The whole mood was somewhat subdued after Sombra's return to crystal stasis. Pinkie moped a lot, everypony moped a little in fact. It was such a shock, knowing they owed thier safety to Sombra, yet he was effectively gone again!
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The next day, Celestia set up a hastily arranged public speech, to explain to a clamouring crowd what was going on. Why Sombra was alive again, and why he'd appeared as a crystal Alicorn. She told them about a long dormant race, how Sombra had been the last one left, intended to revive them. But, left alone with nopony to guide him, the process had gone wrong and his power had manifested in a dangerous rush. This was what had contributed greatly to his madness, and led to him enslaving an empire.
“But isn't he still dangerous?” one stallion cried.
Celestia shook her head “I have personally spoken with him at length since he was brought here. After everything he endured at Scorpan's hands, he merely wanted somewhere to rest, away from civilization. And once I figure out how to reverse crystal stasis, I will make sure that comes true.”
“He saved Shining Armor and I,” Cadance spoke up next, her husband nodded “he could easily have let Scorpan take all of us out, had he truly wanted to reclaim his old home. As it was-” She nodded to Shining Armor, who floated up the key Sombra had given him “-he handed us a clue to the empire's past, stating he wanted us to uncover it all. And also something far more valuable, a sincere apology.”
Jaws hit the floor. Pinkie Pie mentally added a clanging sound in her head. Discord floated nearby, watching this silently. Fluttershy thought he'd been a bit withdrawn since Sombra's crystallization. He'd been the closest thing Sombra had had to a real friend afterall, and had gotten more response from the traumatized stallion than everypony else. He hadn't been his usual sarcastic, prank-obsessed self.
Celestia nodded, “When Scorpan burst in, he used a form of mind control magic to utilize Sombra as his personal war horse. The first task he ordered him to do was to take us out. Me, Discord and these six young mares here.”
More jaw drops, only this time Pinkie Pie banged a trash can lid she'd pulled from her mane with a hammer.
Discord sniggered briefly. He liked Pinkie Pie's style of humour.
“But he didn’t-” Celestia continued “in the end, he chose to turn his new power on his captor, and the control spell was shattered.”
Pinkie Pie popped up beside Celestia then, waving the portion of the collar she'd kept hidden in her mane. Harmless now, it just resembled a piece of curved black metal, inscribed with markings.
“This was a bit of the collar that big dumb meanie-pants put on Sombra!” She had to stand on her hind legs to reach the mic, which was set up for Celestia's size “And it broke! Wanna know how it broke?”
The crowd nodded en masse.
“Because we refused to abandon him, right girls?” She looked back at her friends. They all stepped forward and added their confirmation. “He geared up all this big big magic, then KABOOMY-” she waved the artefact in the air, and thus lost balance and toppled out of sight.
She was quickly righted by Celestia, where she carried on without missing a beat!
“-he whooped the big lug right up the-”
“Thank you miss Pie..” Celestia coughed.
“He chose to save US, OK?” Rainbow Dash folded her forelegs and glowered from where she hovered beside her friends “'nuff said!”
Most everypony recognised these girls, after all they’d saved Equestria numerous times, including the royal wedding and Discord's initial escape. If THEY were saying Sombra had made an effort to do something good, then…
“Look, he ain’t all bad, alright?” Applejack patted Pinkie Pie's hair and shared a smile with her friend “everypony deserves a second chance!”
Discord finally spoke, pretending to look as nonchalant as ever “I have to point out I’d say he’s suffered enough. Scorpan was as deluded as his big brother, and I should know! I met the fruit loop way back when he was still young!”
“S-s-o please...” Fluttershy said timidly, staring at the mic as she spoke “I-if I may ask...please give him a chance. He's been nice to us, and he saved us from Scorpan. After that beast hurt him so much he was scared of a friendly hoof, he still told Princess Celestia and Discord everything he could!” She sniffled, and Rarity patted her back gently.
