Arch of Shadows

Back in the real world, for the most part, Equestria continued its daily activities.

Despite Discord's desires, there was no seeing into Luna and Twilight's dream. Celestia, however, reasoned that by now they had to have progressed towards their time in the Crystal Empire, though she had no way to confirm it.

Besides, there were other concerns that grabbed at Celestia's attention, now that it was morning.

Chatter regarding the strange dreams had begun to reach conspiratorial heights within Canterlot, and Luna's affiliation with dreams in general convinced many that she may be behind them, either in an attempt to prank them or seriously ruin their beauty sleep.

Outside the castle doors, even at this early hour, gathered an assembly (they could hardly be called a mob with how formally they were arranged) demanding an answer straight from the crowns, or at least one of them.

Shining Amour, Captain of the Royal Guard and formerly a regular face around Canterlot, had also arrived on the scene from the Crystal Empire for reasons unknown to the general public.

Shining Armour's previously unannounced return to the castle, after being in the Crystal Empire for so long, had stirred even the guards' curiosities, as their old Captain returning seemed very strange.

A few days prior, Celestia had tasked Shining with investigating any potential remains of Sombra throughout the Crystal Empire, and had ordered him to report to her directly if he found anything of great interest.

Since Shining Armour was walking through the doors to Celestia's throne room in his Guard armor, she could surmrise that Shining's report was not good news.

He had in his magical grasp a brown sack, held from his person a few feet as if it were contaminated with some sort of disease. And for all Celestia knew, it could have been.

Biological attacks, or pranks as some called it, were not entirely unheard of through history, and the dragons particularly liked to bring strange diseases to Equestria during their migrations, just to see how the Equestrians handle it.

Then, once it's dealt with, they tended to “borrow” the solution for themselves and others, acquiring many gems in the process. However, if this was present in the Crystal Empire, where dragons habitual avoided traveling, then it was unlikely that dragons were behind it. Then again...

“Princess?” Shining called out, his blue man oddly disheveled despite his appearance with royalty being an expected occasion for him, “Are you alright, you seem spaced out.”

Celestia's attention was snapped back to the matter at hand. It seems she had missed Shining's greetings to Cadence and Discord.

“Welcome Prince Shining Armour. I wish I could call you in under better circumstances.”

Celestia stepped towards Shining, just a few inches from the sack that he held, a curious gaze accompanying her usual smile. “What have you got there?”

“Sombra's horn." Shining reported this with a cringe of sorts, as if speaking the pony's name would awaken some previously asleeping evil.

Discord could be heard gasping overdramatically, putting a hand to his forehead. "Oh cruel world, those monsters, they actually cut it off! The poor stallion's pride and joy, stripped from his helpless corpse and bagged like a common household food ingredient!"

"There was no corpse," Cadence refuted, "I would have noticed a body dropping from such a height."

"Discord is just being overdramatic." Celestia eyed Discord, wordlessly communicating that playtime for the two had ended.

Discord folded his arms and feigned injury, though no doubt he was plotting up a storm of puns.

The guards in the room tried their best not to look interested in the conversation, but their perked forward ears betrayed them terribly. Celestia reasoned that it would be better for further discussion to take place out of the earshot of the guards.

“This room is to be empty within ten seconds except for Cadence, Shining Armour, Discord and me."

With the resounding stomp of Celestia's hoof starting the count at three seconds, any guards and servants left the room in a mere five seconds, with the dust and after-images all gone by seven seconds.

Only the sound of breathing remained, even the air seemingly being sucked out of the room at the mention of his horn and Celestia's order.

Cadence reared back from the sack with a mortified look on her face.“What did you bring it here for? You do know that we came here for an investigation into the dreams, not the magical artifacts.”

“Well that is the thing,” Shining pointed out, using his magic to remove the horn from the bag, “On my side of the dream realm, this horn is incredibly important. I believe it may be a source of trouble for not just the future Equestrian games, but the source of trouble for what we are now experiencing.”

Cadence gasped in disbelief as Shining levitated the horn from the sack. Celestia seized the horn with her own magic, bringing it closer for inspection and scrutiny. Equestria was a strange place where strange things happened on a regular basis, but a pony acting through a mere horn?

Despite her wishes, destroying the horn now might would only make things worse, if it really was the source of their trouble. One never knew when dealing with Sombrafacts what bringing destruction on it would do.

