As soon as the train pulled up in the Ponyville train station, Rainbow Dash's heart clenched when she spotted Little Strongheart standing amongst her friends outside the station. Rainbow Dash swallowed dryly. Quickly looking away from the window to sigh heavily. She turned to Star Knight, who gave her a small smile. She managed a small smile back.
"Well. It was really great meeting you." she said.
"Same here." Star Knight nodded. "We should hang out again, sometime."
"Yeah." Rainbow Dash agreed.
The train came to a halt and the doors opened. Rainbow Dash stepped out first and was greeted with bear hug from Pinkie Pie. "DASHY!" she squealed as she hugged her in a iron-clade grip.
Rainbow Dash gagged a bit and managed to say, "I-I've only been gone for two d-days, Pinkie!"
Applejack tapped the pink mares shoulder a few times. "Uh, Pinkie Pie? You're gonna suffocate her to death if ya don't stop hugging her.
Pinkie Pie immediately released Rainbow Dash and giggled playfully. "Sorry." she said, "But this calls for a celebration!" In the blink of an eye the pink mare speedily brought out a cannon. She pulled the string and confetti and streamers blew out. Raining over them. Rainbow Dash groaned softly and got back on all fours.
"S-so how did it go? What did you see?" Fluttershy asked nervously.
"Yeah!" Little Strongheart walked up to Rainbow Dash. "Did you find out what happened to my herd?"
Rainbow Dash sighed before she gave the buffalo calf a sad smile. "I think it would be best if I tell you someplace private..."
...
By the time Rainbow Dash had finished, Little Strongheart was crying in Pinkie Pie's arms. Pinkie Pie, too, was crying. Their sobs filling the barn in Apple Acres farm. Both Rarity and Fluttershy had shocked expressions on their faces. Spike looked horrified while Applejack's nostrils flares with rage.
"That son of a BITCH!" she roared. Angrily pacing back and forth. "THAT FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!"
"Applejack!" Rainbow Dash snapped, "Language! We have a calf here!"
AJ narrowed her eyes angrily. "I don't give a two-bit fuck right now! That son of a bitch had his men slaughter an entire herd of good buffalo and destroyed a town my cousin and his friends worked hard to build! What's worse I don't even know if my cousin is still alive! I swear if I see that stallion fucker I'm going to tie him to a tree and-"
"Stop it, Applejack!" Fluttershy cried. "Just stop it! Can't you see what Sombra is trying to do to us? First he took Twilight from us and now this! Just please! Stop!" the yellow pegasus buried her face in her hooves and proceeded to weep quietly.
Applejack's face softened and she started to calm down. She slowly approached the crying pegasus and gently hugged her. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy." she said sadly, "I'm so, so sorry. It's just that I don't want to lose anyone else. Especially somepony from my family..."
"We're all upset, AJ." Rarity said softly.
"If only we knew where Sombra is hiding. Celestia and her stallions have been searching all over Equestria for him! How could he stay hidden so easily?" Spike added.
"He's a unicorn, that's why." Rainbow Dash groaned. "He knows magic. Plus he can turn into shadows."
Little Strongheart sniffled and gently pushed herself out of Pinkie's arms. Slowly walking up to Rainbow Dash with wet eyes. "W-what's going to happen to me then? Where will I go?"
"Is there another herd that would welcome you?" Fluttershy asked after her hug with Applejack.
"Yeah. But they're gone for the year." Little Strongheart replied. Sniffing.
"Ya can stay here until they return." Applejack offered. "We can't just leave ya all by yourself out there. Especially with that Sombra bastard at large."
Little Strongheart managed to put up a weak, but grateful smile towards the mare. "T-thank you." she whimpered. "All of you. I'll be forever grateful for this."
...
Flash Sentry wouldn't have believed his friend if he hadn't shown their squad the three pikes with the heads of three Crystal Ponies. All of which had their eyes closed and jaws shut. Unlike Shining Armor's. The mere thought of seeing the severed heads sent a chill down the young pegasi's back and he looked away to catch his breath.
"Sweet Celestia..." their squad commander breathed as he approached the pikes. Jaw tightened as he tried to hold back the urge to scream. "They look recent." he said gravely before looking over his shoulder at his stallions, "We must be getting close."
The excitement in the stallions present wasn't hard to notice. A few were grinning while others were busy whispering all kind of possibilities to one another. The commander cleared his throat loudly and call of the stallions fell quiet.
"It is quite clear that we could've found our first lead in over a year. Which is why I'm sending some of you to scout ahead. The rest of us will remain on standby until they return. If they do not return in less than five hours, we will march forth. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" the guards said in unison.
The commander nodded in approval. "Good." he huffed. "Flash Sentry, Wind Breaker and Storm shall scout ahead, then."
"Right." Flash Sentry said. "We won't let you down, sir. We'll be back before you can sweet Celestia."
