//------------------------------// // Daybreak: Night Gallery // Story: Sigil of Souls, Stream of Memories // by Piccolo Sky //------------------------------// “So you’re telling us you’re the one who created all those monsters out there, covered half of the continent in perpetual darkness, and killed Harmonium-knows how many millions of people in Greater Everfree either directly or indirectly?!” “Yes.” The total nonchalant nature of Luna’s response, even while she was still decked in her rather flamboyant armor (and having, by now, had her hands bandaged), left Shining Armor too stunned to respond. The others nearby were either also left dumbfounded, enraged, or a mixture of both. Everyone else who either hadn’t heard the big news from Luna or were too preoccupied with other matters to notice were milling about in the main hall of the large residence area. Almost everyone was awake now, including children, as they struggled to recover from the assault and prepare for more if it came. The Morning Glory had been pulled back to one of the upper terraces, from where those on the landing could hear the alarms from those left watching the walls for signs of any further attempt at entry. Everyone else had gradually fallen back into the chamber, being directed around by Starlight Glimmer, although she was keeping her ears forward toward the conversation. Twilight and Sunset were also nearby, doing their best to mitigate damage. “Look…I know this sounds bad…” She moaned at her own words. “Alright, it is bad…but she’s not…well…uh…crazy anymore and now she’s on our side.” “After everything she’s done, and everything you told us Nightmare Moon was, you don’t really expect us to trust her, do you Twily?” Shining Armor nearly outburst back. Luna crossed her arms. “I don’t recall ever asking any of you for your trust. And if you wish to depart, just say the word and I’ll banish you from Canterlot right now.” She pointed in the air. “The road to the nearest national border is that way. Simply follow it through 120 miles of former Nighttouched territory. Although, if you’re willing to be the first to scale the impassible mountain range,” She shifted her hand. “It’s only 80 miles that way, straight as the crow flies.” Several of those nearby began to grit their teeth at her. Twilight swallowed. “Um, Luna? I…don’t think that helped…” “Over here, y’all!” Hearing Applejack’s voice broke the tense moment, causing everyone to look to the front of the chamber as the huge doors were opened. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Big Macintosh, Fluttershy in her Healer role, and a few of the others were dragging individuals inside. “We got a few live ones!” Dash threw in. At once, Twilight, Sunset, and all the others turned and broke to run up to them, although Luna only followed at a slower pace. The group arrived at them first and crowded around as the incoming individuals lay their “cargo” down on the carpet of the foyer. Who lay there were five of the barbarians…the ones that had not taken fatal blows but had nevertheless not followed after the shadow when it departed. Each one looked ashy, sunken, and pale. Their eyes were practically dead orbs and gazed ahead at nothing. Their mouths hung open and, aside from very shallow breathing, they didn’t move. Fluttershy had healed both herself and the others up by now, and hunched over one of them. She held her hands out and began to chant, but in spite of the green light radiating over the person, nothing changed. She sighed as she stopped, looking at Twilight and shaking her head. Applejack crossed her arms. “Don’t know why they got left exactly, but they ain’t got eyes like the others anymore. Don’t matter much, though. They just lay there.” “And check this out,” Dash threw in as she leaned down to one. She put her fingers over her exposed hand and pinched, hard enough to pierce her nails in and draw a drop of blood. She might as well have been doing it to a corpse for the lack of reaction. Fluttershy again tried holding her hands out and readying herself for another spell. “I’m…a bit tired…but I can keep trying. It’s just, not seeming to do any good… Maybe I need to rest first-” “Don’t bother.” Everyone looked up and behind them as Luna finally walked up, but halted just behind the group. Her face was rather morose as she looked down on the figures. “It’s too late for them. You can’t help them now.” A few of those who knew who she was frowned, but Starlight looked puzzled. “Why not?” “You’ve all seen…and felt…Sombra’s power for yourselves. His eyes pierce flesh and mind. He sees the greatest darkness inside you…the thing which brings you the greatest despair. The thing which breaks you in spirit as well as body. Then he amplifies it a thousand-fold. Makes it so that it’s all you see, all you hear, and all you feel. He ‘smelts’ you with it like ore in a blast furnace, burning off everything.” Her voice lowered deeper. “Memories of joy and happiness…feelings of optimism and hope…every moment ever spent with a