Now liberated of the burden of carrying the Sombrafact, Shining quickly made his way up the steps to Cadence, Cadence coming down to meet him. As the two embraced each other, the horn glowed bright red, and Celestia hovered it away from the two as she rose from her throne.

“Sombra never was one to go down for long,” Celestia mused, turning the horn around absentmindedly, “If this is seriously still left of him, then perhaps we jumped the gun when we assumed that he was gone for good. Since when did something go away for good of his magnitude?”

“Well, Discord is reformed, and we haven't seen much of Chrysalis, thankfully,” Shining commented, “I don't think we have to worry about Redface the Doublecrosser unless we start believing in ghost stories.”

Cadence broke away from the hug to look Shining in the eye critically. “Uh, Shining when Sombra was last here, he practically was a ghost.”

“Right,” Shining said as he placed a hoof behind his head, rubbing at his oversight, “Well, there are always exceptions.”

“It does not make any sense,” Celestia reminisced, “Sombra should not have the power to live on through a mere horn.”

“What fun is there in making sense?” Discord commented as he appeared from Celestia's mane as an image in a thought bubble.

Celestia popped the thought bubble with her horn, sending Discord floating gently to the ground. He seemed overly smug "The only answer to that is Sombra's side of the story. Which will not make sense to a mare.”

Celestia put on a scowl, clearly not pleased by Discord's hypothesis. “I don't like what you are suggesting. Are you saying we cannot figure out this issue?”

“I am just saying that there are two sides to the rainbow,” Discord said, drawing a rainbow above Celestia's head with his hands spreading, “Same spectrum of colors, different angles to view it with.”

“If you were talking illusions, I might could follow,” Shining sheepishly admitted, “But you kind of lost me there.”

“A rainbow does not always show its whole self,” Celestia explained, “You have to look at it just right to see both ends. The whole pot of gold and midgets in green was probably a horse joke about ponies in general, since ponies will do just about everything.”

“I don't think I have ever seen a pony mount or be mounted by a griffon,” Discord mused, “But I can imagine some dragon pony matchups that might be clop worthy. Spike and Twilight maybe?”

Celestia narrowed her eyes at Discord with a slight scowl. “Discord! You know that is not what I meant!”

Discord winked, pointing out, “I know, if your dear student would have heard the suggestion she might would have fainted. I mean, since she's an alicorn now she would live to see him grow up big and strong...”

Shining placed his hooves over his ears, shaking his head gently to get some nightmare from his head. “Just, stop. I would rather be painted with the mental picture of Sombra mounting Luna than my sister and her pet dragon.”

“Oddly specific aren't we?” Discord pouted as he slithered over to Shining, putting an arm around the stallion's shoulders, “Come on, that little dressmaker isn't going to live long enough to see Spike's first mating, and the closest thing to him after all is Twilight.”

Cadence cringed at the thought, and looked towards Discord with a critical look. “He sees Twilight as a more sisterly or motherly sort of way. Even if that were half true, I think he would take his chances with a random pony off the street before trying Twilight.”

“Oh the shipping possibilites of that statement!” Discord shouted in apparent glee, spawning a piece of parchment and an ink letter. He then put on a Twilight impression and dictated to the magical pen.

“Dear Princess Celestia. Today, I learned what happens when a dragon and a stallion half his size copulate.

It does not end well for the stallion, and I think he is a little less interested in visiting the library, err, castle now. Did you also know that Discord can not just eat paper, but crap it back out too? Please do not ask how I know that.”

Despite the oddity of the entire mock report, Celestia's attention seemed to be brought on at that last bit, her expression turning from scolding to curiosity. “Is that true Discord? Do you have that ability?”

“Have you ever met a non-goat that can digest paper?” Discord retorted as he put on false reading glasses, “Then again, I am a mix of many things so I will put that as a maybe.”

“Well, anything that can digest the material would work, so maybe termites?” Shining suggested.

Cadence's face described a look of surprise and shame at the same time as she slowly brought a hoof to face. “We're getting off track, again. The horn and Sombra?”

“Boned!” Discord and Shining shout in unison, hoof-claw clapping upon realizing that they were thinking the same exact thing at the same time.

Cadence was neither amused or amazed; even Celestia seemed less than pleased, though she showed no signs of it. Cadence would not be so subtle with a face arched in bewilderment. “Come again?”

“Quick! We must see if magical mayo emits when it is rubbed!” Discord carried on dispersing the fake report and bringing forth vaseline, “Hand it over Celestia dear!”

