//------------------------------// // The Plan // Story: The Return of King Sombra // by Dragon-Master-31 //------------------------------// Almost immediately as Twilight returned to Ponyville from Appleloosa, she found Spike, who waiting just outside the Ponyville Hospital, pacing back and forth looking extremely worried. Seeing the poor dragon all worried made Twilight sigh out of sadness. She knew that she would probably have to explain what was going on. She couldn’t just not tell Spike the truth and even if she didn’t, he would definitely find out about it. Once Twilight exited the portal, Spike saw her and quickly rushed over to her. “Twilight! There you are! I was so worried!” Spike said as he ran over and hugged Twilight’s front leg. “It’s okay, Spike. There’s no reason to worry anymore, I’m right here.” Twilight said, giving Spike a comforting hug. “What’s going? What happened in Appleloosa?” Spike asked, pointing to how busy the hospital was. “(Sigh) Spike, come with me. We have something important to do.” Twilight said as she began to head in the direction of her castle. “Huh? What are we going to do? And what happened in Appleloosa?” Spike asked, quickly following behind Twilight. “I’ll tell you once we’re back at the castle.” Twilight responded as they both continued making their way back home. As soon as Twilight and Spike had arrived at the castle, Twilight used her magic to teleport Spike and herself to her study room. Once there, Twilight shut the door to her study with her magic and then motioned for Spike to sit down. “Twilight, what happened? You look so… scared.” Spike said, observing the distraught look on Twilight’s face. “Spike, how much of our conversation did you hear when Braeburn and Capper were talking about Appleloosa?” Twilight asked. “Well… not much.” Spike responded, scratching his head. “All I really heard was them saying that Appleloosa had been attacked. But before I could learn anything else, Mayor Mare told me to go outside.” “Well, yes Appleloosa was attacked. But it wasn’t just a regular attack, it was… a massacre.” Twilight said. “A massacre? Y-You mean ponies d-died in Appleloosa?” Spike asked, gulping a bit. “Yes, Spike. A lot of ponies were killed. Thankfully some managed to survive by hiding out in the safety bunker. Those ponies that you saw going into the hospital were the survivors.” Twilight explained. “B-But no pony has ever killed another pony in years!” Spike cried. “I know, that’s why this is extremely serious, and we have to tell the princesses. Can you take a letter for me?” Twilight asked. “O-Of course, I can, Twilight!” Spike said, pulling out a paper and quill, ready to write down whatever he needed to write. “Ready.” “Okay, here it goes.” Twilight said as she told Spike what to write in the letter. Dear Princesses, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, I am writing to each of you to inform you that something terrible has happened in Appleloosa It was recently brought to my attention that a group of rogue villains have not only attacked Appleloosa, but they also killed a lot of ponies Two survivors by the name of Braeburn and Capper managed to escape, and they brought us to Appleloosa to save the survivors I have never in my life seen or heard of such a bloodshed Right now, Ponyville is taking care of the survivors but naturally this is causing worry and fear to spread I am deeply troubled as I have no idea what to do I wish to ask the three of you, what can I do? How can I help keep the peace and keep everypony calm during this horrific time? I need your help Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle “Did you get all that, Spike?” Twilight asked, looking down at the busy dragon. “Yep. Got it all written down.” Spike replied. “Good. Send the letter please, Spike. One to each of the princesses.” Twilight said. Spike wasted no time as he quickly sent the letter to each of the princesses in Equestria. Now all that was left to do was wait for a response. Earlier… In one of the hallways of the royal palace of Canterlot, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were walking side by side discussing a very important matter. “Are you sure it is time, sister?” Luna asked, looking at her big sister. “Yes, I am fairly certain that it is the perfect time. Twilight has proven herself worthy to take our place.” Celestia replied while nodding. “Do you perhaps feel that she is unworthy?” “No, nothing of the sort, sister. While I agree that Twilight Sparkle has indeed proven her worthiness, I still think it might be a bit early for her.” Luna said. As the two sisters were about to continue discussing the plans, they had for Twilight’s future role in Equestria, they were both surprised as a letter suddenly appeared before them and fell to the floor in front of their hooves. “A letter from Twilight?” Luna asked as Celestia picked up the letter and opened it with her magic. “It appears to be so.” Celestia said as she read the letter. As Celestia read the letter that Twilight had sent, Luna could see that it was bad news as she watched Celestia’s facial expression slowly change to that of one full of worry and horror. “Celestia, what is wrong? What has Twilight written that is making you look so afraid?” Luna asked. “It… It can’t be…” Celestia said as she finished reading the letter. “Sister, what is it? What has happened?” Luna asked, now starting to feel worried. “There’s been an attack on the town of Appleloosa… but… Luna… ponies were… killed.” Celestia said as the two sisters locked eyes. “K-Killed!? Celestia, tell us that you’re lying!” Luna cried, taking a step towards her sister. “I’m not.” Celestia said with a very serious tone. “LET US SEE THE LETTER!” Luna yelled in her Royal Canterlot Voice, surprising Celestia a bit as she levitated the letter over to her. Luna snatched up the letter with her magic and began to read it thoroughly. Once she had finished reading, Luna’s wings flared a bit as she was horrified to see that Celestia was