Chapter 25 - The Old Enemy
In the end, we did manage to get back to Ponyville, and later Canterlot, without me having to resort to hijacking, or other criminal enterprises. The pair of us managed to engage a special; a single car train bound for Ponyville. I paid the driver and fireman with everything Wrought and I had on me. It was enough to allow them to overcome their natural instinct for survival.
But even with just a single carriage travelling on almost empty tracks, it was a long way inland from Manehattan to Ponyville. To their credit, the crew did their best to get us there as quickly as they could, breaking every speed limit, blasting through points and crossing, everything but committing a SPAD, which would have automatically stopped the train anyway.
By the time we got to Ponyville, the crisis was over, the danger had passed, and my old friend was once again very much dead. When we arrived, the town seemed unusually quiet, with many ponies apparently returning on another train that was just pulling into Ponyville station. As the pair of us leapt down from the slow moving carriage, we were greeted once again by Discord, who appeared in front of us with his usual flourish.
“Whoa there. Simmer down, boys,” he said reassuringly. “I’m afraid you’re a little late to the party.”
Smiling, I breathed a sigh of relief. Discord, of course! Sombra might be dangerous, but he wouldn’t have lasted three seconds against Discord. Even Chrysalis only managed to take him because of the BS anti-magic throne of hers. Remember, regardless of what else he was, Sombra was a unicorn.
“Thank God,” I said with relief. “What the hell happened, old man?”
And so Discord explained. Sombra seemingly randomly returned and attacked the Crystal Empire. As was the case a thousand years ago, he caught them off guard, before they had a chance to unite and use the Crystal Heart against him. He captured Shining and Cadence and threatened Flurry Heart, while using mind control spells on other ponies.
That lasted all of five minutes until, courtesy of Twilight and Co, he took a rainbow to the face and was promptly blasted into bits. Or at least seemed to be.
When Twilight and the others went back to the Tree of Harmony to replace the Elements, Sombra, having somehow survived the light of harmony, reappeared and, through the use of dark crystals, destroyed the Tree. I was horrified by that. The Elements were destroyed, as was the Tree itself. That left Twilight and the others without a weapon.
Sombra went on to attack Ponyville and turn its citizens, including my wife and children, into his soldiers and used them to attack Canterlot. Worse still, since the Tree kept the Everfree in check, its destruction caused the forest to go haywire. Celestia and Luna, having come from Canterlot, did their best to hold the plants at bay, while Twilight and the others went to confront Sombra in Canterlot, which he had now occupied, using his dark magic on its citizens to further bolster his new army.
But that was where things came unstuck for the shadowy bastard. Discord arrived and allowed Sombra to continue on for as long as he found it amusing. While Twilight and the others were figuring out what to do, he easily held off Sombra. And then, as a final bit of help to Twilight, he feigned being injured (as if that little whelp could actually do any harm to him), prompting her to protect him as a friend. The end result was the Elements manifesting in the six ponies, even without the physical parts. Sombra was again blasted by a rainbow and this time definitely went down.
The wave of harmony also undid all the damage he had done, freeing everypony from his mind control and destroying all the dark crystals he seemed compelled to scatter everywhere. There was only one real casualty, and that was the Tree of Harmony. A heartbroken Starswirl had inspected what remained and confirmed the worst; it was gone. But at least, so was Sombra. And this time there was no horn fragment flying off into the wild blue yonder. According to Discord, the guy all but evaporated when he was hit. And seemed painful too, which I didn’t mind one bit.
“And so,” Discord finished up. “After convincing Twilight and the others to care for me little old me for a bit, I came here to catch you at the station. Figured you might be in one your tempers.”
And boy was he right. Sombra went after my family and my friends and my home. I was going find that little upstart, wherever he might be cowering, alive or dead, and I was…
Well, actually I wasn’t sure what I was going to do actually. Luckily, at that moment we were joined by saner heads in the form of my wife and my boss, at least for the time being.
“Roger!” Margaret exclaimed, running into my arms. We hugged each other tightly, just glad that the other was okay.
“Margaret, thank God you’re alright!” I replied as she buried her head into my shoulder. “Are the kids okay?”
