//------------------------------//
// Shadow of Hope 
// Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World 
// by Amarvax 
//------------------------------//

Equestira. Outside the Crystal Empire. Nightfall.

Appearing outside the Crystal Empire and encountering Twilight was none other than an old childhood friend of King Sombra and another one of Celestia's students. One of her oldest. Radiant Hope.

"Wait a minute...You're Radiant Hope!" Twilight recognized Radiant Hope by appearance alone. It was a genuine surprise to see her here, especially during this time. The Shadow Spire was still around the Crystal Empire, caging it up and preventing anyone from entering. Aside from Sombra who was in possession of Ash's body at the moment.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle, right?" Radiant Hope replied, recognizing Twilight just by her appearance alone. It was a rather popular and noticeable appearance, luckily for her.

"Mhm! What are you doing here?!"

"I just came over to the Crystal Empire to see how things are. And I was right to show up here first." Radiant's eyes met with the large Shadow Spire. "The Dread League have already made their move and summoned a Shadow Spire. It's much bigger than what I've heard."

"Eh? You know about this thing?" Surprisingly, Radiant Hope already knew about the Shadow Spire prior to this. Sombra also knew but that was mainly due to him being an Umbrum.

"I do. I've been studying Magehold for a good time now and this is common knowledge to me. Once I heard the Black Crusade started, I had to come here. I was afraid they'd target the Crystal Empire first because it was the closest to Magehold and it looks like I was right. Somepony already put up a Shadow Spire."

"Amazing! You've been looking into Magehold this entire time?!" Twilight's eyes lit up with excitement as stars could be seen in them. "Is that what you've been doing this whole time?!"

"Well, yes. It's why I kept moving. I had to know more about Magehold and the Dread League and I had plenty of years to make it work. Over 1000 years. I'm lucky to just be a Pseudo Alicorn."

"I didn't even know that was possible...But do you know of a way to get rid of this spire then? Since you read up on it and everything."

"I do. It's not a pretty process though. The Shadow Spire has two ways of being taken down. By defeating the source of it or by absorbing it."

"Absorbing it?" Twilight looked back at the intimidating spire of Shadows. "What kind of absorption are we talking about?"

"It's not the one I'm looking forward to but since we're locked out of the Crystal Empire, it's the only option aside from going for the source. And the kind of Absorption is letting the shadows become one with you. The user has to invite the shadows within and take a huge risk. These shadows are tied closely to Magehold and are ridiculously destructive. The cost of absorbing them is threatening in so many ways."

"Y-You mean...Someone will perish?!" Twilight stuttered as the concept of life being lost was possible in this. As to be expected when it comes to the Dread League but it was still shocking to her, Pikachu and Espeon.

"Pika?!"

"Espeon?!"

"That's right. You could perish from it. This is Vampire magic after all and it has a different makeup from most magics. It's because of where the Vampires all come from. They have a different origin from us." Radiant Hope continued. "Vampire Ponies are all direct descendants of Liches."

"Vampires are descendants from Liches?! I thought they were just another evolved form of our old species! What is a Lich anyway?!" Twilight questioned, being hit with a shocking revelation. Just as shocking as what would happen if someone absorbed the Shadow Spire.

"They're still similar to us, but they're closer to Liches. Liches existed long ago, possibly at the very start of our world. This is because of the Primordial Magic. They're one of the few species in the world that are the closest to that magic. The one started every line of magic we know. Liches were born from that Primordial Magic after its essence met with a dead forest. That dead forest was manipulated by the Primordial Magic."

"I heard about a story like that once," Twilight added. "About a forest that brought life. I thought it was talking about something else entirely like the animals that lived there. Not Liches. So vampires are the only ponies closely related to Liches."

"The only ones. Liches came with Dark Magic that became a part of their existence thanks to the Primordial Magic. There are a few things in the world that are nearly as pure as the Primordial Magic. Like Alicorns. And this Shadow Spire comes pretty close to it."

"Hoh..." Twilight gawked, being hit with new information that she was most definitely going to look into. "Well...how are we going to go about this?"

"Unless one of us is willing to take that chance and bite the dust, this is our only option." Radiant Hope sighed. "I wish we could just take the other option but that's locked away from us."

"That's why Ash and Sombra went in. To try and take this spire down as soon as possible."

