//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: A Sombra Hearthswarming // by anonymous browser //------------------------------// “He's over here!” The sound was muffled, like it was carrying over a great distance. Sombra always felt oddly detached when he dematerialised for a short time. Oh no, not again. He thought. I was really hoping that would be the last time. “Hey, wake up!” the voice was getting more distinct, but Sombra couldn't quite pin who it was. Slap! The feeling of scales on his face, leaving a sharp sting. Griselda, then. Sombra managed to open his eyes, but everything in the library was dark, much moreso than before. The gryphoness was more a suggestion of a shape in the shadows than a distinct form. “Urgh,” Sombra managed to get out an unintelligible groan. “Oh thank Grover!” Griselda exclaimed. “He's not dead!” She shouted over her shoulder. Without warning, the library was lit brilliantly and both creatures had to squint at each other while their eyes adjusted. When he could see more clearly Sombra noticed that Griselda was staring at him with wide eyes. “What the...” she mumbled. The rapid beat of hooves signalled Luster Dawn's arrival on the scene, the unicorn skidding to a halt next to Griselda. Luster's mane was a mess, like she'd just woken up. Just one glance down though and she shared the same shocked expression as her companion. “Don't tell me, I look as terrible as I feel?” Sombra groaned, slowly getting up from the undignified heap he'd found himself in. “We got woken up by a scream. Something happened,” Luster said between pants. “You uh, you look different,” Griselda offered. With the disorientation wearing off, Sombra did notice that something felt different. Like an ache he'd carried his entire life had suddenly disappeared. “I feel different...” he started, trying to put a hoof on exactly what it was. “I don't feel the Heart burning any more! I don't believe it!” “We're definitely going to have to get you checked out by a doctor now,” Luster said. “You might want to look in the mirror, ponies aren't supposed to have their horns and eyes change like that.” Luster led Sombra back over to the hearth, where the log had shifted at some point and cracked open, fresh flames starting to lick and curl at the wood. Meanwhile Griselda dashed off to go and find a mirror. “I don't think it was any of the spells we tried earlier,” Luster said. “They shouldn't have delayed reactions like that.” “It wasn't,” Sombra said. “I was visited by a glowing spirit that claimed to be the Tree of Harmony, then did this.” He paused for a moment, “I thought I was going to die again. It felt the same, like every atom of my body being pulled away from each other. But this time I woke up again, instead of finding myself in a completely different time or place.” “Wow,” breathed Luster, glancing at there the three dolls still sat on the mantel. “I wonder if it was the magic of Hearthswarming?” Their musing was interrupted by a breathless Griselda coming screeching to a halt, thrusting out a small personal mirror in her claws. Sombra took it in a hoof, bracing himself before looking at his reflection. A Grey stallion looked back at him, his horn now a normal shape and colour, completely free of the fractures it had been crippled with previously. Sombra's mane was now completely still, the fringes that behaved like writhing shadows gone. But what really surprised the stallion was his eyes. They were a brilliant green, now round and full of life. A sharp contrast to the flat and almost pitiless gaze he used to possess. “I'm a unicorn,” he breathed. “The darkness, it's gone!” Griselda chuckled, playfully nudging Luster in the ribs. “Gotta say, this sure makes Hearthswarming a whole lot more interesting than the Blue Moon festival!” Luster groaned, “It isn't exactly normal though. Still, looks like we should've focused on celebrating the holiday together instead of poring over books and spells. I'm sorry, Gris.” “It's all right,” The gryphoness replied, surprising Luster by pulling her in for a hug, where she could only muster a muffled squeak before nuzzling into the feathers. “It all worked out in the end.” Sombra watched the scene with a smile before hearing a ringing, melodic voice echo in his head. “You have been made whole, but the path to redemption is not complete. You have taken the first steps, but the road ahead is long. Stay true to yourself and to your friends, and you will find peace.” “Oh, and Happy Hearthswarming!”