Extended Holiday
Chp 19: White Out Conditions
Act 2
Matthew stood on the platform with a shocked look on his muzzle. He was dressed in a saddle bag as well as a short sword one would draw and charge while holding in one’s mouth. Rainbow Dash glared at the sky and then at Matthew. “So, not liking this weather?” She asked the navy blue Pegasus. “I know, unnatural and, too cold.”
“Cold? COLD?” Matthew cried out as he looked at Taze. “Remember that one camping trip I complained ‘bout the cold and I was dressed in my most heavy winter gear?” Taze did not remember being part of it, but he did remember how his friend would complain about the cold and always the first to go to heavy coat wearing.
“Yeah,” Taze replied before looking around, “Let me guess you want your warm coat?”
“No, I, I am fine, this is… A scarf would be fine.” A White scarf was wrapped around him as Rarity walked off the train. “I am fine to this. I am actually okay in a snowstorm!” Matthew shouted with joy. “This… This body is amazing.”
The moments after were filled with the sound of drawn out slow clapping. Taze had a cocky grin on his face. “Welcome to my world.” He laughed, “But this isn’t a storm, you can see your hoof in front of you face after all.” he noted.
Any further conversation was interrupted as a light purple unicorn with a blond mane wearing a delivery mare outfit approached them. “Um special delivery.” she said seeming to avoid eye contact with the mane six as she approached Shawn first with and envelope.
Shawn only responded with a raised brow as he took the envelope. “Thank you.”
Without asking him to sign anything she retrieved another envelope and approached Matthew. When she had handed it to him she took out another and approached Taze. The gryphon took it skeptically as the mare walked right past him.
“South east city exit.” She mumbled as she walked off. Vanishing behind the shack like platform office.
“Oookay.” Taze said. “That was definitely weird.” Matthew only nodded his head as he looked over his envelope.
“This is,” He paused and blinked as he moved the letter in his hoof before sighing and placed it in his saddle bag. “I’ll read it later, out of the snow and the like.” He muttered as he looked to his two friends. “Shall we move? I think I just, yep Shining Armor just came in looking like he walked in from the planet Hoth.” He smirked to his friends at the reference he just dropped.
Taze took a step forward onto the snow and before he even realised it his hand went to the hilt of his sword. “Black cloud on the horizon.” he mumbled.
Matthew blinked and noticed it as well. “Right, no clue why but my gut and my mind is sending me warning bells.” Shining Armor saw the cloud and promptly started racing towards one direction. “Fly, We all must fly and flee, I cannot think we can deal with this think.” He took off after Shining, only to blinked in fear as the cloud suddenly shot forward and circled around not just himself but his two friends as well cutting them off from the others, Shining Armor turned around and looked like he was going to attack as a dark laugh began to emanate around the entire group.
For some reason Taze felt angry and despite the cloud covering him he drew his sword and charged at it.
“Damn it Taze!” Shawn yelled out. “Keep moving!”
“Oh no, another Jenkins, CHARGE!” He yelled as he drew his own sword and charged after Taze, with Shawn already moving. One moment they were in a snowstorm the next. Matthew actually stumbled forward and rolled to the ground letting his sword out of his mouth as he looked up at a strange dome. “Oh wow. Lost World series for real.” He was looking up and at the moment laying down on some green grass in the outskirts of a city that seemed almost summertime warm. He also saw towards the edge of his sight two crystal like towers with a rope spanning the two towers with crystals hanging from said rope. “Pretty.” He muttered.
“Why does my hand feel so weird” Taze said verbally flexing his left arm, it felt heavy and off for some reason. Looking down his eye’s widened in surprise as blackish purple crystal covered his forearm and hand. “What the hell is this?”
Shawn leaned in a bit as he looked at the coating. “I… I’m not sure, but something about it…” He hummed for a moment. “Hold on.”
Taze checked his belt with his right hand making sure everything is there as best he could by touch, with a clatter his sunglasses fell to the ground.
“That might be useful.” Shawn commented as he grabbed the sunglasses. “You don’t mind do you?” He questioned quickly.
