When Darkness Falls

Chapters

The Shadow King Lives
Secrets and Plots
Incognito
Special Delivery!
The Start of Something New
Stallion About Town
Apples and Rainbows
Care For a Date?
At the Golden Horseshoe
A Crazy Little Thing Called "Love"
Complications
Neither Snow Nor Rain
Love Hurts
The Truth Scars
Matters of the Heart
The King and I
When Darkness Falls
Truths and Forgiveness
New Beginnings (Re-Written)
Reconciliation

The Shadow King Lives

The frigid winds of the Frozen North howled and tore at the ivory-white landscape, sending clumps of heavy sleet tumbling down on the thick layer of snow that covered it. For miles the snow stretched on, like a seemingly endless ocean of shimmering ivory. A lone wolf peered over the horizon, her keen eyes scanning the surrounding area for prey, her ears swiveling at the slightest sound. As a hunter, the she-wolf was always alert and ready for whatever came next, be it her next meal or a potential threat. Something small scurried across the frozen landscape and the she-wolf pursued it, her eyes detecting that it was a plump rabbit, something to gorge on before returning to the warm comfort of her cavern lair.

She chased the rabbit for a few feet before leaping at it and, catching its thick neck in between her jaws, bit down and tasted blood as the poor rabbit let out a squeal. The bittersweet liquid slid down her throat as her jaws snapped the rabbit's neck, leaving it dangling from her jutting mouth, her tongue lapping at the broken skin. The she-wolf trotted across the snow with her prize when something shiny winked at her from beneath a thin layer of snow and she approached it, almost as if instinctively drawn towards the object. At first glance, it was some sort of red stone shaped like a serpent's fang except it glowed with an intense red aura. Setting aside the dead rabbit, she sniffed at the stone and then threw herself backwards, a deep growl rumbling in her throat.

A purple mist rose from the stone, slowly slithering above it and, despite the lack of eyes, somehow glared at the she-wolf, causing her growl to die in her throat as she whimpered at the mist's presence. Despite living in a frozen tundra, a chill raced up her spine.

"Þegar þú horfir í hyldýpið, þá er ég að horfa á þig," it hissed, a sound that seemed to claw at the she-wolf's soul. Snatching up the dead rabbit, she quickly bolted away from the mist and back to the safety of her lair.

Meanwhile, the mist shot into the sky and hurtled across the sky, seeking the one thing that could make it whole once more. Right now, the mist was nothing more than a collection of instincts, its primary one being the restoration of its physical form and its secondary the complete and total annihilation of those responsible for its current state. It felt the tug of the red gem calling out to it, beckoning it to its location, which turned out to be deep in the Everfree Forest. The mist finally discovered its quarry hidden inside of a hollowed-out tree stump and it if could, the mist would be salivating. It had not seen the Alicorn Amulet in well over a thousand years and thanked Tartarus that it managed to make it out of the Crystal Empire.

My special little keepsake. My phylactery.

The mist reached out greedily with a semi-solid tendril and came into contact with the amulet's red gem, filling it with a burst of dark magic that filled its whole world with an agony that it had not felt since its death. Its vision clouded with pain and disorientation as the mist felt its body reconstructing itself from scratch. Nerve endings and muscles wrapped themselves around slowly materializing bones, filling the new shape with a sense of cold as the chilly winds came into contact with its tender new flesh. Then came the skin and fur, which painfully broke through the stallion's scalp and hindquarters as air rushed into his lungs, allowing him to draw in several stinging breaths. Eyeballs popped into his sockets, turning his pitch black world into one of greens, browns and yellows as he observed his environment.

Much like a newborn infant, a scream erupted from the stallion's mouth, one of intense, sorrowful pain as it lay trembling in the grass, bare and shivering from the combination of the cold air and the persistent agony of his rebirth.

"I...I am..." The stallion began but then clutched his head as the memories began to flood his mind. His childhood, going to school, falling in love, discovering dark magic. He violently thrashed around, recalling his rise to power, his defeat via the Royal Sisters, the millennia spent trapped in the dark, unable to move but fully conscious of his surroundings, with only the Darkness in his head to keep his company and the promise of vengeance keeping his body warm. He remembered awakening in the Frozen North, his attempts to get inside the Crystal Kingdom, his brief return to flesh and blood status and his violent demise.

"...SOMBRAAAAA!"

Bones popped and cracked as King Sombra painfully rose to his hooves, his fore and hindlegs stiff and aching. He'd gone for so long without a physical form that he almost forgot what it felt like to stand on four limbs again, stumbling and swaying as he fought to maintain his balance. He lifted a foreleg, inspecting the veins and sinews on his limb as though viewing it for the first time. Being trapped inside of his shadow form and banished to an icy prison for a millennium was one thing but being blasted into a million pieces? That demanded retribution.

Accursed ponies, accursed dragon hatchling!

King Sombra ground his teeth, his eyes glowing with rage. Images flashed before his mind, his skin crawling as he relived the agony of being ripped apart, his body flung apart and shattering like a tea cup on the stone floor. The pain had been indescribable, the fear unfathomable. He inwardly growled. That little drake and that meddlesome pink princess may've been responsible for his death but Princess Celestia was ultimately responsible for his fate. He hated ponykind, but held a special place of contempt for alicorns.

If it wasn't for her, I would've still been ruling the Crystal Empire and maybe, I could've ended her tyranny once and for all.

Securing the Alicorn Amulet in place, King Sombra shifted into his shadow form and flew in the direction of Canterlot, the hunger for vengeance gnawing at his innards. The night air chilled his lungs but he was used to the cold, having lived in the Frozen North for almost his whole life. It wasn't long before the city, and more importantly, the white and purple castle came into view.

Soon, my dearest Celestia. I have missed you, my sweet. My Tia.

~*~

Within the Crystal Empire, the Crystal Castle rose above the city, twinkling lightly in the glow of the moon's beams. It was the crown jewel of the kingdom, a quartz and sapphire construct that was the pinnacle of crystalline architecture. Inside the royal master bedroom, its rulers Princess Cadence and Shining Armor slept. While Shining Armor slumbered peacefully, Princess Cadence was not so fortunate, the female alicorn tossing and turning whilst in the grips of terror, the likes of which she'd never experience before. She was frozen in a void, unable to see past the endless blackness around her. "Hello? Is anypony there?"

A lidless crimson eye appeared before her, staring intensely at her as it burst into a furious corona of purple flames.

"Þegar þú horfir í hyldýpið, þá er ég að horfa á þig!"

Princess Cadence shrieked, her hooves gripping at the bedsheets as her hindlegs kicked furiously as if running to escape the voice and the menace that it represented. "No, get away! Stay away from me!"

"Þú getur ekki falið, ég sé þig! You cannot hide, I can see you!"

"What do you want from me?!" Princess Cadence screamed.

The eye's feline-esque pupil widened, a black, unicorn-shaped mass emerging from it and opening its red eyes as purple smoke flowed from them. "My return is nigh. This you know. Come to me." The air began to tug at Princess Cadence, thousands of invisible claws raking at her flesh, pulling her towards the shape and the piercing, flaming eye.

"No, leave me be, demon! Leave me alone!"

"Cadence..."

"Cadence!"

"Cadence..."

"Cadence! Wake up!" Princess Cadence's eyes flew open, finding Shining Armor standing over her and his hooves firmly planted on her shoulders. She was back in her bedroom, her body coated with a thin layer of sweat. Her chest heaved as she fought to catch her breath, the memory of that flaming crimson eye still haunting her. "Cadence...-"

Shining Armor yelped slightly when Princess Cadence dove into him, her forelegs wrapped tightly around him and her body shaking with fear, a torrent of tears streaming down her face. He'd never seen Cadence so afraid before so whatever she dreamt about must've had her mightily spooked. "It's okay, Cadence. You're okay." He held her close to him, his hoof gently stroking her mane as she wept and he waited until she was ready to speak.

"It...it was King Sombra. He was trying to get me to come with him!" She peered at him through tear-filled eyes. "He's going to come back! I just know he is!"

With a tender hoof, Shining Armor wiped away Princess Cadence's tears, a loving smile on his face. "Cadence, King Sombra is dead. I promise you, he's not going to get you." He tilted her chin up and added softly, "I won't let anything happen to you. It was just a nightmare." He pulled her into his embrace, his nostrils taking in the strawberry-mango scent of her mane. "Nothing bad is ever going to happen to you. Not while I'm around."

Despite her husband's words of comfort, Princess Cadence couldn't help but find herself overcome with skepticism. What did her nightmare mean? Why was she now dreaming of him? And why did it feel as though there was some connection she wasn't seeing, some mystery she needed to unravel?

Author's Note

And it begins! Honestly, I thought King Sombra was a great idea for a villain and that his defeat was too anticlimactic and premature, considering how much he was built up and how little we actually know about him. The concept for his resurrection was actually based off of Frank Cotton's from the movie Hellraiser, which, even after 32 years, is still an amazing achievement of practical effects.

This takes place roughly two months after the conclusion of "The Crystal Empire"

Secrets and Plots

Canterlot. My, how you've changed.

Sombra could remember when the city was a collection of thatched houses and wooden buildings, surrounded on all sides by an ivory, turreted wall and home to massive stone towers. Now it was a crowded cluster of stone and glass structures and signs made of blinding, migraine-inducing lights.

A thousand years certainly takes its toll.

He quickly spotted the castle, content with the knowledge that some things never changed and raced towards it. Detecting a magical barrier, he stopped and scanned it, finding it to be a security system specifically designed to keep out changelings. He found this extremely interesting and wondered what became of them, as he hadn't seen any of the insectoid race since joining up with them against the Royal Sisters in his last stand.

Passing through the barrier, the umbrum searched the castle, being careful to avoid the watchful eyes of the Royal Guards on duty, either through blending in with the darkness or morphing into a shadow cast by a guard or a nearby object. Finally, he arrived at a smaller tower and slipped in through a small crack beneath the windowsill. Returning to his pony form, Sombra's heart stopped as he gazed at the sleeping alicorn, taking in the seemingly-peaceful face of the one he'd once loved and thought loved him in return. Princess Celestia was just as beautiful as ever, her fur the color of freshly-fallen snow and her rainbow-colored mane flowing in the nonexistent breeze. He remembered the first time he'd laid eyes on her and how breathtakingly lovely she was, how he was so certain that she was the one he'd spend his life with.

Of course, he was a child then and everypony has to grow up eventually. Shaking his head, Sombra reminded himself why he was there and slowly made his way to her inch by inch until he was looming over the sleeping princess. His right hoof changed into a pair of shears and he very meticulously cut a few snippets of her mane in random places, being careful not to take too much or make the cuts obvious. Collecting the hairs, he turned to leave when he took one last look at his former paramour, both love and hatred battling deep within his chest. It didn't matter that Celestia had once been his. He could never forgive her for his imprisonment or worse, for the innocent life that she took.

The cave was spacious and deep-set in the Everfree Forest, ensuring that Sombra had the peace and quiet to carry out his task. He took another bite of the sizzling meat, savoring the smoky flavor of the bear flesh and silently thanking the cave's former resident for his sacrifice. Truth be told, resurrection, even with a magical conduit, was an exhausting experience and he needed all the nourishment he could get. Finishing his meal, he licked his hooves and checked on the brew he'd prepared in the makeshift stone cauldron. A memory potion was a fairly easy concoction to make, if one had the right materials. Some were right in the forest while the others he'd stolen from an apothecary shop in Canterlot, now apparently referred to as a "pharmacy."

Now for the final ingredient.

He slipped the hairs from Celestia's mane into the brew, changing it into a milk-white substance. Viewing the princess' memories would not only fill him in on what had occurred during his imprisonment but also let him know of Celestia's weaknesses and hidden strengths. This brought a wicked grin to the umbrum's face as he pictured delving through his foe's deepest, darkest memories. Reaching into the stone ground, Sombra conjured up a goblet and filled it to the brim with the bubbling concoction before ingesting the whole thing. The potion was thick and chalky, the sour aftertaste burning his throat but he'd had worse; being a practitioner of dark magic meant drinking elixirs and herbs that most others would find indigestible.

At first, there was nothing. Then his mind was bombarded with memories, echoes of voices flooding his head like water from a broken dam, threatening to drown him in all of the events of the thousand-year-old alicorn's life. He clung tightly and fought against the current, witnessing Celestia's filly years, her first day of school and being at Queen Concordia's bedside to welcome Luna into the world. More memories bubbled to the surface: Star Swirl's lessons, being introduced to a young Discord and slowly befriending him, raising the sun and thereby earning her cutie mark as well as the respect of the pathetic Equestrian ponies. What really got his blood boiling was her first meeting with Prince Tourmaline, the heir to the throne of the Crystal Empire and her future fiance.

No, no! He's dead. It doesn't matter anymore.

What felt to be an eternity passed, an endless torrent of dull recollections of meaningless exchanges when something caught his eye, something that set his teeth on edge and a fire burning in his chest. Yes, he remembered how Celestia told him the news, how he begged and pleaded that it not be true, how the information almost broke him.

Wait a minute...

Sombra clenched his teeth nearly hard enough to crack them.

This...this cannot be!

The memory played out before him, each second that passed by further adding fuel to the fire of his hatred for Celestia.

Sombra wretched himself free and emerged back in the cave, gasping in lungful's of breath as he momentarily wobbled on his limbs, clinging to a naturally-formed column for support. Viewing somepony's memories, particularly one as old as Celestia, was taxing, both physically and mentally. Once he'd regained his footing, he revisited what he'd learned, the memory causing his heart to pound wildly, his mind wracked with shock, disgust, betrayal, and most of all, rage. One of the worst tragedies of his life, the very driving force behind his rebellion and last stand...was an outright lie! Words could not express how cheated Sombra felt at that moment.

"She...she tricked me? She told me that she-...."

His front right hoof met with the cave wall, filling the air with a loud boom as the wall began to crack and collapse beneath the might of his blow.

Persephone….

Sombra began to pace the cave, the fire illuminating the burning anger in his scarlet eyes. He was in Celestia's room, right next to the princess' sleeping form!

I should've wrung Celestia's pretty little neck when I had the chance! Curse her! Curse her to Tartarus!

He paused, his rational mind beating out his feral one.

"No," Sombra decided, his fury subsiding for the moment. "Death is too good for her. I want Celestia to suffer, just as I did. Only then, when she is begging for me to end her misery, can I be content in taking her life."

He closed his eyes and concentrated, hoping that his secret room hadn't been discovered during his exile and opened them when a large chest appeared in a flash of crimson energy. He scanned the chest, finding that the magical security locks he'd placed on it had not been broken and silently undid them, his hooves caressing the lid and knocking off the thick layer of dust.

The lid swung open with a creak, revealing a trove of hidden scrolls and tomes filled with the secrets of maleficium. Sombra dug through them and carefully placed each object aside until he came to what he was looking for. It was a black and maroon-colored wool blanket, covered in intricate gold knots and diamond formations, only made by the finest weavers of the day. He tenderly brought the blanket to his face and inhaled it, sorrowfully filled with the knowledge that it'd never be used. A hot tear raced down his cheek.

"My Persephone. My little girl."

~*~

Princess Celestia awoke with a jolt, her breath ragged and uneven as she pulled the blankets around herself, finding some sense of security in the fact that she was once again in her room. "It was just a nightmare. Nothing more," she tried to tell herself, an exercise in futility in and of itself. She threw the covers over and walked out onto her balcony, taking in the blue-black sky and twinkling stars and smiling briefly at her sister's work. The smile vanished and she recalled the dream, or rather, the memory, something that plagued her for centuries but was reoccurring lately for reasons the Princess of Day couldn't fathom. Was it that her guilt had finally reached its breaking point? Could she continue living in a seemingly-peaceful existence knowing what she'd done and was continuing to do, even after all these years?

"Thank you, Captain. That'll be all."

The pegasus stallion nodded and gestured to the two earth ponies accompanying him, the three bowing before leaving Celestia alone with her thoughts. The royal kitchen was as silent as the grave, much to her relief as she needed somewhere quiet to ruminate on her current predicament and besides, it was easier to think on a full stomach. She spread some peanut butter on a few sticks of celery, purposefully forgoing raisins as she hated them, and munched on her treat, the creamy, crunchy meal soothing her somewhat. Whenever she was scared or stressed, Queen Concordia would make the treat, dubbed "ants on vacation" and the two would sit and eat them, just enjoying each other's company. Celestia gazed at the empty seat beside her and sighed. No matter how much time had passed, she still missed her and wished for more than anything just to hug her one last time.

"Thinking of mother, aren't you?" Celestia looked up. She hadn't heard Luna come in but then again, her sister was quiet when she wanted to be. "I know, I miss her too."

Luna took the empty seat and patted Celestia's back. They were both there at Concordia's death and it something they agreed that they wished to forget.

"What's troubling thee?"

Celestia sighed. "I was having that nightmare again, of the meeting with Sombra before the rebellion."

"I see. I remember that meeting well. Are you feeling guilty?"

"A little," Celestia admitted. "Every day it becomes harder and harder to keep the secret. I know it's the same for you."

Luna nodded gravely. "Indeed, sister. But nopony can ever know the truth. It's too...devastating."

More than a thousand years ago...

The Royal Sisters stood stoically by the old ruins, flanked by a collection of Royal Guards made up of the three equine races, each one fully prepared to lay down their lives for their princesses and homeland. And though it appeared that Celestia was calm and collected on the outside, she was in fact a ball of anxiety and fear on the interior. She had not seen Sombra in a year and a half, having not parted on the best of terms and heard of his brutal takeover of the Crystal Empire, conquering the kingdom that he'd once sworn to protect and subjugating its population. According to the royal intelligence network, along with reports from concerned civilians, Sombra had formed an alliance with the bat-ponies and changelings, having offered both races asylum in the city and apparently given the crystal ponies to them as a steady food source.

What happened to you? You were such an honorable and good-hearted stallion. How could you become so cruel?

"Your Majesties!"

A burst of green flames erupted a few feet away, revealing a dark gray unicorn, decked out in shimmering armor as a red cape flowed behind him. His eyes opened, revealing scarlet orbs filled with intense rage. Even after everything that happened, his appearance still caused Celestia's heart to race. Though she shouldn't be thinking it, she felt he was still handsome. Sombra slowly marched towards them, his head held high and a purposeful stride in his step.

The Royal Guards leapt forward, their spears aimed at the newcomer, who stared indifferently at them.

"Tell your soldiers to stand down or I'll make them stand down."

"Royal Guards, stand down!" Celestia ordered, neither she nor Luna taking their eyes off of the umbrum as the guards reluctantly lowered their weapons. "What do you want Sombra?"

Sombra glared at Celestia. "You know what I want. I want you and your sister to relinquish your positions as rulers of Equestria, recognize my reign as the Crystal Emperor and leave this land. Forever."

"Thou has lost all reason if thee think that we shalt agree to that, Sombra!" Luna spat.

Ignoring her, Sombra addressed Celestia: "There's also the matter of our daughter. Yes, I know about her."

Celestia figured that he would but it still froze her to the core to hear it come out of his mouth.

Steady there, Celestia. You can do this. You must.

"You can't have her," she began, her voice coming out raw as she felt her eyes tearing up. "I...I already got rid of her."

Sombra went rigid, his gaze bewildered. "What...what are you saying?"

Luna stared at Celestia and gave her an encouraging nod. Celestia took a deep breath and continued, sniffling as the tears flowed freely. "I couldn't let you have her and I couldn't keep her. What would the commoners think if they discovered that I had a child with the Shadow King?"

Even though she'd rehearsed those words before coming there, it still pained her nonetheless to speak them.

"She's gone, Sombra. I had to...get rid of her."

"No..." Sombra stared at the ground for a solid minute and then, to everypony's surprise, he sank to his hocks, his expression destitute, lifeless even. "No...no, you...no..."

Without warning, he threw his head back and a deafening sound erupted from his mouth, a wail that seemed to encapsulate all of the misery and heartbreak in the world. It was the sound of ultimate despair, something that Celestia herself experienced when her mother died. Despite his cruelty and malice, Celestia's heart broke at the sight of him crying for his lost child.

After an indeterminable amount of time had passed, during which Sombra hung his head silently, the Shadow King raised his head and shot Celestia a glare so full of hatred that it felt as though a part of her died on that very spot.

"You..." His voice came out deep and ragged. "There will come a day when you're watching your precious Equestria burn, when you're standing among the ashes, wondering, 'How could I let this happen?' On that very day, then and only then, you will know....what it is to suffer."

Without another word, he vanished in a flash of green flames.

"What have I done?" Celestia whimpered.

Author's Note

Yes, I know this is a dark chapter but this is pretty much the only one like it. Even though Luna's manner of speaking seems out of place, they're all actually talking like that. I just wrote Luna like that just so she seems in character.

If this had musical numbers, I see Sombra having his own when discovering Celestia's betrayal. I can envision it being similar to "Hell to Your Doorstep" from The Count of Monte Cristo musical:

Incognito

So this is Ponyville? How...disappointing.

In all honesty, Sombra was expecting so much more from the home of the six most celebrated heroes in Equestria. It resembled any other dirt-poor town, a tiny collection of cottages and small stone houses.

Then again, perhaps its simplicity is in itself a shell for something greater? After all, I came from nothing and I became a king.

He stayed in his shadow-form, being careful to keep himself the size of a horse fly as he darted around the town, searching for his quarry.

Ah, there you are.

