Shattered Glass

by Eric Michael Kline

Fear

(Author's note: If you've read the story prior to 6/5/15, a small rewrite was done to the end of chapter 6 so go back and read it to get properly caught up.)

As Spike and the others gathered around her, Twilight slid a crystalscope in front of the mirror shard which she had placed in an upright support on the lab table. Resembling a miniature telescope, instead of a lens the crystalscope was equipped with six differently colored crystal shards in a rotating aperture. By twisting the crystals into different positions, a pony was able to visually examine magical energies along different wavelengths in order to determine their nature. It only took one adjustment for her to find what she was looking for.

"Ah ha! Everyone take a look!" One by one, the others stepped up to the crystalscope to see the whirlpool of iridescent energies swirling around and through the mirror.

"Okay," Spike said as he looked through the eyepiece. "So the mirror still has magic. But we already knew that Twilight!"

"It's not just that. See how the energy is spiraling? Unless it's designed to constantly be in effect, magical energies in an enchanted item should be inert. But these are active."

"Yeah it's real pretty Twilight," Applejack said. "But what does it mean?"

"Remember how the dimensional barrier came crashing down after the mirror was broken? Well, when Sombra restored the balance to his world, it restored the barrier as well. Or rather, it seems to have compressed the paradox to a single point within its origination. Specifically within this shard."

"But why this piece?" Fluttershy asked.

"Probably because as the largest remaining shard it had the greatest amount of the original magic," Twilight theorized. "But that's beside the point. Because of the compression, it's caused the magic within to form a permanent connection with the parallel Equestria. Watch." Pulling the shard toward her, Twilight lit up her horn and leaned forward so that it nearly touched the glass. "Open." Almost immediately, a spot of light appeared on the the reflective surface and quickly grew over the face of the shard, filling the lab with an otherworldly glow. "See what I mean? No password spell, no astrological trigger, you'd just have to connect your own magic to it and the portal automatically opens."

"So then Discord was telling the truth about somepony going through the mirror," Rarity said. "Will wonders ever cease."

"Do you suppose Celestia knew?" Cadance asked. "Is that why she kept it?"

"I doubt it," Twilight said. "Unless somepony examined the shard, they wouldn't even know that a connection still existed. That being said, it's a good thing that she did keep this shard. If she had chosen another and we destroyed this piece along with the others, we might have caused another breakdown in the dimensional barrier."

"Yeah well that doesn't explain how they managed to fit through," Rainbow pointed out.

"Hmmm," Pinkie said as she sniffed the shard's edge. "Nope, I don't smell any butter."

"Maybe they used a shrinking spell," Spike suggested.

"I don't think so," Twilight answered as she raised her hoof towards the shard. Contact was made but instead of vanishing into the mirror, Twilight's hoof just pressed against the surface. "See how its resisting me? Now Fluttershy, you try to put your hoof through."

"Me? Oh um, okay." Cautiously, Fluttershy extended her hoof towards the mirror. But unlike Twilight, when Fluttershy pressed against the glass her hoof penetrated through the portal.

"See that?" Twilight asked as Fluttershy quickly retracted her hoof. "It's not just your physical body that's passing through, but your energy and magic as well. Even if a pony had the magic necessary to perform a shrinking spell, it would still be too much for the shard to handle. Hence why an Alicorn such as myself can't pass through but a normal pony can."

"So a normal pony's too big to go through n' any unicorn with enough magic to scruntch themselves down is too powerful," Applejack said. " Ah'm sorry Twilight, but I think we've hit a dead end."

"That's not exactly true Applejack. Even if we don't know how, the possibility that somepony was able to pass through the mirror is a major clue. In order to do so, they'd need to have either the same knowledge Star Swirl had regarding transdimensional travel or be able to determine everything simply from observing the paradox. Either way, it shows that whoever crossed through was both highly intelligent and extremely knowledgeable regarding magical studies. Besides, the mirror isn't our only lead." Twilight levitated the shard off the table as her friends exchanged confused glances. "Spike, our next stop is the study. Do you remember where we hid the notebook?"

"You bet I do," he said as he ran off. "You bring the others up to speed while I go get it."

With a hundred thoughts racing through her mind at once, Princess Trixie turned the hall corner but failed to notice the obstruction in her path until her collision with it knocked her to the floor.

"I'm terribly sorry your highness! Are you alright?" Trixie's heart skipped a beat and she looked up at the white unicorn standing over her, losing herself in the depths of his sky blue eyes.

"Oh, Captain Blueblood," she said. "Yes I'm fine. The fault was mine really. I really should have been watching where I was going." The captain of the castle guard extended a hoof to help her up and Trixie hoped that her blush wasn't too noticeable. "Have you seen the other members of the council? I was just on my way to meet with them in the parlor."

"I just saw Queen Chrysalis and Princess Luna heading there," he said as he walked alongside her. "Prior to that I was approached by Princess Celestia and Prime Minister Derpy who said they were going to retrieve a few items from the castle archives. I haven't seen Sir Discord anywhere though." As they arrived at the door to the castle parlor, Captain Blueblood looked around and leaned towards her once he was certain nopony was around. "Your highness, forgive me for being so forward but has he been found?" Aside from Chysalis's guard, Captain Blueblood was the only non-council member who knew the truth regarding King Sombra's absence.

"Possibly," she admitted. "We recieved a message from Discord about half an hour ago from Appleloosa. He said that he had found a lead and that he'd contact us once he had investigated further. Did Celestia and Derpy tell you anything else?"

"Only that the castle guard needed to be placed on standby until further notice. My men were...less than pleased to know that Celestia had issued an order to them, especially since I couldn't elaborate on some of the finer details. I'm ashamed to say I had to practically stronghoof them into doing their duty."

