The Best Laid Plans of Shrews and Stallions

Chapters

Victory from Defeat
Calm Before the Storm
A Surprisingly Civil Imprisonment
Subverting Expectations
Familiarity Estranged

Victory from Defeat

Pain. Every day, every hour, every minute, second, and instant was filled will burning pain. And yet, with the passage of each, the power of the Crystal Heart weakened, and with it, so did that pain it brought him. 'At least this blinding pain is a change of pace from the wretched numbness of that accursed ice those light-blasted Sisters trapped me in,' he thought from within him refuge. Once a menacing and powerful King of Darkness, Sombra had been reduced to a half-life trapped within his own horn.

And yet, when the pain was not making it too difficult to think clearly, he was giddy with how well events had gone according to plan.

'What's the best way to keep your foes from hunting you down?' Sombra thought to himself smugly. 'By letting them think you are already dead, of course!'

The Umbrum King's passage of time had been distorted by pain and a reliance on magic to recreate his senses, so he did not know how long he had hidden beneath the Crystal Throne, before something stirred him from his delirious thoughts. Something familiar; Dark Magic.

When he felt it, he recognized it immediately. It was the same magic that had bypassed his traps, and located the Crystal Heart. The same magic that had foiled his plans. Using his own magic, Sombra attempted to see what the wielder of that magic looked like, although the pain prevented him from seeing clearly.

'Two figures, descending secret staircase. The first taller, mostly pink. Must be the new Crystal Princess. Annoying, but not a threat.' Sombra thought, the strain of resisting the pain and maintaining his spell keeping him from forming coherent ideas. 'The second smaller, mostly purple, powerful, using Dark Magic… wait… it could not possibly be…' His vision flashed red, before the spell fell to his incoherent rage.

'HOPE!' Sombra roared within his own mind. 'First you abandon me when I discover my own dark powers, then you learn how to harness such magic yourself!? You shall pay you treacherous excuse for a mare!'

Gathering his power, Sombra used his magic to propel his horn from its hiding spot, letting it tumble down the stairs behind the pair. Calming down to a simmering rage, he thought, 'I'm in no condition to confront you now, but once I've recovered, I shall make you pay!'

As he descended, Sombra felt the power of the Crystal Heart, and the pain it inflicted on him, fading with every step, as he got further and further from it. As he descended, he reflected on everything that had brought him to this point.

Being discovered as a foal, unable to say anything but 'Sombra', thereby naming himself.

Being raised as a normal unicorn, although ostracized for lacking Crystal Coat and cutie mark.

Befriending Radiant Hope, the only pony his age that accepted him wholeheartedly.

Catching a glimpse of his destiny in the thrice-cursed Crystal Heart, and meeting the seemingly kindhearted Princess Amore.

Anticipating the Crystal Faire, only to be bedridden for each, tortured annually by the power of the Heart.

Nearly dying, only to be saved by Radiant Hope, as she discovered her Talent for Healing.

Discovering the truth about what he was, and his destiny as ruler of the Umbrum.

The revelation of Princess Amore's negligent cruelty and turning her into crystal.

Radiant Hope abandoning him when he needed her most.

Enslaving the Crystal Ponies, making them dig down, that he might free his people.

The Two Sister arriving before he could undo the magic keeping the Umbrum trapped, and sealing him in the ice of the arctic north.

Being trapped himself for a thousand years, realizing how to free his people, but being unable to reach them.

Finally getting free, only to find a new Crystal Princess in his way.

Attacking the Empire, knowing how slim his chances of success are, and coming closer to victory than even he anticipated, only to have it snatched from him at the last moment.

'If I had not been anticipating defeat, I would be in a much worse condition than I am,' Sombra thought as he neared the bottom of the stairs. 'It might have taken me years to recover…'

Sombra was broken from his thoughts by the voices of the pair that had gone down before him. "I feel bad for him. He never got to see the Crystal Faire, and it was all he ever wanted." One voice said.

Sombra was glad that the increased distance from the Crystal Heart was making it easier to replicate his hearing with magic, but the effort of moving his horn down the staircase had left him too tired to recreate his sight well, leaving him unable to tell which one was speaking, as he wondered, 'They must have found my journal. Is that the Crystal Princess or Hope? It has been so long, I can't quite remember her voice… If it is Hope, it is far too late for pity.'

"That, and to crush the Crystal Ponies under his hoof." The other voice shot back. "I wouldn't feel too sorry for him, Twilight."

If Sombra had a mouth at that moment, he would have been growling in anger. 'That must be Hope. I shall enjoy making you pay, one day! That must make the Crystal Princess's name Twilight. Not that it matters. Once my fellow Umbrum are free, we shall leave this accursed Empire behind, and claim a new home far from the foul power of the Crystal Heart.'

As the two alicorns went back up the stairs, Sombra's horn came to a rest at the bottom. As he did, he caught one last line of the conversation between the two, "Don't worry, Sister. If there's one thing I'm sure of it's that Sombra is gone. You blew him to bits, remember?"

'So, the Crystal Princess calls Hope sister? Perhaps it's some form of endearment between Princesses.' Sombra thought. 'No matter. As for being gone…' Fueled by pride, he gathered the energy to whisper.

"Long live the King!"

After resting to recoup his strength, Sombra gathered his power, and shot a blast of Dark Magic at the floor under the spiral staircase, activating another secret door hidden there. Slipping through, the horn tumbled down another staircase, going deeper and deeper below the city. This staircase was straight, so he propelled himself forward, and let momentum and gravity do the work. As he approached his goal, his power grew once more. By the time he reached the bottom, he felt as good as he had when he had when he first broke free of the ice the Two Sisters had imprisoned him in.

Focusing his magic for a new purpose, shadows swirled around him. Slowly his horn floated from the ground, the shadows connecting to it, and shaping into a vaguely quadrupedal form. The shadows grew thicker, and the mass became noticeably equine.

And then Sombra opened his new eyes, glowing with Dark Magic, and grinned, showing off his newly formed fangs.

As his new body slowly gained definition, becoming more solid with each passing moment, he strode forward. To pass the time as he walked, he began to talk to himself, reciting a rhyme he had come up with whilst idling away the centuries trapped in ice.

"In the cold of the ice I was tossing and turning,

And the nightmare I had was as bad as can be.

It scared me out of my wits,

A shadow blasted to bits!

Then I opened my eyes,

And the nightmare was... me!"

As his form finished solidifying into the body he knew, Sombra continued.

"I was once the most fearsome King in the Empire.

When Amore betrayed me she made a mistake!

My curse made the Empire pay,

But Radiant Hope got away!

Princesses, beware,

King Sombra's awake!"

Reaching his destination, Sombra entered a cavern with a giant black crystal in the center. Restoring his favored regalia, complete with armor and cape, Sombra's rhyme went on.

"I can feel that my powers are slowly returning!

My plans proceeding smoothly as well!

As the pieces fall into place,

I'll see her crawl into place!

Say goodbye, Hope, 'Your Grace'!

Farewell..."

Turning his magic on the crystal that dominated the chamber as he continued to speak, Sombra felt the power of the Umbrum army trapped within respond. Using the same magic that the Two Sisters had once used on him, Sombra forced the trapped Umbrum into the form of living shadows, allowing them to slip free of their crystal prison, each freed Umbrum adding their own power to the spell, and speeding the process.

"Come my Umbrum,

Rise for your master,

Let your darkness shine!

