Chapter Seventeen: Crystals of Blood
Sombra paced nervously, glancing over his training armor in the mirror.
I’ve done this plenty of times, why am I so nervous? It’s just a training exercise, full contact sparring though. No killing moves, that’s a new thing. I need to show that I’m… me , and not that thing. I just hope that-
A familiar touch on the lips brought the stallion back out of his thoughts, the nerves and racing memories slowing to a steady pulse. A smile spread onto Sombra’s features as he returned the gesture, then nuzzling Amber along the cheek, and resting his neck against hers.
“You’ll do fine, so stop worrying.” The mare’s voice soothed his jagged nerves, and the stallion stood up a bit straighter.
“You passed the written exam fine, and that was just last night. Not bad for a day of studying. Knock them dead.” She then winced, not able to resist a chuckle.
“Well, unconscious. Things have changed you know.”
Despite it all, Sombra managed a laugh, feeling the tension ebb from his body.
“I imagine that would upset quite a few individuals; they were quite insistent on that. No lethal moves, since that’s forbidden, unless in extreme cases. They also I technically haven’t been ‘taught’ them yet.”
A soft chime indicated Sombra’s turn in the ring, and Amber nudged him with a hoof.
“I have a few errands to run, but can be here for a bit. Go get ‘em!”
The stallion nodded, walking out into the gymnasium. It had been cleared of rubble and strengthened, security improved and the overall structure itself bolstered up. A large mat had been moved to the center of the field; one of a few in fact. Shining Armor was there in ceremonial armor, whereas other trainees and veterans alike had sparring gear on. The crystal armor was magically enhanced to dull the impact of hooves alone, since no piercing protection would be needed.
It was a rare occasion Sombra got a chance to be able to pull no punches. They had helmets and barrel armor; he could go all out, lethal moves aside.
“Recruit Sombra, you’re up.” Shining Armor barked.
“One on one match. First to yield loses. You need to best two of the three other recruits. This is a change from normal requirements, since you are on an accelerated timetable. Do you understand?”
Sombra stood tall a familiar energy filling his frame.
“Yes Sir!”
Shining’s muzzle twitched in the hint of a smile.
“Very good. Into the ring you go. If you pass these, you can continue to spar as long as you would like, to allow me to further evaluate your skills. You and Private Helio first.”
Nodding, Sombra made his way towards the training mat, then pausing.
I almost forgot.
A deadly red crystal sword bled together from thin air, Sombra’s horn lighting up. The weapon twirled over once, then buried itself into the floor. It was an ancient gesture from his time. A fighter sparing for either fun or training would bury his weapon, signifying that no lethal blows would be dealt. He had done it so many times, it put him at least, Sombra’s mind shifting more easily to the modified rules.
Trotting onto the training mat, Sombra stretched a few times, then lowered himself into a combat stance. His opponent was a dull purple stallion of similar if not slightly more muscular build; Private Helio.
These first few would be recruits, then the veterans.
A rather feral grin split his features. Time to show Captain Armor what he was made of.
I was a guard once. I will be one again!
And this time, I won’t fall to darkness!
The bell chimed, and the purple stallion lunged forward, opting for a quick first strike and possible knock out. The stallion’s eyes bugged out as Sombra ducked , nearly flattening to the floor to dodge underneath the swift hook-punch. It was a well-executed blow, and would have caught anyone else off guard for a painful result.
Sombra’s opponent found his limbs swept out from under him, and the resulting blow to his chest was enough to cause the training armor to spark a light orange, changing from its light blue tint; the indication of the severity of the blow. Red indicated excessive force, whereas orange was the upper level of what was allowed. A lighter color was the perfect balance between the two.
Helio was knocked to the mat, his chest heaving as Sombra’s full weight landed on top of him. Combined with the punch, he was completely winded.
