//------------------------------// // Chapter 38: Return of The King // Story: Turmoil Rising // by JFT //------------------------------// Queen Chrysalis walked through the Everfree Forest, accompanied by Doubt, who led her to the destination, as she and her changelings carried a few objects along that Grogar would soon require. He told her that, for this occasion, they would require an elevated place for what was about to happen, and the Everfree Forest didn’t contain any apart from the cliff edge where the Castle of the Two Sisters stood, he would have to improvise. She couldn’t quite understand what it was talking about until she spotted movement in the overgrowth, and a large earth elemental emerged from it. She prepared herself to strike at it, but it simply went by as if it didn’t even notice her. As they proceeded to travel further into the forest she spotted more of them, moving in a single direction. By the time they finally reached the end of the line, she finally got what was happening. A large hill made of rocks and overgrowth stood before her, she saw the earth elementals approach it and then fell on top of it, merging and pushing the peak further off the ground. The hill was literally growing by the second. “You’re the one that called them to act?” she asked the wisp as they began ascending the slope. “Yes, Broodmother,” it answered, “the lifeblood of the world has the power to bring natural forces to life. Those same forces that were sent out to liberate you.” “Wait though…” She stopped for a moment. “If that’s the case, why did you have me go through all the hoop-jumping in the first place?! You could’ve just used this so-called “lifeblood” to begin with!” The weaselly vapor sighed. “Broodmother, do you not think if that was possible that it would’ve already been done?” “So, what’s stopping it?” she wondered. Doubt wiggled its tail, beckoning her to continue the climb. “Elements are simple creatures, they do not have a “consciousness” so to speak, they’re literally just a "force of nature"; you point them in a direction and they will go, you hurt them and they will backlash in response. But to awaken a consciousness of a living creature that’s been locked away in the stone… that, unfortunately, is beyond its power. It cannot affect living creatures.” “But it freed ME from the prison of stone, didn’t it?” “Yes… but you’re different, aren’t you?” it pointed out. They finally reached the summit of the hill, consisting of a solid platform, which has by now risen quite high over the treetops. On top of it, the Father of Monsters paced around a large stone table, where chunks of obsidian lay about. His horns were glowing in dark light, picking up bits of volcanic rock and fusing them, molding them as he desired. “You’re running me like a workhorse, wisp,” he sighed when he noticed them. “You’re asking me to construct a body, made out of a very brittle stone, for a creature I’ve never even heard of, nor was I given a reference on how it looked like, and you’re making me work from pure imagination.” “Come now, Shaper,” Doubt taunted him, “I was under the impression that creativity was your forte.” The ram sorcerer lifted what looked like a pair of legs, and began putting them together. “I look upon the body of a living being, and I see only potential. I cannot do that when I’ve never even seen a satyr before in my life, these creatures aren’t native to this land.” “Well, considering that nobody wants to remember what he originally looked like, we couldn’t really provide you reference material, so look at it this way, you get to try something new for a change,” it taunted him. “That’s not going to be helpful if the body won’t fit him,” he grumbled, as he attached the set of legs to the giant torso. “Seriously though, Doubt, was this… thing, really that special that was worth going through all the hardships?” the Queen of Changelings inquired. The vapor grinned with his limited facial features. “Oh, you’ve not seen this one in action, Broodmother.” There was a gentle tapping sound in the tunnel at the entrance of the mouth. For some time now, the “fog of war” was obscuring the vision of what was happening in the room, and the giant construct was simply standing about, waiting to see what would happen next, while a vaporous shadow lay coiled on top of its hooded head. Suddenly, a bright light began to penetrate through the darkness, and it eventually dispersed. He was confused as to what had happened, as the equines were all laying in a pile, while the umbrum king was sitting completely still not far from them. And despite the bright light earlier, the lighting in the room went dim for some reason. But soon, a light source would begin to illuminate the cavern once again, accompanied by a sparking sound. It took a moment for Twilight’s eyes to readjust to her surroundings, as they went from blindingly bright, to suddenly nearly dark. “Is… is everypony okay?” she asked. “Ugh, what a trip…” Pinkie Pie agonized. “Yeah, let’s not do that again,” Applejack agreed in a groggy tone. “I swear… if I see another Ursa, it’s gonna be too soon,” Tempest complained. As she was beginning to see through the dim room, she quickly realized why that was the case. The lake that covered the majority of the floor was gone, only a few small puddles of the glowing green liquid were left, leaving behind tall platforms