Sombra instantly felt the subtle warmth of her hooves seep into his freeing enclosure.
For once, he is warm. For once, he no longer lays stagnant on the hard ground.
He hears the muffled sound of a frantic outer source. Their voice fills his world with a semblance of life. The words, and the tone, are as clear as a music note, sincere as a melody.
He is carried to the surface. The hoof steps dance up his stairs, and he feels vertigo. Though he does not have his eyesight he can feel the pulsing power of the wretched crystal heart. However, the power no longer harms him. The crystal heart is like his own voided heartbeat, a fleeting sense of reassurance that he is alive.
The love of the Empire no longer repulsed him. It embraces him.
It doesn’t register until he opens his newfound eyes that it was because he was protected.
***
Suddenly, he wakes up from a deep, deep, strange, and bitter dream. Though he is awake, the endless loop plays inside his head. He feels himself falling asleep once again.
Sombra feels the sweat running down his cheeks.
He hears her. From a distance, and with her presence are her reassuring words. The blinded encouragement. “Don’t worry you’re safe here. You’re safe with me.”
He closes his eyes.
***
Sombra sees red.
The Empire. A Dragon. The Crystal Heart. The tundra’s falling snow. His second death.
He remembers.
When he wakes up he sees her. An alicorn ready to kill him once more.
Sombra sends a sharp and suspicious glance her way, though he cannot feel his magic or sense her next move he is adamant to not falter or waver under her gaze.
He ignites.
With contempt, he closes his eyes to feel the presence of his horn. But all it took was a moment of clarity, for him to stare at his empty spell.
He accepts defeat and closes his eyes. Anticipating the blow. It never comes. Instead, a soft voice seeps in.
“I’m Twilight, Twilight Sparkle.” The alicorn introduces herself. She is without the royal regalia. She approaches him without the association of the crown.
His throat is dry. He cannot move. The fact he even dared to consider doing any sort of damage to the alicorn with unlimited prowess made him feel insignificant. Sombra merely grunts.
The alicorn, Twilight, frowns. She pulls the blanket to cover him with her magic. A brilliant magenta answers her. He is entranced. The color is so vibrant it seems false. It is untainted, unlike his aura.
He closes his eyes.
The nightmares don’t follow him to the realm of sleep. The purple alicorn and her magenta aura do instead.
***
When he awakes she is already there. Nestled on a chair she reads a thick book. Sombra squints his eyes trying to make out the words of the novel.
‘Traditions of a Great Empire’ the title reads.
Sombra tries to get up. His left leg gives in, bringing him to the ground of his company’s crystal floors. He is sick of crystals.
The alicorn gets up from her chair and rushes to him. Perhaps to his aid? Sombra is not too keen on her intentions. He stares at her intently. Words are failing him. He only has his glare.
The alicorn gives an outstretched arm out. Pathetically he accepts her offer. With her help, he manages to walk around his room. It’s a quaint room, a small window allows for Celestia’s sun to touch his coat. He stares at the material making up his enclosure. Crystals, something he once wielded, bent, and commended, was now taunting him as they watched him struggle.
Sombra musters up the strength to connect his horn. The alicorn does nothing to stop his vain attempt. She watches as his horn flickers and then burns out. He grits his teeth to withhold the bubbling anger.
Perhaps tomorrow he will bring his room down. Replace it with a different material completely.
***
Sombra rasped his first words to the alicorn beside him. “Where am I?” He manages to say.
The alicorn smiles. “You’re in Ponyville, in my castle,” she answers.
“You’re a Princess.” He states numbly.
“Yes, I am. Princess of Friendship!” She smiles ruffling the wings on her side a little to emphasize her position.
“Princess Twilight Sparkle.” He says aloud.
Her eyes widened, shock painted her expression. “Y-yes! I didn’t know you heard me introduce myself.”
Sombra nods his head to confirm her assessment. When he is conscious he registers everything around him, including his capturer. “Why am I here?” He croaks.