“I know this is confusing for you all to hear,” Celestia finished “but we had to keep this a secret so there was no chance of outside sources finding out where Sombra was being held. From what I was able to assume about Scorpan, I knew he would not take kindly to having his “pet” kidnapped by those he wanted to use him against. Had Scorpan attacked any earlier, I don’t know if we would’ve stood such a chance of persuading Sombra to fight for US. We had no formal battle plan, the attack was too sudden, we'd only just started piecing together the shards Scorpan had shattered Sombra into.
So I ask you all to please be patient, and to consider the facts you have been given. I hope you will trust in me when I say he is no danger to us now. The damage that arose back then was mending, he had hope for something better….”
The crowd noticed her saddened tone of voice, and Celestia suddenly had something else to add;
“Our values and way of life have always been close to my heart. I believe in second chances. I was never happier than when Twilight Sparkle and her friends brought my dear sister back to me, when I'd almost given up hope..” she grew misty eyed at the memory of how overjoyed she'd been to see her sister again, to hug her in reality, and not just in her dreams.
“And I believe that if somepony is prepared to try, then I owe them a chance. I believe Sombra was, no, IS willing to try, that he's no longer a threat. And I doubt he will be if and when he awakens.”
One pony asked what she meant by IF.
“When the fight was over, the injuries to his advanced form were too great. He had no choice but to return to a crystal stasis. Given that the Umbrum have been a mystery all this time, I regrettably know only what Sombra himself was able to tell me. So to awaken an Umbrum is not something I know.”
“We WILL find a way!” Twilight Sparkle declared “we owe him that much!”
“Then he can just have a peaceful home like he wanted all along,” Discord added bluntly “somewhere quiet. I got the impression he'd like a garden!”
This little factoid caught everypony's attention. Discord didn’t seem to be goofing about, as he was famous for. He seemed serious.
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Celestia thanked them all for listening, and all the Princesses and Prince bowed to the crowd before returning inside. Discord cleared off, seeming bored, but Fluttershy thought different.
“He seems less like his usual self..” Cadance remarked to Fluttershy, who knew the Draconequus best. They were wandering the hall together, everypony else had already raced off ahead to the throne room.
“I know...” the yellow pegasus sighed “I hate seeing him so down. He obviously misses Sombra. They seemed to get on so well!”
“...HOW well?” Cadance was struck by a flying off-track thought. And instantly realised how daft it sounded.
Fluttershy stared at her, kept right ON staring, then suddenly blushed bright red and fell over with a squeak.
“Never mind.” Cadance said quickly as she helped Fluttershy up “forget I said anything!”
“O-oh its alright!” Fluttershy beamed, already over her embarrassment.
--Where did I get THAT from?-- Cadance decided to stop reading so many of THOSE* comics before bedtime. Entertaining as they were, they were starting to seep into her thoughts.
“E-even if that’s NOT the case...” Fluttershy giggled “I think its good Discord's found another friend. He’s always just stuck to our tea parties, he rarely gets involved with the others girls as much. Maybe having somepony whoo understands what its like to try and change their ways will be good for him? For both of them...”
Cadance nodded. “I can see how it would help Sombra too. Discord was given a second chance, and so too has Sombra.”
“Then..?” Fluttershy asked hopefully. Cadance nodded.
“Shining Armor and I had a talk last night. Given what you girls told us, plus what we seen for ourselves, PLUS that he chose asking us to accept his apology over potentially healing himself, I felt he deserved a closer look, and Shining agrees. While he was trying to help Sombra, he said he seen a look of acceptance on his face. That he didn’t seem so crazy as the last time they fought. There’s a lot more to that pony than a tyrannical reign, and I'd like to talk to him more...”
She was surprised by receiving a hug from Fluttershy a second later, along with a quiet thank you. She smiled as the relieved pegasus let her go.
