The Treehouse of Harmony wasn’t large enough to provide a shelter for every pony in Ponyville. However, the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters provided sufficient space.
Starlight stood at the entrance. She and several unicorns had put up a barrier around the ruins to keep the monsters from getting inside. The monsters pounded on the barrier, but none were able to break through. Starlight could only hope this would buy them enough time until Twilight arrived. She walked down to the dungeon where her daughter was being kept.
Luster glared at her mother through the bars. “So now you’re keeping me locked up, eh, Mom?”
Starlight sighed. “Luster, please. This is for your own good.”
“Just like how you sent me away?” Luster asked. “You always act as though you know what’s best for me!”
Starlight’s heart pulled as she said, “Yes. Luster, but you know I regretted that… but you still have every right to be angry at me. I was such an overprotective parent at times. I just couldn’t bear the thought of Chrysalis hurting you. I wanted to make sure you were safe. I love you, Luster.”
Luster’s expression softened, “Mom, I- arggh!”
Luster put a hoof to her head as dark energy flowed around it.
“Hang on, Luster! Twilight will be here soon, and she’ll find some way to undo that spell Grogar placed on you.”
Starlight went back upstairs, ignoring the hateful words Luster spoke.
“Look!” Pinkie Pie called from her watchtower. “Twilight’s coming!”
“Open the barrier for her!” Starlight called.
Upon her command, a few unicorns lit up their horns and a hole opened in the barrier for the Ruler of Equestria to enter the Castle. Twilight flapped her wings, heading for the hole. Only for a large black bug to suddenly tackle her before she could reach it. The onlookers gasped as Twilight managed to pull herself free and look at her assailant.
“Chrysalis!” Twilight said.
The former changeling Queen grinned at her.
“Hello, Twilight!” she said. “You’ve certainly grown since our last fight.”
Twilight frowned. “We never fought directly!”
Chrysalis chuckled. “Oh yes, how could I forget? You know, ever since I’ve been freed, I’ve been wondering… why did you choose to go after Tirek instead of me during the Battle of the Bell? I know he destroyed your first home in Ponyville, but I turned your brother and friends against you?”
Twilight shot her a glare. “Tirek was closer, and he was probably more powerful.”
“That centaur is strong,” Chrysalis admitted. “But I’m stronger still!”
Down on the ground, Tirek heard her and frowned. “Hey! I defeated the Pillars by myself while you had trouble subduing a single unicorn!”
“Shut up!” Chrysalis snapped. “Cozy, get up here and help me!”
Cozy flew up beside the changeling. Twilight shot her a look of confusion.
“You were an adult before!”
“Yes, and now I’m a little alicorn again! And Chrysalis and I are about to wipe the floor with you!”
“I don’t think so!”
Rainbow Dash suddenly zoomed through the open hole of the barrier and tackled Cozy Glow and Chrysalis, spinning their bodies awry.
“Come on, Twilight!” the pegasus said.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash flew through the shield's opening, which promptly closed behind them as Chrysalis and Cozy tried to follow. Chrysalis splat her face on the barrier as she was a second too late.
Cozy shot Chrysalis a dirty look. “You let her get away!”
“Me?” Chrysalis asked.
“You should have just stabbed her with your horn or something! But nooo, you had to torment her!”
“What is the point in destroying your enemies if you don’t enjoy it?” Chrysalis asked.
“As long as they don’t come back to defeat you again, that’s more important!”
Twilight and Rainbow watched their two flying enemies quarrel before lowering themselves to the floor of the castle.
“Is everypony alright?” Twilight asked.
“We’re okay for now,” Starlight said.
“Discord's been summoning fruit for us ever since we got here, so we’re halfway decent on provisions,” Trixie said.
“Very funny!” Discord said as he snapped his fingers, causing half an apple to appear in front of Big Sugar, Lil Cheese, and Iggy.
“Is everything okay in Canterlot?” Ocellus asked.
Twilight grimaced. “Spike, Moondancer, and Gallus are doing their best to hold out there. Grogar’s monsters appeared and started attacking. We managed to defeat the first wave and erect a barrier to defend the city. I sent word across Equestria asking for reinforcements. I just hope Grogar hasn’t got enough monsters to conquer all of it at once. Where’s Luster?”
