Chapter 8: I Saw Through It All
"... Why did he keep you alive?" Luna questioned.
"Why did he?" Tidal Swirl hummed as she made her way through their mindscape, "Well isn't that a question."
The two would then fall, but they barely even reacted to it. One moment they were walking along a road made of stars, the next they had fallen through a black splot of ink that transformed itself into a memory, all while standing in the same position.
The memory had been frozen. Paused in time. The two would find themselves standing in a cell within the dark dungeons of the Empire. The faint light of a torch provided them little vision and the hard cobble ensured the prisoner within would not escape.
In the middle of it all was Tidal Swirl. Broken and chained. Her wounds were fresh and her horn was snapped clean off. She had just battled King Sombra recently, and she along with many others suffered a terrible loss. Yet somehow, she survived while others didn't. Maybe that's why he decided to approach her.
With permission, Luna closed her eyes and allowed the memory to play out. The still flames suddenly danced where they were, and the soft sobs of the lone prisoner echoed through their ears.
The cell door opened with an ominous creak, revealing Sombra himself. He stepped through and stared down at the defeated mare.
"... Consider yourself lucky."
"Lucky..? Lucky?!" Tidal Swirl had stood to face the self-proclaimed king, "I was meant to lead them. To save them... and now they're gone. And it's my fault. I surrendered, but you didn't stop. I should have just kept fighting when I had the chance. Like my own student did."
"Your student was foolish."
"And you insult him before his body is even cold!" She hissed, "You're more than a tyrant, you're a demon! A monster!"
Sombra approached her, even as she stood her ground, "Exactly. I am a monster. A king of all monsters. And you agreed to surrender to me."
"I only agreed to surrender for them and now they are gone."
"Such a shame then." He grunted, "I suppose you don't want your magic back?"
"... My what?"
"Your magic." He eyed her broken horn, "Even though it is broken, I could experiment and allow you a morsel of your abilities back. It won't be perfect, but it would be something new to work on."
"..." Tidal Swirl stared in disbelief, "Why? Why would you want to do that?"
"In truth, I want to keep myself busy." He nonchalantly shrugged, "There is... a lot on my mind. A project wouldn't hurt to work on while I decide where I want to go from here. What do I want to do with this Empire... with Equestria?" He turned away and began to pace nearby, "Of course there is much more to it than that. I would also like an assistant."
"An assistant-?"
"And..." He paused, "I need to... understand crystal unicorns."
"Understand them?? You killed them all!"
"To prevent magical rebellions, escapes, and unpredictable nuisances. Oh don't look at me like that."
Tidal Swirl glared, "Why me?"
"Because you survived. You're the strongest I could find that I managed to contain but also, you have nothing left. You have nowhere to go from here. Either you stay with me and become powerful again, or you die. Escaping is an option, of course, but let's be honest little one.
What will happen to you once you escape?
You'll become a husk, a shell of what you once were. You're broken. You're no longer that shining councilmare by Amore's side. No. You're a failure. And you would have to live with that for the rest of your life in Equestria. That broken horn will only be a constant reminder.
It will be a scar that you will never be able to heal.
Do you understand?
You're stuck here."
Tidal Swirl took a shaky step back.
"So? What do you say?"
[ Two hours after the memory wipe ]
"Why am I your assistant?"
King Sombra carefully plucked up a crystal shard out from its case as a small pink pegasus idly sat nearby. With a quirked brow her faraway gaze would often scan her new surroundings. It almost reminded him of a lost puppy. Wide-eyed, excited, but also scared and uncertain. He tried to ignore it and focused only on answering her questions.
"Because I lost one and need a new one. And I need to keep an eye on you."
"Why..?"
"Well I can't do everything here by myself-"
"No, I mean why do you need to keep an eye on me?"
Sombra hesitated to answer, "... Because you're young and young ponies have done reckless things before." He quietly brought out a silver chain to wrap around the dark shard.
"What kind of reckless things?" She asked just before he placed the necklace over her head so it would slip down onto her neck.
"Keep that on you at all times."
"Why?"
"Is that all you ever say?" Sombra slightly lifted the shard in his hoof and glared down at it.
"Sorry King Sombra!"
"It's alright to ask questions, but I'm doing something right now. I need to concentrate."
His new assistant hurriedly nodded as his horn bubbled with dark magic. He then unleashed a torrent of colors into the small crystal and both watched as it began to gleam with purple and green colors.
Sombra pulled away and huffed, "There."
"What is it..?"
"Dark magic. You're not a crystal pony, are you?"
"Um." The filly narrowed her eyes, "I don't know..?"
