“You!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
Lightning Dust scowled. “You didn’t mention that she was going to be here,” she snarled.
Fine cast a critical look her way. “Does it matter?”
“This is your ‘extra wings’?” Rainbow demanded, flying in his face. “Even if she does break through the barrier – which if I can’t she sure as hay can’t – she’ll probably kill half the ponies in the Empire doing it!”
“Hey,” Lightning snapped, “none of that was my fault.”
“Not your fault?! You—”
Rainbow was brought down by a hard tug on her tail. “Play nice, RD,” Applejack ordered. “We’ve got more important things to worry about than old grudges.”
“Indeed, Lightning,” Fine Crime threw in with a scathing glance. “We have to take care of Sombra.”
The two pegasi glared at one another, but it was Rainbow who finally spoke up. “Fine. Truce?” She spat on her hoof and offered it. Lightning peered as if expecting it to be hiding a knife, but finally copied the motion and accepted the hoof bump.
“Now that that’s all settled,” Jimmy ventured, “why don’t we take a look at that book?”
But Fine Crime shook his head. “Not necessary, I already have a plan. I just brought the book as proof that I knew what I was doing, and to answer any questions with direct evidence.”
“What?” Applejack tilted her head at him. “Y’all only jus' arrived. How’d ya form a plan so quick?”
“Egghead,” Rainbow noted in explanation.
“I read this book front and back,” he explained, “and learned as much as I could about the Crystal Empire as soon as it reappeared. You need to know such things in my line of work.”
“As a dragon’s blind-dating service guy?” Jimmy asked with raised eyebrow.
“Exactly!”
A round of exasperated sounds came from everypony else.
“Anyway,” he went on, “I thought up the plan on the journey over here.”
“I’ve got a plan,” Rainbow interrupted, jumping up in the air. “Why don’t ya give us that book and let the professionals handle this?”
Fine Crime’s expression became cold as ice. “Time is of the essence. What King Sombra’s doing is enslaving the minds of his captives, and the longer we wait the more ponies we’ll have to fight to get to him.”
“Brainwashin’?” Applejack sounded horrified. “But Twilight an' the others are in there!”
“And a princess,” Jimmy added.
“But,” Fine Crime continued, “if you think you can come up with something before he’s taken over the minds of all of them, be my guest. You’ve got about a week.” He tossed the book at Rainbow, hard. She caught it and almost smacked the wall in her recovery. “Or…you can listen to my proposal, and we can get started first thing in the morning.”
Rainbow and Applejack shared fretful expressions. “Alright,” Applejack said after a moment, “what’s this plan o'yers?” Rainbow nodded her acceptance as well.
Fine's dark expression melted almost immediately, although he was still very serious. “Before that, I need to round up the players. Jimmy Stone, wake your brother up. You both are going to have a part to play in this.”
“Us?” Jimmy reared back to wave his hooves in a denying manner. “Whoa, whoa, we’re just engineers. You’re talking to the wrong pony!”
“No, Jimmy,” Fine countered reassuringly, “you and your brother must be part of this. Especially Nye. Wake him.”
Jimmy was visibly concerned, but went to do as he was told.
Fine turned to somepony hiding just outside the light of the moon. “Upper Crust.”
“What?” She approached, looking not just a little frightened. “M-me? Don’t be ridiculous, I don’t have anything to offer.”
“Everypony’s part is critical,” he explained, “and yours is key. Without you this plan may not work at all.”
“But… But I’m not…” She was trembling at the sudden attention. “Th-this isn’t the same thing as the yacht, Fine. It’s way over my head!”
“It’s because of the yacht that I know you can do this,” he replied.
Another pony appeared, setting a calming hoof on Upper Crust’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Upper Crust,” Octavia said in her stately manner. “I believe in you.”
“We all do,” Fine agreed, then cast a glance around at the others. They all nodded, though most couldn’t hide the doubt from their faces. “And you too, Octavia.”
The cellist blinked and gave him a serious look. “Me? I’m willing, but why?”
“Because you’re willing.”
She considered his answer solemnly before then nodding.
“Alright then,” he declared with a smile, “everypony’s in play. Now where are those twins?”
“We’re here,” Jimmy announced, approaching with his half-asleep brother in tow.
“Ah, good. Nye, snap out of it! You brought some of that transmittal potion with you, right?”
Nye blinked sleepily, struggling with his unkempt mane. “Wha…? How do you…? I mean, yeah, I’ve got it.”
“Good. Octavia, we need to borrow some sheet music.”
Her eyebrows rose. “But… why?”
“Because Nye’s got a letter to write.”
Upper Crust had a lot of doubts about her place in this plan. About the plan in general. About the pony who’d come up with the plan, even. Yet there she was, standing on a tall hill about a mile from the great shield, Octavia and Rainbow Dash close by.