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They joined the others in the throne room, where they were discussing ways to revive Sombra.
“I have an idea!” Twilight Sparkle was saying as they sat down “remember that cave we rescued Sombra from?”
“Eeyup!” Applejack nodded.
“We need to go back, see what Scorpan was keeping there. Sombra mentioned Scorpan would come and go at different times, and seemed to be living there. He was able to discover Sombra was an Umbrum, and what he could do, so there MUST be info there we can use!”
Celestia nodded, mulling it over.
“How did he acquire such info?” Shining asked his sister. Twilight Sparkle sighed sadly as she recalled something Sombra had said, and how hard it’d been for him to say it.
“He told us an old mage told Scorpan about HIM. About dark magic, and that Sombra was an Umbrum."
"Did Sombra know what he was when you recovered him? That he was destined to turn into that crystal version?" Cadance queried.
"Sombra seemed to understand the phrase “Umbrum ad Infinitum” when I mentioned it to him, but his reaction to it wasn't good.”
“How do you mean?” Her brother asked.
“It scared him, big brother. I think, underneath the trauma, he knew something was going to happen to him. Twice his crystal form tried to take over, but he panicked so badly, his own magic shut it off to try protect him!”
Celestia nodded “the first time it happened, he was pleading with me to do something. He had no clue what was happening to him. The shock of his revival and brutal imprisonment scattered his memory, he only had fragments of his past and subsequent defeat to go on, little to nothing of his race save for a faint awareness they lie beneath the Crystal Empire. He knew there was a prophecy if only because Scorpan had boasted he intended to trigger it using Sombra's position as the last Umbrum.”
“So the plan is to go explore that creepy cave?” Rarity asked. Twilight nodded.
“If there's info on the Umbrum, I’ll warrant Scorpan has it! He was obsessed with Sombra, reviving and using him for his twisted plans.”
“Road trip, whoo!” Pinkie Pie said softly.
Twilight chuckled “actually, I thought we'd go Breezie-form again, it makes it quicker!”
Celestia nodded, this sounded ideal to her. She told them to be careful. They planned to set off the next morning.
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“They’re trying to wake you up, you know that right?” Discord spoke to the slumbering Umbrum within the hunk of crystal.
He sighed, feeling restless but yet he couldn’t be bothered to play his usual pranks.
“You probably cant hear a word I'm saying. Presumably chasing coconuts again...”
Silence.
“Wake up, doofus.”
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The next morning at sunrise, the six ponies plus one little dragon prepared to leave. Twilight Sparkle hugged her brother and Cadance goodbye, and said she'd be careful. Then she changed them all into Breezies once more.
“Feels like deja vu ta me, settin' off again ta try save Sombra!” Applejack remarked as they flew.
“Exactly! And we're gonna do it twice running!” Rainbow Dash stated in determination.
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As before, they reached the same crevasse in the cave they’d snuck in through last time. Flying inside, they seen patches of dried blood where Sombra had been chained, the manacles lying broken. Fluttershy shuddered, and Twilight Sparkle quickly changed them back to pony form (and one dragon) and off they trotted.
They crept down dark passageways, twilight lighting the way as before. They came across numerous caverns, most empty. One contained food supplies, and the biggest one:
“Whoa...” Rainbow Dash muttered, seeing all of one wall plastered in info about Sombra, including a sketch of the pony.
“Highly powerful, highly intelligent. Wont be easy to trap..” Rarity read aloud.
“Nailed it there.” Twilight Sparkle remarked, squinting at the terrible writing on one of the pages “this is part of the spell to revive him from the fragment he found..”
“Lookie!” Pinkie Pie waved a book in the air “a journal!”
She flipped it open and her eyes landed on one page at random.
“That worthless pony refuses to give up his power. I knew he was arrogant, but to be so deluded as to think I wont get what I want from him just because he manages to endure the interrogations thus far? Well, let me oblige his desire for pain. Lets see how well he fares with a few broken ribs, that ought to loosen his memory!”
