It was not long before Frisk and Squirt were on the phone with Princess Luna. She and Undyne had gotten out of the Dreamscape and were now on their way to the old castle with Chara in tow. Deciding to stick together and work out a strategy, they met at the bridge pathway that led down the long, winding road towards the old sister’s former home, and sat together, looking over a plan Frisk began drawing in the dirt with a stick. Which made sense. Frisk had always spoken softly and carried a big stick.

“Did you and Chara and Undyne get a chance to peek in on what’s going on inside the castle yet?” Frisk asked of Princess Luna, looking up with his gentle eyes as Luna gave a quiet nod.

“We did a quick, hidden flyby. I’m amazed he didn’t see us. Or perhaps he did...but believes he is now so powerful we stand no chance.” Princess Luna quietly intoned, closing her deep blue eyes and shaking her head back and forth. “He’s in my old bedroom, overlooking the courtyard. Right on the bedroom’s balcony, sipping from what I sincerely HOPE...is a glass of wine.”

“It’s not. I know the type of guy he is.” Chara said with a bit of a snort. “I kinda sorta used to BE that type. It’s all edgy and classy and suave villainy. Refined evil. If we ask him what his favorite dish is, I’m sure he’d say liver with fava beans.”

“Oh, I sincerely doubt that.” Princess Luna said, wiping her brow. “Actually, it was the DRAGONS we had to worry about when it came to the Crystal Ponies being preyed on. Even before Sombra. For...well, obvious reasons.” She added with a cringe. “Which is why I was a liiittle concerned about Spike spending so much time around them. But it seems he’s overcome such temptations through sheer willpower.”

Unbeknownst to her, Spike was in the middle of a nightmare, the poor little dwaggy now being approached by two very, VERY lovely crystal Rarities who were showing off their stuff as they snuggled up to him. “Why, Spikey, my dearest darling dragon! Whatever took you so long? You KNOW we cannot shoot the latest issue of PlayPony without you!” The first insisted. “So do tell us.” She added, shaking her chest and rear as she showed off her bikini. “What do you think?”

“I-It-It l-looks, v-very...v-very nice, um...I…” Spike stammered, sweating bullets as the second Crystal Rarity got up close and personal.

“Are my lips kissably moist?” She inquired seductively, pulling her lips down slightly. “What say we forget the photo shoot.” She remarked, tossing the tripod camera way with her horn as she held up an apple and put it in her mouth, the second Crystal Rarity getting a bonfire ready. “Come on, baby! Dig in!”

“N-No, I….I’m not like that, I...I can’t!” He insisted, now DOZENS of Crystal Rarities all around him, Spike being torn between instinctive draconic desires and his love and concern for Rarity. “I...AAAAAHHHH! MAKE IT STOOOP!”

“Geez, he’s having a rough go of it.” Shinedown sighed sadly, looking over in Spike’s direction. He was wrapped up in the same kind of cocoon-like bonds of inky, foul raw power that now bound Shinedown, Trixie and Celestia to the giant heart in the center of the courtyard at the sister’s old palace. “...they ALL are, really.” He murmured, looking up at Sombra who was sipping some blood from a crystal glass...and Shinedown could see his hooves were slightly shaking. His BODY was slightly shaking as he looked at the heart, and at the prisoners now embedded deep within the heart.

Hmmmm. Something wasn’t quite right.

“You wanna come down and maybe have a talk over a nice cup of tea?” Shinedown remarked, trying to make his tone as level and calm as possible, Sombra stiffening as he looked away.

“It would be best not to. For both of us.” He intoned. “You won’t need to get to know me if all goes well.”

“You really think you’re gonna win against Frisk AND Chara AND Princess Luna? Have you not seen them in...like...ANY fight?” Shinedown inquired. “You knew you couldn’t beat Celestia in a fair fight, so you had to ambush her and tie her up to beat her!”

“There’s a word for people like you.” Trixie added, eyes glowering darkly at Sombra. “LOSER.”

“I am certain that under normal circumstances, I’d be happy to debate you on that. But these aren’t normal circumstances. I want to put an end to it. I am quite tired of not having any choice over my fate.” Sombra said, a bit of an edge slipping into his tone as Celestia blinked in surprise, suddenly realizing something.

“Have you...learned of the existence of other realms?” She inquired.

