119: In His Stead

His magic faded as he appeared within the menagerie. He opened his eyes and began to walk forward out of the menagerie. His hooves were silent as he left the grass and onto the stone pathway. His horn lit as he opened the doors and walked into the castle, heading for the throne room. He could sense the two Royal mares sitting in the throne room. He passed by Silver, who nodded and bowed his head as Oblivion walked past him. He returned the gesture and went on his way.

“This should prove interesting.” He whispered to himself. “They wish to do him some harm, and I will not permit it.”

He approached the throne room doors, and the guards outside knew him well. They opened the doors for him. He saw Luna smile brightly at the sight of him, and he walked calmly up to the base of the thrones. He gave a slight bow of his head as they both smiled. He watched as they both faltered when they realized that he was alone.

“Thank you for coming, Oblivion. I know you must be tired after all that happened in the Empire.” Celestia said to him, her tone calm and serene.

He nodded before he spoke. “It was no trouble. I trust you are going to further explain your request,” he replied, his tone mirroring hers.

“Of course. But first things first… Where is he?” She asked him.

He looked between the two Alicorns before he replied. “He’s not here.”

Celestia’s eyes went wide as he finished speaking. “Pardon?”

“He is not here. I did not bring him with me.” He calmly explained.

“Oblivion, we asked you to…” She began.

“I understood your request. I chose to ignore a portion of it.” He interrupted.

Luna stood up from her place as her wide eyes fell on him. “Why did thou choose to come alone? We asked thee to brig King Sombra to us.”

Oblivion gave a quiet sigh. “I know the letter's content and the request it held. As I said, I chose to ignore a portion of it.”

Celestia stood quickly and stared down at him, anger visible in her eyes. “You chose to ignore it?” Her voice held barely concealed anger as her jaw clenched as she spoke. “He is a criminal who has committed many atrocities against the ponies of the Crystal Empire. They were enslaved and subjugated to his will and…”

Oblivion stomped his front hooves, Aard rolling over the two mares as they were forced back. “I am aware of the crimes leveraged against him. I am also aware of who they were committed against and the effects of those crimes. I expect that Spike and Twilight sent you a letter about what happened in the Empire already?” His voice was strong and unwavering as he faced the two Alicorns.

Celestia settled back down and sat calmly on her throne before she spoke. “We were told that you protected the crystal ponies and left the Empire under the shield to confront Sombra. You returned with him over your back and took him away at the end. That is when we sent you the request to bring him here to us.”

“I know better than anypony what he has done, so I chose to come alone. I will stand in his stead.” He replied.

Luna gasped as Celestia stared at him. Luna stepped off the dais and stared back at him, her mouth falling slightly open. “Thou came to stand for him?” He nodded at her question. “Why?”

“You wielded the Element of Spirit once, and neither understood what you saw when you confronted him. I can see more than you could when you drew upon my Element of Harmony. When I arrived at the station, I could sense the corruption within him.”

“Then you know the evil that plagued those ponies. Yet you chose to rescue him and then vanished…” Celestia began.

“Silence!” Oblivion roared.

Both mares cringed back at the force of his voice. The stallion raised himself to his full height, and his orange eyes blazed as he took several steps forward. His horn blazed to life at his command as his Spirit armor, which remained on his body, slid over his form and rejoined the medallion around his neck. “You speak as though you can see what I have seen. I saw the corruption slowly eating away at a spirit that had endured a thousand years of imprisonment and madness. That spirit fought for over a thousand years to survive despite the odds. I removed the corruption that had turned him into what you fought and destroyed it myself. I will not allow you to destroy a pony worth saving.” His magic faded, and he waited for them to break free of shock and speak to him again.

“So you would stand against us?” Celestia asked him, her voice quiet.

“No. As I said, I have come to stand in his stead. I know I am not the pony you wish to punish for the crimes held before me. But I will stand for him. He is under my protection, which means his crimes are mine.”

Luna gaped at him and walked down to face him directly. “His crimes could cost thee your life.”

“Then so be it.” Oblivion said to her. ‘That will be one way to discover I am immortal.’ He thought to himself. He did not look directly at the younger Alicorn; he looked past her to the throne behind her.

“We cannot imprison the Element of Spirit, Sister.” She said as she spun to face her sister. “He is vital to the protection of our ponies and Equestria. The Elements are its first line of defense.”

“I know, sister. But the laws are clear. Oblivion, you cannot stand for King Sombra. My sister is right. His crimes could end your life. Slavery has never been permitted, and the cruelty we saw when we confronted him is beyond comprehension. Please. Bring him here.” Celestia pleaded with him.

