The Return of the King

by MisterEdd

Kind Heart and Honest Apple

Fluttershy was not what you would call "the spontaneous type." True, she was fine with going with the flow, especially when it came to what her friends were doing. Other than that, she preferred to play it safe, doing what she knew. Today, however, she felt a compulsion to buy a ticket to Canterlot, hop the Friendship Express, and enter the castle with a single goal in mind: talk to King Sombra. With the princesses' permission, of course. She only hoped that Sombra was in a talkative mood.

The trip to the dungeon was a nerve-wracking one and it wasn't just because of the dark hallways, low, torch-lit corridors or cobwebs. The last time that she'd seen Sombra was at the party she helped to set up for him and she barely spoke to the stallion, just introducing herself and purposefully keeping her distance while he danced with Twilight. Or rather, while he danced and Twilight flailed about like a fish out of water. Seeing Twilight dance always put Fluttershy at ease but what really solidified her growing acceptance for Twilight and Sombra's relationship was the sight of the two slow dancing through the bars of Sombra's cell, the way they became lost in the other's eyes. Even though Fluttershy was a novice when it came to romance, she knew true love when she saw it.

Flash Sentry stopped before a large Oakwood door. "He's a difficult one so don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

Ignoring the obvious contempt in his voice, Fluttershy smiled, "Thank you very much."

Taking a deep breath, she silenced the butterflies in her stomach and slipped past the door. The dungeon was much the same as she last saw it sans decorations. Other than the gramophone and a short stack of records, the room was spartan and well-swept, leaving far too much empty space. The cell itself contained a desk and chair, books, a sink, toilet, sleeping cot and a collection of coal drawings on the walls. What captured her attention, however, was the stallion seated on the floor, a book laying open in front of him. Noticing the new company, he promptly closed it and glanced up at her.

"Hello Fluttershy."

If the yellow pegasus were to be honest, Sombra was quite intimidating as far as looks went. He easily towered over the average-sized pony and the red, curved horn on his head resembled a viper's fang. His crimson eyes glinted in the artificial light and while she found them frightening at first, upon closer inspection, discovered that they were actually kind of pretty. He was rather like a bear or a bat in that, on first glance, they were scary but a good eye revealed that there was more to them than how they looked.

"Hi Sombra," Fluttershy replied softly. "You look...well."

The umbrum's mouth opened in a toothy grin. "Thank you and you look lovely yourself."

"You're too kind," she answered bashfully, briefly hiding behind her mane. She then remembered the basket she'd brought and pulled out a vase of water lilies. "Here. I thought the room could use some color." Setting it down, she then carefully placed a wrapped bundle in front of the cell. "I also brought some oatmeal cookies. They're my favorite."

Gingerly, Sombra picked up the bundle and unwrapped it. He popped a cookie into his mouth and let out an appreciative grunt. "They're very good. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The dungeon then fell very quiet, the only sounds being the crunch of the cookies and the thundering of Fluttershy's heart in her ears. After a few minutes, Sombra mercifully broke the silence:

"You're very brave, you know."

Fluttershy's jaw dropped slightly. "No, I'm not brave."

Sombra leaned forward. "Are you afraid of me?"

"...Yes. A little."

"And yet, here you are. You came alone to speak with me despite your fear. 'Bravery' is simply doing what needs to be done in spite of one's fear or self-doubt. If that's not courage, then I don't know what is."

Fluttershy couldn't help but beam with confidence. "Do you really mean that?"

Sombra spoke again, his voice warm and soothing. "I do, yes. And there's no need for you to be afraid of me. Aside from the fact that you're one of Twilight's closest friends, I actually like you. No harm will befall you while you're in my presence. I promise."

It was truly amazing how far Sombra's progress had come. Once upon a time, he was one of Equestria's most notorious villains and it had almost been a year since Fluttershy and her friends used the Elements of Harmony to capture him and seal away his magic. Now here she was, having a nice conversation with Sombra while he dined on her cookies. Nopony could've guessed that he and Twilight would start dating either. Life sure was strange.

"Tell me, Fluttershy, how are your animals doing?"

Now this was a topic that peaked the pegasus' interest. "Very well, thanks for asking! I helped a mama raccoon give birth, relocated a nest of baby robins and reunited a pair of chipmunk brothers."