“Go ahead.” Taze said “Just find out what this stuff is.”
With a nod Shawn pulled up the sunglasses. “Now, lets hope this still works. Please, relax, this won’t hurt, hopefully.” He said putting them on, but keeping his hoof on them. His eyebrows sank and those around could feel something in the air.
“I read this trick from a little unreadable book.” He said on the side. Soon a golden energy seeped from around his hoof and began to surround the sunglasses. “Energy, check.”
The frames began to light up, going from black to a bright light. “Focus, check.”
Matthew just rolled around to watch the show the correct way and just smiled a little as he watched the magic happening. “This won’t get old for a long time. Magic, observable.”
Shawns hoof dropped, but the glow stayed around the glasses as he leaned forward a bit, looking at the crystals. “This…”
He stopped moving as he stared forward. “This is…” He reached a hoof forward. “I can see it seeping through the cra-” He was cut short as a small discharge went from the crystal from his hoof. He exhaled abruptly and started coughing as he backed away. “No.” He coughed more. “No, no no no.” He pulled off the sunglasses as he stood in a wide stance to keep his balance. “The book described this, but not like this.” He shook his head. “It’s taint, crystals of pure taint.” He coughed a little. “Good grief, that was…” He exhaled. “It’s not spreading to you, you’re fine for now.” He sighed. “You’re fine for now, but warn me if something starts to feel wrong.” He shook his head again, his left eye twitching slightly. “Yeah.”
“Ok thanks Shawn.” Taze said looking around. “Where’s my sword?” he looked around. after a few moments he spotted it, walking over to retrieve it. “Next order of business, lets find the ponies.” Taze said before looking back to his friends. “...Present company excluded of course.”
Shawn only raised a hoof and pointed it behind Taze. “Then who are we looking for?”
Taze turned around, only a few feet away was Twilight and the mane six with Shining Armor. “Oh, thats convenient.”
“I’d say.” Shawn muttered softly.
Matthew smiled as he looked around. “So.” He paused and pointed to a stone tower, one could almost see some windows at the top. “Shall we get a lay of the land first? Map out a route?” He paused as Shining Armor shook his head.
“If you want to waste time, Princess Cadence is waiting in the main Castle throne room, and she is, the dome is not going to last now that I have this.” he put a hoof to the black crystals sticking to his horn. “I cannot use my magic. Whatever is out there he is trying to thwart our work and do something to this city.”
Matthew nodded his head. “Very well, it is just.” He paused and pulled out his envelope and blinked as he raised it up. “Well for one thing my mysterious letter has the drawing of that tower on the front of it. So, important?” He asked to the air.
Shining paused and smirked. “Oh my, well why not sounds like one of my hooks I had for when I was DMing one campaign, first one that Cadence actually joined in on..” He moved towards the tower. Before shaking his head. “No, while that might be fun, we should at least check in with Cadence first, then explore the tower.”
With that all ten beings turned and followed Shining through the streets towards the large structure that towered over everything else. Matthew looked at his friends. “What an odd castle.”
Shawn simply shrugged in response.
As they walked Taze’s head shifted around in a very bird like manner. Being at the back of the group no one seemed to notice as his feet stopped in their tracks as something caught his eye. In the center of town was a life sized statue of a gryphon sitting on it’s haunches. Something about it caught him off guard but shaking his head he sped up to catch up too the others.
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza sagged on her throne. Her horn glowed as it had for the last two days straight. Her body ached from fatigue, she was hungry but eating was hard to do. She wouldn’t be able to keep the spell up much longer. She lifted her head to the sound of approaching hooves, brightening up as the first pony entered. “Twilight!” she called walking towards her sister in-law.
Twilight broke from the small herd and raced to Cadence. “Cadence!” She called out and when they meet each other they right away began to do, well to all present it was some strange ceremony of meeting.
They both sang as they recited the following. “Sunshine Sunshine ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and do a little shake.” They both broke down laughing not noticing that all but Shining Armor were silent and staring.
Matthew was smiling as he found the scene heart warming and how it looked like a secret handshake or greeting to his eyes.