Celestia almost handed over the horn when she realized what Discord was about to jokingly do with it. She quickly jerked it back, shaking her head at what she almost allowed herself to witness.

“What we are getting at is that all of a unicorn's most intimate memories and emotions, if magic was associated, can be brought out from their horn,” Shining explained, laughing at his wife's frustration, “If Sombra could live through his horn, then there would have to be a strong enough emotion and a spell combined that allow this to occur.”

“Finally, some progress!” Cadence wrapped her arms once again around Shining, abruptly forcing Discord to take a few steps away from the pair. “I am normally all up for playing around, but this is serious here. Who knows what horrors Twilight is being exposed to.”

Twilight seemed to murmur in response, though it was unintelligible.

The sounds of shouts were beginning to reach the throne room; Celestia perked her ears forward, for just a moment diverting her attention from the three creatures in front of her. It seemed as if a riot might be building outside; one that needed to be dealt with immediately.

Celestia did not really have time for a long, drawn out speech on how everything was being solved as they spoke. Oddly, she was not really in the mood either. There was only one quick solution that she could think of at the time.

“Discord, I need you go do some crowd control,” Celestia said with a straight face, “Disperse the group outside. We are taking a trip to the Crystal Empire.”

Shining frowned, looking somewhat distraught, though he refrained from pointing out that he had literally just arrived in Canterlot from that very destination.

Discord, on the other hand, seemed delighted at the news, and rubbed his hands with a devilish smile. “Are you sure that you want me to perform riot control duties?”

Celestia nodded. “I know if there is anyone who can disperse a crowd of 'nobles', it is the spirit of Chaos. Now go forth, and wreck havoc on their orderly protesting."

Cadence jumped when Discord shouted in triumph and glee. “It shall be done!” With a snap of his fingers, he was gone, a large poof of smoke temporarily covering the room.

Celestia could no longer hold herself back as she smiled wide, almost mischievously. Once the smoke cleared, from the room, she addressed Shining and Cadence. “Now then, we should gather any materials that we will need. Shining, take the horn...”

Celestia suddenly brandished a frown more dangerous than any sword at the realization that she no longer held the horn in her magical grasp. “Where is Sombra's horn?”

“I thought you had it." Shining frantically turned towards Cadence, who merely shrugged in response. Shouts from outside suddenly rose to a fever pitch, and all three ponies perked their ears in the general direction to listen in.

“What a most vile display of obscenity!”

“I say, didn't anyone ever tell you not to clop in public?”

“Is that... Ew ew ew ew ew!”

Yes, they separated each word in that last bit. Similar outcries along with the general sound of flooding suggested to the trio just who had managed to get the horn.

“I don't think I want to know what they are ewing about,” Cadence said with a cringe, “I would rather imagine Twilight and Spike.”

Shining gave her a look of surprise, while Celestia looked towards the doors with an angry expression. “Discoooord! Give us back that horn!”

After ordering the guards to not allow anyone into the throne room under any circumstances (other than at Luna's discretion), retrieving Sombra's horn and returned it to its sack, and leaving a note for Twilight and Luna, the trio hastily boarded the Canterlot train.

Why they would choose the train rather than a chariot would be anyone's guess, unless they took into account the weather forecast getting out of Canterlot. Chocolate milk with a side of mayo and cotton candy rained or floated in the skies above Canterlot.

Yes, a complete and utter mess that Celestia did not want to force any pegasi to fly through with two alicorns and a fully grown unicorn in tow. Celestia ordered an immediate departure from the scene, lest any of the nobles take note of their hasty get-away.

The conductor did not bother asking why, as she was not too keen on sticking around for Discord's version of fireworks. After thanking her for understanding, Celestia returned to the first class train car, ducking as she narrowly avoided ramming her horn into the ceiling.

“This, is why I don't normally ride trains." Celestia finally found a seat where her horn was not about to go through the roof, and upon seating, sighed lightly. “My horn's length can be quite the inconvience sometimes.”

“You don't have specially made cars?” Cadence inquired, her and Shining sitting together across from Celestia, “Just in case?”

“Well, no,” Celestia answered as if it were obvious why, “Why would I ride the train, even in dire circumstances when I can just fly, teleport, or get a chariot ride nigh everywhere?”

“Well, you are riding it now,” Shining pointed out, “That has to say something.”

