Sunburst and The Shadow Pony

by Miner

Rating: everyone
Tags: Adventure, Sunburst, King Sombra, Queen Chrysalis, Random, Alternate Universe, Sad, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 22528

Sunburst adventure with an unexpected ally.

Sunburst has always been a good pony. Helping out others in need. So what happens when he opens a mystery box in front of his door that has somepony asking for help? He gets caught in a web of disaster by an Enemy of the lands. And has to unite with an unexpected ally to defeat them.

As a side story set right after "Our New Queen"

editing complete. 9/23/19

Published 2019-02-01 15:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-09-24 04:22:52 UTC

The mystery in front of my house

Inside a dark cave near the Crystal Empire. A lonely rat scurries across the floor, sniffing for its next meal. It then hears a sound of something larger than itself nearby. Not wanted to see that last of its days so soon, it runs away as fast its legs could. It squeezes through holes, jumping over rocks, and double back its tracks and the sound of the giant creature disappears. Looking around the corner, the rat could see the shadow of the beast going deeper into the cave. Satisfy that it has avoided danger the rat starts sniffing again, and his nouse caught the scent of something delicious nearby. His nouse led him to a small piece of peanut butter on a metal bar.

Knowing that this was a trap the rat wanted to leave it alone, but the hunger in its belly was too much to ignore the chance of food and moves to the peanuts butter. He nibbles on it with nothing happening he goes in for another bite which was his doom. The metal bar moves back, and the metal bar falls from the ceiling blocking his entrance to the trap. He runs around the trap, trying to find a way out squeaking like mad, which was another mistake. Soon the same sounds from earlier were returning and getting closer. Know that he was endangered, he doubles his efforts to escape, but nothing he did was working. Then before he knew it, the cage started glowing a light green and was lifted in the air. He came face to face with the terror of the cave. It was black as night with green hair flows across its face. Its white fangs could be seen sticking out its mouth. This was the end she found him. He life is over as he lays across the cage, pretending to be dead. The creature lets out a sigh and shakes the pen until the rat got back up.

"Max, this is the second time you have gotten out of your cage," Chrysalis said to her pet rat. "I have more important things to deal with, then having to deal with you running away like that every other day."

The rat then starts making complains in the forms of squeaks and fits. Chrysalis has no idea what he is saying, but he does this every time she catches him, so she has an idea. "Don't give me that." Chrysalis brings her pet back to her laboratory. Once she has fixed the new hole in his cage, she puts Max inside and then gets back to work.

"Now then. Where was I? Right the horn."

Chrysalis moves to a table with a black horn with a red tip lays. "I have no idea whose horn this belongs to but even as it is now. I can still feel the dark magic of its master still coming from it."

Chrysalis then moves to another side of the room where a huge red crystal of dark magic lies embedded into the wall. "Legend has it. That the great King Sombra was born from this crystal of dark magic." She touches the crystal. "If I can somehow tap into its power. I will have enough power to overthrow everypony that has ever wronged me and take back what was mine."

She then moves back to the horn. "However, every form of magic has a price to pay. And I have no idea what will happen if I take this magic within me. Perhaps I require a test subject. Somepony, whose thirst for knowledge will cloud their judgment of the dangers that his crystal has to offer. They would also have to be someone who does know me well but is will to work with a stranger. Now, what pony do I know who can fit the bill?"

"Coming." Sunburst opens the front door to his house and finds nopony there. He confused he looks around until he found a small unmarked box on his doorstep. Now anypony in their right mind would check the box for traps for a possible prank or throw it away. But not Sunburst. This is a mystery box and disgrading any form of common sense he quickly took the box inside his house. He sets it on a table and opens it. Inside was an old book made of stone along with a letter on top of the book. Putting the stone book to the side, he reads the letter.

Dear Sunburst,

My name is Crystine. I am an archaeologist researching one of the ice caves near the Crystal Empire. In my recent excavation, I found something that I have never seen before. I know that I should go to the royals about this. However, I fear that my discovery may react badly to the magic of the alicorns. I can't leave my site for fear of another archaeologist taking my discovery for their own. I am asking you to please contact me in unlocking the secrets of my discovery. If you chose to help me then head to the outskirts of the Crystal Empire heading west. Please come alone for I like my privacy while working. I hope to hear from you soon.

Crystine,

p.s. You can keep the book.

Oh, course anypony in their right mind would think that this sounds very suspicious and would tell somepony about it. Or maybe they would ignore it and not forget about their duties to the Empire. And no old book from the ancient world would convince them that this is a good idea. That would be the best thing anypony could think of doing in this situation. Too bad that pony's name isn't Sunburst.

"How can I refuse!" Sunburst quickly locks his house and heads to the outskirts of the Empire.

Chrysalis stands in front of a full-length mirror as she gets her disguise ready for Sunburst, "Now let's see. How about this one?" Chrysalis then changes her appearance to look like light cream unicorn mare with long ague green mane and brown eyes, "Nah, I don't like the eyes." She then changes to light blue pegasus with a matching mane with white stripes on her mane and white eyes, "Nope, I will blend into the background like this." She then changes into a white earth mare with a deep red medium length mane and blue eyes, "Eeeemmm what do you think Max?" the rat did a little whistle which Chrysalis rolls her eyes, "I get the message. And you are right. I am not trying to win his heart." She then changes into a white unicorn with bright pink mane with green eyes and a familiar face, "I am getting mad just looking at this." She then changes to a light brown unicorn mare with blonde mane and silver eyes, "That's better." She was backs to her research table and covers the horn with a small cloth. "I wonder how much do I need to say to Sunburst to get him to help me?"

Just then, a loud voice called out to her from somewhere in the cave. "Crystine. Crystine are you there?"

"That was quick." Ahem. "Yes, I am here. Just follow the lights Sunburst." Crystine calls out to Sunburst as she covers the red crystal with a white sheet. As she was doing this, Crystine was started to get a nagging feeling about something. "Hum, Why do I feel like I am forgetting something."

"GGGAAAWWWWHHOOOO!" Sunburst then came sliding into the laboratory and crashing into a pile of pillows.

"Right. I forgot about the hole in the floor which acts as a shortcut here." Crystine walks to stallion under the pillows looking in his dizzy eyes. "Comfy?"

Sunburst shakes his head and turns onto his stomach, "Yes, actually."

"Sorry about that. I completely forgot about the hole in the floor."

"It is alright." Sunburst extracts himself from the pillows. "So where is this artifact you have found?"

"Wait right here, and I will show you." Crystine walks to a table and picks up an object covered by a cloth and brings it to Sunburst, "Now behold!" Crystine closes her eyes and uses her magic to remove the fabric to display her discovery and waits for Sunburst reaction.

Sunburst leans in and looks confused ass to what she was showing him, "A rat?" Crystine looks down on her hoof to see a familiar rat smiling at her.

"Max, what are you doing out of your cage!" Max runs back to his cage and closes the door behind him before Crystine could grab him, "I got to get a better cage for you." Crystine glares at her pet before she looks back the table to find the object she wanted to show Sunburst. And tries again, "Here it is. Behold!"

Sunburst eyes widen to take in everything she was showing him, "A horn?"

"Not just any horn," She said, tossing it in the air and catching it, "If my research is correct. This horn belongs to a mighty unicorn. I believe you might have heard about him." Crystine then motions for Sunburst to join her at her table.

All across the table. Sunburst can see pieces of crystals with different colors, along with parts of armor and a crown that he knows he has seen before but can't think of where. He then turns his attention to an old scroll. It shows many ponies bowing to a unicorn with a horn that looks just like the one that Crystine has shown him. He put a hoof to his chin and began to think about loud.

"The horn matches the one shown in the scroll, but this could be a coincidence. As for the pieces of armor," He grabs one in his magic, "They appear to be similar to the one the storm king soldiers used. Suggesting that this sued to be a set of magic resistance armor." He put it down and picks up the crystals, "These crystals have a black color mixed inside them with their natural color," Sunburst breath speeds up as he continues to look at the artifacts as a warning in the back of head start to go off, "It is only possible if they have exposed to large amounts of dark magic."

Crystine nods at him, "Keep going, you are almost there."

"There are no natural formations of black crystal in the Empire because Dark magic can only be made of a creature with a dark heart. And the only known creature of dark magic in Equestria was...KING SOMBRA!" Sunburst exclaimed backing away from the table.

Crystine's poker faces kept her from blowing her cover as she watches in amusement at Sunburst outburst. And react accordingly to how a pony would take this, "Sunburst. Calm down!"

Fearful at to what was in front of him, Sunburst demands answers from Crystine, "What are you planning to do with this stuff!?"

"Nothing Danergous," She said smoothly, "I am an archaeologist first and for most Sunburst. I plan to safely transport my finding to a new museum in the Crystal Empire to show them the history of King Sombra." she lied, "And that is where you come in. Sunburst."

"What do you want from me?" He said, moving back to the table.

"Anypony could take this stuff and put it behind a piece of glass and show it to everypony. However, only a few of them are willing to do so safely."

"What are you talking about?"

"These artifacts are alive Sunburst." Sunburst then jumps away from the table. Crystine drags a hoof down her face. "Not in that sense. What I mean is that they alive with magic."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh. Now get back here you scaredy-cat."

Sunburst goes back to the table once again looking at this object in new awe. "So Sombra's magic is still with them. How?"

"That is what I don't understand. I would cast a spell to rid these objects of the magic, but then the dark magic would return to them."

Sunburst then leans in close to the objects. "Exstroduinary."

Crystine then notices that Sunburst is too close to her. "Ah, Sunburst."

"What?" Sunburst then realizes that he if he moves an inch more to the left. He would be leaning on Crystine. He then backs away from Crystine blushing a little. "Sorry."

"Watch yourself. I don't like fresh ponies." Crystine said brushing off her coat where Sunburst was near. "Anyways. I couldn't figure out why these things would be doing this. It is as if Sombra was still connected to these objects."

"That can't be. He is dead."

"Indeed. Everypony knows about his fall at the Empire twice. So I did a little digging and found this. There is no historical evidence that shows that Sombra has had any family before or after him. It is as if he just appeared out of nowhere one day."

"Okay, but what does that have got to do with anything?"

"Okay heard me out on this one Sunburst. What if Sombra wasn't born into Equestria. But rather what if he was created?"

"For what purpose?"

"I don't know. But then I got to thinking. If he was created them, there must have been something of great magic used to create him. And so long as that object is still around, then one day King Sombra will return."

"That is an interesting theory. Do you have anything to back it up?"

"In fact." Crystine then moves next to a big sheet on the other side of the lab. "I do." Crystine uses her magic to remove the cloth. Behind it lies a giant red crystal stunk in the wall. "Behold! The Great Crystal of Dark Magic."

The color drains from his face at the very idea of what is ten feet away from him. But priorities first, "Get away from that Crystine!"

"Relax Sunburst. It is perfectly safe," she says, tapping the crystal with a hoof, "I have already have taken measures to make sure that we won't be affected anymore by its magic."

Sunburst cautiously walks closer to the crystal and stops five feet away. "What are you planning to do with that?"

"Safety transport it to a safe location away from the Empire for starters. And then get my name in the paper for being the one who found it."

"But if that is the case," He looks at her, curiously, "Why bring me here."

"Becuase I am an archaeologist Sunburst. Not a wiz pony with magic," She said tapping him on the head a few times, "I may have contained its magic for now, but I have no idea how I am going to get it out of here. Without the possibility of bringing back King Sombra," She moves back to the crystal as Sunburst rubs his forehead, "But first things first. I need a way to banish his magic form objects completely. That way Sombra only anchor to this world is his crystal."

"Perhaps Princess Twilight is better suited for something like this."

She lets out a sigh and looks dejected at him, "You don't think I have thought about that Sunburst? Did you forget what I said in my letter about alicorn magic?"

"You weren't kidding about that?"

Crystine then motions for Sunburst to follow her. "As you are aware Sunburst, magic it is in everypony. It can even be found in anything that was once part of a being of magic." Crystine then grabs a saddle bag on the table and pulls out a pink feather with a purple tip.

"What is that?"

"A feather from Princess Candance that I... never mind. Just watch." Christine then tosses the feather towards the crystal and runs for cover behind a turnover table. Sunburst was going to ask what she was doing, but she beat him to the punch, "If you value your life, hide!" Crystine said behind the table as Sunburst quickly joins her.

Once the feather was within two feet of the Crystal. The crystal began to react by glowing and vibrating violently, which causes the cave to start shaking. Black blots of magic came out from it until it struck the feather burning it to ashes. Once the feather was gone, the Crystal began to calm down, and both ponies came out from hiding.

"Now, you see what I am dealing with."

"Incredible. The crystal recognized that the feather was from an Alicorn and defended itself."

"And now you know why I didn't ask any of the princesses to come here. Well, that is one of the reasons."

"What is the other?"

