Author's Notes:

Be prepared for the epic and emotional end of Sombra.

Dracula’s mane fluttered slightly in the wind. Overlooking Shadow Garden he inhaled a deep breath and he began to activate his magic. He spoke out in Luna’s mind as he said,
Ready yourself. Get your wings ready.

Luna nodded as she began to hover in the air. Dracula summoned his shadow wings and he motioned for Luna to follow him. Dracula spoke with magic as he began singing with all of his might that caught the attention of all in Shadow Garden,

“All I see is shattered pieces
I can't keep it hidden like a secret

(Luna)
I can't look away!
From all this pain in a world we made!

(Dracula)
Everyday you need a bulletproof vest
To save yourself from what you could never guess!

(Luna)
Am I safe today?
When I step outside in the wars we wage!

(Dracula and Luna)
Our future's here and now,
Here comes the countdown!

(Dracula)
Sound it off, this is the call!
Rise in revolution!
It's our time to change it all,
Rise in revolution!
Unite and fight, to make a better life!
Everybody one for all,
Sound off, this is the call, tonight we rise!

Rise.
Tonight we rise
Rise.
Tonight we rise!

Like a hand grenade thrown in a hurricane,
Spinning in chaos, trying to escape the flame,

(Luna)
Yesterday is gone!
Faster than the blast of a car bomb!

(Dracula)
And when the scars heal, the pain passes,
As hope burns, we rise from the ashes!

(Luna)
Darkness fades away!
And the light shines on a brave new day!

(Dracula and Luna)
Our future's here and now,
Here comes the countdown!

(Dracula)
Sound it off, this is the call!
Rise in revolution!
It's our time to change it all,
Rise in revolution!
Unite and fight to make a better life!
Everybody one for all,
Sound off, this is the call, tonight we rise!

(Dracula)
Rise.
Tonight we rise
Rise.
Tonight we rise!

In a world gone mad,
In a place so sad!
Sometimes it's crazy
To fight for what you believe!
But you can't give up,
If you wanna keep what you love!”

At this point the corruption is almost gone and the other Children of the Night answer to their Mother and fellow Brother,

“(Children of the Night)
Keep what you love

(Dracula)
Keep what you love

(Children of the Night)
Keep what you love

(Dracula)
Keep what you love
Never give up, no!!!

Rise.

(Children of the Night)
Rise in revolution

(Dracula)
Rise.

(Children of the Night)
Rise in revolution

(Dracula and Luna)
Everybody one for all,
Sound off, this is the call!

(Dracula)
Rise
Like we're alive
Tonight we rise
Rise
Make a better life

(Dracula, Luna, and Children of the Night)
Tonight we rise!

(Luna and the Children of the Night)
Rise, rise, rise in revolution
Rise, rise, rise in revolution
Rise.”

As they are singing through the night they inspire great strength in the Children of the Night. Their minds begin to become their own and they begin to fight the Changelings. At the end of the song Dracula and Luna land on top of one of the buildings closest to the castle. Dracula looks out and he sees bloody conflict.

Dracula says,”Go tell the others, I will help in the conflict. I will wait for Emerald and Twilight to confront Sombra.”

Luna nodded her head and flew off into the night. Dracula sighed and he said,”Soon, shadow will face shadow. Where one will fall, and the world be left hollow.”

Dracula jumps from the roof and lands on the cobblestone ground. Dracula focuses and sees a Child of the Night about to be overwhelmed. Dracula summons his Chaos Claws and he leaps through the air at the Changelings. He ripped all three of them apart, and with each falling to the ground and dying he absorbed their energy. Once the last falls he unsummons his claws and looks at the Child of the Night. Dracula sees that he is gravely injured, it was a Vampire. Dracula kneels in front of him and lowers his head, pointing his horn at the Vampire.

Summoning his magic red energy swirled out from his horn and absorbed onto the Vampire’s skin healing its wounds. Dracula says helping him up,”Come and help your brothers and your sisters, they need you to fight this day.”

The Vampire nodded and he bounded off. Dracula summoned his shadow wings and flies into the air and he shouts across the town,”THAT IS A MESSAGE TO ALL! CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT, GATHER TOGETHER AND DESTROY THESE INSECTS. TAKE BACK YOUR HOME, TAKE BACK YOURSELVES!”