"Hm. You don't look like one. Good, then you should be able to use it without any issue. I suppose that makes one thing easier."
"I can use it?" The filly held up the crystal in her hooves.
"Yes. With practice you will be able to use abilities similar to mine."
"Oh. Okay... but why? Why do you want me to have your abilities, my king?"
"Hm... To protect yourself. I need your help with something dangerous in due time. For now, let me tell you about a few of our future targets, Assistant.
Let me tell you about Celestia, Luna, and Hope..."
Hope gazed at the Empire she once knew and loved. The sky was a murky yellow, the streets a dull grey, and the buildings had fissures all snaking through their walls thanks to pillars and towers that had formed under King Sombra’s rule. It was a disaster, but the state of her home wasn’t as devastating as the sight of the crystal ponies. They were chained to one another and forced to march in straight lines. Their heads were hung low in defeat and their eyes were void of life. Guards stood at the ready with sharp spears and shields in preparation for any escapee and to Hope it was such a dark contrast from the once sparkling city she had lived in.
What had Sombra done?
A part of her didn't care to be seen, but she hid anyways. She kept her coat dull and her eyes sharp on the corrupted soldiers nearby. She found her first hiding spot in a crumbling home, broken and falling apart. Her thoughts raced as she carefully picked her hooves over a fallen vase; what should she do? How could she stop this? If there was even a chance to... Was she getting herself killed, coming this far? Would Sombra strike her down? Spare her? Hope wasn't sure what he'd do now.
Guess the best option for that answer was to find him herself.
She carefully made her way from house to house and fearfully crossed each street; inching ever closer to the Empire itself. She was just about to race to another broken home when a group of guards came into view. Hope swiftly dived back in her hiding spot and waited for them to leave... only to hear a voice. A young, stern voice of a filly.
"Let me say this again. North sector. North! It's not that hard." Hope peeked over to spot a small pink pegasus hovering in front of a large guard. She took out a shining silver trinket from her saddlebags and roughly placed it in their hoof, "Here. Take this compass. Even then you don't need it. Geez, you'd think a guard would know this Empire like the back of his hoof. I already do! And I'm a kid! Now go patrol, you better hope nothing went through that area or so help me. Get going!" She pointed a hoof down the street and the guards obediently followed her command.
Hope curiously looked the filly over. She had pink fur and a blue mane which curled over her head in a neat fashion. She had a rook cutiemark, a jeweled saddlebag, and a dark crystal loosely hanging around her neck. The crystal caught Hope's attention because it was clear it was no normal crystal. It was as black as obsidian and had this purplish tint that not only glowed but writhed around within the sharp stone.
The filly let out a sigh and landed back down on the ground, "Now... What's next?" She muttered to herself as she searched her bags for her list.
As she just about grasped it, she suddenly felt something grip around her. Looking down, she saw this blue glow surround her body, "Wha-"
Hope swiftly dragged the filly over to her hiding spot and covered their mouth before she could scream, "Shhh shh! Calm down, don't panic. Please."
The filly pushed Hope's hoof away, "Peh-! Who are you??"
"Hope. Radiant Hope. Who are you?"
"Hope..?"
"Radiant Hope is a powerful unicorn, but her skills lie heavily in healing. She will not be too much trouble. Especially if you use that dark magic to your advantage." Sombra mused.
"If she is not too much trouble then what could she have done to betray the Empire?" His new Assistant asked.
They were both in a large, expansive library with shelves stacked to the brim with books. It was lonely and dark with only a peculiar candlelight granting them vision. The Assistant hovered nearby. Constantly training herself after her first flying lessons.
"Many things. One was joining Celestia and Luna's side when she could've joined mine." He scanned the shelves and began digging through them.
"What are you looking for, my king?"
Rip! Sombra tore a page right off of one of the books he was searching through, "One of these." He grumbled before burning it into a fine black dust.
"What was that?"
"Something that could bring more harm than good." He sighed before storing it away, "Assistant. Feel free to dust and organize. If you find any books about artifacts or about the Empire, give them to me."
"Oh, alright sir! You can count on me!"
"I hope I can." He muttered out as he pulled out another article to peruse, "If we are to punish the traitor, I'm going to need all the assistance I can get."
The Assistant fluttered away to another shelf that looked a bit more messier than it should. She eagerly got to work... but paused when she came upon a certain book. On the cover it revealed two tall mares with horns and wings. One had a flowing rainbow as a mane and the mark of a brilliant sun. The other's was a sparkling night sky with the moon as her symbol. The filly blinked and glanced over at Sombra. Hesitantly, she flew away to a secluded corner and curiously read through its pages.
Equestria.
