Shy Can See

Chapters

Discovery
Everfree Captivity
A Spark of Light Within Darkness
Stubborn
Opening Up
Explanation
The Past and Present
Making Acquaintances & Healing Friendship
Kingsitter

Discovery

Fluttershy sat idly in Rarity's boutique, waiting patiently for orders to be given. Angel bunny was seated next to Fluttershy, his eyes scanning around the room curiously. Rarity was in the middle of putting together her latest dress for Sapphire Shores.

Rarity has became a much different friend compared to only last year. This didn't apply to all of her friends, of course. Fluttershy was the only one. This was for reasons completely unknown to Fluttershy; or anypony else, for that matter. Rarity gave little to no respect towards her. However, Fluttershy payed no mind. She has had to tolerate it many times before with other ponies. Not only that, but they were both connected by the Elements of Harmony. She wouldn't dare walk away and not talk to Rarity anymore. Instead, she chose to sit and tolerate her friend, always careful not to anger her.

"Fluttershy, I need you to get me more bobby pins from the back room. Chop chop, dear!" Rarity sang in a happy, but stern tone. She did as she was told, and disappeared into the back room, her posture sluggish.

Fluttershy wasn't in one of her best moods today, considering Angel broke his left leg the day before. She had to carry him everywhere she went now, to make sure he doesn't make any attempts to hop on his injury.

Back into the living room, Fluttershy came to Rarity's side with the requested pins.

"You know, Fluttershy..." Rarity began as she levitated the pins away from her assistant, "I don't see why you feel the need to carry it around with you everywhere"

"Carry what?" Fluttershy inquired as she checked herself out.

Rarity sighed loudly, quickly annoyed with her confusion. "That!" She pointed at Angel, sitting in the corner quietly. Angel only tilted his head, seemingly unfazed.

"O-Oh..." Fluttershy mumbled softly. She felt slightly hurt that Rarity would call her poor, injured Angel an it, but she quickly pushed her negative emotions away from her mind. "Angel accidentally hurt himself while playing with the other animals. So I'm keeping extra watch over him until his leg heals up."

Rarity smirked. "How graceful of him. He's just like you!" She chuckled at her own comment, and went back to tweaking the dress she was working on. Fluttershy frowned as she walked to the corner Angel resided at. What was Rarity's problem? She seemed much more hostile than usual today.

Leaning against the wall, Angel sniffled quietly from her harsh words.

"It's okay Angel," Fluttershy cooed softly in Angel's ear, "Nothing is meant by what she's saying. You're a good little bunny. You're my little angel."

Angel smiled happily and hugged her forehooves in thanks. Fluttershy returned the gesture as Rarity watched on. It wasn't long before she commented on their displays of affection.

"Oh give me a break," Rarity took her attention entirely off of her work, focusing on them both. "Why don't you both just run off somewhere and fuck already?" It was no surprise for Rarity to be picking on Fluttershy. But on Angel, too? She continued to verbally attack. "I wouldn't be surprised if you actually have done it before. I bet you're into bestiality, aren't you, Flutter?"

Fluttershy went completely silent, and turned away from Rarity. Tears trickled down the her cheeks, and dripped off from her chin. The more she tried to fight the urge to cry, the more tears poured from her now red, puffy eyes. Her bottom lip quivered as she tried to speak. "R-Rari-"

Rarity quickly cut her off. She made her way to Fluttershy and invaded her space, causing her to backpedal up to the wall. Angel tugged on Rarity's mane, only to be carelessly shoved aside with her hooves. "Oh shut it; I already know you have nothing to say. You're just going to break out in tears like you always do. Now take your ass out of my boutique. I don't want your tears ruining my floors."

Fluttershy hastily snatched Angel up and trotted out the front door of the boutique. Her trot kicked into a brisk gallop as soon as she was outside. In an attempt to hide her face, she let her long man hang down over her face, masking her tear-filled eyes from other ponies. She galloped as fast as she could. Angel tugged on her mane in an attempt to get her to slow down, but to no avail.

Hot tears blinded her vision, causing her surrounds to look like nothing but foreign blobs of distorted shapes and colors to her. She bypassed her Cottage, and headed straight into the gloomy Everfree Forest. Angel did everything in his power to get her to turn around; from whining to poking to tugging, but Fluttershy was too upset to pay any attention to him. Why is Rarity acting this way? What could I have done to wrong her?

The foliage of the forest brushed against Fluttershy's sides as she ran. Her hooves kicked up leaves and sent them flying in her wake. Her legs ached and screamed for her to stop. She pushed on, deeper into the depths of Everfree.

Neither Fluttershy nor Angel knew where they were at this point. Nothing looked familiar. Nothing stood out from all else. The thick leaves of the trees blocked out the sun, making it even more difficult to see. Angel took hold of her mane, desperately trying to keep from falling off of her back. If he wasn't capable of getting her to turn around, all he could do was ride it out until she tired herself out.

The trees around them increased in numbers. Space grew very limited and narrow. Fluttershy bumped into the trees, scratching up her yellow coat. Her mind remained focused on recapping all the things Rarity has said to her over the past year. This only fueled her to continue her descent further into the forest.

Out of Fluttershy's blinding sadness, she caught a deafening shriek from behind her. She craned her head and blinked her tears back as she ran. She could make out Angel's horrified face, his eyes locked straight ahead. Fluttershy hastily looked back in front of her, but she was too late.

Her head suddenly tingled with a sharp pain. The agony flowed all the way down to her hind legs.

She swung her head back and opened her mouth as if to scream. No sound emitted.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Her hooves gave way from under her.

Everything faded to black.

* * *

Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes. She found herself laying on the cold forest floor, looking up at the sky above. Her body was still undergoing minor pain. A high-pitched gasp protruded her lips. She raised herself onto her hooves and scanned the ground around her. Angel was laying on his side not far from her, still knocked unconscious. Fluttershy came to his aid, looking him over for any additional injuries. Her muzzle brushed over the back of Angel's head and the nape of his neck. She nudged him gently for him to wake up. His eyes soon twitched open, to her relief.

A weary smile managed to appear on Fluttershy's tear-stained face. Her hoof reached down under Angel, scooping him up into her aching arms. She snuggled him affectionately. Angel groaned slightly, but sheepishly let her smother him.

She gently grabbed Angel by the nape of his neck with her teeth, and placed him onto her back once again. She wiped her remaining tears away with a hoof, and let her eyes wandered about, taking a good look at her new surroundings. Is this... Everfree? She stood in the middle of an open field, with densely packed trees and bushes surrounding said field. She unraveled her wings and hovered above the ground. She raised herself higher and higher to see above the dense trees.

Oof!

Fluttershy's head collided with... Nothing?

Dazed and confused, she returned back to the ground while rubbing her head in agony. Angel tilted his head in curiosity and slid off of her back. He limped to the outer edge of the field, trying not to put too much pressure on his injured leg. He reached out to the air in front of him. His paw was abruptly prevented from stretching any farther. It met with some sort of invisible barrier.

Angel returned to Fluttershy, who was still rubbing her hurt scalp. He tugged on her front hoof and guided her over to the strange barrier. Fluttershy met both of her hoofs with the force field. "What... Is this?" She pondered in awe. Concern grew from within her. She flew around the circumference of the open field with her hoof held out against the edge. No openings were met.

"No... Nono nono no... This can't be possible. How did we even get in here?!"

Fluttershy flew back down to the ground, and tried to call for help, even though she knew no one would be out here. It was useless. Her eyes watered once more, unsure of what to do. Angel sat next to her, brushing her pink mane in sympathy for her.

A pony-like shadow began to tower over her and Angel from behind. Fluttershy halted her snobs. Her eyes shrunk immensely from her and Angel's body now engulfed in the shadow. She was too afraid to turn around, as was Angel.

The unknown creature lowered its head down to Fluttershy, and breathed heavily down her neck as it growled in a low tone. Fluttershy suddenly let forth an ear-shattering scream.

She grabbed Angel and tossed him onto her back. She sprinted to the outer edge of the force field and banged on it furiously, desperate to get out. She cried and hyperventilated non-stop. Never-ending tears poured down her cheeks, soon realizing escaping was hopeless.

The creature used its magic to temporarily mute Fluttershy, and pull her back to her previous location: Right in front of it. The creature spun her around and grinned devilishly at her, making its sharp predatory teeth visible. Who Fluttershy was looking at, face-to-face, was King Sombra. His red-on-green eyes emitted a thick purple mist. He had his usual Regalia on, crown and all. She opened her mouth as if to scream, but no sound was produced. This made Sombra all the more amused. Angel hid in her bright pink mane, trembling.

"It's about time they brought me company..." Sombra smirked in fiendish amusement.

Everfree Captivity

Fluttershy sunk low to the forest floor, pleading with her large, Turquoise eyes. Sombra bared his sharp fangs within his venomous grin. His blood red horn bubbled a deep purple and sickly green. Fluttershy's eyelids draped over her eyes, and her entire body tensed up; afraid of what might become of her.

His dark magic suddenly subsided from his horn.

Fluttershy's eyes twitched open after a brief moment of silence. King Sombra waited patiently with his eyes locked coldly onto her. Her mouth opened in an attempt to speak. To her surprise, her words were audible once again "Please..." Fluttershy began, "I never intended to--"

"I am already aware." interrupted the king. A chilling, demonic undertone was present in his voice. He eased away from Fluttershy. "I'm the one who gave you passage, after all."

Out of Fluttershy's mane levitated the terrified Angel, being brought in front of Sombra against the bunny's will. Fluttershy's eyes widened. She shot up onto all fours, about to retrieve Angel from his telekinetic grasp. She hesitated, and remained still.

Sombra kept his eyes fixed on his main captive: Fluttershy. "I saw you approaching my enclosed prison," His red irises became transparent to the green underneath. Angel began choking and fidgeting. His lungs tightened more with each attempted breath.