Free your brethren,

Yes, cast ever faster…"

"In the dark of the night," Sombra finished, as the last of the Umbrum was freed, "Vengeance will be mine!"

With all the Umbrum freed, they looked to their savior expectantly. Addressing the Umbrum at large, he said, "I have dealt with Amore personally, and the Empire itself is more trouble than it is worth. However, there are others deserving of our wrath. Those that stood in the way of me freeing you. We head south, into Equestria! We shall have a home, where we can lived without facing the burning power of the Crystal Heart, or else we shall reign terror upon the lands of the Princesses who opposed me!"

This brought excited sounds from the other Umbrum, but Sombra calmed them. "The Crystal Heart is still an obstacle," he warned, "but it has been months since its power was last charged by a Crystal Faire. Channel your power into me, and I shall shield you from its power long enough for us to leave this hypocritical Empire once and for all!"

Eagerly, the Umbrum obeyed, beams of Dark Magic arcing from each one into Sombra. Feeling his power spike greater than ever, Sombra turned it upwards, in a single massive blast.

Princess Cadence smiled as she watch the train her sister-in-law was on retreating into the distance. "We really do need to get together like this more often," she commented to her husband, who stood beside her. "It's nice getting to see Twilight when there isn't some emergency going on."

Shining Armor opened his mouth to replied, but was interrupted by an explosion that shook the very ground they stood on. As if summoned by the princess' words, a pillar of darkness had burst from the ground beneath the palace, engulfing it.

…and the Crystal Heart that rested beneath it.

"The Heart!" Shining armor cried out in realization, galloping off toward the castle. Cadence hurried behind him, along with their guards.

When they arrived, it was to find the Crystal Heart encased in a globe of shadows, preventing its power from covering the Empire. Beneath it was a gaping hole in the ground, so dark that only blackness could be seen within.

"Who could have done this?" Cadence asked.

"I did." Came a deep voice from within the pit. Suddenly, and armored hoof reached over the edge of the chasm, pulling a terrifyingly familiar figure behind it.

"Sombra!" Shining Armor growled, tensing in preparation for a fight, along with the Crystal Guards that had gathered. "Didn't you learn your lesson last time?"

Sombra just chuckled, ignoring the soldiers. Instead, he look directly as the Princess, as he said, "Don't worry, I'm no longer interested in your precious Empire. However, you may yet be of use to me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cadence asked.

"Give this message to the Two Sisters, Princess Twilight," Sombra said with a fanged grin. "Deliver unto me the princess that yet again hindered my efforts to free my people to me within a week, that I might exact my revenge against that traitorous Radiant Hope, or I shall show all of Equestria why the Umbrum were so feared!"

"Oh yeah? You and what army?" Shining Armor challenged him.

However, Sombra's grin only widened, as he said simply, "Why… this one."

At his words, the other Umbrum began emerging from the abyss, causing the surrounding guards to back up in terror. They might not have known exactly what they were seeing, but the resemblance of the shadowy being to Sombra himself was unmistakable.

Shifting back into shadow himself, Sombra declared, "The Umbrum have returned!"

With that, Sombra lead his followers away from the Empire, their shadow-like forms easily slipping past any that tried to stop them.

"Cadence, what do we do?" Shining Armor asked, still trying to his head around the sudden turn of events.

"I… I don't know. For now, I need to write a letter to Celestia." Cadence replied, but wondered to herself, 'What was that about Radiant Hope? Didn't she live 1,000 years ago? And… why did he call me Twilight?'

Author's Note

Here we go! For those not yet aware, 'A Somber Tale' is on a temporary hiatus, until the current story arc of the comics, 'Siege of the Crystal Empire', is finished, due to the nature of the arc's content. However, I still wanted to continue writing for Sombra, so I'm exploring another idea I had for him here.

I would like to thank SqueakyNoodle on DeviantArt for letting me use their picture for cover art. Also, bonus points to anyone who recognizes what Sombra's 'rhyme' is based off of.

For those that read 'A Somber Tale', do not expect Sombra to be quite the same in this story. This one explores another possible personality for the vaguely established Umbrum King.

Where does Sombra plan to go with his Umbrum army? What will come of this unusual case of mistaken identity? Find out in future chapters of 'The Best Laid Plans of Shrews and Stallions'!

Hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please leave a Like. If you feel the need to Dislike it, please leave a comment on why, that I might fix it if I can.

Calm Before the Storm

In a swathe cut down the center of Equestria, ponies fled in panic as the swarm of sinister shadows swept across the land.

As Sombra led the Umbrum, he searched for someplace where they could rest and recover. Suppressing the Crystal Heart had left him tired, even with the other Umbrum's magic bolstering him, and he knew from experience that it would take some time for the others to figure out how to transform back from the shadow forms he had forced them to take on so that they could escape.

However, the land of Equestria was full of light and happiness, hardly an environment in which they could rest easy. Just as he was beginning to worry that they had left the frying pan for the proverbial bonfire, he saw it, like an oasis in the desert; a forest full of shadows, emanating menace.

Sweeping into the cover of the trees, Sombra pushed deeper, his omnipresent grin widening with each new sight. 'Twisted trees, poisonous plants, vicious animals… there are even Timberwolves here!' Sombra thought gleefully. 'Surely those Princesses won't notice us here until it's too late, and we're ready to strike! Now to find a place for us to rest. Perhaps a secluded clearing, or an empty cave, or a… castle!?'

Sombra stopped short when he saw a ruined castle rearing up among the trees. Rushing forward, he quickly confirmed that it was abandoned. Turning to the other Umbrum, to see them investigating it as well, he declared, "Fortune has favored us, my kin! We shall make this castle ours, and rest for a week. After that, we shall see how the Two Sisters respond to my ultimatum!"

Noticing banners resembling the alicorns in question hanging on the walls of his new castle and rubble strewn everywhere, he grimaced and muttered, "And it seems that I have some redecorating and repairs to do."

Twilight was nervous as she flew towards Canterlot. She had barely returned to Ponyville, when Spike rushed up to her with a letter from Celestia, requesting her presence in Canterlot immediately, saying that something terrible had happened, but not giving any further details.

'Maybe it's just having this happen right after reading Sombra's journal, but I have a bad feeling about this.' Twilight thought as she swooped down to land in front of Canterlot Castle.

"Princess Twilight!" The guards saluted her as she landed. One stepped forward, and said, "I was told to inform you that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna await you within. If you will pardon my saying so, I would hurry. I have not seen them this grim since Discord first broke free."

Twilight frowned, not at the guard speaking out of turn, but rather out of worry for what could garner such a reaction from the older Princesses. As she moved to got inside, however, the guard spoke again, "Princess Cadence! The other Princesses await you as well."

Looking back, Twilight saw her sister-in-law landing. She started to smile in greeting, only for it to fade as she saw the other alicorn's serious expression. "Cadence, what's going on? What happened?"

"Not here," Cadence replied. "We need to speak with Celestia immediately."

As they walked through the castle, Cadence began without preamble. "King Sombra has returned."

"WHAT!?" Twilight cried out, "How? When!? I was just in the Empire a few hours ago!"

"It was just after you left…" Cadence explained. "Sombra burst out of the ground with an army of shadow ponies behind him. He said they were the Umbrum. He left the Empire, but said they would attack Equestria in a week."

"The Umbrum…" Twilight whispered, remembering what they had read in Sombra's journal, as the pair entered the throne room.

"Good, you're both here," Celestia said without preamble. "Cadence, have you explained the situation to Twilight already?"

