(Almost) The Next Generation

by Sapphire Rose 12

Chapter 10: Sombra's Return

Sombra darkened the room. The crowd began to panic.

"Guess who's returned?" Sombra asked with an evil smile.

"Leave this place, Sombra!" Twilight hollered. "You're not welcome here!"

"Why, Princess," Sombra mocked. "How insensitive. Don't you know it's nice to be invited for once?"

"Never mind that," Twilight said. "Just why are you here?!"

"I've come for my revenge on the group who stopped me," Sombra said.

"Leave my sister and her friends alone!" Sweetie Belle shouted.

"Sweetie Belle..." Rarity warned. "Don't..."

"You can't do anything about it, pathetic unicorn," Sombra said, with a snicker.

"Hey!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

"Whatever," Sombra said. "It's not her I want most out of everypony."

Sombra made his way across the room to Spike. "It's the little dragon who restored the Crystal Heart."

"Whoa?!" Spike exclaimed.

Sombra prepared to blast Spike with a burst of dark magic, but Twilight jumped in front of Spike and shot the blast away with her own magic.

"Do not put one hoof on Spike!!" Twilight shouted.

"Well, well, well," Sombra said. "Looks like we have some trouble with protectors."

Sombra grabbed Twilight, the rest of her friends, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. He trapped them in cages made of dark magic.

"Sombra, let my wife go!" Soarin exclaimed, angrily.

"And mine, too!" Flash said.

"Release them, you party pooper!" Cheese Sandwich yelled.

"Release Fluttershy and her friends this instant!" Discord roared.

"Let them go!" Apple Buck yelled.

"Girls!" Spike exclaimed. "Sombra, no!"

Sombra laughed. "We have the Mane 6, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and the Guy 6 Squad," he mocked. "Well done."

"Guy 6 Squad," Soarin said. "Has a pretty nice ring to it."

Everyone looked at him.

"What?!" Soarin exclaimed.

"Sombra, it's me you want," Spike said, bravely. "Let them go and I'm your prisoner."

"What?!" everyone exclaimed.

"If you let all my friends go, I will be bound to your orders," Spike said, sadly. "I won't fight. I won't get upset. I won't raise my voice. I'll obey your every command if you just... release them, please."

"Bound to my orders for how long?" Sombra asked.

"My whole life," Spike said, reluctantly. "All you have to do is let them go."

"Spike, don't do it!" Twilight cried. "Please! We couldn't bear it if Sombra took you away!"

"Spikey, please! Listen to yourself!" Rarity added.

"Don't do it, Spike!" Rainbow Dash yelped.

"Do we have a deal, Sombra?" Spike asked.

"No!" everyone exclaimed.

Sombra smiled, cruelly. "Yes."

Sombra and Spike shook hooves. Well, they shook claw and hoof. Sombra released everyone he held captive.

"After him!" Rainbow Dash cried.

Everyone rushed for Spike. Sombra rolled his eyes and snickered. He used his dark magic to put a dark magic force field around him and Spike. Everyone crashed into it and Rainbow Dash bounced back by her quick impact.

"My first order..." Sombra said.

Spike gulped. What would he have to do? Help him enslave the Crystal Empire? Help him steal the Crystal Heart? Give him a massage?

"Get both of us some of your friend's punch, will ya?" Sombra said.

Spike was surprised and confused, but he went over and poured two glasses of punch. He gave one of them to Sombra.

"Cheers!" Sombra said.

Spike arched an eyebrow. If Discord hadn't been sitting outside the dome, he would've sworn he was Discord in disguise. But, he bumped his glass against the shadow pony's and drank the sweet liquid inside.

"Now, my little dragon," Sombra said. "Here is the drill of you are going to be under my orders. You must---"

He was cut off by the sound of his force field coming down by a magical force. Twilight was straining as hard as she could and the force field finally came down. No one knew Twilight had that strong of an ability. Everyone was shocked.

