Silence filled the castle as the heroes stared at the newest inhabitant.
And as no sound kept clinging to the area, it was broken by the sound of a jail cell door clanking shut, trapping Sombra in a small cell. The prison had been created using the illusion room, which despite being an illusion, was still as solid as a normal prison. As this happened, Sombra simply sat on a plain bed the cell had while continuing to look over his new body. He then looked up and saw the seven members of Team Flash staring at him, making him comment, "Okay...that's getting a little uncomfortable now."
"Oh, sorry." Soarin replied, "Of course only you deserve the finest of comforts."
Sombra blinked at his reply, only to sigh, " Very well. I suppose I deserve that."
Growling, Soarin turned to the others, "Why is he even here? And why isn't he turning to dust?"
"Not sure," Flash responded while crossing his hooves, "Something happened to him in the battle....and I think it was the Sacred Light? Not sure, but he was somehow transformed into a unicorn."
"And it repaired his body." Trixie added before pointing at Flash, "Whatever it was, it seemed to come from you."
"From my scar," Flash corrected while his hoof moved over it before glaring at Sombra, "What did you do to me? Shadow told me something about a...soul fragment." Sombra was about to reply, only to look away with a frown. The sight made Flash want to gulp, "You...do know what you did to me, right?"
"Some of my memories are a little hazy," Sombra replied before glancing back at the defender, "You try coming back to life while completely shifting species, and see how well you remember every little detail." He then turned to Ruby, "But I do remember the important things. Like what I did to you and our home." Ruby just looked away, her eyes trying to look anywhere else. That is, till Sombra said, "I'm sorry Ruby."
That made Ruby yank her face back to Sombra, her eyes trying to go wide as she whispered, "What?"
"I said I'm sorry," he repeated. "Ever since I was freed from Armalum's control, every fiber of my being has been filled with anger and hatred for myself because of what I did."
Soarin rolled his eyes at this, "Yeah...like we believe that."
"Except that he's telling the truth." Flash instantly said, making everyone turn to him, Sombra blinking at him with wide eyes. "Which is really weird..."
"But how do you know?" Cold asked, Flash doing a small shrug in response.
"I don't know. It's just a...feeling I have."
This made everyone raise eyebrows, Ruby now remembering him having a similar feeling when he said they would find a way to free Sombra and keep him from dying.
Springer then spoke up, stepping up to the cage. "He's not lying. Take it from someone who can actually detect lies. His aura is flowing with...sorrow and remorse."
"What?!" Ruby squeaked out, "You...you sense that?"
"Yeah..." Springer replied while crossing his paws, "Its weird."
"But its true." Sombra chimed in before sighing, then looking down at his hooves. "I know I've done some terrible things. Beyond terrible, and I have no right to ask for any kind of forgiveness. I can only hope that one day I'll be able to make up for it all, even if it means giving my own life in the process."
The words made everyone blink, frowns and confusion on every face. Even Cold was raising an eyebrow, unsure what to say as Trixie then spoke up, "Anypony else feeling queasy from all this hamminess?" Soarin, Heart and Springer raised a hoof/paw in response.
"We should leave," Cold responded, his face returning to normal. "We've got a big day tomorrow."
Heart nodded, "Yeah. Both teams have six orbs, so whoever takes this one takes the whole game."
"Exactly. We need to be well rested for then. Come on." Cold added as he turned to leave, everypony following with the exception of Ruby. The mare watched them leave before turning to Sombra, staring at him for a few second before walking away.
And as soon as they were outside the room, they all sighed as Heart spoke up, "Um...question." everypony turned to the colt, seeing him raise a hoof, "What's to stop him from just breaking out of there? You saw what Armalum was able to do, can't Sombra do the same?"
"A reasonable question." Cold replied, "I asked the room to put up an anti-magic field. It should stop any kind of magic from being able to work on his side of the cell."
"And you think that'll work?" Soarin asked.
Trixie nodded at this, "If whatever magic is doing all this was able to stop Flash's Sacred Light, it should also be able to stop Sombra's magic too."
"Besides, I doubt Sombra is as strong as he was before." Ruby added, "He's literally not the same pony he was before. I might not know how strong umbrum usually are, but I'm betting it's not the same level as the unicorn he is now."
"Ugh..." Flash groaned, "As if this whole experience wasn't weird enough, we got Sombra in our castle now. I really hope I don't get flashbacks from this..."
"Yeah," Springer nodded, "And I thought what happened to Soarin was weird."
This made Flash and Ruby turn to the jakhowl before glancing at Soarin, only for the Wonderbolt to turn on his now pure white eyes. "No way..." Flash gasped, "Is that-"
"Theta Mode," Soarin chuckled, "I don't know how, but I can use it now."
"We think it was the Sacred Light," Cold spoke up.
"What?! Really?!" Flash replied before looking down at his hooves, "I don't remember doing anything..."
Cold nodded. "Before it happened, Soarin became surrounded by a golden light just like yours. Then he entered Theta Mode." Flash just blinked at his statement, now staring at Soarin as Cold continued, "Tell me, was there a point before the match that you wished you could do something that would help Soarin grow stronger?"
Flash put his hoof to his chin, remembering the earlier part of the day where he placed his hoof on Soarin's shoulder, "Hmm...yeah, I think I did."
