Chapter 8: All is Revealed.
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Finally the day came for the Crystal Faire - Sombra and his family arrived home right in the middle of Shining Armor's welcoming speech. Some among the audience would later whisper that it was fate.
Others said it was intentional.
Very few actually cared.
Making their way through the crowd with the newly assembled statue in tow, they must have made a strange sight. But from the gasping faces and the bright smiles on many of the Crystal Ponies when they recognized the form as their lost Princess, it was not an unwelcome one. By the time they reached the Crystal Altar, many started to whisper that this was the moment they had waited for so long for.
"Citizens of the Crystal Empire," Sombra announced as he turned about - looking out over the crowd. "Lend me your ears!"
Silence now. Everypony in the Empire must have turned up for this event - and every single one of them was looking up at their former King. Some, especially the older ponies in the crowd started to shift uncomfortably as memories of his rule started to resurface, but out of the corner of his eye, he could make out the sight of Flurry and Shard exchanging smiles and a quick hug. That alone gave him the confidence he needed. That, and Hope's hoof on his shoulder as his wife looked up at him with an encouraging smile.
"I am Sombra, and I come before you a changed stallion." He began. "As all of you are no doubt aware, for the last few years - I have been searching for the pieces of our lost Princess. True, it was by my own hoof that she was turned to stone and broken. But that is precisely why I chose to undertake this quest. That I might start my atonement for all I've done by restoring the very first Pony I hurt, all those years ago. I don't doubt that many of you are wondering if this truly is the former Crystal Princess, but I guarantee you - it truly is. Once, Princess Amore believed that I could be better than what I was... an Umbrum, a Shadow Pony. She thought that my destiny was not set in stone. Yet, for the longest time, I did not believe this. In my rage, my bitterness towards my fate - I rejected her offer and froze her in stone."
"Yet, there was one mare that always believed in me. No matter how far I had fallen, she believed I could redeem myself. Even when I fell further during the Umbrum's invasion, she still held out hope. Fitting, I suppose that she is named as such. Citizens of the Crystal Empire, I give you that mare." He gestured with his hoof towards Hope, who beamed in response. "The first pony that believed in me. She is the most amazing pony I have ever met - and she has done me the greatest honor of being my wife - my great love - and the mother of my son..." He gestured with his other hoof towards Shard. "-Midnight Shard."
Some among the crowd started to murmur. Could this actually be the same stallion that oppressed them? He imagined they were wondering. He let his words sink in a moment before he continued.
"Citizens, I know many of you were and perhaps are still wary of me. You think that I might still have some remnant of Umbrum essence - or that I might possibly still be evil. Let me put your fears to rest now. With this act, I hope I might earn some measure of your forgiveness." He lowered his head in a deep bow. "I know I can never truly atone for all the harm I've done, but at least know that... I am truly sorry." He raised his head again, tears forming in his eyes. "So, Crystal Ponies, I put the question to you - all of you. Do you still hate me? Do you still doubt that I have changed? I can understand if you do."
Silence. Nopony dared move or even breath. For the longest, most dreadful moment - Sombra stood in front of a million prying eyes, feeling awkward and increasingly nervous. What if his speech had failed to sway them? What if they really did still hate him? He understood that it might well be unforgivable... given just how much he had hurt them he wouldn't be surprised if...
"I forgive you, Sombra." Said a gentle voice that rang throughout everypony's ears, breaking the illusion.
His head perked up - and eyes scanned the crowd, everypony wondering who had spoken. Suddenly, out of the sky, born on the wings of several gold-clad Pegasi - on her chariot was Princess Celestia. Her rainbow mane positively glowing in the sun she ruled, probably having raised it at this moment for just such an occasion. Her chariot came to rest just before the altar - at the foot of the Heart's dais. She stepped off and turned to face the crowd, a gentle smile on her face.
"As do I." Said another voice. Deeper and more powerfully projected, but no less feminine. "It is as we said before - if Twilight Sparkle believes in you, then so shall we."
Suddenly, Luna appeared as well - joining her sister in a flourish - in what was probably intended to be a grand entrance befitting a royal. She had probably stood behind her sister as a means of adding to the effect.
