//------------------------------// // Unlimited Hangout // Story: Nothing Beside Remains // by BaeroRemedy //------------------------------// A pony tumbled from a window about halfway up the Crystal Empire’s castle spire. Broken glass followed in his wake, as did tendrils of thick black smoke which crackled with malevolent energy. A small magical mark, a circle that was filling up clockwise, on the pony’s foreleg flashed a few times. It filled up entirely with color as the pony came precipitously close to the ground. The very tip of the castle’s spire flashed, then flashed again but infinitely brighter. The light it exuded consumed the world around it. <<< “You’re not going anywhere!” A stallion roared as his horn flared to life and a bubble of pure magic appeared around the thing opposite him. He lifted the creature into the air just to make sure there was no opening between the bubble and the ground he could slip out of somehow. “You’re stuck here with me now. Forever.” He narrowed his eyes and focused on the sphere containing the monster in front of him and slowly shrank it. The room they had staged this confrontation in was the throne room of all places. The seemingly victorious stallion was standing atop the dais where the eponymous thrones were sat, the two of them made out of the same shimmering blue crystals as the rest of the place. The midday sun shone through the high windows and bounced off the crystalline walls and floor, bathing the whole space in soft natural light. The lingering bits of heavy smoke that trailed along the ground seemed to dampen that effect, though. The magic bubble became smaller and smaller, the dense gray and black smoke inside battering against the sides in a desperate attempt to get out. He was sweating as he poured more and more power into the shrinking sphere, constantly reinforcing it as the little monster inside chipped away at it from the inside. The pool of mana inside was only so deep, and it was becoming more and more shallow by the second. There was a moment before he ran out where he could act, but it had to be decisive. He chucked the sphere as hard as he could towards the other end of the room and hopped down from his perch on the throne. Without looking to see where the monster-constricting pearl landed, he sprinted through one of the side doors close to the thrones. The sound of the magic shattering and the furious howl of a monster let loose echoed through the hall as the stallion bolted down it. Wind rushed down the corridor as the door was thrown open again. The stallion didn’t even need to turn around to know that the billowing cloud of smoke was rapidly gaining on him, the snarls and growls echoing through the space. He made a beeline for the spiral staircase at the end of the hall. That would take him up to the royal chambers and he would have to find something to help him fight the creature off with, at least for a little while. “I don’t have to last forever…” He reminded himself. “Just long enough…” As he was ascending the stairs, he saw the little magical circle on his right foreleg slowly being filled in. Not forever, not even that long. He just had to keep the thing busy for a little while longer. A blast of purple and green magic shot over his head and impacted the wall in front of him, causing angry black crystals to erupt from the spot. There was barely any time to react, so he barreled right through it with all of the might he could muster. A wave of malice washed over him as the crystals shattered against his fur and he could feel his strength wane from even that small contact with them. Another shot of the toxic magic blew by his side, grazing his skin and sending a shot of burning pain through his entire body. He stumbled, but caught himself and kept going. Fatigue greater than should be possible began to set in as his hooves pummeled the shimmering steps beneath them. The monster’s magic set in quick like venom. The stallion could even feel crystals begin to form on his horn and the mana deep inside pooling like a sludge in his skull. Staying in the stairwell with that thing constantly on his hooves, free to chip away at him, was a death sentence. He couldn’t run all the way up to the royal quarters, he needed an out sooner than that. The door on the next landing was flung open as the stallion forced his shoulder into it and it nearly came off the hinges. Through it was yet another long hall, this was lined with suits of armors and several doors on either side. It was the level the armory was on, which would be perfect for what he needed. He got to the first suit of armor and tore the spear from its metal grip with his hooves. He turned around to see the smoke of the monster pour in from the stairwell. A shape coalesced in the dense miasma, a bulky armored stallion with blood red eyes. His lips curled into a cruel smile which bared fangs that dripped with liquid shadow. King Sombra looked at him with a mix of disgust and self-assuredness. “They left you, Shining Armor. They abandoned you here in some token attempt at resistance.” Smug satisfaction draped his words as they left his mouth. “We both know what happens next, don’t