telling the truth. “It cannot be, no pony has committed such a horrendous act in years. The mere thought of a pony even considering murdering somepony else has become nonexistent.” Luna said. “I know, Luna. I know.” Celestia said. “What are we going to do?” Luna asked. “I think it is best if Twilight meets with us as well as Cadance to discuss this matter in more detail. We will have our meeting tomorrow.” Celestia said as she used her magic and summoned two pieces of paper and a single quill. “Why tomorrow and not today? Would it not make more sense to discuss this serious matter now?” Luna asked. “Twilight must remain in Ponyville for the rest of the day. She needs to be there to keep the town calm and reassured.” Celestia explained as she wrote two letters, one to Twilight and the other to Cadance. Once Celestia had finished writing the two letters, she sent both of them off to the pony who was meant to receive them. With both letters sent, Celestia nodded to herself and turned to face her sister. “Come sister, we must continue to tend to our royal duties.” Celestia said as she began to walk towards the royal throne room. “I think it is best if we continue to hold our positions as the rulers of Equestria for a bit longer, Celestia.” Luna said as she followed her sister to the throne room. “I think so too, Luna.” Celestia said. Meanwhile, in Ponyville… Twilight was pacing back and forth in her room, hoping that she would get some sort of response from the princesses soon. Thankfully though, her wish was granted moments later as a scroll suddenly popped up out of nowhere and landed on the floor. Spike walked over to the letter, picked it up, and handed it to Twilight. “Here you go, Twilight.” Spike said as Twilight took the scroll from him with her magic. “Thank you, Spike.” Twilight said as she opened up the scroll and began to read it. My Dearest Twilight Sparkle, On behalf of Luna and I, we are very grateful that you have informed us about this horrific attack We are just as surprised and worried as you are, but as princesses of Equestria, we must remain strong You are the Princess of Friendship; you are a beacon of hope for the citizens of Ponyville I know you are very worried and afraid, but you must do your best to show Ponyville that you are there to keep them safe Show no fear and keep the ponies’ spirits up with words of comfort and confidence Remind the citizens of Ponyville that you are there for them and that you will always be willing to help Remind them that they have somepony to look up to for protection Regarding this attack, I believe it is best that we discuss what exactly happened in detail Luna, and I will be coming to your castle in the morning I see that you have also sent your letter to Cadance so I wrote her a letter to notify her of our meeting, I am sure she will be joining us as well For now, get some rest and stay strong for Ponyville Sincerely, Princess Celestia “So, the princesses are coming here in the morning?” Spike asked. “Sounds like it, yes Spike.” Twilight replied as she rolled up the scroll and put it to the side. “So, what do we do now?” Spike asked. “I’m going to the hospital to make sure everything is okay with the Appleloosa survivors. You can come with me if you want, or you can stay here.” Twilight said. “I’m coming with you.” Spike said as he walked over to Twilight. “Alright then, let’s go.” Twilight said as she and Spike headed out of the castle and towards the hospital. Meanwhile, in King Sombra’s Castle… Sombra watched through his crystal ball as Twilight and Spike left the castle. He had been enjoying watching Twilight worrying about what she saw in Appleloosa. However, Sombra’s amusement quickly faded when he saw Twilight send a letter to Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance. Once Twilight had received a response from Celestia, Sombra scowled at first but then smiled as he had a wonderful idea. “Already going to the princesses for help, Sparkle?” Sombra asked, his eyes narrowed at Twilight’s reflection in the crystal ball. “No matter, I can work with that. In fact, this actually makes things better for me. I should thank Princess Celestia for her genius plan to meet you in Ponyville.” Sombra said as he started to chuckle. Once Sombra was finished chuckling, he turned over to look in the direction of the little room where Discorded Whooves was staying and smiled. Sombra walked over to the Doctor’s room and peeked inside the room. Discorded Whooves was asleep on his bed, clearly due to a heavy amount of alcohol consumption. It appeared that the mechanical arms were also in a dormant state, which was convenient. Chuckling at the sorry sight, Sombra walked over to the Doctor and used his magic to take the spell book from the Doctor’s saddlebag. “(Chuckle) I hope you don’t, but I’ll be borrowing this, Doctor.” Sombra said as he left the room. Once Sombra left Discorded Whooves’s room, he used his power to sink into the shadows and go to Professor Screw’s lab. Meanwhile, in Professor Screw’s Lab… Professor Screw was working on one of the projects Sombra had ordered him to work on and he was making very good progress. As Professor Screw was making some adjustments to his project, he felt somepony’s presence behind him. Once he got a good idea of who it was, he smiled. “It is good to see you again, your majesty.” Professor Screw said as he turned around to face Sombra, who had now fully emerged from the shadows. “Yes, it is good to see you as well, Professor. How are Iron Will’s gauntlets coming along?” Sombra asked, observing the tools and gears scattered all over the place. “They are coming along quite well. I should have them finished very soon.” Professor Screw replied as he smiled to Sombra. “His majesty will pleased to hear that I have completed the other projects.” Professor Screw said, pointing over to the left side of the room. “(Chuckle) Good, very good.” Sombra said as he looked over to where the Professor had pointed. While Sombra had watched