Between Dark and Dawn
Sombra took a little stroll around Canterlot, needing some fresh air and a bit of space from living in the castle. It took a little getting used to the modern era and how certain things worked today, but he was able to manage. He was a mused how Luna still found a couple different things confusing, especially when hearing how she mistook Nightmare Night's spooky theme as an offense to her Heartless persona's evil-doings. Though, while out in public, he was wary of some ponies staring at him for too long, fearing they might figure out he was the same evil unicorn who liberated the Crystal Empire with darkness and recently attempted his conquest of Equestria.
Returning to the castle with a bag of delicious doughnuts on his back, he walked through the halls to his beloved's chambers. There were some slight complications involving his presence with some of the guards as he was stopped after one of those walks throughout the city. They didn't believe he was a royal guest of the princesses, avoiding mentioning he was Luna's fiancé to cause more issues or unwanted scandals, and one stubborn, old-fashioned guard threatened to toss him out for making false claims. Luna overheard the argument Sombra tried to avoid, shouting at him in the Royal Canterlot Voice that he was indeed her guest and deserves to be treated with more respect than the guard was. After nearly going deaf, he changed his tone, but Sombra always got the stink-eye from that particular guard. While grateful for Luna's interjection, it still didn't lessen his doubts that others may look past the creature who took over his "identity" and see Sombra for the real stallion he was supposed to be.
Despite the slight hiccups, which he did expect regardless if any issues arise or not, all that mattered to Sombra was that he was back in the physical world with Luna again. With a smile on his muzzle, he arrived at Luna's bedroom door, peeking inside, finding her surprisingly still awake at this hour when she would usually be asleep at this time in the morning. She was skimming over some documents she overlooked last night, looking physically exhausted.
"Morning, dear," Sombra greeted as he stepped in and closed the door behind him. Luna distractedly grunted in response, definitely showing she was ready for bed. Chuckling, he approached the bed and climbed up, offering the tired princess his bag of baked goods. "I went out for a little breakfast run if you're still hungry for a before-bed snack."
Luna's ear twitched, her eyes glancing away from her papers and at the bag of doughnuts. "Maybe one or two wouldn't hurt," she said, giving Sombra a tired smile.
"Luckily, I got a variety they were selling at the local bakery," Sombra hinted. The couple snatched a doughnut from the bag and began to munch on them, simply enjoying each other's company while they relaxed. "Another busy night of fending off Nightmares?"
"Unfortunately," Luna sighed. "It was much easier when you fought alongside me."
"Yes...but, now that I'm back in Equestria, in a new body...my ties to the dream world are not the same." Sombra missed the thrill of combat against the Nightmares, and he even feels guilty having Luna do all the hard work with their Dream Eater companions. Luna hasn't complained about the extra workload, but she has been getting more tired, even with the other Spirits helping lighten it a small margin. Wanting to change the topic, he let out a small laugh as he thought back to what had happened a few days ago. "This world clearly has changed. And security in the castle is...surprisingly much better."
"Indeed. Having Twilight Sparkle and her friends even test it for espionage seemed to work, even if my sister was stubborn and had to ask Shining Armor to come up with all the extra defenses." She chomped on a big chunk of her doughnut, her cheeks puffed while she chewed with her mouthful as she grumbled bitterly. "I could have come up with better sentries in the halls than honking geese."
"Angry and noisy, but definitely an interesting sort of alarm," Sombra said. "But they seem to like you. Not to mention the sneaky trick you helped the young drake Spike pull off for that plastic crown in Princess Twilight and Prince Shining's sibling contest. Even I didn't see that coming when the ploy was detailed."
"Celestia thinks she's smart, but she has not seen my genius when I gain the upper hoof," Luna said.
"I don't think she's still forgiven you for doing that behind her back," Sombra laughed. "But, then again, that's another little lesson; don't always trust who's on the inside, because they might also be a spy when you least suspect them." Luna laughed along with her fiancé when she saw the look on Celestia's face when she was revealed as the mastermind behind Spike's victory as the unexpected third competitor in Twilight and Shining's long-running sibling rivalry. Despite the surprise, it was a touching scene he witnessed when he learned Spike was raised by Twilight since he was hatched, and the two assured him that she, her brother, and even their parents acknowledged how Spike was always a part of their family. Twilight and Shining always got along so well with each other, even with a friendly rivalry like theirs, making Sombra wish Celestia and Luna had that kind of similar relationship many years ago. His heart always went out to Luna for feeling so neglected by her sister while they were together one thousand years ago. "...At least you two aren't constantly at each other's throats anymore.
"You two will be retiring soon. I'd personally love to be far away from any royal duties after it worked out so well in the Crystal Empire. And I bet there's several things you missed out on doing for a thousand years..." He waited for a response from Luna, but heard nothing. When he looked at her, Luna had already conked out, her head hanging with her eyes closed, half her doughnut in her magic sitting at her hooves on the sheets. Rolling up the bag with the remaining doughnuts, he set it aside on Luna's nightstand, picked up her half-eaten snack with his magic, and brushed off the crumbs left behind before he helped Luna lay her down to sleep properly. With her resting comfortably, he pulled the covers over her, then planted a light kiss on her cheek. "Maybe we'll work on what ponies call a 'bucket list' tomorrow and see what we can do when Twilight's coronation comes."
Letting his beloved sleep, Sombra quietly stepped out of the room, finishing up her snack while wondering what the two of them will do once she and her sister officially retire from their royal duties.
The next couple days, Sombra was a little perturbed by what Celestia and Luna have been up to. Luna seemed to be more well rested now, her workload protecting ponies' dreams lightened as she and her older sister had been seen around Ponyville and solving some "disastrous" problems when the Mane Six, or even the Key Bearers, could easily handle. There was a huge terra-tortoise that wandered to town and began eating the Apple family's orchard, which Twilight and her friends were able to handle until Celestia and Luna showed up to teleport the massive reptile elsewhere. Twilight could have done that instead, but they got a little bit too flashy with their dynamic entrance and "saving the day". Then there was a bridge over the small stream in town that was crumbling, but instead of fixing the cracks and the hole that was left, the princesses gave the bridge a regal upgrade, showing off their magical power to, once again, "save the day". It started getting ridiculous when they helped Rainbow and the CMC in their Filly Scouts uniforms set up their campsite when they got a little lost finding the site, getting into a heated bake off when Mrs. Cake forgot about an order Cheerilee made for the school, even using their power to heal a small scrape one of the Young Six got on their knee while they were group training, which was barely even necessary.
Sombra didn't feel like he was being left out, but what his lover and future sister-in-law were doing felt like they were wanting to find some excitement in their day in the strangest way possible. It would also make their reliance on Celestia and Luna increase if they decide to just help fix every small issue that pops up, and a lot of them weren't considered emergencies. Their stay in Ponyville lasted a bit longer yesterday, and as morning came, he was surprised to hear what the two were up to.
"You're actually making a bucket list of activities for a vacation?" Sombra asked the two alicorns, Celestia levitating a scroll and quill with their expansive list. "And while you're away, Princess Twilight and her friends have offered to substitute for you?"
"It was a perfect idea," Celestia said. "We've always been so cooped up in the castle, we just can't wait to start living life beyond these walls."
"After we fought alongside Star Swirl and the Pillars of Equestria when the Everfree Forest ran rampant, it was exciting," Luna added. "Finally doing something to save the day rather than deal with matters involving politics."
"...Huh. I was going to suggest this bucket list idea with you, Luna, but...well, for the two of us once Twilight is officially taking your spots as Equestria's new leader," Sombra said.
"Did you want to watch over the kingdom instead?" Celestia asked, which Sombra immediately frowned upon.
"No. After what happened to me, I want nothing to do with leading a kingdom, empire, or even a small city," he said. "...Though most of it has to do with how the public will think of me. Some may have seen my face and think I'm the Heartless who caused such chaos recently and a millennia ago."
Celestia grimaced in response. "Oh. Right. That wouldn't be a good idea."
"Well, I'd rather have Sombra present with me while enjoying this vacation," Luna said.
"Fair enough, just so long as I don't feel like a third wheel," Celestia said.
"Then let us consider it a family vacation," Sombra suggested. Both princesses shrugged, just as long as they were all able to enjoy themselves. "So, what activities do we have in mind to start things off?"
"Adventurous!"
"Relaxing!"
As both Celestia and Luna spoke, the room grew silent as the siblings stared at each other. Sombra could practically feel the tension, both of them clearly perturbed and against their sister's idea, and he could tell why from Luna's perspective. After an awkward moment of silence, Luna cleared her throat and spoke up first.
"W-Well...I spend every night in everypony's dreams, whether it's an intense, imaginative adventure or fending off Dream Eaters to stop making their dreams turn into terrible nightmares," Luna explained.
"Doesn't Sombra help handle all those dreams along with the other Spirit Dream Eaters?" Celestia asked.
"Since my light is no longer bound to Luna's engagement ring, my ties to the dream world are just as useful as trying to swim through a river of molasses," Sombra explained. "I try to provide as much assistance as I can, but while I'm asleep, and what combative experience I had before pales while in my subconscious."
"Oh...Like when I tried to ask Luna to help fight..." Celestia trailed off, always constantly reminded of the Nightmare Starlight dreamed up with her as a Heartless, fiery demon alicorn, Day Breaker. Shaking her head from those thoughts, she focused back on the present and wanting to have fun, not feel guilt from her past actions or the dreadful what-if scenarios if she and Luna had swapped fates. "Anyways, I actually wished I had a little more adventure through the dream realm than handling that...one dream. I've always been sitting around, hearing ponies complaining about small matters that don't even warrant my attention or approval. Part of me feels like ponies have always been reliant on me as the voice of reason or a majestic goddess."
"Pth. Imagine that," Sombra smirked. "But your majesty pales in comparison to my goddess of the moon."
Celestia ignored the snarky comment and the snickering younger sibling across from her. "My point is that I crave excitement after a thousand years dealing with meetings and making decrees."
"Hmm...This could be a predicament..." Sombra snatched the scroll from Celestia and looked at all the different items she wrote, listing things she wanted to do. "How about...swapping different kinds of activities after each one? We could do something exciting, then something relaxing, and repeat the pattern. That way, the both of you could be satisfied and all three of us will have fun."
"Taking turns with our wants?" Luna asked. She and Celestia looked at each other and nodded in agreement. "That's an amazing idea, Sombra. But...is there not something you wish to do?"
"All that matters to me is that I spend my time with you and to see you happy," Sombra assured. "This was originally a sisterly trip. I just don't wish to end up as the metaphorical 'third wheel' on what you two missed out on."
"You missed several things as well in the last millennia," Celestia mentioned.
"True, but I have my freedom...to an extent. You two are going to get your own once Princess Twilight is fully prepared for the throne and much more of a kingdom to rule." Celestia and Luna were all the more eager to get started. Luna snatched the scroll and quickly wrote down her to-dos on their vacation. "Let's just hope that she's able to handle it all."
"Twilight did very well planning the Gala, even with Discord's involvement and inviting The Smooze," Celestia said. "I'm confident she'll follow through with the instructions on the Royal Swanifying coming up, along with raising the sun and moon."
Sombra balked, surprised by the incredibly responsible, and magically draining process of raising and lowering both celestial bodies in their world. "Can she do that on her own?"
"Once when Luna, Cadence and I transferred all our magic to her to hide it from Tirek," Celestia said. "She got the hang of it, but not that well. So, instead, Luna and I placed a little of our magic in an amulet she can use to change the time of day." She pulled out said amulet, which had the two halves of a sun and moon on the face with an amethyst gem in the center. "All she needs to do is use her own magic, and both the sun and moon will move at her command whenever she wants. Hopefully just when it's dusk and dawn."
Luna finished writing down all her favorite things on the scroll, then teleported away for a moment before returning. In her aura, she held out three floral-patterned shirts in red, blue, and green.
"These are perfect for us to wear while we're vacationing!" Luna excitedly proclaimed. "We'll be all touristy while going all around Equestria!"
Celestia winced at the tacky shirts, grinning awkwardly, trying not to hurt Luna's feelings. "...Uhh...How thoughtful, dear," Sombra said, feeling equally uncomfortable with the odd clothing designs of the modern era. Since he wasn't going to need his cloak, not wanting to bring any attention to himself, he unclasped it and put on the green shirt Luna gave him. It fit comfortable, though the bright green contrasted with his black fur. "...I don't really see much of the appeal of wearing clothing like this just to show we're on a vacation."
