After Discord brought them back to the empire the four friends were mildly concerned that Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be found at their agreed meeting point, normally she complained first when somebody was late. Though even more surprising was that the guards, who were supposed to watch over them, acknowledged their punctual return wordlessly and reported to Prince Shining Armor that they were on their best behaviour.
There was most likely a reason why none of them noticed the girls’ absence, but it didn’t matter to them in the end. You didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, or pony in this case.
Rarity suggested to search their rooms before they declared her missing. And it appeared her hunch was right. Rainbow was sitting in Fluttershy’s room, waiting nervously. After noticing them she proceeded to tell everything about her encounter with the mysterious voice in the crystal.
And to think that she wanted to sell it once they were home...
“Ah don’t know, Sugarcube. That sounds to me like a bunch of hooey,” Applejack criticized warily.
“Yeah! But maybe there really is an evil meanie who does evil things, eats evil food and is now trapped because of his evil behavior,” Pinkie Pie added with a huge smile, using her skills as a detective of the highest caliber masterfully.
“Seriously Pinkie Pie? Evil food?” Rainbow questioned unimpressively, crossing her arms in expectations. She was curious which kind of answer would follow.
“Well, duh! That or he takes evil showers,” the pink teenager explained like it was obvious.
“How can somebody take ‘evil showers’?” Applejack inquired, feeling an incoming headache from such discussions.
Pinkie laughed knowingly, “Oh Jackie, Jackie, Jackie. Two words! Evil. Water.”
Her friends groaned or facepalmed.
Rarity put in her two cents, “I know we are in a world where much we would normally consider fantasy does exist, but are you sure you didn’t hit your head, Rainbow dear?”
The athlete frowned, “I swear! That crystal was talking to me!”
Applejack smirked widely, “So ya wanna tell us that our big bad Wondercolt captain is scared of a shiny talkin’ rock?”
“You have something to say, cowgirl?!” Rainbow exclaimed angrily, glaring at the blond for her attitude.
Mentioned teenager didn’t take kindly to her rival’s fury and became defensive, “What? Can’t take some honesty?”
Fluttershy intervened and stepped between the two squabblers, “Girls, please! There is no need to behave like that.” She addressed her childhood friend first, “Dash, Applejack didn’t want to accuse you of lying. It was meant as a joke.”
“See? Shy’s on ma’ side-”
“And you,” the animal lover scolded Applejack immediately afterwards, “shouldn’t make fun of her. None of us was here when it happened except Rainbow. The least we can do is to give her the benefit of the doubt.”
The competitive duo glanced at each other before avoiding eye contact in discomfort.
“She’s right. Ah’m sorry,” Applejack started remorsefully.
Rainbow called truce with a handshake. “Yeah, me too. My reaction wasn’t cool at all.”
Pinkie Pie hummed thoughtfully, “Perhaps he’s a genie?” She gasped excitedly, “A genie in a gem, that would be superamazing! Three free wishes for everybody!”
The animal lover ended the awkward silence, “I-I think we should listen to what Mr. Sombra has to say before we judge him. I mean he was in Rainbow’s pocket the whole time and never did anything mean.”
Applejack scratched the top her head beneath her trusty stetson, before sighing frustratedly, “Ah still don’t like it, but ya’re right. Scary or not, we can’t be sure as lon’ as we didn’t hear the fella out.”
Rarity nodded gracefully, “I concur. He could be a poor soul in dire need of our help for all we know.”
Rainbow Dash grimaced in uncertainty. “Alright.” She looked pointedly at every of her fellow Rainbooms, “But we keep our guard up, just in case, got it?”
They all supported the athlete’s idea in a heartbeat.
When they entered the blood red crystal was still in the same place as before she left, much to Rainbow’s relief, right in the middle of her bed. The shock of having a talking object in her hand had caused her to toss it away and to bail, posthaste.
“Ah, I see. You brought allies this time. That is fine by me, I very much prefer to explain myself when everypony involved is present anyway," Sombra said calmly. “I imagine you know who I am by now, but common courtesy dictates a proper introduction from me as a gentlestallion. My name is Sombra, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Rainbow pointed victoriously at the gem, “See?! I told you that I wasn’t crazy! This stone is possessed!”
Her friends stared at the perpetrator in shock, mouths slightly ajar.
“I can fully understand your reservations and you have surely many a question which demand answers. I would react the same if our positions were reversed. But I can assure you that it wasn’t my intention to surprise Lady Dash like I unfortunately did. Please, excuse my brusk mannerism,” he replied apologetically.
Pinkie didn’t want to be left out and smiled enthusiastically like the friendliest new neighbour, “Hi! I’m Pin-”
“I know who you all are, Lady Pie. My awareness wasn’t solely confined to the small space I am trapped in. Though meeting each other,” he chuckled humorlessly, “‘face to face’ has its merits I think.”
Rarity swooned, never did she hear a manlier voice. Smokey, smooth, the perfect amount of gravity. Why couldn’t this be a handsome human prince?
Her by now blushing chromatic friend didn’t share the sentiment, “Woah! Don’t get all frisky on us, pal. I still don’t trust you.”
Fluttershy analyzed the situation to the best of her abilities, “Oh… my…”
“Golly! Rainbow was right!” Applejack commented dumbfoundedly, then she glared at Sombra, “And why didn’t ya say somethin’ sooner ya creep!?”
He took the insult in stride. "Only after Lady Dash picked me up and brought me inside the empire’s barrier I slowly started to heal. Thus I couldn’t communicate with the outside world beyond my horn, only listen like a detached party thanks to my magic. I hope this bit of information quells your worries, Lady Applejack."
“Ya horn?! Bu-wha-HOW?! That doesn't’ make a lick of sense!” The farmer wasn’t quite sure what to think of their situation.
He sounded sincere in her opinion, but it was all kinds of creepy still.
Sombra sighed in what could be interpreted as tiredness, “I have no body to appear in to appease your eyes and to proof that I am no threat. What remained of me is sadly what you discovered in the snow. I can only give you my word as an honorable stallion that I’m telling you the truth, nothing more.”
“W-what happened to you, Mr. Sombra? If you don’t mind me asking that is,” Fluttershy wondered pityingly.