"I see. Well, if Discord is successful we'll need to act quickly. For now just do as Celestia said. I'll alert you as to what action to take once we know for sure."

"Of course your highness." He walked away and Trixie kept watching him for perhaps longer than she really needed to before she opened the parlor door. Inside, Chrysalis lounged on the couch with a cup of tea while Luna was frantically pacing back and forth in front of the window. Chrysalis gave Trixie a knowing smile as she walked in and the acting Regent straightened herself up to look as dignified as possible, though she knew trying to hide her feelings from a Changeling was futile to say the least.

"Something's wrong," Luna said. "Discord should have contacted us by now."

"Luna please try to remain calm," Trixie advised. "I can understand your feelings but Discord's letter only said that he had found a clue. And that clue was a week old at least."

"It'll be alright," Chrysalis assured her. "If it really was Sombra then it's for the best that Discord was the one to find him. We still don't know for sure how taking all that dark magic into himself has affected Sombra. Letting Discord handle it is really the only option we have." Before Luna could further her argument, Celestia and Derpy strolled into the parlor accompanied by two guardponies and a hoofman pushing a cart stacked with books.

"Set it by the table," Celestia instructed. The hoofman complied, but kept a wary eye on Celestia as if expecting her to attack him at a moment's notice. "Thank you that will be all. Guards, stand outside the door and see to it that nopony eavesdrops." The hoofman curtly bowed and hurried off but the guards remained until Derpy gave them a nod of confirmation.

"It was like that the entire way," Derpy said as she locked the door. "If I hadn't come along I doubt even the hoofman would have complied."

"It's to be expected," Celestia said as she began unloading the contents of the cart onto the table. "But more importantly, have we received any word from Discord?"

"None so far," Trixie answered. "We can only assume that he's still investigating. I suppose that in itself is a good thing. It gives credence to the possibility that it really is Sombra."

"Then why are we here?" Luna demanded. "If Sombra's been found then we should be helping Discord search. We'd cover more ground and reduce the chance of his Majesty slipping away."

"And just how do you propose we do that?" Celestia asked. "Remember sister, without Discord neither one of us can leave the castle. Neither can any of the the others without arousing suspicion. So instead of wasting your energy on fruitless worrying, why don't you come help us with a little research."

"Indeed," Derpy added as she pushed up her glasses. "We've talked extensively about how to find Sombra but neglected to make any plans about what to do with him afterwards. Since our hooves are tied for the moment, why don't we use this opportunity to make preparations in case Discord does manage to locate him." From across the parlor, Chrysalis flew over to the table to examine what Celestia had brought from the archives.

"The Reign of King Bullion," she read aloud. "Ancient Equestrian Myths, Grogar's Complete Legendarium. Celestia what is all this?"

"Hopefully, the answer to our problem." As they all took their seats at the table, Luna cast a final glance out the window but finally accepted that her sister was right and joined them. "Now then," Celestia explained, "containing Sombra should be easy enough but restoring him is another matter entirely. We need to purify him of the dark magic he absorbed from myself and Luna and then neutralize it so it doesn't pose any further threat."

"Do you have any ideas as to how?" Trixie asked.

"I might," Celestia answered as she turned to her sister. "Luna, out of all of us, your relationship with my counterpart was the most intimate. Tell us everything she might have told you about the Elements of Harmony. If they existed in her world then they have to exist in ours as well."

The last thing Sombra remembered before succumbing to his exhaustion was the babbling of the desert creek he had collapsed beside. The sound helped drown out the dark impulses that constantly ground at his will and he found himself able to sleep for the first time since he had left the Macintosh Hills. Another day, maybe two, and he'd be far enough away from Equestria that he could finally stop fighting. The last bit of who he was would fade away forever, but his kingdom would be safe and that was enough. He only had two regrets. That he'd never be able to tell his comrades how sorry he was, and that the memory of the mare he had loved would fade away completely.

"Celestia," he whispered, "I...wish I could see you...one last time."

Suddenly, the sound of running water faded into the rustle of leaves and laughing voices, coupled with the dizzying scent of spring flowers. Sombra wearily opened his eyes and to his surprise found himself in the wishing garden of Canterlot Castle. He lay along the far edge, chained to the ground by a collar around his neck. On every tree and bush, tags fluttered in the breeze amidst blossoms of every color. And throughout the garden, seemingly oblivious to his presence, ponies young and old laughed and walked side by side as they searched for a place to hang tags on which they had written their hopes and dreams . It was a beautiful sight. So beautiful that it hurt to watch.

I don't belong, Sombra thought. I have to get out of here. Digging his hooves into the ground, he tried to rip the chain free but the links held firm. In desperation, Sombra attempted to summon his magic but to his shock it wouldn't answer. As the reality of his captivity became clear, Sombra sank to his haunches and watched as the garden patrons indulged themselves without so much as a glance in his direction. Each smile was a piercing sting. Every laugh a mockery. And a cold feeling of resentment began to grow in the fallen king's heart.

"Why?" he whispered through grit teeth. "What makes them different? Why are they allowed to pursue their hearts' desire while I lost everything? Why are their wishes granted while mine was denied?"

"Because the garden is a lie." Sombra looked up in surprise. He was almost certain that somepony had spoken to him just now.

"Just my imagination."

"No, it's not," a voice said as Sombra leaped to his hooves, nearly chocking himself with the restraint around his neck.

"Who's there?" he demanded as his head whipped in every direction. "Where are you?"

"Calm yourself," the voice answered. "We have much to discuss and very little time with which to do it in."

"What do you want with me? Are you the one who brought me here?"

"What you see is merely an illusion I created. But you need not worry. Know only that I am a friend. One who understands your pain as no other."

"A friend?" Sombra growled. "You lock me in chains, torture me by reminding me of all I lost, and you dare to call yourself a friend!"