The detection of strong unicorn magic seemed to be radiating from the tree-house, a place that, according to the sign, was called, "Golden Oak Library." During his journey, Sombra had picked up on conversations about the new Element Bearers from eavesdropping on unsuspecting travelers or simply interrogating them and wiping their memories of the incident. As easier as it would've been to have killed them, it was no use in hiding if you advertise something is wrong and horribly mutilated corpses were indeed huge indicators of something being wrong. Sliding underneath the main door, he found himself in a light pink atrium and had to fight the urge to vomit from such nauseatingly-bright colors. Twilight Sparkle was not only the leader but also Celestia's star pupil and is likely meant she was being groomed to one day become a princess. This meant that she would garner extra attention from him.

And besides, without their leader and the Element of Magic, they will be powerless to stop me.

"Spike!" A sudden feminine, if somewhat screechy, voice cut through the air. "Where did you put the red ink containers?"

Sombra bonded with the shadow of a nearby potted plant and observed as a violet unicorn mare came trotting into the room, a heavy-looking saddlebag on her back. This had to be the mare herself. As odd as it was, Sombra had to admit that she was actually kind of attractive.

Ugh, where did that come from? Stick to the mission!

A purple and green baby dragon bounded into the room and hurriedly placed a small jar into Twilight's saddlebag. "Here you, Twi! Sheesh, I hope you didn't forget anything!"

You! If you hadn't stuck your nose in my business, the Crystal Empire would've been mine once more and I could've freed Equestria from these loathsome alicorn sisters once and for all!

To Sombra's credit, he kept his rage in check, not making a sound or moving a muscle.

Surveillance now, revenge later.

The violet unicorn rolled her eyes. "Yes, Spike, I'm sure. I already double- and triple-checked the list. I'll be back later and remember, I'm expecting a package so be sure that you're here to receive it. See you later!"

Sombra was about to follow Twilight when there was a knock at the door and a rail-thin earth pony appeared, a cardboard box in his hooves.

"Delivery for Twilight Sparkle. Oh, hey Twilight!"

"Hi Parcel Post. I was just on my way out. Just put it over there."

A mailpony? How much lower can you get than becoming a-...

The gears in Sombra's head started to turn.

A mailpony….yes...I think that he will do quite nicely.

He whizzed through the open door as the three were distracted and hid himself behind what he assumed was a streetlamp, except that it had a glass bulb that lacked a perceivable wick or oil reserve. A new form of magic perhaps? Once his target was in sight, Sombra tailed the mailpony, following him as he made his rounds, taking him to not one, not two, but all six of the Elements' houses, using a special lift to visit the loudmouth pegasus with the rainbow mane.

This "Parcel Post" has suddenly become very useful. Maybe I'll spare his life after all of this is over. Perhaps.

By the time Parcel Post's shift had ended, the sun had just begun to dip down below the horizon, shrouding the land in the natural cover of night, meaning that Sombra could safely return to his normal size as he followed the mailpony to his rather disappointing looking lodgings. Any pony that caught sight of him would convince themselves that it was a trick of the darkness and this served him well. Being the patient hunter as he was, Sombra waited until Parcel Post was fed and relaxed before making his move. A crack in the window allowed him entry and he had to pop one shoulder after resuming his natural form; being in his shadow-form for an extended period of time was somewhat uncomfortable. He slowly made his way over to the unsuspecting stallion and caught him in a red aura, silencing his screams with a sound spell.

"Good evening, Parcel Post," Sombra grinned, his eyes smoking purple mist. "You have something that I want."

~*~

For Twilight Sparkle, the best part of any morning was waking up, having a full breakfast and sorting the books by author, subject and series in that order. After that, she took a nice walk through town, merrily greeting everypony she came across. Her recent misadventures as of late had made her quite popular and every smile, greeting and hoofshake filled her with immense pride. Of course, it wouldn't have existed at all without the help and support of the other Elements. Every battle, every victory had been made possible with their aid and Twilight was blessed with having such amazing friends to look out for her.

Now I think I'm going to swing by Sugarcube Corner to pick up a scone and-...

"Oof!"

She'd been so preoccupied with her thoughts that she had accidentally rammed into and knocked somepony over.

"My goodness, I'm-I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going!"

She helped the brown earth pony to his hooves and dusted off his blue jacket.

"Oh, Parcel Post! Sorry about that."

She telekinetically stuffed the letters back into the discarded satchel and placed it on Parcel Post's neck, adding the finishing touch by straightening his askew hat.

"I-it's quite alright. I mean, you probably wouldn't notice me even if you were."

Twilight shook her head. "Hey now, come on. Don't say that. You're important, just like everypony else."

A large smile lit up Parcel Post's face. "R-really? Thanks, Twilight! I have to get going but thanks a bunch! You just made my day!"

"No problem! See you later!" Twilight giggled and went on her way, unaware of the momentary glint of scarlet in the mailpony's eyes as he watched her depart.

Yes, I will see you later. Sooner than you think...

Special Delivery!

Taking Parcel Post's form was undignified and insulting to Sombra but if this is what it took to spy on the Elements of Harmony, then he could stomach the degradation for just a little bit longer. He clocked in at the post office at exactly 6:30 AM and went to work gathering up packages and letters. Aside from his own need to be punctual and precise, he did this to keep up appearances. If Parcel Post was slacking off at work, then he'd be fired and it would make things more difficult for Sombra to keep up this charade and spy on his enemies. Sometimes, you just had do things you hated for the greater good.

"Good morning, Parcel Post!" A pegasus mare with a poofy red mane chirped.

And let the torture begin.

"Oh, erm, good morning to you too, Sunny!"

According to Parcel Post's memories, Sunny Delivery was one of his close work associates and from the way she was always going out of her way to be extra sweet, Sombra had to wager that she had an infatuation with the weak stallion.

How quaint. Sombra inwardly groaned.

Sunny sighed and leaned forward with her chin on her hooves. "Isn't it just a lovely morning? Just a super fantastic day to be delivering joy and cheer to Ponyville!"

Oh, I think I'm going to vomit!

All this good cheer was nauseating to the umbrum.

Sombra smiled, "When you're right, you're right and you Sunny, are right!" Gathering his mail bag, he then waved goodbye and headed towards the door. "Bye Sunny, talk to you later!"

Why she desires this puny life form is beyond me.

"Bye Parcel Post! I'll be looking for you later, cutie!"

That last flirtatious comment got Sombra thinking. It had been a long time since he'd been on a date with a mare. And that pegasus wasn't bad to look at. Perhaps if he-...

No, no! Focus on your mission! There'll be time for that later!

Shaking his head clear of such distracting thoughts, Sombra trotted through the streets of Ponyville until he arrived at his first destination, a bakery that appeared as though it was designed by a child.

Sugarcube Corner appeared to be made out of gingerbread and topped with a cupcake crowned with three candles.

Ugh, I'm getting a stomach ache just looking at it!

This was the home of the Element of Laughter and looking at the location, it made sense why she'd choose such laughable lodgings. This "Pinkie Pie" was an insane, babbling nitwit but hopefully, that just made her more trusting and liable to manipulation.

"Yes, come into my parlor," said the spider to the fly... He sneered sadistically.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

The dark pink door swung open and Sombra found himself muzzle-to-muzzle with a stupidly-grinning pink mare.

"One package delivery for a …'Pinkie Pie'?"

"Ooh, ooh, I'm a Pinkie Pie!" The mare cheerfully stated and Sombra wished that he could smite her on the spot.

"Gr-great...just sign here and-..." The clipboard was instantly snatched from his hoof and replaced, a frantic signature scribbled over the dotted line. "That was...impressively fast." He then found himself yanked through the door and plopped down into a chair as the pink pony tore away at the package's wrapping paper. "Uh, Miss-...?"

"Eeeeee! It's the extra chunky choco-fudge confetti bomb for my party cannon!" The mare began to hop around excitedly, jabbering like a fool as she bounced on her spring-like tail, accompanied with an audible sproiiiiing! sound.

Sombra fought to keep his cool, not wanting to blow his cover.

"Excuse me, Miss, I really must be going now-..."

"Nonsense!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, pulling Sombra into a hug. "You just brought me a mega-super-amazing gift! I have to repay you!"

Dropping dead and ceasing your chattering would be an excellent start.

The mare bounded towards the kitchen and returned with a slice of chocolate cake covered in chocolate shavings and topped with butterscotch icing and a strawberry. "Here you go, Parcel Post!"

"Aw, thank you, Pinkie Pie. It sure looks scrumptious! I'll just slip it into my bag and enjoy it when I get home-..."

Pinkie's ears sagged. "Wh-what? No, no, no, no! You have to enjoy its scrumptiousness now!"

Curse this half-wit!

"Really, I must insist. I have more deliveries to make and...what...what are you doing?"

The pink mare's crystal-blue eyes had expanded impossibly wide, her lower lip trembling as she pleadingly peered at him. "Please oh please, won't you at least try one itty-bitty little bite before you leave? Pleeeeeease? With sprinkles and hot fudge on tooooop?"

The display was so heart-wrenchingly adorable that Sombra found every bit of his stone-hearted resolve breaking apart piece by piece.

What sorcery is this? What are you?!

"Stop! If I try one bite, will you please stop doing that?!"

Within the blink of an eye, Pinkie Pie had returned to normal, her head bobbing up and down as her tongue lolled out of her mouth. "Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah!"

Rolling his eyes, Sombra scooped up a plastic fork from a cup on a nearby table, cut off a small piece of cake and eyed Pinkie disdainfully, finding her tracking his every movement.

Behold the stallion! Sombra, King of the Crystal Empire, Ruler of the Frozen North...now reduced to stuffing his face with cake in order to placate a mare. What have I been reduced to?

Slipping the fork into his waiting mouth, Sombra chewed the cake slice and found his tongue bombarded by possibly the greatest thing he'd ever eaten. The creaminess of the flavor...the consistency of its content...it was too divine to waste on words!

"It's...it's amazing," Sombra finally managed, shamelessly shoveling more and more of the cake into his maw, moaning slightly as he felt it melt in his mouth, his tongue breaking it apart just to keep the flavor alive. "This is the greatest thing I have ever eaten...period!"

"Yay! You loved it, you loved it, you loved it!" Pinkie cheered, bouncing around and waving a pair of pom-poms that Sombra was certain she didn't have a minute ago.

I didn't see them anywhere. Where did she procure those? And when?

"I mean, I know it's your favorite flavor buuuut I wasn't too sure about the milk chocolate-dark chocolate ratio or the consistency of the butterscotch icing...."

While Pinkie Pie mindlessly blathered on, Sombra licked his plate clean, appreciating the mare's gesture and...

What am I doing? Am I actually grateful to this idiot?

"...And then Gummy just had to insist on being my taste-tester and you know I can't ever turn down Gummy-..."

"Yes, yes, it was scrumptious! I mean, thank...you for the cake. I really must be going."

And with that, Sombra fled out the door before Pinkie could get another word in.

By the fires of Faust, that was painful! Still...that cake was good. Maybe I won't execute her when I return to power. And ponies say I'm heartless.

The Start of Something New

Standing in front of the treehouse, Sombra felt an inexplicable sense of panic momentarily grip his heart as his mouth became dry and his throat sore and lumpy. He furrowed his disguised brow.

Why am I behaving like this?

He'd gone into battle, faced off against not one but two alicorns and he never even broke a sweat. And yet, for whatever reason, he was nervous to speak with the purple unicorn that lived inside. Could it be because of the power he sensed from outside? The burst of dark magic he detected back in the Crystal Empire during his return? Sombra swallowed the lump inside of his throat and felt his nerves return. Celestia's student or not, Twilight Sparkle will fall, her and her little band of meddlesome upstarts.

He knocked on the door and waited for a minute, hearing a yelling feminine voice followed by the pattering of small feet on wood. The door squeaked open and the dragon appeared, a big grin on his unsuspecting face.

"Hey Parcel Post! Good to see you again!"

Don't worry, lizard. Your time will come.

Sombra put on his best don't-worry-I'm-your-best-buddy smile.

"Hello again, Spike! I have some mail for you and Twilight, so here I am!"

Spike opened the door wide open and gestured inside. "You look out of breath. Why don't you come in for a water?"

Like stealing candy from a foal.

"Shucks, that's sure nice of you, Spike! Lead the way!"

He was led past the living room and into the small kitchen, where he took a seat and was promptly given a glass of water by his draconic host. While he took a drink, Sombra realized two things: one, he was parched beyond words. And two, and more concerning, he was actually...touched by the dragon's hospitality.

Yuck! What am I doing? This little runt aided in my untimely death and yet here I am, sipping water in his home and feeling something positive towards him!

"You feeling okay there, Parcel? You just sort of spaced out."

Sombra flinched, having forgotten where he was. "Uh, sorry Spike. The-the heat must really be getting to me. That, and I had to beat a quick retreat from Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie wouldn't let me leave until I tried some cake she made."

Spike chuckled and shook his head. "I feel you there. She may seem like a cute partygoer but that mare can be downright pushy and even ruthless when she wants to be. Especially if her baking or parties are involved." He nudged the stallion with his elbow, failing to notice the awkward grin plastered on "Parcel's" face or the way his eyes narrowed on him with murderous intent.

Don't strangle, don't strangle, don't-

"Spike, did you see who was at the d-...oh, hi Parcel Post. What're you doing here?"

A familiar purple unicorn had made her way into the kitchen, a book levitated near her face. Sombra snapped out of his dracocidal thoughts to observe the mare. Her eyes, a gentle violet, were filled with an intelligence and inner wisdom he'd never encountered before, as if she were an old mare trapped in a young mare's body. The book in question was a copy of Hayhoof's Intonements, which he'd purchased when it was first published. The question was, how is it that somepony so young was able to read and comprehend it?

"He was looking exhausted so I invited him in to get some water," Spike explained.

"I see you're reading Hayhoof's Intonements. That's pretty advanced reading."

The book lowered and closed as Twilight stared surprisingly at Sombra.

"How would you know that?"

Drats, I forgot that I'm disguised as an earth pony.

He had no time to wonder why he opened his mouth to converse with his mortal enemy.

"I like to read and that's one that I checked out once upon a time," Sombra answered truthfully. "I thought his theories on transfiguration were fascinating but his attitude on incantations was a little outdated."

"That's...that's exactly how I felt." Twilight now observed him with a mix of impressiveness and suspicion. "But you can't use magic, at least not unicorn magic. What use for spell books could you possibly have?"

"Doesn't mean I can't enjoy reading about it. I'm fascinated by the occult and thaumaturgy."

It surprised Sombra how easily the answers came out. All he had to do was include snippets of truth into the façade and the ponies would never see through his deception. Again, that weird, fuzzy feeling entered his chest after interacting with the locals. He chalked it up to anxiety and refocused his attention on Twilight, who took a seat across from him with her violet eyes wide and shimmering with academic interest.

"A fair point. I think Hayhoof's limitations as a transmogrification expert left him with a biased outlook on more battle-conventional magic, such as teleportation and energy-based projectiles."

Sombra leaned back in his seat. "Oh I agree! It's strange to think how innovative his work was and yet how far behind the rest of his peers he seemed to be. Honestly, I think the Principles of Magic by Dr. Jog Dee was better written. It treats the reader like a colleague rather than an idiot and its concise manner of writing is far easier to grasp."

Twilight giggled, something that Sombra found to be a pleasant sound. "I know, right? It was as if Hayhoof was trying to impress everypony with his big vocabulary. Dee's work just flowed more naturally and covered many more topics."

"Ugh, if you two are going to nerd out, I think I should go," Spike said with an eye-roll and left, not that the two ponies paid him any mind. They moved their conversation to the library, where they spent the better part of an hour comparing and contrasting their favorite books. It came to the point where Sombra actually forgot his vendetta and simply enjoyed himself, finding Twilight's company to be greatly invigorating. Her dedication to learning and interest in literature surpassed his own and the years of stress and loneliness just melted away like ice cubes in the sun. Sadly, like all good things, their conversation came to an end when Twilight's eyes drifted up to the wall-mounted clock.

"Oh wow, would you look at the time! I didn't even realize we were talking for so long!"

"It's quite alright, Twilight," Sombra replied, patting her shoulder, quickly withdrawing his hoof once he realized what he was doing. "I should be going or my boss is going to blow a fuse! Thanks so much. It was...nice talking to you."

The unicorn's cheeks turned bright red. "Th-thanks. You too. You're always so quiet so it didn't occur to me to invite you over to hang out. As it turns out, this was a lot of fun. More fun than I've had in a long time."

Sombra gazed into those violet eyes and felt a genuine smile of pure joy work its way across his face. "Same here. Could I see you again?"

"I'd like that."

~*~

By the time Sombra finished his route and returned to the post office, his boss Zip Code was understandably miffed but seeing as how this was "Parcel Post's" first slip-up, he let him off with a warning. After some mild flirting with Sunny Delivery, which was more tiresome than the umbrum thought it would be, he made his way through town and into the small house that he had to call home. It was a two-story bungalow-style house with several apiaries in the backyard and a collection of garish lawn ornaments in the front yard. The interior was a bit on the plain side, with all cream-colored walls and a few knick-knacks strewn about.

No wonder he's still single.

Sombra snorted and cracked his limbs, having put in a hard day's work and wished to relax.

But first, business before pleasure.

Once the shades were drawn, Sombra dropped the illusion spell surrounding him and let out a long sigh of relief. He'd spent too much time looking like that mail-toting oaf and ran a hoof through his wavy black mane. Unlocking the bedroom door, he telekinetically opened it to reveal the real Parcel Post shoved up against a corner away from the windows, unconscious but alive inside of a crystalline cocoon. As much as he would've enjoyed crushing the mailpony's skull, Sombra unfortunately needed fresh hairs from his mane in order to make the memory potions that aided him in keeping up his ruse. There was also, of course, the fact that once his mission was complete, Sombra needed Parcel Post around as to not arouse suspicion. A quick memory charm and it would've been as though he were never there.

Sombra tapped a hoof on the cocoon.

"Comfortable in there? I spared no expense."

Chuckling to himself, he retrieved his chemistry supplies from out of the closet and went to work brewing his special memory potion, one that he referred to as "the Tonic of Truth," or "TOT". Taking the last remaining strands of Celestia's mane, he mixed the potion and, using the Alicorn Amulet, began the arduous task of separating particular key moments until he was content with the finished product. He held the green-tinted bottle up to the light and a great sadness took a hold of his heart.

This has to be done. The truth must be known and all wrongs righted, no matter the cost. Vengeance WILL be mine.

Suppressing a yawn, Sombra smacked his lips together and after setting everything carefully aside, curled up in Parcel Post's bed, taking one last look at its former owner's petrified form. True, while Sombra didn't care for the job or work, he did have kind of a nice day, enjoying cake and spending an hour discussing books and magic with a smart and charming mare. His heart speed up as he pictured Twilight Sparkle's eyes and her smile. His eyes snapped back open.

"No, what am I thinking?! She's my enemy and is Celestia's pet. She doesn't matter! Only the mission does."

With that, Sombra spent the next few minutes tossing and turning in bed, trying to make himself comfortable and getting used to sleeping in a bed once more. When he did finally drift off, he dreamt of ice and betrayal, of former lovers, death and lost daughters. And warm, violet eyes.

Author's Note

"Jog Dee" equates to Dr. John Dee, an occultist from the 1600's that served as an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I.

Stallion About Town

Sombra awoke with a start, having yanked himself from a dream about his upbringing, particularly before his life in the Crystal Empire as the heir to its throne and future guardian of its citizens. A life that wasn't meant to be his but at one point wished it to be so. Fate, it would seem, had a cruel sense of humor. He patted the black and maroon blanket before jolting up in bed and nearly tossing it away in shock as soon as he realized that it was Persephone's baby blanket.

That's strange...I don't even remember bringing it out. He considered whilst trembling, bringing the fabric to his face, taking in its velvety softness as the pitter-patter of tears lightly wetted it.

Soon my dear. Soon we will have revenge.

A gentle breeze swept through Sombra's fur, tousling his mane as he trotted through Ponyville, taking in the sights and sounds of the small town. Having spent most of his life in the Crystal Empire, he was unaccustomed to quiet, tight-knit communities and wondered how these ponies managed to live so peacefully. It was strange how everypony knew one another and appeared to get along, there being an absence of mistrust or general unpleasantness. He shook his head and chalked up his musings as being the result of being alone for so long.

At least when you're on your own, you have only yourself to trust and depend on. Otherwise, you're liable to become weak and can be hurt.

Carousel Boutique, to Sombra's belief, an absolute eyesore in every sense of the word. It was a towering, tent-like building and painted with vomit-inducing light blues, purples, yellows, pinks and oranges, existing as an example of the very basis of femininity. Now, you could make the argument that as a dress shop, it was meant to be colorful and girly. However, Sombra had seen clothing shops before in the Crystal Empire and none of them were this teeth-gratingly cutesy. He rolled his eyes and pressed the doorbell, which emitted a chipper and overly-long tune.

Ponies. Of all of the species that were allowed to continue drawing breath on this earth, it just had to be ponies.

"Just one moment, darling!" A female voice announced, carrying with it a decidedly sophisticated and bell-like quality to it. A moment later, the door was surrounded in a light blue aura and opened, revealing a white unicorn mare, her curly dark blue mane perfectly coiffed and presentable. Despite being raised by a middle-class family, Rarity carried herself with the grace and dignity of a noble-born lady, a nice departure from the other mares in the small town.