"Sombra? Sombra's in there?!" Now Radiant Hope was the next one to be surprised. Sombra's name had been brought up to her once more.

"He merged with Ash, taking control of his body in the meanwhile. Since he's an Umbrum, he was able to get inside. I don't know what they're doing in there or what's going on, but I'm hoping for the better. What do you think? Do we wait for them or try it now? Because I'm waiting for my Z-Crystal to recharge."

"If Sombra's in there, then he's probably working as hard as he can to fix this." Radiant Hope put on a smile that brought hope to herself. Fitting that SOmbra brought some hope to her. "But I also want to make sure he's okay. Let's try and take this spire down. And if we can't fully absorb it, then we can at least weaken it."

"Let me try," Twilight uttered, deciding to try and absorb the Shadow Spire.

"You? Are you sure? I was hoping I was the one to try and do it."

"I've done something like this before. I once emptied out all of my magic to make me a vessel for Rift Magic. I can try it again and allow all of the magic from this to find some space. It's all about giving space for your magic. Too much is dangerous for the body."

"You emptied out your own magic by yourself?!" Hope gasped as this concept never came up to any other pony in the world until Twilight went for it for the first time. Usually, a destructive force is what empties everyone's magic as seen by Tirek and many others. And that magic never comes back unless an outside force makes it happen. But to Radiant Hope's surprise, Twilight not only emptied out her own magic but she recovered it and gained something new in the process.

"Mhm. It's all about letting your body get used to it. My natural magic was with me since day one so my body adapted to it smoothly without any issues. And because of that, after I took in the Rift Magic, when my natural magic came back, there was enough space for it to coexist with the new magic. But I'm not sure how it'll work with this since I haven't had that much time with Rift Magic." Twilight pondered.

Rift Magic was relatively new for her. Her body was still getting used to it. After all, the first time she ever got it, she struggled to fall asleep. A common trait within Rift-Created Ponies. Absorbing Dark Magic, knowing how dangerous it can be to someone was the biggest risk possible. But by now, Twilight was used to taking huge risks.

"Your trainer sure is something..." Radiant Hope looked over at Espeon, complimenting Twilight's bravery. Espeon greatly agreed with a nod.

"Here goes..." Taking a deep breath, Twilight prepared for the worst as she showcased to Radiant Hope what it was like to relieve all of her magic from her body. And it was a stupendous sight indeed. From Twilight's body, an aura of her Natural Magic that she's always had from birth along with rift Magic would fly out, forming a tower that would soon disperse and morph into a fountain.

Equestrian Magic and Rift Magic would beautifully fly into the air, dropping stardust onto the snowy ground as Twilight could be seen groaning. Every ounce of her magic was being released and it showed just how much she had in store. It was so plentiful that it was almost as tall as the Shadow Spire that held blocked off the Crystal Empire.

And after emptying all of her magic, Twilight became an empty vessel once more. Now all she had to do was try and pull in the magic from Magehold. She wasn't sure what to expect but she was willing to take the risk. Similarly to how she allowed Rift Magic to enter, Twilight used the very little ounce of magic within her to pull the Dark Magic in her direction.

However, the second the Dark Magic entered her body, Twilight felt a shock go through her. The Princess of Friendship gasped as the Dark Magic already laid out a powerful effect on her. And a good chunk entered the young alicorn in a matter of seconds. Twilight's eyes were pulsating with dark energy as her mouth was open, taken aback by what she was feeling. Espeon stood tall, fearing that the Dark Magic had already gotten to Twilight.

And without hesitating, Twilight pulled back, ending the absorption process. She ceased absorbing the magic from the Shadow Spire, stumbling back and falling down on the snow. "Twilight! Are you alright?!"

"Pikachu?!"

"Esp! Espeon?!" Espeon quickly rushed over to her trainer's side.

"That was...H-Horrible...!" Twilight groaned as her eyes felt bewildered by the amount of dark magic that was around her. She coughed a few times as dark magic would leave her body, soon bringing back her original magic and Rift Magic. "I felt like I was about to meet my end with that."

"I did say it had the potential to destroy anyone who tried to absorb it. But I didn't think you'd feel its effects so quickly." Radiant Hope helped her fellow Student of Celestia up. 

