The Worst of All Possible Worlds

by TheTimeSword

World 4: Chapter 10

“Don’t be afraid. So long as you don’t open it, it can’t hurt you,” Sombra cooed, standing beside the mare from another world.

The door differed from what she remembered. It was black and red with a purple outline and a hollow crystal knob. The shape was the same, however, and it only aided in dragging back the memory of when she first opened it. Midnight Sparkle, the destruction of CHS, and me a demon. She winced at the recollection, choosing to supplement it with the friends she had made in that world. Fear only breeds anger. I let go of my fear, she breathed, closing her eyes. “There’s a switch underneath the steps to unlock the real exit, but you already know that. Where does this door go, though?”

“Originally? To the Crystal Heart. You have to deal with your worst fears to find the biggest love,” he replied. The stallion pressed against the steps of the staircase, his foreleg searching for the small crystal that triggered the back entrance.

“That’s pretty sweet, Sombra, if not a little corny.” Her eyes drifted from the terrifying door. “Can you get it?”

A snap echoed and crystal began shifting. The hefty door Sunset vaguely remembered appeared before her. When it finished moving the crystal wall, Sunset tugged on the heavy handle, dragging it open with her teeth. It rattled her jaw but she managed to pull it far enough for Sombra and her to squeeze through snuggly. The cold, bitter winds struck their muzzles as soon as they pushed their faces into the dark tunnel. “I don’t suppose you’ve got a flashlight in those bags, do you?” Sunset asked him.

“A flashlight?” he questioned. “No, I haven’t grown accustomed to the new technology of this era.”

“Oh, ehm. Right. I kind of forget that you’re not your age.” Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness of the cave, snow crunching beneath her hooves.

“Not my age,” he repeated, clearly getting lost in a memory.

The stone was slick and the icicles overhead were low, but there was only one path to go. Even if the worlds were not the same, time could not be altered enough to change the course of nature. Sunset was thankful for that. Crossing out of the tunnel, they came to a familiar frozen creek where moonlight poured through a crack in the ceiling. Snow drifted down in little flakes, cluttering Sunset’s hair and cheeks with the frozen water. “I never thought I’d come back through here,” she said, staring up at the fissure.

“You and me both,” Sombra divulged. “A thousand years for me. I used it to get back into the city after I’d been banished. I hadn’t needed it when Tirek came, though if I had gotten away I probably would’ve used it.”

“Really? Were you the one that carved this path out?” Sunset inquired.

“I’m not the original ruler of the Crystal Empire,” he replied, vaguely answering her question. “Just one of many. I’m sure there would be more after me had I not been so evil; had I not sacrificed a thousand years.” Sunset tried to see Sombra’s expression, but even with the moonlight, the stallion’s dark features were hidden.

“If the changelings aren’t in here, they’re probably in the next area,” Sunset said, changing the subject. Crossing the frozen creek with a quick hop, she waited for Sombra before continuing down the next icy section of rock. Snow heavily coated the second tunnel, but to their surprise, a brighter light shone their path. Falling to a crouch, Sunset pressed herself to the wall as she eyed into the enlarged cavern. Half expecting nothing more than a slick incline with some troubling winds, she was glad to see how right she was. “They’re here,” she whispered to Sombra who inched forward, nestling in beside her like a baby fawn to their mama.

Raising a hoof, he pointed to the middle of the cavern. “They’ve fixed the wind.” The changelings had built a seal of green goo and black metal, both of which Sunset recognized from her time two worlds ago. “And there. Three of them. Two pony size, one a bit bigger. Tirek, Cadance, and Shining Armor would be my guess. They wouldn’t bother creating pods for citizens yet, right? They’re probably going to replace those three, then act as they’re really them.”

“No,” Sunset replied. “Look at the trifling number of changelings. Where is the rest of their army? If Tirek is supposed to be trapped in the Crystal Empire, where is Chrysalis? She’d want to mock her victory in his face, she’s cocky like that.” She’ll treat the ponies like dirt, too. Who knows how the other races would react. She felt a lump in her throat that she gulped down, her eyes shifting to Sombra. “We should go back and tell Tirek we were right.”

“He already knows,” Tirek replied, startling both the unicorns. Before they could scream, the centaur covered their mouths with his thick hands. “You two have stumbled onto something big. We should attack now and stop them from whatever they’re planning.”

