> Son of Shadows
>  by Sir Shining Armor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Pleasant Surprises All Around
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once upon a time, there was a young pony that wasn't like all the others. 
All he wanted was a friend. 
And then he found one, and she was the most amazing friend that anypony could have asked for. 
He loved her. And she loved him.
But he didn't love himself. 
He worried he was a monster. And how could anyone care about a monster?

That's the thing about friendship though. 
Your friends are friends because they can see the great things you have inside. 
They can see past looks and family and even your own worries.

And they can see the goodness in you, even if you don't see it yourself. Siege of the Crystal Empire, finale. 
___________________________________________________________________________________

~Prologue. Sombra POV~

After the defeat of the Umbrum, the search for Princess Amore's scattered pieces began. For the greater part of a year, Sombra and Radiant Hope had searched all over Equestria; from the highest peaks of the Crystal Mountains to the scorched deserts of the Badlands. In all that time and through many dangers, Sombra had never once been afraid. After all, he was the former King of the Monsters - and a powerful Unicorn in his own right, and by his side was his childhood friend - once a student of Princess Celestia herself. Heck, she was a potential candidate for Alicornhood herself. There was nothing they could not handle together, he thought. Nothing terrified him.

At least until the day that Hope announced that she was pregnant.

Sombra's first thought and reaction was shock - followed by the joy of knowing he was going to be a father!

It was not long after that though that he realized that this would create its own set of problems. Hope could not travel with him so long as she carried his foal. A short talk later and a failed attempt at convincing her that staying behind in the Crystal Empire was the best course, Sombra agreed to settle there - in the very place he had grown up in and had once ruled with an iron hoof.  His reasoning outwardly was that they could raise their child in a familiar environment - and hopefully prove once and for all to the Crystal Ponies that he had changed. 

Therein came the hardest part of all this - having to face the glares and the stigma. None of them said anything of course, given how much he had changed - and with the knowledge he was trying to redeem himself, but it was disconcerting the way that the streets became silent whenever he trotted among them. The way that mares and stallions alike would stop what they were doing and stare at him like he was a Bug-Bear. But then, given how much he had hurt them - had oppressed them during his rule - he supposed he deserved it.

Hope was by his side throughout it all - offering encouraging words and the promise that their foal would be loved. Just like when they were young, all it took was her laughter to lighten his dark moods. When he brooded over his dark past, Hope reminded him that Celestia herself had pardoned him and that he had been given a second chance. When he was dejected, Hope gave him comforting hugs and reminded him that their task was nearly done - all it took was a few more shards and then Princess Amore would be restored. 

But first came the matter of their foal's birth.

Well, that and their wedding.

Not long after Hope announced her pregnancy, Sombra had sold his armor and his regalia - no longer having any need for it - and to save up the Bits necessary for a ring. Before the Crystal Heart's dais - the very place of his rebirth into a normal Unicorn - Sombra had proposed. 

Hope had accepted of course.
_______________________________________________________

~Several weeks before~

"Hope, I am not much for words," Sombra began as he took Hope's hoof in his, feeling awkward. 

Less so, he suspected from what he was about to do, more from the fact there were a few crystal ponies looking at him in a strange way. Not in the usual 'stare down the former oppressor' but in the 'what the buck is he doing?' kind of way. 

"But a thousand years ago, you were the most amazing pony I had ever met. Right from the moment I met you, I knew I was in love. And I still love you now, today - a millennia later. You were the first pony to see the goodness in me, even when I couldn't see it myself. And now, you bear my child. A foal grows inside you - our child. That foal represents our future. If you would have me, I would gladly see that future through."

This was it. The moment of truth. The moment he'd waited for, for so long. With a bended knee and a quick spell of levitation, he lifted the small black box and opened it before her. Inside was a ring, perfectly fit for her horn - with a diamond in the band.

"Radiant Hope, will you marry me?"

Tears of (what he supposed were joy) filled her eyes. Nearby, the crystal ponies stomped their hooves in approval. Slowly, Hope nodded, and when she found her voice - it was a squeal.

"Of course I will!"

And with that, he placed the ring on her horn - swept her up into his forelegs and kissed her deeply, not noticing or caring what any other pony in the world thought of him.

______________________________________________________________

In no time at all, plans were made (thanks in part to Twilight and her friends) and the day came they were to become mare and colt. 

It was a small ceremony with only those that they once called enemies in attendance. As neither had any family, they had asked Shining Armor to be the best stallion - and Twilight Sparkle and her friends to be bridesmaids, with a special place of honor for Princess Cadance as the one to conduct. As with many of the celebrations they had attended, the Element Bearers had chosen to wear dresses designed by Rarity - similar to the ones they had worn for Shining Armor's own wedding. Even the little dragon Spike was there too. He had insisted on coming, after all (he said at the "bachelor party") it was by his claw that Sombra's eventual redemption was made possible - by returning the Crystal Heart.

Needless to say, that was the last bachelor party that Sombra had ever hoped to attend. He truthfully didn't remember much of it - just a round of awkward silence, followed by seemingly endless rounds of Apple-Cider and Crystal Nectar and then by more bad jokes than any of the attendants could shake their flanks at. Two weeks later and the day of the wedding arrived.

Sombra stood at the altar where the Empire's Crystallings took place - dressed in a white tux - as per Rarity's suggestion (and design) as it contrasted with his grey coat and his black mane. It itched something terrible, though that didn't bother him nearly as much as the future prospects he was facing. His mind was afire with questions. What if he wasn't a good father? He had no experience in such things - and he had never had a real family. His "mother" had turned out to be a monster. What if his foal was bullied and teased like he was? Then there was the fact that his foal would be known as the child of Sombra - the former tyrant. They might be an outcast - maybe even fall into the same dark path as their father.

No. He thought, his determination growing. I will not let my child make the same mistakes I did. They will be loved - both by me and by... Hope. - His thoughts were interrupted by the bride beginning her walk down the aisle.

And the sight of her took his breath away. 

Dressed all in white (again designed by Rarity. Thank Celestia for her intervention!)  - Radiant Hope was a vision. The dress was simple yet elegant in its design - hugging her body in such a way that complimented her naturally small frame without being too tight. Her purple coat's crystal reflections not only caught the light - but amplified and reflected it in a myriad of ways. Her silvery mane was held in an elaborate bun by a ring of flowers - and beneath her veil she had a small smile, which somehow made her all the more beautiful. 

As she joined him at the altar, Sombra found himself returning the smile - and they both looked up at Cadance. With a wink, the Crystal Princess began her speech.

"Mares and gentle-colts. We are gathered here to celebrate the union of Sombra and Radiant Hope in matrimony. We all had thought that Sombra's heart was as black as night - that there would be no hope of reforming him...-"

The groom shied away uncomfortably, his eyes settling on the small number of guests: Shining Armor of course, bawling his eyes out - even though a position as important as his demanded a certain amount of dignity. (According to Cadance beforehoof, he always cried at other's weddings) - In his right hoof was his newborn daughter, Princess Flurry Heart - giggling to herself as she nibbled at her father's mane. She was admittedly quite the adorable little addition to the new royal family. Several times, Radiant Hope had gushed over her. Already, the baby had proven to be quite playful and cheery - much like Hope, Sombra noted. And she was an Alicorn on top of all that. 

And then there were the Element-Bearers. Twilight was beaming - offering her brother a comforting hoof to the side. Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and even two newcomers, Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst - all watched diligently whilst Pinkie Pie... well, was watching his embarrassment with a hoof-full of popcorn that she had procured from somewhere.

"-But to our great surprise, love triumphed over darkness." Cadance continued. "And in that moment he redeemed himself by re-imprisoning the Umbrum. Now, with his second chance - he has chosen to trot down the path of redemption towards a better future. But he does not travel that path alone. Radiant Hope - his dearest friend through all these years now bears his child. And I have no doubt that, that foal will grow to be loved. As our own Princess of Friendship teaches us...." 

Another wink, this one in Twilight's direction - who grinned winningly in response. 

"-It helps to have a friend to watch over us. To see the better side of us, even when we cannot. So, therefore, we have decided -  upon their foal's birth - we offer their family a place here in the Crystal Castle - with our daughter, Princess Flurry as their first friend."

Both bride and groom stared. Did Cadance truly just say...

"And with that, I now pronounce you mare and colt." She announced, interrupting their shared thought. "May we have the rings?" 

The little dragon lifted the rings - and Cadance used her magic to levitate them onto their horns while saying, "You may kiss the bride."

It took a moment, but Sombra realized that was his cue - and he turned, raised Hope's veil and he placed his lips on hers. Gradually, she recovered from her shock and reciprocated - and the guests clapped their hooves lightly.

That was it. They were married! 

And to think, he thought with some humor and a tear welling up in his eye. Both at the happiness of the moment - and the tragedy it took to get there. -it's only been waiting a thousand years.
> A Double Date
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

~Chapter 1: A Double Date~
Radiant Hope POV.
_________________________________________________________________________

Not long after their wedding, Hope had felt the foal inside her growing slowly. Naturally, the process to having a baby was a long and complicated one - but Sombra had insisted at being at her side throughout it all. In light of Cadance's offer, they had moved into the Crystal Castle that they might have a safe place for their family, away from the stares and disdain of the Crystal Ponies. For Sombra, it had proven to be something of a real homecoming - as he had ruled from here a thousand years ago - it held many painful memories that often disturbed his sleep. But, each night when he awoke in a cold sweat from the nightmares, Hope lay next to him - nuzzled him and helped to soothe his troubled mind until he could sleep again.

During the day, when he was not checking her to ensure both her and the foal's safety, Sombra kept to himself around the castle - often spending hours watching the royal guards drilling in the courtyard below or staring down at the Crystal Ponies at play in the streets from his favorite balcony. In those times, his face became a mask - a carefully blank expression that even Hope found difficult to read. Ever since they were young, Sombra had been troubled, but since their wedding he had become even more withdrawn, as if in finally marrying her he had shut himself away fully. Or perhaps watching the Crystal Ponies being happy and free had reminded him of those times. Being like them, yet unalike them all at once. Separate from them but yearning for acceptance. 

When she wasn't resting in bed or preparing meals for Sombra, Hope often spent her time talking with Cadance - and several times had even helped with taking care of little Flurry Heart. Hope found the Crystal Princess to be a warm, welcoming companion - and like Princess Amore, she had a way of seeing beyond a Pony's hard outer shell and into their hearts - and soon Hope came to respect Cadance for her kind, honest nature.

It was one day after a particularly awkward morning (mostly filled with questions answered by mutters and grunts) that Hope sought out Cadance in the library. Her whole family was there - Shining was reading to Flurry at one of the tables. Much to the filly's delight, he acted out each scene in a book titled: "Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone". He even imitated what sounded like a mare's voice several times - which made little Flurry giggle and sputter as he struck very 'heroic' poses.

"Cadance." Hope said aloud, forgoing all formality. Immediately she perked up with a smile. The princess had said she preferred simply to be addressed as such anyway. "Can I speak to you about something?"

"Of course."

"It's about Sombra." Hope confessed, feeling more than a little nervous. "He's acting very strangely."

"What do you mean?" Cadance tilted her head. "He keeps to himself, but that's usually how I figured he always has been."

"Well, yes." Hope agreed. "But this time is different. Ever since the wedding, all he does is stare out at the Crystal Empire - and he shuts himself away a lot."

"If Sombra's having a problem, then why don't you talk to him about it?" Shining Armor asked, looking up from the book. "He's your husband. If ever Cadance and I have any disagreement, we talk through it."

"He says he's fine, but he's clearly not. I think he's still punishing himself over what happened with... well, you know, the Umbrum."

Prince and princess exchanged glances.

"Just give him time, Hope. I think he'll open up if you just let him have his space. The prospect of being a father is amazing - but also confusing!" Shining put his hoof around Flurry to emphasize his point. "I was in a tizzy after Cadance said we were going to have a baby."

"I don't think so, darling." Cadance replied, shaking her head. "I think you should take him around the city - take a personal day for the two of you. His journal says you two used to play all sorts of games - even had a made-up language. Maybe even..." she stomped her hoof. "I have an idea! How about a double-date? You, me, our husbands - a night on the town." 

Shining Armor grinned. "That's a great idea!"
_________________________________________________________________________________

"That is a terrible idea." Sombra said glumly. The three of them had presented the offer to him while he was brooding on the balcony, as per usual. When they were finished, he had responded to it... rather poorly.

"What makes you say that, Sombra?" Cadance asked. "It'll be fun. You, Hope, Shining Armor and me - just enjoying ourselves."

"The problem is, is that you're forgetting that I'm the most hated Pony in the Crystal Empire." Sombra replied. "I imagine the Crystal Ponies might think I had you under a spell, or that you were a Changeling in disguise - trying to take over the Empire!" 

"Well, actually, about that..." Shining Armor began hesitantly.

"Look, Sombra." Hope said, interjecting. "We're only thinking it might do you some good if you were to come out with us and have fun. You do remember how to have fun, right? Remember all those games we played? I was the brave Sir Lady Radiant Hope - and you were the good King, I mean, Prince Sombra!" She shook her hoof in a playful gesture - as if she carried the stick she pretended was a sword. "We fought all kinds of Dragons - and had all kinds of adventures!"

That brought a small smile to his face.

Taking that as a good sign, Hope put her foreleg around her husband's neck. "Come on, Sombra." She said happily, guiding him towards the door. "Since you sold your armor, you look just like every other pony out there. I'm sure the crystal ponies won't even know it's you!"

_______________________________________________________________________

As the party settled in the booth of the restaurant - Hope had found she had spoken too soon. Everyone, from the host-pony to the waiters, even the cooks all stopped what they were doing and stared. Sombra shifted uncomfortably in his seat as their gaze settled on him. Hope occupied the spot next to him and instinctively put her foreleg around him once more. A whim struck her, and then she took his hoof and put it to her swelling abdomen. Despite his earlier gloominess and the stares, Sombra's expression lightened. 

"It's almost time for our little foal to be born." She whispered. "It'll be either a handsome stallion like his father..."

"Or a beautiful mare like her mother." Sombra finished for her, giving her a nuzzle. He turned to the royal couple sitting opposite to them. "Shining Armor, Cadance - a question?"

"Of course." Cadance replied, utterly ignoring the stares around them.

"What were your first thoughts when your daughter was born?"

The royals looked at each other and grinned knowingly. 

"We were happy." Shining Armor said. "And while she was quite a hoofful when she was born, Flurry has been a joy in both our lives. And like I said before - fatherhood is amazing. And I'm sure your little foal will be just as much a blessing."

"I agree." Said Cadance. "Little Flurry has brought our family closer than ever before."

Hope nodded, suddenly glad that the royals had invited them to do this. Even Sombra seemed to be gladdened by their words. Suddenly she felt a gentle tap inside her. Then another. With a grin, she put Sombra's hoof to her stomach once more.

"Did you feel that, Sombra? The baby is kicking!"

Cadance and Shining Armor both flashed winning grins. "I remember when Flurry first started kicking." The princess said. "Being an Alicorn, she was naturally strong. Like her father."

Hope nodded. As she'd seen before, newborn Unicorns were a hoof-ful, but an Alicorn? That was a recipe for disaster. "I understand that little Flurry Heart had crazy magic when she was born." 

Both royals flushed. "Yes, unfortunately... she kind of... destroyed the Crystal Heart."

Sombra perked up and stared incredulously. "If that's so, then how is it we're all still here? The Crystal Heart is what keeps the frozen north from blanketing the Empire in ice and snow."

"Thanks to Sunburst, Twilight and the others, we were able to perform Flurry's Crystalling and prevent that very disaster from occurring." Cadance explained. "It happened while you and Hope were away."

"I see." Sombra said nodding. "The Crystal Heart is not an evil device, but it is dangerous. Take care. If it falls into the wrong hooves, it could very well be used against the Empire."

Hope stayed quiet throughout the discussion. She remembered the effect the heart had on Sombra - both in the distant past and just under two years ago. Even being in close proximity to it had very nearly destroyed him. Only through her and the help of the three Princesses was he saved. The very thought of it being used against the Crystal Empire made her shudder. But then, there was no way that could happen - not so long as Cadance and Shining Armor were there to protect it. 

All would be well. She just needed to have faith.

Leaning back into her chair, Hope watched and listened as her husband and the royals talked the night away. His melancholy quite forgotten for the moment, Sombra finally seemed to be enjoying himself. When the food came, Hope surprised all by her appetite. Shining Armor and her husband both stared as she downed plate after plate of berries and corn. But then, Sombra added with a laugh, she was eating for two!
__________________________________________________________________

Later that night - after all had been said and done - while they were readying for bed, Sombra abruptly put his hoof on Hope's shoulder, pulled her in for a hug and kissed her forehead.

"What was that for?" She asked, surprised, but delighted at the gesture.

"That's my way of saying thank you - for cheering me up." He said with a tired smile. "And for being you."
> Midnight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2: Midnight.

~Sombra POV~

A few months later.
___________________________________________________________________

It was probably a familiar scene that Shining Armor found himself in the day Hope went into labor; like him, Sombra was completely unprepared. A part of him was laughing at the irony of it all. He could devise ingenious traps and defenses to guard a powerful relic like the Crystal Heart - layers of careful planning, but he couldn't be ready for something as simple (or as admittedly terrifying) as the birth of his own child.

Hope was giving birth in the other room with Cadance, Twilight and Fluttershy as the sole witnesses - as it was a tradition that the father be absent until the delivery was complete. Shining Armor was his sole company in the meantime. The Prince was being unusually quiet for somepony normally so friendly and open. Perhaps it was the fact that he was sharing a room with the stallion that had been his greatest enemy. Or maybe it was the fact that Sombra had once frozen him in stone too.

Such a thought made him grimace. He had assumed that with Cadance being so open and welcoming, Shining Armor might come around at his wife's urging. But then, that might have been asking too much.

What came when Shining spoke was none of those things.

"I know what you're going through. It's tough; waiting for your newborn foal. You feel nervous and excited all at once - and then comes the urge to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off."

Sombra blinked. Quite the unusual phrase, but he supposed the prince was right. He was going through a plethora of emotions all at once; excitement, nervousness, happiness - even a twinge of fear. Giving birth was a complicated process, but he supposed that having Cadance around meant that Hope would be fine. Then there was the fact Hope was capable of powerful healing magic. But then, it wasn't just that, that caused him to worry. His foal would be known as the child of Sombra, after all. At least Flurry Heart would be their first friend, as per the royal's offer.

"Shining Armor." He said aloud, deciding to indulge his curiosity. "Do you remember when we first met?"

"Yeah." The prince said. "When you first returned in your... well, shadow form. We had a brief fight. What of it?"

"You tried to fight me, even though you knew you were outmatched. I'm sure you knew the story of how it took both royal sisters to vanquish me. Yet, you still tried. Why?"

"It's because I wanted to protect my family and friends." From his tone, it was as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Even if it meant losing my magic permanently. Which, thankfully proved not to be the case."

Sombra considered his answer for a moment. "And again, when you faced me in the Umbrum's mock trial. There was no hint of surrender on your face, even when it meant you would be turned to stone. You still refused to give them what they wanted."

Shining Armor nodded. "I knew you were going to turn me to stone anyway, which I forgive you for by the way." He waved a hoof dismissively. "But even if you hadn't, I'd still face it like a stallion."

"For your pride's sake?"

The prince shook his head. "No. For my family's sake. For my people's sake. When you serve in the royal guard - a thing like pride takes a back-burner. Unless it's showing pride in others for their accomplishments. Like when Twili - er, my sister became a princess."

Sombra considered his answer for a moment, then replied. "From what I gather, we're very much alike - you and I. But different in all the ways that matter."

Shining Armor tilted his head. "How so?"

"Everything about you tells the tale: Your attitude - your powers, your very name." Sombra paused a moment to let his words sink in. "I accepted my fate - and I was betrayed at every turn. Even when that betrayal included the mare that I loved. Yet, she never gave up on me. She believed in me. Helped me to find the right path. But you, you fought against fate - even if it was in vain. You never gave up - even in the face of great danger. And your loved ones have been beside you the whole way."

"Well, I've never believed in fate. " Shining Armor replied. "But yeah, you're right. Twilight and the others have fought against terrible odds before. Even when everything seemed lost, they still kept going. And we all turned out happy in the end. None of it would have been possible without them."

"What I don't understand is, why?" Sombra asked. Now came the hardest question of all. "Why did they persist? I know, it all turned out alright in the end - but how did they keep going, even when things looked to be at their bleakest?"

Shining Armor smiled. "It's because they had hope. They had faith in themselves and in each other."

Sombra returned the smile. "It's a strange thing; to hope against hope. But I suppose that's why we're here, isn't it? To see where this all going?"

"You're talking about Princess Amore, aren't you?"

Sombra slowly nodded. Shining Armor was a perceptive one. "Yes. I wonder if she'll forgive me after all I did. I wonder if the crystal ponies will ever forgive me. I've seen the way they stare - the way they still cling to the image of the old Sombra."

"Maybe it's time you did the forgiving, Sombra." Shining Armor put a hoof on his shoulder. "It doesn't do you any good to keep beating yourself up. I know, I did a bit of that after Chrysalis deceived me."

Sombra had heard of that incident. Before he had returned, at Shining Armor's wedding - the Changeling Queen had impersonated the bride and tried to take over Canterlot. Thanks to Twilight and the true Cadance, disaster was averted.

"I'm sure it was your wife that did the beating after the ceremony." Sombra said with mock outrage. "Nearly leaving her for the Changeling Queen? Even to a pony like me, that's cold."

