//------------------------------// // Bearer Chapter: Wisdom // Story: Harmony's Creed // by Gapeagle //------------------------------// "They's all around us!" "Take cover!" "I've seen worse..." "Get down!" "It's coming straight for us!" "Sister!" Celestia dived to the ground after her younger sister. Her white robes landed in the bloodied snow with a plop before she quickly crawled towards Luna. Each step was harder than the last as the earth shook from the shadow monster that rumbled through the frozen ground like a giant snake through thin grass. The mass of blackness sailed over her and went into the ground again head first. Celestia watched it disappear before continuing her journey. "Luna!" Celestia slid over to her sister who was hiding behind a crystal building. The younger one clutched her leg, trying to stop the bleeding from her thigh. Celestia carefully inspected the wound and placed a comforting hand on her sister. "You'll be fine, it's nothing to worry about." She reassured Luna. "We shouldn't have challenged him, Sister." Luna sobbed as she fought her tears. "It's too late now. He won't spare us." "Tia, this was a horrid mistake..." "Quiet!" Celestia hissed as she brushed her pink hair out of her eyes. "We must get the people to safety, his shadows are killing everyone. Then we can assassinate him." Luna fell silent and looked down, making her white hood cover her eyes. Celestia sighed in regret. Luna was right. They had challenged Sombra prematurely. They had an army, yes, but they were now witnessing that an army was not enough. "Come on Sister." Celestia took one of Luna's shaking hands. "We can do this." Celestia pulled Luna on her feet, much to the latter's disapproval. Luna grimaced as she put weight on her wounded leg. Celestia wiped away some of her sister's cold tears with her white sleeve. She waited for Luna to say something, but the young woman never uttered a sound that was not caused by her crying. Celestia sighed and placed her sister's arm over her shoulder. "Let's go. We need to be in a safe place to regroup with the others." Luna nodded quickly in acknowledgement. Her short blue hair gently unfolded and hung out of her hood. Her large eyes focused on the ground, trying not to stare at the blood and slowly flowed down her leg. Celestia supported her and they started their trek through the sparkling snow. They had to avoid the ever-searching eyes of the shadows that spread destruction across the Crystal City. Warriors would be sucked into literal darkness and the sounds of their body parts being ripped apart could be heard over their accompanying screams. Sombra's inglorious display of power was evident in every alley and snow-covered street. The sisters crouched low when they reached a house that was only half-standing. A shadow popped out of the snow before them and Luna held her breath as the monster did not notice them at all. Red gas flowed from its black jaws and its white eyes glowed with passion. It then ran off with a demonic howl. They watched it chase after some of their fellow warriors before moving again. "Are you gals in trouble?" A smooth voice cackled from behind them. "Discord?" Celestia turned around. Before her, standing calmly as the world battled itself around him, was her lover, Discord. The man grinned with slightly crooked teeth that destroyed his otherwise handsome appearance. His long and thin arms were crossed with confidence. Celestia was ecstatic to see him and let go of her sister, who promptly fell to the snow. "Oh, Discord! I thought they got to you when the gate collapsed." Celestia hugged Discord tightly. Discord grunted as she squeezed him too tight. "Sorry to....disappoint. Celestia, this is....not....the time!" "Oh, right." She let go. "Luna? Are you alright?" "Not with a sister like you." She replied with an indignant huff. Celestia took hold of her sister again and they returned to their trek with Discord calmly following. Nothing had ever gotten to Discord before, so Celestia was not surprised by his demeanor. He, however, did not help her with Luna and so she supported her sister up by herself. The scream of a man being tossed into the air faded as he flew out of sight. Another crystal structure sank into the ground as Sombra's rampaging shadows destroyed everything there was. "Discord! We need to get the people to safety!" Celestia ordered. "Ya don't say? Well, Scorpan is already on the job, last I heard. Of course, he could be dead now, which would be rather unfortunate." "Discord!" Luna shouted. "Listen to Tia! Sombra's shadows are going mad out here." "Alright, alright. Chryssi should be over yonder. I think her boys are holding well over there. She'll patch ya yup, Lulu." "Thanks. C'mon Tia, let's get to Chrysalis." Celestia quickened her pace. Discord ran off in the other direction, climbing the crystal buildings with grace and ease. Luna held tight on her bleeding leg, watching the crimson blood mix with the fur on her robes. The clash of metal sounded through the snow-filled city as the rebels and the Immortals of the Northern Crystal Empire fought with swords and spears. Death was common in the city today. "We aren't going to make it to the Crystal Palace..." Luna sighed in defeat. "Yes we are. Sombra's reign ends today. We've planned this for years. It is not going to just end like this." Celestia hissed back. Luna tripped over a crystal in the snow and fell to the white ground. Celestia cursed at herself for letting such a thing happen. She bent low to gather her sister up again. The sounds of war grew closer. The elder sister risked a glance upwards as the Crystal Palace that loomed over the entire empire. It seemed to watch them, always mocking them for their futile efforts. The black crystals the made it reminded them of the one who constructed it. The one who defiled the Crystal Heart, changing it from Life to Death. "Luna get up! We need to move!" "Tia, I can't!" Celestia was about to yell back when the metal footfalls of Immortals approached them from all sides. Out of the rising blizzard came knights in bright red crystal armor, jagged and wild