The Real Nightmare Knights

by Bigwig6666

The Dead City

Amidst an endless expanse of pastel blue, peppered with puffy white clouds, the midday sun was shining brightly.

A light breeze carried the promise of relief from the mid-summer heat as it crossed the world, stirring leaves and grass in its wake. Nearby, the verdant trees of the Everfree Forest swayed gracefully, dancing to the rhythm of the wind.

On a hill beside a lone tree just outside of the sleepy, quaint little town of Ponyville, Tempest Shadow let out a long sigh of barely-disguised discontent. Beside her, Tirek let out a snort of his own, keeping his arms folded tightly across his chest, both of them thoroughly unimpressed as they looked up at the tree.

It looked ordinary enough. A bit gnarled here and there, and it was slightly unusual to see a large tree like this on its own way out here, but then again, they might have supposed that somepony could have planted it there deliberately--as a memorial perhaps. The area was quite scenic, after all.

But what had the Commander of the Nightmare Knights really concerned was the pony standing next to her, staring up at the tree with the fires of vengeance in her eyes.

Tirek broke the oppressive silence with a monotone voice, “So... Director...” His brow furrowed as he gestured to the tall trunk in front of them. “Correct me if I am wrong... but this appears to be a tree.”

Director Starlight Glimmer rounded on him, frantically waving her hooves. “No, no, no, no, no, Tirek, it only looks like a tree. I’m telling you, this--this dirty, rotten, no-good kite-eating tree is... it has to be something! Like... uhh, like a demon? Or maybe like a vengeful kite that got reincarnated into a kite-eating tree to save its brothers and sisters from being flown?”

Tempest’s face nearly gave way under her painfully weary grimace. “A kite-eating tree...”

She and Tirek shared a weary and cynical glance.

“Look, I know this sounds bananas, but you have to believe me!” the director said fervently, looking desperately between them. “Last year it waited all winter just so it could get my kite as soon as I came out here! I’m sure that sometimes it can control the wind, somehow, as well, and makes kites fly towards it. If you don’t believe me then just watch--just look at this.”

She used her magic to open the saddlebags around her barrel and retrieve a small blue and yellow kite, and Tempest forced herself to no sigh again.

Starlight shot a filthy glare up at the nondescript tree. “Alright, you lousy kite-eating tree, you,” she grumbled, unfolding her kite and unravelling its tether. “Do what you do best and show these guys how much of a monster you are.”

Tempest watched silently, wondering what went wrong in her life that led her here: to watching a mare try and tempt a tree into eating-

“Burárum!”

Her thoughts came to a screeching halt and her brain turned into spaghetti as the tree suddenly lurched sideways--just when Starlight’s kite flew passed it. In one fell swoop it gobbled up the colourful paper, twine and all, and spat out the end of the tether towards the ponies and the centaur. Afterwards it let out a sound like a sinister, gargled cackling.

“See?!” Starlight cried, gesturing towards it and giving both knights the wild eye. “See? See?! I told you! You saw it!”

A few seconds passed as Tempest struggled for both words and comprehension of what just happened. After another second or two she shook her head and cleared her throat. Beside he Tirek also stared strangely at the tree, watching its leaves rustle in the wind.

“Alright,” the commander eventually sighed. “Alright let’s... stand back, please, Starlight.”

The director obeyed silently and took a big step backwards while Tempest examined the tree.

“I don’t... feel anything,” she murmured, pressing her ear against it. She pulled away and tapped it a few times as her horn sparked. With a sigh she stepped back and looked to her teammate. “Tirek, see what you can do.”

Tirek leaned forwards, having gone from mildly--read: very--annoyed to very curious. “Hmm,” he murmured to himself as the director watched with bated breath.

“What is it?” she asked hopefully.

“I sense... something. A quite strong something, too,” the centaur said. His horns sprung to life and a chaotic swirling orb of magic appeared between them. He raised his hand and pressed it against the bark of the tree.

Both ponies noticed how the branches seemed to reach down towards him.

“Oh...” he whispered in a low hush, just barely opening his mouth. “Is that so? Hmm...”

“What’s he doing?” Starlight whispered.

Tempest shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure. I just let him work when he does this.”

Meanwhile, the tree remained a tree and said nothing, continuing to do nothing. And yet, they felt like it was watching them.

Glaring at them.

“Huh,” Tirek hummed again and retracted his hand. “Yes... Yes, I believe so...”

Starlight shivered under the intense, eyeless glare the tree was giving her. “What?” she murmured, biting the end of her hoof and flicking her gaze towards the old knight. “What is it?”

“More like what it isn’t,” Tirek answered. His horns deactivated and the magic orb between them faded away. “For you see, Director, this tree is not actually a tree at all. I dare say it might even be the last of its kind, at least in Equestria, as it is indeed very old.” He rested his hand against the bark of the tree again and gazed up at the branches above. The tree shivered and shuddered at his touch and the leaves rustled despite how the wind died down, but then it lay still.

“Yes,” he murmured again. “Probably more powerful than it lets on, too. It’s a lucky thing for us that it doesn’t appear malevolent in nature-”

“Doesn’t appear malevolent?!” Starlight sputtered in disbelief, accidentally nipping at the soft part of her hoof. “Ow. It eats kites!”

“Kites aren’t sentient,” the Knight pointed out. “As much as you may enjoy them, Director. But yes, as I was saying: it’s lucky it doesn’t appear to be malevolent in nature--for a hostile tree spirit is a force to be reckoned with indeed.” He looked up into the branches of the kite-eating tree. He could feel it staring back at him, watching him like he was the oddity in this scenario. “How it came to be here exactly, is something I should very much wish to find out...”

Tempest sighed again and scratched the back of her head, keeping a wary eye on the vein growing on Starlight’s neck. “So what can we do?”

“Nothing,” Tirek replied, folding his arms once again. “Tree spirits aren’t ghosts per say, so it lies outside our jurisdiction. I would suggest penning a letter to the Equestrian Environmental Protection Agency if you wish to have it removed, although I strongly advise against that. Otherwise-”

“Nothing?!” Starlight practically shrieked once her mind had a chance to register what he had said. “You’re gonna let it win?!”

The Knights shared another weary look with one another in a not so subtle manner, prompting the former Headmare to cough awkwardly and run a hoof down her front. “Ahem... I mean...” she said, after taking a moment to collect herself. “So it’s a ‘tree spirit’, huh?”

Tirek nodded. “That is correct.”

Starlight glumly nodded back, her disappointment rampant across her face. “And there’s really nothing you can do about it?”

“Not a thing. Tree spirits are somewhat cornerstones of nature. To remove one would be to upset the balance of the natural world--in spite of what you ponies do with the weather and every winter and spring.”

“Right, right. Okay.”

Starlight sighed and brushed a wayward strand of hair out of her face. “I guess that’s it, then.” She glowered up at the tree, her face twisting into a vicious scowl on par with even one of Chrysalis’s. “Alright, you win, you lousy no good, dirty, rotten-”

“Director?” Tempest offered before she went on too long a tangent. “Was this all you wanted us out here for?”

“Huh? Oh.” The lilac mare rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. “Uh... no. There was something I needed to talk to Tempest about.”

Tirek looked at her carefully, letting his gaze linger a moment, and then looked to Tempest with the same expression. He shrugged when she nodded at him reassuringly, and he raised his fist to thump his chest. “Very well. In that case I shall take my leave. Director. Commander.” After saluting to them both he turned swiftly on his hooves and plodded off towards the dark forest and the Nightmare Knights’ sanctuary within.

The commander waited until he was out of earshot before she turned to face Starlight. “So what’s on your mind, Director? Looks like trouble.”

Starlight groaned. “Am I that obvious?”

“Kinda,” Tempest said with a small grin. “No offence, but you’re easier to read than a pop up book.”

The former Headmare, despite herself, smiled and let out a short giggle. “Don’t I know it? When I’m arranging a birthday surprise for Trixie and Sunburst they always catch on way before it actually happens. Of all the ponies in Equestria, I just had to go and fall in love with the two whose birthdays are one day apart, didn’t I?”

Tempest smiled at her, cleverly hiding the reticent, cautious look in her eyes as Starlight sighed and ran a hoof through her mane. “Alright. So...”

The pink-purple mare took a sharp inhale of breath before beginning.

“I had a meeting with Lord Glow.”

Tempest’s warm smile faded. She didn’t say anything, but she clenched her jaw and held her neck a bit stiffer than before.

Starlight winced. “Twilight told me what happened between you guys at that party. And I gotta say-”

The commander’s forehead rapidly knotted together into a tight scowl. “If you’re going to berate me for punching that sack of slime, Director...” she began, raising her voice a touch and planting one hoof firmly in front of the rest of her body. “...then I’ll tell you what I told Twilight-”

“Whoa, hey, no, I get it, okay?” Starlight said, gently patting her on the chest. “I get it, really. After Twilight introduced us and after two minutes of conversation I feel like one punch was far too good for him.” She shook her head in disgust. “To think that there are still some ponies out there with such backward views. I can only imagine what Cozy must have gone through growing up in that house.”

Seeing a kindred soul in her dislike, if not outright hate, for Cozy’s father, Tempest allowed herself to relax and bobbed her head. “Yeah,” she grunted. “She doesn’t talk about it much, but when she does... it’s not great.”

Starlight shivered, dragging a hoof down her face and let out a heavy sigh. After a few seconds, she continued on. “So... besides me learning how bad Cozy’s dad is, I did manage to learn something important. You see, despite who and what he is, Lord Glow really does know a lot about Bray and Grogar, or at least, he act like he does, and he seems to think that there might be something in a place called Crystal Hills that Bray might want in order to help bring Grogar back.” She gave the dark mare a curious glance. “Does that name ring a bell at all to you, Tempest?”

The commander shook her head without a second thought. “Never heard of it. What is it? A city?”

“Try ‘never before found El Dorado-esque city lost to time’,” the director murmured, biting the end of her hoof. “I only ask because it’s supposedly where King Sacanas rose to power. Yeah,” she added upon seeing Tempest widen her eyes. “That Sacanas. The one whose staff the Storm King used to... yeah. Lord Glow seemed pretty insistent the place was real, almost like he had definitive proof or something, though when I asked he just waved his hoof and said I wouldn’t understand.”

Tempest’s brow furrowed as she nodded in agreement. “So he believes there’s something inside that Bray may want...”

If this something was anything similar to the Staff of Sacanas, a dangerous object capable of draining alicorn powers... she couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of the potential consequences.

“Did Lord Glow mention any specifics about what it could be?”

“Sacanas’s crown. He says it’s powerful. Like, more powerful than anything Equestria’s ever seen, and I for one don’t wanna find out how exactly powerful if Bray gets his hooves on it.” She grimaced, watching the commander’s face carefully. “Which brings me onto my other point I wanted to talk to you about. I think it’s time you guys paid Princess Cadance a visit. According to Lord Glow, Crystal Hills used to be the capital of the Crystal Empire, so maybe she’s heard of it? Sunburst usually has a direct line to her so I’ll see if he can pull some strings and get you guys a meeting.”

The dark mare gave a slow nod before turning to take in the beautiful view. A few pegasi could be seen darting around, batting at clouds to keep the sky clear and sunny. It was a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing within her. Cadance had been one of her victims during the Storm King’s invasion, and while she had made amends with Celestia, Luna, and Twilight, she still hadn’t met with the Princess of the Crystal Empire. The idea of doing so over business made her stomach churn uncomfortably.

“Right,” she said weakly. “I’ll see if Tirek and Chrysalis know anything about it as as well, they’ve both been around--maybe they’ve heard of something.”

“Good idea. We need all the useful info we can get at this point, even if some of it does come from ‘Lord’ Glow.” A few seconds of silence passed between them before Starlight had an idea. “There is also... one other thing we could try...” she said quietly. “If Cadance doesn’t have what we need.”

Tempest looked away from the working pegasi towards her and titled her head slightly. “What?”

Starlight bit her lip. “I know he’s not like you guys, he’s not a part of the team or anything, or even reformed fully--kinda, Luna’s notes were really vague--but... King Sombra might know something about Crystal Hills, Sacanas and his crown. Don’t you think?”

“King Sombra?”

Tempest felt a shiver run up her leg and into her back. A pair of green eyes flashed in her mind’s eye. Their duel over the skies of Saddle Arabia had been brief, but it had definitely left an impact on her... as had he, apparently, judging by how a small blush had begun to creep over her cheeks when she thought about him. Between that and the butterflies in her stomach, she realised, to her horror, that there was a small possibility that she was developing a crush.

“And from what Luna’s report about Saddle Arabia said, I gathered that he’s not on the best of terms with Bray, right?” Starlight continued, not noticing her discomfort. “D’you think there could be an enemy of my enemy is my friend situation?”

The dark mare slowly nodded, only half paying attention. “Yeah...” She realised she’d been lost in her own thoughts for a moment and snapped herself back to reality, quickly clearing her throat. “I mean yes, Director. Sorry.”

Starlight bobbed her head understandingly. “No, I get it. It’s daunting to think about, and I can’t imagine Sombra would be so enthusiastic to help, but it’s something at least.” She glanced up at the sky and sighed. “Well, I think I’ve kept you long enough, so go on, get outta here.”

Tempest raised a hoof to her head in a rigid salute before adding with a forced chuckle, “Before somepony discovers a ghoul in their attic or something, right?”

She was joking, but she had soon learned from her time as a Nightmare Knight that nothing was off the table, and she was grateful for the chance to leave before Starlight had a chance to notice she was blushing. It was bad enough when the Knights had interrogated over her past relationship with Blueblood--the last thing she needed was anypony suggesting she had a crush on Sombra of all ponies.

