CHAPTER 2

Hey everypony...I would have had this chapter up sooner, but I felt kinda bad that chapter one only had three views in 36 hours. I assumed that a story with Sombra and Daring Do would garner more interest, but instead I somehow managed to bring about the lowest reader interest in the history of this series for an opening chapter. Bit of a low-blow...but I'm over it, and I've returned with the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy this one. Drake and crew find out what trouble lies ahead, and meet their new teammate for this case. I hope to hear some input on this one. I promised this story would be dark, and I won't disappoint. So enjoy, and please review.

After a two hour train ride, we had arrived in Canterlot, and I was more than ready to learn what all of this was about. The three of us quickly threw on our bags and made our way to the Royal Palace. The armed guards at the gate, and again at the door, let us through immediately. Princess Celestia had no doubt informed them that we were coming, and ordered them to allow us through as quickly as possible. One inside the palace, we walked to the massive doors to the royal court, and I pushed them open.

Princess Celesta sat upon her throne, a look of concern painted on her face. She watched us as we neared the dais that her seat of power rested on, without saying a single word. I cocked my head questioningly, and the princess of the sun finally motioned to two guards in the room, a slight jerk of her head signalling them to leave. Once the soldiers were gone and the two tall doors had closed, the sound echoing in the nearly empty chamber, Princess Celestia spoke.

"I am sorry to have been so blunt in asking you here." She began. The monarch sighed. "You have been a tremendous aid to my sister and I...and to all of Equestria. Time and again, you've done the impossible, and saved possibly thousands of lives..." She glanced down.

"This is really bad, isn't it?" I asked. Celestia finally nodded.

"I must ask you to take part in a mission." She stated grimly. "If you succeed, you will have saved this country, and possibly the world..."

"And if I...fail?" I asked meekly. Celestia's eyes met mine for a moment, and I saw for the first time in the princess, a look of quiet desperation.

"Then we all may fail, Drake..." She answered.

"Tell me then, what's the issue?" I implored.

"Do you know of King Sombra?" Was the reply. I thought for a moment, to newspaper reports I had read.

"Wasn't he some deposed ruler up north?" I queried. "All I know is he came back and tried to take over the Crystal Kingdom, then Dashie's friends whipped him fairly good before he consolodated all his powers or something...that's what the papers said." Dash nodded in agreement.

"That's pretty much what Twi said too." My marefriend added.

"Yes...well, that was a little over a year ago now." Celestia said. "And I, along with everypony else, believed that Sombra was finally defeated." She paused a moment. "I admit that even after his fall, I still detected a small vestige of his magic. I thought it was only residual..."

"He's still alive." I stated. I wondered what this had to do with me though. Did Celestia want me to assassinate some despot?

"Not entirely..." The princess replied. "I must start at the beginning if you are to understand what exactly you are up against." She said. "Long ago, in the frozen lands of the north, a kingdom was forged. The abundance of special crystals there became a source of great power to the ponies living in the Crystal Empire. They lived in peace and harmony for centuries, the empire was filled with hope and love, and those things reflected across all of Equestria. Then, the land fell under the rule of King Sombra. He took power and subjugated all of the ponies in the Empire under an iron hoof. Using his enchantments, an army of undead slaves, and his own mercilessness, he reigned in a dark period of torture, savagery and despotism. I finally defeated Sombra over a thousand years ago, but I did not predict the extent of his selfishness. Only after his fall did I realize that he had created a terrible magical failsafe in case of his overthrow."

"He boobytrapped himself." I concluded

"Practically..." Princess Celestia replied. "Sombra was a master of the dark arts, an expert necromancer and adept in curses and enchantments. He had, in his depravity, cursed the Crystal Empire to disappear once he was eliminated."

"Son of a bitch took his own country with him?!" I exclaimed.

"For a thousand years." Celestia nodded. "Then...about a year ago, for some unknown reason the Empire returned. When it did, the spell Sombra had used on himself and his subjects weakened, and Sombra returned as well."

"Wait a minute." I stopped her. "How did this Sombra idiot make a whole country disappear? I ain't some master of magical doings and stuff, but isn't it impossible to make a solid object really vanish?"

