My Brave Pony Starfleet Magic: Season III

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 23: Part 2: Revelations and Regulations

“Previously on Starfleet Magic”

Plans for Lightning and Starla’s wedding went off without a hitch, and the ceremony soon followed, but Sombra’s ship had reappeared and suddenly it was all chaos. The shadowbolts seemed unstoppable and were just an elaborate plot to tire everyone out for Melantha to spring her real plan: to kidnap Starla and use her as a bargaining chip to gain the last shard of Crystal Heart. Now her life and the fate of United Equestria rest in the decision the team must make.

EPISODE TWENTY-THREE

Lightning was sitting in a chair away from the doors and windows, clutching his head in such frustration and desperately trying not to lose his mind and start lashing out… just as anyone would have after having their bride kidnapped and taken away!

Grand Ruler and Celestia were very upset with the two guards and seriously reprimanded them. “Do you realize what’s happened?” Grand Ruler said “You were given strict orders to sound the alarms at the first sign of anything. What have you to say for yourselves?”

The guards admitted remorsefully that the fault was theirs, and they really didn’t have any excuse, not even if it meant disrupting the wedding to not do their jobs. “We don’t have time to deal with this, right now.” said Celestia “You’re both officially relieved of your duties until further notice.”

The guards bowed and left in shame.

Their majesties had never known such lacks in discipline in all their centuries, but now they adjourned to the briefing room to consort with the team about the situation. Lightning seemed to have calmed down a little, but he still looked pretty agitated, ready to pop like cork at any second. “I just want Starla back!” he said softly yet deeply.

“We know you do, Lightning, we all do.” said Shining Armor.

“But that doesn’t change the problem we have.” added Cadance.

Sombra wanted the shard they had, and of course, even Lightning knew they couldn’t just let him have it, and the regulations clearly stated that every officer was willing to die if need be, especially when it concerned the safety of everyone else.

“There has to be another way.” Lightning said.

“Lightning, you know the regulations, as well as what’s at stake.” said Celestia “I know how you feel about Starla but we can’t make bargains with Dusk Shine-- I mean, with Sombra.”

“Dusk Shine…?” Krysta said “Did you say Dusk Shine?”

“That’s what I thought they said.” said Spike.

“Is there something you’re not tellin’ us?” asked Applejack.

Grand Ruler admitted that only recently did he and Celestia realize who Sombra really was, and how he came to be…

Meanwhile, Starla was starting to awaken to find she was bound by the wrists and ankles to a solid wall by dark and powerful magic manacles. “Oh! Where am I?” she groaned “Wait… I remember. I was taken by the shadowbolts.”

A sinister voice snickered in the darkness. “Glad to see you’re coming around, Captain Starla Shine.” Starla gazed up ahead and saw those eyes… those horrible, wicked eyes surrounded flaming dark spiritual forces. “You’re… you’re King Sombra?”

“Yes! So glad you could join us.”

Starla struggled to tray and break free, but it was no good. Sombra’s magic seemed a lot stronger, and she could see why! There, on a pillar before him stood the Crystal Heart, still missing its last shard, yet it was glowing mystically. It didn’t take Starla much to realize “The energies you stole from the other planets.”

“Very good, Captain. Yes…” hissed Sombra “Power has always been my passion. It is the only true way to live and to ensure obedience. By showing how strong you are and ensuring that everyone around is afraid of you. You are the master, and they are the pawns, living their every waking moment bowing to your every command knowing that you have the power destroy or torture them any time you wish.”

Starla gazed at him horridly. “How can you be so… so sick?!” she asked in disgust, and Sombra explained everything to her that he had always been this way, It was all how he came to be…

Everyone knew the story of how Grand Ruler Celesto was born in Equestria of old as an ordinary four-legged pony, over one thousand years ago, long before he founded Unicornicopia and Starfleet, and ascended to his royal title. He was horribly and wrongfully chastised and bullied as a colt because of his appearance-- having three horns and golden wings-- and the worst among them all was Dusk Shine, the meanest and most arrogant, pompous, and cold-hearted pony of them all. He never learned true sense and was always exceedingly mean to all ponies, believing that bullying and striking fear and misery in their eyes would keep them at bay and get him whatever he wanted, but his parents had always thought he would grow out of it…. unfortunately he never did.

Dusk Shine was also extremely conceited and vain as he had the hots for young Celestia, before her official coronation as Princess of Equestria. He really did think she was beautiful, but that was just it, all he ever saw in her was her looks, and the fact that she was rich and would one day be powerful; all the things that Dusk craved, and yet it greatly angered him that Celestia seemed to prefer Celesto to him.

