//------------------------------//
// The Quest of Redemption PT1 
// Story: Flash Sentry, Defender of the Peace S8 
// by Banshee531 
//------------------------------//

The Crystal Empire was enjoying a unmitigated time of peace. Having not been targeted by the Storm King's attack, the ponies of that Empire had not been subjugated the same way as the rest of Equestria. Of course, many members of the Empire had been in Canterlot during the attack, including Ruby and Cadance, but the majority of its citizens had been spared the hardship. They didn't even need to go and help save Canterlot, though they would have if they had known about the attack.

As such, the Empire was at peace, the Crystal Heart glowing with magic that protected the city from the harshest weather while its Royal Family worked hard to keep order in the city. But as this happened, a change was on the horizon.

In the icy tundra outside the city, a lone figure was making his way through the snow. It was dressed in a gray hooded cloak, wearing a scarf around their head to protect them from the snow and carrying a large sack upon its back. The figure reached the top of the snowbank, now being greeted by the sight of the empire. A long deep sigh came next before the being began to move, their heart beat vibrating. Every stop made it harder, and by the time they reached the forcefield, their chest actually hurt.

Stealing their nerves, the figure stepped inside. Warmth washed over their body and chased away the cold, the light of the forcefield blinding them for a moment. And as they did this, the figure stood there as a light sparked beneath their hood. They then launched the light into the air, creating a firework that popped and crackled enough to catch the attention of the entire city. Seeing this, the figure just stood there, soon seeing a pair of pegasi crystal ponies fly down.

"Stranger!" One of them yelled, "Are you the one that sent up that signal flare?"

"I was," the figure replied, "Apologies, but I did not want to cause a riot walking into town. Thought it would be better to have somepony come to me."

"Why would you cause a riot?" The other guard asked, the figure removing the sack from his back.

"I...have a history with your city. And not a very good one. But I wish to speak with your leaders and the Crystal Knight."

The guards frowned at one another before replying, "Any meeting with Princess Cadance, Shining Armor or Ruby Scarlet require an appointment. Most ponies have to wait a week or two for such an opening in their schedule."

"I doubt I'll have to wait that long," the figure responded as its hood glowed before being pulled back. In doing so, it revealed the pony hidden within as they pulled the scarf away from their face. The guards both gasped at the sight, terror flowing through every cell of their bodies.

"SOMBRA!"





Flash smirked as he watched Heart and the rest of his class balancing on tall poles. "Why are we doing this again?" One of the students asked before almost falling off, Flash chuckling as he hopped onto a pole, the defender not having any issues balancing.

"Balance is an important aspect of the Elements of Harmony. Each Element is equally important, so they need to be in perfect balance with one another in order to unleash their full strength. That's why you need to have the same kind of balance within yourselves. And before you can achieve inner balance, you need outer balance." As he said that, one of the earth ponies fell off his pole, landing on the cushioned floor. "Try again."

The students all did their best to keep balance, the pegasi and Soul using their wings while Ace and Mira were not having issues...only for the doors to slam open.

"FLASH!" Pinkie screamed as she ran into the room, the sudden outburst causing everyone except Flash to lose their balance and fall, "Oh...sorry."

Flash jumped off the pole at this, "Take a break everypony," He commented as he saw his class all groan, only to glance back at Pinkie, "What's up?"

"Twilight just got a message from the Crystal Empire. She said to get you and bring you to the Rune Gate." Flash frowned at this before turning to his class and deactivating the room while grabbing his sword under his desk.

"Class dismissed!" They nodded as he and Pinkie ran out of the room, "Any idea what's going on?"

"Nope! She said she'd explain everything once we're there!" The two double-timed it out of the school and into the Castle of Friendship, running through the corridors until they reached the Rune Gate room. There, Twilight, Spike, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity and Springer were all waiting for them.

"Good," Twilight nodded, "You're all here."

"What's going on? Pinkie said something was going down in the Crystal Empire."

"I got a letter from Cadance," Twilight replied, "It just said two words: Sombra's Back." Flash's eyes went wide at this, the others all grimacing, "I don't know if Cadance only wrote that because she was in a hurry, being attacked or because she didn't know why Sombra was back."

"Isn't it obvious?!" Rainbow yelled, "He's back to conquer the Empire and enslave them all again! I say we go in there guns blazing with the Elements of Harmony ready to turn him to dust."

"Hang on!" Springer held up a paw, "Did you forget what happened to Sombra? He's not the same pony he was back when you girls faced him."

"That's right," Flash nodded, "Sombra went off to complete a mission. If he planned on taking over the empire, I would have sensed something. Remember? We're connected."

"Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked, "Have you sensed anything from Sombra since you last saw him?" Flash blinked at this, only to frown as she added, "Maybe that connection is gone."

"We could spend all day here discussin' it," Applejack chimed in, "Or, we could go and find out what he wants ourselves. And if he's up to no good, we take him out!"

The others nodded as Twilight turned to rune etched stone, blasting it with her magic. As soon as the Rune Gate activated, Flash leapt through the portal with Twilight and the others following behind. As soon as they were on the other side, they rushed through the halls of the Crystal Empire.

"Where are they?" Rarity asked as they began walking around, only for Flash to pass a window.

"There!" He pointed, the group turning to the window and seeing a large crowd below the castle. It looked as if the entire town was there, reminding them all of the Crystal Fair and Flurry's Crystaling.