"I've told her what I saw, just like in the letter I sent you," Cadence replied. "But I don't understand how this could have happened. I thought we had defeated Sombra…"

"It seems we all underestimated him," Luna explained. "We thought trapping him as a shadow would keep him from doing any harm even if he did escape the Arctic Wastes. To learn how to control the transformation, and even use it to free the other Umbrum… we never suspected that he would be able to turn it to his advantage in such a manner."

"Indeed," Celestia agreed. "We also suspect that it was his time as a shadow that allowed him to survive the destruction of his body. How he survived is unimportant at the moment, however. We must decide how to respond to his threat."

"That's simple; we muster the Royal Guard, and prepare for war!" Luna declared. "We defeated him once, and we shall do so again!"

"No," Celestia said firmly. "Last time we only faced him, alone. Now that his kin are free, I fear using force is no longer an option."

"What do you mean?" Cadence asked.

However, it was Twilight who answered. "Remember what it said in his journal? All of the Umbrum are supposed to have the same powers as Sombra. If Celestia and Luna could barely defeat him, and with the Elements returned to the Tree of Harmony… How could we fight such a force?"

"Perhaps we can do the same thing we did with Tirek," Luna suggested. "If we consolidate all of our power into one of us-"

"It would not work," Celestia interrupted. "If King Sombra were a fool, perhaps, but we know well that he is not. All he would need to do is divide his forces, and half his army would be unopposed."

"Perhaps there is some way we could trick him," Cadence suggested. "He called me 'Twilight', so perhaps being defeated twice like he was, resulted in some sort of mental damage. It may be our only option since we can't fight him or give into his demand."

"Wait, what demand?" Twilight asked.

"You did not tell her?" Luna asked in turn, looking at Cadence.

Cadence shot back, "No, but you can't seriously be considering it!"

"We are not," Celestia stepped in, "but Twilight deserves to know." Turning to her former student, Celestia explained, "It would seem that Sombra has mistaken you for a Princess that lived 1,000 years ago, named Radiant Hope. Because of this, he has demanded we hand you over to him, in exchange for sparing Equestria."

Twilight gasped at hearing that, shocked to hear that the tyrant's attention was focused on her. However, Luna was quick to speak up. "Even if we were willing to do something as barbaric as abandon one of our own, you are not actually the one he wants, so it would do no good anyway."

As the other three Princesses continued discussing their options, Twilight stayed silent, another possibility growing in her mind.

Dark Magic glowed on Sombra's horn, as another hole in the castle's roof was filled with dark crystals. "I wonder if a battle took place here at some point," He thought aloud. "This seems like more than usual wear from the passage of time."

Sombra took a moment to admire his handiwork over the day. The hole he had just filled was one of the last, making the castle much more presentable if looking a bit patchwork. In addition, he had taken down all the decorations that featured Celestia and Luna, leaving the walls stark and bare, but without the unpleasant reminder.

Turning at the sound of metal on stone, Sombra saw one of the Umbrum wearing a suit of pony armor, the metal suit helping it maintain an equine shape. "How clever," Sombra said with a smile. "Where did you find that? If there are more, then we should gather up suits for the others."

Nodding, the Umbrum turned and led the way. As he followed the armored figure, Sombra looked around at the other Umbrum. Some were busy exploring the castle, but most were busy experimenting with their new shadow forms, or trying to figure out how to turn back into their former bodies. As he did, Sombra's grin lost its edge, turning into a caring smile. "To see my people free at last… There were times that I began to give up hope of ever seeing this day…"

"King… Sombra… here…" The armored Umbrum said is a whispery voice, pointing a hoof down a spiral staircase.

"Ha! It's like this castle was made for me," Sombra joked. As the other Umbrum continued to lead him down into the darkness, he added, "It is good to know that you have recovered the ability to speak. What is your name?"

"Baleiro… King Sombra…" The Umbrum replied.

"Baleiro, eh? You clearly are adapting to your new body faster than the others." Sombra commented. Before he could comment on the subject further, however, Sombra was distracted by what he saw in the lower hall. "Are those… dismembered pony legs on the wall? Why in crystal would any being want to put those on the walls?"

"Fake…" Baleiro said, as he led Sombra past them. "As for why… bad taste?"

"Ha! Perhaps," Sombra replied, happy to have some being to talk with civilly, after 1,000 years of isolation.

As they moved past the strangely decorated hall, thy came to another hall filled with suits of pony armor. Seeing several dozen suits in the hall, Sombra grinned. "Excellent! These should help the others practice maintaining a solid form. Help me get these upstairs. I want as many Umbrum as possible back in their true forms, when we march on Canterlot next week!"

"What if we were to get Discord to deal with him?" Cadence suggested as the Princesses continued debating about what to do to counter the Umbrum threat.

"Hardly the safest option, but we may not have any other choice." Celestia agreed.

"You do remember how large a role Sombra had in my own fall to become Nightmare Moon, do you not, Sister?" Luna said grimly. "If Sombra managed to get inside Discord's head, it would make the situation far worse."

"That's true," Celestia conceded. "And without the Elements of Harmony, we have no way to reign him in if something goes wrong."

"If only we had more time to come up with a plan…" Cadence said worriedly.

"We could buy more time… if we gave him what he wanted." Twilight spoke up.

The other three looked at her in shock. Cadence was the first to speak up. "Twilight, what are you saying?"

"He demanded my surrender, right?" Twilight clarified, before going on to explain, "If I go with him, perhaps I can distract him long enough for you to come up with a better plan."

"Or, maybe he'll dispose of you once he finds out you're not Radiant Hope." Luna protested. "Besides, even if you did go with him, we have no reason to believe he would actually keep his word."

"And trusting Discord is a better option?" Twilight asked sarcastically. When none of them had a good response, she went on, "I'm a Princess now, so that means I need to do everything I can to protect Equestria, right?"

"Twilight, you don't have to do this," Cadence objected. "We'll find another way."

"If we come up with something in time, then that's all well and good," Twilight said in a firm tone. "But if we don't have any better plan by the end of the week, I'll turn myself over to Sombra." Seeing the others wanting to object further, she added resolutely, "I'm not about to start a war if I can prevent it. I've made up my mind."

"Then we cannot dissuade you?" Celestia asked. Seeing her former student's determined expression. She said, "Very well, then we must make certain to have a plan ready in time so that it does not come to that."

However, deep down, they all knew that there were unlikely to be any new options presented to them before the week was through.

Author's Note

Not much happening here, but things will pick up after this. And for those wondering, 'baleiro' means 'void' in Galician, the same language Sombra's name comes from.

How will Sombra react to the truth about Radiant Hope? What will he decide to do when Twilight offers to take Hope's place? Find out in future chapters of 'The Best Laid Plans of Shrews and Stallions'!

Hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please leave a Like. If you feel the need to Dislike it, please leave a comment on why, that I might fix it if I can.

A Surprisingly Civil Imprisonment

King Sombra’s ever present grin widened, as he looked out from his new castle. Arrayed before him was the entirety of his army; a legion of Umbrum nearly 1,000 strong. He had quickly learned over the week that despite having all the same powers as him, many of the Umbrum were not his equal in raw power or arcane knowledge, most of the force still trapped as shadows, not yet having gained the control necessary to take on solid forms. On top of that, some of the Umbrum were children and others were their caretakers, meaning they would be staying behind at the castle.

However, his grin was directed towards the hundred or so in the front, clad in the armor taken from the castle’s depths, and fully in control of their forms, ready to lead the charge to battle, ready to fight for the King that had freed them.