as usual for their nation. Their crystal halberds glistened with the weak sun. Celestia slowly stood up and placed a readied hand at her side. "There's one of the assassins!" An Immortal pointed at her. "To Tartarus with you! Let Commander Hurricane have mercy!" Another growled. "Get up Luna! Now!" Two of the Immortals charged at Celestia. She pulled out her crystal tomahawk and sidestepped the attack. With a quick swing, she buried the tomahawk into one Immortal's unprotected armpit, making him scream in pain. The second Immortal jabbed at her with his halberd. She hooked it with her tomahawk and made it fell into the ground. She then kicked his helmet off swiftly before he could pull his weapon out of the ground. The Immortal's bruised face was revealed to all. "You'll die for that!" He yelled. Celestia sliced him below the knee, making him kneel. She yanked the halberd out of his hands and pulled it out of the ground. With a quick spin of the weapon, she turned it around and stabbed it through his mouth and down his throat. The crystal point emerged from his lower back and pinned his corpse to the frozen ground. The first Immortal returned with a downward swing. Celestia rolled out of the way and struck him in the back, cracking his spine and sending him into the red snow. She shook the blood off her rounded blade and faced the rest. Luna finally got to her feet, her hidden blade was almost invisible next to the glistening objects around it. With a quick swipe of her hand, three knives flew into the necks of the other Immortals, making them clutch their necks and fall to the ground with quick twitches. The remaining Immortals jumped back in fright. They were about to run when an arrow struck them each in the visor and into their skulls. They fell silently as blood oozed out of their gaudy helmets. Both Celestia and Luna instinctively glanced in the direction that the arrows came from. On top of a nearby building was Chrysalis, her green long bow was held in front of her, ready to send another arrow if need be. Bright green locks escaped her hood and her piercing eyes seemed to glow with reflection. She held an arrow to her green lips and her long thin hands held the string gently. Her face was masked with the cold breath from her nose. When she saw that all the Immortals were down, she lowered her bow and returned it to her back before hopping down gracefully. "No need to say thank you." Chrysalis smiled, showing her unusually long fangs. "We've been looking for you." Celestia explained. "Luna's hurt." "Doesn't look bad to me." Chrysalis chuckled. "You're not the one feeling the pain!" Luna reminded her. "I'm also not the youngest and weakest of the group." Chrysalis retorted. "Be nice Chrys." Celestia defended her sister. "All she needs is a way to stop the bleeding." "Well, why didn't you say so?" Chrysalis untied her blue sash and wrapped it around Luna's leg. The younger sister grunted as the archer made sure it was tight. Chrysalis then finished it with a knot before standing up and patting Luna on the shoulder. "That should do it. You could have done that with your own sash too." "Oh be quiet!" Luna growled. "Chrys, if you haven't noticed, Sombra's shadows are everywhere. We need to reach the Shadow King and end this." Celestia pointed at the Palace. "Hm, yeah." Chrysalis shrugged. "My boys are pushing up that way right now. We should join them." Chrysalis turned and quickly climbed the crystal buildings. She was by far the best climber of the six. Tirek was the worst. Celestia followed swiftly, using her natural height and long legs to easily surmount the crystal walls. Luna tried to climb, but her leg hurt too much, thus Celestia and to reach down and pulled her sister up. "Make sure not to make it worse, Sister." She whispered in Luna's ear. "I'll try." The younger responded. Chrysalis was already far ahead of them. Celestia hoisted Luna all the way before chasing after the archer. Her soft shoes, mainly built for trekking through snow, softly touched each point of colorful crystal as she ran after her companion. Luna grunted with each step, but was resilient. That was Luna alright, Celestia thought. She was the first to cry but the last to be defeated. Celestia jumped over a street and continued on. Shadows raged through the air, slamming their ethereal forms into the standing structures, causing them to explode loudly. With all of Sombra's slaves liberated, he had no use to keep the city standing. That or he was trying to frighten all the people back into submission. However, it was not working as the rebels fought on. There was not a peaceful alley in the Empire at the moment. No street without corpses, and no home untarnished by fear. It was a massacre for both sides, but rebels' army was much larger than Sombra's legions. "Sombra is the legion though." Celestia told herself. She climbed onto a taller roof. A shadow monster ripped out of the earth and sucked in a squad of rebels, never to be seen again. Beams of darkness fell from the sky, obliterating the ground where they touched. At this rate, the Northern Crystal Empire would be torched to oblivion before the day was done. "This is worse than the Windigoes...." Chrysalis hopped down and out of sight. Celestia checked on her sister before continuing. Luna forced herself forward with much effort. Her older sister ran back to support her on her shoulder. The two of them then jogged to the edge where Chrysalis jumped down. "You have to go down, Sister." Celestia told her. "Of course." Luna turned around and began her descent, making sure not to put unneeded weight on her wounded leg. It did not take her long to reach the bottom though as all crystal buildings have plenty of footholds. Celestia followed by simply jumping down into the snow. The sounds of a bow could be heard over the nearby fighting. Chrysalis was shooting her arrows in quick succession, knocking an Immortal down with each shaft. Rebels in black and green garments surrounded the archer. The toothy jaws that decorated their unique helmets showed that they were a part of Chrysalis' army. You just gonna