Discorded Whooves, Lightning Dust, Iron Will, and the Flim Flam brothers attack Appleloosa, he had sent a note to Professor Screw that he wanted him to work on providing a sort of protection for the team. The Professor had already crafted and designed special suits of armor for Lightning Dust, Flim, and Flam to wear for their next mission. The suits were similar in design to what the Royal Guards would wear, minus the helmets. Lightning Dust would however be given a helmet to wear. This helmet ironically shared a very similar design to the helmet Lightning Dust wore when she was in the Washouts. For Iron Will, Sombra had requested the Professor to craft some large gauntlets from him to use since his hands had been severely wounded during the attack. Iron Will didn’t need any other kind of armor since with the gauntlets, he would already be too much of a menace to be stopped anyway. Sombra also had the Professor work on designing eight special bracelets for each of Sombra’s team members. These bracelets would allow the wearer to have the ability to teleport to wherever they could think of, similar to how Discorded Whooves used the spell book to recruit the rest of the members. Of course, these bracelets still had to be enchanted to perform their purpose, but Sombra would take care of that. “I am pleased with your progress, Professor.” Sombra said, giving him a slight nod. “It pleases me that I am able to fulfil your wishes, your majesty.” Professor Screw said as he bowed to Sombra before standing back up. “I suspect that my progress is not the only reason why you are here now.” “Your suspicions are correct, Professor.” Sombra said as he walked over to where the bracelets were stashed. “It is time to discuss… the plan.” “The plan, your majesty?” Professor Screw repeated. “Yes, the plan.” Sombra replied as he used his power to transfer the spell from the book into each of the bracelets. “The plan to take over Equestria.” “In that case, I am ready, your majesty.” Professor Screw said, giving Sombra a nod of approval. “(Chuckle) Good, now time to tell the others.” Sombra said with an evil smile. Sombra took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly. He then began to murmur a silent chant and then his eyes shot open as wide as they could open. “Gather.” Sombra said, his eyes glowing their bright green color as he activated one of his special abilities. The moment Sombra had opened his eyes, Professor Screw’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and then his eyes also glowed the same green color as Sombra’s eyes. Back in Sombra’s castle, Discorded Whooves, Lightning Dust, Iron Will, and the Flim Flam brothers’ eyes shot open, rolled into the back of their heads, and then glowed green. The same thing would also happen to Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow, who at this time were in the middle of one of the forests in Equestria. Despite everyone being in mostly different places, when they were all able to see again, they found themselves in a dark empty void where there was nothing around but space and darkness. Everybody could see each other, although right away they noticed that they all looked strange. Their bodies were almost as black as the shadows, and they were almost translucent. Everybody was understandably confused by their current situation as they looked around at each other, trying to figure out exactly what was happening. “Wah! What’s going on!?” Cozy Glow cried as she looked around at her surrondings. “What is this!? Where are we?” Chrysalis asked as she too was frantically looking around. “What are you three doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be out on a mission?” Discorded Whooves asked, looking at the terrible trio. “We are on a mission! We should be asking what you losers are doing here!” Tirek snapped, pointing a finger aggressively at the others. “Losers!? Trust me, buddy, we’re not losers!” Lightning Dust said, glaring at Tirek. “Yeah, what she said!” Flim yelled, nodding at Lightning Dust’s statement. “Yeah, and besides what have you three done? We’ve been putting in work!” Flam said. “Oh, shut up! We’re doing something really important for King Sombra!” Cozy Glow yelled. “Where are we!? Iron Will does not recognize this place! Why are we here!?” Iron Will yelled. “That’s quite enough all of you.” Sombra said as he, along with Professor Screw, suddenly appeared at the head of the group. “Welcome to the Void.” “The… Void?” Lightning Dust asked, tilting her head a bit. “Yes, the Void. It’s a very special place in between the realms of time and space that only I can access unless I bring others with me, like I have done with you all right now.” Sombra explained. “Freaky.” Lightning Dust said, both impressed and confused. “Oh, hey King Sombra! I’m really happy to see you again! You’ll be glad to know that we are still doing what you told us to do!” Cozy Glow said cheerfully as she waved to Sombra. “Very good. Tell me, have you made it to Mount Everhoof yet?” Sombra asked, looking over to the filly. “Not yet, we’ve still got a long way to go until we get there. We probably would have been there by now if these two would stop complaining all the time.” Cozy Glow said, looking over to Tirek and Chrysalis with a frown. “Don’t you dare try to pin this all on us, you little brat!” Chrysalis yelled as she hissed at Cozy Glow. “Yeah! You complain just as much as we do! In fact, I’d say you complain even more than we do!” Tirek added, pointing down at the filly. “No, I don’t!” Cozy Glow yelled. “YES, YOU DO!” Tirek and Chrysalis yelled back. “ENOUGH!” Sombra yelled, silencing all three of the villains while the others tried not to laugh out loud. “I did not bring you all here so I could listen to you argue amongst yourselves. I brought you all here because it is time that we all discussed our plan to take over Equestria.” “Ah yes, the infamous plan that you still have told us nothing about.” Chrysalis said, rolling her eyes a bit. “Do you want me to kill