friend or a loved one, or laughing, or smiling, or even enjoying the warmth of a sunny day… Your life experiences…your hopes and dreams…even your own name. All that’s left is a husk that knows only misery and despair…that is only capable of knowing misery and despair. Anything else that they were is gone.” “That can’t be true,” Shining Armor retorted. “If that was the case, why didn’t I fall into it? Why were you able to bring the rest of us out of it?” Luna’s eyes narrowed. “My magical power may be gone, but my voice is still one of command. Enough to where, if I try enough, I can drive off an intangible entity. But you were fortunate, as was I. Had Sombra gone for me first, I wouldn’t have been able to help you. And had I not cried out when I did,” She sighed as she pointed at the woman lying before Fluttershy. “You would now share their fate. Sombra isn’t content with simply seizing control of people. I told you…his power burns away everything else, leaving only a puppet he can use. Everything these people once were is gone. They’re now only his dolls. They won’t even eat or drink on their own without his will now.” She bowed her head slightly. “I’m sorry, but you can’t save them.” A moment of dark silence passed over the gathering. The weight and gravity of what Luna had said settled upon them all, leaving many of them feeling horror and fear. Celaeno was the first to speak up. “Alright, I think we’ve seen enough of Equestria. We need to get the hell out of here. If that train is running, we load up and get out.” “I won’t stop you,” Luna calmly answered as she raised her head again, “but I am staying here.” The Huntsman gave her a salute. “Fine by me. Have a good life…at least until that shadow or the Nighttouched tear you to pieces.” “You misunderstand,” she continued. “You are free to go, yes, but if you leave you won’t be coming back.” Starlight raised an eyebrow at that odd threat. “And why would we want to stay here?” “Because, as of now, Sombra is the single greatest threat to this world, and this citadel is the safest place in the world from him.” Again there was silence, although everyone was focusing on Luna now. After a moment, Applejack sighed and stood before pushing her own hat up. “Alright, Luna…come clean. Why?” “This citadel represents what Sombra wants more than anything. He’ll come back to get it, and he won’t stop until he does.” Dash blinked. “Uh…and how does that make this place the safest in the world?” “Because it is the only thing in the world that holds the two things that can combat him: myself and that Morning Glory. So long as we both remain here, it is safe. And this place needs to remain safe. You should all realize after tonight that Sombra is expanding like a plague. He doesn’t want a world covered with eternal night. He wants a world of soulless dolls for him to torment and dominate for his own sadistic amusement for all eternity. And if this citadel falls and he finds what he’s looking for inside of it, he’ll get just that.” “And what is he looking for inside of here, exactly?” Starlight asked. “And how do you know who he is?” Sunset threw in, speaking up at last. “And how do you know what he wants?” Shining Armor finally finished. Luna stood there silently, looking around herself, faced with individuals and their questions. She was silent for several moments. However, she finally held her head up and looked to Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. “I will tell you and your friends. No others.” This caused no small unrest among the others. Many of them looked angry and some began to shout. “They can feel free to share what I tell them with the rest of you, if they so desire, and if they feel it necessary,” Luna added. “We’re stuck here with that cloud, tryin’ to defend this place on your word that it’ll mean the end of the world if we don’t,” Apple Brown Betty yelled, “and you’re treatin’ us like we’re a buncha youngin’s who don’t even need to know why?” Luna was unmiffed. “If you don’t like it, I’m not asking any of you to stay. You came here of your own accord; you can leave it of your own accord.” She flustered, but said nothing else. For the moment, none of them had anything else to say. Not so long as they couldn’t use the train. For tonight, at least, they were stuck there. Luna began to walk forward. Despite being angry, knowing who she was and what she had done for them, the group parted as she made her way to the doors. “I’ll be out on the main quad. When you are ready, find me there,” she called out behind her to Twilight. Soon after, she reached the doors, pulled them open, and stepped outside. As soon as they shut again, Sunset let out a long sigh. “She’s really not making this easy on us, is she?” “Unfortunately,” Twilight frowned, “she still knows more than the rest of us. We’ve got no choice but to let her give us information at her own pace.” “Hey everyone! Rarity’s up!” The ladies looked up and over to the side. On one of the entrance couches, Rarity had been carried and laid