Even In Other Worlds

by Rytex

Knight Vs. King

Did music a different way, so the links are to other sound bytes. Let me know if you like it better this way or the other way. There will be some meta humor later, as well. Also, all weapons for the applicable ponies were taken from Fall of the Crystal Empire which is owned by Silly Filly studios. I just borrowed some props from them.

The whiteness in Nova’s vision faded in a few seconds, and he lowered his hand.

They were no longer in Luna’s cottage.  They weren’t even apparently on the human planet anymore.  Nova doubted the human world had buildings like this.

The room they were in was square, with a ceiling at least fifty meters high.  The ground was composed of several large square tiles, which felt cold and metallic to the touch, with a larger metal square directly in the center.  The walls of the room were dark, with four large pillars in the corners, and interspaced at regular intervals were stained-glass windows, all depicting Sombra rearing back in triumph.

And at the end opposite Nova was a large window, staring out over a frozen city below.  And gazing out over that city, back to him, was Sombra, still wearing his business suit.

His shaggy hair was starting to wave, though there was no breeze to speak of.  Nova could see the faint reflection of his red eyes in the window, and they were observing the city below.

“Where are we?” Nova asked.

“We are not in the human world, if that is what you ask,” Sombra answered, not budging.  “Nor are we on Equus.  As you no doubt have noticed, we are still human in form.”

“Then where?”

“A world of memory,” Sombra stated.  “You stand in the highest room in the Crystal Spire when I was its lord.  Before me, arrayed in the splendor I clad it in, is my empire.”

Nova could see it now.  This was definitely the Crystal Empire alright.  He recognized the library he had spent a week in, as well as a few of the other places he had chosen to spend his time during his brief vacation so long ago.

“We cannot return to Equus in its current state of stasis,” Sombra explained in his menacing voice, “nor can we have this confrontation on the human world, where it would attract undue attention.”

An unnatural red fire appeared in a straight line, right at Sombra’s hip, and split into two, one trailing up his body and the other down, leaving in its wake a red cape, and behind it, dark steel armor.

“Frigoris called you Luxius,” Nova pointed out.

“That name no longer has meaning to me,” Sombra replied dismissively.  “Luxius was a fool.  When exiled by the nobles of the Crystal Empire, he refused to relinquish his hold over the throne, and instead returned to the land with the power he thought he needed to take the throne by force.”

His red eyes narrowed.

“The battle that followed was short, but bloody.  The Crystal Ponies chose to side with the enemy.  But by day’s end, it was I who stood triumphant, king over the Crystal Empire, not Luxius.  And my traitorous subjects were enslaved, as traitors deserved.”

He turned around, his cape flapping behind him, and glared at him with his red eyes, the auras of darkness trailing off of them.

“I will offer you one final chance to cease in this foolish venture,” he said quietly, a black aura of power appearing around his right hand as he clenched a fist.  “If you attempt to force my hoof, I will do what I must.”

“You told me that the World of No Memory and the Neverending Fantasy were what heralded your return.  What’s to stop me from  screwing destiny myself?” Nova asked, his blade appearing in his hand in a flash of light.

“Destiny, Nova Shine, is not a railroad,” Sombra scowled.  “It is not a hardline to a single destination through a single sequence of events.  This destiny is one of many futures, one I which to ensure occurs.”

He bared his teeth in a snarl, his eyes going white as he blinked deliberately.

“My Third Eye has shown me the way, and I will make it so.”

The glow faded, leaving behind a gaze so intense, Nova subconsciously slid a foot back.

“Make no mistake, Night Master,” Sombra spat, “that even you are replaceable in my plans and if I must slay you, your wife-to-be, and every pony standing between me and my goal, so be it.  So one last time, Nova Shine,” he snarled, “turn away from this path.”

Nova said nothing, instead choosing to meet Sombra’s fierce gaze with his own.

For a time, neither of them spoke, instead glaring at the other, daring them to make the first move.

But then, finally, Nova swung his blade up into a combative stance.

Sombra’s snarl deepened,

“So be it.”

He raised his clenched fist, pulsing with dark magic, in front of him.  At once, a circular pulse of energy shot out of it, trying to push Nova backwards with its sheer intensity, but Nova held fast, using his cape to divert the flow around him.

Once the magic was expended, Sombra’s feet left the ground, and he laughed.

“Ha ha ha ha ha ha!  HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!”

His maniacal laughter was enough to send a slight chill up Nova’s spine.  Nova only watched cautiously as Sombra began to float over towards him, his cape trailing behind him.

“EEEYAAAH!” Sombra bellowed, flying towards the ground at high speed.  Nova leapt out of the way just in time as Sombra’s fist hit the larger metal tile right where he had been standing.  Where his fist hit the metal, a wave of energy pulsed out of it, shaking loose the tiles touching the center, and sending them flying into a room below, revealing that the central tile was the top of a metal pillar, and that the room underneath looked almost identical but for that detail.

Nova kept ready, prepared for Sombra’s next attack.  Sombra simply continued to float above the central pillar, watching him and waiting.

To test his opponent, Nova sliced toward Sombra with his blade, the blade suddenly engulfed in flames as a tongue of fire detached itself from his blade and flew at its target.  Sombra merely brought up his own cloak and batted it away.

