A Piece of Me

Twilight awoke in the stillness of the quiet night as she moved her stiff limbs with a slight groan as she slowly stood up. Twilight must not have been out for long for it was still dark out as she flexed her wings before making her way into the starry sky. It took her a little more than an hour to get back to her castle. Twilight landed outside the front doors and using her magic she opened the doors before trotting inside and quickly closing them behind her.

Twilight collapsed in the hallway still weakened by the fight with Sombra as she heard frantic hoof steps approach her. Her wounds still caused her great pain as she tried to get up but was unable to on her own. She felt hooves wrap around her and help her to her feet when she finally noticed it was Starlight that was helping her.

"Twilight? What happened to you? Where are our friends?" Starlight's questions dripped with worry as she helped the princess to her room.

"It was Sombra. He...he..." Twilight tried to explain but the visions of her dead friends made her choke on her words as tears filled her eyes once more.

"Sombra?" Starlight echoed as she tried to calm Twilight down as best as she could. "But from what I've heard I thought you guys defeated him a few years ago."

"Well he's back! And all my friends are dead, Starlight! They're all dead!" Twilight yelled as the tears rolled down her cheeks the look of pain and revenge in her eyes as Starlight took a step back from her at her sudden out burst. "Where's Spike? I need to send a message."

"Spike? I sent him into town to get a few things for me. He should be back in a little bit. Also shouldn't it be light outside now?" Starlight couldn't help but wonder out loud. It suddenly dawned on Twilight as she looked outside and saw the ponies of Ponyville starting their day yet it was still dark outside.

"No! Please no. Please please please," Twilight started to panic as she backed away from the window.

"Twilight, what's going on? Please tell me!" Starlight worried for her friend.

"You have to leave! You got to get out of here, Starlight. He'll come for me!" Twilight told her as she looked around frantically as if trying to find something.

"I won't leave you, Twilight. Tell me what to do." Starlight watched her friend pace back and forth not sure on what she should do for her.

"Starlight you must go! It's not safe for you to be here. No pony is safe any more while he is still alive." Starlight moved in front of the princess and placed her hooves on her shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"Twilight I'm not going any where. Now tell me what to do so I can help you!" Starlight said reassuringly. "I won't leave you, no matter how bad it gets."

"But he's killed my friends and I don't want to lose another one..."

"You're not going to lose me, Twilight."

"Promise?"

"I promise." Starlight smiled to her and gave her a hug before stepping back and looking around her room. "Now what's the plan?" She asked as she pulled a few books down and started to go through them.

"Those won't help you. He's to powerful and he only wants, no needs, one more thing."

"And what's that?" Starlight asked as she continued to go through a few more books half paying attention to Twilight.

"Me..." Twilight said with a sadness as she sat down wanting everything to just go back to how it was. Suddenly her ears perked up and she stood up and started to head down stairs.

"Twilight? What is it?" Starlight called after her as she dropped the books and went after her. Twilight reached the bottom of the stairs as she laid her eyes on Spike closing the doors, returning with the items that Starlight requested. She rushed over and threw her hooves around him and held him close to her almost making Spike drop the items he was carrying.

"Twilight! You're back. Oh, Starlight I found almost everything on the list, but why did you send me out in the middle of the night?" Spike seemed a bit confused as Twilight still held on to him as Starlight took the items from him with her magic as Spike pushed back away from Twilight as he looked over her. "Are you okay?"

"No, Spike," Twilight told him as she sat down next to him. "I need you to send a message to my brother for me, Spike."

"Okay. Let me go get a scroll real quick." Spike replied as he ran off down the hall and returned a few short moments later. "Alright all set. Go ahead Twilight." Twilight started to explain everything that has happened as Spike quickly wrote down every word she said. When Twilight was finished she told him to quickly send it to Cadence who in turn will tell Shining Armor. Right as Spike took a deep breath so he could send the message there was three loud knocks on the castle doors.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. "Can Twilight come out to play?" A deep menacing voice resonated from the other side of them. Before any pony could answer, the doors were kicked open and standing in the thresh hold was Sombra in all his might as he grinned towards the two ponies and baby dragon that just stared wide eyed at him. As he slowly stepped into the castle it seemed the darkness from the outside followed his every step, his heavy hooves echoing through the halls.

"Well this is," Sombra paused for a moment as if searching for the right word, "pleasant." He chuckled to himself as he walked towards them. "Starlight Glimmer. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Sombra's smile was as evil as his words as he stopped in front of Twilight who was hiding Spike behind her.