Starlight raised a hoof to her own head, though far casually than how Tempest did it. “Better you than me, Tempest. Imagine, a whole ghoul just sitting up there. Watching. Ugh.” She shuddered. “The thought of it gives me the creeps. Anyway, like I said, I’ll see if I can arrange a meeting between you guys and Cadance and let you know, but for now, you’re dismissed.” She grimaced. “Listen to me: ‘you’re dismissed’--that still sounds so weird, y’know? I’ve dismissed ponies before, sure, being a teacher and all, but military stuff?”

The commander snorted. “We’re not military, Starlight,” she said, remembering something Luna said to her once. “We’re sanitation workers. Janitors, just trying to do our job.”

“Way to make it sound glamorous, Tempest,” Starlight chuckled.

“I’ve been told I have a way with words.” The butterflies in the dark mare’s stomach had begun to settle, thankfully, as quickly as they had come on. “And to be honest, you’re doing pretty well, considering.”

Starlight beamed and puffed out her chest ever so slightly. “Thanks, Tempest. That means a lot.”

“Don’t mention it. See you soon, Starlight.”

Tempest bobbed her head and they shared a quick smile with one another, then she turned and began the walk back to the castle, following in Tirek’s hoofprints. She hadn’t even gotten that far away when from behind her she heard the tell-tale sounds of Starlight cursing out the kite-eating tree, followed shortly after by a loud pop. When she glanced back the tree was alone on its hill, undisturbed by ponies, and yet she still felt like it was watching her.

“Tree spirit, huh?” she murmured to herself, watching it for half a moment. “What a load of bunk. I guess Chrysalis is rubbing off on him more than he’d care to admit.”

She didn’t know what it really was, nor did she really care as long as it kept its eating habits to kites and kites alone, and turned back, away from its unseen eyes. Speaking of eyes, there was another flash of a certain stallion’s in her mind, causing another blush to spread across her cheeks. “Oh for Celestia’s sake,” she muttered, rubbing her nose. “Really, Fizz? A crush? Haven’t you got more important things to focus on?”

She groaned quietly and heaved her shoulders as she walked home, eager for a distraction and the Knights’ next case.

***

It had only been a few hours since Tempest’s discussion with Starlight, but the Nightmare Knights had already found themselves on the train to the Crystal Empire, hurtling along the tracks towards the Frozen North. Tempest let out a quiet sigh as she rested her face on her hoof, just watching the world go by, trying to ignore the itch at the back of her head. Of course in those few hours they’d been busy, as somepony did indeed have an infestation of ghouls in their attic. She just had to say it, didn’t she? It didn’t help either that one of those ghouls had fleas.

Sitting across from her, Chrysalis huffed again for the umpteenth time, quietly grinding her jaw. As far as Tempest understood it, she and the princess had a history. Just like she did with Twilight. And Celestia. And Starlight. And... too many to count, really. She could hardly hold it against her, however, also dreading her reunion with the Crystal Princess.

“Hnnng...” groaned Chrysalis, almost mirroring the groan Tempest let out inside her head.

“Aw c’mon, Chryssy it won’t be so bad,” Cozy offered, gently bumping against the queen’s leg. “I mean, it’s been how long since you imprisoned her, took over her wedding and tried to marry her husband? I’m sure she’s forgiven you by now.”

Chrysalis shot her a filthy look. “As if I care about that,” she muttered. “I’m merely lamenting the fact that once again I am forced into the servitude of my enemies. Cadance is only one step beneath Starlight in terms of how-”

“Yes, yes, we all know how you feel about the director. You sound like a broken record,” Tirek snorted while flicking through pages of a heavy tome.

The changeling flared her nostrils. “And you don’t? You are aware that murmuring ‘Crystal Hills’ over and over won’t make it magically appear on the page, aren’t you?”

“It might,” the centaur snapped, sulkily glaring at her. “Could be magically activated...”

At his side lay a small bag, stuffed full of books, scrolls and scraps of parchments, everything he could grab on short notice about ancient history in Equestria, and everything that even mentioned the slightest hint of Crystal Hills. After Tempest relayed what Starlight had told her, he had been almost fanatical in looking up what he could, with little to no success it appeared.

Tempest allowed a small smile to spread across her mouth as she listened to them argue and bicker. But, even as it sounded comforting in a twisted sort of way, she decided to interject before it went on too long. “Speaking of Crystal Hills, have you found anything, T?” she asked him.

“Nothing substantial,” Tirek grumbled, flicking between several pages. “Crystal Hills and Sacanas are mentioned here and there in bits and pieces and little more than what amounts to anecdotes. Our elusive, hidden city remains all the more elusive. I only wish I’d heard of it sooner.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t,” chuckled Cozy. “I mean, you’re the guy, y’know?”

“What does that mean?”

“Y’know. The guy.”

“I think she is referring to your ‘role’ in our little group,” Chrysalis muttered. When they all looked at her with quizzical, bemused expressions she just shrugged. “What? It makes sense. Tirek is the studious researcher, I’m the perfect one, Tempest is the tough, brooding leader, and lastly we have Cozy as the mascot.”

“Thought about this have you?” Tirek scoffed, flicking through some more pages while Cozy turned bright red.

“Mascot?!”

The sudden burst of volume caused several of the Knights’ fellow passengers to turn their heads towards the Knights, both to curiously gawk and to scowl at the disruption. Tempest noticed them looking and inwardly groaned, offering them apologetic smiles.

“Whaddya mean mascot?!”

“Would you prefer the clown?” Chrysalis sneered. “The comic relief, perhaps?”

The young Knight furiously puffed her cheeks out and turned her nose up at the changeling. “Hmph! I’m not talking to you anymore.”

The queen put on a pout as fake as possible and laid the back of her hoof across her forehead. “Oh no, really? You couldn’t do that to me, how would I ever miss your pathetic quips about food or whatever it is Tirek and his girlfriend get up to when he visits her room late at night?”

At that Tirek snapped his book shut as the three of them all fell into another round of bickering and arguing, because the grass is green, the sky is blue, nothing’s ever easy and the Knights... well they argued.

Tempest just smiled again and rolled her eyes as she glanced out the window, right as the train plunged into the dark of a tunnel. When it emerged a few seconds later she blinked and lifted a hoof to shield her eyes from the midday sun. Gone was the rain, replaced instead by the gleaming, shining ivory tower of the Crystal Empire.

Some of the other passengers aboard ooh’d and ahh’d excitedly. Many more were watching, and listening, to the three way argument between Cozy, Chrysalis and Tirek.

In the midst of it all, they didn’t even notice that the train had pulled in to the station. “Guys,” she said quietly, loud enough for them to hear but quietly enough for them to know she was serious. “We’re here. Put a cork in it and be professional.”

After murmuring a quick truce and a couple of quiet apologies aimed at the commander, the Knights’ heads turned to follow her view. Cozy fluttered her wings and peered out the window at the barren train station, devoid of all life it seemed. “I thought this place was supposed to be busy?”

“How many ponies are going to the Crystal Empire this time of year?” Chrysalis grunted. She stood up, as did the others, and looked around as their fellow passengers started to rise and get ready to leave. “This is likely busy by their standards.” She sniffed the air and rustled her wings. “Hmm. The air reeks of fear. I suppose the dear princess warned her subjects of our arrival.”

Tempest tried not to let it get to her. “Come on. Let’s find Cadance and find out what we can about Crystal Hills. With any luck we’ll be out of her hair soon.”

They hadn’t moved more than four and a half hoof lengths away when a host of soldiers rounded the corner and began marching towards them, their silver armour and spears glinting and gleaming in the sunlight. Their hooves crashed in a steady beat along the ground and their banners rippled high in the air, a purple flag with an embroidered silver snowflake.

Tempest and Chrysalis both groaned. Tirek bristled and straightened up, flexing his muscles and Cozy hopped forwards, raising her sun to shield her eyes from the sun glinting off of the guards’ armour.

The commander watched as the soldiers parted and a tall, serious-faced stallion strode forwards. Judging by how tall the plume on his helmet was she figured he must have been an officer, a captain or lieutenant maybe. He sized them all up and set his jaw, then stood to one side. All of the soldiers snapped to attention and a heavenly chorus began to chime in as a certain pink alicorn, adorned in rose gold regalia moved forwards to greet the Knights.

Tempest’s eyebrows rose up in surprise, as did Tirek’s. And Chrysalis let out an audible snort of disgust and looked away as none other than Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, known more to her family, friends and subjects as Cadance, came to halt before them all.

“Princess Cadance,” the commander said, going into a slight bow. “We weren’t expecting-”

“A royal welcome?” Cadance asked, tittering before broadening into a beaming smile. “What else did such esteemed guests expect?”

Taken aback, and frankly expecting the exact opposite, Tempest just nodded as the princess shifted her gaze to Tirek and offered him a polite nod.

“Lord Tirek. Might I say you’re looking well.”

“Thank you, your grace,” Tirek said, bowing his head with a just as bemused expression as Tempest had. “As are you.”

“You’re too kind. And this must be Cozy Glow, yes?” the princess continued, craning her neck downwards to speak to Cozy. “I don’t think we’ve ever been properly introduced. The way I hear it you’re very clever.”

Cozy smiled up at her and gave her a jaunty salute. “Wow thanks, Princess.” She gave her teammates a satisfied, smug grin. “See? Somepony thinks I’m more than a mascot.”

Cadance chuckled in that way adults often did when a child says something silly to them. “Yes, very clever.”

When she focused her gaze next on Chrysalis the air grew slightly colder.

“Chrysalis as well, of course, we can’t forget. How are you?” she said. When Chrysalis didn’t respond, Tempest cleared her throat before finally eliciting a grunt of acknowledgement from the queen.

“Delighted to be here,” Chrysalis hissed, her words practically dripping with venom.

“Wonderful.”

The princess continued to beam at them, her gaze roving over the group one by one. Tempest felt a small frown begin to form on her forehead as a chill ran down her spine. Was she sizing them up? It certainly felt like that. The guards on either side of them shifted in their armour, their eyes far colder than that of the princess’s. Was this really a formal, royal welcome? Or was it a threat?

“Well, now that we’re all introduced, shall we? I have a carriage waiting,” Cadance paused mid-turn and looked at Tirek. “Though, I suppose you would prefer walking? I’m afraid we don’t have carriages built for centaurs.”

Unable to shake the unease growing in her stomach, Tempest glanced at Tirek. The two of them shared a small nod, and she cleared her throat again. “Walking’s fine, Princess,” she said. “Gives us time to talk as well, doesn’t it?”

“Of course,” Cadance tittered. The laughter felt forced. With a final wide smile she turned and started to lead them away. The soldiers surrounding them shifted their stances and clicked their hooves against the cold stone floor, each one tightly gripping their spears as they kept a close watch on the group.

Tempest glanced back at her team. Chrysalis was still quietly grinding her jaw and looking like she was in a foul mood as ever. Tirek caught her gaze again and they shared in another silent look. At least he seemed to be on the same page as her.

The silence as they walked, flanked by a host of guards, was aggressively uncomfortable. As such, she decided to try and break it a little by conversation. “Princess,” she began. “I suppose you know why we’re here.”

Cadance bobbed her head without looking at her. “Yes, Starlight explained everything in her letter,” she said. “Although I should warn you, I don’t know much about Crystal Hills, I’m afraid. Only-”

“Rumours and stories?” Tirek rumbled behind them, tapping his fingers rhythmically on his bag.

After a second’s hesitation the princess nodded again. For a split second, Tempest thought she saw her mouth tighten and her smile flicker. “More or less. Once we’re inside we can talk properly.”

Tempest bobbed her head understandingly, fighting off the butterflies in her stomach. Maybe Starlight’s plan B was about to come into play after all, she thought.

“After all, it looks like it’ll be just us today,” Cadance continued.

“Hmm?” Chrysalis grunted.

The princess let out a soft chuckle, glancing back out the corner of her eye. “Well, Shining and I were going to take Flurry to visit her grandparents in Canterlot. Though, after I received your director’s letter, I thought it best if I decided to stay to give you all my undivided attention.”

Keep an eye on us more like, thought Tempest. She quietly glanced back at Chrysalis to see her seethe and lower her head, stalking along like a panther following its prey.

“How courteous of you,” the changeling growled.

“You’re very welcome, Chrysalis.”

Tempest set her jaw at the pink pony’s sweet tone of voice. Nothing about this sat right with her, nothing at all. She let out a small sigh, hoping they could just find out what they needed about Crystal Hills as soon as possible and get to it instead of all of this pretending.

None of them had anything else to say after that. Even Cozy, who cautiously glanced around at the empty streets. A few blinds twitched a second after she looked at them. She quietly tugged on Tirek’s leg and gestured. He simple stared ahead.

Some movement up above caught Tempest’s attention and she glanced upwards at a lone bird flying high in the sky, struggling against the wind. It wasn’t lost on her that she sometimes felt the same. Pushing back against something that hated her no matter what she did.

She internally grimaced and lowered her head back down, following the princess into the shadow of the Crystal Palace.

***

“Please, feel free to make yourselves at home,” Cadance said politely, stepping to one side as she ushered the Knights into a large, circular study. “I only ask that you don’t wander, but feel free to get comfortable. I’ve had some fresh fruit brought up just in case any of you were peckish.”

Cozy quietly flew over to one of the large velvet chairs towards the centre of the room and nestled herself down, sinking low into it, melting into a small pool of pure comfort. Chrysalis snorted contemptuously and slunk forwards, snatching an apple on the way past from the fruit bowl laid out for them.

“Don’t wander,” she muttered under her breath, mocking Cadance’s tone of voice and glaring at her from behind her mane. “Hmph.”

Tempest and Tirek stood side by side. The centaur was quiet, and seemed more alert than usual. His fingers kept rhythmically drumming against his bag.

One, two, three, four.

One, two, three, four.

