The snowy winds blew hard as Sombra stared off into the abysmal terrain. A sight he dreaded to remember, the last thing he saw before heading out for his scouting mission all those years ago.

"You look silly when you zone out like that." Diane said as she approached from behind. Sombra slowly turned to look at her. He had know he was dreaming again, but this time, he didn't want to stop it. He decided to play out the events one last time.

"I-I'm simply worried about leaving." He began as he tried to recall what it was he said all those years ago. "I'm terrified something bad will happen if I go..."

"It's not like you to worry Sombra." Diane said as she circled him. "I'll tell you exactly what will happen. You are going to go, complete whatever mission that was assigned to you, and when you return we will celebrate Fetch's birthday."

"That's right...It's his birthday tomorrow isn't it?"

"Did you forget? You really need to get your head back in the game Sombra. I know your job as a soldier is important, but you're still part of this family. Don't forget that okay?" Diane said as she kissed Sombra on his cheek. He remained motionless as the mare began to walk back. He stayed still until she was out of sight before letting out a sigh.

"We...have never seen the end of the dream." Princess Luna said as she flew down. She had entered his dream like every other night, but he had always pushed it away before it had a change to take its course.

"It is painful to remember Luna." He said as he turned to face her. "Surely you can understand why I always pushed back this memory."

"Yes...We heard of what happened lastnight. About Chrysalis."

"I must admit, I was lacking. I hadn't fought a battle like that in a good while. But I did end up discovering something very interesting." Sombra said as he stepped closer. "And I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"How can We be of assistance?"

Sombra slowly opened his eyes. He was tired, but his internal clock would not allow him to return to sleep, so with a deep painful sigh he sat up. His body was sore and still bruised, but he ignored the aches as he began to get out of bed. The night before had been a rather awkward one. As he remembered correctly, he did quite a few embarrassing things in front of those mares. And thinking back, his word choice might have given them the wrong ideas on various occasions. Sombra held his head as he began to regret some of his actions.

"I am never going to drink again..." He mumbled to himself as he got up. His hooves struggled to support his weight, but after a few seconds, he managed to get them used to his movements. Over by the corner of his room his small closet remained open from the night prior. His broken armor and tattered cape laid cluttered at the bottom. He walked close to it as he began to inspect the damage. Using his magic, he picked up a random metal plating, but to his surprise, what he grabbed was his broken crown. He stared at it as the rising sun from his window reflected off the the center ruby at the top of his crown.

"Hmmm." He hummed to himself as he tore out he gem and looked at it. This ruby was the gift he was giving Fetch on the birthday he never got to see. It had been so long since he last paid any real attention to his dreams that he had all but forgotten. "I can't keep running from it huh?" Sombra asked himself as he called the voice he heard in his head during the fight with Chrysalis. "Isn't that right Diane?"

Sombra finished getting dressed in the outfit given to him. He had been quite glad he decided to switch attires or this one would have been the one destroyed instead, and he did not want to be the one to tell a seamstress that her hard work had been for nothing. Stepping out of his room, Sombra glanced around to see a very worried Twilight that was currently interrogating her dragon assistant.

"Where were you lastnight and why didn't you call me when Chrysalis showed up?!" She asked as she circled Spike.

"I-I don't know. One minute I was helping Celestia with something, next thing I know, I'm back here and the library is destroyed." He said as tried to explain himself.

"Celestia? You mean that you can't remember even coming to Ponyville with me?"

"Good morning Sparkle." Sombra said, interrupting the two from getting too agitated.

"Oh Sombra, what are you doing up? You're wounded." Twilight said as she rushed over to the limping stallion.

"None sense. Staying in bed would only burden my body. I'd rather get right to work."

"Work?"

"Indeed. I have a cottage to fix." He said as he began to make his way out, though paused to glance at the awkwardly placed curtain over the gaping hole he had created when first confronting Chrysalis. When he and the mares had returned from the forest they had helped cover it with the curtains from the windows in the library. It was during that time that Chrysalis had returned baring a small gift for them. Spike, who she had left for dead in Canterlot was given back, mostly unharmed. Everyone deserves the chance to live...right? Chrysalis said as he delivered him over.

"Don't judge him too hard..." Sombra began to defend the drake. "He was hit on the head when the wall came crushing down. He probably just has amnesia."

"I was?" Spike asked as he grabbed his head, and sure enough, there was a bruise there. "Oww!"

