The wind picked up, brushing by the clouds every way it ran.
Twilight watched helplessly as the time travel scroll fell to the cloud as two pieces. She looked up to Starlight as she grinned.
"There, now we'll see just how you- AAAHHHH!"
The unicorns sentence was cut short as a strong wind current tossed her airborne. Twilight struggled to hold on but also failed. She shrieked as she tumbled through the air. And before she knew it, she and Starlight were pulled into a vortex of blinding colors.
A bright space ripped open the star speckled sky. It shined for a few moments before a purple pony fell through.
With a loud thud, Starlight landed on the ground.
With a exasperated groan, Starlight straightened herself up. Looking around, she was confused with the surrounding she was met with.
She scratched the back of her head. "That's strange, how is it night here?"
In another world, a white space opened a red sky. From it fell out another purple pony. This one, unlike the last one, was an alicorn.
Twilight got up with a deeply flustered look.
"Ugh, what's with me falling out of the sky today?" She muttered.
Moving her head around, she realized she ended up in a familiar place. This time though, in a much worse area. She noticed with worry that she was near the Crystal Empire. And it was not like she had last seen it in her Equestria. It was black and looked like the life had been sucked out of it.
'Stars above, I know war happened in this place but this is just haunting' Twilight thought.
Slowly she went towards the conquered kingdom.
'I shouldn't go too close though, he might be here' she thought with a wave of fear.
Of anything, the mare knew that she was definitely not ready to meet with the very tyrant who could basically control the whole of Equestria by simply mind controlling everypony.
The very thought gave Twilight a chill.
Soon she came to the empires base. She looked around first to make sure nopony was around. Well aside from a few Crystal Ponies. They wouldn't be any harm unless they were brainwashed.
Once she confirmed that she was alone she started forward. As soon as she stepped in the empire, a voice made her halt in place. A voice that made her blood freeze. The very voice she heard some while ago but she remembered till this day.
"And who must you be, young mare?" The deep, smokey voice asked.
She didn't answer. Instead she turned around slowly to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.
'I'm not' her mind said with fear.
Before her was the pony she had hoped not to encounter.
He was tall and three times her size. The unicorn was dark and imposing but sleek and elegant. Broad shoulders and muscular build. His fur was an ashen dark grey with a mane and tail as black as ink. His curved horn and eyes were as red as blood. The slits in his irises made him look more dangerous. His hooves, chest and face were protected with armor. A regal red cape with a white trim was draped over his back and flank.
There was nothing that could mistake who he was.
King Sombra.
Twilight hesitated. "Um... Wa... I mea-eep!"
"I said, who are you?" He repeated, cutting her off.
Twilight eyes widened with realization.
"Oh, I'm Twilight Sparkle."
The king paused for a second. Stepping closer, he narrowed his eyes at her.
'What's he doing?' Twilight thought.
"Aah, I see," he said suddenly. Twilight nearly jumped out of her own fur.
"You must be her from another timeline." Sombra mused.
The alicorn reared back while giving the dark unicorn a look of confusion. "What?"
King Sombra gave her an amused smirk. "There's another you I know," he elaborated.
Twilight's eyes widened again. "Oh." She simply said, only then figuring that if there were alternate forms of her friends then there would be an alternate forms of her as well.
"What are you doing here in my kingdom?" The king's voice startled her out of her thoughts again.
It took several minutes for Twilight to process Sombra's question. She glanced of to the side before answering.
"Um, well. I just ended up here from my world. Nothing much. What are you going to do with me?" She asked, looking up, only to freeze when she saw the king's unreadable face.
Sombra regarded Twilight for a minute before raising his eyebrow like he was the most casual, unimportant being in the universe.
"Well, I'll sentence you to immediate execution of course." He finally responded evenly.
Twilight froze. Her shoulders fell as horror crept in her.
"Wait! WHAT?!!" She shrieked. Her eyes were as wide as the moon. "But... Why?! Huh." She stopped short when she noticed the king's develish smirk.
A heartbeat later, he burst out laughing. (And also ended up starling the poor mare again).
"Okay, now you had taken that way too seriously. I was just kidding." He exclaimed as his laughter waned.
Upon hearing this, Twilight's look of horror fell into a unamused glare. "SERIOUSLY?! You honestly find that being funny!? You really scared me!?"
As a result, Sombra only gave her a smug grin. "Yes but that was the fun part of it, was it not? And yes I also love making violent jokes and scaring ponies with them. The way they react is amusing. Yours was especially intriguing."
Twilight's glare deepened.
She rolled her eyes. "Alright, you had your laugh. Now I have a question for you. If you mind me asking it?"