The crystal was glowing whenever he said something, “I suffered a most embarrassing fate, oh Kind One, much to my shame. However, you gave me the desperate aid I needed and have earned my eternal gratitude for your heroism, knowingly or not.”
Pinkie was the closest, puppy dog eyes activated, “So you really are a genie and now we can have our three wishes?” she asked hopefully.
A loud chuckle emitted from the horn, ”I always pay my debts, Lady Pie, but sadly I am no spirit who can simply grant another being’s dreams. Nonetheless, I want to help you in return for saving me, such is the least I can do.”
Something felt fishy to Rarity, “And why only us, dear sir? Wouldn’t it make much more sense to talk with the rulers of the Crystal Empire instead of five strangers who, as you surely heard by now, are from another dimension?”
The rest of the girls didn’t think of that, they looked at each other without uttering a sound, she had a fair point.
A long pause followed, for a few seconds they thought that Sombra was silent, because he was caught off-guard by this question, or because he needed to think of an excuse to cover his true intentions. But then he answered in righteous fury, “Because of how unfairly these ponies are treating you! You did nothing wrong and only wanted to apologize to your friends.” A literal growl came from the crystalline appendage. “You landed here because of a windigo’s interference and not out of some nefarious desire to attack the empire. What do you believe they will do if you tell them that you ‘found’ a mysterious horn with a voice in it and brought said unknown object into the heart of the Crystal Empire? Fair Maiden Rarity, they will most likely accuse you and your friends of being enemies of the state! Worse, that you work together with some evil entity behind their backs!”
“Y-you really think so?” Fluttershy asked worriedly.
“I know so! You have to trust me,” Sombra implored pleadingly. “I had my fair share of interactions with their kind. They act just, wearing a mask of benevolence. But woe betide anypony who dares to question their motives. If you don’t do what they want they will show you their true colors and make you pay for choosing your own path. It is in your own interest to keep my existence a secret, believe me. And I don’t want you to get into any more trouble than already seems to be the case.”
Pictures of long-term imprisonment invaded their minds, but Applejack wasn’t convinced, “And how are we supposed to know that ya didn’t deserve what happened to ya?” she inquired cautiously with crossed arms. “Ah think it’s mighty strange that ya horn was buried under the snow in them frozen wastelands.”
His voice was the allegory of relief, “I am very happy to hear that you keep your guard up. Surely this is the start of a beneficial relationship for all of us.”
This wasn’t necessarily the expected reaction. Rainbow voiced her opinion appropriately, “Come again?”
“Before I explain myself any further I would like to have your word that you may wait with your final judgement until the very end of my tale. Afterwards I will put my fate into your hooves and accept any decision you make,” he suggested humbly.
Crackling sounds disrupted the tense atmosphere, a certain pink teenager with a giant sweet tooth took a pillow and sat on the ground, enjoying an older looking candy bar.
“Darling, seriously?” Rarity queried flatly.
Pinkie had the decency to blush for ruining the mood. “Listening to somebody’s backstory without a snack makes me hungry?” she asked sheepishly in return.
Sombra found amusement in her antics, “Lady Pie. No insult intended, but you would make the perfect jester, worthy of any ruler’s court.”
She didn’t mind at all and could imagine it already, “You really think so?” The part time party planner sighed dreamily, “Earning money by telling jokes and turning frownies into smilies, the punchline of my life.”
Applejack chose to stay on the original topic, “Well, Ah guess there’s no harm in listenin’. Try us.”
Everybody agreed wordlessly.
“As you wish.” He took a few moments to collect himself, “I mentioned that the crystal ponies might accuse you of cooperating with an evil entity, allow me to elaborate,” Sombra spoke neutrally. “I was… at a bad place before I ended up in my current form, well, when it comes to my mental state that is. You should know that I once ruled over this very empire as its king, master and tyrant.”
“What?!” exclaimed the group of friends in disbelief.
“Aaaand this conversation is over, have fun in whatever vault you land.” Rainbow barely turned around before she was held back by her childhood friend who looked at her in disappointment. “Flutters, what gives? He just confessed being evil!”
The pink-haired teenager refused to let go, “Please, Rainbow! We promised to hear him out. I know that it sounds terrible, but there are always two sides of a story.” She stared sadly at every Rainboom in the room. “Didn’t we learn anything from what happened with Sunset? From Anon-a-Miss?”
Applejack smiled nervously, “Sugarcube, Ah don’t think that ya can really compare them.”
Sombra intervened in stoic acceptance, “Lady Fluttershy, I am honored and truly grateful for your trust, but your friends have every right to react this way. I decided to lay myself bare out of my own free will and expected such an outcome. History may portray me as a ruthless monster, but I always valued honesty, only cowards and weak-minded fools have to secure themselves power by resorting to deceit.”
Pinkie supported the animal lover and blocked the door with outstretched arms, “Come on girls! What kind of badie would just confess such a thing to strangers? Nobody is this stupid unless he’s really sorry!”
Rainbow and Applejack were set in their minds and looked at Rarity for advice. She would have to serve as the tie-breaker.
The fashionista rolled with her eyes and huffed in mild annoyance, “Oh, of course. No pressure.” She stared unsurely at the crystal for a short while. “I suppose we can wait and see where this all leads.”
Sombra hummed unreadably, “Your generosity shall not be misplaced, Milady. It is true that I was more of a slaver than a ruler, though in retrospect I have nopony to blame but my creator and myself.”
“Creator? Don’t you mean ‘parents’?” Rainbow commented with a raised eyebrow.
A bitter laugh echoed through the room. “Not every family was built upon the foundations of love, Lady Dash. My creator was a skilled witch, a mistress of the dark arts. I never met my father, he was just needed to be a suitable donor so that she might receive the perfect heir. Ironically her scheme backfired on her when she expected it the least.”
“How horrible! I-I’m sorry that this happened to you, Mr. Sombra,” Fluttershy said in genuine sympathy.
“Don’t be. She was a mad mare in every sense of the word. For all her cunning and intelligence my ‘dear mother’ never thought of the possibility that the very shadows she worshipped could be harmful for an unborn foal,” he replied in great mockery.
