Sombra seems to have embraced friendship or at least civility.
Banished once again, Sombra had nothing but his thoughts to pass the time. Unlike previous defeats, he felt calm despite being blasted back to the void. Furthermore, his cognitive prowess seemed enhanced as if emerging from a fog bank. As his return to Equestria drew closer Sombra modifies his plan to reclaim his kingdom.
A few elements from the IDW MLP Comics are added to the story but nothing that requires you to read the comics.
Edit: This story takes place after Season 9.
Entry for the Season 10 Bingo Writing Contest (Prompt 99).
Sombra, the self-proclaimed king of Equestria, bore an unfathomable amount of malice for all of its inhabitants. No one knew why or what brought on such hatred. He just appeared one day and began wreaking havoc upon reaching maturity. After his last encounter with The Bearers of Harmony, everyone believed him gone for good.
However, things have a way of returning when you least expect it in Equestria. Deep within a cave, nestled deep inside its many gem-rich caverns, resides the shadowy presence of Sombra. After years of bidding his time, his body had finally regenerated. Time meant nothing to Sombra for he knew his existence was eternal.
A series of soft clops sounded as his newly formed hooves touched the rocky surface of the cave floor. "It's good to be back," he said while stretching. Once limbered up, he lit his horn to survey his surroundings. Due to the exposed gems, he was immediately bathed in hues of red, blue, yellow, and purple.
As he neared the exit the temperature turned cold. Emerging into the moonless night he realized he'd regenerated in the northern territory. Shifting to his gaseous form Sombra flow high into the sky. With the help of a location spell, he darted off toward the Crystal Empire. Zipping through the frigid wind with ease, he increased his speed as the empire's altered biome came into view.
As he passed through the barrier he was forced back into his physical form. Before realizing what had happened, Sombra had crashed into the crystalline road below. The grinding of armor against crystal screeched briefly before Sombra teleported atop the nearest building. Before the spell reached completion he spotted several lights flick on.
Several voices could be heard from his hiding spot. Since none of the ponies knew what caused the ruckus, Sombra decided to wait until the coast was clear. While resting he wondered what caused his sudden transformation. His pondering took a back seat as the sound of silence once again ruled the night.
In the event the guards might have been alerted, he opted to travel by rooftop the rest of the way. It wasn't long before he reached the center of town. As expected the palace entrance was guarded, wanting to avoid unnecessary confrontations he searched for an alternative entrance. Circled the palace he came to a balcony which would lead straight into the throne room.
While realizing the balcony would be guarded, Sombra teleported onto it anyways. As he rematerialized both guards prepared to attack. Unfortunately for them, Sombra blasted them with a sleep spell. The clanking of armor and spears sounded as the guards slumped onto the marble. Peacefully asleep, Sombra made his way to the throne room undeterred.
Before revealing the secret passage he made sure he was alone. The stairs were revealed as the floor disintegrated in a wave of smoke. Wanting to conclude his business before anyone noticed he sprinted the rest of the way. Opening the door to the laboratory he walked to the opposite side of the room. Keeping an eye on the doorway for any interlopers he directed his magic onto the center of the floor.
The touch of his magic caused the exposed floor to evaporated to reveal a medium-sized chest within the floor. As he looked upon the crystal orb, several old diaries, and a framed photo inside a smile came to his face. While the contents didn't seem like much they reminded Sombra of simpler times.
As several clops echoed in the stairway Sombra closing the chest and waited for their arrival. While he'd hoped to be gone before being discovered their presence changed nothing. The guards, led by Shining Armor, began to file into the laboratory. Demanding Sombra to surrender, Sombra's eyes began to pulse emerald green as they stared at each other.
Ignoring his demand, Sombra patronized them with a slow wave. Not surprised at Sombra's disregard he repeated his demand while gathering magic. Despite his confident posture, Shining Armor hoped he'd grown stronger through the years. Not giving Sombra a chance to attack Shining Armor attempted to stun him.
Unfortunately, before it could connect, Sombra deflected it with ease. Enraged every unicorn joined in the fight, unfortunately, Sombra continued to deflect every spell cast at him. Unwilling to watch their fellow guard ponies struggle a zealous pegasus attempted to turn the tide. Unfortunately, the reward for her bravery was a blast of energy to the chest.
The unconscious pegasus was launched backward and would've slammed into the wall if not for her fellow guards. Caught by their magic the downed pegasus was eased onto the floor. Leaving her care to other guards the unicorns continued to fire off spells. While known for taunting and belittling his opponents the lack of anything of the sort was strangely unnerving.