"Oh but I am not the one who has imprisoned you," the voice laughed. "Look at them. See how they laugh and revel without fear while you suffer alone and abandoned. And yet they are only able to do so because of all that you have sacrificed. But it was always that way wasn't it? You sat alone on your throne while your subjects were free to indulge themselves without any regard for what you wanted. Ironic isn't it? You were their king and yet you lived as their slave. You said so yourself. What gives them the right to happiness while you were denied?" Sombra looked back to his former subjects and realized that he had allowed his selfishness to once again blind him.

"You're wrong. My ponies had nothing to do with what happened to me. It was the sole consequence of my actions and nopony else's."

"It doesn't change the fact that you now suffer because of them. It hurts doesn't it? Their laughter and joy. You gave up everything for their sake but would THEY do the same for you? Yet I fear your suffering hasn't even begun. Not if HE has anything to say about it." Sombra looked up and in the center of the garden, a long sinuous figure appeared before him.

"Discord? What does he have to do with any of this?"

"Do you not sense him? He is close. Very close. You were careless. When you fled from the farm in Appleloosa, you left a trail of magic in your wake. And now, Discord is following it to your location. It's only a matter of time before he catches up to you and then..." the voiced paused as the garden suddenly vanished in a flood of darkness. Something latched onto Sombra's limbs and yanked him to the ground as the shadows pulled away to reveal a circular stone room where Sombra lay atop a pile of straw, his legs chained so firmly to the floor that he couldn't even stand.

"This is the fate that awaits you. Locked away from the world. Stripped of even your freedom. Discord and the others, they seek you out because without you, THEY have been forced to take up leadership in your stead. They want to return you to the way you were not to save you, but so they can be free of their new responsibility. And they will do so regardless of how much it hurts you in the process. Whether locked in a tower or seated on a throne, you will still be a prisoner. And in the meantime, your very existence will be torture at the hands of the very subjects you gave up so much for." As the voice spoke, Sombra noticed a slight buzzing in his ears which rose in volume as it changed into a thousand laughing voices that made his head feel like it was about to explode. And in his chest, the sensation of an icy claw seized his heart as the darkness within him raged against the joy and love that radiated from very pony in Equestria.

"Stop it!" he begged. "Stop it please! It hurts! I can't take it! Please don't let me be taken back there!" As quickly as they rose, the voices faded and Sombra lay panting in a cold sweat.

"Then allow me to help you."

"Help me! How? If Discord is closing in on me like you say, then what chance do I have? I'm as good as caught."

"But you're wrong," the voice assured him. "I know what Discord is capable of. And he knows what YOU are capable of. But he is unaware of what I am capable of."

"What do you mean?"

"When you absorbed the darkness from Celestia and Luna, it changed the nature of your magic. It is now capable of doing so much more than create barriers. And I know how to harness that magic to its fullest capacity. Offer me your trust and I shall help you escape Discord's grasp."

"How?" Sombra asked as his shackles vanished.

"Let me in." From behind the solid oak door of his cell, a dark vapor began to seep in through the cracks in the wood. Sombra weakly struggled to his hooves and stared at the door. Something about that smoke alarmed him. As if he were about to open a cage containing a dangerous predator. "Why do you hesitate? It's true that what you see now is just a vision. But it will become reality if you do not let me in now."

He's right, Sombra thought. I can't go back. There's no longer any place for me there. Slowly, Sombra stepped off the straw and towards the door.

"Sombra no!" Sombra stopped and looked down to where Celestia's crown rested within his cloak. For a second, it had almost seemed as if he had heard her voice calling from it.

"Hurry," the voice urged. "Even as we speak Discord is getting closer." Sombra hardened his his heart and forced himself to continue.

It's just my imagination, he told himself. Celestia has gone back to her world. I'll never see her again. Standing before the cell door, Sombra tried once again to summon his magic and to his relief it obeyed his command, grasping onto the handle as he flung the door open.

Outside of the cell was a great void, vast in its emptiness yet so thick it almost seemed a solid wall. Sombra moved closer and a pair of crimson eyes materialized in the darkness before him, startling him so greatly that he reared back and nearly fell over backwards.

"Excellent," the voice said as a fanged grin appeared beneath the eyes and Sombra realized too late the mistake he had made. He tried to scream but the darkness rushed into the room before his lips could even part, the shock of it washing over Sombra as his restraints were torn away and his power erupted in one massive surge.

When Discord arrived in Appleloosa, he had expected it to be just another routine repair job. Fix some houses, sign a few autographs for the kids, maybe get a bowl of their famous Appleloosan chili. The last thing he expected was to stumble onto Sombra's trail but during his meeting with Sheriff Longhorn, Discord had overheard two of the deputies talking about how a local farmer had claimed to have been attacked by a monster in his fruit cellar. Something about the story piqued his interest so he decided to get the facts straight from the horse's mouth. The farmer's description of the creature was a perfect match to Celestia and Luna's account of Sombra's transformation so Discord had claimed that it was just another weapon of Celestia's that had escaped her castle following the final battle, bought the farmer's silence with an instant bumper crop of oranges, and sent word back to Trixie of what he had found before sniffing around the farm some more. A quick search of the orchard revealed a residual trail of dark magic which Discord had followed south until he found himself overlooking the Macintosh Hills.

"You certainly picked a good hiding place didn't you Sombra?" From his vantage point alone, Discord counted at least five abandoned mines and a dozen valleys. Even if he split himself into a hundred copies; it would take him days to search every gorge, canyon, and mine in the area. And in that time, if Sombra was even still in the hills, he could slip past Discord and the Draconequus wouldn't even know it.
Maybe I should swing back to the castle and pick up Chrysalis, he thought. Her empathy would help me zero in on Sombra's location if he's still nearby.

