//------------------------------// // The Return // Story: Savior of Equestria: A Second Chance // by Midnight Radiance //------------------------------// Crystal Empire Earlier Twilight slid down the stairway upside down using her gravity spell. “I actually studied gravity spells thinking it might be on my test! Turns out, I was prepared for this! Whoa, oof!!!” Twilight slide to the end of the stairway and stopped her spell, putting her right side up again and landed on the ground. Twilight stood up, overcoming King Sombra's dark magic and finally making it to the top of the tower in the Crystal Castle. Her mane blew wildly from the strong winds at the top and in the center of the room, she spotted what she was after, the Crystal Heart. At last, her mission was nearly complete and King Sombra will have lost. Twilight gazed at the Crystal Heart, her current desire would soon be met with satisfaction. "I will save the Crystal Empire... I will have pleased Celestia and pass this test!" Twilight moved towards the Crystal Heart, she stepped on the center platform where it sat and then the platform started to glow a dark gray while sending off what sounded like a alarm. King Sombra sensed this and acted upon it by casting a sealing spell to stop Twilight in her tracks. Dark purple crystal suddenly shot up around her as she jumped for the Crystal Heart, causing it to knock against the rising crystal, knocking it out of the circle, imprisoning her. “No...” Twilight stood in the center of the crystal seal, unable to do a thing to get the heart. She tried to teleport out of the seal, but the spell was too powerful. The moment she teleported out, the dark spell teleported her back in. It was beyond her power to escape and with her sealed away, the Crystal Empire has nothing left. King Sombra's shadow soon covered the land, surrounding the borders of the Crystal Empire. The barrier that kept him out soon faded and King Sombra then made his way in. Princess Cadence, who was keeping the magic taxing barrier up, collapsed from exhaustion, leaving only fear and panic as the Crystal Ponies attempted to run for shelter. His shadow covered the entire city like wildfire, engulfing the crystal ponies, rendering their abilities useless. All of the pegasi who were consumed by the shadows had crystal encasing their wings to prevent them from flying, while the earth ponies had their hooves encased in dense crystal, making them less mobile and the unicorns suffered the same fate as Shining Armor, having crystal cover their horns, putting an end to their magic. “Ahhh! Here it comes!” Pinkie Pie panicked as she backed up towards her friends, to avoid touching the shadows, fearing the same fate would await them if they were to get caught by it. “No, I can't... believe it... It's all over.” Princess Cadence closed her eyes in fear and despair as Shining Armor held her close, to await their fate together. The shadows inched closer to the group of ponies threatening to engulf them and then it suddenly stopped and from it came laughter. “You aren't crystal ponies!" Sombra noticed. "So it was you with that mare who tried to stop me?” The laughs then started to converge on a single spot in front of them, swirling around like a twister, creating a powerful sucking vacuum while also causing the very air to feel dense. Twilight's friends watched in fear as they watched and struggled to breathe from the dark aura tainting the very air itself. “W-What kind of monstrosity is this!?” Rarity questioned as she watched the shadows take form into a big sphere of darkness. “What kind?” laughter came from the sphere as it exploded, sending a harsh wave of wind outwards in all directions with such an ear piercing sound that it shattered multiple windows while a beam of dark magic shot up into the sky. – Celestia stood at her window with her sister as she watched the dark beam go into the sky, the clouds above it started to swirl and turn dark from it. “Oh no.... That evil aura... Twilight has failed...." “Sister we must do something and fast!” Luna demanded. “Yes...your right. Summon the royal guards. We're heading to the Crystal Empire!" “Yes sister, I shall gather the best of the best.” Celestia clenched her fist as she looked out the window. “I don't wish to start a war, but... this world may soon be covered in shadows if nothing is done. Please Twilight turn this around before it is too late.” – After the energy display, the shadows then faded on the form it took and from it stood a tall gray unicorn with a unique red horn as well as red eyes with a green sclera and black mane that stopped right below his neck and a black tail. He wore dark silver armor that started from the neck down, only having flesh showing on his arms and the upper part of his legs and had a red cape with white fur at the end that went down his back, only inches from touching the floor. “I am the King of Monstrosities! King Sombra!" He snarled. "And as king, it is within my duty..." King Sombra spoke as he approached Princess Cadence, “To take the role of executioner.” Shining Armor held Cadence close as he glared at Sombra. “Don't you dare come any closer!” “You'll have to get through all of us if you want the princess!” Rainbow Dash stood in front as she prepared for battle against him, flaring her wings. “Darn tootin'! Ya want the princess then you'll have to deal with us!” “They are absolutely right! We won't dare let you lay a single finger on the princess, you roughen!” Rarity growled as her horn lit up for a spell while holding her hands out, preparing to fight. King Sombra stopped and laughed at their actions. “Do you really believe you can stop me? My power far exceeds yours, even though I am not yet at my full strength, you are nothing. This kingdom is already in my possession once again. Look around you.” Sombra waved his hand out over the kingdom, guiding their vision to the crystal ponies who are all bowing, with their face on the ground. “My crystal slaves knows who they are when they are defeated and soon you will too.” “That's what you think!