//------------------------------// // 05: The Challenge // Story: My Little Pony: The Seal of Death // by Azrael the alicorn //------------------------------// There was fear and confusion in Ponyville. The destruction of the Royal Sisters castle didn't go ignored and most of the population of the town were staring at it wondering what could have been the cause of such untold disaster. The Mayor tried to calm down the citizens, assuring them that there was nothing to worry about and denying to herself the fear that she felt in her heart. But there was somepony there who knew better than the others what was going on: Zecora. It was since her awakening that she felt that something terrible was about to happen and now, that something had happened. She didn't know exactly what was the cause but she could feel that the power responsible for this disaster was more ancient that the earth she was standing on. Suddenly, without the least of warnings, ponies started to drop dead to the ground. The Zebra and the Mayor looked powerless as their friends died. And soon they felt something grabbing a part of them, their very soul was being pulled out with a swift and violent way. They then dropped on the ground themselves, lifeless. * In Cloudsdale the Wonderbolts were preparing for action towards whoever was responsible for the assault in Canterlot. The destruction of the palace shocked every single one of them, but Spitfire tried her best to maintain her stoic and calm attitude and Sorain did the same, trying to lighten up the tension with his humor. "So, who do you think we're up against? Some stupid weirdo which thinks she can take over the world with an army of foals?" he joked. Spitfire was not amused, "It's no time to joke around, Soarin. None of the Wonderbolts teams in the past have witnessed the fall of the Palace of the Royal Sisters. I'm pretty sure that whoever is responsible for this mess is not somepony to joke around." "Oh, please, I’m sure that the Elements of Harmony can take him." He stopped, noticing that Spitfire had fallen into the ground. He started laughing, thinking that she had tripped over a cumulus of cloud, but then noticed with horror that all around him pegasi were falling from the sky with no life in them, before he felt something very cold on his soul. And then nothing more. * Discord was starting to lose interest playing against Chrysalis. Sure, that amulet turned the bug-queen into quite a fighter but she was far from his level. Since the destruction of the palace his thoughts were filled with worries for Fluttershy and her friends. And right before all of that he felt something unusual in the air. Suddenly he noticed hundreds if not thousands of lights rising in the sky and sensed that something horrible was happening. "Okay Chrissy, I think this fight has gone on long enough," said the Draconequus. "AH! You want to surrender?" asked boastfully Chrysalis. "Nope". With that said Discord snapped his fingers and before the queen of the changelings could react she was trapped inside a cage. Roaring furiously Chrysalis charged against the bars but she ended up shocking herself. "Now stay there,” said Discord. “I've got bigger fish to fry". With that, Discord flew high above to see where his friends were, only to find them all gathered up in the ruined gardens. The Draconequus noticed three things: 1) There was no trace of that little dragon that usually always stuck with Twilight, 2) There was another alicorn of which he didn't know anything about, 3) Sombra was the only one who looked happy and that was not a good thing. Discord teleported himself there facing the evil tyrant. "Well hello there, Sombra. You look quite buff. Have you been doing some gym lately?" joked Discord appearing in a flash of light. "Discord, the ex-spirit of chaos" commented a grinning Sombra. "Ehy, just because I've been reformed doesn't mean i'm less threatening! I'm gonna show you what it means to fight a reality warper!" "Wait! Don't do it Discord" screamed Azrael. "I have no idea who you are, but do not worry for me. I’m gonna mess him so bad that he's going to need a therapy for both his psyche AND his body," said the Draconequus ready for engage battle against the dark foe. "If the Elements of Harmony couldn't stop him neither can you!" added Fluttershy, afraid for the health of her friend. "...Wait whaaAAAAAASRGHAGAHRSBASARGH!" screamed the Draconequus as Sombra fired a painful laser through his body, then throwing his beaten body near the Main 6 with his magic. "Do you feel alright Discord?" asked Applejack. "Oh, I feel great, thanks for the worries Applejack. But I have just one question" "What is it?" "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS BEFORE!?" screamed Discord getting up, "Now, that said, why is he so damn powerful?" "He's wearing the Seal of Death. A relic that grants..." tried to explain Azrael, just to get interrupted by the Draconequus. "Is that that necklace he's wearing?" "Eh, yes" "Ah…, well it’s gonna be a walk in the park now that I know that’s his weak spot!" Discord teleported right next to Sombra with a gigantic hammer in his hands which ran into the Seal, but instead of breaking it, it was the hammer that shattered into a million pieces. "Oh," was the only thing Discord could say before Sombra punched him away. "You can't break it either," added Azrael. "No, really? I did not understand that yet," answered Discord sarcastically. "Is there something I can do?" He asked. "You can die," answered Sombra, shooting Discord with a dark discharge, causing the spirit of chaos to scream in agony. "I won't let you do this!" screamed Fluttershy with booming angry voice, flying against the dark tyrant, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Princesses Luna, and Celestia right behind her. Only Azrael remained back, watching the group going against certain defeat. And so it happened. With a cruel cackle Sombra sent a wave of pain that brought the group to their knees. "You still don't get it, do you? You can't beat me," said Sombra full of himself, "I'm the most powerful being in the universe! I have the power to end all lifes" "A power that is not your own" stated Princess Luna, defiant until the end. "Why does it matter? The important thing is that i’ve won" declared Sombra, placing his hoof on the neck of the mistress of the night, "I could take all the rest of the souls in this country with a thought.” It wasn't really a question, but still somepony answered it. "Perhaps because you would look like a coward?" asked Azrael without any trace of fear on his face. Sombra walked right in front of him, towering above him with a murderous expression on his face. "What.Did.You.Just.Say?" "I’m pretty sure you heard me right." "Have you forgotten how bad I defeated you in our last fight? And since then my skills with this relic have grown." "I know" "Then you have a deathwish, if you provoke me so boldly," hissed Sombra. "Maybe, but I still don't believe you're going to kill me or any one of us. At least not now." "Why not?" "Because I know you, Sombra. I know your arrogance. No, you don't want to take the world down inch by inch, defeating all your adversaries separately. You want to show your power. You want to crush ALL your enemies in one time. At their best, to prove that you are the most powerful being in the universe and beyond." Sombra went silent, thinking what Azrael said. And then he spoke: "So, you're telling me to leave you fools to gather up an army and fight me in one grand battle? Why should I accept this and waste precious time, instead of dealing with you insects now?" "Why? Do you have really time to waste? Or is it because you fear the we might beat you if you gave us a second chance?" The Dark Tyrant glared at Azrael with pure rage in his eyes while the angel of death simply stared at him with defiance in his. But in the end Sombra smiled, "No. I don't fear anything. I'm going to give you 4 days to gather up your army. You better be punctual, if you don't want to see the least patient part of me." With that said he used his magic to free Chrysalis from her prison and gather up with her. "Well then, see ya in 4 days Somby," said Discord helping Fluttershy to get up to her hooves. "Not so fast, ex-spirit of chaos" commented Sombra. In a flash of light Discord found himself inside a cage made of gloomy crystals. "We don't want to make things too easy, do we? You're gonna be released when the battle will start. In the meantime you're gonna make company to Chrysalis. And don't you even try to get out before that day, if you hold your life dear," told the dark tyrant to the Draconequus. He then turned to the Main 6, Azrael and the Princesses. "Do not believe that this delay is a gift. When this is over you're gonna regret that I didn't kill you right here and now," his glare focusing on Twilight Sparkle. "And when I will take away all the people you hold dear, destroy all your morals and have turned Equestria into a graveyard...then, you'll have my permission to die". Sombra, Chrysalis and the recently trapped Discord, disappeared in a dark flash of light.