//------------------------------// // Chapter 16: Old as Time (Part 3) // Story: The Fairy Tale Fiasco // by LaWombat //------------------------------// “Attaaaack!” A flurry of snowballs flew through the air and splattered against the nearby bushes of the garden, but Twilight hardly took any notice of them. Her ears only twitched in their direction, with her eyes and attention completely focused on the book floating in front of her nose. As cold as it had been before, the weather around the castle had rapidly cleared up after their little adventure. Cheerful blue skies peeked out between fluffy white clouds that floated in a crisp but gentle breeze. Hills of powdery snow still covered the landscape, but it wasn’t uncomfortable so long as they bundled up against the cold. Twilight surmised that when the windigo fled, they had taken their blizzard with them. So, much like the characters from the original story, they took full advantage of the weather’s improvement. It was the perfect opportunity to relax and recover from their injuries, especially since—according to Twilight’s knowledge—there wouldn’t be any more unexpected twists or surprises... aside from the subtle changes she had begun to notice about Sombra. It wasn’t as if he had suddenly turned over a new leaf, and she knew him enough now to figure that he wasn’t just getting into the role that the storybook had given him. He was still blunt with his words, but he seemed a little more tolerant when dealing with the storybook versions of her friends. Twilight was taken by surprise when he actually said “thank you” to Fluttershy after she served them their meals the previous night. Although his reaction upon discovering Rainbow Dash’s chilli powder in the soup suggested he still had a ways to go with his temper… even if she did go a little far with her prank. There was a splat of ice nearby, but Twilight disregarded it, too engrossed with her book—and maybe a little distracted by her thoughts—to realize that the snowball fight was moving closer. But she wasn’t in any danger, and her favorite chapter was more important than paying attention to anything else around her. “Hold still, you little cretin!” Twilight’s gaze shot up at Sombra’s growl—just in time to see him stomp by with a massive clump of snow raised over his head. He appeared to be swinging it in Flurry Heart’s direction while she innocently giggled and hopped just ahead of him. “Don’t you dare!” Twilight quickly lowered her book with a shout. “She’s made of porcelain!” Sombra jerked to a stop, but didn’t drop the snowball even when he turned to narrow his eyes at her. “Exactly. The cold doesn’t bother her.” “You’ll break her if you throw that.” Twilight wrinkled her snout with a disapproving frown and sternly added, “Again.” Sombra’s sour expression twitched as he managed to look somewhat guilty before slowly lowering his arms and letting the mass of snow crumble to the ground. He opened his mouth to reply when Pinkie suddenly jumped up from behind a snowbank and shouted, “He’s unarmed, troops! Fire!” At her signal, several enchanted servants bounced out from the surrounding bushes and garden walls to bombard Sombra with a blanket of well-aimed snowballs. He turned away to protect his face as the snow thudded against his back and shoulders, then immediately spun around with a look of fury once they had run out of ammo. The servants awkwardly scrambled to scoop up more, but scattered in a panic when Sombra charged at them with a roar. Twilight grunted, watching Sombra with an annoyed look before leaning over to wave at her niece, who hopped closer. “Over here, Flurry.” Twilight gently lifted her when she jumped up onto her hoof. “You may be waterproof, but you should be careful with that chip in your side.” “She will be fine.” Sombra strolled back over on all fours. Chunks of snow covered his mane and backside, and without warning, he suddenly shook himself like a wet dog, tossing it all over Twilight and Flurry. “Hey!” Twilight shouted, raising her front legs and wings in a sad attempt to shield Flurry and the book. “I’m trying to read in peace!” Sombra let out a deep snort and eyed the book through her feathers. “That dirty thing? It looks like somepony dumped it in the woods.” “That’s not far from the truth,” Twilight grumbled, pulling the book out while Flurry jumped down and bounced back toward the garden to join the enchanted servants in their continued snowball fight. Sombra took the book and flipped it over in his claws while Twilight explained, “I forgot about the cart I had left behind. Luckily, my friends found it when they were looking for us in the forest and brought it back. That was stuck behind one of the wheels.” Sombra opened the cover to look at the title page, his expression unreadable as his gaze slid over it. “From the way you acted in the previous fairy tale, I would have thought you didn’t like reading.” "That was the storybook's fault. The little mermare couldn't read, so it made sure I couldn't either... If I had been able to write out an explanation, that would have been too easy." Twilight let out a short, irritated huff. "And there was definitely an answer in the Prince's library! I could have found something and showed you everything from the start! Maybe then the ending wouldn't have been so… horrific." Her frown turned into a disappointed pout as she rubbed her cheeks in frustration. "And all those books… I didn't even get a chance to read any!" Sombra snapped the book shut, offering it to her while arching a brow. “Well, that would explain your talents in ‘Robin Hood,’ but it’s not as if you haven’t seen them before. Didn’t you say that they are all ones we’ve already read?” Twilight took the book back and ran her hoof over the textured cover. “Maybe…” She suddenly lifted her gaze and looked at him with a curious glint in her eye, recalling her discovery of the dark spellbook. “But not all of them. You must have read some that I’ve never even seen before!” “Admittedly, in my studies, I did come across a few oddities and relics—” Sombra casually scratched his chin until he turned her way. She must have been giving him an intense look, because he froze in place like one of Fluttershy’s rabbits when Winona gave them a visit. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Twilight’s grin faded, and she huffed impatiently, more annoyed that she had forgotten about one of the most important aspects of Beauty and the Beast. “Now that the windigo are gone, we can relax... maybe even… take a tour of the castle?” She leaned forward on the bench with an expectant look. “You could show me where there might be more books… ones that I haven’t read?” Sombra blinked at her slowly before straightening up, as if a thought had suddenly occurred to him. Shuffling his hind legs quickly over the snowy ground, he beckoned for her to follow. “Would you… like to see something?” Twilight didn’t hesitate and immediately jumped up to follow him back toward the castle. “I've already read this story.” Twilight rolled her eyes while Sombra guided her down a lengthy hallway, unable to see thanks to the blindfold he had tied around her head. “Just humor me,” Sombra grumbled. “We’re almost there.” “But I know about the library,” Twilight continued, feeling his claw grip her hoof tighter to steer her carefully around a bend. With a few more steps, the creak of a large door reached her ears, and he soon led her into an area that felt like it opened up around her. She practically danced on her hooves when the fabric over her eyes loosened. “Blindfolding me isn’t going to change the fact that I’ve seen this—” The cloth fell away, and she blinked against the sudden light to focus on the sight that appeared in her vision. “All…” Twilight’s voice faded into a whisper as her gaze slowly moved over the walls, taking in the towering bookshelves set into every space of the massive room. Spiraling staircases led to a second floor with even more shelves rising up toward the vaulted ceiling, every nook and cranny practically spilling over with countless books and scrolls. “...before…?” Twilight quietly finished, her mouth hanging open as she stumbled forward in awe, too stunned to process it all. Sombra chuckled, strolling around Twilight and throwing his arms out at the nearest shelf. “You were saying?” “I…” Twilight shook her head as if to wake herself from a dream. “I’ve never seen so many… This is bigger than my library… bigger than Canterlot’s!” “As much as I would like to take credit, I believe this may very well be all of the books any of us have ever read.” Sombra grinned, pulling one of the scrolls out and waving it at her. It was a document that she didn’t recognize, and the thought of that unknown caused an excited shiver to travel through her body. “It makes it seem as if I have a rather impressive collection.” “You do,” Twilight marveled in a mystified voice, spinning in place to appreciate the entirety of the room. “You really do.” She continued on for a moment, in a state of pure bliss before his comment had a chance to finally sink in. “All of them?” “Well, there could be a few duplicates,” Sombra mumbled, unrolling the scroll in his claws. “Although I did go through a lot of research along with my standard education...” Sombra’s voice faded as Twilight moved closer to the shelves, distracted by the beginnings of an idea forming in her mind. She swept her gaze over the rows of books, and although the number was almost overwhelming, it only took a few quick glances for her to understand the organizational system. Unfolding her wings, Twilight lifted into the air and set off along the wall, her eyes flicking over each spine until she spotted what she was looking for. “It’s here!” “What is?” Sombra lifted his head from the scroll he’d been skimming over. Twilight slid the book off of the shelf and lowered herself to the floor, carefully tracing her hoof along the elegant gold lettering painted across the front. “‘The Complete Collection of Classic Fairy Tales,’” Twilight read aloud. “This is the storybook we’re trapped in...” “The same?” Sombra grunted in surprise, moving closer and leaning over her shoulder as she opened the cover. The spine creaked in response while she flipped through each of the familiar fairy tales. “All of the stories are here… look.” She stopped and pointed at the title on the page. “‘Robin Hood?’” Sombra read with a curious tone. “That was one of the first stories we were stuck in…” “Mmhmm…” Twilight hummed absentmindedly, moving on through the pages until she found a segment that caught her eye. She read the words out loud for Sombra to hear. “Robin Hood faced the Sheriff, grinning confidently while aiming an arrow at him. ‘I’ll give you a second chance, my friend. You’d make a better ally than an enemy.’ The Sheriff grinned maliciously and unsheathed his sword in answer. ‘Nay, thief, I make better coin by serving my king.’” “We weren’t exactly on the friendliest of terms,” Sombra grumbled with a sour tone. “But I’m certain I never said anything like that.” “This must be the original script, regardless of what we did to change anything.” Twilight leaned closer to skim over the paragraphs. “And the fact that it’s different also explains a lot. I knew the Sheriff would never join up with Robin Hood!” “It was an advantageous strategy at the time,” Sombra grumbled, tapping his claw against the page. “Which appears to be different from the book, but why is this story here? I thought you said you didn’t read this one.” “I didn’t—wait!” Twilight gasped from a sudden realization and used her magic to quickly flip to the end of the entire book. As she lowered her eyes over the page, expecting to find the stories that awaited them, she was met with a shocking discovery. “It’s blank?!” Twilight closed the book and opened it again, as if that might make the words magically appear. “Where are the other stories!?” She practically tore through the pages and backtracked until she finally found more text, noticing with an uncomfortable feeling that it was the end of a more recent fairy tale. She couldn’t help her gaze as it moved curiously over the words, picking out the final few paragraphs in the chapter. “Her heart felt as if it were breaking. The little mermare stood at the railing of the ship and hugged the dagger close to her chest as tears rolled down her snout. Her thoughts were filled with the prince and his newlywed bride, whose name he whispered lovingly in his sleep. She could not bear to destroy his happiness, for she truly loved him.” “That doesn’t sound right,” Sombra said gruffly, suddenly tugging the book out of Twilight’s hooves. Before she could pull it back, he lifted it out of her reach, his eyes roving over the page as his expression slowly shifted into a grimace. “What is this?” he hissed quietly before turning the pages toward her. “What does it mean by seafoam!?” “That… that’s the original ending...” Twilight looked up at him with her brows knit, watching him turn the book around to glare sternly at the pages again. “The little mermare turns into seafoam at the end... because the prince fell in love with another pony.” “But I kissed you,” Sombra added with a grunt, and Twilight felt her cheeks grow warm at his words. “This ending doesn’t match up with the one we experienced.” “I-it really doesn’t…” Twilight stammered, fidgeting with her mane while trying to clear her thoughts enough to think straight. “I haven’t been able to figure out why though. When only some aspects wind up being different, it never makes any sense. Anytime I try to alter something on purpose, it just forces me to follow what’s written there.” “Unless when concerned with my actions in ‘Robin Hood…’” Sombra riffled through the book again, his eyes shifting steadily over the pages. “Or my choice as the prince in ‘The Little Mermare.’” “Exactly!” Twilight cried out in frustration, burying her head in her hooves before suddenly jolting upright and staring at Sombra with wide eyes. “YOU!” She jumped into the air and flew in front of him, grabbing his muzzle and pulling his gaze up. “What did you do differently!?” The book thudded against the floor as Sombra reached up and grabbed her, carefully pulling her away from his snout with an annoyed frown. “I made my own decisions. It’s not as if I knew some of them might alter these fairy tale worlds.” “R-right…” Twilight tried to calm herself down from her excitement, her wings fluttering lightly against her sides. “But it’s definitely weird that most of the variations seem to originate from you.” She tapped her hoof against her chin and leaned back in Sombra’s grip. “When our two spells collided with one another, it corrupted them… but maybe one has more sway over the other?” “Dark magic does tend to have more influence,” Sombra said while setting her gently on the floor. “But if that were true, I wouldn’t have remained the prisoner of those thieves when I was turned into a reindeer. Instead, I had to wait for you to come along.” He picked up the book again, flipping through it until he turned it around to show her a chapter from The Snow Queen. “My role there doesn’t appear any different than what’s written here.” “Your role?” Twilight blinked curiously and leaned closer, skipping over the paragraphs and noticing something she hadn’t thought of before. “The original reindeer was timid, but he was friendly and gentle—” “A weak and spineless creature,” Sombra grumbled. “He was polite,” Twilight added with an unamused frown. “What I mean is… maybe you didn’t change the story... so much as you altered the role?” “I would think those things are one and the same.” Sombra raised a brow, but he appeared to be intrigued as he turned the book back to read over it. “It could be… if it’s within reason of the story…” Twilight slowly began to pace along the floor as she organized her thoughts. “Certain choices are allowed as long as we reach the intended ending… in a sense. Robin Hood won the tournament that freed Maid Marian—the sheriff’s loyalties didn’t change that. The prince still chose his love, while the mermare almost turned into seafoam. The kiss to save her existed in the story, so it was a viable option?” Twilight stopped and sat down, rubbing her forehead to stave off an oncoming headache. “Or maybe it’s main characters versus secondary ones?” “I wouldn’t dwell too much on it.” Sombra looked at her curiously. “With dark magic at work, it could simply be toying with us to add to our misery.” “Of course it would,” Twilight grumbled before perking up, turning to him with renewed excitement. “But that doesn’t stop us from testing it out! We can try various attempts to change the story… with enough data, we might even be able to figure out how to alter something!” Twilight thought he would have been just as curious to move forward with the experiment, especially since it possibly meant a faster escape from the storybook, but Sombra’s expression only appeared disgruntled. Her eyes followed him curiously when he stood up with a frown and cleared his throat. “I was actually… hoping to move forward with the rest of the original story.” “What?” Twilight blinked at him in shock. “But… “ Her ears flattened, and she knitted her brow in concern when she recalled a key point in the story. “Doesn’t the Beast… die?” She shuffled closer to him, eyeing the book in his claws. “It’s not a good feeling...” Sombra waved his arm with an unconcerned grunt and turned to face her. “But the Beast is saved—” He slipped his paw beneath her chin and turned her head up, flashing her a teasing smile “—with a proclamation of love.” Twilight felt her ears burn as all of the warmth in her body seemed to flow to her head. “I… ah-buh… T-that’s not… reliable, is it?” She pushed his claws away and smiled at him nervously. “W-we don’t know if-if the magic would even work like that. I mean...” She rubbed her hooves over her nose, failing to hide the blush she could feel flushing across her cheeks. “It’s n-not that I don’t... like you… or anything…” Twilight’s voice faded into a mumble as her pulse pounded nervously, feeling as if her heart was trying to climb out of her chest. She only lifted her gaze when Sombra gave a low chuckle. “We can give it a try then, during that point in the story.” He grinned with more confidence than what Twilight felt. “If I really do have some influence with my roles, I simply won’t die.” Twilight lifted her head, ready to argue against it, but Sombra reached over and gently shut her mouth before she could protest. “It won’t be permanent; this story is a happy one. Besides, there’s something I’ve been looking forward to... so I find the risk worth taking.” Sombra pulled his paw away, and, lost in her befuddled thoughts, Twilight dug through her knowledge of the story and came to an outlandish conclusion. “The angry mob?” “No,” Sombra sternly growled in frustration, slapping his claws against his face before kneeling