"Oh, good afternoon, Parcel Post. Do come in," she spoke with a broad wave of her foreleg.

As they entered the boutique, Sombra couldn't help but carefully scrutinize the seamstress, his eyes trailing the curves of her ivory body and coming to rest on her flank. Her figure was sleek but toned, having been shaped daily by something known as "yoga," a practice that the umbrum wished had existed back in his time.

Hmm, its work certainly speaks for itself.

It wouldn't be surprising that he was oogling the seamstress given that he hadn't seen an attractive mare-or any mare, really-in over a thousand years. It was liking drinking water after nearly dying of thirst.

"Everything alright, darling?"

Sombra snatched his eyes away upon realizing that he'd been staring at her for too long.

"I, uh, well..."

"Oh, it's quite alright," Rarity tittered and brushed away the bangs of her immaculate mane. "I can't really blame you for staring. I do try my best to keep myself looking fabulous, after all."

And downright delicious.

"I-I still feel like I owe you an apology, Miss Rarity. It's rude to stare."

Rarity giggled and pressed a hoof to her chest. "True, but I suppose I can let it pass this one time. I can't really fault you for having good taste." They crossed the showroom and entered her private workroom, which was cluttered with mannequins, dress sketches and rolls of fabric.

"You can set it down over there. I am so glad that it came in today."

Sombra hefted the heavy cardboard box onto the table and wiped his brow, internally grumbling about not being able to use his magic but then quickly reminding himself that doing so would ruin his disguise.

Sliding a pair of red, half-moon glasses onto her muzzle, Rarity began drawing what appeared to be some sort of gown made of polygonal shapes with a high collar and triangular sleeves, a veil of hexagons covering the sketch-model's face.

Sombra tilted his head in confusion.

Is this what is considered fashionable? Things have truly changed since I've been away.

"Well, I'm glad I could help you, Miss Rarity. Have a pleasant day!"

She stopped shading to wave Sombra off. "You as well, darling! Feel free to pop by if you need anything!"

~*~

Traveling a little way out of town, Sombra's path next led him to a tiny cottage nestled on a little hill, its exterior surrounded by several birdhouses and woodland critters of various sizes, who proceeded to flee once they entered his proximity. Animals could naturally sense the darkness permeating from the shadow pony, which was why umbrums generally didn't own pets, though he did have a dog during his time as Prince Tourmaline. Now he couldn't stand the sight of cute, fluffy animals. They were reminders of what he wasn't and this ticked him off to no end. A cluster of chipmunks scurried past him to seek shelter in a small hole, shivering as they crowded around one another to frighteningly gaze up at the newcomer. Pretty soon, not even a bird was twittering by the time Sombra crossed the small bridge and knocked on the pink stable door.

The door squeaked slightly ajar, revealing a single blue eye and a long flowing pink mane.

"Good afternoon, Miss Fluttershy! I have a couple of letters for you!" Sombra cheered, making his voice as warm and inviting as possible. Upon recognizing the speaker, the door inched open a little more and the yellow mare nudged herself into the doorway. She was very lovely in a reserved, innocent maiden sort of way and Sombra bit his tongue to avoid commenting on her beauty. From the look of things, she'd probably slam the door in his face if he so much as sneezed.

"H-hello Parcel Post. Thank you," Fluttershy whispered, holding her hoof out.

Sombra's body vibrated as he fought to contain his laughter at the pegasus' shyness, instead placing the envelopes in her hoof and backing away. He wasn't sure whether it was adorable or pathetic but it filled him with an old tingly sensation in his gut. He made a mental note to leave her and her little cottage alone when he conquered Equestria. Smiling warmly at Fluttershy, Sombra snorted humorously as the mare in question sped-read through her envelopes and tossed them over her shoulder. She then slowly pushed the door forward until only her muzzle remained visible.

"Have a nice day," Fluttershy added and closed the door behind her, being careful not to slam it. With that, Sombra jogged away with a noticeable hop in his step.

This one is just too easy. A little fire and a snarl and she'll be out for the count. That unicorn Rarity needs something dark and grimy, perhaps a horde of spiders or a mud-fiend.

He tapped his chin in deep thought, wondering how to handle Twilight Sparkle, as she was the de facto leader and a talented spellcaster.

I'll need to study her closely. Surely she has a weakness I can exploit.

Her shimmering violet eyes and radiant smile pierced his thoughts and he skidded in the dirt to keep himself from toppling over.

"What am I doing? Am I really...infatuated with that mare?"

Sombra hadn't felt this way for another since Celestia, not even taking a lover after their unfortunate and messy separation. He couldn't deny his attraction to Sunny Delivery, Rarity or Fluttershy, as they were merely physically desirable but in Twilight's case, his chest ached like one would for somepony that they-

"No! She's a means to an end. Nothing more."

He resumed his trek, feeling more and more unsure about his assertion the closer he got to the Golden Oaks Library and it took all of his willpower to resist looking in the window or knocking on the door. He sighed and reluctantly tore himself away from the site, continuing with his mail route.

Besides, we're just too different. She's her and I...well, the less said the better.

Unknowingly, a certain purple unicorn was watching Sombra from inside the treehouse, finding herself pining for the brown earth pony and uncertain of her growing attachment.

Apples and Rainbows

Despite his earlier biased misgivings about small-town life, Sombra had actually begun to get used to and even enjoy the peace and quiet nature of Ponyville, finding it to possess an odd charm. He could walk down the streets without the heavy traffic or loud commotions of the city and at night, he could sleep with only the chirping of birds and songs of crickets to keep him company. That is, if he chose to sleep at all. One benefit to wielding the Alicorn Amulet was that he could imbue his own body with its magical energies, negating the need for sleep or even sustenance. After experiencing a nightmare about his past, which spiraled out of control into a Twilight Sparkle-themed dream, he decided that sleep was overrated and spent his nights reading and catching up on the thousand-plus years that he'd been away. There was also, of course, the factor of having Princess Luna stumbling upon his existence and he didn't need her blabbing to Celestia.

Little Luna was always so pathetic. She couldn't say or do anything without ensuring that it earned her the respect of her big sister or Mommie Dearest. Then, of course, there was her tryst with that draconequus Discord. Now that was a sign of low self-esteem if Sombra had ever seen one. He passed the white picket archway and made his way down the dirt road, scrunching up his nostrils at the smell of farm animals, rust, and, of course, the overwhelming aroma of apples. He liked apples as much as the next warm-blooded stallion, but there was such a thing as excess and this was pushing the limit.

"Gangway!"

A flash of dark brown entered his peripheral and Sombra rolled to avoid it, ending up in a puddle of Faust-knows-what as the runaway apple cart crashed into a nearby tree. He rose out of the puddle stiffly and shook off his satchel, doing his best to keep his rage in check as he angrily wiped the mud off of his uniform.

This cannot...possibly...get any worse.

The clopping of hooves was followed by a sudden skidding sound, resulting in a wave of dirt showering him, covering him from head to hoof in crunchy brown particles.

I stand corrected.

An orange mare in a Stetson approached him, followed closely by a filly with a pink bow in her mane. The mare lifted Sombra out of the muck and promptly dusted him off with her tail.

"Sorry 'bout that, Parcel Post. We lost control of tha cart an' it just shot down tha hill like a fox chasin' a chicken. Are ya okay there, Sugarcube?"

Urge to kill...rising...

Sombra grinned widely, "Oh yes, thank you. Although, it would seem my uniform is a tad dirty."

"We're sorry, Mistah Post!" The filly squealed. "We'll get ya cleaned up 'fore ya hafta go back on yer route!"

Strangely, seeing the filly-Apple Bloom-so guilty and tore up softened Sombra's rage at the ordeal. He sighed and lightly tapped her shoulder with the tip of his hoof.

"It's...okay, Apple Bloom. After all, it was an accident, right? Still, I would appreciate it if you washed my uniform."

Why am I feeling bad? They're the dunces that messed up here, not me!

Apple Bloom nodded and rewarded him with a smile, which left him strangely warm on the inside yet also shivering. He pushed the questions to the side for now and allowed the two to lead him towards their farmhouse, all the while biting back a slew of curses he could levy at the orange mare called Applejack.

"...An', of course we can further sweeten tha deal if ya accept an apple pie, free of charge, of course," the older of the pair went on, peeling Sombra out of his jacket, shirt, tie and hat while Apple Bloom sprayed him with a garden hose.

"I told you it's fine, Miss Apple," Sombra replied through gritted teeth. "You don't have to bribe me."

While he was still ornery about them nearly hitting him with a cart and getting him dirty, he was actually enjoying being washed and pampered as it reminded him of his reign. Servants, mostly crystal pony mares, used to bathe him in warm water and lather his body with scented soaps and exotic spices from the furthest reaches of Equestria. Having the sisters take care of him didn't compare but it did remind him of the glory days, even if for just a little while.

"'Bribe'? Who said anythin' 'bout a bribe? Ah just feel plum bad about gettin' yer nice uniform ruined an' Ah want ta make it up ta yah. Now, would yah accept an apple pie or an apple fritter? Or maybe a nice apple strudel or a case of apple cider-...?"

"An apple pie sounds lovely," Sombra admitted, both tempted by the promise of free food and spurred on by the desire to see the mare shut her trap. If Parcel Post's memories were anything to go by, Sweet Apple Acres made the best apple, well, anything.

Well, if their cooking is better than their grasp of the equine language, then I might just spare their pathetic lives when I return to power.

A few hours passed by, during which Sombra was treated to a comfortable chair and some amazing apple cider, which helped to calm his mood considerably and decided that, yes, this farm and its inhabitants would continue to exist. He found Apple Bloom to actually be an adorable little thing, going on and on about how she and her two friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo (a dumb name in Sombra's opinion) formed a secret club to try to earn their cutie marks. They were tired of being mistreated by the other foals just because they were "blank flanks" so they decided to try to change that. This touched Sombra deeply as, due to being an umbrum, he naturally had no cutie mark and was mistreated himself for that very reason in his younger days, right before being taken in by the rulers of the Crystal Empire. Well, "taken in" being a relative term. More like "merciful pet adoption."

"That's quite an amazing thing, Apple Bloom," he admitted without a shred of sarcasm or irony. "Instead of sitting around moping, you and your friends are actually doing something about it. I...I'm impressed."

"Thanks Parcel Post! It sure means a lot coming from you!" The filly cheered and pulled him into a hug, causing Sombra to chuckle at this. He stopped and stared morosely into his now empty cider mug.

Is...this what fatherhood feels like? If I had been given the opportunity, would Persephone had turned out like this filly? I can only hope so.

Applejack reentered the room, Sombra's clean uniform draped over her foreleg.

"Right, so Ah made sure that yer jacket and shirt were ironed and your hat...- are ya okay, Parcel Post? Ya look like somepony kicked yer dog."

Sombra cleared his throat and leapt out of his seat. "Um, yes, I-I'm okay. J-just remembering something from my past." He quickly got dressed, admiring the work Applejack put into cleaning everything and donning his cap. "It doesn't matter."

"Well, if yer sure, Sugarcube. Pie's on the table and like Ah said, it's free of charge-..."

"Thank you both for your hospitality but I really must be going." Sombra snatched up his now spotless satchel, grabbed the pie and sped out the door, trying to put as much distance between the farm and himself as much as possible.

Curse you, Celestia! You and your lies and your manipulations! Is there ever going to be a day when you don't haunt me?!

He shoved the pie into the waiting forelegs of a confused stallion with an undeniably-snazzy bowtie and stomped off, warm air being forced out of his nostrils as he trotted to his next destination.

"Rainbow Dash." Well, this ought to be interesting.

~*~

"Interesting" was a bit of an understatement. Known as a cloudominium, the dwelling was a towering hovel constructed entirely out of clouds with rainbow waterfalls gushing out geysers of multi-colored fluids. Sombra had to begrudgingly admit that the home was ingeniously built and cursed the fact that he himself had been unable to replicate pegasi weather magic during his studies as a growing conjurer. Usually a pegasus mailpony would've made the delivery but Derpy, a cross-eyed but pleasant mare had to take her little sister to the doctor, Snow Violet had sprained her wing and Special Delivery was on vacation. While Sombra was never really a believer in fate, he took this opportunity to praise whatever deity or cosmic force made this happen.

Ready when you are, Miss Dash.

As it turned out, however, he was overwhelmingly unready when a blue streak whizzed over his head, the force of which almost toppled him over and sent him flying into a ditch.

What in Tartarus...?

He crushed his cap to head and gazed out in bewilderment as the streak performed an Immelmann turn followed up by zigzagging in a backwards Z shape.

Is that...a pegasus?

He'd never seen one fly so fast before, nor with such precision. The aerial acrobat slowed down enough for him to observe that it was a mare with a cropped rainbow-colored mane and concluded that this was the famous Rainbow Dash. After a few loop-de-loops and figure-eights, Rainbow concluded her demonstration with a Pugachev's Cobra maneuver, during which the pegasus chose a carefully-timed moment to fold her wings and gradually come to "stand" on her hindlegs, letting the air whoosh past her before shooting her wings back out and returning to a horizontal position.

To his surprise, Sombra found himself applauding and even cheering on the pegasus, having lacked any real entertainment in many ages. Rainbow Dash came to a screeching halt in mid-air to stare at the new arrival before beaming and posing, winking and flexing her forelegs as if those particular limbs had anything to do with flight. Then, like a hawk attacking a sparrow, she descended suddenly towards Sombra only to stop and land gracefully a few feet away. She then removed her flight goggles and shook out her mane.

"I know, I know, too awesome for words?"

Sombra inwardly rolled his eyes and instead nodded excitedly.

"Miss Dash, that...that was amazing! Incredible!"

It wasn't a lie. Although he disliked her egotistical bravado, he did have to compliment her on her strict control and poise as both a performer and a flier. Apparently in this day and age, pegasi took to flying in death-defying stunts for the amusement of crowds of ponies, a concept that seemed to fit in nicely with Sombra's era of live entertainment. Although, he'd be more interested in combining that with jousting and duels to the death.

Yes, "sky-combat." That'd be a marvelous sport!

Rainbow Dash puffed her chest out. "Ha, tell me something I don't know! Still, your praise is much appreciated."

"Oh! You have some mail," Sombra recalled and pulled some material from his satchel. "One package..."

"The newest Daring Do book!" Rainbow squealed, grabbing the box from out of Sombra's hoof.

"Right...an issue of Wonderbolts Monthly..."

"Sweet! This is the commemorative one-thousand anniversary issue!"

"And a letter from your parents," Sombra choked, trying not to burst out laughing at the sticker-covered envelope with the words, "You're our #1 star!" written in all capital letters.

"Ugh, seriously?! This is so embarrassing!"

"Don't you mean 'awesome'?"

Rainbow snatched the envelope away and grumbled to herself before zooming away towards her house in the sky. Shaking his head, Sombra allowed himself a chuckle and began his journey to the next house.

"That was so funny! I mean, what parent would go out of their way to-...?"

He stopped suddenly and scratched his head. "Huh. I haven't laughed like that in a long time. Weird."

Author's Note

"Buckachev's Cobra"=Pugachev's Cobra, a real-life aerial maneuver (except for airplanes. Obviously.)

Care For a Date?

"Well, let's see what the written word has to say about me."

Sombra flipped through the history book until he came across a short chapter on the Crystal Empire. The chapter started off with the usual spiel about its founding during the early years of Equestria's development before the other equine races arrived and their discovery of crystal magic. It was nothing new, as Sombra, during his tutelage as Prince Tourmaline, had been raised to memorize such knowledge and flipped forward until he came across the entry entitled, "The Reign of King Sombra: An Age of Darkness and Fear."

"Oh, this ought to be good."

However, the further on he read, the tighter his grip increased on the book as the more incensed he became. His whole body shook with rage, his breaths coming out fast and deep as purple smoke seeped from his glowing green eyes.

"...King Sombra's cruelty knew no end...he fed his critics to his bat-pony guard...public executions...performed dark magic rituals on infants to increase his power...demanded that every newly-married mare become his concubine..."

With a growl, he tossed the book at the wall and struck it with a dark magic beam, setting it ablaze with purple and green flames.

"LIES! ALL LIES!" Sombra bellowed as the pages curled and burned. He angrily paced the bedroom, spitting curses in his native tongue. "Celestia...you were so desperate to bury your own sins that you rewrote my past! Sullied my name!"

Yes, he had disposed of the Crystal Empire's previous rulers and took over the kingdom, placing himself as king and forcing many of its inhabitants into being slaves for the mineral-rich mines. But he'd also created more jobs, ensured that under-privileged colts and fillies had good educations and established a safe haven for bat-ponies and changelings, who'd been forced from their homes by the efforts of the ponies. Yes, Sombra was a tyrant, he could admit that, but he was nowhere near the monster that the history books insisted that he was. Just another wrong to right.

Once his fury had been dispelled, he sank into his seat and buried his face in his hooves. Since today was his day off, or rather, Parcel Post's day off, Sombra was left bored and furious, a very dangerous combination to be sure, especially for a dark magic user with a short fuse and a plan of revenge. He'd gathered some information on the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony but felt that it was insufficient for his needs. Fluttershy was the Element of Kindness and a weak-willed push-over, Applejack the Element of Honesty and a rough-and-tumble mare, Rainbow Dash the Element of Loyalty who was obsessed with her public self-image and the Element of Generosity Rarity was a well-mannered and sophisticated but overly-dramatic trend-follower. Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter...she was hard to peg, either being a cloudcuckoolander with the mind of a child or a devious master manipulator bent on controlling the world through forcing everypony to smile and be merry. Or just a simpleton with far too much time on her hooves.

The one that caught his eye, however, was the Element of Magic and the prized pupil of Princess Celestia: Twilight Sparkle. A loner with a thirst for knowledge but also a dedicated friend to her little band. She was confident and smart but also a control freak that loses her mind when things don't go her way. Then, of course, there was her beauty, her stunning features that made their way into Sombra's thoughts and dreams. Maybe he was infatuated with her but so what? When he conquers Equestria, he could take a wife this time and Twilight was certainly a good pick for the role. He would have to break her free from Celestia's control and that would be a challenge but then again, all truly worthwhile things required hard work.

~*~

A series of books floated around Twilight's head like a halo, bathing her in a soft brilliant raspberry light as she sat perched at her writing desk. Ever since the King Sombra incident, she'd found herself unready and even behind as an enchantress, being unable to match the Shadow Emperor's magic and nearly got her brother killed. She decided to use whatever free time she had away from her friends to study, to push her mind past its limits so that she could face whatever or whoever came next. When that day came, she'd be ready. Twilight Sparkle was the Element of Magic and she'd be prepared.

She flew through Houyhnhnm’s Guide to Magical Arcana and Trotter’s Tome of Reliquary, jotting down as many concise notes as she could before moving onto the Magical Compendium. She was midway through the chapter on defensive magical barriers when Spike entered and tapped on the door frame.

"Oh, hey Spike. What can I help you with?'

"Parcel Post is at the front door asking for you."

Twilight blinked in confusion. "Me? Does he have something for me to sign? I don't remember ordering anything."

Spike shook his head. "Actually, he's not wearing his uniform. He said that he wants to hang out."

"Wait, what?" Twilight rose from her seat and trotted past Spike until she found a gray-brown stallion in the foyer, looking almost unrecognizable without his blue jacket and hat. His mane had been carefully brushed and-

Wait, is he wearing cologne?

The smile that appeared on Parcel Post's face was one of pure unadulterated joy.

"Hi Parcel Post!"

"Twilight, so good to see you! I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Wow, he's cute. Where did that come from?

"No, not at all! I was just doing some studying."

Parcel Post's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? Houyhnhnm’s Guide to Magical Arcana or Trotter’s Tome of Reliquary?"

"Both actually! I had finished them and was just reading the Magical Compendium when you arrived. Come on in!"

Twilight led a beaming Parcel Post into the library, taking a seat in a wooden chair. Glancing at the stallion seated across from her, Twilight became aware of her own appearance. Her mane was frizzy and dull-looking , her horn unpolished and her coat staticky and unkempt.

"S-sorry about how I look. I wasn't expecting visitors."

Parcel Post smiled softly, "Well, if you don't mind my saying so, but I think you look beautiful."

Twilight's cheeks heated up and her heart beat almost painfully in her chest. "Oh, that's very sweet of you to say, Parcel Post but there's no need to be nice. I look like a train wreck."

"I'm not being sweet, I'm being honest." He then leaned forward and Twilight found herself lost in his light blue eyes which, for a split second, she could've sworn were crimson. "You're always beautiful. At least, to me you are."

"Th-thank you," Twilight sighed, releasing the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She was unaccustomed to such blatant compliments and it felt nice to be flattered.

Is it my imagination or is it really hot in here?

Parcel Post began wringing his hooves nervously. "Hey Twilight?"

"Yes...Parcel Post?"

With a heavy sigh, Parcel Post briefly closed his eyes and then reopened them. "Would you like to go out with me?"

The unicorn stared at Parcel Post's hopeful expression and could've sworn her heart skipped a beat. Twilight swallowed and then asked anxiously, "I'm sorry, but when you say 'go out,' you mean...like a date?"

Slapping a hoof to his face, Parcel Post turned away embarrassingly. "Oh sweet...Cccccelestia," he groaned, struggling with the last word. "I misread everything, didn't I? I am so, so sorry, Twilight. I should go."

Rising from his seat, he sighed and turned to face Twilight sadly. "I'll see you around, I guess."

