Long live the king

by Msande

Strike back

Strike Back

Sombra was silently sitting on his throne, resting his chin on his hoof. His eyes slowly started to drop as he kept staring at the door as if expecting somepony to rush in at any given moment. Suddenly the clash of steel rung into his ear as he shot up in his seat. "Is someone changing my right to rule?" he said in a low voice, but the clanging continued and nobody entered the throne room.

Suddenly a loud snap echoed as well. "Buck it!" Twilight shouted, as the king got off his throne to investigate. After all, who would be dumb enough to enter his castle anyway?

Twilight closed her eyes as her horn started to glow again. A purple shape appeared in front of her, forming a long staff-like shape as a she tried again. It slowly started to detail, forming a purple blade with a slightly darker hilt. "You can do it, Twilight. Just a bit more and you'll have another spell under your belt," Spike said encouragingly as he balled his fists. Pinkie and Dash stood next to him as she tried the spell again. The glow dimmed as she looked over the second sword she had successively formed.

Using her magic she swung it experimentally. A suit of armor stood to her side holding a sword of its own. She hit the sword lightly, testing the magically created one. Each time her strikes fell a bit harder before going in full swing, only for hers to snap at the point of impact. She dropped the spell and the shards and two halves vanish.

"Not bad," Sombra said as he entered the library. Spike was the first to glare at him as the others each watched him enter the room.

"Um, thanks," Twilight said.

"However, you lack not only practice but proper knowledge of swords." His horn glowed black as a sword rapidly formed above him. Swinging it at the sword Twilight had tested, it sheared off most of the blade. Twilight watched as the liberated metal dropped to the floor. "You need to know about real swords, nothing to amazing, but basic from and structure would help," he advised.

"Really?" Twilight said as she did her best to keep from looking at the black sword hovering above Sombra.

"So how about some basic sword fighting lessons? Having the ability to make a sword does little good if you cannot use it," he said as he pulled two swords off the wall. His magical one vanished as he spun the weapon in his hoof.

"Um," Twilight said nervously,

"Right, sorry." His horn glowed as a dull grey blanketed the weapons. "There now we can't hurt each other. But first proper forms."

"Can I learn next?" asked Dash, her eyes brightening up a bit. "Not that I want to learn from someone like you," she said, glancing away.

"One student at a time, now then." He set his sword to the side and walked around Twilight, moving uncomfortably. "Start by holding the sword close." She held the weapon up as Sombra moved his arm around her gently, adjusting her position.

Twilight could feel his warm breath as he explained sword fighting, detailing stances, moves and other basic information she would need as well. "Right," she nodded as she took the knowledge in.

"So let's start. The only way to learn is to start accumulating bruises. Luna really did like the more hooves on learning style," he said with a cocky grin, his eyes losing the normal red glow.

"Luna taught you?" Twilight asked as everypony looked at him in interest.

"In a manner of speaking, but she learned a lot more from me. But I am not really in the mood to talk about it," he said, his eyes glowing again. "Come at me or I shall take the fight to you!" he shouted as everyone in the room jumped.

"Kick his flank!" shouted Dash as Twilight felt the weight of the weapon. Racing at him on her hind hooves, metal met metal. Then he moved and she felt a rough tap on her side. She spun around, only for her hind leg to get a rough tap as well. She did her best to swat the attacks away, only to take a hit to the shoulder. Falling back, she landed on her flank, looking up at the smiling king.

"Surely, Princess Celestia taught you better than that," he taunted. Twilight felt her blood run cold as she used both hooves to support the weapon. Swinging wildly, Sombra backed away, dodging each blow with infuriating ease. She could feel her arms grow tired with each swing. But that mocking smile that flashed his canaries seemed to egg her on. He caught her blade on a downward swing as she put all her weight down, hoping in vain to overpower him.

"Twilight!" Spike and Pinkie chanted. Then a simple idea flashed in her mind. Bending to the side, she let him win the battle of power as she turned the sword away from her enemy, only to deck him in the face with the bottom of the hilt.

