Sombra glanced up at the six mares in terror as they rose above him, the air thrumming with Harmony magic. It always made his skin crawl. This .. shouldn’t be. “No!” he screamed. “This can't be possible! Your magic can't defeat mine! I DESTROYED THE SOURCE OF YOUR POWER!”
From the protective bubble surrounding them, Twilight smiled serenely as her eyes glowed with semi-divine magic and proclaimed, “You can't destroy our friendship, Sombra!”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and said, “And we keep telling bad guys...”
Applejack chuckled and added, “But y'all just don't seem to remember…”
Together the Mane Six joyously shouted, “Friendship is Magic!!” Bleagh. What a cringeworthy line, Sombra thought as he futilely fired one last bolt of Dark Magic at them.
The bubble then expanded and surrounded Sombra, dissolving his physical form. Painfully.
Sombra screamed, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” before the Void once again claimed him.
All things considered; it was a pretty good day. The sky was a nice burnt orange in the setting sunlight, and the pleasing scent of smoke filled the air.
OK, Fizzle hadn’t had any luck finding gems for his dinner, but the day wasn’t over yet!
The white drake gave one last cave system a try. His pink eyes lit up. Jackpot!
Sitting in the center of the cavern was a long curved red crystal. Fizzle licked his lips, trying not to drool. It was huge! He couldn’t imagine how good it would taste…
He picked it up and gave it a quick loving smooch. He held it up and proclaimed, “Over the teeth, past the gums, look out stomach, here it comes!”
To Fizzle’s shock, the crystal began smoking. He dropped it and scrambled back. As the cavern filled with thick black smoke, almost like shadows, deep evil laughter began to echo from the center of the cloud, before someone Fizzle couldn’t see began hacking out a lung.
When the smoke finally cleared an impressively built grey unicorn stallion was standing before Fizzle. The crystal had apparently taken the place of his horn. The stallion had an inky black mane and tail that constantly flowed like smoke. His eyes had bright green sclera with malevolent red irises and slitted pupils. Purple smoke constantly poured out of them before vanishing. The stallion also had an impressive set of fangs. Weren’t ponies vegan?
Sombra was surprised to see a dragon of all creatures in front of him but noted the look of awe on the dragon’s face. Good, that was as it should be.
Sombra gave one last smaller cough and irritably waved the smoke away. That had never happened when he’d manifested…
“Are you a Princess – er, Prince?” the dragon asked.
Sombra snarled. “No, worm, I am a King.”
Before he could start a proper monologue, the dragon cut him off by saying, “Oh, I’m not a wyrm, I’m a drake. Big difference!” He said with a disarmingly cute smile.
Sombra scoffed. “Whatever. Do not speak of the Princesses to me again. I am Sombra Ebon, ruler of-”
“I’m Fizzle! Nice to meet you!”
“STOP INTERRUPTING ME!” Sombra screeched, his voice shaking the cave.
Fizzle nodded. Sombra huffed and continued. “As I was saying. I am Sombra Ebon, rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire and all Equestria! You will assist me as I take my rightful place upon the throne! Comply and you may be rewarded. Fail, and suffer the consequences.”
“No.”
Sombra blinked in surprise. “What do you mean ‘no?’”
“No. Not helping you with some takeover deal. I have things to do. Anyway, Equestria is miles away from here.”
Sombra grit his teeth. “You will obey your Master, Slave…” he ordered as he shot a mind-control spell at the Dragon.
Fizzle raised a patch of scales that served as an eyebrow. “OK, I just met you and now you’re doing role-play? Besides, who made you the Dom?!”
Sombra blinked and sent wave after wave of magic at the white dragon.
“Is that supposed to do something?” Fizzle asked in a puzzled tone.
“Auugh! It must be your stupid lizard brain! My magic isn’t compatible with it!”
Fizzle stood up and Sombra nervously realized just how big he was. “Watch who you call a lizard, lunchmeat. You cost me my dinner, by the way. You can make it up by helping me find more.”