He concluded the lack of an attack was due to the sheer amount of magic hurled at him. Which was a solid hypothesis until he noticed the almost joyous expression plastered on Sombra's face. Struck with a sense of dread, Shining Armor broke off his attack to look behind him. Instead of seeing his troops an impenetrable wall of black smoke obscured his view.
Panic gripped him as he found himself immobilized once the wall expanded past him. Unlike before he could now see his equines-in-arms. The sight he beheld chilled him to the bone as he glanced at their terrified expressions. The source of terror was soon discovered as the injured pegasus hovered in the air. Pulsing around her body were several spheres of darkness.
Anger by the fact that Sombra had turned his guard into a trap, Shining Armor mentally cursed Sombra. Meanwhile, Sombra was emerging from the secret staircase when a stern voice called to him. With an annoyed sigh, he turned to face whoever dared challenge him. His mood unexpectedly lightened as he spotted Princess Cadence with them.
After hearing her generic threat Sombra open the chest but stopped as the tip of a spear was thrust inches from his face. Without fear or concern, the spear was ripped from the guard's grip before being shattered. Shards of metal clattered against the floor as Sombra looked up. Warning them of his dwindling patience before returning to the open chest.
While casually spoken the implied threat chilled the air itself. After recomposing themselves the guards signaled to wait for a better opportunity to strike. Pulling a book from the chest he held it high so they could see the cover. As he'd surmised its faded insignia immediately caught their attention. Perturbed by the sudden development, Cadence inquired how he came across the book.
To which he refused to answer without her word to uphold his demands before answering. When asked what his demands were Sombra merely shook his head. Realizing he'd never divulge his intent without procuring her cooperation first the princess sighed in frustration. Wanting to speed up this encounter he assured her that the empire and citizens would not suffer by his hoof.
While severely doubting his word, Cadence found a bit of comfort upon hearing his declaration. While relieved of some tension it didn't make her decision any easier. If he was to be believed then the detachment of guards and Shining Armor were unharmed. If not then the same fate surely awaited her.
The knowledge that Equestria had Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and her friends as guardians set her mind at ease. After a quick huddle with her guards, Cadence conveyed her compliance if the book was proven to be genuine. To their surprise, Sombra brought the book to hover in front of her. As her magic made contact with the book it began to pulse sky blue.
To everyone surprise, a transparent projection of Princess Amore appeared above the book seconds later. Its eyes opened as if waking from a long slumber. The guards kneeled before their former princess as the projection looked over them. Spotting Princess Cadance, it relayed words of encouragement ending with how proud she was of her.
As the book fell to the floor, tears welled up in Cadence's eyes. As she collected herself Sombra removed several other books and laid them on the floor. While retrieving the book from the floor, he conveyed his demands before hoisting the chest into the air. Sombra made his way to the balcony once Cadence took the book.
Stunned at his sudden shift in personality Cadence asked what he'd hope to accomplish. Stopped by her words he momentarily stared into the night sky before vanishing with the chest. Although nothing was said Cadence got the feeling of relief from him.
Reforming a few miles inland on Dragon Isle, Sombra sat the chest down beside him. After surrounding it with illusions he flew off to meet the Dragon Lord. While he viewed himself superior to most species, he believed in showing respect when due. It was this motto that drove him to formally ask to settle on their island. It was no surprise that his trip drew the attention of several dragons.
Either by curiosity or defense of their home, several dragons had begun following Sombra as they neared Dragon's Peak. Ember flew from the throne, accompanied by guards, as Sombra landed. Morphing back to his physical form they approached each other. "I was unaware Dragon Lord Torch stepped down. I assume you're his predecessor," Sombra spoke.
"My name is Ember and while you're correct I wonder why your here Sombra. Furthermore why you believe either Torch or I would entertain anything you had to say," Ember replied. Unsurprised his dubious past had reached the shores of Dragon Isle, Sombra presented his desire for redemption.
Wishing to exile himself on their island until the taint of his transgressions was thoroughly buried. It wasn't until admitting to expressing these desires with Princess Cadence that Ember took note. Once finished Ember called for a quill and parchment. While confused Sombra patiently watched as she wrote a quick letter.
What happened next genuinely surprised him as the letter turned to vapor as it burned. The green flame Ember spewed instead of the normal reddish-orange color intrigued him. Only as Cadence's reply materialized did they pause their conversation again. After reading the letter Ember considered her words while staring intently at Sombra.
While they'd never met, stories told by her father depicted a very sinister unicorn. If it was the opinion of any other Ember would have dismissed it. However, Cadence opposed and experienced Sombra's cruelty. For a recommendation in his favor portrayed to some extent her belief in his sincerity.
