Kick about! Los Lobos!

by Dirty Bit

Capitulo Treinta y Nueve

Captiulo Treinta y Nueve
A Coyote and his Cub

Canterlot was in mass panic after Sombra's appearance had sunk in, combined with the ominous red light seen from the city. Every pony present either ran around screaming, or hid away in any available spot and waited for the worst possible outcome. Many colts and fillies cried as their families attempted to escort them to any safe haven they could find, while others considered evacuating the cities.

A sound of booming static was drowned out by the ensuing pandemonium as Starrk and Lilynette looked down at Canterlot from the sky. The former maintained his stoic expression, but was nevertheless unsettled by the image below him, while Lilynette was torn between anger and a faint sense of empathy.

"Normally, I wouldn't care about what's going on down there, but this is bad, Starrk..." Lilynette piped up in an uncharacteristically serious tone.

"Me neither." Starrk responded curtly "Let's just do what we came here to do and be done with it. The sooner we move past this mess, the better." Starrk scanned the city, until his eyes trailed over to the palace, where he caught red light trailing from the distant windows. He narrowed his eyes at the sight "Hang on, Lilynette. We're going in." The espada went to perform his sonido...

"Wait!"

Starrk arched eyebrow at Lilynette's sudden protest, to which the filly pointed towards a nearby cloud, a devious smirk on her face.

"If we're gonna fight this guy again, then why don't we make an entrance?"

Normally, Starrk would brush off such a suggestion, but after remembering just how strong his opponent was, and the severity of the situation overall, he figured that collateral damage won't be too much of an issue, so long as the job is done.
___

Celestia, Luna, and Cadence all continued to scream and writhe under King Sombra's overwhelming power, much to the latter's enjoyment. He wished to ensure that his enemies do not give out instantly, so that he may never grow bored of their torment. Their continued anguish served as music to his ears, and Sombra couldn't find more satisfaction aside from his impending domination of Equestria, giving off a triumphant laugh as he gradually increased his power over the princesses.

Despite the notable distress they were in, the princesses tried their best to endure the powerful magic that coursed through their bodies. Celestia cracked open an angry eye at Sombra as he stood tall over her.

"Y-...Y-You haven't won yet...So-..." Celestia uttered, trailing off after attempting to say the dark king's name. Her remark earned a grin of amusement from her tormentor.

"Defiant to the end, hm? Admirable, if not laughable. You fail to realize that your elements and your champion have fallen. And yet, you obviously do not approve of your current position..." He cast a spell on both Luna and Cadence that kept them in place on the ground while Celestia was freed from her suffering. Confused, she lifted herself up to stand, although bit back the pain she had accrued from Sombra, who stood tall over her with his nose in the air.

"What is the meaning of this, Sombra?" Celestia demanded with growing confusion at this sudden gesture.

"While your suffering brings me great joy, know that I'm not without mercy." He lowered his gaze to face Celestia with a grin "I can ease the torment of you and your peers, provided you do as I ask..." His grin widened "Bow to me..."

Celestia could not believe the unmitigated gall of the monster in front of her. One moment, she was suffering with her family under the cruel hoof of an ancient enemy, and now she was briefly spared from her fate to not only have said enemy gloat at her, but make a petty demand, as well.

She wouldn't have it. Celestia was undoubtedly aware of the burden placed on herself from both her failure as a ruler and her latest defeat in battle, but she refused to give Sombra the full satisfaction of his victory. She responded to Sombra in earnest with a proper glare.

"I will do no such thing." Celestia stated firmly "You are undeserving of reverence from myself or anypony else." Sombra's grin was slowly replaced with a snarl.

"You are clearly hard of hearing, so I shall repeat myself once more: Bow to me." Sombra said with waning patience.

"Never." Celestia spat back, unfazed by Sombra's intimidating appearance.