Sombra crushed the glass in his hoof and his eyes turned dark and cold, a foul miasma rising off his body. “I learned there are...thousands...of timelines. Thousands...of me. My every choice...is mapped out. Chosen ahead of time. What does it matter if you made a choice that saved the world or doomed it? There are near infinite timelines, all based on every little choice you’ve made…” He intoned, stepping off the balcony, the miasma forming a loooong stairway that led him towards the faintly pulsating black heart, cape sweeping about in the breeze as the clouds above grew darker, yet darker, the shadows cutting deeper into everyone. “...I...will not let this stand.” He growled, getting right in Celestia’s face, eyes blazing.

“It’s not your place to decide that.” She spoke quietly. “It isn’t mine. Nor Luna’s. Nor anyone’s here.”

“You have the power of Control, of DETERMINATION. And you squander it by playing the good little Glinda to your Little Ponies Dorothy.” Sombra said with a frown. “You could do so, SO much more. But you hold back. Well…” His smile was foul as he stepped back. “We’ll see if your sister holds back as well as you when I start to make you hurt. I’m going to put an end to it. ALL of it.”

“How are we going to put an end to him?” Chara asked, Squirt looking down at the schematics of the castle that Frisk had drawn out onto the ground. “He can hide in the shadows and they’re EVERYWHERE thanks to the sky darkening over. He’s got those tendrils...and of course there’s that...that OTHER power.” He cringed. “Being able to get into people’s minds, to show off their fear.”

“You are still afraid of the darkness within your heart.” Luna admitted. “And so was I. But that’s alright.”

“Because sometimes you can’t make it on your own.” Frisk said with a smile. “We’re not alone in this. We’re together. We’ll be there to pick each other up.”

"I don't like this." Undyne growled out, slamming her fist into the ground next to her, red hair flopping over, her singular eye clenched tightly shut as she seethed. "I don't like feeling...HELPLESS. And he made me feel that way in my own dreams. Like a...like some kind of scared little child! How are we going to deal with that? We have to throw him off his guard." She insisted.

“What we need is a good distraction.” Squirt reasoned. “If someone could maybe get up to that big heart thing to free Celestia and my aunt and dad, then they’d totally be able to help us win.”

Chara scratched his head. “You’re of Changeling blood, aren’t you? Can’t you, like, turn into Frisk and act as a distraction?”

"Can Changelings imitate people's ABILITIES if they want to?" Undyne asked aloud, looking intrigued as she looked Squirt over, the little yellow-eyed colt sighing.

"If we could do that easily, we'd all turn into armies of Princess Celestia and just bulldoze every single city." Squirt said with a snigger. "But no. They can't. Even Chrysalis can't imitate an alicorn's abilities, it's only a pale imitation. And I’m only half-changeling. I can change my voice and stuff, but…” Squirt trailed off, looking ashamedly away.

“I think you can do more than that.” Frisk reasoned, an idea coming to him. “Because you’re not JUST Changeling-blooded. You have HIS blood running through you. And maybe, just maybe? Part of his powers.” He stood up, clasping Squirt by his front hoofs. “Listen. Here’s the plan…”

…

…

…

...Sombra waited calmly atop the heart, eyes closed, his cape billowing out behind him as his black mane fluttered about. The clouds above had turned almost utterly black, blocking out almost all light as Sombra slowly opened up his eyes. The green and red glittered in the darkness, focusing in on Chara and Luna, the two standing tall and proud as Chara held up a knife, pointing it squarely at Sombra.

“Let my friends go.” He insisted. “Right now. And MAYBE I don’t turn you into glue.”

“Oh my, how very, very scary. A little boy with a knife and a little girl pretending to be a ruler. Whatever shall I do?” Sombra said with a small smirk, rolling his eyes as he tapped the dark, pulsating, throbbing heart below. Before their eyes, Celestia letting out a cry of horror, tendrils of inky blackness rose up from the shadows that enveloped the courtyard, shooting squarely towards Luna as her horn sparked. With a THRAAAANG like a bell being rung, the tendrils of shadow bounced off a glittering, color-of-night shield that sparkled slightly in the darkness as Sombra tilted his head ever-so-slightly, Chara shooting forward, racing through the shield.

“I TOLD you...LET THEM GO!” Chara demanded furiously.

