Two and a half weeks had passed since Sombra vanished from Canterlot and nopony had seen or heard anything from him, much to everypony's relief and concern. Twilight Sparkle, however, was not one of them. Zecora had heard from the others about the extraordinary story of the princess' relationship with the dark magician, from their initial meeting in the Crystal Empire to the recent events in Canterlot. It troubled the zebra to see her friend looking so forlorn, especially when being in love should give one joy not sadness. She herself had once loved a stallion from her village but that was a tale for another time and she was one to enjoy her mystique.
It was mid-afternoon in the Everfree, when the insects were buzzing and the sun was at its apogee. Zecora had performed some divination readings that morning, casting some bird bones and staring into the waters of her cauldron, thereby gleaming that she was to receive a most interesting guest. Gathering some supplies from both town and the forest itself, she prepared some tonics and balms for her usual customers, her stomach in knots at the anticipation. After dusting the hut and putting on a kettle of her best tea, Zecora calmly sat at her table facing the door. She could hear the soft pattering of hooves on dirt and the shadow of what she presumed to be a stallion.
“There is no need to hide from view. Come into the light where I can see you.”
The door creaked open, revealing a dark gray unicorn in a black hooded robe.
“Ah, do my eyes deceive? The Dark One known as ‘Sombra,’ I believe?”
The stallion lowered his cowl and a pair of red eyes came into view.
“You are as good as they say you are, Miss Zecora. I should be surprised that you know who I am but I am no stranger to the ways of Zebrican shamans.”
Zecora nodded. "In my village, there are stories of a wanderer from far away, a stallion with eyes of red and coat of gray. To commune with spirits he was taught but it was the darkest of magic that he sought. The village elders banished the student from their land and promptly he vanished into the sand. I see now that the stories are true; you are the one known as Macho Mekundu."
Sombra chuckled, "Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time. A long time."
"Perhaps you would join me and enjoy my special herbal tea?"
“Tea would be lovely. It is much appreciated,” Sombra replied, taking the seat across from Zecora.
Filling both their cups, Zecora placed her hooves together on the tabletop.
“There is no need for false camaraderie underneath my roof. It is time to get to the topic at hoof. I take it you wish that I perform for you a chore. Why else would you choose to darken my door?”
Sombra frowned and placed his cup down. "There's something that I need your help with. In exchange, I am prepared to repay you with a service of my own. Whatever it is, I will do it."
Zecora thought on this. "I just received a letter from my home. It seems a new threat has just been shown. A demon of hunger has been released, a bringer of famine whose attacks will not cease. I will aid you how I can and in return, you will rid the demon from my land."
"I accept," Sombra said without hesitation.
~*~
Twilight stared out her bedroom window, her gaze searching through Ponyville for any signs of her missing-in-action coltfriend. Two and a half weeks and no word of Sombra's whereabouts, not even a single letter letting her know that he was alright. Then again, given the wards placed on the library and the surrounding grounds by Princess Celestia, she wasn't completely surprised by the lack of communication on Sombra's part. Still, would it have killed him to find some way of keeping in touch with her?
Following their emotional last meeting, Twilight spent the rest of the day and the following morning in a miniature coma, succumbing once more to her magical overexertion. Upon waking, she was examined by the castle's physicians, who were unable to explain how it was that she was able to get out of bed in the first place. She'd thought back to her confrontation to her doppelganger and, chalking it up to a bizarre dream, decided to keep that tidbit to herself, instead electing to play the fool. For whatever reason, Twilight felt the oddest sensation that the dream or whatever it was was somehow private and that she didn't need or have to share it with anypony. And why should she? It was her business.
Her hoof tapped a pile of papers atop her desk. It was the only copy of her finished biography on the life of King Sombra, a one-of-a-kind memoir depicting the truth behind the infamous former tyrant and dark magician, now wanted fugitive and enemy of the crown. She'd gone back and forth between publishing it and keeping it all for herself, eventually deciding on the latter. After all, things were already tumultuous enough, what with the recent attack in Canterlot and the ongoing reconstruction efforts. The public just wasn't ready for a tell-all of the stallion who'd assaulted their leader in broad daylight and incited a public panic.
Twilight sighed and peeked at the top page.
When Darkness Falls: The True Account of the Life, Death, and Return of the King Sombra.
Her chest ached at reading his name, the thought of his red eyes and soft, thick gray coat sending shivers down her spine. She missed Sombra, every day feeling more and more like a lifetime away from him. He was complicated to say the least, neither wholly good nor completely bad, certainly the most baffling of her foes. Twilight loved Sombra, loved him almost as much as she loved her friends and family and yet was furious at him for what he'd done. Manipulating everypony just to get a shot at Celestia was understandable but completely asinine.
Are you angry that he tried to kill Celestia or that he tricked you into leaving Canterlot?
There was that voice again, the one she'd heard after her first official date with Sombra. It sounded eerily like her own, only a bit colder, more darkly conceited. Although it was alarming, Twilight once more had the compulsion to "forget" to bring this up with Princess Celestia or her friends. Perhaps it was merely a part of herself that she'd been ignoring till now, her conscience or what-have-you that'd been forcing her to ask the big questions. So far, it had yet to steer her wrong.