Crystine moves in front of Max, "Remember how I said that objects that have this dark magic in them will always be with them?"

"Yes."

She picks up Max out of the cage and starts petting him, "How do you think I found about the crystal's reaction to magic and was able to contain its magic?" She said in a depressed tone, "I had to experiment with it and get close to it."

"Crystine." He said worriedly,

"It has already corrupted my magic Sunburst," She puts Max back and fills his water bowl and feeding bowl, "Soon Sombra's magic will completely replace mine, and he will overtake my body, and then King Sombra will return."

"Can't you just leave this place, before that happens?!"

"I have already tried," She moves to the pile of pillows and lays down on them, "But his magic is still there. And just like the object on the table," She pointed to the crystals, "Doing any form of magic removing is useless and not to mention since I am a living creature it would also cause me great pain in the process." She lays her head down, "I just want to make sure that this doesn't happen to any other pony beside me."

Sunburst tries to think of some way to help her but coming up with nothing. He never thought that he would ever need to study dark magic and has no idea how to dispell a creature of one properly. He would ask the princesses for help, but their methods of dealing with dark magic either involve banishment or destruction. He didn't want that for Crystine. He moves next to her.

"There has to be something that we can do!"

"My only hope is to find a way to completely seal off the magic within the crystal before all of my magic is corrupted. Will you help me, Sunburst?"

He replies without a second thought, "Oh, course, Crystine."

The two ponies work tirelessly for weeks, day and night trying to find a solution to a problem that wasn't there. Crystine has been lying to Sunburst the whole time. The truth in the matter was that the objects on the table only have dark magic in them because Crystine put it there. She was in no danger of Sombra taking over her body. As for the Crystal itself, that is the real deal. However, it lies dormant and only reacts when a form of strong light magic comes close to it.

What Crystine needs form Sunburst to do is to find a way to force his magic inside it of it. Once that happens. It will trigger a chain reaction and causing it to release an enormous amount of dark magic. Everypony within a mile radius will be overtaken entirely with dark magic. Ponies with light magic will most likely not survive. As for Crystine, or should I say Chrysalis, a been of dark magic will gain a power-up greater than anything she has experienced in her life.

Over the weeks that followed, Chrysalis has begun to grow fond of the stallion. She is going to miss him once his work is done. Like when you have to get rid of your favorite sweater because your pet ruined it.

So far, Sunburst has shown nothing but his best to get his magic to work on the crystal with no success. But then, one day.

"Are sure about this?" Crystine asked Sunburst at his latest attempt at the crystal.

"Yes I am sure about this," Sunburst said, putting on Sombra's crown, "If I can fool the crystal that I am a being of dark magic. It should let me use my magic on it."

"And what if it is not fooled?"

"Then we will have to think of another way. Now stand back." Sunburst then concentrates his magic to the tip of his horn, and a beam of orange and black was short a crystal. Sunburst continues the beam to begin the sealing spell.

Crystine looks at Sunburst work and notices that the crystal is reacting it his magic. Not as it did with the feather when the black-lighting. But as a glow of magic being awaken.

'I don't believe it. He just might have found a way to seal the magic within the crystal.' Crystine thought to herself. 'But if he seals the magic inside the crystal now. All the magic inside it will be lost forever. I can't let him do that. Sorry Sunburst but your usefulness has just ended.' Crystine was about to knock Sunburst out when the crystal started reacting differently.

Sparks of black lighting and white lighting started coming from the crystal.

"Sunburst what is going on!"

"It is the crystal! Its magic is fighting back!" He said in a strand voice,

"Stop while you still can." She pleaded with him,

"I can't. If I do that now, then a massive amount of dark magic will be released. Get out of here Crystine. I don't know how long I can hold it."

"I am not leaving you behind Sunburst." As Crystine said, this crakes started to form on the Crystal and spreading across its surface. A bright light started coming from the crakes as more began to form.

Crystine noticed this and started to have second thoughts about this. She knows that a massive amount of dark magic was what she wanted, but this looks like a bomb about to go off. Before anypony could do anything, there was an explosion of white and black.

As the dust settles. Chrysalis was forced back into her changeling from. "Ow. My head," she said, getting on her hooves. "Sunburst!" Chrysalis looks around for the stallion but couldn't see him. Her lab is mostly destroyed. She moves to the location of the Crystal. She sees nothing but shards of what was once the great crystal of dark magic.

Chrysalis then checks herself for any change in her power. However, she feels the same as she always has. She also notices that she doesn't feel anything dark magic in the air. It is as if no explosion of pure dark magic had just happened.

"But if the magic inside the crystal isn't in me or the air. Where is it?"

"It is in me." A dark voice said behind her.

Slowly Chrysalis turns around to see a stallion that she has never meet before. But there was no mistaking his identity.

"Sombra."

And then he sneezed

Sombra, the Evil King of the Crystal Empire, has returned. This is an unfortunate event that Chrysalis was trying to avoid when she wanted his power for herself. When she found the crystal in this cave, it's magic power was in a deep sleep, and she couldn't awaken it. That is why she needed Sunburst. She needed him to awake the energy within and take the ancient dark magic for herself. She knew there was a small chance for Sombra to come back, but she was willing to take that chance. However, it looks like luck wasn't on her side.

"Well, I had a feeling that when that crystal broke. That there was a chance for you to be revived Sombra."

"That is KING Sombra to you bug!" He said as they started circling each other,

"Who are you calling a bug? You good for nothing shadow pony!"

"Insect!"

"Black pony."

"Wrench."

"You know what. Enough of this smack talk." Chrysalis then sends a magic blast at Sombra. But Sombra dodges it by turning into a shadow and move across the floor. "Get back here!" Chrysalis shouted, giving chase. She follows him and blasts at his shadow whenever it would hold still for a second only to miss. But she continues to blast at him it all her might in rage destroying what was left of her lab. Chrysalis notice that Sombra has only been dodging. There may be a chance that he hasn't regained his full power yet and is just paying time. She can't have that. And what better way to get under someponies skin than to hit their ego.

"Some King you are! Stand up and fight me! Or are you afaird of a little bug?"

"Well. If you insist." Once Sombra was solid again. Chrysalis then blasts him with magic and notice something very wrong. He is unhurt. He didn't even flinch. Sombra dust his coat here the blast hit him and looks at Chrysalis. "Is that the best you got?"

Chrysalis wasn't expecting for Sombra to be this strong already or is she that weak at the moment? She doesn't know; she was already low on love when she was working with Sunburst. She was hoping that she would have absorbed all the dark magic before she got into any fights. In truth, Chrysalis could transform into a dragon and fight Sombra like that. However, she only has enough magic reserve left to change one more time. Leaving her with two options. Runaway or win this fight. And there is no way Sombra is going to let her run away. So how is she going to finish this fight?

Before she could figure out a plan of action, Sombra rushed her, and slams her into a wall. Sombra backs up as he causes black crystals to come from the wall behind her trapping Chrysalis against the wall.

"You are rather weak your highness," King Sombra said with a smug grin on his face, "You should have run when you had the chance."

Not wanting to go down without a fight Chrysalis puts on a face and challenges the king, "A Queen never runs away from a fight."

"Then this is the end for you." Sombra horn then starts glowing as Chrysalis closed her eyes.

"What? OW! Get off of me!"

Chrysalis opens her eyes to see Sombra trying to get a rat off of his face, taking this moment of opportunity. Chrysalis then begin to pull herself free out of the crystals. Once she was free, Sombra had just thrown the rat across the room hitting the wall hard and falling behind some debris.

"MAX!" Chrysalis charges at Sombra and starts a hoof fight with him. However, it soon became clear to her that she wasn't going to win this fight as she continues to struggle with Sombra. He grabbed her by the neck and threw her over his shoulder and landing hard behind half a table. She looked back at Sombra from around the corner to see his horn glowing again.

"This has gone on long enough- Aug- ah... ah... achoo!"

....
...
..

What happened to Sombra after he sneezed makes utterly no sense to Chrysalis. King Sombra had changed colors. His grey coat turned a light orange, and his black mane turned into a red-orange. And his eyes turn from red to blue. Where once stood the Great King of Shadow now stands Sunburst. Granted that he now has the body of a muscle stallion, it is him. Sunburst looks confused to what he was doing and removed the crown on his head and places it on the floor. He looked around to see what had become of the lab before he called out for his partner.

"Crystine where are you?"

'Right that what Sunburst knows my disguise from as.' Quickly changing back into Crystine, Chrysalis called out to Sunburst.

"I am behind the table," Crystine came out from behind the table.

Sunburst greets her in a hug. Crystine was caught off guard by this but decided to let it go. Considering that she is to injure to fight back anyway. "I am glad you are alright, Crystine."

"Same to you." Crystine then breaks the hug, and they both walk over to where the Crystal of Dark Magic once stood. There is nothing left except for a few shards no bigger than a bit.

"It is a shame about what happened to the crystal though," Sunburst said.

"Well, at least now no pony can use it for evil proposes." Like herself. "And I guess it is safe to say that I am no longer in danger of Sombra taking over my body know."

"True. And sorry about destroying your research," he said looking around the lab,

"Eh, it alright."She dismisses the idea by waving a hoof, "I will find another way to get my name out there." She then turns her attention to Sunburst physic, "Say Sunburst."

"Yes?"

"Do you feel any different?"

"No, not really. Why?"

"Well, I can sure see something different about you. I say you gain about thirty pounds."

"What are you talking about- goodness!" Sunburst then notices that his body is indeed different, and not in a bad way.

"About Thirty pounds in muscle." She said laughing as he continues to look over himself,

"I don't understand."

"Well, you were the closest to the crystal when it went boom. Maybe it did something to you."

"This is well. I can't say that I don't like it. I wonder what else has changed has happened to me besides my looks?"

"I don't know, but can we find Max first?"

"Sure."

Sunburst then begins searching for Max as Crystine thought to herself. ' What happened?! When that Crystal of Dark Magic went boom. All of its magic should have been scattered across this area. And Sunburst should have been six feet under! But for some reason, all the magic went inside Sunburst and recreated Sombra. It must have something to do with that fact that he was wearing the crown when it happened. But that doesn't explain why he turned back to normal when he sneezed... Wait a minute.'

A few minutes before the experiment.

*achoo!*

"Coming down with something Sunburst?"

"Maybe. But it shouldn't interfere with my performance today."

"If you say so."

' Don't tell me that the fact he had a small case of the sniffles that he unconsciously changed the spell he was trying to cast in the first place? That might explain the explosion earlier. Magic is such a delicate thing.'

"I found him!"

Crystine then walks on over to Sunburst. "Come here, Max." Crystine then grabs Max and hugs him. Max, however, was bitting her hoof.

Sunburst noticed this and put a little distance between him and the rat for some reason. "A little fisty, isn't he?"

"He is just embarrassed that is at." Crystine then put him in his cage and turns back to Sunburst. "Now then what are we going to do with you Sunburst?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you can't go back to the Empire as you are now."

Confused, he askes again, "What are you talking about?"

Crystine shakes her head move in close to sunburst and get him a flat look, "Sunburst what just went kaboom earlier?"

"A Crystal of Dark Magic," he replied dumbly,

"Correct. And where were you when this happened?"

"In front of it."

"Good job. And now since there is no evidence that the magic inside the crystal is all around us. And you suddenly have gain muscle mass. Where do you suppose all this dark magic went?"

Sunburst eyes started to get bigger. "In...insi- inside me."

"Good," She said, patting him on the shoulder, "And what happens to creatures full of dark magic when they enter the Crystal Empire?"

Sunburst then starts shaking at the thought. "They...they..."

"They die. Come on Sunburst it not that hard to think about."

Sunburst starts running around the room panicking. "What am I going to do! What am I going to do! What am I going to do! What am I going to do!"

"Calm down Sunburst," Crystine said, stopping Sunburst in his tracks with a pile of pillows. "Now the only logical thing we can do right now. Is to find somepony that is strong enough to remove the dark magic within you and what is left inside me. It will be painful, but at least it will save our lives."

Sunburst sticks his head out from the pile. "Your right."

"And since we have no way of getting close to Princess Candance without committing suicide. We must find another Princess."

"Perhaps Celestia can help us?"

"You want to walk into the capital of Equestria with a body full of dark magic? Oh, brilliant idea," she said sarcastically,

"Alright, so what do you have in mind?" Sunburst said, leaving the pile of pillows.

"Princess Twilight is the Princess of Friendship after all. The strongest form of magic in all of Equestria. She is the best choice of the four Princesses right now."

"Alright, then we better get the next train to Pony Ville." Sunburst started moving but notice that his movements were being stopped by Crystine magic. He sighs and looks back, annoyed, "What!? What now?"

"Did you forget where the Train station is Sunburst."

"It is in the- oh."

"Yes, it is. And we can't go near the Empire, remember?"

"So how are we going to get to Pony Ville then?!"

