The World Changes

by Terciel1249

King Sombra has risen from the ashes, unleashing a surprise attack on the Crystal Empire. The attack leaves a weeping Cadance to hold together the shattered remains without the aid of her husband. Forces outside her control will resurrect Shining Armor, but he will not be the same pony Cadance remembers. His name is Setsuna F. Seie, human, Gundam. (A Gundam 00 and MLP story)

2. Chapter 2

The World Changes
Ch. 2: My Armor

Disclaimer: I do not own the right to either MLP or Gundam 00.

What am I doing?

Cadance found herself repeating these words to herself. Cadance tried to remember what was going through her head, sitting silently next to the crystal formation that entrapped her husband. Light filtered through the foggy material. Light reflected in every direction, casting the room in shifting blue and white dots.

Cadance tried to remember what drove her to such an extreme. To follow the words of some deranged cloaked pony that snuck into her bedroom. Pulling from her memory, Cadance couldn't help but feel a cold fear growing in her chest. The pony and his actions were blurred when she thought about last night's unwelcomed visit. The words he spoke were difficult to remember. All Cadance could remember was the feeling. The feeling of hope, that mad insane hope she could get her husband back.

"I should really write Auntie," Cadance said to no one in particular.

Standing by the exit, Flash Sentry turned to the pony next to him. The purple crystal Pegasus mirrored Flash's worried expression.

"Flash Sentry?" Cadance asked turning to face her guard.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Could you grab me a quill and parchment? I need to send a message to Celestia."

"Of course," Flash Sentry said, quickly leaving the room. On the way out, Flash Sentry gave the two guards standing outside a small smile and nod. For the last fortnight, every member of the guard was set on high alert with the sudden appearance of a giant crystal structure inside the hospital wing.

I know I should get over it, but the damn thing is still there and its still creeps me right the buck out!

Cadance sat patiently in the cold hospital wing. The only thing preventing the pink alicorn from flying all the way to Equestria and getting her aunt's help was the Crystal Heart. The absolute pure and holy object of the Empire had vouched for this spell and in extent the pony lying inside the crystal structure. Why can't things be simple?

Holding her head between her hooves, Cadance took a deep steadying breath. Cadance continued to breathe in and out, taking in the quiet of her surroundings. Cadance felt the effects of stress continue to gnaw at her insides. Tight bands pulled across her chest, seeking to constrict her lungs. With each breath, Cadance sought to quiet her mind and body.

Cadance would not be able to remove this feeling completely, but she tried to reach a calmed state of mind. Cadance had to remain in control of her emotions and ensure the Crystal Empire ran as smoothly as possible. Dear Celestia, the stack of paperwork I have to go through, Cadance inwardly groaned. Even when she woke up early this morning, the crystal ponies continued to pile more and more requests on her. It was no wonder Princess Celestia relied on the nobles in Canterlot to help run the nation's affairs. If Celestia did all the work herself, she'd have no time to breathe.

Cadance turned her eyes to the blue crystal next to her. If she looked hard enough, the dark outline of a pony could be seen through the warped mineral. Even with so many uncertainties circling around her head, Cadance more wanted more than anything was for this pony to be her Shining Armor. Just to have him laugh with her, hold her, and stand with her as she continued to battle through every hurdle the crystal ponies put in her way.

Note to self, deny the petition to invade the Northern Forest. I'm sure the deer would not appreciate my subjects raiding their homes.

"Here you are, Princess."

Cadance turned to Flash Sentry, the orange Pegasus holding a roll of fresh parchment, a pristine blue quill and a bottle of black ink. Offering him a smile, Cadance wrapped the objects in her magic, "Thank you, Flash."

Unrolling the paper and prepping her writing tool with ink, Cadance held her quill ready above the clean white paper.

Dear Aunt Celestia,

I am writing you today to inform you of a growing development in my kingdom. To be more specific, it's about Shining Armor. Last night I was visited by a cloaked pony. I can't truly remember the conversation, but I do know he lead me to enact a spell that should revive Shining Armor. I do remember during the conversation, using a spell to remove or find any illusions of falsehoods in what the pony showed me was true. The spell he showed me the spell would heal Shining at the cost of drawing energy from another individual. The notes written with this spell said some of the pony's personality could bleed into my Shiny's head.

I think the individual used a spell of influence my decisions. I can't explain why I decided to take the unknown pony's words or why I enacted the spell. My belief is this pony used my emotions to further affect me. But don't be two alarmed! I used the Crystal Heart when performing this spell and she told me that everything would be fine. She did also say that when Shining wakes up he won't be the same pony I married.

Please send anything you may think is helpful.

Love,
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza
AKA Cadance.

P.S. Please don't tell Twilight about this. I don't want to give her any false hope. I don't think she could handle the stress of my blunder.

Cadance rolled the letter, using her magic to stamp it with her personnel seal. Handing the document to Flash Sentry, Cadance offered him a quick, "Thanks, Flash."

"No problem Princess Cadance," Flash smiled in return. "But Princess, why don't you magically send it?"

Cadance felt the heat rising in her cheeks, "I never got around to learning that spell."

Flash nodded in response, silently taking the letter in his mouth. With a sharp about face, Flash Sentry moved away from Cadance to pass the word onto the guards standing outside the door. The entire wing returned to its previous silence. Cadance's noon break would soon be over, forcing her back to her everyday tasks of paperwork, legal issues between ponies and the constant job of raising the Crystal Empire into modern times.

0 0 0

Pain.

