Chapter 18: The Wicked Queen (Part 2)
Twilight’s eyes slowly fluttered open as the rumble of a distant storm roused her from her peaceful dreams. The dull morning of a clouded sky peeked between the roots of her shelter, and even though the day looked like it would be a dreary one, the sun still managed to shine through a break over the horizon, throwing up a splash of color amid the monotonous grey.
Slowly slogging through the haze of sleep, Twilight jolted in surprise when something tightened around her chest—only for her to settle down when she recalled exactly how she had fallen asleep the night before. Her heart pounded lightly as she looked down to find Sombra’s legs linked with hers and his body curled around her to protect her from the chill in the air.
Much like the sun rising up through the brightening sky, a light blush bloomed along her face at the position she found herself in, which only deepened when Twilight realized that she had unconsciously spread one of her wings over his shoulders at some point during the night.
Possibly from her movement against him, Sombra soon began to awaken. He opened his mouth with a loud yawn, clicking his tongue in some odd morning routine before stretching his neck until it let out a soft pop. “Maybe blankets are not necessary, but I suppose a bed would have been nice,” he said with a groggy voice. “How did you—”
Sombra’s words died in his throat when he turned to look at her, his face tightening with an odd expression.
“W-what’s wrong?” Twilight tried to calm herself down while blinking back at him in confusion, a bit disturbed by his reaction. He almost seemed… afraid?
“You just look... particularly beautiful in the morning,” Sombra said in a tone that was obviously strained. “And nothing is wrong,” he quickly added.
Twilight wrinkled her nose, suddenly skeptical of his dodgy answer. He was staring at her face as if it had turned into cheese.
“For a pony that hides so many secrets, you’re not very good at lying.” Her gaze moved down to his armor, and she immediately caught him with her magic before he could jump away. While Sombra struggled to escape, she managed to rub her leg across the metal to give it a quick polish before leaning closer.
Large, red pupils reflected back at her, and her spell suddenly flickered out at the shock of what she was seeing. Sombra stumbled to the ground with a grunt while Twilight stood completely frozen, her ears flattening at her discovery. “My… my eyes…”
She whipped around and paced along the short length of their shelter, her breath coming out in panicked gasps. “My eyes aren’t red! I-I mean, they are right now, but—how did they—why are—they’re not supposed to—OWW!!” Twilight quickly sat back and lifted her hooves to her muzzle, covering her snout at the feeling of a sharp pain.
“Did you honestly just bite your tongue?” Sombra gave her an annoyed frown before getting up. Twilight was too surprised to move and kept her face covered, even as Sombra stepped closer with a stern look, obviously suspicious of her actions. “Let me see,” he commanded.
Twilight shook her head, but Sombra simply pulled her legs away and tapped at her jaw. With a loud gulp, she opened her mouth, unable to help her own curiosity when she moved her tongue over one of the strange points that had formed in her teeth.
“Fangs.” Sombra blinked at her with a sharp intake of breath. “You’ve grown fangs.”
“H-how!?” Twilight flared her wings with a shout. “I haven't used dark magic to that extent!” Her voice caught in her throat when she had a sudden thought. “Could… could the storybook be turning me into the Wicked Queen?”
“If that were the case, you would have started out like this at the beginning of the story.” Sombra lifted her chin and leaned close, scrutinizing her new alterations. “No… this is corruption from dark magic—although it's moving at a snail's pace. You most likely incurred this when you tried to break through the barrier. Do you feel any different?” Sombra asked.
“Not really.” She rubbed her hooves together before stomping them against the ground. “Aside from the fact that my eyes have turned red and I’m growing a pair of fangs!”
“They aren’t such a terrible thing.” Sombra grinned, showing off his own before his smile swiftly faded. “But aside from that, do you feel the same? No urges to take over any kingdoms... or poison your niece?”
Twilight gave him an annoyed look before answering with a huff. “No… the changes are just physical… for now.”
“Just don't think of anything negative,” Sombra urged. “It could allow the darkness to slip inside your thoughts. It's hard to resist the allure once it's taken hold.”
“How exactly am I supposed to do that?” Twilight grumbled.
“Think… happy thoughts?” Sombra wrinkled his snout with uncertainty and rubbed his chin. “It would be best if we avoid this altogether by finishing the story. What predicament does the Queen face that results in her survival?”
“I… I’m not really certain.” Twilight rubbed her hooves together nervously, riffling through her memories for anything worthwhile. “We don’t know how this particular story goes, so it will be difficult to determine which way the Queen dies.”
“There has to be some way we can find out.” Sombra stomped to the entrance of their shelter, staring out at the gloomy sky with an intense look as he mulled over a possible answer. “We can find a library somewhere… maybe gather up the right books and find a solution; like the ending you mapped out in ‘Robin Hood.’”
“Maybe...” Twilight’s ears drooped. “Most Snow White stories follow a similar path, except for the more recent ones. Since this book is a classic edition, it will probably go with an older version that ends with the Queen’s death.” Twilight gulped. “One that winds up with me being maimed, struck by lighting, or thrown off a cliff...”
Sombra’s eyes suddenly lit up as he turned around. “The last one sounds survivable.”
“It might be possible to reenact if we could figure out how to do that… there’s just too many ways.” Twilight rubbed her head and wrinkled her snout. As Sombra moved to return to her side, the faint sun reflected off of his armor and reminded her of another idea.
“We can ask the magic mirror!” Twilight suddenly cried out.
“Are you certain?” Sombra asked with a doubtful look. “That thing is still a character. Does it not behave like the rest of them?”
“It did seem strange when I spoke with it the first time… but even if it doesn’t know a way out, it may know something about this version of the story.” Twilight tapped at her chin. “We can ask it about this place. If it has an answer… any answer, it’s worth a try.”
