The excited cheers of the crowd erupted when the last challenger of the day stepped out onto the jousting field. A large, light-red colored stallion with a scarlet mane trotted out proudly, his entire body enveloped in a crystalline glow. His armor and helmet gleamed with a brilliance that only hours of polishing could achieve, even after competing against multiple challengers. The stallion paraded around the field, relishing in the cheers of his adoring fans. He had won against a dozen other challengers. His last opponent was the Prince himself.
The stallion looked up toward where the Princesses were seated when his eyes met with Princess Sterling’s. He gave a quick wink, which the violet mare returned with a roll of her eyes and an amused grin. Princess Gold Lily looked to her sister and gave a small chuckle. “It appears as if you have an admirer, sister,” she said. Princess Sterling gave her younger sister a playful glare.
After a moment of the stallion’s showboating, Princess Sterling stood and cleared her throat. The crowd’s cheers began to fade as they realized their leader was about to speak. Once the ponies were quiet, Princess Sterling spoke.
“It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Garnet Shield on making it to the final round of this year’s Crystal Faire Jousting Tournament,” Princess Sterling announced. The crowd erupted into cheers once more. “However, there is still one more opponent he must face.”
A light-gray unicorn stallion stepped out of a tent, brandishing his lance. His silver armor gleaming with a similar intensity as Garnet’s own. The ponies in the stands began chanting his name and stomping their hooves. He smiled at his subjects, waving a hoof in the air. His eyes, however, almost seemed darker than usual. Instead of his radiant emerald green eyes, they were now a dark hazel. Princess Sterling, however, could see behind his façade. Something seemed to be troubling him.
Sterling had hoped that the faire would ease his mind. He had been away on a mission into the Crystal Mountains during the last faire and had not been able to experience it. Ever since, he had become reclusive and would take frequent walks around the castle, disappearing for hours at a time. The prince had even insisted on sleeping in separate bedchambers.
Sterling was drawn away from her thoughts when she was nudged by her sister. Sterling looked back at Gold Lily who nodded her head toward the field.
Princess Sterling cleared her throat. “Garnet Shield, Prince Sombra, please take your places. At the sound of the horn, you will begin.”
Garnet Shield picked up his lance and strapped it to the side of his armor as Sombra did the same. Both stallions took their places on either side of the fence, awaiting the horn. They both looked into each other’s eyes, determination gleaming in Garnet’s. In Prince Sombra’s eyes, something different. Something Garnet couldn’t quite figure out.
The crystal flugelhorn sounded with a brilliant trumpeting tune. The sound of hooves thundering against the ground grew loud as both stallions charged at one another with an intense speed. Prince Sombra’s expression grew fierce as he charged at his opponent. His eyes began to turn a blood red color. Garnet Shield noticed this, and he hesitated for a moment out of shock. This gave Sombra the opportunity he needed.
Sombra’s lance struck his opposition with a force so great that the lance shattered and fell to the ground. Garnet was flung backward several feet and he doubled over. His armor had absorbed enough of the blow for it to not be fatal, but it was still strong enough to deal him a large amount of pain, and a possible broken rib. The crack of a broken rib and the crack of a lance can sound surprisingly similar. A collective gasp was heard from the crowd, including the princesses. Sombra hopped the fence and stood above his opponent, glaring down at him. A twisted smile started to form, revealing a set of now-sharp canines. Garnet Shield’s eyes widened in horror as he saw that the whites of Prince Sombra’s eyes were now glowing a bright green and a sort of purple smoke radiated from them. His pupils looked like those of a feline.
Sombra’s horn began to curve and gained a subtle red gradient. It swirled with a purple and green aura, along with sparks of what appeared to be black lightning. His own shadow began to extend across to ground toward Garnet. Slowly, the shadow on the ground surrounded the stallion. Sombra’s dark aura grew in intensity as black crystals began to grow from the shadow, which started to encompass Garnet as he tried to flee.
Princess Sterling stood up. Thinking quickly she teleported onto the field in a blinding flash of blue light.
“Sister!” Gold Lily called after her. “Be careful, he’s dangerous!”
Sterling ignored her, cantering toward the terrible scene unfolding. “Sombra, stop! You’ve won! You don’t need to –”
Sombra’s gaze turned toward her and he growled, “You will not interfere!” The dark aura surrounding his horn shot out toward Sterling, who recoiled in shock.
“My love… what are you doing?” Princess Sterling asked, holding back tears.
Prince Sombra looked into her eyes, and anger gave way to shock and regret. The dark magic that had a hold of him faltered and began to fade in and out. His eyes returned to their normal emerald green as the black crystals began to shrink back into the ground. He looked around; at Sterling, at Garnet Shield, and finally the crowd of ponies all staring at him in terror.
“What have I…” Sombra knelt down, shaking, looking at his hooves, “What is happening to…”
Garnet Shield stood up, clutching his chest. “M-my Lady, he did not hurt you, d-did he?” Garnet asked in a pained voice.
“No, I’m fine. It’s you we need to worry about, I fear something may be broken,” Princess Sterling said, waving a hoof at the medical ponies who had been standing by in shock. They looked at each other for a moment, and finally decided it was safe to help Garnet. A stretcher was brought to carry him off of the field. “We cannot have a Captain of the Royal Guard out of commission for too long.”
Garnet smiled. “I’ve recovered quickly from worse, this will take no time at all,” he mused. The medical ponies carried him off toward their nearby tent, and he waved to the ponies spectating. They began applauding softly, unsure how to properly react to the situation.
King Sombra stood up, all eyes turning toward him. He gave one last look at the ponies around him before taking off, cantering toward the castle. Sterling stepped toward him, reaching a hoof out. It hung in the air for a moment before she put it back down. Gold Lily flew down beside her, extending her wing around her sister. Sterling looked over at Gold Lily, tears streaming down her face.
“Come on Sterling, we need to get back to the castle,” she said. “Don’t let your subjects see you like this, it will just scare them even more.”
Princess Sterling inhaled a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “You’re right, Gold Lily. Our subjects need us to be strong right now.”