A cloak hid Nightshade’s colors and cutie mark as she circled over the Crystal Empire, scanning with her eyes. Down on the ground, hid under his own cloak, Prince Umbra watched from under the shade of a merchant’s awning.
A chill breeze blew and he watched a weed sway in the breeze. The hardy little plant sprouted up from a crack in the stone street. His eyes went out of focus for a moment, but a child’s crying made him look up.
A crystal earth mare put her hoof around the filly, who apparently was grieving for a cat. “I know it hurts,” said the mother. “She had a great long life. That’s what we all hope for. Life ends. That’s why we fill our time with as many good things as we can for the time we’ve got.”
Umbra gritted his teeth, grumbling deep in his throat. He felt heat and pressure building up and pounding at his skull from the inside out. They’re all just like that little filly. Every last one of them. Complacent, running to their goddess-mothers to tell them lies and make their fears and sadness go away. Umbra sneered, lowering his horn as the filly wiped her tears away and gave her mother a brave smile. Not even a year after the centaur almost destroyed the entire world, and still they’d rather die than take responsibility for their own lives. Sheep! So afraid of reality that they’ll take any lie that makes them feel safe. My father never should have let them live. He should have burned the Crystal Empire! Burned the crystal ponies like the garbage they are!
He felt a hoof on his shoulder. He jerked as he looked at Lydia. The unicorn mare watched him with concern and Umbra realized that his horn was glowing.
He wore the amulet now and he could feel its effects pulsing through him. It wasn’t so much the power he felt, although he knew it was there. It was the hate.
He took a breath, trying to calm himself. He didn’t really want to hurt that little filly, he reminded himself. Not that the absence of one willing slave would have left the world any poorer. They have the right to their choices, even if those choices are unbelievably stupid.
Let them die on their own. He and his own friends can live forever and leave this common trash behind.
Nightshade landed in front of Umbra, Lydia and Steel, who sat at a picnic table.
“They’re going to the mountains. North,” said Nightshade.
Steel asked, “Why would they go there?”
“Because anything might suddenly pop out of that portal when they open it,” said Umbra. “And they want it away from the city.” Umbra let his head sink a little as he held a hoof to his stomach.
“Are you alright, Prince?” asked Steel.
“Mind your damn-“ Umbra stopped himself. The damn amulet made it so hard to control himself.
Umbra couldn’t remember the last time he wasn’t angry. His anger stayed with him his entire life, and grew. But the Alicorn Amulet made it worse. Before, he’d always thought of his anger as a hot coal smoldering under a mound of ash. But with the Alicorn Amulet, it was a raging inferno inside his soul just waiting for a chance to explode.
He focused on calming himself as best he could. Anger was power: he knew that. But only if a pony controlled it and directed it properly.
His father never learned that lesson and it got him killed.
“I’m fine,” said Umbra. “Being so close to the Crystal Heart. It’s a little difficult.”
“I don’t like that amulet,” said Steel.
“Love has never been your enemy before,” said Lydia. “That thing is going to turn you into a monster.”
“I can’t fight two alicorns without it,” said Umbra, keeping his voice even. The voices of his friends had always been a comfort before, but now they irritated him like dragon claws on a chalkboard. “The sooner we get the gem, the sooner I can be rid of this damn thing. Let’s go.”
#
Elevem imperial guards escorted Cadence and the Elements through a winding trail leading up to the rocky slopes. Fluttershy rode on a carriage, but accompanied, since they thought they might need to summon their elemental magic if some hulking troll from Jutenheim jumped out of the portal.
Cadence led them into a massive cave. Durable lichen grew on the stones, semi-sheltered from the cold and melted permafrost dripped from the cave ceiling.
“Spirit’s rebels hid in the caves in between raids against Sombra,” said Cadence. “This is one of the few caves known to be his. Ponies say that Spirit and his lover used this cave when they wanted privacy, away from the other rebels.”
“He had a lover?” Twilight asked. “Is she still alive?”
