Twilight has only narrowly managed to save herself and the Crystal Empire from Sombra… but after a brush with the forces of dark magic, she finds herself with a piece of his mind inside hers.
Sequel to my fic “Sombra’s Crucible, Twilight’s Corruption.” Reading it may be helpful (and appreciated!). Do note, however, that the styles and themes are quite different.
After being brainwashed into serving King Sombra, Twilight Sparkle was able to break free with the help of her friends and family. She then dueled Sombra himself in a world of nightmares to buy her friends time to activate the Crystal Heart. Though her gambit succeeded, Sombra cursed her by implanting a fragment of himself in her mind.
Now she has the voice of the Black King himself in her head, able to listen to her innermost thoughts and pierce all her mental defenses. But something seems different about this voice in her mind... as time grows on, his mind becomes more entangled with Twilight’s, and he starts to feel everything she feels… including some feelings he may have never felt as the Black King…
Special thanks to the wonderful Wolframclaws on deviantART for drawing this cover image for me.
By a twist of fate, Twilight took a mere moment longer to retrieve the Crystal Heart. As a result, Spike was too late, Sombra seized the heart, and captured Twilight's family and sent her friends into hiding. Twilight herself was captured and brainwashed by Sombra into becoming his pupil and lieutenant.
In time, however, Twilight's friends and family were able to break her out of her brainwashing. With time running out for the Crystal Empire, Twilight turned to a desperate plan - to distract Sombra in a mental battle while her friends dealt with retrieving and restoring the Crystal Heart.
Though Twilight was successful in her attempt - only narrowly escaping the nightmare realm with Luna's aid - Sombra had said something that, for whatever reason, would not leave her mind...
The words seemed to echo in Twilight’s mind, a thought rather than a voice, something felt rather than heard. All the same, she stopped and looked about the hall of the Crystal Castle, searching for what might have put the thought in her head, but saw nothing out of place, heard nothing save the sounds of her friends further down the hall, laughing and celebrating their victory as they trotted down the hall on their way outside. Nothing remained of the Black King Sombra or his terrible reign.
Yet as Twilight joined her friends, and joined the cheering throngs of crystal ponies awaiting outside, she sensed something was off. Why were those words, the penultimate statement of King Sombra, resonating in her mind? Were they words to be remembered and heeded, or simply the ravings of a doomed villain?
All along her way out of the Crystal Empire and through the arctic on the way to the train station, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence following along, Twilight knew something was wrong. She couldn’t quite put her hoof on it, which confounded her. It was as though she was hearing whispers in her mind, too quiet to make out. As they neared the outpost, the feeling worsened. Twilight wanted to call out to her friends, but they seemed blissfully unaware, still smiling over their victory. What is wrong? She wondered. Is it... just me? Is the dark magic still affecting me? She took a moment to center herself, to purge all the negative thoughts from her mind. It was certainly calming, but the voices persisted.
They boarded the train, Twilight following last. She forced a smile as she waved to Shining Armor and Cadence, before the train gave a sharp whistle and began to move. She glanced up at the beautiful tendrils of light emanating from the Crystal Castle - a symbol of their triumph - and for a moment her smile became real.
Then, the whispers in her mind ceased to be whispers. All this was mine...
Twilight froze in place, her smile changing to a look of horror. She knew that voice – deep, growling, and dark – the voice of King Sombra himself! She opened her mouth to say something, but found she lacked words. What’s going on? Am I going insane? What am I going to tell everypony? Nothing, the voice replied. You’ll act as though everything’s normal.
What? Twilight was practically freaking out. Why would I do that?! Because you don’t want everypony thinking you’re insane. You see your friends? See how happy they are? You don’t want to ruin that with your worries, do you?
Twilight grimaced, a gesture her friends fortunately missed, oriented as she was towards the train door. She glanced at her friends further inside the train, all looking at her expectantly. She gave them another small smile before trotting over to their car. She sat apart from the rest, gazing out the window, saying nothing to her friends of the voice inside her head.
What’s going on? She demanded of it. Why are you in my head? Why aren’t you gone? You know so little of the true power of darkness, foal. Twilight could “sense” a laugh. But have no fear. I’ve no intention of driving you insane. I’m just… going to reside in your mind for a while. I promise I won’t interfere with your studies… in fact, I plan on helping with them.
Twilight scowled. Thankfully, facing away from the others as she was, her friends saw nothing. I’m not interested in learning anything you have to teach me. You’re an evil tyrant who tried to kill my friends and family, and tried to make me into your slave! Favored servant. the voice replied in a disapproving tone. It’s quite a shame you decided not to stand by me. The deeds you could have accomplished… Twilight felt a growing sense of anger. I’m not interested in “deeds.” I have my friends, and my mentor, and my values, and that’s all I need! Hmph. Have it your way, then… for now.
Just then, Spike interrupted Twilight’s thoughts with “Hey Twilight, are you all right?”
She turned to him and her friends with a smile. “I’m great. Just great.” Now shut up, she said to Sombra. I can’t act normal if there’s a second voice in my head.
Twilight received a psychic growl in response – doubtless he wasn’t used to such blatant disrespect – but he did his part and shut up. For now.
“You’re sure, darling?” Rarity piped up. “You’ve been through a lot.”
“I... I will be. I just... I need a little time to myself.” She glanced back outside. The sun was below the horizon, the light of its last rays splashing red over the fields of snow. “I think I’ll turn in early, get some rest. I could certainly use it.” She yawned and began to trot off to the sleeping car, heedless of the looks she could feel on her.
As she settled into a bed, she thought, How did this happen?
All that you need to know is that linking minds with somepony is far more dangerous than you’d predicted.
So, the very spell that had allowed Sombra’s defeat had put her in this situation. It seemed Sombra was always one step ahead. What do you want?
The same as you, to get out of your mind. Except in my version, I have a proper vessel in which to reside. Now... He paused menacingly, and Twilight could just imagine his fanged grin. Sleep, and know that I will be waiting for you when you awake.
