Operation Sunlight (Good Version)
The day after the second coronation of Twilight Sparkle started off like any other day in the mountain range: A blizzard blowing outside, frigid air, and four dead Guards out in the tundra, their bodies left outside to remind anyone who would think of doing anything silly what their end would look like.
Well, it was normal in most ways.
Within the royal bedroom, the air was nice and quiet. Twilight and Sombra slept within each other's hooves, the lingering pleasure of last night lingering in place. Occasionally, she would unconsciously cuddle her face into his neck, but otherwise they didn't do much.
Sombra's ear twitched back and forth, as the faint sunlight trickled from the windows into the room. He opened his eyes and perceived that it was sometime after dusk. Knowing it was almost time to get up, he sighed and looked down at his queen. She was still sleeping, and he decided to give her a few moments of rest before he woke her up.
The first thing he was thinking about was how badly he wanted to do...things...with her as soon as possible.. It had been far too long since the last time he got to experience that kind of action, and she was the perfect pony to do it with.
He rested his head on her mane, hoping a Guard wouldn't come in to disturb their rest. But it wasn't long until her ears were twitching as well.
"What...what happened..." she stirred.
He pulled his hooves away, and Twilight slowly came back to life. She rubbed her hooves on her forehead, and sat upright in bed. When she realized that he was still there with her, she smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Good morning, my queen," he greeted. "Did you enjoy our time together last night?"
"You have no idea," she answered. "That was one of the best nights in my life. And not just because we did the...you know what. I mean the wedding and coronation ceremony too. Did you know that you're the first pony that's ever tried to go out with me?"
"I did not know that. If I remember right, Celestia was consistently given offers for her hoof in marriage. Partly because the idea of being the first prince of Equestria was always going to be tempting."
"I was only a princess for a few days when you came to me in the Wispy Woods, remember? When you tried to take back the Crystal Empire, I wasn't even considered for the role until it was all over. Close, but not yet."
"Do you think we could avoid talking about that period of time? I don't want to be reminded of that part of my life. I'm sure you understand."
Twilight blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, yeah...that."
She used her magic to pull the covers off her body, and she stretched her limbs out in front of her. Sombra did the same, and got out of bed shortly after. He yawned and slapped his face to bring feeling back into it.
Twilight joined him out of bed, and they shared a kiss together. And then another. And another. Eventually, she found his hooves around her neck.
"So what do we do now?" she asked. "I'm not sure how you do things around here just yet. We don't have a kingdom to rule over, at least not in comparison to Celestia's."
"You said last night that you wanted to do it again," he mentioned. "Well, we could always share a shower together...."
"You can do that? I mean...of course you could. But I've never heard--"
He interrupted her with a hoof to the mouth. "Yes, ponies have been doing it as long as there's been a shower. But do you want to do it?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "More than anything right now."
-----
Meanwhile, in another part of Equestria, it was around the same time in the morning but much warmer and almost humid. It was practically a jungle out there, with trees as high as skyscrapers and the ground moist and mushy to the touch. Monkeys chanted as they swung around in the vines, and jaguars stalked their prey in the shadows. It was a perfect setting for a Daring Do book.
Off in the distance was the same mountain range Sombra had called home. It stood in contrast to the hot and humid jungle bordering it.
There were a few dozen tents in the midst of the jungle, all bearing either the emblem of Celestia or Luna. The ones carrying Celestia's sun had the usual Royal Guards resting inside, while Luna's stallions were all bat ponies. A few of them watched out for any wildlife on their patrol, while the rest were attending a meeting with the sisters.
They set up a few boxes around and arranged them into a large square shape. There, they laid out a giant map that went over that corner of Equestria in great detail. The mountain range was listed there from top to bottom.
A red pencil was levitated off the ground with a yellow aura, and it drew a gigantic circle within a certain section of the mountain range.
"This is where the castle is located at, according to our sources," Celestia stated. "It's in the middle of nowhere, hence why it took almost an entire day of thorough searching to find it."
"And there is a small army of Guards inside to complement Sombra's power," Luna added. "After debating our options, it would be wise if you, our Guards tried and true, to focus your efforts chiefly on the guards. Celestia and I will deal with King Sombra ourselves."
"Forgive me for questioning your wisdom, but what about Twilight Sparkle?" Captain Silver Star brought up. "We all know she is working with Sombra. If she was willing to aid him in the deaths of four stallions, surely she would not hold it above her to attack you."
"That might be true, but our priority is to rescue her from Sombra's influence in any way possible," Celestia answered. "I have to believe my beloved student is still there underneath his clutches. And I know how I'm going to snap her out of it."
Luna's brow lowered upon hearing the plan. "Sister, could I have a moment with you?"
"As you wish, sister."
Luna brought her over to a corner of the jungle where nopony would hear them. The noise of mosquitoes filled their ears, buzzing about and looking for blood to drain.
Even though the princess of the moon was smarter than possibly Celestia herself, Celestia couldn't help but wonder if this private conversation should even be happening. She had it all under control and had it planned to the last letter. Or so she thought. Or hoped. Maybe a bit of both.
When they were alone, Celestia could sense doubt and concern radiating from Luna's eyes. She appeared as if she was a few inches from breaking down in front of the princess of the sun.
"What is this plan of yours?" Luna questioned at last.
"You're not telling me your true intentions over this meeting," Celestia pointed out immediately. "Go on and say what you really feel about this."
"Very well then. If you want me to address you bluntly, so be it."
She stomped her hoof on the ground, bracing herself for what she was about to say.