Baring his sharp teeth, Sombra drew his head back in an angry roar before siezing Celestia in a magical grip and flinging her into several walls around the audience chamber. Luna and Cadence watched in horror and silence as their fellow princess was tossed around, hearing her pained grunts wherever she had landed, until she was finally tossed onto the backrest of her throne, slumping onto her cushion as she gasped for air. She shakingly looked down to see an irate Sombra approach her with his horn growing a malignant red.

"I tire of your arrogance, Celestia! BOW TO ME!" His voice echoed in the chamber as he stomped a hoof onto the floor, causing a large indent.

Though pain was felt through her entire frame, Celestia wobbled onto her legs before standing tall in front of her throne, heedless of her current condition and the outcome that was to follow her action. The very sight both inspired Luna and Cadence and infuriated Sombra as he let off a growl.

"Though my subjects panic, though my sister and niece share my pain, on my honor as a princess, I will never bow to you!" Celestia proclaimed as she leered down at the tyrant in front of her. The glow on Sombra's horn grew brighter.

"Then know that your suffering shall be perpetual, and of the highest intensity possible." He uttered darkly as he readied a beam of magic. Before he could continue with his torment on the princesses, he noticed a glowing shade of blue to his left. He slowly looked over to see an approaching light behind a stained glass window, only for a wide blue beam to pierce through the wall and engulf Sombra, passing through the opposite wall on the other side. The very sight shocked all three princesses.

When the beam dissipated, the dust settled to reveal a familiar pegasus resting his hooves on a cloud with a red unicorn filly on his back, both with fierce looks in their eyes. Celestia looked on in shock before a small smile graced her muzzle.

"Starrk..." She whispered in awe and relief.

Despite the cero's power, Sombra stood unfazed by the blast and regarded his offender with a sneer.

"I crush you under my boot, only for you to recover and pester me once more? You're no more a stallion than you are a loathsome cockroach. You've no business here, Coyote Starrk."

"As far as I know, we're not finished." Starrk replied coolly "In fact, I've yet to show you my true power, as opposed to what you've witnessed of me earlier." Sombra arched an eyebrow before smirking at the former espada.

"Oh? And I'm to believe you would measure up to me if you're to give it your all?" Sombra asked tauntingly.

"He'll topple you and then some, you Barragan wannabe!!" Lilynette spat towards Sombra, who merely snorted at her outburst.

"And what if I were to humor your request to show me your power? Will you actually bring entertainment fit for a king?" He asked Starrk, who narrowed his eyes.

"Let's take this to the skies outside of this place, so no one can get in the way." Starrk requested curtly, to which Sombra grinned maliciously.

"Practical, and yet you must harbor a fondness to hide your shame from others." He quipped in amusement "Very well, I'll indulge you in your little request...But upon my second triumph, I'll bring back only your head, and your example - along with my rule - shall be absolute."

Starrk wordlessly nodded and stepped aside, gesturing Sombra to go first. With a quiet chuckle, Sombra merely trotted past Starrk and Lilynette, sparing them a brief glance before extending his large, tattered dragon wings. Lilynette stuck her tongue out at the tyrant before he flew out of the castle. After a period of time, the spells that bound Luna and Cadence had faded out, and both groaned in pain as they moved. Celestia moved to join the others, although her own pain eventually caught up with her.

The former espada watched the three of them with mild concern, despite his aloof expression. However, his worries towards the princesses vanished, as he was certain they would recover, provided he succeeded. Looking back towards the opening, he spread his own wings and went to follow Sombra.

"Starrk, wait!"

Celestia's voice managed to halt Starrk in his tracks as he and Lilynette looked back at the urgent faces behind him, notably the one who called for him.

"Sombra may be powerful, but it is only because of the Alicorn Amulet. By destroying it, you may gain the upper hoof, but it won't be easy." She took a deep breath before she gazed firmly at Starrk in determination "I know of the power that dwells inside of you. I beseech you on behalf of all of Equestria to put it to use and put an end to Sombra."

"Just leave it to us!" Lilynette said proudly before Starrk could even respond. He decided to leave on her words, since they were both thinking the same thing. Blurring out of existence with his sonido, Starrk made his way to Sombra.

