I sat impatiently as we all were hanging out at the coffee shop. The ultimatum Umbra had given me ringing true in my head still and yet I still didn’t have the guts to say anything yet. I glanced over at Sunset who was still engaging Rarity and Twilight in small talk and sighed. I had to think of a way to break the news to them without sounding completely insane.
I inhaled, “Umbra threatened me in school today.”
The girls fell silent as Applejack stared at me, “What did ya do?”
I shrugged, “In his opinion we ALL did something.”
Twilight was supposed at this, “But Umbra’s so nice and class president no less. What could we have possibly done to him?”
I looked at Sunset who refused to meet my gaze, “He says were getting in his way.”
Applejack became annoyed, “Fer goodness sakes Scribe stop beatin around the bush and tell us already!”
I cringed slightly but relented, “Alright, he says that Sunset means more to him than a friend and we keep getting in his way. And here’s the kicker, he pretty much told us to back off or else he would make us.”
Sunset stood up and immediately left the coffee shop.
*
Umbra was sitting at his table eating some chicken with fried rice when he heard the door to his dwelling burst open. He glanced up to see a fast approaching Sunset whose eyes were burning with utter fury.
Umbra stood up with a smile and spread his arms wide, “There’s my girl.”
Sunset then respond not with words but with a swift kick to his gut.
*
I was walking down the street with the girls in tow as we began to approach the school, “You all have to believe me that this guy is trouble.”
Fluttershy fell in step with me, “How do you know that Sunset’s at the school?”
I halted, “Trust me, if I was her I would hunt down that creep and kick his teeth in for threatening any of my friends.”
Pinkie hugged me, “Oh Scribe we didn’t know you cared that much.”
I smiled, “Of course I do. Hell one of my best friends told me I’m one of the loyalist guys he knows.”
Rainbow smiled in what could be considered respect.
*
Sunset watched Umbra as he shakily got to his feet, “You! You…Bastard!”
Sunset booted him in the back causing him to fall over into the table which he knocked over, his food spilling atop him.
Sunset pointed at him in rage, “How dare you threaten my friends and talk like I’m your personal property you don’t want anyone to touch!”
Umbra had his back to her as he rose, “You would do best to calm down.”
Sunset was fuming as she kicked over the coffee table, “CALM DOWN! Why should I listen to you! You’re nothing but a big-”
Sunset gasped as Umbra turned on his heel and inhumanly sped up to her, “I said be calm!”
Sunset backed up on to the couch as Umbra advanced upon her, “Now I shall ask you once more to remain calm or so help ME!”
Sunset cowered under Umbra’s burning gaze of cold rage, “Now that I have your attention, listen well.”
Sunset watched as Umbra pulled up his chair, “The life you live is a lie and you know it. You’re not what you truly are miss pony.”
Sunset jumped from her seat, “How did you.”
Umbra sneered slightly, “As I said a few days ago, we are no different. In fact,” his sclera turned jet black and his irises became a cold cyan, “We are much similar.”
Sunset stared at the eyes, “You…it can’t be.”
Umbra stood up and slowly circled around to her, “Oh but it is. We remember our own face well don’t we?”
Sunset mouthed the “We” as Umbra continued, “You see we have SO much to discuss.”
*
I gazed around the empty halls, “Where is she?”
*
Sunset shook her head in desperation, “No you’re not real!”
Umbra grabbed her arms as those eyes bore into her, “Oh but I’m afraid I am my dear.”
Sunset fell to her knees, “What do you want!”
Umbra grinned, “For things to go back to the way they were.”
When he said that Umbra’s skin turned crimson as his ears became pointed, his hair became wilder looking as his fingers turned into claws and his teeth to fangs.
Sunset screamed in absolute terror only for Umbra to shush her, “Don’t be frightened my dear Shimmer. I merely wish to re-educate you on what we once were.”
Sunset was forced to her feet as Umbra snapped his fingers. A hole ringed with red smoke appeared in the air depicting a young Sunset being chosen to be Celestia’s student.
Umbra smiled, “Ah yes, remember this day? The happiness and the joy? Oh but we do and we remember it fondly. This was the day our destiny was chosen and secured.”
Umbra snapped his fingers once more to reveal a similar window but displaying an excited Sunset accomplishing the teleportation spell, “The recognition you received for your accomplishments?”
Another window appeared depicting a much older Sunset reading, preforming new feats of magic, and all of it ending with her happy and Princess Celestia being proud.
Umbra smiled wider, “But do you remember when we found information on things beyond our current level? The thirst to know more, the thrill of discovery,” he smiled greedily as his eyes flashed, “The feeling of achieving what we dreamed.”
The moment he uttered that he snapped his fingers and over hundreds of windows opened revealing Sunset’s rise and fall from grace in Equestria. But then it also showed her departure to the human world and what she wreaked upon her arrival and stay there. Umbra smiled as it showed her return to Equestria and her theft of the element of harmony.
