With Cozy, Tirek and Chrysalis sealed in stone, things seem to be at peace. However the rogue's galley of Twilight and her friends still have a few members and a couple more moves. The king has returned.
Hearth Warming is coming yet again, this time instead of panicking over what to get her friends, Twilight is cool, calm, collected and is having her wedding. What can go wrong?
Well, Discord, while he was masquerading as Grogar, had the right idea of how to combat Twilight. And someone took notes, but where 'Grogar' failed, he will succeed, as Twilight and her friends still have quite the rogue's gallery.
As they say... third times the charm or rather they will say
"The princess, Twilight Sparkle, is dead." "Long live the king, Sombra..."
Darkness will once again rise, will Light be able to meet it?
Illustrations in story were done courteously by kahnac, go check out his DeviantArt and support him if possible .
Manahattan is known for many things. One less desirable thing of note are the bars in the area known locally as The Kitchen. There it went without saying you didn't have the most wholesome of company. In one of these bars, there was only a small collection of patrons. Five were women in their early to mid-twenties, one had brown eyes purple hair, wore a pale pink dress with a lite blue neckerchief, and a white headband with a set of three buttons on a sewing apron she wore. Another had orange hair with gold strips cut to meet military standards. She also had orange eyes and was dressed in a black flight suit with a lime green-winged lightning bolt which seemed to be a mockery of insignia of the Wonderbolt’s own. On the back of her left-hand glove was her aura mark, The other three were Adagio Dazzle and her sisters Sonata Dusk and Aria Blaze.
The rest of this troupe was composed of five men. One appeared to be in his late thirties and was dressed in a worn dark blue three-piece business suit that has seen many a better day. He had light brown eyes and his hair, once pink, had grayed. On his face was a set of glasses that only needed the bridge of the nose to balance. Another was a man in his fifties going on to his sixties, dressed most noticeably in a grayish blue-green pilot jacket with a long white silk scarf. His eyes were amber and his graying hair still hinted it’s lime green origins. On the back of his jacket was his aura mark, an old pilot helmet with goggles and wings coming off the sides. The next man was also a veteran of three scores. His hair however was as white as snow, his eyes green. Much like the first man he wore a worn blue business suit. The last two were Flim and his brother Flam. Every single one of them was irritable and seemed to be in a storytelling contest of some sort. Once Adagio finished her story, they all took a swig of their drinks. "So I guess that means my idiot sisters and I win." She wanted to gloat but the defeat oozed from her voice before chugging more of her drink.
"Looks like I am in glad company," The lot heard as a tall figure walked towards them. The figure stood a good foot or two taller than anyone else there and it was wrapped in a hooded cloak and shawl blacker than a starless and moonless night. The figure then sat in the open spot of the large table they shared. "I too have a story or two about that false princess and her cohorts." The voice came from the figure again. It was harsh and cut flesh like a winter storm. "But I shan't bore you with it. Instead, I have tidings, which you might find glad."
"Hey, you invited you?" The woman in the flight suit asked as she got up from her seat and cracked her neck as if she was preparing for a fight.
While no one could see it, they could feel that the figure smirked, "oh, Ms. Lightning Dust, it would behoove you to not look a gift horse in the mouth." The figure turned to face the recently identified Lightning and lifted his hood.
Every, even The Dazzlings fell back, "Ka...ka..ka...kain...kain…" Lightning stuttered as she tripped over herself as she tried to back away.
“Your eyes don’t deceive you.” He then looked at the gathering he came upon, “I am that I am, the once and future king of Krystalopolies, Sombra, the first of my name.” Sombra declared as he cast aside his clock showing himself in his gray armor and his form very much human flesh and not shadow. “How fortuitous,” he mused as he did a quick glaze of the scene. “Lightning Dust,” He addressed the washout Wonderbolt. He then shifted his gaze to the Earthborn woman in with the buttons aura mark, “Suri Polomage,” He turned to the Dazzlings as Adagio shielded her sisters, “Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk.” He then turned to the two oldest men, “Wind Ryder,” he addressed the one with the flight jacket, and turning to the one dressed for the stage, “Gladmage.” He turned his gaze to “The Brothers FlimFlam,” last he looked upon the man in the business suit, “And Svengali.” He chuckled. “Now this is a rogue’s gallery.”
“What do you want?” stammered Svengali as he hid under the table.
Sombra gave a silent chuckle as he lowered his gaze to look Svengali in the eye, “That’s a question you should ask yourself.” he answered before he lifted up, “All of you.” he addressed the rest there. “Look at yourselves, Sven here was on the fast track to shape the music industry.” Sombra then to Wind Ryder, “Wind here laid claim to the benchmark of all Wonderbolts.” Sombra turned to Gladmage and The FlimFlam brothers, “And you three all had Las Magus eating out of the palm of your hands, granted each in his respective turn.” He turned to look at Suri, “You were once the go-to woman for fashion in this place, or at least well on the way, Suri,” he then turned to Lightning, “You were denied the chance to show your potential,” and last he looked upon the Dazzlings, “And, you, the Sirens of old, banished to the stars was one thing, but to have human voices now…” he shook his head. He picked up an empty bottle from the table. “If the solutions to any of your problems could be found at the bottom of one of these,” he said, and as he flipped to have the bottom facing the ceiling and the top pointed to the floor. He tapped the bottom with his left hand a few times as if to force something out, when nothing came he dropped it back onto the table and waved over all the other bottles, “I am certain you’d found them long ago.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Svengali said as he got to his feet and brushed himself off.
Sombra smiled as he shocked his head, “Isn't obvious?” he asked rhetorically. “I want my throne in Krystalopolices back, I want the usper, her consort, and their brat to die in exile. I want Celestia and Luna to experience being banished under the northern ice for a millennium and a half, but more immediately, I want Twilight Sparkle and her friends to pay.” Sombra answered. “And so do you,” he said. “Remember how Applejack tricked your client to go behind your back and entrap you?” he asked Svengali. Sombra then turned to the rest, “How Fluttershy tricked the FlimFlam brothers into betraying you?” he asked Gladmage. “How Fluttershy and Applejack couldn’t leave well enough alone and ruin you two?” the king asked Flim and Flam. “Let’s not forget how Twilight and her friends broke into Wonderbolt Academy and stupidly entered your flight path?” he said as he looked at Lightning. He then turned to Suri, “And then there's a little miss perfect from the boondocks who practically handed you her designs when all you asked for was some accents, but goes on to not only steal your victory with a bathroom sink but took your assistant too.” He then, at last, turned to the Sirens, “And last but not least, not only they denied you your victory, they took from you a much-needed meal and they transmuted you into humans.” He paused as he watched the others reflect.
“He’s right!” Lightning shouted, “Sure I made that twister, but if they followed visiting protocol, I’d be the new face of the WonderBolts, not Crash!”
“Generosity… I here to show how stupid you make me.” Suri mocked the song that Rarity could not but sing when she arrived in Manahatten for the contest.
“Isn’t the cardinal rule at the Rainbow Fall exchange ‘Let the buyer beware’?” Flim asked his brother. Flam nodded in agreement.
Gladmage glared, “Ain't nothing kind about lying to man.” he declared.
Svengali mused a little longer and then gasped, “That was entrapment, and since it was a princess, that was a blatant abuse of power!”
“Being human isn’t so bad,” Sonata stated. Everyone turned to her and blinked in confusion. “But taking away my voice is unforgivable!” She declared which got a smile from her sisters.
“And just last week you almost burnt the house down with a toaster,” Aria smiled at her sister before she turned to face the others. “Let’s settle this score.” Everyone then shouted in agreement before they all turned to Sombra.
Adagio elected herself to speak up, “So what’s the deal? We help you take revenge on Twilight and her friends, and what?”
Sombra smirked, “Someone has to rule Mystica, and since I am the only one with any statesmanship experience…” he trailed off as he allowed the rest to follow. After a few seconds, they all seemed to accept what the tyrant said.
After Svengali took off his glasses and cleaned the lenses, “What’s in it for us, beyond justice for what Princess Twilight and her friends have caused us?” he asked. He then returned his glasses to his face, “And what exactly are you asking of us?” he added. Sombra smirked as he started to chuckle deep in his throat.
The sun was shining on the freshly fallen snow in Magiville, Hearth Warming was a few days away as Twilight and her closest friends were traversing the street. “I can’t believe this is the last Hearth Warming Eve before your coronation as the ruling princess. Where has all the time gone?” Rarity asked as she looked at her list, letting out a sigh.
“W’at Ah ‘ave a ‘ard time reckonin’ is that you and Flash agreed to have your weddin’ on Hearth Warming Day, in Sweet Apple Temple with Big Mac officiating it.” Applejack pointed out what seemed to be an odd choice of venue for the ceremony..
Twilight smiled, “Well, Flash and I are gonna have a lot on our plates soon for the rest of our lives with my status changing from a lesser princess to a ruling one. Even if I did not agree to let him marry Sunset and Sci-Twi.” she pointed out with a laugh, “So having our anniversary be Hearth Warming Day should make remembering it easier, you know how guys are with those kinds of things.”
“That’s more of a learned behavior on the part of us girls to place as much care as we do in those things.” Fluttershy countered.
Rainbow groaned, “You only say that because you and Discord eloped to Las Magus and got so plastered that you don’t remember what day you two actually tied the knot.” as she pointed to the ring on Fluttershy’s left ring finger which looked like a cross of her three butterfly brooch and a compass with eight arrows pointing in eight directions (one of several symbols meant to represent chaos).
Pinkie then skipped forward, “Are you sure that’s what got your panties in a bunch over that weekend? Not that…”
Rainbow silenced Pinkie with covering the jester’s mouth, “You pinkie promised that you wouldn’t tell anyone.” the elementalist said in wrath through her teeth.
Rarity giggled at Rainbow’s plight, “Oh we already know, Dashie-darling,” she enlightened the elementalist. “Zephyr Breeze, well, he never demonstrated that much in the way of self-restraint.” the enchantress pointed out. Rainbow released her hold on Pinkie and groaned as she covered her face. Everyone had a small laugh at Rainbow’s situation.
“On the bright side, what happens in Las Magus stays in Las Magus,” Spike commented only to receive a glare from Rainbow that would have snapped him out of existence if looks could kill. The dragon gulped and flew back a few paces.
Applejack patted Rainbow on the shoulder, “Okay we’ve gone up this tree far enough, let’s get back to Twilight’s wedding,” the paladin offered to realize that everyone else lost the forest among the trees, “aside from makin' it easier for Flash to remember, what are the other arrangements?”
At the same time inside the actual temple of Sweet Apple Temple, Flash and Big Mac was having a similar, if slightly more one-sided (literally) discussion. “It’s about the optics,” Flash said as he and the towering cleric finished moving one of the rows of pews. The two were not alone. Else were in the temple, Raggamuffin, Dirk, Soarin, and Discord (in his most human of forms) were following the directions from Cheese Sandwich. The latter of the group was dressed akin to a construction site foreman. The reason was to increase the width of the alley of the temple’s sanctuary for the procession of the wedding. Big Mac only raised an eyebrow at that answer. Flash sighed as he tried to find out how to answer it, “I know normally a wedding takes place outside of the temple but to have it witnessed inside of it makes a point.” The sentry looked up to the ceiling as he tried to find a way to make the cleric understand.
“Like how Sugar Belle and I had our wedding in front of the entwining pear and apple trees that my ma and pa planted.” the normally silent giant offered. “Ah wanted Sugar Belle and everyone to know she was part of the family…” Big Mac mused while he grinned at the memory of his wedding.
There was a slight womanly laugh as Sugar Belle walked up to the two and hugged Big Mac from behind. “I think Flash is getting at what others would see,” she stated. Big Mac turned to face his wife, the confusion written on his face so apparent a blind man with no hands could tell that the cleric had no idea what was said to him. Sugar rolled her eyes, “Think about it, here in the sanctuary, witnessed by not only the common people but the Divine,” she said as she pointed to the small altar at the other side of the temple from the door. “And ordained by a simple cleric,” she listed off. Big Mac showed no signs of following her. She sighed, “Twilight in doing this is showing that her marriage will not be handed to her by the abdicating princess Celestia but comes from a power far greater...” she trailed off as it slowly dawned on Big Mac.
“Thanks, Sugar,” Flash said with a sigh of relief. He turned his focus to check on the others and look at how things were coming together. The temple was for the most part ready for the ceremony. “Cheese really outdid himself.” the sentinel remarked before he saw the haggard state of all but Cheese Sandwich. The registered party planner shocked his head in clear disappointment. “And the hired hands too.” Flash laughed as he went over to help the lot back to their feet.
“This looks great,” came the voice of Twilight as she and her closest friends entered the temple.
Pinkie smirked at the sight, “Good job Cheese, looks like I’m gonna have to bring my S game for the reception.” she chuckled before cartwheeling to Cheese and planted a kiss on his lips.
“Don’t you mean ‘A-game, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked. Pinkie answered with a giggle much like schoolyard children when they are in the know of something and being asked by someone clearly out of the loop. Fluttershy elected to not press the matter as she went over to apparently near-dead Discord. The avatar of chaos was panting, “I told you you couldn’t use your chaos magic in holy spaces.” she said as her hand glowed pink and she started to pat her husband as she shook her head.
“Well, it’s not my fau…” Discord started but stopped and thought, “Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have said we’d be enough to follow whatever Cheese was planning and dismissed the others he recruited…” Fluttershy just narrowed her eyes at him slightly. Discord sighed, “Fine, It’s my own fault for not taking your advice and nearly killing myself trying to get this place set up. There, are you happy?” he asked. Fluttershy closed her eyes and gave a smiling nod as she helped Discord outside. Ragamuffin and Dirk didn’t need that kind of help from their fiances, although Soarin did need some assistance from his fellow Wonderbolt.
Once they all were outside done for the day, Twilight turned to Flash, “Can you imagine it? In a few days, we’ll be married. Oooo, I am so excited.” she cheered as she skipped around Flash.
“Never figured you one to get all into a wedding,” Flash said as he scratched his head in confusion.
Rarity giggled, “On some level, we girls want the moment like this.” as she enlightened the sentinel. Flash just shrugged his shoulders. “Ou. I forgot, what about our weddings?” she asked directing to Ragamuffin, Applejack, and Dirk. “I have been so wrapped up in Twilight’s coronation dress, the back-up dress, the back-up to that dress, her adjusting Cadance’s wedding dress, which was Twilight’s mother’s wedding dress to be just right for Twilight, the bride’s maid gowns…” Rarity stopped herself and cleared her throat, “I just forgot what plans we made.”
Applejack and Dirk looked to themselves, nodded, and looked at Rarity, “Well, you see Rarity, Jackie and I are planning to have ours at Rainbow Falls.”
“Really, mate?” Ragamuffin asked. “I’d t’oug’t you’d wanta ‘ave it ‘ere in front of those entwined pear and apple trees?” the captain added.
Applejack shook her head, “It was fine for Big Mac and Sugar Belle to have their wedding there, with that as the end of their struggles, but Dirk and me, well, our struggles will be after the honeymoon.” the paladin admitted. “So we decided to have it where we started.”