Shouts of glory and triumph come from all over the town. Dracula then hears a familiar voice shout at him.”Do not be so brash Dracula! You must know that you have no hope in defeating me and my army!”

Dracula turns and he sees Sombra on a balcony and Dracula says,”Sombra...You have more faith in your allies than I had expected. But your reign over the night is over! I have returned to destroy you, you kill and corrupt your brethren. And for what? Hopes that you would be the ruler of the Night.”

Sombra shakes his head and he says,”You do not know what it like to be utterly ignored and rejected. This is not vengeance. This is redemption, I am making them better. I am using them for the purpose you failed to see, their true purpose is to be weapons! Weapons to conquer all of Equestria!”

Dracula shakes his head and he says to Sombra,”You are wrong Sombra. We were created to defend Equestria from darkness. Even if that darkness is that of our own.”

Sombra sneered and he said,”You will not poison me with your words any longer. If you could only open your eyes your father would show you our intent. But it appears that you must die like the rest of your pitiful brothers and sisters. Kill him.”

Dracula sees a swarm of flying Changelings and he summons his Void sword and says,”So be it.”

Dracula leaps into the air and begins cutting and slashing away at the Changelings.

“We must hurry! Without our help the Children of the Night will surely fall!”

Luna shouted as she lead her companions through the streets of Shadow Garden. Ash began to rise in the air and fires began to spread. Shadow Garden was collapsing. Luna stops in the main square. She waits until Emerald and Twilight come into view. She says to both of them,”Hurry and find Dracula. Dracula has little patience and will no doubt want to face him alone.”

Emerald nods and he says,”We will Princess. Come on Twilight, lets end this.”

Emerald draws his sword and charges towards the castle. Twilight did the same with Dreadtouch. They bound through the streets. Both carrying their swords with their magic, on the way they would cut down the occasional Changeling. As they ran through the streets hooves pounding against the street, Twilight shouted,”You do know that Sombra has taken over Shining Armor’s mind right?”

Emerald turned his head and said,”Yes. And it is a tragedy but I think of as releasing Armor from a terrible fate of being Sombra’s meatsuit.”

Twilight dived and tackled Emerald out of the way she shouted,”WATCH OUT!!!”

They fell to the ground and Emerald looked to see what crashed against the ground. It was a cut up Changeling. It was bleeding out, it attempted to fly up but it fell back down and died. They both looked up to see the martial skill of Dracula cutting down every single Changeling that came close to him. Emerald shouted,”DRACULA! We are ready to face Sombra!”

Dracula held one in a nelson hold and he said,”I’ll meet you there! Go!”

Emerald nods and gets up and says,”Come on!”

Travelling through smoke and ash they proceeded to the castle gates. Emerald said,”Damn it! It’s locked. Twilight, can you teleport to the other side and unlock it?”

Twilight nods her head and focuses her magic. She blinks out of existence and reforms on the other side of the door. Before she goes and unlocks the door she hears two Changelings behind her. She blocks both of their attacks and using the powers of Dreadtouch she slashed and dark purple energy lashed out and cut both Changelings in half.

They fell into four pieces and died. Twilight wipes the blood from her muzzle and unlocks the door. She opens the door and sees both Dracula and Emerald fighting Changelings. Dracula kills one and he says,”Emerald! Get down!”

Emerald falls to the ground and Twilight looks back over at Dracula. His eyes glowed bright red and he smashed his front hooves on the ground and an eruption of pure magic energy blew out from Dracula and disintegrates all the Changelings in the burning courtyard. The red glare clears and the only ones left in the courtyard are Dracula and Emerald. Dracula hold out his hoof and says,”Been a while since I saw somepony fight like that.”

Emerald grabs his hoof and gets up and says,”I got to figure out a way to keep with you brother.”

Dracula smirks and he turns his head towards Twilight and he says,”Be prepared to face anything in there. His powers are even beyond my knowledge.”