“Us? We don’t have any magic,” Sombra replied curtly, but his expression softened into surprise. “Unless you’re planning on giving us some magic?”

“That’s something I can do!?” Tirek was shocked.

Both unicorns revolted, sharing a glance of dread. Sunset knew exactly what was coming next, she only hoped Sombra was smart enough to have figured it out as well. “Of course!” Sunset whisper-yelled, not wanting the other changelings to come forward. “In fact, you should come back into the Crystal Empire and give all the ponies magic. The changelings would stand no chance!” She attempted pushing the centaur in the direction they’d come.

But the centaur didn't budge, and his body was too thick for her to pass by without raising suspicion. They'd been webbed like a fly in a spider’s trap. Her only hope was a swift wind to shake them free. “Back to the Crystal Empire? It was this way, you say?” The centaur leaned to look back down the white-walled tunnel, his arms brushing his bulky body. It was clear whoever disguised as Tirek did so without any real thought on the way a centaur would move. “I suppose going back would be a better idea.”

“Sunset, he’s not going to buy it,” Sombra then chimed in, causing a rush of anxiety to spring up Sunset’s back.

“Sombra—” she started to cast back, but the stallion shot a hoof up.

“No.” He bowed his head to the centaur. “We apologize, Lord Tirek. We know we disobeyed orders. We will gladly take any punishment when we get back to the Crystal Empire.”

Sunset couldn’t believe her ears, her heart fluttering. So he did figure it out, she breathed.

“Ahem, yes!” the fake centaur agreed, the fool. “Punished you shall be. Come along ponies.” He moved to the side, giving just enough room for Sunset to squeeze through. She waited for Sombra, knowing they’d need to break into a full sprint as soon as the stallion crossed. Every step he took, every moment he wasn’t by her side, she felt her stomach curdle more and more. Her face was calm, reassuring to the stallion who seemed unfazed by the whole situation, all until Sombra stood past the centaur.

“Run,” she whispered to him, her eyes growing wide. Not even a second passed after the word escaped her lips that both unicorns tore down the tunnel. Kicking up snow, neither took the time to look back. Even when they reached the frozen creek bed did Sunset not dare stop the harrowing gallop, crossing over the ice with one giant leap. They could hear the centaur yelling, the sudden buzz of wings. Sombra kept his own pace right behind her. His saddlebags did not seem to weigh him down, though Sunset’s own backpack began cutting into her shoulders once more. There was no time to think of massages or the past, however. The door soon came into sight, a small amount of light pouring in through the crack.

Throwing her body into the room, she clambered for the door, pressing it closed as soon as the dark unicorn trailed in behind her. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief knowing the changelings couldn’t get in. “It’s locked, right?” she panted, still holding both forelegs to the door, not that it’d do much against the small army of changelings. “We’ve got to tell Tirek.” As soon as she looked back at the stallion she knew something was wrong. Wait. How did the changeling get behind us?

Sombra’s grey eyes were pointed to the ceiling, his mouth flowing openly like the end of a river to the sea. “I think we messed up, Sunset,” he said, an ominous feeling crept in from every syllable.

With a gulp, her eyes jutted up at the underside of the staircase. A frightful confirmation. Changelings. A few dozen of the black creatures sat upside-down staring curiously at them, though none of these were the queen. “I’m not certain, Sombra, but I don’t think we can outrun these.” To Sunset’s surprise, and perhaps the changelings’ as well, the dark unicorn haughtily laughed.

His perfect jaw aligned with his sideburns into a menacing grin. “The changelings have picked the wrong city to launch their revenge.” He turned his eyes to the changelings, the soldiers started their creep toward them. “Do you hear me, bugs? This used to be my town, my castle. And so long as you remain the enemy, you’ll be treated as such.” With a slow trot, the stallion cantered to the door that once brought Sunset to another world known only as terror. “Close your eyes, Sunset.”

She knew exactly what he was about to do, but she did not listen, choosing to keep her eyes trained on him instead. The stallion thrust open the evil door, catching many of the changelings in its sight. Some fell to the ground, covering their eyes and forming a fetal position. Sunset almost felt bad having been through the same terrifying experience, but it was Sombra she remained focused on. He kept staring at what lay beyond the inner workings, behind the horror, and he only smiled. When most of the changelings were grounded and succumbed to their uncontrollable sobbing, Sombra leaned his head back and said, “Come, Sunset. We’ll get out through here. This time, you really should close your eyes.”