“So ya were sick?” Applejack inquired dryly, not buying it.
“That is one way of describing it. Since my birth I suffered by enfeebled health and no matter what she tried my condition only became worse. In all her wisdom she decided to do what a witch can do best, calling for help from the realm of Tartarus,” he explained uncaringly, ignoring the farm girl’s tone.
“I presume that it didn’t work out as expected?” Rarity asked nervously.
“Well, if getting possessed by a demon is the intended goal you can claim success,” Sombra replied with thick sarcasm. “Many different kinds of demons exist in there, umbrum are one of them. They are corrupted spirit like entities with no physical body or regards for life itself, only aiming for annihilation of all existence.” His dislike for them could easily be heard.
“Sheesh! These meanies sound nasty!” Pinkie stated in disgust.
“L-like windigos?” Fluttershy stuttered fearfully.
He snorted at her comparison, however that was possible without a nose and mouth, “Oh, please! Necromancy and demonology are two completely different branches of magic. For one you need the affinity to Soul Magic, while the other requires skill in the field of Blood Magic.”
“You know, when you put it like that it makes me feel so much better,” Rainbow commented sarcastically.
“Is that supposed to mean ya’re innocent? Because Ah don’t believe it for a second,” the cowgirl added warily.
“Of course not, Lady Applejack. Demons who can possess others or magical manifestations of one self’s corruption are only as strong as the host allows them to be. They will try to guide the original owner of the body into false security with honeyed words. Until the moment to strike for a fruitful takeover has arrived. It depends on the strength of your will and mental stability how dangerous they can get. Embarrassingly enough I lost myself to my own grandeur and pride. My fall from grace was an unavoidable outcome,” Sombra admitted self-critically.
Applejack looked down with a grimace, “So this ‘umbrum’ took over, because ya were too full of ya’self?”
The caged stallion rolled mentally with his not existent eyes, “Your summary is a prodigious simplification of context. Furthermore you greatly underestimate the consequences a possession can have.”
“Sunset Shimmer once said something similar…” Fluttershy interrupted thoughtfully. “How actually being overwhelmed by power is something completely different than only hearing about it.”
Sombra hummed in agreement, “Indeed. As for the demon. It starts with smaller things, at first. For example that you are starting to question yourself and your actions at one point from the moral point of view, but a little voice in your head, identical to your own, replies almost immediately. You are starting to feel bad, only to ‘think’ of an excuse with the notion that everypony is just jealous on your talents and deserved it.”
Pinkie Pie laughed falsely. “I guess this ‘voice’ wasn’t just your conscience?” she said rhetorically.
The gem laid still for a few moments before it was glowing again, showing activity, “Be assured that I don’t search for excuses, but a umbrum’s ability to fuse with its host’s soul makes it nearly impossible to determine which thoughts belong to you and when the demon whispers into your ears.”
“Did this monstrosity force you to dethrone Princess Cadenza? I can’t imagine how horrible it must have been for her to flee from her own empire, having to abandon her poor subjects,” Rarity stated in dread.
“Yeah! No wonder you don’t want to be found by her or Twilight’s brother!” Rainbow Dash added accusingly. “Besides, who says that you aren’t still possessed by the demon? Maybe you even ARE the demon, trying to trick us into helping you!”
Sombra didn’t know at first what to make of the fashionista’s statement, “Lady Rarity, if I understand correctly you are talking about the newest ruler of the Crystal Empire, Princess Mi Amore de Cadenza." A short nod provided the answer. "I can safely say that we never harmed her nor aimed for her family, though the princess’ name has no meaning to me either. There was no foal with such a name born to the time of our takeover. The Cadenzas were closely related to the empire’s royal house, the Amores, but not seen as an immediate threat. They were… lucky.”
He didn’t deem it necessary to tell the humans about the Amore Family’s most gruesome demise. The umbrum used its darkness and Sombra’s abilities to transform Princess Amore into a crystalline statue, shattering her afterwards into a million pieces.
But her closest relatives had it much worse, in his opinion. The royal heir, Princess Speranza Amore, as well as her grandparents, cousins and older brother, suffered torture for any useful information and a public decapitation as a cruel reward to install fear and terror into the hearts of the crystal ponies. To destroy any embers of resistance before they could even begin to flicker.
He certainly didn’t plan to become a victim of the demon’s own medicine.
“As for your compelling argument, Lady Dash, you would have experienced it already if the umbrum was still in control. Its madness drove us to become the ruler of the empire after all, seeing everypony as lowly peasants and developing an unhealthy obsession with crystals of all kinds. It had quite the god complex.” Sombra sighed, “Believe it or not, I was satisfied with my position as a scholar of magic, ruling was never my intention.”
“Said no murderous tyrant ever!” Pinkie Pie pointed out loudly, smirking at her sceptical friends in victory.
“I don’t quite understand. You said it yourself that such a demon could only be as strong as you allowed it to be. But according to your explanations there should have been no reason for you to fall into madness at all. How could the umbrum take control?” Rarity broached the subject again, sincerely curious.
“Perceptive, aren’t we, Milady?” The teenager blushed faintly at the compliment. “Every year the empire’s citizens celebrated a tremendous event, the Crystal Fair, to express their gratitude for the newborn foals they received during the seasons. The creation of new life in this hostile environment was always seen as a blessing.”
Fluttershy felt touched and teared up, “That sounds wonderful.”
He continued in a more serious tone, “The climax of said festivities is the ‘Remembrance’. During these moments every crystal pony connects with each other over a higher magical bond and together they strengthen the shield you see around us. The very barrier between the Crystal Empire and the unforgiving elements beyond. But I could never participate myself, in fact, I had to endure great pain. Year after year.”
“The umbrum?” Applejack inquired, this time less judgemental.
“Yes. Not only does the Crystal Fair serve as a renewal of the barrier, but it repels all evil as well." He chuckled bitterly. “I can promise you that having your very soul fused to a being of darkness isn’t a very pleasant problem to deal with when the resulting pulse of positive magic hits you. And that is putting it very lightly. Tempting promises of the pain’s permanent end played a part in my downfall.”
Rainbow scowled distrustfully, hands in her pockets, “And why didn’t you just ask this Princess Amore if she could help you?”