“I found the remnant of your horn below the castle of The Crystal Empire. I thought we had defeated you. I suppose I was wrong.” Twilight explains.
Sombra blinks, taking time to absorb her words. They lapse in silence, neither of them talks. What is there to say?
“Kill me.” He finally asks.
She shakes her head. “No.” She says automatically.
Sombra laughs, though they come out like coughs. “I thought you would revel in this, Princess,” he smirks as he enunciates her title. “Kill me once more, do it properly this time!” He jabs.
She frowns, her eyes overcast. “I don’t want to.”
“Why?” He asks, suppressing a glare.
The Princess walks away.
***
Sombra is stronger when he says her next. He is capable of moving on his own and pronouncing any vowel and consonant he so chooses.
It is the middle of the night when he finally leaves his room with his increased mobility. The door was never locked, with a little turn it opened it and presented the rest of the large castle to him.
He wanders the halls of the castle aimlessly. His thoughts accompany him. For once he does not have a plan. He didn’t anticipate being revived to experience the bitter joys of the land of the ponies.
Sombra comes across a large room lit by candlelight.
He opens the door just enough to peer his eyes inside. That’s where he sees them. A unicorn with a teal streak and the Princess. He presses his ear to make out the words they’re exchanging.
“This is ridiculous, Twilight.” The unicorn says to the Princess. Her eyes are wild from controlling her furry for the alicorn.
“Starlight—”
“You have to tell Princess Celestia what you’ve done!” She barks.
The alicorn presses her hoof to her temples. “No–”
“No?! Have you lost your mind? This is King Sombra we’re talking about and you’re refusing to go to the Princesses to have him removed?” The unicorn roars.
“This is my authority, Starlight. You will respect my decision.” The Princess says, her voice peeking in volume. The unicorn flinches. “I believe that with the right guidance– if we show Sombra friendship– no, life. If we show him that there’s more to this world then perhaps…”
“He isn’t someone like me, Twilight. He’s a monster.” The unicorn flatly says.
The alicorn shakes her head to deny the fact. “He asked me to kill him, Starlight. I can’t allow myself to do that to someone.”
The unicorn says nothing in response.
Sombra walks away. Only one word stood out to him when he listened to their argument.
Monster.
***
Sombra sits across the purple Princess one morning. She gives him a warm smile. He instead glares at her.
The Princess's eyes are often veiled. She conceals her truest emotions with common courtesies.
Her expression is completely different from the one she gave the unicorn last night. Her smile is a switch for her. A farce. Sombra is not easily deceived.
They’re in the library. Rows of books surround the two. Sombra suppresses the urge to pick one out and start reading. Anything would be better than a meeting with the Princess.
The cup of tea in front of him blew its aroma into his nose. He doesn’t dare answer it. Muffins and cake accompany the steeped tea.
The alicorn throws in four sugar cubes into her cup and squeezed a bit of lemon. She spins her cup. The world seems like it bends to her will, the whole world is spinning.
She offers her a bowl of sugar cubes. He stares beyond them and into her deep amethyst eyes. She feels discouraged and places the bowl back in its place.
***
With a choked scream, Sombra sits up, breathing heavily. The summer night is suffocating, the scent of blooming flowers cloying. His window is open. As his heart calms and his eyes adjust, he remembers that he is at a castle. A fortress for safety. He is far away from the shining Empire, far away from his memories of the shades of betrayal and blood.
He finds himself almost calling for her. Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.
He thinks he is cursed. He can never escape his memories, not even in sleep.
Sombra feels something wet fall onto his cheek. Tears?
***
Twilight recalls her childhood room back in Canterlot, where she would stay to study endlessly with the Princess.
Within the castle hides a modest garden (modest in comparison to the grandiose structure). It’s neither too large, nor too small. Only a few have access to it, and with the help of the staff’s gardener Twilight would assist in the maintenance.