Twilight quickly sparked her horn and the light spread over everypony before they were teleported down onto the street. The flash of light that signaled their arrival caught several crystal pony's attention, but they all sighed in relief when they saw who it was. "Spike the Brave and Glorious!" One of them yelled, "He's back to stop Sombra once again!"

"Oh thank Celestia!" another exclaimed, "And look! Now he has wings!"

The crystal ponies murmured between one another as Spike and the ponies made their way through the crowd. "Twilight!" They heard Shining's voice, glancing up to see the royal couple and their daughter standing right in front of the Crystal Heart. They were surrounded by a bunch of guards, including Ruby and her apprentice Jaden.

"Shining!" the alicorn ran up to them, "Cadance! Is it true? Is he here?"

"Yes," Ruby nodded, "I used a telescoping spell to investigate the area he was in. It's him alright."

"Would have thought you'd go there yourself," Flash added, "With everything that's happened, I figured you'd want to see him."

Ruby's face fell for a second at that, only to refocus as she replied, "My focus must be on protecting the Crystal Heart and the royal family. If he tries anything, I must be ready to jump into action."

"We've sent our best fighters to apprehend him," Shining chimed in, "He'll be brought here, and once we've figured out why he's here, we'll deal with him."

"I would have thought the reason he was here was obvious," Springer commented, everypony turning to his with raised eyebrows, "Uh...he's back from the mission he went on? His way of making up for everything he's done, remember?"

The crystal ponies who didn't know about this all just stared at him, unable to respond until they turned to see a large number of guards approaching, all surrounding the pony that had put the empire in an uproar. "There he is," Rainbow whispered, "Sombra."

The pony in question had his head down, an anti-magic ring on his horn with a metal collar locked around his neck and shackles around his hooves that were linked together by chains.

"He doesn't look as intimidating as I remember," Fluttershy added.

"He's not the same pony," Flash reminded her. "Before, he was an umbrum who was pure evil. Now he's a normal unicorn whose soul's been purified by...well, me. Plus, he spent a long time trapped inside the armor of evil and forced to become Shadow Corruptor's hench-pony."

Jaden heard that and just stared at the defender with wide eyes. His mind swam at the bizarre explanation, only to glance back at the former king and wondered why he had allowed himself to be chained up, and why did he looked so different from before. The young crystal pegasi's memory of Sombra time as their ruler wasn't great, but he was sure Sombra didn't look so...normal.

The guards then reached the front of the crowd, the lead guard carrying a sack in his magic. "He had this in his possession," he showed the royals the sack and they heard a strange clattering sound coming from it. "No doubt part of some kind of plot to conquer us again."

He threw the sack to the ground and Ruby gasped, using her magic to catch it before it could hit the floor. "Careful with that!" She exclaimed, making the guard flinch. "You don't know what's inside!"

"Sorry." the guard muttered out, now seeing a glare from the knight. She let out a sigh at this before bringing the sack up to her and opening it. The knight stared inside, now seeing a ton of black or orange brown rocks, which she slowly levitated out of the bag.

"What is that?" Someone in the crowd asked.

"He's trying to brainwash us again!" A mare screamed, the ponies of the crowd beginning to demand they take Sombra's head and destroy the rocks that he had brought with him. The guards were clenching their weapons at this, all now glaring at the unicorn until-

"SILENCE!" Cadance's voice echoed through the city, having been amplified to the level of the Canterlot Royal Voice. This instantly silenced the crystal ponies as Cadance handed her daughter over to Shining Armor. Hearing this, Sombra lifted his head and locked eyes with the mare that had usurped him.

Everypony stared at this, the crystal ponies wondering if she would turn the Crystal Heart on him the same way she had during his previous bombardment of the city. And it seemed like that would be exactly what would happen as her horn began to glow. But instead of firing it at the relic, she shot it at Sombra.

The guards leapt away as the spell struck him, making the unicorn flinch, only to feel nothing. Instead, he opened his eyes and now saw he was floating within a clear white bubble that was a few feet off the ground. The ponies all around just stared at this in confusion as Cadance spoke up, "This orb is a truth telling spell that will determine whether or not we can trust whatever you say. If anything you tell us is a lie, it'll turn red."

"Interesting," Sombra replied, his voice making many ponies shiver as he accidently floated around until he was upside down. "And to help ease your subjects who doubt this'll work, the sky is pink." The bubble turned red for a moment, Sombra nodding as it slowly turned back to white and he managed to float right side up. "I'm sure me being here is a shock."

"That's an understatement," Shining growled, "What makes you think you can come back here, after everything you did to this city?"

"I'm not here to make anypony upset. I've come to right one of the many wrongs I've done during my life. The only one I can fix." The ponies around him all went wide-eyed, most whispering what he was talking about. "I'm sure Flash and Ruby have told you everything about what happened during our time in the Lost City."

"It's been mentioned," Cadance nodded, "Though I didn't actually think you would accomplish it. I assumed Flash would come telling us you had turned back to your old self."

"Well, I didn't," he replied, "Ever since we parted ways, I've worked tirelessly to gather the pieces I once scattered." He turned his attention towards the crystal ponies, none of them looking him in the eye. "Ponies of the Crystal Empire. I have done many horrible things to you all. I've likely scarred you all for life and I know simply saying sorry is not enough."

"YOUR DAMN STRAIGHT IT ISN'T!" One of the crystal ponies yelled, the rest of the crowd erupting into more screams until Cadance raised a hoof to silence them.