we? I kill you, then I follow your wife and daughter to wherever they ran off to and enslave them. Then the rest of my ponies, and then Equestria itself.” “”That’s not how this is going to go.” Shining growled out through gritted teeth. That was his mission statement, his solid thesis upon which everything was built at the moment. It wasn’t going to go that way because it couldn’t. It was more than blind faith, it was an unwavering certainty. Shining Armor summoned the magic from deep inside and forced it through the block Sombra’s magic had caused. He gripped the spear in his magic and threw it as hard as he could in the corrupted king’s direction. He saw the tip tear through the flesh of his enemy, he saw it carry all the way through without losing any momentum, then he heard it crash through the window behind Sombra. A long piece of Sombra’s body was absent, but so was the viscera that would usually accompany such an injury. Instead it was just a solid hole through his entire form, one that was quickly filled in by the omnipresent mist that followed Sombra around. The green and purple aura that seeped from his eyes intensified in strength and the solid equine form dissolved into the familiar dark miasma where only the glowing green eyes were visible. Then a mouth appeared from the smoke and a guttural, primal howl echoed through the entire castle and out into the Crystal Empire proper. Shining Armor was already running. He had spun on his hooves as soon as he saw the spear had no effect. As he fled, he looked down to his leg and the little magic dial imprinted on his fur. It was nearly three quarters full at this point. He was close, just a bit longer. His hooves caught on the rug beneath them as he skidded around a corner, two bolts of corrosive magic hitting the spot where he had been moments ago. He was once again on the back hoof, running and fighting to stay one step ahead. The deep purple crystals that crackled with green energy started to sprout from the walls and floor independent of Sombra’s magic hitting them. They all seemed to be reaching out towards Shining Armor, like hooves of the dead trying to drag him down into the Styx. He ignored their clawing grasps, even as a few nicked his hooves and legs. Even as he felt his strength wane more and more, he kept pushing himself. Sweat dripped down his face and stung his eyes and his vision began to swim. Even through all of that, he kept going through the familiar halls in search of another delaying tactic. He wasn’t even looking for salvation, he just needed a little more time. Shining Armor’s shoulder was put into the nearest door and he stumbled inside, quickly shutting it behind him. He quickly looked around, found a bookshelf a foot or two to the right of the door and tipped it over to block the entrance. Sombra could probably still get in with his smoke, but it would take a little bit of time. Hopefully. Shining took a moment to look around and realized where he was: Cadance’s office hideaway. When she needed to get away to do some official business, when she needed those moments of silence to focus and do her duty to the ponies she served, this is where she did it. There were bookshelves that lined the walls of the small room, a couch to lay on, and a simple wooden desk with a lantern sat upon it. On the desk, next to stacks of papers, was a small framed picture of their family. It was one they had taken during a Crystal Fair, Shining and Cadance and Flurry Heart all making silly faces at the camera. It brought a smile to his face, the first smile he’d cracked today. He had to hold back the tears though. “I’ll see you again, I promise.” He mumbled as he hugged the picture to his chest. Thoughts of better times consumed him for a moment before the banging against the door brought him back to reality. “Right…” Shining looked around the room. There was not another door, not adjoining room or some secret passage built into the walls. The only other means of egress from his wife’s office was a large window that provided ample natural light, and that wasn’t really an option. Once more he looked down at his leg and the magical indicator imprinted upon it. Almost full. Shining Armor made his way over to the window and tried to open it but found it firmly locked, the familiar ‘scent’ of Cadance’s magic all over it. No doubt a foalproofing spell in case Flurry was ever in here with her. Judging from the view through it, they were about halfway up the spire. He did some quick math in his head to figure out just how high that was, and how long it would take for him to reach the bottom from here… The door behind him cracked, a single spiked purple crystal poking through the wood. The dense fog Shining Armor knew all too well seeped in through that crack and pooled on the other side of the bookcase. King Sombra once again rose from the mist and solidified, a scowl replacing the smug grin he had worn before. “Nowhere to run now, Shining Armor.” He slammed an armored hoof against the ground, black crystals erupting around the impact area. “Kneel before your King, and I might let you live long enough to see your family in chains.” Those words, the