upon which they were now standing. As she could now finally see the shapes of her friends, she began to count them. Her little sibling was still clinging on to her, the party planner laid on top of the country pony while the wonderbolt was leaning upside-down against them both, the fashionista and the animal caretaker had their manes tangled up, with the draconequus crawling out of it, the broken unicorn was laying on the side rubbing her head with her hooves, and… “Hold on… we’re one zebra short,” the princess realized. “Where’s Zecora?” The rest of the gang looked around themselves. “Rainbow Dash, she was with you. Where did you see her go?” “I dunno, Twilight,” she answered, “I ran as fast as I could and heard her hoof sounds behind me, but sometime after that it seemed as if she just vanished.” “But then where’s the-!” the alicorn panicked and then noticed her saddlebags laying nearby. She quickly picked it up and looked inside, sighing in relief that the jar was still there, untouched. Who would’ve thought that the thing that started it all ended up being their savior in the end? It seemed that despite the darkness consuming the spirit of the Tree of Harmony, it was still active, even going so far as to take a form of a virtue of the umbrum king’s friend… That’s when she remembered him. By now, everybody had mostly regained their senses and looked to the other side of the room. Sombra was just standing there, motionless, as if he wasn’t quite present at the moment. That, however, would soon change, when a bright purple light began to glow on the wall behind him along with a sparking sound, and in a matter of moments, a lightning bolt shot out of the encased gemstone and struck at the umbrum, causing him to cry out in pain. “Failed!” the shrill voice erupted. “Even after lending you my power you’ve failed, Sombra!” “Mother… I just need-“ he struggled to speak before another lightning bolt struck him. “No. No more chances. Even if I would, I couldn’t anymore. Your actions have caused the depletion of what lifeblood was left. IT’S INEXCUSABLE!” With the yell, another bolt shot out from the gemstone in the wall and struck the umbrum. “Mother… please!” he begged. “Do not begrudge me for what I do, but every good mother knows there are times when she must discipline her offspring,” the voice said, as another bolt flew out, only to crash into a purple shield that just got erected out of nowhere. “WHAT?!” That’s when even the mares realized that the princess had gone to the other side of the room, and put up a barrier between Fear and Sombra. “YOU DARE INTERFERE, CHILD?!” it raised its tone. “You call yourself his mother, yet you would choose to torment him because he’s unable to do as you demand?” Twilight stood her ground. “I would be ashamed of myself if I were in your hooves.” The umbrum king reeled in agony for a moment, then realized what was happening as he spotted the alicorn standing next to him, he quickly jumped back on his hooves, made a distance between himself and her, and then shot a magical bolt. Luckily, Twilight was aware of his actions and quickly raised another shield between them. A split second later, Tempest rushed to her side, with her horn beginning to charge, only to be tackled to the ground by the country pony. “Oh come on! Really?!” “Tempest, violence ain’t gonna solve this problem,” she argued. “Yeah!” the wonderbolt quickly rushed to her side, before addressing the umbrum king. “And what the hay were you thinking, you idiot?! Twilight’s trying to protect you from your mom and you’re attacking her?!” “You’re trying to deceive me!” he yelled. “You’re just waiting for the right moment when my guard is down so you can wipe me off the face of the world!” “Are you fo’ real?” Applejack joined her side. “If we wanted you gone we’d have done so already.” “Yeah! Why would she try to protect you from the zappity-zap-zaps otherwise?” the party planner popped up from behind her. “Apart from her expression, Pinkie’s right,” Rarity pitched in. “LIES! ALL OF THEM!” Sombra yelled. “Why is it so hard for you to believe that we’re genuinely offering you kindness?” Fluttershy joined. “Why?! Maybe you should ask that patchworked thing on your back!” he pointed at Discord. “I prodded about in his mind while he was trapped in his nightmare. I saw the truth! He brought me back just so I could serve as an obstacle for all of you to overcome! NOTHING ELSE! Your “kindness” is nothing more than a thorn coated in honey just so you can strike down an irredeemable monster like-!” “I’M SORRY!!!” Twilight loudly declared, her voice echoing through the crystal cavern, silencing him. “I’m sorry, alright? I’m sorry for calling you an irredeemable monster! We’re sorry for trying to destroy you again in the heat of the moment without even trying to consider an alternative!” Sombra remained quiet, a subtle look of confusion visible on his face. “Why are you apologizing to me? I AM an irredeemable monster. I was born a monster, I was destined to become a monster. This is me, what I was always meant to be.” “Radiant Hope didn’t think that,” Spike said. At the drop of the name, his eyes darted to him. “How do you know that name…? And don’t you DARE mention that traitor to me!” “I visited your old study, Sombra,” the princess explained, “I found the journal describing your whole tragic tale.” “Oh please, spare me