Fall of Equestria: two worlds collide

by Gray Kirin

Assembling a puzzle

Author's Note:

Yes, Zekora does not speak in rhyme. There are two reasons for this, an objective "plot".
First, even in Russian, a friend helped me to rhyme her lines. Secondly, in one of the "Fall" fics, there was a moment when the owner of Zecora decided to forbid her to rhyme.

Which reason you prefer, decide for yourself. But if one of the readers wants to "rehabilitate" the zebra, then I will be very grateful.

07.11.20... from the Accession of the Sisters
Fallen Equestria
The time is 19: 00

In the house of Hirtir there was a hum of voices, the aroma of good tobacco and alcohol. The commandant of Ponyville welcomed two caribou who came from the Coast. Ingvar and Hagen were very pleasant guests. Brave, full of pride, befitting true warriors of the north. Their stories sometimes made everyone present burst into thunderous laughter, then listen with fascination.

Ingvar spoke particularly well about his recent fight with the manticore, boasting about the captured sting and the bandaged wounds on his chest.
“Yes, it was a nice hunt, although it cost me a lot...”

Hirtir, at whose feet a naked butter-yellow unicorn with a blue mane was located, snorted.
“What are you talking about, my friend? Are these scratches such a burden for you?”
“The Discord creature also casually hooked me with its tail. Now I need to drink the antidote for another two weeks so that the wounds do not open and rot. You know what kind of filth it is, manticore poison,”

The bandaged caribou, in turn, who was blissful when a light green pegasus with a blue mane massaged his shoulders, sighed sadly.
"But the bigger filth is the antidote. After all, together with the poison, it also oppresses the male power, even temporarily! Oh, as soon as the reception is over, I'll play with my new bitch to my heart's content. She will be even prettier than the one that you just put on me, friend,”
“Yes, Ingvar, really, a terrible price… But the trophy is magnificent,”
“Isn't there a good alchemist here in the city, by the way? My supply of antidote is running low, and I need to replenish it,”
"You're lucky, one of my slaves-a zebra who can mix potions”
“Sounds great. How much do you want for her time?”

Hirtir remembered the new poker deck he had bought today. Clearly handmade, it was a real work of art. And the deer couldn't wait to try it out.
“We'll see, we'll see... let the game decide everything. I'm putting together a little poker game today and I want you and Hagen to keep me company. Everything that you lose will be counted as payment for the work of the striped bitch. Whatever you win... well, it's yours by right,”

Ingvar nodded gratefully to Hirtir and leaned back in his chair.

The evening gradually came to an end. Six caribou, four city and two newcomers sat at the table. One even brought a former "princess of friendship"as a bet. She was launched under the table for more fun.

The game was hot. The bank constantly changed its composition and volume, changed hands. One caribou or another was gaining the upper hand, as if the wheel of fortune was spinning at the speed of a mad gyroscope.

The stakes turned out to be both the manticore sting, and Hagen's axe, and not even Zekora's time, but she herself. Zebra, who was serving at the table, did not show that she was interested in her own fate. On the contrary, a couple of shiny droplets have already managed to run down her thighs. Although, it could also be the effect of mare's aphrodisiacs, which the zebra usually prepared for sale by the owner.

Finally, the last con was announced. The tension hanging in the air could be cut with Hagen's axe, played back and hidden under the ass, so that the northern gods would not bring it, to lose it again.

Hirtir looked around the table with a sharp gaze and exhaled briefly.
“Opening up,”

He had a street. Tenmar, who was in charge of the city's "shelter" for orphan equas, has a set on jacks. Kaimo, the blacksmith, boasted of two pairs of tens and ladies. Simnir, the centurion, angrily threw a single pair of eights on the table. Ingvar laid out a set of sevens.

And Hagen, who almost lost his axe, slowly opened a straight flush.

There was silence. Finally, Hirtir sighed.
“Yes, it was hot… Well, winner, take your winnings. Ingvar, you will now negotiate with your friend about the use of a striped whore,”

Already in the rented house, where visitors came in the dark with their "winnings", Hagen grinned, closing and propping up the door. The curtains had been drawn before that, so that absolutely nothing could be seen from the street.