“Call it a wild beverage in my mane.” Celestia, in disgust, touched at her ever flowing mane.“I really wish you two would not have made that strange connection back there, no matter how much closer it gets us to our goal.”

Shining observed Celestia's mane with some scrutiny. “It is still flowing like there is a wind blowing.”

“That doesn't make this milk and mayo any less gross,” Cadence points out, feeling her own mane with a hoof, “Why didn't we just get you to use your bubble shield?”

“Because you two were too busy chasing Discord in the strange rain,” Shining answered with a pony shrug, “If it weren't for Celestia ordering him to hand over the horn while her own horn was a blazing yellow lamp, I don't think you two would have ever caught him.”

“Those were not exactly optimal flight conditions,” Cadence shot with a glare to match, “And besides, he's a slick guy, he kept slipping through our hooves.”

“Dear authors of that insanity,” Celestia murmured while attempting to smooth out some of the offending substance, “Whoever thought to give such powers to a male draconequis must have lost their mind.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Shining challenged, eyeing Cadence as if she had stated it, “You two don't think males are just as competent as females?”

“No, it is not that at all,” Cadence replied, “It is just that a feminine touch makes most things go better.”

Celestia eyed Cadence with knowing look. “Well, live longer and you will reconsider that statement. There is a reason you send an army of stallions and mares to war and not just an army of mares or just an army of stallions.”

“Comic relief?” Cadence playfully hoof cuffed Shining on the shoulder at the suggestion.

“No,” Celestia corrected, “Sanity. Being surrounded by mares all day every day is my vision of Tartarus. Every intake has to have some balance.”

“The balance of a mounted mare and a teetering stallion,” Shining silently muttered, earning a much harder hoofcuff from his wife, who by now was blushing profusely.

Cadence was giggling at Shining's dirty joke, blushing slightly even as she pecked him on the cheek while he rubbed the back of his head again.

“Oh Shining, if I could figure out how that mind of yours worked, I would have been the alicorn of of the mind instead of the heart,” Cadence said with narrowed eyes, “Celestia, do you mind giving us some privacy?”

This sudden shift in intentions would have caught Celestia off guard a few years ago, but by this point, she had gotten accustomed to Cadence and Shining randomly deciding the best time to get intimate.

Considering how long it would take them to get to the Crystal Empire, there really was no reason why they couldn't have a little private time on the way there.

They actually wanted some private time, alone, despite being covered in chocolate milk and mayo. Celestia would have pondered that detail, but dismissed asking simply because she had heard, and seen stranger things. Maybe it was a turn on of sorts for the two.

“Have at it. Take all the time in the world. Just don't get too noisy. I think I will take this time to think.” Celestia rose from her seat and cautiously walked towards the next train in line, not too eager to delay their coming together.

Shortly after leaving the train car, Celestia pondered the relationship seen before her. Was it working? It seemed so, though they both seemed slightly out of character.

Maybe it was the environment; the two of them were not used to having to deal with Discord, and frankly, she didn't want them to have to get used to it.

Nonetheless, Discord making a connection with Shining was disturbing if not somewhat alarming, as she knew as well as anyone that Discord was not entirely as reformed as he sometimes claimed to be. He could still be just as dangerous and lethal as he had been back in the day.

And she just left him alone to keep Canterlot busy while she goes off to the Crystal Empire.

In hindsight, maybe that was not such a good idea. Celestia bit her lip gently as she pondered flying out of the windows and returning immediately without delay.

Then she considered one point; if Discord were up to no good, she alone would not be able to stop him anyways, and even bringing Twilight and Luna would do no good.

They would need the Elements of Harmony; if Discord had gotten enough of that malice back to not remain daftly arrogant, then there would be no way that he would let them gather the Elements against him. No, she just needed to actually trust him for once.

Celestia shivered at the thought. Trust Discord? With Canterlot, Luna, and Twilight?

Nope, she was seriously losing it if she was even considering that. After memorizing the train car that she was in, Celestia teleported herself in a yellow flash, re-appearing promptly in her throne room. Luna and Twilight remained slumbering, clearly undisturbed.

Celestia's curiosity nagged at her; just what kinds of things were Twilight being exposed to?

There were many times when she and Luna had been apart from each other back in those days; even now, the two hardly just sat down and enjoyed each other's company.

What kind of experiences did Luna have that she did not tell her? Celestia chuckled to herself, figuring that Luna would either open up about them sooner rather than later, or Twilight would tell her.

