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// Chapter 19. This is mother’s work. 
// Story: Rage of a Queen, wrath of a Mother 
// by Askre 
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Chapter 19

Twilight Sparkle and her friends rushed through Canterlot Castle towards the throne room. They had received an urgent summons from Princess Celestia to come at once. The strangest part about the summons was that they were to bring the Elements of Harmony with them.

Each pony carried their respective necklace around their neck, and on Twilight’s head was the crown of the Element of Magic. Celestia had made no explanation as to her request, but that in itself was not unusual.

All six ponies burst into the throne room; half worried that something serious had happened. They all screeched to a halt when inside, so abruptly that Pinkie Pie actually fell over herself and ended up on her back. The reason for their abrupt stop was seeing King Sombra standing there with no manacle on his horn.

“Princess Celestia…” Twilight started looking towards the Sun Princess, but she was interrupted by Rainbow Dash.

“What is he doing here, and why isn’t he having his powers blocked?!” she snapped, where she hovered in the air, pointing a hoof at the king.

“Please calm down, Rainbow Dash,” Princess Celestia addressed the rainbow pegasus gently yet sharply. “All will be explained.”

“Yes, why did you want us to bring the elements?” Twilight asked, shaking off her shock that Sombra was standing in the throne room, clearly with full use of his own powers. Then she noticed that Princess Luna was also attending, as was Princess Cadance.

“It is time we head after Queen Rabia. We have a plan, but Luna and I will be needed in Saddle Arabia for one part of the plan. We need you six and King Sombra to ferret her out from her hiding place and, if needed, engage her. The elements will give you extra firepower if necessary,” Celestia began to explain.

“I think we should use them on him,” Rainbow snorted and folded her legs, glaring at Sombra, who just smirked at the pegasus.

“Be quiet. Let the princess talk,” Applejack whispered sharply towards her friend.

“The elements should only be used as a last resort,” an old voice addressed them. There was a clink of bells, and an old, bearded unicorn stallion walked forward; he had been partly obscured from view by King Sombra. The stallion wore a blue wizard’s hat and a cape adorned with bells.

“Starswirl?” Twilight blinked when seeing the old wizard. Then she recalled that Princess Celestia had mentioned having contacted him in the hopes he knew anything about Rabia.

“Lest we forget, the elements could only banish King Sombra. Dark Ponies are a unique breed; their strength is their natural affinity to dark magic, very emotional magic. It’s also their weakness, for they are heavily affected by whatever emotional magic is the opposite of the one they are in tune with. King Sombra, for example,” Starswirl glanced at Sombra, who just arched his brow. “He is highly attuned to fear and hate; thus, a magic fueled by love or courage can far more effectively work against him than more harmonious magic, like the elements.”

“Which is why the crystal heart killed him and why my magic is so effective against him,” Cadance broke in. She ignored the glare the king gave her.

“Indeed.” Starswirl nodded in agreement. “Queen Rabia has mastered rage and wrath. Anger fuels her. That is difficult magic to master and a perilous one. Not as easy to counter, it is possible the elements of harmony could temporarily disable her, or they might not work at all. You need a clear and calm head when engaging her.”

“Um… I suppose I know a few calming spells, but not exactly something useful for combat,” Twilight cringed. It was one thing to fuel magic with love, but she didn’t see how she could do that in this case.

“Which is why Rabia was always a difficult opponent for the Saddle Arabians. They knew how to counter the dark ponies and their emotion-driven dark magic. Rabia truly stumped them because countering Rabia also requires compassion and mercy, something they were never going to extend to their enemies,” the old wizard continued.

“I do not like where this is going,” Sombra muttered to himself. No one heard him as the others were focused on the old unicorn.

“Wait a minute, compassion, mercy… that sounds like kindness…” Twilight blinked, and now all eyes turned to Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus shrunk back when realizing everyone was now looking at her.

“Oh my,” she whispered and grinned nervously.

“Wait, we aren’t going to let Fluttershy fight Queen Rabia, are we?” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, looking extremely shocked.

“No, of course not,” Twilight quickly assured her friend. “We are all going to face her together.”

