//------------------------------//
// 80 - Fateful Meeting 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

Cadance looked over the crystal mare before her. "Radiant Hope, I presume? Welcome home."

Radiant gave a stiff nod at her. "I... Are you really alright with this?"

Cadance raised a hoof towards where Sombra's horn rested. "I am. You don't have to tell me... but what were you planning before?"

Radiant colored softly as she looked away and back at Cadance. "I thought... I was... Can we not dwell on that? Please, if we can do this the right way." She sat on her haunches and smiled up at Cadance. "This isn't at all how I expected."

Her surprise only grew as the General stepped into the room. "I was informed somepony important had arrived?"

Cadance pointed at the stunned Radiant. "Hope here can restore Sombra."

Radiant Hope looked between the two of them. "W-what? What are you?"

"I am General Dark Pass, umbrum." He bowed towards Radiant Hope. "And you are a key--"

"Wait." Radiant squinted at him. "You don't look like any... umbrum I saw before."

He recoiled a step at the news. "You've seen others of our kind?"

She nodded firmly. "I've visited their prison, and they look like pixies, not..." She waved a hoof over Dark Pass. "That."

Cadance tilted her head. "So you can confirm they are trapped then?" She whipped her head towards Dark Pass. "Not that I doubted you, but to hear a pony that's been there is..."

Dark Pass nodded with a frown. "I suppose there will be some time before trust can be claimed, but..." He looked over Rose. "Pixies, you said?"

Hope let out a loud breath. "Pixies. I mean no... disrespect but you're a little scary."

Dark Pass exposed his crooked teeth. "So is the one we set out to mend today. I am as I was born."

Hope frowned thoughtfully. "But what if you're not?"

"Come again?"

Cadance peered at the healing mare. "Yes, please explain that, but I have a request first. Consider this a test of your abilities, and a warmup for the main event. My husband was injured. Can you heal him?"

Radiant Hope hopped to her hooves. "Oh! Poor thing! Nopony deserves to have a hurt loved one." She put a hoof to her heart. "Please, lead the way and I'll do my best. Then we can go visit Sombra, please?"

They began to move through the castle towards where Shining Armor rested, but Dark Pass wouldn't let the unanswered question be. "What do you mean, not as we were born?"

Radiant looked to the side at Dark Pass. "What if you're supposed to be pixies, but something went wrong over time? Maybe being imprisoned has... fouled things up?" She licked over her lips. "If you're alright with it, I'd like to try healing you, and we can both see what happens."

Dark Pass was not immediately eager. "Let me see this healing talent of yours in action first. There are two ponies ahead of me who more eagerly await its touch. I wish to set things right, but that doesn't mean surrendering who I am."

Hope pointed at Dark as she walked. "Even if who you are is broken? There's no shame in being fixed, is there?"

They arrived at Cadance's chambers, with Shining slumbering in the large bed within. Hope moved up to his side, her horn glowing gently. "It's not too bad. This will be a lot easier than Sombra probably will be..." She lowered her head and a bright splash of color washed out over Shining, visible even to untrained eyes as she employed her power, mending the hurts in the stallion and putting him to right.

Shining awoke with a gasp, only to be tackled and hugged by his wife. They embraced cheerfully, and became lost in one another for a moment. Hope turned back to Dark with a little smile. "See? It's harmless, and good."

Dark raised a hoof. "Let's assume you're right, entirely right. You would have to heal me, and my daughter, and my friend, and then perhaps every other umbrum that emerges. This is assuming everypony consents to your touch, which even I have not granted, but let's say they do. Can you heal an entire race of ponies with that horn of yours?"

Radiant Hope frowned a little. "I'd try..."

He put a hoof on her shoulder. "You're a good pony, but let's keep our ambitions where we can reach them." He turned away from Cadance and Shining. "I tried to reach too far, but at least a fellow night-dweller was kind enough to bring me down instead of simply slamming me into the turf."

Cadance separated from Shining and they both stood up, all wounds apparently healed in the stallion. Shining approached Radiant. "I hear you're the mare I should thank for this speedy recovery?" He offered her a hoof. "Thanks. Nice to meet you. I'm Shining Armor."

"Radiant Hope." She met his hoof with a clop. "I'm sorry to be in a rush, but can we see Sombra now?" She smiled brightly. "You promised."

Cadance nodded at that. "We did, and we will. Please, let me talk to him before you do your magic. We want this to be a peaceful thing, and I admit, I'm afraid he may lash out the moment he's able to. Let's keep that to a minimum."

Shining stood firmly at Cadance's side. "Ready."

Dark Pass turned back towards them. "I am also ready. Let's go meet Sombra."

