Chapter 1: Things can only get better from here.
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A Shadow & The Moon

Chapter 1: Things can only get better from here.

Chapter 1: Things can only get better from here.

"Wake up you blasted idiot!"

All Sombra saw was darkness, as the anonymous voice only got louder in his head. Last he recalled he and another had been retreating. What were they retreating from however? He recalled a realm of pure white, but he wasn't alone. There was another pony with him, a deity just as dark and devious. Momentarily in that realm there'd been what he recalled was an opening, supposedly never before had any been able to proceed through this opening, for it was only meant as an entrance way. It was an entrance way for souls to gain access to that strange realm. Souls who did manage to escape, often wandered and never accomplished anything. Had that happened? Had they made their way back through the opening only to be lost again? All he saw was darkness, so it'd make since. W-Wait? Then why did he feel cold? Actually, more than that, he felt sore as well. Sombra began to twitch; movement!? W-Was he alive? What was happening? He couldn't wrap his mind around it in the moment. He recalled making it through the portal, only to feel as if he'd been slammed by a freight train. He recalled the one that'd been with him; oh how she was so annoying. He wanted to turn her into a slave and just deliberately humiliate her. He could feel himself form a smile at the satisfying thought. He began to chuckle, giggle beneath his breath even, as he laid there in darkness.

Meanwhile, overlooking the pony would be a young stallion unicorn, perhaps in his late teenage years. He bore a black coat, light sapphire mane with purple streaks, and he had dragon slits in his aquamarine eyes. He snarled, as his nose wrinkled up. "GET UP YOU BUFFOON! WHAT'RE YOU GRINNING FOR!? HAVING YOURSELF A WET DREAM!?" The stallion glanced over himself then as he cringed a bit, "We've got a situation on our hooves! I've lost my wings, B-But there's, well, there's something else..."

The voice only continued to ring out in his head. Who was that? He sounded so annoying and random, yet familiar at the same time. Actually, the tone of voice, and the way he was currently being addressed only reminded him of one other. The mare he'd journeyed here with. The alicorn known only as Nightmare Moon. She'd been in that realm for some time already, and knew she could make use of his shadow abilities. But this couldn't be her, because this sounded like a-

The stallion slammed his hooves on Sombra's tail. "I SAID, GET, UP!"

And almost immediately after his tail had been slammed, Sombra's eyes snapped wide open as he'd let out a screeching high pitched yell. "GRAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The stallion's face almost immediately flushed red as he'd backed away. "W-What in Celestia's name!?" He looked over Sombra for a moment as what he'd heard, certainly didn't match what he'd heard before. His eyes grew wider, as now the closer he paid attention, the more everything fell into place. Long beautiful eyelashes, a graceful lengthy black mane with natural curls, a far more slender figure. The stallion couldn't help but form an extremely wide and amused smirk as he'd cackled wildly. He raised a hoof to his forehead before falling back and dying with laughter. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!!!!! Now this is a riot! An absolute riot!!! LOOK AT YOU!!! AHAHAHAHA!!!"

Sombra snatched onto his own tail breathing heavily, absolutely appalled by the actions of the stallion. "GRAH! ARE YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING!?" He then glanced around, ignoring the stallion for the moment as he took notice of the fact it was the middle of night. They were also in some forest, and the stars laid blanketed over the night sky alongside the full moon, the land around them appeared healthy, and there was a mesmerizing lake nearby. Sombra glanced over at the laughing stallion then as he'd continued to hold onto his tail. "Grah, who're you supposed to be cackling like an idiot? Do you realize whose tail you've stepped on?" Sombra glared at the laughing stallion in annoyance. "You disturbed my sleep; be lucky I'm in a good mood, for if I didn't realize that I'd returned from the dead, I'd have already destroyed you by now."

The stallion paused, looking at Sombra again, before falling back and continuing in his heckling. "PFFFFFT!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!" He had to catch his breath, as he continued rolling around on the ground, even going so far as to slam his hoof again and again upon the surface of the grass, just laughing.

At this points Sombra's annoyance only grew. "I, SAID, SILENCE!!!!"

The stallion huffed and huffed, managing to calm down for a second before he laid on his back and pointed a hoof at him. "O-Okay, first off, what're you going to destroy me with hot shot!? Maaaagic? Come on then! Give it your best shot! Go on go on! Show me what you've got!" He grinned fiercely at the ex-tyrant.