So, After Celestia was officially crowned, he decided that the best way to get close to her and possibly try to woo her would be to enlist in the royal guards, where he was just as arrogant and conceited as ever, often acting like a loudmouth captain and yelling at those who seemed weaker than he did.

Unfortunately, to his anger, Celesto had also enlisted to be a guard, and his bullying no longer seemed to affect or distract him as he stayed focussed and graduated with flying honors. Celestia was very proud of him, which only further angered Dusk Shine, and even further when she personally had invited him to participate in the tournament of guards to determine who was worthy to be captain of the Royal Canterlot Guard and Celestia’s right-pony.

At the final round it was down to Celesto and Dusk. Dusk Shine had cheated by drugging Celesto’s refreshment water with sleeping powder, which slowed him down and made him easier to battle ultimately costing him the match. However, Dusk Shine’s cheat was exposed, and he was exceedingly reprimanded by Celestia, and he was stripped of his guard title and exiled to working in the palace grounds cleaning up messes in hopes it would teach him a lesson, even his own parents had disowned him for such humiliation and disgrace and just up and abandoned him... while Celesto ascended as Captain of the Guards, much to the delight of everyone else.

But Dusk Shine vowed vengeance, and still clung to his desire to gain power and dominance. He managed to break away from his imprisonment and crept away from Canterlot, and made his way to the Crystal Empire, home of the crystal ponies and the Crystal Heart! Using his skills and training he had learned from form the royal-guard academy, he overpowered all the forces protecting the heart and managed to steal it and claimed himself as the new ruler of the empire, and forced all the ponies to bow to his every wish.

Fearing for their lives, the poor crystal ponies obeyed and soon were thrown into a life of misery and fear, while Dusk Shine continued to gain power and torture his slaves. His spirit and original personality soon transformed with all the magic he had usurped as his dark desires increased and he became King Sombra, whom as Celestia had described “A unicorn whose heart is as black as night.”

Upon hearing of all the trouble, Celestia, Luna, Captain Celesto and an army of their finest guards rushed over to deal with the tyrant, not initially knowing it was Dusk Shine.

Sombra had dispatched his forces and fought valiantly, but he was ultimately defeated and banished to the dark dimension. The rest was pretty much history!

Starla couldn’t possibly hate him even more than she did now, but what confused her most “I don’t understand. Why do you need me?”

“Your friends have something I want, and they will bring it to me if they ever want to see you alive again, and don’t even think that despite your Starfleet code of honor about dying if you have to will save you. They will come, but for now I need your help with something more.”

Starla struggled and growled “Forget it! There’s no way in this universe I’m going to help you!”

“Fool! I wasn’t giving you a choice…!” Sombra’s eyes glowed, as did the Crystal Heart and a huge burst of magic fired at Starla. She screamed as she felt the magic course through her and it fired back out again towards Sombra’s spirit, enveloping him in an eerie glow of dark light. “Yes…!” he hissed “Yes… I feel it… my bodily form is returning to me.”

Out from the magical waves burst two sinister arms, followed by two ghastly legs, and then his monstrous head. In bright flash he stood whole again and in a newer body more sinister than his old pony body. He practically wasn’t even a pony anymore but rather a despicable demon with dark red scaly skin, with fangs and bull horns, dragon wings, black waving hair like fire He wore dark silvery armor with a dark red cape, and a scaly tail. “Magnificent!” he cried “I’ve waited centuries, and now I feel better than ever!”

Melantha gazed in awe and bowed ever so gracefully to her king and offered her congratulations, but still, Sombra was not satisfied. There was still one final thing to do. He approached Starla, who was weakened form transferring the power to him. “What are you going to do to me?” she asked weakly.

Sombra snickered and merely said “What finer way to appeal to your friends… than through their hearts.” and his eyes glowed eerily as did Starla’s.

Back in United Equestria, their majesties had finished telling the story of Dusk Shine or rather Sombra, and the team was ever so outraged and more determined than ever to beat him, but they still had no way to even get onto Sombra’s ship. Even Professor Brain and Fratello’s experiments were still going wrong, but they assured everyone that would have it working order… they hoped!

“Hope is not enough!” snapped Lightning. “We have to do more than just hope. We need to take action!”

“Admiral, calm down!” snapped Grand Ruler. When he addressed Lightning by his rank, he was deathly serious.

