//------------------------------// // Ambush // Story: My Enemy's Enemy // by BudCharles //------------------------------// Chrysalis led her frien - allies further into the Badlands. It was just an unforgiving as she remembered it, scorching heat, bone dry and covered with dust. Every step she took further filled her holes with sand, while Twilight and Fluttershy ended up with the stuff stuck throughout their fur.   Chyrsalis used her wings to shield Pupa from the overpowering sunlight and the brunt of the sandy winds, while Fluttershy and Twilight followed close behind the two changelings. The group was completely silent, apart from a couple of attempts by Pupa to lighten the mood.   “You know I once watched a changeling news report” Pupa began on his third attempt.   “Really?” Chrysalis replied, unimpressed.   “Uh huh, but they didn’t tell the HOLE story.”   The rest of the group remained quiet, but Fluttershy let out a snicker, which quickly turned into the most elegant out-of-control giggling fit in history.   “Oh my - did you come up with that yourself?”   “Just then” Pupa boasted, a proud smile on his face.   “I think you might be a budding comedian” Fluttershy complimented.   “Maybe - but I need to GROW as a performer.”   “Oh my Celestia!” Fluttershy snorted, before breaking into another fit of laughter.   Even Chrysalis turned around and smiled a little. Not at the joke, but just at the fact Pupa was happy.   Suddenly, a thud was heard, and a cloud of dust flew up into the air. Fluttershy turned around to see Twilight lying in the sand behind her.   “Twilight! Are you alright?” she gasped, running to her friend’s side.   “Whoa, yeah, I - I don’t know what hap - “ Twilight tried to say, standing up again before toppling straight back onto the ground. She let out a groan as she tried to get up a second time.   “C-can we stop for a minute please?” Fluttershy asked, before looking to Chrysalis for a response.   Chrysalis just nodded and stood there, before watching the horizon nervously. She thought she could make something out in the distance. Probably her imagination.   “Twilight, how many hooves am I holding up?” Fluttershy asked, both hooves raised.   “Uhhh… seventy eight?”   “Oh my. Does your head hurt?”   “It’s nothing serious, we need to keep going,” Twilight insisted, trying to get up again, succeeding this time, though only barely, “a few mantigons aren’t going to stop us”.   “IT’S HIM!” Chrysalis suddenly shrieked as a menacing black cloud sped towards the four of them.   Immediately, Twilight tried to light up her horn - there was a brief fizzle, then nothing happened.   Deep, menacing laughter could be heard coming from an unknown direction. Twilight panicked and tried to use the spell again.   “Now now Twilight, surely you’re smarter than that. I disabled your little beacon spell - and I made sure your simple communication spell didn’t get through either.”   “Sombra!” Twilight snarled. “Don’t even think about harming my friends.”   “Thinking about it. Loving it” Sombra said with a smile as he materialised in front of her.   Twilight lit her horn and tried to charge at Sombra, only to be instantly tossed back into the sand.   “Really, you think you can challenge me in that state? I’m frankly insulted. Don’t worry, I won’t touch them. Yet.”   With that, a cloud of dark magic materialised around Sombra and Twilight, and they found themselves in dark room, deep within the heart of the changeling nest. The room appeared to have a hexagonal shape, and the walls and roof were a dark green colour, though they had been covered with dark grey crystals. In one corner of the room stood a huge chair-like structure, made out of the same cacoon material she had slept in.   “Wait, is this-“   “Good observation Twilight. This was Chrysalis’ throne room. I made a few adjustments. Didn’t have enough crystals for my liking.”   “What did you bring me here for? Why not just kill me?” Twilight asked, stamping her hoof into the surprisingly squishy ground to emphasise her point.   “And provoke Equestria, the most powerful nation in history? The one that blasted me into dust twice? I think not. Besides, my plan is much more fun. You are the most powerful mage since Starswirl -“   “That’s nonsense, there have been plenty of better -“   “If I were working with you, not against you, we could have unlimited power. The whole world could be shaped exactly the way we wanted. The way you wanted.”   “If you think I’m ever working with you, you’re mistaken! Equestria is fine the way it is!”   Sombra casually strolled toward the throne, beckoning Twilight to follow him. Twilight stayed put.   “Alright Twilight, you don’t have to work with me, but at least let me show you something.”   “It’s a trap” Twilight replied, “it’s obviously a trap.”   Sombra’s face was taken over by an unusual expression. Frustration? Disappointment? Eagerness? All three? Whatever it was, it was genuine. Twilight took a careful step forward.   Nothing happened. She took another, then another. Eventually she just decided to give up and walk normally.   Satisfied, Sombra lit up his horn and caused the throne to lift up, revealing a secret chamber beneath, with a ladder leading down to it. Again, he beckoned for Twilight to follow, and climbed down. Twilight followed close behind, figuring if he wanted to attack her he would’ve done it by now.   Once they reached the floor, Sombra lowered the throne back into its original position, and the room became pitch black - until a few seconds later, a series of candles lit up and revealed a massive library, with a stone floor and walls, and row upon row of old, wooden bookshelves, neatly arranged and filled to the brim with old books, the pages yellowed and the covers faded.   Immediately, Twilight’s librarian instincts kicked in.   “Bookshelf four is - “   “- tilted three degrees too far to the right,” Sombra said, completing Twilight’s sentence, “it always happens when I move this library. Now, let’s have a look around. You choose a section - whatever you want. Read whatever you like.”   Twilight was filled with a strange mixture of feelings as she began to slowly examine the library - equal parts curiosity and dread. She knew this wasn’t a good idea, that she should just say no and run. But part of her wanted to know, to learn what was going on…   “Necromancy,” Twilight read to herself quietly as she walked slowly from bookshelf to bookshelf, “possession of ponies, hatred-based combat magic… Sombra these are all -“   “Forbidden, I know. Dark magic, as they say.”   “I can’t read forbidden books Sombra.”   “Nopony will know! Come on, it’ll be fun. Aren’t you curious? Just one book.”   “No! I’m not stupid Sombra!”   Out of nowhere, Sombra sent an attack directly into Twilight’s stomach, sending her flying across the room and into a bookshelf.   “I said read” he snarled, anger suddenly entering his voice. “Pick up a damn book or I’ll shoot you again!”   “Alright, alright. Just one book.”   Sombra smiled widely.   Back out in the Badlands, Chrysalis, Fluttershy and Pupa were in a state of panic.   “Where’s she gone? What are we going to do? Will I ever see her again?” Fluttershy asked, tears forming in her eyes.   “Stop being so immature,” Chrysalis snapped, causing Fluttershy to whimper and take a step back.   “I apologise,” she tried to say as Fluttershy broke down in tears, “I should have thought about what I was saying.”   “No, you were right!” Fluttershy whimpered. “I should be helping Twilight, and instead I’m crying like a little baby.”   Pupa walked up to Fluttershy and gently wrapped his arms around her.   “I don’t think you’re a baby Fluttershy. Remember what you said? Being strong isn’t about not crying, it’s about having about the bravery to face what’s happened. So you’re not a baby - but you are silly head, because you forgot what you said like one day ago.”   Fluttershy gave Pupa the tightest hug of his life, almost squeezing him out of his exoskeleton.   “Thank you so much! I’m glad that I’m a silly head!” she cried.   “Can’t… breathe…”   Fluttershy released Pupa guiltily.   “Sorry.”   “Hehe, it’s alright. I won’t need to eat for days now at least!”   Pupa’s eyes sparkled happily, almost as if he could consciously control the amount of sparkling. Fluttershy’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest.   “Oh my” was all Fluttershy managed to say.