Having seated both eqvas on the sofa, "Ingvar" grinned.
“Well, Comrade Senior Lieutenant, we are opening up!”

The sound of the disguise being turned off and "golems" that appeared in place of the caribou made Zekora shudder and freeze. And Twilight slowly blossomed into a smile, sincere and pleasant. Reaching for the psychoconturer, which fenced her off from the hammered "etiquette", the princess sighed.
“From the very beginning of the evening, I was suspi... I was hoping for something like this. Zekora, meet humans. Yes, the very mythical creatures that Lyra is a fan of,”

The zebra's round eyes darted from one man to another. Then at the "Senior Lieutenant" standing at the door, then at "Ingvar"
“I dare to ask, even though I am very surprised, what is my service that masters want?”

The "Senior Lieutenant" shook his head and froze, listening to the transmission in the psycholink.
“We are not masters and you are no longer slaves, remember this firmly. But you were pulled out after all, not for the sake of your beautiful eyes, but in the hope of some help,”

Zebra was tied in a knot from the surging emotions. Panic, hope, timid joy mixed in her into such a potion that if she cooked such a thing in her cauldron, the hut would have to be washed for a couple of days in a row.

Somehow gathering her thoughts, Zekora timidly exhaled.
“Are you really giving us freedom, or for the sake of laughter, an evil joke to please?”
“Really. Moreover, you will definitely like the upcoming case. Your Highness, how long have you been doing magic? Fillady Zekora, when was the last time you made something other than aphrodisiac and submission potions?”

Twilight naturally shuddered at being addressed by her title, opened her mouth, but could not answer anything intelligible. Alicorn was ready to share the same storm of feelings as the zebra sitting next to her. To calm down, Twilight closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

And she felt Zekora, who was sitting next to me, begin to shake naturally from quiet, but gradually gaining strength sobs. Not that happiness, not that fear, not just overexertion.
"Fillady, you'd better calm down and not make any noise. There are three minutes left before the arrival of the boat that will pick you up. Yes, it has a camouflage field, but you should not test it for strength,”

The subordination invested in zebra over the years has now come to at least something really necessary for her. Even though Zekora couldn't stop the tears completely, but having hugged Twilight and buried her face in her neck, now she was only muttering softly in her native language.

Alicorn, stroking the striped equa's mane soothingly, looked up at the "Senior Lieutenant".
“A boat, you say... And where will it take us? Will we also find out on the spot?”
“To the hospital, to restore the amputee... Your Highness, don't tell me that you have some unfinished business here. Equestria needs you in full health as soon as possible,”

Twilight was literally torn in two. On the one hand, the promise to return the lost, health, strength, dignity. And on the other side there were five equas, whose faces rose up in front of Twilight as if they were alive. Five best friends, five who trusted her immensely, five Keepers. Rainbow, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack.

And to all of them, the former princess "helped to adapt", read, helped to bend and conquer, where the desecration of the Elements worked too slowly.

Because of the action of the “psychoconture" presented by a human, which neutralized the "upbringing of a good filly", the guilt collapsed on Twilight like a lead plate, crushing all other worries into a cake. It no longer mattered to her whether she would be able to heal or remain a cripple forever. The alicorn only wanted to see her friends in good health, whatever that might require.
"i... I can't, I don't deserve it. After everything I've done. “

Twilight's voice sat down, became hoarse. But then Zekora spoke up, already calmed down a little and came to her senses.
"Look, Twilight, don't blame yourself, we all have the same problem. You have led your friends forward many times, in your unity the power was all there, your friends will understand everything and forgive everything, take the treatment, because it's not a trifle. There is no need to torment yourself with guilt in the future, only together you can overcome everything.”

Looking into the eyes of alicorn, Zekora wiped away the quiet tears running down her cheeks.
“Did your friends help you once, you lit the light of friendship with them together. Now it's your duty to help them, save them from the darkness of nightmares of the soul.

The reward for the zebra was an answering hug and a quiet cry already on her shoulder.

The touching moment was interrupted by "Ingvar", who reported that the boat was already landing and it was time to leave.