the tears,” he made a snide remark. “I once offered her to be at my side when I embraced my destiny, and she declined it. It was expected. Our destinies were on conflicting ends, so we were never meant to be, I just tried to tempt fate one last time and it proved me right. And then she went to cry to the Two Sisters about my horrible deeds, and as they banished me, I cast a curse upon the whole empire to make it disappear in my final act of spite for her. I became the King of Monsters, and she became the princess-“ “She didn’t, Sombra,” Fluttershy interrupted her. He gave her a frown. “What are you talking about, of course, she did! I just wasn’t in this world long enough after my return, to see what she-“ “Hope never became a princess, don’t you get it, Sombra?” Rainbow Dash finally stepped in. “We found what was left of her here, under a mountain of ice and snow. All her documents, the journal in which she described her journey, we have them right here.” She pointed to the saddlebags that Twilight was still in possession of along with Zecora’s. “Besides, who do you think was the one who broke your hold on us in your nightmare realm and then promptly saved you from it?” A sense of doubt slowly began to creep upon him. After all, they succumbed to the power his mother had given to him and they were on the breaking point, and then all of a sudden, an alien yet familiar presence interfered. There was no denying that they made sense. And yet there was part of him that still didn’t want to accept it. “No… you lie, this is all some kind of trick. You’ve probably come up with this whole thing only a few moments ago when you couldn’t beat mother.” “Seriously?” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Ya think we’ve got a power of foresight or somethin’? Besides, if ya don’t believe us, why don’t ya see it for yourself. Twi, give it to him.” The alicorn levitated the saddlebags over the barrier and over to Sombra. He looked at them suspiciously before picking it up. He immediately recognized the image on them. It was a cutie mark… HER cutie mark. He opened it and pulled out its contents. Most of them were magical books, not worth mentioning, but there were two that stood out. The letter… he recognized it. It was what triggered it all, it drove him to the depth of Frozen North where he found his mother. And the other, a book that didn’t stand out, her journal. He opened it and began to flip through the pages. How the diary was written, there was a sense of truth to whom it belonged, but his thoughts still pushed it all away. But as he moved one of the books, a jingling sound came out of the saddlebag. He looked inside and pulled out a small piggy bank, shaped like a dragon. It brought back memories, memories of an innocent time, when they were gathering crystals to buy crystal corn at the Crystal Faire – a desire that would never be fulfilled. His doubts suddenly turned into a sense of certainty… a grim certainty. “This… this doesn’t make sense. She was supposed to become a princess. Her destiny-“ “Oh for the love of Celestia, will you stop it with the “destiny” thing already!” the dragon told him. “The fact that Radiant Hope never became a princess should be enough proof that a predetermined path doesn’t exist.” Twilight stepped to his side. “Spike’s right, Sombra. She CHOSE not to embrace her destiny. And Princess Amore knew that full well, she was saying that to both of you from the start, and you simply chose to give in… though to be fair, you were pushed into it.” “What… what do you mean? And it still doesn’t make sense… Hope may have followed me, but that doesn’t explain how she ended up here.” “Ah think that’s a question you should be askin’ your mother, Sombra,” the country pony answered. His mother? What were they talking about? How could she have anything to do with it… And that’s when he noticed something was wrong. For the whole time since the princess erected a shield to protect him from her wrath, the voice seemed to be quiet, not even lightning was flying about to try and penetrate the defenses. It was almost as if she was waiting for somebody to address her. He turned to face the gemstone. “Mother, what are they talking about? How did Radiant Hope come here? Did you bring her here?” There was no response for a while, but soon a blunt word was spoken. “Yes.” And the mares were taken aback with what followed. “She came here, looking for you. I brought her here. This paragon of virtue had become an obstacle, so I did the only thing I could, and I… removed her.” She didn’t even try to sugar coat it, something that Applejack was at the loss of words. “Ya know, I had expected for her to try and mince words after what we saw, but she’s just going all out on it…” “Because there’s no point, child,” the voice addressed her. “If you’ve seen what I think you did, there’s no point in trying to deny it. I can already tell by his expression he’s slowly realizing that none of this is a lie.” Fear was right. So many things have been called back to at this point that there was no way it was all made up. And with what the Council of Friendship has provided, there was no denying it. “But…” there was a shred of tenseness in his voice from the shock. “Why…?” “I shared my pain with her, Sombra. I tried to convince her to stay, same as you have tried, I showed her the truth of the world… and she condemned