"Oh, there is this great new invention called hooves!"

"You want us to walk all the way there!"

"No, we are going ask rides from a dragon to help us get there," She said sweetly before she shouts at him, "Of course, we are going to walk," Sunburst adjusts his glasses at her outburst only to see that they are broken and for some reason doesn't need them. He puts them away from now as Crystine starts packing, "But we are just walking to the nearest town then get the train from there."

"That makes much more sense."

"What! Did you thought we were going to walk the whole way?"

Sunburst looks away for a second before responding, "Maybe?"

"Start walking before I hurt you. On second thought." She did hit him.

Getting on a train

Crystine walks on top of a hill and looks back at Sunburst. "Will you hurry it up?"

Sunburst Slowly walks up to meet up with Crystine short of breath. "I am trying Crystine. But I am just not used to this much-"

"Walking?"

"Hiking is more like it."

"We only have been walking for an hour. Quit your whining," she said, looking at a map trying to see where they are going.

"That is easy for you to..." A small feather flying in the wind brushes against Sunburst nouse. "To... ah... ah."

"Sunburst?" She asks looking up from her map,

"ACHOO!" Sunburst coat then turned gray, and his mane turned black. And his eyes turned into red. Sunburst has changed into King Sombra. His looks around confused about how he got here. He notices the Pony in front of him.

"Who are you, Pony?!" Sombra demands from Crystine.

Not wanting to fight him again. Crystine had to think of something fast. "Just a pony sir. Please don't kill me," she said, taking a step back acting afaird.

"That is King Sombra to you." He said, stomping his hoof to the ground. "And you will serve me pony."

Swallowing her pride, Crystine bow before Sombra. "Your wish is my command." Crystine died a little on the inside as she said that. 'For now at least. But once your magic is mine. We will see who has the last laugh.'

"Good. Now then. Where is that bug I was fighting earlier?" Sombra looked around to find Chrysalis.

'Hun. I guess that he doesn't know anything about changelings than. I can use this.' Crystine thought to herself. "She must have teleported you away from your battle your highness," 'I think I am going to throw up if I keep this up.'

"I guess. Where is the Crystal Empire?"

Crystine became worried at what Sombra said. If he gets destroyed again, that is it, and no dark magic for her. All her hard work for the past weeks would have been for nothing. "Sir if I may. The Empire is under the Protection of the Crystal Heart. If you were to go back now, you would not succeed."

He thinks about it, "You speak true servent. I must find a way to remove the Crystal Heart form the castle before I can return there. Crystine do you have any ideas." King Sombra stopped and looked at her. "And how do I know your name when I never asked for it?"

"Uh? Lucky guess?"

"It would seem that my memory isn't as good as it once was. I will have to look into it later. Can you fight pony?" But before Crystine could answer. Another feather blowing in the wind brushed across Sombra nouse, causing him to sneeze again.

"ACHOO!" And Sunburst is back.

"Gesundheit," Crystine said, wiping her chest as some of his sneezes had reached her coat.

"Thanks."

"That was a big one. You feeling alright, Sunburst?"

"I am alright, but I think something is wrong with me."

"You do realize that you had absorbed a large amount of dark magic."

"I know that. It just that I remember strange things."

"What do you mean."

"Like... I was mean to ponies who hurt me."

"That is weird. Now come on. The town isn't going to come to us."

"Right." Sunburst resumed walking with Crystine not knowing that a small patch of his mane behind his head has turned black.

"So," Sunburst said. "What is the name of this town we are going anyways?"

"It is not much of a town but rather a train yard near Foal Mountain. It is just as big a town that is all."

"Wait. If this is a train yard, we are going to. How are we going to get the tickets to Ponyville?"

"Don't worry about it. I got everything under control. Just follow my lead."

"I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS!" Sunburst screamed as he hangs on the edge of a moving train cart.

Crystine idea of getting to Ponyville involves jumping onto a moving train and find one that is heading to the Train Yard or Ponyville whichever comes first. She helped him up into the train cart. This one so happens to be the cargo cart. It is filled with crates and goodies that she would usually look around in but couldn't at the moment. "Well, it is not like we could get tickets for a moving train now, could we? So this is the next best thing."

Sunburst calms himself down with a breathing exercise. "I... I think... I preferred the walking idea."

"No Sunburst. Even with your new body build. You aren't used to it yet, and most likely pass out before you made it halfway there."

"Why can't this be easy."

"Nothing worthwhile is easy to get," She said, patting his back, "Now if you excuse me. I need to find out where we are going."

"What am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

"Hide, do some exercise, and don't sneeze."

"Alright- wait what was that last part?"

"Cover your nose for everypony sake. Your sneeze is a dangerous weapon."

"Sorry," Sunburst said, then starting thinking of a way of how to do her advice.

Before Crystine left the cart, she opens her saddlebag and let Max out. Max shakes his body before looking at Crystine. "Max, I need you to make sure that he doesn't sneeze. We don't want a repeat of happened in the cave, right?"

Max looks at Sunburst trying to do a push-up and looks back at Crystine and gives her a salute. "Thank you, Max. I can always count on you." Crystine opens up the door to leave the cart and closes it behind her. Leaving Max and Sunburst alone. Max moves next to Sunburst and watches him.

It didn't take long for Sunburst to notice that he wasn't alone in the Train cart. "Hi, Max."

"Tickets please." The train conductor said getting the tickets checked with the ponies in the cart. "Thank you. Have a good day." He said to one of the passengers on the train. He was passing an empty cart when he notices a small filly looking out the window without anypony around her. She has a dulled light blue coat with a silver mane and a small saddlebag. "Excuse me miss."

"Yes?" she said, looking at the conductor with her deep green eyes.

"Where are your parent's little filly?"

"They went to the bathroom," she said quickly.

"You wouldn't happen to have your ticket on you, would you?"

"I think so." She then starts looking through her bags and pulls out a ticket and gives it to the conductor. He looked at it and was to give it back when he noticed that the ticket has already expired and for the wrong train.

"Young mare this ticket is- Huh?!" The conductor noticed that the filly has disappeared along with her saddlebag. He sees a door closing to another cart and gave chase to the stowaway.

The filly made her way to the storage cart and hid behind some crates. She heard the door to the carriage open and closed, and the sound of the conductor looking for her.

'Please don't find me.' she thought to herself.

"I know you are in here little filly. Come on out, and we can talk about this."

'I can't go back yet!'

"What the-Get Off!"

'Huh?'

The little filly continues to listen to the conductor fighting with something. There were sounds of boxes getting crashes into and the sound of pan coming from the Conductor. After three minutes of this, the Conductor speaks up again. "You wait! You vermin! I will be right back!" He said before leaving the cart closing the door. Once the filly was sure he had gone, she moves from her hiding place.

'What happened?' She notices something on the floor moving towards her. Something small and furry. She blinks at this and looks closer to see what it was. "Oh. Hello there Mr. Rat. Did you scare off the conductor?"

"Excuse me." A voice said behind her. She turned around to see a Sunburst. "But who are you?"

Ponyville

The train conductor had just left the storage cart when he ran into a mare. "Sorry, Miss."

"It is alright," Crystine said. The conductor moves around Crystine with she spoke up. "Oh, Mr. Conductor."

"Yes?" He said, looking back at her.

"When are we to arrive at Las Pegasus?"

"Las Pegasus? We are due to arrive at PonyVille, Mam."

"What!" Crystine said, putting a hoof to her mouth. "Oh dear, I must have gotten on the wrong train. Thank you for your help, sir."

"No problem. Now if you will excuse me. I got a rat to take care of." The Conductor said, leaving Crystine there not noticing the train ticket that she took from his coat. She smiles as she waves goodbye at the Conductor before she enters the Storage cart.

Back inside the Storage cart.

The little filly is having a hard time thinking of an excuse for her reason for being there. "Oh, I... I... I got lost looking for the restroom Sir." She said, slowly backing away from Sunburst who look at her unconvinced.

"Really?" Sunburst said. "Because it didn't look like that to me with the Conductor chasing after you entered this cart."

"You saw that." Sunburst nodded. "Well, I just pulled a prank on him. Hehe."

"I thought you said that you were looking for the restroom."

"I was, and then once I got lost trying to find the restroom. I wanted to have some fun playing with the Conductor."

"Where are your parents?"

"That is why I was going to the restroom. Because that is where they went. I get lonely." She smiles at him, hoping he would buy her excuse while sweating bullets.

"And you couldn't stay in your seat for them. Why?"

"Is this Twenty Question Mister?" Before he could answer the door to the cart open. Fearing it was the conductor the filly hide behind Sunburst grabbing his leg, "I didn't do anything, wrong mister, I was only waiting for my dad, and I found him here, so there is nothing to worry about a filly being alone in a room on a train." she said quickly not looking to see the pony entering the cart. There was a moment of silence before Crystine spoke up,

"Sunburst?" she picks up Max and making her way to them. "Who is your friend?"

"A little filly who ran away from home." He said, moving away from the filly and joining Crystine looking at their new friend.

The filly looks up at Sunburst in shock. "How did you know that?!"

"You just told him," Crystine said she as the little filly law drops at being discovered.

The filly looks back at the adults in defeat. There is no way she can get away from two unicorns. "You are not going to turn me in, are you?"

Sunburst was going to answer, but Crystine silences him with a hoof, "That depends."

"Depends on what?" the Filly asked confused to what is going on,

"How good are you at acting?"

"Where are you, vermin!?" The conductor said, entering the storage cart with a small bag that is filled with anti-rat products.

"Excuse me?" Crystine said, looking offended at the Conductor's outburst of words.

"Huh?" The Conductor looks to the middle of the room to see two ponies there. One was a mare that he met earlier, and the other was a stallion. "Oh! Not you mam. There was a rat that is running loose in this cart, and it attacked me."

"Oh, dear, he did." Crystine looks sad at the Conductor. "I must apologize for that. You see. The rat is mine. He got loose from his cage. My husband and I went looking for him shortly afterward."

"Really?" The conductor calms down, "Then you must be more careful with your pets in the future Miss."

"We will take care of it," Sunburst said.

"Now that has been taken care of. I must get back to the other problem."

"That wouldn't happen to be a little filly now, would it?" Crystine asked.

"How did you know?"

"Melody," Crystine called out into the cart, and the little filly came out from behind some boxes. "Do you have something to say to the nice Conductor?"

She sighs, "I am sorry for tricking you earlier, sir. I was bored and thought that I could have a little fun before we get to Las Pegasus."

"That is right. I am sorry for whatever my little girl had pulled on you, sir," Sunburst said, "She normally doesn't act like this."

"It is alright. I have a little filly myself. You will be surprised at the lengths they will go through to get your attention."

"I know, right." The adult in the room shared a small laugh. "By the way, sir. When are we due to make it to the next Station?"

"In a day. This is a non-stop train to Ponyville."

"Ponyville." Sunburst spoked up before look at his wife, "I thought we were going to Las Pegasus."

"We were," Crystine said before looking angry at Sunburst. "But somepony got us on the wrong train."

"What do you mean that?"

"I mean if you went looking at mares flank in ManeHatten, you would have noticed that we boarded the wrong train."

Even though they were pretending to be fighting with each other, the idea of starring at a mare's flank got a heavy blush from Sunburst, "I was not looking at any mares flanks!"

"Don't even try it. I saw you. Even Melody saw you, but she is too young to understand."

"Dad is in trouble," Melody said smiling as Sunburst,

"No, I am not. And if it is anything you should have noticed that we were on the wrong train and said something." Sunburst and Crystine continue arguing with each other as they left the storage cart with Melody right behind them. Leaving behind a very confused conductor in the storage cart.

"Thank you, You two," Melody said to Sunburst and Crystine as they settle into one of the empty room of the passenger cart.

"No Problem," Crystine said hopping into one of the bunk beds in the room.

"Why are we helping her again?" Sunburst asks Crystine.

"Because we need a reason to stay on this train and she was willing to play along with us."

"But she is a runaway. Her parents are probably worried sick about her."

"Not our problem Sunburst. Need I remind you of our own problem?"

Sunburst was going to talk but looked away instead. "No."

"Are you two okay?" Melody asked.

"For now yes. But if we don't get help soon. Well, I am not sure, but it won't be good."

"Is there anything I can do to help you two?"

"Unless you are a Princess. I don't think so. Now rest you two. We have a day journey until we get to Ponyville."

Later on that night.

Sunburst shakes Crystine awake. "Crystine may I talk with you?" Sunburst whispers to her. Crystine rubs her eye and looks at Sunburst with annoyance.

"What is up?" she whispers back to him.

"What will happen once we get to Twilight?"

"She and her friends will use their magic of harmony to expel the dark magic within us. And since the Crystal of Dark Magic is no more. The magic will either find a new place to dwell or faded away into nothing. It is a very simple procedure, and these girls have done it many times before. Everything should turn out alright."

"Okay. I guess you are right."