It sounded oddly therapeutic, something about it comforting the commander and helping to soothe her slightly perturbed nerves. She glanced over at the door to see a guard lean in towards Cadance and whisper something in her ear.

“Right. Thank you, sergeant,” the princess said to him before turning back to the Knights. “I’m sure you’re all very eager to get started, however, I will be but a moment. There is a small matter I must attend to first.”

“Anything we can do to help, princess?” Tempest asked her quickly.

“No thank you, Commander Tempest,” Cadance replied, maintaining her saccharine smile. “I won’t be long, I assure you. Please, make yourselves comfortable.”

She gave them all one final beam before she retreated and closed the door behind her.

A few moments of silence passed before Tirek turned to the commander. “I have a bad feeling about this,” he said bluntly.

Tempest bobbed her head in agreement. Ever since Saddle Arabia she had learned to trust his instinct. “I know. So do I.”

Tirek sighed and lifted his hand off his bag. The tapping stopped, leaving Tempest feeling a touch emptier without it. “I will confess, I do not know Princess Cadance all too well, but... I am under the impression we are not welcome here. More so than our usual places of work, that is.”

“Ya think?” Cozy asked quietly. “Did you see those guards? They looked ready for a fight.”

“Oh, please,” Chrysalis snorted. “If we were to fight them we’d crush them in a heartbeat.” She grumpily bit into her apple, sinking low into the chair beside the filly and let out a long, heavy sigh. “Oh, how I wish we were still evil so we didn’t have to abide by their rules and we could just take what we wanted.”

Cozy cocked an eyebrow and looked at her. “We are still evil. Technically. We didn’t pass Twilight’s friendship tests when Luna first freed us, remember?”

The changeling paused mid-bite and glanced at her. “I’d forgotten about that,” she murmured. She shook her head. “Well, as if we would ever pass any test she’d set out for us. Friendship test indeed, the very idea of it sickens me...”

Tirek snorted quietly with laughter to himself. “Yes... quite.”

“And did you see some of the questions?” Cozy added with a grin. “Talk about narcissism. Half of the answers were Twilight herself.”

Tempest was surprised, albeit nicely, at how they were being nice to each other for a change--though, she supposed, their common hatred of Twilight had brought them together in the first place. She began to slowly walk around the room, taking in where they actually were. Various portraits of finely dressed ponies looking awfully regal hung along the walls. Royal family members, she supposed. Among them was of course Princess Cadance with her family, all smiles and no worries. Another was a young mare, roughly her age she reckoned, similarly dressed in fancy clothes like the other nobles, but something set her apart from them. At first Tempest couldn’t tell what, but as she looked closer she saw the young mare had eyes that practically radiated warmth and kindness, and a somewhat sad smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

“Radiant Hope,” she murmured, reading the nameplate underneath. “I wonder who she was...”

Whatever thoughts she may have had about the portrait were interrupted, however, as three solid knocks sounded out in the small room from the other side of the door.

Cozy fluttered her wings nervously. “That doesn’t sound like Cadance,” she murmured, glancing up at Tirek. “Did it?”

Tempest shook her head slowly. “No, Cozy. It didn’t.” A host of soldiers ready to haul them into the dungeons, maybe?

She glanced at her team. Chrysalis stood up, unfurling and flexing her wings, her eyes honed like daggers onto the door. Tirek likewise cracked his shoulders and prepared himself. Cozy fluttered her wings and rose into the air, watching eagerly and intently as Tempest wrapped her hoof around the handle.

When the door swung open, the tall, dark stallion staring back at her was most definitely not Cadance, nor was it a host of soldiers, and certainly not what, or who, rather, she expected to see. She recognised his grizzled features and black mane in an instant, and as his ruby red eyes bored into hers she felt a knot twist in her stomach.

Sombra.

King Sombra.

Her heart leapt up into her throat as time seemed to slow for a few moments. Why was Sombra here? Why, of all days? What sort of sick joke was fate playing on her now?

“Commander,” he said in a low voice that sent a certain kind of shiver down her spine as he clicked his hooves and bowed his head an inch towards her. “May we speak?”

He sounded urgent, and from how he glanced over his shoulder Tempest suspected he wasn’t exactly supposed to be there. Then again, that seemed standard for the Crystal Empire’s former tyrant. Tempest nodded stiffly without even meaning to and stood to one side. he stepped forwards, turning his head only slightly enough to meet her gaze for a split second, and Tempest felt her heart somersault inside her chest. Shut up, she told herself. Shut up, shut up, shut up.

As she closed the door behind him she heard a flurry of movement, and glanced over with a grimace to see Tirek attempting to hold Chrysalis back, the changeling sputtering all manner of curses at the dark stallion. Sombra looked past the commander as well and sighed.

“Hello to you too, Queen Chrysalis. You’ve aged,” he said drolly.

Chrysalis curled her lip in disgust and shoved Tirek away, marching up to the dark stallion to glower into his eyes. “And you look sickly and frail, Sombra,” she snarled. “Why are you here?”

“I wish to talk. If you’ll indulge me?” Sombra looked past her at Tirek, giving the centaur and the filly at his side each a firm nod. “Lord Tirek. Cozy... Glow, was it? You’re both looking a sight grander than your changeling.”

Cozy immediately fluttered her wings and came to a rest on Tirek’s shoulder for protection, watching the dark stallion carefully.

“Noted,” the centaur snorted, folding his arms tightly across his chest, patiently waiting for an explanation.

Sombra exhaled through his nostrils. “Crystal Hills,” he said with a grim voice. “I can only assume that you are all here because of its existence, and I wish to speak with you concerning the issue it raises.”

Oh, of course he wanted to talk about Crystal Hills, Tempest thought. Why wouldn’t he?

“What do you know about Crystal Hills?” Tirek asked suspiciously.

The shadowy stallion turned and flicked his gaze up at the portrait Tempest had been examining. His eyes twitched and his nostrils flared the tiniest bit. “I know the rumours and stories surrounding it are true, for one. That it is filled with untold riches from a kingdom long gone, for another.” A shadow darkened his eyes for a moment as his voice faltered. “And finally, there is not just treasure that awaits in Crystal Hills. There is something else, something that concerns me deeply.”

“You’re talking about the Crown of Sacanas, right?” Cozy said.

Sombra flared his nostrils and turned his head down towards her. “Yes, Sacanas’s crown,” he confirmed, his voice low and filled with an unsettling intensity. “And I can tell you for certainty that it is indeed a powerful and dangerous artifact, more dangerous than you could possibly imagine.”

Chrysalis twisted her face at him while Tirek stuck his thumbs in the side of his vest. “What make you so certain?” he rumbled.

A shadow passed over Sombra’s face, darkening his rugged features. “Because I have have seen firsthoof what the crown is capable of, Lord Tirek. Long ago, before my reign as King of the Crystal Empire, I learned of the existence of the Crown of Sacanas. Its power was said to be immense, capable of anything-”

Chrysalis scoffed loudly. “Please, spare us your dramatic tales,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “We’ve dealt with our fair share of powerful artifacts.”

Sombra’s gaze hardened, his eyes glowing with a faint ethereal light. “Oh, I have no doubt that you have faced many challenges,” he replied coldly. “But the Crown of Sacanas is not something to be taken lightly, Chrysalis. Despite the salvation the crown may promise it in itself is insidious, dragging even the strongest-willed beings into madness and destruction.”

Tempest watched the exchange between Sombra and her teammates with a mix of curiosity and caution. There was something about the way Sombra spoke, the weight behind his words, that made her believe he was telling the truth.

“What exactly makes it so dangerous?” she asked, her voice steady despite the pounding of her heart.

Sombra turned to her. The graveness in his eyes made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end. “When I say the crown gives its wearer the power to do anything, I mean no exaggeration, Commander,” he explained, his voice low and as serious as the grave. “Though it exacts a heavy toll. You see, those that wear the crown are assailed by the thoughts of its dark master, by Sacanas’s spirit himself, until his will becomes your own. Your body, heart; your very soul falls under his sway, leaving nothing behind.”

There was a tense silence as he finished, now that the Knights knew and understood what they were dealing with.

Chrysalis snorted, breaking the silence, though a flicker of doubt appeared over her face. “And we are to understand that you resisted it, did you?”

Sombra inhaled deeply and flared his nostrils. “I had no need to,” he stated flatly. “For while I sought it out, another came to wear it.”

Curious, Cozy fluttered her wings and leaned forwards. “Somepony else?” she asked. “Who?”

The dark stallion swallowed. Tempest spotted a small bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face. “A friend,” he murmured, regret and sorrow lacing his voice.

Chrysalis scoffed. “A friend? You?” she tittered. “I find that hard to believe.”

Quickly composing himself, the former king scowled at her. “And I find it hard to believe that you are here, Chrysalis,” he snarled. “After all, I haven’t said Bloody Mary three times today.”

Tirek let out a delighted little snort of laughter and grinned from ear to ear.

Chrysalis scowled and rounded on him. “Is that a smile Lord Tirek?” she snarled. “Is that an expression of humour or are you constipated? Your face is already so hideous I can hardly tell the difference.”

The centaur’s smile faded. “He has a point,” he rumbled. “I am certain it is against our code of ethics to allow a pile of festering worms to wear our uniform, yet here you stand.”

Cozy laughed and clapped her hooves together. “Oooooh!” she cried gleefully.

Sombra sat back and watched as well, a small smirk playing across his mouth.

And Tempest looked up at the ceiling, letting a pained look of deep, sorrowful regret cross her face as they began to bicker back and forth like an old married couple who hated each other. “Sombra, this... friend of yours,” she said quickly as her teammates paused to catch their breaths, desperately hoping to get back on track. “Are they still alive? Is this a rescue mission?”

Sombra blanched and glanced at her for a moment before averting his eyes. “No,” he said after a moment. “I saw to it that they were spared any further suffering. No, finding and destroying the crown are my only goals in coming to you today.”

Sensing something more but not wishing to push it any further, Tempest bobbed her head. “Alright, so how do we do that? I’m assuming you have a plan, already?”

Sombra’s horn crackled with black lightning. From the folds of his cloak he retrieved a small, silver key and held it up to them all. “I do indeed, Commander. I know where Crystal Hills is, and this key is the only one of its kind capable of breaking the seal around the city, shielding it from the world,” he said. “I have it because it was given to me, and if the key has been found then that means there are others who seek Crystal Hills, and Sacanas’s crown, no doubt for their own purposes.”

Tempest thought about what Starlight had said, the warning from Lord Glow. “Bray,” she murmured in realisation.

Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy all scowled at the mention of the donkey’s name.

Sombra joined them and tightened his jaw. “Yes, the magician,” he growled. “The trickster in Saddle Arabia who poisoned my mind and used me for his own goals--I have not forgotten-”

He stopped.

Chrysalis’s wings suddenly unfurled and her pupils shrank. Her lip pulled backwards into a snarl and she bared her fangs, taking a long drag of air through her nose. “That smell…” she whispered. “Where did you find this key, Sombra? Who gave it to you?”

Sombra cocked his head out and gave her a strange look. “A three-legged changeling appeared on my doorstep carrying it, offering it to me,” he said. “Why? One of yours, I presume?”

Cozy glanced worriedly at Chrysalis. “Uh, I wouldn’t say that,” she murmured quietly, inching away from the changeling queen.

“Pupa,” Chrysalis spat, flicking her tongue out as if it left a foul taste. “I would recognise my dear aunt’s wretched stench anywhere.” She trained her eyes on Sombra, focusing on him like a hawk about to dive for a rabbit. “What business did you have with her, Sombra?” she asked quietly.

The dark stallion braced himself. “Little to none. When I demanded to know how she came by this key she refused to answer, beyond some cryptic nonsense, and left soon after in a flash of light.”

“Oh yeah she does that,” muttered Cozy, gently bobbing her head up and down.

Tempest, sensing Sombra’s confusion, coughed quietly and drew his attention. “Chrysalis and Cozy have met Pupa before,” she explained. “From what we know, and from what they’ve seen and said, Pupa--Chrysalis’s aunt--is working with Bray.”

Sombra blinked again in surprise. “Truly?” He thought for a moment, turning the key over in his magic. The ruby in its head glinted and flashed in the light, reflecting back in his eyes of the same shade. “Then it seems we have even more reason to work together in this matter, then.”

“I disagree,” Chrysalis said quietly. She lowered her head and grit her teeth. “If Pupa has involved her stinking hooves then I cannot help but ask why? Was it for her own benefit or that of her wretched master?” She scowled, twitching occasionally from anger. Then she paused and cast Sombra a wary glance. “Or perhaps she is yet amongst us now.”

Sombra rolled his eyes. “Do you truly suspect I am a member of your stinking race?” he sneered. “Take a good, long look, Chrysalis. You will see I am as pony as when we last met.”

Chrysalis did. She eyed him up and down, indeed taking a long look at him. After a short while of this she eventually snorted. “Fine. You are indeed you,” she grunted. “My point stands, however. For all I know, you are working with that pond slime I have the misfortune of calling family.”

The dark stallion flared his nostrils. “Think what you want, insect, however wrong it is, I don’t care,” he sneered. “Now leave the decision making to your betters, would you? After all, it is not you I am here to converse with, but rather your leader; it is she whom I would ask to aid me in this matter and she alone.”

Tempest blanched. Her? Why?

“The commander? Why?” demanded Tirek, suddenly on the defensive.

Sombra looked up at him calmly. “Is it not obvious?” he asked. “Who among you stands as a calm and collected individual? You, Tirek? Perhaps Chrysalis, or even the child? This mission, this... ‘quest’, if you will, requires those with only the strongest wills, and as a pony--nay--a unicorn whose horn was broken-”

The Knights blanched all at once. Their eyes darted over to the dark mare in their midst. Tempest’s nose twitched, then her eyebrow followed suit and her eyes hardened into a fierce glare. Not that Sombra noticed.