and reaching out to grasp her front hoof. He rubbed her fur softly in a sensation that made Twilight simultaneously tense up and melt from bliss. “This is the part where we get to know one another… just the two of us.” As his words sank in, her heart responded with such a heavy beat that she thought Sombra must have heard it, because he grinned back mischievously. “I was hoping that you might accept my invitation this time.” Her face feeling as if it were on fire, Twilight only moved her head in a small nod and managed to squeak softly with a strained response. “Okay.” “—or this one! Oh, it matches perfectly with your mane! Although the trim may need some adjustment…” Rarity gushed over a slew of increasingly extravagant outfits she had hovering in Twilight’s vicinity, holding them up to her to check if they were a good match. The remainder of the day had gone by relatively fast, but only because Twilight had spent most of it reading everything that Sombra managed to find for her back in the library, happily obliging after explaining his idea for the evening. She couldn’t help her curiosity, and for the things that weren’t hazardous dark magic, Sombra had been a willing research assistant until he finally had to pry her away when the sky outside had grown too dark. “You really don’t have to do all this, Rarity,” Twilight started, glancing at herself in the mirror in the bedroom while another dress floated in front of her. “I don’t need to dress up so… formally.” Rarity proceeded to make an assortment of incredulous-sounding noises in her… throat? Twilight wasn’t certain vanities had throats. “I highly disagree! I may not be able to move around very well, but even I can hear the whispers about the master’s plans. Trust me, darling, you’ll need something that will show off your very best tonight!” Twilight perked up and looked at her friend suspiciously. “Plans?” Rarity squealed loudly. “No, no! I can’t spoil it!! Although I might have said too much already...” She tittered and floated a ribbon next to Twilight’s ear. “Hmm… too mauve for your eyes. Maybe something in blue.” “There’s more to this than just a dance, isn’t there?” Twilight couldn’t help but ask with a small smile pulling at her lips. “Oh, please don’t make me tell! Besides, I need concentration to put together your ensemble!” Rarity flourished the dress she had chosen. “Now, hold still, I need to fit it immediately!” As with the Rarity she knew back home, the storybook version had the same flair for fashion and skill for sewing, adjusting and improving upon the elegant gown in only a short time. The flowing fabric shimmered over Twilight’s fur in an array of vibrant silver hues with a trail of stars and pearls sparkling in her mane to accompany it. Once Rarity had deemed her properly dressed, Fluttershy escorted her down to the ballroom and opened the doors for her with a formal bow. Twilight trotted inside, where the golden light of the room’s soft glow washed over her. Through the tall windows along the back wall, she could see a perfect view of the night, the stars twinkling gently in a clear, dark sky. As she moved toward the staircase, Twilight heard a low exchange of voices, but they fell silent when her hooves tapped against the top steps. Sombra stood at the bottom of the stairs, and he appeared frozen when he stared up at her in bewilderment while she descended. When she reached the bottom and he didn’t move, Rainbow Dash jumped up and nudged him in the shin before hopping away, and Sombra held out a paw to help Twilight down. “Uh…” He stared at her with wide eyes and worked his jaw soundlessly before seeming to find the words. “You… appear to be, er—that outfit—I mean…” His eyes shifted away as he shook his head and simply pulled her toward the center of the room. “You look beautiful,” he amended softly. Twilight lowered her head to hide her blush. “You… a-aren’t so bad yourself.” Her gaze moved back to his claws when she noticed something different. “You filed them?” Sombra flexed his trimmed claws with a nod, the dull points kneading gently through her fur. “No accidents tonight. I wanted to safely do this.” Placing a paw below her wings, Sombra lifted her front legs without warning, grinning when Twilight gasped. He pulled her closer and dipped her back until she was looking up at the ceiling. “Hey!” A high-pitched voice shouted from elsewhere in the hall. “The music hasn’t started yet!” There was a brief pause before the orchestral sound of instruments echoed off of the gilded walls, starting off with an elegant tune. “Okay! There it is! You’re good!” Sombra returned her to all four hooves and stepped back before giving a polite bow. When Twilight returned the gesture, he lifted a paw and held it out to her, and she laid her hoof against his palm, allowing him to lead her in a slow circle around the ballroom. Twilight was surprised at how nimble Sombra appeared to be despite his size, making her feel more comfortable about her awkward movements while he guided her over the floor. When she stumbled more than once, he curiously tilted his head and leaned closer to whisper, “You’re not as graceful as you were before. I think you might have been more skilled when you had fins.” “That was the storybook... again.” She smiled with a soft laugh. “The spell turned me into a pony, and—well… a better dancer.” “So you traded your voice for a set of legs... and dancing lessons?” Sombra raised a brow while leading her into a gentle spin, going along with the music as it hit an extravagant high. “W-well, the little mermare lost her voice so… I think it’s to give her a way of catching the prince’s… eye…” Her face went a little red at the thought, and she peeked up at him to see his reaction. Sombra didn’t say anything, simply lifting up a corner of his mouth in a small smirk. Twilight turned her gaze away, feeling the heat of her embarrassment flush over her face. All too quickly, the music began to quiet down for a soft finale, and the two of them eventually bowed to one another. Sombra offered his arm for her to take, and she linked her leg in his elbow to follow him up the stairs and out into the garden. While the air was chilly, braziers lined the walkway to provide some warmth and lighting; not that it was needed with the pale glow that the moon washed everything in. Its light shimmered delicately over the snow like tiny stars caught on its surface. Twilight briefly wondered how the moon moved on its own, or if there was a Luna in this fairy tale world to raise it. “This place is actually… tolerable without the windigo to ruin it,” Sombra said while he led her over to a bench near the quiet walkway. “Unfortunately, they will be back soon enough.” “Maybe they don’t have to return,” Twilight mused softly, fiddling nervously with the clasp on her silk scarf after sitting down. “If you can change the Beast’s role, maybe you can alter it enough to convince the villagers not to hate you.” “I’d rather not try anything so soon,” Sombra rumbled quietly, lowering himself next to her on the stone bench and staring at the ground. “Something else could happen as a result. I won’t...” he hesitated before continuing. “I don’t want to see you hurt.” While Twilight felt a glowing sensation at his words, the obvious problem with that idea still disturbed her. Her ears flattened against her fur, and her voice cracked slightly when she asked, “Even if it means you’ll die?” “I won’t die,” Sombra said with confidence, moving his paw to cup against her cheek reassuringly. His tone sounded stern, but when she looked at him, his eyes were soft with understanding. “I have you to make sure of that.” Twilight’s heart felt like it had leapt into her throat, and despite the warmth of the braziers, she shivered. “There is… something I want to say.” Sombra lowered his paw after a moment of quiet. Twilight felt a trace of disappointment at the loss of his touch, but she looked up at him curiously, remembering how Rarity had hinted at something more about his plans. “These fairy tales—as irritating as they may be—have given me some opportunity to… reflect. More so recently...” Sombra started quietly and cupped his claws together, fidgeting almost nervously. “And I’ve come to the conclusion that I may have somewhat lost my drive to—when I dwell on it… well…” He turned his head and looked her in the eye. “I believe it would be more... beneficial... if I relinquish my claims to the Empire.” Twilight blinked at him in shock, taking a moment to process what he’d just told her before finding her words. “You… don’t want to rule the Crystal Empire?” Sombra wrinkled his snout with a grimace. “I wanted to prove my worth to my parents.” A low snarl rumbled in his throat when he spoke of them. “Ruling a kingdom… gaining power… It was something I thought I needed to earn their respect… or at least just some acknowledgment of my existence.” He stared down at his claws before clenching them into fists. “I was so obsessed with the idea that I couldn't see how much of a foal I was.” His frown deepened, but he didn’t appear angry. “It’s not that I don’t trust you,” Twilight began softly. “But… why?” Sombra slid down from the bench and stepped away, but didn’t move very far. He lifted his head, and Twilight felt her gaze follow, staring up at the castle outlined with silver in the luminescence of the night. In the soft glow, it no longer looked like the Beast’s lair… it could have been the glimmering palace of the Crystal