"Well, I also have a few things for us as well." Celestia teleported three packs for them to wear, showing off what was inside. "If we decide to go roughing it, there's sunglasses, bug spray, hoof sanitizer, ice boots, and travel snacks!" Sombra pulled out the bag of "snacks", opening it to pour out some small, dully colored flakes, which didn't even seem all that appetizing. He put some in his mouth, only to gag as it tasted as bad as it looked. "You need to add water to those."
"Blegh! Thanks for explaining," Sombra grumbled. "It couldn't just be actual food instead of...whatever crafted this."
"It's meant to be preservative to last for years, and I've seen them work as the idea was formulated," Celestia assured. "Less famine during the winter when crops don't grow as often."
"Smart idea that would have been useful one thousand years ago." Sombra eyed the rest of the dehydrated camp food, rolling it up to seal it for later, despite the foul taste in its dried state. "Hopefully it tastes better once hydrated."
With the royals all set with their travel gear and touristy flower print shirts, Luna and Celestia tying their hairs up in a bun and ponytail respectively, they waited for their substitute rulers to arrive. They expected everyone to be present, but it was just Twilight, the rest of the Elements, Spike, and Riku. Since Twilight and Riku were a couple, it would make sense for him to be the only one of the outsider Key Bearers to learn the ins and outs of ruling a country if Twilight needed more help without her friends around. The moment they saw the alicorns and unicorn stallion in their vacation getups, Riku snorted at the color of green Sombra was wearing.
"Nice shirt," he commented sarcastically.
"Heh. It was Luna's idea," Sombra said.
"We look just like tourist ponies," Luna added.
"Green is so not Sombra's color," Rarity muttered under her breath, disturbed by the bright green clashing with his coat.
"Here's everything you'll need to know about the Royal Swanifying," Celestia said as she gave Twilight a scroll depicting all the important steps for the upcoming royal event.
"I'm sure we can handle it if we've got our instructions," Twilight assured. "We won't let you down."
"And you will also be in charge of raising and lowering the moon while we're gone," Celestia added, which plummeted any of Twilight's self-confidence. She gave the princess the magical amulet, Twilight handing Riku the instructions for the Royal Swanifying. "Just use your own magic, and you'll be able to control the sun and moon."
"Ooh! It's almost like the Alicorn Amulet Trixie used that made her super powerful during her revenge on Sora for humiliating her!" Pinkie said. "Remember when she turned Riku into a baby?"
"I don't, because my mind was temporarily regressed back to the age of an infant," Riku grumbled. "Thanks for bringing that up, Pinkie."
"You're welcome!" Pinkie said, making Riku facehoof in response.
"Oi vey," Riku groaned. "Ignoring Pinkie Pie, what the heck is this 'Royal Swanifying'?" Looking at the instructions, his eyes widened when he learned what it was about, which should have been obvious by the title. "...Seriously? A celebration for the swans that swim aimlessly around the royal lake?" Near the moat, there were the swans in question, one of them letting out a honk as they watched the ponies. "...Why is this a thing? And who came up with this 'celebration'?...Please don't tell me you did, Celestia."
"It doesn't matter," Twilight assured the confused pegasus stallion. "This is a good chance to show Celestia and Luna we'll do whatever the job requires. If they can take care of this themselves, then I know all of us can. Together."
While the other girls voiced their agreements, finding the task incredibly easy, though Riku read through the instructions and had second thoughts about all the detailed descriptions of each step. They saw the trio off as they left the drawbridge and began to make their way through the city's entry gate, gathering attention from the ponies as they were in awe to be graced by their presence.
"Just remember, sister. From now on, we are regular, carefree ponies!" Celestia said, though her claim being "regular" ponies among the others they passed made Sombra snicker.
"Sure. Regular like me and your other subjects," he said. "Just taller, with both a horn and wings, fluttering near-ethereal hair, and dressed for the beach while packed for a campout in the woods."
"Ok, as regular as we can try to be," Celestia corrected, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "But you get the point."
"We're leaving the princess life behind, and we're going to live our new ones on hoof!" Luna proclaimed.
Celestia was already a couple feet off the ground before she paused, looked back at her sister and her future husband, and already felt disappointed. She was eager to get started, but she also forgot that Sombra didn't have wings like they did. She landed, stifling her excited jitters, resuming her grounded trotting alongside the couple.
"Yes, of course," she said. "How...new and different."
"You forgot that I have no ability to fly like you and Luna, didn't you?" Sombra questioned.
"No, I didn't," Celestia denied. Sombra laughed, clearly catching her lie better than the stuck-up nobles who worship her blindly. "But, it's just like Pinkie Pie told us yesterday."
[Celestia]
There's a lotta little things you gotta do in this world
[Luna]
There's a lotta little things you gotta try
[Celestia]
Just a pack of plucky plunges other ponies all take
[Luna]
That have princess-pony-passed us right by
[Celestia and Luna]
Nopony knows you like your little sister
Nopony is a better confidante
Nopony is truer than the one you are
Nopony else here I could want
The trio's first trek led them to a woodcarver's cottage, where other travelers were watching him chisel away a statue of Celestia and Luna. After the carver finished Celestia's face, it looked more goofy than it should, which made the real Celestia glower in disapproval. Luna couldn't suppress her own amusement, but she took the hammer and chisel from the stallion, fixing it up to make it look much better. They ignored the other ponies as they were in awe by their presence and enjoyed their vacation.
Sombra took pictures of the two siblings having fun, whether it's a simple photo op in front of other monuments or national locations or just some silly antics like "holding up" a large, stone-carve globe of Equestria. He took part in the pictures as well as part of the family, or will eventually once he and Luna were properly wed after many, many years split apart from their misfortunes. He even recalled some of the paths that he trotted while escorting the late queen of the Crystal Empire a thousand years ago, and was aware of how much change there was on those very paths.
After taking another shot of Celestia and Luna as they traveled through the city of Manehatten, he'd never seen the two actually have this much fun within the castle grounds. "After one thousand years, we've all missed out on quite a lot," Sombra said.
"We used to have so much freedom as fillies, but the responsibilities as princesses left us very little," Celestia said.
"Or...being lost to our banishments," Luna added, making the older alicorn wince.
"R-Right. But, being trapped in the castle kind of felt just like banishment in my own way," Celestia said.
"I used to be a soldier, but I did have some freedom when I was given time off," Sombra said. "Royalty seldom ever has the time for themselves."
[Sombra]
You can't saunter on a sojourn hid behind castle walls
You can't throw a throne down on the beach
[Celestia]
So we're gonna be absconding
[Luna]
To a little vagabonding
[Celestia]
And this bucket list is gonna be a peach
[Celestia and Luna]
Nopony knows you like your older sister
Nopony is a better confidante
Nopony is truer than the one you are
Nopony else that I could want
Their next trip took them to Las Pegasus, the floating cloud city lit up brightly with all sorts of entertainment for the visiting trio to enjoy. Celestia spotted a shop that sold different animal plushies, unable to help herself as she wanted to surround herself with the whole shop and buy them all. Sombra couldn't help but laugh at Celestia's childish antics. Within that goddess persona the world had adored her as, there was a mare who just couldn't let go of her youth and enjoy owning a bevy of toys. She could only take one or two small ones so they didn't take up too much room in her travel pack. The rest of their night was spent enjoying the attractions, along with a magic show held by two incredible performing unicorns.
From cities to the country, they went where the wind took them. They were going to finish out that bucket list and find themselves more to add on later. Celestia was still raring to go, even with barely any rest, though Luna and Sombra were starting to get a little weary. As fun as it is going around seeing the world, they had far too much adventure within the dream realm combating Nightmare Dream Eaters and the fantasy worlds of ponies' dreams.
There's a lotta little things you gotta try in this world
There's a lotta little things you gotta see
[Luna]
But just reading by a river and resting our hooves
Would practically be perfect for me
Trotting along the road, Celestia had ran on ahead, leaving Luna and Sombra, both exhausted and needing some downtime to recuperate. They were right by a river as well, and Luna was ready to make due with this simple act of relaxation. Sombra was right there with her, unfortunately, Celestia had other plans and dragged the couple from their brief moment of rest.
[Celestia and Luna]
Nopony knows you like your sister
Nopony is a better confidante
Nopony is truer than the one you are
Nopony else that I could want
Things started getting incredibly troublesome as the sisters' bucket list was being crossed off one by one. Celestia forced Luna and Sombra on a wild roller coaster, obviously enjoying the thrilling loops, twists and sharp turns while leaving the couple nauseous, dizzy, and draining all of their adrenaline faster than they could regain with with just a small break. They at least got their break by watching a musical involving two unicorns who had different styles of magic they wield, first being enemies, but slowly becoming best friends with one of their magic frowned upon by the school they both were enrolled in. Luna was moved by the relationship between the two characters, and the songs were incredibly catchy and worthy of praise. Celestia, however, was incredibly bored, forced to sit and watch the musical play for the next couple hours. She'd seen far too many plays or musical showcases back in Canterlot, and none of them bored her to tears more than sitting and doing nothing throughout the whole time she was awake.
Luna and Sombra's relaxation didn't last long when Celestia decided their next activity. Or the next. Or the next after that. She barely gave the two a chance to slow down, or even do something from Luna's part of the bucket list. There was the incredibly insane barrel ride over Neighagra Falls that rattled Luna and Sombra despite the protective helmets and lifejackets given to them before they were stuffed in a barrel, diving and swimming around the sea where they were surrounded by sharks of all creatures, even hang-gliding with the Wonderbolts, but instead of actual hang-gliders, the pegasi from the stunt team were their "gliders" while they rode on their backs, riding them like they were wakeboarding on the sea. Sombra had no idea what compelled Celestia to want to do this, but her constant, forced insistence and skipping any of Luna's turns were starting to get on his nerves as much as it was to his beloved.
[Celestia]
You can't venture on adventures if you're taking a nap
You can't check things off your checklist while you sleep
So let's take another hill
[Luna]
Sometimes you can be a pill
And why's the way ahead always so steep?
While Celestia practically hopped up a steep hill to their next destination, mostly HER destination, Sombra and Luna practically collapsed at the bottom. Sombra could barely stand, cursing the lacking stamina he used to have when he was a Dream Eater. Panting, he sat himself up, helping Luna get back up as well, the two far too exhausted for anymore excitement for a year.
"Does she...ever know...when to stop?" Sombra questioned.
"Obviously not," Luna panted. "I think I would have preferred...overseeing the Royal Swanifying..."
Riku's face turned pale as he looked through the incredibly long and complex list of things to do for the Royal Swanifying in full detail. There were so many things needed specifically done, quite literally with some of the items on the list, which made it feel like an impossible task to accomplish.
"This...This is all impossible," he mumbled.
"We can handle this," Twilight assured, taking the scroll from her baffled coltfriend.
The doors to the throne room opened and a group of nobles walked inside, led by a unicorn stallion with white fur, a neatly combed dark gray-blue mane, wearing a black tuxedo jacket with a purple bow that carried a monocle connected to a string on his lapel, his cutie mark a trio of gold crowns. Riku had seen this stallion before, though very briefly when they had visited Canterlot, recalling his name being Fancy Pants, even though the stallion never wore pants.
"Princesses, we're here to-...Oh, what's all this?" Fancy Pants asked, surprised to see no sign of Celestia or Luna and instead were met with the Mane Six, Spike, and one of Equestria's powerful warriors.
"We're filling in for the princesses for a while," Applejack said. "What can we do for y'all?"
"I say. How irregular," Fancy Pants mumbled, then cleared his throat as he went along with the substituting rulers. "Very well. We offer our assistance as heads of the Royal Swanifying Committee."
Riku sighed with relief, glad to know that the princesses didn't do all this planning by themselves. "Thank goodness. Of course there would be a-"
"Thank you, everypony, but we've got this covered," Twilight assured the committee.
Immediately, her friends, little dragon brother, and boyfriend gawked and stared at Twilight in astonishment. "Really?" Fancy questioned, humming skeptically with a frown. Even the other ponies in the committee were just as unamused. "Well, good luck with that."