Fluttershy watched on in horror from witnessing the event. She thought for sure that he would end up killing her pet. Sombra payed little mind to her reaction, and continued on. "It wasn't long before I've discovered how to mimic, bend and alter Celestia's spell. I may now not only have the opportunity to bring others into the prison... But to leave it as well."

"LET GO OF ANGEL!"

Fluttershy thoughtlessly leaped at the king, showing much more concern for Angel than for herself. Sombra dropped Angel, releasing him from suffering. Sombra's physical form disintegrated into amorphous black smoke, engulfing Fluttershy quicker than she could react. Despite his cruel games, she rushed to Angel's side blindly, shielding him from further harm. Echoing laughter was heard from all directions, blocking out all else. Fluttershy stood up confidently, a severely angered expression on her face. "You... You are the king of nothing..."

The ominous smoke slowly subsided as King Sombra returned to his physical form, and stood mere inches away, displaying his knife-like teeth; eyes viciously glaring at her. "Shall you dare repeat your statement!" He growled wickedly.

At this point, she would have re-considered her statement. Instead, blind rage surfaced. Fluttershy tilted her head up at him, glaring back. "You are the king of nothing."

Sombra took a few steps back, and smiled. "I may no longer be king of the Crystal Empire, but as long as you're here... I am the King of YOU."

Fluttershy's once confident posture slumped into sadness. In a way, he was right. She hung her head as she laid down and scooped up the severely injured Angel, holding him in her shaky, weak arms. No longer did she pay any attention to the potential danger in front of her.

Tears trickled down her cheek, and onto the bunny's shaggy fur. Sombra looked on in satisfaction to Angel's condition. His anger subsided, and his red irises were visible once again.

Sombra walked to the edge of the force field. His horn bubbled with his dark magic, and began to spread throughout his entire body. Out of the counter of his eye, he took a final look at Fluttershy before his mysterious departure. He took his eyes off of her and stepped through the barrier; vanishing into the thick, grim forest

It wasn't long before Fluttershy noticed King Sombra was gone. She sighed in great relieve that he left her and Angel alone. She stroked Angel's side with a forehoof. His eyelids fell and his chest heaved. Tears continued to stream down her yellow face. There was no telling if Sombra was going to come back at all. For all she knew, he could have been her and Angel's only chance to get out. Why did this have to happen to me? Why did this have to happen to Angel?

Fluttershy looked up at the sky. The sun was setting on Everfree, making way for the starry night. She looked back down on Angel's bruised neck. Someone, anyone, please help us...

* * *

The bell above the door let forth a hearty jingle as twilight trotted into Rarity's boutique with a look of concern. Rarity was currently in the middle of applying finishing touches onto her dress.

"Rarity, can I please have a moment with you to talk about Fluttershy?"

Rarity quietly scowled as her back faced Twilight, and quickly applied a fake smile as she turned around to face her. "Of course, dear! What about her?"

"I really think you need to reconsider how you treat Fluttershy. You know she's extremely sensitive, and your attitude towards her isn't making her any less so. It's all getting way out of hand between you two." Princess Twilight said.

"Listen, Twilight, you don't understand why I treat her the way I do. Plus it's not like she has a problem with it!"

"How can you say that when I saw her running out of your boutique in tears?"

There was a slight pause from Rarity as she glared at Twilight, noticeably offended. "I'll have you know that Fluttershy was just in a bad mood from Angel's injury. I had nothing to do with it, I assure you." With a flick of her tail, she turned her back on Twilight and continued on with her work.

"Now I know that's not true." The princess said as she rolled her eyes, "Can you at the very least visit her and say you're sorry?"

Rarity was now steamed. Who was Twilight to make such accusations? She jabbed her sewing needle into the dress, and turned back around to meet her eyes with Twilight. "I already told you that I had nothing to do with it! Don't you have any 'Royal Duties' to perform!"

"Actually no, I don't. Thank you for asking. If you're not going to talk to her, then I will." Twilight concluded. She walked out from the boutique, leaving Rarity to herself. Her wings extended out to full length, and she bounded herself off of the ground and into the sky, headed for Fluttershy's Cottage.

* * *

Twilight flew just overhead the Cottage, ready to land.

Various things about Fluttershy's home stuck out to her.

None of Fluttershy's animals were to be seen. No lights were on, either. The entire cottage seemed to be completely vacant. Twilight landed on the front steps of the Cottage, and knocked curiously.

No answer. As expected.

She knocked once more, becoming more and more worried with each passing second of silence. Fluttershy never goes out at night. Plus It's never even been this quiet at her Cottage. "Fluttershy...?" Twilight was now greatly concerned. She went around and looked through every single window. No Flutter, and no animals. She went as far as to search around and anywhere near the Cottage to find any animals that would know where she went.

Her efforts soon payed off. At the edge of Everfree was one of Fluttershy's Squirrels. She smiled and gently approached it, taking care not to startle it. "Uhm... Hi." Twilight said awkwardly. She's never been one to talk to animals. Fluttershy has always been the animal expert.

The Squirrel perked its ears up slightly and cocked its head to the right.

"Did you happen to see Fluttershy at all today?"

The little critter nodded.

"Really?" She beamed with happiness that she was getting closer to finding out where her friend resided. "Where did you last see her?"

The Squirrel pointed directly into the Everfree Forest. Twilight's smile shifted into a deep frown. It's not at all like Fluttershy to be in the Everfree Forest at night! Not even Twilight herself would enter at night unless it was absolutely needed.

Twilight mustered up any courage she had, and went galloping into the forest. It was almost impossible to see in front of her own hooves from the sheer darkness of the forest. Hardly any of the moon's light made its way through the thick leaves of the trees. Twilight's horn lit up with a surrounding hot pink aura, illuminating the ground around her. She had to find Fluttershy; no matter the conditions.

* * *

Almost three hours have passed since King Sombra left her alone.

Fluttershy couldn't deny the fact that she was absolutely terrified. Not only was it night time, but she was out in the open with nothing but the grassy ground. She was exposed to everything in the forest. The gloomy ambiance of the forest made her unable to fully rest. Angel laid beside her, using her long pink tail as a blanket. This gave her at least a small amount of comfort knowing that Angel wasn't as afraid as her. Even though the force field is protecting them from predators --Excluding King Sombra-- she can't help but to still feel cautious.

Out of the corner of her eye, Fluttershy spotted a figure lurking in the bushes outside the force field. It looked like the figure of a pony, but it was difficult to tell within the night. She got up and slowly walked to the fields edge for a closer look. Angel remained on the ground, only propping his head up to watch Fluttershy.

A bright light came into vision, along with an all too familiar lavender Alicorn: Princess Twilight.

"Twilight!" Fluttershy yells in excitement. Her hooves shook, overjoyed from seeing her friend. She could hardly believe it was actually her! She began banging on the wall as hard as possible, while continuously calling her name. Second after second of yelling passed, yet Fluttershy was not noticed.

As hard as she tried to get Twilight's attention, she never noticed. She yelled and hollered as loud as her acute voice would allow, but Twilight continued searching; neither seeing nor hearing her. Twilight turned her head and looked in the direction that Fluttershy was standing, but somehow she still was not noticed.

Twilight turned around, and vanished into the tightly packed trees and shrubs.

"Wait! Twilight, I'm right here!"

It was too late.

Fluttershy's hooves slowly slid off of the wall, and onto the ground. She hung her head low below her shoulders and sobbed tremendously. Angel limped towards her, and placed a sympathetic paw on her hoof.

A Spark of Light Within Darkness

The sun was approaching over the horizon, lighting up the dark night sky. The sun's arrival served little help in brightening the gloomy nature of Everfree. Birds chirped and sang in the trees, which somewhat relieved the forest of its depressing attitude.

In the midst of Everfree, Fluttershy held Angel in her arms the entire night. Her pink mane was frizzy and contained blades of grass from sleeping on the cold forest ground. A gentle sigh protruded her lips as she woke from her unsatisfying slumber. Her nose nuzzled Angel's forehead as she slowly opened her eyes. She lifted her head and brushed her messy mane away from her face. She gently took her arms away from Angel, who was still asleep. Angel's chest heaved greatly with every breath. It was most obvious to Fluttershy that he was having difficulties breathing. A blue and purple bruise could be vaguely seen from under his white fur. It seemed to cover all of his neck.

Oh Angel, I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you.

Fluttershy raised herself up onto her hooves, and stretched her legs. Her wings extended out over her head, and folded back to her sides. It didn't take long before she found that it was no longer just her and Angel in the field. She turned herself around, and her eyes quickly caught King Sombra on the other side of the prison. He sat quietly with his back facing her, looking out at the wilderness. How long had it been since he returned, and how come he's just... sitting there? Fluttershy pondered these questions as she had her sights fixed on the king. He turned his head and looked directly at her, as if he sensed her gaze. His expression remained impassive. She quickly broke eye contact, afraid of being confronted by him.

She laid back down and took another look at Angel in an attempt to ignore Sombra's presence. After what he did to the poor bunny, she was more wary of Sombra than ever.

Hoof steps were caught by her ears. She looked back behind her out of the corner of her eye to find Sombra trotting towards her. Her eyes became pinprick, and she covered her head with her hooves. Every muscle in her body tensed as she could hear him coming closer.

Please, just leave me alone.

His trot slowed to a complete stop, two feet away. "It is fairly unfortunate for your pet to be in a faint condition." King Sombra stated in an inscrutable tone, "Take heed that it has been 5 years since I've had any outlet."

"Stop acting as though you feel nothing!" Fluttershy yelled. Angel jumped up from the sudden noise, now awake with his ears perked up. There was an unnatural silence within the field. Fluttershy's voice lowered back down to her usual volume. "I know you're not that strong, Sombra..."

...

Sombra's facial expression remained. Finally, he spoke up. "My facade is not easily seen through."

None of what he was saying was making any sense to Fluttershy. All she knew was that she needed to get out of this confinement as soon as possible.

"Just let us go. I-I won't tell anypony." She stuttered.

