//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Crystal Stasis // Story: One Thousand Years Ago // by Scroll //------------------------------//     Cozy did not know what to expect, but rising back to consciousness turns out to be the opposite of how she lost it. In this case, instead of gaining a sensation of falling, she experiences a floating feeling instead.     But, at that last moment, a presence floats past her.     What happens next is very weird for Cozy. She notices her eyes steadily opening and a hoof lowering from her face, but she has no direct control over it. Reflexively she actually tries to regain control by doing something simple like blinking her eyes. When that fails, a sharp and sudden flare of panic pops up within her.     “Calm yourself, little filly,” the internal voice of Sombra soothes her. “This will be over shortly. I only need to borrow your body long enough to secure the health of your counterpart. We discussed this earlier.     “But . . . I do understand and sympathize with your reaction. Sensing everything around your body but not being able to control it is a very disorienting and distressing sensation.”     “I'm not a filly anymore! I'm a grown mare!” Cozy inwardly argues back.     “My apologies. I did not mean to offend you. How about the term young mare?” Sombra counteroffers.     “Better,” Cozy accepts. “Let's just get this over with.”     “I couldn't agree more,” Sombra replies.     “Cozy, are you alright?” Cozy hears her mother ask with concern in her voice. When Cozy notices that she looks directly at her mother, she becomes aware of herself narrowing her eyes a bit. She also feels sharp interest from Sombra towards her mother, and she notices her mother look taken aback for some reason. “Ya . . . you're not Cozy!” her mother realizes suspiciously quickly, then Cozy sees her mother widen her eyes. “Oh my goodness! Are you Sombra?”     “Calm down, Twilight,” Sunset urges beside Cozy. “I know the situation may look bad, but it's not as bad as it seems.”     “Hello . . . Princess!” Cozy hears her own voice say, but there is something dark and menacing about it. Anypony who knew her would immediately distinguish this personality and vocal tone as separate from Cozy right away. “We meet again under the most unusual of circumstances, but that honestly is starting to seem rather typical of our encounters together.”     “Twilight, calm down,” Sunset urges again. “I can explain.”     “What are YOU doing in possession of my daughter, you fiend!” Cozy's mother cries in outrage. “I demand you release her this instant!”     “Twilight, stop!” Sunset cries out urgently as she gallops between Cozy and Twilight, interposing herself between them to halt any potential magical crossfire. “This isn't what it looks like!”     “Really?” Twilight asks skeptically. “Because what it looks like is a demon pony in possession and control of my daughter's body. Is that an accurate assessment of our current situation?”     “My mother is actually concerned about me?” Cozy mentally asks with amazed disbelief.     “Of course she does,” Sombra inwardly replies. “Obviously you aren't a mother yet. When and if you ever are, remember your skepticism and surprise on this day. I think, by then, you'll understand why your mother panicked.”     “Well,” Sunset rubs a hoof behind her neck for a moment, “yeah. There is that, but the reason for this isn't as bad as you think.”     Twilight narrows her eyes sharply and critically at Sunset as she says, “I'm listening.”     “Despite her panic, let it not be said that she is unreasonable,” Sombra muses with an impressed tone. “At least she's willing to listen to an explanation. Given the circumstances, I can well appreciate why she feels the way she does.”     “I think my mother would also say that she trusts her friends,” Cozy adds. “I would even call her too trusting most of the time.”     “He's here because we need his help,” Sunset begins to explain. “I think we figured out why human Cozy's condition is not stable in this world.”     Twilight's sharp and judgmental expression softens to concern as she asks, “Oh? And what do you think it is?”     “Life support system,” Sunset explains. “Or rather, the lack of it.”     “Ah!” Zecora says with realization. “Technology native to her world, I see. Understanding that may be the key.”     Twilight widens her eyes in startling realization then quickly shifts that look to the still unconscious young mare in the room. As she does so, she says, “That would help to explain the irregular breathing and heart rate patterns I am detecting.” Twilight looks back at Sunset. “It's not that she can't breathe or perform some of her vital functions on her own, but the systems in her world helped to steady it further.”     “Exactly,” Sunset agrees. “Those machines helped her to breathe for her or give her body fluids and get rid of excess fluids. All of which was terminated the moment we unplugged her back in her world. The doctors and nurses there are also unaccustomed to our standards, so it didn't occur to them that we had no adequate replacement.”     “Or they might have assumed we had some magical equivalent,” Twilight surmises, then looks at her daughter. “But what does any of this have to do with him?”     As Princess Twilight asks that, Cozy Glow notices the fact that Sombra makes Cozy sit on her tushie then lifts up her forehooves. He seems to examine them, but Cozy senses that he's actually exploring something else more carefully. Something inward, but she can’t put her hoof on it.     “Well, he claims he has a solution that will arrest her vitals safely,” Sunset explains. “A way to put her in a magical state of suspended animation. As he puts it, it will be complete suspension, as if her body is frozen in time. He calls it Crystal Stasis.”     “And why should we trust him? King Sombra wasn't the nicest pony in Equestria,” Twilight reminds sharply.     Meanwhile, Sombra continues to examine Cozy's hooves for some reason with a deeply contemplative look.     “That's . . . complicated to explain,” Sunset admits a bit sheepishly. “But suffice it to say, his mind is fractured. He does have the memories of King Sombra, but somepony else as well. Somepony who wasn't so evil.”     “Really?” Twilight asks with wonder, then addresses her next question directly at the entity within her daughter. “Hey, Sombra . . . does the name Crystal Sage ring a bell to you?”     That finally draws Sombra's attention. He makes Cozy look back at her mother as he says, “Indeed. That is the name I have adopted within the Red Crystal for many centuries ever since my other self tainted my original name. In shame, I decided to instead adopt the name of my original profession in life, Crystal Sage.”     Twilight widens her eyes at her daughter. “So . . . it's true. It really is you, too. I had hoped to see you one day, but I didn't think I ever would.”     Sombra causes a coy smile to spread on Cozy's lips, then says, “Indeed. As I said before, we meet under strange circumstances. As Sunset has proclaimed to you, I'm not the same stallion I was before, good or bad. I am neither the Dark King or Crystal Sage for the moment, so I suppose my original name Sombra will do for now.”     He causes Cozy to rise back on all four of her hooves, then says something with a very serious tone and narrowed eyes at Twilight. “Let me get something straight with you. I do not intend to remain in possession of your daughter's body for any longer than I have to. The only reason I came this time is because I deem our present circumstances as quite serious, and only I know how to cast the spell that could save the other Cozy's life. Sunset or Cozy can explain the details to you later, but for the moment, I need your permission to get to work.     “Also,” he lifts Cozy's right hoof and examines it. After a short pause, he adds, “I will need time to adjust to this young mare's magical energy as well as store a little extra energy in her crystal.” He looks at the other Cozy. “Energy that I'll later need to use to fortify my attempt to cast the Crystal Stasis spell.” He looks at Twilight. “Normally I would not call this spell dangerous because I am so proficient with it. I've cast and perfected it over a thousand years ago, but that said . . . I am working with a different body here who isn't a unicorn or a fully developed mare. Such circumstances will require some . . . preparation on my part.”     “It's probably like learning to drive a new car,” Sunset figures while looking at Sombra/Cozy at first, then shifts that look to Twilight. “You have seen those four-wheeled, horseless drawn carriages in my world, right?”     “I know what a car is,” Twilight replies with a roll of her eyes. “I'm not that dumb.”     “Yeah, well . . . most of those vehicles are designed differently,” Sunset went on to explain. “Because of that, the controls can be in different places for each vehicle, although they are generally in the same area roughly. Because of all that, there is a learning curve to master each one.” With a shrug of a single shoulder, Sunset gestures to Sombra/Cozy. “I'm guessing learning to 'drive' a new body is something similar, and it is true that we can all have our own unique magical aura colors and signatures. If he needs time to adjust to this in order to reduce the risk with the other Cozy later, I say we let him.”     Twilight narrows her eyes at Sunset slightly, then shifts the same look to Sombra/Cozy as she asks, “What exactly do you want, Sombra?”     “For now, just time to meditate,” Sombra answers while continuing to use Cozy's voice, albeit with a chilling undertone. “Once her energy is at one-hundred percent capacity again, and along with the extra energy I channeled into this crystal, that should be enough to secure the Crystal Stasis spell.”     “Should be?” Twilight asks critically as she raises an eyebrow at the body of her daughter.     “As the Element of Magic, you should know better than anypony that there are no guarantees when it comes to the practice of spellcasting, Princess. Extensive training merely reduces the risks. I am an expert at this spell and with crystal science, but I'm working with new tools here, so I feel extra precautions are warranted in order to secure a reasonable chance at success.”     “What happens if you fail the spell?” Twilight checks with a nervous edge to her voice.     “Then human Cozy Glow could die,” Sombra answers with a dire edge to Cozy's voice. “That is because the magic has to be very carefully calibrated and stabilized for all vital functions to be safely arrested. If they are not, vital organs might be crystallized, or she could suffocate, or be crushed by the crystallization process.” Sombra waves Cozy's right hoof from left to right. “That is why I am not trusting this spell to another. I won't risk teaching this spell to another if we only get one shot at this and the target is such a high priority.” He gestures to the other Cozy. “And I'm afraid we don't have the time to ensure another masters this spell sufficiently enough to save her life. If she is dying right now, then time is of the essence.     “So what is it going to be, Your Majesty?!” he asks with a hint of a disgusted sneer. While he asks, he forces Cozy to bow to her. “We eagerly await thy decision.”     “If you have Crystal Sage's memories, then why do you resent me?” Twilight checks.     “Because I have King Sombra's memories as well,” Sombra answers as he raises Cozy from her bow. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. I don't really mean to snap at you, but the Dark King's formidable ego is difficult for me to control for the moment, and you and he have a . . . shall we say . . . complex history together.”     “For what it's worth, he possesses all of human Cozy's memories as well,” Sunset puts in. “It may be that her personality isn’t currently dominant within him, but I do believe this means he can speak for her.” Sunset looks at the ponified, unconscious human Cozy in the room. “So, in a way, this sort of does mean we have her permission to pursue this risk.” Sunset looks at Twilight. “So if he thinks this is the best option while augmented by Cozy's memories, I think that should be taken into consideration.”     Twilight sighs as she looks down for a moment while she thinks about this carefully, then looks over at Sombra/Cozy as she says, “I'll agree to this on two conditions, and I warn you that this is not negotiable.     “Number one, I want to talk to my daughter. Put her in control of her body again.”     