And this time she did. Stumbling blindly over a crying changeling, she managed to feel her way to Sombra’s rump, clinging to his tail as he led the way through. A slamming of the door signaled they’d entered somewhere new. “Whoa!” she yelped upon opening her eyes, the blinding soft purple of the room startling her. When she looked back at the door, she found another staircase, this time it wrapped around a center pillar. “Sombra, this is impressive.”

“Come on,” replied the stallion, trotting up the steps without waiting.

They climbed and climbed the endless staircase, Sunset huffing and puffing with every step. “Couldn’t you have made an elevator?” she groaned with a pant.

“You still think I made this place? No, this was a long time before me. Though that is pretty flattering of you to think so,” Sombra gleefully said, a brief smirk was visible. “How do you think I’m so fit, though? All these stairs were a great exercise back in the day. I often used these to take the time to think about my next strategy against Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. What I wouldn’t give for another spar between Luna and myself, she’s the more athletic one by far.”

“I’d like to call myself athletic, but these stairs are proving otherwise. By the time we get out of here, the Crystal Empire will be under changeling control. How much further do we have to go?” she asked, taking a moment to rest. Leaning as carefully as she could over the side, she turned her eye to the ceiling. She could see the end and it was not close. “Euagh,” was the noise she made as she pulled herself against the wall, resting her limbs. “There’s something I wanted to ask you about, and it kind of relates.”

Sombra stopped and craned his neck to look at her. “Oh?”

“Tirek told me about your redemption,” she said after regaining enough oxygen in her lungs. “And about how you had destroyed the Crystal Heart. I want to hear your side of the story, I’ve heard his. He tried to be polite toward you, but I think I’ll get a better story from the source.”

“I told you once, Sunset,” he replied. “If I had magic, I’d use it for good. That’s the honest truth. But I wasn’t always of that mindset.” He stood like a statue away from her, his eyes shivering like a leaf in the wind. “If I tell you—could you not look at me rottenly?”

“Sombra.” She started to come closer, but that only made the stallion antsy, so she stopped. “You’re my friend, Sombra. The friends I’ve had wanted to jump off a train to escape me, but you’ve only grown in your fervor to help. Whatever it is won’t change my view of you. I promise.”

The stallion struggled. Whatever he was thinking, Sunset knew it wasn’t going to be easy for him to say. “When I was given magic, I used it to help bring in more love and expand the empire. That’s the story I claimed, and still do to Tirek. The truth is, I broke The Crystal Heart on purpose. I wanted Tirek to fail, I wanted him to be exposed as a fraud.”

“Why?”

“Because he took my magic and then tried to butter me up!” he shouted, anger seething in his words. “You know exactly what I mean! How demeaning it is to be treated like that! To lose my crown, to lose my dignity, to lose everything I ever wanted! I wanted him to lose something. I wanted him to look like an idiot, just like how I felt! And then I was foolish enough to boast his failure to Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor. I had never thought that they’d attempt to help him. For all my understanding of pony magic, I never got around to understanding the ponies behind the magic.”

“Do you still feel this way, Sombra?” she asked, and the stallion hid his face. “Sombra, I’m not judging you. I know you must think I’m crazy for becoming his apprentice. But he’s helpful, and he’s right. You can’t hold on to that anger, no one should.”

“I’m not. At least, not anymore. Not until you came along. In you, I see progress. I see a bright future.”

“A bright future?” Sunset shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“Sometimes, Sunset, seeing other avenues allows you to plan for a long road ahead.” A flash of white teeth appeared in a sad grin. “Through you, maybe things can be okay between him and I. But I won’t ever be friends with him, Sunset.”

She wasn’t satisfied with that. “I didn’t think I could be friends with King Sombra, but here I am, best friends with him.”

Sombra’s expression weakened at that, the soured, brooding eyes falling to the floor. “Come on, we still need to be moving. I’m certain you’re right—the invasion has already started,” he eventually said, continuing the tedious climb.