stand there or fight?" Chrysalis demanded as she shot down another Immortal. Celestia responded by pulling out her tomahawk and charging into the fray. Small shadows emerged from the ground and took the forms of humans. Celestia gasped as the shadows picked up the weapons of fallen warriors and joined the fight like regular men. These new soldiers swarmed over Chrysalis' men. "Get back! Regroup!" Chrysalis ordered. The black and green warriors fell back into position and held their swords and axes up against the shadows. An arrow flew through a shadow's head, making it deform until it brought it back into shape. Celestia charged at one, knocking it over and sending her tomahawk deep into its ethereal body. The weapon ripped the shadow apart faster than it could rebuild itself. Celestia kept pulverizing it until it separated completely and vanished. "That's how you do it!" Chrysalis cheered. Chrysalis' men roared with passion and followed Celestia's lead. A whole new battle ensued with shadows and Immortals versus the rebels and assassins. Luna stood up and pulled out her black estoc. With a shout, she ran with her companions. Celestia ducked under an Immortal's swing and countered with a knife to his neck before kicking him into a shadow. She then rolled past several shadows. They glanced her way, only to be destroyed by rebels with war hammers. An Immortal fell to Chrysalis' precision and a shadow was extinguished by Luna's furious sword. However, Chrysalis' men were becoming thin as the skirmish went on. Their insect-like armor was not helpful against the shadows and their unbelievable strength. Heads rolled on the ground and parts of limbs flew through the air. "Hold strong!" Chrysalis yelled. The shadows paused before lashing out with their extendable arms, straggling a group of rebels and shattering their bones. Celestia took another shadow out and quickly proceeded to the next one. She did not know how much she was actually doing since Sombra's shadows were seemingly limitless. "Outta the way!" The sounds of horses made Celestia turn around. A squad of cavalrymen was heading straight for her, their leader in spike-ridden armor and was wielding a massive blacksmith hammer. She quickly jumped out of the way and the horsemen rode through, clearing the area of shadows and trampling over any remaining Immortals. "Tirek you've arrived!" Luna shouted. "It's about time." "Ha! You never cease to amaze me. I leave the sisters for 10 minutes and they already need me." Tirek guffawed as he rode to them. The long horns that rose out of his red and black helmet made him appear far taller than he actually was. His muscles bulged out from under his plate armor. A long, braided black beard covered most of his chest and a gold nose ring almost covered his thick mustache. Yellow eyes glared at them unhappily, but all knew he was in a much fairer mood. His uncovered hands displayed the countless burns he acquired through his dangerous forging techniques. A gold triangle was hung on his necklace, giving color to his otherwise colorless fashion. Sparks of lightning flew off of his hammer. The shard within it beamed with the satisfaction of death. "My brother has successfully escorted all the unarmed civilians out of the city. Discord now marches on the Palace from the northeast. Victory is coming lads and lasses." He boomed with his deep and commanding voice. "Then let us strike! The sooner the better!" Chrysalis demanded. "What about Hurricane's men? Aren't they waiting for us?" Celestia pointed at the Palace. "Of course they are." Tirek nodded. "The boy, however, is afraid. I can feel it. A commander as skilled as him should know when he's lost. I do not see much resistance from him." "And the High Princess?" "She's already given herself up. Princess Platinum is our prisoner. My riders made sure of that." Tirek smiled confidently. "Then all that's left is the Private." Luna muttered. "She'll be with Hurricane no doubt. That girl and him are practically lovers." Chrysalis commented. "Do you think they may take shards?" Celestia suggested. Tirek huffed. "Of course they will. Sombra doesn't want to lose, he'll make them all take shards." "Then let us be ready." "To Tartarus!" Tirek shouted and his riders followed in. Tirek and his riders stormed off towards the Palace. Shadow monsters still attacked the city, but their paths of destruction were not close. Chrysalis yelled at her remaining soldiers and they ran after the shard-smith. Celestia and Luna glanced at each other. "Are you ready?" Celestia asked. "Yes. No leg is going to stop me from ending this." "That's the Luna know. Together?" "Together!" The battle to the Palace was much easier than anticipated. Sombra's forces had gathered within the Palace itself. The only soldiers that dared step out of the Palace were shadows which Tirek had too much fun destroying with his hammer. It seemed like victory was achieved, but Celestia knew better. "Sombra's still alive and he's just waiting for us." "Hm, yeah." Chrysalis shrugged. It's up to us to set the time of meeting." "It should be now." Tirek boomed. "I've been waiting so long for this." "We all have, Tirek. But we just can't go straight in there. He'll expect that." Celestia reminded him. "Then we do the unexpected." They all turned to see Discord and Scorpan walking to them. Scorpan brushed his short brown beard with one of his stubby hands. His hood was down, revealing a small bald head. When next to Discord, he appeared very small. He however, was used to it as he was the shortest of the group. "Discord! Good to see you again." Celestia giggled. "What news do you bring?" "Well, there was the news that I am best here, but I'm sure you already know that." Discord chuckled. All except Celestia rolled their eyes. Discord walked up to them, rubbing the little brown hair on his pointed chin. Tirek slammed his hammer on the crystal door again, making several sharp shards of it fly in every direction. He huffed in frustration. "What's your plan Discord?" He asked coldly. "We either stay down here and spend all day trying to break the door down or we simply