“They’re fine,” she assured me. “Bones is mad as hell and trying to work out how Sombra came back and is trying to find a way to repair the Tree. He’s also pretty mad his anti-changeling hypnosis spell didn’t work against Sombra’s mind control magic. Lizzie’s pretty shook up too. She’s with Dewdrop and Fluttershy back at their house. But they’re not hurt and no worse for wear all things considered. How about you?”
“I was out in Manehattan when it kicked off,” I replied. “Wrought and me were getting ready to make a case against that mobster, Speakeasy. The emergency sirens went off and we legged it back to the station. I blew pretty much everything I had on me to bribe a driver and fireman to get us back here by train.”
I gestured to the steam engine with its single carriage that stood across from us in the platform. I’m pretty sure they broke old Mallard’s speed record on the way back.
As we separated, I turned to Celestia, who had also joined us on the platform. Despite the recent calamities, she looked quite calm. That was even more impressive when you consider that she, Luna and Starswirl had been busy battling to keep the Everfree Forest at bay for the last hour or so.
“Are you alright, Tia?” I asked, dropping formalities given the circumstances. Celestia nodded.
“I am quite alright, Roger,” she replied. “In spite of his claims of conquest, after he stormed Canterlot, Sombra took no interest in seeking battle with me or Luna. If nothing else, it was quite a nice change of pace to get some adventuring in.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. Equestria had nearly been overrun by a crystal obsessed whack job, well, at least for as long as Discord found it interesting anyway, and Celestia was going on about how it reminded her of her younger days. I suppose though it reinforced how little a threat Sombra was, despite his performance. Remember, this guy was first of all bested by the princesses with just their own magic, then he was blasted by the Crystal Heart, and then took two separate hits from the Elements. None of his attempts had lasted all that long. And from what everypony was saying, he was definitely dead this time.
On the other hand though, despite all those setbacks and defeats, Sombra had kept turning up like a bad penny. Unless I had a dead body sitting on my desk, I wouldn’t be quite happy, particularly in light of that note he left for me in his cell. After all, Sombra appeared to have been quite decisively killed the last time, and yet here we were. I’d much rather things go the way they had with the Storm King, a physical corpse that you could give a good kick to check it was dead. I turned back to Discord.
“So where is he now?” I asked. “Back in Tartarus? Trapped in shadow?” Discord shrugged his shoulders.
“Don’t look at me,” he replied defensively. “I know what I saw, but even I can’t say for certain what Twilight and the others did to him, or where they sent him, if they sent him anywhere at all. If I remember rightly, I saw his hide burn off. Nasty way to go.” I turned back to Celestia.
“Do we know how he came back?” I asked. “You said it yourself, Tia; he was dead and buried. And even Sombra can’t perform necromancy on himself.” She nodded.
“That is true, my advisor,” she agreed. “Sombra must have had some form of outside help. But who or what I am not sure. It could be anything from a spell or artifact he left behind in the Empire, or it could be somepony bringing him back.”
As we were pondering that, we were joined by our local amateur expert on magic, and expert on the lore of My Little Pony; Bones. He came bustling through the crowd to join us. After a brief hug from Margaret, he turned to the three of us, evidently having overheard our conversation.
“Ah’ll tell ya how that egotistical two bit generic bad guy got back,” he said. “It was his horn! Back when the Crystal Heart banished him, it blew him apart. You guys didn’t see it, but on the show, a small piece of his horn went flyin’ out into the Frozen North. He must have somehow survived through that and used it to regenerate himself.” The lad looked pretty pleased with himself for thinking of that one.
It was a sound theory too. Indeed, it was what Sombra was trying to do when Tirek was defeated and he found himself flung into Tartarus. But that sort of spell took far more magic than he had. Had he some sort of ace in the hole that we didn’t know about? It certainly fitted in with his previous behaviour and with the letter he’d left for me.
“Ah’m just curious what his plan was though,” Bones went on. “Ah mean, Ah get attackin’ the Crystal Empire, and Ah get following Twilight and the others here to attack the Tree, but why Canterlot, and why didn’t he do anythin’ after that? From what Applejack told me, he was just sittin’ there, like he was waitin on ‘em.”