“I do not help lesser creatures! I’m a King!” Sombra snapped as he stamped his hoof.
“You’re a looney…” Fizzle said flatly. “You can come with me, or you can fall into a pool of lava. I don’t care at this point…” With that he turned and exited the cavern complex.
Sombra stared openmouthed before he followed. He didn’t recognize where he was at all. He’d never tried to conquer it.
Wherever it was, it was obviously hostile to all non-dragon life. Most of it was lava and the air was choked with smoke.
Luckily there weren’t any other dragons as far as Sombra could see. After a measly dozen steps, he felt the strength leave his body and he flopped down on the uncomfortably warm ground.
Fizzle turned back and looked at him in disbelief. “What, you’re too rich to walk?!”
“I – used the last of my magical reserves attempting to control your mind,” Sombra managed to pant out. “Also, I just came back from the dead, which always leaves me weak anyway. I’ll be fine, thanks for the concern, I just need to rest.”
“Hmph. … Would food help?”
Sombra actually laughed at that. With all of the coming back from the dead he’d done in the last few years; he couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten. “Yes, actually, but I don’t eat gems.”
“Yeah. Not a lot grows in the Dragon Lands, but I could-”
“I’m … a carnivore…” Sombra cautiously said.
Fizzle gave a heart-meltingly cute smile. “Oh! That makes it a lot easier. Watch…”
He reached into one of the nearby pools of lava, no different to any other to Sombra’s eye, and withdrew … a wriggling fish.
Sombra’s jaw dropped. “How?” was all he could manage.
“It takes a bit of practice, but you get to the point you can just reach in and grab them!”
“It’s a fish that lives in lava!”
Fizzle chuckled. “Oh! Yeah, they probably wouldn’t have these where you’re from. Just a second…” He grabbed a second fish, whacked each with the spade-shaped tip of his tail to stun them, and let out a stream of dragonfire, cooking the unfortunate creatures alive. How beautifully barbaric, Sombra thought. He might fit in here after all!
The smell of cooked fish made his mouth water. Fizzle held one down. “Probably not what you’re used to as a King…”
Sombra snatched the fish and messily devoured it, pausing only to spit out the bones. When he was done, he said, “Thank you…” When was the last time he had thanked anyone for anything? He glanced at the remains of his meal. “How are they lava-proof, but not dragonfire-proof?”
Fizzle shrugged, slurping down the entire fish. “Probably something to do with dragonfire being magic. I’m not a scholar…”
“Do … dragons have scholars?”
Fizzle’s spines drooped. “We … did. We haven’t for a long, long time.” He brightened up. “Feeling better?”
Sombra nodded. “I could do with a rest though. I’m just going to lay here…” He closed his eyes and … relaxed. He hadn’t done that since he was a foal… He felt something lay next to him. He cracked an eye open and met Fizzle’s pink ones. “What are you staring at?”
“I’ve never seen a pony like you before…” Fizzle whispered.
“I’m not a pony…” Sombra huffed.
“Oh. What are you?”
“An Umbrum. A long-dead race of living carnivorous shadows; nightmares made real. I am the last of my kind, and count your blessings it is so, or your world would be in eternal darkness.”
“I’m … sorry…”
“I don’t need your pity,” Sombra huffed. “I’m just going to rest my eyes for a moment. Don’t disturb me again.” He closed his eyes and just … drifted…
When Sombra opened his eyes again, it was obviously night. He was in a cave. A different one from the one he’d been resurrected in.
Sombra snarled. That damn lizard! He might not have his magic back, but if the drake thought he could eat him, he had another think coming!
Sombra then realized that something was draped over him. He pulled it off and looked at it. Due to his nature, he could see perfectly in the dark, even if colors were muted to the point of obscurity. It was … a blanket. It was made of various animal skins and stitched together with thick leather thread. Despite the crudity of the materials used, it was obvious that someone had taken great care when they’d made it. It was also quite warm, with it no longer on him, Sombra began to shiver.
Something padded towards him, bright in the darkness. Fizzle.