Man opened the door and looked out into the street, where a black boat of rapid contours was sitting in front of the porch, lowered the ramp invitingly. The machine stood with its stern to the forest and its nose to the town hall, even so almost touching the edges of the console of the houses. The pilot must be just a jeweler to land so quickly and accurately, Twilight thought briefly.

There was no need to worry about late passers-by and overflights - according to the "Senior Lieutenant", the boat deployed a camouflage field so that it could only be seen from the house from where they were leaving.

As if in a dream, equas climbed up the ramp and strapped themselves to seats that were clearly designed for armor, even more massive than those of the warriors who pulled them out today.

The ramp closed and the boat smoothly lifted off the ground, invisible and inaudible. Ship soared up to the low-hanging clouds and headed to the southeast.

The take-off was imperceptible, only on the viewscreens surrounding the cabin, the environment smoothly floated down. Twilight took a last look at the evening city, which was getting smaller and smaller.

Alicorn remembered everything that had happened in Ponyville. Joy, sadness, victories and defeats. Zekora was right - if Sparkle framed her friends, thinking that she was helping, then it would be right for her to fix it. But will they accept her help?

"Senior Lieutenant", who was sitting opposite equas, coughed, attracting their attention and smiled faintly at the way they turned their ears.
“Fillady, under your chairs there is an underwear and clothes, take them out, put them on. And we have about twenty minutes to outline the situation as a whole. As you understand, you both have a lot of work to do. For fillady Zekora is simpler - you will need to get involved in the creation and adjustment of the production of alchemical drugs for skin regeneration. We can restore the horns and wings without much cost and effort, but the mass plastic of Cutiemarks will be too heavy for us,”

Twilight glanced down at her thighs, where there were burned-out brands in the form of chains crossing out the Mark on top of the symbol of magic. Few of the equas can wear such a thing and not weaken by the minute. Few mares could stand such a cruel, deliberate trampling of the personality and the manifestation of the soul, which were the Marks.

Zekora reacted to the task completely calmly. She just shook her head slightly.
“At least I can brew such a potion for you. There is one question that needs to be discussed first.
We will not do business without components, and I will definitely need help.”

“Of course, there will be help, no one will force you to pull such a volume alone. All the necessary reagents and equipment will be found for you. Any, that your soul asks for. After setting up the technical process, there is complete freedom of action,”

Zekora covered her eyes with her palms, leaning back in her chair. And she just breathed deeply, not holding back large, clean tears of happiness.

And the shadow of a smile passed over the face of the "Senior Lieutenant" as he turned to Twilight.
“Well, as for you, Your Highness, this is a real non-groin field, but no one else will do it, not even we can. You need to reassemble the Guardians of the Elements. And to clean the Elements themselves from the filth that brought the caribou. It's a long, difficult task, but there's no way without it,”

Twilight tensed. Now the man's words touched something wrong in her mind, awakened the very filth that entered her along with the magic that perverted the Crystal Heart and her own Element.

And rough, trumpet-like voices sounded like an alarm bell in my head.
"Know your place!" "Serve the master, whore! " "Your destiny is to worship my dick, meat!"

The filth that entangled the mind pulled viscous tentacles, gradually destroying the psychoconture that Twilight had held before.

And towards the oily, sticky slime, the long-forgotten light of the soul and will desperately flashed. The magic, which had not given up, had not disappeared, gave battle.

Twilight felt like she was on the edge of a precipice, where madness and frenzy lay, leaving no chance for a sober thought. And the alicorn was slowly and surely sliding down.

But the hands that caught her did not let her fall. On the one hand, they are warm, striped, smelling of distant savannah and herbs. On the other, they are covered with hard and cold armor made under distant stars.
“Twilight! Twilight! You've held on for six years, don't give up now! Not now, please!”

The whisper and aroma of the savannah herbs, the warm wind on the muzzle brought the knowledge that no drought lasts forever, and always ends with a life-giving rain. And the more fiercely the sun burned, the more luxuriantly then life will blossom after.
"Hold on, Your Highness. You are a strong equa, you were able to keep the light in your soul for six years. You will stand it,”

From the metall shells in the endless void, from the blooming worlds, from the uninhabitable stone planets, a clear digital signal came. That as long as the heart beats, as long as the mind remains clear, as long as there is strength in the hands, there is nothing hopeless and irreparable.