Sombra set his mouth into a thin frown, but finally relented with a heavy sigh. “Alright. We ask the mirror what it may know.”
“It feels as if we only just escaped this place,” Sombra rumbled in complaint, peering through the bushes they were hiding in while crouching next to one another. Twilight carefully watched the guards that stood in the doorway, standing at attention beneath the shadow of the looming castle.
“It doesn’t look like there are a lot of soldiers though,” Twilight whispered quietly, her voice sounding garbled as she ran her tongue over her fangs again. She could have sworn they were growing longer. “They must have split their numbers looking for us and Flurry Heart.”
“Stop that,” Sombra hissed, suddenly turning to her with a glare.
“I’m not used to them!” Twilight wrinkled her snout at him, even though she quickly pulled her tongue back in. “It’s like losing a tooth… except in reverse… and I have a feeling that a breezy won’t be leaving a bit underneath my pillow.”
“They’re easier to accept when you realize how valuable they can be.” Sombra flashed his fangs at her with a grin. “If we have to fight our way in, you have a weapon apart from your magic to rely on.”
“I’m not biting the guards!” Twilight nearly shouted, flattening her ears and shoving her nose against his. “What do you expect me to do with them? Drink their blood!?”
“That’s ridiculous.” Sombra pulled away and turned with a huff. “You use them to tear the flesh of your enemies.”
Twilight’s face twisted into a grimace at the picture that formed in her mind; meanwhile, Sombra suddenly lowered himself closer, whispering urgently, “The guard is changing… now!”
He dashed out of the bushes and Twilight scrambled to follow along behind him, sticking to the garden wall and hiding beneath the shadows. While sneaking past the guards seemed like a terrible decision during the middle of the day, the thick clouds that had quickly overtaken the sky made it look more like the darkness of late evening. With careful planning, the guards didn’t even notice them as they slipped through the gate.
Twilight sprinted ahead of Sombra after they had moved inside, guiding him through the garden and finding where her balcony was located high up on the wall. She fluttered silently into the air and hugged the stone while Sombra climbed up more slowly behind her using the vine-covered lattice. After she had landed, she helped him up over the railing, and they both stepped quietly into the room.
It was as Twilight had left it, with the mirror standing on a raised dais, placed against the far wall near her canopied bed. She trotted over to it, peering into the dark glass that only revealed her reflection.
At first, she thought the mirror was waking up when she noticed something off about her appearance, but when she leaned closer, she realized that it was her own image that was different. Her horn’s shape had shifted slightly, giving it a sharpened point at the tip with a tint of red flowing along the spiraling grooves.
“It's getting worse,” Twilight groaned, feeling her stomach flip-flop with a sickening twist. How much more was she going to change if they couldn’t escape?
“Mirror.” Sombra stepped up and demanded of the dark object, “Tell us how the Queen survives.”
Nothing formed within the dark depths of the glass, and the voice within remained silent.
“Just perfect,” Sombra growled. “A wasted trip. Perhaps it’s gone to sleep since its role in the story is done.”
“You just have to know how to wake it up. Otherwise, it only responds to questions.” Twilight’s ears perked as she recalled the lines from the book. Adjusting the clasp at her neck, she cleared her throat before reciting, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, answer to my beck and call.”
At her words, the surface began to swirl with dark clouds, and she could see the familiar shape forming before it spoke. “I thought you were caught in a nasty spell, but it is good to see that you are alive and well.”
“It speaks in rhyme?” Sombra groaned.
“Mirror,” Twilight addressed it, ignoring Sombra’s complaint. “Does this story end happily for the Queen? Is there a way that I can survive?”
“You should ask it how to escape the storybook altogether,” Sombra whispered urgently into her ear, but she shook her head, giving the mirror a moment to process her question. The clouds within swirled silently. It was either taking its time to come up with an answer or it had nothing for them at all. Twilight’s hope waned as the silence dragged on.
“There is a path that you can find,” the mirror’s voice suddenly came out in a strange, ominous tone that startled Twilight. She jumped against Sombra’s side when the frame began to rattle and pulsed with a soft orange glow. “It will help you escape this story’s bind.”
Twilight exchanged a surprised look with Sombra before turning back to the glossy surface, its insides churning and roiling with clouds as if a miniature storm were brewing within. As she squinted into the darkness, she spotted a tiny light at the end of it all, pulsing softly in a rainbow of colors while the mirror continued, “Down the poison to take your breath; as the Queen, you must boldly face your death.”
“That is not an answer!” Sombra shouted in rage, rearing back on his hooves and aiming for the mirror. Before Twilight could stop him, he stomped down against the glass, slamming the object into the wall. A sharp crack pierced the room, and the surface shattered into a splintery web of fractures, with small particles tinkling as they dropped to the floor. The clouds within immediately faded, and the mirror fell into silence.
Twilight’s blood ran cold, staring at Sombra in silent terror while he turned to her with his face still twisted in fury. When he noticed her expression, he appeared to try and compose himself, grumbling out a heated, “What?”
“The-the mirror…” Twilight stammered, stumbling over her words as she lifted a leg to her cheek, checking to make sure that she wasn’t transforming again. “You don’t... remember one of the endings? When the Queen smashed it in anger… she turned into dust…”
Sombra’s face fell into an expression of horror, and he immediately stomped over to her, grasping her head in his hooves while his eyes shot over her body. “I wasn't thinking!” When it was clear that Twilight wasn’t showing signs of any immediate change, he calmed down a little, but didn’t release her. “I… did not wish to harm you,” he said softly, his strained voice wavering with the shock of what he’d almost caused.