“Hey,” the dragon said softly, trying not to spook Sombra. “You fell asleep and wouldn’t wake up for anything. I finally just brought you to my cave.”
“Thank you,” Sombra said, again, again surprising himself. He shivered. “Faust, how can a place that’s volcanic be so cold at night?”
Fizzle just shrugged with an apologetic grin. Sombra was determined to wipe that sickeningly cute look off his stupid dragon face … come morning.
“You could bunk with me… I am a reptile, so I know body heat helps, but I get the feeling-”
“I’d rather eat my own hooves,” Sombra spat.
“Thought so…” Fizzle muttered with an eye roll. “See you in the morning and then you can go off conquering or whatever. Night!”
Sombra growled and drew the blanket tighter around himself.
Sombra couldn’t remember a night without nightmares assaulting him. He hadn’t dreamed at all. It had been … peaceful.
As he slowly returned to the waking world, Sombra tried to work out what he was feeling. Contentment? Warmth? No … it was some combination of the two … Sombra felt … Cozy. He shuddered as he remembered that diabolical filly who certainly did not deserve that as her name.
Something was wrapped around him. It was firm, but soft, and warm. He opened his eyes finally.
He was in a different chamber of the cave, in a sort of nest. Fizzle’s arms were wrapped around him, and, oh, sweet Faust, his forelegs had a death grip on the dragon’s chest!
Sombra tried unsuccessfully to scramble away, which only caused the limbs so cozily ensnaring him to tighten further.
“Morning,” Fizzle said softly.
“You foalnapped me!” Sombra shouted. “I explicitly said I didn’t want to bunk with you!”
Fizzle grinned wickedly. “Nah. I left you where you were. You came in a bit before dawn, climbed into my nest, and practically spooned me. … Snugglebutt…” he said with a playful flick of his tongue.
“I am not a snugglebutt!” Sombra shrieked.
“Really?” Fizzle let Sombra go. Sombra let out a small whimper like a puppy at the loss of contact. Fizzle chuckled. “Yep. Snugglebutt.” He pulled Sombra close again.
Sombra sighed in happiness as warmth flooded him. He’d often wondered what it would be like to – No! This … this fiend had cast some sort of sneaky dragon mind control on him! Sombra was the King of the Crystal Empire! The Living Nightmare! He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! Arch-Wizard Supreme!
Sombra managed to wriggle out of Fizzle’s grasp and bared his teeth. “Whatever magic you are using to influence me, I demand you stop!”
“I … don’t have magic.”
“Just point me in the direction of Equestria!” Sombra demanded.
Fizzle sighed wearily. “OK, but you’ll have a tough time…”
He led Sombra to an impassible mountain range. “It’s on the other side of this. Then it’s about a 40 mile walk to the southernmost edge. There’s the ‘Friendship Express,’ but it doesn’t run this time of year. So … unless you can fly or teleport, good luck…” Fizzle said with a smug little smirk.
Sombra growled. He could fly, and teleport, but not … right … now… He sighed and looked at the tower of pain made of rock. “I could do this in my sleep!” he scoffed. He started up the slope … and fell flat on his butt. After 3 more attempts that all ended the same way, he gave an enraged scream.
Fizzle snickered. “Want to try again?”
Sombra gave him a glare that should have made the dragon’s head explode.
Fizzle sighed. “Look, the train starts running around the time the rest of the dragons get back.”
“And when is that?!”
“Little under three months from now.”
Sombra blinked in shock. “Th-three MONTHS?!”
Fizzle nodded. “The Great Dragon Migration is kind of a rare thing, but everybody else is at our summer home right now. The train would run if there’s some sort of Pony Friendship Emergency,” he said with an eye roll, “But that’s not likely to happen with just me here.”
Sombra realized how utterly defeated he was. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself. He’d waited over a thousand years for this, he could handle a minor setback like this.
In icy tones, Sombra asked, “And what do you suggest I do for those three months?”