Sombra makes Cozy's eyes look up for a moment as he thought about it, then looks back at Twilight with a nod. “This can be done, but I'll have to resume control again to focus on her energy, imbue the crystal, and cast the spell.” He squints one of Cozy's eyes at Twilight. “And the second condition?”     “While you meditate and cast the spell, I want to be here to monitor you,” Twilight told him. “I want to stay here to make sure that you don't harm either one of these Cozys.”     Sombra nods to Twilight with a brief blink. “Once again, that is reasonable and understandable. I have no qualms about that condition as long as you don't distract me. If you disturb me during the meditation, you'll delay the process. If you disturb me during the casting of the spell, then you risk the health and safety of the other Cozy. I'm pretty sure none of us wants that.”     “Well, I'm not sure about your motives and intentions,” Twilight reflects. “That's why I want to remain.” Her expression softens. “Besides, I might be able to help you. As the Element of Magic, I might be able to spot you and cover for your mistakes, or perhaps provide a boost of magical energy.”     “Such is necessary for powering artifacts like the Crystal Heart,” Sombra acknowledges, “but spellcasting is awfully tricky, and this is a delicate procedure. If you intervene, do so only to provide a magical boost. I'll weave the spell into its proper format.”     “That's a reasonable precaution, is it not?” Twilight asks while raising an eyebrow for a second. “I can be useful, too. If we're really all on the same side here, you should agree with me.”     He nods while waving a hoof at Twilight as he assures, “I do, and in accordance with that, I'll acquiesce to your request. After all, you have provided some reasonable counterarguments. I also wish to put your mind at ease in order to better ensure your future cooperation during the duration of a delicate procedure.” He looks forward for a second, then closes his eyes. “Spare me a moment.”     “This may feel a little weird, but I'll do my best to ease the transition,” Sombra assures Cozy. “When you take over, you're going to feel dizzy for a second because your brain is reorienting itself to the control of the new thought process. Namely, your consciousness. I'm going to leave a tiny splinter of my mind in control to ease the transition back so I can take over later, for I'm afraid you won't know how to give that control back. I can teach you that later, but for now . . . we'll work with what we got.     “Are you ready, young mare?” he checks with her.     “As ready as I'll ever be, I guess,” Cozy mentally replies.     “Very well. Let us begin.”     Cozy feels herself blank out for a moment, almost as if getting close to losing consciousness. As she starts to emerge from that, she feels herself growing dizzy and waving about unsteadily.     As if in direct response to that, she feels a magical aura on her body a moment later. That magic aura helps to steady her, but in exchange, it also tingles, stings, and tickles.     In a way, that is helpful too, because feeling that physical sensation helps her to adjust and reorient her mind and body to become one again.     After that, she opens her eyes again and discovers, to her relief, she is indeed in control of her body.     “Not entirely,” Sombra inwardly corrects. “However, you are in far greater control than you were before, and greater control than I have right now. Use this moment to reassure your mother that I don't mean anypony any harm. She'll be more inclined to listen to you rather than me.”     “I've had a spotty history with her, too,” Cozy points out to Sombra.     “Yes, but you've had several years since then to patch things up with her. That trust may not be perfect, but it's more than I have with her. When in pursuit of a mission, it is important to utilize all available resources to maximum advantage in order to better ensure success.     “Now, get to it! Time is of the essence.”     Cozy looks over to her mother then blushes shyly.     Upon seeing that, Twilight realizes that that is indeed the spirit and mind of her true daughter in charge of her body again. For Twilight, seeing that just feels right.     “Hello, Mother,” Cozy brings up. “I heard every word that you and Sombra exchanged. Rest assured that he had my blessings to pursue this . . . sort of.”     “Sort of?” Twilight asks with concern returning in her voice.     “I advise you to be more firm and confident with your words, little mare,” Sombra puts in. “It takes a lot to alleviate the concerns of a nervous parent.”     “Huh. Do you speak from experience?” Cozy asks curiously.     Sombra is silent for a moment, then replies with a somewhat empty mental tone, “That . . . is a tale for another time. For now, concentrate on your mission, for I do not wish to brooke much unnecessary distractions considering the important objective at hoof and the time limit involved.”     “Well, this is weird for me, too,” Cozy replies to her mother. “It's really disturbing to see, smell, hear, taste, and feel my body but not be able to control any of it.” She looks down and to her right. “Besides, in that kind of position, I feel unnervingly vulnerable.” She snaps her gaze firmly at her mother. “But I'm willing to take this risk to help save the life of my sister. She went through extraordinary risk to help save me. Why should I do any less?”     There is a quiet pause for everypony, and zebra, in the room, broken first by Twilight.     “Honey, I need to ask you something very important,” Twilight says in a very serious tone. “Do you trust him enough to save your sister here,” she nods over to her unconscious counterpart, “and trust him to give you your body back once this deed is done?”     “Trust?” Cozy squints an eye. “Trust comes very difficult for me, Mother. I grew up in a town where every creature always betrayed each other for personal gain. It was always a struggle to maintain every advantage I ever had.”     “That said,” Cozy goes on as she looks back at her mother, “I think I trust him to be more prepared to hoofle this situation, and he did offer my body back right now so I can take this opportunity to reassure you.”     