The Eternity of Twilight Sparkle

Chapters

Magic
Generosity
Honesty
Corruption
Loyalty
Kindness
Laughter
Wisdom

Magic

Princess Twilight Sparkle. Such a fitting name for one so powerful. But why do you settle for what you already know? Why do you hold so dear to the lessons of Celestia?

There is even greater power in this world. You know it. You used it. You felt it.
Power that dear old Celestia does not want you to know.

She fears who you are

Who you could become

What you can do.
She only holds you back. I know your true potential. I can show you his power. Let me show you what you can become.

Let your curiosity beckon. You want to know, you love to learn. You are burdened by the unknown. Burdened by glorious purpose. Of what you are, of your power, of your potential. Come to me, and I will show you all.

Yes, you will come, this I already know. The call is great, and you wonder.

Wonder away Princess. Let the wonder compel you.
Come Twilight

"Gah!" Twilight yelled as she shot up from her bed panting with a cold sweat running down her body. She looked around the room to calm herself down. She was in the Ponyville Library, bedroom. It was still night time but her racing heart made her feel like she had run a marathon.

"Spike, Spike wake up" she said down to the baby dragon sleeping in a small cot next to the bed.

Not lifting his head from the pillow Spike mumbled "'Ts late. Morning, good"

Twilight levitated the covers off him and pulled him out of bed as she began pacing around the room preparing herself for travel. "This is serious Spike. I had a dream, actually more like a nightmare."

Spike was barely keeping on his feet after being so suddenly woken up. In between yawns he managed to say "Everypony dreams Twilight. Just go back to sleep, and it'll all be better by morning."

"We can't wait until morning. Princess Celestia said that now that I'm an alicorn my most vivid dreams have meaning. What I saw, what I heard, it may be some kind of prophecy. And I can't let my dream slip away from me."

Spike was hoisted on to the alicorn's back as the two of them made way for the door. Spike asked "So where exactly did this dream tell you to go?"

Whether it was tiredness or lack of caring, Twilight responded in a very matter-of-fact manner "To a dark mysterious cave in the middle of the Everfree Forest."

Twilight approached the cave. It was smaller than in her dream, but still big enough where she would be able to squeeze in between the rocks. "Maybe we shouldn't go in" Spike said in fright.

Twilight levitated Spike off her back and on to the ground. Speaking in a determined manner she said to him "You're right. If both of us go, we might get trapped. But whatever meaning my dream had, is in that cave. I'm going in." As she walked away from her assistant and towards the opening she got a sense of fear as well. Just one moment of hesitation passed her thoughts, but she knew there was no turning back. She squeezed her way past the rocks and into the mouth of the cave.

Using her horn to light her surroundings she ventured deeper into the cave. To her surprise it seemed to be lived in, and not by any animal. A fire circle was set up in the corner, along with a small pile of straw as a bed. Despite her horn's light, one corner of the hollow remained in the shadows.

As she approached the dark corner a voice began speaking from within the darkness. "So, the Princess heeds my call. I should feel so honored to be graced with her presence" the voice said sarcastically. Clearly whoever, or whatever it was, was not fond of her.

Twilight asserted herself towards the darkness and addressed the voice "That voice, it's the same one I heard in my dream. Who are you? Why have you called me here?" She did not show any fear, she knew that if there was a time o be scared, it was long gone. Now was the time to show herself as a Princess of Equestria.

With a slight chuckle the voice began again "I see you wish to get right to the chase, very well then. There you are in all your glory, and here am I."

Out of the shadows stepped a gray unicorn, mane as black as night, and a horn glowing red. Despite standing just as tall as Twilight, King Sobra managed to stand over her in his entrance. Twilight stood there, not moving, not speaking. In shock of who it was before her. As he let the emotions run through his guest, Sombra continued speaking. "What's wrong, o alicorn princess? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Still recovering from the sight of the fallen king, Twilight did manage to find words to say. "H-how is this possible? In the Crystal Empire, you were blown to pieces. You were defeated, My friends saw it with their own eyes."

Sombra merely grinned as he explained his life "The beauty of crystals, Twilight Sparkle, is their ability to grow. In the right environment even the smallest shard can become a brand new gemstone. And what place in Equestria is a better environment for me to regain my strength then the Everfree Forest?" He paused momentarily letting Twilight take in what he had said. Before she had a chance to reply, he continued "That is why I am here, but what about you. Why have you come so deep into the forest? Into my home?"

Twilight thought carefully about what she was about to say. She knew it was his voice which called her here, he knew why she'd come. She decided her best course was to tell the truth. With all the confidence she could muster she answered "I came to see what my dream was about." She decided to keep her words short, lest she accidentally give Sombra some edge to work his mind tracks around.

Sombra further approached Twilight as he spoke, Always keeping his distance, but beginning to pace around her. "Many ponies have dreams Twilight Sparkle. Many ponies have nightmares. What about my call really made you come and find me?"

Twilight gulped as she knew what response Sombra was looking for, and it was her true answer. With a heavy sigh she told him what she knew he wanted to hear "You mentioned power. Great power. Power greater than Celestia herself."

"Precisely" He said with a grin as his horn bubbles forth with black and red magic. The shadow where he once hid himself grew, over the walls and floor of the cave, right under the princess's hooves. In no time at all the cave where the two once stood became pitch black in every direction. Sombra then continued "Dark magic, Twilight sparkle. You've used it before. I know this, how else could you have gotten to the Crystal Heart? It is a power not many can use, and even fewer can master. You have already shown your ability to harness it, and I know your powers can grow." His eyes glowed again with dark magic as he summoned in his open hoof a crown similar to his own, albeit more feminine. "Celestia may have named you a princess, but learn from me, Twilight Sparkle, and you would be a queen."

Twilight reeled back for a moment at the offer. Her eyes fixated of the jagged crown before her, but in no more than a moment later she came back to her senses. "You think I would abandon everything just like that? Celestia is more than just my teacher. She's also my princess, my co-ruler and most importantly my friend. Everything she's done has been to help me, to help Equestria. And if you think I would leave her side over the promise of power, you've got another thing coming."

Sombra stood there, looking at the defiant alicorn before him. Without any change in expression he made the crown he held vanish. Keeping his same expression he spoke "You think Celestia has all the answers, don't you? Well, I'll let you in on a little secret, there is one thing Celestia, in all of her power will never be able to know; what it is like to become immortal. That, Twilight Sparkle, is what nopony can help you with. You will be forced sit there and watch your loved ones whither and die, while you remain. The lives of thousands will pass like grains of sand in an hourglass, and you will remain. The mortal mind was not meant to understand eternity, that is your burden Twilight Sparkle, to suffer life eternal."

Twlilght became suddenly saddened by Sombra's words. She had never considered that she would outlive her friends, outlive everypony, to watch ponies die. Her head drooped as these thoughts washed over her, while Sombra continued to spin his tale of woe. "So you finally realize what immortality is. Celestia cannot help you, she knows not what it is to become immortal. But I do. We're not so different Twilight Sparkle, We are both doomed to wander time, seeing life expecting to die, but never getting to. Twilight Sparkle, I could he-"

"NO" The alicorn suddenly exclaimed. Whatever grievances she was feeling just a second ago were wiped clean as she had a new look of resilience on her face. "No more of your lies. You may be a fallen king, the most twisted villain I've faced, but you are no different from the villains in story books."

Twilight now took the commanding role of the confrontation. As she approached Sombra she lifted her wings, showing her importance as princess, taking it to heart. "You are trying to draw similarities between us two. Make us connected. Well I'll tell you we are nothing alike. I earned my place at the throne, you cheated your way into the Crystal Empire and took it by force. You are no king, you are a fraud, and I would never bow before you, or stand at your side."

Twilight's words struck deep within the unicorn, though he did not show it. A half chuckle escaped his mouth before he began pacing around the princess one again. With a more intense tone he said "So, I'm just a fraud? No different from a story book villain? Well Princess, perhaps you'd like a plot twist."

On the last words his eyes lit up with dark magic. With his horn bubbling forth with intensity he prepared his magic. A single stomp on the ground with one of his forelegs sent a pillar of darkness shooting upwards from underneath the princess. The pillar hit Twilight square in the stomach knocking her to the floor.

"I'm so sorry it had to come to this Twilight Sparkle. I had so hoped you would join me. But alas, your defiance has been your downfall."

As Twilight tried to stand up after having the wind knocked out of her, Sombra readied another attack. This time a sphere of dark magic appeared out of thin air and rocketed itself towards Twilight. Still shaken from the first blow she was unable to dodge the ball which smacked her across the jaw like a solid rock. She fell to the cave floor, still pitch-black from Sombra's darkness. The only color apart from the dueling ponies was a splatter of blood dripping from Twilight's jaw.

"You can't do this Sombra" Twilight pleaded, "I'm princess of Equestria."

Another blast hit the alicorn, this time in the back leg. As she tried to limp towards where she thought the exit was she came to a terrible realization. The conjured darkness had sealed the exit, trapping her with her attacker. With her back to Sombra another ball of darkness hit her in the back of the head, adding another pool of blood to the featureless abyss that surrounded them.

Sombra's voice grew more aggressive as he prepared what seemed to be his final attack. In a tone which resembled the Royal Canterlot Voice he yelled "TWILIGHT SPARKLE, YOU DISHONOR YOUR TITLE OF PRINCESS. STRIKE ME BACK TWILIGHT SPARKLE OR PREPARE TO DIE"

Twilight weakly manages to put a magical shield around her body as she desperately tried to hold off against the assault. Sombra launched 3 more orbs towards the her. The very first orb smashed through the shield like it was glass, exposing her body to the other two which promptly connected.

Sombra prepared 3 last orbs as he stood over the alicorn, lying helpless on the ground. "So this is the power Celestia has taught you. Pathetic. Equestria is better off without you as leader." He sent his balls forward to end his captive princess.

In the instant before the balls hit the princess, her eyes began flaming. Her horn lit up with a purple-green glow as the balls stopped midair. Their color changed from black to a dark purple as they began to spiral around the noq kneeling Twilight. Her eyes stared blankly at her captor as the balls flew towards him. The first made direct contact with his face, though it merely splashed off, having little force behind it. The second hit him solidly in the neck, causing the king to stagger backwards. The final ball elongated itself in flight and whipped Sombra across the face, knocking him to the floor.

The darkness covering the cave began receding as the injured Twilight limped towards the downed unicorn. Looking down at him, her eyes filled with tears as she recalled what had happened. "What, what have I done?" she asked herself aloud.

Sombra laughed while covering his face. "Ha ha ha ha. What did I tell you Princess? Not so different. Ha ha." He stood up to address the alicorn revealing his left eye covered in a glowing red scar. "Not so different"

Twilight simply bolted for the cave entrance, ashamed of what she'd done. Just before reaching the light she was picked up by a red aura and brought back face to face with the king. "What else do you want with me?" she stammered to him.

"I'd simply like to clean you up a little" Sombra said as he enveloped Twilight in his magic. She clenched, expecting the worst from Sombra, but rather than harm, she found her pain to go away. The blood from her mouth stopped dripping and her broken leg was fixed. Much to her surprise the unicorn had healed her injuries, as if nothing had ever happened. She was lowered to the ground as Sombra spoke his last goodbyes. "Now Princess, you are free to go. And I do hope nopony needs to know about me. It would be a shame for Celestia to learn that her star pupil had such an affinity for dark magic."

Twilight ran for the door, leaving the king to sit back down in his makeshift home, and tend to his own wounds.

Author's Note

Inspiration for this first chapter comes from A Somber Meeting.

Generosity

As the purple alicorn rushed through the Canterlot General Hospital she had only one thought to her mind. She did not care to sign in at the front desk, nor to apologize to the doctors she nearly knocked over as she burst through the double doors. Her mind constantly read and re-read the letter she had gotten from Spike.

Twilight, Rarity's had an accident.
I've taken her to the hospital, but she's not doing well.
Please come soon
Spike

She entered Rarity's room to see three faces. Rarity was asleep on the bed, looking battered and bruised from whatever she went through. Spike was by her side, crying over seeing his love in such a way. And the doctor looking between his clipboard and the machines monitoring the unicorn's health. When he saw Twilight enter her immediately bowed and said "Your Highness. The dragon said you would be coming, but I was not expecting you so soon."

Seeing one of her best friends in this state, Twilight began to tear up too as she asked "R-Rarity. Oh my god, what happened?"

Spike was the first to speak, though it was less an answer more incoherent sobbing. In a deep voice appropriate for a dragon his age Spike muttered "Rar. Why? I should have had it. How could I let you? I knew, you couldn't"

The doctor left Spike to himself to answer the princess. "It seems Lady Rarity was crushed under a great weight. From what I could gather, it happened at the Carousel Boutique in Caterlot. Rarity needed to grab a box from a high shelf. Spike offered to fly up to get it, but Rarity insisted on levitating it down herself. Her magical ability is not what it used to be, and she lost her grip, causing the whole shelf to fall on top of her."

Just like the sobbing dragon, Twilight began crying as well, though no quite as much as Spike. She approached the bed speechless to try to get a grip on what had happened. Rarity's grayed mane, usually in tight curls, sat frayed on her head. Two of her legs sat twisted in unnatural directions, indicating bones broken in horrid ways.

After a minute of sadness, Twilight was finally able to find words to say. "Is she going to be alright?"

The doctor wanted to reply imediately, but hesitated at the thought of the crying dragon in the room. He waved the princess outside to answer her question. With as much bravery he could muster he said "She is in critical condition. For a unicorn of her age to take such impact, it is amazing she is still with us."

"Do you think she will make it?" Twilight asked trying to find some good news to latch on to.

"If she were younger, or an earth pony she might have fared better under all that weight, but the way she is now..." The doctor stopped, searching for the right words to say to the grieving alicorn in front of him. All he could muster was "I'm so sorry."

Spike quickly opened the door on the two, nearly banging his head as he went through. "She's awake. Twilight, she wants to talk you you."

Twilight approached the bed to see Rarity, awake, but hardly showing it. She still lay down, her head not lifted off he pillow, and her wrinkled eyes barely open. In between tears she started to say "Oh Rarity, this is terrible. I'll find a way to help. I'll-"

"It's okay Darling." Rarity interrupted weakly. She tried to put a hoof up towards her friend as she spoke. Spike helped, and lifted her leg so she could hold her friend's shoulder as she spoke. "Don't be sad for me Twilight. I've lived a long and happy life. I've had success, I've had love, Spikey-Wikey has been better to me than any stallion ever could. I am just so happy I could see both your faces one last time."

With that last line Rarity's hoof left the princess's shoulder and landed off the bed limply. The machines to her right let out one long continuing beep, signaling the end to her life.

Twilight stood in the middle of the Everfree Forest, in front of a cave she had not seen in years. Her eyes were still wet, even several days after the loss of her friend. She was frozen at the thought of what she was about to do. To think that he had been right, that Celestia could not console her; it broke her heart almost as much as the loss of Rarity. The words Celestia spoke to her still rang in her mind, like a painful echo.

I'm sorry Twilight, but watching other ponies age is the curse of immortality. There is nothing I can do to stop the inevitable. As much as you need my help, I'm afraid this is something you must figure out on your own.

But she had already come all the way out from Canterlot, she had enough chances to turn around, and she did not. So, going forward and not looking back she squeezed her way into the cave just as she did fifty years ago.

"Well well well" a deep voice said as the princess entered the cave. "After all these years, the Princess finally returns." Twilight looked around the room to find the voice's owner, to find him simply siting by the fire. In a very hospitable manner Sombra continued "You know even with my injury, I could see you from in here. Hesitating. I see something I said back then had struck a chord with you, else we would not be here. Come, sit with me by the fire. You have nothing to fear from me this time." His left eye was still marked with the red scar she had given him in their last encounter.

Twilight sat down, and remained speechless. The two of them sat there in silence for minutes, Twilight not wanting to open up to her once-enemy, and Sombra eager to hear from Twilight why she returned. Eventually Sombra was the one to break the silence with the assumption "I suppose the reason you came now, after so long was because you lost somepony close to you. You had to watch them leave this world while you stayed."

"Rarity" Twilight said softly, still closing herself off to the unicorn.

"Such a shame" Sombra began, "She was the only pony who's love for gemstones could rival my own."

Sombra paused, still eager for Twilight to open the conversation. Twilight eventually started speaking, not directly to Sombra, but just aloud "All those years ago, when you said Celestia would not be able to help me, I thought you were just feeding me some lie to bring me to your side. I never thought the reality would hurt so much."

"Twilight, Twilight, Twilight," the unicorn said trying to open up to his guest "How easy would it be? For me to be the lying villain. The evil force you could point hooves at when things go wrong." He stood up and began pacing towards the far wall dramatically. Not turning back to Twilight he continued "No, I only tell the truth. The fact is Princess, the truth is far more mind bending than lies could ever be."

He turned around back to face the princess in the cave and changed his tone to a more optimistic one. "What if I told you that I knew a spell that could keep ponies alive forever? So you would not have to say goodbye to any more loved ones?"

The alicorn picked her head up to answer the seemingly preposterous question. For the first time in the past few days she responded with a tone void of sadness. "Impossible. Only alicorns are immortal."

Sombra removed his cloak to reveal his back as a way to strike home his point "Do I look like an alicorn to you? By normal magical means, you are right, immortality is near impossible. But, long ago I created a dark magical spell to give ponies life eternal. And now, Princess, I am willing to teach it to you."

Wiping the last of the tears from her face, Twilight stood up and approached Sombra. "I don't understand." she replied to the unicorn. "After all we've done to each other, why would you want to teach me, why would I wan to learn from you?"

With a slight chuckle Sombra passed by the alicorn and said "I believe you are more qualified to answer that. After all, you were the one to come back to my cave. Clearly you saw something in me, that you could not get from dear old Celestia."

Twilight looked away considering what Sombra had said. It was true that she had come on her own free will, because she was not satisfied with Celestia's teachings. And now here he was, offering a solution she could not get anywhere else. As a way to further convince the princess of his genuine good will, Sombra added "If you decide to learn from me," Sombra changed his tone to a more sarcastic one "I will be a good little pony. No crowns, no tricks. I will teach you what I know." He returned to his usual grim voice to hammer in his next point, as it was the most important "All I ask of you is your full cooperation. The training required to cast the spell will not be easy. I will have to break you, body, mind and spirit, but when you are done you will posses the greatest spell known to mare. The choice is yours."

With that said he returned to the fire while Twilight walked the cave, thinking. All things considered she decided that she could not live with herself watching powerlessly as time took her friends. She turned to the seated unicorn and with a breath of bravery she said "You are manipulative, cunning and I can't trust you as far as I can throw you. But you are the only pony who can help me. I want to learn the spell."

With a smile Sombra said happily "Excellent. We can begin training immediately"

He walked past Twilight towards the cave entrance, signalling her to follow. With his back turned to the princess, she said jovially "But I'm not calling you my master" and followed him outside.

The two ponies stood among the twisted overgrowth of the Everfree Forest next to a boulder the size of a small house. In preparation for teaching Twilight dark magic Sombra began with a question. "Tell me Princess, what do you know about dark magic?"

Trying to let go of her hesitations towards her teacher, Twilight answered "Not much at all. I've only used it a hoofful of times. I know though it feels different from normal magic."

Sombra summoned an orb of dark magic to emphasize his points about it. As he spoke it swirled and twisted with his words, showing his control over it. "Understandable, most ponies do not know about dark magic, and those who are aware do know know its inner workings. Even Celestia does not fully understand its glorious power. One of the most common misconceptions about it is that it is evil. This, Princess, is something you will need to understand before you learn to use it. No magic is inherently evil. Ponies are evil, and they use magic, dark or light, as they see fit."

Twilight interrupted with a question that had been on her tongue for a while, but could never find a way to say it. "And what about you. Are you evil?"

Sombra paused at this interruption, gave it thought, and answered his curious student. "Celestia has labeled me evil in the past when I tried to take back my empire, but what 'evil' have I done recently? Was it evil when I sat quietly for fifty years? Was it evil when I offered you a way to save ponies lives? Do not be so quick to throw around that word Princess, it carries great weight."