He reacted dryly, “Lady Dash, your dislike for me is duly noted. But I did act on this idea of yours and the results were… disappointing to say at least. Her Highness tried her best, but nothing worked. At one point she just gave up and tried to sooth my lot in fate with bestowing upon me the position as her personal advisor. A solatium. She said if even the Crystal Heart can’t purify me then there is nothing she could do, but that I would learn to live with it and make the right decision when the time comes. Something I, as you can surely imagine, couldn’t accept.”
“Didn’t Prince Grumpy mention this ‘Crystal Heart’ at one point?” Pinkie Pie gave to consider with folded arms behind her head.
The chromatic athlete made a dismissing gesture with her hand, “Yeah, yeah, that we should stay away from it for some reason. No clue what the big deal is about this thing anyway.”
That caught Sombra’s interest, but he remained silent.
“And h-how could you escape the umbrum, Mr. Sombra?” Fluttershy questioned timidly, addressing the caged stallion again.
“By nearly being blasted to nothingness, Lady Fluttershy,” he answered with a grin in his voice.
The Rainbooms stared at him, greatly unnerved.
“This is the first time after centuries of imprisonment that I could rejoice in the art of humor and nopony is amused,” Sombra thought sourly. He coughed lightly, “Let me rephrase my poor attempt of easing up the atmosphere. The demon was cast out by the very artifact you just mentioned. It can store the emotions connected to the hopes, dreams and wishes of the crystal ponies, hence the name. It can even serve as a weapon of the empire to destroy darkness. Why exactly is truly worth a book in magical theory on its own…" He noticed the already bored expressions of his audience. "but I divagate. The umbrum and I once encountered Princess Mi Amore de Cadenza years ago. She managed to… obtain the heart before us and restored it to its rightful place.”
Sombra let the information sink in before he continued, “I am not entirely sure why, but this time the Crystal Heart managed to purify my soul from the umbrum, wiping it from existence. Perhaps because the twisted shade was in control, not me. Or, and I think this possibility is closer to the truth, because my body was no longer made of mortal flesh to this point, but the demon’s shadows. You found what the aftermath left of me and the rest, as the bards would say, is history.”
Pinkie hummed longly with lowered head and closed eyes. She nodded sharply, her fully concentrated gaze returned to the former king. “So, Mr. Mysterious Voice. And you are absolutely sure that you are not secretly a genie in a gem?”
Applejack put her arms in the air from sheer disbelief, “For Pete’s Sake, Pinkie Pie! This is what ya’re worried about after everythin’ he just told us?!”
“Of course, you silly-billy! At least one of us has to put her priorities straight!” the party girl replied jovially.
“As I initially mentioned, Miladies, you can now agree on a future course of action and I shall comply,” Sombra reminded fatefully. Not that he had much of a choice.
Fluttershy raised her hand slowly, “I-I think we should help Mr. Sombra after everything he went through.”
Pinkie Pie followed her friend's notion, “Shy's right! It will be so cool! Five besties on a epic quest to save the day!” she exclaimed heroically.
Rarity glared mildly at Rainbow Dash and Applejack, “Not this time dearies. I agree with them.”
The apple farmer shrugged helplessly, “Whatever, Ah guess his whole story sounded honest enough.”
The last of the Rainbooms surrendered after all attention was focused on her, their decision already made anyway, “Fine, we will help. Tell us what you need.”
Sombra would have smiled widely, if he could, “I can’t express my relief in words. When everything is over you shall be rewarded handsomely. You have my word.”
Rainbow stuck her tongue out in disgust, “Seriously, enough of the sweet talking. Come to the point.”
He presented his plan confidently, “I am certain that I can recreate my body, but of course your aid is required." Sombra painted his next words in hope, "You have to place my horn upon the Crystal Heart, and I will do the rest. My spell should, in theory, do what I expect.”
Alarm bells were ringing loudly in Applejack’s head, “Whoa! Hold on there, buddy! What do ya mean by ‘spell’?”
Sombra expected such a reaction. “Lady Applejack, as you may have guessed by now, I was once a normal unicorn. But my horn wasn’t always made of crystal. Its transformation was caused by the umbrum to abuse the Crystal Heart for its own nefarious schemes. It can be used as a conduit now, like the Heart itself.”
“Please explain yourself, sir,” Rarity demanded like a lady.
“There are three choices available when confronted with a powerful artifact which mere existence can cause your doom. First, you destroy it, which rarely works. Second, you hide it far far away from curious eyes and others who seek it. Last, you try to manipulate it so that it will be useless against you. The umbrum failed with number one and tried the second option, how that worked out do you see right in front of you. But it nearly completed a dark spell for becoming invincible. I reconstructed the spell’s purpose and I think that I can use the in the Heart stored energy to build myself a new body,” he explained truthfully.
Rainbow Dash was no egghead by all means, but even she was sure that you couldn’t just make a body out of thin air, magic or not, “How?”
“Do not worry. The Crystal Heart is known for its miracles if expected the least. I only give it the right push so to say,” he said cryptically.
“And if yer great plan fails?” Applejack wanted to know.
“Then there is nothing more we can do and I am stuck. But no matter what happens, you have my gratitude for everything you already did for me. From now on, it is just a bonus,” Sombra replied like he said that the sky was blue.
Fluttershy glanced at the moon outside. “Princess Cadence will come back tomorrow. I-I don’t think that she will let us near the Crystal Heart.” Question Marks on her friends’ faces greeted her in response. “Oh, Prince Shining Armor told me that she preferred it to be called ‘Cadence’ for short before you came to the throne room.”
The former tyrant came prepared, “Fret not. I included her arrival in my calculations. But first things first, who of you lovely ladies is good with creating distractions?”
Every human in the room looked immediately at a happy Pinkie Pie.
The teenager in question cracked her fingers as if in the middle of a warm-up. “Oh goodie! With or without frosting?”
Shining Armor knew that an angry Cadence was bad, but he never expected a silent Cadence to be much worse. By now they sat alone in his private chamber for what felt like an eon, the silence deafening.
“H-honey?” he started awkwardly.
The Alicorn of Love took a deep breath, “Why?”