"How do you plan to save Twilight? You know that Sombra will never let her go by choice. He would rather die fighting with her by his side than to let her go back to you and live the rest of his life inside a prison cell. And where would you start? By asking her politely that she goes back to being good? Using your relationship with her is not going to work. I'm your sister, and there was no convincing me to not have eternal night. It took brute force to subdue Nightmare Moon and you know it."
Celestia sighed, and looked up to the canopy above her head.
"Truth be told, I am not sure if it will work. But I realized a long time ago that I cannot use emotion to save her. He must have used the same thing. However, I have one idea that could work."
"COULD work? We cannot leave anything to chance when it is Sombra we're dealing with. He will consume us if he sees a window of opportunity."
"I'm prepared to do anything to save Equestria, you know that. But if he has used logic to lure her over, we will show her how it's all a lie."
"What do you mean?"
"I can use the story of Starswirl the Bearded to draw parallels with her story. Prove to her that he will only use her, but he dispose of her when he is finished. How he only sees her as a pawn that he can live without."
"This better work. I'd hate for you to lose her."
"We will all lose if she is forever lost to the shadows. But you focus on stopping him however you can. I'll take care of Twilight."
"Very well. Then there is nothing more to discuss."
They left their private corner of the jungle and returned to the campsite. The Guards moved out of the way to have a clear path to the center of the area, where the map was laid out.
While they were gone, the Guards were debating within their ranks why the princesses left in the middle of the meeting. Perhaps the pressure of possibly fighting Princess Twilight was proving to be too much for Celestia. But it didn't matter anymore. The speculation was about to end.
"We will travel down to the mountain range in thirty minutes time," Celestia stated. "There is a time window of three hours where the conditions around the mountains aren't as treacherous, and it starts at one in the afternoon. When this time arrives, we will storm into the castle and deal with Sombra's forces. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," they said together.
"Well done," Luna complimented. "I believe we're ready for Operation Sunlight."
-----
The wood in the fireplace cackled as the fire burned it away. Its embers lit up the dining hall without the need of any sunlight. It felt warm and cozy in there, very inviting and serving as the perfect conditions for having a good lunchtime meal.
The meal consisted of plain daffodil sandwiches this round. After all, they had to save themselves for dinner later that night.
Twilight and Sombra were clad once more in their royal clothes as they ate. They had to be recognized as King Sombra and Queen Twilight Sparkle by now.
They were seated next to each other at the dining table. There weren't many words exchanged between them for a while, as they were still busy recovering from the hottest shower that Twilight ever had.
But something was bugging her. It was something that was troubling her mind ever since the shower was over.
"What happens to us now?" she said.
"What do you mean?" Sombra asked in response. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
"You have something in mind with me. There's a reason you made me your wife AND your queen. You want to rebuild your Empire again, don't you?"
"Ah, clever. That is part of the plan, and I'm free to answer any questions you have about it."
"How big is this Empire going to be?"
Sombra smiled and kissed her cheek. "As big as we want it to be. It could be bigger than Celestia's empire at its peak if we want it to."
"But she would never stand for it! You know that!"
"Another part of the plan. Now that we realized that Celestia wants both of us dead, the time will come when we will do something about it."
"Is this going where I think it's going?"
"How about you tell me?"
"We're going to fight Celestia one of these day..."
"What's the matter? Don't you want to live in a world where you never have to wonder if she's going to break in the castle to see to your death? That's what she wants to do, and you know it in your heart. And I want to save you from that world."
"I understand. I don't want her chasing me like this. She has to realize that I want to be left alone with you. I don't need her in my life anymore. I only need you..."
At that moment, Sombra brought his lips to Twilight's and kissed them passionately. He could hear her moan past the kiss, as she didn't want this moment to end.
It was so perfect. She was beginning to let Celestia go from her heart...
She broke away from the embrace, and met his glance with her own. Her eyes were green again, purple mist coming out like smoke from a chimney. He was much the same, and he looked down to her belly.
What was to come would make things sweeter than they already were...
"So how do we help the Empire grow?" Twilight inquired.
"We use the creation spell together. Create an army numbering in the hundred thousands. That will be enough to take over any city with any sort of defense."
"Perfect. I can organize the units together as well. Some of them could be nothing but fliers, and others could be a magical guard. That way, we can mix it up and they'll never be able to make a good strategy to stop us."
"Exactly. Our enemies can be clever with their tactics, and they will have resources we don't have. Even the griffins will beat us in some cases."
"They don't have dark magic like we do," Twilight grinned.
And so the corruption is complete, he thought to himself.
"No, they don't. And that will be the key to winning our battles."
"But we have to expand to a point where Celestia and Luna won't be a problem."
"That will have to wait for a while. Those sisters are powerful and very creative in their plans. That much I know from firsthand experience. We'll have to spend years before we can match them."
"At least we'll live forever. We have all the time we could ever ask for. But there's something we have to talk about, if this plan is ever going to happen."
"What is it, my queen?"
"How do you learn the creation spell that you've been using? I've never seen anything like it before. And I want to know how to do it, so I can help you create this army myself."
"It is not as difficult as you would believe. If you follow me back to the target range, I can show you everything there is to it. It will take just half an hour to learn, and the only trick is finding out how to learn it."
"Then show me."
-----
True to Celestia's word, the mountain range was much more bearable after one in the afternoon. Anyone could look around the tundra as far as the eye could see, or as much as the mountains would allow. The temperature was just above freezing, but the ground was so cold that none of the snow would melt. Still too cold for flying for most pegasi.
In the path leading to Sombra's castle, hundreds of hoof prints were left behind in the snow. They ranged from the small to the big to the kind of print only alicorns made.
