//------------------------------// // The plan to stop Christmas // Story: The Gunslinger who saved Christmas // by Trigger_Finger //------------------------------// “Hold on” Twilight yelled out and Sombra gave her a cold look. “I thought we beat you, what gives?” Twilight asked and Sombra gave and irritated sigh. “Do you remember when you teleported this fellow Jack to hell?” Sombra hissed and Twilight nodded, “It was an accident” Twilight replied. Sombra rolled his eyes “Yes well, anyway, when Jack here shot his way out of hell I simply followed him and I’ve been building my power for the longest time… AND NOW NO-PONY CAN STOP ME” Sombra yelled. Suddenly a gunshot went off and Sombra’s horn was shot off. “GAH, MY HORN… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” Sombra screamed and looked to Jack who was holding a still smoking Walther PPK. “Maybe no-pony can kill you… but I ain’t a pony” Jack said as he shot at Sombra again, this time striking him in the chest, however his plated armour stopped the 9mm round. Sombra staggered back as Jack unloaded the pistol into him, but his armour proved too much for the small 9mm cartridges. Jack looked at his gun then back to Sombra, “Shit” Jack muttered as he reloaded a fresh magazine into the pistol. Suddenly Sombra’s horn levitated off the ground and healed itself back onto Sombra’s head. “Whoa, hold on… how the hell’d yah do that?” Jack gasped and Sombra chuckled. “You really didn’t think that I’d just come here unprepared, I knew you were my biggest threat so I’d have to kill you first” Sombra laughed and a blast of energy from his horn slammed into Jack’s chest and propelled him out the door, a trail of smoke following him. Sombra turned to the others, his horn began to glow but before he was able to shoot them down Luna charged into his side and tackled him to the ground. “YOU SHALL NOT HURT OUR FRIENDS” Luna bellowed but she was not very combat effective and Sombra simply kicked her off his body and lept on top of her. “Time to die, Princess of the night” Sombra sneered and his horn began to glow a dark red. Suddenly a gunshot went off and Sombra’s horn was once again cut off. Sombra screamed in agonizing pain as he grasped for his horn but Jack took another shot and the round slammed into the shoulder of his armour and knocked him over. Jack stood in the doorway, snow blew past him and he held his still smoking Walther with one hand. There was a large burn hole in the center of the suit chest but it appeared as if Jack was relatively unharmed. Sombra got up, “How did you…” Sombra growled and Jack shrugged. “If that’s your best than give up now because you aren’t going to win” Jack ordered and Sombra took a cautious step back, “We shall meet again… Jack” Sombra laughed and with that both he and his broken horn vanished. Jack chuckled to himself and holstered the pistol. Several of the ponies in the room were still cowering under tables and what not, “Okay… the bad guy is gone” Jack said outloud and slowly ponies began to come out from their hiding spots. “Oh this is not good” Twilight exclaimed and Jack gave her a not so worried look. “Why, I could just shoot him and he’d be dead” Jack laughed, but Luna interjected. “No you couldn’t” Luna told him and Jack turned to her, “And why not, this little pee shooter seemed to work pretty damn effectively against him” Jack laughed but Luna didn’t find humor in his statement. “The last time he was in Equestria we only beat him by sheer luck, if he has been to hell and has returned then we fear that his powers may have doubled… only one thing can beat him and that is the elements of harmony” Luna explained and Jack sighed. At that time Celestia burst through the doorway, “Where is he?” she asked frantically and Jack raised his hand. “Hey Celestia, yeah I know I never” Jack began but Celestia cut him short “No, where is Sombra” Celestia replied and Jack sighed. In his best Australian voice he replied “Oh he’s at the bloody North Pole mate and I think he’s planning to” Jack began but Celestia cut him off. “Enough of your games Jack, this is serious… Twilight where is Sombra?” she asked and Twilight looked to Jack then back to Celestia. “He’s at the North Pole, he’s using some form of dark magic to melt the snow and encase Equestria in darkness” Twilight replied. “Then our worst fears