Empire. With the gloom of the dreary weather no longer shrouding it, Twilight was nearly stunned by its transformation. She hadn’t even noticed the similarities before. “I’ve had quite a few things on my mind recently, one being the value of… of a friend,” Sombra explained, facing the glow of a brazier as he spoke softly. “And I thought it might… make you happy…” Sombra mumbled the last bit beneath his paw while scratching a spot on his muzzle, but Twilight’s ears still perked at his words, her mouth hanging open slightly. She wasn’t certain she had heard him correctly. “I may also suspect that the lineage of the Empire has fallen back into the right hooves,” Sombra continued, his strong voice breaking her out of her stupor. “That princess has a striking resemblance to my aunt. If I wasn’t certain she was already gone, I’d swear they were one and the same.” “C-Cadence,” Twilight stammered, shaking her head lightly as if to clear her thoughts. It wasn’t every day that a former adversary reformed. “Princess... Mi Amore Cadenza.” “Certainly has a similar feel,” Sombra mused, turning to her with a smirk. “So... “ Twilight tapped her hooves together, giving him a curious look. “Are you going to tell the crystal ponies?” Sombra’s expression shifted into a frown with a shake of his head, and he waved his arm out as if tossing that idea aside. “It would be a waste to bother. They’re not going to forgive what I did.” “But they don’t know who you are, do they? Most of them don’t even remember what happened,” Twilight tried. “Maybe if you explain—” “There is nothing to explain,” Sombra snapped with a growl, but he seemed to recoil immediately when he met her shocked expression. He continued on in a more somber tone. “What I... did to them can simply remain a memory of fear in their minds. They don’t need to know what I was before… who I was…” “I know who you are.” Twilight looked at him sadly, sliding off of the bench and stepping closer. “You’re the pony that’s helped me through this nightmare. You stood by me against all this trouble, and saved me when I could have died.” Twilight nudged his arm lightly before resting her head against his paw. “You’re not a beast; you’re a prince.” Sombra was quiet for a good while, and Twilight was content with simply standing by his side. He eventually turned toward her, his expression unreadable. “You may be the only one that thinks that.” “I don’t think Spike minds you.” Twilight lifted her head, smiling softly. “Especially after you saved me last time. He did see the whole thing.” “Fine,” Sombra grunted. “I have the friendship of one princess... and a lizard.” Twilight rolled her eyes, certain that if Spike were here he would have… have… “Spike!” Twilight suddenly gasped. She couldn’t believe that she had forgotten about him for so long! Twilight pounded her head lightly with her hooves. “He’s still in the village! And by now… probably…” “You should go to him,” Sombra interrupted her, and Twilight’s gaze shot up to him in surprise. “But… but what about you?” Twilight lowered her ears, finding herself hesitant to leave him alone. The story was like a dam about to burst. Things were quiet now, but once she left, it would all explode into the climax of the story… and Sombra was at risk of drowning. “If… if you can change the Beast’s role, maybe you could come too? There might be an alternate path to the happy ending,” she said hopefully. Sombra clenched his jaw in thought. “Perhaps… but I can’t imagine furniture are very good at fighting. If the villagers arrive here without me, they might ruin the upholstery.” Twilight blinked at him, lowering an ear in confusion before her thoughts came to a surprising conclusion, and she gawked up at him. “You… know they’re illusions… right?” A smile was beginning to form on her snout. “Golems? Automatons?” Sombra simply shrugged his shoulders with casual indifference. “I need servants to cook and clean, otherwise I'll have to do it myself.” Twilight giggled softly before her smile faded when she leaned forward and hugged his paw tightly.  “I’ll come back as quickly as I can,” she promised. “I know,” Sombra responded with a low rumble. Twilight bowed her head, cradling his paw tighter and burying her nose into his fur. She didn’t want to let go, but there was a small voice in the back of her mind that said he would be alright on his own. Even so, she still backed away bit by bit, hesitantly releasing him. Sombra didn’t call to her and didn’t move, watching her silently all the while. She turned around, trotting slowly over the garden walkways, occasionally glancing back toward Sombra. He still stood there, eyes keeping on her as she moved farther and farther away, until her view of him vanished behind the hedges. With him gone from her sight, Twilight felt something spur her forward, eager to move on, and impatient to return. She burst into a sprint over the castle grounds, running into the woods without fear, because even if the windigo were still out there, she knew that the warmth glowing within her would keep them at bay. When Twilight arrived in town, she wasn’t surprised at how vacant the roads were. The moon had risen high above the roofs of the quaint homes, announcing an hour when most ponies were preparing for bed. But she knew that wasn’t the case. A faint clamor drew her to the center of town, where she found the square lit up by the glow of torches and echoing with heated shouts. “Talk, dragon!” Blueblood’s voice rose above the jeers of the crowd. “Where are you keeping Twilight?” “I keep telling you, I haven’t done anything to her!” Spike angrily yelled back. “Spike!” Twilight jumped into the air with a flurry of her wings, soaring over the villagers’ heads to land before them, right next to where they had Spike trapped with a chain locked around him. “Get away from him!” “Twilight!” Spike cried happily with an awkward hop before turning on Blueblood, who stood nearby and was staring at Twilight in shock. “See? I told you she was safe! Now let me go!” “Thank goodness, you’re alright!!” Blueblood cried out, ignoring Spike and rushing right at Twilight, crushing the air from her lungs when he grabbed her up in a hug. “And you’ve managed to escape this wretched creature’s trap!” Twilight dug her hooves into his chest, trying to wrench herself out of his hold. “What are you talking about?” she rasped. “Spike would never hurt me!” “But you’ve been missing!” Blueblood practically whined, finally giving her a chance to pop free when he pointed a hoof at Spike. “Where else could you have been other than in this dragon’s lair? When I started to get worried about your disappearance, I questioned him about your whereabouts, and he just kept saying that you were ‘sort of’ fine!” Twilight turned to Spike and raised a curious eyebrow. “What?” Spike shrugged with a clanking of chains. “You were alone with Sombra. I’m not gonna trust him one-hundred percent that quickly—not after he threw me out.” “Sombra?” Blueblood wrinkled his snout with a look of confusion. “I was safe,” Twilight quickly interjected before Blueblood could get too far with that information. “And Spike doesn’t even have a lair!” “Then where have you been all this time?” Blueblood demanded, a strange look suddenly crossing his features. “It’s seems highly suspicious… unless you can simply explain where you were.” “Ah—” Twilight’s mouth hung open as her voice caught in her throat, but she quickly found a reasonable answer in the form of the fairy tale’s original storyline. “I was… at the science fair in the next town over. I entered one of my inventions into the contest.” Blueblood narrowed his eyes at her. “That sounds like something you would do, and seems reasonable... if you had been there for the competition.” Blueblood’s voice rose to call above the crowd, “But she wasn’t, was she?” “Nnnope!” a deep voice responded from the crowd. Blueblood turned back to her with a satisfied grin. “You see, once I realized you were missing, many of the villagers volunteered their efforts to search—all overseen by me, of course.” He proudly puffed out his chest before deflating with a heavy sigh. “I know you want to protect him, since he’s lived under your care for so long, but we can’t just let him get away with his crimes, Twilight.” Blueblood pulled on the chain wrapped around Spike. “We can’t just let him free and run the chance that he will steal you away again.” “W-wait!” Twilight shouted, holding out a trembling hoof. She might have been willing to fight Blueblood, but the angry mob still surrounding her was filled with familiar and innocent faces. Granted, some were waving vicious-looking tools, but still… Even though they weren’t real, she didn’t know if she could bring herself to harm them, or if she could even take on that many at once. “I-I was…” Twilight took a deep breath. “At the castle the whole time… the one in the forest…” Blueblood blinked at her for a long moment before he leaned back with a scoff. “There is no castle in the forest.” He turned to the crowd of villagers with a laugh, and a few of them joined him. “You think we would have noticed something like that before!” “It-it’s true!” Twilight’s expression tightened with worry. Things were happening just like the original story… except that, with her unwilling to explain about Sombra, Spike’s fate was uncertain—or could wind up worse with the way things were going. Blueblood quieted his laughter with a clearing of his throat. “Twilight, it’s