A world unlike the Empire, ruled by none other than Celestia and Luna. The symbols of the sun and moon which they moved across the skies.
The ponies under their rule laughed and played. The smiled and lived their lives under clear skies or glistening stars. There were no chains or marching. No war to prepare for. There were unicorns and pegasi along with earth ponies, and they were all safe. Safe and happy.
Everypony looked so happy.
Why? Why was this in the Empire's library? Was it a lie? A trick?
Or was there more to this than she thought?
She lowered her book and hurriedly moved on to another one. She must learn more.
What is the Crystal Empire to the world? What was it to itself?
And why was Sombra against Equestria..?
The little one blinked, "Uh. Assistant. I'm the Assistant."
"Assistant??" Hope narrowed her eyes, "What's your real name?"
"... Real name?"
"Oh sweet Amore. Alright, listen, were you just ordering those guards around just now?"
The Assistant nodded.
"And.. Who are you exactly? I don't remember you from anywhere and Sombra never knew a filly before all this."
Now it was The Assistant's turn to scrutinize the other, "Ma'am, ever since I can remember, I have been King Sombra's Assistant. I don't know what in the great empire you're talking about."
"That's... strange, why would he need an Assistant if he's just chaining up and enslaving everypony else? Couldn't he have just gotten a servant?" Hope pondered.
"I have been wondering that myself." The Assistant admitted.
The two paused and looked each other up and down.
Hope rested her hoof on the other's shoulder, "... Does he make you do this?"
"Do what?"
"Work for him."
The Assistant hesitated to answer, "It is all I know to do."
"And are you happy doing it?"
"..." She wasn't able to answer.
"Hey," Hope caught the little one's attention again, "Help me save the Empire."
"Save the Empire..? From what?"
"From... something I caused. I need to get to Sombra, but all these guards are in the way. Please, he's a friend. I have to speak with him again."
"Well-" The Assistant turned her attention to the castle. Then, she shook her head, "No. I shouldn't"
"What?"
"You can't go in there. It's a trap. I know I can get you there, and I know you could trust me and I can trust you but you can't. You can't go and you can't trust me. He wants you there, and he's going to do bad things to you."
"Assistant what do you mean-"
"Listen to me Hope, please." The filly begged, "I know something is wrong. I don't know why but I know it just is. He wants me to prove my loyalty and this is one way to, by tricking Radiant Hope, but my loyalty is not worth it for the life of another. Please, turn back. Go out the way you came. Return to Equestria."
A silence fluttered between the two.
"... I will if you come with me." Hope insisted, "Leave the Empire with me and we'll both get out of here safely, okay?"
"But... but I have work to do here-"
"No. No you don't. You're just a kid. If you truly believe he is going to hurt me when I meet him and you want me to leave that badly, then you better come with me. I'm not taking no for an answer."
The Assistant sat there, considered her options, and agreed with a heavy sigh, "Fine. I'll keep the guards back. Just go back the way you came from, I'll follow."
Hope smiled and the two made their way back through the streets. Rubble and broken structures became their hideaways as the Assistant managed to guide several guards in different directions, claiming that there was suspicious activity up west or south. They carefully trekked along back the way Hope had come from and, soon, they finally found the last stretch of land before the fissure in the great crystal walls.
The Assistant hovered next to Hope as she stared at the opening just a field in front of them, "How did we miss that..?"
"That's our way out." Hope assured, "From there we can walk along the wall and head back in the direction of-"
"Well. Isn't this a surprise?"
The two whirled around at the voice. The first thing that had caught their eyes was the giant crystal pillar slowly forming before them, then the second thing they noticed was the dark figure atop it. King Sombra. He raised his head and glared daggers at the two.
"... To think I would get betrayed by not only my friend but my Assistant as well. A second time. You two wound me." He growled, "Assistant! You had one job. Lead her or anyone else to the Empire... And you failed that simple task."
The Assistant flinched, "I-I.."
"Don't you DARE speak to her like that!" Hope furiously shouted, "If you're going to get upset at anypony, be upset with me! I was the one who convinced her to leave, and I'm the one that's going to tell you this... You're out of control, Sombra! I can't believe what I'm seeing!"
"Believe it, because it is real. I am no long the young colt you once thought I was. I am a King. King of Monsters... and you will learn to respect that."
"RESPECT THAT?! Sombra, what happened to you? A while ago I had gotten my cutiemark and you were so happy. We were so happy! We lived in a beautiful empire and we were weird, sure, but we had each other, didn't we? Why did you run off..? And why did you come back like this? I miss my old friend Sombra. I miss you..."