It did seem a little odd. Sombra always had a plan. We’d seen in the alternate timeline that Starlight inadvertently created that after taking back the Crystal Empire, Sombra would have set his sights on Equestria. But his strategy here made no sense. Surely he must have known what would happen. Even if Twilight and the others hadn’t stopped him, Discord would have, or the Crystal Heart would have been used, never mind Celestia and Luna. His plan seemed doomed from the start, and that didn’t fit the stallion I knew.
Than again, I never thought him to be quite as boastful or egotistical as the pony Discord described. Don’t get me wrong, he was also arrogant and full of himself, but the personality and behaviour Discord and the others told me about seemed quite in contrast to the cagey strategist I’d come to spar against. Perhaps it was an effect of the dark magic; the power going to his head. Or maybe it was all just an act.
In any case, something was off. His plan was doomed from minute one. So why did he even try? It was like he was trying to prove something, going as far as to be within a moment of taking over Equestria and then relenting at the last moment. Almost like he was showing off.
I frowned and shook my head. Something wasn’t adding up here. As things settled down and ponies began to return home, I was left alone with Discord on the platform.
“You look troubled, my friend,” he commented. “Curious considering we just won a great victory over crystal for brains.” I looked up at my best friend.
“Something’s off here, Discord,” I said, pondering to myself. “Sombra’s actions don’t make any sense. He’s crazy, but he’s not stupid. He must have known that he wouldn’t be able to hold Canterlot for long, so why do it?” Discord shrugged his shoulders. Snapping his talons, he turned his head into an old dial telephone.
“The tyrant unicorn you are trying to reach has been vaporised by a rainbow or is no longer in service,” he rattled off in the style of those automated telephone voices. Snapping his talons, he turned back to normal. “The only pony who can answer that question is Sombra, Roger.”
Frowning to myself, I resigned myself to the fact that we’d probably never know Sombra’s true intent and turned my attention back to the here and now.
It was a few days later, and things had again returned to their comfortable routine. Everypony had more or less gotten over the shock of Sombra’s brief attack, particularly when they stopped and thought about it. Bones had even taken to doing a study of his experience under the mind control magic and, as is often his way when it comes to dark magic, was looking to develop a counter spell or other means of resistance.
I too had slowly relaxed again. As dangerous as Sombra was, it appears that he’d played his trump card. He’d has his fling and he’d flung it. That little letter, as unsettling as it was, was now far less of a concern. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to him.
And speaking of enemies, I suppose you’re wondering what became of Speakeasy. Obviously, when that whole mess kicked off, things like trials get put on the shelf for a little while. But once things had returned to normal, Wrought and I had returned to Manehattan to once again see the prosecution through.
It had been a pretty tough fight. The chaos that had broken out in the city had been the perfect environment for a few pieces of evidence to go ‘missing’ as it were. Still, our case had remained fairly strong throughout the trial. There was just one problem and that was the corruption we were facing. The fact that Speakeasy had the means to bribe both the officials and the jury of his peers meant that he still stood a good chance of getting out.
So I decided to pull that same old trick that got Capone. You see, as Celestia’s legal advisor, I have a few of the political powers she has, and can act on her behalf in legal matters. That meant I could command the court officials, including the judge, to do what I wanted. And so, at the climax of the trial, just before the jury, which our investigations showed to have clearly been paid off, retired to enter into deliberations, I asked the judge to do something rather unusual. I had him switch the juries. Speakeasy might have gotten to one group, but not all of them. And so we got a more honest verdict.
And wouldn’t you know it, they came back guilty, in less than two hours too.
Speakeasy was sent down for a total of twenty five years; a harsh sentence by Equestrian standards. His departure also marked the final permanent death of La Cosa Nostra. The mob in Manehattan was at last put out of action. It would take time for all of the effects to disappear, and we would need to watch for other groups attempting to fill the power vacuum while the city officials reasserted themselves, but the mob was, for all intents and purposes, dead.
I’d gotten back to Canterlot a few hours ago now to quite the little celebration, courtesy of the princesses. Speaking of, much to everypony’s relief, the princesses had announced a delay in their retirement. Twilight would still be succeeding them within the year, but now there would be a period of several months as a sort of transition period, giving Twilight a chance to get to grips with her new role, and for everypony else to do the same. Plus there was a practical reason; the loss of the Tree of Harmony and a second occupation of Canterlot had ponies rattled. They looked to their ancient, immortal guardians for support. It would have been foolhardy and dangerous for them to step aside straight away.
