His head hurt and his vision was blurry, but he didn't feel... Angry. Or power - hungry. He just felt like he was just freed from something. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was able to make his own decisions. His hoof gently made contact with his temple, trying to soothe his headache. With a groan, he tried sitting up while opening his eyes.
Sombra's vision cleared. He was surrounded by many crystal ponies. He lowered his hoof, looking around. There were a few other ponies around him surrounding him that he couldn't recognize, other than an alicorn that greatly resembled Princess Amore. There were whispers, too, and he heard a few such as, "Is he going to attack?", "He's awake!" and, "Why does he look different? You know, it's just how he looks like when he was a colt!"
There were hoofsteps approaching him, a stallion telling another to stay back and a mare saying his name, "King Sombra."
He looked up and saw the pink alicorn. He responded with, "I am no king... I have no desires to be one. Who are you?"
"Princess Cadence, ruler of the Crystal Empire," she turned to a while stallion with blue mane and shared a smiled.
A new ruler? Sombra thought. What happened to -
Ah, right, he had shattered her to pieces. He was sure it was possible to bring her back but was it truly possible without Radiant Hope?
Speaking of Hope, where she? He looked around the anxious crowd. She's not here. Where is she?
"Where is Hope?" he asked Cadence. "Is she alright?"
"Hope?" a lavender unicorn asked. "Who's Hope?"
A rainbow-mane pegasus flew up and shouted, "Anypony knows somepony named Hope?"
The crystal ponies whispered.
"Radiant Hope?"
"She went to study with the princesses didn't she?"
"I heard she left and got lost."
"Well, if she was away from this place, I reckon she's no more. It has been a thousand years, after all."
She left? Why did she leave? Was it because of him?
Damn it, he thought. The Crystal Heart was right, perhaps. He was a monster. He became what he saw and Hope was gone because of him. It has been a thousand years, after all. Nopony except for alicorns can live that long. He sighed quietly. He just hoped that his foalhood friend lived a happy life without him.
"You almost turned us all to slaves," said the rainbow-mane pegasus, crossing her forelegs. "Are ya' happy for yourself?"
"I... Can't say that I am... The memory of it isn't very clear... I apologize to all of you," Sombra said sincerely after a pause, looking around. "I thought it was who I was meant to be when I saw it."
"Saw what? What did you see?" asked the lavender unicorn.
"When Hope and I were foals, we went to the Crystal Heart to see if the legends were true," explained Sombra. "Supposedly, you can see your future. She had a great future, I think she saw herself as a princess and I... I saw a monster..."
"The legend of the Crystal Heart!" said the unicorn excitedly. "I read that it doesn't always tell your future, so I think you could've become somepony better than what you saw, King Sombra."
Alright, perhaps that was a lie.
But it was a well-meant lie, thought Twilight.
"Please, just Sombra is alright," he insisted. "'King Sombra' is mouthy, and I do not deserve such a title."
"Well, my name's Twilight Sparkle," she introduced herself then turned to introduce her friends. "This Spike, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy! And that's my brother, Shining Armor!"
This felt weird. Why are they speaking to him so casually, as if he didn't just tried to take over their kingdom?
"Are you not angry at me?" Sombra asked, standing up on all fours. "I tried taking over your kingdom. I have brought harm to all of you."
"Oh, trust me, good sir, we are," said Applejack.
"But everypony deserves a second chance, right?" Fluttershy said, softly.
Sombra denied it. He doesn't deserve a second chance. He's a monster, the Crystal Heart says so! "A monster like does not deserve a second chance! I tried to harm all of you! The Crystal Heart -"
"- Is not always accurate," said Twilight, approaching him. "Everypony deserves a second chance! You deserve a second chance! trust me, I know somepony who tried to make the night last forever. Now, she's ruling over Equestria with her sister!"
He wanted to deny it, but no words came out. Why are they so persistent?
"Why don't you stay here? You need somewhere to live, right?" Princess Cadence offered.
"Stay here? But what if I -"
"The past is in the past. You're welcomed to stay, Sombra." Shining Armor said, although he, himself, has a bit of hesitation in his voice.
"I..." he looked around and saw the welcoming smiles of the crystal ponies. He turned to Cadence and bowed. "Thank you, truly."
It seems like they were still afraid of him. He tried being friendly to them, he offered them a helping hoof, but in the end, they still feared him. He knows it because of the way they speak to him and how relived they were when he left.
Honestly, he didn't blame them. He was so obsessed and worried with the thing he saw in the Crystal heart when he was a colt, he became the thing he didn't want to be. Now that he's 'purged', nopony are able to trust him, or at least feel comfortable with him no matter how hard they denied it.
He found a secluded area where there weren't as many ponies and sat on the bench he saw. He let out a tired sigh.
I don't belong here, Sombra thought. They're still afraid of me. If only Hope was here.
Radiant Hope was his foalhood friend. They used to do everything together and were inseparable. He smiled slightly at a memory of her comforting him because if something another colt said when he was little. That smiled faded. If only he wasn't so obsessed with the thing he saw, perhaps she would still be alive. Hope would've become a successful healer, like she always wanted to be.
But maybe she did fulfill her dream? Who knows?
"A bit for your thoughts?" Sombra turned and saw the stallion - Shining Armor, was it?
"Ah, it's nothing very important," Sombra said, pulling a smile.
"You looked like you need someone to talk to," the white stallion said, sitting next to him. "How are you doing here, so far? Are the residents treating you well?"
"They still fear me. I can see it." Sombra said after a pause.
"Well..." Shining Armor thought of what to say. "Give them a bit of time, don't worry. They'll get used to you."
"No, Prince Armor, I do not belong here," Sombra insisted.
"Just Shining Armor is okay, no need for the formal titles," Shining Armor said. "And, this is your home. You definatelt belong here."
"I was raised here, yes, but I do not belong here. I tried to take over the Crystal Empire and now they fear me, all because I was afraid of what I saw in that crystal," the umbrum unicorn sighed. "They have every right to hate me."
"Hey, it'll get better soon," Shining Armor assured him, putting a hoof on the other's foreleg. "I promise."