//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: True Power // Story: Sunset Shimmer's magical adventures --Volume 4: The Conclusion, Part 2 // by Justafanfictioner //------------------------------// Sunset Shimmer, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle were facing Tirek, Sombra and Chrysalis. Taking a break from the battle were Stygian, Adagio, Aria, Sonata and Sunny. As for Moonlight, he was looking for Nightmare. “We were waiting for you to show up” said Sombra. “Maybe you can give us a good fight...” “We’ll give you the fight of your life, alright” said Rainbow Dash. “Not that it’ll be much of a fight for us...” “We’ll see about that...” said Chrysalis. “Still, we’re largely outnumbered here...” “Outnumbered, but not outmatched...” said Sombra. Chrysalis transformed into a dragon, Sombra summoned a shadow sword and shield and Tirek jumped in the air. They all charged at the heroes at the same time. They were targeting Fluttershy first, considering her the weakest of the 7. How were they surprised when she elegantly dodged their attacks with the grace of a cat. She landed a kick behind Sombra’s head and landed safely behind the group. Rainbow Dash used her opponents’ moment of vulnerability to get some free hits in. Applejack then punched Chrysalis and sent her flying a hundred meters away. Twilight and Pinkie bombarded Tirek with magic projectiles and Rarity and Sunset were fighting Sombra. The villains quickly realized they’d have to go full power to take the upper hand. “3 against one?” asked Sombra, figthing both Fluttershy, Rarity and Sunset at the same time. “That’s a bit unfair, don’t you think?” “Strenght in numbers” answered Sunset, wielding a magic blade. “We know your weaknesses.” “Moonlight told you all about us, uh?” asked Sombra, grinning. “On how to beat you? Absolutely” answered Rarity. [Earlier] “So, here’s the plan” said Sunset. “Applejack and Rainbow Dash will fight Chrysalis. A.J’s strenght and Rainbow’s speed will overwhelm her for sure. Pinkie Pie, Twilight, you’ll deal with Tirek...You’ll fight him at distance and barrage him with projectiles. From what Moonlight told us, He’s not good at long range fights. Me, Rarity and Fluttershy will fight Sombra at close quarter. Moonlight told me that he’s a versatile fighter, but isn’t that good in close-quarter combat. Sunny, Stygian, Aria, Sonata and Adagio, be ready to jump in if things get rough for us. Moonlight, you’re gonna look for Nightmare and defeat him if you can. If anything unexpected should happen, we’ll retreat and change strategy.” [Back to the present] “Not good” thought Sombra “I have to transform!!!” Sombra turned into his cloud form and tried to get away. Rarity immediately reacted to his move by trapping him inside a crystal cage, forcing him to go back in his physical form. “That magic...” said Sombra. “It’s the same magic than the Crystal Heart’s...But how?” “Surprised?” asked Rarity. “That’s one of the new properties my magic has gained!!” “Nobody will come to your rescue, Sombra.” said Sunset. Meanwhile, Chrysalis was doing her best to keep up, but between Rainbow Dash evading all her attacks and Applejack hitting her like a truck, she was outmatched. No transformation could make her fast enought to keep up with Rainbow or though enough to endure A.J’s attacks. For Tirek, things weren’t better for him. He tried getting up close to Pinkie Pie and Twilight, only to get sent back each time by their magic. When Twilight wasn’t throwing him around like a ragdoll, Pinkie was bombarding him with an endless supply of sticky, explosive projectiles. He tried beaming them, but they dodged them with ease. Seeing that massacre, Grogar decided to spice things up. “I think it’s time to send in my Legion of Monsters” he said. “Rise!!” All over the city, magic portals suddenly opened, pouring out an army of evil creatures and monsters from all corners of Equestria and beyond. Among them were 50 Timberwolves, 2 Hydras, 2 dozens of Yetis, a hundred Chimeras and Umbrums, 5 Cockatrices, a dozen of feral Bugbears and Manticores, 30 Giant spiders and scorpions, 20 Megalligators, 2 Ursa Major and Cerberus, who had been brainwashed. “You know what to do!!” shouted Sunset to Sunny. She nodded and with the others, they dispersed around town to fight the monsters. Some of them attacked Sunset and her friends. They were forced to concentrate their effort on the new threat ahead, leaving Chrysalis, Sombra and Tirek the opportunity to strike back at the heroes. “You didn’t think it would be that easy, didn’t you?!” asked Sombra. A Timberwolf jumped on Rarity, quickly intercepted by Fluttershy. “Think you can tame some of them, Fluttershy?” asked Sunset. “If they are driven