To all Rulers of Equestria and its city states,
Alpha Shiva of the Crystal Empire, has gone missing. We believe that King Sombra is responsible, as we found out a fragment of his consciousness and magic has been taking refuge in her son, Beta Kodo.
We will be doing everything we can to track him down, but we need your help. If you find any clues that could lead us to Shiva’s whereabouts, please let us know.
Thank you in advance,
Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, and Ruler of Ponyville.
#
Celestia’s magic trembled as she held Twilight’s letter. With a flash of her magic, she teleported to Luna’s room. The Princess of the Night was asleep, but Celestia shook her away.
“Luna!” she hissed. “LUNA!”
Luna blinked away, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “Sister?” she mumbled. “I was…” But her sentence petered out when Celestia held out the letter to her. She seized the letter, the sleep rapidly fading from her eyes as she read.
“I-Is this true?” she demanded.
“Twilight’s sense of humor doesn’t include jokes like this, Luna,” Celestia insisted, her voice grave.
Luna glanced down at the letter again before tossing it aside and rising. “I’ll inform the Lunar Guard,” she said.
“And I’ll inform the Solar Guard,” Celestia replied. “We need to get to Ponyville before Shiva’s Iron Paws do.”
Luna shuddered. “Alpha Luke was a terror when he thought we had murdered his beloved. Who knows how he’ll react when he discovers this?”
Celestia sighed. “Be honest with yourself, sister,” she said before teleporting away. “We both know how he’ll react.”
#
Luke yanked open the door to an armory, yanking out an axe. “SHIVA KIDNAPPED?!” he bellowed. “WHOEVER’S RESPONSIBLE; I’LL SEE THEM TORN TO SHREDS!”
“Luke, I understand your pain,” Cadence insisted, following after him while Shining Armor similarly loaded up on weapons. “But you need to remain calm.”
“Indeed,” Scorpia agreed. “You’re scaring your daughter.”
Luke’s ears flattened, glancing back as the young beta hid from him. His face softening, he returned to Celine’s side.
“I’m sorry, Celine,” he whispered. “Are you okay?”
She swallowed. “Well, my mother’s missing and my brother has a villain in his head,” she admitted. “But other than that, I think I’m doing okay.”
Luke chuckled softly. “Well, she’s not going to be missing for long,” he promised her. “We’re going to find her, and get Sombra out of your brother, okay? And everything’s going to be just fine.”
Celine nodded, resting her head against his head. “I believe you.” She withdrew. “As long as you remember to work with our allies.”
Luke grimaced, glancing over at Shining. But the Captain and Prince of the Crystal Empire gave the Alpha Male a reassuring nod.
“Cadence was taken from me by Chrysalis,” Shining reminded Luke. “I’ll be consigned to Tartarus before I let someone else go through the pain of losing their loved one like that.”
Luke’s ears perked, and he turned to Shining. “Thank you,” he said.
Skippy walked up to the two. “C’mon,” he said. “Let’s go get her back.”
Shining grinned. “Don’t count out Twilight just yet,” Shining said. “You guys helped her with Sombra, Tirek and Chrysalis, but she had to take on Discord and Nightmare Moon on her own. And if there’s one thing I love about my sister, it’s that she never gives up.”
#
Kodo’s mind was dark. Covered in shadows. As Twilight forced her way inside, she tried to light the shadows with her horn. All she managed to produce was a small circle of purple light.
“Kodo!” She called. “Kodo! Come on, Kodo, I know you’re in here!”
“Twilight…” Kodo mumbled.
“Kodo!” she called, racing towards his voice. “Hang on. Just let me…”
But right as he came into view, Twilight skidded to a stop. Something was wrapped around the poor wolf like oil. Gleaming eyes glittered from the oil, as Kodo struggled to stay on his paws.
“Well,” the oil spoke, withdrawing from around Kodo. “At last, we meet face to face… Twilight Sparkle…”
Twilight glowered as Sombra formed his own body, standing next to Kodo as the three of them stood, linked by glowing chains. Yet, the ones coming from Sombra were a sickly black, and stayed almost painted to Kodo. The same slimy darkness tried to make its way to Twilight, only to be repelled by her magic.