you? No? Then shut up and listen!” Sombra snapped as Chrysalis just turned her head away so she could mutter an insult, which Sombra heard but did nothing about. “You really should be nicer to King Sombra.” Cozy Glow whispered. “Quiet, you.” Chrysalis whispered back. “Well, would you be so kind as to tell us the plan, master?” Discorded Whooves asked. “Of course… as you all know, Twilight Sparkle and her friends have really been getting in our way a lot. They have repeatedly ruined our plans! Today, that is going to stop! No longer are we going to be stopped by those pathetic ponies! Today, we will take back what is rightfully ours! We will destroy anyone and anything that dares to stand in our way!” Sombra yelled as he was getting his whole group excited for what was to come. “However, as much as we all want to put an end to Twilight Sparkle and her friends right now, we must wait. We cannot just walk up to her and try to take her down, no, no, that just won’t do. Before we take out Twilight Sparkle and her friends, we must ensure that when we attack, she will get no help from her allies. The Changelings, the Yaks, the Hippogriffs, the Dragons, the Griffons, we will take them all out!” Sombra yelled. “Um, King Sombra? I have a question.” Cozy Glow said, hoping Sombra wouldn’t be so upset that she had interrupted him. “Yes, Cozy Glow? What is your question?” Sombra asked, looking over at her. “W-Well, I don’t mean to be rude or anything but, I doubt any of us could take them out by ourselves. So, how exactly are we going to take out the ponies’ allies?” Cozy Glow asked. “That’s a good question and you make a good point, Cozy Glow. Yes, none of us, not even I can take on one group of their allies. It’s not a matter of strength, it’s a matter of numbers. Even if all of us went to attack one of the allies, we would be extremely outnumbered. However, that is why I sent you three to retrieve Grogar’s Bewitching Bell.” Sombra said. “Wait, so that’s why you need us to get Grogar’s Bewitching Bell?” Tirek asked. “Yes. Once we have the Grogar’s Bell in our possession, I will use its power to give each of us new powers and make us more of a threat to Equestria. This will ensure that we will stand a better chance at taking out the allies of the ponies.” Sombra explained. “What about Discord? Surely if he found out we were trying to take over Equestria, he would try to stop us with his chaos magic.” Chrysalis said. “Ah yes, Discord. It is a shame that he is no longer on our side, but that’s what happens when you allow yourself to be so shamefully defeated by ponies. However, there is no need to worry. I have something special planned for Discord.” Sombra said. “And what would that be? Most of us know how powerful Discord can be. It would be nearly impossible to take him down with the powers that he has.” Discorded Whooves said. “You’re absolutely correct, Doctor. Chrysalis, do you remember the time where you were unfortunately defeated thanks to the efforts of Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Discord, and Thorax?” Sombra asked, looking over to the Changeling queen. “Yes… what about it?” Chrysalis asked, feeling intense anger bubble up inside of her at the mere mention of not only Starlight Glimmer, but also of the time where she lost everything. “Well, do you remember how difficult it was for Starlight Glimmer and her friends to get through your hive at first? Do you remember what made it so difficult for them?” Sombra asked. “Of course, I do. It was the ancient dark stone that my throne was carved out of. It prevented everyone from using magic except for changeling magic. Any other magic would be completely nullified by-.” Chrysalis said before she suddenly paused and realized what Sombra was implying. “Wait, are you saying?” “Yes, while that special throne of yours was indeed destroyed, the shards of your throne were not lost. They were only scattered across the land that your hive used to be in. Unfortunately, it appears that Star Swirl the Bearded has already collected some of these shards, however he missed some.” Sombra said as he turned to Professor Screw, who had taken a step forward. “That is where I come in, you see.” Professor Screw said, catching everyone else’s attention. “His majesty has tasked me with retrieving the remaining shards of Queen Chrysalis’s throne so that I can make something special to take care of Discord’s unpredictable power.” “What? Is this true, Sombra? Why would you send the Professor? He is not a changeling. If he gets too close to the shards of my throne, he will not be able to use his magic to collect them or even get back.” Chrysalis said. “Yes, I am aware that he is not a changeling. I am also aware of the fact that the effects of your throne would cancel out any other kind of magic. However, my dark magic is powerful. Much like any other form of dark magic, it can do things that no other magic can do. Because of this, dark magic can still be used.” Sombra explained. “What would we do if everypony in Equestria suddenly attacked us at once? Even if we had the power of Grogar’s Bell and took care of the allies, we could still be outnumbered and overpowered.” Discorded Whooves said. “Again, that is a good point. That is why we will need an army to keep other ponies busy. I have my own army; however, they are trapped in a very complicated situation, and I cannot free them just yet. In the meantime, we will need to find a new army to use. Luckily, I know just who we need to talk to in order for us to get our very own army.” Sombra said with a smile. “Who would we need to talk to?” Cozy Glow asked. “Tempest Shadow.” Sombra replied. “Huh? Tempest Shadow?” Cozy Glow repeated with a confused look on her face. “Isn’t she that one unicorn with the broken horn who worked with that Storm King?” Chrysalis asked. “Yes, that is her. When the Storm King was defeated, not all of his Storm Creatures were taken out. When they lost their master, the ones still remaining essentially became mindless