//------------------------------// // (Past Chapter 26): Pregame Warmup // Story: The Unique Properties of Dark Magic // by Shadestyle //------------------------------// "BM, or 'Bad Mannered', refers to someone who displays poor sportsmanship, such as mocking their enemy, either verbally, or through insulting acts in battle. Taunting, in a sense. "So, yes, I believe I will be BM-ing Sombra, what's he going to do, report me to a higher authority for rudeness?" I explain to an unimpressed Luna. "And if your mission were to fail?" she retorts. "Then I've got bigger concerns than simply being embarrassed," I explain easily, working on the designs I'll be using for this year's Blast Day Celebration. "He's been quiet, and I don't really like that. So, I'll annoy him. See if he'll play his hand early, if I just give him a good enough reason. If he's planning something, I want him to blow it as soon as possible, so I can get to work on countering it." I bring up a screen, showing off the firework designs so far. The obvious ones, I've already signed off on. Gigantic red hearts made of light, the word "Hope", the two princesses, outlined in glittering enchanted sparks. More complex ones, as well. The names of certain ponies living in the Shadow Realm, pictures of the gardens and homes, in stunning high-definition. "My plan is three-fold. Use fireworks to create a massive display above the Crystal Empire, use golems to distribute letters to every home, and use the debacle as cover for infiltration. He'll be enraged, he'll be on high alert, and I'll be under his nose, stealing his secrets. It doesn't get easier than that." "Once we have the information we need, on the locations of all the ponies, we'll begin preparing to strike. The last Crystal Pony will leave the Crystal Empire within the month." Luna considers this. "You have mine and my sister's help, in any way you require. We would move mountains to bring about what you're claiming. And I do mean that very literally." I chuckle, with only a tiny bit of nervousness. "Let's get the ponies out before any mountains are moved. The blast radius is always a concern with those sorts of actions," I joke, making her laugh aloud. "Indeed. Are you at all concerned that Sombra may tighten security, once he knows your angle?" she questions after her laughter dies down. I shake my head. "He can't take the field himself, he doesn't know what I can do yet, and that means it would be a very foolish error to try and stop me himself when I could have theoretically found a way to kill him. Furthermore, he can't exactly use his slaves effectively, considering that they're the ones we're going to steal away from him. Sending in enslaved soldiers, then, would be a poor course of action, since he would be feeding them right into our awaiting maw. "I'm fighting a war of proxies, and the best course of action he could take right now would be to try and create proxies of his own. Of course, even that isn't ideal, because even with his higher magical strength, I've been at the game longer than him, and I've got more forces to throw at him at any given moment. It's a lose-lose situation." "Even if he attempted to activate some kind of Suicide Protocols on any ponies we rescue, I've added Frozen Time to my drones, so they'll be able to halt the process outright, for as long as we need." Luna quirks an eyebrow at me for that. "Should I be worried that you claim to know so well the mind of a madpony?" I use the virtual dream's functionality to make my smile just a touch too wide as I give her a backwards glance. "Oh we're all mad here, Luna." She huffs. "I'm very certain that I'm not mad." "Give it some time, you're hanging with the right crowd," I claim as I adjust the diameter of my next-generation Arwing's thruster nozzles. With the new frontiers my little ponies have forged in the art of metallurgy, I've been able to afford tighter and tighter tolerances, and more and more power output as well. "Say, that reminds me. I never did get an answer. What did Celestia think of our little joyride?" I ask. Luna grins. "Well, let me put it in a way you'll understand. She has requested that I help her come up with a suitable excuse for her to never ride on one of your flying machines again. We've settled on her having seasickness. Which she does, of course." I laugh, dragging some decals from the public art repository onto my Arwing's wings. The blueprints are really coming together, with those flame decals. "So obviously, I need to make sure to obtain some seasickness medicine and include it in my Arwing's glove compartment, such that Celestia will be able to continue our weekly flights over Equestria uninterrupted. After all, it does our countries good to know that we are interacting so well with one another." Luna helplessly laughs, rolling around on the small pillow she had enlarged for herself. "O-of course! I'll be sure to tell her that. She'll be ecstatic, overcome with emotion!" After a while, she sighs. "So, have you any plans for Hearth's Warming Eve?" I shrug slightly, moving on to another project. "No, not really. I had been planning on working through it." Luna gives me the stink-eye. "Are you telling me you critiqued Celestia and I for overworking ourselves, and yet you'll be working through holidays, of all things? Unacceptable. When exactly do you take time for yourself, Weiss?" I scoff. "Oh please, Luna. Me working through holidays is nothing like refusing to eat and sleep in a house. Once a week, I go down to the molten salt springs and enjoy a nice long soak. And I come out of it as fresh as a daisy. Well, a daisy covered in salt, at any rate." Luna's eyes narrow. "You mean the trips