Return of the Ancient Mage

by Zoshe

Chapter 29: Demon of the Empire

Twilight was feeling lightheaded by the time she reopened her eyes. She pushed herself up on her hooves and immediately noticed that something was wrong. She focused her eyes on the hoof in front of her and found that she could see right through it.

"What's going on?" She said as she held the transparent limb in front of her. Her own voice sounded empty and hollow, like someone was trying to shout to her from the back of a cave.

Twilight fought to remember what she had last been doing. "Let's see," she spoke aloud with her hollow voice. "I was in Random's office, there was something written on the wall..."

A sharp pain radiated through her head as the rest came flooding back. "He was the Shade all along!" She gasped for breath as she remembered the last of it. "What was that light that came out of the Element of Magic though?" She reached up and touched the crown that still rested on her head, hoping for some answers.

When none were forthcoming, she looked around to take in her surroundings. She found herself standing on a paved road and various buildings she saw lining the streets were made of some sort of crystal. However, what completely settled her location in her mind was the grand palace in the distance that towered over everything. "The Crystal Empire..." She spoke the name aloud, wondering how she got here.

No sooner had she uttered those words then the sky shifted from a clear blue to a dark red. Twilight spun around in confusion and recoiled as a nearby building exploded. Large chunks of the crystal and hundreds of tiny shards rained down on her. She tried to call forth her magic to either shield herself or teleport herself out of the way, and a panicked scream escaped her lips when her magic failed to respond.

Twilight braced herself as the debris fell around her. At first she thought she had just gotten unnaturally lucky, but when a particularly large chunk passed harmlessly through her body, a different conclusion became apparent to her. Something wasn't real, but she wasn't sure if it was her or this place.

A monstrosity emerged from the recently destroyed building. Its large body consisted of the deepest, darkest shadows. Long sharp teeth protruded from its jaws and a dark purple mist poured from deep within its throat. Terror emanated from its brilliant red eyes as the shadows began to collect and condense themselves.

Her attention was pulled away by the grating and grinding sound of shifting crystals behind her. From within the wreckage climbed a pony she had become all to familiar with in recent days. The Everfree Shade, no... Random Fact stood up in the middle of the wreckage. Large shards of crystal protruded from his body, blood leaking out from around them as he stepped over the debris. His eyes were glowing a brilliant green and Twilight found her gaze drawn to the Alicorn Amulet resting around his neck, it shared the same green glow as his eyes instead of the red color she was used to seeing on it.

"Onyx!" Shouted Random as he used his magic to pull each of the crystals spikes from his body. Hot steam poured from each of the open wounds as his blood began to smoke. "Stop this foolishness!" His voice was deep as it boomed across the open expanse. Twilight could feel a tingle running down her spine that she couldn't properly explain as he spoke.

"Still holding out the foolish hope that there's anything of your student left," a sinister response came from where Twilight was first looking. She turned back just in time to see the last of the shadows consolidate into the body of King Sombra. "Onyx is gone," he said as he licked his lips. "The final traces of his sorrow were absolutely delectable as I made him shatter the princess with his own hooves."

So he's been completely devoured then.

Twilight shook her head as the ghostly voice filled her head. What was that?

"So the Crystal Princess is truly dead then?" Random said sadly.

This is all my fault. If I hadn't been so focused on finding where Starswirl had disappeared to, I could've stopped this.

Starswirl? As in Starswirl the Bearded? Twilight's ears perked up as the ghostly voice said something she wouldn't have expected to hear.

"Dead and scattered to the winds," Sombra said with a sinister smile. "And now that the Crystal Heart is in my possession, this kingdom belongs to me!"

"And then what?!" Random shouted as the last of his wounds seared themselves shut. "I can't imagine you'll be satisfied to stop here."

"Hehe, of course not," Sombra chuckled menacingly. "Why settle for a single kingdom when I can have the whole world!" The mad proclamation sent hundreds of crystal ponies into a mad panic as they all fled the scene that was unfolding. Twilight watched them flee for a moment, she had been so engrossed in what was happening that she hadn't even seen them approach.

I can't let him do that. This has already gone too far.

"I can't let you do that. This has already gone too far," Random said calmly as he approached the mad king.

Twilight wheeled to look at Random, "am I hearing your thoughts?" She wondered aloud. What was going on here?

"I don't see you stopping me," Sombra casually dismissed him. "It was foolish to think you could stop me without those two alicorns you left back in Equestria. It's a pity I won't be able to break you in front of Princess Luna. I'm sure watching her cry over your broken corpse would be an absolutely perfect end to your story."

Foolish little demon. How dare you invoke her name?!

