Twilight and her friends sat around a circular table, watching Shining Armour and Princess Cadence as they waited for an answer. Applejack chewed her hat nervously and Fluttershy whimpered, her fringe falling over her large eyes. Rainbow sat unnerved, rolling her eyes at Fluttershy's cowardice. Pinkie Pie bounced up and down with excitement and Rarity continuously used her horn to adjust the red rose dress she had dressed herself in for the occasion.

"Well, you see, we believe the heart is tiring," Cadence explained calmly. "We also believe that is how King Sombre succeeded in entering the empire the first time."

Spike stuck his hand in his mouth to stop a cry of terror and Twilight scratched her chin thoughtfully as two gleaming Crystal Unicorns entered with several silver dishes hovering at their sides. The plates calmly settled in front of every pony and then the Unicorns turned and strolled out, smiling softly. Pinkie Pie's smile wavered but then appeared again when the food was placed, her eyes growing larger. Another smash outside sent Spike shaking and Twilight pulled him close to reassure him.

"We think he's planned something bigger this time," Shining Armour continued. "And we think Cadence might have to use her magic again."

"But…but…" Twilight struggled to find words.

"I know. However, she has promised to eat and sleep as often as possible and I'm not going back out there and getting my horn destroyed again!" Shining Armour told her.

Twilight smiled sheepishly. Pinkie Pie was fighting herself, trying to stop herself from eating all of the delicious salad. Twilight shot her a glare and Pinkie sank as the Unicorns entered again with wine glasses and a bottle of apple juice. The glasses were placed neatly beside each plate and then the bottle went around pouring. Cadence refused the juice politely and the Unicorns nodded understandingly, putting the bottle in the middle of the table. Pinkie looked at Cadence pleadingly and Cadence chuckled calmly.

"Please eat," she said softly.

"Finally!" Pinkie cried, thrusting her muzzle into the salad and chewing eagerly. Twilight glared at her, a fork hovering by her horn. "What?"

"Manners, Pinkie Pie!" Twilight didn't need to say it because Rarity was already disgusted. "Use a fork!"

"Aw!" Pinkie moaned, struggling to lift the fork with her hoof. She looked at Fluttershy and Rainbow and saw them using their wings to hold the fork and then glance at Twilight and Rarity who were using their magic. "But all I have is hooves!" she lifted her hooves to emphasize it. "You guys have horns and wings!"

"Pinkie," Applejack hissed over the table, showing her that the farm horse was using her hoof to lift single bits of the salad up to her mouth.

After a moment, Pinkie lifted a piece of lettuce and forced herself to nibble it before moving onto the next one, the painfully slow movements making her stomach grumble.

"Don't worry, Pinkie Pie, just dig in," Cadence offered politely as a piece of tomato hovered beside her and then split in two. She swallowed one half and then the other.

Pinkie grinned and once again thrust her muzzle into the mix, scoffing it hungrily until none was left. She burped and covered her mouth with her hoof quickly. "Oops! Pardon me."

The meal was swift and at the end, the ponies left the table and hurried to their rooms. Twilight took the last room along the corridor with a single bed and a dog basket which Spike could sleep in. Beside her bed was a night lamp on top of a bedside table and the floor was covered with a circular rug.

---

As darkness took over, Cadence slept and King Sombre took his chance as the shield flickered, slipping through just before the heart took over again with new strength. He smirked as he glided through the air as a cloud of smoke, passing the dark houses and the towering library until he reached the palace. He had thought about it and then realised that all of the ponies listened to the purple Unicorn and was warring with himself what to do. Then, he slipped through an open window and settled behind the throne in his old throne room, still a puff of smoke.

Just before he fell asleep, though, he heard distant clopping and peered out to see the purple pony walking past, her eyes drooping sleepily yet her mane and tail were spick-and-span. He slithered forward, watching her as she lifted a black cloak off the hanger on the wall and stepped into it, her horn glowing dimly to light the way. For a moment, he stayed there, and then he realised she was leaving and slid after her, his eyes always on her as they moved through the darkness towards the library.

The Unicorn pulled open the door and peered in before padding forward again, heading for a deliberate place a few floors down. King Sombre snaked in and watched the pony, hiding behind the stairs as a book dropped from a shelf and flickered open to one of the pages. Just then, King Sombre felt himself mould into a full horse as the door slammed shut and the purple pony looked up.

"Whose there?" the pony called uncertainly, her horn glowing to reveal any hiders. None were seen and she shrugged it off, looking back at the book.

"What is your name?" King Sombre's icy voice called. It was hard to place where it came from and the pony shied back against the bookcase. "What is your name? What is your name?" he continued to repeat.

He watched with a smile as he teleported around silently. The pony took a deep breath and stood boldly.

"I am Twilight Sparkle. Who are you?" she replied.

She looked behind and when she looked back everything was black, making her instinctively make her horn glow. As the purple glow reached out, Sombre stood still in front of her, watching her with deep green eyes. Twilight leapt back and his face broke into a sneaky grin as black vines slithered around her, holding her in place. Her shock meant she could not speak which Sombre happily accepted.

Finally, Twilight spoke. "Leave, you're not wanted."

