Freeze shattered the doors to the crystal palace with his sound waves, terrifying Fluttershy as he stormed inside with a menacing look on his face. She had no idea what to say to stop him, and that was even if he would stop, but she knew that a fight with Sombra was the last thing Mr. Freeze wanted. So despite knowing that it probably wouldn't work, she tried to stop him.
"Freeze, please listen to me," she said meekly as she flew in front of him, trying to get his attention but he stormed right past her. "We need to get Twilight and the others of Sombra is back. I don't want you to face him alone."
"I have faced worse," Freeze said to her before he reached the throne room, the doors still blasted off their hinges from when Shining had entered and allowed Freeze to look right up to the throne, where a dark pony sat upon it with a curious smile on his face when he saw the creature approach him.
"Okay, you're a new one," Sombra said as he tilted his head to look at the ice man, turning into a cloud of darkness as he approached Freeze. "I've seen manticores, gorgons and even a pony-dragon hybrid, but nothing like you. I am king Sombra, ruler of the Crystal Empire. So who are you?"
"I am Victor Fries," the ice man said as he raised both his arms at the shadowy pony with narrowed eyes behind his goggles. "And last time I checked, Cadence and Shining Armor were rulers of this empire. Not that it matters to me, but I hate to get caught up in political disputes." Sombra looked at Freeze with a bit of confusion before he saw the tiny Pegasus cowering behind Freeze's leg and a smile crossed his face as he drifted over to her.
"Well, here's somepony that I haven't seen in a while," he said to her with a menacing smile. "Are you here alone or are those bothersome Elements lurking around here somewhere? I hope that Cadence is here as well, I really want to dispose of her and her meddling husband as well. But first I think I’ll start with-" Before Sombra could finish his sentence he was grabbed by the throat and lifted into the air by Freeze.
"That pony is my hostage. I suggest that you keep your hooves off," Freeze said to him in a tone that was almost as cold as the hands that gripped Sombra's throat, the dark king smiling as he escaped Freeze's grasp by turning into smoke again.
"So you're the pony...snowman that froze the palace," Sombra said as he looked around at all of the ice. "I wondered if Cadence was simply in a mood, but it seems that somepony de-throned her before I got the chance to. So does that mean that I'm going to have to battle you for the throne?" Freeze looked at the pony careful as he weighed his chances, curious and a little nervous about Sombra's power. The magic he used (Freeze now assumed that all unicorns could use magic) would be no problem, but the smoke ability made him worry and dissuaded him from pursuing conflict.
"I have no desire to rule over these ponies nor do I have any wish to sit on that throne," Freeze said to the dark pony, who looked at him in surprise as Freeze lowered his arms. "As long as you do not disturb me as the princesses and their fools have, I will have no issue with you being here. Now if you excuse me, I have to go to my lab." Sombra looked at Freeze for a straight minute before he began to laugh out loud, completely caught off guard by Freeze and his personality.
"Very well ice man, I see no need to make this harder on me," Sombra said with a smile, Fluttershy running over to Freeze as he headed back to the lab.
"Victor, what are you doing? You can't just let him take over the throne like this!" Fluttershy said in her loudest voice, which surprised Freeze a bit, but only for a moment. "He's a tyrant, who enslaved the ponies he ruled over all those year ago! If he gets back on the throne, there's no telling how many will suffer!"
"And why should I care?" Freeze said in a cold tone. "It does not concern me or my work as to who rules over these ponies, but Sombra had said that he will leave me alone to finish. Even if he does go back on his word, that is still better than being bothered ever day by you and your princess. He will also draw their attention away from me and onto him. Why should I care what he does in his rule if I can finish my work? If you want him gone, go do it yourself." Sombra began to laugh at the crushed look on Fluttershy's face. Freeze turning to leave for his lab. But to the surprise of both Sombra and Freeze, Fluttershy looked up at the dark king with defiance on her face.
"What's this? You actually think you can stop me by yourself?!" Sombra asked with another loud laugh, as it looked like Fluttershy was using all of her courage to remain standing. Sombra then fired a bolt of dark magic into the air that encompassed the entire palace, where he looked out of his magic to see the princesses and the other Elements heading his way. "And it seems that your friends will not be here to help you. So let me ask, oh yellow one, what are you going to do?!"
