Author's Note

I tried to add little humor to this chapter I hope I managed to do that. Did a little teaser of Sombra at the start of this chapter and I hope to write more of his history in the next chapter :D

Hope you guys and girls like this one I had pretty fun writing it.

Sombra's Return?

Crystal Empire

1200 Years in the Past

Back in the far past, a certain dark grey-colored unicorn was walking in the Crystal Castle halls when suddenly a purple unicorn appeared in front of him.
"Radiant Hope what's the rush? You making some sort of trouble again?" grey unicorn asked.
The mare just let out a playful giggle "Why so suspicious Sombra, you know I'm like an angel I don't do anything bad I swear." Radiant Hope answered and gave a bow to her prince.
Sombra rolled his eyes. "Right... Last time I had to help you get away from some angry ponies who had missed to return their books in time to the library or am I wrong." Sombra told her and rushed in to give a kiss to her lips.
Radiant answered to his kiss. After a short moment of passion, they both released themselves to catch up air. "You sometimes annoy me you know that. But that's what they get for being tardy." Radiant answered to Sombra.

Sombra ruffled her hair a little. "Well my beautiful mare what are you really here for other than stealing some good kisses?" Sombra continued to question her.
Radiant gave a playful smack on Sombra's shoulder. "Well my sweet idiot I'm delivering a message from your father. He wants to see you in the throne room like now. Also, when are you going to tell your parents about us?" Radiant asked while having her good mood turning a little sour and face starting to fall looking towards the floor.
Sombra placed his hand on Radiant's chin and raised her head. "Hey it's going to be okay. Dad might not like that my heart choose you over some foreign princesses from other kingdoms, but Mom surely turns his head around, she always does. After all, they don't call mom a princess of love for nothing. I'll talk to them today now if he doesn't have anything important to take care of. Come on let's go." Sombra said and took hold of Radiant's hand and they teleported to the throne room.

Crystal Castle - Barracks

Back in Present

Shining Armor was writing some reports in the Guard Barracks sure he didn't have to, but once a Guard Captain always a Guard Captain. He was sitting in Captain's office as a stand-in until a worthy Captain could be chosen from the Crystal Guards ranks. A guard entered his room and saluted him.
"Prince Armor I have news." Guard said while standing in attention.
"At ease soldier and I told you all when I'm here call me Captain I really don't like the Prince title. So what is it? I'm quite busy with these reports at the moment." Shining said and continued writing not even looking at the Guard
"Sorry Prin... I mean Captain Armor, but there is a situation in holding cells, and the fugitive we arrested is asking you by name. She is a dragon who looks a lot like Sir Spike and also tells she has important info about... " Guard explained.
This caught Shining's attention A dragon who looked a lot like Spike. His guard instincts told something was amiss and they were rarely wrong. He placed his pen on the table and looked directly at the guard. "About what? I would like to hear what this dragon has that's so important to see me?" Shining asked.
"She says it's about Sombra and is only talking to you. I got a bad feeling about this Captain what are your orders." Guard finished.
Shining got up from his seat fast and picked up his Guard- Captain helm from the table."Show me where she is and fast. Also, inform my wife she might want to talk to this prisoner too." Shining and the guard started to move towards the holding area.

After a short walk into the holding cells area, Shining was guided towards the cell which hold this dragoness who was asking him by name, she might be dangerous, not many dragons know him by name even if dragons have allied with them at the moment thanks to Lord Ember. Upon arriving at the cell where the dragoness was he was amazed at how much she looked like Spike. Letting out a grunt to get her attention Shining started to speak.
"So, who might you be miss? Asking about me by name and claiming to have knowledge about Tyrant Sombra." Shining asked standing in attention and watching carefully at the dragoness.

Dragoness turned around to face Shining, but what surprised him was her looks. She looked like she hasn't eaten in a week.
"Prince Shining Armor you are here good. I don't have much time left so you need to listen carefully. Sombra is about to get resurrected. You need to act fast to save his soul." dragoness began to speak at a fast pace.
Shining looked at the dragoness with an angry face. "Resurrected!? Save him!? That tyrant deserves nothing, but death and if he is getting up from his grave I'll gladly but him back there!" Shining yelled. At that moment Cadance appeared next to Shining.