A look of guilt shot across the princess's face when she thought about those questions. Sombra peaked up when he realized what he said had such an impact. "Speaking of weight" he began lecturing again, "Actually brings us to your training. You see where as light magic comes from physical and mental strength, dark magic comes from weakness, from pain, from sadness. In order to teach you how to use dark magic, you will need to feel pain and suffering."

Upon this revalation Twilight became nervous. She knew what Sombra could do if she let him cause her pain. In an effort to skip this she pointed out "But I've already used dark magic, in the Crystal Palace. Surely I have already shown I can use it."

Red-black magic bubbled from the unicorn causing a crystal to emerge from the dark ball. Sombra placed it on the ground in front of Twilight and gave her a simple command. "Show me"

With little hesitation the alicorn's horn began glowing as green-blue magic enveloped its entirety. A beam of magic blasted from the horn to the crystal, causing it to grow into a jagged shape. Sombra looked to his student with a frown. "That is not your magic. I've seen your magic, in our duel. What you showed me was your ability to copy somepony else's spell, likely Celestia's."

He returned to the boulder and lifted it with ease using his red light magic."As I was saying, In order for you to learn how to use your own dark magic, you will need to be broken. In your state of pain you will have a moment of clarity when the dark magic takes over. Once you feel the magic flowing through you under a more controlled circumstance you should be able to harness its power on command. In other words, I won't need to beat you half to death for you to use dark magic."

He lifted the boulder above the head of Twilight and let it go. Naturally she caught it using magic and continued holding it overhead. For a normal unicorn lifting such a weight would be impossible, but being an alicorn she fared quite well. "Now Princess, is where the training begins" Sombra said "I will increase the weight of this rock, and you will hold it up. Now I am being open with you, your muscles will ache, your bones will break, and your body will be pushed well beyond its breaking point. But in your desperation, your true dark magical powers will come out.

He pointed his horn at the boulder and readied a spell. He said almost caringly "This is your last chance to back out"

Twilight looked forward with a determined expression. "I've had enough last chances today. Do it."

Sombra nodded and let loose his spell on the boulder. Instead of growing in size, the rock grew in density. For the first minute of the spell Twilight remained standing like a statue, unmoved by its increase in weight. As it grew so too did Twilight's concentration on the stone. Out of habit she extended her wings to get better balance holding the thing in the air. With each pound added to the already massive boulder she felt more magic flowing through her to keep it up.

A few minutes passed and she began sweating under the pressure of lifting the rock. Her face began to twist as more and more of her concentration was needed to hold her relatively simple levitation. Sombra noted this change in expression and said "Good, you are finally feeling the effects of lifting such a weight, Soon it will be too much for your body to handle and your bones will begin to break. Once the pain sets in your body will trigger and you will be creating your own dark magic."

Despite him saying soon, it was still several more minutes before she truly began feeling anything. It started in her chest; one of her ribs cracked, sending waves of pain across her body. The boulder dropped down several feet as she reeled from the experience. Sombra used a small blast of magic to knock the boulder back up and told Twilight never to let up.

Almost right after he was finished speaking another bone split inside the alicorn's body. This time her wing snapped clean through, falling limp to her side, causing her pain both a it broke, and again when it landed against her. The boulder wobbled, and the sudden shift in balance caused the other wing to buckle as well. Even if they were at her side, all the bones in her wings began splintering as excess magic flowed free through her body.

A wind began pisking up around the alicorn as she practically radiated magic from all sides. Her horn was barely visible under the blinding pink glow of her magical energy.

Another bone broke under the weight of the stone, this time in her back leg. It wrecked her with pain, nearly sending her to the ground. However she stood her ground and continued strong. Unfortunately, she did so by putting weight on her broken leg to keep her weight on all four legs the same.

Just as she got the hang of supporting herself on a broken leg, the other back leg snapped as well. Despite her best efforts, putting weight on both broken legs was too much and the alicorn was sent to her knees. When her knees hit the ground she felt her kneecaps shatter from the sudden force bearing down on them.

Now Twilight lay there, under an ever growing boulder, broken. But still she persisted, even to Sombra's surprise, letting magic forth from her horn. She closed her eyes, trying to take her mind off the pain racking her body from all sides. She immediately opened her eyes when she felt her skull begin to break itself apart.

Her horn began cracking, as a chip of it splintered and fell off in front of Twilight's face. She watched it fall to the ground below her and get swept away by the magical winds swirling around her. She then felt something coming from within her. What felt like a fire in her aching heart traveled up into her mind as she felt it taking over. Her eyes glowed dark purple and pink as her magic changed to match. The winds dissipated and she felt a sudden sense of clarity. The boulder, which once felt so heavy in her grasp felt light as a feather, which she tossed aside landing with a crash that scared away birds for miles.

When the dust settled Twilight managed to stand up on her four broken legs and understand herself. As she rose, so too did her environment. Trees around her uprooted themselves, surrounded by the same multicolored light that was coming from her horn.

Sombra stood next to the alicorn clapping his hooves together. "Wonderful, simply wonderful. Now you see the truth of dark magic. How much more powerful it is. And you take to it like a natural."

Twilight buckled as the magic faded and her broken legs shot pain through her body once more. In an astonishingly rapid manner she was enveloped in red magic and could feel the familiar effects of the healing spell. As the last few bones in her wing slid into place she asked to her teacher "So, what's the next step?"

Finishing up the healing spell Sombra lowered his head and said "I'm sorry, but for now you must wait. You are simply not ready to continue. Not until you lose somepony else close to you can you proceed."

"That's ridiculous!" Twilight snapped back at the unicorn. "You said I would save my friends!"

Sombra quickly retorted "I said that I could teach you. And if you think my lessons are not good enough then you can find a new teacher."

A look of guilt flew across the purple pony as she did not know how to feel. She felt like she had disappointed Sombra, a pony she once fought. But now that she wants his knowledge, needs his knowledge, she could not think of turning him away. She said to him "I'm sorry. I just- I don't want to see any more of my friends go."

Sombra looked back to his student and consloed her "I understand, I've lost ponies to time as well, but I took my losses to heart. and empowered myself." He looked away as he lost himself in his past for a moment.

Still looking away, Sombra explained "Imagine a door. On one side is you, and the other is dark magic. Under stress you are able to peek in the door, but it quickly shuts itself. What we are doing is breaking down that door so you may use dark magic any time. And as dark magic grows with pain and sadness, you are your most powerful after a great loss. The power needed to break these doors will come from your own pain, and simply put Princess, you've stopped crying hours ago."

He began walking back to his cave as he finished his explanation "Train in secret what you know, then return when you suffer. I will be waiting."

Honesty

Tragedy struck the Apple Family Reunion. In the first time in its history one of the Apples lost their lives on that most joyous of occasions. And a shame to that it would be the host of the party who would be the one to go. But alas it was that Applejack fell ill and finally perished on the day of the reunion.

The death was so sudden and the funeral so soon Twilight was not able to attend. By the time she arrived the deed was done and the farm pony was already six feet underneath the apple orchard. As she stood in front of the headstone which bore her friend's name, her mind was brought back to all the good times the two of them spent together, and of all the things left unsaid.

A group of foals led by Big Macintosh approached the grave. The youngest filly, probably too young to understand what happened, asked "Grampa Macintosh, are we ever gonna Granny Applejack again?"

A tear welled up in his eye as the aged work horse looked for the right words to say. With a trembling lip he mumbled the only word he could muster "Nnnnnnope"

As she was told, Twilight returned to Sombra's cave after somepony had died. She stood outside he cave less hesitant to enter than she had been last time. Her idea of who the king was had changed so much since they had met. While she still was very unsure about if she could trust him, he no longer seemed to be the villain Princess Celestia made him out to be.

She shook her head dispelling these thoughts, as new ones entered her mind. No, he still enslaved the Crystal Empire. Once he teaches me the spell he's done. I'll tell Celestia where he is and he'll pay for what he did.

She entered the cave once more to greet her teacher of dark magic. Much to her surprise he was not there. The fire pit was unlit and the dark corner which normally lay shrouded by his magic was visible, plain as day. She grew worried, that maybe he had been found, that she would not be able to continue training. To learn the spell to save ponies. she thought, trying to shake the idea that she actually cared for that stallion.

"Oh, you're here early" A voice said from behind the princess, making her flinch. "I was wondering when you'd return. Your friends aren't lasting as long as I had thought." he added, showing little sympathy for the grieving princess.

Twilight turned around to confront her teacher and with a huff said "Where were you? I thought you'd stay in this cave."

Smiling, Sombra teased the princess's expectations "What, you think I spend all my time sitting by the fire? I have a life you know, aside from teaching you magic. If you'd spend any time looking around my home you'd see I have a garden in the back."

"Okay, I get it." the princess exclaimed with a slight of guilt "You're more than just a villain in hiding. But what else I know is you have a lesson for me."

The unicorn fully entered the cave and began pacing around the princess. He mused with her "Afraid to talk with the big bad wolf are we? Afraid to find that I may not be as bad as you thought." He then gestured towards the entrance "But if you insist. The next step in your training will begin"

Once the two royals were outside, Sombra again summoned a ball of dark magic to use as demonstration. He gestured his student to sit for his lecture as it would be lengthy. He explained "Dark magic is both more abstract and more physical than light magic. Whereas with light magic acts as an extension of yourself, dark magic is used independently. You do not control dark magic, it uses you to control itself. What we do is impart our will on the magic, which then channels through us to preform what it does. For instance, when you lifted that boulder last time it felt light as a feather with dark magic, because it was not you supporting the weight, rather you willing the rock off the ground."

"Now willing objects to float is child's play. It is as natural in dark as it is in light. The art of dark magic is controlling magic itself." After he spoke he turned to his ball and lit up his horn in a red-black glow which the ball mimicked. Suddenly the ball segmented off into gear-like shapes and fit together around the two, turning and ticking away like some grand machine. In not but a moment the dark forms formed together in spiked bands orbiting around each other, passing in and out of each other's rotations with impeccable precision.

As a final display the magic fell to the ground like it was water and grew up in crystalline structures around the princess. Rather than something scary, the magic formed a crystal gazebo, whose black shards reflected what little sunlight shone through the trees to illuminate the unicorn standing, looking not the least fazed by the spectacle.

As the glow of the unicorn's horn faded, the magic returned to a ball in front of the princess. A couple deep breaths from Sombra were the only signs that what he'd done was the least bit strenuous. He composed himself and addressed his awestruck student. "That, Princess, is the power of dark magic. While I do not expect you to do anything the likes of that, I can tech you how to control the magic. So, the first thing I want to see is if you can control anything." He pointed to his ball "As you will"

Twilight stood up and circled the ball once, trying to get an idea of what it was she was working with. It's a big black ball, she finally concluded, not exactly sure what she was expecting. She lit up her horn with purple-pink glow of her dark magic and the ball soon too had the same glow.

She concentrated her mind on the ball, and the mental image of a cube which she wanted to make. She first tried keeping the kind of level-headedness as Sombra did in his demonstration, but despite her focus the ball did not change. She focused harder and harder on the ball, scrunching her face as she tried pouring more and more magic at the orb to do what she wanted. She glanced over to Sombra who looked at the alicorn with a disappointed stare.

Though she did not want to admit it, she did not want to disappoint Sombra so she put her whole body into trying to change that stupid ball. She got up on two legs and pointed her hooves at the ball in some futile effort to have an effect, but alas she collapsed on the ground and the ball floated, unchanged.

Sombra lamented his student's failure. "You certainly have the ability to use dark magic, but as I feared Celestia's extensive training in light magic has sealed your mind from letting go. The idea of controlling magic is so ingrained into your psyche that is the only way you think."

He paced back and forth, mumbling about a way to open the alicorn's mind to work with dark magic. He finally came up with an idea, that just might work. "Perhaps you need to see the source."

Twilight looked puzzled at the idea. "The source? The source of what?"

"My source" Sombra explained, "My first contact with dark magic. I let go, and allowed the darkness into my life. Perhaps if you see for yourself, you will understand." He shuffled back down into his cave to get what he thought would show Twilight the way. He returned with an ornate glass bottle, half full with a milky white liquid.

Twilight knew that potion well, and what she was seeing she thought impossible. It was the same potion she drank when she discovered the Tree of Harmony. "How did you get that" She accused Sombra "I had that potion kept safe"

Sombra chuckled light-heatedly as he said "I am the immortal master of dark magic, able to become one with the shadows. And you think It is beyond me to retrieve a simple glass bottle. I say I feel almost insulted." His tone dropped down to the usual lecturing one. "As it is now this potion will show you Celestia's past, as it is still under the effects of her magic. But when I cast my spell on it." His horn lit up and fired a beam of dark magic at the potion, turning it pure black "It will show you my past. And given my expertise, exactly what I want you to see." He levitated the vial over to the princes and gave a single word "Drink"

She took the vial and held it in front of her face, staring at the black broth which sloshed within. She tilted back the potion and downed the drink. As the effects set in, her eyes shot open and glowed black, as the forest around her disappeared.

The next thing Twilight knew she was in some kind of laboratory. The walls glistened and shimmered like gemstones and the floor was polished to perfection. All around her sat scientific equipment foreign to her, made of crystals. She concluded to herself "Okay, so I'm in the Crystal Empire. But where is-"

"NO NO NO!" a voice behind her shouted in frustration. She spun around to find it's owner, only to see someone she was not expecting. It was certainly not Sombra, if anything it was the opposite of him. This stallion was a crystal unicorn with a coat almost as pale-white as the mane atop his head. "Stupid magic. You can heal hundreds of ponies at once on the battlefield, but saving one lab rat from death by acid is too much for you?" Despite his frustration, his voice rang with a young, melodic sound.

As the rodent drew it's last breath the unicorn floated it down to the garbage can Twilight just noticed reeked of death. He took another rat from the cage next to him to repeat whatever experiment he was attempting. Unfortunately this rat was not as passive as its predecessor and managed to free itself from the unicorn's magic. As it tried to make a getaway it knocked over the vat of acid on the work table, sending it flying at the crystal pony.

He fell over on the ground, writhing in pain, screaming all curses at his luck. The acid made its way eating away at his flesh. He enveloped his body with a red glow as some of the minor wounds began closing. However the healing spell was not strong enough as many of the larger wounds continued to grow.

Twilight could see the main wound in his chest was only widening as now bone was being exposed to the air. It would only be mere seconds until his heart would show. The researcher's eyes shut tight as his magic began to fade from his body.

Just then his eyes shot open, glowing a bright red, which then darkened as the magical aura matched. An explosion of dark magic erupted from the unicorn's horn and he floated up into the air. His smaller wounds closed in no time at all and even his chest cavity covered over with a new layer of flesh appeared. As his magic toned down and he became aware of his surroundings, he checked himself over, surprised to be alive.

He ran over to the mirror on the wall to look himself in the face. His horn still glowed dark red from the ordeal. In a solemn and intrigued voice he said to himself "What is this magic?"

In time Twilight came to from her vision. The familiar sights and sounds of the Everfree Forrest filled her mind as the image of the gray unicorn came into view. Seeing she could hear him he said "I see something you saw upset you Princess."

She finally took notice of her eyes which had started watering during her vision. She wiped herself of the tears and asked Sombra "I don't get it. You said I would see your past. But who was that in the lab I saw?"

He recalled his own life to answer the question. With a very nostalgic tone he said "That was me. Before I became immortal. Before I had this body you see now. I was a very different pony back then."

He looked at the alicorn and prepared himself for the rest of his lesson. "Have you ever seen a unicorn die a painful death, Princess?" Sombra asked his student. Twilight simply shook her head back at him, not entirely sure what to make of the question. "I wouldn't expect so. It is usually a product of war, something Equestria has not seen in centuries. When a unicorn is dying, and cannot accept it, they will often have magical surges as their bodies perish. And if they have the natural gift, they let loose dark magic. That is what you saw."

He walked towards the floating dark ball while continuing to speak "I was dying, And in my last moments I had a surge of dark energy. It would have been for naught had I not been casting, and continuing to be casting the healing spell. In my weakest moment I had no control, no thoughts, just the will to be healed. My surge picked up on that and empowered my spell."

With one hoof he touched the ball while hammering in his final point. "This is why dark magic is so closely linked with pain and distress. At a pony's lowest moment they have no control over themselves. They can only open their bodies to whatever magic flows within them, and let it out."

Turing back to his student Sombra added "This is why I must train you after you suffer loss. So your mind and body will be open to let dark magic flow within you to reach new levels of power. Now" He said as he gestured at the ball "Show me your power."

Twilight approached the dark orb, not nervously like the last time. Rather she had a new understanding of what it was she was doing. Her horn and eyes lit up with the glow of her own dark magic. She closed her eyes, simply as a way to remove herself from the world around her as she let the magic flow from her horn.

The ball soon to had the pink-purple glow of the alicorn as it began to move. At first its surface rippled like wind on a lake, but quickly began taking a definite shape. It grew eight points at the ends of itself and edges formed connecting them. In no time at all what was floating between the unicorn and the alicorn was no sphere, but a cube.

Twilight laid it down on the grassy ground as she opened her eyes to see what she had done. She nearly squealed with glee seeing the cube she had made. The magic faded from her horn and the cube stayed as it was.

At the sight of this success Sombra's face lit up with a smile of genuine joy. This was slight off-putting for Twilight as she had only seen him smile at his own plots or schemes. With a happy sigh he walked around the cube and put a leg around the alicorn's shoulder. While at first Twilight reared back at the sudden advance, she let it happen, accepting the touch of the king. Sombra said to her "Ever since I discovered dark magic I have been a black sheep in this world. But to see you learning and preforming, I feel rejuvenated to see somepony like me. Train in secret Twilight Sparkle, I will be anxiously awaiting your return."

Author's Note

Finally chapter 3 is done. I had the worst thing happen to me with this one. I had written it completely. save, edited, published, the whole ordeal. But I later decided to change one thing on my phone. Unfortunately my phone already had the story open at an older state. So when I changed the thing, I saved the old copy, which deleted everything I had done. Pretty much this is how I felt for the next couple hours.

I would also like say how amazed I am at how many people liked my story. This is my first major writing on this cite, and to watch the favorites come in like they did was intimidating to say the least. But I am glad to have an audience like I do and perhaps now I have a renewed resolve to work on this epic.

Corruption

Sombra was sitting in his cave next to the warmth of the fire like he did most days. As he expected to happen eventually, Twilight squeezed her way through the mouth of the cave and approached him. Happy to see this guest he began his introduction with "I see you've returned again. Who have you lost this time?"

In a tone lacking any form of sadness She responded, "Nopony actually. I didn't come this time for a lesson." On her own accord Twilight sat down across the fire from Sombra. "I came to know about your past. What I saw last time I came here, I could not get it out of my mind." In a tone of genuine curiosity she asked "What happened to you Sombra? How did you go from that white stallion to who you are now?"

With a friendly smile Sombra said, "Now that, my dear, is quite a story. Before I took over the Empire, before I had the form you see here today, before I even knew about dark magic, I was a doctor and a scholar in the Crystal Empire. And I had a different name. One I had not even thought about for many years. I was once known as Sunbright."

High above the Crystal Empire, the Crystal Palace stood, it's many hues of color radiating from it's peak all across the land. On the grand balcony, King Sapphire Song looked down on his city with a smile. The townsponies went about their day, laughing and playing in the streets. The Crystal Fair was still a month away, but preparations were already under way for the occasion. The first crop of crystal berries had arrived and the young foals were learning the flugalhorn in school. The king's heart was lifted to see his Empire so peaceful.

A guard came onto the balcony to address the king. "Your Highness" he said with a bow "Doctor Sunbright is here to see you as per your request."

"Thank you, bring him into the throne room, I'll be in shortly." Sapphire said, as he took one last look at his citizens, He turned around and walked back to the throne room, where Sunbright had been patiently waiting.

Upon the king's entrance Sun Bright bowed and waited before speaking. After several seconds of the unicorn king's silence, Sun eventually took the first word. "My king, I should feel so honored that you requested me."