Celestia then swiftly face hooved, though brought her hoof down after making contact, a thin red welp having formed on her face, “Ow.”

The point of the gesture was not to do it fast and hard, and that was precisely what the alicorn did. She really was losing it, but what could be the cause?

Sleep deprivation could not have been the cause; she had stayed up nearly 24/7 for a thousand years and hardly showed too many negative signs of it.

But then again, she got pushed back by Chrysalis, entrusted Nightmare Moon's restoration to the new Elements without much of a backup plan, and, among other things, didn't keep Discord in the dark about returning the Elements to the Tree of Harmony.

Maybe that sleep deprivation was affecting her in subtle ways that were only being intensified by stressful situations.

“I hope they aren't too involved,” Celestia said with a yawn, all the thinking about sleeping making her drowsy, “I had best get Cadence if I am about to drift off again so soon...”

With a swoon, the princess of the day nearly dropped to the floor before she once again thought up the area that she had left. With a single yellow flash, she once again returned to that train car.

A distinct odor told her that her brief absence suggested to the duo that that particular car, that she had wandered into earlier, was a fine place for their activities, as if they had not watched her walk right into that train car..

Perhaps more to her relief than anything else's, the two were merely very close to each other, getting into position when the flash of light told them that Celestia had arrived.

Obviously seeing Shining and Cadence like this was not what she had planned, but knowing somepony, they would swear that she had planned this. Conspiracy theorists were always trying to make her out as omnipresent.

Such was the life of being in the right place at the right time, almost every time. “Princess Celestia!” Shining commented with a surprise, “That was quick.”

“I was just getting ready to nod anyways,” Cadence joked as she gently tapped Shining with her wings as a signal for him to get off.

Reluctantly, Shining began dismounting when Celestia ordered, “No, you are two are going to proceed. I have stayed awake for much longer than this before, not to mention I just slept a little while ago.”

They needed hardly any second bidding, and as Celestia left them this time, she wondered when she should tell Cadence how physically futile it was to try to get comfortable for romping in a train car.

It just was not going to happen, standing, laying down, there was just not a comfortable way to go about it.

After all these years, she could safely say that none of her subjects had ever succeeded; but those two were resourceful, Celestia mused. Maybe they would find a way to make it a pleasant experience.

A brief shake in the train brought a thump and an outburst from the other car. “Damn shaking!”

Celestia giggled, guessing that Shining had lost his balance. The alicorn, despite having just gotten her rest, couldn't help but start to drift back to sleep again as she went back to her seat in the first car.

She eyed the sack with Sombra's horn in it, wondering if there truly could have been any harm in leaving it alone for a small while.

Another yawn, and the alicorn began drifting back to her memories, or to sleep. They were kind of meshing together, so she had a hard time telling which was which.

Just before clocking out, she strode into a nearby seating booth, checked the surroundings for obscene amounts of filth, and once satisfied, rested her head on the large train car window.

She did not plan on sleeping for long, but for the time she spent sleeping, she wanted to at least be easily awakened if trouble began rocking the train for whatever reason.

Leaving the capital last had been quite the chore. Not only were their subjects constantly fighting the lingering windigoes, but they were also dealing with an unexpected, combined force assault from griffons, dragons, and various other creatures.

Those still loyal to the Empire were vastly outnumbered, though Celestia had tried her best to even out the numbers.

Even as she dressed Sombra's wounds, she could not help but wonder how things would have been different had the Republic still been in power.

Interrupted from her thoughts was a raspy voice, an irritated one at that. "Can you please stop that knocking?"

Sombra's crystal chamber was very plain, with his large, cushion bed being the most stand-out object in the entire living space.

It bore a large, very rounded cushion stuffed in a rectangular crystal cabin bed; needless to say, when stretched out, the stallion took up every inch of the bed.

A persistent knocking at the door once again disturbed the peace, and while Celestia had been tempted to bark at them to leave, she knew very well that that would be rude.

Plus, Sombra might actually be getting a visitor today.

"Three days and nopony has come to stop by and see me." Sombra rolled over to face the door with a slightly amused look on his face. "I wonder who has come to ask about the state of your sanity."

Celestia ignored Sombra and used her magic to open the door. Standing at the doorway was none other than the current Captain of the Imperial Guard, Casaer Salad.

In another world it would be a brilliant pun on the popular dish, but nopony made fun of Casaer to his face.

