Sombra met with his newly acquired gang, his attack on the Russian mob, Canterlot branch, worked better than he had hoped. The Lupos Family mob was scared, and in the following three days, Sombra and his crew hit them hard. Some of the gang members from the ones they toppled even switched sides, and of course they did, they recognized power and wanted to be on the winning side. When you have a malefic, dark entity as your weapon and power, there was no choice, either join, die, or get the hell out of the way.

The Blood Kings had managed to wipe out all the competition in less than a few nights, leaving them the only gang left in Canterlot City. The regular members did mostly cleanup work, Sombra always took the lead. He would go in first, hit them hard, and the rest would bring up the rear, and if by some miracle someone managed to live through his slaughter, they’d finish the job. It was quick, clean – well, clean-ish – and efficient.

However, now Sombra was after something big, something that even his gang thought was too ambitious. Currently, Sombra was having a meeting with the number two of the gang, Young Blood. Sombra would designate their meeting spots, and it was always somewhere dark and always at night. Young Blood had a feeling that it was tied to his freaky power, but then again Sombra could just like being in the dark. Heck, at this point, Young Blood thought Sombra as freaking vampire. But what Sombra told him during this meeting, made his jaw drop.

“You want to off the mayor?!” Young Blood asked with disbelief.

“Did I stutter?” Sombra replied from his velvet armchair.

“You can’t be serious! The mayor’s guarded by some paramilitary private security! Mercs man! You know, the kind that go out into warzones and kill, and some of them just because they like it! We have nowhere near that level of firepower or skill to go up against them!”

Sombra took a drag off of his cigarette and looked Young Blood in the eyes. “You ever read up on history? How many of those wars in the past where people were up against armies that were twice as strong, twice as mean, and twice as many as them? Several. Shit, look at this country, buncha immigrants from England come here to get away and be free, only to have the country they fled come after them with an army when they said they would be free. All they were was an army made up of farmers and poor people, no training whatsoever, but they learned, and eventually drove out those who tried to take away their freedom.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

Sombra rolled his eyes. “Jeez, kids today don’t get it. Small groups can often make the biggest changes to the world! We may not have the numbers, none of the experience, but you have me. And, you have this.” Sombra reached into his pocket and threw something at Young Blood.

The twenty-plus-year-old grabbed it out of the air and looked at it. It was vial filled with something inky and black, almost like tar. “What the fuck is this shit?”

“A new drug, somethin’ that’ll make ya damn near fucking invincible. I’d use it as a last resort, for either when you’re backed into a corner or about to die, that sorta stuff,” Sombra explained.

Young Blood eyed the vial again, he thought he could see something shimmering along with the black tar, and with everything he’d seen thus far, he was dubious of whatever this drug was made of.

“We attack tomorrow night, a little birdie tells me that the mayor will have some guests, no big wigs, but that’s fine. All we need is the mayor. We’ll show the city that there’s a new leader, and what exactly we can do.”

Sunset was currently on her knees, along with Celestia, Luna, and Maria. The four of them had been moved into one of the meeting halls. It was spacious, round, no windows, and only one entrance in and out, and it was in the center of the mansion, which meant that anyone trying to get to them would ensure that they were going to meet up with Sombra first and foremost. Currently, the four women had their hands tied behind their backs with zip-ties, the table was moved out of the way so that the four of them could be placed in the center of the room, where everyone could keep an eye on them.

When they were captured, Sunset tried to ascertain just how many of these gangsters were here. So far, the count was up to ten, but she couldn’t be sure if there were more working the complex. But her biggest concern was Sombra, he had powers, dark powers. It was unlike anything Sunset had ever seen, it wasn’t magic, that much she could sense, but somewhere deep in her mind, she felt a primal fear of his power, as if her DNA was telling her that this power Sombra wielded was to be feared as any natural prey would their natural predator. Not only that, but the Witchblade felt antsy, agitated. It was on edge, like it was trying to keep itself restrained from attacking outright.

Do you know what that power is?

}}}………{{{

Hey, what’s wrong?! Why are you silent all of a sudden?!