“Nopony knows who she was. That was Spirit’s most closely guarded secret, because he knew Sombra would go after her to get to him,” said Cadence.
Twilight held up a spent stub of a candle that she found on a rock. “Looks like somepony’s been lighting candles for him. Maybe it’s her?”
Some of the guards chuckled.
“This is also the place where young ponies come to be alone,” said Cadence. “Sort of a tradition now. I adore places like this, the love just clings to it with all of their memories. I wish you could feel it, Twilight.”
Twilight heard one of the guards say, “I always felt it when I was here.”
Twilight smirked as she sat down on a flat area between two pools of water, filled with drops from the ceiling. One of the guards laid a map down on the floor: a very rough map of another world. Twilight’s horn lit up. She’d been up all night adjusting the spell that she and Starlight Glimmer came up with to restore the castle’s table map.
Her face contorted as she concentrated hard and her horn glow turned white with hot magical energy. She shot a beam into the rough outline and a three dimensional miniature image of the world of Jotunheim appeared over it, the alien globe floating over the map. Twilight’s eyes went wide with the thrill of seeing this alien world.
Cadence worked her magic next, using the magical connection to Jotunheim that Twilight already forged to create the energy globe. She reached out with her senses, searching. She almost shed a tear because of what she felt: a world of such pain and hate and very little love. But that lack of love made it all the easier to find the pulsating magic from the stone, beaming like a lighthouse at midnight.
A tiny pink dot appeared on the globe.
“Oh, wow,” said Cadence. “I kind of can’t believe that worked.”
Twilight let out a tired breath. Cadence saw that the fur over her brow looked a little damp. “Need a rest?” asked Cadence.
“No,” said Twilight. “Let’s open that portal. I want to see if…”
She stopped as she saw Cadence’s expression change. The Princess of Love looked toward the mouth of the cave, feeling a chill through her spine. “Everypony, get ready,” said Cadence.
Apple Jack and Rainbow Dash moved up to the mouth of the cave. A circle of flame appeared out of nowhere. Prince Umbra, Nightshade, Lydia and Steel appeared in front of all of the ponies.
Apple Jack nudged one of the guards. “I hope y’all boys are better than the Royal Guard in Canterlot,” she said.
“We’re not!” he said, his knees shaking. “I don’t even know why the buck we’re here!”
Prince Umbra blasted first with his horn. Twilight leapt ahead of AJ, forming an energy shield as Rainbow darted around, heading straight for Nightshade again. Nightshade tried her needle trick, but Rainbow was ready this time and batted the poisoned needle away with her wing.
Steel crashed through the Imperial Guards like a bull through a china shop. AJ jumped on Steel’s back, pulling his mane and riding like a cow pony as he bucked. Lydia, her horn blazing charged toward them but Pinkie Pie’s party cannon knocked her back. Lydia hit the cave wall with a painful sounding thud, making Pinkie wince.
“Wow,” said Pinkie. “For a race of vegetarian pacifists, we can get into some pretty hard-core fights sometimes, huh?”
Cadene and Twilight squared off against Umbra, shooting him with their horns at the same time. Umbra staggered, but his force field held. His horn began to smoke and glow red, like a hot coal exposed to a breeze. He reared back on his hind legs and opened his mouth, breathing out a burst of flame from his mouth like a dragon. Twilight and Cadence used their magic to protect the guards from the consuming flames.
Pinkie brought her party cannon around, but as she pulled the string, Lydia used her magic to nudge the horn away, sending the blast at Apple Jack and knocking the farm pony out of Steel’s way. With Steel’s opponent down, the gray stallion pulled Rainbow Dash off of Nightshade, spinning Rainbow by her tail and flinging her against Rarity.
“MEANIE!” Pinkie yelled. She shoved her cannon and set it rolling on its wheels. The metal hit Steel ion the barrel, knocking the air out of him. Her head steel spinning, Lydia could only manage a thin whip of magical energy which lashed Pinkie over the flank. Pinkie’s eyes went wide with the horrible sting and she took off in a gallop. “Ow ow ow ow!”