Dracula and Emerald rush towards the entrance and they enter the castle. Twilight follows behind them. As they dash through the dark but decorated halls of the castle Dracula can feel the rush of emotion through him. The gothic design of the castle was dark and sent fear into the other’s eyes. Dracula charges through the halls with one thing on his mind, thinking of a way to redeem Sombra. But there is nothing he can do, all he can do is kill him.

Dracula stops in front of a set of large closed doors. He says,”At last we find ourselves in the belly of the beast. All of our darkness ahead was because of him. A shadow versus a shadow.”

Dracula slowly opens the doors and all three of them enter the room. It was the throne room and they walked past the pillars outlining the room. Dracula steps into the center and he can smell the scent of burnt charcoal. Twilight followed close behind Dracula and Emerald behind her.

They hear a large thud and click. The doors had shut behind them and were locked. They then hear a voice echoing through the chamber,”So nice of you to finally join me.”

Dracula steps forward and stamps his hoof on the ground saying,”Sombra, it’s over. It ends here and now. Me and you.”

“Oh but then why did you bring them.”Sombra says igniting the torches adorning the walls. What they saw was horrifying. It was Shining Armor but there were patches of pure shadow all over him. His face was half shadow and half Shining Armor. His voice was like cold steel as he said,”Do you not like what you see? This is what was destined to happen. I had hoped to become the Living Shadow’s champion before you got here but he told me that I am not strong enough yet. But, he said I would be strong enough if I can kill you Dracula.”

Dracula steps forward and he says,”No. This is not you brother. He is feeding you lies, all he wants to do is…”

Sombra shouts,”The only one that was feeding me lies was you! When you trained me you said I would someday take your side as an Original. But you cast me away as you thought I was too unpredictable. But no, now I am stronger than anypony that has ever existed. What hope do you have?”

Dracula shakes his head and he says,”If you could only look past the shadowed veil in front of your eyes. You are powerful, but that was a test. And you failed, we wanted to know how you would face rejection. We planned on making you an Original. But you failed the test and so yes we cast you away. But you were always capable to forgive…”

Sombra’s deep bellowing laugh echoed through the chamber and he stepped down from the throne. Sombra said coldly,”Forgive? You made a fool out of me. You made me like this. Take a nice long look, you reaped this destruction. You planted my seeds of chaos.”

Dracula draws his Voidsword. He says,”I don’t want to kill you Sombra. But it seems you have left me no choice.”

Sombra slowly draws Whiteash and he says,”Oh, I will not be the one dying on the ground in my own blood. You will fall this night, and I will become the Living Shadow’s champion. Enough talk, have at you!”

Sombra leapt at Dracula but he deflected the blow and a sound wave shot out as both blades clashed. It shook the very foundation of the room. Sombra proceeded with a series of cut jabs and thrusts. Dracula parried them all and he said,”You fool, I taught you everything you know about sword combat.”

Sombra said in a another series of strong cuts and jabs parried with the twang of steel,”True, but there are things I learned for myself.”

With a strong cut he knocked Dracula’s sword away and slashed across his left front leg. Dracula cried in pain as a shooting pain was sent through his arm and travelled all the way to his horn. He felt his magic get slightly weaker. Sombra went to hit again but Dracula deflected it and held it mid air for a while.

Sombra felt a force hit against him and skittered across the floor. Sombra stand back up and looks to see who hit him. It was Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight shot Sombra across the room and she said with Dreadtouch ready,”You fight Silver. You fight me.”

Sombra laughed and said in a cold voice,”Silver? My you must be very important to him. I was not even allowed to call him that. Tell me, how long can you last when your true love dies?”

That cut a nerve in Dracula he said,”You will not touch her! This is our fight.”

Sombra points Whiteash at Twilight and says,”She is your lover, this is every bit her fight as well.”

Sombra leaps at Twilight but Twilight bashes his face with the hilt of the sword and Sombra falls to the ground. Dracula went to leap at Sombra but he activated his magic and a paralyzing pain shot through him and he crumbled and crashed into the ground, cracking and breaking stone.

Dracula cried in pain as he realised that Sombra can now control his pain. He needed a plan and he needed one fast, but his strength began to leave him. His eyes grew heavy and they shut.