it. She refused to accept you for what you are. That foolish paragon, she still believed that you could be “saved”, to be returned to how she remembered you… but she had no idea of the shadow that lurks within you. She simply couldn’t understand that deep down in your heart, you’ve already accepted, you already knew, that you and I… we, are both THE SAME.” The silence was in the air for a brief moment, before a low rumbling sound started coming from the umbrum. Suddenly, he transformed into his shadow form, flew over the protective shield, landed on the other side, where he materialized, and then roared, shooting a bolt of dark magic at the oddity in the wall, raising dust in the process. It happened so quickly the mares weren’t even able to act on it. As the dust cleared, however, it was revealed that the attack had no effect at all. The crystal wall remained intact, as well as the gemstone. He gritted his teeth and fired several more bolts, yet the result was the same, so he proceeded to channel a beam at the same spot. “You…” a gasp came from the voice, “you would dare strike at your own mother?” “YOU DECEIVED ME!” he yelled. “I WILL-!” “Sombra, stop!” Twilight urged him on the other side of the shield. “Don’t get provoked by it!” “No,” he brushed off her words. “It’s time for me to vent some anger. She opened up old wounds that I sealed using my spite. SHE WILL PAY FOR IT!” He continued to channel his beam at the gemstone, yet nothing seemed to have changed, or at least that’s how it looked. “Tell me, Sombra, how do you feel?” the voice asked. “I feel anger! I feel hatred! I feel nothing but contempt for you!!!” he yelled. “No, wicked child, I didn’t ask about your feelings. I asked, HOW do you feel.” He didn’t understand at first, but it slowly began to dawn on him what Fear was saying. He felt a sense of fatigue, tiredness, exhaustion; one that kept growing. He tried to stop channeling his beam, only to discover he couldn’t, it was out of his control. “Wha… what… have you done…?” “Have you forgotten already, Sombra?” Fear asked. “I made you. I brought you into this world… and I can just as easily take you back.” He struggled to no avail. When she was pelting him with lightning strikes earlier he felt pain, but now… this was different, it was as if his consciousness was drifting away, all of his senses were. It almost felt… blissful. “STOP!” the alicorn yelled as she dispelled the barrier, and erected it again to block off the beam, causing the umbrum king to finally stop channeling it, and he ended up collapsing. The rest of the gang joined her side, standing between the block and the shadow pony. “Step aside, children! This does not concern you,” the voice said, and the lightning struck out of the gem against the protective field. “No,” Twilight responded. “We’ll protect him from you, no matter what.” “Why…” another voice asked. “Why are you doing this…?” Sombra laid on the ground, and clearly, something was different about him. The tone of his voice was noticeably weaker, but also the bright crimson eyes have turned dull, and they were no longer exhausting purple vapors. “Why are you protecting me from her? I’m a monster… born of her. I’ve done horrible things. I turned the first crystal princess to stone and shattered her. I put a curse on Crystal Empire that made it vanish for a thousand years. I enslaved its populace. I took your family prisoner, princess. I destroyed the Tree of Harmony. I cast a mind-control spell on your friends and family, including your dragon,” he nodded in Spike’s direction. “I’m a monster in every sense of the word. I’ve proven it time and again. I don’t deserve redemption. So why… why are you willingly standing between me and the one who wants to punish me for failure, when I’m merely getting just what I deserve?” Tempest traipsed to their side. “You know, I kinda agree with it. Maybe we should just let him have it if he so desperately wants it.” “Tempest, no!” Rarity declined. “I get that you feel the urge for “just deserts”, but you weren’t there to see what the rest of us have.” “What Rarity is trying to say, Sombra,” Twilight resumed, “is that Radiant Hope believed that you can still take another path, a path you thought this whole time was closed off for you because you were convinced that your nature has conditioned you that it was the only way. But both Princess Amore and she believed this whole time that you can still change your path in life. You’re the arbiter of your own destiny.” “And if we couldn’t believe that you can change, when they did…” the dragon intervened, “… then what kind of Council of Friendship are we?” “But… after what I've done-“ “That doesn’t matter right now,” Fluttershy interrupted him. “Nobody said that the path to redemption will be easy. Nopony’s going to forgive you right away, but you have to at least try and make up for things that you’ve done.” The draconequus sitting on her back nodded. He had a hard time processing this. How could he believe anything anymore? There was this familiar feeling raging in his core, screaming that all of this was wrong. And yet, somewhere at the back of his mind, there was this strange feeling. It almost felt like… hope. “Do not listen to them, Sombra!” Fear warned. “Do not allow their words to corrupt you! Do not let them change you from what you know you are!” “Do I?” He turned his gaze to the