It took just as long as Sunset expected—too long. Reaching the top, they found themselves at the height of the castle overlooking all of the Crystal Empire. “I don’t hear the sounds of screaming,” Sunset noted as she pressed her body to a post, staring out over the beauty of the crystal buildings. With the expanded empire, it’d become twice as beautiful, and twice as troublesome to scrutinize from their elevation. “Why aren’t they attacking? Think Cadance closed the trapdoor before they could skitter their way into the city?”

“The last time I came up here I didn’t have to worry about falling and breaking every bone in my body,” Sombra noted, staring over the edge. “Did I make a mistake in bringing us up here?” he mumbled, smacking his forehead with the butt of his hoof.

“Sombra.” Sunset held onto the stallion’s shoulder, trying to calm him. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. The changelings, my past. It’s getting me flustered. As I see it, two options, Sunset. Two.” He threw a hoof in the direction of the open air. “We either jump or we head back down the way we came, wasting even more time. We might have escaped capture, but we’re in the biggest trap of them all. Mine.” His eyes shifted to the center of the platform where he was seeing something she could not. “I messed up.”

“You didn’t mess up, Sombra. We escaped the changelings because of you. So long as we’re free, we’re doing alright,” she replied, but the stallion continued to pout. “Enough with the temper tantrum, Sombra,” she growled, catching him off guard. “Come on. When it comes to being smart, you’re right up there with Twilight. But even smart ponies let their emotions get to them, and right now we need to be smart.”

He looked at her, ready to spout something awful, but his habitual face returned. He was taking a moment to think. “What do you suggest, Sunset?” he ultimately asked, returning to a softer tone.

It didn’t work when I spoke to Celestia, but I believe in Tirek. She focused on the words he had spoken to her, repeating them word for word, “Basing everything on what you see blinds you to new possibilities.”

“I see,” replied the stallion.

“Do you?”

To prove he did, the stallion shut his grey eyes, tilting his head back. She watched his ears flap, his nostrils flex. I’ve got a lot of faith in you, Sombra. Find the way. His breathing became rapid as he moved with his eyes closed. As he drew to the edge, she started to holler for him to stop, but he did so of his own accord. “The wind was always awful up here. During the war with the princesses, and even with Tirek, I’d come up here and stand over my kingdom. Egotism.” He nodded. “I would never bother going back down the staircase. I don’t think I ever have. The wind was never bad on this side of the castle, two stories—no, three stories above what used to be my study.”

Sunset stepped in beside him, glancing over the edge. Crystal protruded outward where the other sides did not. A remnant of a past king abusing powerful magic to control the crystals for his own misuse. “Sombra, you did it!”

“There’s still a chance that when we slide down we’ll go too far and slip off to our doom,” he imparted, unfeeling. Undoing his lapel, the stallion took off his cape, letting it blow off in the wind. Shrugging off his hefty saddlebags, he removed the spectacles on his muzzle as well, pushing them into one of the side pockets. Sunset watched him finish, marveling at his strong body. “You ready?” he asked, breaking Sunset’s miring.

“Hey now, ladies first. If I break a leg, you get to carry me the rest of the way,” she kidded, knowing full well it was entirely possible. Trotting to the edge, she put her front hooves on the crystal. How many times must I look over the edge at my impending doom? If this keeps up, I may as well kiss working in a tall office building goodbye. With a breathless lunge, she pushed herself over, skidding on her rump down the crystal. The air tickled her nose as she tunneled gracelessly down the incline. As the extended crystal came closer, she placed her hooves down in front of her, trying helplessly to stop. It only aided in spinning her around, forcing her to scramble. “Sombra!” she screamed just as she came to the end.

With two quick hooves, she clung to the edge, her back hooves dangling on nothing but air. The straps of her backpack dug into her, squeezed in between the crystal she was holding onto and her own body. She tried to look down, which was a mistake. The next jutting crystal was shorter than the one she hung to, and the one to the left was too far for her to reach. I swear, I’ll never joke about heights again, she pleaded, pressing her muzzle into an aching shoulder.

Feeling her grip slipping, she once again cried for the stallion. Just as the last few inches fell from her grasp, forcing her to let go, something grabbed her hoof, preventing her from plummeting. “Sombra!” she yelled, a spasm of joy striking through her. But as she looked up to see the charming stallion, a cerulean arm greeted her.

“Where is Tirek?” Ember growled. “Tell me or so help me I’ll drop you.”

“Ember!?” Sunset couldn’t believe her eyes. “Tirek’s here in the city. But the changelings—they’ve got a cocoon! They’re going to try to trap him. You can’t let them! We can’t let them!”