The fire around his sword became a chilly aura, and shards of ice were sent flying at Sombra, who just shielded himself from their barrage.

“I don’t know what I expected,” growled Sombra from above.  “I would normally try to get you to use your brain, but you obviously aren’t using that by attempting to battle me in the first place.”

He held up a hand, bolts of yellow energy flying from around the room to gather within it, and threw the ball of energy at Nova, who leapt aside to avoid the blast.  Sombra threw another, and another, and another at him, but Nova just continued to leap away from the assault.

Finally, when he was stuck in a corner, he channeled some energy into his blade and smacked back at the ball.  If the First Fundamental Law of Magic didn’t hold up here…

But his misgivings were misplaced.  The shining blade hit the ball of energy and sent it flying back at Sombra, who simply batted it right back at Nova with a glowing hand.

This, however, gave Nova the time he needed to get himself into a more open space, which he did.

How can I get to him?  He’ll just knock me away if I even try to get up close.

Sombra sent another ball of energy at him, and Nova, not paying attention until the very last moment, only managed to get his cloak around to block the magic in time, the solid impact of the blast pushing him back a foot.

And getting hit isn’t helping either!  If there is to be a battle in the city today, I need to save all the energy I can.

He had to fight Sombra at some point.  That much was clear.  The best time to do battle would be now, with his Source still full of mana.  But he couldn’t expend too much of it, lest he exhaust himself in time for the real endurance test.

And again, he almost was hit by one of Sombra’s attacks, this time only managing to deflect it away with his sword.

Wait a minute…

Yet another ball of energy was sent flying his way.  Nova, however, smacked it back at Sombra, just as he had done earlier.  Sombra simply hit it right back at him, a bit quicker than before.

But Nova blocked it again.  Sombra scowled and again hit it back.

Three times Nova volleyed it back at Sombra, and three times Sombra sent it back at him with a quicker velocity.

The fourth time, however, Nova hit it just so that it flew toward Sombra’s leg, just beyond reach of his hands.  Sombra attempted to dodge, but the speed at which the ball of energy was moving made it impossible.  A surge of energy racked the king’s body as his floating wavered for a moment.  Nova seized his opportunity and sent a flurry of spells in his direction, each making contact and adding to the damage he was causing.

Finally, Nova leapt over the divide and brought his sword down right onto Sombra’s head.

CLANG!

In an act of desperation, Sombra’s own weapon had appeared and blocked the blow, a black scythe with an axe-head-shaped front and another point on the opposite end of the scythe’s blade.

Nova yanked his blade free and retreated back to the outer edge, just in time for Sombra to slash through the air right where he had been with the scythe.

Sombra whirled the blade around his head and brought it slashing down, a crescent of energy flying at him in its wake.  Nova leapt to the side, swinging his blade back at the crescent, and managing to deflect it back towards its caster.

This only caused Sombra to let out a growl of exasperation.

“And here I thought you knew how to actually fight.  Is this some sort of joke?  Do you think you’re being cute?” he demanded, his eye twitching almost unnoticeably.

“Bitch, I’m adorable,” Nova scoffed, before emphasizing his point by sending a flurry of exploding stars at Sombra.

Thank-you, Steelshod! he crowed in his head.

Sombra was forced to duck behind his cape as the explosions went off around him, a shield of red magic surrounding him and deflecting all the stars that came his way, before dropping his shield and sending a group of black crystals flying at Nova at high speed.

Nova swept his hands apart, and the barrage of black crystals was blasted away by a stream of fire that appeared in midair and split apart.  Sombra swung his scythe at Nova again, who was forced to duck away from another crescent of energy, this one disintegrating one of the tiles he had been standing on.

 A ball of yellow energy began to charge on the end of Sombra’s scythe, and Nova, seeing an opportunity, sent a razor-thin beam of light flying right at Sombra, who couldn’t block it in time.  The beam of light shot right through him, before solidifying as a metal rod, which Nova then conducted a charge of lightning through, electrocuting the tyrant king.

Seeing that Sombra’s guard was down, Nova leapt forward onto Sombra’s platform and slashed right through his chest, an act that would have disembowelled any normal pony or human.  Sombra’s wound, however, simply healed with an aura of darkness.

Sombra grabbed Nova by the neck of his shirt and sent him flying backward yet again.  He landed on the tile painfully, but quickly got back up, ready to continue the fight.

Can’t use too much energy.  Gotta conserve for later today, he thought, wiping a bit of sweat away..

He barely had time to react as Sombra lifted both of his hands above his head, a great red ball of energy charging above them.  Nova saw another window of opportunity and rather than preempt his attack, he leapt right across and slashed upward from Sombra’s right thigh to his left shoulder.  The magical energy he had been charging exploded, and Sombra let out a roar of pain as Nova leapt away.

“Well then,” he breathed, channeling energy through his hand into his blade, which began to glow a bright blue, “let’s finally put Spellblade to use.”

Energy began to crackle all along its length, before the energy began to take on a fiery sort of appearance.  With that, Nova dashed forward while Sombra still writhed in pain from his own magic backfiring, and buried the blade where his heart would have been.

And for a moment, everything was still.

“Heh, you’re far better than I thought you would be,” Sombra growled, staring down at the blade.

It was at that moment that Nova knew, he fucked up.