“Not your best material, my boy. I expected someone...more.” He remarked, waving a hoof in the air, the shadowy tendrils shooting forth, Chara rolling away, then leaping up, avoiding the sweeping black tendrils as Luna continued to shield herself, cringing slightly with every blow to her protective barrier. It was quickly becoming clear that she wasn’t really able to keep this going for very long.

But Chara was dodging expertly, laughing happily as the shadows of the sky almost enveloped him. In his long-sleeve sweater and with his dirty face, he looked triumphant and giddy as he practically danced around the spiky tendrils that shot up from the blackness all around. Sombra swung his arm back and forth, sweeping inky spikes trying to slap Chara away, only for Chara to jump over them all with amazing ease.

Now Sombra looked almost impressed as he thrust both hooves forward, and the tendrils merged into giant, enormous HANDS. Luna and her shield were pulled up like an immense baseball and launched forcibly through the air, high, high up into the sky as she tumbled around, caught off guard whilst another hand tried to grab hold of Chara. Chara rolled out of the way, then leapt through the air, leaping off a cracked podium, shooting towards Sombra. “Now you’re gonna get it!” Chara proclaimed. “Come on, Sombra! Where’s all that confidence NOW?!”

Sombra leapt off the heart, spinning through the air as his eyes sparked, and his horn glowed brightly. Now a pulsating purple blast shot through the air, slamming into Chara, knocking him onto the ground as an immense clawed hand wrapped around him, Luna colliding with the ground. She groaned, staggering about, trying to get to her hooves only to be snatched up as Sombra focused, a clawed hand of raw shadow power snatching HER up, wrapping around her body as his eyes narrowed. He brought them towards him as he hopped back onto the inky black heart, shaking his head back and forth.

“I had expected better of you. Perhaps if your little friend Frisk was with you, you might have stood more of a chance.” He informed Chara, who’s head was sunk low. “...look me in the eye when I speak to you, human. It’s best to face your death with grace.” He said, a hoof reaching out…

And he stiffened. In the scuffling of Chara being tossed to the floor, there was something very clearly wrong. Chara’s skin wasn’t that distinct shade that gave away his half-Asian-American roots, and the hair was…

Sombra ripped the wig off, Frisk smiling broadly as he gave Sombra a grin. “What can I say? Squirt ain’t the only one who can do impressions.” He confessed with a wink. “All I had to do was put some dirt all over my face and hands to cover up enough of my skin, get a wig, act a bit more unpleasant and cocky…”

And at that moment, Sombra’s head whipped down, eyes wide as he saw Chara and Undyne had already tugged Celestia free, and was in the middle of tugging Trixie loose as Shinedown gasped. “Hey, he’s seen you!” He yelled out as Sombra’s eyes narrowed and inky tendrils rose up-

Only for Squirt to come barreling out of the shadows. He’d hidden well, just like his ancestor, and had found it easy to blend in the darkness. He SLAMMED into Sombra, knocking him down onto the floor below as metal armor and cape hit the courtyard’s cracked floor with a KRAKKA-KRANG, Squirt’s hooves flying as he struck Sombra again.

“Revenge! Revenge! Take that and that and that!” He yelled out, pummeling Sombra in the face over and over, Chara tugging Shinedown free from the heart as the blue-haired, dark-grey furred Earth pony clasped Chara’s hand with a hoof, blue eyes glittering.

“Ya done good, kid. Now…”

He whipped his head at Sombra as Sombra knocked Squirt off of him, his eyes turning into blazing blue stones of raw power. “Leave it to us.”

He raced forward, one hoof shooting into one of the many belt pouches he had, Sombra thrusting a hoof forward. He ducked, avoiding a sweeping tendril as the others ducked and dived out of the way, Sombra’s horn sparkling as he readied another blast-

Only for Shinedown to launch powder through the air, squarely in Sombra’s face. He howled and reeled back, clawing at his face as Shinedown twisted his body, and a powerful kick launched the unicorn squarely into a nearby podium that shattered into chunks. Celestia rose up into the air, her horn glowing fiercely as a sweeing ray of pure white energy barreled down towards Sombra, knocking him off his feet again as he tried to stand up, sending him rolling across the courtyard and into the wall.