Twilight sobbed, hugging the arms of the man and the zebra that had caught her over the abyss more tightly to her chest. The sticky lust that had been entangling her soul receded.

The princess, drained dry by the attack, just sat and breathed heavily, shifting her grateful gaze from Zekora to the Senior Lieutenant, who did not give his name. Twilight wanted to ask what their savior's name was, but she couldn't connect two words meaningfully right now.

The boat tilted to the bow, descending. Less than a couple of minutes later, there was a dull thud of the chassis on the ground and the machone froze. But the pilot was in no hurry to open the ramp.

Twilight's questioning look was answered by "Hagen", who had been silent until then, immersed in either sleep or meditation.
“Please, Your Highness, fillady Zekora, do not interrupt, this is very important. We have just arrived at the Chrysalis Hive. Contrary to rumors, changelings do not commit atrocities and do not turn equins into live batteries or incubators.”

The human did not let the equas get a word in, holding his hand up in front of him. A simple gesture and message did not frighten, did not crush the will, but gently directed in the right direction.
“And also, we took the liberty to assemble a small meeting committee. I think you will find a couple of close and pleasant faces there. And now, fillady, the last minute to prepare mentally. Take a deep breath, put your disheveled feelings in order,”

Both Twilight and Zekora did not hesitate to repeat what "Hagen" said. And surprisingly, the simplest deep breathing now calmed and cooled the red-hot consciousness. When the ramp opened, equas were no longer on edge, only a slight worry remained.

But Twilight still couldn't hold back a convulsive sigh when the ramp descended enough to allow her to see the greeters. Alicorn wanted to spit on everything, just to rush and squeeze in the arms of two friends who were now standing among the greeters.

Rarity, in a steel-gray tight-fitting jumpsuit obviously donated by humans, shifted restlessly from one foot to the other and dusted herself off every second or cast quick glances at the ground, as if she was afraid of something that might be hiding under it.

Fluttershy stood quietly next to the unicorn. Pegasus did not pack into a jumpsuit, limiting herself to simple trousers and a shirt. But she didn't say a word, didn't even look up at the Changeling honor guard, or at Twilight arriving, or at Queen Chrysalis standing next to her.

Stepping down to the ground, the princess bowed briefly to the people who met her, observing the protocol that she had almost forgotten during the years of captivity. When alicorn thanked the Queen for providing shelter for her friends. Chrysalis snorted.
“What, Sparkle, didn't you expect things to turn out this way? But let's forget the old quarrels and welcome to my Hive. I can't wait for you to find yourself in the dungeons and appreciate the prepared surprise,”

At the reproachful sigh of the man standing next to her, Chrysalis only twitched her tail.
"Major, you're an ambassador, not an adviser, so don't stop me from having fun with innocent hairpins. Better tell me, did doctors connect the equipment? Have they configured it? Great! Let them start the reception,”

Turning around and waving her tail in the direction of Twilight, Chrysalis majestically departed, taking the guard with her, leaving equas alone with humans

Twilight feeling tears swell in her eyes and a bitter lump formed in her throat. Faster and faster, eventually breaking into a run, alicorn rushed to her friends and hugged both of them.

Rarity jerked, not immediately realizing that her best friend was next to her. The white equa clutched Twilight convulsively in response, and a trembling voice came from the helmet speakers.
"Twi, darling, it's so good to see you. Please watch your feet, they are just waiting,”

Rarity did not explain who was just waiting, and Twilight did not care about this when Fluttershy joined the convulsive hugs.
“W-hello. It's been a long time, Twilight. I missed you so much, my master did not allow me to see anyone,”

A few minutes passed in silence, which was not even broken by the take-off of the boat. Equas, separated for a long time, did not need words. Twilight, Fluttershy and Rarity only tightened their hugs to quiet tears. Until recently, it seemed to all three of them that there was no hope, that everything was lost. And in one moment everything changed.

