Twilight paced the ground floor of the Golden Oaks Library nervously. The fact that she was not currently locked in a dungeon somewhere was a good sign but the wait was nerve-wracking nonetheless. As Twilight turned to pace in the other direction, she winced as one of her wings knocked against a bookshelf. As if the wait to hear the Princesses' verdict was not bad enough, she had to adjust to her sudden ascension to an alicorn as well.
After Twilight restored Sombra and the Princesses arrived, she told them everything, from discovering his horn beneath the castle all the way to rushing his injured form beyond the Crystal Heart's influence. Luna had been unwilling to listen, at first, but Celestia held her back from doing anything rash, and Cadance had seemed almost eager to hear the tale.
To the Princesses' surprise, and Twilight's relief, Sombra had not done anything to worsen the situation, even speaking up to clarify things or fill in the gaps in Twilight's knowledge, such as events concerning his time fighting the cockatrices in Canterlot or 'Midnight' killing his mother.
When they were finished, it was nearly time for Celestia to lower the sun. After a bit of deliberation, it was decided that the three Princesses would sleep on their new knowledge, and decide what to do with the pair in the morning. Twilight and Sombra were instructed to return to Ponyville and remain there until a decision was made, and Luna made it clear that any attempt to flee would be taken as an admission of guilt and lead to the pair being hunted as criminals. Twilight understood it for what it was; one last chance to prove that this was all some misunderstanding or mistake and that she could still be trusted.
As she turned yet again, she was drawn from her thoughts by the sight of Sombra approaching. Although his crown still rested upon his brown, his regal cape had been replaced with the simple traveling cloak he had been wearing the day that 'Black Night' had made his debut.
"What is with the outfit?" Twilight asked.
"Well, I would rather not get wet if it decides to rain tonight," Sombra replied smoothly.
"I mean, where do you think you're going?" Twilight pushed on. "The Princesses made it clear that if we leave-"
"That is exactly why I am leaving," Sombra interrupted her. "And why you must remain here. When the Two sisters discover my absence, it will direct their ire at me, allowing you to continue your life." Sombra strode towards the door as he spoke. "I am used to being cast as a villain. Rightfully so, of course. So, you should just stay here and-"
"And what!?" Twilight cut him off as she teleported between him and the exit. Her eyes flashed with Dark Magic as she went on. "Should I just let you take the blame for something that wasn't entirely your fault? For something you helped fix in more ways than one? Do you really think I'm the kind of pony that could sleep soundly while somepony important to me was being hunted as a criminal?"
"...No," Sombra replied after meeting her eyes for a moment. He shifted his gaze away in an uncharacteristic display of nervousness. "There are... other reasons, as well. If I leave now, I can perhaps return in a century or two, once things have calmed down, but-"
"A century!?" Twilight shouted, "Are you CRAZY!?"
"Knowing Celestia, I am sure she would prefer it be a millennium, just to fit the pattern," Sombra quipped. "Besides, now that you are an alicorn, you shall have to acclimate yourself to thinking in such time frames."
"That... That may be true, but what could be so urgent that you have to leave now?" Twilight demanded. "Don't tell me that the mighty King Sombra is afraid of the Princesses' judgment?"
"Of course not!" Sombra replied with a derisive snort. However, he once again was unable to meet Twilight's determined gaze as he continued. "That... is not what I am afraid of."
Realizing how hard it must be for somepony like Sombra to admit a fear, Twilight calmed herself slightly, then asked, "Then, what are you afraid of?"
Silence hung in the air of the library after she said that.
Forcing himself to look Twilight in the eye, Sombra took a step forward, his own expression determined, and said, "I am afraid that if I do not leave now, I will do something that will ruin our friendship forever."
So intense was his gaze that Twilight could not help but take a step back, stopping short as she felt herself bump against the door behind her. And yet, the emotion in his gaze was not anger, but something she had never seen directed at her before, something that sent a thrill up her spine. Burying such thoughts for the moment, Twilight asked, "W-What do you mean? If you're talking about fighting the princesses, then as long as it’s self-defense I would understand..."
"It has nothing to do with them," Sombra said, drawing closer to her with another, almost predatory step. "Do you remember what I said to you while being influenced by the Nightmare? The offer that I made to you?"
Twilight felt her face heat up as she recalled their moment of privacy beneath a dome of crystal, but simply replied, "You said a lot of things..."
"'I can think of nopony more worthy to aid in my conquest of Equestria than you, my dear Twilight.'" Sombra repeated as he drew even closer, his face now mere inches from her own. "I meant what I said, and if it meant being with you, I think I could live without the conquest. Would that make your answer any different than it was before?"
Twilight found herself looking deep into his eyes, trying to find any sign that this was a trick or merely a joke. Finding a level of intensity only someone as passionate as a master of Dark Magic could achieve, she wet her lips, finding them suddenly dry. The young alicorn asked in turn, "And if it did change my answer?"
There was a moment of silence before Sombra's crown was enveloped by his own magical aura. Slowly it rose up off his head... and then was carelessly tossed aside.