"Keep an eye out for the castle!" Silver Star commanded. "As soon as you see it, give the signal!"
Celestia and Luna stood out in front of the force of Guards, taking charge in their advancement. Their faces were stern and they kept their eyes forward to their objective.
Despite their advanced intel, they had been walking through the area for a whole hour and saw nothing of a black castle. It didn't help that their window of opportunity was very limited, and the Guards would likely die from frostbite if they didn't hurry their flanks along.
"Are you sure this is the right location?" asked Luna.
"I'm sure of it. That Guard was still traumatized from last night when we left this morning. He wouldn't forget it as long as he lived."
And so they marched forward to the objective, regardless of the doubts creeping into the minds of some of the Guards and even one princess.
It appeared as if there were endless miles of snow to trudge through with no end in sight. With the sun out in full force, some Guards were even getting sweaty.
Celestia and Luna kicked up snow with every hoof step they made. Some of it landed on their bodies, and even they would admit that it was getting rather cold out there. But that didn't matter to Celestia. It was time to put this issue behind her once and for all.
"I see something ahead of us!" said one stallion.
"Go and find out what it is," Celestia commanded.
A pegasus Guard went out and flew over to the mold coming out from the ground. To most of them, it just looked like a pile of snow. It would make sense, as it was white and seemingly formless.
He approached the object and sniffed around it. The smell was atrocious, and he gagged at the scent of it. So he took a few steps back and swiped the snow off of it with his wings, keeping a good distance away from it.
It was the body of a fallen solider. The reason why the scent was so terrible was because the flesh was starting to rot. Somepony had done it on purpose. The body was fresh and it was cold outside, which would have otherwise preserved the flesh. Somepony forced it to start rotting ahead of time.
And then he noticed another mold of snow out there. He shook the snow off the object to find another body. Then another mold revealed yet another body.
When it was all said and done, he had found four bodies to four Royal Guards. The stench was so bad that he had to cover his mouth to stop himself from throwing up.
"Those must be the Guards that Sombra killed last night," Luna noted. "But why would he do something like this with them?"
"It's a warning to any intruders," Celestia figured out. "Acting as a sign to turn back. If this is where we found the bodies, we must be getting close. We'll take the bodies with us to base on the way back. They deserve a good funeral in Canterlot."
The unit forced themselves to march past the bodies. Not one Guard was able to pass by without seeing the faces of the fallen, forever twisted in a state of horror.
Celestia forced her cold hooves to press ever further along. She could feel how close they were getting. She couldn't give up at this moment...
...and then her heart skipped a beat when she finally saw it.
There it was, with the flags featuring Sombra's likeness over every one of them. Stones as black as his mane. And crystals embedded in every part of the castle that one could see on the outside. They had found Sombra's castle at long last.
She forced herself to stop and take a deep breath. Sombra was going to be inside that castle with Twilight Sparkle. And unless Celestia took the right approach, she would have to deal with the death of another talented unicorn.
You know what to do. Everypony knows what to do. Luna will be with you. You can win this fight and bring back Twilight as well. You are one of the wisest ponies that's ever lived, and you know how to get to somepony's heart.
That's what you need to do with her. Don't let your emotions get in the way. She is not lost in her mind just yet. You have time to make this right. So make it right...
While her eyes were closed and she was meditating on her next move, she felt a hoof touch her shoulder. She would know that hoof from anywhere with its white sandal covering it.
Luna was doing her best to comfort her before the battle. She smiled weakly and nodded.
"We will bring her home today," Luna comforted. "Trust me when I say this."
"Thank you, Luna," said Celestia. "Sometimes, I wonder how I survived a thousand years without you by my side."
Finally having the courage to begin, she turned around to face her unit. She exhaled and sent steam everywhere, and she addressed her unit as a whole.
"Gentlecolts, it is no secret that this might be the most challenging battle you will ever face in your lifetimes. King Sombra is not just a brute, but one of the most clever foes I've ever had to face in my long rule. He will have tactics at his disposal designed to bring you to your knees.
"But today, I am with you in battle. I trust this fight in your hooves, for I have picked every last one of you to fight under my name. I picked you all because you are brave, you are tough, and you have never backed down from the face of danger.
"So I ask that you put your courage to the test once more for me. For Princess Twilight Sparkle, who I count on you to aid me in her rescue. And for all of Equestria.
"Begin Operation Sunlight at once. Prepare for battle."
-----
The throne room laid dormant for the time being. Not one pony made a noise, not even the two ponies on the throne.
It was sometime after Twilight had learned the creation spell, and regardless if she showed it or not, it was difficult to master and she needed a moment to rest on her new throne.
The Shadow Guards went on their way and patrolled the halls surrounding their room, occasionally checking up on the king and queen. All in all, it seemed peaceful in this part of the castle.
Seeing that there was plenty of time before they had to do anything else, Sombra leaned over and brought his snout to Twilight's ear.
"We could always go to the library if you're not entertained by the majesty of this place," he offered.
"Just give me a moment," Twilight responded. "I think we're just fine out here--"
All of a sudden, the Shadow Guards rushed to the front of the castle. The stomping of hooves broke up any tranquility that was there before.
"What's the meaning of this?" Sombra questioned. He rose up from his throne and looked all around him. "Is there another intruder out there?"
"I wouldn't be surprised," said Twilight. "That Guard that got away probably told Celestia we're here. And she doesn't like letting things go like that."
"I sincerely hope you're wrong about that. We lost too many Guards the last time to hold a second invasion back without personal intervention. We need to get out there ourselves."
Twilight nodded and got off her seat. They galloped to the door leading out of the throne room, and prepared for a battle themselves.