“My fellow Umbrum!” He cried out to the assembled host. “Today, we march on Canterlot, home of the Two Sisters, and capital of Equestria. We have given the Princesses of this land ample time to reach their decision, and now we shall have the satisfaction of showing them to be the cowards that they are… or else, we shall have our revenge as we rain terror upon their land for the centuries of suffering we have endured!”

This drew cheers from the Umbrum, most of whom had at least regained the ability to speak, even if they still lacked solid forms. Shifting into shadow form, which prompted those that had corporeal forms to follow suit, Sombra declared, “To Canterlot!”

Like a tidal wave of shadow, the Umbrum force burst forth from the forest, rushing across the land towards their goal.

“Twilight, are ya sure ya want ta go through with this?” Applejack asked as the six friends walked down a hall in Canterlot Castle.

“Yes, I’m sure we can find a way to get through this that doesn’t involve you at the mercy of King Sombra, of all ponies.” Rarity added.

"If we had more time, perhaps, but it's too late now," Twilight replied, with a shake of her head. "Besides, this is only a temporary measure until Princess Celestia can find some way of protecting Equestria from the Umbrum." Seeing her friends worried expressions remain, she added, "Don't worry, I can take care of myself. Worst case scenario, I can teleport myself away from them and escape back to Canterlot or Ponyville."

Spike opened his mouth to point out that Sombra's Dark Magic had stopped her teleportation before but a glance from the young princess made him keep his silence. Spike swallowed nervously as he came to understand what she was doing. Twilight was just as nervous as her friends, knowing full well what she was getting herself into, but simply did not want to worry anypony more than necessary.

They entered the throne room to find the other princesses and Shining Armor waiting for them. Celestia was the first to speak, saying what all assembled were thinking. "It's not too late to change your mind, Twilight. No one will think less of you for choosing to fight Sombra instead."

"If it was just me, perhaps, but I won't plunge all of Equestria into war just for my sake," Twilight replied with a shake of her head. "Besides, I'm confident that you'll figure out some way to stop him, given more time, and that I won't be his prisoner for long."

"But what if he doesn't just take you prisoner?" Shining Armor asked in a worried tone. Of everypony, he had tried the hardest to dissuade his sister from her decision. "This is King Sombra we're talking about! Please, Twilight-"

The stallion's protest was cut short as he and everypony else were distracted by a sudden darkening of the room. The sunlight that had been streaming in through the windows had been blocked by something too dark and too swiftly moving to be a cloud. The group rushed to the windows and looked to the sky.

On the ground below and in the sky above, Canterlot was in a flurry of activity. In the streets below, ponies rushed in a panic, barricading themselves in their homes or taking refuge in nearby shops. What caused such terror flew overhead. In the skies above the city, shadowy forms circled, so numerous that they blotted out the sun. Only their glowing eyes made the individual beings distinguishable from each other in the swirling mass of living darkness.

Moments later, a young guard burst into the throne room. "Your majesties!" The guard cried out in a panic. "Shadow ponies! I mean, the Umbrum- That is to say, King Sombra-!"

"We can see them quite clearly from here," Princess Luna replied dryly, cutting off the guard's hysterics.

"No, I mean at Canterlot's main gate! ...er, your majesty," The guard replied, obviously unprepared for a real threat to the city. "King Sombra is demanding to speak with you and Princess Celestia."

Glancing at Twilight, Cadance said, "He must not yet know that we're here."

"Hmm, perhaps we can use that to our advantage," Celestia said, gaining a thoughtful expression.

Sombra's usual grin was in place as he stared up at the top of Canterlot's walls. He knew he could have simply glided over the walls as a shadow but he would keep his word. If the princesses did not meet his demands, however, then they would see just how useless these walls would be against his kind. Glancing at the weaker Umbrum in the sky, his grin widened as he thought, 'Then again, they've likely already realized as much. The weaker Umbrum may not be as much use in combat but by blocking the sunlight, they keep the light from weakening the stronger warriors and myself. Not to mention the damage they will do to the morale of the Sisters' soldiers.'

The dark stallion was drawn from his thoughts by a pair of familiar figures swooping down to the parapets above. Amplifying his voice with magic, he called out, "Princesses! You were given my demands and ample time to fulfill them! Now, what is your response?"

Although it had been over 1,000 years, Sombra recognized Celestia's voice as soon as she began her reply. "You issued demands but gave no opportunity to negotiate! If you wish us to even consider what you ask, then at least have the decency to speak with us before you do anything that would bring harm to both our subjects."

"Oh? And I suppose you expect me to walk alone and defenseless into the heart of your stronghold?" The Umbrum king shot back. "You outnumbered me 1,000 years ago and I shall not make the same mistake a second time."

"Your display in the sky has already made abundantly clear how 'alone' you would be and we know full well how little the word 'defenseless' applies to one of your ilk!" Luna declared, her hatred for Sombra clear in her tone.

Grinning, Sombra replied, "Very well, I shall listen to your cowardly begging, but do not expect me to bend on my words. I shall also have two of my own accompany me, to ensure there is no treachery attempted."

"Very well," Celestia replied, before ordering, "Guards, open the gate."

One of the armored Umbrum stepped up beside Sombra. "Your majesty, please allow me to accompany you." Baleiro requested, his voice much firmer and more steady than it had been a week ago.

"No," Sombra replied, as the gates to Canterlot slowly swung open. "You shall remain here in charge of our forces. I have no doubt that the Sisters have some trick planned, so be ready to act. Adornar, Azedo-doce, you both shall accompany me." Two armored mares stepped forward.

The first one said happily, "Thank you so much! It's such an honor," suddenly her tone shifted to extremely irritated, "to walk right into a trap."

"A trap is only effective if you don't know it's coming," the other Umbrum said bluntly.

"Indeed," Sombra said as he strode forward. "I may not be able to handle both of the Two Sisters and their army by myself but I should be able to hold my own until reinforcements arrive. If they do have a trap set, you two are ordered to retreat immediately and inform Baleiro to begin the attack. Understood?"

"Si, Rei Sombra," The pair responded in unison.

As the gate closed behind them, they saw the main boulevard leading to he castle lined with guards that were eyeing them warily. Sombra fixed a grin on his face, knowing it would unnerve any soldiers that saw him. Standing at the gates to the castle itself were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with us," Celestia said diplomatically.

"It was the least I could do," Sombra replied, "considering all you stand to lose."

This drew a glare from Luna but a glance from her sister convinced her to remain silent. "Follow us, we shall speak in the throne room," Celestia said, before suiting word to action and leading the way.

The walk through the castle passed in silence. When they entered, Sombra saw the princess of the Crystal Empire waiting in front of the throne. Raising an eyebrow, Sombra asked, "Was this your plan? Did you think having a third Princess here would make a difference against my army?"

"On the contrary," Celestia replied, moving with her sister to stand beside Cadance, "it is simply that we princesses rule together and the choice you forced upon us was not an easy decision to face."

"'Rule together', is it?" Sombra asked, before turning away. "If that is your decision, then-"

"My sister-in-law will be here shortly," Cadance said, interrupting him. "We simply want to make sure there is no misunderstanding before she arrives."

'Sister-in-law?' Sombra thought. 'Hope was an orphan... Does this princess have a brother that she married? No matter, he would no doubt deserve a traitor like her.' Turning back to face them, he stated, "My demand was very simple; turn her over to me, or my army attacks."