"I am always right. Now go back to sleep. As for me, I need to go for a walk." Crystine said, getting out bed.

"Sorry and good night Crystine."

"Goodnight." Crystine left the room and went back to the storage cart to change back into her changeling form. *Agh* "That feels good." Chrysalis said, stretching. "I hate pretending to be one of these ponies. But I don't have much choice. I can go so some love right about now." Chrysalis hears somepony coming and hid behind some boxes and sees the conductor entering the cart. "Well, speak of me."

Morning dawns on Equestria as a train pulls on into Ponyville's station. Our three travelers exit the train before the train comes to a complete stop. Once inside Ponyville, Crystine and Sunburst started making their way to Twilight's castle but notice that they are not alone.

"Melody, why are you still here?" Crystine said.

"I was wondering if we could stop by somewhere and get breakfast?"

Sunburst and Crystine look at each other and back at Melody who is currently making a cute pout face. Sunburst is weakening. Crystine notices this, "Sunburst. No." Crystine started. "She is not our responsibility. She brought this upon herself when she ran away from home."

"But the least we can do is get her something to eat before we say goodbye to her."

"No, we can't. Because if you feed her, she will follow you everywhere and want more."

"I am not a dog," Melody said.

"Then don't act like one."

Melody response with big eyes and a small smile. "Please?"

'Girl if only I can get your love right now.' Crystine thought to herself. She then looks at Sunburst. "I am not paying."

"Then I will," Sunburst said as Melody jumps with joy. Crystine looks at Melody and starts coming up with a use for her later if she chooses to hang out with them.

After Melody had her fill, they made their way to Castle friendship. Crystine looks at the castle with annoyance before it was replaced with worry. There are changelings guards at the entrance to the castle.

Sunburst notice is as well and is confused. "Since when does Princess Twilight has guards in her castle?"

"And aren't they changelings?" Melody added. "I didn't think that Changelings could serve as guards for ponies."

"Well, nopony said that they couldn't. But I want to know why Twilight has guards now. She never needed for them before. I wonder what has changed. Well, let us get going." Sunburst and Melody started walking closer to the castle but notice that Crystine didn't move. "Crystine?"

Thinking fast, she went with the first thing that came to her head, "I am... I am not very comfortable with changelings." Crystine said, looking away. "Bad experience with them at the Canterlot invasion."

Sunburst moves close to her. "It is alright. They are good now. Just stick close to me if it makes you feel better."

"Okay," Crystine said, moving close to Sunburst.

'What are my children doing here!?' Chrysalis thought to herself. 'Thorax! He must be here. Calm down Chrysalis. Now is not the time for revenge. There will be plenty of time for that after I get Sombra magic. But what is this uneasy feeling I am getting from the castle.'

Inside the castle, Twilight's lifts her head from her bed looking to the entrance of her castle with concern.

King Thorax and Queen Twilight

Inside Castle Friendship,

Starlight Glimmer has been pacing back and forth in the library for hours. On some chairs nearby Spike and Rarity watch the mare making a reck of herself.

"Starlight," Spike said, "you have been acting like this for the past few days. What is wrong?"

"What is wrong?" Starlight said before shouting, "WHAT IS WRONG!?"

Spike shrinks back in fear, "Isn't that what I just said."

"What is wrong, Spike! Is that I haven't heard from Sunburst for weeks," She resumes her pacing, "I know that he is a busy pony with all his studies and helping out with the Crystal Empire," She stops in front of a picture of her and Sunburst hugging at their hometown. She touches the frame, dragging a hoof down it with a depressed look, "But he always had time to say hi or something."

Rarity who has been silent up to this point, took the information and understood for friends concern, "Have you tried talking with his mom?" she asked.

"I did. And that what's got me worried," Starlight turns to face them, "She said something about him helping somepony in need and don't know when he is going to be done."

"So what your saying is that Sunburst has gone silent ever since he went to help this somepony," Spike said.

"That is exactly what I am saying. And I don't like it. What if something has happened to him."

"Starlight calm down." Rarity gives her an assuring hug, "I am sure he has his reason for being quiet for so long. But you got to have faith in him and hold out for a little while longer."

"Your right."

"Also if you don't get a hold of yourself. Ponies my start saying things." She broke the hug and moved back to Spike, leaving Starlight confused at to what she was talking about.

"What kind of things?"

"Oh, you know. Things." Rarity said with a grin and batting her eyes.

Starlight look at Rarity confused before her face turned a shade of red. "What!" Starlight waved her hoof back and forth in denial. "No no, no. You got it wrong it. I am just concer-Worried!" She quickly corrected herself only deeping her embarrassment, "That something had happened to Sunburst that is all."

Rarity giggles at her outburst not believing a word she said, "Starlight you are talking to a mare that lives and breathes romance. I can recognize when somepony is in love with another pony."

"It is nothing like that!" She cares for Sunburst, but not like that. She thinks,

"Well, I am going to check up on Twilight," Spike said, leaving the mares. He makes his way through the castle and pasts a few guards before he came to Twilight's room guarded by two guards. They look at Spike, not showing any emotion. "Can I see Twilight?"

"Address her as her title, sir Spike." One of the guards said.

"Sorry. Can I see Queen Twilight? Or is it can I see Queen Sparkle?"

"I will ask her highness."

Before he could ask, a voice called from inside the room, "You Ponies do realize that I can hear you in here, right?" Twilight said from inside her bedroom.

"My apologies your highness."

"You guards don't have to be so formal with me. Also, Spike is free to enter and leave as he wants to."

"As you wish your highness." the guards open the door for Spike as he enters the room.

Twilight's room has changed in the last few weeks. For starters, it is much darker to where Twilight's bed is. Not to mention the new refrigerator in the corner of the room and other things that Spike has no idea what they are for. Spike can see Twilight on her bed with her back is facing Spike.

"Hi, guys," Spike said.

Thorax lifts his head off the bed to see Spike behind Twilight. "Hello, Spike,"

Twilight turns her head around to face Spike. "Hi, Spike,"

Spike moves onto the bed and hugs Twilight. "How is it going Twilight?"

"Alright, I guess."

"You guess?"

Twilight then looks between herself and Thorax to see a small pile of changelings eggs. "I am just worried about my children, that is all. They are so tiny in their little eggshells. I am just worried that something will happen to them if I even leave them for a second."

Spike moves on to the bed and looks at the eggs before looking at his friend, "I have been meaning to ask you Twilight."

"What is it?"

"Why is it so dark in this part of the room?" Gesturing to the room they are in,

Twilight looks around thinking about it, "I just feel safer with my eggs in the dark that is all."

"That would be your Instinct's Twilight," Thorax said. "To protect ones young from predators, mothers would seek safety away from view."

"So how long until they hatch?" Spike said nudging one of the eggs and getting a mean look from Twilight and quickly pulling his claw away.

"Not long," Thorax said. "They could hatch in a week, a few days or even today."

"That is right. So until then, I am not leaving them." Twilight said, moving her head next to her young.

"So what will we expect from these changeling's Thorax?" Spike asked,

"I am not sure. This the first time that the Queen was an alicorn before becoming a changeling. Their magic might be different from a regular changeling, but they will be changelings."

Spike was going to ask more question when there was a knock at the door. Thorax looks to the door before he spoke to Twilight. "I got it." they shared a small nuzzle before Thorax went to the door.

Thorax exited the room and looked at the guards. "What is going?"

"There are ponies here wanting to see the Queen."

"My wife refuses to leave our bed for our young. Whatever it is, I will deal with it."

They bowed at his reply and moved out of the way, "Of course your highness."

Thorax heads to the meeting hall to see the ponies that want to see Twilight. Once there, he sees three ponies. Two adults and one filly. The mare and filly he has never seen before. However, the last one. "Sunburst!" Thorax quickly hugs his friend get a small hissing sound from the mare next to them.

"It good... to see you too Thorax." Sunburst strained to say as Throax let him go,

"What brings you here?"

"Well, we came here for Princess Twilight help."

Thorax smile went flat at their request, "I am sorry, but my wife is unable to help anypony at the moment."

"WAIT!" Sunburst shouted, not believing what he was hearing. He knows he was going for from time, but not long enough to miss the marriage of one of his friend's best friends and one of the princesses of Equestria. "You married Princess Twilight?!" As Sunburst said this the mare next to him had a weird twitch in her eye. That Thorax didn't understand this. Maybe she was dumbstruck with shock at this new or something?

"Yes, I did. So what is it that you need her for."

SUnburst rubs the back of head trying to think of a way to say what needs to be said, "It is kind of complicated."

"You are taking forever Sunburst," Crystine said and moving in front of him, "We need her and her friends to blast Sunburst with the Elements of Harmony to stop King Sombra from taking over his body."

There was a moment of silence before Thorax found his voice. "What?"

Crystine went on to explain to Thorax what has happened to Sunburst and herself. At the end of the explanation, Thorax slapped a hoof to his head.

"This is why you don't mess around with Dark Magic Sunburst."

He looks away in embarrassment, "Sorry."

"Look you two. Even if Twilight was will to help you, she can't. Half of the elements bares are not here. Rainbow Dash is with the Wonderbolts at a show in Manehatten. Pinkie Pie is visiting her family. And Applejack is helping her relatives in Appleloosa. Not to mention that the Elements of Harmony are back on the Tree of Harmony."

"That is a problem."

"I can send word to Princess Celestia and see if she can do something about you two. In the meantime, don't go too far that we can't find you two when she arrives. The last thing we need is something speeding up the arrival of the king of shadows."

"Alright, Thorax."

"By the way. Who is your little friend?" He said looking at the little filly hiding behind Sunburst legs,

"Oh her." Sunburst was caught in a bind right now. If he speaks up right now, then Melody will be sent home. But for some reason, Sunburst didn't want her to go. After all, she must have her reason to leave her home. But a little filly like her should be with her family, so why is this so hard? "Well... she's..."

"She is my daughter," Crystine said, pulling the little filly next to her.

Sunburst looked at Crystine with confusion at first but decided to play along for now. "Right. Sorry about that."

Crystine rolled her eyes at Sunburst before looking back at Thorax. "Now if you will excuse me. I am going to take Melody to the inn."

"Alright then, have a good day ladies," Thorax said to the ponies, but he could shake the feeling that something was wrong about those two.

Outside the castle, Crystine took Melody to Ponyville lake to rest. They sit under the tree as they lay-flat across its shadow with a loud groan. After a few minutes of silence, Melody spoke up.

"Why did you tell him that we are related?"

Crystine looked up to the little filly, "How else are you going to stay in Ponyville without a parent?"

"I just thought that you did like me that much that is all."

"Look at this way, kid. You get a reason to be away from home. And I get somepony to keep Max accompanied."

"Max?"

"My rat." She said as Max pop out from the saddlebag,

"Oh!"

Back in the Castle Friendship.

Thorax had taken Sunburst to the dining area for a quick snack. Sunburst was in the middle of eating a large bowl of salad when Thorax spoke up. "Sunburst how well do you know Crystine and her daughter?"

Sunburst swallowed his mouth full, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, it is just-" Thorax couldn't finish his sentence when a light purple blur past him shouting,

"SUNBURST!" And with that Sunburst was tackle out of his chair.

Trouble in the lab

"Hi, Starlight," Sunburst said as Starlight got off of him and helped him up. Thorax shakes his head at Starlight's actions. Starlight looks over Sunburst worried what could have happened to him being gone for so long.

"What happened to you? You just disappeared off the face of Equestria."

Realizing that he forgot to tell Starlight that he was going to disappear for a while. He rubs the back of neck trying to think of how to tell his best friend that he was alone for weeks with a mare that she doesn't know, "Uh-huh. I was... helping out... Crystine."

Starlight face went from concern to anger in a millisecond, "Who?!"

Hoping to save himself from this predicament, Sunburst told Starlight all that has happened with Crystine. He even told her about his increase in muscle mass due to the dark magic inside of him, which she took an interest in before she snaps out of it.

"Well, at least your new body build is a plus side to the dark magic in you. Anyways I think I can help you."

"Really?"

"I am Twilight's student. I think I have a way to get the dark magic out of you. Come on." Starlight grabs Sunburst in her magic and left the room before he could protest. Leaving Thorax alone wondering if he is going to have to deal with some similar with Twilight.

"Is this safe?" Sunburst asked nervously as Starlight straps him inside a strange machine in Twilight's Laboratory.

Starlight rolls her eyes at his comment, "I am not a mad scientist pony Sunburst. I know what I am doing." She said, moving to the control panel of the machine and started it up.

"But you never did anything like this before."

"That is why I am taking every precaution." Starlight uses her magic to bring a chalkboard next to her and starts drawing on it and then present to Sunburst her plan. The chalkboard has six drawings on it. The first one is a stick pony inside a box. The next one has another stick pony pulling something small out of the first pony. Next, has the second stick pony putting something in a small box. Next is similar to the second picture but has something bigger coming out. The next image has the second stick pony placing something in a larger box. And finally, the last picture has the two stick pony cheering.