"This kind of dark magic is different to what I've experienced." Twilight groaned after getting back up. "Is this what it Dark Magic from Magehold feels like?"

"It is. Dark Magic from Magehold is different from what the rest of the world knows. Dark-Type Pokemon and Sombra's Dark Magic are destructive but they can also be used for good. But Magehold's Dark Magic is seemingly only bent on destruction." Radiant Hope added. "That kind of darkness only exists to destroy. But I never thought that applied to our bodies too."

"It's fine." Twilight took a deep breath. "We can through to this."

"Eh?! Are you saying you'll try again?!" Hope gasped, hoping that Twilight wasn't planning on attempting to absorb the magic a second time. "It's already shown us that it can be highly volatile."

"I know. But maybe...Some inside help can change that." Twilight had another approach to it. Ash and Sombra are already in there trying to take down the Shadow Spire. So I suggest that we help with that. If there's any sign that its weakening then we should strike while the iron is hot. Now that I think about it...how come they've never used this before?"

"Shadow Spires require a lot of magic to keep up. No vampire can keep a Shadow Spire up for an incredibly long time. They're only doing it now because the Black Crusade's started. The vampire that did this will probably ruin the Crystal Empire and then the Shadow Spire will fade away."

"That won't happen. Radiant. I need your help to take this spire away. When it shows signs of weakness, I'll try and absorb the Dark Magic. If something goes wrong, I need you to assist me."

"I get it. Your idea still comes with a lot of dangers but I also need to get in there as soon as possible. Can you reach, Ash?"

"I tried my Xtransceiver earlier but it cuts off any connection to the Crystal Empire. We just have to hope that Ash and Sombra are already doing something about it." It was all about Hope for this. Hope that Ash and Sombra could either weaken or destroy this Shadow Spire in time.



The Crystal Empire.

And indeed, Ash-Sombra was hard at work. Having Ash's Pokemon out for assistance, they were all closing in on the castle, which was where Ash-Sombra figured the vampires would be. Sableye and Golurk were being knocked aside by these Pokemon but the numbers were still vast.

That was exactly why he was only going to the source of the problem instead of tackling every single Sableye and Golurk here. But along the way, Ash-Sombra stopped to notice some familiar faces. Apart from the innocents who were restrained by the Sableye from doing anything else, there were the Crystal Empire Guards. 

Ash-Sombra came to a halt with his Pokemon to see the Canterlot Guards lying on the ground, exhausted and defeated. And among them was Shining Armor and his Aegislash. Both were defeated, lying around a pile of crystals as SHining Armor's armour was in a poor state.

"Shining Armor! Aegislash!" Ash's voice took over for a moment before switching control back to Sombra. He spoke in the way Sombra would when seeing this. "This is a rather displeasing display. So much for Canterlot Guards."

"Ugh..." Shining Armor, who was still conscious, groaned and squirmed on the ground as his eyes opened to see none other than Ash's face. But he also ended up hearing Sombra's voice. "Is that Ash...and Sombra?"

"Both. I've only taken control of the boy's body in the meanwhile." Ash-Sombra immediately broke up any confusion that could form from this. "How did this happen exactly?"

"I don't know...So many of my Royal Guard just vanished all of a sudden." Shining Armor uttered with a weak voice. And a weak body in general. It was thanks to Ash taking control of Sombra's body for a moment that he helped the unicorn up. "I couldn't deal with so many of those Pokemon..."

"So, you were sabotaged, eh?" Sombra took control. "Hmph. It's almost as pathetic as when you first dealt with me. But at least you went down fighting this time."

"You don't have to rub it in, Sombra..." Shining Armor sighed. "Aegislash tried his best but was knocked out eventually. Maybe if all of our guards were here with us, this wouldn't have happened. I don't even know what's happened with the rest of my family."

"The alicorns?" Ash-Sombra narrowed his eyes before looking over at the castle. "I have a good idea as to where they might be. I'm heading for the castle. Stay here and contemplate on your failure." He would then drop Shining Armor to the ground, still holding a grudge after he and Cadence took over the Crystal Empire and replaced him. The grudge has died down a bit but it was still present.

"W-Wait!" But before Ash-Sombra could walk off, Shining Armor called out to him. Gathering the remaining strength that he had, Shining Armor stood back up, straining himself. "I have to come with you! I need to know if my family is still okay!"