“No.”

Luna gave a quiet gasp as he spoke. “Please,” she said as she also began to plead with him.

“No.” Oblivion's horn lit, and Luna gasped as the Element pulled free of the medallion and hovered in his azure flame. He held it out to her, and she stared at it and then returned to him. “If you are having trouble with the Element, take it from me. I will not fight for it. I WILL stand for him, and you will not have him.”

Oblivion’s magic cut out, and he allowed the wolf-shaped gem to fall to the carpet below. It thudded heavily to the ground and went motionless on the floor. The blue Alicorn gasped as it lay before her. She didn’t reach for it, nor did her magic cover the wolf's jewel. Luna looked back at her sister, who stared in stunned silence at the black unicorn.

“No other pony can wield the Element. Even if you cast it aside, it will only answer to you.” The Sun Princess said to him.

“I know. Keep it until you need me. I will sit in a dungeon and wait. If you need its power, then I will use it. I will not allow him to be imprisoned once more.” Even as the words grated on his ears and his natural, free spirit roiled in him, Oblivion told her.

“You would rather sit in a cell and be used than allow justice to run its course,” Celestia said to him, her voice thin and quiet.

He could hear the thinly veiled anger in her voice and nodded despite her tone. “I have been used and thrown away for most of my life. This will not be new to me. The only difference between then and now will be that I am staying in one place and allowing it.”

Luna’s eyes were wide as she listened to him. “Thou would give up thou’s freedom? For Sombra?”

“Yes,” he replied. His eyes looked to her and then to her sister for the first time since the dispute had begun.

“Sister. We cannot…” Luna’s eyes went from him to her sister behind her.

“Luna, may I speak with you?” Celestia said as she got off the throne and walked back behind the throne, waiting for Luna to join her.

The mares began speaking, and he pinned his ears to avoid eavesdropping. Minutes passed, and he could see they were arguing. He looked down at the jewel on the floor and sighed quietly. ‘What in the hell am I doing?” Oblivion scoffed quietly at himself but was silent.He looked up as the mares returned. Luna looked even unhappier than before. ‘Well. I’m going to prison.’

“Oblivion Shadow. WE understand your position and will respect your choice to stand in for King Sombra. You will accept his punishment as your own?” Celestia said to him.

“Yes.” He replied to her. Luna visibly flinched at his blank response.

“You are hereby stripped of your Element of Harmony until needed. Do you consent to this term?”

“Very well.” He responded.

He watched as Luna’s magic covered the wolf-shaped jewel. She suddenly yelped and dropped the gem back to the floor. She reached up a hoof and rubbed her horn. She looked up to Oblivion, and his own horn was dormant.

“Luna?” Celestia asked, concern in her voice.

“We are all right,” she said as she reached out her hoof to pick up the gem. She hissed as it burned her hoof, and she dropped it to the carpet once more.

“What is wrong?” The Sun Princess asked her sister, who looked back at her.

“We cannot hold it. It backfires in our magic and burns our hoof.”

Celestia glared at the black Unicorn, but her anger cooled at the sight of his mystified expression. She reached out with her magic and gripped the gemstone. A sharp pain went through her horn, and she dropped the Element. She watched as Oblivion looked at her, his expression once more blank as he waited for her to decide their following action.

“Can you pick it up?” Luna asked of him, and he looked at the Moon Princess.

“I thought I had been…” He began.

“Don’t be a smart ass.” She scolded him and then put a hoof over her mouth.

Oblivion fought back a chuckle as his magic surrounded the jewel, which lit up in his grasp. Its gentle light pulsed in time with his steady heartbeat. He held it out to Luna, who flinched away from it.

“Sister. Perhaps having him keep it is our best option.” Luna said to her elder sister.

“Luna. We agreed to strip him out of it.” Celestia reminded her. She held a familiar golden box in her magic and held it to him. Oblivion laid the gem inside the box, and she pulled it away from him as he extinguished his horn.

Celestia began pulling the box away from him as smoke drifted out of the box. She turned it around and saw the gem starting to burn the box. “Take it back!” She yelped to him.

Oblivion aura covered the gem and lifted it from the box. Luna leaned over and looked into the box to find a small scorch mark in its place. She looked to the stallion who held the gem in his magic and waited for them to tell him what to do next. It broke her heart to see the proud stallion allowing himself to be commanded, and maybe that was why the gem was acting the way it was. The Element knew that Oblivion was going against himself to allow them to command him. She didn’t say anything to her sister and instead remained quiet.