"I'm not asking your forgiveness. I fully intend to accept any punishment you wish to give me. But I have a mission to complete before I can allow myself to be executed or whatever you plan to do to me."

"Complete?" Ruby asked while pointing at the stones. "I thought you had already completed the mission. Isn't that why you're here?"

"No. The mission isn't complete yet. But it's nearing completion."

"Can somepony please tell me what the heck is going on?" Jaden spoke up, asking what the crystal ponies all wanted to ask. Sombra turned to him, the colt flinching at his gaze.

"When I conquered the Crystal Empire a thousand years ago, I did so by defeating Princess Amore."

"You killed her," a guard hissed, "We know."

"I did not kill her," Sombra responded, the crystal ponies expecting the bubble to turn red, only for it to stay clear. He then gestured to the rocks, "I turned her to stone. She's alive, but trapped in the state you see her in now." This statement and the fact the bubble remained clear shocked the crystal ponies, many now remembering their former princess and looking down at the rocks filling the sack. "The spell I used was only temporary. Had she remained in one piece, it would have worn off after a couple of minutes."

"And that's why you broke her up?" Flash asked next.

Sombra nodded as he crossed his hooves. "Once all the pieces are brought together, the statue will reform and she will be restored to her true self."

The crystal ponies began to talk amongst themselves at this, many amazed that the princess they thought had been lost forever could be returned to them.

"Great," Springer picked up one of the rocks, "So how many more pieces do you need before she's back?"

"One." That made Ruby smile, only for him to add, "And that piece is close by. I thought it best to bring the rest here while I go get it."

"WHAT?! You think we're gonna let you go?!" A soldier roared, pointing his spear at him. "The only place you're going is to a cellblock while we get the piece!"

"Oh," Sombra smirked at him, "And do you know where the piece is?" The soldier's spear slightly shook at this, only to thrust it forward.

"Tell us where it is. I'll go get it myself."

"Me too!" another guard nodded with several others doing the same.

"Very well," Sombra pointed his hoof toward the Crystal Mountain, heading up to Yakyakistan. "It's in that direction. Try not to miss it."

"Very funny," Shining glared at him. "Tell us exactly where it is."

"I don't know," Sombra replied, "I can sense where the piece is, but I don't have an exact location of it. Finding the other pieces involved following that sense until I spotted it. And trust me, that wasn't always easy. I scattered her far and wide in order to give whoever tried to recover the pieces a hard time. Ironic that that one happened to be me. I cannot tell you exactly where the piece is. If you ponies want to get that piece, you'll need me to lead you too it or spend who knows how long mindlessly searching for it." He put his front legs behind his head and leaned back, floating into a lazy position. "Go ahead and search if you want. I'm happy to wait."

"This has gotta be a trick," Applejack growled, "He's just tryin to free himself."

"But the bubble is still clear," Twilight countered, "Besides, he didn't have to come here."

"Wait...why did he come here?" Spike asked, "I thought he wasn't supposed to return until he had all the pieces of Amore."

"Do you have any idea how many times I almost died on this journey?" Sombra responded, "To find those pieces, I had to face off against hydra, sea-monsters, a bog of acid and so much more." He then removed his cloak, revealing several scars upon his body. Most were on his back, flank and hind legs, while a few were on his stomach. Many flinched at the sight of such injuries, while others were actually smiling at the sight of such pain that he must have suffered.

"Ouch," Rainbow hissed, "Those look like they hurt."

"You have no idea," Sombra grumbled as he returned his cloak. "I'm not trying to get your sympathy. After everything I've done, I know I deserve these wounds. But the only reason I didn't let them succumb me is because if I did die, nopony would be able to find Amore's pieces. But now that there is only one final piece...I've decided it's best I leave these with you. If something happens to me now, I'll know there's at least some hope that that piece will be found."

Everypony began whispering amongst each other again, only for Cadance to speak up, "Very well." She cut the power to her spell and Sombra fell to the ground, the guards quickly rushing up to him. "You will remain in a cell tonight. Tomorrow, you and the guards will go and retrieve the last piece."

Hearing this, Ruby stepped up, "Princess, I think I should go with him...alone."

This made everypony turn to him, all wide-eyed as Cadance asked, "Alone? Why?"

"Speed is necessary here," Ruby replied, "Having too many would slow us down and lead to the recovery taking longer. It makes more sense for a small group of ponies to go in order to speed up the process. And not to brag, but I'm equal to at least ten of our best guards together."

Nopony could deny that, but only Flash knew what she was probably going for. She was worried that if any of the crystal guards went with Sombra, they would likely turn on him as soon as they found the piece.

"Are you sure about this?" Twilight asked, looking Sombra over. "What if he tries something?"

"Sombra isn't what he used to be," Ruby responded, "Most of his power was lost when he was turned into a unicorn. If he does try something, I can handle it. And even if the worst should happen, Flash is still connected to Sombra." This statement made many turn to stare at the defender, "He should sense if Sombra does anything, and if that happens, feel free to track him down and do whatever you want."

"Very well," Cadance nodded. "I'll trust in your judgement." She turned back to Sombra and pointed at him, "Place him in a cell and get him some food and water. He's no good to anypony if he doesn't have the strength to complete this task."

The guards began to pull the former umbrum away, many of the citizens uneasy seeing him enter the castle he had once ruled from. Once he was gone, everypony turned to Ruby as Jaden added, "I don't like this. Letting him free like this, after everything he's done."