"Oh, don't worry, I shall," Sombre replied as the vines wrapped themselves tighter. "But first, I must ask you why you want to be a student…"

Twilight glared at him. "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, I think you do," Sombre hissed like a snake. "Why do you want to be a student of Celestia when you can be a princess instead? Or, rather," he grinned, his eyes enchanting and interesting. They swallowed her up and he could tell she was curious about him and the offer. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to her ear and whispered, "a queen…"

The pony gasped but Sombre could see she was considering it. He lowered her gently and turned, the vines turning to ash. "Think it through and return here in three days. Oh, and don't tell your friends about the offer; don't want them having it, do we?"

Twilight nodded uncertainly and watched as Sombre became the puff of smoke with his head and darted out of the door and towards the shield. He could smell her running out to watch as sunset appeared and the shield wavered as Cadence once again took over, allowing him to escape.

---

Twilight snuck back to her room and stepped into bed, but was not interested to sleep. Why was she entranced by his offer? Was she jealous of her teacher? Of being ordered around? Was she eager for power? The strength to do what she wished? The questions made her head spin but despite this she was determined to hide the deal from her friends. It wasn't that they might take it, although she didn't want that happening, it was that they would argue with her and she'd end up like a tiny ant getting stepped on.

When the clock chimed, announcing that it was officially seven, Twilight stood sleepily and stretched, nudging Spike awake before entering the hall and greeting her friends. Rainbow was jogging on the spot and Applejack and kicking out a back leg to wake it up. Pinkie was bouncing around and Rarity was putting on the last of her blusher. Twilight scanned the crowd again and frowned.

"Where's Fluttershy?" she inquired, scanning the crowd for a third time.

"Probably out with the animals," Pinkie Pie replied cheerfully as she bounced again with painted hooves, making a pink balloon on the floor. Twilight sighed and Pinkie yelped as she was lifted in the air and a cloth washed her hooves whilst a mop cleaned the floor. "Hey! That was artwork!"

"On the palace floor, Pinkie?" Twilight stared at Pinkie, shaking her head gently.

"I'll go get Flutters!" Rainbow called before darting out of the nearest window and down to the petting zoo with the ewes.

"Ugh!" Twilight groaned, smacking her forehead with her hoof. After a deep breath, she started walking. "Let's just go have breakfast."

Shining Armour wasn't at breakfast and Cadence explained that he was taking his shift so she could rest up and eat. The ponies ate in silence until the Crystal ponies entered and carried out the dishes. They were Pegasi this time and they stacked the dishes on their steady, outstretched wings. After a while Shining Armour staggered in and groaned, his horn glowing weakly as he struggled to use his spell. Cadence pressed her horn to his and in a second Cadence's horn was glowing and Shining Armour was panting, taking an apple from the fruit bowl.

"What happened, BBBFF?" Twilight demanded. Her friends looked at her in confusion and she groaned. "You know what it means!"

"King Sombre was trying to get in again," Shining Armour replied exhaustedly.

"But hasn't he already–" Twilight stopped herself quickly. "Did he get in?"

"No, luckily, and the Crystal ponies are still happy. If he had gotten in, we would have seen smashed houses and black rocks by now," Shining Armour replied hopefully. "Maybe he'll give up."

"I doubt it, your 'ighness," Applejack interjected. "He don't seem like a good loser."

"Applejack is quite correct," Rarity agreed. "If he is back, then it doesn't seem like he likes losing!"

"He's just jealous 'cos he doesn't have a home!" Pinkie Pie said with ridiculous seriousness.

"Who cares about him, right Flutters? He's just a bad guy who gets beaten all the time!" Rainbow said, hitting the table with her hoof.

"Err…" Fluttershy squealed nervously.

Suddenly, everyone looked at Twilight and Applejack pushed her hat back so her ears poked out. "Right, Twilight?"

Twilight gulped and nodded, her cheeks blushing. "Right, Applejack."

Shining Armour frowned. "I suppose, but that just suggests that we protect the Empire and we're already doing our best to do that."

"Hmm…" Pinkie pulled a moustache out of nowhere and stuck it to her muzzle, thinking deeply. "Maybe we should…" she pulled a board out of nowhere onto the table with lots of wooden horses on and pushed all the warrior dressed horses to the middle to block the single black marble horse from getting across. "…put all out warriors there and keep guards around the king and queen and put posts in front so no one can get near without us seeing!"

"Err… Pinkie, where'd you get the chessboard?" Rainbow replied, staring at the board.

"I packed it!" Pinkie replied, rummaging in her tail until she pulled a small suitcase out and put it in front of Rainbow. "See, Dashy?"

Rainbow chuckled. "Pinkie Pie, you are so random!"

"Ya know it!" Pinkie giggled, shoving on a pair of goofy glasses and a top hat.

"Guys, let's get back to the problem at hoof?" Twilight suggested, looking over at Cadence who stood by the window, looking into the distance whilst her horn glowed.

"Sure, okay Twi," Rainbow replied, pushing the suitcase back towards Pinkie who shoved it into her tail along with her glasses, top hat and moustache.

"So, any ideas?" Applejack asked, putting both front hooves on the table.