Cold nodded again. "Looks like you accidently transferred a bit of your power to him."
"Really? Wow..." Flash commented while looking back down at his hooves. "I had no idea my Sacred Light could do that."
"There's still much we don't know about your abilities," Ruby added, "It's possible you could give similar power boosts to others, though now isn't probably the best time to practice it."
"Why not?" Heart asked as the group started up the stairs. "If he can supercharge the rest of us, there's no way Shadow's group could beat us! It could make us unstoppable!"
"Only if it's done right," Trixie chimed in, "If it's done wrong, who knows what negative effects it could have." She turned to the pegasus in question, "Flash has had the Sacred Light since the day he was born. His body's built up a tolerance for it. A tolerance we don't have."
Cold nodded yet again as they reached the top of the stairs, "Soarin's power up was effective, but it could have easily backfired and destroyed him." The pegasus in question went wide eyed, doing a small gulp as they entered the dining room, "Besides, we only have one orb to win before this game is over. Let's not risk losing by trying to rely on some possible power-up that could just as easily destroy us as it could make us stronger."
"You're right," Flash added as they started getting something to eat, all sitting down as Flash stared at the group, "And even if I can do that, there's no point. We've all grown stronger in one form or another since getting here. The skills and power we have are more than a match for Shadow and his flunkies. Tomorrow, no matter who's picked to go out there, they're gonna win and we can finally end this game."
They all nodded in agreement before digging into their meals. And as they ate, they couldn't help but look out at the city as it worked to repair itself. This last battle had been one of the most destructive, even more than the one between Springer and Shadow. However, as this happened, Flash explained what had happened when he had fallen unconscious while Ruby and Soarin told him what happened to them.
And as the defender heard all this information, his gaze turned to the dark castle from across the city. He couldn't help but wonder how Shadow was taking all this, knowing they were now down a fighter.
On the other side of the city...
Shadow sighed as he sat on his throne, staring at the six orbs he had acquired. He then looked down at his hoof, right at the dark mask he was holding. "Armalum..." He grumbled before turning to the rest of his team, all but Wingill present. Tempera, Salix, Storm and Terror all stood to attention, all shivering as they suspected what would happen when he spoke up. A long glare came from his eyes as he stared at certain pony and spoke up, "Tempera."
The artist mare gasped but stepped forward, "Y-yes...my love?"
"I require a volunteer."
Tempera's eyes filled with tears, "Yes my love. I understand." She closed her eyes, waiting for her inevitable fate. But as the seconds passed, she didn't feel the touch of the mask on her face. And when she opened her eyes, she saw the mask still in Shadow's hold while the dark unicorn growled at her.
"Well?! Get on with it!" Tempera blinked at him, confusion on her face, "What are you waiting for?! Make a scribeast!" The four all stood frozen, gears in their brains turning as Tempera muttered out, "Oh...oooooh," She pulled out her sketchpad. "Right away master. Any particular preference?"
Shadow sighed while fiddling with the mask, "There's no way whatever you make will be as strong as Sombra. Try and give it something that can make up for that." Tempera nodded back, chewing the end of her pencil before clapping her hooves.
"Oh yes," she started drawing before throwing up the piece of paper, her horn glowing. "Here goes!"
Everypony except Shadow went wide-eyed at the sight of the scribeast, seeing it was an alicorn. It was around the same height as a normal pony and had a simple gray color, lacking a mane or tail. However, the most disturbing thing was its head, which lacked a mouth, nose or eyes.
"That's really creepy," Terror told her as Shadow stood up.
"Looks like something out of an old horror book," Storm added, "I swear I've seen something like it before. What was that book called? Slim Pony? Thin Pony? What was it?"
"Who cares what it looks like," Shadow growled as he walked up to the scribeast. "As long as it does what I need it to do." He levitated the mask up in his magic and placed it onto the scribeast's face, causing the mask to unleash a dark light as the slime flew out the ends and began to form the armor around it. Within seconds, Armalum was back, though this time equipped with black metal pony wings that had some red feathers.
The armored alicorn looked himself over before nodding, "I'm back."
"But not better than ever," Shadow hissed, "Can you actually fly?" Armalum tested his wings, managing to lift himself into the air, "Well, that's something." When Armalum landed, Shadow grabbed him by the horn. "Here." His own horn glowed with a light travelling through his body before transferring into Armalum. This lasted about a minute before he let go. "There. I've transferred some of my magic into you. You won't be able to do anything flashy, but you'll be able to fight at least."
"Thank you, my master," Armalum bowed.
"Be thankful that I still need you. If it wasn't for the fact I don't want to be one pony down for the rest of this game, I'd lock you up in a chest and throw away the key." A yawn suddenly escaped his lips before he turned to the door, "I'm going to bed. Its been a very long day." He then glanced at the damage of the room from earlier, making him growl as he yelled, "And clean this place up!"
"Yes master!" They all exclaimed as he left, Salix then turning to the others. "So...was he more happy or more sad? I couldn't tell."
"Be thankful Terror managed to get the orb," Tempera replied while shaking her head, "If she hadn't, I doubt cleaning would have been the worst thing happening to us right now."
Storm huffed as he started picking up some pieces of the castle. "Every day Sentry's team keeps growing stronger while we remain static." He then turned to Armalum, "Even growing weaker."