Normally the Witchblade would chime in with its occasional encouragement, advise, or banter, but right now, if Sunset had anything to compare it to, it was like a child staring down a parent that had gone away for a long time and just popped back into their life. Despite the Witchblade’s silence, Sunset could tell that she was able to transform, but with Luna, Celestia, and Maria in the same room, she wasn’t sure if she could get to them fast enough with Sombra in the same room.

It didn’t take long for the police to arrive, sirens blared outside along with the sound of several screeching tires coming to a halt before the mansion. Sunset wondered if Shining Armor was among them? She hoped he was, it would make moving around when she armors up a lot easier. Faust, Pinkie, I told her I’d be here…she’s probably worried sick right now…

“What are you intending to do, Mr. King?” Maria asked.

Sombra turned around and looked down at the mayor. “I intend to make a public statement, your Honor. You’re going to hand the city over to me.”

Maria scoffed. “Do you honestly think the people of this city are just going to bow down to you just because you take me hostage?”

Sombra got down on one knee and smirked. “Oh, I’m not stupid, I know that. It’s not like you’re the president or somethin’. But you are highly respected and loved by the people, I gotta ask, how did you get to be mayor for so long? Politics is just another version of my racket, which leads me to wonder how many people you pissed off or had to bury to stay where you are?”

“Are you trying to blackmail me?” Maria asked with a furrowed brow.

“Not unless you think there’s something to blackmail, which, judging by your reaction, tells me there is. Depending on how tonight goes, I’ll have to look into that. Anyway, your surrender will be symbolic, it’ll show the people that the city isn’t there’s anymore,” said Sombra.

Just then, the shadows near the upturned table began to move, and from those shadows appeared a goblin-like creature with a tank top that had the Union Jack flag printed on it. “‘Ello gov’ner, we got the whole place locked up tighter than a virgin’s snatch!”

Sunset’s eye twitched at the British sounding goblin.

“Don’t be gross, man, we got a kid in here,” said Sombra.

The goblin looked at Sunset and his fingers tapped together. “Blimey, what a fit thing you are!”

“Touch me, and I’ll rip you apart,” Sunset warned.

“Ooh, I like her, feisty,” said the goblin.

Sombra stood up and closed his eyes, about ten seconds after doing so, he opened his eyes again and nodded. “Good, the cops are bringing one of those cellphones. Go snatch that up and bring it here.”

“Aye, aye!”

The goblin disappeared into the shadows, and a minute later, reappeared with the phone. Sombra took the cellphone and dialed the pre-programmed number and then placed it on speaker phone.

{This is Chief of Police, Hard Castle, what is the condition of your hostages}

“The hostages are fine, four of ‘em, not injured. How long that stays true is all up to you guys,” said Sombra.

{Very well, what are you demands.}

“I’m sure by now every news station in the city is out there, I want you to get one of their crews and bring them in here, I wanna make an announcement.”

{That’s…please understand Mister…?}

“You can call me ‘King’, for now.”

{Okay, King, you’re asking us to give you more hostages. At the very least you can trade one.}

“One hostage for a crew of two or four or more? And I only have four myself? That’s not good business Chief. But I’ll tell you what, in good faith, you send in a crew, and when we’re done, I’ll send out a hostage with ‘em. Good enough?” Sombra asked.

{……Very well……}

“Good, you got five minutes, for every second that you jerk me around, I’m going to shoot all of them,” said Sombra as he hung up the phone.

“Sir!” Celestia called out. “Please, at least let her go!” Celestia jerked her head to the right towards Sunset. “She’s just a high school girl, she doesn’t need to be involved in this.”

Sombra looked to Sunset and then to Celestia. “She your kid?”

“Yes!”

Sunset felt happy at how Celestia said that without the slightest bit of hesitation.

“I was an orphan growing up, I was taken in by the King family. I can respect that you don’t want her to be involved.” Sombra looked up at one of the gangsters. “Slim, take her into one of the other rooms and keep her there.”

“WHAT?!” Celestia shouted. Slim walked over and picked Sunset up by the zip-ties forcing her to stand as she watched Sunset get led towards the door. “DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!”

