//------------------------------// // Two Steps Ahead // Story: The Reason to Smile // by Onomonopia //------------------------------// The party came to a stop at the end of a long hallway. All Might glanced around to make sure there were no traps waiting for the group before he motioned for the others to come forward. The ponies landed beside him, quickly shedding their coats as they did so. They were in a large, circular room, with black metal making up the walls. The first thing the group noticed was the heat. Next was the hallway leading away from them. "Whew, it is boiling in here," Rarity muttered. "This humidity will do nothing for my mane." "I guess they've got to keep it hot since it's so cold outside," Fluttershy muttered. "Be careful everypony," Twilight warned her friends. "The walls of this place is made of a type of metal that weakens magic. I will barely be able to manage a shield spell in here, let alone bust out any of my stronger spells." "It is as she said. Our magic is weakened in here," Celestia agreed. "All Might, would you mind going first? It seems that we will be relying on your strength in here." "Of course I'd be happy to go ahead, princess," All Might smiled. He then turned his gaze from the room down the hallway, noticing the torches that burned silently on the wall. He advanced by himself first, keeping his eyes on the lookout for anything that looked like a trap. He was definitely in a villains lair. He had busted up enough of them to know what they were like by sight now and this had all of the makings of one. But what concerned him as he led the ponies down the hallway was how quiet it was. No henchmen being thrown at him. No bombs or gunshots going off. Not even the tauntings of a lunatic who believed that he would be walking away victorious. "See anything?" Twilight asked. "No. And that is what bothers me," All Might replied. "There should be...something. Attackers, traps, anything. But all there is...is quiet. I don't like it." "Maybe they knew we were coming?" Applejack suggested. "Doubtful. Unless I choose to reveal myself, I am completely invisible in another beings dreams," Luna explained. "Not to mention, these humans do not have the capability of sensing my magic, based on what All Might told me. Even if White Noise sensed my magic, she would have no way to know what it meant. They should have no idea that we are on our way at all." "And yet the place is quiet," Celestia pointed out. "I am with All Might. Where is the death traps? The henchmen? The...evil..." The group entered a massive chamber in the center of the base, a large, circular room that had three levels, circular cushions in the middle and a large, black crystal floating ominously in the center. All Might made sure to check the room thoroughly first before he began to walk towards the crystal. "Careful, All Might, we have no idea what that crystal can do," Twilight warned. "Do not worry, Twilight. I am ready," All Might smiled. He walked towards the crystal, his body ready for it to try anything. Yet it floated harmlessly as he approached, allowing him to walk right up to it before a beam of light shot out of the top. Twilight blinked and found All Might standing next to her, amazed that she hadn't even registered him moving. But none of the other ponies noticed the burst of speed. For they were all looking at the beam of light that was radiating from the crystal. Forming the image of one King Sombra. "Hello, Elements," the giant Sombra said with a smile. "Sombra? You again?" Rainbow groaned. "How many times do we have to beat you? We blew you up, essentially melted you and yet here you are, back again. Don't you ever take a hint?" "I don't take hints, Dashie. Just kingdom's, lives and whatever else I feel like taking," Sombra cackled. Twilight caught All Might looking at her and she cleared her throat. "King Sombra is a dark unicorn who used his evil power to take over my sister in laws kingdom a while ago. We thought that we had dealt with him once and for all, but clearly we'd have an easier time trying to squash cockroaches than him." "Princess Twilight. Still have all the eloquence of a barbarian, I see," Sombra smirked at the princess. Then Sombra noticed the Symbol of Peace standing next to Twilight. "Well well, if it isn't All Might. That's quite the ugly costume you have there. Haven't you ever heard three is the magical number when it comes to colors for a costume. But I will admit. The muscles are nice." "I'm glad you think so. How would you like to see them up close?" All Might asked. "Hmm, a tempting offer. But considering you're as large as a golem and probably hit like one, I think I would prefer to be out of your reach for now," Sombra smirked. "Also, you should stop sleeping on your face. You've got some wicked bed mane there." "Enough of your chaff, Sombra. Where are the human villains?" Luna barked up at Sombra. "You mean my new best friends? We were having such a wonderful sleepover, only to be alerted that some party crashers were showing up to ruin the fun," Sombra replied. "Oh don't look like that, Luna. Of course I sensed your dream magic and made sure to evacuate my friends in the nick of time to another hidden facility of mine. Nick of time. There's a hero name. Or would it be better for a villain?" "So you are the one who helped the villains to escape me in Canterlot," All Might pieced together. "I thought they managed to slip through my grasp too quickly. Your magic is what them allowed them to escape." "Well, look at that. Brains as well as brawn. I can see why the Legion feared you," Sombra nodded. "Yes, I helped them to escape. I saw something going down and decided that I wanted in on it. And I'm glad I did. Their powers are fascinating, but their potential even more so. I am looking forward to seeing all the evil we can do together." "Then you are dreaming Sombra, because both you and the Legion falls today," All Might promised. "Because I am here!" "So you are. Well I...am not," Sombra cackled. "I'm off on important business right now, so I'm not actually in. But don't worry, I'm still a gracious host. So I left you a few...friends, to keep you busy." Four doors exploded around the ponies and from behind them emerged four, giant, crystal beings that were vaguely humanoid. The crystal was black and just by being near it the ponies could feel their magic start to weaken. All Might would be the perfect solution to this problem, except that all of the golems were twice his size and built like five of him. "Oh, the reason I compared you to a golem earlier is because you kinda look like them. Now the question is an you hit like them? Because trust me, these bad boys