gemstone. “I was led to believe that I’m merely a pawn of my existence, that I exist solely to fulfill a certain purpose. Yet there were those who kept telling me that despite all of that, I can choose any path I desire. And if that’s true… if I truly can choose... Mother… my first act, my first choice… is to denounce you.” He’s done it. The umbrum king actually chose to stand up to his maker, even the Elements were surprised by it. Eventually, the lightning that was striking at the barrier began to vain, until there were only sparks left on the wall’s surface, and they disappeared as well. The princess dropped her barrier, as she noticed the light in the room had grown even dimmer as that last remnants of the lifeblood had finally evaporated, and the only light source left now, was the gemstone in which Fear was trapped… and it began to blink. “Sombra…” the voice said in an almost sorrowful tone. “You’re breaking my heart…” “Oh spare us the crocodile tears!” the wonderbolt told it. “Dashy, she doesn’t have eyes to cry…” Pinkie Pie pointed out. “She doesn’t even have a face.” Twilight cleared her throat. “Regardless… You’ve failed, Fear. Sombra was the only one that could help you and through your actions, you’ve alienated him, regardless of his nature. It’s over now. We’re the only ones who know about you, and you’ve got nobody else to assist you now.” They won. The umbrum king had turned, and the aspect of Fear had been pacified, with nobody else left to assist it. And just as Twilight said those words, Tempest remembered. She quickly turned towards the tunnel’s entrance. It was too dark to see into it now, but she recalled what she saw not long ago. “Twilight, that’s not really the case.” Everybody turned towards her. “Tempest, what are you talking about?” she asked. The chuckle of Fear could be heard throughout the room all of a sudden, causing everybody to turn back to its source. “Your companion is correct, child. After all, who do you think was the one that brought Sombra back to me in the first place?” It was quiet for a moment; it seemed as if the voice awaited their reply, but just before anyone could say anything, a shout followed. “SCOURGELORD!” The sparking sound could be heard again, and the alicorn quickly raised her barrier once more to protect her friends and the umbrum from her attack. Soon though, she realized something was wrong; no sparks were forming on the wall where the gemstone was trapped, and now that she listened to the sound, it was clear that it wasn’t even coming from there, but the opposite direction. It was already too late then, for just as she turned her head, from the corner of her eye, she saw a flash in the tunnel behind them, and a lightning bolt shot out of it, electrocuting everybody present. They all dropped to the ground, spasming in shock, their muscles twitching uncontrollably. Heavy thuds followed, the stomps echoed throughout the cavern, and a large hulking shape walked through the opening of the tunnel. The group was still unable to move a muscle to look at it, however, when it finally came in midst of them, their eyes finally caught it. What little light there was in the room now, it glanced off the surface of its body, and the upper half was covered by fabric so that its features couldn’t be seen. “Well done,” the voice said. “Now… bring him to me.” The construct grabbed the umbrum king by his neck guard and carried him along. As he was being brought closer, a sense of dread overcame him. He struggled, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t slip from his grip, and he was simply too drained to put up any fight at all. At this point, there was only one thing he could do. “PLEASE! HAVE MERCY!” the umbrum screamed. The construct stopped on the spot, close to the wall. “Mercy…?” it regarded him. “Sorry, but my… condition, has left me cold to your pleas for mercy. Now, go cry to your mommy.” It raised him, bringing him face to face with the purple gemstone, only a few inches away from him. “Let me make something perfectly clear to you, Sombra,” the feminine voice spoke in a shrilling tone. “You’ve made me very, VERY upset with what has happened today. But do not for a moment mistake my anger, my frustration, for animosity…” The tone of Fear’s voice began to mellow down. “For all the anger, for all the rage… I could never spite you… I am… incapable of hating you. You… are my child, my offspring… a part of me.” A low sparking sound emerged from the surface of the wall, and it slowly began to reach out for Sombra’s face. “And I… will protect you from their corruption… Now… come, my wicked child… Return to your mother’s tender embrace.” The mares struggled to move, even though the spasms have ceased, they were still unable to get up, it was almost as if there was a strange small net made of electricity covering them all, and if they tried to move further then allowed, it shocked them. But that shock was nothing compared to what they saw happening. Their attention was grabbed as they heard the heavy stomps of the construct as it moved away, and they saw a purple lightning trail all over Sombra’s body. A flash happened, and all of a sudden, the umbrum’s body was being blown away like dust, his particles absorbed into the gemstone until nothing was left of him, after which, the gemstone began to blink rapidly until it finally stopped and lit up so