“Oh my..!” Fluttershy paled.
Pinkie Pie continued “Seems a shame to have to kill him once this is over. He has such raw power. But I cant have him messing up my reunion with my brother. Once I have secured the Princesses, I intend to shatter that pony for GOOD. Maybe in front of my brother, it'd prove to him I’m no weakling-” she cut off “this is just...awful!” she screeched indignantly, and threw the book across the room.
Twilight retrieved it and added it to her saddlebag “maybe so, but we need to check it for any clues Pinkie!”
Sat atop her back, Spike nodded.
“I know..” Pinkie Pie said gloomily “but its such a mean book!”
“Hay sugarcube, were gonna write him a good endin' alright? Chin up!” Applejack consoled her. Pinkie Pie nodded, eyes brightening again.
Twilight found an odd indentation in one of the rocks, and found she could sense a powerful spell. Telling the others to step back, she unleashed a blast of Alicorn magic, and broke the lock.
The rock rumbled as it shifted back, revealing the mother-load of scrolls!
“Yes!” Twilight Sparkle cheered, eyes brightening at the sight of this well of knowledge. Diving forward, she pulled one towards her, scanned it then added it to her saddlebag, then moving onto the next. So caught up was she, she didn't notice the others had fallen silent, nor that extra steps had joined the group..
“Uh...Twilight..?” Fluttershy whispered fearfully. Spike wordlessly poked her in the back of the head.
“What is it?” Twilight Sparkle popped out of the rock safe, and her eyes widened.
There was a platoon of gargoyle guards standing there, spears aimed at them.
“Oh...poop.” Pinkie Pie said at last.
“Who are you?” one barked.
“I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle!” the purple Alicorn began “these are my friends-”
“What business have you here?” was the next order.
“Well, we're trying to find a way to help a friend, and this is where he was held by Scorpan.” Twilight Sparkle trailed off as the guards exchanged glances.
“You need to come with us.” was all they said. And there was no room for negotiation.
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So they wound up being escorted across the land towards the palace where the King and Queen lived.
They were led up to the throne room, where the guards left them in the care of other guards, and went to fetch the royals.
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“Whats goin' on?” Applejack furrowed her brow.
“I don't know, but I’m guessing it has to do with Scorpan.” Twilight Sparkle whispered.
The double doors were flung open once more and the guard declared “His highness King Vorak, and Her highness Queen Haydon!”
The centaur King and gargoyle Queen approached them. The Queen flew alongside her husband, dressed in white robes adorned with silver jewellery and crown. The King was wearing gold armour and crown and a red fur cloak.
“You may leave.” Vorak addressed his guards and they bowed their heads before leaving.
“What do you know of my son, Princess?” he addressed Twilight as he bowed to the little Equestrian. She gave a respectful bow in return, they all did, and then she spoke.
“We rescued a friend of ours from where Scorpan was holding him captive.”
She nodded at her saddlebag where the papers she'd picked up had been stashed “it's all in there, there’s a diary.”
The Queen lifted it out while King Vorak looked down at the ponies.
“It's been a long long time since we had contact with Equestrians, it is a strange sight to see you. What were you doing in that cave?”
“We were looking for a way to help our friend-” Twilight Sparkle began, but was cut off by the Queen uttering a grief stricken wail as she read the diary.
“Did you read the mean bits?” Pinkie asked.
She nodded, and turned to her husband “Scorpan had resurrected the former northern tyrant, Sombra.”
“Sombra?” Vorak blurted “I thought he was merely a legend...”
“He's real,” Rainbow Dash confirmed “and he is a baller-as-heck dark magic user. That's why your son needed to resurrect him so badly. Dark magic was the answer. To his mind anyway...”
Haydon skimmed the pages, turning pale as she read what Scorpan had planned for Sombra, and what he'd done to him.