"Did you just make a joke?" The prince's smile broadened. "Sombra has a sense of humor."

"Don't get used to it, prince." Sombra said. "It's not every day I get the urge to run around like a headless chicken."

Both laughed. It felt good to laugh again after such a long time. Now, Sombra could see why the crystal ponies adored their new royals so much.

The moment was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Through it stepped Cadance with the biggest grin on her face.

"Sombra, your child has been born." She announced. "It's a boy."
___________________________________________________________________________

Sombra, Shining Armor and Cadance walked through the doors and watched as Hope (looking very bedraggled) stood aside. Lying there, on the bed where Hope had been, wrapped in a swaddling cloth was a newborn Unicorn that like his father, had a grey coat. Whereas his father's mane was solid black - the baby's was lined with silver and purple streaks, like his mother. When the foal opened his large eyes for the first time, they were gentle blue like Hope's - practically glowing with the innocent curiosity of a newborn beholding the world for the first time.

The first thought that came through Sombra's mind when he looked at his son was similar to what he'd experienced when he met Radiant Hope - all those years ago. To put it mildly, it was love at first sight. 

"Have you decided on a name?" Cadance asked with a raised eyebrow and a grin.

"We were thinking... Midnight Shard." Sombra said as he nuzzled his snout close to the foal. Baby Shard's little hooves clasped his father's muzzle with a giggle - and a surge of warmth filled every portion of Sombra's being. 

"Our son." Hope whispered as she tiredly sauntered over and hugged him, which Sombra returned - tears welling in his eyes. For one long, wonderful moment - they were just parents and their child - and everything felt right.

"Of course you realize," Shining Armor said, "he's going to have power fluctuations and is going to need a lot of supervision. Having two powerful Unicorns as parents means that he'll likely be a hoof-ful. I know Flurry was."

"That's true, but compared to all the challenges we've faced, I think that this will be a piece of cake." Hope replied cheerfully. "And we have you two here as well. And little Flurry to be his first friend."

"Speaking of whom..." Shining Armor said as he started for the door.

While he was gone, Sombra looked at his son once more. My boy. He thought with a smile. My little Shard.

________________________________________________________________________________

Flurry quickly took to Shard, even if their introduction was a little funny. As was normal for all horses, he had learned to walk within a few hours of his birth - but even more surprising was that he learned to teleport too. 

Given that Flurry was already two by the time of Shard's birth, she had started to develop more of her personality. She giggled quite a bit at seeing him zip around the room with his parents trying (and failing) to keep up. Then he abruptly stopped in front of her - and their eyes met - and they both stared.

Then he sneezed with a high pitched neigh - and she responded with one of her own - much to their parent's worry. As Flurry's first sneeze had blasted through several floors of the Crystal Castle, they feared Shard's might have a similar effect.

As it turned out though, she had only faked it as a prank. She seemed to enjoy teasing her parents - a habit that nopony doubted she picked up from Pinkie Pie.

Over the course of the next few months, Shard's magical powers did indeed begin to manifest. Unlike Flurry's, (which had been destructive blast beams) - Shard's powers were more limited. He could heal wounds like his mother, which they discovered after he had accidentally teleported himself and his crib directly on top of Sombra. Then there was his unusually strong telekinesis - which sporadically caused the toys and furniture of his room to start levitating and dropping, (something which Flurry found endlessly amusing) - until his father put a stop to that by having everything nailed down.

Like Sombra, Shard's magical aura was blue, which he found to be strangely relieving - a sign that his dark power was now gone for good. A sign that things really were changing for the better.

Another came when he and Shard were at play in the parks - just outside the Crystal Castle - and for the first time the crystal ponies didn't stop and stare. It was simply him and his son enjoying the same games that he'd played with Hope when they were foals: Fighting dragons and rescuing a princess from her tower, (the princess in question being Flurry) - and teaching Shard the basics of magic and how to control it. Most of all though, Shard's favorite activity seemed to be digging for treasures in the sandbox. He had a penchant for finding lost toys and even sometimes gems for his first Dragon Bank.

He and Flurry seemed to be thick as thieves throughout their little treasure hunts. Even when they didn't find anything, (which was surprisingly rare) she kept a good attitude - almost always smiling and laughing. Her cheeriness and fun-loving attitude seemed to bring out the best in the otherwise quiet gentle-colt. Whether it was at play or studying - or the occasional visits from her aunt Twilight, the two were inseparable.

Time seemed to just fly by as the two grew closer and closer.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Four years passed. 

After her 6th birthday, the seal on Flurry's power was partially released - allowing her access to some of her innate Alicorn Magic, which meant that she now started to join Sombra and Shard in their training, another point which they bonded over. In time, the two families started to grow closer as well - and even Shining Armor and Cadance started to openly refer to Sombra and Hope as friends. 

One day, while they were having dinner - a modest meal of wheat, oats and crystal corn - Sombra decided to break a bit of news to the royals.

"You're leaving the Crystal Empire?" Cadance seemed to be in shock. "Why now of all times?"

"We need to finish our quest in reassembling Princess Amore." Sombra replied calmly. "Otherwise she'll remain shattered forever."

"But your son, Shard...-"

"Will be coming with us." He finished. "I have thought this through - and I think it's time Shard sees the world beyond the Crystal Empire's walls." Cadance gave him a strange look, one he recognized as concern. No doubt she was thinking of Flurry and how close she had become to Shard. Beside her, Shining Armor said little as he poked at his food. He had supported the two's budding friendship - and to hear that his daughter's closest friend was leaving must have been a shock.

"Come now, there's only a few more pieces left." Hope pointed out. "Just a few more - and we'll have restored the lost Princess."

"It's not that, that we're worried about." Shining Armor said. "It's that the Crystal Faire is only a few months away, and Flurry wants Shard to be there. If the faire goes on around her - all the crystal ponies having fun and her without her best friend - she'll be so disappointed."

"That's why we'll be back in time for the faire." Sombra promised as he trotted over to the prince and put a hoof on his shoulder. "This will be for the best - after all. I've put this off for too long. But, I promise, we will return in time."

"Best hurry then." Shining Armor said, giving him a pleading look that quickly turned stern. "I'd hate for Flurry to be disappointed. I imagine Shard would be too."

"Believe me, Shining Armor." Hope declared. "The last thing we want is for either of our children to be disappointed."

Indeed. Sombra thought darkly as he started for the door. As if being the son of Sombra wasn't enough reason to be disappointed.
> Into Winter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3: Into Winter.
~Hope POV~
______________________________________________________________________

The hardest thing that came with being a parent, Hope decided, was giving bad news. Hope had a reputation for being a dreamer - a natural optimist that always saw the better side to any situation. There was truth to that, she supposed, but then there were times where even she felt it difficult to see the brighter side. If there was one to this, it was like Sombra had said - that Shard would get to see more of the world outside the Crystal Empire's walls. Even so, separating a colt from his best friend would be difficult - especially when she made him smile and laugh as much as Flurry did.

Watching him now, aged four and at play with the princess in the crystal altar just made it that much harder.

Hope couldn't help but stop and stare as the two played at their little game of tag. Shard was trying (and failing) to keep up with Flurry as she flew around the room. Every so often he would stop and teleport directly in front of her - though she would simply return the favor directly behind him - and the game continued. Even if he was losing, Shard was laughing the whole way.

The last few years had changed them both - and for the better. Shard had grown to nearly rival Hope in height - and likely to grow even taller with time.  Flurry had grown as well - and her mane was longer and her little frame was starting to fill out in a way that made her resemble Cadance even more. What was most interesting was how her wings had grown with her - to the point where she could almost wrap them around her entire body. This made her an exceptional flier, but it also meant she had to spend extra time practicing with Rainbow Dash to control her speed. Then there was her other abilities as well - they had also increased as she grew. Her Earth Pony strength meant she had to learn muscle control from Applejack - and her Unicorn Magic from her aunt Twilight.

Come to think of it, Flurry had grown close to all the Element-Bearers, but was closest to her aunt and to Pinkie Pie. The former because of their magic training - and the fact that Flurry loved to read on the side - and the latter because of their shared high energy and eternally optimistic attitude. 

Yet, of all the ponies in the world - her very best friend was Shard. As Sombra had pointed out, the two were nearly inseparable.

"Shard, dear." Hope called as the two started a new bout of teleport-leap-frogging. "Come here, please."

"Yes, mother?" He asked as he abruptly stopped and turned to face her with a quizzical tilt.

"I've got something to tell you." Hope turned to Flurry as the filly approached as well. She gave the little Alicorn a smile. "Princess, can I speak to Shard alone for a minute?"

"But Miss Hope." Flurry protested with a voice and a look that Hope found almost impossible to resist. "We're playing - and we're having so much fun."

"I know, sweetie." Hope said gently. "But this is important."

"Okay." Flurry said. "Just don't take too long."

As she trotted away into the other room, Hope turned back to her son and took a deep breath. Now came the hardest part of all.

____________________________________________________________________________

~Shard POV~

It came less as a shock, more as a surprise when Mother told him that they were leaving. To any other colt, it would have been terribly upsetting - but Shard had already figured this wasn't going to be permanent. His parents might try to hide it, but they had often discussed something important when they thought he wasn't listening. Whenever he lay abed at night, his sharp ears could pick out individual sounds of conversation coming from the next room. Usually they were about his future or his magic training, but lately they were about somepony named "A More" or something. He had wondered who that might be for the longest time, even asked about it from Flurry, who asked her parents - as she had no clue. They remained oddly silent about it and told her they would explain when she was older.

Shard noted that was usually the excuse that grownup ponies had whenever something was really important, but to his young mind it just made it all the more fascinating. Exploring the unknown and uncovering hidden knowledge was what really drew him. That was why his favorite game to play with Flurry was "Archaeologist" - in which they'd try to find buried treasures or uncover the city's mysterious sites. Often they'd find Bits or pieces of junk that the Crystal Ponies left over or dropped, but those were boring finds. Occasionally they'd find something really interesting like rare gems or even one time a secret place beneath the palace that the Crystal Ponies claimed was haunted.

(It turned out later to be nothing more than a boring old wooden door, which Father sternly warned him never to open).

He figured that was why they had decided now of all times to leave with him. Because he was so good at archaeology and exploration, he might help them find whatever they were looking for. Clearly this "A More" had something that his parents wanted badly, so he figured it was only right he try to help them. Shard kept silent throughout her explanation - and she even filled in the blanks where they had left off during his eavesdropping - and by the time she was finished, Shard only had one question.

"Will we be back in time for the Crystal Faire?"

She nodded. "Yes, we will. Your father and I love the faire. It's the most beautiful sight in the world."

Shard smiled. That sounded awesome! The only way it could get better was if his best friend was there to enjoy it too. 

"So will Flurry be there too?"

"Of course, dear. She's the next Crystal Princess after all." Hope gave him a wry grin. "Don't get too eager, Shard. You're still young."

Shard blinked, confused. "What does that mean?"

She kissed his forehead. "I'll tell you when you're older." (That old excuse again. - thought Shard) "But for now, go and get your things. We're leaving tomorrow."

"Yes, mother."
________________________________________________________________________

Some time later, Shard was in his room of the crystal castle, gathering his few belongings when he heard a knock at the door. He opened it to find a tearful Flurry standing behind it. As soon as the door was opened, she rushed inside and embraced him, nearly knocking him off his hooves in the process. In between sobs she was blubbering questions in rapid succession.

"Why are you going away?" She asked, tightening her grip around his neck, threatening to choke the life out of him. "When are you coming back? Are you going away forever? Why are your parents so mean? Who is this 'Amore' person?"

"Flurry..." he managed in between choked gasps. "I...can't - breath!"

Embarrassed, she loosened her grip and stared at him. "Sorry." She said sheepishly.

"Don't be." He rubbed the back of his neck with one hoof.  "Calm down, Flurry. It's going to be alright. My mother explained everything; we're going to look for this 'Amore's' pieces - and we'll be back home as soon as we have the last one."

"But you're my best friend ever!" She blurted out. "I don't want to lose my best friend. What if something happens to you while you're away?" Her eyes started to well up for a renewed bout of tears.

"You're my best friend too, Flurry." Shard replied, suddenly feeling guilty. "But I'll be okay. Remember? It's me. I'm Shard, the Midnight Rider, the greatest archaeologist who ever lived!" He mimicked the pose he had made during their little play-pretend games - that of the brave stallion, the Midnight Rider - the hero that fought dragons and bug-bears and windigos and explored dangerous places. "I can use magic too, even if Father doesn't think I'm ready for more advanced stuff."

"I know." Flurry said, wiping away the tears with her hoof. "I guess you're right. Just remember to come back soon. The Crystal Faire is coming up - and I'd hate to be eating all that crystal corn alone." She nudged him with her knee. "I know it's your favorite!"

"Save some for me, would you?" He shot back. "I know you eat enough for three stallions!"

Both laughed despite their earlier sadness. Just like her self-proclaimed Auntie Pinkie, she was quick to get over her bouts of crying and returned to her usual happy self in no time at all. She was a little bit of a chatterbox, (like Pinkie) but that was what made her such a great friend. That and she always understood the games they'd play - even make up a few new rules for them on the spot that made it more interesting. But, just like Pinkie - she had a bit of difficulty being patient. Whenever her mind was made up about something she wanted, she usually got it.

"Like I said," Shard declared, "we'll be home in time for the Crystal Faire. Just wait for me, okay? I know how you get, but this time it's real important. Mother and Father said so. I'm sure your parents will say the same thing. Be patient - and what you want will be much more satisfying when you do eventually get it. That's what Mother always tells me." 

He thought of all the times that his parents told each other about how they had to be patient - as they only waited for him to be born for a thousand years, whatever that meant. They laughed about it every time - especially Father - like it was some kind of odd joke. What didn't make sense was that a thousand years was a really, really long time - and Shard was only four.

But then, that was funny for grownups - and for all that they said he was "wise beyond his years" he thought he'd never understand their humor.

___________________________________________________________________________


A full month of searching passed - and Shard knew they wouldn't be home in time for the faire. The problem wasn't knowing where the final piece was - (it was in the frozen north outside the Crystal Empire's borders) but that no matter how hard they tried, his parents couldn't retrieve it. According to Father, this one had lingering traces of something called "Dark Magic" that kept it from being found. Not that, that would be a problem anyway, even if there wasn't a spell on it - as the cold kept most ponies away.

The wind began to pick up around them, and Shard shivered despite the heavy winter coat his parents made him wear. Mother wrapped her foreleg around him and pulled him closer. Their shared body heat kept the worst of the cold at bay. Strangely though, his father kept on pushing forward - as if the weather didn't bother him at all. Even without any additional protection, he simply kept trudging through the thick snow with only his magic to guide their path.

"Sombra!" Hope called, raising her voice over the gusting wind. "See anything yet?"

"Nothing yet!" He called back. "Are you two alright?"

"We're alright, Father." Shard answered. He put a brave face on despite the cold. It wouldn't do any good to show his parents he was weak. Being the son of two powerful Unicorns - he figured that he had to be strong too. And then it would make a great story to tell Flurry when they got home. "A little cold won't stop us."

"That's my boy." Sombra said with a grin. "Come on, not much farther now."
> Amore
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 4: Amore.
~Sombra POV~
__________________________________________________________

Sombra led the way forward as they trudged onwards, shielding his face with his hoof against the blizzard. To anypony without proper winter gear, this would be difficult, if nigh impossible just to stand for more than a few minutes - yet his wife and son were holding on thanks to the protective spell he had cast for them - along with the coats he provided for them. 

In between stretches of searching miles of icy wasteland, his family took refuge in a system of caves they had found just outside the borders of the Crystal Empire. Although still cold and drafty, it kept them out the ice and snow. At night, the wind blew even more mercilessly - another reason to stay inside. Several times he had tried to venture out alone, but Hope insisted that she stay by his side - as did Shard. Once she had her mind set on joining him, there was no convincing her otherwise.

Just one more piece, he kept telling himself. And then Amore will be restored.

The problem therein was actually finding the darn thing.

A millennium ago, Sombra had cast a spell of concealment on the last piece, ensuring that nopony could detect the shard without using a level of Magic on par with his own - when he was at his height. It could still be found if one was persistent enough, but that would be difficult - especially since this was a place of eternal, unchanging winter. Things were not helped by the fact he had to use the majority of his power keeping the ice at bay - casting a protective energy shield around himself and his family that held out the wind. It meant he had to look with his eyes instead of trying to sense its presence. For all he knew, it could be a thousand miles away, or it could just be a few feet ahead.

The only solution then was to keep looking and keep hoping.

All the while, he could feel his family growing more and more miserable. Not that he blamed them, of course, but they had insisted on coming along and seeing this through to the end. It was for that, that he loved them - but it also meant they were suffering too.

Grimly, Sombra applied more power to the spell and expanded the shield a bit more - giving them a little more space to look.
__________________________________________________________________________

~Shard~

Ahead of him, Father put a bit more effort into the spell - expanding the shield's radius. Outside it, the winds blew fiercely - threatening to engulf him and his parents - or bury them under tons of snow. Yet still, Father kept at it despite the strain it was causing him. Several times, when it seemed the shield was faltering, Mother had cast a spell of her own - and each time the shield was renewed. A healing spell, Shard knew - meant to restore his stamina and help keep up his strength. Mother had said once that she specialized in such.

A part of him wished that he knew more advanced Magic. That way he might help with this search. He felt so useless. He was so foolish for asking to come along.

Before they had departed, Shard demanded that he go with them wherever they went - even if it was the coldest region of the north. Father had tried to refuse, of course, but Shard gave him that look that let him know he wouldn't let up. Gradually, his resolve weakened and he agreed - on the condition that he stay close to Mother at all times - and if there was any danger to immediately turn tail and run. Not that he intended on doing that, of course. There was no way that the Midnight Rider would ever run from a fight. Even if it was with the biggest, meanest Dragon in Equestria - he'd still do all he could to help his parents.

He just wished he could do more. Maybe if he tried his hoof at Magic...

Shard... A voice called over the wind, somewhere to his right.

Shard blinked, looking around. He could have sworn he had heard somepony say his name, but it hadn't been either of his parents - and there was nopony else in sight. Maybe the cold was slowing his wits. He kept on walking, silently. 

Shard... The sound came again. This time he was sure he had heard it. He tugged at his mother's leg. 

"Mother, did you hear that?"

"Hear what, sweetie?" She asked. "The wind?"

Shard shook his head. "No, not the wind. Somepony was saying my name."

"Sombra," Hope called to her husband. "Did you call for Shard?"

Father turned around and looked at him quizzically. "No, I didn't. Did you?"

"No." Hope answered. She looked back down at her son. "Who did you hear calling you, Shard?"

"I heard it somewhere around there." Shard said, pointing with his hoof in the direction he heard the voice from. "It sounded like a mare, I think. That way."

His parents exchanged glances. Suddenly the shield flared even brighter for a moment. Shard took that as a good sign - and without waiting for them to follow, he started off in that direction, his eyes scanning the icy tundra. Before he knew it, Father was following him.

"Hello?" Shard called over the wind, hoping that the voice's source would respond. "Are you there?"

No answer.

The wind started to pick up around them - and even Father's shield started to falter. 

Not one to give up, Shard raised his voice. "I can't help you unless you tell me where you are! Give me a sign or something!"

Still no reply. 

Behind him, Father sighed. "Maybe it was just the wind." He offered. "Come on, it'll be dark soon. We should head back to the shelter before then."

"Come along, Shard." Mother called after him. Before she could wrap her foreleg around him, Shard felt something - like a tingling sensation. Then came a realization. With that, he lowered his head, pointed his horn in that direction and invoked his Magic. The rush of power made him dizzy, but he held on - and his body felt like it was on fire, but he remained standing. The aura around his horn took on a bright green color - and a second later it shot through the snow, piercing the wind and layers of ice.

He looked up as the spell's energy was expended - his legs feeling like rubber.

And he found himself staring straight into the eyes of another Unicorn. Somehow, he could tell she wasn't all there - almost like a ghost.

She stood a full head and a half taller than him - and her coat was a soft shade of pink - as was her horn, though she had a long, curly red mane that stretched down almost to her hooves. A sky blue crown rested atop her head - along with what appeared to be a heart-shaped headpiece - and the Cutie Mark at her flank vaguely resembled a blue snowflake. When she opened her mouth to speak, no words came out - but a voice echoed in his head, light and soft and feminine. It sounded vaguely like Princess Cadance, but older and a little weary too.

You have done well, Midnight Shard.

"Who are you?" He replied, awestruck at the sight of the Unicorn. He bit his lower lip. "Are you Amore?"

Indeed. The ethereal unicorn replied. Though you may not understand it now, you have saved more than just your family. Your role in the coming battle is more important than you can possibly imagine.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, confused. "What battle?"

All will be explained. The voice and the unicorn started to fade away. For now, you and your family must return to the Crystal Empire. She will be waiting for you there.

There came a flash of light - so bright and intense that Shard had to shut his eyes against it. When he opened them, Amore had disappeared.

"Shard..." Father murmured behind him. "You might want to take a look at this."

He turned, finding himself staring face-to-face once more with Amore, only this time, she was frozen in stone. All the pieces that his parents had collected had somehow assembled right before him into the shape of the former unicorn. Both Mother and Father stood with their jaws agape at the sight. 

"Sombra, look." Hope said to her husband, smiling. "That's not all." She pointed at Shard. Sombra's expression turned from surprise to delight as he looked down at his son.

"Shard, it's your Cutie Mark!"