“I-I know…” Twilight lowered her ears and laid her hooves over his to steady her trembling legs. “It wasn’t exactly the answer I wanted to hear either...”
“Your death is not an option,” Sombra rumbled, nuzzling his nose against hers gently. Twilight started to lean into his touch when her ears perked at the low sound of hooves thundering down the hall.
“The guards!” Twilight straightened up in a panic. The noise grew louder in the hallway, but when she concentrated, she could hear the muted thud of more mobilizing outside in the garden. She turned to the doorway just as a pair of armor-clad ponies barged in.
“Halt! You are under—” the guard started to say before Sombra jumped away from her and charged at him. With a flip of his head, Sombra caught the pony with his horn and tossed him over his shoulder. The other guard tried to jab at him with his spear, but Sombra stepped to the side and chomped down on the pole, swinging it out of the other stallion’s grip and bashing it against his helmet with a loud clang. While the first rolled into the bed frame, the other dropped like a rock onto the floor.
“Stay behind me!” Sombra yelled back at her, and she quickly followed him through the doorway, only to meet another trio of guards running toward them down the hall. Rather than retreat in the opposite direction, Sombra rushed at them with a roar, their weapons sending up sparks as they bounced off of his armor. Another guard swung a sword down that sliced through his fur, but Sombra only grunted while he spun around kicked out his hind legs, smashing two of the smaller stallions into the wall.
The third tried to move around and flank him from the side, but a quick aimed spell from Twilight immediately threw him off his hooves. Without waiting to see if he was even down for the count, she took off after Sombra when he barged down the hallway once the opening had been made.
“If it comes to it, you escape without me!” Sombra grunted as they galloped around a corner. The low sound that echoed throughout the castle was either the rumble of distant thunder or the stomping of many hooves mobilizing against them.
“I’m not leaving you behind!” Twilight yelled back, stopping short when they came out into the garden to find a large assembly of guards blocking their escape. She spun around to flee, but a group of pegasi flew in from above to cut off their retreat.
“Surrender!” a familiar voice shouted as a tall stallion stepped out from the crowd. Twilight felt her heart sink at the sight of her own brother glowering angrily at her, wearing his signature armor as captain of the guard. “Show us where you’ve hidden Princess Flurry Heart!” Shining Armor commanded.
“Your life is the one in danger! Use your magic to get away,” Sombra hissed at her, ignoring the demands of her storybook brother.
“I’m not just leaving you here!” Twilight flared her wings and pressed closer to Sombra, standing shoulder to shoulder with him while she lit her horn with a flash. She had intended to teleport the both of them away to safety, but several flares of magic shot out from the unicorns in the crowd and wrapped around her horn, suppressing her spell.
“There’s no escape! And if you remain silent, we have no choice but to arrest you!” Shining Armor shouted, appearing to have run out of patience while they argued with one another. He swung a hoof toward them, and the circle of guards began to close in.
“Stay back!” Twilight yelled, trying to light her horn again, but the pressure of several auras fighting against her own only gave her a headache.
“Even if you are the Queen, you are not immune to the punishment of your crimes,” Shining Armor said with less volume, but the anger behind his words was unmistakable, and Twilight felt herself wilting beneath his furious glare. He had only given her that particular look once in her life... and even though she knew it wasn’t her real brother, the identical sound of his voice and appearance made it difficult to simply shrug off. “Tell us what you’ve done with the Princess.”
“I haven’t done anything to her!” Twilight shouted, feeling Sombra slip his front leg around her own in a gesture of support—or of preparation to escape with her once he saw an opportunity to do so. “I… I sent her away to protect her! She’s safe!”
“Then cooperate with us,” Shining Armor responded with a snort, waving his hoof to signal for his guards to move in again. This time, several unicorns shifted to the front, their horns already aglow with the magic wrapped around her own. “If there is something threatening the Princess, tell us where she is so that we can help. If not, then you will be charged with conspiracy against the crown and the kidnapping of Princess Flurry Heart!”
Maybe it was the accusatory implication that she could ever do anything to harm Flurry, or the stress of dealing with old, painful memories dredged up by the illusion pretending to be her brother—whatever the reason, something inside of Twilight finally snapped. She ground her teeth together and let out a low growl, even as a sense of calmness slipped over her. The magic around her horn burst into an intense aura and dispelled the others surrounding it, bubbling with chaotic pops and exploding outward as it slammed into the mass of guards.
Beneath the dark shroud of her spell, the surrounding ponies shouted in surprise and anger—only to quickly be replaced with cries of pain and agony. In a flash, the darkness dissipated, and strands of inky smoke coiled up over the crowd of fallen soldiers. Those that had managed to remain conscious writhed and twitched on the ground, but none of them were in any condition to demand anything of her.
Twilight slowly moved her gaze over them all. As if she were looking out at the defeated guards through the eyes of another, a cruel smile briefly twisted onto her muzzle.
But then Twilight’s ear twitched at the sound of a pained groan by her hooves, and she turned her head to see Sombra splayed out beside her. Her eyes widened as her heart thudded in a panic, and she dropped down to his side when she noticed the dark splotch of blood trailing from his forehead and pooling along his neck.
“S-Sombra?” Twilight’s voice trembled in a weak whisper as her ears fell. “D-did I… why did I…?” The sting of tears gathered at the corners of her eyes as she looked over him, checking to make sure she hadn’t done anything worse. How could she have lost control over herself like that?
Sombra’s eyelids fluttered feebly, but he didn’t appear to be awake, knocked out by the same spell that she had attacked the guards with. She sat down next to him and cradled his head gently, rocking back and forth before lighting her horn. With a flash and a bang, the castle vanished, replaced by tall trees, their leaves darkened by the grey sky above that rumbled from the threat of a brewing storm.