"The pleasure is mine" the king said modestly. "I've heard tales of you on the battlefield. How you can heal hundreds of injured soldiers at once." he said with a genuine grin.

Looking a little bashful at the king's compliment, Sun Bright blushed as he said "Well medical magic is my talent after all" He turned his flank slightly to show Sapphire his Cutie Mark of the medical cross, radiating with magic. He turned back and continued "But I do have more experience in the laboratory than the field."

Sapphire straitened his posture as he further addressed his guest. "Which brings me to why I asked you here. I have recently had a change of heart about the well being my citizens. Just last week my daughter, the young Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, took her first steps. As a father, it was the proudest moment of my life." His tone saddened as he continued speaking "The next day she walked herself right off a flight of stairs. She's fine of course. As royalty she has the best care takers in the land. But even so, to think that even the highest noble can be hurt so."

He turned to look out the window. He continued speaking while giving his land a long stare. "And then I thought of my ponies. They suffer from the same incidents, without the same help we do in the castle. They get hurt, become diseased, gulp, die. And there is noting to be done."

He turned back to Sunbright and revealed his radical idea. "But what if that was not the case. What if ponies could be protected from harm at all times. To be freed from injury and pain. Everypony from the highest noble to the lowest farmer could share he same protection. This idea, this radical idea, is why I called you."

Looking Sunbright directly in the eyes and said "If there is anypony who could find a way to make this dream a reality, it would be you. I, nay, the Empire would be forever in your debt."

Sunbright stood there wide eyed, in shock of the request. He paced back and forth mumbling to himself about whether or not it could be done. Eventually he looked up directly at the king and said "What you want, it may not be doable. It may be impossible." He got down on one knee and bowed his head to say "But on my honor as a doctor, and for the glory of the Crystal Empire, I will no rest until I have an answer."

Twilight was laying down in the cave now, gotten comfortable whilst hearing this tale. Occasionally she closed her eyes in imagining what was happening. She was fully entranced by the story, and rather shocked when Sombra ended the scene.

"And so I began my research into the impossible" Sombra said, his eyes lost in the past. "My first experiments showed little success. I can't tell you how many lab rats perished in my efforts to preserve life. I sought the knowledge of all the greatest minds of the time. Professor Whitewhack of Tramplevania, Starswirl the Bearded of Canterlot, even Redclaw the Wise of the Gryphon Kingdom, But none of them could help me in my search."

Twilight suddenly peaked up. In a giddy voice she said "Wait, you knew Starswirl the Bearded? THE Starswirl the Bearded? Ohhhh my gosh ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. Tell me everything about him"

Sombra said. "There's not much to say really. Aside from when I requested him, he largely kept to himself. When I offered that he come to the Crystal Academy he could not come sooner. At the time he was working on some kind of Unified Magical Theory. For the life of me, I could never begin to explain it, but he said that to work at the Academy would further his research immensely."

Sombra chuckled slightly, which shocked Twilight. "He'd kill me if he knew I told you, but he was like a filly in a candy shop when he arrived. Going from one piece of equipment to the next admiring them all. At any rate, it was during his stay that I discovered dark magic. I had my accident which you saw, and I had an idea. If dark magic could save a pony from the brink of death, could it also be used to restore a mildly injured pony, all the time. In other words, could be used as a preventative measure for death, rather than a reactive one. After many weeks of training my new abilities and trials, I finally had a solution to present to the king."

King Sapphire sat on his throne to meet with Sunbright. The doctor had requested a formal audience to demonstrate his solution. To his left side sat his wife, Queen Clarity and daughter Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.

"Presenting Doctor Sunbright" the guard cried as the white maned unicorn entered the throne room, followed shortly by another guard.

Sapphire sat up in his seat as he began addressing the doctor. "Sunbright, A pleasure to see you again. And a great honor to know you have found a way to protect my citizens."

Sunbright bowed to the royal family before addressing the king back. "My king, it is my honor to say that I have solved death. I hope you don't mind my request of such an event."

The king chuckled as he said "Nonsense. This is a great day for the Empire. And I am brimming with anticipation about what you have in store."

"I have little left to say, except that my test subject is one of your own willing guards. Let us begin" Sunbright said as the guard took center stage.

The white unicorn's horn began to glow with natural red aura as the guard was enveloped y the same light. His magic then darkened to blackness as his eyes let loose trails of magic of the same hue. The guard was barely visible under the red-black magic that surrounded him. The magic shrunk around the guard as it entered his being. He slightly winced as his body, and spirit were effected by the unique spell.

Sunbright's horn ceased its unnatural glow as the last of the magic entered the guard's body. Stopping shortly to get his breath, Sunbright said to the king. "While this guard my still look like a regular crystal pony, he is infact able to survive any injury, as I will now demonstrate."

He levitated a spear from one of the guards at the king's side and with one swift motion pierced the end through the test subject's chest. The Queen gasped and covered the Princess's eyes at the act, while the King stood looking down. To the surprise of everypony save Sunbright, the guard was still standing.

Where the spearr hit, it did not enter the body. Rather the chest of the pony shattered and broke off, shattering like a smashed window. The cavity left by the impact regrew swiftly and left the pony looking good as new. Sunbright, with a sigh of relief explained "As you see, due to the effects of my spell, this pony is now impervious to being injured by physical means. And if you would, my liege, blast my subject with a magical attack you would see he is protected from magic as well."

Sapphire complied, letting loose a powerful blast of magic hitting the guard square in the face. The entire left side of the pony's face flew off leaving a jagged hole in it's place. The crystals which seemed to make up the pony's head grew back to the shape of a head. Sunbright smile at the King, happy that his demonstration went off as planned.

The King however, was not as pleased. He looked at the ponies standing before him with a frown. Disappointingly, he shook his head at the doctor and said "This is your solution. You would use such dark forces to turn my citizens, turn my Daughter" He emphasized, pointing a hoof to the pegasus filly "Into some kind of half-breed creature. You have dishonored my request, and the Empire with your actions."

In that one moment, all the hope, pride and optimism within Sunbright faded. In a fevered attempt to change the king's mind he tried explaining "My king, you don't understand. This pony is just the same as he was before. In fact he's better, he's-"

"Enough" Sapphire proclaimed, still insulted by the doctor's idea. "If you think I am going to have my subjects changed, mutated, defiled, then we have nothing to discuss." He sat back down in his throne and ordered "You can see yourself out"

"I was embarrassed, disgraced. My life as a scholar was over." Sombra looked deep into the fire, recalling this part of his life. "I had spent years of my life, practicing Dark Magic, treading on new ground the likes of which the world had never seen. And then, in one fell swoop the king had my work branded 'evil' and my life as a scholar was done."

He then stood up from the fire and began pacing around the room. His horn began glowing as he relived his darkest memories. "That's when I realized, how to show him I was right. I would show them all. I decided to cast the spell on myself, to become the very essence of Immortality."

"With the help of Starswirl the Bearded I prepared the spell in my lab"

The two unicorns stood in Sunbright's personal laboratory at the Crystal Academy. Starswirl set up a ring of instruments in preparation for what his colleague was about to do. Skeptical of his partner's plan Starswril asked "Are you absolutely sure you know what you are doing? This Dark Magic of yours is suspect enough as it is."

Angrily Sunbright responded "No, If the King won't see the worth of my work on other ponies, he is sure to see it on myself. If you have no other complaints, I'd like to get this done with"

Starswirl simply gave a nod showing his agreement with the plan. He slid a pair of goggles over his eyes, signaling Sunbright to begin. The white unicorn's horn glowed dark red as his body became engulfed in a magical aura. His voice stressed by the magic he said "I will now begin the transformation"

Just like every time before, the magic absorbed itself into the unicorn's body. Staring from the feet the aura around the body dissipated as it worked its way into the pony's being. The process slowed on it's way up to the horn however. Starswirl noticed this when the aura map started going haywire. In a panic he shouted "Sunbright you fool! the magic trying to enter your horn is being negated by the spell being cast outward. You're tearing apart your own magical systems. You must stop!"

"Never" He said "If this is what it takes to get it to work, then so be it" After saying that he doubled his efforts into the spell. The magic was visibly arcing back and forth around his horn, fighting it's way around itself. His horn glowed red hot with power, which then began to crack. The cracks traveled all across his body, shining blood red.

With no warning the white unicorn suddenly exploded. Fragments of crystals mixed with still moving flesh hung in the air, still supported by the dark magic nebula hanging in the room. Starswirl removed hi hat in respect for his colleague he thought dead.

Just as he turned away, the nebula of flesh, crystal and magic began to pull itself together. A set of four grey hooves began to form on the floor. As the magic worked its way upward, the body of a gray pony was made. At the tip head a horn, not gray but blood red came into shape. When this ordeal was over the unicorn opened his eyes.

In complete disbelief Starswirl rubbed his eyes, before asking the new form "Sunbright?"

"Yes, and no" the pony said in a voice far deeper than Sunbright's. "The pony I once was was named Sunbright, but any light left within me is gone. A name more suited for me would be...Sombra"

"I died, Twilight Sparkle, properly this time. But I was reborn as the perfect fusion of pony, crystals, and magic. I became one with the dark, and I lived." He turned expectantly to the awestruck alicorn. "And that, is how I became who you see today."

Twilight sat by the fire wide eyed. Her world was taken up on end by the story. "Wow, so everything you did, all the learning and dark magic-"

"Was all in service to the king, yes" Sombra completed. "Think of me what you like Princess, but now you know, I was once a pony, just like you; in service to royalty, obtaining power. This is the reason I teach you slowly. If you are not careful, the results could be disastrous."

Twilight stood up and approached the king. With a smile she said "I may not be ready for my next phase of training, but I would like some practice from the master"

Loyalty

Despite the pegasus race's natural ability to touch and control clouds, no magic could change this truth; ponies cannot be buried in the sky. Underneath the city of Cloudsdale lies the grand cemetery. Since the city's founding, peagasi have been buried in these grounds. Rich or poor, famous or unknown, this burial ground has been the final resting place for all Cloudsdalians for centuries.

Between the headstone which bore her father's name, and the empty grave which bore her own, Rainbow Dash lay silently in her coffin surrounded by her friends, family, and fellow Wonderbolts. And of course, sitting in the front row, a somberly dressed Princess Twilight. For many of her brothers and sisters of the wing, the traditional uniforms have made way for black suits.

An orange pegasus, dressed in her formal Wonderbolt attire took to the podium behind the headstone to give the eulogy. Wiping a tear from her eye, Sootaloo began reading the eulogy, "Family members, Princess, and fellow Wonderbolts, we are all here today because we lost a somepony very dear to all of us. Rainbow Dash was a good pony, and perhaps the best fliers there ever was. Her aerial feats were unlike any seen before, and likely not ever to be seen again. You may remember her as Captain of the Wonderbolts, or as a leader, but she was so much more. She was a friend, a role model, a sister." She choked up on her next sentence "You know if she were still here she would have said something cool like 'C'mon Scoots, buck up, you're making yourself look bad.' She was never one to judge, but always there to help you with your problems. Truly, she was an inspiration to us all." She held her hoof up to her forehead in salute "We will never forget you Rainbow Dash"

When Scootaloo finished her speech she gave the nod to the six pallbearers, who lowered the casket into the grave. As the first scoop of dirt hit the wooden box Twilight's tears began to fall like the great Neighagra Falls. She stood up from where she was sitting and ran away from the funeral.

As she ran got to the back of the group of ponies she was stopped by one of her guards. "Princess, is everything all right?" he asked, trying to lessen the scene she was causing.

Twilight simply shrugged him off and began to fly up into the air. Just when she was barely out of earshot she cried back "I just need to be alone!" and flew off into the distance, towards the Everfree Forest.

With her eyes wet with tears, Twilight practically made a crash landing into the Everfree Forest. She picked herself up and composed herself enough to approach the cave she had become all too familiar with. Giving no thought but consolation, she entered the cave and searched for the crystal pony who called it home.

She entered the cave to find it seemingly empty, save the roaring fire lying to the side, and the pitch black corner, impenetrable by light. Twilight simply lie down by the fire and wept to herself awaiting Sobra's eventual appearance.

She did not have to wait long though, as the sound of a weeping alicorn drew Sombra out of the mysterious shaded corner of the cave. Sombra approached his guest with an uncomfortable expression. In a thousand years he had been hidden away and feared, but never once had he had to console one in such despair. He sat down across the fire and tried to find the right words to console the alicorn. "Twilight," he began in the kindest voice he could find, "I haven't seen you like this since your dear friend Rarity passed. Is everything okay?"

Twilight remained speechless for a while, simply continuing to cry. After several seconds of silence between the two ponies Twilight found it in herself to dry up her tears and answer the question. Occasionally interrupted by sniffles, she said "I was at Rainbow Dash's funeral. All the Wonderbolts were there, her friends, family. And seeing her being buried, it reminded me of how weak I still am. Still so powerless to save anypony."

"NO" Sombra exclaimed defiantly. He stood up from his spot and began to walk around the fire. With a softness to his voice he said, "Listen here you Highness, you are not powerless. No matter what happens, no matter what you do or where you go, I never want to hear you call yourself weak again." When he reached where Twilight sat he reached his hoof down to her chin. He lifted her head until he was looking her eye to eye. "You are without a doubt the most powerful pony I ever met, and perhaps the most skilled unicorn this world has ever seen. To let anypony, even yourself call you weak is intolerable."

As Twilight looked back into the one good eye of the unicorn before her she saw something within him she'd never sen before. It was then obvious to her. Sombra did not just look to her as an apprentice but he admired her. Everything he'd done suddenly made sense to her. The way "Is that why you first called me here? Because of my own power?"

"Of course" he said as he separated himself from Twilight. " I watched you from the shadows after your coronation. Your time studying under Celestia was being wasted. She was spoon feeding you lessons, but never showing you the bigger picture. Never opening you up to the infinite realm of possibilities that lay at the heart of magic. She, Twilight, she was holding you back. And I could not stand for that. My intention was never to simply offer you power. No you already have that in spades. As an alicorn your raw untapped power was more that I could ever give. What I offered you, all those years ago, was an opportunity to reach your full potential." Sombra looked down the the ground, as if saddened by his own words. "My only regret is that it took you so long to realize that, and that for your friends sake that may have been too late."

In that moment, Twilight saw something she never did in Sombra. The fallen king sat before her, no words with double meaning, no display of power to sway her. Wiping the last tear from her eyes, she asked the former tyrant. "Is that really how you feel about me?" She stood up to look him at eye level. "All you wanted was to help me?"

"I saw it years ago, and now perhaps you are seeing it now. Fifty years and how much did Celestia show you? How many pointless exercises did she put you through while never expanding your horizons in any meaningful way? But I, oh I showed you everything you needed to know. You came to me looking to save your friends. And I did not hesitate to teach you what you wanted to learn."

"But you did so much more than just that" Twilight revealed. She stood up to meet with him again, "You made me look at the world in a way I never knew. Made me look critically at the things I took to be truths. Not just about the nature of magic, but things like good and evil, Things I thought to be so black and white I now view through a critical eye."

Sombra looked to his student with a smile. "You've come so far since you first came here. Before you were but a puppet of Celestia, clinging to her every word. But now you are your own mare, taking your magical endeavors into your own hooves and not letting anypony hold you back. I'm so proud of you my student."

Abruptly, Sombra broke the moment and began walking to the mouth of the cave. Returning to his more typical tone he stated, "Still, you are my student, and I have a duty to teach you what I know. Come, you are most certainly ready for today's lesson"

When the two of them left the cave Sombra began guiding Twilight to where where he would teach her. As Sombra led her, he asked, "Tell me Princess, do you know anything about bird keeping?"

"Bird keeping?" Twilight said, caught off guard by the seemingly random question. "Nothing really, but what does that have to do with dark magic?"

With a slight chuckle Sombra explained "Not a thing, but I think it would help to explain what we are about to do. In my time you see, there was a debate on the ethics of keeping wild animals as pets or livestock. In the Crystal Empire at least, the debate spawned from the crystal ewes which had become commonplace in our festivals. Some claimed that what we had done was immoral, taking those free roaming creatures and putting them in pens."

"I, and other like minded ponies saw it differently though. What I saw was the second generation of animals, that is the babies of the captured ones, were used to the pens. To them the pens were natural as they had grown up with them. They knew no better than to be herded. Something to think on I suppose, but I have indulged my love of philosophy for long enough, we're here."

Where here was was in front of a make shift bird cage made from a small cave in the side of a cliff. A wire mesh screen across the mouth of the cave acted to keep the dozens of birds inside. "Huh" Twilight exclaimed jokingly, "I never took you as one to take up a hobby"

"As you know Twilight Sparkle" Sombra began lecturing as he paced back and forth in front of the cage "With dark magic we can will things to happen which are nigh impossible and beyond the realms of what light magic can do. Just as we can move mountains with a thought, so too can the lives of other beings be bent to our will." Sombra took a robin from the cage. With it, he turned to the princess and in a very matter-of-fact way said "Your lesson for today, is to kill this bird"

Shocked at what she heard, Twilight gasped at the request. Shaken, she asked her teacher "What? Bu-but I though you were teaching me to save lives not end them?"

Sombra placed the bird down on a nearby stump, and much to the princess's surprise it did not fly away. In his lecture voice Sombra explained "What I am teaching you to do is to break the cycle of life and death. In order to break the cycle to prevent a pony from dying, you must first learn what it is to bend the life of another being to your will. And the easiest way is for you to intentionally end something's life." Sombra's horn shone with a red aura as he picked up the bird. As he passed it to Twilight, the magical glow changing from red to pink. Once she had the bird Sombra instructed,"As I said before, kill the bird"

Twilight tried to find something to say to Sombra. Anything to imply there might be another way around outright killing. However the look on his face was dead serious. She knew that this was the only way. Hesitantly, her magic began to darken, and the bird became enveloped in a dark glow.

*SNAP*

In one swift motion the bird's neck broke and it fell limp in the princess's magical grip. She lay the bird on the ground next to the stump and looked to her teacher. His gaze followed the bird as it went to the ground, then shot a disappointed look at Twilight. "Why do you disappoint me Twilight?" he asked. "I told you to kill this bird, not snap its neck. You will learn nothing with such physical violence"

"I don't understand" Twilight said bluntly, trying to hide her disgust of the act, "The bird is dead, just like you said"

Sombra walked over to the bird lying on the ground and levitated it using his red-hued light magic. He explained "This bird was killed by physical means. You may have used dark magic to snap it's neck, but its death was no different" He grunted slightly as he twisted the robin's head clean off its body "Than any death it would have suffered naturally" He tossed the pieces of bird at Twilight's feet, causing her to reel back in disgust. He then went back to the cage and brought another bird to Twilight. "This time I want to see you kill the bird."

Like before, Twilight took the robin in her magical grasp and surrounded it in dark energy. Unlike last time, Twilight remained focused on the bird as she poured the magic into the birds throat in her attempt to end it's life. The bird convulsed violently for a few seconds and then fell limp like the previous bird had.

She then looked eagerly at Sombra, hoping that what she had done would be satisfactory. Again, he shook his head at the display and gave Twilight a look of disappointment. He took back the bird and said "What you did was suffocate this bird. Again, still a natural death, and still not what you need to learn." Tossing the bird aside, he nonchalantly grabbed another bird form his cage. Showing little sympathy for Twilight's obvious conflicted feelings towards the act, he said "There is no short cut for this one Princess. You must preform this exercise until you get it right. Try again"

"NO" Twilight shouted. " I've done what you wanted. This robin is deceased. It is no more. This is an ex-robin! And I'm not going to continue this kind of pointless violence until you tell me why I'm doing this." After this outburst, she took a moment to collect herself. In a tamer manner she added, "In all of your other lessons you've told me what to do and I've done it. Why is this one any different?"

With a sigh Sombra looked to his student. "I was hoping you would be more enthused about your new lesson as you were before. This was meant for you to experiment with the life force of the living in a controlled environment. Just as with dark magic you can twist and turn the physical world at your will, so too can you play with the very nature of what it means to be alive. And unfortunately for your apparent squeamishness, it is something you must experience for yourself. No amount of lecturing on my part can tell you how to do it. Ther's no short cut for this one I'm afraid, the only way is practice."