At least that was what he planned to do before an icy chill stung his tail and raced up his spine.

"Ungg! What in the world?' Beyond the hills, the horizon suddenly drained of color as a column of dark magic exploded into view, searing the blue desert sky into an ashy grey. "Never mind then." Teleporting up to the clouds, Discord extended his eye for a better look and twisted it into focus. A cloud of dust out in the desert caught his attention but when he zoomed in he saw that it was just a gang of outlaws. Something about the way they were running intrigued him, almost as if they were fleeing from something, so he traced their paths south until he came across a scene of total devastation. Fires burned amid sand that had been melted into pits of glass alongside a river that boiled and steamed like a tea kettle. And in the center of it all stood a lone figure in a tattered cloak. "Bingo!"

"Luna are you SURE about this?" Celestia asked.

"Without a doubt," the younger Alicorn said as she tapped at the map her sister had spread over the table. "Celestia told me that when her Discord plunged Equestria into chaos, the Star Swirl of her world sent her and Luna to retrieve the elements. They found them in an underground cave at this spot." All around the table, the others leaned in around the point Luna indicated.

"Is it really possible?" Chrysalis asked. "Could such a powerful force of good really exist underneath that place?"

"If it is," Celestia answered, "then it has to be masking its presence somehow. Otherwise I would have sensed it and destroyed it long ago."

"I don't suppose she also told you how Star Swirl knew about them," Trixie hoped.

"Only that she first met him when he and his apprentice Clover were searching for the Elements as a means to fully unite the three tribes. According to Celestia, he was following a 'beam' of some sort to their location but gave up the quest after meeting her and Luna as he felt that placing Equestria under the rule of Alicorns was the quickest way to inspire the three tribes to coexist."

"It's possible our world's Star Swirl knew of their existence as well," Derpy theorized. "But considering we have yet to crack the code he wrote his journals in I wouldn't recommend wasting our time."

"Precisely why I retrieved these books from the archives," Celestia explained. "Hopefully, one of them can give us a clue as to how to track down the Elements in..." but Celestia was cut off when a piercing shriek filled the parlor as Chrysalis fell from her chair onto the floor, her hooves clutching her temples in pain. Miles away in the Foal Mountains, the entire Changeling Hive erupted in similar outbursts, their cries travelling down the mountain into the pony villages around its base.

"Chrysalis!" Luna cried as she dove to her friend's side. "What is it? What's wrong?" As the others clustered around her, the Changeling Queen opened eyes that were wide with fear and shock.

"So...cold!" she whispered. "So...much...hate! Discord! Discord's in terrible danger!"

The eruption of dark magic cast a shadow across the sky that spread out for miles in every direction. In Appleloosa, ponies and their families cowered in their houses, fearful that the war had returned while at the nearby Buffalo camp; the tribe rallied their warriors to defend their ancestral stampeding grounds. Even in the Badlands, creatures that would attack at the slightest provocation ran for their lives or dug beneath the sands rather than risk facing the force that had just been awakened.

But not everypony that saw the pillar of dark magic fled from it. In the eastern mountains that ran along the edge of the Badlands, three ponies emerged from the cave they had taken up residence in following Celestia's surrender and followed the explosion to its source. From behind the cover of a sandstone outcrop, they stared unbelieving at the lone figure who stood in the the blast's origin.

"Is that Sombra?" the orange pegasus asked. "I thought the rumor was that he was still recovering. What's he doing all the way out here?"

"Who knows," the white unicorn whispered. "Still, I must say his new look is quite impressive." Beside her, a massive white pegasus growled and scraped the ground with his hoof. "Hush!" she scolded. "Flash, do you really think he was the one that caused that explosion?"

"Do you see anypony else over there? You said it yourself Fleur. He's got a new look and new magic to go with it." As they watched, a light flashed behind Sombra and transformed into a shape that was well known to all of Celestia's followers. "It's Discord! Get down before he see us!"

Although he hoped that he could use reason to convince Sombra into returning, Discord limbered up both his hands just in case he had to get rough before teleporting down to his location. But even as Discord materialized behind him, Sombra kept his back to him. Almost as if he was expecting him.

"Hello Discord," he finally said. "I see you noticed my little display."

"Rather hard for me not too," Discord said as he looked around him. "Have to admit I'm impressed. I don't think even Celestia was capable of this kind of devastation." Sombra lowered his head and chuckled. It was such a bitter, jagged laugh that Discord found himself cringing.

"Of course she wasn't. I'm insulted that you would even think to compare me to trash like her." Something here isn't right, Discord thought. Was this the effect of taking Celestia and Luna's evil into himself? He had expected that Sombra wouldn't be his usual self but the way he acted and spoke was so unlike the friend he had known for so long that it almost seemed as though it were someone else. Stay focused, Discord told himself. Remember you've got a job to do.

"Well what do you say we head home," he suggested "Everyone's waiting for us at back at the castle. And I'm sure Canterlot is bound to be more comfortable than here." Sombra fell silent as he turned to face Discord. Although Luna and Celestia had described his transformation in great detail, Discord was still taken aback by how much Sombra had changed. It wasn't just his horn or the dark magic flowing out of his eyes. The way he glared at Discord was so cold and hard that for the first time in his very long life, Discord actually felt intimidated.

"And if I say no?"

"I know you don't really mean that Sombra. You've had a rough couple of weeks and you're not thinking straight. And I admit, I bear some of the blame for that. Rather than letting it go on for as long as I did, I should have blocked off the doorway between worlds back when I first sensed the rift. But I want to make this right. We all do. You don't have to deal with this on your own. Just come back to Canterlot with me and we'll find a way to help you." Sombra's scowl twisted into a fanged grin as his horn began to seethe with dark magic.