Her husband stumbled over his words, “W-well! I, err, thought that I could at least hear them out before I did something drastic, you know? I-I mean it’s not like I gave them free reign or anything, they were supervised the whole time. And…” He rubbed his left hoof against the other foreleg like a colt who was caught in the act. “I wasn’t sure what you would do, I was worried that you might do something you’ll regret.”
She hugged the surprised stallion, “Shiny, I. Am. Angry. In fact I’m still mad at these humans for what they did, or more, for what they didn’t do. And I will have some serious words to share with them. But do you know what is much worse right now?”
“N-no?” he answered unsurely.
Sadness and betrayal danced across her features, “That you thought that you had to keep their presence a secret from me, your own wife. Do you remember our vow during the honeymoon? In our hotel in Marelanta.”
He folded his ears down in understanding, “O-of course.”
Cadence sighed woefully, “We promised that our marriage wouldn’t be tainted by big secrets. That we will always be honest to each other. I can understand why you thought that I might overreact, but it still hurts.”
He put his head on the crook of her neck, caressing it softly, “I am so sorry for making you feel like that. I just had the impression that they were sincere in their intention to apologize to Twily and Sunset Shimmer.” Shining teased her with more kisses. “And I wanted to give my beautiful wife a chance to decide besides me instead of judging them on my own.”
Cadence laughed and pushed him away playfully, “You little smooth talker. Don’t think that will save you from sleeping on the couch though.”
He groaned, “Worth the try I guess.” Shining smiled in defeat. “Say it. How long?”
She grinned seductively. “Oh, it depends. First I have to observe for myself if my poor, poor misguided husband learned his lesson that a pair of female watery eyes is no reason to go behind his faithful wife’s back.”
Panic laced his voice, “B-but we are talking about another version of Fluttershy here! I swear this filly knows what effect she can have on a stallion and abuses it mercilessly to her advantage!”
Cadence gasped mockingly, “Oh baby, I didn’t know! It must have been really hard for you to face such odds. But I fear punishment must be given regardless, I think… two days should do.”
The prince snorted at her dramatic display, “OK, understood. I will be hard, but I’ll manage.”
She raised an eyebrow and giggled knowingly. “Please Shiny, we both know that your doll will keep you company in these trying nights.”
Righteous indignation came into play, “Not ‘doll’, they are for fillies. It is called ‘Action Figure’, thank you very much. Captain Equestria is an idol for everypony and should be treated as such.”
The pink alicorn rolled her eyeballs, “Whatever you say, honey.” She collected herself mentally, duty was calling, “Alright, where are they?”
He nodded affirmatively, “Follow me.”
When they arrived at their destination Cadence could only shake her head at her husband’s choice of accommodation, “The ambassador suites, really?”
He cleared his throat awkwardly and knocked on the door. “I hope you all had a fine morning. My wife and me are here to talk. And don’t worry, we just came to chat, you are not in any tr-” Cadence coughed with emphasis, “Can we come in?”
Pinkie Pie ripped the big door open like it was nothing, smiling much too widely at the married couple. “You must be Princess Cadence!” She gasped in joy, ”And you are as pink as I imagined! Sweet, we are like equally colored siblings on a totally not disturbing level! Preach it, sister!” and gave the alicorn her outstretched hand. “It’s so wondertastic to meet you personally! I’m Pinkie Pie! Dashie and I were just expecting you two!” She squeaked at the end.
Cadence and Shining blinked, stunned from the sudden wave of unfiltered pinkieness. The Princess of Love gave her hoof in a returned greeting. “You… expected us?” She then noticed the equine-like features on the hyperactive teenager and the on a chair relaxing athlete. “Are those pony ears and pegasus wings?”
Rainbow Dash tried to hide her tension, fearing what could happen next if the alicorn recovered and simply added a weak, “How is it going, Princess?”
Her worries came true when Cadence took a much more regal stand and displayed her wings, eyes narrowed. “Enough of this foolery! Where are the others? We need to have a serious talk! And how are you even here? I know for a fact that Princess Twilight closed the portal!”
Shining glared at nothing in particular, “I can answer that-”
Suddenly a bright flash appeared in the middle of the room, blinding everybody in the room, when the light disappeared a very, VERY buff looking Discord stood in front of them, having a, for the two humans, anime like and creepily familiar looking blond hairstyle.
The draconequus cackled madly and took an over dramatic pose, “You thought that the humans got here on their own, but it was me, DISCORD!”
Rainbow couldn’t believe it, “Did he seriously make a-”
“Huh?” Discord looked around, changing back to his original self. He pouted disappointedly, “And here I hoped that human Fluttershy would be here with you to witness my first pop-culture reference when your kind is around.”
“What the hay is going on here?!” Cadence intervened, heavily annoyed. “Discord! You did this? You brought the humans here?”
The God of Chaos was all pride and mischief. He bowed theatrically, “But of course, Princess of Pillow Talk! I witnessed all the drama from the very start and then I thought to myself that I, as the reformed villain I am, should help our little interlopers here with making things right again.”
Pinkie Pie snorted behind a hand at the nickname he gave the alicorn.
Cadence stomped with her hoof on the floor, “That wasn’t your call to make!”
An old-fashioned phone appeared in the his claw, he was holding the receiver to his ear, “Yes hello, Discord here? How was that? I shall not act reasonable and do something completely unexpected?” A bashful chuckle escaped him. “Oh my, thank you for the compliment.” The pony couple glowered at him, he scoffed insultedly in response. “Err, do you mind? This is a private conversation. I swear, locals these days.”
Shining Armor had enough as well, “Can we please return to the main issue?” He glared at the girls, “Where are the others? I was told that you all went upstairs after breakfast, but not that you split up afterwards.”
Internally he scolded himself. After receiving reports from all his guards that the humans were on their best behavior yesterday he allowed most of them to go visit their families earlier for the upcoming Hearth’s Warming Eve.
Where were they?
Rainbow Dash got progressively more nervous. “Pinkie Pie? A little help would be nice,” she whispered pleadingly.
The party lover winked in response before she addressed the empire’s rulers, “Well, at first we didn’t want to tell you, because she wanted to keep it a secret. Buuut I guess it can’t be helped.”