Under the setting sun, Twilight held another dead robin in front of Sombra's face. A shake of the head was all Sombra gave, to which Twilight discarded the carcass. For the umpteenth time that day Twilight placed the body in an ever growing pile of discarded failed experiments. Where earlier today she would have found the sight disgusting, she thought little of it by now. The sight merely reminding her of the spell she had yet to learn.

Sombra walked to the cage to retrieve another bird. As he passed it off to Twilight he asked "I hope with this repetition you are beginning to see, Princess, what it means to outlive others.How in the blink of an eye so many lives are ended, and we watch. For us, the life and death of others are one and the same. I ask you again, kill the bird"

The amount of times Twilight had done this had numbed her conscious to the act she so recently found despicable. In what had almost became second nature to her, Twilight grabbed the bird from her mentor and enveloped it in darkness. Seeing the bird as less than a living creature and more as simply another repetition of the same exercise she'd been preforming for hours. Her horn glowed brighter as the magic flowed into the bird, causing it to keel over and lie limp in her grasp.

Not even waiting for Sombra's eventual disappointed look, she instinctively tossed it into the pile of its fallen kin. Much to her surprise, and even shaking her awake of her exhausted stupor, Sombra caught the bird before it landed, and began examining it. Proudly, he looked to his student "By Faust, you've finally done it. You've broke the cycle. No natural death occurred here, the bird, just simply died."

"Now that you mention it," Twilight began, thinking inquisitively on her latest victim, "It did seem different that time. Like I breaking something rather than killing the robin."

"Exactly" Sombra said triumphantly, "That feeling of bending and breaking the life force of other beings is precisely what these exercises are meant for you to understand. And now you see it, and feel it. The full life giving spell builds off these ideas, only on a much higher level. A level to be studied at a later date."

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Twilight sighed with relief. "I'm glad that's over" She said with a smile, "I suppose I'll be off then, practicing my magic in secret like before." With that said she began walking away, preparing herself for takeoff out of the forest.

"Not quite yet." Sombra called out, causing Twilight to halt in her tracks. "Before you leave Princess I need you to cast that spell one more time. Think of it as a test." He began walking back towards the entrance to his cave and gestured for Twilight to follow.

Instinctively she followed her teacher into the mouth of the cave, just catching sight of him as he disappeared into the mysterious dark corner. From within the darkness he addressed Twilight. "You've taken a big step today, seeing life as it truly is. But now you must prove that you can apply this view to other ponies."

Sombra stepped out into the open, still keeping what he had retrieved hidden behind him. "Twilight Sparkle, as a test of what you have learned I want you to kill this pony" He stepped aside revealing a light-pink mare with a ratty looking tan mane. She was bound by ropes head to hoof which restricted her motion to mere jerks and wiggles as she struggled against her bonds. A cloth was wrapped tight around her muzzle, turning her screams of terror into nothing but muffled noise.

At such a sight Twilight collapsed to the floor, in shock of what she saw. She sat there speechlessly, mouth agape whilst the captive mare struggled against her bonds. Shock turned to anger as Twilight finally found the words to speak her mind. She got up and walked right up to Sombra. Looking him dead in the eye she said "How could you ask me to do this? You've- I've- Killing birds as a means of training is one thing. But this Sombra, this is murder, plain and simple. ... I am a Princess, not a killer." With that Twilight turned her back and walked towards the cave entrance.

From behind her Sombra's form changed. He turned himself into a black cloud of smoke and flew in front of the alicorn princess, coming in between her and the mouth of the cave. From the head down his body reconstituted himself. Not looking her directly in the eyes, but rather down to the ground Sombra began addressing the princess. "Twilight, when I began your training I asked for your full cooperation. This was not because of any intended malice on my part, but because I knew that what I would have to put you through would be heart-breaking. But remember who you are doing this for, your friends. Your unfortunate mortal friends who are inevitably doomed to die. And if you do not learn to overcome this hesitation of casting dark magic on ponies, all your training will be for naught" Sombra lifted his head to meet Twilight eye to eye. In a voice of true sincerity Sombra continued, "And though I did not want to admit it, in the short few years we've known each other like this, you have been a better friend to me than anypony I've ever known. And for you to carry out my legacy by learning this spell would be an honor I never even knew I wanted."

Twilight stood there, looking at the unicorn before her, taking in all that had been said.With a shake of her head she said to the king "I don't know, even for my friends, for me to take another pony's life, it just doesn't seem right. I mean, I'm a Princess. I'm supposed to be the light of Equestria. I'm-"

She was interrupted by Sombra's hoof, reaching up to hold her on the shoulder. With a sagely voice true to his age, he said, "If there is one thing a thousand years has taught me, it is that all ponies of nobility come to a point where they must take up the blade." He let go of his student and walked past her back to the squirming captive, continuing to talk all the time. "The time will come when you will need to do what needs to be done. So when will you learn to kill Princess? When you are staring down wrong end of an assassin's knife, or perhaps when you find yourself leading an army into battle?" The unicorn waved a hoof to the bound mare by his feet "Or, will you choose to sacrifice this one life, to learn how to save the lives so many others?"

The princess stood there, contemplating the wisdom she was just given. As it happened all too often, while she did not like to believe the words she heard from Sombra, she could find no fault in them. Deep in her heart she knew that living forever would mean that time and time again she would be confronted by traitors and enemies, and could not feign innocence forever. As she came to this realization, her face grew solemn, and she stared blankly into the distance.

"Princess please, think about what you're doing!" A voice cried out across the room. The pink mare, who had managed to slip the cloth from her mouth pleaded with the princess. Her words came out hurriedly as Sombra's magic was already taking hold of her. "This pony captured me! Took me away! Please don't let him get away with this. He's-NMMPPHH"

She was quickly silenced by the hold of Sombra's dark hold. Twisting her head around to look the captured mare in the eyes, he snapped at her "Listen here you. Your place here is not to argue. Your life is not yours to control any more. Know that, and this will be far easier for you." Her mouth shut tight by Sombra's magic, the mare could only hum in terror while shaking her head against the grip.

Twilight, seemingly oblivious to this exchange, continued to stare forward as she began to speak. "She's going to die anyway, isn't she?" She looked to Sombra with her blank expression, now talking more directly at him. "Even if I walk out of this cave and never come back, you will end up killing her anyway, aren't you?"

"As always Princess, your skills of deduction are remarkable." Sombra said as he dropped the mare to the ground as if she were a sack of produce. "Yes, if you did not end her life, I would be forced to do so. But only as a matter of safety. I could not have her set free to tell the world about my life here. As far as the rest of Equestria is concerned, she's already dead."

Without a single change in expression, Twilight walked over to the mare in silence. With a pink glow the earth pony levitated off the ground to come face to face with the princess. A slight glow of the alicorn's eyes and the dark magic ring around the pony's mouth disappeared into thin air, once again allowing the captive speech. "Please Princess. You can't do this. I have a husband and two foals. I'm just a simple gardener." She pleaded.

Deaf to the cries of terror, Twilight asked "What's your name, my little pony?"

"Rosebud" She said, her eyes beginning to tear up. "My name is Rosebud"

"Well Rosebud, I want you to know that everything's going to be just fine." Twilight said, with a tone Rosebud knew could only mean one thing. "What I learn from this will allow me to save so many others"

Her tears now falling fast Rosebud squeaked out "Princess?"

"Kill her" Sombra called out from the side. "Kill her now" Twilight took one more look down at the pony she held, trying to clear her mind of all sentimental value. With one final command, Sombra called out "Do it"

Silently, the magic aura around Twilight's horn went dark purple and the glow holding Rosebud changed as well. It grew over her head, and acted to mute the screams of terror now coming from the pony's mouth. Just as it had happened with countless birds before, the magic flowed into the pony's body. Her body tensed as the spell took its toll, then fell limp in the princess's hold.

Twilight, shaken by what she had just done, too fell to the floor. She lowered down the body and untied it, getting a look at the late pony. At first she looked at the lifeless corpse with disgust any pony would expect to find. With a pained expression she remembered Rainbow Dash, who also today lay silently passed on from this world. And yet despite these heart-wrenching moments coming to mind, she did not cry. Nor did she make any other meaningful expression. She just sat there in silence as she tried coming to terms with what she had done.

With a grin, Sombra stood behind the Princess. He put a hoof on her shoulder to reassure her that he was there to comfort her. With a kind tone he said "I'm so proud of you my student. You've proven you can do what you need to advance."

"But at what cost?" She responded, still looking down at the pony before her. Despite the proud words of her mentor, Twilight could not come to grips with what she had done. Despite what Sombra had said before, she could not shake the shame in knowing that she had killed a pony in cold blood. Ashamed of what she'd done she started mumbling "I- I've become a killer. I-"

Immediately Sombra interrupted the alicorn before she began running her mouth "I am a killer Twilight. I have felled innumerous ponies during my time, some more deserving than others. You are different. You are a student of magic. Learning to twist the lives of ponies using a field of magic you are just beginning to understand." With one hoof he waved down to Rosebud, "The fact that the death of a single innocent pony is not some tragic side effect from an improperly cast spell is a miracle in its own right."

He offered the hoof to help Twilight off the floor. When she rose, he looked the teary princess square in the face and told her "What is important Twilight, is that you do not let these actions define you. As horrible you think this experiment to be, know that you are doing this to help your friends. You are doing this for the lives of other ponies. And however you do it, light magic or dark magic, saving the lives of other ponies is a good thing."

From outside of the cave the howl of a pack of timberwolves broke the silence lingering after the fallen king's speech. "Perhaps you should sleep here for the night your Highness. Even for one as powerful as yourself, the Everfree Forest has dark surprises waiting in it's depths."

"I think I'd like that" Twilight said with a smile. "Whether or not I manage to sleep, I'd much rather spend tonight with a friend."

Author's Note

Finally after almost a year the next chapter. I will be back to writing more regularly now you you won't need to wait another 9 months for more. I'm back Baby!

Kindness

Deep below Canterlot, ancient and forgotten by all but the guards who watch over it, are the royal dungeons. More than a simple jail, they were carved out of the cliff side during the city's founding, back when Equestria was a wild and lawless place, and such a construction was deemed necessary to keep the peace. These days however the dark corridors and aging cells sit nearly empty, as the last hundred years of Celestia's singular rule had been an age of great peace, which only grew stronger with the rise of the new Princess Triumvirate . Even so during this golden age, every so often a pony commits acts so vile and unspeakable that reformation is deemed impossible, and must be locked up, hidden away from the world above and kept within these ancient walls.

In recent months however these chambers began to hold host to an unusual visitor. The Princess of Friendship herself took regular visits to the dungeons, often enough to walk freely through the corridors as if they were her second home. Under the nose of her fellow Princesses, Twilight had managed to make these forgotten halls into her own secret laboratory where she preformed experiments on the ponies incarcerated within.

Tonight, in pattern of what was quickly becoming the rule rather than the exception, she made her preparations to slip away unnoticed into the dark halls in secret. The experiment she planned called for a prisoner of such depravity, that such a fate would be worthy; to her luck one such pony had recently been caught.

As she walked down the cold dark passageways she repeated to herself, The pony locked up here is a despicable creature. He was imprisoned to pay for his crimes. His life was already over the moment he walked in here. These experiments are necessary to further my knowledge of life and death. Mentally reciting these four facts prepared herself for what was to come, and put her mind at ease over what she was about to do.

In front of one of the many wooden doors down here stood a unicorn and peagus, guarding the cell at attention. A slight grin drew across the pegasus's face at the arrival of the princess, but he snapped back at attention before she got too close.

At first Twilight just stood before them in silence, judging their reaction to her presence. Pleased that they still hold their composure under such odd circumstances, she commanded, "At ease stallions. You two are relieved of duty for tonight." From under her wing she flashed a small bag jingling with bits and added "As per usual, nopony is to know about this."

"As always, your highness" the unicorn said with a sly grin. The two guards then stepped past Twilight, grabbing the bag on their way. The pegasus mumbled something about loyalty to his partner, but Twilight paid it no mind. So long as they remained quiet they were of no concern to her. At this point she only cared about the pony on the other side of that door.

Knowing that she was alone in the dungeon, Twilight slammed open the door, enough to cause the sleeping prisoner to violently awake. The gray stone walls only served to echo the sound around the small room. Once she was sure that she had the prisoner's attention the princess closed the door behind her and approached the bars dividing the room in two.

On the other side of the bars the pegasus took his time getting off his cot, and took an overtly casual stance, leaning half his weight against the wall.

"Well well well, to what do I owe the honor of being visited by the princess?" he said sarcastically, making a clear mockery of the formalities normally held by Canterlot royalty.

Coldly Twilight addressed him, "Arrowwood, you ha-"

"At your service" he interrupted, adding an overly dramatic bow to his routine.

Unamused by this act Twilight sternly continued, "You have been found guilty of theft, rape and arson."

"And jaywalking" he added, cracking another joke at his own expense "I got five whole weeks added on to my sentence for that one." Twilight opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the endless banter of the prisoner. "Yes siree, your courts certainly did not go easy on me. Hell, even I thought I would just get away with banishment, not being locked up in the bowels of the earth for the rest of my life. Plus five weeks."

"Then you know what it means, the fact that you're in here"

"It means I'm not as good of an arsonist, thief, rapist or jaywalker as I thought" Arrowwood answered with a tone of joy which only furthered to mock the princess before him. He sat back down on his cot, resting his back against the wall, and added "The problem with the truly perfect crime is that nopony ever hears about it"

Twilight was losing patience with him. Her many times conducting these experiments had given her a certain joy in intimidating her subjects. However, Arrowwod's almost joyful acceptance of his fate had managed to strip Twilight of the one pleasant thing she found in these ordeals.

Using her magic she picked up the arrogant pony and brought him face to face with her across the bars and said to him, "What it means is you will no longer see the sun, nor moon, nor any sight beyond these four walls. As far as the rest of the world is concerned the pegasus known as Arrowwood is dead. And while you will serve your full sentence as intended, I Intend to put your body to better use than just sitting around"

With that said Twilight's horn began glowing dark purple and the pegasus became encased with a magical aura of the same color. He was hoisted up into the air, his legs held out full spread eagle as Twilight looked him up and down, examining his form. "Uhhh, Princess, what exactly is going on?" He asked, finally taking his situation seriously when trying to make sense of this entirely unexpected invasion of his body.

"An experiment" Twilight explained in a very matter of fact manner, "Testing the effects of localized death while maintaining the life of the pony" As she finished her statement her horn's glow intensified, beginning her prepared spell. The dark magic around Arrowwod's back legs began to seep into his flesh, and the effected areas went limp and pale as the magic took its toll. Arrowwood screamed in pain at the described death of his legs. Quickly, Twilight used her magic to gag her subject, ending his ear-splitting wail. Unfazed by the muffled cries, the princess pulled out a quill and paper and began writing down her observations.

As she wrote she spoke aloud her musings on her experiment "As expected, the victim feels the pain of having parts of his body killed, despite the lack of living nerve endings in the effected area. Initially that is," she added, looking directly at the pegasus, enjoying the act of explaining to him his suffering. "The following minutes, the following hours, even I don't know what happens over time to the dead limbs. But that's what an experiment is for isn't it?"

*KNOCK*KNOCK* The two of them momentarily froze at the inappropriate timing of the sound. *KNOCK*KNOCK*KNOCK*

With a loud creak, the door slowly opened to the unicorn guard standing awkwardly in its arch, painfully aware of the interruption he caused. Only half looking at him, Twilight let out a sigh and said between her teeth "I thought I made it clear I was not to be disturbed."

"I- I know you did Princess," he stammered as he tried explaining the terribly inappropriate position he put himself in, "But just as we were leaving the dungeon, your dragon came running down here looking for you. He had an urgent message for you, from Discord"

Her hear sank as she heard the news. She dropped the suspended Arrowwood to the ground and took the letter from the guard. Half of her already knew what the letter would say, but still she unrolled the scroll to see it for herself. In a very Discordian manner it contained not writing, but a moving picture of Discord himself complete with sound.

It started off with him lying on the floor of Fluttershy's cottage, literally crying his eyes out muttering random bits of words incomprehensible as a proper sentence. After several painfully long seconds of this he stood up, waist deep in the veritable sea of eyeballs and looked directly out of the scroll and started speaking more properly. "Oh Twilight, it's tragic simply tragic! You know I do my best tending to our dearest Fluttershy but even that wasn't enough. Fluttershy, she's gone. Departed. Away from this world. Gone forever from the land of the living. And I, I,I...." His thought was cut short by more hysterical crying. The message cut out abruptly, leaving Twilight standing silently as she took in the news she just heard.

The guard removed his helmet in respect, trying to find the right words to help ease the situation. Eventually he settled on, "I'm so sorry for your loss Princess. Please, if there's anything I can do for you just ask." He waited there eagerly for an order, something definitive he could do for his troubled princess, but she didn't respond. Not to him or the mad prisoner yelling obscenities at the grieving pony so harsh they themselves would warrant a prison sentence. Instead she ignored them both and without a word pushed her way through the doorway and up the stairs out of the dungeon.

With her mind fixated on her soon travel to the Everfree, she did not consider that the dragon who brought the letter would be waiting for her as she exited the dungeon. She rushed through the door and was immediately hoisted into the air by the arms of her worried friend.

"Oh Twilight, isn't it horrible?" Spike cried as he held his friend close. "Fluttershy's just too innocent to die, it just makes it so much worse"

Not responding to his question she teleported out of his arms and back onto the castle floor. She looked back at the dragon and asked him harshly, "Spike, how did you know to find me here?"

Slightly confused by Twilight's lack of sadness he told her, "I've heard rumors, of you going down to the dungeons at night. I thought nothing of them at first, but when I couldn't find you anywhere else in the castle this was the only place I could think to look"

He reached up to put his arm around her shoulder but was quickly shrugged off, with Twilight still keeping distance between the two. "Look I know these past couple years have been hard on you, they've been hard on me too. But shutting yourself away like this isn't going to make it better."

He paused unsure of what he was saying was making an impact. "You've changed Twilight, and I'm not the only one who's noticed it. You're becoming distant and bitter." He held her hoof with both claws and looked to her "We're worried about you Twilight. Me, the Princesses, everypony in Canterlot we hate seeing you so upset. And we want to help you get through this, just give us a chance"

She threw away Spike's claw and marched away from him towards the balcony. With a painful sting in her tone she demanded "You want to help me Spike? I'm taking a trip to Ponyvile that nopony is to know about. I want you to keep it that way"

"Lying Twilight, what even happened to honesty?"

With her hear hung low the princess turned around and looked down on the dim lit valley below Canterlot. She spread her wings wide preparing to take off and muttered to herself, "She died one year, eight months and sixteen days ago"

Before Spike could get another word in the princess took off into the night.

Luck favored Twilight this night as the clear skies and full moon illuminated the forest below. Even at the high speed she flew in from Canterlot, she could make out the terrain which had become so familiar to her.

She hated lying to anypony, especially those close to her, but never before had she needed to shut Spike away like she did there. The idea that what she was doing needed to be kept a secret was not new to her but only now after lying to Spike did she start questioning the morality of what she'd done.

By the time she landed next to Sombra's cave, her conflicted emotions had brought her to a delicate inner rage. On one hoof she thought so highly of her experiments and the knowledge gained. On the other she grew angry at herself for even believing she could justify what she'd put those ponies through.

But as she entered her way into the cave she tried to shove all those thoughts aside, and focused her attention to the task at hand. I didn't come here to think about Spike or worry about my actions. I came to learn magic, that's it.

In the dimly lit cave she saw her teacher sleeping on his bed of straw. Though she meant to wake him up kindly, in her mentally aggressive state the command "WAKE UP SOMBRA" boomed across the cavern in the Royal Canterlot Voice.

When he awoke his eyes shot open already glowing with magic as his horn flared to life with power. In the blink of an eye a mesh of crystals grew up from the cave floor, surrounding the alicorn, complete with a ring of them pointed threateningly at her neck. As his mind joined his body following the sudden wake up, Sombra lowered his magic and apologized, "Oh, Princess, I wasn't expecting you so late. My apologies for the attack, force of habit you see. I hope you're not hurt"

"No I'm fine" she assured him, before telling him sternly, "Fluttershy is dead. I'm ready for the next stage of training."

