Chapter One: Homecoming
"Sweetie, please, you know I can do that by myself."
"Oh I know I know, but what if you strain yourself while walking down the stairs? What if while walking down the stairs you were to trip and fall! And what if I wasn't there to help and you just kept tumbling and tumbling getting more and more grievously wounded!? WHAT IF....."
Princess Cadence closed her eyes and took in a slow, deep breath, counting to three before releasing it. Shining meant well, he really did, but he still could be...difficult, at times. She thanked her lucky stars that she'd gotten special instruction from auntie Luna for situations just like this. Her cyan magic wafted from her horn like a thin tendril of smoke. Once it connected with Shining's horn, it disappeared and he stopped his frantic pacing. Doing his best not to wobble, Shining gave his wife an accusing, yet exhausted glare.
"I thought we agreed on no more drowsy spells."
"I'm sorry honey, but you simply must stop getting yourself worked up like that. I understand that you're stressed, anyone would be when they're going to become a father in just a few short months." Shining's eyes softened and fell upon her bulging belly. There was so much love bursting from those eyes, he hadn't even met his foal and already he would move the heavens for her. "And I know your first instinct is to do everything in your power to keep us safe. Just remember that I'm not as frail as I may seem sweetie. We can protect our foal together."
"You're right, I guess getting worked up runs in the family." He said with a sheepish grin, lying down on the bed next to her. His eyes lost their light suddenly and his ears drooped down to his skull as he realized what he'd just said.
"We'll find her, don't worry."
"She's been gone for nine months Cadence, that's nine months of Sombra poisoning her mind. How much can she take before we can't save her anymore?"
"She's strong and resourceful. Don't forget that it was her that made sure we even got to be married in the first place. She'll get through whatever torture he's putting her through. Then, when we find her it will be up to us to do our part and keep her safe."
"I guess you're right, again." This got him a loving nuzzle from Cadence, and in return she was rewarded with a smile creeping back onto his handsome muzzle.
"Please excuse the intrusion your highness, you have urgent mail from one 'Mrs. Sparkle'."
There in their bedroom doorway stood the amber coated mailpony, green hooves adorned with tiny metal wings to denote her station as the royal courier. Panting, she held a plain letter out in front of her, one adorned with a six pointed star upon a purple background.
"Twily..."
****
CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS MAIL COURIERS YAY! Applejack paused mid-buck as she watched three little rascals come running across the orchard at her. Mailmares today huh? Well they certainly had the energy for it. Halfway across, Scootaloo stopped the three, and after a whispered conversation all three dashed off in different directions.
"Howdy there lil' sis, where'd your friends run off to in such a hurry?"
"We're delivering mail today Applejack! Scoots had the great idea of splitting up so we can get it done three times as fast! And you won't believe who sent yall a message!" Applejack reared up preparing to give her tree a mighty wallop as Applebloom took a scroll out from her saddlebags, only to freeze and nearly collapse to the ground in shock. The letter was adorned with a simple six pointed star set upon a purple background.
"You seem to be all sorts of excited to get a letter from Twilight finally, here let me read it to ya. Ehem, Dear Applejack..."
****
"...I hope you all can forgive me, and grant me a chance to explain my actions in person in the Canterlot throne room. If you can find it within your hearts, please meet me 9pm tonight. Thank you."
Rarity turned the letter over and back again. "That's it? No further explanation, just an apology and a summons?"
Sweetie Bell shrugged, "So will you be going?"
"Of course I will you silly filly. Twilight is our friend after all, it would be uncouth to refuse an invitation to mend bonds. If nothing else, we've certainly got a lot of questions we need to ask her."
****
As Scootaloo finished reciting Twilight's message for her, Rainbow Dash seemed completely unphased, never stopping her endless pushups. The room was dimly lit by a single candle in the corner and dirty window leading to the surface. If she looked hard enough, Rainbow could see the cloudless blue sky far far above. She would give anything to be able to melt into it once again.
Reaching back behind her, Rainbow itched at the surgical scar and nub of bone where her left wing should have been, the only remnants she had left of it. Sometimes she still felt a phantom feeling of muscle and sinew, attached to the feathers of what was the greatest flyer Equestria had ever seen. "Thanks kid, you'd better go finish with the rest of your mail. I've gotta get packed."
****
Together all five friends rode the afternoon train to Canterlot, nopony speaking a word. The same questions ran through each of their minds, the same doubts and betrayal. Each wished for nothing more than to find a way to distract them from their thoughts, but the fact remained, Twilight Sparkle was back after 9 long months, and she had a lot to answer for.