obvious he’s traumatized you in the time you were his prisoner, so your own memories can’t be trusted. Unfortunately, this whole ordeal is obviously just distressing you even more.” He stepped away, stroking a hoof along his chin. “Perhaps there is an alternative that would be less troubling—Ah!” Blueblood lifted his leg to pose and tossed his mane back in a stance that he probably thought looked dashing. “If you were to marry me, then we could let him go! With me to protect you, he wouldn’t be able to get his claws on you again.” “That—you—what!?” Twilight sputtered, making a slew of noises out of half-formed words in her fury. That slimy, nefarious, half-baked stallion was trying to twist the situation to his own advantage! Of course, she had expected something similar, since she had read the original story… but experiencing it while trying to defend Spike still caught her off guard. “That doesn’t even make any sense!” Twilight finally yelled when she managed to stave off her fury. She had to stop them from taking Spike… and keep them from reaching Sombra! “Spike is innocent!” Blueblood tsked gently, as if he were addressing a foal. “You are obviously in no position to understand what’s for your own good, Twilight.” Lifting the chain with his magic, Blueblood pulled it, dragging Spike forward and forcing him toward a pair of ponies wearing metal helmets. “Take him someplace he can't light on fire.” “STOP!!!” Twilight yelled, her horn sparking as she tried conjuring up the makings of a spell. To her surprise, the magic responded, and a bright circle appeared on the ground in front of the villagers, glowing softly as delicate strands curled over the stones. An image formed at their hooves as they backed away in surprise, but kept their eyes glued in place to watch in wonderment as the parapets of a towering castle formed beneath them. The spell was simple enough, creating an imperfect picture of her own memory, but one that was real enough to convince them that Twilight wasn’t crazy—and hopefully get Blueblood to back down with his wild accusations. Satisfied that the situation seemed to be going her way for once, Twilight mentally nudged at the magic in her horn to end the spell. It ignored her. Her own magic ignored her as it continued, adding more to the castle and strengthening the image to the point that she could see the tiny blooms on a vine growing up the balcony at the top of one of the towers. A balcony that Sombra was standing on. “W-wait! No!” Twilight flared her wings and threw back her head, trying to disconnect the glowing twine that spilled from her horn onto the scene below. When had it even changed?! The villagers staring at the image quickly began to notice, pointing with restless whispers that rippled through the crowd. One pony that leaned in for a closer look quickly stepped away with a shout. “What is that beast?!” “He’s not a beast!” Twilight cried, still struggling to end the flow of magic to her horn. Sweat beaded on her brow from the strain, and her knees buckled beneath her with the effort to even stand. It was obvious something was wrong. “H-he’s the prince!” “A prince!?” Blueblood tore his gaze away from the castle, the view of Sombra clearer than ever as he paced along the edge of the balcony. There was no sound, but she could tell he was upset, impatiently stalking around and growling, which unfortunately gave the terrified ponies watching him a decent view of his fangs. “That thing!? Is this where you’ve been all this time?” Blueblood pressed closer to her, shaking her by her shoulders. The jarring motion finally disconnected her from the spell, and the image quickly faded, though the fear in the eyes of everypony watching only grew. “Were you trapped in that creature’s lair?” “No!” Twilight stumbled away from him. “I-I wasn’t trapped!” Her eyes moved over the crowd, each villager staring back with discomfort and growing alarm despite her objections. “He’s gentle… and caring! He wouldn’t hurt anypony!” Unless they hurt him… Twilight thought with mounting horror. Or me. Blueblood grabbed her muzzle and jerked her head up. “That thing is not gentle, Twilight! That behemoth is a monster!” Twilight slapped his hooves away and scowled at him with a furious look, her feathers ruffling from her building rage. “How can you say that!? You don’t know him at all!” She turned to the villagers, taking a deep breath and looking at them with a pleading gaze. “I’ve met him! He’s not the monster you think he is! I was living with him safely in the castle until he let me go!” “‘Let you go?’” Blueblood’s expression contorted into a furious scowl. “He was keeping you there as his prisoner!” Oops. Wrong choice of words. Twilight could have slapped herself for quoting the script from the original story. Blueblood continued, turning to the crowd as it grew more and more restless. “We can’t leave a villain like that to steal away our friends and family in the night!” Blueblood pointed a hoof into the throng. “You think he’ll stop at one pony!? Would we just sit back and let him hunt us down as his prey!?” “I’m standing right here! He didn’t eat me!” Twilight yelled, but her voice was drowned out beneath the retaliating cries of the villagers all in unison. “Then fortify yourselves!” Blueblood shouted, picking up a nearby torch and swinging it. Ponies ran about, gathering pitchforks and knives from their own kitchens—anything to face the creature that they thought was a monster. “To the Beast’s castle!” Blueblood’s strong voice rose above the frenzied shouts of the villagers, and they started to march with him toward the forest. “Blueblood!” Twilight charged for him in a panic, snorting furiously at the lies he had quickly spread. Her horn sparked as she tried to summon a spell. “I won’t let you hurt him!” Her magic didn’t react, already too spent by whatever power-surge the storybook had allowed to take advantage of her. It was easy enough for a pair of ponies to ambush her from the crowd and grab her before she even got near Blueblood. The two stallions held her by her forelegs, keeping her still even as she struggled and attempted to kick her way free. “Lock her up somewhere secure.” Blueblood trotted closer and looked down at Twilight with a sad frown before leaning over and pulling her head close to nuzzle her cheek, and Twilight’s insides squirmed with disgust. “For her own safety.” “NO!!!” Twilight screamed out, but the stallions dragged her away, bringing her over to an open cellar as the mob of villagers shrank toward the forest. She could already hear the distant wails of the windigo rising in anticipation. All of that anger was ripe for a feast. The two stallions unceremoniously tossed her down the stairs, and Twilight flared her wings to try and catch herself, but she only managed to tumble to the bottom of the steps when the doors slammed shut with a heavy thud. Darkness swallowed her vision, and she cursed when she banged her legs on the stone floor. “You can’t keep me in here! HEY!!!” Twilight shouted as she carefully made her way to the doors and threw her shoulder into them. They hardly budged beneath her weight, and a metal sound rattled like chains over the handles. Twilight slumped against the wood with a heavy groan. Just like the original story, it had all gone downhill so quickly… and she had been powerless to stop them from reaching Sombra’s castle. With a growl, Twilight rammed against the door again, regretting it immediately as a sharp pain burst through her shoulder. She curled into a small ball beneath the slanted doors, shivering and whimpering broken expletives while she cradled her leg. “Twilight?” Her ears perked when a voice tentatively reached her, muffled by the doors. It was accompanied by a low scratching sound against the wood. “Spike!?” Twilight jumped up and pawed at the doors. “Are you okay? How did you escape!?” The chains against the door clanked as he most likely tried to remove them. “Those ponies were so riled up, they didn’t even notice when I hid! Guess they just forgot about me once they had Sombra to worry about.” “Can you melt the chain?” Twilight asked hopefully. From the sound of it, Spike had managed to escape the ones they had trapped him in. “Uh… maybe?” There was a pause before she heard him wheeze breathlessly. “Spike? Are you alright?” Twilight pressed her face against the door, trying to see through the tiny slats in the wood. “That didn’t sound normal.” He coughed and cleared his throat, but she didn’t hear any more progress with the cellar door. “I don’t know what’s wrong! I managed to melt the chains before, but my fire’s acting all weird.” “The villagers are drawing back the windigo with their anger.” Twilight gasped in realization. “There must be so many of them heading toward the castle, the temperature has already dropped here as well.” With all the excitement, she hadn’t actually been concerned about the weather, but now that the adrenaline had faded, she shivered from the chill and rubbed her hooves together. She was getting awfully tired of being cold in these fairy tales. “If they’re going to the castle, shouldn’t it warm up here soon?” Spike went quiet when she heard him make a hacking noise. “Shoot! Almost had it!” “When the windigo get far enough away, they’ll already be at the castle.” Twilight groaned and buried her face in her hooves. “Why did I listen to Sombra? I never should have left him alone!” She let herself fall against the doors and slide