The very first concern she’d had was in that Nye pony. How could someone as clearly unimportant as him be friends with somepony as phenomenally important as the Princess Luna? It seemed outright laughable. But a few hours after he’d sent his letter – by dissolving it in some magic potion, of all methods! – trains began to arrive with scores of unicorns from the Equestrian Reserve. The princess had answered the request with haste, and by morning an entire regiment of unicorns were spread out around the shield. It was mind-boggling!
Needless to say, this abrupt display quieted all doubters regarding Fine Crime’s connections. She kept wondering who he really was, how he knew so much, and how he could call upon such resources. It was now obvious that he was no mere thief; something far bigger was going on.
Right now, though, Upper Crust’s primary concern was her own role in this plan. He was asking her to do something she’d never tried before, and it was not just a little intimidating. She gazed at the massive shield, which from her carefully-selected location was entirely visible. How was she supposed to form an estimation on its weaknesses? She might be a unicorn, but magic was certainly not her forte.
She didn’t have a forte.
She glanced nervously at Rainbow Dash. She wasn’t at all like the elite ponies of Canterlot. Upper Crust guiltily remembered laughing at the idea that the Element-bearer could be important. Had she only known who she really was at the time…
Seeing her was throwing terrible questions into the elite pony’s mind. Rainbow was an important pony, but she wasn’t an Important Pony? How could she not be? But all Upper Crust’s Canterlot logic – a lifetime of following the elite philosophy of life – was telling her this was not possible.
She was so horribly confused! And after watching Rainbow all morning to gain an appropriate estimation of her speed, Upper Crust was only more confused.
And then there was Octavia. She wasn’t an Element-Bearer, but she was beautiful and intelligent and ready to help. Her confidence was humbling at the very least.
Compared to these two, Upper Crust felt like dirt.
And then there were all the other ponies involved in this plan. Applejack, another Element-bearer. What more needed to be said? Jimmy Stone, an engineer with such a prominent family legacy. Lightning Dust, whose bravery, skill and self-confidence rivaled those of Rainbow Dash. Fine Crime, mysterious and strange but clearly capable of great things. Even Nye – lazy, chubby, with a roving eye – was supposedly friends with a princess!
Upper Crust wasn’t dirt. She was something lower than dirt. Manure, perhaps.
A pegasus soldier was flying overhead, blowing on a trumpet to signal that all the unicorns were in position. Upper Crust crouched anxiously, almost certain this was all over her head.
“You’ll be okay, Upper Crust,” Octavia noted in her elegant fashion. Sometimes Upper Crust hated that voice; it managed an elite elegance in a manner that was enviable. “We’ll get your husband back, you can count on it.”
Upper Crust nodded feebly. “Yeah… I hope so…”
The cellist smiled comfortingly. “Don’t worry. Do it for your husband. We have faith.” And with that she left, going down the hill to get ready for her own role in this plan. Upper Crust watched her leave, wishing the kind pony could stay.
“So hey,” Rainbow asked once Octavia was gone, “you up to this?”
“I… S-sure.”
Rainbow approached with a smug smile. “Don’t worry, you’re teamed with me, the best flyer in Equestria!”
Upper Crust frowned and glanced away, ears tucking down. “It’s not your talents that worry me.”
“Look, I know it can seem intimidating. I mean, everypony here is counting on you to get this done! But you shouldn’t do it for them.”
“I know…” Upper Crust muttered. “I should do it for my husband.”
“What?” Rainbow shook her head. “Forget him!”
That made Upper Crust pause. “What do you mean?”
Rainbow went on, “Sure, getting this done right will free him and all. It’s a perk. But if you ask me you shouldn’t be doing it for him.”
Upper Crust looked around in perplexity. “Then…who—?”
Rainbow pointed at her. “Do it for yourself!”
The elite pony blinked at the hoof as if not knowing what it was. “Myself?”
“Yeah!” The pegasus hovered just off the ground and set hooves to hips. “You’re worried, I get that. But suck it up and do your best! When this is all done you’ll be able to say ‘Hey! Look what I did!’”
“But…what if I—?”
“No, no, no!” Rainbow shook her head violently. “You can’t think like that. You’ve got to say ‘Yes I can!’ Now let me hear you say it.”
“Umm… Yes I can?”
“Is that supposed to be confidence? Again!”
“Yes I can.”
“Again!”
“Yes I can.”
“Ugh, you’re putting me to sleep!” Rainbow dropped down and got right in her face. “Scream it!”
“Yes I can!”
“Good!” Rainbow reared on her hind legs to strike a gallant pose, pointing at the shield just as the horn sounded the beginning of the task. “Now watch that shield and give me my cue!”
Upper Crust couldn’t believe it, but the aggressive pep talk had really worked! She felt a lot more sure of herself all of a sudden. Like…like this wasn’t such a big thing, after all. She could do this… Yes, she actually could do this!
