Sorry for the delay...seems like nobody read the previous chapter. :/ Oh well...enjoy this much longer one! :D Please review and follow for more!

"OK, everypony stay close! I know this place in darkness best," I ordered.

No one argued. Even Pinkie Pie stayed quiet. (And for Pinkie Pie, that's nothing short of miraculous.) I maneuvered my way carefully through the dark streets.

Finally we came into view of the prison where I had initially found Twilight. I lowered myself carefully to the ground and set Pinkie Pie down. As the Pegasi imitated me, I drew everypony's attention to myself. "Twilight's in there. When I came there were no guards or locks on the door, but there may be now. But regardless, we have to find Twilight and get her to participate in the magic of friendship spell. The Elements may work on someone other than their bearers, but I doubt they would reveal the final alicorn princess unless they were on their proper owners." I sighed and looked down. "Sombra has Twilight in chains made of dark magic. Only alicorn magic can save her. Do you understand why this is so important?"

The Mane Six nodded gravely.

"Good. I—" I stopped and glanced around. "Where's Pinkie?"

A black shape with an unmistakable neon pink mane sneaked up behind Rarity and squeaked "Boo!" The unicorn jumped into the air with a yelp of surprise as the ninja pony half trotted, half crawled up to me.

"Like my disguise, Tara?" whispered the voice of the unmistakable Pinkie Pie.

"No," I answered in disgust, "and I doubt Twilight will either."

Pinkie peeled it off like a banana skin. "Awww…"

"She's been in a prison full of dark magic! I think the last thing she'll want is more darkness."

"But everypony loves ninja costumes!" Pinkie protested.

"Shh," everypony else hissed at her.

We moved as a silent group toward the prison, cautious, not knowing what we would find. But as we drew closer I felt my heart sink into my feet.

At least half a dozen shadow ponies were guarding the entrance from the outside. Who knew if there were more waiting in the dungeon's shadows?

I silently pointed this out to the other ponies. Applejack tapped her chest with a hoof as if to say, "Leave it to me." She lifted her hat and revealed a coil of rope (why she carried that around is beyond me). With expert dexterity, she tied the rope into a long lasso and twirled it over her head. Once it had reached high speed, she let fly at the shadow ponies.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see the lasso go right through products of dark magic, but I was still taken aback. Applejack reacted similarly. All her attempted attack seemed to do was infuriate them.

As Fluttershy cowered in a dark corner, Rainbow Dash grabbed me by the arm. "Come on! Fly with me and distract them!"

Realizing her plan, I immediately spread my wings and flew around with her above the shadow ponies. Rainbow stuck out her tongue at the guards. "Come and get me, you overgrown rainclouds!"

Granted, I didn't imitate THAT. But our distraction seemed to work. The shadow ponies followed us, growling in fury. One of them suddenly swept a hoof up at us—a hoof that ended in very long, very sharp claws.

I gulped. "You sure about this, Rainbow Dash?!"

Suddenly a surprisingly bright light appeared on the street below. The shadow ponies howled as if in pain as the light hit them. And then they just—dissolved. I don't know how else to describe it. It was like seeing an Alka Seltzer dropped into a glass of water. One minute they were there…the next they were gone in puffs of smoky mist.

I looked down to see that the light that had dissolved them came from the horn of a shocked Rarity. "What—how in Equestria—?!"

"Don't try to understand it, just enjoy it!" I shouted and quickly landed on the street again. "We've got to get in there."

Applejack frowned at the lock. "The lock don't look to be enchanted or nothin'. I reckon I can open it with a bit o' gum."

"No problemo!" Pinkie appeared with a stick of hot pink gum in her hoof. "I have gum stashed all over Canterlot—"

" 'In case of gum-related emergency'," the rest finished in perfect unison.

Pinkie's jaw dropped in surprise but before she could ask questions, Applejack had swiped the gum and was rapidly chewing it. After a few goods chomps she spat it into the lock and manipulated it with her hooves.

"Ew…" Rarity recoiled in disgust while the rest of us watched in interest.

Soon the orange Earth pony stood back proudly as the door opened. Everypony scampered to get inside but I stopped them. "Listen. Twilight isn't doing well. We've got to be sensitive to her."

But once we got into the cell, I realized "not doing well" was the understatement of the century.