by any sort of feral instinct, then yes, it’s possible” she answered. A group of Umbrums tried to free Sombra from his prison, with no avail. “The white girl...” he said. “She’s the one casting the spell.” The creatures attacked Rarity. Although Sunset and Fluttershy did their best to protect Rarity, many Umbrums passed through and injured Rarity. She lost her concentration, allowing Sombra to break free. “Good to see you again, Brother” said one of the Umbrums. Sombra caught him by the neck, pissed off. “Just looking at you make me sick” he said. “Do you know how much suffering i went through because of you, you wretched vermins? I loathe your kind with every single atom of my body. Knowing i’m one of you revolt me so much...” He released the Umbrum. “I don’t need your help, so get lost!” he said. The horde of monster was causing unprecedented damages to the city. Fluttershy was able to convert a lot of them to her cause, including Cerberus, and soon, a civil war between them happened. “Good work, Fluttershy!!” shouted Rainbow Dash. Sunny was burning down the horde of Timberwolves one by one. Stygian and the Sirens were taming the horde of Bugbears. Moonlight was fending off a large group of Umbrums, vaporizing them with Crystal magic. (He secretely learned it from Princess Amore herself, to keep the side effect of using Umbrum magic from hurting him). “Fall back!!” shouted an Umbrum. “This one can use Crystal Magic!!” The specters quickly fled away, and Moonlight continued his search for Nightmare. Seeing that the heroes were slowly, but efficiently mowing down his army of beasts, Grogar got mad. “You never cease to surprise me, Moonlight.” he said. “What other magic did you learned behind my back, i wonder?” He contacted Nightmare, who had taken possession of Cozy Glow’s body. “Nightmare” said Grogar. “Moonlight is looking for you...Don’t let him find you or that plan of yours won’t work.” “So, he turned on you, uh?” said Nightmare. “He won’t find me, you can be certain of that.” Grogar cut off communications with him. Using his dark, forbidden magic, he juiced up the Hydras and Ursa Majors. “What just happened?!” asked Applejack. “They’ve gotten stronger and faster all of a sudden!!” “Must be Grogar’s magic at work.” said Twilight. “Remind me how we’re supposed to take him down?” Sunset was trying to read Sombra’s mind to find any weaknesses she could use against him. Before he rejected her from his mind, she was able to get a name out of him: Radiant Hope. “What does that Radiant Hope mean to you?” asked Sunset to him. “Nothing, not after she betrayed me” he answered. “She was the first and only friend i ever had. But that’s in the past now...She’s been dead for a thousand years, now.” “What if she didn’t betray you, but instead tried to help you?” asked Rarity. “I don’t know her, but i know that a true friend would never betray another.” “I didn’t asked for her help” said Sombra. “No one could have helped me and nothing could have been done to help me. I sometime wished i was not born an Umbrum. Maybe my life would have been a happy one was i born in the Crystal Empire.” Sunset felt sympathy for Sombra. “Don’t look at me like that...” said Sombra. “I do not need your sympathy. I’m past the point of no-return.” “I promise i will save you!!” said Sunset. “I will save all of you!!” Tirek joined forces with Sombra. Sunset peeked into his mind and caught a name: Scorpan. “You still care for him, do you?” she asked to Tirek. “Despite his betrayal, you can’t bring yourself to hate him, am i right?” “One of us had to be the villain” said Tirek. “And it had to be me...My parents were driving me crazy, especially my father, so i figured out that being disowned by my family would be my only way to a life of freedom. If i did something so bad that it would result in me being banished from my homeland, then i’d be free from the burden of royalty.” “I see...” said Sunset. “But you never got to enjoy your freedom, didn’t you? You were defeated by the Princesses and sent to Tartarus for your crimes against Ponykind.” “It was still miles better than having to endure my overbearing mother and judgemental father all the time” said Tirek with a grin. Chrysalis joined in as well. “Don’t bother reading my mind” she said to Sunset. “You won’t find anything to use against me. I have no attachement to anyone.” “I know that as a queen, you tried your best to ensure the survival and wellbeing of your hive.” said Sunset. “Victim of your parasitic nature and survival instincts.” Chrysalis was perplexed by Sunset’s words. “And despite everything i did for them, they turned on me at the first occasion they got!!!” she yelled. “I swore that i would destroy them all and i will, once