The Redemption of King Sombra

by DrewCarriker6231993

Chapter Seventeen: The Return of Nightmare Moon

Chapter Seventeen: The Return of Nightmare Moon
The Crystal Empire

Princess Cadance was in her room straightening out her mane with a brush while humming. She began thinking about her baby. She smiled, felt her stomach and began to imagine what will it be like to be a parent. She got off her seat and started for the door when she began to groan in pain. She backed up from the door and into a chair with her eyes shut tight, "It's.... it's time...." She said and she happened to touch the ruby on Sombra's bracelet while her hooves were on her belly.
Sombra's Castle

"The darkness is getting stronger....." Sombra said scanning the egg with his horn. He powered down his horn, "I sure hope whatever is in that egg can be reformed...." then he sensed Cadance touching her bracelet. "She needs me...." he turned into a shadow and left the room.

Soon after leaving the castle green evil-looking eyes opened on the egg. It's eyes glowed and a shadow taking a shape of Queen Chrysalis appeared before it. "Take a piece of Princess Luna's mane, and a feather from her wing. Then merge with it and do as you please and make me strong...." an evil familiar voice commanded the shadow. The shadow spread out it's wings and left the castle.
The Crystal Empire

Cadance sat down in her chair groaning and breathing heavily when Sombra appeared into the room. Once he saw Cadance in pain he rushed over to her, "Cadance, are you alright?!"

"Huh..... huh..... Sombra..... huh.... thank goodness you're here....." she sobbed and breathed hard as she spoke. "It's.... time.... please help me....." Sombra gasped and helped Cadance stand up and together they turned into shadows and left the room. Once they got to the hospital Sombra carried Cadance in. The doctors saw this and immediately got her into another room.

"Must find Shining Armor...." Sombra said before he turned into a shadow again and left as fast as he came. Sombra searched around until he found Shining Armor with some guards in the castle. Shining Armor turned in alarm as Sombra's shadow appeared. Sombra appeared out of the shadow, "Shining Armor, I found you!"

"Sombra?! What's the matter?" he asked surprised to see him.

"It's Cadance!"

Shining Armor gasped, "What's wrong?! Is she alright?!"

"She's giving birth! Come with me!" Sombra put an arm around Shining Armor then they turned into shadows and left. Once they got to the hospital they rushed inside.

Shining Armor went ahead of Sombra, "Cadance! Are you alright?!" Sombra stayed behind as Shining Armor rushed to his wife's room. Sombra turned back into a shadow and left the hospital to tell Luna and Celestia.
Canterlot

Luna was taking a nap in her bed while the shadow the egg created entered her room unnoticed by the guards. The shadow slowly approached the sleeping princess as it's left hoof turn into a pair of scissors. It took an end of Luna's mane and cut off a piece. And to the shadow's surprise the part where it cut grew back in a few seconds. Luna groaned and rolled over, making her wings face the shadow. The shadow reached out with it's mouth and plucked a feather making Luna wake up! "Ow! Who's there?!" she sat up and looked around, but there was nopony here. She looked at the spot where the feather was plucked and instantly grew back the feather. One moment she sensed a dark presence and then the next moment it was gone. "How strange...." she yawned, laid back down, and fell back to sleep.
In a cave miles away

The shadow took out the sample of Luna's mane and feather. It sat them down, stepped back and it's eyes glowed white and then the shadow's body turned into a sphere. The sphere floated towards the mane sample and feather and made them float around the sphere. The pieces circled around the sphere like a ring on planet Saturn. Then all three merged into a big shadow taking a shape of an a alicorn who's eyes glowed white and let out an evil laugh. It sounded very familiar.

As if she sensed something Luna woke up gasping. On his way to Canterlot Sombra's horn glowed. "I sense a very dark presence...." Sombra said to himself as he moved faster.
Canterlot

"Did you feel that too?" Luna asked Celestia.

"Yes, it felt like a great evil came back...." Celestia said to her sister.

"It felt familiar, too familiar...." Luna replied.

Sombra's shadow appeared in the room. Once Sombra appeared out of the shadow Luna ran over to him and nuzzled him. "Luna, Celestia! Cadance is having her baby!" he yelled.

Forgetting what she felt earlier Luna hugged Sombra, "That's wonderful!"

Discord walks in, "Did I just hear that Cadance is having her baby?" he asked with a paw to his ear.

"Yes, today!" Sombra said.

"How precious....." said an evil, female voice. They looked outside and saw the sky was getting dark and there was thunder and lightning.

Luna's eyes opened wide, "It can't be...." Then a shadow appeared in the middle of the room and began taking shape into an alicorn. Thunder sounds filled the room and a dark figure appeared from the shadow. It was the Mare of the Moon, Nightmare Moon! She approached the four and smiled her evil smile. Just the sight of her filled Luna with anger, "YOU!"

