//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14: Return and a Return 
// Story: A Somber Tale: FIENDship is Magic 
// by Maltrazz 
//------------------------------//

Sombra was deep in thought on the train ride back to Ponyville. Those thoughts were centered around the only other occupant of this particular train car.

'Why do I care about her crying?' Sombra wondered as he studied the mare across from him and remembered the night before. 'True, she has proven to be a far more apt student than I ever expected, but her usefulness in facilitating my recovery is of greater importance. There is no reason for me to care about her emotional state. In fact, the more unstable her mind, the easier it would be for me to manipulate her. And yet...' Sombra frowned as he tried to puzzle out the reason behind his reaction.

"Amazing..." Twilight suddenly said, her voice barely a whisper.

Sombra blinked in surprise at the comment. 'Care to share your discovery?' He asked telepathically.

'It's their magic,' Twilight replied excitedly. 'The other ponies on the train, I mean. I can feel them, just like I did the Umbrum back in your study. It's so strange. It's like... When I was little, I asked Cadance what it was like to become an alicorn but she wasn't able to explain it very well. I'll bet this is pretty similar. I know the world didn't change but I'm seeing it in a whole new way!' She gave the dark stallion a brilliant smile as she added aloud, "I can't thank you enough. If you never taught me Dark Magic, I never would have gotten to experience something like this!"

Sombra could not help but smile back as the young mare's good mood proved contagious. 'And here I was going to wait until we got back to the library before having you practice.' Sombra commented in amusement. 'I suppose, by this point, I should not be surprised by your eagerness when it comes to magic.'

'How could I not be?' Twilight thought to him excitedly. 'Think of all the possibilities of this, once I learn to control it better! Why, with enough practice, I could probably keep tabs on everypony in Ponyville! I would never need to search for anypony, I could just sense where they are. And if any trouble started brewing, I would know right away, and could stop it almost just as fast!'

'Indeed,' Sombra grinned wider as he replied. 'Monitoring my subjects and being able to instantly suppress any attempts at organizing rebellion were crucial to me being able to maintain control of the Crystal Empire single-hoofedly.'

Twilight blinked in surprise as the less noble applications for such an ability were laid out for her. Where part of her felt guilty for her association with the former tyrant, the more analytical part of her mind could not help but be impressed. 'I had wondered how you managed to keep any of them from escaping, but if you were able to detect any trying to leave, that would make sense.' Twilight paused as another twinge of guilt causing her to frown before her curiosity got the better of her. 'Um, I've been meaning to ask you something since last night. All those Crystal Unicorns you turned into actual crystal, did you do that as soon as you took over, since they'd be harder to control, or did you only do it after they opposed you?'

'Remember, Twilight,' Sombra replied in a lecturing tone, displaying neither pride nor remorse, 'I only enslaved the Crystal Ponies originally in order to do the digging necessary to free the Umbrum. So, I needed as many able-bodied ponies as possible. However, after the doorway to the Umbrum's prison was uncovered, and I found myself hesitating with their release, security became a far greater priority...'

The conversation continued in a similar vein for the rest of the ride back to Ponyville.





When they disembarked at the Ponyville station, Twilight was surprised by the greeting or lack thereof. Rather than any of her friends, even just Spike, being there to greet her, the station was completely deserted. "I wonder where everypony is?" She pondered aloud.

"Twilight..." At the sound of her name, Twilight turned Sombra and saw his usual grin replaced with a more serious expression as he said, "I believe now would be a good time for you to test your new magical ability further."

Frowning, Twilight closed her eyes in concentration as she focused on the magic around her... only for her eyes to snap open in shock a moment later. "W-what's going on?"

"I see you can sense it as well," Sombra said grimly. "It would seem that something happened here during our absence."

"But so much Dark Magic..." Twilight replied. "Whoever it is must be almost as powerful as you!"

"Perhaps," Sombra said wryly, "if it were all from the same being. With more practice, your Magic Sense will become more refined but, for now, I can assure you that it is coming from many far weaker beings. If I've learned the layout of Ponyville as well as I think, then I believe the majority of them should be in the town hall."

"We'd better check it out right away," Twilight said as she started forward into town.

"Not so fast," Sombra cautioned her. When she turned back to look at him, his eyes began to glow with Dark Magic and his body turned into shadows as he continued telepathically, 'Would it not be better to ascertain the situation before we allow ourselves to be seen?'

Twilight grinned and shifted into Shadowform in response.

As the two Dark Magic users approached the town hall, they could see a green glow coming from within. 'Not being very subtle, are they?' Sombra commented wryly.

'Given how we have yet to see anypony, they must not think that they need to be,' Twilight replied grimly. Sliding up to one of the windows, she peeked inside... only for her eyes to widen at what she saw.

'So, these must be the infamous Changelings I have heard so much about,' Sombra commented as he looked through the window as well. 'How fascinating. I had heard of their insectile appearance and swarm mentality, but cocooning their prey? Such would imply arachnid traits, as well. I cannot help but wonder if there was some intelligent force behind their development, some malign intent to combine such terror-inducing features...'

'I never thought about it that way,' Twilight replied. 'But who would have the power and knowledge needed to create a new species?' Shaking the shadowy representation of her head, she quickly changed thoughts. 'Wait, nevermind that for now. We can discuss that later, but right now my friends need help!' With a tendril of shadow, she gestured to the baby dragon and five ponies that were currently struggling against the cocooning process.