The man who accompanied Chrysalis gave equas time for hugs and displays of feelings. When Twilight, Fluttershy and Rarity were able to perceive the surrounding reality a little, he coughed, attracting their attention and saluted.
“Major Yuri Smirnov, human ambassador to the Hive. Please follow me, fillady, healers are already waiting in the infirmary,”
"The infirmary? Wait, is this the surprise Chrysalis was talking about?”
“Yes. I don't know what connects you and the Queen, but be ready for new hairpins. However, it will not go further than them,”

Twilight, wiping away her tears, sighed happily.
"I'll give it up to Shy and Rarity. Zekora? Are you with us?”

The Major did not object to zebra walking with the Keepers to the infirmary. Although Zekora was completely healthy, it is never harmful for an alchemist and a healer to learn something new.

Zebra, looking with interest at the almost empty streets of the Changeling city at this time, asked.
“I will have to make my own potions work here, to remove the sign of slavery from the branded ones?”
“What? Oh, no, not here. The ship that will pick you up will be only in four hours. So, fillady, you have time to look at the changeling and our medicine and relax a little. It was a difficult evening, so a warm bath will be in place. Am I right?”

07.11.20... from the Accession of the Sisters
Equestria
Time 22: 34

After meeting with Cherry Amaretto, Sombra was satisfied. Equa, thanks to the efforts of Princess Luna and the Manehetten doctors, was on the mend even without his intervention. The unicorn didn't pry into her mind, only allowed himself to touch it to make sure that everything was in order.

The consciousness of the dark cherry equa met him with a fragrant forest, where the sun's rays pierced the crowns and a light steam curled over the ground, sometimes playfully changing colors.

The mage did not touch a single blade of grass there, did not disturb a single curl of fog, gliding through the wonderful forest. In some places there were traces of the former horror, but they were quickly drawn out by a new life and covered with a fragrant haze, as if licking these wounds. Interestingly, this haze had a distinct aroma of coffee with amaretto.

Sombra was not worried that he would have to redo after Luna, but something pushed him to make sure that everything was fine in person. Even in terms of getting rid of nightmares and the ability to heal souls, the princess was far superior to the unicorn.

Amaretto, although she was worried at first, met the former king of Crystal Empire very sincerely. Perhaps, because Sombra came as a simple pony, without regalia, a crown and an aura of fear, maybe because a silent lieutenant of the Manehetten police was sitting next to equa all the time. The copper-colored wiry unicorn did not say anything during the entire conversation between the mage and Golden. Only at the very beginning, she gave Sombra a "translucent" look and climbed onto Amaretto's lap, immediately finding herself in her arms.

And now the unicorn was just strolling along the embankment, enjoying free minutes and the feeling of the wind on his muzzle and mane. A wet mist, as if trying to impregnate the wool with something sticky. The hum and hubbub of a huge, unsleeping city around. The light of lanterns, where the usual crystal ones, where are clearly imported, flooded everything with a sharp white light.

The calm of the evening walk was disturbed by the demanding signal of communicator. With a sigh, the mage pulled out the presented device from folds of his cloak and, after a couple of seconds of remembering, accepted the call. The caller displayed on the screen was not disposed to ignore.

The soft voice that the mage heard for the second time after a thousand-year break made his heart jump, but the neutral-diplomatic tone immediately knocked off all the shadow of joy.
“Good night, Sombra. I'm sorry to interrupt your pleasant moments, but there a ship, waiting for you at the Canterlot spaceport. There are new circumstances, which I will tell you about on the spot,”
"Oh, Celly… You know how to break the charm,”
"There's a ship waiting for you. And it's not Celly for you anymore. You know why,”

The mage twitched his ears irritably, trying to hypnotize with his eyes the green circle on the screen that indicated the established connection.
“Is the task the same? Pull out of nightmares and madness?”
“Yes,”
“Three minutes. I'll calculate the portal.”

Celestia left the line and the communicator fell silent, once again becoming an annoying piece of metal and carbon composite for Sombra, whatever this stuff is, which he need to get used to and learn to handle.

The mage quickly hung the portal to the port quarters of Canterlot, wishing that there was no time to tinker with the protection of the spaceport and bypass it purely out of sporting interest, to the peak of Celestia and these newcomers.