“Sombra?” she called to him softly, hoping he might somehow hear her through his daze. “Please… wake up… I-I didn’t mean to—this wasn’t what I…” Her voice choked from a sob as the tears spilled down her cheeks.
Sombra remained silent and limp in her embrace. He was still breathing, but what little she could hear was shallow and strained. If he ever regained consciousness, she imagined that he would probably be in a lot of pain.
She had done this to him. She had allowed the darkness to take hold of her.
Twilight set his head down carefully to view the damage she had done. The fur along his neck was matted with a dark blot of blood that dripped down through his mane where he had been struck with her spell.
Without wasting any time, she pulled her dress forward and tugged the material in her teeth, easily ripping it into a large strip with her new fangs. As carefully as she could, she wrapped it tightly around Sombra’s wound to staunch the flow of blood. He groaned softly when she tied it around his head, but he didn’t make any further movements.
While Twilight tried not to panic, in the quiet of the woods, the trickling of a nearby stream quickly caught her attention. Whether to clean his wound or help to revive him, fresh water sounded like a good idea. She started toward the sound, soon finding a small waterfall flowing over a hill of rocks. The water fed into a quaint little pond not far from where her spell had landed them.
Twilight tugged at her cape, intending to use it to soak up the liquid before she caught her reflection in the sandbank and stopped cold. In the calm area of the pooling water, the whites of her eyes glowed back at her with an eerie green, while a dark purple mist billowed along either side of her face. She spread her wings in alarm, only to notice that beneath the layer of feathers, a thin membrane, like the wings of a bat, had begun to show along the edge.
“This… this is bad…” Twilight reached up to touch her own face, horrified when the reflection mimicked her movement—it only cemented the fact that this really was happening. The darkness was consuming her, and without Sombra around for guidance...
Twilight tried to calm herself down, getting through her twenty-third repetition of Cadence’s breathing technique before her ears perked at a soft noise. At first, she thought that the guards might have followed her already, but she soon recognized the notes of a gentle song. With all of the chaos that her mind was in, the sound was pleasant... and almost… alluring.
She sat and listened for a moment, finding the tune far more effective at soothing her nerves than her own exercise. After a while, her mind seemed to blank, and without even thinking about it, she stepped out across the stream, not caring that the remainder of her dress became soaked when it trailed through the water.
Almost as if in a dream, Twilight stumbled through the trees, low whispers seeping into her thoughts, telling her that she had to find the source of the singing. The whimsical words that swam through her head almost seemed to form the essence of a familiar story… but Twilight couldn’t focus on them long enough to place her hoof on it.
She didn’t quite understand, but something didn’t feel right about her body or the way it moved—yet she couldn’t bring herself to be concerned about it at all. The music soothed any alarming thoughts that bubbled to the surface, while the voices reassured her that she was on the right path. Her legs wobbled unsteadily, but she kept on toward the singing, all the while she felt as if she were floating on air and moving through a thick haze of smoke.
The song grew louder in her ears until Twilight finally came upon a clearing where a quaint cottage sat next to a small river. An alarm went off in her head, but Twilight was unable to stop herself as she moved down the slope of the hill and stepped onto a cobbled path. Thunder rumbled in the distance, but her body paid it no mind, an unseen force propelling her forward to eventually pull Twilight right up to the door.
She didn’t even think to move, but her hoof seemed to lift on its own and rapped softly against the wood. The singing stopped, and after a short moment, the top half of the door squeaked open to reveal Flurry Heart peeking curiously at her from inside.
Twilight’s throat tightened, and she felt one of the voices in her head slide out past her lips, speaking with words she hadn’t formed. “Hello, Flurry Heart.”
Flurry ducked behind the door, but kept one of her large, curious eyes on Twilight. While she appeared uncertain about the pony that stood before her, Twilight could see the recognition in her eyes—as well as the fear of something unknown.
“Don’t be afraid,” the voice reassured her. “We were playing a game, remember? Now I’ve found you.”
Flurry Heart nodded and came out from behind the door, tilting her head curiously with a soft babble of noise.
No… no, this isn’t right… Run away, Flurry! Twilight tried to shout, but her own body wouldn’t respond. Instead, her horn lit up with a glow, and an apple formed itself out of thin air before plopping down into Twilight’s outstretched hoof.
“Have you been having fun with your friends? I just wanted to bring you something special.” Twilight’s hoof raised the bright red apple, its flesh glowing in a soft, ruby-colored light. Flurry Heart giggled with delight. “Doesn’t it look good? Aren’t you hungry?” the oozing voice urged.
Flurry Heart nodded with a gurgle, taking the apple in her hooves. Something squirmed deep within Twilight, and she tried to scream out a warning, but her mouth refused to move apart from the sickly-sweet smile it was giving her niece.
Without the ability to stop her, Flurry Heart didn’t hesitate to take a bite of the apple she held; she had no reason to distrust her loving aunt. Twilight could hear the audible crunch as Flurry bit into it, and Twilight’s chest tightened when she shook her head, clearing away the fading fog in her mind to see Flurry’s wings slow as she began to drift softly to the ground.
“NO!!!” Twilight bolted forward, suddenly finding herself able to move again. She nearly toppled over, but managed to correct her footing and catch Flurry right before she could fall against the hard floor.
“Flurry…? Flurry, please…” Twilight choked past the lump forming in her throat as she rubbed her niece’s cheek, already feeling the warmth of her life slipping away. Flurry’s head limply fell against Twilight’s legs, and she hugged her in a tight embrace.
