1115710
The hooded stallion chuckled, "I've come to do you all no harm... I just heard you had a... fire problem..."

An odd whirring noise came from the under the stallions hood, causing the guards to look at each other.

1115749
(Hope this makes things interesting:)

"The guards are more then enough to deal with the empire's problem. We aren't looking for any 'mercs' to assist." Using the derogatory term so casually, Shining felt a little better about the whole situation. He'd never been happy with their kind; demanding bits in exchange for their service, more often after causing trouble among the guards and populace. "There may be work around town, but our ponies-in-arms will be sure to check-up on you regularly."

1116269
"'Merc'..?" A chuckle escaped form under the hood, "You mistake me for a pathetic mercenary... no... I am a more.... talented individual..." More whirring came from his hood, "I.. was assigned.. to locate the mare you search for now...."

1116912

‘"Under whose authority?" Shining demanded. "Your arrival seems too... opportunistic, for you to be a specialist from Canterlot."

1118629
"Under the authorty of the Canterlot Council when they sent me that little...." The stallion stops and breathes, "..that little poor soul..." He gritted his teeth somewhat while saying that, "......I am the sole survivor from when she had escaped my facility... the crazed mare had killed all of my other patients and staff... yes.. I am her psychiatrist...."

The stallion stepped more closer but was halted by the guards.

"I assure you... Captain....." A small chuckle came from him as did another whirring sound, "I only wish to protect your new kingdom from her..."

1118649

"The council should know better then keeping details from us!..." Stamping the ground in frustration, Shining motioned toward two of the guards. "... Apologies for my rash behavior, I'm sure you can understand the stress I've been under with recent events. I'm sure, like many, you also haven't been to our kingdom before. These two shall be your guides during your stay, and will assist you in getting anything you need in your search."

Taking up position to the sides of the hooded stallion, the guards voiced an understanding before waiting patiently for any orders from the stallion.

1121959
The stallion smiled under his hood, "I must thank you... Captain... now.... I just need to take a look around..."

The stallion turned, and for a split second, Shining could see a purple light from inside his hood as the stallion walked out and the two guards followed him out.

1122642

Waiting for them to leave, Shining motioned for some of his guards to follow as he re entered the castle. When the doors shut, he turned on them, causing a few to falter because of the sudden stop, before he started pacing along their ranks.

"I want that stallion monitored extensively during his stay, he shouldn't even get to breathe without me knowing. Do I make myself clear?" Looking for any nay-sayers, he gave a curt nod when they remained silent. "Good! Deadly force is authorized, and try to avoid civilian interference; pass the message on to the two guarding him, but do so discretely. Meanwhile, I shall ensure his story isn't just smoke and mirrors. You are dismissed!"

1123773
The guards salute and take their leave.
-------------------------------------
The two guards with the stallion were becoming more and more unerved. The whirring was really starting to grind on them and they wondered what was causing it.

"Something wrong?" The stallion stopped in his tracks startling the two guards. The stallion turned to them and raise his hooded head high, and the two could see the purple light inside.

The two guards were silent.

"Hmm... well..." The stallion pulled back hie hood causing the two guards' eye to widen immensely. They stared at the origin of the light on the stallion's face, proving to be a fatal mistake, as they soon lost themselves in side it.

"Now than..." Psych-Optic pulled his hood back up, "You two listening now?"

"Yes......"

"Hehehehe...."

1123878

Back in the castle, Shining had a squire jotting down a message as he looked for his elusive wife. "... And I'd like to receive a copy of the stallion's license if he is truly Pyre's psychiatrist, Prince Shining Armor. Could you read that ba-"

"So this is where you've been Shining. The guards have me running in circles, trying to find you." Wrapping her forelegs around his neck, Cadence nuzzled her husband before planting a light kiss on the side of his muzzle. The squire tried to act unfazed, but she breathed a sigh of relief when Shining motioned for her to send off the message and leave them. "One of the guard came rushing in earlier, saying you needed me for something? Is it something to do with the commotion in the courtyard earlier?"