Celestia panted for a moment before composing herself once more. “All right. It seems it cannot be parted from you without causing injury to others or property damage.” She stated as she looked at the scorch mark again and set the ornate chest aside. “But that does not change the fact that you will be imprisoned for as long as is needed to atone for the crimes that Sombra has committed. You will also submit to an inhibitor ring.”

Oblivions' ears flicked at her words, and he took the weight off one hind leg. “Items that are similar have broken when placed on me, but I will allow you to try,” he replied to her.

“They break?” Luna said to him as she looked at him, her eyes wide.

“Yes. When I was injured, I had a monitor placed on my horn, but it shattered after several seconds.” Oblivion informed them.

He could see Luna look back at her sister, and her expression must have been enough to change the Princess of Suns' mind about him wearing one.

Celestia sighed and nodded. “Will you keep your word and behave?” She asked him.

His ears pinned, and he glared at the mare. “You take me for a fool? I am a stallion of my word. When have I given you evidence of anything else?”

Luna stepped in before he raged further at the insulting mare. “Never. That was a foolish thing to say, Sister.”

The white Alicorn looked sheepish for a moment. “I apologize.” She said as her magic opened the throne room doors. “Guards.”

Oblivion replaced the Element in its place around his medallion and waited.

Luna watched as the group of guards approached, and she could feel dread biting at the back of her mind. “This is wrong,” she said to herself, and she looked from the guards to her friend and then to her sister.

“Please escort Oblivion Shadow to the dungeons and ensure he is comfortable,” Celestia told them, and they surrounded the black Unicorn.

The guards looked stunned at her words but followed her orders. They led him through the castle and down several flights of stairs. They reached the dungeons, which, from what Oblivion could tell, were far more comfortable than some he had been in before. He walked through the open door of one of the cells and waited as they locked it behind him. He glanced around the cell and sighed. It reminded him of his room back at the farm. It was about the same in terms of simplicity. A desk sat against one corner with a chair and a bookshelf beside it. The room was close to ten by ten, so it was big enough for him to move around reasonably comfortably.

“Sasa?” He reached out to the cat and could sense her giving him her attention.

“Yes, Chosen?” She replied to him, her voice calm and serene. “Are you coming back?”

“No.”

“Why not? Everypony is waiting for you. Twilight and the other mares have arrived and are looking to confront Sombra.”

“What?” He reached out to the World Spirit and used it to locate the mares, and he could tell that the feline spoke the truth. “How is he?”

“To be honest, he is a nervous wreck. Thankfully I can speak to Twilight who is helping to keep them at bay with Mac and Applejack. But they need you here.”

Oblivion hung his head for a moment as he looked around the room. “I’m afraid you must watch out for him for now.”

“Why? Chosen what is wrong?”

“I stood in for Sombra and took the punishment for him.”

“Meaning?”

“I’m currently in prison.”

The cat was silent for over a minute before she replied. “WHAT?!” She shrieked.

Oblivion cringed at the volume of her voice. “I took his place and am now in a cell in their dungeon.”

“Why? Did they not understand why you acted the way you did?”

“I don’t think Celestia wanted to understand. Luna was willing to listen but Celestia overruled her I think.”

“Hang on.”

Oblivion waited as the minutes ticked past him. He laid down in the back of the cell on a plush rug. He laid his head down over his tail and allowed his eyes to close as he waited for the feline to reply. The black pony was silent as he considered his options.

“Chosen?”

“Yes?”

“You need to be here.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Rainbow is acting stupid. I stopped her from yelling at him. Poor thing is hiding behind Mac and myself.”

His head lifted from the rug, and he looked at the door to the cell. “That’s enough from her. Put her to the ground if you need to. Tell her it’s my order since this was my choice.”

“One moment.” She replied as he went quiet and laid his head back on the rug. “Chosen? They are all very upset at you.”

“You told them why I am not there, I assume?”

“Yes. Sombra is beside himself.”

“Gods below.” Oblivion's horn lit as he called on the World Spirit to connect him with the grey pony. He could use the piece of his spirit that he had placed within the pony to use as a conduit for his magic and allow him to speak directly to him.

“Sombra?”

“Oblivion?”

“By the Gods.” He cursed as emotion rolled over him, chief among the guilt and fear. “Calm down, Sombra.”

“Calm down? How can I when you went to prison in my place?” He replied.

Oblivion could hear the near hysterics in the pony’s voice. “Stop.” Oblivion commanded, and he reached out with the World Spirit to try and calm the pony further.

He could feel it when it began to work as Sombra calmed. “Why? Why did you let yourself be put in jail for me? And how can I hear you like I can, Sasa?”