Twilight stood atop the balcony of a corrupted Crystal Castle, garbed in a flowing indigo robe and black armor, gazing down upon lines of chained crystal ponies. She grinned with glee as they marched along before she turned back and sauntered inside the onyx castle.
Guards saluted her as she passed, while the common slaves bowed to her. At last she came to a chamber resembling a conference or dining room, where a blue crystal pony stallion was standing, head held low and flanked by two guards.
“You!” Twilight said to the crystal slave. “You… are three minutes early.” The slave perked up and looked at her as she continued. “Proceed to my chambers. I shall assign your next task shortly.”
“Yes, of course, mistress Sparkle!” With that, he cantered off into the halls of the castle, nearly running into an equally-hasty orange mare on her way into the room.
“You!” Twilight barked once again, causing the mare to jolt. “You are 12 seconds late. Your new task will be to serve as practice dummy.” Two of the guards moved to flank the orange mare, who looked absolutely terrified.
“No, please my mistress, I-“
She was cut off by her own scream of pain as Twilight tested her newest spell on her, firing a beam of dark magic at the unfortunate slave. Twilight almost had a similar scream of fright on her lips when she awoke.
Twilight looked about her. Her friends were still asleep, and since the sleeping car had no windows it was difficult to tell what time it was. At last she lay back down to sleep and closed her eyes.
Why did you turn your back on that?
Twilight opened her eyes at Sombra’s question, even though the gesture was meaningless. On what? On hurting other ponies? When will you get it through your head that not every pony is as power-hungry as you are!? It felt good to you, didn’t it? Don’t deny it. The thrill of having power over others, of exploring the depths of dark magic, take your pick. You enjoyed it. Only because you messed with my mind! Sombra laughed. Whatever helps you sleep at night. Not that you’ll have much luck with that, now that I can sense your nightmares… Twilight gulped, then thought of something which brought a defiant smile to her face. We’ll see about that! As soon as we get to Canterlot, I’ll see Princess Celestia, and when I tell her about you-“ Then you’ll admit to her that you failed. Twilight’s smile faded. W-what? Your responsibility was to protect the Crystal Empire, and by proxy, defeat me. Do you really want to admit to your mentor that you failed in your task, that you needed and need help in your test? As I heard from your thoughts, this test is a very important thing for you… enough that you’d do nearly anything to pass. Not anything! If it means getting rid of you… And you would do that, how? Twilight didn’t have an answer. He’s right… a memory spell won’t work, he’s not a part of my memories- -And simply attempting to excise me from your mind could take a part of you as well. Twilight jolted. This was the first time he’d reacted to any thought not directed at him. Even in the face of being constantly mind-read, her analytical mind continued to work. He… either he’s been hiding the ability to read all my thoughts, or the connection is deepening. Precisely,Sombra intruded again.You don’t know how deeply my mind is intertwined with yours, or what I’m capable of. Any attempt to remove me could leave you changed, mentally scared, even insane. And that’s if the effort succeeds. Only Celestia knows what she’ll do to you if it doesn’t work.
If it means getting rid of you once and for all-
And if it doesn’t? If I’m able to rise again from the shattered remnants of your mind? My recommendation to you is to accept the fact that we are going to be together for quite some time… unless you do the proper research. Twilight paused for a moment, before coming to a revelation. That’s it! I’ll just do research until I figure out a way to expel you from my mind for good. Would you for like for me to give you a hint? No! I’ve had enough from you! She turned over in her bed and closed her eyes. Now let me sleep.
She did not sleep well. She thought about her situation. Should she tell Princess Celestia? In truth, she had no idea what Sombra was capable of. If she did anything wrong, not only would Sombra know about it ahead of time, but there were all sorts of things he could do to her if she even thought about it. She shuddered and he chuckled at the thought.
“It’s beautiful,” Celestia said, gazing out the castle hall windows at the streams of aurora coming from the Crystal Empire.
“I wish it had been me who ultimately made it so,” Twilight replied, head hanging low. “But it wasn’t.”
Really?Sombra said to her. You’re going to downplay your own achievements? What achievements? “As I understand it,” Celestia continued, heedless of the inner dialogue Twilight was going through, “You took it upon yourself to distract Sombra while your friends retrieved the Crystal Heart.” She glanced at a nearby stained-glass window, which depicted Twilight and Sombra apparently locked in a battle of wills while her friends snuck away with the Crystal Heart. “You were willing to potentially sacrifice yourself to ensure the safety of your friends and the entire Crystal Empire. In my opinion, that’s the greatest act of friendship I’ve seen from you.”
Twilight’s ears perked up and she looked up at Celestia as the latter approached her. “Far better that I have a student who understands the meaning of self-sacrifice than one who only looks out for her own interests.”
Twilight’s expression was one of mixed anxiousness and wonder. “Does this mean…?”
Celestia smiled for a long moment before answering. “Yes.”
In another moment, an unsuspecting dragon was knocked aside as Twilight flung the door open. “I PASSED!”
Her friends gave assorted cheers and shouts of victory as Spike hugged her as she smiled. Even Sombra seemed impressed. Well handled, Twilight. Then the singing began. Starting with Rarity: “You were prepared to do your best…”
What?!Sombra said to the only pony who could “hear” him. Tell me you’re not- We are.
When it was over, Twilight sensed a small thought from Sombra, quiet and directionless, as though he was thinking to himself instead of her.
Things sure have changed since my time, Sombra observed as Twilight and her friends stepped off the train onto the Ponyville station. For instance, just what was that thing we were riding on, anyway? It’s called a train. Twilight replied with a touch of condescension in her voice.
Also, ponies didn’t spontaneously break out into unrehearsed song. That happens sometimes, yes. Twilight’s friends were as talkative as ever, but Twilight had important business to attend to. “I don’t know about you girls, but this whole adventure has me worn out. I’m ready for some studying.” Spike hopped on her back as she said her farewell. “See you later!”