Dracula was unconscious on the ground and Sombra laughed,”Just as weak as before.”

Sombra feels another force hit him but he was more prepared this time. He did not fly through the air but he did reel on his hooves. Twilight stood at the ready and said,”He is not weak. The only one that I see weak before me is you Sombra.”

Sombra says,”Such strong words from a worthless librarian. Tell me, what are without your precious elements of harmony? Without them you and your pitiful friends are just weak mares. What hope do you have against me?”

Twilight thought for a moment and could not think of anything. Then she sees her necklace begin to glow and she says with a smile.”I have the North Star.”

She blasted him with a bolt of energy and he crashed through a stone wall. She then rushes next to Dracula and she activates her magic and sends soothing waves through his body. They were not their usual purple color but it was the same color that the necklace glowed. Dracula opens his eyes and he had a slight glow about him and he stands up.

He says with glowing red eyes,”Lets end this.”

Sombra jumps from the shadows and tackles Dracula to the ground. They began punching and hitting each other with their hooves. The collided hooves and Sombra said,”Why do you defend these weak ponies?”

Dracula replies,”So I can prove you wrong. That they are not weak. In their hearts reside a magic ten times more powerful than you could ever imagine.”

Dracula breaks the collision and flips Sombra over his shoulder, cracking and breaking bone. Sombra relocates his shoulder and he says,”You are wrong. In their hearts reside the same darkness that is in mine. Madness, insanity, and chaos. These are what reside in a pony, even yours.”

Sombra breaks through Dracula’s defense and stabs him with a hidden blade that Sombra drew and stabbed him in the side. Dracula looks down and sees blood seeping out of his wound and he collapses to the ground in great pain. On his face was soot and ash. Dracula clenched in pain as he took out the dagger.

Sombra says,”Now you will die. But not before you must make a choice.”

Sombra’s horn glows with energy and levitates Emerald and Twilight both greatly injured and had the strain of battle on their faces. They both struggled to release from his magical grip and squirm.

Once they are levitating next to him Sombra hovers the dagger near them and he says,”You have a choice Dracula. Who would join you in the afterlife? Your long lost brother that you only figured out about no more than a few days ago. Or your eternal lover, whom you only left a week ago.”

Dracula says,”You...no...I...I can’t…”

Dracula holds back tears and Sombra says,”Choose or I will kill them both.”

Emerald says,”Choose me. Let Twilight live on. Please.”

Twilight began crying and this brought great sadness in Dracula’s eyes. Pain shooting through his side and travelling through his body. He clenched his wound and he said quivering,”I...can’t...I...no...No, no….no no NO!!!”

Dracula erupted in bright blue energy. The energy swirled around him and his eyes burned in a bright red color. He stood up and said in a dark and deep voice,”YOU WILL NOT KILL ANOTHER PONY EVER AGAIN!!!”

As quick as lightning he levitated Whiteash to his hooves and he struck at Sombra. Relentlessly cutting him. He cut him twelve times and finally he screamed in both sorrow and in victory as he stabbed Sombra through the chest. Sombra gasped in great pain and bright red blood splattered all over Dracula, it dripped from his muzzle and stained the broken ground. Dracula’s eyes closed and were holding back tears.

Dracula takes the sword out and throws it to the ground. Dracula caught Sombra as he began to fall to the ground. Dracula sat down and laid Sombra’s head in on his legs. Sombra coughed and Dracula noticed the energy coming out of his eyes dissipated and Sombra turned his injured head towards Dracula and he said bearing heavy emotion behind them.”Dracula...is that you? I see you, brother.”

Dracula smiled and a tear rolled down his cheek and he said,”I see you too brother.”

Sombra coughs again and he says,”What happened? I feel so cold.”

Dracula says cradling his head,”You were asleep for so long. Me and our Mother were worried you were gone forever, but now we know that you are okay. But you must go away now, to a new land. But you will live on through our hearts not as a monster but as a long lost brother.”

Sombra nods as he knows what has happened. Tears fell from Dracula’s face and Sombra said moving his head to look at him,”Hey, you did what you knew was best. I was gone but I’m here now and I say this. I am sorry for all the pain I had caused, I’m sorry I was lost for so long. And I’m sorry that I have dishonored...you.”