But before they could get out of the room, the doors were struck by a spell stronger than most spells either one of them usually saw.
The wood panels flew up into the air and landed behind the king and queen. They hit the floor with such impact that splinters flew everywhere in their wake.
Twilight's horn beamed to prepare herself to kill more Guards as necessary, but she stopped when she realized who were the ponies coming in.
These two ponies were taller than even the bulkiest stallion. Their manes and tails flew with the power of the celestial skies, one with the sun and all its glory, and the other with the stars of the moonlit sky.
They carried around regal attire in the form of golden sandals on their hooves, a neck plate, and a crown that told everypony how high up the totem pole they were. One was white as paper, the other was dark blue like the ocean at night.
They were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
The celestial sisters charged into the throne room, ready for anything that was waiting for them. But they stopped in their tracks immediately after seeing Twilight Sparkle there.
"Twilight Sparkle, I've finally found you," Celestia said gratefully. "And you're...you're..." She noticed the different kind of attire that Twilight was wearing. "You...you...what is the meaning of this? Why are you dressed like you're Sombra's queen?"
"Because I am his queen," Twilight said without remorse. "I married him yesterday, in fact. But what are you doing here?"
Upon hearing this, Luna turned her attention to Sombra. He gave them the nastiest grin either one of them had ever seen She stomped the ground and was ready to tear him apart.
"You foul beast," Luna snorted. "We had long suspected that you might have corrupted dear Twilight, but to go so far as to make her love you...you are far worse than Discord and Queen Chrysalis combined!"
"What do you mean, make her love me?" Sombra shot back. "She chose to love me. Isn't that right, Twilight?"
He came over and nuzzled Twilight on her neck. She did the same, but all the while looking to Celestia. Her expression was as much out of terror as it was of love for her husband.
"I...I love him," she finally admitted. "I love him, no matter what you'll say about the kind of pony he is."
"Do you even know what you're saying anymore?" Celestia growled. "Or has he corrupted your brain so much that you cannot listen to logic anymore?"
"But he's changed! He went to dinner with Cadence and treated her with respect, gave me shelter when I needed to hide after that time in the gardens, and he gave me that book by Starswirl--"
"You mean THIS book?"
Celestia brought the book on dark magic out in her possession. She tossed it to land in front of Twilight's hooves.
"That's the book."
"It's the same book that Sombra used to corrupt Starswirl the Bearded!" Luna roared. "That mind of dark magic Starswirl wrote about is Sombra! Didn't you kill those four Royal Guards because the 'mind' took over?"
"Yes, but that couldn't be Sombra!"
"But it is! He did the same thing with Starswirl the Bearded, taking over his mind to do horrible things," Celestia added. "That must have been what he did to you. Isn't it, Sombra?"
Twilight turned to Sombra. Her eyes watered with tears.
"Is it true, Sombra? Did you kill those ponies through me?"
There was no choice in the matter for him. He had to come clean.
"It was to show you that Celestia is a tyrant!" Sombra stated. "After all, when you found shelter with me, she tried to take you away and hold you guilty for those murders. You know that's what she would have done. That night, she didn't know that it was me that did it, but you."
"You're right...you're right," Twilight responded. Her eyes were growing increasingly green, and her voice echoed with a force when she spoke. "You tried to bring me back to Canterlot...to try me for those murders..."
"I NEVER WANTED TO TRY YOU FOR MURDER!" Celestia shrieked in the Royal Canterlot Voice. "I always knew there was something wrong with you that night. The way you tried to hide things from me, and how you ran away for your life. I just didn't have the foresight to know Sombra played a part in it. I wanted to bring you home SAFELY! He is the one who planted the idea that I wanted to kill you!"
After hearing that, it was as if Twilight's world and everything she knew was gone again. Her jaw was flat on the floor, and she shook her head repeatedly.
"No, it's not true...it's not true..."
"I'm sorry, but Sombra is still the same stallion that tried to kill you in the Crystal Empire," Celestia said. "This was all part of a setup to make you his queen."
"But I love Sombra...I love him..."
"Whatever love he had for you was a lie."
"Please...no...I want both...I want him and you..."
She sat down on the floor and pressed her hooves to her head. She heard the voices of a thousand ponies, each saying something different. All of them were telling her that Celestia was the one lying to her.
And she was starting to believe them, as her eyes grew ever more green.
"That is a lie in itself," Sombra barked. He stood up to Celestia and brought his face inches from hers. "Yes, I deceived Twilight Sparkle in order to make her my queen. That was always part of the plan. But I truly love her. She is the most beautiful and smartest mare I've ever met, and when I married her and took her to the marriage bed, I spent all night showing her how much I cared for her in my heart."
"You made LOVE to her?" Luna asked. "You disgusting animal...we will rejoice in putting you down!"
"And no matter how much you love her, that doesn't justify anything you've done to earn that love," Celestia added. "You could have just loved her and took your time to reform. But your ambition to kill me was always the top priority. And now you must die."
"No...not so soon..."
All three ponies turned to see where the faint voice was coming from. When Celestia saw it, her heart broke in half.
Twilight rose up from her position, and her eyes were completely green. Not even pupils to carry around. The purple mist emitting from them turned into fumes of mist, and when she talked, it was not her own voice that came from her mouth.
"You do not understand the love Sombra and I have," Queen Twilight Sparkle snapped. "We will be together forever, long after the skin from your rotting corpses are gone. For we are the new rulers of Equestria. You are only a relic from a time that past centuries ago. The Empire of the Sun and the Moon must cease, and the Shadow Empire will take its place!"