"I'll...I'll...I'll stare at you!" she said as she went to give him the stare, but she was enveloped by his magic and levitated over to him where he laughed in her face.
"Oh no, not the stare! However will I defeat you?" he asked her with a smirk on his face as she struggled as best she could. "Do you not get it you, you dumb foal! I am now back in control! And without that annoying crystal heart to stop me and the other Elements trapped outside, I've already won. For if I kill one of the Elements," he said in a sinister voice as he created a blade out of darkness and placed it at her throat. "Then there will be no force on Equis that can stop me."
"Cadence can stop you," Fluttershy said. "She did it once and she'll do it again." Sombra growled as he slammed Fluttershy into the ground before lifting her back into the air, placing the blade on her neck and drawing a few drops of blood.
"Do you know what I'm going to do to that princess?" Sombra asked her in a low voice, Fluttershy looking at him with pure fear in her eyes. "I'm going to tear off her horn and impale her with it to the point where she can barely move. Then I'm going to take control of Shining Armor and get him to finish the job for me. And only after he's killed his wife and the others will I finally kill him myself. That's what you get for messing with me." Unbeknownst to the two, Freeze had not left the room yet. He had stood in place with a hand on the door, listening to Sombra with no emotion.
"But Cadence is pregnant," Fluttershy said. "Surely even you are that evil."
"No," Sombra said with a wicked smile. "I'm worse." He brought back the blade to impale Fluttershy, but a blast of ice struck him in the side and sent him sprawling to the floor. Fluttershy fell as well, but she was caught by the metal arms of Victor, who put her on the ground before he began his slow march to Sombra. "What's this? I thought that you didn't care what I did? What's changed?"
"I don't explain my actions to the likes of you," Victor said before firing both freeze rays at Sombra, who turned into his smoke form to avoid the attack, circling around behind Victor so he could fire a bolt of black magic into his back. But to Sombra's horror he found that the suit completely absorbed his magic, Victor turning towards him with malice in his eyes.
"How did you do that? No spell can absorb my magic like that," Sombra said in shock as Victor sent another blast of ice at the dark pony, who once again slipped into the smoke.
"You can thank that crystal heart that you are so afraid of," Victor said as he fired ice into the ceiling, causing icicles to rain down upon Sombra who had to swerve to avoid being hit. Then he pressed a button on his suit, but frowned when nothing happened. "It not only powers me, but allows me to be immune to your "magic". There is nothing you or any other magic user can do to hurt me."
"Then we are at an impasse!" Sombra yelled to Victor from the darkness as the ice passed right through his shadowy form. "I cannot hurt you with my magic and you cannot hurt me with your ice. But there is somepony in this room I can hurt!" Sombra sent bolts of darkness flying from the shadows towards Fluttershy, who barely had time to blink before a massive suit placed itself between her and the spells. The magic did nothing to Victor, but the action had an impact on Fluttershy, who looked up at Freeze with confusion. "If you don't care about ponies the why did you protect her, you hypocrite!" Sombra yelled.
"I told you, she is my hostage and under my protection," Victor said in a cold voice as he looked up at the smoke floating near the ceiling, pressing a button on his suit once again. "And you are incorrect in the assumption you made earlier. You were correct in saying that you had no way to harm me, but I still have one trick left." He aimed his arms at the smoke as he said this, but instead of ice this time they fired a wave of sound that caused Sombra to scream as they hit his ears. The dark king returned to his normal state and fell to the ground, clutching his ears in pain as the sound deafened him.
"I am more than a walking ice machine," Victor said in a cold voice as he walked over to Sombra and hoisted him up by his neck. "I am a genius. And by underestimating me...you have dug your own, cold grave." He let ice begin to form on his hand as he said this, slowly freezing the pony’s neck. "Enjoy the grave." Sombra snarled before a flash of light went off from his horn, blinding Fluttershy and Freeze. When the both could see again, Sombra was gone, but so was the shield around the palace. Freeze looked down at his empty hand for a moment before he turned and headed back to his lab, stopping only when he saw how Fluttershy was looking at him.
"Why?" she asked him. "Why did you stop him? Why did you save me?"
"As I told Sombra," Freeze said coldly before turning his head and going through the door to the laboratory. "I don't explain myself to the like of you." He slammed the door shut behind him as he said this, leaving a room filled with ice and one very confused Pegasus.