“He won’t, right Slim.” The man in question stopped, a hissing tendril appeared in front of him, leering at him and hovering just inches from his nose. “You’re only watching her. If I find out you messed with that kid, I’ll cut your fuckin’ nuts off and feed them to you. Then feed you to it.”

The tendril snarled and gave him a look that said, “Please be stupid enough to mess with the girl so I can eat you!”

Slim gulped. “I-I-I won’t Mr. King, I promise!”

“Damn right you won’t, now go.”

“SUNSET!” Celestia yelled.

“It’ll be okay!” Sunset assured. “I promise!”

The doors closed, leaving Sombra, some of his crew, Celestia, Luna, and Maria in the room.

Sombra turned his gaze onto Celestia, who was now glaring at him with a seething anger that only a mother could muster. “You have a brave kid, like I said, I grew up an orphan, and it sucked balls. So, I’ll make this clear to you three, double for you your Honor. Don’t do anything to make me have to make that girl an orphan.”

Sunset was taken into the guest bedroom and thrown onto the bed itself. She quickly scrambled to get into a seated position, trying to appear as if she was afraid, she was, but more so for Celestia, Luna, and Maria. The man called Slim looked at her with sleazy eyes, she could see his intent in them, mentally undressing her and imagining all kinds of lewd things to do with her. He moved closer and pushed Sunset down onto the bed, he slung his automatic rifle over his shoulder and pulled out a pistol, Slim got closer and pressed the gun to her forehead with his left hand, while his right touched Sunset’s left breast.

Sunset gritted her teeth and glared daggers at the man.

“Damn it would be so easy right now…” Slim said as he moved that same hand to Sunset’s blazer, unbuttoning it, and then doing the same to her white blouse. He stopped about the third button, which allowed a generous view of Sunset’s black bra and cleavage. “But the last thing I need to do is get eaten by some demonic shit.”

Slim backed away, holstering his pistol as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

Sunset got up and continued to glare at Slim. “What’s wrong? Can’t get it up?”

Slim aimed his rifle at Sunset. “Watch it bitch, he said I had to keep an eye on you and not do anything to you. He never said I couldn’t at least enjoy the view.”

Sunset clicked her tongue dejectedly at this man, she looked forward to beating him into the ground when she transformed, but right now there was another matter that needed addressing.

Alright, real talk, why are you so edgy right now? Does that thing really scare you that badly?

}}} I don’t fear it, I just loathe it. {{{

Why?

}}} ……I suppose I should at least tell you. In the beginning there was nothing, nothing except the Darkness. The Darkness is a primordial entity, existing since before time was time. Then, God thrust light into the universe, and that light was the Angelus, another entity. Planets and life began to spring forth, and the Darkness hated that. The Darkness battled the Angelus, for eons their fighting raged, going back and forth, losses and wins on both sides. Until, one day, they stopped the fighting. Till this day no one knows why it was so, but it happened. They formed a truce – temporary as it was – and consummated it. The result of their union…was me. {{{

Sunset reined in her shock so that Slim didn’t see, but on the inside she was. Wait, you mean you were born of two entities that are both light and darkness itself?! It’s like…your dad or something?!

}}} Correct. My existence is meant to be the Balance between the forces of good and evil. The Darkness lives inside that man, it prefers male hosts, being passed down from one generation to the next. Its powers are formidable. Just as I can create bladed weapons, so too can the Darkness forge. It’s creations, however, aren’t just limited to weapons, it can create creatures called Darklings, some that look like that goblin we saw earlier, and others that can pass for human. {{{

Not to mention all the tentacles and snapping eels…So he can create an army if he wanted to…that’s great.

}}} It gets worse. {{{

Sunset sighed heavily. Of course, because why not?

}}} The Darkness does not like being controlled, it much rather use its host like a puppet to do its bidding. But…it appears that this Sombra has control over the Darkness and is aware of its capabilities. {{{

A guy who’s able to tame an entity of pure evil…Now Sunset knew why the Witchblade was on edge. Can we take him?