Twilight sighs nervously, then says, “But his mind seems . . . mixed. He's not nearly as bad this time as the last couple of times I've encountered him, but I see strong hints of that dark edge in the glint in your eyes while he was in control. He sounded like he was struggling with himself to not tear me apart or unleash his dreaded Fear Curse on me.”     “What's going through Sombra's mind is precisely what got us into this mess in the first place,” Sunset puts in, thus winning Twilight's attention back to Sunset. “Allowing him to freeze human Cozy in crystal only buys us time. For a true solution, we have to solve certain mysteries in his past.”     Sunset sighs for a moment as she tries to figure out how to explain this, then says, “When his consciousness merged between Crystal Sage and the Dark King, he noticed certain incongruities in his memories. Some of those memories are conflicting with each other, and it is tearing his mind apart and human Cozy along with him because her consciousness merged with his over a year ago, at least back in my world.” After a moment, she realizes what she just said. She face-hoofs for a moment, then corrects herself. “Uh, I mean, the other world. The human world.”     Twilight grins affectionately as she tells Sunset, “That's okay, Sunset. You've lived in the human world for so long that I'm not surprised you've come to think of it as your true home now, but as I have told you before, you're always welcome to return here whenever you like, and when you do . . . I'd love for you to visit if I'm not too busy. I always love a visit from friends.”     “Yeah,” Sunset agrees as her gaze shifts down. “At this point, I actually consider myself more human than pony. Being here and becoming a pony again does feel nostalgic, but also a bit . . . weird.”     Twilight rolls her eyes at Sunset as she says, “I know what you mean. That's how I feel whenever I step into that other world.”     “Let's store this conversation for future reference,” Zecora advises. “For now, time is of the essence.”     Zecora smiles proudly at Cozy as she says to her, “It is a brave thing you do, little mare, but be sure to hoofle the situation with care. Far has your moral integrity come; considering where you came from. Difficult, it may be, for you to trust; but patience and experience is a must. Trusting the right ponies takes a lot of skill, but opening your heart is more important still.”     Cozy grins a bit even though she personally considers Zecora's word a touch naive, then she looks at her mother while saying to her, “I'd be lying if I ever told you that I'll be comfortable with the way things must proceed, but proceed they must. I say we get this over with then work on our larger problem. Once my 'sister’s' physical situation is stabilized, we can work on sorting out her mind. If that requires me to loan my body to a stranger to ensure success, then I will do it as long as there is a firm understanding that this condition is temporary. If he does otherwise, not only do I give you permission to rescue me, but I downright demand it!”     “You and me both, Cozy,” Twilight agrees. “We think alike in this regard.”     “And I as well,” Sombra also agrees inwardly to Cozy. “This is your life, Cozy. I will return it as soon as this crisis is done. If it weren't for the necessity, I wouldn't consider this option at all. Alas for us all, necessity compels us into uncomfortable action.”     “What did he say?” Twilight inquires when she notices a distant look from her daughter for a brief moment.     “Oh . . . only that he agrees with us and wishes this wasn't necessary either,” Cozy answers.     Looking from Cozy to Twilight, Sunset says, “You know, he just might be telling the truth. I've only known King Sombra from the depths of human Cozy's mind. It is enough to assure you that this stallion is different. He may share a resemblance to a certain dark and scary pony, but I can say with confidence that I have never met this version of him before. The darkness certainly is in him, but he's the first I’ve met who seems to be struggling against it. He actually seems especially reluctant to harm mares in particular.”     “Really?” Twilight asks Sunset skeptically.     Sunset shrugs as she says, “Hey, I'm not complaining! If he wants to protect and serve us, I don't see that as a problem. On the contrary, I consider it especially fortuitous that the source of our woes is also cooperative. I say we count our blessings and move forward as best we can.     “By the way, according to him, he claimed that mares were scarce and often victimized in his time period. Accordingly, he felt it was his moral duty to protect them.”     “Huh.” Twilight looks corner-wise up. “Over a thousand years ago? Yeah. Equestria was very different back then. Considering the severity of the situation during those harsh times, it actually lends a little credit to his words now.” She looks back at Sunset. “In other words, I can see why he'd make that claim.”     “What he says may not be true,” Zecora cautions, “but the logic of his claims does follow through. Perhaps our current dilemma is not his fault, but his words should be taken with a grain of salt.”     While Zecora waits outside of the room to prepare her potions in peace, Sunset Shimmer waits with Twilight in the same room with both Cozy Glows. One of which is unconscious on an operating bed while hooked to a bunch of things, and the other meditating while floating a few inches off the ground while surrounded by a dark red-ish magical aura with a black outline over it. If viewed carefully, one could also see that the black line is flickering a bit like flame, except it makes the room darker instead of brighter. That younger mare also has her magic crystal hovering between her two hooves.     “I don't like this,” Princess Twilight says aloud within a magical bubble of silence she is creating. Accordingly, when either of them speak within it, their voice echoes a bit, but they cannot be heard outside of it. “I don't like this one bit. I know what my daughter is supposed to look and act like. For the past several years, she has been depressed and empty, but never this . . . calm and chilling.”     “She does seem a lot more intimidating whenever Sombra takes her over, huh?” Sunset somewhat agrees while looking at the meditating young mare, then looks at Twilight to her side. “But with this bubble of silence and this necessary wait, perhaps we should use this time to compare notes.     “Twilight, just how many times did you encounter King Sombra before, and what was he like back then?”     “It was a long time ago for both times,” Twilight says as her gaze lowers a bit. “I've only encountered him twice. Once when the Crystal Empire first appeared, and the other several moons before my coronation as Princess of Equestria.”     “And what sort of impressions did you get from him at the time?” Sunset presses.     Twilight smirks at Sunset as she asks, “Can't you just touch me and use your magic crystal to scan my memories of him?”     Sunset flashes Twilight a sheepish grin as she admits, “I prefer not to unless I have to. I don't think you'd lie to me, so you can just tell me openly what you remember. I think it's more polite this way.”     “Well,” Twilight's face is still directed at Sunset, but her eyes shift to her floating daughter. “The first time I met Sombra, he was a floating black cloud surrounding the Crystal Empire. Back then, he didn't say much. Besides, even if he did speak, I was quite distant from him. Regardless, I heard him a few times, for his voice echoed across the sky.”     Twilight's face scrunches up with puzzlement.     “The second time I met him, however, he seemed . . . different. I didn't notice at the time. I was too busy freaking out, but in hindsight . . . his attitude changed. He had a more boisterous flare, and he monologued so much. He was so annoying.”     “Are you sure it was the same pony?” Sunset checks.     “Actually,” Twilight looks back at Sunset. “No, I'm not. I found out later that it was Discord that brought all four of them back and gathered them together. Part of me thinks, now, that he also altered Sombra's attitude, when he brought him back to life, in order to make a mockery of him, for he cast a very different vibe the second time. The first time he had a menacing presence, and the second time he had menacing actions, but that was it.”     “Huh.” Sunset rubs her bottom jaw as she looks over at Cozy's floating body. “I take it this one seems more like the first version, correct?”     “Correct,” Twilight confirms. “Although, not exactly. This one is a little different from either of them.”     “Probably because Crystal Sage is in him as well, attempting to keep his monstrous instincts in check,” Sunset figures.     “And what about you?” Twilight checks while still looking at her daughter. “Do you trust him?”     Sunset sighs before answering, “Yes and no. I trust that he does not want to harm us, but he may not be able to stop himself from doing so because he can't control himself.” Sunset's eyes shift up to the taller mare beside her. “The very first thing he said to us was to demand that we leave for our own protection. I told him that we couldn't in order to save Cozy Glow from my new world.”     “How do you think we should proceed to unravel the mystery of Sombra and sort out his memories?” Twilight checks.     “With this,” Sunset floats up her crystal again, “except I have my doubts that this will be enough on its own. I suspect that, when I read other people's memories, I can only discover what they remember themselves. If, however, their memories are fragmented or forgotten, that might pose a problem for me as well.”     “Can you recall anything about them that might help us now? Anything at all?” Twilight wonders.     “Huh. Let me think.” Sunset pauses for a while as she concentrates hard on those flash memories she received when she first contacted Sombra within human Cozy’s mind, then pops her eyes open as she recalls something. “Ooo! I know!” Sunset focuses on her friend. “The Pillars . . . Sombra used to work with them. In fact, I have reason to suspect that Sombra himself was trained by none other than Star Swirl the Bearded.”     “Really?!” Twilight exclaims in amazement. “That is poignant information.” Then she looks confused. “Also . . . that's strange. If Sombra used to work with the Pillars, why did none of them ever say anything about that?”     “Maybe the subject never came up?” Sunset suggests with a shrug. “Perhaps it's time to start. Write them a letter and have Spike send it to them. They might be able to shed some light on this mystery and either verify or refute this.”     Twilight sighs as she looks down, then says, “I can do that, but Star Swirl is very weak these days, for he is very old.” She gives Sunset a sad look. “Also, Mistmane has passed away completely, so there is no point in me writing her a letter.”     “Oh.” Sunset's ears droop down. “What happened to her?”     Twilight looks really pained to admit this, but she says, “The same thing that is about to happen to Star Swirl is my guess. The only difference is Mistmane was much younger, but it turns out she didn't just trade away her beauty when she restored her village . . . she traded away most of her youth and vitality as well. So, despite being approximately middle-aged, Mistmane actually passed away of natural causes . . . sort of.”     “Oh,” Sunset looks down sadly. “That's too bad.”     “It happens to most of us eventually, Sunset,” Twilight says with sad acceptance. Twilight puts a sympathetic wing onto Sunset's back as she adds, “For what it's worth, I've been told she passed away very peacefully. She returned to her home village. From there, they played her soothing music on a stringed instrument until her passing. When it happened, there was a very peaceful smile on her face. After that, all of the sudden, every flower in the village bloomed despite being the wrong season for it, and cherry blossoms seemed to rain from the very heavens themselves.”     Sunset's eyes water as she sniffles.     “We carry the Pillar of Beauty in our minds and hearts, now,” Twilight assures with a soft voice. “And in deeds for those who choose to follow her heroic example.” She looks at her daughter. “Now let's make sure that both Cozys fare better.”     “I swear I will, Twilight!” Sunset cries in sadness but also determination.     