“Did he...do all this..?” she asked the girls, as if hoping it could be lies.
Twilight nodded, and Fluttershy teared up again.
“He broke as much of him as he could mentally, an' took a few pot shots physically while he was there!” Applejack stated.
“He was in so much pain when Celestia sent us to rescue him.” Fluttershy cried. Pinkie hugged her gently.
“Princess Celestia sent you?” Vorak knew Celestia, he'd travelled with the envoy to return an Equestrian unicorn back when Tirek had first started going off the rails.
Twilight nodded.
“I will send for some tea,” Haydon wiped her tears “I want to hear the whole story, please.”
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And so the ponies told her their side from start to end. How they’d rescued the lost and broken Sombra, and had tried to help fix the damage. Fluttershy ended up crying again, she still felt so bad for Sombra.
“And what of him now child?” Haydon had taken a liking to the sweet sensitive pegasus, and sat beside her, offering a handkerchief.
“He's..” Fluttershy gratefully accepted it, and mopped her eyes “he’s in a crystal sleep..”
“What’s that?” Vorak asked “Equestrian magic?”
“No, Umbrum magic!” Twilight said. Both royals looked at each other.
“The Umbrum are a story, a legend. Are they real also?” Vorak queried incredulously. Seven nods met his eyes.
“There is much we do not understand...” Haydon sighed sadly “let alone why Scorpan was lost to us too. Do not pamper me, is he in Tartarus?”
Twilight Sparkle and the others exchanged glances, and nodded. She gave a sad sob.
“Ahm sorry yer majesty, we wish it coulda been different, but he was just too set on settin' his brother loose and lockin' all ponykind in cages or takin' their magic!” Applejack said honestly.
“And using Sombra to do it.” Twilight Sparkle said sadly.
“Will my son's insane nonsense be able to revive the pony? This “Sombra”?” Vorak asked. Twilight Sparkle nodded.
“Well, we hope so...he seemed to know an awful lot about the Umbrum. We're hoping he knew a way to awaken one too...” Rarity explained.
“I know it might sound crazy,” Twilight fought to explain it “but he's not such a bad pony any more. Even though it scared him, and he was in a lot of pain, he still told us what he could. He began to smile a little. He seemed to be getting better the longer he was around us all. Even the Prince and Princess of the crystal empire have decided to give him another chance if we can only get him back!”
“Despite his actions, he is your friend?” Queen Haydon asked. They nodded.
“Everypony dun goofed at some point!” Rainbow Dash said “Sombra's was just…WORSE than most. But, honestly? He’s cool.” she finished with a nod.
Queen Haydon wiped her eyes once more, and looked to her husband “I’d like to help them,” she whispered “whatever we can do...”
Her husband nodded silently, he agreed with the idea. The damage sounded bad, and these girls seemed saddened by the former tyrants crystal stasis situation.
“If you can revive him, I’d like to speak with him,” Haydon said to the group “I feel he deserves our apologies for his suffering.”
“It weren’t yer fault!” Applejack consoled her “from what we were able to glean from Sombra, yer son just wanted his happy family back. Ah guess he just got dangerously carried away.”
“A living creature is a living soul, no matter their crimes.” King Vorak quoted “its an old saying from our people. This “Sombra”, regardless of his past actions, is the victim of our sons actions. It is only proper we meet with him, if possible.”
“We'd like that...” Twilight said “and we'd appreciate your help your highnesses!”
Haydon and Vorak nodded, and Vorak called for his advisor...
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By the end of the day, every last scrap had been recovered from Scorpan's cave, and packed safely away for transport to Canterlot. Queen Haydon also brought some boxes with her, that she explained were gifts from her kingdom. It was tradition to bring them on visits, but she'd also included some other things. Books on magic, rare special fabrics etc. Rarity's ears perked up when she heard that, and she hoped she might get a look!