Fizzle smiled. “We can hang!” he said excitedly. “There’s always stuff to do. I’ll bet you’d be great at finding gems. You’re trying to get your magic back, right? That should take up a lot of time…”
Sombra shuddered. “I pray to any demon who will listen it doesn’t. And I will not snuggle with you ever again!”
Fizzle deflated like a balloon, giving Sombra kicked-puppy eyes. He was normally immune to those, but … “Gah!” Sombra screamed, screwing his eyes shut. “Don’t look cute to manipulate me! I hate cute!”
Fizzle chuckled. “Glad you think I’m cute, though. You’re pretty hot yourself…” With that, he walked away, leaving Sombra there with his mouth hanging open.
When Sombra had caught up with Fizzle he asked, “What is … hot in the way you used it?”
Fizzle gave a wide toothy smile. “Sexy. Handsome. Adorable.”
Sombra blinked. “You … think I’m handsome?”
“Tall, Dark, and Handsome, yep!”
Sombra felt weak. “But … I’m … male…” he muttered lamely.
“I’m gay, so it’s not a problem.”
“You are annoyingly cheerful, yes,” Sombra said.
Fizzle chuckled. “Going to have to bring your lingo up to speed. I like males. Romantically. Sexually. Got it? I’m guessing it was more taboo when you were younger…”
“You like me … like that?” Sombra squeaked.
Fizzle nodded. “Most definitely,” he purred.
Sombra’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fainted dead away.
Sombra woke up back in Fizzle’s cave.
“Hey! Got us lunch, since you didn’t eat!” the Drake called with a smile.
He likes males … he likes me … How can somecreature like me?
Sombra wolfed down the lunch provided, not noticing what it was.
Fizzle sighed. “Listen. I’m … sorry for freaking you out. Yeah, I think you’re hot stuff, but I wouldn’t force myself on you or anything. I won’t cuddle with you again; I really did just suggest it for shared body heat. We’re kind of stuck with each other, but I’ll give you space. Besides, you don’t like guys, right?”
There was an awkward silence.
“It’s … not …” Sombra tried to pick a word and settled on, “Taboo?”
Fizzle gave an annoyed snort. “It depends. There are always creatures who hate gays, nothing you can do about that. Ponies are pretty open-minded as a whole, Changelings are almost frighteningly tolerant cause of the whole ‘eating love’ thing, Griffons hate everything, so it’s no worse than normal, Yaks don’t care, and neither do Dragons. Not sure how Umbrum view it…”
“I’ve … never met an Umbrum. I was raised by Ponies. Yes, they were … caring creatures, but … not to the extent they are now it would seem. I kept many things about myself hidden as I grew, among them … my preference for male companionship,” Sombra finished with a wince. “To use your terminology as I understand it, I am … gay as well.”
Fizzle chuckled. “Thanks for telling me. From what I’ve heard, it’s hard for a Pony to do that today. I can’t imagine back then.”
Sombra gave a strangled laugh. “It was horrible. Those who were … different in any way were punished. Severely. I’ve never known friendship, let alone … companionship. Love.” Sombra scoffed. “As I learned more about myself and my heritage, I learned that my kind physically cannot stand love. It … repels us. And yet … I have at times desired … what others could so freely have. Something as simple as an embrace. A kiss. Someone to come home to at the end of a long day.
“Since that was denied to me, I pushed myself into the study of magic, and excelled at … unorthodox subjects. In time, I found my taste for conquest. And it brought me joy. But … If I had not been what I was, or had been raised in a different time, if I had found … someone … perhaps I would not be the monster parents use to make their children behave.” Sombra glared at Fizzle. “You realize that if you tell a single soul a word of this, I will utterly destroy you.”
Fizzle held his claws up in a peaceful gesture. “Trust me, it goes to my grave. I wouldn’t dare out someone.” Sombra was able to work out what he meant.
Fizzle gave a light chuckle. “I … didn’t have it as bad as you, but in a way I can relate. True, dragons don’t care who you like, but … we value strength above everything. Being the runt of the brood and having … not masculine interests made growing up a dragon interesting. To the point that even today they leave me behind to guard this place while they all soak up the sun.”