The scene around them changed.  No longer were they in the room full of stained glass.  Now they stood at a place Nova had seen only within his darling fiancée’s dreams:  the very top of the Crystal Spire.

He only had a brief time to appreciate the view before he felt something collide with his face and he was sent flying backward, crashing into one of the crystal pillars lining the outside and sliding to the floor in a crumpled heap.

As he slowly got to his feet, grunting in pain, he saw Sombra standing in the center of a star-emblazoned section of the floor, which he remembered was where he had hidden the Crystal Heart for safekeeping.  He had pulled Nova’s sword out of his chest and was holding it by the blade.

And what was most troubling was that he was grinning malevolently.

“You are going to pay a very steep price for daring to strike me.”

His hand glowed with a dark aura, and he clenched at the blade so hard, it shattered.

It was as though a fire had erupted in Nova’s chest and burned away.  He clapped a hand over his heart, fell to his knees, and he screamed in pain.  The blade was only one of his Source extensions that he kept handy for fighting, but that made it all the worse.  The sword was pure energy, directly tied to his Source, and Sombra had utterly destroyed it.

The sword was replaced by the scythe in his hand and he leveled it at Nova.

“You will suffer far worse at my hooves before I let you die, Nova Shine,” dark smoke began to trail from his eyes, which took on a green glow, “and in your suffering, so too will those you love suffer.  A suitable punishment for standing between me and my throne.”

The pain was no less intense, but Nova staggered to his feet, a burning sensation in his throat as he breathed quickly and shallowly.

“I shall take the golden throne for myself.  You will watch, and you will know that this could have all been avoided if you hadn’t been so foolish.”

“M-my goddess, do you ever shut up?” Nova spat, leaning against the pillar for support and staring directly at Sombra.  “Seriously, it’s like you’re nothing but talk.”

Sombra scowled.  “It would seem I will have to cut out your tongue as well.  I think I will start with that.”

Nova dove sideways as Sombra’s scythe buried its point right where he had been.  He thrust out a hand, attempting to call another one of his Source extensions to him in the form of another blade, but nothing came.

Come to think of it, he almost couldn’t feel any magic at all!

Nova’s mouth fell open in horror as he began to realize this.  Sombra hadn’t just shattered his blade.  He had cut his magic off from him!

“I see the severity of your situation is finally starting to dawn on you,” Sombra smirked, each step he took toward Nova slow and deliberate.  “See what your foolishness has wrought, Night Master.”

His hand brimmed with darkness and Nova felt like his insides were being crushed and moved around against his will.  He let out another groan of pain as he struggled to stay on his feet.  The pain inside him continued to shift around, before suddenly it seemed like something was pushing its way toward the surface.

Before long, a black crystal appeared right over his sternum, almost like it was growing out of it.

And it was growing and spreading.

In a few short seconds, the small black crystal had grown to about two full inches long and one thick, and a couple of other crystals were sprouting from it.

And as each crystal grew, his already-limited touch of magic he couldn’t cast grew smaller and smaller.

His panic intensified.  If it continued, all of his magical ability would be cut off from him completely.

“An example to be made,” Sombra reminded him.  “To those who cross me, their magic they shall forfeit.  The pegasi will walk as mules, the earth ponies will be weak and helpless, and the unicorns will no longer be any different from the magicless ponies that first settled Dream Valley.”

He sneered down at Nova, who had fallen off of his feet and was physically trying to rip off the black crystals to no avail.

“But what will it do to you, I wonder?” Sombra asked, his tone almost conversational, as if he were doing nothing more than asking about the weather in this memory.  “For a pony such as yourself, whose very talent is in magic itself, what will losing your magic do?  Will you go insane, as that fool Silverblood did?  Will you learn to live with it, forever bereft of your own special talent?”

He reached down and grabbed Nova by the throat, holding him above the ground, even as Nova attempted to prise his hands off to get in a breath.

“I offered you a chance to back down.  And now, there is no going back.”

He tossed Nova across the room, sending him careening directly into another of the crystal pillars around the room.  By the grace of Faust, he landed back-first, avoiding sending a crystal shard further into his chest or hitting his head, and slid to the ground again. Before Nova touched down, a black chain suddenly appeared, linked tot he crystals jutting out of his chest. He felt himself be yanked forward, pain erupting in his chest, as Sombra tossed him toward one of the openings in the wall. Before he could react, he hit an invisible barrier back-first, before sliding down to the ground and collapsing into a heap.

Sombra took his time to walk over, letting Nova whimper and try to crawl away.  It was painfully obvious he was enjoying this.  As he stood over Nova, he let his scythe hang limply from his hand while he sneered down at the boy.

“What?  No snide comment?  No witty remark?  Have I finally tamed the tongue of Nova Shine?” he mocked.

“Fuck you,” spat Nova, letting his hand fall to the ground and brushing his being against what little magic he had left.

A spike of crystal erupted from the ground, impaling Sombra through the chest.  The tyrant let out a surprised grunt of pain, but showed no other reaction while Nova took what little satisfaction he could from his action.

“Alchemy,” Sombra smashed the crystal with a backhand and let the hole in his chest heal as tendrils of shadow filled in the gap.  “I admit, I admire your cheek.  Defiant and dignified, right to the end.”

Irony:  noun, Nova thought, in bitter humor.  Making it your life’s mission to use alchemy for three months in life, only succeeding on your deathbed.