“No…” Twilight sobbed softly as she sank to the floor. “No… no… please, no…” Tears slid from her eyes and dripped down her snout onto Flurry’s forehead as her niece closed her eyes. Her breath became shallow, and Twilight couldn’t even feel her pulse when she pulled Flurry close and nuzzled against her.
“Flurry Heart! We’re back!” a young, squeaky voice suddenly cut through Twilight’s grief and her head jolted up in surprise, spinning around to see the dark shapes of a group of ponies arriving over the hill.
“Hey! Who’s that in the house?”
Twilight gasped in a panic, scurrying to wrap Flurry Heart into the warmth of her cape. She pulled a protective leg around her as she turned and quickly bolted out the door.
“What in—that’s the Queen!”
Twilight scrambled around the corner of the building, darting into the woods as seven small forms barreled after her, their faces shrouded in the darkness of the growing storm. In the midst of her plight, Twilight didn’t even want to bother trying to figure out who they were—she was certain that none of them would listen to her excuses.
“She’s got Flurry Heart!”
“Don’t let her escape!”
“NO!!!” Twilight cried out as she hugged Flurry close to her chest. Thunder echoed across the sky as she tore through the forest without any sense or reason. She couldn’t pull her thoughts together, couldn’t focus on forming a plan or picking a sensible solution. She was too distracted by the fear of which grisly ending would come to pass if she were caught.
The dense trees soon grew sparse, bringing her to an open field, across which lead to a path that ran up the craggy cliffs of a nearby mountainside. Twilight skidded to a halt to catch her breath, her eyes searching for any place that she might possibly hide. Her strides were longer than the foals chasing her, but could she really out-run them if the storybook didn’t intervene?
Remembering that she had her magic to rely on once again, Twilight grit her teeth and quickly formed a spell, her ears twitching back at the approaching shouts of the foals. A split second after she released her magic, the world lit up in a bright flash, but not from the teleportation spell that she had called up to take her and Flurry to safety.
The explosion of thunder in her ears rocked through her body, and her muscles spasmed from a searing pain. Twilight toppled to the hard ground, feeling as if her head had caught fire from the agony burning through her horn, a trail of dark smoke rising up from the scorched tip. Her vision was blotchy and speckled, but she could see enough to know that her spell had at least taken them across the field.
Though she groaned and flinched at the pain in her limbs and the pounding of her head, Twilight was thankful just to be alive. From the electrifying pain she had just experienced, she guessed that the gathering energies of her spell had most likely saved her life from the devastating strike of a lightning bolt.
Through the ringing in her ears, Twilight could still hear the distant shouting of the foals, which meant that narrowly escaping a tragic death didn’t mean that the story was over. Picking up Flurry’s limp body with her leg again, she started up the mountain path. She already knew that the storybook wouldn’t make anything easier for her, so it was no surprise when a torrent of rain suddenly unleashed from the clouds, making the rocky terrain even more treacherous than it already was.
Shaking off the sore ache screaming through her body, Twilight tried to draw a new spell to her horn again, managing to create a thin shadow of what appeared to be a shield over her head. It was a decision that was well-timed, because the sky let loose another brilliant bolt that sprayed the ground with heated sparks as the shield deflected the lightning strike.
Smoking and cracking after only one hit, her weakened shield flickered in and out while she trudged up the mountainside as quickly as she could. The ponies from the story had worked in a mine, and she had caught a glimpse of them waving pickaxes at her, so it only seemed reasonable that the path led to their quarries. If she could get to the cave, maybe she could be safe… and try to convince them not to kill her in some horrible way.
“Get her!” one of the foals yelled out very loudly over the noise of the storm, and Twilight gasped, turning her head to catch a glimpse of their small forms down the path.
The torrential rain only seemed to increase as she tried to sprint up the rocks, water drenching every inch of her and dragging her down with the weight of her ragged dress. Her clothes had become a hindrance as the darkness pressed around her and the rainfall pounded against her.
Though the young ponies appeared to be having an equally hard time pursuing her, they still kept after her, seemingly determined to “rescue” Flurry Heart, who still lay limp in her grasp.
The sky lit up again in another blast of lightning, and Twilight cried out when it struck her shield and shattered it like glass. The force of the blow threw her against the rocks near the cliff’s edge, and she fluttered her wings wildly, managing to stop herself and Flurry Heart from sailing into the dark treetops below.
With her sides heaving and her weary body at its limits, Twilight hugged Flurry Heart close, overall worn out from fighting what seemed to be a losing battle. Getting up on her trembling legs and stumbling away from the cliff, Twilight managed to drag herself and Flurry Heart closer to a safe part of the path, leaning against a rock face and hesitating on whether or not she should leave Flurry behind.
Her horn flickered weakly when she tried to use it, no longer having enough magic to pull up another shield. The next lightning bolt would surely kill her… and she didn’t want to drag Flurry into the danger of it. Even if Twilight couldn’t escape her own fate, at least her niece would be able to awaken safely before the end of the tale.
Twilight choked back a sob at the thought and hugged her niece tighter against her chest. In the dim light, she could barely make out Flurry’s face, tracing her hoof along the relaxed and peaceful expression she made. Even as Twilight held Flurry against her chest, she couldn’t feel any warmth of life.
“I’m so… so sorry, Flurry…” Twilight’s voice cracked as an onslaught of tears rolled from her eyes when she squeezed them shut. She nuzzled Flurry Heart gently and rocked her as if to comfort her.
“Give back the Princess!”
Twilight opened her eyes to the nearby shout, turning her head to glance back at the small forms still making their way towards her. If she didn’t press on, they would reach her in a few short moments.
With a gasp, Twilight huddled against the rock face and squeezed Flurry tightly before setting her down, spreading her wings above them both to shield her niece from the storm. As she released the bundle from her hold, her cape loosened, and the poisoned apple rolled out of the folds.