“It’s also the place where Soarin sacrificed your relationship with him to test Rainbow’s character,” Dirk added with a slight laugh. “Where else can she thumb her nose at the fraud.” Applejack gave him a slight glare, but he was right, from a certain point of view.
Applejack’s glare softened as she turned back to Rarity, “But Ah couldn’t ask for a better maid of honor then you, Sugar Cube.”
Rarity covered her mouth as tears started to form in her eyes, “Oh… Applejack…”
“Ahem” came the voice of Twilight. The lot then turned to face the princess with the rest of the party. “Can we focus on one wedding at a time?” Twilight asked. There was an apologetic laugh from Rarity before the four joined the rest and headed into the farmhouse on the temple grounds. It was lunchtime.
A day later as the sun was setting just west of Hollow Shades. The ruins of the long-abandoned city were covered by snow at least 300 cm deep, save for one track of footprints. In front of Sombra; the rest were literally following in his footprints. He smiled as they needed the well in the center of the long-abandoned town. The rest however was bundled under several layers of winter coats and other heat-insulating cloths, unlike him. Weaklings he knew better than to say as he looked over his shoulder to see them all a couple of meters behind him. “We’re almost there,” he said as he reached the edge. He grinned as he conjured a series of black shadowy tendrils from his body that formed a ladder for the rest to climb down. He didn’t need to say anything as they reluctantly climbed down.
“What is this place?” Lightning Dust asked as she generated lightning around her hands to function as a light. As they all looked around they saw the back wall.
“What is that?” Suri asked as she pointed to the image depicted on it.
“This is the Well of Shades and that is the Night Stalker.” Sombra’s voice came as he whisked himself down to the others as a black cloud. “And here is our final member.” He then jettisoned tendrils from every opening in his armor, rooting himself into the pillars, the remnants of the ceiling and the floor, while also securing the rest similar to the wall farthest from the mural. “You better conjure a shield bubble, you’ll need it,” he said as he directed his gaze to Adagio. The siren turned Magicborn didn’t need any further hint as she spied Sombra used some of his shadowy forms to draw a circle around him. Swiftly she conjured the bubble around her and the others.
Sombra reached into a pocket and pulled out his long lost trinket, “I’ve come to use you once again.” he whispered as he placed the alicorn amulet on. Once the amulet was placed on, Sombra's main body began to spasm and contort as he howled in pain before two wings of red crystal, gray metal, and the black shadows came from his back. The wings very much like those of demigods. Sombra looked at his wings from over his shoulders and laughed before he roared and the magic circle that surrounded him started to glow and a portal in front of the mural opened ushering use a vacuum as some of his tendrils began to reach out into the portal and the void it opened into."Grindale!” he shouted. “Brother! Look at you in your squalid prison!” He shouted as another set of tendrils reached out to his. “Who cast you there?” Sombra asked.
“Twilight Sparkle!” hissed the Night Stalker as it tried to reach out of Limbo.
Sombra smiled, “And if I should pull you free, what is the first thing you’re going to do?” Sombra asked as his tendrils bashed the tendrils of The Night Stalker/Grindale aside to deny Grindale the chance to actually grab Sombra.
“DESTROY HER!” Grindale roared as he tried to reach the edge of the portal and Sombra.
Sombra smirked, “Do you know who I am?” he asked. Before Grindale could answer, “I am King Sombra, son of Rabia, the Last of the true Shadow Born, who was the heiress of your bond.” Sombra stated and gave the Night Stalker pause. But before Grindale could counter, Sombra continued, “I was sired by Greystreak, last of the rightful line of Bullion, rightful ruler of the self-titled Everfree Principality of Mystica in The Valley of Dreams! Join with me, help us issue justice upon Princess Twilight Sparkle, her friends who bore the Elements of Harmony, Star Swirl and the Pillars of Virtue, and their allies and you will not only receive justice for this slight, but a power you know but could not wield will be yours.” Sombra offered.
Grindale managed to pull himself so that his head was out of the portal, but without joining a host it was only a matter of time before the vacuum pulled him back in, “And who shall claim our joined body?” he asked as he lifted what would have been his right eyebrow.
“I am not the young Stygian, who followed your whispers and promises, who you could dominate. If you join with me, I shall be the one who rules this body, and you will obey as I see fit.” Sombra stated.
Grindale growled, but as he felt the vacuum began to claim in, “DEAL!” he shouted and Sombra’s tendrils reached out and grappled Grindale’s and pulled the symbiotic Night Stalker into an embrace, and into his armor, merging the two.
The portal closed and Sombra turned to face the others as he pulled all of his tendrils back into himself, as the Night Stalker’s head re-emerged slipping through the space of Sombra’s right pauldron. This left everyone agape, “One more stop.” Sombra said as he walked towards the others. “After that, the bells will toll our next move.” he chuckled before wrapping them all in thick shadow and whisking them away.
The next morning, still a couple days from Hearths Warming, Twilight was pacing around the atrium of the Castle of Friendship, her current home. Seated on the stairs was Flash and Spike, the two were playing War and Spike was in the lead in card count, but Flash still had a few ‘aces’ in his deck. “Do you think they missed the train?” Twilight asked.
“Twilight, you do know that they all know teleportation?” Spike asked as he placed a card down, only for Flash to respond with an ace.
As Twilight groaned in response. “You’ve known her your whole life,” Flash said as he collected the cards after Spike failed to make a match, a sandwich, or answer the ‘challenge’. “Why are you asking her that?” he asked before he placed a king down. Spike gave a huff as he placed his card down. Flash collected the two cards and placed his next card, a queen down.
Twilight gave a sigh before she turned to face the two, “I know I shouldn’t be so nervous, but still…” she was silenced with the knocking of the front door and it’s opening to reveal Twilight Velvet, Night Light, Shining Armor, a slightly, but still noticeably, pregnant Cadance and a…
“B.A.E.!!!” Flurry Heart shouted as the little girl tackled her aunt in flight. “Happy Hearths Warming!” she cheered. “So will we have Puddinghead’s Hearthwarming Pudding again? Will Aunt Fluttershy tame another Winterzilla?” she started to ask.
“Now, now, Flurry,” Cadance softly scolded her child. “We’re here for Auntie Twilie’s wedding.”
Flurry then gasped as her eyes grew and pupils dilated in excitement, “You mean we can see B.A.E. go Twily-nanas?” she asked. “Can we? Can we?” She stopped as every single adult and the dragon just looked at her in silent bemusement. “Okay. No Twily-nanas.” she said somewhat sadden. She then lightened up as she flew over to the luggage that they all brought. “I found the perfect Hearths Warming gift for you B.A.E.. Daddy said I am too young to get it but Mommy let me.” She then pulled out a present that looked like a wrapped book and flew it over to Twilight. The little girl all but forced it into her aunt’s arms.
“Oh thank you Flurry,” Twilight smiled as she looked at the gift. She was tempted to open it, but then she thought back to what Flurry just said about her parent’s take on the gift. Her eyes widened as she concluded what her gift was. “I’ll open it later.” her voice shook a little as her face flushed red slightly and turned from her niece and her family as the other adults in the room started to snicker, as Flurry looked about with an innocent smile.
“B.A.E., why is everyone laughing?” the little girl asked.
Before Twilight answered, the little girl was picked up by her soon to be uncle, “Come on pipsqueak, let’s help your folks and grandfolks settle in.” Flash then handed her off to Cadance before taking a bag and leading the guests to their rooms.
Twilight was about to join them when, “And a big bowl of ravioli!” sang and shouted Luna and Celestia together as they stepped into the castle. The two were out of their royal gowns, each were wearing frankly ugly Hearth’s Warming sweaters over a fairly casual white dress for Celestia and black dress for Luna and both without their tiaras. The two then started to laugh.
“We love these new Hearth’s Warming songs, they are so much more jovial.” Luna said as the two shut the castle door. The two turned and hugged Twilight, “Congratulations are in order.”
Twilight smiled as she returned the hug, “Thank you,” she said with a smile. However, the frown slowly dampened as the hug ended and Twilight looked Luna in the face. “I know it must be hard on you, with Tanzanite…” She trailed off as she was not sure what else to say.
Luna's smile didn’t waiver, “It is what it is. We are certain that We shall reunite with him.” the lunar demigod stated. Before Twilight could question farther, “Besides this is not Our moment.” Twilight gave a knowing but sad smile.
“Alright, either get in or thep athide.” came the slightly slurred voice of a long unheard hedgehog.
The sisters stepped into the castle’s entry hall to show, “Tempest!” Twilight shouted as she hugged the scarred forsaker.
“So Pinkie has kept her promise.” Tempest mused only loud enough for her to hear. Grubber had by this time walked around the two, dragging his and Tempest’s luggage. He was joined by Spike, once he was in the hall. The two assistants nodded in silence as they greeted the drake. They didn’t need words. Spike then led them and Grubber to the rooms they and Tempest would use, while taking one of the bags.
Back between Tempest and Twilight, the latter released her hug, “I am so glad you made it. Rarity has just the brides-”
Tempest placed her right hand on Twilight’s mouth, silencing the princess “Sorry Princess, but I am not here as your guest.”
Twilight looked confused before Flash’s voice was heard as he flew to the doorway, “Tempest, how’s my best woman? Glad you made it. Come inside, we shouldn’t let all the heat out.” he flew above the two and pushed them inside before shutting the door. “Now Grubber and Spike-” Flash started to say as he was now pushing Tempest away from Twilight and towards the room she’d be staying in.
“Flash,” Twilight cut him off as she flew to be in front of the two, “I thought we discussed who would be my maids and your groomsmen?” she asked while she crossed her arms in front and a slight scowl formed on her face, as if she was about to lecture Spike.
Flash sighed, “Listen, Babe,”
“Oh, that’th not good.” came Grubber’s voice as the hedgehog and Spike came across the scene, “Yay know thhe’th not gonna like thith.”
Flash rolled his eyes and continued, “I know you want Spike to be my Best …” Flash looked from Twilight to Spike, “I’m not gonna offend you if I say man, right?” The dragon just shrugged his shoulders. Flash turned back to Twilight, “But the role of the best man is to protect the bridegroom, and to be the champion of the wedding should someone challenge it.”
“I am well aware of the role of the best man, but what could be better than a dragon?”
“A forsaker that owned my namesake’s ass, my superior officer’s ass, captured three of the four princesses, forced the fourth on the run…” Flash started to list off some of the things that everyone there knew Tempest had accomplished, albeit while she was still a foe of Mystica. “And she survived a Stellar Ursine attack as a child. And that’s not addressing all she accomplished to rise to the rank of The Storm King’s right hand man. She’s perfect to defend the wedding.”
Twilight squinted at Flash, “Okay,” she reluctantly considered. “Tempest is the person to fill the original role of the best man,” she paused as she recalled Flash’s two closest friends, “What about Microchips and Sandalwood? Wouldn’t they want the honor?” she asked, as she saw a way around the argument.
Flash broke into a laugh, “Who do you think gave me the idea to ask Fizzy to be my best man?” The question was both rhetorical and most likely meant in jest, but even Flash knew there was a bitter sting to it.
Before Twilight could say anything, “If I may say something,” Tempest started to offer, getting the two to turn their focus on her, “I never actually said yes to being Colonel Sentry’s best man. So I still have to give the formal answer.”
“So you’ll consider being one of my bridesmaids?” Twilight asked with massively dilated eyes and hands clenched together as if in prayer.
Tempest held her chin for a solid minute in silence before she spoke. “I am honoured with the offer to be one of your bridesmaids, however I must decline.” Tempest then turned to Flash, “Colonel Sentry, I am honoured with the offer to be your best man-”
Flash was about to smile at what he expected to be Tempest accepting his offer, but he saw as his bride-to-be looking down with a sad frown, “How about you at least try on the bridesmaid dress, before you turn it down?”
Tempest just glared at Flash, and if looks could kill, Flash knew he would be converted into energy, “Thhe doethn’t do dreththethth.” Grubber chimed in.
Tempest shifted her glare towards her assistant and softened it, just lightly. “No.” she said while calm in tone, a coldness could be felt in the room. She then turned back to Flash, “As I was saying, I humbly accept the honour to be your best man.”
Twilight shook her head but with an understanding smile, “Rarity isn’t going to like this, but perhaps it’s for the best.”
“I am certain she will understand.” Spike chimed in trying to smooth things a little farther, “I’ll show you to your room,” the dragon added as an offer. Tempest shrugged her shoulders and followed the wyrmling as he and Grubber directed her to the room she and her assistant would be staying in.
Once the three were out of earshot, Flash was the first to speak, “Okay, we got your parents, your brother, sister-in-law, niece, mentor, Luna, my best woman and her assistant staying here.” he listed off, “Did I miss anyone?”
“Starlight, Sunburst and Trixie should be arriving any minute now.” Twilight informed. Flash raised an eyebrow in confuddlement. “Well the school’s closed for the winter break and everyone is heading home for their respective solstice celebration.” she continued. Before Flash could question farther, “And we should be expecting Sunset and Sci-Twi via the mirror soon.” Flash could help but laugh, but it was a joyial one. This was not lost on Twilight. “What’s so funny?”.
Flash stopped and shook his head first, “The bride has invited the mistresses to the wedding.” he muttered barely audible, but still Twilight heard it. Once he heard her give an ‘ahem’, Flash snapped his attention to his wife to be. “Don’t you find it odd that at our weddings, the two women that all four of us agreed to be the other women in our relationships.”
Twilight gave a snorty laugh as she raised her left hand pointing to the ceiling with her index finger and twirled it as she spoke, “You might want to remember that when you’re wrapped around your daughter’s finger as soon as you learn that she is a girl.” she smirked as she left Flash at the door as he was utterly dumbfounded.
After making sure all their current guests were settled, including the later arrived Starlight, Trixie and Sunburst, Twilight and Flash headed into the library as the mirror that connect The Castle of Friendship to Midnight Castle transmuted into the portal and within a second Sunset and SciTwi emerged and within a few seconds was closed, “Sunset! SciTwi!” Twilight cheered as she flew up to the two and hugged them in her greeting.
“Good to see you too, Twilight.” Sunset said as she returned the hug. “So your big day is coming, are you still sure you want us there?” the pyromancer asked after the hugs broke.
Twilight groaned, “Flash just asked about that.” she retorted. “It’s not like it’s some sort of hex that is a result of one inviting an ex to one’s wedding.” she added with an eye roll. There was a solid moment of silence as the three others tried to connect the dots of Twilight’s logic. Twilight sighed, “It was a joke. Seriously, we may live in a world of magic, dragons, fairies and unicorns, but come on.” She dismissed any possible concerns the three could voice before anyone could reply, “Let’s show you to your room.” she started as she began to guide the two with Flash, leading the way.
“Since Flash is going to marry Sunset and me as well wouldn’t we be staying in your room?” SciTwi asked before Twilight opened the door out. The three others looked at each other in bewilderment for about a second.”Of course not on the same day as you.” she added with a weak teehee in response.
