Leap of Faith

by A bag of plums

Too Little Too Late

“Good to see you, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna,” Twilight Sparkle greeted the alicorn sisters as they trotted down to the Crystal Empire courtyard from the sky. A troop of both Solar and Lunar guards followed behind them, some flying, running and some even teleporting in.

“Same to you, Twilight,” Celestia nodded her head, but kept a serious expression. “So it’s true. Sombra wasn’t vanquished and he’s planning to return…”

“That’s why we’re needed here,” Twilight pointed to the mirror that they had placed in the center of the courtyard. “We can’t let Sombra return, not with the artifact he found in the human world.”

“So Sunset Shimmer has a plan?” Luna asked. “She knows how to stop Sombra?”

“I hope so,” Twilight looked worriedly at her reflection in the mirror. “But I believe in her. She isn’t the same pony that stole my crown. She knows what she has to do.”

“We will see to our preparations with Princess Cadance and Shining Armor,” Celestia and Luna walked over to the mirror. “Sombra shall not return this day.”

Twilight watched as the royal guards trotted past her, following their leaders. She spotted Agent Cinders gesturing to an older guard, but he gave her an understanding nod when he saw her.

“Princess Twilight, an honor to see you again,” Satin Breeze said, stopping beside the Princess of Friendship.

“Lance Corporal Breeze! You’re here!” Twilight placed a hoof to her mouth in astonishment. Then a familiar Corporal Dewdrop walked up beside them, her golden armor shimmering in the moonlight. “And Corporal Dewdrop! Nice to see you both here.”

“I only have you to thank, princess,” Satin placed a hoof to her scarf. “I heard the news from the princesses. I would very much like to see this other Velvet Breeze, but if Sombra returns, I doubt I will get that chance. So here I am. I’m not going to let anypony else suffer the same fate as my sister.”

“And you’re not alone, Satin,” Dewdrop placed a hoof around her back. “We’re all here for the safety of Equestria. We’ve got a job to do.”

“Troops, forward!” a batpony up front in Lunar guard armor yelled. “Squadrons!”

“Well, Captain Glimpse is calling,” Satin looked to Twilight and Dewdrop and nodded. “I’ll see you around, Princess Twilight. Stay safe, Dewdrop.”

“You got it, Satin,” Dewdrop smiled as the lance corporal hovered off to her ranks.

“Is Captain Frigid Night here?” Twilight asked as she watched most of the guards get into position.

“He should be somewhere ahead,” Dewdrop looked past the pony heads. “He’ll be leading my division. I better go join up. I’m a unicorn, after all. We’re needed up front. Good luck, princess.”

Twilight watched as the guards formed a perimeter around the mirror, each of them already grasping a weapon each. She’d never seen so many guards together before, not even when she used to visit her brother in Canterlot Castle. The unicorns stood at the front of the battalions, forming a smaller circle around the mirror and the princesses, who were joined by Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.

Spike returned, holding a list of instructions. “Well, Twilight, everything seems to be in order. Guards are all here, civilians are all in their homes and Agent Eclair is standing by with the Crystal Heart, just in case. Anything else you’d like?”

“I think this is all we can do, Spike,” Twilight looked around at their increased defenses. “We just have to hope we can hold Sombra back when the time is right.”

“How do we know when he’s coming? For all we know, it could be weeks from now.”

“I’ve got my book with me, just in case,” Twilight nudged at her saddlebags. “If Sunset says anything, I’ll be right here.”

“What if she doesn’t?” Spike bit at his claws.

Twilight breathed in. “Then we’ll just have to be ready, no matter what.”

---

Sombra stood on the front lawn of Canterlot High School, watching as his golems assembled the final piece of his plan. The Templar’s Eye machine. Years ago, they had planned to use it to locate someone who could use the Apple for them, to lead them in their plans to bring order to the world. None of them saw what Sombra did. Instead of locating magic, Sombra had found a way to make it transmit magic, like a conduit.

As his crystal golems placed the Eye on the grass, just facing the portal to Equestria, Sombra smiled to himself and looked around. These constructs should’ve been his option long ago. Relying on the Templars had done nothing but slow his plans. Now, most of them were dead, but it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t ever have to worry about them once he left this wretched world. On the other hand, his golems had killed most of them in the headquarters already, so whether he left or not, they would never be a threat to him.

“Finally my time has arrived!” Sombra grinned wickedly as he felt the Apple radiate energy from within. “Nopony shall stand in my way as I retake what was rightfully mine!”