"First, I need to find out just how much dark magic is inside you. This device design by Twilight should do the trick. Next, I am going to see if I can contain a small amount of Dark Magic in this container." She said, pulling out a small metal box. "After a success containment, I will then construct a larger container and put all of the dark magic inside you in it. And that should do it."

Sunburst ears go against his head as he remembers what Crystine said about removing the dark magic. "This is going to be painful isn't?"

Starlight stopped working on the control panel and look at Sunburst in confusion. "What are you talking about? Magic may be apart of us, but for some reason, I never heard about anypony getting hurt by having it removed. Even when the Princess had their magic removed at one point, they never said anything about pain besides feeling drained. But then again they were users of light magic, not dark magic. So it might be? I don't know, but let me know if it does, and I will stop right away."

"Alright." Sunburst took some deep breaths as he places his faith in his friend hooves. Starlight was just about finished setting the machine ready when somepony entered the room.

"There you are." Rarity said, stopping Starlight. She was going to continue talking, but her speech was halted at the sight of Sunburst inside a strange-looking machine alone with Starlight in a closed room. Rarity's cheeks blushed as ideas ran through her head, "Oh my."

"Now not a good time Rarity." Starlight said, looking back at Rarity.

"My apologies Starlight. I didn't know that you are having private time with Sunburst. I will be going now." Rarity said, leaving the lab.

It took Starlight a second to get what Rarity just said and turned red in the face. "WHAT! No! Rarity nothing like that was going on!" Starlight went after Rarity not realizing that she change one of the dials on the machine from light scan to heavy scan with a big caution note next to it saying 'don't use this setting I haven't fix it yet.'

Sunburst notice that he is alone in the lab with the machine powering up. "Uh, Starlight. You left the machine on." He tried to call out to her, but she didn't hear him. Sunburst tried to get out of the machine but notice it was too late. "Uh, oh."

"And that is all I am doing Rarity! There is no secret feeding or whatever you just said."

"Oh, you mean a fedi-"

KABOOM!

"Sunburst!" Both mare race inside the lab to a cloud of smoke and dust. Coughing Starlight used her magic to open the windows of the lab to air out the lab. It wasn't long before some Changeling guards along with Thorax brother Pharynx came to the sound of the explosion.

"What is going?!" Pharynx said right before they heard a sneeze from inside the lab.

"Sunburst! Are you alright?!" Starlight called out to her friend. There was no response, just the silhouette of somepony moving towards them. So she tried again. "Sunburst?"

The silhouette stomped his hoof to the ground, and dark crystals erupted and hit some of the guards next to Starlight. As the silhouette moves closer, she could see that it was not her dear friend Sunburst but rather somepony that she thought she would only see in pictures. "Sombra."

"That is King Sombra Starlight."

Meanwhile in Twilight's chambers.

Thorax had just returned to his Queen to find her startled by the explosion. "What is happening?"

"There was an explosion in the lab. Our guards went to check it out. I am sure they can handle it." Just as soon as Thorax said that there was a loud thud against the wall along with the sound of Ponies fighting against each other. Shortly after a wounded guard entered the room and Thorax caught him.

"What is going on?!"

"Somepony in the lab started attacking everypony insight. You must get the Queen and her young out of here."

"Where is Pharynx? Where is my brother."

"Engaging the enemy right now. But you must leave your highness. It is not safe here." Twilight started gathering her young as her bodyguards surround her as they left the room through a secret exit at the back of the room. Thorax was about to join them, but stop and turned to guard.

"I will return once Twilight and the children are safe. Please hold out until then."

Pharynx duck behind a turned table as a blast of dark magic flies over him. His presses his back against the table and looks around and sees Starlight hiding behind a forcefield before she joins him behind the table.

"Who is that pony Starlight?!" Pharynx demand from her as the enemy called her out by name.

"I never meet him in pony before. But there is no mistaking it. He is Sombra."

"You mean as in the evil king of the Crystal Empire? That Sombra!"

"IT"S KING SOMBRA YOU PONIES!" Sombra shouted, sending shards of dark crystal everywhere.

"How did he get inside the castle?"

"Now not the time for that. We have to stop him somehow." Starlight and Pharynx split when Sombra destroy the table they were hiding behind.

Sombra turned into a shadow and reappeared in front of Starlight enrage. "How do I know you pony? You are the second pony who I called out by name today." Before she could reply more guard charge at Sombra give her time to regroup with Pharynx.

"Something wrong with him." Pharynx said, observing at the way Sombra is fighting his guards. King Sombra was known to be cruel tyrant, but for some reason, he is knocking out the guards rather than killing them.

"It must have something to do with the explosion of dark magic with Sunburst. Sunburst memories must be mixing up Sombra's, and he is not thinking or acting like himself."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, but what are we going to him?"

"I have an idea. But I need you to trust me." She whispers to him before moving away from Pharynx to be in front of Sombra. Pharynx signal for his guards to regroup to him and await further orders.

He sees her as he drops a guard. "I have you now, pony."

She swallowed her fears and put up a strong face, "I know you are in there Sunburst. And I know that you would never hurt your best friend." Sombra let out a might laugh before he sends black crystals at her, but they miss her badly.

Sombra is confused at this and tries again only to miss again. Starlight took a breath and started moving toward the Tyrant. Sombra continues to send his magic at her but only to come short or miss her completely. "Stay back, you mare!" But she doesn't and only stops once she is in front of the old king.

"Come on Sunburst fight him."

"I am not Sunburst Starlight!" Sombra shouted in her face as his voice shifts between the two, "I am Sombra, King of the Crystal Empire!"

"Then prove it," Starlight sat down not putting up any form of defensive, "Hit me." She closes her eyes, not notice somepony else entering the room and moving behind the king.

Sombra lifts his hoof to strike her, but for some reason, he can't bring himself to do it. Sombra has no idea what is going on. He has hurt so many ponies before this one. So what makes her any different form them? "I... I..."

"Hay King." A voice said behind Sombra.

"What?" Sombra turned around to see Crystine blowing some dust at his face. "Why you! ah Achoo!"

No pony in the room had any words for what just happened. Where stood Sombra now stands Sunburst. Starlight was about to say something, but Sunburst started sneezing again switching between himself and Sombra with each sneeze.

"Achoo, Achoo, Achoo, Achoo, Achoo, Achoo!" Right before Sunburst was going to sneeze again, Crystine put a hoof to his nose.

"Sunburst what have I told you about your sneezes?"

"Sorry," Sunburst said as Crystine let go of his nose.

"You good?"

"Yeah, I am good," Sunburst said, rubbing his nose before he notices that there are changeling guards everywhere and everypony in the room has a shocked look on their face. "Did I miss something?"

Problems

Sunburst had no idea why everypony besides Crystine is looking at him strangely. Not like 'oh, look at what he is wearing' kind of thing. But rather 'Did you see what he just did?'

"Get him!" Pharynx said out loud, and three guards surrounded Sunburst.

"What is going on?" Sunburst asked as to why he was being detained for something that he has no idea for.

"Take him to the throne room." Pharynx looked at Crystine. "And you are coming to." She lets out a sigh and follows without a fight.

Both of them were being escorted out of the room and found Rarity outside the lab alongside Melody.

"What is wrong?" Melody asked, worried about her new friends.

"I have no idea, Melody," Sunburst said to her. "But whatever it is. It looks like I am going to have to pay for it. Also weren't you and Crystine outside the castle? When did you two get back?"

"Well."

Earlier,

'I am so glad that I got used to wearing that perfume.' Crystine thought to herself. 'If I didn't, my children would have sniffed me out the second I step into that castle. But that is the least of my worries now. Twilight has become the new Queen of the hive. That means that I am no longer welcome back into the colony, even with the magic I would get from Sombra. Not as long as Twilight lives. For there can only be one Queen of the hive. What am I going to do now?'

"Crystine?" Melody said snapping Crystine out of her train of thought.

"Yes?"

"Will you and Sunburst be alright?"

"Oh! You mean the dark magic in us?" Melody nodded. "The sooner we get it out, the better." Crystine rubs Melody head a little. "Don't worry, it will take a lot more than a little dark magic to take me down."

"Crystine?"

"What is it?"

"This dark magic. Is it from Som-" Before Melody could finish her sentence, there was an explosion heard from the castle? Both Ponies turned their heads to see smoke coming from the castle. "What happened?!"

"Sunburst!" Crystine said, getting up to her hooves and running to the castle. "Hurry up, Melody!"

"It was a big explosion Sunburst. I bet everypony in town heard it." Melody said as the guards pulled her away from Sunburst and next to Crystine.

Sunburst stands nervously in the middle of the throne room as three changeling guards surround him. Crystine, Starlight, Rarity, Spike, and Melody are standing on the sidelines. Sunburst looks to the thrones to see Thorax and Twilight. However Twilight isn't there but rather a viewing orb showing her inside. She was relocated shortly after whatever happened in the lab that he was in trouble for.

"Sunburst," Thorax started."Do you know why you are here?"

"I thought I came here for help. And for some reason, I am in trouble for sneezing?" Sunburst said with a confused look.

"Sunburst," Twilight spoke up. "We are aware of the dark magic inside. However, it seems that you are a danger to everypony around you whenever you sneeze."

"WHY?!"

"It would seem that the spell you cast on the Crystal of Dark magic has somehow given Sombra a way into this world."

"That King Sombra pony," Sunburst shouted as Sombra's voice before his eyes widen as his voice returned to normal, "Why did I say that?!"

Thorax and Twilight looked at each other before Thorax continues the conversation, "It would appear that the spell is incomplete and Sombra hasn't completely taken over your body. However, it would appear that the more times you switch between him and you, the stronger the connection is."

Twilight nods at this and continues, "Your increase in body mass was the first step of him taking over. And even as we speak more and more of your body is staying as his." They had a changeling bring a mirror in front of Sunburst to see what they are talking about. There is now a black streak of hair running across his mane and tail as well as his coat has lost some of his bright orange colors and is starting to dim into a grey color.

Sunburst brushes his hoof over the new color in his mane and looks at his coat. "So what you are saying is. It is only a matter of time before Sombra takes over my body completely!"

"It would appear to be the case. Which brings up another question." Twilight said as guards surrounded Crystine pointing spears at her. "Why didn't you tell us that Sunburst would change whenever he would sneeze Crystine?"

"I didn't think that it would be a problem." She said moving one of the spears away from her and looking at Twilight. "I thought that we would get him cured before he hurt any pony. After all, how often can a pony sneeze anyways?"

Twilight gives her a deadpan stare, "It is Springtime Crystine."

Crystine eyes widen at her mistake, "Pony Feathers."

Melody moved next to Sunburst, "So what is going to happen to Sunburst?" She asked,

Twilight looked at her husband, and he knew what she was thinking. Thorax lets out a heavy sigh. "For the safety of everypony in Ponyville and Equestria. I have no choice but to detain Sunburst until we can expel Sombra from his body."

"And what happens to Sombra?"

Confuse at this filly's interest in Sombra. Thorax shared a look with Twilight before answering her, "His magic will fade away without a vessel, and we will never have to deal with him again. It will be the end of Sombra."

"NO!" Melody throws some dust at Sunburst, causing him to sneeze. Sombra had no idea what is going on. All he heard was. "RUN!" Before Thorax could say again, Sombra turned into a shadow and left the room with the guards right after him.

"Hold her!" Pharynx said to some guards to prevent Melody from leaving the room. "The rest of you with me! We can't let him get away!"

Sombra had left PonyVille and escape to The Castle of the Two Sisters. He wonders for a little bit before he finds himself in front of a mirror.

"What is wrong with me? One second I am fighting a bug in a cave. Next, I am in the middle of nowhere with Crystine, then I am in a laboratory filled with smoke, and finally, I am in a room full of guards." Sombra walks away from the mirror. "I am King Sombra of the Crystal Empire. I have no equal. I am the greatest King that ever lived. So why is it that I can't remember yesterday?" He said, stomping his hoof. "Not to mention that my body doesn't feel right. It is as if it's foreign to me. Not to mention that I couldn't hit a mare who means nothing to me." Sombra back at himself in the mirror. "Perhaps I journey into my mind is in order." He said causing some crystal to grow out of the mirror frame changing the image to a swirling vortex of orange and black. Without a second thought, Sombra walks into the mirror, and the vortex disappears after he enters.

Back at Castle Friendship, Crystine had disappeared during the escape. Leaving Melody alone in front of Thorax and Twilight. Pharynx return to the castle to report that they have lost Sombra somewhere in the Everfree. Wanting to find answers for what is going on in her castle, Twilight looks a Melody form her viewing orb.

"Why did you do that?" Twilight asked her.

"Because you were going to let him die."