So, as is often the case after a major event, things settled down into a quiet routine again. At the moment, I was treating myself. After such a long time being stuck in Manehattan, I needed a break from the hustle and bustle of city life. I needed a break from ponies. The Royal Gardens of Canterlot Castle are world famous for their splendour and beauty. Over the years, Celestia has cultivated a little slice of Eden halfway up a mountain, seemingly entirely isolated from the rest of Equestria. She would often come here to think and be alone when she needed it and, as her close friend and confidant, she had given me free access to the place whenever I needed it.
It was amazing how peaceful it was here. There was slight breeze blowing, but other than that, all you could hear was the birdsong and the splashing of a nearby brook. It was hard to believe that I was standing in the capital, and a city of millions, never mind that I was halfway up a mountain.
I was ambling around, literally stopping to smell the roses. The animals, whilst they can be a little shy, would often come out to me to investigate. Little birds would land on your finger and the squirrels and rabbits would run around your legs. Philomena even stopped by to say hello, her fiery body standing in a sharp contrast to the soft earthy colours that surrounded me.
Still, despite the peace and serenity, my mind was troubled. I couldn’t help but think of the Tree of Harmony, now lost to us. Okay Twilight and the others still seemed able to use the Elements without the physical objects, but it was alarming that the ancient magical construct had been destroyed. Given how it created the key lock box, and Twilight’s castle, and helped construct the school, I’d have figured it would be one step ahead of the likes of Sombra. It was a damn shame, such a fascinating thing.
As I rounded the corner and came into something of an open clearing, my eyes caught something odd. See, the gardens were filled with plenty of trees, shrubs and bushes, and in the middle of this clearing, out right on its own, standing atop a small knoll was, I think, a mulberry bush. Now, that in itself is quite a common sight in Equestria, particularly in say, the well kept royal gardens. However, this particular example of the species was rather distinct.
It was on fire.
Yeah...that was a new one.
And just as in the old story, while it burned, it didn’t burn up. There was no smoke, no heat, just flames that seemed to be almost sitting on the leaves and stems. Perplexed by the sight, and possible magic at play, I went closer, still feeling no heat at all.
“Discord,” I called out. “If that’s you, this ain’t funny.”
But Discord didn’t appear. So I drew a little nearer. And that’s when things got much worse.
“Roger,” a voice said.
It was like a whisper on the wind, and somehow familiar. It was at this point taking all my effort and sheer force of will to not run screaming for the hills. I might be a Protestant, but I’ve never really considered myself religious in the true sense of the word. I never thought any of it was real. I always figured it was all symbolism, not reality. And yet here I was, standing before a burning bush. Uncertain of what else to do. I played along.
“Yes?” I replied, with more than a little nervousness in my voice.
I figured the next thing it would say would be to take off my shoes, and tell me that it was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As it turned out though, I wasn’t talking to the God of Classical Theism, although I dare say it wasn’t far off.
The fire glowed brighter for a moment, to the point where I had to actually shield my eyes from the bright glare. A moment later though, it receded. The bush stopped burning and standing before me was a very familiar lavender alicorn.
“Twilight?” I exclaimed. “What the devil are you playing at?! Jesus, you trying to give me a heart attack or something?”
Twilight didn’t reply, she just looked at me curiously. Something seemed off about her. She seemed to sparkle, a bit like the crystal ponies after they used the Crystal Heart. It certainly didn’t do much to calm me down. Hell, my stomach was practically competing in gymnastics at the Olympics at this point. After a moment longer, she finally spoke. Her voice was like Twilight, but different, with an echoing quality to it.
“You are not of this world,” she said.
“Right,” I said unsteadily, not quite keeping eye contact. “And you...you’re not Twilight, are you?” ‘Twilight’ shook her head.
“I am not Twilight,” she replied, that same odd tone in her voice.
“Then who are you?” I asked. Whoever, or whatever, this was, they clearly meant me no harm as far as I could make out. They’d had more than ample opportunity to attack me.