down following the incident on the roof. She had been out of it ever since, but as Fluttershy detected she wasn’t in any immediate danger she had focused on the others. Now, however, Pinkie was practically hopping up and down waving her arms to get their attention, and Rarity herself was slowly rolling her head around—eyes open and blinking. They quickly made their way over to her. Shining Armor continued to stew but finally sighed and went to try and help out with getting the rest of the people organized along with Starlight, while Sunset moved over with the others to her side. As soon as they reached her, Twilight knelt down just as she blinked twice and turned to her. “Oh…oh dear, darling…” she remarked as she looked about. “We’re all here? I…I take it then that we succeeded against that horrid cloud?” “More or less…” Fluttershy spoke quietly. “Are you alright?” “Oh…just have a dreadful headache, dear, but I think it’s nothing that sleeping in a few hours tomorrow won’t cure…” “Why in tarnation didn’t you tell us you had a second Anima Viri?” Applejack spoke up. “Ya’ should’ve practiced it earlier!” Rarity exhaled and put a hand to her forehead, inadvertently showing off her two runes. “I’m sorry, everyone…but I didn’t even get the idea until later today that the flower I had from Sapphire Shores’ tribute might have had another Anima Viri within it. But sure enough, when I inspected it this afternoon, it had one of those iridescent gleams to it. It took me until evening, but I remembered her original title when I first made her costume for her was ‘the Seaside Starlet’. I tried that and…well, viola. I just wish I had known how taxing it would be…” “Uh, correct me if I’m wrong,” Dash spoke up, looking at her in puzzlement. “But out there did you just happen to actually make crystals of your own? Just like that Sombra guy did?” Rarity blinked a few times, as if remembering, before her eyes widened. “I…I suppose I did, now that I’m remembering it.” “Really?” Twilight asked in genuine bafflement. “I’ve never even seen a spell like that before. I think it was unique magic…but you looked at it and you just did it the moment you saw it?” Again Rarity paused and leaned up a little. Just enough to shrug. “Well, all I can say is… I remember looking at it and suddenly thinking to myself ‘that doesn’t seem so hard’. And then, I was able to do it. It really was all that simple. I just looked upon it and…and suddenly I understood everything of how it worked and how it was cast.” “That sounds like the Prodigy to me.” The group looked up to Sunset. Her arms were crossed and she was rubbing her chin as she studied Rarity. “I mean, I didn’t get a good look at the emblem on your hand, obviously, and I’ve never seen anyone actually in the Role, but I remember reading it in Celestia’s books. It’s a Role that’s a special type of magic user. It can’t use spells that you normally study. Instead, it masters unique spells and abilities just from observing them once. When Sombra used that unique spell and you saw it, you learned how to use it yourself.” Rarity looked a little surprised at the information, before she smiled and looked rather pleased with herself. “Well now! I dare say that’s quite the useful ability! Rather fortunate that I ended up with that role, wouldn’t you say?” Sunset narrowed her eyes. “Except there’s no guarantee your version of spells will be as strong as the original caster’s. And you still need to build up your stamina if you want to do it more than once.” She sighed. “It’s almost a shame Luna doesn’t have any of her magic anymore. Otherwise you could have mastered a spell or two from her…” “Speaking of Luna,” Twilight answered as she began to stand again, “Rarity, I hate to rush you so soon, but she just asked us to meet her and I’m hoping this means that we can start relying on her for some help.” Rarity let out another exhale, but then slowly began to roll up. “Well, I’m feeling a little dreadful, but I think I’ll manage. Now that I’m awake, I’ve had so many starts tonight I don’t think I could sleep again if I wanted.” Putting her hand out on Pinkie’s shoulder, she began to push herself up, and while she was a bit shaky she managed to get to her feet. With that done, the ladies turned and began to head out to the front doors after Luna. Sunset looked up and took a step toward them… Only for Twilight to suddenly turn and practically stop her. “Where are you going?” Sunset hesitated. She looked back at her curiously. “Um…I’m going with you.” “Luna only wanted to talk to me and the others. You should wait here. See if you can make sure the Morning Glory can run at a moment’s notice.” Sunset’s jaw actually loosened. She almost stammered a bit. “Ex…excuse me?” Twilight noticed the change, but after a short time shrugged. “I mean…you’ve been doing stuff without my hanging around you since we got here. You’re not still worried someone around here is going to try something against you, are you?” Sunset again hesitated, actually caught at that, and