"Bite me," Armalum growled as he used his new wings to make a gust that blew some dust away.
"Just be careful," Tempera added, "I made that scribeast as strong as I could, but it has its limits. Take to much damage and it'll burst. And try to stay clear of heat and water. Your armor may be able to shield it from them, but it's better to stay safe than sorry."
Armalum didn't reply, instead cleaning until the sun set. After that, the entire castle went to sleep as Armalum stayed up, the living suit of armor simply standing there, stewing in his own failure. "Sombra," he growled into the darkness.
Meanwhile...
Within the light blue crystal castle, Ruby lay in her bed. She shifted and turned, unable to get comfortable…and she knew why. The newest inhabitant of their home, currently sitting downstairs twiddling his hooves. And despite her body being exhausted after the day's events, especially given the quick healing cut on her face, she just couldn't fall asleep, Flash's earlier words echoing in her head.
"Ruby, you know it wouldn't be better that way. Sombra can't rest in peace, and you won't be able to move on until the two of you actually talk about this. You need to tell him what you just told me. Only then can the two of you move on."
"Why?" she muttered to herself, "Why is he right?"
Sighing next, she slowly got out of her bed, making sure not to wake Trixie. Sneaking into the hallway, she went down the stairs and into the makeshift jail, now seeing Sombra just sitting there like last time. It was here he looked up from the floor and went wide-eyed. "Didn't expect to see me?" She asked while walking up to the cage.
"No, I didn't. After everything that happened, I thought you would want to leave me locked up down here and never see me again."
"I'll admit, that interesting thought had crossed my mind." Ruby sighed, grumbling as she sat down on her flank and crossed her hooves, "But...I can't just leave what I need to say unsaid."
"I see. And what do you need to say?" Sombra asked, seeing the long glare on Ruby's face.
But as she glared at him, no words came out. A full minute passed, the knight just staring at him. The sight made the stallion chuckle as he then said, "It seems you can leave what you need to say unsaid." Her eyes narrowed, horn sparking as he waved his hooves at her, "Sorry...just trying to lighten mood. If you wanna shut me up, then say what you have to say."
"That's just the thing." Ruby growled, "I'm...not sure what I want to say." She looked away next as she continued, "And I hate it. I hate it so much." She turned back at him, "You know, ever since I found out it was you under that armor, my head has been swimming with the things I've wanted to say to you...but now that you're actually here, it's like my mind's gone completely blank. I can't decide what needs to be said first."
The two stared at each other after this, only for Sombra to ask, "What does your heart tell you?" Those words made Ruby go fully silent, unable to respond. "I see...I get it." He looked away for a second, a small smile appearing on his face as he said, "Say...do you remember the notes we used to pass to one another in class? You know, the ones written in our own secret language?"
Ruby's eyes went wide at this, only to start giggling as she responded, "How could I forget? Just put the last letter of the word at the front and add an i between it and the second letter if its two consonants."
Sombra chuckled back, "That way, even if we were caught passing the notes, the teacher would never be able to tell what we were talking about. Remember the time we were making fun of the funny looking mane-style she had just gotten."
"And she caught us passing a note saying it looked like a hedgehog," Ruby finished, now not being able to do nothing but let out a laugh at the memory while Sombra did the same thing.
"She spent the next two weeks trying to decipher our code so she could find out what we had been saying."
Ruby shook her head, "Every day when we arrived at class, she would be staring at the note until she eventually lost it."
"You had to be a dog to hear her scream as she ripped the note into a million pieces." Sombra sat back and let out a sigh, "I'd forgotten how much fun life was back when we were young. Before..."
"Before you ruined everything?!" Ruby hissed, making the room fill with silence in that moment.
The two remained this way for a full minute, only for Sombra to speak up again, "Ruby?" The tone of his voice made the crystal unicorn's heart stop, hearing nothing but apology and remorse in his words. Her ears told her to look away as he continued, "Ruby, do you think...do you think it'll ever be possible for the two of us to be...to be...friends again?"
Ruby turned back to him, her eyes burning with anger as she began to yell, "What did you just say?!" She then marched up to the bars, grabbing hold of them while growling, "How could you even think of asking that?! After everything you did, do you really think I'd want to ever be your friend again?!"
"Well I-"
"Shut up! You're a monster!" Ruby screamed, her hooves grinding on the bars as she gripped them, "You...you ruined my life."
"Then why did you work so hard to free me?!" Sombra barked back at her, a small glare now in his eyes, "If you wanted nothing more to do with me, then why not leave me trapped in that suit of armor?! As far as you knew, I was still the ego-maniacal overlord that enslaved your home. Any fool would have told you to leave me where I was since Armalum kept me confined and out of trouble, but you almost killed yourself saving me!" Ruby didn't reply as he pointed his hoof at her, "I heard you, you know. I heard you asking me to come back to you. The way you said it, it was pretty obvious you wanted me back. Why?! Why did you want to save me?!"