The three pegasi unfolded their wings and took flight. Embracing the cold, snowy winds as though it were nothing. Flash Sentry didn't know what to expect beyond these pikes, but it was a clear sign that Sombra and his Obsidian Guard must be nearby. The brilliant gamboge colored pony focused his eyes on a shape he noticed in the distance.
"Guys!" he called, "I think I see something up ahead!"
Wind Breaker and Storm focused on the shape that was beginning to materialize before their eyes. The outline of a castle embedded in the wall of a mountain. The three pegasi landed behind a ridge just outside. Keeping low they peeked over the edge and were surprised by what they found. The castle overlooked a large, wide open mining pit. They managed to spot chained crystal ponies pushing large mining cars filled with red crystals while others walked in and out of mine entrances.
"Sweet Celestia of the sun." Storm whispered in awe.
"Come on." Flash Sentry whispered, "Let's get a closer look."
The trio carefully glided down to a lower ledge and managed to get a better view of the area. The bottom of the pit was wide and flat. With a carved in staircase leading up towards the castle. Barracks were present on both sides. One side had a ponies sparring with one another. Possibly the training area. Flash Sentry felt his stomach turn by the sight. They've found Sombra alright.
Flash slowly trailed his eyes up the stairs and towards the castle balcony overlooking the pit. There he spotted the infamous black unicorn. Long mane and fur cape blowing in the mountain wind majestically with his signature grin plastered on his face. He also spotted a slightly smaller form standing by his side. Flash Sentry suddenly felt his heart stop and his breath hitched.
The dark lavender alicorn was snuggling up next to the king. Armored as well, but without a cape. A smaller crown resembling Sombra's rested snugly on her head. But what surprised him most of all was the biggest surprise of his life when she opened her eyes to reveal dark violet eyes. The same eyes he once saw on a beautiful young unicorn he'd see walking around the halls of Canterlot Castle way back when, but was too shy to even approach her. They may be much darker now, but they were the same violet eyes.
"Twilight Sparkle..." he breathed shakely as he gripped the edge of the rocky cliff tightly. Twilight ran a few kisses down her kings jaw before nuzzling him. Making Flash Sentry feel even more sick.
"We have to get back to the others ASAP!" Wind Breaker said.
"T-Twilight. D-don't you guys see Twilight?"
"What?" Storm and Wind Breaker asked in unison.
Flash Sentry lifted a shaky hoof and pointed it towards the king and queen. Both ponies' jaw dropped wide open in disbelief.
"I-I don't believe!" Wind Breaker gasped.
"That...traitorous...BITCH!" Storm screamed without thinking. His enraged voice echoing throughout the entire area. Alerting all the ponies of their presence. Both Wind Breaker and Flash Sentry shot a glare towards their colleague. "Sorry." he said while rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
"INTRUDERS!" an Obsidian Guard bellowed.
"STOP THEM!" Sombra roared, "DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!"
Eight to nine pegasi Obsidian Guards spread their wings and quickly took to the skies with their weapons by their sides. All with a look of murder on their faces. Flash Sentry and his colleagues quickly took the skies as well and flew out of there like a bat out hell. Flying as fast as they could to escape capture. Flash Sentry fought against the blinding snow storm that ravaged the mountains with tears rolling down his eyes. Temporarily blinding him.
Storm, who wasn't the fastest flier, felt himself falling back as the wind pressed harder against him. His armor making it heavy to fly any faster. An Obsidian Guard caught up to the gray pegasus and slashed off one of his wings. Storm threw his head back and screamed in agony when he lost all feeling to his right wing as it disconnected from his body and fell into the white void below them. Storm found himself losing altitude and started to spiral downward with his blood trailing behind him. Another pegasus guard caught up to him and slashed off his other wing.
Flash Sentry and Wind Breaker listened helplessly to their comrades horrified and anguished screams as they grew softer and softer until only their own breathing was hears. Both pegasi flew faster. Pumping their wings the hardest they've ever done. Wind Breaker felt himself grow tired and started to slow down a bit.
"Don't you leave me by myself here!" Flash Sentry snapped. Something he rarely ever did. His eyes then widened in sheer horror when he witnessed a lance suddenly pierced the back of the light blue stallion's neck and exited through his throat. Wind Breaker's eyes widened in shock as he started to cough up blood. The pegasus that stabbed him yanked the lance right out and blood started to gush out. Flash Sentry screamed in horror before snapping his head away and pumped his his wings faster. Knowing that there was nothing he could do for him now. He didn't bother to look back and watch him be mercilessly stabbed and sliced until he started plummeting to the ground in a trail of blood.
Tears blinding his vision, Flash Sentry found it very hard to see. He blinked away his tears a few times. His vision cleared a bit, but it was still nothing but a jumbled mess of colors. He just kept flying with his eyes closed. Flying until he was sure they weren't following him. Flying until he was out of the mountains completely. Flying until he fell from exhaustion and crashed just outside of the Crystal Empire, where the other Canterlot Guards were at, and rendered unconscious.
The platoon he was with, however, were never heard from again.