"I forgive you too, Sombra." Said Cadance, stepping forward to join her fellow princesses. "You have done much wrong, but you have redeemed yourself."
"I agree." Said yet another voice. Everypony watched as Twilight emerged from the crowd, the element-bearers in tow - joining the group at the altar. "Hope was right about you. All it took was just one friend believing in you - to help you become better than what you were. Now, imagine just how much good you can do now that you have other friends. You can start by counting me as one, too."
"And me!" Said a stallion in the audience.
"And me as well!" A mare shouted from somewhere. "I forgive you, Sombra!"
Others took up the call. "We forgive you, Sombra!" They cried.
He stood there for what seemed to be the longest time - tears rolling down his face as the audience clapped their hooves in approval. To know that those he ruled had finally given him their approval, to know that a lifetime of heartache and pain had come to an end brought him to the verge of tears.
"Thank you... all of you. But especially you, Hope." He turned to his wife. "For believing in me. Now… if you could – let us do this together."
He turned to the Amore statue and slowly lowered his head – and his horn started to glow bright blue – Hope joining in. Twin beams fired from their horns and their combined energy sent rippling waves throughout the crowd. There was a bright flash of light, followed by a sound like cracking stone – and a moment later, the statue exploded.
Now there was a bright pink unicorn – standing proud and regal for the first time in thousands of years. Her eyes opened – bloodshot and tired, but alive and full of life - ready to see the world again. She took a breath and looked out over the crowd, as if puzzled. Her brows furrowed as her gaze turned to the former King.
“It’s been over one thousand years, Princess.” Sombra said, bowing. “Welcome back.”
“I still remember it like it was only yesterday.” She replied, stretching her legs out. Tentatively, she took a step. Her leg wobbled a bit, but she held on. A good sign, Sombra thought.
Her face turned grim, making his heart sink. “You have done much harm, Sombra.” She directed that gaze at him - and for a moment he felt himself shirk. “You petrified me. Stole the Crystal Heart. Enslaved my people. Released the Umbrum! And….”
She paused.
Everypony held their breath. Somehow, even in her petrified state, Amore still could see and hear what had been done?
“You redeemed yourself, here, today.” She finished gently. “I too would like to offer my forgiveness – and my hoof, in friendship.”
“I accept it, gladly.” Sombra replied - and before he knew it, Amore moved forward and embraced him in a great hug. The audience in attendance applauded - and suddenly, started laughing as Pinkie took this moment to fire her party cannon. Confetti showered over both the former king and the newly restored princess, making both chuckle.
"It truly is good to be back," Amore said over the din of the party, "but I'm afraid there is something I must share with you, privately."
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~Shard~
What followed after his family's return from the frozen north was not quite what Shard was expecting. He had known there was going to be a tremendous celebration - both for Amore's return and Father's reformation. Then there was the fact that he had finally gotten to see Flurry again. When they parted from their hug, she whispered that she'd tried to find him - even going so far as to try and follow him into the frozen north - but that, that story would have to wait.
For now, it was just the grownup ponies talking in the audience chamber of the Crystal Palace. Only this time, they included him and Flurry - as Princess Amore said they both had a role to play.
"Let me begin by saying that when you froze me, I was still aware." Amore was saying. Father seemed to become sad at that, but she put her hoof on his shoulder, making his expression lighten. "I could still see. And what I saw whilst I was scattered helped me to understand many things."
Twilight chose this moment to interrupt. "But how is that possible? Scientifically speaking, how could you see if your eyes were...-?"
Amore waved her hoof.
"I did not see with my eyes, young Twilight Sparkle. At least, not my physical ones. But that is not important right now. What is important is what I saw. I saw all of you - and all your adventures. I saw Sombra's eventual return and redemption - and the birth of your children..."
She gestured to Flurry and him.
"And I knew that they would both have an important role to play in the events to come. You see, there is a malevolent presence within Equestria. A shadow from the past that, if left unchecked, could threaten the entire world."
Another pause.