can hit!" Sombra laughed. The golem's charged the ponies, shaking the whole room as the four charged in. The alicorns took to the sky and began unloading their magic into the monsters, who were barely staggered by the magical might. "How can this be? Our magic is having no effect!" Celestia snarled. "Oh, did I forget to mention that I built everything in here, including those golems, out of Negastone? Yeah, I know they're crystals, but the material is called Negastone. Faust knows why. Point it, it will slowly sap your magic the longer you are exposed to it. Oh, and shooting them with magic don't work either. So one again Celestia and Luna find themselves being useless, but this time Twilight get's to really experience what it's like being a princess. Have fun!" "Back up princesses, let me handle this!" Dash roared. She rocketed past the princesses and caught one of the golems right in the center of it's head, staggering the monster and causing it to fall back. "Applejack, looks like you and I are going to be doing most of the heavy lifting! I'll keep these guys off their toes, but you gotta bring them-" "West Virginia...SMASH!" All Might lunged into the nearest golem and slammed his fist into the center of the monsters chest, before twisting his body around until he looked like a drill to the ponies. He drilled clean through the golem and burst through it on the other side. The golem had just enough time to look down at it's new hole before it crumbled into crystal, while All Might turned to look at the other three golems. "I am not impressed, Sombra. I've had rock candy harder than these guys. And the dentist I had to visit afterwards far more terrifying than these will ever be," All Might smirked. All Might then hurled himself into the nearest golem, slamming a fist into it with enough force to turn the crystal being into powder. He then whipped around and fired off a punch, creating a blast of wind that took the other two completely off their feet. All Might was on the both of them in a moment, picking up one over his head and taking aim at the other. "Here's a trust exercise for you! I'm going to throw your friend at you and you're going to catch him!" All Might made good on his promise and hurled the golem he was holding right into the chest of the other one. Being the true friend that it was, the golem caught it's brother and the two both shattered instantly. All Might watched the crystal raining down for a moment before he turned and smiled up at Sombra. "Any other creatures you want to throw at me? Or are you going to get smart and surrender?" "To be fair to me, I made those to combat the Elements of Harmony and their magical powers. Not a freak in spandex. Had I expected you, I would have whipped up something for you as well," Sombra smiled. "Not that it matters. So you smashed my butlers. I can build more. Besides, what you did to them is nothing compared to what I'm about to do to you." "Do to us? You're henchmen just got smashed and you're not even here. How can you possibly..." Twilight began, but then she stopped and listened. Because she had just heard something in the background of Sombra's transmission. Something that everypony in the group was beginning to pick up on. The sound of screaming. "Sombra. Where are you?" "Me? Oh, I took a little trip to a place called Ponyville," Sombra smiled. He then flipped his image around and showed the ponies what was going on below him. It was a nightmare. Ponyville was on fire, with ponies running through the streets while screaming. Monstro had somehow become even larger, now towering over the buildings and trees, and was smashing everything in his path, be it building, trees...or pony. And finally, every once in a while, Sombra would fire a blast of dark magic into a part of the town, causing the ponies there to get stuck together and unable to escape. "It's an out of the way place in the middle of nowhere. I'm sure you've never heard of it." "Sombra, you monster!" Celestia roared. "Celestia, please. Don't call me a monster until you've seen this," Sombra laughed. Then he changed the image to something that made Twilight's heart sink to depths she didn't know it was capable of. The transmission showed Spike and Gabby, the two of them desperately trying to get the ponies out of town. "And who would I run into out here the middle of nowhere then the very same dragon who helped be my downfall all those years ago. And what's this? Somepony he clearly cares about? Two for one!" "Sombra, listen to me clearly," Twilight whispered. "If you do anything to hurt them, I swear to whatever beings there are up there, that I will stop at nothing until you beg me for imprisonment." "Ooh, listen to that. We have the makings of a villain over here," Sombra cackled. "Don't worry, Twilight. Only a psychopath who couldn't let go of a grudge would torture and kill the both of them. Good thing I fit the bill perfectly!" "We need to go!" All Might roared. He turned to head for the exit, but before he could take a step numerous layers of crystal encased the walls around them. The moment they were incased, black tendrils shot out of the walls and wrapped themselves around the ponies, who cried out as their magic was drained from their bodies. The only one the tendrils didn't go after was All Might, who was about as magical as a drunk mall Santa. All Might shot towards the nearest tendril and chopped at it, but his hand went clean through the magic without having an effect. Not that it matter, because a moment later Twilight let out a yell as she erupted in a violet light. Her magic blasted away the tendrils, but as she and the others collapsed to the ground All Might could tell she was spent. "Pretty neat, huh? Now I've drained pretty much all of your magic. Good luck teleporting back home," Sombra said. "So go ahead, try to get out. Because even if you do, you've got no chance to stop me." "I don't need to teleport. I can get back there fast enough," Dash snarled. "Perhaps. But you are in the middle of the frozen north and quite a long way away from Ponyville. Can you make it here fast? Of course. But can you make it here in time? I doubt that very much," Sombra smiled, before turning his gaze back to Twilight. "So Twilight, is there anything you'd like me to tell that dragon for you before I kill him? Because if you get on your knees and beg, I might just say it to him." "Sombra! I will END YOU!" Twilight roared. "Huh. Weird last words to say to Spike. But if that's what you want," Sombra smiled. Then the crystal's image cut out. Twilight was about to roar at her friends that they needed to get out...only for the whole facility to start to collapse on top of them.