"Then, just to be clear," Celestia said firmly, "if we hand over the princess that retrieved the Crystal Heart and foiled your plans then you and your army will retreat, and take no further action against Equestria."

Sombra frowned. Something about her phrasing struck him as odd but he couldn't placing it. So, he addressed the obvious loophole. "As long as no efforts are made to remove her from my custody then yes, that is accurate."

"Then, I suppose it's time to find out if you're a stallion of your word," a new voice declared, as the doors opened behind him.

Sombra grinned as he turned, recognizing the voice of the other princess... only for his expression to turn into one of confusion at the sight of the mare before him. The crown upon her head showed that she was another princess and a glance to her wings and horn confirmed that she was an alicorn like the others. Her coat was purple, as was her mane, a darker shade with brighter highlights. However, it was her eyes that caught his attention; beautiful and determined, yet bright and soft.

'The eyes of an innocent, of somepony who has never truly experienced loss,' Sombra thought and asked, "Who are you?"

"My name is Twilight Sparkle," she replied. "I'm the one who figured out how to get past your traps and found the Crystal Heart."

Silence reigned as Sombra stared at her for a moment, the truth of what had happened clicking into place in his mind. And then he started to laugh. It was a slow, building thing, the princesses, and even Sombra's Umbrum guards, tensed at the sound, growing worried that that Sombra's centuries of isolated imprisonment had left him unhinged.

As his laughter wound down, Sombra spoke again, "I understand now. There was no reason for you to attempt to trick me since I had already tricked myself. Of course, Hope wouldn't still be alive after all this time..."

"As you can see, King Sombra, the one you truly want is not here," Celestia said firmly. "There's no reason to threaten us with an army when there is nothing to gain from-"

"'Nothing to gain'!?" Sombra snarled as he rounded on the alicorn. "You sealed me in total isolation for 1,000 years. My kin were sealed away for millennia! Do you honestly expect us to simply walk away without any form of recompense!?"

"That's why I am here," Twilight said, drawing his attention back to her.

"Oh?" Sombra turned back to her, regaining some of his former calm. "And what do you mean by that?"

"I am the one who retrieved the Crystal Heart and foiled your plans," Twilight replied. "So, if I come with you, you would be honor bound not to attack Equestria."

Slowly, Sombra stepped toward her until he loomed over her, his eyes blazing with dark magic as his gaze bored into her own. "Indeed... and I am a stallion of my word..." he said slowly. "However, I admit that I am surprised you would come willingly. Or perhaps you simply fail to fully understand the position you would be putting yourself in." He began pacing around the young princess as he continued. "You would be completely at my mercy."

"I won't let you have your war," Twilight said firmly. "If that means I must sacrifice myself to protect my friends, then so be it."

"How noble of you," Sombra said as he came to a halt. Turning back to the room at large, he said, "Very well. My demand has been met to the letter, if not in spirit. We shall leave, but first..." The collected alicorns tensed as Sombra fired a burst of Dark Magic at Twilight. When the magic cleared, a crystal collar was fixed around her neck. "A reminder."

"That's hardly necessary," Twilight said sourly, as she pressed a hoof against the crystal.

"Oh, it's not for you," Sombra said cryptically. "Now, come. You've had a week to say your farewells and I'd like to be back to my castle by nightfall."

As Sombra's soldier flanked her, Twilight glanced back at her fellow princesses. Seeing their sorrowful expression, she tried to give them a reassuring smile. And then the doors closed behind her with what felt like utter finality. Despite his words, Sombra seemed to slow down as they left the castle. Twilight did not understand why until she heard the whispers.

"Is that Princess Twilight?"

"Why is she with those shadow ponies?"

"What's that thing on her neck?"

Glancing around, she saw citizen peeking out of windows and guards casting her worried looks. And then she heard one of them say something that made everything fall into place.

"Why isn't Celestia stopping this?"

Sombra seemed to sense her resulting glare and spoke to her, keeping his tone quiet enough that none of the onlookers could hear. "Politics can be just as effective as open war, but with less collateral damage. Thanks to your choice, the ponies of Equestria will remain unharmed, but rumors and doubts will spread and nopony here will ever trust their princesses the same way again."

"You're a fool if you think anypony will-" Twilight started to reply, before the collar constricted, cutting off her voice.

"Hold your peace until we have left Canterlot," Sombra said, "and I shall remove that. I'm not a barbarian, after all."

Exiting the gate, Sombra stopped and addressed his forces, while making sure his voice was loud enough to reach the ponies on the wall, as well. "Umbrum! The cowardly princesses of Equestria have decided their precious peace is more valuable than one of their own! We shall return to our castle with our prize in tow! Move out!"

With military precision, the Umbrum began to march, those that had been in the skies above Canterlot swiftly joining them. As Twilight glanced over her shoulder for a last look at the city, she could not help from feeling conflicted. Sombra had succeeded in humiliating the princesses, but at least she had kept anypony from getting physically hurt. Turning to face forward, she could not help but wonder what future lay in wait for her in King Sombra's castle.

Author's Note

Valentine's Day is all about pairs, right? So here's a second update! This chapter ran a bit longer than intended, but I really wanted to get through the rest of the set-up, since the main story starts once Twilight gets to the Umbrum castle.

What will Sombra do with his unexpected prisoner? How will Twilight react to seeing the Umbrum in their own home? Find out in future chapters of 'The Best Laid Plans of Shrews and Stallions'!

Subverting Expectations

Twilight tried to stay courageous as she was marched along in the midst of the nearly silent Umbrum army, flanked by the two guards Sombra had entered Canterlot castle with. Only those that wore armor made any noise as they traveled and even that was only from the metal, not from any words.

With nopony to talk to, Twilight focused on her surroundings and noticed something odd. 'This looks like the route back to Ponyville,' she thought. She looked around and, sure enough, saw the railroad tracks paralleling their route. As they grew closer to the village, however, the army angled away from it, towards the forest nearby.

'Of course!' Twilight thought. 'The Everfree is so full of darkness and threatening creatures that it's no wonder we couldn't find where they had gone!' Twilight briefly considered making a break for Ponyville but quickly shook the thought from her mind. After all, escaping would only defeat the purpose of having surrendered to her captors in the first place.

As the army passed into the shadows of the forest, Sombra called the army to a halt. Leaping onto a raised root, he turned to address the assembled force, using magic to amplify his voice for all to hear. "My fellow Umbrum! When we first entered this forest, it was in defeat. We retreated from our recent imprisonment and the burning power of the Crystal Heart. Now we return victorious! We have tarnished the pride and honor of the Equestrian Princesses and struck fear into the hearts of their subjects! We have driven a wedge of Doubt into their precious Harmony!

"Now, we shall grow strong whilst they struggle to overcome their loss. We shall make this forest our home, a haven where we shall no longer have to deal with the prejudices of Ponies. We shall not repeat the mistakes of the past. We shall evolve, grow stronger, and be free! Tonight, we celebrate. A feast unlike any seen in 1,000 years, to christen our new home and our freedom!"

A roaring cheer greeted his speech, threatening to deafen Twilight. As Sombra leapt down from his perch, the Umbrum began talking amongst themselves. Twilight could not help but look around in surprise as the silent and intimidating army broke up into friends and family that chatted happily as they made their way home. Only a few of the Umbrum wearing armor stayed in position, clearly guarding her. Even they began to talk amongst themselves, however.