Sombra's brow twitched as he'd snarled beneath his breath. "Graaaaaah, peasant fodder." He spread his front hooves, before focusing on the stallion who just continued to lay there comfortably and with that cocky little smirk. It only angered Sombra more as he'd then squinted. "TAKE THIS!" While a light speck of black smoke shot outwards.

The stallion just continued to lay there in amusement. "I'm still here, big guy."

Sombra only stood there in puzzlement as he'd shook his head. "T-This is impossible. What's happened!? You should be nothing but dust by now! My magic couldn't have possibly become so severely weakened. It's almost as if I'm a mere ordinary unicorn." He touched his horn, "G-Grah! Horn! Check!" He overlooked himself as he felt primarily the same, before glaring angrily at the stallion, pointing a hoof at him. "YOU! What have you done to me!? What is this strange curse you've placed!?"

The stallion shrugged tiredly before cocking his head to the right. "Might wanna check the lake. Queen Sombra."

And Sombra didn't hesitate to scurry on over to the lake before looking at himself in the reflection of it, and when he looked, his pupil's dilated as he couldn't help but remain there staring at himself in shock. His brow started to twitch as he'd began to pace heavily, hyperventilate even as he gulped and shook his head. "No, no no no no no." What he saw only caused his face to flush red as he took notice of this thinned brows, long eyelashes, and skinnier frame even in his neck. His masculinity had completely left him, and he'd been left in this altered shell of his once mighty form. His expression become emotionless and cold as he'd turned to look at the stallion behind him, only muttering. "I will destroy you, everything that you are, here and now. You will pay for this. I swear it." He turned his whole body towards him, "Stand and meet your fate whelp."

The stallion rose, before patting himself off as he'd snickered beneath his breath. "Oh come now Queen Sombra, you've spoken like a true dominatrix. You told me you once held a kingdom of slaves did you not? Now it's only more fitting for your character. Your whining only shows your vulnerability, I believe this is a fabulous look for you."

Sombra snarled as she'd trembled with rage, then crying out to the stallion. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!" And she charged.

The stallion smirked before sidestepping and tripping her and then casting a spell of his own which sent her skidding and tumbling backwards and into the lake. "It seems that since I started off as an alicorn my natural talent wasn't as affected. It's really too bad Queen Sombra. But who knows, with those good looks maybe you can make a decent living in the fashion department. Come come, don't be so dramatic darling, it isn't so bad being a mare. You'll get used to it." He chuckled even more.

Sombra burst from the surface of the lake, before swimming up to the edge, breathing heavily still with her drenched mane covering up some parts of her face. "What about you then!?" She began to laugh hesitantly, attempting to get a rise out of the stallion. "Y-You're now a stallion! You look so foolish! Grahahahaha!"

Nightmare Moon placed a hoof upon his chest in confusion. "Foolish huh? Well I don't know, I believe this form is quite manageable for the time being. I may not be as elegant nor graceful, and my magical prowess has dwindled much but, I do believe things could've been much worse. I could've ended up as pitiful as you."

Sombra snarled yet again angrily.

Nightmare Moon's eyes widened, "What? Did I say something offensive? Are you going to cry now, princess?"

Sombra teleported, now intently glaring at the once powerful alicorn as she was in midair, having discarded her drape and was now bare and open with a raised hoof as she'd prepared to assault the stallion. "ALL THAT'S HAPPENED, IS WE'VE NOW BEEN PLACED ON EQUAL FOOTING!" And she swung violently at Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon parried the blow, before countering with a sweeping kick. "And what would make you think that?"

Sombra's eyes snapped wide as she'd staggered, landing on her hind legs before stumbling back. "Grah! B-Blast!"

Nightmare Moon's smirk only grew wider as he'd approached the mare with a devious grin. "You're weaker," and his horn started to glow as with each trot he manifested an astral object, the first being a levitating boulder as it slammed into the mare knocking her back. "You're more frail," before lifting her up and sending her flying a second time back into the lake. "And you're obviously having an identity crisis. So what about this makes you believe we're on equal footing."

Sombra burst from the water a second time as she'd made her way to the edge of the lake yet again, but this time her drenched mane covered her emotionless eyes as she appeared lost in her thoughts, saddened even by what the stallion was implying. She remained silent, not saying another word only with her head lowered.

