• Published 31st Jul 2015
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A Somber Tale: FIENDship is Magic - Maltrazz



Twilight learns of Sombra's past, and finds him alive but weakened. She decides to learn how to use his Dark Magic for Good, by taking him back to Ponyville.

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Interlude I: Night Terrors

It was a peaceful night as Princess Luna walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle. She enjoyed her nightly walks, greeting the guards and reminding herself of all she had. However, something was off that night. The castle was completely empty; even the guards were inexplicably missing.

"No matter," Luna said to herself as she walked. "I'll just have to go find them. They had best have a good reason for abandoning their posts."

"Never satisfied, are we?"

The alicorn froze as a familiar voice echoed through the halls. "What!? Who's there?" Luna called out. "Reveal yourself!"

"As you wish, my Queen."

Suddenly, the shadows began to gather, drawing together into an equine form. As the stallion's glowing green eyes opened, any doubts as to his identity were dispelled. "Sombra," Luna said with a glare. "Why am I not surprised that you cheated death yet again? And what are you playing at, calling me 'queen'? I am a Princess, as you well know!"

The shadowy king approached her with an amused expression. "Princess? That would be an insult to one such as you," he replied. "Isn't that right... Nightmare Moon?"

The alicorn's expression turn cold upon hearing that name. "Nightmare Moon is gone. I am a Princess of Equestria, now and forever more."

"The past is not so easily forgotten, nor should it be," Sombra replied. "And why should it have to be? Why should you have to be the one to change? Why should you be denied what you desire?"

"What I desire?" Luna asked warily. "What do you mean?"

"Celestia had this castle and rulership of Equestria to herself for centuries, Twilight is free to use Dark Magic as she pleases, and Cadance is adored by ponies wherever she goes. All you ever desired was what others had, and with good reason," Sombra said softly, soothingly. "If they get such things, why shouldn't you?"

"Even if I did still hold such desires, why would you care?" Luna shot back.

"It's as I said 1,000 years ago, you are far more fit to rule, far more deserving of respect than Celestia. The same is even more true of those new foals that would claim the title 'Princess'," Sombra replied with a sneer when speaking of the other Equestrian royalty.

"No, I meant why would you care?" Luna's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she spoke. "The King Sombra I remember would never offer such supportive sentiments unless he was trying to gain something. In fact... How did you know about Twilight using Dark Magic or Cadance's popularity amongst her subjects? No..." Luna stepped forward as her confidence grew. "Something's not right here. Who are you really? What happened to everypony in the castle?"

'Sombra' was silent for a moment, eyes closed in thought. After a moment, his eyes opened, revealing slitted teal eyes. When the figure spoke, it was in a more feminine tone. "Come now, Luna, surely the Princess of the Night knows when she's dreaming?" As Luna's eye's widened in surprise, the figure cackled and began to change. It grew taller and sleek wings formed on its sides as its mane shifted from looking like living darkness to a swathe of the night sky.

Sighing in resignation, Luna muttered, "Of course, this is the Tantabus' doing, isn't it?"

"Perhaps," the dream representation of her alter ego replied. "But just because our pet got more creative doesn't make my point any less valid."

"There is no 'our'. The Elements of Harmony got rid of you," Luna said angrily. "I will atone where and when I can but you are nothing but a bad memory, a nightmare."

Nightmare Moon just cackled at that. As she calmed down, she replied, "My dear Luna, I have always been a Nightmare! As for the accursed Elements, they may have driven away the Nightmare Forces that empowered us but they could never get rid of me. After all, I am you. For as long as you live, I do as well. You may play Princess now, but you did before, as well."

"I made a mistake," Luna said firmly. "I was alone then, now I have friends that care for me and, if for no other reason than for their sake, I shall never repeat that mistake."

"You do have friends... for now," Nightmare Moon's smug tone was undeniable. "However, immortality is as much a curse as it is a blessing. One day those friends will be gone and it will be just you and Celestia once more. Eventually, everypony will forget about me and start ignoring you once more. Then, your Envy will consume you once more. It's only a matter of time... But the Nightmare Forces will return soon. Why not simply embrace them now, rather than delay the inevitable?"

"I shall not fall to temptation again!" Luna declared. As the dream started to fade, another question occurred to her. "What I don't understand is why you took on King Sombra's form, at first."

"I am a part of you, Princess of the Night," Nightmare Moon replied. "But I am also your dream. Sometimes the subconscious notices things the conscious mind has yet to acknowledge. Dreams have power, yet sometimes the answers they provide are more obvious than one expects..."


Luna sat up in her bed as the strange and disturbing dream ended. Looking around her room, she saw the sun starting to set outside her window. As she got up, she pondered the events of the dream. An alicorn's dreams were often prophetic, but the meanings were not always clear.

"'Yet sometimes the answers they provide are more obvious than one expects...' Was she referring to this dream, or to another?" Luna pondered. "The only other dream I've seen recently involving Sombra was the one Twilight had. Why would that matter, though?"

Author's Note:

Not a full chapter, just a brief little interlude before the next story arc. Hope you enjoyed it all the same, though!

Why did Sombra appear in Luna's dream? Will another of Sombra's plans be derailed by the unexpected interference of a princess? Find out in future chapters of 'A Somber Tale'!

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