“-has absolute authority over all of you, I can see clearly that your leader is the only one capable of joining me.” He looked finally at the dark, scowling mare, suddenly very aware of how hot the room had gotten. He swallowed and lifted his head up slightly. “What say you, Commander?” he said softly, extending his hoof.

Tempest’s horn crackled once then stopped. Her features softened, though the bitter feelings remained. She realised he wasn’t being malicious, quite the opposite in fact, but still she hated--hated--being singled out for her broken horn. She raised her head and looked deep into his eyes. Her heart thumped in her chest again.

Chrysalis’s head turned sharply in her direction, the changeling’s nostrils flaring only slightly as she caught a whiff of something terrible and outrageous.

The commander thought for a moment, feeling her teammate’s eyes burning gazes upon the back of her head. Crystal Hills, and the crown, needed to be found, she reasoned with herself. And Sombra apparently knew where it was and how to reach it, and he was right--so was Starlight: if Bray or Pupa or whoever else they were enemies with found it first, then that could spell disaster for not just Equestria, but the wider world as a whole.

On the other hoof, she would be leaving her team behind, going into the unknown with only Sombra for company. Could she trust him? He saved her life once in Saddle Arabia already. He had sought them out--her out, specifically, and why? What if Chrysalis was right, what if he was working for or with Pupa? What if he was lying about everything? Could she really take that chance? Questions, questions and more questions mounted inside her mind, threatening to overwhelm her. She closed her eyes, taking deep, slow breaths. Stay calm. Focus, she told herself.

Easier said than done, when the door suddenly burst open, flying off of its hinges and slamming into the far wall with the faint traces of pink smoke surrounding it.

Tirek instinctively put one leg in front of Cozy and shielded her, readying himself for a fight for whatever it was, only to stand down as soon as a loud, bellowing voice roared a name in fury.

“Sombra!”

Still holding his hoof out to Tempest, searching her eyes with his, Sombra didn’t move even as Princess Cadance strode into the room, her usually gentle demeanour replaced with a fierce expression and clear hostility. She stood tall and formidable before them all, the very picture of an alicorn of Equestria, her wings spread out on either side of her regal form, not unlike either of her aunts, and her horn pointed upwards to the ceiling like a proud mountaintop.

She stared at them all, the Knights on one side, Sombra on the other and Tempest standing before him. Her wings rustled and returned to her sides.

“Step away, Tempest,” she said calmly, fixing her gaze upon Sombra. “Sombra is an enemy of the state and I am placing him under arrest. Nightmare Knights, if you interfere you will be treated in the same way.”

Chrysalis wrenched her glare away from tempest to the princess. She hissed and curled her lips back, but took a step back all the same, as did Tirek and Cozy. Cadance nodded at them, somewhat thankful for their co-operation, but with obvious hesitance. Behind her several guards shuffled, bustling forth into the room all clad in silver wielding spears tipped with crystal.

Tempest didn’t move, however.

“I won’t say again, Commander,” said Cadance, terseness creeping into her voice. “Step aside.”

The commander bristled. She was duty bound to obey any order of the Equestrian princesses when given, but technically speaking, Cadance wasn’t a princess of Equestria, she reasoned with herself. She shouldn’t feel guilty about this. Her tail swished from side to side. A bead of sweat formed on her head.

Cozy watched with wide eyes and bated breath. “What’s she doing?” she whispered, tugging at Tirek’s leg. “Tempy?”

Tirek waved his hand towards her and shushed her. “Commander?” he murmured.

After only a few short moments, Tempest’s intention became very apparent to everyone in the room.

Chrysalis tensed up like a cat about to pounce. “Tempest…” she hissed. Her voice shook slightly, probably with the realisation of a great and terrible truth. “Don’t you dare...”

Tempest slowly breathed in and out through her nose, locking eyes with Sombra. The princess and her guards stood to the right. Her own Knights stood behind her. She licked her lips. Cadance and her retinue started to move forwards, slow, deliberately, as if their presence might have set off a stick of dynamite.

Sombra’s fierce, attractively intense eyes burrowed into Tempest’s, silently willing her to take his hoof. To trust him and come away with him.

The bead of sweat that had been rolling down the side of Tempest’s face reached her chin, and fell, landing on the floor without a sound.

She lurched forwards with a burst of determination, grabbing the dark stallion’s hoof and pulled herself towards him. She heard the furious outcry, unsure if it came from Chrysalis or Cadance, and the world began to spin. There was a bright flash that surrounded both her and Sombra. The warmth of the Crystal Empire palace interior faded away, replaced by somewhere cold. Somewhere impossibly cold.

She raised a hoof to her eyes to shield her from the sudden, sheer whiteness of it all and squinted.

There was nothing around them, but the empty, howling wastes of the Frozen North, it in itself living up to its namesake. This place was a wasteland. Barren, devoid of all life except for the whistling wind as it ripped at their manes and their tails, billowing them out. It was then Tempest realised what exactly she had done, and put her head in her hooves.

“Oh, I shouldn’t have done that,” she muttered.

Starlight was going to kill her, or try to at least and then Chrysalis would kill her in turn. Twilight would be furious. Luna, wherever she was would likely also be furious. And Cadance, well... Cadance had just seen her disobey a direct order and dash off with just about the worst enemy of the Crystal Empire. And her team... the Nightmare Knights... she left them behind. How could she? Her tail beat the ground a few times, swishing back and forth in distress.

The sound of the crunching of hooves on snow made her look up in alarm. Sombra was already sauntering away, up a small hill without a care in the world. She stared after him and felt her eyebrow twitch. Yeah, said a small voice inside her head. She liked to imagine it was Chrysalis. Really shouldn’t have done that, should you? She furrowed her brow and stood up. Giving in to her own self despair wouldn’t do now. She had a job to do, and now that she was here she might as well do it.

“Hey,” she called out. “Wait up.”

He turned slightly and looked at her, unimpressed as she stumbled through the thick snow, trying to match his hoofprints. For such a big stallion he was oddly light and left little imprints.

“Mind telling me where exactly we are?” she asked, panting only lightly from the small workout. The snow was thicker than she thought, and Sombra was bigger than her, though not by much. “Y’know, seeing as how I may have just thrown my entire life away by joining you?”

Sombra arched an eyebrow upwards at her. “Crystal Hills,” he answered. “Or thereabouts. Just beyond this hill, by my reckoning.”

Tempest grunted in acknowledgement.

“I do appreciate it, also,” he continued. “That you should throw your life away for the likes of me and mine.”

“Save it for when we’re done,” Tempest grumbled sulkily. “Maybe by then I’ll manage to salvage something--if we survive.”

“How very optimistic of you,” the dark stallion chortled grimly.

The commander shot him a look. “The Nightmare Knights don’t deal in optimism. It’s a luxury we can’t afford.”

Sombra paused for a moment. “Are the Nightmare Knights knights, or philosophers now? No matter. Come. Up this hill we should be able to see it.”

They climbed in relative silence, save for the snow crunching under their hooves. Once Tempest lost her footing and slipped, but Sombra turned and grabbed her, holding her steady while she caught her balance. She only just managed to stave off the blush creeping up under her coat around her face and thanked him quietly, hating how her voice sounded small--like a filly with a schoolyard crush. For Celestia’s sake pull yourself together, she scolded herself.

As they finally reached the summit, they both stared down at the city below.

The darkness surrounding it was suffocating, swallowing any light that dared to shine through. The few tall buildings that emerged from the shadows only added to the feeling of unease. It was as if a thick layer of foreboding had been smeared over everything, growing larger and more suffocating with each passing moment. The longer she looked, the more intense the sense of dread overwhelmed her, making her heart race.

“I know,” Sombra said curtly, glaring down at the shadow-drenched city as if he could read her thoughts. “It was not always like this, I assure you. Once it was beautiful, the true capital of the Crystal Empire.” His face seemed to brightened as he spoke. “Often times I would come to this hill to simply sit and gaze down upon it, listening to the sounds of children playing in its streets, smell the aromas of delicious food wafting through the air, or even just to simply bask in its glory.” He shook his head and his eyes hardened. “Now all that remains is a mere husk of the Crystal Empire’s former glory.”

Tempest glanced towards him. As soon as her gaze averted from Crystal Hills she felt a sense of elation, like a great weight had been lifted up off of her shoulders and she let out a short sigh of breath. “And the crown is in there, is it?”

“Yes, at the palace. At the far end.”

Sombra turned away. “There is a cave further up this hill,” he said. “We may rest there and gather our bearings if you so wish.”

Tempest nodded in agreement, grateful for the suggestion. The biting cold of the Frozen North was starting to seep into her bones, and she couldn’t deny the fatigue that was beginning to take hold of her. The thought of finding some shelter and a momentary reprieve from the harsh elements was enticing, and her mind was still reeling from the sight of the desolate city below.

She followed Sombra as he led her towards the cave, their hoofsteps muffled by the thick layer of snow. The wind howled around them, biting at their exposed skin and seeking to drive them back, like the Frozen North itself was telling them to turn away.

“How could anypony live up here?” Tempest wondered out loud as they stepped into the cave. “Aren’t you cold?”

Sombra shrugged and ignited his horn. Instead of black lightning as before, a warm, soft pink glow illuminated their faces before conjuring a small fire. “I do not feel the cold as you Equestrians do.”

He lowered his head and pointed the fire at the ground.

The commander snorted and sat down near it, warming her hooves up. She coiled her tail around her for warmth, and quickly realised just how cold she actually was. “Must be nice,” she muttered grumpily, trying to stop her teeth from chattering despite the fire’s heat.

Making no show that he heard her Sombra remained silent. He sat for a moment, staring into the fire. It danced and flickered, reflecting back in his ruby red eyes.

“I can offer you my cloak, if you wish,” he eventually said, tearing his eyes away from the flames to look at her.

Tempest started on the spot. “What?”

“For the cold.”

The feeling of heat welled up in her cheeks. “No thanks,” she muttered.

He hummed quietly and turned his attention back to the fire.

Tempest couldn’t help but steal glances at Sombra as they sat in the warmth of the cave. There was something about him, an air of enigma and power that fascinated her. She had always been drawn to strong, independent stallions, but Sombra was different. His dark past and his unyielding determination to reclaim what he had lost intrigued her. And yet, she couldn’t deny the conflicting emotions within her.

As the fire crackled and popped, casting dancing shadows on the cave walls, Tempest found herself lost in thought. She wondered how she had ended up here, aligning herself with a pony who had once threatened to bring darkness to Equestria. It went against everything she believed in as a member of the Nightmare Knights. But something deep inside her told her that there was more to Sombra than met the eye.

“Tell me,” Tempest began, breaking the silence. “Why did you choose me to join you on this mission? It has to be more than the Knights respecting me, right?”

“Do you find that hard to believe?” Sombra chuckled, his laugh sounding unfamiliar and almost foreign as if he rarely allowed himself to do so.

The commander wrinkled her nose. “I guess not.”

“Something tells you otherwise?”

“Yeah. I get the feeling you’re not telling me everything.”

“Hah. You have good instincts.” Sombra stood up briefly and stretched before lying down in front of the fire, holding himself very regally despite current circumstances.

At this angle Tempest got a good look at his sheer mass and imagined what rippling pectorals hid underneath that cloak of his. Over on his flank she caught sight of something that resembled a scratch mark over where his cutie mark would have been and frowned, curious as to what it could be. You’re doing it again, said the small voice inside her head. Focus.

Sombra looked her up and down. “I must concede to you, however, and admit that you are right,” he said. “Your ability to command your Knights is indeed impressive, though there is something more that catches my attention.”

“Like what?” Tempest said quickly.

Sombra’s gaze intensified as he spoke. “It is your resilience, Commander. Your unwavering determination to protect Equestria and its ponies, even in the face of insurmountable odds. I see a fire within you, burning bright despite the darkness that is surrounding us all. I asked you here alone because... because like Luna I believe you may yet save us from what is coming.”

The commander’s tail swished along the floor. “What do you mean?”

Sombra shook his head. “I will explain, you have my word, but only after we are finished here.”

“Why can’t you tell me now?”

“What would I have to bargain with then, Commander?” he replied slyly.

Tempest felt her eyebrow twitch. She couldn’t deny the intrigue that Sombra’s words had stirred within her. There was a part of her that wanted to push for answers, to demand them right then and there. But the other part of her, the part that had learned patience through years of hardships, understood the importance of playing the long game.

“You keep your word?” she asked.

“Upon my life,” Sombra answered.

“Fine,” the commander muttered.

The crackling fire filled the quiet as Tempest’s thoughts drifted away. It had been ages since she had simply sat and waited, hadn’t it? She and the Knights were always rushing around or battling some monstrous threat; she rarely took time anymore to just be still and unwind. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly when, but a sudden weariness overcame her. Her heavy eyelids started to droop in the cave, and before long, she had fallen into a deep and much-needed sleep.

***

Tempest stirred awake, her vision slowly adjusting to the dimly lit surroundings. She let out a yawn and clicked her tongue in slight confusion, realizing she was on an unfamiliar floor in a cold, damp cave. With a jolt, she sat up and scolded herself for dozing off, quickly remembering where she was. How long had she been asleep? And where-

Sombra wasn’t there, she realised, taking a quick look around. The fire had gone out as well. A cold, sinking feeling began to grow in her stomach as she crept cautiously towards the mouth of the cave, half expecting Sombra to be long gone, leaving her for dead in the Frozen North wilderness. It was night now, too. Stars and nebulas dotted the clear night sky, and snowflakes like little stars themselves fell down to gently rest upon the ground. If she didn’t know where she was, she’d have thought it quite peaceful, tranquil even.

And as she stepped out into the cool night air she spotted Sombra, sitting some ways away on a ledge overlooking the city below. His head was low and his cloak pulled across his shoulders, but it was definitely him. Tempest breathed out a quick sigh of relief and made her way towards him, crunching the snow under her hooves in the process.