down to the steps. “And I should have known the storybook would manipulate my magic like that! I was stupid to show them that spell!” “C’mon, Twilight, you were only trying to help me,” Spike comforted her with a sigh. “I should have just burned all their fur off in the first place, then we wouldn’t be in this mess.” Twilight smiled weakly, uncertain about what Spike had gone through until she showed up, but she recognized his attempt to cheer her up anyway. “I’m okay Spike, I’m just… really worried about Sombra.” “Huh, that’s new.” “What?” Twilight adjusted her body against the stairs and tried to settle in more comfortably. She wasn’t sure when Spike would be able to get a flame going. “You—being worried about Sombra,” Spike pointed out. “Not because of him and what he might do to mess everything up... or try and take over Equestria or something.” “He’s changed, Spike.” Twilight tapped her hooves together, barely able to see them in the shadows. “I think we’ve spent enough time with Sombra for him to realize the importance of friendship.” “Friends don’t toss friends out of their castles,” Spike grumbled. “It’s a... rough start.” Twilight smiled awkwardly even though Spike couldn’t see her. “He was only trying to protect me… although it was a terrible way of doing it.” She closed her eyes, remembering Sombra’s words to her. “But I can see that he wants to be good... he even said that he doesn’t want to take over the Crystal Empire anymore.” “Woah, for real?” Spike sounded surprised, but still a little unconvinced. “So… what, he’s like Discord now?” Twilight was quiet while she considered that. The two certainly did share similarities when she compared their situations. “Maybe... with a lot less chaos.” “I don’t think anything is more chaotic than this.” She heard Spike stifle a laugh. “And, considering our Ogres and Oubliettes sessions, Discord would probably love the storybook.” Spike stopped talking as the chains rattled, most likely giving his flame a test. It was a minute before he spoke up again. “I haven’t been stuck with Sombra for as long as you have, so I don’t really know what to think. What if he’s just trying to trick you, Twilight?” She only hesitated a moment, her mind occupied by flashing back to earlier in the garden. Twilight hadn’t been certain what Sombra had said back then, but now, more than anything, she knew she hadn’t misheard. “I trust him.” “Hey, uh, Twilight?” “Hmm?” She lifted her head and turned toward the door, wondering if Spike had found an alternate escape. “Do you like him?” There was a brief moment of pause before the chill in the air became inconsequential as a heated blush burst across Twilight’s face. “W-WHAT!?” Her wings flared open at her yell. “H-how could you—why would—” Twilight sputtered senselessly before taking a deep breath. “What would make you come to that conclusion!?” “Well, you may be friends with Discord, but you definitely don’t trust him.” Twilight took a deep breath through her nose, trying to settle her wings neatly against her sides. “Fair point,” she mumbled. “So something happened to fix that,” Spike continued as the chain at the door started rattling again. “I thought you might have just felt indebted to him after he saved you in ‘The Little Mermare’, but then I saw your face when Blueblood called Sombra a monster. Wow!” “I would feel the same about any of my friends,” Twilight grumbled before her ears perked at the soft sound of him releasing his breath. Soon after, the chains clinked, and light cracked through one of the doors as he opened it up. “Well, yeah, but that’s why I thought I’d ask.” He grinned at her from the open doorway. “So, I guess that means I was right, right?” Twilight giggled softly and smiled at him when she stepped out of the cellar, wrapping her front leg around his waist in a tight hug. “I guess so.” “We’d better get to the castle then.” Spike pushed away to tilt his head up at her with a mischievous grin. “You’ve gotta save your prince.” Her prince. Twilight felt a fluttering sensation at those words while Spike hopped up onto her shoulders. It settled quickly and uncomfortably into the pit of her stomach, and she hesitated while remembering what awaited them at the castle. “Twilight.” Spike snapped his claws in front of her nose and pointed toward the forest. “You alright? The villagers have definitely made it to the castle by now.” “Right… I’m just… worried.” Twilight folded her ears back and sprinted toward the wood, following the trail the mob of ponies had left in the snow. “So, I… l-like Sombra, but will it be enough to break the curse? I… I mean… to say that I… love him? I don’t know if it will work if it’s not sincere.” “Well, he seems to think so.” Spike shrugged. “Or he’s got a plan, if he let you come back alone.” “Maybe,” Twilight mumbled as she galloped down the road, the dark trees of the forest quickly looming into view. “Right!” Spike pumped a fist into the air and tugged at her mane. “And this time, he can’t kick me out!” As she powered on, Twilight didn’t need to worry about finding her way back to the castle, since the frozen path left behind in the wake of the hungry windigo was a clear indication of where they went. The sight Twilight found when finally arriving at the castle was a chilling one. The iron gates had been battered open, left askew and twisted in the wake of the angry mob. The large wooden doors at the entrance had been breached, and a frenzy of combat had already begun inside. She galloped toward the mess of chaos without thinking twice. Engulfed by the commotion of hundreds of ponies yelling, kicking, and throwing anything they could reach, Twilight had to duck and roll through the crowd, trying to avoid getting caught up in the brawl between the villagers and the castle’s enchanted servants. All the while, she scanned above their heads. If Sombra were here, she’d have easily spotted him towering above the others, but for some reason, he was absent from the fighting. “Can you see him, Spike?” Twilight yelled above all the noise and shouting. She heard a loud crash from somewhere nearby and hoped it wasn’t the sound of breaking furniture. “No...” Spike propped himself behind her horn and stood on the tips of his claws, shading his eyes to peer over the heads of the others. “I don’t think Sombra—wait!” He pointed through the crowd in a panic. “I see Flurry Heart!” With a gasp, Twilight bolted in the direction that Spike motioned, and what she came upon made her grit her teeth in fury. Flurry Heart hopped below the crowd, her small form managing to remain unnoticed from most of the villagers, save for one stallion that loomed after her. Blueblood had his sword raised in his magic, preparing to strike down her niece. Twilight charged forward with her head lowered, and before Blueblood could manage to hurt Flurry, she rammed against his side and knocked him over. Blueblood grunted as he toppled onto his back while his sword clattered against the floor. When he lifted his head, Blueblood’s expression shifted from anger to shock as he noticed Twilight standing above him. “Twilight!? What—how did you get here!?” With surprising agility, Blueblood heaved himself up onto his hooves and picked his sword back up with his magic, giving Flurry Heart a menacing glare while trying to shove Twilight behind him. “Step away! I’ll take care of that vile creature!” “Excuse me!?” Twilight shouted at him, the fur on the back of her neck raising. Blueblood’s brave face faltered when she growled at him. “You’re not touching her!” “Wha…?” Blueblood shook his head and wrinkled his snout. “Be reasonable! That creature is—” “An innocent child!” Twilight interrupted him with a snort. “In fact, all of the enchanted ponies are just victims!” “Victims!?” Blueblood scoffed. “They captured you and held you prisoner!” “That is not what happened!” Twilight stomped forward and brought her muzzle inches from Blueblood’s face, her expression so furious that he wilted away from her. “They're my friends! In fact—EVERYPONY NEEDS TO STOP FIGHTING!!!” Twilight’s booming voice rang out above the noise of the crowd, tossing Blueblood and the nearest ponies off of their hooves from the force. The hall suddenly became very quiet as stunned villagers and servants alike turned their attention on her. “Friends?!” Blueblood sputtered, kicking the air as he rolled himself back onto his legs and awkwardly stumbled to his hooves. “You can’t seriously be on their side, Twilight! They're all monsters!” Her ears twitched as she heard a few angry murmurs from the crowd: some of the ponies were nodding and agreeing with him while warily eyeing the enchanted furniture, even though they had all settled into an awkwardly strained truce. “They’ve never bothered you before!” Twilight turned to the crowd, fanning her wings out to encompass the ponies watching her. “Most of them can’t even leave the castle because of the curse!” “Lies and deceits!” Blueblood shouted, stomping toward Twilight and scowling at where Flurry shivered behind her leg. “These heathens are manipulating you!” Blueblood suddenly lunged forward, his legs extended as if to grab Flurry, but Twilight scooped her up before he could get close and jumped out of his path. He ended up falling flat on his face, sliding into a kitchen buffet. With a growl, Blueblood jumped up and rammed the furniture with his shoulder, sending it off balance to fall into the crowd of ponies. The villagers had not so quickly forgotten