Sombra ran back to her side and joined her in facing Celestia and Luna together. Their purple mist combined to coat the entire room in a nasty purple shade, and the room darkened considerably.
"You corrupted Twilight!" Celestia screamed. "You turned her against me! I will make sure you die for all of your crimes myself!"
"No, YOU will be the pony who dies this day!" Sombra shot back.
The air around that room crackled with electricity, as all four ponies prepared the most devastating spell they could cook up.
Luna was busy preparing a spell that would create a thousand bat ponies to attack only Sombra, but she quickly saw nothing but white around her. Twilight surprised her with a quick dark sphere spell.
She flew up in the air before she hit the ground, and she could feel the bones in her hooves shaking from the force. How they did not break was beyond her. But before she could recover, she felt a gooey liquid go down her face. She was bleeding, and bleeding profusely.
Celestia stopped in the middle of her spell and turned to see Luna bleeding around her horn and flanks. She ran to her sister's aid, but she was interrupted when she felt her hooves skid around on the floor.
She gasped as she felt two sharp pains in her neck. While she was off guard, Sombra ran to her and buried his fangs into her skin. He drew blood from the impact, and it dripped down her fur. The princess tried to break free, but Sombra only chomped down harder to hold her in place, drinking her blood like a vampire.
Desperate, she used her levitation spell to pick him up and throw him away. He yelled as he collided with his own throne on his backside. The stone making up the chair crumbled and buried him whole.
Celestia grunted and felt the area where he pierced her skin. The blood was still coming down from the attack, and it would hurt for some time.
Then she realized that Twilight was aiming another dark sphere spell for her sister. Luna was still trying to recover from the last spell, and she deployed a weak shield to protect her hide.
Celestia didn't want to do this. Not to Twilight of all ponies. But she had no choice.
She pointed her horn at the queen and shot a light beam attack. It collided with Twilight head on and disrupted her spell entirely. Twilight cried out in pain as her whole body felt like it was burning from the heat of the sun.
At first, it seemed like they had won the battle, regardless of their battle wounds. Then they saw something moving from the throne. Sombra threw the stones burying him away with his magical grip, setting him free. He came to face them with cuts big and large all around his body.
He ran to Luna and shattered her shield by stabbing his horn into it. When she was defenseless, he rose up on his hind legs and prepared to attack her with a fire spell that would surely kill her.
But Celestia butted in and crossed horns with him. He growled and tried to overpower the princess. Neither one of them was about to back down. The magic from their horns caused the whole room to glow in light and dark magic.
"You want this to be the way you go out, Your Majesty?" Sombra taunted.
"No, I want it written that I kicked your flank easily this day!" Celestia responded.
They continued to cross horns, the magic illuminating with every attack. It seemed like nopony would win that easily.
However, Luna finally recovered at that point. She wiped the blood off her face and rushed in to join the battle. Her horn collided with Sombra to force things to go in their favor
Twilight tried to recover, but she didn't have the strength to stand yet. Her body felt like it was on fire from the light spell, and it would take some time before she could fight again.
Celestia and Luna working together was too much for Sombra. He tried to hold his own, but his hooves skidded backwards with time. He fell back on his flank, and he was as dizzy as he could be. He was completely hopeless now.
"THIS ENDS NOW!" Luna shouted.
The sisters brought their horns together, and the spell they created caused a whirlwind to consume the area. Every flag of Sombra's likeness were ripped apart from their posts, as the sphere that would destroy Sombra started to form/
He couldn't stand at all, and the horn crossing had taken his strength from him. He watched the spell form before his eyes, and he knew it was over for him. His rule wasn't going to last forever, but he wanted it to last longer than this.
He shut his eyes and prepared himself for the long journey, waiting for him at the end of this. "Long live the king..."
His vision ceased to be as the whirlwind spell slammed right into him. His life flashed before his eyes, and blood was shed everywhere and stained the stones in the room. The crown and cape were shredded into a million pieces, and his body finally came down to the ground. All signs of life were gone at last.
Celestia still wasn't sure if he was dead or not. He might have had a card up the sleeve to prepare for this showdown. But before she could examine the body, Twilight rushed to his body in front of them. She bent down and pressed her face into his neck.
"Sombra, it's me," Twilight said. "Please wake up. They're still here. We need to fight them off if we're ever going to be together forever."
Yet the eyes did not open. She tried again and pushed on his belly.
"Please wake up, you can't be dead yet...you're stronger than that..."
No reaction. None.
"No...don't leave me like this. We were going to have our own Shadow Empire. We were going to have our own child, raise him up as a prince..."
She wept over his death, and buried her face in his shoulder joint. The sound of her crying ringed through the halls of the castle.
The Royal Guards, now finished with dispatching Sombra's Shadow Guard, came over to hear what the commotion was about. To say that seeing Princess Twilight Sparkle crying over one of her deadliest enemies had confused them was an understatement.
Celestia looked to Luna, both of them solemn in tone.
"I believe his influence over her has finally past," Luna thought openly. "There's nothing to keep it in check."
"Are you sure?" Celestia questioned. "She was deep into his deception."
"But I know what you want to happen now."
"Yes. I want her to be out of it for good. To have her back to Ponyville. I'll do whatever it takes to snap her out of his influence."
"Then go and make it right."
Celestia nodded and slowly approached Twilight by her side, still mourning next to Sombra's body. The purple alicorn cried her heart out over what had happened, staining his fur that was also stained in his blood.
The princess of the sun touched Twilight's shoulder with a hoof and tried to comfort her. "It will be alright. It's over. We can go back to Canterlot, and I will help you get through this. I want to help you get through this, because I love you..."
