Sombra's Recovery

by MisterEdd

Preparations

This is just...wow!

Twilight Sparkle readjusted the bow in her mane and gave herself a once-over in the mirror, slightly perturbed by the outfit that she would never otherwise wear. She was wearing a black, corseted ball gown with red filigree, black lacy frills dangling from the sleeves, neckline and hemline. The dress featured a tall, V-shaped collar and plunging neckline which, combined with a red-lined black cape and black high-heeled shoes made Twilight feel like an evil queen in a fairy tale, especially the old dark ones that frightened her as a filly. Her parents always read her the truncated, more happy and whimsical ones so she had the brilliant idea to borrow an unedited book of fairy tales from the library and read it under the covers with a flashlight. As a result, she spent the next two weeks unable to sleep alone unless she had the lights on and her Smarty Pants doll tightly secure in her forelegs.

Now I'm going to see an evil king who's holding my friends and loved ones captive. It's like I've stepped into a fairy tale!

"You look beautiful," Lumos said in a hoarse, quiet wheeze.

The magical strain of being separated from Tenebris was visibly taking its toll on him. He looked old, several deep lines and wrinkles embedded into his face, which was much thinner with hollowed-out cheekbones and a sharp chin, giving him a gaunt appearance. Several silver-gray streaks dominated his formerly pitch-black mane, the once-bountiful locks now thinning and hanging limply down his shoulders. Heavily bloodshot eyes peered tiredly from within dark baggy eyelids, his dark green irises having lost much of their luster, their empty dullness almost pathetic. Although he hadn't voiced any vision problems, Twilight noticed that Lumos was doing an awful lot of squinting and bumping into objects, leading to her conclusion that he was possibly going blind.

He was also panting heavily, as though he'd just partaken in a three-day decathlon, moving stiffly and awkwardly towards her. As he'd recently "returned" from an excursion while in astral form, he was exhausted and looked like someone that'd trekked through the Everfree Forest. Astral projection sounded like a usual skill and would be worth investing time in learning it but the toll it took combined with the recovery period didn't sound particularly enticing. Twilight had voiced her objection to Lumos astral projecting while he was still in this state of rapid deterioration but he insisted, stating that the good of Equestria came before his health. Despite his advanced aging, Lumos still managed to retain his good cheer and practically glowed with warmth and affection.

Twilight smiled at him in the mirror but there was hardly any joy in it.

"Thank you but I don't really feel it."

"I'm so sorry."

Twilight turned away from the mirror and faced a despondent-looking Lumos.

"You're sorry? For what?"

"This was my fault. I was so blinded by my emotions that I did something incredibly stupid and brash."

He placed a wrinkled hoof beneath Twilight's chin, lifting her face up to his.

"I placed you all in danger because of my selfishness." Lumos sighed, then glanced at her remorsefully. "After the diamond dog attack, there was that moment when I looked into your eyes and saw the absolute fear in them. I-I just couldn't handle it. Out of everyone in all the world, you're the last pony that I want to be afraid of me."

Recalling that moment, Twilight realized what Lumos meant and shook her head.

"No, no," she asserted. "I was afraid, yes, but not of you. I was afraid for you, afraid that you'd lose yourself to your inner demons and completely undo all of the progress you've made."

Twilight embraced Lumos tightly, relishing in the security of his body heat.

"I'm sorry that I made you feel that way. I was just scared of losing you and it didn't dawn on me that you shared the same feelings, only a hundred times worse."

"Did I lose you?"

Twilight smiled brightly and kissed his snout.

"You could never lose me. I love you."

Lumos frowned. "All of me?"

From Lumos' descriptions, and the letter explaining the other princesses' plight, Tenebris sounded like a black-hearted scoundrel, a vicious, cruel and arrogant warlock whose malice was only dwarfed by his ambition. However, Tenebris was still a part of Sombra, all of his worst traits given corporeal form, just like how Lumos is the physical embodiment of his best traits. To not care for one would be hypocritical of Twilight, even nonsensical, given that both sides were responsible for her falling in love with Sombra in the first place. His dark half possessed his boldness and total disregard for authority, his confidence and willingness to defy even Princess Celestia for his beliefs being a very attractive quality. However, if Twilight loved Tenebris as she did Lumos, then did that mean that she harbored a darkness within her too?