Shard's eyebrows shot up as he turned and examined his flank. His father had spoken truly - a mark had appeared: A gem with what appeared to be a magical aura surrounding it. It dawned on him suddenly that, that was his destiny. To find rare objects - and items of great importance. So that was why he was so good at Archaeologist!

"I could hear her voice in my head." He said. "She said something about ... how I was important." He struggled to remember the rest. "And she said to head back home to the Empire."

Sombra nodded. "That sounds good to me. Now that we have Amore's shards, we can finally restore her." He put his foreleg around his son and pulled him into a hug - tears forming in his eyes. "And of course, we have your Cute-Ceañera to plan as well. Hopefully it'll be in time for the Crystal Faire!"
> Out of the Cold
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5: Out of the Cold.
________________________________________________________________________

~Shard~

If there was one thing that Shard would remember in the years to come after he had found Amore's last piece, (besides the fact it was restoring a princess and earning his Cutie Mark in the process) it was just how much happier his father seemed to be. The gentle smile he had remained plastered on his face - even when the wind began to pick up again and made them all shiver. When they reached the ice cave they had stayed in for the last few days and decided to call it a night, he seemed utterly, palpably content. He and Mother agreed they would return home first thing in the morning with the Amore statue in tow.

Good thing too, as the Crystal Faire was only two days away and Flurry would probably be waiting anxiously for his return.

The thought of Flurry kept Shard up late that night - even when he rolled up into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. He wondered if she was thinking of him at that moment - but he realized it was far more likely that she'd be asleep. Being a princess meant that Flurry would soon have to start being groomed for her royal duties. That meant she would have little free time - though he supposed that, like her parents, she would still try to find time to spend with him whenever it was allowed. He was her best friend after all - and nopony could take that away from them. 

A terrifying thought entered his mind - one that made his heart beat faster all of a sudden. What if Flurry had made a new best friend while he was away!? Nopony could have more than one best friend - could they? Would that mean that Flurry would forget about him? Who would he play Archaeologist with, especially now that he had his Cutie Mark?

What am I saying?, he thought as he calmed down; taking several deep breaths. Princess Twilight had five best friends - and a Dragon for an assistant after all, though he wondered which of them was the closest to her. At least she kept them all close - and if Cadance's stories were real, they had saved Equestria dozens of times over - always together. According to Twilight, their bond was unbreakable - which meant they'd all stay best friends forever.

Shard wondered if what he shared with Flurry was the same. An unbreakable bond - best friends forever. But then, forever was a really long time - even longer than the thousand years joke that his parents told each other.

The more that Shard thought, the harder it became for him to fall asleep. Soon he couldn't bear to keep his eyes shut. With a sigh, he sat up and looked around the cave. It was the same as it had always been the last few days: Cold and full of ice crystals of every color that glinted in the dim light of the protective magical field that Father had cast to keep out the worst of the blizzard. Mother said it was beautiful - saying that it reminded her of the Crystal Faire when the Empire lit up with light and love - and reflected off every surface.

"Shard?" Mother said, stirring from her sleeping bag. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Nothing, Mother." He replied. "I just can't sleep. I keep thinking about Flurry."

She smiled. "My boy is growing up so fast."

Shard stared. "What does that mean? I'm four years old. Of course I'm growing up."

Hope laughed. "I guess you'll just have to figure it out for yourself." With that, she stood up and trotted over to him - then she sat down. "So, tell me - what's on your mind?"

He hesitated. He tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat. Usually he felt he could come to his mother for anything. This time though, he wondered if she'd really understand. She was best friends with father her whole life before she married him, she had explained - which wasn't all that different than having a best friend. It just meant they lived and slept together and had Shard. 

(When one time he asked where he came from, indeed, where all foals came from, he got the same response that he'd be told when he was older.)

"I'm just wondering..." he began awkwardly. He swallowed hard and gathered himself. "If Flurry's alright. She's my best friend after all. Being a Princess can be lonely - especially when she's going to one day be in charge of a whole Empire. What if she's forgotten about me? What if she gets..." he gulped. "...a new best friend?"

Mother put her foreleg around his shoulders. "Shard, my son. You..." He held his breath in anticipation for what came next. "...have nothing to worry about."

He exhaled sharply and looked up. "How do you know?"

"I met your father when I was a foal. He became my very best friend - and even though we..." she hesitated a moment, "spent time away from each other for a long time, we still remained the best of friends. When we met again, Sombra and I still loved each other. And do you know why? Because we both had hope that everything would turn out alright. And it did. Your father proved he was still the stallion I loved when he decided to search for Princess Amore and took me along with him." She looked down at him. "When a stallion and a mare love each other - that's when they have foals. The exact process... well, that's going to have to wait."

"Why?" Shard asked, curious.

"Because that's a grownup discussion and you really don't want to hear it at your age."

"If you say so, mother."
_______________________________________________________

~Flurry~

Waiting for Shard was the hardest thing that Flurry had ever done. In the first few days after he'd left, she barely spoke to anypony. Food offered was barely touched. She often sat in her room, staring out the window at the horizon - hoping for the day when the train would return - carrying Shard and his family.

A full month passed without result and Flurry became more and more worried. She had tried to appeal to her parents to send a detachment of the royal guard to search for Shard - but they declined, stating it was more important to keep faith.

"And if I know Sombra..." her father had said before he put a hoof on her shoulder. "-He's probably on his way home right now."

It made her feel a bit better - to the point where she started eating for real again, but another week passed without word. Finally, the day came when she decided enough was enough and made a startling announcement to her parents right in the throne room. Fortunately, none of the court was in attendance - as she'd asked for a private audience.

"You want to go to the frozen north?" Shining Armor exclaimed. He stomped his hoof. "Absolutely not!"

"Why not? I'm an Alicorn and a Princess. I can go wherever I want." Flurry protested.

"You are strong, Flurry, but even you can't stand up to that blizzard." Said her Mother. Cadance stirred and looked to her husband for support.

"The frozen north is a dangerous place." He urged. "Even Celestia and Luna working together could barely slow its advance. That was when you... well, accidentally...-" He trailed off for a moment, as if embarrassed at the memory.

"Destroyed the Crystal Heart." Flurry finished for him with a nod. "I know. Hope said that Mother told her that story."

Ignoring the surprised look that her father gave her mother, Flurry trotted closer to her parents and looked straight into her father's eyes. Like hers, ponies often said, they were gentle blue and full of innocence. Yet there was also a firm, unyielding quality to them now. Shining Armor knew how to be an excellent parent - and Flurry loved him for that. And he knew how to be a wise Prince, and the Crystal Ponies loved him for that. Yet, he didn't understand what it meant to have lost a best friend.

Every day since Shard's departure, Flurry felt strangely... empty. Like a piece of herself had gone missing.

"Please, Daddy?" Flurry asked again - in a voice that she knew her father would have to agree to. She completed the effect with wide, misty eyes. "Shard is my very best friend. I'm really worried about him."

For a long moment, her father hesitated and looked to his wife. She sat on her throne with a guilty expression - biting her lower lip and averting her eyes. Shining Armor looked back at her - his eyes almost a mirror image of his daughter's. His face had grown lined from stress - still handsome despite his age. Rather like Shard, she noticed, but in a different way. Where Shining Armor's face and muzzle was long and pointed - Shard's was square - almost blocky in its shape, but that just made him more striking, especially when he smiled. When he smiled it lit up his whole face - making him positively glow with happiness.

Unfortunately, there was no smile on her father's face. Had there been, Flurry would have joined in - as she loved to make her parents happy. His jaw clenched and his heavily lidded eyes narrowed in resolve.

"No, Flurry." 

Just two words - and instantly all her hopes went down in flames. She understood why he had said no, but that didn't ease the pain - nor did it stop her tears from falling. A sharp hiss of breath and she turned away from her father - tears streaming down her cheeks. Without another word, she stormed out - ignoring her parents' protesting calls.

It's not fair! She thought, despairing. It's not fair! It's not fair!

She galloped through the corridors until she reached her room. With a single bolt of magic, she forced the door open - ran through and slammed it shut. Locking the bolt behind her, she sank to her hind legs in grief.

___________________________________________________

Several hours later and all her tears had dried, though she was sure her eyes were bloodshot from crying, her mind had cleared. She had sat first on the floor - weeping, but gradually moved to the well furnished bed in the corner of the room while she thought out a plan. In the space of all the time that had passed since her confrontation with mother and father, nopony had disturbed her. Likely they thought to give her space - that she needed time alone to come to terms with her grief. Therein lay her only hope to see Shard again, or to find out if he really was okay.

She knew it meant disobeying her parents, but it was worth it. This was her best friend - and she was going to help him - one way or another. To any other pony, the most difficult part of all this would be making her mother and father understand - but given who they were, she knew they would. They rarely ever stayed mad at her - even in the worst of times. They liked to jest that compared to her Crystalling where she nearly froze the Empire - nothing could possibly upset them. And if she were to get caught in the act - at best, they'd only scold her for making them worry. At worst, she would be confined to her room for a few days. 

It took her a fair few hours to get everything she needed for the journey ahead - but she knew that traveling to the frozen north would be the hardest undertaking of her young life - and Alicorn or not, if she was unprepared - she would not survive. Remembering a lesson from Aunt Twilight, she had made a mental list of everything to pack for a cold journey. 

Loading everything she would need into a bag, she tied it with a flourish of her telekinesis. Thanks to Rarity, her control of that branch of Magic was pinpoint.

When she was ready, Flurry approached the window - but before she opened it, she hesitated. A whim struck her and she obeyed. Levitating a quill and paper - she wrote down a letter. When it was finished, she sealed it and placed it on her bed. 

Turning back to the window, she opened it and squeezed her body through. It was a tight fit, especially given how wide her wings had grown, but she managed. Once outside on the sill, she spread those wings and took flight. In an instant, the cold night wind began to blow through her mane - and her sharp eyes could make out individual scenes across the city from high above. Here and there, she glimpsed Crystal Pony couples out for a late-night trot. Others, like the merchants were packing up their wares of fruits and crystal flowers. Every so often in the alleys, she could make out the scenes of colts and fillies at play - making trouble as all young foals did.

Rather like Shard and herself, she mused as she turned north and picked up her speed.

___________________________________________________________________

~Shining Armor~

He stood for what seemed an eternity in front of Flurry's door, waiting for the sound of his only daughter's tears to subside. When it finally did, he realized he had nearly fallen asleep standing up. Then there was only silence. He started to approach the door and stopped to gather his thoughts. Flurry had grown into a willful filly - not unlike her father - and to a slightly lesser extent, her mother. Unlike Cadance though - Flurry didn't quite grasp the idea of compromise. She had no trouble seeing the brighter side of a bad situation - but when it came down to matters close to her heart, she was all emotion and little restraint. But then, that was what it meant to be young - and to have a crush.

He didn't doubt that what his daughter felt for Shard was growing to be more than simply friendship. Powerful that link might be, its older twin was something his wife presided over - and he shared with her as well. He recognized the telltale signs that the little Princess was starting to fall for the colt - much in the same way that Cadance had for him all those years ago. It wasn't something that bothered him, truth be told, but it was a matter that complicated their relationship quite a bit. 

Shining Armor had always tried to be the best parent he could, but Flurry was growing up now. She was a filly - fully six years old - and nearly at the age when she'd start to dream about fairy tales romances. Once she made up her mind about Shard, there would be no hope of changing her mind. At the very least, he thought to explain that real love was patient - that it took time - but there was a lingering feeling that told him that this was going to be anything but easy. 

No doubt she had locked her door tight, but being the former Captain of the Guard and now a Prince had advantages. A simple spell of unlocking, followed by his hoof to the knob and the door swung open easily.

"Flurry, dear? It's me." He announced. "I just wanted to see how you were..." he trailed off as he poked his head around the door.

An empty room greeted him. The window was open - and there was no sign of his daughter.

"Flurry?" He called, suddenly beset by panic. "Flurry, are you here!?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught glimpse of a rolled up scroll. Hoof trembling, he took it and opened it - his eyes flying across the page. Definitely Flurry's magic-writing.

Father,

I know I disobeyed you, but I have to know if Shard is okay. 
I promise, I will return as soon as I'm able. 
I have this feeling that if I leave now, I might catch up to him. 
He's good at finding things. 
Maybe he'll find me before I find him.
Whatever happens, please don't send the guard after me - and don't try to find me. 
I want to show that I can handle this on my own. 
I am an Alicorn - and a Princess.

Please understand.
Love to Mother and to my Aunt Twili.
Flurry."

Shining Armor looked over the letter once more to ensure he had read it right, then bolted through the door - fast as his legs would carry him - his mind afire with worry and doubt.

Flurry had run away into the frozen north.

The frozen north.
> The Future Story
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6: The Future Story.

~Flurry~

The hardest part of traveling through the frozen north, Flurry decided, wasn't the cold or the wind - or how your breath would freeze in your lungs whenever you inhaled. It was trying to see where you were going - as simply navigating two or three feet ahead was next to impossible, especially at night. And as if flying blind and deaf weren't enough, she hadn't quite mastered weather control, but she guessed that wouldn't have made much difference, even if she were on par with Rainbow Dash. This was a place where the laws of nature were completely out of all control. Even flying in it felt wrong. No wonder her parents had warned her about it - and why it was taking Shard and his family so long to return.

Her wings started to freeze up in the wind - and so she landed and took to the ground. It was marginally easier than trying to fly and steer her way through gale force wind - but it was still trudging through flank-deep snow. Her Earth-strength and muscle training with Applejack meant she could push herself further and longer than any normal filly, but even that had limits. Strong as Alicorns were, the elements were stronger still.

Yet, despite all the obstacles she still remained determined to find her friend. Shard was the kind of pony that you just never wanted to give up on - no matter how far away. The emptiness she felt from his absence was gnawing away at her.

Abruptly, she found herself stumbling by a particularly strong wind. The next thing she knew, she was tumbling down a shaft she hadn't seen. A fissure in the ice, beneath which was a yawning chasm - leading into darkness. The utter lack of light made it impossible to see where she was going, but she felt solid ground beneath her hooves and tried to steady herself. It was a futile struggle to keep her balance, though, given the slippery slope beneath her.

Flurry came to a stop just as abruptly as she fell - in what she guessed was an ice cave a few dozen feet beneath the surface. A quick shake of her head to get the snow out of her eyes and mane - and she stood up. An illumination spell and she could see where she was going. The light reflected off the ice-crystals in a number of different colors - nearly blinding her. A quick adjustment of the spell and she could see where she was going.

She stood in the middle of a vast, naturally formed cavern situated beneath the glaciers. Narrow, jagged rock formations and smaller caves leading into darkened corners were all that waited to greet her.

No way back unless it's through that blizzard. She though glumly. Then another thought gave her hope. Perhaps Shard and his family are here!

With that, she started onwards - choosing the largest of the caves with her magic guiding the way.

_____________________________________________________

~Shard~

Before he knew it, Shard's parents woke him bright and early, just like they promised. Only one day left before the Crystal Faire - and he had every intention of getting home before then. Back to Flurry and back to normal.

He paused at that thought. Normal? Amore had said something ominous - about some kind of role he had to play. Would everything really go back to normal after somepony said something like that? It wasn't every day you were told you had a great destiny ahead of you, got your Cutie Mark and found the pieces of a long missing Princess - all in the same day. Surely the other fillies and colts would think he was weird if he said that all that had happened in a single day. Not to say they didn't already. Being the son of Sombra meant he had difficulty making friends, but at least he still had Flurry.

As he picked up the last of his things, Shard looked up, just as a strange sound echoed throughout the cavern. Like rocks falling, though that wasn't too unusual - Father had said on their first day. The glaciers were constantly shifting and moving - and so any sounds they made would probably be loud. What was odd was that he could swear he heard another noise as well - like somepony crying out.

"Shard, come on." Father beckoned, lifting his bag with his telekinesis. "No time to rest now. We've got to get an early start."

Silence now. Maybe it was just his imagination. With a shrug, Shard picked up his own bag and started after them.

______________________________________________________

~Flurry~

The cave turned out to be much larger than she had anticipated - and much draftier. At times, she could have sworn she heard voices - but it turned out to just be the wind. An hour or so of fruitless searching and she stopped to rest in a particularly large hole. There was no way to know just how far this cave system extended, but she must have walked a mile and a half. 

Before she knew it, she had found her way back to the central cavern she had started in - and she whinnied in frustration. All that effort for nothing!

She was about to turn away when the glow of her magic caught on a wall nearby. Then there came the unmistakable gleam of gems - sapphires specifically. Turning back around, Flurry increased the intensity of the glow and beheld a strange yet beautiful sight.

A mural.

The sapphires formed the outline of what appeared to be... the Crystal Heart? Strange coincidence. The Heart was said to be an ancient artifact of extraordinary power - far older than even the Empire itself. Yet, the mural seemed to have a hairline crack in the middle - right through the cave wall. The crack appeared recent, as if something had slashed right through it. Yet that would require an extremely sharp blade of some kind.

As she looked further along, the mural depicted other images as well. What appeared to be a battle of some kind - as there was a massive herd or army of ponies - Earth Ponies and Pegasi, led by what seemed to be some kind of ancient Unicorn, the color of which was not easy to tell. The longer she stared - the more the image seemed to shift and change. What they were fighting against was obscured by some kind of black cloud. From the swirling patterns drawn into it, this was not natural darkness - like Great-Aunt Luna's. This was black magic of some kind - and the light of her horn seemed to diminish when it shined on the cloud. In fact, the longer she stared into it, the more it seemed to pull her into its depths.

A few more minutes and some further searching and she found and pieced together the rest of the story drawn on the adjacent walls.

The ancient ponies lived in peace and prosperity - from the first drawing. Then came the black cloud. Where it came from, nopony knew - but it devoured their homes and spread all over Equestria - bringing cold and unnatural darkness. All the ponies that touched it were changed somehow... transformed into horrific parodies of their former selves. Then rose a powerful Unicorn they rallied behind. With the Crystal Heart in their possession, the shadows were driven back. Yet, they were not truly defeated. Only imprisoned. Nevertheless, the ponies rejoiced and built their homes around it.

When she looked upon the drawing of the Heart again, it hit her. The ancient Unicorn must have been Princess Amore, her ancestor - and this must be the story of the Crystal Empire's founding!

Before she could figure out what that meant, she noticed the story continued on another side of the wall. Looking closer, she caught a glimpse of what appeared to be six, no, seven ponies of all three tribes standing around the Heart - only this time it had changed. Only instead of its gentle blue color - it was now a fearsome black and grey. Yet, despite the ominous depiction - the next part of the drawing was incomplete. Like somepony had only half finished making it.

What was shown was an ominous looking castle of some kind - surrounded by jagged cliffs and peaks ... but what did that mean? Where was this strange place - and why did it look so oddly familiar?

Come to think of it, it looked oddly like Canterlot - only... different somehow. Changed maybe. The picture was incomplete - as it only showed part of the castle - not the top tower where Great-Aunt Celestia often raised the sun from.

With a shrug, Flurry turned away - figuring that it was just some old drawing. Still, it was a interesting find - one she would simply have to share with Shard when she returned with him!

She got no more than two steps forward before she heard a sound. It was faint, but it quickly grew louder. Then came the sound of heavy breathing, all around.

"Who's there?" She called, suddenly frightened. Her voice carried and echoed through the cave.

No answer came. Only deep breathing...and then a sound she recognized as laughter.
> The Lurking Horror.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

~Chapter 7: The Lurking Horror~
___________________________________________________________

~Flurry~

It came less as a surprise, more of a shock when Flurry heard the sound of laughter echoing across the walls. Somepony was down here - and she found the voice to be oddly familiar, but was still one she didn't recognize. Deep, gravelly - bordering on guttural and with an unusual echoing quality to it. What was else, this wasn't the kind of laughter that anypony would find joy or humor in. Oh no, this was an ugly sound.

"Who's there?" Flurry repeated, her eyes darting from one end of the cavern to another as she fell back against the wall. She could only see twisting shadows from the glow of her horn. "Who are you?"

"Someone from the dark." The voice answered. A shape flitted across the edge of the glow - just outside her field of vision - then vanished before she could follow it. "And who are you, little filly?"

"I'm Fl-Flurry Heart." She replied, trying to stand upright and be brave - but her voice was shaky. She mentally slapped herself. She was a princess after all. "Daughter of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance."

The voice answered back, "I know of them. But I did not know they had a daughter." A pause. Then she felt very cold - as if somepony was baring into her very soul. "You are an Alicorn, I see."

"Yes." She said, confidence rising. If this unknown... well, thing knew her parents, then chances were they were a friend. However unlikely. "And I'm the heir to the throne of the Crystal Empire. But you haven't answered my question. Just who are you?"

"Someone that your father is quite familiar with. As is your... Great Aunt, Celestia." The voice sounded almost sad at that statement. When it spoke again, an edge of suspicion crept into its tone. "Why have you come to this place?"

"I came looking for my friend." She explained, remembering her purpose. "His name is Midnight Shard, the son of Sombra."

The voice seemed to be in shock. "Sombra!?" The name echoed through the cavern, loud as a thunderclap - so much that Flurry felt her ears ache. "Sombra is here? Where is he!?" The voice boomed, now unbearably loud. "WHERE? TELL ME!"

"I don't know..." Flurry said in a small voice. She bit her lip. "I just found these old drawings. I don't know if he really is here or not." 

Silence now. For several minutes, Flurry sat there - staring into the darkness with a growing sense of trepidation.

"Are you... alright?" She asked meekly. "Did I upset you?"

The voice seemed amused. "Upset me?" An unsettling chuckle. "Little filly, you should know your friend is the son of a betrayer."

