Learning By Example

An entire week of lessons had left, not just Twilight Sparkle, but the entire palace more than a little on edge. Whether it was because of Sombra's cruel laughter filling the halls at odd hours. An exhausted Twilight moving about the palace grounds reciting dark sounding chants. The fact that Celestia's eternally warm smile had waned a bit and her mood had been dampened by anxiety. It was likely a combination of the three; the fact that Celestia was showing anything but her normal good cheer was likely the most unsettling for the palace staff.

All of these things combined still did not detract from the fact that Twilight was making great strides in her training under Sombra. Two days after her last outburst, Twilight felt more like herself than she had in a long time. She felt in control, could smile genuinely without lapsing into scowls.

"Sparkle!" Sombra's voice boomed from Twilight's left. She jumped away and turned to face him.

"Yes, what was the question?" She asked quickly. Sombra responded with a glare.

"Lost in thought again?"

Twilight considered saying that she just hadn't heard "that last part," but thought better of it, if he hadn't actually been talking and she was caught in a lie punishment would be swift. Not for lying of course, he'd set her straight after the first time he'd caught her lying to him. He admitted to lying to her on several occasions throughout the week, and asked her to try and name of the instances. She couldn't at the time and he'd told her it was because he was an excellent liar, he went on to recommend she become better at lying before trying it on him again

"Uh, yeah I was just thinking about this last week. What were you saying?" She admitted. His gaze softened.

"I was saying this guard has been following us for a while now carrying a letter for you, I then went on to talk about Starswirl the Bearded's research into the power of hatred that aged him terribly. Apparently Celestia had all of his research confiscated and buried it. I learned of this last week when I retrieved that tome. I'm considering having you uncover those works behind the princess' backs. I'm considering it even more now that one of their guards has heard my intentions. No doubt you'll have to buy his silence while you work or you'll fail before the day is out."

Twilight turned carefully to the guard behind them, and gave him what she hoped was a disarming smile. The guard took a few fear-induced steps back. Twilight quickly stopped smiling after being reminded that her study in dark magic though well under control had still been effecting her body in less than subtle ways.

"I wouldn't want to get in your way ma'am." He levitated the sealed scroll through the now slightly wider gap between them, and Twilight took it with her own telekinesis.

"Uh- Thanks." Twilight muttered awkwardly. "If you wouldn't tell Celestia about what he just said I'd appreciate it."

"Of Course Miss Sparkle, wouldn't dream of it." The guard smiled his most sincere smile as he backed away down the hall. At a certain point he about faced and walked briskly away.

"They're all afraid of me." Twilight sighed.

"Cowards, all of them." Sombra stated casually, as if it were common knowledge. "They are less than you, and you have a power at your command they can't even fathom. Joy filled idiots."

"Yeah." Twilight responded looking down at the scroll she had been given. The seal was unbroken.

Unrolling it, she immediately facehoofed. It was from Spike, and memories of wanting to write him a reassuring letter came back to the front of her thoughts. She'd neglected to tell him she was fine and he must've been worrying for an entire week thanks to the oversight.

Twilight almost didn't want to read it because of the good mood she'd maintained for as long as she had. In the end though, she owed him at least an honest reply. Hard to reply to something you haven't read, she figured.

Dear Twilight,

I sent a letter to Princess Celestia to ask about you. She said you were okay, so I sent a second letter for you to read. I was really worried about you this whole time, I thought something bad had happened and Princess Celestia just didn't know how to break the news to me. She told me that you're just studying under some new teacher; she wouldn't say who, told me to ask you. I'm glad you're okay and stuff, don't get me wrong. I was just hoping to hear hear from you before long. Anyways, I told everyone the good news, and by the time you receive this Pinkie Pie has probably packed everyone's things and they're headed to Canterlot now; me included probably.. She was going a bit crazy, more crazy than usual, since nobody had heard from you. She's coming to the palace to throw you a "You're Super Duper not Dead Extravaganza, and You Have a Mysterious Teacher Party!!! She asked that I put extra exclamation points in my letter if I wrote to you about it. I did since I said I would, and I feel like she would know if I didn't. Nobody is mad at you or anything. We were just getting anxious.