Even her friend didn’t know what she was talking about.
“Mind explaining?” Cadence queried suspiciously.
“Our friend, Rarity, has her Girl Days. And Applejack and Fluttershy went with her, because she is very dramatic about it.” Nopony could object against the ‘dramatic’ part, even if they wanted to. The next question was said in a low, conspiring tone, “I’m sure you know how that is, right Princess?”
The two equines didn’t have a clue about what this was all about.
Discord laughed at the ridiculous excuse, whereas Rainbow facepalmed with a vengeance, “Pinks… they are ponies. Not humans.”
“Oh,” was her only answer. “Well, luckily for you your Aunty Pinkie Pie is always prepared to educate you when expected the least.” Her voice took a very serious touch. “One time every month after reaching a certain age something happens to every girl and woman. I call it… the Red Sea.”
Dash snorted shortly at hearing the ridiculous name. She knew that they were both supposed to keep them occupied as long as possible, but her hyperactive friend was really on a roll again.
“Red Sea?” Shining inquired in uncertainty.
Cadence though had a hunch, “Wait, are you talking about the maturing process of human females? Is this like mating season for us mares?”
Her husband blushed fiercely. This was no topic he wanted to hear about.
But the walking enigma had no such qualms, “Much, much worse. This mean curse is known under many names, Red Sea, Puke Days, Pain Trials, All-Around-Excuse or Lust Killer.”
Discord furrowed his eyebrows, something was off about their behavior. “As wondrous as this topic might be. I can see that you are stalling, why?”
The two Rainbooms gulped.
A very panicky looking guard bursted into the room, “Princess Cadence! Prince Shining Armor!”
The former captain of Celestia’s Royal Guard took this as his cue, “Calm yourself, soldier! What happened?”
“T-the barrier protecting the Crystal Empire! I-it’s breaking!” the mare stammered like it was the end of the world.
“The Heart!” Cadence exclaimed in horror. The charged her horn and the ponies were gone.
Discord rubbed his eyes when he saw the haunted expressions of the girls, “Alright, spill it. What did you do this time?”
Rainbow threw herself on the bed, groaning powerfully into the pillow. “Oh, come on! Sombra said nothing dangerous would happen! I knew this guy was bad news!”
Pinkie smiled nervously, “Maybe we can fix it? We could use glue or-WAH!”
Before the duo could blink both of them were held in mid air, directly on eye-level with a twitching draconequus. “Did you just say… Sombra?”
They nodded, clearly afraid of what he would do next.
A few thoughts shot through his head, but two were the most prominent, “Great! I can already feel the boredom of my next penalty when Celestia gets to know about this. And much worse, Fluttershy could be mad at me!”
They managed to sneak past most of the sentries until they found it, thanks to Sombra’s good memory. Floating between two crystalline pillars was what only could be the Crystal Heart.
What nopony knew was that four humans and a blood red horn hid behind a larger crystal fragment that served most likely as decoration.
“This is it? Doesn’t really look like much,” Applejack commented, underwhelmed.
“Don’t let its plain appearance deceive you, Lady Applejack,” Sombra chided warningly. “This inconspicuous object is indeed our goal.”
“What should we do about these scary guards?” Fluttershy asked worriedly and a tad afraid.
Four heavily armored elite guards, with full body armor in comparison to what they usually saw, protected the Heart meticulously. Two were facing away from it, two stared directly at it, almost like statues.
“So, what now?” Applejack spoke out loud what most thought.
Rarity stood up when inspiration struck her. “Idea~” She started to rummage through the belongings she brought with herself in a little makeup bag.
Applejack facepalmed, "Rares!" she whispered harshly, "That's not the time to make ya'self pretty!"
"Oh, hush Darling. Let the professional do her work," the fashionista answered slyly.
“It seems you have a plan to get past the guards, Lady Rarity. I hope you are fast, our timeframe may come to an end soon," Sombra reminded with little patience.
After 15 minutes of makeover she was finished, and looked like right out of a brawl. Colored bruises decorated her face, the eyeshadow even created a convincing illusion of a black eye, her mascara smudgy.
"Wow, it looks so real. I feel almost bad for only looking at it," Fluttershy complimented kindly.
Applejack had nothing. She never expected that.
For a last dramatic touch Rarity went with her hand through her coiffure, making it look a little scruffy. "The disfigurements I have to endure are hopefully worth it."
Sombra saw many things in his life, but he had to admit that was impressive. Bodycare products, used as tools to fool well-trained guards, it was brilliant in its own way. "Your sacrifices shall be remembered, Milady."
"Well, time for a little role-play. Be ready," the part-time diva advised, all business.
When the others were out of sight Rarity left her hiding spot and ran straight for the guards. "H-help! I have been mugged! Ruffians! Thieves!" she wailed expressively.
The four sentries were caught off-guard by the appearance of a damsel in distress. Two of them approached instantly.
"Madam! Are you alright? What happened?" one of the two asked in professional calmness.
She pointed shakily in the direction of the throne room, or at least Rarity hoped it was there. "I-it was awful! I was attacked b-by a group of ponies who were dressed like guards. I overheard them saying that they wanted to rob the treasury, I-I barely escaped them! You have to do something!"
A stallion who remained closest to the Crystal Heart took the initiative, clearly being in charge, "It seems we have intruders." He pointed at the three other guards. "You two! One of you has to inform Prince Shining Armor, the other has to go to the majordomo to make sure that he is alright. And Stone, you are the strongest in close combat. Look for anything out of the ordinary, ask the guards for their identification code and take anypony in custody who resists!"
"Sir!" the trio exclaimed in acknowledgement before they abandoned their former post.
Rarity saw how her two friends sneaked closer to the Heart from the other side. Though its position was higher than expected.
The stallion allowed himself to sigh in relief, "Thank the empress you could escape and warn us in time. Your civil courage, despite you being no citizen of the empire, is an inspiring example for all of us."
The fashionista felt very bad for lying, but it was nearly done. Applejack gave Fluttershy a leg-up, who had Sombra's horn in her hand.
"Oh, you are too kind. But how come you are still here?" she asked in faked curiosity to keep his attention. "By the way, my name is Scarcity."