"Betrayer?" She felt a sudden rush of anger and confusion in equal measure. She leaned forward - minutely driving the shadows back. "Sombra is a brave, honorable pony - and he's working to be better!" Ominous voice or not, nopony was going to disrespect her friend's father like that!

Another chuckle. For the briefest of moments, she could make out the gleam of what appeared to be fangs reflected in her horn's glow, making the shadowy figure even more foreboding. Oh, if only she hadn't asked her father to read her all those monster stories! Those were filly stories and always ended happily, but this wasn't a story. This was real. Whatever lurked in the darkness was very real - and clearly it had some kind of grudge against Sombra.

Her mind pieced it together. Sombra had once called himself the King of the Monsters. This thing called him a betrayer.

"Are you an...Umbrum?" She asked hesitantly.

"Umbrum?" The voice sounded curious now. As if the word was foreign to it. "No. But I know of them. And Sombra was once their champion. Do you know this?" It didn't wait for her to answer. "You are young and naive. There is much you do not yet comprehend. Well, no matter." The voice seemed to be fading now, as if its owner was moving away. "When you see him again, give Sombra this message: He has proven fate can be changed one way. Perhaps it can change back. Farewell, little princess. We will meet again."

"Fate can be changed? What does that mean?" Flurry asked, but somehow, she knew the source of the voice was gone. The tension in the air seemed to lessen. Even her magic's pale glow seemed brighter now that the figure in the shadows was gone. With that, she decided it was time she left too. Her parents would probably have found out she was gone by now - and they would be worried sick.

As she started back the way she came, her eyes scanning for any other lurking dangers, a single thought kept repeating in her mind. Just who, or what was that thing?
______________________________________________________________________

~Shining Armor~

In the years between his daughter's birth, Crystalling and now - Shining Armor had never dreamed he would revisit the Frozen North, much less lead a squad of his finest troops into the thick of it. These were, hooves down, the very best soldiers in the Crystal Empire. Unlike the rank and file troops that were meant for lesser duties like patrols, guard-duty and the like, these were combat-trained and meant for high risk missions where only the elite would have the slightest hope of succeeding. Even if he ordered them to charge straight into the meanest Dragon's lair or try to take on a Bug-Bear single-hoovedly, they would do it without hesitation. Their discipline meant that they scoured the icy wastes without a word of complaint or even so much as a shiver.

Their mission now was quite simple - Locate Flurry or Sombra and bring them back to the Crystal Empire where her mother now waited for them. After which, Shining and Cadance's mission as her parents began: Ground Flurry for the rest of her life.

Well, maybe that was a little too harsh. A month or two might suffice. Flurry was willful after all - and she had a growing infatuation with young Shard. Understandable, given that was probably what Cadance was hoping for when she came up with the idea of introducing them, but never in Shining's wildest dreams did he imagine that Flurry would throw herself into something like this over it.

Returning to the matter at hand, he was about to order his troops to regroup when one of them signaled to him.

"Captain Armor!" A pair of Pegasus guards named Search and Rescue called over the gusting wind. "We think we've found something!"

"What is it?" Shining asked, trotting over.

"A cave of some kind, it looks like." Search replied, pointing with his hoof - down at what appeared to be a deep crevice in between the glaciers. "It appears to lead quite a long way down."

"Good work, Search." Shining said. "Any sign of Flurry?"

"No, sir." Rescue replied. "But if there was a place anypony would want to be staying out of the cold, this would be it."

"If I were to take a guess," Search said, "this hole would appear to be about twenty-thirty stories down. It leads right into a narrow space in between the ice formations. Good protection against the wind and the snow. What's more, I can definitely smell something foul down there."

Shining nodded, knowing better than to doubt them. 

The only members of the squad that were twin brothers (or indeed related by blood) - Search had an uncanny gift for tracking - while Rescue had nerves of steel and never-say-die spirit that made him well suited to the task. Normally it was close to impossible to tell them apart given they looked almost exactly alike - especially when in their armor, except for their Cutie-Marks. Search's resembled a skylight, whilst Rescue's was a lifeboat.

Whether their parents had conveniently named them for their talents or not, Shining would never know.

"Hold on, sir." Search said. "I can hear something approaching."

"You're quite the blood-hound, brother." Said Rescue wryly. "If only you were born a dog instead of a Pony."

"Shut up." Search muttered. He leaned his head closer to the crevice's opening. "I can hear the beating of wings. Powerful wings."

As if on cue, the three stallions were surprised to see a white and purple blur zip past them and ascend into the sky. Before any of them knew what was happening, that same blur landed right in front of them with such impact force that it scattered the snow around it.

Shining opened his mouth in shock as his daughter appeared before him - safe and sound. A little dirty from what he guessed was a nasty fall, but otherwise completely unharmed. When she saw him, she gave him a look that was a mixture of sadness, pain, even a hint of fear too. He wondered what she could possibly be scared of, but that thought was soon lost as fear and protective instinct gripped him tight.

"Father," she began slowly as she seemed to notice the sternness on his face. "I know I disobeyed you - and for that, I am sorry." 

"Are you hurt?" He rushed forward and put his forelegs around her.

"No, just a little rattled."

"Good." Shining Armor felt relief wash over him before it was quickly replaced by anger, so swift and intense he nearly choked on it. "Then you are in SO. MUCH. TROUBLE!!!"

He was about to chastise her further when he saw the tears forming in her eyes. The splitting image of his own, he immediately felt guilty for it.

"I am sorry, Father." She said, lowering her head. Her voice had taken on a whimpering tone. "Please, I just wanted to find Shard again. That's all. I never meant to make you mad."

A split second later and Shining Armor wrapped his legs around his daughter and embraced her tightly. Before he knew it, tears had formed in his own eyes; though they froze before they could leave his cheeks.

"I was just so worried about you." He said in between sniffles. "So was your mother. I know you care about Shard, but you have to think before you act, Flurry. If something happened to you... I'd never forgive myself."

She pulled away and looked up at him, concerned. "Why? You didn't do anything. I did. I ran away from home."

"You're my only daughter, Flurry." Shining replied, wiping the icicles from his eyes with a hoof. "I love you and your mother more than anything. And as a Captain - as your father and Cadance's husband, I'd have to keep you all safe."

She nuzzled him again, putting her head against the barrel of his chest - her legs wrapping around his back in a great hug. He returned it gladly and held her for what seemed like hours, though truth be told it was only a few minutes.

"I love you too, Daddy." She whispered. "And I promise, I won't run away again."

"Good." He said, feeling his anger bleeding away. "Now come on, let's go home. I'm sure that Shard and his family will be there by now."

"There's a problem, Captain." Said Search, gesturing to the wasteland around them. "The wind's picking up. Without air recon, there's no way of knowing which way to go."

"And without knowing how far we are from the Empire, there's no way of knowing where to send a distress signal." Said Rescue. "But I'm sure you'll find a way out of this."

"You're quite the idealist, brother." Muttered Search. "But then, you have gotten us through worse, Captain."

"Right." Said Shining, wondering only for a moment if that was sarcasm or not before deciding he didn't care. "Where do we start? We can't teleport, because we can't see where we're going. You two can't fly in this blizzard - and this weather is too erratic and uncontrollable." He looked down at his daughter as an idea formed. "Flurry, have you any ideas?"

"You're asking me?" Flurry asked, incredulous. "I'm only six years old!"

Ignoring the snickers of the guards, Shining leaned down onto one bended knee and looked at Flurry straight into her eyes.

"You're an Alicorn and a Princess. If you're going to one day lead the Crystal Empire, you need to know how to get out of a bad situation. From here on out, we'll follow your lead."

____________________________________________________________________________

~Flurry~

It came more of a surprise, less as a shock when Father told her they would follow her lead. Even Search and Rescue looked at each other in surprise when it became apparent that he was sincere. He really was going to ask her for advice! Even after the way she disobeyed him and made him worry.

"Okay, first thing..." She struggled to remember her lessons from Aunt Twili. "First thing is stay calm."

He nodded. "Good. Next?"

"Next, we need to figure out a plan of attack." It slowly started to come back to her. "Know our enemy and ourselves."

"Keep going." Said Father, giving her a grin. "What's next?"

"This weather's too erratic as you said. Too uncontrollable. Normal Pegasus weather control won't do it. We'll need to... improvise."

Again, both guards exchanged glances. 

"Captain," began Search, "are you sure this is a good...-"

He was interrupted when Flurry abruptly fired a beam of magic just past his shoulder - so close it nearly singed a few hairs off his coat. His eyes went as wide as dinner plates. 

"...idea?" Rescue finished for him with a grin.

"What are you doing, highness?" Search asked, more surprised than frightened at the display.

"I want to try something." Flurry said, narrowing her eyes and readying another beam. "Just give me a second. I need to concentrate. This is a lot harder than it looks."

"Easy, Flurry." Her Father urged. "Aim the beam where you want it to go with your horn. Line it up with your sight and release, just like I taught you. Whatever you're trying to do, I believe in you."

"Thank you, Father." She said before she shut her eyes. With that, she concentrated - feeling the wellspring of power deep within her. The core of her energy - it was like trying to force a lake through a straw, but she managed to channel that power into something far more focused than her usual wild blasts. From Aunt Twili, she learned advanced magics and to concentrate that power through her horn. 

The fact she was an Alicorn meant she had enormous magical reserves, but it also meant she had to balance it out with the other two pony aspects. This time though, she felt the three sides in perfect harmony with each other. Her Earth Pony magic meant she could feel the ground beneath her hooves - even though it was buried under tons of ice and snow. From it, she drew strength and steadiness. From Applejack she had learned to keep her balance and learn to anchor herself in place for casting particularly powerful spells - and to 'feel' the material of the ground under her. With all that strength running through her - she felt as stout and immovable as a mountain - and no matter how much the wind howled, the mountain would not be moved.

Finally the Pegasus part of her could feel the ebbs and flows of wind - the varying speeds and humidity in the air. The fact it was so cold meant it was harder to sense, but she remembered a trick from Rainbow Dash.

"Remember, ice is just frozen water." She had insisted. "Ice melts in the sun. Even if you can't control the weather, you can still buck the clouds and make it sunny again!"

With that, she took aim at the clouds and let it rip. 

A massive beam of golden light fired from her horn - shooting past the stunned guards and Father - straight into the sky. It connected with the first cloud and immediately dispelled it into vapor, though it didn't stop there. The beam kept going and going - piercing and dispelling every cloud until it was out of sight - its energy expended. It took a few moments for Flurry to stand upright, but the effect was immediate. 

The wind had slowed to a crawl. The clouds were parting and allowed a bit of sunlight to shine down on them - making it clearer. And when she stood up - Flurry realized she was standing in a puddle of newly melted snow. Cold water pooled at her hooves.

"That was amazing!" Both guard twins said in unison.

"How did you do that?" Asked her Father. "Even Celestia and Luna couldn't do that!"

"It just came to me." Flurry said cheerfully. Then she turned her expression serious. "Now come on, we've got to get home before the storm comes back."

"Flurry..." Said Father abruptly, his mouth agape. He pointed to her flank with a hoof. "Look."

There, newly formed on her flank was a Cutie Mark unlike any she had ever seen: A pair of wings outstretched over a heart made of clouds - and just beneath the heart, there was what appeared to be a half-moon and a half-sun.

"My Cutie-Mark!" She exclaimed. "But what does it mean?"

"It's the Crystal Faire today." Said Father. "And tonight will be the night of a lunar eclipse."
> All is Revealed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 8: All is Revealed.
________________________________________________________________

Finally the day came for the Crystal Faire - Sombra and his family arrived home right in the middle of Shining Armor's welcoming speech. Some among the audience would later whisper that it was fate. 

Others said it was intentional. 

Very few actually cared.

Making their way through the crowd with the newly assembled statue in tow, they must have made a strange sight. But from the gasping faces and the bright smiles on many of the Crystal Ponies when they recognized the form as their lost Princess, it was not an unwelcome one. By the time they reached the Crystal Altar, many started to whisper that this was the moment they had waited for so long for.

"Citizens of the Crystal Empire," Sombra announced as he turned about - looking out over the crowd. "Lend me your ears!"

Silence now. Everypony in the Empire must have turned up for this event - and every single one of them was looking up at their former King. Some, especially the older ponies in the crowd started to shift uncomfortably as memories of his rule started to resurface, but out of the corner of his eye, he could make out the sight of Flurry and Shard exchanging smiles and a quick hug. That alone gave him the confidence he needed. That, and Hope's hoof on his shoulder as his wife looked up at him with an encouraging smile.

"I am Sombra, and I come before you a changed stallion." He began. "As all of you are no doubt aware, for the last few years - I have been searching for the pieces of our lost Princess. True, it was by my own hoof that she was turned to stone and broken. But that is precisely why I chose to undertake this quest. That I might start my atonement for all I've done by restoring the very first Pony I hurt, all those years ago. I don't doubt that many of you are wondering if this truly is the former Crystal Princess, but I guarantee you - it truly is. Once, Princess Amore believed that I could be better than what I was... an Umbrum, a Shadow Pony. She thought that my destiny was not set in stone. Yet, for the longest time, I did not believe this. In my rage, my bitterness towards my fate - I rejected her offer and froze her in stone."

"Yet, there was one mare that always believed in me. No matter how far I had fallen, she believed I could redeem myself. Even when I fell further during the Umbrum's invasion, she still held out hope. Fitting, I suppose that she is named as such. Citizens of the Crystal Empire, I give you that mare." He gestured with his hoof towards Hope, who beamed in response. "The first pony that believed in me. She is the most amazing pony I have ever met - and she has done me the greatest honor of being my wife - my great love - and the mother of my son..." He gestured with his other hoof towards Shard. "-Midnight Shard."

Some among the crowd started to murmur. Could this actually be the same stallion that oppressed them? He imagined they were wondering. He let his words sink in a moment before he continued.

"Citizens, I know many of you were and perhaps are still wary of me. You think that I might still have some remnant of Umbrum essence - or that I might possibly still be evil. Let me put your fears to rest now. With this act, I hope I might earn some measure of your forgiveness." He lowered his head in a deep bow. "I know I can never truly atone for all the harm I've done, but at least know that... I am truly sorry." He raised his head again, tears forming in his eyes. "So, Crystal Ponies, I put the question to you - all of you. Do you still hate me? Do you still doubt that I have changed? I can understand if you do."

Silence. Nopony dared move or even breath. For the longest, most dreadful moment - Sombra stood in front of a million prying eyes, feeling awkward and increasingly nervous. What if his speech had failed to sway them? What if they really did still hate him? He understood that it might well be unforgivable... given just how much he had hurt them he wouldn't be surprised if...

"I forgive you, Sombra." Said a gentle voice that rang throughout everypony's ears, breaking the illusion.

His head perked up - and eyes scanned the crowd, everypony wondering who had spoken. Suddenly, out of the sky, born on the wings of several gold-clad Pegasi - on her chariot was Princess Celestia. Her rainbow mane positively glowing in the sun she ruled, probably having raised it at this moment for just such an occasion. Her chariot came to rest just before the altar - at the foot of the Heart's dais. She stepped off and turned to face the crowd, a gentle smile on her face.

"As do I." Said another voice. Deeper and more powerfully projected, but no less feminine. "It is as we said before - if Twilight Sparkle believes in you, then so shall we."

Suddenly, Luna appeared as well - joining her sister in a flourish - in what was probably intended to be a grand entrance befitting a royal. She had probably stood behind her sister as a means of adding to the effect.

"I forgive you too, Sombra." Said Cadance, stepping forward to join her fellow princesses. "You have done much wrong, but you have redeemed yourself."

"I agree." Said yet another voice. Everypony watched as Twilight emerged from the crowd, the element-bearers in tow - joining the group at the altar. "Hope was right about you. All it took was just one friend believing in you - to help you become better than what you were. Now, imagine just how much good you can do now that you have other friends. You can start by counting me as one, too."

"And me!" Said a stallion in the audience.

"And me as well!" A mare shouted from somewhere. "I forgive you, Sombra!"

Others took up the call. "We forgive you, Sombra!" They cried.

He stood there for what seemed to be the longest time - tears rolling down his face as the audience clapped their hooves in approval. To know that those he ruled had finally given him their approval, to know that a lifetime of heartache and pain had come to an end brought him to the verge of tears.

"Thank you... all of you. But especially you, Hope." He turned to his wife. "For believing in me. Now… if you could – let us do this together."

He turned to the Amore statue and slowly lowered his head – and his horn started to glow bright blue – Hope joining in. Twin beams fired from their horns and their combined energy sent rippling waves throughout the crowd. There was a bright flash of light, followed by a sound like cracking stone – and a moment later, the statue exploded.

Now there was a bright pink unicorn – standing proud and regal for the first time in thousands of years. Her eyes opened – bloodshot and tired, but alive and full of life - ready to see the world again. She took a breath and looked out over the crowd, as if puzzled. Her brows furrowed as her gaze turned to the former King.

“It’s been over one thousand years, Princess.” Sombra said, bowing. “Welcome back.”

“I still remember it like it was only yesterday.” She replied, stretching her legs out. Tentatively, she took a step. Her leg wobbled a bit, but she held on. A good sign, Sombra thought. 

Her face turned grim, making his heart sink. “You have done much harm, Sombra.” She directed that gaze at him - and for a moment he felt himself shirk. “You petrified me. Stole the Crystal Heart. Enslaved my people. Released the Umbrum! And….” 

She paused.

Everypony held their breath. Somehow, even in her petrified state, Amore still could see and hear what had been done?

“You redeemed yourself, here, today.” She finished gently. “I too would like to offer my forgiveness – and my hoof, in friendship.”

“I accept it, gladly.” Sombra replied - and before he knew it, Amore moved forward and embraced him in a great hug. The audience in attendance applauded - and suddenly, started laughing as Pinkie took this moment to fire her party cannon. Confetti showered over both the former king and the newly restored princess, making both chuckle.

"It truly is good to be back," Amore said over the din of the party, "but I'm afraid there is something I must share with you, privately."

________________________________________________________________________

~Shard~

What followed after his family's return from the frozen north was not quite what Shard was expecting. He had known there was going to be a tremendous celebration - both for Amore's return and Father's reformation. Then there was the fact that he had finally gotten to see Flurry again. When they parted from their hug, she whispered that she'd tried to find him - even going so far as to try and follow him into the frozen north - but that, that story would have to wait.

For now, it was just the grownup ponies talking in the audience chamber of the Crystal Palace. Only this time, they included him and Flurry - as Princess Amore said they both had a role to play.

"Let me begin by saying that when you froze me, I was still aware." Amore was saying. Father seemed to become sad at that, but she put her hoof on his shoulder, making his expression lighten. "I could still see. And what I saw whilst I was scattered helped me to understand many things."

Twilight chose this moment to interrupt. "But how is that possible? Scientifically speaking, how could you see if your eyes were...-?"

Amore waved her hoof. 

"I did not see with my eyes, young Twilight Sparkle. At least, not my physical ones. But that is not important right now. What is important is what I saw. I saw all of you - and all your adventures. I saw Sombra's eventual return and redemption - and the birth of your children..."

She gestured to Flurry and him.

"And I knew that they would both have an important role to play in the events to come. You see, there is a malevolent presence within Equestria. A shadow from the past that, if left unchecked, could threaten the entire world."

Another pause.

"So tell us, already." Said Father, stomping his hoof, seemingly impatient. "What is this shadow?"

Princess Amore looked straight into Sombra's eyes, regarding him calmly.

"It is you."

That got everypony's attention. For a long minute, everypony in the room froze. Both royal sisters exchanged glances and looked back at the restored princess like she had gone mad. Even Mother looked on, shocked.

"What are you saying?" Father demanded, breaking the silence. "You said yourself, I have been redeemed! Does this mean that I will someday succumb to evil again?"

"No." Amore replied calmly. "Not you, exactly. It is rather another version of you, from an alternate Equestria."

Celestia perked up, her face in shock and alarm. "You can't possibly mean...!?"

Amore nodded. "I do. The very same Equestria that Star-Swirl's mirror led you to."

"But how in tarnation is that possible?" Applejack exclaimed. "Ah thought the mirror was broken and our worlds separated."

"That is true, Applejack." Said Amore. "But what you do not know is that Star-Swirl kept another mirror. Another doorway to that world." Again, there was stunned silence, but not as long as the one before - as Amore continued. "After your reconciliation, Star-Swirl agonized over your heartache. He came to regret that decision, to shatter the mirror. And so, he kept a piece of it, hoping to one day restore the link between worlds when a more hopeful means of stabilizing the link could be found. Eventually, he succeeded. Using powerful magic that nearly cost him his life, he used it to restore the gateway - hoping to use it to one day allow you to return to your beloved."

"Using that restoration spell drained what was left of his strength. So, he hid the mirror away - both to regain his strength and to prepare for the time when he could use it to allow free passage between our world and the other Equestria. Yet, Star-Swirl died before he could do so. And so the mirror went unused - until now."

"So," said Father, "this other Sombra. This... other me, has found a way to reopen the gate?"

"Indeed." Said Amore. "The eclipse provided the means for that." She pointed up with her hoof, as if gesturing to the sky. "The eclipse has allowed our worlds to become bridged again. That is where your son comes in." She gestured to Shard. Suddenly, everypony in the room looked at him as well. "He alone among us possesses the ability to find rare items of great power. He alone can find Star-Swirl's mirror, that what was wrong may be set right."

"But there's still something I don't understand." Said Twilight. "How is it you saw all this, but you couldn't see where Star-Swirl hid the mirror?"

"I saw a great many things while I was shattered, Twilight. But I did not see all things."