climb it." "Climb?" Tirek spat. "Climb? That's idiotic." "For you maybe. For the rest of us, it is plausible. We have all trained ourselves to surmount every obstacle. And here's an obstacle." He gestured at the Palace. All heads turned to the grand tower. The top was not visible, nor was even halfway. The smooth crystal that it was comprised of made it even more impossible. "I'm sorry Discord, but I don't like that idea." Celestia said quietly. "Even if we could climb it, we'd be far too tired to face the Shadow King." Luna added. "Hmph!" Discord sounded offended. "Then I'll just see you guys at the top." Without another word, he jumped on the crystal wall and began climbing. The others could only watch him as he ascended. Tirek shrugged and went back to hammering the door. "Umm...Be careful!" Celestia shouted at Discord. "Well, he was a lot of help. So what's the plan." Chrysalis eyes everyone sarcastically. "The plan is to get in there and kill him!" Tirek grunted. "That's good and all, Brother, but details could be beneficial." Scorpan hesitantly spoke up. Tirek looked at him incredulously. "Details? Silence! We all know what to do! We go and kill him!" "Um....As you wish." Scorpan nodded in defeat. "Tirek be nice." Celestia hissed. "Fine." He muttered. "Alright then. We need a plan before we enter. Tirek, you and your riders will break the door down. Chrysalis, gather your best archers. Once the door is down, Tirek's men will get out of your way. There is no doubt that an army is on the other. Get as many of them as you can. Luna and I will run in with Tirek's men behind us. We are great at being distractions and we'll make whatever Immortals left focus on us while they get smashed by Tirek. Scorpan.....You be.....uh....You'll bring up the rear." "As always..." He muttered. "Great plan, Celestia. But ya forgot something. How is Tirek going to break the door? That thing is a foot of crystal." Chrysalis pointed out. "You doubt me?!" Tirek shouted. "Yup." Chrysalis nodded. Tirek's yellow eyes burned with anger. Sparks flew off his hammer and he slammed it deep into the crystal. Lightning began to strike the door repeatedly. He raised his hammer again and struck the door even harder. The rebels had to stand back as bolts of lightning traveled in every direction. With a third blow, the lightning shot into the door, ripping it apart and sending the shrapnel flying into the Immortals that waited for them inside. "Or you could just do that..." Celestia shrugged. Tirek's men flooded the doorway and ripped through the Immortals' ranks. Chrysalis let loose some arrows that struck down her targets. Celestia and Luna quickly followed the bull head of Tirek and helped him strike terror into the remaining Immortals. The Immortals, much to Celestia's admiration, held their ground against the large man and his hulking forces. They were no match for the grounded riders and soon gave way. Celestia jumped from helmet to helmet as she crossed the large crystal hallways. She then pounced on an Immortal, digging her weapon deep into his neck. "Fall back to the King!" An Immortal ordered. The remaining soldiers scrambled up the winding staircase. Their bulky armor blocked the stairs so much so, that they could only climb it two-by-two. Their formation was excellent, having the last guys fend off attackers with spears or halberds. Tirek cursed as a spear scrapped his shoulder. A bolt of lightning flew out and struck an Immortal dead, making his body slide down the stairs. "Don't let them regroup!" Luna threw a rope-dart into the neck of an Immortal and pulled him downward on his companions. His weight knocked over the men below him and broke their formation. This made it easy for Celestia to expertly climb the railing and cut them off from their destination. She kicked one over he railing and stood before them. "You don't want to continue." She warned them. With Tirek behind them and Celestia in front, the remaining Immortals wisely threw their weapons down. Fear could be seen in their eyes. The shard-smith grumbled and shoved them all out of the way and off the stairs. The Immortals sort of just accepted the bullying as he made his way to Celestia. When he finally reached her, all the Immortals were on the floor below the stairs. "That wasn't polite of you." Celestia chuckled. "Heh. Like I was ever polite." Tirek replied annoyingly. Luna and Chrysalis ran up the stairs with the army behind them. The four them paused and observed the room they had just entered. It was a large room with high ceilings, all in bright blue crystal. A few pieces of furniture dotted the room, adding much needed color. There, in the center, were a young man and woman in crystal armor. The man had blackish armor while the woman had a pale yellow. Her pink hair hung out of her helmet. They both watched the four rebels closely. Tirek walked forward with his hammer pointing at them. "Hurricane, Pansy, move aside." "Not today, Tirek." Hurricane replied forcibly. Celestia and Luna joined Tirek. Their two adversaries still stared at them with caution. Both of their right gauntlets were missing, indicating they had recently accepted shards. Celestia took a step forward and addressed the two young leaders. "Cease this, Commander. We are not here for you." She told Hurricane. "We take orders from the Shadow King only." Pansy hissed. "So be it!" Chrysalis sent an arrow at the duo. Pansy threw an arm up, making a pillar of stone soar out of the floor to block the projectile. This commenced the fight. Celestia and Luna led the charge, throwing knives and other sharp objects at the Commander and his Private. "I will not let you by!" Hurricane shouted. Flames engulfed his arms. An intense fire appeared in his palms. Celestia ducked under a fireball that flew over her and exploded in the wall. The Commander followed up with several more fireballs, all of them greatly missing their targets. Celestia rolled under a gout of fire and swept Hurricane off his feet with her legs. She got up to follow up on her attack, but Pansy sent a rock pillar that knocked her away. Celestia was caught completely