Nightmare turned me into Midnight Sparkle but that was her using my negative emotions to her advantage. Is that who I could one day become?

"Twilight, are you okay? You look a bit flushed."

Kissing Lumos' cheek, Twilight began to put on her gold diamond earrings.

"I'm fine, really. Just doing a bit of thinking," Twilight assured him as she placed a diamond necklace around her neck and magically hooked the clasp into place. "You don't need to worry about me."

Lumos was suspicious but thankfully didn't press the matter.

Twilight finished the ensemble by draping a sheer black veil over her face.

"Are the girls ready?"

Lumos nodded stiffly. "They are."

"Then we should get going."

~*~

"Ah, now this is perfect," Tenebris sighed pleasurably from atop his throne.

He peered around at the vacant caverns of his hidden lair, taking solace in the silence of the mountain. Soon, all of Equestria-and the worlds beyond-would be his and he'd be able to raise a family with his lovely queen-to-be at his side. He would be the patriarch to a long and prosperous dynasty that would reign over Equus for ten thousand years, one that would make Equestria pale in comparison. Perhaps he'd leave instructions for his children to release Celestia and Luna in a millennium and have them work as maids or something. Yes, the ultimate revenge: humiliation and disgrace, being dishonored and forgotten for all time.

Next to him was a black crystalline cradle, in which laid a cooing infant filly.

"Enjoying yourself, my little heart-breaker?"

The filly squealed and waved her tiny hooves at him.

"Yes, you are. You're very happy with Da-Da, aren't you?"

Reverting Cadence back into her infant stage was foal's play for a master sorcerer. Sure, it was a tad irritating for her to scream and cry at the beginning but he managed to calm her down and she soon became acclimated to his presence. As Sombra, he'd only seen Cadence as a baby via old photos she included in her letters and now he had the real thing right in front of him. Despite looking a bit too much like her Faust-awful maternal grandmother, she was nonetheless beautiful, especially since she was a part of him made flesh. Now Tenebris could properly perform his duties as a father, to watch his daughter grow up and with him as her guide and teacher.

"Now I have the chance to do this right," Tenebris grinned down at Cadence. "Every filly needs her father, after all."

Cadence, or "Persephone" as he re-dubbed her, was a beautiful infant and though he loathed to admit it, Celestia and Sombra did a good job in her creation. Still, it didn't escape Tenebris' notice that Cadence resembled Queen Concordia, and that fact chilled him to his core. The miserable cow, as it would seem, continued to plague him from beyond the grave, almost solidifying a victory by sharing features with her granddaughter. However, Concordia was long gone and semi-forgotten, whereas Tenebris remained breathing, so this coincidental resemblance was a minor inconvenience. He'd ensure no one remembered the icy mare or her abominable offspring.

Boredom quickly set in, so Tenebris levitated Cadence's cradle and set off towards his-Sombra's-private library. Unlike the rest of the cavernous hall, the library was much more warm and inviting, with Saddle Arabian floor rugs, Prench furniture and oak-wood bookshelves. Floral steel wall sconces decorated the walls, bathing the room in orange-yellow light that made the room stand out from the darkness of the lair. In contrast to the craggly, jagged walls of the hideout, the library's walls were smooth and images of beasts and ships were painstakingly carved into the stone. Sombra had taken extra care with decorating this room, ensuring that it was comfortable and visibly pleasing for a bibliophile such as himself.