And just like that, the group walked out, leaving the temporary rulers to themselves. "...Twilight, I know you love to try to do things on your own, even with friends or myself helping you, but...why did you just politely tell them to screw off!?"
"If we ask for help, it's just like admitting we're not as good at the job as Luna and Celestia are," the alicorn reasoned. Riku's eye twitched, unable to believe Twilight thought the princesses did all of the planning themselves. It's like she forgot how important some of the royal events in the past were made possible by groups of ponies to make them happen. "Besides, how hard can it be throwing a party for a gaggle of swans?"
"Oh! Ok! It does sound easy!" Riku sarcastically remarked, holding up the list and read out the crazy specifics they all need to do for what sounded like a simple party for a bunch of royal swans. "We've got to polish the armor, bubble the punch, glitter the carpet, puff the pastry, float the floats, and carpet every single road in the entire city! Every. Single. Road." Just from hearing all of what Riku listed aloud, the others began to wish Twilight did ask for the committee to help them. Sensing everyone's distress and annoyance toward her denying outside help, she grinned and giggled sheepishly in response. "Don't you be giving me that nervous smile. I haven't even gone through a quarter of what needs to be done on this list."
"I think we're good not knowing whatever the rest is...that we're probably gonna mess up," Pinkie said.
"...I'm...sure we can do this?" Twilight mumbled, starting to lack confidence in herself that they could pull this off.
Sombra and Luna managed to catch up to Celestia after they caught their breath. As much as they didn't want to put a dampener on her fun, they couldn't keep up with her or the fun activities she wanted to try. He knew Luna didn't want to spark an argument with her sister, nor Celestia would want to do the same, but the fun of their vacation to relax was going to be ruined if they started bickering with each other.
"Celestia, perhaps we can find something that isn't as wild or heart-pumping for a little while," Sombra suggested. "It's not the end of the world, and we have plenty of time to do everything after Princess Twilight's coronation."
"Hmm...That's exactly what I was thinking," Celestia agreed.
Surprised, Sombra was relieved he and Luna were given that break. "Great. What did you have in mind?"
"THIS IS NOT WHAT I THOUGHT YOU WOULD SUGGEST!!!!" Sombra shouted, strapped to a safety harness with a helmet on his head as he slid down on a zip line from atop a high cliff. It was worse when Celestia had him go first, then shoved him once he was all set and send him on down to the ground across the ravine the tourist attraction was located. After reaching the bottom, helped out of his safety gear by a worker, Sombra shakily wobbled over to a gift shop nearby, feeling his heart threatening to be expelled out of his mouth. "Guhh...How is that considered relaxing to that crazy mare?"
He was thankful he didn't eat lunch yet, otherwise he would have lost it right then and there. He did not miss being a Spirit; he didn't have to worry about hunger or serious bodily harm. While the new body he was in was just considered a puppet, he still kept what made him a pony from his flesh to his bones. With his stomach settled, he stood up, only to be face to face with a mug that had a picture of his terrified expression on the zipline plastered on it.
"I got all three of us some souvenir mugs!" Celestia said, holding said mug, then showed two others with hers and Luna's pictures taken and pasted onto them as well. Though their faces were peeled back by the rushing wind, he could see Luna bearing the same traumatized grimace he had while Celestia was having a good time. "We'll remember this magical day while sipping on tea!"
"...Celestia, you are insane for thinking that was calming," Sombra grumbled.
Luna unsteadily approached them, groaning from the adrenaline rush. "I'm...glad you enjoyed yourself, sister, but I want us to do something I've wanted to do but never could because of my night shift."
"Is it another zip line?" Celestia asked.
"Absolutely no more zip lines," Sombra grumbled. Celestia shrugged, stuffing their souvenir mugs in her pack while Sombra addressed his fiancée. "What exactly did you have in mind, dear?"
Sombra was perplexed by Luna's next plan on her list. Luna took Sombra and Celestia to a post office, and in Ponyville of all places. He wasn't sure why, but if there was a reason why, he wasn't going to question her if she was this overjoyed to be here.
"...The post office?" Celestia questioned. "How is this fun?"
"Just think! All the mail in Ponyville goes through here!" Luna said. "Isn't it exciting!?"
"...Err, I...suppose it is?" Sombra said, grinning nervously in response. He caught Celestia rolling her eyes at him, which he gave the bored alicorn a swift glare while Luna was busy looking over postcards by the counter. He wasn't going to belittle his lover's excitement over an important job a mail courier's is, especially when his letters to Luna when they were kingdoms apart kept them connected. Luna picked her card, paid for it and a stamp to deliver it, then gave it to Derpy to be sent out for delivery. A moment later, a mailpony came out to do his rounds, stopping before Sombra, then handed him a postcard, which happened to be the same one Luna just gave out to be delivered. The picture was an image of a starry night sky beneath a hill with a mountain in the distance. Even the mail carrier seemed a little disturbed delivering the postcard to a visiting customer the moment he left, leaving the building while avoiding awkward eye contact with the unicorn stallion. "Oh...How thoughtful, Luna."
"What was the point of putting a stamp on it when you were just going to give it to Sombra in the first place?" Celestia asked with an irritated huff.
"Yes, but I didn't give it to him; a mail pony did," Luna stated. "They took it from me and searched for the pony who it was meant for, and gave it to Sombra! It's all about the process!"
Sombra chuckled at Luna's enthusiasm, understanding she knew of the hard work some occupations do that aren't appreciated enough. "It is...quite a process of great importance," he agreed.
"Delivering mail's been around since we were foals," Celestia grumbled under her breath.
Celestia's next item to undertake involved the trio climbing down into an ominous cavern. Sombra had his reservations about going down there, finding a foul odor coming from just the mouth of the entrance, but Celestia forced him and Luna, just like with everything else she wanted to do. With safety helmets with lights giving some illumination to the cavern, they could see sharp stalagmites poking out from the sides of the walls, and as they climbed further down, the stench got worse as it suddenly began to grow humid.
"Did you know that nopony has ever explored the bottom of these caverns?" Celestia asked.
After she spoke, more sharp spikes shot out from the walls, along with a growling sound that came from deeper inside the cavern. "...I don't think this is a cavern," Sombra uttered, suddenly very wary what exactly made this "cavern" so dangerous to explore. Daring to look down, his light shone a giant uvula several hundred feet below them. "Oh, by both your royal plots. We're in a mouth."
"Ooooh! Giant monster fight! We can skip that on my list!" Celestia said with glee.
The creature they were climbing into growled, startling Sombra as he began to climb back up the rope. "Nope! I just got my life back! I'm not losing it this quickly!"
The spikes began to jut out and try to stop him. Luckily, Celestia and Luna teleported them out of the beast's mouth before they were turned into pony-kebabs by what was more likely its numerous, spear-sharp teeth. Reappearing by the edge of the mountain where the "cavern" rested, Celestia summoned her ethereal sword, prepared for a deadly duel.
"Come on, big, tall, and ugly! Face the Princess of the Sun!" Celestia goaded, only to squeak when Sombra snatched her by the tail and dragged her adventurous spirit far away from danger.
"Mare, you are going to be the death of us! Nothing involving deadly beasts with sharp teeth, claws, spines, anything that'll risk getting us killed!" Sombra scolded. Celestia pouted, Luna following behind them while also relieved to have gotten out of there before they got turned into a snack. "What in the devil was that thing we tried to climb down into?"
"I've always wanted to try this!" They returned to Ponyville after a very close call from being digested in a giant stomach, making their way to Ponyville's spa. Sombra was in dire need for this after Celestia's reckless idea of fun. Except, instead of a relaxing, tension-releasing massage or a trip to the steam room, Luna had another idea in mind; a makeover. She decided on getting a new look that was a popular trend twenty to thirty years ago in the world. Her mane and tail were all frizzed with bands tying them back, green legwarmers on her back hooves, colorful hoofbands on her forelegs, a beaded pendant with a bright orange prism hanging from it, and her cheeks painted with a trio of diamonds, colored red, yellow, and blue. When she was done, she posed and showed off her new look to Sombra. "What do you think, dear?"
While Sombra was staring at the new look Luna had, he was given a bit of a minor makeover compared to her and Celestia. He opted for a different mane styling, one of the spa ponies working his mane making it more spikey, similar to Sora's, Ventus's, or Terra's. She gave his bangs a bit of a frame to his face while his spikes were made thick as his hair was. He was a bit speechless, finding the style Luna chose to clash with her darker fur with the accessories.
"Uhh...It's...different," he answered. "Quite, err...bright?"
He glanced over at Celestia, his eyes bulging out at what one of the workers were giving her. Her mane and tail were straightened and hung down the side, a surprising accomplishment with her hair always billowing with ethereal magic, and it was dyed black and purple. She had dark eyeshadow beneath her eyes, making her look much more aggressive with her bitter mood over Luna's choice. She even wore a spiked choker around her neck, and even her fetlocks got a purple color to add to the gothic look she wore. There were even a couple earrings he could see on her right ear, though he wasn't sure if she was also given those piercings as well.
Sombra didn't know whether to laugh or cringe at Celestia's makeover, though she did deserve this for dragging them into the literal belly of a beast. From the massage parlor, Aqua came out with a sigh.
"That hit the spot. A trip to the sauna, then a dip in the herbal bath, and I'll be-" Spotting the princesses and Sombra in the room, she gawked at the really out of place styles both the princesses were now sporting. "...Guuuuuuh...What...is going on with...all of this?"
"Aqua! How do I look?" Luna asked the Keyblade Master. "I am what the foals call 'hip' and 'cool'."
"...Uh huh..." Her eyes slowly shifted toward Celestia, keeping her lips pursed and didn't comment on her gothic princess phase. When she looked at Sombra more closely, she almost mistook him for someone she met back in Olympus Coliseum years ago because of the oddly specific style of the spiked mane he was now sporting. "What are you guys doing in Ponyville? I thought Twilight said you guys were off on vacation."
"We are," Sombra confirmed. "Celestia and Luna are taking turns doing what they want on a bucket list of things they've wanted to do, and we're doing one of Luna's."
"Oh. I see..." Aqua didn't think Sombra looked good with spiky hair, but she just couldn't ignore the memory of the young man she bumped into with that same hairstyle. It had been so long since she'd last seen him and wondered if he was doing alright. Sombra tilted his head curiously, perturbed by her facial expression twisting as she kept staring at him. Shaking her head, she grunted awkwardly. "S-Sorry. I just...that new...hairdo of yours reminds me of a guy I met in another 'place'."
"Oh? Exactly like this?" Sombra asked, running a hoof down one of his bangs. "What a coincidental similarity...Was this other stallion...someone you had an eye for?"
"N-No! Of course not!" Aqua exclaimed. "H-He was...well, I wouldn't really say charming, but he was always so positive...Although, he's probably still expecting me to go on a date with him if he became a hero..." Part of her wanted to at least check on him after all these years, if he still remembered her, though she wasn't sure if he'd be disappointed that Terra's already stolen her heart. Feeling stressed, Aqua grumbled and walked back to the massage room, snatching Bulk Biceps and dragging him with her. "I need another of those extra-strength, hot stone, deep-tissue massages."
"Uhh, again?" Bulk asked. "Was my service not enough?"
"It will if you put in some extra muscle like your namesake!" Aqua exclaimed.
Dumbfounded by Aqua's reaction, Celestia, Luna, and Sombra stared at each other. "...Well, that was interesting..."
[Celestia]
There's a lotta little things you gotta do in this world
[Luna]
There's a lotta little things you ought to view
[Celestia]
And our lotta little list may be a little bit long
[Luna]
And might take a lotta bother to do
Their trip started to plummet after their spa makeover, which were washed off and ruined after Celestia's decision to high dive from a cloud into the sea. Again, Celestia kept constantly forcing Luna and Sombra to do the daredevilish things she wanted, with Sombra painfully bellyflopping into the water. Thank goodness for the life vests, otherwise he would have drowned while grimacing in dire pain. It was a disappointment that the spa ponies' hard work was so easily washed away, but Sombra preferred Luna as she always looked.