The air was filled with streams of colors as all the unicorns around the dark dome fired off their magic at once. Upper Crust leaned forward and watched closely, eyes unblinking as the shield responded to the sudden assault. Its perfect uniform color started to change shades ever so slightly in places as the Crystal Heart fought to protect the city. Yes, the Crystal Heart, if Fine Crime was to be believed; its power had been corrupted so that it was now doing the exact opposite of what it was meant to do.
Upper Crust continued to watch, to focus as carefully as possible. How were the shades changing? How was the power of the magic determined by those shades? Could she see weaknesses, strengths, patterns?
And then, as the onslaught went on, she realized that in fact she could see it! Yes…it was gradually becoming clear. Almost obvious. She could guess at what points the great dome was weakening, could see how the shades shifted as the Crystal Heart struggled to account for areas that were under more powerful attacks. This was possible. No, this was doable! Her mind worked carefully, trying to process the entire dome at once, and somehow she was pulling it off.
“There,” she pointed at a spot on the dome. “Can you see it? The building with the spire, next to the three story?”
Rainbow squinted, hoof over her eyes. “I… Yeah. Yeah, the one between the white and red crystal buildings?”
“Above that,” Upper Crust muttered, still focusing on the great dome. “About a hundred feet up. That’s going to be the weakest point.”
“Got it!” Rainbow dropped into a launch-ready position.
Upper Crust raised a hoof in the air and studied. She had to recall Rainbow’s flight speed, how quickly she launched. Make the estimations, consider distance, check the wind by observing the trees, observe the power of the shield by its auras, note when the unicorns would reach their limit by the force of the magic in their collective streams… So much to process… But she could do it…
Now. She dropped her hoof, and Rainbow was in the air. Upper Crust didn’t stop watching; she had to see, to make sure she’d not made some critical mistake. If she did, then this entire operation was going to be a failure. Come on, let it be right. Come on…
Rainbow appeared, at this distance nothing more than a trail of colors. She was approaching the weak spot from a tall angle, her speed increasing phenomenally with each passing instant.
A sonic rainboom, at point-blank range. Right where Upper Crust had indicated.
The shield shattered instantly, pieces of the barrier flying out and dissolving in the air.
She’d done it.
“I did it…”
The Crystal Empire shined in the bright light of day, dome-free and surrounded by a magnificent circular rainbow.
“I did it!”
Upper Crust let out a shout and leapt in the air, a thrill like she’d never felt before washing over her.
“I did it I did it I did it!”
“I can’t believe she did it,” Nye muttered, staring in amazement at the clear blue sky.
“Who?” Jimmy asked, “Rainbow or Upper Crust?”
“Hello?!” Lightning snapped from overhead. “Get moving before the shield comes back!”
“Oh, right!”
The twins rushed forward, the other ponies already well ahead of them. Within seconds the barrier began to reform, and the brothers had to gallop for all they were worth to get inside in time. Jimmy had been afraid of this part; what if the barrier turned them to crystal like all the other ponies? But as Fine Crime had promised, nothing of the sort happened.
They all stopped a dozen feet inside, the world having gone a frightening shade of red within the already-regenerated shield.
“Alright, ponies,” Applejack announced with authority, “there’s no way Sombra didn’ notice that, so we gotta hurry!”
The air was filled with a cracking noise, and they all looked around in alarm. The crystals trapping the nearby ponies were beginning to break.
“Remember,” Fine shouted, “every pony that breaks free has succumbed to Sombra’s powers! They’re enemies.”
“We got it,” Octavia acknowledged.
“We know our part,” Jimmy added, hovering just above the ground. “You guys get going!”
“Good luck, bro,” Nye called, chasing after Applejack and Fine Crime.
“You too.”
Lightning Dust was already long gone.
Jimmy landed, back to Octavia as they stood alone amongst the cracking crystals. “You ready for this?”
“We’re about to find out. You?”
“I’m no fighter,” he replied, “but yeah, I’m ready.”
The crystals shattered, and from each one jumped a crystal pony. Their eyes were a bright shade of red, and they began to close ranks on the two defenders, snorting aggressively.
“Remember,” Octavia muttered, “we have to stay in sight of the castle. Keep Sombra’s attention on us.”
A moment of tense quiet passed as they stared their opponents down…
Nye was worried about his brother, especially considering how many crystals they passed on their way to the castle. But he took at least some solace in realizing that none of them were breaking open as they passed; Fine Crime had said it would take a full week for Sombra to enslave every pony. Perhaps Jimmy and Octavia wouldn’t have to fight too many?
It was a long way to the castle, but the galloping trip was quiet and uneventful. Nye was already sweating, for he just wasn’t used to this kind of exercise. He kept behind Fine Crime and Applejack so as not to be a burden. The mare was leading them, having been to the castle before and knowing the way.