“I chose to put you under my protection. By doing that, I accept your crimes as my own. Therefore, I can take the punishment in your place. I have no doubt that the ponies of the Empire want blood in exchange for the past. I am the Element of Spirit. Therefore, they cannot kill me. It was a gamble on my part, but it has worked out for you. As for why I can speak with you. I left a bit of my Spirit within you when I cleansed you. Its purpose is to support your own as it heals. So I can reach out to it as I can with Sasa.” He explained to the unhappy pony, leaving out the part about the World Spirit.

Sombra was quiet as he considered what he had been told. “Your friends hate me for throwing you in jail.”

“Gods below.” He refocused on the feline. “Sasa?”

“Chosen?”

“Silence them if you have to. I refuse to have them thinking my decisions are Sombra’s fault. Explain it to them in a way they will understand.”

“As you wish.”

“Sombra. Ignore them and go into the house with Granny Smith. Stay by her so long as they continue to act like foals.”

“But…”

“Enough.”

“Understood.” He said, and Oblivion could sense him beginning to edge away from the crowd. “Wow.”

“Hmm?”

“Sasa is giving them an earful.”

“I am not listening to what she tells them. I asked her to speak up and try to silence them from going after you.”

“Okay. I’m inside with Granny.” Sombra reported a few minutes later.

“Good. How is Sasa faring?”

“Pretty well, considering she is giving them a tongue-lashing through Twilight.”

“I’m sure that’s comical to see. I will have to link them with her so they can hear her when she wishes to be heard.”

“How long will you be in there?”

“I am not sure. The time frame was not discussed.”

“What? They didn’t give you a sentence?”

“No. It was implied that I could have been executed, but that does not appear to be the plan. Hold on.”

He looked to the bars as a familiar Unicorn came into view. Blue Blood looked at the black Unicorn, and Oblivion could see the confusion on his face.

“Hello, Blue.”

“Oblivion, so I was right when I thought I saw you being escorted down here. What in my Aunt’s name are you doing in a cell?” Blue asked as he drew close to the bars and sat down to speak.

Oblivion gave a low sigh as he thought about how to respond. “No doubt you have heard about the return of the Crystal Empire?”

“Yes. It’s all any of the Nobles are talking about. It’s supposed to be a secret but not well hidden.” Blue said to him.

“I went there with the others to help Cadance and Shining protect it. I found out that the pony that enslaved them had returned as well. He was a pony of darkness and shadows and attacked us soon after arriving. Shining tried to stop him, and I aided him. I discovered that my magic could hurt him. Cadance maintained a shield of love over the empire, but it was slowly draining her. I took over and used my flames as a shield to keep the fallen King out, allowing her to rest. I discovered he was a pony that was not that way; he was originally corrupted with evil. I chose to cleanse him of that corruption.”

“Like you did with me?”

“Yes. However, he was in far worse condition than you ever were. The corruption was slowly destroying what remained of his Spirit. I did not have time to cleanse it slowly as I did with you. I removed it by force, and after deciding that he was not the same pony as he was before, I chose to remove him from the Empire and took him to Ponyville. He has already shown that he wishes not to be known as the pony he once was, and I have placed him under my protection, which means his crimes are now mine.”

“So you had to pull it from him all at once?” Blue asked, and Oblivion nodded. “You didn’t do that with me since it could have made things worse or left permanent damage.”

“Yes, or killed you outright. The same with him. You saw what I pulled from you, correct?”

“Yes.” Blue shuddered at the memory and nodded.

“Imagine it a thousand years’ worth of madness and pain.”

Blue shivered at the thought and rolled his shoulder, trying to rid himself of the crawling sensation that went over him. “When will you be released?”

“I do not know.”

“What?”

“A timeframe was not mentioned.”

“You can’t be in here forever. What about you’re Element of Harmony?”

“I still have it. If it is needed, then I will be released long enough to help, and then I will return here.”

Blue eyes went wide as he listened. “You hate the thought of being used, though…”

“That has not changed. I will do what I must to ensure that Sombra remains out of prison. He is under my protection, and I will endure this to ensure it.”

Blue looked at him and shook his head. “There has to be a way to get you released before the end of time.”

Oblivion chuckled and stood up. He reached the bars and sat down in front of them. “I’ll live, Blue. Don’t let them try to bring him here. Coming to Canterlot will only cause more issues for him. I can speak with him from here thanks to the piece of my spirit that I implanted within him to ensure that he had the support needed to recover.”

“Like you did with me?”

“Exactly as I did with you. Keep an ear out; I cannot be beside him due to the current situation.”

