In the Princess's Grip

A Past in Shadows

Sombra hadn’t left his office for what felt like days. The piles of paperwork only seemed to grow taller, burying him in a never-ending cycle of documents, reports, and decrees. His servants attended to his every need, bringing food, tea, and whatever else he required, but even their assistance couldn’t relieve the burden weighing on him. The Crystal Empire had so many issues—security problems, trade agreements, recent attacks—each one more pressing than the last.

He sighed deeply, leaning back in his chair as his eyes scanned another report about the illicit use of magic inhibitors. It was overwhelming. The idea of hiring a secretary flitted through his mind, someone to organize all of this chaos. But... he thought with a grimace, most of these documents are too sensitive. Celestia would kill me if I involved anypony else.

A darker thought crossed his mind—or maybe this is her way of punishing me. She didn’t believe his story about the other dimension, and now he was drowning in paperwork. Disappearing for a week wasn’t his fault, but Celestia didn’t seem to care. She hadn’t exactly been forgiving. Her skeptical look when he tried to explain still lingered in his memory.

Sombra’s head throbbed. His vision blurred slightly as the words on the page began to blend together. The weight of exhaustion pressed down on him, dragging him into a fog. His eyes fluttered shut, and before he could stop it, his head drooped down onto his desk. He fell asleep.

Suddenly, he wasn’t in his office anymore. The familiar cold stone walls were replaced by the faint glow of a memory. But this wasn’t just any dream—it was a long-buried recollection from his youth.

1000 years ago

He was a bit younger than now, a brash and defiant young pony, standing in the shadows of an old crystal castle. His eyes gleamed with a sinister light, a look of arrogance etched across his face. He was full of himself, already fascinated by the darker powers he sought to control. His plan? To embrace the corruption.

Suddenly, two figures appeared—Celestia and Luna, now mature and authoritative, though they were much older than the youthful King Sombra. Celestia’s mane was shorter and more unruly, while Luna’s eyes held a youthful mischief that hadn’t yet been overshadowed by her future responsibilities.

King Sombra was arguing passionately, his voice brimming with the fervor of his beliefs. “The Umbrum will rule the Crystal Empire! Our supremacy will be unchallenged, and I will govern as I see fit!”

The place was grim, with several crystal ponies in chains, their eyes filled with fear and despair. Celestia and Luna, looking stern and resolute, confronted him.

Celestia’s expression darkened as she listened to Sombra’s taunts. “Your arrogance is laughable,” she said, stepping forward with a cold determination. “You’ve enslaved these ponies and think you can control everything?”

Sombra scoffed, shrugging off her words. “Your petty ideals mean nothing to me. The Umbrum are destined to dominate, and I will not be restrained by your narrow-minded views.”

Celestia, without warning, stepped forward and smacked Sombra across the face with a wooden stick she had conjured from thin air. The sound of the blow echoed in the palace.

“Hey! What the—” Sombra’s eyes widened in shock as he instinctively grabbed his cheek, feeling the sting of the impact. He stared at Celestia, confused and offended, his hand still clutching the spot where she had hit him.

“You’re acting like a complete idiot,” Celestia said with a smirk, her younger voice carrying a teasing lilt. Her expression showed no sympathy as she raised an eyebrow at his indignation.

Sombra’s confusion quickly morphed into fury. “You—! You’ve got no right to—!” He started to shout, throwing curses and insults at Celestia, but before he could finish, she calmly smacked him again—this time with her hoof, right across the head. The force of the blow left him momentarily stunned.

Celestia chuckled at his expense.

“Y'know, I’ve been working on a new system of re-education,” she said with a grin. “It’s going to be a big hit. I’m calling it the Redemption Program... and I think you’ll make the perfect test subject.”

Sombra’s face twisted in outrage. “Test subject?! That’s even worse!”

Celestia laughed as if she hadn’t heard his objection. “You’ll thank me one day.”

Just as he was about to protest further, Luna stepped foward. She was blushing faintly, and her blue eyes shimmered with sincerity as she stood close to him—too close for Sombra’s comfort.

“It’s for your own good,” she murmured softly, her voice gentle. “I want us to be friends... forever. So, best luck!”

Sombra’s heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t used to this side of Luna, the caring, almost tender side. The way she looked at him made his chest tighten, his pulse quickening. He could feel the heat rising to his face as he stared at her, completely caught off guard by the proximity. His usually sharp mind blanked, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say. Luna’s sincerity, her closeness, it all left him feeling... vulnerable. Why was his heart pounding like this?

But before he could process the strange new sensation bubbling up inside him, Celestia’s voice interrupted, sharp and commanding.

“What are you doing with my sister?” she snapped, storming over to separate them. Celestia grabbed and pulled him away from Luna, her protective instincts flaring.