Luna's decision to explore a mansion and marvel at some unique artwork was an interesting choice. She admired the paintings and sculptures, critically thinking of what each piece was expressing from the artist's brush strokes or the inspiration behind the masterpieces that were made centuries ago. Sombra and Celestia sat on a bench waiting for Luna to continue, the latter beginning to doze off in boredom. She eventually passed out, leaning her head on top of Sombra's, which startled him, and made him panic when a random pony nearby caught sight of them and snapped a picture of the two of them. Sombra hoped that they didn't interpret it as a romantic image of him with Celestia and had no intention of showing this to the press.
Each alternate decision was tugging at all of their patience, for the opposite reasons. Luna and Sombra just wanted to relax, but Celestia was constantly insisting on doing something physical as her way of relaxing. How did things start off so well until it started going off the rails?
[Celestia and Luna]
But I'm sure it gets better later on
[Celestia]
And after darkest night's a new dawn
[Luna]
It's my turn to do the choosing
[Celestia]
After river rapid cruising
[Sombra]
This vacation's no longer fun to be on
It was chaos in Canterlot Castle's ballroom. Everyone was doing their hardest to do each important item for the Royal Swanifying, but it was more of a hassle than they thought. Riku just watched the madness unfold as they started to panic. They were not going to get this all done before the event was supposed to begin. The doors suddenly slammed open, an angry Fancy Pants storming in and approaching the stallion "overseeing" the preparations.
"What is the meaning of this!?" he demanded. "It has come to our attention that you don't intend to serve watercress at the Royal Swanifying Ceremony."
"There isn't enough in the kitchen for all these swans!" Riku explained.
"Don't tell me. Tell HIM." Stepping aside, Riku was startled to see one of the swans following Fancy, and the angry swan began honking his complaints at the pegasus. Stammering, he looked at the list, but Fancy pulled it away from him and forced him to look outside, where he could see a pile of garbage in a pile, along with some of the workers apparently going on strike. "And you must do something about that trash piling up outside. The street sweepers are on strike, and the royal carpeters can't do their jobs."
"I-I'll...try to get that done," Riku muttered. "There's just...so much on here..." Fancy and the swan scoffed and stuck their noses up in a huff at his weak complaints. His patience was starting to wear thin with all the pressure on them, especially Twilight's stubborn insistence on doing all the preparations on their own. "Well, if you think it's so easy, I'd like to see you try doing a thousand different steps on your own!"
"I have been a part of this committee for several years and know exactly what must be done, when it needs to be done, and finish it far faster than all of you are moving." Riku's ear twitched as his face burned red in anger at Fancy's haughty ego. The unicorn stallion gawked at Rarity's tablecloths for the ceremony, grimacing slightly. "Oh dear. I do hope those aren't the final decorations for the gala."
"Alright, you're out!" Riku shouted, snatching Fancy by his tail and dragging him out the door. "I was going to request you ignore Twilight's stubbornness and beg for the committee's help, but if you're going to degrade us for running a kingdom for the first time with only a stupid scroll, then get out of my sight before I personally tear off that fancy suit of yours and put you in a pair of pants to actually match your snobby name!" He then turned his sight on the regal swan, who nervously waddled past the furious stallion without a sound. "And I'd rather deal with your squawky cousins on sentry duty in the halls than you prissy ducks!"
The swan turned and let out an insulted squawk before Riku slammed the doors on them. Panting heavily, he turned back to the party room, the girls and Spike staring at him nervously.
"...Riku, do you...need a breather?" Twilight asked.
"No time to breathe when we've got bubbles to make in a stupid batch of punch for a bunch of birds!" Riku shouted, then turned his sights on Pinkie. "Pinkie, we need that damn guacamole last week! I'm gonna deal with the garbage myself so I can show that stuffy, pantless liar we don't need his help!"
Riku flew off toward a window, threatening to bust it open in his madness, but he stopped, opened it, then resumed his high-speed flight to clean up the piling garbage. While they heard him yelling angrily at the workers and grunting as he dealt with the trash pile, Twilight bit her lower lip anxiously.
"Oh boy...Maybe I should have had them help us out after all," she mumbled.
"Gee, you think?" Rainbow questioned. "Now that committee isn't going to help us, and Riku's having one of your usual Twilight-ing episodes."
Sighing, Twilight focused on the bubbles in the punch. "Yeah. He's...Twilight-ing..."
While Sombra was relieved to recuperate with a picnic, he was not fond of the last activity Celestia thrust them through. Wincing, he picked off a prickly bramble seed that stuck to his rump after Celestia dragged him and Luna on a hike through thousands of prickle bushes. Sadly, there was a lot of tension in the air as they ate some sandwiches, both Celestia and Luna turning away from each other as they all sat in silence. He can tell the frustration was going to bubble and pop at some point, and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to mediate their argument if hooves start flying.
"Well, I hope you're enjoying yourself on your super-relaxing picnic, sister," Celestia grumbled, making Sombra grumble as the tension continued rising.
"I would be if you hadn't made us hike through a million prickle bushes," Luna grunted.
"Those hurt less than that horrible howling you dragged us to," Celestia said, making Luna snap as she turned and glared daggers at her.
"That was 'Ponygliacci', and it was an opera!" Luna corrected angrily. "And you made us leave early, even though it was still MY turn!"
Celestia groaned and turned to leer at her sister, but Sombra got up and stood between the two. "Ladies, enough!" he ordered. "This is supposed to be a vacation!" He faced Celestia, wanting to get something off his chest since the moment things started to get tiring for him and Luna. "Celestia, how many of your activities have we done compared to what Luna wanted? From what I counted, we've done more of yours than hers! That's highly unfair, and after the opera was just getting good, too!"
"Of course you would take Luna's side," Celestia scoffed, baffling Sombra with her complaint. "Face it, Luna, you're never happy!"
"Excuse me!?" Luna exclaimed. "In case you forgot over a thousand years ago, I WAS happy! YOU just don't want ME to be happy! I always have to do things your way. I bet you wish I'd never come back so you could still rule the day AND night!"
"You think I LIKE that responsibility!?" Celestia questioned. "Being responsible for every little thing in Equestria AND you!? What I'd like is a sister I can depend on!"
"You mean boss around!?" Luna shouted.
"CALM DOWN, LUNA!" Sombra winced as he covered his ears, appalled to hear Celestia using the Royal Canterlot Voice to order her sister to do as she commanded, and the shockwave knocked the younger alicorn's hair from her curled bun.
"No!" Luna yelled back. "And don't you use your Royal Canterlot Voice on me! This adventure would have been a whole lot better if I was just with Sombra!"
"...Fine! Go enjoy your life without me!" Celestia snatched the picnic blanket, sweeping Luna and Sombra off their hooves, and even taking the basket from them. "That was one thing I forgot to put on my side of the list: be alone!"
Celestia stomped off, barely sounding remorseful for the harsh words. Luna began to tear up, regretting accepting this adventurous vacation with her selfish older sister. She went in the opposite direction and flew off, forgetting about Sombra.
"Luna, wait!" Sombra called out, but she was already long gone. This was not what he wanted to happen. He wanted to be there for Luna, but he couldn't hold back his rage toward Celestia. Even after he thought she would have matured and learned from her selfish mistakes that led to Luna feeling abandoned, she still had the nerve to treat Luna and her opinions like they didn't matter and only focused on herself. Lighting his horn, he let out a grunt and slammed his hooves down, shooting a pillar of blue crystals up in front of Celestia's path. Startled, the princess scowled and looked back at Sombra. "You have a lot of nerve, Celestia. How dare you treat your sister like this!?"
"Don't you start pointing hooves at me," Celestia growled. "You weren't enjoying yourself with Luna's boring ideas."
"Because, unlike you, I did not want to hurt her feelings and quash the fun she was experiencing!" Sombra argued. "This is exactly what drove the two of you apart years ago; you're only focusing on yourself and not how Luna feels!"
"She has done nothing but whine and complain, even when we were foals!" Celestia barked. "She's not a little filly and doesn't need somepony else to talk down to me!"
"Then somepony needs to knock you down from that pedestal you refuse to step down from." With a stomp of his hoof, he shattered the crystal pillar behind Celestia, scattering the shards harmlessly away from her, but several of them shot forward and lunged for her horn. Feeling them attach to her horn, Celestia gasped in shock as she glanced up, too slow to see Sombra lower his head, his horn glowing, then flicked his head back up, causing more crystals to latch around the alicorn's hooves. Physically restraining her to the ground and temporarily disabling her magic, he stomped over to the mare as she struggled from her bonds. "Between the two of you, you're still the little filly who refused to grow up."
"Sombra, you mule, release me!" Celestia ordered.
"Not until I give you a touch of reality YOU'VE failed to see after all these years!" Forcing the crystals to constrict Celestia's hooves tighter, she let out a yell as she felt her legs give out. Now knelt down to Sombra's height, the stallion grasped her horn, forcing her to look at him. "For so long, you claim you love Luna dearly, but you still show that same arrogance and constantly turn a blind eye when she's distressed! You two are the only family you have left, and you STILL treat her problems like they're a hinderance more than a cry for help!"
"I swear, if you don't let go of me, I'll find a way to peel your heart from that body and force you back in that ring of hers!" Celestia growled, only to be given a harsh response by Sombra as he slammed her face into the dirt.
"Threaten me all you want. You may not be my step-sister just yet, but that doesn't mean I cannot give you a piece of my mind," Sombra growled. "Have you even forgotten how you two fought against each other over whose jobs are harder? Did you forget just how exhausting it could get to stop a nightmare from destroying a pony's psyche if their internal struggles are not quelled!?"
"S-Shut up!" Celestia grunted.
"I get you've done your part serving as Equestria's ruler for one thousand years, and you want to do something after not doing anything for centuries, but Luna and I were always exhausted through all those dreams!" Sombra continued. "We didn't say anything about the thrills you put us through because this was meant to be a vacation for all three of us! We didn't want to upset you, but now it all came to a head when you were practically forcing us to join you! You were actually bossing your sister around, and you never give her a chance to enjoy what she's missed out on! You clearly don't love her if you're just as heartless as that Nightmare YOU could have been if both your fates were reversed!"
At the mention of her darker self, Celestia froze. Just the reminder of a scenario like that terrified her more than seeing her own sister transform into Nightmare Moon. Starlight's imagination in her nightmare of her darker half wasn't far off from what she saw in that mirror Yen Sid kept in his tower. Since that day, there had been terrible dreams where she witnessed the events of Nightmare Moon's birth, only instead, it was Celestia who had put her hoof down and chose to rule Equestria alone, her lust for political power transforming her into Daybreaker. She was forced to watch the evil mare causing havoc, keeping the sun in the sky, and harming Luna without any remorse for her actions.
Many of these dreams ended with Luna using the Elements of Harmony against her, banishing her and sparing her from seeing a more gruesome fate with how demonic Daybreaker was. She regretted what she had done, or what she never did, when she had to banish Luna to the moon. The fun they had as foals flashed to the forefront of her mind, playing with their uncle M and just living their carefree lives. Their relationship changed as they became princesses, and she had been blinded by the praise by everypony gave to her, she didn't know how ignored and alone Luna was before it was too late. For centuries, she worried about what would happen, and was thankful she didn't lose her heart to her darkness forever. However, how she treated Luna earlier, she really was reverting back to the same young, stupid, and selfish princess in the past, and she was going to destroy that slowly rebuilt relationship all over again.
Celestia didn't notice Sombra had released her, dismissing his crystals around her hooves and horn. She knew he had a point calling her out, and he was voicing his concerns for Luna, the only pony she had relied on before he was met with his own fate by their uncle. She wasn't the perfect princess. She wasn't the perfect older sister. She was all Luna had, and she threw that all away for the political fame she was given by ponies who worshipped her like a goddess; Celestia was far from being an all-powerful, all-knowing, immortal and perfect deity.
"...I do love Luna," Celestia uttered. She didn't stand back up, keeping her gaze lowered to the ground. "...I don't want to lose her again."
"So why do you still treat her like a foal?" Sombra questioned the dejected princess. "Why do you toss her aside when whatever you two do, it's not what you desire? You could have said something rather than pout like a bored filly and grumble rather than insult what she finds fun and exciting."
"...You think Luna and yourself were the only ones who lost your freedom?" Celestia asked. "All the things Luna wanted to do, I've seen and been a part of seeing them for centuries. Every day, every week, every month, every single year since I had to banish Luna because of my selfish desires, I had no choice but to rule Equestria by myself. I had no freedom, just like her, but at least she didn't have to spend the last one thousand years watching life pass by and lose the ponies we knew when we were foals. I couldn't do whatever I wanted, I couldn't go off on an adventure, I couldn't have the fun I wanted!
