"How many total?" Asked Sombra.

"15 including me, though when the dome blew all but three were killed."

Twilight grimaced. "That was Celestia doing!"

Sombra glanced towards her before continuing. "Did the commanding officer survive?"

Rainbow nodded once. "Yeah Captain Steadfast. He threw up a shield that protected us against the razor hail."

"Hmmn." Sombra said as he brought a fore hoof up to scratch his chin. Twilight and Rainbow exchanged quick glances as the silence settle over the trio. Finally Sombra dropped his hoof and began to walk away, stopping only to glance back at Rainbow Dash.

"Come along Miss Dash."

Slightly caught off guard, Rainbow hesitated before taking to the air to follow Sombra.

"What about me?" Twilight called after him.

"See to our guests in the dungeon." He said without stopping.

Captain Steadfast strained to lift the last bundle onto the train. His horn sizzling and popping with magic he put one last burst of energy and managed to ease the bundle down. Breathing heavily, Steadfast wiped sweat from his brow and sat down on the ground.

"I don’t remember this in training." he thought to himself,

With his breath slowly coming back to him, Steadfast began to watch for Jammers. He didn’t have long to wait.

Private Jammers crested the hill leading up from the crystal dome and came to a stop upon reaching Steadfast.

Steadfast looked at him expectantly. "Anything?"

Jammers shook his head. "N...no si...sign sir."

Steadfast allowed his head to drop and let out a deep sigh. It had been roughly two hours since Rainbow Dash disappeared inside the dome. He could wait no longer, he needed to report this development immediately.

Sighing again, Steadfast got to his hooves and motioned for Jammers to follow him and headed for the front of the train. Before he could take three steps Jammers called out.

"Sir, look!"

Steadfast whirled to face Jammers and saw that he was pointing high above he shattered dome. Following the direction he was pointing, Steadfast made out a cyan blur quickly heading towards them. The blur revealed itself to be Rainbow Dash who landed heavily several feet away from them.

A wave of relief washed over Steadfast, trying his best to hide a smile and failing spectacularly.

"By the sun and every star, you’re alright!" Steadfast said happily. His happiness quickly gave way to anger.

"What in Tartarus were you thinking?! Going in there alone? Are orders were to gather info, not charge in unprepared!"

Rainbow said nothing, simply standing where she landed, looking at both of them.

Steadfast regained control of his anger. taking a calming breath before continuing. "Never mind that now, your back and safe, that’s what’s important. Now we need to get back to Canterlot to report this, the Princess will want to know."

Rainbow opened her mouth to reply but stopped short when deep laughter began to radiate all around them.

Captain Steadfast dropped into a fighting stance while Private Jammers looked worriedly around before doing the same. The ground in front of Rainbow Dash began to crack as a black substance leaked out onto the surface before congealing into a large writhing mass. This mass seemed to stand up as the black substance fell away leaving a large grey unicorn with a blood red horn.

The unicorn eyes were unlike any Steadfast had ever seen, eyes straight out of the darkest legends, two blood red orbs among a sea of green.

"It's Sombra!" yelled Steadfast.

Sombra merely smiled revealing large fangs in place of normal teeth.

"Rainbow Dash get clear!" Steadfast yelled again.

Sombra's smile broadened as his horn began to glow with green energy.

Steadfast readied a spell but before he could loose it the green energy in Sombra’s horn dissipated and a sharp pain forced its way deep into Steadfast’s skull throwing off his concentration and causing him to stagger.

"Captain!" cried Jammers as he rushed to his side.

"Stay...behind me!" Steadfast hissed.

Closing one eye against the pain, Steadfast looked towards Sombra. "What...what did you do to me?" Steadfast asked in a pained voice.

"I merely blocked your magical ability, this way we can talk without interruption."

"We...have nothing to say to you!" hissed Steadfast.

"Then you will listen." The smile on Sombra's face disappeared, replaced by a scowl. "I want you to deliver a message to the Alicorn beasts."

Steadfast flashed a scowl to match Sombra's. "I don’t take orders from you."

Sombra ignored him. “Tell your precious princesses this land is mine. Should they act against me, they risk the lives of the Alicorn known as Cadance as well as her husband, along with Miss Dash here." Sombra said motioning to Rainbow Dash who had not moved since he appeared.

"You bastard!"

"If you don’t want to deliver my message..." Sombra continued, his scowl deepening. "I will kill all three of you now and deliver it myself, along with your corpses."

Steadfast leveled his eye on Sombra and held his piercing glare with all the force he could muster.

"I see, very well then." Sombra's horn flashed green once again and Steadfast heard a strangled gasp behind him followed by a faint pop. With a flash of green, Private Jammers materialized in-between Sombra and Steadfast with a large green claw clamped tightly around his neck.

"I will say again, if you don’t deliver my message I kill the young soldier while you watch, helpless, then I will kill Miss Dash, again while you watch, and finally I will brutally maim and torture you until you beg for death upon which time I will grant it to you, then I will deliver my message along with your corpses to the Alicorns."

Steadfast kept eye contact with Sombra for several seconds, finally though, he looked away as the realization that his hooves were tied sunk in.

"Fine."

"Excellent." Sombra's horn glowed once again and the pain in Steadfast’s head disappeared like it had never been.

Freed from the pain, Steadfast stood tall once again. "I agreed now let Private Jammers go."