seeming to realize her own behavior as of late. “Well…well, no, but…” “Then what’s the problem?” “I…I mean, I guess…I thought I was in on this too.” Twilight herself paused, looking a bit awkward. “Well…I’ll tell you what she said when I get back, but she only wanted to talk to us. I’m guessing it’s because we have the most command over our Anima Viris. If nothing else, she probably thinks we’re the best ones to stop this ‘Sombra’ now. And, well…” She looked Sunset over once, before shrugging. “That is…um…” Sunset’s face sank and she crossed her arms with a frown. “And I don’t have any, right? So it’s about time that I stayed out of things that didn’t concern me?” Twilight looked a little taken aback. “…I thought all you wanted to do was get to Manehattan and get a pardon? I didn’t think you’d want to get mixed up in this even if you did still have your powers.” Sunset’s jaw loosened. She looked genuinely surprised, but even more so at how she had just reacted. She looked away, wincing just a little. “Well…yeah, that’s true…” “Then…what’s the issue?” She didn’t respond. She reached up and rubbed the back of her neck. One of her feet dug into the floor. “Nothing…I guess. I just…well…” At length, she sighed and let her arms fall. “Nevermind. I’ll check on the Morning Glory, like you said…” Without another word, Sunset turned and began to move down the hall. Twilight actually opened her mouth and half-reached her hand toward her, only to catch herself as well, also looking a little taken aback at her own reactions. After a moment more, she gave one final look to Sunset before turning and running to catch up with the others. The six had hardly reached the quad when, without a word, Luna beckoned to them to follow her. They found themselves tailing her all the way to the main Academic Hall. Although the area was private enough, she didn’t halt once inside but led them onward, immediately taking them up the stairs and through the hallways toward the instructor rooms—the ones where Twilight knew that Celestia had her own offices. She tried to ask what they were doing, but Luna offered no response. She only continued to lead them on. She didn’t even light up a lamp; instead relying upon the large, towering windows to let in moonlight as she walked along. The area may not have been the Northern Keep and lacked the stillness and stagnation about it, but it was still unsettling. Twilight wasn’t even sure she had ever been to the wing that Luna showed them. They eventually came to a conspicuously wide hall—one mounted with statues and paintings rather than having any side entrances to classrooms or other chambers. Each one seemed to almost be studying them as they moved about, and with each step their feet seemed to echo a bit louder. Fluttershy began to cringe and move slower and even Pinkie lost the normal bounce and spring to her step. Eventually, however, they came to one painting in particular. It wasn’t terribly remarkable from what Twilight could see in the faint light. A picture of what looked like an opossum of some sort. Luna moved up to it and swung it gently to one side, exposing the wall behind it. A small indentation was revealed, looking like a fissure or break in the wall, but having a triple tip. She proceeded to fit the end of her trident into it and hold a moment. An instant later, it clicked, and, much like with the practice chamber, the walls split and moved aside to reveal an opening. She readily stepped within. Twilight hesitated a moment. She always suspected there were other hidden rooms inside the building, but she had never actually been in this one. She swallowed and eventually led the way with the other ladies following behind her. As soon as Pinkie brought up the rear, the entrance once again collapsed behind them. Twilight looked behind her a moment, wondering how it had known to close, but in the end looked forward again. This room was an even larger rotundra than the practice chamber, with a very high arched ceiling—almost three stories high. It looked more like the inner vestibule of a chapel than a room, really. It was so open that an echo was audible from each movement within it. There were only a few small apertures in the ceiling providing faint moonlight, and as a result almost nothing could be seen. The ladies could only see Luna by the scant few rays of moonlight hitting her armor. She walked all the way to the rear wall, reaching a control of some sort that looked like a crank. She turned and faced the others as she gripped it. “You wanted to know more about those Anima Viris I possessed? Very well…see for yourself.” She turned the crank. Immediately, the apertures, apparently connected to some sort of shutters, shifted and opened up. More moonlight spilled into the chamber, and when it did the ladies let out a unified gasp at what was revealed. There were podiums mounted about the chamber—six in all. Each one carried some sort of metallic emblem on top of them assembled from small spheres, objects, and concentric