Lightning apologized and sat back down again. Time was running out. Only less than hour to go before Sombra’s ultimatum was up, but everyone was still against the idea of handing over the shard. The situation was beginning to look more and more hopeless for Starla.

There wasn’t even any hope of deceiving or invading Sombra either. He was most likely prepared for something like this. “Wait, what are we thinking this way for?” Buddy Rose said. “We’re going to wind up fighting him eventually anyway. Why not challenge him for it?”

“Do you even realize what you’re saying?” snapped Rarity. “We already agreed we can’t make deal with that… that monster!”

Artie stood up “Yeah, but we have to do something. Regulations or not, I don’t want Starla to get hurt!”

Rainbow stood up and protested “Even if it means dooming the entire planet?”

One by one everyone stood up and began to argue and protest back and forth, until Grand Ruler pounded the table “QUIET, ALL OF YOU!!” he shouted. Even Celestia was growing cross. “We understand how all of you feel, we don’t feel any different… worse, but we have to think about what’s right for everyone.”

The others agreed, and Grand Ruler issued a fifteen minute recess for the Celestia and the others to gather thoughts and then make the final decision.

Lightning left the room and noticed everyone eying him. “What’re you looking at?” he grunted “You don’t have to worry about me… I know the regulations.”

Everyone just bad for him, but they all left the room.

Lightning walked over to a window and slumped down with his head down into his arms on the sill. “I’ve never seen him so upset before.” said Goldwin.

“His heart is sore and his mind in knots,
It’s Starla who remains deep in his thoughts.” said Rhymey.

“What do you think their majesties will decide?” asked Spike.

“I don’t know, Spike. Maybe none of us do.” said Applejack.

Grand Ruler sat in his seat gazing over the large book before him. “The Starfleet Codes of Regulations” containing all the rules, codes, and regulations which he had spent centuries writing and rewriting since Starfleet first began. It also contained the Magna Carta, which meant even he had to obey his own rules.

He knew all the rules very well, and sighed hard “How has it come to this?” he muttered. He had been faced with situations as this before, but never when it concerned an officer so well loved.

“Celesto…” his wife said putting her hand on his shoulder. “What if it were me up there?” she just had to ask. Her husband froze up for a moment “Celestia…?”

“I know I don’t really have to ask, but… what would you do if I was kidnapped?”

Grand Ruler honestly didn’t know how to answer that. He loved her almost as much than the universe itself, but during their thousand years apart he was willing to let go of her and resolve himself to not affect by the loss of their love, but ultimately “I’d… fight for you… and offer myself as replacement if that failed.”

“Just like I would for Cadance…” Shining Armor cut in. “I would for you too.” added his wife.

Luna admitted that though she had no one special, she would gladly put herself at risk to save another. “After all, is that not what friends do, officers of the force or not?”

Grand Ruler remembered his glory days as Captain of the Canterlot guard, and the battles they fought protecting everything. Even when one of his men was down and needed help while begging that the others to leave him and go on; he would he pick him up and remind him “A good soldier never leaves a friend behind.”

Even when Starfleet was formed he taught his very first troops the same manner, and lived the exact same experiences.

Suddenly, he realized something, and scrambled through the rule book, and sure enough he found exactly what he was looking for and grinned proudly…

He immediately called the meeting back into session. “I have my decision!” he announced, and everyone gazed at him nervously. “The Starfleet code Section six, paragraph two: The safety of missions and promising of success will not be affected by the fate of any individual.”

Many of the others felt their hearts being crushed. “What does that mean?” asked Spike.

“It means, no matter how strongly we feel we can’t go after Starla.” said Buddy Rose.

Spike felt his insides churning with grief and shame.

“However…!” Grand Ruler suddenly said, and everyone turned to face him again “If there is one thing I have learned and that every good warrior has, it’s that you never leave anyone behind, so as is stated in the first and foremost sections of field combat.”

Everyone’s hopes started to rise. “So… does this mean…?” Fluttershy stuttered.

Grand Ruler nodded “The first rule is strict and must always be noted and followed if need-be, however, we have not come to that yet. Therefore, if we were to make the exception this time, it may very well be the exception that proves both rules. We’re going after Starla!”

The team cheered for joy, but had little time to spare, but a while later Lightning was given the last shard to guard with his life. He and his friends would present themselves to Sombra, and if all went well they would be teleported onto his ship.