Luna stepped back, slightly flustered, her blush deepening. Sombra, still dazed from Luna’s closeness and Celestia’s intervention, barely had time to react before Celestia started dragging him away.

“Come on, we’re starting the first phase of the Redemption Program!” Celestia declared, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Sombra’s eyes widened in panic.

“Wait—what?! No! Nooooooo!” he shouted as he was pulled further away from Luna, his voice echoing through the palace.

Suddenly, the dream shattered, and Sombra jerked awake, his head snapping up from the desk. His heart was still pounding from the dream—or rather, the memory. He stared at the papers in front of him, disoriented, his mind racing.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up, trying to shake off the remnants of the dream. The images of his younger self, of Luna, and of Celestia’s teasing grin lingered in his mind. He could still feel the faint warmth on his cheek where Luna had stood too close, her words echoing in his head. Since that moment, he was able to regain the right path and was a good king for generations. Even he couldn’t believe he had lived for so long. By that time, his own powers had already corrupted his body's functions. He couldn’t even confirm if he was immortal; he was afraid that a single needle could pierce him and turn him to dust.

Sombra sighed, running a hoof through his thick, dark mane. That was so long ago, he reminded himself, though the dream had reignited something deep within him—something he hadn’t felt in years. Back then, Luna had made him feel special, like he was more than just a shadow of the past. But now... now he couldn’t stop thinking about another pony, and it was consuming his thoughts in a way he hadn’t expected.

Two days later

Sombra stared blankly at the clutter of papers on his desk, his mind struggling to process the seemingly endless bureaucracy of running the Crystal Empire. Every moment in his office felt like an eternity—signing decrees, reviewing security reports, and addressing complaints from the nobility. His mane was slightly disheveled from hours spent hunched over paperwork, and his eyes were heavy with fatigue.

As he reached for the next stack of documents, there was a knock at the door. A crystal pony servant entered, bowing politely.

"King, a letter from Princess Celestia," the servant said, offering him a scroll sealed with the familiar royal emblem.

Sombra’s eye twitched involuntarily. Celestia again? He already had more than enough to deal with. With a sigh, he took the letter, breaking the seal with his magic, already bracing for whatever condescending message she had to offer.

Unfurling the scroll, he began to read:

Dear Sombra,
I hope this letter finds you up to your ears in paperwork—just the way I like to imagine you! A little birdie told me you’ve been swamped with all those administrative duties, and I must admit, the thought brought a smile to my face.
But as much as I enjoy imagining you buried under piles of official documents, I’ve decided to show you some mercy. I’m sending some help.
You may be familiar with her—my brilliant, most capable student, Twilight Sparkle.
She’s rather... excited about visiting the Crystal Empire again, though between you and me, part of the reason I’m sending her is that I need her away from me-I mean from Canterlot for a while.
She’ll be arriving soon. I trust you’ll find her assistance... helpful. Don't care If you don't.
Yours sincerely,
Celestia

Sombra’s heart sank as he read the letter. His magic gripped the scroll tighter, crumpling the edges slightly. Twilight Sparkle? Celestia’s prized pupil. Of all the ponies Celestia could send, why her?

His thoughts immediately drifted back to the other Twilight. The Twilight from the alternate dimension—the one he had tried so hard to forget. Being around this Twilight Sparkle would only remind him of her. And that was something he couldn’t afford right now. He was trying to move on, to push those memories aside, but now, with Twilight coming here... it would be impossible.

And it wasn’t just that. There was something about this Twilight that made him uneasy. While the Twilight from the other world had been warm and understanding, this Twilight always seemed more... clinical, more focused on her duties. Her presence would no doubt stir up memories and feelings he didn’t want to confront.

As he read further, a postscript in clumsy, crooked writing caught his eye:

P.S. Luna here! I saw your latest dream—oh, it brought back so many memories! I couldn’t stop laughing. You were so serious back then, and it’s still funny to think about. Good times!
<3

Beneath Luna’s message was a crude drawing of a heart, drawn in a way that suggested she was barely trying to be serious.

Sombra stared at the heart, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment and annoyance. Of course Luna saw that dream Even when I told her to not. He grumbled under his breath, crumpling part of the letter in his hoof. The thought of her laughing at his memories of their youth only made things worse.

What is Celestia thinking? he grumbled to himself. This Twilight will only make things worse. She would ask too many questions, she’d want to "help" in ways that would only complicate everything. And worst of all, every glance at her would remind him of the Twilight he had left behind in the other dimension—the one he still hadn’t been able to forget.

With frustration bubbling inside him, Sombra quickly grabbed a fresh piece of parchment, determined to put a stop to this.

Dear Celestia,
Under no circumstances should Twilight—

Before he could finish, a loud knock echoed through the room. The quill paused in midair as he turned his gaze toward the door.

Someone was outside.

To be continued...