It was often a place where she would go if she could not sleep. Surrounded by the smell of the dogwood trees always calmed her nerves.
Now in her castle, she finds herself sleeping less and less, and often finds herself awake at the most obscene hours. Without the comfort of the purple hyacinths, she wanders her halls and stumbles across a room in the early spring night.
She sees Sombra sitting on his bed and staring intently at the small purple flower on his desk wistfully.
Twilight still has an imprint of a foggy memory of a stern king with a wicked gaze who had been so obsessed with the rush of being a ruler that it became his downfall. Completely entranced by the concept of power he didn’t know how to live without the title or the crown.
Now in her castle, he merely sits and contemplates. What he’s thinking about is beyond her.
For a moment they lock eyes and he taps the side of his bed to invite her in. Hesitantly she enters his room. She sits next to him and neither of them talks. Neither of them sleeps either though it is the middle of the night.
Twilight plays with the idea of a garden in her castle. Perhaps it will do them both some good.
***
Eventually, inevitably, the two of them fall into a routine.
He knows that Twilight wakes up promptly in the early mornings. She has her duties to attend to. Her role remains a mystery to him. Though he predicts that she is the Crowned Princess, and the title enough is full of responsibilities.
Through their wordless meeting although he may not seem like he was listening he was always paying attention. Twilight paints him colourful images of her life prior to the emergence of the Crystal Empire. She was a student for Celestia, moved to Ponyville, and is now a Princess. That was the gist of it. The in-betweens were hazy to the former king. It seems implausible for all of her good fortunes to come like this.
Where was the betrayal? Where was the hurt? Where were the deaths and wars?
Sombra spends his time exploring the castle. Sometimes he would see the unicorn with the teal streak and when he would meet her eyes she would immediately walk away.
***
That morning Sombra approaches Twilight first.
They have tea together every morning. He doesn’t think Twilight knows but he does listen to her rambles though he rarely responds. Apparently, Celestia and Twilight used to have tea like these often when she used to be her student.
He hesitates before he takes a sip of his own tea. It’s good.
Twilight continues to give a warm tentative smile, she no longer feels fear from the silence.
Sombra places his cup down before speaking, “Do you have any books you like to read before sleep?” he asks.
Twilight nods excitedly and summons a small book in front of him. “This one is so good, it’s poetry!”
Sombra takes the small book with his hooves and starts to flip through the pages. “Thank you.” He says. Twilight beams.
***
On some nights if he is lucky, Sombra doesn’t dream at all. Though he is never lucky. Some dreams are good, and some dreams are bad. This is true for everyone. But his dreams are rarely good.
The blistering Tundra.
The overwhelming power of the Crystal Heart.
Darkness.
The taunts.
He knows nothing besides his woes. Sometimes instead of sleeping, he reads the poems within the dusted green book.
He would trace the words etched onto the page every time and allow them to paint vivid images to chase away the too-real dreams he sees.
‘I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched…’
***
Sombra seeks Twilight out again. She is in the library lying comfortably on her back with a book in her hooves.
Hearing the door open she turns to see him. Immediately, she gives him a soft smile. He shakes it off and sits beside her.
“You okay?” She asks him.
Sombra looks away.
Twilight sighs and continues to read. Her eyes dart across the book at a speed he can’t help but gawk at.
“You’re welcome to pick up any book here.” She says waving her hoof around to highlight the countless books lining the shelves.
Sombra weakly nods and goes to the closest shelf and picks out a title. He returns to his spot and cracks the book open.
“I like that one a lot.” He hears Twilight say. He nods.
The two read until the evening.
***
Sombra tries the muffin on the table. His eyes glow, “Where did you get these?” He asks.
Twilight giggles at his excitement. “I made them,” she says.
He continues to chew and smiles. “They’re really good.”
“Thank you.” She smiles as she sips on her tea.
Four sugar and a bit of lemon. That was how she liked her tea every morning.