"How is he even alive?" One of the crystal ponies asked, many all knowing that they thought the tyrant was dead. The Mane Seven and their friends groaned, knowing they were going to be in for a long explanation. So Flash began to tell them to truth, how a part of Sombra had survived the Crystal Heart's light blast. How that piece was found by an insane criminal, who used a powerful magic to restore his body but finding his memories were lost. How he was trapped within a living suit of armor and used as its host to let it walk around. How Flash and his friends had met him and discovered the truth about him, leading to Flash facing him and discovering a piece of Sombra's soul had been implanted within him and used to restore his mind.

The Crystal Ponies were suspicious of Flash at first, but Cadance and Ruby convinced him not to be worried. The story continued and they told the ponies how they managed to free Sombra from the armor with a powerful magic able to transform him into a unicorn and keep him alive. How he was locked up, but then freed in order to help Flash defeat the psycho he had been battling against. And how afterwards, Sombra had told the group his plans and how they allowed him to leave on this mission.

By the end of the story, many members of the Crystal Empire were fuming at the fact that they helped save Sombra instead of letting him die or remain somepony's puppet. Others were mad they had let him go instead of bringing him back to face justice. And others were enraged by the Crystal Knight and Royal Couple keeping these facts a secret. And by the time the sun began to set, the empire was in an uproar even though they all returned home.

"Geez," Springer whispered as they all sat in the main hall having dinner. He was standing beside one of the windows, looking out at the city. "The whole place is flooded with negative emotions. Anger, fear, disappointment and betrayal."

Cadance sighed, "I should have known keeping this secret from them was a bad idea."

"It could have been worse if you did tell them," Twilight chimed in, "If they had known Sombra was alive, they could have spent all this time constantly scared he would conquer them again. Who knows what could have happened if they let their fears run wild."

"Riots in the street," Rarity guessed.

"The guards getting more aggressive," Rainbow assumed.

"Maybe even a coup," Flash imagined, "The higher ups might have tried to take over and proclaim martial law, turning the place into a nightmare to live in. All to prepare for an enemy that didn't exist."

Cadance grimaced at this, and it didn't help when one of the servants walked in carrying a tray. The look on her face showed she was just as upset as everypony else, Cadance sighing when she left. "I just hope they can forgive me. Hopefully, Amore will be able to smooth things over with them."

"Hey," Pinkie raised a hoof, "I have a question."

"Yes?" Cadance pointed at her, like a teacher talking to a student.

"What'll happen when Amore comes back? She was the ruler of the Empire before Sombra took over, so will she return to the throne? What'll happen to you, Shining and Flurry if she does?"

The question made everypony exchange glances, that thought not even occurring to them. "I...don't know," Cadance replied, "I guess it is within her rights to demand the empire back. When we first came here, I thought I would only be take the throne for a little bit until the Empire became more integrated with the rest of Equestria. But...this is our home now. Flurry was born here. I don't know what'll happen."

"I'm sure Celestia will have an idea," Twilight nodded.

Cadance grimaced at that, "I don't think so. When Celestia found me, she said I reminded her of a friend she once had. Years later, I learned that was Princess Amore. When she found me, she sensed my magical aura and she mistook it for Amore. She wondered if I was a descendant of Amore, but..."

"Amore didn't have any children," Ruby chimed in, "To her, the subjects of the Crystal Empire were her children."

"Exactly. Which was why Celestia was confused about me. Since I couldn't be related to Amore, me having a magic signature so similar to hers shouldn't have been possible."

"So why is your magic so similar?" Fluttershy asked, Cadance shrugging back.

"I don't know. Once Celestia suggested that maybe I was Amore's reincarnation. Heck, I thought that might be possible for a few years. But ever since Ruby told me about Amore being alive, that idea went right out the window."

"So you have no idea why you and she have the same magic?" Flash asked, Cadance nodding and looking down.

But then Shining placed a hoof on her shoulder. "You never know. Maybe you are her descendant. Maybe Amore had a child and kept it a secret. Either way, it doesn't change who you are."

"The empire might not see it that way," Cadance sighed, "When Amore returns, they could demand she be reinstated to the throne and I wouldn't have any way to stop her if she wants it back. A few ponies might want me to stay on the throne, but who knows what could happen if the citizens are divided." She got up and moved over to the window, looking down at the city below. "I love the empire, and I don't want it breaking out into a civil war."

Everypony frowned at this, Ruby choosing this moment to leave the room. She made her way through the castle and down to the dungeons, which more like a line of normal rooms with thick doors that had a small opening in the middle to allow food through without needing to open them.

When she arrived, she saw a pair of guards standing in the corridor outside the doors. They were glaring at one of the doors so hard, Ruby wouldn't be surprised if they didn't catch fire. "I'll take over guard duty," she stated, the pair turning to her, only to see her glaring at them.

A second later, they left, and she sparked her horn and teleported through the doors. Sombra was laying on the small bed in the corner, the unicorn surprised by the sudden flash followed by his childhood friend appearing. He smiled at her as he sat up.

"You know, I've done some terrible things in my time, but whoever made this bed so uncomfortable is the true evil genius." Ruby laughed at that, shaking her head. "So," Sombra looked her over, "Anything interesting happen while I was away? Any crazy adventures with Sentry?"

"I got turned into a dragon."

"Oh? That's new." Sombra replied, Ruby chuckling. "How'd that one happen?"

