From Darkness To Light

by Pixel_Spark

Posession & Incursion

The next morning Sombra woke up with, initially, no recollection of the previous day’s events.

Then it all came stampeding back into his brain, and he woke up pretty snappy.

The festival. The kids. Rebuilding everything. Cadance telling the whole empire about-

This memory actually made him bury his head under the pillow. Right, right. The official decree left behind by the King, his foster father. He’d had it hidden away so only Luna would be able to uncover it. Along with the decree was the now famous leg band. Once worn by the King, and reworked from the Queens crown, it’d been left to Sombra by Cloudspark.

Sombra had tried, literally, to escape the issue. But to his total shock, Cadance and Shining Armor, far from rebuking it as he’d hoped, had approached him with the request he ACCEPT it. Even Twilight Sparkle and her friends had stepped in, reasoning he deserved the chance. That and he had to stop beating himself up, which was courtesy of Applejack.

The next day, after a suggestion from Princess Luna that he stop hiding away in the castle and go out, he’d wound up remembering a promise and hightailing it to the preschool, where little Bright Spark was running a cake stall with her mother. After an attack had decimated the families efforts, Sombra, together with Prince Shining Armor, three guards and a certain six ponies, had helped rebuild it. While all this madness had been going on, the rest of the empire was slowly finding out he was technically (also, legally according to Celestia), the Crystal Empire’s crown Prince.

He winced in remembrance as he recalled hearing somepony referring to him as "your highness". He’d spent a large portion of the festival either apologizing for being slow to react when he let his mind wander and someone spoke to him using that title, or insisting they didn’t have to.

Although he did smile at the memory of somehow ending up babysitting a group of foals and fillies. Spark had been so excitable, bounding around with seemingly endless energy. He’d been reluctant to see the day end, he had to admit.

With a groan, he realized he’d have to face up to this eventually. It just felt...weird. All that lunacy, a forced takeover, proclaiming himself the King of darkness, or crystals, or whatever hare-brained title he’d given himself. And the whole time this little surprise had been waiting for him!

That one stuck in his mind...Why he’d used the title KING. It was rarely seen in Equestria, and even Cloudspark had been on the verge of dropping it, insisting it sounded too formal. So why...?

His father. Perhaps, in some twisted way, he’d been trying to tell himself something. Trying to cling onto one last vestige of goodness, even as he went slowly insane. He gave a shiver as he thought about that time. The memories were hazy, locked away. Every time he tried, he got a sharp pain in his chest, and a feeling of abject panic. Was it that he didn’t want to see himself that way?

At last, his stomach put an end to his worried musings, by grumbling loudly, in protest of his sitting on his backside instead of seeking breakfast. Feeling decidedly woolly headed he pulled his cloak on and ambled down the hall.

"Morning, your highness!" One guard greeted the dozy stallion. At first he thought Sombra had simply either not heard him or ignored him, until, several feet down the hall, the taller pony actually stopped, went: "huh?"

Then he seemed to realize something, because he facehoofed, muttered an apology, insisted he didn’t need to worry about calling him that, then continued his way down the hall.

It was a little bit funny, the guard couldn’t help decide. The length of time between his using the formal greeting and Prince Sombra’s brain apparently realizing it was aimed at HIM was just long enough to be amusing.

"Morning!" Twilight Sparkle greeted him as he walked in. He managed a sleepy greeting, and heard his stomach growl again.

"Mhh!" Pinkie Pie, mouth full of cake, waved at him and jabbed a hoof at the empty chair to her left.

He half listened to them chattering away about some place called Ponyville. When he asked what it was, Pinkie Pie waved a hoof in the air like a school filly.

"Ooh, ooh! It’s this totally awesome place where we all live! It’s got a bakery, library, a farm, a boutique and lots of nice ponies!"

"I see," Sombra blinked "I actually assumed you all lived HERE!"

"Nopey nope!" Pinkie Pie giggled.

"Although we do LOVE to visit!" Rarity piped up "I for one ADORE their fashion!"

"Two words: crystal. berries." Applejack grinned.

"But Ponyville is the best home we could have," Twilight Sparkle smiled, and they all nodded.

"Pee for Ponyville!" Pinkie Pie whooped, cheerleader style, as she chugged the last of her orange juice.

"You will be if you keep THAT up!" Sombra remarked.

Rainbow Dash let out a loud snort of laughter. Pinkie Pie started hiccuping loudly, between giggles.

Cadance and Shining Armor walked in at that moment, and this was the scene before them.

Twilight Sparkle and all her friends, giggling like loons, with Pinkie Pie hiccuping loudly, and almost toppling out of her chair every other second. Even the normally composed Rarity was keeping a hoof over her mouth, her shoulders shaking. But the biggest giveaway as to the culprit was Sombra. Being he was the only one not laughing his backside off. Also because of the level of attention he was suddenly paying to his breakfast.

"Morning-!" he said in a bizarrely restrained tone.

"P!" Pinkie Pie whooped. And he let slip a small snigger.

"Okaayyy...." Shining Armor and Cadance sat at the table, regarding the giggly, merry bunch around them, "what did you do?"

Rainbow Dash finally managed to recover enough to retell the random piece of toilet humor!

When at last everyone calmed down, Sombra even relaxed and had a little chuckle at Pinkie Pies reaction. She did eventually stop hiccuping, but decided she’d had enough OJ!

"Now, onto less goofy matters," Shining Armor chuckled "Celestia showed me those drawings you did, I think we need to show them to everypony, let them know."

“But how? Just sticking posters around will be hard enough..." Cadance frowned "not everypony will see them.."

"I got it!" Shining Armor grinned "the stadium! We can gather everypony there, and you can explain the shape shifting!" This last part however, was aimed at SOMBRA.

"Me?" Sombra paused "why?"

"They’re YOUR memories, you can explain it better then we can. You understand that darkness, know how it works. They'll trust the information coming from YOU." Shining Armor insisted.

Sombra looked uncertain, but in the end agreed to the plan. "I’ll get started on it ASAP," Shining Armor said at last.

Sometime before Sombra’s revival, Twilight Sparkle and her brother had stumbled upon the existence of a creature called a Crystal Bard. A shy, retiring creature, it’d been captured once by Sombra, and treated like a pet, albeit a pet that could read to him. One day it discovered one of the many secret passages beneath the castle and escaped. Despite setting numerous traps, Sombra never caught it again. The memory was long gone, he couldn’t remember it.

So it was a difficult matter to say who was more shocked when they met again.

The creature would oftentimes read a pile of books then go into a little hibernate-style slumber to dream. While Sombra’s arrival back in the Crystal Empire and all the mad shenanigans that ensured carried on, it’d been obliviously, deeply asleep. Now it awoke, stretched, and gathered up the books it had borrowed, ready to return them. It opened the secret door into the library, and potted out, focusing so intently on not dropping the books it didn’t hear hoof steps approaching, and bumped right into somepony.

"Oh no...mwhrr.." it said softly "I’m sorry-"

"Owch.." that voice. It looked up, eyes widening as it took in the stallion he'd knocked onto his hindquarters.

"Books? That you Princes Twilight Sparkle?" Sombra muttered.

"WAHHHH!!" the creature let out a terrified wail, catching Sombra’s attention.

"Whoa..." he got to his hoofs, cocking his head at the quavering creature staring at him in abject terror, "Who're you?"

"P-please let me go your highness..." it begged, hoping to distract Sombra by flattery then make his escape. He’d been told by Twilight Sparkle Sombra was long gone, and her brother the Prince had backed it up! So why was he here again?!

"I keep telling everypony they don’t need to call me that.." Sombra muttered to himself, then shook his head, frowning as he stepped closer "what’re YOU??"

The Bard shivered, confused. Why did the king not recognize him? He caught him after all. It was then he noticed a few differences in this version of Sombra. For one, he no longer wore the Armor of before. His ears poked up through the ever flowing mane, and the cloak he wore was a more modern affair. He also had a band around his leg with a stunning gem that caught the light and reflected it.

It stowed its tears, mesmerized by the light patterns inside the jewel.

Sombra realized what it was staring at, and slowly unlatched it, setting it on the floor and nudging it towards the crystal creature, "beautiful, isn’t it?"

Seeing the creature was still watching him in abject fright, he backed away, until a safe distance was between him and this odd creature. It scuffled forwards, picking up the jeweled band, its eyes lighting up as it watched the jewel.

"It’s a Purple Star Jewel, very rare now.." Sombra spoke very softly. The creature looked like a child that’d been given a new toy as it tilted it this way and that. Hopeful, Sombra took a step towards it, reaching a hoof towards it "If I might just ask you.."

But the movement startled the Bard, who ran off and vanished into a gap in the wall that hadn’t been there before. Soon it’d slammed the door behind itself. Sombra sighed, putting the band back around his leg. Who was that, and why was it so upset?

He was halfway out of the library when it hit him; he must’ve hurt or terrorized that timid looking thing.

A small swell of nausea reared its head, recalling the disgust he’d felt from his nightmares.

He was lucky to bump into Prince Shining Armor as he and three of his guards, Flash Sentry among them, rounded the corner ahead of him.

"Hey bud!" Shining Armor offered a friendly grin "you alright?"

The guards all bowed their heads in acknowledgement of the new Prince, and Sombra winced awkwardly, resisting the urge to tell them not to. He knew it was just protocol, but he still felt at odds with it.

"There’s something very ODD in the library.." Sombra began.

"Define odd?" Shining Armor replied.

And so Sombra described the critter he’d bumped into.

"Oh, I didn’t know he was awake again!" Shining Armor smiled "That’s a Crystal Bard. Must go say hi. Anyhow, as to why he’s a little...jittery.."

"You don’t need to explain, it’s as I feared," the guards noted the deadened tone of Sombra’s voice as he gave a resigned sigh "perhaps it will believe it of YOU if you inform it things are not how it believes."

“Did you try to talk to it?" Shining Armor asked.

"Tried...failed. It only stopped crying when it seen the jewel in THIS;" Sombra indicated the leg band "but when I tried to approach, it got scared and ran away. Entirely understandable..."

Shining Armor was a little worried about that familiar haunted expression now hovering behind Sombra’s eyes.

"Anyhoof, Cadance wishes to speak to you," Shining Armor told him at last. Sombra nodded, bid them farewell, then left.

To his surprise, Cadance had a task she wanted him to carry out. She mentioned she thought he needed to get this whole "you’re a Prince now and you need to get used to it" thing over with ASAP.

"It’s a lot to take in, I understand. Shining Armor took a while to get used to it when we first came here." she levitated a stack of letters over to him "but you need to let the citizens see more of you. Which is why THIS should make it less awkward. These are all responses to funding requests. This way you’ll at least have an excuse if somepony asks, right?" She caught the uneasy expression on his face and smiled knowingly.

"Am I that transparent?" he sighed, yet putting the stack of letters into the saddlebags draped across his back.

"I know you’re reluctant to trust yourself, or your own intentions," Cadance said seriously "as Applejack said, you need to stop doing that to yourself. Relax, just talk to them. Everypony out there is more curious than they could possibly be afraid.."

Figuring she had a point, but still feeling his stomach sink at what he viewed as impending embarrassment, Sombra nodded. She went over a few other things, and gave him some notes Shining Armor had said he may find useful. Sombra nodded, and tucked the notes into his bag, before turning to go.

Cadance watched him leave, and she could almost see the jumble of thoughts racing around his mind. He was still fighting an internal conflict. He seemed apprehensive about this second chance, even if it was his father’s wish!

Sombra walked down the street, taking the long way round to give himself time to think....

His mind whirled, trying to recollect that creature in the library. But nothing came back. He still felt a strange emptiness when he tried to think back to his reign of madness in the Empire. None of the memeories were clear, all he had was hazy recollections and sensations.

A gleam of light caught his eye, and he stopped to peer at a shop window, recognizing it as the same antique store he’d followed Fluttershy and Princess Twilight Sparkle into that first day out. He wondered vaguely if they still had the same jeweled carving he’d seen, made of the same stone as the one that the leg band bore.

"You alright there your highness?" the voice startled him and he let out a startled noise, turning to stare at the shop owner in surprise.

"I-its nothing.." he blurted "Sorry to trouble you-" he started to trot away, but the owner held out a hoof to stop him.

"Please don’t feel you have to be uncomfortable. I’m sorry if I startled you. I recall the first time I seen you I reacted badly. But then, none of us expected you to be so unlike the history books. Come in..."

Surprised, but at the same time vastly relieved, Sombra followed him into the shop. A quick rifle through the list of letters revealed this wasn’t one of the places one belonged to.

"I had hoped you’d come by, I received an import of new antiques, and one bears a stone I am unfamiliar with. Ponies say your cutie mark talent revolves around crystals, so maybe you can identify this one."