Twilight's eyes grew wide as she felt the sheer amount of anger that was in that ghostly voice. She turned back to Random, her jaw dropping as she saw arcs of red magic begin to pulsate around him. The amulet against his chest beginning to fizzle and shake in time with the pulses of magic radiating off of him.

"Did I touch a nerve?" Sombra said with glee and he watched him.

Don't lose control here. You know what might happen if you do.

The errant magic began to calm itself as Random took a few deep breaths. He looked up from his state of momentary repose and calmly settled his gaze on the dark king. "This ends here. I cannot allow you to continue existing in this world after all you've done."

"Heh, you and what army," Sombra cackled. "You don't truly believe you can take me all on your... GACK!"

The words were cut off as Sombra suddenly found a spear made of emerald magic piercing straight through his throat.

Twilight let out an involuntary gasp as she saw several more spears floating above Random's head. He calmly began walking towards Sombra, determination evident in his eyes.

Sombra choked as he reached down and tried to grab the protrusion from his neck. His body slowly shifting back into its misty form as a series of chains that Twilight had recently become all too familiar with erupted from the lance. They swiftly began to wrap themselves around the dark king's body and as they tightened, the mist solidified back into solid form.

In that moment, Twilight saw something she had never once seen from King Sombra in the Crystal Empire or in the Everfree Forest. She had seen him delighted, angry, joyful, but she had never once seen him afraid.

"What... Are... You...?" He choked out through gurgles of blood.

"Be quiet," Random said as he looked down at him, his rage a bit muted but still present. An overwhelming sense of authority radiating off of him as he pressed a hoof on the spear still embedded in Sombra's throat. "You do not have the right to speak, and until such a time that I figure out how to banish you properly, I will make every moment you spend in this world pure agony. What you have done cannot be forgiven."

Twilight winced as she saw the pain that Sombra was experiencing. She reached forward in an effort to stop Random from what he was doing, but her hoof just passed right through him.

"So what is all this?" Twilight wondered aloud as she looked back to her transparent hoof. "The past? A memory?"

The sky suddenly grew bright as the light of the midday sun cut through the crimson sky. Twilight squinted her eyes as she looked up at the sun, the shadow that partially obscured it making it appear brighter than normal. "An eclipse?" Twilight wondered aloud.

"What's happening here?!" A new voice demanded as Twilight heard someone approach. This voice sounded very familiar, but there was something different about it.

Both her and Random looked over to find a brilliant white alicorn standing next to them. At first, Twilight thought it was Princess Celestia, but she lacked the multicolored mane she was used to seeing from her mentor. Instead it was awash with yellows and reds as it trailed down her back like an inferno. Her eyes... Her eyes were a blank white as she looked down at the struggle that was ensuing with little more than a passing notice.

What is she doing here?

"What do you want Celestia?" Random casually addressed her, not once letting up on the pain he was putting Sombra through. "I told you I would take care of this."

"That's Celestia?!" Twilight exclaimed in shock.

"You dare to address your princess like that?!" Celestia roared, her wings flared wide as the fire in her mane flared up even brighter. "Who do you think you are?!"

Great... It looks like the power has finally gone to her head.

"Right now I'm the one who's going to resolve this situation like I said I would, and I would thank you to keep your nose out of this while I do so," Random said as he turned his attention back to the bound Sombra.

Celestia maintained her stern expression as she folded her wings to her sides and lowered her head to look at the bound figure. "I shall forgive your impertinence for now. You seek to remove this creature from the world? Then stand aside and I shall burn it from the world." She threw her wings back out and a hot golden beam of light began to collect around her horn. "For none can withstand the purifying light of the sun!"

"No!!" Random shouted as he placed himself between Celestia and Sombra. "You can't simply burn a demon of this caliber. All that would do is scatter him into pieces that'll eventually return stronger than before."

"Then I shall just have to make sure the fire is hot enough that not even his ashes will remain." More fire began to collect around her horn.

What's wrong with her? She's being more arrogant than usual. Did she fall to the Nightmare? There couldn't be worse timing.

The Nightmare?! Twilight looked back at her mentor's past self, the way she was acting and the way she carried herself. "I suppose it's possible," she pondered, thinking about how the first time they met Princess Luna, she was Nightmare Moon. There was also Twilight's recent experience as Midnight Sparkle. Did Princess Celestia once go through that as well?

"Stand aside or share in his fate!" Celestia continued. "It is commendable that you were able to subdue him, but it is my sworn duty to protect my little ponies. Even from themselves."

"I will not!" Random shouted back. "This is my burden to bear and I won't allow you to interfere."

