Cutiemark Crusaders 10k: The fourth deity

by The Psychopath

New faces

Back in the Crystal Kingdom, a shout of pain could be heard while a dark burst of energy erupted from the windows of the throne room at the highest point of the tower. Two figures had rushed to a giant mirror-like crystal where a mass of black energy swirled. Those that stood in front of it were none other than Shining Armor and Cadence, or, more specifically, Shining Sombra and Crystance. Both had been overcome by the dark king's crystalline powers.

Shining now wore the old attire of the king complete with body armor with a red gem encrusted into the middle part of its frontal chest band, hoof armor, cape, and the red crown resting neatly behind his blue mane. Shining's horn had become a curved bladed with rectangular cuts on its front, making it a more geometrical jagged shape. From his eyes also ebbed and flowed an energy similar to that of Sombra, but it was yellow; And the stallion's eyes were not reptilian, but, rather, his scelera were an orange-yellow and his iris were a bright blue. Like all those corrupted by the crystals, Shining and his wife had taken on an angular and crystalline appearance. As for Cadance, not much had changed. Her horn bent backwards at an extreme angle when reaching the middle before going back forward and following the same path as it had been prior. Just above her muzzle and the back of her jaw bones were darker shades of pink in the shape of circles. Her ex-husband also had similar facial traits, but it was unknown if he had a darker shade of white above above his muzzle seeing as it was covered by a thing sheet of metal going across his bridge.

"Graaaargaaarg!" the mist roared.

"Lord Sombra, what is wrong? Why do you squirm so? Are you in need of more magic? MINION! Get me the 'prize'!" Shining ordered a crystal pony behind him.

The pony saluted and stumbled away before a booming voice ordered him to stay put.

"No. It is not a lack of magic. I still have much of it thanks to my 'prize'. It is the source of magic I detected in the Crystal Mountains."

"You mean the one in Stalliongrad?" Cadance asked.

"Yes. It is that one. I do not know what it was, but it resisted my control."

"Bah! So did Crystie, but she succumbed in the end to your greatness!" Shining praised.

"This one is different. It did not suppress the magic and prevent the crystals from growing, like the librarian did. This one destroyed my spell and sent a backlash of dark magic through my connection to the crystals. This creature called itself 'Abstract the Dark: Last of the Crystallions'. I have never heard of this species. Look into what information remains with us and see if there can be anything found about this species. If it truly is the last of its kind, then we can use that against it. Having it submit to me would grant me enough magic to remake my body."

"What would you have us do? Go and fight?" Shining asked.

"No. You are my envoys, and I do not yet know the extent of this being's powers. Besides, why would we waste our time directly confronting this...thing. Send in the Crystalbolts. Crystalestia should still be able to take it down."

Shining was taken aback and looked insulted.

"I wish you to reconsider, my lord. Why would you send her? She is far too pathetic for such a mundane task. She was not even capable of finishing off her own sister."

"I must admit that Shining i correct. How would she be able to kill a beast if she could not terminate her own sister? I bet she still has some 'good' in her." Cadance added.

"DO NOT QUESTION MY DECISIONS!" Sombra shouted. His voice quite literally echoed throughout the kingdom, frightening quite a few minions. "You will do as I tell you. Understood?"

"Yes, Master Sombra," the two ponies answered with a bow and a hoof placed at their chests.

---

Abstract looked at his hooves to see four ponies bowing to him. They were no longer crystalline and their original appearance had returned to them. Unfortunately, the walker did not survive the blast and had been torn into pieces. One of its legs were embedded in the broken half of an apartment, the top of the leg being bent onto the second floor.

"You have freed us from the tyranny of King Sombra. We cannot thank you enough," the driving mare said.

"Rise. I do not want my newly acquired slaves to grovel at my hooves. It is degrading to me."

"Apologies, Abstract."

The crystallion looked upwards to the sky and analyzed its 'surface'. He did not notice it before, but the sky had no stars. It was barren of anything but a waning crescent moon. In fact, it looked less natural than an old spell he had encountered from the past.

"I require knowledge to assess what I will be facing. Through the brief moments I moved from my training and darkness absorption, I had seen something about 'Elements of Harmony'. Where are they?"

The four ponies' looks of fierce loyalty degraded to that of nervousness and shyness. Some rubbed their legs and silently inhaled.

"Answer my question!" Abstract ordered loudly.