Ruby began telling him everything that had happened while he was gone, Sombra returning the favor by telling her about some of the places he had to brave in order to acquire the pieces of Amore. He wasn't happy when he learned that Shadow and Armalum had returned, but smirked when he heard how Fire Heart had blasted the pair away, only to learn another surprise.

"You have an apprentice?" She nodded.

"Jaden. He was the colt that spoke up before. He's got a lot of potential, and is a skilled marks-pony. No doubt he'll make an excellent knight when he's older."

"I'm sure. With you training him, I'm sure he'll grow up to be a fine protector of the city."

Ruby nodded as she looked around the cell, spotting a small barred window at the top of the far wall. "You realize what'll likely happen once you've gotten the last piece of Amore."

"She'll be restored," Sombra replied, "And then I'll face whatever justice the ponies of the city deem acceptable. I'll be lucky if I'm only hung and not drawn and quartered."

"You're taking this very calmly. Most ponies would be terrified of what might happen to them."

"Honestly, I am terrified. Who wouldn't be? But what other choice do I have? Try to convince you to let me go once we have the final piece? Spend the rest of my life running from those that want to see me brought to justice? What kind of life would that be?" Ruby blinked at this, a little bit of surprise on her face as he continued, "I'd rather face what I have coming then spend my life constantly on edge trying to stay free. Besides, it's not like I have any other reason to live."

"What do you mean? Isn't what you've been doing your reason to live?"

"It is." Sombra hummed before shrugging, "But I don't have anything else after I'm doing restoring Amore."

Ruby frowned at that, only to shake her head, "Don't say that. Stay strong. Who knows what the future has in store. I never thought I'd end up a thousand years in the future, and I never thought we'd end up meeting again. Nopony knows what's waiting for us come tomorrow." Sombra slowly nodded back, only for her add, "I need to go. We'll talk tomorrow."

She then teleported out of the cell, slowly walking out of the block until somepony accidently knocked something off a table. "Whoa!" yelped a voice, making her spin around and create a crystal sword on the spot, "Wait! Wait! Wait!" She then saw the blade was pointed at Jaden, who was holding the vase he had almost knocked off the table. "It's me!"

Ruby frowned as she dispelled the sword, "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" Jaden repeated, staring at his teacher. Had this been before he became her apprentice and passed his test, he wouldn't be speaking so openly with her. "Why were you getting chummy with the enemy!?"

"I wasn't getting chummy with him," Ruby told her squire, "I was just talking to him. Is that a crime?"

Jaden just looked at her with wide eyes, "But...don't you remember everything he did?! He enslaved us! He trapped us out of time. He tried to turn you into him! How can you stomach being around him?!"

The Crystal Knight sighed and shook her head, "It's not that I've forgotten what he did. I've just moved passed it."

"What?! How?! Why?!"

"What else could I do? Spend the rest of my life hating him? What good would that do me?" She then placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Jaden, as a Royal Knight, you're going to meet a lot of bad ponies. Ponies who let themselves give into their hatred and anger." Jaden flinched at this, now thinking about Void and the Storm King. "Sombra gave himself to the hatred and anger he felt and it turned him into a monster. I don't want that to happen to me, and I definitely don't want it happening to you."

"But everything he did..." Jaden glared at her. "What, am I supposed to just forget all that?! Forget how scared I was because of him?!"

"Of course not. Like I said, I've not forgotten about what he did. But just because I can't forget it, that doesn't mean I can't forgive it." Jaden's eyes went even wider at this, only to see his mentor shake her head, "You'll understand when you're older. For now, give Sombra the chance to show you he's changed. If after all that you still can't forgive him...I'll understand. But the only one you'll be hurting because of that will be yourself."

And with those final words, Ruby turned to walk off. Jaden stood there, a huge frown on his face as he watched his teacher leave. He turned back to the cell that held the unicorn that tried to ruin his life, Ruby's words echoing through his mind and he felt his stomach go queasy.





The next day...

The entire Empire was out in force again, following Ruby Scarlet as she, the royal couple, Mane Seven and everyone else led Sombra to the edge of the city.

"Alright," Cadance sighed as they got to the forcefield keeping the cold weather out. "It's time." They turned to Sombra, who was still wearing the shackles and anti-magic ring. "Take his binds off."

The guards all frowned at this, the princess nodding before they used their magic to undo the locks. One by one, the shackles came undone and fell off his body. Sombra sighed when the last one was removed from his legs, cricking his neck and stretching out his hooves before looking up at his horn, which still had the ring on it.

Ruby stepped up and deactivated it, pulling the ring off, Sombra's horn sparking. "Thank you." He began to walk through the field at this, only to glance back at Ruby. "You coming?"

Ruby turned to the others, seeing nothing but frowns. She tried to spot Jaden, but her apprentice hadn't been around all morning. "You sure you want to still do this alone?" Cadance asked, "I can send some guards with you."

"No," Ruby shook her head, "I have to do this." She looked back at Sombra, "I was there when she was turned to stone. I wasn't fast enough to save her back then, so working to save her now is the least I can do." She turned back to them, "Keep the city safe in my absence." They all nodded as she moved over to Sombra, the pair walking through the forcefield together.

As soon as they did this, the cold of the north attacked them like a school of piranha. Ruby quickly cast a warming spell on herself and used that to pull the cold weather gear she had packed out, Sombra tightly tying his scarf around his head.

"Which way?" She asked, Sombra pointing to one of the mountains.

"This way. Let's hurry." They began trodding through the snow at this, glad that the snow was at least light.