King Sombra ignored her words and stepped over to Angel. The bunny's ears drooped down, and he shrunk lower to the ground in fear. Sombra's horn illuminated red as he leaned towards Angel. Fluttershy started to panic, assuming he'll do only the worst. She hastily got up and intercepted the king from Angel. "What do you think you're doing!" Fluttershy exclaimed as she stood in front of her pet.

Sombra moved her out of the way with his hoof as he stepped closer to the bunny. "Don't make me change my mind." He snarled. Fluttershy gulped nervously, and pushed down her urge to get the king away from Angel. She knew she couldn't fight him off.

He shifted his attention back over to his target. He closed his eyes and clenched his sharp teeth, struggling trying to perform whatever he was in the process of casting. Angel covered his eyes with his paws and tensed up, bracing himself for what is to come. With a spark of his horn, Angel's entire body appeared to give off a soft glow. The bruise around his neck began to diminish down to nothing. Angel felt a strong tingle move throughout his injured leg. The glow subsided, and Sombra's aura faded from his horn.

Angel took large breaths of air, relieved to find he can breath smoothly again. He stretched his once wounded leg to find that it was fully functional.

Sombra backed away, still clenching his teeth and snarling as he rubbed his head. Fluttershy picked up Angel and inspected him for any new injuries. "Did he hurt you at all, my little Angel?" She asked as she continued her inspection. With a smile, Angel bunny shook his head. "You're okay!" Fluttershy exclaimed as she hugged her beloved pet. She put him back down and looked at Sombra, who was in obvious pain. She cautiously took a few steps back, making sure to keep a good distance away. "Are you.. alright?"

No response was given. He began to throw a fit, growling and stamping his forehooves on the forest floor. Uncertainty washed over her. Should she dare touch him? There was no way to know how he'd react. Perhaps if she showed that she could be of use, he'd let her leave?

Fluttershy took a few steps forward, followed by a few more. Angel pulled at her hind leg in disapproval. "But... he needs help." Fluttershy whispered to Angel. He frantically shook his head. Fluttershy looked back at Sombra, and moved closer, despite Angel's opposite views of the ordeal. She slowly outstretched a hoof, ready to touch the side of his head. Before she could do so, the distraught king reared and let forth a booming roar. The ground below them felt as though an earthquake was triggered. Fluttershy gasped and fell on her haunches in surprise. Angel quickly hopped to her aid.

Everything seemed to spin through the eyes of Sombra. He sank to the ground, unable to stand any longer. He let his head carelessly fall to the floor, and shut his eyes. No longer did he make any noise. He just laid there in sudden silence.

* * *

It was nearing evening. Twilight was in her studies, contemplating what she could do.

"Where in Equestria could she be?!" Twilight exclaimed as she paced back and forth the Library. "I searched the Everfree Forest for hours!"

"I don't know, Twilight. She's only been gone for a day. It's not that big of a deal." Spike said.

"Not that big of a deal?! Spike, not even Fluttershy's animals are at her Cottage!"

"Have you tried talking to Zecora? Maybe she knows where Fluttershy is."

Twilight gasped, and stopped in her tracks. A grin spread across her face. "You're a genius!" She praised as she hugged the little dragon. "I swear, you never cease to amaze me."

Spike smiled proudly, "I know. I never cease to amaze myself."

Now with a new plan, Twilight cantered out of her home and flew into the Everfree Forest.

If I'm going to find Fluttershy, I can't afford to waste any time.

Soon she hovered over Zecora's hut. Twilight landed on the front step, and knocked on the door. The door creaked open, revealing Zecora. "Twilight, good day! May I ask why you're visiting my hut today?"

"Hi Zecora. Have you seen Fluttershy at all today, or yesterday?"

Zecora shook her head. "Fluttershy I have not seen. How come you're asking me?"

"It seems she and all of her animals disappeared from her Cottage yesterday. I've yet to find her..."

Zecora gasped slightly. "How shocking that must have been to see! If this helps to the slightest degree... I've noticed an unusual black smoke moving throughout Everfree."

Twilight's eyes dilated from this new piece of information. "I'm truly sorry, but I need to cut my visit short. I need to find Fluttershy!"

Twilight trotted away from the door without a 'goodbye', and unraveled her wings. As she took off, she heard one last thing from the zebra.

"Beware, my dear Twilight! This grim unknown wanders at the dead of night!"

Twilight landed over at Rarity's boutique. She banged on the door aggressively, showing great anger. At the doorstep she waited, but there was no answer. Twilight sighed and impatiently teleported herself into the boutique using her magic. She found Rarity laying in her bedroom, reading.

"Twilight! How dare you enter my house without my permission! I hope you know you could have just came back later and--"

"Rarity, I could care less about your privacy right now. I'm going to find Fluttershy tonight, and YOU'RE coming with me."

"... She's not at home?" Rarity muttered nervously.

"No, she's not."

Rarity merely stared at Twilight, unsure of what to say. She opened her mouth as if she was ready to say something, but quickly shut it.

"We don't have all night, Rarity!"

Rarity's ears folded down. She gulped, and took her eyes off of Twilight. Her focus was instead back onto her book.

"Oh, so that's how you're going to be?"

* * *

"UNHAND ME, TWILIGHT!" Rarity screamed as she was being levitated out of her home. Twilight left the boutique trashed from trying to get Rarity to comply.

Twilight galloped down the street with Rarity still levitating by her side. "If you just did as I said, I wouldn't have to be using my magic on you right now!"

"Alright, alright! I'll follow along. Just let me go, Twilight. Please?"

Twilight's gallop slowed down to a trot. She sighed and put Rarity back to the ground. "If I catch you bailing, expect me to carry you." She warned.

An hour passed before both ponies made it to the forest. Due to Rarity's inability to fly, Twilight had to remain on the ground. The sun was now almost completely below the horizon. Twilight smiled and turned to her companion. "It's time to get to searching."

* * *

Fluttershy was laying all the way on the other side of the field, watching over the unconscious King Sombra from a distance. Most of all, she was contemplating about why he was the way that he was. Everypony had a past, and that included Sombra. She quickly grew interested about him after what he said.

Angel crept forward and stood just inches away from Sombra. He looked him over quizzically. Angel must have been just as curious as Fluttershy as to why he acted up to such a high degree.

A low-pitched groan startled Angel, and caused him to hop towards Fluttershy. King Sombra rubbed his head and raised himself upright. Fluttershy gave a soft smile, but didn't bother approaching him, as much as she felt the need to. "What happened?" She asked quietly.

Sombra stretched each of his legs, and adjusted to his regal posture. "It has been awhile." He said, showing a hint of weariness beneath his gruff voice, "I suppose I've forgotten just how pain racking it is for me to perform anything other than dark magic." Sombra approached Fluttershy. She slowly backed up until her rump met with the edge of the force field. She let her mane drape over her face, uncomfortable with the lack of space between her and the tyrant. Sombra's voice shifted to a low growl. "Don't expect me to be doing you any more favors."

With a slight whimper, Fluttershy nodded. If he truly meant what he said, there was no way she was going to get out of there.

She looked back into his exotic eyes through the curtains of pink that hung over her face. Sombra suddenly lifted a hoof and brushed her mane away from her face, causing her to flinch. He took a moment to look her over, making her undeniably nervous. His expression softened down to where it seemed he was reminiscent of something... or somepony else. "State your name." he ordered.

"It's F-Fluttershy..." she stuttered, slightly blushing.

Sombra gave off a faint, almost unnoticeable smile. He brought his hoof away from Fluttershy's face, letting her mane fall to its previous position. Without another word, he left her to herself and walked to the edge of the force field, ready to leave once more.

"Wait!" Fluttershy yelled. Sombra came to a halt before the wall, but didn't turn around to look at her. She then recoiled and covered her mouth, afraid that she angered him.

"Speak." he demanded, his back still facing her.

"Where are you going? Aren't you still hurt after what happened?"

The king stood still in silence. He exerted a low chuckle as his horn bubbled. "It's better if you wonder." A mischievous smirk was seen on his face just before he shrouded himself in his dark spell, and stepped through to the other side.

Fluttershy sighed, and propped her body up against the field's wall. "Stubborn..."

* * *

"This is absolutely foul. Why me? My mane is already getting messy just from walking through this wretched place!" Rarity whined while both her and Twilight walked through the forest

"Because you're the one who caused all of this." Twilight grumbled in response as she lit up a small chunk of the ground around them with her magic. "You know... why do you all the sudden have such a problem with Fluttershy, anyway? Ever since the Grand Galloping Gala a few years ago, you've been acting hateful towards her. It seems to get worse every Gala, now that I think about it."

Rarity stared at the ground as they continued walking. She didn't want to talk about this with anypony. Especially not Twilight. "That's none of your business, Twilight."

"Actually, it arguably is my business. Why? Because I'm out here searching for Fluttershy all because you have some sort of problem with her. I have to find her in order to keep the Elements of Harmony intact. I won't be able to do that if you're going to make her run off like this!"

Rarity pouted at Twilight. "I'm never going to perfect my dress for Sapphire Shores now..."

A faint scream was heard in the distance, sending bats flying out from the trees and into the night sky. Both ponies stopped in their tracks. "I think that sounded like Zecora!" Twilight exclaimed. She flew above tree level to try and spot Zecora's hut. It was a long way away from where they were standing. She shot back down to the ground in front of Rarity. "Now, Rarity... I need you to trust me."

Rarity looked at her, puzzled. "What are yo-- Oh my!"

Twilight swung Rarity onto her back, and ascended into the sky hastily. Rarity clung desperately onto Twilight's neck, trying to stay on her back. "Is this really necessary!" She yelled above the drowning sound of Twilight's wings.

"This is our only option. We won't make it to Zecora in time if we run there!"