When they were closing in on the castle Applejack finally broke the silence. “Looks like this cockamamie plan is workin’,” she shouted back to them. “If Sombra had noticed us comin’ we’d have been attacked bah now!”
“Octavia and Jimmy are doing their jobs,” Fine confirmed. He had a very ‘professional’ sound compared to before, or so Nye felt.
At last they reached the castle’s main entrance, but found it guarded by two surprisingly large soldier ponies. Early converts, apparently. The two guards approached, jousting spears set for an attack and looking very sharp.
Fine Crime glanced up at the castle. “No time to delay; I’ve got to get up there.”
“We’ve got this,” Applejack declared, going into a fighting stance.
Nye shot her a fretful look. “We do…?”
Fine Crime nodded his confirmation and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.
Nye might have made a comment regarding their need to stick together, but there was no time; one of the soldiers was charging him! He let out a horrified shout and dodged, just barely escaping the sharp tip of the lance. This was all wrong. He wasn’t a fighter! How could he have let them convince him to do this?!
The soldier was coming back for another pass. Nye managed to dodge the lance again, but the soldier had anticipated his move and adjusted just enough to land a hard shove, knocking the frightened pony on his side. Nye took a glance at Applejack and was amazed to see her perform a dodge-and-buck maneuver, knocking her opponent to the ground easily.
Wow. She was good.
No time to admire, his enemy was rounding on him again! Nye jumped to his hooves and decided to try the mare’s trick. He dodged, turned and bucked; his movement was too slow and his kick too weak. He only caught the soldier on the flank, and the stallion’s momentum sent him spinning sideways.
Well, so much for being a warrior.
He was starting to panic; how was he supposed to handle this guy? The soldier was rearing back, reading for a fourth attempt, and all Nye could do was stand there and wish his head weren’t so blank! He braced himself for impact as he realized that he stood no chance against this opponent.
A lance appeared out of nowhere, sticking in the ground just as the soldier approached. His legs got tangled in it and he fell on his face. Before Nye could even react Applejack was there to kick the soldier in the muzzle with a single hoof. He didn’t get back up.
Nye blinked, then turned to see her original opponent lying on his back nearby, unconscious and lance-less.
“Come on, Nye,” Applejack ordered, already running past him, “we’ve gotta get ta the Crystal Heart!”
“Oh, uh, right,” he called back, hooves sliding on the smooth glass floor as he fought to catch up.
Oh, yes, what a hero he was turning out to be.
Lightning finally found Rainbow, who was slowly crawling out of a pile of crystal rubble, all that remained of a building at ground zero of her sonic rainboom. “You okay?”
Rainbow Dash sat on her flank and shook the swirl out of her eyes. “Y-yeah… Just a little woozy from the impact.”
Lightning glanced up at the red barrier that now surrounded them. “I gotta admit, that was damn impressive. Think you can do it twice in one day?”
Rainbow climbed to her hooves, wobbled, straightened. “Yeah, I’m cool. But I’ll be sending Fine the hospital bill, ‘cause it’s really gonna hurt the second time.”
Lightning smiled, then remembered who she was talking too and shook the expression away with a grimace. “Come on, Sombra’s waiting for us.”
They rose in the air at the same time. “Yeah, just remember, stick to the plan!” Rainbow was off. Lightning muttered a derogatory comment under her breath before following.
They were halfway to the castle when Rainbow let out a warning. The two dodged just in time as a large red beam zipped past them. A moment later, they were floating above the balcony where Sombra was waiting.
“Well,” he called out to them with a wicked grin, “I see there are ponies in this day and age willing to challenge me directly! How refreshing; a little exercise.”
Rainbow gestured angrily. “I saw you die, Sombra! How the hay did you come back?!”
“And they dare to address me without permission! Such impudence.” He fired another laser, but Rainbow dodged easily. “You don’t need to know anything, for you are about to die.”
“Hah!” Lightning shouted, “We can take you!”
“Is that so?” Sombra asked fiercely. “Such arrogance. Your friends below will be overwhelmed soon. If this is the full scope of your attack, it’s woefully underponied.”
“We’ll see who’s arrogant after we’re done with you,” Rainbow countered, flying a quick flip and darting for the unicorn.
His horn glowed, and suddenly a torrent of beams erupted from its broken tip! Rainbow let out a surprised shout and barely dodged in time. The lasers, firing away with incredible rapidity, went for both pegasi at once, and they began an aerial dance of dodges and tricks. Now Lightning was worried; with that kind of firepower, how were either of them supposed to get close!?
It was all part of the plan. She had to keep reminding herself, all part of the plan.
Applejack and Nye were high in the castle by now, but had met minimal resistance. Most of the ponies they’d found were still encased in crystal. It seemed Fine had been right about the slow nature of Sombra’s magic.
