The Reason to Smile

by Onomonopia

Double Trouble

"SOMBRA!"

"Oh, we're starting with this today," Sombra muttered. The dark king turned around to see Chronos walking towards him, a look on his face telling Sombra that this was going to take a moment. Sombra took a sip of his coffee. "What's up, Clock King? And can it wait, because I've got some power stones to find for you and your team, so if you don't mind...?"

"What I mind is that, due to your advice, the ponies and All Might now have Diamond Dust in captivity!" Chronos snarled at Sombra. Sombra took another sip. "I could forgive you losing Monstro, muscle can always be replace, but Diamond Dust and I have worked together for decades now! She has served with me the longest."

"Huh, and here I thought she was younger than sixty," Sombra muttered. Chronos nearly blew a gasket and Sombra held up a hoof. "Easier there, old timer. Don't want you dropping dead on me. Look, I know it's bad that Diamond Dust has been capture, but think about it this way. You know she's alive and that she's safe, right?"

"I don't know that! This isn't my world, this is yours! The jail system-"

"Well let me tell you right now, she's fine. Celestia probably has her in their most secure prison, which consists of soft pillows, five stars meals and you can walk out free after three days of spewing about friendship," Sombra replied. "But sure, we can waste time, resources and bodies to get her back. So tell me, do you think you and your crew can free her? Because from what you told me, you couldn't even handle All Might, let alone three princesses and the idiots of harmony. But by all means, go at them! Give it your all. I'll be cheering for you from the sidelines."

Chronos snarled at Sombra, but didn't say anything.

"Ah, I see reason and sarcasm have triumphed once again. So, since none of you are strong enough to take down All Might or the ponies, we will continue with my plan. Finding the stones of power that will enable your allies to beat the hero and the ponies," Sombra smiled.

"Hmph. I don't see you going out there to fight the ponies, even though you seem so confident."

"I am confident because I plan and think. Only an idiot or a hero runs into a battle headfirst without first planning out what they're going to do. And both are easily manipulated," Sombra pointed out. "Yes, we've lost a few members. But from what I've heard, Twilight has lost a few of hers."

"But we haven't-"

"There is more than one way to take a piece off the battlefield," Sombra cut off. But right now our biggest concern is to be finding the next stones. And you may be interested to hear that this next stone is actually a pair. Two of them, both of which might strengthen two of your allies. One wields the power of fire. And the other is made of the strongest material in Equis. And both are beneath the Crystal Empire."

"...there's a place called the Crystal Empire? Then why wasn't the stone that empowered Diamond Dust down there?" Chronos asked. "Since she works with crystals and other shiny things?"

"You're guess is as good as mine. Nothing in this land makes sense," Sombra sipped angrily. He regained his composure and smiled at Chronos. "Chronos, I understand that you may disagree with some of my methods, but trust me when I say that I know what I'm doing. And do you want to know another secret?"

Sombra motioned for Chronos to get in close, which the old man did. "I can break out your allies at any time. I've circumvented the princesses making and can warp them out of their cells at any time."

"Then why haven't you?"

"Because, say I break them out now. If they somehow get captured again, they aren't going back into those cells. They might get trapped in the moon or heaven forbid the sun. And if they go there, then even I can't get them out. It's best to wait to bust them out for the opportune...moment, if you catch my drift."

"Yes, I see what you mean. Let them rest up and recover under All Might's nose. Then, when we're ready, they will have to face all of us at once," Chronos caught on. He then flashed Sombra a look. "You are far more cunning and dangerous than I first believed. How do I know I can trust you?"

"Chronos, you can't trust me. And I don't trust you. We're villains, betraying each other is what we do," Sombra said with a laugh. "But what you can trust is that I hate the ponies far more than I hate you. And until I've torn down their champions, decimated their beliefs and crushed everything they've ever stood for and cared about, I promise you that I am one hundred percent on your side. And that you can take to the bank."

"Hmph, it's almost like you've done this before," Chronos smirked. "But very well. I will not betray you until after All Might is dead and the world is under my rule. Then we can hash things out."

"I'm looking forward to it. Now send out Heatstroke and Vein Mine and maybe White Noise-"

"No."