"You're wrong Discord," he said as his crouched into a fighting stance. "For the first time in a very long time. I am EXACTLY as I am supposed to be. And I'm not about to let a fool like you take that from me." Well so much for reason, Discord grimmaced.

"Are we really going to do this Sombra?" Discord asked. "We both know how this is going to end."

"Do we now?" A bolt of black magic shot out from Sombra's horn. But Discord''s head split in two, allowing the attack to harmlessly pass through before rejoining.

"You really thought that would work against..." but Discord didn't even have time to finish his sentence before Sombra exploded into a cloud of darkness that washed over him in a flood of icy shadows.

Outside the parlor, the guards heard the shriek and hurried to unlock the doors when they suddenly burst open with enough force to nearly throw them against the opposing wall. Though she would usually beg their pardon, Chrysalis sped down the hall with the others racing after her, nearly stampeding several servants in the process.

"Chrysalis wait!" Derpy called. "We need to think this through."

"We don't have time!" Chrysalis answered. "I know what I felt and and I'm positive it came from the far south! Discord has no idea what he's facing!" She turned a corner and the tall wide doors that led to the royal gardens loomed before her. Her magic threw them open and she ran out onto the veranda where she prepared to take flight.

"Then let me go with you!" Trixie protested. "If you're right then it's too dangerous to go alone."

"I've already communicated with my Changelings," Chrysalis assured them. "A squad of soldiers have already left the hive and are on en route to rendezvous with me. You need to stay here with the others to keep watch over the castle."

"But Chrysalis..." Trixie said as Celestia laid a hoof on her shoulder.

"Go then," she said. "I don't know what Discord has uncovered, but I sense danger in the wind. Sombra will just have to wait until this new threat is dealt with." Chrysalis nodded as Luna stepped forward to embrace her.

"Please just be careful," Luna begged. "I don't want to lose another friend."

"I will," Chrysalis promised. As Luna stepped back, Chrysalis spread her wings and shot off into the sky. In the distance, the green lights of her Changeling soldiers signaled their approach. Hold on Discord, she thought. We'll be there as quick as we can.

Discord grit his teeth and braced himself against the whirlwind of shadows that raged around him. Okay, that's new, he thought as the storm finally passed. Discord opened his eyes and to his surprise saw that he was no longer in the badlands but the royal gardens of Canterlot Castle.

"Sombra?" he called. "Sombra what's going on here? How did you do this?" No answer but Discord could hear somepony weeping not to far away. He teleported to its source and came across Luna, who sat before a monument Discord had never seen before. "Luna? What's wrong? What happened?"

"How?" Luna whispered. "How could you have let his happen Discord?"

"How could I let what happen?" He peered over her shoulder and a cold shock pierced Discord's heart. What he had assumed was a monument was actually a tombstone. And on its surface was carved Sombra's image. "No! No that's impossible! I just saw Sombra! He was alive!"

"I trusted you!" Luna snarled. "You said you'd find him and bring him back. But you decieved me!" Luna snapped her head around and Discord was too taken aback by the hatred in her eyes to defend himself when she fired her magic and sent him flying back to crash into his Captain Goodguy statue.

"Luna," he winced. "Just wait a moment! I swear Sombra was standing right in front of me not more than a minute ago." As a dark mist began to swirl around her, Luna took to the air as the moon suddenly appeared in the sky to block out the sun.

"Enough of your lies! You will pay Discord! Just as this entire kingdom will pay!" The mist swirled faster and faster around Luna until it condensed around her in a blinding flash of light. And when the light faded, Discord stared in horror at Luna's transformation. No longer the beautiful and elegant Alicorn he had known for so long; now she was as tall as Celestia and dressed in dark blue armor. "Hear me and despair Discord," she roared as storm clouds gathered around her. "The desolation Celestia and I unleashed before is nothing compared to the nightmare I now bring. For the night...shall reign...FOREVER!!" From the clouds surrounding her, bolts of dark lightning streaked down towards Discord who threw up his hands to divert the lightning away from him.

"Luna! Don't make me do this!" But as Luna continued her attack him Discord realized he had no choice. With both of his hands occupied with keeping himself from being barbecued, Discord flexed his tail and snapped its tip. Immediately, the transformed Luna's coat began to harden and change color as she changed into a statue. She fell from the sky, but Discord summoned a giant catcher's mitt onto his lion paw and caught her before she could crash onto the hard ground. "There we go!" he said as he set her up. "Now you just sit there and relax a bit while I go find the others and try to figure out just what is going on. First things first though." With a click of his fingers, the moon swung away from the sun and daylight returned to the kingdom as a sudden crack caught Discord's attention. He turned around and to his horror saw that Luna was beginning to crack and crumble before she shattered into a pile of dust.

"Oh no!" he gasped. "Oh no oh no oh no oh no what have I done! Don't worry Luna. I can get you fixed up! Just give me a moment!" Summoning a broom and dustpan, Discord hurried to sweep Luna up before she could get blown away when a sudden whirlwind rose up and began swirling the dust around him.

As he recovered from the initial shock, Discord picked himself up and looked around. There was no doubt in his mind that something had just attacked him. But what confused him was that he hadn't sensed any magic prior. And just what had he crashed into? Discord felt around him in search of a barrier of some kind but all he found was empty air.

"This...doesn't make any sense," he whispered as the ground next to his foot exploded. Discord yelped and leaped back in surprise as another patch of sand burst behind him. Then another and another until he was surrounded by a ring of exploding rocks and sand that pelted him from all sides.

