In the Princess's Grip

A Bitter Farewell

“What does this mean?” roared King Sombra, his voice resonating with contained fury.

Twilight, trembling, struggled to find the right words. It was the worst situation she could have imagined, and although she wanted to explain herself, the words were stuck in her throat. She finally managed to articulate:

“I can explain…” she said, trying to sound firm, but her wavering tone only seemed to increase Sombra’s anger.

“Since when have you had it?” he interrupted, his voice sharp with desperation and frustration.

The fear in Twilight’s eyes became more evident, but she knew she had to face the situation. However, her attempt to apologize seemed futile against King Sombra’s fury.

“Since when, Sparkle?! Did you have it from the beginning?” he demanded, his patience clearly exhausted.

“No! That’s not how it is…” Twilight said, her voice trembling. “Since… three days ago…”

“Three days?” Sombra repeated, his face showing a mix of disbelief and rage. He was about to say more but stopped. “You’ve had the damned book for three days and didn’t tell me?! I could have left three days ago!”

Twilight tried to approach him, but Sombra moved away, his expression hardening. The anger on his face was genuine, and there was no trace of the mocking attitude he usually displayed. This time, he was serious.

“Sombra… I…” Twilight tried, her voice almost a whisper.

“No! You don’t know the things that could have happened in my absence,” Sombra said, with a mix of frustration and exhaustion in his voice. “I have duties to attend to, ponies to care for… and you…” he sighed deeply, clearly upset. “You’ve ruined everything.”

King Sombra turned, his posture rigid, as if the only solution to his anger was to leave as quickly as possible. Twilight stood there, feeling the weight of her regret and the gravity of the situation she had triggered.

Twilight remained silent, feeling the weight of her actions. The guilt and regret were reflected in her eyes. Tears threatened to overflow, but she knew she didn’t have the right to cry.

“I’m sorry,” Twilight murmured, her voice broken and almost inaudible. “I thought…”

Sombra, still angry, looked at her with a mix of disappointment and anger, but also with a hint of understanding.

“What did you think?” he said in a calmer but firm tone. “That it was a good idea to keep me here, not knowing for how long, while my home falls apart? Is that it? Does it seem like fun to you?” he added with sarcasm and irritation, noticing the pain in the young alicorn’s eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Twilight repeated, looking at the floor, unable to face his gaze.

“And it’s not just that you hid the truth from me,” Sombra continued, with a touch of disappointment in his voice. “You lied to me, Twilight. You’re just like everyone else.”

Twilight closed her eyes, the pain in her chest intensifying. The way he said her name, laden with disappointment and disillusionment, broke her heart.

The air in the room was charged with tension as both absorbed the magnitude of the situation.

Twilight knew she had a long way to go to make amends for her mistake, while Sombra had much to say. However, she decided not to continue, aware that doing so would only cause further hurt.

“Ugh… I need… I need to think. Just leave me alone, just for a moment,” Sombra said, sighing and avoiding looking at her. “Sparkle.”

Twilight didn’t look up from the floor. She turned and left the room, slamming the door behind her. Once the door was closed, she leaned against it and whispered, her voice breaking:

“I’m sorry…”

Sombra was furious, but in reality, more than anger, he felt sadness and disappointment. In his life, he had learned not to trust anyone; everyone had deceived him, from his parents to his subjects. To him, all ponies were liars, even himself.

But meeting Twilight, so sincere and genuine, he thought he had finally found someone to trust. How wrong he was.

He wondered if he had been too harsh with her. Maybe he shouldn’t have shouted so much. But his anger was genuine; if she hadn’t trusted him with the book, it was his fault. The fault was his for not being able to gain Twilight’s trust. Yes, it was all his fault…

He sighed, realizing he couldn’t leave things as they were. If he had to return, he needed to resolve it properly.

Suddenly, a strange light began to envelop the room. It shone brightly, and Sombra could barely see anything.

“What’s happening?” he murmured, confused, trying to understand the source of the light.

Outside the room, Twilight was startled to see the glow seeping through the cracks of the door.

“What is that?” she murmured, realizing it resembled the burst caused by her spell. “Oh no!” she exclaimed, opening the door and rushing in.

“Sombra!” she cried, blinded by the brightness filling the room.

“Twilight…” Sombra’s voice was barely audible through the light.

Twilight ran towards him, but it was too late. Sombra had vanished.

“Did he leave…?” she murmured, her legs trembling before she collapsed to the floor, overwhelmed by surprise.

to be continued