//------------------------------// // Especially when the items I require fall into my hoof. // Story: A shadow of what I once was. // by FaelaArts //------------------------------// Twilight smiled warmly at Sombra as she led him to a round building and knocked on the door, greeting the white pony that answered. “Rarity, I brought Sombra over, did you manage to find enough?” Twilight followed Rarity in, glancing back to ensure Sombra had also come inside, and closed the door with her magic. Rarity smiled and levitated over a large chest, opening it to show it was filled with a wide variety of sparkling gems in every color of the rainbow. “You’ve outdone yourself again Rarity, Sombra come over here.” Twilight stepped aside and let Sombra have a look at the chest. Sombra looked at it and narrowed his eyes, picking up a bright red one and biting it, growling and tossing it back in and looking around. After a moment he growled once more, and turned the chest on it’s side, gazing at the spilled contents. Picking up the single purple one, he turned. “Do you have any that are gray, black, white or purple? These gem’s are useless for magic.” Sombra righted the chest and began to put the gem’s back in the chest, using his hooves. Twilight noticed and quickly levitated the remaining in as Sombra closed the lid and stood up. “The purple one’s are quite rare Sombra, but I have seen a few black and white crystals around. I normally leave them because they’re so garish and don’t sparkle. I’ll collect them for you tomorrow.” Rarity beamed brightly, and then frowned, and smirked, leaning forward. “But first, you have to say please.” Rarity smiled sweetly as Sombra growled, before looking to the crystal in his hoof, and sighing. “If you find me the crystals, I will make your death as painless as possible.” Sombra’s eyes briefly flashed green, before he narrowed them into a glare. Rarity looked to Twilight, before rolling her eyes and smiling. “Good enough.” Rarity turned and began packing various things into a bag, looking to Twilight as she realised Spike wasn’t here. Twilight glanced to the castle, and Rarity trotted out of the boutique. “What do you need those crystals for anyway?” Twilight turned and raised an eyebrow as Sombra looked down to the crystal. After a moment, he inserted it into his mouth and began to suck on it, slowly draining it of color. After it was nearly gray, he bit down, swalloping it in two gulps. “Eating.” Sombra saw the disbelief on Twilight face as she shook her head, and pointed toward the castle. “But only dragon’s eat gems!” Twilight didn’t understand, why eat them? What did they offer over regular food to a pony? “And they can breath fire. We’re not called ‘Crystal Ponies’ for no reason.” Sombra glared and exited the house, Twilight stumbling to follow behind. Closing the door, she realised Sombra was already taking off. “Wait, where are you going?” Twilight stopped after she had caught up to Sombra, and he fixed her with a glare. “Back to my prison, where I can study in peace.” Sombra turned and began walking again. Twilight growled, and stepped in front, meeting his glare. “Can you at least try to be nice? I know it’s quite hard considering how much of a stuck up noble you are, but we’re trying our best to make you happy here.” Twilight leaned forward, almost touching her forehead to Sombra’s, their horns almost interlocked. Sombra growled and closed the distance, pressing forward and causing Twilight to step back. “Well excuse my enthusiasm for being stuck in a prison.” Sombra pushed forward once more, but Twilight met it and increased it, causing Sombra to step back. “It wouldn’t be your prison if you would at least try.” Twilight remembered Sombra’s wound and relented slightly on the force, instead meeting his precisely. Sombra’s eyes flashed once more. “I am not a puppet king!” Sombra growled and pushed forward, unable to force Twilight down. Gritting his teeth he broke away and cried to the sky in outrage, grabbing a rock and throwing it at Twilight. Twilight caught it and let it fall to the ground, watching Sombra look for another. “You aren’t a king anymore Sombra! Accept it! All we are trying to do is give you another chance at a life and you are pushing it right back in our faces!” Twilight stomped her hoof, and once more blocked the rock as Sombra threw it with stronger force. Sombra spotted a scooter lying on the side of the road, and picked it up. “Like holding me by the throat is giving me a choice! You hold my life in your hoof and you’re asking me to follow your every command like a puppet!” Sombra threw the scooter, and Twilight deflected it, letting it down gently. “I will never surrender my will to your god!” Sombra shouted loudly and looked around, eyes almost fully green as he looked for something to destroy. After finding nothing he cried out in anger, and ran full throttle at Twilight. Twilight levitated him into the air, and noticed his bright green glare was directed at Canterlot, not her. Twilight gently let Sombra down, who was currently gasping for breath, eyes starting to dim but anger still evident on his face. “You’re right", she spoke, catching him off guard. Sombra turned his gaze from Canterlot to Twilight just as her horn lit up, and the limiter on his horn was levitated off his head. Twilight gently let the small ring fall to the ground, tinkling in the dirt before silence reigned in the clearing. Twilight motioned to Ponyville. “I’ve been so focused on making sure you can’t harm anypony, I haven’t been giving you the chance Fluttershy gave Discord back when we were reforming him. The chance of a choice.” Twilight picked up the limiter and put it in Sombra’s hoof, and lowered her horn, closing her eyes. “Well, now’s the time to give you that choice.” Twilight breathed in, and waited. Sombra stared at the pony, disbelief on his face, eyes wide as he tried to absorb this change of events. This was not what his brain had said the outcome would be. This pony had acted without thinking things through, this was madness! Sombra glanced to his horn, and concentrated, feeling the light spark of magic he had gained from the crystal. Sombra looked to the limiter in his hoof and glared at it for putting him in this position. Barely enough power for levitation, a pony asking to be killed in front of him. Sombra supposed he could just stab her chest with his horn, but that would get blood over his coat. If this pony was dead, the others may try to kill him, but he should be able to suck the magic remaining in her body out, returning him back to strength. Why was she trusting him? Sombra had trapped her, she had seen her worst fear, nearly defeated them. It defied logic, she was asking him to kill her and regain everything he had lost. Sombra’s mouth began to water, and he leaned forward, eyes beginning to glow. Her magic would be most succulent, he had never tasted Alicorn. Leaning forward, Sombra opened his mouth, and slowly brought it around Twilight’s neck. That trust...It would make a most useful pawn. If she could be swayed, she might just make a good queen. And with an army surrounding him, they might just be able to retake not only the Crystal Empire, but Equestria and the lands beyond. Using such a magic rich pony as this was for mere food would be criminal, a waste. But, could he do it? Would he be able to fake this ‘friendship’ despite his desire to murder every single pony in this town? Sombra leaned back and once more looked to the limiter. Surely she wasn’t expecting him to be a bed of roses instantly, that would raise suspicion. If he acted like he actually wanted to ‘reform’, the very thought made him almost throw up his crystal, then maybe they would fall for it, and he could get himself closer to his goal. “Sombra, any time now,” she spoke, breaking his attention. Sombra smiled warmly as he looked to the limiter and put it in his saddlebags. Yes, first he would overthrow Ponyville, then he would do the same to Canterlot. And, once the solar god was defeated, he would enter the Crystal Empire while it was unguarded, and silence all opposition in one fell swoop. No more ponies to oppose him, no more Equestria. “I cannot destroy you,” he spoke, turning away as she opened her eyes. Twilight widened her eyes, wings flaring as she looked around, and a smile broke onto her face, and she brought Sombra into a hug. “Oh my gosh I’m so glad you want to be our friend.” Twilight closed her eyes and hugged gently, careful of the wound. “Keep hugging me, I can still change my mind.” Sombra glared at the space behind Twilight, eyes glowing brightly and a slight purple mist leaking out. Twilight released him, and watched sheepishly as the glow faded. “Sorry, I got excited.”