The Templar Grand Master released the magic in his artifact, snaking a long tendril of golden light towards the Eye, powering up its center as a glowing ball of energy began to spin within it.

“Mine…” Sombra gazed intently at his reflection in the Apple.

All his plans were coming together perfectly. Earlier, he had used the magic of the Apple to send the police back to their homes, leaving the school all to himself. He wasn’t going to let the authorities get in his way of returning home. Then he had sent out a second wave of magic, putting the entire immediate area into deep slumber. Nothing was going to stand in his way.

After searching and finding the location of the Assassins’ hideout right here in Canterlot, he had sent golems to dispatch them. One and the Shimmer girl had gotten away, but no matter. He had struck a blow to them. By the time they would recover, he would’ve already returned to Equestria.

All he had to do now was wait for the machine to activate.

Sombra turned his head. Even with his magic all around him, he still sensed it. Another artifact, close by. But that was impossible. The Mentor’s sword had been destroyed. No artifact remained to challenge him.

The dark king looked up into the sky, beholding a tiny golden glimmer, one that was rapidly getting larger and brighter. He grunted and wisped up at it, expanding his shadows into a comet of darkness, zooming up to meet it the light.

They clashed in the middle, light and dark smashing against each other, scattering blinding rays and shadows across the sky above Canterlot High, neither one moving backward or forward.

“Who dares to challenge the king?” he growled, bringing up his Apple. He shot a golden beam out, piercing through his shadows and the light barrier his opponent had thrown up.

With their obstacles clear, Sombra realized it was the young Assassin girl, the one with blue skin, floating above him with magical wings, long hair and pony ears.

“You… How are you doing that?” he gathered his darkness around himself like a vortex.

“Sombra…” Velvet Breeze said, her voice layered with the traces of Assassin Mentors past. She held out a hand, shooting a bolt of golden light into Sombra.

However, the dark king simply raised his Apple and made a shimmering shield, blocking the energy bolt.

“You will have to do better than that to best me, youngling...” he smirked.

Sombra reached out with a shadowy tendril, wrapping it around Velvet’s leg and pulling her back down to earth with a crash, watching dirt and grass fly up in the air, along with a cloud of dust.

“Did you hope to beat me like that?” Sombra floated down, his shadows snaking across the ground at his feet. “You aren’t even Equestrian. How are you not dead?”

Velvet said nothing, struggling to her feet as the golden aura around her flickered.

Sombra laughed. “You are already at your limit. Why even try?”

Sombra turned and glided back to the machine, not bothering to even deal with Velvet personally. He willed his crystal golems forward, three of them closing around her with sword hands extended.

Unable to fly any longer, Velvet simply extended a sword of pure energy and got ready to fight.

---

Velvet Breeze had already cut down two of the golems when more emerged from the ground, forming out of swirling shadowy portals.

She grasped her light sword in both hands and stabbed forward, piercing the head of the golem she was fighting as the rest surrounded her, forming their crystalline hands into all sorts of weapons.

“Come, then,” Velvet said to them, her voice wavering between speakers. “Come face me.”

She began slashing through each of them as they attacked, some falling in half in a single strike, dissolving into the ground as they stopped moving.

Velvet fought her way towards Sombra, tearing through his golems easily enough, trying to get to the Grand Master before he could open the portal. She had just cut off a golem’s arms when she was picked up from behind, lifted high into the air by a larger crystal golem, standing at least four meters taller than the regular construct.

It held her close to its faceless head as it began to squeeze her, pushing the breath out of the Assassin’s lungs.

“Unhand me…” Velvet said in a multitude of voices, freeing a hand and blasting the golem in the face with a ray of light.

Its head fragmented right off its shoulders, sending chunks of dark crystal down, crushing some of its smaller brethren. Velvet pushed her way out of its hand right before she hit the ground, tumbling a few feet before coming to a stop. By now, her strength was almost faded, even with help from Emerald Edge and the other Mentors. The large golem fell back, crashing against the road, dissolving into the ground in an instant before disappearing completely.

“So pathetic…” Sombra was beside her, shadows pouring from his body. “But I’m going to leave you alive, if only to show you my return to my world. You cannot stop me.”

He swirled his shadows around Velvet, binding her arms behind her back and her legs to the ground, immobilizing her. The girl struggled against the bonds, but it was useless. Sombra’s shadows were tougher than steel.

“Let… me… go!”