Sunset stepped to be right next to SciTwi, “Babe, as Applejack would say, ‘Bless yahr heart, Sugarcube’, but there is a time and place, and while this castle might be the place...”
“Cut her some slack,” Flash said as he got in between the two and prodded Sunset away, “she what? Two? Three years old tops?” Flash asked, as he pointed out how many years of life SciTwi actually had experienced. There were two seconds of awkward silence as everyone thought about what Flash just said. Both Sunset and Flash had to bury their faces in their hands as SciTwi was left utterly agape.
Twilight was the first to recover with a cough, “Okay, so to the room you two will be staying in.” She tried to hide her own embarrassment.
“Yes.” The other three agreed almost too quickly for the four exited the library after Twilight shut the mirror portal.
As Twilight’s guests had settled and night had come, a thick black smoke-like cloud barely the size of a forearm whisked itself to the base of Mt. Philistine. Once it arrived near the center, Sombra manifested himself and his allies. “A heads up would have been nice.” Svengali bemoaned as he adjusted his glasses after landing. However, he soon fell silent as everyone watched as Sombra casted a flame wheel on the snow covered ground revealing the ruins and rubble of the Grandhendge.
“I destroyed these pillars when Twilight and her friends childishly set me free with the Pillars.” Grindale elaborated as his face appeared over Sombra’s left shoulder. “There is no way we can use this place of power.” he scolded his host.
Sombra chuckled as he pulled from his cloak a familiar bell. “We don’t need this place.” He then rang the bell pointing towards the center of the stone circle and rang it. "All we need is the power". The power was pulled out of the place and went into the bell. The process however was mind numbing long as the sun was rising just as the bell finished collecting the power. Sombra smirked before he turned to see his associates were either sleeping or playing a game of poker. He growled, and the others granted him their attention. "Now onto the next phase." The king spoke as he pointed the bell towards the rest of his band. They then all tried to shield themselves and run away in fright. “Happy Hearth's Warming,” he whispered as a tiny smirk formed on his lips and rang the bell.
The morning of Hearths Warming Day was extraordinarily different in the year 0 AT (Anno Twilightae (year of Twilight)) in the temple proper of Sweet Apple Temple was full of life in the very death of winter. So many had gathered to bear witness to the union to be officated within. In addition to the bride and groom’s families, their friends and close family of friends, the top six students of Princess Twilight’s School of Friendship (Sandbar, Ocellus, Gallus, Smolder, Silverstream and Yona) and their close kin were there. Also present were the leaders of the allied nations, namely Dragon Lord Ember, King Thorax of the Alfs of Caer Sith and his main advisor Prince Pharynx, Queen Novo of the aasimars and mermaids of Mt. Aris and her daughter and heir Princess Skystar, Prince Rutherford of the Orks of Yakyakistan, and the newly appointed leader of the harpies of Gryphonstone, Gilda. Also among the guests were the heroes of yore better known as the Seven Pillars of Virtue, Discord and his opposite, Amity, just to list a few.
Everyone was in their seats in the pews. Well most everyone, Big Mac stepped from the pulpit to stand in front of the temple's smaller inner altar. He was not alone as on the altar’s left hand side stood Flash Sentry, dressed in his officer uniform. To his left stood Tempest, in the role of the Best Man, in the golden armor of the ESM custom fitted to her and ready to either defend Flash and Twilight or assault any challenger to the proceedings. To her left, and in their own armor, stood Flash’s closest comrades, Sandalwood, Microchips, and the rest of his band, the Flash Drive (save Valhallen) with Spike as the Ring bearer. Valhallen himself was also dressed in his uniform, but he was seated at the temple’s recently installed organ and began to play the Bridal Chorus. While Valhallen played every one turned to watch the procession of Princess Twilight Sparkle and her bridesmaids, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity and Sunset, with the latest as her maid of honor. Once Twilight and her maids arrived, Big Mac cleared his throat. “Dearly Beloved…” he began. No one noticed a set of red eyes in the shadows right next to the entrance.
Two hours later in the main hall of The Castle of Friendship, everyone gave the newly wedded couple their congratulations with the occasional gift. After a series of speeches given by the couples closest friends and some advice given by their families, there was ringing of a bell. Here Big Mac stood up and prepared to speak after everyone fell silent. However the beads of sweat betrayed his discomfort as he paused, fortunately for him Sugar Bella stood up and spoke for her spouse, “Given that Princess Twilight is to seceded Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the consummation of her union with Colonel Sentry must have six witnesses aside from Big Mac, who officiated it and the Best Man.” She then took a notepad and prepared to jot names down.
The room fell into an awkward silence as everyone looked to each other, to what they were eating as part of the reception’s feast and or what they were drinking. After what felt like three forevers, “I’ll bear witness.” came the voice of Cherry Crush as she stood up and finished the last of the cider in her mug. The rest of her table, the other members of Flash Drive, looked to her in utter shock, befuddlement and perplexity, “What?” she asked, “You’re not curious of what could have been Mystery?” she asked the other female member of the band. Mystery just buried her face into her mug. “Names Cherry Crush.” she informs Sugar Belle.
“THE GRRRREEEAATT AND POWERRRFULL TRRRRIXIE LULAMOON” Trixie shouted and then soften her tone to speak normally, “shall testify that the couple’s union is complete.” Trixie said as she stood from her table. “Besides Trixie always wanted to see Twilight finally get -” she was silenced before she could complete that sentence by the hands of the nervously laughing Starlight and Sunburst. Sugar Belle jotted Trixie’s name down.
Twilight and Flash looked at each other, “Can we turn down witnesses?” the two asked.
“Sadly no,” Came the understanding voice of Celestia as she walked behind them. “Word of advice, just focus on each other and imagine you two are alone.” she said before she drank more of her cider.
“How do you…” Flash started to ask.
Celestia rolled her eyes, “I’ve ruled on my own for a millennium, think it through my former sentinel.” she said before she walked off.
“We’ll also witness.” Starlight and Sunburst blurted out together, as Sugar jotted their names down as well.
Everyone remained still uneasy about the matter. “That’s four, we need two more.” Sugar Belle announced.
At the table of Twilight’s friends and their significant others, including Sunset and SciTwi. “So none of us?” SciTwi asked.
“I’ve seen all Flash has to show,” Sunset said, it was clear she was trying to be dismissive, but the faint blush on her face betrayed that on some level she didn’t want to just witness, but actually experience it.
SciTwi looked to the rest, and the nervous expressions on their faces as they tried to avoid looking SciTwi in the eye pretty much showed that they really didn’t want to see their friend… in that position. SciTwi didn’t really like the idea of seeing it, but if Twilight and Flash didn’t consummate their marriage, Flash can’t marry her and Sunset, and if that doesn’t happen, then SciTwi cannot have the de facto marriage to Sunset she wants. She snorted and brought her mug of cider down on the table as she was about to stand up only to hear the voice of another before she could speak. “I’ll do it.” Sunset froze for a second as she remembered that voice, she then turned to see Timber Spruce stand. “The name’s Timber Spruce.” he informed Sugar Belle. “Kind of stupid to deny a woman’s her day over a technincallity.” he said to justify his decision, however his sister, who sat next to him could only shake her head and cover her face in clear minor embarrassment over Timber’s action.
“That’s five. We need one…” Sugar started only to spot SciTwi, “So will you be the last witness?” she asked SciTwi.
SciTwi paused, she wanted to say yes, but what about her name. After almost a minute of awkward silence, “Radiance Eventide.” she said to be her name. She looked back to Sunset and the rest of her table. “I really can’t say my name is ‘SciTwi’ or ‘Twilight Sparkle’.” she justified almost too quickly.
“And that’s six. Will the witness, the couple, officiate and best man proceed to the…” Sugar Belle stopped to clear her throat. “Culmination camber.” she tried to find a fitting euphemism. Somewhat reluctantly, the decade that was made of the half dozen witnesses, the newlyweds, Big Mac and Tempest left the main hall of the Castle as the rest of the attendants cheered the newlyweds on, shouting their well wishes.
Once they exited everyone returned to the party, a decade of cloaked and hooded figures with instruments had arrived. One walked up to the table were the bride’s and grooms families were seated. “Pardon our late arrival, your graces.” the speaker revealed his sex with his voice, “Our commissioner has sent us to play a tune to honor the wedding of Princess Twilight Sparkle.” Everyone looked at each other somewhat confused. “He’s on his way.” the man explained. He paused and waited.
Twilight Velvet then spoke up for everyone after a couple seconds, “Well what’s the harm?” she asked. Everyone shrugged in agreement. The speaker nodded before he and the rest prepared their instruments. Once they were ready, they started to play. The tune was both foreign and at the same time familiar. After a couple of seconds into the tune, Pinkie’s elbows and wrists were twitching in opposite directions of each other. This caused Cheese to raise an eyebrow, “You okay, Sweetie?” he asked before his right eye started to twitch and spasm and his left hand started to move as if he was playing a phantom organ by itself.
This was mostly unnoticed save by Rainbow Dash who happened to glance at the two, in between swigs of her cider, “Are you two okay?” she asked before she took another drink of her cider.
Pinkie looked to her friend, “No idea, my Pinkie Sense just started to go off, and it’s an Elbow Doozy.”
“Yeah, and soon as I noticed my Cheese sense started to go off. Never had this one before.” Cheese pointed out as he too continued to look on at his hand as he tried to figure out what it meant. Rainbow just shrugged and went for another cider. This was then noticed by Applejack. The paladin raised an eyebrow before muttering something into her mug before she froze solid, like she was exposed to absolute zero.
Just then the doors to the party flung open and slammed against the walls getting everyone’s attention, all the while the tune continued to play. The uninvited guest who flung the doors open was dressed in a similar long black hooded robe as the musicians that still played their tune, however the being towered over everyone there, at about three meters. He walked, almost too silently for a being of his size, up to the table where Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and the rest of Twilight’s and Flash’s family sat, along with the invited foreign guests. He bowed, just as the tune ended. “Hail Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance. Greetings to the families of the bride, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and that of her groom, Colonel Flash Sentry.” he announced before he rose. “I hope you enjoyed the musicians I have sent ahead to play for this occasion. On behalf of the bride and her groom, I pray that you will grant pardon for my absence for the wedding and my late arrival for the reception.”
“We would, but we are unsure as to why you would be in attendance for the wedding?” Luna asked after everyone looked at each other confused at the figure’s request.
No one could see, but everyone could feel that under the figure’s hood was a wicked grin. “Perhaps, I have been too subtle.” he whispered before he bowed, almost kowtowing. As he rose he threw off his cloak. Before anyone could respond, Sombra had pooled some of his magic into the tip of the pinkie finger of his left hand, blood red in color, and sent it as a beam at Celestia et al. Swiftly, Celestia, Luna and Cadence raised both their own hands and sent a beam in response. Sombra’s beam however started to overpower them until they were joined by the transferring of the magic in the rest of the guests at the table. This caused Sombra to raise an eyebrow as the new beam seemed to start to match his, but this was something that if one blinked and they would miss it. Sombra almost instantly shifted it to have his beam come from his left hand over all.
At the same time, Starswirl and the rest of the Pillars tried to dash from their table to attack Sombra from the other side in order to divide his attention. However as the six other Pillars were transferring their power to Starswirl, The Nightstalker emerged from within Sombra’s armor. “Hello, my old friends.” he hissed as he blasted the Pillars.
This was not lost upon Twilight’s friends, but before any could move the musicians cast aside their instruments and robes showing themselves. Well most of them as Rainbow Dash slammed by what could be described as a human shaped bolt of lightning, leaving a trail of dust behind it. “Sorry, Crash, but we’ve got a score to settle.” the humanoid lightning said in a female voice that was eerily similar to…
“Lightning Dust?” Rainbow asked as she tried to get back up only to be slammed and shocked again by the lightning this time into the farthest wall from the table. Rainbow gagged upon the impact and screamed as she was electrocuted. “Oh come on Crash,” Lightning mocked as she backed up, “You can do better than that.” only to strike again and again before Soarin tried to tackle her from behind, only to be blown away from Soarin’s attack by a humanoid shaped wind.
“Now this should be fun.” the wind mused with the voice of Wind Ryder.
Back among the musicians, they were revealed to be the rest recruited by Sombra, but they were clearly different. Flim and Flam appear for the most part normal but had green lights that emerged from their foreheads that looked like horns and were both surrounded by potion vials “Well brother, I do believe it’s time to see if an apple a day does keep the doctor away.” Flim said as he prepared to strike Applejack.
“Most definitely, brother mine.” Flam added as they two each sent a potion vial at Applejack. All the while Applejack remained as she did when she muttered into her cider and was barely saved by Dirk pulling her away. “Looks like we have a daring warrior poet to content with.” Flam chuckled only to be joined by his brother and the two renewed their assault upon the functionally comatose Applejack and Dirk as the latter desperately tried to get Applejack out of her state.
“Applejack!” Rarity cried before she wrapped up in fabric. It was then that she was fully focused on Suri. The Earthborn seamstress was floating over the ground with fabrics, ribbons, needles, pins, and string floating around her. “Not good.” Rarity acknowledged. “Um, Ragamuffin, sweetie, could you be a lamb and GET ME OUT OF HERE!” she cried only to realize that Ragamuffin was already carrying her over his shoulder as he tried to dodge Suri’s barrage. “Nevermind, keep up the good work.”
‘A’h’m tryin’!” he said in between breaths and attacks.
Suri could only chuckle, “You took my livelihood, I’ll take you life.”
Meanwhile Pinkie and Cheese were both still experiencing the effects of their respective senses until they noticed Svengali. However Sven was two decades younger and dressed no in his business suit, but in a long sleeved blue shirt with red cuff and red open collar with a white undershirt and on this collar was his aura mark, a black song note in a golden star surrounded rays of light the say colors of a rainbow and an electric guitar on his back. “Tell me, Ms. Pie, do you like balloons?” he asked as he readied to play his guitar.
Pinkie and Cheese looked at each other, “yes.” Pinkie said weakly.
“Cheesie, dear,” Pinkie squeaked. “RUN!” she shouted as they two bolted with the balloons in hot pursuit as Sven continued to sing and play. With more balloons manifesting as Sven sang, all the while the balloons exploded as they made contact with anything other than another balloon and anyone.
Sven was not the only musically inclined member of the group, as the Dazzling stood in their monstrous fully powered true siren form, their red gems fully restored. “We’ve been waiting for this, Shimmer.” Adagio’s glee for retribution was over her face and her sisters were of equal amusement.
Sunset glop and seeing no other options tried to run. “We got a runner.” Aria chimed.
“Good,” Sonta added before smirking showing her teeth, “running blood is so much sweeter.” the trio laughed and flew after Sunset.
Fluttershy was gasping in panic as she witnessed her friends being attacked. “Fluttershy, Fluttershy, breath deep!” he was at his wits end at what to do. Until they heard an acoustic guitar play. They turned to see Gladmage, but he was much younger dressed in black leather.