Setsuna tried to scream, but his voice was silent. Every vein and organ was filled with an intense magma burning into his flesh, organs and bones. Setsuna tried to move, but his body was held in place by something greater. From every angle, a crushing weight pressed down on Setsuna's body as if it was trying to crush his bones into dust. Even through this mind numbing pain, Setsuna could feel something was wrong with his body. Setsuna felt his warped limbs held suspended under the constant force.

Even the simplest action of opening a eye was beyond Setsuna. There was nothing he could do. No way to escape this silent agony. No sound penetrated Setsuna's ears.

Please… someone… make it stop…

In the silence, Setsuna would continue to suffer. And the world continued to spin on without ever hearing his pleas.

0 0 0

High in the northern mountains lay many secrets. Under ice and snow, a dark pony sat inside the cavern of his rebirth. Surrounding King Sombra, clear crystals of varying sizes floated next to the dark king's shifting form.

I must become whole again.

While his body may look like a pony, a closer inspection would reveal the constantly shifting darkness that acted in a false imitation of flesh. A sharp red horn stuck out from the front of the menacing shadow covered. Lifting his hoof, Sombra waved at the crystal standing before him. Colors splashed across the clear surface, twisting and contorting until the image cleared to reveal the Crystal Empire. Looking into the market place, King Sombra could see all of the pony going about their business. All of the ponies wore happy expressions unaware of the danger lurking in the frozen ice.

The former king of the Crystal Empire snarled at the image of such happiness. The surprise attack a month ago was meant to strike fear into his former subjects. When they lost faith in their Princess, the seeds of doubt would grow. When the moment was right, Sombra would be free to return to his throne without any fear of the Crystal Heart.

Crystal Heart.

The object forged with his own hooves, the instrument of his downfall by Princess Celestia's faithful student and her pet. Sombra's growl echoed in the small chamber, filling the room with the sound of the king's anger. To think I was beaten by a mere child. Sombra looked closely at the image, seeing the Crystal Heart shine with pure white radiance.

Sombra would never admit it, but he was quite impressed by Cadance's resolve. After the lost of her husband, Sombra would have thought the blow would have crippled the alicorn and left the Crystal Empire ready him to take even in his weakened state.

The Princess's resolve is admirable, Sombra hissed at the idea. If only that fool Shining Armor had never interfered, then my victory would have been assured.

For now, Sombra had to wait. Even with the ancient magic he infused in this chamber, the healing process was taking too long. The flesh and bones of his new body were still underdeveloped for Sombra's liking. The magic of this sanctuary continued to knit his flesh and bones together as Sombra patiently waited for his full resurrection.

Even with his body in shambles, Sombra still had magic. Igniting his horn, Sombra turned away from the crystal ponies, his disgust etched in his shadow covered face. If I want my kingdom back, I'll need to get rid of the Crystal Heart. To do that, I'll have to break the spirit of the crystal ponies… again. So I guess I'll just have to try a different approached..

Sombra pushed out with his magic. Black tendrils of energy flowed from the red horn to touch twelve crystal columns. The instant his magic touched the crystal's surface, the clear material turned pitch black. The sound of shattering glassed filled the room as the magic began to reshape everything it touched. Chuckling to himself, Sombra shaped the mineral like a clay mold. Each edge would be what he wished it to be and no deviations were allowed.

Sombra smiled as his creatures took shape, pulling the aura back into his horn. Hello, my children. Sombra's teeth flashed in the soft light as twelve figures of pure black crystal stood before him. Shaped after a pony typical body type, each figure had four legs, a head and tail. The figures had no eyes, ears or mouths. Instead they had smooth crystal limbs and segmented torsos of shifting sharp rocks. Each crystal creation had a mane and tail of razor sharp spines. The fetlocks of these ponies ended in sharpened hooves, giving the crystal monsters four sharp instruments to stab their master's enemies without a second thought. From their heads a single jagged horn stood out against the smooth, featureless faces.

Go.

With that single command, the horns of all twelve of Sombra's crystal soldiers glowed with dark energy before vanishing in a blast of absolute darkness. Trying to power twelve individuals with a fraction of his true power proved more strenuous than Sombra originally thought. Sombra's shoulders sagged, the once mighty unicorn almost falling to the floor as exhaustion struck. But the ends justify the means

Turning to his scrying crystal, Sombra chuckled to himself. At least I can get a front row seat to the show. Sombra watched with batted breath. The shadows holding together his broken body quivered in Sombra's excitement.

I wish I some snacks.

0 0 0

Cadance rolled her eyes as the noble in front of her continued on and on about something. I can't quite remember what it was about. Every Monday, Cadance would spend the entire day dedicated to court for all of the various disputes the cropped up in her kingdom. Ranging the simple matter of a ticket for illegal parking or ending a 100 year dispute between two families that wanted nothing more than to take out their rapiers and fight to the death over some kind of grievance. In hindsight, banning dueling the first day on the throne was the best idea I've ever had.

Cadance opened her mouth to speak. Her words were drowned out by a loud explosion that rocked the entire palace and all of the surrounding homes. Cadance rushed out of her throne room, followed closely by her guard. Exiting the palace, Cadance and Flash Sentry caught their first glimpse of the problem.

Twelve ponies composed of pure black crystal encircled the Crystal Heart. From their crooked horns, the soulless being fired indiscriminately at the surrounding area. Chunks of buildings, wooden stalls and shattered crystal reigned onto the heads of the crystal ponies. The choir of screams filled the air as all of the ponies ran for cover.

