"Negative, sir. Crystals have grown up all over the Fast Travel station, we're trying to break through them, but we need more time!"
Weiss curses. "Keep trying, mine around the crystals if you have to, but get those ponies out of there, I'm going to try and lure him to the Black Flame Furnace, keep all guards off of that route."
The wall behind Weiss explodes, as a much less amused Sombra walks forward. "I'll be honest, you're really not all that enjoyable to fight."
"Death Beam!" Weiss shouts, waving his head around to manually sweep the beam across the tunnel. Without his Divine Words, he's even less prepared than normal for this fight.
Sombra just frowns as the tunnel collapses on him. Weiss ignores this and continues limping towards the furnace as fast as he can.
"Please, you have to tell me what's going on, where is Weiss?!" Priss shouts as the burly guard escorts her near one of the blocked off Fast Travel stations.
"He's trying to buy us some time," The guard responds plainly
'Time? Time for what?' Priss thinks to herself, before making the connection between the black crystals blocking the exits, the sudden and full evacuation, and Weiss himself fighting whatever it is that's threatening Hidden Palace.
She breaks out into a cold sweat.
"There has to be something we can do to help!" Priss says, but the guard doesn't respond, unknowing.
Eclipse runs up at this point, followed by Captain Iron Diamond. "Priss, can you break into Weiss's room?" Priss nods, as a plan is formed.
Iron Diamond explains. "Dr. Real is on his way with the Heavy Lobster, but it won't activate without Weiss's magical signature. Eclipse thinks we can use one of his Materia."
Iron receives a report through his helmet radio that makes him pale.
"Let's hurry."
Sombra walks out of the rubble, coming face to face with a wall. hastily erected in the tunnel.
Rolling his eyes, he begins to speak. "Really? What's next, curling up in a ball? This is the magical equivalent of doing that, in case you were unaware."
With a lit horn, Sombra blasts through the wall, which unleashes a geyser of purple water that crashes into him, flooding the tunnel.
Narrowing his eyes, Sombra takes the form of smoke in the water, slipping through the cracks and emerging on the other side, dry as bones.
This is rapidly turning into the most annoying battle Sombra has ever fought.
He finds the panting, limping foal of a unicorn standing next to a strange glowing square, covered in symbols being projected from the wall.
He tilts his head. "You know, if you just give up now, I'll be nice and kill you on the spot. It's downright uncharacteristic for me to be that merciful, you know."
What Sombra fails to realize is that this particular tunnel is one of the venting chambers for the Black Flame Furnace. And while Weiss isn't certain that a blast from that would kill Sombra, he's more than certain that turning the fans on will worsen Sombra's day.
"Flare! Flarus Sword!" Weiss shouts one after the other, releasing a wave of red fire down the tunnel, which Sombra blocks with contemptuous ease using a magical barrier.
What he fails to block, however, is the white-hot beam of plasma that pierces through the shield and his head, hidden by the bright puff of fire in front of it.
As Sombra's body turns into smoke, he feels disoriented when a sudden howling wind rushes through the tunnels, throwing him around and sucking him backwards after Weiss presses the holographic keys to turn on the Black Flame Furnace's ventilation fans.
He returns to normal just in time to hear Weiss shout again. "Shadowus Sword!"
Shadow Form again and more tumbling for Sombra, this time from a lance of black fire piercing his chest.
Sombra growls, flexing his magical power and casting a much more potent shield spell, more than suitable to block the rest of this cretin's pitiful magic.
"Alright, you've officially-" Sombra looks down the hallway, but Weiss has already stumbled away deeper inside.
Sombra's teeth grit. "I'm going to enjoy breaking this rat like crystal crackers."
He decides to keep the full power barrier up this time. No more falling for these idiotic two-part attacks.
The black crystal wall cracks, and then it shatters entirely as the rail-bound vehicle crashes through it, the crystal shipping crate on top of it skidding and trailing sparks everywhere as everyone nearby backs up for safety.
With four distinct clicks, The crate falls apart, revealing a gigantic, crab-like monstrosity, made entirely of a blend of Orichalcum and Adamantium, woven into one another forming large, bulbous armor plates.
Eclipse Flash runs over, holding up the pitch black sphere. Weiss's "Black Flame" Dark Materia. Priss follows shortly behind.
"I've got it!" She shouts, handing it off to Iron Diamond who tests it out, his posture briefly turning slack and casual before a puff of black fire erupts from his forehead.