their anger, as they started attacking the furniture to get it off of their trapped friends. Even though other enchanted servants moved in to help, the resulting commotion quickly erupted into a new brawl, and the chaos ensued once again. Twilight pushed Flurry into Spike’s arms and hurriedly shouted, “Get her somewhere safe!” “But—” Spike started to protest. “GO!” Twilight cried, right as Blueblood jumped up and charged toward them. “There’s nowhere to run!” Blueblood snarled. As Spike jumped down from Twilight’s back, she flared her wings and tackled Blueblood, kicking at his legs and causing him to tumble to the floor with her. “You really are crazy!” Blueblood furiously shouted, trying to shove her away while Twilight held him around his neck. “It’s a good thing you’re beautiful, because your efforts to aid these creatures are starting to get on my nerves!” A bellowing roar suddenly ripped through the castle, and Blueblood froze in place when a familiar voice shouted from somewhere close by, calling out Twilight’s name. “Sombra!” Twilight’s ears perked to their full height, and her heart pounded with excitement. She scrambled to get away from Blueblood, but despite trying to get her off of him before, he suddenly grappled with her, stumbling over the floor while he dragged her down. “Get off of me!!” Twilight shouted, trying to buck him with her hind legs, but his weight was too much for her to lift, and he started tugging her away from Sombra’s direction. Hearing another roar from across the room, Twilight spotted the top of Sombra’s head, twisting around as he searched for her in the mess of ponies. She took a deep breath to call out to him, but her words only came out in a strangled gasp, smothered beneath Blueblood’s hoof when he clamped it over her mouth. He roughly pulled her against his chest, quickly picking up his sword and shoving it into its sheath before wrapping his magic around her legs and forcing her to move with him through the crowd. “Are you trying to get me killed?!” Blueblood hissed in fear, his eyes darting behind him in a panic. Twilight immediately tried to draw magic to her horn, but it only sparked uselessly as the spell from before had completely exhausted it. With the other ponies and servants distracted by the fight, Blueblood managed to drag her quickly through the foyer, darting into an empty hallway where the sounds of combat faded in the quiet. The only noise to be heard were Twilight’s muffled growls and the soft howling of the blizzard outside the windows. “Even though you are terribly unappreciative of my generous help, I’m still willing to make sure that you’re safe from that dreadful Beast.” Blueblood dragged her around a corner, and Twilight grunted when she tried to twist away from him, only managing to strain her neck. “He must have corrupted you somehow,” Blueblood continued in a loud grumble. “But I’m willing to forgive all of your rebellious transgressions once you see things normally again.” Blueblood’s expression shifted to an oily grin as he appeared to fantasize about something. “And after I’ve freed you from his grasp, we can finally be wed.” Twilight responded by trying to wrench her legs free of his magic and stomp on his hooves. A roar echoed down the hallway, and Twilight’s ears lifted at the sound of heavy steps pounding toward them. She felt Blueblood stiffen against her, and he scrambled in a panic, quickly yanking her into a stairwell just ahead of them. He charged up the steps, frantically tugging her alongside him before flattening them both against the stone wall. Twilight could tell he was trying to keep his breathing under control to hide, but it wasn’t something he could easily do with a captive. She flared her wings and smacked Blueblood right in the face, and though it didn't get him to release her, he did grunt irritably with the effort of trying to keep her quiet. She noticed his magic grip loosen and kept up her struggle, her feathers eventually slapping up into his nose. While Twilight was slightly disgusted as they found his nostril, the contact caused Blueblood to snort and double over. Blueblood’s sudden sneeze exploded in the quiet of the stairwell, and it wasn’t long before Sombra’s heavy steps quickly thudded toward them. He appeared around the bend of the staircase, letting out a snarl and baring his fangs when he spotted Blueblood holding Twilight. “Release her!” Sombra demanded, advancing up the stairway and reaching out with a paw to grab her. "S-stay back, foul beast!" Blueblood scrambled backward up the stairs and lifted his sword out of its sheath, raising it above his head threateningly. As he dragged her with him, Blueblood's clumsy focus over his magic knocked Twilight's legs painfully against the stone steps, and Sombra's fierce expression faltered when she let out a soft complaint. Blueblood continued on, oblivious to her discomfort. "Twilight belongs to me! I won't let you lay a claw on her!" Though Sombra wrinkled his muzzle in a clear look of disgust, he raised his claws in front of himself in a peaceful gesture. "Please…" Twilight's eyes widened at the pleading tone in his voice. "Let her go." "Let her go? Back into your claws?" Blueblood scoffed, continuing to retreat up the stairs while Sombra stalked behind them, carefully keeping his distance. When Blueblood stopped, Sombra stopped. Blueblood narrowed his eyes and hissed suspiciously, "What do you think you're doing, beast?" "You're hurting her," Sombra growled out between grit teeth, his eyes flitting almost nervously between Twilight and Blueblood. Blueblood flicked an ear back, not even bothering to glance at Twilight as he stared at Sombra, a blank expression on his face before his mouth dropped open in disbelief. "You... You've actually fallen in love with her?" Blueblood's mouth twisted and he threw back his head to let out a bark of mocking laughter. "Do you think this charade will get her to love you in return? Once she comes to her senses, do you honestly believe she'll want a monster like you!?" Sombra bared his fangs and glared at Blueblood, who suddenly wore a confident grin as he dragged Twilight along with him into the room at the top of the tower. The wind shrieking outside grew louder, and she could feel the frigid air as it blew in from the curtained archways that led outside. As they inched along, the temperature quickly dropped, and Blueblood backed out onto the balcony with Twilight still in tow. The jarring gale that rushed to greet them startled Blueblood, and he stumbled unsteadily when his hooves met a thin layer of ice that had formed over the stones. Twilight's eyes lit up with an idea, and she flared her wings before Blueblood could get any farther. Her renewed struggle quickly threw him off balance, and Blueblood lost all concentration with his magic when his legs slipped over the ice. With his hold on her gone, Twilight tried to scramble away, but her own hooves slid over the surface, and she wound up falling right back into Blueblood. Trying to steady himself, he lunged down to grab her again, but Twilight rolled onto her back and curled her legs around, managing to kick him right in the chin. “OOF!!!” Blueblood grunted and fell back onto the balcony, sliding away from the force behind Twilight’s blow. Once they were separated, Sombra let out a furious roar and soared over her head, lunging straight for Blueblood. “NO!” Twilight screamed out, but the blizzard suddenly grew stronger, ripping her voice away through the torrent of snow and hail. Sombra growled, grappling with Blueblood’s sword as it spun around recklessly in his magic. Blueblood appeared to be too terrified, and Sombra too blinded by his anger, to notice the howling winds as they picked up around them. Twilight turned her gaze to the gale above, glimpsing the wispy forms of the windigo through the clouds. Their ethereal shrieks were the sound of the storm, and they only seemed to be getting more powerful by the second. Metal screeched over by the railing, and her gaze shot back to Blueblood and Sombra in their scuffle. Sombra had created a weapon by breaking off the stone leg from one of the nearby gargoyles, and Blueblood’s sword clanged against it as he swung the weapon wildly. The windigo shrieked eagerly above them, rooting for neither opponent, only relishing in the hatred billowing from them. “Stop it!” Twilight tried to scream over the wind. “Stop fighting!” A strong gust shoved against her, and Twilight yelped when it propelled her over the ice, forcing her right into the railing. “Twilight!?” She looked up to see Sombra’s attention on her, finally distracted by the panic of her cry. “You’re making the windigo stronger!” Twilight shouted at him, pointing up at the screaming creatures swirling and dipping through the clouds. “Windigo!?” Blueblood screeched in fear before turning his eyes up. “Now there are windigo!?” “That’s what I’ve been telling you!” Twilight yelled, stomping her hoof furiously against the ice. The force of her own movement shifted her balance over the slippery stone, and her world disappeared in a whirl when she fell to the balcony and slammed her head against the surface. Her vision exploded into a blinding white, and the wails of the windigo disappeared behind a shrill ringing in her ears. It didn’t knock her out completely, but it took a moment for her sight to come back into focus. The bright light in her view began to fade, and she saw the fuzzy shape of Sombra’s