No sooner had he done so, than he lunged forward, pushing Twilight against the door as he claimed her lips as his own.
It was far from the 'perfect kiss'. Neither of them had any experience in such matters, aside from what was written in books. And yet, for the pair of new lovers, none of that mattered, their feelings for one another at that moment reaching heights greater than ever before.
"Are you sure it's alright to do this without Luna?" Cadance asked as she flew through the air.
"My sister may have agreed with our verdict in the end, but she was quite adamant about not wanting to see them again so soon," Celestia replied. "Besides, after everything that has happened, one of us needed to see about catching up with the day-to-day running of the nation. Or perhaps 'night-to-night', in her case."
"I suppose that makes sense," Cadance replied. "I really should hurry back and help Shiny catch up on things as well."
"I'm sure he has everything under control. He is Twilight's brother, after all, so a bit of extra paperwork should be-" Celestia started to reply, only to gasp in shock as she felt an incredible surge of Dark Magic ahead of them. As they landed in Ponyville, the entire Golden Oak Library was enveloped in a swirling black and purple miasma.
"Um, I can't sense Dark Magic, but I can see that. Is that bad?" Cadance asked.
Rather than reply, Celestia rushed forward. However, despite what she said, the Princess of Love could sense something from the powerful magical aura. Something was different from the previous times Dark Magic had been used in Cadance's presence. It was somehow familiar. It was almost as if it was...
Cadance's eyes widened as she chased after the other alicorn, shouting, "Celestia, wait! It's-!"
However, she was not fast enough to stop Celestia from using her magic to yank open the front door... causing a very surprised pair of ponies to tumble out, the magic aura dispersing from their shock. So enamored with each other were the pair, that it was only when they hit the ground that they broke their kiss and looked up at the Princess of the Sun in surprise.
"Oh my, it seems we came at a bad time," Celestia said, her shocked expression morphing into a grin on her face that made it clear she did not regret her timing at all. A part of her felt guilty about overreacting and interrupting them, but mostly the princess just felt relieved not to have to face another threat today.
"You princesses really need to get in the habit of knocking," Sombra grumbled.
Realizing that two of the mares she looked up to the most had just caught her in an even more compromising position than last time, Twilight could only bury her face in her hooves, and let out an embarrassed groan.
As Sombra stood up and helped Twilight to her hooves with an amused expression, Celestia felt a pang of longing as she remembered her first meeting with his Mirror World counterpart. However, that feeling was swiftly replaced with gratitude toward the pair in front of her, for they had made it possible to visit her own 'very special somepony' whenever she wished.
As Celestia was working through this, Cadance approached the pair with a warm smile. "I am so happy for you two! Let's get the business taken care of, because I have so many questions for the two of you afterward!"
As the four ponies went into the library of Ponyville, events continued to play out elsewhere. To the east of Equus, the continent upon which Equestria rested, was the continent of Griffonia, the homeland of the Griffons. However, they were not its only inhabitants, as its far eastern regions were home to pony tribes with little to no contact with Equestria. Each of these tribes had their own rulers, laws, and traditions. To the north of these tribes was one that stood out more than any other; the Arcturian Order.
The Arcturian Order was less of a tribe and more of a religious cause, one of the few areas on Griffonia where Griffons and Ponies worked toward a common goal, dedicating generation after generation to training to fight the forces of Dark Magic. The Paladins of the Arcturian Order were considered by many to be the greatest forces of Light in the entire world. But then, they had to be, for sealed on a peninsula to their east was the terrifying Magehold, headquarters of the necromantic Dread League.
It was within that dark spire that a young mare sat in meditation, trying to understand what she had sensed the day before.
"Lady Maledicta, are you certain it was not merely a dream? What you described is surely impossible."
The young mare opened her eyes to glare at the creature that had just addressed her. Calling the skeletal thing a pony would be insulting to all involved. However, his undead state did nothing to hinder the Lich's power or intellect, which is why he stood as one of her chief advisers.
"Now, now. You know as well as I do that Queen Rosa's affinity for Dark Magic is greater than anypony else in the last millennium. If she says she sensed a powerful source of Dark Magic, then it must have been something."
Rosa Maledicta looked toward her other adviser as the older mare spoke. Though less obvious than the Lich, her pale coat and pronounced fangs made the Vampony's undead nature just as clear to those who knew what to look for. Standing up, she addressed both of them. "I know what I sensed. The fact that I can't detect anything now means that it was even further away than I thought. Perhaps even as far away as Equus."
"Preposterous!" The Lich declared. "Even with your ability, to sense it at this distance would mean the source would have to be more powerful than the three of us combined!"
"Perhaps, but if that is the case, then you can be sure that that accursed Order is aware of it as well," the Vampony added.
"All the more reason for us to find it first," Rosa declared. "If it is an artifact, then we must claim it for the Dread League. And if it is a being, then I might just have a new adviser, teacher... or rival. If it is the latter, then we shall have to try and pit it against the Arcturian Order and let them kill each other off. Either way, it seems I may need to put my current plans on hold to make a trip back... home. It has been so many years... I wonder how much Equestria has changed?"