Chapters A thick fog covered the forest floor, the faint glow of the crescent moon didn't cut through the darkness as a raging storm was approaching the island. Hooves crunched on the fallen leaves as she approached what looked to be an abandoned cavern far from Equestria, surrounded by crashing waves and woods of a far away land.
Taking the chance to be so far from her sister. No crown, no personal guards, all alone. She was told that what she's doing was madness, finding the stallion who stole her heart.
Especially when this stallion was none other than Sombra himself.
But it wasn't the Sombra she had banished many moons ago.
The large snow white alicorn shuttered as the cold began to cut through her fur, her feathers fluttered as she entered the cave. Her long horn lit up with magic, creating small orbs of light, illuminating her way inside the dark winding cavern.
Tall stalactites and stalagmites formed on the ceiling and floor, there was a stale stench in the air as the ex princess went further in. For weeks her visions had led her here. For over a thousand moons, she had gotten a good handle of how to go about her visions. It was the reason how she was able to map out Twilight’s destiny to rule, she had a few hits and misses over the years…
She just hoped this wasn’t the case.
Celestia didn’t know how this could happen, how this came to be. She had to know.
Celestia followed a pathway, sounds of water dripped more and more, echoing all over the place, unable to pinpoint where the source came from.
“Come on Celestia…” the alicorn muttered to herself. “This is ridiculous. Maybe what you’ve been seeing were in fact dreams.” After a few moments of not finding what she wanted, she stopped when she came in the middle of a big open area in the caverns..
Her ears drooped. “What was I thinking… he’s not~ EEK!”
Celestia felt shadowy tendrils shot out from all corners of the room, wrapping around her neck, pulling at her both front and back hooves, felt something grab her wings so she wouldn’t fly away, wrapped around her body. There was this tightness around her as she felt like her body was getting crushed. Dark crystals shot from the ground and formed a cage around her. Her horn felt something covering it, preventing her from using her magic.
“How many times must we do this?! ” This deep voice snarled from the shadows that sent shivers down the alicorn’s back.
Celestia’s heart began to pound as she heard movements echoing all over her. Her eyes darted all over the place from her cage, trying to find the source but the more she moved, the tighter the tendrils became and it was starting to hurt her.
“How many times must you hunt for me?! I have nothing left to give to you or your sister!” the entire place began to shake as his anger reverberated. “I just want to be left alone!!” The last syllable caused various stalactites to fall, some of the bigger ones crashed mere inches from the ex ruler.
“Sombra, wait, this is not who you think!” Celestia cried out. “It's me!”
Smoke began to rise right in front of her. The smoke grew bigger and bigger until it grew the right height, blood red eyes peeked from the darkness before it dissipated.
Revealing Sombra himself. It was clear all these moons spent wasn’t good to the once proud King of Equestria of his world. Once having neatly slick back hair with the blue streak was now solid black and unruly long. His horn redded and curved, not straight and smooth like before. Even having a full beard and goatee combo, messy and unkempt, wearing a tattered black hooded cloak instead of his royal blues.
These past moons weren’t kind to him.
Sombra snarled, fangs protruding from his lips when seeing Celestia. For a split second he had believed he was seeing his world Celestia, but he then noticed that her mane didn’t have all the colors. It was just pink.
"Sombra, I'm not the Celestia from your world." Celestia whimpered. Trying to get him to see it was her. The tendrils tightened their gasp around her alicorn. Cutting off oxygen from her lungs."You're in my world!"
Sombra stared at the ex princess before his horn glowed red, the whites of his eyes turned green with a purple mist seeping out.
Celestia let out a breathless gasp when the tendrils disappeared but the cage stayed.
The eyes reverted back to somewhat normal.
"Celestia…" Sombra muttered. "How did you find me..?"
Celestia rubbed her throat with her hoof as she gazed at him. All these years have passed, though there was evil in him, Sombra was still as handsome as ever. A bit more worn and rugged but it has its own charm.
Though staring at him, she could not help but think that he looked more like this world's Sombra…
"I've been having visions for weeks." Celestia responded. "Seeing you in them, I couldn't turn them away… "
Sombra grunted.
"It's been the same set of visions, replaying over and over again. Luna didn't want me to go. "
"You shouldn't have come." He growled.