images they conjured, pushed every ounce of fatigue from Shining’s body and set his heart alight. He sneered at the usurper and steeled himself. He would never kneel, and they both knew that. However, Shining couldn’t give Sombra the satisfaction of killing him. His gaze fell to that little dial on his leg again and judged the time he had left, then he looked to the window. There was no deliberation, only action. He threw himself at the glass, which shattered around him and cut him from face to flank. He heard Sombra yell something at him, but it was lost in the din of wind rushing past his ears. The city and the green fields of the empire stretched out around him as he fell. He would miss this view and the ponies who once lived here. Most of all, he would miss his family. His last thoughts were of them as the ground rushed up to meet him. <<< “You’re not going anywhere!” Shining Armor roared as his horn flared to life and a bubble of pure magic appeared around the smoky visage of King Sombra opposite him. He lifted the usurper king into the air just to make sure there was no opening between the bubble and the ground he could slip out of somehow. “You’re stuck here with me now. Forever.” He narrowed his eyes and focused on the sphere containing the monster in front of him and slowly shrank it. The room they had staged this confrontation in was the throne room of all places. The seemingly victorious prince of the Empire was standing atop the dais where the eponymous thrones were sat, the two of them made out of the same shimmering blue crystals as the rest of the place. The midday sun shone through the high windows and bounced off the crystalline walls and floor, bathing the whole space in soft natural light. The lingering bits of heavy smoke that trailed along the ground seemed to dampen that effect, though. The magic bubble became smaller and smaller, the dense gray and black smoke inside battering against the sides in a desperate attempt to get out. Shining was sweating as he poured more and more power into the shrinking sphere, constantly reinforcing it as the little monster inside chipped away at it from the inside. The pool of mana inside of him was only so deep, and it was becoming more and more shallow by the second. There was a moment before he ran out where he could act, but it had to be decisive. He chucked the sphere as hard as he could towards the other end of the room and hopped down from his perch on the throne. Without looking to see where the monster-constricting pearl landed, Shining sprinted through one of the side doors close to the thrones. The sound of the magic shattering and the furious howl of a monster let loose echoed through the hall as the stallion bolted down it. Wind rushed down the corridor as the door was thrown open again. Shining Armor didn’t even need to turn around to know that the billowing cloud of smoke was rapidly gaining on him, the snarls and growls echoing through the space. He made a beeline for the spiral staircase at the end of the hall. That would take him up to his and Cadance’s chambers and he would have to find something to help him fight the creature off with, at least for a little while, in there. “I don’t have to last forever…” He reminded himself. “Just long enough…” As he was ascending the stairs, he looked to his leg and the little magical dial that was supposed to be there. Where he had seen it a minute ago, now was just white fur. Panic surged through him in that moment. The spell couldn’t have failed, Sunburst and Cadance had worked on it together. He had seen them cast it and saw the timer on his leg not that long ago. He had to have faith that it had worked and that it would work when it came down to it. A blast of purple and green magic shot over his head and impacted the wall in front of him, causing angry black crystals to erupt from the spot. There was barely any time to react, so he barreled right through it with all of the might he could muster. A wave of malice washed over him as the crystals shattered against his fur and he could feel his strength wane from even that small contact with them. Another shot of the toxic magic blew by Shining’s side, grazing his skin and sending a shot of burning pain through his entire body. He stumbled, but caught himself and kept going. Fatigue greater than should be possible began to set in as his hooves pummeled the shimmering steps beneath them. The monster’s magic set in quick like venom. The stallion could even feel crystals begin to form on his horn and the mana deep inside pooling like a sludge in his skull. Staying in the stairwell with that thing constantly on his hooves, free to chip away at him, was a death sentence. He couldn’t run all the way up to the royal quarters, he needed an out sooner than that. The door on the next landing was flung open as Shining Armor forced his shoulder into it, making it nearly come off the hinges. Through it was yet another long hall, which was lined with suits of armors and several doors on either side. It was the level the armory was on, which would be perfect for what he needed. Shining got to the first suit of armor and tore the spear from its