//------------------------------// // Rarity // Story: Destiny Book 1: Dark Vengeance // by SirScribe //------------------------------// Shining Armor felt guilty and distraught. With Sombra’s return to the Crystal Empire, he led the front lines against his invading forces. He and his brave soldiers fought hard and through the front lines, and he was close to claiming victory against the Frightful Four (Sombra, Discord, Nightmare, and Chrysalis) before things turned south. Shining had defeated the first wave of changelings and Shadow Ponies when everything went south. It appeared as though it was going to be easy to hold them off, but he was sorely mistaken. Before he could rest, however, Rarity stood up and faced him. Feeling like his hooves were glued to the snow and his magic depleted, Shining was quickly overpowered by her dark magic. With his lines shrinking, Cadence’s Royal armies began to hold the borders, but Sombra was too powerful. Within a moment, Cadence was beaten. As the Moon rose over the land, Sombra’s dark forces gained more power and wiped out any threat of rebellion. By Sombra’s orders, the entirety of the Crystal Empire was placed on a magical lockdown while his subjects were forced back into slavery. With the royal couple defeated, Sombra was elated to share the news of Canterlot’s fall. “Celestia crumbled like the little filly she is,” he said. “My sister and her friends will stop you!” Shining shouted at the tyrant. “Princess Twilight Sparkle? Oh yes, she came very close, but much like herself, the chances of victory flew out the window!” Sombra laughed hysterically. “Sorry, but no Elements of Harmony will save you now!” Shining began tearing up and tried telling himself that what he said wasn’t true. Sombra only laughed harder, confirming his fear. The world grew silent as Shining let out a heart-breaking scream. Cadence’s heart shattered as they were both locked up. They both did nothing to fight and were both thrown into the dungeon under the city. With only his wife in the prison, the prince of the Crystal Empire began to sob. Cadence, on the other hoof, said nothing. She didn’t know what to say. Her sister-in-law was dead. With no power to fuel the Crystal Heart, the Empire fell almost overnight, and she had to watch as her subjects lost faith in the monarchy. Sombra opened the mines and forced his subjects into slavery just how he had done before. The ponies who were able to pay Sombra’s taxes were spared from the horrible work, but received harsh responses from their fellow citizens. As Sombra laughed at the misery of the Crystal Empire, Shining shed some tears as he quietly mourned his sister’s death. Cadence picked up a rock and began carving into the wall of her cell. Occasionally, she would slam the rock into the wall, reducing it to dust. Shining looked over at his wife and held her as she picked another rock up. She wasn’t angry, she was just too sad. “What can we do now?” Cadence asked. Shining looked up at the cell. “Wait until somepony stops Sombra. Somepony has to have the strength to fight him,” he said. “But if Celestia and Twilight fell, then who—” Cadence looked over at her husband. “Princess Luna!” Shining nodded. “Maybe she can fight Sombra and free us. At least we need to Crystal Empire to be freed before we have the upper hoof,” Cadence said. “She is the entity of the Night, she should have the advantage in this situation.” She knew Luna was tough, despite her recent return to Equestria. Luna was the princess of the Night, and her powers were something that couldn't be matched. She dropped the rock and lost herself in her husband’s embrace. “You know, Shining, there has been something I’ve wanted to talk to you about.” Shining’s heartbeat began speeding up. “Oh, like what?” “Well, you know we’ve been married for a year, and our anniversary is coming up in a few weeks, and I was thinking that maybe we should start looking toward the future for us and the kingdom,” she said. “What are you saying?” Cadence fidgeted. She tried asking Celestia what to say to Shining concerning this sensitive topic, and the wisdom she received was grand. “No subtle hints, no stallion is good at understanding hints. Drop it on him if you want him to get it,” Celestia said. “Uh, I was thinking that now would be a good time to introduce a new member of the family to this world,” Cadence said. “Maybe a little filly.” The gears in Shining’s head turned, but nothing was happening. “I don’t understand.” Cadence mentally face-hoofed. So much for that, she thought to herself. “Forget it.” Shining smiled. Cadence sighed as she felt her eyelids grew heavy. Before she could drift into a peaceful sleep, a weird sound began emitting from the room. “Shining, what are you doing?” “I’m not doing anything.” Cadence opened her eyes. The sound was growing louder and appeared to be close. She looked around for the source of the noise, but there was nothing in the room with them. The one guard that was assigned to them was outside the prison doors, but aside from them, there was nothing. The sound was odd. It sounded like something was wheezing like they inhaled smoke or something. The couple continued searching, but Cadence finally found it. In the middle of the room, a large box began appearing out of thin air. Shining had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. His eyes were serving him right. A large, blue box was appearing. The box was a panel of windows and a set of large doors on the front. There was a small light bulb attached onto the top of the box. When the box had fully materialized, there was a loud bang. Both Cadence and Shining were stunned. The doors opened, and a brown earth pony walked out with a long, brown coat. He had a messy mane with a silver stick in it. Cadence wondered how this pony liked going around looking like a crazy homeless stallion. The earth pony looked at the couple and smiled. He turned back to his box. “Yup, this is the right cell. Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor right?” “That is them!” they heard Luna’s voice from within. Cadence lit up. “Luna! Is that you? Where are you?” Luna stepped out of the box. “Right here. Oh wow Cadence, how is it being trapped in the same cell as your husband? Have you two been behaving?" Cadence smirked while Shining blushed. “Very funny Luna,” she toyed. Luna smiled. “Anyway, we are here to bust you out!” Shining Armor banged his head on the wall. “Great, I think the guard heard you, if he didn’t hear your box first,” he said. Luna realized her mistake and shrunk down in embarrassment. “Whoops.” The stallion shrugged. “Ok, standard bolt door with mechanical tumbler inside the door.” He reached for the silver stick. “Setting 46B should do the trick here.” Cadence chuckled. “Excuse me, but that’s a stick, it can’t open a door. You need a key.” The stallion looked up at the princess. “Hairpins and needles can open locks too. Have faith in my screwdriver.” “You’re what?” Instead of answering, the stallion aimed the silver stick at the door. With a light buzzing sound, the door lock clicked. Cadence was taken back at the magic she had witnessed, and with a simple push on the door, it flew open. “This is a Sonic Screwdriver. Opens anything, tricks anything, and does everything else, except wood. Maybe some hairdryers too, but I’m getting that fixed. I’m the Doctor by the way,” he said as he stretched his hoof at Shining. Shining shook his hoof. “Nice name. ‘The Doctor’! Maybe I should be called ‘The Prince’,” Shining said. “Please don’t,” Cadence said. Shining smirked at his wife. The Doctor approached Cadence with a hoof extended. “Nice to see you again, Princess Cadence.” Cadence was taken back. “Again? So we’ve met before?” “Long story, trust me. C’mon, we gotta get out of here, and quickly. Sombra’s guards will be here any minute,” the Doctor said. The royal couple nodded in agreement, and before they could make a move to the box, a magical energy burst hit the door. The four ponies turned to see the guards standing at the doorway. The guards were not hypnotized ponies like what Chrysalis was accustomed to, but more like walking shadows. Their black armor had etchings of ancient runes that Princess Luna recognized as defensive magic, enhancing their armor. Their bodies were wispy black smoke with devilish red eyes. Taking the front line was Rarity herself. She was wearing her crystal military uniform with matching helmet. Her eyes were still glowing green from the dark magic running through her veins. “Trying to escape is not permitted in master Sombra’s Empire. You will return to your cells now!” Rarity commanded. Cadence and Shining held their ground. “You’re not defeating us this time, Generous One!” Cadence said. “I don’t care if you were Twilight’s friend, you are going down!” Rarity smirked. “I guess you will be seeing Twilight again very soon, dear princess.” Without another warning, she fired a blast of dark energy. Before Cadence could raise up a shield, the doors swung open, deflecting the blast straight back at the unicorn. Rarity dodged it with ease, but the guard behind her did not. The shadow screamed as it evaporated into nothing. The door closed, and out from the box, the princess of Friendship stepped out without her bandages around her head and wings. Cadence and Shining Armor looked shocked and relieved. Twilight was alive! “That’s enough Rarity!” Twilight commanded. The guards lowered their spears, but Rarity called them off. “It seems as though the new wings actually give you some form of immortality after all. Twilight Sparkle, the first unicorn to successfully control dark magic and its seductive properties. Care for a rematch?” “Trust me, it won’t take long for you to submit. Rarity, please, you need to snap out of it.” “Rarity is dead! I reign supreme, and once my masters fall, all of Equestria will belong to me! Guards, kill them!” The guards charged at the ponies. Twilight summoned a magic circle from her vast collection of Starswirl’s magic spells and fired several stunning spells at the guards. Most of them fell immediately to the ground while turning others into explosive flower pots. Only a few were left still charging. The Doctor raised his Sonic Screwdriver, and pointed it at the ground. Immediately the stones began moving up and down like the floor was a waterbed. The guards lost their balance and fell over in full armor. Their helmets knocking them out cold. Rarity roared as she summoned Shadow Ponies to the room. A legion of 50 raised up and quickly surrounded the ponies and the box. Rarity thought she had trapped Twilight and her friends, but as the walls of the Shadow Pony’s magic began to darken, a bright light was seen emitting from within the vortex. The Shadows began shrieking and immediately exploded. Cadence and Shining Armor had created a bright light from their magic, destroying all hopes of more Shadows forming. Rarity had enough of her minions failing. She fired another spell at Twilight, but she quickly deflected it. The energy flew up into the ceiling, spooking an off duty guard. Rarity continued to fire spells at Twilight, but since she read most of Starswirl’s notes on advanced combat spells, she was able to break down every single attack and easily deflect them. The attacking unicorn began growing impatient with her