beings. They just walked around with no master to tell them what to do. Tempest Shadow gathered up all the remaining Storm Creatures and took them to a safe place around the Caves of Conundrum.” Sombra explained. “So what? Are we just going to walk up to this Tempest Shadow pony and ask if we can take the Storm Creatures and use them to take over Equestria?” Lightning Dust asked. “No, I will go to Tempest Shadow and offer her a deal. If she accepts, we will get a new member for our little group. If she rejects the deal, then Equestria will be down one unicorn.” Sombra said. “Why would we want a hornless unicorn on our side?” Flam asked. “Yeah, if she doesn’t have a horn, what can she do?” Flim added, scratching his head at the thought of what a unicorn could do without their horn. “(Chuckle) Trust me, you’d be surprised just how much that unicorn is capable of even without her magic. After all, she was able to take out Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance in the blink of an eye.” Sombra said. “What!? All three princesses!? Taken out like that!?” Flim cried, not sure if he could even begin to believe this claim. “Honestly sounds kind of dumb if you ask me. No pony can take out three alicorns without at least struggling a little bit.” Flam said. “Speaking of those three, what are we going to do about them? And of course, those stupid Pillars of Equestria or whatever they’re called.” Tirek said, rolling his eyes a bit. “(Evil Chuckle) Don’t worry about the princesses. They won’t get in our way. We’ll make sure of it. As for the Pillars of Equestria, don’t worry they’ll be taken care of.” Sombra said as he chuckled. “Oh yeah, those guys!” Cozy Glow said, remembering the stories she heard about the Pillars. “Whatever happened to them anyway?” “That doesn’t matter. What does matter, is that even though they have disbanded since the defeat of the Pony of Shadows, they still meet up with each other once every month to discuss their lives and any problems that could require their help in Equestria.” Sombra said. “Where do the Pillars meet?” Iron Will asked. “I don’t know, however there is one pony who does know. The former Pony of Shadows himself, Stygian.” Sombra said. “Stygian? Is that really his name? Because that sounds really stupid.” Lightning Dust said. “I must admit that I am a bit confused, master. Why would this ‘Stygian’ be the only pony we could talk to in order to find out where the Pillars meet? Why not just track one of them down?” Discorded Whooves asked. “I thought you were supposed to be smart, Doctor. Unlike the Pillars, Stygian no longer has the power to pose a threat to us. He is now nothing but an ordinary unicorn who became an author. He lives in Hollow Shades. That is where we will find him, that is where he will tell us where his friends meet up, and that is where he will die.” Sombra explained with grin. “When are we going to go find Stygian?” Discorded Whooves asked. “In time, Doctor, in time. Now, so far, I have told you about the things we need before we can begin our attack. We will need Grogar’s Bell, the shards of Chrysalis’s throne, and the Storm Creature army. However, there is one last thing we need.” Sombra said. “And what is this last thing we need?” Chrysalis asked. “The Staff of Sacanas.” Sombra replied. “The Staff of Sacanas, you mean the one that the Storm King used during his attack on Equestria?” Tirek asked, remembering how he had heard tales of what that staff was capable of. “Yes, that’s right.” Sombra replied with a nod. “Look, Sombra, I know the Staff of Sacanas is extremely powerful and all, but why do we need it?” Tirek asked. “I will explain shortly. But first, Discorded Whooves, do you still wish to be the leader of your little group?” Sombra asked, turning to face the Doctor. “As a matter of fact, I would like that very much.” Discorded Whooves replied with a grin. “I guess we don’t get a say in any of this.” Lightning Dust said, rolling her eyes and holding back the urge to smack herself in the head. “Then from this day forward, you and the rest of your group will be called, The Rogue. You will all stick together unless I say otherwise, and you will carry out your missions as a team. Do I make myself clear?” Sombra asked. “Yes, King Sombra.” The Rogue replied, nodding to Sombra. “(Chuckle) Very good. Now, here’s how things are going to work. Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow, you three go and bring back Grogar’s Bewitching Bell.” Sombra said to the trio. “Yes, King Sombra.” the terrible trio replied, nodding to their master. “Professor Screw, once you have completed your tasks, you will go gather up the remaining shards of Chrysalis’s throne.” Sombra said. “(Chuckle) But, of course, your majesty.” Professor Screw said with a grin. “I will go find Tempest Shadow and see if I can work things out with her.” Sombra said. “Excuse me, boss! Aren’t you forgetting about us?” Flim asked as he gestured to himself and the rest of the Rogue. “(Chuckle) Of course not. You will have many more missions to carry out, however your main goal will be to go and retrieve the Staff of Sacanas.” Sombra said. “Yes, King Sombra.” The Rogue replied. “Hey! Aren’t you going to tell us what the staff will be used for!? Or you going to keep it a secret?” Tirek asked, crossing his arms. “(Chuckle) Very well then. Listen up all of you, especially you, Discorded Whooves. The reason we need the Staff of Sacanas is because-.” Meanwhile… “Twilight? Twilight!?” Spike yelled as he shook Twilight’s to try to get her attention. “H-Huh? O-Oh, I’m sorry, Spike. I just kind of zoned out there.” Twilight said as she shook her head a bit. “I guess I’m still a bit shocked at the events that have happened recently.” “It’s okay, don’t worry about it, Twilight. This is going to take some time to get used to. I mean, something like this hasn’t happened in Equestria in years.” Spike said. “Yeah… well come on, Spike. We still have to help out the rest of the patients in any way we