"I came for you." Celestia whimpered. "This right here was one of the things I saw… "
Sombra stared at the alicorn for what seemed to be an eternity, looking menacing and unamused with her. "Foolish girl… "
He then approached the cage, his horn lit up, bringing Celestia up against the gap of the crystal cage. Sombra leans in close to her ear. Feeling breath on her fur brought memories back to the ex princess. Memories that brought her weakness to her legs. Longing for his touch once more.
"If you predicted this, then do you know what will happen next?" His voice echoed low. Being so close to him again, she felt like…
Celestia sat up from her bed with a loud gasp. Hot sweat poured from her brow, her heart pounding against her chest.
It was the middle of the night in the Sister's Estate. A large mansion the sisters bought after they retired from ruling Equestria so they can relax.
But relaxing was the last thing in Celestia's mind.
She quickly turned to her bedside drawer. Using her magic to pull something off from inside, stuck to the ceiling of the drawer inside.
Levitating it over to her was a piece of a mirror shard… the only thing left the Mirror Universe.
The only thing of her Sombra.
Celestia held the shard then in her hooves.
Was it a dream or a vision…?
In their own corner of Equestria, tucked away near the countryside, Celestia was up bright and early. Her pink mane tied back as she was doing some light cleaning.
Since she gave up most of her powers when stepping down as ruler, her mane reverted back to how it was many moons ago.
Though the two have servants, Celestia liked doing stuff like this, cooking too, to keep her mind occupied from other things that run in her head.
She hummed a little as she heard hoofsteps coming down the stairs. Celestia didn't turn to see who it was as she lifted objects up and dusted them.
"Morning," a tired greeting meets with her ears, causing her to turn and see her sister Luna.
Luna looked as exhausted as ever. Even though she was retired from her royal duties, the Guardian of Dreams - Twilight’s new title for her - still had work to do when maintaining dreams. Her choice though.
“Long night of working?” Celestia asked her sister with a smile. Seeing how dark the circles under her eyes were.
Luna yawned, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. “It’s never been a dull moment when combing through the field of dreams.” She responded. “Why are you cleaning?”
“Just getting what the others have missed.” Celestia said as she went back to cleaning.
When she said that, she received some nasty looks from the nearby maids who took offense to that and walked away from them.
Luna raised a brow as she watched her sister just clean. “Is something on your mind?”
“Nope, no, no, nothing up here, ta-la-la.” Celestia said as she walked from her sister. “I make pancakes.”
Luna quickly poked her head at the dining room and her jaw dropped. There were a lot of pancakes that covered every square inch of the table.
“How long have you been awake?” Luna asked her, seeing there was an abundance of various fried flat cakes. “And you made all that?”
“Yup! Thought I’d give our chefs a break this morning.” Celestia said as she poofed the cleaning supplies off somewhere, probably in their place, before going outside to the back courtyard. Using her magic to poof on a gardening uniform and a large straw hat and pruning shears.
She goes up to a rose bush and begins trimming the stray stems and leaves to roundly shape it.
Luna grunted before following her. Staring at her closely. Though Celestia was good at faking things, Luna knows a thing or two of not getting enough sleep. “Celestia, how long have you been awake?” She repeated the question.
Celestia hummed before glancing over at her. “Sorry, did you say something?”
Now annoyed, Luna used her magic to rip the shears away from her. “I won’t ask the third time.” she growled.
The two sisters stared at each other in an intense stare down.
However, Celestia had to admit, the way Luna was looking at her, with her having more lack of sleep than her, Luna was more intimidating of the two sisters. And she was the youngest of the two.
Celestia sighed in defeat in a frustrated way. “Fine, I’ve been awake for a while.”
Luna’s glare intensified as she didn’t get the full answer. Her silence spoke volumes.
Celestia groaned. "Oh alright, fine. I've been up since two in the morning." She then sidesteps Luna to tend to more flowers in the garden.
"Why were you up?" Luna questioned.
"As Guardian of Dreams, I thought you'd already know." Celestia said before looking up at the sun. "Is the sun crooked? It looks crooked. I saw it rise this morning, I'll have to write to Twilight about that and see if she can't get it straightened out." Since it wasn't her job to raise the sun anymore, that was passed onto Princess Twilight.
Luna scowled. "You do realize that I don't always go into your psyche. I have countless other creatures to comb through. You're the last thing I tend to dear sister." She wanted to go to bed. " She teleported to be in front of Celestia, flying above her and using her wings and body to block the view of the sun.
"What is it that keeps you from slumbering?" Luna asked.
Celestia squints her eyes at her. "What's keeping you from doing the same?"
