//------------------------------// // Renewed Efforts // Story: Attack on Two Fronts // by Shy-Brony //------------------------------// Sombra dashed through the featureless desert, hoping to escape the scalding light of the sun. At least, he thought it was scalding. If the Crystal Heart's light could nearly destroy him, who knows what the sun itself could do? Not anxious to find out, he began teleporting across the landscape, yards at a time. In time, the bleak scenery began to change, a river appearing to the west. Up ahead, the edges of an orchard came into view, a pillar of smoke visible above the treetops. "An orchard... and what may be a barn or home... Wonderful." He marched through the property, searching for its owner. He didn't search for long. "Well, hello there!" An incredibly chipper voice rang out. Whirling around, he saw a yellow mare with an orange mane trotting towards him. "Pleasure to meet ya, stranger. Name's Golden Harvest, and may I be the first to welcome you to Appleloosa!" She saw his horn. "Um... ya need some ointment for that?" Snarling, his horn and lit up, and Golden's eyes took on an otherworldly, green glow. "I need to see your library," he said. "Take me to your library." Enchanted as she was, Golden could only see a fearsome stallion before her; one she could not identify, but knew that she could not refuse his commands. Nodding, she turned and led him into town. Though the day had barely begun, the numerous farmers and cooks of the small town were hard at work, going about their daily duties. Numerous ponies were cleaning windows, painting fences, or pulling large carts. A young buffalo could also be seen, volunteering at a bakery. Soon, Golden stopped in front of a large, important-looking building. The sign above the door read "Town Hall". "What is this, worm? I said library." Sombra glared at the cowering mare. "I-I'm sorry, but the archives are the closest thing we have. Ours is a newly settled town, and most of our citizens brought their wares and savings. It was assumed that new workers-" "Enough. Begone." Entering the building, he saw a beige, mustachioed stallion sitting at a large desk, stamping and signing numerous papers. Numerous doors lined the wall behind him. Hearing the door open, the stallion looked up. "Mornin'," he said. Moving to Sombra, he held out a hoof. "Call me Silver Star. I'm the sheriff 'round here." Ignoring the greeting, Sombra walked to the doors, checking each label. "Finance, no. Records, useless. Complaints? Odd." Focused as he was, he didn't notice the sheriff standing beside him. "Lookin' for something?" Sombra flinched, and glared at the sheriff. "History books." "Oh! Well, those're right through this door." Silver Star walked along the wall, stopping in front of a door simply marked "History". "...." Unable to respond, Sombra merely stepped into the room, Silver Star following closely. Inside was a number of bookshelves, each containing texts from various periods. Unfortunately, only one captured his interest: The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide. He snatched the book with his magic and turned to leave, He found his path blocked by the increasingly troublesome sheriff. "Goin' somewhere with that?" he asked, glaring from beneath his hat. Somehow, the longer this dark stallion stayed, the more dangerous he seemed. "This ain't a library. You'll have to-" he couldn't finish, as tree roots burst through the floor, strangling him and pinning him to the ground. They squeezed his legs, crushing his bones.He began to scream, but was silenced by a larger root wrapping around his mouth. Slowly, he was dragged down into the bowels of the earth he held so dear. Stepping over the writhing sheriff, Sombra moved to the door. Stomping on his shadow, a crystal pillar rose. Using his magic, he broke it into fragments, each roughly the size of a doorknob. He placed one above the door frame, enchanting it so that anyone trying to enter would simply see no one here. He repeated this process with all the doors and windows before sitting down to read. "Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria..." As the sun shone high in the sky, Chrysalis and her generals finally reached the edge of Appleloosa. Same as usual, except for that yellow mare stumbling around in a daze. Paying her no mind, the trio walked through the town, trying to spot their assailant. It should have been easy; this town had nothing but earth ponies after all. A unicorn, especially one as monstrous as that, would certainly stand out. As merely looking was useless, they opted to ask around. They first approached the most social pony in town: Braeburn. The stallion was patrolling the town as usual, greeting his friends and