With an imposed fee and periodically visits, Ember agreed to let Sombra stay. Leaving the method of contribution to his discretion, Ember explained every resident earned their keep in one form or another. Furthermore, the fee would allow him to build some goodwill to offset the stigma of his past.
Agreeing to show them where he could be found, Sombra asked if it was possible to speak with Torch again. Ember's stoic expression softened as she informed him Torch had passed away the following year of her succession. After conveying his condolence and praise for the battle prowess of the former dragon lord he flew off. Escorted by several dragons they quickly disappeared over the horizon.
While trusting Cadence's opinion the worry of allowing a former invader to remain wormed its way into her mind.
As they approached the area where Sombra first appeared. He asked how Ember was able to communicate by burning a letter. The knowledge of enchanted dragon fire being able to transport materialistic was something he'd never heard of. As he watched them leave Sombra pondered how he'd be able to utilize such an ability.
A crystal-like gazebo stood as his place of residence as Sombra went about creating crystals. Due to his competence in crystal crafting, he was able to create superior crystals of varying colors. In a month's time, Sombra returned to Ember with a green crystal in the shape of a diamond. Removing it from his saddlebag he presented it to her as his contribution.
The glint in her eye didn't go unnoticed as she thoroughly appraised it. Wanting to keep it as a symbol of friendship but curious about its taste, Ember gave it a subtle lick. Satisfied with its quality she passed it to her guard to be added to her hoard. Noticing the puzzled look on Sombra's face she explained dragons occasionally ate crystals and gemstones as a snack.
After informing her that two piles awaited transport Sombra and several dragons flew off. This monthly exchange continued for half a year before his first equine visitors. While not thrilled at who they were Sombra politely greeted them. Prepared for a fight Twilight and her friends glared at Sombra as he attempted to talk them down.
Upon hearing he'd gained the approval of both Cadence and Ember the group began to lower their guard. Conjuring two pieces of parchment Twilight jotted a quick note. As the letters traveled to their proper recipients Twilight inquired about his sudden desire to be good. To his relief, Twilight's interrogation only lasted a couple of minutes before being interrupted by their responses.
Sombra couldn't help but smile as a disbelieving Twilight reread the letters. Depositing them in her saddlebag, Twilight acknowledged he was telling the truth. Relief washed over the group as the threat of battle faded. While her friends dispersed to entertain themselves Sombra decided to talk with Twilight. He inquired how Twilight discovered his location when only dragons knew.
From her explanation, he deduced the one in question was a dragon visiting family. Although awkward Twilight humored Sombra with some small talk. As they talked Rarity was examining a cart full of crystals. While gemstones complemented her clothing better. The brilliance of these crystals captivated her. Levitating a rather large crystal of blue Sombra used his magic to reshape it.
Twilight and Rarity watched in awe as Sombra molded the crystal as if it was a ball of clay. After several minutes Sombra presented Twilight with a realistic statue of an Ursa Minor. When asked to deliver the statue as a gift Twilight asked why. Explaining the individual had exposed Twilight and her friends of his return.
While wishing to postpone the encounter, his intentions were laid bare and vouched for by reliable sources. Additionally, the gift would be the start of garnering goodwill in Equestria. Satisfied, if not perplexed, the group of friends left for home. Once they left he walked back to the carts of crystal. A toothy grin formed as he infused the rest of them with magic.
A year and a half had passed since Twilight and her friends confronted Sombra. Since then Sombra's workload had tripled as Equestria became aware of his redemption efforts. Standing outside his hut Sombra watched as each load of chrystals was hauled off to their respective recipients. Once again alone he entered the hut and opened the chest.
Removing the picture he stared longingly at it, wishing to rejoin the occupants within. Several minutes past before he placed the photo back into the chest. Giving the orb a quick glace he closed the lid before exiting the hut. Breaking a chunk of rock from a nearby ledge, he began to infuse it with magic.
Once saturated, the rock took on a reddish-orange glow as its molecules vibrated faster. Once reduced to a molted glob he shifted its composition as it cooled. With the precision of a surgeon, he removing any imperfections that formed. After studying the finished product Sombra channeled a good portion of his magic into it.
After making an alter several feet from the doorway he entered his hut. After placing the second orb next to the chest he unclasped his cape. Once spread out along the floor he laid upon it. Thoughts about what he needed to do swirled in his mind until sleep claimed his weary spirit.