Lifting Sunset into the air, the dragoness spread her wings and rose back to the platform. She breathed, wanting to kiss the crystal beneath her hooves as Ember released her. “I know all about the changelings,” Ember said. Moving out of the way, the dragoness revealed three changeling guards who stood around Sombra.

“It seems they saw my cape,” Sombra told the fellow unicorn. “At least we won’t have to go back down the stairs, though I don’t think this was the other option you wanted.”

“It’s okay, Sombra,” she told him, trying to be strong. “Don’t worry—”

“Would you be quiet?” Ember interrupted, grabbing Sunset by her backpack and lifting the unicorn over her shoulder. “You two will prove as useful hostages when we find Tirek. Bring him, you three.” The changelings saluted and then wrapped themselves around the stallion, preparing to transport.

There was nothing Sunset could do but hope Tirek eluded capture. That and stare down at the crystal city, a marveling spectacle from so high. She dared not wish to fly anymore, mostly out of fear of falling. Nor did she like being carried by the blue dragoness whose temper could result in a sudden descent and a terrible fate. She did save me, so maybe she’s not all bad. She could have just used Sombra as a hostage and claimed they had me. Though she wanted to try and coerce the dragon, she chose not to do so when the ground was so far away.

Eventually, they were taken to a place Sunset didn’t expect. The Crystal Heart. Upon being released, Ember forced the two unicorns to stand near the artifact. “Guard these two. I’ll continue searching for Princess Cadance and Tirek. They won’t last long now that we have her husband and his student.”

“Ember!” Sunset stepped forward, only for the changelings to push her back. “Where’s Chrysalis? Why are you doing this!?”

“She’s not here if that’s what you’re trying to ask,” Ember replied, keeping her back to the duo. “She never let me in on her little plan, but apparently attacking the Crystal Empire is only a distraction, just like how my kind were used. She’s smart.” She turned to face them. “And she was smart enough to know I would want Tirek, so she’s letting me have him. I’ll pay him back for what he did to my father, just as soon as I find him.” The dragoness stormed off, leaving the changelings to guard their prisoners.

“It seems you’re not the only one with anger problems, Sunset,” Sombra noted. Without his glasses, cape, and bags, the stallion looked positively normal, aside from the lack of cutie mark. “I wonder if Tirek is cunning enough to use his silver tongue to lead her down from her path of destruction.” He suddenly shrugged. “Who am I kidding, of course he can. Only problem is, betraying these changelings seems like a poor idea, especially when so outnumbered.” He lifted a hoof to the drones hiding amongst the shadows in the distance.

Sunset remained positive. “Twilight once took on the changeling queen, matching her in magic that only she could. I saw it with my own eyes. If I had my magic, these guys would be no problem.” One of the changelings looked at her, sneering a smile at her, or what a changeling could claim to be a smile. “I’m not sure we’ll be able to escape this one, Sombra. Got any ideas?”

“Hah!” he scoffed. “Yeah. I already told you, this is my city. And they just put me in the one place, the one reason that I ever cared for the empire.” Sombra turned his back to the changelings, his grey eyes staring up at his own reflection within the crystal of the Heart.

“Sombra! You’re a genius! With our love, we might be able to expel the changelings from the city!”

But Sombra laughed at the corny idea. “It’ll take a lot of love to do something like that, a lot more than you and I have.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

He grinned, bearing teeth. “I love this city, Sunset. Nopony could ever match it. Well, not until…” He eyed her over for a moment before continuing, “I live for this city. I was so bent on keeping it that I sacrificed a thousand years in darkness, a mistake I still pay for. However, I would sacrifice the entire city just to keep it out of the hooves of those who would misuse it.” He bowed his head to her. “Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor, they might not have been my choice, but they’ve been good rulers. And I’ll make sure the Crystal Empire goes down in history with them as the last.”

Before Sunset could get a single syllable out, the dark stallion flipped around and faced the mostly disinterested changelings, bucking the Crystal Heart out of its slot. Flying in the air, the Heart landed, completely intact, and skidded out into a patch of decorative grass. The changelings took that as a sign of defiance, rushing to dogpile the stallion, but Sombra refused. Throwing his horn into one of the holes in a changeling’s deformed hoof, he pulled the creature forward and blocked the others, slamming them to the ground. The two he slammed went dazed, trapping the one connected to his horn beneath them.