Sombra gasped and Dracula said,”We forgive you. We all forgive you. But, it was not your fault. It was mine...had I known...if I knew…”

With his last dying breath Sombra moved his hoof over Dracula’s mouth and said,”Do not dwell on the past, focus on the future. Remember...I...am with...you...all...ways…”

Sombra fell limp as he died. At that moment Dracula cried like he had never cried before. Nothing could have prepared him for this moment. He held Sombra’s body close and in between breaths and crying he said.”I’m sorry...I’m sorry...I’m sorry.”

Tears formed in Twilight’s eyes and she no longer heard the battle outside. The battle was over and what entered the room was Celestia, Luna, Cornell, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, even all the Children of the Night. All of them had tears in their eyes. Dracula did nothing but focus on the body of his dead brother but he stopped when he heard the voice of his brother in his mind,
Do not cry brother. Tell them that I love each and everyone of them. And know that this is not my final goodbye, only a farewell for now.

Dracula says with tears in his eyes.”He says that he loves each and everyone of you. And for you all to know that this is not his final goodbye. Only a farewell. For now. We all will see him who he actually was, in the future.”

Dracula lowers his head and cries again. Twilight comes next to him and hugs him. He does nothing but cry. Dracula says,”But I am not the only one who has lost a brother this day. As I have promised you will have a little time left with him Twilight.”

Dracula choked back his tears and summoned his magic. It swirled into the lifeless body of Shining Armor and at first nothing happened but then he went into a violent coughing fit and Twilight grabbed him and said,”It’s okay Armor. It’s me. Twily.”

Armor opens his eyes and turns his head and says,”Twily?...Twily!”

Armor hugs his sister and he says,”I’m so glad to see you. Why do I feel so cold?”

Twilight winces and says,”You were controlled by Sombra and the only way to...kill him was...there was no other way...I wish...if I brought some more books...then...maybe…”

Armor lifted his hoof over Twilight’s mouth and he says,”It’s okay Twilight. I lived a good life. Had a great sister...a great wife...friends that I loved greatly.”

Armor turns and looks at Dracula and he says,”Who's that guy?”

Twilight says with tears in her eyes,”That’s Silver...he’s my coltfriend.”

Armor motioned for Dracula to come closer and Dracula kneels and he says,”You take good care of this mare...treat her right. Be sure she gets plenty of books.”

Twilight and Dracula chuckled and listened carefully.”You protect her no matter what...be the one to hold her...I wish I could have lived longer to meet you Silver...love her forever and always.”

Dracula nods and Armor turns his head towards Twilight and he says drawing his head closer to hers,”Goodbye Twily...Know that I...will always be…your...BBBFF…”

Armor gasped and breathed heavily and with his last dying breath he said,”It...was great...knowing you...Twily...tell Cadance...and tell mom and dad that I will always love them...Good...bye…”

Armor fell limp and the life from his face had gone away and his white mane was now gray and stained and his cuts stopped bleeding. His blue mane was wet and uncared for and Twilight pressed his lifeless body up against her.

She sang with great depression and sorrow,

”There was one colt that I cared for.

I knew he would be there for me.

My Big Brother Best Friend Forever.

Like two peas in a pod we did everything together.

I miss him more than I realise it seems.”

At this part every stallion and mare in the room begin to sing along in a minor key,

“Your big brother best friend forever,

you did everything together.

Your big brother best friend forever.”

They all stopped singing and started humming as Twilight began to sing the final part.

“He was my big brother best friend forever,
And now we’ll never do anything together…”

Twilight then starts crying and Dracula sits next to her and he says,”I’m so sorry Twilight.”

Twilight says in her hooves,”It’s not your fault Silver. There was nothing more you could have done.”

She lifts her head and looks at Dracula with bigs eyes and leans her head against his chest and she says,”Don’t ever leave my side please.”

Dracula embraces her and he says warmly,”I will never leave your side, this I can promise.”

Dracula continues to embrace her as he looks out one of the windows and stares at the moon. He knows this is not over yet, not while Chrysalis and Living Shadow are still alive. Their hardships were only just beginning.