“I’ll keep an eye on him if I can. How will I know him?”

“Gray pony, close to your height, curved horn, cutie mark is made of crystals.” Oblivion supplied to him.

“Got it. Does Rarity know him?”

Oblivion nodded. “She was there when I brought him into the Empire, and she saw him before I teleported us to Ponyville. But right now, Sasa is yelling at her for treating Sombra cruelly. I do not doubt that Celestia informed Twilight of her summons of him, and when she found him still at the farm, it set off them all.”

“Rarity is not cruel,” Blue said to him.

“Your devotion to your mare is admirable…” Blue blushed under his fur. “She is more than capable of cruelty like the others. She is no doubt polite about it, but that does not change the fact that all of them, except Twilight and Applejack, are not welcoming to him.

Blue looked upset for a moment before he nodded. “I want to meet him.”

“He’s a very nervous pony Blue.”

Blue stared for several seconds and then shook his head slightly before continuing. “He knows what he did, though?” Oblivion nodded. “Okay, so he’s not quite the pony I thought he would be.”

“Yes. Removing the corruption did kill him for a moment. It hurt him in more ways than one. You recall how it hurt when I helped you?” Blue nodded. “His was worse. I had to antagonize the Tyrant to keep him fighting me to survive. Now, all that’s left is a pony. Nothing more.”

“Do you think he would be okay with meeting me?”

“I think he would be fine. So long as he is made aware of you.” Oblivion paused as he finished speaking and looked toward the edge of the cell wall beyond what he could see. “Hello, Luna.”

Blue looked over as Luna emerged from the shadows and stood close to her nephew. Oblivion said nothing as she leveled a sad look at him. She was silent as he opened his mouth to speak further.

“Oblivion?”

His ears flicked as Sombra’s voice went through him. He looked away from the two ponies and focused on his link to Sombra. “Yes, Sombra? My apologies, it was a visitor.”

“Sasa is back inside with me. Twilight and Applejack ran the others off.”

Oblivion felt the side of his mouth quirk slightly, and a chuckle escaped him. “Are they all still close by, or have most of them left?”

“Twilight said that Fluttershy was the only one who wasn’t after me for what happened.”

“Oh? Not too surprising. Element of Kindness.”

“That one is hers?”

“Yes. Twilight is Magic, Applejack is Honesty, Rainbow Dash is Loyalty, Rarity is Generosity, Pinkie Pie is Laughter, Fluttershy is Kindness, and I am Spirit.”

“It suits them. But I have to ask. Is Pinkie Pie crazy?”

Oblivion barked a laugh. Blue reached out and poked his shoulder. “Sombra.” He said to him aloud; the Prince nodded. Luna’s eyes widened, and she looked to Blue. The Prince explained that Oblivion was talking to him. “It’s not a diagnosed insanity, but I’m certain she qualifies.” He replied.

“I nearly jumped out of my hooves when she just showed up before me.”

“She tends to do that. After a while, it becomes normal. Don’t worry if she breaks the laws of nature and gravity at least a few times daily. You get used to it. Just remain calm, and you will be fine. Stay with Sasa. She will watch out for you.”

“But…” Sombra started to argue but stopped. “Understood.”

“Hopefully, this will be a short confinement, and we will not have to worry about it. But for now, remain calm and continue to work toward what you want with this second chance you have in front of you. Walk that path and not doubt it.”

“I understand. Granny is yelling for everypony to go to bed. It’s been a long time since somepony told me to go to bed like a foal.” Sombra said to him with a light laugh.

“Welcome to my world. Good night, Sombra.”

“Night Oblivion.”

The black stallion looked back to the pair of ponies with him. “Yes, Luna?”

She stared at him and then sat down. “I am so sorry, my friend,” she said to him as tears filled her eyes.

Oblivion's ears flicked as he regarded her. “For what? You did not tell me to sit in here, nor did you decide for me.”

“I should have stood up for you. You would not have stood by like a foal as your dearest friend was led away to be chained.” She hiccupped him as she hung her head.

Oblivion sighed and reached through the bars to put his hoof under her chin to lift her head. “I’m fine, Luna. I hold no ill will toward you or your sister. She may be going overboard, but I will not argue.”

Luna reached her hooves up and held his hoof in hers. “Still. I did nothing to help you. Blue Blood says you can talk to Sombra. May I ask you a question of him?”

Oblivion nodded to her and waited as she considered her words.

“What is he like? Now that you have changed him?”

Oblivion considered his answer. “I told Blue a bit about him. The forced removal of the corruption within him has left him in a fairly fragile state.” Luna’s eyes widened, and she stared. “I will say that whatever you recall of him is probably the opposite of now.”