Panting and heaving he tried to rise up, his eyes now clearly bloodied and covered in what had clearly been crystalized dust, only for Shinedown’s back hooves to kick him up into the air, Celestia holding her upper hooves up high. With a KRAKKA-THROOOM, she slammed him back down towards the ground, Luna’s horn sparkling. Now an enormous barrier popped up around her, and Sombra was sprayed over it as it sizzled and sparked and he howled in pain. Blue electricity shot through his body as he spasmed back and forth before flopping off, Chara and Frisk racing forward with their respective knives.

With a combined slice, the armor across Sombra’s body shattered, launching him back as he flopped against the wall, the pulsating black heart behind them all beginning to fade away with every single strike they leveled against him. He clearly didn’t stand a chance with all of their powers combined, and Trixie’s horn shone with powerful light as he looked up…

Trixie was now surrounded in magical armor, Undyne standing along with her as she held up a hoof.

"Tag." Undyne said with a grin, tagging her "partner" in, Trixie shooting forward, grabbing hold of Sombra and flipping backwards, Sombra letting out a cry as she shot towards the ground. There were two things Trixie was most proud of. Her illusionary skills...and her ability to perform a perfect suplex.

THRAKKA-KA-BOOOOOOOM! He slammed into the courtyard floor, Trixie leaping off and onto a nearby podium, doing a few stretches as Undyne grinned, twirling a magical spear, waiting as Sombra tried to rise up...

"PILE DRIVER!" Trixie proclaimed, landing squarely on top of Sombra's back as he let out a "BLAAAUUUGGGHHH", some teeth flying out as Trixie held up a hoof, Undyne approaching.

"Tag!" Undyne laughed, Sombra cringing just as Undyne grabbed hold of his mane.

"Oh please not the face-" He began to groan out before Undyne began to punch him squarely in the skull over and over and over with her gauntleted fist, Frisk cringing at this display of brutality.

"OUCH. Please don't noogie the Shadowlord." He murmured, flinching as Undyne then twirled Sombra around and around and around as Sombra let out a long screaming wail before he was launched clear through the air, right towards the wall. With a crack like thunder, he slammed into it, head now stuck inside it as he struggled to pull free, tugging as hard as he could as Undyne held up her hand.

"Tag!" Trixie proclaimed, Sombra finally managing to twist himself out, turning around-

"Hello!"

Seeing a cannon right in front of his face, Trixie holding up a match that had just lit up the fuse.

"And GOODBYE."

THUKKA-SCHOOOOOOOM!

Now Sombra was half-embedded in the wall, moaning in agony as his near-broken form quivered slightly, resident after resident of Ponyville being released from the inky bonds that had held them there before, with even the dark clouds above beginning to dissipate before their eyes. Rays of pure, warm sunlight were beginning to break through as Trixie shot forward and grabbed hold of Sombra, whacking him across the face again and again.

“THIS! IS WHAT! YOU GET! FOR BUCKING! AROUND! WITH MY FAMILY!” She snarled angrily before tossing him through the air, a visible tic mark on the side of her head as she quaked in pure, raw fury. Shinedown gently put a hoof on her back, Trixie taking in a few deep, careful breaths before sighing. “Sorry. I...I HATE feeling helpless when-”

“I know. You don’t have to say anything.” Shinedown said warmly, gently embracing his sister, nuzzling up to her, Undyne nodding in understanding as well.

“Aw, c’mon, Shine. How can I not talk about family when family’s all that I got?” Trixie asked, Squirt soon joining the group hug as she nuzzled his little hair, Sombra cringing as he tried to get to his hooves before collapsing in a heap, closing his eyes.

“Go on. Finish me.” He murmured out, Celestia shaking her head as Frisk began helping Asriel up, who dusted himself off and let Frisk and Chara embrace him, the horrific nightmares of his past experiences as Flowey still burned into his eyes.

“No, Sombra. You will be imprisoned and your power tempered. Tartarus will be your new home.” She proclaimed, Undyne cracking her knuckles.

"Fine by me. I woulda been fine with five more minutes alone with him, but let's get him rotting away in a cell!"

“Do you think I’ve really learned anything from this?” Sombra inquired  quietly, Asriel stiffening up as he looked over at the barely-concious Shadowlord. “...no. Kill me.”

"Don't TEMPT me." Undyne said with a dark frown as Luna shook her regal head back and forth.

“Nay. We are not going to do such an act.” Luna insisted.