"I will certainly endeavor to," Sombra replied "there was also something I wished to ask after?"

"Oh yes? What is it?"

So Sombra asked him about the stone he’d identified that first day.

"I knew it felt familiar but it was not until Princess Luna reconnected the memory of my father to this artifact that I remembered how I knew that stone," Sombra looked at the band around his leg as he spoke. The shop owner pulled out a small magnifying monocle, and peered closely at the set of the band and the stone.

"It’s a splendid cut, rarely have I seen such craftwork. Truly fit for the King, or a Prince as it would seem." he smiled genially, a little poke at Sombra’s new title.

He was surprised when Sombra looked a little guilty "I...everypony doesn’t have to call me that," he said hurriedly. "After all-"

"After all NOTHING. Prince Shining Armor said at that announcement you outright refused it at first. I don’t know why you don’t think you deserve it, but the ponies here think you do. So get used to it your highness. The latest rumour is when the formal coronation will be! Anyways, let me see about that stone a moment.."

-Coronation? Oh Ponyfeathers...i hadnt even thought about THAT!-- Sombra groaned to himself. HIs whole plan to try and make this fly udner the proverbial radar was rapidly unravelling it seemed!

The owner vanished into the back room and returned with the carving, setting it on the counter in front of Sombra "literally just about to dust it. Shame there aren’t more like it, its beautiful, and like you said, catches the light nicely.."

Sombra had been given a run down on monetary matters, and how to file expenses, should he need any. He opened his saddlebag to dig out the notes he’d been given on the palace's protocols, but the shop owner chuckled and shook his head.

"It’s clearly a valuable part of the happier times," seeing Sombra’s startled expression he continued "it’s obvious from the way you talk about it, that jewel holds a special meaning to you. So consider it a gift, for everything you’ve done for us so far."

Sombra took a few seconds to get his voice back, “I…thank you…”

The shop owner couldn’t help but notice how uncertain Sombra seemed when faced with any act of kindness. It almost seemed to scare him a little, as if he suspected whoever was being so nice was just WAITING for the right moment to turn on him.

But Sombra seemed to relax when he showed him the unidentified stone. The taller stallion closed his eyes, and there was a brief flash of magic between him and the stone. When he opened his eyes they held a curious look. He explained the stone was very old, quite highly prized for its texture and color. This and other details he knew both from his studies as a colt, and his natural instinct.

"Astonishing. Anypony'd think ya got a whole textbook in that head of yours.."

"I don’t know how the information got there, it just...WAS, always." Sombra shrugged "even the advisors at the time, they hadn’t a clue how I was doing it. They thought it was a trait of dark magic, and they went coocoo..."

"Ancient time, they thought EVERYTHING was bad news if they hadn’t already discovered it." the shop owner rolled his eyes "The Princess elaborated a little on that, told us how the ponies of that era reacted as if you a walking omen of their doom."

"That pretty much sums it up," Sombra laughed softly.

The door opened, the little bell jingling merrily.

"Hi honey, were back-oh! Sorry, didn’t realize we had a visitor!"

Sombra turned slightly, to see a blue-haired mare and a little filly standing inside the door. The filly stared in blatant wide-eyed curiosity. But it wasn’t an unkind stare, if anything she looked like she was overflowing with questions.

"Your highness, this is my wife and child, Waveflicker and Sunbeam."

Sombra gave an eloquent bow. “Good morning~”

"We know what this is now!" the husband smiled to his wife, holding up the rare stone "seems it’s quite a sought after gem for jewelry makers!"

"Wonderful, there should be no problem finding a buyer..." his wife smiled proudly.

"Uhm...Hi!" Sunbream blurted.

"Good morning little Sunbeam," Sombra smiled. She looked pleased he'd answered her, and decided to chance asking a question:

"Uhm...c-can i see the purple jewel? Spark said its really awesome.."

Sombra nodded, and actually took the band off to let her examine it up close.

"Oooh....its so cool!" she cooed, giggling at the fractal patterns the light made dance about her face. Curisoity more than satisfied, she gave the band back, along with a big smile and a thank you!

Not long after Sombra bid them farewell, thanking them, once again, for the ornament.

Meanwhile, in town, Shining Sea was just after picking up Bright Spark from a morning extra-curricular activity session at the school. Her daughter was now bounding along, chattering away about what they’d done, promising to show her mother the pictures she'd drawn!

Then somepony called out to her mother, and they crossed the street to a small cosy cafe. Shining Sea began to talk to her friends, and Bright Spark soon got bored with adult topics. So her mother gave her some bits and sent her inside the cafe to get some cookies!

"What’re you researching?" Shining Sea nodded at one of the mares, called QuillPetal, aka the historian for the Crystal Empire.

"I did some research on Prince Sombra’s hometown," she held up some old papers "I was right, it WAS known for something! The origin of the comet called the Black Star! It was said to have crashed at the edge of the tiny settlement."

"Didn’t the Princess mention a prophecy-?" another mare asked. QuillPetal nodded.

"She did! I researched it, and it literally did foresee a pony being born with dark magic!"

"His power is certainly striking.." Shining Sea remarked, thinking about the shield he’d put up to guard them all, and that spell he’d used to trace the leader of the attacking swarm waves!

"It was just bad timing he was born in such a dark age..." QuillPetal sighed "as we’ve seen now, what he can do far outstrips anything in history books! To see him use it, you wouldn’t think dark magic is all that dangerous, yet it is known to be banned across Equestria. Most ponies that have tried it, simply burnt out. Research indicates it drains a lot of a normal unicorns power!""

"There’s still a lot we don’t know about him.." Shining Sea said.

"Well you must know SOMETHING!" one of the mares commented.

"What do you mean?" Shining Sea asked innocently, although she could already feel herself flushing slightly.

"You’ve probably spoken to him more than anypony else bar the castles occupants!"

“Actually, Spark has known him for longer," Shining Sea smiled faintly "I didn’t speak to him until the plague incident, when he took care of spark and myself."

“Speak of the pony-“ one mare bobbed her head in the direction opposite her.

They all glanced over in the direction she was pointing. Sombra was wandering along the pavement, seemingly consulting a length of parchment.

Spark trotted out of the shop, the cookies in a bag in her satchel. She spotted her favourite pony giving the list a searing glare, and shot over to the edge of the pavement, bounding up and down like a bouncy ball.

"Sombwa! Sombwa!" she hollered excitedly. He blinked, ears twitching as he heard her voice. Spotting her, he stowed the list in his saddlebag and started towards her. Once he was close enough, she pelted the rest of the way over and glomp-hugged him with her usual energy!

"Hello little one!" he chuckled, crouching slightly to speak to her. She beamed up at him, poking his nose and announcing, as ever; "BOOP!"

He chuckled softly, scooping her up and sitting her on his back.

"I believe I have something of yours~" Sombra said to Shining Sea as he reached them. "small, bouncy and giggly, familiar?"

Spark giggled from her place atop his back. Sombra clocked the other mares staring in obvious curiosity and inclined his head, greeting them politely. He was a bit confused by two of them turning slightly red.

The waitress came out, did a double take on spotting the new royal, and gave a flustered bob of her head before asking did the group want anything?

"You going to stay and join us?" QuillPetal asked Shining Sea.

Shining Sea looked tempted, but then she remembered she had her daughter....

Spotting her flustered glance, Sombra stepped in.

"I could take her awhile?" he said softly "Truth be told I have a bunch of errands to do, no clue where I’m going, and I could use her assistance."

"Would you like that sweetie?" Shining Sea asked her daughter, who nodded so fast it was a wonder her head didn’t pop off! She was also, to the other mare’s amusement, chewing absently on a stray, ever-shifting piece of Sombra’s mane.

"I don’t think that’s going to taste like food anytime soon." Sombra said in amusement, without even having to turn his head.

"Aww," she giggled, releasing it.

Sombra smiled softly, before agreeing to drop little Spark off at the house later. Then, with an appropriately well-mannered goodbye, he trotted off down the street.

"That daughter of yours is entirely fearless!" QuillPetal chuckled as Shining Sea sat down with them.

"I know! At first I was a little worried when she first came home and said she met a shadowy, tall pony. I’d heard the decree by this point, so I recognized who she was talking about! But when she said he struck her as being lonely, I wondered if she was seeing more then I was? I nearly fainted when she said she’d introduced herself in the usual way, which involves walking up to ponies, tapping their nose and going "boop!" I was SURE he’d have snapped at her, you know how he was before? But he didn’t. She told me he just stared curiously at her; I think he was surprised she was so friendly! Then he helped her hide from those same bullies, even scared them away so they wouldn’t find her!"

The others listened in silent curiosity as she continued.

"Then, on the day of the class picnic, she comes home talking about pink ponies in the palace kitchen, and this time she called him by name! Said something about him telling those mean fillies off, that she was as bright as her name! She looked so happy, it was the most she’d smiled in quite some time! The next day even the class teacher told me she was stunned by how different Spark seemed after running into Sombra.." she paused for thought "I guess, in a way, they were both pretty secluded, different to everypony around them. He probably understood her instinctively!"

"I’m glad to see her smiling. I know you were so worried about her.." one of the other mares said to Shining Sea, who nodded in agreement.

"I never thought the key to making Spark shine so much would lie with a pony like him. But somehow he’s done it! When she told me about the attack on the palace I felt lightheaded! When she told me Sombra had put himself in the creatures way to protect her, I knew there was no way he’d ever hurt her...or anypony for that matter. If he would care for a child the way he did, I knew I owed him a chance...."

"I’m just surprised by how intelligent he is. Seems bizarre in a way, after how he behaved before, That his normal self is so...well-spoken…”

"All I know is it still bothers him...” Shining Sea remarked, recalling her daughter saying one morning she was worried how sad Sombra was, "He still can’t bring himself to accept anypony's kindness, not fully...”

"At least he’s leaving the palace." QuillPetal said at last "all the rumors were that he was afraid he’d get hurt, that he thinks we'll attack him..-"

"That’s not it, not quite.." Shining Sea shook her head "he’s been getting battered within an inch of his life since day one, so it's not physical pain he’s afraid of. From what I learnt from Spark, and Princess Cadance at the festival, he’s never had good reason to trust other ponies because of how he was treated in the past. Imagine being feared right from foalhood just for having a different power..."

"It’s like that old saying, "once bitten, twice shy"" another mare commented "any hoof held out to him before was obviously just used to hurt him soon after. Enough of that awful business and now he’s wary of anypony getting too close. Well, besides small adorable fillies..."

They all smiled at how cute the interaction between Sombra and Bright Spark had been!

"Spark always felt lonely and sad, because of her impediment," Shining Sea spoke lovingly of her daughter. "Despite my attempts, I couldn’t convince her to believe in herself. To a small child, belief is half family, the other half the rest of the world. And without faith in both halves, she grew despondent. I get the feeling he seen something familiar in her when she met him, that’s why he started watching out for her. Petalbloom told me his exact words were:

"How she speaks is irrelevant! The honesty of her words is enough to put her above anypony that tries to demean her!"."

"How eloquent~" was one response.

"She came home so full of smiles that day, despite the story of the bullies taunting her. And that Sombra told the teacher, in front of the whole class, that he considered her as bright as her name, well, it made her day!"

"I hope we can convince him to open up a bit more," QuillPetal mused sadly "he’s clearly got far more to him since that madness faded away..."

"Praise from others is pointless if you can’t believe it yourself..." Shining Sea murmured.

While they were discussing his enigmatic nature, Sombra was feeling a lot more relaxed now, with his favorite little friend tagging along. She burrowed into his saddlebag, poking her head out the top, giggling. He had to laugh, watching her antics.

They soon came to the first shop, where upon Bright Spark suddenly declared she had an idea, and vanished from sight into the saddlebag. Getting the gist of it, Sombra nudged the door to the textile shop open.

"Morning- oh! Y-your highness!" The mare did a double take. She’d never personally spoken or even come face to face with Sombra before. Like many others, she’d seen him only in glimpses, between fights or simply legging it about the Empire!

"Princess Cadance requested I deliver this- hold on.." he turned slightly to peer at his bag "got it in there?"

She blinked; wondering why he was addressing his saddlebag, was he OK?

Then the bag flap popped open, and a beaming filly, envelope in her mouth, stuck her head out!

"Thank you, little one~" Sombra chuckled, magically taking the letter and floating it over to the shopkeeper.

She had to smile at this endearing display. Most ponies knew by now that a small filly had been the first to break through Sombra's barriers!

Sombra and Bright Spark continued on in this manner, with Spark playing mail filly, popping out to proffer the necessary letter!

One shop they went into seemed a little neglected. Sombra glanced at the letter, it was addressed to a Mr Shortcrust and his wife, Fruitybarks. Although there was an open sign on the door, he noticed there didn’t seem to be anypony inside!