***
A million thoughts swirled in his mind. It was such a beautiful night and of course, something had to be amiss.
Always the memories of the tundra.
Sombra hates his mind the most. Why was he able to remember the painful feelings that never seem to fleet out of his head? He couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t fair. That although he had moved away from a place that caused him so much anguish it will always follow him.
Always, always, always.
His progress was in vain. Every time he pushed himself to have another conversation with another joyous pony was just another stab to his pride. He hated most that he allowed himself to be deluded that maybe someone like him could experience the wonders of the world like them.
But at the end of the day, he was still a monster.
At some point, Sombra’s breathing hitched and he broke down and let out a sob, feeling the doubt of defeat rain over him. Though he could’ve spent his whole night in this misery he instead felt something around his body.
The whispered words fell onto his deaf ears because his mind was still ablaze. However, after a while, he felt calmer. Sombra slowly looked up and saw Twilight smiling at him, tightening her grip around Sombra, she gently wiped the tears off his face. Her touch felt warm. It made him feel at ease, it made him crave it even more.
“It’ll be alright,” she whispered. “I'll always be here for you. Always.” He held onto the words Twilight uttered like it was his lifeline, and allowed himself to believe them.
***
Sombra is surprised when he sees him. The purple dragon with the green spikes. The very being that took his victory away from him. He isn’t upset by his appearance, Sombra has grown out of the feeling of vengeance. He likes to admit he isn’t that vindictive anymore.
Fear is overtaking him, the memories he tried so desperately to lock away were threatening to burst out. He is frozen.
However, when the dragon sees him he awkwardly gives Sombra a small wave. He doesn’t know what to do other than to wave back and crack a grin. The dragon who now seems unnerved walks away.
Sombra feels relief as he leaves.
When he sees Twilight next in the room with the giant table he can’t help but ask. “I didn’t know you had a dragon living here.”
“That’s Spike. He’s my little brother, Sombra.” She explains. He does not understand how a dragon and a pony can be related.
Twilight chuckles at his unspoken confusion. “We grew up together, I hatched him out of an egg, and ever since we’re always been together,” she explains.
Sombra nods. The bonds ponies build always manage to confuse him.
***
It would be two months before he met anyone from the town. Apparently, a pink earth pony was keen on meeting him after the news reached the ears of the town ponies.
The castle was promptly decorated with extravagant decorations.
When everyone comes he is nowhere to be seen. Sombra stays hidden in his room until a subtle knock makes him perk up from his poetry book. He hugs it close to his body.
The door cracks open revealing Twilight. She hesitates before opening the door completely and walking into his room.
He looks away.
Twilight lets out an audible exhale and settles beside him. “Why aren’t you outside with everyone else? They’ve been waiting to meet you,” she says with a smile.
Sombra buries his face into the crook of his arm. “I don’t think anyone would want to see me.” - they all think of me as a monster.
She frowns. “How come, Sombra?” she urges.
He doesn’t answer.
Twilight wordlessly nods and rests her head on his shoulder. Sombra is grateful she doesn’t try to push the topic further.
***
When the town is asleep he escapes from the castle and takes a waltz at night.
He walks endlessly under the moonlit sky. It is only when no pony can see him is when he is most at peace.
Sombra closes his eyes, feels the familiar tension in his horn once more, and summons a simple spell to light the nearby lanterns near the park bench.
He pauses when he notices a shadow. He is being followed. Spinning around sharply he sees her. The pink earth pony.
Sombra considers fleeing but the pony talks. “Hello, Twilight’s roommate, I don’t think we’ve introduced each other yet!” she says joyously. “I’m Pinkie Pie!” She introduces herself.
He is surprised that she isn’t repulsed by his emergence. “Sombra, my name is Sombra.”
“It’s nice to meet you!”
***
A month later he goes to Sugarcube Corner to learn how to make muffins. He wanted to contribute something to his and Twilight’s frequent tea meetings.
“We could make apple crumble muffins!” Pinkie Pie says.