circles. They looked like some sort of horaries, but also containers of a sort…although each one was empty. While they were somewhat irregular around the room, each one traced back to murals up on the walls that had been etched into the stone. Twilight had seen many such murals throughout the citadel in the past. Many of them were hidden, but all depicted pleasant, glorious things and people. Sources of beauty and inspiration. These were not the same kind. They were tall, dark, grotesque, and monstrous. And with the high-vaulted, arched ceiling, they seemed to loom over the ladies like ravenous beasts. In the darkness of the chamber, they seemed almost nightmarish…or even alive. Luna, on her part, began to stroll back into the center of the chamber. “It was right here where they were held. The Anima Viris that marked the power and ascendency of this world’s scourge. Their likeness is like that of no other Anima Viri you ever witnessed, is it not? Like nothing you ever fathomed or imagined them to be, I trust.” The six didn’t answer. They kept looking around. Twilight, on her part, started glancing over them. One looked like a twisted, tall, crooked woman who was lording over thousands of tiny, agonized children—presiding over a tide of misery and anguish. Another was a nightmare far more grotesque and twisted than Nightmare Moon had been. It looked to be actually dripping with evil. The land, the creatures, and even the people were twisted and distorted in its wake. The next was a multi-headed demon that seemed like a form of dragon, but it was impossible to tell. Its multiple mouths were open and what came forth from it was images of the most violent, disgusting, and terrible things imaginable. The fourth looked like a great ancient demon’s head hovering over the world, and in its wake came forth miscreated, twisted, horrific, and even unholy abominations. The fifth didn’t even seem to be a figure at all. Just some great fissure wreathed in unnatural black flame that opened up into an endless, lifeless, starless darkness that seemed like a void even in the dark chamber. Finally, there was the one that gradually drew all their attention. A valley filled with death, languishing, waste, and misery and, above it all, perched on a mountain of obsidian crystals, a great shadow with a burning, curved, red horn and smoldering green and black eyes. Luna noticed it as she moved to its side. “I take it you’re most intrigued by this one.” She glanced up to it once, then back to them, getting Twilight’s attention along with the others. However, she focused the most on Twilight herself. “I’m assuming you are already putting it together, Twilight Sparkle, but if not allow me to make it clear. Yes—that aberration that we faced tonight was none other than one of the very Anima Viris that the herald needs.” Several of the ladies let out a unified gasp. Twilight herself was stunned, left stammering. But before she could say a word, Luna looked up again, and calmly began to walk around the room. “Admiring the art? It was meant to invoke terror on all levels. That all, no matter from where or when, would fear to even approach these Anima Viris. And for a long time it worked…” She passed the first, and gestured to it. “‘Mistress of the Silver Tongue’…” She passed the second. “‘Rider of Shadows’…” She passed the third. “‘The Unholy Sisterhood’…” She passed the fourth. “‘Father of Monsters’…” She passed the fifth, pausing at it a moment before moving on. “‘The Oblivion’s Gate’…” Finally, she stopped at the original. “And here…‘King of Despair’.” The six were quiet and still for a moment. Pinkie, seeming the least impacted out of all of them, scratched her head. “Wait…do you mean to tell me that one of the Anima Viris somehow actually came to life or back from the dead and now it’s running around?” Luna turned to them sternly. “No. I’m saying that all six Anima Viris are currently roaming this world. All six of these abominations…these demons…are living among us as we speak.” The room was silent again, and now felt colder and more unsettling. Luna, however, looked angrier as she turned fully to them and advanced a step. “You all thought you were saving this world by defeating me. I was what kept the six of them bound prisoner within me. But when you defeated me, sealed my power, and, finally, Sunset Shimmer stabbed my hand with the Orichalcum dagger, I could no longer hold them back. They went wild all over this world…all save one.” She pointed a finger to Twilight in such a way that she shrank back as if it was a spear tip. “The one you already possess. As for the other five, they were free to go where they will.” Twilight, still stunned and growing increasingly nervous, could only stammer. “Go…where they will?” “What do you mean ‘go where they will’?” Dash added. “They’re dead! Just ghosts!” “Did that thing out there look like ‘just a ghost’ to you?” Luna retorted so sharply that even Dash backed down. “These Anima Viris are beyond anything that any of you have ever encountered. Each