that, without fail, have all been interrupted? Or so your captain tells me." "Captain Iron Diamond, you are a snitch, and are no longer my Home-slice," I type, along with a voice clip of Luna admitting that he had ratted me out to the Lunar Diarch. I send it off, hoping that my disappointment can be properly conveyed in recorded format. Luna, however, simply continues. "Once your mission is complete, and the last of the Crystal Ponies have been put into your care, you will be joining us for Hearth's Warming Eve. You'll be put into ridiculous outfits, made to sit around a bonfire, and fed filling delicacies until you lose consciousness." "Are we clear?" she states firmly, leaving no room for discussion. I simply give a shallow bow, flourishing my limbs. "As you command, so it shall be, your majesty." "What'cha doing, Eclipse?" Cool Spot asks, leaning over to see what she's writing. "I'm writing a letter to my cousin. He's still in the Crystal Empire, and Lord Weiss said we needed to write letters to them. He'll be sending them soon." Cool Spot recoils slightly. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry, if it's personal." Eclipse shakes her head, sliding back in her chair. "No, it's fine, Spot. I can tell you about him if you like." Cool Spot nods nervously, prompting her to begin. "Well, he's my cousin, on my mom's side. His name is Writes Well, and he's kind of the reason why I got so into books in the first place!" she starts, smiling. "When I was really little, he used to come over and bring me all sorts of books, history books, science books, fiction books, just about anything you could imagine! "Whenever I started to get bored of reading, what he would do is, he'd pick out a book from the shelf, or one that I would ask for, and he'd just tear into it! Every few lines, he'd start giving the most scathing criticisms you could imagine. He was all about rationality and a healthy bit of skepticism, when it came to the written word in general. "Some of the rants he would go on were incredible. I'd lose hours just listening to him dismantle a children's book and put it to the stake for grammar or pacing." She giggles slightly, before continuing. "One time, I thought I'd get one over on him. I gave him a book that he himself wrote, and asked him to review that one. "He went berserk! He spent more time lampooning the book than he did reading it! Every single line, he would stop to give some new scathing mockery and critical commentary." She sighs. "Eventually, he reached the last line of the last page, and the sun had just started coming up. I was wide awake, enthralled by his words, when he told me something." "He said: 'The two most important things that every pony should know are when you're your own worst enemy, and when you need to be'." Cool Spot listens in fascination as Eclipse shares her personal story, tasting the metallic taste of love, and of course, the bitter notes of sadness. "I hope Weiss is able to rescue him soon." Cool Spot swallows. "I hope that too, Eclipse. He sounds like a good pony." She suddenly bursts into giggles. "Oh, stars above, when he gets here, he'll tear poor Weiss to ribbons when he reads the dreck that he's been publishing!" Cool Spot chuckles a little bit too, but trails off when he spots Eclipse Flash's watery eyes. "Are you alright?" Spot asks, eyes squinting a bit as the bitter smell intensifies. Eclipse shakes her head. "No, not really. But I will be, don't worry. "I've just got to have some faith, we'll get them all out of there." Cool Spot nods firmly. "Well duh! If we never give up, then it'll happen for sure!" Eclipse gives a small smile at that. "So, what are you writing to him?" Spot asks after a few moments. Eclipse hums. "Well, I'm mostly just telling him that I'm okay, healthy, reading and learning a ton. I'm even telling him about some of the friends I've been making. He'll be happy to hear about that the most, I think," she states, nodding to herself. Despite today being Blast Day, I'm not in the Shadow Realm giving a speech. This year's Blast Day has purpose, and a hell of a lot of it. Infuriation, distraction, and of course... Inspiration. I watch as the signal is given. A gigantic red heart, carved into the perpetual cloud cover of the Crystal Empire with one of our immense laser weapons. I watch the partying going on, steeling myself. I'll be giving them something to celebrate. But first, I pull out a long, thin dagger, and stab myself in the chest with it. My training pays off as my body discorporates, but I power through the pain and take control of the smoke that my Shadow Clone erupts into, compressing and shrinking it down into a different form. Finally, I'm able to see again, and checking myself over, I note the black fuzz and tiny paws. Mouse Weiss is a go. I root around in my discarded satchel, coating myself in dark-blue dye to break up my silhouette in the darkness, before scurrying through the snow and into the Crystal Empire's borders. Already, ponies are beginning to poke their heads out of their houses, trying to see what's going on as the sky lights up with all sorts of positive symbols and pretty lights from the weapons being fired overhead. I shake my head, trying to ignore the teary-eyed ponies watching the light show, and make my way to the Crystal Palace. By now, the drones should already be hand-delivering letters to various ponies that they've been programmed to hunt down. Hopefully, the little slips of paper will rejuvenate some of the hope remaining in the Crystal Empire. I halt in front of the decaying palace, finding a small crack that I can jam myself into and dig out using graphene-hardened claws. After a few moments of