Sombra smile as he endulged in being quick witted. That bruise was actually from when Chrysalis had knocked him out, but it was really a nice way to save both their necks. If Twilight found out that Chrysalis had been next to her the whole time, tartarus save the changeling queen.

As Twilight began to try to look after her assistant, Sombra made his way out. "Well, at least this time it was only a single house and a wall." Sombra said as he looked around. He had already built a reputation buildings being destroyed when he was around, so having only two structures brake last night was something that could be considered 'progress.'

There was a slight limp to his walk, but he did his best to hide it, after all, he had an image to maintain. But as he strained to keep his facade up, he once again remembered how he had accidentally allowed Fluttershy and Pinkie his true feelings. Somehow he had a feeling that was going to come back to bite him in the plot, but now was not the time to think of that. He needed to make things right. It was his fault that Fluttershy was now homeless and needed to take responsibility for it. Sombra made his way to Sweet Apple Acres where he hoped to find some pony that might offer their services.

"Hey there Sombra." Applejack greeted him as he entered the property. "You seem a bit wobbly, the booze from last night giving you a hard time?"

"Something like that..." Sombra said, trying to avoid going into detail. "I was wondering if you had some materials I could purchase from you."

"What kind?"

"The building kind. I may, or may not be the cause for Fluttershy's recent homlessness..."

An awkward silence befell them as the farm pony tried to make out the situation.

"Sombra."

"Yes?"

"What in tarnation did you do lastnight."

"How much time do you have? This might take a while."

"Good Morning!" Pinkie shouted as she nudged at Fluttershy to wake her. She had stayed over at her house since she no longer had a place to stay for the time being.

"Oh, good morning Pinkie..." Fluttershy responded as she lazily sat up from her sleeping bag as she rubbed her eyes.

"Breakfast is ready, we made pancakes!" The pegasus seemed a little down as she glanced over at the pink mare.

"A-Actually." She tried to say. "I kind of wanted to see how Sombra was doing. Maybe, you know, eat together?" Fluttershy said as she blushed, hiding her face in the sleeping bag.

"Oh silly filly, why do you think I made them to go?" Pinkie asked with a sly smile as she held up a basket. "I'm worried about him too. I wanted to check up on him and I knew you'd want to too!" She shouted excitedly.

"Y-Yes, check up on him. That's right." Fluttershy said as she began to stand up. As the mare began to exit the house, Fluttershy couldn't help but think about how much her heart was beginning to race. Since last night she couldn't stop thinking about how Sombra had acted. Sure she was completely horrified of the stallion when they first met, but now he had a sort of charm to him that she had began to like.

"Say." Pinkie said, bringing her back to reality. "What was Sombra doing at your cottage last night anyway?"

"Oh, I don't really know. He woke me up and told me to come with him. By the time I got up Chrysalis had arrived and the fight began. I spent most of my time running and hiding, so I'm not sure why exactly he came to me..." Fluttershy said as she too began to wonder what his intentions were. "Well, at one point he did mention how he needed me around to fight. That I gave him some sort of strength."

"What!?" Pinkie blurted out, but quickly covering her mouth as she realized she had screamed. "I mean, he said that?"

"Yeah. I'm not exactly sure what that meant though."

"I-I don't know either..." Pinkie said as she looked down. Her sudden cheerfulness dissipated slightly as she began to think about the situation more and more. Does Sombra like Fluttershy? She asked herself as she glanced over at her. She had began to greet some butterfly who were passing by. I mean, why wouldn't he? Fluttershy is very pretty and nice and nurturing.

The rest of the way to the library was rather quiet for the pink mare as she began to doubt her own relationship with Sombra. But he had said I was the best thing that happened to him... Pinkie was so caught up in her own though she had almost walked into the library's door, only stopped when Fluttershy knocked on it. It didn't take very long until someone opened it, and though they hoped for Sombra, they got Twilight.

"Oh hello girls." The alicorn said with a smile. "What brings you here?"

"Hi Twilight, we're here to check up on Sombra. We even brought him breakfast, right Pinkie?"

"Oh, uh right!"

Twilight sighed as she opened the door all the way. "Sorry, you just missed him. He said he wanted to go out and fix a cottage. By any chance, he wouldn't be referring to yours, would it Fluttershy?"

"Uh...Maybe." She responded as small sweat drops began to trail down her head.

"What exactly happened lastnight?" Twilight asked as she stepped close to the mares.

"Well..." Pinkie began. "How much time you got?"