Ruby's teeth gritted themselves, her form turning away before she leaned her back against the bars, "I...I had too. I'm a royal knight. We try to save everypony, even monsters like you." She slightly turned her head next, the corner of her eye glaring at him as she continued, "But we'll never be friends again. Not after what you did. Being friends requires a level of trust, and I'll never trust you after what you did!" She fully turned around this time, banging her hooves on the bars, "You enslaved my home and forced my friends into becoming mindless slaves. They were bookers, bakers, candle stick makers, and you turned them into solders and made them fight and even kill. Some of the children of the empire still have nightmares about what you did!"
Sombra just looked away, unable to respond as she kept talking while hitting the bars.
"And it that wasn't bad enough, when you lost, you decided to torment everypony in the empire further by sending them into the future! Your lucky many of the citizens never travelled out of the city before then, or it might have been impossible for them to acclimate to the present. But thanks to you, I lost all my friends!" She could feel tears begin to appear in her eyes as she continued, "I...I might have been able to stop the jakhowls from going all but extinct. I...I could have been there to help Princess Luna, but because me and the jakhowls were gone...she lost all love in her heart and erased her own memories, leading to her becoming Nightmare Moon and getting banished for a thousand years! I...I could have helped stop that and...and you made me responsible for failing!"
Sombra blinked at this information, having clearly not been privy to that nugget of information.
"And the thing worst than anything else, something I will never be able to forgive, is what you did to Princess Amore." Ruby finished, tears now going down her face. She closed her eyes next, her hooves no longer tapping the bars. But if she had opened her eyes, she would have seen Sombra now sporting a certain frown on his face at the mention of the princess's name. Despite this, Ruby continued, "Princess Amore…she was like a mother to me, and you...you...you..."
"What about what she did to me?!" Sombra asked, his body robotically pushing itself up and moving over to stare at Ruby through the bars. "Don't forget about all the pain and agony I suffered, year in year out. The Crystal Fair was created to destroy me, to keep me from becoming who I truly was. She knew this and she kept it from me. She knew what I was the moment she saw me, and instead of telling me, she kept that info to herself and was happy to let me suffer in silence."
"She was trying to protect you."
"Protect me from what?! My true heritage?!" Sombra yelled, leaning up to the bars, "If she was so worried about me, then why didn't she do anything about?! Why didn't she make me a true unicorn instead of just the disguise my people had to put me in so the Crystal Heart wouldn't destroy me?! She had the power! She knew what was I was and did nothing!"
"I'm sure she had a reason." Ruby replied, her tone completely firm as she continued, "And I am sorry for everything you went through, but it didn't give you the right to do what you did to her and her people."
"How is what I did any different from what you and your people did to mine?!" Sombra spat, Ruby leaning slightly back as she saw spit fly out of his mouth. He then hit the bars with his hooves, growling at her, "Long ago, you sealed the umbrum away and threatened to destroy them with the Crystal Heart if they ever tried to escape. You call yourselves the victims, but you're just a guilty. If you hadn't sealed them away, they never would have created me and I wouldn't have caused all those problems!"
"The umbrum were sealed away because they tried to destroy not only the Crystal Ponies, but all of Equestria."
"Oh, so when you seal ponies away because they're threatening to destroy you, it's alright, but when I do the exact same thing, I'm considered a heartless monster."
"There's a difference."
"You're right," Sombra nodded. "At least you and your people weren't conscious when I sealed you away. Meanwhile, the umbrum are trapped underground suffering. If anything, I was kinder in my subjugation."
Ruby let out a cry of frustration, turning away as she yelled, "So much for you feeling sorry for what you did! I knew it was all an act. Clearly Springer's evolution has thrown his senses out of whack!"
"I am sorry for what I did," Sombra instantly replied, making her glare back at him.
"You're not sorry. You-"
"I am Ruby, and you know I'm telling the truth." He interrupted while crossing his hooves with a low glare, "I hate myself for what I did to the empire, I won't deny it. However, that doesn't change the fact that you and your people are just as guilty as me. The only difference is that I'm honest with myself."
"But we didn't do anything to you!" Ruby barked back, "We didn't know about the umbrum! They were sealed away long before anypony in the empire was even born!"
"Amore knew." Sombra hissed, "And she kept it a secret." Ruby opened her mouth, only for Sombra to flash a hoof, "And don't go saying it was to protect me. If she had explained to me what I was, what I could have become, I would have done something about it." He leaned back up to the bars, "Tell me, if she had told you what I was, what would you have done?"
Ruby glared at him, her hooves clenching up as she took a deep breath. But as she did this, the information went through her brain, making him sigh as one conclusion came to mind. "I...I would have tried to find a way to turn you into a real unicorn."
"Exactly," Sombra replied as he sat back down on the cell's mattress, "And I would have been up for that. I admit, I should have tried more back when you left, but the Crystal Fair frightened me. In fact, I believed I was destined to be alone in my suffering." He looked away as he said these next words, "I...I was lonely."
"Sombra…"
He turned back to her, his face now showing a low glare as it began to grow darker, "It could have worked out Ruby. I would have left the Crystal Empire with you in search for a solution, and I'm sure we would have found a way. I would have been a true unicorn, and never have become an umbrum and enslaved the empire, meaning the war would have never happened. You would have been there to help the jakhowls and prevent your princess's fall into this Nightmare Moon." And for the first time since he had become a unicorn, Ruby saw the horn on his head spark. It was sparks of anger as he said, "Everything bad that has ever happened to you or the ponies you love is all Princess Amore's fault. Everything."