Sombra hefted the scythe.

“Very well then,” he growled, “I will honor defiance.  It’s the least I could do for a former ally.”

And he brought the blade down.

As Luna, Discord, and the Nightmares paced around the cottage, they could only keep staring at the spot where Nova and Sombra had vanished some minutes before.

At first, everything had been silent, with everyone just staring dumbfounded at the area, but then everyone seemed to have resigned themselves to waiting, and set to impatiently striding around the room.

“What was that idiot thinking!?” thundered Discord after several minutes of silence.  “What chance does he think he stands!?”

“We feared his victory over Nightmare Moon would stoke his confidence into arrogance,” admitted Frigoris bitterly.  “We can see our fears were justified.”

Even Philomena had taken the opportunity to show up, considering her temporary master was no longer to be found on the world.  She set about squawking and demanding some kind of answer from Luna, who could only trap the bird in her magical grasp to keep her from pecking her head raw.

“Damnable phoenix, I had nothing to do with this!” she screeched, glaring at her sister’s companion.  “Nova brought this on himself by goading Sombra.  All we can do is wait.”

The bird glared at Luna through an orange eye, but seemed to relent at that.

“Philomena sure seems loyal to him,” observed Discord.

“Think about Philomena’s penchant for, as ponies say, ‘trolling,’ and consider what you know of Nova,” Luna huffed.  “Is it really any wonder they get along so well?”

“Do not forget,” Frigoris added, glancing out of a cottage window to see a black van likely filled with Changelings drive along the road to the city, “Philomena was assigned to keep an eye on Nova, and you know how she hates disappointing Celesia.  Especially when it wasn’t her fault in some way.”

“That’s it, I’m calling you Bird Twilight from now on,” Discord poked Philomena in the chest.

Philomena chirruped and lightly pecked Discord on the nose.

Luna snorted.  “Is now really the time for humor, Discord?” she demanded.

“What else can we do?” retorted the human God of Chaos, throwing up his hands in exasperation.  “All our chips were stacked on him, and if he goes down…”

He trailed off and the room got quiet.

“He has never let me down yet,” Luna declared, more to herself, it seemed, than to the room.  “He’ll make it.  I have faith.”

Clover let out a yell of frustration as Nova yet again stood triumphant in the Castle Chapel, their teachers and Steelshod watching the proceedings.  It was not that Nova had won yet again (they all knew that was going to happen).

It was that he didn’t seem even remotely tired from the duel.

And that was probably because Clover didn’t land even a single hit to him.

His mane was perfectly, mockingly styled the same way it had been before the duel, free of the sweat that trickled down Clover’s neck, his muscles free of the exhaustion that burned underneath her skin.

But it still didn’t burn as much as her inability to get anywhere near him.

“HOW!?” she screeched, a subconscious bit of magic amplifying her voice and making him wince from the gust resulting from the sheer force of her voice, the closest thing she had done to make him move all day.  “HOW CAN I NOT EVEN TOUCH YOU!?”

“Peace, our student,” Princess Celestia made to step between them, but one of Luna’s hooves blocked her off.

“Let them settle it,” Luna suggested, eyes not leaving the pair on the raised dais.

“Is that wise, sister?” asked Celestia, glancing toward them as well.  “Nova will not goad her, but that does not mean she won’t goad herself into doing something foalish.”

Steelshod remained silent, watching the proceedings with a combination of trepidation and interest.  If he were honest, he felt like he had been struck dumb.  Clover had been educated on magic and dueling by the being that had cast down Tirek himself, and Nova Shine had brushed her aside like she were nothing more than a nuisance!

What chance did he, a unicorn captain, stand against this prodigy of spellcasting?

“Because that wasn’t the end of the fight,” Nova replied simply, shrugging and looking almost disinterested, despite the fact that Clover was so angry her mane was starting to smoke.

“I can’t touch you!” she yelled back at him.  “Even when I pull out all the stops, you dodge or deflect my spells like they’re nothing!  How is it not over!?”

Nova turned his cool gaze to Clover, a smirk working its way across his face.

“Because even though you haven’t touched me yet," he was pawing at the ground, something Steelshod had come to recognize as the prelude to him attempting to engage the battle again, “you still haven’t been submitted.”

Her fury seemed to recede, if only a bit, replaced by suspicion.

“What are you talking about?”

“You think it’s over, because you haven’t been able to strike me with a spell,” Nova frowned at her, “but this duel isn’t finished.  It won’t be finished until one of us is submitted.”

He glanced at Celestia and Luna.

“Even when it was clear I was outmatched by my teacher, that didn’t stop me,” he continued.  “I had nothing to lose from that fight, and surrendering to what I thought was inevitable got me nothing.  So I kept fighting.  I dared to keep fighting.  And I dared to keep giving it my all.”

He smirked again.

“And through some miracle, I managed to singe one of Luna’s feathers.”

Celestia’s eyes snapped to her sister’s wings, which Luna unfurled to reveal a black spot tainting the otherwise-unblemished surface of her left wing, the remnant of a spell Nova had managed to hit her with only a week before.

“So don’t give up.  Even when it looks like it’s over, keep fighting.  Never give in.  You gain nothing by rolling over, so stare back into the face of defeat, say ‘Not today,’ and make them always remember the day they faced you.”

