//------------------------------// // Chapter III - Betrayed // Story: Redemption // by The Pony of Lost Legend //------------------------------// After fixing the damage her soldiers had done to his leg, Twilight had ordered Artemis to lay Sombra in one of the many guest rooms. Of course, knowing he wouldn’t stay there by choice, Twilight had wrapped several spells around the room, making it to where anything below alicorn magic couldn’t break it. Settling into her study, Twilight opens a book with a soft sigh, trying to focus on anything else but the dark stallion she had locked in her guest room. Even the thought of it made her want to laugh and scream at the same time. Mostly laugh though, the thought that a practically immortal dark tyrant was locked in a room in the castle of friendship amused her beyond anything. It was only a matter of time before he would wake up and cause her trouble, but in turn, she needed him awake to reform him. Twilight tooka a moment to remember his features, and how muscular he was, she had mostly gathered that information so that she could prepare the room to handle him. Nonetheless, thinking about it for other reasons wasn’t such a bad thing. Twilight was looking at her book, but her thoughts weren’t letting her read the words on the pages even to the slightest. Giving up, she huffs and closes the book with a thud. Artemis enters the room from behind her, making her jump at the slam of the door. He winces slightly with a chuckle. “Terribly sorry about that my princess, I tend to underestimate my strength at times-,”he clears his throat, “Sombra has been confined in guest room three.” Twilight nods. “Good, you made sure he couldn’t escape it?” she asks. He nods. “I hit the barrier a few times myself, no-pony is breaking out of that,” he confirms. Twilight smiles. “Fantastic, I know I said I didn’t want anyone here, but I could use you on standby incase something goes wrong.” Artemis cocks a sly grin. “You sure? I wouldn’t want to be a bother my princess,” he purrs. Twilight rolls her eyes. “Oh hush,” she pushes the closed book aside and stands up, walking to the door. Artemis watches her as she makes her way over. “Are you the only one here?” “I have Jack at Sombra’s door, just in case something happened while I wasn’t there,” Artemis says. Twilight gives another nod, walking out and heading down the hallway. As Jack spot her and waves his other hoof that wasn’t holding his spear. “Oy, top of the evening princess!” he calls out cheerfully. “I think yer beast has awoken, heard a few crashes from inside” Twilight blinks. “How are your injuries Jackson?” she asks softly. The chipper stallion grins. “Don’t ya get worried over me princess, a bit of rest and I feel great,” he replies, “I think Arty over there had the worst of it, he wrestled the fella like a bear!” Twilight looks to Artemis with a raised eyebrow, earning a soft cough from Artemis. “I’m fine my princess, I promise,” he says with a dismissive wave of his hoof. Twilight sighs softly. “Stallions,” she mumbles under her breath before opening the door and stepping inside, locking the other two stallions outside and herself inside with him, Sombra. Sombra’s eyes meet her’s from the darkest corner of the room as he lets out a soft growl. Twilight felt her heart rate pick up again, thundering in her ribs painfully. His eyes didn’t move from her, instead they pierced her. She clears her throat, “Sombra--.” He snarls. “What do you want from me?” he growls lowly. “I want nothing but to give you a second chance,” she says softly. Sombra chuckles darkly, so cold it sent a shiver down her spine. “Don’t act as though you would think I would fall for that,” he snorts coldly. Twilight frowns. “I do, and I’m willing to wait as long as it takes to have you reformed,” she says confidently. “Reform? Me?” Sombra crackles, “Might I just call that the modern term of bullshit?”’ Twilight huffs. “Your absolutely powerless right now, at my mercy, if I had wanted to do anything more to you, I would have done it already,” she points out. “Not absolutely, might I noted your mind is terribly cluttered, it would be a shame if some-pony found out about those thoughts,” he hums darkly. Twilight grits her teeth, knowing he was bluffing perhaps. “Nonetheless, you don’t have enough power to face me, nor escape this room,” Twilight says softly, trying to calm her nerves. “So until I say so, you won’t leave this room or this castle until I say you are permitted.” Sombra grits his teeth this time, mostly out of annoyance. “So be it,” he hums darkly. “But know I will stop at nothing to make sure my stay here is a regret to you Twilight Sparkle.” “Duly noted,” she mumbles. “I’ll have Midnight Melody come later with your evening meal,” she continues. Sombra spats. “I would rather starve,” he growls. Twilight frowns but shrugs it off, knowing he was once again bluffing. Sombra’s eyes fall to the ground for a moment in deep thought. “Unless...you make it a deal.” “A deal?” Twilight’s ears perk. He sticks his hoof out to her, his eyes narrow. “Shake my hoof Twilight Sparkle, make it a promise to me that your intentions are only good,” he says sternly. Twilight grits her teeth but agrees, pressing her hoof to his, no sooner did she do that however, she regretted it. Sombra moved quickly, snapping his K-9 teeth into her hoof sharply, causing her to yelp in alarm. Her eyes clouded with tears of pain, trying to pick up a spell. As soon as she had recovered, Sombra moved away and licked the blood from her lip with a dark look in his eyes. Artemis was at her side, pulling her away from him as he snarled at Sombra. It was all happening to fast, Twilight couldn’t take it all in properly. Then it all went black. ================================<*>================================ Twilight sat up, finding herself in her bed. No sooner than she remembered what had happened, something made her freeze. “Ahhhhh,” Sombra’s voice echoed in her head. “Foolish princess, you should have known better than to take the hoof of your enemy.” Twilight gasps, whipping around, looking around for him only to find he was nowhere to be seen. “Stop tussling, Maggot, you won’t see me,” He crackles. Twilight lights her horn before shouting. “Get out of my head!!” she yells. Sombra crackles coldly. “It’s to late sweet filly, you and I are one now,” he growls, a smirk in his voice. To confirm this, Jack busts into the room. “Oy!! He’s gone!!” he shouts. Twilight’s breath picks up, her heart racing beyond fixing. “Your fear tastes of salt, how delightful,” Sombra purrs darkly. “You made a deal with me filly, until you deem me reformed, you and I are bond together, my voice constantly in your head!” No, no, no!! Twilight got up and began pacing rapidly. This was all wrong! Twilight’s head spun, she couldn’t think clearly, it was all happening to fast for her to process it all! “Oh, you honestly thought I was that weak? I’ll give you credit for that, Maggot, but now I shall bide my time by feeding off of your pathetic emotions until my power is refilled.” Twilight’s eyes widen, so not only had she fell for his tricks, she was now aiding him?! This truly was horrid! Jack and Artemis watch her in worry. “Where ya think that scummy bee went?” Jack hisses. Artemis blinks. “My princess… did you destroy him?” he asks softly. Twilight stares at him for a moment, yes, she would rather say he was gone than worry them further. “Ah, not so pure hearted? Alas, you truly are more like Celestia than I had thought,” Sombra snarls. Twilight pushes his voice aside. “Yes...I hadn’t a choice, he was nothing but a danger and could have killed one of us if I kept him here,” Twilight says shakily. Artemis rests a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “You did what you had to my princess,” he says softly. Twilight’s heart shatters, lying wasn’t something she liked in any way what so ever. “We’ll leave you to yourself, but call if you need us.” Twilight was unable to speak, nodding slowly and watching them leave. “Mmmm,” Sombra hums in interest. “This is only the beginning. Maggot, do not hope for this to get better, your hope has such a disgusting flavor and I will stop at nothing to make sure you are left without it.” “Why are you doing this…?” Twilight manages to whisper. “No wretched mortal deserves mercy, it was not granted to me, why would I grant it to you?” Sombra growls. Twilight’s eyes met the floor again, despair filling her as she drops to her knees and lets the tears fall from her eyes. “I won’t let you win Sombra, you will be stopped, I’ll make sure of it!” “Many before you have tried, though do try, it will amuse me endlessly.” Sombra growls, the smirk making it’s way back into his voice. “The end of Equestria will come to you, and when it happens, know it was all your doing.”