by surprise and laid on the floor for some time. She could barely hear Tirek fighting as her ears rung from the strike. Hurricane pushed himself up, only to get tackled by Luna. She pinned him to the ground. He reacted by breathing fire over her face, making her reel back in pain. Celestia watched in horror as her sister's face was burned off. "Luna!" Hurricane stood up, his lips bleeding heavily. Pansy fell over as an arrow struck her left arm. The Commander gasped and started to run over to her. Celestia puled out her tomahawk and threw it into his back leg. The blade barely reached his skin, but the force knocked him off balance and too the crystal floor. Celestia did not hesitate and ran over to Luna, who was still screaming from the pain. The elder sister pulled the younger's hands away so that she could inspect the damage. "It's not as bad as I thought." She whispered. However, it was still horrid. Luna's face was half-gone and one could easily see some of the jaw's tendons on her right side. Celestia tried to hold back her emotions as tears started to form in her eyes. Her sister's face was ruined. "Luna, hold tight. The battle's not over. You must hang in there until it is done." Celestia told her. "Sister..." Luna groaned. Tirek landed close by them, making the whole Palace shake. Pansy was standing up, clutching her bleeding arm. A wall of stone rose in front of her and started to slide on the floor. Chrysalis cursed as her arrows were useless against the defensive maneuver. Hurricane threw flaming orbs over the wall. "Damn them!" Tirek yelled. "I'll leave nothing but paste when I'm done with them!" "Chrys!" Celestia shouted at the archer. "We need you to take Luna away from here! She's hurt." "Can't it wait?!" Chrysalis shouted back. "We're busy!" The stone edged closer. It was so large now that it blocked the other side of the room completely and threatened to crush them as it approached. A lightning bolt shattered some of the wall, but the stone shards pieced themselves back together. The rest of the army gasped and headed back down the stairs to safety. "C'mon! There's gotta be a way to reach them!" Chrysalis spat. The wall suddenly collapsed to reveal Hurricane on the ground and Pansy in a choke hold from Scorpan. The Private struggled against the short man, but she soon ran out of breath and became limp on his shoulder. Scorpan threw her down and pulled her left behind her, pinning her down. Celestia took one last glance at the whimpering Luna before charging at Hurricane. He started to crawl away, but she stopped him and stomping on his back. "You're not going anywhere!" She yelled angrily at him. He groaned loudly. She tore his helmet off to reveal black hair and the face of teenager. Hurricane was known for his young age and it was one of the reasons why the Crystal Empire did not trust him entirely with leadership if the military. Celestia could care less about that as she rubbed her foot deeper into his spine. "I yield!" He screamed. "Not after what you did to my sister!" Celestia growled and pulled her tomahawk out of his leg. Celestia swung the tomahawk on his right hand, cutting it off. The Commander screamed in agony as his hand flew across the floor, leaving a trail of blood. Celestia withdrew her foot and he clutched his wrist tightly. "No more! I'm with Sombra no more!" He begged. "Good." Tirek kicked Pansy over. She gasped and clutched her ribs with her left arm. Her right hand stretched across the room and she dragged herself. Her helmet was off as well, revealing a beautiful young girl, no older than Hurricane. Her only imperfection was the grimace that lined her countenance. "Which hand has the shard!?" Tirek demanded. "It's your right one I bet." His hammer slammed on her outstretched hand, crushing it completely. The sounds of bone cracking echoed through the high ceilings. He slowly lifted the hammer to reveal what was left of her hand. As she instinctively pulled it to her body, the fingers and palm were left on the floor. Only bits of flesh on tendons were extended out of her wrist. A bright brownish crystal was in the middle of where her hand was. "You had Integrity." Tirek mused. "A fine shard. It's terrible how you misuse lass." "It was my orders!" Pansy cried. "It was my orders!" Celestia picked up Hurricane's severed hand and gave it a shake. A reddish shard fell out and made a soft ding on the crystal below. The shard gave an instant warmness to he room. Tirek walked over in surprise. "The shard of Order." He gasped. "Sombra's more desperate than I thought. Boy, this shard is dangerous! How dare you use it!" "I won't use it again!" Hurricane moaned. "You better not!" Tirek was about to strike the boy's head when Celestia intervened. She calmly lowered his hammer away from Hurricane's skull. A long sigh emitted from her nostrils and she faced the Commander again. "You and Private Pansy shall leave this place and be reminders of why one does not toy with such artifacts. If you do not leave now, we'll kill you." They did not need to be told twice. Pansy and Hurricane scrambled to their feet. Without a glance back, they ran out, clutching their bleeding wrists. The rebels simply stepped out of their way and watched them pass. Celestia felt some guilt, but it did not last when she heard Luna's cries. Chrysalis was hunched over the younger sister, her face was indifferent to the torment she was watching. Tirek ignored the cries and marched to the next set of stairs. Scorpan and Celestia were the only ones who showed concern for the youngest in their group. "She'll be fine." Chrysalis muttered. "It's not as bad as it looks. She'll be looking like this for the rest of her life though." "Can you carry on, Sister?" Celestia asked quietly. "I.....I'm not sure..." Was the answer. "We'll continue without her." Scorpan spoke up. "She's safe down here. We'll come back after defeating the Shadow King." "I just can't leave her down here..." "You need to, Celestia. We need as many warriors to fight Sombra as we can get." Chrysalis reminded her. "Go....Tia..." Luna groaned the order and pointed at the steps