Still woozy from the poison, Fluttershy stood on wobbly legs and faced Nightshade. Nightshade’s own legs trembled from weakness after Rainbow Dash’s second vicious beating.
“Oh my,” said Fluttershy. “You poor thing, you can’t fight anymore. I’ll let you go if you promise to apologize to those spiders and stop taking their venom.”
Nightshade blinked, her eyelids sticky with blood. In her state, she didn’t know if she could take even this weak filly, but hearing the mare talk gave her an idea. She spotted a pill bug on the cave floor and held her hoof over it. “Give up, or the bug gets it!”
Fluttershy gasped. “Oh no!”
Nightshade grinned. Then they both ducked at a flash of purple light.
Twilight Sparkle’s eyes glowed white as she and Cadence shot energy blasts at Umbra, blocking the Prince’s flames. But the Alicorn Amulet amplified Umbra’s already considerable magical power. The moment Twilight and Cadence made the mistake of getting too close, trying to blast him out of the cave, he expanded his force field and slammed them both against the cave walls.
With the two princesses and most of the elements down, Umbra summoned a magical chain to bind Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and the few guards who hadn’t been knocked completely unconscious.
Twilight Sparkle forced herself stand as Umbra advanced toward the magical globe, still floating in the air. She stumbled as she hurried toward him, but Steel grabbed her. She tried to blast him, but she’d hit her head too hard and her entire body felt like rubber. “Whatever you’re doing,” said Twilight. “Stop. I couldn’t save Sombra. And I can’t save you. Only you can save yourself. Rip off that amulet, you don’t have to keep this cycle of hate going!”
A jolt of anger surged through Umbra’s body at the sound of the word, that the Princess of Friendship could even say the word. “What could a mare who was raised by Celestia possibly know about hate?” Umbra asked. His horn flared, but instead of blasting Twilight Sparkle, he focused the energy into a spell and fed it into Jotunheim, through the connection that Twilight and Cadence already formed.
Steel threw Twilight to the cave floor. In front of Umbra, a ball of flame appeared in the air and spread out in a circle. The air in the center of the portal shimmered.
“You haven’t won yet,” said Twilight. “You still have to get the Changling’s Heart Gem away from Spirit.”
At first Umbra thought she must not have known how much time had passed. When he realized she believed Spirit would still be alive after so much time, fighting in a savage land and kept young with love, it made him sick to his stomach. “This is reality, Princess of Friendship,” said Umbra. “I realize you’ve probably been avoiding it for your entire life, but try not to-“
A blur the color of amber from within the portal caught Umbra’s eye. The next thing he knew, a crystal hoof connected with his face, knocking him for a loop from a right hook out of nowhere. Umbra fell to the cave floor, his head spinning and vision black. The blow must have cracked his cheek bone. He blinked his eyes, attempting to see the pony who hit him.
The world seemed to spin out of synch with the motions of his head. He saw a set of crystal legs the color of honey and ponies all around looking shocked. Except for Pinkie.
“Everyone’s acting so surprised,” said Pinkie. “Have you never seen a movie in your lives?”
Spirit spread his wings as the portal behind him disappeared. Around his neck, he wore the Changeling’s Heart Gem.
Umbra forced himself to his feet, falling to his knees once before he managed to stand. His cheeks burned with embarrassment. Every pony in the cave heard him start to say that there was no way this pegasus could still be alive and there he was. The Alicorn Amulet pulsed with energy, filling Umbra with a rage that the Prince even knew was petty. “Make a fool of me…” he said softly. “Do you THINK THAT’S FUNNY!” He screamed.
“I do!” said Pinkie.
`Umbra blasted a massive ball of fire at Spirit. A thousand years of experience gave Spirit the edge and he shot up into the air with a beat of his wings, coming down with his hind hooves. Umbra jumped out of the way of Spirit’s stomp and the impact of Spirit’s hooves left a small crack in the cave floor. Not quite earth pony strength, but enough for Umbra to back up a few steps.