He twitched his head in one direction and glanced at her with one eye that cut through the dark like a blood red spotlight. “You’re awake, then,” he said gruffly.

She flinched. She must have slept for hours, she realised. “Yeah,” she murmured. “Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

Sombra waved his hoof. “It doesn’t matter. In truth I took the time to prepare myself as well, and had I known you were tired enough I would have suggested resting until nightfall anyway.” He paused for a moment and looked her over as she sat down next to hm. “When was the last time you had a proper night’s rest, Commander?”

Tempest pulled a face. “What are you, my doctor?” she grunted moodily.

“When was it?” he persisted.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

Sombra hummed quietly. “Might I suggest-”

“I can sleep when I’m done,” the commander snapped. Waking up from a nap, however long or short, always made her cranky. Cozy had learned this the hard way, as now Sombra did, apparently. That, and coupled with the indignation of falling asleep on the job--in front of him as well...

But Sombra simply arched an eyebrow at her. “Yes, of course,” he said quietly. “Well, seeing as how we are both ready, shall we proceed with our mission, then?” He gestured towards the city.

Tempest smoothed the front of her jumpsuit down and shivered again, though this time not because of the cold. Crystal Hills once again loomed before them, somehow looking larger than before, more intimidating. She swallowed and narrowed her eyes. “Yeah,” she said firmly despite the cold grip fear had a hold of her heart. “Yeah let’s get this over with. What’re we walking into down there?”

“Do not know,” Sombra answered. “But I assure you, Commander, it will not be a walk in the park.”

The commander blinked. “Was that a joke?”

The stallion’s eyes glinted with a hint of amusement. “Would it surprise you to learn I have a sense of humour, Commander?”

“Kinda, yeah.”

“Well... it surprised me to know that you talk in your sleep.”

Tempest’s face turned beet red and her jaw clamped shut. He flashed her a smile and stood up, offering her his hoof as he rose. After a second, she scowled and made it a point to not touch him, nor even look at him as she helped herself up, willing away the heat in her face to leave. “Mhm,” she offered him curtly.

Sombra watched her for a moment longer then turned to go, a small smile over his face.

The moon shone brightly in the sky, watching over them it felt like. Tempest glanced up at it, wondering where Luna was, wondering if she had planned for them to meet at all like this at some point. She snorted quietly. If she did, she had a lot to answer for.

But speculation would have to wait, she told herself, as would this crush she had.

Crystal Hills and its ever-daunting presence beckoned them forth, keeping whatever its dark secrets may be hidden within its icy streets. Tempest squared her shoulders in determination. She had a mission to complete, a responsibility to Equestria and its ponies. She couldn’t afford distractions in here, not when they were so close, either. And with Sombra’s presence beside her, despite his ominous past and his... infuriatingly handsome smile, a strange sense of confidence was instilled within her. She’d get him back for that remark, she promised herself. How or when she didn’t know, but she would.

But even so, she thought, a little levity no matter what, often helped in situations like this, and it often fell to Cozy to inject a bit of humour into their lives. Maybe the young Knight’s role as the ‘mascot’ was more apt than Chrysalis had initially thought.

As they made their way down the snowy slopes towards Crystal Hills, the silence between them was heavy with anticipation, like they both knew what was coming. Each step echoed in the quiet night, the sound muffled by the thick layer of snow beneath their hooves. Soon enough the gates loomed before them like a set of iron teeth belonging to a great beast, and two towers rose up into the sky on either side of it, looming down on them like oppressive sentinels.

Tempest couldn’t help but feel a surge of trepidation as they approached, the weight of their mission pressing down on her with each passing second, and slowed to let Sombra pass. The dark stallion led the way with a certain grace, his steps measured and deliberate. The commander followed closely behind, her senses on high alert, scanning the battlements of the walls for anything and anyone, friendly or otherwise. There was nothing but ice and wind to answer her. She didn’t know if that was comforting or not

Sombra shifted and produced his key once more, holding it up to the gate. The gates joined in on the pulsing, radiating a dim red light before suddenly coming to a halt.

“What-” Tempest began, when suddenly, with a loud groan and an ear-piercing screech, the doors slowly opened, scraping against the icy ground. The sound was almost unbearable, cutting through the stillness of the night like nails on a chalkboard. Eventually, after what felt like an eternity had passed, the gates came to a stop and silence settled back in.

Sombra looked down at the key in his hoof, nonplussed at how loud the sound had been. “There,” he muttered. “The way is open. And this key no loner serves any purpose.”

“What do you mean?” Tempest asked, stepping up beside him and rubbing her ear. “It’s a key, right? Couldn’t you just lock it back up?”

“It isn’t that simple,” Sombra replied. “I have broken the enchantment containing Crystal Hills. Now it is, in a way, free; never to be sealed away again.”

“That doesn’t sound very reassuring.”

“It isn’t meant to be. We should hurry,” said the king cryptically as he strode into the archway, leaving Tempest with more questions than answers.

“You said we need to go to the palace, right?”

“Indeed. If memory serves the fastest way there is down the main road. It runs all the way through the city.”

“Well then after you, your majesty,” Tempest said with a slight bow.

Sombra frowned at her. “Bowing does not suit you,” he murmured quietly.

The commander frowned back at him. “I don’t care if it suits me or not,” she said. “It’s proper protocol, I’m a knight and I am in the presence of ‘royalty’ after all. Aren’t I?”

After a moment a low groan of irritation escaped the dark stallion’s throat. “Yes, well. Onwards, then,” he grunted sulkily.

More than a bit pleased with herself, tempest followed after him. The shadows of the night seemed to intensify as they walked through the darkened streets, hiding who knows what just out of sight, and with just their hoofbeats as the only sounds around, Tempest felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

She paused for a moment and cocked on ear out, swearing she heard another set of hoofsteps that weren’t theirs.

“What is it?” Sombra asked her quietly, keeping his head low and his eyes alert and sharp.

“I don’t know. I feel like we’re being watched.”

The dark stallion nodded. “I feel it as well. Be on your guard, Nightmare Knight.”

Tempest nodded back at him, sensing the time for snappy remarks was over.

Plodding on through the dark, cold and narrow streets, they eventually came upon a town square of sorts, where the road opened up.

To say the square was desolate would be an understatement. The cobblestones under their hooves lay covered in a layer of snow, untouched by any pony for years. Tempest’s gaze swept across the area. It seemed as though time itself had forgotten this place, leaving it to decay in its own sorrow, and yet strangely there was an unmistakeable beauty to it, that whoever built this place did so lovingly. She wondered what it must have looked like in its heyday. She could practically feel the weight of the past lingering in the air, as if the forgotten memories of those who had once called this place home were whispering to her. The wind carried snippets of laughter and joy, mixed with the melancholy echo of despair.

As she looked around Sombra took a few steps forward, his hooves crunching through the snow. His gaze flickered towards a worn and faded statue in the centre of the square. His breath shuddered for a moment and he stood still, staring up at it with a hollowed and pained expression. Tempest quietly joined him, taking a few more careful glances around before she looked up at the statue as well. The statue was a mare, clearly, her face, while worn, was etched forever into a smile--a kind smile. A somewhat sad smile, too? She looked familiar for some reason, but--oh! The mare in the portrait she had been looking at in the Crystal Empire.

“Hey I think I recognise her,” she murmured. “Radiant Hope, right?”

She blinked and suddenly the square was alive with ponies, as, seemingly, real as herself and Sombra, all an array of bright colours--reds, greens, blues, yellows, all the colours of the rainbow. Some children scampered past them, laughing and playing amongst themselves without a care in the world, paying no heed at all to the strangers in their midst. It was just as she had imagined it moments ago: a vibrant city, full of life and energy instead of the desolate ruin they had entered. And another thing... it was warm. It was so warm, like Ponyville in the height of summer. Tufts of green grass poked up through the cobblestones beneath them, and the sun shone down from high above, spreading its warmth and joy over the world, from what looked like a shimmering shield.

Tempest couldn’t believe her eyes. It had to be a vision of some sort, but why? How? She glanced at Sombra again, and at the statue. The mare depicted in stone seemed to be smiling kindly now instead of sadly, as if she was witnessing the revival of her beloved city through Tempest’s perspective.

“What is this?” the commander whispered incredulously, barely audible amidst the newfound sounds of life.

She blinked again and just as quickly as it had appeared, it all vanished. The warmth, the noise, the colour--gone. Replaced by the cold emptiness of Crystal Hills in its current state. Sombra let out a long, drawn-out sigh and lowered his head.

“We shouldn’t linger,” he said quietly. “This place holds many memories, none of them pleasant.”

Tempest looked at him for a good long while after that before finally nodding in agreement. They moved away form the square, taking it slow through the dead city’s streets. She glanced back once more at where they had come from, still unable to shake the feeling that they were being watched. Shadows moved in the corners of her eyes, and when she looked at them properly there was nothing but inky blackness staring back at her.

As they ventured deeper into Crystal Hills, the streets seemed to grow tighter, narrower, and the ruined buildings taller until they had to walk single file. Their hoofsteps clipped loudly along the stones making up the floor, where the snow hadn’t fallen. Soon they came upon a small patch of frozen grass and a few dead trees in what looked like some sort of playground--long since dilapidated like the rest of the city. They got about halfway when Tempest had another vision, and for a moment she once again saw greenery, the trees covered with white petals and the playground, once rusted and terrible now clean and new, and children’s laughter filled the air.

“Commander,” came Sombra’s sharp voice.

She blinked and looked around, realising she had strayed from their path at some point and quickly made to re-join him.

“What did you see?” he asked her, quite serious.

Tempest shook her head. “Nothing, really. Just... how things were before whatever happened here, happened. Why? Do you see it, too?”

“I have seen nothing else since we arrived.”

Sombra turned to go, but the commander reached out to stop him, grabbing his shoulder firmly. “What?” she asked. “What do you mean? You don’t see the ice and the snow--the ruins?”

He shook his head. “No. I know how it really looks, I know it isn’t real, and yet I see it how it was. How she saw it.”

“She? Radiant Hope?”

“Yes.”

At the bitterness and sorrow in his voice, Tempest made a small ‘O’ with her mouth. Another thought occurred to her. “She was your ‘friend’, wasn’t she? The one you said put on the crown?”

Sombra nodded stiffly. “That is correct, yes.”

The wind whistled down the narrow street, rustling their manes and tails and bringing with it an icy chill. The dark stallion looked up at where it was coming from and frowned. “This far north, where there is wind a blizzard soon follows,” he grunted. “We should find shelter and wait for it to pass. This way.”

Tempest let him go, watching after him for a few moments, then hurried to join him. The flashes she was getting were unsettling enough, to see a world that was once, but for him she couldn’t imagine how difficult it must be. And questions began to mount in her mind again: what exactly happened to Crystal Hills? How was Sombra connected to it all? Why was she getting these visions, what did it all mean?

She furrowed her brow as they walked, shivering in the cold of the howling winds.

***

The blizzard arrived just as Sombra said it would, tearing through the narrow streets with blisteringly cold winds.

They kept their heads low and their bodies close together, conserving any amount of warmth possible. Tempest felt a different kind of heat rise up into her face when he first put his hoof around her, guiding her onwards. For somepony who, as he said himself, ‘didn’t feel the cold’, he was shivering an awful lot.

“Almost there,” he said through gritted teeth.

Tempest just nodded, barely able to keep her teeth from chattering together. She didn’t know here they were going exactly, but shelter was all she needed to hear. That and that they were close. They came to a crossing and a break from the oppressive alleyway, but the wind made it difficult to see anything.

“Straight ahead,” Sombra said into her ear, not quite shouting but loud enough to be heard over the gale. “I will lead the way. Stay close and do not stray.”

“How?” Tempest grumbled, clenching her teeth together. “I can’t see anything.”

“Here.”

Sombra’s horn began to glow, creating a protective bubble around them of a shimmering magic shield. As they trudged forward, the dark stallion led the way while the commander stuck close behind him. The warmth from his magic spread through her body, giving her a small sense of security.

But despite that, the blizzard seemed to grow in intensity, raging at the pair who dared try to defy it. Sombra winced. Tempest noticed he was struggling and bit her lip. She’d never been able to cast shields thanks to her horn, and lamented that all she could do was brace herself against him, keeping him steady.

He was so warm, she thought. Surprisingly soft too.

Stop it, she told herself. Focus.

The storm was a fierce opponent, fighting against them with each step they took, nipping at their noses and ears even through the protective bubble. Tempest’s heart sank as she noticed the magic flickering once or twice. “Don’t stop,” she urged Sombra, prodding his head with her nose. “We’re almost there.... right?”

“Just... ahead,” he grunted between breaths. “Just... there!”

He pointed a hoof towards a large stone building, similar to the others they had passed, all crumbling from years of neglect in Crystal Hills. Tempest couldn’t believe it; they must have only just crossed the road, but the unrelenting storm made it feel like they had been wandering for miles. With no time to waste, they both rushed forward and pushed against the door. After a small amount of effort, the ice surrounding the frame cracked and they swung open. The ponies hurried inside together and quickly closed the heavy doors behind them, grateful to be shielded from the brutal elements outside.

As they took a minute to catch their breath, Tempest couldn’t help but look around curiously. It appeared to be some kind of abandoned bar, with tables and chairs strewn about the floor, and the faint smell of mildew in the air that made her wrinkle her nose.

“Well done, Commander,” Sombra said suddenly, brushing some snow off of his shoulders and out of his wavy mane. “I see why your comrades respect you so.”

“Hey you’re my only ticket out of here,” she replied, rubbing her frozen hooves together to try and warm up. “If you freeze to death, so do I.”

“Hmm. Yes I suppose so.”

