//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: BY THE BLACK AXE OF NIGHTMARE MOON! // by Tumbleweed //------------------------------// “Okay. Plan.” Sunset Shimmer rubbed at her temples, hoping to get the echoes of the smoke-monster's terrible scream out of her head. “Pinkie Pie, find the others and tell them to meet us here. We're gonna need all hands on deck for this one.” “On it!” Pinkie Pie snapped off a quick salute, and zipped off. “Twilight,” Sunset said, “how long will it take to set up a magical scan?” “Not long.” Twilight adjusted her glasses, which had been knocked askew in the chaos, and started pulling electronics out of her bag. “Wait.” Rainbow Dash blinked. “You just carry mad science gizmos around with you?” “After all we've been through?” Twilight flicked a switch, and her handheld scanner began to make theremin-like noises. “Good point.” Rainbow Dash had to admit. “Oh hey, would it help if we played the record backwards? I heard that's how you can get the devil to talk to you and stuff on some albums.” “No,” Sunset Shimmer's voice was firm. “Okay, so … “ Twilight Sparkle hunched over the display unit she had in one hand, while the other waved a sensor wand over the still-sparking record player. “The etheric signature is on a far different wavelength than what I've seen before … it'd be fascinating, if I had the chance to study it under more optimal conditions.” “Say what?” Rainbow Dash leaned over Twilight's shoulder and peered at the wiggly lines on her magic scanner's screen. “It's a different kind of magic.” Twilight said. “Then why didn't you say so?” “Not now, Rainbow.” Sunset crowded around Twilight, attempting to get a better look at her scanner. “Anything else?” “Well … “ Twilight said, “I think the record might have been some sort of receptacle, or storage device. Kind of like that compact I built, just … different. It stores magical energy, and a lot of it. Or, uh, it stored magical energy, until we let it out.” “Until I let it out.” Rainbow Dash said with misplaced pride. Twilight looked up from the scanner screen. “I'm not sure if that's something you should brag about.” “Luna-- Vice-Principal Luna gave you that record.” Sunset Shimmer said. “Maybe … maybe it was some kind of trap?” “Why would she do that?” said Rainbow Dash. “I don't know-- she could have wanted you to release … whatever that was?” Sunset said. “If she just wanted someone to play the record, why not do it herself?” Rainbow Dash walked over and poked at the still-sparking remains of the record player. “Maybe it was just an accident?” “Or maybe she couldn't play it herself.” Sunset rubbed at her chin. “But giving the record to someone else would be one way around a binding geas … “ “Rainbow Dash. Sunset Shimmer. Report to Vice-Principal Luna's office.” The voice over the intercom was clear, stern, and more than a little foreboding. “Immediately.” “Guess we're going to find out.” Sunset Shimmer pulled in a deep breath. “Okay, Twilight? Stay here, keep working, and fill the rest of the girls in. If we're not back in an hour … assume the worst.” Twilight Sparkle's eyes went wide. “And then what?” “You're smart. You'll think of something.” Sunset patted Twilight on the shoulder, and headed for the door. “C'mon Rainbow. Time to get some answers.” “Right!” Rainbow Dash hurried to catch up. “Do you think she's turned back into Nightmare Moon already? Like, what if she's got bat wings and claws all of a sudden?” Rainbow Dash took a moment to marvel at the image. “That'd be pretty cool, y'know?” “Let's hope not.” Sunset Shimmer said. “Do you think she'll try to eat our souls, or just give us detention?” It was Vice-Principal Luna who sat across the desk, not Nightmare Moon. In fact, it looked like she had dressed a little more conservatively than usual, as if to put any rumors of rock-stardom aside. Sunset and Rainbow fidgeted in their chairs as Luna glared at them. “I've made a terrible mistake,” said the Vice-Principal. “I'm sure it wasn't that bad … “ Sunset Shimmer said. “It's my fault. I should have paid more attention. I accidentally left a record-- a large, round black disc--” “We know what records are.” Rainbow Dash said. “Vinyl's kind of making a comeback, y'know?” Luna grit her teeth and glared daggers through Rainbow Dash. Rainbow cringed a little, and murmured a near inaudible, “sorry.” “There was a record in the box I gave you. It's very important to me. I was careless. I never should have left it in there to begin with. I'd forgotten about it until I accidentally gave you the box.” “Uh, sure! No problem!” Rainbow Dash said. “We'll get it back to you right away!” “Good. And whatever you do, make sure you don't play the record--” “About that.” Rainbow Dash scratched at the back of her neck. “You're kidding.” Rainbow and Sunset silently shook their heads. “You're not kidding.” Rainbow and Sunset nodded. Vice-Principal Luna pulled in a deep breath, and squeezed her eyes shut. Her hands balled into fists, and Sunset scooted back as memories of getting twisted into an aikido-pretzel resurfaced. “You let him loose, didn't you?” Luna said. Where she'd been glaring daggers before, she'd now upgraded to full broadswords. “Who?” Rainbow Dash tried to play innocent. Badly. “Sombra.” Sunset Shimmer gasped. Rainbow Dash glanced between Luna and Sunset. “Um. Am I the only one here who