"Ooh, a feast! I can hardly wait," one of the mares that had accompanied Sombra into Canterlot said happily, before finishing in an annoyed tone, "to taste the cooking of somepony who's been incorporeal for a millennium."

"We won't get to eat anything until after we deal with the prisoner," pointed out the mare beside her shortly.

"Oh, gee, thanks for reminding me, Adornar," the first one replied, her dripping with sarcasm. "I had totally forgotten that we were guarding a princess!"

"No need for that, Azedo-doce. You are all free to join the others now, I shall deal with our 'guest' personally," Sombra said. Turning to the only Umbrum who had continued to remain silent, he said, "Baleiro, have the room next to mine cleaned up. The princess will be staying there so that I may keep an eye on her."

"It will be as you command, your majesty," the stallion replied before leaving along with the others.

Finally, Sombra turned to Twilight. "Now then, Princess... Sparkle, was it?" Twilight nodded cautiously, unsure of what he had planned for her, so he continued, "I believe I promised to remove that little necklace I gave you."

A quick burst of Dark Magic came from him and the crystal collar around her neck cracked and fell away. Raising a hoof to rub her sore neck, Twilight said, "I'm surprised you would remove my restraints. Or give me a room outside of a dungeon, for that matter."

"On the contrary, I have no reason to prevent your escape," Sombra replied. "After all, should you leave without my consent, I shall consider that a violation of our peace accord." Grin widening, he added, "Perhaps you think the other princesses will find a way to defeat my forces? Or the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony will stop us?"

Scowling, Twilight said shortly, "You will be stopped. Your overconfidence is your weakness."

"And your faith in your friends is yours," he shot back. "But before we proceed further, I have one question for you. And be warned; should I ever catch you lying to me, I shall endeavor to create a particularly unpleasant punishment for you." His eyes flashed with dark magic as he added, "And I mean 'unpleasant' by my standards, not yours."

Remembering the ways the Crystal Ponies had trembled at the mere memory of his rule, Twilight could not help but feel a sliver of fear. Keeping a brave face, she met his gaze and replied, "You still haven't asked the question."

"Very well," Sombra said before asking, "When you traveled to the Crystal Empire to oppose me, did you do so on your own or did Celestia send you?"

Twilight blinked in surprise. She was not certain what she had been expecting him to ask but it certainly was not that. "Celestia sent me," Twilight said, not seeing any reason to risk lying. "She said it was a test. I suppose she wanted to see if I was ready to become a princess."

"I was afraid you would say that," the Umbrum king said with a sigh. Seeing her confused expression, he explained. "In case you have somehow forgotten, you were not the one I intended to capture and if the only act you have ever perpetrated against me was actually Celestia's doing, then that means I now have a prisoner against whom I hold no ill will."

"You... don't?" Twilight asked hesitantly. "Then... are you going to let me go?"

"I'm afraid that is no longer an option," Sombra replied. "Regardless of my personal ambivalence toward you, you are a political prisoner. You represent Equestria and, as King of the Umbrum, it's my duty to use you for the sake of my kin, be it as a trophy or a bargaining chip. However, as I said before, I'm not a barbarian. Behave yourself, and there's no reason your stay here can't be in relative comfort. Do we have an understanding?" Seeing her nod cautiously, he turned towards the castle as he went on. "Well, then, follow me. First, some ground rules. Number one, you will not be contained to your room, but neither will you be allowed to leave the castle without my consent. Private rooms will be at the discretion of their owners, of course. Number two, any attack on me or my kin will be taken as a declaration of war by Equestria on the Umbrum. Number three..."

An hour later found Twilight looking around the room that she would have to call home for the foreseeable future. Letting herself fall onto the bed, she was happy to find it almost as comfortable as the one back in her castle in Ponyville. The reason why became obvious when she glanced at the window and saw a stained glass image of a moon. 'This must be Princess Luna's old room,' Twilight thought. 'Sombra likely claimed the best room for himself, which probably would have been Celestia's, 1,000 years ago.'

Such thoughts could only distract her for a moment, however, before thoughts of her current situation began swirling through her mind. 'A "political prisoner", that's what he called me... I should be grateful Sombra didn't decide to just attack the moment he found out I wasn't Radiant Hope. I never expected Sombra to have any sense of honor but, then again, I never expected the Umbrum to be so... pony-like either. They seemed so monstrous back in Canterlot. My friends are probably worried sick...'

Twilight shot up with a start. "My friends!" She gasped. "They probably think I'm being tortured in a dungeon somewhere. If they try to rescue me, it could plunge Equestria into war!" She began pacing as she tried to come up with a solution. "I have to contact them somehow and let them know not to do anything rash. Normally I would write a letter but I can't send it without Spike. I really need to find out how Celestia always replies to that..."

"I hope you were planning to inform me about this, Princess Sparkle."

Twilight whirled to the door to see Sombra standing there, an unreadable expression on his face. "Oh, I- I didn't hear you come in," Twilight said. "I'm just trying to keep my friends from causing you any trouble, Sombra."

"That's King Sombra," he replied. "Now come, dinner has been prepared and you won't have the privilege of having servants to bring any to your room. You can send your letter tomorrow."

Twilight frowned at the implication that she would expect that kind of treatment but followed him, nonetheless. As they walked, Twilight pondered her surroundings. "I'm not too surprised that you took over the Castle of the Two Sisters since you took refuge in the Everfree," Twilight said, before asking Sombra, "but how did you repair it so quickly?"

Sombra glanced back at her but, detecting only genuine curiosity, he answered. "Dark Magic, of course. I Manifested crystals to fill the holes and cracks, and then stone, metal, or wood to cover it and hide the damage."

"Wait, you did it all by yourself!?" Twilight exclaimed.

"Of course," the king replied without hesitation. "My subjects were still recovering from their imprisonment, which had been far longer than my own. This past week has not been easy on any of us, yourself included, I imagine. This feast is not just a celebration of our victory but also a reward for all the hard work my kin contributed to make our campaign a success." He glanced at her again and added, "Well, partial success, at any rate."

"In this case, I'm glad to disappoint," Twilight said smugly, glad for at least the minor victory.

Twilight expected him to get angry at her but Sombra's expression actually grew amused. As they entered the main hall, Twilight stopped in her tracks. The meal was already underway, Umbrum enjoying themselves throughout the hall, so numerous that they spilled out into the courtyard beyond. It reminded her of a few royal occasions that had been open to the public when she was growing up as Celestia's student. However, it was not the sight, or even the sound, that caused the young princess to stop.

It was the smell.

It only took her a moment to locate the source of the revolting smell and her expression transformed into a look of horror when she did. "Are they eating meat!?" She gasped.

Sombra looked at her in confusion for a moment before his eyes widened in understanding. Giving her a grin that showed off his own pronounced canines, he said, "I had forgotten that you ponies were herbivores, not omnivores like us. Worry not. There are vegetable to eat, as well, and none of the meat came from ponies." Twilight noticed that he neglected to mention where it did come from.

Although her appetite was ruined by the smell of cooked meat, Twilight followed him to the head of the table, knowing she should eat something after having had nothing since breakfast. Twilight noticed a few of the Umbrum throwing glares at her but most of them seemed content to ignore her.

As Sombra took his place at the head of the table, he gestured to an empty place next to him, saying, "I plan to keep a close eye on you for now. I'm still not convinced that the Two Sisters don't have something planned, whether you know about it or not."

"Stupid ponies," a voice muttered before Twilight could reply.