He cracked his neck and entered a fighting stance.

For a few moments, everything was still, as they all waited with bated breath for Clover’s response.

And finally, she let out a deep breath and charged.

The scythe came to an abrupt halt in midair, a musical ping! echoing throughout the crystal chamber.

Sombra could only stare in shock as Nova Shine held up his arm, thrown up in desperation to perhaps miraculously stave off the killing blow.

“Impossible…” the tyrant breathed.

His scythe was being stopped by a blue magical shield, a shield that surrounded Nova and seemed to be emanating from him, even though he couldn’t feel himself using any magic!

Sombra reared back and brought the scythe down again, and again, the blue shield stopped it.  Ripples of energy shimmered across the surface of the shield as he brought down the scythe again and again, hoping to break through, but this magical shield was holding firm.

And finally, Sombra brought it down with a roar, putting all his strength behind it.  As the scythe hit the shield, the musical ping! sounded again, but the energy of the hit blasted Sombra backward, sending him flying through the air to land across the room.

The energy ripples were now converging on the spot Sombra’s scythe had hit, and with it, the shield was growing smaller and smaller, until it was nothing more than a bright blue light, hanging in the air in Nova’s palm.

There was a bright flash of light, and the soft sound of shimmering magic, and when he could see again, Nova gasped.

A pristine sword was floating right before his palm.  The metal of the blade was bright, almost white metal.  The crossguard featured two silver wings flared outward from a large blue sapphire set into the guard.  Etched into the blade, just above the rim holding the sapphire in place, was his cutie mark, and embossed on the plain, disc-shaped pommel were two cutie marks.  One, a green three-leafed clover, and the other, a six-pointed magenta star surrounded by six smaller white ones, with one white one set right behind it.

Almost as if it were calling to him, Nova felt his fingers close around the blue-stitched hilt of the blade, noticing that his hand fit perfectly around it.

At once, an electric surge ran through his arm.  The black crystals still embedded in his chest shattered, and he once again felt the welcome light of magic flood his being

He was whole once again.

Even as he reveled in the sensation of being able to touch and use magic yet again, his gaze was drawn to the tyrant pulling himself off the floor, who was staring with abject fury and unmistakable horror at the blade in Nova’s hand.

“No…” he breathed, his fist clenching around the handle of his black scythe, “you were blocked…”

Nova’s great grin slid into a smirk.

“Not today.”

And before Sombra could react, Nova as upon him, hacking and slashing faster than Sombra could block, tearing through Sombra as though he were nothing.

Nova slashed and slashed, slicing deep into Sombra’s body, only for shadows to bind the cuts back together.

He’s got to run low soon.  He’s got to! Nova thought as he sliced off Sombra’s hand to prevent him from getting a swing with his scythe at him.

“EEEAAAUUUGGGHHH!”

An explosion of dark magic blasted out of Sombra, sending Nova skidding backward along the ground.  He quickly dug his sword into the crystal surface, using the momentum to swing himself back around, plant his feet, and charge Sombra yet again.

“YOU LITTLE WHELP!”

Something struck Nova on the cheek, sending him backward yet again.  This time, he landed on his back, painfully grunting at the moment of contact.

There was a whirling noise, and before pausing to think, Nova rolled out of the way just as the axe-head of the scythe buried itself right where he had been.

Panicking, if only for a moment, he swung the new sword at where he assumed Sombra was.  To his astonishment, the blade glowed blue and a beam of energy blasted from it, catching Sombra square in the chest unexpectedly.

The hell?

It was like his sword was a horn!  It channeled his magic without him needing to consciously divert it, like the sword he had made from his Source Extensions had.  He grinned.

As he did so, five orbs of light appeared around him, spinning quickly to create a mesmerizing streak of light.

He was back in business.

Sombra landed lightly, his eyes glowing with the purple light of corrupted magic, his teeth grit , and his neck bulging with just how hard he was clenching his teeth.  His scythe was held by his side, his other hand thrust toward Nova, and brimming with dark energy.

Nova felt the imbalance the instant before it happened, and leapt sideways again as a jagged bolt of black lightning blasted from Sombra's hand, the ground behind him exploding.  Nova felt the sting as sharp, small bits of crystal sliced his skin, but he would worry about his injuries later.

Another dodged bolt, another slash of the scythe, and then Sombra caused a rain of black crystals.  Nova knew he couldn’t dodge all of them, so he settled for slicing as many as he could with his new sword, noting with pleasure at how it seemed to feel weightless, even in his growing fatigue.

He felt the aura rise up behind him and ducked under the swing of a massive black tentacle of shadow, turning around to sever the follow-up.

“Why can you not just die!?” growled Sombra from the center of a mass of the shadowy tendrils.

“Fuck you, that’s why,” replied Nova coolly, the white orbs around him zooming up to block more of the raining crystal.

“Is this all really worth it?” Sombra asked, glaring at Nova as the tendrils shifted around him.  “You are only exhausting yourself before the battles even begin today.”

“And I’m also removing Envy’s black queen from the board,” Nova lifted the handle of his sword to ear level, blade pointed at his foe, and a hand outstretched, as though ready to parry an incoming blow.  “You’ve played chess.  You know what the queen does when its master commands.  Even though you say your stake is in the white side, your final allegiance, willingly or not, is the black, and thus, you need to be removed from play.”