Sombra stomped his hoof down, "I AM A KING NOW. AN UMBRUM. I have learned my true nature and for that-"
"OH shut the BUCK up Sombra!" Hope cried out, "I'm done! After what I've seen and heard and know- so many ponies have gotten hurt because of me... because of what I've done and said! Ponies are dead Sombra, and it's my fault!"
King Sombra seemed to... pause, "What..?"
"It's my fault... I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen. I didn't want to hurt you or everypony else that got involved. I just wanted you... back..." She lowered her head in defeat.
The Assistant looked over and noticed tears starting to fall from her cheeks.
Sombra's gaze became a conflicted glare. He wasn't sure what to say, "You're... blaming yourself?"
"Yes! I am! I should have been a better friend to you!"
His expression softened, "Hope what are you talking about?" Sombra's voice changed to something more familiar, something that was once more innocent and true to himself, "A better friend? You were the best friend I could ever have."
"Then why did you run away from me? What did I do wrong..?"
"I-..." The king went silent.
Nobody moved, or wanted to. They were as still as statues with only the breeze dancing through their manes. The tension grew each passing second.
With a heavy heart, Hope finally spoke, "Assistant. Run."
"Wh-What?"
"Run." She then lit her horn and glared up at Sombra, "I'll keep him back."
Sombra perked up in surprise before he felt Hope's magic surround him. He was plucked up into the air and tossed to the side where he crash landed into the nearest snow pile besides them.
"Go filly!" Hope insisted.
"Not without you I won't! We both need to leave." The Assistant placed a hoof on the crystal hanging from her chest and suddenly unleashed a torrent of dark magic from the stone. It transformed itself into black tendrils which protectively hovered around the filly.
"I can protect myself. Just head to the opening."
Hope blinked in surprise but spotted a glimpse of Sombra pulling himself up, "Fine, just stick by me!"
As Hope rushed towards the exit with The Assistant following close besides her, King Sombra let out an angered roar before he threw himself into the ground. There he dispersed into the shadows that would lunged for the two of them only to sprout upwards once more as crystalline walls and barriers to block their way.
Hope lit her horn once more and focused most of her energy in teleporting The Assistant and herself just on the other side. Sombra whirled his head around and ignited his horn, his aim landed on the Assistant as he shot a bolt of magic towards her.
"AH!" The Assistant nearly avoided the beam of dark magic, "Missed me!"
"Did I?"
The beam had created a dark splotch on the ground which, once it had solidified against the snow, transformed into a pillar of crystal which came shooting out to sharply jab at the filly just above it.
The Assistant let out a shout as she was suddenly flying into another a crystal tower. She slammed into its walls and lay limp against one of its jutting overhangs, "Ugh..."
Hope went skidding to a halt, "No!" She then abruptly teleported herself over to where The Assistant was only to feel an immense amount of dark magic surround her. Caught in Sombra's magical hold, she could only scream as she was tossed across the field and into another pile of snow.
She grunted and swiped the snow off her face.
"End of the line, Hope." Sombra growled as his horn sparked with green and purple colors.
Just as he was about to strike, something had lashed out against his side and sent him tumbling into another crystal pillar. He went crashing against it and let out a choked gasp.
The Assistant stepped up onto the tallest pillar and raised her wings. Besides her were several shadow limbs, controlled by her and the crystal on her neck, "Leave her alone King Sombra!" She called, though clearly wobbled where she was. Her firm gaze would droop and her breath became heavy.
Even then, she still stood tall above the field.
"Hmph... I teach you and train you and this is the thanks I get?" Sombra growled as his horn bubbled and sparked, "I've had enough. You are relieved of duty, Assistant."
Hope stood, "Sombra wait!"
A beam of dark magic went shooting for the filly. She swiftly dodged out of the way as stones and debris went flying behind her. With hurried flaps she made for the air, only to hear a familiar alarm blare out in her ears. Before she could figure out where it was coming from, crystals had already began sprouting around her neck and along her wings. She looked down to see the crystal on her neck was giving off a glow as her body became stiff from the jagged stones. The Assistant cried out as she dropped out of the sky and down into the crystals below where her body slammed against the harsh ground.
She went tumbling down into some snow and melted into a heap of cold pain. All she could do was groan as the crystals continued to grow around her.
"Kid!"
Sombra turned towards Hope and shot another beam of dark magic towards her.
She hurriedly blocked his attack and stumbled away, dashing behind a formed pillar of crystal, "Listen Sombra! It doesn't have to be like this!"
"But it does. It's more complicated than a simple broken friendship. You have betrayed me and so has this one, too."
"That one is just a filly thrown into this mess! And I didn't betray you, I asked for help!"
"That HELP wants to destroy me!"