Starlight led Twilight down to the dungeons where Luster was still in her cell. The Princess opened the door.
“Luster-”
The pink unicorn lowered her horn, which wore a magic suppressing ring. Luster ran at Twilight, who yelped. Fortunately, Starlight was ready. She took Luster in her magic and managed to push her daughter back against the wall.
“Sorry, Luster!” Starlight apologized.
Twilight let out a breath of relief. That was close. She had almost been done in by her student.
While Luster was restrained to the wall, Twilight approached her. Twilight harnessed light into her horn. “This is the only thing I could think of that you said you hadn’t tried,” she told Starlight. “I’ll have to absorb it into myself.”
“Absorb? You mean like a centaur? I didn’t know a pony could do that.”
“Officially we can’t but... let’s just say there is a spell locked in the restricted section of Canterlot’s archives. Even I didn’t know about it until recently because it’s experimental and dangerous.”
“How... dangerous?” Starlight asked.
Twilight sighed. “Absorbing any magic can be harmful to a pony, dark magic especially. I might end up being affected by it in a similar manner to Luster. But I’ve dealt with illusions before. I think I can handle it.”
Twilight directed her horn at Luster, and absorbed the magic. Darkness flew out of her student into Twilight’s horn, the alicorn’s head felt like it was on fire for a moment, then she fired a large spell of dark lavender magic that broke through the wall of another cell. She couldn’t keep that dark magic inside her, but even though she’d gotten rid of most of it, there would still be some left in her. She let out a few deep breaths and looked at Luster, who had collapsed onto the floor of the cell. The pink unicorn then opened her eyes.
“Luster?” Starlight asked.
“Mom?” Luster got to her hooves, and as tears formed in her eyes, threw her hooves around her mother with a sniffle. “Oh, Mom, I’m so sorry!”
***
Luster’s friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Diamond Tiara were all resting on half sleeping bags summoned by Discord. They weren’t too comfortable as they only covered half of their bodies. Without strength potions, all of them could barely move now. Until Tirek was defeated, they would remain this weak. Twilight had arrived, and all they could do was hope she would free Luster. Then someone approached them, it was Rarity.
“Are you alright, darlings?” she asked, taking Sweetie Belle’s hoof.
“Yeah. How’s the barrier holding up around here?” Scootaloo asked.
“I don’t think we’ll be able to maintain it for much longer,” Rarity said. “The unicorns are getting migraines.”
She, Lyra Heartstrings, and Pumpkin Cake had their teeth gritting and eyes spinning, as did several other unicorns who stood in formation around the castle.
“I wish I could help.” Sweetie Belle said. “The only thing I ever did when it came to a villain was get locked in a closet.”
“Yeah, it’s not fair,” Scootaloo complained. “Our big sisters got to do all the awesome stuff.”
“There there,” Rarity said. “You just relax. Twilight will figure something out.”
At that moment, Twilight and Starlight walked back up the steps, followed by Luster Dawn, who wore a face of remorse.
“Luster!” Gallop exclaimed.
“Is it really you?” River Song asked.
“Yes,” Luster nodded.
“Oh, thank Celestia!” Sunburst said as he ran up and hugged his daughter.
“I knew Luster was too great and powerful to be gone forever!” Trixie said as she joined in the hug.
For a moment, Luster stayed in the embrace of her Father and Godmare. Then she looked at her friends.
“Are you guys, okay?”
Gallop managed a smile. “Well, we can’t move too much, but we’re glad you’re okay.”
Luster walked up to her Coltfriend and nuzzled hims as he lay on the half sleeping bag. “I didn’t hurt any of you, did I?”
“No, but you did give your mother a bit of a beating, though.” River Song said.
“And you destroyed all our houses!” Rainbow Dash said.
“Uh… sorry!” Luster said.
Luster looked at Starlight, who had been bandaged up by the Ponyville Nurse once they’d gotten to the Castle.
“What matters is that we have you back!” her mother said.
“Yelena happy Luster back!” the yak said.
“We’re glad you’re alright,” Fluttershy said.
“You’re worth more than any amount of gold, Luster,” Georgia said.