"Just like that? No sadness, no despair, no need of any comforting?" the unicorn asked, finding his student's sudden insistence unusual.

"Sorry if I'm rude for wanting to get down to business, but my friends are dying. How much more pressing could things be?" she asked, hoping to put her interaction with Spike behind her and get right to the lesson.

"You've always been rushed by your friends' mortality, but you've never so harsh about it." he explained. "Every time you came you've been saddened by your friend's passing. If there is anything that's troubling you I just don't want you feeling like you have to hide it from me."

Twilight barked back "Everything's fine okay. I just want to learn this spell and be done with it without everypony questioning my every move." She looked away after her sudden outburst, making it more than obvious that she was hiding something.

With a small glimmer of magic Sombra lit the fire pit in the center of the cave. Comfortingly he said to his student, "Twilight I doesn't take a genius to see that there's something troubling you. And not only is it bad for your own self to bottle up these emotions inside of you, it also interferes with your magical ability."

Again Twilight turned her head, wanting to avoid the topic and just get on with why she came here. Approaching the alicorn, Sombra says, "I know it may be hard, but if you can't be open about what's bothering you, it'll never get any better" He held her shoulder with his hoof and said to her "I want to help you Twilight, but I can't if you just push me away"

Sombra, she realized was not like her citizens. Her word was not law with him and she could not just hide behind silence forever. Choosing her words carefully she revealed, "I've done things since we last met. Things I'm sure a lot of other ponies would call bad"

The king sat down by the fire, and gestured for Twilight to join. "Don't be scared my pupil, there's nopony here to judge you. Whatever it is that's made you so aggressive, you can tell me."

She took a seat at his side and mentally prepared herself to actually telling somepony her secret. Uneasy at first she told him what she's done. "It started off innocent enough, I cast spells on birds and other critters to practice dark magic. But as time went on I realized I was not expanding my knowledge in any meaningful way. And in my search to find a place to do this in secret I discovered a dungeon underneath Canterlot hardly anypony knew about. I convinced myself that since the ponies within were guilty prisoners, I could move my experiments on to them, and I did. And as my search for knowledge grew, more than a couple of these experiments became fatal for those involved."

"Hmm, and you regret what you did to those ponies?" Sombra pondered.

Twilight grew dismayed as she confessed, "That's just it, up until tonight I never gave it a second thought to any of it. Buying the castle staff's silence was easy enough, and what I did to those prisoners I could justify. But tonight I had to lie to one of my best friends to keep him from finding out about this double life I've been living. I guess doing that put in perspective how horrible I am for doing these things."

"Twilight, practicing your skills in a slightly, unorthodox manner hardly makes you a bad pony"

"Doesn't it?" She exclaimed, growing cross with herself as she admitted her actions. "I've made ponies suffer for little more than data on a chart. I went behind the backs of everypony I know because I decided that I needed ponies to die. Then I have go back outside and pretend to be the perfect Princess who can do no wrong, when in my heart I know that I made one pony suffer just so another could live."

A long silence held out between the two as neither pony knew what to add to the troubled princess. With each passing second Twilight went from angry to sad as she dwelt on what she'd done. Finally leading her to break down into tears in her own hooves.

"Sunbright killed ponies you know" Sombra eventually said, bringing Twilight out of her sorrow. With the Princess at his attention, he continued his story. "You didn't think I figured out figured out how to turn ponies into living crystal overnight did you? Yes many of the early iterations of the spell were preformed of animals, but at the end of the day I needed to make sure the spell was actually able save ponies' lives. Sometimes it worked out better than others."

"What are you saying Sombra?"

Sombra held Twilight's hooves and looked her in the eyes as he made his point, "What I'm saying is what you were doing, sacrificing one life to save another is not cruel or malicious, it's medicine. And you mustn't measure your work by those who had to suffer, but by all those you are going to save."

"I guess I never thought of it like that" she admitted, wiping the last tear from her eyes.

"It's not your fault. Throughout all of history ponies who dared to dabble with death are often misunderstood. Branded monsters and traitors by the very ponies they are trying to help" Sombra said with a scowl as his own memories returned to him. With a deep breath he collected himself and continued on calmly, "What's important is to not let your doubts get the better of you. Know in your heart that even though what you've done may seem bad, you did it for the right reasons. So long as you believe that, and trust in yourself, it doesn't matter what anypony else says."

With renewed conviction Twilight picked her head up and said aloud, "I have killed ponies. I have used their bodies for experiments so that I might one day keep ponies alive forever" She stood up and with even more confidence declared, "And while my actions may have been less than ideal, I stand by them. Because whether or not anyone agrees, I know that what I did was necessary to save the ponies I love."

She looked back down to Sombra and proudly announced, "Sombra, I think I'm ready to learn that spell now"

Sombra stood up to join her and confirmed with a smile, "That you are my apprentice, that you are"

Under the moonlit sky, the two ponies went to the bird cage. In the short journey from the cave Twilight's mood improved when she was told this would indeed be her final lesson and she would at last have the key to immortality at her control. And Sombra too had a grin on his face. These lessons reminded him of of his old life, as a scholar. Having an eager, relatively young student made him wish he could once again share his knowledge with the rest of the world.

Before the cage he looked to his student and posed a question for her. "Tell me Twilight, what are the driving emotions behind light magic?"

"Happiness, love, and friendship" Twilight answered automatically to the type of question she'd answered hundreds of time under Celestia.

"Then sadness, pain, fear, hate; it's from these negative emotions that dark magic draws its power" he expalined to her.

Though this explanation did not satisfy the alicorn princess. She ponedered each source and asked her teacher back, "Sadness and fear I understand, but hate? Are you saying need to learn to hate in order to use the spell?"

"Not at all" he explained, "However when you are feeling any of those emotions it is important not to ignore them or try to hide them away, but embrace them. Think back to your first lesson, I put you in great pain pushing you to the end of your limits. But once your strength failed you had no choice but to accept that you were in pain, and that pain would give you the power to overcome your own limits. There you had no strength, no control, but importantly no inhibitions. The important thing is to keep a level head, just like with light magic, clarity and concentration are key to mastering magic."

Still struggling to understand the contradiction she asked, "But suffering with a level head, that makes no sense. How can you be rational while acting on such impulsive emotions?"

"That my student is the key to mastering dark magic, understanding the paradox of control inherent in the form. Just as we control or magic by letting it flow free within us, we must embrace these negative emotions. Know and accept that while they will subconsciously drive us to act a certain way, remember that we are still the masters of our will. But I digress" He finished, realizing that while informative, those ideas were not related to the spell she came to learn.

"The spell that I am about to teach you is not the one from my former life, what I have since come to call the crystallizing spell. Though I thought it to be capable of such things, that spell could not keep a pony alive beyond their natural life span. Its purpose was intended on preserving a pony's form, healing them from injury. Only through the tragic backfire and pure luck was it able to keep me alive as you see me today. Unable to fully recreate the accident, I worked from the ground up to create a new, far more advaned spell."

"I tailored your previous lessons in steps to teach you what I believed to be the quickest route to understanding such an advanced technique. First I taught you what dark magic is and how to unlock your own power. Second I taught you to use dark magic by imparting your will upon the world, and let the magic carry out your will. This I am lucky you were able to grasp quickly as it is a more advanced technique necessary to unlock the full potential of dark magic. And third I taught you that conceptual aspects of the world such as life can be manipulated just as easily as the tangible. Here now is where it all comes together."

He reached in to the cage to bring out a robin for demonstration. He magically held it in the air while going over the details of the magic "The execution of this spell can be broken down into three steps. The first is to do just as we did last time, breaking the life. As you are doing so you must simultaneously be piecing the broken bits of life back together. Lastly and where the elegance of the spell comes from, you must enchant the magic itself to preform the previous steps autonomously, forever."

"A recursive spell!" Twilight shouted proudly, both as a means for her to understand, and to show Sombra what she knew. For just a moment she took lead in the lesson, recounting what she knew. "I've read of unicorns in the past trying to create such magic. For centuries scholars have theorized that such spells could be infinitely useful, but found the actual means of creating and casting them to be impossible."

Smiling at the seemingly endless knowledge of his pupil, Sombra clarified, "Impossible because they only tried using light magic. The ability to cast a spell which effects itself is beyond the realm of light magic, as light magic simply interacts with the world as an extension of ourselves. As dark magic follows our will to the best of its abilities, we can will it to manipulate magic itself, as I will now demonstrate."

With the bird in his magical grasp he began casting the spell. Dark red magic seemingly boiled from his horn as the aura surrounding the bird came to life. Pulses of energy surrounded the bird's body, forming bands and arcs of magic highlighting the spell's effect. As the spell completed, the magical arcs seeped into the body in a similar way to the killing spell. Sombra released the bird from his hold, placing it on the stump, then returned to his onlooking student and said, "What I have done is put both the bird's body and life into a constant state of death, which triggers the other part of the spell to repair. The two components are balanced such that the repairs never stop because the bird is always dying."

"The consequence of this state is any part of its body which either by injury or illness, would otherwise perish is kept alive by the magical repairs encompassing it. The end result is this bird is now practically immortal, unkillable to anything short of complete, instantaneous disintegration. Any questions?"

Twilight looked at the bird sitting on the stump, trying to discern any noticeable effects of the spell she could make use of. Much to her surprise the bird was perfect, a real testament she realized to Sombra's mastery over magic. "Kill, heal, recurse" she repeated to herself making sure she understood the steps. She looked up to Sombra, who already had a bird ready for her and said "Alright, I can do this, I have to"

The robin was surrounded by a dark purple glow as Twilight levitated it in front of her, not even realizing her use of dark magic instead of light for such a common task. Like before she seeped the magic into the bird's body, causing it to twitch as it began to die. For the first time, Twilight felt glad she'd practiced on those prisoners as she had, for she could recognize how fast the bird was dying under her spell. As she felt the life of the bird beginning to crack and fall way, she pieced the metaphorical pieces back together, while simultaneously trying to isolate the magic so she could cast the recursive element.

Unfortuately when she tried to effect the magic, her previous components fell out of sync. The bird's life began to fall apart at an accelerating rate, one she found herself unable to repair. Despite her best efforts the bird died once and for all and fell totally limp in her hold.

As Twilight stood looking down at the bird she found her mind racing with ideas. "Chalk!" she yelled at Sombra, catching him off guard with the seemingly random request.

"Chalk?"

With a powerful blast of dark magic, she blasted the cliff, cleaving off the side revealing a smooth surface, polished and perfect for the princess's use. Another glow of her horn and all the nearby rocks levitated off the ground as she scanned them for one to mark her newly made blackboard. While searching the rocks she explained to Sombra "If I'm going to figure this out I need somewhere to write. Ah HA!" she exclaimed when she found a hunk of limestone suited for her needs. She rushed over to her space and said as she began scribbling down her thoughts, "Now under normal magical concentration the rate of death is..."

Despite many discussions and explanations, the two ponies once again stood facing another dead bird held in the alicorn's magic. Time and time again the princess was unable to successfully cast the spell, despite gaining a considerable understanding of what to do. "Gah! I don't understand, I have the mathemagics calculated exactly" she shouted in frustration.

She teleported over the the cliff face and looked over her calculations. The board, expanded twice since its original creation was covered top to bottom with formulas, constants, and variables detailing every aspect of the spell. As Twilight looked over her work, she became irritated as she realized that even though she was right, she was still not preforming the spell. "Death rates, heal rates, magical flux, it's all here" her voiced cracked as she became further and further confused.

After deep contemplation Sombra muttered woefully "Hmmm, I was afraid of this"

In a flash of light she appeared by his side "Afraid of what?" she asked, worried about what was keeping her from success.

"By all accounts you are preforming each piece of the spell correctly. The killing you already have down, the piecing back together you began to do effortlessly once you figured it out, but it's the third part that's giving you trouble. You know what to do, and how to do it, but you still lack the raw power necessary to stabilize the spell."

"B-but my addition"

"True, trying to use the subject's pain as a source of magic is a clever way to increase the spell's effect as it accelerates, but in the end all it does effectively is add another layer of complexity to try to stabilize" he said, rubbing his chin at the thought.

"But I don't understand Sombra, I've learned everything you know about this spell. Your method, it's history, THIS" she shouted, waving a hoof at her work. "Why isn't it working?"

"Not everything" he said grimly, "I didn't want to say it at first, lest it dissuade you, but it was decades after I initially formatted the spell before I was actually able to cast it. And that was even after half a lifetime of study into the dark arts. Like you I knew what I was doing, but I lacked the raw power necessary to put it all together."

"But I don't understand, if my problem is that I simply don't have enough power, how haven't I noticed it yet?"

"Dark magic is tricky like that you see, because we control it with our will we are never fully aware of our limits. Unlike light magic where the strain of pushing past what we can do exerts itself out the body, in dark magic there is nothing. No pain, but no result. I was hoping that you as an alicorn would have the natural power within you to learn it quick, but it seems I was wrong."

A silence fell between the two as they both came to grips with the implications of what the unicorn had just said. Twilight looked down and asked, "So what now then? You know I don't have years to increase my power Sombra, for all I know I might not even have weeks. Pinkie Pie is old, and if I can't cast this spell to save her..." Her mind trailed off as she realized just how long it's been since she started. Just over two years and most of her friends had already passed away. She sat down on the ground and muttered "If I can't cast this spell to save her then what would have been the point in any of this?"

"Well luckily I'm nothing if not forthinking. As I said, I thought this might happen so I prepared a second option, back in my home. Come" Without another word he turned away and began walking back toward his cave. Trusting in the unicorn's wisdom, Twilight followed him in patient silence.

Shortly lived silence though, for just before the two ponies could see the cave they were brought to attention by a loud call. "Twilight! Twilight where are you?" the alicorn heard coming from up ahead.

"Spike!?" she called back, while running up ahead to meet with the familiar voice of her dragon.

"Spike?" Sombra questioned shortly after, but not quick enough as his student had already rushed over the hill crest.

From the hill above the cave Twilight saw the grown dragon standing out front waiting patiently for her arrival. Worried about his presence she quietly flew down and asked him "What are you doing here Spike, I told you to stay behind."

With a worried tone Spike told her, "You say that to a lot of ponies Twilight. You say to leave you alone, let you be, but I know that isn't like you. So I followed you after you left Canterlot because I want to be there for you, to help get you through whatever it is that's gotten into you."

As much as the princess was touched by the dragon's care, she knew he couldn't be allowed to find out about why she's here. In a hushed tone she whispered to him, "Spike I know you wanted to help but you shouldn't have come, not here"

Not yet caught up with the princess, Sombra called out over the hill, "Twilight, who's there? You know who it was that found my cave?" When he reached to hill top he caught sight of the intruding dragon. He simply stared in confusion at first, but after a few seconds of looking over the intruder it clicked. The purple dragon with green spines, the same one that stole the Crystal Heart away from him all those years ago. "YOU!" he yelled while his horn began to glow bright with magic.

Spike however, did not give the king time to take another action. Letting go of Twilight, he opened himself up for an attack. With a mighty roar he flew up the hill and charged the unicorn. Throwing his elbow into the rush, he quickly managed to pin his opponent against a nearby tree.

"I thought we saw the last of you at the Crystal Empire. What are you doing here now and what have you done to Twilight? So help me if you hurt one hair on her head, I'll make you wish I'd finished you off for good last time!" As Spike snarled at the king fire began spewing out the sides of his mouth.

With half his face pressed into the side of a tree, and his scarred eye unable to properly look at his assailant he managed to say "Get your claws off of me you overgrown reptile. I'd have half a mind to blast you to kingdom come just to be even."

"Try it you one-eyed bastard." Spike hissed, "One more word out of you and there won't be enough magic in all of Equestria to piece you back together again."

"Stop it, both of you!" Twilight shouted getting the attention of both pony and dragon. "Spike, release Sombra at once" She commanded, eager to keep things from getting out of control.

Taking a moment to process what he just heard, Spike responded, "But Twilight, this is Sombra we're talking about"

"Yes Spike, and he's the reason I'm here. To meet with him on peaceful terms" She said in a factual manner. "Put him down and I can explain everything."

"You heard your Princess," Sombra groaned "Release me, lizard" Reluctantly, Spike obeyed and backed off from the tree, allowing the unicorn back onto his own four hooves. After straitening himself out, he added "And it's KING Sombra to you, beast!"

After giving the stallion one last growl, Spike looked back to Twilight to ask her "What could you possibly discuss peacefully with the likes of him?"

"I have been coming here because he has been secretly teaching me dark magic." Twilight straightforwardly said to her friend, "He taught me what it is, how to use it, all in preparation for teaching me a spell to keep ponies alive forever." Twilight paused for a moment, waiting for Spike to say something. A few moments of silence and Twilight added "I know it may be had to believe, but he's not doing anything evil."

"I don't think that's all he's been teaching you" He admitted, "After you flew off I met up with those prison guards. They told me all about what you do down there. Torturing prisoners, experimenting on living ponies, I did't know what to make of it before, but now it all makes sense"

Twilight gasped in shock at what he said and tried explaining to him, "You say that like I did it for fun. As if studying with Sombra gave me some sick pleasure from seeing others suffer. All I've done since the moment Rarity died was learn to stop the suffering. So the ponies I care about don't have to suffer the pain of death, and I don't have to suffer the pain of losing them."

"Is that what you tell yourself when ponies are begging for mercy?"

Spike's words struck deep. Of everyone she knew, he was the last one she thought would ever talk back to her like that. "Whatever your point is, just say it" she ordered, knowing already her dragon had a much differing opinion on this whole matter.

With a deep breath Spike made his accusation, "Sombra is evil. Since you've started seeing him you've done horrible, despicable things, things you would have never done otherwise. He's not just teaching you magic Twilight, I think he's trying to make you just like him."

His words stung the princess. And though she tried to hid her anger, it showed when she said back, "What are you going to do then? Go back to Canterlot, tell Princess Celstia about all of this? Don't you understand, this isn't about power or Sombra, or some arbitrary definition of good and bad, it's about saving the ones I care about. I've put so much effort into this and now you come and try to take it from me when I'm so close to success?"

"Twilight, please I just want to help you before you do something you'd regret. Don't make me out to be the bad guy" he pleaded, hoping that Twilight would know his good intentions.

She knew Spike was trying to calm her down, but his words only served to make her feel worse about her self. In a fit of self-loathing she lashed back, "Why? Because now I've become the bad guy? Yes, I consider Sombra a friend, and yes maybe I have done some things I'm not too proud of. But for the first time I'm taking my studies my own direction, so sue me if it doesn't fit in with Celestia's arbitrary definitions of right and wrong."

For the second time tonight, she turned her back to her dragon. She knew she was angry, at her best friend of anybody, but despite what she would have done earlier tonight she stood her ground. Spike had come in and questioned her decisions without knowing everything about what was going on.

Spike started to say something before being interrupted by Twilight. With between rapid breaths she commanded him, "If you really want to help me Spike, then help me see this through to the end. Stay by my side as I do what it takes to save our friends. But if all you're going to go is try to hold me back, then don't even bother to be with me at all." She nearly choked as the words came out of her mouth, but managed to hold her tone to finish her sentence.

Something broke in the dragon's mind when he heard this. He fell to his knees before the princess and began crying. "You don't mean that. Y- you can't mean that" he begged, clinging to her legs as his worst fear played out before him.

In the back of her mind Twilight knew that Spike would not stand by her so long as Sombra was a factor. Although it pained her, she confirmed, "I do Spike. I don't care what you do, raid a village, hoard treasure, go be a normal dragon for all I care. But I'm prepared to see this through to the end, with or without you"

"No, not again" Spike whispered confidently. He wiped the tears from his eyes and stood tall from his spot. "I'm not falling for this trick again." Spike looked to Sombra, who was passively watching this exchange, and attacked the unicorn again, holding him down under his great weight.