With love,

Spike

Twilight stared at the bottom of the parchment for a long while.

"So I think I need to postpone my lessons for a day. I neglected to write any kind of corespondence. Long story short..." Twilight had more to say, but the words died in her throat under the dark glare Sombra was giving her.

"Why exactly is that?" He growled. "I had an important lesson planned for tonight."

"Oh really?" Twilight was honestly interested, which bothered her some. "I mean- That sounds great, but my friends are probably in Canterlot right now. They're coming to see me, because I forgot to tell them I was alright this whole time."

"The ones who were with you during my attempt to retake the Crystal Empire? Those friends?" Sombra shifted uncomfortably as the words left his mouth.

"Yeah, Pinkie is throwing me a party to celebrate me not being dead too. I'm really sorry, but they're important to me."

"Apparently not, since you didn't think to talk to them for two weeks about your well being."

"I know and I feel terrible! I just got caught up in my studies like I used to, before I really had friends. I've learned so much from you and I want to keep going, but can it wait a day. I promise I'll work twice as-" Twilight stopped when Sombra put his hoof up between them.

"You are entirely right Sparkle, it is important that you spend time with your friends. Gods know I could've used more than the one friend I had during my rule. The lesson I had for tonight can be done any night, no trouble there."

Twilight was speechless. Sombra hadn't once been this cooperative when she asked for something, but all of a sudden he was giving her what she'd asked without fuss, and without any "assignments."

"Just let me know when they've left the palace." He said as he turned from her.

"I was going to introduce you to them, though. It's not like they're going to blast you with the Elements of Harmony as soon as they see you." She followed after him when her words failed to halt him.

He let out a growl that was supposed to be threatening, but it was clear to Twilight his heart wasn't in it.

When his warning failed to stop her Sombra stopped and turned to Twilight.

"I'm telling you to enjoy your friends, Twilight. They aren't mine." He said coldly.

"They could be if you gave them a chance. If I tell them you aren't all bad anymore they'll give you a chance. Please?" Twilight pushed. She gave him a gentle smile that widened considerably when let out a weary sigh of resignation.

"Fine, Sparkle, fine. I'll come to that celebration of your continued existence, but don't expect me to stay long."

"You promise?" Twilight prodded rather cheekily.

"Yes, I promise to be there."

"You Pinkie Pie Promise?" Twilight pushed again.

"I refuse a pact I don't know anything about." Sombra said evenly.

"Oh it's not really a magical pact or anything. It's just a special promise my friend Pinkie Pie came up with. Although she has the uncanny ability to know when you're about to break a Pinkie Pie Promise."

"Pinkie Pie seems like an odd name for that white unicorn." Sombra mused, as he continued down the hall.

"That's what I was saying, it's not magic. She's an earth pony."

After a derrisive snort of suppressed laughter Sombra said, "So she's an earth pony who has ponies enter into strange promises that she can somehow tell when you're about to break the promise one makes. Then what, she just appears and stops them from breaking it?"

"Uh, well the times I tried to break a Pinkie Pie Promise..." Twilight began.

Sombra raised a brow in slight disbelief.

"Yeah pretty much. I haven't figured out how she does it."

"HA! Very well Sparkle. I'll go along with this little joke of yours. How does one swear a Pinkie Pie Promise?"

Twilight smiled and performed the "incantation" for a Pinkie Pie Promise.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" She recited gleefully.

Sombra gave her a flat look, but shrugged with a small shake of his head.

"I Pinkie Pie Promise not to headbutt you in the face in the next ten seconds."

"Wait what?"

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Sombra said with a devilish grin.