Taze grinned upon seeing it, it wasn’t heart attack risking levels of adorable of dinky doo, but it was definitely cute.
Shawn starred with his blank expression, the only thought that occurred to him was a monotone, ‘Cute.’
The two ponies got too there hooves. “One of these days we’ll need to get together when the fate of equestria isn’t hanging in the balance.” The princess staggered momentarily.
“Are you okay?” Twilight asked worried.
“She has been using her magic to spread love and light.” Shining explained. “But she hasn’t slept, barely eats, I want to help protect the empire but my spell has been countered by king Sombra.”
“Shouldn’t she have a coffee maker like right there beside her Twenty-four seven?” Taze asked.
Matthew blinked and raised a wing a little. “Uh, who is King Sombra?” He asked a little confused. “Wait, countered, are you telling me that mass of black smog is a King? What?”
Twilight only blushed a little, oh right, I told my friends but, you three were all asleep when I did that, well two of you were, and Shawn was staring ahead so I didn’t really know if he heard any of it the first time.” She smiled to Shawn, “No offense I hope.”
“None taken, but I was.” He chuckled. “Always keep an eye and ear open as the saying goes.”
“For the record I’m fine!” Cadence said after raising her head up to answer the comments from before a slight interruption.
“She’s not fine.” Shining Armor interjected. “She can’t go on like this forever and if her magic fades, well you know whats waiting out there.” Shining Armor said.
“That’s why we’re here.” Twilight said
“That’s why we’re all here.” Applejack added.
“Hey wait a sec...Omph.” Taze was cut off as Shawn jabbed him in the stomach with his elbow. He coughed for a few seconds. “Yeah thats why we’re here”
“Well, with Cadence putting all her strength into keeping her spell going, and me trying to keep an eye on signs of trouble in the arctic, we haven't been able to gather much information from the Crystal Ponies.” Shining Armor explained. Further explanation was cut off by a rather shrill cry.
“Crystal Ponies?! Hahahathere are crystal ponies?!!” Rarity asked as her pupils dilated and she yanked on her perfectly coiffed mane. It took a full second for her to realise everyone was staring at her. Releasing her mane she straightened her posture and coughed. “Um, Ahem” She cleared her throat. “Continue.”
Matthew or rather as he reminded his own mind Captain Ink Strike just stared at Rarity. “Ma’am, I fear you may just scare them if you continue in that action any further, you sure scared me.”
“Yes well.” Shining said “As I was saying we have to believe one of them knows something about a way to protect the empire without relying on Cadences magic.” Shining noted
Twilights eye’s widened excitedly. “A research paper!”
Shining looked up, seeing the three humans share his expression they all answered with a “Huh?”
Twilight smiled. “That must be part of my test – to gather information from the Crystal Ponies and deliver it to you! This is gonna be great! I love research papers!” She was almost skipping.
Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight as if there was something wrong with her before snarking “Yeah who doesn’t?” She answered sarcastically.
Taze raised his hand, Matthew gently put it down. Matthew silently glared at Taze as if to say through eye contact to be nice at the moment.
Pinkie having not seen this interaction began bouncing energetically around rainbow dash. “Oh-oh-oh! Lemme guess! Is it Spike? Nono, Fluttershy! Rarity?”
“Don’t worry big brother.” Twilight’s chest swelled with pride. “I’m really good at this sort of thing!”
Matthew blinked and realized something, “Uh, can somepony please tell me who this King Sombra is? I would like to know just who it is we are facing at the moment.” He bristled his feathers as he tried to look intimidating, it only made Cadence smile and laugh a little at the antics.
Twilight looked at the three before sighing, “Right, just so we are all on the same hoof, Sombra was a tyrant who ruled this land a thousand years ago, enslaving the Crystal Ponies and a land that if filled with love and joy, spreads to the rest of the world, but despair and evil, then, well the results are not pretty. So Celestia and Luna attacked and sealed away Sombra but not before he cursed the Crystal Empire and it vanished.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, I’ve noticed several statues of a gryphon and some ponies, are those decorations or is there something behind that?” Taze asked. “In fact, he seemed to be carrying a set of blades like mine, the gryphon I mean.”