one is filled with rage…with malice…and with power and potency far beyond any normal Anima Viri. An Anima Viri has the potential to take over its bearer. These six, however, are far beyond that. They don’t wish to merely interact with the physical world through bearers. They want to live again…resume their foul, horrendous lives right where they left off. And they will do anything…anything…to come back to life and to restore their own power. In place of one dark god, you now have the potential for a malevolent six. Ever since the moment you took that Anima Viri, Twilight Sparkle, you have run the risk of becoming host to it. Of becoming a ‘Nightmare Moon’ in and of yourself.” Twilight’s pupils shrank on hearing that news. She actually let out a small gasp, and looked down at her hand. It was still calm and innocuous enough, but now she looked at the mysterious symbol on it in a whole new light. The others around her glanced toward it, growing increasingly uneasy as well. Desperate to break this up, Applejack forced herself to frown and looked back at Luna. “Ferget that hogwash, we came here to know ‘bout Sombra! Just who is he, anyway?” Luna took a moment to calm before turning back to the wall. “Each of these Anima Viris is so potent that they possess a unique ability. One that makes them far deadlier and more destructive than any of the others. However…the reason this world hasn’t already been torn apart by them is that they still are, for all purposes, just spirits. And a spirit alone cannot accomplish anything. They need to find hosts. Hosts that are weak enough to be taken over completely by them…” Her voice lowered. “…Feeble enough to where they can devour the resident spirits and ‘take over management’, so to speak…” Her voice raised again. “…but also strong enough so that their bodies can be of use to them. Then they need to grow. Regain their old power after they find new ways to do it. No doubt, this is what they’ve been up to ever since I was defeated.” She gestured above. “The King of Despair is different, however. His unique ability is that his spirit itself has power, even without a body. He had no need to find a host, and so it is no surprise that he is the first to make his move. I have no idea what name he would have taken for himself had he managed to find a body to his liking, but the name by which Celestia and I knew him when he was alive was King Sombra. Hence, that’s the name I give him.” Her fists tightened as she faced the mural. “Sombra desires but one thing—absolute dominion. He wants it at any cost and at any price. He neither has nor desires friends, allies, or any dreams of a prosperous future or kingdom. He wants only that his will dominates all life. The world and everything in it can either submit to him or rot for all he cares. The struggles of this world mean nothing to him. Its population is only drones for his armies. What you saw tonight was merely him overextending himself. He’ll be back…with true legions under his command. Bearing modern weapons in huge numbers. No doubt, by now he’s realized the world is isolated and broken up following the fall of Equestria. He has free reign to move about in it and build his forces and power.” Twilight was still rather unsettled at what Luna said earlier, but she leaned forward again. “And…how does he build his power?” Luna closed her eyes in regret and bowed her head. “It would seem he’s leeching it off of what’s left of my own. A piece of myself was left behind in every last Nighttouched. The Light Eaters are likely dead or in hiding now, but he’s scrambling to find all the Nighttouched that he can. He’s realized my power is something he can absorb from them and use to sustain and strengthen his own spiritual influence. He’ll use it to bring panic, fear, and discord to people. He’ll fill them with terror and despair…making it all the easier to seize them. Then he’ll come back here.” “W-W-Why here?” Fluttershy asked nervously, already looking about as if he would pop out of the shadows at any moment. Luna raised her head again and turned to them. “It would insult your intelligence at this point to deny that there are great secrets located within this citadel. Ones that most of the world can only dream of. If I had to guess, I would assume that Sombra seeks the means to return to physical form here.” This caused a mild look of surprise over the group, including Twilight. “He…he can do that?” “If he succeeds, at best he will become a far more potent threat. One that isn’t constantly losing power to maintain himself. At worst…he will attract the herald, who will then add all of his power to its own. Know this, however, and say nothing of it to the others…” Her eyes narrowed. “The reason you are all not already his minions now is based on a bluff.” Yet another round of surprise. “Er…come again?” Applejack asked. “That Morning Glory drives off the corrupted Nighttouched as they contain some of myself in them. His minions, however, are totally consumed by him and him