Twilight felt like she couldnt wake herself. The Nightmare she was having was like a broken record, it kept repeating over and over and over. She would find herself running through the halls of her Castle, her friends screaming in agony around her. She was paralyzed by the fear of not being able to help them. As she lay in her bed struggling to wake herself, Applejack came in to check on her. Aj was worried that this whole ordeal was going to shatter Twilights mind. Twilight could almost feel her sanity slipping. The only way to cope was to kill the creature now while she a chance. She woke up, much to AJ's surprise, and left the castle. She walked into the Everfree Forest and waited for night to fall. She found her prey just like she knew she would. The Xenomorph Queen towered over the Alicorn like a dragon. But Twilight knew she had to do this. She focused all her thoughts and channeled her strongest spell through her horn and fired it at the Beast. The Alien Queen was incinerated by the blast. Twilight made sure to locate any Eggs and destroy them so none of these things would threaten Equestria ever again. But Twilight would never be the same pony again. It would be a long recovery but at least she still had her friends to help her through this. She visited Starlight's grave to keep the spirit of her friend alive and up to date on everything going on in their friends lives.
IT got to the point where she could no longer tell what was real anymore. Celestia reluctantly relieved her of Princess duties for the duration of her stay in the psyche ward of the Ponyville Hospital. She began suffering from hallucinations so powerful that she actually thought Starlight was standing next to her talking to her about how she died and came back from the dead to stay with Twi. It even got to a point that she thought she was surrounded by Changelings, and they were all mocking her for failing to get to the Elements of Harmony when Chrysalis tried to take over Canterlot. She paced back and forth in the padded room the doctors had put her in. All the while she kept hearing a voice tempting her to open her mind to Dark Magic.
" IT's all in your head Twilight, Your friends arent far away, they'll help you through this." She told herself. She realized that she was starting to talk in the third person.
Open your mind Twilight...
She started to realize the voice speaking sounded like Sombra's.
But Sombra was dead. Defeated by her, Spike, Cadence, and the Crystal Heart. But it was his voice none the less. A single thought came to mind. What if he survived. And what if he was the only pony that could help her in the condition that she was in right now. She knew that if it was him, Celestia would have none of it. She didnt want her former student to become corrupted like Sombra was. But after what Twilight had been through with that Alien and given her condition now, she knew there really was no going back to a normal life. The room they put her in wasnt magically protected enough to prevent her from teleporting outside of the building. Twilight listened to the voice in her head and ran into the Everfree forest. As if waiting for her, there stood King Sombra. He assured her that she wasnt seeing things. He put his hoof to her cheek to prove it. They moved deeper into the forest as the lights from the Hospital turned on , and voices started calling out for Twilight. She told Sombra to wait a moment while see took care of something. Twilight ran to the edge of the forest in time to see Rainbow Dash walking towards the treeline, calling out her name. She called out Dashie's name to let her know where she was. RD ran over to Twilight and hugged her, before telling her that she needs to come back inside. Twilight had a different proposal.
" Why dont you come with me Rainbow." she said in a tone laced with soft traces of love. the others didnt know that RD and Twilight were romantically involved to a degree. They'd share a kiss every so often on Hearts and Hooves day when the others weren't around. Rainbow Dash followed Twilight into the woods, where they met up with Sombra, who showed them a pathway that looked as if it hadnt been traveled in centuries. It lead them to a small clearing where they came across some abandoned stone buildings. There were books strewn all over the ground. Very old books from the looks of it.
But What neither of them came to realize was that all this was in Twilight's Head. Yes, she did escape and convince RD to be with her. But from there on Rainbow Dash was inadvertently sharing in Twilight's delusion. And it was all because of Twilight's magic.
" I cant believe he survived being blasted by the Crystal Heart." Rainbow Dash commented under her breath.
" He stored his essence in his horn. It left him weakened magically the second time around." Twililght told her.
One of the rooms in the stone building was still intact and had a haybed in it. Twilight and Rainbow Dash shared it while Sombra was busy looking for firewood.
As they were sleeping, Sombra thought to himself, I'll finally be able to get rid of Celestia, won't she be surprised when she finds out that the Elements have been broken. Once i bend these two to the dark side, nothing will stop us. With them as my allies, and Twilight as my Queen, we'll rule all of Equestria under an iron fist.
For once your my Queen, I'll finally know what it's like to love someone. I know it sounds crazy, but i can feel something for her, even if she feels something for her friend and not me. I can't wrap my head around it, but when i look at her, she completes me in so many ways.
"Twilight." Sombra said in a hushed tone.
" Yes?" She answered back.
" I... think i'm falling for you." He said.
" Falling? LIke in love with me???" was he being serious she thought, or screwing with her mentally.
" Yes." Sombra said bluntly.
Wow she thought to herself. The King of Shadows was proposing to her? Even though she had feelings for Rianbow Dash, she was kind of flattered. Her and RD could never return to their previous lives. Not now, not ever. She realized that the 3 of them could change the political landscape of Equestria, for good or for worse.
" And i want you both to my Queens." He said, including Rainbow in the discussion.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at each other and then at Sombra.
" We accept." The two said in unison.
" Good" Sombra said with confidence.
Everything had fallen into place. Sombra used his knowledge of dark magic and Crystals to build themselves a castle where they had slept. It would be grander than Canterlot itself. He created his own army out of shadow to protect them and the castle from intruders. And with good measure. Celestia and the others would soon be searching for them in these very woods. And Celestia was going to find out the hard way what Revenge can do to a pony. Especially when that pony's name is Twilight Sparkle. But was everything that was happening really taking place, or was it all still her head?
Had she really escaped and convinced Rainbow Dash to go with them, or was she still in her padded room in the Hospital? She wasnt sure. Twilight wasnt sure of anything anymore. Was her sanity finally starting to crack because of what happened with the Xenomorph or because of her use of Dark magic?
" Rainbow Dash," she paused.
"What is it Twi?," RD asked her friend.
"Is... any of this real," Twilight asked her with a bit of a confused look in her eyes.
" What do you think?," Rainbow gave her an answer by smacking her in the shoulder.
"Owww," Twilight let out," ok, so everything is real."
"Glad i could help you figure that out," Rainbow Dash asnwered with a smirk.