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// (2-2) And Being Given A Very Convenient Explanation 
// Story: I Am Not Sombra 
// by Boopy Doopy 
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I didn’t know when I would see anyone else, but I didn’t expect it to be just an hour after I was put back in my cell.
I lay on the floor as I looked up to see Luna making her way over to me. “Are you here to execute me?” I asked, trying to sound sarcastic, though sure that my voice came off as afraid.
She opened the cell door, saying, "I am here to take you to one of the castle bedrooms.”
“Why?” I asked her.
“I thought you might be rather uncomfortable on the concrete floor.”
I wanted to ask her why she cared, seeing as she was going to let Celestia just do whatever she wanted to me, but I didn’t. I figured that, right then, it might be a bad idea to make one of the only ponies trying to stick up for me angry. Besides, she was offering me a bedroom instead of the floor of this dungeon.
“Fine,” I told her, still conveying in my tone how awful this whole situation was.
She wrapped her magic around me and led me out much like her sister did, although was much less forceful in how she handled me. I was actually a bit glad to be by her side, as, just like Celestia, the guards we passed seemed to hate me with a passion. However, unlike Celestia, they didn't seem to be able to do a very good job of hiding it. Also, much like last time I was led somewhere, we walked for quite a long time, and I had no idea where I was in relation to everywhere else. Their castle seemed much smaller in the show than it did now, and it felt like forever before we finally got to where Luna was taking me.
We entered into a simple looking bedroom, one that held only a small window that let sunlight come through, a small bed with one pillow, and a dresser. She closed the door behind us and released me, and I quickly flopped onto the bed. I felt exhausted, both physically from all the walking I seemed to be doing, and mentally from what I went through that day. I just wanted to fall asleep at that point, and hoped that it wouldn’t be too much to ask for to wake up back home, although it would be difficult to do so seeing as the sun was still out and I had no idea how I got here.
“What time is it?” I asked Luna, squinting out the window to see the sun shining directly through the window.
“Two hours after sunset,” she answered. “It seems my sister and I forgot our timekeeping duties.”
“Maybe she’s busy planning my execution,” I muttered.
“You will not be executed as long as I’m around.”
“You didn’t seem to think that before,” I told her skeptically. “Back there, you would have let her do it.”
“So I said, but do you truly think I would let that happen?”
I thought about my answer for a second, responding, “I think you’re telling me what I want to hear, so when it does happen, you look like the good guy.”
Princess Luna sighed at that, saying, “And I can understand how you would feel such a way.”
“Besides, even if you didn’t want me to die, if she orders it, then that’s it. I bet the only reason she hasn’t so far is because of Fluttershy.”
“I understand your thinking, but I can assure you that even if Fluttershy were not in the picture, I would not let that happen.”
“I don’t believe you,” I told her, turning away and feeling slightly bitter.
“Did I not protect you from Cadance? Did I not use my words to stop Fluttershy? Besides, this is a diarchy, not a monarchy. My rule is of equal hoof with my sister.”
“Did you tell that to the other people she killed?” I asked her.
“Such a thing has not happened,” she said simply, expressionlessly.
“Oh, so she just so happened to know about America,” I said sarcastically, “and told me she’s heard my case before just because she could.”
“She read your mind and saw your memories,” she told me calmly. “As did I. She told you she heard your story before to see if you would admit to being Sombra under pressure.”
“Then why did Cadance say that I was pulling some ‘cheap trick’?”
“Because other ponies have claimed to be possessed by yo- Sombra, and tried to use the excuse to avoid sentences. Most of the time, however, it was for minor crimes, such as vandalism or loitering. Your case is unique in that you are claiming to have possessed Sombra himself.”
I didn’t believe her. It sounded like an extremely convenient explanation to paint herself in a good light. I might have believed her if she told me these things before, but my perspective dramatically shifted over the past several hours. Besides that, the alternate scenario was even worse, too awful for me to stand.
I turned back to her, telling her, “So if I’m hearing you correctly, you’re saying that what I’m saying is true, Celestia knows it’s true, but wants to lock me up or kill me anyway.”
“That is correct.”
“Well, that’s just great!” I yelled. “I guess I already know how this story ends!”
“And how is that?” Luna asked me.
“Either I’m going to be locked up here forever, executed, or be forced into having the Elements of Harmony or the Crystal Heart used on me. And even if it came to that and I survived, she still would keep me locked up because she hates me for no reason!”
Luna went silent for a second, saying quietly, “She does not hate you for no reason.”
“Yes she does,” I shot back. “She does hate me for no reason. Either she was telling the truth about hearing stories like mine and will kill me for no reason, or she was lying and knows I’m not him. And I don’t care about whatever Sombra did to her because I’m. Not. Him!”