As Twilight trotted away from the group and the train station, Sombra spoke in her head, Finally. I was getting tired of that weird feeling when she’s around them… What weird feeling? I wasn’t talking to you! I think the connection is definitely getting deeper. Now we hear all of each other’s thoughts. Twilight shuddered a little. If neither of them could control their thoughts, she would never have peace of mind – literally. A terrifying development, I assure you. I hope this sufficiently motivates you to find a means to allow me to leave your mind. Twilight did a quick review of some of the magic she knew. I can think of a few things to try… and what are you going to do once you’re out? I… There was a pause, something uncharacteristic of him. What am I going to do? You don’t know? I wasn’t talking to you! You might as well have been! Twilight scowled, thankfully not at anypony she was passing by. Well, it can’t be anything good! You must know I’m not going to just unleash you on the world without a way to limit you! And you must know I’m not going to allow myself to be expelled unless I’m certain I’ll like the results. And since we’re so open with each other, what would you like? A vessel, preferably a body. Oh, and since I’m feeling generous, I’ll even give you a hint as to how to accomplish that, since I’ll likely let it slip anyway: dark magic. Why am I not surprised? Just think of it as a… research paper. Twilight could almost hear the purr in his voice.
She nearly giggled aloud. Well, I guess that’s one way to look at it. By this time they had reached the library and proceeded inside. Twilight said, “Spike, gather up all the books on dark magic.”
“Dark magic? What for?”
“A precaution. I want to study as much as I can so the next time we face it, I’ll be prepared. You know how I like to be prepared.” She flashed a smile at him as he jumped off her back. She was, after all, the type to be prepared. She’d once even developed a mustache-growing spell after the incident with the sea serpent, just in case.
“Of course, Twilight! I don’t think we have many, though…”
“Then we’ll just have to ask Princess Celestia for more. Spike, take a letter.” Instantly the purple dragon produced a parchment and quill seemingly from nowhere.
I wonder how he does that. “Dear Princess Celestia: In light of my recent experience, I would like your permission to study dark magic more thoroughly, so that I might be better prepared in the event I and my friends encounter such forces again…”
As it turned out, Ponyville’s library did not have very much at all on dark magic, the only information being some notes in Starswirl the Bearded’s Guide to Schools of Magic, a treasured tome of Twilight’s that described the different types of magic in detail… though the section on dark magic was puzzlingly short.
Nothing we both don’t already know. Sombra said as Twilight finished reading the small section. Meanwhile, Spike belched forth a letter, to an amused (and inaudible to him) chuckle from Sombra. An interesting method of communication, to be sure.
Spike opened the letter and read, “My dear Twilight, you know I wish to aid you in your studies however I can. However, the nature of dark magic means it has to be handled with utmost care. As such, I am hesitant to let you study such things without being physically present myself. However… if you wish to continue, I will inform you of any knowledge uncovered on the subject of dark magic.”
“Well,” said Twilight, “That’s that.”
That’s it? Sombra growled.
I’m not content with our state of things either, but that’s the way it is. “In the meantime, what’s on our to-do list, Spike?”
Spike darted over to a calendar on the wall, with extensive space for notes. “Let’s see… first on the list is-“
He was interrupted by a knocking at the door. Twilight piped up, “I’ll get it,” and trotted over to the door, opening it with her telekinesis.
Beyond was none other than Pinkie Pie, smiling quite widely. “Hi Twilight!” She said without hesitation. “I was wondering if you could come over to Sugar Cube Corner and help me out with some things?”
Normally the phrase “ear to ear” wasn’t literal when it came to smiles, but with this pony, it was true. With a smile like that, it was hard for Twilight to refuse, even if she wanted to, despite a pang of impatience she assumed was from Sombra. After all, she was glad for something to take her mind off of Sombra and dark magic. If anypony could distract her from her unwanted guest, it was Pinkie Pie. Twilight smiled as well and said, “Of course, Pinkie.”
“Super! Bring Spike too!”
Spike happily ran towards the door and hopped on Twilight’s back. Together, the three set off towards Sugar Cube Corner.
Really? Sombra asked, the feeling of impatience growing. Instead of doing important things like studying, you’re going to do menial tasks with others? You didn’t even ask what she wanted help with. Hey! These ponies are my friends and I enjoy spending time with them and helping them out. If you had a speck of a soul you’d understand what friendship is! If I stay in your mind long enough, I think I’ll find out. Twilight wasn’t expecting something that… frank. Huh? Nothing.
Meanwhile, before Twilight could ponder the issue further, Pinkie stopped just before the door to Sugar Cube Corner. “After you, Twilight!”
“Thank you, Pinkie!” Smiling, Twilight opened the door and stepped through, idly wondering what Pinkie could-
“SURPRISE!” A multitude of ponies burst out from under tables and other assorted hiding places. A music box somewhere began playing a lively tune. Confetti and streamers flew through the air, and balloons floated to the ceiling, from which hung a banner that said, “Congratulations!” Twilight sure was surprised, as was Sombra.
What in the world-
That’s Pinkie Pie for you.
Pinkie Pie appeared in front of Twilight. “You seemed kinda glum on the train so I thought I’d throw you a “We Saved the Crystal Empire” party to celebrate!”
“Aw, thank you so much, Pinkie!” She smiled and blushed a little as her friends converged on her. “But really, I didn’t do all that much-“
“Ah, nonsense,” Applejack interrupted. “You risked Celestia-knows-what to help us out. We couldn’ta done it without ya’.” And with that, she moved forward to hug Twilight, spearheading a charge from her friends that turned into a group hug. As Twilight was glomped by her friends, her blush intensified, but she also felt a strong sense of pride, as well as the happiness of being with her friends.
There’s that feeling again… What? Nothing! That feeling, there? It’s called the magic of friendship. Twilight grinned.
“See!?” Pinkie Pie gave a grin to match. “I knew she’d love the party!”
“I do, Pinkie.” Twilight looked around at the veritable banquet arrayed on various tables. “How did you provide so many pastries and snacks together so quickly?”
“Oh, I have ways. Anything for my friends!” Pinkie Pie made a contented face before breaking from the hug and skipping off towards a game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey with a group of other ponies.