“That’s ‘Princess’ Twilight Sparkle to you,” Twilight growled.
“Ah yes,” Sombra mused. “My apologies. I wasn’t invited to your… coronation.”He grinned at Kodo, who was glowering at them both in suspicion. “And my dear new friend wasn’t either.” He grinned at his host. “She wears her new wings well, don’t you agree, Kodo?”
Kodo turned to him. “Cut the clods, Sombra,” he growled. “What did you do to my mother?”
Sombra gasped, clutching his chest. “I’m hurt, Kodo. After all we’ve been through together, you’d assume I would do something horrible to your devoted and precious mother?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Twilight demanded. “You stopped us from purifying his body.”
“And you stopped Nightmare Moon from plunging the land into Eternal Night,” Sombra pointed out. “What’s your point?”
“Shiva didn’t do anything to you,” Kodo insisted. “Not like them!”
Sombra tsked. “Oh, but she did, Kodo. She made the same mistake you and this alicorn have made.”
Kodo and Twilight peered at each other. “What are you talking about?”
Sombra smirked. “Why be a mere princess,” he asked Twilight. “When you can be a queen?” He turned to Kodo. “Why should your mother be a lowly Alpha, when she could be a Goddess?”
Kodo blinked. “W-What?” he asked.
Sombra produced a black image. Shiva sitting on the Canterlot Throne. All the creatures of the world bowing to her. Twilight shivered, clutching at her chest.
“The alicorns limit themselves,” Sombra explained. “And they imposed this limitation on your mother. They make it seem like Princesses are the highest levels of authority… when Kings and Queens stand above them.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes, while Kodo stared, transfixed at the image of his mother.
“Your mother could have had the world, Kodo,” Sombra mused. “She did once, thanks to that unicorn Starlight Glimmer.” He peered at Twilight. “A unicorn this princess intends to subjugate just as Celestia did to her.”
Twilight and Kodo stared at each other, Kodo with flattened ears, while Twilight raised a hind leg.
“I’m truly sorry you have to learn this way,” Sombra insisted. “But there is so much you both need to learn.” He inched forward. “I could elevate you both to where Celestia never dared go. Teach you magic Celestia is too afraid to even touch.”He furrowed his brow in pity at Kodo. “Are we really so different, young wolf? We both…”
“Stop!”
Sombra paused. Both he and Kodo turned to Twilight.
“I’ve heard this a hundred times in a hundred stories,” Twilight growled. “You’re gonna say that he’s ‘not so different’ from you, rattle off a bunch of traits you think you share, and then convince him to stay on your side.”
“What?” Sombra demanded, but she had gained Kodo’s attention.
“But let me tell you something, Sombra,” Twilight growled passionately. “If Kodo is anything like his mother, then he and you are NOTHING alike. Shiva earned her friends. She earned her place in the Crystal Empire. Everything she got, she earned. And she taught Kodo to do the same.”
She formed an image of her own with her magic: Shiva, Kodo and Celine, standing on the balcony.
“Before either of you have the chance to hold the title of Alpha, I will see to it that you understand… You may lead the pack, but that does not make you their master!”
“What does that compare to?” Twilight growled at Sombra. “You TOOK your throne by force. You made yourself the master of a pack you STOLE!”
She strode forward as Sombra glowered at her.
“Shiva powered through hate and violence, and got to where she was through maturity, kindness and generosity. You answered kindness with violence, and she rightly beat you.”
She stood tall between Kodo and Sombra.
“If Kodo wants to make his mother proud,” Twilight said. “He will NEVER be ANYTHING like you. Now tell us.” Her wings flared. “Where did you hide her? Bring forth her memories so we can save her.”
For a moment, Sombra glared at her. Before he smirked.