Both ponies soon made it to their desired location. Twilight came to a harsh landing on front of Zecora's hut, nearly throwing Rarity onto the ground. Rarity scrambled onto her hooves, grateful that the ride came to an end. What they both looked upon was what use to be the front door of the hut. It was shred clean open with fragments of wood scattered all about the ground. They ran inside, and found Zecora backed up against a far corner. Along her legs were multiple gashes, some deeper than others. A large bruise covered almost the entire left side of her face, and an additional bruise covered around her entire neck. Blood ran down her nose, and onto the wooden floorboards. The figure looming over her: King Sombra.

Zecora's entire hut was trashed. Most of the zebra's potions were knocked off of the shelves and shattered, staining the possessions that were also knocked off. The various liquids covering the floor mixed with one another, forming unpleasant resulting colors. The walls that were once adorned with trinkets, paintings, and relics, were now layered with thick gashes and scratches with the occasional blood stain.

Rarity's mouth dropped open in shock. "How is he here?"

"KING SHADOW!" Twilight's voice boomed throughout the hut, and raddled the remaining potions on the shelves and decorations on the walls. She stood tall and confident with her wings unraveled. King Sombra twirled around and faced the princess. His nostrils flared as he growled viciously at Twilight and displayed his glistening fangs. Twilight maintained her stern expression. "Step away from Zecora, Shadow. Now."

Saliva dripped down Sombra's fangs as he spoke. "I remember you all too well, Princess. Almost as well as that damned Mi Amore Cadenza..."

"Don't think I'm afraid to kill you, Shadow! We don't know how you escaped your imprisonment, but we do know that you have Fluttershy. We want her back."

A devious grin appeared on Sombra's face. "A friend of yours, I assume? I have some unfortunate news for you, my dear princess..." The king's voice dipped lower in pitch, and became much more guttural, "You really thought you could save her? I must admit, Sparkle: You're much more sluggish than you used to be. She has already met her demise."

Rarity gasped in shock of Sombra's words. She turned away in disbelief, and forced her now dilated eyes shut.

Twilight's rage boiled over. A bright beam of light suddenly shot from her horn, and hit the king directly in his rib cage before he could even react. He grunted in exertion from the blow, and staggered to the side. Twilight's aura expanded and emitted enough light to brighten further, about to send more bolts directly at Sombra. Another shot was fired; that time aimed for his face. Sombra's reflexes kicked in, and his physical form dissipated into an amorphous black cloud. Twilight's attack went right through him, and instead hit the wall. The shadow which now filled the entire hut sped out into the protection of the grim night. Twilight raced outside and prepared to take flight after him, despite the fact that he was already nowhere to be seen. Rarity sprinted to her side before she was in the air, and grabbed her hoof. "He's gone, Twilight. There's no point."

Stubborn

Fluttershy placed her forehooves onto the invisible barrier. A dim light emitted from the force field as her hoof made contact. She exhaled heavily as she pulled herself away from the barrier. Angel stayed close by her side, keeping her company. Being isolated from the rest of Equestria has made her brooding; Even more-so when Sombra leaves. She can only imagine how being imprisoned for years takes a tole on one's mental state.

The night was quiet and dreary. All that could be heard were the Everfree trees rustling and howling with each passing gust of wind. The stars in the sky were hardly visible that night. Fluttershy propped herself back against the force field. Her mane and coat were getting more unsanitary as time passed, along with Angel's once fluffy coat.

A long sigh escaped her lips as she shifted and turned positions in an attempt to get more comfortable. "I'm sorry this happened." she frowned. Angel's ears twitched slightly from her words. He placed one of his paws on Fluttershy's foreleg and smiled at her reassuringly. She managed smiled back, even though she wasn't as optimistic. She laid her head on the grassy floor, and slowly shut her eyes. Angel soon slid under her messy pink mane to join her.

* * *

An unusual echo was produced from the force field, along with hoof steps. Fluttershy managed to wake up this time around. She opened her eyes quickly raised her head up to find King Sombra, coming through the barrier. He wasn't behaving as his usual self. He moved awkwardly with a limp, holding his left hoof over the right section of his rib cage. Not a single glance was given to Fluttershy. He plopped down on the ground as soon as he was fully inside the prison. Blood dripped down both the king's hoof and his side. His eyes were half closed, but his blank expression still remained on his face. Angel's slumber was soon interrupted as Fluttershy got up and cantered to Sombra. The bunny yawned wearily as he got up and followed her.

"What happened to you?" She murmured questionably. Now she was next to the king, eyeing at his covered injury. "Oh my Celestia, you're bleeding..."

Sombra turned his head and looked at her with his red eyes. His voice was lifeless and monotone. "It's a minor flesh wound. Leave me be." he huffed as he pressed down on his wound harder. Fluttershy wasn't convinced that it was as minor as he claimed. She gestured for the king to stand up. He folded his ears downward and growled, but slowly raised himself up without any objections. She gently moved his blood-stained hoof off of the injury. Twilight caused a considerate amount of damage from her spell. The flesh on the right side of his rib cage was completely exposed. Fluttershy gasped and looked away from the sight, as did Angel. "Apparently she was more pissed than I initially thought." Sombra mumbled to himself.

"Who do you mean, 'she?'" Fluttershy looked back at Sombra, who had placed his hoof back over his wound. "Who did this to you?"

"Your benevolent princess." Sombra sneered as he laid down once again, his back facing Fluttershy. She trotted around back in his vision, and laid in front of him.

"Which princess are you talking about...?" She croaked.

Sombra scanned Fluttershy over with his eyes, postponing answering her question. Silence shrouded both of them in the midst of night, making her feel rather uneasy. Sombra leaned in close to her. He tilted his head slightly as his eyes closed half-way. Fluttershy's heartbeat sped, but she didn't back away. She remained frozen, unsure of what to do. Sombra's lips stopped merely a couple inches away from Fluttershy's. "It's nothing of your concerns." He pulled away and chuckled.

Of course.

Fluttershy's body eased up, and she sighed. It was decided that she temporarily change the subject. She knew there was no point in trying to get Sombra to tell her. Being an annoyance towards him wouldn't bring her any closer to leaving Everfree. "Can't you use the same spell you used to heal Angel, to help heal your wound? You can't just neglect something that major." She said, nodding at his side.

King Sombra glanced at his injury, then turned his attention back to Fluttershy. "Take a moment to use your brain. What do you think would happen if I were to do that?"

Fluttershy frowned and lowered her head. "O-Oh, right..."

The wound on Sombra's side came to Fluttershy's mind, followed by an idea. She smiled at Sombra, who raised an eyebrow in response. "I guess I'm going to have to take care of it myself." She concluded.

Angel wore an expression of bewilderment as he stared at Fluttershy. For a change, the King looked just as surprised. "You care about me; a relative stranger who you know very little about." A smirk spread across his lips as he waited for her response. Fluttershy blushed once again, turning away from him.

"Uhm... I guess you can say that." She breathed.

"Well, as I've said before: It's a minor flesh wound. I don't requi--"

Fluttershy stood up and stomped her front hooves on the grassy ground, cutting Sombra off from his statement. "Stop being so stubborn! You are going to take me out of this prison right now, and I am going to patch up that wound of yours. No arguments!" Fluttershy barked as she trotted behind him, towards the edge of the prison. She then lowered the volume of her voice back to her default, but maintained her stern tone, "Now get up and let me through. We don't have all night."

Sombra scowled at Fluttershy's backtalk. He took a deep breath, and exhaled through his nose. His eyes fell back down upon his wound. Though he wouldn't openly admit, it could use some tending to."Playing the dominant role, aren't we?" Sombra snickered quietly, taking care not to let Fluttershy hear him. He slowly and stiffly rose onto his hooves, trying to make the task as painless as possible. He turned around and came to Fluttershy's side whilst charging his spell.

Opening Up

"Are you sure you wish to go through with this?" King Sombra questioned as he stood next to Fluttershy, ready to cast his spell. "You're aware that this is dark magic, correct?"

"Dark magic..." She hesitated. She considered the possibilities of what would happen as Sombra waited patiently for her response. She shivered slightly as she placed a hoof onto the force field. There was no choice but to go through. Even if she chose not to do so at this moment, she'd have to eventually. The mare's legs shook as she exhaled and looked up at him, nodding her head slowly.

"Alright. Instructions are simple: As soon as it's cast, jump through, and make sure your entire body is through the barrier. Signal when you're ready."

Angel clasped onto Fluttershy's tail and climbed up onto her back. "I'm sorry Angel, but you can't come with us. It's too dangerous out there." She admitted. Angel frowned as he hopped off of her back, and pouted at King Sombra. The stallion looked back at the white bunny with his red irises, grinning wickedly at his misfortune. "Alright Sombra... I'm ready."

Sombra's horn bubbled green and purple, and his red irises turned completely green; the same as his scleras. He intertwined his hoof with Fluttershy's, and his spell was unleashed onto the two. They were then shrouded in a dark mist. Fluttershy wheezed and groaned in pain. The mist was obstructing her from properly breathing, and was invading her lungs. Sombra tightened his grip on the Pegasus as he jumped through; Pulling her along with him to the other side. Gently, he lowered her to the ground to recover. She fidgeted lightly as she took in large breaths of air. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she laid there. The King sat beside her with a hoof on her shoulder. His expression was stolid as he gazed at the mare.

Her breathing soon slowed down to a reasonable pace. "I-I'm okay... I'm..." She inhaled and exhaled once more. "Okay..." The yellow pony steadily rose onto her hoofs. Sombra kept his hoof on her to help correct her balance.

"You did surprisingly well." He stated in a husky tone of voice. Fluttershy smiles as she begins to blush. Sombra lightly smiles back at her. It's certainly rare for him to give the mare compliments. But when he does, she blushes every time. "So, where exactly are you planning on going?"

"I need to get to my Cottage. I have Peroxide and Gauze there to treat your injury." She said as she flew above the trees to see which direction her Cottage resided. She soon flew back down to the ground, and motioned for Sombra to follow her. They both moved at an inconsistent walk, due to the fact that it was difficult to see. Every now and again she'd take quick glances at Sombra. His head was raised high, and he walked gracefully; Despite his wound. He always appeared so serious."You know," The Pegasus began, "You don't have to walk like that. I know royalty has to keep up physical appearance, but the only pony here is me." Fluttershy smiled.

