Princess twilight sparkle smiled as she thought of seeing her mentor and her sister , brother and sister-in-law in the crystal empire.
"Next stop the crystal empire". Called out the conductor.
Twilight shook herself out of her train of thought. Spike was right. This trip would be good. She needed to get out of her own head.
As the train arrived at the station twilight walked put of the train as regally as she could.
The lessons with the other princesses were working. Twilight thought as two purple crystal guards approached her.
"We have been instructed to bring you to the crystal place at the request of princess cadence". One of the guards said.
"Of course. Please escort me to her". Twilight said flashing a smile.
The crystal guards looked at each other surprised. They had never heard a princess say please before.
Twilight had to admit it was hard to not giggle at their expressions.
"I'm sorry princess but did you say please"? One of the guards asked.
"Yes. I'm sorry if you didn't hear me". Twilight said smiling gently making the guards surpised again.
"Now I think that I'm needed urgently at the crystal palace so may we please leave"? Twilight asked looking expectantly at the two guards.
"Of course princess". The guards replied regaining their composure.
The trip was quite uneventful. Crystal ponies would smile and wave at her while she calmly did the same.
Apparently twelve crystal ponies fainted from a quick smile and wave in their direction.
Twilight mentally winced at the fall the last fainted took. I hope they have a good hospital here in the crystal empire. Twilight thought as she looked at the crystal ground.
Finally we've arrived at the palace. My hoofs are killing me. Twilight thought as she stubbed her hoof on a crystal rock.
She mentally facehoofed as she entered a corridor.
She finally reached the throne room. She saw princess cadence and wanted to rush over.
But a princess has to stay professional for her subjects.
Much too everyone in the room's surprise she turned around to the guards.
"I thank you for being so kind to escort me to the palace but I think that the princesses would like to discuss something in private so could you please leave the room". Twilight asked professionally.
The guards looked at each other even more confused." Of course princess". The guards said as they backed out of the room.
Twilight turned around a little shocked at the sight. Everypony including the princesses were gapping with their mouths open.
The shock was short lived as twilight rush over to cadence.
"Sunshine sunshine ladybirds wake. Clap your voices and do a little shake". Twilight and cadence did the chant giggling before hugging one another.
"Twily"! Cried out her brother walking over to her.
"BBBFF"! Twilight yelled before hugging him.
"You were very professional twilight". Princess Celestia said smiling.
"Thank you princess". Replied twilight beaming. Her mentors encouragement was very valuable to her.
"Now can somepony explain why I was asked to come here. Wait let me guess something to do with Sombra". Twilight said scrunching her face up.
With a few simple nodded twilight's only response was a very annoyed groan.
"Indeed. My sister was hoping that thou would reform Sombra like thou's friend Fluttershy did with Discord". Luna said in a mysterious state of calm.
Twilight was however the opposite.
All she could do was stare with her mouth wide open.
"Follow me". Celestia said walking into another corridor.
"It appears that Cadence and Shining armour have found Sombra's hidden study. While this was to be lost it appears that with Sombra gone the Enchantment in it was broken". Celestia said with a stern look on her face.
They approached a study with grand brass doors. Inside were multiple books and objects.
But Celestia just ignored them and kept walking on.
Twilight gasped as she saw it. King Sombra's horn. It was still as dastardly was when it was on the evil unicorn.
Celestia sat behind the severed black horn while cadence sat to the left and Luna sat to the right. Shining armour just stood near the door.
Using her magic Celestia gave twilight a scroll with a complex spell on it from what Shining armour saw. It took less than a minute until twilight had read the whole spell to Shining armour's surprise.
He could never understand how his sister read complex spells and books in the blink of an eye.
As the four alicorns preformed the spell a glowing aura surrounded the severed horn.
With a bright light the spell was completed. However the light from the spell was so blinding Celestia had covered it up with a blanket.
All the alicorns severed around twilight as she and Shining armour started to walk to the blanket.
Twilight ripped the blanket off the floor and what was under it shocked them.
Instead of a power hungry evil tyrant layed a young colt.
His mane and tail were black as before but instead of pitch black it was a night time sky black. His coat was a friendly gray. As he opened his eyes you could see no traces of evil magic. Instead of blood red they were crimson.
Shining armour walked towards the little colt with his horn glowing with magic.
The colt saw this and backed away as he was scared not of Shining armour but the magic he possessed.
Cadence put a hoof on her husband's shoulder and shook her head sadly.
As soon as Shining armour stopped moving the little colt dashed under twilight's legs.
"Aw he likes you". Cadence said in a adoring tone. Even Shining armour's expression softened at the little colts reaction.
"Well I wish you the best of luck reforming him". Celestia grinned.