"Ah," he cried out as he fell back, his hoof covering up his eye as she suddenly felt a sting in the exact same place on her face.

"So awesome," Dash said as the chanting stopped. Twilight gasped at her own accomplishment as Sombra glared out of his uninjured eye.

"Not bad," he said, smiling as he stood on all fours, carrying himself proudly despite the now blackening eye. "Now then, now that you know a little bit, I shall be taking my leave. I have a few things to take care of."

"That was nerve wracking," Twilight admitted as she looked at the sword, allowing herself to feel a bit of pride for getting that strike in.

"You know for a - ," Dash was about to say only for Pinkie to cover up her mouth.

"Don't jinx it, Dashie," Pinkie warned as Dash swatted her hoof away from her mouth.

Twilight looked back at the book as she started skimming over the information laid out in front of her. As she started looking over the information, suddenly the clip-clop of hooves rushed in as a dull looking crystal pony entered the room.

"Must find," he gasped out, "the king. We have an emergency." The three looked at each other.

"You just missed him. What is going on?"

"A yeti, a yeti is heading for us and without the shield to protect us," the pony had a crazed look in his eye. "We need to find the king!" he shouted as hysteria started to set in on him.Twilight rushed past the pony as Dash and Pinkie raced after her.

"Something attacking a pony civilization, that hasn't happened in recorded history," Twilight said. "This is not good," she said as she raced down the corridor to the the throne room.

"Yeah, the last thing we need is the very ponies we are trying to free getting gobbled up," Pinkie replied. Twilight shook her head. Only Pinkie could take such a concerning situation and simplify it to such a degree.

"Sombra!" Twilight shouted only to see the King adjusting his metal breast plate. "There is-,"

"Yeti getting too close to the city. Yes, I am well aware."

"Oh, well."

"Doing something about it right now, Miss Sparkle. Now then, I have a city to protect," he said as the metal boots clicked lightly as he approached the throne room's main door.

"That's good?" Twilight said as she glanced at the others than back at Sombra.

"Yes well, being a dictator with no military means I need to be both smart and all powerful." The black magic seemed to intensify at his eyes. "Now then, don't cause any problems. I'll be back before nightfall. Make sure the slaves get dinner prepared," he ordered as he suddenly vanished from the room.

Twilight stood in the hall, staring at where Sombra had been. "Well that was weird," Spike noted. "Normally you get sent out on these kinds of jobs," Spike reminded.

"Seems weird," Dash admitted. "But hey, if I am going to be off work, you can find me in the library," she said as she hovered in the air before flying off. Pinkie and Spike soon vanished as well while the purple unicorn sat in the throne room with the book she was given. The moon had replaced the sun in the sky when one of the Crystal ponies started light up candles. The smell of warm food hit her snout as the door burst open. Startled, the studious unicorn almost dropped her book as Sombra trudged in, covered in snow.

He shook his body as ice and snow dropped onto the ground. With his head lowered he glared as he moved to his throne, the servants quickly cleaning up the mess he had left. Throwing his cape back on, he dropped into his throne as he stared at the food.

"I want soup, tomato not chicken noodle. You idiots!" he shouted blasting the bowl as it shattered on the floor. The ponies quickly scurried around in a panic as he glared. Twilight clung to the book as his cold gaze settled on her. Suddenly a chain materialized in his hoof, connected to her collar. He pulled roughly, dragging her up to his throne.

"Wha-," she was cut of as one of the Crystal ponies approached with a bowl of soup.

"Make yourself useful and feed me," he demanded as he handed her a spoon. Twilight wasn't sure how to respond as she looked at the king than back at the spoon. "I just fought a damn Yeti. The least you can do is let me rest. Now do you know how to use a damn spoon?" he shouted. Twilight fought the urge to yell back but the look he was giving made it difficult.

Slowly she filled the spoon, her body shaking a bit as she gently started feeding him. After the fifth bite, she noticed something that caught her eye - his hooves were shaking. His eyes were drooping and his breathing was shallow. Suddenly he just stopped eating.