He cleared his throat, his rumbly tones echoing around the store "Is anypony here?"

"Hewwo?" Spark called.

"Just a moment young ‘uns..." a careworn voice reached their ears alongside the sound of halting hoof steps. At last, a pony hobbled into the shop. He had a broken leg, and the crutches made it hard for him to move easily. He did a double take when he seen the Prince and his friend.

"Hay there, Prince Sombra, isn’t it? And who’s yer friend?"

"This is Bright Spark. We’re here to deliver a message from Princess Cadance."

Spark handed the letter to the pony; he opened it, smiled, and set it down.

Sombra noticed something off about the smile.

"Is...Everything alright?" he hazarded.

"Nothing to worry yourself over yer highness.." the shop owner tried to brush the notion away, but Sombra wasn’t to be deterred.

"Princess Cadance is adamant I learn the state of the modern day Empire, and surely the businesses within it are paramount? If there is something at fault-?" Sombra began.

The pony chuckled softly "It’s refreshing to hear a dialect like yours," he remarked "and I guess there’s no fooling you, huh?"

He sighed and sat down with a wince "truth is, my wife’s a bit ill at the moment, and I fell off my ladder last week, broke my leg. I was planning to decorate the store, but I just don't have the means to, not with this cast on my hoof. And baking so many cakes by myself is just impossible!"

Sombra frowned. Spark peered up at him, wondering what he was thinking about?

"I think I have a solution...one moment..." Sombra pulled a writing pad and quill from his bag, and set about writing a quick letter, Spark sitting up on the coutner, watching curiously as he did.

"I can think of two ponies in an instant that can be of benefit to you..." he sealed the letter, and with a quick spell, sent it off in search of its target. This was a fun spell, as he had to guide it himself. But he knew by now the "feel" as it were, of Twilight Sparkle’s magic, so he sent it to her, reasoning her friends were never far away.

He was right as it happened...

"Right!" Rarity declared as they exited the fabric shop "that’s everything I need to make your new ball gowns everypony!"

"Yay!" Pinkie Pie squeed. "Will it be made of candy again?"

"We shall see~" Rarity said mysteriously, but she couldn’t hide an excited smile.

Out of nowhere, a scroll poofed into existence, falling to balance precariously on Twilight Sparkle's nose just as she turned to glance in that direction.

"Ooh! Mail!" Pinkie Pie clapped her hooves.

"Who’s it from?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"It’s from Sombra.." Twilight Sparkle said curiously. Then she unrolled it, and began to read;

"Princess Twilight Sparkle,

I have a request to make of you and your friends, particularly of Miss Rarity and Miss Pinkie (Cotton Candy) Pie. As per Princess Cadance’s request earlier this day, I have been all over the Crystal Empire to deliver these notices. One such shop however, is in dire need of-GACK.

This word was scrawled next to a large blot. With what looked like a teeny hoof smudge next to it.

My apologies- Spark, that feather is NOT a toy, heh..- a silly filly can’t resist the fluffy feather on the quill. She is prominently declaring it’s awesomeness as I write...Back to the matter at hoof, the shop in question needs assistance from the aforementioned duo, as it is not only in need of help redecorating- miss Rarity’s raison detre, but some help baking- miss Cotton Candy’s calling in life as far as I can tell! Please let me know if you can swing by the shop, the owner would truly appreciate the help.

Down the bottom was another hoof smudge, and wobbly letters spelling out "hello Princess Twilight Sparkle and friends!"

"Aww..." Fluttershy giggled "that filly is adorable!"

"Ooh, can we go?" Pinkie Pie was all grins.

"A shop in need of a makeover? Why, I would be absolutely horrified if I did not cheer it up!" Rarity decided.

So the merry bunch set off for the shop, Sombra having written the address on the back on the parchment!

Bright Spark was entertaining the shop owner with stories of her and her mother’s cookie-baking exploits when the doorbell rang, and a familiar voice declared:

"Here comes the cake cavalry!"

"Ah, excellent.." Sombra sighed in relief they’d been able to drop by, though he hadn’t expected them so soon!

"We were just out shopping when we got your letter!" Rarity beamed. They introduced themselves to the shop owner, and began discussing how they could redo the store!

Sombra wanted to stay, but he still had more letters to drop off, so he reluctantly said farewell, Bright Spark hopping back into the cosy saddlebag once more.

"If that don’t beat all.." Shortcrust shook his head "a case of his bark was far worse than his bite, eh?"

"He looks fierce, but he’s not such a grumpy pants anymore!" Pinkie Pie nodded proudly.

By the time he was done, Sombra had met most of the Crystal Empire’s shop owners. He’d also secured another job for Rarity if she wanted it, designing new uniforms for a cafe!

He dropped Bright Spark off at home, and before he left she gave him a folded picture from her bag, telling him to open it later, along with one of the three cookies she’d bought earlier that day!

Wandering home after saying goodbye to Bright Spark and Shining Sea, Sombra made short work of the cookie, and then unfolded the piece of paper.

She'd drawn an adorably colorful picture of her, her mother..and him.

"My Family." Had been written in decisive letters across the bottom. Sombra stopped mid-step, feeling a sense of happiness from the picture he barely dared believe. He thought he’d adopted her, but now it seemed the other way around. She'd taken HIM in!

He tucked it safely away in his saddlebag, a genuine smile on his face as he walked back to the castle!

Cadance was pleased to see him looking so relaxed, when he came to inform her he’d finished the task. He spoke briefly of the shop with the owner in need of help, how Twilight Sparkle and company were helping to liven it up! And of course, his impromptu assistant for the day!

--He’s slowly adjusting..-- she surmised after he'd left --I’m gad to see he’s opening up more..--

Sombra left the small carved statue he'd been given, and a note simply saying he didn’t expect the creature to forgive him, but that he hoped it would accept the small statue as a peaceful offering?

These he put on the closest table to where he’d seen the reclusive Bard vanish that first meeting!

He didn’t think it would want to forgive him, but he felt an irrepressible urge to at least TRY say he was sorry.

In its dark, twisted realm, the creature fumed. That blasted unicorn kept wrecking its plans. And putting a stop to said unicorn was proving impossible. Every traumatic memory it shoved in his face, the unicorn fought back. He had to be hurting, yet he didn’t back down! But that pony had a seemingly limtiless supply of secrets hidden away in his head, it was sure of it!

Suddenly, it grinned, a NEW plan forming. One that would be unexpected, not as showy as its prior attacks.. it would show that pony why it was to be feared by this pathetic world! But first it needed a certain poison substance...and a willing dissenter!

Slowly, bit by bit, it was learning how this worlds magic worked. Its careful study of the unicorn magic from those it had drained had helped it stitch together a spell, one that would serve its purpose nicely.

It slunk between the trees, honing in on a certain brightly colored yet rare flower. It looked harmless, but mixed the right way, it was used as a sedative/nerve numbing agent. To the creature, it radiated danger. That was how it seen things. It needed no book to know this plant was what it sought. Like drew to like. This was what it required. It grabbed a bundle of the plant, cackling softly..

That evening, Shining Armor asked if Sombra would come to the training grounds the next morning, to help teach the guards how to fight those creatures. Sombra nodded, and spent awhile that night formulating a lesson plan of sorts...

In the end he hit upon an idea, and started compiling the spell...

Shining Armor noticed Sombra seemed a bit sleepy when he came to find him, but Sombra assured him it was worth it, that he was fine.

Wondering what he had planned, Shining walked them down to the barracks where the training was held. Rows of crystal guard ponies waited, and murmurs of curiosity abounded when they seen Sombra accompanying Shining Armor. Despite being literally hostile to each other at the start, it seemed to two Princes had established a genuine friendship.

Shining cleared his throat before stepping up to the mic so they could all hear him clearly.

"Alright everypony! By now you're all no doubt used to the goggles my sister created. But we have another goal, fighting those things efficiently to minimize injury to ourselves and the ponies of the Empire. So naturally there was only one pony I could ask on that front. That’s why I’ve asked him to come here today, so we can train all of you to better defeat those slimy creatures!"

They all cheered in acknowledgement, and Shining motioned Sombra to come stand beside him.

"These things are learning as fast as we are," Sombra’s low, rumbling tones silenced the merriment, and everypony listened intently. "They’ve gone from lone attacks to controlled swarm parties. And they’re getting evermore vicious with their attacks. Those present at the festival will have seen for themselves how easily they would attack children..."

Those who knew of the attack nodded, looking angry at the very prospect of innocents being targeted.

"They’re fast, fairly agile, but their cores are weaker than the one controlling them. So far I have not noticed any visible manner of telling them apart, aside from what Princess Twilight Sparkle has identified as an instinctive knowledge on my part, a rough spell that has been able to lead me to the controller. But locating it takes a moment or two, during which time the others under its control will attack en masse. I cannot so far find a way of transcribing the spell I use, so for the time being, we must do what we can with what we know. The cores will shatter with a corresponding amount of force. This is where we'll begin..."

More nods of assent and spirited cheering. Shining nodded in thanks, and then told everypony to get moving and do laps of the assault course to test their agility.

Sombra sat and watched the groups running the course with Shining Armor. He noticed some seemed to have a natural talent for speed and agility, they’d probably take to the fighting quickest of all.

"They’re exceedingly well trained," he remarked to Shining Armor "your work is exemplary."

Shining Armor couldn’t help looking pleased, and a little proud of himself. This job was a big part of his life; as it had been in Canterlot.

Once everypony had finished that little warm up, it was time to move on the next stage, which Shining Armor left to Sombra.

"It took some doing, but I have been able to create a construct for you all to use, one moment.."

They exchanged looks, what did he mean "construct"?

Sombra closed his eyes, letting his magic kick into high gear. Just in front of him a spell circle formed, and then a purple-black smoke appeared, swirling around before settling into the shape of one of the creatures. A glowing purple core could be seen without the goggles as the creature hovered above the grass, its yellow eyes staring, unblinking.

"Whoa.." one guard said nervously.

"Relax...” Sombra opened his eyes "it is but a fake, built using magic, not whatever those things are made from. It seemed to me the best way to learn is by facing one of them, and this seemed a far less dangerous method than some.”

"But is it...I mean, can it think...?" one stallion asked uneasily. Sombra shook his head.

"I discovered it cannot even maneuver itself properly unless I control it myself. Watch.”

He apparently turned his attention away from it somehow, for the thing just stood there. Then it stuck its tongue out and blew a raspberry.

The guards laughed. Sombra barely refrained from laughing himself. He’d been up late not just creating this thing, but amusing himself with how it seemed to react when he let go of its reins.

The guards had even more cause for amusement as it lost balance the next second, mid-raspberry, and fell flat upon its face, muffling the sound. They were in stitches as it proceeded to attempt to move itself around on its face, making that hilarious sound all the while. It scooted back and forth in this manner, accompanied by loud laughter.

"Ok...ok..." Flash Sentry was clutching his sides "we get it!"

"Why does this feel so familiar...?" one guard snorted.

"I don’t know..."

"OK," Shining was having to use Sombra to prop him up, he was laughing so hard "you’ve made your point buddy; please get your pet loony under control before I pass out!"

"Of course...” Sombra returned his attention to the thing.

The guards were split into groups, and each had to show how they’d deal with the creature. From the vast knowledge he’d accrued of the shadow creatures fighting habits, Sombra was able to emulate them quite accurately. He used little force, to give them a chance to see how the creatures moved up close.

He explained how it was necessary to use quite a lot of force when kicking the cores, and of course to be careful when destroying them, as they exploded and could cause injury. So it was best advised not to stand too close at the time of detonation.

"-and before you point out the fact I’ve been doing that myself, I request you remember how THAT ended. As I believe the popular phrase is, I’m "built like a tank", and therefore capable of taking an insane amount of punishment. I don’t advise anypony else entirely follow my lead in that aspect, we need to minimize the risk of you getting hurt. Which is why I’d recommend a back-kick. The edge of the armored shoes you wear will help in this aspect, providing a bit extra force."

Some of the guards fidgeted guiltily, they’d been using the tank reference since the start. It was kind of accurate though. Sombra was in no way a pushover. Nopony could deny he was a formidable opponent, and they were gladder then ever he was on their side.

After an intense and slightly exhausting training session, Shining let everypony go, telling them to get plenty of rest.

"Nice work," he said to Sombra as they left too, walking back towards the palace "you see? They’re glad you’re on OUR side, plus who better could they ask for then the pony who’s been knocking those shadow things about since day one?"

"I see your point. I’m just relieved my method worked, the construct seemed to aid their focus immensely."

"It does help to be able to directly "see" the enemy as it were, gives them a lot more motivation. Nice trick. Plus, I’m pretty sure you got bonus points for that hilarious display!"