There followed a moment of silence where Twilight started backing away while Sombra simply stood and looked her right in the eyes.

He suddenly reared his whole body back preparing to deliver a brutal headbutt.

"Hold it right there Mr. Mystery Pony!" A shrill voice shouted from down the hall. Much to Twilight's relief and surprise.

Sombra halted mid motion and dropped back down to all fours a look of bewilderment etched on his face. A pink blur barreled down the hall towards Sombra coming to a stop inches from him. He was suddenly snout to snout with a pair of angry, piercing blue eyes surrounded by the most pink he'd ever seen on one pony.

"Nopony, and I mean nopony, breaks a Pinkie Pie Promise. Even Mystery ponies I've never met before." Pinkie Pie shrieked.

She settled down and studied the shocked stallion for a moment.

"Also don't headbutt Twilight." She added as an afterthought.

"It's a coincidence?" Sombra asked the world in general, more unsure of a situation than Twilight had ever seen him be. Even while being grilled by Celestia he seemed more assured than in this moment.

"I keep telling myself that." Twilight responded wearily.

"TWILIGHT!" Pinkie shouted, seemingly just having realized that her friend was right behind her.

Twilight found herself wrapped in a tight bear-hug before she could even think of a response.

While the air was being crushed out of her lungs Twilight manged to say, "Hi Pinkie I really missed you and I'm sorry I never wrote but now I'm running out of air and I'd like to breath!"

Sombra was still surprised by the pink mare's sudden entrance that he didn't think twice about pulling Pinkie and Twilight apart with magic. Normally he would've just reveled in her temporary pain. He set Twilight down, but continued to hold Pinkie in the air rotating her to face him and inspecting her scalp under her mane.

"Twilight I'm so so happy that you're okay! When Spike told us that he'd fwooshed you to Canterlot like a letter and he hadn't heard from you since I thought there might have been some kind of accident. Like maybe you got turned into an actual letter or something. Then I got Spike to send a letter to Celestia and she said that you were okay so I decided that we'd all come visit you since you were too busy to visit us!" Pinkie started rambling while still upside down.

Twilight gave Sombra a questioning look as he inspected Pinkie Pie's head. He missed the look entirely.

"Who's your Mystery stallion friend, by the way? He keeps scratching me head." Pinkie said to Twilight, then directed her next comment to the pony levitating her. "Try behind my ears they're kind of itchy."

Sombra complied quickly before shrugging. He turned her over, belly to the floor, and dropped her unscerimoniously onto the floor.

"He's uh-"

"Oh is he your stallion friend and you've been busy going on dates here in Canterlot and you couldn't think of a way to introduce him to your friends?!" Pinkie asked excitedly.

Twilight took a moment to contemplate the insinuation.

"Of course not, why would I be interested in Sparkle?" Sombra said irritably.

"Oh no he's not- We're not like that. He's just my teacher. This is King Sombra." Twilight said quickly.

"That meanie-pants from the Crystal Empire who went poof when the Crystal Heart did its thingy?" Pinkie Narrowed her eyes in contemplation, turning her gaze to Sombra.

"Yeah that's the one." Twilight said carefully.

"But he's here now, and not a meanie-pants?"

"Well, he's nicer than before?" Twilight tried. Sombra grunted in mild amusement.

"Hmmmm..." Pinkie intoned, studying him further. She pulled a pipe out of nowhere and started blowing bubbles out of it.

"Okay!" She piped up suddenly.

"Okay?" Twilight repeated unsurely.

"Yeah, as long as he doesn't try to headbutt you any more, or break promises of any kind, or do other meanie-pants things. Okay." She said cheerfully. "Hi my name is Pinkie Pie, and I love meeting new ponies. We met once before but we didn't get to talk so I'm going to treat it as a first time meeting. Which means I have to put together a "Twilight's New Teacher is that King we Stopped from Being Evil, and is Nice(er) Party!" She announced, offering an outstretched hoof.