"Excuse me?" Sombra asked.

"You will not be sending White Noise. That girl has been through more than enough without you recklessly endangering her," Chronos snarled. "Allow me to make myself perfectly clear, Sombra. If you try anything, and I mean anything, to hurt or use that girl, I will tear out your throat and make you swallow it. Am I clear?"

"...you care about her?" Sombra pieced together. "I can see it in your eyes. You care for her...like a daughter."

"Am. I. Clear?"

"Oh very well, you have my word I won't do anything to her," Sombra said with a wave of his hoof. "Now can we get back to buisness?"

Chronos grunted.

"We'll just send Heatstroke and Vein Mine then. The stones at the Crystal Empire should be more than enough to make them stronger," Sombra said. "And then you can get back to your sweet, little girl. Heh."

Chronos snarled and vanished in a blink, leaving Sombra to finish off his drink before sighing. "I swear, being so smart can be so troublesome. Their stupidity just saps my mental powers. And his arrogance is getting on my nerves. Maybe I should deal with him sooner rather than later..."

Sombra then vanished into the darkness and appeared in his secret workshop. He tossed his cup into a bin before walking to his workbench, where an empty orb rested on the table. He began to work his dark wonders, infusing the orb with power and magic that was forbidden by all sane mages. Hench why Sombra loved to do it. After a bit he picked up the orb and examined it, smiling at his orb. An orb of incredible power, one that could boost the warping powers of any who used it and then suck those same powers back into the orb.

An orb perfect for Warp Drive.

"Now then. Where should I hide you?"

==== | V | ====

"This can't be right," All Might said.

He was standing in a prison in the far west of Equis, in a prison surrounded by water, one that was designed to hold any foe. The walls were made of a metal that was impossible to shatter, there were stones that siphoned the magic of any within and the guards were the greatest in the entire land. A prison designed to hold the greatest threats to Equis. And, at Twilight's suggestion, All Might had thrown his foes in here. The cell he was standing before had been altered to fit Monstro, one of All Might's greatest physical threats.

Not the seventy pound weakling who was curled up in a ball on the floor.

"It's him, All Might," Twilight said. "The guards haven't had him unsupervised once since we threw him in here. And they said was that all of a sudden yesterday his body shrunk down and he was left looking like...that. There was no trace of magical energy that could be used to take his power, so we're a bit at a loss."

"Let me in there," All Might said. Twilight nodded to the guards and they opened the cell, allowing All Might to enter. He walked over to the man that had once been Monstro and knelt down next to him. "Monstro? Can you hear me?"

The man didn't respond. All Might rolled him over to see that his eyes were pure white, staring off into nothingness while a bit of drool slipped from his lips. All Might put a finger to his neck to feel for a pulse, frowning when he felt the man was still alive. He tried a few more things to get the man to respond, but nothing happened. All Might stood up and walked out of the cell, shaking his head to Twilight.

"Nothing. No matter what I try, the man isn't home," All Might informed her.

"How could this have happened?" Twilight asked. "He's had no visitors, no spells have affected him and, until yesterday, he was perfectly normal...as normal as a giant monster gets. It's like his mind was stolen."

"Or more than his mind," All Might muttered. Twilight caught his tone and waved the guards away, waiting a moment for them to leave.

"What are you thinking, All Might?"

"I think that his quirk, the source of his powers...has been stolen," All Might suggested.

"That's...a possibility that I think is accurate. But my question isn't what happened. I agree with you, what happened is that somepony stole his quirk along with maybe his mind. My question is how. Again, no pony has visited him and I can promise none of the guards even know what a quirk is."

"Maybe a side effect of his recent powerup?" All Might put forward. "I know he's never been strong enough to throw a mountain, even with Sombra's help. That's reaching my level of power and that shouldn't be possible, not without a lot of help. Has Diamond Dust shown any similar symptoms?"

"She's been whiny, a colossal pain and screams at anypony that get's close. She's fine," Twilight promised. All Might placed a hand under his chin and tried to think of an answer, but nothing came to him.

"Who's the shrimp?"

Twilight and All Might looked over to see Rainbow Dash approaching, with about six guards behind her.

