"Is anypony there?" - Sombra shouted through the darkness. Sombra glanced around, but it was too dark to see anything. However, he could feel the ground under his hooves. "I can't see anything..."
"Hello Sombra."
Sombra frozed, his heart rate dropped. Shivers ran through his body.
He knew that voice too well. He turned around to face...himself. In the middle of the darkness, two green eyes gazed at Sombra with a sinister smile.
"You!" - Sombra growled.
"It's been awhile, me." The shadow spun around Sombra, still smiling. "So, how is your...new life so far?"
The stallion's eyes kept looking at the shadow.
"Much better since I changed."
The shadow laughed.
"Oh, really? Good to know." - he said with a ironic tone. "And about that purple friend of yours? She's quite talented, I must say."
"You have no right to talk about her, you...monster." - Sombra growled.
"Why? Because you love her? How sweet of you." Sombra gulped again, this time he's throat was very dry. How could he knew about that?
"H-How do you know?"
The shadow approached him while licking his fangs. "I am you, remember? You're so naive. Do you think I'm not watching every thing you do?
It makes me sick."
Right now, Sombra was hoping Princess Luna would appear and give him a little help, but after hearing that he wasn't sure. Somehow, his dark side was still...alive and was watching, which made him shudder.
He needed to know, perhaps he could end this once and for all.
"You may love her, but Twilight sure doesn't."
"HOW DARE YOU?" - Sombra roared, his voice filled with anger.
"What?" - he asked with a devilish smile. "I noticed yesterday you confess your love for her. Oh, wait. Almost." Sombra charged his horn, releasing a purple sphere, however the sphere went through him. "Nice try me. Let's be honest, Sombra. Do you really think everypony forgave you? Twilight and her friends just want to control you, they want a reason to lock you, buried you under ice or a stone statue for Celestia. Ask yourself this, have you really think you have changed or you're still the same tyrant?"
Sombra lowered his head, he knew he shouldn't listen to him, but deep inside that question made him wonder. Twilight said he was different, everypony agreed, even the Princesses. Wasn't their trust and friendship enough? The shadowy form spoke again.
"I'm sure you're very tired and you need time to think, after all tomorrow you have party to attend to. Think about it!"
After waking up and having breakfast with Twilight and Spike, he decided to use his time to get a gift for Applejack.
The only real issue was to think about something she likes, which he didn't knew a lot about her. The few things he knew was she had a apple orchard, a brother and a younger sister. Oh, and Granny Smith. After one hour of banging his head against the table, not literally, he went to seek some advice from Twilight.
Twilight was downstairs arranging the books while Spike was reading some comics books while petting Snow on the head.
"Twilight, I could use some help."
The pony in question lowered the books in her magical grasp, turning her head to see Sombra.
"I'm listening."
"I want to give Applejack a gift for Hearth's Warming Eve, but I don't know what she likes."
Twilight giggled, which made Sombra raise an eyebrow.
"That's simple. Apples."
"Just that?" - he inquired.
"Applejack is a mare with simple tastes, nothing too fancy."
The stallion scratched his chin. That was true, she wasn't like Rarity, after all she was honest apple farmer. "Perhaps you could use your own magic. You know? Crystals?" Twilight suggest with a smile.
Sombra nodded, understanding what she meant and he had the perfect idea.
"Thank you Twilight, I know what to do."
"Good, since you're going to see Applejack, can you please give her the invitation?" Twilight levitated the letter towards him.
"Of course Twilight."
Sombra now had a perfect idea for Applejack's, he just needed a colour change spell which Twilight provided a book about that.
After taking care of the gift, he grabbed a saddlebag and his red cape, but Sombra notice something. His red cape was getting old, the cape had some small rips and was losing his colour. Probably he would need a new one.
"I'm going to see Applejack, be right back Twillight." Sombra looked down. "Let's go Snow." Snow barked.
"Ok, meanwhile I will give the others their invites."
On his way to Sweet Apples Acres, he greeted many ponies, like Derpy, Octavia, Vinyl and Roseluck, which he spend a few minutes to admire the flowers and eventually pick one for Twilight before returning to the library.
Applejack was inside the barn gathering the buckets. Her brother was already working on the other side of the orchard while her little sister was...somewhere in the farm. When she gathered everything, she went outside to do her job, if it wasn't for the matter her sister was speaking with somepony she shouldn't.
"That's amazing, I'm sure my sister will like that."
"Apple Bloom don't you have things to do?" Applejack said, approaching her sister with stern look on her muzzle. "That thing I told you?"
Apple Bloom saw the look her sister was giving and decided not to protest, she glanced back at the stallion.
"It was good talking to you, bye."
"Farewell young one."
"And what are you doing here?"
Sombra gulped. Probably worse than convincing Rainbow Dash, was definitey Applejack. Somehow he needed to get her trust, maybe this gift would help, a little.
"I'm here to deliver a letter and a gift, both for you." He opened the saddlebag and her gave her the letter.
The orange mare read the letter and then glanced at Sombra. "I suppose the others got this invitation?" He nodded. "And you?" Sombra nodded again, slowly this time. "I reckon we must go, which means I must work faster."
"I could help you, if you want." - he suggested, knowing the answer.
She shook her head.
"Thanks for the offer, but I can handle myself, now about that gift." Once again Sombra took the gift from the saddlebag and gave it to her.
Applejack watched closely and carefully, not wanting to be surprised, in the wrong way. The gift was wrapped with a red paper with small apples. The ribbon was orange, very similar to her coat. Slowly, she wrapped the gift and when she saw the gift, her mouth almost dropped.
"So, what do you think?" - Sombra asked noticing the look on her muzzle. "It took me awhile, especially to change the colour."
"It's...it's amazing. I like it."
Sombra smiled, the gift was like Twilight told him, simple but something she likes, an apple made out of crystal. With the spell the book provided he changed the dark crystal apple into a red glowing apple.
"Thank you Sombra."
"Your welcome." - he said with a slight nod. "Sure you don't need help?"
"Nope, I'm used to this."
"Alright, see you tomorrow I guess. Snow, let's go." Sombra looked around, but trying to find a white dog in the middle of the snow was kinda difficult. Applejack and Sombra spend the last five minutes looking for him.
"Over here Sombra!" - she shouted. Sombra entered the barn. Apparently, Snow decided to take a nap, with Winona. "They sure look cute like that."
"They do, but we must go now." Using his magic, he picked him up and placed him on his back, careful enough not to wake him.
"Thanks for the gift Sombra." They shared a quick hug.
Later at night, Applejack went upstairs to her bedroom. She was exhausted, now she just wanted to lay down on her bed. However, there was one last thing to do.
She placed her red crystal apple on the nightstand, next to her bed. Taking one last glance at the apple, she smile. Perhaps Sombra is doing his best to change. I'll give him a chance.