"My sister claims it was a time-stasis spell of great power." Celestia answered. "It took hold the moment Sombra triggered the hex, and essentially locked the entire Empire, it's citizens, and the essence of the King himself in a singularity, forever trapped in the very moment I defeated him until the spell wore off..."

"I bet he was a little pissed at you when he thawed out." I muttered.

"Hm." The princess scoffed, obviously not amused. "He tried to regain his power by capturing the Crystal Heart, the source of the kingdom's power. He was indeed stopped by The Elements of Harmony, along with Spike the Dragon. Once removed from the power of the Crystal Heart, Sombra's physical body ceased to be...save for the source of his own essence..."

"Which is..." I pressed curiously.

"His horn. The source of all his magical ability, as in all unicorns. It survived the first time he was destroyed, and it has survived this time as well." Celestia stated. She stood, and a look of determination crossed her face. "If Sombra returns, he will cloak the world in an unspeakable evil. He must be destroyed this time...once and for all!"

"I'm in." I stated. The ruler seemed to calm down a bit, and looked at me a moment. "I just need to know why you think he's coming back so soon this time."

"Yes...I was getting to that..." Celestia remarked sadly. "This time, he has help. A group of fanatics have stolen Sombra's horn from the tower in the Crystal Empire. They are powerful magicians themselves, and plan on using dark rituals to bring about the return of King Sombra."

"A cult of...Sombra worshippers?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes...so it seems." Celestia sighed.

"Ugh...what is it with these end-of-the-world creeps always trying to cause the apocalyse?" Dashie complained.

"My thoughts exactly..." I sighed. "Well, Your Highness...what's the details of this little mission? I take it I gotta go north of cold, shin-kick a few cultist idiots and get this horn back?"

"You have a lyrical way of cutting through the...ahem...red tape." Celestia stated dryly. "You will have access to whatever weaponry you may wish from the Royal Arsenal, and in addition, I have called in another specialist to assist you three in this endeavor."

"Specialist?" I repeated. "Who in Equestria is a specialist in getting back stolen unicorn horns?"

"I...have recovered artifacts you've probably never heard of." A cocky female voice stated from behind us. I turned to see a tan mare with raspberry red eyes and a mane composed of a rainbow of greys underneath a khaki pith helmet. She wore an olive-colored field jacket, and the obviously-outdoorsey pony was leaned against a pillar, chewing on a toothpick like she was the paradigm of cool. Unfortunately, this is exactly how my marefriend welcomed the newcomer.

"Ohmygosh! You're...you're totally Daring Do!" Dashie exclaimed. "Right?"

"Yep." The mare stated. "I guess so."

"The real Daring Do?" Budder asked, directing the question at me. I shrugged.

"OHMYGOSH! I've read all of your books!" My marefriend gushed. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, except for the latest one...I'm only about halfway through it, but you're so awesome!"

"So you're our coworker, huh?" I asked Daring Do, as she joined our small group, seemingly unfazed by Dash's outburst of fangirling.

"I work alone." She answered, then looked at Princess Celestia. "I mean...would it be possible for me to handle this on my own, Your Highness?"

"No, Daring Do." Celestia said quickly. "This may prove to be a dangerous and complicated matter, and all of you will need to ply your skills to prevent this disaster."

"Yes ma'am..." The adventurer sighed.

"You are the best treasure hunter and adventurer in the land." Celestia said. "And Lieutenant Drake here is one of the best detectives, and a combat veteran of some renown. Rainbow Dash is a skilled fighter, and even young Budder is an expert in the paranormal. I am sure each of your particular strengths will be needed." She looked between us a moment. "Now unfortunately, we have wasted much time here, and I must send you all upon this journey as quickly as possible. Please stop this evil from befalling Equestria..."

"I will." I said softly.

"And please be careful." Celestia added. "I cannot spare any of you."

"I'll get the job done, Your Highness, don't worry." Daring said confidently. I didn't exactly mirror her enthusiasm, but if the whole damned country was on the line, I was just as ready to get to work.

So ends chapter two. what did you think? Possibly some friction already between Drake and Daring? How will they all work together to accomplish their mission? And will they be able to do so, before King Sombra is unleashed upon the world? I will try to have chapter three up soon, so if you like the story so far, fav and keep checking back. Until the next installment, thanks for reading, everypony! -Drake