The King shrugged, acknowledging her statement. He gave no response.

"Oh come on now, don't be so solemn around me. At least give me a smile, a laugh, something!" She demanded.

King Sombra stopped walking, causing Fluttershy to stop also. "Alright, then. Make me laugh." He ordered with a smirk on his face. He walked up close to the pony, and waited. Fluttershy put her hoof over her lips, thinking of a joke that he may like.

"Oh! I've got one. What's the Strategy of choice in Pony conflicts? Flanking Maneuvers." She grinned, hoping to get a laugh.

Fluttershy only received a chuckle from the dark unicorn. "Valiant effort," He proposed, "However, It's going to take a little more than that."

They both continued walking once more. "I know of others... But I'm afraid you're going to be offended by them. They're about you."

He raised an eyebrow at what she said. He quickly became curious as to what the joke was. "Do tell. I'd like to know what they say about me." He grinned.

"Well, if you say so." She took a deep breath. "It is said that no matter how many stories to a building there is, Sombra will always take the stairs."

Sombra's first reaction was a smile. That smile developed into a snicker, then a laugh, then into a full howl. The way he laughed was nefarious, and sent a shiver down her spine. Nonetheless, she laughed right along with him, happy that she managed to get him to temporarily break out of his disposition.

"What's the difference between an earth pony and a unicorn?" Sombra asked as he tried to quiet his laughter.

"What?"

"One is more horny than the other!" Both ponies burst out laughing once more. Fluttershy blushed when he wrapped his hoof around her as they walked.

Fluttershy continued cracking jokes. "What happened when Sombra bought one of Chrysalis' clones for a servant?"

"He got Changeling for a dollar!"

The two continued on with their guffaws. The trees rustled from the large amounts of commotion. They playfully pushed each other around as they walked, as if they were old friends. Eventually the roughhousing and laughter subsided. "You know, Shy, that's the most I've laughed in... I don't know how many years..."

The yellow mare's face glowed with happiness from hearing him say that, and for addressing her by one of her most common nicknames: Shy. "Do you really mean that, Sombra?" Fluttershy asked softly.

Sombra's voice shifted into a soft-spoken tone. "I'm being most sincere." He confirmed with a smile.

Fluttershy's Cottage could now be vaguely seen. The mare picked up her pace, as did her following companion. They were both now at the very edge of the Everfree Forest; her Cottage in plain sight. Sombra carefully scanned the open grassy field in front of them, making sure nopony was around. "I'll need to conceal myself. Just in case."

"How are you going to-"

Before she could finish her question, Sombra's physical pony form blackened and melted down with her shadow. Her eyes widened; Impressed with the technique. She trotted forward and across the bridge to her home. She opened the wooden front door and walked inside, closing it behind her. The King emerged from Fluttershy's shadow, back to his regular form. It's almost 2:00am now that they're inside. "Just wait here while I go get the supplies" She instructed as she walked across the hallway and into the bathroom.

He laid on the couch, stretching his limbs and taking his cape off to inspect his wound. A small amount of blood is still dripping. Fluttershy soon comes back with a large gauze, bandages, hydrogen peroxide, and a towel. She sits on the floor right in front of the couch, setting the all of the materials down except for the peroxide. Sombra gazes at her as she unscrews the cap to the peroxide. "Please try to remain still while I pour this. It's going to be painful..." She admitted, hovering the bottle over his wound. He gives a silent nod.

Slowly, she tilts the bottle. The peroxide is poured onto Sombra's flesh wound. He clenches his teeth in pain and his muscles tense up. Fluttershy lets the chemical sit on his injury as it fizzes up. "Almost finished." She smiles. Lightly, she dabs the affected area with the towel, and grabs the bandages. "Get off of the couch for a moment, please?"

Sombra grumbles as he forces himself off the couch. She maneuvers the bandages around his rib cage. Once finished, she steps back and eyes at her work. "I think you're fine for now." She concludes as the king lazily lays back down on the couch. "I'm gonna go take a shower. I'm going back to Everfree to get Angel as soon as I'm done."

The Pegasus walks across the hallway to the bathroom once again, shutting the door behind her. "I should probably tell her about Twilight..." He said to himself as he poked at the bandages.

----------

Fluttershy stepped out of the shower, drying herself off. She looked at her mane in the mirror, making sure it's completely free of anything foreign. Bags formed under her large eyes from sleep deprivation. Soon she left the bathroom and was ready to go get Angel. She walked into the living room to find Sombra levitating various paintings and decorations towards him, looking at them curiously. As soon as he saw the mare, the placed everything he was levitating back to their previous spots in the room.

"Come on, let's go get Angel. If you're ready, that is." Fluttershy said.

The king shook his head. "Not just yet. Come here for a moment. There's something I need to inform you on."

The still-damp pony trotted over, and sat in front of Sombra.

"I'm just going to make this short. I came across one of your princesses the other night. Princess Twilight Sparkle..." He began. Fluttershy leaned in as soon as he said her friend's name. "She demanded that I unhand you, but I lied to her."

A look of concern was now on the mare's face. "What did you say?"

"I told her you were no longer alive..." he mumbled. Fluttershy now appeared confused.

"But why..?"

"I just..." He trailed off, trying to find the correct words. He let out a long, drawn out sigh. "It's not important" The unicorn finally said. "However, I know that it won't be long before Celestia comes knocking on my domain. If Twilight knows of my escape, then so will Celestia, I bet."

The yellow mare turned away with a frown. She thought for a moment, then turned back to Sombra with tears in her eyes. "They all may think low of you... But I think you have a chance at proving otherwise." Fluttershy smiled softly.

Explanation

Twilight and Rarity were still in Zecora's now severely damaged hut. Rarity was placing potions and decorations back to their appropriate locations while Twilight tended to the zebra's cuts. The alicorn's horn glowed as Zecora's injuries were looked over and repaired. "Please, my friends..." Zecora uttered, short of breath. "You must report to Celestia before next daylight ends."

"And leave you here all by yourself? It's too dangerous for you to be out in Everfree alone. What if he comes back?" Twilight asks, concerned for her friend's safety.

"She makes a valid point, dear." Rarity agrees.

"It's alright, princess; I'll be fine. It's highly important that you inform Celestia while there's still time."

The princess contemplated for a moment about her suggestion. She soon turned to Rarity, "Stay here with Zecora and help her clean up. I'll return to the library." She instructed to the white unicorn. No one knew for sure what Sombra would do now that he's free; But most of them feared the worst. Twilight stepped outside and took flight. King Sombra's crude words replayed in her head: I've already killed her. "He was just trying to deceive me.." the mare thought as she flew. Tears began trickling down her cheeks, becoming unsure. "... Right?"

The soft light of the moon fell onto Twilight's purple coat as she was now out of the Everfree Forest. In the distance, she saw Fluttershy's Cottage below her to the right as she glided through the open sky. This time, however, the lights were on. She wiped away her tears quickly. Suspicion overcame her as she changed her direction to the lit Cottage. With a few soft beats of her wings just before landing, she smoothly drifts right above the beige path leading up to the house. Her hooves make contact with the ground once she's a couple feet away from the front door.

Instead of knocking like before, she wastes no time and peeks through the side window.. Nopony was to be seen. The observant alicorn notices a light blood stain on Fluttershy's green living room couch. With no hesitation, her horn illuminates hot pink, and quickly spreads throughout the rest of her body. She walks forward, disappearing into the wall, and emerging through the other side. Her aura fades once she is completely inside Fluttershy's living room. Her eyes are fixed on the couch as she trots over to it. Slowly, she places a hoof on the blood stain. It's still slightly damp.

She twirls back around, her eyes shooting about the living room, sensing that somepony may still be here. With heightened caution, moves across the hallway, and into the bathroom. She opens the shower curtain to find that water resides. I hope it was Fluttershy that was here. Twilight thought to herself.

"Twilight?"

Startled, she gasps and spins around, facing the doorway. There stood Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy!" She beamed in joy as she ran over to the Pegasus, giving her a hug. "I can hardly believe it's you!" Twilight began thoroughly inspecting her friend from head to hoof, and from tip of her muzzle to flank.

"Uhm... Twilight, what are yo-"

"What did he do to you? Where did he hurt you?!" She demanded as she continued on with her physical inspection.

"Sombra? He didn't hurt me or anything."

Twi stopped and gave her friend a quizzical look. "Then what's with the blood on your couch?"

"Oh. Uh..." Fluttershy trailed off on her words, and turned away from Twilight. She scratched her head as her eyes wandered. Eventually, she continued on with what she was going to say. "Okay. Twilight, please don't be mad-"

"Who in the hell's blood is that?!" The now wide-eyed alicorn blurted.

"It's Sombra's blood. Not mine."

"Sombra... Was in your home... But he didn't hurt you at all?" Twilight now began to ask all sorts of questions. "Where were you the whole time? What has he been saying to you? Why-"

Fluttershy silently raised her hoof and smiled, quieting her friend down. "I'll explain everything. Don't worry." She motions for Twilight to follow her upstairs, and into her bedroom. Both ponies lay down on the bed, facing each other.

"Me and Angel ended up in Sombra's prison in the Everfree Forest, and..."

"Wait.." Twilight interrupted. "His cell is in the forest?"

Fluttershy nodded. "You didn't know? I thought Celestia would've told you."

"All she told me was that she imprisoned him. She didn't say anything about where he was imprisoned at."

The Pegasus looked genuinely surprised. "I thought she did, since you're so close with her and all. But anyway... He cast a spell on me and Angel bunny that allowed us to pass through the barrier. His prison is invisible, so I couldn't even see that I was approaching his cell. Once I was inside, I couldn't leave. At first it seemed he did have intentions to harm me, even though he ended up not doing so. However he did hurt Angel..."

Twilight put her hoof over her mouth as she gasped. "Is Angel okay? Where is he?"