neighbors. He also took time out to greet visitors from the newly liberated Crystal Empire. They were coming more and more often, with a family having bought a house already. He wasn't familiar with the details, but apparently they were rescued by his cousin and her friends. Again. This makes the third or fourth time right? They need much more than a window or medals; what they deserve is-- His thoughts were interrupted by a hoof on his shoulder. Turning, he greeted the orange mare. "Mornin'! How can I help you, Ms...?" "Citrus Daze," Chrysalis answered quickly. "I'm looking for a certain stallion, he... owes me something." Braeburn hummed, forcing back the urge to ask about this stallion's debt. What mattered was exactly who he was. "Um, could ya describe him? As you can see" -- he waved a hoof over town-- "we have plenty of stallions here." "Right. The one I'm looking for, he's a dark grey unicorn, with dark red eyes and a black mane. Of course, what you would notice right away is his horn." Her 'children' shuddered. "What's wrong with it? Is it broken?" "No, no, it's just... hideous. It's burning red, and shaped like a dagger. All in all, he's a very evil looking pony. Have you seen anyone like that?" Braeburn stared off into space, trying to remember if he'd seen anypony like that before. They would certainly stand out anywhere in Equestria, but especially in Appleloosa. "Nope, sorry. I'll keep an eye out for him though. In fact, I'll go ask the sheriff." He galloped off towards Town Hall, leaving the changelings alone. "E-excuse me?" asked a light blue mare, approaching them. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear you describe our... king?" the mare asked, trembling. "Your king? King of what, exactly?" She glared down at the mare. The others flanked her. "What do you know about him?" Eyes darting from side to side, the mare struggled to speak. "I- I'd rather not talk about this in public. Please, we can talk at my house." Slipping through the barricade, the mare ran off, the changelings following. The changelings sat on a soft couch in the living room. The mare, Topaz, was in the kitchen preparing refreshments in response to their cries of hunger. Aside from the couch, there was little decoration. A simple, clearly brand-new carpet on the floor, a bookshelf filled with books and pictures, with more pictures on the walls. Small simple things. What really stood out was the small crystal on the coffee table, glowing an gorgeous shade of blue. Basking in that light, they all sighed in relief, and felt their weakness and hunger drain away. Entranced, Chrysalis leaned forward, desperate for more. The two soldiers stood back, happy to let their queen drink her fill. Sadly, the crystal quickly dimmed, with none of that wonderful light remaining. Without it, the room as a whole seemed darker somehow. "Sorry for the wait." Topaz returned carrying a tray of water and sandwiches. Setting it down, she spotted the dim crystal. "Oh no, what happened?" Pressing her snout to it, she closed her eyes in concentration. Her coat glowed and became crystalline, and the crystal began to shine once more. Backing away, she looked up at her guests' shocked faces. "Is something wrong?" "What was that?" Siren demanded. She leaped from the couch, hovering in Topaz's face."What did you do? What is that light?" "Siren! Give her time to explain." Chrysalis ordered. Siren returned, glowering at their host. "Now, you were saying?" "Um, right. Well, that ties in to the story rather well, actually." She sat down and cleared her throat. "I, like all crystal ponies, hail from the Crystal Empire. This gem is just a tiny part of what we use to build our homes and businesses. When benevolent emotions are focused through them, they spread through the area, like now. In fact, each year every citizen of the empire would gather around the Crystal Heart, and we would pour the love and unity we share into it, spreading it through all Equestria." "Wait!" Chrysalis interrupted, an eager grin on her face. "You say that this Crystal Heart contains the love of your entire empire?" With each word, her grin grew, and she struggled to keep from dancing in place. "Y-yes. It's a tradition of ours, one that began centuries ago. Well, over a thousand years ago now but... um..." She scooted away from the now drooling pegasi. After a moment of this, they wiped their mouths and turned to leave. "Wait! Don't you need to hear about the king?" "No," Chrysalis turned, a wicked grin on her face. "He's not important anymore." She giggled, the duo joining in shortly. Thoroughly frightened by these unhinged ponies, Topaz let them leave. Almost immediately after shutting the door, she remembered something. She threw open