Sombra watched the destruction, lying comfortably on his side as the devastation continued. None of his creations attacked the crystal ponies directly, that just wouldn't do. I certainly can't have them harming my future servants. Who would work the mines? Sombra thought with a bemused look.

Cadance called to the guards, her voice magnified by the magic she generated with her horn. "To all of the Crystal Guard! Protect the civilians and lead them out of the line of fire!"

Cadance turned to Flash Sentry. The orange Pegasus drew the short sword from his belt. Flash Sentry's blue eyes were focused on the creatures that sought to harm the innocent ponies, "Princess, stay here! We'll deal with these crystal abominations!"

Motioning to the guards, Flash Sentry and Cadance's three other bodyguards took to the sky. Their wings propelled themselves at the twelve crystal soldiers. Two of the closest crystal soldiers turned to them, firing volleys dark magic at the oncoming guard.

Wordlessly the four guards scattered, flipping and diving between the blasts. More of the crystal monsters joined the fray, firing indiscriminately at the Pegasus. To the luck of the other guards, the Pegasus provided the perfect distraction for the ground forces to evacuate the civilians.

A group of four crystal guard rushed the twelve crystal monsters, lances held at the ready. One of the crystal beast's horns flared, summoning a wall of pure dark magic in the path of the guards. The guards came to a grinding halt. Their hooves kicked up dirt in their hasty attempt to avoid the dark magic. To their horror, the crystal beast flung the protective wall towards the guards.

Flash caught sight of the four ponies slamming into the wall of an unfortunate home. Ducking under another blast, Flash Sentry found what he was looking for. As more guards poured into the square, the rate of dark magic flying into the air lessened.

With a burst of speed, Flash Sentry flew straight at the closes crystal soldier. Flying low to the ground, the orange Pegasus was able to avoid most of the dark blasts of magic from taking his head. Thankfully, the golden helm adorning his head took the blast before flying off of Flash's head to land with a clatter against the ground more than twenty feet away. Flash Sentry was now close enough to strike.

With a roar, Flash Sentry swung the steel blade with all of his strength at the creature's neck. A pure note rang loudly as steel struck crystal. To his horror, the steel blade didn't even scratch the crystal surface.

"Agh!"

Flash Sentry yelled, a bolt of dark magic striking his right side. White light played across his vision as Flash Sentry crashed into the ground, his armor charred and slightly smoking.

One of the crystal monsters slowly moved towards him. The sharp ends of its legs digging gouging inch wide gaps in the pristine road. Flash pushed himself off of the ground with a snarl feeling the heated metal of his armor push into his fur and flesh. Every breath caused Flash to wince in pain.

The crystal monster raised it hoof, ready to impale the Pegasus. The creature lunged forward in a blur of movement. Flash's years of training were the only thing that saved him, rolling to the side in reflex. The sharp point barely missed his chest. Twisting, Flash Sentry planted his hooves firmly on the ground before bucking the crystal soldier in the chest with every ounce of power his legs could generate.

Flash yelled in pain. It felt as if he was trying to buck a wall made completely out of steel. Legs numb, Flash Sentry threw himself to the left away from his enemy as it took another swipe at the orange Pegasus. Flash stumbled, trying to find enough traction to stand while his legs were too slow to obey. The crystal soldier advanced towards Flash Sentry, taking advantage of Flash's unsteady hooves. The crystal edge tore through Flash's golden armor with little resistance from the metal. Hot liquid spilled down the front of Flash's barrel, turning his orange coat a dark crimson color.

The crystal creature spun on its hooves, delivering a bone crushing buck to Flash Sentries chest. Flash felt his body crumple against the unfortunate building he collided with. Flash's vision turned black, the back of his head cracking on some unfortunate wall.

Dazed, Flash Sentry's blurred vision turned to the foreboding creature stalking towards him. Even with the vast number of guards, none of their weapons were affective. No matter the number of ponies that threw themselves at the moving crystal soldiers, their magic was just too much. The crystal monster Flash was fighting stalked over to him. The crystal beast enjoyed this, slowly approaching the downed Pegasus until it stood right in front of Flash. Raising its right hoof, Sombra's creature prepared to finish Flash.

The sharp point plunged downward. The tip of the hoof was aimed directly for Flash's chest and straight into his heart. Sombra watched as one of his children prepared to pierce the young guard's hearts.

The destruction ringing through the air, coupled by the multitude of screams filled Sombra's heart with a joy he had not felt in years. Music to my ears, Sombra smiled at the sound, wanting to hear more of it. With these beings, Sombra would single handedly crush the hearts of the crystal ponies and with it the power of the Crystal Heart.

A streak of blue magic collided with the side of the crystal monster standing above Flash Sentry. The creature flew through the air, crashing through the wall of the flower shop and proceeded to send bits of pants and soil in every direction..

At last you've come to join the party, Princess Cadance.

0 0 0

The cloaked pony stood on the balcony of the Crystal Palace overlooking the destruction occurring below him. From the pitch black depths of his hood, the pony growled in anger. "No, not now!" Turning away from the rising black smoke above the rooftops of the buildings, the pony moved unabated through the palace halls. Sombra should still be too week from his revival. What is he planning? Picking up his step, the cloaked pony quickly moved through the halls of the Crystal Palace contemplating his options.

To save the Cadance and the Crystal Empire, only two ponies had the power to stop King Sombra's servants. Himself or … Setsuna, the cloaked pony thought. If the cloaked figure revealed himself now, the plan that took years to develop would be destroyed in a matter of seconds.