"You two were lucky enough to have your lives put on hold for a thousand years of your banishments! I was forced to live my immortal life with the guilt of what I had done to turn my baby sister into a monster!" Tears began to flow down Celestia's cheeks, lifting her head and showing Sombra the grief and pain that reflected in her eyes. "I was the monster...I should have been the one to be banished..." Sombra looked down at Celestia, barely showing her any sympathy. The alicorn lowered her head, quietly sobbing. "...You two never deserved what happened to you...It should have been me..."
"...No," Sombra finally said. Confused, Celestia looked back up at him. "Even if you chose to go back and change the outcome...neither you nor Luna deserved banishment. The one who's truly at fault should be your uncle. Or perhaps Star Swirl the Bearded when he put his faith on the two of you to be the rulers of Equestria." He helped the alicorn stand back up, brushing off small bits of crystal dust that caught on her coat. "I also blame the populace for thinking you two were divine beings meant to guide the world to salvation. They played favorites and chose you over Luna because they relied too much on the light you bring. Either way, none of you deserves to be punished for a destiny thrust upon the two of you."
Celestia expected more yelling from Sombra, more degrading comments, but he only helped open her eyes to what she had been doing for a while in their vacation. Luna was very lucky to have met someone like Sombra who was more aware of what was troubling her than she ever had.
"...I'm sorry," Celestia apologized.
"It should be Luna you should be apologizing to," Sombra stated, making the alicorn's ears droop and lower her head. "Though with how upset she is, I suggest you do whatever you wish by yourself for a time." He turned and began to walk off in the direction Luna fled. He stopped after taking a few steps, then glanced over his shoulder to look back at Celestia. "...I know Daybreaker haunts your dreams since that night you and Luna swapped roles." Celestia flinched, taken aback as she tried her hardest not to show how much Daybreaker had scared her. "We've both seen your nightmares revolving her these last couple years...Luna does care about your feelings on what would happen if she had to banish you like that. She would be just as devastated as you were."
Letting that sink in for Celestia, Sombra continued onward. She had no idea Luna and Sombra had been watching her dreams for that long. She did see new bouquets of lavender in her room every night that Luna had replaced, but she was shocked to know her little sister was looking out for her like she should have been doing for her. She was a horrible sister, and she didn't deserve Luna as a sibling.
Despite how tired and sore his legs were, Sombra continued his search for Luna. Luckily, in case they ever got separated again, he placed a tracking enchantment on her engagement ring. He was not going to spend another moment away from Luna, and not when she was going to need him to console her. Following his aura's pulses toward the ring, it guided him toward the direction of a beach. Wanting to relax, she was most likely lounging somewhere on the shore, but found no sign of her resting under the sun among the other beach-goers. Instead, his magic was pulling him toward the seaside clinic.
"What in the world is she doing in there?" Sombra pondered aloud as he stepped inside. He found his lover, half expecting a serious injury, but she was laying on a medical bed, wincing in pain with splotches of sunburns on her face and body. "Luna?"
"S-Sombra?" Luna uttered, grimacing as she moved her body to face him. "H-How did you find me?"
"Your ring guided me," he said. "What happened to you?"
"I was not aware that I had to apply sunblock while I was simply relaxing on the beach," she said. Sombra sighed and shook his head. Even as a guard standing at attention outside of the Crystal Empire, he knew not to stay too long in the sun, whether recreational or on the clock to avoid dehydration or burning, irritating inflammation on their skin from the sun's rays. "...Celestia would have warned me."
"Or find shade under an umbrella," Sombra added.
"That would have been a smarter decision," Luna mumbled. "...I'm sorry I left you behind."
"It's alright, dear. I understand you were frustrated," he assured, being careful hugging the alicorn and avoid aggravating her sunburn. "I did have a little chat with your sister before I went off to find you."
"Hmph. You are lucky not to have had an older sibling," Luna grumbled. "I don't need her."
"No, you still do," Sombra said. "Celestia would have reminded you to put sunblock on to avoid these sunburns." Luna frowned, grimacing slightly from her burns. "I know you two have your differences, but I was concerned your shouting match would have escalated into physical blows. I didn't want to witness that piece of history for myself in this era."
"...I did not want that," Luna admitted. "Not again..."
"Perhaps a little time apart might do all three of us some good," Sombra suggested. "And this time, we can finally get some rest from all the crazy shenanigans Celestia put us through."
"I suppose." As Luna stood up, she winced and grunted with each step. "...No sunbathing, though."
Sombra chuckled, grabbing the jar of aloe ointment the nurse of the clinic prescribed to the sunburnt princess and applied a little on some of her burns. "Very well. No fun in the sun until your retirement."
For the next few hours, Sombra and Luna enjoyed their time at the beach, making sure to steer clear of being out in the sun to aggravate Luna's sunburns more. Content with resting where they went, they enjoyed a couple drinks from a tiki bar as they watched the ocean waves in the distance. Even though Sombra had enough seaside soirees, he was watching some ponies surfing and wanted to give it a try. Luna watched from the shade as he went out with an instructor who taught him how to balance himself and know when to start paddling to really surf on the crashing waves. Every chance he got, he always fell off his board, whether it was from his loss of balance or managing to ride the waves for a good few seconds. It was quite an experience, even though he swore along with Luna that he wanted to do more of resting than learning a new physical activity. He was sure Luna was watching with amusement at his fumbles and bails, but he did have fun learning, which was all that mattered on this whole vacation.
Riku was hyperventilating, flying around trying to get the steps outside of the castle prepared for the Swanifying ceremony. He handled the trash himself and sloppily laid out the carpets for the swans to waddle onto for whatever reason. The gaggle of royal swans began filing in from the river, growing impatient as they squawked at him.
"Oh, honk honk honk yourselves!" he shouted, flying back inside the ballroom to check on the progress of the rest of the decor and specific snacks for the royal avian. Expecting them to not be ready, he paused when he saw Twilight talking to Fancy Pants and the rest of the committee. "No! No no no! You guys get out! We've got this under control!"
He swooped down to personally kick them out, but Twilight caught him in her aura before he could even touch them. "Riku, stop."
"Stop!? We don't have time to stop!" he shouted. "We got angry swans threatening me, and nothing's even remotely done, and if I have to hear another squawk or honk telling me to hurry up, I'm gonna give them something to-!" Twilight grabbed his vest, then smacked him hard across the cheek. Instantly, Riku's rage was quelled, snapped back to his senses as he slowly glanced around the room. "...What happened?"
"You started Twilight-ing," Twilight said, gently rubbing the cheek she smacked.
Bewildered, Riku blinked at the alicorn. "...I was pulling a you freakout?" he asked.
"Yes, and I don't think we can really do all of this by ourselves," she said. "I was wrong to think that and deny asking a committee that handles a Royal Swanifying to help with all the preparations. Celestia and Luna couldn't pull any of this off on her own, so I am asking Fancy Pants and the rest of the committee for their help."
"...You are?" Riku mumbled.
"Well, of course," Fancy Pants interjected. "This is why the princesses have the gala committees doing all the preparations. They can't do all this while ruling a kingdom at once. If they did, they would be overly stressed like you are being, my boy."
"...Oh..." Riku sat down, his mind still reeling from his loss of his own sanity. "...I don't think I'm ready to rule a kingdom."
"That would be my job," Twilight giggled. "Fancy Pants, if you and the rest of the committee would help with the rest of what we need for the swans?"
"We'll get right on it," Fancy said.
The other mares split up and began delegating with the committee, instructing them with what to do and to delay the incoming guests and unruly swans. Riku just sat beside Twilight, feeling mentally exhausted as he sheepishly glanced at her.
"...Your stress is rubbing off on me...I don't like that," he mumbled.
"I think we'll be fine co-ruling Equestria," Twilight said, making Riku frown as his eyes practically bulged out in fear. "When we're good and ready. We've still got quite a bit of on-hooves learning to do." She leaned forward to give him a reassuring kiss, only to grimace and rear back, covering her nose with a hoof. "How about you go and take a bath first? You reek like garbage."
"...Oh yeah. I...used my hooves to...carry it all," Riku said. "...Wow, my head was not on straight when Fancy Pants insulted me...Maybe I'M the one who's competitive after all."
"Go clean up and look a bit more presentable for the event," Twilight laughed, nudging the stallion forward so he can get rid of that rancid stench.
Sombra and Luna followed their map as they hiked through a forest. Luna's sunburn quickly healed thanks to the ointment, even though it still stung just a little bit. As they reached a fork, they were too distracted by where they were going to notice Celestia was also coming down from an adjacent path. The trio bumped into each other, both sisters awkwardly staring at each other in silence for a good long minute.
"...Uhh, hi," Celestia greeted. "Umm, I-I thought that climbing Mount Filly-mane-jaro was on...my list."
"I...thought it was mine," Luna said. "We were just...going to watch the sunrise."
"Ah. I'm...here for the...moonset?" Celestia mumbled. More awkward silence. As much as Sombra would like to chime in, he could tell these two needed to make up. "...So, uh, how was your day?"
"Oh! Uhh, amazing," Luna lied, thankful her sunburns physically faded through her dark blue fur. "F-Fantastic, actually."
"Yeah...Me, too..." Celestia said, though Sombra could see that the alicorn didn't have as much fun by herself.
She was still shaken up by Sombra's "interrogation" and venting out her regrets and her grievances she's been hiding. Breaking the silent tension, he cleared his throat and stood between the two.
"If we're going to the same location, might as well travel together," he said.
The two princesses mumbled their agreements, though they kept their distance from each other as they continued on the path leading up to Mount Filly-mane-jaro. It was an easy climb up to the top, and not too high of a climb either. They reached the peak, where they got themselves a good view of the land below under the night sky. They took off their gear and laid it on the ground, admiring the scenery.
"This is beautiful," Luna said. "...Must be better in the sunlight."
"The night's pretty special, too," Celestia said.
The two seemed to slowly be back on speaking terms with the small compliments. Sombra stood up with a stretch, deciding to leave the two to themselves to work out their differences.
"I'll be right back, ladies. Nature took a bad time to call," he said and excused himself, even though he had no need to relieve himself.
As walked back down, when he looked back to see the princesses were no longer watching him, he dove behind a sizeable rock and peeked around to see what unfolds. They continued watching the moon in silence, a shooting star suddenly shooting across the night sky.
"Lucky star!" Celestia and Luna both said, surprising each other as they looked at each other.
"...You taught me to look for those when I was a filly," Luna said.
"I hope I wasn't too bossy doing it," Celestia said with a small laugh. Sadly, her smile faded, thinking back to what Sombra told her earlier. She let her mane down, sighing sadly. "...Luna, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean what I said, or...meant to drive you away by forcing you and Sombra to do what I wanted."
"I guess I should have said something sooner," Luna said as she also untied her hair and let it flow in its ethereal breeze. "I am sorry, too."
"No, you have nothing to apologize for," Celestia said. "...I forgot just how exhausting it must be for you to go through ponies dreams and go through just about every exciting scenario the subconscious mind can think of. One night was enough to leave me exhausted...Mostly emotionally."
"...Daybreaker?" Luna asked. Celestia breathed deeply, silently nodding her head. "Oh, sister...I know you will never turn into that."
"...I could have, though," Celestia uttered. "...Yen Sid had other enchanted mirrors in his study...One of them reflected one's inner darkness...And I saw Daybreaker in that mirror." Luna gasped in shock. From witnessing Sora's darkness appear in his Anti-form, she couldn't believe that the conjured evil persona of Celestia's through Starlight's nightmare actually existed. Even Sombra was surprised by the unfortunate discovery, and explained why Celestia had been having nightmares about Daybreaker for so long. "...Sombra told me you two have seen my dreams involving that...thing...If I was the one who had darkness in my heart...I would never forgive myself if I..."
Celestia couldn't bear to finish that thought. Luna hugged Celestia tightly, which Celestia returned, scared of losing her baby sister.
"It will never happen. I promise," Luna said. "I couldn't imagine being anywhere without you, sister."
"Me either," Celestia muttered as she shed more tears. "Even when we fight, I still love you no matter what. And I don't want to lose you again."