“Sombra! You can’t be serious. Without the Crystal Heart, everyone in the city will freeze!”

“Then you better find Tirek before that happens,” Sombra replied as he unhooked his horn. “I’ll take care of the Crystal Heart. It won’t leave my side. Go now before reinforcements arrive!”

She knew he was right, there was no time to waste. “Sombra.” She trotted to his side, wanting to thank the stallion, but she knew the message might get crossed for something more. He smoothly shooed her away, giving a handsome wink before rushing off.

The streets were empty. Whether the crystal ponies knew of the danger or had already been rounded up, Sunset couldn’t quite tell. It eerily reminded her of traversing the city under the evil King Sombra, crouching from alleyway to alleyway, feeling the unknown cold on her nose. She did not have Shining Armor to lead, though hearing of his capture left a bitter taste in her mouth. Where am I even going? Ember went this way, but she could have just flown off. If she’s here, Tirek’s still here.

The crystalline buildings started to look all the same to Sunset. Shades of maroon, burgundy, cerulean, lime, pink, and blue. Only when she came across a landmark, a park that Cadance had taken her to, did she figure out her positioning. Swiveling her head in every direction, her eyes suddenly caught a band of black figures hopping from roof to roof. I’m going to assume that’s not birds. She followed them with her dull eyes as they landed on a street, then gave chase. Having just climbed a set of stairs, galloping through the Crystal Empire seemed like a cakewalk, though her calves would certainly be hurting come morning. That’s something they don’t tell you in those fantasy books by Daring Do. Adventuring is all fun and games when you get to stop a rampaging demon, but they don’t mention the three or four pedicures with Rarity you need afterward.

Filtering into a backway, Sunset hopped a short, picket-fence, crossing through someone’s backyard. Words eventually caused her to stop. “What do you mean orders? Let go of me!” she heard a voice yell. She recognized it—the same inflection had been aimed at her.

“Let her go!” Sunset yelled, hopping out from the shadows. She pointed her horn and immediately realized her mistake. No magic. Sticking to her threat, she moved forward. “I am Tirek’s apprentice! Fear me!” she blurted, committed to the act.

To her surprise, the changelings who herded the cerulean dragoness fled in opposite directions, their little wings carrying them with the speed of a hummingbird. “That actually worked?” Sunset stood still, dumbfounded.

“You didn’t do anything, you dumb pony,” Ember yelled back at the unicorn as she rose to her feet, wiping off the green liquid the changelings attempted encasing her with. “He’s why they ran.”

Sunset turned and her eyes went wide. Tears wanted to explode from within, but Sunset managed to contain them. “Tirek! Is that really you?” she asked, fearing another changeling disguise.

“It seems you were right, my dear apprentice. The changelings are here. Ember too, by luck,” Tirek replied, his yellow eyes trained on the dragoness. They did not even stutter to look at the unicorn in front of him.

“No, Tirek! This is just a diversion.”

“She’s right,” Ember claimed. “The real attack is in Canterlot.”

“Canterlot!? I just sent Cadance through to Canterlot.” He slapped his forehead, his teeth clenching. “This is just getting worse and worse. I can’t seem to find Shining Armor and I couldn’t find you or Sombra. Worst of all, the changelings have done something to the Crystal Heart. The blizzard surrounding us is heating up, so to speak.”

Sunset shook her head. “Sombra isn’t allowing the changelings to take over the Crystal Empire. He’s taken the Crystal Heart and hid it.”

“Sombra? He’s done that?” Tirek flexed his muscles. “Clever stallion, but I refuse to allow that to happen. I’ll take care of the changelings here, but first, Ember.” He stepped past Sunset, but Sunset now refused, pushing herself back in front of him.

“No! Tirek, you’ve got to defend Canterlot. Cadance, Luna, and Celestia… They need you. Protect them. Let me handle Ember. I can talk to her!”

“You?” Tirek said, and Ember chorused the sentiment, albeit with a bit more laughter. “After she grabbed and slammed you in the Badlands? After she almost burnt you alive in Canterlot? No. I couldn’t bear the burden of losing—”

“Tirek! Let me prove ponies can help you. Not all of us are weak. I’m not weak—thanks to you.”