Looking to the voice's source, Twilight saw an Umbrum filly sitting at the table on Sombra's other side, glaring at her and gnawing on a piece of meat. "Excuse me?" Twilight said, unsure of how to reply.

Grinning, Sombra gestured to the filly and said, "Princess Sparkle, allow me to introduce my little sister, Princess Ira."

Author's Note

There we go! Before anyone says anything, Ira is NOT an OC, she is comic-canon for the 'Siege of the Crystal Empire' arc. Although never officially recognized as Sombra's sister, she is the daughter of Sombra's mother, Rabia. As for why Rabia has not appeared in this story, it is labeled AU for a reason. Several actually but you'll just have to read on to find out what all of them are. :twilightsmile:

Also, I think I prefer Sombra's version of Diplomacy to Celestia's... :rainbowderp:
http://doublewbrothers.deviantart.com/art/Diplomacy-543551833

On a more technical note, Grammarly (the program I use to help me edit) has been giving me issues. So, if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes, please point them out so that I can fix them. :twilightblush:

How well will Twilight adjust to living amongst the Umbrum? Is Sombra's courteous treatment genuine or does he have something planned? Find out in future chapters of 'The Best Laid Plans of Shrews and Stallions'!

Familiarity Estranged

Twilight woke up with a yawn. As she sat up, it took her a moment to make sense of her surroundings. She was fully awake a moment later, as her memory kicked in and brought the reality of her situation crashing down on her. And yet, the fact that she had just had a restful night's sleep in a comfortable room made the fact that she was a prisoner seem positively surreal.

Twilight yawned again as she glanced at the window. "It's barely past dawn," she mumbled. "I wonder what woke me up?"

As if in response, Twilight heard the sound of something hard striking metal, a sound that was repeated a moment later. Jumping out of bed, she rushed to the window and looked outside. Due to the height, it took her a moment to process what she was seeing. In the castle courtyard, a group of armored Umbrum formed a ring around two others that were facing off. As she watched, one struck out with Dark Magic, causing a spur of crystal to burst from the ground beneath the other, who barely managed to dodge the attack. Twilight gasped in horror as the other retaliated with a similar spell, the first dodging too slowly and the crystal striking their armor.

Even if they were technically Equestria's enemies, Twilight could not sit idly by while two ponies fought. She rushed out of the room, only to slam into someone as they passed. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" The Umbrum snapped, a mare with a purple and pink mane.

"Ignore her, Soleado, or we're going to be late!" Another mare urged the first, her own mane two different shades of blue.

Twilight blinked in surprise as she realized these were the first Umbrum besides Sombra and his sister that she had seen in corporeal form without armor. Both had greyish hides, like Sombra, but taking a closer look at them, she realized that the first mare's had a blue tint and the second mare's was closer to tan. Their manes were much more colorful than she was expecting, however.

Shaking such thoughts from her head, she focused on more important matters. "Two Umbrum are fighting outside! We have to stop them!" Twilight warned. Rather than the shock that she was expecting, the pair looked at her like she had grown a second head. And since it had been weeks since she last saw Discord, Twilight deemed that unlikely. Thinking that they simply did not believe her, she went on, "It's true! I saw it from my window!"

"Well, duh," the one called Soleado said.

"Yeah, how else would we train?" The other one asked.

Blinking in surprise, Twilight blurted out, "But the Royal Guard always used training dummies!"

The looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Do you hear that, Índigo?" The first mare sneered. "No wonder ponies are so weak!"

"I can't believe you've never heard of sparring!" The other said in disbelief. "There's nothing as amazing as proving you're stronger than somebody else!"

Recognizing the term 'sparring' from some of the more ancient books she had read, Twilight blushed in embarrassment for not having figured it out on her own. She started to turn away when the second mare spoke up again.

"Why don't you come watch, pony?" Índigo said with a smile. "Although, all you'll see is me totally kicking tail."

"Ugh, does she have to come along?" The other Umbrum replied.

"Up to her," Índigo said as she took off, "But either way we gotta hurry! You know I hate missing training!"

"I've... read about full contact training before," Twilight said, as she hurried after the pair, her curiosity peaked. "Princess Celestia deemed it too dangerous centuries ago."

"Like I said, it's no wonder your kind is weak, pony," Soleado said.

"My name's not 'pony', it's Twilight Sparkle!" The young alicorn said, starting to get annoyed.

"Then you should've told us sooner! I'm Índigo Zap, fastest Umbrum alive, and the grumpy one here is Explosión Soleado," Índigo replied.

"You're not faster than King Sombra," Soleado pointed out.

"Well, not when he's in shadow form, obviously," Índigo replied, "but that's not fair, King Sombra's in a whole other league! Everyone knows that!"

"Indigo Zap?" Twilight repeated in surprise. "That seems like an unusual name."

The Umbrum in question replied, "What make's you say that?"

"Well, to be honest, most of the names I've heard I can barely pronounce," Twilight admitted, "but yours actually makes sense."

"Pfft, some princess," Soleado scoffed. "She doesn't even know how to speak Umbral."

"All Umbrum names mean something," Índigo explained. "Mine just happens to be similar in both Umbral and Equestrian."

Before Twilight had a chance to ask anything else, they reached the throne room and the two Umbrum mares knelt so fast Twilight nearly ran into them. Seeing Sombra ahead of them, she realized he was the cause of her near-collision.

Sombra nodded at the pair in front before noticing Twilight behind them. "Princess Sparkle? What has you up about so early?"

"Indigo invited me to watch the sparring," Twilight said cautiously. "You did say I wasn't confined to my room."

"True, but I also said you were not to leave the castle without permission, did I not?" Sombra asked, one eyebrow arched.

"The courtyard is still within the walls, or does that not count?" Twilight asked in turn.

"A technicality, but I suppose I shall allow it," the Umbrum king conceded. "After all, I was just heading out to join them myself, so that would actually make keeping an eye on you even easier." Nodding to the still kneeling mares again, he added, "On your way."

The pair dashed to the main doors, followed more slowly by the two royals. As the exited into the early morning sun, Twilight heard a familiar cold, monotone voice declare, "Índigo Zap. Explosión Soleado. You are late."

"My apologies for keeping them, General Baleiro," King Sombra cut in smoothly. "They escorted the Princess to me."

Twilight blinked in surprise at Sombra covering for the pair, even if what he said was technically the truth.

"As you say, your majesty," the stallion replied with a bow of his head. Turning to the two mares, he said shortly, "You two are next."

The pair both nodded and trotted over to a rack of armor to get ready. Meanwhile, Twilight turned to Sombra and asked, "Isn't sparring like this dangerous? Aren't you worried that one of your subjects will get injured? Or worse?"

"You ponies are obsessed with Harmony, are you not?" Sombra asked.

"I wouldn't say obsessed..." Twilight replied.

"Regardless, the long years of peace have taken their toll on your kind," Sombra went on. "Only the princesses have any power of note. My kind have a saying, 'Harmony is a lie, there is only Conflict.' It is only through Conflict, by pushing ourselves to the very brink of our capabilities, that we can discover and correct our weakness and improve our strengths."

"If that was true, you never would have been sealed away," Twilight said.

Sombra scowled at the reminder but gave a grim smile a moment later. "My kind may have been sealed away for millennia, but the alicorns responsible paid a much more permanent price."

Twilight felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "What do you mean, 'permanent'?"

Just then, the ground beneath their hooves shook violently, accompanied by the sound of shattering crystal. Twilight looked towards the combat circle and saw a stallion on the ground, the mare standing above him holding a piece of jagged crystal against his neck with her magic. "I yield," the stallion said a moment later.