"Starrk is alive...I cannot believe it!" Luna said in shock before biting back a groan of pain.

"Does this mean there may be a chance, after all?" Cadence asked her adoptive aunts. Celestia closed her eyes in a pause before turning to the first hole made by Starrk.

"If there is any chance whatsoever, it's all up to Starrk, Lilynette, and their combined efforts."
_____

Sombra patiently waited as he hovered in the air outside of Canterlot. He was inwardly annoyed that he had to be kept waiting after his opponent made a predictable request. After hearing a sound of booming static, however, he grinned eagerly, feeling his patience was rewarded.

Hovering a small distance away from Sombra was Starrk and Lilynette, both sporting the same fierce looks as before. There was a tense silence between the three before Sombra saw fit to break it.

"Well? You've already dug your own grave with this trifle of a request; show me your power, so that we may begin our battle." Sombra called out to them.

Starrk and Lilynette shared a look and nodded, the latter smirking before a hoof was placed on her head. She closed her eyes and surged with a blue aura before instantly teleporting, much to Sombra's mild surprise.

"What's this? Sending your filly away with teleportation? Very impressi-" Before he could finish his snark, his eyes widened as he felt a significant surge of power other than his own.

"Kick about! Los Lobos!"

Before his eyes, Stark was instantly engulfed in a large pillar of blue light. Sombra briefly shielded his eyes from the irritable brightness before managing to looking on in shock and confusion 'This light...Is this the same light I've witnessed from the apothecary's hut?'

The pillar gave way to smoke, which cleared to reveal Starrk in his alicorn form. Sombra's jaw dropped at the sight "What!? You were capable of a fusion spell this entire time?"

"Less of a fusion and more of becoming whole again." Starrk replied curtly before instantly appearing in front of Sombra, who felt the full brunt of the former espada's power just by basking in his presence. Sombra's confusion slowly turned into respect as he slowly distanced himself. Starrk managed to catch the Alicorn Amulet worn on Sombra's chest and noticed an unfamiliar crack on the gem. He deduced that the princesses may have been involved with the damage.

"I'm impressed, Coyote. Not many can hope to match my power with or without my precious amulet..." He complimented before his horn began to glow "However, you fail to realize that the power within my amulet is infinite. In time, I won't be just a king...I'll be a god." Starrk bore a flat expression upon Sombra's words.

"You really are like Barragan..." He said before closing the distance again and striking Sombra in the chest with a speed not even the king could fathom, sending him back more as he recovered with anger. Starrk noticed the crack on the amulet grow.

"I'll shall show you the ever-increasing gap in our strength, you worm. Perhaps you deserve more than just a taste of my dark magic!" He said before shooting a large beam at Starrk, who dodged with ease before his own horn glowed. The large beam traveled along the horizon before vanishing in the distance.

"Colmillo."

Two small blue orbs appeared on either side of Starrk before manifesting into blades of energy. He disappeared from sight, leading to Sombra quickly protecting himself with a magical forcefield. Copious slashes littered the shield from nearly all directions without pause. Starrk reappeared in front of Sombra with a patient glare on his face, while the latter sneered in contempt.

"It will take more than shoddy weaponry to faze me..." Sombra said before his shield and its energy gathered into a large orb in front of him. It grew in size before it became a vicious-looking death scythe floating next to him. "This is a weapon."

Starrk said nothing in response before he engaged Sombra again in earnest. The two alicorns repeatedly clashed with their respective magic weapons at a blinding speed, soaring across the skies in flashes of red and blue. Starrk felt mildly frustrated when he couldn't find a single opening to pierce at the amulet throughout his clash with Sombra, though he knew it was not going to be easy to begin with. Sombra growled as he went in for a sweep with his scythe, prompting Starrk to back away before quickly aiming a blade and lunging in at the tyrant's chest.

Only to strike a compact forcefield that surrounded the amulet.