"They...they have fallen! They fell many years ago when Discord: God of Chaos, was released from his imprisonment. They were no match for him. Then he...he did something to them. We don't know what exactly. All we know is that there are these monstrous demon lords that have the same coloration as them and lead demonic legions and enslaved ponies. They stole my husband from me! They tore him limb from limb in front of me, and I couldn't do anything about it!" the driving mare cried.

A raspberry colored stallion stepped forward and said: "My filly was taken by the pink one when I was walking through desolated lands to Vanhoover. I try to take back, but crystal monsters attacked me when I ran after the demons. Then I become as you saw before you."

The other two were about to confess as well, but Abstract crushed them onto the floor with his dark magic.

"I do not need to hear your sob stories. They are of no interest to me. However, as you are my only sources of information, your existence is invaluable to mine...for now. Names are required."

The tearing pegasus mare sniffed a bit and looked straight at Abstract with firm, reddened eyes. "I am Amber Sweets."

Just like her name, her coat was a deep blue with an amber colored mane and tail; With her eyes being a brighter blue than the rest and her cutie mark being a strange, circular object with three bars converging on a black center. The cherry-red stallion stepped forward to reveal himself more clearly in the darkness. He was actually a very massive pony with a mane and tail colored a jungle green with two bright green stripes passing vertically through the mane and tail. His eyes were the same color as the stripes and his cutie mark represented a cement block being broken through is middle.

"I am Concrete Cavel."

The other two were identical in coloration, but one was a unicorn stallion and the other an earth pony mare. Their manes and tails were a bright yellow with a strange, almost vanilla-colored lightning bolt shape passing through their manes. Their bodies were a royal blue, and their eyes were an electric green. The stallion's mark resembled red jello with a fork passing through it, and the mare's was a red flower resting on a sheet of paper. Both were very small and thin for ponies of their age, but they seemed to be interconnected spiritually and wouldn't separate from each other's side.

"I'm Blue Mellow," the stallion said.

"And I'm Rosy Notes," the mare said.

"Noted," Abstract answered. "If what you say is true, I will have no true problems dealing with the crystal ones as their magic is an offshoot of my people's. However, if there is indeed a group using chaos magic, I would have much trouble combating them indeed. The alliance in the day had chaos magic and incited our defeat. We did not know of it at the time, and my knowledge of countering it is limited, not to mention the one controlling nature itself."

"Why would you speak of your defeats, Great One? Have you no pride?" Concrete accused.

Abstract's 'eyes' slowly turned to face the stallion's direction. Cavel immediately shrunk away in shame.

"I do have pride. As a soldier, one must not only revel in victory, but in defeat as well. A true soldier who experiences only victory becomes soft and delusional. One who experiences the true occurrences of war comes out stronger and with more knowledge of the enemy. The more defeats you suffer, the more you get to know the tactics of your enemy. Their habits. Their preferences. What they will and won't do. This is the art of warfare for the crystallion race. You best remember this, because you will be sent into it when I have acquired more valuable members."

The four ponies looked at each other in surprise and awe. While Abstract continued to think, beams of light erupted around the group, scaring away the four ponies into hiding in the rubble of a collapsed building and watching helplessly as their new 'leader' stood in place, completely oblivious to the enormous beams of light erupting all around him and melting the ground they would hit. It was only when the sounds of hooves and claws grated the stoned road that the crystallion bothered to lift his head. Standing in front of him stood a griffin with a thin, black mustache; A sky blue pony with with a very fluffy and thick, ice colored mane and tail; And a white alicorn wearing red and black hoof guards, a corrupted neck decoration of the same coloration as well a tri-spiked crown nestled within her crystalline mane.

The alicorn, to Abstract's eyes, had a pastel colored mane and tail, a crooked horn and strange, pinkish patches on her muzzle and the bottom rear of her jaw bones. Her eyes looked angry, as though something had been taken from her, and long had she been serving her new masters like a good little slave, her power still being tremendous but spread equally amongst the three. Abstract wondered if she could become an asset to his endeavors, but her connection to this 'Sombra' was too strong. Whatever she was, that supposed king had a firm vice grip around her mind.

"You must be the trouble Sombra had mentioned. You don't look like much trouble," the alicorn said.

"Who are you?"

"I-i-i-i-i-t's C-C-Celestia!" Rosy Notes stuttered beneath the debris.