Carefully setting Cadence down, Tenebris searched the shelves, coming across volumes both rare and ancient, as well as contemporary and new. Some he, as Sombra, had acquired ages ago, carefully preserved through his own arcane means, others obtained during his recent travels following the re-match with Celestia. Literature had changed much throughout the centuries during his imprisonment, no longer written in the beautiful, flowing prose of a bygone era but now in a cleaner, more "efficient" style meant for the general masses. It was a style that lacked any kind of poetry to it, instead being as direct and blunt as a war-club to the face. There wasn't any doubt this had contributed to the decay of public education.

This wasn't to say that he found no enjoyment in the literary world; in fact, there were quite a few authors from this new modern era whom he enjoyed, such as Edgar Allan Pony, Marey Spelley and H.P. Lovecart. There were some genres, such as horror and adventure, that only seemed to advance with age while genres like romance floundered in a sea of second-rate quote-unquote "authors" and mediocre sludge that only barely passed as writing. Sombra once tried to write a book, a memoir in fact, but scrapped it since he was certain it was a tale that no one would be interested in reading. Even if it'd been printed and actually found an audience, Celestia would've no doubt had Sombra arrested and all copies of his book rounded up and destroyed on the grounds of libel. Tenebris growled at the thought of the alicorn's arrogance, a trait that'd been present in all their kind-Celestia, Luna, Concordia, Carnelian, Aquamarine...himself.

He quickly rejected quite a few titles, such as Salem's Stable by Stifle Croup and Mooncurve's Guide to Interval Incantations before stopping dead in his tracks at the sight of a thin red and gold spine. Rooted in place, Tenebris could only stare at the book and seemed to automatically lift it off of the shelf and suspend it in front of him. It was The Start of War, a tome he'd enjoyed as another stallion in another time, back in a world that was simpler and seemingly more innocent.

"What'cha reading?"

Tourmaline lowered the book from his line of sight to find a familiar young mare swagger up to him.

"'The Start of War' by Mule Tzu," he murmured, raising the book once more.

After a moment, the book descended, revealing Garnet's big unwavering grin.

"Is it a good read?"

Tourmaline sighed, "What do you want, Gar?"

Clicking her tongue, Garnet let out a gasp and raised a hoof to her chest.

"What, can't a mare visit her favorite brother?"

"Again: what do you want?"

Garnet's grin vanished.

"Hmph, you're such a stick-in-the-mud, you know that?"

Casually taking a seat on the bench, Garnet slouched beside Tourmaline in a decidedly un-princess-like fashion. The siblings had been raised in the same place with the same parents and yet Garnet could be so pedestrian. Sometimes Tourmaline joked that Garnet had been left on the doorstep of the castle, a jest that his sister didn't appreciate one bit but nonetheless laughed off. They were practically inseparable; in the rare moments when the two weren't in the same location, ponies believed something was wrong. Although Tourmaline was four years older, both he and Garnet liked to pretend that they were twins, as silly as that sounded, and even once convinced their parents to let them celebrate their birthday on the same day.

"Aren't you supposed to be taking history lessons?"

Garnet groaned, "Ugh, they're so bor-ing! A bunch of stuff happened, Equestria was founded, the end! I don't know why I have to learn all this nonsense."

"So you and your future husband have something to talk about."

"If I do get married, I want my husband to be...simple. You know, not a complete intellectual like you."

Tourmaline snorted. "Yet, I'm the one who's getting married first. You'll never get a husband with that kind of attitude." He then gestured to Garnet. "And you'd better hope Mother doesn't catch you sitting like this."

"Oh, you mean like a proper lady?" Garnet retorted in a snobbish tone. Sitting up, she crossed one hindleg over the other and placed her forehooves onto her lap. "Ahem. Is this more to your liking, Brother Mine? Now let's discuss the latest news from Ornithia and their foreign trade policies."

Suppressing a snicker, Tourmaline replied in an equally snobby way:

"Why yes indeed, Sister Mine. According to my sources, King Psittacus is levying quite the astounding price on exports, particularly tea. I don't see the big deal. It tastes like any other ginger tea."

Garnet giggled daintily through her hooves.

