"PRINCE SHINING!!! COME HERE QUICK!!!' yelled a guard as he busted through the main door of the castle.

"What's going on?" exclaimed Shining as he ran down the stairs to see a group of guards wheeling in an unconscious pony, and not just any pony, but his wife Cadance. "Cadance?!"

"Take her to the Royal Infirmary!" yelled another guard.

"What's going on?" he asked the group of guards as he followed them. "What happened to my wife?"

"I can explain Mister Armor." said a new voice. Shining stopped in his tracks and turned around to see a cloaked alicorn standing behind him. He could here the guards wheel Cadance away. "Don't worry...she just bumped her head, she'll be fine."

"Who are you?"

"The one who helped create a monster." she cryptically answered. "And the one who can help destroy it."

Shining just gave her a look of confusion.

"Princes Celestia?" asked a concerned quiet voice. The princess slowly opened her eyes to reveal a group of five ponies standing over her.

"How long was I out?" groggily asked the alicorn.

"A whole day." answered Applejack. "What happened?"

"Sombra...that's what happened." she answered. She threw off her covers to reveal her entire torso bandaged up. "What the?"

"You broke several ribs, the physicians did their best bandaging you up." explained Rarity.

"Where's Twilight?" asked Fluttershy.

"Sombra got her...she's now under his control." explained a remorseful Celestia.

"WHAT?!" all of Twilight's friends gasped in shock.

"That's right...Sombra made Twilight believe that she's in love with him...a victim of his mind control." Celestia couldn't accept the fact that her student went with such a monster willingly.

"That no good dirty snake! We need t' save her an' destroy that no good Sombra once and for all!" angrily growled Applejack.

Her four friends fully agreed.

Celestia didn't know what to say next, but quickly came up with a best course of action. The princess always hated to deceive her subjects, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "Look my ponies, I know a way to defeat him."

The five mares turned to listen. "What is it?" asked Rarity.

"In the Everfree Forest...there's a cave...and in that cave is a tree," began Celestia. "That tree holds a box that contains a new form of magic more powerful than the Elements of Harmony. It should be able to defeat him and get Twilight back to the side of good easily."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" exclaimed an impatient Rainbow Dash.

"Not so fast," the Princess instructed. "you need these six keys to open that box." from under her bed, Celestia pulled out a box containing the six keys, even though they weren't the REAL keys, just pale copies. "only the bearers of harmony can open that box with these keys."

Each of the five mares each took a key, with Applejack taking two. "Come on y'all, we have an empire t' save!" said a determined Applejack.

"YEAH!" responded the other four before they galloped away. They immediately left in Twilight's hot air balloon.

"So...you're saying you can defeat him by giving him another potion to return him back to normal?" said Shining in disbelief to the alicorn in front of him, her cloak off to reveal a long red mane and peach coat.

"All I need is a hair sample from him, yes." nodded the alicorn with all seriousness.

"So we're just going to wait until Sombra comes here?" exclaimed Rex with disbelief. "HORSE MANURE! You're putting the safety of this empire at risk!" he did not believe a single word.

"Believe it or not he was destined for that throne the moment he decimated the entire Diamond Dog army and ended that horrible war that threatened to tear Equestria apart all while the Royal Sisters did NOTHING but ignore it." she snarled.

"Rex! Shut up!" snapped Shining at the adviser. "We need all the help we could get in defeating him!"

Suddenly, a guard bursts through the door. "Your highness! There's something you should see!" exclaimed the guard.

"What is it?"

"Sombra! He's coming!"

Rex, Shining and the mysterious alicorn all gathered at the palace balcony to see Sombra's signature black smoke on the horizon, it slowly but surely headed towards them.

"We need to put up the shields!" exclaimed Rex.

"With what?! We don't have magic that powerful enough to make one!" snarled Shining. The prince turned to get an opinion from the alicorn, but when turned around, she was gone. "Where did she go?"

"Never mind your highness. He's coming here and fast!" the smoke in the horizon got closer and closer.

"I want all the guards to form a perimeter around the city and palace and to be ready to fight at a moments notice." instructed Shining to the adviser Rex. "I also want my uniform ready."

Rex was confused about that last statement.

Sombra has never been so pleased with how everything worked out for him. He marched towards the Crystal Empire with the Elements of Harmony on him, and by his side was his willing Queen...Twilight Sparkle.

He was currently in his smoke form as a way to intimidate others and he could use this form to easily defeat Shining and his guards...but he decided to this all in his normal form, the victory will be so much sweeter if he did it in his true form. Sombra gave a smirk over that thought.

"Sombra...I will be willing to be your queen and student, just don't kill my brother or Cadance." pleaded Twilight as she flew by his side, not sure if she made the right choice or not.

"Don't worry my Queen...it is not my intention to kill him, they'll be spared and unharmed as you demanded." assured the dark King.

Twilight didn't feel any better.

They soon both reached the entrance to the Crystal Empire. Sombra quickly reverted to his normal form and Twilight softly landed by his side.

Twilight could see her brother, Shining Armor, dressed in his formal uniform and an adviser pony. They were both in front of the entrance facing Sombra and Twilight.

"Twiley?" Shining was in shock, "what are you doing with...HIM." he did not expect this.

"I'm sorry brother...I am so sorry..." the lavender alicorn felt bad for the betrayal of her brother's trust.

"Why are you doing this?" Shining's heart broke.

"Because he promised he will spare the lives of you, Cadance and all the citizens of the Crystal Empire if I join him to be his queen and student, while you agree to his terms." explained Twilight, she felt awful as she said that.

"He's a monster Twiley who is manipulating you and playing you for a fool! I would never trust that heartless monster who enslaved and abused his subjects." exclaimed Shining, as he tried to put sense into her sister.

"Please! Accept his terms and he won't have to kill!" pleaded Twilight to her brother.

"NO!" interrupted Rex. "We will NOT accept his terms, we do not make deals with tyrants, monsters and slave drivers, and you sir are all three combined!" he snarled at Sombra.

"Shut up Rex!" growled Shining.

"Now I demand that you stop right now and surrender! That way your trial and subsequent execution will be swift and painless." smirked a smug Rex. "What do you say about that!"

Sombra just rolled his eyes, but his face remained stoic. "I'm sorry Twilight," began the dark stallion as he spoke to his queen. "but this just HAS to be done."

"What?!" Twilight was confused.

The dark stallion's horn glowed and Rex suddenly became enveloped in Sombra's magic aura and he began float. "What the?"

"Now...be a good adviser and do us a favor," Sombra smirked. "SHUT UP AND DIE!" suddenly, Rex shot up towards the sky.

"HELP ME!" yelled Rex as he flew higher and higher into the sky. But it was too late for him as Sombra used his magic to instantly combust Rex's body, there was nothing left of him but a large plume of smoke in the sky, he was dead.

"Sombra?!" Twilight was in shock.

"Meh...he won't be missed." said Sombra, deadpan.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note

Sorry for the long hiatus. Here's the new chapter! Enjoy!