Sombra couldn’t stifle a laugh "I spent a copious amount of time amusing myself watching it last night!" he shook his head "it’s a shame I cannot create multiple clones, but controlling one is the limit I’m afraid."

"Good enough!" Shining assured him.

Sombra decided to stay out wandering a little longer, and that he’d see Shining back at the palace. Waving a cheery goodbye, Shining set off back to his home. Sombra smiled faintly as he wandered a quiet street by himself. The guards seemed to be far more accepting of him now. Whereas at the start they’d ignored him unless they had to, keeping a strict eye on him so he didn’t harm anypony, they now readily accepted his help in fighting the kingdoms invaders.

Up ahead he could faintly hear the sound of the market, and wondered if Healing Breeze had her stall open that day? He wanted some more of that tea she made. This in mind he set off towards the sound.

A guard named Light Shield hummed softly as he trotted into his room at the barracks. Unbidden, the door shut behind him and he whirled. When he seen the shadowy pony that blocked the door, his magic flared up, ready to start a fight!

Then he heard its voice, like it was in his head. Its cold yellow eyes seemed to bore into his, he couldn’t move!

"You distrust that corrupted unicorn, don’t you?" the creature whispered sibilantly as it walked around him in a circle "that abomination, SOMBRA."

"W-what? No, I mean.."

"You’re not convinced somepony like should be even considered royalty, am I right?"

"No, I mean...he’s not all bad..." but it was getting harder to fight it.

"Face it, now you guards can fight without him, why keep him around?"

"I..." the exhausted pony felt his mind crack, it was so much easier just to agree, wasn't it? It was true he was uncertain whether Sombra was truly changed, but the guy deserved a chance right?

"No!" the shadow pony was face to face with him. It's eyes flashed again, and the poor guard felt his willpower slip away like water down a drain as the spell took over.

"He needs to go..mm?" the thing postulated, smirking when the guard nodded.

"You have access to the palace? Well, all you have to do is put this in his food or drink at the next opportunity, and everypony’s worries will be over. Tonight would be best..."

The guard nodded dumbly. Get Sombra to drink this special...tea wasn’t it? Why, Sombra had a special variety of tea he was always drinking, it was kept in the palace kitchen.

"Good pony.." the shadow creature sneered.

The Bard crept out later on, relieved to find the library empty once more. He'd spoken to Shining Armor earlier, the Prince had explained why Sombra was back, and told him the stallion was vastly different to before. It’d given the Bard a lot to ponder over.

Mid-musing, it spotted a shining statue on the table nearest its bolt-hole entrance. Curious, he picked it up, grabbing the note underneath it.

He read it over, and stared at it a moment. Was it possible this WASN’T the same Sombra? He HAD seemed vastly different to the one it recalled.

It scooted back to its hidey hole with the pretty statue and the letter. The statue was made of the same stone in that pretty leg band. Shining Armor had said Sombra was (although there’d been no official coronation), the technical heir of the Crystal Empire. And that, with his mind back in order, he was actually still getting used to his new role!

The Bard had felt a stab of sympathy when Shining Armor had genuinely said he felt sorry for Sombra after seeing what his own family had done to him. How the outright lunatic the Bard had encountered had been the end result of a spell of gargantuan scale that’d accelerated his age and shifted his appearance.

Light Shield switched shifts with another guard so he could do the evening shift inside the palace. His singular goal raced around his mind, how to get that traitor to their species to drink the substance?

By dumb luck he ran right into Sombra as the dark magic unicorn was heading towards the kitchen. Feigning a level of subservience, he asked if the stallion needed anything?

"Just after some tea.." Sombra muffled a yawn, dark red eyes sleepily focusing on the pony talking to him.

"I can make that for you, your highness." the guard said cheerfully. He seen Sombra wince at the title.

"Just...Sombra, please." he sighed.

"Yes sir," the guard said, which Sombra figured was a good a compromise as any.

The guard said he’d bring the drink to his room. Feeling awkward, but seeing how eager this pony seemed, Sombra hadn’t the heart to refuse him. He was too tired to object. He just wanted some tea then he was going to pass out.

Light Shield made the tea, stirring in the extra ingredient the creature had given him. The tea didn’t smell any different; there was little chance the unicorn would notice.

Sombra was sat at the table in his rooms when the guard knocked. Telling him to enter, Sombra glowered at the heavy book open in front of him and groaned.

"Here you go, sir." the guard smiled sympathetically "hopefully I got it right.."

Sombra floated the cup off the tray, emptying half of it in one go. With a relieved sigh, he nodded.

"Perfect," he smiled "thank you...”

He got up, wandering over to the window to shut it, "Have there been any further reports from the citizens of the Empire?"

"No further attacks at this point in time, sir." the guard said. Sombra nodded seriously, returning to the desk.

He was about to tell the guard he could go when the pony suddenly lunged for him. He seen a glint of metal, then a searing pain across his muzzle. He snarled in pain, pushing his attacker away on instinct.

"Have you lost your mind-" then he realized, in a way, the pony HAD. He could see a strange yellow glow in its eyes.

"Oh ponyfeathers..." he muttered. He had to stop this possessed loon. But as he made to strike back, he felt a wave of dizziness crash over him, and the room pitched awkwardly.

"W-what’s...?" he forced the words out.

"Time to die, traitor," the cold, almost mechanical voice made Sombra’s insides freeze. That didn’t sound normal...

The guard leapt for him a second time, Sombra just barely dodged aside at the last moment, and franticly called upon his magic...

The guard tried to swing round to get at Sombra again, but suddenly found himself tied to the floor by bonds of purple magic.

He gave an inarticulate screech of fury, snarling as he tried to pull free. Sombra had to really focus, his breathing rapid and shallow. He couldn’t hold this for long. He could see the darkness now he looked properly at this pony. Seen the dark outline that surrounded him. Whatever had been controlling him was really coming to the fore now. And maybe that would work to his benefit.

The possessed pony started to cease struggling as a purple aura wrapped round it. It drew the darkness into itself, despite the host pony’s protests. Then, with a last jolt, it let the guard go and returned to the spells caster.

"Only one way for this to go.." Sombra muttered "fight fire with fire..."

He closed his eyes, and returned the spell, darkness mixed in, to his own body.

The guard collapsed to the floor, out cold. Shivering with relief and dizziness, Sombra turned to go fetch somepony, but never got that far.

In front of him stood one of the shadow creatures, he hadn’t sensed its approach, that tea...

"Time to be rid of you, but we have something special planned..." with a leer it fired a hefty bolt of black electricity at its drugged prey.

Sombra hadn’t the strength to block it, and slowly felt the word fade around him before blacking out.

When he awoke he was lying on something cold. Lifting his head he heard the rattle of chains. Looking down some of the haze was cleared by shock when he seen his forelegs were bound in chains, and so were his hind legs.

"Couldn’t risk you getting away, not after this has been going so well...." the creature stood a few meters away, smirking.

"Buck...you..." Sombra forced out. It smirked coldly, then marched over to the prone pony and delivered a hefty punch with one shadowy hoof. Sombra saw stars spangle over his vision as his head connected with the floor, and he gave an involuntary gasp of pain.

"Done well haven’t you? Fooled them into trusting you, giving you this precious little trinket, letting you believe you’re not that different from them..."

"Say...what you will.." Sombra spat out, causing it to halt at the tone of his voice "I’ll take whatever they have to say about ME, but I will not listen to YOU."

"You really think there’s a place for darkness amongst the light?" it sneered "you’re an aberration to their existence for pity’s sake!"

The words of the prophecy Cadance and Twilight Sparkle had uncovered flashed into his mind, and he surprised the creature by laughing.

"Darkness that can walk alongside light," he chuckled "they predicted this long before YOU showed your ugly mug! Don’t pretend you know this world or ME!"

This time it was a sharp kick to the ribs, knocking the wind from his lungs. He snarled in pain.

"It won’t matter anyway; they’ll never find you in time..."

The guard lifted his head, feeling woozy. What was going on? Where was he? He opened his eyes, and seen-

A dagger. His memories came tearing back. The shadow thing, the possession, his attempt to poison Sombra. Then, the attack...

Then the door was flung open, and Celestia, accompanied by a royal guard came charging in. Dropping by to talk to Sombra, Celestia had been concerned by the lack of response. The door was locked, so he was in there, but she sensed something was off, WRONG, even. She'd fetched a guard, and they’d been hammering at the door for some minutes, only now busting it open.

When they learnt what’d happened, they were very worried.

THWACK. Sombra felt the pain reverberate through his whole body as he hit the far wall of the cave, before crashing to the floor. He tried to get up, but the drug was making every movement a battle, he couldn’t take much more. His magic was unreachable in this state.

"Hah, not so smart now, are we?" the shadow pony laughed as it began to walk over to him.

But as it raised a hoof to slam it down on Sombra’s neck, something whooshed over and gave it a bodily shove, knocking it back with surprise.

Sombra weakly raised his head, blurrily identifying his rescuer..

The Bard was an expert on all the paths and hidden passages beneath the castle. He was on one of his forays when he heard voices, and a sharp cry of pain. Concerned, he scurried towards the sounds, poking his head out from behind a rocky outcropping where the entrance to the tunnel was hidden. His eyes widened when he seen what was going on. A horrible shadowy thing was looming over Sombra, poised to strike. Sombra didn’t look like he could defend himself, struggling to even move. So when he seen it about to hit Sombra once more, he ran over, pushing the thing away with as much force a sit could.

It recovered its balance, and took in what’d interrupted it.

"What are YOU?" it laughed.

"Mhrr...A friend.."

"How pathetic," the thing addressed Sombra. "You convinced a walking ornament to help you-"

“Shut your mouth!" Sombra spat, anger blazing in tired eyes "how DARE you talk such garbage..."

"Step aside little fool, or should I destroy you too?" the shadow pony laughed.

"You’re not...mhrr...having him..."

"Fine, have it your way, protect this degenerate, see how far it gets you!" The shadow pony summoned more of its power, aiming to blast the crystal thing.

"NO-!" Sombra felt a jolt of adrenaline pierce the fog of pain. He couldn’t allow this placid little thing to be destroyed on his account!

In slow motion he saw a bolt of darkness heading for the Bard. He seen it shut its eyes, unprepared to budge from defending HIM.

The bard waited for the thing to strike at him, but it refused to let it kill Sombra! He’d decided the poor unicorn deserved a second chance...

But the expected blow never hit home. Not HIM anyway. He heard a scuffle of hooves, a rattle of chains, and then he was shoved unceremoniously out of the way, skidding across the polished cavern floor. There was a sharp shout of pain, then the sound of something hitting the floor.

"Mhrrr...Sombra?" the Bard scrambled up, its crystalline hands pressed in tearful sympathy to its face when it seen Sombra had taken the attack full on. He’d been thrown several feet across the cave floor. He lay in a crumpled heap, barely awake. The shadow creature scowled.

"Enough of your false pretenses!" it spat, unable to fathom how Sombra could be born of darkness yet exist in this light, happy world, it was impossible, wasn’t it?!

"Somrba..mhrr.." the Bard whimpered, huddling over on the floor, watching the shadow creature advance.

As he lay there, stunned and barely conscious, Sombra fancied he heard the voices of his friends. One by one they seemed to shimmer into being around him, and he remembered each one, recalling what Celestia had told him of the Elements:

Cotton candy, Pinkie Pie. Giggly, bubbly, crazy. Laughter.

Applejack, bold and forthright. Honesty.

Rarity, gracious and polite. Generosity.

Twilight Sparkle, smart and level headed. Magic.

Rainbow Dash, fierce and dependable. Loyalty.

Fluttershy, gentle and patient. Kindness.

The Elements of his friends, of Harmony.

He felt a strange sense of warmth, the pain fading just a little....

During all this, Twilight Sparkle and company had been alerted to the situation. She’d literally just opened the suitcase holding the box of the Elements of Harmony, when the lid flew open of its own accord! The elements launched out of it, each swiftly attaching to its owner. Then they glowed, and a bolt of rainbow magic shot out of the room and into the hall.

"Quick!" Twilight Sparkle blurted "after it!"

"What in tarnation’s happenin'?" Applejack asked "did YOU do that Twi?"

"No!" Twilight Sparkle shook her head as they all ran, Celestia included, after the errant magic "it just...went off!"

It led them on a merry chase from floor to floor, then into a room where it vanished into a wall. Seconds later Twilight Sparkle had opened it, and the chase continued. Down a set of carved stone steps, underground...

It started to stride towards the drugged unicorn, grinning coldly.

Then it was suddenly blindsided by a bolt of colorful magic. Knocked on its ear, it seen the bolt wrap around its victim in a mini whirlwind, the light obscuring Sombra’s form completely.

The Bard watched, wide eyed. What was happening?