It was an hour before they reached the base of the mountain, Ruby asking, "So it's up on this mountain?"

"Maybe. Or it could be past it." Ruby raised an eyebrow at this. "My sense doesn't tell me how far away the piece is. It just connects me to the closest piece to my current location. I just keep following it until I spot it or overshoot, making me realize I passed it."

"Seriously?" She asked, "That's how you've been searching for the pieces?! It's a miracle you found so many so quickly." Sombra shrugged as the pair started climbing up the side of the mountain, both soon finding a natural path they could use. This path led them up for about an hour, Ruby following Sombra as he tried to determine if the piece was one this mountain or the one past it.

They then came to the end of the path, stopping at a large wall going straight up. "Don't suppose you brought a ladder?" Sombra asked as Ruby stepped up and placed her hoof down on the ground at the base of the wall. He watched as her Crystal Promise glowed before a large crystal spike began to glow out of the ground. That crystal started growing their own spikes out the side, turning it into a ladder.

"Nice," he nodded as the crystal reached the top of the wall and curled around it. Ruby began to climb it, Sombra following before stopping for a second. Turning around, he scanned the area, feeling like he was being watched.

"You coming?" Ruby called out, Sombra glancing back up at her before climbing again. And when he reached the top, he found they were at a part of the mountain that was flat all the way to the other side. There was still more of the mountain higher up, but from their spot, they could travel downward.

"This isn't where the piece is," Sombra told Ruby.

She sighed, "Where?" Sombra walked past her and pointed at another mountain a few miles away from the one they were on.

"Hopefully, it's there. The sense is pulling me in that direction."

Ruby sighed at the sight, "That's a pretty big one. You sure it's there?"

"No, but it's in that direction. I can feel it." Ruby nodded and was about to say something, but then Sombra placed a hoof on her mouth. She almost flinched, only for him to motion her to shush. He gestured his head back, the knight blinking for a second.

"Alright, let's get climbing." He said, only to grab Ruby's hoof and pulled her behind a rock. She was about to ask what was going on, only to hear movement coming from the ladder. Somepony panted as they pulled themselves up, then started to walk around.

Ruby quietly summoned a sword at this, only to leap out of the rock, tackling the pony, "Gotcha!"

"Wait!" cried a voice that was similar to one she had heard the previous day. She pulled back as she realized who she currently had pinned with a sword at their throat.

"Jaden?!" She yelped at her apprentice while the colt smiled. "What are you doing here?!"

"I came to help," Jaden replied as Ruby climbed off of him and Sombra stepped out from behind the rock. Jaden was dressed in winter clothing and had a saddlebag on his back, though his clothing looked more like he was going out to play snowballs than brave an arctic mountain. "I know you said it would be better to have less ponies searching for the piece, but I was worried. What if something happened?" He added as his gaze shifted to Sombra.

Ruby sighed and facehoofed, "All you've done is slow us down right now. And now we're gonna have to cut our trip short to take you back to the Empire."

"What?! But I wanna help!" Jaden stood up, "You've been training me for situations just like this. Let me help. Look!" He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a small wooden and metal box. With a flick, it unfolded into a crossbow. "I'm armed with this and twenty bolts." But as he said that, the crossbow fired, a bolt shooting straight up...and then down the side of the mountain. "Er...nineteen bolts."

Ruby groaned, "You've been spending too much time around Fire Heart."

Sombra stepped up and placed a hoof on Ruby's shoulder "Let him stick around." Both knight and apprentice went wide-eyed at this, "He was able to keep up with us when we didn't know he was there and moving at full speed. I don't think he'll slow us down. Besides, you said he was a pretty good shot."

Ruby's eyes twitched at this before turning to Jaden, seeing a hopeful look on his face. "Oh...fine!" She leaned down, her face almost touching Jaden's, "But you follow every order given to you. By me, or Sombra." Jaden's eyes went wide, but he could see this was non-negotiable.

"Fine." Ruby nodded before she started heading down the side of the mountain, leaving Sombra and Jaden at the top.

Sombra turned to Jaden, "Er...welcome to the team." Jaden rolled his eyes and followed his mentor, Sombra sighing. "This is gonna be a long trip."





A few hours later...

They had now carefully made their way down the side of the mountain, luckily not finding any steep paths of sheer cliffs. Occasionally, they found gaps in the path that had broken away due to erosion, but Ruby's crystal magic easily filled them. "Getting anything from that sense of yours?" Ruby asked Sombra as they were about a mile from the base of the mountain.

"Nothing yet," Sombra replied, "But I'm not being pulled toward the top of that mountain. If the piece is on it, it's probably near the base or behind it somewhere."

"Good," Ruby nodded, "I'd rather not have to climb all the way to the top of another mountain. Let's get there and start searching before something bad gets in the way."

"Do a bunch of really angry looking clouds count as something bad?" Jaden asked, pointing to the sky. The adults looked up and saw a swirling vortex of dark clouds above the mountain they were heading toward. And it was starting to head their way.

"Great," Ruby sighed, "We have to get off this mountain before it gets here." She picked up the pace and the two followed, both quickly but carefully going along. The clouds were moving fast that by the time they reached the bottom of the mountain, the outer edges of the storm was there.

Snow began to fall, only for Jaden to yelp, "Ow!"

"Hail!" Sombra yelled, only to hiss when a ice rock hit his hoof. "We need to get out of here before it gets too strong!"