Seven hours had pasted before Sombra stirred from his slumber. After retrieving his cape and switched the orbs he stepped outside. Placing it into the alter's stony grasp he teleported to the dragon city. Once there he attempted to utilize the magic the laid dormant within the dragons as the medium to gain control over them.
Dragons were known for being able to shake off magic like rain on an umbrella. However, when a considerable amount of magic saturated a dragon's body its magical resistance would eventually fail. By catering to their "sweet tooth" Sombra was able to saturate their bodies with magic.
He stood for several minutes before the first dragon emerged from their cave. Soon he was surrounded by dragons eagerly awaiting his command. Following him back to his hut he ordered them to breathe fire onto the orb. Some dragons landed while others remained in the sky.
While the dragons did his bidding Sombra entered the hut. While preparing for the task ahead Ember managed to break his sway over her. Due to her restraint of crystal eating Sombra's sway wasn't as strong as the others. After failing to rouse several dragons she ducked behind a rock. After scrawling a quick message onto a broken slab she set it ablaze. To her relief, it dematerialized just as a scroll would have.
With that accomplished, she peeked around the corner to assess the situation. A few small pebbles fell from the rock above but only after her vision went dark did she realize what they foreshadowed.
Meanwhile, in the Crystal Empire Cadence was tutoring Flurry Heart on controlling her magic. Although surprised to have a rock appear from the magical vapor Cadence caught it with ease. Surprise turned to fear as she read the plea for help. Realizing the deep etches were from Ember she excused herself to find Shining Armor.
As luck would have it Shining Armor was in the barracks. Once informed of the situation on Dragon Isle they and every unicorn prepared to confront Sombra. A bizarre sight met their eyes as numerous dragons littered the ground encompassing Sombra. He appeared to be projecting a green energy beam onto the door frame of his hut.
The hope of having arrived undetected was shattered as Sombra vanished to reappear in front of them. No longer obstructed Cadence saw the green stream of magic originated from an orb. Returning her gaze to Sombra she noticed his mane flailed wildly with magic. While he stared at them through spheres of purplish flickering flames.
With a stomp of his hoof, Shining Armor demanded an explanation. Humoring their desire to talk, Sombra revealed his plan to free the Umbrum. Having heard the nightmarish tales of the Umbrum, every pony gasped in horror. Cadence asked why he'd want to burden Equestria with such vile monsters. With a disdainful expression, he reminded them that he as also an Umbrum.
The absence of any reaction told him the guards also knew of his heritage. While Shining Armor continued to glare, Cadence took a few steps forward. Her attempt to persuade him to stop fell flat as he teleported away. Noticing the connecting stream of energy had dissipated he flashed them a toothy grin before dashing through the portal.
Hoping to find a way to close the portal Shining Armor and Cadence made their way to the pedestal. As they trotted they attempted to formulate a plan in case they had to fight. Slowing their pace Cadence encompassed the orb in magic. "That's odd, this orb seems to radiate the same energy as my mother's diaries," Cadence mused.
Plucking it from the pedestal she passing it to Shining Armor before approaching the portal. Heeding his warning she prepared a spell in case something came out. Directly in front of it now, Cadence extended her magic to touch the outer rim of the portal. After determining its magical composition she allowed her magic to blend into the vortex.
Once saturated she attempted to destabilize it by overcharging her magic. Unfortunately, the swirling energies began to fluctuate before any progress could be made. Before she could retreat an Umbrum emerged from the portal. It was twice the height of an average equine, its body swirled and folded into itself like smoke in a bottle.
Spotting Cadence, the Umbrum summoned its magic. As a barrage of magical bolts flew from its vaporous horn Cadence utilized a teleportation spell. The two actions were almost perfectly synced together that it appeared Cadence was vaporized. Tears streamed down Shining Armor's cheeks as he stared at the spot where she'd once stood.
Anger soon took over as he set his sights on the Umbrum. Before he could take a step something heavy struck him in the back. Rolling whatever it was off he spun around and froze. A motionless Cadence laid before him, her shoulder, front leg and back were blackened from the attack. A rush of relief flooded his soul as he detected her pulse.
Levitating her up gently they teleported behind a rock far from the battle. Placing Cadence on her side he kissed her cheek before rejoining the fight. Reappearing next to the pedestal he fired at the Umbrum. Only after discharging his magic did he notice he still held the orb. Even more, surprising was the amplification of his magic. His attention turned to the Umbrum as it screamed in pain.
A grin of satisfaction formed on his lips as Shining Armor rushed to assist his troops. Although holding their own the Umbrum was wearing them down. Shooting another beam into its face Shining Armor called the guards over to him. Erecting a barrier as soon as the last guard joined them he explained their adjusted strategy.