Amore looked at them all one by one.

"And besides that, the other Sombra likely knows we are aware of this mirror - and so he will have taken precautions against us finding it."

"Alright, so what does he want?" Twilight asked. "When he took all the evil out of the other Celestia and Luna, he just disappeared. What is he after this time?"

"He wants Sombra." Flurry said quietly.

Everypony looked at Flurry. Shining Armor walked forward and put his hoof on his daughter's shoulder.

"How could you possibly know that?" He asked.

"Because I spoke to him." She admitted. "Back in the cave where you and the guards found me."

At that moment, all Tartarus broke loose and the conversation was overlapped with a number of different questions.

"Cave?" 

"You mean the one we stayed in?"

"You were in there the whole time?"

"Why didn't you hear me calling your name when I went to look for you?"

"I didn't even know you had!"

"If I had known you were in there I would have...-"

"SILENCE!!!" Luna cried, the force of her voice blowing everypony back several feet. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Let Flurry speak."

Flashing a nod to her Great-Aunt, Flurry stepped up and began to retell her story.

__________________________________________________________________________________

~Flurry~

It took her a while to recall exactly how the conversation with the shadowy voice went, but Flurry retold it in as much detail as she could remember. Several times, Aunt Twili had tried to pipe in, only to have Great-Aunt Celestia put a hoof on her shoulder and pull her back, allowing her to continue unimpeded. Soon, she came close to the end of her story.

"And then he said that he had a message for you, Sombra." She struggled to remember all of it. "He said that since fate has changed, maybe it can be changed again."

Sombra blinked, staring at her the whole while. "What do you suppose that means?" He asked, looking over the other grownups.

It was a very good question. No doubt everypony assembled wished they had a very good answer.
> Preparations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

~Chapter 9: Preparations~
___________________________________________________________

~Shard~

When Amore made her declaration, Shining Armor chose this moment to have his voice heard. He looked down at Shard, a determined expression on his face.

"I know you're an extraordinary colt, Shard, but if you're the only one that can find this mirror, you won't be going alone." He put a hoof on Shard's shoulder. "You have the royal guard's full support."

"Thank you for that, Prince." Shard replied, not really knowing how to respond. His specialty was finding artifacts, not formality.

"And ours too, son." Father spoke up. "I know you'll make me proud. You always have."

Beside him, Mother nodded. "If it's really another Sombra we're facing, then he'll know what to expect."

"Indeed." Said Amore. "The other Sombra is as powerful as you were at your height. For that, I shall come too."

"And me!" Said Flurry. "You're my best friend, Shard. Best friends stay together through thick and thin."

Twilight beamed. "That's my niece." The other five of her friends all perked up in response.

"We're coming too!" Said Rainbow Dash, pumping her wings in response. "We'll kick this other Sombra's flank for sure!"

"Although I abhor violence," Rarity piped in, "-this brute cannot be allowed to have his way."

"We're with you, little Shard." Fluttershy said softly, trying to offer her best encouraging smile.

It made Shard feel a bit better to know he had so much help. He hadn't planned on going alone, but he also hadn't planned to lead an army. At least he could count on the help of his family, his best friend and her family too.

"What about you, Aunties?" Flurry looked at the royal sisters. "Will you come?"

Celestia and Luna exchanged glances. For a moment, they appeared deep in thought - then they nodded in unison. "Our place is with our fellow princesses." Said Celestia. "It was my fault that this other Sombra was corrupted. It's only right that we stop him."

The last one to speak was Cadance. "Somepony must remain behind to keep order here in the Crystal Empire." She declared. "Sunburst, Starlight and I will hold the city if this other Sombra should attempt an attack. The Crystal Heart must be protected."

"Agreed." Said Father. "That is what I would do, were our roles reversed. This other me knows that his greatest weakness is the Heart."

"But Sombra," said Flurry. "I spoke with this other you. He said he was not an Umbrum. How could the heart affect him?"

"The Heart does not just repel the Umbrum, child." Said Father. "It also acts as a sort of key. So long as it is in place, it keeps them imprisoned behind a secret door - found here, beneath this very city."

That was something that Shard did not know. The Heart kept Then it dawned on him. That door that he'd discovered in his first days of playing Archaeologist with Flurry - that must be where they were trapped!

"So, what do you think this other Sombra wants with you?" Asked Celestia. "Even though you are different than he, in both your pasts and your present selves - you are by the laws of the Universe - the same being. Still connected. Whatever happens to one of you will affect the other. Injuring him will result in you also being harmed."

Father nodded. "I know. I think he wants me because he knows that somehow, I was changed from an Umbrum into a normal pony. I believe he may desire to use me to find a way to reverse that effect. Or, perhaps - to change himself into a normal pony once again."

"But doing so would result in you turning once again." Celestia said quietly. "You would again be consumed by evil."

Father shook his head. "No. I don't believe that. Our worlds may be connected, but my choices are my own. Just as it was this other me's choice to take in that black magic."

"My Father is a good pony now, Princess." Shard said, deciding it was his turn to speak up. "I believe he'll stay good, no matter what this other him does."

Father beamed. "Thank you for that, Shard."

"I agree." Said Mother as she walked over and nuzzled Father's chest. "No matter what, you're still the stallion I love."

"Alright," Rainbow Dash said while making a gagging gesture. "If you two are done being all kissy-wissy, I think we've waited long enough! Let's go kick some evil flank!"

_____________________________________________________________________________

~Shining Armor~

It took less than an hour before the Crystal Guards were ready. A battalion of his finest troops had assembled outside the palace. Hundreds of Unicorns and Earth Ponies - armored and wielding spears stood at attention, awaiting orders. As they weren't sure what kind of enemy they'd be fighting, he'd decided he would send a squadron of Pegasi on point to gather intel. It wouldn't do to be careless, like Rainbow Dash wanted and rush in, horns blazing and hooves kicking.

During their down time, Twili had approached him and asked if it was really necessary to bring the guard.

"We're going up against an enemy that can fight both royal sisters on equal terms." He had asserted. "Even with all of us going, I think it would do better if we had an army at our back. Besides, we've been training since the Changeling invasion. We're much better prepared this time."

In the aftermath of Chrysalis' overthrow at the Changeling Hive, Shining Armor had taken note of the lack of resistance the guard had put in - and comparing that to their performance in other such enemy attacks, it became clear the guard needed to rethink their method. To remedy that, he had instituted a new combat training course for all guards, both rookie and veteran. 

Sparring sessions for individual fighters and mixed unit tactics for larger forces became the norm, as did weapons training. It started off slow, as most recruits were used to lesser duties - tracking, hunting, guarding, etc. but their progress over the last few years had improved from dismal to outstanding - and now would be the perfect chance to put it into practice.

"Sergeant Fire!" Shining called as he removed his helmet. "Front and center!"

A moment later and a Pegasus guard named Rapid-Fire landed in front of him and saluted. Like his comrades, he wore gold armor with wing holes, but his coat was a bright sheen of blue crystal. When Shining Armor had ordered the guards to retrain, Rapid-Fire was the first one to volunteer - and he proved his mettle by emerging with top scores on all courses: Hoof-to-hoof combat, tactics, leadership, flight speed - and he made a rock-solid second-in-command.

"Sergeant Rapid-Fire; reporting for duty, sir." He said. His voice was a deep baritone - almost akin to grinding stones. 

"Is the home guard ready?"

He nodded. "Waiting at the city gates."

"Good." Shining replied. The home-guard were the main force he'd leave with Cadance to protect the Empire. "How long until the Peg-Squadron is ready?"

"Half our Pegasi are still coming in from the city. We have to arm them...-" He started to trail off with unnecessary details, but Shining put a stop to it by stomping his hoof.

"How long?" He asked again, this time more forcefully.

"Noon." Was the reply. Way too long. There was no way this operation could get underway without intel.

"Make it sooner."

"Yes, sir."

With that, he took off to carry out his orders - and Shining Armor looked out over his troops - and nodded his satisfaction. This was going to be the guard's first real test of combat. And he'd be going into it with the Element Bearers. He would make sure not to disappoint them.

_______________________________________________________________

~Hope~

Like so many nights before Shard was born, Sombra spent much of the evening on the balcony - watching the guards. Unlike before though, they weren't going through routine drills. This time they were actually getting ready for battle. Also different was her husband's expression. Once, he looked sad - melancholy even - as if all the weight of the world was on his shoulders for his past deeds. Now, there wasn't a hint of sorrow on his face. Nor was there anger or fear. Just a calm, collected resignation that she knew meant he was troubled - but putting on the best face possible.

Not that, that wouldn't stop her from trying to comfort him.

She walked out onto the balcony - making sure to close the door before she clopped up beside him. He didn't look up. Not that she'd expected him to. When Sombra was focused, there was little could divert his attention. For a long moment, they just stood there, looking out over the courtyard. Even at night - the Crystal Empire was alive with activity and brilliant aglow with lights.

"Are you alright, dear?" She asked after what seemed an eternity.

"Yes, Hope." He said quietly. "It's just a little disturbing to know there is another you out there. That we're going to face off against another me."

"Yes, but it isn't you." She asserted. She closed her eyes and nuzzled him just beneath his muzzle. "Remember? I said you are the stallion I married. The stallion I love. I meant it too."

"I love you too." Sombra replied, putting his foreleg around her and pulling her into a tight embrace. Hot love burned in her as she brushed up against him, feeling the warmth of his body heat. For one long, wonderful moment he stood there - just holding her. Electricity seemed to rush through her system every time he did so, but tonight seemed especially charged - from the way she could feel his heart rate increase to the short, quick breaths he took.

"You know..." She looked up at him suggestively, fluttering her eyes in that way. "Shard and Flurry are asleep."

"Shard and Flurry?" He asked, blinking. "Together?"

"Yes." She replied, remembering how joyfully they had reunited at the Crystal Faire. "They were so excited to see each other again, Flurry had a sleepover in her room. Isn't that cute? But don't worry. They're both asleep in separate beds."

A slow grin appeared on Sombra's face. "Hope, do you know what that means?"

"Yes, I do." She replied, pleased that he was so quick to catch on.

"Our little boy has a crush!"

That momentarily took the fun out of the mood. Hope was about to open her mouth in protest before Sombra stopped her by putting his lips on hers. It took a minute, but she returned it - the warm feeling filling her body until it felt like it would burst, so much that it took her aback when he parted from her and looked straight into her eyes.

"And you know what else that means?" His grin widened.

"You don't need to ask." She replied, returning the smile.

And with that, husband and wife walked back into their room and locked the doors tight.
> The Calm Before the Storm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

~Chapter 10: The Calm Before the Storm~
_____________________________________________________________

~Sombra POV~

The small army of ponies was marching to battle. Rank by rank, troop by troop, company by company, they moved in infantry squares, making steady progress. Unicorns led the way, as they were the first to cast spells - both protective and offensive, followed by Earth Ponies armed with spears. Above them were the Pegasi Squadrons floating over the battle-lines in V-formation, ready to redeploy for aerial bombardment or for intel-gathering as needed. Shining Armor wanted to leave nothing to chance. Yet, even with the small force surrounding him and his family, Sombra could not help but wonder if they were walking into a trap.

According to what Celestia had said, this Mirror-Sombra was intelligent, erudite and sophisticated. That was back when she knew him, anyway. Absorbing the evil and power of the Mirror-versions of her and her sister meant that he would now have a certain element of cunning and ruthlessness to him as well. Likely, his powers were greater than even him at his height. During their previous bouts, Sombra was the equal of Celestia or Luna individually, but their unity made them a nearly indomitable force. When either of them really cut loose and unleashed their full power, they were formidable. Most often though, they preferred to influence events from afar or watch them unfold with impartial serenity.

Now, the two sisters definitely seemed on the warpath. They had armed themselves and were marching at the army's head with Shining Armor, the Element-Bearers and with Shard, leading the way ahead of them with his locator Magic. Every so often, his son would alter their course and make them march a little more this way or that, but so far it had been a straight shot north, towards Mount Everhoof. 

During the way, they passed jagged remains of old gems and tarnished pieces of stone that stuck out amid the tundra - likely the remnants of Crystal Pony settlements from before the Empire's founding. Occasionally, guard ponies would look upon them with anxious faces. Many were likely wondering just what had caused such desolation, but they kept their ranks. Though the old ruins offered no obstruction, nor were there any hidden foes lurking among them, the dread of seeing such could not be shaken off.

At one point during their rest periods, Shard sought him out and asked what was expected of him in the battle.

"You, my son," Sombra started, "will play no part in the fighting. You're not a fully trained Unicorn. You get us to the location of the mirror, and then you will stay back and remain where you are."

"But, father," Shard protested. "I am ready, you taught me how to use Magic!"

"And you are a good student." Sombra reassured him with a nuzzle to his forehead. "But you are still only a Colt. And you are my only son. You will do as I say and stay out of the fighting."

Although the look of disappointment was evident in his son's face, Shard slowly nodded and said no more of that matter. Yet, even with the guard that Shining Armor had agreed to station around him and Flurry, Sombra knew that Shard would, in all likelihood try and join them anyway. It was in his nature after all. He had a stubborn streak like his mother - but a part of growing up was knowing when to leave well enough alone. Furthermore, this was war; a matter which he understood as little as he did this other Sombra. Shard had bravely defended his father when Celestia had spoken up about the possibility of him turning back to evil, which he found endearing - but the truth was, he wasn't so sure.

If a Pony as kind and benevolent as his other self could turn to evil so easily, who was to say the same about him?

More and more though, his thoughts returned to what he'd said before - he had made his own choices. Destiny or not, it was his decision to marry Hope - to start a family and restore Princess Amore - and nopony could take that away from him. Not even another version of him.

____________________________________________________________________

~Shining Armor POV~

The march had lasted the greater part of a day - and still no kind of enemy contact. The Pegasi were divided into three squadrons for that very purpose. Any time one unit tired or encountered enemy activity, they would immediately go to ground and wait for the main army that the next squadron might be fresh and ready to deploy at need. As the enemy's total strength was still unknown, they would play a supporting role  while the Unicorns and Earth Ponies engaged them in force. It was a well tried and true strategy in the war games before - and it was sure to play a pivotal role. They were ready.

Shining Armor was ready for it too; he had chosen to wear his best armor for this mission: Chafron (helmet), criniere, peytral - all made from tempered steel (forged by master blacksmiths) and dyed purple to symbolize his rank.

Unlike him, Sombra and his family declined the use of armor, believing it would evoke image of his past as a tyrant. Their only concession was to have a contingent of guards posted around their son at all times - and have Flurry with him too. At least he could count on his daughter to keep the Colt safe. Knowing how stubborn she was and her growing feelings for him, if Shard were involved in combat, she'd want to rush in and help him in whatever way she could. Besides that, having a colt and a filly involved in this mission was almost unthinkable. Were it not for his ability to track this mirror - Armor would have insisted that they stay behind in the Crystal Empire.

"Captain!" Search called from somewhere up ahead. "Enemy contact, twelve o' clock!"

"Stay in formation!" Shining Armor called back. "Pegasi Squadron, deploy! Earth Squadron, defensive positions! For the Empire!"

And he led the charge.

________________________________________________________

The first contact they had with the enemy was an attempt to overtake their leading companies in an ambush. A strong force of what appeared to be dark reflections of their normal counterparts, dressed in grey armor. Not unlike Sombra's former guard, he noted as he watched them emerge from the snow-capped hills. Yet, the ambush was itself trapped - for the Pegasi Squadrons rained down on them from above in strafing style - knocking them aside like bowling pins with their hooves before ascending back out of reach.

On the ground, the Unicorns rained fire on them with their Magic. Blasts of multicolored light and ribbons of energy ripped through the enemy line - breaking it in several places. When the Earth Ponies marched around their flanks and from behind, they were fighting an unruly mob - most of the enemy either unconscious or driven back into the hills before they were within range of their spears. ]

Yet, the victory did little to enhearten the Crystal forces.

"It is but a feint." Sombra said. "Meant more to lull us into a false sense of security than to do us much hurt."

The prisoners they captured because of the skirmish did provide some much needed information once they regained consciousness. Most were not even true warriors. They had been forcibly press-ganged into Mirror-Sombra's service by means of coercion, threats or in some cases by brainwashing; for a powerful spell had been placed on their minds that made them unusually aggressive. But it was what they described about the enemy's army that was most informative.

The bulk of Mirror-Sombra's army were not really ponies at all, but an extension of himself. Somehow, he had found a way to alter his consciousness and expand his Dark Magic into a tangible form. When this substance made contact with normal ponies, it twisted them and made them lose their minds. Thus, his army continuously expanded with every day.

After the skirmish, they set up camp and rested. In the main part of the camp, just short of where the fight had been, the Crystal force's leaders convened and listened to their captives.

"The former King has lost his mind." One of them explained later that night under interrogation. "Every day he mutters to himself about Celestia and how much he misses her. Then he snaps and goes into a tirade about how everything will be set right. And then he starts to go off on a tangent about how he'll 'alter' this world and make things his way."

"Mirror Sombra is still battling the dark essence within him." Celestia said. "A part of him remains untouched by corruption."

"Yes, but for how long?" Amore asked. "His mind is weakening. I can feel it even now." She closed her eyes and visibly shuddered. "I see the end coming. I see the darkness spreading - and at the source of it all is this mirror."

"What shall we do when we find it?" Sombra asked.

"It must be destroyed." Amore asserted, her eyes narrowing in resolve. "The link between worlds must be severed forever, lest we risk another merging."

"How long do you think we have, then?" Hope asked. "Before it's too late to stop the merge?"

"A day, perhaps." Amore replied, to the worried expressions of all present. "And if that were to occur, I am afraid even I don't know what would happen."

"And the other Sombra?" Celestia asked. "What is to be done with him?"

"He must be returned to his world." Was Amore's reply. "I am sorry, Tia, but it must be done. He is simply too far gone."

"I understand." Celestia said. She hung her head at that statement, and all present shot her a sympathetic look. "I am sorry. It's my fault we are here now."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Tia." Said Luna. "As I said before, we all make mistakes. Some are large, some are small. But we are here to set things right now, together."

"Indeed." Said Amore. "Together."
__________________________________________________________________

~Shard POV~

While the adults were talking, Shard and Flurry sat by a campfire, swapping stories and catching up on recent events. Around them, the Crystal Ponies were busy preparing for combat; strapping on armor, sharpening spears and getting in some last minute training. Shard wondered how they had the energy for it, especially with the frigid temperature around them. The night had grown cold, even with the fire. Each breath he took froze in his lungs and emerged as a white puff whenever he exhaled, though it wasn't the cold that really bothered him; staying in the frozen north for a month had given him some measure of resistance to the cold weather. What really kept him up was how up and active Flurry was, even with the knowledge that their lives would soon be in danger.

Granted, she was an Alicorn and the daughter of two powerful royals, but they were only children. So much responsibility was down on their shoulders with this mission, yet Flurry seemed utterly, palpably content. That huge smile on her face never faded, even when he recounted how Amore had contacted him in the frozen waste.

"Then out of nowhere, I heard a voice calling my name..." He paused to let the moment sink in, then resumed. "And before I knew it, I saw her standing there before me. But she wasn't all there, as if she were... a ghost!"


Flurry stared, as if awaiting the punchline to a very good joke.

"Come on, doesn't that scare you?" He asked, slightly annoyed. "A Pony appeared before me and I could see right through her!"

"Yes, that's scary." She admitted. "But it's not near as scary as meeting a Shadow Pony in... the deepest, darkest cave in all of Equestria!"

She stood on her hind legs at that, raising her forelegs in a playful gesture. Then she laughed, and to his surprise, Shard found himself laughing with her. For a moment, the thought of armies and battles and fighting was forgotten - and it was just him swapping stories with his best friend again. It felt good too. It felt like nothing had really changed between them, even though they had gone a month and a half without seeing each other.

In fact, the more time he spent with Flurry, the more he wanted to be around her. Even if it was as simple as sitting around doing nothing, talking about nothing, the world just seemed brighter. Maybe this was what Mother meant when she said about having special feelings for a best friend.

"Hey Shard," she started abruptly, snapping him out of his thoughts. "-can I ask you something?"

"Go for it." He replied, tilting his head.

"Did you... think about me when you were away?"

He blinked. "Of course I thought about you, Flurry!" What an odd question that was. "I thought about you all the time!"

She abruptly turned away at that as her cheeks turned a shade of bright red. A twinge of concern flashed through Shard's mind. Did she have a sudden onset of fever? No. It was too cold for that. Or was it just his imagination?

"Flurry?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." She answered with a slight sputter. "I just..." She leaned in closer, as if to tell him a secret. To his surprise, he found himself doing the same. Her face seemed to light up as they came closer, staring into each other's eyes.

"And just what are you two doing?" A familiar voice asked, snapping them both back to reality.

Shard turned at the sound. Behind them was Princess Amore with a grin and a raised eyebrow. Beside him, Flurry let out a little squeal, turning away again.

"Sorry Princess. I didn't hear you approach." Shard said, bowing his head. "We were talking. Flurry here just asked if I thought about...-" He was interrupted by Flurry's hoof covering his lips - her Earth-Pony strength forcing his mouth shut tight. 

"Oh? Did I interrupt something?" Amore asked, her grin widening. "Do not mind me. Please continue."

"Continue what?" is what Shard would have said, were it not for the fact Flurry's other hoof went behind his back and yanked him hard by his the hair on his back coat.

"I just remembered, we have... something we need to do." She sputtered, trying (and succeeding) in dragging him away from the Princess. "Very important, can't keep it waiting."  