}}} Hard to say…in this case, it would come down to our hosts. The Darkness is powerful, but its full strength can only come out if the host is equally strong. You are a strong host, Sunset, and as such can draw on more of my power. But this man is ruthless, I can sense it, he’s killed many before. {{{

Sunset tensed, this was way different from when she fought the Wendigos. She wasn’t fighting someone who was possessed by a demon, Sombra had full control over an entity that had been around since the beginning. Sunset clenched her fists and narrowed her gaze. Even so, I won’t let him kill Celestia, Luna, or Maria! We’re getting out of here.

Sunset softened her expression and shot Slim a sultry look. “Slim, right?”

“What?” he asked in annoyance.

“Look, sorry for being a bitch earlier. I was scared and…well, guns and demons.”

Slim shrugged. “Yeah, that shit’ll get to anyone.”

“Scale of one to ten, how likely is it that I’m going to make it out of this alive?” Sunset asked.

Slim thought for a moment. “Hmmm…five. King’s good about keeping his word.”

Sunset’s shoulders slumped. “So…there’s a good chance he’ll come in and shoot me if they go over the time limit?”

“Probably.”

Sunset shook her head. “I don’t want to die like that…” She looked up at Slim again, holding his gaze. “Look, I won’t say anything, but…can you…I’m a virgin and I don’t want to die without at least experiencing that at least once.”

Slim fidgeted in his seat, she knew he was interested in her, Slim just needed some prodding.

“I…I…if he finds out he’ll kill me.”

Sunset shuffled onto the bed, she brought up one leg and bent it, lifting the skirt enough to allow Slim a look at her matching black panties. “I won’t tell ‘em. Just make it good enough that death is the last thing on my mind.”

Slim’s foot tapped the floor rapidly, his eyes darting to the door and back to Sunset, as if fearing that Sombra was going to walk in and see him. “Fuck it.”

Sunset smirked, Slim put his guns down on the dresser and moved towards Sunset. There was a light snap that made him pause.

“What the hell was that noise?”

“This.”

Sunset bolted from the bed faster than Slim could react. An obsidian colored, armored fist came flying at him from the right, striking Slim in the jaw and sending him slamming into the wall, whereupon he collapsed onto the floor completely unconscious. Sunset smirked again; her right forearm covered in the Witchblade armor.

Sunset walked to the dresser, she willed a four-foot-long blade to appear from her forearm and cleaved both guns in half, rendering them useless. She then moved to Slim who had extra zip-ties in his pocket, and used them to tie up both his hands and legs.

}}} Killing him would be much simpler. {{{

He’s not possessed, and not a Darkling. I’m not going to kill someone if I can help it. I may’ve accepted my dark side, but I’m not abandoning that rule.

}}} Very well. {{{

While Slim was unconscious, Sunset undressed quickly. Right after, the bracelet broke out and wrapped around her body, cladding her in the armor of the Witchblade. The ruby jewel shined as Sunset’s clothes were absorbed into it. Once that was done, Sunset hurried into the halls and began skulking about.

Celestia wondered how Sunset was doing, despite how Sombra spoke, she didn’t trust this man, nor did she trust the guy who took her. Several times Celestia had to stop herself from imagining what was happening to Sunset, wondering if that man was raping Sunset or just shot her.

Three minutes had passed and two more minutes until Sombra shot them. Her eyes glanced to Luna, she tried to remain strong and hard, it was just like her little sister. She had always tried to project this aura of a strong and stoic woman, but inside she was still the little precocious brat of a little sister she was back then, the same little sister who used to crawl into her bed whenever there was a thunderstorm or whenever she had a bad dream.

Their parents were long since dead, they were all the family they had left, even living together in the same house and taking up jobs at the school they once attended long ago. True, they had their fights now and again, but at the end of the day they still loved one another and would die to protect the other. Right now, Celestia was contemplating that very notion, perhaps she could make a deal with Sombra.