Sombra chuckled. “Not likely. You will be the first to bear witness to my glorious return to Equestria. With the Apple, none shall be able to stop me now.”

The Templar Grand Master directed his Apple’s energy at the surrounding dark crystal spires, watching as they began to glow a brighter purple the longer he kept the artifact’s magic on it. Soon, magical energy began to transmit between the spires, creating a barrier of purple energy around the top of the four spires.

Velvet Breeze continued to struggle against her restraints, but her energy was close to zero. The golden aura around her flickered, and then finally went out. Velvet clenched her fist around the shard, but although it remained fused to her palm, no more energy came out.

“Yes, it is almost time!” Sombra lifted his hands to the air. “Who can hope to stop me now?”

“There’s us!”

Sombra turned around, the smile on his face shrinking. Behind him, getting out of their respective vehicles, were Morning Blade, Sunset Shimmer, and the rest of the Rainbooms.

“You have returned…” Sombra growled. “But no matter. What do you hope to do here?”

Morning Blade raised her pistol. “This,” she said, and fired.

The bullet exited her gun, and Sombra raised his Apple, creating a hexagonal golden shield in front of himself. Morning’s shot pinged off the barrier, and Sombra smirked.

“Go, my golems. Crush them in the name of King Sombra!”

The faceless constructs turned to the group and began lumbering towards them, many of their hands morphing into thin sword-like blades. The girls got behind Morning Blade as she reloaded her firearm, her eye darting around, mapping out her surroundings and the crystal golems.

Before anything else could happen, there was a flash of light from the Canterlot High statue as the Templar’s machine began resonating with the magical portal, turning the white magic of the portal to one of gold.

“Yes! Yeeees!” Sombra raised his fists up. “The portal is opening. It’s almost time to go home!”

“No!” Sunset yelled. “We can’t let him leave!”

The first golem jumped forward, pulling an arm back as Morning shot it at close range, shattering its head as it fell back. A second golem ran for her, forcing the Assassin to dodge to the side before firing two bullets into its chest, slowing it down, allowing Sunset to come up behind it to kick it in the chest, breaking it in half.

A third had run up behind Sunset, but the girl sensed it, immediately flipping herself over the golem with a somersault, kicking it in the head, sending it falling towards Morning, who shot it in the face.

“That was rad, Sunset!” Rainbow Dash had to hold her jaw up. “Keep it up! Goooo, Sunset!”

Sunset spied Velvet from the corner of her eye, still tied down by Sombra’s shadows, her eyes closed. “I’ve got to go help her!”

“Go,” Morning Blade said and took her katana in her other hand. “I’ve got the golems.”

Sunset ducked under a golem’s slash, slid under another’s feet, then flipped herself over another golem, pushing it forward with her hands before sprinting for Velvet.

Almost like they lost interest, the dark crystal golems ignored Sunset and moved for her friends.

“Eek!” Fluttershy covered her head as one golem tried to attack her, only to be parried by Morning Blade’s katana.

“Get back!” the Assassin ordered as she placed her pistol atop her blade, firing it through the golem’s head. “Get to a safe distance.”

“But we can’t just leave ya to fight them alone,” Applejack looked around for something she could use. “We can help take ‘em down!”

Morning emptied the rest of her clip on a towering golem, shattering a melon sized hole through its chest. She reached into her coat, pulling out her last magazine, slotting it into her pistol.

“Girls, I don’t mean to alarm you,” Morning said, backing up from the army of golems that were advancing on their position. “But I’m almost out of ammo. We might need to-”

Morning was cut off as a golem materialized behind her, raising its sword arm. The Assassin turned her pistol around to fire, but before she could, there was a loud crack, and the golem’s head exploded into shards of black crystal and smoke.

“What...?”

“You need to be more careful than that, Morning,” a familiar voice said.

Keila ran in with a duffel bag in one arm and a smoking assault rifle in her other.

“Keila, you traitor!” Morning immediately unsheathed her hidden blade. “What are you doing back here?”

“I came back to help you,” Keila said. As she came into the light being shed by Sombra’s machinations, the girls and Morning Blade noticed something different.

“Keila, your bandages!” Rarity exclaimed. “They’re gone!”

“Never needed ‘em,” Keila winked. “I brought more guns and a lot of extra ammo, Morning. That enough to break even with you?”

The white haired Assassin was about to say something, but the approaching golems changed her mind.

“Here, go for it,” Keila tossed her a magazine as she pulled a shotgun from her bag.