“However, Fluttershy’s element may be just your strongest asset as you face her,” Starswirl noted. A snort from Sombra prompted everyone to look at the dark pony.

“Weren’t we just saying the Elements may not work on my mother?” he growled.

“Yes, may or may not. Magic can be quite contradictory sometimes.” The old wizard nodded.

“Ugh, don’t get me started on that one,” King Sombra muttered with a shake of his head.

“To get back on topic, what is it we need to do?” Twilight figured it was high time they started discussing the finer details of the plan.

“This may sound counter-intuitive, but if you fail to subdue her yourself, we need you to get her to the Saddle Arabian capital,” Luna explained. Not surprisingly, all six element-bearers looked very confused at that idea.

“More specifically, to the museum. Have no fear. We are already working with the Emir to evacuate the city and the surrounding area. If it works, no one will get hurt. Luna, Starswirl, and I will be waiting there to spring a trap. But for it to work, we need her in the museum,” Celestia added in.

“Pardon me for asking, but what museum and why there specifically?” Applejack spoke up.

“I think they mean the Dark Pony museum in the capital,” Twilight was the one to answer her friend, though she couldn’t answer why.

“Well, there is the off-chance that seeing such a tribute to her people might temporarily calm her down. Rabia is a proud mare and even prouder of her own race. But more specifically, there is a portrait there we are hoping might stun her long enough to trap her,” Celestia said and now looked at Cadance.

Cadance realized then it was her turn to talk. The love princess stepped forward and, for a moment, gazed over everyone.

“When Queen Rabia invaded the Crystal Empire to receive the sarcophagus of her daughter, I noticed that she stopped for a moment when seeing the lid, which was in the form of a statue of Queen Ira. She seemed to completely forget that she had just broken through our defenses and invaded the country. She acted far more like a grieving mother. Despite her actions past and present, I do believe she deeply cared for Ira,” Cadance explained, ignoring the snort of contempt coming from Sombra.

“So that portrait will remind her of her daughter?” Applejack wondered. Most of the royals and Starswirl nodded.

“We admit it is a long shot, oh hush, Sombra,” Celestia said, then glared at the king who had snorted again. “But we are prepared to take that risk.”

“Right, so engage Rabia and if we can’t stop her, try and lead her to the capital of Saddle Arabia and the museum,” Twilight nodded, figuring she got the plan. Most of her friends nodded, though Rainbow looked rather skeptical. Then it dawned on her what the princess had said earlier, confirmed when King Sombra started reluctantly to walk towards them.

“Oh right, we have to do it with him,” Rainbow grumbled, already hating this idea even more.

“Hey, I am just as thrilled to be working with the ponies who had a hoof in blowing me up,” King Sombra grunted and glared back at the celestial princesses. “But with them in Saddle Arabia, I’m the only one you have in case we need a long distant teleport.”

Then he looked at Fluttershy, who shrunk a little from his sight. “That is unless your more chaotic friend wishes to render assistance?”

“N-No, Discord has been pretty adamant he’s staying out of this one,” Fluttershy smiled nervously.

“Hey, I can teleport,” Twilight protested, meeting the unimpressed stare King Sombra gave her.

“All the way to Saddle Arabia, with six ponies in tow?” he asked. 

This deflated the friendship princess a bit. “No… come to think of it,” Twilight had to admit. Sure, she could teleport long distances on her own, but adding her friends and King Sombra might be a bit too much for her.

“Twilight, my ponies, I know it is a difficult concept right now. But we need you to work well together. King Sombra has assured me that he will cooperate and he has so far not shown me any reason not to trust him on that,” Princess Celestia addressed Twilight and her friends. They did, however, catch a faint expression on her clearly meaning that they should still be watchful.

“Rabia’s last known location was in the woods near the Mcintosh Mountains. There is a cave there where she dwells. You may also find Ambassador Horsefar there and his entourage - in what state I can’t tell you. So all of you, be careful and good luck,” she said finally and nodded to Sombra.

The six element-bearers were startled when Sombra dissolved into his shadow form, but before even one could raise a voice in protest, he had already grabbed all of them with shadowy tendrils and disappeared, taking them with him in an explosion of black smoke.