brightly that it illuminated half of the cavern. “AAAAH!” Fear gasped, its voice changing as if two voices were talking in unison now. “The sense of completion… even a partial one, it feels so… fulfilling! Doubt… you were right about this one.” The mares were confused as to who it was speaking, as it was clear that besides the construct, there was nobody else present. “He is cunning, patient, and remorseless. He truly is fitting to be OUR bearer. Now, Scourgelord, liberate us! The rest of our children await!” The hulking mass of rock moved back into place, smashing into the crystal wall with his giant arms, and then pulled. And pulled again. And again. Yet the formation was simply too sturdy to simply pull it out. He dragged his arms out and grunted in frustration. “Right. Time to give it the good old one-two,” a voice finally came out of him, as he clenched his right fist and pulled it back. Meanwhile, the mares were simply frozen from what they just witnessed… except for the broken unicorn. Her stub began to flicker, until it erupted in lightning, disturbing the electric net that covered them all and dispelled it. Afterward, she quickly jumped on her feet and dashed in the construct’s direction. He noticed her; the sound of her heavy metal horseshoes was something that couldn’t go unnoticed. She shot a bolt of lightning at him, and instead of trying to dodge or block it, he simply opened the palm he had pulled back as he was preparing to swing, allowing it to connect with it. The magic attack made contact and then disappeared. Tempest shook her head, her attack just vanished. How? “Oh that was a really poor choice, sweetie,” the construct said. “But if you’re gonna be an obstructionist, you’ll be the perfect target to trounce.” He moved and began approaching the Storm King’s former lieutenant, swinging his giant arms at her. She outmaneuvered him and he missed. He took another swing and missed again. It didn’t take long for her to determine his weakness; he was slow, something she could easily exploit with her agility. As he took a swing at her again, she bucked his arm, changing his trajectory, causing him to twist and roll to the ground. She then jumped in the air, her horn lighting up again, and shot lightning at him. Seeing that, he raised his right arm again, and the attack disappeared as it touched his palm. She saw it this time. She would have no chance to ponder it though, as the construct grabbed her by her legs as she was in the air with his other arm, and swung her to the floor. As she reeled for a moment, it gave him enough time to get back on his feet again and then reached out at her, yet she managed to make a quick recovery and shot lightning at him, which he promptly blocked with his right arm. It frustrated her. “How is he doing this… How is he able to disperse my magic?” the unicorn thought. As she came closer to his palm, through the flashing light she was finally beginning to see something; there was a strange glowing crystal embedded in the palm of the construct hand. And it wasn’t dispersing her magic… it was consuming it. And its shape, as well as something that looked like wood attached to it, there’s was something very familiar about them, but… it couldn’t have been possible. Grogar finished attaching a pair of giant arms to the torso and then faced them. “For what’s it worth, the body is more or less finished, but this is still little more than a giant walking paperweight. What kind of a weapon is this thing supposed to use, or are we expected to keep it safe from harm?” “Broodmother,” Doubt poked her. She raised a narrow wrapped-up changeling pod she had brought along and snapped it open, pulling out a carved long wooden shaft with a crystal attached at the end of it. “This is called the Staff of Sacanas,” she explained and she levitated the artifact over to the ram, who soon picked it up. “Some time ago, something invaded Canterlot and used it to drain the power of all four alicorn princesses.” She sighed. “It’s unfortunate I wasn’t aware of what was happening at the time. The whole castle was ripe for the taking. Although I’m not sure how this staff is supposed to be useful when the power was later returned to the princesses. At this point it’s probably little more than an empty container like your bell was, Grogar.” The old sorcerer didn’t say anything for a while as he twisted and turned the artifact about, examining it. “No.” he finally said bluntly. “This artifact is still able to contain magical residue. If it absorbed power once, it can do so again.” “Why would you assume that?” she asked. “This staff… is of centaur design.” The changeling gave him a curious look. “How can you tell?” The grizzled ram inhaled. “I once visited the Nether Lands… a long time ago, when I was expanding my influence throughout the land, and it took me westward, past the jagged mountain ridge that borders it. It is a barren wasteland where life is barely possible, and even then, many strange creatures lived in it, and it is there that the centaurs made their home, and their environment had conditioned them to constantly fight over scarce resources such as food, wood, and water; basic necessities that would allow a civilization to thrive. As such they’re barbaric tribesmen in a constant state of conflict.” “That’s kind of outdated, Grogar,” she intervened. “From what I understand, the