"How do you know who I am?" Starlight questioned him as she moved next to Twilight.

"Oh I know all about you, Ms. Glimmer," Sombra chuckled again as she gave him a look of confusion and uncertainty. "I see you need a bit of enlightenment so I shall tell you. Starlight Glimmer: you once had your own little village where you took away every pony's cutie marks to make them all the same until Twilight here showed up and ruined all your plans. Then you followed her around till it was time for you to take your revenge on her. I do have to admit that time travel spell you used was incredible and the way you handled Twilight with your magic," Sombra just laughed as he towered over all three of them.

"Yeah, so what?" Starlight glared up at him as she replied. "Every pony knows that story and they also know that I have changed for the better."

"Perhaps you have," Sombra said reluctantly as he eyed her closely. "But deep down inside we both know what you really want." Starlight's expression softened slightly for his words did ring a small bell inside her. "Now you on the other hand," he turned his attention on Twilight as he took a step towards her, "we have some unfinished business." Twilight was terrified and was shaking slightly. Starlight moved in between them and stood up for her friend.

"Leave her alone," she commanded. Sombra just stood there and laughed as he looked down at the small unicorn who stood in his way.

"Do you honestly think you could stop me?"

"We have stopped your return once and we will do it again!" Spike called out from behind Twilight as he glared up at Sombra who's smile just became wider with delight. His horn started to glow as he wrapped his magic around the baby dragon and pulled him away from Twilight with a scream of shock as Sombra held him close to his face.

"Give him back!" Twilight yelled as she moved around Starlight.

"Oh I'll return him to you, perhaps not the same way he is now," Sombra promised as his magic tightened around Spike making him scream out in pain.

"Stop it! Don't hurt any more of my friends! Please, I beg you!" Twilight pleaded as she stared teary eyed up at the gray unicorn. There was a sudden flash of light and Spike found himself back next to Twilight as Starlight casts a teleportation around Twilight and Spike making them both disappear before turning her attention back to Sombra.

"Well, well, well. I knew you were powerful but to actually see it with my own eyes is intriguing," Sombra stated as his eyes shown with power as he faced Starlight. "It doesn't matter where you have sent her for I know her exact location. You only delayed the inevitable."

"Not if I stop you here and now." Starlight stated as she stood her ground in front of Sombra. Her stance was firm as she stomped her hoof making each and every word ingrain itself into his ears. Sombra just laughed as he took a step back and after a few moments he took a deep breath while he composed himself before replying to her statement.

"You are not the first to say those words to me, nor will you be the last. The only question I have is how much fun will we have?" Sombra's grin never faltered as he took a step towards her. Starlight felt the overwhelming power that flowed from him as he drew closer with every hoof stop but she kept her stance as he stopped only a foot away from her. Sombra leaned down close and they almost touched muzzles as he softly said in that menacing voice of his, "Let's play a game, Starlight Glimmer."

It was then that Starlight acted and shot a powerful beam of magic point blank into Sombra's face before taking a few hops back as she gathers up magical energy in her horn. Sombra just lifted his head back up and gave a slight chuckle has he seemed to barely take any damage as his eyes shown with delight as he held his head up high and took another step towards her.

"I really do hope that's not all you have got." Sombra's words dripped with pleasure and malice as he watched her waiting for her next move. He felt quite a bit of power resonating from Starlight and he licked his lips with hunger as he continued to slowly make his way closer to her. Starlight suddenly smirked as floating magical symbols began to surround Sombra which made him stop and look at them. "What is this magic?" He questioned her as he seemed a bit nervous for this was new magic to him and wasn't sure what it was going to do to him.

"It's an ancient spell that was lost in time which belonged to Starswirl the Bearded," she explained with a look in her eyes that said I got you now.

"What? How could you know that kind of magic?" Sombra called out as the symbols closed in on him, restricting his movements as Starlight continued to cast the spell, her horn glowing brighter and brighter.

"That's what makes me different than Twilight. Sure she's the element of magic but if she knew half the spells that I knew she probably would have held her own against you." Starlight explained as she finished the spell. "Now go back to where you came from!" She called out as the symbols collapsed upon Sombra creating an implosion before blowing the castle doors out wards along with pieces of the walls. When the dust settled Starlight saw that he was still alive but was brought to his knees.