Tirek was now ascending. "I'll be back, Sister! Just you wait for me." Celestia kissed Luna on her unburnt cheek before departing after Tirek. "This is it..." Scorpan swallowed. "Don't be cowardly, Brother. We enter this fight fearless." Tirek said decisively. Celestia gulped as she stared at the black door before them. On the other side was the throne room where Sombra waited for them. They had defeated every Immortal, monster, and shadow thus far, but now they challenged the ruler of the Empire. The army whispered among themselves. Each one of them tightly gripped their sweat-covered weapons. Chrysalis was almost panting with how hard she was breathing. Usually the most calm of all of them, she fidgeted with her bow in fear. Her men stayed close to her, trying to give mutual comfort. Tirek's jaw tightened and the grinding of his teeth echoed through the crystal halls. His massive hands gripped his glowing hammer. His beard was stained with blood and wet with sweat. His eyes scowled at the door. His muscles were taut and fingers unmoving. Scorpan swallowed again, making much less noise than before. His small frame was unnoticeable compared to the large bodies beside him. That was how he liked it, however. He was also the one forgotten and that was his greatest strength. He could only hope that Sombra would forget him too. "It's time." Celestia muttered. "It's bloody time." "Eyah!" The rebels behind her shouted. "Sombra!" Celestia yelled through the door. "Your time has come! Face us now! Face the people you have enslaved!" The door slid open slowly. Black tentacles wrapped themselves around the dark crystal and pulled the door open with ease. There was a moment of silence after the heavy door slammed open. The four glanced at each other before walking in as one. The throne room was much larger than any room they had been in. A massive balcony stretched out of the Palace, watching the smoke that rose from the city below. A long purple carpet lined its way to the massive crystal throne across the room. On the dark crystal sat the Shadow King himself with the Crystal Heart glowing a faint red above him. Sombra rested his bearded head on the knuckles of his armored hand. His other hand tapped the armrest impatiently, creating the only sound in the room. A red crown sat on his head and a long red cape flowed from his back. Despite his chiseled, but wild face, he appeared regal. He faintly smiled to reveal astonishingly white teeth. "Good day." He said simply. "How dare you treat us like that!" Tirek roared. "Shardsmith, I am not treating you harshly. You are the invaders of my home. You have treated me poorly." Sombra's voice was impatient and rude. His fingers tapped the crystal at a faster rate. He snorted indignantly before continuing. "What do you expect, rebels? Me to beg? Not likely. I have faced such enemies before. You are nothing compared to me." The army flooded in and surrounded the throne. Celestia found strength with the numbers in her favor. She took a step forward and pointed a finger at the King. "We will not spare you, Sombra. All the horrors you have brought on this Empire shall now come to haunt you. You were never a king, only a tyrant!" "Bold words to me." He replied. "Indeed I was never a king. I am more. From this day, Celestia, Daughter of Solaire, you may refer to me as Death." The Shadow King stood up and threw his cape to the clean floor. Without the cape, his frame was now revealed. He was not massive like Tirek, but tall and lean. His body was the perfect balance. He connected his hands, cracking the knuckles for all to hear. "You shall all die here like pigs!" He snarled. "I am your emperor! I am your leader! None shall ever usurp me, for I have the Crystal Heart on my side. I am Death!" Masses of black shadows sprouted from the floor and grabbed rebels before they could react. Their bodies were crushed by the shadows' strength before being promptly thrown out of the Palace and over the balcony's decorated railing. Sombra laughed as his shadows emerged in one horde to face the army. Celestia jumped out of the way of a tentacle and threw a knife at the King. It dug deep into his arm, only for him to laugh and pull it out with magical telekinesis. His wound healed instantly and he threw the knife playfully back at her. "You're a fool, my sweet. I can't be killed." He chuckled insanely. Tirek yelled a battle cry and charged at the King. His hammer struck Sombra, sending him to the crystal floor. The King cursed and teleported away in a puff of smoke. The smoke then flew to Tirek, picking up the man and throwing him across the room. A loud crack was heard when the warrior met the wall. Chrysalis shot an arrow that grazed the King's crown. Sombra lifted her up with his magic and slammed her into the ground, knocking her unconscious. Her bow broke with the impact. Celestia gasped as her friends were being swiftly taken care of by the Shadow King. She lifted her tomahawk and charged at him. He grinned at her and a rebel corpse was thrown her way by a shadow. She tried to dodge the barbaric projectile, but could not as it collided with her. The dead rebel's armor pinned her to the floor. "So much hate and anger in you, Celestia." Sombra clicked his tongue while stroking his groomed black beard. Celestia could watch the Shadow walk over to her and place a mocking foot on the corpse. His tentacles and shadows were wiping out the rebels with ease. All of Chrysalis' men were dead already and Tirek's riders were barely holding up. "You people keep forgetting who your ruler is." Sombra hissed like a snake. "You're wrong! We know exactly who the ruler is! It's not you, but ourselves." Celestia spat. "Now now, if that was the case, I wouldn't be needed, would I? This Empire thrives because of my reign. Without me, you all would be nothing. Nothing!" The Shadow King stomped on the corpse, sending its armor deep into Celestia's chest. His eyes glowed a deep red with green wisps gently floating out from the edges. His thick jaw was tight in rage. "I'll make an example of you, Celestia. I know where you sister is. Luna, Daughter