The man seemed laser focused though, she didn’t know what she could offer him. She wasn’t rich so she couldn’t bribe him, she had no political power to exploit, the thought of offering her body to him revolted her, but if it meant that Luna and Sunset could get out of this alive then so be it. However, she didn’t know if that would be enough to get Maria off the hook, Sombra made it clear he wanted her alive to make a statement, and he looked like a man that couldn’t be dissuaded from an agenda like this.

Celestia hated this, she hated not having the answers, hated not being able to help those she loved and cared about. She was powerless to save Sunset from getting shot, powerless to stop Anon-A-Miss when it mattered, powerless to put a stop to Sunset’s ambitious plans before she had the school in her iron grip. And at the end of the day, it was the very students whom she was supposed to look after and protect who ended up saving the day.

The cellphone that the police gave Sombra rang. He took it out of his jacket pocket and answered, “You’re cutting it close, Chief.”

{We’re sending the crew in right now, they’re at the door.}

Sombra closed his eyes, waited a moment and then nodded. “Alright, you’re telling the truth. I’ll send some guys at the door, if I so much as smell a setup, I’ll send the crew back in pieces along with the mayor’s arm. Understand?”

{You’re understood, King.}

Sombra ended the call and looked down at the mayor. “You might wanna start thinking about what you’re going to say.”

“I usually have a speech written up, or I could wing it unless you have something in mind?” Maria stated bitterly.

“Put whatever flourish you want to it, just so long as you make it clear that I’m in charge of this city now.”

“The people of this city aren’t just going to follow you because I say so. They’ll resist,” said Maria.

“Of course they will, who wouldn’t? But give enough time, and they’ll see which is the winning side,” said Sombra.

Some more of the gangsters opened the doors and in came a TV crew, one man holding a boom-stick, the second guy was holding a camera, and the reporter was holding her microphone that was labeled, “Channel 5: Action News Now!”

“Are you ‘King’?” the reporter asked.

“Yes,” said Sombra.

“Okay…how do you want us to proceed?”

“Why don’t you take a wide shot of the room, and then we’ll start with my announcement and the mayor’s speech,” Sombra suggested.

“Alright, give me a minute to focus this,” said the cameraman.

The reporter nodded and stepped behind him, while the man holding the boom-stick did the same. There were about four guards in total, and with Sombra that made five. The reporter looked at the mayor, she made eye contact with her and the reporter's head nodded ever so slightly. Maria seemed to understand what was probably about to happen, she glanced over to Luna and Celestia and mouthed, “Get down.”

Celestia and Luna bowed their heads slightly along with Maria’s. The cameraman pointed the oversized camera to his left and then, his left index finger squeezed around the hilt. The moment he did, the lens burst with automatic gunfire, hitting the two guards before they had a chance to retaliate.

Sombra was about to act, but the reporter turned her mike so that the soft foam was pointed at Sombra, she then smacked the butt of the mike with her right hand and immediately after, a gunshot fired from it, hitting Sombra in the chest and putting a three-inch hole in his chest.

The other guards were about to act, but the cameraman did the same to them, mowing them down with automatic fire. When it was over, the three women looked up and around, taking in the gruesome scene before them.

“W-What the hell was that?!” Luna asked.

“My private security force, am I correct?” Maria asked.

“Yes Ma’am, we managed to persuade the Chief of Police to let us try and attempt exfiltration of you and the hostages,” the not-reporter stated.

The not-cameraman and not-sound guy took a few of the gangsters’ weapons, and then handed a couple to the not-reporter.

“I hate to say this, but you’ll have to run with your hands like that, can you all manage?”

All three nodded as they got to their feet. The three mercenaries threw open the doors and shot the two gangsters standing sentry.

“Wait! We need to get Sunset! She’s still in here!” Celestia begged.

“We don’t have time! It’s now or never!”

Celestia didn’t want to go, she needed to save Sunset, if she was left behind then there was no telling what these gangsters would do to her once they found out their leader was killed. If she wasn’t afraid that they were going to do something to her before, she sure as hell was afraid now.

“Celly, they’ll get us out, and then they’ll go after Sunset! I promise,” Maria then looked to the Mercs, “right?”

The three Mercs nodded in unison.