He was a bulky stallion; even with his armor on it could be plain to see that there was incredible force behind any of the earth pony's blows.

His bright red coat seemed to clash greatly with his dark blue mane and crimson armor. Though his cutie mark was hidden, Celestia recalled that it was a heart with an arrow through it.

Nonetheless, azure eyes looked Celestia horn to hoof before Casaer cleared his throat.

"Evening Princess Celestia, I trust you are doing well?"

Celestia smiled. "No need for all the formality Salad, we were classmates after all. Please, come in."

"Yeah, come on in," Sombra sarcastically greeted, "I could use a study buddy. A few stiches in my bed cushion have a really odd color."

Casaer blushed slightly, before sheepishly stepping inside. "Well, you know what today is right?"

Celestia tilted her head to the side in confusion. Sombra chuckled, and then rolled onto his back, hooves behind his head.

"Today would be the start of the season here in the Crystal Empire, but my grandparent's on my mother's side decided that Hearts and Hooves day would be a better way to express it."

Casaer looked towards Sombra incredulously, mouth open. "I was told a very different story outside."

"Yeah well, we tell it differently everytime we tell it." Sombra rolled over with a grunt, his back now to the room's other two occupants. "Do what you have to. I won't tell."

"Actually, I came here to give Celestia a much less invasive gift."

Sombra chuckled at that, but made no move to turn back towards the pair. Celestia's smile fell as she figured that it was a gift exchange sort of celebration.

"Oh but Salad, I did not get you anything..."

Casaer looked up at Celestia, removing his helmet as he gestured towards the door. "Well, that is alright, we should be able to eat this together."

Much to Celestia's surprise, a large cake entered the chamber, rolled in by some unseen force. While Casaer seemed perplexed by this, he nonetheless proceeded to stride over to it.

The cake was incredibly simple; it was a large, circular yellow pound cake with some bits of frosting and sprinkles here and there for decoration. At the very top sat a large pink heart.

"I know how much of a sweetooth you can sometimes have, so I had the Guards whip you up something special for the occasion." Casaer smiled, tossing his helmet to the side. "Do you like it?"

While Celestia had to admit that she was less than overwhelmed by the design, the cake was nearly as large as she was, and considering the scarce resources that only got more scarce over the past few days since their arrival, this in itself was a tremendous effort.

Besides, it was rather thoughtful. Just as Celestia took a step forward, some sixth sense told her to step back. She obeyed her sixth sense with an uncanny jerk backwards, just moments before the cake burst.

Cake flew in every which direction, and every nerve in Celestia's body was on edge as she instinctively closed her eyes from the flying baked goods. When she opened them again, she was greeted by a strange sight.

Appearing out the top of the cake was Luna, arms outstretched and wings flared, a silly grin on her face. "Surprise!"

Sombra instantly shifted in bed to see what the commotion was all about. His face lit up, no doubt because of Casaer's surprised facial expression and the sight of Celestia covered in cake and frosting.

Good thing they did not have cameras back then; those Cutie Mark Crusaders would have had a field day with a photo of that, not to mention the press in Canterlot.

Luna happily hopped from the cake's remnants, leaving behind two stunned ponies as she walked straight up to Sombra. "Sorry it took me so long, it has been really hard sneaking out. Mother is about as vigilant as a griffon on patrol duty."

Sombra's face returned to a more neutral expression in an attempt to hide his apparent joy at seeing Luna. "I can't believe you actually came to visit me."

Celestia shook her mane clear of some of the cake, though bits of sprinkles had ingrained themselves quite well, flowing just as majestically as her hair. A stunned Casaer finally recovered, shaking his own head clear of his expression.

"What were you doing in my cake?!" The Captain turned towards Luna with obvious signs of anger. Celestia guessed that Casaer had every intent on eating that cake, which of course was now all over the room.

Luna paid him little mind, though Sombra's horn flared red in warning. While his body was not up for a fight, his magic was, and the deposed king still had some level of pride. Not wanting a fight to break out, Celestia immediately stood between the two groups.

"Listen, I am sure Luna had a good reason to not just ruin your cake, but also deliberately disobey Mother."

"She would have locked me in that chamber for the rest of my life!" Luna wailed dramatically, her top half falling across Sombra, "There was just no other way to sneak past the guards!"

"How did you even get into my cake?" Casaer's anger seemed to subside ever so slightly as he relaxed his posture. He had resigned that he wouldn't have won that fight anyways, and now it boiled down to how Luna pulled it off.