"You're wrong." Ruby instantly responded, "And even if you were right, that still didn't give you the right to do what you did. She might have been wrong to keep you in the dark, but she didn't deserve to die like that."
Sombra raised an eyebrow at this, only to put a hoof to his chin, "Oh, that's right. You don't know."
Ruby raised an eyebrow now, "Don't know what?"
"Princess Amore...is alive."
Ruby's eyes went full wide at this, making her gasp, "What?!"
"The spell I placed on her didn't kill her. I merely trapped her essence within the stone. Shattering it didn't kill her either. If the pieces are all brought together, she can be restored."
Ruby remained silent, the information sinking into her brain. Her eyes twitched, making her stumble backward as she muttered out, "That's...that's impossible. You're lying. You...you have to be lying. You're just trying to get me to forgive you."
"I don't want you to forgive me," Sombra replied while looking at his hooves, "I...just want you to know the truth. Must be part of this whole rebirth thing." He sighed while sitting back, leaning against the wall and looking up at the ceiling. "I've done many terrible things. Some of them justified, some of them...not so much. I know I could never make up for all of it, probably not even half of it, but at least this way there's a chance one of my crimes can be fixed....even if I hate her." He glanced back at the knight, "Believing me or not is up to you. If you chose to believe me and tell the princesses about this fact, maybe they'll find a way to locate Amore's pieces and restore her. But if you don't believe me, the fact Amore remains the way she is on you. I did everything I could."
The Crystal Knight stayed silent for a few more seconds, only to walk up to the bars again, "She's...she's really out there somewhere?"
Sombra nodded back, "Not only that, I know where her pieces are." Ruby's eyes went wide. "Maybe it's because I'm the one that cast the spell, I don't know. All I know is that I can sense where every piece of her is located. Like a smell. I could lead her to you."
"And how do I know this isn't just a trick and you're just trying to lead me somewhere far away so you can jump me and escape?!"
Sombra shrugged his shoulders in response, "Again, that's up to you to decide. If you think it's too big of a risk, leave me locked up and let the princess remain as she is. I'm telling you the truth and offering to help. Call it retribution for my past misdeeds." Ruby just glared at him, making him sigh and shake his head, "Though...if you're so worried about me escaping, you could easily have me caged while we travel and even have Sentry or the others princesses there to blast me if you even suspect I'm trying to pull something. It's your choice."
The two of them stared at one another for another minute before Ruby looked away, "I...have to go."
"I'm telling you the truth," Sombra said as she began to make her way to the door. "You have to believe me."
Ruby stopped right before she reached the door, her magic gripping the handle as she stood there. "Whether I believe you or not is irrelevant. It won't be up to me to decide if you can be trusted." She glanced over her shoulder next, "When this game is over, we're returning to Equestria, and you're coming with us. There, you'll stand trial for your crimes...and I'll bring up your story to the princesses. Then they'll decide if its worth beliving in."
"And then I'll be thrown in some jail cell with the key lost forever, right? Heck, you'll probably throw me into Tartarus." Sombra replied while crossing his hooves, "That won't help things Ruby."
"It will." She hissed back, "I don't know why you're a unicorn now or being 'remorseful', but you know I can't trust you. I'll let the princesses decide, and I know they won't take the risk of you deciding this is just some phase before trying to conquer Equestria again. I mean, we already have enough lunatics trying to do it." She pulled the door open as she said these last words, "And I don't want it to happen again."
With that, the door closed, Sombra sighting as he sat back down on his bed. His mind went over the conversation, only to turn to the door and say, "Anypony ever teach you it's not polite to eavesdrop?"
Seconds later, the door opened to reveal a certain orange pegasi as he asked an obvious question. "How'd you know I was there?"
"The same reason you're able to sense I wasn't lying about anything I told Ruby."
"Wha...what are you talking about?" Sombra replied by pointing at his chest, Flash looking down at his scar, "You know about the soul fragment? But you said-"
"I didn't at the time. But over the last few hours, my mind has been growing clearer. More of my memories are beginning to resurface, including what I did to you."
"What did you do to me?" Flash asked as he moved right up to the bars. "When you gave me this scar, what happened?"
"I would have thought it was obvious. The name pretty much says it all. I put a soul fragment within you."
Flash blinked at his words, his brain slowly shifting its gears, "You...put your soul into me?"
"A fragment of it. If my soul was a glass of water, it placed merely a drop of it within you." Flash clutched his chest, feeling a sudden bit of being violated now.
"Why?"
Sombra chuckled at his reaction, "I had every intention of defeating you, wiping out your little friends and reclaiming the Crystal Empire. But only a fool attempts something without a backup plan in place, and I pride myself on not being a fool. So when I saw my opportunity, I placed a soul fragment within you in case I lost. And low and behold, I did lose. But even though I was destroyed, I still existed within you." He got up and walked over to the bars. "Every moment of my life. Every memory and thought I ever had. It was safely preserved," he reached through the bars and touched Flash's scar. "Within you."
"So...you planned this?" Flash backpedaled at this, "You planned on being resurrected and using me to protect your memories until then?"
"Oh, I planned on getting resurrected..." Sombra then pointed to his cell, letting out a long groan, "But all this had nothing to do with my plan. My plan was actually a complete and utter failure." Flash raised an eyebrow at this, now seeing Sombra look back at him, "You see, my soul fragment wasn't just a way of preserving my memories. It was also meant to corrupt you."