“YOU do it.” Sombra said, his voice beginning to break as he looked as best he could at Shinedown, who stared in shock. “Such dirty methods...crushed glass? You have the temperament for it. You would do just about anything to win, to get what you need, to save the ones you love. End it. You know I’ll just come back. END ME.” He demanded, his body beginning to shake as Asriel suddenly found himself asking a question that shot a cold, harsh knife into everyone’s heart.

“Do you WANT to die?” He asked.

And then the knife twisted, as Sombra slowly closed his eyes...his voice barely a whisper.

“...yes.”

And now...it all made sense. Why he’d REALLY assembled everyone together. Why he’d seemed unsure about really hurting all he had left of his family. The way he’d spoken of the timelines. And Shinedown picked up on it first before the others as he asked…

“Your knowledge of the timelines made you want to die, is that it? Because you feel that since you have no free will...there’s no point in any of it?” He asked. “...you’re...you’re insane.” The Earth pony sadly realized.

“Timeline...after timeline...I asked others in dimension after dimension to kill me. But my body continues to reconstitute itself.” Sombra whispered out, his body shaking. “Nobody could kill me. I was trapped in an endless nightmare, knowing nothing I did...NOTHING I  ANYTHING I EVER COULD OR WOULD DO WOULD EVER MAKE A DIFFERENCE!”  He began to scream. “Endless timelines playing out over and over! No choice! No freedom! What POINT is there to it all?! I can’t take it! But you!” He looked around at Celestia, Luna, Frisk, Squirt, Shinedown, Trixie. “You all have Determination! Just like I do! You’re special! You could do it! You know you have to! You know I’ll just come back!” He said, his voice getting higher-pitched, desperate...sad.

“...Sombra…” Shinedown murmured mournfully.

“I’ll kill you!”

“...sir…” Frisk mumbled out, looking ashamedly away as Luna and Celestia stared at each other, biting their lips.

“I’LL KILL EVERYONE!”

Trixie cringed, Squirt looking away. Undyne herself had paled slightly, with the inhabitants of Ponyville stirred nervously amongst each other as Asriel stared sadly at this pitiful being.

“I’LL KILL EVERYONE YOU LOVE!”

“Sombra…” Undyne managed to mutter out. "...this is..."

“PLEASE! PLEAAAASE!” Sombra screamed out, the tears flowing freely down his cheeks. “I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL KILL YOU ALL!”

Asriel looked at Frisk, taking his hand. “...Frisk...what’re we going to do?” He asked quietly.

Frisk was quiet for a long time, staring at the broken, sobbing form of the Shadow Lord as Chara covered his face and sighed, shaking his head back and forth. Then, at last, Frisk made his way towards Sombra, kneeling down by him, taking a hoof.

“It doesn’t have to be that way.” He said. “We know about the other timelines too. But it’s okay, cuz we have each other, and that’s okay. It’s enough for us, and it could be for you too.”

“Everyone is always just trying to do the best they can with what they have.” Shinedown reasoned. “And the worth of things like Love and Friendship is infinite. It’s not that nothing matters. Everything matters.”

“I don’t...believe that…” Sombra managed to murmur out.

“You don’t have to right away. But we’d be willing to help you try.” Frisk offered, Sombra looking up at him, staring deep into his eyes, green into red and green, a quiet, sad wind blowing through the air as Sombra’s head finally flopped against the ground and he closed his eyes.

“...it’s too late for me…” He whispered. “I’m sorry, but...no. It’s too late. Far...far too late. With all I know, I can’t go back. Just...leave me alone.”

“...” Frisk was quiet for a long, long time. But then, at last, he stood up, and slowly turned to the others, giving them a sad look. One by one, everyone left, Frisk being left behind as he turned and looked over his shoulder.

“When you’re ready...we’ll be waiting.” He offered. “Patience is a virtue, after all.” He remarked with a small smile, and the boy headed down the road, off to join his friends.

…

…

…

...Sombra now rested against a half-broken pillar, head hung, cape torn, body ravaged and armor shattered into pieces as he hung his head. His eyes were closed, his breathing faint and shallow, voice almost raspy as he felt the form approach.

“What do you want, Chara? You haven’t got Determination. You only had a flimsy imitation...”

“No...I’m not Chara. Though I’d understand how you’d feel that way. I get that a LOT.” A voice like squishing bugs rang out, Sombra’s eyes slowly widening as he stared up in shock at the THING that was standing before him.

“Pleased to meet you! Won’t you guess my name?”