Celestia wasn’t completely satisfied with that, but right now their window of escape was closing the longer she took to debate this. I’m sorry…

The Mercs led them as fast as they could towards the front, gunning down a few of the gangsters along the way. They were about halfway there before something got in the way. There was a rotunda area that separated the main entryway and the rest of the house, there wasn’t much time, it was now or never.

When they entered the rotunda, they stopped, suddenly feeling like they were being watched. Those fears were confirmed when two Darklings dropped from the ceiling and landed on top of the two male Mercs. The little assassin goblins produced large daggers and proceeded to stab into them multiple times, blood sprayed from their jugulars as they thrashed around in a desperate attempt to get the Darklings off of them.

The female Merc tried to aim her weapon to shoot the creatures, but was stopped when a eel tendril burst through her chest, her mouth filled with blood as the last thing she was able to see was a inky black creature protruding from her chest.

Celestia, Luna, and Maria stifled a scream as they watched as more black tendrils wrapped around the room, blocking their only exit. They moved towards the center and witnessed as Sombra came walking down the opposite hallway, the wound in his chest was completely gone.

“H-How?! S-She shot you!” Maria stammered.

“Yeah, that was a bitch.” Sombra narrowed his gaze at Maria. “I warned them not to screw with me, whether that was a plan of yours, your Honor, or your Chief’s, I don’t care. But I do care that you killed some of my men, and shot me. There are consequences to actions.”

The two Darklings chuckled wickedly as they brandished their daggers, while Sombra’s sharp tendrils hovered in the air, waiting for the order to strike.

<^> He’s here! <^>

Who’s here?

Suddenly, the sound of roaring flames caught Sombra’s attention. When he turned around, a torrent of fire was raging towards him. Sombra created a cocoon of tendrils around his body as the flames washed over the Darkness. The entity of evil hissed in pain, but was still standing. From that same hallway, something else appeared, or rather, someone else.

Sunset Shimmer dashed through the hallway, jumped up into the air, and landed in front of Celestia, Luna, and Maria. Only she was donned in the full armor of the Witchblade. There were no gaps in this armor, the Witchblade knew that this enemy was something to take seriously, so much like her battle against the Wendigos, the Witchblade covered all the exposed parts that were normally shown.

The helmet retracted a bit and showed her face, allowing Sunset to gaze about Sombra, the one who wielded the ancient entity, the Darkness.

}}} Father… {{{

<^> Son… <^>

Sunset cringed upon hearing the voice of the Darkness answer back. It was like a thousand cicadas, combined with the hissing of a thousand malicious snakes. She couldn’t imagine hearing this thing in her head twenty-four-seven, at least the Witchblade’s voice, while deep, was pleasant enough to hear.

“So, you’re the famous Witchblade I’ve heard about?” Sombra asked.

“I am, and I know what that power is. The Darkness,” Sunset answered back.

One of the dark eels appeared next to Sombra and he looked at it and asked, “You said ‘son’, but she looks like a she to me.”

<^> Fool! Just as you are a host to me, so too is that female a host to my wayward son! She takes the name, but that armor is Witchblade! <^>

Sombra nodded his head. “I see, guess we stumbled into some kind of family feud between these two, huh?”

“Cut the crap, these three are walking out of here with me, end of story!”

“Wait!” Celestia spoke. “My…d-daughter, Sunset Shimmer, she’s still in this house! She’s being held hostage!”

Sunset glanced over her shoulder, her heart once again filled with happiness from hearing Celestia regard her as a daughter. “I’ve already rescued her, she’s safe.”

The three women sighed in relief, but stiffened when they heard the Darklings behind them. Sunset formed two shurikens and threw them out to her right and left. The throwing stars spun and whistled as they cut through the air, eventually finding their homes in the skulls of both Darklings. The goblin creatures dropped their daggers and fell to the floor, their bodies turning into black ash.

Sunset walked behind them and cut their restraints before heading to face Sombra again.

<^> Use the armor! <^>

You serious? She can’t be that strong, she’s only a kid.