Luster gave a remorseful smile. “I know I probably have some things to make up for, and-”
“You won’t have the time to atone for any of it!” a familiar malevolent voice said from the doors to the castle. It was Chrysalis flanked by Cozy Glow and Tirek. They looked through the barrier at the many ponies inside who shivered at the sight of the most infamous trio of villains.
“Chrysalis,” Twilight said, greeting the oldest of her worst enemies with a frown. “I was expecting Grogar here sooner or later.”
“Oh, you won’t have to worry about facing him!” Chrysalis said, looking Twilight in the eye.
“We took him down just like we did Discord before!” Cozy Glow said.
“What?!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
“I should have known you three monsters would try something like that!” Applejack pointed an accusing hoof. “You three would betray anybody to get what you want! Even each other!”
“We defeated you guys once!” Rainbow Dash said. “We’ll do it again!”
“This time, we have an army of monsters by our side!” Tirek reminded them. “Now we have our own massive army to keep yours at bay!”
“My niece Flurry Heart will be here soon!” Twilight said. “Thanks to Starcutter, the Crystal Empire’s military has become the strongest in all of Equestria. He may have served Grogar for a time, but now he’s back in charge!”
“Oh, I don’t think we need to worry about your little niece!” Chrysalis said. “We were not the only ones Grogar brought back. He resurrected King Sombra just as Discord did. Sombra is likely preparing to take the Crystal Empire as we speak!”
Twilight's eyes widened, and her throat filled with concrete. Frozen, she could only stare as the lips of the villains curled into sinister smirks of victory.
“Yes… your niece won’t be coming to save you!” Tirek said. “At least not before we’re through with you!”
***
In the Crystal Empire, Flurry Heart sat on her throne as she looked down at the pony who had betrayed her a short time ago. Starcutter stood there in chains, looking upon the ruler he had sworn to protect but then betray.
“Starcutter, you claimed that Grogar had returned,” Flurry Heart said. “We… my Aunt Twilight and I… did not believe you at the time since you were a criminal. But now he has returned… and while this doesn’t prove you were controlled as the Ruby of Reign was destroyed when Luster Dawn defeated you, it makes me willing to give you a chance to fight for Equestria and this Empire.”
“Thank you, Princess Flurry Heart.”
“If you have any information about Grogar… please speak now,” Flurry said. “It will likely help when we face him.”
Starcutter looked down. “I’m afraid I don’t know much about him… aside from the fact that he is very wicked and powerful. He’s been around for many thousands of years and has plenty of magical experience. Now he has the Bewitching Bell, which will make him much more difficult to deal with. Gusty the Great managed to defeat him by stealing the bell and using it to drain much of his magic. Though he somehow managed to stay alive for so long. Eventually, as far as I know, he found Sharp Eye, who hoped to restore King Sombra’s reign. Sombra is back as well.”
“What?!” Flurry exclaimed.
Her memories flashed back to when she had been a foal. Most of them were hazy, but she did remember King Sombra holding her in his magic and her calling out to her mother Cadence, who had had such a look of fury on her face. Flurry felt tears starting to make their way up at the memory of her late parents. The three of them had been prisoners of Sombra until her aunt came and rescued them.
“He will likely have Sharp Eye with him. Sombra said he wanted the Crystal Empire back. If Grogar has the Bewitching Bell, then it is likely he will make his move soon.”
“He already has!” Flurry screamed, levitating a letter from her Aunt to the brown Earth Pony. “Monsters have attacked Ponyville and sent everypony or creature there into hiding at the Castle of the Two Sisters.”
“Oh no!” Starcutter exclaimed. “Sombra is probably on his way here! We must get to the Crystal Heart and activate it to protect the Empire!”
Flurry was immediately off her throne and prepared to fly out the window to get to the Crystal Heart. But she stopped, looking back at Starcutter.
“Release him!” she ordered the guards. “And arm him! We need every available soldier to protect the Empire! I reinstate Starcutter as Captain of my guard!”
She flew out, and Starcutter was freed of his chains then handed a sword. The other guard ponies then saluted their returned Captain. Starcutter managed a smile, glad at finally being able to fight for the right side. One good thing he’d done while possessed was training the Empire's soldiers hard… now Grogar was going to regret that decision. Unless… Starcutter shuddered as he recalled the last time King Sombra had retaken the Empire and possessed its guards to force them to do his bidding. Sombra would likely try the same thing again.