In the tallest spire of Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia watched as the Friendship Express wormed its way through the mountains, Twilight's letter unfurled on the writing desk beside her.
"Sister please, we beg thee reconsider!" Last time she struck thee down and eloped with Sombra! For all we know this is but a trap!"
In a soft, subdued tone, just like a mother grasping at straws in her daughter's kidnapping, Celestia tried to assuage her sister's concerns. "If it were a trap, our perimeter spell would detain them, just like it did with Sombra before."
"It takes us all three to provide power for that spell. Cadence is nearly 10 months pregnant and is due any week now.and it has drawn on her more than she would care to admit. The perimeter spell is at its weakest, and only now does thy student step forward? How can we be certain our spell will work as expected, if in fact at all?"
"What would you have me do?"
"Turn her away, keep thyself and thy citizens safe and do not allow her access to this city. She cannot be trusted."
"Oh Lulu, I've already done that. She laid her heart our for me, told me that she loved him (whether it is deserved and reciprocated or not) and for it I drove her away. Don't you see? I forced her to choose between him and us, instead of listening to her when I should have. It's all my fault she disappeared in the first place, all my fault."
In that moment Luna saw just how emotionally exposed her sister was. Before her was not Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria, goddess of the sun and bringer of peace and harmony. Instead it was just Tia, blaming herself like she always did and hurting miserably from the aching in her heart.
"Tia...I...I'm sorry. I just do not wish to see you hurt again. It scared me to find you beneath a building that day, barely conscious and coughing up blood. I don't know how you kept going the millennium I was banished, but I do not think I could be so strong. I do not believe I could carry on without you."
"Lulu I..."
Luna raised her hoof to silence her sister, she wasn't finished just yet. "But you are right, this is Twilight Sparkle we are talking about, and despite a pony's mistakes, I would be the element of hypocrisy if I were to say that she did not deserve this second chance tonight."
Hope glimmered in Celestia's eyes as they teared up. Moments later she was squeezing Luna tightly as she sobbed softly in release. "Thank you for understanding dear sister."
Luna smiled despite herself. "Come now Tia, let's get you cleaned up. Cadence and Shining Armor will be arriving soon, the time draws near for our 9 o'clock hearing. We can't meet our friends with a tear-stained coat now can we?"
Smiling gratefully, Celestia allowed herself to be herded into the royal bath, all the while Luna did the very best she could to ignore the feeling twisting away in her gut. "Please", she silently prayed, "Please let this night prove me wrong."
****
Somewhere in Canterlot a clock-tower tolled out 9 long peals.
It was time.
Twilight stood outside of Canterlot, taking in the sight of the beautiful city before her. Last time she'd been here was for her coronation, which seemed like an eternity ago. So much had happened since then, so many ponies she'd hurt along the way. It was time to stop hiding though, it was time to come home. She should have been nerve-wracked, quaking in apprehension of the reception she would receive. Instead she strangely calm, and perhaps even happy. Yes, she was ready.
A simple teleport later, and she was standing outside the throne room doors, easing them open as she greeted her friends and family for the first time in 9 long months. "Thank you all for coming, and allowing me this audience. It means so much to me that you would be here, even after all that I have done."
At first she was met with absolute silence, her friends uncertainly judging her sincerity, and her brother sitting nervously beside his plump wife. It was Celestia who first broke the silence. Twilight looked just like the day she left, so young and eager and innocent. "Twilight I...I'm so sorry for driving you away, I should have stopped and listened, I should have..." As she started to step off her podium to embrace the purple alicorn, Luna's wing suddenly held her back.
"Be still sister." Turning her piercing gaze on Twilight, she spoke again. "Do not think to fool us so easily, I can see that illusion charm in the air around you. Reveal to us what you are so sneakily hiding." Twilight's ears laid back against her skull in surprise at the thinly veiled hostility in Luna's tone. She supposed it was only to be expected, Luna would not be quick to trust her since she'd last buried her sister beneath Ponyville Town Hall. With a nod, Twilight complied.
The air next to her grew hazy like hot air rising off the land. From the wavy folds of air stepped King Sombra himself, as calmly as appearing from behind a curtain for his audience. "Sombra, I believe you already know everypony here, everypoy, meet King Sombra, my husband." There was a collective gasp of shock throughout the room. Twilight had actually married that monster?
"If you doubt our relationship like you have before, I believe princess Cadence can be of some assistance on the matter." It was Sombra who spoke this tame, looking pointedly at the curiously still pink alicorn."
Shining began to protest, "Don't drag my wife into..."