clawing and orienting myself, I manage to burrow into a small hallway, one of the side-halls that are mostly used by the palace servants. Now, if I were in Sombra's shoes, where would I keep sensitive documents? Well, I'd keep them in my brain, obviously, and only write them down if I knew nobody could even comprehend them. But if I were in Sombra's shoes, and also an insane sociopath... Throne room, right. I scurry down the halls, pausing for a moment when an idea strikes me. "Squeak squeak." I state, activating my Doppelganger Vance, which creates several fuzzy clones of me using levitation magic and cloned Crystal Pony fur. The blue mice scamper off in all four directions, giving my disguise legitimacy. My plan executed, I continue, slipping into the throne room and looking around to make sure it's empty. When I've done that, I make my way to the throne itself, rubbing my hands together as I look over the throne for how it might be activated. Wait, no, I'm stupid. I remember now. I put a hand to my ear. "Squeak," I state firmly, my command being translated so that the artillery ponies will fire on the Crystal Palace. Looking up at the crystal on top of the throne, I casually blast it with a beam of Sombra's Corrupt Crystal Growth, filling the gem with dark energy, and making it emit a blast of light which reveals a spiral stairway leading down. At the exact same time, a spot of the palace is scanned for lifeforms, and when none are found, a beam of black magic from the Shadow Realm rips through it, reducing it to nothing and flooding the air with a miasma of dark emotions that disguises my lockpicking of Sombra's little seal. I may not have time to pick apart Sombra's defenses and snatch the Crystal Heart, but his files and documents? Don't mind if I do. I scurry down until I spot what must be his office, complete with scrolls and books written by none other than the dark king. With a smirk, I crack my mousey knuckles and blast the entire desk with a bolt of Dragon Lightning, the supercharged magic pulling the desk away to the Shadow Realm, smashing through Sombra's malformed anti-dragon defenses. Oh sure, a spell to stop Dragonfire from stealing your shit works perfectly fine, nine times out of ten. But this isn't Dragonfire, and I'm not a goddamn dragon. Of course, there's almost zero chance he didn't notice that. I scramble up the stairs, out the opened throne room doors, and down the hall until suddenly, I freeze, making eye contact with Sombra himself. A small bolt of panic runs through me as we stare at one another, before he simply grumbles, mistaking me for the mouse I appear to be. "The maids will be punished for this failure, once I cleanse my realm of that sage's filth." Oh, he's going to cleanse the Crystal Empire of my filth, eh? Well now I'm curious. Sticking to a safe distance, I follow Sombra back into the throne room, watching with some amusement as he howls with anger, realizing that he's been had. He climbs the stairs several minutes later, looking relieved that I hadn't somehow stolen the Crystal Heart in the minute or so I had been down there. Looking out the window to see my golems still flying around the city, looking to deliver letters, he explodes into smoke, and fills the throne itself with his smokey form. That's new... This time, the throne emits a different shade of dark light, revealing a different hidden chamber beneath the floor. My jaw drops in horror when I see what the second chamber holds. Countless ponies, levitating in cages, all of them wide-eyed with blind terror, thrashing as though their life depended on it. Arrays etched into the floor beneath them slowly drain the fear from their bodies, feeding it into a crystal which renders it an invisible source of power for Sombra himself. Is this his secret? His edge? Sombra emerges from the throne and reforms, humming a jaunty tune over the loud screams of fear-infused ponies, levitating a pillar of crystal from the wall. "Let's see if my practice paid off," he says, carving away at the crystal until a statue of himself is left behind, one with segmented joints that look awfully familiar. I realize his intent with no small amount of dread, when I recognize his intent to cast a golem creation spell on it. 'I've seen everything I need to,' I think to myself, scrambling over and leaping onto his back. Sombra turns to look at me curiously. "Don't interrupt me, vermin," he says, face twisting with anger. "Look over here," I squeak grimly, as my body ignites like a black hole, a massive explosion blasting apart Sombra's body, and the empty golem he had intended on using. My Shadow Clone destroyed handily, I awaken in my room, moving to check the reports. All letters delivered to ponies that could be found, and the last firework is about to be fired. I relax, slightly, as I create a new Shadow Clone, and Fast Travel to the surface to watch the show. Iron Diamond is watching the Crystal Empire with Binoculars, so I approach him and poke him in the side. "I've completed my mission. The intel should be waiting for you in quarantine," I respond as he lowers his binoculars, facing me with a faint smile. The smile immediately drops from his face when he notices my own expression. "What happened?" "We'll be sending the attack tomorrow. The conditions he's got some of the ponies under," I start, before shaking my head, wanting dearly to punch something until my limbs need to be replaced. "I've found a reason to hate Sombra sufficiently," I finish, staring at the final cannon, this one with a very special purpose in mind indeed. This last firework will give the Crystal Empire hope, if nothing else. By now, most everyone that can look outside