"Wow, and to think, Mother and Father expect me to wed a stallion that sounds like that! You sure lucked out when it came to your betrothed."

"Tia's great and all," Tourmaline began, scratching the back of his neck. "But she can be a bit overbearing at times. She always has to get her way and pouts when she doesn't. I wouldn't say she's bratty but she can be a bit much."

"Yeah? You could always ask to marry Luna."

"And risk Discord turning me into something unnatural? No thank you."

Garnet glanced over at the book tucked under Tourmaline's foreleg.

"So what's 'The Start of War'? Is it a history book?"

"No, it's an ancient instruction manual depicting the strategies and nuisances of warfare from the concise, calculated viewpoint of an experienced military advisor."

"Wow, you're such a bookworm! If anything, you're the one who's adopted. The stork had to have dropped you at the wrong location."

"And how, pray tell, could 'the stork' have delivered me?"

"He could've carried you by gripping the swaddle."

"It's not a question of where he grips it," Tourmaline said almost sternly. "It's a simple question of weight ratios. A five-pound bird cannot carry a ten-pound foal."

"Thank you for proving my point."

"You're insufferable."

Garnet wrapped her forelegs around Tourmaline and snuggled her face into his chest.

"Awww, I love you too."

Slowly, Tourmaline hugged Garnet back.

"Always."

Tenebris sniffled and wiped a hoof on his face before recoiling at the realization that he was crying. Slamming the book back onto the shelf, he grabbed Cadence and stormed out of the library, his desire for reading now forgotten. Garnet was long gone, as were his adoptive parents, or, to be more precise, jailers. There was no point in lingering in the past, not when there was a prosperous future to prepare for. Once Twilight arrived and his plans fully came to fruition, he would be whole once more.

"I will not be alone," Tenebris muttered bitterly under his breath. "Not again."

~*~

"This is hopeless," Flash Sentry sighed as he hung from the stone wall, the steel manacles beginning to chafe his pasterns. "I think this might actually be the end."

"We can't think like that!" Shining Armor refuted. "I'd bet you the Crystal Empire itself that Twily and the others are coming up with a plan as we speak."

"Are you mad?! Look, I know Twilight and her friends have faced some dire odds but what chance do they have now? Tenebris stole the princesses' magic and banished Celestia and Luna...Faust-knows-where!"

Spike, meanwhile, was staying perfectly silent. He wasn't going to just sit-or hang-and wait for his friends to rescue them; he was formulating a plan of his own. His restraints allowed for little wiggle room, fitting snugly around his wrists as Tenebris evidently anticipated the possibility of him slipping out of his bonds. The chains were of a fine make as were the wall-plates they were screwed into, meaning he couldn't simply shake or pull them out of place. If he could just get one hand free, then he could unsnap his collar and use his fire-breath to free the others before Tenebris returned.

His eyes then drifted across the room to the towering figure standing perfectly still.

"Hey, Thanatos!"

YES, SPIKE?

"Do you know how I can get out of these bonds?"

I DO, YES.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Could you tell me?"

Thanatos' shoulders raised slightly.

"You're wasting your time, Spike," Flash sighed. "He can't tell you anything."

Ignoring him, Spike decided to go about this from another angle.

"So you can't tell me anything because I'm not the one who summoned you, right?"

THAT IS THE DEAL, Thanatos confirmed. ANY QUESTION YOU HAVE, I CANNOT ANSWER.

"Then don't tell me anything. Show me."

Somehow, Spike got the impression that Thanatos was smiling at him.

THAT I CAN DO.

Raising a hand, Thanatos conjured the wispy image of a pair of manacles identical to the ones Spike was wearing. A round-head bolt on the top of one slowly rose up, causing the manacle to pop open with an audible clank-squeak. The image soon dissipated and Thanatos lowered his hand once again. Thanatos stared at Spike expectantly and the wheels in the drake's head quickly began to turn.

The bolt! There's a bolt in each manacle and if I can pry them loose, then I can slip free!