"They're telling the truth", Cadence interrupted. Finding the eyes of everypony in the room on her (all except for Luna's that is, who was still staring at Twilight) she elaborated. "I can feel it, between them. Their love is very real, and very strong. Though it may not make much sense now, they belong with each other as much as Shining and I do."
Luna took the shocked silence afterwards as her opportunity to speak once again. "Be that as it may, but I shall not ask you a third time Twilight Sparkle. There is still an illusion you are casting for our benefit. Release it, now."
Sheepish at being called out a second time, Twilight released her second and final illusion. Her form shimmered in the air, melting away to reveal the true Twilight beneath. She was equal in height to Sombra and Luna now, her proud horn protruding a full foot from her skull. Her wings had grown in size and grandeur, and her mane's colors stood out as somehow more real, more vibrant than ever before, billowing in a wind all its own. She was also very, very pregnant.
"When are you due?" Of course Cadence would ask that. "Within 2 months." She replied with a glowing smile.
"Wow Twi, you sure have changed a lot."
She turned to regard Applejack now, the first of her friends to have spoken up so far. After a moment she said ever so softly, "More than you can know Applejack, and yet very little at all." The rest of her friends remained in silent apprehension, still entirely unsure of what to think of the new Twilight. Pinkie's hair was stuck somewhere between its normal inflation and fully straight; Fluttershy was busy sticking halfway out behind Rarity, not entirely sure whether to hide or not. Then there was Rainbow.
Twilight gasped in pain and shock upon seeing the cyan pegasus. Her colors were dimmed, and her eyes as flat as her crushed dreams. "What happened to your wing?"
"You." The answer was blunt and to the point, and spoke volumes of pain and despair. "The doc did his best." she continued, "but while I was lying there my wound got infected. My left wing had the ability to mend bones and return to normal, except for the flesh eating bacteria that was spreading through it, and soon to be me as well. It was either lose the wing, or die, and the doc didn't really give me the option." The flat look in her eyes clearly spoke as to the option Rainbow would rather have taken, and it broke Twilight's heart.
"Rainbow I...I'm so sorry." Twilight secretly scanned her friend's scar with her magic. The memory was still there, nerve endings, a good supply of stem cells in the bone marrow. Noticing the glow of Twilight's horn, Luna narrowed her eyes in greater suspicion. "What are you casting Twilight?"
Ignoring Luna completely, Twilight addressed her friend. "Rainbow, I know this is more than I should have to ask of you after everything, but right now I really need you to trust me. What I'm about to do is going to hurt a lot, more than anything you've been through before." The dull look in her eyes receded, and Rainbow looked at her former friend with apprehension and curiosity. "What are you going to AAAaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Rainbow collapsed to the ground writhing in pain as her scar was split open, and from the open flesh a nub of bone stretched its way past her skin. Metacarpus, ulna, radius, all the bones were there, drenched in blood and still growing, stretching from Rainbow's body. As the skeleton finished reforming, flesh began to catch up, first came ropy sinews, then blood vessels and newly formed muscles. Over top it all a thin layer of skin appeared as last but not least Rainbow's feathers popped out of the flesh and aligned themselves.
It was done, Rainbow lay as pale as a blue pegasus can be, but whole again, flexing her brand new wing. Tears poured from her eyes, not of pain, but of sheer joy and the feeling of what can only be described as a miracle. She'd accepted the fact that her dreams, her future, her life as she knew it, had been snatched away; and yet here she was with those dreams given back to her on a silver platter. "I...I....Thank you, Twilight. Thank you."
Luna's look of suspicion had softened, replaced now by curiosity. "Where did you learn such a spell Twilight Sparkle? Not even the greatest doctors of Equestria working as a team could save her wing, let alone regrow it entirely."
"It's a spell I crafted myself, based on my lessons from Sombra."
All eyes turned to the him now, the question clearly evident in their eyes. Why would Sombra know advanced medical magic? "My Queen gives herself less credit than is due, as always. I merely guided her in the dark arts of destroying a living organism in practically ever way imaginable. It was her idea to take that knowledge and use it for healing instead of death. A concept that I had never considered before."
Remembering the ruler she was, Celestia regained her composure. "How can we be certain that you are reformed Sombra. Simply loving Twilight is not enough in its own merit."