They both chuckled softly, their breaths only just visible in the cold air. Sombra’s laugh managed to warm Tempest’s heart more than any magic shield ever could, and her cheeks began to turn a nice rosy red as a result. She quickly coughed and reaffirmed herself. “So where are we anyway? What is this place?”

The stallion looked around them and let out a short, bitter sigh. “The Crystal Rose,” he told her. “It is a tavern. In my youth I... found work here.”

Tempest’s eyebrows rose up. “Doing what exactly?” she teased.

Sombra hesitated and twitched his head towards her. “My father was the innkeeper, it was not uncommon for me to help him by clearing tables.”

The dark mare couldn’t help but smirk at the image of Sombra as a young colt, clumsily carrying trays of food and trying to balance dirty dishes. It was a far cry from the image she had of him as the fearsome King Sombra. “I never would have guessed,” she said playfully. “But I suppose everyone has their humble beginnings, don’t they?”

“Quite."

Sombra examined their surroundings. “Yes, a lot of memories were forged here," he murmured, and strode towards the bar counter. He circled around it and situated himself on the other side of it, then rested with his forehooves on the counter top. “May I offer you a drink, Commander? Free of charge, of course. I’m sure my father won’t mind.”

The commander stared at him incredulously. “You want to have a drink?” she asked slowly. Here? Now? In the middle of this dead city, she wondered? He must be mad.

But Sombra simply shrugged. “Something to warm the soul as much as the body, wouldn’t you say?” he said with a sly grin.

Tempest paused, considering the offer. The blizzard roared outside, relentlessly attacking the door and windows. It didn’t seem like it would let up anytime soon. Maybe he was right; one drink wouldn’t hurt too much. She gave in and took a seat at the bar, facing him. “Alright,” she conceded, “but just one. I’m still on duty.”

“Of course.”

Sombra’s horn lit up once again, this time with crackling black lightning, and a bottle, accompanied by two small glasses, lifted themselves up into view and deposited themselves on the counter at his behest. “Crystal vodka,” he declared, examining the bottle. “Perhaps the last bottle ever made. I remember my father was keeping it for a special occasion...” He trailed off for a moment before adding, in a far sombre tone, “An occasion that never came to pass.”

He looked down at the crystal clear liquid in his glass. Tempest did, too, noticing how it glittered and sparkled like a diamond. Cool trick for something called crystal vodka, she supposed.

“Well.” Sombra leaned against the bar and raised his glass in a toast. “To Crystal Hills,” he said, slinging his drink back and downing it all in one go.

Tempest raised hers and watched as he drank it down. “To Crystal Hills,” she murmured before slinging it back just as he had. The vodka burned a trail down her throat. She coughed, her eyes watering as she tried to catch her breath. “Wow,” she wheezed, looking into the empty glass.

The dark stallion chortled softly, having already poured himself another. “Care for another?” he asked.

The room began to spin almost at once. Tempest saw spots and blinked rapidly a few times. “Did crystal ponies drink this for fun?” she said, her voice hoarse. “I mean, it’s good. I think. But wow...”

She glanced at the bottle. It was nice. Very nice, in fact, after that initial kick. The warmth spreading through her chest stemmed from it trickling down her throat. She nodded.

Despite Sombra’s smile as he poured her drink there was pain etched onto his face, a deep sadness that seemed to weigh him down. Had he always had it and was she just noticing it now, or was it new, brought on by the memory of this place?

They sat for a moment in silence, listening to the sounds of the wind and storm battering against the old tavern.

“It was here,” he began suddenly, breaking the short silence. “That I first laid eyes upon Radiant Hope.”

Tempest adjusted herself on her seat and crossed her hooves. “Yeah? Who was she--somepony important, I’m guessing to get her very own statue and portrait?”

“Important is an understatement,” Sombra chuckled drily, taking a short sip of his drink. “She was the Princess of the Crystal Empire.”

“No kidding? Lucky you,” Tempest politely scoffed, feeling something suspiciously like jealousy swell in her chest.

“Yes, lucky me indeed,” continued Sombra, appearing to not pick up on her tone. “She was not first in line for the throne, mind. No, that honour fell to her sister, Amore.”

“Hey I know that name.”

The dark stallion’s eyes narrowed. “What and who you know by that name is a pale imitation of the true Crystal Princess,” he grunted. “Even if they share the same name, Mi Amore Cadenza and the Amore I knew are entirely different.”

“How so?” Tempest asked.

“Amore was cunning. Ruthless. Unafraid to do what needed to be done. Cadenza would rather sit on her gilded throne and let the task fall to others. You. Her husband. Twilight Sparkle. Perhaps even myself, through sheer inadequacy.” He snorted and swirled his drink around. “But I digress.”

The commander nodded, trying not to feel indignant on behalf of the princess. “What was Radiant Hope like?”

Sombra’s gaze turned distant as he recalled memories from long ago. “Radiant Hope was a radiant soul,” he began, his voice laced with a hint of wistfulness. “She had a heart that could rival the sun itself, warm and full of compassion. She had this way of making you believe that there was always hope, even in the darkest of times.”

Tempest leaned in, captivated by Sombra’s words. “You loved her,” she murmured in realisation, feeling a sudden tightness in her chest, and another bout of foolishness.

There was a slight pause before Sombra answered. “Yes.” He took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the empty glass in his hooves. “Even from an early age, as soon as I saw her I knew that I loved her.”

The commander felt the tightness in her chest constrict and slowly nodded.

“But as a mere commoner I knew that I stood no chance,” Sombra continued. “I was only a servant, destined to a life of obscurity. That hardly stopped me from admiring her from afar, watching as she carried herself with grace and kindness, effortlessly commanding the respect and adoration of everypony around her.”

“So how did you actually meet her then?”

He snorted, chuckling softly with a twinkle in his eye--like he had been waiting to tell his story. “As luck would have it, the king had called for a tournament, the prize being a sponsorship from the princess herself into the royal academy. It seemed inevitable that I would attend, and that through sheer force of will and determination, and a natural affinity for magic, of course, that I would win.”

Tempest couldn’t help but smile when she heard him speak with such pride. “What kind of tournament was it?”

“A series of duels,” Sombra explained. “Between unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies alike, from the noblest high born to the lowliest peasant, myself included, any and all were allowed to attend, encouraged, even.” He grinned with pride. “I defeated them all, bringing down veritable giants, those who had trained from birth to hone their bodies to perfection, until at last it came to just myself and one last opponent, an old rival of mine.”

Tempest found herself on the edge of her seat, enraptured by his story. She wondered how many ponies had heard it, or remembered stuff like this. None, she supposed, besides Sombra. “And you won, I’m guessing?” she said.

Sombra nodded. “It was a hard fight, and Blueblood was a fierce opponent indeed-”

“Blueblood?” Tempest’s eyebrows shot up. She started on the spot where she sat, falling directly off of her stool and landing on the floor with a hard crash.

“Are you alright, Commander?” Sombra said, helping her up.

The commander quickly dusted herself off and resumed her seat, coughing into her hoof in embarrassment. “Sorry. Slipped. I’m fine,” she said. It occurred to her that maybe telling Sombra she’d dated a descendant of a rival of his wouldn’t perhaps be the bets thing right now. “It’s just... there’s a Blueblood in Canterlot. The nephew of Celestia or something, didn’t expect to hear the name.”

Sombra raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Is that so? Well then I am glad to see that noble bloodline has survived after all these years.”

“Yeah,” the commander murmured. “Uh, but besides, what happened?” she said, hoping to steer away from this point of conversation as much as possible.

“Hmm? Oh, yes, Blueblood was a fierce opponent, but I was indeed victorious. The princess granted me her reward as promised and I was enrolled in the academy to begin my training, but more than that, Hope saw something in me, some sign of greatness. Afterwards, we... well.” Sombra chuckled softly again, remembering something very fondly indeed, again missing the flicker that passed over Tempest’s face. “We became close during my time in the academy, and later, after I had completed my training, I was her Royal Protector: the princess’s personal bodyguard.”

He sighed wistfully, his smile fading fast. “Our happiness was short-lived, however, as a mere two years into my service, Crystal Hills was struck by a plague. It ravaged us, and while Amore concerned herself with matters in the south, Hope remained in the capital, determined to find a cure. She was always a healer, always skilled with healing magic. It was she who taught me most of what I know now. But she son became obsessed, delving deep into her studies of various healing methods. After her father, the king, succumbed to the illness that was destroying his people, she came to me one night with news that she had discovered something crucial, a miracle, by all accounts, and that I alone could be entrusted to retrieve it. Would you care to venture a guess as to what she meant, Commander?”

The commander gave a knowing look. “The Crown of Sacanas...”

Sombra nodded. “The very same. I had heard the rumours, as we all had, of the Crystal Empire’s first king, of the power he had once held. The Empire itself, even that which stands today was built upon the foundations he had laid, after all. His crown seemed almost too good to be true, the solution to all of our problems, should we find it.” He grew quiet for a moment. “Ironically, if we hadn’t, perhaps the Crystal Empire may yet have been saved.”

Tempest leaned in, across the bar. “What happened?” she whispered.

Sombra sighed and lifted his drink to his mouth. He paused before drinking it, as if bracing himself, then slung it back and set the glass down before laying both his forehooves on the counter top. “Following Hope’s direction, I ventured north, further north than even the yaks of Yakyakistan travel, and there, nestled deep within those frigid peaks, I found it. I returned home to my princess as quickly as I could travel and presented her with this greatest of prizes. By then, most, if not all of our citizens now suffered from the disease, and even Hope herself was showing signs of infection. Our time was running out, but as weak as she was, she still recalled the incantation that would save us. Amplified with the crown’s power, she could create a cure, she wold save us.” His breath caught in his throat. He paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes. “But Sacanas had other ideas.”

The commander frowned. “Sacanas? What do you mean?” What Sombra had told her in Cadance’s palace suddenly rang out in her ears.

’...Those that wear it are assailed by the thoughts of its dark master, by Sacanas’s spirit himself, until his will becomes your own. Your body, heart; your very soul falls under his sway, leaving nothing behind...’

It dawned on her, causing a feeling of utter dread to wash over her. “Oh...” she murmured quietly, finally understanding Sombra’s predicament.

Sombra nodded and inhaled sharply. “After Hope placed the crown upon her head and began her spell, her voice, that which I knew and loved, became another’s, and what was to be a spell of life became a spell of death. Those who suffered from plague were cured yes, but they, along with the hundreds of other souls that resided within Crystal Hills, were destroyed. The great barriers that shielded us from the Frozen North fell, the cold swept in, and those who survived the plague were left to die, to freeze.”

Tempest felt a chill run down her spine as she listened to Sombra’s harrowing tale. That explained why the city was in such the state it was. The Knights had dealt with cursed objects before, but something as powerful as this crown seemed like it would be more than a difficult challenge. It sounded almost impossible... She remembered something else he had said in the palace. “Back in the Empire, you said you spared your... friend any further suffering,” she murmured carefully. “Did you...”

The dark stallion nodded again, curling his lip upwards. “I did,” he answered, his voice hoarse and ragged. “And while I may have spared her the weight if realising what she had done, I was too late. By that point, Sacanas was all that remained, taking command of a lifeless body.” He shook his head, his hooves tensing and untensing along the bar’s surface. “I begged. I pleaded with him to undo the spell, to take me in their place, to grant me the power to restore our Empire to glory--something--anything, so that Hope’s sacrifice meant some-thing.”

His voice broke. Tempest noticed a twinkle in the dark stallion’s eye and saw a single, solitary tear roll down his cheek, and she felt her heart heave for him.

“But no. Sacanas would not grant me such a boon,” Sombra rasped, wiping his eye with the back of his hoof. “Not freely, at least.”

“What did he ask for?” Tempest asked, her voice rife with apprehension.

Sombra’s eyes met hers and a chill ran up her spine. “That I become the vessel for his darkness. That I become a tyrant to rule over the Crystal Empire in his name.” The whites of his eyes turned green, and magic suddenly sprung from his eyes, taking the forms of purple trails of smoke, framing his face in shadow. He pulled himself up, standing to his full height. “That I use my magic to enslave the world in his name, that I become King Sombra, the Herald of Sacanas!”

He looked quite imposing, the true tyrant the Crystal Empire knew and feared. But while the likes of Cadance might have been afraid, Tempest wasn’t. As he stared down at her she simply looked back at him, listening to her heart pound in her chest.

The magic receded just as quickly as it had appeared and he looked away in shame. “If I were to succeed, Radiant Hope would be restored to life, and the ponies of Crystal Hills may yet live once more. If I failed, I would lose her forever.”

He paused for a moment, a shadow darkening his face once more. “All was going to plan as well. Until of course...” he muttered, “...two alicorn sisters stood against me. The rest, as they say, is history.”

He reached for the bottle once more and poured himself another, apparent final drink, as the last few drops spilled out into his glass to his disappointment.

Tempest stared at him, her breath coming out short and heavy. Now she knew. Now she, perhaps and only she, knew the truth about Sombra’s origins. And what? Did she pity him? Did she see herself making the same decisions? What lengths would she have gone to if she were in his shoes?

She bit her lip and tensed up. She wanted to reach out to him, to pull him close and tell him that it would all be okay. But she didn’t. What could she do? Nothing, she concluded, sitting silently, as did Sombra, in an old, empty tavern in the middle of a dead city.

And as she at there, she began to slowly notice Sombra was staring curiously at her, or rather, at her horn. She bristled, feeling like an animal in a zoo under his gaze. “My eyes are down here, Sombra,” she snapped.

He flinched and raised a hoof in defence. “I apologise, Commander,” he said hastily, quickly shifting his eyes down to hers. “I mean you no offence, but it is a rare thing, you see, for a unicorn to survive their horn breaking. In the time of the Empire all we could have done would be to make you comfortable.” He hesitated, then gestured to her. “May I?”

