There was a soft ping, and the magic of world shook. A sphere of blue and red light erupted form the shattered heart. I could hear the air sizzling as the massive ball of pure love magic ejected the changelings touched by its light from the Equestrian plane.
There was a stillness. Winnow walked over to me and started lick the side of my face. The land let out a long peaceful breath. Part of its magic free again. I felt the earth magic start returning to my body. It was still much weaker then I was used to, but at least I was no longer feeling dizzy. I smiled, rolling on to my hooves. Aloe and Lotus limped over to me. We all looked out at Pinkie and Maud. The scrimmage had ended. The crystal ponies had taken off their helmets and were looking apologetically at the Pie sisters. For all their strength, Pinkie and Maud had barely put a dent in the crystal ponies armour. Pinkie's front leg looked like it had been broken, and Maud was bleeding from a large gash on her left shoulder.
There was a loud whoosh and Dash landed in front of us. “That was awesome!” she proclaimed smiling gleefully. She too looked like had been through a scrap herself. Her vest was badly singed and her fur was damped from the trickles of blood leaking out of her many scrapes.
Golden trotted over to me smiling. “We did it,” she said pointing at the gleaming coats of the two crystal guards.
I looked at her with fearful eyes. “But now we have no way to bring down Sombra....” I stopped, seeing the sky begin to darken as a clouds of racing shadow swarmed towards us.
One of crystal ponies spoke. He had a grey blue coat and tightly trimmed grey mane. “Ponies of Equestria, I know we were fighting just moments ago, but now that we have been freed, please, let us turn our anger at the one who has wronged us both.”
His partner nodded. She was a light blue mare with a jasmine mane. Winnow trotted between them, “Welcome back Crystal Lake,” she said looking at the Stalin, “and you too, Looking Glass.” They both politely acknowledged her, before readying their lances at the on coming shadows.
“How are you two so calm with what just happened?” I asked curiously.
“We have all our memories of life before this word and this war. We have seen so much in the time before and within Equestria that the now seems simple to us.” Looking Glass replied.
“So plan B?” I asked, turning to Dash. The looming dark cloud drawing ever closer.
“Star, are you strong enough to help Pinkie or Maud?' Golden asked stepping in beside me.
Maud limped over, “Some help would be nice, but I think my sister needs it more.”
“What are you talking about?” Pinkie protested, her hair full and springy.
“Save your strength,” Dash ordered. “Your magic is our best chance at dealing with Sombra.”
Hearing that Maud drew a bandage from her vest and proceeded to start wrapping her shoulder. I was a little supersized at how strong her hoof grip was.
We took our fighting stances. Aloe and Lotus were in the back, Dash in the sky just over our head. The two crystal guards in the centre, Pinkie and Maud took the flanks, and me and Golden took the lead. It was up to us to land a hit on Sombra with the chaos stones. I only hoped that we had enough fire power to bring him down once we had him in physical form.
The barrier shivered as the rolling mass of black shadows swelled though it. I heard a deep rolling laugh echo through the city. “Well done my little ponies. You have saved the empire from the darkness, and now you stand united with my once allies. The knife of their betrayal cuts deep.” There was another long rolling laugh. “That is, if this little victory was not part of my plan from the beginning. For now that you don't have the heart, how will you keep my true army from storming these lands in force?'” Sombra's eyes opened from the shadowy cloud. Its darkness now mere meters away from us. “You were doomed from the beginning.”
I could feel Winnow and the other crystal ponies start to shrink under his gaze. “Now!” Dash shouted.
Golden flicked a shard of chaos stone into the air and landed a kick on it with her hind hoof. A faint ring echoed from the stone. The space around the point her hoof hit seemed to rippled like a disturbed puddle. The stone stated to glow like a prism of rainbow light as is sailed strait into the unsuspecting shadow. “What are you doing?” Sombra spat clearly taken off guard by Golden's attack. There was a split second of silence before the shard exploded with him. Beams of light flew out in all directions as Sombra's shadowy form was stripped away. Before any of us really knew what we were seeing, Golden had lunched a second shard. This time right at Sombra's now clearly defined body.
“Fire!” Dash yelled.