Waving her hoof in front of his face gave her no response. Slowly she grabbed onto his breast plate and pulled it off, doing her best not to bother the sleeping king. She almost dropped it; under the breast plate his left side had a bad gash, with black magic pulsating over the wound.

Taking the spoon she slowly reach under his arm to touch the black magic like substance. The magic grabbed into the spoon as she quickly flicked it into the bowl. The magic squirmed in the bottom of the bowl. Twilight watched it, making sure it wouldn't vanish on her. Using her magic she put a seal over the top of the bowl. Suddenly the bowl jumped as the black magic leaped onto the seal and started feeding of her magical energy like a leach.

"What in the world," she murmured, watching with morbid curiosity as the worm like entity seemed to slowly feed off magic. She picked up the book, flipped opened to the back and quickly started noting the strange magical creature.. She turned back to his wound, only to see a few bare patches of skin where the wound once was. "So many questions, maybe Celestia can tell me what this thing is." She lifted the bowl up with the strange worm like creature still feeding of the magic keeping it trapped.

"So many strings," Sombra muttered as he turned over in his throne. Twilight turned as he curled up. "Celestia, I," he suddenly stopped talking as he continued to sleep.

****

Dear Princess Celestia
Something has been brought up that is very alarming. The King had returned after a long night with a gash that seemed to have black magic feeding off the wound. It vanished not to long after but I was able to get a sample. This magic seems to feed of off mine. I would prefer it if you sent an expert over to look the thing over. As quickly as possible, since I am not sure how long it will last. Other things like very a bad mood, seemed to pop as well. Whether this is all side effects of the black magic or the cause, I am not sure but I intend to keep my eyes open for any possibilities.

Your faithful Student Twilight Sparkle

The princess dropped the letter to the ground. Magic was often fueled by compassion, company, and other things easy attended through the magic of friendship. If this black magic fed off the good emotions that powered it, that was dangerously close to changeling magic.

"Princess, I wish to talk to you," Shining said, calling for her from the other side of the door.

"Shining Armor, I need a favor from you," she said as her magic opened up the door, startling the young Captain of the Guards.

"I need you and Cadance to head back north. I need you to inspect something that your sister has discovered that may be a clue to solving our Sombra issue," Celestia said, He instantly brightened at the thought.

"As you command," he said with a bow, his mood brightening instantly. Celestia smirked, having figured that was the reason he had approached her room in the first place. Quickly she wrote down her instructions.

"Give this to your wife with my blessing and well as this." She handed him a few documents. "You will have diplomatic immunity that will allow you into the Empire with no issues. Just be careful, I can only do so much with a simple piece of paper," she warned the stallion. He quickly grabbed the documents and raced off.

Shining Armor quickly dashed down the corridor. He was more than willing to make the trip if it meant making sure his sister was safe. That dark bastard was going to get it if he had so much found a hair out of place. His thoughts and his body stopped as he ran into somepony much bigger than he was.

"Princess Luna!" he realized as he quickly backed off, bowing his head. The princess didn't respond at first when she looked down at him, her dark blue mane flowing behind her.

"It is all right, Prince Armor," she replied. "May I ask why you are in such a hurry?"

"Cadance and I are heading north again," Shining said, doing his best to keep a stock face even if he was ready to run if it gave him a few more seconds.

"Interesting," Luna said with an even tone. "I would like you to do me a favor," she said as she regained Shining's attention.

"A favor, well sure, but I really," he started.

"Yes, I know, this will take but a moment," Luna said, dismissing his concern. Her horn glowed and in her hoof a small crescent like shape took form.She passed the object to the captain. He looked up at her a little confused. "Put this on the crystal thrown, don't care how or when so long as its done."

"This won't harm my sister will it?" he asked, a little concerned.

"No, this is just a listening device," Luna said easing his concerns. Nodding, Shining quickly dashed off more than reading to go. Luna glanced down at the floor.

"Shining I hope for both our sakes Twilight is strong because I don't want to rob you of a sibling. But I will for the good of the land."

Author's Note:

Trickquestion, Gear, wille179, and The almighty rager thanks for liking and watching appreciate it