can.” Twilight said. “I’m right behind you, Twilight.” Spike said, giving Twilight a smile. “Thanks, Spike. I’m so glad I can rely on you and the rest of my friends to be there for me.” Twilight said, smiling back to the purple dragon. As the two friends shared a smile with each other, Twilight and Spike continued on with helping the survivors of Appleloosa in the hospital. Meanwhile… “Quite an evil plan, isn’t it, my friends?” Sombra asked as he and the rest of the group all shared evil smiles and laughs. “(Chuckle) Oh yes, it’s so deliciously evil I can practically taste it!” Chrysalis said as she grinned. “Those stupid ponies will never see it coming!” Tirek said as he and Chrysalis shared a glance and laughed. “Yeah! We’ll show them who’s boss!” Cozy Glow added as she giggled and rubbed her hooves together. “Oh, I cannot wait to see the looks on their faces!” Discorded Whooves said as he grinned. “We’re definitely going to win now! Our plan is genius!” Lightning Dust said as she nodded to the others. “(Evil Chuckle) Yes, it is a brilliant plan. Now, let us go over the plan. The first stage of the plan is preparation. We will all go collect the things we need for our attack. Then we move on to the next stage of the plan, taking out the allies. Once we have everything we need, I will assign everyone an ally of the ponies that they are going to ensure will not cause us any troubles. Then, we deal with the Pillars of Equestria, taking them out in the most efficient way possible once we get answers from Stygian. Leave Discord to the Professor and I, we will handle him. As for the princesses, we will take care of them really soon. Once we have the allies taken care of, we move on to the final stage of the plan. However, I will wait until we have completed the first two stages or our plan before we discuss the final stage. Does everyone understand?” Sombra asked. “Yes, King Sombra.” Everyone said as they nodded their heads to him. “(Evil Chuckle) Good… very good. Members of the Rogue, I have a new mission for you. I will give you the details once I return to the castle. In the meantime, I have something to discuss with you three.” Sombra said as he pointed over to Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow. “Uh oh, are we in trouble?” Cozy Glow asked, wincing a little. “No, I just need to have a word with you.” Sombra replied as he looked at the others. “The rest of you can go now. Dismissed.” With that, Professor Screw and the Rogue all started to disappear from the Void. Once Sombra and the terrible trio were the only ones left in the Void, Sombra chuckled a bit as he looked at the three villains standing before him. “So, what exactly do you need from us?” Chrysalis asked. “I’ll get right to the point.” Sombra said, not breaking eye contact with any of them. “When we all first met, things didn’t go so well, now did they?” Hearing this made each of the terrible trio flinch a little as they remembered their miserable attempt to try and overpower Sombra. They had all secretly hoped that Sombra would have forgotten about it by now, but they should have known better. Not knowing for sure if this was supposed to be a lead up to some sort of punishment, neither of the three said a word as they let Sombra continue with his speech. “I understand that none of you were very willing to serve me.” Sombra said before he was interrupted by Cozy Glow. “I-I’m willing to serve you!” Cozy Glow cried, still under the impression that they were all going to be punished. “Yes, now you are willing to serve me. Things were quite different when we met.” Sombra said, shooting Cozy Glow a glance. “(Sigh) If this is supposed to be you telling us that we are about to pay the price for what we did, just get on with it already. The wait is starting to kill me.” Tirek said. “If you keep giving me attitude, the wait will not be what kills you, Tirek.” Sombra said, giving Tirek a cold stare. “Point taken. Continue.” Tirek said, deciding to keep his mouth shut from then on unless he needed to speak. “As I was saying, none of you were so eager or willing to serve me and I understand that. Since I’m most certainly positive that you three know this, you may be asking, why I am trusting the three of you with retrieving an object so powerful, it could kill me.” Sombra said. The terrible trio looked at each other and together they tried to think of why they didn’t even consider that as an option. Grogar’s Bell was so powerful that even if they were going to betray Sombra and he knew about it, there wouldn’t be much he could do against the power of the bell. “I told you before that once you brought the bell back, I would use it to give you brand new powers and abilities. However, I left something very important out. The real reason why I tasked you three with retrieving the bell, is because I have come to have respect for each of you. You all dared to try and overthrow me, and even though you failed, you still put up a good fight. And that is why when Equestria is taken over, the four of us will rule it… together.” Sombra said. Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow were stunned when they heard this. Did Sombra really just say that all four of them were going to rule Equestria together? That didn’t make any sense, why would Sombra say something like that? “Rule Equestria… together?” Chrysalis asked, taking a step forward. “Like the four of us? You, me, Chrysalis, and Tirek?” Cozy Glow asked. “Ruling over Equestria together… you… you can’t be serious, Sombra!” Tirek said, wondering if he was going crazy or something. “Yes, the four of us together and I am serious.” Sombra said, smiling to the trio. “But what about the whole ‘bow to your master’ thing?” Chrysalis asked, narrowing her eyes a bit. “From the way things have been recently, it seems you were going to be the one ruling Equestria.” “(Chuckle) Yes, for now I am still the master of all of you. If we tried to work together as equals when we first met, we would have done nothing but