The rest of the ponies, Krysta, and Spike would remain behind in case Sombra decided to attack the planet again. Still, it was very risky for Lightning and his team. They most likely wouldn’t be able to come back… unless Professor Brain and Fratello got their transporter working.

At this very moment they had their portal set up, and managed to transport objects from one end of the room to the other, but the still needed a bit more time and power to make it strong enough to penetrate the hull of Sombra’s ship. Krysta, being a warp expert planned to the help them as best she could.

In the meantime, Lightning and friends prepared to leave. “Well everyone, apart from the obvious, no one knows really who or what you can expect to find on that spaceship.” Grand Ruler said “But if the circumstance arises, you know what must be done.”

Lightning acknowledged “We destroy the ship.”

“Sombra will be stopped then…” said Dyno.

“…And so will we” added Myte.

They bravely transformed and flew out the window, and over the village as everyone waved to them and cheered them on, but Lightning and the boys remained focussed as they touched down in a clearing away from the village, just as the sky began to grow dark again with those same eerie clouds from when it all began. “This is it…” Lightning murmured “No turning back now!”

The boys all stood brave strong, and suddenly, they all were cast in a tube of red light and were being lifted up, up, up into the sky…

…the others could see this from the palace. Goldwin kept watching through his telescope until they had vanished into the clouds, and the clouds themselves vanished. “They’re gone!”

“That’s it then…” cried Pinkie “There’s nothing we can do to help them now.”

Everyone stood all tensed and worried already.

The boys found themselves on the cold misty floors in the middle of a large, dark room, almost like a cavern. There were rocks, stalactites, columns, just like Sombra was, creepy, wicked... yet so far there was no sign of Starla, Sombra, or anyone else. The boys tried to scout out with their scanners, but the readings were all scrambled.

“Perhaps we should search around,
And see if anyone can be found.” Rhymey suggested.

“What a marvelous idea.” hissed a sinister voice, which startled the boys. “Welcome to my spacecraft. I hope you enjoy your surroundings. They shall be the last you will ever see!”

“He’s just trying to psyche us out.” said Artie.

“Oh… am I?” hissed Sombra “Then let’s see if you can find your way around.”

A small doorway appeared in a wall, the boys took as a sign to head right in, but decided to stay close at all times and be extremely careful. They all never had felt so brave and yet so scared in a long time. Every little noise they heard made them stop or turn to gaze around. “Who’s there?” called Lightning, but there was no answer. Dyno accidently kicked a small rock out in the middle of the floor which startled the boys again. “Ay’! Sorry!”

“I don’t get it…” said Buddy Rose “We’re already here, why doesn’t he just show himself?”

“He’s toying with us.” Lightning said “Stay alert. We’ve got to find Starla.”

As they continued to trek down the hallways and corridors, they didn’t feel if they were getting any closer, nor could they find much that they would expect to find within a normal spaceship. No controls, no consoles, screens, power sources, not even a single wire or pipeline. This lead the boys to believe the entire ship was controlled by Sombra’s magic.

Suddenly, Dyno noticed something in the middle of the floor. “This rock-- It’s the exact one that I kicked before.”

“You mean we’ve been going around in circles?” groaned Myte. The team was outraged and confused, but as Lightning looked up at the ceiling he could see a few large openings “There! Maybe that’s it.” He fluttered softly thorough the hole and the others followed him, and they emerged in an upper area of the ship.

“Where are we now?” asked Artie.

“All these chambers look the same
Exactly as like from where we came.” said Rhymey.

“Wait!” snapped Lightning “Listen! Do you hear anything?”

The boys listened and could hear the sound of softly and weak groaning up ahead, and there through the mist and darkness, they could see her. “Starla!” cried Lightning. She was still bound to the wall with her head drooping down. His heart leapt with joy as he dashed over to help her. “Lightning, wait!” cried Buddy Rose.

Lightning reached Starla. “Starla...! Starla…! Are you okay?” he spoke softly as he tilted her head up. Starla’s eyes suddenly snapped wide open, and she head bashed him hard away. “Lightning!” cried Artie as the boys helped him up.

Starla turned out to be Melantha wearing an actual costume and a purple wig. She threw it all to the floor and scoffed “You’re pathetically predictable, like a moth to the flame.”

“That was a dirty trick!” snarled Lightning “You’ll pay for that!”

“Not as much you will if you don’t hand over that shard. Now give it to me!”

“No! Where’s Starla?”

“Give me the shard, or you will never see your bride again!”