"It was easy once you started showing it off to the guards," Luna pointed out as she plopped her upper half onto Sombra, much to his dismay, "All I needed to do was shape-shift into something small, burrow my way to the core of the cake, and then return to normal when needed."

"Mind getting off me?" Sombra cringed as Luna had unwittingly snapped a rib with a playful hoof stomp to his chest.

Luna, realizing that Sombra was not yet fully recovered for any sort of horseplay, rose from her place and promptly began apologizing.

Celestia tuned them out and instead focused on Casaer, who seemed less than happy with these turn of events.

"Well, it is the thought that counts." Celestia gently nudged him with a hoof, but it only seemed to make his mood worse as he turned for his helmet.

Feeling a level of sympathy for her old classmate, Celestia gave the stallion a quick peck on the cheek, just as the sound of stomping hooves emanated from the hallway. By the sounds of it, the owner had just stopped at the door of the chamber.

In mere seconds the guard and Celestia both looked towards the door, only to see Solaria standing there, her burning gaze seeking out the first victim of her wrath.

Celestia knew that her mother was angry not just from her tense body language and rigid stance, but the slight hoof imprints she left in the floor.

"Captain, you are excused."

Solaria eyed Casaer as he made a motion to peck Celestia on the cheek before heading off; Celestia allowed it, though couldn't help but cringe as her mother stared Casaer right out of the room.

Her fiery gaze then turned towards Luna and Sombra, the latter of which actually returned her gaze. Celestia could tell from the twitch in her lip that that was probably the most irritating thing about Sombra that the Empress had to put up with.

"Luna, did I not tell you to stay away from Sombra, and more recently, to stay in your chambers until further notice?"

Solaria's seething rage seemed amplified once she stomped into the room, wings outstretched menacingly. Getting cake on her hooves apparently was not of concern by this point.

Celestia sidestepped into the path of the angry alicorn, looking her mother in the eye as she pointed out, "Luna was just making sure Sombra was still kicking, since his own subjects don't seem all that concerned about his welfare. I see nothing wrong with it."

Solaria, despite still being angry, took a deep breath, and visibly calmed down. Celestia sometimes had that kind of effect on ponies. "Of courses, just visiting. No harm can come from that, even if it is against both of my direct orders."

"Something else is bothering you more than Luna paying me a visit," Sombra concluded, arching a brow, "And whatever it is, it must be serious." Luna looked from Sombra to Solaria, as if that would grant her an answer.

Solaria gave Sombra a look before motioning with her hoof towards the open doorway. "Go Luna. Close it on the way out."

Luna began to protest, but Sombra jokingly gave her a good whack on the backside. If Sombra had been aching before from a broken rib, Luna's reflexive stomp to the stomach would probably not improve his condition.

As the stallion groaned, grimaced, and clutched his stomach in pain, Luna hastily left the room.

"Oh, and try your hoof at some of the games around here," Solaria called out right before Luna left, "Make some friends. I'm sure it will take your mind off of what just happened."

To this day Celestia cannot fathom how Sombra's actions there did not send Solaria over the edge again.

As the door closed, Solaria produced in an orange flash a large scroll. Celestia had to take a few steps back just to keep from getting rolled over as it unfurled, revealing a lengthy exposition of sorts.

The writing was cursive and elegant, though riddled with editing marks. The fact that the parchment was getting gently soaked in cake did not remove the apparent significance of the document.

"What is this?" Celestia inquired, looking at the text wall before her, "It looks fairly recent."

"It is." Solaria spat on an edge of the parchment, a gesture made even more disgusting by the fact that did not bother trying to look elegant while doing it. And by the fact that there was still mildly edible cake all over the place.

"It is a declaration of independence. As of today, they consider themselves the Triarchy of Pony Tribes or something to that effect. Three separate tribes allied in a confederation about as loose as Sombra's morals."

"To be fair, she sent me some very suggestive gestures before I went there," Sombra grunted in response, rolling over onto his stomach, hooves dangling over the side of the bed as he eyed the parchment, "And besides, I really do not think she minded very much."

"She probably did not have the words to express how much she disliked the gesture." Solaria circled over to the left side of the parchment (from Celestia's view at the bottom) and pointed at a particular passage.

"Can you believe that they are denouncing alicorns altogether? They have quite the nerve!"