The two were in a small hallway of brilliant crystal. “Alright,” Applejack said with relief, “the Crystal Heart should be right through—” She paused and let out a gasp. Nye wondered what had stopped her, but then entered the room and saw what she’d seen; Pinkie Pie and Rarity, both frozen in crystal. There was a third pony there, too. A stallion who, to his shock and amusement, was wearing Rarity’s dress.
And for that matter, she was wearing a green shirt that didn’t fit her at all.
“Do you like it? I think it’s hilarious!”
The two looked around for the voice, but couldn’t find the source. A strange clicking giggle filled the room; kit-a-kit-a-kit-a-kit-a-kit-a.
“Up here, you silly ponies.”
Floating just below the ceiling was a grinning creature. Nye recognized it immediately as the cat/snake/dragon thing he’d seen talking to King Sombra back when all this mess had started. “Be careful AJ,” he said, taking on a defensive pose. “That thing works for Sombra!”
Applejack looked ready for a fight. “Are you the one who did this ta our friends!?”
“Oh, no,” the creature replied pleasantly. “I’m just the delivery girl. King Sombra thinks he has friends in high places!”
“Who are you?” Nye snapped, “And what are you talking about?”
The creature dropped down to land leisurely atop Pinkie’s crystal. “Me? I’m Tazel Wyrm. But that’s all you get; I can’t go and tell you everything, that would ruin the fun!”
Applejack stomped angrily. “Y’all undo whatever it is ya done ta the Crystal Heart, ya hear me? An' ah mean now!”
“Oh, so direct,” Tazel countered with a sigh and a dismissive wave. “How boring. Besides, I can’t fix it because I’m not the one who cast the spell.”
“Then get ready fer a poundin’,” Applejack snapped, pawing her hoof at the crystal floor, “‘cause we’re gonna stop ya an' King Sombra!”
But Tazel rose well out of their range, hovering upside down. “I would love to show you a few tricks – really, I would – but I’m afraid I just don’t have the time. You just take your precious Crystal Heart to your dear princess and I’ll be on my way.”
Nye was dumbstruck. “What? You mean you’re not gonna protect it?”
“Don’ listen ta her,” Applejack snapped. “She’s jus’ tryin’ ta trick us!”
“It’s no trick,” Tazel declared, flipping right-side-up once more and making a sincere gesture with her paws. It didn’t seem so effective with that mocking smile on her feline face. “Not this time, at least. Sombra wanted me to be happy with ‘guard duty’—” she said the words with a dull tone, “—but he’s just a pawn in a much bigger game. I have more important things to do. So you two run along and play. Who knows, maybe you’ll actually succeed!” And with that the creature clapped her paws together and disappeared in a puff of white smoke and a taunting kit-a-kit-a-kit-a-kit-a!
Applejack and Nye stared at one another in a shared state of complete confusion.
“It may be a trap,” she ventured.
“Well,” he replied, “only one way to find out.” He walked straight to the Crystal Heart, which shimmered a dark hue he thought strangely unnatural, and knelt down. The mare looked anxious, but went ahead and rolled the thing onto his back. It was a lot lighter than he’d expected.
As he stood up they both waited to see what would happen. Nothing did.
“Maybe she was telling the truth,” Applejack admitted, though her doubt was clear. She turned and approached the giant crystal that still held Rarity, whose fearful eyes following them from within.
“Don’ worry, Rare,” Applejack said, “we’ll get ya’ll out o'there soon. Ah promise!”
“That goes to you too, Pinkie,” Nye added. He shot a glance at the unicorn in Rarity’s clothes. “And you, whoever you are.”
“Come on, we’ve gotta hurry an' get ta the museum,” Applejack declared, already moving for the exit.
Nye followed, the Crystal heart carefully balanced on his back. “I know we agreed that Princess Cadance would probably be there,” he shouted ahead, “but what do we do if she’s not?”
“Let’s try not ta think about that,” she replied over her shoulder.
Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash were in a tight spot. Neither could get close to King Sombra, his constant stream of lasers keeping them at bay no matter what trick or maneuver they tried. They were trying to work together as a team, but somehow he was good enough to keep them dodging. Both had been clipped by beams multiple times, though they’d managed to avoid any direct hits. That was a good thing; those near-misses hurt!
“Goddess,” Lightning snapped, barrel-rolling away from a stream of lasers. “Doesn’t this bastard ever get tired?”
“He’s probably wondering the same thing about us,” Rainbow added, reeling out of an attack dive just in time to avoid getting singed.
“Keep at it,” Lightning suggested. “I’m gonna try something!”
“Lightning, no!”
She didn’t listen, instead diving below the balcony. Rainbow was left to fend for herself for a few seconds, but then Lightning turned and began flying straight up. She’d have to time her turn just right…
Just as Lightning reached the balcony she adjusted her wings, turning sharply right at the villain. She was close enough to see his surprised face before they collided. For just a fraction of a second she thought she’d done it, but a large ball of energy appeared atop Sombra’s horn. It dropped between them and erupted.