<^> Do not underestimate my Son! He is strong, and if by chance his host is strong, then you cannot afford to fuck around! Wear the armor and kill her! <^>

Sombra stared down Sunset, he could see a look of determination and unwavering strength in her eyes. It almost reminded him of his long since dead lover, she wasn’t one to give up easily for anything either.

“Alright kid, I make it policy not to kill kids, but seeing as you have that Witchblade, it tells me you’re prepared to kill or be killed, that right?” Sombra asked.

The helmet reformed, Sunset’s stance widened as she formed two broadswords in both hands. “Pretty much.”

“Alright then.”

The Darkness wrapped around his body, the air grew cold and the room began to feel oppressive and constricting. When the shadows faded away, Sombra stood before them, but clad in armor. The demonic armor was silver, the areas around the joints had crimson colored armor, segmented to allow for better movement. Red spikes protruded from the shoulders of the armor, and elbows, while the shadows of the Darkness created a black cape around his neck. Sombra’s face was covered in a mask, covering his ears as well, the face mask created a crown that had five small silver horns and one long red horn from the middle.

Sombra opened his clawed, armored hands, and into them formed two guns. The gun on his left had a rotating barrel that looked similar to a gatling gun, the one in his right hand had a large barrel, but both had four-inch blades coming out the bottoms of the grips. Snapping eel tendrils came out from the cape, hissing and growling as they looked upon Witchblade.

Oh shit…

}}} Shit indeed. {{{

Sunset jumped up, zooming from the floor to the far back wall, and landing with the boom. She looked towards Sombra and used it to springboard off the wall, her swords at the ready. Sombra raised his left gun and pulled the trigger, the rotating barrel spun rapidly as the supernatural weapon fired multiple rounds of black energy bullets that crackled with yellow electricity.

Sunset willed her metal wings to flare, allowing her to stop in midair as she used her swords to deflect the dark bullets. Each bullet that struck against her blades was jarring, making her arms sting from the impact of the small ordinance. While Sombra continued to barrage Sunset with the dark bullets of his left gun, he lifted the right one and pulled the trigger.

The second gun sounded like someone had just set off a cannon, a tiny shockwave rattled through the rotunda as a burst of dark energy sailed towards Sunset. The Bringer of Balance was too busy deflecting the other shots that she wasn’t able to block the second. The blast struck her in the chest, exploding against her armor and sending Sunset spiraling into the wall.

<^> Do not let up! Kill her! <^>

“Alright, alright, jeez,” said Sombra.

Sombra looked to his hostages who were still frozen in fear, he considered what to do with them for a moment, he certainly couldn’t just let them go after everything he went through trying to get the mayor, but then again, the Witchblade was a problem.

Speaking of which, Sunset burst out of hole in the wall and was upon Sombra. Her glowing turquoise eyes met his ruby colored eyes before she threw a right hook into his face, but she didn’t stop, she drilled her punch and flew right into him, taking both of them further back into the mansion as they burst through one wall after the next.

Sombra growled as he grabbed Sunset’s right arm with both hands, planted his feet into the floor, and, using her momentum, threw Sunset straight up into the ceiling. Sunset smashed through one floor after the other until she was now in the open air outside. She shook the daze from her head and prepared to fly back down, but stopped when she saw Sombra flying up to meet her.

Sunset flew around him, like a shark stalking its prey. The former unicorn dashed towards him, flying in with a spinning roundhouse. Sombra quickly blocked the kick with his left forearm, the blow reverberating the air and shaking the cars below. Sunset pushed off him, and came down with a right haymaker.

Sombra grabbed her fist with his right hand before the blow could connect, he pulled back, drawing her close, and threw a left uppercut into her stomach. The sound of thunder roared in the sky again from Sombra’s blow, and made Sunset cough hard from the pain in her abdomen. Sombra released Sunset and then gave her another punch across her armored face, followed by another, and another.

Sunset growled as she blocked a punch, and countered with one of her own, nailing him in the middle of his face, but Sombra didn’t let up. The two traded blows back and forth, with Sunset throwing in some kicks, elbows, and backhands. She was able to get a grasp on Sombra’s fighting style, he was not as versed in martial arts as she was, granted everything she knew was self-taught, but that coupled with experience on the streets made for a good foundation. Sombra’s style was like that of a street brawler, while not quite martial arts, it wasn’t bad either, especially if the person was experienced, and she could tell Sombra was.

