"YOU CAN'T MAKE ME GO!!!" hollered the shadow prince as his wife Celestia struggled to push him onto the walkway to board their nephew's airship. Sombra was positioned just so where all four of his hooves were holding fast and Celestia was starting to get annoyed as they were making a scene, the type of which was rarely seen by their subjects.
"Come on, sweetheart, this is humilatinnnngggg...YOW!!!" Celestia yelped as Sombra finally gave out and they both were sent a'tumbling onto the deck of Blueblood's luxury airship.
Blueblood and Luna both gasped at the positions Celestia and Sombra had landed in, looking embarrassingly like a 69 before Celestia forced Sombra off but couldn't help but giggle at the absurdity, "See?"
"Fillies & gentlecolts, I give you the Prince and Princess of Shadow and Day," Blueblood deadpanned before calling the crew to get them airborne.
"NOOO!!!!" Sombra tried to leap over the edge, only for a soft phthallo blue magic aura to envelop him, keeping him stationary as a golden rope glowing a sunny yellow suddenly tied him up. The blue aura unceremoniously dropped him on the middle of the deck.
"PLEASE! ANYTHING BUT THIS!!!"
"Sombra, have a little dignity!" Luna exasperated, "It is royal tradition for all alicorn monarchs to spectate the Equestria Games."
"But why did it have to be in my old empire?!" Sombra knew he sounded like a foal but he didn't care. Only that this airship was taking flight to transport them to his old empire, to his old subjects...
"After all I did, how could I ever face them again...?!"
"Well, certainly not with that attitude," Celestia gave her hubby a kiss of encouragement and although it succeeded in calming him down somewhat, she could see he was still wracked with self-doubt and no small amount of shame. Before she could say anything, Luna and Blueblood walked over to chat.
"I must say, Sister, all this excitement about these Games, is verily getting to me! Why I can still recall the competitions from long ago. Pray tell, do they still have the discus throw?"
"Actually, Aunt Luna, the Equestria Games Committee has expanded from those old types of competitions and implemented some more... unique challenges for the competitors. As a matter of, Applejack will be competing for Team Ponyville in a Hay Bale Toss event whereas I aim to bring home the Ponyville Gold for the Ice Archery event. Ha-ha, if you'll pardon the pun."
"I wish you the best of luck, nephew, but... I believe I shall favor Team Canterlot to bring home the Trophy."
"Is that a bet, dear auntie...?"
Celestia smiled to see everypony getting along when she felt somepony tap her on the withers. She looked to see it was a pegasus crewmember, who directed her to the sight of her husband, trying to make another escape by inch worming towards the safety rail. Whispering her thanks to the stallion, she lit up her horn and Sombra grumbled as he was levitated to his wife's side.
In the castle of the Crystal Empire, Ms. Harshwhinny are a couple of her security guards were leaving the throne room and an icy chill in her wake that made Spike and Twilight shiver. At Cadance's request, Twilight and Spike had come to the Crystal Empire early to discuss some small details, which turned out to be a surprise for Spike! She'd recommended to Ms. Harshwhinny that Spike should be the one to set the torch ablaze that signals the start of the Equestria Games, and the head of the games had requested to meet Spike in person. After answering a few questions (all the while under her harsh scrutiny) Ms. Harshwhinny gave her approval and Spike had been given a great honor, the first dragon in the history of the Equestria Games to light the signal torch!
"Brrr! Moody, wasn't she?" Spike could still feel that mare's icicle gaze.
"Oh don't take it so personally, Spike," Cadance gave a soft giggle, "Ms. Harshwhinny is just... very professional. She's actually quite nice once you get to know her."
"And I am just so excited for you, Spike!" Twilight hugged her Number One Assistant with all the love a big sister could give to a little brother, "You're about to make a little history for dragons everywhere!"
"Yeah, ha-ha... making history and writing lists, that's me," Spike didn't sound quite as excited as the two princesses, which caused them to share a confused look.
"Spike, would you rather not be the torch-lighter?" Twilight queried.
"Oh yeah-yeah-yeah! I would, I really would," Spike flabbergasted before the discomfort returned, "It's just... I'm a little afraid of-"
The opening of doors interrupted Spike as in rushed Fleet Mail, "Your Highnesses!"
He bowed before them before reporting, "The Royal Sisters' Airship will be landing momentarily."
"Oh! Well, we'd better hurry out there to greet them," Cadance said to Twilight before addressing Spike, "Don't worry about a thing, Spike! Just do your best and everything will turn out just fine. Let's go, Twilight."