Luna let go of his hoof and looked at the floor. “Is it possible to speak with him?”

“I will not allow him to be brought here, Luna. The city alone would overwhelm him and make things worse.” Oblivion stopped as a thought struck him. “You rule over the Realm of Dreams. Is it possible for you to meet him in that Realm?”

“I can. I am afraid of meeting with him alone.”

“Why?” He questioned.

“I recall how he once was when my sister and I met him. I would like for you to be there. If only to keep him calm.” She replied to him. “And it would help to keep me calm as well.”

Oblivion looked to the ground for several seconds as he considered what she had said. “Can you draw all of us into the same dream?”

“I can do that.” She nodded as she spoke. “You would need to be asleep or as close as a Witcher gets to asleep.”

“I can meditate deeply if that would help?”

“I can work with that.” She said as she got to her hooves.

“Could I help as well?” Blue asked.

“If you want to, I don’t mind, Nephew,” Luna said to him. Her horn lit up as Blue looked to the ground and grimaced but laid down to try to sleep anyway. “I found Sombra’s dreams. He appears to be calm for now. I can link us easily enough.” She said as Oblivion lay down as well.

He lay his head on his forelegs and closed his eyes to meditate. Several minutes passed, and he felt his mind begin to slip.

Oblivions' eyes snapped open, and a field stretched out in front of him. Trees stretched into the night sky, and the moon shone bright as the sun above them.

“Oblivion?”

The black stallion turned as Sombra came out of the dark, his eyes wide and curious. “Sombra.” The gray stallion stopped dead in his tracks as Luna and Blue Blood came to stand close to the black Unicorn. “It’s all right. This is a dream.”

“A dream?” He visibly calmed as the Witcher spoke.

“Yes. Luna wished to meet you, but I forbade her from bringing you to Canterlot. So this is a better option. The pony beside her is Blue Blood.” Oblivion broke away from the others and came to stand before the Unicorn. “I helped him much in the same way I helped you. I could cleanse him with time, but I did not have that luxury in your case. He understands what you went through and what you are going through now.”

Blue Blood came to stand next to the Elder Witcher and stopped in front of the gray pony. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Sombra.”

“Pleasure is mine, Blue Blood,” Sombra replied, shifting nervously on his hooves.

Blue Blood gave him a warm smile before he went on. “I wanted you to know that Oblivion also helped me, so I understand what you experienced. Mine wasn’t as bad as yours, but I understand it. It leaves you disoriented and feeling like you just went through a storm.” Sombra nodded. “But simultaneously, it feels lighter, like you can breathe again.” Another nod. “But it got better for me. Oblivion supported me as well. While he could cleanse mine with time, he didn’t have that choice with you. So I can’t know what that was like. But I want you to know that I understand, and if you want to talk to some pony, I’ll listen.”

Sombra’s eyes widened as he stared at the other Unicorn. “I don’t understand. You don’t know me. Why would you…?”

“Oblivion was the first true friend I ever made. He was willing to look past my Prince mask and see the pony behind it. He showed me that hiding behind my mask hurt me more than any pony could. Any pony that is a friend to him is also a friend to me.”

Sombra sat down and hung his head. “But now he is in jail because of me.”

“I can tell you I was shocked when I found him in a cell, but he’s calm as always. It’s almost infuriating how calm he is.” He said with a glance to the black unicorn, who remained impassive. “But you get used to it. He makes a choice, and he stays with it. I can only tell you to trust in him, and it will be okay. He has never failed any pony that he gives his word to.”

Sombra stood up, and a small smile went over his muzzle. “Thanks.”

Oblivion looked over his shoulder to the Alicorn mare behind them. “Luna? You wished to speak to him. Here he is.”

Luna startled and slowly walked over to the group of them. Sombra cringed back under her gaze as she pulled up to the side of him. Sombra stared wide-eyed at her as she was silent, and then he looked down to his hooves.

“Look up.” She said to him, her voice hard, and it had a hostile edge.

Sombra winced as if he had been struck and looked up slowly to her face. His red eyes connected with her, and he tried to stay looking up at her.

“Thou are King Sombra, and we…”

“No.” He whispered to her.

Luna startled, and her ears trained forward to hear him. “Pardon?”

“I am not a King. I am just like anypony else. My name is Sombra, and that is all.” He said to her.