“Hey, we can help!” Rainbow Dash and Applejack volunteered, looking at the pack of guns. “There’s more than enough for us all in there.”

“Sure,” Keila turned back to the duffel bag, but found Pinkie Pie already standing over it, tossing a rifle to Rainbow and a shotgun to Applejack, before retrieving two pistols for herself. “Uh, kid, what do you think you’re doing?”

“Saving the day!” Pinkie said happily as she tied a blue bandana around her head. “I play airsoft you know? Easy! We can help out! Let’s do this, girls!”

With their new firepower, the two Assassins and three girls fired at the constructs, mowing the front row down almost in an instant.

“Woohoo!” Pinkie cheered above the gunfire. It was loud enough to wake up the entire neighborhood. Surely their battle wasn’t going unnoticed. “We got this, girls! Keep them coming, Sombraaaa!”

“Yeah!” Applejack stuffed another shell in her gun and fired, blasting a golem’s head and part of its chest away in a single shot.

“Keep it up, girls,” Morning encouraged. “We’re pushing them back!”

---

Sunset Shimmer reached Velvet Breeze, immediately trying to tear the shadowy tentacles off her friend.

“Come on!” she grunted as she pulled with all her might.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break the young Assassin free.

“S-Sunset…?” Velvet looked up and opened her eyes.

“Velvet!” the fiery haired girl exclaimed. “Are you okay?”

“I’ve been better,” Velvet grimaced, a thin trail of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. “You came for me, Sunset. You came…”

“Of course,” she continued to yank the shadows. “I’m not leaving a friend behind!”

Velvet watched as Sunset attempted to free her, still to no avail. “It’s no use, Sunset. I’ve… reached my limit. I can’t help…”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t!”

Sunset continued to pull, but soon stopped as a dark shape glided beside her, watching her with glowing red and green eyes.

“Puny pony…” Sombra said, the Apple glowing brightly in his hand. “You cannot help her and yet you try? Why throw your life away for another? You can be so much more. Join me. You do not need to die today. You are like me, Equestrian. We can return and rule. Isn’t that what you want? To return home with powers beyond your comprehension?”

“Maybe that’s what the old me wanted…” Sunset muttered, glaring daggers at the dark king. “But not the new me! I’d never join you, Sombra! For all your power, you’ll always be alone! Me, I’ve got friends on my side, and together, there’s nothing we can’t do!”

“Friends?” Sombra looked to the gunfight ahead with narrowed eyes. “What good are friends? I had a friend once, but she betrayed me! She turned on me! No, I do not need friends, and if you care so much about your friends, then you can join them.”

Sombra’s shadows grew around him like claws, folding in towards Sunset Shimmer like they were trying to grab her.

“No you don’t!” Morning Blade had gotten closer, firing two bullets at Sombra’s head.

The dark king brought up a wall of light with the artifact, blocking the two bullets before slamming it into the Assassin, knocking her down as Keila and the rest of Sunset’s friends joined them, firearms pointed at Sombra.

“You dare?” he boomed. “Your human weapons are nothing compared to what I can do to you.”

“Doesn’t mean we’ll stop trying,” Keila pumped her shotgun. “Your crystal minions have fallen. Didn’t expect that, did you?”

“No, but did you expect this?” With a wave of his hand, more crystal golems emerged around Sombra.

Keila said nothing and fired her shotgun, taking one down instantly as the rest advanced on them.

While Sombra was distracted, Sunset had swooped behind Velvet, a plan formulating in her mind.

“Velvet, where’s the shard?” Sunset asked her. “That might be the only chance we have at beating Sombra.”

“My hand…” Velvet said weakly.

Luckily for Sunset, Velvet’s palms were exposed, but when she tried to pull the shard from Velvet’s hand, it didn’t budge. She tried again and again, but it was just like the shadowy tendrils. It was stuck to her skin.

“Velvet, I can’t get it out,” Sunset told her, trying to dig her finger under the golden shard.

Velvet groaned. “My hidden blade… You’ll have to cut it off…”

The young Assassin splayed her left hand, the hidden blade shooting out into view. Sunset gingerly wrapped her hand around the shaft and pushed hard. With a little resistance, the hidden blade snapped off in Sunset’s hand, leaving Sunset with a six inch long knife.

The fiery haired girl looked up, keeping an eye on Sombra as he focused his golems on her friends. Sunset didn’t want to just leave them to fend for themselves, but she had no choice. She needed the shard first.