alone. There was nothing stopping him from having his remaining battalions assault this place. Even if your small group could have stopped them all, the Morning Glory merely irritated him—it did not stop him. He could have kept coming here until you were all taken by him, and then turned on me. The only reason he did not was because I gave him the impression that I still had my own power. In his current state, he knows he can’t combat me at full strength. In short…the moment he learns that I am now powerless is the moment everyone in this citadel dies or suffers a fate worse than death.” A momentary cold silence pervaded the room. The six began to look very tense indeed. Fluttershy swallowed. Pinkie had stopped smiling and hopping. Rarity looked about for a moment, but then finally smiled and clapped her hands. “Well! It’s certainly been nice visiting Canterlot, but I believe it’s time to go!” “Do that, and Sombra will have access to every nation that borders Equestria. He’ll be able to spread corrupted Nighttouched everywhere. He’ll invade each and every town and community, consume who’s there, and leave death and despair in his wake,” Luna coldly responded. “Right now, his gaze is fixed on Canterlot. This city is the prize he wishes to take. All other nations mean nothing to him in terms of what he stands to gain or what is a threat to him besides this one. And if he does take physical form, then he’ll recruit legions by the thousands and wield powers only I at my peak could surpass.” She looked at them challengingly. “Do you really think six young women who don’t even have ten Anima Viris between them are going to stand a chance against him? Unlike myself, he won’t suffer your attempts to destroy him. He’ll simply take your minds and souls and leave you as his newest puppets. Besides…” She half-smirked coldly as she looked straight at Twilight. “Were you not the one who had the ‘brilliant plan’ to take all of the Anima Viris the herald needs for yourselves? Well, here’s one ready and waiting for you.” The unease of the group had only grown at this point. Dash herself was frowning. “And just how are we supposed to beat some guy who’s nothing but a big smoky shadow?” Luna eased at that, letting out a sigh. “In truth…I don’t know.” “Well that’s…I mean, what?” Dash nearly retorted, while the others looked likewise shocked. “Both Celestia and I wielded powers strong enough to damage him even in his current state, but now I’m helpless to use them. The same with the rest of you. None of you command enough power or a Role capable of using a technique that would hurt him. There is, perhaps, some knowledge or tool in the private chambers of the citadel that contains a way to combat him, but for now his assault can only be weathered. One thing I do know is true, however…” She again looked at Twilight. “As his spirit has potency no matter how weakened or strong, you have only one way to be sure of being rid of him. You must do exactly as you proposed. One of you must take him as your new Anima Viri.” That was the most shocking thing yet. So much so that the six could only stand there in growing dread. They looked again to the murals. Saw the monstrous things that were depicted on each of them. Demons and abominations that struck fear in them even now. They seemed to grow larger and darker yet at this time. Seeing their reaction caused Luna to fold her hands in front of her. “Now, Twilight Sparkle…are you still so sure that you and your friends wish to combat the herald? Is this a path you are willing to take? For one of you to have someone like Sombra bound to you? Constantly angry…constantly wrathful…constantly infuriated at how he is helplessly trapped inside you? Never ceasing to try and find a way out? A way to take control? To work his will through you? For the rest of your natural lives? Is that the sort of thing you wish to endure?” The six didn’t answer, but by now, none of them were looking anywhere at ease anymore. They could only stare silently back as Luna continued to glare down on them and await an answer. When the girls finally got back, most of the foyer had cleared. The Morning Glory was still set up, the watch reported no further activity, and the children had been moved to more secure areas for the night while those not too scared to sleep began to do so in shifts. Shining Armor insisted on continuing to hold the watch when they came back and asked for the details later, leaving Sunset and Starlight being the only ones who joined them as they went into the nearest side room—not due to general privacy so much as wanting to not wake anyone else up or give them more to worry about. After that, they broke the news to both of them. Per Twilight’s instruction, they revealed everything except the identity of Sombra as one of the Anima Viris of the thing that had been in the Northern Keep, or the other five Anima Viris. They mentioned only him and the fact that there were four others like him still out there looking for hosts. The entire room was