Fifteen minutes later, the unicorn was in front of the lowered ramp of the space corvette, where Princess Celestia and the alien captain were standing.

Alicorn’s tone was again dispassionately friendly, as if at a social reception or a meeting with diplomats, and the mage sighed with relief. There was nothing left but a new life, a new world and a new job. Old hopes and desires have sunk into the past, leaving behind only acutely white skeletons of mistakes that had to be corrected.
“Maitre Sombra. Meet Lieutenant Commander Summerend, who will take you to the reflection of Equestria,”
The man and the black unicorn gave each other dispassionate appraising glances.
“You will probably have the most difficult job there. It is necessary to purify the reflection’s Keepers of Elements from the filth and fear first, and then the Elements. Without this, we will get bogged down in a whole sea of consequences and problems. Lieutenant Commander, maitre. I do not dare to detain you,”

The captain sighed after the majestically flying alicorn. Then he waved his hand to Sombra.
"Well, that's it. Come on, I'll help you get settled.”
“Yes, it will not be superfluous to show the way. It's the first time I've boarded this kind of ship,”
“You are quite calm, I would say, majestic. But in the control room I now have a miracle with a recently grown horn, which now cannot be torn off by a winch…”

Sombra only chuckled at the phrase about the miracle with the restroed horn. The way medicine developed through the joint efforts of ponies and people, the mage liked it.

The flight was not particularly remembered by Sombra, who spent all the time in the engineer's cabin, along with the equa, who flew to the Chrysalis Hive after her horn was restored. The enchantress was in such a happy mood that even when the black unicorn’s disguise fell off during the first jump, she did not scream or hide in a corner. The mage, as he could, explained to her that now he is different by virtue of the deal, and does not bite unless he is very much asked.

The conversation with Violet Star, as the unicorn introduced herself, allowed him to distract from the feeling of hyper-jumps, during which the ship seemed to fall into the Abyss and immediately emerged into the real world again. Only this Abyss was different, not the one where the Shadow King was sitting after meeting with the magic of the Crystal Heart.

Equa also felt the changes in the world. According to her, "Boreas" in these seconds passed into a space with a different dimension, where the usual concept of distance and time was erased and changed.

However, the essence of the process and the device of the aggregates that make it possible, Violet was extremely vague. She only knew that they use energy storage devices of exorbitant capacity and some "circuits".

When the ship shook slightly during landing, equa said goodbye to the mage and invited him to talk next time, when he had a chance.

But Sombra, even going down the ramp, understood that he would have a lot of time in the next couple of years. Which, of course, he didn't tell Violet about.

Looking at the local Chrysalis meeting him, the unicorn experienced a slight deja vu. Celestia and Luna, who had arrived at Empire, initially looked at him with exactly the same expression.
"Welcome to the hive, Shadow King. If you come with good things for my wards, you will be a welcome guest. If not, you'd better leave now,”

The mage bowed his head in protocol to the Queen, who met him accompanied by a squad of personal guards. The experienced fighters seemed relaxed and not even paying much attention to the unicorn. But even he would have to work hard to cope with such a group. However, there was no need to cope with changelings in battle.
"Good to see you, Queen. Alas, but everything is exactly as you were told. The deal with Mi Amore changed me. But enough of this chatter, I was heard that there are three particularly important patients here. Is that true?”
“So. Follow me, Shadow King,”
“Wow, someone still remembers my title of a mage... I'm flattered,”

The road to the infirmary passed quickly. Chrysalis briefly told what happened to the Keepers after the recovery operations. And Sombra did not like the story, especially the reaction to the acquisition of horns and wings. No crippled person will panic and strain when lost body parts are returned to him. At least, it will not be without the appropriate suggestion magic.

The Queen brought Sombra to the membrane of the ward where equas were kept, resting after the operation.

The mage habitually reached inside with his mind to cast a relaxing and calming spell, but it was as if he ran into a wall.

The hive here very actively resisted any third-party magic and mental influences. Moreover, Sombra felt his unkind attention. It was like a big, very big dog got up and growled hollowly.