"I love you, too, Tia," Luna mumbled.
Sombra smiled, seeing Luna and Celestia making amends. He may not have had siblings, but knew that despite their bickering and fighting, family can never stay mad at each other for long. Stepping out from his hiding spot, he walked back to rejoin them.
"I take it you two said what you needed to say?" he asked.
"I believe so," Celestia said, wiping away her tears.
"Yes. It isn't always easy being the little sister," Luna said.
"Nor is it easy as the big sister," Celestia added. Pulling out their bucket list, she stared at the remaining items they both had, deciding to just crumple it up and teleport it away. "No dumb list of adventures is all that worth it to trade for my sister."
"Not even your zip line?" Luna teased.
"Not even my zip line," Celestia assured.
Soon, light from the sun began to climb on the horizon, stopping at the same height as the moon. "The sun and the moon together?" Luna sarcastically asked with a feigned gasp. "At the same time?"
"Now, where have I seen THAT before?" As Celestia rhetorically asked, both her and Luna raised their rumps in the air, their sun and moon cutie marks joining in with the transition Twilight must be doing in that moment.
Sombra rolled his eyes, but couldn't help himself as he chuckled along with their laughter. Going back to admire the rising of the moon and setting of the sun, the experience suddenly got weird when both celestial bodies began to wildly shift around across the sky. The trio eyed them, having a suspicious feeling that Twilight was having a little trouble controlling the amulet.
"I think they need some assistance," Sombra pointed out.
"Yes. We should probably help them," Luna confirmed.
Just as they were about to pick up their gear, the sun and moon completely stopped in haphazard spots in the air. "Hmm?...They stopped," Celestia pointed out.
"Did they...break it?" Sombra asked.
Luna's ears twitched, growing more concerned as something seemed amiss. "Wait...There's no sound."
Celestia and Sombra flicked their ears, but as Luna said, there was no other sounds. "Yeah. No chirping of insects...Not even the wind," Celestia uttered.
Being cautious, they didn't know what was happening, but it felt like time came to a standstill. "What's going on? Who's responsible for this?"
"That would be me." Startled, Celestia, Luna, and Sombra turned around, where a stallion concealed under a familiar black coat stood several yards away from them. They recognized that voice coming from the stallion, which surprised both the princesses, but Sombra's expression turned into a scowl. M stammered, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to come up with the right words to greet them. "Uhh...Hiya...Celly, Lulu, you two sure have...grown. Heh...Although, I kinda knew, so...yeah..."
"...Uncle M?" Luna uttered. "You're...alive?"
"Ehh...I've still been alive," M said. "I've done a little time travel here and there. I'm way, waaaaaay older than you two thought I am. Feel more like a grandpa than an uncle, huh?"
M let out a small chuckle, trying to be funny, though it almost sounded like he was trying way too hard. His laughter faded into a dejected sigh, losing that comical charm Celestia and Luna always saw whenever he came around to visit. They didn't know what to say. They were surprised to see him again, in the flesh, but knowing who he was and where, and when, he truly came from, they couldn't ask the numerous questions that ran through their minds.
"...Why are you here?" Celestia asked. M averted his gaze, hanging his head in shame. "You had been assisting Star Swirl and the Pillars of Equestria...Why did you spend time with us?"
"...A lot of good questions," he said. "...But...I don't think you'll like the answers I'll give you."
"You disappeared along with the Pillars," Luna said. "...Why did you leave us?"
M hesitated, hearing the hurt in Luna's voice. He opened his mouth, but was interrupted when a crystal sword shot up from the ground. Sighing, he lifted his head up, finding Sombra glaring daggers at him, Celestia and Luna astonished as they watched the unicorn stallion forge his crystal blade, snatching it in his magic aura.
"I demand my own answers as well," Sombra growled. He stepped forward, brushing off Luna's hoof as she tried to hold him back, aiming his blade at the mysterious wielder. "You were their family. You became a part of their lives. I trusted you when you said you could help me make Luna's life less miserable, but you lied to me. You took my life from me and turned me into a monster! I slaughtered the queen of the Crystal Empire, my hooves tainted by that Heartless who took over my heart, and turned me into a deadly king who terrorized the ponies I was supposed to protect!" M didn't respond, which only fueled Sombra's anger toward the stallion who almost destroyed him and Celestia and Luna's relationship forever. "If you're meant to be someone on the side of light, then why cast myself and Luna in darkness!?"
"...Look, I understand you're incredibly ticked off with me. I did lie to you...but I had my reasons," M said.
"Then start explaining before I feel more satisfied running you through my blade than your vague answers," Sombra warned.
"Sombra, don't," Luna begged.
M slightly widened his stance, but he didn't summon his Keyblade. "...Don't try it," he warned back. "You won't even touch me."
Sombra growled, accepting the challenge if he wasn't going to get a straight answer. With a yell, he slammed his sword into the ground, shooting crystals up at M's hooves and trapping him.
"Trying breaking free from that!" Sombra roared as he galloped forward, his blade rearing back to lunge into M's chest.
"Sombra!" Luna and Celestia cried out.
M barely flinched as Sombra grew closer. In the blink of an eye, he jumped, shattering the crystals around his hooves, avoiding Sombra's sword as it thrust just barely under his torso. Clicking his hooves together, he slammed them down on the crystal sword, startling Sombra as he shattered it to pieces. M swiftly shoved both his hooves into Sombra's chest, making him grunt as he was sent tumbling back several feet. Sombra got back to his hooves, summoning another crystal sword from the earth, undeterred by the wielder's strength.
Sombra closed the gap and began swinging wildly, but each swing whiffed as M weaved and dodged with ease. The enraged unicorn wanted revenge on this ancient Key Bearer who dared ruin his and Luna's happiness, interfering in a world he shouldn't have existed in. He wasn't going to let M get away with the crimes he's committed and the pain and suffering he put his beloved princess through. Slamming his sword down, M jumped away as he summoned a massive pillar of crystal at the stallion's hooves. Sombra missed as M leapt far enough back, but he then lunged forward, kicking through the crystal with a back leg, and with a swift punch, sent the pillar flying into Sombra.
Sombra grunted, slicing the crystal in two, both halves sliding past him. He gasped, unaware of M following behind it and charging straight into him. Too slow to block, M punched Sombra in the chest, making him wheeze as the wind was knocked out of him. Though he was stunned, M painfully flicked Sombra's horn, making him drop his crystal sword. One of his hind hooves snatched it, flicking it high in the air, then backhooved Sombra hard in the face, sending him skidding across the ground. He then appeared over the downed stallion, drop kicking him in the stomach, causing him to gag and struggle to breathe. M stood over Sombra, leering down at him, lifting a foreleg up and catching the crystal sword as it fell back to the earth.
"I warned you," M said, flicking the sword and aiming it at the stunned stallion's muzzle. "I gave myself the name M, but I am called the Master of Masters. You never had a chance to leave a scratch on my coat, let alone make me bleed."
While holding an air of malice to the stallion who dared to take him on, behind him, Luna's ethereal scythe appeared at M's neck. "...Stop this," she pleaded. M could hear his little Lulu's voice quiver, willing to slice him down to protect Sombra if she had to. Glancing up, he saw Celestia barely made a move, too shocked and frozen still to do anything after seeing he was far more skilled than all the stories he ever told her and Luna. "If you take Sombra from me again...I will never forgive you..."
M frowned, moving the blade away from Sombra's face. "...I had no intention to kill him," he promised, tossing the blade far from either of them on the mountain peak, striking the earth at an askew angle. He stepped away from Sombra as he began to cough, slowly getting oxygen back in his lungs. Luna kept her scythe aimed at her uncle, noticing the curved lunar blade trembling in her grasp. "...I did warn him, Lulu."
"You did not have to threaten his life to prove you are stronger than him!" Luna shouted, making M wince. "He has every right to be mad at you!...I am, too..." Sombra weakly sat up, despising the wielder for upsetting Luna this much to have to pull her ethereal scythe on someone she loved as an uncle. She could no longer hold her weapon, dropping it as it faded away in a veil of blue sparkles. "...Why did you disappear from our lives? Why didn't you save me from my darkness?" M's body trembled, dreading their responses when he unveiled the answers they wanted to know. Luna grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to turn and face her as tears welled in her eyes. "...Why?"
M swallowed the lump in his throat, unable to look Luna in the eyes. "...I couldn't," he uttered. "...I can see what happens in the future...But if I intervene to change events, then even worse futures could be created..." He looked back at Celestia. "...Just thinking about it can change it, too...And when I did...your sister would have turned instead."
Celestia's face grew pale as that fear really would have come true. "...No..."
Sombra stood up, snarling at M. "So, you continued to let Luna suffer instead?" he questioned.
"Oh, sure, I wanted to make one of the two fillies I adore suffer on purpose!" M sarcastically stated. Slipping from Luna's hooves, he grabbed Sombra's shirt, slamming his snout against his. "You listen to me, and you listen good, Sombra. If you can foresee the future from hundreds of thousands of years in the future, and you start seeing an infinite number of possibilities from YOUR actions, don't come crying to me when you can't tell the difference between reality and possible reality and go mentally insane!" Sombra grew speechless, unaware of what the wielder has experienced. M shoved Sombra back, sending him on his back again, but he kept his mouth shut. "Instead of blaming me for trying to fix one problem while causing more worse ones, how about you be thankful that the paths that led to yours and Luna's fate with the darkness brought you two here to this very moment?"
"...What?" Sombra uttered.
Celestia finally decided to move, approaching M and her sister as all three ponies stared at the Keyblade Master, shocked by his foresight seeing them together like this. "What are you saying?" she asked. "You mean...Luna was supposed to turn into Nightmare Moon? I was supposed to banish her?"
"...Yes," M admitted. "And...I had to turn Sombra into a Heartless, and you two were meant to fight him and banish him to the shadows."
"But...saving me...meant Celestia would have...?" Luna looked at her sister, seeing her trembling in fright from the thought of another timeline where Daybreaker would have been unleashed. "...If you could see everything involving our future...how long have you known?"
"I didn't...until after your ascension," M said. He looked at Luna, then to Celestia, then lowered his head. "...I never even knew of either of your existence until I met you back when you were fillies..."
M returned to the village after finding Mist Mane. He still had a dopey grin on his face after given a kiss from the mare, fluttering his way to where filly Celestia and Luna lived with their parents. He knocked on the door and was greeted by Celestia.
"Mister M! You're back!" she squealed.
Hearing her sister, Luna peeked around the corner of the room, beaming widely as she cheered and joined Celestia in hugging the wielder. "Mister M's back!"
"Yup! I'm back, and with some more stories for you two," he said as he waltzed on in. Their parents knew him and accepted his barging in as normal since he was always so good with their daughters. "And guess what?"
"What?" both fillies asked.
"I got lucky with a special lady friend~," M sang. "Got a little kiss on the cheek for my bravery helping her stop her best friend from taking away everything beautiful in her village."
"What!? No way that's true!" Celestia said.
"Hey, you wanna see the kiss mark? It's right on my cheek!" He showed a little of his face, pointing to his left cheek where Mist Mane kissed him.
"I don't see anything," Luna said.
"He's definitely making it up," Celestia said. "No filly can handle Mister M's goofiness."
"Oh, really? I already got two fillies who adore my goofiness," M gloated.
"Who?" Luna asked.
"You two!" M snatched both Celestia and Luna and began parading around the house, acting wild and obnoxious while making weird noises.
The silly antics made both sisters laugh and join in. The fillies' mother walked in from the kitchen, shaking her head at the crazy stallion riling up her daughters.
"Alright, enough playtime," she said, causing M to freeze and silence his insane gibberish. "It is getting late, and these two have studies bright and early in the morning with Mage Star Swirl."
Celestia and Luna whined, disappointed that they had to go to bed so soon. "Can Mister M stay the night, momma?" Luna asked.
"Yeah, can I, momma?" M asked, joining Luna by attacking the mare with the sad eyes.
"Oh, alright." Both stallion and young filly cheered.
M took the fillies upstairs as their mother rolled her eyes. Knowing where their room was, he plopped them on their beds with comical explosion noises that made them giggle. "Alright. No more goofy sound effects or else your mom's gonna be mad at me."
"Can you tell us a story?" Celestia asked.
"Yeah. A fun story," Luna said.