"Hop on, Spike," Twilight turned for Spike to jump onto her back, and as they hurried off to greet the coming monarchs, Spike held his tail the way he did whenever something bothered him.
He just made sure not to let it show on his face.
The landing platform had been set up in an empty field located just beyond the end of one of the main streets of the empire, where the city was actually planning to establish an airfield so the coming and going would have the option of air travel. Hundreds of crystal ponies had gathered to welcome the visiting royalty to their beloved city, including a fanfare of crystal ponies each holding a flugelhorn, and as the airship began to descend the excitement was building!
Comissioned some time ago by Blueblood's company, the royal airship, simply dubbed the Eclipse, was a galleon-sized airworthy vessel of the highest quality. Constructed from magically-reinforced dark oak, fitted with steel frames that reflected a brass polish, it was held aloft by intricately woven riggings to suspend it from an immense oval-shaped gasbag balloon, measuring well over 700 hooves long over 100 hooves in diameter. It was protectively covered by warded tarp, containing the ballonet gasbag, which served as both the primary gasbag and a pressurized defense for the secondary/backup gasbag within it. The tarp was colored royal purple and displayed the Equestrian flag on both sides.
The Eclipse was fitted with a large propeller installed on the stern with side-fins on the port and starboard sides to help steer the ship, and the stern's sides were protected by large wing-shaped metal armaments that appeared ornamental but were actually specially-designed armor for the ship. The bow resembled that of a clipper and its masthead was shaped like a shooting star flying through the cosmos. On specific points of the ship were lightning rods to protect the ship in case of wild weather, and those lightning rods were interconnected to the the ship's generator that powered its electrical systems.
As the Eclipse descended, the flugelhorn fanfare started off on a high note with an excitable melody as some pegasus members of the ship's crew took flight to secure the mooring lines. Cadance and Twilight, carrying Spike, took wing to meet the royal visitors on deck, and were met with a pair of saluting pegasus guards and saw...
"Bluey!" Cadance came down and rushed over to give her brother a hug, which he was happy to return.
"Always happy to see you, Cady," Blueblood laughed before he held out his foreleg, "So, what do you think of my latest and greatest airship yet? The Eclipse! No expense was spared in her construction, only the finest materials, workers, spells, and some of the latest technological advancements helped to make this fine vessel possible!"
He then not-so-discreetly whisper-shouted to Cadance, "By the way, remind me to send a thank-you gift basket to Hoofworks Limited. I'd never admit it to Midnight, but his friend turned out to have just the engineering advice I needed for a feature on the Eclipse's engine."
Hm-hm, I'll hold you to that," Cadance tittered when Twilight walked up.
"Hello, Blueblood, where are your aunts and uncle?"
"Ehh...." Blueblood looked amused as he rolled his eyes towards the helm and the two young princesses both stifled giggles to see the Royal Sisters descend with Sombra in reluctant tow, a tendril of mana connecting to his regalia from each sister, as though he were a dog on a leash, and the shadow prince looking positively humiliated.
"Hello, Aunt Celestia, Luna, and Sombra," Cadance smiled warmly, "Welcome to the Crystal Empire. Pray tell, how many times did Sombra try to get out of attending this event?"
The Royal Sisters both gave Sombra smug look, and he grumbled, "...Six times."
"Nine times, dear niece, nine times," corrected Luna, her sister giggling while Sombra groaned while hiding his embarrassment under his wing.
"He kept trying to jump over the side of the ship, I couldn't take my eyes off him for a moment!" Celestia finally let out her laughter, and Sombra groaned even more when he heard the crew and guards joining in on the amusement at his expense.
Then he felt a hoof touch him gently on the withers and lifted his wing to see Cadance giving him an understanding look as well as an assuring smile, "Sombra, I understand that coming back to your old empire isn't easy. But your past will weigh down upon you and the crystal ponies for as long as you live until you face it and overcome it together."
"...I robbed my old subjects a thousand years," Sombra sighed sadly, "and my love, Autumn Wheat, lost her whole life as she knew it, and I never got to even meet the child she and I had together. I gave in to my weakness and they suffered on my account... How can I face them after all I did to them?"
"By showing them you are not that pony anymore," answered Celestia with a firm yet gentle emphasis. "By showing them you have changed and you have come to start anew."
Sombra gave his wife, family, and friends a look, seeing encouragement from each of them, and sighed.
"Alright, I'll try."