"Heh, that's much better," Sombra said as he got back up on his hooves as some blood flowed from his mouth and a few cuts on his neck and body. "Ahhh this pain. It makes one feel alive again." Sombra smirked as he wiped his muzzle with a hoof looking at his own blood for a moment before licking it off of his hoof as his eyes fell upon Starlight once more.

"What? That's not all I've got!" Starlight growled as she casts another spell, an imprisonment one this time, as a cube formed around Sombra as he started to suffocate for Starlight began to remove the oxygen from it. Sombra was gasping between laughs as he stomped his right hoof upon the ground shattering the spell that surrounded him. Taking a deep breath he just smiled at her and waited for her next set of action.

"Not to bad there. What else can you do?" Sombra taunted her as he took another step towards her. Starlight's eyes shimmered slightly with fear as she thought quickly on what she could do to stop him. Then an idea popped into her head; one spell that she hasn't used in a long while which could disable him for good. Smiling, Starlight started to charge her magic up as she prepared the spell as Sombra continuously moved slowly towards her. When she was ready she unleashed her magic at him, surrounding him with a pale blue light.

"Is this supposed to tickle?" Sombra mocked her as he stopped only a few feet from her as he looked at his body before returning his dark gaze upon her.

"Why is it not working? I don't understand..." Starlight was utterly confused as fear now shown upon her muzzle. "Why isn't it stealing your cutie mark?" She demanded as Sombra laughed heartily, his deep voice bouncing off the castle walls.

"Now I understand. Take a good look, Starlight," Sombra told her as he turned slightly and lifted up his cape revealing that he did not possess a cutie mark which made Starlight's eyes grow wide in amazement mixed with terror as she took a frightened step back from him.

"No! Stay away!" She screamed as she tried to move but the fear inside her froze her legs in place.

"Now it's my turn!" Sombra said as he seemed to just disappear before reappearing right next to Starlight her eyes filling with green magic as he just laughed while Starlight seemed to stare off into empty space.

"Why am I here?" Starlight looked around the throne room as Twilight got off her chair and made her way over to her. "Twilight? Oh thank Celestia you're safe. But what happened to Sombra?"

"Sombra? What are you talking about, Starlight? Sombra was defeated a few years ago. The question is: what are you doing here?" Twilight asked her as she moved in front of her.

"Twilight? What's wrong?" Starlight asked worriedly.

"What's wrong is that you are still here."

"Huh?"

"You have failed in your friendship lessons and are no longer my student." Twilight told her. Starlight just blinked a few times for she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"No longer your student...?" Starlight echoed as tears formed in her eyes as she watched the princess walk around her and towards the doors. "But I thought we were friends..."

"You have no friends here anymore. No pony in Ponyville wants to be friends with you." Twilight said as she stopped at the doors her back to Starlight.

"I-I thought we were all friends. And, and Trixie is my best friend." Starlight stated as she sat down staring at Twilight's back.

"Ha! Let's see what she has to say about that." As Twilight spoke she opened the doors and Trixie stepped into the throne room and stood next to Twilight as they both faced Starlight.

"Trixie?"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie wants nothing to do with this pony. Trixie has much better things to do than be friends with her." Trixie said as she smiled towards Twilight then walked out of the room leaving Starlight with a look of shock on her muzzle as Twilight stepped over to her looking down at the broken unicorn.

"When I get back you better not be here and if I ever see you step hoof in Ponyville again then I will send you to the depths of Tartarus." Twilight promised her as she walked out of the map room, closing the doors behind her as Starlight just sat there her mind blank, eyes filled with pain and despair, as she had no idea on what to do anymore.

Sombra just laughed as he watched Starlight fill with sadness, just sitting there, the visions that he was making her see completely control her. "Enjoy your last moments here in Equestria," he said as he started to gather up his magic. "But I have more pressing matters that concern me," Sombra added as he circled her before stopping right in front of her. "Good bye, Starlight Glimmer." Sombra produced a magical symbol underneath her as he started to cast a powerful spell. "Say hello to Celestia and Luna for me!" He grinned as a beam of magical energy shot up from the symbol tearing through the roof of the castle while engulfing Starlight completely before tearing her apart a piece at a time.

Sombra just laughed as he watched her cry out in pain before her body ripped apart and disintegrated within the beam before the spell completed and the beam vanished with nothing left other than a giant scorch mark upon the ground with a matching hole in the roof of the castle. His laughter continued to echo through out the halls as he relished in the delight of his power before he turned and walked out of Twilight's castle and into Ponyville, each hoof step a bit closer to his end goal.