“You really trust him?” Cadance asked skeptically as she looked at Celestia.

“I trust his fear in his mother,” the Sun Princess said and turned to her niece. “I trust you will take care of things for us here in Canterlot while Luna, Starswirl, and I head to Saddle Arabia?”

“I will,” her niece assured her. The Love Princess glanced around. “Are Private, Dew, and Foxy still here?”

“Yes, they are staying in the guest quarters in the east wing until we have secured Queen Rabia,” Celestia told her.

Cadance nodded and made a note to herself to swing by there at the earliest opportunity. She watched Celestia, Luna and Starswirl gather together before all three of them teleported out of the throne room.

“Please get me a scroll and a quill,” Cadence addressed Raven, who bowed and trotted off to do just that. Better write Shiny and tell him I’m overlooking Canterlot. Again.





Six ponies, most annoyed and somewhat startled, were dropped unceremoniously to the ground as they all appeared deep in the woods by the Mcintosh Mountains. Twilight rose and started dusting off herself as she glared at King Sombra, who was assuming his pony form again.

“A little warning next time?” she grunted and made sure the crown was still on her head.

King Sombra just smirked down at her before he began looking around. The other ponies grumbled a bit while picking themselves up and then did the same as the king.

“Ick, what an unpleasant sight,” Rarity shuddered as she looked around. “What is this ghastly place?”

“This doesn’t look like the woods near Mcintosh Mountains. Braeburn has always told me they are quite pleasant looking,” Applejack frowned, knowing Appleoosa wasn’t that far from the mountain range and the woods.

The trees were starting to look twisted, and thorny vines were beginning to choke the undergrowth. The sky looked dark and gloomy, even if it was still supposed to be daytime. The air itself felt stuffy and unpleasant to breathe.

“It isn’t natural. It’s slowly being corrupted,” King Sombra remarked and started to walk.

“What do you mean, corrupted?” Rainbow Dash asked, frowning heavily as she started flying after him.

“Dark magic, if not kept in check by the dark pony using it, can start to corrupt and twist the environment. You have seen it before, in the Crystal Empire. But this time, it is not me. This is my mother’s magic,” Sombra told the pegasus without sparing her a glance. “When I teleported here, I homed in on the biggest source of dark magic. We shouldn’t be too far from the cave.”

“Maybe the elements can ease up on the corruption,” Twilight suggested in a worried tone. She did not like the sight of this. It did indeed remind her of how the Crystal Empire was being corrupted as Sombra advanced on it after Cadance’s shield fell.

“If you do, keep it aimed away from me, I do not fancy another 1,000-year exile in ice,” Sombra snorted. Rainbow Dash was about to respond to him, but Applejack yanked at her tail and shook her head firmly at her.

“Don’t let him rile you up. You know how he operates,” she whispered sharply to her rainbow friend.

“Where are the animals? I can’t even hear insects. Oh, I hope they are all right,” Fluttershy commented and looked around,  frightened. This reminded her a bit too much of the Everfree Forest, yet even in there was at least some animal life.

“Soo, are we shooting the elements at the forest?” Pinkie Pie asked, looking uncertainly around.

“No, let’s hold on to that. Starswirl did say we should only use them as a last resort,” Twilight decided. As much as she wanted to clear up this corruption, it was probably best they wait until they met Rabia.

The six ponies halted when seeing that Sombra had stopped and was looking around, scowling heavily. Twilight and her friends exchanged unsure glances before the princess approached the dark pony.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

“I am sensing dark magic everywhere, but not my mother,” the king responded. He glanced back at them, noting some of them were confused. “Dark ponies can sense each other’s presence.”

“So, does that mean she is not here?” Applejack looked at Twilight, who was still watching Sombra.

“Or she is concealing herself. She is powerful enough to do that,” Sombra added. “Which, of course, would mean she is expecting us.”

The dark pony continued walking, and the others followed. Finally, they entered a clearing and saw an old cave. It pulsated darkness from its opening. Sombra halted when seeing it, freezing for a split second but managing to shake it off as the other ponies also came into the clearing.