Sombra Owned count: (ding) 3.
So, you going to kill Sombra again?
4875189 King Sombrero is a joke. His only attacks are stairs, ghost form thing, hornital warts, black crystals and a laser beam. If you know anything about crystals (not saying you don't, just a figure of speech) then you know that they are incredibly fragile. Like, Human punching it and it shatters fragile. Also stairs would not have been an issue for any pegasus or earth pony with decent stamina. His Hornital warts only affects unicorns and his ghost from thing only allows for him to run away like a bitch.
4875211 hence the owned count
4875219 eeyup
The fit scene was great and this Sombra seems to be one of the most evil incarnations of him you made so far.
I wonder how long before someone can spell out to Fluttershy and the ponies that Freeze ain't a monster, and that all his talk about being a cold as ice is just his own self-loathing combined with a criminal past, since its pretty obvious already.
4875211
Have... have you ever actually punched a crystal? With your bare hands? Assuming you're hitting a flat portion, and not a point (because punching a mass of spikes no matter the material is stupid) they're still regular-matrix mineral formations. They are very tough in most cases. In fact, unless the crystal is fairly thin, it's actually just as strong as rock. Which makes sense, because rocks are made of crystals, to some degree or another.
Also, crystal tends towards being sharp. There's a reason the HALO series Needlers had the 'explodes' part of their effect added on late in testing; it's more satisfying than just another projectile, no matter how much it shreds organic tissue. In all, crystals are actually rather terrifying weapons, though Freeze has more than a few ways to deal with it, most notably being encased in a metal suit and having access to sonic weaponry.
4875320 In retrospect it depends on the crystal. Some crystals are very fragile. For example, I have a piece of mica that is extremely brittle. Yet other crystals (such as diamonds) are stronger than human bones. Crystals cover the entire spectrum of the Mohs scale - from gypsum down the bottom end, to rubies, sapphires and diamonds at the upper end.
Also you may not know this but... I am Batman.
I think you were going for "aren't"
4875357
yeah, and any used in constructing large structures (like in the crystal empire) are likely very resilient and resistant to mere impacts. They're also at least partially flexible, to resist the high winds on that giant-a** spire int he middle of the city.
So in all likelihood, Sombra's attacks would be devastatingly effective... on almost anyone but Freeze.
*My thought on Fluttershy standing up to Sombra* s2.quickmeme.com/img/10/103ae317aacb5e55671933f62411b5fc686ab5f5b7f78ec00b8e77ffb8fd63af.jpg
4875211 4875320 It mostly depends on what materials make up the crystal, as well as a few other variables such as thickness, as noted by Quantum, structure and density. For example, an inch thick sheet of diamond? Say hello to a cast if you put everything behind a punch. A two foot slab of shale? Fairly high chance of breaking after a few hits because of it's composition.
Also, yeah, Quantum is right; You punch a crystal, any crystal, on the point? You're gonna be in a shit load of pain.
4875406
And Freeze has his suit and the Crystal Heart backing up his punches. And the suit's basically a full-on robot at this point, given what happened to Freeze.
As I said, Sombra's attacks could be devastating fi you aren't in a hermetically sealed suit of super-advanced armor. It's just that Freeze is in a super-advanced hermetically sealed suit of armor.
But most crystals grown by Sombra in the show was around the diameter of a pony, minimum, so that's at least three feet thick. I can't think of a crystal weak enough to simply fall apart under a single blow with no recoil damage.
4875320
If i intend to break crystals, I'll bring a hammer.
I have 5 in my toolbox.
Hammers are handy.
4875472
Ball-Peen are best for busting regular crystal lattices.
Pick-hammers are the bester-est.
hehehehe.
"you have dug your own, cold grave."
it doesn't help i can only hear his voice in this fic as Arnold Schwarzenegger.
If or when he gets blasted with the orbital friendship cannon, I see Victor becoming a wendigo-pony hybrid.
4875479 NAH! I've been hearing the animated Freeze voice
4875414 Again, it all falls under composition and structure; I could have a three foot thick column of, say, salt, but that doesn't mean it's compressed. I'd imagine that the crystal structures that Sombra creates would be more load-bearing than resilient, as creating a crystal that's compacted yet three feet thick would require a fairly high amount of magic and focus, even for high-end magic-users.
