//------------------------------// // 72 - Dawn // Story: Gladiator // by Not_A_Hat //------------------------------// "Pillow…." I mumbled as the soft, fuzzy thing I was hugging shifted.   "Sir, I need to be up and about." Someone gently detached my clinging arms. "Here, hug this." I felt something fluffy being substituted, and latched on.   "Wes, what are you— Eeeeep!"     "Morning, Wes. Or afternoon?"   "Morning." I blinked myself awake and found myself staring into a set of deep red eyes. "Rainbow?" I gave a confused yawn. "What are you doing?"   "Being relentlessly snuggled." The pegasus chuckled. "I arrived with a message for Bit, but apparently someone needs a pillow for their feet and a pegasus for their head."   I realized I had my arms wrapped around Rainbow, and my head was resting on her wing. My feet sat on the discarded pillow.   "Mmm." I nestled a little deeper into her feathers. "And you didn't mind?"   "Nah." Rainbow yawned back. "We've been going non-stop since we got the call yesterday, and I’m bushed."   "Oh." I sat up and stretched. It was getting late and I still felt groggy, but if I didn't get moving I'd have trouble sleeping at night. "Who's here?"   "Mmm." Rainbow curled up again. "The Ponyville crew. The Princess sent guards to help us through the warps. We got here as fast as we could."   "Sure." I stretched and felt for my boots. Sunset would be nose-deep in the Tuathan ruins by now, but maybe I could find her. "Sleep well."   "Mmmhmm." Rainbow started snoring as I ducked out of the tent.   "Woah." I stopped, staring in awe as the harsh afternoon sun revealed a changed landscape. I had fallen asleep to a cluster of tents, but a lot had happened since. Now the camp looked like a formal outpost. It might even withstand attacks.   The changeling soldiers had been working as I fell asleep. They rested less, so they'd been laying out markers and planning groundwork. The Night Guard reserve must have joined the work as soon as they warped in.   I gaped openly at their accomplishments. The fortification was laid out in a star, around the warp beacon and the Tuathan ruin. Last night I had confirmed there was only one entrance. That had been enough to start. Now our camp had temporary fortifications, which were rapidly being strengthened into something like a small fortress. They had started with magical shields, but I saw teams of unicorns and pegasi working tirelessly to cut and move blocks of the local volcanic stone. I watched Luna lift freshly cut stone into place, completing a whole section of wall. She welded the rock into a seamless panel with careful blasts of magic.   "At this rate, you'll be done by sunset." I walked over to run an admiring hand over the wall.   "And it won't be a moment too soon." She huffed out a tired breath. "I feel exposed, Wes." She glanced at the desolate wasteland we traveled yesterday. "I wish we were done now. Sombra's out there. I can feel him."   "Blech." I frowned. "Yeah. Think we'll make it?"   "We'd better." She continued her work, chiseling another block of stone and lifting it to the wall. "We've got a little more support inbound, but... there's only one true way to tell."   "Sure." I scanned the horizon. "Well, thanks for your work. Be sure to get some sleep when you can." The fortress was essential, but Luna was our leader and one of our irreplaceable assets.   "I know, Wes." She gave a short laugh. "Teach your granny to pick apples."   "Heh, fair enough." I gave her a smile. She was a veteran’s veteran.  "Is Sunset helping here?"   "She's in the ruin." Luna confirmed my suspicion. "I'd like her help, but understanding Sombra's objective is even more important."   "Well, I'll join her." I glanced at the massive project and shook my head in awe. "I can't contribute anything here."   "Sure." Luna nodded. "Good luck."   "Thanks."     "Wes!" Sunset spun as I walked into the room. "You woke up! Come on, have a look! This is awesome!"   "What did you discover?" I hurried over, scanning the area. I'd been here briefly last night, but barely glanced around. I’d found it by scanning for Patterns in slowly widening circles. I eventually discovered one of the Tuatha’s human-locked doors, like those under the Tree of Harmony. I had ensured there were no other entrances and headed to bed.   It looked very different now I was rested and it was well-lit. The walls were scrawled with Tuathan rune-writing and the floor was carved  with the strange, twisting knotwork I recognized as the Pattern of the Tree.   "This, this!"  She waved at the floor. "I think it's a map!"   "It's a Pattern," I said, confused. "A map of the Tree."   "What?" She shot me a sharp look. "What do you-- no, wait. By 'Pattern', you mean that—"   "The magic Pattern I see. That's what it looks like." I indicated the knotwork. "It's like... the branches of the Tree. From a distance. That's what it looks like." I frowned. "I guess I never actually drew one out? Surely I've described them. Luna and Twilight have seen them, so…"   "Twisting, spiny, strangely draws the eye." Sunset flashed me a grin. "Yeah, you've said it." She paused and looked at the floor again. "So, what about this?" She drew a hoof over the design. I followed her motion, and what I saw surprised me.   There was a path  across the Pattern. It almost looked like a branch, but it twisted and turned through the knot instead of running above or below the other shards.   "Oh, interesting." I traced it. "That's not normal."   "Like I said, I think it’s a map." She waved a hoof at the runes. "I've been trying to decipher the sigils. I'm getting numbers, names, all sorts of incoherent stuff. I think it's a formula of some sort!"   "Want a hand?" I pulled out my wand, offering it to her. She gave me a hesitant glance.   "You sure?"   "Come on, Sunset! Let's see what we can accomplish working together."     "Wes! Sunset! You in here?"   We turned as Lyra entered.   "Yes?" our voices rang together.   "That's… sort of creepy, guys."   "Sorry." We dialed back on the link until our eyes stopped glowing and the concept of 'I' became clearer.   "Sorry," I repeated. "What's up?"   "It's supper time. You two want food?"   "I'm hungry." I nodded to Sunset. "I think we've got a pretty good handle on what's here, huh?"   "Woah." Sunset clapped a hoof to her head. "Yeah. Woah, that's weird."   "I know, right?" I shrugged. "It's pretty cool, though."   "Uhuh." She gazed around the room, and I could see her recalling the meanings we'd deduced together. Working closely, deeply linked like that, had been very interesting. I had done it once before with Twilight, but the experience with Sunset had been different. Less smooth. Instead of progressing evenly towards our goal, our combined concentration had flickered from point to point, randomly changing focus. We still accomplished a lot. It had just been different.   "That was your magic, right Wes?" Lyra gave us a fascinated look. "What did you call it, 'mind link'?"   "Y-Yeah." I nodded once, firmly. "Yeah. That was my magic we were using." I grinned. "Mine. It was useful. And cool. Let's go get some supper."     "Wow!" I held out my bowl for a serving of stew and gazed around at the construction. The sun was setting, but work continued under magical floodlights. The fledgling fortress was nearly complete, and it had grown teeth. Weapon emplacements were being installed and magical barriers were scrawled across the walls. "So," I turned to Luna, "is it done?"   "Nearly." She frowned into her stew. "Nearly. But worry won't speed it any. How about your project?"   "Well, hmm." I grimaced in return. "Let's go sit with the rest, and we can talk about what we found."   Luna nodded, and we walked over to our circle of friends. Everyone else already had their food. I found an open spot between Applejack and Fluttershy. For a while, we stuck to light topics. It was a large circle: the six Elements, Sunset, Lyra, Bitterbloom, and Luna – everypony who had helped me along the way, except Celestia, and… Splinter. Eventually, the conversation wound down. I cleaned my bowl and leaned back. Luna's field rations were good.   "Alright." Luna heaved a sigh of relief as a barrier flickered to life overhead with a  deep thrumm. "Our fortifications are complete. We're ready for attack now."   "Think he'll be here soon?" I looked up. The stars were slightly occluded, shaded a darker blue by the barrier.   "Yes." She nodded. "He's sure to know we're moving, and he's sure to know where. Only Celestia's forethought got us here as fast as we did. Without the warp network, we'd have been hard-pressed to catch up. As it is, we've got a fighting chance."   "Ah hope it's enough." Applejack stared up at the stars. "We've been up against some mighty tough things, but Ah ain't never been in something this serious."   "Oh, I don't know about that, darling." Rarity yawned daintily. "Sure, this situation may be more organized, but the stakes aren't any lower than when we went up against Discord, or even… " She glanced at Luna and coughed. "Anyways, friendship will see us through. Just you wait."   "Right." Twilight nodded. "We'll just have to do our best! What I want to know, though, is have you two figured out what Sombra's actually after here?" She turned to me.   "Well, we got something." I shrugged. "What have you written down, Sunny?"   "Ahem." Sunset produced a notebook and flipped it open. "According to our resograph, the thingness constants of the axiomatic aether was—"   "Yawn!" Rainbow tossed a pebble, bouncing it off her nose. "Cut to the chase and give it to us in Equuish."   "The world is thin here." I tossed her pebble back.   "Come again?" Lyra gave me a confused look.   "It's like under the Tree of Harmony, except not quite so bad. The… realness of this place is… depleted?" I searched for words to describe an alien concept. "Under the Tree, it's torn – completely gone. Here it's thin, but not quite punctured. The Tuatha wrote formulas describing the path they left by, and how they got here."   "You mean…" Bit gave me a long look. "A path to… Earth?"   "Maybe." I shrugged. "If we knew how to follow it."   "So, Sombra wants those formulas?" Rarity gave us a frown. "Couldn't we just destroy them?"   Sunset and I shared a look.   "That's not a bad idea, but I don't think it would be enough," Sunset said. "He seems to be trying to actually leave this reality. He may be coming more for the… ‘thin-ness’ than the math."   "No, I think the information is— was important as well." Luna gave us a serious look. "At one point, he wanted a human. After Wes escaped, he found a changeling. I think he hoped they could open the human-locked doors. He was even willing to deal with Chrysalis. But I don’t think he needs the formulae anymore. He moved so desperately to recover his lieutenants because Glisten has already crossed dimensions. Instead of gambling Chrysalis could mimic a Tuatha, he used her to recover Glisten, who definitely knew more about inter-reality. That's why Bodkin abandoned Chrysalis. Glisten's knowledge makes her obsolete."   "Hmm." I rubbed my chin. "Yeah, that sounds plausible. Glisten even said something like that when we faced her in the Mirror-world. She was crowing over ‘dimensional transference’ before I even knew what happened. Our return was hardly private – any skilled unicorn could have guessed what was happening, though not how. I bet Sombra had some sort of agent there. Bodkin definitely knew Glisten and Shadow were in Canterlot. If Sombra connected our transferal with Glisten’s capture and return, and was willing to gamble she had the info he needed, when he found this 'thin spot', he just acted."   "M-Maybe we should just… let him go?" The suggestion was soft, but I turned to Fluttershy in shock.   "It's worth considering." Dash crossed her forelegs and gave us all a defiant stare. "Maybe if we get out of his way, this son-of-a-buck will just leave us alone."   "No, no, no," Twilight gave a firm denial. "That's not an option at all. Look, maybe I wasn't clear, but even letting Sombra open a portal to leave could be really bad. Windigos are inimical to everything, and they come in through these tears. When the Elements were part of the Tree of Harmony, they poured all their power into stopping that. As their Bearers, we can't do less."   "Twilight's right." Sunset nodded. "I don't know what Sombra's planning, but the Tuatha were pretty clear. If somepony doesn't know what they're doing, leaving or entering reality has serious consequences. I wouldn't be confident trying resography anywhere near that ruin, and I'm certainly better than Sombra. Worst case, he could freeze the whole world on his way out. Best case, he'd still be out there, causing trouble for somepony else."   "There's no way around it." Luna's voice was gentle, but firm. "He simply needs to be stopped. As the Element of Kindness, I'll need your support for that."   "Oh. Okay. S-Sorry." Fluttershy looked abashed.   "Aw, don't worry, Flutters!" Pinkie threw a hoof around the pegasus. "It'll be alright! Just you wait!"   "Blech, waiting." Lyra slurped up the last of her stew and flopped to the ground. "Waiting is the problem. We've got an attack hanging over our heads now, and all we can do is wait. I hope it doesn't take long."   Nods and shrugs circled the group, and we all sighed a little.   Long or short? I couldn't decide which was better. All I knew was I disliked both.     "Sir?"   "Sorry Bit, I didn't mean to wake you." I looked over to my 'pillow', who was stirring.   "What are you doing? What time is it?" Her voice was raspy, but she wasn't going back to sleep. She looked up at me. Her large crystal eyes gleamed in the dim tent.   "Nearly dawn. I'm double-checking my sword." I motioned to the pieces spread before me. "I think that trip messed up my sleep cycle, because I woke up early. All I could think of was preparing."   "Hmm." She stared into space, zoning out for a second before scooting over to join me. "What does that piece do?"  She motioned to the microchip.   "It's a runic echonarchy amplifier, a magic circuit inscribed on a crystal. The heart of the weapon." I screwed the pieces back together as I spoke, rapidly re-assembling the sword. "Why have you been zoning like that?"   "Like..?"   "Like you did a moment ago." I carefully tested the blade. It thrummed green. "You've been pausing to stare into space ever since we left Canterlot."   "Hmm." She gave me a hooded glance. "And if I didn't want to tell you?"   "Then I'll drop it." I shrugged. "If you want."   "It's fine." She sighed. "I'm talking to my army."   "Talking?" I gave her a sharp glance. "I thought they were agents?"   "They're generals. They have their own version of the hivemind." She frowned. "Sort of. If I had soldiers, they would command them."   "So you can connect to them? Talk to them?"   She nodded.   "Interesting. I wonder—" I cut off as she shot upright and her eyes snapped wide. "What's wrong?"   "He's here." She gasped and leaped to her hooves. "Sombra. His army! One of my generals spotted them!" At that moment, a bell began ringing. I leaped to my feet and jumped into my boots. Bit threw the tent-flap open and we dashed out.   Our fortress was small and held a small force. The Ponyville contingent had joined us, and Luna's original twelve had been complemented by another dozen Day Guard and the weapon emplacements. It didn't take long for all of us to turn out on the walls.   In the distance, we could see a cloud of dust rising in the pre-dawn light, as a large group moved across the Smoking Wilds.   "Sure, I wanted short." Lyra grumbled as she joined us. "But honestly, I would have settled for never. Let's be real here."   "Hmm." Luna gave the approaching army a long look. "He's been bypassing my scrying spells. I should have gotten more advance warning. Good job, Your Majesty."   "Thank you, Your Majesty."   "You're welcome, Your Majesty."   Bit and Luna grinned at each other.   "So, what now?" Sunset pointed to the fortifying weapons. "Can we bombard them or something?"   "When they're closer, we definitely could." Luna frowned. "They'll have defenses against large-scale spells, but we'll let them get well into range before we try…" As she spoke, the approaching army slowed and stopped. "Unless, of course, they decide to camp outside our range and attack when we least expect." She shrugged. "Alright ponies, shows over! Back to your stations!" The guards on the wall saluted and started breaking up.   "Rainbow!" Twilight snapped as her friend jetted into the air. "You are not going scouting!"   "Pff, stop me if you can." Rainbow smirked. "They can't."   "Bodkin can break the sound barrier," I interjected. "You'd better be careful. If you stay in range of our guns, at least we can support you."   "I would like a closer look at their composition," Luna said, calming Twilight. "She's the best flyer we've got."   "That's right." Rainbow nodded matter of fact. "So, what's the range on those suckers?" She waved at the enfilading guns, positioned on a nearby point of the wall. They were a modern system, similar in style to the tac cannon Twilight had used but much more portable.   "Um." I paused, trying to think of how to mark the distance for her.   "You know what? Nevermind. Just come with." She held out a hoof to me.   "Wait, won't I slow you down?" I gave her a puzzled frown.   "No, no. Do your magic thing." She tapped her head. "Get in here, Wes."   "Oh." I drew my wand. "Okay."   "I swear, your magic is like cheating." Luna watched as I linked with Rainbow.   "Magical pony princesses aren't allowed to say that," I shot back.   "Alright! Give me some positions here, Wes!" Rainbow thought, as she sped off.   "Ooof. Move over." I mentally elbowed her as I shifted some of my attention to her senses. "Is it just me, or is it crowded in your head?"   "I'm not dumb! You're fat."   "Pff." I smirked and laid down a few boundaries on the sandy rock below. "Don’t go past this."   "Conversely, anything inside that's fine, right?"   "What are you— Woah!" I twitched as she threw herself into a double loop.   "Chill, dude! I'm just warming up!"   "It's a good thing I don't get airsick." I shifted most of my attention back to the wall.   "What's she doing?" Twilight gave the cavorting pegasus a confused look.   "Showing off, of course." I shrugged. "Oh, she's near enough to see something." I swallowed as the army came into view. It was big.   "So?" Luna gave me a challenging glare. "Report."   "Um." I did a quick estimate. "At least several thousand crystal golems. They're grouped in hundreds. I see different configurations… long-distance, fast attack, heavy support, maybe even siege… Flying?" I broke off as a squad launched into the air.   "Rainbow, watch them!" The flying group rushed closer. They looked more like small dragons than ponies, but were obviously formed from crystal. Snaggletooth jaws hung from whip necks; I imagined them slashing through the air and shivered.   "No duh, Wes." She focused on the group’s leader. "Oh, is that Bodkin?" He was a gaunt ashy pegasus who sparkled even in the slowly-growing morning. "He's hot!"   "Are you saying that just because he's glittery and dangerous?"   "N-No, of course not!" She gave a vehement denial. I smiled. A moment later, Bodkin peeled off from his escort and matched Rainbow, staying carefully outside the range of our guns.   "They know our firing limit." I frowned.   "Or they guessed, based on Rainbow's flight." Luna waved dismissively. "Either way, I figured we wouldn't get a chance to target them until the attack." "Right. Woah!" I put a hand out to steady myself as Rainbow started into another stunt.   "What's she doing now?" Twilight watched in confusion.   "Playing 'follow the leader' with Bodkin." I groaned as the two pegasi matched each other trick for trick. "I guess she's bored."   After a few minutes, the stunts faded out with Bodkin leading by one point.   "You could have totally taken that. What gives?" I questioned Rainbow as she intentionally fumbled a stunt.   "I want him to underestimate me." Her reply was serious. "This is war, Wes, not a game. You need to take the long-term view."   I sat, stunned, as the last pony I ever expected lectured me on strategy.   "Um, right." Bodkin hovered a moment and bowed to his opponent before tossing something nearby and zipping off. "DON'T CATCH IT!"   "Duh, Wes. I'm not flying into that sort of trap." We both watched the projectile soar past, landing with a whump. Rainbow floated down to the ground and gave it a good long look. It was a crystal construct, maybe the size of two fists. "Okay, magician. What is this thing?"   "Looks like…" I stared at the lump of crystal. Inside was a magic circuit, several intersecting runes and a small flat slab of black glass. "Wait a minute. That's my cellphone!"   "Whoozawhatzit?"   "Cell phone… a communication device of mine. From Earth. Um." I gathered up some relevant memories and passed them over.   "Ooooh. Hold up, I thought you lost it?"   "I did; or rather, the changelings stole it after I arrived. But…" I paused, considering. "You know what? I don't even care. Sombra's pulled so many 'impossible' things. I'm over it. Maybe he had spies in a Changeling Hive, and that's just how good he is. Maybe he's taunting me. Maybe he found it in the rubble after we were done. It's not important. That's a communication spell." I indicated the inscribed magic. "And the energy reserve is too small to be really dangerous. Pick it up carefully and bring it back."   "Sure." Rainbow snagged the sphere and balanced it on her back, turning towards the fort. "Here I come."   "She's coming—" I cut off as Rainbow touched down lightly "—back," I finished lamely.   "Here." She tossed me the crystal. I caught it reflexively and nearly dropped it again as it started to glow. Luna's horn flashed, and the scenery around us grew muted and fuzzy.   Whum.   A small, pony-shaped figure appeared over my hand. This time I actually did drop it, fumbling to recover. It was Sombra.   "Greetings." The small figure gave a mocking bow. "Honored enemies."   "Tradition is ash at your hooves, Sombra," Luna growled. "Say your piece and drop the mockery."   "Really Luna? Such hostility! Need I remind you who the instigator was in our previous disagreements?" Sombra's voice had lost the hollow quality I'd heard before, and even in the projection he looked much more solid.   "You were harming your own subjects." Luna glared. "You forfeit any pretense of justice to satisfy your own evil desires."   "Mmmhmm." He gave her a lazy smile. "Well, your logic and calm reason have persuaded me of my evildoing. I guess I was a real nightmare."   A hiss rose from those of us watching, and Luna froze.   "I'm not here to simply point out your hypocrisy, simple though it might be. No, I'd like to offer you a chance." His eyes went hard, and even in miniature I felt waves of threat roll off him. "Stand aside, and I'll pass without destroying you."   "Your logic and calm reason are most persuasive," I deadpanned, "but aren't you a little overconfident?" I smiled with as much bravado as I could. "Really. We've already stopped you time and again, but now you're planning on facing the Elements, the Princess of the Night and the Tezecan Queen?" I smirked as he glanced around the circle. "You have no idea what we can do. How about this? Surrender now and you'll be promised leniency."   "Fool," he hissed, eyes focused on me. "Silly, hopeless fool. You don't even know what I'm doing, do you? I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt anypony! I just want to leave. Is that so much to ask? Just let me get out of your mane." His eyes narrowed, and he smiled slightly. "Or better yet, come with me."   "Hmm." I paused, pretending to consider it. "What are you offering?" Fluttershy gave me a shocked look, but she subsided as Applejack nudged her.   "Power." Sombra's voice was deep. "Power beyond dreams of power. I've discovered your sister’s secrets, Luna, and I plan to have them for myself. Beyond this world lies unimaginable magic. I'll tear back the veil and walk into the abyss. I'll transcend this plane and rise above even this mortal form. Anypony who swears to follow me can come. Everypony who does will become more than they ever imagined."   "That's not how transcendence works." I cut Sombra off abruptly. "You literally have no idea what you're talking about. You place countless lives at risk to sate your own lust for power."   "Life is risk," he spat. "If you can't sacrifice, you can't progress. Through me, ponykind will fulfill its potential."   "The ends justify the means? Really?" I gave a sardonic smile. "It's funny how often that idea comes up. Unfortunately, whenever I hear it I'm the means and you're the end."   "If you can't look past your unrealistic ideals of 'love' and 'harmony', I will crush you. That's a promise. You can't hope to stand with that naïve outlook." He smirked back. "I'm simply being realistic."   "You think we don't understand sacrifice?" I quirked an eyebrow and looked to Luna. "You planned to give a speech when things got serious, right? Would you mind doing it now, Princess?"   "My pleasure." She turned to the fortress and raised her voice. "ALL PONIES, FRONT! AND! CENTER!"   There was a minute of confused scramble, and every guard in the fortress formed up in the open area by the gate. Luna extended the blur she'd conjured so we could see them clearly without revealing the specifics of our defense.   "Good morning, my little ponies!"   CRASH!   The massed salute rattled armor and weapons.   "The enemy has arrived. You have seen them." Luna's voice rolled off the black stone walls. The sun peeked over the horizon, and sunlight started pouring into our fort.   "They are a mighty host. They outnumber us by the hundreds, and I can't assure you we will emerge victorious. When the battle comes, it will rise furious and we will stand against it alone. DO! YOU! UNDERSTAND?"   CRASH!   "Good." She paused, and silence fell for moments. The ponies below were still as statues, a dozen Night Guard and a dozen Day Guard.   "Now!" She looked up to the sky. "For now, we have a respite, and I mean to give you a choice. If you value your life, I will let you depart! Leaving takes courage too, and it won't be held against you. But before you decide, think on this." Her voice softened. "Think on the friends your death would sadden. Think on wives and children, standing over your grave. Think on the eyes of your lover, wet with tears."   Silence fell again.   "And after that, think about what you face. Life in battle is nasty, brutish, and short. You face bloody death, pain, and terror if you stay. So, I'll ask you, and I'll only ask you once. Are you willing to stay? Will you risk not just your life, but the happiness and friendship of those close to you? If you can't, leave now and go with honor. The teleporter is charged."   She whirled with a flourish, turning her back to the group to watch the rising sun. All of us on the wall turned with her. I heard her counting very quietly under her breath. When she reached five hundred, we all turned back.   There wasn't a single gap in the line.   "And you say we don't understand sacrifice," she spat at Sombra. "Thank you for your support!" She nodded to the ponies in the yard. "I'll do my best to be worthy of the trust you've given me, and bring every one of you through this. Dismissed!" She turned back. "You're lost in blind worship of strength, Sombra. You're afraid to trust anypony because deep down, you're a coward. You think idealism is weak, but you're incapable of understanding our actions because you're incapable of caring about anypony besides yourself. You're a selfish, egotistical maniac, and we'll risk everything to stop you."   Sombra's expression darkened as every single one of us nodded firmly.   "Fine," he snarled. "If that's how you feel, I'll destroy you gladly. Tomorrow at dawn, I'll destroy you all. But for now," his eyes fixed on me, "I'll start with the weakest." His form blurred and vanished, and a spark leaped from the crystal onto my hand. I dropped the globe, which bounced on the stone.   "Ow." I flicked my hand, stung. It felt like static.   "You're dead, Wes." His voice crackled from the globe. "Glisten held your heart for days. More than long enough—" The sound cut off as Luna crushed the globe underfoot.   "Ow." I clapped a hand to my head as my ears started ringing.   "-to record your soul-signature. It didn't take long to put together something nasty." I looked around, but his voice was inside my head. "I'll repay you for crossing me, little human. I'll repay you tenfold."   "OW!" I yelled, dropping to my knees as a sudden pressure threatened to cave in my skull.   "Wes!" My friends crowded around as I struggled against a sudden surge of magic.   "Back!" Luna stepped in front of me, keeping the others from mobbing me. "Wes, quick! How can we help?"   "Sombra—" I grit my teeth. "—inside my head—" As I spoke, Sombra’s magic started to move, and he began invading my mind. The sensation turned my stomach. More than that though, I realized just how much trouble I was in. This was more than a headache. This was a fight for my life.   I fought back with everything I had, but it wasn't much. The tricks I learned 'wrestling' Twilight seemed ineffective against the torrent of dark power. I struggled in silence as Twilight, Sunset, Lyra, and Luna all frantically tried to help.   After a minute, my senses started feeling muted. I could hear Sombra's insane laughter as he slowly tore into my mind. I fought him every inch of the way, but he was inexorably pushing forward.   Stop. Think. Despite my desperation, I stepped back to my training. I drew in a deep breath, blowing it out slowly as I tried to center my mind. I pushed back the panic, anger, and adrenaline; I didn’t have time for it. Emotion wouldn't solve this, but rational thought might.   "This isn't helping," Sunset gasped frantically. I heard her as if through earplugs. "He’s locked on too firmly!"   Sombra carefully crushed another of the defenses I'd erected, and I groaned in pain.   "We don't know enough numancy!" Twilight cried desperately. "We need mental magic—" Luna yelled something as well. Magic washed uselessly over me.   Expert. I need an expert. I beat back the encroaching oblivion and fumbled out my wand. For an instant, my mind cleared. I knew an expert in mental control. Someone strong enough to toss even a dark magician out of my head.   "Bit," I grated, extending my hand. "Help."   "But!" I saw fear in her eyes. "You're not safe from me! What if—"   "I trust you— with my— life!" I shook the wand for emphasis. "Bit, he's killing me by inches— I don't care if I become your drone— get him out!"   "I can't—"   "Bitterbloom Jasmine Tezeca— I'm begging for your help! Get in my head!"   Her expression steeled at that, and she touched her horn to my wand. The link formed with a snap, and I felt her presence wrap me like a warm blanket on a snowy day. Sombra's confusion was immediate, but it gave way to abject horror as she reached through my mind and dealt him a blow that shivered to my heels. For a second I glimpsed her as a swirl of light, a spray of white blooms that tore through his shadowy presence. The fog on my senses started to shred, replaced instead by blinding glare. I relaxed and surrendered to the brightness.     When I woke, I was standing in the circle of my friends, hugging Bit.   "Ow," I croaked. My head hurt, and my throat was dry.   "Oh, thank goodness!" Fluttershy darted forward, wrapping me in a hug. After a moment, everypony joined.   "I made it?" I looked down into Bit's eyes.   "You made it." She smiled up at me. "I made it."   "Thanks." I squeezed her a little tighter. "Thanks, Bit. You really saved me, there."   "You're welcome," she mumbled into my chest. "Don't scare me like that again."   "Sorry."   Slowly, the hug broke up. After a minute, I turned to the wall and looked out over the distant army.   "So, how's it looking?" I asked Luna. “That’s a big army.” “Can you pull out some crazy magic and even the odds?" Rainbow asked.   “We’ll see. If he’s using any of his old tech, he's got tactical defenses; large-scale disruption like Phoresy never dreamed of.”  Luna shrugged. “It would hinder a Moonlance, and Celestia’s Dawnhammer wouldn’t even start. If I’m reading him right, he thinks he's got us cornered."   "A-Are we going to be okay?" Fluttershy's voice was weak.   "Oh, yes." Luna smiled viciously. "Yes indeedy. I've got him exactly where I want him. Tomorrow at dawn, he said. Tomorrow at dawn, we'll even the odds. Let’s see how he likes a fair fight."