The centaur stared down at her, a white brow quirked above one eye. He stood like that for what seemed too long, frozen in thought. “I can save Canterlot and the Crystal Empire without you, Sunset,” he eventually said, “But you already know that, don’t you? This isn’t about me.” It was clear he understood, giving a short nod of approval. “Start with Ember,” he told her. “Then get that Heart back into its place. After, come find me. I’ll breathe easier once I know you’re safe.”

“I will.” Her voice was strong, confident. Something she hadn't felt in so long. Too long.

“I didn’t agree to this. I came to fight you, Tirek,” Ember called, her hands firmly on her sides.

“Every good story has a hero chase the villain, only to fight their subordinate before fighting them. If you truly think you’re fighting for the justice of your people, you’ll win,” Tirek told the dragoness. “But if you lose to a pony who doesn’t have any magic, then surely you’re on the wrong side of things.” With a claw in the air, the centaur opened a rippling tear in the world, passing through as the dragon screamed for him to wait.

She stomped her foot, bellowing out smoke from her nostrils. “I will not tolerate this treatment! I am Princess Ember! I will destroy you and then I will end Tirek!” With her wingspan fully expanded, her claws at the ready, the dragoness charged at the unicorn.

It was a rough dodge, but Sunset managed. The unicorn did everything she could to block, dodge, or stop the dragoness, all without magic—which only frustrated Ember even more. “You’re really easy to anger. That’s how I was for a while. You and I are a lot alike, though I found friendship.”

“If you start comparing me to you, I’ll make sure you go hoof first into whatever lava pit I can find!” argued Ember as she tried to thrash, but every swing was more manic. Claw marks ripped the crystal from the ground and sucked the wind right out of the air. “We are nothing alike!”

“Yes, we are,” Sunset replied, unfazed by the amount of energy exuded by the frustrated dragoness. For her petite size, her strength rivaled any earth pony. “We’re both determined, obsessed with finding a problem. Sometimes without really thinking about what the problem truly is.”

“If Tirek hadn’t tried to control us, none of this would have happened!”

“And you brought this on yourself, Ember. Aiding the changelings, leading a revolt. Somewhere inside, you knew you weren’t on the right side.” Sunset dodged a swing from above, and the dragoness trapped her claws within the crystal street.

Ember snapped, “I was trying to help my kind! My father failed to protect us, Tirek took our land! I had to do something.” She clawed once more, this time hitting some hair, but then her volley stopped.

Sunset stared down the dragoness. She stared for a long while. “I think I get it now, I’m seeing something beneath what’s really there. Basing everything on what I see, you’re just an angry dragon. But you’re not, are you?”

“You don’t understand anything about me,” Ember said, more quiet than any of her other outbursts. Sunset chose to trot toward the dragoness instead of backpedaling to a safer distance, and the dragoness made no move to attack. Ember fell to her knees, slamming a fist into the ground.

“I do. Something happened you had no control over, something you couldn’t change. Life is full of those little things that we can’t control.” Sunset sat on her rump and then fell on her forelegs, lying in front of the dragoness.

“Don’t pretend like we’re equals. You ponies are loved by all races, and even Tirek himself! We were cast as greedy thieves or arrogant savages. When my father failed, how could I just sit back and let my people be filtered into a society who still believed those stereotypes?” Ember brushed her forehead and pounded on the ground.

“You let your anger build. Against your father, against Tirek, and yet, the truth was that you were the angriest with yourself. You felt weak; like nothing you could do could really… help.” Sunset inclined her head, staring at the ground in front of her. “I’m not from this world, but believe me, I know anger. When I first left Equestria to head beyond the mirror, I would have given anything to know what I do now. I hated Celestia, and I hated myself more for feeling that way. That anger I had fueled my desire for power, and only when I learned what friendship truly meant did I start to lose that fire. It turned inward, but my friends kept it at bay. Now, without them, I’m scared I’ll slip back into that anger. I won’t even spend five minutes with myself, fearing what I might regret next.”

Ember remained silent, her eyes trained on the sky. From the outside, the dragon and the pony looked odd, one staring gravely at the ground, the other teary and staring at the stars. “You know, I only joined up with the changelings because they were the first people I had met that were just as angry as I was. Chrysalis, their queen, she held an anger that inspired me. Destroying Tirek, demeaning him, that was what I wanted, just like he did to my father.” Just like Sombra, Sunset noted.