Lightning stood where he was all stiff and serious. “Don’t do it, Lightning.” said Dyno. “You can’t trust her.” added Myte, but Lightning reached behind and then held out the shard for all to see, and he slowly began to make his way towards Melantha seemingly to completely ignore the others protests. Melantha held out her hand as Lightning got closer, and closer, until finally he was standing just before her. “Stop stalling!” she snarled and reached out impatiently.

All the more slowly, Lightning reached to hand her the shard and at the last split second, “NOW!” he shouted as he swiftly flipped up high and the others fired their attacks at her sending her crashing into the wall. Melantha roared angrily, but Lightning landed and cheekily said “When dealing with a trickster, think like a trickster.”

Melantha growled and whistled loudly, summoning a whole swarm of shadowbolts. “Get them!” Buddy Rose, Artie, and Rhymey each got out their weapons…

“VINE WHIP”

“SUPER STAFF”

“WARD SWORD”

…and the fight was on. While the boys dealt with the shadowbolts, Lightning faced off with Melantha, and she was just as eager to get back at him too. “DOOM TRIDENT”

“Where’s Starla?” Lightning demanded again. Melantha looked ready for a huge brawl “You want her back? I’ll take you to her!” and she suddenly took off. “Hey!” snapped Lightning.

“Lightning, Go!” shouted Dyno. “We can handle things here.” added Myte.

Lightning nodded and dashed off in the direction Melantha ran, following her trail by the way the mist seemed to flow, disturbed by movement, almost forming a pathway. He continued to run, and run, and finally he emerged in the ship’s inner sanctum, and there he was laughing and glaring at him from afar, in full body. “Welcome to my lair, Admiral Lightning Dawn.”

Lightning’s features hardened. “At last we meet, King Sombra!”

“Yes! I’ve been wishing for this day.”

Lightning stood poised for battle. “Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it!”

Sombra snickered “Oh, I’ll get what I wish for. Namely that shard you hold.”

Lightning gripped the shard tightly. “If you want it so bad, you’re going to have to take it from me!”

Sombra’s wicked eyes shimmered once “That’s just what I intend to do… and I know just who will do it for me.” That’s when someone crept up from behind Lightning and kicked him hard in the back, knocking him down. He turned and was shocked to see who it was. “Starla…?”

She was glaring at him madly and growling too.

“That’s right…” hissed Sombra, and he revealed that after he had forced Starla to make the magic transfer to build his new body, he placed her under his control, the perfect way to strike Lightning… right at his heart.

Starla dashed straight at him “No! Starla, wait!” but she already struck him hard.

He skidded right towards Melantha. “Give it up, big boy!” she scoffed as she kicked him over back towards Starla. “What are you going to do now, attack the love of your life, or will she rip you to pieces and give us the shard?”

Lightning was really in a spot now, much to Sombra’s amusement.

Starla whipped out her “STAR BOW” and aimed a shot for him. “Starla, Stop! I know you’re in there. Fight the control!”

“STARLIGHT ARROW”

He dodged it!

Starla fired another shot, and he dodged it. Then he dodged a third shot and Starla leapt over to him and began to punch, chop and kick at him. Lightning kept to his evasiveness and defenses, but made no attempt to hit her back. Somehow he had to get through to her, and he hadn’t forgotten about his other friends…

…who were down in the lower levels still fighting off the shadowbolts, and they only seemed to keep coming and coming. “We can’t keep this up forever.” said Buddy Rose.

“We have to give Lightning more time.” said Artie “Try to keep going!”

So they continued to brawl, knocking each and every shadowbolt down.

Starla continued to swing at Lightning, and soon Melantha joined to help her, and soon Lightning was backed against the wall on the floor at Starla’s mercy. Sombra was laughing with evil glee “Too bad, Admiral. Looks like your wedding day just turned into your doomsday, but don’t worry I’ll make sure you aren’t alone. After you are finished, I’ll destroy the rest of yourself friends as well and finally there will be nothing left standing in my way to conquer United Equestria!”

To Be Continued…

(Promo)

In our next episode, the battle becomes so intense that the spaceship begins to break up and explode, which severely puts Lightning and the team at risk. Sombra’s ultimate plan to conquering United Equetsira is revealed, and he grows impatient and challenges the gang to combat himself to get the last shard.

Will Lightning and friends manage to escape and thwart Sombra, or are the doomed to be blown into space dust?

Don’t miss the next exciting episode of “Starfleet Magic”

(Next Episode: “Part 3: Evening the Score”)