Lake, and Glass let loose their weapons. In the same moment, Winnow darted from the herd, making a b-line for Sombra. My mind seemed to lag as I watched Sombra's horn glow, sending the first ball of lighting zipping off into a near by building. He seemed to try and catch the shard with magic as well, but to no effect. It fizzled and the shard impacted his body. The space around him convulsed as the air hissssssssssed. His body splitting in two. Off balance he didn't have time to block the second shot. It hit him right in his contorting body. The resulting impacted sparked a raging ball of welling black yellow light. Both Sombra's crystal body and his shadow one were cracking, spitting, and splintering in the chaotic mass.
Winnow dove through the mess of raging magical energy. Like a pegasi plucking a colt from a burning rooftop, she landed on the other side of the mess, a battered and confused looking Sombra in her hooves. Unlike before, this Sombra's flank bore the image of the Crystal City. His sharp horn was tinted ice blue, and his deep amber eyes had a softness to them.
The mass of shadows continued to twitch, the energy arcing around the squirming mass. There was a massive KA-BOOM! with a resulting shock wave that knocked me flat on my side. I struggled to right myself as darkness filled the sky. Sombra's laughter echoing above us. “So, you saved the vessel. You, ponies are pathetic. First you destroy the only way to beat me, then you waste the one trick you have left to save my weakling self.
There was another deep chuckle from the darkness. Before us the shadows coalesced into a jet back King Sombra in full royal garb. Whispers of purple shadow danced from his lime green eyes. His horn's knife like edge glinting a deep hue of blood red. He grinned at Golden, “your chaos was tasty.” She looked back at him with a slightly amused smile that seemed really out of place. “Some fight,” he scoffed, “I like it. The more you have, the more I will be able to drain from your squirming body. Now, I am expecting a guest shortly, why don't you all stay and watch our little fight.” On his last word, shards of black gemstone shot from the ground rooting me and the other earth ponies to the ground.
“Ow,” I heard Maud say in her normal tone, I twisted my head to see a large crystal lodged through her left should. A small trickle of blood oozing down the black gemstone. There was another sickening crunch as more crystals priced through Aloe and Lotus forelegs, trapping them like a stockade.
“And as for you two, my loyal guards,” Sombra said, his voice thick this sarcasm. “I think you need to remember who your master is!” Shadows leaped from his horn, striking the two crystal ponies. The two were frozen with fear. I could feel the terror they had felt under his rain welling up within them. Their minds being forced back into that dark place by the manic warlord. The two were powerful, fighting to their last breath against Sombra's assault. “So, the destruction of the heart has made your inner love strong.” He sneered, “looks like I have no use for you after all.” His horn puled red with a beam of magic plasma. It struck his opponents crumpling them to the ground, their armour and weapons being reduced to dust on the wind.
“That's is enough!” Dash yelled, swinging at Sombra's face with spin kick.
Sombra just grinned. His eyes glowed with dark power. Dash's body froze. Her vest falling to ash. The unicorn magic holder her prosthetic wing together shattered, sending metal fragments scattering across the ground. Sombra lick his lips, “Now you are just like the mud ponies,” he spat throwing Dash to the ground in front of him.
“Maud are you okay?” I head Pinkie Pie say from behind me. Her voice week and trembling.
“I have been better. However, the larger disappointment is this crystal taste terrible.”
Pinkie involuntarily snorted with laughter, “you always know how to tell the best jokes.”
I glanced back at Golden who was still confidently smiling even though her body was bond my black gemstone. I followed her eye line. Behind Sombra, the other Sombra was making his way to his hooves. His ice blue horn glinting with magic light.
“Look out above!” I heard Pinkie sequel.
There was a loud thump and Celestia was standing before me. A ring of sunlight dispelling all shadows around her. She addressed Sombra in her royal tone. “It's over Sombra, your armies have surrendered, and you are greatly outmatched.”
“Once upon a time, you would have been right,” he said, starting to prowl back and forth like a cat. “But, now...” He laughed. “You have no sister by your side, your prodigal student is dead, and the elements are lost.” He stopped and licked his lips again. “And what's more, your heart is week with self doubt and shame.” He laughed again, lashing out at her with a red beam of light plasma.
Celestia nullified it with a flash of her horn. Dash got to her hooves. “Umbra!” a voice roared. “You're time has come!' The amber eyed Sombra stood definitely. His horn pulsing with pure magic power. “I remember now who I am. I was the first ruler of the Crystal Empire. I am the rightful king of this city, and I am going to end you for the glory of every crystal pony you enslaved!.”
The umbra glanced over its shoulder. “Big words for a king that was my tormented servant for so many millennia . Your time died out long before the empire ever came to Equestria, you are a long past relic only good for tricking the last of your foolish race.”