She stared at it with wide eyes, surprised at its appearance, but quickly realizing that she must have scooped it up in her hurry to escape before. Twilight reached out a hesitant hoof to pick it up and lifted it closer. Even in the darkness of the storm, the red skin glowed brightly.
“TWILIGHT!!!”
A deep voice rang out over the chaos of the storm, and Twilight jolted around to spot Sombra sprinting up the path at the bottom of the mountain. In the darkness, he had his horn lit with a faint, purple light, but it was enough to see him galloping toward her through the rain. A few of the young ponies paused in confusion to look back at him.
“Sombra…” Twilight whispered quietly to herself, clutching the apple to her chest as the words of the mirror drifted through her thoughts. ‘Down the poison to take your breath, as the Queen, you must boldly face your death.’
“FINE!!!” Twilight suddenly shouted at the closest foals as they drew near, startling them into backing away. She could finally see them in the dim light, recognizing several young students, including her friends’ younger sisters, from Cherilee’s class. “If this is how it has to be…” She squeezed her eyes shut and yelled out into the storm at the top of her lungs, “THEN AT LEAST LET ME CHOOSE MY ENDING!!!”
The clouds rumbled deeply, even though no bolt of lightning crashed down to strike her, and the young foals that had gathered nearby even appeared to hesitate at her behavior. They watched with morbid curiosity when Twilight brought the apple up to her lips, catching the fresh scent even through the onslaught of rain. Her legs shook fiercely, but she steeled herself and took a deep breath before biting into the crisp flesh and gulping down a generous portion.
The dark scenery before her vision immediately wavered, and she felt a dizziness slam over her. Her hooves lowered and released the apple, letting it fall uselessly over the edge of the path to tumble down the rocky mountainside.
Twilight was surprised at how easily her mind began to drift into the same death-like sleep as her niece, finding it a relief that she wouldn’t have to face any of the Queen’s gruesome fates. She would simply fall asleep… and the storybook would get its villain’s death. The fairy tale was free to move on, and Flurry Heart would escape once it reached its happy ending.
The rumbling of the storm and the heavy rain faded to a muted hush as her ears seemed to fill with cotton, but a voice still appeared to try and reach her through the growing fog. Nearly lost beneath the haze, she was surprised when it shouted out like a clash of thunder, calling her name loudly and momentarily breaking through her confusion.
Twilight’s heavy eyelids fluttered open for a moment longer, and she turned to see a shadow rise above the ridge, leaping over the tiny ponies in his way as he charged toward her.
“Som… bra…” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she teetered in place, the rocks beneath her hooves slipping away while she stumbled dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. She tried to right herself, but her vision tilted, falling away and catching one last glimpse of Sombra outlined in the grey of the sky before the heavy darkness fell over her.
Cold…
Twilight’s mind floated through a void of nothingness… unaware of any passage of time while a deep feeling of darkness gripped her body like ice.
And the only thing that she could think was that she was really, really tired of being cold.
In the midst of her irritation, something began to stir within her. An odd sensation that was not a thread of thought… but more like a… a glow—one that began to spread and tingle through limbs she didn’t realize she still had.
The soft touch of something warm pressed against her mouth, and another’s breath mixed with her own when she took in a choking gasp of air. Her lungs burned painfully, but she gulped deeply at the return of the life-giving oxygen.
Twilight’s eyelids fluttered open, and she was greeted with the hazy sight of a shadow filling her vision. Weakly exhaling against the warmth, she murmured something unintelligible, even to her own ears. The soft babble must have been loud enough though, because the dark figure above her suddenly broke away.
“Twilight?” Sombra’s deep voice rumbled with concern.
“Wha… t…” Her voice was weak and quiet from the strain of even speaking. The grey sky beyond his head was fuzzy to her eyes, but it didn’t look as dark as before, and enough time seemed to have passed for the rain to stop.
“Don’t talk.” She felt his hoof press against her cheek. “Just rest.”
Twilight huffed quietly and simply nodded in answer, and Sombra let out a relieved sigh before stomping his hoof heavily against the dirt. “There!” he yelled out to somepony that Twilight could not see from her position on the ground. “This is the solution to save your princess!”
Twilight heard the light shuffle of hooves scrambling back as Sombra snorted angrily, and she turned her head to see all the young foals standing around her, staring at her with wide eyes. “Go do what you need to do! Have your funeral! Lay her in the forest for all to gaze upon her beauty! Whatever it is!” Sombra practically roared at them with little patience. “Maybe then one brave soul may fall in love with her and be enticed to save her with a kiss!”
“Umm… w-will that really—” one of the foals hesitantly spoke up, and Twilight watched with curiosity as she recognized Apple Bloom among the bunch.
“WORM!!!” Sombra’s bark of fury interrupted her. “I am the hero that saved the Princess’ life! Now hurry! Or do you wish for her to lie forever in a sleep of death?”
The young ponies all jumped to attention and scattered over the ground as they scrambled toward the nearby forest. Sombra must have carried her down from the mountainside, because the soft grass of the field cushioned her tired body.
Twilight’s gaze moved over them as the foals scurried into the trees, and she blinked in surprise when she noticed a pair of them carrying a bundle between them with a limp form. Her heart skipped a beat, and she placed a leg against the ground, slipping over the wet grass as she failed at the simple task of trying to get to her hooves.
“You shouldn’t try to stand.” Sombra was there next to her as the dizziness returned, bumping up against her shoulder to ensure that she wouldn’t fall.
“What… happened?” she asked faintly, leaning into him and gratefully accepting the support.