"Parcel, wait!" Twilight rushed to him so fast that they almost collided. "I didn't mean it like that! I...I've just never, you know?" She then saw Parcel Post's confusion and dropped her head. "I've never been on a date before."

This was it. She'd worked up the courage to admit such an embarrassing truth and now she was going to get mocked. After a solid minute of silence, Twilight glanced up at Parcel Post to see that he was staring at her, his open hanging open in shock.

"You've never...you? How is that possible? Stallions should be lining up at your door!"

Twilight had to giggle at this. She was expecting laughter or an awkward goodbye but not this.

He's surprised that I've never been asked out?

"Well, I was more interested in my studies than friends or dating. Stallions just...tend to ignore me."

When Twilight had been studying at Princess Celestia's school, she'd gotten an interested look or two but the vibe she put out said, "Keep walking, I'm not interested." Besides, most stallions were intimidated, either by her intelligence, her strong magic or the fact that she was Celestia's personal student. It was a sad but true fact.

"So...could I...may I have the honor of being the first?" Parcel Post grinned.

Twilight pushed some of her mane behind her ear and nodded.

"Great! How about I take you out to dinner? Does...six o' clock at the Golden Horseshoe sound good?"

Act cool, act cool, act cool!

"Sounds perfect!" Twilight half-squealed in a high-pitched tone. "Ahem! I mean, sounds perfect! I'll meet you there."

She opened the front door and waved Parcel Post off, giggling to herself at the far-off look in his eyes as he seemed to move mechanically, almost caught in a dream state. She shook her head and slammed the door, preparing to continue her studies only to find Spike standing there with a huge smirk on his face.

"What?"

"You. 'Sounds perfect!'" He said, imitating her, clasping his hands together and fluttering his eyelashes. He then crossed his arms and grinned, "You're smitten with him!"

"What?! No I'm not!"

"Really? Then why are you blushing?"

"I'm not blushing. It's just...really hot in here."

Spike peered at her and then shrugged, not wishing to push the issue. "Fine. Just try not to be so nervous on your date."

There was that word again: date. Twilight groaned and facehoofed herself. Hard.

"What have I gotten myself into?"

At the Golden Horseshoe

WARNING: DARK SCENE AHEAD. NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH.

The sun rose high over the snow-capped mountain, bathing the land in blinding, glittering lights as the sunlight bounced off of the snow. Princess Celestia, adorned in her battle armor, surveyed the corpse-strewn landscape, her heart heavy with regret. Why couldn't I have been able to prevent all of this? Aside from ponies, the bodies of changelings and bat-ponies also lay mangled and bloody on the ivory-covered ground, their features beginning to freeze and distort in the cold. Something felt wrong to Celestia. Where is Luna? And didn't this already happen?

"This is your fault, Your Majesty. You failed us." She whirled around, finding a slain pegasus laying on his side, half of his face bashed in and one eye staring accusingly at her. "Why did you lie, Princess? Why?"

"I-I didn't mean to-..."

"She didn't mean to, she didn't mean to! As if that makes it alright," a changeling mockingly added, his carapace littered with several arrows.

With sickening cracking and crunching sounds, the dead warriors began to twist and wretch themselves from the frozen ground, dragging their misshapen forms as they advanced on the frightened alicorn. She tried spreading her wings to fly, but they refused to obey her, instead remaining at her sides and as heavy as iron. A circular wall of undead soldiers surrounded Celestia, their stench clogging up her nostril and bringing tears to her eyes, which were pouring regardless of the awful smell.

"Get away from me! It's not my fault! It's not my fault!"

"Isn't it?"

A new voice offered up, a voice that Celestia knew all too well. A voice she'd heard speak words of wisdom and whisper sweet, intimate utterances into her ear after a night of passion. Standing before her was King Sombra, only his entire body was covered in cracks, little pieces of flesh falling off of him to land on the ground as ash.

"You could've told the truth. If you'd told the truth, you might've been able to prevent this. You stole her. You stole my daughter."

"She wasn't yours!" Celestia howled, though in her heart she knew this to be false. "I was protecting her!"

King Sombra grinned, a rictus that exposed the nothingness that existed beneath his cracked visage.

"'Protecting her'? What were you protecting her from, my love? If anything," he murmured, moving closer and closer, every hoofstep causing more and more of him to disintegrate, "You were protecting your own hide. You can lie to me but you can't lie to yourself."

"Liiiiiiarrrr," the dead crowd started to chant. "Liiiiiarrrr! Liiiiiarrr! Liiiiarrr!"

King Sombra was now right in front of Celestia, his cold, crumbling hooves touching her cheeks, bringing her muzzle to his own. "Now then, my love, I've missed you. Why don't you give me a kiss?"

"GET AWAY FROM HER, DEMON!"

An intense silvery-blue aura struck the surrounding area, converting King Sombra and the undead hordes to dust, leaving the tundra as empty and still as a calm day at sea. Celestia breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the dark blue alicorn in front of her.

Wiping away her tears, she sniffled, "Thank you, sister. I don't know what I would've done. I-..."

Princess Luna wrapped her forelegs around Celestia and held her close.

"There, there, sister. You're safe now." Celestia nodded and went to say something but decided to drop it, instead basking in the security of Luna's embrace.

This was the fourth night in a row she'd had a nightmare like this. Whether it was in the Frozen North, Canterlot Castle or in a forest, Celestia had to deal with the specter of her former love visiting her, accusing her of being a thief and a liar. For over a thousand years, Celestia had to bear the weight of the secret, wishing she could tell it to the right person but backing down out of fear or rejection. As wrong as it was, a mother had a duty to protect her child, no matter the cost. At least, that's what she told herself.

"Celestia, there is a reason you've been having these nightmares. Is there something you wish to tell me?"

The Princess of the Day lifted her head up to gaze at Luna and sighed, feeling every bit as the old mare that she was. "I want to tell her the truth. I don't know how long I can keep it a secret and she deserves to hear it."

"Is it because of Sombra's demise?" Luna offered sympathetically. "Despite it all, I know how much you loved him."

Celestia nodded and stared off at the faux-sun. "Partially. I keep thinking back to the day that I convinced him that I had an abortion. It's because of his fury that he decided to gather his army and this led to the Battle of the Frozen North. So many lives lost because of the lie I told. The lie that I'm still telling. I want my daughter to know the truth. Even if she ends up hating me."

A soft wing brushed Celestia's mane. "She could never hate you. You did what any mother would've done in your situation. Besides, the blame falls on mine own shoulders as well. I told you what to say and I aided in hiding my niece away. You don't have to bear this weight alone, sister. Let me help you carry it or the guilt will crush you."

"I will tell her. But not at this moment. She has far too much to deal with as it is."

~*~

The bell to the door of Carousel Boutique tinkled as the mare made her way into the store, fidgeting with her hooves as she approached the store's proprietor.

The owner in question turned and smiled, "Welcome to Carousel Boutique where-...oh, hi Twilight! Sorry, for a minute there, I thought you were a client! Darling, what's wrong?"

Twilight's eyes fell to the floor, unable to meet Rarity's worried glance. "I, erm, need help. It's embarrassing."

Rarity placed a supportive foreleg around her friend. "Darling, you know I'm here for you. Whatever it is, I will help you overcome it. So please, tell me what's wrong." Sighing, Twilight looked Rarity in the eyes, feeling much more relaxed.

"Please keep this between us and try not to make a big deal out of it but...I have a date tonight."

The white unicorn stopped suddenly in her tracks. "I'm sorry, darling but it sounded like you said that you had a date."

"I do," Twilight said a little louder. "I...have a date tonight at six. At the Golden Horseshoe."

At first, nothing. And then:

"EEEEEE! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! THIS IS THE BEST...THING...EVER!"

To her slight dismay, Twilight found herself wrapped in a ribcage-crushing hug and bounced around like a Hacky Sack on a college student's knee.

"Oh darling, I'm so happy for you! When did this happen? How did this happen? Who is he? Is he a gentlecolt? Knowing you, he has to be brainy!"

"Rarity...air..."

"Whoops! Silly me. Tell me everything!"

Thankfully, Rarity let go and Twilight could feel the air return to her lungs, though the room still spun a little. Once she could see straight, she bashfully admitted, "Do you remember that mailpony Parcel Post? He asked me and I said 'yes'."

Rarity cocked her head slightly. "...Parcel Post? That's quite an...interesting choice," she smiled unconvincingly.

"You don't know him like I do. He's smart, kind, warm. He said that he thought I was...beautiful." Twilight laid back on the blue couch and stared dreamily up at the ceiling. "Apart from my family, nopony's ever called me beautiful before."

"Well, I'm happy for you! Even if he's a...never mind. So what did you need my help with?"

Turning away from Rarity, Twilight heaved a heavy sigh. "He said I was beautiful but I want to feel it. I just...don't." In a smaller, more insecure tone, she added, "I'm not like you."

Tears gathered in the corners of Rarity's eyes. She turned Twilight towards her, keeping a firm grip on her shoulders.

"Twilight, look at me. You are beautiful, darling. It takes a lot of work to look the way I do but for you? You're natural. Am I beautiful just because stallions say I am? Or is it because I say I am? You have to believe in yourself. Only then can others believe in you."

Twilight nodded and embraced her friend, feeling her own waterworks coming on. "Thanks Rarity."

"Anything for my friends. Now let's get you ready. By the time I'm done with you, your date's going to need a new jaw!"

~*~

"This was a terrible idea," Sombra reminded himself for the eighteenth time.

He paced back and forth, stopping to sneak a peek at his reflection in the glass window of the Golden Horseshoe. Or rather, the reflection of the stallion he was impersonating. In place of Parcel Post's dull, blue tweed suits, Sombra had conjured up his own, creating a black, double-breasted dress coat, a red undershirt and a black and red-striped necktie. Silver cufflinks with emeralds and a dark gray pocket square completed his ensemble, making him wish that he was going as himself so that his outfit could really look good.

It's hard to make such an awkward-looking buffoon look debonair. Oh well.

He checked his wrist watch, finding that it was six-twelve but didn't panic, as it was possible that Twilight was being fashionably late. It was such an odd expression; how can one show up "fashionably late"? Isn't it considered trendy, and therefore fashionable, to show up on time? He shook his head. Such an odd era to live in.

"This was a terrible idea," he said for the nineteenth time.

Why did I ask Twilight Sparkle out on a date? And furthermore, why am I so nervous? I am, or was, the king of the entire Crystal Empire! I fought both Royal Sisters and I did so with neither fear or doubt. So why was it so nerve-wracking to ask one mare out to dinner?

Sombra froze, his eyes widening in shock. Whatever he was thinking next was quickly and thankfully forgotten.

"Sweet Celestia..."

The unicorn mare approaching him was nothing short of perfection. Her shimmering violet and raspberry mane had been styled in an intricately-braided side-bun and contained star-shaped hair clips covered in faux-diamonds. Her dress was dark pink with silver trim, a golden sash belt and several violet-covered ribbons gracing the dress' hemline. Apart from some dark blue eyeshadow that had been lightly applied, she wore no makeup, not that she needed any.

Okay, NOW I remember why I asked her out in the first place. She's...she's incredible!

"See anything you like?" Twilight teased and all Sombra could do at that moment was dumbly nod.

Gathering his wits, Sombra bowed before Twilight and held her hoof up to his lips, purposefully teasing her with the promise of a kiss.

"Your beauty shames the sun and makes the moon weep with envy," he purred, brushing his lips gently against the smooth surface of her hoof.

By Tartarus' depths, her aroma is intoxicating! No, stop it! You're here gathering intelligence. She's just a mission...a very lovely mission.

Twilight's face turned scarlet. "Thank you. So you're a poet too? You're full of surprises, Parcel Post."

Wiggling his eyebrows, Sombra grinned, "You have no idea."

He sprinted to hold the door open for her, which earned him a red-cheeked grin and a playful curtsy. He may've been a dark magician and the enslaver to an entire race but he still remembered how to treat a lady. He wasn't a savage.

The Golden Horseshoe was the fanciest restaurant in Ponyville, which meant that it was the nicest-looking one and was the closest the small town got to having an expensive, five-hoof eating establishment. The walls were painted navy blue and, true to the restaurant's name, were covered in gold, painted on horseshoes. The ceiling had been painted to feature a mural depicting princesses Celestia and Luna flying face-to-face, one leading a blazing, sun-dominated sky and the other a star-covered night sky with the earth cradled in the center of the two alicorns. Sombra trembled slightly but gave no other indication of his disgust. The waiter showed them to their table and after Sombra pulled Twilight's seat out for her, catching himself before he used his magic, they were given their menus and were ready to order.

"I will have the chili sans carne with wheat fries and a root beer," Sombra grinned, inwardly frowning that there were no alcoholic beverages on the menu. However, upon seeing Twilight's eyes glitter in the light, he decided that it didn't matter.

"Hmm, I will try the...grilled tomato cheese sandwich and a glass of lemonade."

The waiter took their menus and promised to have their meals ready ASAP, leaving the pair alone to silently enjoy each other's company. The strange, warm feeling inside Sombra's chest returned, heating up his insides while also bringing goosebumps to his skin. As he locked eyes with the mare, he finally realized what it was that was creeping its way into his heart: love. He was in love with Twilight Sparkle.

Oh Faust, what have I done?!

A Crazy Little Thing Called "Love"

How? How in Erebus' beard could he allow this to happen? Sombra had laid out a very careful plan: 1. take the identity of a Ponyville resident with the means of getting him close to the Elements of Harmony in order to learn their weaknesses, 2. gain the trust of the Elements of Harmony, 3. crumble the will of Twilight Sparkle in order to demoralize Elements, 4. find a way into the Crystal Empire and 5. lure Celestia into a final confrontation. Nowhere did it say, "Develop feelings for one of the Elements, especially the one that posed the greatest risk out of the six of them!"

Faust give me strength!

Sombra glanced across the table at the mare locking eyes with him. Despite his own shock at the unexpected turn of events, he found himself unable to find any kind of fault with Twilight, taking the blame solely for himself. Neither one of them planned for this to happen. And yet, happen it did.

Somewhere, somepony hates me.

When the food arrived, both of them ate without exchanging a word, using the profound silence at their table to just stare at one another and exchange smiles. Sombra concentrated and used his disguised horn to get a reading on his date. Aside from their shadow-bending abilities, umbrums were also naturally empathic, being able to detect and feel the emotions of those around them.

A wave of intense emotions struck him and he had to wrap his hindlegs around a leg of the table and grit his teeth to keep Twilight from noticing anything was amiss. He felt fear, trepidation, self-consciousness and joy. Most of all, however, he felt something...else. Not hot enough to be love but not cool enough to be platonic affection. It was more like romantic adoration with a hint of lustful curiosity. She desired him but was unsure about how she felt or how to proceed with it.

"Twilight?" Sombra finally spoke up. The violet unicorn, apparently stuck in her own thoughts, snapped her eyes up to look at him. "How...how are you feeling? Is everything okay?"

Dabbing her mouth with a napkin, she took a moment to think before responding.

"Honestly? I'm a little scared."

A hoof reached across the table to cover Sombra's own, a gesture of intimacy he'd not experienced in the longest time.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm having a nice time with you. A really nice time. It's just..."

"This is your first date and you've never felt this way before so you don't know how you're supposed to be feeling nor how the rest of this evening is supposed to go," Sombra finished.

Twilight nodded, both flabbergasted and impressed by the stallion's assessment.

"R-right, exactly! I mean, I've read every single book on dating that I could get my hooves on but reading about it and doing it are two different experiences!" She looked away and drew her hoof back, depriving Sombra of her soft, warm touch. "I'm sorry for being so awkward."

Oh you beautiful fool...

Sombra reached over to clasp Twilight's hoof in both of his, directing her gaze back towards him.

"Don't apologize. Never apologize for something that isn't your fault. This is your first time, isn't it? Being close to a stallion, right?"

A shy, hesitant nod confirmed his suspicions.

"It's okay for you to be nervous. I mean, this isn't my first date but I'm nervous too. The truth is, I haven't been with anypony in a very long time. When I asked you out, I wasn't sure if you'd even accept my invitation and when I thought you weren't interested, I was a little relieved. It meant that I wouldn't have to feel scared about trying to impress you or wondering how soon it'd be before I screwed things up."

The thing about the truth is once you got started, it was pretty damn hard to stop. The more Sombra opened himself up, the more he'd unwittingly revealed his more vulnerable side, a side he didn't even know he still possessed. It was disbelieving to the two of them how emotionally exposed he was at that moment.

"I wasn't planning on courting you. You were just another mare to deliver mail to but when I got to talk with you, I knew that I had to try. I'm not spontaneous; I like to have my day planned out to the T. I guess what I'm trying to convey is...I like you...a lot. And even though it took me completely by surprise, I want to continue to see you, to court you. That is, if you'll have me."

All was quiet and still, a pregnant hush filled their little corner of the restaurant and for the longest time, Sombra feared that he'd overstepped some boundary. He didn't know where his confession came from or why he even said it aloud. He wasn't romantic or some scared, green-horned colt bringing a classmate to the malt shop. Grand scheme or no, it scared him to think he'd effectively shut the door on a potential relationship with this incredible mare. In that instance, the prospect of never speaking to Twilight again or gazing into her violet eyes terrified him in a way he loathed for more reasons than he could count.

"Parcel...," Twilight mercifully uttered after the extended silence. "That was the sweetest thing that I've ever heard." Her hooves covered his and she struggled to keep her eyes from tearing up. "I like you too. As in, like like. I'm scared that I'll be the one to mess things up between us. But if you're willing to give it a try, then I'd like to keep doing this."

"Wait, you mean...?"

Twilight nodded, her face made even more radiant by the smile of pure bliss. "I want to be your special somepony."

Sombra's heart leapt with joy at hearing those words. As if driven by a will of its own, his right hoof began to caress Twilight's cheek, a gesture she in fact welcomed as she turned her face to better accommodate him. He tried to command his heart to beat slower but the stubborn organ refused to obey him.

"So, instead of our usual academic discussions, I'd like to talk about you instead. I mean, everypony knows Twilight Sparkle, the Student of Princess Celestia and the Great Hero, but I want to get to know Twilight Sparkle, the Librarian and the Mare with a Head Full of Dreams."

She nodded and caressed his hoof. "I was born in Canterlot, the younger of two siblings. When I was five, my parents took me to a museum exhibit dedicated to Star Swirl the Bearded and from then on, I knew that I wanted to practice magic and become the next great enchanter..."

~*~

They stayed until closing time, Sombra mostly listening to Twilight's life story and her own dreams and ambitions, only speaking now and then to compare similarities or to ask questions. When the Golden Horseshoe closed, they walked side-by-side, purposefully taking the long way back to Golden Oaks Library just to extend their night. There was a slight chill in the air so Sombra wrapped Twilight in his coat and placed a foreleg around her, both actions earning him a grateful smirk and her head on his shoulder. When it came down to his turn, Sombra tread very carefully, mixing what he recalled of Parcel Post's upbringing with elements of his own life. He liked being honest but too much would arouse her suspicion and thus bring this romance to an abrupt and untimely end.

"Well...here I am," Twilight said with a small wave of her hoof, standing right in front of the treehouse's front door. The two said nothing, knowing full well that they'd be saying their farewells and ending their night.

Reluctantly, she removed Sombra's jacket and gave it back to him, stopping to look up at him as their bodies came within inches of one another's.

"I had a wonderful time, Parcel Post. Thank you."

"It was my pleasure, Twilight Sparkle," Sombra answered truthfully, kissing her hoof. "If anything, I should be thanking you."

They remained where they were, their bodies nearly roasting with how close they were in proximity. He stared at her lips, idly wondering about their taste and texture when he noticed how she seemed to be reading his thoughts, her face frozen with both fear and hopeful expectation. "We don't have to kiss if you don't want to. I'll understand."

Twilight gulped and nodded. "I know. It's just...I've never been kissed before. I'm very curious. Scared but curious."

Bending down slightly, Sombra took Twilight's face in both hooves and angled it slightly to the left.

"You don't have to be scared, Twilight. I'd never do anything to hurt you. I...care too much."

He then leaned forward, his lips gently brushing hers. Once she made it clear that he had permission, he gently pushed them together, savoring the velvety soft texture and the exquisite taste of wild elderberries. There was a slight whimper followed by a moan, indications that he was doing something right and that the unicorn was enjoying it. He then withdrew, taking in a deep breath as Twilight's eyes fluttered open.

"How...how was it?"

Twilight looked dazed, half-asleep even. "Hmm? It was...nice. Very nice. Great even." Her hoof gently traced her lips as if to commit the act to memory. "Thank you, Parcel Post. For being my first."

"Anything for you," Sombra stated softly, planting a kiss on her brow. "Good night, Twilight."

"Good night, Parcel," Twilight breathed, stumbling towards the door and maintaining eye contact with him, fumbling for the door knob a moment before locating it and hauling herself inside.

Once the door was closed, Sombra snorted and pumped a hoof in the air, commending himself on a job well done. He slowly made his way back to his house, enjoying the splendid evening and recounting his kiss with the lovely mare, relishing the feel of her lips against his own. Shutting the door behind him, Sombra dropped the illusion spell and zapped his dress clothes away, having served their purpose. He leapt onto his bed and cradled the back of his head with his forelegs.

"Sombra, you old Lothario you. Well done, my boy. Well done-..."

"Thank you, Parcel Post. For being my first."

"I had a wonderful time, Parcel Post."