The reverberations of their blows shook the sky and ground with each blocked punch and each successful strike. Sunset and Sombra cocked back their fists and roared as they threw them, the result was a cross counter, ending with both of them getting struck in the face at the same time. The force of their blows forced them apart, throwing them into tail spins.

Sombra was the first to regain his bearings, from his cape, five black tendrils rose and shot towards Sunset. When Sunset did regain her senses, it was too late, the tendrils wrapped around her neck, arms, and legs. Sombra spun once, taking Sunset with him, and with a flourish, threw her down towards the ground.

Down below, Celestia, Luna, and Maria were just about to exit the mansion, but then Maria looked up and saw what was coming. “MOVE!” Maria shouted as she pushed Luna forward, grabbed Celestia, and pulled her back into the mansion.

Luna didn’t know what was happening, not until something crashed into the ground behind her. The wind and force generated from the impact sent Luna flying away, rolling on the ground until she came to a stop. When she looked up, a second impact hit, clearing the dust away.

Sombra, standing over Sunset, reached down, and grabbed her by the throat. With a grunt of effort he tossed her straight towards the mansion, blasting the front door and walls down as she skipped on the floor and hit the staircase.

The armor around his mouth retracted a little and allowed Sunset to cough up some blood. Sombra was strong, the Darkness was strong, the two of them together, that was something else. We need to use second state…

}}} That form is too dangerous in your current condition. {{{

Weeks ago, Sunset had achieved a new form of power with the Witchblade in order to defeat the Wendigos. She thought it was only a temporary power, but it turned out she could use it again. After some experimentation, Sunset learned that form she dubbed “Second State” granted her immense power, but at a price. It burned through her energy reserves fast, it relied on a combination of the Witchblade’s power and Sunset’s, tapping into her latent magical energy. At most, they could go five minutes in Second State, they could go longer, but the Witchblade warned that her lifeforce could be tapped into it if they prolonged the form.

The blows from Sombra hit harder than the Wendigos ever did, this was the power of the primordial entity, the Darkness. Sunset knew it was a risk, but right now she didn’t have a choice.

However, Sombra burst into the room and willed a tendril that was morphed into a blade to attack her. The blade pierced through Sunset’s chest and nailed her to the wall, another followed suit, hitting her in the shoulders, and one more through her stomach.

“That’s enough out of you, kid.” Sombra glanced to his right and saw Maria and Celestia. “Your Honor, this wasn’t the way this was supposed to go down, but I think we can make do. You’re coming with me.”

Celestia watched Sombra come closer, like the grim reaper or the devil, hell, after what she’d seen, Sombra might very well be the devil. Without thinking, Celestia stood up and put herself between Sombra and Maria.

“Celly!” Maria called out.

“C-Celestia!” Sunset croaked.

Sombra stood five feet from Celestia. “I only want her. Just move and you’ll be alright.”

Celestia held out her shaky arms and shook her head, a fierce look plastered on her face. “I-I’m not moving! I won’t let you hurt Maria!”

“I will kill you.” A black tendril rose up and hovered like a snake ready to strike. “You don’t have to die here.”

“I won’t move! I…” Celestia glanced over her left shoulder and smiled at Maria. “…love her.”

For a brief moment, Sombra saw his lost love and his tendril hesitated. But then that phantom image quickly faded and she was Celestia again. The tendril snapped back and in the next moment, the sound of flesh being punctured echoed unnaturally loud in the room.

Maria looked upon the scene, seeing a dark tendril piercing through her girlfriend’s stomach, blood dripping down its sharpened end drop by drop. Sunset’s pupils shrank into pinpricks as her stomach dropped. The only sound that was heard immediately after that moment, was a cry of fury and sadness.

Next Chapter: Setting up the Pieces: Part 5 Estimated time remaining: 12 Hours, 7 Minutes