Sombra’s glare deepened into a snarl.

“You persist in this foolishness, and it will not end well, Nova Shine.  Of that,” he hefted the scythe again, “you have my word.”

“Well, so far, you haven’t been able to back up said words,” Nova scoffed, conveniently not bringing up just how close to death he was mere minutes ago.

Sombra’s snarl deepened even further, and with little warning, two of the shadowy tendrils stabbed themselves art Nova, who severed them both before charging the tyrant.

A number of blue beams appeared all around Nova and pelted themselves at Sombra, aiming to force him away from his current small entrenchment.  He succeeded, as Sombra was forced to drop his spell and shift away into the open.  One bolt, through a little bit of underhandedness, reflected itself off the ground to catch Sombra under the chin, sending him sprawling on the floor.

The rain of crystals stopped, and the white orbs flew in front of Nova, creating a circle as tall as him, through which Nova targeted Sombra.

The orbs suddenly began to rotate at an incredible speed, creating a ring of white, and each orb began to glow blue.

“Say ‘Ah,’” Nova taunted, before he pointed his sword at Sombra.

The tip of the blade glowed blue for the briefest of moments.

A massive blue beam of energy erupted from the point of the blade, traveling through the ring of Source extensions, which added individual beams of their own to the mix.  Before Sombra could react, the magic hit him, blasting into him with an intensity Sombra hadn’t felt since he battled the Princesses themselves.

Who… What… IS he…? the fallen king thought as the unceasing beam continued to flow.

Nova knew he had the tyrant finished.  He hadn’t managed to block this, Nova’s most powerful attack yet, and now that he was unable to shield himself from the brunt of the attack, it was time for the finishing blow.

Nova cut off the flow from his Source, charging forward the same instant.  Sombra was staggering from the attack, and he appeared dazed, but Nova didn’t halt.  He reared his blade back, blade glowing the brightest blue, ready to strike--

“I, Night Master, condemn you to oblivion.”

--and slashed right through the tyrant’s chest.

For another moment, a pause in the battle, everything was still.  And then everything went white.

“We need to start coming up with the contingency plan for if Nova fails,” Frigoris commented, leaning against one of the walls.

“Have you no faith in my pupil?” Luna asked, casting a glare at the thestral, who shrugged.

“Regardless of whether or not I have faith, Mistress, today is the only day an escape plan can be acted upon.”  Luna was dismayed to hear how apathetic he seemed to sound.  “If Nova succeeds in his foolhardy venture, we may have to account for whatever exhaustion he suffers from his battle with Sombra.  And if Sombra wins...” he trailed off dangerously.

“That won’t happen,” Luna affirmed, no hint of uncertainty in her voice.  “If I know Nova, even when he blunders into a sticky situation without thinking, he always finds a way to survive and ensure the best outcome.”

Silence fell over the group again as the seconds ticked by.  And each second that ticked by only increased the tension in the room.

Frigoris could see the faint outlines of veins bulging in his mother’s temples, the subtle shake of her hands as she clenched her fists to hide it, the fear in her eyes that she normally hid so well…

Frigoris had never felt jealousy toward the affection Luna had for Nova in his life, nor did he feel it now.  But he did feel a bit of jealously at Luna herself.  He had watched the colt from afar while he trained as the Night Apprentice, met him and began developing a casual acquaintanceship with him the day Luna sent him and Starstep to stay at his home.

Frigoris was jealous of his mother, for she had someone she cared about so greatly she was clearly shaken by the thought of his failure and death.  Frigoris had no such pony in his life.  His maker, the Nightmare, had created the twelve of them to be her tools for destruction and conquest.  But when she was restored as Luna, they began to become more than that.

A bright light appeared in the room, followed by a strange sound of rushing air.  Everyone in the room was forced to avert their gaze until the light faded, and when it did, everyone made exclamations of surprise.

Sombra stood in the center of the room, arms thrown up as if to desperately block a blow, while a few feet away, behind him, Nova Shine stood with his blade held outward, as if he had slashed.

It took only a moment for everyone to comprehend what they were seeing, but before they could, Sombra collapsed to his knees, howling at the top of his lungs.

Frigoris could only watch in morbid curiosity as the king held his hands up in horror in front of his face, tendrils of shadow seeming to evaporate from them.

“No…” Sombra’s voice shook with fear.  “This… cannot… I… I won’t allow--”

His breath caught, before the disintegration intensified, leading Sombra to let out a yell of horror as he was completely and utterly decomposed, the tendrils of darkness fading away completely, leaving only the crackling red crystal in his place.

Sombra was no more.

For a long moment, everyone could only stare at the spot Sombra had been vanquished, and at Nova, who for some reason was still standing in that pose.

“Can someone please make a comment, or something?” Nova finally asked, still not moving.  “I need to exit this dramatic pose with some flair.”

“You… you just…” Luna breathed, apparently not quite believing what she was hearing, “you just vanquished Sombra, the tyrant king of shadow, and you're worried about the flair added to your dramatic pose!?”

“Damn it,” Nova stood up and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.  “That ruined the moment, didn’t it?”

“You are the single most unbelievable individual I have ever met, you know that?” Luna was pinching the bridge of her nose even as she shook her head and berated Nova.  “You just faced a tyrant with the powers of darkness and defeated him, and all you cared about was your flair and victory pose!?”