When Twilight's head emerged out of Sombra's neck, her cheeks were drenched from top to bottom from her tears. All her facial fur was messed up beyond recognition.
"If you're going to take me to the chopping block, please make it fast," Twilight begged. "I don't want to live like this...not without him."
"Oh, Twilight," Celestia said. "I'm not going to kill you. I want you to go back to Ponyville, be the princess you always were supposed to be."
The green light in Twilight's eyes tried to stay intact. It shone brightly as all of those thoughts swirled around her head.
She's lying, the voices said. Don't listen to her. Flee for your life. She'll send you to your grave if you stay.
But why is she doing this to me? Twilight thought. I'm a criminal. I sided with her enemy. And yet she is giving me the time of day...
"Why?" she asked Celestia as well. "You say that you love me, but I almost killed your sister, killed eight of your guards, and...just look at her!" She pointed in Luna's direction.
Luna still had blood all over her face, though the blood flow was starting to tamper off.
Celestia shook her head and wiped the blood from her own wounds. "But I know it was all because of Sombra and not you. The Twilight I know wouldn't act that way."
No, you know she is still lying now! the voices cried out.
But she has to be telling the truth. She has me where she wants me, and she's showing me mercy...
No, she's NOT!
She screamed as her eyes beamed brighter than ever in that horrible shade of green, and her head was throbbing in pain. Gusts of winds enveloped her, and she levitated off the ground.
You're mine! said a voice in her head that was distinctively Sombra's. You married me, loved me, and I loved you back. What more can I ask from you?
Luna's eyes widened and the Guards were prepared to strike at once, when they realized what was going on.
"His influence is still there!" Luna cried. "Stop him while you still have a chance!"
"I will!"
Celestia's horn charged with a certain kind of spell, and she release it slowly and carefully to her target. It caused beams of light to go around Twilight's body while she was still in the air.
Upon the release of the spell, shadowy mist emitted from Twilight's frame. She cried out as more and more of the mist came out of her, painful to her senses and almost unbearable in the pain. Then the mist tried to come back with a will of its own.
"This is not your queen any longer!" Celestia commanded. "Your legacy ends here, Sombra, and your Empire has no hold!"
She strengthened the spell by releasing more magic into the rays of light. They widened with intensity and strength. The mist came out of her again and stayed out, disappearing into the room.
Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs. "The pain! The pain! Somepony, end it now! End it...end it now..."
The green in her eyes faded away, going back to a regular shade of white. She was weakened and considerably tired, and her body lifted down to the ground again.
When she landed back on solid ground, her eyes were shut and she was seemingly dead. She was lying next to Sombra's body, almost confirming Celestia's biggest fear when she started the operation.
"In the name of my father, be alive and not dead," she begged.
She ran to Twilight's side and pressed her ear down on her chest. She wanted nothing more than to hear a heartbeat there, just to know she was alive.
Then she heard that heartbeat she was looking for. And another one. It was faint and suggested she was near death, but she could still be rescued at that point.
Celestia pulled away and gave the deepest and most satisfying sigh she would ever give in her lifetime. Everything had worked out perfectly, and Twilight was still alive.
Luna walked over to see what had happened, and witnessed Twilight's chest rising up and down with her breaths. She let out the same gratifying sigh, and collapsed to the ground.
"Do you think she will be fine when she comes to?" Luna asked.
"I doubt it," Celestia admitted. "She loved him and he loved her back. They made love before we could to get to her."
"So you believe he might have damaged her forever."
"We will have to see in due time. But she is alive and Sombra has fallen for good. That's all I could ever ask for. I will make sure the rest is taken care of."
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but, there's still gonna be a sequel for the bad chapter. right?
Both versions are good. I actually feel pity for Sombra really. Yeah, he was still evil but, even the most evilest of villains can still have a heart and love.
I don't really like this ending but it was well written and it is everything I expected the first time I read the evil ending but that's why I liked the evil version, because I did not expect what happened in the evil version to happen. This for me is a predictable ending but it was good none the less, my question is why include this if the evil version was already awesome?
i like this version more quite frankly, i feel it's more in tune to what would happen with the characters in my own mind, plus it's nice to see you not giving in to the pressure of your readers and write what you want instead.
I liked both ending, but I like the good one more.
I personally really hope youll do a continuation on the evil ending, the good guys win far too often.
Everytime I hear that quote,
I imagine him to have a cigar in his mouth.
2650594
Because the evil ending was the result of caving into peerpressure rather than doing what I wanted to do with the story. This good version was what I had planned, and I didn't like the evil version.
And for the record, there's no planned continuation of the evil version.
I'd prefer for a darker Twilight to come from this.
Still a master of Dark magic.
but not a total Empress Twilight.
Well I like it, not that anyone who has been following along in the comments is likely to be surprised at that.
Like I commented on the dark version, even with the good ending in no way did Twilight make it out of this unscathed. She's been being mentally and emotionally manipulated for days at this point, and may even have lasting physical trauma considering the corruption removal and other possible issues. Heck, as far as I'm concerned she's a rape victim too as I don't really believe she was in a proper mental state to give consent.
EVERYTHING IS RUINED!!!
2650671 Thanks, it's good that I can have closer. Thank you, for the awesome story!
And I'm gone. I was enjoying the Evil (capitalized because Evil always finds a way) and now... It's a meh story. There are so few stories that are dark without being depressing. This one was one of them. And now, Sombra is defeated, Twilight is a goody-two-shoes again, and all my love for this story is dissipating.
I like this ending much more, but a continuation of both would be fantastic.
This chapter is much better than the other one. I liked this one more.. I won't lie I was still hoping for sombra's redemption.