"I am the once King Sombra of the Crystal Empire. I have gained many names and titles, most of which mortal ears should not hear and others you cannot pronounce. It's nice to meet you I suppose." He shook her hoof confidently despite how unnerved he still seemed by her completely coincidental appearance. He seemed mostly over it, but the ghost of shock was still on his face.

"Neat. I bet I can guess one of your names!"

"Say, Pinkie, where is everyone else?" Twilight asked, realizing that they hadn't come with her pink friend.

"Probably still unpacking Rarity's things at the train station. I would be helping, but somepony was trying to break a Pinkie Promise. Since I'm already here it would be silly to go back, don't you think?"

Sombra fixed Pinkie Pie with an incredulous stare.

"How could you have known that if you didn't even know I existed? Even if you did you would've had to teleport here."

"Mmmm... No I just ran here. Also why wouldn't I know when someone is trying to break a Pinkie Promise, it even has my name in it."

"That doesn't mean-" Sombra was about to explain why the pink mare's statement was stupid when he caught sight of Twilight wide-eyed and shaking her head slowly.

"Logic doesn't work on her." Twilight explained.

"How about "the Mysterious?" Pinkie asked.

"What?" Sombra and Twilight said in unison.

"Is that one of your titles?"

"Yes, I was known by that title once."

"I thought you said this would be hard." Pinkie said, sounding slightly disappointed.

"Sparkle I'll be in your tower so I can escape this pink-" He paused to find a word. When none was forthcoming he finished with, "Thing. Let me know when your party starts."

Before Twilight could respond Sombra had teleported away, leaving behind several wisps of black smoke.

~~~~

It was an half-hour before the rest of Twilight's friends arrived. Greetings similar to Pinkie's were shared, minus any further attempts at crushing Twilight's bones.

Twilight made multiple apologies to her friends and started explaining her situation. The nightmares that had plagued her since the Crystal Empire, the crippling depression, and everything up to who she was currently studying under. The revelation was met with shock from all present; save for Pinkie, who pretended to be shocked just to play along. Twilight avoided the details of her training to spare her friends that much.

Fluttershy seemed to be taking the news fairly poorly. She lowered her head and had started trembeling since the revelation.

Rarity Applejack and Rainbow Dash all seemed surprised, but not all that upset or worried.

Spike just stared off into space, wide-eyed. He shook his head, quickly coming back to reality.

"Are you sure we shouldn't blast him with the Elements, just to be safe. That dude was really evil."

"No Spike, we aren't going to "blast" my teacher with the Elements of Harmony. His actions may be a bit mean spirited at times, but he's not as bad as some of the nobles here in Canterlot." Twilight asserted flatly.

"Hay, if he's nicer than the ponies here in Canterlot he's got my vote." Applejack piped up.

"Even if he does turn out to be evil, I bet we can take him." Rainbow Dash offered.

"If he's willing to actually talk, and in a civil manner, I can give him a chance." Rarity spoke up. She seemed the least sure about this vocally; she'd done a remarkable job hiding any discomfort while remaining silent.

Fluttershy remained quiet, but nodded her agreement with the others' sentiments.

Pinkie Pie... had vanished.

"Uhh... Anyone know what happened to Pinkie?" Twilight asked the group.

Before anyone could answer the not so deafening sound of a canon being discharged a foot away from the gorup filled the hall. As did streamers and confetti of varying colors.

"I'm done setting up the party everypony!" Pinkie cheered, already pushing her party canon down the hall. "Follow me!"

"Pinkie, I thought the celebration was tomorrow. I'm rather tired from travel." Rarity called after the pink mare who'd already disapered around a corner.

"Party time now, sleep later! We need to celebrate how alive Twilight is." Pinkie replied from somewhere out of sight.

"Right." Twilight looked apologetically towards Rarity. "It's for the best, probably. I'm already skipping a day of lessons with Sombra. No telling what he'd do if I took too much time."