Twilight giggled a bit and looked around to see what activity she should partake in first. She had a lot of fun that day. And she had a sneaking suspicion that Sombra did, too, no matter how much he tried to hide it beneath snark and snarls.
Once the party wore off and the ponies went home, however, Twilight was a little more concerned at the deepening connection between her and Sombra. It looks like we’re sharing feelings now, as well. So it seems. But there was a silver lining. So, how did friendship feel? ...Good. After a moment, Sombra quickly added, This changes nothing, Twilight! I still plan on getting out of your mind and into a vessel of my own. Twilight sighed. Of course. Rest assured, it’s my top priority. After my friends. Anyway, what do you suppose will be next? Memories? Ugh, I don’t want to know what sort of things you’ve done… Sombra was silent at this. Twilight wasn’t sure if he was actively suppressing his thoughts or simply had nothing to think. As the sun began to set, she opened the door to the library, Spike riding on her back, and proceeded inside. “Spike, can you find a few books for me? I have some ideas for a spell I want to try…”
“Of course!” Spike hopped off her back. “Name them.”
Twilight rattled off a list of a half-dozen books, which Spike soon gathered and placed on Twilight’s desk on the second floor. Twilight then sat herself down before her desk and opened the first book.
Not exactly light reading, Sombra observed, looking over the hefty stack of books.
It’s nothing for somepony like me! Twilight said with a hint of pride.
What exactly are you researching, anyway?
Twilight read even as she thought. As you might expect, a way to give you a vessel. I can think of a few ways to accomplish that. Creating a body would probably be beyond my ability, but I might be able to channel you into an object of some sort, like a crystal. You like crystals, right? She smirked.
Well, they’re rather fragile. I’m not sure I want my essence inside one of them. Unfortunately for you, a crystal is looking like our best bet, since they react to magic readily. On that subject, you may want to visit the Crystal Empire at some point. I believe their library will have a great deal of useful information. Just think, books a thousand years old, knowledge perhaps thought lost for centuries, just waiting to be perused once more… Twilight thought of the immense library she had encountered, and nearly squealed aloud. It had been such a huge library, but at the time she was searching for one particular book and hadn’t the time to properly read through everything. I’m sure Celestia would understand if I took a trip there… I’ll have to arrange it.
In the meantime, she had a number of books in front of her to read through.
Twilight (and Sombra) studied for hours, and all the while Twilight compiled magical formulae in her head. Sombra couldn’t help but marvel at her intelligence, her magical ability, the way she effortlessly calculated complex problems and considered spells most unicorns wouldn’t dream of. And Twilight could sense that he was impressed, even though he made no comments beyond simple statements such as “impressive…”
At last, Twilight made her conclusion. Their connection was such that she didn’t need to say anything, for he’d followed her calculations well. She intended to channel his consciousness into a crystal, along with a stream of magical power, creating a sapient enchanted object. Twilight believed the crystals from the Crystal Empire would be ideal vessels because of their magical attunement and-
No. What? Your work is superb, and I believe it will work. Just… then what? …Well… I’d rather stay with you. There was no growl in his tone, no roughness in his psychic voice. For a long moment, Twilight was too stunned to respond. …Excuse me? Well, he began, returning to his old tone, what exactly am I going to do as a crystal? We’ll find another way, one that involves me having an actual body. One that you can’t shatter so easily. Fine. Twilight scowled a little. Have it your way. The only other way I can think of would be to create a homunculus, but that’d require a large amount of magical power, and it might take a while before I find the proper spells. I have faith in your ability, Twilight. Besides, I’m willing to wait. …Are you all right? What? Thoughts being as uncontrollable as they are, Twilight couldn’t help but think: You’re not staying with me because of friendship, are you? What?! No, of course not. There wasn’t any hesitation in his tone, just indignation, and Twilight could sense it was real - though that didn’t mean she was wrong about him. But before Twilight could question him further, she suddenly felt rather sleepy. Night had long since fallen, and, looking about her, Twilight could see Spike asleep in his basket. Twilight smiled a bit, knowing she now had a distinct advantage over Sombra, and then went to blow out the lanterns in the library before turning in to bed.
The next day was a typical day for Twilight, or at least it would have been if she didn’t have another pony’s mind stuck in her own. But other than that sad fact, it was surprisingly normal.
The day began, of course, with Twilight’s Checklist of Things To Do Today. First was eating breakfast.
Most ponies don’t need to remind themselves to eat. It’s not about reminding myself to eat… though I have had to do that on occation… ugh, the whole list is about keeping track of events and having an orderly schedule! You seem almost obsessive about it. You have no idea. She sighed. I’m… working on that. Second on the list was the matter of getting more writing supplies: quills, parchment, ink, and the like. Twilight set out with money in her saddlebags, Spike on her back, and Sombra in her head.
I’d forgotten, one of the perks of being king is that I didn’t have to bother with such menial logistics myself. I hope you intend to use these for more than making more checklists. I’m working on that, too! Several visits later and Twilight had her supplies and had dropped them off at the library.
What kind of a shop sells sofas and quills together? “Spike, what’s next on the list?”
From upon Twilight’s back, Spike read out from a list. “Next up, we’re going to get a pie from Sweet Apple Acres…”
Such was how the day went, with Twilight going about her business and Sombra snarking in her head. There was, however, one incident that stood out…
Twilight was standing before a shop stall selling bread. The vendor, a brown earth pony stallion, had just said something to the effect of:
“10 bits for a loaf of bread!”
Twilight and Sombra had similar reactions.
“10 bits? That’s outrageous!”
“If you don’t like it, maybe you can magic yourself some bread.”
Sombra’s reaction was immediate and intense. Twilight felt a wave of indignation and fury rise up in her as Sombra said to her, That son of a…! How dare he! At that moment the vendor turned his head as a pair of fillies ran through the stalls, laughing. As he attempted to shoo them away, Twilight used her telekinesis to lift a set of ten bits from his bit box behind the counter. The vendor turned back as the sound of bits hitting the counter sounded out. He suspected nothing, not even Spike’s wide eyes giving Twilight’s crime away.
