//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: My Little Pony: Lights and Shadows - Part III // by OmegaTale //------------------------------//                 “Honestly, I don’t know how you two do it.” Discord told the ponies as they walked side by side.  “How could you possibly trust someone like Shadow after everything you’ve seen and heard about him?  I know you both realize by now that he is in fact the one who caused the calamity all those millennia ago.”                 Fluttershy shook her head.  “Caused it or not, he’s a different pony now than he was then.” She looked up at the draconequus with an unwavering, hopeful expression.  “He’s changed, just like you have.”                 Discord sighed, hating that they could keep using that excuse on him.  “Yes, I changed, but you two and the others are not looking at this the way you should be.” He tried explaining, taking an extra step forward and turning around to face them, walking backwards.  “Even if he believes he’s changed, you have to have seen what I have by now; whatever he used to be hasn’t left him yet, there is something in his mind-”                 “That’s been tormenting him.” Twilight finished for him, looking up at Discord.  “Yes, we know.”                 He turned about, looking down at her.  “And you’ve never stopped to consider what that means?”                 “We have,” Fluttershy added in, looking over at Twilight, who nodded back to her.  “But we just know Shadow is stronger than whatever this thing is that’s inside of him.”                 Discord raised an eye brow.  “And why’s that?” He asked, skeptical.                 Seeing that question coming, Fluttershy had a readied response.  “Because we’ve seen him overcome that part of him time and again.” She replied, looking back up at him.  “Every time he got caught in one of his visions, it took a friend to pull him out.  When Stormclaw told him his real name and caused him to collapse, he heard our voices calling to him and it brought him back.  And when he emerged from his room that day during the storm, he was able to use his power to save Ponyville from it.  He’s not Erebus anymore, Discord.  He’s Shadow Light.”                 Not gaining any headway, Discord grimaced, going quiet for a few moments.  “Then why did he run?”                 That one question, the one neither pony could answer, brought more silence into the air.  Whatever Stormclaw did with the Etherus Diamond, it had some kind of major effect on Shadow.  They could tell he was caught in another vision, only this one was different.  Fluttershy remembered his eyes upon awakening, the sheer horror that filled them… it was overwhelming.                 Discord looked to the two of them, wanting an answer.  “Why flee?  He had to have seen that we won, and that Stormclaw, Chrysalis, and Sombra were all gone.  So what did he see or hear in those few minutes that terrified him so much as to run away?  Even after seeing his friend dying?”                 “I don’t know…” Fluttershy replied, unable to say anything else.                 Twilight shook her head again.  “It doesn’t matter now.  We can figure that out when we find him and bring him back home.  We waited for too long… we should’ve gone searching for him sooner.”                 “It wouldn’t have made a difference.” Discord said solemnly.  “My magic has been weakened ever since I tried looking into his mind.  Despite that, I should have been able to sense something of his presence by now.  If I couldn’t find him… I doubt you or any of the girls would have either.”                 Having stooped her head a bit low as they talked, Twilight glanced up and over at Canterlot, the city still within sight even as they passed far beyond the mountain upon which it rested.  She hadn’t seen Celestia since the day Starfall was brought back to Ponyville to be hospitalized.  Luna said she had been searching along with the others… the only question was, who was she looking for?                 “Discord?” Twilight asked, peering up at him, all three of them stopping.  “Do you know where Princess Celestia is?”                 Clearly, the draconequus knew something and wasn’t saying it based on his reaction.  He shook his head after masking the expression his made upon hearing it.  “She insisted to search alone, despite Luna and my warnings against it.”                 Twilight knew the question would seem strange at first, but she had to know.  “Who is she searching for?”                 Discord tilted his head, trying to seem confused.  “Why, Stormclaw and Chrysalis, of course.”                 Fluttershy looked to Twilight, also slightly confused.  Twilight looked into his eyes, her own calculating what she already knew.  “I spoke to Luna about what happened while I was caught in that dark spell… why did King Sombra try to protect me against Stormclaw?  And why did he cut his nightmare spell on me and weaken Chrysalis’ hold on the others, just to flee?”                 Discord had not expected this, and therefore flinched a bit.  Fluttershy watched his reaction, realizing he really did know something and wasn’t telling them.  