Sombra chuckled. “It seems I’m always the misfit… but it’s good to know that I am not alone this time…” He glanced at Fizzle. “Since you don’t have magic to practice … what do you do all day on your lonesome?”
Fizzle gave Sombra that smile that was slowly starting to be less nauseating. He held out his claws. “C’mon, I’ll show you…”
Sombra wouldn’t admit it, but … the Dragon Lands were beautiful, in their way. They were a hellish landscape of fire and brimstone, and almost nothing could survive there, but … it was growing on him.
Despite the fact that next to nothing was suicidal enough to invade the Dragon Lands, Fizzle still patrolled the entire region every day. Sombra found himself joining. He couldn’t say why.
Fizzle was … comforting. They would often talk about nothing at all, everything, or just spend time in silence together.
To Sombra’s delight, the Drake had a small hoard of books from various cultures, so he wouldn’t go completely out of his mind during his time stuck here.
They got to know more about each other. Fizzle had made the blanket Sombra had claimed. The entire process, from skinning the animals his pack had killed to tanning the skins to sewing it together. Sombra had to admire the skill involved in all aspects of the process, considering that he had only the crudest of materials to work with.
Fizzle was a bookworm, a trait he shared with Sombra. Sombra told him of some of his happier memories of the library in the castle. He had also told Fizzle how he … acquired the castle the library came with. All of his past. What he remembered anyway. The good, the bad, the evil.
Fizzle was understandably horrified by some of Sombra’s past. Sombra laid it all out in black and grey, along with his reasoning at the time for each action.
When he was finally done, Fizzle sat open-mouthed. The Drake finally found his voice. “If … you go back … will you do that all over again? For the ninth time or whatever this would be?”
Sombra hung his head. “I … don’t know. My whole life, I have felt … lacking. Like I was nothing. My gift for Dark Magic … filled that void, but … I deserve to rule.”
“Why?”
Sombra blinked. “What?”
“Why do you deserve to rule? Why do you have to constantly try and take over your nation?”
Sombra blinked and opened his mouth. He closed it again. “That’s … I … I’m just supposed to be in charge…” he finished lamely.
Fizzle gave an annoyed snort, shooting out a burst of magenta flame. “So, you don’t have a reason. And if you ever did, you’ve forgotten it. You could have been so much more if you hadn’t built your life around this one obsession! Why not run away? It’s a big planet! They can’t want to kill you everywhere! You could go to Trottingham or Prance, start over. Just…” the Drake growled. “Faust you’re impossible! You can sleep somewhere else tonight, there’s a lot of caves, just don’t touch another Dragon’s stuff.”
Before Sombra could get a word in, Fizzle had spread his wings and flown off.
Sombra stared in shock.
That night Sombra was colder than he’d been in his life. “Blasted lizard. Who does he think he is, telling me how to live my life?! He’s never ruled! He’s never had Ponies requiring his input on every aspect of their lives! He’s never been…” Sombra sniffed, “Deliriously happy sitting upon a throne, his enemies at their place beneath him…”
With that, Sombra went to sleep, praying for nightmares to take his mind off reality.
Fizzle was livid at Sombra. The Drake avoided him by any means necessary, only interacting with Sombra to bring him food he’d hunted.
With nothing to do for Fizzle, Sombra went back to practicing his magic. With time, rest, and practice, Sombra could feel his powers slowly returning.
One afternoon Sombra was practicing one of the most basic of his abilities and did a little cheer and victory dance when he managed to summon a large black crystal. “Ha, ha! I DID IT! Fizzle, did you see that? I-”
He was utterly alone.
“Fizzle?”
He couldn’t take it anymore. The Dragon Lands were only so big, and there were only so many places the Drake could be hiding…
Sombra started walking.
Hours later, he found Fizzle. The Dragon was hogtied and a group of gruff smelly canines were busy almost strip-mining the surrounding cave.
Sombra’s pupils shrank to pinpricks and he let out an almost feral growl.