"Aww, you two don't wanna hear about me putting the moves on a pretty lady?" M asked.
"Bleh. No love stories," Celestia grimaced, sticking her tongue out in disgust.
"Ok, fine, you little party pooper. You don't want to see a future aunt someday. I see how it is." He blew a raspberry at Celestia and once she and Luna were settled and tucked in their beds, M began regaling one of his more exciting adventures to them.
While he got lost in his weaving web of adventures, he finally noticed Celestia and Luna had both fallen asleep. Quietly, he made sure the two were tucked in and crept out of the bedroom. With the door gently shut closed, M let out a sigh, adoring those two fillies, but he had been left with a conflicting question in his mind: Why did he not see anything involving their futures? Any moment involving certain people or creatures, he was able to foresee what will happen weeks from now, spanning to centuries and more. He even foresaw Star Swirl and the Pillars of Equestria coming back to Equestria after one thousand years from limbo against the Pony of Shadows. After meeting Star Swirl and hearing his plan to have two of his young students be the future rulers of Equestria, who just so happen to be the two fillies who look up to him, he saw nothing in their future. It still puzzled him, even as time had passed.
Then, on the day of their ascension and coronation, the visions came to him. After congratulating them and the heartwarming gesture of being called their uncle, the moment both her new nieces kissed his cheeks, the elation immediately turned to heartache as their future dropped down on him like a bombshell. While Celestia continued to rule Equestria, seeing Luna spiral into misery and anger, turning her into Nightmare Moon devastated him. Luna's neglect, and her chance of love taken away from her by his own hand to drag her down even further in the depths of darkness made him sick to his stomach. Of all the things he's seen that he HAD to take part in making reality, he didn't want this. Not to his Lulu.
He hid his sorrow from them as he hugged the two tightly, then let them go and told them to enjoy the adoration of their subjects before he jokingly attempted to kidnap them. He left as soon as possible, transporting himself to a personal realm of his he made to destress and unwind from the madness of his visions of events yet to come. It was just a calming, quiet forest, where a small river flowed through and fell over a cliffside near an open field, where a homey log cabin was built as a second home to M. Finally alone, he screamed in anguish, clutching his head as he shouted to the heavens.
"WHY!? WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE HER!?" M exclaimed. "I saw nothing between those two! I thought I was freed from this curse for just a moment with them! Everything was fine!...Not Lulu. Not her! Why do I need to make such an adorable filly like her suffer like this!?" He was going to break his vow not to interfere with what he foresaw, but the thought made his head throb in agony as multiple, far worse scenarios flashed through his eyes. Sparing Luna and Sombra their fates, he saw Celestia grow too enraptured by the attention, and the power would go to her head, turning her heart to darkness and transform her into the nightmare ponies would fear. Far more powerful than Nightmare Moon, he witnessed the horrible atrocities Daybreaker would leave in her wake, even going so far as to kill Luna without any remorse. "Damn it, no! If I stop Star Swirl from-GAHHH!!"
Another wave of pain as more scenarios kept flashing in his skull. He could go back a bit in time and stop Star Swirl from ascending Celestia and Luna, but then the Pony of Shadows would appear and drown all of the world into darkness. Every single act he thought of, every contingency plan he could concoct, all of them would result in the loss of Equestria, innocents, Celestia, Luna, or both, or at worse, every single world beyond Equestria. He couldn't do anything to stop a travesty from coming; all he could do was watch, and do what he was only meant to do, nothing more, and nothing less. Left with no choice, he fell to his knees, giving in and allowing what he originally saw flow onward. He broke down, slamming his fist into the ground, helpless to save Luna from a fate she never deserved. The only thing that had settled his overly emotional state was what came after the bad.
Sora would appear and rescue Luna from her darkness with the power of the Elements of Harmony and the light of his Keyblade. Ponies would adore her as the passage of time allowed for the inhabitants of the world to evolve, creating new forms of entertainment for the evening hours as ponies would stay up later than they normally would. Luna and Celestia would be reunited and be together again, even as they retire when they leave Twilight Sparkle as their successor to the throne. And, though he would doom Sombra to his fate as the Heartless King Sombra, the stallion would be reborn, the small spark of his light surviving the monster he forced to create, turning from a Dream Eater to a pony again, and she would be happily married to the stallion who was the only one in their time to ever truly love and appreciate her. Her silver lining lied in the far future, but her true, peaceful future was only made possible if she endured the hardships that would turn her into a monster.
He knew his nieces would never forgive him, even if he told them the truth, but for their future, he had no choice. After sealing the Pony of Shadows with the Pillars joining him until they are freed one thousand years later, and after speaking to the future heroes who would save the day, he placed each of their artifacts where they belonged. His heart was heavy, and he desired to see Celestia and Luna, promise them that everything will be ok, but he couldn't. If he diverted from what the path of time had shown him, he was only going to see a far worse future.
When it was time for him to play his part, as much as he was hesitant to do so, he appeared in the middle of the frozen north. Before him was the shimmering kingdom of the Crystal Empire, where Sombra as the lone unicorn resided among the crystal ponies. Breathing deeply, putting on his acting face, he walked toward the barrier, where Sombra was currently patrolling at this point in time. As he got closer, he could see the young soldier lazily leaning his spear against his shoulder, not doing much sentry duty as he stared at the crescent-shaped blue gem resting in a small black box. Sombra glanced up slightly, startled by M's appearance and approach.
Quickly pocketing Luna's engagement ring, he grabbed his spear and aimed it at the stallion. "Halt! Who goes there!?"
"Easy. I'm just a random traveler," M promised. "Not gonna cause a riot. Although, I'm sure my attire isn't all that trustworthy."
"...Not likely," Sombra muttered, trying to see the stallion's face under the hood. "What brings you to the Crystal Empire?"
"I think your ears are broken; I just said I'm traveling," M restated. "You know? Adventuring? Looking for new worlds and all that jazz? Judging by your stiff attitude, you don't get out much." Sombra grunted in annoyance, keeping his spear aimed at M as he continued stepping closer to the barrier. "I noticed that little gem you're carrying. Who's the lucky lady?"
Taken aback, Sombra brought his hoof to where he stashed the gem, afraid the mysterious stallion might be a thief. "Why does that concern you?"
"Just curious. And judging by how good that looks, I'm guessing that's a little engagement ring," M teased slyly.
Sombra frowned, relaxing his grip on his spear as he let out a sigh. "...Yes. It is. To a beautiful princess," he said. "I never thought a lowly soldier like myself would ever be graced by a mare of her stature and beauty. I was smitten at first sight. Beyond the public, we became secret lovers...but lately, she has been growing more and more upset with situations in her kingdom."
"Oh? What's going on?" M asked, even though he knew exactly what was going on.
"Her older sister is being praised as the most incredible princess of the land, but she only controls the day," Sombra explained. "My love rules the night, but no other pony in her land expresses the same appreciation of her night sky and moon like I do. She has been ignored by everyone, even her own sister."
"...So, you're dating the young Princess Luna?" M asked curiously. Sombra blushed slightly, but he nodded his head. As much as it pained him to do this to the unicorn, he had to do it. Steeling himself, he stepped closer to the barrier. "I think I know a way you can help show the world how important Princess Luna should be as equal to her sister."
"Y-You can?" Sombra asked.
"Yes. You see, your princess is not the only one who has the power of the night." Holding out his hoof, he summoned his Keyblade, its appearance startling Sombra as he dropped his spear and stared at it. "I can grant you those very same powers. That way, you two can show the world how beautiful the dark can be."
"...I can...use the same magic as her?" Sombra asked. "...Are you a powerful wizard? And...what kind of...staff is that?"
"Look, buddy, I'm trying to help you out here," M sighed. "If you love her that much and want to be with her-"
"Y-Yes!" Sombra blurted out. "I-I'm sorry. I just...I find it so hard to believe, but my Luna needs me. She's hurting, and I'm the only one who can give her comfort when her own sibling cannot provide it with her ego."
"...Alright." M moved closer to the barrier, then stopped and held his Keyblade out, sending the tip of the blade through the barrier and aiming it at Sombra. "Come a little closer. Stand in front of this and have it directly over your heart. In order for the spell to work, your thoughts most combine with your heart's desire."
Gulping nervously, Sombra obeyed and cautiously stepped closer. He glanced around nervously, afraid to see if any of the other guards might be watching, but he would do anything for Luna. He stopped, standing directly in front of M as he felt the tip of the blade tap against his chest.
"...This...almost looks like a sword," Sombra curiously stated. "Is this some sort of arcane-?"
He question was derailed as he felt M thrust the tip of the blade pierce his chest. Gagging, feeling it strike his heart, Sombra could barely utter a cry of pain as he felt every nerve in his body ignite with a burning fire. His vision started to blur as he stumbled back when M removed the Keyblade, quickly dismissing it. Sombra backed away, clutching his heart, then suddenly collapsed and lost consciousness. As darkness billowed from his chest, a thin sheen of light swiftly appeared around his body before fading away.
"That'll keep the Crystal Heart from destroying him until he takes it," M said to himself. Seconds later, he watched Sombra start to move, hearing him grunt, though his voice sounded much deeper. The stallion slowly got to his hooves, hearing a husky groan as he exhaled, slowly tilting his head up and opened his eyes. His green eyes were replaced with a blood red hue, a purple mist seeping from his sockets. He stared at M for a brief moment with a deadly leer, ignoring him as he looked back into the city. M heard Sombra let out a dark, gleeful growl, heading back into the city, leaving behind his spear. Knowing what would come next, he lowered his head, paying his respects to the ones the new King Sombra would murder. "...I'm sorry...I wish I didn't have to do this..."
M turned away, leaving the protected city behind to fall to the Heartless that he created.
"I had no choice," M uttered. Celestia, Luna, and Sombra were unable to express how they felt after hearing M explain to them why he was the one responsible for their past. "Even if I had the power to do so, I can't. I'm limited to interfere only for the benefit of the better future...What transpired a millennia ago...that WAS the best case scenario...I had. No. Choice..."
Tears dripped down M's face, unable to bear looking at his nieces, feeling like he had failed them after everything he'd done for them. "...Why did you not warn us?" Celestia asked. "Did Star Swirl know?"
"I'd STILL change your futures if I did," M said, getting over emotional as he began to lose his sanity. "I gave your teacher a vague hint about what I saw for the Pillars, and for him. You think he'd be happy to learn that I saw visions of you two after I've known you since you were kids, and most of those visions involved watching your sister turn down a dark path and I'm the one responsible for turning her future husband into a Heartless!? I obviously wasn't happy! I never was! I never wanted this! I thought I could just alter one little thing, but NO! Each outcome I kept seeing as so much a tiny shrivel of a thought pops into my head, IT JUST GETS WORSE!"
"You three have no idea how much grief this has caused me! A-And I couldn't do a damn thing to help either of you! I thought being with you two would ease the burdens I've felt from my own time and the events that would come during the Keyblade War! I thought I could just escape from this madness and be happy and carefree with the two of you! Instead, that joy and fun we shared!? Thrown right off the cliff and plummeted into the ends of the earth!" M started hyperventilating, stammering as he continued venting out his suppressed guilt and weakness. "I caused Lulu to turn into a Heartless, and I turned Sombra into a Heartless, JUST to get to this point for you two to have a better future than the horseapples that happened in your era! How can I still be called your uncle after I am the one responsible for ruining your life!?"
He panted, waiting for a response from either of them. M wanted to hear Luna express her anger toward him for his failure to even do something to help her in her time of need. For taking away Sombra from her. Anything just to feel the justification he deserved. Luna was upset with him, but to hear him this emotionally unhinged, this was a whole other side of her uncle she didn't know. To learn that if he did intervene at all, Celestia would have been the one banished instead. She probably wouldn't have been reunited with Sombra. Luna was miserable ruling Equestria months after they first started, ponies of the past not giving her a chance to shine during the evening. Today, however, she's had many ponies who really did appreciate her for all the work she did, looking past what she became in her sorrow and anger. Her future was better; she found her light again through the darkness that dragged her down.
Sombra was going to give M a piece of his mind and insult his credibility as some divine foreseer who loved watching events unfold, Luna surprised him and M when she hugged the Keyblade Master. Startled, M was at a loss for words. He thought Luna was going to yell at him or punch him, but he must have confused his worries as what he had expected through his vision, caught off guard yet again.