"What's this about Sombra and dragon Shiny." Cadance asked from her husband and took a look at the dragoness and was horrified about her physical condition. "What... What happened to you? Are you okay?" Cadance asked worry clearly showing on her face.
"That's not important. What is important is that you save Sombra and stop Exitium using him as his puppet once again. You need to learn about your ancestor's Shining Armor. The truth is hidden in the Crystal Throne. It opens only to Sombra's blood. Your family's blood Prince Shining Armor. I'm sorry that I can..." The dragoness words stopped and in bright light, her body crumbled into heaps of crystals with small amounts of blood on the top of crystals.

Cadence gasped and walked into the cell and started to search the crystals with her magic Shining followed her and did his own check. "Hmmm... This is really high-level transformation magic and some sort of magic I don't recognize fused together. " Cadance spoke while continuing the magical check.
Shining finished his own check confirming that she didn't escape the prison she just crumbled to crystals. "Did you hear her telling me to save Sombra's soul and that I'm supposed to be related to that monster. Some crazy dragon who escaped mental ward just to die in a cell." Shining said angrily about the words dragoness spoke o him.
Cadence rose up finished checking the magic on the crystals. "Shining... I don't know how to tell this to you, but someone who can pull this level of magic and mix it with some type of magic I don't recognize can't be mentally unstable. Maybe we should check the throne room." Cadance said and waved her husband to follow.
Shining sighed still angry. "Fine. I'll humor you, but this dragoness must have been crazy. There is no way my family is related to that tyrant." Shining answered and they both teleported out of the holding cells after reporting the events to the currently on-duty warden.

Arriving tho the throne room both Shining and Cadance started to search the biggest crystals that were attached to the throne. after a long and boring hour, Cadance found an odd magical marking at the base of one of the crystals.
"Shining look here there is some odd marking here, but it's incomplete. Hmm..." Cadance said to her husband while continuing the search. Shining looked over her shoulder.
"Honey that might be many thinkings maybe it's just a scratch, I told you that dragoness was just some lunatic, come on we sho.." Shining talked, but was interrupted when Cadence suddenly used her magic to rip the huge crystal of from the ground with her magic.

Shining looked at her horrified at what she had just done. "Are you crazy! That throne was older than both of us!" Shining started to scream at his wife.
Placing the crystal onto the floor she looked at what was under it. "Look here and stop yelling or I'll go deaf." Cadance said and pointed at the floor.
Shining looked at the floor. It looked like some sort of enchanted rune word, but he couldn't recognize it."What is that? I have never seen runes like that." He asked looking at it puzzled.
Cadance studied the rune carefully. After a moment she let out a sigh. "Best I could tell it's written on an ancient rune warding method. All I recognize is the part that mentions lock. But we do have a sister who has a way to crack this kind of problem." Cadance told her husband.

A guard rushed into the throne room looking horrified.
"Princess Cadance, Prince Armor. We have a problem." the guard said and stood in the attention he then noticed the huge crystal on the ground. "Is... Is this a bad time?" he asked.
Cadance had a sly smile on her face. "Oh not at all dear. My husband here just didn't believe when I told him I could rip crystals from the ground." Cadance said holding her poker face.
Shining just rolled her eyes "That doesn't matter what is the problem soldier?" Shining said.
"Eee... Right the problem. I was on the patrol around the city when we got reports of an odd activity near the graveyard. we thought it was just some teenagers having some fun so I was ordered to check it out. When I arrived nothing seemed off at first." Guard explained
Shining just listened with Cadance "Please continue." Shining told to the guard.
"Yes, So I was doing a fast check-up when I noticed a robed stallion walking towards the mausoleums. I started to walk towards him and when I was about to yell to him I noticed there were many more coming out from an unmarked one carrying a coffin. I was about to charge at them when I felt something I last felt back when Sombra was alive and I just froze there. They summoned a dark red portal and carried the coffin through. I reported this to higher-ups and was told to inform you two personally."

"Unmarked mausoleum. There is only one of those in a graveyard in the empire. But I sealed it personally with aunt Celestia and aunt Luna." Cadance said.
"And only one pony is buried there this can't be a good thing." Shining said.
"Princess Cadance. Who was buried there." guard asked worried.
"That mausoleum is the final resting place of Sombra. I have no idea why some ponies would want his bones."
Then what the dragoness had told Shining hit him "You! Private! Gather all available soldiers and especially the trackers. We need to find those ponies before they do something really bad now move it, soldier!" Shining ordered.
The guard saluted and left to gather the requested forces.
"Cadance we need to contact Celestia and Twilight this could be something really bad." Shining said and turned to face his wife.
"What got into you so quickly, sure grave robbing is bad, but they took Sombra's remains what good they can do to them?" Cadance asked.
"That dragoness told me something before you arrived, she said they were planning to resurrect Sombra I know I might just be worrying you shouldn't be able to bring ponies back right?" Shining asked scared and worried.