The hoof that slammed into the mat beside his head indicated the end to a fight; a potentially lethal or knockout blow. Helio wisely tapped his hoof; signaling he was out. Sombra could have easily brained him, but chose to let him choose whether to continue-
“Next up, Private Jeril!” Shining barked, seeing Sombra not having even broken a sweat. The prince seemed genuinely curious now of Sombra’s abilities….
The dark blue stallion who entered the right was a lanky one; and much more cautious. He waited for Sombra to make his move; and neatly dodge it. Spinning onto his hind-hooves, Jeril nailed Sombra with a limb to his upper side; a well-placed blow.
Unfortunately, it left him wide open.
Having taken the blow to allow for such an opportunity, Sombra kicked out; one limb sweeping, and the other landing a punishing blow to Jeril’s chest as he began to fall. The stallion slid to the ground, shaking his head slowly. He was clearly too disoriented to fight effectively, and another blow caused him to tap out.
“Do you want to continue?” Shining called out, and caused Sombra to nod eagerly. He was just finding his stride after all….
The next pony to jump in was a more experienced individual. A few years older and much more guarded, he actually traded blows with Sombra before leaving his side open for a brutal hoof to the ribs. The protective armor flared, but it was a clear hit. The blow sent the other stallion reeling, Sombra glancing over to Shining eagerly. this felt familiar…
“Next!” Came Shining’s call, and Sombra couldn’t help but grin.
Amber trotted down the crystal halls, head on a swivel. Even after the time she had spent in the palace, its splendor never failed to disappoint. The few ponies she had encountered pointed her this way, towards the training arena….
She couldn’t help but smile at the memories, finding Sombra locked in mock combat against individuals for hours. Even if he got beaten to a pulp, he kept going, always looking to improve.
And, of course, he eventually had. Those poor soldiers had no idea who they were dealing with.
Entering the large arena, Amber instantly spotted Somba. It wasn’t too hard, since there was a decent number of guards, trainees, and even some on-duty individuals watching the sparring match. Even Shining Armor seemed impressed by the spectacle.
Some training ropes had been pulled up, creating a decent sized boxing ring, and in the middle of it, four ponies fought. Sombra twisted this way and that, blocking different blows and dealing them out with rapid precision. His eyes were slightly narrowed, mouth open as he panted for breath, but all the while smiling.
A stallion swept out his legs, another going in for a headlock, the third trying to deliver a knockout blow to his sides. Sombra reared his head back and slammed his head against the closest individual, which left his limbs open to whack at the other two stallions. Even when the dazed one tried to jump on him, Sombra spun like a top, dodging the opponent to deliver a winding blow to another.
The dazed opponent was knocked on his side, clearly tapping out. The third rang Sombra’s head with an uppercut hoof to the chin, but received an equally ringing blow in kind.
“Stand down! That’s enough!” Shining’s voice boomed out across the ring, prompting many to break into scattered applause.
“Well, needless to say you passed, and that’s an understatement. I think I have just the job for you. Report tomorrow morning with the second morning shift, and I’ll have your assignment ready.” The unicorn ordered, not able to suppress a knowing grin.
“Welcome back to the guard, Private Sombra.”
The crowd parted, allowing Amber to rush up and hug the stallion, sweaty and all.
“You did it! I told you so!” She exclaimed happily, glancing over as Shining Armor trotted over, the other individuals dispersing.
“He most certainly did. I’ve never seen many of those moves, of course, his skills are from a different time, which is why I want to see him tomorrow morning. He’s not going to be a typical castle guard.” The unicorn chuckled, nodding as he took his leave, returning the salute that Sombra snapped in response.
“At ease. Enjoy yourself, and welcome again.”
Sombra then let himself sag to the floor with a wheeze, not able to restrain a bit of happy chuckling.
“Oh…this feels so good. A thousand years of not feeling any muscle burn, nothing like that….” He hummed, nuzzling the fetlocks of the mare that stood over him.
“As good as it feels, I think some others want to use the ring, so go shower off my warrior. I knew you could do it. I’ll be in the gardens when you’re ready to go.” Amber giggled, giving him a brief kiss on the nose before trotting off.