“Here’s your ten bits.”
“Much appreciate it. Good day.”
Sombra snarled as the vendor passed Twilight a loaf of bread. Twilight put the loaf in her saddleback and quickly trotted off. Disgust was on her face, and surprise was one Spike’s as the latter said, “I can’t say I sympathize with him, but wasn’t that…”
“Excessive? Maybe. Right now, I just want to go home.” She was feeling angry at Sombra and ashamed of herself for following whatever emotions he felt.
What was that all about? I know contempt when I hear it in a pony’s voice. He was charging you extra because we’re– because you’re a unicorn. That’s all. That’s still no reason to- Don’t try and pin this all on me, Twilight. You felt everything I felt. You’re the one who stole the bits. Twilight sighed. What she’d felt at that moment wasn’t just the indignation of being ripped off. It was a… a sense of outrage over being targeted like that. Or at least, what Sombra felt was discrimination. She wasn’t sure if he was right or not, but… something had struck a nerve with him.
Sombra… what happened to you? Before you became king? There was a long silence, along with a feeling of… was that regret?
…I wish I knew. …What!? I’ll explain later. I… I need to get my thoughts in order. The sun was setting as Twilight reached her home. Dropping off her supplies and filing them all in their correct places, she walked over to her bed.
Spike piped up, “Isn’t a little early to go to bed, Twilight?”
Twilight glanced back at him. “I just want to lie down. It’s been a rough day.”
“Are… are you all right?”
As Twilight settled under the covers, she replied, “I… I don’t know.”
Sombra…?
Twilight dreamed that she was in a black chamber. No light source was visible, yet she could see her own body just fine, as though it were bright as day. Everything else, however, was darker than the blackest night. She couldn’t tell what was floor and what was wall, or what was empty space.
She looked around her, and saw something in the distance – a few pinpricks of light like stars. With nowhere better to go, she began to walk towards it. Though her pace was slow, the lights accelerated towards her faster than she could gallop. Images began to form around her, forming a corridor leading to her destination. At first, the images were nothing special, merely images of fields or towns. But as Twilight grew closer, the images became more recognizable – images of Canterlot, of Ponyville, of the Everfree Forest. And soon, Twilight herself began to appear in the images.
Twilight stared with awe at the images as she walked. It was almost as though she were watching herself through her own eyes, reliving memories through the lens of time and personal perception.
In no time at all she came to a place where the images formed a dome, depicting moments from her memories, particularly her time with her friends. And standing in the center with a forlorn expression was a stallion Twilight barely recognized. Gone was the armor and robe which Twilight remembered. His mane hung about him roughly, making him look almost ruggedly handsome were it not for the fact that he was quite emaciated, with ribs showing and the outline of his skull visible beneath his face. Most noticeably, his eyes were red, but lacked the green sclera and purple trails that indicated dark magic.
“This is who you are, Twilight,” Sombra said, not looking at her. “Happy, successful, and content. You have everything you want. I…” He finally turned to look at her, his gaze severe. “…I have nothing.”
Twilight returned his gaze. “You have no one to blame but yourself for that, Sombra. You turned to dark magic and became an evil tyrant, and then you lost it all.”
“Yes…” He sighed. “That’s true. The Sombra you knew deserved every bit of what he got. But… do I?”
Twilight raised her eyebrows in confusion. “The Sombra I knew…?”
He turned away from her, as the images on the wall became replaced with images of the Crystal Empire, of the castle, of Twilight and Somba, with Sombra pinning Twilight down and staring into her now-corrupted eyes. “This… this is where my memories begin, Twilight. The first time Sombra touched your mind. Before that, I remember nothing. I remember nothing of what brought him – and me – to this point.”
The images shifted again. It was a similar scenario – Twilight and Sombra in the latter’s throne room, locked in a battle of wills once more. Then suddenly a flash of light appeared, and a wave of blue magic swept the throne room. Only one unicorn was left standing – Sombra was shattered and destroyed utterly, his horn falling to the ground as the black, corrupted crystals of the castle became pure once more.
The stallion now standing before Twilight said, “Sombra died that day. He died, and he left me as a parting gift in your mind. All of his legacy, all of the wrath he incurred, and none of his memories. He left me a purpose, and the only reason I followed was because I had no choice. I ran off inertia, functioning like Sombra for a time… but these past days have taken their toll on me. With no memories to distract myself, I’ve done nothing but reflect. My entire existence, practically, has been spent dwelling on the fact that you turned your back on power, because of friendship. The fact that Sombra was killed by the power of love. Both were concepts anathema to dark magic… to his very existence.”
“Sombra…” Twilight began. The pause was all “Sombra” needed to interject.
The images changed to show Twilight’s life once more. “This… this is my life now.” He stamped a forehoof. “Who am I, Twilight? Am I really that tyrant you detest so much? Or am I a new pony? Do I get a chance?”
Twilight was silent as she thought about this. Could he be trusted? Their connection was muted while in the dream world, but Twilight had sensed that somewhat was changing about him. Did everypony really have the chance for redemption? Even if he was lying about his memories… Twilight had sensed something within him…
“…What is it that you want?”
“The same thing that’s defeated foe after foe. That’s carried you through countless perils. I want…” He hesitated a moment, as though trying to pronounce a foreign word, “…Friendship. And I want a life to live with that.”
Twilight smiled. “All you had to do was ask.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want your pity. And I still one day want a kingdom, because that’s who I am. But…” He glanced at the images, scenes from Twilight’s life. “…At least some of what Sombra had become was because of dark magic. Your mind and body aren’t blighted by that… and neither am I. For good or ill, I am what the Black King was before he mastered dark magic. From now on, I shall no longer be called Sombra. I shall be…” He closed his eyes, thinking. “…Shade.”
He opened his eyes in surprise as Twilight hugged him. “Then consider me your first friend, Shade.”