“I am honesty,” she said. “I am loyalty, generosity, kindness, laughter, and magic. I am friendship. I am harmony.”
“The Elements of Harmony?” I asked. She nodded.
“I am that which bore them so long ago. I take on this form so that we may speak.”
It couldn’t be.
“You...you’re the Tree of Harmony?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. She nodded. “But...how? Sombra destroyed you.” The alicorn shook her head.
“The creature of shadow sought to destroy friendship. But magic cannot be created or destroyed; merely transformed.”
“What do you want with me?”
“You and the creature of shadow have met many times,” she explained. “He will soon be gone from this world. I had thought you would wish to speak to him before that moment passes.”
Ah, now I saw what the Tree was driving at. I suppose it would be nice to see Sombra one last time, now that he was finally defeated once and for all. After all, I could hardly let him go with that taunt hanging over me. And I owed him more than a little payback for how he went after my family. So I agreed. The Tree explained what it would do, and then, with a flick of its non-existent horn, it engulfed the pair of us in what I can only guess to be a form of a teleportation spell.
I found myself standing in a black void. I suppose I should hardly have expected anything less from a place call the Ether, or the Void, should I? The avatar, as I will call it, of the Tree, stood beside me, it’s form giving off a faint glow of purple light. Wordlessly, it gestured for me to walk forwards. So I did.
There was a physical floor beneath me, but I couldn’t touch it as such. It wasn’t truly there. Sorry, but non-existence is a touch difficult to describe. My footsteps made no noise, and it was hard to tell if I was even going anywhere at all. There was no point of reference, no horizon, no light at all, just darkness. And this wasn’t just your average everyday darkness either; this was...advanced darkness.
Eventually though, I picked out a pair of eyes in the dark. I recognised those cunning red eyes a mile away, more so when I saw the tendrils of dark magic pouring out of them. A moment later, I found myself with Sombra. The dark unicorn started slightly at my sudden appearance, a first for me, which I greatly enjoyed. The Tree had assured me that here, he was without magic, without even a physical form, so he could not harm me in any way. Unless you count talking me to death. Sombra always did love his monologues.
“Just me, your majesty,” I reassured, with just a hint of sarcasm in my voice. Recognising me, Sombra scowled.
“Roger,” he said, with no small amount of disdain. “What do you want? My plan failed, The Empire is lost to me. And once again, I am dead. There’s nothing to do now but rub my nose in it.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“Never really been my style,” I replied. Sombra turned his head slightly and shot me a curious look.
“Then why are you here?” Now it was my turn to monologue.
“Well, Sombra,” I said. “There remains a debt. You see, civilisation is built on the principle that we treat our criminals better than they treated their victims; that we not stoop to their level.”
At this, I began to slowly pace around Sombra, stalking him almost. For the first time ever, I saw a flash of fear in his eyes. I went on.
“Now, you and I, we’re outliers. The things we’ve done. We’re not really a part of civilisation. We’re something...” I searched for the right word. “Older. And that means we can do the terrible, horrible, violent things that civilised people can’t. When you were in Tartarus, I told Celestia plenty of times to simply execute you, and no matter what, she always said no. She is civilised, and will be to the very end.
“Now, I know that she sometimes doesn’t like the way I do things. But regardless, I admire and respect her very much. And you...you sought to do her harm. You harmed her subjects, her nation, and tried to destroy those she holds most dear.”
I now found myself standing in front of the dark unicorn again, our eyes fixed on each other. I could feel his anger and rage, and he could no doubt feel mine. Yet each of us kept it under tight control, not giving way to passion, despite the strength of the emotions. I brought things to a point. In the corner of my eye, I faintly caught sight of the Tree’s avatar.
“So now, I consider it my personal responsibility to fix the particular problem that is you, King Sombra.”
The unicorn leered and me, barring his fangs that had no place on an equine. I’d pushed the right buttons. He was beyond furious, and yet entirely incapable of doing anything. Still, that didn’t stop him from boasting.
“You really think you are going to be the one to kill me?” he asked haughtily. I smiled.
Now, it was was true that I would have a hard time killing Sombra, considering that he was technically dead and so on. But the Tree of Harmony, who knows no moral code, only harmony and disharmony, was not so limited. I barked out a short laugh.