Celestia spoke, “King Sombra, although we have never met we seem to share the same foe.”
“I agree,” he replied, “let us end this fool before his foolishness becomes contagious.”
“End me?” the umbra giggle. Dark crystal shot from the ground, carrying him high into he air. King Sombra launched a blast of blue light plasma from his horn. It arced and sparked around the crystal, driving towards the dark warlord. Celestia leapt into the air. Her horn glowed. A bream of pure sunlight flowing from her glowing body. I turned my head to shield my eyes from the blast. The sound of shattering crystal rained down around me.
“Move back,” Dash ordered as she side stepped a hunk of falling stone.
Winnow ran up to me and started to chip me from the crystal that was rooting me to the ground.
The cogs in my mind finally engaged. I pulsed the gemstone that held me, shattering it. I turned and rushed over to Maud. “Winnow, get her free” She nodded, seeing I was loose, and started to smash the crystal that was impaling Maud. I dashed over to Pinkie. One pulse to her body freed her from the her bonds. “Pinkie, your leg.” She held it out for me. Quickly, I placed my hooves on her broken joint and allowed the healing power of the land to bind her broken bones together.
“Yaaay” Pinkie exclaimed. I swayed, feeling a little woozy. “Earth magic is supper special awesome magic!” She beamed.
There was another flash of light from behind me. I resisted the temptation to look at the battle raging above. Winnow had freed Maud and was about to remove the crystal shard that was lodge inside her. I looked over at Golden. “If I pass out you will need to make sure I get out of here safely, okay?”
“I can do that,” she replied smiling, freeing herself from the crystal that her.
I caught Winnow's eyes. She understood and pulled started to pull the shard from Maud's body. As it was removed, I slowly closed the wound behind it.
“Never fear The Pinkie is here,” I heard her say as she chipped Aloe and Lotus free. “And your out.”
“We much appreciate it.” Aloe said thankfully. “but our front legs seem to unusable.”
I slumped down to the ground. I was still awake, but I was not sure if I could walk. My mind was fuzzy and my words a little slurred. “I am so sorry you two. I am not going to be able to help you any.”
Maud put her hoof on my shoulder. “I am going to carry you now.” she told me, as there was another loud BAG from just over head. “Pinkie can you bring sparkly ones?”
“I can for sure,” Pinkie replied draping Crystal Lake and Looking Glass over her back.
Maud slipped her muzzle under me and lifted me on her back. “Winnow help Aloe, Golden your with Lotus,” Dash ordered, tiny fragments of crystal showering us as the battle raged above.
They did as ordered. From Maud's back I could once again see the battle unfolding behind us. Through clouds of dust and smoke the red cloaked umbra laughed uncontrollably. A mad glint in his eyes. Celestia looked battered. Her side was gouged. Wisps of soft pink, green, and blue light were leaking from her wounds. King Sombra was not faring much better. Deep cracks ran along his body. His shining crystal coat drenched in the same viscus liquid that had leaked from Winnow when Dash had landed on her.
“What's the matter Celestia?” the umbra cackled. “I thought a Queen would be able to hold her own. What was it you said? Something about me being outmatched. You have grown witty in the years since we last fought.”
“Don't call me that. I rule with my people not over them!” Celestia spat back, letting another ray of light fly at the gloating warlord.
He deflected it with ease. “So much rage. How the mighty have fallen.” His grin was broken by a beam of blue light impacting his side, knocking him to the ground.
“Indeed,” King Sombra noted, making to fire a second blast.
Celestia saw her opening and dove, driving her hind hooves into manic warlord's side. Even form my distance I could see the power she placed in her strike far exceed any earth pony I had ever seen. She leapt back into the air just as King Sombra's blast struck, blowing a gaping hole in the umbra's body.
“Hold here,” Dash ordered. “Drop the wounded in cover and regroup. Who can still fight?”
“I can still fight.” Maud replied.
“Pinkie Pie here and ready.”
“ Golden at your service.”
“Lets go,” Dash motioned. “We need to be in position if this fight doesn't end soon.”
Winnow lay down beside me and started to gently lick the side of my head and part of my ear. I watched as the last able body members of our team rushed to help Celestia.
Celesta spread her wings, moving the sun to her back . Her shadow falling over the injured Dark Lord. “In the name of Equestria, the two sisters and the all the stars in the sky, I here by banish your twisted form to Tartarus for your crimes against pony kind.” She released a massive beam of pure sunlight at her fallen foe.