"Parcel...that was the sweetest thing that I've ever heard."

"Good night, Parcel."

Sombra could feel his reality shattering, his heart breaking into a million pieces. No, she didn't have feelings for him. She was infatuated with Parcel Post, with the façade! True, it was Sombra that romanced her but it was with the mailpony's face and voice. It was Parcel Post that made intelligent conversation and asked Twilight out on a date. It was Parcel Post that took her to dinner, opened his heart out to her and made her feel special. And it was Parcel Post that kissed Twilight and made her first time unique and pleasurable. The fact was, Twilight Sparkle cared for Parcel Post, not Sombra and she never would.

"I...but I...I love her..." Sombra froze and scrubbed at his moist cheeks. "Tears? Since when do I cry?"

He stared in disbelieving horror at his wet hoof.

"What have you done to me, Twilight Sparkle?"

Complications

"Myrkrið er meistari og þú ert allur þræll!"

King Sombra's voice echoed in Cadence's head, triggering her to start pounding on her skull with her hooves in an attempt to drive it out. When the dark king didn't invade her dreams, he haunted her waking thoughts, taunting her with his deep, whispery tone and aura of unmitigated horror. The worst part was Cadence wasn't entirely frightened. In fact, she found herself drawn to Sombra and wanted to know more about him. This drove her to visit the royal library to find out all that she could on the mysterious late King Sombra.

Pouring through the oldest known records in the library, Cadence found little to no information on the former tyrant's life, only detailing his reign as king of the Crystal Empire. There was no mention of his birth, his childhood or his lineage, only vague references to his race the umbrums or "shadow ponies". They were a race of equines that were wiped out during the Umbrum-Draconequus War, a conflict that occurred during the early days of Equestria and nearly divided the new nation. The only known survivors of either extinct race were Discord, ex-dictator and chaos-meister of Equestria, and the aforementioned Sombra.

He didn't just poof into being. Where is his birth certificate? It's as though he just appeared out of nowhere.

"Prinsessa af ást…your time is nigh..."

Shaking her head, Cadence slammed the book closed and turned, finding herself facing a pair of glowing green orbs. She leapt backward and ignited her horn, only to realize that she was staring at the reflective surface of a crystalline column.

"What...what is this...?" She waved a hoof and the second Cadence did the same. "It's my reflection..."

The mare in the column stared incredulously back, tilting her head and powering down the pink glow of her horn. The young alicorn stepped forward to inspect herself, now more intrigued than put off. Twin plumes of purple mist seeped out of the corners of her green eyes and Cadence snapped her eyes shut, a shriek erupting from her mouth.

"Y-Your Majesty?!"

Cadence felt a pair of hooves on her shoulders and recognized them as belonging to Amethyst, the librarian. She opened her eyes back up and sighed a breath of relief as she found her eyes had reverted back to their normal, light purple hues.

"I'm alright, Amethyst. Thank you."

The old mare patted her back, worry etched onto her ancient face. "Should I inform Shining Armor-...?"

"No! I mean, I don't want him to worry. I haven't been sleeping well so I must just be tired."

Amethyst nodded, though she didn't seem entirely convinced.

"Well, if you say so. Go on and rest up. I'll clean up here."

Cadence looked back at the piles of books she'd created and felt a bit guilty for making somepony of Amethyst's age tidy up her messes. Then again, the crystal pony was surprisingly spry and took pride in doing a young mare's job.

"Alright then. Thank you, Amethyst. I'll see you later."

Passing by another crystalline column, Cadence stared intently into its surface and upon finding nothing out of the ordinary, uneasily made her way to her bedroom, unconvinced that what she saw was the result of a sleep-deprived mind.

~*~

"Twilight? Twilight? Twilight!"

"Huh, what, who?!"

"You forgot where, when and how," Spike joked, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay? You've been spacing out all day."

"I'm alright, Spike. Just thinking."

"Thinking, huh? Would it have anything to do with your date last night?"

"What? No!" Twilight blushed and then bobbed her head in consideration. "Okay maybe."

"So what happened? Did you and Parcel Post hit it off or what?"

Twilight's hoof unconsciously began to rub her lips, recalling the way Parcel Post's somehow seemed to encapsulate her own.

Strange, his lips are so tiny and yet it was like they could swallow mine up. And the taste...

Parcel Post didn't taste at all like Twilight thought he would. As he was also a beekeeper, she expected his kiss to taste of honey but instead, it was more of an earthy flavor, like ground cinnamon with just a hint of blueberry. It was strange but exotic, and she found herself longing for more.

"Equestria to Twilight! Hello?"

"I was thinking! Sorry. We had a lovely time. We went to dinner and talked for hours. He put his coat around me and walked me home. When we got to the front door, I didn't want the night to end. And then he kissed me and I just-..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Rewind, play! He kissed you?" Spike grinned and patted Twilight on the back. "Way to go, Twi!"

Twilight tittered nervously, not being used to such a topic.

"Um, gee thanks, Spike."

"Now that you've got that out of the way, are you going to see him again?"

She sighed and tapped her hooves again. "I want to but I'm going to need a few days to think about it. Besides, Parcel Post is going to be busy with his job. I just...need a little break is all."

Spike lifted an eyebrow. "Thinking and breaks? What do you need those for? Do you like this guy or not?"

"I like him. In fact, I like like him. I just don't want to rush into anything, that's all."

Twilight laid down on the couch and sighed.

"I've never felt like this before. And having a coltfriend? It's new to me. Parcel Post treats me like nopony else does. And I want it to last. That's why I need to think. I...don't want to lose him."

~*~

"Enjoy your package, ma'am," Sombra sullenly informed the blue-maned unicorn, who seemed not to hear him through her active headphones, instead nodding and closing the door behind her.

"What is it with this generation's obsession with their fancy technology?" He grumbled aloud and exhaled loudly.

Ever since his date with Twilight Sparkle a few days ago, Sombra found himself feeling miserable as a result of his dual-pronged revelation: he was in love with Twilight Sparkle but she was attracted to Parcel Post, the rather pathetic-looking mailpony that he was imitating. It just had to turn out that he met a nice mare that he clicked with but she just had to be the student of his mortal enemy and just had to be the one mare he couldn't be with. If there were gods, then they were massive sadists.

He shook his head and growled, ignoring the stares of Bon Bon and Lyra Heartstrings, who hurriedly looked away and started to put distance between them and him. Sombra stopped and took several deep breaths.

Okay, perhaps this was for the better. I can focus on the plan. Twilight Sparkle was nothing but a distraction. She made me forget the reason why I returned from death's domain. I have wrongs to right and a world to save.

Try as he might, however, the umbrum couldn't get his mind off of Twilight and he felt his frustration growing more rapidly by the second. She was smart, quick-witted, beautiful and a natural-born leader, all qualities he saw as vital in choosing a partner and it came to the point that he decided that a harem of concubines no longer interested him.

I want a mare that I truly desire and see as my equal. I want Twilight Sparkle.

He went through the rest of his route, trying his hardest to keep his emotions in check and his mind focused on his job. It proved to be a lot harder than he'd imagined.

What a weird, freakin' day!

When Sombra finished delivering the mail, he found that Applejack was at the Carousel Boutique trying (and failing) to make clothing, bearing Rarity's cutie mark of three diamonds and insisting that was where she belonged. Then, Pinkie Pie was at Sweet Apple Acres attempting to harvest apples, only succeeding in possibly fracturing one of her hindlegs and getting hit on the head by a barrage of apples. Admittedly, it was hilarious but seeing the party pony in agony also made Sombra feel sorry for her.

What are these ponies doing to me?!

Rainbow Dash was in Fluttershy's cottage attempting to control a stampede of angry critters, Fluttershy wound up at Sugarcube Corner doing an abysmal job at being an entertainer and Rarity was soaking wet and having a miserable time attempting to control the weather.

Although the shadow pony was a master of obscure magical techniques, Sombra had never heard of a spell that could switch cutie marks, and, by extension, the destinies of other ponies. It was certainly intriguing and could prove to one day be useful but he ultimately decided to ignore it, deeming the event not his problem. He was oddly sympathetic to their plight but knew that Twilight, apparently the only one of the sextet not affected by the curse, could remedy the situation.

Besides, cutie marks have nothing to do with my ambitions. These ponies beat Discord so they can handle it themselves.

After clocking out of work, Sombra did his usual schtick of mildly flirting with Sunny Delivery and cracking a few bad jokes with Rainy Day before heading back to his house to work on a new hex he was excited to try out.

Wait, what...what is that?

The sky over Golden Oak Library erupted in several giant glowing stars that resembled-

Twilight's cutie mark?

Bolting towards the light-show faster than he'd ever run before, Sombra paused to catch his breath, ending up a few feet from the library, where he found five of the six Element bearers, all with their correct cutie marks. Along with Spike the dragon, they stood in awe of the intense glow that was in front and center of them, containing what looked to be a unicorn.

Wait, Twilight?

The light vanished, revealing a wobbly-limbed Twilight, who stood up and spread her...wings...

"No..." It was as if Sombra had taken a blow to the chest.

He spun around the corner of an adjacent house and collapsed against the wall, dispelling the illusion to resemble his usual self. Twilight Sparkle was now...an alicorn. This kind of magical ascension meant only one thing: there was a new princess in Equestria.

Four...now I have to deal with four of them?!

Transforming into his shadow-form, Sombra slithered along the ground, being careful to stick to the adjoining shadows as he neared the group, which had now been joined by Princess Celestia. Of course she'd have a hoof in this.

"...I'll still be here to help and guide you, but we're all your students now, too. You're an inspiration to us all, Twilight."

Celestia, ever the charmer.

Sombra's eyes glowed a venomous green.

You can fool them into thinking that you're this benevolent matriarch but you can't fool me. I see...right through...you.

Having witnessed enough, he whizzed through the darkness and teleported himself back into Parcel Post's house, resuming his unicorn form. Thanks to Celestia's scheming, the time table for Sombra's plan had to be moved up and quickly.

Striking the crystalline cocoon with a bolt of dark magic, the structure cracked open and Parcel Post toppled to the floor, his eyes shooting open as he gasped in several long breaths. He slowly rose to his hooves and upon spotting his captor, opened his mouth to let out a scream, only for a bar of red energy to fasten itself over his lips.

"There'll be none of that," Sombra snarled, a crackling, dark purple energy sword projected from his horn and aimed at Parcel Post's throat. "Now then, I have good news and bad news. The good news is I'm not going to kill you. Yes, yes, you get to keep on drawing breath, big deal. The bad news is Twilight Sparkle is now an alicorn and this means that I have one more enemy. I can't wait any longer. The time to act is now!"

Noticing the mailpony's buckling knees, he sighed, "If I remove the band from your mouth, do you promise not to scream?"

The stallion nodded and the red energy evaporated.

"S-so, you're not going to k-kill me?" Parcel Post sniffled, much to Sombra's disgust and irritation.

"No. No, killing you would draw too much unwanted attention. Besides..." Little green rings began to radiate from Sombra's pulsating eyes and Parcel Post suddenly felt very sleepy. "...I still have use of you."

Parcel Post stared into Sombra's eyes with the expression of one either dead or very drunk.

"What do you wish of me...Master?" He uttered in a monotonous tone, his head swaying to and fro.

"Very good, slave. First, you're going to take this," Sombra stated, pulling at the amulet fastened to his throat. "And ship it to the Crystal Empire. Then, you will forget ever seeing me or having this conversation."

The rings flashed more suddenly, picking up speed as they dove into Parcel Post's unblinking eyes.

"You're going to have a little...accident. You will step into traffic and get your head slammed into a cart. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master."

A savage grin touched Sombra's lips. "Good, very good." He then thought for a moment and shrugged, "Oh, and as soon as you get out of the hospital, go to the post office and ask Sunny Delivery out on a date. You like her, she likes you so stop being a spineless weakling and go get your mare."

Do I have to do everything myself?

Neither Snow Nor Rain

"Goooood morning, Parcel Post! Isn't it a lovely morning?"

"Yes, indeed it is."

Sunny Delivery stared curiously at the stallion she secretly wanted to marry.

"Are you alright, cutie? You don't look well."

Parcel Post nodded, a stiff-necked gesture.

"I'm okay, just didn't sleep well," he said in a drowsy tone.

"Well, okay then. What do you have there?"

The gray-brown pony's eyes wandered to observe the small cardboard box in his hooves without actually looking at it before he replied, "It's a package from Twilight Sparkle to her brother in the Crystal Empire. That's why it's marked, 'Most urgent.' Something about a matter of life or death."

He then yawned and shook his head a few times.

Sunny whistled and took the package. "Wow! Then we have to get this sent pronto! Special Delivery!"

A cream-colored pegasus poked his head into the doorway.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"We need this sent to the prince and princess of the Crystal Empire ASAP!"

With a salute, Special Delivery carefully placed the package into his satchel and charged out the door. Sunny shook her head and watched with a longing sigh as Parcel Post filled his own satchel with letters. She rested her chin on her hooves and smiled hopefully.

One day, I'll be "Mrs. Post".

"I'll see you later, Sunny," Parcel Post smiled sleepily and was about to walk out the door when he came skidding back up to her. "By the way, have I ever told you how pretty your eyes are?"

Pinch me, I'm dreaming!

"No, you haven't but it's a nice time to start," she giggled and waved him off. Once she was certain that he was gone, Sunny glanced up at the framed picture of the employee group shot and quickly found Parcel's face in the crowd.

Caressing his beaming face, she wistfully murmured, "Soon, you and I will be together, my love."

~*~

Wait for the cart, wait for the cart... The voice in Parcel Post's head commanded as the earth pony stood at the edge of the street. He didn't know why he had to but he knew he couldn't disobey. A few bystanders mindlessly trotted by, giving the mailpony queer stares but saying nothing. He waited for five minutes until a large produce cart came barreling down the street.

Now go!

As if being pulled by invisible ropes, Parcel Post leapt at the cart at just the right angle, his head thudding against the side and sending him tumbling down the street. The veil around his mind lifted and he suddenly became aware of the throbbing of his head, the blood trickling down his face in little rivulets. And then, darkness consumed him.

~*~

The six ponies and dragon waited anxiously in the Ponyville General lobby, a cloud of distress hanging over their heads. When Spike informed the others of the mailpony's blossoming romance with Twilight, they knew that they needed to be at their friend's side and did all they could to comfort her. The alicorn sat hunched over in her seat, anxiously biting her hooves as the tears dried on her cheeks. Rarity kept a foreleg around Twilight's midsection, whispering reassurances in her ear but to little effect. Her gaze set in a thousand-yard stare, Twilight remained silent, having not spoken a word in the last few hours.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

Hearing her name, Twilight rocketed out of her seat to join the pudgy pink mare. "It's just 'Twilight.' The coronation isn't for another two days."

"Oh, I see. I'm Nurse Sweetheart. Come right this way."

Glancing behind her, the others all gave her encouraging nods and, taking a deep breath, Twilight followed the nurse. She still didn't know the exact details of what happened but apparently Parcel Post threw himself at the cart but this had to have been a mistake. Why would he do that? Weren't they happy? Didn't Twilight make him happy?

"Here we are. Mr. Post is awake but I should warn you, he is suffering some amnesia as a result of the head trauma," Nurse Sweetheart explained before laying a gentle hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "I'll leave you two alone."

Taking a deep breath, Twilight entered the room, finding Parcel Post laying upright in his bed, his head heavily bandaged and his right foreleg in a cast, his face marred by nasty-looking bruises.

"Parcel? How are you feeling?"

The mailpony squinted at Twilight. "You're...Twilight Sparkle." He then noticed the wings and grinned, "Wow, a princess too! Congratulations! Wait, why are you here?"

Twilight's heart nearly shattered. "You...don't remember? We've been sort of dating. The Golden Horseshoe? No?"

Parcel Post stared blankly at her. "We have? The last thing I remember is coming home from work. I had delivered a box to the library. It contained some sort of spell book." He shrugged with one shoulder. "I'm not much of a reader so I couldn't tell you."

"You...you're not much of a-..." Twilight grabbed a hold of the bar at the foot of the bed to steady herself. "But what about our discussions? The Life and Times of Morari the Maneless? Your insight on Clover the Clever's Five-point Dispelling Configuration?"

Parcel Post chuckled, "Are you serious? The biggest book I've ever read was a manual on proper beekeeping."

Twilight began hyperventilating, the tears rushing down her face.

"I'm sorry. I-I have to go," she wept and ran out the room, much to Parcel Post's confusion. Ignoring his shouts, Twilight rushed out the lobby, past her worried friends, past the tons of concerned faces, not stopping until she was safe behind her own front door. Slamming the door shut, she slid down the oak-wood and curled into a ball.

"Parcel Post..." Twilight heaved and let out a choking sob.

~*~

Princess Cadence laid bundled up in her queen-sized bed, her normally warm and inviting eyes distant and full of worry. Ever since the incident in the library, she'd been withdrawn and aloof, refusing to see anypony but her husband and a hoofful of servants. The other day, she looked into a mirror to find that two of her canines had become long fangs and her horn had become curved and scarlet. Though it was only for a minute, it scared her enough to stay in bed and cancel all of her appointments. Shining Armor had insisted that they tell Princess Celestia or Luna but Cadence refused, not wanting to worry her aunts. After all, they had a coronation to plan and a city to prepare a defensive blockade, since a coronation would be the perfect opportunity for an invasion or assassination attempt.

"Cadence, please come out," Shining pleading, holding her hoof in a gentle grip. "I don't know what's happening but you can't keep yourself locked in here. If we're not going to the princesses then at least let me get a doctor."

Her eyes flashed green, her pupils now crimson. "No! I don't want anypony else to see me like this!" Cadence cried, burying her head beneath the covers. "I don't want them to look at me and see a monster!"

Gently peeling back the covers, Shining caressed Cadence's face lovingly.

"You're not a monster. No matter what happens, you'll still be the kind-hearted, radiant and funny mare that I fell in love with."

Cadence sniffled, her expression both hopeful and uncertain. "Do you mean that?"

"I promise, Cady."

"Shining, I-..."

Bum! Bum! Bum!

They both looked over at the bedroom door.

"Come in!" Shining commanded and was met by a member of the royal guard, who promptly bowed and kept his helmet clutched tightly to his chest. "Sergeant Jacinth, how can we help you?"

The orange-red crystal pony cleared his throat. "A package has just been delivered by a mail carrier arriving out of Ponyville. He claims that it is from your sister and that it is a matter of life and death."

"Twilight? Bring it up here."

Sergeant Jacinth bowed once more and marched out the room, returning shortly with a small cardboard box. He set it on the bedside table and stepped back, awaiting further orders. Magically tearing the box open, Shining Armor telekinetically lifted up what appeared to be an alicorn-shaped amulet.

"Sergeant, was there anything else that came with this?"

"No, Your Majesty. We just received the-..."

The red gem at the amulet's center glowed and a semi-transparent black tendril shot out of it, striking the sergeant in the chest and sending him flying out of the room, colliding with the wall outside. The amulet, now suspended by its own magic, hung in midair as the tendril became a black mass, pooling onto the floor, gathering itself up to form a unicorn, a pair of red eyes burning like wildfire. The shape jerked its head around and the bedroom doors slammed shut, covering them in a barrier of overlapping black crystals. It jerked its head again, repeating the action with the windows and the outside balcony. Shining Armor leapt in front of the bed protectively, his horn blazing with rose-colored light.

"Whoever you are, you've just made a big mistake!"

"Whoever I am? Your memory must've taken damage since our last encounter, little prince."

The black unicorn's features shifted, his coat becoming dark gray as a crown adorned his flowing black mane. Armor appeared over his muscled body and a red and white cloak hung from his broad shoulders. His angled face was dominated by a pair of crimson eyes, which stared humorously at Shining Armor as the prince's horn magic winked out.

"It can't be!" Cadence shrieked from behind Shining, who stared awestruck at the intruder.

"I'm afraid, my dear Cadence, it can," King Sombra confirmed austerely. "We have business to discuss."

~*~

The Canterlot throne room was bustling with activity as servants raced around hanging up streamers and banners, all for preparation for the coronation of Equestria's newest princess. Despite the land's long and rich history, this was only the fourth time such a momentous occasion took place and was thus cause for much celebration, especially in the heart of its capital. Princess Luna barked orders to the food servers and florists, taking pride in the room's appearance thus far and content with her apparent skills as an interior decorator. She didn't even have to use the Royal Canterlot Voice! Taking a break from her duties, she went to take a sip of water when she noticed that there was one individual lacking energy or excitement.

Princess Celestia sat stoically on her throne, her mind clearly occupied with serious matters. Luna sighed and made her way up the dais, worried about her sister's stark state of mind. Whenever something major happened, Celestia always became brooding, which was ironic given her status as the bright and happy Princess of Day. Ever since they were little, Celestia took it upon herself to strive for perfection, being the best at everything as if preparing herself to take the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"Celestia? What's wrong? Aren't you happy for Twilight?"

Swiveling her head to face Luna, Celestia nodded gently and waited a moment before speaking.

"Luna, you know that I'm proud of Twilight and her accomplishments thus far. She's proven that she deserves this great honor."

"Then why art thou unhappy?"

"Once she is crowned, she will face even more trials, like you and I did. Perhaps even worse. I'm afraid of what'll come next. She's already had to face both Discord and King Sombra. Who knows what her next challenge will be?"

Luna noticed the visible flinch when Celestia spoke Sombra's name.