A grunt escaped Starrk's lips before he effortlessly escaped another swipe of Sombra's scythe. There was a pause before Sombra scoffed at his opponent's subtle confusion.

"You think I'm a fool? That shot from earlier told me enough about your goal in this fight." Sombra leered before smirking "I should commend you for your brazen attempt at trying to gain the upper hoof, but I hope you realize now that your little challenge is nothing more than an exercise in futility..."

Starrk only glared back, thinking of the best way to distract Sombra long enough to lower his guard.

"Who cares what you think, you blowhard!?" Starrk and Sombra caught the voice of Lilynette coming from the former's horn "This isn't the first time we were met with a strong opponent! Keep talking big and see where that gets you!" While annoying in other situations, Starrk found himself invigorated by Lilynette's words.

"My, what a charming little parlor trick. Will that horn of yours keep talking if I were to rip it from your head?" Sombra asked jokingly.

"Do you ever stop talking?" Starrk shot back before getting in a stance. Laughter echoed into the sky as Sombra followed suit.

"You never cease to amuse me, dwindling power notwithstanding. Very well, let's continue..." Sombra grinned as the shield around his amulet continued to glow. The two resumed their battle, painting the skies with their clashing power. Their spectacle drew even the citizens of Canterlot, who looked up in a mixture of fear, awe, and confusion.

Starrk's frustration began to grow as he kept his eyes on Sombra and his amulet while trading off attacks with him, but then he realized something important as he remembered what was channeling the magic to begin with. He spared a mental facepalm as he drew back in the air from another scythe attack, and then aimed for Sombra's chest again with one of his Colmillo.

"Have your mistakes taught you nothing!?" Sombra asked aggressively before Starrk lunged in. After noticing his enemy was focused entirely on himself, Starrk brought up his other blade to quickly swipe at Sombra's horn, managing to not only leave a mark, but draw out a pained roar from him.

Upon seeing the shield on the Alicorn Amulet give out, Starrk took the opportunity to give two large slashes at the amulet, then gave himself a wide berth after avoiding a rage-filled attack. He was pleased to find the amulet with more noticeable damage, and to a lesser extent, a visible scar on Sombra's horn. Starrk watched as the dark king bared his fangs a bestial expression of anger.

"Very clever..." Sombra hissed vehemently after inspecting his scathed amulet "I'm certain you feel quite good about actually managing to get more attacks in."

"Damn right, we do! Even the strongest enemies have a weakness!" Lilynette piped up proudly. Sombra growled before he paused, then slowly showed a diabolical grin.

"Very true...Perhaps I should follow your example and exploit your own weakness, or rather...remind you of it." Sombra replied deviously before flying at Starrk with his scythe, which collided with Starrk's Colmillo as they were pushing at each other. As they were doing so, Sombra let off a laugh as both his horn and eyes glowed a malignant red.

Starrk's eyes widened briefly before he pushed Sombra back and went to slice him. However, the moment his blade connected, he noticed that Sombra had vanished into a black smoke. The former espada darted his head all around and noticed how the blue sky was slowly turning red while a familiar evil laugh resounded from all directions.

"As I thought..." Sombra's voice echoed as Starrk looked around slowly, trying to pinpoint his location "Though your power is commendable, it would seem you have already forgotten what I am capable of! Do you not remember our previous encounter back at that insignificant hamlet you call a home? That is, before I chose to abandon my vessel?" After the last question, Starrk cursed himself upon the realization.

'He's playing mind games again...' Starrk thought to himself 'What could he possibly do this time?' As he continued lookng around the reddened sky, he suddenly felt dirt and grass on his hooves. Looking down, Starrk noticed that he was now standing on the ground. He tried to keep his composure while he scoured his surroundings in anticipation of what was to come.

A collective of painful moans caught his ears, and Starrk looked back to see his friends from Ponyville within his radius laying on the ground and slowly dying. His eyes widened when he remembered that his power was overwhelming to average ponies and went to distance himself, only to find that his hooves remained planted to the ground. Starrk looked back down to see that his hooves were encased in what appeared to be dark crystals that held him in place.