After another moment, he lowered his head, sighing.                 “She’s not looking for the other two, is she?” Twilight asked.  “She’s searching for Sombra.”                 Unable to withhold from the alicorn’s assault, Discord nodded.  This earned an estranged look from Fluttershy, who couldn’t seem to piece it together.  “I don’t understand… isn’t she afraid of what he’ll do if she’s alone when she finds him?”                 Discord, with his ears flattened to his head and his gaze lowered to the ground, shook his head.  “No… she isn’t.”                 Seeing Discord like this gave a serious mental check against Twilight.  It occurred to her that she had never heard anything about Celestia and him before, even though they both were rulers during their times.  At one point, as any princess knew, they had to have met, and yet there were no histories, no records, and no recollections of such a thing.                 “Let’s not dwell on that now,” Twilight said, defusing the conversation at seeing the draconequus so crestfallen.  “It was something that crossed my mind, but we need to stay focused on the task at hoof.”  She continued to walk north, followed by her companions.  “Just like with Shadow, we can worry about the how and why later; for now, we have to find our friend and bring him home.”                 Fluttershy, who had never seen Discord react like this at such a magnitude, walked closer to him and nuzzled his side, earning his gaze.  She smiled up at him, and it caused him to give a small smile back.                 Entering a clearing, the three of them felt their gazes drawn forward.  Ahead of them lied the border of the Northern Wilds, the land between the outlying areas of Canterlot Mountain and the Crystal Empire.  With Rainbow and Pinkie helping King Gale and the griffons to the east, Applejack and Rarity helping Garble and the dragons to the south, and Spike and Starlight helping Ember, Thorax, and the changelings to the west, all that was left was Cadence and Shining Armor to the north.  The wilds were the best option for him, according to Fluttershy that is, who had told Shadow about them in the past.                 Discord, in his weakened condition, said he hadn’t sensed anything of Shadow in any direction during his searches, which was disheartening.  If nothing else, this would be the first of many places the three of them would need to travel in search of the shadow pony.                 Following the old northern highway, which hadn’t been widely used in centuries, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Discord pressed on and into the wilds.                 Rising high into the sky, the white alicorn breached the clouds, the sunlight glinting off the crown on her head.  Tucking in her hooves for a moment, she dived down underneath them again, spreading her wings wide once again to glide as she looked down upon Equestria.                 She had searched far and wide, across all matter of lands, but still Princess Celestia could not find him.  Her gaze fell upon Canterlot as she flew towards it from the south, slowly beginning her descent.                 Flapping her wings a few times to slow down, she landed softly on the balcony of the tower, folding her wings up behind her on her back as she let out a sigh.  She paused, only to look out upon Equestria once more.  “Where are you?” She asked herself, ears falling flat to her head as she faced forward, slowly walking into her room.                 The bed was more alluring now than it had ever been during her long hours performing her princess duties, but she couldn’t allow herself sleep just yet.  Exiting her room, she walked down the stairwell that led to the main hall, and from there she entered the throne room.                 Princess Luna sat upon the throne, speaking to a few dignitaries and looking none the more well-rested as Celestia did.  Still, she played the part like her sister would’ve wanted, keeping postured with no scowling allowed.                 Seeing Celestia there, Luna’s full attention immediately turned to her.  “Sister!” She exclaimed, looking back to the dignitary ponies.  “We shall conclude this matter later.”  The ponies all bowed their heads and made their exit as Luna flew over to Celestia.  The sisters hugged, for they had not seen one another for many days.  “What news?  Was there any sign of him?”                 “I’m afraid not, dear sister.” Celestia replied, her ears still flat as her eyes showed a level of defeat as the two separated.                 Luna nuzzled her.  “Have no fear, Twilight and her friends have just joined the search.”                 Celestia looked to her sister with a kind of urgency.  “Did Starfall wake up?” She asked quickly.                 Shaking her head, Luna offered a small smile to try and comfort her.  “No, but he will soon.  I spoke to Twilight, she is hopeful once again and has organized her friends to aid Gale, Ember, and Thorax.”                 Although she was upset at hearing the pegasus still had not awakened, knowing Twilight was no longer in despair over his sacrifice did form a smile on Celestia’s face.  “I knew if anypony could lift her spirits, it was you.”                 Luna smiled, but it faded quickly.  “Does this mean you are here to stay?  Or will you continue your search for him?”                 The topic coming up once again did a number on Celestia’s morale, and she shook her head.  “I cannot ask you to fulfill my duties any longer than I have already.  I am sorry, dear sister, my search was in vain.”                 “Do not say that,” Luna tried encouraging her.  “Our duty is to our subjects, and we both know you were serving them more out there than either of us have from within these walls.”                 Celestia looked to her sister with tired eyes.  “But I have searched everywhere, Luna.  It is as if he just disappeared from the world.  Such time would be better spent here, where I know I am needed.”                 Luna hesitated, but then tilted her head.  “But it’s not just for our subjects…”  Celestia then went silent, the two looking into each other’s eyes.  “I want you to be happy too.”                 “I’m afraid it’s not that simple…” Celestia replied, looking away just slightly.  “Nothing is anymore.”                 “But it can be,” Luna said in return, looking over to the stained glass windows lining the throne room.  “Princess Twilight and her friends have had their deeds immortalized, deservingly so, but you and I have done our share in the past… you more so than I.”                 Celestia looked to her with sorrowful eyes.  “Luna…”                 Luna kept her eyes upon the stained glass of her as Nightmare Moon, refusing to deny the mistakes she had made.  “You deserve every bit of the happiness Twilight and her friends have.”  She paused, but then looked to her sister.  “You almost had that once, you know, many centuries ago.  It may have been before my banishment, but I remember it well, as I know you do too.”                 Celestia held her sister’s gaze despite her speechlessness.  The memories were there, and were crystal clear, as if they happened just yesterday.  Memories she could never forget.                 Seeing her sister’s reaction, Luna continued.  “Don’t give up on what made you happy, dear sister, embrace it.”                 Smiling once more, Celestia felt near close to tears.  “Thank you, Luna, I needed to hear those words… but the truth remains that he is nowhere to be found.”                 The two had now turned about and walked towards the thrones.  Luna kept a half-step in front of Celestia, deep in thought on how best to proceed.  “Perhaps it would do us both well for you to stay and rest whilst we come up with another plan.  I know you must be exerted from your travels, but I too could use a respite once you’ve had a decent night of sleep.”                 Celestia nodded.  “Yes, perhaps that would be best.”                 They were just about to reach the thrones when Luna said, “In other news, Twilight has stepped up to the task at hoof.  She, Fluttershy, and Discord have left in search of Shadow while the others help the search for Stormclaw and Queen Chrysalis.”                 Celestia smiled.  “That’s Twilight alright, testament to her title as the Element of-” She stopped mid-sentence, as well as mid-step, freezing in place.  Luna looked to her, confused, as the white alicorn’s eyes widened.  “The Elements of Harmony…” She said softly.                 “What is it, sister?” Luna asked, somewhat worried.                 Celestia looked to her, the weariness leaving her eyes in an instant as her ears perked up.  “I know where he is.”                 Discord hovered over the ground as his pony companions walked, their heads on a swivel.  There wasn’t much more they could do but scan the area, calling out to Shadow would likely be a mistake, seeing as he ran away from them in the first place.  Their magic would be of little use either, being as Discord was weakened and the shadow pony himself didn’t seem to be using any magic to track.                 It started getting late, the sun setting on the first day of their quest.  The wilds were heavily wooded, and so it started getting darker quicker, being as the trees were blotting out what little light the day had left.                 Seeing this, Twilight stopped, which halted her friends.  “I suppose we should find a place to make camp for the night.”                 “Can’t we keep looking for just a bit longer?” Fluttershy asked her.                 Discord floated over beside the alicorn.  “Twilight is right, Fluttershy.  You had to have known we wouldn’t find him on the very first day.”                 Fluttershy lowered her head, sighing.  “Oh, alright…”                 Twilight took another step closer to her and lifted her hoof onto the pegasus’ shoulder.  “We’ll start fresh in the morning, we have a lot of ground to cover, so let’s make sure we get well rested.”  Fluttershy looked up at her and nodded.                 By the time the sun sank on the horizon, Discord and Twilight managed a small overhang of branches and leaves while Fluttershy prepared a fire.  Discord lit the firewood with a simple spark spell, the three of them sitting around the fire silently.                 