Gladmage pointed to Fluttershy and sang “You ain't nothin' but a hound dog!” the former showman started as Fluttershy was transmuted into a….rabbit... as he continued the song.
“Well this can’t get much worse.” Discord chimed as he caught Flutterbunny, thinking that he could reverse this all with a snap of his fingers, only to be struck by a dagger, thrown over hand by Gladmage, that barely missed his heart. He fell to ground and began to spasm as he noticed the dagger’s metal. “That bastard.” he gasped as he tried to control his breathing and body only to notice his hands starting to slowly and painfully shift into a lion's paw and eagle talon and started to turn blue as his limbs began to stretch away from his torso on a cellular level.
“Don’t worry, my friend.” Gladmage said as he pulled out a familiar bell and pointed it at him and Flutterbunny, “You won’t be sufferin’ long.” he rang the bell and it pulled all of Discord’s and Flutterbunny’s magic out of them, leaving the former a normal man, save for his eyes and the latter a bunny. "Let's the party begin." He cheered as he tossed the bell to The Nightstalker who used it on the Pillars. After which he passed it on to the brothers Flim and Flam. The two then used it on Applejack and Dirk. After draining the couple, the brothers then tossed it to Lightning Dust and Wind Ryder who used it on Rainbow and Soarin. After stripping them of their magics, Lightning then passed it on to Suri, who in turned used it on Rarity and Ragamuffin. With Rarity and Ragamuffin left on the ground powerless, Suri then passed it on to Sven. With glee Sven used it on Pinkie and Cheese as they tried to evade the balloons that chased them. He then passed it on to the Dazzlings.
Adagio was the one to catch it, "You took our voices, our true power from us, I think taking your power is fair." she mused as she levitated the bell with in the magic not of her orange focus gem at her pelvis, but her red gem. This was joined with Sonata's coming from Adagio's left and Aria's coming from Adagio's right. The three grinned as they had Sunset cornered. "Sing." Adagio's hissed as they prepared to ring the bell. Sunset shut her eyes and tried to cover her face as she tried to prepared a shielding spell. But before anyone could notice, Sunset felt herself pushed away and out of the range of the bell. It was too late that she saw her rescuer, Gloriosa Daisy, in her form when she channels Gaea Everfree. Gloriosa cried, not only with her own voice but Gaea's, as the bell collected the power of both the host and symbiont. She wanted to rush back to help her only to be knocked out and hidden by Amity. Once the bell had taken Gaea's and Gloriosa's power, the trio turned to their right, in the direction that Gloriosa shaved Sunset. "Where is she?" Adagio asked, her wrath seeping as her revenge and her sister's revenge was denied.
"Sorry but your princess is in another castle." Amity replied as she prepared she sent a beam that knocked the bell out of the trio's magic. "Besides, you're off key." The sirens gritted teeth and began to wail, sending condensed sonic ways at Amity. However Amity was successful with shielding herself for almost a minute before she felt metal pierce her back, narrowly missing her organs. She fell forward as she registered the metal used. "Pandemonium bronze," she whispered.
"Stop screwing around." The Nightstalker said as it then sent some of itself to collect the bell and then pointed it at Amity. "This is what happens when you play with your food." he scolded the trio before he used it to collect Amity's power. It then pulled itself back into Sombra's armor with the bell now in Sombra's right hand pointing it Celestia, et al.
Sombra smirked at the lot in front of him, "Give Twilight my well wishes." he mocked and rang the bell.
The six witnesses, Big Mac, Tempest, and the couple were in a silent awkwardness as they walked back to the reception proper. After a few seconds, “So ever thought about having kids?” Trixie asked Starlight, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Trixie!” Starlight shouted as she buried her face.
“What?” Trixe countered with shoulders raised in confusion. “Sure, you and I had a few fun times on our road trips, but at some point we’re going to have to define what our relationship is. Am I the squeeze you need when Sunburst’s soldier boy can’t salute?” She asked, she then turned with an evil smirk to Sunburst, “Of course he didn’t seem to have that problem earlier.”
“TRIXIE!” Sunburst shouted as he covered his groin, his face as red as a beat.
“What?” Trixie protested. “I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to be part of the action, granted I would have also just swapped places with either bride or gr-” she was silenced by a spell from Twilight.
“The less we talk about this the better. The only thing that needs to be said is ‘‘Yes, Flash and I have consummated our wedding and we are now man and woman’, Agreed?.” Twilight declared. Everyone else quietly agreed. They all turned to Trixie expecting an agreement she only pointed to her mouth indicating that she can’t voice her agreement in the current state. Twilight rolled her eyes and ended her spell.
“Fine. I won’t say anything but that.” Trixie groaned as she agreed to the terms, just before they arrived at the doors.
Before Twilight could open the door, she was pulled back by Tempest with the later’s arm ready to electrocute whatever she touched, “Do you hear something?” she asked. The others were about to answer but fell silent as they realized that they heard nothing.
Twilight in a panic forced Tempest a side. After she flug open the doors she gasped. “Get Dr. Redheart!” she ordered as she flew in with Big Mac in her wake.
Three hours later, most of the guests were in rooms in Magivillie General Hospital, recovering from the initial shock and trauma, save a hand full, Discord and Armity were still in surgery, but past the worst of things and Sunset was in the patient pickup room with an ice pack on her head. There she was joined by Twilight, Flash and SciTwi, after she heard Dr. Redheart said, “She’s mostly fine, but don’t stress her too much, I don’t want her head ache to act up.”
“Hey guys,” Sunset said weakly as she waved to them, “So your marriage is official right?” she asked.
SciTwi walked right up to her, “You’re cracking jokes now! I find you unconscious and the reception hall an utter disaster, and you’re cracking jokes?!” she scolded Sunset, tears in her eyes, not unlike a parent after pulling a child away from a dangerous animal at a zoo that said child had angered.
Sunset gave a weak teehee, before she dipped her head, “Sorry, babe, but…” Sunset stopped not sure how to explain it.
“Humor is a coping mechanism.” Flash stepped into the conversation, saving Sunset. As the others turned to him, “Especially dark humour for us in the military.” The three just stared at him, “You should hear some of Flash Magnus’ jokes some time,” he added. There was about two seconds of awkward silence before Flash coughed, “So what happened?”
Sunset took a breath, “You got a memory gem so that you can just see my memories?” she asked. Everyone looked at what they were all wearing, still in dresses (suit in Flash’s case) for the wedding and then turned back to Sunset. “Right.” she softly groaned before she sighed. “Almost as soon as you all left ten people in long robes with cloaks and hoods came in with various instruments. One walked up to the table your,” she pointed to Flash and Twilight ‘families were and said something about playing a tune for your wedding. Your mom basically said yes and then they played this strange tune that sounded both familiar and yet like nothing I’ve heard.”
“Do you remember it?” SciTwi asked.
Sunset smirked, “Babe, I can play it.” she boasted before she turned to Flash, “Say can you get your guitar?” Flash nodded and turned to leave and within two seconds he was back with his guitar, his ethereal wings on his ankles still pulsating purple. He handed it to Sunset. Sunset then bag to play. After a few notes Twilight and Flash turned to each outer, their faces losing shades of color as the tune continued. Sunset stopped as she noted the widening eyes and dilating pupils of the two. “You guys know it?” she asked.
“And who are you, the Cloud Sage said,” Twilight whispered as she and Flash turned back to Sunset and SciTwi.
“That I must kneel so low?” Flash added his lips trembling as he sang slightly louder than Twilight. The two stopped as Sunset’s own eyes widened in terror as she finally recalled the song.
“The Banes of Castle Moor.” Sunset whispered in horror.
SciTwi looked at her three companions in the room. From one to another in utter bewilderment. “Excuse me, but who is Castle Moor and what are his banes?” she asked as she sought clarification.
The three turned to the forth in the room, “Sorry, you’re technically three years old.” Flash started, which caused Sunset’s eyes to widen in horror as it dawned on her how old her girlfriend actually is, while Twilight could only bury her face in her hands and groan. If Flash was aware, he showed no signs as he continued, “You see, prior to the founding of Mystica…”
“I already know about Bullion’s reign and the era of the Three Tribes.” SciTwi cut him off, her face revealing the lack of amusement over this lackluster history lecture. “So get to the point.” As Flash gave a weak teehee in response, “And don’t speak to me so condescending about how long I have actually lived, I am biologically in my twenties.” she added as she crossed her arms and puffed out her checks in a pout.
Flash gave a nervous laugh before he cleared his throat. “Well, before Bullion became king, his father was murdered by a Skyborn noble who was a vassal to him, The Cloud Sage of Castle Moor. After Bullion, according to his own account, ‘conquered’ the Sirens. Bullion began his conquest to be king by first raising Castle Moor and casting Cloud Sage and all of his kin to the dust.” Flash informed. “This event led to the commissioning of the Banes of Castle Moor, a tune Bullion would use to send a message to his other vassals and then to those he conquered once he became king to remind them of his fury.”
“Castle Moor was called that because it was a castle surrounded by a labyrinthine moor that only Skyborn could lay siege to.” Twilight added, “Which is why the song is so haunting, because at the time Bullion had next to no support and what little support he had were a handful of Earthborn serfs that were forced to provide food for Castle Moor.” she continued to elaborate, in an attempt to point out how terrifying Bullion was.
“Okay, moving on from the song, what else happened?” Flash asked as he saw that the conversation had to move forward.
Sunset sighed, “As they played, another being arrived. He was about three meters tall and after he greeted your families and the princesses he revealed himself to be Sombra.” Sunset informed. Twilight froze as Sunset continued. “He fought the princesses and those at the table and something seeped out of his armor, only to be revealed to be the being you wrote about, the Nightstalker?” she asked as she tried to remember. She didn’t wait for Twilight to voice an answer before she continued. “Then the musicians revealed themselves to be others your wrote about, people with some bad blood with your friends, I think their names were Lightning Dust, Wind Ryder, the FlimFlam Brothers, Suri Polomage, Gladmage and Svengali.” she listed before she paused again and took a breath. “The last of them were the Sirens.” Twilight was still silent, but terror grew on her face. As Sunset finished recounting what happened, with the use of Grogar’s Bell on everyone, until “And after Gaea and Gloriosa shoved me out of the way, Amity knocked me out and hid me.” Sunset took another breath as before she continued, “And that’s it until I woke up here.” She dipped her head in defeat. “Sorry, I wish I could have done more, but…” she trailed off.
Twilight stepped away and started to pant, much like when one started to have a panic attack, “Sombra’s alive (pant, pant) he has Grogar’s Bell (pant, pant, pant) and he gathered…” she began to wheeze.
“Twi!” Flash shouted as he took Twilight by both her upper arm. “Look at me, look at me.” he ordered. Twilight turned. “Good, now ddddeeeepppp breath.” he said as he tried to speak while taking a deep breath. Twilight took a deep breath. Flash then covered her mouth, “Now hold.” He counted three beats, “Now let it out, sslloowwllyy.” he tried to draw out the ‘slowly’ to guide Twilight through it. Twilight then let out her breath as directed. “Better?” he asked.
Twilight gave a weak smile, “I am not panicking anymore.” She stated, fairly depressed. After a deep sigh “What am I going to do?” she asked as she looked away. “Sombra dissolved right in front of me, he didn’t even resist the …” She paused as she recalled the last time she engaged Sombra and recalled how long it took her and her friends to actually get to Chantalot and that Sombra was waiting for her, her friends and Discord. “He expected us to beat him.” Twilight realized as she turned to face the others. “This was a contingency plan. As he waited for my friends and I to arrive, he must have figured out flaws in Discord’s plan, well the plan he wanted Sombra, Chrysalis, Cozy and Tirek to implement while under the mask of Grogar.”
Sunset placed the guitar down as she spoke up, “Okay so he elected to recruit the rest of your…” She paused as she recalled the Sirens were also a foe of hers as well, “...well our rogue's gallery. But how did he survive?”
“Well if Celestia and Luna could only banish him under the ice and when the Elements of Harmony were used on him after using the Crystal Heart as a magnifier, it didn’t kill him…” Flash started. “And even if Discord would snap things in and out of reality, resurrection, even in the twisted form used by a necromancer, is almost impossible. Sombra would need to have something in our realm of existence that houses a piece of his…” Flash started to voice what the other three were piecing together.
“THE ALICORN AMULET!” Twilight shouted as she recalled the item she had not contented with for years. “Sombra must have been the person who made it.” she mused. “So while he was waiting for us, he found where it was located and collected it.”
As Twilight finished stating her presumption of what could have led to this. Sunset got up, no longer feeling the ill effects of what happened to her, “But how did he get to be three meters tall and able to surpass Celestia, Luna, and the others, and how did all the others become into what I saw and how did the Sirens get their true powers back?” the pyromancer asked.
Twilight held her chin in thought, “They had Grogar’s bell…” she paused and then dropped her hand before she gasped, “They must have used it at the Grandhedge, it’s the only place with the stored magical energy that could enable Sombra to be able to match Celestia and Luna with just his left hand, let alone how everyone else changed.” she surmised.
SciTwi cleared her throat, “Um question, how would that even be possible?” she asked.
Sunset took her girl-friend’s hand, “Grogar’s Bewitching Bell dates back to even before Starswirl, during the time of Gusty. Not much from back then was ever recorded and much of whatever has been recorded was likely lost to time. But if it can strip Discord, of all beings, of all his power turning him into pretty much a normal human… twice...” she trailed off as she allowed SciTwi to connect the dots herself.
SciTwi gave an ‘Ow’ as she got the answer to her question. “Right.” She then turned to Twilight, “So what do we do know? We can’t let Sombra and them keep the bell and all that power.”
Twilight took a breath as she shut her eyes for just a second. After that second her eyes opened slowly as a confident smile formed on her face. “I am going to get a team together and with them I am going to put this mad dog down once and for all. So who’s with me?” she asked.
Before the other three could answer, “I am.” came the voice of Timber. The group turned to see that they had left the door open as Timber stepped into the room. “Dr. Red Heart directed me here.” He informed them before he pulled out a gem from his pocket. “Can anyone make this into a memory protection and does anyone know how to use that?” he asked. Sunset nodded and took the gem. After she whispered into the gem she placed it on Timber’s forehead and from his eyes was sent out a projection.
The projection showed Timber looking down at Gloriosa lying in a medical bed hooked up to a life sport machine. Next to him stood Dr. Red Heart. “I am sorry Mr. Spruce, but it appears that your sister’s body can’t survive on its own, as she’s in an extreme form of a co-dependent symbiotic relationship and for some reason the partner creature or creatures can’t fulfill their part of the mutual survival.”
“I know,” Timber sighed as he dipped his head, “She, our mother, and our maternal grandmother have all been vessels for a spirit, that started at each of their conceptions and ended with the conception of their first daughter.”
“A familial generational spirit pack?” Red Heart mused as she looked at the machines hooked up to Gloriosa, both to keep her alive and the readouts of Gloriosa’s status, “That actually does explain much,” she mused before she turned back to Timber. “Assuming that the spirit also had its own power drained, then we need to return to the spirit its power.”