After all, creation based magic requires components found in the surrounding environment, as well as transmutation to create necessary materials that may be missing at the time. Following that line of thought, yes; it IS possible to condense a creation to the point of where it won't fall apart after one well-placed hit, BUT you would also be sacrificing size for durability. Useful for weapons, shields and walls, provided you have the time to do so. Impractical during a battle though.
And I feel safe in stating that Sombra's magic-type is creation based, as all we've seen of said crystals is that they sprout from the ground. Also, I believe the speed of which they've grown support my theory, as seen when Sombra sent a veritable tree up the side of a castle.
Further evidence to support my theory is rather off-topic, but still relevant; paper bridges. Despite the relative flimsiness of paper, when constructed right it can hold, say, a glass of water.
So really, it's not quite the density of the crystal, but more the structural build.
And yes. Freeze's suit is a major advantage.
4875472 You forgot Vodka. You need that as well Stalker.
Whoo! Go, Freeze!
4875580
There's a lot of factors more than that, too. for example, where the crystal is struck, and from what angle, any imperfections in the matrix, any reinforcing caused by sudden magic exposure (as we have no idea how resilient magic-made materials are compared to normal materials)
You get the idea
Also, we don't know how this particular story's world handles the magic system, so creation magic could be easier or harder, and may or may not require local materials.
4875520
Assuming he turns into a pony. He could end up a Griffon based on a snowy owl, a sentient polar bear with meteoric iron armor, he could even end up completely cured of his condition and become an ordinary human being with a powerful mind and be able to live peacefully. It could even kill him outright, painlessly, enabling him to go to Nora, who has kinda been dead for several decades now.
Translation: Ummmm... Shut up.
Also, why is Fluttershy acting like Sombra is an unredeemable evil? She hasn't even tried to convince him that doing bad stuff is wrong, instead she's accepting that he is evil and always will be evil.
4875580 I feel you've forgotten one thing when it comes to how much energy it would take Sombra to create a compact yet large crystal: We have no idea of how difficult that actually would be, since neither the show nor Onom has given us much information on the magic system in Equestria, and we have no idea about Sombra's power levels, so he's anywhere between Twilight Sparkle-a hundred Discords(just focused on dark magic).
Also, why doesn't Sombra telekinetically rip a big hunk of ice out of the floor and fling it and Freeze from behind? Freeze won't be able to dodge/stop it's momentum with an ice beam because he won't know it's coming, it'd be large enough to crush him, and since it'd be physical ice he won't be immune to it. Even if he's robot suit let him shrug it off, it'd be at least be something worth trying.
4875632 Oh yeah, right... I've been focusing on Fairy Tail a lot, which is where most of the magic-based theory came from along with what (relative) little I know on engineering. So yeah, the magic side's most likely a bit skewed.
And yes, factors such as location, angle, implement and matrix imperfections ARE some of the few that I'd overlooked; I'd been more focused on the compositional integrity of the crystal itself, not its breaking point.
Also, the resilience level would depend of whether it's an active magical material, which passively absorbs atmospheric mana to maintain it's durability, reactive, which deconstructs and repurposes magical energies directed at it, or dormant or stored, where there's an existing amount of magic already in place that's used in reinforcement and requires recharging.
... Look at us, having a philosophical discussion on magical materials. xD
4875712
Yeah, this happens a lot around me.
But since we don't know the effects of magic on the crystal's durability, and we also don't know its composition, nor its matrix shape, nor even its density...
uhm...
we actually don't know much of anything about the Crystal Empire's crystals, nor much about Sombra's. Sombra's is black and angular, meaning it's likely got a fairly easy shear along its planes, but will be tough along its length, and most of the Crystal Empire crystals are blocky, almost rectangular but not quite. If the Game Theory episode about Diamond Armor in Minecraft had anything really useful to say about its durability, it's that the rectangular ones are likely more easily broken from a directly-facing attack. Assuming it's not a sheet-shaped crystal, at which point, it'd just be a series of planar breaks.
Hmm... now I need a 400-ton chunk of crystal tot est this on...
4875709 Well, it'll depend on what material he opts to use in creation; for example, a spike of ice is easier to create than a spear of diamond, as one is simply frozen water, or moisture drawn from the atmosphere and drained of heat, while the other is compressed coal undergone metamorphosis. Having said that, the sequence of creation is also important, as best stated in the Inheritance series (Eldest, I believe); A true master can utter water and create a gemstone, having seen and made the link between water and the stone.