Amore laughed. "Well, whenever you are finished with your... important business, come and meet me in the command tent. Your parents have to speak to you both."  And with that, she sauntered off, giving a hearty chuckle all the way.

When she was gone, Flurry dragged him a fair distance away - well out of earshot of anypony nearby before she finally let go.

"What was that for?" Shard asked, now totally perplexed.

"Are you dumb or just in denial?" Flurry asked, seeming equally as confused. Her tone and the way she pointed an accusing hoof at him made his anger rise. In that moment, he struggled to think of a response.

"Don't call me dumb, Flurry. You're the dumb one!" Lame comeback, he knew, but it was the best he could come up with in the heat of the moment. Insults weren't exactly his specialty, especially when it came to his best friend.

She laughed mockingly. "Oh, great line Shard!" She said in between chuckles. "You really are oblivious aren't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" He demanded, giving her his best glare. Admittedly, it wasn't very good. Glares weren't his thing either. Sometimes he disliked how polite he was. Mother and Father had taught him to always be a gentlecolt, though sometimes he wondered if he should try and assert himself a little more.

"Nevermind." She said with a slight sigh. "I guess I'll have to pound it into your head another time. We'd best go see what our folks want."

With that, he and Flurry started back towards the camp - with both, (Shard especially) feeling awkward and confused.

Just what the heck did Amore mean, interrupting something? He wondered all throughout the trek back.
> Battle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter: Battle.
__________________________________________________________ 

The first and only warnings that a group of shadow-creatures received were the flapping of wings, followed by a sonic boom - loud as a thunderclap - and a dive-bombing maneuver by several trained Pegasi, led by the multicolored blur that was Rainbow Dash. Even clad in her Wonderbolts uniform, it was easy to tell it was her by the trail she left behind when she reached top speed. And of course by the rainbow colored mushroom cloud that formed as a result of the impact - an explosion of epic proportions that shredded the largest contingent of hostiles.

As per Shining Armor's plan, the Pegasi Squadron would move in first - both for intelligence gathering and for the initial assault.  Intel gathered beforehand had indicated the enemy stronghold was located within Mount Everhoof in a system of caves - the entrance to which was guarded by an army of shadowy creatures and corrupted Ponies. Because the enemy lacked a large air force, the crystal forces held the advantage.

Rainbow Dash had volunteered to lead the opening attack, as it meant she could get into the action first - and because she was the most experienced in leading Pegasi. Some had questioned the wisdom behind putting her in command, as they knew her to be a brash (if not reckless) glory-hound, but their fears were quickly put to rest by the sight of her, calm and collected as she went about the battlefield - dispatching foe after foe with single strikes.

The next squadron repeated her action - blasting apart huge clusters of enemy forces with dive-bomb attacks before engaging them in hoof-to-hoof combat on the ground. Of course, among them were fighters of distinction like Rapid-Fire, the twins Search and Rescue - but to the surprise of all, joining them was Fluttershy.

Though it need not be said she was by far the sweetest, most gentle member of the Element Bearers, many knew Fluttershy could be a force to be reckoned with when angered, especially when the animals she so loved were threatened. Yet, her role was less direct - as she directed her famous "Stare" into the enemy's ranks, keeping them in place with her spiteful gaze while the remaining air-fighters went on the attack.

When the last of the Pegasi had swept in low and struck, a single, sustained note by trumpet was sounded and carried across the battlefield.

The signal was given.

On cue, hundreds of unicorns advanced - galloping in wedge formation towards the melee raging across the plain with their horns blazing. Magical energy crackled and singed the air as blast after blast was fired into the enemy mobs before the unicorns veered off, withdrew and reformed some distance away. As per Armor's plan, the unicorns' role was to lay down suppressing fire before forming into defensive firing lines. 

With support fire from the unicorns and the pegasi providing air cover and harrying the enemy, it was the earth-ponies' turn. Armed with spears and wearing their brilliant armor, they trotted in disciplined infantry squares. Their advance was slower than their lighter armored comrades, but it was with steely determination that they pressed against the unruly mobs of shadows. No matter what kind of attack the enemy threw against them, the earth-pony lines held. Any time the enemy did attempt a counterattack, reserve squadrons of unicorns would put up magic shields to take the pressure off, allowing their allies a chance to regroup or attack of their own accord.

By the time the shadow beasts' reserves could assemble in sufficient numbers, the main force of earth ponies was fresh and ready.

Spears stabbing, blasts being hurled overhead and pegasi ascending and descending for a continuous barrage, the main part of the crystal army engaged Mirror-Sombra's forces.

_____________________________________________________________________

~Shining Armor POV~

Being the Captain of the Royal Guard required certain things from a pony. First and foremost among them was the ability to keep a cool head under pressure. That and the ability to direct troops for wherever they might be needed. That was easy on paper, sure, but the real test came when you saw magical blasts being hurled at you from all directions and had to keep your shield up. And then there was when formations split, it became difficult to tell between friend and foe.

He had thought his plan was a solid one - a combined assault by all three pony tribes in a blitz, meant to scatter and overwhelm the enemy with sheer firepower, but Mirror-Sombra's army had proven much more resilient than expected. Soon after the initial attack had run its course, his warriors became embattled by an enemy that knew no fear and felt no pain. Even the corrupted ponies that were forced into service were somehow enhanced by Mirror-Sombra's mind control Magic.

Somewhere else on the battlefield was his sister and her friends, trying to force their way through the enemy ranks and into the caves. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy would remain behind as long as possible before they rejoined their comrades on the inside, as it was decided their unity was their greatest strength, but everything hinged on Shining Armor and the crystal forces holding Mirror-Sombra's army at bay so they could not surround the Element-Bearers.

"I don't suppose...-!" Rapid-Fire called over the din of battle. He raised his hind legs and bucked hard - catching a nearby shadow beast right between the eyes. "-That now would be a good time...-" another kick, followed by a dive and a bite to his attacker's neck. His teeth ripped through the creature's throat - spilling out a mess of black liquid. The shadow-beast twitched a moment before it faded into black smoke. With that, he spit out the piece of flesh, a disgusted look on his face. "-To voice my protest, sir!"

"Shut up and keep them pinned down!" Shining called back. At the sound of his shout, three more shadow-beasts turned and rushed at him - claws and teeth dripping with saliva. Only a moment later, he raised his shield - and the creatures found their attacks rendered useless. Try as they might, their sharp appendages were repelled. A bit of concentration on his part and the field expanded, pushing them back several feet. Just as the shield dropped, he fried all three with a single, concentrated blast.

"Roger that." Rapid-Fire replied. "Suppressing fire!"

At his order, a line of Unicorns dressed their ranks into a firing line. When the last was in formation, they opened fire. Their blasts ripped through the next wave of shadow-beasts, giving space for his troops to reform and Armor a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Search, Rescue, fall in!" The twins appeared a few moments later and saluted. From the gore and dirt on their armor, it was clear they had been fighting hard. "Search, give me a sitrep."

"Earth 2nd and Peg-3rd are advancing on the enemy's right flank. No casualties so far." Search replied. "3rd Unicorn is holding their position, two clicks to the west. They are holding but need reinforcements. Enemy troops just keep coming."

Mixed news, Armor thought. Aloud he said. "Alright, get two more squads up there and back them up. We need those fire emplacements operational."

"Yes, sir!" And with that, Search took off to follow his order.

"Earth 1st and 3rd are holding the rally-point, half a click to the south." Rescue said. "Hope is there with her son, Shard, treating wounded with the Princess' help."

"Inform all Peg-squadrons they have their LZ at the rally-point. No one dies today, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" Came Rescue's reply.

"Good, now get out there." With that, Shining Armor looked out over the battlefield. The lines seemed to have stabilized - at least for the moment. Many shadow beasts had been destroyed. Now it was only a matter of time before attrition started to wear down the enemy's ranks.

"Captain Armor!" Came another voice from above. A moment later, a Pegasus landed next to him. He looked as though he were about to keel over, judging by the way his breath came in short gasps and his wings drooped down tiredly.

"Catch your breath, son." Armor said almost gently. "What's your name?"

"Flash Sentry, sir. 1st Peg, Corporal."

"Right, what's the situation?"

"Sir." The Pegasus paused to take a deep breath. "The Element Bearers and Sombra have reached the cave entrance."

"Then we need to have faith in them." Armor replied coolly, ignoring the horrible feeling in his gut. "Are you wounded?"

"No, sir." Flash said. "Beg-pardon, sir, but I need to get back to the front."

"Catch your breath, son. One more Pegasus won't make much difference."

"Yes, sir. But I'm trying to prove myself, sir. The other Pegasi...-" He paused another minute, an embarrassed expression on his face. "They don't think I can handle myself. They think I'm a coward or a fool, sir. I want to prove my worth, sir."

"There'll be plenty of chances for that, Corporal. If your squad can hold that cave, I'll personally recommend you for a medal of honor."

Flash Sentry smiled at that, nodded and hurried off to rally his troops.

With that, Shining Armor looked up at Mount Everhoof and silently wished his sister luck.
> The Final Battle: Part 1 of 3.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter: The Final Battle, Part 1 of 3.
__________________________________________________________________

~Sombra POV~

The outlook of the battle outside was just starting to turn again when Sombra and the others reached the cave. Their tactics had killed legions of enemy troops, yet they still continued to pour out of the mountain. A part of Sombra wanted to be back out in the thick of it, fighting beside the crystal ponies and showing them that he would give them his support in any endeavor, but he knew better. Shining Armor was out there too - so that counted for something. 

Celestia and Twilight were leading the way with their magic light as they trotted through the ice caves beneath the mountain. Sombra walked directly behind them, along with Luna and the element-bearers. Thus far it was a silent trip; either no one wanted to speak of how the sounds of battle echoed through the caves, or they were too focused on their mission. Or maybe they were all fearful of what they would find waiting for them ahead. They had been friends with his mirror counterpart, however briefly. And Celestia had been his lover - once. That thought sent a plethora of emotions running through him, not the least of which was curiosity.

It made him feel embarrassed to know that they were the same being, but it also made him wonder just how different things were in that universe. Just what chain of events had been altered that he might be in a relationship with Celestia instead of Hope? How did this other Sombra become a King when he himself had usurped his throne? Most of all, though, just what was it that he intended to "set right"?

"Wondering about your other self?" Amore asked in a hushed voice. "It's disconcerting, I know. To know there is another you - and that somehow, they are still different."

"Did you know about him?" Sombra asked in turn. It was time to indulge his curiosity. "Me, I mean. The other me. When Celestia went through this mirror?"

Amore nodded. "I have the gift of sight. I can see what is in another's heart. And I saw that he too was a product of the evil you were born from." She looked at him. "But whereas you chose to embrace that evil, once, he rejected it from the very beginning."

"How? How did the Crystal Heart not destroy him?" It just didn't add up. If this other Sombra was also Umbrum, then surely the Heart would have had an effect. That meant that he and Hope were involved at one point.

Amore slowly shook her head. "I know not." She confessed. "I know only that it involves the other version of myself, somehow. But that is where my sight ends. I am afraid I cannot see my own destiny so clearly as others."

Ironic. He thought. She can see the future of others, but not herself.

"Can you see if we will succeed or fail?"

"I am afraid I cannot see that either, Sombra. I know only that at some point in the coming confrontation, you will have to make a choice that you do not understand. That choice will determine the success or failure of this mission."

Emotions warred within Sombra. Anger at this other version of him for threatening his loved ones and newfound friends. Then he felt a stab of pity, given just how much he - they, had suffered. And then above it all, he wondered just what this choice meant. Asking Amore any further would be pointless. It was futile to try and truly understand the future. She had told him once that it was impossible to see past the choices they did not understand. That meant that he would have to make a difficult decision. Given his previous track record with difficult decisions, he thought dryly, it might be better if somepony else had volunteered for this mission.

"You need not fear, Sombra." Amore said gently. Again, she looked at him - and this time, she smiled. "I believe in you. You have shown yourself to be truly changed. As I said before, in the Crystal Empire - you have redeemed yourself. The choice you make is yours alone, but know that I support you - to whatever end."

"We all do." Said Twilight. Abruptly, she had turned around. "I believe in you too, Sombra. We're your friends now, remember? All of us." Around him, the element-bearers and the royal sisters nodded, offering encouraging smiles.

"You brought our lost cousin back to us." Celestia said, gesturing to Amore, who beamed in response. "For that, we are grateful."

"You showed that no matter how far a pony has fallen, they may be redeemed." Luna offered as well. "I know how hard it is to forgive yourself for past transgressions, but 'tis time you did so."

"And just like we said before, we're gonna kick this other you's flank!" Rainbow Dash said excitedly, whooping through the air and shadowboxing.

"And when we're done, we can throw you a 'We-saved-Equestria-yet-again-and-kicked-a-bad-you's-flank party!" Pinkie said as she hopped up and down, the biggest grin on her face. 

"Thank you, my friends." Sombra said. "It's good to know you all support me in this endeavor." His ears picked up a sound from up ahead. Something stirred in the edges of the light outside the field. He frowned and focused his own magical aura. "Did anyone hear that?"

"I did." Pinkie piped up, her expression suddenly turning serious. "My Pinkie sense is going crazy!"

"Pinkie sense?" Sombra wondered aloud - turning to Twilight. "What in Tartarus...?"

"You get used to it." Twilight replied. "Just focus. There's something up ahead. Everypony get ready."

_________________________________________________________________________

~Shining Armor POV~

Outside, combat had started to subside as more and more of the shadow creatures went down and disappeared into black smoke. It seemed they had finally started to reach the limit of their numbers. No matter how many Mirror-Sombra might throw into the fight, the Crystal forces had their unity and discipline to fall back on. Mindless force could only avail so much before it took its toll. Besides that, Shining Armor suspected, his focus was probably directed elsewhere. Likely, the group inside had found him and taken the fight to him.

That meant the Crystal forces had some breathing space - and with Hope, Shard and Flurry healing them, the wounded were able to quickly rejoin the battle and keep the pressure on the enemy. Soon enough, their 'ranks' were crumbling - and it became more a matter of mopping up any stragglers. Any group larger than a company that remained was blasted into black ash by Unicorn magic or was ripped to shreds by Pegasi dive-bombers, leaving room for the Earth-squadrons to finish the job with their spears.

Shining Armor leaned wearily on his own spear as he watched the remaining individual combats still raging about the battlefield. Before him - Rapid-Fire was giving a sitrep. 

"So far, there are no dead." He was saying. "Eighteen are wounded and awaiting treatment. Twenty are missing. Another thing, Captain, we were lucky: Thanks to Hope and the children, this battle has gone much better than expected."

"Good work, Sergeant." Shining Armor said, nodding in satisfaction. He was pleased to hear that so few had been hurt. Even better was they had done it without losing a single life. "What of the inside strike team?"

"There's been no word, sir." Rapid-Fire said grimly. "I think we should regroup our forces and send a detachment after them."

"That won't be necessary." Shining Armor said, shaking his head. "The element-bearers have the princesses with them. We've got to keep the enemy from surrounding them from behind." He gestured to the cave entrance with his hoof. "Set up blocking positions around the entrance; no one comes in, nothing gets out."

"Yes, sir." Rapid-Fire said with a salute. Before he could flutter off to fulfill his orders, Armor stopped him.

"And Sergeant?" Shining Armor began.

"Sir?"

"Where are Shard and my daughter?"

"Inside the main encampment with Radiant Hope, sir, treating wounded." The sergeant gestured with his wing to the south, towards a small collection of tents the ponies had set up to cover the wounded.

"When you're done with your patrol, make sure you double the guard surrounding them. We wouldn't want anything to happen to them... or let them run off unexpectedly."

Rapid-Fire grinned. "Permission to speak freely, sir?" Armor nodded. "Are you sure that will be enough? The children are rather willful, from what I hear."

Armor suppressed a return grin. "You are dismissed, Sergeant Fire."

With that, Rapid-Fire saluted again and took off to fulfill his orders. Shining Armor looked about the battlefield and nodded his satisfaction.
> The Final Battle: Part 2 of 3.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uncertainty gnawed at Sombra like a parasite as he and his comrades entered the main cavern. At first glance it was shrouded - and he felt a twinge of fear. When they emerged from the cave and came face-to-face with his mirror self, he wasn't sure if even their combined might would be enough. From what Celestia had described (with Rarity and surprisingly Fluttershy had as well) - his mirror-self was a handsome, rather dashing stallion with gentle green eyes and pale grey coat, dressed in a magnificent ermine cloak.

Who, or rather what they found waiting at the top of a raised dais in the center of the cave was none of those things. Simply put, he had truly become a monster in body as well as mind.

Mirror Sombra's body had been warped by the evil within him; what appeared to be cracks in his coat with black substance oozing from them. His eyes now were bright red and had shrunken pupils. Even his mane had changed somehow - it was now spiked and stuck out in all directions and had a flowing motion, not unlike the royal sisters, though it unnerved the former king with how unnaturally it swayed. About his broad shoulders hung that same cloak, but now it was tattered and ripped at the edges - and traces of dirt and filth could be seen on the lining.

When he parted his fanged mouth and spoke, it was in a voice that was as cold and echoed like some bottomless cavern.

"Welcome... I have been waiting."

For a long moment, nopony spoke or breathed. It was as if a terrible trance had come over them. Even Celestia and Luna paused - awed and horrified at the sight. Through the gloom, the true Sombra looked out and beheld the mirror - just beyond his alternate self, exactly as Amore had described; tall and cracked, bearing the ancient, magical markings of Starswirl the Bearded.

"Is there not one among you with courage to speak? Are you all so afraid of me?" The mirror-being said with a cruel smile, eyeing them all one by one. When his gaze settled on the Sun Princess, for the briefest of moments, it softened. "Even you... my dear sweet Tia?"

Celestia opened her mouth as if to speak, but said nothing. She looked beside her at her sister, Luna who as was still as stone. There was a heavy silence.

It was Amore who broke in suddenly. "Come now, are we all to be cowed before this tyrant by a mere glimpse of him?" she growled. "We all know of what he plans to do, what he intends for us." She locked eyes with the mirror-being and stomped her hoof. "I give you the same counsel that I gave our Sombra many years ago: Do not journey down this dark path - for it is not too late for you."

All present were stunned by the Princess' words and looked up again. Mirror Sombra stared and for a moment he hesitated - and nopony spoke - and then his face twisted with a sneer.

"Repent of my ways?" He mocked. "You are a fool to think that the betrayer you call friend and I are the same. True, we share a name and a history - but we are different, he and I in all the ways that matter. He betrayed the Umbrum - just as he betrayed you, Princess Amore. He has you all fooled - but I know the truth - he serves nopony but himself. He loves nopony but himself."

"You are right." The true Sombra said, to the surprise of all. "We are different. You mistake my atonement for weakness and my love for my family as false. But lest you forget, we are also very much the same in many ways. We both have loved and lost, but where you sacrificed yourself nobly - for a cause you believed in, I sacrificed the mare I loved out of fear and revenge. A grievous error on my part, one which I lived with every day for a thousand years. A mistake I have worked all days since to try and atone for."

"And it is one he has atoned for." Said Twilight Sparkle. "Like we told him - he has reformed. He saved himself from a terrible fate. You can too!" She looked, pleadingly at the mirror-being. "You and I were friends once, for a little while. You asked me to give Princess Celestia your regards. She is here now."

All eyes turned to Celestia, who stood to her full height - a determined look on her face.

"Indeed. If there is anything left of the stallion I loved... no, still love within you - please, come back."

"I am afraid it is too late for me, Tia." The mirror-being said very softly. "But it is not too late for him." He pointed with his hoof towards the true Sombra. "Now, all will be made right again."

"What do you mean?" Sombra demanded, somehow meeting his mirror self stare-for-stare. "Speak sense!"

"For centuries, I resisted the dark powers - and how did cruel fate reward me? By mercilessly stealing away the mare I loved most, when all I wanted was to be with her - always." The mirror being slowly trotted forward - each step in even strides. "But you... you accepted the Umbrum without question - and gave in to the darkness. Do you not see the unfairness of it all? You did not deserve redemption! You still do not!"

"You are wrong!" Said Celestia. "Sombra has earned his redemption. So can you. Relinquish the dark power within you and let us destroy it - together." She gestured to her fellow Alicorns. "With the five of us, there is no limit to what we can accomplish."

Mirror-Sombra shook his head slowly. "No, Tia. The dark power cannot be destroyed. Only contained. It needs a living host - and so it will seek out and possess any nearby. Even if you draw it out of me, it will simply find another. Yet, there is a solution."

Sombra stared at his mirror counterpart, already aware of the proposition. "You want me to take back the dark powers then? To become a monster like you once again? I refuse."

Mirror-Sombra chuckled. "Of course you would. But that is not what I meant. The solution I speak of is for all things to become part of me."

Sombra was disgusted at the thought. "You wish to merge all existence to the dark power?"

"Indeed. The merging of all worlds is just the beginning. If I can harness this power - I can use it to reshape all that exists as per my vision. Imagine: A world free of suffering. Free of the futile struggle between good and evil. Free of death, even!" He stared down at Celestia with a longing look. "And you, Tia - can rule by my side."

"I would rather die."

"Hmn. Pity." The mirror-being seemed unperturbed. "No matter. Now is the time you all stopped resisting and joined me in remaking this world!"

"Hear me, shadow-pony." Celestia said slowly, stepping forward and pawed at the ground with her hoof. Every word was laced with venom. "I speak to you now not as the Sombra I knew and loved, but as the monster you have become. In memory of the Unicorn you once were, we will defeat you again!"