Turning down the closest hallway, the cloaked figure came to a decision. Even if he's not fully healed, the plan cannot be jeopardized.Bursting through the double doors to the hospital wing, the cloak figure marched up to Shining Armor's crystal prison. Igniting his horn with an eerie white light, the cloaked figure whispered to the pony inside the crystal, "Forgive me."

0 0 0

Setsuna felt the world around him change. From black silence, a murmur of voices rose. From his frozen state, Setsuna couldn't tell where they were coming from. There were too many voices coming in from every direction. All of the voices were panicking, calling out in pain and fear.

The voices increased in volume. They rose in a cacophony of panicked calls, filling Setsuna's head with their cries. Setsuna was helpless to the onslaught of voices. The elderly, the young and all in between screamed out into the black abyss around Setsuna.

Setsuna could feel their fear, the fear of a helpless people. Their screams made the human's blood boil. These voices were crying for help and there was nothing he could do. When Setsuna tried to move, his body would scream in agony. The force holding Setsuna continued to hold him without any sign of release.

"Setsuna,"

All of the voiced faded away to nothing. Setsuna knew this gruff voice. But that's impossible.

"Can you hear them, Setsuna?" Lockon Stratus asked. The slight inflictions of his speech gave hints of his Irish heritage. Setsuna felt the icy knife stab into his chest at the sound of his voice.

A scene played before Setsuna. Exia flew towards the battle raging between the Federation forces and Celestial Being. Exia's normal blue chest and white limbs were replaced with a glowing red. The green emblem in the center of Exia's chest shone brightly against its red body. From the back of Exia, massive stream of glowing green particles propelled the massive robot towards the fight. Setsuna gripped the controls of his machine tightly. His brown chestnut colored eyes were focused on the monitor. Even with the speed boost from the Trans-Am feature, it would take several minutes before he would reach his friends. Lights of pink and red beams shot between the debris and asteroids littering the battlefield, shining bright against the complete darkness of space.

An explosion ruptured across Setsuna monitor. "Come on, Exia. Just a little further," Setsuna grounded his teeth. Stealing a look at the screen to the lower left, the screen revealed a curved bar outlined in purple. The bar was barely a quarter of the way full and was dropping at an accelerated rate relaying the amount of GN particles remaining. In seconds, the Trans-Am feature ended taking with it Exia's speed and red color.

Setsuna scanned the debris field, catching sight of the scraps of white blue and white metal floating aimlessly in space. The monitor blared loudly, a white box focusing on the only life form detected. Setsuna zoomed in on the image to find a destroyed barrel of dark grey metal surrounded by the twisted armor of blue and white. "The GN Arms," Setsuna muttered, at the image trying to desperately to make out any detail. The human floated over the weapon, wearing a dark green space suit similar to Setsuna's. "L-Lockon?" Setsuna pushed the controls forward as far as they could go, forcing Exia to speed towards his friend. The barrel below Lockon began spark with stray electrical currents. Small explosion burst from the sides of the machine as a warning to its approaching destruction. Setuna's hands tightened against the controls to the point it hurt. Setsuna willed the Exia to move faster and save Lockon. Time slowed for Setsuna. The screen he was so focused on blurring around the edges. All Setsuna could see was the image of Lockon look towards the Earth. The barrel of the GN Arms erupted in an explosion of metal, smoke and GN particles. Shrapnel tore through the empty space. "LOCKON!" Setsuna screamed. Lockon's entire body was engulfed in the explosion. With no mobile suite or gear to protect him, Lockon was ripped apart by metal the metal fragments.

Setsuna felt his body tense up, ushering a wave of agony through him as he tried to sob at the memory. Lockon was one of his friends and Setsuna had failed him.

"You can save them Setsuna," Lockon's voice spoke, echoing inside Setsuna's head. "You can save them all."

How? Setsuna pleaded. The burning rage and guilt filled his heart. These feeling drove him to struggle against the unyielding force surrounding him, keeping him prisoner inside this black void.

"You just have to break free."

Setsuna tried to move, struggling in vain to move anything. Arms, legs, head and even his eyelids refused to move against the force surrounding him. The force around him was still too strong. It never wavered as it continued to hold Setsuna's twisted body.

With a sigh, Lockon said, "I guess you need a little more, motivation."

The screams returned. Only this time, they were louder than he could ever have imagined. Hundreds if not thousands of voices rang through Setsuna's head. The sound hit him like a physical blow, Setsuna felt himself be physically torn by their cries. The pain was excruciating.

From the outside, the cloaked figure watched his handiwork. The air became filled with the sound of splintering rocks. Thin cracks spread across the unblemished crystal surface like spider-webs. The figure watched the pony inside begin to move. Shards of Setsuna's crystal prison fell to the floor, filling the air the light clattering of hundreds of crystal shards smacking into the ground.

Stepping away from the crystal, the cloaked figure erected a barrier around him in case things got a violent.

Setsuna roared inside the crystal structure before it finally gave in. The blue crystal shattered into a thousand pieces. The explosion sent sharp crystal in every direction. The furniture and walls became peppered with the sharp projectiles. But that was nothing compared to the pony that burst through the walls of the palace in search of those that needed his help.

The cloaked pony looked closely at trail of glowing green particles left in Setsuna wake. With a sigh, the lone figure disappeared in a flash of blinding light. There was no need for him now. The Crystal Empire had their champion. I would say I feel sorry for Sombra, but then I'd be lying.

0 0 0

Cadance grunted in pain, her blue quivered under the assault of all twelve of Sombra's crystal soldiers. The beings slowly approached Cadance. Cadance eyes darted between the indistinguishable features of the crystal abominations, trying to find an opening to counterattack. But their tactics were too great.