Cadance started to rub her hands together. "It... isn't impossible to bring ponies back from dead. It's extremely dangerous and you need a sacrifice. Life for life to balance the scales of life and afterlife, enough blood and raw magic to rebuild the body for the pony you are resurrecting. Even if you have all these there is still a good chance you fail if you can't conjure a link that pulls the spirit back from the afterlife. But there are other more dangerous ways too if you are to believe what auntie told me." Cadance explained.
"Cadance if there is even a slim chance for Sombra to return we have to act." Shining told his wife and passed writing equipment to her.
"Your right honey. We need that egghead sister of ours here." Cadance answered and took the pen and paper that Shining offered her and began to write a letter. After she was done writing she sealed the letter.
"Now that's done we need to send it right away." Shining said and grabbed the letter.

Doors opened to the throne room and Starlight Glimmer entered.
"Thank you for letting me use Crystal Castle's library Princess Cadance, Prince Armor. I and Sunburst found what we were looking for and we can have some "fun" back home." Starlight said while imagining all the naughty thinks she and Sunburst would do.
A lightbulb lit in Shining's head. "Starlight? Could you deliver this to Twilight? It's for her eyes only and really important." Shining said and walked to Starlight handing over the message.
"Of course Prince Shining I would be honored." Starlight answered and took the message.
"Sigh... Starlight you are my sister's student and my friend no need to be so formal when we are alone. Now make haste Twilight needs to know what's going on." Shining told her.
"You're so boring sometimes Shining, but I'll deliver this to him. And if we are in hurry I can finally test that long-distance teleport spell."
Cadance walked to Starlight and placed her hand on Starlight's shoulder. "Just be careful, that spell can be taxing and you will feel weak after casting it." Cadance told.
With a flash, Starlight was gone.

Back in Ponyville

Celestia, Luna, and Twilight, we have some bad news. One of our guards noticed some odd pony in the graveyard. It seems this pony was with a group that robbed Sombra's remains from his final resting place. Shining has learned that these ponies might want to try and resurrect Sombra why and how is still a mystery to us. Also, we found and learned something interesting which I won't write into this letter for safety reasons. We need your help on a certain rune ward we found and I can't read it that well so please take anything related to ancient rune wards. We await your arrival.

PS. Take Spike with you crystal ponies really want to see their hero again.

Celestia placed the letter down on the table.
"This sounds bad indeed we should go." Celestia answered her student.
Twilight wrote some book names into a piece of paper and handed it to Spike. "We need these books from library Spike. Could you go and get them for me? Cadence and Shining need our help" Twilight said.
Spike took the paper from Twilight. "Okay Twilight I am your number one assistant after all." Spike said and dashed towards the library.
Rarity got up from her seat. "Now that he is gone maybe we can talk about my idea?" Rarity asked while he began to draw something on one of the papers that were laying on the table.
"What thou have in your mind Element of Generosity?" Luna asked.
"Now hold on there sugar cube. You aren't planning that one again? I sure would like to try that out, but I don't know what Spikes newest girlfriends think about your idea" Applejack said to Rarity.

"Rarity what are you planning is it the same idea you tried to tell us a moment ago" Twilight asked.
Rarity was drawing intensely. "Yes it is darling. And it's an idea I had we could do with Applejack and I would like to know would you want to join into this idea." Rarity finished and showed them all his little designs. It was hastily drawn, but there are notes on several parts of the costume. Veil, See-through clothing gold ornaments, and collars with a question mark at it. Each mare and dragoness took a look at them and all of them had a deep red blush on their cheeks.
"Goodness. That looks naughty." Celestia said while reading the notes.
"I have to say that outfit should look good on my scales. I do like it rough." Ember said while licking his lips.
"I take it you have found one of my little Spikes magazines? I haven't done anything that frisky in a while you can count me in." Celestia said already having wild images of Spike and herself.
"Thou should know Night is also a realm of carnal acts we approve this outfit." Luna answered.
"So it's settled we deal with this problem at Crystal Empire and then we can start planning about..." Rarity didn't have time to finish her sentence when Spike walked in carrying ten or more books.