“Lightning!”
She was knocked so hard she flew back out of the balcony and to the ground below, Rainbow hot on her tail.
Sombra hadn’t come away unscathed; his spell had hurt him too. He slowly stood, smoke rising from where the blast had burned him. But he was smiling, for he’d won. Those two pegasi had been no match for King Sombra.
“Having fun, your majesty?”
Sombra turned about slowly, effectively hiding his surprise. Stepping out of the shadows with face grim, Fine Crime approached.
“Hmmm,” the villain muttered with a sneer. “Another challenger.”
“Indeed,” Fine replied, his unicorn-bladed knife floating in the air just over his shoulder. “You’ll find I’m a bit more experienced than those two.”
King Sombra grinned wickedly. “Good! A proper warrior.”
“Oh, I’m no warrior.”
“No?”
“I’m an assassin.”
“The difference?”
Fine Crime considered the question. “Perhaps you’ll find out in a few minutes.”
Jimmy’s hoof cracked down on the back of his opponent’s head, and the crystal pony fell to the ground. Relieved, he turned to see Octavia finishing off her opponent with a powerful buck. He took a moment to observe their condition, and didn’t like what he saw. Jimmy couldn’t move his left wing at all, and Octavia had a nasty cut on her right shoulder that had her limping. They were bruised and tired, but at least they were still alive.
They gazed about the body-filled street, wary of more enemies. “You okay?” he asked.
“I’ll live,” she said with a wince and an unhappy look at her shoulder. “I might not be able to play my cello any time soon, though.”
“Look on the bright side,” he ventured helpfully, “maybe Princess Cadance will give us hazard pay.” That made her smile a little, at least. He glanced around at all the crystal ponies they’d managed to defeat. “I can’t believe we got through three waves! I’ve never fought a day in my life and I don’t want to do it again anytime soon.”
“You handled yourself pretty well,” she admitted, eyeing his wing with concern. “For an engineer.”
He sniffed dismissively. “I handled most of them with a flying advantage. Once they had me on the ground I was far less effective than you. Where'd you learn to fight like that, anyway?”
“I didn’t,” she admitted. “I’ve never fought before, either.”
“I don’t believe that. I was paying attention, and you’re dang strong.”
“Cellos aren’t light,” she noted with a weak smile. “Actually, I exercise as part of a health routine. If I’m going to join the elites someday I’ll have to look the part.”
He blinked. “You mean you’re not already an elite?”
She blushed self-consciously, looked away, then took on an abrupt fighting stance. “More of them!”
“Aww, great,” Jimmy muttered, turning to face the approaching crystal ponies. He glanced up towards the castle, but the laser display from before was over. “I hope they resolve this soon. We can’t keep this up for much longer!”
“Where are they?” Nye shouted from behind Applejack. “Where the heck are they?!”
“They’ve gotta be around here somewhere,” she replied, worry in her voice. They ran through the halls of the Crystal Museum, scouring every room. Nye’s back was getting sore from having the Crystal Heart’s hard edges rubbing back and forth on it.
He cursed under his breath. “If they’re not here we’re in a lot of trouble! Fine could be fighting Sombra at any time now.”
“If he isn’ already,” Applejack admitted. “Come on… Come on… There!”
They spotted a quartet of crystals in a large red room decorated with threatening-looking displays. They rushed in and were relieved to see Twilight, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor and Spike.
“Oh, thank goodness,” Applejack cried, rushing at Twilight’s crytal. “Twilight, can ya hear me?”
“There’s no time,” Nye snapped, moving quickly to the princess.
“Yeah, yer right,” she admitted, casting an apologetic look to her friend and then joining him. She stood before Princess Cadance, whose alarmed eyes were following her. “Princess, ah dunno if ya can hear me, but we brought the Crystal Heart! Ah sure hope ya can do somethin from in there.”
There was no way for the princess to signal her understanding, or lack of understand for that matter. There was nothing else for it; Nye approached and let Applejack push the Crystal Heart up against Cadance’s crystal prison. Together they worked it until it was just about even with the princess' horn.
Cadance’s eyes stared at the Crystal Heart. There was a long, drawn out pause.
“Oh, boy,” Nye whispered. “Tell me this is going to work.”
“It’s gonna work,” Applejack replied. “It has to!”
Another long pause.
Then a spark. And another. Slowly, as if struggling to escape the confines of the crystal, a small pink pulse flowed from the horn. At last it reached the edge, from whence it shot out like electricity and ensnared the Crystal Heart! The jolt knocked the two ponies backwards, but when they looked up they saw the heart floating in the surging energies. A few seconds later another stream of magical energy appeared, this time flowing from Shining Armor. And then a third from Twilight.
And at last the Crystal Heart erupted with light.