"Then farewell, pony I don't know," she said dismissively as flames erupted from her body. The inferno washed over Random and Sombra as it consumed everything it came in contact with. Screams could be heard coming from within the conflagration as Twilight looked away from the blazing light. What was happening?!

Twilight was eventually able to look at the result of the destruction as the fires died down. The ground had been thoroughly scorched and Princess Celestia was nowhere to be found. She looked to where Random had been standing, but all that remained was a burnt out husk.

"Wait?" Twilight wondered aloud. "If he died that day, then who have I seen running around."

Her reverie was cut off as the husk that used to be a pony began to shift and move. She jumped back in surprise as the charcoal skin began to crack and break. An absolute terror stumbled out from the mess as a collection of fur, muscle, and bone hobbled forward. Twilight had to fight to keep herself from throwing up as she watched the walking skeleton catch itself on solid ground. Slowly, pieces of flesh began to break away and crumble into dust. Pieces of burnt hair were caught by the wind and blown away as the figure continued to move and shift as more of the corpse fell away.

Eventually a clean hoof staggered forward as it caught itself on the ground. Weakly it pushed itself up as Twilight watched the body begin to rapidly heal itself. A couple shakes later, Random stood there once again, his golden fur was still burnt in places while the rest of it was caked with ash.

Random began to sputter and cough as he cleared his throat. "Where is she?!" He roared out in a rage. "Where is that little brat?!"

Celestia... I won't soon forget this.

He shook his head like he was trying to clear the dust from it, "I'll deal with her later. What happened to Sombra?" He began to dig through the charred wreckage like a pony possessed.

"How are you still alive after that?" Twilight gasped as she watched him literally recover from his own death. He was moving slower than he was before but no one should be able to survive what he just did.

"Where is he?! Where is Sombra?!" He cried out as he continued to overturn the wreckage.

Oh I'm much closer than you think.

"What in the abyss?!" Shouted Random as he stumbled back.

Quite an interesting body you have here. I think I'll keep it.

Random looked down at his chest, "you're inside me?"

Indeed I am. I thought I'd have to rely on that piece of myself I left within the Crystal Heart to keep me anchored to this plane, but with a host like you. Oh the things we'll do. It's all thanks to that sun princess that I was able to sneak in here too. If she only knew the opportunity she has given me.

"Hehe," Random began to laugh aloud. "HA HA HA! You fool!"

Have you taken leave of your senses? What do you find so humorous?

"You couldn't have picked a worse place to hide!" Random's whole body began to glow with an otherworldly light as his signature chains began to spiral their way outward from his body. "Keeping you contained is going to be so easy like this. Sure, I'll have to retrieve that fragment you mentioned leaving within the Crystal Heart to finish a proper banishment, but in the meantime..."

The chains snapped down on Random's own body. They began to bend and twist themselves as they dug into his flesh. Twilight watched him strain his muscles to keep himself upright even as the rancid smell of burnt flesh wafted outward.

Are you insane?! You would voluntarily keep me contained within your own soul?!

"I never claimed to make the best choices, but this will keep you from running free for a while." He grit his teeth as he fell to his knees, the voice in his head going silent. "Is that all you had in you?" He began to pant as his eyes started to drift shut. "That took a lot more out of me than I thought it would. It's a good thing this kingdom isn't going anywhere." His head began to droop as his eyes shut a little further. "I'll finish dealing with this right after I take a nap." With that said, Random collapsed as he fell into a deep sleep.

A tinkling sound caught Twilight's ears as he collapsed to the ground. She stepped up next to where he had fallen. Laying on the ground next to him was the Alicorn Amulet, now red in color.

"But..." Twilight started. "Was this right before the Crystal Empire disappeared? You weren't able to finish the banishment, were you?" She continued to watch the golden unicorn in stunned awe. She tried and failed to find the words to describe the magnitude of what she just witnessed.

"Who exactly are you, Random?" Was all she could bring herself to say.

As if answering her call, the Element of Magic resting atop her head began to glow and once again Twilight found the world washed out by its light.

Author's Note:

The first of two bombshells. Enjoy.

Comments

[UnamusedWaffle]

Can’t wait for the next chapter, as always

[Witchery]

Oh lord, what's the second bombshell going to be?

[Frazikar]

Hmmm, Daybreaker or Solar Flare??

[warpedperceptions]

"Heh, you and what army," Sombra cackled. "You don't truly believe you can take me all on your... GACK!"

GACK! GACK! GACK! GACK IS BACK!

[Luckyfanisaac]

Why settle for a single kingdom when I can have the whole world!"

What’s wrong with her?

[mysticbynd]

That regeneration ability description was super cool.