argue or try to kill each other.” Sombra said. “Come on, Sombra! You’re a villain, just like the rest of us! Don’t you just want Equestria for yourself?” Tirek asked. “Of course, I want Equestria for myself. However, I am willing to share.” Sombra said. “Really? Are you really willing to share? Because this sounds very familiar, like when I tricked Discord into working with me, only to throw him under the rug once I had everything I needed.” Tirek said, now narrowing his eyes at Sombra. “(Chuckle) Ah yes, I remember watching that happen. What a cruel little trick to play on Discord, Tirek. Oh, I loved it!” Sombra said as he laughed at the memory of Discord being betrayed by Tirek. “However, unlike you, Tirek, I am being fully honest with all of you.” “How can we trust you? For all we know, this could be one big, complicated lie!” Chrysalis hissed. “You want proof? Fine, here’s your proof.” Sombra said as he used his magic to summon a scroll that appeared to be some sort of contract. “This scroll clearly states that once Equestria is ours, we will rule it together. We will all be equal in power, no one higher than the other.” “But how would this even work?” Cozy Glow asked. “Are we going to stay in the same castle or something?” “(Chuckle) Since Equestria will be ours, you can rule over whatever part of Equestria you want. However, the Crystal Empire is mine. The four of us will share Canterlot. You three can have the rest of Equestria if you want.” Sombra said as he gave a grin to the terrible trio. “The choice is yours. Either you can rule over Equestria with me, or you can continue to serve me until death takes you away.” With the weight of the decision now being placed on the trio’s shoulders, they all looked at each other. Before any sort of group discussion could begin, Cozy Glow nodded to herself and flew over to the scroll and looked at it. After carefully rereading the contract in full detail a couple of times to make sure there were no catches of any kind, Cozy Glow looked up at Sombra and gave him a smile. “King Sombra, when Equestria is finally ours, I hope to rule it with you!” Cozy Glow said as she placed her hoof on the bottom on the scroll, leaving her hoofprint behind. “Until that day comes, I will continue to be loyal to you, and even after we’ve taken over, I’ll always remember that you are my king.” Cozy Glow said as she bowed to Sombra. Sombra smiled at this and chuckled as he reached out to pat Cozy Glow on the head. Sombra then motioned for Cozy Glow to head back to the others and then he looked at Tirek and Chrysalis expectedly. It was their turn to make their choice now. Tirek and Chrysalis looked at each other and thought hard about this decision. Neither of them really wanted to share Equestria with someone else, but it was clear that Sombra would be giving them complete freedom to do whatever they wanted with Equestria, so long as no one tried to overthrow anyone else. It all sounded too good to be true. After a few moments of silence, Tirek and Chrysalis met each other’s gaze and nodded to each other. Sombra chuckled as he watched Tirek and Chrysalis approach him. With one final nod to each other, Chrysalis spoke up first. “I have decided that if this contract truly does say that we will all be equal rulers of Equestria, then I will take you up on the offer.” Chrysalis said as she pressed her hoof against the bottom of the scroll, leaving her hoofprint. “I cannot wait to be queen of my own kingdom again.” Chrysalis said as she grinned at Sombra. “You’ve proposed something very interesting indeed, Sombra. Normally I like to do things alone, but I suppose there’s nothing wrong with a bit of sharing, now is there?” Tirek asked as he pressed his hand against the bottom of the scroll, leaving his handprint. “(Laughs) Oh, this is going to be fun!” Tirek said as he walked back to join the others. “(Evil Chuckle) It most certainly is, Tirek.” Sombra said as he pressed his own hoof against the scroll, leaving his hoofprint. “I am pleased that we have all come to an agreement. I look forward to the day when Equestria belongs to us. In the meantime, you three continue your mission and bring back Grogar’s Bell.” “Yes, King Sombra.” The terrible trio said as they bowed to him. “(Evil Chuckle) Dismissed.” Sombra said, as Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow disappeared from the Void. Once Sombra was left by himself inside the Void, he chuckled to himself. He was very pleased with what he had planned for Twilight and the rest of Equestria. As much as Sombra wanted to continue basking in the good feeling of how well his plan would go, he knew that he had to get everything ready. With a nod, Sombra exited the Void and found himself back in Professor Screw’s lab. “I trust that everything went okay with those three, your majesty?” Professor Screw asked. “Yes, everything went fine.” Sombra replied as he turned to see the Professor had finished with Iron Will’s gauntlets. “Come with me now, it is time we discussed things with the Rogue.” Sombra said as he levitated the book over to the Professor. “Very well, your majesty. I will see you there.” Professor Screw said as he used the book to teleport himself back to Sombra’s castle. “(Chuckle) Yes, you will.” Sombra said as he levitated the enchanted bracelets and the armor over to him and then used his power to sink into the shadows. As soon as Sombra emerged from the shadows back to his castle, he looked over to see that the Professor was there, waiting for him. Sombra gave the Professor a slight nod, acknowledging his presence. Sombra then started to explain to the Professor about Twilight’s meeting with the other princesses in the morning and what he had in mind for the Mane Six. With the Professor understanding his task at hoof, Sombra then motioned for the Professor to follow him as they both made their way over to Sombra’s table map of Equestria. “Members of the Rogue! Come here now!” Sombra shouted, making sure everyone had heard him. Hearing