adversary and threw 3 quick spells, but not at Twilight. The princess of Magic followed the magical bolts, and saw where they were going to hit: Cadence, Shining Armor, and the Doctor. She couldn’t focus on all three at once with her magic. She fired two magical bolts and intercepted them, and jumped in front of the Doctor, taking the third bolt. It hit her chest, and she immediately went down. “Twilight!” Cadence exclaimed. Twilight groaned in pain as she tried to stand on her hooves. Shining helped his sister to her hooves and hugged her for the first time since the mirror trip all those months ago. Rarity grinned as she towered over the injured princess. “Yield!” Twilight rose to her hooves. “Rarity, please snap out of it. You can do it!” Rarity laughed. “I fell for that once, but I have learned. No amount of Rarity’s magic or your friendship will save her! Yield, or your brother dies!” Luna flinched at Rarity’s foolishness. Rule number 1 of anything is: do not threaten family. Twilight charged up her horn. “That’s one.” Rarity was confused for a second, but she fired a magic blast at the princess of magic. “Two.” Another magic blast hit the princess. “I said yield!” Twilight looked up at Rarity, and smiled. “Three.” Immediately, Twilight took the offensive. She fired magic spells left and right, sending Rarity back. The unicorn attempted to throw defensive spells, but Twilight’s magic was too strong for any low-level shied spell. She felt all the power from Twilight, and the darkness inside was actually scared out of her mind. Twilight continued her barrage of stunning spells, attacking the physical Rarity. While a part of her tried to hold back her attacks. It would take a lot of power to force the darkness out of her completely. Besides, with the walls between Rarity and the darkness thinning, the chances of Rarity being freed were skyrocketing. Rarity stumbled as the last magical blast hit her. Her eyes were shifting from green to blue, but the green was winning back control. Twilight knew this would happen, and with Rarity struggling to the surface, the next step of her plan was being put into effect. Rarity fell. The darkness within her was fighting to keep control, but Rarity was fighting back. Twilight smiled. “Ok, now it’s time to give me my friend back!” At that moment, Rainbow Dash flew out of the box and stamped a necklace onto Rarity. At first, she shrieked at the sudden intrusion, but shrugged it off after realizing she put on a piece of jewelry. It was a gold necklace with an array of emeralds as the pendants. “Did you really think that a simple necklace will stop me?” Twilight shook her head. “No, but that’s because it isn’t just a necklace.” She fired a magical blast at the necklace, and it transformed. The emeralds all morphed into one single gem, and with a slight color change, the gem turned red. Both Rarity’s recognized it immediately: it was the Fire Ruby. Rarity was in shock. “Rarity, I know you can hear me right now, and you need to know this. We need your help. We all do, and we want you to just come back home. Please, Rarity, come home.” Tears began to form. “Ho-home?” Rarity’s horn exploded with magical energy. Twilight and the rest of the crew shielded themselves from the blast. “Twilight!” The alicorn looked into the epicenter of the blast. There was Rarity with two heads. One had a face of concern while the other had anger. “Twilight, help me!” “NO!” The two Rarity’s faced eachother. The dark magic Rarity swung her hood, nailing Rarity in the muzzle. Rarity tried to fight back, but Twilight knew she couldn’t. “Return to me!” “Rarity, you have to fight it!” “I can’t!” “Rarity, think about all the ponies who need your help! Think of Spike! He’s under Nightmare’s control, and if we don’t stop them fast, who knows what will happen to him. Who knows what will happen to all of us. Please Rarity, you’re stronger than this,” Twilight said. The dark Rarity raised her hoof and brought it down. Before it could land on her, a magical hold was placed on her hoof. “That. Is. ENOUGH!” She threw her own hoof away and fired a beam of magic into the muzzle of her dark counterpart. The dark Rarity screamed as her form. cracked. “I am one of many! YOU CAN’T STOP ME!” The dark Rarity’s form shattered into billions of pieces. The magical field dimmed as the winds died down. Rarity’s eyes rolled up into her head as she slumped down. Luckily, Rainbow Dash was there to catch her. Twilight sighed as at least one of her friends was saved. She turned to the Doctor. “Will she be alright?” she asked. The Doctor came over to her and performed a quick inspection. “Yes, she will just rest. Your attacks were focused on the dark force within, absorbing all of the hits. You never struck Rarity down at all, but I think we should avoid doing the same to your other friend, Applejack right?” Twilight nodded. “Ok, Rainbow, help Twilight bring her in. Shining Armor, Cadence, I can drop you both off at the borders of the Empire. I’ve had a small army amassed there for you to take back the city. If you manage to drive Sombra out, wait until the right time to activate the Crystal Heart.” Shining nodded. “Ok, two friends down, 3 more to go. Oh boy. Ditzy, I may need an extra cuppa tea before we hit the Vortex!” “Gotcha!” Ditzy called from within the TARDIS. “Now little pegasus, don’t be shy, add the sugar and reach for the sky,” Zecora said from within. “Why am I doing this?” “The cups of tea are above, and I do not have the wings of a dove. You will reach and I will watch, as the tea is prepared with scones in a batch.” The Doctor was going to have a headache with Zecora before they finish their quest.