"There's another reason, isn't there? Is it because of him? I know you've been wrestling with the decision of letting go of your burden. Celestia, she has to know the truth. If not now, then when?"

Celestia went to answer when a large black crystal speared through the floor in front of the dais, bringing chaos to the throne room as the servants screamed and fled while the royal guards rushed to the princesses' aid. The two sisters exchanged a knowing glance, neither one of them requiring a word between them. Green and purple flames erupted in the center of the crystal, running across its ebony surface as they carved out a series of letters. When they were finished, the flames vanished, leaving behind words that chilled the two alicorns to the bone:

PRINCESS CADENCE AND THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE ARE MINE. COME AND GET THEM BACK, CELESTIA.

KING SOMBRA

Author's Note

DUN DUN DUNNNNNN! King Sombra is officially back! Alright folks, it's almost time for the main event! A long-awaited reunion!

The title refers to part of the motto for the United States Postal Service

Please no spoilers in the comments, mkay?

Love Hurts

Whompff! Whompff!

The air whooshed as Twilight furled and unfurled her new wings, intrigued by the sensation of having the feathered extensions on her back and eager to try them out. She folded her wings and sluggishly made her way into the kitchen, deciding that a nice cup of cocoa would help to lift her spirits. Setting the steaming mug down, she opened up Hayscartes’ Treatise on Ponies, preparing to lose herself to Prench dualism and Cartesianism.

Parcel Post would've called this preachy and metaphysically ludicrous.

Slamming the book shut, and the chair screeched as Twilight pulled it out and curled up into her bed, her cocoa untouched and her desire to read completely ruined. She threw a forlorn glance at her closet, where the dress she wore for her date hung up before she rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. No matter what she did, she couldn't get that accursed mailpony off of her mind. First, Parcel Post winds up in the hospital and winds up with amnesia, which already made things difficult for her. Then, there was his strange admittance of personal abjuration from reading, a fact that made no sense to Twilight seeing as how he presented himself to her as very intelligent and well-read. The stallion that she met at the hospital had a dull, kind of fatuous look in his eyes, lacking the noticeable shimmer of mental prowess he had before.

Rolling onto her back, Twilight groaned and stared up at the ceiling, her eyes sore and itchy from crying. She idly placed a hoof over her chest, feeling a slow thumping on the inside. Her chest ached, her heart stinging with every beat.

Is this how it feels to have a broken heart?

Being as how she'd never been in a relationship before, or even had romantic feelings towards another, Twilight had no frame of reference, only reading descriptions in romance novels, a guilty pleasure that she gave into every now and then. It was a pain she wished would end but also welcomed it as it reminded her of what she had and lost.

Frantic tapping sounds erupted from the foyer and Twilight sluggishly pulled herself out of bed, grumbling to herself that whoever it was had better have a good reason for disrupting her private venture into the pitfalls of heartbreak.

"Yes, I hear you, hold on! Criminy, somepony better be dead or-..." Twilight yelled, yanking the door open.

Spike and the other Element Bearers rushed in, all of them apparently out of breath as they nearly collapsed against one another, loudly heaving in air.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

With a trembling hand, Spike held up a semi-crumpled scroll.

"L-letter from Princess Celestia...Shining Armor and Cadence in trouble...requests Elements of Harmony...King Sombra..."

"What?!" Twilight's aura wrenched the letter out of Spike's grasp, her eyes darting down the scroll as she frantically read it. "King Sombra has returned and has...taken over the Crystal Empire! Cadence and my brother are in danger?!"

Tossing the scroll away, she closed her eyes and focused on the situation at hoof, banishing her thoughts of Parcel Post and her own heartache.

My family needs me and to help them, I need to get a grip. No more Miss Mopey Twilight.

Her eyes shot open, her strength and sense of purpose renewed.

"Come on, everypony. We have a kingdom to save."

~*~

Cadence slowly rose out of bed, her movements lead-hoofed and automatic, as if she were walking in a trance, her eyes never leaving King Sombra's. There he was, the figure from her nightmares, somehow alive and breathing. She pressed herself to Shining Armor's side, taking comfort in his warmth as they stared incredulously at the intruder.

"What...what business are you referring to? Are you talking about taking revenge against us?" She asked, her voice so quiet and uncommanding for a princess.

The dark unicorn stared at her in disbelief, his whole body stiff and statue-like.

"Revenge against you? While revenge is the motivation behind my actions, it's not against either of you."

"Then why are you here? And for that matter, how are you here? We saw you die!"

King Sombra nodded and a small grin appeared on his face, though it seemed oddly forced.

"You did. What folks fail to realize is that death is quite simple. It's coming back from the dead that's the hard part. I'm a master of the dark arts. Did you really think that I wouldn't have a back-up plan for such an inconvenience?"

Despite answering Shining Armor's question, he was looking past him to observe Cadence, something that the princess found unacceptable.

"My husband was addressing you. The least you could do is look at him when you speak to him."

She didn't need a mirror to know that her eyes had reverted back to their retched green state. She could feel her pupils turning red, feel the purple smoke as it billowed out of the corners.

Curiously, the former ruler's features sagged at her words.

"I'm sorry, Cadence. It's just that...I've waited so long for this reunion. I didn't mean to be rude."

His eyes flickered to Shining Armor.

"I apologize for my rudeness. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to need you to leave the room. I need to speak to Cadence alone."

Shining Armor's horn glowed vibrantly. "I'm not going anywhere. And it's Princess Cadence!"

"Must we do this again?" King Sombra groaned irritatingly, his own horn flashing with a fiery red corona. Shining Armor fell to his knees clutching his head, several black crystals sprouting from his horn and the crown of his skull.

"Shiny!" Cadence's horn erupted in dark purple flames. "Leave my husband alone or you'll be in a world of agony!"

"So it is true..." King Sombra whispered in astonishment, leaving Cadence very confused. He then resumed an air of stoicism and emitted his horn, banishing the dark crystals from Shining Armor's head.

"I'm sorry that I had to do that but he did threaten me. I'll make you a deal: if you swear to remain here with me, then I swear to you that I will release your husband and allow him to go free unharmed."

"Cadence...d-don't..."

"And then what?" Cadence demanded, locking eyes with King Sombra.

"And then...we talk. That's it. So what'll it be, Cadence?"

Oh, what would Aunt Celestia or Luna do?

She didn't know if Sombra would keep his word but on the off-chance that he did, Shining Armor could be out of harm's way and he'd be free to go get help. At least then, Cadence could stall for time and, to her own dismay, speak with the ex-tyrant and get a straight answer for her recent affliction. The flames around Cadence's horn were snuffed out, the greens and reds in her eyes giving way to their natural purples.

"I accept."

"Done."

"Cadence, don't!" Shining Armor reached out for her before he vanished in a flash of crimson.

You'll be okay, my love. Have faith in me.

Cadence spun to meet Sombra, who slowly approached her from the side.

"Shining Armor had better be safe, Sombra."

King Sombra winced slightly at her cold tone. "I swore that he'd be unharmed and despite whatever lies you'd heard about me, I always honor my deals." He withdrew a green glass bottle from a hidden pouch in the interior of his cloak and held it up to the light. "Do you know what this is?"

Cadence squinted. "Is that...a memory potion?"

"Indeed it is! But it's not just any old memory potion. This particular concoction was made from the memories of Princess Celestia herself."

This caught Cadence's attention. "But why? How?"

King Sombra shook his head and popped off the cork. "It doesn't matter how. As for why...I want you to drink it. It contains...sensitive material. Closely guarded secrets, secrets that you deserve to know about your dear Aunt Celestia."

Cadence peered suspiciously at the bottle.

As if reading her mind, King Sombra chuckled, "Don't worry, I didn't come all this way just to poison you. I promised that we'd talk and we shall. Right after you drink this."

Somehow, the dark king's assurances did little to calm the alarms going off in the young alicorn's head.

"Don't you want to know about your recent ailment? Don't you want to know why you feel an inner darkness gnawing at you like a hungry dog?"

Reluctantly, Cadence levitated the bottle out of King Sombra's hoof and held it up to her face. She took a whiff, detecting the familiar, musky and nutty scent of a memory potion. Scrutinizing King Sombra's face, she found him staring at her almost sorrowfully, as if he genuinely felt remorse for what he was doing.

"Be warned. Once you see what is in that potion...you can never unsee it," he said seriously, an almost parental tone in his voice.

Well...here goes everything.

Raising the bottle to her lips, Cadence felt its contents slide down her throat.

Author's Note

Hayscartes’ Treatise on Ponies=Rene Descartes' Treatise on Man

The Truth Scars

No, no, no, this can't be happening!

The whole chariot ride was spent in a loaded silence as Princess Celestia bounced an anxious hindleg, her thoughts occupied with images of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor being tortured, their bodies and mind broken by King Sombra's vengeful rage. When she'd first heard of the umbrum's demise, she was a mixed bag of emotions, expressing both pain and heartbreak as well joy and relief. With Sombra dead, she wouldn't have to worry about her family's lives being in danger nor her shameful past being exploited. Now it seemed her secret sins were returning to plague her and those she loved. She recalled her nightmares of late and realized that yes, this was all her fault and her fault alone.

"Sister? Please calm down. Cadence and Shining Armor are strong. They'll make it."

A blue hoof gripped her own and she was met with a pair of gentle cyan eyes. Despite Luna's attempts to assuage her fears, terror maintained its strong grip on Celestia and all she could do at that moment was to give a half-hearted nod. As they neared the Crystal Empire, she silently prayed that no matter what happened, even if it resulted in her own demise, that Cadence remained unscathed.

The wheels skidded against the quartz-covered streets as the chariot touched down, drawing the attention of the iridescent citizens as they began to gather around the area. The chariot had barely come to a complete stop when Celestia leapt out it, galloped past the curious onlookers and rushed towards the castle, ignoring the yells of Luna and her guards.

"Celestia! Wait!"

"Your Majesty!"

Please be safe, please be safe, please be safe!

Celestia repeated this mantra, her legs carrying her faster than they ever had before. When the castle came into sight, she dug her hooves into the ground to gawk at the formerly-zircon structure.

"No..."

Craggily, spikey black crystals crawled up the castle's exterior, resembling a twisted mockery of its former glory. This brought Celestia back to over a thousand years ago, when she and her sister led their army against Sombra in the Battle of the Frozen North, during which the lives of many noble soldiers were lost. A needless conflict and needless bloodshed that fell on her shoulders.

The castle's main doors swung open, revealing a dazed but otherwise unharmed Shining Armor. Charging up to him, Celestia drew him into a suffocating embrace, only stopping when she felt the tap of his hoof on her foreleg. Flummoxed, she released him and apologized, just relieved that he was out of harm's way.

"Where's Cadence?!"

Shining looked away shamefully. "King Sombra...he has her. He said that if she remained with him, he'd free me."

Anger boiled in the sun princess' veins. "Shining, go find Luna and inform her of what has happened. I'm going in after Cadence."

~*~

Breath in...

Twilight Sparkle sat with her hindlegs crossed and her forelegs balanced on her knees, her chest expanding and contracting with each steady breath she took.

Breath out...

She exhaled, releasing both the air she'd collected and the accumulated terror that accompanied it. Meditation was a pathway to inner serenity, a road to personal reflection and a conduit to the energy of the universe. Twilight wasn't into the New Wave nonsense like chakras or healing crystals but she did find meditation soothing, something to help her collect her thoughts.

Breath in...

Right now, she needed all her wits about her if she was going to rescue her sister-in-law and her B.B.B.F.F. and put an end to King Sombra's villainy once and for all.

Breath out...

The six ponies hurried off of the train, hastily thanking the conductor before dashing through the biting winds and harsh cold, their thick winter coats and wool caps and scarfs protecting them from the frigid temperatures. Just like their last visit, trepidation and anxiety clouded their minds, making it difficult to think about anything else but the foe they had to face. King Sombra had been frightening before but facing off against him again? It shuddered each and every one of them to think about it. Despite the fear and the cold, they dashed through the snow and the howling winds, hoping and praying that time was on their side. They didn't and couldn't stop until the Crystal Empire came into view, charging through the twin pillars of the gateway and into the shimmering city.

I'm coming you two. Twilight swore, the castle now within her sights.

I won't let you down.

~*~

A golden glow radiated from Celestia's horn, illuminating the dark and desolate hallways, her pink eyes vigilantly watching for any sign of a trap. Even as Prince Tourmaline, she knew Sombra to be clever and wily, his wits only matched by the ingenuity and ambition by which he carried out his plans. He invited her specifically, knowing that holding Cadence hostage would force her to come to an area she didn't know, unlike the palace in Canterlot. Breathing through her nostrils, Celestia fought to control her shaking nerves, every shadow and dark corner appearing to jump out to attack her. She'd feared King Sombra and his dark arts before. She wouldn't let him frighten her again.

"You can't hide your fear from me, Tia," a voice boomed from seemingly nowhere, sending a chill like a lightning bolt down Celestia's spine. "I can practically taste it, like a fine, thousand-year-old wine."

"Show yourself, Sombra!" She challenged, increasing the brilliance of her golden aura. Sweat gathered on her brow, her teeth clattering slightly as she rotated with every step. "Enough games!"

"As you wish."

Celestia nearly shrieked at the stallion that materialized behind her, watching her as if she were a firefly in a glass jar. Seeing him standing there, she felt her knees wobble and ready to give out. His expression was neither one of glee or anger, instead that spoke of curiosity and hesitation. Crimson eyes scintillated like rubies in the glow of Celestia's magic and she was reminded of the last time she stared into those eyes, really stared. Even through everything that he did to her and was still doing, she couldn't deny the backflips her heart was doing at the sight of the umbrum.

"Tia...you look as lovely as ever," Sombra breathed. "Then again, you don't age like a normal pony, do you?"

Celestia lowered her horn at him like a rapier. "Where...is...Cadence?"

Sombra turned his back on her and let out a weary sigh.

"Do you know why I hate you, Celestia?"

The question came so out of left field that it left her speechless. He then faced her again, untold grief carved into his features.

"It's because I never stopped loving you," he wistfully answered.

The golden glow around Celestia's horn dimmed but didn't go out. Unexpectedly, her hoof extended to touch his shoulder.

"Sombra-..."

The umbrum quickly drew himself back.

"I will take you to Cadence."

He then turned on a hind hoof and began to march away. Ignoring the sickly tingling in the pit of her stomach, Celestia followed close behind. Wordless, they passed through numerous darkened corridors, ascending several flights of stairs until arriving at what Celestia recognized as the royal bedchambers. Sombra's horn pulsated with purple light and the black crystals formed around the door collapsed and shattered on the floor allowing him to open it with a creaking sound.

"She's right through here," he intoned mournfully and passed through the wooden door.

There was a moment when Celestia considered not walking through the door, just turning and going back the way she came. But it was only for a moment.

Unlike the rest of the castle, the royal bedchambers were bathed in light though Celestia kept her horn aglow. Sombra slid out of Celestia's way and pointed, revealing a familiar grayish pink alicorn huddled up in the corner, a small black and maroon blanket draped over her shoulders, her body trembling as she audibly whimpered.

"Cadence?"

There was no response. Celestia inched closer, nearly stepping on the broken remains of a green bottle, her hoof coming into contact with a pure-white liquid.

Memory potion?

"Cadence?"

The young mare kept her face down and sniffled.

"It's alright, I'm here," Celestia smiled softly and gently took a hold of Cadence's shoulders. "You're alright-..."

Slapping Celestia's hooves away, Cadence's head shot up, revealing crimson pupils, her eyes staring accusingly at the newcomer. Rising onto shaking limbs, she pulled the blanket tightly around her and glared at Celestia, her cheeks slick with untold tears.

"Is it true?!" Cadence screamed.

Celestia turned to look at Sombra, whose face might as well have been fashioned out of stone. She turned to face Cadence again, this time finding purple wisps of smoke steaming out of her eyes.

"Cadence, I don't know-..."

"Is...?" She stopped to compose herself, her voice raw and scratchy. Cadence then looked Celestia in the eyes and asked the older mare the one question that Celestia hoped that she never would, the one question she dared to pray that she'd never have to answer: "Is…King Sombra...my father?"

Author's Note

Say WHAAAAAAAAAT?! Yes, here it is, the big moment that's been built up since page 1!

Honestly, how many of you can say you saw it coming?

(If you're going to answer, please don't get specific. Noone likes seeing spoilers in the comments section)

Matters of the Heart

Over A Thousand Years Ago...

The air was tinged with a mix of unspeakable joy but also unfathomable sorrow as the alicorn princess cradled the infant to her chest, lovingly nuzzling the tiny being's cheeks and was rewarded with the infant's pleased-sounding coos. Only a week had passed since Celestia had given birth to her daughter, a sixteen-hour process that she was certain was going to kill her from how the little unicorn had seemed to drain the very life out of her. The doctor and midwives were understandably concerned with the health of both the mother and the baby but were relieved when both came out of it completely healthy. Initially, as she laid there in terror and agony, a sweaty hoof intertwined with Luna's, Celestia was afraid that her child would be an umbrum like their father but was calmed when she delivered a normal-looking filly.

"It's a girl, Your Majesty. Congratulations!"

The doctor's words rang out in Celestia's head as she peered down to gaze upon the face of her firstborn. Oddly enough, fate had decreed that she'd look like neither of her parents, instead resembling her deceased grandmother Queen Concordia, who'd died years before. Same color coat, nearly identical mane. Only instead of golden eyes, light purple eyes stared up at Celestia.

She's so beautiful, like the most lovely melody in the world.

She remembered thinking when she first held her daughter in her forelegs and decided to name her Cadence, a title her old music teacher would've no doubt approved of.

"My little Cadence. I love you," Celestia whispered to the giggling infant, trying her best to hold back tears.

Through a secret entryway behind her throne and down several tunnels, Celestia clutched the week-old filly to her chest, stopping every so often as to ensure that she wasn't being followed. Ever since discovering that she was pregnant, she and Luna had both become alert to the point of obsession, doubling the number of Royal Guards as well as active Royal Intelligence operatives. There would no doubt be complaints of overtime and an extra expenditure of staff pay but to keep Cadence's existence a secret, Celestia would give up every bit in the Royal Treasury if it meant that her daughter would be safe. She'd rehearsed the lines she'd say to Sombra the next time that they spoke but it still brought a sickening sensation to the pit of her stomach. To even imply such a disgusting action brought her shame but if Luna was right, it would bypass Sombra's empathic abilities and detract him from searching for their child.

Hanging a left, Celestia arrived in a decagonal antechamber, where Luna stood patiently waiting by a cradle made up of sky-blue crystals.

"Are you alright, Sister?"

Peering down at Cadence's sleeping face, she paused to take in every feature, her hoof stroking the pink cheek and feeling her little chest rise and fall. A part of Celestia wanted to yell at Luna that this was her daughter and that she wasn't going anywhere but the stronger, more reasonable part told the princess that this was the only way. She nodded slowly, her hooves stiff and heavy as they carried her to the cradle. She held the foal over it but found that she couldn't let go.

"Celestia, we've talked about this. If the court found out that you conceived a child with one of our sworn enemies, they may see this as an act of treason and demand your removal from the throne. After a few centuries, we'll wake Cadence up from her enchanted sleep and put her up for adoption. Nopony will ever need to know the truth."

"I...you're right..." Celestia agreed and slowly lowered Cadence into the cradle, her small body sinking into the dark blue velvet cushion as a blanket was pulled up to her chin. The foal whimpered slightly but remained asleep, blissfully unaware of the situation developing around her.

"I don't...I don't want to do this," the elder alicorn sniffled, tenderly brushing Cadence's cotton-soft bangs. "I don't want to say goodbye."

Luna placed a hoof on her sister's shoulder. "I know but this isn't permanent. You'll see her again soon." She stepped forward and ignited her horn, lowering the glowing blue extremity towards a gold medal on the front of the cradle.

"W-wait!" Celestia steeled herself, wiping the tears from her face. "It...it should b-be me."

Nodding understandingly, Luna deactivated her horn and respectfully stepped away. Celestia took one last, pained look at Cadence before her horn flared to life and, with a deep breath, lowered it towards the medal, filling it with her magic. Jagged, clear-blue crystal shards emerged from the lip of the cradle, creating smaller crystals that slid upward from the next until they formed an oblong dome over the cradle. Inside, little Cadence slept peacefully. Her horrible task complete, Celestia collapsed onto her stomach and let loose a wail of anguish.

Now...

Celestia peered into the tear-filled eyes of the young alicorn before her, who stared at her "aunt" with the look of somepony that wanted answers but was also afraid of what they entailed.

She really does look like Mother.

The air was thick with tension though nopony spoke; it was clear that they all knew that. In that moment, Celestia felt the centuries press down on her shoulders, now feeling like the old mare that she knew that she was. She sighed and turned away, the words finally leaving her lips after a thousand years of secrecy.

"It's true."

When she faced forward again, Cadence was nodding slowly, biting her lip as she let the confession sink in. More tears joined their kin in rolling down her cheeks.

"And...are you...are you m-my mother?"

There was no turning back now.

"Yes, I am."

Celestia turned to glare at Sombra, expecting a smug grin or a sadistic smirk. Instead, his face was etched with sorrow and rage, his eyes boring into her own as if this was her fault!

"Are you happy now, Sombra? Are you?"

"No, I'm not," came the simple reply. "Are you going to honestly blame me for this?"

"Who else?! You had no right!"

"No right? I'm her father!" Sombra roared, his eyes burning with revulsion.