As instructed, Cozy tries to concentrate on the feeling of the magical flow of energy humming throughout her body. It isn't enough to cast anything yet, but it is enough to help train her mind in recognizing that flow of energy.     It is a bit familiar. She once felt something like this when she was an alicorn for a brief amount of time when she absorbed the energy from Grogar's Bell. Back then, she had no training in it. Only raw, overwhelming power.     But, when she senses a similar type of energy again, albeit much weaker this time, this experience partially scares her because it reminds her of the same type of feeling which triggered her downfall earlier. Part of her mind panics, as if afraid that channeling magic again might somehow lead her back into a stoned state. It does not matter how irrational that fear is. It's just too strong to entirely ignore.     But, when she focuses on the inward presence of Sombra, it calms her mind somewhat because at least he is very focused. He centers himself as if he has practiced this for ages. It feels comforting and inspiring to sense what that feels like from within. It almost seems to her like she could absorb some of his strength through osmosis.     I wonder what it's like . . . to be that strong, Cozy privately wonders to herself. He has the kind of magic that I once did as an alicorn, but unlike me . . . he also has the training and experience to back it up.     I wonder . . . does being that strong make one feel secure, or jaded? Is he so powerful that he feels bored with life due to a lack of a challenge?     Based on my memories of my sister, the Dark King Sombra was so confident that he was downright arrogant. I suppose that could be considered a weakness, but when one has that much power . . . it isn't much of a vulnerability.     I wish I could experience that again. I'm so sick and tired of feeling scared and vulnerable all the time. I've had enough of those lessons. I want to move on to something different.     Maybe . . . just maybe . . . he can show me how.     When Cozy finally senses Sombra's mind stir from within, part of her grows excited.     “Well . . . that was productive . . . at least for me,” Sombra mentally says to Cozy. After that, she feels his attention shift to focus on her. “How about you? Are you, at least, becoming familiar with your magical energy pattern? If you wish to learn to cast magic, recognizing the flow of energy is crucial to later influencing it.”     “Sombra, Sir,” Cozy begins a bit meekly, which captures his interest, “I was wondering something. Um . . . do you . . . perhaps . . . remember me?”     “Huh?” Sombra wonders. “I . . . am familiar with your counterpart. Part of me has shared her existence for quite some time,” Sombra informs Cozy with a voice so smooth it partially makes her little heart melt. “Why do you ask?”     “Well golly! Gee, Mister . . . I asked because we actually have met before,” Cozy brings up. “I was there along with Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek when he summoned us. Tirek and I were summoned from Tartarus, Chrysalis from who knows where, and you . . . I think he brought you back to life.”     “Really? Huh.” He seems to mentally shrug. “Well, if you say so. I don't recall meeting you before now personally.” He seems to sigh. “Then again . . . my memories have been suspect lately. Perhaps that would explain my lack of knowledge of our earlier encounter together.”     Cozy inwardly mopes, then says, “Actually, I think it's because I was beneath your notice. Back then, I was just a little pegasus filly.”     “Hmm.” He seems to think on that, then replies, “I hate to admit it, but you might be right. I do recall meeting Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek very briefly, but most of my focus, and ire, was directed at Grogar. The Father of Monsters was the only one in the room I actually respected and partially feared, but I did not want to reveal that. It also annoyed me that he would dare to order me around, a KING! Such impudence could not be forgotten or forgiven, no matter how powerful he otherwise was.     “In the midst of all of that, I probably did overlook you, for I likely did not regard you as threatening enough to notice. If you really were just a pegasus filly, I regret to inform you that you probably were dismissed.”     “Oh,” Cozy acknowledges sadly.     “But . . . you have my undivided attention now, young mare,” Sombra informs her as consolation. “It seems, to me, that we have both grown up since then in various ways. From the challenges we have suffered through, it is my hope that we can use these experiences to forge our souls into something mighty! To be, ever onward, worthy of notice and admiration.     “Heed my advice, young mare; do not let your experiences bring you to despair. You may be broken, but from that broken state, you are being reforged. Like raw ore under the pelting of a smith's hammer, you'll have to be smelted down to a form that can be shaped. Once that is done . . . what is left shall be forged into the mightiest steel. Mistakes only teach us what to avoid next time. Through our failures, we learn. We grow. We thrive!”     “Yes, Sir,” Cozy replies meekly but otherwise enthusiastically. “Please teach me to be strong! I'm so tired of being weak.”     “There is enlightenment in that experience as well,” Sombra wisely informs her. “I wasn't always the powerful stallion you see before you. The challenges that I suffered through to get this strong . . . if you only knew . . . then I doubt you'd continue to envy me.”     “I don't envy you!” Cozy denies. “I just want to learn how to get stronger.”     When Sombra grows quiet for a moment, it actually scares her enough to ask, “Sombra?”     “If you dare to lie to me again, there will be consequences!” Sombra menaces. His voice taking on that frightening multi-tone at the end of that sentence.     But, a moment later, he seems to struggle within himself. This continues until he eventually calms down, then says, “Forgive me, young mare. I did not mean to frighten you again. I am a creature composed of dark magic. I have learned to thrive and feed off of fear that I evoke in others. I have done this since time immemorial, but I no longer wish to be that awful tyrant. Ancient habits are extremely hard to break, but please believe me when I tell you that I don't really wish to frighten you, nor cause you to suffer . . . unless you invite it for the sake of getting stronger. If that is your wish, I can oblige.”     “Mmm . . . well, for the moment, how about we secure the health of my sister?” Cozy reminds him. “Do you think you mastered my magic well enough to use it confidently?”     “I believe so,” Sombra acknowledges with only moderate confidence as he finally opens Cozy's eyes with a look of focus and determination at her sister. “It should be enough to secure this spell. I have also stored some energy into your sister's crystal and even modified it a little bit. That should enhance my connection to it later.     “Also, it is fortuitous that I have the Element of Magic on hoof. I might not need her, but it is comforting to know I have that backup.”     “Also Sunset,” Cozy is quick to remind. “She's a gifted and well-trained unicorn, too.”     “Yes, but also one who has been out of practice for decades. I don't mind the extra help, but I'm skeptical about how much she can provide.     “If we continue our journey together, I may be able to help her catch up then eventually surpass her previous potential, but for now . . . I'm afraid there is little she can do to help us except to levitate ordinary objects for us.”     “Careful,” Cozy cautions. “You wouldn't be the first to underestimate Sunset Shimmer. Even Princess Twilight did that at one time, and you underestimated Princess Twilight . . . twice. I think your past experience has proven that your judgment about the potential capabilities of others is somewhat in need of fine-tuning.”     “Hmm. Well,” Sombra makes Cozy's shoulders shrug, then mentally admits, “As you say.”     “Are you ready, Sombra?” Princess Twilight asks after she pops her bubble of silence.     Sombra makes Cozy's head nod while still remaining focused on her sister, and says in Cozy's voice, “I am.”     After that, he makes Cozy stand up and trot over to her sister. He props her forehooves on the table as he examines Cozy's sister from head to tail and back to head.     “I will brook no distractions during this delicate process,” Sombra warns then gives Twilight a sharp look. “Nevertheless, do indeed pay careful attention, for there are factors to our present situation that diminish the odds of success. If I tell you to intervene or you see me unduly struggling, it may be necessary to project extra energy at me, but that is the only thing I may require from you. I'll keep the spell in it's proper form. For your part, just make sure I don't run out of energy.”     Twilight nods in understanding, then says, “I can do that.”     “Me too!” Sunset volunteers. When Sombra causes Cozy's face to pass a skeptical look to Sunset, she argues, “Hey, I may be rusty with my use of magic, but providing another with raw magical energy is certainly not beyond my capabilities. Just think of me as an extra backup.”     Sombra softens Cozy's facial expression at Sunset and gives a casual shrug, then says, “I suppose that wouldn't hurt.”     He looks at the other Cozy as he says, “There is one more potential source of energy I can tap into, and that is her energy. She's currently in a pony form; therefore, she has magic within her as well, and it's well attuned to this particular crystal that I am utilizing for this process.     “In fact, I may have to use some of her energy, and come to think of it,” he looks up, “there may be another advantage to this situation.”     He pauses in a moment of thought with a calculating look to Cozy's eyes, then he seems to realize something. “Ah, yes! That could work!”     “What could work?” Twilight asks cautiously.     Sombra shifts Cozy's eyes to look at her mother off to Cozy's left side for a second, then looks back to Cozy's sister while absently waving Twilight off with a hoof, then says, “I'll inform you later, for I do not wish to get your hopes up yet. For now, just know that the odds of completing this spell safely are better odds than I initially calculated, for there are other factors at hoof that I forgot to account for earlier. It may also provide some advantages in the long gallop. At least, until such a time when we're ready to release her from this state.”     Twilight and Sunset glance at each other with an equally perplexed look, then they look back at Sombra.     “Sombra, I really don't appreciate being kept in the dark about a dangerous procedure,” Twilight warns firmly.     “Well,” Sombra says as he raises Cozy's hooves high, pauses there for a second, then says, “so be it,” before slamming both hooves down into the other Cozy and starting to initiate the spell.     Twilight grunts in frustration, but holds her tongue because she does not dare to interrupt this spell during its process. Instead, she concentrates hard on the results.     “Just what are you doing?” Cozy queries Sombra from within.     “Shh! Patience, young mare,” Sombra replies to her. “And behold my power!”     Starting with her sister's hind legs, red crystal grows over her body and makes a cracking sound as it spreads across her body. During the process, Sombra causes the crystal he is using to channel this energy to float off of Cozy's neck and settle onto her sister. The others in the room gasp when they see the magic crystal getting absorbed into the other red crystal growing across the unconscious mare’s body, which takes only five seconds to complete.     Once that is done, Sombra focuses and channels the energy of both the unconscious mare's body as well as the magic crystal trapped within. Once he secures a hold of that energy, the crystal and body trapped within begin to shrink.     “YOU'RE KILLING-” Twilight cries out, startled, but Sunset uses her magic to pull Twilight back.     “Wait!” Sunset cries in a loud whisper. “I think he knows what he is doing.”     The shrinking process takes only four seconds. When it is done, it shrinks to the size that could fit on a single hoof. He then hovers Cozy's left hoof an inch away from the crystal then lifts up. The red shrunken crystal continues to follow that hoof, hovering an inch from it.     “I still got it!” Sombra notes smugly. “I practiced that spell for many years. Even with my hoofycaps, I still got it.” He steers that hoof towards Twilight and Sunset. “Behold . . . human Cozy's ponified form safely trapped in Crystal Stasis, but with a twist. When it occurred to me that her magical energy is well attuned to this particular crystal, I realized it was a valuable resource to tap into. Ergo, it now powers the crystal itself. Because of that, it no longer requires being fed magical energy by any of us to sustain itself. The one trapped within will provide that energy for us, but that is not all. She'll have an abundant enough magical energy supply for other purposes too.”     He focuses on Sunset then waves the crystal in her direction while it continues to hover an inch from Cozy's hoof.     “In other words, this crystal is a battery that recharges itself, and the excess energy can be tapped into for other things. This is especially true for those who are attuned to this crystal.” He points at Cozy's own body. “Such as this little one here.”     Twilight is too stunned to speak for several moments, but when she recovers, she asks, “Are you sure her condition is stable?”     “I'm positive,” Sombra confirms. “But if you don't believe me,” he tosses the crystal at Twilight. In response, Twilight momentarily panics until she catches the crystal in a purple magical aura and drags it back to her own hoof. When that happens, Sombra finally finishes his sentence, “check it yourself.”     He lowers himself from the bed and places all four of Cozy's hooves back on the floor, then says, “Now, before you complain to me any further, I shall return this vessel to its proper host.”     “Wah . . . wait, Sombra!” Twilight cries out.     Sombra sighs in irritation, then says in a voice that matches his mood, “Fine, but make it quick! This is her life, not mine, so I shall detain her from it no further than I have to.”     “Um, Sunset, here.” Twilight holds the crystal to Sunset with a hoof, who accepts it the same way. After that, she looks back at Sombra as she says, “Before you leave, I just wanted to thank you for helping us. I had my doubts about you, but you delivered on your promise, so,” she bows her head deeply, “thank you.”     “Your gratitude is not required,” Sombra replies coldly. “That's not why I did it.” His expression then softens. “Except I did wish to reassure you. I know how stressful it can feel for a parent to worry about a foal.”     “You do?” Twilight asks in surprise as she lifts her head and looks back at her possessed daughter.     Sombra simply nods before saying, “But that is a story for another time. For now, I've used a great deal of both Cozys magical energies. I advise you to give them some time to recover.”     “Sure!” Twilight exclaims brightly. “Oh, and Sombra . . . before you go, can I get your assurance we can talk again sometime later? As a resident of this world from over a thousand years ago, I'd be fascinated to learn more about how our world used to be.” She brightens nearly to the point of being ecstatic. “I'm sure it would make a great research paper!”     For the first time, Sombra smiles softly at Twilight via Cozy's face, but he also starts to look tired, so he waves her off with a hoof.     “Perhaps later,” he compromises. “In fact, I would wager that is our next quest objective anyway. I can share what I know, or rather let Cozy Glow share it for me while I remain within the crystal. Barring an emergency, I have no intention to possess her body again.     “But, in the future, hopefully we'll also recover the memories that I don't know, or at least don't have a firm hoof on for the moment, for it is, it seems, the reason why I have returned.” He waves a hoof in an arc. “Once those questions are settled . . . I can finally, and hopefully, this time permanently, rest in peace.” He focuses harder on Twilight. “But I will say this, however. Compared to the time period I grew up in, this world is a paradise! Much of it, I am sure, is thanks to your efforts as well as that of your friends.     “Furthermore, it was through your efforts, as well as your friends, peace and prosperity was returned to the Crystal Empire. You have no idea how much I appreciate you for that.”     “You didn't seem to value my contribution back then,” Twilight notes as she looks taken aback.     Sombra closes Cozy's eyes, shakes her head, then opens her eyes again as he goes on to say, “You only know half of the story. King Sombra was only the remnants of corrupted dark magic. His larger, truer self, was encased in crystal preparing for the return of the Crystal Empire, until that was done. He paved the way for its return, and you paved the way for its continued prosperity ever since. I'm well aware that you didn't do it on your own so extend my thanks to your friends, siblings, and former mentor as well. I just wanted you to know that before I go.     “You have no idea how hard I worked to establish that Empire in the first place. The sacrifices, the work, the searching, the heartache . . . all of it. Anything that great rests on the foundation of enormous effort. I, too, did not work alone. Nothing that grand could be secured by the efforts of one pony.”     He looks off to the side with a distant and nostalgic way.     “Maybe . . . I just need to see it in its present glory one last time. I doubt it's that simple, but one can hope.”     There is silence between them all for several moments, broken by Sombra after he looks back at the other mares.     “Well . . . time to go.” He makes Cozy bow to the Princess deeply. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Truly you are a worthy successor to those who once ruled in the past. Through your tireless efforts and those under your command, Equestria, and the world at large, continue to have a brighter present than the past ever did.”     “Rest well,” Twilight bids, then gives a soft smile, “my new friend.”     Sombra lifts Cozy's left eyebrow as he focuses back at Twilight with a critical look before saying with amusement, “You tout yourself as the Princess of Friendship, do you not? Well then, Your Majesty, wear that title with pride . . . for you do great honor to it.     “Fare thee well.” He bows to her once again before withdrawing back into the crystal, leaving Cozy dizzy as she reclaims control of her body, except she's exhausted to boot.