Spike places the books onto the table. "This should be all of them Twily. So get ready for what Rares?" Spike asked and took a seat.
"Oh nothing darling just some project of mine that I and Applejack are planning to do. So we got everything we need?" Rarity finished trying to direct the conversation away from her little project.
"Oh, yes Rarity with these books on us we should be ready to go. We should use long-distance teleport to get there quickly. I'm sure we won't suffer much withdrawal with three alicorns and unicorn casting the spell together." Twilight said and packed the books.
"Indeed, this shouldn't be too bad. Everyone take a hold onto a pony next to you and form a circle." Celestia said and guided everypony. Ember was sitting and feeling a little sad seeing her mate leaving. Spike walked next to her and pulled her up. "Come on Ember you should visit Crystal Empire and what a better time than now am I right?" Spike asked and gave a warm smile to her.

Ember smiled back and gave a kiss on Spike's cheek. "Thank you, Spike. I would love to join you and your friends. I just need to message my dad that I'm away for a while." Ember said taking one of the papers on the table writing a message to her dad and breathed cyan fire on it and it disappeared. "You thought you were the only one who can send messages with his fire to others?" Ember asked while having a wide grin on her.
Spike rubbed her neck a little. "Well yeah I did. But it seems I was wrong. Twilight? Should we get Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rainbow too?" Spike asked.
"We should, but they are a little busy at the moment. Fluttershy is taking care of Angel who is sick, she has pretty bad rabbit flu. Pinkie is visiting her family and Rainbow is on tour with Wonderbolts. But I'm sure we can pull this off without them." Twilight explained. Spike just nodded and walked into the circle with Ember.
"Now for those traveling for the first time you might feel tired after we arrive." Luna warned and light up her horn while Celestia, Twilight, and Rarity did the same.
After a short moment, a blinding light engulfed them all and they disappeared.

Sugacube Corner

Eris and Torch were both sitting at the table outside Sugarcube Corner and enjoying some tasty Icecream. While Torch was eating his own Eris was feeling a little down and having a look of emptiness in her eyes. Torch noticed this and decided to ask Spirit of Chaos what's on her mind.
"So, miss Eris what's wrong with you. You have been pretty silent after we left the castle. And the way you just rotate your spoon and don't eat this delicious meal says something is on your mind"

Eris let out a long sigh. "It's complicated, and I think you won't be much of help at all." Eris said.
Torch let out a warm laugh. "Oh, please I have raised a daughter alone. I'm pretty sure I can manage to help someone like you with matters of the heart." Torch said and pointed towards Eris's chest with his spoon.
"How do you know I have something like that as my problem?" Eris asked shocked that this old dragon knew what's wrong with her.
"I told you already. I raised a daughter alone. Do you know how many times I had to be there as her shoulder when she was a teenager? Too many is the answer." Torch said while remembering the multiple times he had to be there for Ember when some punk played with her feelings.
"Well... I suppose it couldn't hurt to talk about it." Eris said while rubbing her left shoulder.

Before Eris had a chance to begin a piece of paper appeared in a cyan flame in front of Torch. Picking up the paper Torch really wanted to know what was on his daughter's mind.

Dad, I'm going with Spike to Crystal Empire. If you decide to return back to Dragon Lands and the council's elders are asking once again when I am going to choose one of their sons as my mate, just tell them to kiss my blue ass I am already with someone I love and hide the fact he is Draco's champion it makes showing him to the council more fun.

PS. If Ignen is there smack him a couple of times so he gets the message that no is no.

"Oh, Ember you really are your dad's daughter. Council won't like this, but we'll deal with them later." Torch talked to himself, forgetting that he was with Eris.
"So, Ember send that message?" Eris asked.
"Yes, but that's not important your problem is. Now come on Eris talk to me." Torch said while placing the spoon onto the table.
"Not here we need to be somewhere proper." Snapping her fingers she and Torch disappeared leaving some bits and talking spoon that was yelling for waitress onto the table.

Torch and Eris appeared inside one of the rooms of Twilight's castle. Another snap of fingers and the room transformed. It looked like a psychiatrist room with couches for both patient and doctor. Eris jumped onto the patient couch and laid down on it.
"Now this is better. I really needed a psychiatrist. Come take a seat and listen to my problems." Eris said raising her hand and again snapping her fingers teleporting Torch to another couch while glasses appeared on his head and a pencil with notepad appeared on his hands.
"We could have done this the normal way and just talked." Torch said.
"But this is more fun and you did say you want to listen to my problems." Eris said and began to tell about her problems. "Now where to begin doctor? Maybe from the day, my dad started to preassure me to take a spouse?" She said and Torch just groaned. "If this helps you then we can do it this way too. Just talk about what's on your mind that usually helps with Ember." Torch said and started to listen to whats on her mind.