"Then don't give them a reason to destroy you!" Hope carefully emerged from her hiding spot and offered her hoof, "Please Sombra, come with me. Let go of the Empire. You don't have to keep doing this..."
"..." King Sombra stared down at Hope, "It's not that easy. Especially not now. We can't just go back to how things were. Ponies are dead, Hope. No one is going to forget that."
"But-"
"ENOUGH!" Another beam shot towards her, except this one hit. A scream rang out as it hit Hope's chest and sent her barreling into another pillar.
Sombra looked on in shock, but glowered when she moved her head and lit her horn. Their eyes met before she quickly teleported away into another hiding spot where she could swiftly heal her new injuries.
"Ugh... Where is The Assistant..?" Hope muttered to herself as she scanned the area to try and find the little pink bundle of feathers hidden under the crystal field.
Sombra snapped his head towards Hope's direction and began stalking his way up to her. He was just a couple of steps closer to her very hiding spot when suddenly- SPLAT! He was hit dead on by a flying cold snowball. Surprised, Sombra reeled back and wiped the snow off his face, "What..?"
"Ello tall dark and handsome!" Said a voice before a grey and white stallion suddenly bounded forward and sent a swinging hindleg kick into the King's face. Sombra stumbled back in surprise and whipped his head over to the newcomer.
Hope perked up, "Scout!"
"Mind keepin ya hooves off the missus? It's rather inappropriate." The Scout snickered.
Sombra looked rather unamused.
"Scout you need to leave!" Hope urged.
"Not without you I ain't! Yeesh you're terrible at sneakin' round if you get caught by the BIG BAD himself! Now you right ol' bloke, let's see what you got!"
"An earth pony against a unicorn with powerful dark magic..? Hilarious." Sombra ignited his horn and unleashed several shadows along the ground floor. Those shadows began racing forward to form pillars and pillars of jagged crystal as they lunged straight for The Scout.
"Oh I'm not just A earth pony. I'm a FAST earth pony." The Scout abruptly jumped up onto a pillar that formed underneath his hooves and leaped off of it into another one. He clambered all the way to the top where he hopped off to land across another overhang of crystal. The shadows made their way up to The Scout as he continued climbing from one pillar to the next in a rapid succession. The only time he slowed down was when he was right in front of Sombra himself.
With a salute, the pony then fell back just as another jab of sharp crystal sprung up across their vision.
Sombra felt rough stone slam into his chest and he reacted by dispersing himself into the shadows. His new form flew up into the sky as he scanned the area for the two.
The Scout went bounding down against a pillar and came to a skidding to a halt besides Hope. He smiled down at her, "Nice seein' ya again."
"You shouldn't be here."
"Neither should you. We need to leave."
"Wait, before we go we have to get-" Hope wasn't able to finish when the pillar besides them suddenly exploded into shards and debris. The two covered their faces with their hooves, but Hope would find herself suddenly plucked up and taken into the air by a dark force. She let out a shout as she struggled against the black cloud. Her horn came alight as she prepared a spell.
Before she could fully cast it, Sombra then dropped her back down into the field of crystals below. She twisted her body so she was now facing him. With her back towards the ground she shot a beam of pure white light in his direction.
The monstrosity above let out a screech as it writhed around the bright colors before it slowly transformed back into the more physical body of Sombra himself. He clutched his chest as he felt this overwhelming amount of light, harmony, and love pump through his body. It was only a passing moment, but it easily caught him off guard. So much so that he hadn't even noticed he was falling until he heard Hope's piercing yell.
"Hope?!" He swiftly dispersed into shadows once more before he crash landed into the same jagged stones she did. He hurriedly regained his bearings and formed atop another tall pillar where he could view from above. There, he spotted Hope on her side, laying limp on the ground.
Sombra flinched as a pang of guilt and fear rushed through him. He hadn't killed her, had he?
"Hope!" The Scout rushed over to the mare's side, "Hope hey, it's alright. I'll get ya out of here..!"
Sombra placed a hoof over his chest and glared down at himself. What kind of spell did she cast on him..? It didn't feel right in this body but... it felt familiar.
As he tried to figure out what was happening to him, Scout had already pulled Hope onto his back and booked it across the the crystallized field. The King perked up in surprise before giving chase, transforming himself back into the shadows so he could make ground against the fast stallion.
The Scout managed to get by all the crystals before Sombra even hit the floor. He pushed himself across the last stretch of land to ensure that Hope could possibly get out of here safely. Even by just a small slim of a chance. He was not going to have somepony die on his watch!