"What?!" Flash yelped, his eyes going wide.
"Once embedded into you, my soul fragment was meant to take root into your soul and slowly change you. It would feed off your negative emotions and grow stronger, slowly overtaking you until you became just like me. It's a common umbrum practice, as its our way of immortality. Eventually, your soul was meant to decay and allow mine to take over and give me a new body to inhabit...and it worked."
"But I'm nothing like you."
"You're definitely right about that." Sombra chuckled again, "But not quite. Don't forget, I was a part of you during my time inside you." He tapped his forehead, "Every memory you made after the implant is right up here." Flash started to growl at him as he continued, "Tell me, do you remember the time right after our fight? You were acting...different. Most of the time, you were moody, always super serious and basically a giant...what did you call it later on? A total bummer?"
Flash blinked at those words, his brain slowly getting at what he meant, "That was you?! You made me act that way?!"
"No." Sombra instantly replied in a deadpan tone, "I didn't make you act that way. That was all you, through my presence may have intensified it a tiny bit. But during that time, you acting like that allowed me to burrow deeply into your soul. If you had kept up, I would have corrupted you around the time you went off to face that Doom pony."
Flash glared at him, growling before suddenly stopping, "Wait...but you didn't corrupt me."
"Yes. I'm not sure why, but I...seemed to just fail." Sombra responded while rubbing his chin in thought, "I'm not sure how, but for a while, I was steadily growing stronger within you...only for it to stop. One day, you were no longer gloomy or depressed. The reverse suddenly started happening, your positive emotions increasing in power as they pushed my darkness out of your soul. I'm lucky you didn't somehow destroy my soul fragment."
Flash thought back at this, remembering that time in his life. How angry and scared he had been after almost dying by Sombra's hoof, knowing he didn't want that to happen again. But as he did this, a certain pony appeared in his head, making him smile.
While this happened, Sombra let out a long sigh, "Unfortunately for me, my best guess as to why my plan failed is your Sacred Light. It must have kicked in and protected you from my corruption." It was here he heard a low chuckle, turning to Flash and seeing him laugh. "What?"
Flash shook his head, "It wasn't the Sacred Light. Something else saved me from you, and it's something so much simpler."
"Oh?" Sombra replied while raising an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
"My friends." Flash responded, the statement instantly washing over the room. Sombra could hear the strength in his voice as he continued, "They helped me push past my fear and return to the real me. Twilight, Pinkie and all of the others stood by me and supported me, giving me the strength I needed to fight your darkness off."
Sombra felt an urge to yell back...only to smile. He couldn't feel any anger from himself, making him then say, "I must say, you've certainly come a long way since we last fought. You've grown into not just an incredible fighter, but a stronger pony overall. And you say your friends are what allowed you to grow into this?"
"My friends are the best thing about me. I help them and they help me. We stand by each other when times are tough, and together we're able to overcome anything, even when that includes the impossible."
"I...I see." Sombra tried to reply, "Interesting."
The two then stared at one another, both smiling the same smile as Flash pointed at his scar, "So this...soul fragment. That's why I can feel if you're tell me the truth or not?"
Sombra nodded back. "The fragment may no longer be within you, but there's still a link between us. And there always will be until the day one of us ceases to truly exist. You'll always know whether or not you can trust me because if at any point I choose the dark path, you'll feel it. And I will feel the same for you."
"And that's why I know you're telling the truth about being resentful for your actions and the stuff about Amore?"
"Exactly," Sombra replied, nodding again, "And I also got the benefit of having all the memories you had since the implant. Everything you ever did and felt, I pretty much know and felt." Flash's smile turned to a frown at this, making Sombra chuckle, "Relax kid, that doesn't mean I have the same feelings as you. That Twilight girl's interesting, I'll admit that, but she's not really my type."
"Shut up," Flash growled as he looked away with a slight blush. "Still doesn't explain why you're so resentful. I mean, you weren't exactly all rainbow and pity parties the last time we met. Heck, the first time you were freed from Armalum, you didn't seem at all sorry for what you did. If you did, you probably would have preferred to crumble to dust or something."
"I feel guilty for what I did, not suicidal. I don't want to die for my crimes, I want to try and make up for them. I'm...what's that phrase you love using so much? Counting up my sins?" Flash chuckled at those words as he continued, "I hate myself for what I did....but the fact is, I don't want to hate myself. This horrible guilty feeling is making my stomach twist and me want to vomit. I hate this feeling."
"Well get used to it," Flash instantly responded, "That feeling's gonna stick around until you make up for everything you ever did, and I'm sure you've figured out that'll never happen. It can take a minute to make a big mistake, but years to make up for it."
Sombra raised both eyebrows at this, "That's...very profound."
Flash shrugged. "Hey, if living with Twilight doesn't help me learn a few smart things, then I really am the idiot of the relationship."
The two let out a laugh, Sombra shaking his head before saying, "Strange. This'll probably be one of the last intelligent conversations I'll get to enjoy. Once we get back to Equestria, I'll be locked up and the only things I'll get to talk to are the dangerous monsters in Tartarus."
"I hear bugbears can be very talkative when they're in the right mood."