Chrysalis, feeling the same, sent a short command to the collective mind, not addressed to anyone, "Stop. Not the enemy." The mage who intercepted her only grinned.
“I sent the doctors to rest, and I took my healers away. Go ahead, mage. And show me how you've changed,”

The membrane parted and Sombra entered the room. Despite his usual appearance, he walked soundlessly, his hooves gradually turned into a veil of black smoke.

The membrane tightened and, in addition to it, a green glow ran along the walls, tightly cutting off this cell from the Hive.

The mage chuckled softly to himself as he approached the three beds where the equas Keepers slept.
“Ha, mother hen. So, what we have here...”

Without wasting time on nostalgia, reflection, self-reflection and other garbage of the mind, the unicorn touched the aura of Twilight-equa and fell into her consciousness.

A huge library under a stained-glass roof stretches around. The sun's rays, falling through the colored paintings, dressed everything around in magical colorful veils. The impressively drifting dust motes seemed like tiny firefly spirits. The air was filled with the soothing aroma of old wood, paper, caramel and fresh bread.

Sombra looked around, looking for traces of mental trauma, old nightmares and experienced slavery. But the library around was idyllically calm.

The mage grinned and abruptly pulled a heavy folio in a scarlet velvet cover from a nearby shelf.

And then the idyll ended.

The bookshelves began to flow, quickly turning into a dirty crimson slime, revealing gnawed skeletons, split boards and torn great works, which were also wiped afterward.

The foulness rushed at the mage, trying to wrap him in a suffocating cocoon and break him, as almost did with Twilight's mind. But the Sombra did not even move, only wrapped in cold black smoke. The dirt, that touched him, froze like a puddle in the bitterest frost and scattered into a fine black dust, already harmless to the master of nightmares. The mage allowed this coal suspension to join his "smoke", studying it.

The filth was not a work of art, it was not particularly insidious or dangerous for others. The spell had such a devastating effect on equa because it was imposed through an Element of Magic connected to her soul, which served as a gate and at the same time an anchor.

Because of the clumsiness, in Sombra's opinion, and the simplicity of the structure, it did not take much time to study and examine in detail the filth that swaddled Twilight's mind. And now all that remained to be done was to deliver a precisely calibrated blow to one of the components, which would destabilize the nail and force it to release back the energy and power cut off to it.

The mage caused clouds of his black smoke to boil and rise up in a whistling, furious hurricane. Wherever the smoke touched the dirty crimson slime, it stiffened and crumbled, exposing the mutilated library. An icy black whirlwind passed through the rows of shelves, walls, and stained-glass ceiling like a steel brush, cleaning the sticky abomination from them.

And along with this, Sombra faced the need to immediately begin restoring Twilight's consciousness. After all, the magic that was now devouring the stuck filth could easily break the mind of the equa completely.

The unicorn had to naturally split, split attention, magic and consciousness, performing absolutely opposite tasks for the purpose. Simultaneously control and skillfully direct the fiercely hissing and roaring storm of black snow. And to tighten the wounds of Twilight's consciousness, collecting it like a torn book on pages. Patch up holes, reassemble bindings and return the roughly stripped precious finish. Restore the writings and runes that tell about life and achievements. Collect stained-glass windows and shelves in pieces by fragments.

Breaking the contact, Sombra felt sweat pouring off him like a hail. Absorbed in his work, the mage did not immediately realize how much energy it consumed. And the fact that he himself devoured the defiling spell did not change situation, because it contained an offensively low energy.

And there were five more such desecrated Keepers ahead - two in this ward and three scattered across the occupied country.

In the soul of the unicorn, who gently approaching the bed of Fluttershy-equa, anger boiled up, of absolutely unusual origin. Watching the yellow pegasus restlessly tossing and turning in a medicinal sleep under a thin pale green blanket, the Shadow King gnashed his teeth at the realization that someone had done such a stupid thing to this miracle and the whole country. The realization, that someone had cruelly and viciously abused pure and defenseless creatures, caused a desire to cut right and left with a claymore and direct orbital strikes.

The last thought was so unexpected that it extinguished the anger. Sombra even spent a couple of seconds admiring the sleeping equa and spinning in his mind associations and memories that simply had nowhere to come from.