“Order the citizens back to their homes! Martial law is in effect!” Starcutter ordered.
“Right away, sir!”
***
Flurry flew toward the Crystal Heart. If she could just activate it, they could put up a wall around the Empire that would destroy King Sombra and anyone else who sought to do it harm. Sombra had gotten past it last time thanks to having the element of surprise, but this time, thanks to Starcutter, he had lost that advantage. Flurry was almost to the Heart, her wings flapping, she reached out her hooves.
But just as she was about to touch it, the Heart vanished. Flurry stopped in midair, a look of disbelief on her face.
A dark mist swirled in the sky and landed on the ground in front of her. Evil laughter echoed through the Empire as he appeared. King Sombra, the tyrant who had cursed the Empire to vanish when Celestia and Luna had defeated him in their own attempt to save it over a thousand years ago, appeared. He looked much the same in his red cape and steel armor, but his curved horn had become larger, almost like an antler.
“Hello, Flurry Heart,” he said, looking at her with an evil fanged smile. “My, how you’ve grown.”
Flurry frowned at him.
“Your mother is not here to protect you this time,” Sombra said.
“I’m not a foal anymore!” Flurry Heart said as her magic lit up on her horn. “Didn’t getting defeated by my Aunt twice last time teach you anything?”
Sombra laughed. “The first time I simply pretended to be defeated by your precious Aunt! The second time, well… she used the Magic of Friendship… which I will admit is a force to be reckoned with. But now I have a new power to counter it!”
He stomped his hooves and smiled.
“What are you- Argh!” Flurry yelled, her body suddenly spiraling to the ground, only to impact it a moment later with a painful thud. “Aww... What have you...” Her eyes widened in shock. “My wing!”
“And something else too!” Sombra said with a dark chuckle, only to see Flurry looking up and gasping at the sight of her broken horn. “Hmm… what do you call an alicorn who has one wing and half a horn?” He asked sarcastically. “A pegacorn? No, a peck of corn!”
He laughed at his joke. Then suddenly, the other black unicorn, Sharp Eye, teleported to his king’s side along with several Crystal Empire citizens who wore helmets like the ones Sombra had conjured last time to control them.
“I have brought you minions, my king!” Sharp Eye said.
“Excellent! Soon this Empire will be mine again. The others will deal with Twilight Sparkle, and even if she manages to defeat them… if I can do this to her as well, she will not have her magic. There will be no stopping me this time!” Sombra proclaimed with an evil laugh as his horn as well as his eyes lit up.
Flurry was hit by Sombra’s illusion. She no longer saw the dark king. She saw the entire Crystal Empire. It had turned dark, the Crystal Heart was under Sombra’s control and he sat on the throne. Then two other figures appeared. It was her parents, Cadence and Shining Armor, and they both looked down at her.
“Flurry! You failed to protect the Empire,” her mother said.
“We are very disappointed in you,” Shining Armor said.
“We wish you had never been born,” they said together.
Flurry recoiled at the specter’s words. Then another voice called out,
“Don't worry, you’ll soon be with them! No one will threaten my claim to the throne again!”
Sombra himself appeared in the illusion. His horn lighting with another spell. He was about to finish her off! But then...
“Princess!”
It was Starcutter’s voice this time. There was the sound of magic shooting from a horn, and Flurry could see normally again. Her restored Captain of the guard was in front of her, blocking the green magic of King Sombra that had been intended for her with his sword. Flurry let out a breath of relief and shock.
“Starcutter!” she exclaimed.
The Captain didn’t reply, merely grunting and swinging his sword, trying to send Sombra’s own attack back at him. Though he missed, the spell instead hitting a nearby Crystal House.
“Get them!” Sharp Eye ordered.
The ponies and other creatures he’d gotten control of advanced on Starcutter and Flurry Heart. Flurry shivered as she saw her own citizens coming at her with intent to harm her. With one wing and a chipped horn, she had no special alicorn powers to defend herself with.
“Protect the Princess!” Starcutter ordered.