“Alright, let’s take care of that Rabia!” Rainbow Dash cried and would have just barreled towards the cave if a red magic aura hadn’t caught her and pulled her back.

“Sombra!” Twilight snapped at the king, who ignored her and was glaring at Rainbow Dash, who returned the look.

“Do you not see the darkness literally pouring out of that cave? This isn’t because the cave doesn’t have light. This is dark magic darkness!” Sombra growled and let the pegasus go. “This is where the corruption is coming from.”

“Oh my, he’s right,” Rarity cringed when seeing how the dark empty hole seemed to occasionally extend and then retract as if it was a breathing mouth, letting out cold winter air. It just spewed shadows instead.

“Well, we have no choice. If Rabia in there, we need to face her,” Twilight said and stepped towards the cave.

“D-do we have to?” Fluttershy whispered. She did not like the idea at all. Unfortunately, her friends missed it and were already, though slowly, approaching the cave. The pegasus sighed and started to step forward, but then she noticed that King Sombra hadn’t budged an inch.

“Um… Mr. Sombra?” she addressed the king. She raised an eyebrow. Sombra was frozen. His right eye was twitching. She looked towards her friends, who were all closing in on the cave. “Uh, girls? Girls!?”

She finally did manage to address them loud enough, prompting everyone to look back. They first looked at Fluttershy, then at what she was pointing. They were not quite sure what to make of it. Sombra was starting to breathe harder and seemed to be really struggling to hold his scowl.

“Uh, what’s his deal?” Rainbow Dash scoffed.

“Sombra?” Twilight turned around, Sombra’s mouth was moving as if he was muttering something to himself, but not even Fluttershy, who was right next to him, could make out anything.

“If Ah didn’t know better, Ah would say he was terrified,” Applejack looked at Rarity and Pinkie Pie, who both nodded in agreement.

They didn’t get much more chance to wonder about the king’s peculiar behavior. Suddenly out of the blackness of the cave, there came an unearthly scream, and something struck out of it. A creature that looked like it had once been a unicorn but was all disfigured, black pulsating veins covered its entire body, and tattered remains of clothes were on it. The eyes glowed green with purple mist pouring out of the corners.

The five ponies shrieked and just about managed to get out of the creature’s way as it swung at them with its broken horn. The hooves were cracked and looked more like sharp claws.

“What is that thing!” Rainbow Dash cried out as she turned around from her brief escape flight.

The creature reared up on its hind legs, letting out another cry as if it was simultaneously both in great pain and royally pissed off. But before any of the six mares could react, three sharp crystals burst out of the ground, skewering it, but not killing it.

Sombra was running straight at it, letting out a roar that sounded almost panicked. He smashed the crystals, causing the creature to tumble to the ground, twitching and gurgling horribly. The dark pony blasted it with his magic, then started stomping on it madly with both hooves, even after the creature had long stopped moving and the eyes had dimmed. Sombra didn’t let up. He continued to trample the corpse, breathing rapidly, snarling, and growling.

“Sombra. SOMBRA!” Twilight shouted. “I think you got it.”

The king stopped but kept looking frantically around, and then he froze again. The mares noticed he was staring towards the edge of the clearing. Glancing back, they all winced at the sight. More creatures were walking closer all around them, just as disfigured and twisted as the creature from the cave. They were too big to have been Equestrian ponies and wore tattered clothes. The mares all quickly backed away from the clearing and closer to the dark pony.

“Sombra, what are they?” Twilight whispered sharply to the king.

“Rage mutants,” Sombra’s voice was broken, panicked. “This is mother’s work. This is her doing.”

“Heaven to Betsy, he is afraid,” Applejack whispered when noting the tone of the king’s voice.

“Are… are these Saddle Arabians?” Rarity asked worriedly.

“Mother always took pleasure in twisting spies into these monstrosities,” Sombra didn’t sound like he had calmed down yet.

“What do we do?” Twilight gulped. There was so far no sign of the queen, just the rage driven creatures approaching them.

“Fight. Fight like your life depended on it, because it does,” Sombra’s voice was starting to darken.

End chapter 19