Sombra was now at his heels but he didn't care to notice or look. He just ran. He ran across the field and kicked up the snow behind him. His hooves pounded harshly against the ground and his vision was entirely zoned in on his target. The exit. With each stride it got closer... and closer... until finally.
BOOM!
The Scout went flying right through just as Sombra was upon them. Walls of sharp, jagged crystal hurriedly formed within the opening and loomed over the two as they collapsed and crumbled just on the outside of the unbreakable wall. A dark mist began to appear and surround what was once their passage into the Empire.
The Scout let out a pained groan and slowly raised his head, "Hope..?"
She laid on the cold ground, unresponsive. The stallion hurriedly crawled to her side and placed a hoof over her neck. After a heavy pause, he let out a relieved sigh. A pulse. She wasn't dead.
He couldn't celebrate for long however. From the dark mist, a figure began to approach. The Scout whipped his head around and swiftly scrambled back on his hooves. As Sombra appeared, the other would move between him and Hope. He protectively stood in front of the unconscious mare and held his ground.
"You might just be one of the most bravest or the most dumbest earth pony I have ever met." Sombra growled.
The Scout smirked, "Don't underestimate us. We have our own strengths as well."
"Hm." Sombra glanced over at Hope who still lay limp in the snow. The Scout stepped in the way.
"Staring ain't very polite either. You best leave her alone or we're gonna have a good ol' brawl on our hooves."
"Is she alive?"
"What's it to you? Mind your business!"
Sombra chuckled, "You are very foolish... but admirable. Go then."
"What?"
"Leave. I don't think I care anymore." Sombra turned away, "She is one of the last crystal unicorns. Is it really worth the trouble to kill her when I've already rid of many others? I've already seen what she's capable of today and it was very underwhelming. Perhaps I have put too much thought into it. The crystal unicorns have no chance against me. Just like you have no chance as well. I could end both of your lives... but what's the point in it now?"
As he blasted several more crystals along the fissure to reinforce the breach, The Scout stared on.
"What are you on about, Sombra?"
"If you want a chance to live, I suggest you take Hope and your cruddy supplies and leave." Sombra growled, "I must prepare for a more serious battle than this pitiful display. I know your dear princesses are coming and I shall not waste any more of time with an earth pony. So again, if you know what's good for you. Run."
The king then disappeared back into the mist. The shadows surrounded his form and hid him away, taking him back into the Empire itself. What he left behind in his wake was a new barrier of dangerous crystal that clawed out at the sky and threatened to jab at the nearest intruder.
The Scout slowly backed away before tumbling over to Hope.
He gathered her things and secured her on his back. Once settled, the stallion began to make his way back towards camp with the help of a compass.
"The... kid..." Hope's voice whispered in his ear.
Scout came to a pause, "What?"
"Where... is she..?"
He looked up at the walls behind them. A kid? He never saw a kid while he was out in the field.
The Scout didn't leave someone behind... did he?
"Explain."
They were in the throne room. Sombra was pacing the floor with The Assistant confined in place thanks to the jagged crystals that surrounded her. Like a little birdcage, it was cramped and temporary prison to hold her in place.
The Assistant breathed in, "You were going to hurt her."
King Sombra shook his head as he passed her, "She betrayed the Empire, Assistant. Of course I was going to hurt her. She must be punished for what she has done."
"She didn't betray the Empire, she betrayed you." The filly bravely raised her head, "My King, why are your subjects chained? Why are they called slaves? And why do you experiment on them? You do not sound like a king to me."
He lowered his head to her eye level, "Even after all that's happened you're still very rebellious aren't you? I don't remember ever teaching you morals."
"You have a lot of books in your library. It's only fair I read them too."
"Ugh. That library." Sombra raised his head, "I should just burn all those old books and start over again."
"Burning books too? You read through so much of them isn't it only right to keep it?"
"That library is not mine." Sombra grumbled, "It belonged to another more virtuous than me. Princess Amore. And now she's been scattered to pieces among the corners of Equestria. But why do I bother telling you this? I will just adjust your mind once more. You especially are too smart for your own good."
"I knew something was wrong."
"You won't anymore." Sombra's horn bubbled in preparation, "You have gone against me several times and failed in each rebellious attempt. Each revolt went down thanks to my prowess and abilities. It's tiring that you continue to go against me... but maybe if I broke down your hope, you will finally see that the smartest move is to give in to me."
"What... What do you mean?" The Assistant pressed back in her makeshift cage.
"You want to remember? I will let you remember. I will let you remember each and every time you've failed. Each and every time you were defeated by me, and I will make sure that feeling does not go away. Anytime you even THINK of rebelling against me, those thoughts will resurface... and next time, you will think twice."
He raised his head and readied his spell.