Sombra gave her a blunt stare before responding in a diplomatic tone. "Yes of course."
Twilight sighed a bit too dramatically. "Okay, sounds good."
"You still haven't asked the question," Sombra stated matter-of-factly.
Twilight gave him a look of annoyance. "The question is. Is the war I heard about over?" She asked.
The king's SUPER bored look suddenly became amused as he regarded the princess. His scarlet eyes glanced of to the side before answering. "Well, I believe the war has long been finished. According to recent events. I apparently have won the war, actually that should be quite obvious considering the fact that I still rule the empire." Sombra exclaimed with a smug face.
Twilight only gave him a deadpan stare.
Sombra's smile fell when he noticed Twilight's expression. "Anyways, continuing on with the war, now that I've won Celestia and I made a deal that if I get to keep the empire I must at least contribute with the Equestrians and there leaders in a less aggressive way." The stallion finished.
Twilight nodded. "Alright, and here's another question. You said there is another me here. And you said you know her. So all I want to know is... Where is she and most of all... Who is she?" Twilight questioned while leaning closer to the king as this to her seemed even more important to know than the war.
Sombra regarded this question more thoughtfully. His tremendously bored look was long gone. Raising his hoof he tapped his chin. As if pondering exactly how he would respond to the question.
The whole time, Twilight remained close. She waited patiently although every bit of her twitched to know about her other self.
After a while which felt like an eternity to Twilight, Sombra sighed.
He dropped his raised hoof to the ground. "Hmmm, your other self eh? Well. She is definitely very different from you by personality. For one thing, she resides here in my empire."
Twilight's eyes widened with curiousity. "Really? Why?"
"Why? She does greatly resent Celestia." Sombra stated in a rather calm demeanor.
Twilight however took the news very seriously.
"Oh, why does she not like Celestia?"
"That, I'm afraid is a more personal matter. For Twilight that is. But I must respect it."
"But do you know though?"
Sombra snorted. "Of course I do. I know her better than anypony."
Twilight eyes him warily but relented. "Alright, continue on."
"Yes, and so, this Twilight is on my side. I met her a few years ago and after a series of events, she agreed to help me with the war." Sombra explained.
Twilight had no idea what to say when she heard this. Apparently, her other self seemed evil and siding with the villain instead of the good ponies.
After a moment, Twilight realized she was still speaking with somepony so she asked him another question.
"Uh, alright, that's pretty intriguing. And you mentioned that you know her better than anypony." Twilight hesitated, not knowing what the king might think of her next question. She heaved a breath and asked anyways.
The alicorn looked up to the king and found him waiting calmly for her to continue.
'Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad,' she thought.
Taking another bracing breath she asked. "Do... Do you have some kind of close relationship with her?"
Silence.
Twilight's heart began to race as a part of her immediately regretted saying what she had just said.
Time suddenly felt like it had slowed. Twilight fought her every inch to remain still and calm while hearing her blood roaring in her ears. Her heart hammering against her chest. The air felt heavier.
She swallowed and risked a glance at the dark unicorn.
He was staring at her with an expression she couldn't read. However, he didn't appear as if he was going to harm her or lash out at her. Instead he looked as if he was taking his time trying to process her question.
A long while passed before he finally responded.
"I suppose... Telling you wouldn't really do anything. As this really does occur naturally. It happens when fate plays with your heart. At first you'd be unsure but then you'd get the meaning."
Twilight blinked. "What?"
Sombra signed. "What I mean to say is that the Twilight from this world and I are in love."
Twilight's brain halted to a stop.
A few eternities passed.
"Wait. You and her... ARE WHAT?!!
At this Sombra's eyes narrowed to a glare.
"Why? What is the matter with it?" He growled.
Twilight jumped at the sudden edge to his voice. "Um nothing! Nothing is wrong with it! You just took me by surprise. I didn't expect that."
Sombra's demeanor calmed again. "It shouldn't matter what we do. Just because we are evil doesn't mean we can't have our free rights as well."
Twilight bowed her head apologetically. "I know. I'm sorry for behaving that way."
Sombra raised his eyebrow but accepted the apology.
Twilight straightened up. "Anyways, as nice as it was to speak with you, I think I need to start figuring out how to make it home."
Alarms started to ring in her head when Sombra suddenly grinned.
"You know," he began while looking at his hoof. "It's weird when you here of the strange things that reality brings."
Twilight blinked again in confusion.
King Sombra chuckled darkly. "It's fate, my dear. Fate plays with you. It can take you to the greatest height and you are utterly powerless against it. No matter what you do... Some things never change."