In between rakes of his claws Spike snapped at the grey pony "I don't know how I ended up at the door in your castle, and I don't care if you're just some kind illusion. If you don't tell me how to free myself from the spell, I will take great pleasure in seeing how much pain an illusion can take."

Before he could do any damage, Spike was lifted off the unicorn by a purple glow. Twilight brought him back up on his feet and faced him one on one. "I assure you Spike, this in't an illusion, this is real life. And dark magic, Sombra, learning this spell, like it or not it's what I chose to do. And now you have to choose Spike, stay by side and be the friend who will support me, or turn your back on the one pony who is trying keep our loved ones alive."

Recomposing himself after the attack, Sombra stood up and addressed the two, "Perhaps, before you two begin going back and forth about me before my face again you would like my input." With their attention back to him, the king explained to the dragon, "Twilight came to me in her hour of need, begging for me to help her in her struggle. I offered to teach her dark magic and she accepted. Whatever she's does with that knowledge since then has been her prerogative."

"Don't tell me you believe what he's saying is true?" Spike asked, pointing out to him what was clearly false "He's obviously using you, trying to make you just like him"

"I don't know what to believe anymore" Twilight responded, saddened thinking now about everything she'd done.

"Well, here's what I believe," Sombra began, slowly approaching Spike as he spoke. "The young princess here was ever so close to completing her training. I was about to give her the power necessary to successfully cast the spell. When she learns the secrets to immortality perhaps then you will see the fruition of this ordeal."

Twilight looked back up to her dragon, and with tears in her eyes pleaded, "Please Spike just hear him out this one time. For me?"

"If you're sure this will be the end of it, then fine I'll see what he has to say" Spike accepted reluctantly.

Gesturing to his cave Sombra said, "I assure you, with this her training would be complete and the Princess well on her way to save her friend"

Twilight walked into the cave and Spike prepared to follow shortly behind. However before going off he lifted the king by his collar and brought him mere inched from his face. "Don't you think for a second that I'll be so easily fooled as Twilight. Once she learns this spell, this little charade of yours is all over" the dragon taunted, flaring his maw as he spoke.

Showing his own fangs in response Sombra taunted right back, "And if you truly believe you can put an end to my plans as easily as you did last time, you may just be the biggest fool of all"

Sombra's horn and eyes flared to life with dark magic as his body became a mass of black smoke which easily slipped the dragon's grasp. Spike watched with a scowl as the form made it's way into the mouth of the cave. He followed it in, just catching sight of it as it slithered under Twilight's legs and into the pitch black corner at the far end of the cave.

Spike took a place next to Twilight, standing silently on guard in anticipation of whatever their host may have in store.

From within the darkness Sombra's voice rang out through the cave. "As promised, you Twilight Sparkle will soon complete your training and learn the way to grant immortality to any and all you see fit.. With this gift you will have all the power she needs to do whatever your heart desires."

Dramatically Sombra revealed himself from the darkness, keeping whatever it is hidden behind him. With a smile he declared, "Behold your highness, The Alicorn Amulet." He held it high and proud to his guests, both of whom gazed on it with shock and fear. "This is an artifact of my own design. A pony who wears it is bestowed with power beyond imagination, allowing them to preform feats of magic far surpassing their normal capabilities"

"And turn them into an evil power crazed lunatic!" Spike stood up and approached the king, nostrils flaring with smoke as he spoke, "We've seen what this Amulet does to ponies before. One of our friends put it on and went mad with power. She ran Twilight out of town and made the rest of town her slaves!"

With one hand he picked up Sombra by his neck and hoisted him high off the ground. "I knew you were still up to no good. You may have Twilight fooled, but I see right through your game"

Suddenly doubting her trust in her teacher Twilight cried out to him "You said you wouldn't do this Sombra. You said you'd teach me what you know, no tricks."

Trying his best to keep his air of confidence, despite being held up by the throat, Sombra said to her, "You're right. I have taught you and you have learned. You have followed my lessons and learned my spell. Though you can not yet cast it, you have all the knowledge of this spell I can teach you. And now here I am willing to give up my potential power all for you to succeed. The choice is yours, walk away now, just as you could have done at any point, or cast aside your doubts and do what you need to do to save your friend."

"Enough of this!" Spike roared. "I gave you your chance to talk, and all you did was prove me right!"

With a mighty roar Spike threw the king against the wall, cracking the stone foundations. Before Sombra could get back to his feet a mighty torrent of green flame engulfed him, searing the cape off his back and charring his fur. He began to light up his horn with dark magic, but the dragon proved too fast. Spike brought his foot down hard on Sombra's neck, pinning him to the floor and blasted him with another breath of fire.

Pinned against the dragon fire, Sombra lit up his horn to ready an attack. A plume of dark magic spewed forth from his horn and catapulted the dragon across the cave. That didn't hinder the Spike however. He knew he had the advantage up close, and could tell Sombra's attack was meant to put distance between the two. Digging his claws into the stone itself, he crawled across the roof of the cave, catching Sombra, who was still picking himself up onto his hooves, off guard with the aerial attack.

"Stop it you two" Twilight called out, but the two did not hear her. Going back and forth trading magic and fire the two combatants fought fiercer than ever before, both swearing the death of the other.

"CEASE YOUR FIGHTING THIS INSTANT!" Twilight commanded in the Royal Canterlot Voice, though even that still did not break the battle between the pony and dragon. Collecting her strength, the alicorn conjured a mass of dark magic before her, and flung it between the two fighters. It separated them, and stuck them to opposite wall so the cave, unable to move. She looked back and forth between the two of them several times before scolding the both of them. "That's enough out of both of you. I won't have my two friends tearing each other apart"

"Sombra is the enemy Twilight" Spike pleaded, "Why can't you see he's just trying to turn you against me, against Equestria?"

Again at odds with her oldest friend, Twilight begged him, "Why can't you see everything he's done for me? Ever since I started coming here he's done nothing but help. Not just teaching me magic, he comforted me when I was sad, gave me hope that I had the power to save the ones I love"

Thinking everybody's nerves had calmed enough to not erupt in another fight, she let the two down on the ground. Sombra stayed down, surrounding his body with the light red glow of his healing spell, while Spike stood high, still looking like he would lunge again at any point.

Hoping to keep the peace Twilight went to her dragon and told him "I'm not about to go against Equestria Spike, I'm still Princess and I still care about what that means" She looked to the prone Sombra and said, "But at the same time I'm not just going to abandon him. Like it or not he's still my teacher and my friend"

As Spike looked Twilight up and down he had a terrible realization that brought a tear to his eye. He bent down to look her in the eye and lamented, "You know what I see? I see a pony who is willing to do anything to save her friends. And unfortunately I know that once that pony sets her mind on something there is nothing anybody can do to stop her." He stood up and began walking toward the mouth of the cave.

"Wait!" Twilight called, grabbing the dragon's attention "Where are you going?"

Turning his head around just enough to see the princess Spike said, "I don't know yet, not back to Canterlot at least. This whole dark magic and Sombra situation was bad enough as it is, but now this? It's just too much for me right now. If you're really intent on throwing away everything you've worked for, then fine go ahead. Just don't say I didn't try to stop you." With that he turned and walked out of the cave.

"Spike!" she called out, but it was too late. He was long gone and deep in her heart Twilight knew that it was he that had driven him away.

Twilight looked back to the unicorn, who stood silent during this exchange. Though she did not want to admit it to herself, she felt bad for him, to have been attacked by a dragon because of her. She offered him a hoof up to get him back up on his feet and asked "Are you okay?"

He grinned at the question and with a slight chuckle he said "Your dragon's fast, I'll give him that, but dragon fire tickles compered to being blown to smithereens. And though he seems big in front of us ponies, he is still very young. The full force of his flames did not even melt the stone around me, a simple feat for the mature of his kind."

"I turned him away. He's one of the only friends I have left in this world and I turned him away" She looked back to the king and lamented, "I can't take the Amulet. It may give me the power to save my friends, but I'd be losing everypony else in the process."

"I know you think ill of it's power, but you know you still need it if you want to be able save ponies' lives"

"But this can't be the only way. Please Sombra, tell me there's antoher way that doesn't involve me turning into something I'm not"

He thought about it for a while, considering all he knew about his student's abilities. Defeated he admitted, "Like you said Princess, Pinkie Pie does not have long. Without the Amulet you would fail to master the spell in time. Your friend will die and deep down you'll know that it was all your fault. You'll spend eternity knowing that this was your chance to save her, and you said no."

He levitated the necklace across the room and held it mid air for Twilight to see "Take it with you. Do with it what you will, but I'd rather you have it and not need it than need and not have it." He reached for Twilight's hoof and held it up bewteen the two. In a gentile touch he placed the Alicorn Amulet in her hold and said, "Just don't you forget who you're doing this for. Not me, not Celestia, not even for you, but for your friends. Don't let those you've lost have died in vain"

Twilight stood there, Amulet in hoof, frozen in its gaze. It'd be so simple, she realized, to just drop the thing, and put it all behind her. Yet at the same time she shuddered with the fear that what the former king had said was true; that without it she would be powerless to save Pinkie Pie. The culmination of her all her life, her desires and her fears weighed down on her in this moment, where she knew her choice would send her one of two ways. Either she put on the Amulet and sacrifice everything to save her friend, or she leave it and go her own way and inevitably fail.

Unless there is a third option.

The thought popped in her head, so radical in its inception she considered it further. A third option, one where I keep the Amulet, but not use it? She considered what that would mean to her. She would always live in this moment of confusion, doubt, and fear,
emotions she could use to empower herself.

With a new intensity she looked up to Sombra. She marched right up to him and looked him dead in the eye. "I am keeping this Sombra, but not to wear it, not to give in and follow you, but as a promise. A promise that I can, no I WILL find my own way. You said it yourself, not to let anypony say I am weak. Every day I'll train. Every day I'll look at this Amulet and know it means you don't think I'm good enough. I'll master this spell without your help, because I am more powerful than you can ever imagine."

She tucked the Amulet under her wing to keep and turned back to the entrance of the cave. while walking away she yelled "You told me to embrace my hate, but I'll do far more than that. I'll become more powerful, save Pinkie Pie, and then come back here and show you once and for all why you do not cross an Alicorn Princess."

Just at the opening of the cave, her form silhouetted itself against the early morning sunrise. She turned her head back one last time and declared, "You wanted to give me power Sombra? Next time we meet you will see my power"

Laughter

"Hard to believe she made it through" the doctor Gently Done said as he looked over the charts detailing Pinkie Pie's condition, while a second doctor examined the old pony, ensuring she would not get any worse for the time being.

Tourniquet, content that Pinkie's health was no longer critical, turned to tell his friend, "Well she's not great. We still don't even know what caused her heart to go frantic like like that, and she still hasn't woken up since we saved her. Still, we managed to stabilize her, and at her age that's the best we can really hope for"

"I guess. Still wish there was more to do" the first unicorn admitted in frustration.

"GD, the best thing we can do now is to let her rest" the brown unicorn told him, "Earth Ponies are tough, I've never heard of one dying from a weak heart alone"

"True. But uh, what about her Tourq?" he said, nodding to the lavender alicorn who'd been sitting silently in the corner during this exchange, Her eyes staring blankly across the room at Pinkie's motionless body.

Tourniquet pulled Gently close and whispered low to his friend, "Her Highness showed up at the hospital after Miss Pie had her scare. Didn't sign in, hasn't even said a word since she got here, just walked right into the room with her bag and sat herself down. She's taking this kind of hard, I figured it'd be best to let her be"

Unconvinced, Gently walked over to her and stood right in her thousand yard stare. With a single cough to try get her attention he said "You know Princess, it's getting fairly late. If you want we could find an empty room for you. There you'd probably be mo-"

"Saved" Twilight said, cutting off the white doctor. Without breaking her endless stare, she said grimly, "Doctors don't save anypony, they can't save anypony. All you do is buy ponies time, but there's never enough time"

More than a bit unsettled by the princess's speech Gently backed away and resided to offer, "Well I suppose I'll just let you do you Princess. Just remember that if you need anything all you have to do is ask"

With that, the two doctors left the room, leaving Twilight with her thoughts. As the day came to a close, a constant stream of medical professionals came in and out of the room to check on Pinkie Pie. At first many tried to help Twilight, but they could not get through to her, and they too learned it was best to just leave her be.

Night fell and the daytime doctors went home, and the few night doctors arrived to take their place. A new set of doctors and a new stream of ponies offering her help. She knew though that as much as they tried, there was nothing they could do to help. Twilight knew her friend was close to death, and whether these doctors were too young to understand, or too experienced to be effected, nopony would come up and tell her straight that what was happening to her friend was inevitable. That there was nothing anypony in the building who could bring Pinkie Pie back to how she was before.

Including Twilight feared, herself. Despite weeks of dedicated practice and experimentation on animals and prisoners alike, she was no closer to preforming the immortality spell than she was when she turned her back on Sombra. As much as it pained her to accept, she found the old king was right once again. By her own might, she was yet unable to successfully cast the one spell which could end both her and Pinkie's suffering.

She knew it would be so easy, to take the Amulet from her bag and use it's power to save the pony he held most dear. Every failure in her dungeon, a threat of what could be if she did not don the Amulet. Yet even now, face to face with pony she had no way to save, she could not bring herself to risk the consequences of what that would bring. Just as it was weeks ago in Sombra's cave she felt herself torn holding Pinkie Pie's fate in her hooves.

Hours passed like this, Twilight going back and forth between her decisions, before finally realizing that Pinkie would not be helped by inaction. Twilight stood up from her seat and approached her comatose friend.

"Pinkie" she muttered, using all her might to keep her composure, "I'm making you a Pinkie Promise, that what I'm about to do will make you better. That I'm not going to lose you once I cast this spell." Slowly, she preformed the hoof signs solidifying her promise to assure her friend, "That way you know that this can only end well for us, because no one ever breaks a Pinkie Promise"

She took one last long look to her bag and thought of the item inside. All the power she would need, at the cost of giving up who she is. But the princess's mind was made up. She snapped her neck back to Pinkie and blocked the doubt from her mind. Sadness, fear, pain. I feel these emotions because I might lose my friend. I embrace them because acting on them my will to save her is strongest. And from that drive I can command dark magic to bend her life into eternity.

Twilight's horn and eyes lit up with bubbling purple and pink magic, enveloping Pinkie in the same as the alicorn prepared the spell. She reached deep with her magic, isolating the frail life force that was her friend. With a dedicated command she made it shatter. With the expertise of practicing the on so many ponies before her, the fractured life instantaneously began being repaired. Arcs of magic formed across the pink pony's body as the life and death spells carefully countered each other.

Now Twilight prepared herself to enact the step dozens of trials had yet to perfect, the recursion. Around the magic harming and healing her friend, Twilight wove intricate patterns of spells, combining them, feeding them off each other, twisting them around one another until the conglomerate of magic acted nearly as one.

She momentarily released her active use of life and death to ensure her spell was properly crafted. For the first time, the recursion succeeded in holding together to conflicting forces acting on the pony's life without falling out of sync or accelerating. However her work was far from done. As she tested the security of her spell, Twilight encountered an issue she had not had the fortune to experience. The mass of magic keeping her friend alive was still dependent on Twilight's will through her active use of dark magic.

As she racked her brain trying to find what went wrong her magic wavered. Not enough to disrupt the spell, but such that it nearly sent Twilight into panic. With a level head she maintained the spell, while trying to remember anything that would help her.

Lastly, you must enchant the magic itself to preform the previous steps autonomously, forever. She heard her former teacher say, as memories of her lesson echoed in her mind.

Autonomously, is that where the issue comes from? My magic is not strong enough to force the spell to work on it's own? She reasoned, trying to keep the spell under control. With that in mind she began working on a solution to hold her work, and her friend's life together.

For at least ten minutes she sat there by her friend's side, attempting solution after solution to keep the magic intact. Many failed, ending up being little more than workarounds lessening the effects of the problem, but not solving the issue at the source. But at long last she found a method that showed promise of having the desired effect.

Twilight had isolated the ethereal stream linking the magic pouring from her horn and her friend, and managed to pass it through her recursive spell itself. With great precision she began linking the stream with the mobile magic in the spell, feeding the spell back into its own source. Doing so however only caused Twilight problems. Each second as more and more of the spell became fed off its own existence Twilight found she had to impart more and more of her own power in to keep it going.

Despite this difficulty she was not swayed. This action had made the magic begin to seep into Pinkie's body just as it happened with Sombra and his birds. Likewise as much difficulty she felt keeping the magic going, the recursive elements of the spell were working together, without Twilight's direct involvement willing them to continue, allowing her to impart her will on solely the fading connection.

As the last fringes of the recursive spell retreated into the pink pony's form, Twilight's magic gave out. In an instant her horn and eyes lost their glow leaving the princess there to stare longingly at her friend, who lay motionlessly with not a trace of dark magic to be seen.

The initial lack of movement caused Twilight to assume the worst, and she hung her head down, resting her horn against the bed, silently crying at her perceived failure. Ever so slightly though, Pinkie Pie's eyes began to open and she let out a surprised sigh. "Twi-light?" she eked out weakly.

At the sound of her friend's voice Twilight was overcome with relief. She picked herself up and saw the earth pony awake and alert, much to her own surprise. "Oh Pinkie! It worked! After all this time my spell finally worked!" Twilight cheered with relief as she picked up Pinkie in a hug.

Still getting her bearings, Pinkie said softly, "A spell? Twilight I've been under all kinds of different spells recently and nothing's made me feel like this. What's so different now?"

Setting her back down in her bed, Twilight told her, "It's a long story Pinkie, but all you need to know for now is that I was able to keep you from dying, forever."

"Oh," Pinkie sighed, "Twilight you shouldn't have"

"Oh but I did. Don't you see Pinkie, now you can live forever, just like me. Now we can go on, throwing parties, having fun, and never have to worry about losing each other"

"No, I mean you reeeeally shouldn't have." She lamented, bringing Twilight out of her joy. She explained, "My hooves, they don't feel like they're alive, they feel like they're chipping away. And it hurts Twilight, really really bad."

"What?!" Twilight screamed, "Oh no. No no no no no no no. If you're feeling pain like that it means my spell isn't holding." Twilight's horn and eyes light up faintly with dark magic as she tried to sense her spell operating within her friend. "If I don't find a way to fix this, you could die at any moment"

Pinkie's body was once again surrounded by the dark pink glow as Twilight tried desperately to remedy the situation. However, Twilight found her control over her magic clumsy, unresponsive, and most importantly weak. Her mind cried out for the magic to regain control over the spell at work on her friend's body, but she found herself much in a similar situation as her second lesson. All she could tell was Pinkie's life was falling apart faster then it was being pieced back together.

A gentile touch on the shoulder was all that was needed to snap Twilight out of her concentration. Pinkie Pie, looking deep into her friend's eyes with a smile from ear to ear, told her, "It's okay that your spell didn't work Twilight, it doesn't have to. I am happy. I am so happy"

"But you're going to die Pinkie. Even after everything I've done I'll still lose you."

"Of course I'm gonna die silly. It's okay though, if I don't die, everything I ever did my life wouldn't have made it worth living" Pinkie tried to keep her spirits high for her friend, but her fading strength started proving too much. The chipping pain in her shoulder caused her leg to fall limp off Twilight's shoulder, and back to her side.

Doing her best to hide the pain, she continued, "A looooooong long time ago I realized that life itself is the greatest joke we ponies know, and death is the punchline that makes it all worth while. Without the punchline this joke becomes meaningless, and without that joke there would be nothing else to laugh at. I know you mean well Twilight, but I could never be immortal like you are. Not knowing I could never laugh with everypony else at the great joke of life."

A tear welled up in Twilight's eye, as the scene of her last of her best friends dying before her eyes. As touching as Pinkie's words were, Twilight could not sit by any longer, knowing that this tragedy could still be prevented.

"That's very brave of you Pinkie, but I'm afraid bravery just won't cut it" she told her friend as her mind became made up about what she had to do. "I made you a Pinkie Promise that I would make things better and you would live. And I'm not about to break that promise, not when I still have the power to save you"

The Alicorn Amulet. It. Saves. Pinkie Pie. She thought as she turned to go over to her saddlebag. After all this time, it comes down to this. My choice, her life. Life or death. She opened the bag without hesitation and gazed upon the relic inside. Just as every other time she saw it, a tidal wave of conflicting emotions overtook her mind, threatening to freeze her in place as she considered them.