“Did Aunt Celestia and Aunt Luna not tell you three about them?” Cadence asked.
Matthew blinked and looked at Cadence, “Uh, let’s see, we were not told about Changelings, until they attacked, nor did we learn or have much time to learn due to a language barrier, then we defended the castle from invasion, move to Ponyville to avoid infighting among nobles, and realize just how in over our heads we were in moving from Ponyville into the Wild and to you, unnatural Everfree Forest, and oh, we decided to actually take a breather and hold a two day epic snowball battle.” he looked to his friends. “Did I leave out anything?” he got a few shakes of the head no before turning back. “So, no we have not been told about these, three statues.” he paused and smiled a little. “Your Majesty.”
Twilight stood there mouth gaping open at Matthew’s rather snarky comment coming from the Pegasus form. Matthew smirked a little not saying another word. He just seemed pleased.
“A thousand years ago.” Cadence sighed. “Just after the Third Gryphon War. a gryphon an earth pony and a pegasus came to the empire, they were Grif, son of Graf, a gryphon from the western isles who didn’t even know the gryphon kingdoms existed at the time. A Pegasus who was called Pensword and was, close to the royal family, he lost his life it is said defending the royal family to his last breath, sadly Sombra succeeded in wiping out the entire family. As well as an earth pony named Hammer Strike, he was a lord amongst the smiths guild. These heroes took a stand against Sombra when he took over, Hammer Strike and Pensword brought the army from Equestria as Grif lead a doomed rebellion. Grif met his fate hours before the army arrives, Hammer Strike didn’t survive the final battle. After Sombras capture but before his sentencing and cursing of the empire, the crystal ponies and the Solar and Lunar army honored them with those statues. It was funny, Starswirl the Bearded was said to have laughed at there funeral, as thought there was a joke only he was in on.”
“Well that’s a bit to process, and it seems like we have quite the task ahead of us, so I guess we should go and ask people about stuff?” Taze raised an eyebrow looking around.
Matthew coughed into a hoof. “Pony, ask Ponies about stuff.” he rolled his eyes at Taze’s glare. “I am not scared of that, my aunt could pull a scarier glare and voice.”
With a goodbye to Cadence the ponies and gryphon left the room.
“So anyone else think the reactions were kinda…. Depressed?” Taze asked as the group reconvened outside the palace.
Matthew nodded his head. “Agreed, I, I would say it would feel like those commercials or movies with the soldier suffering from a traumatic experience, I want to say the entire empire is suffering from a form of PTSD. I mean, suffering as slaves, being sealed away, and to them, it seems that they don’t know time had past.” He jumped up and tried to hoover only to come crashing down on the ground. “Ow.”
“Did anypony find anything?” Twilight asked looking around.
Fluttershy shyly approached Twilight before suddenly reaching behind her heads and unzipping herself revealing Pinkie Pie dressed as a spy. The pink earth pony shook her head.
“Well then.” Shawn said aloud, looking at the disregarded disguise.
Matthew had actually yelled and was currently hanging upside down from a streetlamp shaking and his fur poofed and wing feathers ruffled in fright and an attempt to look bigger. “What is, WHAT!?!” He yelled as he tried to keep from hyperventilating.
The rest of the ponies approached confirming that they had not found anything either save for AJ who seemed to have a small tidbit.
“All I got was somepony mentioning something about a library.” she said.
“A library! Of course!” Twilight said taking off.
Matthew looked from where he was hanging from. “Uh, after the speeding purple Unicorn?” he asked in a confused manner before finding himself falling and landing on his back. “Ow. Uh… I am okay, I think.”
“There are no words!” Twilight said misty eyed as she spun on hoof eye’s scanning the wall to wall books surrounding them.
“Sacre bleu.” Taze added “There has to be over ten thousand books here.”
Matthew just stared. “Now, this is what a library should look like.”
After a few moments Twilight managed to refocus herself as she approached the desk not too far from them where a crystal pony stood, she seemed confused though her stance signified a certain familiarity with the building. “
“Well um hello?, we’re looking for a book.” Twilight said
“Well we have lots of those.” The pony answered back.