A bit of both to be honest. Was he just trying to keep me safe or ensure that I wouldn't interfere?
I think it was both. He loves you, ADORES you but he first had to get rid of Celestia. And he couldn't do that with you there.
That's...true. But he still shouldn't have done that. Now he's a wanted fugitive and MIA.
But at least he and and Celestia are both still alive.
Twilight couldn't refute that fact. As much as the situation was unfair, she could count her blessings that she didn't need to mourn the loss of her love or her mentor. She swiveled one ear as a pounding sound boomed from downstairs. Seeing as Spike was out gemstone hunting with Rarity, the task of answering the door was relegated to her. Traipsing down the steps and into the foyer, she magically turned the knob and opened the door, finding a zebra waiting patiently on the other side.
"Zecora?"
"Hello Twilight dear. I am so happy that you are here," Zecora beamed. "I know that you are feeling down so I bring a gift to erase your frown." Reaching into her saddlebags, Zecora retrieved a small wrapped package and held it out expectantly. Enveloping the package in a raspberry-colored aura, Twilight opened it up, revealing a stone amulet covered in mystic symbols she'd never seen before.
"Thank you Zecora, but what is it?"
The zebra smiled enigmatically. "I can see that you are confused. A mutual friend will explain it to you. Show nopony and wait until tonight. By then, the truth will have come to light." Before Twilight could ask what she meant, Zecora promptly turned and trotted away, melding into the throng of townsponies dotting the streets.
The day ended without incident and Twilight soon found herself pacing inside her room, the amulet tucked into the top drawer of her nightstand. She had a pretty good idea who the "mutual friend" Zecora mentioned was but needed confirmation to prove her hypothesis. Shuddering with anticipation, Twilight sat on the edge of her bed and rubbed her face, uncertain of how she'd react on seeing him. How would he even get inside the library? Princess Celestia's wards would immediately detect him or any traces of dark magic so there had to somehow be another way.
Slowly, an image faded in and out in the center of the room, appearing as transparent and formless as steam but gradually morphing into the shape of a pony. No, a stallion. Wrapped in a billowy black cloak, he lacked his signature armor but it was undoubtedly him.
"Sombra?"
The umbrum grinned. "Hello Twilight."
Astonished, Twilight rose dream-like from the bed, her hooves dragging as she ambled towards him.
"How...how are you here?"
She reached a hoof out, only for it to pass through his face.
"I'm not physically here. Astral projection."
She'd heard of that. Put simply, it was a technique that allowed a pony to enter into a meditative trance and focus their mental energy into a ghost-like projection that could travel through space. Aside from being rare, astral projection was also very taxing on both the mind and body, requiring intense concentration and plenty of rest for the caster since the more time spent in the astral plane, the most exhausted the user. Considering that it took a great deal of time to master it and possessed no real combat applications, it was considered to be a useless and outdated talent.
"Did you receive my gift?"
Twilight nodded. "I did...what is it?"
"It's a summoning beacon. Simply charge it with your magic and I'll be there if you need me. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to make a more efficient one and thus this is good for only one use."
"Where are you? Where have you been and why didn't you contact me sooner?"
Sombra exhaled through his nostrils. "I've been in hiding. Following my skirmish with Celestia, I'm now Equestrian Enemy Number One. In exchange for delivering my beacon to you, Zecora tasked me with aiding her village. It seems somepony awakened a hunger demon and there aren't many ponies with my particular expertise."
"When will you be back?"
"I don't know," Sombra answered after a brief pause. "After seeking revenge for so long, I don't even know what I'm supposed to do next or even have a clue as to who I am. I need time to find myself." Noticing Twilight's disappointment, he then sighed, "It will take some time and I know I can't ask you to wait for me-..."
"Sombra."
Twilight rose onto her hindlegs and placed her hoof over one of his cheeks, the contact sending a small series of vibrations through her frog. It was like placing her hoof over a stereo speaker. "Wherever you go, whatever you do...I will be right here waiting for you."
Sombra's hoof hovered over Twilight's cheek. "You truly are an incredible pony, Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight sniffled, fighting back the oncoming torrent of tears but they flowed anyway. She wanted him here with her, his flesh and blood hoof touching her. She finally found somepony to share her life with but they couldn't be together, at least not right now. She gasped as his form fluctuated, regrettably signalling the end of their conversation and the conclusion of their all-too-brief reunion.
"I have to go, Twilight. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up."
"Goodbye Sombra," Twilight wept.
A bittersweet smile graced Sombra's lips. "Don't say, 'goodbye.' Goodbye is used when ponies aren't certain of meeting each other again. We will be together again soon. I swear it."
Sombra flickered and faded before disappearing altogether.
Twilight stood rigid as a statue, her hoof still held out as though the action would return Sombra to her. A few minutes passed by before she dropped to the floor and curled up into a ball. The floodgates were opened all the way, wetting her face and forelegs as she cried silently into the carpet. None of it was fair. Why would fate be so cruel as to give her a coltfriend that she couldn't keep?
You'll have Sombra and so much more. Soon...
THE END...FOR NOW....