"What's going on!" he yelled as he curled into a ball for protection. When it finally stopped, Discord stuck out his head but just like before he couldn't locate the source of the attack. "Alright!" he yelled. "Joke's over! Who's doing this? You think you can just rip off my act, use it to humiliate me and not even pay me my due royalties? Just who do you think you are!" But the only answer he received was was the howl of the arid desert wind. "Well enjoy it while you can," he warned. "Because when I find out who you are, you're going to wish I was still working garden detail in Canterlot." Discord prepared to teleport out when it suddenly felt as though a sandstorm was swirling around him. His eyes stung and his skin itched, yet when he squinted open the air was as clear as crystal. "Now you're just being irritating!" But it would take more than that to keep him there. Discord raised his eagle claw and prepared to snap himself out of there only to find that his hand wouldn't move. Then his arm froze as similar patches across his body began to freeze and spread over him until it felt as though he was being encased in an invisible shell.

"Oh no!" he panicked. "Not again! Anything but that!"

The tornado of Luna's dust overwhelmed Discord as it swirled around him, scraping him all over his body and blinding his senses. Too late, Discord noticed that it was adhering to his body; saturating him in a coat of powder that hardened and spread across him in a shell of solid stone. In desperation, he attempted to teleport away but found that something was interfering with his magic. As the powder began to encase his head, Discord had time to utter a half scream of defiance before the shell covered him completely and turned him into just another one of the garden's statues. What is all of this? he wondered as a mare's voice laughed behind him. I know that laugh. The sound of hoofsteps approached him from behind and a tall white Alicorn wearing a horned crown stepped into view

"Hello Discord!" Celestia smirked. "It seems I finally found a way to shut your mouth for good." Celestia, he demanded, what's going on here?

"Are you confused Discord?" she mocked. "Is it really so hard for a fool like you to understand? I suppose I'll tell you then. All this time you've been chasing a ghost. Sombra perished in the final battle and ever since, I've been playing all of you for fools." No! Discord thought. That can't be true! Sombra's alive. I was just talking to him!

"Does that hurt you Discord? Knowing how foolish you all were? As you can see Luna took the news especially bad but then she was always easy to manipulate. But at least this way she was finally able to be of some real use to me. To be honest my original plan was to have you destroy each other but you gave me a much better idea. Even as a statue, she still retained her Alicorn magic within her. Of course she never would have shattered if your cancelation of her spell hadn't caused a rebound effect. So I thank you for that."

Celestia! Discord snarled. When I get out of this you're going to wish you were never born! As if she could hear him, Celestia smirked and tossed a pair of broken spectacles at Discord's feet. Those are Chrysalis', he realized.

"Oh and I wouldn't expect anyone to come to your rescue. Without either you or Sombra to aid them, Trixie and the others weren't even a challenge. It was actually quite anticlimatic." Discord's mind reeled from the shock as the sky began to fill with swirling green clouds. Oh no, Discord thought. Not this again!

"Well what do you know," Celestia marvelled. "I expected Luna's tantrum would be enough to irritate the dimensional barrier but I never thought it would react so quickly. Well, I suppose this is goodbye Discord. Though you make a charming conversationalist, I've got two worlds to subjugate. Why don't you relax here and enjoy the show." Spreading her wings, Celestia took to the air as the clouds began to swirl faster and dimensional cracks once more began to tear open the sky. From beyond the castle wall, Discord could hear the citizenry of Canterlot begin to panic as they wailed for him to come save them but all he could do was listen.

"You did this," a voice whispered in his ear. "You allowed all this to happen. You failed all of them."

I...I caused all this, Discord thought. I failed everyone.

From their vantage point atop the rocky cliff, the three ponies watched and waited. When Discord materialized behind Sombra, though they had been too far away to hear exactly what they were saying, Fleur could tell by their posturing that a fight was about to break out. But what none of them expected was for Sombra to suddenly transform into a cloud of shadows that blanketed the entire area. It was too dark for her to make out what was happening inside, but an occasional flash of light from within indicated a brief but intense battle was taking place. And when the cloud finally dispelled and reformed into Sombra, Discord stood frozen in a shell of black crystal.

"Flash," she whispered. "What just happened down there?"

"He defeated Discord," he answered. "That's what just happened."

Once he was certain Discord's will had been broken, the Shadow reverted Sombra's body to its physical form. Though a living glamour was indistinguishable from reality, it was still just an illusion. If Discord had sensed even the slightest bit that it wasn't real then the Shadow would have been faced with an opponent that he had no chance of beating in a direct fight. That was why he had taken the extra precaution of sealing him in a crystal prison in case the glamour failed. I suppose it's fortunate that I wasn't facing the Discord of my world, he thought. He never would have allowed sentiment to blind him like that.

Now that the fight was over, the Shadow took a moment to enjoy his new body. It had been so long since he had known the pleasures of physical sensation. He inhaled deeply the dry air of the desert, crunched the sand beneath his hooves, and flexed the stiffness from his limbs. He could feel the strength in Sombra's body and the raw power of his magic. Was I really once this powerful? he wondered. When he first escaped from his prison in the frozen north, the Shadow hadn't even time to revel in his regained freedom before Celestia's pawns had robbed him of all that was rightfully his. But now they were an entire world away. And with this world's Discord dealt with, there was nopony left to stand against him.

"Yes! I've missed this so much! But most of all," he said as he turned towards Discord, "I missed the joy of crushing garbage like you beneath my hoof!" The Shadow stepped towards the crystal encased Discord, his eyes glazed over with the glamour that had been cast over him. Normally, the Shadow would take his time torturing a fallen foe. But he had other matters to attend to and had no further time for self-indulgence. He'd finish Discord off quickly then move on to the next stage of his plan. The Shadow channeled his power into Sombra's horn which seethed and pulsed with dark magic as he prepared to fire.

"Now perish!" he snarled as the magic suddenly faded. "What?" The Shadow attempted to recharge his magic but nothing happened. It was then he noticed that the world around him was starting to spin. "What...is this?" he groaned as a wave of nausea ran through him. "What's.. happening...to me?"