Sombra knew what he was doing. If he kept the Princess constantly on guard, she couldn't attack. With the guards' weapons made useless, there was no threat from any physical attack. The black crystal soldier took another step towards their prey, always keeping up the constant stream of attack aimed directly at Cadance.

Flash Sentry stood next to his Princess, baring a fearce snarl. But he knew he was no match for these things. Flash Sentry could see their plan. By keeping Cadance on guard, the twelve could keep her in one place. Then it would be a matter of getting close enough for a physical strike. The black crystal beings would dispatch the Crystal Empire's ruler with a single strike of their sharp hooves. Taking with it the hope and dreams of the crystal ponies and handing them over to King Sombra

What do I do? Cadance forced her shield to surge forward. The barrier struck the twelve monsters, but had little effect. Cadance's magic barely budged the crystal hooves digging deep into the ground.

From his bird's eye view, Sombra smiled. His prey was slowly being backed into a corner. With no chance to retaliate or escape, Cadance would fall and Sombra would swoop in to reclaim what was rightfully his. I can't wait, Sombra licked his shadowed lips waiting for the pink alicorn's blood to flow freely from her body.

What is that?

An object entered the airspace above the battle, his features a startling white and blue. No… That's impossible.

Setsuna floated above the burning city. From the black pit of the pupil, the shocking blue color in the center of the iris drastically changed to a dark chestnut brown. The bright sun reflected off his pure white coat and electric blue mane. Two majestic wings spread wide from between his shoulder blades. Unlike the average Pegasus wings, Setsuna's were sleek and sharp like a sparrow's. The pristine white feathers flowed to a sharp point. A light blue tinted the edges of these wings. Any passerby could see that these wings were not normal. From the folding joint of the wing, a sharp blue crustal edge protruded from the bone and from each wing a strange green light emitted from his back. The air behind Setsuna was filled with these glowing green particles filling the air with a strange whirring noise.

Blinded by pain and purpose, Setsuna acted only on instinct as his senses focused on the burning fires and the monsters raiding the city. Shining Armor's body acted on these instincts, were Setsuna wanted to go so would Shining Armor. The white magic of the cloaked figure forced Setsuna to look onto the battlefield, to forget everything else except for this fight and to ignore the completely obvious white nose sticking out of his face. It was a small binding spell, but one that would be necessary. If Setsuna was going to survive this day, he couldn't be distracted by anything.

The strange noise coming from Setsuna's wings drew the attention of many of the guards. In particular a light purple Pegasus turned his head towards the source of the noise, ignoring the long slice to his side that split both armor and skin. Shining Armor, he thought with disbelief. From the looks of, the guards saw Shining Armor had arrived and he was ready to fight.

A broach chest of segmented blue metal, the same color of his mane, was attached snuggly to Setsuna's chest. A dark green gem circled gem shown against the blue in the direct center of Setsuna's barrel. Blue armor gave way to white covering the lower back, stomach and hind legs. A thick belt of connected square plates wrapped around Setsuna's waist. Like the typical Royal Guard ensemble, a small hole was left for Setsuna's tail. Unlike the average pony's tail, Setsuna's tail was long and thin, with white fur flowing from the base to a tip of tufted blue. The on looking guards associated this new appendage to that of a lion's or griffon's tail. On each of Setsuna broad shoulders, square and blocky shoulder pads composed of a similar blue metal sat. Attached to each leg was a white armor as pure as Setsuna's coat. Down each leg ran a thick black trail from shoulder to hoof. Setsuna's hooves were left open to the air, allowing him the grasp the assortment of weapons her carried.

Attacked to the foreleg of Setsuna's right front leg was a thick broadsword and what appeared to be small shield. The blade was held in place by a mechanism that allowed the blade rest in the reverse position away from his hoof when it wasn't needed. With a flick of his wrist, a small blaster that acted as the hilt for the GN sword slid into Setsuna's hoof with the blade still folded back. The trigger of the gun was bigger than its predecessor to accommodate Setsuna's hoof. On Setsuna's left leg, an oval shaped shield with a sharp point provided Setsuna with a moderate means of defense. Barely wider than a foot at the center part of the shield, this item extended a few inches past his hoof and rose all the way to his shoulder. On each of Setsuna's hips rested the GN blades. Triangular blades of white metal and long hilts, these blades were snuggly attached to his belt. The blade on Setsuna's left side was significantly shorter than the right, the blade only reaching a foot long while the other one was two and a half feet. Each blade's hilts were held at the ready, facing towards the front of Setsuna's chest. Four rectangular hilts of white metal protruded from Setsuna's back. One sat underneath each shoulder and two behind the small of his back attached directly to the belt.

Every movement caused Setsuna an excruciating amount of pain. Each limb burned with a fire that would normally be reserved for one of the lowest levels of Hell. His chest ached with ever breath while his heart pounded the insides of his ribs. His head felt like a parade of tanks were slowly running over it, causing his vision to cloud around the edges. This would not stop him. Adrenaline pumped through every fiber of Setsuna's being, pushing the flesh further than it should. Setsuna saw dozens of wounded guards the once pristine roadways. Armor shattered and blood flowing freely. Many were seriously injured, thankfully few appeared dead. The sight of their bodies was strange. Small horses with shining coats and equally reflective armor was not a normal sight for the human.

While only the market was mainly affected, Setsuna saw the black flames and smoke spilling from the destroyed homes. Setsuna turned to face the sound of rapid firing lasers. Twelve black creatures with sharp horns had two of these small horses pinned. A translucent shield was all that protected them from their inevitable deaths.