"No, you're not! You may've helped to create her but you're not her father!"

"Oh, and that automatically makes you her mother? I wasn't around because you and your vile sister had me trapped underground for a thousand years! You gave her up and ignored her until she earned her wings!"

Celestia whirled around, her wings spayed open and ready for attack.

"I was protecting her!"

Sombra snorted, "Protecting her...or yourself? You cared more about your reputation among your subjects than your own flesh and blood! I was more open and honest with Cadence in one hour than you were for her entire life!"

"Stop it, both of you!" Cadence screamed, purple smoke curling from her glowing green eyes.

Both of them clamped their mouths shut as the Princess of Love took in several deep breaths.

Finally, she uttered, "You were both wrong," before turning to Celestia. "You've been lying to me since day one. You made me believe my life was mine. All this time you could've told me the truth but you didn't. Either you felt like I couldn't handle it or that it'd hurt you too much. This is my life and I deserve to have a say in it!"

She then faced Sombra. "It wasn't your decision nor your right to tell me. So why are you here? Why did you come back? Was it just to get back at Celestia? Is this just a game to you?"

Sombra's shoulders dropped, his gaze full of hurt and despondency.

"Cadence...I know that I'm a monster...but I swear to you that I would never do anything to hurt you. Don't you see? I came here for you."

"Sombra," Celestia growled, her horn glowing with a golden light. "Don't you dare-..."

Black crystal columns shot out of the floor, ensnaring her limbs and forcing her onto her hindlegs. She screamed in pain as several smaller black crystals became embedded in her horn, eliminating the golden light and cutting off her magic.

"Celestia!"

Sombra was now a foot away, his own horn pulsating with green energy.

"Don't...threaten...me," he snarled, punctuating each word by baring his fangs at her. "Now, no more interruptions. My daughter asked me a question."

He returned his focus to Cadence, who stood shivering in fear by the display.

"I already told you that I would never hurt you and I mean it. You're my daughter, my own flesh and blood. Now, you asked me why I came here. You see, when I returned to life, I was furious beyond description and ready to deal out vengeance to those who wronged me. Celestia was the first on my list for what I thought was the murder of my unborn child. As I stood above her sleeping form, I wanted to cut her throat."

His tone became more hopeful, his face cheerful.

"And then I discovered the truth. My child lived and was still around all these years later! I realized then that I was no longer the last of my kind. I was no longer alone!"

Sombra's voice boomed throughout the room, his hooves raised towards the heavens as he stood triumphantly on his hindlegs. He then grew quiet and planted himself back on all fours.

"All those years away from you. I missed your birth, hearing your first words, taking you to school. And then it hit me! I could aid you in expanding your kingdom! Why relegate yourself to a princess when you can be a queen?"

His tone became more pleading, more energetic.

"You could have all of Equestria at your hooves, and the lands beyond! How many parents can say that they can literally give their child the world? We can overthrow Celestia and Luna, you and I, end their tyranny and right the wrongs that the alicorns made. There could be true peace and prosperity and it can be because of you. They will flock to worship you."

Sombra laid a feather-light hoof on Cadence's foreleg.

"Please, Cadence. Let me make up for lost time. Let me be the father that I should've been to you. I...I love you."

The green and purple vanished from Cadence's eyes, her natural pink ones staring incredulously at the unicorn before her. In that moment, she longer saw a wicked tyrant or an evil warlock but a sad stallion looking to reconnect with the only family he had left. She felt the sincerity in his voice and despite it seeming insane, she believed every word that he said. But it was not a path that she could take. Bringing her foreleg back, Cadence slowly backed away.

"I can't. I won't help you take over Equestria. I don't want that! I'm sorry but I won't become somepony that my subjects will fear and loathe. I won't become you."

Sombra lowered his head, pain etched into his worn-out face.

"I see. I...I was a fool to think...that you'd want anything to do with me. I thought you would listen to reason. I thought you'd understand."

He stood back up, his eyes full of angry tears.

"But you don't. You choose to live in the false utopia that they created!"

He jabbed a hoof in Celestia's direction.

"The history books say that the umbrums invaded Equestria but the truth is, we lived in settlements long before the other equine races arrived. Celestia's 'sainted' mother ordered our execution, butchering countless stallions, mares and foals! The bat-ponies? Driven from their homelands so that Canterlot could be built on the foundation of their forefathers! The Changelings? Forced into the wastelands to starve to death! Your utopia is built on blood and lies!"

He stopped his rant to acknowledge the sudden pulsing red light of his horn. A grin of malcontent curled his lips.

"Ah, more guests have arrived. Excuse me."

The black crystal doors momentarily split open, allowing Sombra to slip through before they slammed back shut.

"I'll be back soon..."

The King and I

The six mares hurried into the city's square, where Princess Luna stood grimly shouting orders to royal guards, both regular Equestrian and crystal pony. She spotted the Element Bearers and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I am glad to see thee here, even under these circumstances."

Twilight nodded. "Same here. We got here as soon as we could. What's the situation?"

Luna turned in the direction of the castle, which was now covered in spiky black shards and thorny crystalline vines.
"Celestia went on inside the castle to confront Sombra but we're unable to get inside. It appears to be very strong dark magic is keeping us out."

"Twiley!"

Twilight Sparkle jumped at the sound of her brother's voice but galloped at full speed to tackle him in a hug. She knew that he'd been experiencing some difficulty sleeping after dealing with King Sombra the first time and was afraid of how he'd turn out having to meet that monster again.

"I'm so glad to see that you're alright! You and Cadence have to...wait, w-where is Cadence?"

Shining Armor looked away. "She made a deal with King Sombra that if he let me go, then she'd stay with him."

"What?! Why?"

"I don't know," Shining Armor replied through gritted teeth. "But that creature said that he wanted to speak to Cadence privately, something about revenge but not against her or myself. And then Celestia went in after her."

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go teach Sombrero a thing or two!"

"Rainbow, no!"

Despite Twilight's and Luna's objections, Rainbow Dash zoomed towards the castle, nearing the faintly-seen red barrier that encapsulated the structure. The royal guards tried to stop her but were left gob-smacked when she passed right through the forcefield. Exchanging glances, Applejack shrugged and tried tapping her hoof against the intangible wall, finding that it passed through just as Rainbow did. A pegasus guard copied her, except his hooves glanced off the barrier.

Luna kicked at the solid red wall and shook her head.

"It would seem that only the Element Bearers can pass through."

Applejack gulped but quickly took a calm demeanor. "Well, here Ah go."

Passing through the forcefield, she joined Rainbow on the other side, who patted her shoulder comfortingly. One by one, the others quickly entered, leaving only Twilight. Before she could go, Shining Armor held her back.

"Promise me that no matter what happens, you get yourself out of there. Don't try to be a hero."

Looking into Shining's eyes, Twilight nodded. "I promise. And we'll get Cadence out of there."

Taking a deep breath, Twilight leapt through the forcefield, which then glowed brightly with a malevolent dark red. She felt the barrier with a wing and found that she couldn't pass through the other side! King Sombra was banking on them coming and placed this barrier here to keep them in and everypony else out. But why? Surely he knew that with the Elements of Harmony, he couldn't stand a chance, right? Twilight shook her head. Right now, she had a sister-in-law to rescue.

"Come on, girls. Let's go."

The castle's interior was just as foreboding as it was on the outside, a series of dark catacombs covered in scabs of onyx crystals that hummed with dark energy. A sickly-green mist seeped through the air, obscuring their hooves as they cautiously made their way through the vacant castle. Random spouts of purple fire shot through cracks in the floor, keeping the six mares on their tippy-hooves. Jagged spikes littered the floors and ceilings, giving the ponies the impression they'd stepped into the maw of some giant monster. Fitting, considering who they had come to confront.

"Oh my, this place is so s-s-scary. I liked it better before," Fluttershy whimpered.

Rarity stuck by the pegasus, rubbing her withers reassuringly.

"Indeed! His tastes are horrible! Doesn't he know that Gothic post-modern is so last season!" She moaned, earning a small smile from Fluttershy. Of course, she didn't need to know that Rarity was just as scared. As long as the fashionista kept her mind on the interior decorations, she wouldn't require the fainting couch she was so desperately in need of.

Poking at a stalagmite, Pinkie Pie gave the protrusion a firm lick. "Blech! That is definitely not rock candy!" She then lathered a second one in saliva and groaned, "And that's not black licorice hard candy!"

"If you know that it's not candy then why do you keep licking it?!"

Pinkie blinked at Rainbow Dash and crossed her forelegs. "I happen to be very curious."

Twilight, who'd been walking ahead of the group with her horn glowing, sighed and turned to address them.

"This is hardly the time or place to-..." She stopped, her eyes darting around. "G-girls? Applejack? Fluttershy? Where did you go?" She didn't walk that far ahead and she was so sure that she'd taken a left but the entryway wasn't there anymore. "P-Pinkie Pie? Oh no."

The castle vanished, leaving Twilight suspended in darkness.

"Hello? Hello?!" The alicorn's breath came out in little bursts, the feeling of a panic attack coming on as she fought to remain calm. "Can anypony hear me?!"

"I'm so sorry to scare you like this."

Twilight could almost feel her heart stop. Standing only a few feet away was King Sombra himself, alive and in the flesh. And he had the Alicorn Amulet around his neck! Now that he wasn't a disembodied shadow, she could truly observe him for the first time. He looked exactly like he did in the magic crystal Princess Celestia showed her, sans green smoke or cruel rictus. Instead, the shadow-pony appeared unsure of himself, as if he were afraid of something. Twilight quickly banished that thought and aimed her horn at him.

"King Sombra! What did you do with Celestia and Cadence?!"

The stallion sighed, his gaze forlorn. "I wish we didn't have to meet like this, Twilight. Officially, at least."

"That's Princess Twilight Sparkle, to you!" She shouted, confused as to why the Shadow King was speaking to her in such an informal manner...or why he looked so sad.

Sombra shook his head. "Technically, you're half right. The coronation hasn't taken place yet. You know, I was so horrified when I saw your ascension but now I have to say, wings are quite becoming of you."

Twilight's horn aura died out. "You-you saw that?"

She flinched when he stepped closer.

"Yes. I was on my way to see you."

There was a quick flash of red and King Sombra was replaced with a brown earth pony stallion in a blue mailpony's uniform.
"It's like I told you at the Golden Horseshoe. I wasn't planning on courting you but it happened anyway."

Another flash of red and King Sombra reappeared.

"You...you were...it was you?"

Twilight felt sick to her stomach. It all made sense now.

"You replaced Parcel Post and then made him put himself in the hospital. Oh Celestia and you made me...oh no."

She fell to her knees, tears sliding down her face. She felt nauseous, humiliated but most of all, betrayed.

"Why? Was getting me to fall for you a part of your plan?"

Sombra visibly winced at this. "No. I just wanted to spy on you and your friends. But then we spent time together and I came to admire you. Your intellect, your drive...your beauty."

He closed the distance between the two and held Twilight's chin up with his hoof, the mare too stunned to move.

"Parcel Post was a lie, yes, but the stallion you were talking to? That was me. For the first time in a very, very long time, I could be myself. No king, no prince, no umbrum. Just me."

Twilight glanced up and was sucked into a pair of scarlet eyes that reminded her of red glass. She could see pain, fear, even loneliness in those orbs. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Sombra's confession sounded sincere. And then there was the way he was touching her, as if she were an egg he didn't want to drop. He then smiled at her.

"Twilight, as impossible as it is for you to believe...I love you."

"No!" Slapping his hoof away, Twilight scurried away from Sombra, her horn flaring with energy. "It's not true!"

"Twilight..."

"Don't say it! You can't be! Why should I believe anything you say? You're a murderer, a-a cruel tyrant, a-..."

"A monster?" Sombra finished, an edge of sarcastic anger in his voice. Like a wolf on the prowl, he began to encircle Twilight, making the mare feel very tiny. "Yes, I read what the history books say. What Celestia says! Of course, history is written by the victor, isn't it? Tell me something, Twilight, and be honest: don't you find it a bit strange that you've had to deal with figures that Celestia defeated in the past? Nightmare Moon, Discord...me. Now...why is that?"

"I-I don't know!"

Sombra lowered his head so that their noses were almost touching.

"I'll tell you why. It's because Princess Celestia...enjoys having villains to fight. Her ego is so massive, that she has to have foes to battle in order to earn the love of her subjects. She creates villains to defeat so that everypony loves and adores her."

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it?! Why didn't she use the Elements of Harmony to turn Luna back to good instead of banishing her to the moon? Why didn't she lock Discord up or banish him into another dimension instead of turning him to stone? Why didn't she remove my magic and place me in a dungeon somewhere? Can you answer me that?"

It isn't true! It can't be!

Twilight's head dropped, her horn fizzling weakly. "No."

"No. Because she can't live without praise. Now you truly see why she's known as 'Princess of the Day.' Because she wants to shine brighter than the sun."

Twilight raised her head. "Is this the part where you try to convince me to join you?"

Sombra stopped in mid-stride and peered at her sorrowfully.

"No. You're too far indoctrinated. You could be so much more than just Celestia's pet. And that's what hurts worst of all. Your wasted potential."

A sudden heat erupted around Twilight's head before a small fire burned in Sombra's open hoof, revealing her tiara and the Element of Magic.

"My tiara! Give it back!"

Black tendrils shot from the walls and snapped themselves around Twilight's limbs.

"Sombra, give it back!"

"I'm sorry, Twilight. I wished that we'd met in another life," Sombra stated wistfully before he clamped his eyes shut and growled. "You were right about one thing: I am a monster. Just not the one that you think you know."

"What are you going to do?"

Sombra faced away from Twilight, peering down at the tiara in his hooves.

"Make Celestia suffer for taking my child away from me."

Before Twilight could come to grips with that last statement, Sombra vanished in a burst of purple and black flames, leaving her trapped and alone in the void.

When Darkness Falls

"Sombra, stop this at once!" Twilight yelled, stomping a hoof for emphasis. "Whatever Celestia did to you is in the past! Don't make innocent ponies suffer because of it!"

The other Elements stared confusingly at her, caught off guard by her apparent familiarity with the dark sorcerer.

Sombra stepped forward, his face a stone mask.

"There are no innocent ponies, Twilight! Whether you're aware of it or not, you and the other so-called 'Elements of Harmony' are only aiding Celestia in keeping a stranglehold on this land. You've all mistaken peace for quiet and your precious princess just keeps you all fed on that lie. Can't you see I don't want to destroy Equestria? I want to save it!"

"You, save Equestria? You're out of your mind if you truly believe that!" Rarity spat disgustedly.

"Rarity's right! And we should pound you for bad-mouthing Princess Celestia!" Rainbow Dash agreed.

Applejack gave the pegasus a hoof-bump. "Yer not foolin' anypony! Yer pure evil!"

"And a total meanie-pants!" Pinkie Pie added.

Sombra narrowed his eyes at them and scowled dismissively before turning to Twilight, his features soft and his eyes wide and hopeful.

"Deep down, you know what I'm saying is true. The alicorns' reign is over. Let true harmony return to this land. You don't have to live in Celestia's shadow anymore. Be your own mare."

Twilight broke from their shared gaze.

"I can't do it. Sombra, what you're asking of me...I can't betray the princesses or my friends. I'm sorry."

The umbrum sighed, his face once again expressionless.

"Don't be. It just...wasn't meant to be."

Without warning, he shot a blast of red energy that struck Rainbow Dash, wrapping her body in heavy chains that hooked themselves to the ceiling, leaving her dangling as she kicked and thrashed about.

"You know I can't let any of you leave, just as I know you're not going to surrender and stand aside," he stated as-a-matter-of-factly, his eyes now pure green.

Craggily black spikes erupted from the floor all around the mares, dividing them up as they leapt to avoid being skewered. Cornflower blue and raspberry bolts bombard the area around Sombra, exploding against the flat scarlet barrier he'd quickly conjured up. Swinging the barrier around, he shot a purple beam at the two unicorns. Twilight threw outside out of the way but Rarity wasn't so fortunate, catching the blast right in the face, tossing her onto a table and bouncing painfully onto the floor. She rolled over with a sharp wince, her horn covered in black crystals and by the way she held her left foreleg, it was either sprained or broken, which kept her out of the fight.

WHAM!

Sombra wiped the yellow and white mush from his face and dabbed at the smear over the corner of his mouth with his tongue. He glared at Pinkie Pie, who gave him an awkward grin as she sheepishly held two pies behind her back.

"Did you just hit me with a banana cream pie?"

"Um...no?"

BRZZZZT!

There was a flash of green and Pinkie was frozen in place, her body as immobile as stone. Her eyes focused on her snout.

"Oh no...my nose is itching! And I...can't...scratch it!"

Something moved in the corner of Sombra's eye. He whirled around to catch Applejack in a flying kick and zapped her with a paralyzing spell, trapping her in that pose and sending her tumbling off the stage. He spotted Fluttershy shivering beneath a table and decided to leave her be. After all, what was a terrified pegasus going to do to him? And that left only-

An energy bolt sailed past his head. Twilight Sparkle stood with her wings spread and her horn crackling with light, her face and posture defiant. Converting himself to his shadow form, Sombra zig-zagged around the ballroom to evade the alicorn's barrage of pink missiles. Despite the circumstances, he was impressed by her resolve and the fact that she was the last one still standing. This, however, was discarded in place of anger and sorrow that they had to be enemies and he silently cursed the machinations of fate for bringing the two together like this.

Towering above Twilight like a massive viper, Sombra unleashed a continuous torrent of green and purple flames, her only protection being a bright full-body bubble. She gritted her teeth, her hooves digging into the floor as the fire hammered against her shield. Sweat peppered her brow, her knees ready to give out. Such magic like this took great amounts of energy but unlike Sombra, Twilight lacked an object to help her cope with the strain.

"It didn't have to be like this, Twilight!" Sombra boomed, his voice deep and hissing. "I don't want to fight you!"

"I don't care!" Came her terse reply. "It doesn't matter what we want, what matters is what we need and I need to stop you!"

Twilight winced, her horn burning and her skull throbbing. It'd been years since her last magical duel so her stamina was sorely lacking. It was a miracle that she lasted this long!

"ENOUGH!"

A voice like thunder rang out, nearly deafening everypony. It was the unmistakable pitch of the Canterlot Royal Voice but more harsh and twisted, seething with spine-tingling authority and malice. All eyes turned towards the entrance, where Princess Celestia stood shivering beside a figure that could only be the speaker of such a command.

"Cadence?" Twilight whispered incredulously.

The newcomer had Cadence's form but everything about her was...wrong. Her coat and wings, which contained needle-like feathers, were dark gray and her horn was now blood-red and curved backwards like a large fang. A waving cloud of midnight-black and cobalt-blue hair tumbled from her head. Her eyes, which were once light purple and full of kindness and adoration, were now red with trails of purple mist. The mare's head slowly creaked to face Twilight, her fangs bared in a grotesque smile.

"My name..." she uttered, her words pouring out like poison-laced honey. "...is Princess Persephone, daughter of King Sombra."

"'Daughter'?!" Everypony but Sombra and Celestia screamed in shock, the latter flinching at the declaration.

"No, that's not true! That's impossible! Noooooo!" Pinkie Pie shrieked dramatically.

Unperturbed, Cadence, now known as "Persephone," strode confidently towards King Sombra, her every hoofstep crackling with green flames. She looked up at the shadowy mass and smiled at it softly.

"Let them go and I shall stay with you. We have so much lost time to catch up on...Father."

The shadow shrunk, whipping around until it once again took on the familiar form of King Sombra, who stared at Persephone as if she might explode at any minute.

"You...just called me....'Father.'"

A quivering hoof reached up to caress the mare's face. Their forelegs wrapped around one another, crushing their chests together. The bystanders observed the scene with wide-mouthed surprise, with Twilight taking special notice of the tears that trickled down Sombra's cheeks as he rested his chin on Persephone's shoulder.

"My baby girl..."

He jumped slightly when the mare in his embrace blazed green and once again bore the form of Princess Cadence, her face full of sorrowful regret as her purple eyes watered up.

She sniffled, "I'm so sorry" and withdrew, tossing something over to Twilight. Sombra's hoof instantly flew to the inside of his cloak and felt his heart drop when he realized that Twilight was once again wearing her tiara.

Cadence backed away, no longer able to hold back tears.

"I'm so sorry."

She then concentrated, a black and purple flash emanating from her horn, freeing the Elements of Harmony from Sombra's dark magic. No longer bound by his curses, they gathered together, their respective Elements fluctuating with power. Sombra attempted to teleport, only to find himself trapped inside of a gold and blue orb, following the twin streams of light to Celestia and Cadence.

The Elements rose into the air, their bodies bound in auras of powerful magic but Sombra paid them no attention. He locked eyes with Cadence, his chest aching with betrayal and grief. Then, the orb vanished and Sombra was swallowed up by the light. Every nerve in his body screeched in agony, his flesh feeling as though it was being torn from his bones. A scream tore from his lips as wisps of red, black, green and purple seeped from his body. To his relief, the light finally died down and he dropped to the floor.

Despite Celestia's reservations, Twilight was the first to approach Sombra's smoking form. She reached over and turned him onto his back. His head lolled over, his eyes closed and his chest slowly rising and falling. Nearby, the shattered remains of the Alicorn Amulet lay scattered on the floor along with a trail of fine red dust that belonged to the red gem.

Well, that's one problem taken care of.