The mirror-being laughed; an ugly sound. "Foolish princess." He boomed. "You forget. I am still the same being as your friend there. Any harm you inflict upon me will be affect him as well. Kill me, and you kill him."

"Who said anything about killing you?" Twilight said, gesturing to her friends who reared in response. "We have a trick of our own."

Mirror-Sombra laughed again. "I know all about your silly 'Rainbow Power', Princess Twilight. I am not so easily defeated as that brute Tirek, because unlike him - I know you - and I know your weakness. How can you and your friends hope to defeat me, when you cannot even defeat yourselves?"

Before anypony could ask what he meant, there was a flash of light - and when it subsided - before them stood not one foe, but seven.

Twilight found herself staring at a mirror-image of herself, only without her Alicorn wings - a contemptuous scowl on, well, her face. Beside her, the other Element-bearers were doing the same - only there were subtle changes in each of their counterparts. Unlike her friends though - all of them had the same sneer.

"I think you'll agree that this is a fair fight." The mirror-being went on, his grin widening. "Now if you don't mind, my dear, sweet Celestia and I have some catching up to do!"

Before anypony could blink - he reared back and fired a magical blast from his horn. In another flash, the element-bearers disappeared, leaving only a stunned Sombra and the princesses behind.
> The Final Battle: Part 3 of 3.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

~Sombra~

Even with three of Equestria's princesses going into battle, it was a daunting task to face. Even without the fact that damaging his enemy meant harm to himself, his mirror counterpart radiated incredible power - the energy bleeding off him easily rivaled Celestia. It began, as most battles between Unicorns did; with an exchange of magical blasts from all participants. Golden yellow, dark blue and sky blue from the princesses' horns - and of course sickening green and red from his counterpart. Sombra mostly watched and waited - hoping for a moment to contribute- though amid the flickering lights, raining blasts and explosions caused by their attacks, it became difficult to keep up with who was doing what. Even without the chaos, it was hard to really call this a fight. More of a struggle to actually hit their enemy.

There was little sense of "side" to the battle, even though it was four against one. The fact that Mirror-Sombra was a master at teleporting meant he could simply blink out as soon as they targeted him - frequently incinerating the area where he stood moments before - and then blinked back in some distance away. From the cruel grin on his face and the fact he had not yet made a move to counter showed that he was toying with them. That all changed though when Celestia and Luna joined horns and fired a single, concentrated beam of dazzling radiance - one that destroyed everything it touched and left scorch marks in its wake.

Snarling like a beast, Mirror-Sombra invoked a spell - and moments later, a wall of black spikes erupted from the ground on all sides - nearly impaling the royal sisters - who scattered and took flight in response.

Amore stepped up and fired another blast - the energy beam taking the form of a heart. Just before it impacted, Mirror-Sombra invoked a shield spell - and the two energies clashed with thunderous impact - scattering excess energy and debris every which way - as lethal as shrapnel.

Seeing a chance while his foe was distracted, Sombra lowered his head and galloped forward, snatching up a piece of that shrapnel in the process with his telekinesis. When he was in range, he redirected it - aiming to hit his counterpart in the side. Before he could do so, however, a black bladed scythe was conjured and sheared the rock in half. Behind it stood his mirror-self, grinning wickedly as he brought it back around in an arc - aiming the blade at Amore.

Without thinking, Sombra fired a beam of his own - disintegrating the scythe in mid swing.

"Leave them alone." He growled. "Your fight is with me."

"Very well." The other Sombra said, forming a replacement scythe from his shadowy aura. "Let us see what you're made of, betrayer."

"Do you have any idea..." Sombra growled, conjuring a blue shaded sword from his own magic. "...how sick I am..." a few test swings and he was ready. "...of you calling me that?"

The two stallions circled each other like sharks, both sets of eyes filled with hatred. Before anypony could blink, the duel was on. Magical blades met in a shower of sparks - sword and scythe interlocked and the blunt sound of grinding steel filled the chamber. In midair, their weapons ground to a trembling halt. On the ground, both stallions grunted with effort - sweat dewing their faces as the stalemate continued.

With a sudden grunt of effort, Sombra pushed his foe back - though his counterpart recovered - brought his scythe back around and charged. The true Sombra rushed forward to meet him - and thus began the second, much more brutal stage of the fight.

The princesses watched, astonished as the duel unfolded. While Mirror-Sombra was fast and aggressive, he was also sly and teleported around the chamber. His main self countered him blow-for-blow; anticipating his movements and striking back with a ferocity that could only come from a stallion that stood to lose everything. And there were other ways to fight that didn't involve swords or scythes - loose fragments of rock, even the ice crystals surrounding them were torn from their foundations and fired as projectiles. At one point, Mirror-Sombra simply resorted to ripping off chunks of the ceiling and hurling them at his foe. The true Sombra stood his ground - slashing apart every piece with his sword or blasting them into fragments with his magic. 

With that, he lunged - aiming a stab right for his foe's shoulder. The scythe came back around in a well executed parry - followed by a riposte. The true Sombra retreated several steps, then brought his blade back in. Again, the scythe countered it.

"Fighting me is useless." Mirror-Sombra called over the din of strikes and parries. "If I die, you will die with me."

"I have prepared myself for that." The true Sombra retorted, a determined look on his face. "If it means my wife and son remain safe. Anything to protect them!"

"You mean to say you would sacrifice both our lives that your family might live?" His counterpart sneered. "Since when have you ever cared for any other than yourself?"

"Since the day I met Radiant Hope." Sombra countered. Another step, followed by another downward strike. A piece of Mirror-Sombra's cape fell, smoking to the ground. "Since the day Midnight Shard was born. I would give anything, pay any price to save my family." Sombra interrupted by lunged forward - grabbing his foe by the shoulders. His hooves wrapped tightly around his counterpart. For several minutes they grappled - pushing against each other. While they struggled, Sombra reared his head back and brought it forward - smashing his face against his foe's in a brutal headbutt. Both recoiled in mutual pain. Despite their shared agony, they hung on - neither backing down an inch.

"I shall not be denied!" Mirror-Sombra cried - forcing his head down - though from his aim, he did not intend to hurt Sombra - (and himself by extension) - but rather the princesses. Dark Magic burned from his horn as he charged a spell.

"Oh no, you don't. I'm dragging you straight to Tartarus with me!" The true Sombra shouted, forcing his own horn into his foe's path. His blue aura sparked and surged against the mirror-being - matching it.

"Sombra, no!" Celestia cried, though it was impossible to tell which of the two she called out for.

Even before the counterspell was finished, the ground beneath their hooves rumbled and shuddered. A ball of swirling energy crackled above the stallions - violently quaking as their energies crossed. The whole chamber was suddenly filled with blinding illumination as the ball split - and a massive explosion boomed - forcing the two away from each other - until they hit the opposite walls, simultaneously.

Mirror-Sombra was the first to rise - weakly, to his hooves. His cape and armor had been torn to shreds in the explosion - but it was his horn that appeared to have suffered the most damage: It had been cracked and blackened at the tip. 

"This is far from over."  He paused with a hacking cough. "...If you only knew what horrors await... you would not fight me. Don't you understand what I am trying to do?"

"We understand perfectly!" Luna cried. "We were not so different than you, once before: As Nightmare Moon, we caused Our subjects much grief - believing that eternal night twould be best for all - but we, like you were very mistaken!"

"The world you are trying to create - any world of yours..." Celestia joined in, her horn glowing brilliant gold. "-Would be a world without choice - without free will - or friendship or harmony!"

"That is why we fight you." Amore said, helping Sombra to his hooves. "To ensure that such a world never comes to pass!"

_____________________________________________________________________

~Twilight~

The Princess of Friendship could not believe her eyes. One minute she was confronting her former friend, the fallen Mirror-Sombra, the next she was face-to-face with a mirror image of herself, except the other Twilight did not have Alicorn wings. Seeing this, she went on the attack from the air - blasting at her foe with every spell in her repertoire. Only after the first barrage did she discover that even without wings, the other Twilight seemed to be as equally powerful as the Princess herself. Her counterpart teleported around the room or blocked each move with shields. Her last shot however, fired after a feint - hit home - right in between her foe's eyes. The blast burned into her face - searing part of it just above the left cheek. The opposite Twilight cried out in pain and rage - impotently looking at her with hate filled eyes.

To the true Twilight's surprise, there was no burning sensation on her own face. The damage done was not quite the same as it would have done to Mirror-Sombra. Perhaps he had not summoned their opposite selves to combat them, but had instead simply created shadow doubles to distract them.

Elsewhere in the cave, from the corner of her eyes she made out scenes of individual combats raging between the other element-bearers and their shadow-selves as well: Two Rainbow Dashes fought in the air; colliding into each other at supersonic speed with massive, rainbow colored shockwaves erupting with every impact. On the ground, Applejack fought another version of herself - one without a hat, alternating between kicks and wrestling on the ground. 

Elsewhere, Pinkie was fighting another, flat-maned Pinkie with... streamers? And a rubber chicken? And was that a balloon sword she pulled out from... somewhere?

Bemused, Twilight looked further along and beheld Rarity having what appeared to be a fashion showoff with another, much more gaudily dressed version of herself.

Last but not least, there were two of Fluttershy having a stare-down. Neither had budged an inch - likely because they were unwilling to resort to violence - and so they were just as much locked in a stalemate as the rest.

Rather than press her advantage, Twilight turned to her friends and magically amplified her voice.

"Listen up! We can't beat our own shadow doubles, but that's why we're a team!"

Before Twilight knew it, she felt a sharp pain in her back and fell, hard onto the stone floor.

___________________________________________________________________

~Applejack~

The apple farmer had heard the princess' shout - only to witness her get struck by a stray magical blast fired from her counterpart. Applejack turned back to her own foe. Like her, the Applejack she was fighting was strong, quick and used bucking kicks - not unlike how she harvested apples on her farm. Yet, for all their strength, neither was a trained fighter like Rainbow Dash or a Magic slinging Unicorn. They were simply two Earth Ponies going at it like street fighters, but each blow sent the other reeling.

It was at that moment that Applejack understood what Twilight meant. Turning away from her adversary, she galloped on through the melee until she reached her target - the opposite Rarity. With that, Applejack reached inside her hat and pulled a length of rope from it. After a few twists, she gripped the newly formed lasso in between her teeth and sent it flying - up and over the shadow-pony like a wrangler. Applejack then jerked hard and pulled her, digging both hooves into the ground behind her - sending the shadow counterpart flying.

Shadow-Rarity went flying, right in between a stray spell fired by Shadow-Twilight, disintegrating both her and the tacky brown dress she wore in a puff of smoke. With that, Applejack flashed a nod at Rarity.

___________________________________________________________________

~Rarity~

Now that she was free of the hideously clad version of herself, the fashionista turned over to the next of her struggling friends - Rainbow Dash, still bucking and flailing wildly at her counterpart in midair. An idea formed in Rarity's mind - and with a quick levitation spell, she aimed at Shadow-Dash. Her aim was true - as the shadow-pony was too focused on her foe to avoid it. A moment later and the dark Pegasus was suddenly clad in a brightly colored gown - one not unlike her mane, though considerably more frilly. It was amusing to see the scowl form on the normally tomboyish Pegasus.

In midair, the true Rainbow Dash gave her a salute - then slammed her distracted counterpart with both hooves into the ground. Like Rarity's, the double vanished into black smoke.

___________________________________________________________________

~Rainbow Dash~

The Pegasus turned her head towards the next foe in her path - Fluttershy. Dash made a mental note to give thanks to Rarity for helping her prove once again that she was the coolest Pony around. No imposter was going to take her down, especially when her friends were around. With that in mind, Rainbow Dash flew down in an arc at Shadow-Fluttershy, gaining speed as she did so. The first kick she sent straight in between her eyes - followed by a rising upper-kick to her lower jaw. Given her timid nature and abhorrence of violence, the opposite Fluttershy was hard-pressed to retaliate. Any blows she did attempt were soft, gentle kicks and attempts at wrestling with her. Probably from years of acupuncture and massage therapy - good for animal treatment, though not well suited for combat.

With a final flourish, Rainbow Dash hurled her friend's counterpart into the ground - where she disappeared into black smoke.

__________________________________________________________________

~Fluttershy~

Now that her big mean counterpart was out of the way, Fluttershy hurried as fast as her wings could take her to Pinkie's side. The party-pony was trying (admittedly unsuccessfully) to make her counterpart laugh with a fake mustache and glasses. The opposite Pinkie was making a weird face in an attempt to do the same.

"Hey, you big meanie!" Fluttershy called - trying her best to sound scary. The alternate Pinkie turned her oddly shaped head and looked at her. Unlike what most Ponies thought of her, the true Pinkie was able to hyper-focus and keep her attention on a single target, a trait which her shadow-self seemed to share. This made her vulnerable to Fluttershy's stare - a fact which the true Pinkie took advantage of. While her counterpart was distracted, the party-pony loaded her party cannon and fired another blast of confetti. This one took her right in the back - making her disappear into... multicolored balloons? 

Made about as much sense as anything else that happened today.

___________________________________________________________________

~Pinkie Pie~

As soon as her double disappeared, Pinkie turned her head to the last of the shadow ponies - Twilight's. So far, she had been playing around with the princess, but she now stood over her friend, horn glowing. With her trademark pronking gait - Pinkie made her way to the shadow-pony's side and offered her most winning grin. 

"Hey, Twilight-whose-not-really-Twilight, have you ever been to a real party?" The alternate Twilight looked at her in a funny way. "I don't think you have, cause the other me looked really boring! She didn't even look like she'd ever had a cherrychanga. Say, have you ever had a cherrychanga? Cherrychanga. Great name, huh? Oh, but maybe I should call it a chimicherry. Ooh, that's good too! Which do you think sounds better? Cherrychanga or chimicherry? Or what if I combine them? Chimicherrychanga! What sounds the funniest? I like funny words! Chimicherrychanga, cherrychanga, chimicherry!"

The other Twilight put her hooves to her ears and screamed.

Behind her, the true Twilight rose up with Applejack's help and fired a magic blast that disintegrated her counterpart. Now with all their opposites beaten, they were free to help their other friends.

__________________________________________________________________

"Understand this, my friends..." Mirror-Sombra said, annunciating the last word with something like disgust. "-If you deny me, then the path to a future without fear will be gone forever. The things I have seen... you would go mad too if you saw them."

"I know all too well what such things hold, Sombra." Said Amore. "I have the gift of sight - and I can see what lies in another's heart." She pointed her hoof directly at him. "What lies in your heart is fear as well. You fear losing Celestia forever. And you fear... something else."

Mirror-Sombra nodded. "I am well aware of your sight, Princess Amore. You have visions of the future as well... just as my mother did long ago."

That got everypony's attention. Amore in particular blinked at that statement, then squinted.

"What do you mean?" She demanded.

"You do not truly think my path and his are one and the same, do you?" Mirror-Sombra asked. He did not wait for an answer. "Like him, I was born Umbrum, but I never succumbed to it. All thanks to you - or rather, the other you - was my mother once." He looked down, as if saddened by that statement. "She adopted me - and told me exactly what I was - but that did not change the way she felt. She loved me as her own son - even though I was different. Even when I was afraid I was a monster. Thanks to her - I was able to overcome that fear. Yet, I had to become a monster in order to see the truth; this world and ours - they are like me and him. They are defined by our choices. And so, I make the only real choice - by bringing our worlds together, I can create something better. I can ensure that such visions never come to pass."

He paused, then raised his hooves in a wide gesture. 

"Don't you see? This is the only way to true harmony!"

"You're wrong!" Came another voice. Everypony turned and beheld Twilight and her friends galloping through the entrance. "True harmony doesn't come from forcing your will on others!" She declared. "True harmony comes from friendship!" 

With that, the six element-bearers started to glow brightly. Their manes expanded, as did their Cutie-Marks. All present could not help but stop and stare. Fleetingly, Sombra realized what they were invoking must be Rainbow Power.

"No," Mirror-Sombra said quietly. In a moment, confusion turned to rage. "How could you have defeated your shadow selves?! How is it possible!?"

"Anything is possible when we work together." Twilight said. She turned to her friends. "Ready girls?"

"Ready!" The other element bearers cried as one.

With that, Twilight fired off the first beam - which struck the mirror being head on. Like before, when the Crystal Heart had vanquished him - cracks started to appear in his coat. A second beam followed it - followed by a third until all the elements were firing simultaneously. The rainbow blast enveloped the mirror-being, but to the true Sombra's surprise, he remained unharmed.

"What's happening?" He wondered aloud. His mirror self then started to exhale black smoke as the blast continued.

"Mirror-Sombra's evil heart is being cleansed." Amore replied, trotting up beside him. She looked at him grimly. "Be on your guard. The Umbrum essence is manifesting."

True to her words, the Rainbow Power drew out the familiar smokey substance - shaped vaguely like a Unicorn, but far larger and much more warped - and radiating a terrible dark magic. Gradually, the form shifted and turned into something not unlike Sombra's shadow form - green and red eyes glowing with malevolence. Behind it, the mirror-Sombra fell away, his coat and mane returned to its original color. Being stripped of the shadow power had made him too weak to stand - and it made his counterpart too weary to run or assist. Sombra's magical reserves had been drained from the fight before, and so it was all he could do to watch and hope.

"Now's our chance!" Amore cried. "Tia! Luna! Assist me!"

With that, Amore and the royal sisters stood up in a line - their horns aglow. The air around them crackled with energy as they let loose their full power. Without need to worry about harming Sombra or his counterpart any longer, they could now unleash everything. Once they had their strength gathered, they fired in unison. The blast ripped through the Umbrum essence, doing visible damage.

The shadow cried out in agony as the magic flashed through it. Yet, for all the power the princesses had, the Umbrum remained alive. With that, it expanded rapidly - shadowy tendrils flailing about and spearing everything in reach. The royal sisters scattered before the attacks - using their wings to take flight, each performed a series of midair spins.

Amore however was not so agile - a given that she was a unicorn, rather than an Alicorn. Instead she raised a protective barrier around herself. As she did so, another tendril shot forth - burying itself in the rubble beneath her. Before she could raise her shield again, a second tendril buried itself in her side. To Sombra's horror, before he could act, the tendril expanded - nearly tearing her apart from the inside. Suddenly, he found his strength again and fired a beam of his own - severing the tendril. Amore dropped to the ground, bleeding from a score of wounds.

Above, the mass of shadows quivered.

"Fools!" The shadow screeched. Its voice no longer hindered by a mortal form, it was as loud and piercing as a windigo's wail. "You think to destroy us!? There is nothing, no power on Equestria that can vanquish us so long as there are bodies to inhabit!" The shadow directed its fiery gaze upon the true Sombra. "You will all become part of us - starting with the traitor!"

At that last word, the shadow-being rushed at him with frightening speed - and Sombra's eyes widened in horror, but unable to bring himself to move. He had escaped the Umbrum's corruption - only to have that freedom taken away from him? Was this truly his destiny after all? Was it truly...?

"NO!"

At the last second, moments before the shadow could take him, Amore leaped in the way - putting her body in between him and the Umbrum. The shadow enveloped her - the tendrils reaching into her nose, her muzzle, seeping into every orifice and turning her bright pink coat into a sickly shade of grey, black and green. Yet, halfway through - the corruption was halted as streamers of multicolored magic took hold of her as well. The element bearers had turned their Rainbow Power on Amore. Now, they were attempting to draw the Umbrum from the princess.

"No," she murmured. "Do not release it." Her voice had taken on the echoing quality of the Umbrum, but it was still undeniably her own. Perhaps some part of her was still resisting it. "Let me die."

She turned her gaze to him, her eyes flashing between their natural shade of amber and unnatural green. There was warmth and compassion - mixed with hatred and cruelty in each color. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Only a hacking cough - and she jerked her head to the side - clutching either side of it with her hooves. She stood up to her hind legs - jerking and rearing about frantically, as if her very body turned against her.

The element-bearers ceased their attack and allowed themselves to return to normal form. Grief and pain were on each of their faces as they watched Amore's life seep away.

"Sombra," she muttered. "...The Umbrum will perish with me. They will... never return."

At this, a great cry escaped from her throat.

____________________________________________________________________________

Outside the mountain - the shadow ponies that remained began to shriek and writhe on the ground. They died within minutes. Those that had been possessed were released almost immediately - confused, but alive and well. Shining Armor and his troops looked up - astonished, as the dark clouds above them began to part, allowing a bit of sunlight to break through.

___________________________________________________________________________

Tears filled Sombra's eyes as he watched Amore collapse. Her body was already starting to fade. Behind him, the element bearers looked on, powerless.

"Amore, no." Sombra pleaded as he leaned down - gently putting a hoof on her shoulder. "I did not ask for this. I did not want this."

Amore smiled.

"This world was not meant for me.... but there are others." She paused and coughed. When it passed, she reached up with a hoof and touched his face. "...And I will find my place among them, just as you have found yours." 

As she spoke, the hoof began to disappear as well. 

"Walk the path that is meant for you without fear - for you are not alone... not anymore."

With that, her body faded from sight - disappearing in a bright flash. As she did so, a final echo resounded through the chamber.

"Farewell, my friend. May we meet again."

Sombra buried his face in his hooves and wept - and he let the tears fell freely.
> Epilogue: A Hopeful Future.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Chapter: A Hopeful Future.
____________________________________________________________________

~Crystal Empire, Sombra POV~
____________________________________________________________________

"My friends," Sombra began, looking over the herd of Crystal Ponies that had gathered for Amore's funeral. Thousands of mourners had come, though only a select few really remembered her in her prime. Because there was no body left behind, they were burying an empty casket before the crystal altar. Before giving their fallen princess a proper sendoff, Sombra saw fit to give a speech. Before the dais stood Hope, the element bearers, the royal sisters, Flurry and even his mirror counterpart - all in black.