He likes that idea. “I supposed we could.”
“We are running out of apples… how about you take a trip to Sweet Apple Acres while I set up the kitchen!” She says.
Sombra nods and exits the building leaving Pinkie Pie to her task.
Before his brief meeting with the strange pink pony, he was hesitant to travel beyond the castle. However, now he moves freely around the small town. Sometimes he notices a second presence following him, a yellow pegasus who seems to be keen on avoiding his gaze.
It shocks him that he is sad. Sad by the ponies' cowardice. Even after all these years, he still yearns to be accepted. Baby steps. Baby steps. He reminds himself.
As he approaches the farm he makes an effort to find the big red earth pony, who isn’t fond of many words. Sombra likes speaking to him the most, they don’t need to exchange much yet they seem to understand each other. That is enough for him.
Unfortunately, a different pony sees him. An orange earth pony, with three red apples as her cutie-mark. Sombra notices they match the ones on the chair in the castle's map room. She is one of Twilight’s close friends.
“Hello, Applejack?” He says first.
“Hiya, Sombra,” she says with a polite smile. Awkwardly his mouth also upturns.
“Would it be possible if I could take some apples, Pinkie Pie and I are making…” he pauses trying to recall what they decided to make, “apple crumble muffins.”
“Ooo, I love those, Pinkie Pie has a great recipe!” Applejack says. Sombra nods. “Wait here, I’ll be right back!”
When she comes back his eyes widen, “Uhm– these are too much, we only need three!”
Applejack shoves the bucket towards him, “Nonsense, yer’ can’t have too many apples,” she says.
Sombra nods in agreement, “Thank you.” he musters.
She smiles and waves him off.
***
“Wow, these are amazing!” Twilight says chewing happily on the muffins.
Sombra is unaware he is smiling from the praise. “Thank you, I had some help from Pinkie Pie and Applejack provided us with the apples. She was generous enough to give us extra.”
“I’ll have to thank them too sometime later then,” she says.
The two continue with their conversation. Tea time with the Princess has turned into his favourite time of day.
***
Twilight writes status reports to Celestia regularly. She knew of the arrangement after four months. Celestia hadn’t been furious, she had been more concerned. Thus asking for constant letters to be sent.
She writes them herself, Spike is still wary he wouldn’t want to write the outrageous words onto the paper.
He seems to be doing better. The town ponies have grown accustomed to his presence. I can see that they want to approach him but Sombra seems rather hesitant sometimes he shuts down…
I dare say he even made some friends, namely Big Mcintosh, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack…
He goes out to town often. Today, he bought a book of poetry at the market, I think it’s because I recently recommended a poetry book…
It’s been good Princess I think being away from the memories of the Empire is doing him some good…
***
Sombra, Starlight, and Spike sat in the dining room hall eating their breakfast in peace. It took some time but the pair had grown habituated to his company within the castle.
They exchange a few words. Sometimes Sombra asks about their day, the fact they answer is enough for him. He is glad they at least see him and no longer act as if he were a ghost.
And when Twilight comes down he hands her the coffee he made and that's when his day truly starts.
***
When he goes out of town to pick up Twilight’s quills he notices the presence again. The yellow pegasus flies on the rooftop to peer below.
Blending into the shadows he notices the pegasus flying down to check where he could’ve gone. When she turns around she sees him. With a bag of quills and his amused expression.
She lets out a yelp and takes a few steps backward.
“I’m Sombra and you must be one of Twilight’s friends?” He asks, his guess was from her cutie-mark, again because of the chairs he sees so often.
“Y-yes, I-I’m Fluttershy!” She musters.
Sombra smiles, “It’s very nice to meet you.”
Fluttershy nods and leaves the encounter by flying away before he can say anything else.
***
It is the night when Sombra sees her. When he climbs the stairs to the terrace of the castle he sees the familiar sight of a purple alicorn Princess. Her hair swayed with the wind and her feathers ruffled from the gust. They keep her insulated from the cold night.