Twilight lay motionless on her side, still trussed up in chains that glowed a slight ghostly green with dark magic. I couldn't hold back tears as I looked at her. Sombra may not have had his way with her—at least not yet (though I hoped he would never get the chance)—but he had certainly beaten her horribly. She looked much worse than she had when I first found her in the dungeon.

Her friends were stunned and horrified. Meanwhile I couldn't stop crying. I knelt beside her and cradled her bruised head in my arms. "Twilight," I whispered into her limp ear.

She opened her eyes with an effort and raised one ear. Her eyes seemed so devoid of hope a new sob ripped through me. But when she recognized me a spark of light seemed to ignite in her eyes. "Tara…"

Her Ponyville friends immediately surrounded us. All were talking and crying at once. It was probably a bit chaotic, but the chaos seemed to make Twilight smile. Her friends were here for her. She didn't need to be afraid anymore.

After allowing a few minutes for reuniting, I explained the plan to Twilight. "We've got all six Elements here. I even brought your crown." I gently placed the crown on Twilight's brow; she winced as it touched an open wound. "Sorry," I apologized.

"But why…why bring them all…here?" Twilight glanced around the dismal cell.

"If all six Elements are present, maybe the whole rainbows-magic powers thing can show us the final alicorn princess and the seventh Element—even if they are one and the same."

Twilight looked at me questioningly. "The last part of the spell," I reminded her. " 'The Element inside is strong,/For she has borne it all along'. The Element INSIDE the final princess."

Twilight managed a tiny smile. "I'm glad you heard that spell, Tara." She glanced up at her crown. "I'll do my best."

"Here, lean on me," I offered and helped her stand as I continued kneeling by her.

Because of her wounds and her shackles, Twilight was understandably unsteady on her hooves, but she managed to lean on me and remain upright.

As the six ponies summoned their talents, the Elements in their necklaces began to glow—then magic radiated from them in succession. A long ribbon-like rainbow began in Rainbow Dash's necklace and passed through each of the others' until it reached Twilight. She gritted her teeth and kept her eyes clenched shut as the rainbow wound itself around her and intersected the gemstone in her crown. A cry of agonizing pain escaped her as the magic increased.

I held my breath. This couldn't fail!

Abruptly the rainbow vanished.

The other Elements ceased their magic and the ponies looked at each other in shock. Twilight slumped against me, tears running down her cheeks and mingling with her own blood. "I'm sorry," she groaned. "I—my magic—it was too much—I'm sorry!"

"You did your best, Twilight," Applejack tried to encourage her friend.

"But it still failed," Twilight wept.

Suddenly a long, low groan echoed through the cell. Twilight froze in terror. "King Sombra," she whispered. "Everypony get out of here, now!"

But before we could make a move, tentacles of dark magic whipped through the dungeon. We all bolted in panic but those tentacles moved quickly. I felt some closing around my ankle. With a shriek of panic I yanked myself free and somehow managed to teleport out of the dungeon.

But the remaining Mane Five weren't nearly as fortunate. I heard iron rattle against iron as the tentacles of dark magic that had trapped them condensed into chains.

"Tara! Help us!" I heard Rainbow Dash screaming.

I choked on tears. Trying to force myself to reply, I only succeeded in moaning.

The truth was, I was too terrified to go back. The others had placed so much confidence in me. After all, I was carrying all of Equestria's alicorn magic. Hadn't some of it even turned me part pony? Hadn't I been able to use small amounts of the magic? Hadn't I been the one who found Twilight? Didn't I understand the prophecy?

But I knew better. I was just a scared teenage girl who didn't know the first thing about Equestria or its magic.

I ran through the dark mist-covered streets of Canterlot and collapsed sobbing against an alley wall. Why me? Why had I been the one to create such a horrible situation for Twilight and the other princesses?

Dark laughter got my attention. Wiping my tears, I looked up and found myself face to horn with King Sombra himself in his shadow form.

I looked down and closed my eyes. "Go ahead. Do your worst."

Changing into his normal unicorn form, Sombra chuckled darkly. "Why? What haven't you done already?"

"What are you talking about?!"

"You are the one who is distorting the magic in your necklace," Sombra scoffed. At my shocked expression he laughed. "Yes, I know. Twilight told me about hiding the magic in there to try and make me feel defeated. Clearly she failed miserably." He walked slowly around me. "I could turn you into a minion of mine in the blink of an eye if I desired. But why bother? Your own anger and fear is producing more dark magic inside you than I had ever dreamed of putting in the new alicorn princess." And in a brief burst of dark magic, he was gone.