metal grip with his hooves. He turned around to see the smoke of the monster pour in from the stairwell. A shape coalesced in the dense miasma, a bulky armored stallion with blood red eyes. His lips curled into a cruel smile which bared fangs that dripped with liquid shadow. King Sombra looked at him with a mix of disgust and self-assuredness. “They left you, Shining Armor. They abandoned you here in some token attempt at resistance.” Smug satisfaction draped his words as they left his mouth. “We both know what happens next, don’t we? I kill you, then I follow your wife and daughter to wherever they ran off to and enslave them. Then the rest of my ponies, and then Equestria itself.” “”That’s not how this is going to go.” Shining growled out through gritted teeth. That was his mission statement, his solid thesis upon which everything was built at the moment. It wasn’t going to go that way because it couldn’t. It was more than blind faith, it was an unwavering certainty. Shining Armor summoned the magic from deep inside and forced it through the block Sombra’s magic had caused. He gripped the spear in his magic and threw it as hard as he could in the corrupted king’s direction. He saw the tip tear through the flesh of his enemy, he saw it carry all the way through without losing any momentum, then he heard it crash through the window behind Sombra. A long piece of Sombra’s body was absent, but so was the viscera that would usually accompany such an injury. Instead it was just a solid hole through his entire form, one that was quickly filled in by the omnipresent mist that followed Sombra around. The green and purple aura that seeped from his eyes intensified in strength and the solid equine form dissolved into the familiar dark miasma where only the glowing green eyes were visible. Then a mouth appeared from the smoke and a guttural, primal howl echoed through the entire castle and out into the Crystal Empire proper. Shining Armor was already running. He had spun on his hooves as soon as he saw the spear had no effect. As he fled, he looked down to his leg and the little magic dial imprinted on his fur. It was nearly still gone. But something deep down inside, some kind of internal clock told him that he was close, just a bit longer. His hooves caught on the rug beneath them as he skidded around a corner, two bolts of corrosive magic hitting the spot where he had been moments ago. He was once again on the back hoof, running and fighting to stay one step ahead. The deep purple crystals that crackled with green energy started to sprout from the walls and floor independent of Sombra’s magic hitting them. They all seemed to be reaching out towards Shining Armor, like hooves of the dead trying to drag him down into the Styx. He ignored their clawing grasps, even as a few nicked his hooves and legs. Even as he felt his strength wane more and more, he kept pushing himself. Sweat dripped down his face and stung his eyes and his vision began to swim. Even through all of that, he kept going through the familiar halls in search of another delaying tactic. He wasn’t even looking for salvation, he just needed a little more time. Shining Armor’s shoulder was put into the nearest door and he stumbled inside, quickly shutting it behind him. He quickly looked around, found a bookshelf a foot or two to the right of the door and tipped it over to block the entrance. Sombra could probably still get in with his smoke, but it would take a little bit of time. Hopefully. Shining took a moment to look around and realized where he was: Cadance’s office hideaway. When she needed to get away to do some official business, when she needed those moments of silence to focus and do her duty to the ponies she served, this is where she did it. There were bookshelves that lined the walls of the small room, a couch to lay on, and a simple wooden desk with a lantern sat upon it. On the desk, next to stacks of papers, was a small framed picture of their family. It was one they had taken during a Crystal Fair, Shining and Cadance and Flurry Heart all making silly faces at the camera. It brought a smile to his face, the first smile he’d cracked today. He had to hold back the tears though. “I’ll see you again, I promise.” He mumbled as he hugged the picture to his chest. Thoughts of better times consumed him for a moment before the banging against the door brought him back to reality. “Right…” Shining looked around the room. There was not another door, not adjoining room or some secret passage built into the walls. The only other means of egress from his wife’s office was a large window that provided ample natural light, and that wasn’t really an option. Once more he looked down at his leg. Nothing. Maybe the spell hadn’t taken. Maybe this was already messed up and he was doomed. Maybe he had messed it up somehow? Or had Cadance failed? “No.” He rebutted the thought immediately. Cadance didn’t fail. Something was wrong, but it couldn’t be serious. Maybe the timer just faded, maybe his magic being blocked by Sombra’s magic had killed it. The spell still had juice, it had been cast over the entire Crystal Empire, not just him. Shining Armor