"I suppose there's no way you really can know, and to be perfectly honest I couldn't give a shit about your opinion even if I wanted to." His tone earned him a smack from Twilight's tail, but then as he continued, a shy and approving kiss. "What you can believe in is Twilight here. I showed her everything I had, my darkest secrets, my greatest evil, and she took it all. Now here she stands before you, having conquered even the evil that is found inside. Something I know certain princesses still struggle with to this day." Luna winced, a flicker of guilt in her eyes. "Though I was loathe to admit it at first, I have a lot to learn from her. I can only promise that I will do my best, not for you, not for her friends nor anypony else, but for the pony that reminded me how to love with all my heart."
Celestia gave him a simple nod for his speech, understanding perfectly where he stood. To Twilight she gave her final statement. "I first agreed to your attempts to reform Sombra not truly believing it to be possible. Then acting upon this belief I forged his destruction, thinking to save you before you inevitably fell. Instead my foolishness drove you into having to make the choice between him and us, and it drove you away. I thought for sure I had lost you forever, and then you walked here into my halls just 9 months later successful in your task despite everything that you have had to endure. Your only mistake, is to think you have to ask for our forgiveness."
Stepping down from her throne, Celestia stood before the couple and after a brief pause, gave them the deepest bow she could physically manage. "We have such a great deal to learn from you Twilight, I can only hope that you, no, both of you, can forgive me."
"There's nothing to forgive Celestia, I for one got a great deal of satisfaction out of watching Twilight hand you your ample plot back to you on a silver platter 9 months ago." Sombra's remark earned him a horrified punch in the ribs by his wife, but it was well worth it, and after a moment even Celestia had to chuckle a little at the memory.
"And of course I forgive you Princess, even though there really isn't anything to forgive!!" Said Twilight with tears in her eyes. All of her friends were cheering, happiness upon their faces at having their friend really truly back. Everything had gone way better than expected. She was finally able to come home.
Far away in Ponyville, in a special vault the shattered remains of what once was the element of magic began to glow with inner light once more.
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Just to note, this story is marked with On Hiatus instead of incomplete due to the probability of infrequent updates while I focus most of my attention on the other timeline, Path of Damnation. Fear not though, for as inspiration strikes so shall I work on it. I just expect it to take much more time than my other sequel
I love how Twilight and Sombra get along in this story. It's funnier.
Yusssss, I love this!
Must see Sombry and Shiny BBILF (Best Brothers in Law Forever)
So good!
at least we were not there
Yes we were. You were drunk and I transported to there. Our powers were just neutralized.
how come I have dahjavo?
I don't know.
Ahh, I was wondering how Dash’s issue was going to be handled. By the way, there's a "rainbows" instead of "Rainbow's" in that part.
Love the ending to the chapter.
I hope she gets to keep the green glowing eyes
I bet it will make her friends feel a bit uncomfortable lo
So the paths are two different stories? This does make some sense. I was trying to figure out how exactly you were planing to make a triquel.
4526758 Fixed, thanks for the catch! And thanks everypony for your feedback, nothing makes my day more than comments do (the good and constructively criticizing
)
Well, this is an excellent start up 2 chapters but they seem to skip quite the bit of time...
4527695 derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/1/29/537511__safe_image+macro_princess+cadance_reaction+image_truck_fedex.jpg
allmystery.de/i/te475fc_74913_-_flutterdoor_fluttershy_meme_ship.png
4527721 Lol, this is crazy pairing?
What about Twilight x Discord? Nope, just kidding, BEST, SHIP, EVER. Aside from this one...
the end? it's been a blast so far, and has such great potential too
KEEP. IT. GOING.
4528541 No no no, not done, not by a long shot. Its just going to be slow on the updates is all don't worry.
great...now I'm addicted to Twilight and Sombra shipping.....@#$%
YES!
SEQUEL! AND TWI'S NOT EVIL! THERE IS A GOD!!
Excuse us whilst we fangirl/boy scream and jump around like idiots!
whoop de doo... *waves finger around*
YEAH YEAH YEAH!! TWIBRA! YEAH HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEEE!!!!
Hooray!
WHOOO! AAAAANNNNDDDDD Do the cabbage patch uh huh!
No no cabbage patch thats just wrong.. anyway AND WE CAN'T FIGHT THIS FEELING ANYMORE!!!!! YEEYEE!!
I do like how you're doing both paths. It's quite interesting, and both intrigue me greatly. A couple things, though. First, it's "Sweetie Belle", with an e on the end. Second, punctuation still needs a bit of work. For example, "How can we be certain that you are reformed Sombra." should be "How can we be certain that you are reformed, Sombra?" Still, looking good so far.