"And you will help me destroy the princesses. Once and for all."
The carriage rattled and shook against the harsh winds. The world outside her window was practically blanketed with snow in an unwelcoming show of dominance against the more peaceful weathers of Equestria. It was freezing and it was cold, but it was not unexpected.
Celestia had not prepared much for warmth but instead for battle as adorned on her body were the forged golden plating of her armor and the shining shield of the sun across her side. Sitting in front of her sat a young but excitable pegasus mare. The Messenger. She would occasionally shift in her seat and stretch her wings throughout their travel. Celestia could very much tell they were just itching to fly once more. However, she insisted The Messenger allow her wings to rest and convinced her to ride along.
After all, a storm was coming. Everypony available was going to need all the energy they could get.
When the carriage finally came to a stop at the squadron's camp, The Messenger was the first to exit. She happily greeted The Commander who seemed... very troubled, before they turned to watch the Princess of the Sun step out into the freezing snow.
Her younger sister, Luna, approached.
"Sister. We're glad to see you've safely arrived."
"And I am grateful to see you are still in one piece, Luna."
The two sisters smiled and pulled each other into an embrace with their wings.
"Now," Celestia stepped back, "On to more serious matters. Is there anything new to report-?"
"Actually, there is." The Commander announced, "The Healer and Scout. They've gone missing."
Luna perked up in alarm, "Where did you see them last? Where is Hope?"
"Last we saw them both was this morning at breakfast. Then they seemed to have vanished. The Scout tends to go out on patrol by himself from time to time, but the Healer had vanished along with him. We're not sure if-"
"Healer down!" A voice cried out in the distance.
Everypony whipped their head in the voice's direction to find The Scout carrying The Healer on his back. He let out an exhausted breath and continued forward through the last stretch to camp, "Healer down!" He called again.
Princess Luna and The Commander were the first to react. They hurriedly flapped their wings and made their way over to the two just before The Scout collapsed from exhaustion. Several more began to join them, but by then The Commander was helping Scout back onto his hooves and Luna had already plucked up Hope in her grasp. She anxiously looked over the mare and noticed small bits of dark crystal along her horn and legs. Hope was unconscious, but from one quick check of her pulse, still alive.
Even then Luna couldn't relax. As they took the two into the medical tent, Luna was quick to join the mare's side.
Celestia stepped in after her to see her younger sister casting a healing spell along the unicorn's wounds.
"Sister..."
Luna perked, "We need our healer up and ready. We will stay by her side until she is... awake or properly healed. She is very important for this mission."
"What happened out there, Scout?" The Commander asked as he offered the stallion a water pouch.
Scout eagerly drank from it, "Ugh... You're not going to like this, but we might have found an opening in the wall... and gone through it."
"Why?" The crystal pegasus growled, "You should have just come back and reported the opening itself."
"I wanted to. But Hope had other plans. She entered on her own, and we faced King Sombra. I managed to kick the bloke in the face and get out of there with 'er! It was amazing, you should have seen how he-"
"That was very brash of you two! If I had lost any of you-!"
"That's enough." Celestia firmly approached, "Scout. Is the opening still there?"
The stallion sighed, "No, your highness. I'm sorry, but he found it and patched it right back up."
"Then we'll have to continue with our original plan. Rest well, hopefully by tomorrow this will all be over soon. Sister, are you able to join us?" She turned to Luna expectantly.
The younger princess hesitated, "Allow us some time, we still need to make sure our healer didn't suffer any irreversible damage."
Celestia nodded, "I understand. We will be discussing strategy with The Commander if you need us."
"Very well. We will accompany you soon."
Celestia made to leave with The Commander following behind her. Of course not before giving Scout a sharp but concerned glance on the way out.
When the two entered the tent, a few other high-ranked soldiers were already there waiting expectantly for the princess.
With a heavy sigh, she spoke, "Thank you for all coming. I'm afraid, however, that not many of you will be able to join us in the final battle. From the notes I have gathered, the walls are impenetrable. Earth ponies are not able to break through. The tyrant also has a spell to cut off unicorn magic, making them useless in battle as well. There is a possibility for pegasi to fly over the walls, but even then they could get shot down if unprotected with magical help."
"The best course of action for this is for me and my sister to ride into battle together. However, we may be able to allow one to accompany us." She glanced over at The Commander by her side.
The pegasus nodded, "I could fly behind you two as we enter the Empire. While you fight Sombra, I will be there to keep back any corrupted crystal ponies that he decides to send out."
"Why only him?" One soldier spoke up, "I am a pegasus too, and I'm very skilled with the shield and spear. Surely I could have been a good pick as well? Any of us who could fly, really, could have been a good pick."