“Just faking,” he snarled. His horn puled with green and violate light. The beam bent. King Sombra froze transfixed. The knowledge of his impending doom locked on his face. The air sizzled as a portal to Tartarus was ripped in the fabric of reality. King Sombra was flung through it, landing on a high prison peak. The portal snapping shut behind him.
For a split second Celestia froze, a look of horror on her face. Sombra took full advantage. A pillar of black crystal shot upward catching Celestia off guard. She dodged right, but Sombra was to fast. The crystal split. A second branch driving right through Celestia body. I watched with a sinking feeling in my stomach as she plummeted to the ground. Her wounds gushing steams of light energy.
Sombra got to his hooves and walked over to her injured body. The hole in his form filling in with shadows that coalesced from thin air. “I wounder how your sister would reacted if she knew she was not the only one you had banished?” he asked. His tone full of mockery.
“She would say you were a monster for tricking me into doing it.” Celestia retorted.
“Really? He strode over to her broken body and looked down into her eyes. “How can you be sure?”
“You leave her alone!” Dash commanded. She stood definitely staring down the Dark King.
“Or what? A one winged pegasus and a some mud ponies are going to stop me. Can't you see I have won?” he proclaimed, a wide grin plaster across his face.
“No, I know you might think you have the upper hoof, but you have underestimated one critical fact. It was your undoing long before you ever starred this war.”
“Really!?” Sombra roared spinning around to face Dash. I caught the faintest grin on Celestia's pained face.
“All this time, I thought I had lost so much. My fiends were gone, changed, or died. My world had become just one long battle. But the hearts distinction made me realize something. I had never really lost those close to me. I had only let myself be blinded to what was really important. I know in my heart that they still stand here with me. Even though we may be separated by distance, loss and death, we are all still here, and we are still the Guardians of Harmony. You have failed Sombra, because you have never known what it means to be loyal to anyone.”
From the moment she started talking, the air around Dash begin to swell with power. I watched as Golden whipped her three remaining crystal shards into the air. The space around them shimmered and sizzled with energy. Sombra looked like he was wilting under the insistently of Dash's presence. “But, The Elements are gone, lost forever!?” he raged.
Pinkie Stepped to Dash's side. “Dashy, I never realized you felt I had stopped being your friend.”
“I knew you didn't, but that didn't stop it from feeling like you did. Your the Party Pony of Ponyville, seeing you down is like totally not cool. I felt I lost all of you, Rarity, and Fluttershy moving away, Applejack being super removed from everypony....”
With each name spoken a shard of chaos imploded into a portal in space. Though each rift could be seen one of Dash's missing friends. They looked out a Sombra.
“Dash, what have you done?” Rarity asked, soundly slightly concerned.
Fear started to fill Sombra face. He tried to lunge at the group, but was held back my some invisible force. His horn was sparking like flit and steel with no tinder to light.
“But you have no magic. No element of magic. She is dead. Dead!”
Dash glared at him. “She has always been with us. As long as we need her she will be in our hearts. Her magic will never die as long as we stay loyal to who we are and we be!” Light flashed as crystals flew from the ground in spinning rings around each of the mane 5, lifting them into the air.
“The elements of harmony were never lost,” it was Twilight's voice. “They have always been with us, as they have been with every Guardian of Harmony since the dawn of time. “Plus,” she said her translucent form looking dead into Sombra's eyes, “I am nearly dead. There is a big difference. I will have you know.”
“Twilight!? The group cried out in supersize.
“Why are you so transparent?” was Pinkie's follow up question.
“Look girls, focus. We need to end this fight before the magic dissipates.”
“Right,” they all replied in unison.
The shards united into the element of each pony. There was a flash of blinding white light, followed by a nova of rainbow energy. The ground below my hooves came to life with multicoloured light as the whole city filled with the rainbow magic of elemental harmony. The citadel above me glowed with enormous power, sending a torrent of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and violet light soaring across the skies of Equestria. I could feel the earth beneath my hooves breathing in the liquid light of harmony. Its power amplified many time over by the resonance of the Crystal City. Beside me, Winnow stood beaming with rainbows reflected in her sparkling eyes. I felt my strength returning. Looking Glass and Crystal Lake stirred beside me. Their bodies being restored by the waves of prismatic light.