But for the first time none of that mattered to her. I choose life she decided with conviction, secure in the knowledge that right now her friend would certainly die without this power. She grabbed the Amulet in her hoof and began walking back to her friend. Still caught in its gaze, Twilight said aloud, "Pinkie I want you to know that what I am about to do, I'm doing for you. And no matter what happens afterwards we will be able to be together...."

But she was unable to complete her sentence. By the time she got back to her friend's side it was too late. Pinkie Pie lay motionless in her bed, eyes closed, skin becoming pale as the blood drained her veins. The pink party pony extraordinaire, last mortal bearer of the Elements of Harmony, lay in her deathbed with a smile drawn across her face.

Twilight did not know how to respond. After each of her other friends died she knew how she was effected. Rarity changed everything for her. Her death sent her spiraling down alone until she found Sombra, and hope for the future. Applejack's death was a shock, a sudden reminder that she could not afford to waste time learning the spell. Rainbow's death had nearly caused Twilight to lose confidence in herself. Made her believe that she was not capable of saving anyone. And Fluttershy, her death made Twilight question just how far she'd gone for those she loved.

Under Sombra she could find her pain, find her sadness and learn to find ways to use that to better herself. Each death became a lesson, and a step to saving the ones she loved. But now with her final friend laying before her beyond her help, and all her heartache resolved by the king, Twilight found she had nothing left in her heart to feel.

She expected tears, but none came. She expected anger at herself for holding back, but felt no flame. Thoughts of Celestia, Sombra, Spike, and so many others crossed her mind for just fleeting moment, coming and going from her mind, leaving no impact on her state. In that moment all emotions, from sorrow to hate to joy became the same in that they were nothing.

'Forever', she wanted to say, to do justice to her actions that would have saved Pinkie's life, but no words came. There were no words to be said, for none existed that could make what her eyes saw untrue. All she could do was stand there, empty and alone as time ticked away. Eventually bringing dawn with it, as well as the doctors tending to the old mare they presumed to have died peacefully in her sleep.

Pinkamena "Pinkie"
Dianne Pie
"Always the life of the party"

As the sun set over the horizon on the day of the funeral, Twilight stood over her friend's grave, long past all others had gone. Even still she did not cry. Despite her unending sadness she shed not a single tear since that painful night where she lost the last of the first true friends she ever had.

Without the pink pony, Twilight could not find meaning in any parts of her life. She saw in her future, meeting ponies, caring about them and having to watch them die, over and over again just like now. Her past all but gone now with only a few ponies still alive who knew her before she became princess. And her present, years of secret meetings, living a second life, learning forbidden magics, all amounting to nothing in the end.

As she stood there, contemplating where her life had brought her, a thought rang through her memory. Words from her former master she had long tried to ignore came full force to her conscious, a thought unable to be ignored any longer. Deep down you'll know that it was all your fault. You'll spend eternity knowing that this was your chance to save her, and you said no.

It pained her to think it, but knew in her heart it to be true. If I had just put on the Alicorn Amulet, this wouldn't have happened, you'd still be here with me. Unable to ignore that thought any longer, her mind played through that night, and all she did, and did not do bring Pinkie where she was now. This drew the princess to a horrifying conclusion. One so horrifying she could not help but admit it aloud.

"I killed you" she confessed to the headstone, as if it were the pony beneath, "I tried to save you on my own and I killed you. I knew I didn't have the power to save you, I knew I needed to use the Amulet, but I didn't listen. And now you're dead, all because I wouldn't admit I was too weak to do it on my own."

Again, Sombra's words returned to her, To let anypony, even yourself call you weak is intolerable.

"But I am though!" she shouted back at the memory. "You knew it, I knew it, and now Pinkie knows it too. All because I was either too proud or too afraid to accept that I needed this stupid Amulet" she concluded, taking it out of her bag to examine it yet again.

Caught in the thoughts of what it is and represents she found her gaze drawn to the center jewel as it reflected the world around it. As Twilight thought back on her life, she saw reflected in each of the gem's five sides, the smiling faces of her lost friends. Not old and feeble as they had become, but young and lively as they day they first met. Seeing them reminded Twilight of how simple it all seemed back then. Before she was a princess, before every day made them weaker while she persisted.

Unable to bear the memories of her past life any longer, she turned the amulet around to its back side, only to be struck by the image reflecting off the polished silver. For the first time in over fifty years Twilight took a good look at her own reflection, only to find that she did not truly recognize the pony staring back.

Her face was long and narrow, with features dwarfed by the long pointed horn spiraling out tall from her forehead. Her slender neck and legs gave her a posture only now did she realize towered over a normal pony. Most striking however was her mane. A cascade of star-like twinkles poured our from her head in an ethereal nebula which faded from purple to pink. Both her mane and tail radiated like this, flowing on their own accord, independent of the wind.

She studied this new creature trying to understand what it was looking back at her. Twilight froze as she came to the terrifying conclusion, that without even realizing it, she had become the spitting image of Princess Celestia. In her shock she dropped the Alicorn Amulet to the ground and began pacing back and forth before Pinkie's grave, experiencing emotions from joy to hatred as she tried to grasp the consequences of her newly discovered form.

"How could I have been so blind?" she asked herself, "I'm not some little unicorn anymore, I'm not even a little princess anymore. I am an Alicorn Princess, a Ruler of Equestria, just like Celestia or Luna"

Twilight gritted between her teeth in anger as she compared herself to the other princesses, "And yet, even with me wearing her own face Celestia doesn't treat me like an equal. Because no matter what I do, to her I will always be her precious little student"

Twilight turned her head slowly to look at the grave and vented to it as if it would offer some response, "I lived my whole life trying to please her, and now what do I have to show for it? Four dead friends I was left helpless to save, and you, who I refused to save thinking it would mean going against her word"

"Even as a princess I've lived in her shadow for fifty three years. Following her, loving her, fearing her, all for what? So that I could go on playing student forever? Sitting obediently by while Celestia treats me like a foal, deciding for me what I'm allowed do?" She picked the Alicorn Amulet back up of the ground and levitated it just in front of herself "Well, if that's the pony I've become following her, then maybe it's time to make my own path. I have been an all-powerful Alicorn Princess for almost my entire life, it's time I start deciding for myself what that means."

Slowly Twilight brought the amulet closer and closer to her neck, as she confirmed her actions with words, "No more fearing power, no more fearing Celestia. I have let her hold me back for the last time." And just like that she secured the Alicorn Amulet tight around her neck.

Twilight held still as waves of power coursed through her body from the amulet. Fantasies flashed before her eyes as her mind tried to comprehend the magic effecting her body. Images of mountains being uprooted, seas sucked dry, not simply the sun and moon, but whole cosmos moving in sync to her command were but the tip of the iceberg of what she was led to believe she could do. Her eyes and magic flashed back and forth between purple and red as the native and foreign magics combined, ever increasing her power.

After what seemed like an eternity of being flooded with power, the rush died down and Twilight was able to regain her composure. While her eyes returned to purple, her natural magic, still active on her horn, shone in a bright red, indicative of her new power.

The first thing she saw was her saddle bag, sitting lazily in the grass. A relic of my former life she thought, and with a bright flash of red light, vaporized it on the spot. Her gaze then fell on her friend's gravestone. The friend she was unable to save. The friend she killed.

"I'm sorry Pinkie Pie," she said coldly with her head held high, "That the Unicorn Twilight Sparkle was unable to save you. She feared Celestia far too much to take the measures necessary for you. I will not make the same mistake."

With a new appreciation for her body, Princess Twilight opened her wings up wide and took off into the sky, leaving the graveyard behind. But not before leaving a single mark on the site. Just above the ground the alicorn carved a new name into the marble plaque.

Twilight Sparkle, Unicorn

A bolt of lightning shook Sombra awake in his bed of straw. A storm raged outside his hideout, which had rolled in over the forest since he went to bed. Normally this would have meant a stream running down the length of his cave he'd have to deal with, but much to the king's surprise his home remained dry.

As he groggily looked around pondering this anomaly a second strike silhouetted a figure standing silently in the mouth of the cave. Even without the light to properly see who it was, he knew beyond a doubt the identity of his late night guest. Power radiated from within her, evaporating the rain as it came down around her, and what little light there was shined brilliantly against the center gem of her necklace.

With a devious smile Sombra rose from his bed and lit the fire pit, illuminating the cave. Gracefully he greeted his visitor, "A pleasure to see you again Princess Twilight. I see you deiced to trust in my wisdom after all. A wise decision, the Amulet looks marvelous on you"

In a puff of dark magic Twilight teleported from the mouth of the cave to within inches of the king's face. From her newly appreciated stature she looked down at the stallion and demanded, "I need to learn more about dark magic," horn and eyes still aglow with reddish pink power.

"And what, pray tell, would you like you learn?" Sombra quipped to his eager student.

"Everything"

Author's Note

In a stroke of cruel coincidence, my own grandmother passed away while I was writing this chapter. She was old, and sick. The kind of old sickness where they just don't get any better, and deep down you know it's only a matter of time. After about three months of being in the hospital like this she passed away in her sleep, giving her a peaceful end to her suffering.
Pinkie's words, "I am happy, I am so happy" were some of the last my grandmother said to her second husband in the days before her death. They really do fit both human and pony so well.
This has been eye opening to me, going through a similar thing I am putting Twilight through, and I will miss her always. For what it's worth I can try to say I'm glad this happened as it did, as it allowed me to put this personal touch in this story. Still, life goes on.

Wisdom

But if all you're going to go is hold me back, then don't bother to be with me at all.

These words rang in Spike's head for days after he heard them. All his life he feared the idea of Twilight leaving him, but always thought of it as just that, an idea. His whole life he'd found comfort in the knowledge that such thing would never happen. That no matter how bad things got he and Twilight would always have each other at their side .Not even the thought that Twilight had been twisted by King Sombra could give him solace. But as those words echoed in his mind he felt his whole view of the world crash around him. Questions of who and what he was tortured him as he struggled with the same questions that plagued him since he was young. What did it mean for him to be a dragon living with ponies,

He flew away that night, far across the western sea to new lands until his wings were too tired to go on, and then he walked further than that. In these new lands he was more than just an outsider, he was seen as a monster. The mere sight of a dragons approaching their towns and cities sent the locals into panic. He tried to convince the locals he was no threat, but time and time again he found himself barred from civilization, left to wilds where they though he belonged.

As much as this hurt the dragon emotionally, Spike found a greater problem arising from his need for food. Seen as a monster in these lands, he went hungry being forced to fend for himself. He tried to collect himself wild plants and dig his own gems from the ground, but that was never enough to sate his growing hunger.

Then one day, from the rocky outcropping he was forced to call home he spotted something on the road. A traveling jeweler, hauling his cart alone across the land. Were it not for the hunger paining inside of him, Spike would have been content let the pony pass; but this day, desperately starved of food, Spike did the one thing which seemed natural. He attacked.

Leaping down from his perch, Spike smashed the harness connecting the jeweler to his cart. Frozen in fear the pony could only stand back and watch as his livelihood was torn apart and consumed by the hungry dragon. As Spike licked his claws clean of the last few gemstones, he locked eyes with the terrified pony, and became fully aware of what he had just done. Before either of them could say a word, Spike flew off back to his perch hidden again from the world.

As ashamed as he was of that first attack, Spike convinced himself it was only a matter of survival until he knew what to do about Twilight. And so, time and time again he continued to strike at the inhabitants of these lands. He raided farms for crops and ambushed even more travelers, each time growing larger and more powerful as he gave in to his greed. In his desperation, he terrorized this land as the very beast these ponies believed him to be.

As he did many days Spike spied on the road below from his perch. Situated at the very corner of where the road bent around it, the bluff gave Spike both a full view of the road as well as a secure place to hide his hoard. From here he could see ponies coming and going between the cities, which ones would be traveling alone, which ones would be traveling with something worth taking.

He didn't really need any more gold or jewels, between the modest pile he'd amassed for himself and vegetables from nearby farms he surely had enough food to not go hungry. "One more score," he'd tell himself, "One more big haul then I can worry about Twilight."

Today, it seemed, he was in luck. Traveling toward his hideout he spotted an ornate carriage, with golden trim shining off the sunlight. A perfect target he thought, until it came closer and saw he the squad of armed guards surrounding the carriage. He though of just letting this one pass, not wanting to actually have to fight, but a devious thought crossed his mind. A carriage so well guarded must be transporting something extremely valuable. Licking his lips at the thought, he crept down the far side of the cliff and hid in the brush by the road.

He laid in wait, as the caravan moved ever closer, sizing up the guard ponies in anticipating the strike. Just as he was ready to spring his ambush the lead guard said to the others, "Keep your eyes peeled stallions, this is the area that dragon's been spotted"

Spike cursed his luck under his breath. He knew what he'd done would cause these locals some strife, but never thought they would start arming ponies specifically for him. In his anger he almost didn't hear when one of the other guards asked, "But I thought the dragon roosted in the mountains north of here?"

"No, that's the giant dragon," the captain clarifies, "This is a new one. Our reports say this one's smaller, no bigger than a hen house. On this very road the beast's attacked thirteen caravans in the past four weeks, so stay vigilant."

Talk of another dragon caught Spike's attention. He'd been so quick to assume he was alone after being rejected by ponies, the thought of looking for a dragon to talk to had never even crossed his mind. It was so obvious, now that he thought about it, he had to find this dragon right away. The only problem is he didn't really know where to look; 'the northern mountains' wasn't much to go on. He may not have know were this great dragon was, but he knew somepony who did.

The caravan was well past Spike's hiding spot by now, but it was not a problem. He wasn't looking for a fight. He stood up out of the bushes and walked onto the road. "Hey!" he called out to the guards, "You mentioned a dragon"

In an instant the four sprung to attention, huddling themselves close around the backside of the carriage, spears at the ready. As if rehearsed, the leader yelled proudly across the distance, "We've heard of your deeds dragon. Of how you stalk this road preying on unwary travelers. But no more. Today we fight back!"

From where he stood it was easy for Spike to hide a slight chuckle at the speech. As much as this speech of bravery amused him, he knew this wasn't the time to make fun of the locals. He calmed himself down and started walking casually up to the cart to talk more easily with this group. "Believe it or not sirs I'm not after your valuables this time. One of you mentioned another dragon living around here. All I want to know is exactly where I can find it." Despite his calm demeanor with each step closer the ponies' courage quickly faded to fear. Clearly the reality of facing Spike was far more than what any of them were expecting.

Swallowing what little courage was left the leader declared meekly, "You are a menace in these lands d-dragon. We will s-slay you and put an en-en-end to you here and now"

By now Spike was right up in front of them, standing eye level with the very top of the cart the ponies were backed all the way up against. Weeks of stealing from travelers had made him used to being feared, and though he didn't love it, he had to admit it was often enough to get what he wanted. So spreading his wings wide and doing his best to show off his sharp teeth as he spoke, he said to the ponies, "Listen, I just want to know where I can find this other dragon. Now we could this the easy way, where you just tell me what I want to know, I let you go on your merry way, and you get say your survived an encounter with a dragon." Unafraid of the terrified ponies before him Spike grabbed one of the spears, still held lightly in the magical grasp of it's owner, and started picking his teeth with the point.

"Or", he continued, actually finding a spare piece of lettuce in his mouth, which he left pierced on the spear, "We could do this your way. Giant fangs, razor sharp claws, breathing fire, the whole dragon fighting special"

Despite his previous brave words the leader now stood paralyzed in fear, mouth agape as he tried and failed to formulate words. Two of the others shared this moment of fear, but the last, the unicorn who's weapon Spike made a toothpick sprung to action. With a courageous shout he thrust his weapon at Spike's exposed belly.

A light ping and the steel tip bounced harmlessly off the dragon's scales, leaving him completely unfazed. What courage he'd managed to summon drained quick as the unicorn collapsed into a quivering ball on the road.

Seeing this the leader quickly positioned himself north of Spike and pointed outward as he gave directions as quick as possible, "Yes well North is that way, you want the first mountain range you hit. The dragon lives in a cave in the valley left of the second highest peak. Most of that area is wooded except an area that's burned away. That's where the cave is you can't miss it," and snapped back to his comrades' sides.

"Thank you. Your help is appreciated" Spike said with a smile, somewhat proud of how easily it was to frighten the ponies into submission. Without another word he took to the skies, flying a couple circles around the road to make his act complete then flying off. He grabbed his treasures as he passed his nest, and went north to seek the cave.

It was right there, just as the pony described it. The cave in the burned forest in the valley to the left of the second highest peak. And surely in that cave, a full grown dragon. With cautious steps he entered the mouth of the cave. It was a short walk however, for after just the first major bend the cave opened up to massive chamber. And sat neatly in the center of that chamber, a hoard of treasure piled nearly all the way to the roof of the cave. For just a moment Spike lost himself at the sight. He ran up to the very edge of the pile, mouth watering as the sight consumed him. Remembering what happened the last time he touched another dragon's hoard, Spike snapped himself out of it and began looking for the alleged dragon.

Unfortunately for Spike, it found him first. A gust of hot smokey air rushed from behind him, causing him to freeze in fear. Before he could turn around the older dragon's voiced boomed from behind "I'll give you one chance to end this peacefully young one. Drop the treasure you stole from me and walk away quietly."

Spike slowly turned around, coming face to face with the titanic crimson dragon. What struck him first was the size of it's mouth. Rows of razor sharp teeth lined each side of a mouth nearly as large as Spike's entire torso. Behind the maw which was craned down to his level, were yellow slitted eyes staring him down under bony brows. The rest of the massive body coiled around the back the treasure pile, visible only by the slightly lighter spikes going down the best's spine. As Spike mentally sized up the titan, his mind was brought back to the ponies he put in quite the same place not too long ago.

Mustering all his courage Spike stood tall and addressed his superior, "This isn't from your hoard, it's from mine. I've read it was customary for dragon guests to bring their hosts a gift as a sign of respect." He let go of his gems, letting them fall in a nice little pile by his feet, before bracing for the worst.

The red dragon lowered his massive head and inhaled deeply over the pile, "So it is" he admitted, slightly surprised and scooped it up, pouring it over his own hoard, the addition making no difference on the mountainous pile. The great dragon relaxed slightly from his aggressive posture and turned to face his guest. "My apologies young one, your act is a tradition I have not had the pleasure to practice for many decades, and never from a drake as young as yourself. Also tradition among our kind, is for the junior to first introduce themselves to the elder"

Trying his best to mimic the great dragon's grandiose manner Spike declared "I am Spike the Dragon of Equestria, my gracious host" As he spoke his introduction he became painfully aware of his diminutive stature. Among ponykind his size and age gave him a grand presence wherever he went, but now against one of his own his relative youth shone through.

Standing up fully and stretching his wings to their extent the red dragon declared, "Greetings Spike, I am Sargovax. The pleasure of our meeting is mine," he looked over his guest again curiously. Thinking for a moment then asking, "Pardon my forgetfulness but you seem familiar, have we met before?"

"Possibly. About fifty years ago, a long time ago for me anyway, I followed the great dragon migration as it went through Equestria. I bet if anything you saw me there" Spike said eagerly.

"Of course, now I remember. You were the baby who spent his time with those rowdy adolescents. Judging by your size I'd say you're a bit older than they were then. I always did think it odd for there to be a hatchling like yourself there, without the protection of your mother." As fond as reminiscing about the past was, Sargovax returned to the topic at hand. "But enough about the past, tell me, oh dragon of Equestria why you have sought me out, so far from the land you call home?"

With a deep breath Spike opened himself up the the titan. "I came for advice. All my live I was raised by ponies, brought up as one of their own since they hatched me from an egg."

"Ponies, hatching a dragon egg? Interesting, I didn't even know such a thing was possible" Sargovax pondered to himself curiously.