have come true… Shining Armor” Celestia barked and Shining Armor stepped forward. “Yes ma’am?” Shining Armor replied and she nodded to Twilight. “Take a dozen of your best soldiers and escort the element bearers to the Northern Pole and eliminate Sombra before he destroys Equestria” Celestia ordered and he nodded. Celestia turned to her sister and looked to Jack, “I’m going with them, Jack take care of my sister in this time of darkness” Celestia replied. Luna interjected “No sister, we wish to come with you. We can help” Luna replied but Celestia shook her hoof. “No, little sister. If something were to happen to me Equestria would still need a ruler… Jack I’m trusting you with my sister, don’t bring her in harm’s way” Celestia ordered and with that they began to depart. “Hey wait” Jack called out and they turned back. “Rarity pass me the keys to your boutique, I need my clothes” Jack called back. “Oh of course, I nearly forgot” Rarity said and levitated over a set of keys. The element bearers, along with Celestia, Shining Armor and a couple of royal guards boarded some flying carriages and departed. “Well… that’s one way to crash a party… Come on, I need some clean clothes” Jack told Luna and the duo walked out of Sugarcube corner and made their way to Rarity’s boutique shop. * * * Jack fumbled with the keys and found the proper key for the front door and opened it. The lights were turned off and Jack stumbled around in the darkness looking for the light switch. “Hey Luna, would you mind lighting the place up a little?” Jack asked and Luna’s horn lit up and the store was illuminated with a beautiful dark blue haze. “Hmm, well that’s a little nicer” Jack said and gave Luna a nod as he found the light switch and flicked it on. The store lit up and Luna stopped producing the blue haze of light. “Hmm” Jack mumbled as he looked at Luna. “Why are you looking at us so… strangely?” Luna asked and Jack walked up beside her. “By chance do you know your size?” Jack asked, “We beg your pardon?” Luna gasped. Jack rolled his eyes “Well how the hell am I supposed to find you some winter clothing if I don’t know your size” Jack replied. “Oh… I’m not quite sure… we could always just try things on” Luna replied and Jack sighed “Alright let’s get some winter clothes” * * * Jack finished rolling down the sleeves on his duster coat and looked at Luna. She was wearing a ridiculous red outfit, really it was a Santa outfit but they called it something else in Equestria. She also wore a red Santa hat with a white cotton ball on the tip of the hat, her appearance was absolutely hilarious and Jack couldn’t help but to laugh a little. “Is something funny?” Luna asked as she fit comfortably into the Santa suit. “Yeah you look like Santa” Jack replied, Luna gave him a curious look “Who’s Santa?” Luna asked curiously. “Well back on my world there was this guy named Chris Cringle, anyway a long time ago he went home to home and gave children presents one night and then it just kind of became like a special occasion every year that people would give presents. Of course Chris Cringle was dead long after the holiday continued but people would tell their children that if they were good all year that Santa would bring them lots of presents” Jack informed her, leaving out the part that in Christianity the 25th of December was also the day of Jesus birth but he really didn’t want to explain to Luna how it all worked so kept it short and just explained the Santa part of it. “So it’s much like our Magical Mare who gives out presents to the young colts and fillies who have been good” Luna replied and Jack shrugged. “So how do I look?” Luna asked as she gave a ridiculous pose. “Like a Santa Clause… or a Santa who is somehow a unicorn with wings” Jack replied and Luna frowned. “They call us alicorns, and I was hoping for something a little closer to the Magical Mare of Hearth’s warming” Luna replied and looked at herself. “Hmm well if the Magical Mare looks anything like the Santa back in my world I guess you’d have a striking resemblance” Jack replied. Jack thought to himself and wondered if his house he had in Ponyville was still his or if they had sold it. “Well time to go” Jack replied and Luna stopped looking at herself and looked to Jack. “Where are we going?” Luna asked and Jack smiled “Oh I have an idea, don’t worry”