“No, Sombra,” I said, shaking my head. “No, my friend is going to kill you.”
At this the Tree’s avatar silently stepped into the small circle of light. Sombra at first thought that it was Twilight herself, but as she advanced on him, it quickly dawned on him who, and what, she was. Letting the smile fall from my face, I looked Sombra in the eye.
“I’m just gonna watch.”
The Tree closed with Sombra, the mad unicorn was now terrified, just as he had been when the Elements hit him that final time. The Tree’s eyes were glowing with a white light, showing the raw power of its magic. After all, this was the same being that banished Nightmare Moon, turned Discord to stone and sent Tirek to Tartarus, twice. In vain he tried to fire off a couple weak blasts of dark magic, but they bounced off harmlessly.
“No! You can’t do this!” He pleaded desperately. The Tree paid him no mind. “Please! Please!”
He looked at me in desperation. I just smiled and stepped back into the shadows. This is what you get for hurting my family. Just before the Tree struck the killing blow however, his eyes became cunning again.
“Wait!” he pleaded. “If you kill me, you’ll never know about the other monster that plots to destroy your precious kingdom! With my help, you might just survive!”
Now, I knew Sombra was desperate, as most people are when faced with the grim spectre of death. But I also know he wasn’t stupid enough to make up a lie he couldn’t at least part way build on. There would be some truth to his words. If nothing else, it piqued my interested. The Tree seemed to feel the same way, for it stayed its magic, backing up a couple of steps.
“What monster, Sombra?” I asked, doing my best to feign disinterest. Sombra leapt at the opening I’d offered.
“I did not bring myself back from death, Roger,” he explained. “I was pulled back by another. A legend, a being even I thought to be a myth. I was brought back by Grogar.” I raised an eyebrow at that.
“Am I supposed to know who that is?” I asked, still uninterested. Sombra seemed a little put out by my ignorance of ancient villains.
“The Father of Monsters?” he offered. I shrugged my shoulders. “The powerful goat who ruled the lands of Equestria when it was just a little collection of farms. He has returned and plots to reclaim his lost kingdom.”
“And he brought you back to help him?” Sombra shook his head.
“No, not just me,” he replied, now smiling. “Chrysalis, Tirek, Cozy Glow. He had brought all of us to his lair to work together to defeat Twilight Sparkle and her friends once and for all.”
That got my attention, and there was little I could do to not show it. Chrysalis had previously been considered basically no threat after she disappeared. What few reports I’d heard about her suggested she was going more than a little mad in her new solitude, But Tirek and Cozy were in Tartarus. And this Grogar had managed to pluck them out. Not even Celestia could do that. Seeing he had a captive audience, Sombra continued.
“I however had no interest in sharing power with a foolish old goat, never mind a bug, an ignorant centaur and a child. So I chose to leave and reclaim my empire on my own. Grogar told me that we needed to work together. And it turns out he was right. But I told him I could defeat Twilight Sparkle alone. I suppose I have served an example to the others.”
Well ,that explained one question. The reason Sombra had done nothing after attacking Canterlot was that he was waiting for this Grogar to come out and face him. If what he was saying was true, we were in deep doo doo. A creature capable of doing what Grogar had done was dangerous enough, but having a changeling, Tirek and that little sociopath at his side...well, it would make Discord pairing up with Tirek look like a minor thing. And now we didn’t have the Elements either.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked him. “What makes you think I won’t just let the Tree here finish you off?” Sombra smiled again, making my blood boil.
“Well, you could do that,” he replied casually. “But then, you would never know where Grogar’s little hideaway was, would you? Tell you what. If you will let me go back to Tartarus, and live again, I will do my best to help you defeat Grogar and his lackeys.”
“Why would you do that?” I asked. Sombra smiled again, knowing that he’d beaten me.
“My enemy’s enemy is my friend. Is that not how it goes?” he replied. “I wish to rule over the Crystal Empire. I cannot do that if Grogar takes over.”