“You do, you really do!” Twilight answered in a somewhat dreamy tone. “But we’re looking for a history book?”
“History of course, history is… Over there?” She answered questioningly. “I can’t remember, I’m not sure if I actually work here.”
“Ugh” Rainbow groaned upon hearing this.
“Well, we’ll just look around for ourselves.” Twilight said sheepishly.
“Let me know if you find anything.” The pony answered.
The Group only acknowledge her comment before literally spreading out and starting to hunt for the book, however it was quickly apparent on one thing.
“Twilight, this is.” Matthew did not finish as Twilight growled in frustration.
“The entire Library is messed up, L is next to Z, and the numbers are totally out of sync.” She realized something. “Sombra must not want us to to find something here. Maybe that is part of my test?”
“Your test?” Shawn questioned from where he was in the library.
“Dammit mare! The fate of an empire rests in our hooves/claws right now, forget your test and think like your in a crisis!” Taze shouted.
Matthew paused and blinked as he looked around in shock at something. “What if… What if that is the test?” he got some very strange looks. “Well, in ROTC, we would have a few of the cadets be in charge of other cadets to simulate an actual attack force, while others, were the opposing force. Anyway, the point it… what if Celestia is wanting Twilight to figure this out, because.” he pointed to the doors. “Beyond that dome is a monster that frankly, I think should be destroyed, enslaving an entire nation, creating a nation of fear and,” he slammed his hoof down. “Let’s just say my view of leaders like that is very, dim.”
Three hours later books where piled as high as the eye could see.
“Anypony else starting to think this is a wild goose chase?” AJ spoke up.
“Nope,” Matthew replied as he closed another book. “As long as any book remains on the shelves it could be the one that we need, Sombra hide the book, and I am sure he would not be dumb enough to destroy a history book, too many angry folks, he would try to keep the in control, so I am sure this is created in something that he could find again.” He ignored the looks from Applejack and Rarity as he picked up another book. “Also, I am going to check these books out once I get a library card.” He seemed to smile a little. “Books unread for a thousand years…” He shivered a little. “The history of that.”
“Oh we still looking for that book?” Taze looked up from a large book in front of him? “I may have gotten lost in a book or two.” He looked back at the stack of books behind him. “Or ten….”
“Weren’t you the one talking about concentrating on a crisis earlier?” Rainbow asked with a raised brow.
“Heh… my bad.” Taze rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
“Why do you think I am setting books aside for later reading? I,” He paused as a book fell from a top shelf onto his head. “ow.”
“No, no, no, no, no,” Twilight mumbled as she looked through book after book. She pulled a large red brown book with gold plates on the cover in front of her. “‘A history of the Crystal Empire’? I just hope this has the answers we need.” she said opening the book. her eye’s widened as she read. “Yes, yes, yes, yes!” Her voice continuously rose in pitch. “This could be the answer, I got to go see Shining Armor!” she shouted “Meet me at the palace!” she yelled as she ran out the door, several seconds later she returned to the librarians desk, opening the book she stamped it for herself before turning around and running out again.
Matthew smiled and tried to do the same thing but found that he could not find the stamp and looked down in sadness. “Great, well, I guess I shall just have to place these,” he looked to the Librarian or who she thought she was one. “Can I place them here for on hold?”
“Well,” She replied looking a little confused. “I guess, I don’t see why not just use one of the notes that say hold to place on top of your stack.” She smiled a little to offset her confused look. Matthew only nodded his head before heading out empty hoof. “Come on, we might as well see what Twilight will do at the Palace.”
“Hold your horses.” Taze said eye’s scanning the book in his claws tell he finished the page. Marking it in his memory he placed it on top of his own stack before following Matthew and the others.
Matthew looked sideways after another poor attempt at flying had cracked Rainbow Dash up as he crashed. Still that crash was still smarting as he and the others slowly walked into a room that to Matthew felt like a meeting room for ministers and planners.
“I feel like something big is going to be happening soon.” Taze said looking around. “Is it just me, or does it almost seem like there gonna break out in a song?”
