Rainbow Dash's wings worked with furious abandon, as she struggled to stay aloft. The crystal domes height didn't help nor the dead weight of the stallion she was carrying, he had said nothing to Rainbow but she was more preoccupied with her own thoughts.

"Send the Pegasus, she can do the heavy lifting. Its not like we're unicorns or anything, we can't just magick things about. That would be absurd!"

Rainbow continued to grumble to herself. She had already brought Spike to the field and found Sombra speaking intently with Twilight. He seemed to be teaching her more magic as Twilight was completely absorbed in his voice, they never even glanced at Rainbow.

"He just wanted time alone with her, that's why he sent me to get Spike and Shining Armor!" Rainbow thought angrily but her anger dissipated quickly.

"Who am I kidding? He sent me so he could have time to teach Twilight whatever it is he’s teaching her while they wait." Her body felt heavier as a sad sigh escaped her lips. "Twilight's in love with him and I should be happy that she's happy but... I just...."

Her thoughts trailed off as she reached Sombra and Twilight. They were no longer in discussion and both watched as she approached. She gently dropped Shining Armor to the ground beside Spike. Touching down, Rainbow began to walk towards Twilight when a hoof from behind stopped her.

Acting without thinking, Rainbow grabbed the hoof and pulled hard, yanking her attacker to the ground in front of her. With a flash of crimson the tip of her sword was placed at Shining Armors throat.

He looked up at her from the ground with a mad longing in his eyes. "Ive seen that look before." he said in a weak voice that was slowly growing in strength. A mad smiled joined his eyes. "The look of a killer."

Rainbow pressed the tip of her blade into his neck, exposing a single droplet of blood.

"Shadowbolt, stand down."

Rainbow Dash blinked once before stepping back. With a flourish her sword was back in its sheath. Sombra and Twilight approached the pair as Shining Armor continued to stare at Rainbow Dash.

"Shining Armor." Sombra said respectfully, the latter's head snapping up at the mention of his name."Its sad to see such a mighty unicorn brought so low. You would have made a powerful ally."

The madness in Shining Armors eyes fled as some clarity returned to him. Getting to his hooves, he turned to face Sombra, mustering all his strength to do so. "And side with a tyrant? Never!" he said with a scowl, spitting out the last word.

Sombra's eyes flashed red. "That is where you are wrong. You already serve the true tyrants." Here he leaned in close to Shining Armor, a smirk playing on his lips. "You even went so far as to bed one."

"Don't you dare mention Cadance you murderous bastard!" He yelled, stomping the ground forcefully.

"As much as I would have enjoyed killing your precious Cadance, I was asked to spare her life."

"Liar! She's dead! You killed her!"

"Oh no, sadly that was not me." Sombra said with a smile. "You see, your wife resisted my attempts to spare her, forcing somepony dear to me as well as her, to choose between us."

He glanced backwards and locked eyes with Twilight. "She chose me."

Shining Armors gaze shifted to Twilight as if just seeing her for the first time.

"Twilight? You...." His eyes widened in shock then hardened into a glare of pure hatred. "You murdered Cadance!" Shining Armor shouted at the top of his lungs.

Twilight pushed past Sombra and confronted her brother. "Yes, I did." She stepped right up to his face. "And I won't lie, it was the most difficult thing I have ever done, but she left me no choice."

Shining Armors face contorted into a rage filled sneer. "My sister would never have chosen a monster over her friends!

His face was driven down into the ground by a powerful strike from Twilight. She stood above him, eyes flooded with green. "I chose the truth!" she said in a powerful voice.

Shining Armor didn't reply, he was barely conscious and his mind was clouded by pain.

Rainbow Dash jumped back from the force of Shining Armors face impacting the ground and from the force in Twilight's voice.

Sombra quickly stepped up to Twilight and placed a restraining hoof on her shoulder. "If you kill him, we will not be able to perform the ritual."

Twilight glanced back at Sombra, her eyes completely consumed by dark magic. "Then begin."

Sombra nodded his head. "Shadowbolt, take the dragon and make haste towards the station. I will retrieve you in time."

Rainbow Dash hurriedly did as she was told, grabbing Spike in her hooves. She took off as fast as her wings could carry her.

Stepping up beside Twilight, Sombra's horn sparked with green magic, the air above Shining Armor began to ripple much like water. With a loud clang, black chains materialized from the air and coiled themselves around his body, suspending him in the air just above the ground.

He hung there in the air without the strength to even lift his head. He felt a hoof gently raise his head and despite the pain, he opened his eyes.

Twilight held his head up with a gentle hoof,but the expression on her face was anything but gentle. "You were my brother and I loved you" Purple aura began to flow from Twilight's eyes as the wind began to pick up. "Now you are merely a means to an end."

Sombra began to chant in an unintelligible language, as both his and Twilight's horns flared with magic. The wind began to howl as the day turned to night.

With the last of his strength, Shining Armor fought against his bindings but found little leeway. Twilight moved her hoof from his chin and placed it firmly on his chest as Sombra’s chanting increased in tempo.

Shining Armor felt a sharp tug in his chest, right where Twilight's hoof was. The magic in her horn sparked suddenly and he felt a more painful tug.

Fear overtook him as the tugs became more frequent and painful. In desperation he looked to Twilight. "Please Twily. Please don't do this!"

The wind abruptly died down as Twilight whispered the last word Shining Armor ever heard.

"No."

His vision turned white as an unimaginable pain consumed his entire existence, replacing all thought and sensation.

Twilight idly glanced at her brothers limp body, suspended in the air before her and then to the small ball of light she held in her hoof, a small smile playing her lips.

"Good bye BBBFF."

Raising her hoof into the air, she allowed Shining Armors soul to float skyward and be consumed by the growing Darkness above.

Her part complete she watched as Sombra finished the ritual. His voice booming across the landscape, invoking powerful magic foreign to this world. Raising his fore hooves skyward, he shouted out one final command and furiously threw down his hooves. A mighty tearing sound echoed across the plains as the sky was torn asunder by a monstrous black hole.

The ground started to shake as the ground cracked, sending pieces soaring upwards to be devoured. Twilight stumbled back and latched on to Sombra, holding onto him tightly as the world was torn apart around them. The black hole sucked up everything that could not escape its grasp, trees, animals, rock, all flew past them.

And through all this, Sombra was laughing

Rainbow Dash watched in horror as the sky was torn open by a massive black hole, directly above the Crystal City. Having retreated to the station in the wastes she and Spike were not in danger of being pulled in but she could still hear it.

A roar like a starving animal reached her ears, the sky for miles around was dark as the hole consumed the light. Fearing for Twilight's safety but unable to do anything about it, Rainbow was forced to wait and watch. She didn't have long.

The roar ceased but was replaced by a sound not akin to something breaching the water. Fixing her eyes on the sky, she could see what appeared to be something falling from the black hole. Her eyes widened in disbelief as it grew larger.

"There's no way...."

Twilight could only gaze upward in awe. A castle, no a fortress was falling from the black hole. It was massive in scope, completely overshadowing the Crystal Palace and much of the city. Its walls and towers were the colour of onyx, with soaring spires and spiked battlements. Truly it was a formidable sight.

The black hole began to seal itself just as the fortress cleared it. Twilight braced herself for the impact of such a structure but was further amazed when it held its position in the air.

Sombra's laughing ceased as he draped a hoof over Twilight and pulled her close.

"Welcome to our new home, Twilight." A wicked grin spread across his face as his eyes flashed red.

"Fortress Umbra."