of Artemis, shall be an example of why one does not oppose the king. And you shall watch it all." He reeled his head upwards in laughter. Suddenly, he was tackled off of Celestia by a tall figure. It was so sudden that Celestia paused to rethink what she had just seen. She then realized that she still had the rebel's body on her. She called forth her strength and pushed the armored soldier off of her. She looked to see Discord and Sombra fighting. He had finally scaled the Palace from the outside. Celestia quickly stood up and pulled out one of her knives. She had seen what Sombra could do and wished that it would not happen to Discord. "I saw that you needed me. As usual." Discord guffawed as he dodged one of Sombra's arcanic bolts. "You're late." She told him. "Do not mock me with your conversation!" Sombra bellowed angrily. A tentacle shot out of his arm. Discord jumped out the way and Celestia rolled to a better spot. Rebels were still being torn apart by the shadows. Most of them had started to retreat back downstairs. Tirek got up and threw his hammer at the King. It connected and sent him hurling across the room. It appeared to do no harm however, as Sombra recovered instantly. Shadows formed around him and charged at the shard-smith, climbing onto him like giant ants. Scorpan ran in and pulled the shadows off. "You can't handle all of us, Sombra." Celestia boasted. You have not seen my power yet!" He screamed back. Two swords materialized in his hands. They were short swords that glowed red-hot with warmth. It was like they were on fire but without flames. The King laughed proudly. "You think you are my assassins? You have not killed me yet. Come at me!" Celestia picked up a sword off the floor and ran at the King. Discord joined her with his own sword in front of him. Sombra deflected their first attacks easily. Fiery sparks flew off the blades like a metal rod would when hammered in a forge. Celestia felt a shock of hot air when the blades struck. The wind knocked her thick hood off. "Those are my swords you bastard!" Tirek yelled. Sombra countered with two swings of the blazing swords. Discord jumped back to avoid the blades. Sombra was focusing on only one at a time as he ignored Celestia for the most part. He would simply deflect Celestia's attacks and then return to Discord. Discord spun around and kicked Sombra's shin. He then followed up by slashing the King across his chest. However, like when Celestia threw her knife, the wound closed itself in no time. Sombra seemed invincible. Celestia stabbed him in the back, only to be picked up by a powerful wind and hurled away. Tirek slapped Sombra, sending him to the floor. The shard-smith was pushed back by another squad of shadows. Scorpan tackled the King, only to be slammed to the ground by a tentacle. "You can't stop me!" The Shadow King laughed. Celestia watched as Discord battled with the King. Both were skilled swordsmen. Sombra was more fanciful in his movements while Discord's attacks were unpredictable and unorthodox. She knew the King would win, so she got back up to return to the fight. Celestia swung at the King. Sombra reacted by sidestepping the blade and kicking her in the gut. His spiked boot scrapped her belly, making a nasty laceration. She screamed in pain. "You did not just do that to Tia!" Discord growled. Discord began to fight harder. He soon smacked one sword out of the King's hand and then the other. Sombra was in shock by how easily he was disarmed. Discord did not hesitate to swing the final blow, but his arm was stopped by Sombra's telekinesis. "If that's how you want to fight, I'll give you a real battle." Sombra hissed. Discord's arm bended the wrong way, breaking it instantly. Sombra laughed as he made the arm go in every direction. Celestia gasped at the sight. Discord wailed in agony. The Shadow King finally threw him into a wall to silence him. "Now that's done." He said casually. "You monster!" Celestia shouted. "I'll kill you myself!" Celestia grabbed a helmet and chucked it at him. The helmet struck him in the head, knocking him over. She knew this did nothing to him and charged after him, her sword held high above her head. The King tried to get up, but she skewered him before he could do so. "You.....You think that hurts?" He grimaced. "It does. I know it does." Celestia pulled the sword out and stabbed him again. He started to laugh despite the blood that poured from his smiling mouth. It was like he was forcing himself to laugh. Celestia repeated the action. "You will die!" "Not with the Crystal Heart on my side!" Celestia was hit by a force field and thrown away from the wounded King. She landed hard on the bloodied crystal floor. Tirek ran at the King. Sombra waved his hand and made the warrior fly into a wall. Scorpan was tackled by a shadow. "I can't be killed when I have the Element of Life." Sombra explained. "The Crystal Heart will never let me die." "Then let's observe how thou do'st without it!" Celestia and Sombra turned to the balcony. Luna, with her scarred face, was holding the Crystal Heart in her hands. It's reddish tint was fading into a more sky bluish color. The King's eyes widened. "Girl! You don't know what you do." He told her in a panic. "I know what I do." Luna replied. "Thou is king no more." Without hesitation, Luna dropped the Heart over the railing. Silence fell over the room. Sombra was in a state of shock and simply stared at Luna. It seemed like an hour passed before the sounds of the Heart shattering were faintly heard. "No..." Sombra mouthed. All of his wounds opened and blood oozed out of them. The skin around his bones shrunk until they made him look sickly. Color left his face and his beard became white. Lacing the strength to hold himself, his body sank to the floor. Luna limped over to him, her face tight and serious. Not an ounce of joy was in her. She kept her face's burned side away from her sister's vision. She stopped over his weak body, her breathing was heavy and loud. "I would kill you." She told him coldly. "But that would be taking the pleasure away from the people." The remaining rebels