Thus the six young mares were joined by a King, Queen and their armored envoy as they set off back to Canterlot. Spike sent Celestia a letter explaining why they'd be late back, and who they were bringing with them.
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Princess Celestia greeted the King and Queen at the gates to the palace, saying she was honored to have them there, how could she help them?
The group retired to the throne room where Haydon and Vorak explained why they'd come. Celestia expressed her sadness and regret that she'd had to imprison Scorpan.
“We know the whole story Princess,” Haydon said softly “these kind ponies told me everything. I’m under no illusion of my sons crimes.”
“You did your best my love,” Vorak put a hand on his wife’s shoulder “we both did. In the end, they choose their own path. Scorpan had always idolized his brother, we realised too late just how obsessed he was. He used to be such a smart boy...”
Celestia nodded in understanding.
“I have given that studious Princess all the materials Scorpan hoarded in that cave,” Vorak said “we hope it will help you.”
“As do I,” Celestia nodded “and if anypony can work it out, I am sure it will be Twilight!”
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Twilight spent many a long night trying to decipher Scorpan's notes. In the end she found a scrap of paper saying that Umbrum's were rumoured to “sleep” at a certain level of consciousness. That their own kind knew how to reach them. That they instinctively knew their kinds special frequency. It seemed like a dead end until one evening, whilest sitting with her former student, Celestia scratched at her neck, feeling a vague tingling there. Then she recalled her promise to Sombra, and that he'd been wearing the band when he went full Umbrum!
On closer examination of the facts they had to hoof, it matched what Discord had said about Sombra saying he hoped he would dream something nice while he slept. Maybe he remembered the oath! And coconuts...
Dismissing that last bit, Twilight Sparkle went in search of the Draconequus, and once he agreed, they went to Celestia.
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Twilight and the others wanted to join her, but Celestia said there was a high chance this could blow up in hers and Discord's faces. So they were best doing it alone…
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They would’ve just sat outside and done nothing, but Pinkie Pie suddenly had a funny sort of fit. She twitched, rolled into a ball, bounced round in a circle then popped upright..
“Whooo...” she giggled, cross-eyed “that’s new!”
“You alright sugarcube?” Applejack asked. Pinkie twitched, sneezed, then burped.
“I think..” she said, then trailed off.
“I’m gonna need proof of that!” Rainbow Dash sniggered.
“We need party supplies!” Pinkie Pie spouted rapidly “I need streamers, and cake, and candy, and MORE streamers, and a refill for my canon! OOH, WE NEED BANNERS!!” Then she was running off down the hall.
“We'd best catch up to her before she startles somepony...” Rarity remarked into the stunned silence.
And so they all took off after their friend, Twilight leaving a note on the door saying it was a “class PINKIE emergency”. Celestia would understand…
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Celestia placed a hoof on the crystal that contained Sombra. Discord did the same, and they joined hoof and paw between the two of them.
“Ready?” Discord raised an eyebrow. Celestia nodded, looking at the opaque crystal.
“Let's bring him home!”
Their heads pounded as they channelled their magic, light and chaos together into the Umbrum crystal.
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Everything went white, then they were in a strange, open expanse. Everything seemed to be made of shades of grey crystal. Except…
“Is that a coconut?” Celestia asked as the aforementioned Cocos nucifera bounded by.
“It certainly is, and its headed south for the...whatever season it is!” Discord chuckled. Sombra hadn’t been kidding about the coconuts!
“How are we going to find him in this place?” Celestia asked. It seemed to stretch on forever in all directions!
“I have an idea!” Discord snapped his fingers and a taxidermy parrot appeared in his hands.
“What in Equestria…?!” Celestia sputtered.
“Its a parrot. Well, an ex-parrot really..”
“Pardon?”
“It's bereft of life.”
“You're not making sense.”
“It has shimmied down the curtain and joined the choir immortal.”
“Discord!” Celestia snapped.
