Long Shot

The large crowd roared and the square quickly filled with eager ponies. Sombra turned to leave the platform when Celestia put a hoof on his shoulder. " I trust that the empire will be in good hooves while I'm in Canterlot?"

" Yes, princess. You can trust me." Princess Celestia thought to herself for a moment. My trust only runs so far with this one. I think I might leave a few members of the royal guard here with him to keep him in check...

Sombra was also planning something. I'm not so sure she actually trusts me, but no matter. She'll see what I've planned in time. A few hours time, that is.

The princess left the scene in her flying chariot, leaving Sombra to his duty. He descended the stairs leading down to the area where the Crystal Heart was displayed.

" Where do you wanna go first, squirt?"

" Can we get some cotton candy and then maybe go watch the first jousting tournament?"

" Sounds good to me!" The siblings then rushed off to said locations. In a few hours they had both weaved a basket, played a flugle horn, gone to the petting zoo, eaten some (delicious) crystal berries, and watched a jousting tournament. They now sat on a bench near the crystal heart display area.

" Today has been really fun, Ruby. We should come here every year!"

" That would be nice, wouldn't it? Hey, have we gone to see the crystal heart, yet?"

" I don't think so. Let's go check it out."

While the siblings had been roaming the fair, Sombra, too had been wandering around. The ponies around him gave him a wide margin and he drew a huge crowd wherever he went. Eventually he had had enough and went back to the castle. " I guess it's time I put my plan into action," he said to himself as he entered the main hall. He walked up to one of the royal guard that had been left here. He stood there and eyed him for a while until the armored unicorn spoke up.

" What are you lookin' at," the burly white colt asked quizzically. At this Sombra took a step closer and touched his red horn to the guard's white one. A familiar green glow appeared as Sombra began to perform a spell. As he did this, the white colt's coat turned a light gray, his eyes from yellow to red, and his light blue mane to the darkest sapphire. A smile played on Sombra's face at seeing these changes.

The now gray colt's eyes went in a swirling pattern for a second as Sombra began to corrupt his mind. As the green glow of his magic began to fade, Sombra stepped back to admire his work. He had performed the opposite of Twilight Sparkle's reforming spell. It was a corruption spell, only to be performed using dark magic. " You know what I'm looking at, kid? I'm looking at the first recruit of my new army." He gave a devilish smile and his newly made soldier returned the gesture.