The stallion laughed at her question. "Sergeant Mollow, at your service. And obviously I stay here to keep an eye on the Heart, so that nopony can mess with it.” Her sincerely questioning expression confused him. “You really must be new here. Didn't your tourist guide already tell you that the Crystal Heart is the very object projecting the barrier around the city? I thought it was common knowledge by now." Mollow never knew that such a level of paleness was possible, it was like this young mare saw a ghost. "Madam, are you alright? Does it still hurt?"
Rarity screamed in betrayal.
"Nice and steady, ya can do it," Applejack encouraged soothingly from below the timid animal lover.
"Only a little closer, Kind One. Just don't look down," Sombra supported in barely hidden glee.
Sometimes Fluttershy hated her extreme fear of heights, otherwise she would have used her new wings. "I-I can do it," she thought to herself in determination.
Closer, ever so closer.
Her concentration was broken by a banshee-like outcry of Rarity, "FLUTTERSHY! DON’T DO IT!"
"Eep!" She placed Sombra's horn upon the Crystal Heart before she fell, Applejack could barely catch her in time.
But then a giant stream of white-dark purple magic shot into the sky, penetrating the suddenly crumbling pink barrier.
"W-what's the meaning of this?!" Sergeant Mollow demanded to know.
Before any of the humans could reply a serious looking Prince Shining Armor, a clearly frightened guard and a very furious and beautiful alicorn with finely polished royal garments appeared out of nowhere.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Princess Cadence demanded to know, rotating her glare between the shocked humans.
"B-but Mr. Sombra never mentioned anything like that!" Fluttershy answered in fear, she felt very lost by witnessing such a turn of events.
The name alone turned the present equines' eyes to pinpricks, their attention switching to the beam of light.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Discord said wisely as he stroke his goatee.
Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were disorientated from the sudden change of scenery.
Shining Armor sprinted in front of the draconequus, "You have to do something! Sombra is in there! The Heart is in danger!"
Discord judged the scene in front of him carefully, then he shook his head negatively, "I fear there is nothing I can do right now. This magic flare easily rivals an Element of Harmony in sheer power. And I never experimented with such amounts of volatile energy which doesn't qualify as Chaos Magic."
Too much was happening too fast for Cadence to keep up with. What should she do?! What could she do? Then she saw in the corner of her eyes how the five humans helped each other up, equally scared and out of their league.
The Alicorn of Love knew only anger, "YOU!" The Rainbooms were nearly blasted back by the volume of her Royal Canterlot Voice. "Do you have any idea what you just did?! You helped the King of Shadows to claim the only artifact that could have defeated him!"
"Y-your Highness, please! We didn't know that this would happen! We-" Rarity tried to defend their honor, but it didn't work.
Cadence's eyes were two orbs of white brilliant light by now, "So what?! Your foalish naivety most likely doomed the whole empire and my subjects! How could you be so blind and help somepony you never met before in your life?!"
"We are really sorry!" Pinkie Pie answered desperately, tears in her eyes.
The Crystal Princess was deaf to her words, "I don't care how sorry you are, I will make you pay for that! You not only caused trouble after your arrival, but betrayed my husband who gave you shelter and food! He gave you a second chance! And you stabbed him and all of us in the back!"
"Cadie..." Shining thought worriedly.
"Such fury. How unbecoming of a ruler. Did Celestia never teach you how to control your emotions, Princess Mi Amore de Cadenza?" a smooth voice interrupted smugly.
The light cone dispersed and shrinked until only a pony shaped being stood proudly where formerly the Crystal Heart and the pillars holding it were. When the last remains of light disappeared the infamous stallion himself was revealed, confirming the equines' greatest fear.
He was at least half a head taller than Shining Armor and more muscular. His grayish sap green eyes shone in the light, judging, waiting. But what the royal couple and the recently arrived soldiers of the empire caught off-guard were his black, wavy and thick mane, the tail and Sombra's dark gray coat, because they were of crystalline nature, like a natural born crystal pony. That was never the case before. And he didn't wear any armor, no crown, in fact nothing at all. Though the strangest thing about him was the lack of a Cutie Mark. And his horn was no longer the blood red crystal from before, but a normal, even if longer and sharper horn of a unicorn.
Something was very wrong about his appearance, or perhaps it was a decoy. The crystal ponies knew how the King of Shadows was supposed to look like, but nothing fit. No regal attire, no with madness filled eyes and no crooked horn. His formerly sharp teeth were now flat like it was the case with everypony.
"At last, I am finally free," Sombra stated as a matter of fact. He turned to the five humans and, much to the surprise of all, bowed his head gratefully, "Humans, you have kept your promise. Now it is time that I keep mine."
Applejack recovered first and was very angry, "Ya lyin' snake! Ya told us that them artifact could give ya yer body back, not that it would disappear!"
Rarity joined her friend, "Or how about the tiny, but very important detail that without the Crystal Heart the empire would lose its only protection against the icy tundra around us."
He accepted their fury stoically, "I never lied to any of you. My tale was truthful, even if I didn't tell you everything."
Rainbow glared at him, "Smartass."
The attack announced itself in the form of multiple missiles of pink magic, but the dark unicorn protected himself with a light amber shield before it could hit its intended target.
"Sombra!" Shining Armor announced loudly, "You will hereby be held accountable for the many crimes you have committed during your reign of terror, don't expect any mercy! Guards!"
Crystal ponies surrounded him immediately, spears pointed in his direction.
Cadence stepped beside her husband, glaring in lethality at their opponent, power radiating from her body, "Just give up! You can't win this fight!"
"I am sorry to disappoint, but I have to decline your gracious offer, Your Highness. Now, be so friendly and step aside," Sombra suggested politely.
"Never! What have you done to the Heart?!" she demanded to know heatedly.
Sombra looked over his body, and he could feel it in his very being. He transcended beyond the mortal coil of flesh and bones. Crystal and magic sustained him now. "Can't you imagine what just transpired? The Crystal Heart and I are one now."
"That's impossible!" one of the guards declared in terror. "The Heart is indestructible and can't be absorbed!"