Sombra looked up and saw a few other ponies waiting, and he heaved himself onto his hooves, meandering towards the showering and equipment room. After depositing the heavily-used training armor, he stepped into the shower, first letting the warm water sooth his muscles, a wide grin still on his features.
Oh, how he had missed this. He had passed.
He was a guard again. Officially. And this time, he wouldn’t fail.
Switching the water to an icy blast, the unicorn shivered pleasantly, rinsing off the final bit of grime. Shutting the water down, he toweled off and began to collect the few belongings he had brought, including a water bottle that he drained in a few gulps. It was comforting, in a strange sort of way. All the lethal moves he had learned were no longer needed. Ponies no longer fought like that, only a few rare cases here and there. Wars were no longer commonplace. In this sense, it felt rather good to be obsolete, at least in that sense. The crazy ponies could be handled, all he had to do-
The stallion stopped, small bag dropping from his telekinetic grip. In front of him, outside the exit to the training area that led into the castle, lay a cream crystal pony. Her eyes wide in horror, blood pooled from the brutal cut in her throat. Time seemed to slow as Sombra looked around, spotting other bodies in a trail of death and gore. Screams reached his ears, and the sounds of battle began to mingle with pleads for help and mercy.
Anger caused Sombra’s limbs to shake, tears of frustration pooling in his eyes. Why?
Why all of the needless death?
Why kill civilians?!
His eyes widened at the answer. It was so simple. It was the same answer as to why his family had been killed. It was the same, but at the same time, no different than before. It never changed.
War.
War with wolves, war with ponies; it never changed.
His hoof shook slightly as he closed the cream-colored pony’s eyes, and he took a deep breath and looked around for something, anything to arm and protect himself with. The training armor was bulky and not suitable for this…
He could feel it, power flickering at the edge of his perception. He’d have to call on it soon, his own physical strength near the end. But for now, he’d do what he could.
Amber. She was in the gardens. He had to-
A knife missed the stallion’s nose by a hair, the pony turning to confront the assailant. The crazed individual lunged at Sombra again, another dagger strapped to his hoof. The crimson pony looked dyed maroon, odd symbols painted on his flank with yellow slashes. His eyes though-
The crystal sword materialized in an instant, swinging down to sever the pony’s head in one fell stroke.
These ponies gave no mercy, no quarter to innocents. He didn’t know why.
The stallion’s gaze rested on a simple display that stood across from him; an ancient suit of armor. It was modeled after the kind he used to wear, but had an encompassing helmet.
Perfect.
The armor groaned as Sombra’s magic adjusted the ancient metal, straps loosening and tightening as he forced the material to conform to his will. Crystals materialized and fused with the barding, ready to fly at his command. Crystal sword held at the ready, Sombra’s eyes began to burn with both tears and red sparks of power.
Another assailant came lunging down the hall, this one coated with blood, but harboring the same crazed and fanatical gaze as the first. First came the stab into the chest, then the finishing blow to the skull.
These ponies were no better than Ice wolves,
And they’d be treated as such.
With a roar that sent the crystal windows shaking, Sombra charged down the hall, bowling over two cultists who were in the process of trying to ambush him. Two strokes, and they lay in twisted heaps as he continued on. These creatures were killing.
As a guard, he would not tolerate that.
More cultists, and the last two of the five that tried to stop him were sent running, deep wounds in their sides as the stallion bellowed a single name, his sole objective amongst the destruction.
“AMBER!”
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This is going to be good. Great job. Thanks for the update.
7333001
Thank YOU for reading =)
Of course!
Oh, that is not good!
Wording is awkward here.
There’s the frugal word again.
At least what?
Maybe change ‘chose’ or ‘choose’ to something else?
By the way, I wanted to mention how he never got around to helping build anything. I was expecting, you know, at least one day. I mean it’s fine, just strange.
Not that they seem to need the help, they already fixed up the gymnasium!
And yikes, things got exciting fast. Looking forward to reading the rest.