Appearance Isn't Everything but it can Really Make Somepony Happier
King Sombra did what he normally did in his spare time- slither around his icy prison, hoping for escape. Suddenly, he felt a tingling feeling, one he hadn't had for however long he had been trapped. It was hard to tell time here. Anyway, this feeling was... feeling. Being a living shadow, you don't feel much. Just shadow. So, this feeling felt great. His icy prison was dissolving around him and he was becoming real. The cage disappeared and he was soon standing on a mahogany table. A long table. A royal long table.
"Oh Faust." Sombra choked out. Not speaking made him forget how to talk normally. Anyway, why did he say such a thing?
"What a mouth Sombra..." Celestia laughed. Luna's mouth pursed and stiffly chewed her bread. "Hey Luna, I have a great idea!"
"What?" Luna replied in a deadly whisper. Sombra tried teleporting away before he felt all his magic drain away from him.
"You wont be needing that, Sombra. You'll be in Ponyville, with Twilight Sparkle. Fluttershy reformed Discord, I'm sure it can happen again, but this time with Twilight. Remember them, Sombra? The dragon and pony who destroyed you're power?" Celestia said calmly. Luna finished off her bread and shakily grabbed more bread, trying to contain her overflowing rage.
Celestia giggled and waved her now-glowing hand around. Golden wispy strips started to encase Sombra, him suddenly disappearing.
"You're both evil and an idiot." Luna said, violently ripping the bread in her hand.
Twilight frantically struggled her coat on. In the dead of night, a huge boom came from her backyard. A sleeping Spike awoke with a jolt and was pulling on a pink scarf her friend Rarity gave to him. The two rush out to see a figure half-buried in the snow and very unconscious. They spent a good five minuets to fully uncover him. With numb hands, they identified him. Turns out it was non other than Sombra, the horrible dictator, master of shadows, and the absolutely adorable sleeper. Twilight hated to even think it but his crazy onyx mane spilling over his shoulders and teeth lightly hanging from his open mouth was cute. Flash Sentry, Flash Sentry, Flash Sentry she thought. He has been your coltfriend for a solid month. So stop.
Spike's face dropped. He ran to the tree and wrote a note the princesses.
Dear Celestia,
KING SOMBRA IS IN OUR BACK YARD OH MY FAUST HELPHELPHELPHELPHELP PLEASE DEAR FAUST!!!!!!!!!!!! This is Spike by the way.
He sent it and instantly got a reply.
My Dearest Spike,
LOL I know. I sent him to you two for reformity. Worked once before. He doesn't have magic tho. Just let him stay and stuff. I don't care, just do something.
LOL,
Princess Celestia
P.S. Don't send anything back. I'm eating dinner.
Spike's jaw dropped as Twilight attempted to shove Sombra into the tree. He reread it three times.
"Spike! Get your jaw off the floor and get a cot!" Twilight yelled, snapping Spike out of his shock. He ran and got one, throwing the letters to Twilight. She read it and groaned, rolling her eyes. Spike slapped it to the floor and she threw Sombra onto it.
When Sombra woke up, every part of him ached. He tried to draw magic but was met with massive disappointment. He looked up and saw the pony and dragon who ruined his life. So this was Twilight- though the dragon was unknown. Twilight was searching for something, the dragon catching the books flying from Twilight. He looked like he was a bit taller than her and looked very worried. Sombra suddenly started coughing violently. The two noticed him awake, Twilight looking frustrated and the dragon looking terrified.
Spike ran into the kitchen and shoved a green gem into his mouth. It soothed him some. He could remember Sombra's defeat so vividly. Twilight was coated in black crystal, along with everyone else, Sombra was celebrating his victory. Spike grabbed a rock and tried to break Twilight free, but failed.
"You have to do it yourself, Spike. I believe in you." she had said, just before the crystal grew back. He had hyperventilated, getting Sombra's attention. Just before the unicorn attacked, Spike blasted him with fire, breaking Sombra's attention on holding Cadence and Shining Armor, who combined their magic to trap him as a shadow far, far below the ground, where ice never melted. Spike had saved everypony from the stallion who just woke up in his living room.
The first feeling Sombra got was crushing defeat. He was in a new world without magic and in the home of his enemy. He flopped back onto his cot, his arms flapping uselessly at his sides.
"If you think you're going to rule the-" Twilight started.
"Let me get right on that with all that magic I don't have." he spat back in a horse,(sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry), voice.
"Geez, sorry I asked. Want some water?" she replied. He nodded- well, quickly jerked his head up and down as quickly as physically possible. "SPIKE!" a bottle flew from the kitchen counter and onto Sombra's cot. He stared at it for a solid minute. "Twist the top o-"
"WHAT IS THIS SORCERY THIS IS UNNATURAL MAGIC THEREFORE WITCHCRAFT KILL IT BEFORE IT REPRODUCES!!!!" he screamed after twisting off the top.
"Just drink it." Sombra stared at the suspicious object and sipped it. He no longer cared if it was cursed and downed the whole bottle in ten seconds flat (sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry). Now his only problem was his very painful hunger.
"I have a hunger that would rival a million stallions after the rage of the bloodiest war during a famine." Sombra growled, far less horse (I am so so so so so so so so so so sorry) than before.
"What do you usually eat?"