Then, it was over. The light died down. I got to my hooves and started to make my way over to the group. Sombra was gone, and so to were Twilight, and the portals. Celestia got to her hooves and beamed down at Dash. “You have learned much. What you did was a vary advanced form of the magic of friendship.”
“It was nothing,” Dash replied nonchalantly, stretching out her wings.
There was a snap from behind Celestia, “Hello, all.” Discord said waving to the group.
All eye's turned to the draconequus.
“No need for those looks. I mean you no harm. I'm just saying goodbye to all my old “friends.”” He made air quotes with his paw. “Oh, don't look at me like that. I have learned my lesson. You silly ponies are no fun at all. A little harmless chaos is not worth getting trapped in stone or crystal for a millennium. At least I had Twilight to talk to for the last couple years of it. Although she can get really dull with all her constant talk of books this and friendship that.” A black fedora appeared on his head. “So, with that, hats off to you all.” He tipped his hat. There was another snap, and he was gone.
Celestia looked back at us, her awkward exasperation mirrored our own. “That was, unexpected,” she contemplated thoughtfully, glancing at Golden. Who responded by grinning broadly.
“Dash! Your wing!” Pinkie exclaimed bouncing on the spot.
Dash looked over he shoulder, “Oh ya. It's back!” she exclaimed jumping into the air.
Aloe and Lotus trotted up behind us, their legs healed. “Looking Glass and Crystal Lake went to power down the barrier.” They reported to Dash, before knelling briefly in respect to Celestia.
“What of King Sombra?” Winnow asked looking up at Celestia.
“I will convene with my sister to decide his fate, but I see no reason he will not return to rule this land once we are sure he is truly free of the darkness that lived within him.”
Winnow smiled politely, knelt and happily trotted back to my side.
“Its too bad we couldn't keep our elements.” Pinkie mused continuing to bonce, “but now that the war is over, all our friend's will be coming back to Ponyville.” she stopped eyes widening, “I am going to throw the biggest home coming party ever!”
“Celestia,” Golden asked “I have something of importance to ask of you.”
“You may ask,” Celestia replied cautiously.
“I come from a town vary far from here, that's just a short walk away. There, changeling have taken over my village. Now that your war is over. I ask you, by the light of the stars, if you would help send the changelings home.”
Celestia nodded. “I will,” she replied softly as if to somepony not present. “I take it you wish to leave now?”
“The sooner the better.” Golden replied.
“Luna is in charge of changeling control. I can have her here in moments if you really desire to leave in such short order.”
“I do,” Golden replied. “In truth, I am vary home sick.”
“But you will still be coming to my party?” Pinkie asked worried.
Golden shook her head, “No, it was fun to be part of this all, but I am not sure I will ever be able to see any of you again.”
Winnow walked over to me and licked my cheek. I put my hoof around her. I knew she knew that we would not be seeing each other again. “You can't leave!” Dash exclaimed in frustration. “We only just met you.”
I looked up at her with a said look in my eyes. “Sometimes we only get one really great memory with somepony before they are gone from our lives forever.” As I spoke the barrier around the city slowly shimmed and faded into the air.
There was a crack and Luna was standing beside us. With her were four female bat ponies. Each one had a yellow gem around its neck just like Dash. Their bodies were covered by black platemail, and on each hoof was a silver horseshoe that sparkled with a dim magic glow “I hope you have a good reason to wake me sister.”
“I do. Two in fact,” Celestia replied grinning. “The first is, the war is over. We own, and the second is there are some changeling that need to be sent home.”
“Where?” Luna asked bluntly.
Celestia nodded at Golden, “Equine Junction.” Golden replied.
“You will be taking both her and him.” Celestia said looking at Golden and me. “What's more you are to listen to the Gold one. Do exactly as she instructs. Got it?”
“Yes, oh older one. I got it.” Luna replied with mock playful disdain.
Aloe smiled, “It was nice to meet you Star and Golden. It is too bad I will not get to learn your ways of earth magic.”
“Yes,” Lotus added, “we hope you have a good trip, and my our paths cross again.”
Maud blinked slowly, “You really rocked it.”
Pinkie snorted in a laugh.
Golden and I walked over to Luna. “The hill just outside the north end of town.” Golden requested. There was flash of dark blue, and we were standing on a grassy hill over looking a small farming town of thatched roofed homes. “This is the place?” Luna asked.
“Yes,” Golden replied, “we must walk from here.”