“Its a dead parrot. Don’t ask why, but it seems linked to the migrative coconuts whenever I summon them!” He waved the parrot about like he was trying to get a signal, and set off whooping “this way!”
Celestia facehoofed, but flew after him nonetheless.
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Soon they spotted a crystal structure up ahead. It appeared to be a tent of sorts, inside which was a bed of crystal, with pearly silk covers. Wrapped up in said covers, looking fretful even as he napped, was:
“Sombra!” Discord cried happily. This startled the stallion awake and he sat bolt upright in the bed. He stared groggily at them, confused.
“Whu...how…?” he said softly.
“It's US!” Celestia tapped at her bare neck. Sombra looked down, staring at the necklace she'd given him, in its transformed shape. It was still around his neck, and he'd tried so hard not to think about the opportunity he'd lost while he'd been encased in the crystal. Time seemed to pass so slowly...
But now they were here. Did this mean they could help him?
“We're bringing you home, silly Sombra!” Discord said cheerfully, grabbing the bewildered pony in a bear hug, swinging him round before setting him back on the bed. Sombra looked even more cross-eyed after this!
“I don't understand. How did you get here?” he asked.
“We followed the oath-band's spell!” Celestia said, “Twilight discovered Umbrum dream on a specific wavelength, and we didn’t know how to find it. Then I remembered you still bore my necklace, which had the spell on it. We just had to focus on the spell, and we appeared here!”
“Then..?” Sombra looked from her to the Draconequus “you can…?”
“Wake you up! Why, we certainly intend to!” Discord clapped him on the back.
Sombra nodded, then a thought occurred “Canterlot-?”
“It's fine Sombra,” Celestia smiled “damaged here and there, but nopony was seriously hurt. Twilight Sparkle and the others are waiting for you. Cadance and Shining Armor also want to see you again...”
Sombra recalled his apology to them and looked worried, wondering if she meant-
“They're not angry!” Discord piped up “they just want to talk to you about the Umbrum beneath the palace, and who you really are.”
Sombra looked slightly nauseous, but Celestia came closer and placed a hoof on his shoulder.
“It's not what you think Sombra.” she assured him. But Sombra was still worried, how was he supposed to face them? He was a monster, what else would they see in him besides a former threat to their home?
“Cheer up!” Discord tweaked Sombra's ear, catching his attention.
“We need you to wake up Sombra.” Celestia told him.
“Open a portal out of here or whatever!” Discord added helpfully.
“I...I’ll try….” Sombra stammered. He closed his eyes, listening to the thud of his heartbeat. His coat shimmered, and the crystal form took over in an instant. Celestia once more marvelled at how beautiful he looked as his wings unfurled to catch the light and reflect in a myriad of fractal colours across the walls of the tent.
A massive glimmering portal suddenly rent the air at the foot of the bed, and Sombra opened his eyes.
“My apologies, I didn’t realise it would yield so quickly...”
But there was nothing on the other side, Sombra looked puzzled.
“I don’t know how to reach back to the normal world...” he said at last, panic clawing at his gut.
“Hmm..” Discord stared around them, then realised the answer was staring them in the face. He grabbed Celestia in one arm, and Sombra in the other. Both stared in confusion.
“Focus on US! You must be able to sense the magic on Celestia's band, go for that!” the Draconequus stated.
Sombra nodded, closing his eyes and following the band. Sure enough, there was a thin tendril of magic he could sense, one that fed back to a physical body.
With an ear-splitting pop, the room the crystal had been stored in materialized on the other side.
“Lets go!” Discord yelled, diving in with the two still held in his arms. They hit the portal with a smack, and everything went bright again-
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In the room, the crystal shuddered, splintered, then cracked wide open, spraying shards of grey crystal everywhere. The two snapped back into their physical bodies, and quickly opened their eyes. Sat amidst the wreckage of the crystal was:
“Sombra!” Celestia cheered, doubly relieved to see the plan had worked. He looked back to his normal self, with soft grey coat and black mane. Both she and Discord grabbed him in a hug at the same time, so he was surrounded by a kind warmth by two figures he'd grown to respect and call friends.