“You almost fell off the cliff,” Sombra explained, frowning sternly as he puffed out his chest. “Well, you actually did, but I managed to catch you in a daring feat that I can reveal after you’ve had a chance to recover.” He took in a deep breath and let it out as a lengthy sigh before nuzzling her. “I didn’t let them touch you. I told those foals that your niece’s curse could be broken… and proceeded to show them by example.”
Twilight felt a warm blush rise to her cheeks at the memory of waking up to his kiss. “The mirror was right. I had to face my ‘death’ as the Queen.”
“I suppose I owe it an apology,” Sombra grumbled with a grimace. “But how was I to know that I could awaken you when it spoke in riddles?”
“But you figured it out,” Twilight said with a shy smile, the heat on her face intensifying when she lifted her head to give him a soft peck on his cheek, earning her a surprised look from Sombra. “Y-you were able to wake me up… b-because…” her voice trailed off softly, unable to say the words in her head out loud.
Sombra let out a quick snort and chuckled deeply. “Because I’m your prince?”
Twilight nodded, feeling as if her ears might catch on fire while she tried to hide her face beneath her hooves.
“Of course I am.” Sombra gently pulled one of her hooves away and smirked at her. “And you… appear to be a princess again.”
Twilight lowered her legs while her wings unfurled in surprise. “What? What do you—” As her feathers stretched along the corners of her vision, Twilight jerked one of her wings forward to look closer, noticing that the webbing of flesh was gone.
Grabbing a hold of his armor to steady herself, Twilight used it to look at her reflection, practically fainting in relief when her normal eye color peered back at her. There were no billowing plumes of mist coming off of them, and her horn had even changed back. “H-how? The corruption of dark magic wasn’t something that the kiss of a fairy tale could fix!”
“Though it may not have looked like it, that wasn’t a complete transformation,” Sombra explained while linking his leg with hers. “The dark magic wasn’t strong enough to keep up the connection when you were at—what seemed to be—the cusp of death. Now.” He stepped around her carefully and eased her into a standing position. “Come. Those foals will likely be following my directions, I assume.”
Twilight nodded slowly, walking alongside Sombra while he moved with a patience that she hadn’t known him to have. He helped her into the forest where the young ponies were most likely enacting the next part of the story.
The scenery was exactly as a proper fairy tale should have been and just as Twilight had imagined the ending of Snow White to look like. The dark storm from before was only a distant memory while the forest appeared to glow and pretty pastel petals floated slowly through the gentle beams of sunlight that filtered through the trees.
It was a beautiful display in contrast to the sad and slumped forms of the foals as they gathered around a glass coffin. It sparkled in the radiant sun where it displayed the serene form of Flurry Heart as she lay trapped in her sleep of death.
Twilight couldn’t stand the sight any longer and buried her face against Sombra’s shoulder to hide her fresh stream of tears.
“Why are you crying?” Sombra frowned. “Again?” Despite the gruff annoyance in his voice, he leaned over her and she felt his hoof slide around her own. “You know how the story ends.”
“I can’t—” Twilight sobbed quietly, interrupted by a soft hiccup. “I can’t stand to-to see her like that… because of me...”
“You didn’t do this,” Sombra stated, matter-of-factly. “This is because of the storybook.” He paused to lightly brush his hoof through her bangs. “And possibly the sadistic mind of a deranged author.”
While Twilight took comfort in his touch, one of the young ponies broke away from the group, bouncing over the ground toward them and catching her attention when he stepped up in front of her with a quick salute.
“We’re really sorry for scaring you before, Miss Queen.” The splotched foal bent his stubby legs in a quick bow. “But we didn’t know you was under a dark curse like that.” He lifted his head and smiled apologetically, directing his attention to Sombra. “Thanks to you, Ser, the spell was broken! We may be sad at the Princess’ poor state, but at least we have some hope now.” With that, he trotted back to his friends, looking a bit more cheerful than before.
Twilight glanced at Sombra in confusion and raised a curious eyebrow, not having received much detail about the time when she was unconscious. It had troubled her a bit that the foals hadn’t tried to chase her away or do any of the other things they had in iterations of the stories she knew.
Sombra shrugged with a nonchalant expression. “I’ve lived enough of these wretched tales to spin my own, it seems. As they understand it, you were cursed into attacking your own niece against your will, which isn’t too far from the truth. You sent her into the forest in the first place to keep her safe.”
Twilight blinked at him for a moment before snorting out a soft, breathy laugh and resting her head against his shoulder.
The growing sound of hoof steps in the distance caused Twilight’s ears to perk, and she quickly came to the conclusion that it could only be the prince from the story arriving at last. The foals all raised their heads, and Twilight was surprised to see Rainbow Dash stroll into view with her wings raised and her multicolored mane shining in the beams of sunlight.
“What goes on here?” Rainbow asked with an air of importance.
“The Princess is cursed and will not wake,” one of the small foals stepped forward and explained with a bow. “She sleeps as if dead, but a kiss may return her to life.”
“A kiss?” a muffled-sounding voice spoke up from behind Rainbow’s wings. “Yuck! I don’t have to kiss her for real, do I?”
“Spike!?” Twilight yelled out as soon as she recognized his voice.
“Twilight?” He poked his head out from behind Rainbow Dash’s wing from where he sat on her shoulders and lifted the metal visor of his helmet. In an instant, he jumped down and ran across the clearing to catch her in a tight hug. She quickly wrapped her legs around him, not caring that the sharp edges of the armor he wore over his chest and shoulders dug into her fur. “Where have you been?”
“I was…” Twilight hesitantly breathed. “Kind of the Evil Queen.”
“Yow…” Spike blinked and pulled away in surprise. “So, uh... how’d that go for you guys?”