"Only Sombra was to fade away," Thorax said, "Sunburst was going to be okay."

Melody didn't say anything but instead cross her hooves, then stick her nose up in the air, closed her eyes, and gave a firm 'humph.'

Thorax looks to his wife, not sure how to deal with a stubborn filly. Twilight notices this and look to Melody. "Melody, why did your mother leave you behind?" she asked softly.

"I am not telling you."

"Why?"

"Because I said so!"

Thorax put a hoof to his head thinking what to say before dragging it down his face. "Pharynx take her away for the night and keep an eye on her."

"On it." Pharynx replied, taking Melody not so kindly out of the room by her tail.

Too tired to deal with anything else, Thorax leaves the castle to head to a treehouse that belongs to Fluttershy. The house is surrounded by a dozen of changeling guards. He lands and enters the house and heads to the bedroom. Inside he could see his wife and her friends there along with her parents. After the explosion, every one of Twilight's closest friends came rushing back to Ponyville faster then Thorax thought anypony could. Twilight's Parents he could get because they were visiting, but he can't begin to understand how the other got there so quickly. Twilight is on the bed guarding her young with the others looking at them before Pinkie notice Thorax.

"Hi, Thorax!" Pinkie said getting the others attention.

"Hello, everypony."

"So, what happens now?"

"Equestria will be on high alert until we can capture Sombra." He then looks at Twilight. "My love. I know you wanted our first newborns to be in Ponyville. But so long as Sombra is out there, it is not safe here. We must return to the hive for our children's sake."

"He is right dear." Twilight's mom said. "It is not safe here."

"Okay, we will go to the hive," Twilight lowers her head next to her eggs. "For their sake."

Hello there

Changeling guards walk down the hallway as Crystine hides in the shadows of Castle Friendship. Slowly she makes her way to the lab, where everything went wrong. Once inside, she sees a destroyed machine with papers scattered everywhere.

"What a fine mess I am in now," Crystine said to herself as she searches the area for something interesting. She knows that no pony in the castle was able to help out Sunburst with his condition. Everypony save for Starlight. She was also in this room when everything went downhill. "Just what was she doing to him in here?" Crystine steps on something. Looking down, she sees a chalkboard broken in half with drawings on it. "What is this?" Looking at the childlike pictures, Crystine then starts understanding what happened. "So there is a way to extract magic somepony without losing the magic power." She then starts rubbing the back of her head. "Well, now my plan of absorbing the Dark magic after the elements blast Sunburst sounds silly. This is way much easier." Crystine then starts looking through the papers scattered across the floor. "Now then, how would you have done it Starlight?"

In the Crystal Empire,

Sunburst finds himself home researching a new book in his study.

"Interesting." He said to himself as he writes down some notes. Then he hears somepony behind him.

"Who are you!" The mare said.

Turning around, Sunburst can see a mare with a light blue coat and a purple mane with a brown leaf for a cutie mark. He believes he has seen her before. "I believe I am supposed to say that," Sunburst said leaving his study. "Who are you? And what are you doing in my house miss?"

"I am Amber leaf. And I..." She then has a look around and notices something odd. "I thought that this was my house."

"How can you just walk into someponies else house without noticing that it wasn't yours?"

"I am not sure." She puts a hoof to her head. "I am not sure of anything. But I thought I was meeting somepony here."

"What do you mean? Who?"

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" A loud Voice sounded as the door to the house was shattered to pieces. Sunburst turned to the door to see the Evil King of the Crystal Empire.

"Sombra!"

"It is King Sombra, you dumb ponies! Get it right!" Sombra uses his magic to trap Sunburst in a ring of dark crystal. Then slowly walking to him. "I will admit that I have forgotten many things, but I never meet you before Sunburst. So tell me why are you in my head!"

"Your head?!" Sunburst starts wondering what is going on until he realized where he is. "This is the mindscape."

"Looks like you are smarter than you look pony." Sombra starts circling Sunburst. "So tell me, Sunburst if you are so smart. What is going to happen now?"

"One body can't support two individual minds. So there are three outcomes in this scenario. The first one is that both minds fight each other for dominance of the body until one wins. The next is that both minds combine to form one new mind. And the final one-"

"The final one is that there is no winner, and the body becomes insane." Sombra stops and looks at Sunburst. "Guess which one I am going to do?"

"This isn't going to easy as you think Sombra."

"And what makes you say that?"

"I may not be as powerful as my friends when it comes to magic, but I am smart." Sunburst horn starts glowing and sends a magic wave scattering the crystal surrounding him. "And I have studied into the mindscape and everything possible in it." Magic shines all around Sunburst body. "This is not a battle of magic or skill. But rather a battle of will and might." Sunburst blast Sombra to the wall. "And the one with the strongest will is the winner." Sombra pulls himself out of the wall and then starts laughing.

"This is going to be fun."

"Found it!" Crystine said, lifting a paper. "Now, all that is left is to find out where Sombra went." Crystine left the room and was about to leave the castle in search of Sombra but stop halfway there as she caught wind of a smell a little filly still inside the castle, "No Chrysalis. Now not the time to think about a little filly that you meet on a train. So what if she stopped the ponies from destroying Sombra and gave you a chance to escape. You don't owe her anything. It not like you asked her to do that. It was all on her." Chrysalis grounds her teeth together. "You have no reason to help her out!"

"I am hungry," Melody said to the guard in front of her door.

"How can you possibly be hungry!? You have already eaten three meals!" The guard said, pointing to the three trays of eaten food in front of Melody.

She looks at the trays and back at the guard. "I am a growing filly."

"How are you not even cubby with all the food you eat?"

"Hay! A ladies weight is not something that is spoked out loud." She said, crossing her hooves.

The guard looks down in embarrassment. "Sorry."

Just then, a stern voice sounded behind him. "Private!"

The guard jumped and turned around to face his superior. "Yes, Captain Pharynx!"

"Report."

"Everything is alright all things considering the prisoner. Though I can't understand where she is putting it all."

Pharynx looks at the empty plates understanding what he was talking about, "Go get something to private. I will watch the bottomless pit."

"Yes, sir." the guard was about to leave the room when he smelled something strange coming from the captain. It smelled like the captain, but something was off. "Ah, sir?" Before he knew it, Pharynx knocked him out. Melody looks confused as to what just happened.

"Why did you hit your guard?" She said, tilting her head to the side.

Pharynx rolled his eyes that this. A green fire covered his body, changing him to Crystine. "Miss me?"

"Crystine!" Melody shouts running to hug her friend.

Crystine hits Melody gently on the head. "Not so loud, you want to wake up the whole castle?"

"Sorry," Melody said, rubbing her head. "You are a changeling? But I thought that you hated changelings."

"Melody in case you miss it on the train, I lie, and I do an excellent job at it. It is part of the deal when you are banished from your race."

Melody eyes widen, "Your race banished you!"

"What did I say about your voice?" Crystine said in a stern voice.

"Sorry."

"Now come on it won't be long until they find out that you are gone." They made their way out of the castle and moved quickly through the quiet town of ponyville.

"Where did Sombra go?" Melody asked Crystine as they waited for some guards to pass by.

"If I were him. He would go to the Castle of the Two Sisters in the Everfree. Even though it has been there for hundreds of years, many ponies forget that it is even there and would get lost easily without a guide." They soon found themselves in front of the Everfree. "Okay, Melody this is where we part ways."

"What do you mean?"

"The Everfree is not a safe place for a small filly like yourself. I am not going to take care of you if something happens to you. My only priority is to find Sombra. You will be dead weight to me. And where are you going!" Crystine said as she sees Melody running into the Everfree.

"To find Sombra." She called back to her.

"This Filly." Crystine charge after her, shouting, "Do you even know where you are going!"

Back at castle Friendship, the real Pharynx is helping the guard in charge of the prisoner getting back to his hooves.

"Tell me one more time, soldier," Pharynx said, "What happened?"

"I was watching the filly. Then you came into the room telling me to get something to eat. That when I notice that you smelled different before everything went black."

"This smell you caught. What did it smell like?"

"Like lavender sir."

Pharynx growled at this, "There is only one creature that smells like that. And she has been on the run for a long time."

"You don't think it was her, sir?" The guard asked worriedly.

"I don't want to, but she would be the only one who could have done this. Chrysalis has returned. And she wants something from Sombra. Alert the guards in Ponyville. Use protocol 3 for identifying allies. I must get back to the hive and warn their highnesses."

Who are you?

Crystal Ponies run in terror as Sunburst and Sombra fight rages across the Empire. Sunburst lands behind a fallen wall as Sombra searches for him.

"This is going nowhere," Sunburst said, looking around, "If this keeps up I don't know what will happen to my body. Wait, this is my body, so my memory is much stronger than his. So why was Amber leaf the first pony I meet here? I thought it would have been Starlight or even one of the princess." Sunburst looks to see Sombra blasting away a building. "She must have been somepony important to him. After all, he got furious when I was talking to her. I need to find her."

"There you are!" Sombra said blasting at Sunburst location only for him to protect himself with a shield and then flying away with his magic. "Get back here you coward!" Sombra gives chase to Sunburst blasting him with magic. Sombra causes crystals trying to trap Sunburst, but he would always get away, "You are only delaying the inevitable Sunburst!"

They soon found themselves heading towards one of the many houses in the Empire. But for some reason, as Sunburst entered it, Sombra stopped at the doorstep. There was nothing different from this house from any of the others around it. But for Sombra...

"This place," he slides a hoof down the side of the door frame, "It feels-" He shakes his head in annoyance, "It doesn't matter!" Sombra charges inside looking for Sunburst. He is in here somewhere — all he has to find him.

Meanwhile somewhere in the Everfree,

"Melody will you wait for a second?!" Crystine said as she chases the filly,

Melody doesn't stop but keeps on pushing forward, "No!"

"Enough!" Crystine uses her magic to drag Melody back to her right before a plant was going to eat her. Melody stares in fear as she is face to face with an angry Crystine. "Why do you want to see Sombra so badly!?"

Melody knows it only a matter of time before they find out. Not to mention that Crystine is her only friend. She has to know. "It's because he's..."

"Hold it!" A voice said nearby. Both mares turn to face a squad of Changeling guards. "By order of King Thorax, I place the both of you under arrest for aiding the escape of Sombra and for crimes against Equestria."

Crystine puts Melody behind her as she stares down the guard. "Or what? You think that we are going to come along quietly?"

The guards look at each other, not expecting her to say that before they look at her again. "Would you believe me if I said yes?"

Crystine shakes her head before she looks back at Melody. "Melody do you know the rest of the way there?"

"Yes. Why?"

Crystine looks her head in a battle stance facing the guards. "I am going to buy you some time to get to him. If these Changelings get to him before we do then Sombra is finished."

Melody looks worried at her friend's actions. "Are you sure you can handle this?"

"Oh, I am sure. Now get going!" Melody then leaves them behind and runs to the castle deep within the forest.

The guards look at Crystine humorously as they begin to surround her. "What makes you so sure that you can take us all on Mare?"

Crystine puts on an evil smirk and closes her eyes once Melody was out of sight and let a green fire cover her body. "Because I raised you all from an egg that is why," Chrysalis said, returning to her original form before she begins her counter strike.

Meanwhile, back in the Mindscape.

"Come out Pony and fight like a stallion," Sombra said, sending some of the furniture flying to the wall. As Sombra continues to roam in the house, that strange feeling he got earlier is getting stronger, giving him a headache.

Sunburst looks at Sombra from the fallen coach. 'I think I am on to something here.' Sunburst thought to himself light his horn to cast a spell.

Sombra notices that everything around him has repaired itself and sees a small colt sitting on the couch nervously. A foal that he knows all too well. "What is going on? It is me." Sombra said, looking at the colt. The only difference between the two was the colors of their eyes, Sombra's eyes being red while the colts are green, and the red horn tip on Sombra horn.

"Hay, Sombra." A voice said behind Sombra before a small filly enters the room carrying some cookies. "I found some cookies." The filly said, sitting next to him and giving him one, which the small Sombra took and wolfed it. The older Sombra looks that the two in awe as he remembers this day. The little filly shakes her head as she watches this. "They took your lunch again, didn't they?"

The young Sombra swallow his mouth full before he answered. "Well, can I do? They are much bigger and stronger than me. I can't fight them." He said, looking down at the floor.

"And you call yourself a colt." The filly said, punching him in the arm. "I thought that colts are supposed to be tough and fight against anypony that gets in their way."

Sombra rubs his arm and looks away from the filly. "Well, not this colt. I can't even use magic even though I am a unicorn." He said, tapping his horn.

"Well, that means that you are a late bloomer just like your cutie mark. I bet once you get your cutie mark, you are going to become a mighty stallion."

The young Sombra blushed at her statement and looked away. "Now you are just saying things to make me feel better Amber."

Amber then hugs Sombra, "Well oh, course I mean it. After all, what are friends are for?"