“I already do.” He gave a faint smile in return.
Inside, Twilight felt a slight warmth. It was reassuring to know that, in their own way, everypony had a bit of good inside.
The train ride to the Crystal Empire was a long and quiet one, as Twilight rode alone in her train car. Alone but for a sleeping dragon - and Shade. The two had decided that their best chance of finding any knowledge that might give Shade a new body was in the Crystal Empire, in its vast library. But the ride there was proving to be a long one.
Shade, if you don’t have any memories, why were you… like you were at the beginning? All threatening me and such? In the instant I was transferred to your mind, I had a sense of… clarity, of purpose. I think, for that one moment, I was a perfect copy of Sombra… and then it was gone, and I was just a shadow. But I still had in my mind what I needed to do. I… see. Twilight looked out the window at the fields of snow rolling along, idly wondering how long it would be before they reached their destination.
I… I’m sorry, Twilight. Twilight perked up. Really? I didn’t expect to hear that from you. Strange, I know. But… that’s what ponies feel, isn’t it? It’s what a pony like you would feel when you did something you wish you hadn’t done. It’s what I feel now. And indeed, Twilight could feel the regret from him, though she wasn’t sure it was because he had done something bad, or done something bad for him. She needed to test him further.
And how do you feel about Sombra’s reign? …I know only what you know, and perhaps that’s for the best. I feel… hollow. I mean… I’m not responsible for that, am I? In another life, yes. Then I hope to make up for that in this one. Twilight giggled a little.
What’s so funny? I’m just glad you’re taking after me so well.I’m… I’m glad to hear that from you, Shade.
”Twiley!” Shining Armor was waiting at the platform of the arctic outpost as Twilight stepped off the train. “It’s great to see you again.”
“Don’t worry, your rump doesn’t need saving this time.”
They both chuckled for a moment before Shining Armor said, “So, you’re here to visit the Crystal Empire’s library?”
“Yep!” Twilight beamed at the thought of immersing herself in books, especially the unknown tomes which doubtless filled the thousand-year-old library. “It’s for a research paper.”
Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. It took Twilight a moment to remember when the last time she’d mentioned research papers in his presence was. She hurriedly added, “Don’t worry, the Crystal Empire isn’t in danger or anything like that; this is personal research.”
“Of course.” Together the two set out towards the Crystal Empire. “If you don’t my asking, what’s it about? It’s quite a way to travel for research.”
“It’s…” Twilight paused for a moment.
Something tells me he’s not going to be very accepting of me trying to bring you “back.” Did something in particular happen between him and Sombra? Well, you- I mean, Sombra did crystallize his horn, capture him and his wife, and briefly corrupt his sister. Ah. That would do it. “…Okay, maybe it does have to do with the safety of the Crystal Empire. I’m studying dark magic, to try and find a way to counter it should we face it again.” Twilight figured this explanation would do. It would, hopefully, be a side-effect of her research.
“I see…” A grim but concerned look overtook him. “Just be careful, all right?” He doubtless wasn’t happy about his sister delving into dark magic… again. At least this time it would be on Twilight’s terms.
A slight feeling of… well, it wasn’t quite remorse, but Shade definitely wasn’t comfortable with the memories of what Sombra had done to Twilight. Twilight wasn’t sure if it was regret or empathy – Shade imagining the memory-wiping spell Sombra had used. Either way it was a good sign, a sign that he wasn’t entirely like the Black King that created him, whose legacy he had inherited.
The frigid air of the north ate away at Twilight as she trotted from the outpost to the Crystal Empire once more. Though it was not storming as it had been when she’d first came to this place, the cold still bit and tore at her limbs and face like a savage beast. Only the sun above gave the promise of eventual warmth.
"Sorry about the walk, Twiley. We’re working on building a train station inside the Empire but… it’s gonna take a while.”
“It’s all right, Shiny.” Twilight shivered a little.
A little walk in the cold might do you good, anyway… builds endurance. I’ll just be glad when we’re inside the Empire.
Spike wasn’t faring any better. Twilight could feel him shivering on her back as he asked, “Are we there yet?”
Ignoring him, she continued her conversation with Shining Armor. “So, how’s life as a prince treating you? And how’s Cadence?”
“I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting to become co-leader of an empire… there’s a lot of work to be done, especially cleaning up after Sombra. But I think we’re holding together pretty well.”
They talked all along the way to the Crystal Empire. Once Twilight reached the border, the cold melted away and gave way to beautiful fields and pleasant temperatures. It was hard to believe an island of such warmth and life could exist within a sea of frozen white – but such was the magic of the Crystal Empire.
So, what do you think of the new Crystal Empire? I have nothing to compare it to, really, except that brief stint when Sombra returned, but… it’s beautiful. The two shared a moment of peacefulness at the beautiful vista of crystals and grass before them. It truly was a wonderful place, especially when compared to what lay outside.
“Well,” Shining Armor said, “I’ll leave you to your studying. Cadence is real busy at the moment and I should get back to her, but be sure to visit us later!”
“Of course, BBBFF!” Twilight smiled.
BBBFF? Shade pronounced the letters slowly, not used to saying them rapid-fire like Twilight had. Possibly the even the term “BFF” was unknown to him.
Big Brother Best Friend Forever.
Their connection was close now. Shade’s voice had lost the growl that Sombra had, instead becoming smooth. Combined with his deep tone, Twilight found it quite relaxing. Before the train ride, Twilight had told him about her friends and their adventures, bringing up the mental images as she retold it to Shade.
She’d stopped when she noticed the feelings of envy that came from him.
In the meantime, she parted ways with Shining Armor and trotted off to the library. Shade was becoming slightly anxious with anticipation. The key to his salvation – and redemption – could be hidden within a single book…
Twilight was in paradise. Massive shelves surrounded her, filled with countless precious tomes, their titles and contents unknown to her. It was as though they were calling out to her, begging her to peruse their pages, to discover secrets lost to ponykind for centuries. It took a bit of mental willpower to prevent from squeeing loudly.