"But now the pony who hatched me, the one I thought I could always count on, she sent me away," Spike continued, becoming sad as he recounted his abandonment. "She said she didn't care about me anymore, that I could go be a normal dragon for all she cared" His sadness faded as he said with new conviction, "Only I know that isn't like her. She's been turned evil and I want to help her go back to being good. But I also know if I just went to the other Princesses, it'd mean betraying her trust and losing her as a friend"

Taking a moment to digest the unusual story, Sargovax said to the young one, "Your trouble is an interesting one. Most dragons do not concern themselves over the fleeting lives of ponies, thinking themselves superior to the equines and acting so. But you on the other claw were born among them, and raised not as a curiosity or threat, but as one of their own. To be told that you could just leave, no matter the context, I'd think of this as a blessing in disguise. An opportunity to go out and live the life you've never had. Unbound by their rules, their regulations. Free to do what you want, to take what you want, sparing not a thought to who is hurt to get that"

As the red dragon described that concept of freedom, Spike realized just how much it resembled what he'd been doing for the past few weeks. Instead of the enthusiasm Sargovax expressed at the idea of living outside the law, he thought of how in doing everything and anything he wanted he'd only became even more isolated.

"That's not that life I want though" he admitted, "At least I don't think so. I know at least that I don't want to be alone. I want to help Twilight, get her off this path of evil she's going down, but I also don't want to drive this wedge in between us any further. I just don't know if there's a way to do it without having to lose my friends, or turn Equestria against itself, or-"

Sargovax stopped the drake short and told him "I'm afraid there is little I can tell you of how to deal with ponies. You are likely better versed in that than I. What I do know is that you cannot hope to resolve any problems without first figuring out who you are."

Puzzled , the purple dragon asked, "How so?"

"You introduced yourself as 'The Dragon of Equestria'. Surely a title you hold proudly, but it tells me you consider yourself an outsider even in your own home. Since you were raised as a pony, treated like a pony by those around you, it's no doubt to some respect you think like a pony. And, if I may speculate, you think yourself a failure for not being that pony. What I say, is to stop trying to be a pony, and embrace the reality that you are a dragon."

Frustrated by something he'd heard far too much, the purple dragon exclaimed, "I don't know if I even know what that means though. All my life ponies keep saying to me about being a dragon, or acting like a dragon like it's supposed to feel any different. Like there was some other side to me that they know better than I do"

"Young drake, you may not be what ponies typically think of when they imagine dragons, but that hardly makes you any different from the likes of me. To be a dragon is....well...hmm....let's see," Sargovax trailed off as he pondered how best to explain such a concept. "Let's start simple," he started, "Surely you've felt the pull of greed in your life."

"Well everything I gave you was stolen from ponies around here"

"And?" Sargovax probed further.

Confused Spike repeated, "And?"

"Surely there were more times when you acted off nothing but selfish desire" explained the titan.

Thinking to the most obvious example of his greed, Spike recounted, "One time when I was still a baby I started hoarding all the random junk I could find. And when I did that I grew giant, almost as big as you are now."

"And?"

"I guess there was also that time I abused my friend's position to get ponies to do what I wanted"

"And?"

"And I have been known to use an entire town's water supply taking 7 hour bubble baths"

"And...?"

"And sometimes when no ones around I do this," Quickly grabbing the largest and shiniest golden platter he could find, Spike flexed his muscles and said shamefully to his reflection, "Looking good Spike, looking real good......"

Sargovax tried to stifle a laugh at the display, but couldn't hold back for long, erupting with laughter as he fell on his back. "See, this is why I only do it when I'm alone" Spike commented sarcastically.

"No, no, it's not that little one. Well perhaps a little" The great dragon admitted, drawing another sideways scowl from Spike. "You claim to not know what it is to be a dragon, and yet you have felt the same impulses all dragons have for as long as there have been dragons"

"But every time I did something like that I've told that I needed to control my greed. Whenever I let it go I landed myself in a big heap of trouble. I thought it would be a bad thing to just give into it like that."

"By whom, the ponies?" the red dragon joked, "For them yes the idea of letting a dragon hoard freely is a bad thing, it's no doubt they would try to keep you from doing just that. But greed in itself is nothing to fear, so long as you control it, and not the other way around. It's a part of what makes us who we are. A part of who you are" he emphasized, pointing a claw at the center of Spike's chest.

Thinking back to something Spike said before, Sargovax asked him, "You mentioned you've been stealing from the inhabitants of these lands. Now normally I'd take issue with another dragon moving in to my territory, and if you were not as civil with me we'd be meeting under quite different circumstances. What I wonder though, is how has it compared to your, ponyfull, life in Equestria?"

"At first it went against everything I knew. Taking what wasn't mine, threatening anyone who opposed me. I told myself it was just survival. After a while though it did become easier, exciting even, not having to answer to anypony, getting what i want when I want. It was like nothing I ever felt back in Equestria" he announced, becoming more excited as he went on.

"Then why do your thoughts still dwell on Equestria?" Sargovax asked.

Having to think hard about this question Spike came to the conclusion, "Because it's still my home. It might be the pony in me talking but I can't abandon it like that. I can't let Twilight go down this path of evil without putting up a fight"

"Nor should you try." Sargovax said, putting a hand on Spike's shoulder, "You are clearly not some rampaging beast Spike, but neither are you a weak pony. You are the Dragon of Equestria, don't try to deny either side of what makes you who you are. If you want to help your friend, then go do it, and don't let anybody stop you. But then next time you meet her, do not face her meekly as the pony you were raised, but as the proud dragon you are. Just remember your greed is not something to be denied. Aware of yes, in control of yes, but if there is something that you truly want, do not let the fear of the ponies you choose to live with hold you back."

"I won't" Spike said as he stood up and faced the door. "Twilight hatched me, she raised me. She taught me the difference between right and wrong, now I have to remind her of that difference"

Sargovax smiled an nodded, proud of the confidence the young dragon now displayed. "Your friend must have a good head on her shoulders for her to raise a drake as wise as you. You'd do well to stick with her"

Spike turned back to his new friend and smiled. For the first time in his life he didn't feel ashamed of his greed. He felt proud of it, proud of what it meant it was. Proud to be a dragon. And he had Sargovax to thank for it. "Goodbye Sargovax. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me," He said.

"And thank you Spike," the great dragon said back, "You give me hope that not all the drakes of your generation are such troublesome brutes. Please do return soon"

"I'll try" Spike said, and walked out the door.

Peacefully alone once more Sargovax laid down and curled up around his hoard. Pillars of smoke billowed from his nose as he began drifting off to sleep. It wasn't long though before he was wide awake when he remembered just where in the world Equestria was. He managed to avoid that awkward lapse in memory during the conversation but now he reminded himself with much relief, "Equestria, oh right that's where that terrifying yellow one lives", shuddering at the memory, "Good luck dealing with that one Spike, you'll need it"

"NO NO NO! You're still focusing on the shield!" Sombra yelled to his student, whilst holding a magical barrier across a straw dummy made to look like Celestia. "Focus on your opponent. How much you hate them, how much you want them to suffer. The magic will do the rest."

Streaks of red and pink magic burned from Twilight's eyes as she prepared to fire another round of magic at the dummy. Reeling back, she launched a dark beam from her horn, focusing it with all her might on the pony behind the shield. Despite her intensity, upon drawing close to the shield, the beam deflected downward, gouging a hole in the ground as the blast impacted.

It's still alive. thought Twilight, frustrated by another failure. For a moment, her irises gleamed red as the thoughts of failure on her part became anger at the pony the target resembled. She always comes out alive.

"Just DIE ALREADY!" she screamed, letting out a burst of reddish-pink magic at the dummy, far dwarfing what she'd displayed previously. The magical mass rushed toward the dummy, passing right through the barrier as if it were not even there. A smile drew across Twilight's face as she saw the Celestia stand in shrivel to a husk at the very first touch of her magic.

Sombra lowered the shield and with a stern face approached his apprentice. Just as Twilight reveled at seeing her former teacher form desecrated, Sombra smacked her upside the head and scolded his student, "That was sloppy. This is the fifth time we've run this drill and you still can't get it right on your first try"

"I thought that was the purpose of practice, to get better each time?" the alicorn snapped back, "It only took me four times before I broke through the shield this time, and I'd think I did it much more convincingly than I ever did before"

Sombra's horn lit up with dark magic "Your failure had nothing to do with a lack of ability, you failed because your first instinct is to use dark magic like you would regular magic. You keep trying to use magic to break through the shield, instead of directing your fury at the pony behind it. The moment you abandon passion for logic you lose what makes dark magic so powerful" Red sparks flew from master to student, making Twilight cry out as her body was wracked with pain. "In the heat of battle you don't get second chances, you don't get do overs. You either get it right the first time or show your opponent a weakness in you they can exploit"

It was not the first time since Twilight returned as his student that he'd punished her this way. Pain, he told her, would make her strong. So although what he put her through was excruciating, she knew it was his way of bringing out her potential. So out of both pride and defiance she stood tall through his assault as if to say 'do your worst'. After a while the magic stopped, sending Twilight to her knees to catch her breath after holding out for so long.

Standing tall above his panting student Sombra ordered, "Do it again. And this time do it right the first time like I know you can" His horn flared to life again, threatening another round, "Your insistence on holding on to your old ways is drawing my patience very thin."

From high above the forest a deep, yet familiar voice called out, "Don't even think about hurting one more hair on her head" The two ponies looked up to find its source to see a large purple and green dragon circling overhead. It swooped down into the clearing, landing on all fours between the ponies, posturing aggressively toward the crystal unicorn.

Despite the threat Sombra refused to back down. He held the charge in his horn, ready to let loose at a moments notice. Not backing down either Spike lurched forward, smoke billowing from his nostrils as he let out a fearsome roar, far more ferocious than in their last encounter. Noticing this stark change in his enemy Sombra dispelled his magic, intrigued by this difference since their last meeting.

With the immediate threat subsided Spike relaxed, standing back up onto his hind legs. Before he could take his eyes of Sombra, Twilight ran up and hugged him, pressing her face against his scales. Relieved to be able to see him again she cheered, "Oh Spike, I knew you'd come back, I just knew it! And you've grown so much since you've been gone," she added, noticing how where he once looked here eye to eye, the dragon now towered a full head above the end of her horn. Realizing the situation he'd found her in, she backed off a bit from the hug and asked him, "How much of me and Sombra did you see?"

For just a moment Spike the weight of everything that had happened between the two seemed to disappear, when he saw Twilight so excited to see him. Hopeful that this meant things were going back to normal he told her, "I saw you and Sombra throwing a lot of spells around. I hoped that meant you were fighting against him." His face grew long when he saw the Alicorn Amulet around her neck and the fears he had about what was really going on were confirmed. He lifted a claw and slightly lifted the amulet off her collar, saddened that he wasn't there to stop her whenever she put it on. "I didn't want to think you'd be here training with him"

He released Twilight from the hug and started pacing back and forth as he tried to find the right words. The best he could think do was ask her simply, "Why'd you do it Twilight? Why'd you just go and throw your life away like that?"

"Because I killed Pinkie Pie." she replied factually, stopping the dragon in his tracks, and leaving a lingering silence between the two. "I thought I could save her without the Amulet. I tried, and I failed. That's when I realized if everyone I've known is gone, and I didn't have the power to save them, there was nothing left of that old me worth holding on to"

"Twilight, resisting selfish desires is nothing to be ashamed of. I understand what it's like to give up your own desires for the greater good" Spike tried explaining.

Feeling insulted that the dragon even tried to guess her motives Twilight spat back, "What you think I held back because of pride, or honor? I held back out of fear. I was afraid that putting on this Amulet would mean going against Princess Celestia, and Pinkie Pie paid the price for it"

"Ever since I started learning from Sombra I was afraid of what Celestia would do when she found out. And I let that fear hold me back, even at the very end when it all mattered most. Letting fear control my decisions like that was the biggest mistake of my life, and it's one I vowed never to make again. That's why I put on the Amulet Spike, because I refused to live my life in fear. Deep down I knew that would never be possible so long as I lived under Celestia's rule. So I came here to the one pony who shared my vision"

Following that speech Sombra came forth and rest his hoof proudly on Twilight's shoulder. "Together we will be a force the likes of which Equestria has never seen. Once her training in combat is complete we will overthrow the Princesses in Canterlot and take their place as rulers of Equestria. There we will reshape the world as we see fit, and Twilight will have the position and power she has so long been denied"

"You can be a part of that world too Spike. I want you to be a part of our new world. Imagine it, not having to worry about managing your greed. You could hoard to your heart's content and let it make you the powerful dragon you were meant to be" Twilight assured her dragon, hopeful she could convince him to see her side.

"For the past month I lived like that, taking what I want, hoarding, pillaging," Spike told her, "It was incredible, but I learned that's just not who I am. I'm not just some rampaging beast, I'm your friend Twilight, and as your friend I know this isn't who you are either. You're sweet and caring,"

With a sharp change in tone he stomped up to Sombra and with one hand grabbed the unicorn by the neck. "But then he put himself in your life, and did everything in his power to make you cruel and evil."

"Spike, what are you doing?" Twilight yelled.

Spike took a roughness to his voice, a sort of half growl he'd used many times alone when he threatened his victims. "All you talk about is power and fear. If that's all you care about now then maybe it's something you'll listen to"

"I thought you said you weren't some beast"

"Your right, I'm not, I'm a dragon. And maybe I need to remind you, BOTH of you," he emphasized, tightening his grip and hoisting Sombra clean off the ground, "What dragons will do to ponies who stand in the way of what we want"

"Do it then. Kill me" Sombra commanded rashly.

"What?" asked both Twilight and Spike at the odd request.

Between gasps of air Sombra continued, "You talk a big talk Lizard, but it's meaningless unless you plan to carry it out. So why don't you just kill me now. That way you can go back to Canterlot and live happily ever after"

With a stern look, Twilight scolded the king, "Sombra, please don't make this any worse than it needs to me" before turning back to her friend, "And Spike-"

But before she could get another word in Spike raised his prisoner up to his maw and growled with a smile "My pleasure". Without further warning, a torrent of green fire escaped his mouth, engulfing the unicorn in a raging inferno. Not letting up his dragon's breath for a moment Spike slammed the fallen king to the ground and stomped hard against his body, feeling several ribs break under his weight. Licks of orange spewed from the form as the unicorn's fur began scorching off his skin.

Twilight was left speechless as Spike unleashed a side of himself she'd never thought he had. Watching helplessly, she nearly choked on the smell of burning flesh filling the air as layer after layer of her master peeled away in the intense heat.

After what was surely the longest minute of any of their lives, Spike's fire finally died down, revealing what was left of the crystal unicorn. A stallion, once so seemingly powerful and unstoppable was reduced to little more than a pile of charred flesh and exposed bones. With one final motion Spike stood upon the barren skull of the king, and crushed it with ease. Victoriously he let out a draconic roar, which echoed across the forest, leaving a veil of silence in it's wake.

As Spike caught his breath after that ferocious assault, Twilight pushed him aside to kneel down by the remains of her master. Tears welled up as she looked over what was left of his body. Behind closed eyes her irises flashed red, as the alicorn's mourning turned to anger at her best friend. She spun around to look him in the face, horn and eyes alive with dark magic, subconsciously channeling the hate into power. "How could you?" she shouted at her master's killer, "He was the only pony in Equestria I had left to care about and you killed him in cold blood"

Taken back by the aggression Spike asked, "Are you forgetting who this is? Sombra, the stallion who enslaved the Crystal Empire. Who nearly killed us all when he tried to take it over a second time. And, if I'm not mistaken, just confessed to plotting on taking over Equestria"

"He was my friend" she protested.

"You were his pawn" Spike shouted back angrily, "You've always been his pawn. Do you really think he ever cared about saving our friends? It was all a lie to get you to join him. He's evil, he made you evil and I just put him down"

Offended, Twilight took a step back to her master's body and accused, "Is that what this is all about to you, good and evil? If that's the case then you can burn me too, because guess what. I chose to join him. I came to him because I wanted his help to take down Celestia"

"That isn't you talking Twilight, it's that stupid necklace around your neck," he tried to reason with her.

"Yes, and you see this necklace" she yelled, showing off the Alicorn Amulet, "I was the one who put it on, and you know well and good it doesn't come off my neck unless I say it does. So fire away friend, because this is who I am now"

"It felt good didn't it?" a garbled voice asked from the side. The alicorn and dragon looked around to where it came from to see the burned husk of the pony standing on it's four legs, seemingly looking at Spike, though it was hard to tell with its skull still smashed to bits. As its muscles and sinews wove themselves back together, the form limped its way in slow steps toward the dragon. "To truly let loose like that. To think that all you need to get your way is the power to kill those who oppose you. To hold nothing back like you did the last time"

Limping around Twilight, the corpse's implied gaze intensified on the dragon, each word becoming clearer as the pony continued on. "You think there can be peace, and yet you are so quick to use force to try and get what you want." Skin and grey fur began replacing itself up the body nearing the head. "Despite our disagreements, it seems you and I are now quite as different as you might think" Said Sombra, with his face near fully reformed. Only the glowing red scar across his left eye refusing to heal.

Bending down to meet him face to face, Spike growled at the unicorn, "The two of us are nothing alike"

"Aren't we?" Sombra asked confidently, "It seems we both have no reservations about killing ponies who aren't going to fight back. We are creatures of rage and destruction. But most importantly we are both so very much alone"

"I have friends. I have all of Equestria to call home. You are the one with nothing"

"HA" Sombra laughed, "You're a dragon, you don't have friends. You have ponies who choose to let you live with them. Willing to put up with you until the day you stop acting civil and start stealing all their treasure. A day they all know is coming. And if you honestly believe those Princesses of yours wouldn't lock you up the minute you so much as look at a gem too long, then I was right when I said, you are the biggest fool"

"That's ridiculous, tell him Twilight" Spike said, dismissing the idea. Despite the call for confirmation the princess stayed silent. "Twilight?"

Without a tinge of regret Twilight backed up the king's claim, "He's right you know. Princess Celestia has a full contingency plan in the event of you going rouge"

All the confidence drained from Spike at the reveal, which only got worse as Twilight continued, "She also has plans for Discord relapsing, Changeling remilitarization. Heck, we even know she'd even go so far as to send her own sister to the moon. We all live under her hoof Spike, whether we like to admit it or not. Me and Sombra are just the only ones willing to do anything about it"

Pulling attention back to himself, Sombra offered a choice, "So what will it be, beast? Go back to being Equestria's pet until the Princess thinks you've grown too big for your cage, or make the world one where you can live without fearing what you are?"

Twilight went up to him and held his massive hand and between her hooves. "I do still care about you Spike. Even this new me, wearing the Alicorn Amulet, I only want what's best for you. But most of all I don't want to fight with you anymore, I want us to be friends again. But if you go back to Celestia, I know she'll make you fight against me. I don't want to have to hurt you Spike"

"I don't want to hurt you either Twilight, but how could I possibly just go against everything I've ever known like that?" he asked.

"Because we'll have each other Spike, and nopony will be able to tear us apart"

It took all his might to hold back tears as the choice of leaving Twilight was once again presented before him. He knew this time it was too late to change her mind, this was the life she'd chose. Even if one day she did come to her senses, things would never be the same between them if he left now. Though it was a hard thing to admit Spike knew he had no other choice.

In one last fit of rage he stood up tall, and let out another roar. Then he suddenly backhanded Sombra, sending him flying backward into a tree. As the king reeled from the unexpected swipe, the purple dragon bent down to his level and asked, "So how exactly would I fit into this plan of yours?"

A knowing smile ran across his face as Sombra said to his new found ally, "You're strong dragon, but still not strong enough. It's my understanding that when immature dragons hoard they grow tremendously fast to their full size. You must harness this potential you possess within you. There is a group of Diamond Dogs making their home on a ridge on the western edge of the forest. Go there, and be a dragon"

"Go there Spike, and be my dragon" Twilight added proudly.

Though still conflicted over who he was pledging his loyalty, Spike smiled at his friend, knowing all that mattered now was being with her. With the confidence granted by following his desire Spike took to the skies and head westward, focusing his mind hungrily on the riches he would soon acquire.