Timber raised his head and looked Red Heart in the eye, “How much time do I have?” he asked.
Red Heart looked back at the readouts for a second, “Before permanent damage to her body set in, namely her internal organs…” she paused as she tried to give a quick calculation. “At best week, but that’s liable to worsen,” she informed Timber. “On top of that the longer it takes for the spirit’s power to be returned the harder her recovery will be.” she added.
“Do you know where Princess Twilight is?” Timber asked as he walked to the bed and took Gloriosa’s right hand. “I am going to save you, Sis.” he whispered. He then opened his mouth but stopped from speaking and after about a minute as if he was caught in a thought that he realized was not one he should indulge in. He then closed his mouth and took a breath. “Just please hold on.” He then got up and looked to Red Heart as she guided him out of the room.
The projection ended as Sunset removed the gem from Timber’s forehead. “So how long have you been listening to us?” she asked.
Timber shocked his head, “I don’t really know, long enough to know that you’re going after those that did that to my sister.” he answered. He raised his head and looked square at Twilight, “I don’t really care about this Sombrero guy, and a part of me wants to …” he paused as he didn’t want to say what was on his mind.
“Make them pay?” Sunset asked which caused Timber to turn to face her again. “But you’re scared about how Gloriosa would view you if you let that want of revenge be your motive?” it was phrased as a question, but everyone could tell it wasn’t.
Timber sighed as he dipped his head, “yeah…” he reluctantly confessed before he took another breath. “But I need to get Gaea her power back as soon as possible, I’ll cross the bridge of vengeance or mercy later.” He then turned back to Twilight, “So, will you let me join you?” he asked.
Twilight nodded, “So what about you all?” she asked the other three in the room.
Flash smirked, “I got a couple of scores to settle with Sombra, I am in.” as he recalled not only when Sombra bewitched him but also broke his back.
Sunset had a little chuckle, “If Twilight’s notes are anything to go by, you’re going to need help with that.” she joked at Flash’s expense. Flash only rolled his eyes in response, “I’m in too.”
“Me too!” shouted SciTwi. Everyone turned to her with a degree of shock on their faces, “Well, my girlfriend and fiance are both going to face this monster and what am I going to do here? Pace around in the kitchen? Twiddle my fingers? It’s not like I can do anything for any of the other guests who had their magic drained by the Bell.” she pointed out that she really had nothing better to do.
Twilight smiled at this, “Okay, we just need a few more.”
About an hour later, “Why is Trixie here?” the illusionist asked as she, Starlight, Sunburst and Tempest had joined Twilight et al in the Castle of Friendship’s throne room as all but the illusionist were preparing to confront Sombra and the last of Twilight and her friends’ rogues’ gallery while all of their Aura Marks were hovering over the base of Mt. Philistine.
Tempest tapped Starlight on the shoulder and leaned in so that only the binder would hear her, “If she complains one more time...” she lifted her right hand with her fingertips pointing to the ceiling as electricity danced between them.
Starlight’s eyes widened for a second before she stepped away from the back of spell components and scrolls of spells she can bind together, “I’ll go talk to her.” Starlight said as she walked towards the illusionists, “Hey Trixie, can we talk?” she said as she pulled Trixie out of the room. Tempest smiled as she went back to cleaning her armor and calming her mind.
“So what’s the plan?” Sunburst asked as he looked over his scrolls, his spell book and prepared to cast his combat spells.
Flash, while cleaning his sword, shield and armor, “Separate each of Sombra’s cohorts from him and the rest, make sure they can’t hurt us without killing them, get Grogar’s Bewitching Bell, use it on them and Sombra, use the bell to return the magic that it took from everyone else, destroy it, destroy the alicorn amulet, kill Sombra and put the rest on trial,” the sentinel answered as he finished cleaning and started to don his armor. “Simple.”
“I am more concerned about the how.” Sunburst said as his body shook in slight terror of the upcoming fight. “I am not a soldier.”
Flash clearly fought back a groan, “Do you know the ‘Hold’ spell?” he asked as he sheathed his sword into its scabbard before donning the belt it was attached to.
“Yes,” Sunburst answered weakly.
Flash then patted Sunburst on both his shoulders, “Good.” there was a bit of a dismissiveness in his tone that Sunburst didn’t seem to pick up, “We’ll go from there if we need it.”
Elsewhere in the room, Sunset spotted Timber preparing arrows and a bow. She walked up to him, “It’s not wrong to want justice for what happened to Gloriosa,” she said as she was trying to comfort him.
Timber stopped and sighed, “Yeah,” he relented. He took a deep breath before he looked up to the ceiling and the roots of the dead Golden Oak and the memory storage gems hanging from them. “But who am I to say what counts as justice?” he asked. Sunset couldn’t give him an answer. “Don’t worry if you don’t have one, I don’t have one either.” he said as he began to load his quiver. “I ask myself it because Gloriosa will ask me if I do anything more than just bring the ones that used the bell on her to answer for their crimes.”
About ten minutes later, Twilight came with her old staff and spell book, she was in followed by Starlight and Trixie. “Alright, everyone one ready?” she asked as she absorbed that everyone was armed and ready to go. Everyone nodded. “Alright.” she began to draw a magical circle. Once she finished, “Alright everyone step in.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Trixie shouted before she stepped in. “How are we going to get back?” she asked.
Starlight pointed to Twilight’s boats, “Those boots are made for walking, and walking is what they’ll do and if you don’t stop complaining, they’re gonna walk overall you.” she pretty much threatened before she shoved Trixie.
Once everyone was inside, “Alright, here goes everything.” Twilight said as she took a breath and activated the circle.
A shadow emerged from the base Mt. Philistine and revealed itself to be Sombra and his allies. “Excellent work everyone.” Sombra said as he applauded them.
Lightning and Wind could not help but smirk, “That foolish girl knows where she belongs.” Wind commented.
“Right in the Trash.” Lightning added as she snickered.
Suri, The FlimFlam Brothers, Sven and Glandmage only seemed to give off the joy of catharsis release via the justice. However, the Sirens were very much annoyed, but clearly the two that interfered with their justice upon Sunset cared about Sunset and likely she cared about them in turn, so they elected to make lemonade. The lot were joined by Grindale, after he slipped from Sombra’s armor, and they all cheered, discussing what they were about to do, ignoring the other party of the lot.
A wicked grin formed on Sombra’s face as he took Grogar’s bell and, pointing it at Grindale, rang it. Grindale howled as he struck from his colossal form to about the size of a boy barely a decade old, all the while his body morphed from the dark goo appearing substance to being a flesh and bone being that was no different than a Magicborn but with pale gray skin, black hair and steel blue eyes. As he turned to face Sombra, only to see Sombra’s eyes were fields of white and his focus gem was shining brilliant yellow only for it to blast Grindale. The magic eradicated Grindale, destroying his body, leaving nothing but an outline. Everyone else was left frozen, unable to move as Sombra pointed the bell at the decade. “You had your fun, but now the bill comes due.” Sombra said as he rang the bell.
Within seconds of casting the spell, Twilight et al arrived at the ruins of the Grandhenge. Everyone prepared their means to attack or defend themselves(namely Trixie as she cowered behind Sunburst and Starlight), but there was nothing. Nothing but "Help...us…" from a weakened and broken woman. Twilight, Flash, Sunset and Trixie didn't take long to recall the owner of the voice.
"Adagio?" Trixie asked as she revealed herself and walked in front of everyone to see Adagio, Sonata, Aria, Suri, Flim, Flam, Lightning, Svengali, Gladmage and Wind all on the ground covered in scrapes, bruises, lacerations and other wounds. They were all pretty much bloody messes in a very literal means. Trixie walked up to and then knelt down to speak with Adagio. "What happened?"
Adagio could only open her left eye as the other was swollen shut as she coughed up some blood, "Well ain't it The Great and Powerful." She laughed somewhat bitterly, but the glimmer in her good eye told Trixie that Adagio was glad to have some help. Adagio then coughed again. "You wouldn't believe it." She stated bitterly.
By that time Twilight and Sunset had joined Trixie as the others gathered, bound, and started to treat the wounds of the rest of Sombra's cohorts, save Aria and Sonata who were just unconscious, as if the wind was knocked out of them. Sunset took out the gem she used to show Timber's talk with Red Heart. "You won't be able to hide anything." Sunset said as she placed the gem on Adagio's forehead
Adagio groaned as light projected from her eyes and the memory started.
Suri, The FlimFlam Brothers, Sven and Gladmage only seemed to give off the joy of catharsis release via the justice. However, the Sirens were very much annoyed, but clearly the two that interfered with their justice upon Sunset cared about Sunset and likely she cared about them in turn, so they elected to make lemonade. The lot were joined by Grindale, after he slipped from Sombra’s armor, and they all cheered, discussing what they were about to do, ignoring the other party of the lot.
A wicked grin formed on Sombra’s face as he took Grogar’s bell and, pointing it at Grindale, rang it. Grindale howled as he struck from his colossal form to about the size of a boy barely a decade old, all the while his body morphed from the dark goo appearing substance to being a flesh and bone being that was no different than a Magicborn but with pale gray skin, black hair and steel blue eyes. As he turned to face Sombra, only to see Sombra’s eyes were fields of white and his focus gem was shining brilliant yellow only for it to blast Grindale. The magic eradicated Grindale, destroying his body, leaving nothing but an outline. Everyone else was left frozen, unable to move as Sombra pointed the bell at the decade. “You had your fun, but now the bill comes due.” Sombra said as he rang the bell.
"What the fuck?" Lightning shouted as they all were trying to process what Sombra said and what happened.
Sombra grinned as he shook his head as he put the bell on his belt. "It's simple. I don't need any of you any more."
"So you're just going to take our power and kill us?" Adagio asked as she came to her senses and looked at the residue of the Nightstalker before turning back to Sombra.
Sombra laughed maniacally at that. "No, I am going to take back what I gave and leave you to the jackals as you crawl on your bellies like the snakes I found you as." Sombra declared as he moved his feet to prepare himself to battle the ten. "Now will you accept your doom with what little dignity you have left, or must I break you each first."
"Not if we get the bell from you." Adagio challenged as they all stepped forward as they readied to fight.
Sombra could not but help break into a thunderous laugh. "And even if you succeed and use the bell on me. What will you do next?" He asked. This caused the rest to stop and begin to think. "Have you wondered why I waited until after Twilight and her sentinel left for their bedding ceremony to have you all go ahead of me?" He asked. The others were left perplexed. "Do you have any idea how powerful a sentinel is if they happen to be bound in matrimony to, as one flesh with one who they are devoted to regardless of how powerful the one devoted to is?" He asked. The rest were still at a loss.
"I managed to hex Sentry, almost turning him to be devoted to me." Adagio pointed out.
"And how did that work out?" Sombra asked. "I have been observing Twilight, her friends and their foes since she and her dragon help my half-sister's base-born son's lust born daughter usurp me." Sombra pointed out. "He managed to be set free from your hex and managed to challenge you in battle." He informed them. "Besides Twilight is not the scared little girl you sang against, Adagio. She's been a true woman since she blasted me without the Elements of Harmony, while you're still ..." Sombra stopped and chuckled at his pause and Adagio growled in response. After his laugh. "So even if you get the bell from me and use it on me, you'll have to either fight over it amongst your petty and impotent selves to see who can claim all that power, at which point Twilight and her sentinel will arrive and leave you eating dust or you can divide the power of the bell amongst yourselves and still be eating dust once she arrives."
"We're not letting you take our powers without a fight." Sonata declared before she charged him. Sombra smirked.
There was a flash of light and the field changed to look just like how Twilight et al arrived, save Adagio. She was standing in front of Sonata and Aria, the two later sirens were in their human form and drained of their magics, and wearing the white tunic like garments. Adagio was panting as Sombra stood in front of her. "You can't win, Adagio." Sombra pointed out. "The rest can live, but Bullion, Starswirl and Twilight were and are fools to allow you and your sisters to live."
Adagio looked over shoulder to her sisters then back as she panted. She then looked down her chest. Her heaving chest. She then looked back up and followed Sombra's own eyes. An idea came to her. She couldn't stop her body from shaking in disgust at it, but she knew those eyes. "Please, I will do anything, please don't kill my sisters."
Sombra stopped for a minute. His triumphant grin shifted to a thoughtful frown. He hummed, "You do know that I will take your power regardless?" Adagio nodded. Sombra smiled before he took the bell of his belt. But he didn't point it at Adagio. "And I shall be seated as the most high, as the head of the assembly." He rang it upon himself. After almost a minute all the power in the bell was absorbed into Sombra. Sombra's body grew to four meters tall while still proportional to his original state. From his back came six wings. His face shifted to be more akin to a cobra's (hood and all), his body was now a blaze and shone like polished obsidian, and he grew a serpent tail thrice as long as he stood.
Sombra turned the bell on Adagio, "Fallen, fallen is Bebil the great, who made the sons of gods drink her wine of debauchery." and he rang the bell on Adagio, draining her of all her magic and turning her back into a human with the same white tunic like garment of her sisters, as she fell to her knees and hands. Sombra closed the distance between the two and wrapped her around her waist with his tail and lifted her up and brought her face to his. "Anything?" He asked, it wasn't a real question as he opened his mouth and leaned in to force his tongue into her mouth. Adagio tried to turn away, terror and horror written on her face, but Sombra's tail had already wrapped around more of her body, including around her neck with the very tip forcing her to face Sombra.
Sunset pulled the gem away before anymore could be shown. "I am-" Sunset started.
"Oh piss off," Adagio cut her off before she coughed up blood. "I wasn't going to let him touch my sisters." She hacked again. She turned her gaze to Twilight, "Do you know why we joined him, why we had no qualms about getting justice on your friends?" She asked. Before Twilight could answer, "Because despite all your talk about friendship being magic and crap, you and your friends all suck at empathy." She took a deep breath, "Even that tucker who stabbed us in the back actually understood us and our grievances."
Twilight nodded, "You're right, I do suck at empathy." Adagio was caught off guard at this administration, as if she expected Twilight to deny it. She turned to Lightning Dust as the elementalist and the others had regained consciousness. She walked up to her, and sat to be able to look Lightning in the eye, "I am sorry that my friends and I didn't follow visiting protocol when we went to visit Rainbow, but you have to admit that with your attitude, sooner or later you would have forced out, but we denied you the chance to actually learn that and grow because we gave you someone else to blame." Lightning gritted her teeth but she could deny that Twilight was right.
Starlight pulled Twilight to the side as they let Lightning stew in what Twilight said. "Not that I am one to judge, but you and the others are only responsible for at most…" Starlight paused for some quick mental math, "thirty percent of how the" she nodded to the ten cohorts. "...relationship turned out. They likely only joined Sombra because he promised to help them get..." Starlight trailed off.