Discord was the one to break the silence, unsurprisingly.  “Twilight, do you really believe we’ll find your little friend by just wandering about in the wilds?”                 Twilight glanced over at him before returning her gaze to the flames.  “I believe we have to try.  If there’s any chance we’ll find him, it’s worth it.”                 Fluttershy sat with her hooves tucked in, her head still lowered slightly.  “I miss him…”                 Looking to her, Twilight scooted over to the pegasus’ side.  “I miss him too.”                 With that, Fluttershy leaned her head on Twilight’s shoulder, who rested comfortably at her side.  Twilight knew that, during her own breakdown at Starfall’s side, Fluttershy had been slowly breaking inside as well.  The two of them had both taken a major blow in the wake of the Grand Galloping Gala, and that damage remained, even though they did their best to hide it.  Leaning her head against Fluttershy’s, both ponies closed their eyes.                 Discord watched the two of them, his ears flattening.  It was happening to him again, and once again, there was nothing he could do.  His powers were all but gone, and his memories were there, haunting him and keeping him from saying a word.  Thus the draconequus sat in silence.                 His gaze lifted to the sky above, the many stars alighting the darkness, just as Luna had set every night.  He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath.                 Just as he began going deep in thought about the events of his own life, he felt a quiver in his spine, eyes flashing open and ears up straight.  He glanced around, and after another moment he felt it again, the presence of somepony nearby.  Not just one, but several.                 “Twilight, Fluttershy, wake up.” He said suddenly.  Both ponies opened their eyes, looking at him as he stood, looking to the north-east.  “There’s a town nearby.”                 Fluttershy was up just before Twilight.  “There is?  Where?”                 The draconequus pointed.  “Just over there.”                 Twilight squinted, looking in the direction he pointed in.  “That’s strange… I’ve never heard of a town in the middle of the Equestrian Wilds before…”                 Fluttershy was the first to gallop off in the direction.  “Come on!  Maybe somepony has seen him!”                 Discord and Twilight followed after her.  Not a mile in the direction the draconequus felt the presence, there was a clearing, where Fluttershy came to a halt, a big smile on her face.  Her friends caught up with her and the three stood looking at the mysterious town.                 Twilight thought back, having sworn she remembered something about a settlement in this area a long time ago.  “Wait a minute…” She said, the gears turning about in her head.  “This can’t be Charon, can it?”                 Discord even recognized the name.  “Hmm… I recall Charon being a large trade center between Equestria and the Crystal Empire…”  Looking out at the near village-sized town, Discord felt skeptical.  “This looks like little more than Starlight’s Village.”                 It was late, and so the main street of the town was nearly empty.  Despite this, the condition of the pony settlement led all three visitors to believe it had to have been in serious decline for centuries.                 “How fascinating,” Twilight said, walking forward and glancing around.  “I always thought Charon was completely abandoned, and would be a crumbling ruin somewhere in the wilds.  I never would have imagined it still exists… even if it’s seen its better days.”                 “Princess Twilight?” asked a voice, earning the alicorn’s gaze.  An earth pony stallion with crimson-colored fur and a silver-like mane stood looking at them with a tilted head.  “Ha, it really is you.  What’re you doin’ all the way out here?”                 Twilight looked at him with an uneasy smile, having been through this very many times now.  “Oh, I’m sorry, have we met in the past?  Perhaps at the Trader’s Exchange in Rainbow Falls?”                 The stallion shook his head.  “Nah, but everypony in town’s been talkin’ a lot about ya recently.” He bowed his head slightly.  “My name’s Firecracker, I’m the blacksmith here.”                 “Lovely to meet you, Firecracker.” Twilight replied, gesturing to her companions.  “This is Fluttershy and Discord.”                 Discord was busy looking around at the town, but he managed a glance at the pony.  “Charmed.”                 Fluttershy was quick to follow up with the big question.  “You haven’t seen anypony peculiar pass through town, or nearby, have you?”                 Firecracker looked slightly confused.  “Peculiar?”                 Twilight stepped up.  “We’re looking for a friend of ours, an earth pony, with black fur and golden eyes?  Does that sound at all familiar to you?”                 The stallion shrugged.  “First I’ve heard of it, sorry.  You know, it’s getting awfully late, do you three have anywhere to stay the night?”                 Fluttershy sighed.  “That’s very kind of you, but we should really begin asking if anypony has seen him.”                 “Why not take care of both?” Firecracker offered, offering a smile.  “My sister gets out more than anypony in town, maybe she’s seen your friend, and in the meantime, you can all get some rest for an early rise tomorrow.”                 Twilight weighed the option.  It really was late, and she imagined most ponies would be more willing to see them in the morning rather than at this hour.  “You know what?  You’re right, Firecracker.”  She turned to look at her companions.  “Most of town must be asleep by now, its best we wait until the morning.  Besides, I’m pretty tired myself.”                 Fluttershy couldn’t deny Twilight’s logic.  Waking up ponies just for the slim chance they’ve seen a friend may not warrant the best of reactions from them.  She nodded, turning to Discord, who had been silent this whole time, trying to muster what magic he could to sense for Shadow in the small town.                 “Great!” Firecracker exclaimed, lifting his hoof.  “Right this way.”                 The red-furred stallion led the three travelers to his home, a decently sized house just off the main street of town.  One could tell a blacksmith lived there, since many tools and metal projects lie neatly on tables or on the walls.                 “Hey sis!” Firecracker called out.  “Come on down!  You’ll never believe who I just ran into!”  He looked over at Twilight, an excited smile on his face, before turning back to the stairs.                 A white-furred earth pony mare came trotting down the steps, her black mane and tail swishing back and forth as she did.  “Let me guess, another-” She froze in place at the sight of the purple alicorn in her living room.  “Princess Twilight?!” She squealed excitedly, hopping up into the air.                 Twilight chuckled a bit, waving her hoof.  “Hello there.”                 The mare zipped up to her.  “Hi, my name is Lucille, but you can just call me Luci!”                 Firecracker pushed her back an extra foot away from the princess with a grin on his face.  “Easy there girl, give the lady her space.”                 Luci blushed a bit.  “Sorry, just excited.” She said, getting a grip.  “I never thought I’d actually meet a princess, let alone have her visit my house.”                 “The pleasure is all mine.” Twilight replied, turning to her friend.                 Fluttershy took a deep breath.  “Hello, I’m Fluttershy.  Twilight, Discord, and I have come looking for a friend of ours that’s gone missing.  Your brother said you get out of town more than anypony else, and we were wondering if you’ve seen him.”                 Luci offered a smile.  “Not many ponies come through these parts, even far out where I go into the wilds.  Could you tell me what your friend looks like?”                 Firecracker was able to answer that for her.  “They said he has black fur and golden eyes.”                 The smile on Luci’s face faded.  “Black fur and golden eyes?” She asked.  The reaction warranted the direct attention of all three of the guests.  Luci sat down, tilting her head.  “Dusk Daze?”                 “He must have changed his name, in case we ever caught his trail.” Twilight couldn’t believe their luck.  “So… you actually saw him?”                 Luci nodded.  “Yeah, met him not too far outside of town.  By the looks of his cloak, he’d been trottin’ around in the wilds for days, if not weeks.”                 Fluttershy inched closer, her hoof risen up from the floor.  “Is he here?  When did you see him last?”                 “Two days ago,” Luci replied.  “He didn’t stay long.”                 “Have you any idea where he went?” Discord pitched in, now invested in this search as much as the two mares he traveled with.                 The white-furred mare gestured with her head to the north.  “North, to the Crystal Empire.  I offered him a place to stay for the night, but he insisted on leaving immediately.  Sounded like he was desperate to see the Crystal Heart with his own eyes.”                 Finally, they caught a break.                 “Thank you, Luci.” Twilight said to her, letting out a sigh of relief.  “Thank you so much.”                 Luci smiled in return, glancing over at Firecracker before looking to their guests again.  “You three are staying the night though, right?”                 “Absolutely.” Twilight agreed immediately.                 “What?!” Fluttershy and Discord said in unison.                 Twilight turned to them.  “We need to rest.  To make sure we find him when we get there, we have to be bright eyed and bushy-tailed, otherwise we could miss our chance!”  She turned back to Luci and Firecracker.  “Thank you again, I greatly appreciate this.”                 Both of them bowed their heads.  “Anything for Princess Twilight.” Firecracker replied.                 Twilight bowed her head back, and then turned to Fluttershy and Discord.  “Shadow’s probably at the empire already, and Cadence has her crystal guards searching the regions of the north for him, so it’s fair to say he’ll be using stealth.  If we go galloping in there, tired as can be, we could make a mistake that messes up our opportunity to bring him home.”  