and civilians entered the throne room. They made sure that the shadows were gone before rushing over to the fallen king. They scrambled over him, every hand taking some part of him and dragging him away. He barely had the strength to utter a scream of terror. It was inaudible among the cheering of the mob. Luna shifted her eyes to Celestia without moving her head. The elder sister could only see her unharmed side. The green eyes of the younger stabbed her like daggers. "It's done, Sister." There was no hint of happiness in her voice. "Yes, Luna." Celestia nodded. "Let's get the others." "So this is what made the Crystal Heart?" "Yes, Discord. Six Elements of Life. I believe they are Chaos, Love, Absolute Order, Harmony, Fear....and Wisdom." Celestia explained. "We cannot let this happen again." Tirek stated. "We must ensure the Elements stay separate." "Now how'll we do that?" Chrysalis moaned while rubbing her head. "We bear them." Luna said sternly. "I do not see any other option." "I'm sure there's another way..." Scorpan whispered. "Bear them? What does that mean?" Chrysalis asked. "We give them what we cherish most. They return our acceptance with powers." Celestia told her. "What do we give up?" Discord questioned. "Our hearts." Luna said. "That's extreme." Scorpan gasped. "It's to keep them separate. We'll all go our ways and never see each other again." Tirek muttered in understanding. "I'll take Love." Chrysalis said suddenly. "Chrys! Dammit Chrys!" Celestia cursed. "Where are you going?" Tirek barked. "She's gone faster than that one girl in my house the other night." Discord chuckled. "Sister, I'll take Fear." Luna told her. "I've lost so much already. I do not worry about losing more." "Luna no. I'll take Fear. Who knows it could do to you." "I know exactly what it will do." Luna replied. "Luna!" "Well, she makes her decisions fast. Let the girl be." Tirek said calmly. "Luna, you can't take Fear. I won't allow it!" Celestia ordered. "Too late Sister. I think it likes me." "Luna no!" Celestia cried. "Dammit Luna..." "I'll take Absolute Order. I can deal with the consequences. I would not want any of you to become tyrants." "Tirek, you don't have to." Scorpan said worriedly. "Brother, cease your worry on me! I do this for you." Tirek told him coldly. "I'll take Harmony!" Scorpan said quickly. "I'll take Harmony!" "It's just you and me, Tia." Discord observed. "Hope they'll be alright." "I'll take Chaos..." Celestia moaned. "Are you kidding me? You are taking Wisdom. I'm taking Chaos." "Discord, do you know what Chaos will do to you? It will shape you into a monster. I can't let that happen." "Yes you can. Watch." "Discord! Why? Why? Why! Discord! Oh no.....I need to be with my sister through this. I can't let her be Fear. I can't let Discord be Chaos! Oh....Celestia, you have to do this. Wisdom.....I must become Wisdom...." Celestia watched the citizens of the Crystal Republic rebuild their destroyed homes with disinterest. She glanced down at her glowing chest. Wisdom was relaxing and she felt a tingle go through her veins. In her hand was a jar containing her still heart. She did not know she kept the heart, but she was comforted with its presence. "Oh Luna...I hope you are doing alright." She lifted the jar to her eyes. The heart was disgusting, but it was her heart and she could not be ungrateful for how it kept her alive. A faint hope arose in her, that she would one day have it back in her chest. She knew this hope was futile and so she sighed longingly. "Princess Celestia?" Her eyes darted to the voice. She was still becoming used to her new title. The voice came from a young man in the shadows. She knew who it was instantly, but decided to not be hostile. "Why are you here, Hurricane? After what you did to my sister..." "You took my hand. I say we are even." He replied. "Do not threaten him. He means no harm." "What do you want?" Celestia spat. "You are the Bearer of Wisdom." "Yes..." He came out of the shadows. He appeared ten years older than what he really was. He slowly approached her, glancing this way and that to make sure she was indeed, alone. Once he was confident, he pointed at her chest. "You have Wisdom. The part of the Heart that the Order greatly respects. Sombra misused the Heart, but I know you won't." "What "Order" are you talking about, boy?" "The Templar Order. An agency that the Shadow King founded himself. Despite him being our leader, we trusted him nor believed him right in his ways." "So what does that mean?" "You are the Bearer of Wisdom. Shadow King Sombra was the previous one since he wielded the Heart. The Order called him the Father of Understanding. You are the new Father of Understanding." "Your Order is done then." "No it's not. Pansy and I are only a couple of members of it. The Templar is an Order that is already outside of the Crystal E....Republic. You are the new leader. I am here to get your orders." "Because I have Wisdom, I'm automatically you're leader?" "Yes. You are Wisdom. You are the best to lead." Celestia paused. Her Element was telling her that he was sincere. She placed the jar on a box and walked over to him. He quivered slightly but regained his dignity. "What will you do for me?" She asked. "Anything you wish." "I want your Order to watch over the Bearers. Make sure they do not become another Shadow King. Keep watch over the shards, make sure no one uses them. Keep future governments at bay, do not let them use artifacts to conquer. Above all, erase all evidence of shards and Elements. I do not want people to search for them. If need be, hide shards and artifacts from the people. If need be, use them to save a populace from a tyrant. Never use them for anything else. Am I clear? "Yes, Father of Understanding." Hurricane bowed. "Good, now get out of here." Hurricane turned and ran. Celestia felt her heart race like she had made a grave mistake. She sighed again and returned her eyes to her heart. She could only think about what Luna was going through. Not just Luna, but all the new Bearers. "I can't let them know about this. They think I'll betray them." "Agreed." ~