Beads of sweat trickled down Cadance's forehead. The pink unicorn with wings pushed against the twelve monstrosities. The twelve crystal monsters pushed with a greater force against her barrier. The sharp points of their hooves slowly slid through the barrier, piercing Cadance's magic.

In an instant, the battle change.

Cadance, Flash Sentry and any guard close to the raging battle watched in complete awe as a high pink beam of pure energy tore through the chest of one of the crystal soldiers. The resulting blast sent all of Sombra's crystal monsters scattering. More blasts ensued, catching two more as they got to their hooves.

All heads turned to the source of the blasts. Cadance felt her heart stop in that moment. Time slowed as she looked upon the face of the pony that had saved them. Setsuna's blue mane flowed freely in the wind's breeze. A lifetime of military training and combat Shining Armor had worked for was now Setsuna's greatest strength. Were Setsuna wanted to move, the pony followed.

Activating the GN Sword, the large blade on Setsuna's right foreleg swung into position. Pointing the edge towards one of the crystal monsters, Setsuna flew forward.

The crystal monsters began to fire upon the flying pony. Raising his shield, Setsuna's weather the dark blasts. Dark magic peppered the E-Carbon armor forged specifically for the Gundams, but none of Sombra's dark magic could harm either Setsuna or his armor. Sombra growled as the GN Sword sliced through the crystal rock and magic cutting the creature right down the middle.

Swinging around, Setsuna shot towards the closest crystal monster. Setsuna's eyes only had room for his next opponent and nothing else. The cloaked pony's magic and his need to stop the screams prevented anything else from distracting him. This crystal soldier rolled under the humming blade. Jumping upright, the monster turned to fire at Setsuna's back. Setsuna spun, catching the blasts with his shield. "AH!" Setsuna roared, swinging for the crystal monster's head.

The monster ducked under the vertical strike. With nimble hooves, the crystal monster jabbed Setsuna in the side. To Sombra's growing frustration, the crystal hoof shattered against Setsuna's armor. Setsuna sidestepped the second strike before catching the thing with a slash to its stomach and cutting the thing in two.

The remaining nine of Sombra's creations remained cautious around the sudden arrival of Setsuna, providing a steady rate of suppressive fire against the avenging Setsuna. Each blast was strong. Setsuna could still feel the physical force of each blast. But they did little damage to either armor or flesh.

Cadance watched with an open mouth. She watched her Shining Armor hover inches above the ground, the green particles flowing from his wings giving him greater amount maneuverability. Weaving between the strikes, Cadance watched in wonder as Setsuna weather the blows before striking down two of the crystal monsters with a single strike that took both of their heads. To be honest, the Princess of Love didn't know how to feel. Cadance's heart beat rapidly against her ribcage. She felt shocked, worried, and fearful of her husband. Beneath that though, she felt hope. Cadance looked to her knight in shining armor saving her and her subjects from the brink of death.

The GN Sword folded back, Setsuna taking to the air while firing on another one of Sombra's crystal soldiers. The blast tore through the crystal foreleg before being finished by a shot to the head.

Sombra snarled with rage watching as his creations wered destroyed so easily by Setsuna. Sombra watched Setsuna smash the sharp part of his shield into another one of his children. The shield shattered the crystal monsters chest. Setsuna made sure the thing was dead by destroying its head in a blast of pink plasma

Three of the crystal monsters rushed Setsuna, hoping to use their numbers to overpower him. To Sombra's and Cadance's surprise, Setsuna folded the GN Sword back into its holstered position. The shield Setsuna carried dropped to the ground with a clattered. With both hooves now freed, Setsuna reached behind to his lower back and grasped the two rectangular hilts.

Throwing the blades forward, a short pink energy blade pierced through two of the charging crystal soldiers though their torsos. The pair dropped to the ground with a loud crash. Setsuna reached under each of his shoulder. The white hilts folded down to meet Setsuna's blue hooves. Pulling out the blades, two and a half foot plasma blades erupted from the hilts.

Cadance watched Setsuna perform a counterclockwise spin, dodging the crystal monster. With a quick swing of his blade, Setsuna caught the crystal soldier in its side before finishing it off by removing its head from its body. Cadance never believed her Shining Armor could move so fluidly. The sections of Setsuna's armor moved as he moved, never hindering the pony's movements.

Setsuna turned to face the final two crystal monsters. Sweat poured down Setsuna's face, stinging his eyes. His breathing was heavy. Each breath felt like a red hot poker was piercing each of his lungs. Setsuna's legs felt like they were felt like lead, trembling under the strain his body was being forced to endure. Not going to last much longer.

From the window of the book store, two ponies cowered behind the cracked wall. Thankfully the building's structure remained intact. Page Turner, a light tan crystal pony with a brown mane and eyes peered over the window. Lying on the ground was the trembling form of a pale white mare with a sparkling blue mane. Page Turner watched his Prince dodge the remaining two crystal ponies, his trembling hooves held onto the only item in his procession. Something the Equestrian ponies called a 'camera.'

Both of the jagged horns of Sombra's beasts flared with dark magic. Since blasts were infective, the two remaining crystal soldiers charged blindly forward. The sought to skewer Setsuna's armored side by focusing all their magic on the point of their horns. Sliding to the side, Setsuna could feel his body slowing down. His muscles became slower to react and sent a constant stream of pain signals up Setsuna's nervous system.