Nightmare Moon continued. "You're just as weak and defenseless as you were in that blasted realm we were stuck in. You're a unicorn, and I was originally an alicorn. Now I'm a stallion and you're a mare. We both may have had our powers drained but it seems the heavens have dictated if we were to return, it would have had to come at a cost. Nothing has changed between us, I'm still stronger, and you're still weaker. Your magic plays on others fears and insecurities. I am fear itself." He snickered as he'd continued, raising a brow, "Now get out of that water and come over here. You know just as well as I do you still need me, and we have a lot of work to do before we can take back Equestria and our rightful places as rulers in this land. But let's get this whole thing straight, I didn't do anything to you. Fate has dictated I am your superior, not the other way around."

Sombra made her way out of the water, before glaring at him intently for a second, before just turning in an opposing direction and beginning to trot off in silence.

Nightmare Moon's expression suddenly sunk somewhat, almost worriedly. "Where do you think you're going Sombra?"

Sombra glanced back at him. "I don't need you, I never have and never will. We've both returned to the realm of the living, so what more is there to discuss? You go about your business and I'll go about mine. I've got a kingdom I have to reclaim, so if you don't mind I'll be going on my way." She sulked, continuing on ahead.

Nightmare Moon groaned heavily as he'd began trotting over to the mare, trailing behind her. "Come now you moron! What're can you possibly do by yourself? You can't best an alicorn in your current state, so what're you going to do? Negotiate with them!? Hah! I knew you were dimwitted but this is just a little-"

Sombra snapped as she'd turned to face the stallion again. "GRAH!!! What do you know anyway!? My kingdom was stolen from me!!! Those slaves were mine!!! I care not what you say peasant whelp! You're just a washed up version of that meddlesome Luna! Acting so high and mighty; you're just a reject of your true identity!!!"

Nightmare Moon's glare intensified as he didn't hesitate to blast Sombra with a wave of telekinetic magic.

Sombra's own horn started to glow as she shielded herself with a barrier of black smoke. She gritted her teeth as she'd attempted to hold the stallion back. "N-Now whose upset huh? D-Did I strike a cord?" She huffed as she'd pushed the telekinetic wave in another general direction which caused it to course over the lake and create steady waves across it. As the wind coursed throughout the forest causing the tree leaves to rustle, Sombra and Nightmare Moon only continued to glare at one another in silence.

"WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON BACK HERE!?"

Sombra and Nightmare Moon's eyes snapped wide as they each immediately looked in the direction of that voice.

And standing there looking upon the two would be a particular pegasus dressed up in what looked like a safari costume. She bore a light blue coat and rainbow mane.

Sombra and Nightmare Moon remained shocked by this particular mare's sudden presence.

The pegasus blinked a bit as she looked upon the two, before flapping her wings and making her way up to them. "Aha! Wow, cool cool! Rockin costumes you two. For a second there I seriously thought you were Nightmare Moon and King Sombra! But then I remembered! Sombra isn't a girl! BAHA!" She shrugged.

Sombra remained silent to the comment, only wearing an extremely frustrated expression as she didn't even acknowledge Nightmare Moon. "Don't, you, dare..."

Nightmare Moon just snickered as he shook his head, attempting to contain his laughter.

The rainbow maned pony just smiled before flapping her wings and making her way further into the air. "Well, I'll leave you two to your business! But you better hurry back to town! The events gonna start soon and Twilight has a big surprise in store for all who participate!" She winked at them before muttering, "It has to do with Princess Celestia." She then tossed them a wave before flying back off towards the direction from which she came. "Laters!"

Nightmare Moon's eyes were locked towards the skies as he just gasped. "S-Sombra! Do you have any idea what this means!?......Sombra?" He glanced to his right to see that Sombra was still making her way off away from him, ignoring everything he was saying. "Sombra! Where do you think you're going!?"

Sombra just groaned as she felt herself grabbed all of a sudden. "Grah! Whaaaaat!? I could care less about childish festivities!"

Nightmare Moon continued, "Yes, but this is our chance to get closer to Princess Celestia and the others! What a beautiful opportunity! Who would've thought!?"

Sombra muttered yet again, "I don't like you. I don't want to be around you. Leave me alone. Besides I'm starving, I want crystals."

Nightmare Moon groaned, "UGH! That can wait you idiot! Why're you so eager to throw away such a chance!?"

Sombra stated. "Grah! You treat me worse than I treated some of my slaves! I am a king! I demand to be treated as such!"

Nightmare Moon placed a hoof over Sombra's muzzle. "You don't sound like a king to me. You sound like a whiny little filly."

And Sombra just sighed heavily then, before glancing down at the ground. "I should've just stayed dead." As she sniffled in that moment with a frown.