"Unhand him, Sombra!" Twilight yelled.

"Let our friend go!" Flash shouted.

"This is the last time you ponies cross me!" Sombra bellowed.

Spike screamed as Sombra scooped the dragon up and flew out the door.

"Spike!" Twilight cried. "Oh, what do we do?"

"Oh, goodness," Fluttershy said. "There is nothing we can do. We'd be nuts to go up against him now."

Twilight made a sword appear with her magic. Then, she realized something. "This could work, but none of us know how to swordfight."

Rarity grabbed the sword. "I do."

"What?!"

"Glowing Gem taught me swordplay about a week ago," Rarity said. "I can go up against King Sombra."

"Rarity, no!" Twilight yelped. "It's too dangerous!"

"I have to do this for Spike!" Rarity claimed. "Girls, there's no telling what could happen if I don't!"

"Let one of us do it!" Rainbow Dash said. "You've already had the worst birthday ever!"

Rarity shook her head, grabbed the sword, and ran after Spike.

"Rarity!!" her friends exclaimed.

Rarity rushed out and started to sword fight Sombra. It was hard to block the shadow's swift moves. She heard Spike cry out incoherent words from his cage.

Then, Sombra, with one swift movement, knocked Rarity back onto the ground. She yelped. Spike quickly used his claw to pick the lock and get out of the cage. He ran after Rarity. Sombra prepared to blast the unicorn with a strong force of dark magic.

But, just before the magic hit Rarity, a certain dragon jumped in front of her just in time. He was motionless.

"SPIKE!!!" Rarity screamed.

Sombra laughed, barbarically. "I believe my business with the little hero is finally done. He shall bother me no more. In fact," He smirked. "He won't bother anyone again."

"You're nothing but a heartless monster!" Rarity shouted.

"You think shadows have hearts?" Sombra asked. "Uh, hello?"

Tears formed on Rarity's eyes. "Spikey..."

"I will be back..." Sombra said.

"No," Rarity said. "Spike..."

The dragon moved just one last time. He looked up at Rarity and used his last bit of strength to smile at her. "I'm so sorry for everything..."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Rarity said, tears flowing endlessly. "You did everything just right."

Spike's head fell limp in her lap. His eyes closed and his breathing quit, rapidly. Rarity realized a sickening truth. He was dead.

Rarity held Spike close and let out a loud cry. What she didn't realize was her friends had been rushing after her the whole time. They caught up with them.

"Rarity?!" Twilight asked, in disbelief. Then, she realized what was happening. "SPIKE!!"

Everyone else gasped. The rest of them began to cry, silently as Rarity sobbed.

"Now, this truly is my worst birthday I've ever had," Rarity said.

Spike shuddered and let out a cough. He was still injured, but he had come back to life. Rarity and the rest of his friends looked at him, hopefully. His eyes fluttered open.

"Spike?" Rarity asked.

"I had a weird, weird dream, Twilight," Spike said. "We were all grown up. You got married. And Discord fell in love with Flutter..."

He looked at them, realizing they were indeed older and it hadn't been a dream.

"Aw, man!" Spike said.

"Spike!" everyone cried, joyfully.

"How are you alive?" Rarity asked him.

"I died?!?!"

The Mane 6 nodded, slowly.

"Man!"

"It was one of the most powerful types of magic there is," Twilight explained. "The magic of love."

"Wait, love?" Spike asked. "But... Rarity only likes me as a friend."

Twilight grinned. "Not anymore."

Spike looked at Rarity and she nodded in agreement. Spike grinned.

"Oh, we're so glad you're okay!" Twilight said.

Everyone joined Spike in a group hug.

"There's still time to fix your birthday, Rarity," Spike said. "We can go dance."

"That sounds amazing," Twilight said.

Together, they all went back inside.

Author's Note:

Well... this chapter sure was... interesting, wasn't it?

Last chapter is coming up next!