Umbra’s coat then fused to his back and unfurled into a massive pair of crimson and black wings, “Yes, we had our ups and downs,” he gestured to the windows and smiled in exhilaration, “We amassed a practical empire at this school. Everyone was under our boot and obeyed our every command! It was our paradise! OUR KINGDOM!”
Umbra then boomed in joy as it depicted the infamous events of the Fall Formal, “THEN WE ACHIEVED WHAT WE LONG SOUGHT AND ACENDED TO A POWER CELESTIA ONLY DREAMED OF!!!!”
He then circled her as his wings flapped excitedly Sunset was looking at all the windows wide eyed, “Remember the surge of excitement at possessing what was ours? Remember the surge of magic and energy that flowed through our veins,” he then grasped her shoulders as he was wild eyed, “remember the ecstasy we felt as we possessed unlimited power?”
Sunset slowly nodded, “Yes, I do.”
Umbra then became angered as shots of the girls led by Twilight appeared, “But all of our effort, our hard work was rendered MOOT all because of that conniving Princess and those five irate girls! She rallied the student’s against us and all the things we built up crumbled down around us, remember the anger and envy?”
Sunset nodded slowly as all but one image vanished, the image in question depicted her in the same visage Umbra was now wearing and usurping her control over the students.
Sunset looked at Umbra and calmly asked, “What’s your point…”
Umbra gazed at the girl as his demonic appearance shifted back to his human one, “My point is that all of this can be ours once more.”
Sunset shook her head and smacked the window away, “NEVER! I will NEVER be that girl again!”
Umbra snapped and grabbed her coat in rage, “YOU BELONG TO ME! UNDERSTAND YOU INSOLENT WRETCH!?”
Umbra threw the girl onto the couch, “I own you!”
Umbra glared at Sunset, “Be warned, if you continue to refuse me I shall ensure that you will be alone. No one will help you on any world when I’m finished.”
Umbra then picked her up with one hand, “Which means if any other lays a mere hand upon you in a manner of affection or kindness they shall cease to exist!”
The door slammed open once more and Umbra was tackled to the ground by an angry rainbow blur. Sunset was helped up by her friends and taken away from the couch as Rainbow pinned Umbra down.
*
I stared at the shocked and shaken Sunset and I saw red. Acting on impulse I grabbed a nearby chair and walked over to Umbra. Rainbow saw my approach and grabbed my arms, she was speaking but I heard nothing. Umbra stood up and walked away from us toward a red door, on instinct I broke from Rainbows grasp and heaved the chair. The end result was it smacking Umbra in the back and hurling him through the door and down the stairs. I sunk to my knees as my vision blurred and my heart rate calmed. I stared at the shocked girls who were speaking to me.
I quickly stood up, “I’m fine.”
Rainbow stopped my advance toward the door, “Scribe just hang on and breathe.”
I stopped and inhaled and exhaled, “Okay I’m fine now.”
Twilight and the girls walked to the door only to scream as Umbra swooped from the door in the shape of a demon. I backed up in fear as he reverted back to normal.
Umbra shook his head, “How is it every time I wish for something to go according to plan, you of all people had to show your purple face to me!”
Twilight stepped forward, “We have never met before. But why is it you have these abilities.”
Umbra took on a psychotic expression, “Pop quiz Princess, what happens when you bring an Element of Harmony into an alternate world?”
Twilight backed up, “Impossible.”
Umbra’s eyes shifted, “Oh no, it’s quite possible. It still boggles my mind as to why Celestia sent you here and not somepony more capable.”
Twilight stepped forward and reached for her bag but stopped, “Oh ho, what’s this?”
Sunset looked at Twilight, “You didn’t!”
Twilight sighed, “It was in case of an emergency.”
Rarity looked at Twilight, “What aren’t you telling us?”
Umbra looked at Scribe, “Oh there is much they aren’t telling you. Tsk tsk Twilight, keeping secrets now are we?”
I waved my hand, “That’s enough Umbra!”
Umbra cackled, “Who are you to order me around boy. You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”
Sunset pointed at Umbra, “Yeah we do you’re a monster.”
Umbra spat back, “It takes one to know one.”
Rainbow stepped forward, “That’s it I’m shutting this guy’s mouth!”
A fireball ignited in his hand which caused us all to back up, “Just try it.”
Umbra glanced at Sunset, “All I want is the girl and the element.”
Twilight stepped forward, “Never.”
Umbra narrowed his eyes, “Oh really? Are you sure that’s the wisest course of action.”
Twilight nodded, “Yes! The Element of Magic will never be yours.”
Umbra pointed threateningly at them, “The next words you choose will be the ones to seal your fate.”
Twilight, I, and the girls shielded Sunset from Umbra’s gaze, “You want her you’ll have to get through us.”
Umbra laughed with mirth but then regained himself, “Its war then.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes, “Very well.”
Umbra then approached her and stared her down with his demonic eyes, “I look forward to our final bout Princess. But you had best bring your A-game because I play to win.”
Umbra pointed to the entrance, “Now be gone! And never darken my doorway again.”
The girls and I then left the lair as Umbra glared after us. Now things were beginning to get interesting.