Fine Crime fell to his knees, a large gash across his chest. Sombra roared his victory, a reddish-black sword of energy floating triumphantly over his head. Fine Crime huffed and heaved from exertion, but he’d known that this fight could have only gone one way. After all, he was no warrior.
But King Sombra hadn’t come away untouched. He was bleeding from a cut over his right eye, and several smaller wounds covered his body. Dents were all over his armor, too. Fine had landed many hits, but in the end it had only taken one from Sombra to seal the deal.
Tired but pleased, Sombra pointed his magical weapon at Fine’s head. “You fought well, assassin. I think there might be a place for you in my coming retinue.”
“No thanks,” Fine replied. “Then again, I might reconsider if..."
Sombra raised a dark eyebrow.
"How'd you come back?"
The evil being laughed. "It's the great mystery, isn't it? Fine, since you proved so capable.” He pulled his sword back, a menacing grin on his lips. “When the Crystal Heart was restored, it only broke my curse of immortality. What every pony in the Empire saw was my spiritual form returning to my mortal body."
Fine was shocked, a rare event. "You mean you're mortal now?" That knowledge would have made this all much easier.
"But my powers have grown because of it!" Sombra leveled his weapon once again. "Now, join me or die."
Fine gave the tip of the sword a bored look. "Sorry, but I have a boss."
Sombra gained a toothy grin. “Well, it seems she has good taste in champions. I’ll have to give that Celestia witch I've heard so much about my compliments before I cut off her head.”
Despite the sting in his chest, Fine laughed. The reaction earned him a dark look from the king. “You’re sadly mistaken,” he decalred, spotting the light in the distance.
Sombra sneered, but his confusion was clear. “Oh?”
“I’m no champion.” Fine slowly got to his hooves. “And I don’t work for Celestia.”
The light blasted its way into the room, spectacular and blinding in its brilliance. King Sombra let out a surprised shout and started to turn around, but Fine Crime’s dagger was darting through the air. Encased in an empowering glow, it sliced neatly through Sombra’s horn at the base.
The dark unicorn let out a howl of pain, backing off towards the balcony as blood seeped from the wound. Fine Crime charged, smashed right into him, and they were outside.
That was the precise moment Rainbow Dash appeared.
A second sonic rainboom. Point blank range.
Just as planned.
An explosive, rainbow-colored wave shattered the balcony to bits. A dark-colored unicorn, minus his horn, plummeted to the hard Earth below, screaming in pain and rage.
He awoke slowly, rainbow-colored lights still echoing in his vision. Fine groaned, his entire body aching. He lifted his head to look out over the rubble of the ruined throne room. Bright sunlight was streaming through the giant hole that had once been a balcony window. Wincing from the pain in his chest, he slowly picked himself up and studied himself. The wound wasn’t fatal. Hurt like hell, but not fatal.
Rainbow Dash was lying in a crater-like hole in the floor, face down. He rolled her over carefully and saw with relief that she was still alive. And awake.
“Tell me somepony saw that,” she mumbled, “‘cause it will not be happening again.”
“Oh, they saw it, all right.” Fine turned to see Lightning Dust, her chest and face black and smoking from her close encounter with Sombra. “It’s the only thing anypony in this town can talk about.”
He slowly approached the shattered wall and looked down to see a city full cheering, celebrating ponies. “Well,” he said pleasantly, “we pulled it off.”
“Yeah, we did,” Lightning snapped venomously, “but we’re not the heroes. Listen to them!”
He did, but all he got was a lot of noise. “I can’t hear what they’re saying.”
Lightning let out a vicious snarl. “All they saw was her sonic rainbooms! As far as the entire Empire’s concerned, she’s the hero! The only hero!”
Fine sat, glad to be off his hooves once more; standing was really painful right now. “You can’t have everything. We won, isn’t that enough?”
“No, it’s not!” Lightning flew out to hover right before him. “I joined this gig because you promised me a chance to be recognized again. Well guess what? I’m right back where I was when we first met! Forget this, I’m gone!”
And she was, a streak of lightning disappearing in the distance.
He sighed. “She’s gonna take a bit more work.”
“Can I get a band aid?” Rainbow muttered, waving her hoof weakly. “Or a drink? Maybe a nice bed and some cider? Ugh…”
Night had fallen on the Empire, and the celebrations were still ongoing below. Fine Crime, chest covered in bandages, was sitting in the throne room, staring up at the waning moon.
Octavia limped from the shadows, her shoulder bandaged. “Alright, Fine, I’m here,” she muttered.
“So you came after all,” he noted happily, gesturing that she should sit next to him. She did, albeit at a distance. “I’m glad at least one of you did.”