Luna snarled before landing. "Fine, be stubborn. I'm going to bed." She said as she clops her hooves on the stone pathway, leaving the garden to head back into the estate. "The truth will come out, Celestia." She left with that parting words before going inside.
Celestia waited to turn when Luna was not in earshot. She walks back to the roses she tended to before. She used her magic to pluck one of them up and held it close.
Her mind began wondering back to her time over in the Mirror Universe. Remembering the moments she felt the happiest, moments she felt truly loved. Still remembering feeling his arms wrapped around her.
“I thought I'd gotten over him…” Celestia muttered softly, sniffing the rose. Her eyes closed and she envisioned her time with him more. “I guess not…” she sighed, opening her eyes.
Last night wasn’t the only time she saw visions of Sombra. For the past few weeks, she had been seeing him, certain moments in time. But they weren’t complete. She only sees pieces and glimpses, not the whole picture.
Which had her thinking her predictions were just dreams..But these dreams felt so life-like, so real…
But what she had in mind was this…
“Is he really here?” Celestia softly asked, her heart was aching the thought of him here. She had thought of talking to Luna about this, but she knew what her sister would say.
If he was here, wouldn’t the balance of their worlds be once again on the brink of chaos??
No…no. She then remembered that this world’s Sombra was dead. Twilight and her allies had destroyed him not long after he destroyed the Tree of Harmony and its elements. Since there couldn’t be two of the same being from the Mirror Universe and to this Prime universe, which meant the balance was still intact.
If it was Her Sombra, how did he get here if the mirror was destroyed?
Celestia used her magic to transmute the rose into a quill, summoning a scroll and began writing a letter.
My dearest student,
Hello Twilight, how are things going being the new Ruler? I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I know you’re doing a good job. Retirement is doing well on my end, Luna is still working, but you know how she can be.
Anywho, I’m going to be visiting Canterlot very soon and I was wondering if we could talk? I miss having our chats.
Your teacher,
Celestia.
After signing her name, she sent the letter off via magic. Knowing a certain purple dragon will get the letter straight to the Princess.
“Lets just hope what I’m seeing was a dream, if it isn’t…” She trailed off.
Because if her visions were real, Celestia knew she was going to go after him.
She lost him once, she wasn’t going to lose him again.
A day after Celestia sent that letter, she and Twilight Sparkle were enjoying some tea and cakes in the castle. Though Twilight now resides and rules the palace, this was still Celestia's and Luna's home and the two were always welcomed.
"Oh Princess, I'm so glad you came for a visit. I know it's been awhile but I'm glad you came by." Princess Twilight Sparkle said. She had grown since taking over, growing to the same size as the former princess. Her indigo blue and purple mane and tail were moving on their own with no wind as Celestia's did. Her hair had lost its flowyness as well.
Celestia chuckled as she sipped some tea. "I'm no longer the Princess, dear. We can drop the formalities you know."
"Whoops! Sorry, old habits." Twilight giggled as she took a bite of a piece of red velvet cake. "Oh I have so many things I have to tell you. It's still an adjustment being a ruler and things happened that are so funny."
"You've been ruler for three moons. You've studied under my wing many moons before and you're still adjusting?"
"Yes! I don't know how you two raise the sun and moon and not be so drained? Or dealing with other diplomats, politics-"
Celestia let Twilight drone on and on about her new position as she calmly ate her cake. She had learned a long time ago to just let the purple alicorn run her course until she gets tired and takes a breather. Giving her the occasional head nods and “Oh really” and some “I see.”
When she saw that the new ruler had run out of steam, Celestia spoke. "So, how's Spike doing with the adjustment?"
Twilight Sparkle smiled at that. "He's doing excellent as the Friendship Ambassador. Somehow he knows how to handle politics better than I."
"Where is my favorite dragon?"
"He's currently at the Dragon Migration, he'll be back within a week."
Celestia nodded before setting her plate down on the polished gold table and smiled.
"Twilight dear, as much as I enjoy our talks, I'm afraid I'm here for a different matter and I need your help." Celestia admitted.
"Oh?" Twilight paused for a moment. "Of course, I'll help you anyway I can." She said with eagerness.
Celestia nodded. "Thank you dear." She said before the smile fell. "Recently, I have been having dreams."
Twilight blinked a few seconds before raising a brow. "Oh, shouldn't you be asking Luna about this? She is the Guardian of Dreams. Dreams are her domain and all."
Celestia shook her head at that. "No. It's the nature of these dreams that I cannot speak with her. I don't know if they are dreams, I'm not even sure they are visions. You know of my gift of seeing the future right?"