The shadow pony got to its feet just as the light faded. Sombra stood, looking stronger now. But his appearance was different.

The cloak he wore now had an aristocratic high collar, and a silken scarf looped around it on the outside, pinned at the front by a gem shaped like a crystal heart. The clip that’d held his mane back had changed too. It had transformed into a crown not unlike the one he’d worn before, only this time in gold. It was comprised of a stylized diamond pattern, and curved around behind his ears, allowing them to stand free. His shoes bore the same style.

The look in his eyes was clearer now, he looked bright and alert.

"How-?!" it sputtered. Sombra didn’t deign to respond, merely unleashed a furious attack. This time the attacker was the one in chains, and that was where its existence ended, as Sombra shattered its core with one blow.

"Mhrr...Sombra?" he turned to see the Bard looking at him, wide-eyed.

"I’m sorry..." Sombra said softly "I didn’t mean to hurt you. Before OR now.," he walked over to it, and held out a hopeful hoof "I cannot expect you to forgive me, but-"

"Mhrr....already forgiven!" the Bard declared, accepting the raised hoof, deciding the Sombra that’d protected him wasn’t like the bad one from before.

Sombra felt a sense of great relief, and hope...just as he set his hoof back down on the floor, he heard voices echoing from up ahead. On instinct he moved to shield the bard, body tensed...

Twilight Sparkle and the others came haring down the steps, racing towards where they’d seen the bolt of magic flee. They skidded to halt when they clocked the two figures ahead of them!

The Crystal Bard, peering out from behind Sombra, who was looking ready for a fight. Shards of a detonated core littered the floor to one side. They also noticed the change in outfit.

"What we miss?" Rainbow Dash asked. Sombra realized it was them and relaxed, dropping the battle stance! The Bard seen the group and toddled out from behind Sombra, waving at them.

"Aww...hey there fella!" Applejack beamed, trotting over.

Sombra shivered slightly. Although the magic of the elements had undone the drug's influence, he still had all the aches and pains from his battle.

"Now THAT is a design I just ADORE, darling!" he turned as Rarity spoke. She darted around him, examining the new cloak, and squeeing in delight at the shoes.

"It did come from your elements it seems," Sombra said "perhaps it knows your designs?"

Rarity looked pleased at the compliment, and sincerely hoped it was true!

"Ooh, funky!" Pinkie Pie whooped.

"Somehow this style could only suit you!" Rarity declared. At Sombra’s baffled look, she explained. "You have JUST the right bearing to pull off such an aristocratic look, the style, plus posture, it’s a perfect match!"

"Straight from the horses mouth!" Applejack joked to Sombra, and everypony else groaned.

"Sorry y'all!" Applejack said with a chuckle.

Sombra managed a faint laugh, but even this seemed to make him feel weary. He was ushered back to his rooms, where a concerned doctor waited. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt, just exhausted. Once everypony left, Sombra curled up under the covers and passed out.

He awoke sometime later, to feel a hoof pressing against his forehead. He jolted, temporarily disorientated by a rush of muddled up memories.

He made a frantic gasping sound, trying to raise his head-

"P-please calm down sir!" he recognized that voice. It was Heartrate, the doctor’s aide. Sombra looked at him fuzzily.

"Sorry..." he croaked at last "I didn’t know where I was...everything’s a little messed up.."

"You’ve been asleep for almost a day, take it easy," Heartrate regarded him cautiously "how do you feel?"

"Sick, my head aches...but otherwise fine..." Sombra let his head fall back onto the pillow "but..tell me, is that guard alright? I didn’t get his name.."

"The guard? Oh, you mean Light Shield! Yes, he was fine. Pretty freaked out really."

"Understandable.." Sombra murmured sleepily.

"He’s feeling pretty bad about attacking you, last I heard he was planning to quit-WHOA!" for as he spoke those words, Sombra suddenly sat bolt upright.

"S-sir?" Heartrate stared in concern "you should lie still-"

"What was that last thing you said?" Sombra blurted, wide awake now "he was WHAT?!"

"P-planning to quit- hey, you shouldn’t be up!" for now Sombra was staggering off the bed, grabbing his cloak and draping it over his back, his magic shakily doing up the clasp. The aide babbled ineffectively as Sombra put on the armoured shoes.

"I’m going to have a talk with that idiotic stallion!" Sombra muttered.

"Is there ANY point in trying to stop you?" Heartrate asked at last. Feeling sorry for him Sombra settled on a compromise;

"Let me go deal with this matter, and I'll be right back here! I promise."

Satisfied by Sombra’s honest, blunt tone, Heartrate sighed but nodded, and watched the taller stallion bolt out of the room.

He trotted anxiously through the castle, hoping it wasn’t too late to find the pony.

In the end, somepony directed him to the guards barracks. The new armor and crown crafted by the elements caught the light, and shone. He had to admit it felt better to be wearing something on his hooves again, but he hadn’t wanted to wear his old armor any more. It’d felt...wrong.

The two guards at the entrance door were in the middle of a conversation and didn’t see Sombra at first. But when they heard somepony clear their throat they snapped to attention. They seemed a little surprised to see the unicorn, but quickly recovered their nerve.

"Is everything alright sir?" one asked.

"I need to find one of the guards, Light Shield." Sombra looked slightly concerned "it’s imperative I speak to him!"

Drawn by the voices at the door, one of the bases Commanding Officers came over. When he heard who Sombra was looking for, he said he’d take it from here!

"Truthfully, if you’re here for the reason I hope, your highness, then you may be just in time!"

“Time for what?" Sombra asked as they crossed the big open training ground. There was some sort of speed-training course going on.

The commanding pony stopped to briefly bellow orders, telling them to continue until he got back. Sombra felt their curious gazes on his back as he strode after the other pony.

"As I was saying, you may be just in time to stop that idiot from leaving," the pony sighed.

"Why is he leaving? What happened was out of his control!" Sombra frowned as they approached the doors to the sleeping area.

"He was pretty shaken up. You must understand how it seemed to him. Its clear you’re still adjusting to your new job, but to a royal guard, attacking those were trained to protect is unthinkable. He’s adamant he has to go, but maybe he'll listen to YOU!"

"I’m certainly not leaving until he does!" Sombra said bluntly.

Light Shield was at his bed in the barracks, surrounded by his friends, who were also trying to make him change his mind, or at least feel better.

"Guardpony Light Shield!" he jolted as he heard his COs voice "There’s somepony here to see you!"

Light Shield noticed his friends all fell silent, but paid no heed.

"I’m sorry sir," Light Shield didn’t look round "but they'll have to leave it for now.."

"This is somepony I am NOT giving you the option of ignoring soldier!" the CO barked.

Light Shield sighed, backed away from the bed, and seen why his friends looked so startled. The pony accompanying his CO was none other than Prince Sombra!!

"Oh ponyfeathers.." he squeaked. The Prince must’ve come to give him a right chewing out over attacking him. He tried not to look as scared as he honestly felt. This was why he’d tried to quit, in the hopes of escaping before the furious Prince came looking for him!

He forced himself to stand still and look up at the taller unicorn as he strode over. The other guards noticed Sombra still looked very pale, flushed slightly from the mere effort of racing round the palace halls and beyond.

"What is this NONSENSE I was told about you leaving your job?"

"I could not continue after what I-"

“Listen," Sombra said sharply "don’t stand there and give ME a lecture on making mistakes. In case you haven’t read a history book- I’m pretty sure a lunacy-fuelled hostile takeover far defeats one count of possession. You screwed up once-"

“You don’t understand your highness!" Light Shield shuddered as he recalled "how it feels to have your mind enslaved by.." he trailed off as Sombra cocked his head to one side, his gaze unwavering.

"Finished?" Sombra said "let me tell you something: I was no older then Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends when my OWN power got loose and drove me insane. It took over, changed EVERYTHING. More than just my mind was lost that day. Seeing it NOW, you think it doesn’t make me sick to my stomach? And I can’t even remember most of it! It’s just hazy images and echoes, but it’s enough."

Light Shield and his group were all stunned silent. Everypony was. Was he saying he’d gone from a child to an adult at the point of the takeover? It was the only way the history books made sense.

"Whatever you felt during that whole ordeal, I can sadly say I’ve been there, endured that. I KNOW what it can do to you. So listen NOW; do NOT let this small mistake stop you in your tracks. I made that mistake, and look what happened." he shook his head, the distant look fading from his gaze.

He jabbed a hoof at Light Shield, "I cannot fix what I did, but I sure as HAY can stop you from recreating my mistakes. If needs be I will hound Shining Armor until he changes your mind. OR I will persuade Cotton Candy to follow you around with a flugelhorn, playing THE most obnoxious tune I can teach her, until you listen to reason!"

Light Shields jaw was on the floor. He was shocked silly. So were his friends.

"Well?!" Sombra demanded almost imperiously "do you understand what I’m telling you?"

A mute nod.

"And?" the unicorn stared sternly at him. "What say you now?"

Light Shield opened and shut his mouth, unable to speak.

"Do it," one of his friends backed Sombra statement "it won’t be the same if you leave! You wanted to be a guard as long as I’ve known you! Remember when you first joined?"

"Yeah! And when Shining Armor said you had the best record for the agility course the first day he took over!"

Light Shield looked from them to Sombra. The Prince was standing there calmly, watching him with an expectant air. It struck not just him but a lot of them just how much he’d changed since reappearing in the Empire. Even the way he carried himself was different. The change in the armor he wore made him look ever more at home in the Empire.

"Do I need to inform Shining Armor you intend to stay, or-?" Sombra looked at Light Shield.

"No, your highness," Light Shield heaved a sigh of relief he hadn’t known he’d been holding "I will inform him myself."

"Excellent." Sombra’s expression softened slightly, he looked relieved to hear it. He turned to go.

"B-but...sire..." he paused mid step and turned to look at Light Shield again.

"I-I don’t understand something....well, THINGS."

"What would those be?" Sombra asked.

"How did that thing get into my head? And how in Equestria did you get it OUT again?!"

"The first one, and I think you will know this when you hear it, was because of your ambivalence towards ME. That creature is a master at manipulating, twisting. Since the start its been hounding me at every turn, trying to make me believe what isn’t true, hoping what happened in the past could be used to get me out of its way. Since that has so far failed, it has turned to using others. Undoubtedly it was random, there was no doubt a plethora of targets it could’ve gone for, you just happened to be the closest, I'll warrant."

Everypony was caught up now, more of them scooting closer to overhear the taciturn Prince’s speech. They heard a lot in his voice, the sharply chosen words. Sadness, regret, even a smidgen of hope.

"After that it was just a matter of crowding out every other thought but those that served its purpose. As for how I extracted it, i cannot explain the spell. It seems my magic cannot be controlled simply by studying spells, it is largely instinctive. Perhaps that is a fault of never being trained in it. It was simply a spell to bring that darkness to my own. It had taunted enough times our magic’s bear similarity that I hazarded a guess it could work in my favor. That’s all it was."

"All?" somepony said in disbelief "that sounds like advanced magic to me!"

"You weren’t trained?" one of Light Shields friends looked at Sombra, eyebrows raised "ever?"

Sombra shook his head "That is the theory behind why I lost control. A thousand years ago, dark magic was viewed as the end of all that was decent and right with the world. I was kept away from other ponies and spell books whenever possible. They were terrified of what’d happen if I were to ever master it!"

"Wow, that sucks." somepony at the back remarked.

"That’s how things were back then. Logic and common sense did not prevail then. Superstition and wild theory’s ruled their minds," he smiled, but it was dampened a wistful sort of sadness.

Light Shield was looking depressed again, so Sombra walked closer again, lowering his voice so only the guard and two standing near to him heard.

"Whatever it is you’re still clinging onto, it won’t do you a bit of good. Your objections to my being here are understandable. That thing just used that as a jumping point. It could’ve happened to anypony who shared your feelings. So drop it. Clear?"

A relieved nod.

"Good." Sombra turned and was part way to the door when Light Shield realised he wanted to say something else to the stallion. He didn’t feel half as nervous of Sombra as he’d first been. It was with this in mind that he held out a hoof.

"Thank you, your highness," he said with a surge of relief and gratitude "I will not desert those I swore to protect!"

Relieved to see his efforts had sunk in, Sombra was glad to accept the hoof shake.

Once Light Shield had set his hoofs back on the ground, he straightened his posture and snapped off a formal salute. The concerned CO could only grin to himself at how quickly Sombra had been able to make the recruit see sense.

Impressed by what they’d heard, and impressed by Sombra’s blunt honesty and admission of the past, the others copied the gesture. They had a new-found respect for the unicorn. The sound of hoofs stepping back onto the hard floor echoed around the barracks.

"And for the record sire," Light Shield said quietly to Sombra "I don’t think there would’ve been all that many for it to have chosen from. Not anymore."