Honestly im not a fan of one or the other, however the so called "Evil Ending" matches better with the overall plot and helps the story flow effectively. This "Good Ending" is like one of those nancy drew plot twists when the author has no idea how to end the story (not saying that's how you feel) If you WANTED to do a split story this is ONE the points to do it in HOWEVER I suggest you wait until later in the story to do a split ending near the pinnacle of conflict (IE the Fight with her friends or the decision of Twilight's child) understand that if your plot elements are correct IE the Physical and Mental form of Sombra, that the Mental Form has HUGE INFLUENCE versus the Physical Form that tipped Twilight over the edge to becoming his queen. Also with the base personality of twilight she is prone to one sided thinking far too often and being a person who has lost a beloved wife I WOULD END or DESTROY those who were responsible for the death of my love because that is within a vow, especially the vow that twilight took when marrying Sombra:
In both stories though you added a story element that is present in both story lines which is in fact the foal that now resides in twilight, in a sense Sombras mental form will still be ever present due to being touched mentally by the shadow but his physical form is gone, this foal could be his new physical form but weather in regards that he retains all the memories from sombra is up to the writer, *See Second Recommendation for more details*
(Good Ending idea)a plot i foresee coming is the end of the fact that Twilight BETRAYED Sombra in the good ending and she will have to come to terms with that weather it be Sombra Re-incarnate having a emotional battle with his Former Queen, everyone has to own up to their crimes Sombra and Twilight are no different, in the good ending Twilight should have a HUGE political backlash against the guard, her friends and brother, Cadence, and the overall Population of Equestria. I would recommend ideals such as the Nyx story-line (see Past Sins & Nightmare Night with Nyx by RealityCheck) in regards as Twilight relation to the foal versus public opinion.
(Bad Ending) Continue your thought pattern with the present story line, the escape of Twilight can lead to an UNNUMBERAL amount of ideas that you can use but you can also use the escape as an intermission between twilight and the Celestial Princesses by adding her friends into the mix, the lack of Twilight's friends in the story have yet to be used as a story element and can contribute to possibly a conflict between her friends and TOTAL Corruption.
(Down the Middle Idea *MY RECOMMENDATION AS A READER*) Since some people are unhappy with the way the ending took place instead make the "Dark Ending" cannon and hold off on branching out the story until the climax. Twilight still has good in her VIA the bad ending by sparing Celesta, Im sure that since her friends opinions have not been introduced as a story element (Other then Spike) can be used as a turning point for twilight, My idea is to have her Carve a path of destruction and at the pinnacle of her quest to avenge the love of her life and to defend her newborn foal from the horrors of scrutiny and hatred against the populace due to his dark upbringings (sins of the father often reflect on the children unjustly) Have the following plot devices in your tool-bag:
1. Have the chance that the foal twilight and sombra conceived be GOOD while twilight remains corrupted, children are impartial when growing up and can form ideas and opinions of their own as was mentioned was the lion king 2 scars child wasn't necessarily evil he was raised that way but in the end made the RIGHT CHOICES and became better then both their parents thus fulfilling the need to reform the shadows.
2. Have the chance that in the end of all things FRIENDSHIP will save twilight as it has always have, what draws readers and bronies to the MLP series is the values that instill on us, in a dark and creul world people are more attracted to ideas and shows that have good endings and have alot of feel good emotions that can effect us. But always remember that in reality or in a writers sense that the ultimate good ending is always chasitied and hated make sure there are form of loss (IE the idea above) that can make the ending realistic and enough to believe (see ending "of SKies Long Forgotten" by The24thPegasus)
3. Expand on the Mental and Physical form of Sombra, its apparent that Shadow influences everypony but in the end Sombra controls it all, but always keep in mind that a Bad Guy never considers himself a Bad Guy, that he makes choices that are considered evil by others. History is written by the victor and what if Sombra (although dark in nature and a bit more forward then being friendly and polite) is actually not a bad guy? He makes more violent and direct choices but in the end he still Loves, Bleeds and Dies like everyone else use this portrayal of mortality in your advantage
I find that making the good ending is a good way for writers and readers to both feel happy but at the same time don't feel bullied by our comments. its YOUR STORY and i'm very content at the pace (although in my opinion the courting/marrying time is hastened but i understand the time-frame) and I will always treat the so called "Evil Ending" the TRUE version of the story regardless of what branch story you make unless you take into heart some of the story elements i suggested that may help you feel better towards the more GOOD and EVIL inclined readers.
to be honest, I felt the good version was okay, but the evil version had potential. I'm still rooting for the Twilight Sombra lovechild possibility. If that is still possible in this version
to be honest. i like both but if you want to go with the good version. go for it. my only hope is you make her have a child since it was brought up so often. if it's not , it's a loose tie that confuses the hell out of me in the story. also, her having a baby, it'd make a great ending point and hopes for a sequel later
2650812
Honestly, caing into doing things the way I did with the evil version is the reason why I'm into this mess. Thank you for your recommendations, but because of the whole drama around this now, I just want to leave it behind me, write those last two chapters I had planned, and just forget about it.
I think making the evil version was a mistake, as it seems to have divided the reaction, and now I just want to cancel all plans for a sequel and move on.
Imagin Trixie in Twilights place for the evil version and it immediately feels right.
who is she most loyal to? 
hay you saying trixie is evil
No! Just a power grabbing pain in the flank who would willingly fall in love with an evil lored and then try and abuse her powers to avenge him should he fall.
Twi on the other hoof would always seek forgiveness from those she deems herself a friend and loyal to
Celestia
2650903
I applaud you with sticking to your convictions and I truly am proud of you, although i'm personal saddened by the decision I will still appreciate your book none the less and accept the story as it is
I am curious on how the story will continue with the events of the foal.