4528963
thank god, like my comment on you'r page i how to see more
EUHMEGAWD
WHEN WILL THERE BE MORE
TELL MEH
WHY IS THERE NOT MORE
WHY
SO AWEOSME
4531631 But of course. That decision defined the course of the rest of her life, one that has even shown Sombra that he can overcome his own evil and follow in her lead. Don't expect to see the whole story of that monumental decision all at once though. It will be hinted at, bits and pieces released as Twilight teaches the lessons she has learned, like puzzle pieces to the greater picture
we want more and you know it
I showed this to my non-brony brother and his immediate question was,"if this is the good path why do their smiles look so evil still?" I love the cover art but you gotta admit he's kinda right.
4531864
Seductive smiles.
4529756
Join the Dark Side… *cough cough* I mean the Twibra Shipping Side… We have Cookies… And Cake…
: CAKE??
Oh sh- HIDE THE CAKE!!
Reading both, need new chapters for both!!!!!!!!!!!!
This. Is. Awesome!
Keep going!
I don't exactly like it that much
. While I like it more then when I first read it. The part that follow a different path then damnation seem rushed to me. And thats strange as I usualy don't care for such trivial things and just enjoy any story.
I understand that friendship is a powerful force and friends are willing to forgive a lot of things. But there are some boundaries where friendship becomes blind loyalty as the mane 5 seems a tad to easy on forgiving.
The Rainbow Dash wing problem doesn't seem to be even needed here beyond setting up how awesome it is to reverse engineer dark spells into the light form. Yet, it could have been a nice part where we could have seen a strain between two friends relationship on account of one accidently (more or less) harming the other and costing her her dreams. But noooo, we have Deus ex Twilight fixing it immediately.
Also no pony, not even Luna, imediatly attack Twilight the moment she casts a painful spell om Rainbow.
You could end the story on this part and everything would seem finished. Twilight has been forgiven anyway and thus got her redemption with no need to do anything. And no one in the story cares about Sombra's reformation anymore.
) the good side of him.
.
Sombra doesn't give a damn about it.
Twilight knows that he's not as evil as others believe, or atleast that she can bring out (your dead
Celestia doesn't give a damn anymore so long as she has her pseudo daughter and Sombra doesn't go around terrorizing foals.
Cadance is fine with him so long as he stays the hell away from the empire. don't want to give them a mass heart attack.
And Luna is outvoted, so her thoughts about the situation doesn't even matter
Dunno, maybe seeing as how amazing the first story was my expectations had been increased in the sequel.
And then the universe collapses on it self and everyone die. The end!................................................
Seriously though, the event play out decently but not exactly very good, but, I'm not expecting perfection or masterpiece like some people. I'm not perfectionist. So this is good enough for me. Although, I still expect epic battles.
yay happy beginnings.....wait that sounded wrong
To be honest, I prefer this path to the other one, the other one is needlessly brutal and a tad ooc, at least in my opinion...
i.imgur.com/bqvE3At.gif
oh i hope this comes off of Hiatus soon!
4537175
OK, this may be a skewed priority speaking, but what happened with the other cover art
? I actually miss it already
.
4546918 I was politely requested to remove it by the artist, so I quickly complied with his wishes
4547401 oh, I see. Well, I'm going to miss the cover art. BTW, the artist is female.
what happened to the artwork for the fic? (the one with Twilight and Sombra dancing?)
4547401 I suggest maybe adding a link to the art work so others can find it, but its just an idea so you don't have more repetitive comments like these.
4547645
4548109 I'm an idiot for not seeing the two previous comments.
Writing two stories simultaniously? Sounds challenging, but I bet you can pull it off. Just remember, you're supposed to spell out numbers unless they're "complicated". Twelve, not 12. A number like 377,827 is excusable, but 99% of the time the proper thing to do is spell out the numbers.
If I remember correctly the artist for the original artwork took most of their Twibra stuff down because people pirated some Folios from them. I can understand that but I am saddened by the art being gone.
This split reminds me of KOTOR to be honest. Where Revan can go light or dark in the end as well as sway his/her love to the side he/she as chosen.
I do not care for "Path of Damnation" But this looks interesting.
WAIT! "On Hiatus" ....
DANG IT!
Definitely my favorite of the two paths, as well written as the other stories, which is to say very well. Fav'd.
When do you think you'll post another chapter. I
this path better than the other one. So exsited for next chapter 
lol spelled excited wrong and used wrong pony thing.
This is the best story line I have ever read. I just love the relationship between
Twilght and Sombra, the two play off each other very well and the good of darkness
and the evil of darkness element is just beautiful. I just want to say thank you
for writing this story and thank you for doing such a great job.