"Looks like I got here just in time!"

The two turned to see Shining Armor standing there. He gave Sombra a grin.

"Hey buddy, been looking everywhere for you! The doctor’s having a fit, and his aides having a panic. Seems they’re a little concerned you’re pushing yourself too hard again."

"Ah, I had forgotten I promised the aide id return right away. I should get back.."

"I just got the letter you left!” Shining Armor looked at Light Shield "I came here to try and persuade you otherwise, but it looks like somepony already has."

Light Shield felt himself flush, feeling silly now for how he’d acted. He glanced at Sombra as he spoke "Yes sir. I wasn’t thinking clearly...I panicked."

"It’s over now, no sense in worrying about it." Shining Armor told him.

He stayed briefly to chat with the CO, and then he left, along with Sombra.

That night, at dinner, Shining Armor recanted the tale of Sombra apparently averting the loss of a good guard pony.

"That’s a relief, tha poor fellah must’ve been scared silly!" Applejack said "But it weren’t his fault, that thing just...used him!"

"It took of advantage of his distrust," Sombra said softly "it’s getting desperate, trying anything and everything."

"To be rid of YOU," Shining Armor pointed out. "It worried me how far it’s going. But you are, literally, the backbone of this empires resistance to its takeover. It’s obsessed with defeating you, hoping everypony else will crumble."

"This empire could stand well enough without me," Sombra said bluntly "it underestimates what you are all capable of-ow!"

For Applejack, who was sat next to him, suddenly reached up and flicked his ear with one hoof.

"Knock it off sugarcube. Yer not going nowhere, so don’t go saying that stuff. We'd be galloping up crap canyon without a saddle if you weren’t saving our collective rears." she shook her head "we gotta train ya outta this self-depreciation thing ya got goin'. If anypony ever perfects time travel, I’m gonna go back and smack yer parents round the head so hard they'll be waking up a week later!"

This caused a wave of laughter across the table, particularly Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash! Sombra flushed slightly, Twilight Sparkle noticed.

But, and she seen the same knowing look on Cadance’s face when she glanced over, he didn’t look so uneasy about accepting what everypony said to him. He hadn’t been used to kindness and compliments when he arrived, and even now, she noticed he still automatically shied away from letting anypony thank him, although he was slowly getting better!

A night later and Sombra found himself unable to sleep. So he took himself up to the tower again, where, as before, Luna was watching the stars.

"Sombra," she smiled gently "can thou not sleep?"

"Sadly no. Something feels unsettled...I wish I could explain more than that."

"No need, this strange phenomenon is beyond any of us..." she looked out at the rippling tear in the sky "what is its plan, one wonders?"

"All I know for sure is it wants this world, its own must be failing." Sombra trailed off. He glanced at the Princess, noticing she seemed to have something on her mind. She also had the goggles he’d made especially for her hanging loosely round her neck. She noticed, and tapped them with one hoof.

"We keep watch over the night, lest those foul creatures attack whilst everypony sleeps." Her smile faded somewhat, and Sombra sensed something bugging her.

"Something the matter?" he asked.

"We wish to ask your counsel, in regards to dark magic..."

Sombra blinked, surprised, but he knew she wasn’t fooling about, the serious look on her face said it all.

"I will try to explain it as best I can. What exactly do you wish to know?"

"How do you control it?" seeing his perplexed frown as he made to object she shook her head at him "thou has remarkable skill in reigning your power in, we have seen it for ourselves. You claim you fear it taking over, yet from what we seen, it is at YOUR beck and call! Perhaps, in the past, thou made mistakes, but at the present, you are the only one in the empire capable to fighting those things AND drive them back!"

"Guess I can’t argue with that..." Sombra smiled a little "but honestly? I don’t understand how I control it now. As I said to Princess Twilight Sparkle, my magic doesn’t function through spells and study, it just seems to BE. The spells I want just seem to weave themselves from my head. I wish I could provide a more lucid explanation, but that’s the best I can do.”

"As you may already know, my sister and I, we know a little of dark magic. So does Twilight Sparkle. But we only possess slivers of knowledge compared to the volume thou possesses. Long have we had time to meditate on our mistakes in the past. We had studied dark magic, shortly before our...transformation.."

“You think that’s what helped you change?" Sombra asked, getting the point quickly.

She nodded, looking worried "it has lingered in our mind on many a night. Even more so since you returned here. We had thought it prudent to wait and see how you responded to your return, before going after answers."

"To see if I was still crazy.." Sombra smiled very faintly "no need for concern. I would be wary of me too, were I in your place."

"Do not mistake past doubts for what they are now!" she said sharply, seeing the familiar resignation briefly flash over his features. He jolted slightly, and she smiled sympathetically "lest you forget, we both made similar mistakes in our pasts. And you have shown everypony you are more than just a piece of the past. Cease misjudging thyself Sombra, this empire is lucky you are here."

This silenced any retort Sombra may have had, and after a moment, he just nodded.

"Good," Luna said firmly "now, how do you think you keep your magic in check?"

"I’m not sure," Sombra said hesitantly "I guess there’s always the thought in the back of my mind, that I can’t have another incident like the past. Also, so many ponies keep saying this power isn’t a curse, that I...started to believe them I guess..."

"It is as any other pony would regulate their power. You have allowed yourself to become more relaxed around it, and instead of stress and fear keeping it supressed, you allow your natural instincts to watch over it."

“You’ve answered your own query there then," Sombra said curiously "surely all you need to do is keep calm if you should try to use dark magic-"

"It is not so easy. You are gifted in dark magic, but for the rest of us, it is an arduous, dangerous path to learn even the basics. It has been so long since we last thought about the nightmare moon incident; we did not think we could have used dark magic to change ourselves. But, we spoke with our sister, and she told us the truth of that night. When we lost our temper and lashed out at her, books about dark magic littered our private chambers. We know not why, but perhaps we thought we could make ourselves stronger with dark magic."

"I see why it has been forbidden all this time," Sombra said softly, looking at the stars "in the wrong hooves, it can cause corruption and madness. Even being born with it did not spare me from its influence. I do not know what it is like to possess any other kind of magic. I wonder just how I can possibly help you, Princess..."

"I wish to try a spell or two; I ask that you merely keep an eye on the proceedings. Even if you don’t know the spell, you know how it should FEEL when it is correct. Even Celestia has recommended you be the first port of call. You know more then you think. Perhaps this will encourage you to cease regarding your magic with distaste."

"No fooling you is there Princess..." he sighed softly "even knowing this power is a core part of me doesn’t stop me from looking at it and wondering how I would be if I had normal unicorn magic."

"You would not be YOU." Luna said bluntly "You would not be the crown Prince of the empire, the pony that has given so much to protect defenceless citizens and us."

Luna asked him to help her use a simple dark magic spell. He nodded, closing his eyes, and when he opened then, their familiar glow was mirrored in Princess Luna’s. He also seen the same trepidation he had felt on first regaining his magic in this modern day.

"You have to be firm-hoofed with it," somehow the words just came to him "you let your guard slip, that’s when the darkness will run rampant. Like a crack in a window, it will rapidly spread until it shatters. It’s STILL your magic, so make sure you tell it that."

Luna nodded, her expression becoming more resolute.

"What spell had you wished to try?" Sombra asked once he was sure she was comfortable with the power.

"Just a basic teleport spell. We have studied one that reminds us of how YOU teleport, it seems to have a bigger range then a normal one."

This was true, and Sombra related how he’d transported himself from the school to the podium where Cadance and Shining Armor had been holding their meeting.

"And whilst you maintained a shield?" Luna was impressed "thou underestimate thyself, thy talent is admirable."

"I had not thought about like that..." Sombra shrugged "in a way I’m still learning, myself. Not just from my past mistakes but from the sheer amount of power there seems to be within me.."

He got up and disappeared, reappearing atop a floating crystal platform a short distance from the tower. He turned to face Luna, who stood by the window.

"Just try to transport yourself over to me," he said, feeling a small shred on confidence grow. Maybe he COULD use his magic to help another learn to use dark powers.

Luna nodded.

"Control oneself.." she said firmly, before closing her eyes. In her mind she willed the spell to work, to transport her to beside Prince Sombra. From this distance she was aware of his power, in her mind it was like a purple flame, and she threw the spells anchor towards that glow.

With a flash of black-blue flame she vanished, and appeared face to face with him on the platform. Hesitantly opening one eye she seen his amused expression, and realized it’d worked.

"Huzzah!" she declared loudly.

"Indeed," he said with a nod "now for a little further..."

Then he vanished, but this time he wasn’t within visible distance.

"Sombra?" Luna frowned "what joke is this?"

When she got no answer she made a cross huffing sound, then realized this was part of the favor shed requested of him. He WAS trying to teach her.

"Very well, we will find you, post haste!" she declared, and shut her eyes once more. Doing as shed done before, seeking out the purple flare of his power- there!

There was a rush of magic and she felt herself disappear, and reappear elsewhere. The sounds of birds chirping answered her as she opened her eyes. Sombra was sat on the other side of the clearing, and nodded as he got to his feet.

"This is intriguing," Luna murmured "there is no mental spell set to follow, yet we found our way!"

"Perhaps that is the key to dark magic. It is controlled by the users mind, not spells like normal magic. I had never thought of it that way..." Sombra mused.

He put Luna through a few more tests, hopping from place to place around the empire, winding up back in the tower.

He noticed Luna wince when she reappeared, and insisted she stop there.

"We can handle ourselves!" Luna said crossly, but Sombra shook his head.

"It is not that I doubt your magical ability Princess Luna, rather that I fear over exposure may harm you." she said softly "trust me in this; you must become accustomed to the darkness if you wish to embrace its power once more."

Luna realized he was very serious, and nodded. When she opened her eyes they’d returned to normal. She smiled, seeing his magical aura still shining.

"Somehow that look seems suited to you," she said, meaning the ethereal green glow, and the faint purple aura "it is as that prophecy says, you were born to wield this kind of power."

"Doesn’t always mean I’m ready to," he said almost sadly, then shrugged lightly "I would recommend we stop until another night."

Although a bit saddened she hadn’t progressed much, Luna understood what he was saying. Sombra understood dark magic the way everypony used normal magic. The tricky part lay in translating his natural gifted instincts into a way to understand the power.

The next night he returned, and continued to show her little by little how he created the spells he used to summon those spikes of purple crystal. When Luna focused, and succeeded in making a bunch of spikes surround her, she looked so buoyed by this success he had to congratulate her.

"We will learn even more!" Luna declared "Perhaps one day we may be able to wield it as you do!"

Although pleased by the fact she was learning so fast and dealing well with the slow pace of the lessons, Sombra still felt a twinge of unease.

The third night he was starting to feel the strain of playing Prince and protector by day, and teacher by night.

"Art thou alright?" Luna asked curiously as he yawned softly.

"I’m fine," he said softly "no need for concern, Princess..."

She studied him a moment, before letting it go. But just as he was about to launch into a demonstration of how to use those crystal spike spells strategically, he suddenly huddled over in pain.

"Is it one of those things?!" Luna blurted, recognizing the sudden onslaught of pain from the last time they’d fought one together!

Sombra nodded.

"Then let us defeat it, post haste!" she declared. Once the pain had faded, Sombra teleported the both of them to where he could sense the dark, creeping power.

"I...I think if eel it..." Luna said as they appeared a short distance away from what resembled a warzone. Those things were racing about, causing damage and trying to drag ponies from their homes. On realizing they had two very angry pursuers, the creatures turned on them instead.

But what at first seemed disorganized soon revealed itself to be a long-planned TRAP. They centered on Sombra, diving and whirling around him like a multi-pronged tornado. Luna, distracted trying to herd the citizens away from the fight, heard him cry out in pain and spun round, seeing him snarling and fighting to get free from what resembled a small tear in the very AIR.

"SOMBRA!" She bellowed, aiming a bolt of magic at the closest one that had its fangs sunk into his foreleg. She tried to help him tear free from the insipid darkness trying to drag him in. Shaking its head to clear it from Luna’s attack spell, the angry shadow pony charged her. Sombra tried to push her aside but her hold on him was too strong, and the creature barreled into both of them, knocking them into the mini tear, which wavered and snapped shut, the tenuous link severed by those that’d created it.

The ponies Luna had been helping exchanged frightened murmurs, and somepony ran to fetch the guards...

"What? Gone?" Shining Armor stared at the guard who’d woken him and Cadance at the crazily late hour of the night.

"Y-yes sir...witness reports say the Prince and Princess were trying to fight a whole bunch of those things. They tried to drag Prince Sombra into the rip in the air, and Princess Luna almost managed to stop them. But then they attacked the both of them and they couldn’t get away in time, and were dragged into it."