A feeling like fire shot through his veins. Sombra drew his magic from hate. From fear. From the Darkness Inherent in all sapient creatures. He didn’t know what this was, but he felt stronger than ever in his life!
As the Dimond Dogs continued their work, the temperature plummeted. The shadows in the cave grew larger and deeper and began to move on their own.
From all around, a dazzling firework show began, each whistle and pop amplified by and echoing off the cave walls. It was an overwhelming cacophony of light and sound.
The Dogs all yelped and clapped their paws over their ears. “What is this?!”
“Pain! Stop it!”
As the show died down, a demonic roaring filled the air.
A monstrous looking machine came down the cavern towards them. It was twelve feet tall, and a large rectangle standing upright. A smaller flat rectangle on wheels transported it.
It had a handle at the very top, and a large cloth bag took up most of its structure. The bag was made of sewn flesh, and sparks flew from a large exhaust tube at the very bottom. It let out a constant, grating, whining growling noise.
The Diamond Dogs all quaked with fear. “Va’coom!” One screamed in terror. “It comes for us!!!” he wailed.
They quickly scattered back to the safety of their warrens.
Fizzle’s eyes widened in terror as hearty evil laughter came from the demonic appliance before its form shifted and collapsed back into Sombra. A flash of Sombra’s horn and Fizzle’s bindings disappeared.
“You … saved me?” Fizzle asked uncertainly.
“Yes. There’s something I need to tell you, but it’s hard to put into words…”
“OK, maybe if you hum a few ba- MMPH!” Fizzle was shocked to find Sombra kissing him, the dark stallion quite literally melting into him as he partially turned to shadow.
Sombra finally pulled away, painting slightly, only to realize to his horror that Fizzle was looking at him with fear. “No… please…” Sombra begged Creation.
Fizzle gave an awkward chuckle. “Listen. You don’t like me. That’s just the Stockholm Syndrome talking.”
“What?”
Fizzle groaned. “Nevermind. Just … you don’t feel what you think you’re feeling. You’ve never been in love, right?” Sombra nodded. “So you don’t know what it feels like. This is just some crush. For Faust’s sake, you’ve only known me two months!”
Sombra nodded. “I apologize for overstepping bounds, I-” Sombra noticed something. His entire life, Sombra had known what Love was in others… A searing, white-hot flame that blinded him and drove him scurrying back to the shadows.
He was looking beyond Fizzle’s mere body. This was … warmth. The golden sunlight of a late summer afternoon. Plunging into a warm bath after a hard day of studying. It was a tender stroke of his mane, a quick nuzzle along his cheek. Late night talks that devolved into giggling fits.
Love had always repelled Sombra, but … he craved this…
Sombra chuckled. “You love me…” he said softly, afraid if he said it, it would vanish.
“What?! No. No way!”
“I’m an Umbrum. I can sense it.” Sombra tilted Fizzle’s head so the Drake was looking at him. “Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t like me. And if you’re lying … I’ll know.”
Fizzle swallowed nervously. “I … I … Screw it,” he snarled. He pulled Sombra in for another kiss.
This one was expected by both parties and so was better executed. It was a tender smooch. Fizzle threaded his claws through Sombra’s mane.
When the kiss broke off, Fizzle actually blushed. “Yeah. I like you. A little bit more than ‘like’ if I’m honest.”
“Me too. I like you more than like, I mean.”
Fizzle grinned. “If I take you back to my cave… are you going to make me call you ‘King?’”
“Kind of lost my appetite for being King … Maybe I can start over.”
“Maybe. Want me to fly you back?”
Sombra grinned. “I haven’t lost all my ego and pride. Eat my dust, lizard-brain!” He shot off back the way he’d come.
Fizzle blinked. “He can fly. Of course he can fly.” He gave a laugh, then spread his wings and followed his … what was Sombra to him? They could figure it out… Fizzle thought with a grin.
Sombra slowly woke up … wrapped in the loving arms of his … coltfriend. He grinned. He’d never thought that would be possible for him. He chuckled. “You know, that’s the first time I’ve ever had good dreams…”
He stretched. Something felt … different.