Stop it! a voice suddenly cried from within. Leave him alone!

It couldn't be. Sombra should have been entirely consumed. How could he possibly maintain any sense of self after being possessed? The Shadow felt his control slipping and realized that if he didn't pacify Sombra immediately then he would be expelled.

"Don't be a fool!" he argued. "You want to be free don't you? Unless you want him to keep pursuing you then this is the only way!"

I never agreed to this! Sombra yelled. Discord and the others have already suffered enough because of me. I won't stand by and allow you to hurt them as well. Now the nausea escalated into a searing pain that burned the Shadow from the inside out, pushing him further and further to the edge until it felt as if he was about to explode.

"Alright!" he relented. "I'll spare him!" Almost instantly, the pain faded as the world stabilized around him. The Shadow felt himself rise to his hooves but something was different. The power felt diminished while Sombra's body now moved beyond his control.

"Discord," he heard himself whisper. "I'm so sorry." So that was it. Not only had Sombra retained his self but he had even regained control of his body. The Shadow hadn't expected this but now was not the time to engage in a battle of wills.

We need to leave now, the Shadow warned. The others are bound to have noticed our presence by now.

"Let them come," Sombra answered. "I can't run from this anymore. I'll accept whatever fate is handed to me."

Are you insane? Do you remember the pain I showed you? Is that really how you intend to spend your existence?

"Well at least I won't be suffering alone will I?" The Shadow cursed to himself, knowing that if Sombra was captured then sooner or later he would discovered as well. But if Sombra no longer feared for himself then perhaps he could still fear for another.

And what about the suffering of your beloved Celestia? The Shadow felt Sombra's head pick up and knew his trap had worked.

"Celestia? What do you know about her?"

More than you realize, the Shadow answered. At this moment, she is in terrible pain. She grieves for you, and that grief is destroying her from the inside out. But it's not too late to save her. Come with me and I can reunite you with her.

"How?" Sombra asked. "The Mirror is gone. And even if I could cross over I..." Sombra's voice broke as a hoof wiped his eyes, "I can't let her see me like this."

But you're wrong. I can not only reopen a pathway to her world, I can even free you from the darkness that torments you. But this is neither the time nor the place to explain. We have to escape before we are caught. But first, Discord must be dealt with.

"I already told you I won't allow you to harm him!"

And I won't. But we have to make sure he can neither track nor follow us. To do so however, you must turn control over to me.
"How do you expect me to trust you?" Sombra demanded.

Because you don't have any other choice. If you don't, Celestia will continue to suffer until she becomes the same as the one from your world. If you wish to save her, if you truly value the promise you made her, then choose now or else your former allies may decide for you. A lone desert wind howled across the desert and Sombra lowered his head.

"Do it," he said. "Before I change my mind."

"Now what's happening?" Flash wondered. After defeating Discord, Sombra had approached him with horn ready to fire when suddenly he kneeled in the sand where he began to growl and convulse. He eventually calmed down but rather than the fierce and merciless figure that had overpowered the great Discord, he now seemed almost broken. It also looked as if he were arguing with himself. "Fleur can you make out what he's saying?"

"Not from this distance," she answered. "Hold on! I think something's about to happen." Again, Sombra started to convulse and when the fit ended, he once more carried himself with his previous aura of intimidation. The three ponies grew silent as Sombra's horn once more began to seethe with dark magic before he blasted Discord with a spell that shattered the crystal that encased him and sent the Draconeequs flying back where he lay motionless. "Did he finish him?" she asked.

"No," Flash said. "It looks like he just knocked him out." As they continued to watch, Sombra once more began to argue with himself before he morphed back into his shadow form and sank into the ground where he raced past them to the north. "Come on! Let's go!"

"Go where?" Fleur asked.

"Where else? After him."

"Are you insane? Did you see what just happened down there?"

"You bet I did! I don't know if that really is Sombra but he defeated Discord. That's something not even Celestia could do. I'm tired of squatting in a hole and hoping Discord or some other goody four hooves doesn't come along and capture us. That guy's our ticket to the big leagues and I'm not about to let the opportunity slip away. So get moving before we lose him." Before Fleur could say anything else, Flash flew off in pursuit of Sombra's trail. Bulk nudged her shoulder and Fleur sighed in resignation.

"Fine," she relented as she climbed up onto his back. Though Bulk wasn't much in the brains department, at least he allowed her to keep up with Flash. "Who knows?" she smirked as he buzzed his wings and took off after their companion. "I might just get the opportunity I've been waiting for as well."

Once he was certain the fight was over, the Old Unicorn stepped out from his cover. Judging from Discord's reaction, his counterpart in the mirror world must have been through a harrowing experience. He himself knew just what their enemy was capable of from personal experience and it was something he wouldn't wish on anyone.

"Sorry about that old friend," he sighed. While his Discord could be insufferable to say the least, his counterpart was actually quite a decent fellow. But if the scenario was to play out as needed then some suffering was regrettably unavoidable. It was just fortunate that the enemy had failed to consider two things: the side effects of possessing Sombra, and the potential friendship had to change someone like the Discord of their world. But then I suppose I wasn't that much different back then was I? he thought as his magic levitated Discord into the air.

"Well let's head back. Like it or not, you still have a role to play in all this."

With the journal in claw, Spike ran into Star Swirl's study where the others were waiting for him.

"Got it Twilight!"

"Excellent," she said. "Just put it up here." Spike plopped the journal onto a nearby desk as everypony moved in for a closer look.

"So you this is the journal you and Spike found when you came down earlier?" Cadance asked.

"And you really think Star Swirl left this specifically for you Twilight?" Rarity asked. "You really believe its possible that he somehow knew everything that was going to happen?"

