Clause

P.O.V. Change – The arctic north – FINALE

Sombra and Fluttershy finally allowed themselves a moments rest, snow falling all around them.
Sombra keeping an eye on his hostage, making sure he didn't wander too far.
He didn't need to.
A silhouette began rapidly approaching through the snow and clouds
Without even waiting for the guards to come to a landing halt, Shining Armour threw himself from the wagon, and Landed next to his partner, confronting the runaways.

As the two Duos faced off, Twilight and her friends arrived on the Scene.
They had been hot on anon's trail, but it seemed as through he had completely disappeared.
The sight of her old friends caused Fluttershy's memory and identity to come flooding back.
The force too much to take, She collapsed into the snow.
Sombra new it was coming.
Her memory was returning in Full.
It was over.

As the drama unfolded below, Princesses Celestia and Cadence, having followed Shining Armour upon seeing him depart, began to come in for a safer landing.

Celestia made no hesitation upon landing, Spreading her wings regally and staring down the fallen king, Sombra.

“Not only have you exploited our laws to your own SICK ends, you have taken the trust we saw fit to give you, and throw THIS back into our faces!”

It was over. Fluttershy would regain her memories at any moment now. She would turn and run just as she had done all those times before.

Sombra resigned to his fate.

With a not from princess Celestia, Cadence began to channel the energy of the crystal heart – Preparing to destroy King Sombra. This time for good.

Cadence could cast at any second.
Gold tried to make sense of the situation
This wasnt right. Nopony deserved this.
He saw the fear, the sadness, the crushing defeat in Sombra's eyes.
He looked to shining, who mouthed;

“Do you give up yet?”

Gold hung his head, before looking up to Shining Armour.

“Fine Shiny. You win.”

Shining grinned

“I'll be expecting those 300 bits by the end of the week. I told you you wouldn't be able to make it as a guard without me going easy on you.

“Uh, Shining?”

“Yeah?”

“Sombra's really about to die.”

“Oh. Right.”

With a nod, the two dived forward and positioned themselves between Cadence and Sombra.

Unable to fire at her husband, and one of her best friends, Cadence powers down. Suppressing the power of the crystal heart once again.

Princess Celestia was the first to step forward, Angrily.

“What are you two doing? Sombra needs to be destroyed before he can do any more damage.”

Shining and Gold stood their ground.

“He's certainly done more than his fair share of damage...”

Gold regarded his injured wing, solemnly.

“He's caused us all more grief than he had any right to.”
Shining Armour rubbed his horn, Painful memories flooding back.

“But Completely Obliterating him? While hes running AWAY from you?”
“You can't do that to somepony!”

Princess Celestia wasn't impressed.

“Might I remind you that he exploited ancient equestrian law, kidnapped the element of kindness, brainwashed her into what we see here today, and spread nightmare crystals throughout the land?”

Shining and Gold hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond.

“Okay, yeah. That wasn't cool, but-”
“ENOUGH, YOU TWO.”

Celestia's booming voice cut through the arctic night like a knife through butter.
With a flick of her horn, she levitated the two stallions, and flung them into a snowdrift.

With Celestia enraged, and Gold and Shining out of her way, Cadence began to channel magic once again.

Fluttershy stirred.

Her memories became flooding back to her.

Anon was that creature, driven mad by the events that night in the everfree forest.
Sombra's mind games.
He kidnapped her, broke her apart.

Yet...

He just wanted someone to love.
He was lonely.
He didn't want to hurt me, Not ever.
He just didn't want to be alone anymore...

What he did is in the past.
It's where we are now that matters.
He loves me, and I love him.

And I won't let him down!

Fluttershy forced herself to her hooves, and staggered in between Cadence and Sombra.
“CADENCE! STOP RIGHT NOW!”
Her demands fell on deaf ears. Cadence was far too focused to hear anything but the power she was preparing to unleash.
Princess Celestia took a step forward.

“Listen Fluttershy. You don't really love him. It's only an illusion he created to control you.”

“I know what he did! I love him for who he is, not because of what he did to me!”

Celestia turned her attention away. She was having none of this.

Fluttershy's friends however, stood there heartbroken. They knew what they had to do.

With a collective determination, the girls decided that they needed to be there for their friend.
She may be very different to the Fluttershy they had lost all that time ago, but she was still their friend.
Rushing to Fluttershy's aid, Twilight and the others threw themselves in-between Cadence and Sombra.
Seeing the collective efforts of their friends, Shining and Gold finally managed to break free of their snowy prison, once again returning to stand between cadence and sombra.

Sensing her husband's presence, Cadence stopped her spell, allowing the energy to dissipate all through the arctic, resulting in beautiful lights in the sky.
There was no more of the crystal hearts power left within her.
Sensing and Realizing the true extent of the feeling shared by Fluttershy and Sombra, she also turned and shielded Sombra from Celestia.

Princess Celestia raised an eyebrow, eyeing the collection of ponies shielding Sombra from her view.
“Give me one reason to give him a second chance.”
Gold stepped forward, putting on his ever so rare formal voice.
“Your highness, I am more than capable of providing a comprehensive and disturbingly detailed re-”
TWACK.
“Dude, the bet's over!”
“Bet or not, you don't say that to the Princess.
Composing himself again, gold continued.
“As I was saying, U am capable of providing you with a detailed report proving Sombra's reform and pure intentions”
Remembering the hotel, gold had to bite his tongue to avoid making a snide comment about the many different views of 'Pure intentions'
“This report will be able to provide you with all the reasons you need and more.”
Princess Celestia furrowed her brow.

“Alright then. I will be expecting that report in 3 days. Failure to meet this deadline will result in Sombra's excecution.”

With that, Princess Celestia, and Princess Cadence, took their leave.

“Yeah. No Pressure or anything.”

“Uh oh.”

“What?”

“Gold hasn't handed in a single report on-time since recruitment.”

“Don't worry, I can handle this one.”

Fluttershy helped Sombra get to his feet.

Sombra was still recovering from Shock.

All these Ponies, Ponies he barely knew, had put their lives on the line to save him.

“Why did you all help me?”

“Don't look at me. I'm not saying it. Shiny?”

“No thanks. Twily, your ball.”

“Boys are useless. We helped you because that's what friends do for each other.”

“Hoofbump?”

THWACK

“That wasn't a hoofbump at all!”