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she floated up, glaring into Sombra's eyes. “AJ, Rares, Shy, listen up! You girls get the princess out of here, I'll stall him!” “What are you saying!? That's madness!!!” Rarity spoke in shock. “S-She's right, Rainbow Dash. Y-You could-” Fluttershy stopped as she was cut off by Rainbow Dash. “Look there is no time to argue! We need to save the princess at all costs! If the princess is taken then all hope is lost for the kingdom. Any form of hope will have been lost! GO I GOT THIS!!!” Rainbow Dash yelled. King Sombra laughed as he listened to their arguing, gaining their attentions. “You all have such high spirits in saving this kingdom. Like I told you, your power is inferior to mine, now understand fear and despair!” In that instance, Sombra's red eyes glowed brightly as a dark purplish aura seeped from his eye sockets like fire as he gazed into all of the ponies eyes at once. Rainbow Dash's pupils shrunk as she gasped. She then looked at her body and watched as she was shredded apart into tiny particles, feeling every bit of pain and agony from it as she screamed loudly and then when it ended, she found herself standing there whole again, paralyzed, and struggling to stay standing as she felt her heart pounding so hard that it actually hurt. “W-W-What's... going on!? I... I can't... move!!!” Rainbow Dash used all the strength she could get to turn her head to see her friends and what she saw shook her to her very core. All of her friends had suffered the same fate. Applejack, as strong as she was, dropped to the ground on one knee while clenching her chest while breathing heavily. Pinkie's hair not only deflated, but also turned a bit gray while Rarity was crying. Fluttershy had it worst, water was streaming down her face as her body trembled with fear and yellow fur turned pale. “What your feeling is fear.” King Sombra walked past Rainbow Dash who was still struggling to move, making his way to Cadence, who was too frightened to move. “It is over princess.” King Sombra smirked triumphantly as he looked into her eyes. Cadence looked up at him, with no hope left and paralyzed with fear, tears started to go down her face. As Sombra reached for her, Shining Armor stood in his way. “No, I won't let you!” Shining Armor spoke as she was shaking nervously. “You can still move? I see, you're a royal guard. Bravo, soldier. As a reward for showing such courage, I give you this gift.” King Sombra's hand glowed a dark purple as he quickly grabbed Shining Armor's neck. “NO, SHINING ARMOR!!!” Cadence screeched in terror as dark crystal encased his body from head to toe. “S-Shining Armor?! BROTHER!!!” Twilight yelled from the top of the tower after hearing her brother's name, fearing the worst. Twilight dropped to her knees and cried as tears hit the floor. Twilight then mumbled to herself “I wish Spike was here, I just can't do this on my own.” After Shining Armor was encased in crystal he turned his attention to Cadence. “Now princess, it's time to meet the same fate as your mother.” His hand glowed with dark magic as he reached for her and at that very moment something fast impacted the ground, creating a slight explosion, sending rocks and debris around. “Huh?” King Sombra and all of the ponies within the area turned their attention to the source of the thrown debris, seeing a figure crouching down in the smoke while holding an object in their hand. When the smoke cleared the stranger stood up while holding what appears to be a purple tint, flat cello that was metal , with a tomoe design on it, in their right hand. (A picture of the fan described) “Now what? W-Who is that?” Cadence looked at the stranger. “It's been a long time... you guys.” The stranger spoke while looking at them and the threat. Even though it has been two years since his disappearance, the sound of his voice had a familiar vibe to it, something that could not be overlooked. “I-It couldn't be.” Rarity forced herself to look up, still under the effects of Sombra's power. When she looked up, she saw him. He stood there wearing odd clothing. A black short robe that was tucked into his black pants with a purple rope belt that tied around his waist with the sleeves going down to his wrists. His tail which is now long enough to touch the ground poked out of the hole in the back of his pants. His height had also changed, he was now Fluttershy's height and she is the tallest of her friends by only a few inches. While his build was leaner and lightly muscular, his purple scales had darkened slightly from his aging, but he still had those emerald green eyes that everyone knew him by. “SPIKE!?” Twilight's friends spoke together in total shock and disbelief. “Spike?” King Sombra folded his arms and smirked as stared the dragon down. The wind blowing hard, causing his red cape and his black mane and Spike's robe sleeves and the ends of his rope belt to flow in the wind to the left side of their bodies. “I have returned!” Spike glared at King Sombra while holding the handle of his metal fan while the top part was forced into the ground.