Not to mention, that telekinesis, and by extension any form of manipulation via magic, is generally seen as an ethereal limb; it has it's limits, much like how an average person can easily lift up to five kilograms without issue. Also, I think you'll find that 'ripping a chunk' out of the floor is far more difficult than you make is seem. Not to mention that I'd say Freeze would have radars and/or sensors.
4875862 ... Where the hell are we gonna get that?
... Reckon if we posted this anonymously to Mythbusters, they'd take a crack at it? -.^
4875872
Hmm... but how would we phrase it?
Epic, Freeze wins again! :D
I think the reason why he interfered was because he heard that Sombra would kill Cadence despite her being pregnant.
Thinking about it, this might tie Cadence to Nora more than we know, for instance, what if she was pregnant as well when Freeze put her in deep freeze.
And lastly, it might have a little to do with Fluttershy as his "Hostage" too.
I just love this story.
4875889 Hmmm...
Eh, I say copy and paste the entire discussion into an email, state at the end that, due to the obvious lack of magical manipulation, any and all references to fictional materials of a magical quality are completely up to them to reference and that what we'd like them to focus on is the structural integrity of various crystalline material against force, such as sledgehammer, pickaxe, chisel, etc. From there, they can talk to any and all expert/s (and I say the term loosely) in magical lore and draw their own conclusion as to whether crystals would be harder to break if magical in nature or just magically created/grown.
4875926
Yeah... I don't think it would fly.
4876090 Well, never know if you don't try ;).
I reckon that freeze saved fluttershy and almkst killed sombra is becase
1. Fluttershy is his hostage.
2. Freezs may nolonger be human but he is humane.
3. Might see that sombra is a power mad pony who will do anything to get power.
4875584
I didn't think I needed to mention it.
4875478
While cross-peen hammers are the best to break skulls - which, in my line of work, happens more often than not - I prefer claw hammers for their more threatening look and versatility.
4876934
Hmm, you have a point. Pickhammers have a very good degree of versatility, too. However, for sheer versatility, I'd have to go with an axehammer, which is exactly what it sounds like. Hell of a way to balance an axe, if you ask me, but it works.
4876946
For my cutting needs, I have a machete and several knives, though when it comes to combat, I prefer my arsenal.
4876970
A variety of guns, swords, knives, hatchets, machetes, rope, duct tape, all sorts of easily workable metal, and dozens of other materials fill my A-Day pack. If the end of days comes, it won't find me unprepared. I even have a 'Reality Warper assaults physics' set prepped; though that's admittedly just a really strong alcohol solution, because I don't want to feel that end.
4876629
Maybe Candace reminds him of Nora, cause he saved her earlier when she begged for him to save her child. Maybe Sombra threatening to kill Cadence and he unborn foal pissed him off.
4875531 Me, too
This was quite the chapter. T'was a pity that Sombra managed to slip away, but him and Freeze are both geniuses in their own areas.
4875866 But, once again, we have no idea how the magic system in Equestria works. It is almost certainly not the same as the Inheritance Cycle, and even if it was we have no idea how much Sombra can manage. The only definitive stats we have on him is that if he suffers severe pain he can't use magic temporarily, and that his dark beams can't over power the crystal heart.
4876934 Well then, here's to a steady hand.
4875189 Hasbros own shitty OC
4877038
maybe.
or he doesnt like the idea of the time he spent on her cure being wasted.
F yea
That was awesome
Sure Fluttershy was his hostage but Sombra, with all his power, admitted he was going to ruin multiple lives. And lovers at that.
Something I'm sure Freeze cannot stand. For he's very familiar with the power hungry fool who has no problem destroying a life...or two.
4875531
not funny enough.
this is a fic about ice themed robocop being a ass about crotch-high ponies.
i'll take my voice coming from the two legged cow man Arnold Schwarzenegger.
4879082
That is also true
4879957 not supposed to be funny. Freeze is freeze and was represented the best by the animated version.
4881800
yeah but don't forget by this point in his life he's a robot from batman beyond. and with new robot body comes unspecified voice to communicate. while the animated series did it best in characterizing him turning him from a half bit ice themed villain into a actual iceman human i believe Schwarzenegger is the best voice given his constant need to be cold as ice.