Celestia was of course worried sick when she heard what’d happened. That both her sister and Sombra were confirmed missing, abducted by those things-!

Luna winced as she slowly floated back to consciousness.

"Ow, my head.." she groaned.

"Take it easy.." she jolted awake at a familiar rumbling tone. Looking up she seen Sombra sat nearby, looking tired but alert.

"What hath happened...where are we?" she asked "last we recall is trying to help you.."

"Those things pulled us into their world.." Sombra looked gravely serious "I’m sorry Princess Luna, I should not have put you in such danger by dragging you into this-"

"Stifle thy prattling!" Luna objected "we volunteered ourselves to help defend this kingdom! If you can do it, why should we not do so?"

"Because apparently I’m built like a line-backer, and spoiling for a fight. Ask the palace doctor, he’ll tell you I’m sufficiently bull-headed to take as much of a clobbering as I give. I would not wish even a fraction of the battering I have endured on you, Princess. Those things are very dangerous!"

"And what propose you? That we sit by idly and watch you carry that burden alone? As I believe Twilight Sparkle and her friends showed you, you aren’t alone, there are we ways we can help thee. We will not risk you burning out because you are trying to shield us...”

Sombra faltered, unable to think how too dissuade her any further. She stared levelly at him.

"Thy courage is admirable, and your will to protect us all even more so. But we are all part of this, and we for one will not shirk our duty."

Sombra gave a worried sigh "then just be careful, don’t put yourself in the path of a fight...leave that part to me...”

She nodded, accepting he would always try to shoulder the entire burden alone, all she and the others could do was watch over him and try to keep him from going under.

Now she took in where they were hidden. The ruin of a strange looking building, all cold and seemingly made of stone and metal. Outside the air was humid and smoggy, giving it an air of perpetual darkness.

A small, brilliant purple flame blazed in mid-air not far from them. It gave off a surprising amount of warmth for something so little.

"Where are we...how can we get back?" was her next question. Sombra shook his head, uncertain.

"The tear is far from here. Wherever we are, it’s a fair distance from the exit. And I get the feeling that tear is heavily guarded. There are...I hesitate to call them spells, they do not have that quality. But SOMETHING is guarding that place. It would be one heck of a fight to get through there, one I’m not sure we would both survive..."

She noticed he winced as he got his hooves, and realised a wound on his leg was still bleeding.

She demanded he let her see, and he spent a good half minute trying to evade her, until at last she got him to hold out the injured right foreleg.

It had a nasty bite wound, which appeared, to her concern, to be infected. A familiar dark crystalline rash was appearing around the wound.

"The plague..." she said softly. He nodded.

"It seems different this time, even though I have already fought it once before.."

She reached out a hoof to inspect the wound closer, but Sombra shook his head sharply and moved away.

"I cannot risk this spreading. I do not know is it as rapid as it was the first time, but you best not come into contact if possible."

Luna nodded, "We must get back to our world. And fetch thou some of that miraculous tea you used to save the empire..."

He nodded, but she noticed how pale he looked, and how much the leg seemed to hurt.

"We must make our move now." she said, determined to get them out of there. She plopped the goggles over her eyes "we cannot linger on this plane..."

"No arguments there..." he said softly.

"Its strange..." she said a moment later "even though you are right there, I cannot easily sense your magic like before.."

"I have suspected many a time that my wavelength and the pattern of these things power bears some similarity. Perhaps here I merely fade into the background."

"No," Luna shook her head "your magic still burns brightly, but it’s as if something is muffling it..."

"Stay close.." Sombra said as he limped towards a crater in the side of the rotting building "you would not wish to be lost here.”

They stepped out of the cover of the building, the fire that’d been keeping them warm now snuffed out. Luna was instantly hit by a wave of numbing cold and shivered.

Before she could voice her disapproval of the temperature, warmth draped itself over her back. She blinked realizing it was Sombra’s fancy cloak. She blinked at it, and then looked at him.

"What about you? You’ll put thyself at risk of the cold...”

"The cold doesn’t bother ME," Sombra smiled faintly, "the memory is fuzzy, but I recall a name one of my closest guards gave me after finding out where I’d come from. He referred to me as "Sombra of the frozen north". Appropriate really. I came from a place always steeped in snow and ice, remember?"

"Of course, the place from thy nightmares..." Luna realized he had a point.

"So I’m used to the cold, but you however, are not. Let’s keep moving, you’ll warm up if you move.."

Luna nodded, and then an idea popped into her head. She undid the length of fabric that was pinned by the brooch around the collar of the outfit, tying this around Sombra’s injured leg, in an effort to stem the bleeding. It still seemed to hurt him to walk, and his steps were offset by the awkward gait.

"Dost thou have a plan?" Luna asked.

"Regrettably no, I could not sense much from this world, I just know the point of the tear is the closest wall we can tear through, how to do that? I guess I’ll have to work something out."

"You mean WE will. And I do not mean the royal "we" either!" Luna said pointedly, striding ahead of him to make a point.

Behind her Sombra gave a small sigh, but conceded he could not fight this battle alone, he just hoped she didn’t get hurt!

They trudged along in silence, both on edge, expecting something to lurch out at them from the shadows.

"This place is so strange...these buildings look like nothing back home. What is this creature’s true form..?"

"Who knows..." Sombra mused "but this place feels....fundamentally wrong somehow."

"It’s dying," Luna realized "that’s why it wants Equestria, isn’t it?"

Sombra nodded "that is my own guess also. The sheer level of magic there makes it prime real estate for that thing..."

Ahead of them a massive building loomed, it looked to be built of old weathered stone, although bricks showed through in patches. As far as they could see, with every other building blasted to rubble, it was the best way forward.

A large archway led inside. The two ponies trod cautiously, Luna swore Sombra would be asking what that thudding sound was, as her heart was hammering away so loudly. Inside the building was even stranger. The high ceiling stretched up high above their heads. The windows were so clogged with dust and cobwebs the light they let in was thin at best, and the further they went in the less they could see. Luna focused her magic, and a second later a sharp blue glow lit the expansive room. And she let out an involuntary gasp, and Sombra swore softly.

They WEREN’T alone. Around them strange creatures stood. To the two ponies they resembled a stretched pony, if that pony had stood up on its hind legs. Creeping closer they seen instead of hooves, their forelegs ended in funny spindly things, as if the creature had stuck a spider on the end of a long leg. The hind legs bent at an odd angle. Its neck was all wrong, short and skinny. Its head was the final indicator what they were looking at wasn’t a pony. It was rounded, with a tiny nose, and eye sockets like saucers. An ugly grimace took place of a mouth, and from these orifices ran smears of a blackish sludge. Its skin was like plastic, and Sombra likened it to one of Rarity’s dress dummies, it had that same look. At its joints, cracks and fissures had formed, and a crystalline coating prevented them from moving very well at all. Sombra cast a fleeting glance at his injured leg. The pain had dulled a bit, but the same crystal rash was spreading further from the wound than ever...

"Sweet big sister!" Luna whispered. A scraping sound followed her words...

Sombra turned his head slightly, and felt his insides freeze up. More had come out of the shadows, they were inching towards the pair. He noticed the taller ones heads were angled differently, that meant they were staring at-

"Princess!" he whispered sharply "it’s your magic, I think they can pick up on it, extinguish your light!"

"But how will we see?" she shot back.

"Let me try MINE," seeing her baffled look" please, I need you to trust me."

She nodded, switching her light off. A seconds worth of darkness before Sombra lit a small purple flame in the air above their heads, its slightly more muted light adding an extra layer of creepiness to the scene. Luna saw to her horror one of the spindly spider-hooves was on the verge of touching her mane. She shuddered and side stepped away from it. But she noticed the creatures gazes were now staring blankly up at the ceiling again.

"They crave the light," Sombra said softly "no matter how insubstantial.."

"Then our magic will draw them to us. I mean, mine. Thy fire appears uninteresting to these foul beings."

"For once, being born in darkness has its advantages," Sombra started to creep forward, edging between the creatures, then paused and added, "never thought I’d hear myself say THAT!"

Luna shook her head at him. "When will thou learn darkness isn’t always bad?"

"Father said the same thing..." was the reply. They managed to wriggle their way out from between the closed ranks of the strange creatures.

"Where is this place?" Luna observed all the strange things around them. Up above them, attached to the crumbling walls, were what looked like black glass windows but where they were smashed, and no sky could be seen.

"The last victim of this parasite," Sombra said grimly "I know this thing goes from place to place, eating everything good from the world before ripping the sky apart to find a new world..."

"We cannot let this happen," Luna said angrily.

"Whatever it takes to rid the empire of these things." Sombra said.

"My". Luna said.

"Pardon?" he asked absently, nudging at a battered wooden door, trying to avoid the shattered glass.

"Thy phrasing is wrong, it was to be "to rid MY Empire", are we not right?" she said.

A slight pause, then a faint, almost unreadable smile, before he turned back to what he was doing.

"We will see to it thou overcomes this awkwardness, one way or another, Sombra!" she said.

Sombra smart-alec remark was abandoned as he finally succeeded in getting the door open. They stumbled out into a strange room. They were stood upon a platform of stone, with pillars dotted about. Ahead of them the platform cut off. Peering over its edge they seen it wasn’t in fact a bottomless chasm, but only a few feet down to more stone, with what were different, but still recognizable as railway lines.

"Perhaps there are similarities after all.." Sombra muttered.

They stood a moment, wondering which way was the way out. Then Sombra noticed the flame was flickering, jabbing towards the left side. He nudged Luna and they headed off down that way, the small shimmering flame their only guide.

Just as Luna was starting to feel distinctly claustrophobic, they emerged into a platform much like the last one, only this time it was on the opposite side. The place seemed deserted, but as they hopped up onto the platform, they heard a funny, clattering sound.

"What the buck...” Sombra said hoarsely as he seen what was staggering towards them. More of those things from before, only these ones weren’t as decayed as the others. The strange black sludge dripped from their ghoulish faces, and the cracks in their joints. But they could walk easily, albeit with a funny, lurching gait.

"What do we do?" Luna said, glaring at them.

"No choice, we’ll have to fight....that is-" He did a double take when he seen the familiar green glow around Luna’s eyes.

"I may not know much but I can help a little!" She said defiantly.

Sombra nodded, and charged forward as the first of the creatures reached out for him. He charged his full weight into it, sending it skidding back into several of its friends, knocking them over like skeletal bowling pins. He cursed in pain as he was forced to put weight on the injured leg. But when he felt strange spider-limbs grab his ear and dig in, the stab of pain overrode the other one. He snarled in fury, tearing free and kicking his attacker back. This one didn’t fall. Instead it merely staggered, its black sockets regarding him eerily. It raised the limb with the drops of blood on it and grinned evilly.

--That one, it’s the leader!!-- Sombra recognized this tactic. So when the creature tried to slink back into the crowd of its buddies, Sombra refused to let it out of his sight. Even when he felt other ones bump into him, their scrabbling spider limbs trying to grab his mane, he ignored them all.

Luna, meanwhile, was doing what she’d seen Sombra do, kick like a mule! She may have had a smaller build then he, but she put her all into it. Her hard-as-diamond shoes cracked the creatures limbs, disabling them, leaving them only able to crawl along on their funny looking forelegs. It was as she was whirling to duck another’s attack she noticed the weapons pouch still latched around Sombra’s middle. She briefly used her normal magic to pull the spear free from its holding, and started using it with gusto, swinging the heavy weapon with as much strength as she had. The sharp tip broke their brittle bodies, more dark goo spilling out of them. Some clattered to the floor when too much drained from them.

She was preparing to dispatch the next when it suddenly shuddered, and crashed to the cold stone floor, where it lay, jerking spasmodically. She turned, seeing Sombra standing above the shattered remains of another one.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Remember that day, when that thing took the collar off? Well there was ONE sole controller manipulating those others. It seems it’s an inherited tactic. These older things follow the same pattern."

They made good their escape, racing through the abandoned station and back outside into the eternal half-light. Luna was once again grateful for the cloak he’d given her, as the air was bitingly cold.

"Are YOU Alright?" Sombra asked. Luna nodded. But as they walked, she noticed him stumbling more, and it wasn’t because the ground was uneven.

"Sombra...?" She said in a worried tone "is it getting worse?"

Without speaking, he just nodded. She moved round to his other side, and felt a twinge of concern.

The infection was spreading, and much like the creatures that’d attacked them, it was making it hard to bend the leg. The swathe of fabric she’d tied over the wound was soaked through from what she could tell.

"We can’t stop.." Sombra said before she could suggest it "we have to keep going!"

Ahead of them the way seemed clear, visible gaps between the rubble piles giving them somewhere to head. But of course, nothing is that easy. They’d barely made it a few streets when the sound of rubble shifting split the eerie silence.