Twilight turned to face her mentor as Sombra moved his body to stay under twilight.
"What do you mean"? Asked twilight suspiciously. She didn't like it when her mentor got that glea of mischief in her eyes.
"Think of it this way twilight". Cadence explained. "The spell didn't worked the way we thought but you can still reform him".
"Fillies and colts do tend to look up to and copy the way the ponies act who raise them". Luna said agreeing with Celestia and cadence.
Celestia looked down at the scared colt and asked." Do you want to stay with Twilight "?
The colt nodded and replied. Tw..I.. li.ght...sa..fe.
Twilight sighed as even more guards arrived to place all the "neccessary spells" on Twilight's castle.
Even though Sombra was a colt now the royal guard wasn't taking any chances.
Twilight reviewed the list of spells being put on the castle.
Non burning spell ( twilight felt a little silly for not putting that spell in the library herself)
Weak enemy armour spell ( How was a colt going to get armour?)
Strong ally armour spell ( there isn't any armour in the castle anyway)
No alcohol spell ( there isn't a drop of alcohol except for cider in Ponyville thanks to pinkie)
No poison spell ( HOW IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA WOULD A COLT GET POISON?!?)
No flying spell ( SOMBRA DOESNT EVEN HAVE WINGS!!!!)
No crystal spell ( THE CASTLE IS MADE OF CRYSTALS!!!)
Twilight suddenly looked up in horror as she read that. No crystal spell.
10 minutes later
Applejack was going to the market with Rarity when pinkie yelled.
"WOBBLY KNEE"!
"ITCHY EYE"!!
"WHIRLY TAIL"!!!
Rarity pulled out the book of pinkie sense and started searching for something.
"What is it this time Rarity"? Applejack asked worryingly.
"Apparently twilight is beating up royal guards because they tried to put up a no crystal spell in her crystal castle and almost destroyed the library". Rarity said raising a eyebrow.
"That's weirdly specific". Applejack said.
"Two words darling. Town motto". Rarity said gestering at the town sign.
"Point taken".
The town motto was : Pinkie will be pinkie.
Twilight had crossed off all the silly defense spells and put in some useful spells.
She was also hiding all the books about advance or dangerous magic in her study.
Along were all the books that might spark some evil in Sombra.
Spike had to spend an hour arguing with Twilight about whether or not to make a list of all the dangerous books.
Spike had surprisingly won that argument with. "What if Sombra found the list"?
Sombra was sleeping while all this was going on but surprisingly he seemed restless in his sleep like he knew everything that was happening around his subconscious body.
After kicking out the last of the guards twilight finally rested.
With the spells up and running Twilight decided to explore the castle. Of course it was hard not to step on Sombra as he was underneath Twilight the whole time.
"You do know you don't have to stay near me all the time". Twilight said annoyed.
Sombra often had nightmares and he figured out where Twilight slept so every night Twilight would put him in the bed and the next morning he'll be next to Twilight.
Sombra just nodded quietly.
"So why do you stay so close to me"? Twilight asked.
"Because it's not very safe". Sombra replied shaking.
Twilight was about to ask why but then remembered something. It was in a book that Sombra wasn't allowed to see.
"How about we go get pancakes in the kitchen"? Asked twilight.
Sombra smiled the first time since he was in Ponyville.
She needed somepony to look after Sombra while she went to get the book.
She thought of spike but then remembered he was in town for a game with Big Mac.
After ten minutes of searching they finally found the kitchen.
Twilight lifted Sombra up with her magic onto the seat. Sombra was surprised that he was floating but calmed down after he saw that Twilight was the one lifting him.
"I will be in the kitchen making pancakes while you have to sit here so you don't get hurt okay"? Asked Twilight in a motherly tone.
"Okay". Sombra said sadly.
half a hour later
The pancakes were done. Twilight snuck a glance at Sombra and noticed he was shivering.
At first she thought it was because he was cold but then realised it was because he was away from her.
She set down the plates and sat next to Sombra. Sombra stopped shivering and smiled softly.
He was very terrible at using cutlery to say the least. Twilight had to move his hooves for him to learn how to use them. Even after he still cut big chunks of pancakes.
Its like I'm his mother. Twilight thought as he cut his pancakes.
She then decided to get her friends to come over to talk about what was going on.
It was only fair they know what's happening. They're my friends after all.
"Are you okay"? Asked Sombra looking up at Twilight with big eyes.
"Yes I am why"? Twilight asked back.
"I asked what we were doing but you didn't listen". Sombra said still staring with curiosity.
"Well you are going to meet my friends today. Now finish your pancakes". Twilight said mimicking a tone she heard Fluttershy use on one of her animals.
"Okay". said Sombra shyly.
Twilight realised in order to get her friends she would need to leave Sombra alone.