"WOO!" The mare cried out in happiness as she jumped in the air. Seeing the pair approaching the circle, she ran up to them. "Did ya see that!? I was like 'BOOM!' and his crystals were like 'CRACK!' and I won!"

"Yeah, that was pretty cool, Limón-raspar, but I'll show you some really amazing moves!" Índigo bragged as she and Soleado entered the ring.

As the two began to fight, Sombra replied to Twilight's unanswered question. "To be honest, it was before my time. I was born into captivity, and it was only through the sacrifice of the lives of six other Umbrum that I was freed. I would suggest asking Baleiro about the imprisonment. He was there when it happened, after all."

Twilight glanced at the intimidating general, then back and Sombra... and had to suppress a laugh. 'If somepony had told me a week ago that I would meet a being scarier than King Sombra, then I'd have called them crazy,' Twilight thought, 'but I guess nopony really knew what Sombra was like... at least around his own kind.'

Curiosity getting the better of her, she left the king to watch the fight and trotted over to the general. "It's Baleiro, right?" Twilight said with a hesitant smile.

Slowly, the stallion's head turned to face her, the movement eerily silent despite the plate mail he wore. "It is," came the short reply, his tone as cold as ever. "Do you need something of me, Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

"Um, well, King Sombra suggested that I ask you about how the Umbrum got imprisoned," Twilight said nervously. "He said you were there when it happened, so..."

Baleiro simply stared at her for a moment, and although his expression was hidden by his helmet, Twilight got the feeling that it would have been unreadable even if she could have seen his face. Then the moment passed and Baleiro turn back to watch the sparring match, as silent as ever. Just as Twilight was beginning to think he would not answer, he spoke.

"It was thousands of years ago. How many millennia, I cannot say for certain. I stopped counting after the fiftieth century passed in that prison. But it began even before that. Back when three races ruled this planet; the Umbrum, the Alicorns, and the Draconeqii. The Alicorns were beings of Creation, we Umbrum were beings of Order, and the Draconeqii were beings of Destruction. There were others beings, but they were mere mortals before us Gods.

"However, peace could not last between us, if it ever existed at all. While the Draconeqii were directly opposed to the Alicorns, we Umbrum could not condone their random Destruction, either. After all, Gods we may have been but Gods could fall to other Gods. For a time, we were allies, and even the reality-warping power of those Beasts could not stand before us. We hunted them down and wiped them from existence... Until one remained."

"Discord," Twilight interjected. The ancient Umbrum merely nodded and continued.

"Indeed, and as his name suggested, he turned us against each other. He showed the Umbrum that Creation could be just as Chaotic as Destruction. He showed the Alicorns that Order would mean the subjugation of their Creations. What was one Draconequus? Surely no threat to our might. And so, the War of Light and Shadow began.

"Before our disciplined army, the Alicorns fell quickly. Even as they learned the discipline and value of Order, so did we learn the magic of Creation. Both sides suffered great losses but it quickly became obvious to both sides that it was only a matter of time until the Umbrum stood triumphant. And so, the Alicorns decided that if they could not stand victorious... then neither would we.

"The Alicorns combined the three great powers; Destruction, Order, and Creation. They sacrificed themselves and bound their magic and essence into a new form; a great crystalline tree that bore strange fruit. The last of their number drew us north, into a trap, drawing upon the mortal ponies there to power their weapon. As the last of the Alicorns was struck down, the trap was sprung, and that accursed Crystal Heart sealed us away.

"In the end, it was the sole Draconecuus that won that won that war."

As the old general fell silent, Twilight's mind reeled as she tried to process what she had heard. The first question that came to mind was, "But what about Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?"

Baleiro nodded slowly. "We had underestimated King Apollo and Queen Artemis, the alicorns' rulers. Before they sprang their trap, they had hidden away their newborn daughters. I must admit, it was a rather bitter pill to swallow, finding out that we had not taken all of them down with us. The Two Sisters may have found a way to increase their numbers but now, we are free once more, and you alicorns barely number five, one of whom is a mere foal."

"But, if Discord was your enemy, why hasn't he done anything to stop your return?" Twilight asked.

"I have been wondering that myself," Baleiro replied, "Draconeqii were always unpredictable, that one in particular. Perhaps he fears us. Perhaps he does not see us a threat at all. Perhaps this is all just a game to him. Only time will tell."

As Baleiro fell silent once more, Twilight's gaze wandered as she settled into thought once more. Until her gaze landed on the Umbrum king. "What about Sombra's parents?" She asked. "He said he was born after that..."

"Indeed, I served his majesty's parents during the war," the general replied. "Both were imprisoned by the Alicorns' trap. However, while his hatred of the Alicorns and Draconeqii bordered on an obsession, in the end, King Odio was a fair ruler to his own kind and never asked them to make a sacrifice he would not make himself."

Twilight's eye's widened as the answer came to her. "The one of the Umbrum that freed Sombra..."

"Was his father, yes," Baleiro confirmed. "His mother cast a similar spell on herself. Unwilling to let any more of us give our lives, the best she could do was to transfer her consciousness into a magical crystal in the Frozen North."

"Is she still there?" Twilight wondered.

Baleiro was silent for a moment. "Queen Rabia was one of the most powerful among us. King Sombra found her after only a few years, and her magic would have sustained her for centuries, giving her plenty of time to raise him into a great king..." Suddenly, his head whipped around to face Twilight, his eyes glowing with Dark Magic from inside his helmet. For the first time, Twilight heard true emotion in his voice; unadulterated Wrath. "And then the Two Sisters locked him away for a thousand years. Because of them, our queen's sacrifice meant absolutely nothing."

Twilight swallowed nervously, trying to think of something to say, when a voice spoke up behind her.

"Not nothing, Baleiro," Sombra said sadly. "I did not know my mother as long as I would have liked, but were it not for her, I may never have learned who I truly was." Turning to Twilight, he gave a polite smile and went on, "Now, sparring seems to be over for the day and I believe you had a letter to write, do you not?"

Twilight blinked in surprise, then frowned as a thought struck her. 'Sombra knew I was writing a letter to my friends, and yet he made sure I heard this story first. Why would he-' And before she could even formulate the question, the answer clicked into place, 'It's for the same reason he left that journal, isn't it? He wants the story to be known.' Looking Sombra in the eye, she said, "Yes, and I had better get started. I have a lot to write."

To that, Sombra's smile twisted into his usual grin. "Indeed you do," he replied. "Indeed you do..."

As Twilight entered the castle once more, the Umbrum general turned to his king. "Your majesty, if I may speak freely?"

"Always, Baleiro, you know I welcome your council... even if I don't agree with all of it," Sombra replied.

"Is it truly wise to give the Alicorns such information?" The older stallion asked. "If they were to join forces with the Draconequus..."

Sombra shook his head. "They have even less reason to trust him than they do to trust us. If anything, knowing that story should only make it more clear how much of a manipulative beast he is. Besides, while I know your opinion on the matter, I have no desire to fight my parents' war. Now, we will wait and see if the Two Sisters feel the same way."

Author's Note

And there we go! Some nice world building/backstory to explain the AU tag, if I do say so myself. Not to mention, setting things up for some more... cordial interactions between Twilight and Sombra.

What does Discord have planned for the Umbrum? How will Celestia and the others react to Baleiro's tale? Find out in future chapters of 'The Best Laid Plans of Shrews and Stallions'!