“Well I am certainly not joining.” Shawn mumbled mainly to himself.
As if on some unseen cue Twilight approached the table carrying a book. Looking around at each of them she opened her mouth and sung out. “Princess Cadence needs our help.”
Matthew was looking out at the Crystal Fair. Shawn and Taze just looked at him as he hummed a little. Mainly with the refrain of the song that he had joined along out of no where. It seemed that while the other two were able to join in the refrain in the end, he had been affected by the magic of music and joined in every group part. He just seemed very happy now.
Taze looked at Shawn “What just happened? I feel like we just talked about this, next we’re setting up an entire huge fair in under an hour to a song?”
“Reminds me of a scene, training an entire army over the course of one song, make a man out of you.” Shawn said to Taze before he turned toward and mumbled to himself. “I hope we don’t have to do that.”
“Anyway now that we’re alone.” Taze said retrieving his envelope. “Maybe we should check these out?”
“I’ve been tempted to, but for some reason when I’m about to open it I get pulled away to do something.” He said. “I’ll try when we are inside.”
Matthew looked at Taze, “I like to read letters at a desk or inside where I know I will not lose them. What I want to know is why there is a crystal tower drawn on the front of my envelope. So I rather solve that first then open.”
Taze shrugged “Looks like the envelope was right, I’m gonna open mine first” he said placing a talon on the end and cutting the top open.
“Uh, what?” Matthew asked as he looked to his friend. “Say what?” He pulled his own envelope out and saw that their was only the image of the crystal tower at the front entrance of the Crystal Empire. “All I got is this drawing.”
Taze pointed to some strange script on the envelope he just opened. Retrieving whatever was inside he opened a small page of paper with more of the strange script on it. “Huh, that’s a little cryptic and somewhat ominous.” He shrugged.
“What is?” Matthew asked as he looked to the side. He had caught the lettering and blinked. “What is that anyway? It looks a little flowing to be honest.”
“It’s Tengwar.” Taze said as if they should know what that is.
“Never heard of that.” Matthew replied as he saw more of it. “Looks Middle Eastern to me.” He shrugged at that point.
“Close.” Taze laughed. “It’s Tolkin’s form of elvish writing, a buddy of mine was obsessed with lot so for the heck of it the two of us learned to read and write it” taze cleared his throat. “it reads,
'In the land far to the north neath the skies of blue'
'When peace seems firm at hand the dark lord shall rise anew'
'Look to the tower, a call will heeden you"
"To the mare make sure the one is turned, protect the other two"
"Leave them with a pegasus not born then make the three a two"
"Begin the fight, assist the small, there courage do renew"
"With large words bold and true allay all their fears"
"But beware before it's done, it well be you who sheds the tears"”
“See, ominous and cryptic.” Taze said. “How’d they even know I’d be able to read this?”
Matthew paused and lowered his voice. “You said the Doctor knew us, what if he wrote this to us?” He asked and shook his head. “That mail mare must be a future companion or something. Easy way to keep us from realizing till we read the letters.”
With a shrug Taze lifted the letter and with a talon began to slice it into pieces. He ignored the rather shocked sounds coming from Matthew’s muzzle. “What are you doing?”
“DAR, destroy after reading, at the bottom” Taze noted. “Probably too risky too keep it in the present.”
Suddenly before Shawn could go for his letter, Pinkie Pie popped up between the group. “Come on, we have to check out the guard tower, Shining Armor is wanting to see if he can use it as a supply point for the guards coming in a week to help bolster the defenses.”
Shawn only blinked a couple of times before turning towards Taze. “Eeyup.” He nodded.
Matthew grinned. “Right, shall we depart milord?” Matthew asked with a smirk as if joining in on those that had started to calling him that. Shawn could see that his friend was saying this with a smirk and laughter in his eyes. Shawn could only sigh in response, following the group.
They all stood at the base of the rather dark purple tower, one could see windows leading up around the inside curve of the tower leading up to the top. Shining Armor and Rainbow Dash had come along as well. It was Shining Armor who opened the door only to have the entire tower flash black and a bell began to toll. Around the perimeter a flicker and the tower was suddenly out in the elements with the wind blowing and snow swirling and the black shadow racing right at them.