Before Spike could do anything, Tenebris strode into the room, the filly-fied Cadence nestled within a cradle suspended by his malefic magic. Setting her down, he clapped and rubbed his hooves together.

"Well gentlecolts, it's time that we depart. I do hope you're enjoying your stay here."

Shining Armor half-lurched forward, tugging at his restraints furiously.

"Let Cadence go! Now!"

A shadow claw flew from Tenebris' cloak and seized Shining by the throat.

Tenebris growled at him, his eyes flashing green.

"Inside my domain, the only one that can give orders is me."

Black and purple light shot towards Shining, transforming him into a crystalline statue.

"Perhaps a time-out will cool that temper."

"You're a monster!" Flash screamed.

"And your time in this world is over..."

"Wait!"

Spike shuddered under Tenebris' gaze.

"Yes...?"

"Well, uh," Spike swallowed. "Y-you need us. That's why we're here. Otherwise...Twilight wouldn't have a reason to come. We're all bargaining chips."

Tenebris grinned. "I knew there was I reason I liked you. You're smarter than the average dragon."

"Thanks."

The umbrum's grin grew insidiously wide.

"However, you and Shining Armor are sufficient enough, given that Twilight has deep emotional ties to you both."

He was now staring at Flash, his horn blazing with a dark aura.

"Three hostages is just one too many."

"What are you going to do?" Flash asked him, a bead of sweat trickling down his left temple.

"That's a good question, colt. What do I do with you?"

Releasing a savage scream, Tenebris reared back, flailing from side to side as Cadence began wailing her head off at the sight of her father in torturous pain. Spike and Flash watched almost fascinatingly as the stallion's muzzle lengthened, his limbs becoming longer and more spindly, reminding Spike of a monstrous spider he once saw in a horror comic. Tenebris' mane rapidly grew outward in wild locks that resembled crackling ebony flames, his horn audibly stretching and contorting into a sickle-like blade. His screaming intensified, transitioning into an unearthly, roaring shriek as obsidian crystals violently sprouted from his shoulders and back, the sound of each one breaking through flesh was similar to shattering glass inside of a burlap sack. While everyone else were horrified by the metamorphosis, Thanatos watched with his usual unengaged demeanor, neither moving a muscle nor making a sound but bearing witness to the as-yet-unexplained event.

His transformation complete, Tenebris collapsed onto his side, crumpling unconsciously to the floor like a thrown rag-doll. The room was soon filled with an eerie silence, the winds of the Frozen North raging unabated outside the mountain hall. Neither Spike nor Flash said anything, the two still reeling from the sight. Yes, Tenebris was an awful piece of work but seeing him in agony wasn't something they wanted nor expected to happen. Cadence continued to sob and Spike wanted nothing more than to hold her and stop her crying but he was rather inconvenienced at the moment.

What the hay happened? He was fine moments ago and now-he's awake!

Shaking his head slowly, Tenebris steadily rose to his hooves, his pure scarlet eyes burning within his skull.

"That really hurt. Thanatos, what was that?! What's wrong with me?!"

YOU AND LUMOS WERE NOT MEANT TO BE SEPARATE, Thanatos explained in that deep, resounding tone that froze the blood and sent pangs of fear directly into the soul. THE LIGHT AND THE DARKNESS BALANCED SOMBRA'S SOUL BUT THAT BALANCE HAS BEEN FRACTURED. AS A RESULT, YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ALTERATIONS TO YOUR PHYSICAL FORM. IF YOU TWO DO NOT REUNITE, YOU WILL BOTH CEASE TO BE.

Tenebris breathed heavily, his sharp teeth bared in an aggressive snarl.

"Reunite...with him? Never! I will find my own way, and even if I fall, at least I'll take him down with me!"