The two laughed again, Sombra wondering why he thought that was funny. Flash was doing the same thing, only for a bulb to go off in his head. All the information from this conversation went through his head, making him realize why Sombra was like this now, making him laugh even more.
"What" Sombra asked, "What's so funny?"
Flash wiped away a tear of laughter with his wing as he replied, "I just...I just realised why you're so different. Why you feel guilty and want to make up for everything you've done."
"Really? What's your theory?"
Flash pointed to himself, "It's obvious. It's me."
"Huh?"
"You said it yourself that your soul was attempting to burrow into my soul and corrupt it. But that didn't happen. Instead, the reverse happened. My soul started to affect yours." Sombra's eyes went wide at this, making Flash shine a big smile, "Don't you see? You tried to infect me with your soul, but instead I infected you with mine. Instead of making me like you, I made you like me."
"I...I can't believe I didn't realize this," Sombra gasped, staring down at his hooves, "That's...why didn't I notice? Why didn't I see that your soul would be strong enough to effect mine?"
"That part could have been because of the Sacred Light."
"No, it didn't." Sombra shook his head, "I'm sure of it. The Sacred Light had nothing to do with it." He looked back up at Flash, "This was all you. You...you just can't help yourself, can you?"
"What do you mean?"
"No matter who they are or what they've done, you can't help be make those around you better ponies."
"Oh." Flash blushed while waving his hoof, "Eh, that wasn't just me."
"Don't lie to me, I've seen your memories. You were the one that defeated Lightning Blitz and convince him to join you in Ponyville. You helped Discord discover how to use his powers for good. You gave Thorax the chance to show his good side and now both he and Hiveena are living much better lives. You helped Iron Core, Cold Steel and even Ruby overcome their pasts, and even here, during this game, the connections you've made with the ponies have allowed the others push past their limits and grow stronger than Shadow's goons could ever hope to match."
"I...didn't do that much." Flash stuttered out.
"Maybe not, but even the smallest of interactions can lead to something great. I've seen it a lot after following you." Sombra added as he crossed his hooves, "Who knows how different the ponies in your life would be if you weren't there with them. They might be exactly the same or completely different. It hard to tell, but I get the feeling you've affected them more than you think."
"You really think so?"
Sombra nodded back, only to frown, "But...you're nothing like him."
"Him?"
"Shadow."
"Oh." Flash replied, doing a slight gulp, "Well, I don't want to be like him."
"I know." Sombra responded while nodding again, "You know, some of my memories from when I was under Armalum's sway's have started to resurface. And I also got a few of his memories, like how he was able to learn my magic from my memories....which a bunch of those memories involve Shadow being almost as bad as I once was."
"Really?"
"Yes. But that's not all." He stared up at Flash, a low calm stare on his face, "You have no idea how different you two are. You're total opposites, two sides of the same coin. You try to connect others and help them grow to become the best versions of themselves, but Shadow only finds those who are at their lowest and keeps them that way so they see no other options but to join him." Sombra let out a low chuckle at this, "And now that I think about it...I would have supported something like that back then."
"But not now?"
Sombra shook his head, "No. In fact, I'm sure of it now. Thanks to being linked with you, I think I understand..." He showed the defender a big smile, "You're team will win. And its not because you have more power or you're better...its because unlike his team, yours has something worth fighting for."
Flash smiled back, nodding as well as he showed he agreed wholeheartedly. "Thanks Sombra." he said before letting out a long yawn.
"You should get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow." Flash nodded and after giving him one final thank you, the pegasus headed for the door. "Hey Sentry," Flash turned back to him, "Give 'em hell." Flash nodded back and left the room, allowing Sombra to lay back in his bed.
The next morning...
When Shadow woke up and walked out of his room, he found the place looked as immaculate as possible. Smiling at the sight, he headed to the dining room, finding it was just as clean as the hallway. He also checked the map room and found it was back to normal as well, the dust and broken bits of the castle having been cleaned up. "Good. At least I won't have to live in a dump for who knows how long."
He returned to the dining room and summoned his breakfast from the cupboard, sitting down and enjoying the small feast he had prepared himself. And halfway through the meal, the doors opened to a certain unicorn named Tempera.
She was rubbing her eyes and yawning when she spotted Shadow, gasping in horror before jumping down to the floor. "Oh, master! I'm so sorry my love. We were up late cleaning up, so I must have overslept. Please forgive me for not being here to make you breakfast."
Shadow rolled his eyes, "Get up. Just be thankful this castle gives us food already prepared."
"Thank you, master." She stood up, "I won't fail you again." As she said that, she couldn't help but let out another yawn.
"How late were you up last night?"
"Not that late. I'll be fine once-"
"Go back to bed," he interrupted, "I need my fighters fully rested and ready for whatever might happen."
"But master-"
"BED!" Tempera flinched before nodding, turning and heading out as she left Shadow to finish his breakfast in peace. "This game better not go on much longer," he told the castle in a low vicious growl, "It's beginning to grow tedious, and I do not enjoying being forced to do something that makes me bored." He took another bite, "You've been warned."
Several hours later...
Both Flash and Ruby were up last after sleeping in due to their chats with Sombra. As such, they met in the hallway as Ruby asked, "You talked to him?"