doesn't know what a Sombra is?” “Sombra is … was, an ancient, evil wizard.” Vice-Principal Luna sat back in her chair. “His mad hatred of all life has kept him tethered to this world, in his undying quest to burn all he sees to ash.” “But … “ Sunset Shimmer leaned forward, placing her palms on the edge of Vice-Principal Luna's desk. “How do you know about Sombra in the first place?” “Sunset.” Luna said, slowly. “Didn't you ever wonder why my sister and I are so … understanding of the fact that you and your friends occasionally start glowing with magic?” “I just thought you weren't paying much attention?” “In the middle of school-wide events?” “Point.” “The fact of the matter is, Sunset, you and your friends aren't the first young women to confront magical evils. You probably won't be the last, either.” “Wait.” Rainbow Dash squinted at Princess Luna. “Are you saying--” “I … Nightmare Moon fought Sombra. Bound his soul into a pressed record, so he could never menace this world again.” “That. Is. So. Cool.” Rainbow Dash said, eyes glimmering with sudden, fangirlish glee. “It's not as 'cool' as it sounds.” Luna said. She kept her voice carefully, unnaturally even, holding back whatever emotion she might have felt. “It was a battle hard fought, and one not without cost.” “The fire.” Sunset Shimmer said as things clicked into place. “That was the last time anyone saw Nightmare Moon.” “You've been doing your research.” “I'm friends with Twilight Sparkle.” “Ah.” Vice-Principal Luna breathed in deeply. “I've spent years trying to forget that night, trying to put it behind me. I would've given my life to stop Sombra. Happily. But … I was careless. Innocents got caught up in the battle.” “It couldn't have been that bad. I mean, nobody died, right?” Rainbow Dash said. “Rainbow Dash.” Luna stood, and planted her hands upon her desk. “Do you know what scorched flesh smells like?” “Uh.” Rainbow Dash said. “No?” “Do you know the sound human fat makes when it burns?” “Why would I--” “Do you know what it feels like, to have a friend's charred skin crumble into your fingers?” Rainbow Dash's blue cheeks began to tint more towards a seafoam green, and she clapped her hands over her mouth. “It. Was. That. Bad.” Luna spat. Her shoulders slumped, and the hateful terror drained from her, revealing a tired, worn woman. “I … I can't go through that again. I'll do what I can to help, but … I can't face Sombra again.” She sat down in her chair, hard enough to make its springs creak. “It's up to you.” “But how? How did you defeat Sombra before?” Sunset Shimmer said. “Courage.” Luna's voice was distant. “Blood. Steel.” “Something tells me there's more to it than that.” Sunset Shimmer said. “No.” Luna shook her head. “Sombra is not a subtle creature. You must meet him with as much power as you can muster, and maybe … maybe it will be enough. His spirit is incorpreal. Eternal. You can only face him when he manifests. And Sombra only manifests when he's at his most powerful. You at least have one advantage that I didn't-- I fought Sombra alone. You don't have to.” “But how can we know when and where he manifests?” Sunset said. “Sombra isn't subtle. Pay attention, and you'll know.” “Is there anything else you can tell us?” Sunset Shimmer said. “You never can get enough information when it comes to magic like this.” Luna shook her head. “To be honest with you, there's not much else to tell.” “I see.” Sunset Shimmer stood up. “You can count on us, Vice-Principal Luna. Now that we know what we're dealing with, I know we can stop Sombra.” Luna turned her chair away from the two teenagers, and looked out the window behind her desk, out onto the vibrant green soccer field outside. “I hope you're right.” “C'mon Rainbow. We'd better go tell the others.” Sunset Shimmer headed for the door, pulling Rainbow Dash along with her. “One last thing.” Luna said without turning around. “What's that?” “Be more careful than I was.” After Sunset and Rainbow had returned from Luna's office, they filled the rest of the band in. The next several hours had been devoted to brainstorming and research, to little avail. The janitorial staff eventually shooed them out of the school building, so they made do with an impromptu slumber party in Pinkie Pie's basement. The topic drifted this way and that, until Twilight Sparkle looked up from her tablet. “Guys?” She said, and pushed her hair out of her eyes. “I think I've found something.” “More of your predictive calculations?” Sunset asked. “Oooh! I know! I bet it's some kinda ancient prophecy!” Rainbow Dash said. She'd mostly recovered from Luna's earlier lecture. “Like, it's carved into a big chunk of rock in Norway or something, right?” “Actually. Uh. I just found this.” Twilight turned her tablet around, revealing the headline on a pop-culture gossip website. BREAKING NEWS: Long-Lost Death Metal Musician SOMBRA Announces New Tour! “That was quick.” Applejack mused, frowning. “He's an incorporeal spirit with potential access to mind control magic, if he's anything like the Sombra from my dimension.” Sunset said. “He's not bound to the same time constraints we are.” “The good news is, his first show is at the local amphitheater.” Twilight said as she scrolled through the article. “So we'll know where he'll be.” “Why do I feel there's a 'but' coming?” Rarity said. “He's playing tomorrow night.”