"Run!" Sombra barked. Luna didn’t argue. She pelted ahead; the spear held under her wing. Focusing the dark magic was hard, but she didn’t have a choice. Those things were drawn to her magic like moths to a flame! Bad enough so many were tracking them as it was! Sombra kept up with her as best he could, although the pain in his leg from every hoofstep made him start to feel sick and dizzy.

--I don’t think I can do this for much longer...we have to hurry!!-

But as they darted across an intersecting set of streets, what seemed like a whole legion burst out from the dirtied rubble. Luna skidded to a halt, readying the spear again. Behind her she heard Sombra growl an obscenity under his breath, and sensed the familiar presence of his magic.

Sombra was just barely managing to hold them off, when one of the craftier, less mangled ones tackled him from the side; its spindly limbs clawing at his injured leg. The flash of pain was so intense it didn’t just make his guard drop, it shattered it and his spell. The attack he’d been about to unleash short circuited as he was slammed into the cold ground. He tried to buck the thing off him, but these creatures strange body shape meant they were able to grab his legs and pin him to the icy ground. Looking up through pain blurred vision, he seen another above him, wielding a rusty pipe.

Luna seen this, and her anger spiked.

"Release him whelp!" she bellowed, her voice making the creatures disorientated. She closed her eyes, summoning up her magic, entwining it with the dark power she was able to use.

"BEGONE!" She shouted, opening her eyes and glaring at the creatures.

To her surprise, her words literally hurt those things. She seen the literal letters, carved from jagged purple-blue crystal, fly into the attackers, shattering their fragile bodies.

"Cease!" she yelled next, this round cleaving the body of the one wielding the pipe in two. The metal pole rolled to the ground, and the ones pinning Sombra released him in favour of her.

"Thou. Shalt. Not. WIN!" with each word she felt her power grow. It was strangely exhilarating.

Soon they were all gone, and she stood triumphant.

Then, she recalled why she'd been fighting. Funny, for a second there she'd almost forgotten...

"Sombra!" she ran over to him. He had a funny look on his face, underneath the mask of pain that is. "Can thou stand?"

"I-I think so...” he stammered. He staggered to his feet, but the first few steps caused him to snarl in pain. But he forced himself on, although he was limping badly now.

She tried again to make him let her take a look at the wound, but he shook his head, insisting he wouldn’t see this infect her too!

Their trek led them to the crest of what looked from a distance like a hill, but turned out to be a cliff. This truly WAS a dark endless chasm. They stood at its edge, seeing no other way to bridge the gap between them and the floating, shimmering tear in the sky.

"We'll need to build it ourselves..." Sombra said softly.

Luna looked behind them, seeing what from this distance looked like a swarm of insects, but that she knew was more of those things.

"We destroyed so many of their kin, they hunt us." she said bluntly "the dark magic hides us somewhat, but eventually.."

“I know…” Sombra sighed. He closed his eyes a moment "I think I can make the spell, but it means asking you to fight any of those things that get too close..."

"Do not worry thyself," Luna responded, advancing back down the hill "We will not let them pass!"

Worry and fear gnawed at Sombra’s chest as he turned his attention back to the yawning chasm between them and escape.

He shut his eyes, using his innate instinct to form the spell in his mind, the way he’d always done.

In front of him, a purple crystal pathway began to form, inching its way slowly towards the rip in the sky. This seemed to agitate the creatures, as more of them seemed to appear.

Luna discovered her newest talent when she was almost surrounded. She flared her wings in an attempt to push them back, and was rewarded with several heavy thudding sounds. Blinking, she seen her wingtips were now surround by a weightless blue crystal. She tucked the wings in, and flapped them out again. The shards flew through the air.

She launched herself into the sky, spinning round in the air, sending a wide radius of spikes flying. Touching ground again she sliced another in half with the spear.

She looked over at Sombra, and knew time was running out. He was pale, and even from this distance it was obvious the pain was starting to win. He was laboring to breathe, his distant gaze fixated on the rapidly growing bridge. So she urged her power on, feeling it enveloping her normal Alicorn magic, transforming it into dark.

Then the creatures abruptly stopped, their gazes flicking towards the right. She looked over, and seen a flowing black cloud heading towards them. Two distant yellow pinpricks that looked like eyes. Familiar eyes.

She realized with a sinking feeling that this was what they’d been battling. The over-mind, the consciousness behind all those attacker scouts back in the empire.

"Sombra?!" she said urgently.

"I..I know-!" he gasped, a shudder wracking his body, threatening to make him collapse.

Meanwhile, another wave of those things was marching inexorably towards Luna. He heard her yelling, heard the damage her words did. The sound of thier brittle bodies cracking apart.

He turned from his task a moment, and seen something that sent a chill to his core. The grin on her face, that familiar look in her eyes. She was breathign heavily, eyes dilated to small dots.

--No, I have to stop her!!-- he panicked. The bridge was so close now, but he had no choice. Cutting the spell off he turned and ran for Luna, mentally begging her to forgive what he was about to do.

She felt a spell hit her, and before she could form another thought, she blacked out, heavily stunned.

Sombra grabbed her as she fell, nudging her so she lay across his back. Aware of the creatures teeth flashing in the half light as they bit and snapped at him, he turned tail and ran, heading for the almost finished bridge. The approaching cloud, sensing the familiar presence of its long-time foe, screamed with such fury his ear drums ached and his vision blurred. But he forced himself onwards, hoof steps kicking up flares of purple light as he ran along the crystal bridge he’d made, eyes focused on the wavering tear.

He sensed the creature changing course, it was swooping up behind him now. He couldn’t look back. He had to get him and Princess Luna safe, he would not see Celestia lose her sister!

This purpose drove him onwards, his heart racing in time to his hooves. The unfinished end of the bridge loomed, he had one shot at this-

As he approached the end, he put on as much speed a she could, gathered his hind legs under him. Felt something scrape the back of his hind leg..

And jumped.

Across the void. Silence and blood ringing in his ears. He closed his eyes and felt his hooves make contact with the tear. It was enough.

Much like how they’d been pulled in, it took the slightest contact.

They appeared back in the empire, high up in the sky! He experienced a disturbing sense of inertia as they hovered there a split second, then gravity wreaked its revenge and they began to fall. He twisted round in mid-air, clumsily managing to grab hold of Luna with his uninjured leg, his gaze darting over the rapidly encroaching scenery.

There! The palace garden-!

He closed his eyes, dredging up a panic induced teleport, praying it would work. By some stroke of luck, it did. They landed in the flowerbeds, the soft, fragrant plants cushioning their fall by sheer numbers alone. He let go of Luna soon as they landed, and finally came to stop several feet from her. Dazed and winded, he fought to his feet, fighting his way over to her where she lay at the flower beds edge. He seen her eyelids flutter, her chest rise and fall. She was OK.

With relief came the end of adrenaline, and the pain from his leg was like a punch to the gut. He cursed in pain, trying to keep himself steady as he limped a few paces towards the castle.

Then the doors flew open and some blurred shapes were running towards him..

Flash Sentry had been on his way back to his post after a trip to the little colts room, when he seen the flash of a teleport spell out in the gardens. Without pause he gathered Light Shield and another guard and the trio ran outside. What they saw made them simultaneously gasp in shock and sigh in relief.

The bright moonlight lit the scene of an unconscious Luna, and a barely conscious Sombra trying to shield her by the looks of it.

"Your highness?!" Flash Sentry ran towards him, but got a shock when he bumped his nose against a shield that sprang up the next second.

"Sire?" Light Shield blurted. Flash Sentry blinked, seeing it was Sombra who was trying to keep them at bay.

"D-don’t come any closer..." the taller stallion rasped, shaking his head. They were about to ask why when he shifted how he stood with a visible flinch of pain, and they seen it.

It was the black crystal plague all over again. Only this was far more severe an infection. The painful crystal had covered most of his right leg, and appeared to be spreading over his chest.

"This cannot be allowed to spread..." Sombra shook his head. He began limping away from Luna "I do not think this has spread to the Princess. Take care of HER, NOW. I-agh-!"

The next step he took was a step too far. Soon as his right foreleg touched the ground, it sent a bolt of pain so severe he crumpled to the grass. The shield sputtered and died as his reserves of magic ran dry.

He heard hoof steps run by, and sighed in relief. Good, they were tending to the Princess...

"Hey, c'mon big guy!" he sluggishly opened his eyes, seeing Flash Sentry standing by him.

He shook his head, tried to summon the shield again, but he was utterly drained.

"Get away!" he snarled.

Flash Sentry shook his head "Spearhead's gone to get the others. But we will not leave you to suffer alone like this sire."

Soon more guards came running, Shining Armor among them. He took in the fact that Luna seemed unhurt aside from being out cold, and turned his attention to Sombra. It looked bad, the unicorn was trying to keep everypony away from him, even forcing himself to his feet again to try and back away. But the injured leg offset his balance, and he was soon dragged back down by the crippling pain.

The Doctor and his Aide weren’t far behind the guard. He quickly gave orders for Luna to be brought to the medical bay. But Sombra needed to be isolated.

Shining Armor thought about how much agony the unicorn had to be in, and recommended they appropriate one of the ground floor studies. They had big open fireplaces, and the poor stallion wouldn’t have to walk far. Shining Armor stayed as close as he could, and they somehow got Sombra to the study. One of the guards had thoughtfully dragged every one of the big fluffy couch cushions over to the fire, and added more blankets! Ignoring Sombra’s feeble attempts to push them away, Shining Armor and the Doctor at last got him to lie down. Sombra gazed sleepily into the flames, shivering a little even so.

All the Doctor could do was clean and stitch the original wound. Shining Armor was sent to fetch more of the same tea, but a stronger dose this time!

Meanwhile, as the tea was administered to the shocked and shaken Sombra, Celestia had been woken with the news Sombra and her sister were back!

She cried in relief as she seen her sister, fast asleep in the medical bay. She sat with her awhile, as the doctor explained the night Princess was under a sleep spell, but was otherwise unhurt and seemingly uninfected, although soon as she stirred she was going to be given a dose of the tea.

Celestia nuzzled her sister’s cheek and brushed a relieved kiss over her forehead, and then she asked after Sombra.

She was told he was in a bad way, but even so she felt a stab of sympathy when she seen the extent of the infection.

"This appears to have been a different method of delivery," the Doctor told her "he says he was bitten by one of them, so tis likely only infectious via blood contact." Celestia nodded, and the Doc took a post at the back of the room as the Princess sat down not far from Sombra. He blinked, slowly registering her presence. Seeing her seemed to snap his mind back to focus, for the look in his eyes cleared and he managed to sit himself up..

"Princess!" he coughed "is Luna-?"

“She will be fine; she’s sleeping like a baby..." Celestia looked so relieved it made his guilt grow ever stronger "thank you for getting her back, for getting you BOTH back-"

"I’m sorry!" Sombra blurted. Celestia blinked, wondering why he was apologizing. The feverish stallion shook his head, and she seen a look of guilt and unhappiness on his face. "I had to stun her, stop her from...going too deep.."

“What do you mean?" she asked, concerned.

He rattle doff the tale. How normal magic had only spurred those things on, how he’d told her not to use it. She’d been able to pull off a couple of surprisingly adept spells. How she started to seem a little too eager to fight. How, at that moment he’d turned and seen a familiar grin on her face;

"I was worried she was going to lose control.." he closed his eyes as his vision began blurring again, but not from the pain "I’m sorry Princess, there was no other way, that thing was right upon us. I never should have shown her to use it. This whole thing was my fault."

He knew she was going to be furious, but he was too tired to do much more then try to apologize before she got mad. "Please let her know...I’m sorry..."

He was surprised when he felt a hoof lift his head a second later. He blinked, waiting for things to focus.

Celestia didn’t look mad, she still just looked relieved.

"She’s is FINE Sombra. And it was I who suggested she seek your advice on dark magic. After all, we know only a small amount of it ourselves compared to you, and it has long bothered her she knew so little about it. I would not have placed her in anypony else’s tutelage."

He looked surprised, yet so hopeful..

"I have you to thank for getting her back to me. Luna is strong, she will not repeat her mistake. In any case, she has all of us at her side, as do you. We will not lose either of you, in my name I promise that!"

A silent nod.

Celestia smiled kindly "fair to warn you though, sister will be in a bit of a temper when she wakes up. She is not used to somepony getting the drop on her like that, so be prepared for a stern telling off!"

Sombra managed a weak, shaken smile of relief "Princess.."

“You don’t need to apologize," she said firmly "I am grateful to you, and I know sister will be too. We're all relieved to see you back home now. So rest easy, you’ve done your part...."

Sombra could only nod, and she waited until he’d drifted asleep before leaving. The Doctor promised to keep a close eye on him…