“May you what?” the dark mare growled.

“Examine it?”

Tempest blinked, her defensive aggression fading fast. “What, my horn?”

“Yes.”

She blinked again, hardly believing what she was hearing. “Why? What do you want with it?”

Sombra clicked his tongue and tightened his brow for a moment, like he was trying to find the right words. “Nothing untoward, I assure you. Unicorn healthcare was something of a speciality to Hope, and she taught me most, if not all of what she knew.” He gestured with his hoof again and flicked his eyes up. “So... may I?”

The dark mare gave him a withering glare. She felt like telling him off, that she wasn’t some medical experiment to be examined... but curiosity quickly got the better of her. She lifted her head up, holding her horn as high as she could. “Come on, then,” she grunted. As he stood up and moved around to her side of the bar she raised her hoof in warning. “I say stop, you stop.”

“Naturally.”

Sombra drew near and extended his hoof, causing Tempest’s heart to race with excitement, more-so when he cupped her chin and lowered her head gently, forcing her gaze down at his rugged chest. He leaned forwards, peering closely at her horn. “Remarkable...” he murmured softly.

Tempest felt a jolt of electricity fire through her body when he touched it, grazing his hoof gently against the jagged edges of her horn. This was humiliating, being poked and prodded like this. Why was she letting him do it then?

“How old were you?” Sombra asked.

“Ten. Eleven. Cozy’s age,” she answered, staring ahead at nothing, trying not to focus on his muscled chest.

“That young? A child? How, if I may ask?”

Tempest sighed. She remembered it clearly, as if it happened that morning, as she always did. “An ursa major,” she said quietly.

Sombra jerked back and gave her a concerned look of surprise. “An ursa major? And you survived?”

“You don’t have to sound so surprised,” the commander snorted. “I was good with magic before I lost my horn. Really good, I knew how to defend myself. But yeah. I survived, but not before it gave me this.” She traced her hoof over her scar, feeling the familiar but faint ridge of old scar tissue. She turned her head away from Sombra’s hoof and flared her nostrils. “The pain went away, eventually, but I never forgot their words, or what they called me. Breakhorn.” It never got any easier hearing it, even when she was the one saying it.

Sombra quietly pulled up a chair and sat down beside her, listening intently.

“It didn’t take long but after, I... left,” Tempest continued. “I ran away from home. Left my friends behind. Everything.”

“What of your parents?” the dark stallion asked.

The commander shrugged. “I never knew them. My grandpa raised me. I heard he died a few years after I left. I always meant to go back, but... stuff got in the way, y’know?” She glanced at him and let out a faint chuckle. “Yeah I guess you do.”

Sombra gave her a soft smile. “Where did you go?” he asked.

Tempest shrugged. “Anywhere. Everywhere. Until finally I found someone who I thought I could trust, who I thought cared about me, about what I could do, and it didn’t matter that I was a breakhorn or not.”

“The Storm King,” muttered Sombra with disapproval.

“Exactly.” Tempest let out another deep sigh. “He offered me a deal. Work for him, help him get as much magic and power as possible and in return he would restore my horn.”

Sombra’s brow furrowed but he didn’t say anything.

“Deep down... I knew it wasn’t possible,” the commander went on, sensing his apprehension. “But I had to believe him, right? I had to try, there had to be some sort of relief in the world so I could fit in like everypony else. So I became Tempest Shadow, the Storm King’s lieutenant, the commander of all his armies and led the charge in his name, seeking magical artifacts all over the world--anything he could use to grow his ‘brand’.” She tutted and shook her head. “That’s when we found out about the Staff of Sacanas.”

The dark stallion’s eyebrows rose up. “Sacanas’s staff you say? Where?”

“The hippogriff kingdom, in the vaults of Mount Aris.” Tempest winced and grimaced, curling her tail around one of the legs of the stool she sat on. A guilty, sick feeling began to grow in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t thought about the hippogriffs for a long time. “When we found them we... I... ransacked their city until we found it. Then I led the Storm King to Equestria and he used it to drain Celestia, Luna and Cadance of their magic--Twilight too when I caught her.”

“Caught her?” Sombra frowned. “I don’t follow.”

“Well... yeah,” the commander said, puzzled. “You haven’t heard? When the Storm King’s army invaded Canterlot, Twilight managed to escape along with her friends. I chased after her all across Equestria, right up to the base of Mount Aris itself, until I caught her and brought her back like a bird in a cage.” She flicked her tongue. The words coming out of her mouth felt like a foul tasting poison.

“You chased Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic herself?” Sombra asked incredulously. “What of the others?”

“Them too, but at the time Twilight was the only one that mattered. She was the princess, after all, the only... alicorn left.” Tempest felt her gut twist with guilt along with a hot bile rise up in her throat. She took a deep breath through her nostrils, accidentally, or perhaps not-so-accidentally, getting some of Sombra’s musky scent as well. The feeling quickly subsided.

Sombra marvelled at her. “And to think, I thought you and Princess Twilight Sparkle fast friends, not former enemies.” He chuckled softly. “You are not so dissimilar from your comrades in arms after all, then.”

The commander winced. “I guess not, no. You’d be right at home with us, a team of former villains, if you joined us.” She blanched. She didn’t mean to say that, but it was like she couldn’t stop herself.

Sombra scratched his chin with a knowing look in his eye. “Perhaps,” he murmured. “Regardless, I apologise for interrupting.”

“It’s fine,” Tempest sighed, somewhat relieved he seemed at least open to the idea of joining them. The idea of that, seeing him all the time, made her hooves tingle for a moment before she squashed that train of thought down again. She swallowed, taking a moment to compose herself, then continued on.

“So I caught Twilight, I brought her back to Canterlot where the Storm King was waiting. He drained her magic, along with Celestia, Luna and Cadance, and just when I thought I could get what I wanted after all those years... it all fell apart. He never intended to restore my horn after all. He’d been lying to me just to get what he wanted. I felt like I lost everything all over again, my entire purpose gone, like that.” She hung her head and rested her chin on her chest. “And then it happened. Twilight offered me her friendship, a place to belong even after everything I’d done. The very same pony I’d chased, hunted down and dragged back in chains, she treated me like a pony. Not a weapon, not a tool... but a pony just like her. And I was ready to sacrifice myself for her for it. Heh… I guess that’s why she says friendship is magic isn’t it?” She tapered off, unable to stop her leg from shaking, bouncing up and down on the cold, hard floor.

Memories of a life lived flashed before her eyes, all her deeds laid bare, all her sins brought to light. Her chest began to rise and fall rapidly and a sudden tightness took a hold of her head, threatening to overwhelm her with the guilt she had tried to hard to supress.

After a moment more of this, Sombra leaned in, placing one hoof on her twitching leg. “You really are a remarkable creature, Commander,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “You have faced many trials and tribulations, and yet you still stand here, unbroken. As strong as you are beautiful.”

Beautiful? Tempest’s heart did a somersault. Her tongue felt dry all of a sudden as he leaned slightly more forwards. She did too, until she could smell his breath, his rich, musky scent that smelled vaguely of burnt toast.

They said nothing, their gazes speaking volumes, and for a moment, Tempest wondered what it would be like to kiss him then and there, to give in to her schoolyard crush and indulge herself for once. Then reason kicked in and she quickly jerked back, reasserting herself as to where she was and who exactly she was with. She turned her head away, but not before noticing how Sombra did the same, his dark cheeks holding only the faintest trace of red to them. Did he think of her like she thought of him?

“Uh, so should we get going, then?” she stammered out, eager to distract herself. “Storm’s eased up, looks like.”

Indeed the windows had stopped rattling, and the howling winds outside appeared to have quietened down. The still, calmness of it all was almost unbearable.

Sombra quickly stood up, facing the door. “Yes, it appears so,” he rumbled. “And we have a king to deal with, we should not get distracted.”

“Yeah. Yeah, let’s--yeah.”

The commander slipped off of her stool, her legs sore and stiff from sitting for so long. With a quick stretch and cracking of a few joints, she shook her head and stepped towards the door, praying her pounding heart wasn’t loud enough for him to hear. Sombra, however, remained still, lost in thought for a moment, before quickly moving to follow her back out into the cold.

The cold air bit at their skin as they stepped out into the night, the ruined city before them transformed into a winter wonderland due to the fresh blanket of snow covering everything. The crunch of snow under their hooves echoed through the eerie silence, only broken by the faintest whisper of howling wind somewhere else in the world.

Beside her, Tempest saw Sombra looking off into the distance as they walked, his gaze inscrutable and thoughtful. On top of that, Crystal Hills didn’t have anything else to show them apparently. No flashes of green or warmth.

Just the cold. And the dark.

They walked without saying anything, without barely even looking at each other either, up towards the palace where Sacanas was waiting for them.

***

It wasn’t too long after they had left the Crystal Rose that Tempest and Sombra arrived at the palace, or rather, what was left of the palace.

Years of neglect and decay had taken a heavy toll on what was surely a once grand building. The once majestic palace now stood as a haunting reminder of a time long gone, its elegant spires cracked and coated in icicles. Whatever enchantment that protected Crystal Hills from the cold in ages past long since faded.

Tempest’s reminiscing of what could have been was cut short, however, by an impossibly loud screech as Sombra pushed open the frozen gates, they themselves stretching up over their heads like a set of jagged teeth. When he finished he turned to her and gestured inwards with his head.

She followed him through the imposing gates, right up tot he ornately carved doors of the palace. They pushed together, cracking the ice sealing them shut for centuries on end, revealing a pitch black interior.

Tempest hesitated for a moment before stepping into the darkened palace, the air thick with icy tendrils that seemed to reach out and chill her to the bone. She could feel Sombra’s presence behind her, a comforting yet unsettling weight in the darkness.

As they ventured further into the dilapidated halls, their hoofsteps echoed ominously, the sound bouncing off decaying tapestries and shattered statues. Like its exterior, the once grandeur of the palace was now nothing but a mere shadow of its former glory, haunted by whispers of forgotten memories. Their hooves echoed against the marble floors, creating a haunting melody that seemed to reverberate through the empty corridors.

The oppressive darkness enveloped them as they ventured deeper into the palace, each step taking them closer to the dark spirit that infested this place, what, or rather whom, had turned Crystal Hills into the ruin it was today. Tempest clenched her jaw, her senses on high alert as she scanned their surroundings for any signs of danger. The frigid air seemed to seep into her bones, chilling her to the core despite her jumpsuit.

Sombra’s silhouette loomed beside her, a shadow in the darkness that seemed to move with an otherworldly grace, both reassuring and disquieting. His horn glowed faintly, casting a dim light that flickered against the ancient walls, revealing glimpses of intricate carvings and faded murals that told stories of a bygone era. The air was heavy with the scent of dust and decay, a tangible reminder of the palace’s long abandonment. His hoofbeats rang out louder than hers, like every step he took was laced with more and more determination.

As they navigated through the labyrinthine corridors, Tempest couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Shadows danced at the edge of her vision, whispers brushed against her ears like icy fingers. She didn’t need any of her ghost hunting devices to tell that they weren’t alone. Faces seemed to form on walls out the corner of her eye as they moved forwards, silently screaming at her, begging and pleading with her to stop, to go back and save herself, but when she looked at them they were gone—if they even existed or if the darkness was getting to her. She huffed and shook her head.

“Almost there,” Sombra said gruffly, his voice breaking the otherwise impenetrable silence.

“How can you tell?” Tempest asked.

The dark stallion’s eyes glowed faintly in the darkness as he turned to face her, his expression unreadable. “I can feel it,” he replied cryptically, his voice echoing through the desolate hallways. “I can sense him.”

Tempest stared at him for a few seconds, taking in every detail of his face. She eventually nodded, though the unease settling in her stomach grew with each step in the eerie, unnatural darkness of the palace. As they passed by a window she saw the moon shining high in the sky, and what looked like a dozen hooves pushing up out of the darkness, keeping its light at bay.

The air seemed to grow heavier as they progressed forwards, laden with a palpable sense of malevolence. One thing was certainly clear to Tempest: they were not welcome.

On and on they walked, for what felt like miles through the thick mire of dark magic, until they rounded a corner and came to a halt. Before them stood a massive doorway, its ancient wood adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to writhe and twist in the dim light cast by Sombra’s horn. The air around the doorway hummed with a malevolent energy, sending goosebumps prickling along Tempest’s skin.

“This is it,” Sombra muttered, glaring up accusingly at the door and its carvings. He turned to face the commander. His muzzle twisted with concern. “Should you chose to, Commander,” he added, “I would not think any less of you for choosing to turn back now. I do not know what awaits us and you have already done far more than what is considered reasonable.”

Tempest stared at him in disbelief. “What?” she snapped. “You think I’m gonna back out now, after all this?”

“It would perhaps be the smart thing to do.”

“Yeah, well, the Knights aren’t known for how smart we are,” she grunted, shaking her legs and cracking her neck. “We’re known for getting the job done, no matter what. ‘We come, we see, we kick their flank’, that’s our motto.”

Sombra smiled grimly at her. “And I am grateful for it,” he said.

“Be grateful when we’re done. Now come on,” Tempest grunted.

The nerve of him, she grumbled quietly to herself as she looked away, down where they had come from. The cheek. She had half a mind to order Chrysalis to turn him into a purse next time she saw him for... for what? Looking out for her? She grimaced, her stoic expression fading. Maybe he was right, she thought. Maybe they should both turn back, forget the world and everything in it and wash their hooves of this weirdness--ghosts, demons, dead sorcerer kings and all.

But no, she also said to herself. She was a Nightmare Knight. She couldn’t turn back, she couldn’t quit, and she couldn’t rest. That wasn’t in the script.