Upon the Captain's command, members of the Royal Guard placed themselves around Flurry, holding their javelins out. Sombra laughed.
“All you’re doing is giving me more ponies to attack her with!”
His horn and eyes lit up again. All of the guards stood there for a second, then turned around to face Flurry Heart; their eyes were now bright green. All except-
“Finish her, Starcutter!” Sombra ordered as he and Sharp Eye drew close to the circle of guards. “Strike her down!”
Starcutter raised his sword, acting as though he were about to do as Sombra bade him. But instead, he turned around and swung. The blade caught Sombra’s enlarged horn, severing it to almost back to its normal size. The king screamed; his horn let out sparks of unstable magic as he put a hoof to it.
“My king!” Sharp Eye exclaimed.
Sombra’s horn had white light coming out of it now. It hung in the air above him and then began flying away of its own accord. There was a snap, and suddenly Flurry felt something different. She looked and saw her wings and horn were back!
“I’ve lost the chaos magic!” Sombra yelled.
He looked after the white light which was moving at too high a speed for him to catch up with. Sombra growled, then looked at Flurry in a fury. His arrogance and overconfidence had melted away, now replaced with a look of pure rage.
“I shall have to take your alicorn magic then!” he said, his severed horn lighting up as he tried to levitate the Bewitching Bell over to himself.
“My king! Wait!” Sharp Eye said.
Magical energy crackled around the bell as it neared them; Sombra’s magic was out of control! A small explosion filled the area, throwing Flurry, Starcutter, Sombra, and many ponies to the ground. Sharp Eye, however, was not so lucky. The explosion caught him, burning his black coat. Flurry put a hoof to her head, which she’d hit slightly during the fall. When she looked up, she saw them. Her parents were looking down on her.
“Flurry?” Shining Armor said.
Flurry extended her hooves. Her parents seemed to come closer and wrapped theirs around her.
“Flurry, you need to get up. Save the Empire!” Shining said. “Save Equestria! Save your Aunt!”
“Get up, my sweet little filly. Be the ruler I know you can be. Stop him!” Cadence spoke now. “Spread the light and love!”
The images of her parents vanished. Then she saw it… the Crystal Heart had returned to its pedestal! Sombra’s use of chaos magic had taken away one of her wings and part of her horn. Now that he no longer had it, the Crystal Heart had returned as well. If she could just reach it!
“It's over, Sombra!” Flurry yelled as she forced herself up.
Sombra looked over at the naturally born alicorn as she struggled to make her to the returned Heart.
“You do not know when to give up!” he roared.
It was true. Even when she’d been a foal, she had had a fighting spirit, trying to bite his hoof when he’d held her or shooting at the crystal prison he’d kept her and her parents in. She was not going to give up now, not when the fate of her kingdom lay in the balance. Flurry’s wings carried her to the Heart, her horn lit up at the same time as Sombra’s severed one. Her back was to him as he unleashed a powerful explosion at her just as she activated the Crystal Heart.
“No!”
Starcutter threw himself in between the path of Sombra’s attack and Flurry Heart. Two explosions sounded, one green, the other white. The green was only by a few ponies, but the white spread across the entire Empire. Sombra let out a yell as the light and love from the Crystal Heart hit him for a second time, and this resulted in his third… final defeat. His dark body and spirit disintegrated.
The hypnotized citizens of the Empire and the Royal Guards got to their hooves as Flurry gazed upon the body of the pony who’d sacrificed himself for her. The pony she had thought of as a traitor, but now she saw just how loyal he’d always been. Starcutter was still alive, breathing slowly as she walked up to him.
“I should have believed you from the start!” Flurry said as tears appeared in her eyes. “Maybe we could have prevented this from happening!”
“Shh… don’t cry, Princess!” Starcutter said. “I’m going to see your parents… and all those that I lost… I hope.”
Flurry nodded. She knew of Starcutter’s background… he’d lost his mother at a young age and had dedicated his life to trying to help others as a soldier. He’d carried his pain with him all his life. His stern eyes closed, and his hoof fell.
“You will be remembered for this, Captain Starcutter.” Flurry said before rising to her hooves. Now was not the time to mourn, not when her Aunt still needed her.
“Prepare to move out to the Everfree Forest!”
She only hoped she was not too late...