Celestia turned to them, "The Commander is very skilled as well, but that is not all."
The Commander raised his head, "The Crystal Empire is home to my family. My brothers, nieces, and nephews. However, there has also been report of my daughter, who had run away recently, also being contained within those walls. I must go into battle with the princesses. Not only for the Empire, but for my family as well."
"Perhaps having a personal attachment to the Empire isn't a good idea when going into battle?" A unicorn mare spoke.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well the more attached you are to a mission or a war the more likely you are to do what you can for it, of course." She continued, "I know you will do anything to save that Empire... But what if that's used against you? And... what if you fail?"
Luna had entered the tent, satisfied after ensuring Hope would be alright.
"Fail?" The Commander glared down at the map in front of them.
The third soldier spoke up, "It would hit you the hardest, seeing as this means everything to you. Commander, I apologize, but what if after today you don't win..."
"And the Empire falls?"
The Commander tried to focus on the Empire up ahead as he trailed after Celestia and Luna. The younger princess had been hesitant to let him come along, but agreed after conflicting herself several times. It was odd to see, but he chose not to question it.
As they traveled to the walls with a squad ready behind them, The Commander found his thoughts going back to the meeting in the strategy tent. One soldier had argued they were just as capable and someone with personal attachment to the empire as himself should not get involved. After some argument, insistence, and finally the command of the Princesses themselves, The Commander was chosen to accompany them and that was that.
When they finally made it to the walls it was hardly very ceremonious. They had thought it would be worth the attempt to bring a group of specialized rock farmers along to try and examine the wall one last time to find some flaw in the crystal, but their findings had come up dry. This was it then. The moment the princesses and himself would be against the dark tyrant.
Luna turned to The Commander, "Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be. My daughter is in there. I must make sure she is home safe after all is said and done."
Celestia nodded, "We will do all we can to make sure the Empire and your family is safe. Prepare, for we are about to take flight above the wall."
"Your wings are strong enough," A nearby soldier spoke, "It'll be a climb, but you three should all be able to make it."
Luna raised her wings, "Stay behind us Commander. In the sky, we'll protect you."
The Commander readied his own and got into position. The two sisters assessed the wall and glanced to one another.
"Shall we, sister?" Celestia crouched.
"We shall."
Then, in silent agreement, the three took off into the air. The Commander, set on his goal, carefully focused on each flap of his wing. He pushed against the air, against the snow, and against the climb. No matter how much gravity tried to tug him to the ground he did not back down. He kept his pace and he kept it firm. Firm enough that he was able to match the speed of the alicorns above him. No matter how tired he felt or how his wings burned from the dropping temperatures,
he would not give up on his daughter.
A small crystal shard gave off a gentle glow from where it hung on the filly's neck.
A young pink pegasus in a brown cloak carefully stepped out onto the balcony where her king awaited. Her dull crimson eyes would expectantly stare at him while his own vibrant ones scanned the walls around the Empire.
"Assistant."
"Yes, my king?" She droned out.
"There have been reports of activity in the eastern section. You know what that means." King Sombra turned towards the small filly nearby, "Prove your loyalty. Prove your worth. Let us take over Equestria."
"Then maybe one day, you'll earn what you desire. You will become Empress of the Empire."
The filly's neutral expression was interrupted by her small "Heh." She shook her head and smirked, "Of course."
"Let them fail again."
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Too broad
10494343
Oh- right-
Yeah for this fanfic I challenged myself to write each chapter to be at least 5k words long.
Sorry not sorry, this story gonna be BIG
Brilliant work and man what has Sombra help twist poor Cozy Glow into, really just love how the evil filly's origins are becoming more tragic with Sombra's hoof in all this.
That last line has me wondering if Sombra is planning something like the long game here with plans to groom Cozy Glow into his bride once she's old enough. I mean this is kinda of a medieval society/culture so could see it happen, but could be wrong who knows what angle Sombra is planning and playing with Cozy Glow.
But yeah absolutely loved how this chapter played out with the confrontation between Hope and Sombra great stuff, and pumped for what happens next.
10496000
Oh boy okay maybe not bride- but like a position for someone to survey the Empire in his rule while he takes over Equestria. So either Cozy or his mother who is still currently locked away but no not bride
But I mean then again, you do have a point about it behind medieval society and culture so who knows what could happen when she gets older if his tyranny did continue?
Good thing that's not how the story goes because I don't like the sound of it
I absolutely love this interpretation of Cozy Glow's past! It makes so much sense, and it's so satisfying to see all the pieces fall into place for what we know will happen in the future! I'm interested to see where you might go with this, if you decide to continue. :)