The two ponies disappear, leaving the room to the way it was earlier. "I remember this place now," Sombra said, looking around. "This is the home of my dear friend Amber Leaf. A sweet mare she was." He said with a smile before it was replaced with a frown. "Until she wasn't." Sombra then blasts magic at Sunburst, causing him to come out of hiding. "You think making me remember her is going to stop me from defeating you!"

"No. But as a pony who believes in friendship. I am going to find out who she is to you. And save you."

Melody runs inside the Castle of the two sisters and stops to catch her breath. "I can't stop now. Not when I am so close. I have to find him." Melody saw some glowing from coming from a room. Moving closers, she can see that a mirror has crystals coming from its sides. She approaches it and touches it only for it to hum. "It is some portal. He must be in there!" Melody then backs up and gets into a sprint position facing the mirror. "I am not strong enough to open it only my own, but that doesn't mean I am going to give up." She then sprints at the mirror only for her to face plant on it and slide off it to the floor. "I honestly thought that it would work." She looks backs with determination in her eyes. "But I am not giving up."

"Now you are just talking nonsense," Sombra said, charging at Sunburst and pushing him through a wall then throwing him to the floor. "I am the King of the Crystal Empire. The most powerful Ruler that ever lived in these lands. I don't need..." Sombra stopped when he sees Two familiar ponies on a couch in front of him. It was him and Amber, but they are much older now.

"You know you didn't have to do that Sombra. I had it under control." Amber Leaf said finish tying a bandage on Sombra head.

"And you wanted me to do what? Just sit there and not stop them from attacking you? You are my best friend, Amber." Sombra moves away from Amber to look out the window. "And one day, I will find a way to stop ponies from hurting each other."

"So you want to make a utopia in these lands," Amber said, moving next to Sombra. "That is not possible, Sombra. Our ruler is good, but even she can't fix everything. Not to mention we are still having problems with the neighboring lands of Equestria on a peace treaty. Just imagine what could happen if our kingdom were to combine together and work as one." She then pulls Sombra face to face her's. "It may not become a utopia, but it would be close to one."

Sombra pulls away from her and walks back to the coach. "We don't need help from outsides to deal with our problems, Amber. We can deal with it ourselves."

Amber looks at Sombra with worry. "You know it doesn't hurt to ask for help every once and a while Sombra."

"Only the weak ask for help, And I will be the one who they ask for help."

Amber sits next to him. "Sombra I worried about you. Ever since you came back from the guards training camp, you have changed." She puts a hoof on his. "Whatever happened to the shy stallion that I grow up with?"

Sombra looks at her hoof but could not look at her. "He learned that sometimes you have to fight for what you want."

"Fighting isn't always the answer Sombra."

"I will like to see you say that again, when you are helpless in front of an enemy without no mercy." With that, the two ponies fade away, leaving the present Sombra in rage.

"Stop with these Mind games Sunburst! They are just getting annoying!"

"You can't deny at one point in your life you had a dear friend! And her name was Amber Leaf."

"DON'T SAY HER NAME! YOU ARE NOT ALLOW TO SAY HER NAME!"

What?

Chrysalis had just put the last guard on a pile of defeated guards as she smiles to herself. "I still got it." She then notices something wet on her backside. Investigating, she found the wet spot coming from her saddlebag. "Oh, MAX!" She let the poor rat out of the bag, and he moved around the floor for a bit before fainting. "Sorry about that. I forgot that you were in there." Max glares at Chrysalis. "Don't give me that. You were the who eat more than he was allowed to for lunch. And now it is all over inside my bag." Figuring that she would steal another one Chrysalis tosses the bag away and picks up her pet. "Now let's see what happened to Sombra and Melody."

And Back with Sunburst and Sombra,

"Why!?" Sunburst said as Sombra pushed him into the ground.

"I don't have to tell you WHY! Just don't say her name!"

"She was important to you, Sombra. Why is it so hard to talk about her?"

"Because I..." Sombra stop. It has been so long. He never wanted to think about her. "Because I..."

The scene around them changes once again — this time into a battlefield outside the Empire. Sombra is leading a squad of crystal ponies against shadow creatures in the shape of ponies. As the memory continues, Sombra shuts his eyes screams in pain as he moves away from Sunburst. Sombra grabs the sides of his head continues to scream as The memory starts fading in and out. Scenes of the battle, then Sombra fighting them alone, then him casting a spell, and then everything goes dark. Once Sombra stops screaming, a voice speaks to them.

"Now, now, Sombra. We can't have you remember too much now." A creature from memory appears before them. It looks like a pony but with small yellow eyes and a misty shape to its body.

Sombra opens his eyes to show one of them is red, and the other is green. "Get out of my head, Umbrum!" He shouted at it.

"No can do captain." The Umbrum said casting a spell on Sombra making him go to the floor. "After all. You haven't completed your mission yet." The Umbrum spell as undue by Sunburst magic. It looks at the orange stallion. "And what do you think you can do pony?"

"What I can do," Sunburst said blasting the shadow pony with magic.

Outside the mindscape, Melody slides down the face of the mirror for the tenth time and was starting to get dizzy.

She shakes her head and stares back at the mirror. "Why isn't this working! What am I doing wrong?"

"What are you doing?" Crystine said, looking at Melody and the mirror.

"I am trying to go into the mirror, but it won't let me in!"

"Melody, brute force isn't going to get you inside." Crystine gives Melody Max as she gives the mirror a go over.

Melody was happy to meet Max but..."What happened to Max?" She asked Crystine, noticing that he doesn't look very good.

Crystine can feel the magic coming from the mirror. 'Mirror magic is old magic.' Crystine thought to herself. 'Not many ponies can pull it off and in such a short time to boot. Sombra must have done this. I can only imagine what his plan was for.' Crystine then answered Melody. "He overeats."

Melody looks back her in confusion. "But he is a rat."

"A very unusual rat," Crystine steps away from the mirror. "I believe this mirror is a gateway into somepony's mind."

"So how do we get in?"

Crystine moved next to Melody and faced the mirror. "Normally this is the moon princess domain, but I do believe there is a way. Now stand back. I am not sure if this is going to work. And run inside when I give the okay."

"But if that the case won't it be better for us to wait for them to come out?"

"Normally yes, but I am getting a feeling that if we don't act soon. We might lose both of them."

"Then let's hurry!"

Crystine has to be careful. She has already used up much more magic then she wanted to today. If she doesn't get some more love soon, then she won't be able to hold her disguise much longer. Let alone a squad of guards once those changelings get reinforcements. But she can't lose Sombra's magic! She has come too far to fail now. She charges up her magic and blasts the mirror with all her might.

Inside the mirror.

Sunburst has a force field protecting him and Sombra from the shadow pony. It circles them as attacks the force field now and then taunting them.

"Come out, Ponies." It says with a smile. "I want to play."

Sunburst breathes heavily. His fight with Sombra had drained most of his strength. There is no way he can defeat this Umbrum on his own; he needs help. Sunburst looks to Sombra. "Sombra I could use a little help right about now."

Sombra Looks at the ground breathing hard. "I can't Sunburst. That Umbrum is controlling me."

"And why did you just tell me- AH!" Sunburst moved out of the way when Sombra almost blast him with magic. Sunburst dropped his Force field and moved away from the two.

The Umbrum laughs at this. "Ah nuts a little bit longer and he would have been dealt with." Sombra struggles to resist from moving, but his eyes turn back to red, and he attacks Sunburst while the Umbrum watches them. "Don't you see pony. Sombra is my puppet, and all you just did with your mind show was waking him up from a deep sleep. Not that it matters. Soon I will have control of this body, and we will finish what we started." Sombra pins Sunburst to a wall and traps him in dark crystals.

Sunburst struggles to escape but to no avail. "You won't success Umbrum. The heroes of Equestria will stop you!"

"They might be able to stop me, but how can they stop a whole army of Umbrum? I would like to see that."

There as a great crashing sound as Crystine and Melody enter the mindscape. The Umbrum sigh as it looks at its new playthings. "Do you mind? I am kind of in the middle of killing a pony here."

"I don't think so!" Crystine said, causing a high wall of fire to come out of the ground to separate Sunburst from the two. Crystine quickly moves to free Sunburst. "You mind telling me there is a Umbrum in your head Sunburst!"

"I just found out about it!" Crystine frees Sunburst, and they regroup with Melody as the fire died away.

The Umbrum brushes his chest before looking at Crystine. "So the mare has a few tricks neat. Now here is mine. Sombra?" Sombra moves quickly to attack Crystine and Sunburst. "I have to admit it is an old trick, but I never get tired of it." The Umbrum then notice Melody and moves next to her. "Now who do we have here?" Melody tries to move away from the Umbrum, but he caught her in his magic and lifted her to his face. "A little filly who doesn't belong here?"

"Get away from her!" Crystine shouted at it but was silenced by Sombra trapping her in crystals

Sunburst was captured shortly afterward, and both him and Crystine were brought in front of the Umbrum. "You know ponies, I have lived a very long time, but this is the first time I have ever dealt with such an unorganized group of ponies wanting to fight back. Did you think that you could put aside your differences that you could defeat me? I am a captain of the Umbrum army. Amateurs like you all can't defeat me." He then looks at Melody. "But before I do that I this I will have some fun with this one first."

"Leave her alone she has nothing to do with this!" Sunburst said before Sombra hit him.

"Don't you dare!" Crystine shouted,

"And what can you do to stop me." the Umbrum looks to Melody, stops and takes a good look at her. "Do I know you pony?" He then nods his head. "Yes. Yes, I do! You are Sombra offspring. This is perfect. Now I get the chance to kill both the child and the mother."

"NO!" Sunburst and Crystine said before the Umbrum attacks Melody. But his hoof didn't connect. He was stopped by Sombra, kicking him away.

The Umbrum gets up and looks at Sombra. "And just what do you think you are doing?"

Sombra's eyes fade from red to green, "Saving my family."

The end?

Princess Celestia walks to her throne join by her fellow Princesses and Twilight (Viewing orb). She looks ahead and speaks out loud. "Bring her in."

The doors to the room open up as four guards escort Chrysalis in chains. They stop in front of them all the while Chrysalis has her head down. "State your name."

Chrysalis looks up, keeping her head low, "Que- no, Chrysalis."

"Chrysalis," Princess Luna spoke up, "you are charged with terrorizing the city of Canterlot and Ponynapping the rulers of Equestria along with its heroes. How do you plead?"

"Guilt."

"Before we sentence you for your crimes," Princess Celestia spoke up, "I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Do you regret any of it?"

"Yes and no."

"Explain," Twilight said,

"No, because of the fact that I was just trying to do what was best for my hive. And Yes, because it cost my children."

"Sympathy will not get you, anything creature," Luna said,

"I am not looking for your sympathy."

"Chrysalis," Twilight said, "You do know what is going to happen to you?"

"I do."

"So why did you turn yourself in?"

"Because I want to make right the wrongs I have done." She said,

The royal ponies looked at each in confusion. They always knew that they would capture Chrysalis and be punished for her crimes. However, they never thought that she would turn herself in without a fight.

"Chrysalis," Celestia said, "For your crimes against Equestria you are sentenced to twenty years in prison. You will be escorted to your new home in the morning. The court is adjourned."

The guards quickly took their prisoner to her cell. Three guards were watching her, two at the entrance of the cell and one nearby. Soon after they put her inside a pony came to visit her. Generally in a case like this, no pony is allowed to be close to the prisoner after a sentence in fear of a breakout. However, this was an exception. This pony came here to follow up on the prisoner for information they may have. In this case, the pony going to talk to Chrysalis is Starlight, and neither one of them is happy to see each other.

"Chrysalis," Starlight said to her through the bars of the cell,

Chrysalis has her back facing her visitor. She lets out a sigh before looking at her over her shoulder, "Starlight. The pony who cost me, my family. What could you possibly want from me?"

"Where is Sunburst?!"

Chrysalis looks away, "I do not know."

"Do not LIE to me!" Starlight hits the bars to the cell, "You were the last one to see him with Melody. What have you done with them?!"

"I have done nothing to them. I just wanted to be with my children. Starlight you can't possibly understand the pain I felt when my children disown me! I raised every single one of them from larvas, and they all left me alone to starve. Even if I can never be their mother again. I want to see at least still them grow up outside of shadows."

"Chrysalis what happen to you? You are not the same changeling I meet at the hive."

"My eyes were open to what true love for a parent to a child is like. If you wish to know what happened to them, then please listen to my tale."

Chrysalis told Starlight about Sombra being controlled an Umbra, and that Melody was his daughter before his reign of power in the Empire. But What got her attention was when She told her about how Sombra broke free of its control and attack it when it threatened his daughter.

The Umbra laughs out loud, "YOU! Save your family of the past?! Don't make me laugh." The Umbra shoots a blast of magic at Sombra who pull up a shield of magic to protect himself and the ones around him,

"Sunburst take Melody and leave!"