"Yes. Have you been having them? "
"That's just it. I don't know if what I've been seeing are dreams or visions." Celestia sighed softly. "Has there been an influx of magic as of late? Any strange phenomena came up?"
Twilight Sparkle thought about that. "Now that you mentioned it," The ruler used her magic to poof up a scroll and unrolled it to read the contents. "Four weeks ago, there was a surge of magic that happened. I felt the surge as I was making my rounds and I sent a small team to investigate it. They came up with nothing… however."
Celestia perked up.
"Some of the ponies were acting strange. All jittery and more paranoid." Twilight lowered the scroll down. "They've encountered something but they don't remember what it was."
"You didn't investigate it more?"
"I was waiting for more evidence. Celestia, what do you think that is?"
Celestia turned her gaze at the table, her hoof pushing the plate on the table.
Could it really be him? She thought.
"Celestia, in these dreams/visions you've been having, what were they of?"
Celestia was hesitant to respond to that. Knowingly what her old student went through with the Mirror Universe.
"Do… Do you remember Sombra?" She asked.
Twilight frowned. "Oh no, is he back? Again?" She asked with alarm. "I thought he was destroyed?"
Celestia shook her head. "Not that Sombra… my Sombra… " she placed a hoof over her heart.
Twilight gazed at her softly. "Oh?... Oh Celestia, you mean him? You've been seeing him in these visions of yours?"
The white alicorn nodded as her eyes drifted close. "I've been seeing him for four weeks. Roughly the same time that surge you mentioned happened." She said, pushing the empty platter with her hoof.
"However I don't see the full context of the visions. Only seeing bits and pieces, never fully explained. I… I want to go and investigate this."
"WHAT?!" Twilight yelped, causing some of the servants to look over at them to see if the princess was okay. She coughed awkwardly before sitting up. "I'm sorry, but if you think it's that world Sombra, he's dangerous. Don't you remember that he took in evil magic? He's not the same anymore. And if it is him, then we're in trouble. The balance of both worlds could be at risk!" Her wings flared out as she explained this.
Celestia shook her head. "Only if there's two Sombras living. The Sombra from our world was destroyed. He's dead, which in theory, the balance should be okay...from what I've seen, I don't think he's evil."
"Well, what is he doing in these visions of yours?"
Celestia gulped. Some of the visions she recalled were… not really what she wants to admit. "Uh he was in hiding. He wanted to be left alone...does that scream evil tyrant?" Twilight shook her head at that and continued. "In the visions he mentioned he gave everything to the other me and Luna, that he has nothing more to give."
"You think the other you was after him?"
"I don't know. I want to go and find out. If it's really him."
"But it could be dangerous. He could be dangerous. I mean look at the ponies who came back? It may not even be him but something else and your mind is tricking you, thinking that it is.” Twilight countered.
Celestia considered this before asking, “What would you have me do, Twilight? If you tell me not to go, then by law and order of the new ruler of Equestria, I will not go.”
Twilight stared at her former mentor for a while before sighing. "I could, but it's really not up to me. If you want to go and find out, it's up to you. You'll probably go if I say no anyway."
Well, you're not wrong, Celestia thought.
"If you do decide to go, just be careful. We really don't know what danger lies ahead. And if it is him, you have to consider the facts that he's evil now and he may hurt you." Twilight Sparkle warned.
Celestia nodded. "Of course. Thank you for talking to me about this, Twilight. Your wisdom spans across eons for somepony your age."
Twilight giggled. "Thank you. Now, want more cake?"
"Is Starswirl the Bearded the most powerful pony of all the land?" Celestia smirked as her ex pupil levitated another slice of cake onto her plate.
His heavy breath bearing down on her neck, the sounds of moaning and panting echoed inside the caverns.
Celestia's hind legs shook, trying to keep herself upright as she felt the power of his stroke. Unable to to make coherent words as her world became nothing but bliss. Feeling Sombra pressing up against her body. The feel of his strong hooves gripping onto her cheeks as he filled her to the brim of~
“You have got to be kidding me!”
Celestia screamed in fright when she saw Luna suddenly standing in front of her as she was being plowed from behind!
“WAKE. UP!” Luna snapped at her.
****
Celestia opens her eyes, face as red as ever, cannot believe that vision was replaying again, only to see Luna standing over her with a horrible look.
“Oh no…” Celestia pulls the covers over her head in embarrassment.