Sombra laid down on the floor and propped his head up on his crossed forelegs. He grinned up at her. "That's very nice. When I was a colt, I had a dog named Rowf. He and I did everything together. He was a big dog too, with shaggy black fur and the biggest amber eyes. I miss him."

Hearing about the ex-tyrant's dog piqued Fluttershy's interest considerably. He didn't seem like the type to have ever had a pet but again, looks could be deceiving. "How did he die?"

He gave a wistful sigh. "Old age. I used to take him for walks on the Crystal Castle's grounds. One day, he laid down for a nap and never got back up. I was...twelve, I believe. Twelve or thirteen." He sighed again dreamily. "Such a good dog. I never got another pet after him."

Fluttershy scooched herself closer to the bars. "It's never easy to lose a pet, especially one that you loved. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my Angel bunny."

"You'd persevere" Sombra said warmly. "You have a brave heart and a strong spirit."

Against all fear or reason, Fluttershy slipped her hoof through the bars and rested it on top of one of Sombra's. "Thank you. You're a good friend."

The stallion stared up at her with astonishment. "I'm your friend?"

"Of course!" Fluttershy laughed, as if his shock was genuinely amusing. "Aren't I yours?"

Sombra's puzzlement gave way to introspection, his eyes gazing out far past Fluttershy and when he answered, it was in a distant tone:

"Yes. Yes you are."

~*~

Applejack was a mare who wore her heart on her nonexistent sleeve; what you saw was what you got. When she was angry or worried, she didn't try to cover it up and upon looking at her, you knew exactly how she was feeling. And right now, with a fast pace in her step and her jaw set in a worrisome frown, it was evident something was stuck in the country mare's craw. When she heard that Fluttershy was off in Canterlot by herself, Applejack's intuition, which had yet to steer her wrong, told her that it was to meet with a certain tall, dark and moody. Marching past a pair of blank-faced guards, she swung the corner and started down the steps leading to the castle dungeons.

It wasn't that Applejack disliked Sombra per se; in fact, seeing Twilight so happy made her reconsider her previous thoughts on the former Shadow King, which weren't too friendly to say the least. Still, she was cautious when it came to Sombra, never fully allowing herself to let her guard down around him. Some ponies, despite all outward appearance, never changed. You can put a hog in a dress and call her Lady Habberdashery, but at the end of the day, it was still a hog. Ah only hope Twilight didn't put her faith in tha wrong stallion, is all.

Trotting down the main corridor, Applejack steadily approached Sombra's room when she heard a familiar, bell-like voice humming a soothing melody. There, exiting the double doors, was none other than Fluttershy herself, stopping to bid Flash Sentry a good day before spotting Applejack.

"Oh! Hi A.J."

"Erm, howdy Sugarcube. How'd it go?"

"Very nice!" Fluttershy giggled. "Sombra and I talked about animals and how he used to have a dog. Did you know that? I never would've pegged him for the dog owner type but looks can be deceiving."

Applejack scratched her head. "Yeah, how 'bout that. Ya sure yer okay?"

"Oh yes. So I take it you're here to talk to him too?"

The orange mare readjusted her hat. "Yes. Yes Ah sure am. Just wanted ta make sure yah was okay first."

Fluttershy wrapped a wing around Applejack. "Thanks Applejack but I'm okay, I promise. Just remember, Sombra can come off as abrasive but if you give him a chance, I'm sure you'll see a different side to him."

"Right. Well, Ah'll see ya later."

"You too!"

After Fluttershy had skipped away, Applejack turned to Flash. "Well, Ah'm goin' in."

The pegasus placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Applejack, I know you have a good head on your shoulders, so I know you'll take what I have to say to heart. Please don't trust King Sombra. You and I both know he's planning something."

Applejack liked Flash Sentry. He was sweet and a real gentlecolt, treating everypony nice and being friendly all the time. However, once he got an idea in his head, it was hard to talk him out of it. She wiggled free of his grasp and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Flash, ya need to calm yerself down. Ah trust him 'bout as much as Ah trust a rattlesnake but that don't mean Ah can't give him tha benefit of tha doubt. If Twilight sees somethin' in him, then Ah must too."