Shade chuckled, feeling the waves of joy that radiated off Twilight. It was a pleasant laugh, not like the wicked mirth one would expect from an evil king, like what Twilight had once heard from Sombra. A fleeting thought passed from Shade to Twilight – You must be right in your element. Actually, my element is Magic, but I do like books as well. She gave a slight giggle. Now… which of these books are on magic? Spike piped up from his position on her back – “What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing. Nap time’s over, help me look for some books on magic…”
Just then an elderly crystal mare walked by, one that Twilight recognized as having been present when she last visited the library. Twilight approached the mare and said, “Excuse me, do you know where any books on magic might be located?”
“Hmm…” She paused for a moment. “Right this way, please. There’s actually not a whole lot on magic… King-” She shuddered a little at the name “-Sombra restricted access to magical knowledge while he was in power. That’s not a problem now, obviously.”
Twilight could feel the silence from Shade.
The mare led Twilight and Spike to a secluded section of the library before departing elsewhere, excusing herself with a statement of, “I have a lot of work to do… but do help yourself.”
As Spike hopped off Twilight’s back, she said to him, “All right, now let’s see if we can find anything on unicorn magic…
Twilight? Yes? What are we going to tell everypony about… me? About where I came from? …I don’t know, Shade. Even though you’re not Sombra, you still look enough like him… I think, when we make a body for you, we’ll go to Celestia and explain everything. Once she sees that you’re not like Sombra, she’ll be sure to understand. Maybe she’ll even assign you to learn about friendship with me! She suppressed a giggle.
That would be… nice. Shade paused for a moment. Is she really so accepting? You seemed terrified of what would happen if she found out about me before.
I know… but I’ve got to tell her sometime. Once she knows I’m not being mind-controlled or something, I’m sure she’ll believe me. She’s never doubted me before. Well, there was that one time with the changelings, but for a moment I doubted myself there, too… well, we’ll worry about that later, for now, we’ve got books to find!
Doing a research paper can be extremely difficult when one lacks source materials. The combination of Sombra’s censorship, his unique abilities compared to the crystal ponies, and his strange fascination with crystals meant that Twilight’s research could only uncover so much. But at last, she came across something that might have been just what she needed.
I think this might be it! Twilight exclaimed at last.She closed the book she was reading. “Spike, help me put these books back, I’ve found what we’re looking for!”
With this spell, we’ll be able to create a new body for you, provided we have enough magical power and a vessel.
I can think of one… Sombra’s horn.
“Spike, take a… actually, I think I’m going to have to tell this one to Celestia personally…
“Twi, what’s all this secrecy about?”
“Ooh! Are we going to a super-secret surprise party?”
“I told you, I’ll explain everything once we meet with Celestia.” Twilight wasn’t completely listening to her friends as they walked down the hall of Canterlot Castle (except for Spike, who’d opted for riding on Twilight’s back, which Twilight bore without complaint despite adding to the weight of her saddlebags). Instead, she was mentally speaking with Shade… perhaps the last mental conversation they’d have.
So… the time has come.
Yes.
You’re sure about this?
Positive. I know Celestia will accept you, Shade.
And you have a contingency plan, besides.
It doesn’t mean I don’t trust you. It means… I have to be prepared for whatever may happen.
I know...
At last they entered Princess Celestia’s throne room. The Princess sat on her throne, as radiant as the sun she embodied, outshining the two white guardstallions that sat on either side of her throne. She smiled at her little ponies as they entered and bowed before her. “It’s so wonderful to see you all again.”
Twilight rose. “I’m pleased to see you too, Princess… but there is something we have to discuss… something I have to tell you all. Something that’s been… on my mind ever since we got back from the Crystal Empire.”
Her friends all looked quizzically at her, while her mentor merely raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sure you’ve noticed me acting a little… off. Well… it’s because of Sombra. When his body was destroyed, I was locked in a mental battle with him. With nowhere else to go, his mind found shelter in my body.”
Twilight ignored the various sounds of surprise from around and behind her. Instead her gaze was focused on Celestia, whose visage remained neutral. A good sign.
“At first he… well, he was the Black King, effectively. But as time went on, our minds became closer, and he started to feel everything I’d been feeling. He…” She turned to face her friends, smiling. “He felt what it’s like to have friends. And as it turns out, he has no memories of what happened before he entered my body.” She turned back to Celestia. “All he wants now is to have a form of his own, and a chance to experience life as a pony again, with a fresh slate. Without the taint of dark magic or Sombra’s reign.”
Celestia nodded, her expression changed almost imperceptibly to one of mild surprise. “Do you trust him, Twilight?”
“We’ve grown close enough that neither of us can decieve the other. But all the same… I came here because I want the Elements of Harmony present… just in case.”
Celestia spent a moment in contemplation, then rose from her throne. “Very well. I shall retrieve them. You’ve worked out a way to restore his form?”
“Yes, I have.” She opened her saddlebags with her magic and levitated out the curved spike of Sombra’s black-and-red horn. “WIth Princess Cadence and Shining Armor's permission I took Sombra's horn back from the Crystal Empire. If I channel enough magical power and his consciousness into this horn, with this spell I’ve researched he’ll have a proper body again.” She placed the horn in front of her.
Celestia nodded and left the room, heading for the chamber where the Elements were stored. Except for the guards, Twilight was now alone with her friends.
“You know,” Rainbow Dash said, “You could have told us something was up.”
“I would have, but at first… I was afraid of what you all would think. I mean, having an evil king in your head is a serious thing. Besides, he’d threatened to do things to my mind if I told, or if I tried to remove him.”
“And you trust him, dear?” Rarity looked appalled.
“He’s changed, Rarity. He really has. I can feel it.” She could - she could feel the remorse, slight but growing, at Shade’s previous actions.
Celestia returned, Elements of Harmony grasped in her telekinesis. She placed the tiara on Twilight’s head and affixed the necklaces to the other bearers.
“You’re sure about this, Twilight?” Spike said nervously.