made his way over to the window and tried to open it but found it firmly locked, the familiar ‘scent’ of Cadance’s magic all over it. No doubt a foalproofing spell in case Flurry was ever in here with her. Judging from the view through it, they were about halfway up the spire. He did some quick math in his head to figure out just how high that was, and how long it would take for him to reach the bottom from here… The door behind him cracked, a single spiked purple crystal poking through the wood. The dense fog Shining Armor knew all too well seeped in through that crack and pooled on the other side of the bookcase. King Sombra once again rose from the mist and solidified, a scowl replacing the smug grin he had worn before. “Nowhere to run now, Shining Armor.” He slammed an armored hoof against the ground, black crystals erupting around the impact area. “Kneel before your King, and I might let you live long enough to see your family in chains.” Those words, the images they conjured, pushed every ounce of fatigue from Shining’s body and set his heart alight. He sneered at the usurper and steeled himself. He would never kneel, and they both knew that. However, Shining couldn’t give Sombra the satisfaction of killing him. His gaze fell to that little dial on his leg again and judged the time he had left, then he looked to the window. There was no deliberation, only action. He threw himself at the glass, which shattered around him and cut him from face to flank. He heard Sombra yell something at him, but it was lost in the din of wind rushing past his ears. The city and the green fields of the empire stretched out around him as he fell. He would miss this view and the ponies who once lived here. Most of all, he would miss his family. His last thoughts were of them as the ground rushed up to meet him. A white blur impacted him before his rapid reunion with the earth and knocked the wind out of him. He instinctively wrapped his hooves around the creature that had saved him and held on tight. Flying wasn’t his thing, and the few times Cadance had flown him somewhere had been some of the most terrifying moments of his life. The creature carrying him was a pony, a pegasus of course, with a bright white coat and a pink mane with a blue streak parting it to one side. She gave Shining an uneasy smile and then dipped in the air a bit. “Oookay big guy, we have to land, sorry! I’m not used to carrying this weight!” The mare informed him with a chuckle and another wary grin. He gave her a tired and confused nod as they descended. Her hooves hit the ground and she unceremoniously dumped him onto the concrete below. “Sorry! I didn’t really…have a good grip!” She rushed to his side. “Are you okay?” “Complicated question.” Shining Armor admitted as he picked himself up. The pain from his previous exploits hit him all at once and he groaned. He looked down and saw his legs and chest covered in tiny skin-deep cuts that oozed blood and stained his white coat. “Thanks for the save, did Cadance send you…” He left the question hanging, looking for her name. “Zipp.” The mare nodded. “Nopony sent me, my friends and I found this place. Well, not really ‘found’, it sort of just appeared.” “No.” Shining stated flatly. “That can’t be right.” He looked back up towards the castle and he saw Sombra’s smoke pouring from the window he had flung himself from. He saw the green eyes appear and focus right on him and Zipp. “We have to get out of here! If the spell didn’t work, then we need to get back to Canterlot and warn everypony!” “Hey, no.” Zipp put a hoof on his shoulder and looked at him with piercing cyan eyes. “You need to tell me what in the world that thing is first.” She pointed a hoof at the vaporous body of King Sombra, whose eyes were now cast about the landscape rather than focused on them. “What do you mean?” Shining asked, trying not to raise his voice at this newcomer. “It’s King Sombra. We need to warn everypony, set up defenses! I’m serious, so stop playing games! Point me to the train you and your friends got here on and let’s turn it around and burn coal!” He was getting frustrated, there was just no helping it. The adrenaline was still going and Zipp was testing his patience. Zipp looked at him, the look on her face somewhere between confused and intrigued. She looked back up at Sombra, then back to Shining Armor. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by something skidding around the corner. To Shining Armor, this object looked like a box on wheels. He supposed it was a cart of some kind, but there was nothing pulling it and it was traveling on a flat plane so gravity wasn’t helping. It had a glass screen up front and he could see a pinkish-purple unicorn mare with a long blue mane in control of it. The thing skidded to a halt about a dozen feet away from them, which caused Shining Armor to jump back in surprise. A small door towards the rear opened and an earth pony stallion stood there and waved them both in. “Come on!” The other stallion hollered. “That thing doesn’t look friendly and now it’s looking at us!” “Out of the frying pan…” Shining mumbled to himself and followed Zipp into the vehicle.