Fizzle grunted and turned over. “Mmf. Morning, Gorgeo- WOAH!”
“What’s wrong?” Sombra noticed that Fizzle’s pupils were little hearts.
Fizzle shook his head to snap himself out of … something. “Nothing’s wrong at all… I just need to find you something to use as a mirror. Hold tight…” He dashed off.
Sombra glanced down at himself. “Whoa…” he agreed.
Luna knocked on Celestia’s door, looking nervous. “Sister? I have news that will not be welcome…”
“Go ahead…”
“I was patrolling the Dream World as I always do, and I ran across the dreams of someone I wish was dead.”
“I wouldn’t have thought you’d want anypony dead!” Celestia said with shock.
Luna glowered. “In fairness, Sombra is only pony shaped…”
Celestia felt weak. “Sombra’s alive?!” Luna nodded. “What were his dreams of?”
Luna had the grace to look embarrassed. “They were … personal.” When Celestia just gave her a Look, Luna sighed. “They involved intimate relations, if you must know. I was trying to be discreet. Honestly, I’m never getting out of therapy after everything I’ve seen,” the Moon Princess muttered to herself. “But they revolved around a white Dragon and took place in the Dragon Lands. Perhaps he’s there?”
Celestia nodded. “Then we had best prepare…”
Sombra had always been half expecting this. There wasn’t a confrontation, or a last desperate fight to his death. He just gave Fizzle an embrace. “I love you,” he muttered. “I hope I see you again, but … this is the right thing to do.” With that he turned to the Solar and Lunar Guard. “I surrender!” he said with a grin, “Take me to your leader!”
The Guard were all trying not to quake in their armor and were grateful for an easy capture.
“Uh, are we sure that’s Sombra?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Well, the color scheme is identical,” Rarity added helpfully.
Sombra nodded. “It’s me. I remember all of you quite well. It was a shock for me when I woke up like this too.”
The grey and black Dragon was very firmly chained up in the throne room, surrounded by guards with pointy objects pointed at him. They wouldn’t have done any good, but it made everyone feel better.
“So why are you a Dragon?” Rainbow asked.
Sombra shrugged as best he could. “I honestly have no idea. I’m … dating a Dragon. He taught me a lot about myself. But shapeshifting to match? Not a clue. I don’t have my magic anymore either. … Which isn’t so bad. It only brought me and everycreature around me misery.”
Sombra cleared his throat. “I wish to plead guilty to the following crimes: regicide, attempted regicide, conquering the Crystal Empire, brainwashing, slaving, Dark Magic, mind rape, attempted infanticide, attempted regicide, attempted murder, conquering Equestria, more brainwashing, and more mind rape.” He blinked. “Is that everything? It’s a long list and my memory is a bit hazy going back that far…”
“I think that about covers it,” Rarity said in icy tones.
“Oh. I jaywalked once. There. That’s everything. So … please just get it over with already. Just don’t hurt Fizzle. All he did was protect me. Which is a crime probably, since I’m a criminal, but he shouldn’t be punished for being a good person!”
The four Alicorns, Shining Armor, and the Elements of Harmony all glared at him. Sombra shrank back.
“We will … debate as to what is to be done with you,” Celestia said. “I do however agree that the Dragon known as Fizzle should not be held accountable for any of your crimes.”
“If it helps you decide, I don’t think I’ll come back from the dead this time,” Sombra said morosely.
“Please return him to his cell…” Celestia said.
Sombra accompanied the guards without a word.
“Is that really Sombra?” Fluttershy asked. “I can’t see him turning himself in…”
“Me neither…” Applejack said. “Must be some trick…”
“Sometimes I wish the rest of you could see auras,” Cadence said. They all looked at her. She sighed. “He is genuinely in love. I never would have thought that possible, his aura is normally negative, like a black hole. Now it’s … like anyone else’s … if they were carrying a LOT of emotional baggage and guilt. Understandable in his case.”
“So, what are ya sayin’?” Applejack asked.