"Rainbow, what are you doing here?" Twilight asked.

"I wanted to poke the monster. Not some shrimp who doesn't even move," Rainbow joked. When Twilight gave her a look, she rolled her eyes. "Well Twilight, I noticed that you were up to something super important and thought that I would tag along to help."

"We teleported. How did you find us?"

"Just flew all over Equestria until I found you. Wasn't that hard," Rainbow shrugged. She then threw a quick smirk to All Might. "So how's it feel being the second fastest hero in Equestria? All those muscles kinda slow you down, don't they?"

"Perhaps one day we will put that boast of yours to the test," All Might said with a smile. "But wait, we already did. When I beat you back to Ponyville when Sombra was attacking."

"That was...do you know how hard it is to fly in a blizzard? My wings nearly froze off!" Rainbow snapped back. "How about we have a fair race. You and me. Across Equestria. Avoiding any icy areas."

All Might threw back his head and laughed, but before he could answer more guards came running into the prison block, turning every head towards them.

"Princess Twilight, terrible news. The Crystal Empire...the Crystal Empire is under attack! By two of the human villains!"

"What?" Twilight asked. "How? how did they slip by the princesses alert system?! We should have at least sensed their arrival or..."

"Princess, it gets worse. It seems...they've already taken the royal family hostage."

"Shining. Cadence. Little Flurry," Twilight whispered.

"Come on Twi, we need to get there yesterday," Rainbow Dash snapped, flapping her wings rapidly.

"Indeed. Rainbow Dash, stay here. Twilight and I will handle this," All Might said.

"Yeah, right. You want me to stay here...make me." Rainbow Dash kicked off the ground and rocketed off with a sonic boom, leaving All Might and Twilight to watch her go.

"Should I...?"

"No time. Teleport us to this Crystal Empire," All Might said, before narrowing his eyes and smiling dangerously. "We need to save this family...and make the villains pay."

Comments

[Navarone]

This has been literally the best Sunday in 2020 for me, this is the 7th story I'm following that's bene updated today, totaling closer to 50k words overall for me to read!

[Norwegian boy]

Dash is getting herself killed with that ego of hers.

[Pete100]

"Yes, we've lost a few members. But from what I've heard, Twilight has lost a few of hers."

Who did she lose?

"You're guess is as good as mine. Nothing in this land makes sense," Sombra sipped angrily.

That’s how the fandom feels. Also, how do you sip angrily?

"Yeah, right. You want me to stay here...make me." Rainbow Dash kicked off the ground and rocketed off with a sonic boom, leaving All Might and Twilight to watch her go.

That would probably be me.

"No time. Teleport us to this Crystal Empire," All Might said, before narrowing his eyes and smiling dangerously.

Is that possible?

[ggg-2]

"Huh, and here I thought she was younger than sixty," Sombra muttered.

As much as i hate Sombra, BURN! XD

[badninja]

Sombra is pulling something dangerous here. If he where to loose control of his stolen powers and they where to return to their rightful users they are going to turn on him fast and not show any mercy.

[badninja]

10453866

Rainbow Dash in almost all of our author’s stories has always been cocky and head strong. In one story it cost her one of her wings because she couldn’t keep her ego in check. In another she thought she could go toe to toe with her new teacher, who we knew was Wonder Women, Sunset quickly convinced her not to fight WW. She is often needed to be dropped a few pegs.

[marcelojj]

10453902
Pinkie is down (broken leg) and I suspect that Sombra is planning to get twily away from the orhers with this whole "be the number one" thing going on.

[Windbuck]

"Chronos, you can't trust me. And I don't trust you. We're villains, betraying each other is what we do," Sombra said with a laugh. "But what you can trust is that I hate the ponies far more than I hate you. And until I've torn down their champions, decimated their beliefs and crushed everything they've ever stood for and cared about, I promise you that I am one hundred percent on your side. And that you can take to the bank."

Wow. He’s so upfront with that.

[Fireeaters]

Oof

[Pete100]

10454009
I don’t think her leg was broken, I think something impaled it. When he said she “lost” a few i thought he meant someone was dead.