“What about Discord?” Nova felt compelled to ask.

“Discord?  Bah,” Luna tossed her hand, “His randomness is expected because he’s… well, himself.”

“Hey!” Discord interjected.  “You wound me, Moonbutt!  You mean to tell me I’ve gotten predictable!?”

“I think that’s exactly what she’s insinuating,” Nova’s sword vanished in a flash of light, though not before Frigoris was able to notice that it was not the same sword Nova usually conjured with his Source extensions.

“What’s with your fancy new toy?” he asked.

“Fancy new toy?” both Luna and Discord asked, looking over at Frigoris, who just shrugged.

“That sword of his,” Frigoris replied simply.

“This one?” Nova asked, a mischievous smile appearing on his face as he held out his hand again and there was a flash of bright light.

Now that Frigoris had time to survey it, he did notice the differences.  Where Nova’s normal sword was a simple one, this one looked like a true work of art.  A blue gem in the guard, silver wings forming the crossguard, a disc-shaped pommel with a green clover on one side and the magenta star of Twilight Sparkle’s cutie mark just visible at its current angle on the other, and the unblemished blade, with his cutie mark embossed on its surface close to the aforementioned blue gem.

“Whoa,” breathed the young Starstep, transfixed by the blade.

Frigoris wished he knew what it was.  He had a feeling Mother and Discord did, though, and hoped they would explain.

Nova, however, paid them no mind, instead turning around and kneeling down where Sombra had disintegrated, and picked up the glowing red crystal Sombra had been carrying earlier.

“Looks like I got what I came for,”he noted, pulling out Twilight Sparkle’s Soul Gem and undoubtedly assuring his fiancee that she would be free soon, before both crystals vanished in a flash of blue magic.

“Nova, let me see that sword,” Luna held out a hand.

“This?” Nova asked, glancing at her and holding it up.  At her nod, he shrugged and handed it over while he pocketed the curse gem and the Soul Gem.

“Where did Bird Twilight get off to?” wondered Discord aloud, apparently suddenly noticing the phoenix’s absence.  .

As if on cue, the bird appeared on Nova’s shoulder in a flash of fire, chirruping and giving him a light peck on the head.

“Mother of plot relevance,” Discord rolled his eyes.  “Are we going to get a move on with the story, or are we going to continue standing around here?  We’ve gotta get to the climax some time in the next few chapters.”

“How did this blade come to appear?” Luna asked, eyes lingering on Twilight’s cutie mark.

“Fuck if I know,” Nova shrugged.  “Sombra cast this spell on me that cut off my Source and kept me from using magic.  Then a few moments later, I stick my hand up to block his scythe out of desperation and a blue magic shield blocks it anyway.  Then the sword just appeared and broke Sombra’s magic spell on me.”

Luna sighed quietly, shaking her head almost negligibly, as if thinking to herself.

“That cannot be it,” she whispered, almost too quietly for Frigoris to hear.  Looking up from the blade, she stared at Nova again.  “Was that truly all there was to it?”

“Am I lying to you, Princess?” Nova asked, holding his arms out, showing there was nothing hidden.

“Clearly not…” Luna dismissed, returning her gaze to the blade.  “Your’s is not the first Sword of Soul we have seen, though the manner of its forging does not align with other manners except in the most basic of senses.”

“Hang on, ‘Sword of Soul?’” Nova asked, cocking an eyebrow.  “Never heard of that before.”

“Well, there’s a lot of names for it,” Discord interjected.  “You might have heard of at least one of them.  Soul Sword--”

“Wonder how they got that one,” remarked Nova dryly.

“--Spirit Blade, Soulblade, the list goes on and on.”  Discord began to stroke his beard.  “But since dear old Celly released me from stone, you’re the first pony I’ve seen forge a Sword of Soul or even carry one “

“The process of forging one is not as simple as your’s appears to have been,” Luna continued inspecting Nova’s sword.

“I’m just gonna call it Soulblade from now on, or something,” Nova commented.  “Sword of Soul is a mouthful.”

“Why not call it Soulcalibur?” asked Starstep.

“Because the author’s done making pop culture references in this chapter,” Discord replied, before glaring at said being.  “And he really should be getting on with things instead of making these breaks in the fourth wall just to write himself out of a corner.  It’s really getting quite obnoxious.”

“The only ponies to have ever wielded a Soulblade have been ponies of exceptional discipline and magical strength.  The process of forging such a weapon involves concentrating their mana to an insane degree, before their magic shapes the weapon based on the pony who made it.  It takes days-- weeks, even-- to forge one.”

“So how did I break the rules?” Nova asked.  Frigoris noted that he seemed to be taking all of this quite well.  He might not be able to tell, but his mother looked quite irritated that something inexplicable had happened.

“The only other ponies I could even compare to you in this situation also forged Soulblades,” Luna’s voice gained a distant quality to it.  “It seems inconceivable that your forging took so short a time and seemed so convenient.  But when I compare you to the other two ponies who forged them, I cannot help but notice a link.”

“Who are they?” Nova asked.

“The first was myself,” said Luna, her hand glowing blue and a far simpler blade, consisting of blue wings extending from a crescent moon-shaped guard appeared.  “My forging took three days.  Even my sister’s lasted a week, and at the time I waved it off, thinking it was simply because I was the more magical one.”