Shaking his head ruefully, Flash stepped away from her. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

In place of a retort, Applejack stepped through the double doors and entered the dungeon, walking headfirst into an orchestra rehearsal in progress, a gradual swell of horns and strings that devolved into a piano solo dominated by discordant keys. Admittedly, she wasn't the kind of mare to gush over classical music, but even she felt amazement at the composition. The fact that Sombra was into this kind of music was somehow unsurprising.

Speaking of, Applejack spotted the stallion seated at his desk, eyes closed and forelegs swaying as though he himself were the maestro. She chuckled, unaccustomed to seeing him look so peaceful. He about a foot taller than Big Mac, easily making him the largest stallion she'd ever seen, and while Big Mac's size and powerful muscles were a front for a calm and even laid-back demeanor, Sombra's height added to his viciousness. Coupled with the fangs, red eyes and large, curved horn, he was a rather intimidating pony. However, based on talks with Twilight, she knew that he could also be gentle and earnest, speaking about what was on his mind and how it affected him.

Honesty always is th' best policy.

Sombra's eyes slowly opened and he noticed the new arrival. "Hello Applejack. This is a surprise."

"It, uh, sure is. Ah saw Fluttershy walkin' out, so Ah figured Ah would talk to ya next."

"I see." Sombra placed his hooves together with the frogs touching, reminding her of a school councilor. "So, what would you like to talk about?"

Applejack strode right up to the bars and stared up at Sombra's inquisitive face. "Ya know how Twilight's one of mah best friends?"

"I was made aware of this fact, yes."

"Well, Ah just want ta look out fer her. Ah still don't quite trust ya."

Sombra leaned back and smirked. "Then you have a good amount of common sense."

"Look," Applejack sighed. "Ah'm gonna ask ya one question: do ya really love Twilight?"

The stallion's smile faded, his face taking on a more serious countenance as he considered Applejack's question. "At first, I loved the idea of Twilight Sparkle, what she represented. However, the more time that I spent with her, the more I realized that I loved the mare Twilight Sparkle. So yes, to answer your question, I do really love her."

Applejack carefully scanned the contours of Sombra's face, noting the movements of his eyes and facial muscles. He was telling the truth. Hay, as the Element of Honesty, wouldn't she be the best judge?

"So does that mean...yer gonna give up on takin' yer revenge an' all that?"

"No."

Applejack's eyes shot open. "Wh-what? But, ya love her!"

"And? Did you really think that love would be enough to change my mind, to fundamentally change who I am?"

"Sombra, listen ta me. Ah lost mah parents when Ah was a filly. Ah know what it's like ta lose somepony close ta yah-..."

Rising from his seat, Sombra appeared in front of the bars. "Do you love your family?"

"What? Of course Ah do!"

"What about your friends? Or your farm or Ponyville?"

Applejack was getting aggravated. "What're yah gettin' at?!"

"Imagine," Sombra began, his tone becoming hoarse, his eyes full of sorrow. "Losing...not only your family but your entire race...your culture, your way of life. Imagine watching it vanish before your very eyes, leaving your memories as the only proof that they even existed."

Sorrow gripped Applejack's heart, the words and the agony that emanated from causing her cheeks to moisten. There was no faking the pain that Sombra was exhuming.

Sombra continued, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "Imagine...that they were butchered and not only that, but the killers are never brought to justice and even exalted for what they did." He then spoke much quieter, as if the words were poisoning his throat. "How would you feel?"

Applejack gulped and sniffled. "Ah...Ah'd be angry...furious. Ah'd want them ta suffer."

Red eyes shimmered with fresh tears, reflecting Applejack's face right back at her. "Then you know why I can't rest until Princess Celestia is brought down. There must be retribution."

Applejack's hoof sought Sombra's through the bars. "Killin' Princess Celestia won't bring yer family back."

Withdrawing his hoof, Sombra retreated into the darkness of his cell, his eyes burning in the blackness.

"No, but it'll make me feel a lot better."

Comments

[Al Burk]

"No, but it'll make me feel a lot better."

One thing at time, no one truly knows the future Sombra.

[Theresa]

Well Celestia could try to face some form of punishment instead using her status to avoid facing what was done and how wrong it was.