“And why should I do that?” he replied. “The minute you find out where Shiva is, you’ll answer my generosity with death.”He glanced over at Kodo. “Your mother certainly sounds like an angel, Kodo. Would she really be comfortable with that kind of exchange?”
“Stop bringing her into it!” Kodo snapped, even as doubt creased his face.
“Face it,” Sombra replied. “If you really want your dear mother back, you’ll have to do what I say.”
“Really?” Kodo snapped. “This is my head. MY MEMORIES!”
“But, you were unconscious when your mother was lost,” Sombra pointed out. He produced a memory that briefly showed an unconscious Shiva, only for the image to be blocked by a lock. “I could tell you where she is.” He glared at Twilight. “But the alicorn will have to go. Considering you can’t even speak for yourself when she’s around.”
Kodo snarled, but his tail remained tucked. Twilight stood firmly by his side.
“I’m not leaving without that memory,” she insisted.
Sombra sat back on a throne of shadows with a smirk. “Then I’m afraid we are at an impasse,” he replied. “Kodo, be a good friend, and show the alicorn the door. I’d consider telling you. But not her.”
Kodo moved forward, a desperate light in his eyes. However, Twilight tried to grab him.
“Kodo, no,” she insisted. “He’s trying to manipulate you.”
Kodo looked at her with broken green eyes. “It’s working,” he said sadly.
“Kodo?” Twilight asked, before she felt her link to him fading. “Kodo, no!”
“Try to find her,” he whispered. “I’ll work on him from the inside. See if we can’t get anywhere.”
“KODO!” Twilight protested.
But he and Sombra vanished into shadows. And Twilight snapped awake, finding herself back in the Castle of Friendship. Kodo stood before her, his head lowered and his eyes closed. His fur glowed softly, but otherwise, he showed no signs of life.
Twilight stared at his form sadly, before the other mares converged around her.
“Well?” Applejack asked. “Did ya find out where he put Shiva?”
“It’s in the mirror, isn’t it?” Spike noted. “It’s gotta be.”
“Or maybe somewhere underground,” Rainbow Dash offered. “He’s using a diamond dog for a vessel.”
Twilight shook her head, cutting them all off. “He’s keeping tight-lipped about it,” she admitted. “He’s got Kodo wrapped around his hoof, knows exactly what to say to make him squirm. Kodo said he’d try to find the memory, but…” She turned to her friends. “Unless we can find another way to get past his control and retrieve the memory ourselves, I’m afraid we have to leave Kodo with him.”
“Leave Kodo with King Sombra?” Rarity demanded. She turned to the young wolf. “But look at the poor thing.”
He twitched, his eyes still shut and a soft mumble escaping his lips.
“I know,” Twilight said sadly. “But Sombra’s got too much control over him. He’s been with him since he was a baby. He’ll need serious help to even get close to overcoming him.”
“PRINCESS TWILIGHT!” a voice screamed.
Twilight groaned. “Oh, what now?” she asked, bustling outside to find Mayor Mare racing up to them.
“Oh, Princess…” the mayor gasped, panting as she nearly collapsed before her.
“What happened, Mayor Mare?” Twilight asked. “We’re already kind of busy…”
But her voice petered out as the still-out-of-breath Mayor pointed. Twilight followed the direction of her hoof… and her heart jumped as what looked like five separate armies converged on her.
From Canterlot, Celestia led a group of golden armored guards. Luna marched alongside her, sister, followed by the purple armored soldiers of the night known as the Lunar Guard.
Meanwhile, off in the distance, Twilight could see a group of crystal armored ponies, walking side by side with diamond dogs and changelings. Though they were still several miles away, Twilight recognized the purple armor of her brother, along with the darker armor of Shiva's mate.
“Looks like we got reinforcements.”
Thought Twilight shivered at the burning fire in Luke’s eyes, she forced herself to focus on the gentler looks of her brother and mentor.
“Yes,” she said. “We’ve got support.”
“Yes, we do,” a voice commented. The mares spun as Kodo joined them, his eyes a different shade of green. Outlined with purple magic.