The two crystal monsters separated with each, moving opposite of each other in a wide circle. Setsuna's eyes shifted from one to the other, his blades pointed at each of the crystal monsters. The plasma blades shimmered with heat, the pink blades looking quite intimidating beside their color. Sombra's monsters rushed forward on both Setsuna's left and right side.

Plasma energy and black magic sparked as sword and horn collided. Setsuna growled, holding the two monsters at bay. Page Turner watched Setsuna jump into the air, the GN particles pushing him high above the two crystal monster's heads. The two smashed against one another, cracking their crystal bodies.

"AH!" Setsuna yelled, lifting both blades above his head. With a mighty flap of his wings, Setsuna delivered an earth shattering strike. The pink blades tore through the crystal as if it was nothing, leaving a glowing tail of melted crystal. The road cracked under Setsuna's hooves during his landing.

Setsuna stumbled forward, his vision becoming black for a second. The two hilts of the beam sabers fell from his hooves. The only thing keeping Setsuna still concious was the possible threat of another enemy. Scanning the area front of him, Setsuna's blue and brown eyes saw only scattered pieces of buildings, a few guards too injured to move and a pink pony looking at him in awe.

Cadance's eyes marveled at the image before her. A tired and wearing Shining Armor standing triumphantly. The rays of Celestia's sun reflected off the Setsuna's armor. A faint breeze caught the blue mane, swaying the long flowing hair across Setsuna's proud shoulders and neck.

From the book store, Page Turner watched Setsuna stand silently. Raising the camera to his eyes, Page Turner flipped the switch to take a photo. The photo of his Prince after a hard won victory.

Cadance's gasped in shock, Setsuna fell onto his front hooves with a crash. Setsuna's trembling limbs could barely support his weight. The white unicorn's body lurched, Setsuna's pony insides filled with fire for the unwanted physical exertion. With a gargled groan, Setsuna spilled the constants of his stomach onto the ground. Setsuna's blurring vision quickly grew dark. Neither his will to fight nor the cloaked pony's magic could push Setsuna any further. Setsuna could finally sleep while his body fell towards the earth.

Cadance, followed by a limping Flash Sentry rushed to Setsuna's side. With her magic, Cadance caught Setsuna in a blue aura before his muzzle could meet with the cold unforgiving ground. Lifting him off the ground, Cadance brought Setsuna's face to eye. Cadance raised a cautious hoof. Slowly, she pressed her hoof against Setsuna's brow feeling the heat radiating off of his skin.

Cadance turned her gaze towards the inured ponies and the damaged buildings. "Flash," Cadance said.

"Yes, Princess?" Flash asked turning to face Cadance's worried expression.

"I'm going to the palace get every available nurse and medical personnel to aid any of the injured. When you are able to, I want you to join me alongside any capable guardsman to apply aid to any pony needing it," Cadance said. "I will have the Palace staff open all available rooms to any of the crystal ponies whose home are too damaged or destroyed. Tomorrow we will begin rebuilding, but today our main priority is the injured."

"Yes Princess," Flash saluted, wincing as his chest burned from the sharp movement.

Cadance turned to make her way to the castle, calling on any of the passing guards she found to action.

Sombra roared at the image splayed across the crystal's surface. Sombra's angry yells range through the empty cavern shaking the crystal structures to their very foundation. To think I, King Sombra, was thwarted again by these ponies. What was that power? Sombra's red eyes bore into the image Cadance carrying her husband away.

0 0 0

Hours passed in a blur for the ponies of the Crystal Empire, to Cadance they felt like an eternity. For hours she shepherded any pony without a home into the empty rooms inside the majestic palace. Cadance dragged her hooves across the floor as she made her way through the palace halls. Her horn felt heavy. With so few medical staff to apply proper medical care, the burden came to Cadance to heal less serious injured. Allowing the medical staff provided by Celestia to focus their efforts on the serious cases.

Cadance counted her lucky stars that none of the citizens or guards were killed. The small miracles in life, Cadance trudged to the tall double doors that lead to her room. Two crystal guards stood at attention next to her door. Even with their armor dented and faces bruised, these two guards looked determined to guard Cadance's bedroom with their lives. Upon seeing their ruler, the two crystal guards bowed low to the ground.

"Um, what's going on here?" Cadance asked.

"Princess Cadance," the teal colored pony answered, "After Dr. Charts' initial examination, she determined that the Prince was in no medical danger and thought Shining Armor deserved to rest in comfort."

"Wait what?" Cadance asked, her mind going blank for a moment.

The guards shuffled uncomfortable in his armor, "Dr. Charts wanted Shining Armor to wake up in a place he felt comfortable in."

"Why?"

"After being in a coma for such a long period of time," the smooth voice of doctor Charts said from the doorway. Cadance turned to face the shorter unicorn. Dr. Coats's fur was a pale grey with a darker mane of grey and a black streak running through it. The good doctor wore a once prestine white coat and stethoscope. But the white material had become very wrinkled after hours of constant motion. Cadance could see the dark bags under the unicorn's eyes. They're almost black. Dr. Chart's held one of the doors open, "I didn't want Shining Armor to freak out when he woke up."

Leading Cadance to the bed, Cadance felt her heart flutter in her chest. Lying fast asleep under the deep velvet covers lay Setsuna. The slow rise and fall of his chest had a strange calming effect on the worn princess. Here was the living breathing version of her husband. The strong chin and brow rested comfortably on the pillow wearing a peaceful expression.

"Now," Dr. Charts began, "I've gone through all available tests at my disposal. X-ray, physical examination, I took some samples from his horn and a few organs to look under a microscope and finally I ended on a CAT scan on his cranium."