'Very well, then let us 'save the day', as you seem so prone to doing,' Sombra replied with a grin as he resumed his equine form and strode towards the main entrance.

Twilight blinked in surprise before following suit. 'Are we really just going to walk in the front door?' Twilight asked in surprise. 'I thought you would have suggested something more subtle, like sneaking in through the roof or sliding under the windows as shadows.'

'Against a superior foe, such tactics would be appropriate, but surely even with your budding ability you can since how weak these pathetic drones are,' Sombra answered with a sneer. '1,000 years ago, before facing me themselves, the Two Sisters sent their Royal Guard to deal with me... There is a reason they had to come finish the job themselves.' As Dark Magic swirled about him, Twilight grinned as she realized what he was doing; his words were less for her benefit and more to bolster his Pride, thus fueling his power. Turning to her with green-glowing eyes, Sombra added, 'I will breach the door and back you up if necessary, but I believe it would be best if you took care of the changelings since your friends will be watching.'

'But there's dozens of them in there!' Twilight protested.

'And put together they don't come even close to matching you, in worth or power,' the former tyrant replied. 'If you do not trust yourself or your own power, then trust my faith in your ability. You said you wished to use Dark Magic for 'good' did you not? You accidentally Crystallized an 'innocent' pony. Now, turn that power against those that would harm your village.'

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, when she opened them they were filled with determination and the telltale glow of Dark Magic. 'Alright. You're right. My friends are counting on me. Let's do this!'





Applejack and Rainbow Dash were the only two still struggling against the overwhelming number of changelings, Spike and the other ponies having already been encased in pods of hardened slime, when a wave of shadows crashing through the town hall's main doors, reducing the wood to a cloud of dust and splinters. All movement in the hall froze as a familiar purple unicorn strode out of the cloud of debris.

"Twilight!" The other ponies cried in unison, hope blossoming within them.

"Let go of my friends right now!" Twilight demanded as she stepped further into the hall.

The Changelings swarmed her and the pair that was still free rushed to hep her. They pulled to a stop, however, as the changelings were knocked back by a blast of Dark Magic, many of them turned into crystal statues in the process. Twilight turned her glowing gaze towards the pair and called out to them, "You two free the others. I'll deal with these pests!"

Seeing Applejack and Rainbow Dash nod in response and hurry towards the others, Twilight turned to the remaining Changelings. 'Now I can see why Sombra enjoys this kind of thing so much,' she thought. 'Turning that guard to crystal was a horrible accident, but against these Changelings I have no reason to feel guilty. Being able to change the very structure of their bodies, to stop them with just a flicker of magic, it's just so... so...'

'Exhilarating, is it not? Using Dark Magic against your enemies,' Sombra asked telepathically, interrupting her thoughts as she started to systematically Crystallize the remaining Changelings.

'Well, they were the ones who attacked first,' Twilight replied defensively. Creating a wall of dark crystals to disrupt a counterattack from her foes, Twilight caught them one-by-one as they came around it, leaving another group of crystal statues laying in the hall. Grin still on her face, she added, 'It is nice being able to use this kind of power, though. It's not as intense as using the Elements but it's so much more satisfying knowing that this is my own magic.'

'Indeed,' Sombra commented from his place in the ruined doorway. 'However, it would seem your fun has come to an end.'

Even as his thoughts reached her, Twilight saw the last of the Changelings fleeing through the windows and flying off to the south. Taking a deep breath, she let her magic fade. Sombra stepped up beside his student and they approached her friends, who were shaking off the last pieces of the cocoons they had been trapped in.

"Twilight!" Spike cried out to her as he rushed up and hugged her. "Thank Celestia you got back when you did! The Changelings replaced everypony in Ponyville and we didn't realize it until it was too late."

"I don't know about you, but I had them right where I wanted them!" Rainbow Dash spoke up.

"Sure ya did," Applejack retorted with a roll of her eyes. Turning to Twilight, she gave an apologetic smile and added, "Ta be honest, I was kinda skeptical about this whole Dark Magic thing ya've been doing lately, but ya really saved our tails, Twilight."

"Indeed! Truth be told, we've been quite worried about you, darling," Rarity said, "but I suppose we should have trusted you to know what you were doing."

"I think it's time for a group hug!" Pinkie Pie declared, wrapping her friends in a giant hug.

Twilight smiled as she was surrounded by her friends. She could not help but compare the rush of using Dark Magic to the warmth of her friendships. Both were feelings she had come to love and she hoped from the bottom of her heart that nothing would happen to make her pick between them.

And then the moment was ruined as Spike started making gagging sounds.

Twilight turned to him in annoyance, only to blink in surprise as a glowing green orb burst from his mouth with a plume of flame. "Huh, I don't remember eating that," Spike said, as Twilight picked it up with her magic.

"Is it from the Princess?" Twilight wondered aloud. Even as the words left her mouth, though, Twilight could sense the Dark Magic coming from it.

"Princess? No. But a Queen? Yes."

As the sinister voice emanated from the orb, an image formed within, the owner of both being unmistakable; the Changeling ruler, Queen Chrysalis.