"Done". Said Sombra with a smile on his mussel.
"You need to wash those hoofs". Twilight said.
She looked out of the window and saw pinkie bouncing around town.
"Pinkie"!
"Yes twi"? Pinkie asked.
"Can you get everypony to go to my castle as soon as they can"?
"Of course". Pinkie said while hopping along.
a couple of hours later
Sombra was hiding behind twilight while the others arrived.
The pink pony was bouncing onto a thrown with her cutie mark while a blue pegasus did the same.
"Now let's go over this again". Twilight said not noticeing Sombra hiding behind her thrown.
"We've been over it like a million times Twilight". The blue pegasus said complaining.
"We found all six keys, defeated Tirek and got this sweet castle". Rainbow dash said pointing around her.
"Yes but why"? Twilight said rubbing her mussel.
"We don't know sugarcube. Maybe it's just your new house and there is nothing more to it than that". Applejack said relaxing.
"From my point of view there doesn't need to be more to it". Rarity exclaimed.
"I agree with everypony and probably spike too". Fluttershy said cheerfully.
Sombra giggled at Fluttershy's behaviour. The giggles increased when the ponies were looking around the castle in fear.
However when Twilight shot an angry glance at Sombra's hiding spot the giggles stopped.
"As princess I've been chosen to speed the magic of friendship across Equestria so why would the tree of Harmony what us to sit in a castle in Ponyville"? Twilight asked no pony in particular.
As soon as Twilight sat on her thrown the cutie Mark on the throwns started to glow.
Crystal started to grow out of the ground. Suddenly a glowing map with all of Equestria burst out of the ground.
"This is incredible it's got all of Equestria"! Spike said while walking on the glowing map.
Pinkie looked at her parents rock farm before spike stomped on it.
With a bright gleam their cutie marks started glowing.
A copy of their cutie marks hovered above a particular place near the outskirts of Equestria.
"But Ponyville is over here why are our cutie marks over their"? Asked Fluttershy.
"I don't know but it seems like the map wants us to find out". Twilight said.
"Just one question twi. Who is that"? Rainbow asked pointing to Sombra waving his hoof through a mountain.
Sombra was walking close to spike as the train that Twilight was on left a hour ago.
Spike noticed this nervousness and acted accordingly. "Let's go to Sugarcube corner and get something to eat okay"? Spike said with a comforting smile.
Sombra only nodded sadly. Sugarcube corner was hard to miss while traveling in Ponyville. It was the only building that looked like candy.
Three eager looking faces looked at the new colt from the alley. "See what did I tell y'all he doesn't have a cutie mark".
On the train heading for the outskirts of Equestria
"And that's what happened". Twilight said as they got of the train.
"Gee Twilight looking after a youngin is a lot of responsibility but I can't think of any pony more responsible than you". Applejack said awed at the new responsibility that was put on Twilight's shoulders.
"If I can reform discord you can reform Sombra even though he is a colt and we'll be here for you every step of the way". Fluttershy said comforting her friend.
"Thanks girls any way we're here".
"Well let's go". Rarity said starting to go to the town.
"Wait! We know that the map wanted us to come here but we don't know if it is safe". Twilight said teleporting in front of Rarity.
"Stay behind me girls I'm on it". Pinkie said with a fierce look of determination.
"Be careful pinkie". Applejack said as Pinkie got to close to the edge of the cliff.
Pinkie rolled down the cliff edge and behind a rock with such skill it was scary.
She then dashed and hid under two rocks before lifting a giant rock and making the coast is clear sign with her hoof before getting crushed by the giant rock.
Once they managed to get a good look at the town and they realized it only had one street and all the buildings looked the same.
"I can't believe the map sent us here. It must be the most boring place in all of Equrestria". Rainbow complained.
"Its just a ordinary village filled with ordinary pony folk just like Ponyville". Applejack said.
"Well unlike Ponyville it could certainly could use some architectural flourishes". Rarity said back.
"I think it's lovely". Fluttershy whispered.
"I don't like it. Not one little bit. I know smiles and those just aren't right". Pinkie said suspicious of the small town.
"Smiles?!? Look at their cutie marks". Twilight said. All the ponies in the village had the same equal sign as their cutie Mark.
"Okay that's weird". Rainbow said looking even more suspicious.
Back in Ponyville
Spike and Sombra were walking back from getting a snack at Sugarcube Cornor.
"Okay let's go to the school house". Spike said looking at a list that Twilight wrote.
"Why"? Sombra asked Spike.
"Because we need to get signing in papers from the school house so you can go to school". Spike said.
Sombra looked downcast at this so Spike thought of something they could do.
"Tell you what after we deliver the papers to the castle I'll take you on a tour of Ponyville". Spike said smiling.