"Hmmm. I think not." Sombra said casually. "It only takes one to deliver a message. The private will remain with me until such time as I see fit to release him."

Steadfast eyes hardened once again but he could do nothing, he knew he could do nothing. Slumping his shoulders, he looked towards Jammers who was still held fast by the green claw. "Ca...Captain?" Jammers managed to choke out.

"I already lost many good ponies today, I don’t want to lose anymore." thought Steadfast. Turning away he made his way onto the train, stopping only to look back into the frightened face of Jammers. "I will come back for you, all of you. This I swear."

With that Captain Steadfast boarded the train and left the desolate snow covered wastes bearing fallen soldiers and a heavy heart.

Sombra, Rainbow Dash, and Jammers all watched the train leave the isolated station and continued to watch until it disappeared from sight.

"Now then." Sombra said, breaking the silence. "On to the next order of business. Rainbow Dash, blunt or edged?"

Rainbow Dash gave a start at being addressed. "Huh...what?"

Sombra turned to face her, still keeping a magical grip on Jammers. "What is your preferred melee weapon? Blunt or edged?"

"I don’t know! I've never used a weapon before. Why is this even important?" Rainbow asked.

Sombra looked directly into her eyes. "War is coming and you will be expected to fight and kill on behalf of our cause.” He paused as a thought struck him. “Or are you going back on your oath you made to Twilight?"

"What? No it’s...it’s..." She sighed in resignation. "You have more experience with this sort of thing, what would you recommend?"

"Edged." His horn glowed with green energy that quickly turned red, crystals of various colours materialized from thin air and formed together to create a red crystal short sword. It was razor sharp on one side and serrated on the other. The blade ended at a small blue cross guard with a medium length hilt wrapped in black crystals.

The blade hovered in front of Rainbow Dash as she marveled at the sword in front of her.

"In my time, Pegasus who served the Crystal Empire carried daggers crafted from special crystals located deep below the city. This short sword was wielded by their leader and greatest of the Pegasus, Shadowbolt. I believe you are familiar with them?"

Rainbow Dash looked up with shock at the name. "But...but I thought they were illusions created by Nightmare Moon?"

Sombra shook his head sadly. "No, the Shadowbolts were an order of Pegasus who served the Crystal Empire even before I became King. Their leader was known simply as Shadowbolt, the title being passed to each new leader upon the formers death."

Sombra gave a sad sigh before continuing. "They were the first to fall in defense of the Crystal Empire. All of them slain by Luna. The illusions you saw were merely perverted echoes of souls that have long since forgotten who they once were."

Tears filled Rainbow Dashes eyes as she looked back to the blade still hovering in front of her.

"Will you take up this blade and serve The Crystal Empire as Captain of the Shadowbolts?"

Rainbow said nothing, a single tear slid down her face. She blinked once, clearing away the remaining tears. "Yes." she whispered.

Sombra nodded. "Then kneel."

Rainbow Dash dropped to one knee and bowed her head. The blade moved in midair, the blade facing Rainbow Dash. "Then by my authority as King of the Crystal Empire I name thee, Captain of the Shadowbolts." Sombra said, tapping the blade on both Rainbow Dashes shoulders as he spoke.

"Rise, Shadowbolt and take up you blade."

Rainbow stood up to her full height and grasped the hilt of the blade in her teeth. It felt right, like Rainbow Dash had found a missing piece of herself.

"Now." Sombra said, his eyes flashing red. "Take your sword and kill the prisoner."

Rainbows eyes widened with shock. "What? Why?" she said past the sword in her mouth.

The claw grasping Jammers lifted him from the ground and moved him to float just in front of Rainbow Dash.

"The Shadowbolts do not take prisoners, prove your loyalty to Twilight and the Shadowbolts of old. Kill him!"

Rainbow Dash hesitated as she looked into Private Jammers eyes. He looked back pleadingly with fear in his eyes.

"I...I...can't..."

Sombra hardened his gaze. "You vowed to follow Twilight no matter what on behalf of Friendship or perhaps it's something stronger that friendship?”

Rainbow Dash said nothing as her cheeks became flushed.

“How do you expect to uphold that oath if you cannot take a life in her defense?"

Rainbow lowered her head as Sombra's words struck home. "I did say I'd stand with her, and I meant it but....NO!" Rainbows head snapped up as her eyes hardened into steel. "I meant every word I said to her." She said, taking a step towards Jammers.

Upon seeing the cold steel in her eyes, Jammers began to whimper and struggle, trying to break free. His attempts grew frantic as Rainbow Dash placed the tip of her sword directly onto his chest.

"For Twilight." she muttered before ramming the sword into Private Jammer’s heart.

With one last violent jerk, Private Jammers ceased moving. Rainbow Dash pulled her blade from his chest with a sickening squelching sound. The green claw dissipated allowing Jammers still body to fall to the ground in a heap.

Breathing heavily, Rainbow watched as blood dripped from the red blade unto the white snow beneath her. She could feel something building up in her chest, a feeling that increased with each drop of blood to fall from her blade. Looking from the lonely drops to the ever filling pool under Jammers and finally to Sombra, she saw him watching her expectantly with a small smile on his face.

"Tell me, Shadowbolt. How did it feel?"

Another drop of blood fell from the red blade as a mad smile came unto Rainbow Dashes face.

"It felt good.”