Sombra’s loud and clear order, Discorded Whooves came out of his room and approached Sombra and the Professor, the mechanical arms carrying him over to them. Moments after Discorded Whooves had arrived, he was followed soon after by Lightning Dust, Iron Will, and the Flim Flam brothers. Once the entire Rogue had showed up, they all bowed to Sombra and awaited their orders. “As I mentioned to you all earlier in the Void, I have another mission for you to complete. Just like the last mission, you will be attacking a different village in Equestria.” Sombra said. “And which village are we going to attack this time?” Lightning Dust asked. “Last time, you attacked Appleloosa. This time, you will be attacking Starlight Glimmer’s old village.” Sombra said as he pointed to the map where this village was located. “That little village? It seems rather small and insignificant, master?” Discorded Whooves said. “Yeah, why don’t you send us somewhere more recognizable?” Flim asked. “Yeah! Like Manehattan or Applewood? Or even Baltimare?” Flam asked. “I am aware that this village is a rather odd choice, however there is a very specific reason why I chose this little town.” Sombra said. “The reason I chose this village is because it goes along with what your purpose is. I’m sure you all remember what that purpose is, correct?” “(Chuckle) Oh yes, master. We remember perfectly.” Discorded Whooves said as he and the rest of Rogue smiled to each other wicked grins on their faces. “(Evil Chuckle) Good.” Sombra said before he used his magic to lift up the tools that the Professor had made. “These are for you.” Sombra said as he used his magic to place five of the eight bracelets onto the arms of the Rogue members. “Huh? What are these for, King?” Iron Will asked. “These bracelets I have given each of you hold a special power within them that will allow you to teleport wherever you can think of. Similar to the book I had given you, Doctor.” Sombra explained as he then levitated the armor over to the Rogue. “Aww yeah! Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Lightning Dust said as she tried her helmet on. “I say, this will certainly come in handy.” Flam said as he examined his armor. “Most definitely, brother!” Flim added as he looked at his armor. “Iron Will thinks that these gloves will do some damage!” Iron Will said as he put the gauntlets on and examined how they looked on him. “Now that I have given you the tools you will need, it’s time to discuss the plan. You will go to the village and destroy it as much as you want. However, unlike the last time, you must keep a few ponies alive. Once you have finished the attack, you will remain there until Twilight Sparkle and her friends are convinced to come to the village.” Sombra said. “How exactly are we going to lure Twilight Sparkle and her friends to the town?” Discorded Whooves asked. “Simple, Twilight Sparkle is going to be having a meeting with the other three princesses in the morning. We will take advantage of this opportunity and send them a message to ensure that not only will Twilight Sparkle and her friends come to the village, but they will also come alone.” Sombra explained with a grin. “But won’t the other princesses come with Twilight and her friends?” Lightning Dust asked. “That’s where I come in.” Professor Screw said as he took a step forward. “I, Professor Screw will use a spell that will allow you to deliver a very personal message to Ponyville, telling them about the attack we will enact upon the village.” Professor Screw said as he pointed a hoof towards the Doctor. “That’s right. You will make sure to tell the princesses as well as everypony else in Ponyville that only Twilight Sparkle and her friends are allowed to come to the village. You will tell them about your side of the plan and make sure that they are convinced to act quickly using the hostages you will take at the village.” Sombra said. “(Chuckle) Oh this is going to be fun.” Discorded Whooves said as he rubbed his hooves together while the top two mechanical arms opened and closed repeatedly. “You got that right, Doctor. Oh, I just can’t wait to get my hooves on Rainbow Dash! She’s gonna get it when I see her.” Lightning Dust said as she grinned with a wicked look in her eyes. “I say brother, I sure can’t wait to see our good friend Applejack again.” Flim said as he nudged his brother. “(Chuckle) Oh yes, she’s going to be in for quite the surprise, brother.” Flam said as he grinned at his brother. “Iron Will is going to finally teach Fluttershy a lesson for betraying Iron Will!” Iron Will announced as he smashed his fists together, the metal of the gauntlets clanking loudly together. “(Chuckle) From what I’m hearing, it seems that you are all so eager to get started on your next mission. If that is indeed the case, then go. Go to Starlight Glimmer’s old village! Terrorize and destroy it! Do whatever you want, but remember, we need hostages. Oh, and one last thing, Twilight Sparkle is mine. Anyone that kills her, will suffer for the rest of eternity, do I make myself clear?” Sombra asked, looking at each of the Rogue with serious eyes. “Yes, King Sombra!” The Rogue answered. “(Chuckle) Then go! Begone now! Complete your mission!” Sombra ordered as one by one, each member of the Rogue teleported away from the castle. “Well, what are you waiting for, Professor? Go with them.” Sombra said, looking at Professor Screw who was still standing next to him. “Of course, your majesty. I will make sure that your orders are followed.” Professor Screw said as he used the book that he had placed into his saddlebag to teleport out of the castle. Once Professor Screw was gone, Sombra grinned as he walked over to his table map of Equestria. Using his power, Sombra summoned a large crystal ball just above the map that allowed him to have a front row seat to the destruction of Starlight Glimmer’s village. Sombra laughed and chuckled as he was pleased that everything would go as planned. Soon, he would claim his victory.