"Get close to me!" Ruby exclaimed, the pair jumping up to her side as her horn glowed. She stomped her hooves into the snow and caused a platform of crystal to appear below her and spread it out beneath Jaden and Sombra's hooves to form a circle. Once the platform was large enough, the edges curved upwards and began to form a cone shape. A few sections didn't grow, creating an opening to allow air in.

Once it was complete, a crystal structure surrounded them and blocked out the hail. "Nice!" Jaden cheered as Sombra removed his bag and cloak. He reached inside it, pulling out a ration bar that Ruby had acquired for him before leaving. He began to bite into it as Ruby pulled out her own, Jaden sitting on the opposite side and pulling out a normal chocolate bar.

Sombra saw that and smirked, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Jaden frowned at him as he opened the wrapper, "You'll be sorry."

"I doubt that," Jaden replied before biting into the chocolate, only to feel his teeth to almost break as the chocolate was as hard as metal. "Ow!" He pulled it out of his mouth and tapped the chocolate against the floor, revealing it was frozen solid.

"Told you," Sombra chuckled as he bit into his ration bar. "What did you think would happen to chocolate that's been out in an environment that's minus five degrees? That bag of yours clearly isn't insulated, so of course the heat would escape."

Jaden frowned at this before his eyes went wide and he pulled a water bottle out of his bag, only to find it was as heavy as a brick thanks to the water freezing. He groaned before hearing chuckling, the colt looking up to see Sombra hiding his grin behind his hoof. "Yeah, rub it in."

"Sorry," Sombra kept laughing and even Ruby seemed to be holding back a grin.

The mare pulled a ration bar out of her bag along with a thermos, throwing the bar to her student before pouring herself a hot cup of choco. Sombra also poured his own and as Jaden ate the ration bar, Sombra looking over at his water bottle before his horn glowed red. Jaden suddenly felt a source of heat and turned to see the bottle was glowing before noticing Sombra's horn. When the light around the bottle faded, he picked it up and saw that the ice had melted.

But despite this, he didn't drink it, making Sombra sigh, "It's not poisoned."

"Can't be too careful."

Sombra shook his head, "I get it. You don't like me. But what would poisoning you actually accomplish?"

"It could be a mind control spell that makes whoever drinks it your slave."

"You seem to be overestimating my abilities," Sombra responded, "I'm not as powerful as I once was."

Jaden raised an eyebrow at this, as Ruby spoke up. "He's not an umbrum anymore," she chimed in, "All of the powers he once had are now gone. Turning into shadows, brainwashing, turning ponies to stone...he can't do anything like that anymore."

"How can you be sure?" Jaden asked, "He could just be pretending not to have those powers to take us by surprise!"

"True," Sombra nodded, "You're right to be suspicious of me. I did do a lot of things I'm not proud of." Jaden glared at him at this, "But don't think you know me just because of the bad things I did. You'll find you know very little."

"I know enough."

"Oh. What do you know?"

"I know the guards found you in the ice, brought you to the Crystal Empire and placed you in the orphanage. I know you were friends with Ruby and eventually, you turned into a monster and enslaved our city!"

"Is that it?" Sombra asked.

"What more do I need to know?"

"How about the fact that I spent year after year in a state of near death all because nopony told me what I truly was."

Jaden leaned back at this before turning to Ruby, who nodded. "The Crystal Fair wasn't just designed to recharge the Crystal Heart. It was made so that the umbrum who were sealed beneath the Crystal Empire couldn't escape."

"There are umbrum beneath the Crystal Empire?!" Jaden yelped.

"Why do you think the Empire was built so far north? It was built upon a seal that traps the evil umbrum beneath the earth, where they could do no harm. The Crystal Fair was created in order to weaken them and stop any chance they had at releasing themselves. Because of that, they needed a way to stop the fair and release themselves. That's where I came in."

"You?" Jaden asked.

"The umbrum created him with the express goal of freeing them," Ruby explained, "He was born as an umbrum, but transformed into a unicorn with his umbrum heritage sealed deep within him. This allowed him to escape the seal and appear in the snowlands. That's where the guards found him."

"And that's why you took over the Crystal Empire?" Jaden asked, "So that you could free a bunch of evil monsters planning to take over Equestria?"

"What else was I too do?" He countered, "The ponies of the Empire never truly accepted me. They bullied me and never let me play with them growing up. The only one who did so was Ruby, but then she left for her knights training and I was alone. And, of course, there was the Crystal Fair. My umbrum powers might have been sealed away, but I was still an umbrum in pony form. So every year, I was forced to endure agony as everypony else enjoyed themselves."

"And you expect me to feel sorry for you?!" Jaden replied, "You were sent to destroy us! That fair kept the umbrums at bay! You really think we should have stopped and given the umbrum a chance to escape?"

"No," Sombra responded as he glanced away, "But they could have told me. Amore knew what I was from the very start and hid it from me. She knew the Crystal Fair was what hurt me, but she didn't do anything. She could have had me leave the Empire. Make an excuse to send me to Canterlot with Ruby or something. But instead, she let me suffer. She didn't even have the decency to tell me what I really was."

"Maybe she was afraid you'd turn against the empire sooner," Jaden crossed his hooves.

"Or maybe I would have chosen to reject what I was. The Empire was my home, and the home of my best friend. If I had known when I was a kid what I was and what I was meant to do, I might have refused. But she didn't give me the chance. She didn't trust me and this is where it led us. So yeah, I might have done some horrible things, but it's not like I didn't have any reason to do them. Remember that before you decide to label me a true villain."