Swallowing, Sunset slipped the blade between Velvet’s skin and the shard, part of her still unsure if she wanted to get it out like this.

“Do it, Sunset… You have to… It’s still draining my strength… Please, get it off…”

Sunset steeled herself and touched the tip of Velvet’s hidden blade to the shard. Then she pushed it in, feeling the tip of the blade break skin. Blood began to well up around the point of contact, running down Velvet’s arm and further staining her coat sleeve, which was already tainted red.

“Velvet, you okay?” Sunset looked around to check. The young Assassin wore a pained expression, but nodded her head for Sunset to keep going.

Sunset Shimmer steeled herself and cut further, eventually cutting the metal piece off Velvet’s hand, watching as it rolled down her fingers and dropped down into a palm she held out.

Immediately, Sunset could feel a change come over herself. The sword shard was warm, as if it had been sitting out in the sun on a hot summer’s day. It fit just right in her hand, its surface rippling and shining like a star. Closing her hand around the shard, Sunset’s hair grew long, extending into a lengthy, tail like style while two pony-like ears popped into existence atop her head.

“Hey, check Sunset out!” Pinkie pointed over as she fired multiple rounds into a golem with her pistols, both guns clicking empty. “You go, Sunset! Get him! Give him a good sock! Bam! Whamo!”

“Cool!” Rainbow pumped a fist up. “We didn’t even have to play our music!”

The transformation and outburst didn’t go unnoticed as Sombra turned to face her, partial surprise on his face.

“How… The shard…” he looked down at Velvet’s bleeding hand. “So you think you can face me now, because you have that little fragment of an artifact? Let me show you what a real artifact can do, girl.”

Sombra conjured up a row of crystal spikes around the Assassins and Rainbooms, sealing them up in a pyramid shaped prison, then brightened the aura of the Apple, almost too bright to see. Then a lance of light burst out of the artifact, spearing straight for Sunset’s heart.

She brought up a light hexagonal barrier, but as soon as the spear hit it, it shattered into thousands of pieces, though it took the spear along with it.

“Foolish girl,” Sombra bent back with laughter. “Don’t you see defeat when it’s staring you right in your face? I made you an offer to rule with me and yet you refuse and choose death?”

Holding onto the shard in her right hand, Sunset held out her left hand and fired a bolt of golden light at Sombra. The dark king dissolved into mist, the attack passing through him harmlessly, before reappearing behind the girl, knocking her down with a slap with the back of his hand. Sunset rolled to avoid Sombra’s foot that came crashing down next to her head. She scrambled to her feet, but Sombra stomped his foot and a shard of dark crystal erupted out of the ground, almost impaling Sunset as she scooted back for some breathing room.

“You do not even know how to use that thing,” Sombra smirked and expanded his shadows around himself. “Why don’t you just surrender? It would be so much easier. Besides, having to kill you would be such a waste.”

“I’ll never surrender to you,” Sunset snarled.

“Hm. Pity.”

Sombra raised his Apple high, and all around Sunset’s feet, the ground began to bubble and boil. Then waves of black crystal erupted from the earth and encased Sunset’s feet, creeping up her legs and onto her body.

Sunset threw up light barrier after light barrier, but they only managed to stop the crystals for an instant before they broke through, rising high around her every time. Then her left arm disappeared into the amassing crystal, slowing her barrier projection.

“Nnngh! No! You’re not getting away with this, Sombra!” she yelled at the dark king as the crystals began to climb her chest.

“I already have…” Sombra answered as Sunset’s head disappeared within the newly formed crystal spire. “Equestria is mine.”

Comments

[badninja]

I wonder how he is going to like his welcoming party if he arrives? Hopefully Sunset will stop him and possibly become an alicorn, if she isn't already.

[Jaxxon Markus Citadel]

Woah, the Rainbooms are packing heat! Guess Sombra forgot to make his golems bulletproof, eh?
And how will Sunset get out of this one? Eagerly awaiting the next chapter!

[Sonata Eternal]

Keila's back. Honestly I didn't think she would come back. And Pinkie being Pinkie, gooo Pinkie Pie!! Yeah~!!!! I hope Sunset will just break out of that and show Sombra who is stronger. Awaiting the next chapter~!!!

[Maxemilien]

All I had to do to think Oh buck, was read the chapter title, can't wait to see what happens next though!.

[Clay Pigeon]

7825189 Not to mention if Mirror Match is involved, he might even have to contend with Chrysalis and the Changelings. As Tony Stark would say, "Not a great plan."