Staring into her large violet eyes, Shining almost decided to steal a kiss back before remembering the current events.=. "Pyre has entered the Crystal empire. A pony claims the councils sent him to help... but I don't trust him and I think he won't be able to handle Pyre's apparent partner... 'he' managed to return."

The muscles in her forelegs tightened as he spoke, understanding just who her beloved meant.

Feeling an odd itch, Sombra's ear perked up as he opened his eyes. Careful to not wake the mare next to him, he slowly removed himself from the flaming blanket. Walking to the door, he carefully opened it and looked outside, in case he'd somehow sensed some pony discovering them.

1142827
In fact he did, as two guards had just walked passed. Sombra noticed the way they trotted, more akin to wind-up toys than trained stallions.

1146255

Ducking behind the door, he left it ajar as he silently made his way back to Pyre. Nudging her with a foreleg, he tried to gently wake her.

"Wake-up! We need to move!" he whispered while glancing at the door.

1152012
"Huh... wha..?" Pyre stirred and looked up at him, "What.. what's going on...?"

1163117

Placing a hoof to his lips, he then pointed to the door before making a shushing noise.

1163703
Pyre nodded and listened, hearing the hoofsteps come back, and then another set of them.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"We found nothing..." The brainwash guard reported to the hooded stallion.

"Well... how unfortunate... Move on..."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sombra could feel the air getting colder as Pyre's warmth retreated inside her from the voice outside.

1164232
Turning to look at her, he was startled when he noticed her appearance. Glancing back at the doorway to ensure they didn't enter, he tried to prod Pyre towards deeper into the room, where they could find refuge among the various antiques and cobwebs that littered it.

1164395
" ...No... that... that... voice.. no..." Pyre stammered and her body shivered.

1170361

"It's okay Pyre," he whispered as he hide her behind some old tapestries. "I'll make sure you won't get hurt."

1174214
Pyre holds Sombra close, similar to his daughter when she was scared.

1175235

He tensed slightly, but he slowly wrapped her in a caring hug. His eyes stung as the mare trembled in his grip, he would never let harm befall her again. This child was his daughter, even if there was no blood between them.

1180866
The hoofsteps soon moved on, leaving the hall. Silence hung over the terrified mare as her grip lessened slightly.

Still caught up in the epiphany, Sombra held her close, until she started nudging with her hoof to be let loose. "Sorry," he responded sheepishly when she gave him a questioning look. "We best move, they didn't find this place and the deeper we can get the better."

1198185
"Yeah..." Pyre shirked away, still lacking her usual warmth around her, "....that.. voice...."

1206244

"Something you want to talk about?" he prodded, trying not to sound too forceful.

1210375
"......I.. I don't know...." Pyre looked to the door, "......how.. that voice.. it.. it. couldn't have been....."

She walked away from the door and started off. She turned back, "Coming?"

1213514

"Yes!" Tossing the saddle bag on, he hurried to catch up with Pyre.

1213973
Pyre was silent the entire time they were walking, her thoughts still focused on the voice from earlier.

"It's just not possible... how could... for me..." Pyre muttered near incoherently.

1214995

He made sure to match her pace as they walked, occasionally looking over his shoulder to see if they were being followed. The strange magic he'd used before seemed odd, but maybe it was another side-effect of the corruption.

1250286
Pyre stopped suddenly.

"............" She turned to the wall and walked to it and placed her hoof to it.

1250286>>1255988 (I love how it takes you guys a week to answer eachother)

1262430 (well if people are reading, we need time to think of replies. X-D)

1255988
Noticing her, he stopped and turned. "Everything alright Pyre?"

1264139
Pyre stood in silence, oblivious to Sombra's question. Suddenly, her hoof on the wall became engulfed in hot flame and was slowing melting into the wall.

"HOW IS HE STILL ALIVE?!?!"

