The Lesser Evil

It had been a week, a week of tears, fear and worry. Not once had they seen any sign of Flurry Heart and none of their plees had been answered. When at last they were forced into a prisoner’s carriage it had almost been a blessing, anything was better than not knowing. When the ride finally came to an end they silently embraced. They didn’t know what would happen next but they would face it together. The doors opened suddenly, the outside world was a monotonous shade of off-white, fog clung to everything like a spider's web. “OUT!” The guard called out forcibly. Cadence put on a brave face as she was marched out, Shining followed slowly feeling far less sure. He saw his entire life flash before his life all his failures and all that he could have done to stop this mess. The Guard prodded his back with the barrel of his gun. “Move!” Shining complied, moving beside his wife. to their left a line of soldiers stretched out ahead into the mist their guns at rest. To the right the opening of a bridge, to where Shining could not say. Deimos Falafel stood at the opening of the bridge to greet them. “I hope your stay has been comfortable.” the newly promoted Field Marshal said with a smile.

Shining felt rage boil inside of him. “What happened, why are we here, where is my daughter!? Answer me you traitor!”

Deimos smiled “What happened is the civil war is over. The Nation is now under proper leadership, and now we are tying up the last loose end. Your fate is across this bridge. If you run or turn back, you will die. I’d hate to have Equestrian Royal blood on my hooves.”

Shining wanted to spit in his face but the sound of guns being chambered and aimed relieved him of that thought.

“Shining… We need to go…” Cadence said pressing her side against him.

Slowly they walked across the fog covered bridge a firing squad behind them and the unknown ahead. Shining armor pressed close against his wife whatever horror awaited them, they would go together. One way or another they would be together. The fog engulfed their entire world with only the railings on either side. “Are we really going to just let them take Flurry Heart from us like this? Abandon our only child in the hooves of that maniac?!”

“We can’t help her if we are dead. We have to trust that we can save her. That we will face whatever awaits us, that we will survive, that we can get to twilight and rescue our daughter. That’s all we can do…” Cadence replied, tears streaming down her face. Shining Armor didn’t know how to feel about any of this, but he pushed on silently. All that mattered was the task ahead.

After what felt like ages of slowly walking a figure slowly appeared from within the fog. Radiant Hope sat staring into the abyss holding something in her fore hooves. “Ah you're here at last. Almost done, and I bring a gift to see you off.”

Cadence knew the mare, so vocal about sombra before seemingly disappearing off the face of the Earth. No doubt she had been the cause of the whole affair. “You!” she said accusingly as she approached, but whatever words were to follow stuck in her throat. In the purple mare’s hooves lay Flurry Heart swaddled tightly and seemingly perfectly fine. There was no fuss as the mare who set out to bring Sombra back to life willingly gave Flurry Heart back to her Parents. Cadence held her child protectively as Radiant Turned to leave.

“Now i would love to stay and chat, but i must be off to see a King about a seamstress.” Radiant left them heading back into the dense fog and leaving the family united once more. Together the royal family walked onwards till suddenly the fog lifted revealing Equestria on the other side of the bridge. Celestia, Twilight, the elements of harmony and no less than a division of Equestria’s finest soldiers greeted them. As Twilight catapulted herself to holding her Brother close, Shining could only think to ask why. Why had Sombra let them go, Why go through all the effort to over through them and then release them safe and sound? Why?

“Why?”

Sombra Turned to Radiant Hope as the seamstress did her duties. “Now that is a question I didn't imagine you asking, of all ponies. I thought you wanted this to happen, with the least amount of bloodshed and all.”

“That’s true, and i’m not saying i’m not grateful that you are back to your old, TRUE self, but i still want to know your reasoning.”

Sombra chuckled truly he doubted he was any form of old self. While he was no doubt Sombra, his being was a collection of thoughts and reasoning of two very different frames of mind. With blank page’s influence no doubt the logic of Egoistic Altruism spoke true. The ideal of serving his people but enforcing his will with an iron gauntlet felt more right than ever. Times had changed and so must he, if he was to thrive anyways. “The lesser of two evils my dear. With the return of the royal family they won’t be able to make any move against us. Like a hydra arguing amongst it’s heads they will be unable and unwilling to attempt to reconquer the crystal empire. Equestria has been a thorn in my side for millenia, but Chrysalis is a megalomaniac to put me to shame. She only cares for her changelings, and even if she did ally with us to destroy Equestria we would merely be putting our head on the chopping block. In the end, we must ally ourselves with the evil we know, then the one we don’t.”