Cadance rubbed a hoof to her head, trying desperately to follow the Doctor's words, "How did you find the time to do these tests while working on the dozens of patients you had today?"

"Oh I have my ways," Dr. Charts offered Cadance a tired smile. "I haven't had time to look over the results, but I did notice one thing." Reaching over Setsuna's body, Dr. Charts pulled one of Setsuna's hooves to eye level. In the center of the blue hoof was a strange green circle. The light reflected off the foreign object like crystal.

"What is it?"

Dr. Charts sighed, "I'm not sure. From my initial observation, it seems to be some kind of organic crystal. I don't know exactly what it is or the extent of the crystal's growth, but each hoof seems to have it and here." Dropping the hoof, the good doctor lifted one of Setsuna's wings to reveal his spine. Along the spine a single strip of crystal running between the Setsuna's wings. Cadance could see the faint outlines of green light veins running from the spine and into the wings.

"So," Cadance began, her mind trying to process this new development, "do I need to be worried about this?"

"Not to my knowledge," Dr. Charts answered with some hesitation. "There appears to be no magical signatures coming from the crystal. I scanned his entire body for any foreign or dark energy signatures, but I found none. That knocks off any kind of hazardous spell or one of Sombra's tricks." Dr. Charts made to leave, "I'll let you know the results of my tests tomorrow when I get the chance. Goodnight, Princess Cadance."

Cadance said her goodbye, knowing she and the doctor were far too tired to do anything else tonight. "Guards," Cadance called, "Make sure you get some rest too. I think we all could use a goodnights sleep."

With a flicker of her horn, Cadance extinguished the lights before hesitantly slipping under the covers. Keeping to the edge of the mattress, Cadance stared up at the ceiling. Her heart skipped several beats. The anxiety she felt was so strange. Here Cadance was, lying in her own bed with a pony that looked clearly like her husband, but yet he wasn't her husband. Why is life so confusing? Stealing a glance over at the sleeping unicorn, Cadance felt a strange heat rise in her cheeks.

Cadance found it difficult not to move closer to Setsuna's sleeping form, to physically touch his white fur and confirm that he was actually there. Cadance kept her eyes to the ceiling, trying to not look at Setsuna. Cadance felt like a little school girl, trying desperately not to look at Setsuna for fear of him catching her staring at him while he slept. Setsuna's soft breathing drew her eyes towards him. Cadance looked at the familiar muzzle. Setsuna's long mane partially covering his closed eyes gave his hair a messy look. Setsuna looked so peaceful lying across from her. Cadance felt the pang of her heart echo inside her chest. She wanted to move closer to him, to be held in those familiar forelegs. Cadance wanted to experience the same sensation of Shining Armor's fur against her own. It had been so long since she felt his strong hooves embrace her. To have those same forelegs hold onto her and tell her everything would be fine.

Slowly, methodically, Cadance inched her way across the violet silk sheets. Sestuna's showed no reaction as Cadance's mass compressed the mattress near. Setsuna was held in the grips of a dreamless sleep, a healing sleep. Cadance felt the heat radiate off Setsuna's body as she approached, less than a foot away now. She could feel the anticipation wrack her frame. Almost there.

Setsuna's brow furrowed as his mind tried to process the warm object pressing against his body. There was no threat to be perceived, only soft warmth forcing its way into his arms. Cadance laid her head against Setsuna's barrel. Cadance closed her eyes tight, trying to remember the feeling of Shining Armor holding her. Cadance shivered, almost in disgust. Disgust in herself. Here she was, Mi Amore Cadenza, lying with a stallion she couldn't entirely vouch for.

Cadance felt so alone. The threat of attack from Sombra, the constant burden of running an Empire and losing her husband had made her soft. All those longs nights of staying up past midnight, tirelessly working at her desk, Cadance felt the tension that had been growing in her chest for the past year take its toll. The only thing that kept her going was Shining Armor. How he could always make her smile. How, no matter what, Shining Armor would always be there for her. When he left, so did a part of Cadance. Cadance was left with a gaping hole in her chest, one that could not be easily filled.

Cadance felt hot tears well up in the corner of her eyes. Burying her face in Setsuna's chest, Cadance let the emotions break the surface. For the first time in a month, Cadance finally let her emotions have their way with her. The fear of her subjects, the fear of Sombra, the isolation she felt and her loss; the loss of those five brave guards who fell today and the loss of Shining Armor. There was no pony to turn to. Twilight had spent the last month searching the four corners of Equestria for any magic she could use to recover her big brother. Celestia provided them with every ounce of research, knowledge and time she could. But Celestia was still a pony and she couldn't solve every problem that reared its head. Cadance trembled against Setsuna's soft fur letting her confused and churning emotions tear through her body and mind.

I can hear a voice…

It sounds so

familiar.

Cadance flinched in surprise. The white forelegs began to move of their own accord. Setsuna could not explain why he did it. Something deep inside him wanted to comfort the person next to him. With jerking limbs, Setsuna wrapped his forelegs around Cadance's small frame.

Cadance looked up into Setsuna's face. Cadance looked at the furrowed brow playing across Setsuna face, looking as if he was experiencing a bad dream.

Cadance gave into her emotions. Cadance returned Setsuna's embrace, resting her head against Setsuna's thick neck. With every beat of Setsuna's heart, Cadance listened. She allowed herself this moment. A moment to let all of the stress and tribulation of the day were slowly drift away. For a moment, Cadance could rest in a pony's arms again. For the first time in a month, Cadance fell into a deep sleep.