"We are gathered here to bid goodbye to Amore, the lost Crystal Princess. Thousands of years ago, she saw the potential in others... in me, to do better. To be better than what I was. And she was right." He looked down at his wife, who had begun to tear up. "Though she had such a brief period to return, Amore continued to believe in the good in me. In all of us. To the very end, she expressed nothing but love and goodness for all. Gratitude to those that aided her; forgiveness for those that did her wrong. Myself included. She ennobled all of us - and so she will never be forgotten."

With that, Shining Armor stepped forward and signaled. A squad of unicorns beside the casket raised their horns and fired into the air; once, twice, three times in salute. The casket was slowly lowered into the grave - and Sombra was the first to lay a flower. Hope followed him, and then the princesses - and dozens of others, until the lid was covered with flowers - a sign of the mourners that came to pay homage to the one pony that gave her life that they might be free.

When all that was done, only Sombra, his mirror-self, Hope, Shard, Flurry and Celestia remained, standing vigil over the grave.

"We spent so many years looking for her pieces..." Hope said sadly. Beside her, Sombra put a hoof on her shoulder. Below them, Shard nuzzled his mother's chest.

"Amore did not perish needlessly." Celestia said, looking down at her former student. "She was in many ways the most loving, self-sacrificing princess of us all." Hope looked back, gladdened a bit at those words. "And you, Hope - you proved her right in the end."

"Indeed." Said Mirror-Sombra. "Without you, Hope, none of this would have been possible." He looked down a moment, as if lost in memory, then his gaze turned to Celestia. "Without the Umbrum essence clouding my vision, I am all that I was and more. For that, I am truly thankful."

"But you still must return." She said. It was not a question. "Our worlds were never meant to be linked as they are."

Mirror Sombra slowly shook his head. "No. My world needs me. The reconstruction is far from done. And there is much to be done now that the balance between our worlds has been upset - and..." his voice trailed off, as they all understood the implication of what had happened. "I am sorry. It is my fault that she died, slaying those cursed shadows."

"Fear not." Said the true Sombra. "Amore told me in her final moments that she would find her place among the other worlds that are out there." He looked up at the sky. "And who knows? Someday, perhaps, we will all meet again."

"Perhaps." Mirror-Sombra said quietly. "May you one day forgive me."

"I already have." The true Sombra said. "I know what you're going through. The guilt - the rage, the pain you feel." He put a hoof on his counterpart's shoulder. "In time, try to forgive yourself. But in the meantime, recognize that while we - you and I, have both done terrible things - we can atone. In time, we might find a measure of peace." 

Mirror-Sombra allowed himself a small smile as he looked at his counterpart and his family. 

"It's strange: Our worlds are in many ways so similar, you could spend a lifetime trying to find any difference. She loved me too. I believe, had things been different... I might have loved her as well." 

His gaze turned to Flurry and Shard. "But I suppose, in some ways, our worlds are radically different. Paths intersect - and as always, there are roads not taken: What might have been."

"You're saying that I don't have a mirror counterpart like everypony else." Flurry said, nodding. "And neither does Shard. We are unique."

"Indeed. I told you that we would meet again." Mirror-Sombra closed his eyes, briefly lost in memory. "Now that we have, under better circumstances... I had hoped I would be able to see what kind of pony you were. I wish that I could stay and see where your paths lead. See what awaits. However, I am afraid I must leave you now. But before I do..." He opened his eyes. "I will say, it was an honor to meet all of you."

___________________________________________________________________

~Mount Everhoof~

It was with heavy heart that a king returned to his world, free at last - but still feeling very much a prisoner. His thoughts turned back to Celestia. He had lingered for only a short while longer before the door between worlds was closed forever. They shared one final kiss - said their final goodbyes and shared a long, intense final gaze as he stepped through the portal, wishing things could have been different.

“I am truly sorry to have to do this once more, Tia.” He had said tearfully. “But at least this time, we might get a proper goodbye.”

“You are sure there is no way to stabilize the link between our worlds?” She had asked once more, clearly hoping against hope. “If Sunset Shimmer can live in the human world... and Starswirl’s work...” He silenced her with a hoof to her lip, then shook his head slowly.

“I am afraid not. There’s simply no more time.” He had replied. “There are many worlds, but ours are as these mirrors; parallel to each other - never meant to intersect. The longer I remain, the more likely they merge once again. Only this time, the damage would be irreversible.”

“Then... this...”

“Is goodbye... forever.” He finished for her. Tears welled in her eyes. “But know that no matter how many years pass - my heart will always belong to you.”

“And mine will be yours. Always... and never.”

He bit his lip, and with a longing look - he stepped through. On both sides of the portal, they lowered their horns and let loose a blast of magic.

“Goodbye my love.” Both whispered in unison, both unheard over the shattering of glass. 

___________________________________________________________________

~Sixteen years later~


The time of the Grand Galloping Gala had finally arrived - an event Shard's parents had described as "the biggest shindig in Canterlot" and Flurry had been the one to ask him to it. Naturally, this meant that Shard had to visit Rarity's newest (and largest) boutique in the capital city yet. As he passed through the doors and into the establishment, passing by the various ponies trying on outfits he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. 

He paused in his tracks and looked at his reflection, studying the stallion he had become.

He had grown much taller and more muscular - lean but powerful from years of digging and excavating artifacts. And it wasn't just his body that had changed either - his coat had steadily grown darker, to the point where he resembled his father even more. His eyes however remained a shade of brilliant blue, like his mother. Hope often said they were the handsomest part of him - as they reflected his strong will and innocent nature. Sombra had agreed, saying that was what brought the mares running, though Shard wondered what that meant. About the only mare he really hung out with was Flurry - though he supposed he liked hanging with the element-bearer's kids too. They were, after all, nearly of an age with him and Flurry, if off by a few years.

Much had changed in all the time that passed since he met his father's counterpart. Equestria had been at peace - and of course, he'd grown up. Before leaving, Mirror-Sombra had bid both him and Flurry goodbye, though he did so separately. 

A part of Shard still wondered why.

With a shrug, Shard moved through the boutique, oblivious to the winks and grins of the mares that watched him trot by. He stopped in front of the counter where Rarity was sitting - her tiny red glasses framed her eyes as she worked on a design. When he approached, she looked up and her face lit up with a smile in a way that pleasantly reminded Shard of Flurry. The years had been kind to her; Rarity was still good looking despite nearing forty and having two children with Spike.

"Hello there, young Shard. What brings you to my boutique today?" She asked, her soprano voice carrying over the din of other conversations.

"Hello, Miss Rarity." Shard replied, nodding his head. "I'm here because I need a suit for the gala. Mother says I need something that will 'bring out the color of my eyes', as she put it."

Rarity clapped her hooves together and grinned. "Oh, yes, the gala!" She squeaked. "And I'm sure she also wants this ensemble to be well fitted to a ballroom dance?"

Shard nodded. He had been told the gala was primarily a formal dance, something that his parents had said he had a talent for, aside from locating artifacts.

"Very well, darling." Rarity said as she rose from her chair and sauntered over to him, giving a brief but affectionate, almost motherly hug. "Let's go and get you fitted! I'm sure we'll find something that will make those mares swoon."

Shard did not notice the last part of her sentence, as he was too busy looking out over the mannequins that littered the store. A few were his size, but none were his type. Most of them consisted of coats with long tails and spats. He figured that was a little too formal. According to Twilight, the gala had a nasty habit of descending into chaos, especially since Discord himself started to frequent it, so it was probably best to try for something a little more practical.

"Do you have anything in light greens?" Shard asked, turning back to Rarity. "Something simple?"

She waved a hoof. "Nonsense! Green is so... last season. I think perhaps a shade of dark blue, or maybe grays!" She started to direct him towards a rack of said colors. None of them looked very appealing, truth be told, but he was too polite to mention that.

"Um, I'm not very good at this sort of thing - but isn't gray a fall color?"

Again, she waved a hoof, accenting it with a dainty laugh. "Oh, yes, but we want something that will accent those pretty blue eyes. Something that will set your dance partner's heart aflutter!"

"And you think that I can do that with a stuffed shirt and pairs of those fancy boots?" Shard asked only half sarcastically; curse his good nature.

"Well, yes, something like that - but not too stuffy. You are, if I may be so bold, nothing less than an absolute stud!" She turned back to him and grinned impishly. She seemed to take his words to heart, however as she led him to another section - one filled with a variety of lighter colors: Greys, whites and even a few yellow suits here or there.

"Um, Miss Rarity, I think I can choose my own..." Shard started to protest weakly.

She shushed him with a hoof to his mouth. "Not another word. You just leave everything to me, young Shard."

_____________________________________________________________________

~Flurry~

The years just seemed to fly by for the young princess. Now fully twenty two years old and her powers fully unlocked - many said that she had truly come into her own. At least, that was what they thought. Truth was, Flurry had been spending the last few years learning how to control her awesome magic, which had grown to rival Celestia. Thanks to Sunburst, Starlight and her Aunt Twilight, that was easy - but it meant she had less time to spend with Shard - which was what she wanted most of all.

At first, Flurry had tried to figure out what that meant. Sure, they were best friends - which was what Aunt Twilight often told her was the greatest magic of all, but this was different. This kind of friendship felt, well, kind of like those stories she read as a foal - but it was different than that as well. This wasn't as simple as looking at Shard and falling for him on the spot for his looks - though a few fillies had done that in the past (much to Flurry's unspoken annoyance). This was something else. 

Flurry had known Shard nearly all her life - she had laughed with him, cried with him, they had trained, studied and had a number of adventures together, not unlike what her family had gone through in the years before she was born - but a part of her wanted more than just his friendship. That childish crush she had on him as a filly had grown into something else. When she put it forward to her mother, Cadance smiled and replied with three simple words:

"You love him."

That was the moment that broke the dam. Could what she felt for Shard truly be called love? But then, her mother was the Princess of that emotion - and so she might just have it right. The world seemed so much brighter when he was around. She noticed how handsome he had become, she valued his friendship and enjoyed his company - she had shared all of her personal secrets with him... heck, he remained her best friend for Celestia’s sake!

It was in that moment that Flurry understood her mother was right. It was love.

Flurry spent a long time alone in her room after that conversation, lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about what it might mean for their relationship. Shard had never once shown any kind of romantic interest in her, or in any other pony for that matter. A part of her wondered if he was aromantic - though that struck her as unlikely. He had definitely noticed the element-bearers relationships develop with their husbands - and he'd attended their weddings - most often as an usher. She recalled seeing him in a tux for the first time - all grown up and handsome, making her look at him in a whole new light.

That thought reminded her that the gala was tonight. The biggest party in Equestria was just a few hours away and she was just lying there!

At that, she rose from her bed and trotted to her closet to pick out what she would wear. As she opened the closet doors - a flood of old memorabilia came spilling out; her stuffed snail, Whammy - the bears that Auntie Twilight had given her - and an old photograph of her and Shard when they were still foals - at his tenth birthday with his muzzle smeared with cake. Flurry herself had thrown it at him as part a joke suggested by Pinkie Pie. Looking at the photo and seeing herself in the mirror now, she could see that time had changed both of them. 

Over the years, Flurry had grown in height - and her frame had filled out - still slender and curvy, though not to the same extent as her mother or her great-aunts. Her eyes scanned her closet, deciding that it was time to unveil her secret weapon - a little something that Rarity had made for her as her twentieth birthday gift.

Her eyes settled on the dress - and Flurry grinned impishly. If this wouldn't get Shard's attention, then nothing would!

_______________________________________________________________

~The Gala~

Shard knew the Gala was going to be a raucous affair even before he stepped off the escort coach and looked up at the brilliant skyline. The royal palace was open - and the sisters stood in front of the entrance - waving and greeting their guests, both looking just as regal and lovely as they were when he last saw them. Sixteen years and nothing had changed. A part of Shard wondered if Flurry was ageless like her great-aunts, but he decided it didn't matter.

He dismounted the coach and trotted slowly up the long red carpet - making sure his parents were keeping up. Unlike the sisters, both his parents showed clear signs of age - a side effect of Sombra becoming a mortal, ordinary pony. Yet, what didn't change was their love for each other - as was evident from their grins and how Hope rubbed under her husband's muzzle as they walked.

Up ahead, a familiar herd of ponies was standing next to the royal sisters, waiting for him and his family. Shard blinked, then grinned as he recognized them as the element-bearers and their families: Rarity with Spike, probably tonight's most unusual couple. Over there was the second, Fluttershy and Discord - with the spirit of chaos grinning mischievously. Past the pegasus and draconnequs was Applejack and Trenderhoof - with the farm-pony tipping her hat as Shard passed by.

Suddenly Shard found himself bombarded with confetti - and he sheepishly grinned as Pinkie and Cheese Sandwich burst out from... somewhere, holding miniature party cannons. He watched with amusement as they aimed and fired at random - each shot hitting some poor upper-class pony in the crowd.

Further along, Twilight beamed as she saw him, but her legs got caught in her dress - sending her stumbling - nearly falling over her husband, Flash Sentry -in a way that mirrored how they had first met, according to the Princess of Friendship herself.

"Shard!" She called over the din of the crowd. "So good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too, Twilight." Shard replied happily. "How have you been?"

"Great!" She replied cheerily. Suddenly her expression turned to surprise. "Look out for...-!"

Before she could finish, Shard found himself swept off his hooves by a rainbow blur. In midair he was held aloft by the Wonderbolts' Captain, Rainbow Dash. She greeted him with the biggest, devil-may-care grin he had ever seen. They came grinding to a halt - just as another blur intercepted the speeding Pegasi.

"Come on, Crash." Came another voice. "You really shouldn't be Rainbooming the guests."

"It's just a bit of fun, Clipper." Rainbow Dash replied in that usual cocky tone. "Shard doesn't mind, do ya' buddy?"

Shard looked up, just as Dash started to give him a noogie and beheld Soarin - former second-in-command of the Wonderbolts - standing above them, looking down at his wife reprovingly. 

"Come on, babe, that's enough fun for one night." Soarin said. "It's the Gala, remember?"

"I remember." Rainbow said as she stood up and helped Shard back to his hooves. "But if it's not supposed to be fun, then why is Discord here?"

Shard turned and saw that Rainbow Dash was correct: Evidently, marrying Fluttershy wasn't quite enough to tame the spirit of chaos - as with a snap of his claw, he made all the coaches turn into parsnips - and the guard ponies that tried to stop him suddenly found themselves turned into mice.

Fluttershy only had to look at him with a raised eyebrow - and the Draconnequs sighed. "You're still no fun, honey." Shard heard him mutter.

In an instant, he turned everything back to normal.

"Time to go on inside!" Twilight announced, flashing a nod at Fluttershy. "Let's go and have the best night ever!"

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

A half an hour later and Shard found that Twilight had spoken too soon. The affair turned out to be deathly dull; a herd of nobility eating tiny portions of food and putting on obviously fake smiles. Things only became more interesting when Discord and his daughter charmed the punch into spraying itself onto Rarity and her family - ruining the fashionista's dress in one stroke. Then in came Fluttershy to diffuse the situation, and of course the spirit of chaos again put a stop to it.

Overall, it was the kind of fancy party that Shard disliked. 

At least until Flurry appeared.

She came in as befit the heir to the Crystal Throne; announced by the royal guard and accompanied by her parents, Shining Armor and Cadance. All three were dressed as befit royalty, but it was Flurry that really caught his eye. Her mane was tied into an elegant braid that hung down her back, but allowed just enough of her curls around her head - while her tail was tied at the end with a jeweled band. She had chosen a white and light purple dress that not only captured the lights - but positively reflected and radiated it. Holes had been cut into the sides in such a way that allowed her to spread her wings without being too airy - and the ensemble was completed with the blue crystal shoes that both accented the shape of her hooves and drew attention to her long, shapely legs.

Suddenly Shard felt his heart beating a few tics faster as she approached, letting him get a better look. From the gleam above her eyes, he could tell she had put on makeup - though not too much that it covered her. Quite the opposite, in fact. It somehow was just enough to compliment her natural good looks - and she clearly enjoyed the attention she was garnering.

Several young stallions turned heads as she passed by - but her eyes were focused only on him. He tried to speak, but found his mouth wasn't working. When she was just within hooves' reach, she stopped and gave him a polite bow.

"Hello Shard." Said Flurry, batting her eyelashes. "You look dashing tonight."

He suddenly found his voice. "S-so do you." He almost sputtered. "Er-, I mean, you look beautiful." He mentally slapped himself. "I mean..."

She silenced him with a hoof to his mouth and an airy laugh.

"Come on Shard, it's me, Flurry, remember?" She said. "I'm not one of those high-society ladies you need to impress. Unless you want to offer me a... dance?" She winked.

"Uh, yeah!" Shard said, nodding happily. Then he realized how stupid he must look before he bent one knee and returned the bow. "Your highness, may I have this dance?"

Flurry laughed again, then outstretched a hoof. "Of course, my young gentlecolt."

He took it gladly and led her to the dance floor, just as a slow song began. He started by putting his hoof around her waist, gently but firmly. Slowly, he took the lead and together, they practically glided across the floor. The other partygoers occasionally stopped and stared as they waltzed.

Further away, the element bearers and their husbands exchanged knowing smiles. Just a bit down the way, standing next to the buffet table, Sombra and Hope watched their son sway to and fro with his best friend into a tango.

"Reminds me of our first dance at our wedding." Hope remarked. "For somepony that never danced in his life, you did surprisingly well."

"Well, I had a thousand years in the ice." Sombra joked. "I found a few polar bears that were more than willing to help me practice."

Hope laughed, then caressed her husband's muzzle with her hoof. "All these years and you've never changed."

"And I never will." Sombra promised as he leaned down and embraced his wife.

Back with Shard and Flurry, the music slowed until it stilled - and with a flourish, he brought Flurry down into a dip, their faces dewed with sweat - just a few inches from each other. Shard felt his heart race as he stared into Flurry's eyes - and after a moment, he hurriedly allowed her to stand properly, his face turning a shade of red as he realized the other partygoers were applauding.

"Shard, that was lovely." Flurry said happily. "You're one heck of a ballroom dancer!"

"So are you." He observed. "Where in Equestria did you learn to waltz like that?"

"All part of being a princess." Flurry said with a slight chuckle. "But I think you're better than my instructor. You just might be able to give him lessons. Ever think of taking up ballroom dance in case this whole archaeology thing doesn't work out?"

"Oh, I've considered it." Shard returned, grinning. "And I think I just may have found my first student. I'll make you a deal..." He leaned forward. "I'll show you my moves if you'll show me yours."

"You're on." Flurry said. "For your first lesson..."  With that she leaned in, closed her eyes and gently kissed him on the lips, much to his surprise, but also to his delight. "Never dance with a princess without expecting a kiss."

From far away, Shard's parents watched as their son shared his first kiss. 

"Heck, it's about time." Sombra said quietly, holding Hope close. "Well done, my son."

"How long do you think it'll be before Shard figures it out?" Hope asked, looking up, then back at the pair.

"Not long, I'd think." Sombra said, nodding as they started another dance. "After all, that son of ours is a smart one."

Just before they could begin a second round, there came a tapping of a spoon on glass. All eyes were directed towards Celestia and Luna. When she had everypony's attention, the Sun-Princess cleared her throat and magically amplified her voice.

"My little ponies. Your attention, please." She announced. "I'd like to dedicate tonight's festivities to our friends, the element-bearers - and to Sombra and his family."

With that, spotlights appeared from the rafters and aimed at the couples - both Shard's parents and the colt himself - standing awkwardly with the princess in his hooves. They parted, both their faces bright red, to the amusement of a few ponies in the crowd.

"It is thanks to them that we are here to celebrate now. Without them, all this would surely have been lost. On behalf of all Equestria, I would like to thank them for their actions: Sixteen years ago, Sombra's son, Midnight Shard - guided us to destroy a great source of evil. The Umbrum."

With that, she raised a hoof - and her horn glowed - and behind her a new stained glass window was unveiled. The jaws of virtually everpony at the gala dropped. Depicted in the crystalline facets of the window was Shard, his parents and Starswirl's mirror - surrounded by rainbow light. Beneath the mirror was the imagery of the Umbrum, fallen and defeated.

With that, Luna stood up to her full height. 

"On our behalf, I too would like to thank you for your actions. You saved the very pony you had first hurt - our cousin, Princess Amore. And though she may no longer be with us, her actions shall resound throughout eternity."

And with that, Luna's horn glowed - and another window was revealed: This one depicting Amore, in her prime, restored, with Sombra and Hope standing on either side of her - gentle smiles on all their faces.

"We ponies now have another two tales to weave into our grand history: The redemption of Sombra, the Shadow Pony - and likewise, The tale of Midnight Shard, Son of Shadows."

______________________________________________________________________

After all the festivities had died down, the gala had ended in a grand affair - and with Sombra and his family watching the fireworks display. 

And amidst the din of sparklers and multicolored lights, there stood a colt and his best friend, holding hooves.

______________________________________________________________________


~Unknown~

In a place forgotten by time and by all ponykind, a figure lounged on a stone throne - watching these events with a mix of great interest and dark amusement. All that had transpired had done so according to designs even the princesses could not fathom. The unsuspecting fools knew not what awaited.

Enjoy your victory, little ponies. The figure thought with a wicked grin. This is just the beginning.

______________________________________________________________________

~The End.~