“Hey,” Sunset said, reaching a hoof out to Ember’s arm. “It’s okay to feel that way, Ember. We all feel that way sometimes. The most important thing is to not let it get to the extreme. Acknowledge you feel that way, let it flow through you, and then let it pass. A wise teacher once told me, emotions are like memories, it’s good to have them. The good memories, the bad memories, and the worse. And just like memories, if you let your emotions control you, you lose control of yourself; of who you are.”

“I-I guess I did lose control of myself in Canterlot, didn’t I? I’m sorry.” She rubbed her eye with the bottom part of her palm. “What’s worse is that you were right, the changelings were planning on betraying me. Chrysalis’s orders.”

“It’s not too late to do the right thing. Help me stop the changelings, and more importantly, help me save the changelings.”

“Save them?” Ember revolted. “After everything that I’ve done, you want my help? You want to save the changelings? Why?”

“Everyone deserves a second chance. Tirek will throw them out of Equestria for what they’ve done. But you said Chrysalis was the only other person as angry as you. If we can convince her to change, if we can show her she’s not alone, Tirek will have no choice but to accept them as full-fledged citizens.” He has to. I won’t accept anything less from him.

Comments

[Anachronon]

Sunset acts like a second Princess of Friendship, forgiveness and second chances for everybody. But... where are the wings? Though it's good to see that she is slowly getting over the whole self-loathing thing she has going since what seems a long time.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

Sunset, you are not on the right side either. He'll you couldn't beat the channeling because Tirek has your magic. This whole conflict is his fault. Freaking idiot ball this arc.

[Dicefire5]

This is just sick

Sunset is on a mission to help Tirek brainwash everyone into a cult of his making.

This is evil...What Tirek is doing is worse than the other worlds combined.

[Legiondude]

8870835

But... where are the wings?

Maybe that's how she gets her magic back?

[Joural]

8871160

He's a tyrant of the worst sort-.he has consolidated all the power in the kingdom in himself- literally- forced everyone to be dependent on himself, created external threats to make him look necessary (the changelings by failing to capture them, the dragons by forcing a yoke they could only chafe under onto them, the ponies by sending everyone who didn't agree to give up a part of themselves off into the wilderness away from everyone they've ever known, and who knows how many others), and he's the worst sort of tyrant- the kind who thinks what he's doing is right.

Nothing is worse than a tyrant who believes what he is doing is what is best for "his people", because a cruel tyrant may be lazy or have a period in which he is less brutal, but a benevolent tyrant will toil diligently and unceasingly, oppressing his citizens without complaint from his conscience.

Frankly I want Twilight Sparkle to turn out to be partially behind this invasion, and that revelation to rock Sunset and force her to realize that Tirek is wrong. But I doubt it- the author really seems to believe Tirek is in the right.

[VegaSakusa]

This arc.

[Csquared08]

Gotta say, I've been waiting for the "Oops, Tirek has been a villain this whole time" moment for a while now. Time is running out

[dicerollball]

Not gonna lie, not a big fan of this arc. I might’ve been alright with a reformed Tirek and King Sombra but this reformation is on the sake of everyone else’s magic and nature. Sunset accepting a reformed King Sombra feels more natural due to their similarities but Sunset accepting Tirek for anger management lessons doesn’t really sit right with me.
I do like the emotional moments this arc has and while I can relate to Sunset I also feel very unnerved reading all this. No offense, Tirek’s reasoning and his origin to become Equestria’s protector sounds fake and manipulative.
I’m kinda hoping to have some twist or maybe at least some hesitance from Sunset in the later chapters but at this point I’m unsure...
I don’t like the fact that Tirek has everyone’s magic. No one should give away a large part of themselves for him, even for the sake of Equestria. Everyone seems overly joyful by these changes... it’s a bit odd. And the fact that there has been an expansion of cities also don’t sit right but I could accept that too... but I’m really hoping this arc doesn’t end with Tirek still having all of Equestria’s magic.

[KittyrinnAiko]

9905231
Pretty much my sentiment. This whole arch has been the it's OK to give up our freedom and individuality for the sake of safety. It's the manipulative relationship on a national level. Ponies were fine without Tirek, and now they willingly give up the very thing that makes them special so that he can be their protector. So they can stroke his ego.