"Starrk, what's happening!? Why is our pack here!? They're gonna die!" Lilynette's voice panicked as the scene played out. Starrk felt his heart sink when he realized that Lilynette wasn't privy to Sombra's dark illusions. He tried to channel magic to destroy the crystals, but his horn seemed inactive as he heard his friends dying.

The former espada resorted to struggle in his newfound bonds as he tried to keep his composure, and even desired to tell Lilynette to calm down, but it was hard between her continued panicking and the illusion appearing very convincing due to the reinforced magic behind it. Through desperation, Starrk managed to wrestle himself out of the crystals and quickly bolt to the sky. After reaching what he felt to be a safe altitude, Starrk looked below, only to find apparent whiteness. He could only wonder if he was free from Sombra's tricks.

However, Starrk's mind raced when he saw a familiar humanoid form in front of him, though he couldn't make out his eyes hidden in shadow.

"Black!"

It was all Starrk heard before he felt a deep cut on his arrancar form.
_____

Sombra cackled triumphantly as he watched his victim appear frozen with glowing and widened eyes. Starrk twitched sporadically with gritted teeth while Sombra kept him in the air with his magic.

"I must say that this battle was much more fun than our last one, despite the inevitable outcome." Sombra said to Starrk, despite his entranced state "It is rare for me to find an adversary that can last longer than anypony I have encountered prior to this moment. I'd think you'd even bring the princesses to heel, if ever the mood struck you. Nevertheless, I believe this little farce is at an end." Sombra's scythe floated dangerously towards Starrk's neck "Now, I believe I said that I would bring back only your head. I'm sure I'll find a good place for it on my wall..."

To be continued...

Author's Note:

In hindsight, I should've gone with something more Christmas-y. Anyways, I know this has been a long time coming, but I thank those who are patient and willing to read further explanation of myself and my personal life in my blog in the future.

Hope you enjoy this piece, friends

Comments

[Grahf]

Early Christmas gift with an update to one of your stories. Thank you and Happy Holidays

[Dirty Bit]

9360653 And to you, friend.

[More Dakka]

Merry Christmas.

[Lazy Coyote]

URMAGERD IT'S BACK! My favorite Duo is back baby!

[Black_Knight]

Yeah it's back. Thanks for the early Christmas gift.

he suddenly dirt and grass on his hooves.

The verb is missing.

[Kichi]

It's alive!!

[Ultimate Warrior of Zera]

Impressive fight. I wonder how Starrk's gonna get out of this one. Merry Christmas.

[FiredragonX]

Nothing a Christmas present then a cliffhanger

[Alondro]

Ugh, it's just... Sombra... a villain so dull I'm certain they made the PoS actually say "Muwah ha ha ha" solely to make him lamer than Sombra by comparison.

I just want him to get shot by a 6 year-old playing with across bow, because it's the pathetic sort of death he deserves for being so lame!

[Dirty Bit]

9366934 I recommend Dark Arts and Kind Hearts if you're looking for better Sombra characterization than what I have here

[Alondro]

9367428 Nah, it's too late for him. He's just a bland nothing villain which the show did poorly and the comics turned into a Villain Stu with a backstory that made no god-damned sense whatsoever if you put ANY shred of thought into its gigantic plot holes.

Also, the Umbra looked horrendously stupid.

[xbox432]

A bit late to the party perhaps, still... Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a big Thank You for all the entertainment you've given us!

[Snakes0]

This chapter got me thinking "Pling pling plonk". I understand. Starrk before was lonely. Just like how Ulquiorra was empty. Last time Stark died he didn't really have anything else left to lose, but now that he has a pack he has everything to lose AND everything to gain. Ulquiorra didn't know the heart and was given one with the magic of friendship while Starrk has heart.

This looks like it hasn't been updated in a while but I'll be hopeful and wait.