Oblivion watched as the gray pony began to tremble. He looked at Luna and found her staring at the stallion before her. He saw an angry glint in her eye as she began to inhale. Oblivion tensed, ready to stop her from using her Canterlot Voice. He watched Sombra startled and looked at the pair of stallions before him. He crouched down and lunged to land in between them. His body pushed against the pair, and Blue moved, allowing him to hunker down and hide between them. Oblivion's orange eyes turned to glare at the Alicorn mare as she exhaled and stared. Blue Blood glared at her from his place, helping to keep Sombra between them.

“Aunt Luna.” Blue scolded. “He’s already upset. Preparing to shout at him will not help you understand him. If you were trying to terrify him, then you succeeded. Kindly refrain from doing more to upset him. He is just a pony.”

Oblivion looked at the angry Prince, and a slight grin tugged at one side of his muzzle. He looked down at the trembling pony between them and stepped back to address him. He knelt and prodded Sombra with one hoof. Trying to coax him out of hiding. One hoof raised to reveal one wide eye. “It’s all right. Stand up.”

Sombra got to his hooves in Oblivion's direction and waited. Blue put a hoof on his side and gave him a warm smile in silent support. Sombra inhaled and looked back to Luna as he turned around.

“Oblivion gave me a choice. I could either return to being what I used to be or change and be who I want to be. I chose to be just Sombra. I want nothing more than to keep going forward and be a different pony. I don’t remember much of my past. Some come in flashes and pieces, and I try to remember them, but they fade to nothing when I try. I remember some of my actions in the Empire, and what I recall, I am sorry for. But that isn’t me.” He stated to the listening mare.

Oblivion looked at her, and a thought came to him as he considered his next move. “Shall I show you what he was when I found him? What I could see as the Element of Spirit?”

The three ponies turned to stare at him. Luna looked to Sombra, who still trembled at Blue Bloods' side. “Yes. Please,” she said to him and waited as his horn lit.

His horn was covered in his azure flame, and a memory of his own came forward. An image of the mass of corruption and darkness that Sombra had been when he had seen him came into focus. Luna gasped and backed up a step at the sight of it. Blue leaned into Sombra and made sure the nervous pony was all right. Sombra had cringed at the sight and pushed against Blue Blood.

“Look at the image, Luna. Do you see the small light within the darkness?”

She looked back at the image, and her eyes widened as she saw it. “Yes.”

“That is the spirit of the pony you see before you now. Not the tyrant, not the King, just the pony. I acted as I did due to that spirit surviving a thousand years of torture and induced madness; it never stopped trying to survive. Any other would have broken entirely, but Sombra did not fall. That is one of the many reasons I chose to save him instead of ending him. I defied everypony to save him. I refused to allow a spirit with that courage to fall.”

Luna looked at Sombra, who was now staring at the ground between his hooves. She walked over to him as Oblivion allowed the image to fade into nothing. She sat before him, putting a hoof under his chin to raise his head. She lunged forward and wrapped her forelegs around his neck. Tears fell from her eyes as she sobbed against his fur.

“We are sorry.” She whispered to him.

Sombra stiffened and fell to his rump in front of her, still held in her grip. Blue smiled and backed up to stand next to the Witcher.

“You knew.” He taunted quietly.

“Perhaps.” Oblivion replied.

Sombra wrapped his forelegs around her and hugged her, tears falling from his eyes.

“We know how it feels to be alone for so long.” She whispered to him. “We are so sorry we did not give thou a chance sooner.” She said to him as she pulled away from him. “We want you to know that we will watch over your dreams and make sure that no nightmares will come to harm thee.”

Sombra got to his hooves and pulled her up. “I would like that. Thank you, Lu…Princess Luna.”

She laughed as she sniffled. “Just Luna. Oblivion is our first friend, and any friend of his is ours. My friends call me Luna.”

Sombra nodded. “And I will always just be Sombra.”

“I will let you go back to dreaming. I have to speak to my sister. Oblivion, we promise thou will not be imprisoned any longer.”

Oblivion nodded to her. “I am fine, Luna. There is no hurry for the night.”

“No. We should have said more when the decision was made. Thou would have shown us the same image had we asked.”

“Yes, I would have.” He said to her.

She grumbled about Witchers and giving information but then brightened. “Thou will have thy name cleared before dawn.”

He tilted his head for a moment in reply. She turned to Sombra and set her horn against his cheek, and he vanished. Blue stared for a second before Luna turned to see him.

“We sent him back to his dreams. It's time to wake up, Nephew,” she said as her horn lit and the area was bathed in the light of the moon.