"He's okay now." Fluttershy smiled. "And he's still in the force field. But Sombra volunteered to go back and get him."

"Sombra hurt your pet, and now you're leaving him alone with Angel?!"

"You don't understand, Twilight. The only reason Angel is all better is because Sombra healed him using regular magic. For some reason, he was willing to go through a large amount of pain just to heal him..."

Twilight looked away from her in thought. She looked out of the bedroom window. The sun was approaching over the horizon. Fluttershy continued, "He told me he eventually found out how to leave, using a spell. He left his prison last night... And he came back soon after with a large flesh wound on his rib cage. He finally let me leave the force field, and he came with me back to my Cottage, which explains the blood stains. I cleaned his wound and bandaged it-"

"You did WHAT?!" Twilight barked, causing Fluttershy to flinch. "Would you like to know HOW he ended up with that wound?!"

"All he said was that you were the cause of it.."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "There's a lot more to it than that. Me and Rarity went into Everfree to look for you, when we heard Zecora screaming. We went to her hut to find Sombra trapping her in the corner with cuts and bruises all over her body. Then he lied and said you were dead! That wound was for good reason!"

Fluttershy lowered her head from hearing about him hurting Zecora. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked back up at her friend. " He can be reformed, Twilight. I know he can."

"Bullshit..." The scowling alicorn mumbled under her breath. "He's a tyrant, and he always will be."

"Twilight... think about it: How come he didn't fight back after you hurt him?"

"There are multiple possibilities as to why, Fluttershy."

"Wait... Twilight, you haven't told Celestia yet, have you?"

"No, I haven't. That's what I was just about to do before I noticed the lights in your Cottage were on."

Fluttershy beamed, knowing Celestia isn't aware yet. "PLEASE don't let Celestia know. She'll probably banish him to a place much worse than his current prison!"

"So?!" Twilight replied. " Princess Celestia would be in her right mind for doing so!"

"Please just give him a chance. I promise I'll keep close watch of him at all times. If he purposely hurts a single living thing... You can tell her."

Her alicorn friend thinks for a moment, then sighs. "I really don't know, Fluttershy." She speaks up. "I really need some time to think about all this..."

Faint hoofsteps were heard , and they got progressively louder with each step. Sombra soon appeared in the doorway with Angel right behind him.

"Angel!" Fluttershy exclaimed in joy as she held her arms open. Angel hopped on the bed and into her arms happily. Twilight threw King Sombra a face of slight disgust. He only smirked as a response. She turned back to Fluttershy. "I'll need to talk about this with the other girls." Twilight said as she got off of the bed. She gave the king a cold glare. "As for you... I'd advise you return to Everfree and stay in your confinement until the decision is made."

Sombra gave a slight nod, and watched as Twilight went downstairs, leaving him be. Once he was sure the princess was out of the Cottage, he shifted his attention to Fluttershy.

"How much did she tell you?" He questioned.

The mare finished snuggling her beloved pet, and looked up at the king. "Everything." She replied simply.

"Shit..."

The Past and Present

"How come you never told me about the entire incident? Why were you even in Zecora's hut in the first place?!" Fluttershy exclaimed, startling Angel.

Sombra maintained his emotionless expression as Fluttershy spoke. His tone turned cold and bitter. "It seems you have forgotten. I've been encased in the ice of the arctic north for 1,000 years. Once I managed to escape, I planned to take back what Cadence has STOLEN FROM ME!" Fluttershy flinched slightly as his roar felt as though it shook the entire Cottage. He dropped his voice back down in volume. "I was so close... All until Celestia and Luna stopped me. This you already know; for I saw you there at the moment of my capture." He paused and let forth a sigh. "Instead of granting me a swift demise... It seemed the princesses reached an impasse. To compensate, they banished me to the Everfree Forest for the rest of eternity. However, I was highly underestimated. They truly believed I could be contained in that simple force field forever; when it took me only 5 years to figure out how to enter and leave it at my leisure."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say my desires have been bottled up for all those years that I've been 'locked away.'" The grey stallion walked around Fluttershy's bed, and towards the oval window behind her. He placed his forehooves on the windowsill, and looked out. "I had no way to fulfill my urge... Until now."

Fluttershy put Angel down and got off of the bed. She walked towards him, but stopped a couple feet away. "Sombra..." She muttered. He gave no response. She crept closer and placed a hoof on his shoulder. She could feel him shiver from being touched. "Causing harm onto others shouldn't be an outlet for you."

King Sombra brushed the mare's hoof off of his shoulder as he continued gazing out of the window; Making it clear that he wished not to be touched. The sun was almost at it's peak in the now bright, partially cloudy sky. He broke his gaze and turned his head to look at her. "You don't understand, Fluttershy. Fear and hatred is what I need to function. Without it, I'm useless."

She looked back into the king's blood red irises in a brief moment of silence. "I'm sure there are other ways to fulfill that desire without having to involve innocent ponies..."

"Perhaps." He uttered simply as he took his hooves off of the windowsill. "I need to return back to Everfree before ponies start emerging from their homes. It'll be difficult enough for me to return without being seen as-is." Sombra turned around and walked past Fluttershy without another word; Ready to depart.

"... Wait."

Sombra came to a halt at the bedroom doorway. She trotted to him as she spoke. "I promised Twilight I'd keep watch of you. I can't just leave you by yourself."

"Would you rather tag along with me and sleep on the forest floor?"

"Well, no, but..." Fluttershy trailed off on her words. The pegasus could tell Sombra wanted to be alone. However, she still pursued. "I guess you can... stay here. I mean... if you want t- I mean... Oh gosh..." Her ears went down as she partially hid her face in her pink mane.

A smile appeared on Sombra's face, displaying his fangs. He lowered his head down to Fluttershy's and brushed her mane back. "Alright... I'll stay."

This made her ears prick back up in delight. "Really?!" She exclaimed joyfully.

King Sombra chuckled at Fluttershy's reaction. "It really doesn't take much to get on your good side, does it?"

→♦Twilight's Library♦←

Twilight stood before the rest of the ponies of harmony: Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. Twilight rubbed her eyes wearily. All she wanted was to go to sleep. However, the topic she gathered everypony to her library for needed to be addressed first. "Alright girls - Let's get down to business. I've gathered you all here to talk with you about a particular king that recently escaped his prison: King Sombra."

Everypony gasped in unison. The princess quickly silenced her friends. "I want you all to remain silent while I explain everything to you. You all can voice your opinions once I'm finished."

Twilight began telling them everything Fluttershy had told her: Sombra trapping her in his cell, him hurting and healing Angel, him harming Zecora... Everything. She made no pauses in her speech; Just in case anypony tried to comment between pauses. After covering what King Sombra has done, she transitioned over to Fluttershy's wishes: Giving him a chance. "... And that's why you all are here right now. My feelings towards whether he deserves a chance is highly mixed. I'd like to hear all of your opinions."

The room was silent. The crowd of four held expressions ranging from surprise to anger. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak up. "I can't believe Fluttershy really thinks she can reform him! A chance is the very last thing he deserves." The blue pegasus folded her arms reluctantly.

Rarity nodded in agreement with the statement. "I second that notion. Twilight, you clearly saw what he did to Zecora. He could easily cause just as much harm onto some other pony right from under us, if not more!"

Applejack swiftly objected. "Ya got a point when ya say he can easily harm any pony at any time, Sugarcube, but just think for a moment: From what Twilight said, Even though King Sombra don' verbally lashed out at Fluttershy a couple times, he hasn't laid a single harmful hoof onto 'er. He don' could have invaded Ponyville by now. Ah figure the only reason he be mildly restrainin' himself is because of her."

"What Applejack said!" Pinkie Pie bounced onto her hooves as she pointed at the farm pony. "And just think about how poor Fluttershy would react if you went and told Princess Celestia! Oh she'd probably be absolutely positively devastated! She may not even talk to us anymore!!"

Twilight sighed heavily in contemplation. "I just... can't decide..."

"Rarity," Applejack began, "Ah know you 'n' Fluttershy have been goin' through some rough patches lately... But please, have at least a little faith in 'er. Same does fer you, Rainbow." Applejack trotted in front of everypony else. "Listen y'all, ah know this is a large risk ta be takin', but ah honestly think Fluttershy can pull this off." She turned to the princess and gave her a warm smile. "She needs our support..."

Both Rainbow Dash and Rarity nodded their heads in acceptance. Twilight soon did the same. "Come on girls; it's time to pay Fluttershy a visit."

Everypony headed for the door. Applejack stopped and grabbed Rarity's hoof before they were outside. The farm pony's words were soft and quiet. "Thank you..." Applejack whispered with a jovial smile across her face.

Making Acquaintances & Healing Friendship

There was a loud knock on the wooden Cottage door. Fluttershy slept on her green living room couch with Angel. A long yawn protruded her lips as she awoke. She craned her head to look at the clock. "I didn't sleep for very long..." Fluttershy muttered to herself. It was now 2 o' clock in the afternoon; 4 hours later from when she finally fell asleep. A second knock was heard. "Just a minute!" She called as she hastily got off of the couch. Angel woke up to the sound of her voice and sat up, watching his owner's actions. Despite her drowsy condition, she put on a bright smile before opening the door. On the other side she saw all five of her close friends.

"Hi Fluttershy." Twilight smiled warmly, waving a forehoof. "After some debate, we've decided that—"

"YES!" Pinkie Pie blurted in her usual bubbly voice — Interrupting Twilight. The princess only nodded confirmation instead of finishing her sentence. The yellow pegasus wasted no time to pull her Alicorn friend in for a hearty hug. "Thank you so much, girls!" Fluttershy began. "I'll try my absolute best..." She stated as she broke the hug.

"So where is Sombra, anyway?" Rainbow Dash questioned as she flew in front of everpony else except Fluttershy. The curious rainbow pony stuck her head past Fluttershy and looked around the living room. No one. She stuck her head back out and waited for a response.

"He's asleep upstairs."