"Do you honestly think you can do anything in your condition? It's best that you stay down." Ash-Sombra scoffed, suggesting that Shining Armor should just stay down and rest. But quickly, Ash took control, being the dominant voice once again. "Here you go, Shining!"

With his arm out, Ash controlled the shadows, allowing them to reach Shining Armor. The unicorn felt his body being embraced in welcoming shadows instead of violent ones. The shadows wrapped around his body, enveloping him in Healing Magic. By using Sombra's Healing Magic, Ash rejuvenated Shining Armor, giving him some strength.

"Oooh..." Shining Armor sighed, feeling parts of his strength come back to him. It felt like being embraced by a comfortable bed or a calm ocean.

"How did you figure out to use my magic?!" Sombra took control again, yelling at Ash from within.

"It just seemed natural. We're one in the same now, so I can do what you can do. It's pretty neat, right?"

"You intrusive little...!" Sombra groaned. "What else was I expecting? I did put this on myself by taking control over your body. Then again, I'm struggling to see who's actually in control here?"

"Dra! Dragonite!" Suddenly, Dragonite, who was still airborne, called out to Ash-Sombra from below while Shining Armor was getting back up.

"Hm?! Do you see something, Dragonite?!" Ash's voice spoke through his own body.

"Ah! She probably spotted something in the distance from that height! No time to stand around, we need to keep moving." Sombra retook control. If you still think you have enough strength left within you, then come along and don't hold me back." Ash-Sombra would then continue on his way alongside the rest of Ash's Pokemon. After what Dragonite spotted, they had to see for themselves. It was probably too important to miss especially since it was seen from a high height.

Once Shining Armor got back up, he immediately went for his downed partner Aegislash. He can always count on Aegislash and right now, he needed his bladed partner to be healed up to full strength. With Aegislash by his side, Shining Armor always felt that he could continue on and now was the perfect time to keep on going.



As for the Dread League, Sweet Fang and the vampires already decided to leave the Crystal Empire as soon as possible now that Ash and Sombra had shown up. They couldn't risk having the two alicorns being taken away from them. Speaking of which, the Golurk was still holding onto the two unconscious alicorns, carrying them while following the vampires as they would lead it back to Magehold.

However, that was when Dragonite spotted them. By taking to the skies and reaching a high point, the Dragon Pokemon's eyes met with Sweet Fang and her group from afar. She immediately saw Cadence and the alternate Flurry Heart within the arms of a Golurk.

The bellowing roar of Dragonite was so loud that it reached Sweet Fang's group as they were away from most of the buildings with the closest being the castle.

"They've spotted us!" A vampire cried out after being discovered by Dragonite who was the eyes in the sky.

"Darn it! The Sableye and Golurk failed?!" Sweet Fang grizzled her teeth, annoyed that she was spotted before she could fully leave the Crystal Empire. Thanks to Ash-Sombra blitzing through the Golurk and Sableye, not wanting to deal with every single one of them, the vampires couldn't get too far to escape the sights of their enemies. "Bah! Just focus on getting these two back to Magehold!"

"They got in though and they could follow us there! How do we deal with them?!" One vampire wasn't too sure that they could lose Ash and Sombra, wanting a backup plan.

"We already have a way to deal with them. Now that the Black Crusade has been initiated, we have access to practically everything. And that involves the Windigoes. We'll let them deal with those two." To make up for their absence from the Crystal Empire, the Dread Leauge would summon the entities that were the closest to Magehold.

The ghostly-like creatures of Equestria that feed off fighting and hatred. And right now, the Crystal Empire was brimming with forced hatred thanks to Sweet Fang. As such, the Windigoes were called upon. Up in the dark skies, spectral eyes flashed, signifying the coming of the spirits that caused Hearth's Warming to begin.

Aside from assistance from the Pony of Shadows, the Windigoes were another powerful ally to the Dread League during the Black Crusade. And such an ally already proved to be a threat to many ponies who nearly perished in the cold because of their past. However, at the same time, retaliations towards the Black Crusade were only increasing as word of it was spreading out and it started rearing its ugly head. Only time will tell what will become of this first night of the Black Crusade.

As the journey continues.


Chapter 135 End.