My little Pony:Spider And Magic

Chapter Twenty-Nine "Remnants of an Evil King, Part I"

Chapter Twenty-Nine "Remnants of an Evil King, Part I"

Twenty-Three Days Remain

When Princess Celestia stated that his departure would be immediate, it was quite a literal term as Peter was already seated on the next available train heading for the Crystal Empire within the hour. The length of the trip was an estimated two hours at the most, much shorter than the three day journey to Manehattan. Although Peter was blessed with the privilege of traveling first class for a second time, he did not revel in the perks therein, choosing instead to read through the portfolio of documents regarding King Sombra that was delivered to him by Princess Celestia before his departure.

In a sense, the unicorn chose to do his homework over anything remotely fun. Peter shrugged. That much would probably never change. His hazel eyes skimmed through each page, from Sombra's origin to his recent defeat. The former king of the Crystal Empire was just a normal unicorn, but after using dark magic extensively, he was corrupted, the power having turned him into a power-hungry tyrant. Like with Discord, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were forced to seal Sombra away with the Elements of Harmony, leaving him as little more than a disembodied mass of rage and shadows.

Peter saw in the paperwork that Sombra somehow regained his physical form during his return, but it was quite clear he was far more powerful in his shadow form. Peter shifted his gaze to his chest, where a small light glowed brightly before seeping back into his coat. Princess Celestia had told him that Sombra's powers of corruption were great, and she made certain to cast a resistance spell on Peter, giving him as much protection as she could. However, it would not serve as an absolute defense, as Sombra could still invoke physical harm on his being, but Peter accepted it, taking whatever advantage he could get.

Now he had to find a means of attack. The Elements of Harmony were out of the question as the wielders had their own concerns to deal with back in Ponyville, but there was hope in the form of the Crystal Heart, an instrument of love, hope, and protection. Just two weeks before Peter fell into Equestria, Twilight and Spike were able to find the lost Crystal Heart, all while resisting Sombra's powers of corruption. With its magic, Sombra had once been expelled from the Crystal Empire, and with any luck, it could help in doing so for a second time.

The stallion paused, remembering the Crystal Heart served as a shield for the Empire, and the reports read that Sombra was spotted in a temple outside of the empire. This meant Peter couldn't risk moving the crystal without endangering the Empire's inhabitants. After reading through all the files several times, the stallion reached under his seat, retrieved his backpack, and swiftly placed the portfolio alongside his costume, making certain nopony could steal a peek. He rolled his eyes. Peter had several ideas racing around his brain, but one kept pushing itself to the front.

Perhaps out of instinct, Peter's hoof tapped lightly against his horn, his body lending a hint to his mind, but the stallion shook his head. Despite the fact that it kept pushing itself to the forefront of his mind, there was no way that idea would work.

He could not perform simple magic without suffering severe migraines. If he were to try anything as advanced as that, especially on something as powerful as the Crystal Heart, Peter's skull just might split in two. That part of himself that always seemed to argue with him over everything reminded him of his impending encounter with a certain pink alicorn, the friggin' Goddess of Love. Peter sighed lowly, resisting the urge to facehoof for forgetting something so obvious. Cadance was the Goddess of Love, and if there were anypony in Equestria that could replicate the specific elements of the Crystal Heart, it was her.

Fighting Sombra in his shadow form would be difficult on its own merits, reminiscent of the days Peter had to combat the abstract body of the Sandman. However, with every strength came a weakness, and Parker already had a plan specifically for Sombra. He only hoped Cadance and Shining Armor would support him in his resolve.