you and your friends are dead!!!” Chrysalis knocked Sunset back and retreated. Sombra and Tirek did the same. “We’ll be back, mark my words!!” she shouted. “So, what now?” asked Twilight. “For now, we deal with those creatures...” answered Sunset. The group had already neutralized ninety percent of the monster horde. Only the hydras, both Ursa Major and a handful of Bugbears, Umbrums, Timberwolves and Megalligators were left. Seeing this, Grogar called back the remaining monsters. “Playtime’s over!!” he said. “It’s time for them to fight my Boss Gauntlet! I’ll send all of my most powerful generals, the 10 Elites of Darkness...Or rather, the 8 elites of Darkness, since Moonlight and Sunny changed side. And i know exactly who to send first.” He recited a formula while drawing a summoning circle. “Kleaver!!! Shredder!! Ragna!! Razor!! Shira!! Hearts!! Silva!! Flare!!! I summon you from the depts of the Limbo!!” he shouted. “Do my bidding once more!!” Eight shadowy beings appeared in front of Grogar. They instantly took a human form and looked at their master. 4 were male and 4 were female. The tallest one, Kleaver, had a dark grey skin and ashen hairs. He was wearing a priest outfit. Next to him was Shira, a goth girl with long dark purple skin and black hairs. Next was Shredder, a buff guy with dark blue skin and no hairs. He was wearing a biker outfit, with the shaded glasses. Then was Ragna, a guy with pale grey skin and red and orange hairs. He was wearing a western-like outfit. After him was Silva, a tomboyish girl with silver skin and short, blonde hairs. She was wearing a pair of mini-shorts, a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket. Then there was Hearts, a girl with olive skin and dark green hairs. She was wearing animal fur and a teeth necklace. Finally, there was Flare, a girl with white skin and golden hairs. She was wearing a black bikini armor made of unknown metal. “Finally!!” said Kleaver “It’s good to breathe fresh air again!!” “What’s our mission?” asked Shredder. “I see you summoned all of us, well, almost...” said Ragna “Where are Sunny and Moonlight?” “Unfortunately” answered Grogar. “They defected to the enemy side...” “I told you those 2 were not trusthworthy” said Razor. “That’s sad...” said Shira. “I really liked Moonlight...” “I’m not” said Hearts “I always hated Sunny’s guts. That slutty behavior of hers was disgusting.” “Do we really need to kill Moonlight?” asked Silva. “If he’s betrayed us, then yes, we have to” answered Flare. “I know you loved him, but he never loved you back.” “Your task will be to get me those 7 girls’ geodes.” said Grogar. “Kill them if you have to” He then showed a picture of Sombra, Chrysalis, Tirek, Moonlight and Sunny. “Don’t attack them” said Grogar. “Sombra, Chrysalis and Tirek are our allies, and i want to keep Sunny and Moonlight alive, for now. You can get rid of the rest no problem.” “What if Sunny or Moonlight challenge us?” asked Razor. “They won’t” answered Grogar. “The 10 Elites can’t fight each other, i made sure of it. They won’t bother you. Beside, Moonlight and Sunny are nothing like they were before. They would mope the floor with you if you were to attack them. Now go and get me those Elements of Harmony!!” The 8 fighters were teleported away and reappeared in Canterlot. Before going on the offensive, they looked at the datas Grogar had on their targets. “Let’s see” said Razor. “Those girls have different powers and quite impressive ones at that.” “How do we proceed?” asked Shredder. “We need to approach those girls with the utmost care.” “I know how we will proceed” answered Flare. “Razor, your cutting magic will be the perfect counter to that Applejack’s super strenght.” “Make sense” said Razor. “She won’t be able to hit me without cutting herself to death.” “Silva, you’ll handle the speedster, since your gravity magic is the perfect counter to her power.” said Flare. “Fine!” she said. “Whateve...r” “Shredder, i believe your ability to break down matter will be the perfect counter to that girl’s crystal constructs.” said Flare. “Got it, Captain” he said. “You’re the brain of the group, after all, I trust your judgement.” “Ragnarok” said Flare. “Your explosion magic would be the ideal counter to that pink girl’s magic. Hearts, your own control over animals makes you the perfect candidate to take on that Fluttershy. Kleaver, your defensive abilities makes you the perfect opponent to take on those 3 girls and that guy. Shira, you’ll take on that Twilight. With your extraordinary sniping abilities and long range magic, it should be a piece of cake. As for me, i’ll handle their leader. Now that we have a plan, let’s get to it!!” The group headed toward their respective opponent.