She gave them both a determined nod.  “So rest up, we leave at dawn.”                 Celestia soared across the night sky, descending down towards the Everfree Forest with haste.  How could she have been so blind?  How could it take this long for her to realize where he was?  And for how long has he been there, alone in the dark?                 It took some doing, but she managed to convince Luna to stay at the castle while she handled this.  There was no way of knowing what would become of this venture, no way of foreseeing how it would end.  Celestia was taking a leap of faith, in the hopes that one would catch her before she fell.                 Down she flew, and then spread her wings, leveling out as she passed over the enchanted forest below.  Eyes set upon her old castle, the ancient ruins stood with an ominous aura, one which fell upon it each and every night.  As she passed the highest tower by, she descended down to the ground on the edge of the massive chasm around the ruins.                 She stood just before the top stair, gazing down into the absolute darkness of the cavern.  She had not been to see the tree ever since Stormclaw came and defiled it.  She remembered, after Twilight and her friends left, when she descended down to it, that she felt her heart quake in her chest at the sight of it.  She could only imagine the horror she would feel when she saw it now… now that she knew the truth.                 Mustering her courage, she stepped forward and descended the stairs once again.  The perpetual darkness of the cavern was cryptic beyond all measure; one could feel the power Stormclaw had freed into it.  The malevolent, wrathful strength of an ancient being… cold, and forgotten.                 Although she could not see, Celestia didn’t bother casting her illumination spell, for she knew the way by heart.  Walking across the cold, stone floor, her bright fur clashed against the dark, challenging the shadows and their evil.  She knew she was standing before it when she felt her memories cease in her mind, leaving her in silence.  For a few moments, she remained still, watching the shadowy void before her without the slightest hint of movement.  Casting her illumination spell, it was as she feared.                 The Tree of Harmony had blackened, the roots and limbs dark and emptied of its life.  The Elements of Harmony were all gray, and lacking of their bright, vibrant colors.  There wasn’t the slightest hint of glowing light from any of them, all of the life was gone.  For so long Celestia didn’t know the truth, and every time she came before this ancient tree, she did not fully understand, even when she thought she knew it all.  And now that she knew… it was too late.                 “Here lies Etherus…” Celestia said softly, closing her eyes.                 “The first alicorn princess.” Another voice finished for her.                 Celestia remained still, her eyes opening slowly.  She did not turn around at first, and she looked upon the darkened tree with mysticism in her eyes.  “I’ve been looking for you.”                 There was a pause in the air.  “Such a shame it took you so long to remember.”                 Slowly, the white alicorn turned around.  There, in the shadow of Etherus’ remains, she stood face-to-face with the dark unicorn, King Sombra.  “You know I could never forget…” Celestia replied quietly.                 Sombra’s gaze sharpened.  “Even now you attempt to serenade me with your sweet words as you cast aside the past we share.”                 She shook her head.  “After all that time we spent together… still you believe I would abandon you for another?”                 “You did abandon me.” The unicorn growled.  “And not just for anyone, but for a draconequus.”                 Sombra appeared on the Canterlot Tower balcony with a flash from his teleportation spell.  His eyes were a deep red color, not engulfed in the dark magic aura all remember him to have.  He still wore his cape, but not his armor, his dark fur brushed and proper as well as his mane.  Looking himself over for a moment to make sure he was presentable, he went to step in front of the balcony door, only to pause when he heard something inside.                 Peering around the corner and into the princess’ room, he felt his heart sink.  Celestia, the light of his life, was in the arms of a chaotic creature.  He was not harming her or holding her against her will… the two were hugging.  His head was turned away from Sombra’s sight, but Celestia’s was not.  Her eyes were closed and a deep, warm smile was left on her face, the two of them embracing for what felt like an eternity to the young prince.                 His ears went flat to his head as he pulled back and away from the door.  He lowered his head as he slowly turned, casting his teleportation spell again and vanishing from sight.                 “Do not deny it.” Sombra said to Celestia, his voice broad.  “You chose him over me.”                 “No, Sombra…” Celestia replied, unfazed by what he had told her.                 “Discord?” Celestia asked, lifting her hoof up off the floor slightly.  “Discord, where are you?”                 The draconequus appeared on the bed of her room, a rose in his mouth as saxophone music played out of nowhere.  “Yeeeees?”                 Celestia shook her head, sighing.  “I need to talk to you.”                 Discord floated up and over her, his elbows down and holding his head up as if he were on the ground.  Hundreds of his ears sprouted on his body as he gave her a sly smile.  “I’m all ears, Tia.”                 Managing to keep from smiling at his joke, Celestia knew she had to just say it.  “I can’t be with you, Discord.”                 Discord’s sly expression melted away and his extra ears all flew off from him as the music fizzled out.  Slowly, he floated down to the floor in front of her.  “B-but… why…?”                 “You are my oldest and closest friend…” Celestia said, her ears flattening.  “But my heart belongs to Prince Sombra, it always has.”                 The draconequus felt the chaotic forces in his head all go silent, it was a strange, painful feeling.  “Oh…” he said softly.  “I see...”  He lowered his head.                 Celestia lifted his chin with her hoof.  “I realize I do not feel about you the same way you feel about me… but I hope we can still be friends.  I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have a little chaos in my life.” She said with a smile.                 He tried at a smile, but he couldn’t manage it.  Celestia moved forward and hugged him, to which he hugged her back.  Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.  She knew this was painful for him, and so she wanted to be sure he knew that she would always be his friend.                 During this time her eyes were shut, Prince Sombra peered in to the room.                 Sombra was silent the entire time, giving Celestia her chance to explain.  She looked upon him with eyes that didn’t lie.  “I didn’t choose him, Sombra… I chose you.”                 “Why should I trust your word?” He asked her in a cold voice.                 She took a step closer to him.  “See for yourself.” She pressed her horn against his and cast her memory spell.  He saw, in her mind, everything they had been through together; meeting in the Canterlot throne room when he was but a colt, growing up into a young stallion and visiting her more.  Proving himself worthy by taking the ancient, red crystal of the ponies and casting a master spell to bind its corruptive powers into the Alicorn Amulet.  Presenting the amulet to her along with his first formal attempt to court her.  Their many days and nights spent together, laughing, crying, and bonding together.                 All of these memories, ending with Celestia calling for Discord, and telling him that she chose Sombra… because she loved him.                 Sombra opened his eyes, the spell ceasing its effects.  Celestia slowly opened her eyes afterwards, which fell upon him with a softness he remembered from their time together… all those centuries ago.                 All at once he felt the weight of this misunderstanding crash down upon him.  “Celestia… I-” He said quietly, trying to form the words, but not given a chance to. The princess leaned forward and placed the gentlest of kisses upon him.  Silenced by her kiss, he closed his eyes, as did she.  It was as if the clocks turned back time for him, back to his years as a prince.  All of those times journeying to Canterlot.  All of those days spent by her side, her love keeping him warm and in the sunlight even on the coldest, winter night. The moment the kiss ended, however, the reality of the new world returned to him.  Slowly, he opened his eyes to see her still staring lovingly into his.  “Oh how the world seems so unfair… creating this love… only to have it torn apart.” She continued to hold his gaze.  “Tell me what happened.  The Sombra I knew would never enslave his fellow ponies, even if he believed I was gone from his life.” Sombra squinted, the memories coming back to him.  A light flashed in his eyes as it all came back to him.  “There was this… voice.  It told me to go see you that day… and when I saw you with him, it was there, waiting for me.” “What voice?” Celestia asked him. The unicorn king shook his head.  “A dark voice… it came to me.  In that moment when all I felt was sorrow… it became pain.  It spoke to me, with words I cannot describe… my pain turned into anger, and it made me stronger.”  He looked down at himself, even in his pony form, the shadows crept about, as if drawn to him.  “The more pain I felt, the angrier I became… until all I could feel was…” “Despair.” Celestia finished for him, everything becoming so clear.  “Sombra, I know you know the truth.  Stormclaw has no intention of ruling this world… he intends to destroy it.”  The unicorn looked upon her with his glowing eyes, although he remained silent.  “He has used Chrysalis to gather the crystals, used you to empower them, and now plans to carry out the final preparations for his plan.”  She looked to him with pleading eyes.  “Please… I beg of you, Sombra… help us stop him, and you can at long last have your life back… one where we can finally be together again.”