large form slowly materialize above her, his expression contorted with worry. She couldn’t comprehend why he looked so troubled until she winced at a sharp pain pounding through her head. With her senses dulled, it took her longer than it should have to recognize that there was something dangerous floating slowly over Sombra’s shoulder. Her warning came too late. She didn’t even have a chance to gather the words before Blueblood’s blade plunged into Sombra’s back. Jerking his body back sharply, Sombra straightened up with an enraged roar. “Take that, Beast!” Blueblood triumphantly spat, appearing to act more courageous now that it looked like he had the upper hoof. “RRGH!!!” Sombra grit his teeth and grasped the sword in his claws. Before Twilight could explain to him the dangers of pulling out embedded objects, he wrenched the weapon from his shoulder and faced Blueblood with a snarl of fury. Blueblood’s proud expression immediately fell, and he shrieked with a high pitched squeal. “Sombra, stop!” Twilight shouted amid the furiously hungry cries of the windigo, and Sombra, to her surprise, paused and glanced back at her while clenching Blueblood's bloody sword in his fist. “Please…” she faintly pleaded. He wrinkled his snout and gave Blueblood a long, low growl. Twilight's heart skipped a frantic beat when he stepped back and lifted the sword—right before plunging it into the frozen stone at his hooves. “For your sake.” Sombra turned toward Twilight and carefully settled down beside her, grunting with the simple effort. He cradled her head and rubbed her cheek softly, and Twilight let herself relax into his embrace with a sigh. “For... her sake…?” Blueblood parroted back slowly. The windigo above them appeared to shy away, but the blizzard still pelted them with sleet and snow. Blueblood lifted himself on shaky legs, moving straight for his sword and grabbing it roughly in his magic as well as his hooves. “Can’t you get it through your thick—ugh—uncultured skull?” Blueblood grunted loudly as he tried to pull the sword free. “Twilight is mine! I won’t let anypony else have her! Especially—not—YOU!!!” He let out a piteous groan as he threw his head back and stomped his legs against the ice. “Why won’t this come free!?” Blueblood wrenched the weapon one way, and it shuddered slightly. “This is not ‘Sword in the Stone!’” Twilight felt the balcony rumble beneath her, and with a gasp she tugged at Sombra’s arm. “Blueblood! Don’t pull out the sword!” Blueblood ignored her warning, wrenching his sword the other way and grinning maliciously when it shifted. The stone crumbled and ground against the blade, and a thin crack split through the ice along the length of the balcony. “STOP!” Twilight screamed at him, but Blueblood gave the weapon one final tug. It slid free with a grating sound of ice and stone, and he shouted victoriously—only for his grin to immediately fall when a loud snap vibrated below them. The entire balcony shifted as a fissure widened over the icy surface. Sombra grabbed Twilight, and she yelped as he hauled her back into the tower when the floor beneath their hooves dropped away. Blueblood screamed and tried to leap to safety, but he was too close to the railing as the balcony tilted and tumbled over the edge. He disappeared from view, along with the rest of the structure as it fell into the foggy abyss. Twilight hugged Sombra tightly, staring wide-eyed at the space where Blueblood had been only seconds before. She could honestly say that she didn’t care much for Celestia’s nephew… but witnessing him plummet to his death… She trembled violently, and Sombra’s embrace closed in more tightly around her, the only comfort in the chilling wake of her shock. “Sombra?” Her small voice squeaked out, catching in her throat when he shuddered against her before slumping over with a pained grunt. Through the ice and wind, she could see the dark spot matting within his fur. “NO!” Twilight scrambled to her hooves in a panic. “No, no, no, no, no!” The cold prick of tears formed in her eyes as she shook his uninjured shoulder gently. “You said you wouldn’t die!” His claw reached around her and clutched her mane lightly. “It’s… not bad…” he grunted with a strained sound, cutting himself off when he touched his shoulder and pulled his paw back to see the mess of dampened fur. “Oh…” He wobbled unsteadily. “Maybe it is... a touch worse t-than I…” While the windigo above them continued their wailing, Sombra slid to the floor, stopping only when Twilight grabbed him and tried her best to keep him from falling from the tower. Spiraling above them in a whirlwind of howls, the windigo drew closer and closer, as if the tragedy of Blueblood’s defeat pulled them in, making them more vicious in their attempts to get at Twilight and Sombra. “Don’t come closer!” Twilight shouted up at them, and in an attempt to keep them back, Twilight tried to light her horn with a spell, but it was to no avail. Her magic hadn’t recovered enough for a shield. “Stay back!” Twilight yelled, hugging Sombra’s limp form against her. She wasn’t certain if he was unconscious or… she didn’t want to think about the alternative. The Beast lives… the Beast lives… the Beast lives… her mind repeated over and over as the tears froze against her cheeks, her horn fizzling desperately. Her sight was blurry with tears, but staring up at the terrifying creatures, she could still see the whites of the windigos’ blank eyes and their frozen breath misting in the gale. Their maddening glares only intensified when they dove right for her. “STAY AWAY!!!” Twilight’s voice echoed through the air like a clap of thunder. Her vision went white as the wind abruptly died out, while her horn nearly exploded from the volume of magic it was suddenly spouting. A glowing sphere formed around Twilight and Sombra, shimmering for a brief moment before billowing out and expanding over the castle, reaching high into the sky. The furious windigo caught up by the spell screamed in pain and immediately turned to flee into the clouds, their howls of rage fading as their forms quickly shrank into the distance. Twilight wasn't aware of what had happened, only able to see clearly when her hooves touched down lightly on the floor. Rubbing her head and stumbling woozily, she instinctively reached for the hoof that stretched out to steady her. She blinked slowly at the limb, waiting for the world to stop swaying before looking up to see Sombra smirking at her. A normal, non-beastly looking Sombra. Twilight blinked in confusion, tears spilling down her cheeks as she realized what she was seeing. The blizzard had calmed down, even though the snow clouds still remained above. There was a perfect hole where blue sky peeked through, and the windigo were nowhere to be seen. Below on the castle grounds, she heard distant shouting and cheers of excitement as the enchanted servants celebrated on the lawn, returned to their former pony-selves. Twilight snorted as her eyes returned to Sombra, choking back a sob before diving forward to hug him around his neck, her sides shaking with laughter. “What are you doing?” Sombra rumbled against her, moving her carefully away from the edge of the broken balcony, back into the safety of the more stable tower. “Are you really crying to the point of laughing?” “No!” Twilight shook her head into his shoulder. “You just… you look exactly the same!” Twilight exclaimed between her gasps. “I do not look the same,” Sombra grumbled. “You can stop crying.” Twilight leaned away and wiped at her eyes, noting that everything about him had returned to the way he was before Beauty and the Beast. “How… how did you change back?” Her cheeks flushed when she realized she had completely forgotten to follow the fairy tale. "I couldn't... I mean—I didn't say anything..." “I think we both know the answer to that.” Sombra leaned forward with a smirk and nuzzled her cheek softly. “The windigo were driven off by something.” Twilight shivered lightly, her eyes widening in surprise as she stared at him. “But… they only… t-that's not—” “Sometimes, actions are more meaningful than words,” Sombra playfully chided her, waving a hoof in her face. “I-I… but…” Twilight stammered, unable to get out anything coherent as her blush deepened. Her thought process had come to an absolute stop. “Twilight.” Sombra moved his hoof through her mane and pulled forward a lock of her hair, bringing it to his lips and kissing it gently. “I think it should be obvious that—for both of us, friendship will not suffice.” As she stared at him, dumbfounded, Sombra didn't wait for an invitation, he simply bowed his head and kissed her, hooking one of his legs behind her neck and pulling her closer. Twilight’s gasp was muffled beneath him, and her body tensed, dragging her hooves feebly against the floor to try and push away... but the warmth that flooded her was not unwelcome, and her reluctance soon melted into yearning. Twilight slowly closed her eyes, whatever protests she had eventually forgotten, the pounding of her heart both exhilarating and threatening to take her breath away. Her ears lowered as she shivered from the resulting sensation traveling down her back, causing her fur to stand on end with that electrifying feeling. Her knees weakened, and Twilight relaxed against him, so lost in the euphoria coursing through her that neither she nor Sombra appeared to be aware of the fading landscape, or the absolute darkness as it fell around them.