The morning following my conversation with Luna, I was released from the hospital. Since I had no means of carrying every gift I had been given nor could I possibly eat every piece of chocolate without first dying, I told the staff to give it to whoever needed it most. On my way out, more than a few nurses and doctors attempted to wrap me up for one last embrace. Thankfully, by that point, I had regained much of my strenght and kept them away from me with a thick shield.

Stepping outside, I was happy to see who was there to greet me.

“You’re looking better.”

Twilight Sparkle smiled at me and I returned the gesture.

“Considering I’m in fewer pieces than before, I would agree with that. What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to pick you up.”

“Why? I’m capable of walking.”

By her downcast look, I knew I should have tried to read between the lines before speaking. Only problem was, I was terrible at most everything involving basic emotions.

I said, “I mean… am I not still living with Fluttershy?”

She rubbed a hoof into the ground. “You could. I’m sure she wouldn’t object to you staying there again, but…”

“Discord?”

“Yeah.” She sighed. “She’s still sad about him leaving and saying all those things. I know she wants him back and I really don’t know what to tell her. I know you wouldn’t say anything to upset her, but I think you might just remind her of him.”

I said thickly, “Please don’t tell me you think Discord and I bear any resemblance.”

She shook her head. “No, Sombra, not like that. More that you both used to be bad and are recovering from it. While I don’t think Fluttershy would say anything like that—she’d be too shy to say how she really felt—I think it’d be better if you gave her some space.”

I nodded. As much as I had enjoyed spending time with Fluttershy along with her easygoing mannerisms, I didn’t want to damage our relationship if I could. That still left one giant question in the air.

“So where will I stay? I really don’t want to stay in Applejack’s barn.”

Twilight grew red in the face. “Well, I was thinking you could stay with me.”

“Oh?” I grinned, perhaps a bit too wide.

“In one of my spare bedrooms.”

“Oh.”

Twilight said hurriedly, “I mean, only if you want to. I just thought it made sense since it would keep you closer to town, and I know practically everyone in Ponyville will be needing help over the next little while, considering that whole dragon incident.”

I thought for a moment. “I’m still helping around town?”

She smirked. “You thought saving the town once gave you a free pass? Maybe after ten. Plus, you still don’t have a job or any income.”

“I didn’t know I was looking for a job. What would I be good at? I’m good at ruling, anyone could tell you that… although most of my references would be dead.” Then a candle lit up in my brain. “I know, Twilight, I could be the next ruler of Ponyville!”

“Mayor.”

“Okay, the next ‘mayor’ of Ponyville!”

Twilight put a hoof to her temple. “That’s a bad idea, Sombra.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re not ruthless enough for politics.”

“I don’t like this, Twilight. I’m uncomfortable and itchy and I don’t want to be here.”

Twilight pursed her lips. “It’s amazing how childish you can be, given the fact you’re over a thousand years old.”

I shut my mouth, though internally I continued to whine and complain. It was all I had going for me at the moment.

I gulped dryly and followed close behind her, the suit jacket I had donned for the evening feeling as if it were strangling me. Having gone so long without clothes, the fabric clinging tight to my body felt claustrophobic and just plain terrible. Or maybe I only felt that way because of who I’d be spending the next few hours with.

We stopped outside a large set of white doors and waited to enter. Two guards holding spears stood idle beside us.

I shuffled nervously from side to side. “Why can’t you tell them I’m sick? Or better yet, why can’t we get food somewhere else and go back to your castle?”

“Because that’s not good manners, Sombra. And because the only reason we’re here at all is because of how you handled that dragon. Cheer up. Remember, this is a reward.”

I wanted to explain to her the difference between rewards and punishments, but decided to silently pout instead. Twilight would be my only saving grace that night, so I’d better try my best not to annoy her.

Twilight turned to me, her hair done up in an array of hoops and curving waves. “How do I look?”

A few evenings prior, Rarity had outfitted her with a dress of varying textures and colors. I couldn’t explain dresses back at the Gala and I haven’t bothered to learn since. But I do know what looks good to me and what doesn’t.

I spent a moment taking her in. “You look beautiful, Twilight, but that’s something I’ve always thought, with or without a dress on.”

Twilight smiled. “I think you look nice, too. Although I wish you’d have let Rarity fix you up with something with a bit more color. Remember, you’re supposed to be showing everyone that you’ve changed since your old days.”

“But black matches my coat. And from what I hear, it’s slimming.”

From a small murmur on the other side of the doors, Twilight spun around and regained her composure. “You know what else would be slimming? If you ate fewer cookies at night.”

And here I thought I’d been sneaky during my midnight treks. “I never said I was perfect. We all have our vices that get us through the day.”

She giggled. “Okay. So if you can make it through tonight without embarrassing yourself or starting a war, you can have all the cookies you want.”

I scoffed. “I’m not one of your little magic-class attendees, Twilight. You can’t just buy me off like that.”

“We’ll see.”

The doors in front of us parted open and the golden light from the larger room’s many chandeliers enveloped us instantly. I had felt better talking with Twilight, but now my unease came back in force. It was like a surgeon had grabbed my innards and given them a spin.

As we entered the lavish dining room and found our place by the table, a guard standing next to the door read from a levitating scroll, announcing each guest.

“Princess Celestia, ruler of all of Equestria and controller of the sun! Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, ruler of the Crystal Empire and Princess of Love! Prince Shining Armor, ruler of the Crystal Empire and Captain of the Royal Guard! Princess Twilight Sparkle, ruler of the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom and Princess of Friendship! And…”

He flipped the scroll around, searching for any hidden text.

“…Sombra.”