"So, we meet again...." Nightmare Moon said. Sombra and Discord stepped in front of the princesses to protect them. Luna motioned them to move. Nightmare Moon laughed, "After one thousand years stuck together did you really think you could escape me?!"

"Why are you here?!" Luna demanded.

"Your hatred and jealousy was so strong that it created me, your alter ego! After the fight with Twilight Sparkle we got separated. Then something happened and now I no longer need you to exist! In other words, I'm now free to do as I please!" she laughed again and powered up her horn.
Friendship Rainbow Kingdom

Wild Forrest was learning how to read with the help of Twilight Sparkle. "You're doing a good job!" said Twilight.

"This is better than I thought...." Wild Forrest replied. Then he picked up a scent and began sniffing.

"What do you smell?" Twilight asked.

"Discord...." he answered and then ran off to the throne room and found Discord sitting in the center with a shocked look on his face with Fluttershy by his side.

"Discord!" Twilight ran over to him, "Are you alright?!"

Discord gets up with help from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. "We're...... we're in trouble. Big trouble!"

"What's wrong?" Applejack asked.

"She's.... she's back.... Nightmare Moon...." Discord said, still shocked. All their eyes opened wide at the news. "She has her own body now, and she ponynapped Celestia and Luna! Sombra and I tried to stop her but she knocked us unconscious!"

"What?! You know where they are?!" Twilight asked.

"Sombra is searching for them. I looked too, but I can't find them anywhere! We have to do something!"
The Moon

Celestia slowly began to wake up, then she gasped, "Luna!" she looks around and see's Luna laying next to her unconscious. "Luna! Luna wake up!" she shook her sister.

"Huh, what?" Luna asked while waking up.

Celestia hugs her, "Are you alright?" she asked caringly.

"Yes, I'm alright...." Luna looks around her, "We're.... on the moon...."

"Nightmare Moon...." Celestia whispered. "She must have took us here, but how?"

Then her laugh was heard, "I'm now many times stronger than I was before!"

"Where are you?!" Luna demanded.

"What, aren't you happy to be back on the moon? You should feel at home here...." Nightmare Moon snickered.

"I was very lonely up here...." Luna said with a sigh. Then painful memories started coming to her, then she began to cry. "Just being here...." she sat down and covered her face with her hooves as she cried harder. Celestia hugged her and tried to comfort her.

"What's the matter?" The Mare of the Moon asked, "Oh, I see. You fear living on the moon for another one thousand years; Abandoned, betrayed, and unforgiven by OUR own sister. What did we do to deserve it? By taking what was rightfully OURS: the world. We could've made the night eternal, but you chose to abandon me. And what's worse then that? You've forgiven the very sister who betrayed US! Forgiveness, love, so insignificant. It would be funny if it weren't so pathetic. But, I'll laugh about it anyway...." Nightmare Moon then laughed maniacally.

"I did what I did because it was for her own good...." Celestia said nuzzling her crying sister. "It pained me doing this to my own sister, but I've never given up on her even after she became the Nightmare Moon...."

"You fool, I AM the Nightmare Moon!" she yelled.

Celestia's eyes began to tear up as she held her sister, "I would never, ever abandon you little sister. Because I love you...." Celestia held her tighter.

"I.... I love you too....." Luna sobbed as she spoke.

Celestia looks up, "And nothing is stronger than love and friendship. Nightmare Moon, if you are really are part of Luna, you must know that I love you as my sister too. Please, forgive me. Please stop whatever it is you're trying to do before it's too late and join us...."

Nightmare Moon appeared before Celestia with concern in her eyes. Then they turned to angry eyes and Nightmare Moon fired a beam right at Celestia! "Celestia!" Luna rushed over to her.

The Mare of the Moon laughed maniacally again. "You may fight this all you want, but let's face it: we all have our dark sides, even you Luna...."

"NO! My dark side has faded!" Luna snapped.

"Is that so? Perhaps you need a little reminding...." with that the evil mare's eyes glowed. Luna was transforming into the Nightmare Moon!

"Luna! LUNA! NOOOO!!!" Celestia cried. Celestia got up and faced Luna's evil double, but Luna blocked the way and kicked Celestia down!

Nightmare Moon laughed at the sight and then said, "That's right, finish your sister; have OUR revenge; and become one with me once again!"

Celestia struggled to block Luna's attacks. "Luna...." then she got hit by Luna's magic beam, knocking her down.

"GET UP! FIGHT ME!!!" Luna yelled. Nightmare Moon laughed again while Luna was beating up her sister. "WHY WON'T YOU FIGHT?!"