Cadence looked thoughtful. “It’s immensely difficult to do, but there are ways of lying with your aura. Your aura reveals the truth about you, the things you don’t want others to know, the things you don’t know about yourself. I don’t think he had masked his, and … what I saw, he’s changed. His entire nature has changed, and I don’t mean because he’s a Dragon. Does anybody know why that is?”
“True love’s form?” Pinkie asked with a grin. “He looks like who he loves now?”
Shining growled. “Next you’ll say his heart’s grown three sizes. Which would hopefully kill him! Has everypony forgotten this is Sombra we’re talking about?!”
“No, Shining, I haven’t,” Cadence said a touch forcefully. “Flurry’s my daughter too. I’m just saying what I saw, and what I believe because of it.”
From there, the “discussion” devolved into a heated argument.
Sombra was sitting cross-legged in his cell, his eyes closed. It had taken a lot of work on his part to get used to his body, and he mourned the loss of his magic, but in the short time he’d been a Dragon, he’d enjoyed it.
“What are you doing?” a Guard asked. His tone wasn’t angry or forceful, just curious.
Sombra opened his eyes. “Trying to make peace with my impending demise. If there is an afterlife, I’ve never seen it each time I’ve died. I have a feeling I’m going somewhere quite unpleasant, but … not undeservedly.”
“I’m … sorry.”
“I appreciate the sympathy, but it’s not deserved. I’ve done unspeakable things, whatever comes will not be enough to balance the scales of my sins. … Thank you. For being kind to me.”
“I was here the last time you were. I lasted … oh, about six seconds against you. Believe me, I don’t want to be kind to you.”
Sombra looked at him. “So … why are you?”
The Guard sighed. “No one else ever has been. At least … I assume so.” Sombra shook his head. “Thought not. I can get in trouble for not acting like some sort of statue, so please don’t mention I talked to you…”
Sombra smiled and nodded before closing his eyes again.
Celestia entered the dungeon. “We’ve decided,” she said in a neutral tone, poker-faced as ever. “Please follow me.”
Back in the room everypony else was in, Celestia took her seat. “Sombra Ebon. Your crimes against the creatures of Equestria and the Crystal Empire are of a scope committed by few creatures in the history of our world. It took much debate to determine an appropriate punishment for you…”
Sombra nodded. “I accept anything you have decided on.”
Luna nodded. “In that case, we will begin at once…”
Fizzle wasn’t crying. He was a Dragon. Dragons didn’t cry. He … just had an annoying amount of dust in his eyes.
A shadow passed over him. He turned and saw Sombra grinning at him.
“Hey,” the dark dragon said softly. “Glad I can still fly,” he said with a bigger grin.
“Y-y … you’re alive?” Fizzle croaked.
Sombra nodded. “They wanted the best punishment they could find for me, given my history of conquering Equestria and tendency to come back from the dead.”
Sombra smiled wider than he’d ever smiled in his life. “They picked banishment. I can never set hoof in Equestria or the Crystal Empire again, unless I meet Probation requirements. They also agreed to leave me alone, unless they hear negative things from the other Dragons.
“So … I get to spend the rest of my life here. With you. Pretty light punishment, but … I think I had unexpected help.”
Fizzle laughed in delight and picked the much larger Sombra up with ease, spinning him around as they both whooped for joy.
Sombra’s eyes widened. From behind Fizzle, a voice said, “Did we miss something?”
Fizzle turned and saw Garble and the first group of Dragons to make it back. He chuckled. “I’ve got a lot to tell you guys. Later…” he grinned mischievously. “Got to go celebrate my mate coming back…”
Author's Note
Va'coom is an ancient demonic entity in Diamond Dog beliefs in this AU. Yes, it's a giant vacuum cleaner. 
There were other ways out of the Dragon Lands to Equestria, but Fizzle had ... reasons for not revealing them to Sombra just yet. Good thing he didn't...😜
I don't have a snowball's chance in Hell of placing in the contest, but I hope somebody got a bit of enjoyment out of this.
Thanks.