He had just enough energy to thank them, then his physical body gave in to exhaustion, and he fell asleep once more.
“Aww...” Discord chuckled, studying the sleeping unicorn “he's so sleepy he can barely keep his little balance!”
Giggling merrily he tweaked the sleeping Sombra's ear as Celestia rolled her eyes.
“Ow!” Discord jumped “'Tia, stop poking me with your wing!”
“I'm NOT!” she declared “mine are both down!”
“Then who- ah..” Discord poked Sombra's back “well, I wonder if THIS is supposed to happen-?”
For folded to Sombra's sides were the crystal wings. Despite the fact he'd reappeared in his “pony” form instead of the Umbrum form, he'd retained the wings. On closer inspection, they seemed quite firmly attached, the crystal moulding seamlessly into the grey fur of his coat.
Celestia fetched a blanket and wrapped it around the out cold pony, as he seemed to be shivering subtly.
“We can figure it out later, lets get him to bed.” Celestia decided. “I'll call the guard-”
“Pssh!” Discord flapped a hand at her, and quite easily managed to pick up Sombra. “He's not that heavy, well, not really...” He followed Celestia out into the hall, carrying the sought-after Sombra.
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They encountered the girls as they made their way down an empty hallway. They were all laden down with shopping bags, containing all manner of things!
Pinkie spotted the dozing Sombra and let out a squee of such pitch it was inaudible to everypony but sadly not Discord. He twitched, glowering at her. But she didn’t notice, she'd dropped her bags and zoomed over. Now she was bouncing up and down trying to get a look at the sleeping Sombra, but Discord was holding him just out of her reach.
“Is he OK?” She chirped happily “can he remember us? Is he hungry? I bought extra special ingredients for a cake-!”
“He needs sleep Pinkie Pie...” Celestia said kindly “opening a link back to a solid waking state has tired him out. Now he is back with us, I’m sure he will recover rapidly. But for now he needs peace and quiet, OK?”
Pinkie Pie nodded, miming zipping her lip.
“What on Equestria have you been buying?” Discord asked, seeing them all staggering under shopping bags.
“Pinkie...” Rarity grumbled good naturedly, “insisted we were going to need party supplies and she must have bought out the entire shop!”
“Now we know what fer, hay?” Applejack grinned in relief “he's got a party of epic proportions waiting for him once he's better!”
“I’m just glad to see he's back..” Fluttershy sighed in relief. She caught Discord's eye, who seemed to think the same!
“Cool!” Rainbow Dash declared.
“Exactly darling!” Rarity nodded, setting her bags down and rubbing her back.
“I'll tell BBBFF!” Twilight Sparkle smiled. Celestia nodded, and she and Discord set off to get Sombra to his room!
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The six young mares meanwhile, managed to make it to their rooms, more specifically Pinkie Pie's and drop off the party gear.
“What on Equestria is all that?”
Twilight turned as she heard her brothers voice. Beside him was an amused Cadance.
“We're gonna have a party!” Pinkie whooped “well, once he's all better anyway!”
“He-?” Shining Armor's eyebrows rose “you mean-?”
“Yep!” Twilight nodded “We literally just bumped into Discord and Celestia. They managed to undo the stasis. He wont wake up for awhile, but, he's OK….”
Both looked relieved, which felt odd given their past history. But they were glad he was alive again…
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Once there, the slumbering Umbrum was tucked up in bed, and the doctor gave him a quick check-up, and by miracle of Umbrum magic, the scars of his torment had faded from his body, and the formerly shattered leg was good as new.
They left a guard to keep an eye on him, and let them know if he woke. Then they left.
Before he did, Discord sneakily made a coconut appear on the bedside table. Then he was off, chuckling faintly...