"...I am much happier now than I was before my banishment," Luna said. "I am still hurt for what you did to Sombra...I should be angry at you...but I cannot if you feel such remorse for my suffering."
M's breath hitched as more tears streamed down his hidden face. His forelegs wrapped around the young alicorn and held her tightly, burying his face against her shoulder. She's already forgiven him, even after he looked like he was going to hurt Sombra again when the unicorn tried to fight him to get his revenge for the life that was taken from him. Holding the mare closer, he broke down and sobbed.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I'm so sorry...I'm a horrible uncle. I don't deserve either of you two."
"You do," Luna assured. "Were it not for you appearing in our lives, we wouldn't have had so much fun as fillies."
"She's right," Celestia agreed, joining her sister and hugged M along with her. "You will always be a part of our family. We were both upset when we haven't heard from you after you disappeared right after the Pillars had."
Sombra huffed by how easily forgiven M was. Then again, Celestia and Luna did need some closure with their uncle from another world, from another time period, and they both still loved him despite his powers, his foresight, and his manic depression. He wasn't going to forgive him for tricking him and causing more harm, but as he looked at his hoof, if M was honest about seeing his future being much happier with Luna, he was willing to let it slide. Not by much, though.
After several minutes, M peeled himself away from his nieces, rubbing his eyes with his sleeves with an embarrassed groan. "Oh, make-believe gods of the multiverse. You two drive my head crazy in the most wonderful way possible," he said. Celestia and Luna let out a small laugh, seeing that weird, funny uncle they knew returning. "I don't even know what you two are gonna do or say, and I see things and react in milliseconds...Ugh, I'm such an emotional wreck for an old man."
"You haven't looked like you've aged since we last saw you," Celestia said. "How old are you?"
"Hey, if it's rude for a guy to ask a lady their age, the same can be said vice versa," he argued, twisting his hooves comically to prove his point. "...But I am old, though. Just roll with it for your old uncle."
"I suppose we shall," Luna said.
"Good." M grinned, letting out a sigh as he gazed up at the two princesses. "I bet you two wished I could stay longer, but I've got other things to do."
"...Back in your time?" Celestia asked.
"A little there...Others elsewhere," he vaguely answered. "Sadly, what I'm doing is a secret only kept to myself. For the sake of preserving the timeline, you know?" Luna and Celestia were disappointed that M couldn't stay with them for a little bit longer, but they did understand. As ludicrous as it sounded to know someone with the ability to see into the future and their interference to change it could lead to worse disasters out of their control, and from his wild stories of his adventures that they believed were real, they trusted in his judgement. M then focused on Sombra, seeing the adamant leer in the stallion's eyes. He stepped past his nieces and approached Sombra. "You're still miffed at me. I know asking for your forgiveness is impossible."
"Did you need to see minutes into the future to tell?" Sombra questioned.
"Uhh...Yes and no." Sombra growled at the response. "So, to be fair and show I am deeply sorry, I will let you get in one good hit on me." M turned his head and pointed his hoof at his left cheek. "No fakeouts or parries. Give me a good one right on the kisser."
Luna and Celestia didn't want to see M get hurt on purpose to be punished for what he did to Sombra. To Sombra, however, one hit wouldn't cut it. He wanted to inflict immense pain on M until he was a battered, bloody, and bruised mess. But after how agile and powerful he was, Sombra was going to make it count. He was never told how hard he could hit M, nor in what way. Lighting up his horn, he shot a small mound of blue crystals around his right hoof, encasing it around from the top of his fetlock. Letting the crystal thicken and smooth out to shape his hoof, Sombra lifted his hoof, reared back, and with a loud grunt, he threw his hoof forward, aiming it directly at M's left cheek.
M had braced himself, feeling the tough crystal connect and shatter on impact. He fell over with a grunt, groaning slightly as he actually felt a bit disoriented from the blow. Luna and Celestia grimaced as they watched him sit up and rub his cheek. They were surprised the sharp shards that exploded from the impact didn't cut M's face.
"U-Uncle, are you ok?" Luna asked worriedly.
"Oogh...You know, I did see that coming," M said, wincing slightly while he still held his pummeled cheek. "Didn't expect it to be that painful...Satisfied?"
"Not even close," Sombra grumbled. "...But knowing I really can't take you on in combat, I will take what I'm able to get."
"If you can turn crystals into full-body armor, perhaps you'll stand a better chance next time." M chuckled, his flip-flopping personality making Sombra roll his eyes. After checking to make sure his cheek wouldn't bruise despite no one ever seeing his face, it was about time for him to leave. "I better go. Don't want to risk staying around here too long and cause something disastrous to happen." Summoning his Keyblade, he aimed it behind him, firing a beam of light that created a portal. The light radiating from it struck Celestia, Luna, and Sombra with awe, M giving them a small wave. "Enjoy your retirement. You girls deserve it." M started to turn around and walk through, but paused and looked back at Sombra. "And you take care of Luna. Just don't enjoy yourselves too much when your honeymoon comes."
Baffled, Sombra wondered what M meant before he remembered he could see their future. The wielder smirked, finally walking through the portal. As soon as it disappeared, time around them returned to normal. The sun and moon continued wildly flying around out of control, reminding them of the trouble happening with Twilight and the amulet.
"...I'm never going to understand how that pony's mind works," Sombra uttered.
"We couldn't before, and we never will," Celestia said.
"It was nice to see him again. And hear the truth," Luna added. "It is hard to be mad at him."
"I disagree," Sombra grunted. The sudden shift of day and night from the malfunctioning amulet brought their attention back to the present. "I believe this is a good time for our vacation to come to an early end."
"We'll finish the rest of our relaxation once Twilight is fully ready," Celestia said.
Gathering together, Celestia and Luna used their magic to teleport them back to Canterlot, ready to resume their royal duties a bit longer.
Twilight grunted, trying to control the sun and moon while she stood on one of the tower balconies, but something happened with the amulet after she tried to swap from controlling the sun and moon separately. "Oh, come on! I had it earlier!"
"Did Discord sneak in and mess with this thing or something!?" Riku exclaimed as he pulled his hair, watching the sun and moon bouncing and flicking out of control.
Popping into existence behind him was none other than the draconequus in question. "Hey, I'm not always responsible for chaos happening when I'm not present!" he said, sounding insulted at the remark. "If anything, any of you causing chaos without me makes me feel left out." He gazed out at the sky, giggling impishly at the sun and moon's erratic movements. "Although, I do enjoy playing around with the celestial bodies from time to time."
"Where have you even been since Sombra was defeated?" Riku questioned.
"I've been busy. And it's none of your business," Discord haughtily stated, blowing a raspberry at him while literally spitting raspberries at the pegasus before teleporting back to whatever he was doing.
"Twilight, Sunburst explained how to reset the amulet!" Spike said, flying into the room carrying an oddly shaped wrench with four different sides to screw in or out nuts with a different shape in each one. "Just turn the bolt back-"
"And tighten it back to fix it!" Riku finished, snatching the tool and taking the amulet from Twilight. "Easy fix without magic!"
Finding the right shape on the back of the amulet, he began to turn it, but went a bit too far and caused the amulet the break open, scattering gears and springs inside to keep it functioning. "...He also said to only turn it no more than one half turn," Spike said, finishing what he tried to say before Riku interrupted.
"...Oops." A popping sound startled Twilight, Riku, and Spike, the princesses and Sombra teleporting back earlier from their vacation than they expected. They noticed the busted amulet, Riku shifting his gaze to it and them, then tossed placed the amulet in Twilight's hooves. "Twilight broke it."
"What!? You're the one who turned the bolt too hard!" the lavender alicorn exclaimed.
Celestia took the busted device from Twilight, she and Luna using their magic together to halt its function, stopping the sun and moon. They properly aligned their respective celestial bodies in their proper places for the current time.
"We'll get this fixed up, and make sure it doesn't magically short-circuit to cause that," Celestia said.
"How did the Royal Swanifying ceremony go?" Luna asked.
Riku and Twilight looked at each other, both of them scrunching their muzzles, not-so-subtly hiding they had some complications behind what they thought was an easy task. "Ehh...We...managed?" Twilight answered sheepishly.
"Managed to get in over your heads and think you could set up a 'simple' ceremony on your own?" Celestia asked.
"...Yes," Riku admitted with a dejected grumble. "We both...thought we could get it all done. Twilight rejected the committee from doing their job, then I did when Fancy Pants started judging me, and...I lost my cool."
"More like lost your mind," Spike corrected.
"Well, take that as an important lesson in being a leader of a kingdom," Celestia said.
"We'll resume our royal duties and you all can return to Ponyville," Luna added.
"I thought you were going to be gone for...another few days clearing off your bucket list," Twilight said.
"We'll deal with that much, much later," Celestia assured. "And don't worry; we won't constantly rush in to help. Unless there's a Heartless invasion, we'd be more than happy to lend our assistance."
"Just don't go overdoing your 'heroic' backup when it's not that necessary," Riku advised.
"We will hold back as best we can," Luna giggled.
Twilight, Riku, and Spike took their leave, seeing their substitute duties were finished earlier than planned and gathered the girls to return back home to Ponyville. As Celestia and Luna left to fix up the amulet, Sombra was left alone as he looked over Canterlot from the tower balcony. He took off his travel shirt, tossing it in the room, then continued staring out beyond the horizon. He didn't think this vacation would take such an unexpected turn. He never thought he'd run into M again, disappointed in himself for being bested so easily by an ancient Key Bearer from the past. Though M had claimed his interference would change the fate of the future, Sombra began to wonder if it was even true if he purposefully appeared before the Pillars of Equestria, to Sora and his companions at Ponehenge, and even their convenient run-in with him earlier to FINALLY establish some closure for Celestia and Luna.
"I do not know what this outsider's goal is," Sombra uttered to himself. "If the future is meant to be brighter for us, he'd better hope his premonitions don't falter."
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Sombra: Who in all of Equestria are you to judge and threaten anyone?! You chose to become immortal and locked yourself away in that crumbling castle and gave up on your friends and family entirely!! Since the day Luna came back you've done nothing but discouraged her!! And on the so many occasions that you decided to help, you've done so little, you may as well have chosen to do nothing at all!!
Celestia: How dare you!!
Sombra: Then tell me, on whose watch did my beloved and I fall into darkness, whose inactions have caused Equestria's enemies to go so unchecked, that they nearly destroyed all of Equestria!!
It was nice that M could see them again, and at least he apologized for his actions.
Then again, they should understand that he couldn't interfere, otherwise other disasters would happen, hence the Multiverse theory.
You know, if we're following what happened in season 9 and what Discoed is "busy" with, I eventually look forward to the much deserved thrashing he'll get from Riku and the others over what he's been up to.
Honestly, both Celestia and Luna have their faults equally. Luna, for actually turning into NMM and threatening to deliver eternal night, and Celestia, for neglecting her sister needs. This wouldn't have happen had the ponies not be so biased towards Celestia's day, but we can blame their primal instincts for fearing the night.
Sadly, Sombra heavily took Luna's side and refused to see Celestia's side, as millenium of lone rule can be extremely boring. Celestia's no slouch either, actually delivering 1000 years of peace and harmony, even though some kind of stagnation occurs. There are works out there describing how immortality can be boring and depressing, as ponies that Celestia knows disappear. She has to pick up her sister's absence and persevere.
I kinda wish Sombra would be more lenient and somewhat forgive M, as he simply made the best timeline that he foresees, even if atrocities were made. That knowledge of the future can be a big burden on the shoulders.
Honestly, the main stallions (Sora, Riku, Sombra, etc.) were made to be violent, confrontative, and stubborn when it comes to persuasion, and any violent actions done due to slightest insult are tolerated (This applies to any main characters). I would expect all of them to be more mature in handling hard-hitting discussions by now, but this is already in season 9, and my hopes are already thin.
Amazing chapter! I really enjoyed the episode it was based off of, and was keeping my fingers crossed you'd write this. I'm happy you did! Keep up the great work!
I love this chapter I love the sombra, luna, celestia moments and the craziness of riku going crazy and swearing at geese lol.
Riku, Sora, kairi, along with twilight and the girls should rule equestria, until they defeat xehanort but first they have to defeat cozy glow, queen chrysalis, and Tirek.