Jaden turned to Ruby, now seeing the Crystal Knight sitting there with a stoic expression on her face. "When did you learn about this?"

"Not until the day we stopped him. When the Crystal Empire returned, I went out to face him, hoping to buy time so the others could located the Crystal Heart. That's when I learned what Sombra was and why he was sent to the Crystal Empire. And when he was freed from Armalum, he and I spoke about the past. Princess Amore could have told him the truth, which might have changed things. I don't know if that's a fact, but it's what made me decide to give him a chance."

"Why?!"

"A simple fact about Sombra is...he never got the chance to choose what his life would entail." Jaden blinked at her, tilting his head as she continued, "The umbrums chose to send him to the Crystal Empire, knowing that being close to the heart during the fair would cause him pain. Amore chose to keep the secret of his origin from him, something he deserved to know. And I chose to leave him behind in the Empire, even though I knew he would be alone and have to endure the pain of the Crystal Fair again and again. Shadow chose to restore him and make him Armalum's host, forcing him to be a puppet. So many choices were made for Sombra and he was forced to endure the outcomes. So much so that by the point he learned who he truly was, he didn't have much of a choice left."

"And that makes what he did okay?"

"No," Ruby shook her head, "But we shouldn't think ourselves entirely innocent when it comes to what we did. That's why, when Sombra told us about his plans to find the pieces of Amore, I decided to give him the chance to prove he wants to make some of what he did right. This was his choice. A choice he didn't make because it was hardwired into him by the umbrum, or because the truth was kept from him, or because he was under the control of an evil suit of armor. It was something he chose to do himself, of his own free will. That was why I gave him this chance. Because this is his first true decision."

Jaden frowned at this, glancing back at Sombra. Despite everything he had just heard, he continued to glare at the unicorn, showing that he obviously didn't forgive him. The adults could see their speech didn't do the intended consequences. Seeing this, they all sat there in silence and waited for the storm to pass. And as it did, their shelter was half buried by the time is was finished.

Leaving the crystal cone behind, they continued to the mountain with Sombra, trying to determine if the piece was close by or if they passed the target. As they were, Jaden couldn't help but think about everything he had just heard. Despite refusing to forgive Sombra, he was starting to sympathize with him. Jaden hadn't really had any friends before he met Heart, always spending his time admiring Ruby from afar, so he knew what it was like to be alone.

He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't realize they had entered an area of the mountain range that had two large mountains walls on either side. Both walls had a pile of snow and slush that had built up during the storm, both resting on large rocks that were hanging loose from the sides of the cliff.

Ruby noticed this, the unicorn being ready in case they fell, one of them breaking away from the cliff. "Look out!" She yelled, slamming her hoof into the ground and sending a crystal spike up. It slammed into the rock, the boulder breaking into pieces.

One piece headed straight for the youngest member of their group, who gasped as his body suddenly stopped. But before it could crush him, something slammed into Jaden, pushing him out of the way. The next thing Jaden knew, somepony had their hooves around him and was rolling the two along the ground toward Ruby. She leapt up and put up a barrier, which protected them from the rest of the rubble.

When the avalanche ended, Jaden opened his eyes and saw Sombra had saved him, the unicorn standing up before he could say anything, quickly checking his saddlebag to make sure nothing important was damaged. Jaden then noticed Ruby was giving him a look, the colt knowing what she wanted.

"Err...thanks."

"Don't mention it," Sombra replied, "Let's get out of here before any more rocks start falling." They nodded and Ruby decided to not take any more risks. She had hoped to save her magic, but decided to use it to teleport them. In the blink of an eye, they were at the very base of the mountain, just as more rocks began to fall.

"That was too close," Sombra stated before turning to the mountain. "Alright. Let's see if I can locate the piece." He reached out, only to flinch, "Huh?"

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked as Sombra started digging in the snow. After a moment, he came across a rock and could still feel the pull drawing him down.

"The piece is...underground."

"What?!" Jaden asked, "What do you mean it's underground?!"

"It's like I told you. The piece is underground. Somehow, it's gotten under us below the mountain."

"What?! How?!"

"I guess it has been a thousand years," Ruby added, "Anything could have happened. Maybe a rockslide from this mountain buried it, or something found the crystal and took it underground somehow."

"I hope it's that second one," Sombra stood up, "If not, it could take forever to uncover it." He began to walk around the base of the mountain, Jaden and Ruby doing the same, Ruby hoping the same as Sombra while Jaden thought this was all some elaborate trick in order to take them out.

But then he spotted something a little further up the mountain, the colt walking up and climbing over a few large rocks. As he did this, he reached a certain spot, finding himself staring into a cave leading down.

"Jaden!?" He then heard Ruby call, the colt still looking into the cave.

"I'm over here! You've gotta see this!" A minute later, Ruby and Sombra walked over, all three now looking down.

"So that's how the piece got down there," Sombra smirked. "Nice going kid." He began to walk down into the cave, Ruby and Jaden watching him. "You two can stay out here if you want. No telling what we might find down here."

"Like I'd let you walk through a dark passageway alone," Ruby replied before she followed after him. Jaden gulped at this, only to sigh as he began to follow as well. And as the three descended into the unknown realm of darkness, they didn't know what was awaiting them in this dark and dreary place, but they would brave it. So long as it helped them find the final piece to restore Amore to her true form.

To be continued...