Matthew just gasped and turned around. “Battlestations! Get something Fire, no, inside, inside, we get inside NOW!” Matthew did not wait as he tried to push the others into the door before the black cloud enveloped the three, the door slammed shut as it turned transparent crystal allowing those to watch as the cloud circled around the tower as dark laughter filled the air.
Matthew looked to where he hoped Taze and Shawn were currently. “Anyone else reminded about Ganon?” He blinked as he suddenly felt something else. “Okay, now I am getting freaked I cannot feel the ground.”
Taze didn’t respond, once again this unexplained anger welled up inside him. He screeched loudly as he reached for his swords. To his ears the laughter was almost like he was taunting him.
From where he was Shawn only stood his ground scanning everywhere around him as best as he could. His mind was racing in figuring out what was going to happen and possible outcomes.
Suddenly around the area opened up and the three saw each other, however they also could see the faint outline of their human forms shimmering like ghosts rising from the backs of their current guises.
“You…” A voice, the same voice that had been laughing draw out. “I will take pleasure killing you all now.” He paused and laughed even more. “No, no sending you to a time where nothing can save you, that is better let the wilds of the north kill you before anything came to be.” He cackled as a dark, dark black magic began to move akin to tar around the ground and up towards the group.
“Anyway getting a sense of dread and wondering what? Did we like attack the girlfriend of the smoke monster?” Matthew asked as the tar suddenly burst up and latched with a sickening wet smack sound before starting to travel up his one hind leg. “This is bad, I cannot move.”
“Come out and face us you coward!” Shawn called out. “Or is the great Sombra too much of a coward to do so?”
“I’ll rend you atom from atom.” Taze shouted in some kind of berserk rage fighting his best to charge forward. “I’ll slice you so fine I’ll be able to put you through a funnel! The sand of the earth well not have number to add to the pieces of you there will be when i’m finished! come to me sombra come to your death!”
“Oh, but I am present I am what is left, after those two alicorns attacked me, once the Crystal heart is mine again, I shall be whole and I can conquer.” He talked and laughed. “I’d like to see you do that oh mighty Gryphon, I am but smoke, thou can’t harm me.” He laughed as a bit of tar was flung at Taze’s open beak and caused him to clamp it shut. “I grow weary, I think I shall end this now.”
To the two who watched from the tower at the dark cloud, suddenly they stiffed as they saw the cloud constrict and then fled, leaving the area that it had once been occupied empty. No falling shapes from the air, no forms buried in the snow. Just empty.
Shining Armor moved to place a hoof to his horn. “He… he could,”
Rainbow Dash just spoke in an explosion of emotions. “He vaporized them.”
Shining Armor looked at Rainbow Dash when suddenly the dome retook the tower and the snowstorm was sent outside, the snow with the crystal tower was already starting to melt. “We have to tell the others.”
Rainbow Dash only nodded and charged the door only to have it swing open on its own allowing Rainbow Dash to race to the tower as Shining Armor raced after her. “I am so sleeping on the couch for the next year, I just got the heroes from my wedding killed.”
The group sat around the crystal table, Pinkie Pie’s mane had gone darker and was currently totally deflated as she sobbed. For once the party pony had nothing to say. AJ had her hat low, not looking any of the group in the eyes as she muttered to herself. Rainbow Dash sat with Fluttershy, a hoof gently draped over her friends shoulder as she cried. Shining Armor just sat there in silence.
Cadence had been moved to the room with pillows all around her, She was doing her best not to cry or break down, and if anything she had found a new inner strength to keep the population safe. All were sniffed but Cadence was the one to speak. “You have to make this work Twilight. We have to find a way to stop Sombra.”
Twilight was doing something to try and keep her mind off something she had to do later, write to Celestia and report that they all failed in keeping the humans alive. So to do so she was studying the book she found before gasping in horror. “The last… The last page, its been ripped out. That. The Crystal Heart is, whatever it is, we have a problem.”