The former king sighed at such simplicity. "I studied the Heart for decades, be it for getting rid of it, driven by madness or out of the desire to learn. The founders of the empire once discovered a cave in the middle of this very land. At its end they found a mysterious giant orb made of the purest of crystal, a conduit for emotions and magic as they discovered. Its since then known smaller heart-shape was just the product of the annual feelings the empire's citizen and their rulers poured into it over many years, for a heart is the symbol of hope and love. But what can one expect by a family who calls itself 'Amore'. In short, I reshaped it into the body you see in front of you."
Screams of panic could be heard from all over the city, the broken barrier was fastly noticed by the citizens. As well as big storm clouds which threatened to darken the sky.
"Princess Cadence!" Majordomo Ruby Eyes shouted fearfully as he entered the scene, solely focused on his monarch. "The pegasi are trying to fight off the clouds, but they are too strong! We have to retreat when this continues! What happened to the Crystal Heart?!" He then shrieked, trembled in panic and nearly stumbled over his own hooves after he noticed Sombra.
Cadence knew the Crystal Empire would cease to be without the Heart's protection, but it was obvious that he wouldn't surrender himself, nor the artifact. She lit up her horn and hoped that Auntie Luna's lessons in more battle orientated magic since her wedding would pay off, in a flash she was gone.
Sombra shook his head in disappointment, "How predictable." Not even a moment later a cornflower blue rapier made of magic rammed into his amber scythe from atop, the Princess of Love directly behind it, adding force to the assault. They locked eyes, one contestant filled by the desire to save her kingdom, the other annoyed by such futile actions. "All this raw power granted by your alicornhood and in the end you will still fall prey to one of the most basic rules of combat as so many before you," he lectured in a teacher-like manner. "Experience will always defeat unrefined talent, Young Princess."
She ignored him and hit from different angles, trying to land a strike, but was blocked every time like it was nothing. The dark stallion used the momentum of her last swing against her, ducking under it instead of doing an expected parry. He would have shot her with a projectile of his own magic, if not for Shining Armor who protected his wife with a shield just in time.
Cadence growled at him in frustration, used her wings to gain distance and shouted, "Now!"
The guards advanced as one and activated their with runes covered speartips, crafted as special weapons against magic users, by mental command. They stabbed in his direction, but this time it was Sombra who vanished.
It made the guards nervous, like most crystal ponies they still had fear in their hearts when it came to the former tyrant.
"H-he teleported!"
"Where is he?!"
"Find him!"
Sombra reappeared in front of the five humans, causing them to back away. He merely took two steps before he glanced cautiously at the staring and until now silent draconequus. "God of Chaos, we have no quarrels with each other and we both know what happens if I go without them. I owe them my new life, let me do this."
Discord was fascinated, "So you really have changed. I feel no more darkness coming from you."
Sombra closed his eyes and nodded lightly.
"M-Mr. Discord?" Fluttershy stuttered, this entire situation was way too much for her.
The mentioned entity kneeled in front of the timid girl, putting a paw on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort the scared teenager, "Fluttershy, I need you to be brave now. Take your friends and go with him. It is safer for you this way."
"W-what?! No way!" Rainbow exclaimed in refusal.
Another, this time much bigger missile from Cadence was absorbed by the dark stallion's newly erected shield, it cracked a little. Her surprise attack failed once again, "Coward! Return what you stole!" She then glared lividly at Discord. "And what are you doing?! Take him in custody this instant!"
Sombra had enough, "Princess, I won't return the Crystal Heart, because it is impossible. I fused my soul with it, we can’t be separated from each other." He pointed at the Rainbooms. "These five young brave mares gave me another chance to live my own life. For far too long I was held on a leash, be it by my mother, the umbrum, Princess Amore or fate itself. From this day onward only I shall choose what to do, nopony else."
"Do you even listen to yourself?!" Shining replied in utter contempt, "Without the Crystal Heart the empire is lost!"
The prince earned himself an amused cackle in response, "It is no concern of mine. You can call me whatever you want, colt. Egoistic, mad, I don't care. I don't owe this empire or its cowardly citizens anything, I was always feared as the outsider, the scary stranger without Cutie Mark. Princess Amore herself kept me close as her advisor to make sure that I remained in her sight. Whenever I entered a tavern the customers would flee like headless chicken and mothers would pull their foals away from me in fear I might curse them." He snorted aggressively at the memories of his old life. "I was already marked a monster long before my reign even started. But now, now I am finally free."
Shining used Sombra's monologue as an opportunity and tossed one of the left behind anti magic spears at the shield, shattering it.
"You should go," Discord suggested pointedly after he stepped between the royals and the ones behind him.
The former tyrant grunted one more time, illuminated his horn and in a blinding flash the humans and he disappeared.
"Discord, you traitor! You learned nothing from Tirek!" Cadence accused venomously.
"And this is why I hate making promises," the God of Chaos thought to himself in mild frustration. But it mattered not right now, a huge smile decorated his face, "What can I say? I swore an oath to a mother that I would bring back her daughter and her friends when everything was over, I intend to keep it. And you are much too emotional right now to think clearly, Heart Flank."
"They revived King Sombra, I think their actions couldn't speak a clearer language! And I can promise you that Celestia will hear of this!" she countered.
Discord gasped mockingly, "Oh no! What will she do? Scold me, because I was such a bad little draconequus? And here I wanted to help you and bring everypony to safety with a snap of my paw." He opened a rift to his dimension, acting like he was about to enter it. "Fair enough, I guess you don't need my help in this case."
Shining Armor already ordered every guard to help with the evacuation of the empire, but he knew that they couldn't escape the storm on hoof. "Discord, wait! If you really want to help us, please do."
Cadence wanted to retort, but a warning look of her husband ended all objections. She groaned at her situation, "What he said."
"See? You should listen more often to your better half. Oh, and there is one more thing," the draconequus said sweetly.
She really wasn't in the mood for more of his jokes, but bit regardless, "And-"
Discord was suddenly very close to her face, his eyes glowing in an unholy light, the voice deadly serious, "Never, ever, try to order me around again my little pony. I am not some dog who will bark obediently and entertain you with tricks whenever one of you equines call my name. Did I make myself clear enough?"
Cadence was rarely this intimidated before and nodded repeatedly, "C-clear!"