She glanced back at Sombra as he stepped forwards and rested his hoof against the great door. He hung his head and shuddered, tensing up again and again as if he was about to push, but couldn’t. Then Tempest had a thought, and stepped up to join him. She pressed her hoof against the door, just only barely touching his.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said firmly. “Not without you, at least.”

He remained silent.

Tempest felt a chill run up along her spine under the intensity of his stare. It was like he was on the verge of saying something, telling her some great and dark secret. “What is it?”

For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of something in his eyes as his mouth twitched. But then it was gone, replaced by his usual stoic expression as he steeled himself and shook his head. “I only wish to say… I am glad you are here, Commander.”

They smiled. Even there, in the midst of darkness and on the precipice of the unknown, they smiled at each other. The commander cracked her shoulders. “Let’s get this done,” she declared. “Three, two, one.”

The door creaked and groaned, the ancient wood protesting against their efforts to breach the threshold. A rush of stale air billowed out from the darkness within, carrying with it a musty scent that made Tempest wrinkle her nose. As the door swung open fully, they stepped forwards, staring into a seemingly endless chamber shrouded in so much darkness they could lose one another in only a few hooflengths.

“Sacanas!” bellowed Sombra into the chamber. “I have returned to see you destroyed, once and for all. Cease this charade, and let us face one another once more!”

Absolute silence answered him.

Tempest squinted into the darkness, watching and waiting for something—anything to happen.

Suddenly, a low chuckle echoed through the chamber, causing the walls to tremble ever so slightly until it tapered off and a guttural growl replaced it.

“Sombra…” an almost sultry voice chuckled from out of the darkness. “Finally, the prodigal son returns…”

Tempest felt a chill run down her spine at the sound. It was a voice that seemed to crawl into her mind, sending shivers through her very core. Sombra stood tall and unwavering, his eyes fixed on the darkness ahead as he clenched his jaw in determination.

“Sacanas,” Sombra’s voice reverberated through the chamber, tinged with a mix of defiance and caution. “Show yourself.”

The air around them seemed to thicken, suffused with an oppressive aura that made it hard to breathe. The shadows taking up space in the chamber began to withdraw, receding, coalescing and twisting until they formed a tall figure cloaked in shadows sat atop an ornate marble throne at the centre of the room.

A fierce blast of frigid air ripped through the throne room, bringing with it a bone-chilling presence.

As the shadows began to shift and swirl, a pair of luminous green eyes emerged, their irises glowing like emeralds. Glints of familiar, purple smoke danced around them, adding an eerie aura to their already piercing gaze. With a vicious grin, a mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth materialized, framed by a chiselled face adorned with a long, curved horn, both beautiful and terrifying in equal measure.

“Approach,” he said with a wave of one shadowy hoof that flickered like fire he gestured out towards them.

It wasn’t a suggestion, but a command. One Tempest found herself compelled into obeying. Her vision swam, her head began to pound as her hooves moved of their own accord and marched her right into the room, right up to the throne and the king sitting atop it. Then the sensation passed and she came to, Sombra standing beside her in the same state.

Sacanas’s grin seemed to grow with cruel glee as he looked the dark stallion up and down, then turned his attention towards Tempest. “And who is this?” he purred. “A slave? A servant of your own, Sombra?”

“She is no slave,” Sombra spat. “This is Commander Tempest Shadow of the Nightmare Knights, my equal in every way.”

Tempest felt her heart flutter slightly. His equal in every way?

Sacanas’s eyes flashed malevolently. “Truly?” he crooned. “Tell me, then, Tempest Shadow? Do you trust Sombra?”

Tempest narrowed her eyes at the shadowy figure on the throne, the oppressive aura around him pressing down on her like a heavy weight. Despite the unease creeping through her, she stood tall and resolute, refusing to show any sign of weakness.

“I do,” she replied firmly, her voice steady despite the wariness gnawing at her insides. “I trust him enough that we’ll stand together against you.”

Sacanas’s wicked grin widened. “How touching,” he chortled. “But do you truly know him, Commander? The depths of his darkness, the shadows that cling to him as if they were his own?” He turned to Sombra. “Remove your cloak, Sombra,” he commanded. “Show this mare where your allegiances truly lie.”

Sombra stared up at him in defiance, motionless. Tempest flicked her eyes towards him. True allegiances, she wondered? What did he mean?

“No?” the shadowy figure mused, his eyes glinting maliciously at Sombra. “Tut, tut, Sombra. I thought you had learned your lesson Well then allow me to demonstrate to you, Tempest Shadow.”

His horn began to crackle and glow with black magic.

“Kneel.”

Sombra’s body contorted in agony, his sudden cry of pain echoing through the empty chamber air as he collapsed to the ground. His limbs thrashed and twisted as if controlled by an unseen force, while Sacanas’s cruel laughter filled the space around them. Without thinking, Tempest raced towards him, desperate to help, but he managed to wave her away with a trembling hoof.

In his twisting, his cloak fell to the ground, revealing his flank. Tempest’s eyes widened in horror. Where his cutie mark should have been, a pulsing rune glowed with dark magic, carved into his very flesh. She recognised it from some texts Tirek had once shown her about binding rituals, and her blood ran cold at the realisation that Sombra had been subjected to such a torturous spell. Rage and fear coursed through her veins as she turned towards Sacanas, ready to unleash her own brand of justice upon him.

“That’s enough!” she roared.

“Is it?” Sacanas taunted, his teeth flashing white against the darkness of his face. “Do you think so?”

The smell of burning flesh filled the air. Sombra continued to writhe. Froth began to form at the corners of his mouth and spittle dribbled down his chin. His eyelids fluttered. The commander felt a fleeting panic rise in her gut and prepared herself.

Her horn crackled and lightning arced through the air, striking Sacanas directly in his face. He cried out in shock and Sombra stopped writhing. The dark stallion panted and gasped for air while Tempest rushed to him, covering him with his cloak. “You’re okay,“ she cooed softly. “You’re fine, Sombra, I won’t-”

“You vermin!” howled Sacanas, rising up from his throne. There was a soft thump as he moved, and for a fraction of a second Tempest saw a figure inside the shadows. Her blood ran cold and her skin began to crawl as she had a faint idea of what—or rather who—said figure was.

The shadowy Sacanas advanced on her. “How dare you strike at me,” he hissed. “You, a filthy breakhorn—how?”

“She is more than that…” spat Sombra, a faint trickle of blood leaking out of his nose. “She is better than you. Stronger. better than me…”

Tempest rested a hoof over his and gave him a gentle squeeze, then turned her attention to Sacanas, noticing how his taunting, jeering nature seemed to have evaporated. There was a mark where she had struck, like the crack of a mirror on his dark skin. It quickly reconstructed and repaired itself as he pulled himself up, towering above her.

“Who. Are. You?” he growled, all pretence of niceness lost from his voice.

The commander puffed her chest out. “I am Tempest Shadow,” she declared. “Commander of the Nightmare Knights. We come, we see, we kick their flanks—your flanks, Sacanas—you and every other ghost that dares try and hurt Equestria and its people in any way shape or form.” She paused to take a deep breath. “And as a representative of Equestria and a Knight of her majesty Princess Twilight Sparkle, I am hereby ordering you to cease any and all supernatural activity and return to your place of origin forthwith. Failure to comply will result in your immediate exorcism, and banishment from this plane of existence.”

Sacanas’s eyes burned with malice and his lips curled into a cruel smirk. “Sombra,” he commanded, his voice dripping with venom. “Kill her.”

Tempest’s heart raced as she watched Sombra rise, his strange gaze locking onto her. Her body tensed up.

“Sombra?” she whispered, confusion and fear creeping into her voice.

A moment later and one of his hard and heavy hooves crashed into her face, sending her sprawling to the ground. She saw stars for one moment, and in the next she saw a few droplets of blood on the cold floor.

“No, I don’t...” Tempest trailed off in disbelief before noticing the glowing mark on his flank. A surge of dark magic engulfed him, causing her to furrow her brow in concern as Sacanas settled back onto his throne with a smug grin.

“Do you see now?” he sneered, eyeing Tempest with disdain as she pulled herself up. “Sombra is mine to command, Nightmare Knight.”

With a crack of her neck and shoulders, Tempest braced herself for another attack from Sombra, determined to snap him out of whatever hold Sacanas had over him.

“Come on, Sombra,” she pleaded with him. “I know you’re better than this. Fight him.”

But he remained silent, only responding with a menacing step forward.

“Alright,” Tempest murmured, steeling herself as Sombra took another step, his horn crackling with dark magic. “Alright let’s do this the hard way, then.”

Sparks flew from her own horn. The duel had begun.

Comments

[Bigwig6666]

I'm baaack sorry this one took a while, next one shouldn't be too far away. See ya next time!

[Chibalt]

Gotta say, kinda cute, what's going on between Tempest and Sombra here, I'm hoping it doesn't end in some heroic redemptive sacrifice or such.

[Mystic Sunrise]

Princess Luna, growing evermore aware that Equestria has come under attack in recent days by a seemingly invisible foe, decides to petition Princess Twilight Sparkle to allow her to found an organization in order to combat t

Unless this post-season 9, Luna doesn't need Twilight's permission to do anything though. I can't tell honestly before I start the story when this is meant to be set. Except post-season 8 at least with Cozy Glow.

[Bigwig6666]

11850512
It's set after season 9 but before the 'after end' part when Twilight's big my version of what happened in between if you like

[asdtroi8895]

So happy to see a new chapter! Really loved it overall.

Cadence, I feel, was pretty suspicious to me. I honestly think she may have been replaced by one of Chrysalis's family members, although she could just be weary. I don't know. Either way, I doubt she'll be treating the knights well now that Tempest is out of the picture.

Nice to see Sombra again, and with such an interesting backstory, especially this version of Hope. Sacanas is interesting. How old is he exactly? Was he as strong as Grogar? I mean, he predates the entirety of the old Crystal Empire and at least his artifacts got around. He must be ridiculously ancient. I wouldn't mind finding out more about him, especially since Bray seems to have an interest in his artifacts.

“I’m telling you, this--this dirty, rotten, no-good kite-eating tree is... it has to be something! Like... uhh, like a demon? Or maybe like a vengeful kite that got reincarnated into a kite-eating tree to save its brothers and sisters from being flown?”

I'm surprised she hasn't tried to burn down the tree herself.

“You see, despite who and what he is, Lord Glow really does know a lot about Bray and Grogar, or at least, he act like he does, and he seems to think that there might be something in a place called Crystal Hills that Bray might want in order to help bring Grogar back.”

I find it odd that Bray and Grogar allow Glow to reveal all this information. Part of me wonders if this mission and any info they get from him are part of some plan of theirs. At the same time though, why wouldn't they just get the crown themselves since they are so powerful?

Cadance chuckled in that way adults often did when a child says something silly to them. “Yes, very clever.”

This seems to imply that Cadence doesn't think Cozy's that smart. I don't know, I think she would take that more seriously.

“Who among you stands as a calm and collected individual? You, Tirek? Perhaps Chrysalis, or even the child?”

I would argue that Tirek could fit the calm and collected side of things, at least when he's on a mission.

“Sombra is an enemy of the state and I am placing him under arrest."

Didn't Luna tell Cadence about Sombra's pardon? Definitely suspicious.

“I never knew them. My grandpa raised me. I heard he died a few years after I left. I always meant to go back, but... stuff got in the way, y’know?”

That explain her past. I wonder if he got the police to search for her or something.

Sparks flew from her own horn. The duel had begun.

Tempest vs Sombra? Unless Sombra manages to hold himself back, I cant see Tempest winning a straight fight against him.

Can't wait for more!

[Bigwig6666]

11851645
I like the idea that Cadance, the Princess of Love, one of the bubbliest and happiest, most loving ponies in MLP is an antagonist in this story (not a villain mind), just because of who our protagonists are. It's a nice contrast I think, like the other side of the fence kinda deal.

O Sacanas isn't done yet either, yes this is a first parter but still. Without going into too many spoilers I'd consider him one of the big bads the Knights'll have to face at some point

Lmao I think she did but there are laws against burning trees or something

That's all I'll say about Lord Glow...

Also I like to think Luna is just really bad at relaying information, like she's all: "Well I know what's going on why don't you?"

Glad you're enjoying it, not as much of a wait for the next one I swears

[Doctor_Den]

Fun interaction between Sombra and Tempest Shadow. And it's quite ironic that Sombra has been a rival of the Blue Bloods since ancient times. Now I demand that this confrontation continue at the present time. Their battle will be legendary! (Just now I realized that these two unicorns are so opposite in design that they could be called Yin and Yang)

If you think about it, Sombra is a real chance for Tempest to return her horn. In the series, Sombra was destroyed and all that was left of him was a horn, but then he was resurrected with a completely healthy body. (Or is it all Discord's doing?)

I can't help but notice that the final scene references the sixth episode of star wars.

P.S. I wonder if Tempest has any silver brass knuckles with religious symbols for beating up immaterial ghosts? At least another paranormal hunter (Konstantin) thought of this.

P.P.S. The opening scene with the tree and Starlight is the most fun and my favorite in this chapter. (⌒‿⌒)
But what prevented Starlight from independently uprooting or destroying this tree without turning to the knights? 🤔 In the series she watched the disintegration of Discord's material body. Some tree definitely shouldn’t have been a problem for her. Moreover, they are located in an evergreen forest. No one would notice if one tree suddenly disappeared.
I actually thought that the tree was a disguised Chrysalis who was trying to take revenge on Starlight and Tirek realized this but decided to play along by inventing this story that the tree should not be touched.

[Lex the Pikachu]

Its so good to see this isn't dead. I'm so happy to read a new chapter. I can't wait for the next one, i hope Sombra can be freed, i'd love to see him join the Knights.

[Lab 39]

11888041
That song is good on it's own but after it's revealed that Bubblegum and Marceline are exes it has more context to the scene.