"Yeah," Flash replied while nodding, "And there's something you all are gonna want to know." They walked through the dining room doors, now finding everypony except Trixie around the table, Heart talking loudly to Springer.
"Zenith Mode," the colt announced.
"Nah," Springer shook his head.
"Ace Form," Soarin went on.
"I don't think so."
"Apotheosis," Cold randomly said without looking up from the table. He took a bite from his meal before looking up, now seeing three 'are you serious' looks, "What?"
"Everypony," Springer spoke up, "I appreciate the suggestions, but I'm sticking with Mega Mode. Don't know what your problem with it is."
"It just sounds a little...tacky," Heart chimed in.
"Maybe to you, but I like it. And since I'm the first jakhowl to reach this form-"
"Allegedly," Ruby stated as she and Flash got their food.
"Alright. As the first recorded jakhowl to reach this form, I think I should get the right to name it."
"I think Mega Mode sounds awesome," Flash added as he sat down. "And he's right." He turned to Heart, "What if I decided to start calling your fire form 'fluffy bunny mode'?" The colt's face scrunched up at this, making Flash smirk, "Exactly. It's Springer's form, so he decides what it's called."
"Thank you," Springer added, only to tilt his head at the duo, "So...what were you two doing up so late?"
"Yes, about that. It wouldn't have anything to do with our new housemate, would it?" Cold asked, making both blush as he continued, "Thought so."
"Speaking of him, where's Trixie?" Flash responded while looking around, "There's something I need to tell all of you and-"
"I'm here," the mare interrupted as she walked into the room. "I was just giving our guest his breakfast." She turned to Ruby, "Figured you wouldn't want to have to see him." Ruby gave a weak smile back, thanking her before everypony turned to Flash, "Alright, what's this all about? Please don't let it be another mystery. We've had enough."
"Its not. Trust me on that."
One chapter long explanation later...
"And that's why he's so...different."
"So...he's you?" Trixie asked with raised eyebrows.
"Pretty much," Flash replied while shrugging, "My soul's infected him now, so his beliefs are infused with mine."
"That's just weird," Soarin added, "I mean, it's almost like you've brainwashed him."
"It's not like I did it on purpose," Flash barked back, "He put the fragment in me while he was trying to kill me!"
"Flash is right. It's Sombra's fault," Cold chimed in, "He tried to force his beliefs onto Flash, but Flash was too powerful. Now Sombra has to live with the consequences. It's clear this whole soul fragment thing is a double edged sword."
Flash turned to Ruby, "What do you think?"
The mare looked away, grumbling as she continued to eat. "I'm...not sure. At least I now know that Sombra's...transformation isn't an act. But if he was going to feel bad for what he did, I'd prefer it had been because he actually feels bad and not because he had been infected by you."
Cold shook his head at this, "Whatever means that caused his change of heart doesn't change the fact he wants to make up for his crimes. That means he'll most likely be willing to help us if we end up in an all out fight against Shadow."
"Hey, you're right!" Soarin gasped, "Maybe he'll want payback on Armalum!"
"Maybe...but we shouldn't jump to that conclusion." Ruby responded, "Until further notice, he should remain locked up where he can't do any harm."
The others nodded at this, only for the alarm above their heads to go off.
"Battle beginning. Please head to the map room for selection."
"This is it," Flash got up and stared at all his friends. "The final battle. I know I can trust you all to do your best, but this time there's no room for error. We have to win this battle, no matter what!"
Heart smirked while pumping his hooves, "I won't let you down."
"You can count on me," Soarin added.
"Me too," Trixie nodded. "Those goons won't know what hit'em."
Springer cracked his knuckles. "Me and my Mega Mode will show them a thing or too."
"We will win," Cold continued, "For all we know, the fate of all Equestria could be on the line."
Ruby nodded as well, "Whatever happens, Shadow won't win. I can promise you that."
"Then let's do this thing," Flash finished as they entered the map room. There, the selected area had been outlined and they noted one of the lakes was within the battlefield. He then turned to Heart, "Remember, if you're picked, try and stay as far away from the water." Heart nodded back as the bingo machine appeared and unleashed the first orb, this one showing Springer's head.
"It's go time," Springer cheered.
"Be careful," Ruby told him. "We still don't know how long you'll be able to stay in Mega Mode. Only use it if you absolutely have too." Springer nodded back as the second orb flew out and showed Heart's cutie mark. The colt kept repeating what Flash had told him before in his head, promising himself he wouldn't let a drop of water touch him.
Finally, the last orb hit the table, showing Flash's cutie mark.
"The competitors have been selected. Flash Sentry, Fire Heart and Springer. Proceed to the battlefield."
"This war ends today," Flash announced as he and his teammates glowed. "Get ready Shadow, we will win!"
With that, the three vanished and the others turned to the table.
Down in a sector city, three flashes of light glowed before fading to reveal the cultists that had been picked.
Armalum sighed as he spread his new wings. "Time to make those fools pay for stealing my body."
Tempera rolled her eyes at this, "Just don't get overconfident. Don't forget, you're not as unstoppable as you were before." She then turned to the final member of their team, a dreamy smile now on her face, "What are your orders, my love?" The figure turned around, revealing Shadow Corrupter with a dark smile on his face.
"My orders are simple. Win."