How to contact the ships. How to specify and designate the target and give corrections to the gunners in orbit. How to conduct a firing rampart.

All this knowledge surfaced from the part of his mind that was formed after the resurrection. The new formation was so harmoniously woven into the consciousness that the mage did not notice it until the present second. What did Cadence use? What did she put into the agreement that not only forced Sombra to change his behavior, obeying the conditions, but also changed himself, bringing new attitudes, new values and knowledge?

However, the answer to all these questions can be found later. And now there is a job.

Fluttershy's consciousness met the mage with a garden of fabulous beauty. The spreading trees stretched out their branches, entwined with lush creepers, trustfully revealing white and pink flowers. Fragrant lilacs grew here and there, filling the air with a delicate sweet aroma. Rose bushes, rose hips, hydrangeas and tulips covered the entire visible space with a lush colored foam, over which flocks of colorful butterflies fluttered.

Sombra, forming two counterweight spells, gritted his teeth. It will be more difficult here than with Twilight-equa because of the fragility and vulnerability of this consciousness and soul. It will be difficult not to break the fine structure and soft images of Fluttershy's mind.

The black smoke of the destructive spell swirled, fiercely and tightly. Forcing the filth, what hidden and masking wounds of the Element of Kindness, to rise up in a futile attempt to defend itself. Trying to act as carefully as possible, Sombra strained all his strength, giving the "smoke" properties that the new, "engrafted" part of Cadence's mind and memory told him about. "Intelligent dust", consisting of myriads of tiny automatons that aimed their appetites at something specific and were able to reproduce themselves by absorbing the target material. It was a pure idea, an encyclopedic fact, without technical details, but Sombra was enough.

Now the spell that erased and tore the fel structure worked even faster and posed less danger to Fluttershy's mind. But it began consume much more energy at the same time, which was completely not made up for by the energy from the destroyed and absorbed filth.

And at the same time, the mage restored and tightened the wounds and damage to the Keeper's consciousness. He nourished with life withered and barbarically trampled flowers, healed the wounds of trees and grew broken branches. He erased the traces of bonfires and fed the scattered garbage to the raging black blizzard.

Sombra literally fell out of contact with Fluttershy's consciousness. For the first time in an immeasurably long period, the unicorn felt approaching fatigue.

Without wasting time on thinking and analyzing the memories coming in an ever-increasing stream from the "psychomatrix", which finally helpfully called itself, Sombra drew strength into himself, compensating for what he had spent. A new fragment of the personality insistently demanded to act, because in front of Sombra lay, sweetly snoring and smiling in spite of everything in a dream, another thing. Rarity-equa, the Keeper of Generosity, also needed the help of a mage.

Sombra, just in case, took the form of Smokey and reached out to the aura of the snow-white craftsmare.

There he was met by a beautiful room that could belong to the palace of a person, particularly enthusiastic and understanding in the fine arts. The whole interior was harmonious, accessories, furniture and decorations complemented one another and the whole picture as a whole, while revealing their brilliance and elegance.

Once again, the mage provoked the fel to attack, and again she stomped on her forehead, unable to think of anything else.

The destabilizing spell worked even better this time, probably because the mage had time to think a little and polish the formula in a couple of places.

Working here did not take as much effort as with the fragile and sensitive Fluttershy, but it made him sweat, checking every detail and nuance. The exquisite decoration and decor returned to their former appearance, covered in the most crucial moments with splitting black smoke like a blanket.

The painstaking work took almost more time than the gentle cleansing of Fluttershy's mind. But the mage was satisfied with what he had done.

So unfamiliar before, but now growing stronger with each healed mind, the pleasure of helping someone, offering a shoulder and protecting, came in a warming wave. There was no way to understand from where-from the matrix, which was increasingly merging and dissolving in him, or from Sombra's mind itself, which, under the influence of the deal, got rid of the burdensome thirst for power and sadism.

Listening to the measured breathing of the three sleeping equas, who soon had to shoulder the restoration of the country on their fragile shoulders, "Smokey" smiled faintly.

Comments

[Dragoknight92]

Caribou. I hate those reindeer.