Celestia turned her head and exploded at the mare who yiped and hid deeper in the rubble.

"DO NOT CALL ME BY THAT NAME! I have been liberated by King Sombra and am now Crystalestia! Wait..." The alicorn narrowed her gaze. "You were four of the ponies that were sent here to bring back the magic source." Celestia huffed and looked at the crystallion with confusion and some slight hint of fear and intrigue.

"What did you do to them? How were they liberated?"

"Yes. 'Liberated'. I do not have time to waste with a mutant. Come, servants. I wish to explain my future conquests and learn more about what happened to this world."

Abstract attempted to walk forward, but the three newcomers blocked his path. Not one to back away, the stallion stood tall and stared them down. However, Crystalestia was not one to stand by idly. She lowered her head and a blast of light magic burst forth from her horn. Abstract was quick enough to raise a shield of darkness in time. The only damage he received was the pushing power the blast caused as it exploded into a shower of yellow light. The alicorn smirked at the emotionless crystal, assured of her victory. Abstract was not only short on time, but he needed to assess these new magics and powers. The mutant's were laced with something else, and he did not have the counters necessary. He wouldn't, however, have any trouble incapacitating the alicorn long enough to leave the area. This would not be an easy fight for either of them.

Comments

[The1templar]

Ugggggghhhhhhhh those Crystal names are terrible.

[The Psychopath]

5677860 I know, but I didn't make them. Besides, not everything needs to be grimdark. The crystal names are crystal puns (except my crystallions came to be before the end of the second season) of a crystal clear, crystal clarity.

SUFFER THE PUNS!

picon.ngfiles.com/571000/flash_571959_largest_crop.jpg

[The1templar]

5677965 also, nothing seems to stand out with this story. Very little catches my interest.

[The Psychopath]

5677983 How come?

[NaughtSought]

5677994 Obviously they are so uninterested they don't feel like telling you why they aren't interested? I'll give this a look at some point, it looks intriguing but possibly not my cup of water (I don't like tea).

[The Psychopath]

5682250 I hate tea. It just tastes like hot water to me. Also, that sounded like something from Destiny.

[Genbu]

ok, ok where to beginn... it's kinda interesting and then again... not? i have a bit of mixed feelings with this... well i will just be brutally honest with my own opinion so far. i hope i don't offend you in anyway and if i do i am deeply sorry...

So first of all i'm just very confused with... well, about everything actually! in the beginning of the chapter 2 you say that Cadence is Crystalestia but apparently they are not the same so i'm guessing that's a typo? Still confusing (and the names are just stupid...) then Sombra says something about a fight with a "librarian" which i presume would be twilight but later we find out that she is already a monster by that time... or is she? I mean what the heck is going on?

Then the "liberated" Slaves... the way you discribe them in detail and give them names and everything indicates that they are somehow important characters but i'm just not feeling it... i'm actually not really sure why that is...

Then the thing with Abstract...i kinda get mixed message from him. in the first chapter he seems arrogant and kinda "ragey" and just a cooler looking Sombra clone, in the second he seems calculating and uncaring, so what exactly is he? and is he the protagonist of the story? the summary of the story suggests outerwise and i only get the "villain" feeling from him... So is he important? Should i care about him? Should i care about his Slaves? Or will they all die in the next Chapter like the guy in the first chapter? Having to question yourself stuff like this is kinda bad i think... So now a villain fights another villain and i must say i really don't care what happens...and that kills any possible excitement for me...

i don't even know enough of the world to understands if it would make any difference for anyone if either side would win.... like for example "oh no, if Abstract loses Sombra gets a new body and that would be really really bad for ...." yeah, for who WOULD that be bad anyway? I think not introducing the main protagonists by now really really hurts the story...
i mean, don't get me wrong the first chapter was nice, it sets this interesting dark atmosphere and makes appetite for more but by the end of chapter two i don't have any emotial bound to any of the characters, don't really know what is going on anyway, and a fight is about to happen were the outcome doesn't matter at all, at least from my point of view because i don't like either of the two fighting sides and have no idea what the consequences would be anyway... that leaves me kinda at a loss if i even want to read on... but then again the worldbilding and atmosphere seams nice so right now, i really don't know if i like the story or not...

[ChazMLPFIM]

So Sombra corrupted Shining Armor, Cadance, and Celestia.

if I remember right, this happened in the light of despair and the shadow of grief.