silent for a long time. It wasn’t so much out of shock or fear as due to being overwhelmed. Everyone sat quietly, mostly on the floor rather than bothering with furniture, and stared wide-eyed and deep in thought. Starlight herself looked the most uncomfortable. “Well, that’s…disturbing.” “So much for everything being better after Nightmare Moon was defeated…” Sunset sighed. Twilight pulled her legs toward her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “For years I thought if the Lunar Fall was undone and I came back to Canterlot, things would finally go ‘back to normal’ and would make sense again. Now all we’ve found is more questions and more trouble…” “Indeed. Even with this ‘Prodigy’ I’m feeling more overwhelmed than ever before…” Rarity remarked with a sigh. “But…I suppose there’s nothing for it. We need a plan forward. And I propose that, if nothing else, we move the civilians out of here post haste as soon as the train can move.” “That should be early afternoon tomorrow,” Starlight jumped in, looking uncertain, “but…now we know that this ‘Sombra’ thing is running around in Equestria and controlling the Nighttouched. And if what Luna said is true and he’s watching Canterlot, then he’s probably waiting for us to try and escape… And right now, we aren’t even sure if the track is clear enough to get all the way back to civilization.” “Then I strongly suggest we test that immediately. Those legions may be foul, Starlight, but we were able to escape a hoard of them by using an armored transport of sufficient speed. I’m sure we can break through them as well.” “Should…we really abandon Canterlot, though?” Fluttershy meekly spoke up. “If…if what Luna said was true about why he’s attacking here…” “Yeah, ‘bout that,” Applejack spoke up with a small frown. “I never did hear Luna answer that question directly. She said he thinks he can get himself a new body or somesuch. That’s just a load of hogwash, though. You can’t just go ‘round makin’ new bodies once yer a ghost.” “Oh, oh!” Pinkie piped up excitedly. “Maybe she meant that Sombra wanted to take the body of someone who’s already here! You know, how she keeps saying the Anima Viris can take over people sometimes?” That sent another uneasy ripple through the group. Sunset’s look lowered. “In that case, what she could have meant is that he’s looking for a body that would be compatible with him, just like any true Anima Viri is only compatible with the right individual… It doesn’t explain why she wants to stay here, though. Like there’s something here in Canterlot she’s trying to guard…” “Either way, the point stands,” Twilight spoke up with a sigh. “He wants something in Canterlot, and if he gets it things will get worse, and we can’t let him have it. Plus, Luna seemed to imply the only way we can beat him is by doing some research here and finding a way to damage him in his current form.” “Well, we can’t just hold up here,” Dash spoke up a little crossly. “We don’t have enough people to fight off a bigger assault than tonight, and even if we did, what’s stopping Sombra from invading all of the other countries? He’s a shadow. It’s not like he’s going to be scared of bullets or cannon shells. We got to at least warn those people he’s coming.” “I agree with Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy chimed in. “Right now, they’re getting ready for another major war against Trottingham. We need to let everyone know that they’re not safe from Equestria yet.” “But…” Starlight uneasily spoke up, “you six are probably the best defense this place has right now. Don’t get me wrong; I’d love to show you what I found back in Manehattan, and we could definitely use more supplies and manpower up here if we’re going to hold out, but I’m not sure you six are the best for it.” “We did, however, say that we would report in for Manehattan, and we’ve been gone quite some time,” Rarity reminded everyone. In the end, everyone looked to one another, and then back to Twilight. She looked between them all for a few moments, realizing the burden of decision was being placed on her. It made her sigh and slump a little, but she stared at the ground only for a moment before looking back up again. “I agree that we probably shouldn’t abandon Canterlot now for a multitude of reasons, but we do need to move the civilians out if we can, and if we can’t make a trip out of Canterlot back to Manehattan soon I don’t think we’re going to be able to later. Right now, no one even knows that we’re here or could need help. So…” She paused a moment, then looked back to Starlight. “I think it’s for the best that at least some of us head back to Manehattan as soon as possible to report in and say what’s going on, and then they bring back as much help as they can.” Starlight exhaled a little, but shrugged. “Well, ok. Who’s going to go?” Twilight rubbed her forehead. “We can decide tomorrow. Right now…I think we need to get a little sleep. One thing is for sure. We all need to start practicing a lot harder with our Anima Viris.”