"That's my theory," Twilight answered. "As you can see, the journal has my cutie mark on its front cover. Cutie marks are unique to each pony, a representation of their unique and personal talents. The odds of anypony having the same one as mine, even one that existed a thousand years ago, are 1 in a billion."

"Actually," Pinkie corrected, "It's more like 12 in 58,363, 918."

"I'm not even gonna ask how you were able to figure that out," Rainbow said.

"Well if he really knew about everythin' that was gonna happen then why didn't he stop it?" Applejack pointed out. "Especially if he knew Celestia was still sneakin' away to the other world to see Sombra. It he was really as smart as you always say he was Twilight then it seems to me he could 'a saved everypony in both worlds a whole lotta trouble and heartache by just breakin the darned mirror."

"I don't know," Twilight sighed. "But I trust that he had his reasons. All I know is that if there are answers then we'll find them in this journal. Unfortunately there's a problem." Opening the book, Twilight displayed its contents for them all to see.

"Um Twilight," Fluttershy said as he scanned the scribbles, limericks, and random "I hate to say it but I don't think this journal makes much sense."

"I think that's the point," Twilight said as the book was passed around. "My guess is that in order to keep the information in this journal safe, Star Swirl wrote it down in a code. That way he could keep any potentially dangerous secrets from falling into the wrong hooves."

"Wow some of these doodles of Princess Celestia fighting villains are pretty good," Pinkie said as she flipped through.

"Anyway," Twilight continued. "if Star Swirl really did leave this for me then there has to be a way to decipher it somewhere in the library. Specifically within this study. We need to pour over all of his journals and notes and see if we can't find the key within one of them."

"All of them!" Rainbow cried as she looked at the rows of books that ran all the way around the study. "But there's hundreds of them. It'll take forever."

"I'm sorry but if we're going to help Celestia than I'm afraid there's no other way."

"Well no sense putting off the inevitable," Rarity sighed. "Applejack, Cadance, and I will start on the far end. Twilight, you and Spike check the middle while the others take the near end."

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie beamed. "Come on Dashie. It'll be just like Daring Do and the Haunted Mansion."

"Sure why not," Rainbow sighed as across the cavern, the main doors suddenly opened and closed.

"Ms. Twilight," a voice called. "I'm back with the hayburgers.

"Hey it's Pops!" Rainbow cheered as she flew upward. "How about we break for lunch before we do anything else. All this studying has made me hungry!"

"Except you haven't done any studying at all," Applejack pointed out

"Details details."

"Well actually," Fluttershy said, "I'm getting kind of hungry too."

"And while it is just hayburgers," Rarity added, "it would be rude after Mr. Dustmop went to all that trouble just for our sake."

"It's been non-stop for everyone all day Twilight," Cadance pointed out. "We can't help Celestia if we burn ourselves out."

"Yeah I guess you're right," she agreed.

"Besides," Spike added, "you can't tell me your aren't curious to see if Mr. Dustmop's place really makes better hayburgers than Flapjack's diner back in Ponyville."

"Better than Flapjack's?" Pinkie gasped. "I'll be the judge of that!"

"Okay," Twilight laughed. "Half hour meal break and then everyone back here." With Twilight's consent, the group moved down into the depository where Dustmop was unloading saddlebags overflowing with food onto one of the larger tables.

"Hey everypony," the old janitor said. "As promised, a meal fit for a king!"

"Thanks pops," Rainbow said as she dug into the bags. "I'm starving."

"Me too," Applejack added. "I'm hungrier than a hog at Sunday Dinner."

"Well before you all dig in," Mr. Dustmop said, "I think I should mention that your obnoxious friend is back."

"You mean Discord?" Cadance asked. "Are you sure? After all it's awfully quiet."

"Indeed," Rarity added. "Nothing's exploded, come to life, or turned into ice cream."

"Well," Dustmop shrugged, "I think there's a very good reason for that." The six mares looked to each other in confusion but followed after Dustmop as he led them outside the library doors where the Draconequus lay in a crumpled heap.

"Oh no Discord!" Fluttershy cried as he flew to his side.

"What in tarnation happened to him?" Applejack wondered. "He looks like he went five rounds with pack a' soakin' wet bobcats."

"No idea," Dustmop explained. "I found him lying out here when I got back. I guess this time he picked the wrong pony to joke around with."

"Twilight," Spike asked, "what do you think could have done this to Discord?"

"I don't know. Let's get him inside and hopefully he'll be able to tell us." Pulling him up onto their shoulders, Applejack and Fluttershy dragged him into the Library as Mr. Dustmop fetched a first-aid kit from which Twilight retrieved a bottle of smelling salts to bring him around.

"Unngh!" Discord groaned. "What happened?"

"Discord are you okay?" Fluttershy asked.

"Fluttershy?" he mumbled. "Where did...how did I get back here?"

"We were hoping perhaps you could shed some light on that matter," Rarity answered. Slowly, Discord pulled himself to his feet.

"Give me a minute," he winced as he rubbed his head. "Let's see I sensed some dark magic out in the badlands so I teleported there to investigate. And then...then I was attacked."

"Attacked by who?" Rainbow asked as Discord began to bristle.

"I don't know. But whoever it was they stole my act! The very nerve!"

"Hold on a minute," Twilight interrupted. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about chaos!" Discord cried. "They used chaos to attack me! Can you believe it? Me? Discord! The very master of chaos made the victim of it! Well when I find out who's responsible..." Discord paused to snap his fingers but nothing happened. "What the...?" he wondered. He snapped again but still nothing happened. "No!" he panicked as he tried snapping his other hand, then both at once. "No no no this can't be happening?"

"What can't be happening?" Applejack asked.

"My magic!" Discord cried. "I can't use my magic!"