Sombra seemed to cheer up an even started bouncing like Pinkie.
"If he goes to the same school as us we can do more stuff together". One of the three fillies following the pair said excitedly.
Back in the strange town
"An entire village with the same cutie Mark is impossible". Twilight thought out loud.
"I bet there's a terrifying evil monster behind this". Rainbow said eyeing the village suspiciously.
"Why do you say that"? Twilight asked.
"Because fighting a horrific monster would make me ten times more awesome". Rainbow said getting excited.
"I reckon the best plan would be to head into town, talk to some locals and find out what's going on". Applejack's said.
"Great idea AJ". Rainbow said hovering in front of her.
"Those smiles are bad news". Pinkie said frowning.
As the group headed into town all the locals said was just one word. "Welcome". In a creepy tone.
"This must be the most welcoming place in Equestria". Fluttershy said looking around happily.
"Thanks a lot map. You sent us to the one bad place in Equestria that Fluttershy likes". Rainbow said facehoofing.
"Welcome. Pardon my forwardness but are you an alicorn"? Asked a villager wearing a brown straw cloak. He was a unicorn with a light blue coat and a dark blue mane and tail. His cutie Mark was an equal sign.
Twilight smiled awkwardly. She was still getting use to this being a princess thing.
"This here is the Princess of Friendship". Applejack said covering Twilight's awkwardness.
"Well you certainly came to the place for friendship". The stallion said before flashing a weird smile.
"What brings you to town"? Asked a white stallion.
"Well we aren't really sure". Twilight said awkwardly.
"I see. Well all are welcome at our little town. My name is Double Diamond and and this is Party Favour". Double Diamond said.
"Howday Double Diamond. I'm Applejack, that's Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow dash, Rarity and Twilight". Applejack said gesturing to them.
"And you all have your own unique cutie marks". Double Diamond said looking at Pinkie's cutie mark before she covered it up with her tail.
"If you don't mind me asking has there been any trouble around here"? Asked Twilight suspiciously.
"Trouble. Why I don't think that we've ever had trouble in our little town". Double Diamond said smiling.
"That's true. You will see". Party Favour said walking away.
"Maybe you can see the town founder Starlight glimmer if you like". Double Diamond said walking in the same direction as Party Favour.
"Maybe all of Equestria should be as friendly as these ponys". Fluttershy said smiling.
"I've got my eye on them. Somethings rotten in what ever this town is called". Said Pinkie in a huff.
The two stallions knocked on the door two times at the same time." Starlight. We have some new visitors". Double Diamond said in a cheery tone.
Meanwhile in Ponyville
"That's the end of the tour of Ponyville". Spike said as they stopped at the castle.
"Ponyville is really big". Sombra said in wonder.
"I knew you would like the tour". Spike said puffing up his chest in pride.
"But what am I supposed to do now"? Sombra asked Spike.
Spike got a ball from inside the castle for Sombra and tossed it to him. "Play with this for a while".
"Okay". Sombra said headbutting the ball into the air.
Spike went inside for a nap which left Sombra alone.
Sombra was smiling and playing with the ball when he bucked it too far. "Eep". Sombra said chasing after the blue ball.
The ball stopped underneath a pink filly's hoof.
"Thanks for stopping my ball". Sombra said trying to grab it but the filly kicked it away to her friend a gray filly wearing glasses.
"Um excuse me but that's not yours. It's mine so can you please give it back"? Sombra asked shyly.
"No it landed under my hoof and Silver Spoon and I are playing with it so it's mine". Diamond Tiara said aggressively.
"But it's not yours it's mine. I was playing with it in the first place and Spike gave it to me". Sombra said a bit more forcefully.
"No it's not yours it's mine because you don't deserve a ball like this. Do you know why"? Diamond Tiara asked even more aggressively.
Sombra slowly shook his head in fear.
"Because you're a blank flank". Diamond Tiara teased.
"A pathetic little blank flank who can't even get his own cutie mark". Silver Spoon teased making Sombra's eyes water.
"What's wrong? Is a pathetic wimpy colt like you not going to run to his mommy"? Diamond Tiara said teasingly.
"I don't have a mommy". Sombra said crying.
"Ha ha ha! You're so pathetic that your mommy abandoned you. You're nothing but an ugly orphan that no pony wants". Diamond Tiara said laughing.
Silver Spoon looked at her friend shocked that she would say such things to an orphan.
"Leave him alone"!!!
Back in the strange village
"Be ready to fight AJ. We don't know what's going to come through that door". Rainbow whispered to her friend.
The door opened to reveal a pink unicorn mare." Welcome! I'm so pleased to have you here". Starlight glimmer said cheerfully.