"Because, your my sister.... and I refuse to hurt you.... good or evil, I still love you...." Celestia answered.

Luna gasped and then she turned back to normal, "I'm so sorry!" she helped Celestia stand up.

"AGH! So be it! You have made your choice and soon you'll be imprisoned here on the moon in torment for all eternity! Prepare yourselves!" with that Nightmare Moon spread out her wings and took off to the blackness.

"We must fight her. We have no choice." Celestia said.

"I'm with you, until the end...." Luna replied. The two looked at each other and smiled. Then they took off after the evil mare.
Frienship Rainbow Kingdom

Discord unknowingly got a piece of Nightmare Moon's mane into his mane. After Twilight noticed she took it and put it into one of her machines. After reading the diagnosis she said, "It appears someone or something has taken some of Luna's DNA and created a dark version of herself, Nightmare Moon...."

"So she's a fake?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"No, she is real; she is an evil clone of Luna. But I have a theory: If she is really a clone of Luna, it is possible that she can be turned good by the Elements of Harmony...."

Sombra appears in the room, "I'm afraid it's not going to be that simple; before she attacked us I was able to examine her and I saw that she is almost fully consumed by darkness. If we were to act quickly it's possible that we can weaken her and use the Elements of Harmony...."

"But, wait! Where will the darkness inside Nightmare Moon go?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"I'll take the power. I'm the Creature of Darkness so it'll not turn me evil...."

"But, that sounds dangerous...." Fluttershy replied.

"I must take the risk, for Luna...."

"Have you found the location?" Discord asked with concern.

"Yes, they are on the moon. And whenever you're all ready I'll take us there....

Twilight looks at her friends who all nodded. Twilight used her magic to get the Elements of Harmony, "Let's do this...." she said. Sombra nods, then they all turned to shadows, except for Spike and Wild Forrest, and left the kingdom.

"I sure hope they'll be alright...." Forrest said to Spike. "Yeah, me too...." then the owl hooted.
Back on the Moon

Celestia and Luna were in a beam struggle with Nightmare Moon, "You can't do this forever!" the evil mare said with a laugh.

Discord, Sombra, and the Mane Six appeared on the moon. "Whoa, Nellie!" Applejack said looking around her.

"Wow...." Rainbow Dash whispered.

Discord looks up, "Up there!"

"Oh my...." Fluttershy gasped. Discord and Sombra looked at one another and nodded. Together they flew up close to Luna and Celestia unleashing their own beams.

Nightmare Moon felt her magic going back to her, "What?!"

"Discord!" Celestia yelled, happy to see him. Discord gave a thumb up to her.

"Oh, Sombra....." Luna whispered looking over to him who smiled back at her. Then all four combined their magic beams into one and struck down the Mare of the Moon.

"AAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!" The Nightmare Moon fell to the moon. She got up outraged then she spotted the Mane Six around her. Her anger nearly reached the boiling point, "YOU!!!!"

"Now's our chance!" Twilight yelled as the Elements of Harmony began to power up.

"You're kidding. You're kidding, right? STRIKING ME DOWN AGAIN!" Nightmare Moon yelled in anger as she began powering up her own horn. Before she could do anything the Elements of Harmony used their magic on her!

Then an evil voice inside the evil mare's head said, "Your usefulness to me has ended...."

"NOOOOOOOO!!!!" the clone screamed in anguish.

After they stopped, Nightmare Moon's outline was glowing blue on and off as she was groaning in pain. She showed her teeth as she growled and groaned; her armor began to crack and fall off; then she let out one last roar of pain and collapsed. She groaned and began to shrink until she looked just like Luna except she still had her Nightmare Moon colors. "We've done it!" Twilight yelled.

"Nightmare Moon is no more! Nightmare Moon is no more!" Pinkie Pie yelled bouncing up and down.

"So it's over for good?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Sombra, Discord, Luna, and Celestia landed then the Mane Six rushed over to them and had a group hug. Sombra then walks over to the former Mare of the Moon, who was unconscious. Sombra's horn glowed and a ball of dark aura came out of the mare's horn as Sombra opened his mouth. Then the aura went into his mouth. Sombra stood there for a moment and his eyes glowed, "My powers have increased...." he said.

"You feeling okay?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yes, I'll be fine...." he said with an evil looking smile.

"What about Nightmare Moon?" Rarity asked.

Sombra examined the mare with his horn, "She will awaken soon, and it feels that the darkness has left her heart completely. It also feels like she'll have no recollection of what has happened, who she is, or her evil intentions...."

"So she'll have a second chance at life!" Pinkie Pie yelled getting excited.

"But, what should we do with her?" Rainbow Dash asked Celestia.

Celestia thought for a moment and said, "Since she is no longer evil and she has lost her memory you all may take care of her....."