Twilight nodded, before she spoke. "I know, and I know that they are the ones that need to change. But if my friends and I don't accept our thirty percent, they'll never be open to taking their seventy percent.” She said as she looked from Starlight to the remnants of Twilight’s foes. She then turned back to Starlight, “I needed you to show me your past to me before I could talk you into stopping your plan for revenge, and we needed to get Stygian to talk to resolve his conflict with the Pillars, and if I didn’t try to reach out to Tempest, I don’t know if she would have reached out to help me after The Storm King betrayed her.” Twilight informed pointing out the incidents that reaching out to her foes had helped her out. She then dipped her head in shame, “And if the rest of my friends and I were more empathic to Discord, he might not have betrayed us to Tirek.” she acknowledged. Twilight then turned and spoke softly, "Zona Vero." Neither Starlight nor anyone else heard what Twilight said but the spell was casted all the same.
Starlight was about to counter but Twilight was right. The two turned back to the rest as Adagio had been healed, save for their drained power. Twilight however had her focus on Lightning. Lightning was clearly trying to not speak, but it was a fruitless effort. “Growing up, my mother told me I was destined for greatness because of who my father was.” She admitted before she looked to Wind Ryder.
Everyone else looked to Wind, after a few seconds of looking at him the former Wonderbolt soon recognized Lightning or rather her mother, “You’re Pixie’s girl…” he muttered before he looked to the group as what he said sank in.
“Yeah, she never got you to look back at her after you both…” Lightning paused. She wasn’t sure what she could say or how to say it. After a few seconds, “...had fun.” Lightning stopped for a second. She was fighting herself from saying something, but in the end what wanted to be said made it through, “I JUST WANTED MY DAD TO NOTICE ME AND SAID HE WAS PROUD OF ME!!!” she shouted. It wasn’t meant for anyone other than to be a release of what tension resided in her psyche between setting the truth free and keeping herself protected from what she feared would come next.
Everyone was silent for almost a minute before Wind spoke, “I am an old man,” he started. “I spent most of my youth and life making my name known because growing up my name was all I had.” He sighed, “I know that someday I will be replaced from the top… but…” he trailed off as he struggled with his own words. “With Rainbow being so close when she was a reservist, it was clear my days to engrain my name were at best few…” He dipped his head in shame. After he sighed, “I just wanted to be remembered.” He looked back up and turned to face Lightning, “For what it’s worth, making your own stunt team and doing things the Wonderbolts wouldn’t dare is a really awesome idea.” Lightning snorted at first, but somehow, she didn’t know why, but she smiled like a child that got pat on their head.
“Well, that was easier than I thought.” Starlight commented upon Wind’s divergence of his motives for why he was bent on getting Rainbow banned from becoming a Wonderbolt, without any prompting or anyone taking their thirty percent. “So what about the rest?” she asked Twilight as they looked to the other eight.
Twilight’s focus was actually on Suri, but before the princess could speak, Flim spoke up, “Our father, Enterprise Skim was a man of dreams. Yet they never worked out.” The younger of the two brothers informed. He stopped not wanting to continue but the twitching of his face betrayed his need to say more.
Flam came to his younger brother’s relief, “Father would come up with these otherwise marvelous ideas.” He paused as he thought back to their younger days, when he and then they would watch their father draw machines, “The very idea of the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy was his, and he came up with the designs for five thousand ninety nine versions.” He stopped and the two brothers shared a soft smile and light laugh as if they strolled down memory lane.
Flim then took over, “But he could never get the funds he needed to make any of them.” he sighed in sadness. He looked to the sky as if he wanted to curse some being that resided in the clouds but couldn’t get the words out. He looked back down, “He was written off as a quack, even by his extended family,” He nodded to his Aura Mark. It was fairly self evidence that the brothers were part of the greater Apple Clan. “He died when a branch fell and crushed his lungs working in the field. Flam wasn’t yet a man and we had nothing to our name.”
“We managed to bring to life a few of his other inventions and once we discovered that we could make people to take a real look at them,” Flam took over but trailed off again, “We became salesmen nonpareil and after a few years came AJ’s request for help for the Sweet Apple Temple Cider season that we…” he trailed off.
“We got so wrapped up in our ability to sell…” Flim took over but he too trailed off as the brothers didn’t want to finish the statements.
After a few seconds, “We just didn’t want to go back to those years!” the two confessed together.
Twilight looked to Starlight for a second, it was clear she too was surprised that the brothers came clean on their own. Before she returned her attention to Suri, “I wasn’t always a manager and agent.” Svengali started with a sigh. “I was once a singer myself,” He looked to Twilight, “Back then I didn’t go by my surname but my given name…” he paused as he took a breath and let out a sigh, “Knightshade.”
This reveal shocked all but the Dazzlings, “As in Knightshade and the Shadowettes?” Sunburst asked for everyone to make sure the dots being connected were correctly being connected.
Svengali snorted, “I hated that name,” he almost growled, before he sighed as if in defeat, “but such were things back then.” he bemoaned. “But then…”
“Came the diagnosis of throat cancer when everyone thought it was just a mild case of laryngitis.” Sunset stated. Everyone turned to her, “My foster parents were music lovers and the songs that the band originally made and their covers of other songs were their favorites.”
A tear formed in the corner of Svengali’s left eye, “I could never sing again. But as I recovered from the surgery and learned how to speak again I discovered how to be the voice of singers so that couldn’t be screwed over by venues and commissioners. And…” he stopped. He clearly didn’t want to continue, but he showed that if he did he might have a weight taken off him, “over time the power ended up going to my head and…” he gritted his teeth as he was trying to fight back from saying what wanted to be said. “I became addicted to demonstrating and enforcing it.” With that off his chest and shoulder Svengali couldn’t help but sigh in relief as if freed from something that was drowning him.
Before anyone could say anything, but after giving some time for what Svengali said to take in, Gladmage cleared his throat, “Before I took over Las Magus, I too was a singer.” Everyone turned to the elder songman. “When I started out I was the lead of a band and touring act called The Imperial Million Dollar Blue Moon Jordanaires. Things started well but after every gig and tour the takeaway just was not what we expected. I spent most of every tour skipping meals and had to crash in public housing after each tour. To keep my energy up, I had to take uppers to get going and stay going and downers to get to sleep for the few chances I could sleep.” Gladmage stopped, “Until we got to Las Magus for our seventh tour. We arrived a couple days early and while the rest were sound asleep, I sat down and looked at all the take in from the last stop and the numbers weren’t right. Then it hit me, everyone was embezzling from the band. So I decided to tanked the show by singing the shanty ‘The Curse’ and walked off the stage. We were then sued but since we never incorporated and I had not even two pennies to rub together they were left footing the bills and ruined.” He stopped his story.
“I remember that tour, I actually saw that show, I still got the ticket for it.” Wind commented as if he was reflecting on knowing the event. “It was actually your best performance.”
Gladmage smiled at the complement and the knowledge of meeting someone that actually saw that show. However that smile faded. “I spent seven years with them and they left me with nothing. To make ends meet I had to do shows, and over time, I ended up becoming a resort manager, and given how I was conned, I elected to make sure none could ever be in a place were they could con me.” Gladmage turned to FlimFlam Brothers, “Guess I should start with you two. You guys are a great team and I was threatened by you and that was wrong.”
With all the others, save the Dazzlings, done, Twilight turned her focus to Suri. “After I moved to Manahattan I was quickly hired by one of the city’s top designers.” She stopped as she looked at everyone else, as they were all shocked at Suri’s statement. “Not Prim Hemline, I was too inexperienced to be anywhere near her radar then.” She explained which seemed to give them some ease. She stopped and took a breath, “Within months my employer saw my talents and he began increasing my responsibilities and every time I showed I could handle more I was promoted. This went on for almost a year all the while my colleagues resented that I could do what they couldn’t. But they knew something I didn’t, in fashion if you are not cutting throats, your’s will be.” She stopped as she looked back. “During one of the shows the dresses I was responsible for, which was the centerpiece of the line, fell apart along the runway. I was canned on the spot. About a week later I was visited by Coco Pommel, she had told my old boss how I was sabotaged. She managed to set up a means that I could become a designer in my own right, supplant my old boss in the industry and she quit to join me as my assi...” Suri trailed off as she recalled how her relationship with Coco started. “Oh god, I am a real bitch.” she realized.
As Suri was silently coming to terms to the kind of person she had become and how much it disgusted her, finally the focus fell upon the Dazzlings. Twilight had held off on them. Given what Adagio had been through before their arrival, it seemed to be the just thing to do. “Is it wrong for the wolven to kill the ewe?” Aria asked as she pointed out the relationship between sirens and humans.
Everyone was to one extent or another without a retort, save one. “Is it wrong for the shepherd to deliver their sheep from the wolf’s mouth?” Tempest asked in response. This left the sirens equally dumbfounded. After a few seconds she spoke again. “We’re both sapient and sentient species, and given that you three have been transmuted into humans once your rubies were destroyed. If you ask me, that means that you weren’t sirens before those rubies.” the forsaker declared.
The trio were silent, Aria and Adagio were both clearly fighting back from saying something. Sonata however seemed saddened about what had to be said, “We didn’t want to be made slaves.” the often considered airhead of the three answered. Everyone turned to her. “You don’t understand what it was like for girls like us back then.” She compounded. “If we’re not owned by our father before we were married, then we’d be either owned by the high priest of the temple we’d be made temple prostitutes for or we’d be owned by our husbands should we be married. It was either those fates or death on our own or…” She trailed off not wanting to say more.
Aria was the one that took over after about a couple seconds of silence were given to let what was said and implied to sink in, “When we were little, our father heard us sing with our mothers, He said our voices were like honey. He then had us trained and coached and all that stuff, I guess he figured he could get a very high price for us from whatever fucker he married us off to or whatever temple could use songstresses. Given that he could barely put food on the table more than three days out of seven, our voices were his only asset.”
Adagio then finally spoke, “With his asking price, which I got admit was more than what we would have been worth, only some wrinkles, each with at least three other wives and an army of sons, could afford us. At best we would have been just trophy wives called out to sing comedies at feasts, at worst we would have been used by him to make that army of sons and be used to turn his older sons into men, even if we gave birth to a few of them.” She stopped and sighed. “Before I was old enough for when our father had to finish the arrangements for my ‘marriage’.” She gagged after she said ‘marriage’ as did her sisters. “I prayed that the three of us could escape that life and then I found those rubies.” She turned to face Twilight directly, her face fighting back the tears betraying what façade confidence her grin was trying to establish, "We first sang with those rubies at the feast my would-be-husband threw to celebrate his purchase. And… well doesn't take much to imagine what happened next. Or for the rest of our lives since.”
Aria then spoke up, “Hey! It wasn’t like we wanted to be come monsters that everyone thinks we are,”
Sonata continued the explanation, “Do any of you guys know what it's like to be normal one minute and then suddenly craving human flesh the next?" she asked rhetorically. "Let me tell you, it was the scariest thing any of us had ever gone through. After a while, we started having the cravings ALL the time, and eventually, we completely got used to it. We got so used to it that when they stopped after the rubies were destroyed, we got so sick that we thought we were going to die, which, weirdly enough, was even scarier than turning into monsters in the first place.” Sonata then broke into tears. Aria and Adagio were also both guilt ridden, but less inclined to shed tears.
Everyone was left silent. What was there for them to say? Twilight knew what the trio said was true. Finally Adagio spoke, “So what are going to do with us? I doubt you’ll want us out and about. And given your fixation on redeeming and reforming your foes, killing us is off the table.”
After a minute of silence as everyone was not sure what to do with the ten. Tempest then spoke up, “They could go to Stonlingrad Penitentiary.” Everyone turned to face her, “Spend a few months in there, it’s the closest thing to Hell in this world and they’ll ask for forgiveness faster than you think.”
Trixie snickered, “You never worked under Limestone Pie.” the illusionist commented. Everyone but Tempest turned to her, “Well, she pays well.” Trixie added in an attempt to soften what she said.
While the rest tried to process what Trixie said, “What do you think they had Grubber and me do while we served our sentence after we got back from informing those The Storm King conquered that he was no more?” Tempest asked in retort.
Wind was the first of the lot to speak after a minute to let what Tempest said sink in “So we apologize and we serve time in prison doing hard labor?” he asked, trying to understand what was going on.
Twilight was the one to answer, “In your case, it’s up to Rainbow to accept your apology, but to make it simple, yes.” She then placed her hand on his shoulder, “Or we could put you all on trial for treason and…” She trailed off as the ten began to shake in terror at the possible consequences should they be found guilty, which they would be.
“You are too merciful, my princess.” Gladmage spoke up first as if to accept Twilight’s offer.
“Do we have to do it in that order? Or can we send out our apologies while we serve our sentences?” Adagio asked.
Twilight thought for a second before she looked to the rest, “That seems responsible.” Sunburst commented. “You can’t force someone to give a sincere apology when you want it.” the wizard pointed out.
Twilight took the words to heart as she contemplated on her response. She then nodded, “Alright, not in that order.” She then looked to the ten, “So do we have an understanding?” she asked. The nine that had not expressed agreement gave various expressions of agreement.
With all that resolved, “I think we should split up.” Trixie suggested. Everyone turned to face her, “Well, we can't all go to face Sombra, some of us have to watch the…'' she trailed off as she tried to find the best word. Just then Sunburst’s, Starlight’s, Tempest’s and her Aura Marks started to glow. “Looks like we’re done.” Trixie commented. Everyone rolled their eyes.
“So what does that mean for the rest of us?” SciTwi asked.
“We have to resolve the matter of Sombra.” Flash answered as he drew his sword. “So let go find him.” He then looked around. “So which way should we go?” he asked as he tried to scan the horizon.
Timber took his bow and an arrow out of his quiver. He shut his eyes as he knocked the arrow. He took a breath and the tip of the arrow started to glow. He drew the string back and after he took a breath let loose the arrow. The arrow flew for a few kilometers over the ridge of the mountain just off to their right, leaving a trail behind it as it conjured a path that looked like golden bricks on the ground. “Follow the yellow brick road.” Timber said as he started after it. “It’s a tracking spell.” he explained “Once I know what I am looking for, all it shows the way.”
The rest were silent as Timber went on ahead, “Say if he could cast that spell, why didn’t he use it back then?” SciTwi asked. Before anyone would answer they saw shadows beginning to gather in the area Timber’s arrow led.
“Perhaps another time.” Sunset replied as she dashed ahead, followed by Twilight, SciTwi and Flash.
Almost an hour later, and looking over the ridge, Twilight, Sunset, SciTwi, Timber and Flash watched as a being that seemed to match what Adagio's memories revealed to be Sombra seated upon a throne fashioned from darkness, with its eyes shut and resting with it's right check on the knuckles of it's right hand. But the figure was different in appearance. It now stood a towering five meters, its cobra hood was extended and what looked like three faces with crowns on each side in the frills. On the right frill the closest face to Sombra's head was that of a lion with leopards' as the other two faces. On the left frill the closest faces to Sombra's was that of a bear with matching leopard faces to the right frill. The last thing that stood out was Sombra's horn like focus gem, which had seemed to become embedded into the being's skull and had morphed into what looked like a merger of a collection of ten horns and a crown around the base of the collection of horns.
