Life Between Death

by cierragp

Chapter 13 - What is the Past?

The shield around the Crystal Empire was weak, and Luna slipped in easily. The empire was clearly suffering. There was no one, and the castle was covered in dark, dull crystals of varying shape and size. Parts were crumbling and the walls looked as if they had not been tended to for years.

Could it really be…? But how could Celestia have the power? The last time she checked, Celestia was still recovering from banishing her to the moon.

Shaking her head, she entered from the back gates. She had learned the trick from Sombra. The back gates were almost always unlocked, and even if they weren’t, a hair clip could always do the trick.

Luna knew how much Sombra stayed in his study, reading note after note, often not coming out for ages, and brought his meals in with him. She had dozed off many, many times watching him squinting and deciphering the tiny writing on the post-it notes.

Climbing up the staircase, Luna wondered how long it had been the last time she saw the palace. It certainly had changed, and that was the only thing she was certain was that it was the same place, and nothing else. Perhaps, the thousand years were longer than she thought. To an immortal alicorn, a thousand years was nothing. Well, next to nothing. It was boredom and humiliation to be banished on the moon though, to say at the least.

How did Equestria change so much? It wasn’t really understandable to Luna, as she didn’t know what time really was. She was immortal, after all.

Even the interior of the castle seemed different and strange, unfamiliar to her eyes. The banners were completely gone, and the festive air wasn’t there anymore.

The hallways were longer, creepier and shadowed by the growth of dark crystals outside the torn curtains.

At last, after wandering into various rooms, stockpiled with crystals of different colors, sizes and shapes, some she didn’t even know what they were. Finally the study unveiled itself before her eyes, the shelves of crystal towering and the chandelier glittering in all colors of the Rainbow.

“Who isssss it?” That voice wasn’t Sombra’s, Luna thought, but a mangled version of her former love appeared in the corner of one of the many shelves. “Get losssst before I crystalizzzze you.”

“What…” Luna couldn’t believe it.

It was Sombra. It was him.

He wasn’t the same. The green aura surrounded his eyes, and the sinister red glow enveloped his horn. The years – and Celestia – hadn’t been easy on him. She knew what her sister was doing, how Celestia could do anything, but never could she imagine this. The sight before her eyes was too painful.

“How?”

“Luna?” Sombra’s voice was much softer, kinder, and reminded her more of what she had heard in the past. “I…” Sombra dissolved in front of Luna’s eyes, and the next thing she knew was that the study was collapsing. The books rained down on her and the splinters of crystal threatened to skewer her like one of the cotton candy models she had seen sold at fairs. Only the sticks were longer and the cotton candy was meant to be eaten. She certainly wasn’t.

Where did he go?
~~~
“I need to see Sergeant Rainbow Dash. Now!” Lyra yelled.

“I’m sorry…” Lightning barely had time to react before Lyra made a run and headed towards the office. She disappeared, and a cloud of smoke marked where she once stood.
~~~
“Sergeant Rainbow Dash?” Lyra asked.

“Yes…LYRA??!!” Rainbow screamed as the blue powder covered the entire room…or was it magic?

“GREETINGS SERGEANT OF THE CELESTIAL ARMY!” Luna had taken off her glamor potion and spoke with the royal Canterlot voice.

“L-Luna?” Rainbow’s eyes widened.

“THOU SHALT NOT SEE US, BUT WE SHALT BE THERE!” Luna declared before finishing. “THY ARMY IS SUFFERING! WE SHALT PUT AN END!”

“What do you mean?” Rainbow’s curiosity overcame her fear, and she found herself troubled.

“WE CAN SPEAK NO MORE!” Luna proclaimed, her head held high. “BUT WE WILL RETURN WITH OUR FUTURE!” With the final word, she vanished.

“What does that mean?” Rainbow laughed quietly as she found herself talking to no one. The nonsense the Princess had told was almost hilarious, and she felt that it may as well as be a prank, so she found herself willing to forget the strange encounter entirely.

“Rainbow Dash?” Soarin asked slyly, leaning against the frame of the door. She had not noticed his arrival until his voice sounded. Deep and rough as usual, but why the slyness? She remembered Spitfire’s words from yesterday, but she didn’t see any sense in listening to them. After all, she would make sure that she and Soarin were nothing more than friends. Nothing more.

“Goddamn you Soarin.” Rainbow muttered. “What the hell are wrong with ponies these days? Yesterday Spitfire was just outright complaining and today you’re being a idiot.”

“Alright, you caught me.” Soarin slumped slightly. “Spitfire put me on a stupid dare. Said I had to get with you or else…well, she would rearrange my body if she had to, she said. She even made a list of what parts she would, and it wasn’t pretty. I don’t want to be castrated.”

“We can scare her.” The words came out of her mouth faster than she realized. “I have the perfect prank. Just you wait and see.” Rainbow forgot about everything else as she went into full prank mode, the gears in her head turning fast as she thought back to the past, where she would prank the hell out of everyone.
~~~
The duo crept into Spitfire’s room.

“All we need to do is to move everything a few inches, pull down the shutters a little, and hide somewhere so we can watch.” Rainbow was grinning like the Cheshire Cat, which was something Soarin had never seen her do.

Soarin quickly obliged. He had shut the window partially, pulled down the shutters, and moved the furniture, everything a few inches.

Meanwhile, Rainbow had moved everything in the cabinets. Not enough to cause suspicion, but enough to evoke a creepy sense of being watched and manipulated.

As they dived into the closet, hearing footsteps, Rainbow was giggling and Soarin hid a smile. Eventually, Soarin had to cover Rainbow’s mouth with a hoof to prevent them from being discovered.

Spitfire walked in, clearly annoyed by the load of questions shoved at her by the recruits.

“Where is my goddamn coffee?” She mumbled, clearly unhappy.

Comments

[Easy breezey]

Wow!! SPITFIRE AIN'T GONNA BE HAPPY!!!!
Mom on full prank mode HILARIUS!! but really they are both fried chicken

[cierragp]

7839711

Maybe...

And I hope no one minds that I ship Luna and Sombra. . . .

(above is my future profile pic XD)