2650903
Honestly, it's your story, write it however you want. To the moon with the people who push you to write it their way (if they want that sort of story they can write it themselves). Heck, if you want to write alternate endings(like this) you do that. Though I'm sorry it had to come around from peer pressure. Ouch, that's really not cool. That sort of thing can ruin a story. It's one thing for a story to, meander off its intended course and end differently than you'd expected, but to end up writing something you didn't want because people pressured you into it, that's not cool.
I liked both versions the 'dark ending' and the 'good ending' and I want to see how it ends, regardless which ending you follow(though by looking at your comments it seems you'll be following this ending, the one you intended to be the original ending). I know I'll enjoy reading it however it goes. Perhaps you should add 'alt ending' or something to the title of the 'dark ending' (or 'real ending' in the title/top of the page, of this one) so that people can tell which was the original ending and which was the secondary one. Cause I thought this was like, an alternate ending till I read the author comments. Or even in the author comments of both.
And I totally squeaked at two updates in one day. I love it when fics update.
Fun fact, I actually did write an alt ending to one of my stories (original fiction not fan fic). Although in my case is was mostly because the 'canon' ending was so sad, and I really wanted the main characters to end up together so I could write a fluffy scene with them, something that didn't happen in the original because of the way it ended up written. So I went 'oh screw it' and wrote up a, slightly shorter, alt ending that was cheerier and had the fluff scene I wanted. And because the entire idea for that alt ending and how to make work what I had originally wanted to work didn't come to me till after the story was written and done. That is, I had been trying to think of a way to keep the two characters together and not break their hearts, but I couldn't. Then after I got it all written up and Camp NaNo ended, bam, a sudden idea hit me on how I could have done it. But it was mostly because I wanted that fluff scene darn it xD
And I seem to have gone on a tangent. Oops.
I like this one better.
Oh man what a story this has been and it's still not over yet
I liked the Evil version better while im all for a Good Ending and usually prefer it, it is nice to see an Evil ending every so often either way both were good endings
Both of them are great!!!
But I still prefer the bad ending.
OMG, you should soooooo do a sequel to this about Twilight and Sombra's child!
See that making a alternative make you a little better Soothing Stone?
No,no,no this isn't fair....This isn't FAIR !
Yo' dawg, we heard you liked lingering so we putput lingering in your lingering so you could linger while you linger
Well.....now Im disappointed. I read lots of stories in this site which had endings like this, and I actually liked them, but for once I wanted a dark ending, and now my hopes have just been crushed into dust....And pissed on.
Now I'm very sad :( I really wanted the dark ending. Feel like doing both?
I like this version better. Don't know why. In many stories, I enjoy tragedies, and in the book that I write with having it published in mind I wrote and planned plenty of that, but here, on fimfic... for some reason, I cannot except bad endings with ponies.
I'm fine with either ending.
I hope you include her friends helping her in the next chapters, since that's what always happens in the show
I actually like this version!
My comment about her possibly being pregnant stays the same, though.
I enjoyed this chapter. Very well written but it is kinda cliché to have the bad influenced good character turn good once the bad guy gets axed. I actually preferred the dark version... it went better with the rest of the chapters and I was kinda rooting for Sombra. Bad guys never get a break; even in fan fictions.
It is kind of disappointing that the good version is the real deal and the evil one is not, but that's the decision of the author, so there's really nothing I can do
Continue with evil ending
2650671 that is just a spit in the face dude, I mean a lot of us really liked the original version if u just throw it away like that at the climax, im sorry but that just ain't right
im glad you went the way you wanted to go in the end the story was yours to make and i liked both endings personally.
if people started complaining that the evil ending was better they can write their own story. Also the way it was going i figured only the good ending would come from this anyways considering her every thought was being influenced by sombra and once he was dead the dark magic would fade considering celestia said he is the dark magic oh well great story
I say its your story and you decide how it ends, i will continue reading it either way
Also to all does who are complaning about the choice of ending, just remember you can allways write your own story if you are not satisfied
2651359
I agree because it would be very interesting to read about that
In all seriousness of my previous comment:
I really loved this story. It was dark and tragic, yet at the same time romantic. Before this chapter,I was really looking forward to the darker version of the story because it had so much potential of what would happen next. But now because of this, I'm sad, I'm angry and I feel like i've been slapped in the face. I wanted the darker version because it was more interesting and the fact that it wasn't so cliche. Not many stories have things like having a genuinely good character turned evil and embracing it, and falling in genuine love with his/her corrupter. This turn of events happens in EVERY story, thats why I find it so cliche. You know, this is the first time EVER I am this passionate of how this story was made, because it was just that good.
If you really wanted the story to turn out this way, then you should have done so in the first place. Who cares what everyone else was telling you do, its your story. You should have done this first, then decided if you wanted to throw those guys a bone. Don't change what you planned because others said to, and don't abandon your ideas because of a couple angry people. They have no right to tell you how your story turns out. They aren't in charge, you are.
Keep up the good work!
That is all.
2652023
Who's story is this?
everyone calm down, no need to agitate the writer if your hoping for a sequel, continuation, or whatever. remain patient
2652586 I don't want to start a argument but who r u to question?
2652816
Someone who knows that the author can do whatever the flying feather he wants with his story whether we like it or not.
I for one wouldn't have liked it if he continued the evil ending instead of the good ending, but I know that it is not my story, and thus simply would have to deal with it.
2652968 then maybe he should continue both to calm down the lot who want the evil one and to satisfy both sides of the conflict, again don't want to argue