"Is it just me or has Sombra been so bored from waiting for us he fell asleep?" SciTwi asked as they heard a loud snore come from the giant as they all ducked back behind the ridge.
While the ladies talked among themselves, both Timber and Flash however were still transfixed on Sombra's appearance. Eventually the two snapped out, "So we're just going to ignore that Sombra has taken that form?" Timber asked as he pointed in the direction of their foe. "Its like he has some sort of god complex."
The three turned their attention to the two men, each of the ladies with a slight frown on their face. "You have heard of a rebellious ciref, right?" SciTwi asked.
The two gave a nervous teehee as they rubbed the back of their heads, “I have heard of kirobim,” Flash informed after he finished, “Aren’t they the same thing?” he asked.
The girls sighed in slight frustration. SciTwi then answered, “Yes and no,” she started, “you see the words ‘kirobim’ and it’s single form ‘kirob’ are job titles for throne guardians and their imaginary is known for their zoomorphic fluidity save for their locations, always surrounding thrones and with wings.” she explained. “‘Ciref’ and it’s plural form ‘cirefim’ are also titles but the focus was on their serpentine form. However cirefim, like kirobim, are almost always shown surrounding thrones and they are depicted much like Sombra appeared in Adagio’s memory save for Sombra’s height as he is too tall and that cirefim are depicted to be more like clear diamonds.”
Flash thought on what he was told, after a couple of seconds, “So ‘cirefim’ are like squares and ‘kirobim’ are rectangles.”
“I would argue that the analogy would be more accurate by saying kirobim are at least parallelograms or at most quadrilaterals,” Timber countered, these actually impressed Twilight and SciTwi that someone actually know what a parallelogram and a quadrilateral were and the relationship between the two and their respective relationship to square. "But you’re on the right track over all." he granted. “But there's still the matter of taking Sombra on.” he called back to the larger matter at hand.
As everyone thought about the matter, Sunset recalled what Sombra said to the others. “Didn’t Sombra claim that Flash would be enough to take them all on even with all the power they would have should they use the bell?” she asked, calling everyone’s attention back to what they were shown from Adagio's memory.
“How do we know he wasn’t bluffing?” SciTwi asked. “None of us know this guy. He did backstab his allies. He could have been lying to them.” she pointed out.
This gave them all pause, save Flash. He had his sword ready as he turned in the direction of Sombra. “One way to find out,” the sentinel said as he took a breath before he whispered. “Star Burst, Star Sabre.” Flash then charged in the direction of the sleeping Sombra.
Timber looked from the spot Flash was to the three ladies, “Is he always...” he trailed off not trying to find the best way to phrase his question.
“A meathead?” Sunset finished the question for Timber, “In a way, yes.” she answered somewhat reluctantly but it was something that she couldn’t deny. The four followed Flash more cautiously then Flash. They arrived just within seconds to witness Sombra stand up and from his throne and swat at Flash, narrowly hitting him. But the difference in might was something Flash could barely endure and was sent flying back a few meters before he could correct himself. “Going big as always.” Sunset added with a slight blush. Timber rolled his eyes as he readied another arrow to let loose and separated from the ladies.
As soon as Flash had corrected himself he saw Sombra coming at him with a red crystalline blade proportional to the one that Sombra used against him when the two fought in Krystalopolies. “Skyboom Shield.” Flash shouted as he lifted his left hand with his buckler on. Sombra brought his sword down only for it to shatter and all the force of the impact had no effect on Flash. “I learned a few tricks since we last fought.” he smirked as he grabbed his hand crossbow and pointed it right at Sombra’s chest, “Requiem Blaster!” he shouted as he pulled the trigger launching the bolt of pure power upon the tyrant’s chest. Sombra was forced back almost three meters.
Sombra chuckled once he stopped. “You have improved, boy.” he complimented as he conjured another sword, “But much like before, you have bitten off far more than you can chew.” But before he took a step forward to attack Flash he was stuck by an arrow in his left shoulder. The arrow didn’t do much damage by itself but it started to grow into a tree that trapped him within it’s trunk. Sombra looked around to see Timber knock another arrow. “Looks like you got competent help this time.” the shadow king commented before his eyes started to glow and he obliterated the tree within seconds. “But that won’t be enough.” Sombra added before he caught the second arrow Timber fired at him and cast it aside as he turned to face Timber as the later readied another arrow. But before he could be within striking distance, Sombra was blasted by a torrent of flame, then by pure concussive force from his side. Sombra turned to see Sunset with Twilight and SciTwi flanking her. Sombra turned his attention to the three. “My my, Princess Twilight, I am surprised you didn’t fire first.” He then took a good look at SciTwi, “And it seems you have a doppelganger.” He then shifted his gaze to Sunset. He squinted his eyes at her before he started to laugh, “And it looks like you brought a second demigod to help. Smart move.” Everyone was caught off guard at that. Sombra had a deep chuckle, “This is rich.” He then sent a blast at Sunset, but it didn’t strike her but the band she had on her right wrist. The band was destroyed and Sunset transformed into her state of Daydream. “Lo and behold Daydream Shimmer.” Sombra greeted in mock.
“You’re a demigod too, but AJ and the others saw that…” Twilight tried to understand.
Daydream gave a weak guilt ridden laugh, “Yeah, I never actually said ‘no’ or gave it back, I just accepted it but given that there are so many now, I thought I’d use a glamour to make me still look normal.”
“Oh come now, Daydream.” Sombra mocked. “You hid it because you didn’t want that power dynamic to compromise your relationship with the doppelganger.” Sombra said as he pointed to SciTwi. “But you need now worry about that,” as he spoke his magic pooled into his hand and then he blasted her. SciTwi tried to shield herself, but Sombra’s attack forced her back but she was unharmed but she no longer resembled herself but her body was that of Midnight Sparkle, save for her wings which matched Twilight’s.
“How?” SciTwi/Midnight asked as she looked over herself. “This body died…” she trailed off in confusion. She was not the only one flabbergasted, as only Sombra was not phased.
Sombra snickered at first, “Dear child, you think that the power you processed as Midnight Sparkle would be so easily lost upon the destruction of your body. Look at me, for my power returned to me when my body reformed.” He pointed out his own returns. While Sombra was focused on SciTwi, Flash once again charged Sombra. However, Sombra sensed it and with one swift slash of his own sword sliced Flash’s sword arm off at the shoulder. As Flash screamed in pain as he grasped his side were his arm was cut. “Bold and commendable,” Sombra complimented as he looked at the flailing sentinel. “But wasted.” he said as he prepared to smite Flash only for pause as he heard Timber let loose another arrow. Sombra smirked as he turned to cut the arrow, only for him to be caught in a field of utterly blinding light. “AHHHH!” he cried as he was trapped and left blinded.
Timber rushed past Sombra, grabbed Flash, Flash’s sword arm and sword and tackled Twilight, Daydream and Midnight getting them to hide. Once they were all hidden. “Okay, we need a new plan.” Timber said as he took out one of his arrows, took off a leaf from the fletching and applied it to Flash’s wound trying to heal Flash as best he could.
Everyone was at a loss of what to do. Fortunately Sombra was still very much blinded and was not an immediate threat, save for the occasional blast and spells that overshot where they were hiding. Daydream had a thought, “What if we triggered Flash’s boon?”
“Excuse me?” Midnight asked in confusion.
“Flash is a sentinel, his power manifests itself via boons from who he’s devoted to. Now that Flash is married to Twilight, he should have received a new boon.” Daydream pointed out.
“Okay so why don’t I get a new one?” Flash asked as Timber managed to finally seal the wound and dull the pain all the while he tried to keep his eyes away from looking at his removed limb.
“But aren’t you engaged to Sunset and…” Timber trailed as he looked at Midnight. “So I take it your name isn’t actually Radiance.” Midnight nodded to confirm that ‘Radiance’ was not her real name. “Well you three are also engaged, maybe Flash needs to actually marry you two as well.” Timber suggested.
The four looked amongst each other then back to Timber, “NOW?” they all asked in unison.
Timber rolled his eyes, “Think about it,” he added. “If Flash is also engaged to you two, perhaps it is because he has not sealed his commitment to you and that’s what damming the flow.” he suggested.
Twilight thought about it, maybe Timber was right. They needed all the aid they could, Sombra did have integrated into his own power that of Discord’s, Celestia’s and Luna’s at the least. “Flash Sentry,” she said to her husband, “Do you take Sunset Shimmer as your lawfully wedded wife?” Twilight asked.
“What?” Flash and Sunset asked together in confusion.
“Do you, Flash Sentry, take Sunset Shimmer as your lawfully wedded wife?” Twilight repeated the question. “I know it’s a long shot, but what if Timber is right?” She asked. “We’re off the map, there is no point of reference.” she pointed out. “Also I am a princess of Mystica, as long as we are in Mystica I can officiate a marriage." Twilight added before she stopped as it set in that her husband was about to marry two other women and she was about to be the officiate of those unions. She could not be anything but plussed over it. However, there is a time and place for things and now wasn't the time for this particular thing. "Just to be clear, I am still Flash's first wife; therefore, I set the schedule.” She points out as her stop-gap for the matter. “Any questions?" she asked to make sure her point was made. All she got were shaken heads from Flash, Daydream and even Midnight. Twilight took a breath, "So I repeat, do you, Flash Sentry, take Sunset Shimmer as your lawfully wedded wife?”
Flash groaned at the first, “I was hoping to actually have a honeymoon with my first marriage,” he took a breath and looked squarely at Daydream, “but yes. Yes, I Flash Sentry, do take Sunset Shimmer as my lawfully wedded wife.” Flash answered Twilight.
Twilight turned to Daydream, “Do you, Sunset Shimmer, take Flash Sentry, do be your lawfully wedded husband?” the princess asked the other demigod.
Daydream looked to Flash, then to Midnight, then back to Twilight and finally again to Flash, “Never thought this is how we’d end up. But yes, I do take Flash Sentry, as my lawfully wedded husband.”
Twilight turned to Timber, “Will you, Timber Spruce, bear truthful witness that this union was made by the choice of the two to be joined?” Twilight asked the only witness.
As everyone turned to him, Timber had a slight panic. But he steeled himself after taking a breath, “Yes, I will bear truthful witness that this union was made by the choice of the two to be joined.” he stated.
Twilight turned back to Daydream and Flash, “By the power invested in me, as a princess of the Everfree Principality of Mystica in Dream Valley, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, pronounce you, Flash Sentry and Sunset Shimmer, husband and wife.” She announced. “You may consummate the union with a kiss.” she declared as the means to seal the marriage. "And just that." she compounded. Flash and Daydream then kissed each other. Once the kiss broke there was Flash’s body glowed purple for a second before it returned to normal… well as close to it with his missing arm. The princess spoke again, “Do you, Flash Sentry, take…” she trailed off as she was at a loss of what to say.
“Twilight ‘SciTwi’ Sparkle.” Midnight stated. Before Timber could ask, “Yes, my real name is Twilight Sparkle too, long story short Sombra was not wrong when he called me a doppelganger.” She turned her attention back to Twilight, “Please carry on.”
“Twilight ‘SciTwi’ Sparkle as your lawfully wedded wife?” Twilight finished the question as she focused on Flash.
Flash looked from Twilight to Midnight. He shut his eyes for a second and took a breath, “Yes, I Flash Sentry, do take Twilight ‘SciTwi’ Sparkle as my lawfully wedded wife.” the sentinel answered..
Twilight turned her attention to Midnight, “Do you, Twilight ‘SciTwi’ Sparkle, take Flash Sentry, do be your lawfully wedded husband?” the princess asked her doppelganger.
Midnight looked to Flash, then to Daydream. Daydream nodded. Midnight then turned back to Twilight and finally again to Flash. She took a breath as she shut her eyes for a second as if to think. Once the second passed her eyes opened with resolve, “Yes, I do take Flash Sentry, as my lawfully wedded husband.” she declared.
Twilight turned to Timber, “Will you, Timber Spruce, bear truthful witness that this union was made by the choice of the two to be joined?” Twilight asked the only witness present again.
This time Timber was much more confident in his answer, “Yes, I will bear truthful witness that this union was made by the choice of the two to be joined.” he declared.
Twilight turned her attention back to Flash and Midnight, “By the power invested in me, as a princess of the Everfree Principality of Mystica in Dream Valley, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, pronounce you, Flash Sentry and Twilight ‘SciTwi’ Sparkle, husband and wife.” She announced. “You may consummate the union with a kiss.” she declared as the means to seal the marriage.
Flash and Midnight were a little hesitant, Flash because he had just kissed Daydream, Midnight because she had never been anywhere near this intimate with a man. “Oh for the love of all…” Daydream groaned before she pushed Midnight into Flash in such a way that Flash could only catch her with a kiss. Or so she thought,, but Flash was able to catch Midnight with his arm and without a kiss. Twilight scowled at Daydream. “What? If you haven’t noticed, we got…” she trailed off, “Well I don’t know what to call him, but there’s still Sombra to deal with.” Twilight sighed.
Midnight looked in Flash’s eye and was transfixed by their calm blue for a second before she leaned forward to kiss Flash. Flash shut his eyes as he leaned in and the two sealed their marriage.
Once Flash’s and Midnight’s kiss sealed their marriage, Flash’s eyes glowed white. “Ani kerubh.” Flash whispered after he broke the kiss while he spoke as if he had relinquished all his metaphysical self to something else, putting his faith into another utterly. Flash’s body then started to morph. His height didn’t change, but much like Sombra, from his back grew six wings and a tail thrice his height, his head became like a cobra with his fills extended. His body was also ablaze and his body shone. However, unlike Sombra, Flash shone like a clear diamond and his frill had two faces on each side. The faces closest to the head were his normal face on his right and an auroch's face on the left. The farther face on his right was that of a lion and the farther face on his left was that of a vulture. Around Flash two wheels, one inside the other, manifested and Flash’s body and the two wheels that spun around him seemed to be covered all over with eyes.
Flash also gained a new arm. It was a metal arm that was lighter than a feather but was stronger than any normal metal or alloy that could be known. However the arm had three slots that would house an item each. A buckler, a sword and a hand crossbow. Flash took off his buckler on his left hand and placed it in the slot on his new right arm. He picked up his hand crossbow and did likewise into its own slot. He looked over to his lost arm, with a sigh he reclaimed his sword and placed it in it’s slot. The arm then glowed purple for a second before it matched the rest of his new form. Flash took a breath and a confident grin formed on his face. He turned to the other four. “Okay, I’ll keep him busy, you guys get the bell.” Flash then launched into the sky as his sword slid into his right hand.
The three of the four blinked in bewilderment for almost two seconds, save Midnight who was just frozen in awe with a blush on her face. “I can’t believe that actually worked.” Timber commented once his senses returned. Daydream chuckled once her senses returned, “You’re not jealous of him are you?” she teased.
Timber turned back to her with a slight snort, “Ha! For what?” he scoffed before he looked into his quiver and smiled at a particular arrow. “Besides, he might have more wives than I do, but I’m still better looking and more available.” he jested as he pulled out the arrow. The shaft, the tip and the fletching were black. He knocked the arrow and slipped out following Flash, leaving the three demigoddesses somewhat bewildered at how unphased Timber was to what he witnessed.