Apple Jack took hold of the magical chain binding Pinkie and Fluttershy. Pinkie pushed against the chains as AJ pulled, Fluttershy adding as much muscle to as she had to offer. Pinkie and AJ’s combined earth pony strength snapped the chains and the links disappeared in flames.
Rainbow Dash charged. Nightshade ducked, but Dash had finally decided to give the pegasus a break and charged at Steel instead. The two of them duked it out, Rainbow ducking and dodging Steel’s blows as she connected with jabs against his face.
Lydia stood at her Prince’s side and the two of them squared off with Spirit, Twilight, Cadence and Rarity. Rarity looked around at her comrades, feeling a little out of her league, but determined to do her part.
Umbra began to see the writing on the wall. Even with the Alicorn Amulet, these ponies had the advantage. His power could help them retreat, but the amulet pulsed again. He bared his teeth.
“Your anger is clouding your mind,” said Spirit.
“Anger is power,” said Umbra.
“Only if you control it. You’re letting it consume you,” said Spirit.
Umbra hesitated. Was he right? Was he making his father’s mistakes all over again?
He shook his head. “Nothing clouds my judgment, Spirit!” he said. “You have the key to immortality, what I’ve worked for my entire life! If I must die like common trash with the rest of you, there’s no reason to live at all!”
Umbra reached into the mountain with his magic. All of the ponies stopped what they were doing as the cave began to rumble.
Nightshade’s eyes went wide. “Lydia, stop him!” she said.
Lydia grabbed onto Umbra’s horn and tried to muzzle him with her magic. Umbra threw her off of him, The other ponies all closed in on Umbra, but he sent a surge of energy deep into the mountain. Spirit and Twilight both grabbed onto Umbra as the chamber began to rumble.
“Everypony out!” AJ yelled.
Those still standing helped up those who weren’t. Twilight and Spirit grappled with Umbra. Twilight tried to contain Umbra’s magical energy with her own, but she realized the damage was done. Stones began falling from the ceiling and dust rose. She allowed Umbra to fling her away, focused now on getting her friends and the guards out alive.
Umbra’s shield absorbed another blow from Spirit. Even after a thousand years in Jotunheim, Spirit was no match for the Prince’s power amplified by the Alicorn Amulet. Umbra cast a spell that attacked Spirit’s nervous system directly, filling the pegasus’ body with agonizing pain. As Spirit screamed, Umbra yanked the Changling’s Heart Gem off of his neck.
Lydia, Steel and Nightshade rushed to Umbra’s side as the Prince summoned his flames. The group disappeared with a flash, and made their getaway.
Twilight threw up a force field under the ceiling, shielding all of the other ponies from the massive stones, but her brain and entire body ached under the strain. Cadence focused her magic on getting everypony out. AJ still held her ribs from a vicious kick from Steel as she dragged two guard ponies out by their tails.
Almost all of the ponies were out by the time Twilight’s strength gave out. The stones began falling again and she was just about to follow the others out, but her eyes caught a hue of yellow and pink behind the dust.
“Fluttershy, what are you doing!?”
“Go on without me!” said Fluttershy. Fluttershy searched desperately through the dust. Over-turning a rock, she finally found her quarry: the pill bug, rolled up in a ball. She snatched the bug up with her wing as Twilight grabbed her tail with her magic, dragging her out of the cave.
The cave and most of the cliff above it collapsed and the ponies covered their ears against the thundering crash. Rainbow used her wings to beat the dust away and Twilight took a quick head count. There were eleven guards, she remembered, because it was a prime number. Cadence and all of her friends were accounted for as well. Pinkie’s chin quivered as she stared at the collapsed cave, grieving the loss of her party cannon. Fluttershy did her best to comfort the pill big.
“He got the gem,” said AJ.
“That was nothing short of a total disaster,” said Rarity.
Twilight found it hard to agree. Cadence stood over the newcomer: Spirit lay sweating on the ground, still recovering from Umbra’s cruel spell. Cadence stroked his forehead with her wing. “There’s a bright side,” said Cadence.