is. Countless ponies, leaning out windows, holding up children, staring up at the odd, but comforting displays of light, flying in from the distance. Some of them, only returning to the light show after having a good long cry after reading a letter from a loved one. This makes them the perfect captive audience for the Shadow Realm's final trick of the night, when a gigantic swirling meteor crashes into the clouds, hanging there and emitting bright sparks and loud humming. The sparks begin to fill the air, attaching to the clouds themselves, like seeds in soil, flashing all different colors. This sight alone would be enough to dazzle and entertain, but the low murmur of the Crystal Empire comes to an end when the sparks all light up in sequence, and a voice begins floating down from the clouds. "Is this thing on? Recording footage for a damn firework can-" A strange white pony with metal pads attached to his body adjusts whatever it is recording him, before looking satisfied at the result, nodding affirmatively. "-Here we go. My name is Weiss Noir, and with me here are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of Equestria." He gestures to the Solar and Lunar diarchs, who nod, remaining silent throughout. "This message goes out to all who remain in the Crystal Empire. Help is coming. There is a storm on the horizon, a grand and terrible storm, unlike any the world has seen before or will ever see after. One whose core is the hearts and minds of my realm. The Shadow Realm. Those of us who have escaped the Crystal Empire, we have forged a new country, a new home." A faint image of a country of ashes and fire is displayed in a corner of the screen, covering up Celestia's face for a moment, before it dissipates, allowing Weiss to continue. "But don't mistake my words. We have not forgotten you. We will never forget you all, and we will be coming. Weapons are being built, strategies are being made. Keep hope, because the ones you love have hope as well. The hope that one day, this nightmare will come to an end. The hope that one day, everypony who can be reunited is reunited." They pause for a moment, fiddling uncomfortably as they roll their shoulders. Clearing their throat slightly, they continue. "The home we'll be taking you to is a strange one, I'll admit. We've got fires everywhere, and the ponies look a bit different than you might remember them. But that core? That burning core of family and trust, that's still there. The most important part of the Crystal Empire has endured these long years, and we've tenderly stoked it here. "I'm sure some of you have gotten letters that might confuse you. Trees made of obsidian, flowers made of embers, and rivers of molten metal. It's quite odd, and more than a bit dangerous sounding, but for us, it's become home. We hope it can be your home too, until Sombra is vanquished once and for all. "We've grown food, and we've kept water. We've carved homes and filled them with what comforts we can afford. The children even now are playing games, and learning what will afford them profit in life. "Keep hope, Crystal Ponies. We'll come for you soon. Goodbye, and goodnight." The image of the two Princesses flanking the dark sage dissipates, turning into almost a slideshow of the various sights of the Shadow Realm. Endless expanses of cherry-red petals, glowing rivers filled with Longma, tunnels mined out by burly looking individuals, the sights of a bustling community. The dark miasma of the Crystal Empire lightens, a low hum sounding out through it. Iron Diamond shifts in his seat. "It's as you feared, Lord Weiss. Twelve-hundred ponies, kept in Sombra's fear-empowering array. According to the research we've obtained, the ritual uses a pony in a state of abject terror as a living battery, absorbing the fear and transforming it into magical power for a single subject. "He's turned nearly a tenth of the population into a power supply," Iron Diamond finishes, sliding the dossier over to Weiss, who halts it with a single hand. Their expression is an odd blend of apocalyptic anger and sadness. "Then our only recourse is clear. Sombra has gotten into the golem game, which means he's building up a power base. The answer is simple. We attack tomorrow, hard. Use one of the Reset Bombs to disable the array, and use portals to drag every living pony other than himself into Frozen Time Chambers, where we can scan them for suicide pills of any kind." Weiss clenches and clenches his fists habitually, muttering to himself as he considers every angle. "Sombra can't be given even a week to do as he's planning. At his level of power, the amount of golems he could output is staggering, and the weapons he would be willing to use are terrifying. Every second counts, and our secondary goal will be to destroy as much as possible in the Crystal Palace itself. Give him no recourse for tapping any other relics he might have hidden away." Weiss turns to face Iron Diamond, his mane flickering uncertainly. "What do you think, Iron? Is the plan suitable?" Iron hums, thinking about it. "If we do so, then the battle would need to exclusively use golems of our own. This isn't a quick operation you're suggesting. We'll be there until the job is done, even if Sombra himself is on our tail the entire time. That means we can't afford to send in actual ponies." "Can pokemon be controlled remotely? If so, we should get some of them rigged up for use in the operation. Some of the pokemon you've built are extremely potent." Weiss considers Iron's words. "I think I can adjust them to make it possible." Iron nods. "Then do so. It needs to be done by tomorrow, after all." Weiss chuckles. It's going to be a long night.