Oblivion opened his eyes as Blue gasped and sat up. Luna sat down and panted for a moment before composing herself. She stood up and walked over to the lock on Oblivion’s cell. Her horn lit as the lock clicked open. “Thou do not belong in there, Oblivion Shadow.” Oblivion walked out the newly opened door. “Come with us. We, the three of us, are going to have a chat with my sister.” She stated that she walked ahead of both Oblivion and Blue Blood.

“Aunt Luna. It’s the middle of the night.” Blue said aloud. “Aunt Celestia is asleep by now.”

“She is. We can tell. But this will not wait. Oblivion was right to help Sombra. And we will no longer allow his good name to be tarnished.” She said as she spun to lead them out of the dungeon.

She led them through the palace to a bedroom with a wide sun on its door. She knocked politely on it once. When there was no movement from inside, she shoved it open. A startled whinny sounded as Celestia came around. He looked past the blue Alicorn as Celestia approached a corner and regarded her sister.

“Luna?” She yelped.

“Sister. We must speak with thou.” The younger Alicorn spoke, her voice certain and unwavering.

“Luna. This could not have waited?” Her eyes fell on the pair of stallions behind her sister, and she paused. “Luna. He is meant to be…”

“Not anymore.” Luna interrupted. “We said little when we chose to punish him before. We have met Sombra.”

Celestia stared at her sister. “Met him? He is in Ponyville.”

“We brought his mind into a shared dream with the help of Oblivion and Blue Blood. We spoke there. He is not the pony I remembered from over a thousand years ago. We have made an error, sister. If thou wish to punish ponies for their past, then thou should start with me. Thou pardoned me and gave me the chance to make things better. We wish to give this pony that same chance.”

“Luna. You can’t be serious. He attacked us both…”

“A thousand years ago, I attacked you.”

Celestia went quiet at her sister’s words. She looked past her to the two stallions who had also walked in. “Oblivion, who released you?”

“Luna. She chose to open the cage doors after speaking with Sombra and seeing for herself the pony he is now.”

“He is no longer a tyrant, sister. We spoke with him. When we inhaled to yell at him, he panicked and jumped to hide between Oblivion and Blue Blood. He trembled and hid from me.” Luna said. “He was terrified. Oblivion had to coax him out of hiding before he would look at me. Oblivion showed me the pony he fought in the tundra and the pony he is now. There is no comparison, sister. They are not the same pony. Sombra was saved from further suffering by Oblivion.” She turned to the black unicorn. “Can you show my sister what we saw?”

He nodded, and his horn was shrouded in azure flame. The same image they had seen now showed itself to Celestia. She gasped at the darkness; Luna walked to the image and pointed to the flickering light within the shadows.

“That is the true Sombra. That spirit survived a thousand years of torture and madness. Oblivion defied Shining Armor and Cadance and chose to save such a strong spirit. It would have been easier to destroy him, but he chose to help him.”

“Oblivion saved me from becoming that.” Blue Blood spoke as he came forward. “He saw it when he met me. He could see that I was drowning, and he chose to help me. He didn’t have to. Sombra is a good pony. It's a very nervous pony, but it's a good one. I look forward to meeting him in the physical world.”

Even Luna looked surprised at her nephew’s words but smiled in response. “He is right. Sombra is a good pony now that he is free of that pain and suffering. We also will be happy to meet him face to face.”

Celestia looked stunned as the image faded. “Luna let go of her past feelings for him when she realized he was a vastly different pony than she recalled. You can also let go of that, but I will not ask it of you. It’s not my place to command you. But any action against Sombra is an action against me. I do not brook any threats to those I protect.” Oblivion spoke up.

“I’m with him,” Blue said, standing tall beside the unicorn.

Luna nodded and smiled at her sister. “Come, sister. We have forgiven bigger enemies than Sombra. Why can’t Sombra?”

Celestia startled. She looked away from them. “All of you feel this way?” They nodded. “Very well. But he reverts then...”

“I will tend to it myself if that happens. He is mine to watch over.” Oblivion interrupted.

Celestia nodded. “I will agree with my sister. Your name is cleared, Oblivion... And so is Sombra's. We will keep his location a secret, and he will be under your guardianship. No actions will be taken against him without your consideration and consultation.” Oblivion nodded, his face stoic. “Can I go back to sleep now?” She asked them. A smile tugged at her muzzle.

Luna smiled and lunged to hug her elder sister. “Thank you.” She nuzzled Celestia and led the stallions out of her sister’s chambers. The door closed, and Luna exhaled in a rush. “That was a bit nerve-wracking. We were not sure how she would react.”

“Thankfully, she seems to have come around.” Oblivion replied to the mare.

Author's Note

Here we go—the final piece of Sombra's redemption. I hope you enjoyed it!