the door and hurried outside. Spotting the family, she galloped into their path. "Move," Chrysalis snarled. Topaz stood her ground. "Please," she began, unfazed by the glares boring into her. "Please, if Sombra is alive, you can't let him get to the heart. If his dark magic infests it, that darkness will spread through all of Equestria, starting with the Crystal Empire!" "I understand. Trust me, I won't let him anywhere near it." Chrysalis rubbed Topaz's head. "Okay. Thank you." Satisfied, Topaz went home, shutting the door. Inside, she noticed that her crystal had gone missing. "They wouldn't... right?" "We'll need to use this sparingly," Chrysalis said, referring to the crystal tucked under her wing. They stood at the train station, waiting for Siren to finish seducing the teller. She offered it to the nameless general. "Here. You need to eat too." "You're too kind. But I think it should be used strictly for emergencies, yes?" Despite his refusal, his legs shook, struggling to support his body. "Absolutely not! Eat! That's an order!" She shoved it in his face. Reluctantly, he closed his eyes and absorbed some of the love within. After a few seconds, he stopped, able to stand. Siren trotted over, carrying three tickets. Handing one to each of them, she said, "The trip should take about two days. Will that crystal hold out that long?" "With severe rationing, yes," Chrysalis replied, sitting down on the platform. "I see. Well, my queen, remember that your life comes before ours. and to-" "I already tried telling her that," the nameless one interrupted. "It's no use." Siren opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the incoming train's whistle. All together, they stepped onto the train. Roughly ten minutes earlier... Sombra stood under the shade of Town Hall's roof. There's no way you're afraid of a little sunlight. He thought, trying to psyche himself out. You didn't fear Aurora, or Celestia, as she calls herself now. He chuckled at the rather arrogant name. Hearing somepony coming close, he pressed himself to the wall, merging with the shadows. "Sheriff!" A yellow stallion called, knocking on the door. "Sheriff, are ya in? I got somepony lookin' for a grey, black-maned stallion! Have ya seen him?" Hearing nothing, he stepped inside. Sombra froze in shock. Who could be looking for me? He took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. I'm sure a lot of Equestrians look like that. No need to panic. "Oh, and one more thing: I was told he had a really weird looking horn. Like a red-hot dagger or somethin'." No, that's me. After the stallion left, Sombra hurried inside, shutting the door. Pacing around the lobby, he searched his mind for ideas. "He's right. I looked out of place back at home, let alone here! I need to disguise myself, and fast!" After a moment of pacing and snarling to himself, he decided on a full-body illusion. Illusions, while not his specialty, were pretty easy to cast, especially on a single object. "Now, what should it be? My best bet would probably be the opposite of how I look now. That should fit in just fine." In his mind's eye, he pictured a white, blue-maned unicorn with green eyes. Satisfied, his horn glowed, the black aura enveloping his body. From horn to hooves, the aura receded, replacing Sombra with the white stallion. Using his magic to grab some things around the room, he inspected the light blue aura. Assured that nothing would give him away, he confidently strode outside. He stared at the bright, cloudless sky, at that infuriating ball of light and heat. Taking a deep breath, he stuck a hoof into the sunlight. "Nothing?" Slowly, he stepped out from under the roof, standing in natural sunlight for the first time in a thousand years. Ashamed at his cowardice, he walked to the train station, snatching up a few pebbles along the way. I'm certain the castle has a more suitable library. Hopefully the Elements haven't been rediscovered yet. I'll be unstoppable! His deep, menacing laugh echoed around the platform. "Um, sir?" The teller asked. "Do you need a moment?" "No, I'm fine." Sombra said, handing the stones, disguised as bits, to the teller. "One ticket." "Alright. Enjoy your ride." The train pulled in, and Sombra climbed aboard. "Oh, I intend to." He laughed again. January 23, 698 Finally! At long last, I, Prince Sombra, have gotten my Cutie Mark! My special talent is spreading fear. Not exactly what I thought it would be, but who cares? It's mine! And I have... um... one of the trainee Knights to thank for it! I'll have to show my gratitude when he wakes up. The medics say that could take a while though. And his throat is ruined from the screaming, but that's not important. I should tell my mother! Signed, Sombra