"So tell us, already." Said Father, stomping his hoof, seemingly impatient. "What is this shadow?"
Princess Amore looked straight into Sombra's eyes, regarding him calmly.
"It is you."
That got everypony's attention. For a long minute, everypony in the room froze. Both royal sisters exchanged glances and looked back at the restored princess like she had gone mad. Even Mother looked on, shocked.
"What are you saying?" Father demanded, breaking the silence. "You said yourself, I have been redeemed! Does this mean that I will someday succumb to evil again?"
"No." Amore replied calmly. "Not you, exactly. It is rather another version of you, from an alternate Equestria."
Celestia perked up, her face in shock and alarm. "You can't possibly mean...!?"
Amore nodded. "I do. The very same Equestria that Star-Swirl's mirror led you to."
"But how in tarnation is that possible?" Applejack exclaimed. "Ah thought the mirror was broken and our worlds separated."
"That is true, Applejack." Said Amore. "But what you do not know is that Star-Swirl kept another mirror. Another doorway to that world." Again, there was stunned silence, but not as long as the one before - as Amore continued. "After your reconciliation, Star-Swirl agonized over your heartache. He came to regret that decision, to shatter the mirror. And so, he kept a piece of it, hoping to one day restore the link between worlds when a more hopeful means of stabilizing the link could be found. Eventually, he succeeded. Using powerful magic that nearly cost him his life, he used it to restore the gateway - hoping to use it to one day allow you to return to your beloved."
"Using that restoration spell drained what was left of his strength. So, he hid the mirror away - both to regain his strength and to prepare for the time when he could use it to allow free passage between our world and the other Equestria. Yet, Star-Swirl died before he could do so. And so the mirror went unused - until now."
"So," said Father, "this other Sombra. This... other me, has found a way to reopen the gate?"
"Indeed." Said Amore. "The eclipse provided the means for that." She pointed up with her hoof, as if gesturing to the sky. "The eclipse has allowed our worlds to become bridged again. That is where your son comes in." She gestured to Shard. Suddenly, everypony in the room looked at him as well. "He alone among us possesses the ability to find rare items of great power. He alone can find Star-Swirl's mirror, that what was wrong may be set right."
"But there's still something I don't understand." Said Twilight. "How is it you saw all this, but you couldn't see where Star-Swirl hid the mirror?"
"I saw a great many things while I was shattered, Twilight. But I did not see all things."
Amore looked at them all one by one.
"And besides that, the other Sombra likely knows we are aware of this mirror - and so he will have taken precautions against us finding it."
"Alright, so what does he want?" Twilight asked. "When he took all the evil out of the other Celestia and Luna, he just disappeared. What is he after this time?"
"He wants Sombra." Flurry said quietly.
Everypony looked at Flurry. Shining Armor walked forward and put his hoof on his daughter's shoulder.
"How could you possibly know that?" He asked.
"Because I spoke to him." She admitted. "Back in the cave where you and the guards found me."
At that moment, all Tartarus broke loose and the conversation was overlapped with a number of different questions.
"Cave?"
"You mean the one we stayed in?"
"You were in there the whole time?"
"Why didn't you hear me calling your name when I went to look for you?"
"I didn't even know you had!"
"If I had known you were in there I would have...-"
"SILENCE!!!" Luna cried, the force of her voice blowing everypony back several feet. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Let Flurry speak."
Flashing a nod to her Great-Aunt, Flurry stepped up and began to retell her story.
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~Flurry~
It took her a while to recall exactly how the conversation with the shadowy voice went, but Flurry retold it in as much detail as she could remember. Several times, Aunt Twili had tried to pipe in, only to have Great-Aunt Celestia put a hoof on her shoulder and pull her back, allowing her to continue unimpeded. Soon, she came close to the end of her story.
"And then he said that he had a message for you, Sombra." She struggled to remember all of it. "He said that since fate has changed, maybe it can be changed again."
Sombra blinked, staring at her the whole while. "What do you suppose that means?" He asked, looking over the other grownups.
It was a very good question. No doubt everypony assembled wished they had a very good answer.