Well, this was a deal with the devil wasn’t it? I turned to the Tree looking for guidance. Despite all that had happened, it seemed calm and at ease as it had been from the moment I met it. I looked at her, a silent question on my face. She merely nodded, signalling that I should take the deal. I hated to let that sick bastard have his way, but at least I would be putting him back in a cage where he belonged.
“Fine,” I all but spat. “Do right and you’ll live through this.”
Sombra smiled as the Tree again powered up its magic, preparing to return him to Tartarus.
“Spoken like a true Protestant,” he quipped.
A few moments later and I found myself once again in the gardens of Canterlot Castle, standing next to that same mulberry bush I had been before. And standing opposite me was the Tree’s avatar. It seemed happier now, rather than just at ease. I could hardly say the same for myself.
“There,” she said. “The creature of shadow is once again imprisoned and will now assist you if needed.” I wasn’t quite as confident.
“Won’t Grogar just break him out of there again?” She shook her head.
“He has fulfilled his purpose. Grogar has no further use for him. He will not try to release him a second time.”
That made sense. If I knew villains, there was no such thing as a true team up. At best, he would use his new allies until they ceased to be useful, and then turn on them, just as Tirek did with Discord and the Storm King did to Tempest. Of course, he might very well find the situation reversed. With any luck, that would help us stop whatever it was he was planning. As I said, I knew jack about this Grogar character.
“If Sombra does help us,” I said. “Celestia and the other princesses, along with Twilight and her friends should be able to stop him. I’ll bet he was banking on surprise being on his side. Who knows, we might even be able to nip this whole problem in the bud.” The Tree however, had different ideas.
“No,” she said. “You will not tell anycreature what you have seen today.”
“What?” I exclaimed in shock. “But why?”
“Remember what Chaos told you when Magic’s pupil was still a threat.”
Ah yes. Discord had known about Starlight’s time travelling plan for some time. But instead of helping, he’d kept quiet, because the Tree had told him to. From what I understand, the Tree is all but omniscient, which is why I was so surprised at its apparent destruction. As such, it knows how events are going to play out. As Bones puts it, we all have to stick to the script. Things might go bad for a while, but following events in their natural course, good would always triumph. And given its track record, I’ve come to trust the Tree’s judgement, enigmatic as it might be. Still, it didn’t make me feel any better about concealing knowledge of a threat to Equestria.
“Alright, I understand,” I said at length.
With that, the Tree’s form glowed brightly, and it disappeared in a bright light, leaving me with these parting words.
“Do not despair,” she said. “I will return soon.”
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Still cheez'd-off to this day that it wasn't Avery Brooks who voiced Sombra.
Generic Villain 74? What's that supposed to mean?
Couldve gone a lot worse.
Imagine if The Tree had signed off with That line?
Would’ve been interesting to see an alt S9 where they knew about the continuing threat
I wonder how Bones will react when he learns about Grogar.
9943751 That would have been interest. Although i honestly liked his original VA from Season 3 too. The only other voice I'd change is to have Patrick Stewart voice Starswirl, and then have a meeting with Discord.
9943775 Just that he's generic villain, so generic and cliched to the point that there's a catalogue of cliched villain ideas.
9944376 I've had to a do a whole lot of work around to have Roger in the loop and still keep canon. Like he says, if the Tree knows all will end well, best to 'stick to the script'.
9945075 More to the point, how will Roger react when he finds out Discord is behind him, and therefore partly responsible for his wife and children being mind controlled.
9945102
Guess I’ll have to wait for fics like “MLP: The Story Retold” to tackle that then. The question is will Discord losing his magic and being betrayed by the Legion of Doom be enough punishment for him
EDIT: Orginally remembered the wrong fic “OffThe Record” is listed as completed changed comment to reflect that
9945102
Still think Lenny would have done a great job as the grumpy, ignorant wizard. Too bad he's waiting in the great beyond with DeForest and James.
Wait so Grogar was Dicord the whole time? And that's actually canon? Well shit, I never saw that coming. Well, Discord's gotten away with worse.
Sombra had "BS anti-magic" (crystals) of his own.
But the writers just gave him the Idiot Ball and had him spam basic, easy-to-counter blasts instead.
so sombre gave information to Roger in exchange for his survival. information that Roger cannot use in any meaningful way rendering it useless. sombre just got something for nothing.