Before dropping the shield he revealed the condition of Princess Cadence. The fact that she was moderately ok seemed to revitalize their spirits. Two groups of seven broke from the group to attack the Umbrum from the sides. Since Cadence was unable to participate Shining Armor had asked two unicorns to remain with him. At his command, the three of them channeled their magic through the orb.
The resulting beam electrified the very air as it rocketed toward its target. Striking the Umbrum in the snout it stumbled backward to smash into the crystal hut. Realizing what had happened it leaped to its hooves to inspect the damage. The hut itself crumbled while the damaged portal remained standing. The vortex began to fluctuate rapidly but remained intact.
With an angry roar, the Umbrum began to gather a copious amount of energy. Guessing what was about to happen Shining Armor, flanked by the two unicorns, rushed toward the Umbrum. While not intentional the other two groups joined him thinking it was an aggressive maneuver.
With only a couple of feet between them, both parties launched their attacks. The colliding energies sheered the ground away at the point of impact. While appearing evenly matched the Umbrum was slowly overpowering them. Realizing this Shining Armor advised the rest of the guards to channel their powers through the orb as well.
Lifting it high above his head, every pony stopped their individual attacks to channel their magic instead. The resulting blast tore through the Umbrum's magic like tissue paper, smashing hard into its chest. Fighting the urge to cover their ears from the banshee-like screeches of pain they poured more energy into the orb.
Streaks of purifying light burst from the point of impact to creep along the Umbrum's body. Only after the light had covered its legs did the Umbrum become unbalanced. Despite its struggle, the Umbrum was propelled backward to smash through the already damaged archway.
With nothing to contain the portal's energy, it burst forth in several explosions of brilliant green. Now assaulted by two sources of magic the Umbrum was soon vaporized. Realizing they'd won the unicorns disengaged to regroup around Princess Cadence was. To their relief Cadence had regained consciousness.
Once Cadence had been informed of the situation, Shining Armor asked the guards to search for any trace of the Umbrum. After an hour the only thing they'd discovered was a chest in the collapsed hut. Recognizing it as the chest Sombra took Shining Armor opened the lid. Inside he found a rolled-up scroll, an orb, and a picture.
Suspicious of the orb he withdrew the picture first. Even though Sombra hadn't regained his memories when the photograph was taken seeing him smile seemed strange. While unable to identify the unicorn next to him, the one behind them was unmistakably Princess Amore. Passing the picture to Cadence, Shining Armor picked up the scroll.
By reading the message he learned that the Umbrum wasn't initially evil. It was during the construction of the crystal castle that equine and Umbrum encountered each other. Explaining how an accidental experiment resulted in contacting the Umbrum. It also described the erection of the barriers between their worlds, Alazard's exile to the Umbrum dimension, his plot against the king, and how he corrupted the Umbrum.
Shining Armor's eyes widened as he read about Alazard becoming an Umbrum after his soul was extracted from his body. He also learned that Sombra was created by the Umbrum combining their powers and placed inside the vacant body. It also detailed how Sombra was able to pass through the barrier once his powers were suppressed.
Skimmed the parts where it described how he ended up in the Crystal Empire and about his memory loss. While informative it wasn't until the last two paragraphs that garnered some sympathy from Shining Armor. They relayed how the repetitive exposure of the Elements of Harmony and the Crystal Heart had cleansed him of Alazard's corruption.
Once freed Sombra expressed his desire to return the Umbrum to their peaceful nature. Although hurried the last paragraph expressed his regret in using whomever Ember reached out to. While Rabia, Alazard's adopted name, was his burden to deal with. Sombra knew Rabia held the loyalty of the Umbrum.
By allowing Rabia to travel through the portal, he'd have a better chance to accomplish his mission. Furthermore, the use of the orb gifted to him from Princess Amore as his channeling medium would saturate the portal with purifying energies. Since Rabia was a creature of hatred and strife he wouldn't arrive at full power.
With no idea or indication about the orb in the chest, they left it alone. Placing the other items back into the chest they closed the lid. While Cadence was taken to the hospital to receive treatment. Shining Armor and a group of guards remained with the dragons. Thankfully the dragons thought the whole experience was a walking-dream brought on by an over-indulgence of crystals.
The only exception was Ember who needed a helmet to be under Sombra's control. After a lengthy discussion Ember agreed to keep the whole affair a secret. With a farewell, Shining Armor and the guards teleported to the Crystal Empire with the chest. That night Cadence and Shining Armor silently wished Sombra good luck in his endeavor as they stared at the stars.