“I’m sure.” Twilight focused on the black-and-red horn lying before her. Nothing else mattered, nothing except her, the horn, her magic… and Shade.
There’s no telling what you’ll have to do to gain control…
Don’t worry. I can handle this. And Twilight…
Yes?
…I want you to know, in case I come back changed, that you’re a wonderful pony, and that it’s been an honor to be with you.
Twilight smiled. She then closed her eyes and prepared the spell she’d learned in the Crystal Empire’s library, as well as the mind-link spell Sombra had once used on her. A surge of violet energy left her horn and was channeled into Sombra’s… and as she did so, she felt a dark presence pushing back at her mind.
She gasped and opened her eyes. A trail of darkness was climbing up the string of purple energy connecting the horns. A moment later, however, she felt a surge of strength - coming from Shade. A red pulse of energy flared up and passed into the horn, pushing back the darkness. Twilight closed her eyes again and, with Shade’s support, transferred his consciousness into the horn before giving a sigh of exhaustion and collapsing, the magic link breaking.
Darkness. Shade’s entire world was darkness. The darkness was so vast that it swallowed up all sound, and all matter – he felt no floor beneath his hooves, though the feeling of falling was absent. There was no air to breathe, yet there was no sensation of suffocation. There was only Shade’s consciousness, gazing into the abyss.
Such a void could not last, however, and very soon Shade heard a voice very much like his own: “Shade. A fitting name for a mere shadow of my glory.”
Shade wasn’t surprised at the voice’s presence - he’d expected something like this, for some fragment of Sombra’s will to remain. He didn’t bother looking towards the source of the voice, for there was none. Instead he merely retorted, “A shadow in the light of friendship, Sombra. A light you shied away from.”
A laugh could be heard. “Ah, friendship.” Sombra said mockingly. “You’re such a fool, Shade. Do you really think Twilight and her friends will trust you so readily?”
Shade scowled. “If you’re going to try and break my will, Sombra, you’re going to have to do a better job than that. I trust Twilight. I know her more intimately than you ever could.”
Another laugh sounded out, or rather merely a chuckle. “Than I ever could? I know her very well… but you remember that, don’t you? We share those wonderful memories of probing her mind, delving into her deepest thoughts…”
Shade growled.
Sombra continued. “It felt good too, I’m sure you remember that. The power over another, the feeling of violating-“ “Shut up!”
A great shattering was heard, as the darkness broke away to reveal Sombra’s throne room of dark and jagged crystal. Sombra sat upon his throne, Shade before him like a subject before his lord, though he was anything but.
Sombra grinned. “Touched a nerve, have I?”
“I didn’t come here to debate with you. I came here to destroy you!” A blast of red magic shot forth from Shade’s horn, only to be deflected by a black crystal barrier erected by Sombra’s magic. Sombra retaliated with a blast of his own, which Shade dodged by leaping to the side.
“You really think you can defeat me, mere shadow? You’re nothing compared to me!” Sombra’s eyes flared green as he sent a wave of black energy at Shade. The latter defended quickly with a shimmering red barrier, which was quickly shattered by Sombra’s blast. Shade tried to re-form the barrier, only for it to be shattered once more by another wave of magic, the impact flinging Shade across the room and into a back wall.
As Shade slumped to the ground, Sombra stepped off his throne and slowly walked towards Shade’s motionless body. “What is it that makes you think you can defeat me? What is it that you fight for?”
Shade’s head snapped about to face Sombra, flinging a sphere of dark power at him. The move caught him by surprise, the impact pushing him back and sending sparks across his armor.
“You don’t get it, do you? You think without your memories I have nothing to fight for? I have Twilight!” Shade snarled and leapt to his feet, his eyes beginning to glow green. “And I have my hatred of you!” With that, Shade launched a blast of black magic at Sombra, the impact shattering crystals across the throne room and beneath Sombra’s hooves, and throwing up a pile of dust around him.
Sombra laughed from within the cloud. “So, you’ll even turn to dark magic.” A mass of crystal shards gathered to him and then flew out in all directions. Shade threw up a barrier to deflect them, but the magical output alerted Sombra to his location, and the shards redirected to Shade’s position, his barrier shuddering under the onslaught.
“I’ll turn to anything if it means destroying you!” The barrier exploded outwards, destroying more of the throne room and sending Sombra back several paces.
“So, we’re not that different after all. You know, all it takes is a few memories and you’ll be just like me.”
“Don’t give me that. I know where you’re headed and I don’t want to hear whatever sob story you use to justify being a tyrant.” Shade levitated several chunks of crystal masonry and hurled them at Sombra, who blasted them one by one into dust with dark magic. “I know that we’re spawned from the same mind, but there are a few key differences between us.”
Shade teleported away from Sombra’s next blast, reappearing across the throne room to fire another crimson ray at Sombra. “One: “I’ve felt emotions you could only have nightmares about, like compassion, after sharing another pony’s heart. For all your talk of delving into pony’s minds, there’s a few things you still have to learn.”
Sombra formed several crystal spikes and telekinetically hurled them at Shade, only for the latter to form several crystal shields to deflect them. As crystal shattered upon crystal, Shade teleported again – this time right alongside Sombra. “Two – I’m going to win,” Shade grinned into Sombra’s ear.
Swiftly, Sombra turned, locking horns with Shade. Shade instantly felt a piercing in his mind as Sombra attempted to breach his mental defenses, but he just laughed. “And do you know why I’m going to win? I have a fresh slate, a new life ahead of me. I have something to live for. All that awaits you if you win is destruction! Twilight and her friends are ready for you!”
Shade pushed forward, shoving Sombra away from him as the latter’s expression twisted into one of despair. “And you know what I think? I think you’re the shadow, the fragment left behind.” A moment later he fired a bolt of energy straight into Sombra’s face.
A shattering sound was heard, not from Sombra hitting the floor, but from the throne room breaking apart, dissipating into fragment upon fragment. This time, there was no darkness. Only light.
Shade didn’t shield his eyes from it, but instead looked to the source, smiling as he faced the light.
