Thanks to all of my readers who gave me such great ideas for Tara to infiltrate the dungeon! I've decided on a specific way to do it, based on several suggestions that I received. I've combined them into one (yes, I did this and it will still make sense :P ). I'd give individual credit for the ideas I used but several users gave me very similar suggestions or suggestions that I slightly changed, so I won't. But if you recognize an idea you gave me, you know who you are. :) Anyway, enjoy this chapter! :D Sorry it's a bit short. The next one will be longer! ;D

I thought I was going to have a heart attack. "WHAT?!"

"You are the fifth alicorn princess destined to defeat King Sombra," Celestia added somberly.

"But I—I'm not even a pony—I—I—WHAT?!"

"It was foretold that the fifth princess would not be a pony," Luna reminded me.

"Well yeah, but still—!"

"Tara," Cadence pleaded, "now that you know, you have to do something. We princesses gave up all our magic and now you have it. You've got to find a way to stop Sombra."

"But how?!"

"Haven't you used the magic before?" Celestia pointed out.

"But those were flukes, Your Highness! I doubt I could do anything like that again if I intentionally tried to!"

"Armonia controls her magic," Celestia answered in a slightly graver tone. "She does not let her fear of her own powers control her."

"You are the final princess." It was Luna now. "No darkness can stand against your magic unless you let it."

" 'Unless I let it' ? Princess Luna, what do you mean?"

"Don't give up!" Cadence cried as her voice began to fade away.

"Face your fears!" Luna called. Her voice was also fading.

"Fight!" Celestia ordered.

"Wait! Your Highnesses! I don't even know where you're hiding! Wait, please!"

But it was no use. The alicorn magic had ceased. All was silent again.

I slowly lowered myself to the ground and folded in my wings. Had I been dreaming?

Was I really the final alicorn?

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Well, three of the princesses who definitely know more about Starswirl the Bearded than me can't be wrong. But now what do I do?"

"No darkness can stand against your magic unless you let it." Luna's words echoed through my mind.

"Unless I let it…" Suddenly I had a plan. Obviously I had been letting my own anger and fear control me and produce dark magic. But I knew that everypony in Equestria was capable of producing dark magic—even the princesses—and successfully controlling it just long enough to accomplish a specific goal. My heart trembled at the thought of imitating them, but…

Maybe the way to defeat Sombra was to use his own magic against him.

Or…maybe not. Using dark magic had never worked well before.

On the other hoof…

Oh no, not again! I was thinking in terms of pony-speak! I banged my fist against my forehead in frustration.

Then I remembered that if I was indeed the final alicorn, thinking in pony-speak was perfectly normal.

"Augh! Why can't I think straight?!" I growled and pulled at my hair. "OK, Tara, focus…" I breathed. "Okay."

That was my typical thought process.

Finally I had settled on a plan—one that I sure hoped would work.

I thought back to when the necklace's magic had turned me anthro—given me wings, ears, and a tail. Maybe I could do that again, but instead of just adding on new features, totally change my appearance?

I thought about how badly I wanted to do this to save the Mane Six and defeat Sombra. And as I did, I felt the necklace's magic flowing again. But this time it didn't flow THROUGH me, but AROUND me. It was only changing my appearance, not altering or affecting my internal nature.

My beautiful, shimmering alicorn wings (for I knew that was what they were now) turned black as if with decay. My shoulder-length reddish-brown hair extended into long, tangling locks of greasy black. My T-shirt, jacket, and jeans (all I had worn since I came to Equestria) transformed into a skin-tight, curve-hugging suit that reached to my wrists and ankles. Shades of blood red accented the utter blackness of my disguise. Only the alicorn necklace—which I quickly hid under my new disguise—betrayed my true nature.

I am eternally grateful I did not see a reflection of myself at that moment. I would have been horrified at my transformation—intentional, at that!—into an angel of darkness. As it was I was still afraid. "It's temporary," I told myself. "Just so I'll blend in. Sombra will hopefully think I've infected myself with dark magic. Then I can get into the dungeon and save Twilight and the others."

Had I known what would happen, I don't know if I would have gone through with my plan.

Dun-dun-DUUUUUUUNNN! XD MLP trivia bit for today: Sombra's name means "shadow" in Spanish. Obviously if you know the story of King Sombra and the Crystal Empire, you'll understand the reference in his name. :P