She furrowed her brow as she examined the gem in Nova’s blade’s guard.

“The second was Clover.”

Nova felt his mouth part, but Luna was continuing.

“Steelshod did it first, at our request shortly after his promotion to General.  It took him a full two weeks before his blade was formed.  Once he was finished, he convinced Clover to forge her own, just in case she needed protection and her magic failed her.”

Her smile grew wry.  “Since Steel always seemed destined to finish second-best, Clover forged her’s in only four days.”

“You don’t think…” Discord began cryptically.

“That it’s because I’ve temporarily served as the Element of Magic, or perhaps been the mouthpiece for the Consciousness of Magic?” finished Nova.  “If so, what next?  Is Twilight gonna pop out a magic sword?”

“Well, we are three for four thus far on both counts,” Luna shrugged, “though Clover’s blade was little more than a rapier.  Her power was through magic, and she had little need for such a blade.  It was more for elegance than it was for combat.  Your’s, however…”

She stood and slashed it through the air, the blade slicing cleanly through Discord’s suddenly-outstretched hand, which only reformed a moment later.

“Nimble, practical, a bit showy,” she eyed the silver wings, “sharp,” she swung again and sliced a clean gash in the wall behind her, “and very sturdy.”

She offered the blade back to Nova, who merely let it vanish into the light. before sitting back down.

“A weapon that is a mirror of its wielder, and as you change, so will it.  Will it become brutal, such as a claymore?  Elegant like a rapier, as was Clover’s?  Will it remain practical, like mine?  Perhaps it will become a spear like my sister’s?”

“Can only unicorns and alicorns make them?” Starstep asked.  Frigoris felt grateful for him asking.  He didn’t want to pester Mother with needless questions.

“All ponies can forge it,” Luna didn’t miss Frigoris’ interest in the conversation, “though only those with exceptional training in the powers bestowed upon their race.  Earth ponies craft their weapons from the purest of stone and metal, pegasi forge their blades in lightning and ice, and unicorns through mana.  Alicorns can pick and choose.”

Nova glanced at a clock on the wall.  He had unraveled Envy’s scheme, forged a magic blade, vanquished a tyrant, and now had to save a city, and it wasn’t even 10:30 AM yet.

“When we get back to Equestria, we’re gonna talk about Sombra,” Nova promised, before shaking his head, “but it will have to wait.  I can’t stay any longer.  It’s time to get this ball rolling.”

“My Nightmares are all recovered from their ordeals,” Luna announced, her voice carrying even into the bedroom where Crisium and Imbrium had retreated.  “They will be at your service, and Frigoris will be at yours personally.”

Nova’s eyes met Frigoris’ behind the yellow sunglasses.  Frigoris nodded at the Night Master, who nodded back.

“You may rest assured no harm will come to him as long as I am watching, Mistress,” Frigoris promised, clapping a fist over his heart.

“As is expected, my child,” replied Luna, giving Frigoris a warm, motherly smile.

“Welp, let’s get a move on,” Nova moved over to the door and holding it open for the five Nightmares.  “Discord, where are you off to?”

“Someplace nice to relax,” the human draconequus answered him, grinning.  “I’m only supposed to offer backup if Envy calls, since she’s the last one left.  And she doesn’t have a phone, meaning I’m all but assured of being able to sit around and do nothing.”

“If you say so.  But if you are moving against us, even unwillingly...” Nova trailed off meaningfully.

“It will not come to that,” Discord assured him.  “You need to get a move on.  Equestria won’t save itself, you know.”

“What about you, Princess?” Nova asked.  “Do you plan on entering the fray?”

“I will offer aid and shelter those who seek it, as I am sure will Cadance,” Luna bowed her head.  “You will likely be one of the precious few openly casting combat magic, as many ponies will be completely unaccustomed to the way these human forms work.  With that in mind, I will protect innocents and repel enemy fighters from a zone within the city, but I will not be fighting on the front lines.  At first,” she added, her hand glowing blue.  “Once I have a solid grasp of how much I will be able to do, I may yet join in the battle.”,

“Alright.  Whether or not you’re involved, I guess I’ll see you on the other side, Princess,” Nova nodded at his former mentor.  Philomena took the opportunity to fly up and vanish in a flash of fire, no doubt awaiting further instruction.

“Good luck, my Nightmares.  Good luck, my Night Master,” Luna called after them as Nova shut the door behind him.  It was the chosen day.  There was no more turning back.  Either they would make it home safe and sound, or they would all be trapped here for far longer.

For a moment, both Luna and Discord were silent.

“You know, they really need to nerf him next patch,” Discord leaned against the wall.  “He’s already got tremendous magical ability, he’s been a temporary Element of Harmony, he’s marrying a princess, and now he’s got basically a second horn that doubles as a sword.  To borrow the colloquialism, Nova Sue is ‘OP as fuck’ right now.”

Luna snorted, before rising to her feet.

“I must be off.  If I am to establish a safe zone, I need to scope out my potential areas.”

“Alright then,” Discord tipped his hat at her.  “Be safe, Loony.”

“And you too, Discord,” Luna smiled back at him, before opening the door, observing Nova and company further down the road, and flying off.