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" Sombra actually smiled, clearly enjoying this conversation, "I happen to own the largest collection of shackles in the entire Empire."

Solaria laughed, actually laughed out loud, at the suggestion. Celestia did not get the joke, at the time, and could only stare quizzically at the inside joke between these two relative strangers, looking back and forth between the two with a confused expression.

"Nah, I would kill them all before I outright enslave them." Solaria wiped a tear from her eye.

Despite smiling all the while, one could tell that she was dead serious with her answer. "Besides, it is not like we can feed them all anyways if they continue to stay here in such numbers."

"So what were you so mad about?" Sombra furrowed his brows and scrunched up his face, as if he were attempting to think through the reasoning behind this.

"That they would have the nerve to send it to me through a crystal pony instead of one of our own representatives," Solaria answered as she rolled the large scroll back up, "Cowards, all of them."

"Yeah well, seeing me get my flank kicked probably did not inspire them to pick a fight with you. Never know when you might fly off the balcony and start clubbing them with that monstrous strength of yours."

"He makes a point," Celestia chimed, figuring this was a good place to butt in, "Speaking of which, I do not think he needs me to attend to him any longer."

"Celestia dear, have you not enjoyed this time with Sombra?" Solaria's sarcasm was either very well hidden or absent, much to Celesita's chagrin.

"No, I have not enjoyed dressing his wounds and listen to him do things at night to himself that would scar a filly for life." Celestia did not attempt to coat the contempt in her voice.

Sombra was not a bad pony, but he was a stallion; had his bed not been creaking all night Celestia would not have minded as much.

"Sombra, why exactly are you doing that when there is a perfectly viable mare in the room?" Solaria seemed genuinely concerned, and even Sombra seemed quite irritated with her approach to this delimma.

"Listen, nothing personal, but I and Celestia are clearly not compatible, even if the pieces might would fit. Honestly, if you would just let me and Luna have a chance..."

Solaria snapped her gaze onto Sombra, her eyes flaring up again and her wings extended as she stomped over to Sombra's bed. She lowered her head ever so slightly so that she could be eye level with Sombra. As usual, he met her steely gaze.

"You lost your bet, so for all intensive purposes, I say who you mate with and when, especially when it comes to either of my daughters. You and Celestia would have probably given me grands by now had it not been for Discord's meddling."

"Thank the stars for that." Sombra grinned wide, his face taking a more sinister sort of look. "If I didn't have any value to you, I would not still be around now would I?"

Solaria raised her head and, with a surprising amount of glamour considering her slightly disheveled mane, turned towards the door, gaze fixed on her new destination.

"I am going to help the new confederation get settled into their homeland for the next few weeks. If you two are still in stark resistance, then I will have to resort to drastic measures."

And with that, she was off, opening and closing the door without missing a beat.

Celestia sighed. She was beginning to regret her earlier enthusiasm for having a fiancé; it was turning into a headache.

"Listen Celestia, she is going to get her way one way or the other." Celestia turned towards Sombra, who seemed to have a resigned look on his face now that Solaria was gone. "That is, until you stand up to her more often. Luna is not the only one suffering from this engagement."

"Maybe..." Celestia admitted, just hardly at any rate.

Sombra shot up, glaring at Celestia.

"No maybe's Celestia. You can't explore what could be for yourself while you are still chained up to me."

Celestia shook her head, looking away from Sombra, wings drooped as her mood seemed to take a turn for the worse. "What do you suggest? I have no intentions on fighting my own mother over something like this." Asking for Sombra's advice; a new low of sorts.

"If Solaria sees that I am more of a danger than anything else, she might reconsider and just chop me off the block and ascend another stallion."

Sombra shifted and tried to use his hooves to sit up; despite the strain, a determined look never wavered from his eyes.

"Or better yet, just to get me out of her mane faster, she would just allow me to flesh out my relationship with Luna and ascend for you the stallion of your dreams. Win-win situation."

"And if she instead decides to actually take your life?"

"Well then, at least you can explore your options some more. Three possibilities, two of which where at least one of us benefits, while the third benefits both of us."

Celestia seemed uneasy. This was a rather under-hooved thing to do, especially since her mother normally had a rather appealing vision in mind, even when the steps getting there were a bit rough. This would almost be like a betrayal of sorts.

Then again, she did state that she and Sombra needed to get along better. Celestia finally turned towards Sombra, who's front limbs were shaking from the exertion of holding him up.

"Very well then. What is the plan?"