"Crystals." his voice suggested that eating crystals is the most normal thing in the world. The two stared at him till Spike threw a large blue gem at Sombra's face, getting a direct hit. Now grumbling and with a large welt, he opened his mouth full of clean, very sharp... pickaxes and threw the gem in, chewing and swallowing it whole. It helped a lot but it really didn't taste anything like crystals. This was... better.
"It's a sapphire. They aren't crystals but they are pretty good." Sombra nodded. He sighed. What was the ruler of shadows going to do? No magic, no power, no abilities, no allies. Just some stupid dragon named Spike and some pony named Twilight who is obsessed with books.
"You can stay under there." Twilight pointed to the stairs, which had a cupboard under it. Sombra frowned.
"I am a king! I deserve more than a-" he was intercepted by a large leather book to the face, creating another large welt. He looked at the book. Modern History, Important Ponies, and Language by Twilight Sparkle.
"I gave it to Luna when she returned. She didn't really pay attention to the language part, though some of it must have gotten through to her. Right?" Twilight said. Sombra groaned and pulled his cot into the cupboard. He threw it down and himself onto it. He cracked open his book and started to read.
Sombra had learned a few things, like normal technology, current events, and that he was depressed. There was just no cheering him up. He was not allowed to be out of his large cupboard-room when ponies were around, couldn't leave, was powerless, and learned that most current villains were ten times better and more powerful. At least, he assumed he was depressed. All the psychology books said he was depressed. Doing everything was hard. Sometimes, he didn't even get up. Twilight and Spike, despite being past enemies, were getting worried. He rarely ate or slept, just read and read.
"What can we do?" Twilight said.
"Any ancient Crystal Empire books?" Spike asked.
"Yea... Cadence gave us a crap load when we save the Empire." Twilight replied
"Then I have an idea!"
Spike and Twilight cracked open a few books, searching for something about-
"Found something!" Twilight yelled. It was about his appearance- that being the only thing anyone wants to remember about him. Apparently he only wore capes and armor- not surprising. What was surprising was that he wasn't always long-super-wild-maned. He had more of a small bunch of crazy hair that slightly flow, sort of like the princesses but not as long or super flowy. Without power or ability to cut his hair in a little over a thousand years. In fact, he took pride in his shorter hair.
"I'll get Golden Scissors."
Golden Scissors was the mother of a colt named Snips and a mare named Raindrops. She was also a single mother.
If you didn't get it yet, she's a hairdresser. So when hairless Spike came into her salon, she was confused. Turns out he needed her to visit the library- a friend who couldn't leave apparently needed her desperately.
Sombra was being forced to take off his amazing crown.
"Wow. I just thought those were really awesome side burns." Twilight said. Sombra scoffed. "By the way, a friend is coming over to give you a hair cut." he ran his hand through his once short hair and smiled. It was ridiculously fuzzy and all the way down to his shoulders, a little past it. A second later, two figures walked in, one a dragon, the other a pony. The pony had white hair, and golden-coated. She had white tank top and black baggy pants. Her belt was decorated with golden scissors.
"Sombra, was it?"
Who knew that a simple haircut could brighten somepony's day so much. Even without the slight flow, his spastic hair was far shorter, probably easier to maintain, and a lot better looking. Twilight paid Golden and the hair cutter walked off, far richer with all the bits Twilight gave her. Twilight also decided on getting him new clothes. His awkward metallic armor was a little jarring and with new clothes Twilight promised him he would be allowed to traverse the town.
She threw a cloak over him. Spike opened the door and followed them out, trying his best to hide their presence. At their pace, it took half an hour to get to The Carousel Boutique, but they got there. Rarity didn't even have to look at his face- all it took was his clothes. She gasped.
"My word! We must get you outfitted immediately! I am so sorry sir!" she part-yelled. She shoved him into a changing room and threw a bundle of clothes in with him. Twilight perused the clothes while Spike and Rarity talked- mostly Rarity. He did tell her a few things though.
"Um, it all fits fine." Sombra said. "Can I have my cloak?"
"We must see you! It's a habit of mine, I must see the client!" Rarity sang. Twilight stiffened.
"Oh, um, I don't-"
"I insist!"
Sombra glumly pulled back the curtains. He wore a red shirt with a long black undershirt, that was a lighter black than his coat. He had on long, loose, blue jeans and black loafers.
"My oh my dear Sombra, you look fantastique!" Rarity gushed. Sombra and Twilight numbly stared at her.
"Oh, I explained our situation to her." Spike said quickly. Relief flooded Sombra's face and anger flooded Twilight's.
"What!? How would you know she would react like that!? Spike!" Twilight yelled.
"Calm down, my greatest friend, he was simply saving me from a very jarring realization that would be awkward and there would be a lot of just-as-awkward explaining!" Rarity testified. Awkward silence.
"Like right now?" Spike said. Sombra nodded. More awkward silence. "We better get going! Bye Rarity~"
The three walked away, looking good in new clothes and a light purple shirt and dark purple skirt. Luckily, the weather pony strike had disappeared, so now it was spring, and a glorious one at that. And, the more sun, the more shadow, which Sombra very much enjoyed, sticking to the darkness. Oddly enough, he no longer looked like King Sombra, horrible dictator and ruler of shadows, now he looked like Sombra, normal stallion and shadow enthusiast. Sombra wasn't sure if he cared. All he cared about was a pile of gems that Spike and he would demolish.