Meanwhile, Sombra’s vision recovered just as Flash slashed him across the chest and face, cutting his frill. Sombra cried in pain before his body began to heal. He turned to see hovering in front of him and several meets above him, Flash in his new form. “So you’ve elected to be nothing more than a glorified body guard.” Sombra mocked, but his tone hinted to a fear hidden deep down.
Flash smirked, “I’m not the one with the ego to be king when I barely have my life together as is.” he countered before his blade glowed blue.
Sombra chuckled as his six wings started to beat and lift him off the ground, “Flight offers you no advantage, boy.” He opened his mouth and blasted fire, acid, electricity, frost and pure concussive force at Flash. However, Flash was able to easily evade each of Sombra’s assaults as his much smaller stature granted greater mobility. Flash also had the ability of flight via wings for pretty much all his life, while this was still fairly new to Sombra.
Sombra growled, “STAY STILL!” he roared before letting out a torrent of flame and electricity as he spun around in a sphere while still in flight. After a near solid minute of this assault, Sombra stopped and looked around only to be blasted on from his left, right and back. He spun around to see what barraged him only to see Twilight, Daydream and Midnight. He growled as he began to pool into his hands his own magic, only for him to be struck in the head from above. The force of which broke off three of his horns upon impact. Sombra roared as he folded his arms and wings to his torso and launched them out, sending a sphere of pure force from his chest. While this forced everyone back, Sombra was starting to realize that he was in danger. “No.” he whispered, “This can’t be.” He growled and grunted ‘YOU’RE NOTHING NEXT TO ME!!!” he roared before he started blasting from his hands, wings and let loss torrents of fire from his mouth in as many directions as he could.
All the while Timber was watching and focusing preparing his arrow. He was keeping his eye on the part of Sombra’s belt that had the bell. He released a breath as he prepared to draw the string. “Arrow,” he said to the arrow, “Earth Arrow,” he gave it it’s full title. “ I’ve saved you for this.” He said as he started to actually draw. “You’ve never failed me and I always recovered you.” With the string drawn he started to fine tune his aim. “My sister made you and now she needs you. If ever you could fulfill a purpose, go now,” he said as he let loose the arrow, “and speed well!” he shouted as he followed through with the shot. The arrow flew and struck Sombra in his side at his belt. In the process of the arrow puncturing Sombra’s side into his gut, the sharpened edges of the tip cut the belt setting free the bell. Timber smirked as he rushed to get the bell.
Sombra cried in pain at the strike. He looked around, after a second he saw the arrow. He tried to pull it out, but given his size, it was like trying to pull out a splinter without tweezers. Yet he was not allowed to attempt it more than twice as Midnight and Daydream blasted him as Flash kept cutting him with his Star Saber, blasting him with his Requiem Blaster and ramming him while using his Skyboom Shield. After nearly a minute of this he was forced into the ground. He groaned as he started to get back to his feet. He was covered with cuts and bruises, the arrow still in him only to see Timber with the bell. Timber then threw the bell towards the landing Twilight. Sombra’s eyes widened in horror, but wounds inflicted upon him by Flash’s boons were not healing and thus stopped him in his tracks. Twilight received the bell and pointed it at Sombra and rang it. “NNNOOO!!!” Sombra screamed as the bell began to drain all the magic that he collected and took into himself, out of him. All the while his body began to shrink and change until it was once again human, in the form he was born as. He clutched at the Alicorn Amulet still on him and he realized that it had no more power. His eyes widened in horror.
Twilight pointed the bell into the sky, “Return all that Sombra and his former allies took from their victims back to where it all rightfully belongs.” Twilight rang the bell and the power jettisoned out of the bell in many small beams and a large beam. Each beam flew towards their rightful host, some heading towards the ten that had helped Sombra, a fair amount towards Magiville where the most victims were and a surprising number of beams heading towards Chantalot, while the large one returned to the grounds of the Grandhendge. Twilight then threw the Bell back at Sombra. “NOW!” she shouted.
Sombra was confused when he caught the bell only to look up and see Flash aim his arm at Sombra. On Flash’s arm, the engraved sword, buckler and hand crossbow started to glow purple as the arm morphed into a cannon. “HYDRA CANNON!” Flash shouted as the cannon fired sending a blast that utterly destroyed Grogar’s Bewitching Bell, the Alicorn Amulet and pierced the center of Sombra’s chest forcing the tyrant onto his back fatally wounded, exposing his heart with his ribs open. However the attack drained Flash such that he reverted back to his human form and barely made it to the ground safely.
Sombra laid on his back and wheezed as he clung to his chest with his left hand, desperate to cover his heart, but with each beat, his blood all but gusted forth from the massive wound. He opened eyes to see Twilight right next to him, with her left boot on the left side of his own head as she looked down at him. He struggled to get enough air so that he could speak for almost a minute. “No Rainbow of Mass Reformation for me, I take it?” he asked as he clung to his life.
Twilight shook her head as she lifted her boot. Sombra’s eyes widened in horror as he concluded what would be his doom, “You will strike her heel, but she will crush your head.” Twilight declared before she took a breath. “Solea ferrea!” she shouted before she brought it down. The last thing Sombra saw was Twilight’s foot coming down onto his face. Everyone turned away as the sound of bone crushing among others that would make stomachs turn. Once Twilight had finished, she removed her boot and pointed her left hand at her foe. “Azarath Metrion Zinthos.” she whispered as magic pooled in her hand, “And you shall be cast into the pit, oh fallen star.” she muttered before unleashed the pooled magic in her hand utterly obliterating the tyrant, leaving only the arrow Timber shot into him. Twilight looked up, the sky for some reason seemed brighter in her eyes, in fact everything looked brighter. She turned back to face the others, “And I saw a new creation, as the old one had passed away and there were no more shadows.” She smiled. “Let’s go home and check on everyone.”
"Before we do," Daydream spoke up, "Could we keep this..." She pointed to herself and Midnight, "among us?" she asked.
"I don't know, SciTwi looks good as a bad girl." Timber jested before he reached into one of the small bags on his belt and took out two gems. "But if you ladies need to glamour," he said before he tossed them to Daydream and Midnight, "I won't tell any one I saw you without your make-up."
A few hours later In Gloriosa’s hospital room, Dr. Red Heart was helping Gloriosa to her feet, “Now take it easy, Ms. Daisy.” the doctor instructed.
Just then Timber arrived, “You’re up.” he said with a smile as he walked into the room to be a human crutch for his sister. Gloriosa smiled in turn, as she accepted her brother’s aid as they headed back to the party.
Back at the Castle of Friendship, while most of the guests had returned to the celebration, Twilight was seated with her friends, “You’re not seriously expecting us to accept their apologies?” Rainbow asked as she slammed her mug down on the table, “My daddy wasn’t there, I had only my name as a child, oh boo hoo.” she grunted.
Fluttershy patted her closest friend on the shoulder, “As much as I want to also withhold forgiveness, Adagio was right. We all have been very selective with who we emphasize with.” the druid pointed out. “It doesn’t mean Gladmage should be given a blank check.”
Applejack herself groaned into her mug, “Ah ain’t too keen on it mehself, but Flim and Flam are kin… distance kin.” she acknowledged. She let out a sigh, “Ah’ll ‘ave tah sleep on it.” she ultimately granted.
Twilight turned to Rarity and Pinkie. “Well, it wasn’t cool that Svegali’s career was cut so short so soon, nor what he did afterwards, but…” Pinkie trailed off. “Maybe I can come around. He is a great agent after all.” she added before she started to devour the food on her plate.
Finally Rarity gave a sigh before she took a drink and let out another sigh, “I do suppose that Suri is not outside the realm of pardoning, I mean how many times have we’ve forgiven Discord for his attempts at destroying us.”
“HEY!” shouted Discord from afar, clearly hearing the jab.
Rarity smirked as she looked towards Discord, “At least Suri and the others were sincere with our end being their goal on the matter.” Discord was left without words and had turned back to what he was doing before. “Well hopefully the next wedding will have fewer…" she trailed off as she tried to find the right word. "crashers.” was the word she finally settled on after a few seconds of thought.
Rainbow took another drink, "So about your crashers, are you sure they’ll change their tone?” the elementalist asked.
Pinkie and Applejack broke out into laughter, “Ah worked with Limestone for three hours, Ah give them two months and we’ll be gettin’ heart felt apology letters in the post.” the paladin said in between laughs as Pinkie was left unable to speak.
Rainbow shrugged as the two continued to laugh at their in joke before she took another drink, “Fair enough, but speaking about Crashes.” She stopped as she looked to see Flash talking to his groom persons. “That boot you married could not have gotten that awesome of a new form.” She said as she turned back to Twilight.
Twilight wasn’t sure what to say. However she did see Flash walk fairly close with a boot in his new metal hand. She squinted her eyes in confusion before Flash lightly tossed it to narrowly miss Rainbow’s head as the boot landed on the table. “A BOOT FOR THE BOOT OF A BLUNDERBOLT!” Flash shouted.
Rainbow turned, “What did you call me!” Flash only stuck out his tongue childishly. “Okay, You’re on!” Rainbow declared as she got to her feet.
Flash snickered, “Catch me if you can.” he declared. “Ani kerubh.” he said before his form matched the one he had gain earlier, this time the hood was closed. He turned and started to run and fly away.
Rainbow growled as she started after him utiltamely causing a sonic rainboom in the hall leaving the whole place a greater wreck then when Sombra and et al left it. As Flash and Rainbow left, the room they exited the castle after Timber opened the door for him and Gloriosa to return to the party, leaving the two confused.
Back at the party, after she had looked around to see the 'damage', Twilight could only laugh. Sure this wasn’t the day she planned, but it was one she’ll never forget.
As the last of the cell doors closed in the Stonlingrad Penitentiary, the ten seem to have accepted their current lot. Flim and Flam were paired into the same cell with a buck bed, normally Flam would claim the top buck, being the older brother, but instead put his bed roll on the bottom. Lightning and Suri were paired into their own cell, and normally Lightning would fight for first pick, but had instead allowed Suri to pick her bed first, Suri claimed the top bunk. Gladmage, Svengali and Wind looked at the beds in their cell, the three older men looked at each other for a second and then to the beds, a single bed and a bunk. The three then looked back to each other before Gladmage and Wind shoved Svengali forward to pick his bed. Sven would have gone for the solo bed, but being the youngest of the three took the top bunk as it would be the easiest on him to get up and down it. Wind then nodded for Gladmage to pick his bed. Gladmage normally would have claimed a bed for himself but selected the bottle bunk. Wind then placed his bedroll on the lone bed. In the last of the four cells, the Dazzlings looked at their beds. Normally they would have fought, but recalling what their elder sister did for them, Sonata and Aria pretty much pushed Adagio to the lone bed. Aria then took Sonata’s bedroll and tossed it onto the top bunk, which she would have normally claimed. Aria then tossed her bedroll on to the bottom bunk before she slipped onto it.
“Welcome to Stonlingrad Penitentiary.” came the voice of Tempest as the ten turned to see Tempest with Grubber at her side walking down the cell block before stopping in between the four cells, on her left side were the two cells that the women were in. On tempest’s right were the two cells the men occupied. Tempest then turned to face the Dazzlings in their cell, “As you all are aware, you will be spending the rest of your lives here,” Tempest stated bluntly before she paused, “is what you must be expecting me to say.” she countered catching everyone off guard. “This upcoming year marks the 50th jubilee, the Jubilee of jubilee, since the coronation of King Bullion, which means-”
“There’s a musical festival during the week of the summer solstice?” Wind Ryder asked.
Tempest sighed as she turned to Wind’s cell, “Yes.” she answered depressed before she took a breath. “However, there is another event that takes place every jubilee, The Day of Absolution. On the Fall Equinox, all debts are to be forgiven and crimes but murder and rape are to be pardoned and legally speaking everyone is given a clean slate.”
“Wait does that mean?” Svengali asked as the inmates were trying to figure out what was going on.
“Yep, you’ll be free to go and live a new life each.” She paused as she watched the inmates were left agape, “You’ll have to start all over, literally.” she informed, “But you’ll have a real second chance. Lights out in ten minutes. You got one week of rest before you start the hard labor in the Pie Family Rock Farm.” Tempest then turned to leave, "However depending on your behavior here and the reports that Ms. Pie will give me, I can see a week long parole in your future." Tempest winked and continued her departure from the inmates, Grubber at her side.
As Tempest and Grubber exited the cell block as it entrance to the cells was shut behind them. With the last clang of the gate to the cell block as it fully closed, Gladmage snapped his fingers to a beat to a song that just seemed to fit until he started to sing that song and dance within the cell he shared with Svengali and Wind, “The warden threw a party in the county jail. The prison band was there and they began to wail. The band was jumpin’ down, they began to swing. You should’ve heard those jailbirds sing. Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock. Everybody in the whole cell block, Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.” As he sang the other inmates were initially baffled but slowly began to nod their heads to the song.
Sonata picked up the song as she could not help but move with the song, “Well Spider Murphy played the saxophone.”
“Little Joe was blowin’ on the slide trombone,” Aria took the next line as even she began to be swift up in the song, or rather the emotions they all shared that could only be expressed once Gladmage began to sing.
The next line was claimed by Adagio, “The drummer boy from Spellinois went crash, boom, bang.” as she allowed herself to for once be part of the dance.
“The whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang.” the sisters sang in unison, still having their well trained and lovely voices.
“Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock. Everybody in the whole cell block Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.” Gladmage and the Dazzlings sang in surprising fitting harmony as the others started to be more involved than just bobbing their heads.
Lightning noticed her number and Suri before she started the next stanza as she took Suri’s hand and spun her around, “Well number forty-seven said to number three”
After the spin, Suri took the next line, “You’re the cutest jailbird I ever did see."
“I sure could use some of your company.” Lightning took the next verse as she allowed herself to be spun by Suri.
“Come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me.” The two sang together after they finished spinning each other.
“Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock. Everybody in the whole cell block Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.” Gladmage and the Dazzlings joined Suri and Lightning as the six sang in unison.
After a few beats, Svengali joined in as he started the next verse, “Well sad sack was a sitting’ on a block of stone.”
“When over in the corner weepin’ all alone.” Wind joined as he took the next birth.
Svengali took the next verse as “The warden said, “buddy, don’t you be no square.”
Wind picked up a wooden chair as he joined Svengali, “If you can’t find a partner use a wooden chair.”
The two were joined by the others that had been singing, “Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock. Everybody in the whole cell block Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.” the eight sang together in surprising harmony.
Flim was the one that started the next verse after a few beats, “Well Henry said to bug, “For Heaven’s sake,”
Flam took the next stanza, “No one’s lookin’, now’s our chance to make a break.” as the two joined in the dance.
Flim took the next stanza, “Bugsy turned to Shifty and said, “Nix nix.”
“I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks.” the brothers sang together.
“Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock. Everybody in the whole cell block Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.” All ten sang the last reframe together.