centaurs have a kingdom, they had it about a thousand years ago. Otherwise, how else would Tirek have the title of a Lord?” “Who?” the ram gave her a confused look. That’s when she remembered that her former ally came long after Grogar was already gone, although based on his information, it seemed that the generation before him still remembered the grizzled sorcerer. “Never mind. Anyway, how can you tell that this staff was made by centaurs?” “Two reasons,” he announced. “First, the design of the shaft alone is a dead giveaway that a skilled craftsman who originated from that place was working on it.” “Okay, point taken. And the second one?” “The crystal,” the ram answered. “Despite being a barren wasteland, the Nether Lands is still a magical place, you just won’t notice it at first sight. Under its surface, there are pockets of a rare gas, one that quickly disperses when taken out, so containers were created to transport it about, with crystals such as this one.” “And what exactly do they do?” “You’d be surprised, considering your species, but constant warfare leaves very few people about to look after the settlement, even with females being left in charge. And with the amount of rock just lying about everywhere, the centaurs carved servants out of it and used the magic to bring these inanimate objects, these gargoyles - to life. That is why they call the gas The Breath of Creation.” “How in Equestria do you know all this?” “I already told you, Queen of Changelings,” he repeated himself. “I was to the Nether Lands a long time ago. I was able to observe everything from their kind; their customs, their culture. After all, I invaded that place and proceeded to subjugate its population, and considering the tribes were in constant conflict they were easy to deal with. Unfortunately, I got wind of invaders coming into my heartlands, so I decided to abandon my expansion temporarily and left the centaur lands behind.” “Temporarily… I’ve heard that one before,” she said under her breath. “Well, thanks for this educational lecture, but can we proceed?” “We could,” Grogar mused, “if the staff wasn’t broken.” “Wait, what?!” Chrysalis erupted. “What do you mean BROKEN?!” He levitated the staff to her face. “See the head of the shaft where the crystal is nestled? On the sides there were supposed to be a pair of branches standing out, acting as the stabilizing foci for the staff’s magic, but you can clearly see they’ve been snapped off, and without them the artifact is uncontrollable. This is a dangerous weapon indeed, but only to the user alone.” “Are. YOU. KIDDING ME?!” she yelled. She was so frustrated with the knowledge that she sweated herself to acquire the staff and now it turned out to be useless for whoever was supposed to use it. Her anger boiled over and she instinctively shot a bolt of her magic into the sky. After the moment has passed, her blood was still boiling, but then she noticed that the weaselly shadow was simply floating nearby, not saying anything as it watched her throw a tantrum. “What’s with you?” “Are you forgetting who you’re talking to?” Doubt said, before turning to the ram. “Shaper?” “Oh I’m sure we can work around the problem,” Grogar answered, and walked back to the stone table where the unfinished construct lay. He lifted its right arm and brought the Staff of Sacanas closer, completely enveloping it in dark light, before embedding its bottom into the brittle rock, and then attempting to bend it. “Wait, what are you doing? You’ll break it!” Chrysalis warned him. “Unlikely,” the sorcerer responded, as the staff suddenly began to twist like a wet noodle, slowly wrapping it around the construct’s right arm, until he finally reached the palm, and imbedded the crystal head into the rock itself. “There, problem solved,” he proudly said. “Please, help me understand…” Tempest stirred, realizing that the construct was addressing her. “Why? Why do you still wear that?” “What are you talking about, hunk of rock?” she asked. “THAT!” he pointed at her. “Those clothes! Why do you still wear the armor, the symbol of the king you chose to betray?” “The Storm King betrayed me!” she snapped back. “I’ve done everything for him, everything I’ve been asked of, and then he went back on his word after he got what he wanted!” He took a swing at her with his other arm, and the unicorn quickly evaded it, jumping back to create a distance between them. “That’s not the point, Tempest Shadow! But since you put it that way, I wonder: do you wear it because you still feel a semblance of loyalty towards him after all this time… or do you wear it as a penance, out of guilt for betraying your own kind to satisfy your own selfish interests?” “Tempest has put her past behind her!” Twilight said as she was slowly recovering from the shock along with the rest of the gang. “She shouldn’t have to feel any guilt over what’s happened anymore!” “Really now?” there was a smug tone in his voice suddenly. “Who was the one who revealed where some of the most powerful magic in the world could be found? Who was the one that provided the Staff of Sacanas to drain the said magic? And who… was the one who was prepared to swear eternal fealty, as long as she got what she so desperately desired?” Cold suddenly ran up Tempest’s spine after what the construct just said. “How… how do you know all this…? WHO ARE YOU?!” The rock creature