“I guess I had to,” she admitted. He gave her a questioning look, to which she replied, “The others, I don’t think they understood the significance of your arrival last night. You didn’t stumble into this like the rest of us; you came with a purpose. You knew a lot about all of us, enough to know that despite our problems, we’d agree to help. I don’t know about them, but I’ve never met you before, and that tells me something.”
He smiled. “And what does it tell you?”
“That you didn’t pick us arbitrarily,” she concluded. “You knew who you were going to pick before you arrived, maybe even before this whole crisis began. You’re no thief, Fine. I don’t know what you are, but you’ve clearly got plans, and I want to know what they are.”
His smile broadened a touch. “This is exactly why my boss said you might be overqualified.”
She blinked. “Overqualified?”
“Yes, overqualified. Doubts were raised about whether you might be too good for this team.”
“Team? What team?”
“The team I’ve been trying to assemble for the past two-and-a-half years. The team she wanted me to create.”
“The team who wanted you to—?”
Her words were cut off by the interruption of a soft light coming from the moon. Octavia rose and took a cautious step back, wondering what in Equestria might be happening now. She was getting tired of these surprises…
Then she saw the outline of the alicorn steadily approaching them. She gaped, rendered momentarily numb as Princess Luna, ruler of the night, landed softly right before her. She dropped to a bow as quick as she could manage with her bad leg.
“You’re late,” Fine noted half-seriously.
“Royal business,” the princess replied.
Octavia couldn’t believe what she was seeing; Fine wasn’t even bothering to get up from his sitting position!
“No others came?” the princess asked. She seemed disappointed.
“I’m sorry, Luna.” What? Not even a ‘princess’ before her name? Why was he being so… so… normal with her?! “I tried to convince them, but it seems this team is going to require more work.”
Luna heaved an unhappy sigh. “It is alright, Fine. I only hope we have time, or perhaps that my premonitions are inaccurate.”
“Well, in the meantime,” he continued, rising to gesture at Octavia, who was still stuck in her bowed position, “allow me to introduce candidate number four: Octavia Melody.”
“Four?” Octavia rose ears low as she stared up at the princess. “I don’t understand.”
“That is to be expected, Lady Melody,” Luna declared, making the cellist flinch in surprise at being directly addressed by a princess. “The investigations were performed such that you never knew what was happening.”
“What investigation? …your Majesty.”
“You didn’t know it,” Fine Crime answered with a pleasant smile, “but you and the others have been under review for a long time now. And you, Octavia, are one of the ones that passed.”
“Passed?” She struggled to wrap her head around all this information she was being bombarded with. “Passed what?”
“I am forming a team of ponies, Lady Melody,” Princess Luna replied with a gentle smile. “A team to help the current bearers of the Elements of Harmony. A team of ponies much like myself, to prepare for a threat only a select few are aware of.”
Octavia looked to the princess, then to Fine Crime, then back. “And…you want me on this team?”
“Octavia,” Fine noted, “you helped us out today. You’re already on the team.”
The bright lights of the Crystal Empire shined in the distance. Tazel Wyrm watched from atop the mountain with amusement. The distraction had worked; nopony would be watching the horizon this night.
You could have come earlier, while King Sombra was still fighting.
“Yes,” she admitted, turning to gaze into the frozen-over caldera below her. “But I wanted to see if he’d win.”
Unnecessary. A waste of time.
“Yeah, yeah, relax. I’m still gonna get it.”
Be cautious, Tazel. Even for a creature such as yourself this is a dangerous task.
“Shut up and let me work,” Tazel muttered, clapping her paws. She concentrated on the magic, struggling to make it work.
Rock cracked and crumbled. Snow began to drop into a great maw within the caldera, and soon a massive fissure appeared below, glowing red with flowing hot magma. The creature worked, eyes closed and mind focused on her target.
It took effort, but at last she found it. The object pulsated with untold energies, reacting in its invisible way to her magical touch. Slowly, carefully she pulled it up through the liquid rock. She’d have been sweating, if she’d had sweat glands. The glow from the caldera was so bright it would have been clearly visible from the Crystal Empire. Good thing nopony was watching.
At last it emerged; a single massive mazarin-cut gemstone. It was a pale yellow and glowed with its own mysterious light.
At last. At long last! The Light of Day, hidden for centuries…
Tazel forced the fissure closed with a relieved sigh, then took the cool gemstone in her paws. It was heavy and beautiful, its gentle glow illuminating her feline face. “Lost for almost eighteen hundred years. The Unknown Princess was a clever one.”
Yes, but it couldn’t stay hidden forever. Gaze upon it, Tazel. Isn’t it glorious?
But Tazel only sighed. “I have no use for such things.”
Perhaps not, but through this, we shall achieve all we’ve ever desired! Come, let us go see Mane. This is news that must be shared.
Tazel turned to look out at the Crystal Empire once more. She observed it for several long seconds, then grinned.
“I guess this would be a draw, ne Silma?”
Yes, a draw. I think that would be acceptable.