"He's still alive," Twilight said aloud, subconsciously brushing some hair out of his face. "It's over."

Truths and Forgiveness

"So wha in tha hay happened back there?" Applejack inquired. "We hit 'im with tha Elements of Harmony but he's okay. No banishment, no turnin' into stone. Did they even work?"

Everypony, with the exception of Cadence and Shining Armor, were gathered in the Canterlot throne room, assembled around a crystal ball. In the ball's reflective surface, they could see the Crystal Empire's former ruler awaiting his trial in a private cell deep beneath the castle. King Sombra, now stripped of his crown and armor, was garbed in an orange jumpsuit, the numbers "00001" stitched over his heart. He had the "honor" of being the first prisoner of the royal dungeon in over one-thousand years. He stared blankly ahead, his chest quickly heaving with thick, angry breaths.

"After taking Sombra into custody, Luna and I performed a scan on him," Princess Celestia explained, with Luna nodding for confirmation. "It appears that the Elements were somehow able to...suppress or even remove his magic. He couldn't even lift a spoon, no matter how hard he'd concentrate."

Twilight's ears folded backward. "Is it permanent?"

Celestia shook her head. "I...don't know."

Luna added, "We could not detect even a flicker of magical activity in his body. If it is only temporary, it could take months, maybe even years for his magic to return. But yes, the possibility is there. Sombra may never be able to cast magic again."

"Your Majesties?" Both mares noticed Twilight's reserved demeanor. "Could it be possible...for me to speak to him?"

"Are you nuts?!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "Did you forget that psycho tried to kill us?"

"Not really your best idea, Darling."

"I wouldn't go down there if I were you. But it's your choice if you want to."

Pinkie Pie scratched vigorously at her nose. "Finally! I can scratch that itch!"

"And why, pray tell, would you ever want to converse with King Sombra?"

"Luna's right, Twilight. I'm not refusing, but I would like to know your line of reasoning."

Twilight looked between the faces of the Royal Sisters and her friends, taking time to gather her thoughts and try to make them as coherent as possible. "Look, we can all agree that the Elements taking away Sombra's magic is weird. But maybe, just maybe, this is a sign. They could've frozen him or banished him to another world. Maybe he's not completely evil."

She failed to mention that she had strange feelings regarding the shadow-pony. Confession of love aside, Sombra's words back at the Crystal Empire had her thinking about Celestia and Equestria in general. Was he right? Were things made out to be black and white due to those in power? Was the public unfairly biased towards creatures like bat-ponies and changelings? Were Twilight and the other Elements actually contributing to the problem rather than the solution?

Celestia could tell that Twilight was holding something back but decided not to push. "Very well then. Just be very careful. Even without his powers, Sombra is not somepony you should underestimate."

With two pegasus royal guards flanking her, Twilight bowed and left the room without another word.

~*~

Princess Cadence sat in the hallway amongst the stained glass windows, her eyes glued to an infamous window: the defeat of King Sombra at Spike's claws. Since returning to Canterlot to oversee Sombra's imprisonment, she couldn't help but feel guilty at the look of betrayal in Sombra's eyes when he was being loaded into the paddy wagon. She did the right thing, didn't she? She stopped Sombra's plans for taking over Equestria so why did she feel so terrible?

"I thought I might find you here."

Cadence's lips curled up in a ghost of a smile. "I just...needed to be alone."

Princess Celestia seated herself next to Cadence, making sure that the young mare had enough space. They had not had the chance to talk, both being emotionally exhausted from their ordeal in the Crystal Empire and Cadence's refusal to personally see to Sombra's imprisonment.

A minute and a half of silence passed before she began, "You know, the day that window was put in was one of my proudest and saddest. I was overjoyed at seeing Spike emerging as a hero and role model to the crystal ponies." Her face darkened. "I'd also thought that for the second time, I'd lost the stallion I'd once loved, this time on a more permanent basis. I told nopony this but I mourned his death."

Cadence sighed and turned away from the window. "Was everything said about him a lie?"

The white alicorn's gaze was cast downward.

"Luna and I...we had the historians record what we told them to. At the time, I was so heartbroken at Sombra's fall and subsequent actions and I knew that he was too far gone to help. Yes, I lied. By exaggerating his wrongdoings, I thought that it would serve as a warning to all those who crossed us. You don't know the things he did, or what he planned to do."

She reached over and, hearing no objections, took Cadence's hoof in her own.

"I know that you don't trust me. I mean, why should you? I regret every single day that I had to lie to you, not acknowledging you as my flesh and blood. It killed me inside but I thought the truth would hurt too much, for you and myself. You deserve happiness in your life, not the burden of knowing who your father is and what he's done hanging over your head."

She brushed Cadence's mane out of her face and smiled through her tears.

"I can only hope that one day I can earn your forgiveness."

Cadence stared into the pink eyes of the mare in front of her and saw her, really saw her, for the first time. Aside from being princess of Equestria and all of the responsibilities that came with it, Celestia was a mare that had to have made some very difficult decisions, decisions that weighed her down for more than a thousand years. She sacrificed her own happiness to give her daughter a good life and loving parents, suffering from afar at not raising her herself. This wasn't Princess Celestia, Princess of the Day and matriarch to all of ponykind. This was a fellow mare, a mother begging for forgiveness.

A pink hoof gently cupped Celestia's cheek.

"You don't need to earn my forgiveness. You're my mother and that means that I'll forgive you no matter what." She was nearly crushed by Celestia's surprise attack hug and softly chuckled at the display. "Just promise me there'll be no more lies."

"I promise," Celestia muttered into her mane and she meant it.

~*~

"Thank you; that'll be all."

Twilight bid her two guards farewell and slowly approached the cell, her thoughts drowned out by the quickening of her heartbeat. Sombra stood in the center, his scarlet eyes watching her, attempting to detect any signs of trickery. His magic may've been nullified, but his shadow-bending was a natural ability of his race, which is why a specially-designed enchanted collar was fixed around his neck, in case he got any funny ideas about escape. It occurred to Twilight that she found him oddly attractive, the way the jumpsuit was taut around his muscled chest and sinewy forelegs-

"Hello Twilight. I wasn't expecting you to be here."

"Neither was I," Twilight answered truthfully, trying to keep her attention off of his body. "How-how are you?"

Sombra leaned forward, his hooves wrapping around the bars. "Oh, you know, I've just been denied my righteous vengeance, my own daughter betrayed me for my mortal enemy, I'm stuck in a dungeon and my magic's been stripped away, possibly forever. I'm feeling just peachy."

Despite the facetious attitude, he kept his voice low and sullen.

"I was just asking! No need to be rude." While she could understand his frustrations to a degree, Twilight didn't care for his disrespectful tone. "I'll be heading home in a few hours so I thought I'd check up on you."

Sombra watched her carefully, as though suspicious of her intentions.

"My apologies." He then added much more gently, "There was a time when I didn't know who I was but I felt as though I didn't belong anywhere. The only thing that made me feel anything was my magic. And now, it's like...a part of me is missing."

Now this was something Twilight could empathize with. Ever since she was a filly, she had strong magical talents and spent years perfecting her craft, pushing her body and mind to the limit in the pursuit of knowledge. Without that drive and dedication, she never would've been made Celestia's student, met her friends nor earned the title of princess. If she ever lost her magic, she'd be an absolute wreck. She actually found it kind of amazing that Sombra was taking it was as well as he was.

Twilight took an unconscious step forward. "I think I know how you feel, Sombra."

He nodded and neither one of them spoke for several minutes, letting silence fill the vacant room. Believing that their conversation was over, Twilight turned and made her way towards the exit.

"You should forget about me."

Twilight stopped in mid-step and whirled around. "What did you say?"

The umbrum's mouth clamped shut. He then repeated, "You should forget about me. The stallion that courted you? That was Parcel Post but with my thoughts and opinions. He wasn't real. You should find yourself somepony new because we both know that you and I can never be. Go find a new stallion, settle down, maybe have a foal or two. Just...be happy."

Twilight inched closer to the bars of Sombra's cell, her face a foot away from his own. "Sombra-..."

Sombra leaned forward, his curved horn poking through the bars.

"Just go, Twilight. These bars aren't going to hold me forever. I will get out and retribution will be mine. And when that day comes, I hope you'll have the common sense to stay out of my way," he warned her, his eyes glistening like pools of blood in the light. "Now go."

"Fine." With a heavy heart, Twilight began to leave but then turned, discovering Sombra was seated on the floor with his back to her. "You know, I think that deep down, you're a good person. You've just forgotten how to be."

Sombra remained where he was.

"You're mistaken. I may not be the monster that they say I am but make no mistake: I am a monster nonetheless."

"If you say so."

She then trotted up the stairs and out the door.

New Beginnings (Re-Written)

"They're not going to break me."

Sombra stared up at the ceiling, tracing the cracks that zig-zagged across the ancient stones. Did they really think that a tiny, solitary jail cell underneath the ground was going to rattle him? After spending a thousand years trapped in the darkness and ice, this new arrangement was looking like the luxury suite at a four-star hotel. Neither death nor cold nor isolation had broken Sombra's will and being the princesses' prisoner sure as Faust wouldn't either. He shifted on the cot and continued to count the cracks, scarlet eyes outlining each and every configuration.

"They're not going to break me."

Sombra was a survivor. He endured the Dravite Hill Massacre, the grueling trials of his apprenticeship to the dark magician Grimoire, a battle with two alicorns wielding the Elements of Harmony as well as his own grisly death. He doubted that this new peaceful society tolerated executions so the princesses would most likely keep him locked up for the rest of his life. Fine, let them try. Even without magic, he was a still force to be reckoned with. He'd wait; bide his time.

"Celestia...Luna...Spike..."

These were the names of those he'd see suffer. Oh sure, Spike was still an infant by pony standards. Sombra wouldn't kill him of course; even he wouldn't go that far. Maybe he would just fatten him up with gems and keep him locked in a box. Besides, the young dragon was kind to him and seemed like a decent person. Sombra sat up sharply.

Now where did that come from?

So what if Spike was nice to him? They weren't friends!

"...Cadence..."

Sombra sighed. No, even though she'd sided with Celestia, he would never harm his own child. He actually had to kind of admire her for standing by her convictions. Plus, she did manage to out think him. No, Cadence was off-limits. Perhaps one day she'd come to regret her decision and join him.

"Twilight Sparkle..."

A lump formed in Sombra's throat. Why was he so infatuated with that mare? She was now the enemy! They went on one date and kissed. So what? He slapped his hooves to his cheeks and rubbed at his face irritatingly. Was it her charming personality? Her intelligence? Strong magical gifts? And why did he tell her to go find another stallion to be with?

Despite the strict model of discipline he tried molding himself into, Sombra had always been a slave to his own emotions. He was weak and weakness was not tolerated, especially not in the grand scheme of things! Whatever this infatuation was, he couldn't let it blind him from his mission. His race demanded retribution and Celestia's death would be their wergild. All Sombra had to do was be patient and let his enemies make the first move.

Laying back down on the cot, Sombra put his forelegs behind his head and closed his eyes. Soon, very soon, he'd have his revenge on Celestia and all of Equestria would be his for the taking. He only hoped that Twilight could see the light by then.

Meanwhile...

The Everfree Forest, a strange crop of trees and deadly creatures, surrounded Ponyville to the south like a shadow, neighboring the quiet town before its conception. Ever since the time of Grogar, it was an ancient place, plagued with bizarre fauna and seething with dark magic, an area that most ponies knew on an instinctual level to avoid at all costs. Only the enigmatic zebra herbalist Zecora dared to brave the forest and even she had the good sense to never stray too far into its ominous depths. The facts about the forest had long since become merged with rumors and that alone left the evil in the untapped wilderness inactive. Until now.

In the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters, something had reawakened, something old and very angry. Stirring from her weakened stupor, the swirling, inky-black mist rose shakily from her nest beneath a partially-collapsed pillar. Malice stirred within her mind, a deep-seated hatred towards all living things, especially those meddlesome ponies that forced her out of her host. Craning her head up, the Darkness sniffed with non-existent nostrils, filtering out the myriad of smells until she picked up the right scent. If she had a mouth, she would be smiling, one of sadistic pleasure and dark intent.

Slithering across the dusty and debris-covered floors, the Darkness clawed her way over the stone, the thought of vengeance giving her strength. Several hours passed before she finally approached the castle's entrance and turned her gaze towards the east, detecting much aggression and rage in that direction. It took a moment to inspect her meager form, cursing the state that she'd been left in thanks to those vexatious Elements of Harmony. The Darkness was once a princess, nay, a queen, an epitome of the night itself and all the expansive, jewel-littered blackness that it represented. Equestria would be hers for the taking right now if not for those interloping mares!

But now was not the time for spiteful recollections of her humiliating defeat. The Darkness had a task to perform but first, she needed to regain her former strength and to do that, she needed a new host to fuel her. As a disembodied spirit, she couldn't derive sustenance from physical food and in her case, there was only one kind of nourishment that would suffice: raw, negative emotions. The worst the emotion-fear, anger, hatred-the stronger she would become. That, however, would take time but time she had, if her suspicions were true.

No doubt those fools thought that she was gone forever, destroyed by the purifying powers of the Elements of Harmony. The Darkness could almost laugh at the sheer arrogance and naivety they exuded. With great difficulty, the Darkness began her long trek towards her prey. One day, she would find her perfect vessel and punish those miserable Ponyville brats for interfering in her moment of triumph. Only then would she take out Princess Celestia and Luna and claim her birthright as the sole ruler of Equestria.

Nightmare Moon would rise once again...

Author's Note

Addendum: When writing this, I wasn't planning on writing a sequel so I originally devised an ending where Princess Cadence and Shining Armor introduce Flurry Heart to a still-imprisoned Sombra. Now that I'm working on the second one, I've found it becoming much more complicated than I anticipated and as such, this revised ending is the canonical one.

Reconciliation

My life...my whole life...was just one big joke.

Princess Cadence, aka Princess Amore di Cadenza, was, in fact, the daughter of Princess Celestia, one of Equestria's trusted rulers and King Sombra, an infamous villain and tyrant. She sat hunched over with her back against the wall, the small wool blanket still wrapped around her shoulders. Meanwhile, her aunt-no, her mother-struggled and thrashed around in her crystal restraints.

This whole time, she knew the truth. She knew the truth and never told me!

"Cadence...I need you to listen to me."

Her eyes shot up to meet the older mare's gaze. "Why should I? After that reveal, how can I trust anything you have to say now?" Cadence spat, slowly rising to her hooves. "You tampered with my memories. You had me believe that my parents were just regular ponies. Don't you get it? I don't trust you anymore."

Celestia's ever-waving mane cascaded over one shoulder, concealing half of her face.

"You're right. I lied to you. The couple that raised you couldn't conceive a child of their own so I entrusted them with your care. The truth is, you are my daughter and the child of King Sombra, who was once known as Prince Tourmaline, the heir to the throne of the Crystal Empire and the last of the umbrum race."

She stopped to sniffle, her voice coming out hoarse and strained. "There were so many times I wanted to tell you the truth. Yes, there would've been a scandal and I would've lost the respect of my subjects. But I wanted to keep you safe. I didn't want to burden you with this knowledge. If I had, then you would've spent your childhood knowing who you really are and who your father is. I've made many mistakes but I wasn't going to do that to you. I'm sorry that I hurt you but I don't regret trying to protect you."

The anger soon faded from Cadence's heart. As she searched Celestia's pain-stricken face, she began to think and recalled every major moment of her life, from her ascension to now. Birthday and Hearth's Warming presents her parents gave her from "Aunt Celly". Princess Celestia giving her sagely advice on everything from being a princess to dating, always being there to watch and guide her. Every hug, every kind or wise word that came from her shaped Cadence's life.

Cadence slid the baby blanket into her hooves. "Did you know that Sombra named me 'Persephone'?" Celestia shook her head. Placing the blanket into a nearby chair, Cadence placed a hoof against Celestia's cheek. "You were always there for me. Even though you didn't claim me, you were still watching over me, like a mother."

Celestia smiled through her tears. "You were and still are my daughter. After a thousand years of being apart, I couldn't leave you alone again. I've had many children and grandchildren but you're my firstborn, my baby. I don't deserve your forgiveness but believe me when I say that I only wished for your happiness."

"We're going to have to have a long way to go before everything can be fine between us but...I forgive you. Mother."

The smile that Celestia gave her seemed to brighten up the room, as if a heavy fog had just dissipated. Taking a moment to compose herself, Celestia cleared her throat. "We have to stop Sombra. I'm going to need you to use your dark magic to get us out of here."

"M-my dark magic? I can't."

"Cadence, the umbrums were naturally adept at dark magic and you are half-umbrum. You have Sombra's magic and you can get us out of here. You can do this."

There was a long silence. Finally, Cadence nodded with uncertainty and drew in a deep breath. Her purple eyes were scarlet and green, dark purple smoke emanating from the edges of her eyes. She could feel the darkness within her growing stronger, begging to be freed, to destroy anything and anyone that stood in her way.

"Focus. Think about your darkest moments, let those emotions go. Anger, fear, even hatred. Let it flow through you."

The darkness swirled around in Cadence, becoming a mighty maelstrom as everything negative in her life built up in her chest. The chaos that Discord wrought on Equestria during his return. Queen Chrysalis kidnapping her, brainwashing her fiancé and trying to destroy Canterlot. King Sombra's lasting effects on the kingdom she ruled over and his attempt to harm her friends. The Shadow King hurting Shining Armor and keeping them both hostage. Learning the truth about her parentage.

Black and violet energy seeped around the young alicorn, levitating her a foot off of the floor. She held onto the anger and hate, allowing it to coalesce and surge within her. Throwing her head forward, the energy discharged from her horn, creating a massive wave that not only shattered the black crystals holding Celestia in place and nullifying her magic but also the barriers on the doors and windows. Celestia stared incredulously at the young mare. Cadence's luscious mane of gold, rose and violet locks became a rolling mass of black streaked with cobalt-blues, her cerise coat and wings dark gray and her segmented horn curved and dark red. She then smiled, displaying two sharp fangs.

"C-cadence?"

She didn't appear to hear Celestia, instead groaning pleasurably as the dark magic surged around her.

"Cadence!"

As though awakening from a trance, Cadence snapped her head around and blinked at Celestia.

"Celestia, I-I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. It's...it's a part you," Celestia smiled pulling her into an embrace. "You're your father's daughter just as you are mine. And I accept every part of you."

Cadence closed her eyes, feeling the energy surrounding her vanishing into thin air and when she opened them back up, she had reverted back to her regular alicorn form. "Thanks...mom."

~*~

Time was nonexistent in the void. Seconds and minutes might as well have been hours and days as far as Twilight was concerned. The theft of her tiara and the promise of revenge against her believed mentor and mother figure aside, what got the gears turning in her head was her interactions with King Sombra, both inside and outside of the Crystal Empire. He came back for revenge, particularly against Celestia, who he claims stole his child. It seemed impossible for Twilight to wrap her head around but Sombra certainly believed it. He claims that Celestia is just a selfish attention-seeker that lied about his past and purposefully allows threats to Equestria to be temporarily contained for hopes of future conflicts. Then, of course, there was his behavior towards Twilight.

He...said that he loved me.

She shook her head. Was that just a ploy to get him to join him in his mad quest? Maybe he said that just to mess with her? Or...could he have actually been sincere? When Sombra was masquerading as Parcel Post, he was down-to-earth, so approachable, at least to her. She thought of the way he spoke to her, how he kissed her. Either Sombra was the greatest actor who ever lived or there was more to him.

"I wasn't planning on courting you. It just happened."

Twilight grunted in agitation. Why did he have to make things so confusing?! They say that the eyes are the windows and she couldn't help but feel that his spoke of a soul full of pain and longing, of pining love and vengeance. He could've hurt her if he wanted to. Or used a mind control spell, like he most likely used on Parcel Post. But no, he just talked to her. Despite Twilight's loyalty to her friend and mentor, the seed of doubt that Sombra had planted had taken root.

"Twilight!"

"Applejack?"

"Twilight!"

"Everypony! I'm here! Help me!"

Five mares came into view, the darkness around Twilight dissolving until the castle slowly took its place. She stared around in confusion, first at the crystal walls of what was apparently the ballroom then at her limbs, which were not being held down by tendrils. An illusion...that's all it was. She wanted to slap herself for not realizing that but somepony else interrupted that thought process. A very pink and hysterical somepony.

Sure enough, Twilight found herself in one of Pinkie Pie's patented bone-crushing hugs.

"Twilight! Thank Celestia you're alright!" She then drew in a breath and began: "First-we-were-all-talking-and-realized-that-you-weren't-there-so-we-split-up-to-look-for-you-and-were-worried-that-something-terrible-had-happened-but-here-you-are!"

Seriously, how is she able to hold in all that air? "It's good to see you too, Pinkie."

"Darling, what happened?"

Twilight freed herself from Pinkie's grasp and faced the group. "I had a little chat with King Sombra."

"WHAT?!"

"Well, wha did that varmint want, anyhow?" Applejack all but growled.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?"

They all spun around to face the ballroom's stage where a large red oval appeared, surrounded by green and purple flames that created the image of a great flaming eye. The oval expanded, contorting into the shape of King Sombra, the flames swirling around him like giant wings before being sucked into the gem of the amulet secured at his throat. He then grinned, twin trails of mist swirling from his red and green eyes. Holding out his forelegs in a grand flourish, he announced:

"Welcome, my little ponies. To the beginning of the end."