I was seething. I was less upset by the prospect of being trapped here forever and more upset with how I was being treated. Celestia used to be one of my favorite characters, and now she was at the absolute bottom of the list. They all were, besides Luna and Fluttershy, and even then, Luna was still iffy to me. If anyone else, anyone else, were in my position, they wouldn’t have been treated this way, and I hated it. I hated all of them.
“You shouldn’t hate them,” Luna told me, reading my mind. “While they did make a poor decision-”
“A decision that, from what you yourself said, could have killed me,” I interrupted.
“They were simply reacting to how Celestia and Cadance felt about you,” she finished.
“So Fluttershy is the only one with any sense of compassion. Got it,” I told her as I turned away from her again. “I’m glad Celestia and the princess of love have so much compassion.”
She sighed at that. “Right now, you are too upset to think critically, so I will be going. However, I can assure you that I will speak to both of them, all of them actually, about what they were planning and how it might have turned out.”
Yeah, I'm the one not thinking," I thought to myself. “Nothing like a stern ‘talking to’ to make them realize what they were going to do.” 
“As well, until we can see how we are to deal with your unique situation, I will see to it that you are treated as a guest under my watch.”
“Sure, maybe under your watch,” I muttered.
“Until then Somb- Alex, see to it that you have a restful sleep. I have to leave to remind my sister to lower the sun.” I heard her start to walk away, then stopping. “I am putting a lot of trust in you. Much more than my sister has or likely will. You would be wise not to break it.”
With that, she left, closing the door behind her. I let out an exasperated sigh. Of course she had to add in that last little line. She didn’t trust me. Even after she claimed to have read my memories, she still thought I was lying. She just wanted to keep a better image of herself in my eyes when her sister tried to have me killed by using the Elements on me, just in case they didn’t work.
I found myself hoping that Fluttershy would show up sooner rather than later as I closed my eyes, sunbeams shining on my face as I went to sleep.



It took a while before Twilight realized that the sun hadn’t set yet. She was tired, but certainly wasn’t going to be falling asleep with the sun still in the sky. Celestia must have just forgotten about it, given the day's events.
Or maybe she was fighting with Sombra.
Princess Celestia assured them that she and Luna could handle him, and Sombra himself said he surrendered, but the sun in the sky said otherwise. She was clearly having trouble containing him, and couldn't lower the sun as a result. As she stared at the light in the sky, she began to think that she should quickly gather up her friends and making her way over to Canterlot to help her put a stop to Sombra. She was on the verge of doing so when slowly, very slowly, the sun began to set.
She laughed slightly at herself for getting worked up. Obviously Celestia and Luna could handle him. Sombra versus the two sisters wouldn't be a fair fight. If he was smart, he wouldn't have dared to test the two in battle together. But, foolish and power-hungry as he was, he had, and was now defeated, leaving all right in the wide world of Equestria.
Or maybe she was just as distracted as Twilight and forgot to lower the sun, and Sombra truly had surrendered.
He wouldn't just surrender, would he? Sombra would never consider surrendering. He was too prideful for that. It seemed more his style to attack when he received the chance. To be sneaky and wait for a particular moment to strike. Yes, that must have been his plan. To lie about who he was so that he could be spared and try to take over Equestria entirely.
Or he was being honest when he said he wasn't Sombra.
The Princess of Friendship put her thoughts towards the former king, thinking about the way she and her friends handled the situation. They were prepared to use the Elements of Harmony on him, which might very well have hurt him. But she was justified wasn’t she? After all, Sombra had hurt a lot of ponies during his reign, as well as the two former times he came back. In particular, he tried to hurt her brother, her sister in law, and her niece. That wasn't something that Twilight would be forgiving him for anytime soon. Besides, it wasn’t like he wasn’t going to get what was coming to him. Even if he did surrender, what he did couldn’t just go unpunished. Besides, even in the slight possibility that he wasn’t Sombra, the Elements of Harmony wouldn’t have hurt him. That was why she was going to do what she did.
But then Luna said they might hurt him anyway, and she made the same decision.
If it were any creature else, she would have immediately given them a chance. She knew that. She wouldn’t dare risk hurting some creature who might have done no wrong. And yet, when it came to him, she made what she knew was the wrong decision. Tirek, Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, any of them she would have listened to. But when it came to him, she made the wrong decision, and knew that she did. And it made her afraid.
She began to shake. Celestia and Luna were about to retire. She couldn’t afford to make a wrong decision. Had it not been for Fluttershy, however, the scene might have ended quite differently, and no second thought might have been given to her actions. Celestia put the decision in her hooves, and she made the wrong decision, saved only by her friend. Every creature deserved a second chance and the benefit of the doubt. Even Sombra, even after the things he did. And yet, she chose a decision that might have ended in denying him that.
The princess started to cry.