"But what about you?"

"This Umbra may be powerful. However, it has a weakness. Now go!" Melody didn't want to go and leave her father behind, but Sunburst wasn't going to let her have a say in the matter as he lifts her with his magic. Sombra lowers the force field behind them to let everypony out and escape; however, Crystine remains behind as Sunburst took Melody away. Sombra notice that he not alone, "Why are you still here?"

Crystine rows her eyes, "What else? To fight. An Umbra is an enemy to all living creature, even if it doesn't have a real body." The shield starts to creak, and Crystine uses her magic to help strengthen it as Sunburst and Melody escape the mindscape. they power up the force field with their magic to protect them from the Umbra's attacks, "So what was this weakness you were talking about?"

"It is a being composed of pure shadow magic. However, if it doesn't have a vessel to return to it will disappear. That is why it must take over the magic of another living creature to stay whole."

"So what is the first step?"

"To serve the magical connection it has to its host. If the host can no longer use magic, it will fade away before it can find another vessel. In other words, I must lose the ability to use magic or give up all my magic to another creature."

A smirk came to Crystine, "I believe I can help with that."

"I expect nothing less from you Chrysalis."

Chrysalis was caught off guard, "How long have you known?"

"There are no secrets in the mindscape."

She sighs as she returns to her original form. "You do know if I take your magic away, you will also fade away. You know that, right?"

"I do."

Chrysalis is confused, "Then why?"

Sombra looks at her with sad eyes, "I was helpless to save my beloved Amber Leaf all those years ago. However, I will not stand here and let this creature take control of this body and hurt my little girl when I can stop it." Sombra cringes and opens his eyes to show that one of them has turned red again, "I don't have much time. You must remove my magic quickly."

"So that you know, I was planning on doing from the very beginning."

"Then you should have no problem with doing this. Now stop wasting time, and help me protect my family."

At the word family, Chrysalis felt an ack of pain within her own heart. A tear wells up in her left eye as she charges up the spell, "I know your pain," she then drains Sombra of all his magic.

"What happened after that?" Starlight said,

Chrysalis moves towards Starlight as the guards moved their spears at her when she got up. She stops a foot away from the bars and sits down looking at Starlight, "I took Sombra's magic into myself. The Umbra faded away into nothingness along with Sombra." Chrysalis looks away, "I had finally achieved my objective of taking his power for my own. But I will never forget his last words to me."

"What were they?"

"He said, thank you. Thank you. Of all the things he could have said to me. He said, thank you." Chrysalis lets out a small laugh, as a tear rolled down Chrysalis's cheek, she wipes it away, "All my life. I was raised to rule the Changelings with an iron hoof and survive no matter the cost. And I did it, for Twenty-two years I did everything I need to do to save my changelings from the dangers of these lands and not once was I ever told thank you." Chrysalis moves away from Starlight, "Can you believe that? Me ex-queen of the changelings getting all emotional with a simple thank you. It is pretty sad, isn't it."

"Do you still have his magic?"

Chrysalis lays down on her straw bed in the corner, looking at her, "No."

"Explain."

"Soon after I gain his magic. I left the mindscape. Sunburst and Melody were waiting for me. But I forgot that I wasn't in my disguise anymore. Sunburst was angry when he saw me."

"CHRYSALIS!"

Chrysalis looked at Melody first. Melody was looking behind her for her father but notice that the portal had closed behind her. She looks up at her in tears.

"Where is my dad?" she asked,

Chrysalis said nothing to her before turning her attention to Sunburst. "Hello, Sunburst." Normally I would have laughed in his face and boast at what I was able to accomplish right under his nose. But I didn't feel the joy of victory. I didn't feel anything but emptiness inside me. I have gotten what I wanted, but I felt like I had lost something, even more, meaning full.

"How long... no... was Crystine a real pony?"

Chrysalis shakes her head, closing her eyes, "No Sunburst. It was me from the very beginning."

"Then what did you wanted from that Crystal?"

"This." Chrysalis made a black crystal appear on her hoof. "I wanted Sombra's magic for myself."

"So, now what? You are going to imprison us and take back control of the changeling's and then Equestria?!"

Chrysalis didn't say anything to him. She turns her attention back at the little filly hiding behind him. "Melody, please come here."

"What do you want with her!?"

"Sunburst. I know we don't see things eye to eye. But know this. I would never harm her. Please, I want to give her something."

Sunburst looks back and forth between the two unsure at what to do. Melody made the answer to him when she walk in front of him. "Melody don't!"

"It is okay Sunburst. She justs wants to give me something. And I believe in her."

Chrysalis lays on her stomach, facing her, "Melody," Chrysalis started, "I know you want to be reunited with your father, but you must first free him from his prison." Chrysalis places her hoof on Melody's head. "He told me that for an Umbra to live in this world, they must first take over the body of a pony for a constant supply of magic. In other words, for that Umbra to be alive, your father must still be alive somewhere." Melody can feel a warm feeling covering her whole body. "I give you your father's magic to help guide you to him." Chrysalis removes her hoof. "Go and be with him."

"Thank you,"

Sunburst is dumbstruck as to what just happened. Chrysalis had the power of King Sombra himself, and she gave it away. "Chrysalis why?"

Chrysalis stands up, "I too had lost my loved ones when I was very young. I became angry and jealous of everypony around me. How they can smile and love each other without a care in the world. I wanted the love they had for each other for myself. So that they too may know what it is like to lose the one they care for the most. I may never get my family back for all the evil I have done. But I think this world has had enough of creatures like me."

"What are you talking about?"

"What I am saying is that I am done. I am tired of all the lying, all the stealing, and all the hate. I want to rest."

"You know we can't let Melody go on her journey on her own, you know."

"Then I will give you two a head start."

"What do you mean?"

"Twilight's guards will be coming here soon and if they get Melody. They will remove the Magic inside her. And she will never find her father."

"Chrysalis you do know what will happen to you if they get you."

"I know. And I don't care. I am done running. I want to rest. Sunburst I ask you as a friend, please take care of Melody."

"Of course. Crystine."

"Thank you."

"So what you are saying is that Sunburst and Melody as missing because they went to go find Sombra?"

"That is why I do not know where they are. They can be anywhere by now." She lets out a yawn, "If you excuse me, I would like to rest now."

"Chrysalis."

"I don't want to talk anymore. Please, I want to rest."

"Okay."

Author's Note

This may be a disappointing ending for some people however this is not the end of the story. There is one more bonus chapter for anyone who wanted more from Chrysalis. As for what happens to Sunburst and the little filly? You will just have to wait for their sequel. I will add a link when I am done. Until then have a good day everyone.

Bonus Chapter: The Queen and her family

Chrysalis lays her head down as the guards leave her in the dungeon. Her new home. Forever. She can feel something trying to get her attention. Weakly she lifts her head to see her pet, Max.

"It is good to see that you are okay, my pet. But now is the time that we must part ways. This is my new home. There is nothing left for you here. You must leave me."

Max looks at her before leaving and returning with a set of key for her. To which she tossed out the cell. Max tries again to help his owner escape, but again she tosses the keys out. Max rubs his head before he grabs the keys open the door, and trying to push her out of the cell to no avail. She uses her magic to close the door and lift Max and puts him out of the cell. "Max, please stop. This is what I desired for what I have done. I am done running. I want to rest."

Max was going to try again when somepony else grab him. "What is a rat doing here?" Pharynx said, looking at Max.

"He was my pet. Please see him away. I don't want him to be stuck here with me."

"That not really up to me. Anyways you got a visitor. " he steps aside for somepony else to enter the room. Someone that Chrysalis thought would be the last pony that would what to see her.

"Twilight Sparkles."

"Chrysalis," She turns to Pharynx, "Leave us."

Usually, Pharynx would have argued that it was a bad idea to leave his queen with the ex-queen in the same room together, even with antimagic bars separating them. But the way she said it made him put his trust in her judgment and left without a word.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"Quite," Twilight said, moving in front of the cell, "But this is not the way I saw things ending for you."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I thought that you would have put up a fight at least before you were defeated. Not show up one day and turn yourself in. That is not that same changeling Queen that I fought in Canterlot. What happened to you?"

"I was reminded of the pony I once was, and what I lost. I wanted everything back that I lost track of who I was. You should understand what I am talking about."

"The Hive?"

"My family."

"Were you always like this?"

"Sometimes ponies put up a strong face to hide from others."

"So this is the end for you?"

"Yes."

"Not even going to put up a fight?"

"There is no need to fight for what you can never have back."

Twilight sighs, "I want to be mad at you. I want to stand here and feel like I must hit you because you deserve it. But as I look at you now. All I can feel is pity for the fallen Queen."

"It is just as you said, your highness. I have fallen, and I won't get up."

Twilight got up and was going to leave the dungeon when Chrysalis spoked up, "Queen Sparkle." She stops and looks back to the cell seeing Chrysalis reaching out to her before she brought her hoof back, "I know that I have no right to ask of this. But can I please see them — my grandchildren. I would like to see them. You can banish me to Taurus for the rest of my life if you want. But I would like to hold my grandbabies even if it is just once. Please."

Twilight looks away thinking for a moment before leaving without saying a word. The silence crushed Chrylias as she fell to the floor in tears. She thought that even if this is the end for her. She could at least see her grandchildren. Now she will never know.

Minutes past as Chrysalis cried before the sound of hoof steps could be heard coming towards her. She lifts her head to see Thorax entering the room.

"Mother."

"My baby."

"Don't call me that. You lost that right when you left the hive."

"I had no choice."

"You could have stayed, you could have changed like the rest of us, and you could have still been our Queen. Then we wouldn't have lost our mother." He stomps a hoof the floor in anger, "What did you think would happen when you left? You were our Queen, our mother. And you left us alone. Do you have any idea what that feels like!"

"I am sorry."

"What you say doesn't matter anymore. Twilight is our Queen now. And you will spend the rest of your behind bars thinking about what you could have if you only wanted to stay with us."

She looks away in shame, "I am sorry my King."

"And then you dare ask her if you could hold onto my children! Do you have any idea how ridiculous of a request is that?!"

"I just want to see them once."

"Why is it so important for you to see them? You could have disguise yourself as another changeling and acted as a maid and got to see them that way. But you choose to turn yourself in. Not knowing, if you will either see them. Just what are you trying to prove here? You know that no changeling here would consider helping you out, even if you wanted to escape. So why are you doing this? What do you want to be here?"

"Becuase, this is where I belong. This is where my family is. And if that means I have to spend the rest of my life behind bars just to be myself near my children. Then so be it."

"And If I were to send you to Taurus without seeing my children or any changeling as you are left to rot. What would you do?"

"I would die of a broken heart. My King, Please, I just want to see them. I will never ask for anything else from you. Not even love. I want to see my children's children. Please, my heart would not be able to handle not seeing them when they are so close to me. Please, I will do anything. Just let me see them just once."

"No," Thorax said, letting a moment of silence filled the room.

"You can't see them." Chrysalis hopes were shattered as she fell to the floor, crying. Thorax let her cry for a bit before speaking up, "Becuase they haven't hatched yet."

Chrysalis lifts her head to see Twilight bringing in eggs into the room in a basket. She nods to Thorax as he opens the door as Twilight enters the cell. "Five minutes Chrysalis," Twilight said, leaving the basket in front of Chrysalis, "That all I am giving you."

Slowly Chrysalis lifts a hoof to the basket but stops herself from touching them. Instead, she grabs the basket and hugs it as she lies on the floor. "Thank you." She said as more tears fall from her face. But not tears of sorrow, but of joy.

Chrysalis lost track of time as she hugs the basket tightly. During those precious moments of joy. Twilight notices two things. One, she is a big softly for family moments, and two Chrysalis appearance was changing. Her holes in her legs and wings were filling up becoming whole. Thorax saw this, but a look from Twilight made him be quiet.

Chrysalis heart has finial felt something that she never thought that she would ever feel again. She felt complete and whole. Chrysalis was startled when the basket was lifted away from her. But then the eggs flouted to place back to her by Twilight's Magic. Twilight moves in front of her before she hugs the eggs, making a circle of Queens surround the children. Chrysalis had no idea what was going on, but she wasn't going to argue. Thorax watches them for a moment longer before joining them hugging Twilight from behind, as they lay their heads on the floor enjoying the moment of peace. With smiles on their faces.

What happens for the ex-queen is up to Twilight and Thorax. But something tells me that Chrysalis is going to be okay. For now, everyone can agree that for this one moment. Everyone is safe, and everyone is home.

Author's Note

If you have read this far then I thank you for enjoying my work. This is a spin-off from the Our New Queen series. With another spin-off book about Celestia and Fluttershy love life. These stories are going to be important for the official sequel for Our new Queen series. So I would encourage you to pay attention to what I add in the stories as compare to the T.V. show. Have a good day everyone.