Everypony gave the yellow mare a quizzical stare. "Is he sleeping... In your bed?" Rarity asked.

"Well... Yes. I couldn't let him sleep in the living room. Somepony might see him through the window. So me and Angel slept in the living room instead." Flutter turned to Twilight. "I really hope you aren't mad at me for letting him stay here..." The pegasus' ears lowered along with her head.

Twilight's mouth opened, ready to scold her friend. Then she quickly re-considered what she was going to say. "It's fine, I guess. As long as you're okay..." She changed the subject to what she brought the rest of her friends to the Cottage for. "Fluttershy, since we all agreed to give Sombra a chance... We'd like to properly meet him." Everypony else behind Twilight smiled.

"Of course!" Fluttershy beamed. "Just let me go get him. You all can come in and make yourselves comfortable if you want." She left the door wide open, and ascended upstairs to her occupied bedroom. Once she entered the room, she noticed King Sombra's grey regalia laid out in the far corner of the room. On the bed, Sombra slept exposed without any covers over him. Fluttershy crept forward to the sleeping stallion. "Uhm... Wake up? Please.. I mean if you want to....."

Her attempts were highly ineffective. She placed her left forehoof on Sombra's arm; Nudging him gently. At last the king's eyes blinked open. "My friends are here to meet you." Fluttershy smiled. Sombra raised his head off of the bed. Strands of his obsidian hair hung over his eyes from his crown being absent. He seemed reluctant as he forced himself off the bed and onto the floorboards. His eyes were half closed as he wearily followed Fluttershy downstairs, remaining silent.

All of her friends had their eyes locked directly onto Sombra as soon as he became visible. Pinkie Pie wasted no time introducing herself. She boldly trotted up to the drowsy king, displaying a bright grin on her pink face. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! But you can just call me Pinky! Or Pie, or Pink! Or you can call me —"

The coal-grey unicorn held his hoof up; Silencing the pink pony. "Charmed, really." His voice sounded fairly groggy and monotonous despite his attempts to make a decent impression.

"Applejack, your highness." The farm pony tilted her hat and smiled faintly.

A white unicorn trotted in front. "And I'm Rarity." She flipped her elegant purple mane as she eyed the king up and down.

"And don't forget the totally awesome Rainbow Dash: Best flier in Equestria!" Dash boasted confidently.

King Sombra nodded in acknowledgment. "It's a pleasure to meet all of Shy's friends," His eyelids drooped lower over his red eyes. Still, he maintained his obsequious attitude in hopes of being able to return to his slumber. He could truly care less about who everypony was at this moment in time. "But forgive me for cutting this gathering short. I need some time to myself." He turned around and headed upstairs

"Hold it, Sombra. We've only talked for so long."

With a noticeably loud grunt, he descending back down to the first floor.

"I know you're just going to go back to sleep up there. Trust me; I want to rest also, but we need to lay down some rules." Twilight motioned for Sombra to come closer. Everypony else plus Angel watched them both in silence. "First and foremost... NO harming anypony. Second —"

The annoyed stallion interrupted. "That's a bit of a no-brainer, don't you think? My IQ is no lower than yours; I guarantee you." He taunted the Alicorn. Fluttershy winced from his words; Worried he might deeply upset her friends.

Twilight scowled at his insulting comment, but continued on. "Second: Don't go out in public. You may not be in common pony history books, but there are still some who have heard of you. There's no doubt the other princesses will find out; Which leads me into my third rule: Wherever Fluttershy goes, you go, and vise-versa. Any time I see either one of you; I expect to see the other. The only exception is when Fluttershy is in public, got it?" Twilight asserted in a strict tone.

King Sombra gave a careless nod, and ascended back upstairs. "I'm pretty sure he hardly listened to anything you said..." Rainbow Dash said to the princess.

"Well now that he's upstairs," Applejack began as she walked towards Rarity, "Ah think now is a good time ta apologize at the very least."

Rarity took a deep breath and gave a soft smile as she turned to the yellow pegasus. She nervously dug at the ground with her hoof. "Fluttershy... I —"

Fluttershy stopped her early. "Oh, uhm.. It's okay, really."

Rarity's voice suddenly soared in volume. "No, it's not okay!" She stamped her forehooves onto the wooden floorboards. "I've been treating you so poorly for so long, and yet you never complained...." She stopped for a moment, and took a shaky breath. "I was only truly mad at you for a short time. You don't know just how much I wanted to turn my attitude back around. But I didn't know how..."

Her eyes were now red-rimmed and glistening. Twilight noticed this, and hastily came to her side and escorted her outside.

"Maybe right now actually isn't a good time." Dash whispered to A.J. She then turned to Fluttershy, who was now frozen in place; Tears streaming out from her puffy eyes. "You and Rarity can sort this out alone at a later time; When you're both more calm." Rainbow Dash murmured into the pegasus' ear softly.

Everypony except Fluttershy headed outside. She was now alone in her living room with....

Where's Angel?

→♦Upstairs♦←

King Sombra was now laying on his left side on the bed, fast asleep. Angel bunny hopped into the bedroom, and thumped his back foot on the floor. No response came from the king. Impatience took hold as he jumped up onto the bed, and tugged on Sombra's ear. Nothing seemed to work. Then, Angel noticed the bandaged wound. Without considering the consequences, the bunny jumped on top of his injured rib cage, and thumped his back foot. The once sleeping unicorn shot up; Causing Angel to almost stumble onto the ground.

He shot the startled bunny a purely bitter glare. Angel pointed to the doorway and hastily hopped out of the bedroom and downstairs. Despite how aggravated the king had become, he forcibly lowered his temper and complied; If it meant he could go back to sleep afterwards. Once they both made it downstairs, he pointed once again; This time to Fluttershy. She was laying on the large crimson rug in the middle of the living room, facing in the opposite direction. Sniffling was clearly audible. He hesitated; Unsure of himself. Angel gave the king a stern look.

"Fine..." Sombra muttered. He crept up to Fluttershy and laid down beside her. "Are you... Upset?" He asked rather awkwardly; Unsure of how to approach the situation.

She shrugged, "I guess I'm both happy and upset.." Fluttershy smiled as she wiped some of her tears away. She was surprised to see that Sombra cared — Even if it wasn't much.

"What happened, Shy?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be fine." Fluttershy ensured in a brittle tone. At this point, she expected Sombra leave her to herself. However, he did the complete opposite. The stallion unexpectedly placed his hoof on her back and gingerly rested his chin on her head; Careful not to cause her any discomfort. He could feel her shivering.

His voice softened immensely as he spoke, but still kept a clear hint of exhaustion. "Are you alright with this?"

Fluttershy nodded, snuggling up against his body.

Kingsitter

Fluttershy opened her eyes. There was no light in the Cottage other than the soft, dim light of the moon seeping through the windows. She craned her head behind her to find King Sombra still asleep. Both her and Sombra were laying on their sides. His stomach was up against Fluttershy's back, and one of his forehooves were draped over her waist; resting in with her body curvature. She could feel his chest heave with each breath. Her body slightly twitched, considering standing up. However, she feared the possibility of waking Sombra in the process.

She squinted her eyes to focus on the clock. It was 4 o'clock in the morning. She placed her hoof onto Sombra's and slid it off of her waist gently; Trying not to cause any disturbance in his slumber. She raised herself up onto her hooves and walked across the hallway and into the bathroom. The mare leaned over the sink as she turned the faucet on. She dipped her hooves into the warm running water and splashed her face. Fluttershy looked at her reflection in the mirror just overhead the sink. The thought of Princess Celestia finding out about the king's escape stood in her mind. She knew it'd happen eventually. However, there was no telling as to when. The slightest frown emerged. "How long is this going to last..." Fluttershy muttered to herself.

Vague tapping was heard in the living room. Fluttershy shut the water off. Her ears perked up. Cautiously, she stepped outside of the bathroom and walked across the hallway. Additional tapping was heard - This time more clearly. She soon found that the source was coming from the large window behind the couch. On the other side of the window were 4 of Fluttershy's birds. King Sombra was still sleeping; unaffected by the birds' noise.They all chirped happily from seeing her. She smiled from seeing her animals begin to return, and turned around to head out the door. Once she was outside at the back of the Cottage, they all greeted her happily with hearty chirps, and perched on her back and head. A couple of them nipped Fluttershy's ear. It was clear that they were all hungry.

With that, she trotted towards the small wooden food storage connected to her cottage, and peeked inside. Nothing was there. "Oh my," She began, "You all must have been starving without me..." The Pegasus pony frowned from the fact. One of the birds - A small wood pecker - Chirped in Fluttershy's ear.

"I know you're all hungry, but I can't go to town to get anything until later in the morning. I promise that feeding you all will be my top priority once the shops start opening up." She reassured. The birds flew off in slight frustration, and perched on the nearby trees. Fluttershy went back inside the Cottage. She noticed right away that Sombra was no longer in the living room. Various faint noises could be heard upstairs; Giving a clear indication where he was. The mare ascended upstairs to find just who she expected. King Sombra's back was turned to her, as he was in the middle of putting his regalia back on. On the bed, she noticed Angel laying on a large white pillow; Fast asleep. Sombra turned his head and gave her a solemn glance; Paying her only minimum attention.

"Why are you putting your armor back on?" She asked in a puzzled tone.

"I'm more at ease with it on than without it." Sombra replied as he brushed his jet black mane back and placed his crown atop his head. "I heard your voice outside. How come you were out there?"

"Some of my animals are starting to return. I'm going to have to go to town to get some fo-" Fluttershy stopped herself. She came to the realization that Sombra would be alone in the Cottage if she were to leave. She sighed, and started up again. "I really need to get food for my animals, but I don't think I can leave you here by yourself..." Her ears drooped down; Unsure of what to do. The conversation going on in the bedroom woke Angel. He stood up and rubbed his eyes wearily.

"Sparkle said nothing about having to watch over me in your home. Besides," Sombra smirked," I'm about as harmless as your pet bunny."