"Good, because your adoring public awaits," Cadance pointed towards the side of the airship and she asked, "Blueblood, would you mind helping me with the announcements here?"
"Be glad to, Cady," Blueblood followed Cadance to the walkway that led from the airship down to the platform that had been set up just for this occasion.
He stood next to his sister (still getting used to that thinking and yet feeling comfortable with it) as they stood in front of a sound cone that had a voice amplification charm on it as Cadance announced, "Fillies and gentlecolts, colts and fillies of all ages! Citizens of the Crystal Empire as well as all who have come from near and far to be a part of this extraordinary event that shall get underway in just a few hours! As the Princess of Love and Empress of the Crystal Empire..."
"And Honorary Prince of Canterlot!" Blueblood added at Cadance's smiling gesture.
"It is our distinct pleasure to welcome the Royal Triarchy of Canterlot, you know them well! First, a warm welcome to the Keeper of Dreams and Lady of the Moon, Princess Luna!"
Luna stepped up to reveal herself and waved with a smile on her face as she received quite the reception from the crowd, especially the Crystal Ponies, who were more fascinated by the Princess of the Night than the ponies born into this modern age. They related to Luna and she to them by their both being ponies out of their proper times. She stepped off the gangplank and joined Cadance and Blueblood on the platform but not next to them.
"Behind her," Blueblood spoke, "is her elder sister, the Bringer of Day, and who just so happens to be my favorite aunt, Princess Celestia!"
The crowd went wild as Celestia made herself known, spreading her wings and giving off the most gentle sunny radiance, dazzling but not blinding, almost as warm as the graceful smile adorning her face. She did not wave nor did she need to, as she gave an appreciative nod and stood by her sister.
"And last but most certainly not least," Cadance ushered as much welcoming and encouragement into this announcement, "he is the Founder of this Empire, a pony who lost his way but was led back to the right path, and was able to at long last unite with the pony he loves and the courage to earn her hoof in holy matrimony, Crystal Ponies, give a warm Crystal Empire welcome back to none other than Prince Sombra!!!"
Mustering as much of a regal stoic as he could, Sombra stepped up to reveal himself, and was met with a rather sparse applause, mostly from ponies visiting the Empire, as well as the griffons, minotaurs, Saddle Arabian horses, drakes, and even the dogs who'd arrived to cheer for their teams. The majority however (specifically the Crystal Ponies) were uncomfortably silent. Sombra had to force himself to walk down the gangplank and join his wife and sister-in-law on the platform, keeping his gaze downward. But when he finally dared to look up and meet the eyes of his former subjects, his heart sank to see fear, discomfort, even contempt here and there among the eyes of the Crystal Ponies.
A silence befell the whole crowd and at once, Sombra thought, I knew this was a mistake...
He considered turning around to board the Eclipse and leave... when something caught his eye. Nearby the platform, a few ponies politely stepped aside as a crystal filly came forward, all the while keeping her eyes on Sombra and the moment he met her gaze he froze. He didn't know why, he didn't recognize the filly but he knew she too must have suffered under his former tyranny. Whispers began to echo amongst the crowd as the ponies up front shared what was going on to those who couldn't see what was happening.
To Sombra's surprise, the filly walked up to a guard standing next to the platform and he lowered his head so she could whisper into his ear. At first, the guard seemed hesitant but then he gave the filly a nod... and stepped aside for her to go up the stairs. Sombra felt butterflies in his stomach, wondering why the filly wanted to come up to the platform!
Sombra didn't move as the filly walked up to him, looking up at him, and looking so very small in comparison to this pony who had once been her king and then later her nightmare. Her face was unreadable, her eyes wavered ever so slightly, and Sombra was afraid. Had he taken somepony from her? Was she an orphan because of him? Then, the filly did something Sombra had not been expecting.
She offered him a flower!
The gesture shook Sombra to his core, as the filly smiled and said, "Welcome home, Your Highness."
The tears flowed before he even realized he had shed them and Sombra knelt down to be eye-level with the filly, as he gently accepted the flower and said with a shaky voice and a smile of the deepest appreciation, "Th-thank you, little one."
The filly just smiled and then there were stampings from the closest crystal ponies, and like a mighty crescendo it rose up, as did the cheers of the Crystal Ponies, along with the visitors, and applauded the return of the Father of the Crystal Empire.
Princess Celestia smiled happily for her husband, for never had she seen him smile just this way as he stood tall, holding the filly with his wing as they both waved at the crowd.