They strode with confidence to the door that had given Cadance trouble before, then up the stairs. They marched in determined silence, unlike the jovial play when Silver and Night had been there. There was business to be done, and all minds seemed set on it. Their silence was only broken when they emerged into the top room.

"Hope?"

Radiant went stiff, then began to look around frantically. "Sombra? Is that you? Please, come out!"

"You've come to finish what you started then?" Smoke billowed out, congealing swiftly into the looming form of an angry pony. "Will you strike me down and complete your betrayal?"

"N-No!"

Cadance stepped ahead of Radiant Hope. "We're here to fulfill a promise, but more important than that..." She offered a hoof towards the smoke. "We're here as friends."

"Friends?" The smokey pony of Sombra leaned in towards Cadance. "You must think me a fool to think you want anything other than me out of your way, 'Princess'. And what is this?" The smokey figure darted around to look at Dark Pass. "One of my own? How is this possible?"

Radiant's eyes contracted as another surprise settled on her. "So he really is an umbrum?"

Dark nodded at the shadowy form. "They subdued me, sir, with the same friendship they're offering you." He pointed to Radiant. "She hasn't stopped talking about how much she wants to help you."

"Has she?" Sombra looked to Radiant. "And how would you propose to do that? I thought you would be a princess by now. But there are no wings on your back. You're... just as I left you." A faintly regretful tone hung in his voice. "What happened?"

Hope sat on her haunches and let out a breath as her head shook. "When I... After I told Luna and Celestia, and after the Crystal Empire was gone, I was... It crushed me." She spread her forehooves in the air. "I had lost my only true friend. I hurt him when he needed me most!"

"You did..." Sombra rumbled, but he let her continue, staring at her.

"I wandered the snowy landscape, and I found them."

"Them?"

"The Umbrum! They spoke to me through a crystal, and invited me to their world, where they were trapped. Nopony ages there, so... here I am."

Cadance raised a brow. "Luna said she was tracking you." She tapped her chin. "Auntie was leaving out details again..."

Dark Pass shook his head. "If you escaped, why didn't you bring the others with you?!"

Hope wheeled on Dark Pass. "I wanted to! They told me to help Sombra, and he could do it. That's why I'm here."

Sombra snorted and drew back into his horn. "Destroy me, or restore me, make your decision."

Hope stepped gingerly towards the jagged horn and reached for it, gently batting it around. "Do you..."

"One or the other, Radiant Hope."

She let out a slow sigh and drew herself to full height before lowering her head at the horn. Her magic flared brighter than before as it wrapped around the horn and began to work intense magic. It was more powerful than any other she had worked before. She collapsed under the strain of it, but the two heavy clops of hooves told her that she'd succeeded. Sombra had returned.

"Long live the king..." He licked over his lips before looking towards Cadance. "I assume you will be stepping down from the throne?"

Cadance raised a brow even as Shining Armor erected a hasty shield around them both. "I should think not. Things have changed, Sombra. You've had your revenge. Now will you prioritize it further, or see to your friend?"

He looked down at Radiant Hope as she struggled to stand. Dark Hope took an unsure step forward. "Sombra, why didn't you destroy the Crystal Heart while you had the opportunity?"

"Fool." Sombra scowled at Dark. "That would destroy us all. Have you any idea the energy contained within it?" He offered a hoof towards  Radiant, and she rose with his help. "It is... hopeless."

Dark staggered back. "Hopeless?"

"Even were I to unleash the umbrum, they would remain tied to the heart. As soon as it was placed back into position, the umbrum would be imprisoned once more. It is a trap with no escape." He scowled. "Simply keeping it from activating was the only kindness I could offer you. I'm sorry."

Cadance's expression softened. "That... There must be something we can do..."

Sombra waved a hoof at her. "Why are you so determined?" He rose to his hooves. "Step out of my way and let me ascend to the throne. I will keep them free for as long as I'm able."

Radiant threw herself against his front, hugging him tightly. "No! Please! She's a good pony, and so are you. You shouldn't be fighting."

"Am I?"

She nodded in a rapid bobbing, clutching to him. "Please... I don't want to lose you again."

Cadance offered her hoof anew. "I know what happened to you, Sombra. I'm sorry. I wasn't there, and I can't undo what happened, but we're here now. You don't have to be the villain here."

Sombra's trails of magic from his eyes flared as he met Cadance's look with one of fury. "Don't think to lecture me! Not much has changed. The ponies of this kingdom still hate me, and my people. You say there are choices, but I see precious few but the inevitability of fate." His horn flashed with dark tones of black and purple, and Shining's bubble shattered violently, leaving the stallion reeling.