1267026

"Pyre!" he cried, before grabbing the hoof, and covering it with both of his own. The skin around his hoof bubbled and blistered as he stared into her face, his expression a mix of concern and seriousness. "I'm sure you have a good reason, but now is not the-"

"Hey!" Staring at them from beyond the melted hole in the wall were three unicorns in full uniform. "Stop right there!"

"Run!"

1277649
Pyre's eye were blazing with anger and all sorts of emotions that she simply turned to the guards and glared at them with her fiery gaze.

"Just try it..."

1281305

They flinched under her unwavering gaze, but soon bolted out of their line of sight. It was easy to hear their hoofsteps from behind the wall while they galloped. A door farther down the corridor shattered as one of the stallions burst through, his magic forming a shield, as the others soon followed him. One ran down the way the refugees had come. Meanwhile, the other unicorn's horn glowed as the two began to alternate defending and attacking, one dropping their shield to let the other shoot a bolt of magic before they switched roles.

1283936
All the magic bolts they fired were useless as they were blocked by a raised wall of searing flame, which slowly advanced towards them.

On the other side, Pyre's eyes and horn were near coated with fire and flame.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hmm..." The hooded stallion heard the commotion. "Oh little wretch.. unable to hide any longer..." He motioned to his brainwashed duo of guard and they charged to where it was taking place.

"My little wretch...."

1289276

Galloping down the hall, Flicker noticed the two guards racing in his direction as he headed for the command center. "Good to see ya fellas! Provide back-up for the others!" he shouted to them as they passed him. It bolstered confidence to see such quick response time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Enough," Sombra shouted. Placing himself in the line of fire. The magic and flames seemed to do nothing to him as he seperated the two groups with his form. His horn was glowing the same black Pyre had seen before, but seemed more stable then before.

"Stand down. Both of you!" he shouted at the guards stallions, making them flinch from his tone.

1303715 (refering to the two that were already there fighting Pyre, The two under Psych's control were passed in the hallway.)

1310007(Well I got lost somewhere.. )

1299824
Candelle was surprised again by Sombra's loyalty to her. He could just leave her, yet he stays...

(okay, who's Flicker? )

1315351 (Fleshing out a background character.

Funny fact, I originally thought about using him, Flickering Hope, in a journal-style story. It was going to be a cross-over about how the leader of the Crystal Empire resistance, against Sombra, had managed to send a final plea to the princesses from a world called Pandora. Long story short, he is the crystal horse, butt stallion, that Handsome Jack owned.)

"Now, the mare, and I, are going to leave. Do either of you really believe yourself capable of stopping both of us by yourselves? You are only delaying the inevitable if you continue to stall for the rest of your troops." Sombra said, his voice even as he stated the obvious terms. Stand and die, or surrender and live.

1323577
Two more guards show up to the group.

(Sorry..)

1354053

"You were saying..." one of the guard ponies snidely remarked before the two guards rushed past hi without a thought. The two seemed overly interested in Pyre as they rushed forward without regard for the large unicorn barring their path. "H-hey! What, in the name of Celestia, are the two of you doing! Return to defensive position!" the guard roared after them as Sombra flipped the first one over his shoulder, before meeting the second's horn with his own.

1354591
Sombra could see no trace of emotion in the guards eyes. The other one soon got back up, despite being wounded.

1354796
Blast! "Pyre!" Sombra shouted over his shoulder, pushing the guard's horn wide as he knocked the other guard down with a swift buck. "Burn me!"

1355007
"What?!" Pyre yelled.

1355043

"Trust me!" he shouted as he headbutted the rising guard.

From across the hall, the other two guards just watched with dumbfounded expressions. "What's happening..." the first guard said to his partner.

"I'm not quite sure, but something isn't right."

1355115
The two guards fighting would not let up.

"Rrrraahhh!!!" Pyre's eyes burned with orange and soon Sombra was engulfed in flame!

1355298

The warmth felt good, but his movements became jerky as his skin and flesh quickly shifted between, fourth-degree burns and rejuvenated flesh. "Come on then!" he challenged the two attacking guards.

Behind them, the other two looked between the fighters. "He's a demon..."