"Let's hope this works," Iron Diamond nods, walking up to the machine and using the Materia to spoof his identity as Weiss. With a loud hiss, the Heavy Lobster unfolds, revealing a complex looking seat. Dr. Real runs up to explain.
"The cockpit was recently redesigned with the Arcana Nox in mind, you just have to get inside, and you'll be able to control it directly. Keep in mind, Weiss never designed this machine to combat Sombra, only delay him. You've got less than an hour before most of the fuel tanks and crystals are drained entirely, so don't waste it."
Iron Diamond just nods again. "I'll get in there, pull Weiss's ass out of the fire, and get out."
He activates his radio. "Weiss, you still with us? Where are you?"
"Fuck off Iron. You're not throwing your life away today," Weiss snaps back with a whisper, soft asynchronous hoofsteps clacking over the other end.
"I've got your Lobster," Iron responds.
Weiss, on the other end, shakes his head. "That won't work, I'm almost at the furnace, and-"
"Good, I'll bring it there. Hold tight," Iron Diamond says, hoof already moving up to his helmet.
"No! You idiot, don't-" Iron hangs up on Weiss, interrupting him as Iron hops into the cockpit.
As the machine hisses shut, it begins to dispense sleep gas that rapidly knocks Iron Diamond out.
The captain falls asleep to the sight of a complex looking heads-up-display, and moves his hoof. Instead of a hoof, however, a giant crab claw is moved in front of his face.
"This'll work."
Activating the rocket boosters, the Heavy Lobster shrieks down the tunnels, following the inbuilt map to the dark furnace's depths.
"Fuck me I wish I had some of my killbox rooms deeper down in the tunnels." Weiss says to himself, slowly stumbling into the Black Fire Furnace's antechamber, the massive pit in front of him roaring with a pillar of pitch black fire.
"How was I supposed to know people wouldn't use the damn entrances to attack?"
His armor is cracked in places, and most of it has been thrown free of his body automatically by the enchantments in it the instant one of Sombra's crystal curses struck any part of his armor.
Having realized that his signature spell isn't working, Sombra had switched to much more effective direct combat spells, blasts of elemental fury and beams of magical energy striking Weiss and punching through him in various spots.
Holding out a hoof over the pit, Weiss confirms his theory. The flame made up of the Shadow Realm Citizens' hatred isn't harming him directly.
He resummons his armor. "NulAll, Protect."
As the mixture of Royal Cloth and Royal Vibranium sweeps back over his injuries, he's left looking mostly unharmed, if he wasn't swaying so much.
Sombra walks in angrily, surrounded in a skintight layer of magic repulsion.
"You can't keep running forever, I can tell just by looking at you that you're bleeding out. How many more hits do you think it will take?" Sombra asks, curiously.
I laugh. "You're a fucking idiot."
Oh yeah, that pissed him off.
"Why do you think I brought you here? You can sense me, right? That's how you've been following me around?
"Well, that ends here," I state, before using a pillar of Royal Crystal to fling myself across the gap, through the Black Flames in the middle of the room.
Landing painfully on the other side, I unleash a sweeping Flara Sword across the room as a distraction while I prepare my real technique.
"So even when it's impossible, your answer is to try and hide from me? You don't understand how sensory magic works, do you?" He says, his voice echoing around the towering room.
"Oh I've got a few ideas." I mumble to myself.
"Foxfire," I whisper, as I expend some of my real inner magic to painfully create two suits of armor like mine, and fill them with shapeshifting black flames. Making sure they're limping correctly, I send one of them walking around the pit to the right, as I walk around the pit on the left side. Both of us entering Sombra's line of sight at the same time.
"You're really beginning to put my patience to limits I've never before experienced. You know I can still sense you, even with this twisted little decoration between us, right? Standing on the other side of a fire doesn't make you invisible to me."
The clone behind the flames begins to speak, just as planned. "Oh trust me, Sombra. If I were trying to hide from you, your patience would reach it's end."
Meanwhile, I myself prepare to unleash one of my forbidden techniques.
"Wave Motion G-" Suddenly, I'm interrupted by a loud crash. That dumb bastard!
I see Iron Diamond has completely disobeyed my orders and tried to bring that thing here, and, just as I was hoping he wouldn't, he tried to fit it inside the Hate Furnace reactor chamber...
"I tried to tell you, you dumb bastard, the Heavy Lobster won't fit through the access tunnels, it's useless right now!" I shout angrily, before turning to Sombra.
"Wave Motion Gu-!" I attempt, before Sombra blasts me in the shoulder, sending me falling backwards towards the Black Flame, and into the unknown depths below.