"If you think it's best, then we'll do it." Twilight replied happily.

Rainbow Dash and Rarity had a look that told them they were unsure. Celestia and Luna smiled at each other, "Let's go home...." Luna suggested. Sombra nods and they all turn to shadows and return to Canterlot and the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom.

"Phew, what a day this has been!" Discord said stretching.

"That's enough adventure for one day...." Sombra replied. "Luna, are you going to be alright?" he asked caringly.

"Yes, I'll be alright...." Luna assured him and then they kissed and nuzzled, "Thank you, all of you...." Celestia trotted over to the Dark Couple and hugged them both. Discord shrugged his shoulders and joined them. Then Luna remembered something, "Did you say Cadance is having her baby, Sombra?"

"Yes, we better go check on her...." Sombra said before they all left the room.
Friendship Rainbow Kingdom

Twilight and Rarity put the former Nightmare Moon into a bed and pulled up the covers. Spike jumped up on the bed, "You know, since she's not the Nightmare Moon anymore, except she looks like it, we need to think of a name for her...." he suggested.

They all thought. "Night Sky?" Rainbow Dash asked. They all disagreed.

"Midnight?" Applejack suggested. They all disagreed.

"Black Jewel?" Rarity asked. They all disagreed.

"Bad Dream?" Pinkie Pie asked bouncing again. They all looked at her and disagreed with her.

"Ebony?" Fluttershy asked. They all disagreed.

"How about..... Eclipse?" Twilight asked the others.

"As in Lunar Eclipse?" Rarity asked.

"Yes, since she is the clone of Luna...." Twilight Sparkle began but got interrupted by Spike,

"Oh, I get it! Luna Eclipse!"

"Exactly...."

"Eclipse it is then, dear!" Rarity said.

"Yeah, it's kind of a cool name." Rainbow Dash replied.

"Eclipse! Eclipse! ECLIPSE!!!" Pinkie Pie chanted.

"The name's mighty appropriate!" said Applejack.

"I like it...." said Fluttershy.

Suddenly Eclipse began tossing and turning. "I think she's waking up." Spike said jumping off the bed. Slowly, Eclipse opened her eyes and screamed. She tried to get up but she was in so much pain that she fell back on the bed.

"Take it easy, darling! There's nothing to be afraid of..." Rarity assured her.

"Where.... where am I?" Eclipse asked nervously.

"You are in the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom. My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle, but you can call me Twilight...."

"Am I your prisoner?" Eclipse asked.

"More like our patient." Rainbow Dash replied.

"Your patient?" she asked confused.

"Yes, you were unconscious and we took you home...." Fluttershy said nicely.

"You helped me even though we never met?" the mare asked again, feeling moved.

"Of course! We couldn't leave you!" Pinkie Pie answered.

"That's right partner, nopony should leave an injured pony behind." Applejack added.

"How are you feeling?" Spike asked.

"I feel sore all over...." she groaned before leaning back against the pillow. "Who am I?" she asked herself.

"Eclipse." Twilight answered.

"Eclipse?" she asked.

"If you don't mind, we would like to call you that."

"Eclipse? I like it...." she said before yawning. "I owe you my life. I'll be happy to serve you Twilight when I get better...."

Twilight chuckled, "There's no need, just be our friend...."

"Friend?" she asked and then she thought for moment, "I like that....."

"And you may live with us for as long as you wish, whatever makes you more comfortable." replied Twilight.

Eclipse smiled, "Thank you so much...." then she fell asleep.

Discord came into the room, "How is she?" he asked.

"She's going to be just fine...." Twilight said with a smile.

"We named her Eclipse!" Pinkie Pie added.

"Eclipse, eh? I like the sound of that. Oh, and Aunt Twilight Sparkle, Cadance.... she just had her baby." Discord said smiling at her.

Twilight gasped, but the others cheered. "You're an Aunt! You're an Aunt! You're an Aunt!" Pinkie Pie yelled bouncing again.

Fluttershy hugged Twilight, "Congratulations...."

"I reckon you'll be a good Aunt!" Applejack added. Twilight was still speechless.
Hospital

Cadance was in bed holding a male foal with a white coat, purple, pink, and white mane and tail, and violet eyes. Shining Armor wrapped an arm around her and kissed both his wife and son. "So beautiful...." the new mother said before kissing her husband back. Then she kissed her son, "We still have to name him...."

"How about Alexandrite?" Shining Armor asked his wife.

"Alexandrite.... yes, Alexandrite....." the baby looked up at his parents.

"He probably already knows his name." Shining Armor said with a chuckle.

Cadance held their baby closer, "Our beloved little Alexandrite...."

Author's Note:

Alexandrite birthstone
Alexandrite gem
Alexandrite crystal