Twilight let out a heavy sigh. “It’s a long story—and not one I’m ready to tell yet. Besides, you have a princess to awaken.”
The deep blush that appeared over Spike’s cheeks was visible for all of a single second before the helmet’s guard clanged over his face when he jerked back in surprise. “R-Rarity’s here!?”
Twilight lifted her hoof over her mouth, but failed to stifle the giggle. “No, but it’s up to you to finish the story.”
Spike nodded with his head hidden beneath the helmet, puffing out his chest and pivoting on his heel towards the glass coffin. As he marched back through the foals in the clearing, Twilight felt Sombra’s leg slide around her shoulders, and the warmth of his body press closer to her. Before she could wonder at his actions, she felt him bury his face against her mane and breathe deeply into her hair. Her cheeks heated up at the unusual sensation. “S-Sombra…?”
“Shhh,” he hushed her with an airy sigh. “Enjoy the moment.”
“W-what are you doing?” Twilight tried to tilt her head back to look at him.
“Before the story ends,” he mused, “I thought I might give you your own ‘happily ever after.’”
If it was possible, Twilight felt as if her face might glow from the heat radiating from her. “We’ve already… k-kissed…”
Sombra’s deep chuckle vibrated against the back of her head. “We could do it again.” He lifted her hoof slowly as if to appreciate it before leaning in and lightly touching his lips against it. “I know it is only a role the storybook has given you, but I am sincerely entertaining the idea of making you a real queen.”
He simply smirked when she jerked back in surprise and gaped up at him, her mouth twitching as though she seemed to have lost the ability to form words. Meanwhile, the happy cheers of the foals were only faint noises in the background of Twilight’s astonishment. She was too bewildered to understand that Spike had already woken Flurry Heart with a kiss on her forehead, and only realized too late what was happening when the world around them began to disappear.
As her vision faded, Twilight heard Sombra’s voice curse through the darkness before the magic took them once again.
One more to go! 
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Only one more? Oh gosh, it's been quite the ride. I really hope there's more Sombra stories from you and can't wait to read the last bit.
This story has been a long lasting favorite of mine and I am thoroughly looking forward to it's conclusion.
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Next one I want to do(no Sombra, sadly) is a quick Slice of Life/Romance, followed by an epic Adventure. I am convinced(though have been wrong before) that it won't take me too long, since I actually have a few chapters already prepped for proofreading(It's a shorter six-chapter story). I had actually written a lot before this story, this one just happened to be the first one that came to completion since I wrote the original rough drafts for 90% of the chapters during Nano in 2017.
I have a few more ideas sitting on the back burner for Sombra.
So many stories to write, so little time! Not that the end of the show means the end period, but I just want to get all these ideas out of my head. xD
One more to go?! ...Welp, time to put the ole dark tag in and get TRULY GRIMDARK UP IN THIS STORYBOOK! EVILLAUGHTEREVILLAUGHTERDIABOLICALCHUCKLE!!
So... Any takers on the next fairy tale to be enacted?
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I mean, I'm sticking around to write a bit more after ''THE END'' and all so I'm not surprised. You'll probably still see me around, reading. C:
So, wait... The next one is the final story? Too bad, I liked the version of the tales, maybe even suggest Aladdin with a Genie-Discord
...One more fairy tale, or one more chapter?
9486900
One more chapter.
9486900
Probably one more fairy tale and then an epilogue in the real world.
And now for something completely different:
LaWombat, care to explain?
9487368
Honestly meant to be completely innocent, as shallow breathing is rapid breaths, while deep breathing can occur in sleep or unconsciousness.
Though when pointed out, the combination does appear to be referring to something else.
It could be contagious from kissing Sombra too much, Twilight.
If you keep making that face it might stick, fangs and everything.
Good job, Sombra. Might want to work on that temper a little bit. Also, they need to think harder on what the mirror said.
Oh wow, now there's some dark magic.
They're convenient!
Wow, that went badly without Sombra awake and able to intervene. Maybe the CMC+ that I assume Flurry was with can suddenly buck the story convention and save the day.
Hey, that's a pretty good idea. We even have a king available to break the curse with a kiss, that's got to be even better than a prince.
Yep, that worked out great.
Hmn. I wonder if Twilight can provide the kiss to wake up her beloved niece, that would be a nice twist on the ending.
Ahh, Spike works too, I had forgotten about him.
Hahaha, kiss-blocked by the story.
I just re-read the whole story, before reading this chapter and I must say I'm sad to see it go I'll have no Fairy Tale Fiasco to look forward every second sunday
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That would be fun, Pinkie would make a pretty good genie as well I think.
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I just imagine Sombra making some jokes with a Twilight genie or if he is the genie about the master-slave...
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)
*raspberry* I was trying to keep it PG thank you (
This arc feels like it was...kind of rushed? Like, Twilight and Sombra rush around for a bit, Sombra breaks the plot a bit, Twilight gets possessed by dark magic up the juju, then Sombra kisses her and everything's alright. I mean, heck. Look at the seven dwarfs expy in the foals. Apple Bloom is the only foal to get mentioned by the name, and a splotchy colt is the only other foal to be described. It's a little disappointing that the Snow White tale basically went by at light-speed this close to the end of the story.
Interestingly enough, when Twilight was eating the apple, it was mentioned a few times she was standing right at the edge of a cliff, and a thunderstorm was going on. I half-expected it to be a multifaceted death, where she'd be electrocuted, poisoned and suffer blunt trauma from falling off a cliff at the same time
coughcoughStrayingintoPinkieterritoryCoughcoughcough.
OOooooo vampire Twilight sounds cool
Why did Twilight keep getting struck by lightning?
If Sombra renounces his claim to the Crystal empire he is no longer a king and can't make Twilight his queen.