Angel's large ears twitched from hearing himself being mentioned. He listened intently on their conversation.

Fluttershy shook her head, "What if more of my animals come back, notice you, and end up running off again? What if somepony finds you?!"

"It's a day, Shy." Sombra took a few steps towards her and placed his hoof on her head. "But if you want to stay here and rot with me, that's fine." He chuckled stridently.

Fluttershy lowered her head and stared at the floorboards for a good moment. Her mind wandered to try and find a solution. She then raised her head and looked back up at the king. "Maybe I can get somepony to stay here with you while I'm away?" She flashed him a partial smile.

He raised an eyebrow at the question, and slid his hoof off of her head. "Who do you have in mind?"

"I think Rainbow Dash would be willing to do it."

The king exhaled in a hint of relief. "As long as it's not the pink one."

"Pinkie Pie?"

"Yeah, whatever."

Fluttershy cocked her head and gave a quizzical look. "You don't like Pinkie?" It was a bit of a surprise for her. Everypony likes Pinkie Pie. Even the most up-tight ponies... or so she thought.

"Her first impression certainly wasn't enjoyable. Just trust me on this, Shy. It's just something about the sound of her voice..." His blood red irises shifted to the left in contemplation; Trying to find a suitable phrase. "Let's just say, some would consider it to be the last thread on a fairly thin rope."

"Just wait, I know you're going to grow fond of her over time. I know you will." Fluttershy smiled confidently.

Sombra's expression softened as he looked at Fluttershy. His lips curled into a smile, and his eyes showed a vague hint of desire. He lowered his head down to hers. Stiffness took over her body; Unsure of how to react. Sombra spoke ever so softly into her ear, "I prefer my mares quiet, much like yourself..."

Her eyes widened, and her heart rate sped from the king's words. She smiled nervously and cleared her throat; Ready to curve the subject. "Uhm... I-I should probably go talk to D-Dash whi-ile it's still early." She stuttered as she slowly backed towards the staircase. "I'll only be gone for 30 minutes tops, okay?"

Only a nod was King Sombra's response. His smile still remained as he watched her leave the room. Once she was completely out of his vision, He looked back at the bed to find Angel staring at him with his arms crossed; his facial expression stern. The bunny shook his head gravely at Sombra's actions.

♦~Fluttershy~♦

Fluttershy was just outside the Cottage. Her wings spread open to their full span. She bounded off of the ground and into the atmosphere. The sun was already halfway over the horizon. The once deep purple sky was now a soft mixture of hot pink and orange. Her yellow coat illuminated from the sun's light as she flew. Soon she landed in the quiet town of Ponyville; Where Rainbow Dash resides most often. Her eyes were fixed up onto the clouds; Figuring she'd be sleeping on one of them. Fluttershy flew above cloud layer and scanned the seemingly fluffy condensed water vapor around her. Dash was then spotted on a small patch of cloud above Sugarcube Corner. The rainbow pony was laying on her back with her head hanging off the edge. It was clear she was fast asleep.

With no hesitation, Fluttershy flew to the sleeping Rainbow Dash and gently nudged her shoulder with her hoof. Dash groaned from being awoken, and forced her eyes open slightly; Exposing her Magenta irises. "Fluttershy?" She asked groggily. "What's up?"

"I know it's early in the morning right now, but I was wondering if you could, uhm... Watch over somepony for me?" Fluttershy smiled sheepishly.

"Can't you ask somepony else? I'm sort of in the middle of sleeping right now, as you can probably tell."

"I don't think anypony else will be up to it except for you. I believe you're tough enough to keep him to check while I'm gone."

Rainbow flashed a look of confusion. "Wait... Who are we talking about?"

"King Sombra..." Fluttershy muttered; almost inaudible to her friend's ears. The yellow Pegasus was already beginning to feel penitent for even asking Dash to watch over him.

"...... Sombra?" Rainbow Dash asked for clarification. Fluttershy nodded slowly. Silence filled the air around them. Dash stared at her friend for a good moment; Processing her request. Her lips parted as if she was going to say something, but quickly hesitated. "Hold up. Just... Give me a minute." Rainbow eventually said. Fluttershy waited patiently for a decision. Her feelings of regret increased with each passing second of silence. "... Where exactly are you planning on going, and how long will you be gone?"

"I need to go get food for my animals. I also need to talk to Rarity..." Fluttershy frowned as she spoke. "I'll be back at the Cottage once I'm done shopping. It'll probably be in the afternoon by then. After I feed my animals, I'll leave again to talk with Rarity. So you'll be watching him until dusk, maybe?"

Rainbow scratched her head. She remained highly unsure of the situation, but she didn't want to say no to her friend."Do you really trust him around other ponies..?"

"I trust him enough to know that he wouldn't purposefully hurt me or any of my friends."

The blue mare let forth a long sigh. "You trust him quite a bit, even though he's only been dormant for so long."

"Just call it a hunch, Rainbow, but I really think he's a completely different pony outside of the Arctic North..."

Rainbow was about to object her statement, until she decided to just let it go entirely. "Alright... I guess I can watch over him. I just hope your hunch is correct, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy's eyes lit up happily. "Oh thank you thank you thank you!!" She pulled Dash in for a tight hug. "I promise you Dashie, he's not that bad once you get to know him. Come on; Lets go back to the Cottage. There's still some time until shops start opening up."

A yawn escaped Dash's lips as she pulled herself up onto her hooves. With a few pumps of her wings, she rose completely off of the cloud and suddenly soared higher into the air, and flew away from Ponyville with Fluttershy following a distance back. It felt as though there was a tight knot in Fluttershy's stomach as she flew. Despite what she said to Dash, the yellow mare couldn't know for sure what he'd do while she was absent from the Cottage. Only time will tell.

♦~Fluttershy's Cottage~♦

King Sombra was sitting on the floor in Fluttershy's bedroom, flipping through an unusual green book with yellow and pink stripes across the cover. The nightstand drawers were open and their contents were on top of the stand. Sombra's ominous eyes slowly moved across each page; Clearly interested in whatever it contained. Continuous thumps from Angel's back foot were heard in the background, only to be ignored by the pre-occupied king. The vivid purple mist emitting from his irises flickered with each blink as he read. Angel grunted in frustration and smacked Sombra's forehoof with his paws. Sombra didn't budge, nor give the bunny any reaction.

The familiar sound of the front door opening was heard, followed with chatter from a familiar voice. Angel bunny shot out from the bedroom and downstairs. The king continued reading; unfazed by the commotion.

"Where is he?" Rainbow asked as she looked from left to right.

"He's probably upstairs. Let me just go get him real qui-" Fluttershy was hastily interrupted by Angel bunny rocketing downstairs and to her hooves. He tugged on her pink mane and pointed the 2nd floor; His expression showed deep concern. "What's wrong, Angel?" She asked as her eyes were fixed on where he was pointing. Angel only tugged harder. Without another word, Fluttershy cantered upstairs and to her bedroom. Rainbow Dash silently waited in the living room in simple confusion as to what was going on.

Fluttershy looked over the bedroom doorway to discover King Sombra sitting in the middle of the room with what looked like one of her books. Fluttershy's mouth dropped open slightly, and her entire face flushed red. She covered her hoof with her mouth and spoke; her voice brittle and shaky. "U-uhm... Sombr-ra... What are you r-reading...?"

King Sombra remained mute as his eyes continued moving through the paragraphs. His eyes then reached the bottom of the page, and he finally looked up. Using his magic, he levitated the book up next to him; now in full view. "A little old to be the owner of one of these, wouldn't you agree?" He asked with a smug look on his face.

"That's private, Sombra!" Fluttershy huffed in agitation. "You shouldn't be reading that!"

"You shouldn't have stashed it in such a blatantly obvious location." He lowered the book and laid it by his bandaged side. "In one of your entries, I recall you writing about Discord's reformation. It feels like only a hundred years ago he was running amok in my empire; making my royal duties all the more stressful. Time flies, it seems..."

"You know Discord? He never mentioned you in his letters..."

"Letters?"

"You alright, Fluttershy?" Rainbow dash called from the living room.

Fluttershy shook her current thoughts off and turned her head towards the doorway. "I'm okay! Just a moment!" She then turned back to Sombra and changed the subject. "Rainbow Dash is here to keep you company while I'm gone. I was hoping you'd like to come down and take the time to, you know, get to know her a little?"

"I'm not one for... talking."

"Can you at least try?" The Pegasus' lower lip deliberately quivered as she looked at the king with her large turquoise eyes. He rolled his eyes at her attempt to persuade him, but he stood up nonetheless and obediently walked out of the room. His tail flicked over Fluttershy's thigh as he bypassed her; Signaling to follow.

Rainbow Dash was now sitting on the living room couch with her eyes fixed on the staircase. Her wings shifted slightly from seeing both Fluttershy and King Sombra in her sight. Fluttershy smiled at Sombra and motioned for him to speak. He walked forward, and stopped a few feet away from Rainbow Dash. He dipped his head down slightly in a nod. Dash nervously nodded back in response.

"Rainbow Dash, I presume?"

An awkward grin formed on her face, followed with another nod. "Yep, that's me!" She chuckled. She attempted to fix her sluggish posture for a better impression. The king was noticeably indulged in her discomfort.

"So how's about you tell me a bit about yourself?" He asked with only partial interest in his tone.

"Would I?!"

Fluttershy beamed with joy to see them both communicating without issue. She trotted into the kitchen to fetch her saddle bags. She emerged back out as she threw the brown bags over her back. Rainbow was already in the middle of boasting about her flying skills. Before Fluttershy could open the front door, Angel came hopping towards her, and jumped into her saddlebags.

"You want to come with me, Angel?"

The bunny poked his head out from the bags and nodded frantically. The Pegasus smiled and stepped outside; leaving Rainbow Dash and King Sombra to themselves. Just before she shut the door, she noticed Sombra glance in her direction as Rainbow rambled on. Fluttershy couldn't quite make out his expression, but it was certainly out of the ordinary.