~*~

Twilight couldn't stop fidgeting, whether it was wringing her hooves or anxiously fiddling with her gown. She'd gone over the plan with her friends twice, just to ensure that everyone was aware of their roles and to prevent any miscommunication. According to Lumos, Tenebris was vicious and clever with a single-minded determination to win at any cost but he was also arrogant and so narrowly focused on a goal that he develops tunnel-vision. If they were going to have even a sliver of a chance betting him, everything had to be perfect, no if's, and's or but's. All she could do now was hold onto hope that they'd all make it through this, save Equestria and prevent Sombra's demise.

Faust, give me the strength to lead my friends to victory, rescue my loved ones.

Normally a train ride to the Crystal Empire had Twilight practically bursting with joyous anticipation, excited beyond words to be able to visit her brother and sister-in-law, only this time, all she felt was spine-tingling dread. She was the only passenger in her compartment and for that, she was grateful as she didn't need any distractions during her journey. Releasing her held breath, Twilight let out a prolonged exhale from her nostrils, steadying herself for the oncoming conflict. Drawing in air, she inhaled through her mouth and momentarily contained it before releasing it. Slowly, she was able to steady her shaking hooves, her nerves settling into a more relaxed mode, if only a little.

"Now arriving at the Crystal Empire! I repeat: now arriving at the Crystal Empire!"

Sure enough, the signature crystalline structures soon came into the view, the tall spire of the Crystal Castle shining like a beacon within the icy clutches of the Frozen North. As the train pulled into the station, Twilight experienced the briefest moment of panic, to purchase a ticket for the next train out of the empire. However, a must stronger impulse, the desire to face Tenebris and save the stallion she loved overpowered her fear. Rising from her seat, she purposefully dropped one of her diamond earrings and resolutely exited the train, traveling through a throng of tourists and crystal ponies, who all mindlessly chit-chatted about mundane topics like how nice the weather was or various local sights to visit. A part of Twilight envied the other ponies' blissful ignorance and she wondered what it would be like to be one of them, to just relax and enjoy life instead of having to worry about the next villain attack or some world-ending cataclysm.

But I'm not a regular pony. I'm a princess and an Element of Harmony. That means I have a duty to Equestria to act as its guardian and protector. With great power, comes great responsibility.

The castle was soon directly in front of her, the pristine white structure somehow ominously glittering in the sunlight. Without anymore delay, Twilight willed her hooves to move, passing through the vacant entryway and further into the increasingly nerve-wracking silence of the abandoned halls. Aside from her breathing and hoof-falls, there were no other signs of life, any indication that anyone could've or recently did inhabit the castle. No torches were lit, only the steady glow of Twilight's horn providing any kind of illumination. It would appear that Tenebris, like Sombra, enjoyed theatricality and his dark, haunted castle routine was working as Twilight was shuddering from the suspense.

So far, apart from the darkness and terrifying atmosphere, the castle looked relatively the same as it normally did, which did little to stifle the warning bells ringing in Twilight's head. Up ahead, she caught a glimpse of something in the darkness and steadily made her way towards it, wary of any traps. Casting a quick scanning spell, she determined that there were no curses or dark charms but refused to let her guard down in case there were any other tricks up Tenebris' metaphorical sleeves. A sliver of yellow-gold light peeked from underneath the double doors of the throne room and it didn't take a genius to figure out that this was where she was supposed to go. Swallowing, Twilight licked her lips and pushed a door open with a toe, mentally preparing herself for whatever lay in store for her.

A large gray stallion had seated himself on the purple and blue crystal throne, rocking a cradle made of black crystals. His twisted features giving Twilight pause: his eyes were pure scarlet, not shimmering like rubies but wild and empty like red fire. The trademark red and gray curved horn was now a crescent-shaped blade, which only barely took attention away from the two rows of jagged, pearly-white fangs that occupied his mouth. Instead of a cloak made of cloth, he wore a swirling mass of inky darkness that flowed and curled as though it were made up of vipers. This creature was undoubtedly what the rest of Equestria believed Sombra looked like and despite her best efforts, Twilight couldn't tear her gaze away from him.

"Welcome home, dear," Tenebris grinned malevolently. "It's time you met your daughter."