Only when he is close enough does he see it. The cruel attempt of keeping things away from him. The culminated stress. The tears.
Sombra feels his heart welling up from the sight. “Twilight,” he breathes.
Twilight’s breath hitches as he meets his eyes. Her quiet sobs turned into small whimpers. “I-It’s nothing.” She answers, whipping away the tears and giving him a smile.
She was always one for courtesies.
It was a vain attempt. Sombra frowns, stepping closer to her, “What’s wrong?” He urges.
This time the tears fell freely, “I don’t know- I just- there’s so much going on and the prospect of ruling the nation, I’m scared! Everypony is counting on me, if I fail what Princess does that make me?”
“One that is allowed to make mistakes,” he says instantly. “The pressure you feel is all real and valid, it is a big responsibility to take into account every ponies’ best interest and try your best to make them happy. It was definitely something I had struggled with…” he laughs dryly before putting a hoof under her chin and turning her head so their eyes can meet. “But I believe in your resolve, in your kindness and capabilities, that you will be the best leader Equestria has ever seen. Because you have shown it to me, time and time again. Twilight, you can do this.”
She slowly nodded and before she could respond she could feel the warmth of his coat against hers as he wrapped his arms around her.
Suddenly soft snowflakes danced on his muzzle and instead of the cursed imprisonment he used to dream of he is reminded of the pony in his grasp.
***
“It’s easy to feel alone in the universe. Your shortcomings isolate you from feelings of success that those around you seem to experience. Restless nights, countless attempts in vain, and midnight walks under a moonlit sky; just to clear your thoughts. Through these shared pains perhaps we are never truly alone?”
Were the words Twilight had said to him at a time when she had thought he was asleep. Sombra was always an attentive listener. Perhaps she was rambling, however, he always believed the words we utter when you think no one else is listening is often our truest.
***
Sombra had learned to like the snow. The snow no longer reminded him of the ancient empire and rather serves to be a bittersweet memory with a starry sky.
It had been snowing for a while in the small town of Ponyville, and the signs of winter were showing.
Sombra halted his daily walks into town as soon as he saw the snowflakes coming except today he was determined to make a trip.
Twilight had told him about her annual Hearth’s Warming party for the town. Often he would avoid the parties she hosted altogether and at some point, without fail, they’ll spend a moment together just sitting in his room. None of them talk, sometimes her affectionate touch would seep into his coat and allow him a bit of strength to make an appearance to at least say hi, though that’s rare.
This party will be different.
In town, he buys a few presents, mainly for his roommates and the friends he made throughout the eight months he had been living in Ponyville.
Satisfied with his purchase he goes back to the castle to help prepare. Twilight gets especially stressed during occasions such as these so he tries to negate that effect as much as he can.
***
The party was in full swing when he felt the urge to go to his room again. Though he had been getting better with his stamina he still feels the impending reaction to shut down. Some nightmares are too vivid to forgo.
Luckily, a small glance in his direction and Twilight immediately recognizes what is going on. Summoning an excuse for the group to have the pair excused, she guides him to a secluded part of the castle. Where she waits for him to calm down his nerves. The breathing exercises she taught him did wonders.
It was a regular occurrence now before the location used to be his room and she would have to stay with him for the rest of the night. However, now, he had improved enough to not need her by his side constantly.
Twilight was about to leave when he reached for her arm. "Please, stay just for a second," he says and smiles.
Using his horn he recalled a spell he learned before the darkness, a spell passed down by the crystal ponies themselves. He knows he is straining himself but he is determined to complete it.
Concentrating on the pillar beside them is where they emerge. Beautiful, detailed crystal flowers summon, he is satisfied and picks them off and finally wraps them into a bouquet.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Twilight,” he whispers.
A pink hue dusts her cheeks as she takes the bouquet, “Happy Hearth's Warming, Sombra…”
THE END