stood still for a moment, and then straightened itself from its hunched-over pose, putting its hand over its face. “Oh for the love of… Tempest, am I really gonna have to spell it out to you? Like, open up your eyes, do you really not see who I am…” There was an awkward silence before the construct looked to both his left and right sides and then slapped his forehead. “Silly me, it’s the cloak, isn’t it? Just gimme a second.” It grabbed its cowl, and ripped the whole thing off, letting the cloth flow to the side. They weren’t sure what to make of it. From the position the stone creature was standing, the light that Fear was emitting was shining on its back, so they couldn’t see the frontal features. And then… a pair of teal eyes lit up. Something was unsettling about, something familiar. Especially to Twilight and Tempest. Then the creature rose its right arm, opened its palm, and the sparks of lightning illuminated its facial features. Chrysalis was silent for a moment. “Color me impressed, Grogar. You sure know how to go about it in a creative way.” “Active imagination does wonders, Queen of Changelings. You should try using it more often, thinking outside the box.” “And speaking of boxes,” the weaselly vapor interrupted their exchange, “it’s time to put the last piece to the creation.” Chrysalis nodded, then turned her head and motioned the changelings that were carrying a large box, to bring it forth. The Father of Monster’s desire for knowledge, however, was unfulfilled. “And what are we supposed to call this creation of ours, wisp? Who was it that we’re awakening anyway?” “Actually, I’m curious myself,” the Changeling Queen said as she opened the crate. “Who is this creature, whose head we had to steal from a hippogriff exhibition, and a staff made by centaurs?” “Very well,” Doubt said, “allow me to enlighten you both. Once upon a time, in the lands beyond Equestria, there was a king. A cruel and dangerous king, commander of a mighty fleet, whose reach spanned across the vast seas, bringing its thundering force with it. He was a conqueror of dozen lands, destroyer of dozen more, and many were the titles bestowed upon him by those who feared him: The Conqueror of Mount Aris, the Scourge of Abyssinia, the Lord of the Thundering Isle, to name a few. But there was only one that truly mattered to him. For the name of this invincible, implacable self-proclaimed force of nature was…” And out of the isolated container, the Queen of Changeling lifted a carved piece of obsidian, or at least it looked as such. The head, missing a lower jaw, its hair resembling jagged spines, bulging eyeballs, a small squashed nose nestled between them, a pair of large horns sticking out on the top of its head, with the left one being broken off, and sitting between them was a small crown, shattered. “The Storm King.” She sighed. “I’m rather disappointed. How could the supposed “fear incarnate” end up the way it did?” “Overconfidence, Broodmother,” Doubt answered. “The bane of anyone who seeks absolute power.” “Of course…” She rolled her eyes, before levitating the head over to the grizzled ram. He brought it face to face. “So, this is the creature I’m supposed to bring back? Should be easy enough. Although…” “Although what, Grogar?” “The look on his face…” he mused. “That’s an expression of absolute terror that’s been permanently imprinted on it. I wonder what unspeakable horrors he experienced in his final moments.” “You can ask him that yourself, Shaper,” the weaselly vapor pushed. “Now proceed with it.” Grogar carried the head over to the complete and armed obsidian body, fusing it to the top of the torso. With the construct now complete, he proceeded to the final stage. He picked up an ordinary rock from one of the earth elementals that were propping up the elevated platform, and molded it into a chisel, before proceeding to carve a border around the stone table where the construct lay, accompanied by runes. Once it came full circle, the chisel was dropped and the ram sorcerer closed his eyes, while his horns were still glowing. Soon, the inscription he had written began to glow in yellow, while dark clouds began to gather above. “Grogar… you better know what you’re doing,” Chrysalis warned him “Do not worry, Queen of Changelings,” he calmed her, “our new companion will just need a little kick-start.” The carved runes suddenly began to expand across the table, until the construct’s whole body was covered by them. Some time passed with relative calm, but then… the clouds above darkened the skies, a strong wind began to blow and followed by the sound of thunder as the rain began to fall. A twitch in the construct’s right arm, then in its left arm, then the legs. And then it happened: the eyes of the Storm King’s head that had been dull and empty suddenly began to glow in bright teal color, and then the rock finally blinked. All of a sudden, he shot up from the stone table he was lying on, raising his arms into the air. The thunder roared, and out of nowhere, the lightning struck from the clouds straight at him, getting absorbed into the Staff of Sacanas that was coiled around and embedded into the construct’s right arm. Fear. They were overcome by it. The creature that stood before them, it should not be… and yet here he was. “The king is back, BABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!” the satyr screamed.