I put a hoof to my head and grunted my disgust. They honestly couldn’t have read my name first?

Celestia stood at the head of the table, sly smirk always the ready. She nodded to each of us in turn. “Thank you all for coming. Please, be seated.”

I watched Shining Armor pull out Cadence’s chair before she sat down. By the way he kept his head lowered, it seemed as though he were trying to ignore the fact I was alive at all.

“Allow me, Twilight.”

I sidled up beside her and pulled out her chair. A tad bemused, Twilight took the offer and shuffled to the table. Closest to Celestia sat Twilight, opposite of Cadence, meaning the space in front of me was taken by Shining.

As I took my seat and neatly rearranged my silverware to my liking, I noted Shining fixing me with a curious expression. His eyes darted from mine to Twilight’s in rapid succession. Suddenly, I smelled the mild aroma of fear in the room.

Twilight hadn’t mentioned a word of me to Big Brother Best Friend, had she?

I gave him my friendship face. It didn’t seem to be in working order.

As Celestia spoke, a servant came around to fill every glass with wine. “So tell us, Sombra. How was it you were able to best that dragon in Ponyville? I hear it was quite the ordeal.”

I leaned back in my chair, levitating my cup to me. If I had to sit here and pretend to enjoy the company of three idiots with too many titles to their names, I might as well be drunk while doing so. “It was nothing, really. I had an idea to drop a rock on its head and that was enough to make it leave.”

Shining cut in, “You could have tried reasoning with it, you know, instead of moving straight to violence. Although I’m not surprised, given who I’m talking to.”

Cadence nudged him in the side. “Be nice, Shining. He saved a lot of ponies’ lives doing what he did.”

I finished half my glass. “Well, I can’t take all the credit. Twilight and her friends helped tremendously, as well.” I placed my hoof overtop Twilight’s on the table.

Noticing the gesture, Shining choked on his wine. “So how do we know it wasn’t you that brought that dragon into town?”

I laughed. “I think if I had set all that into motion, it would have ended better than a three week stay in hospital. And unlike most, I don’t go out of my way to seek the approval of everyone possible.”

Another servant came around to place a fresh garden salad on each plate. By this point I knew better than to ask if this was the salad portion of the evening or the main course. Knowing the limitations of vegetables, they’d both be close to the same.

Cadence nibbled on a carrot. “Well, I think what you did was very brave, Sombra. And from what Twilight’s been telling me, you’ve improved tremendously since I last saw you.”

“That’s very nice of you to say, Cadence.”

Shining turned to her, “Since when did you and Twilight become pen pals? You never told me about that.”

“It’s nothing, Shining. Only girl talk.”

“What kind of girl talk?”

“You know I can’t tell you that. That’s something that’s strictly between Twilight and I.”

Shining turned to me slowly, his curiosity replaced with rising anxiety. I rubbed Twilight’s leg on the table and felt the tension in the room expand to fill each and every inch of space.

When Twilight noticed her brother’s glare, she pulled her leg out from mine.

That was all right. The hook had been sunk. Now I only needed to pull back the line.

I asked him, “How fares my old kingdom, Shining? Do you find the stress of ruling an entire Empire taxing?”

Shining settled down and focused on his food. “There has been nothing but peace and prosperity since you left. Ponies are happy again, and the Empire is doing very well under our combined leadership.”

I turned to Cadence. “Is that true?”

She nodded. “More or less. Most of our city’s income comes from tourism, though. A lot of ponies are still interested in visiting a thousand year old lost city.”

“Well, I for one would love to pay it a visit again.”

Cadence stared at her salad. “I… don’t think our subjects would be ready for that yet.”

Shining leaned across the table. “I would never let you set a single hoof back inside the Crystal Empire.”

“I don’t think you could stop me if you wanted to. I’ve been pardoned of my past crimes, remember?”

Shining sat back down, silently simmering.

Cadence, meanwhile, seemed completely unaware. “Sombra, I had always wanted to ask, what would you have done if you weren’t defeated by all of us all those years ago?”

Twilight tensed. “I don’t think that’s a good dinner topic, Cadence.”

I waved a hoof. “It’s fine, Twilight. It’s also something I think about from time to time.” I paused. “I guess it would have been business as usual, mostly. Crystals and slaves and all that fun stuff.”

Cadence nodded, clearly invested. “And what would you have done with all of us?” She giggled. “I can just imagine it: rusty cells and watery gruel, Shining and I consoling each other in bleak and utter despair, using the love between us to see us through our plight.”

I shook my head and chuckled. “Oh, no. Nothing like that, I’m afraid. Painful torture followed by a very drawn-out public execution. That’s what would have happened to you. Wouldn’t want slaves thinking they could—”

I looked under my chair and found one of Twilight’s legs painfully ramming into mine.

“Why are you kicking me? Was there a spider on my leg?”

Twilight shut her eyes. “Let’s talk about something else, all right?”

A few courses later and it felt as though I had told Cadence and Shining my entire history since returning from the dead. Try as I might to seem less ancient and moronic than I was, anytime I slipped away from the truth, Twilight chirped in to remind everyone what had actually happened. It wouldn’t have been so bad, really, except every time I mentioned one of my painful deaths or close calls, Shining would snort and laugh until food particles sprayed all over the table. By Cadence’s less enthused reaction to her husband’s display, I had a feeling Shining wouldn’t be seeing the “Love” portion of her title for some time.

I watched Celestia for a moment, carefully hovering a half-empty wine glass near her head. It looked as though she was enjoying the company.

I said to her, “I’m surprised Princess Luna is not here with us, Celestia. I can only assume it is due to her night-time duties?”

She nodded slowly. “You would be correct, Sombra. And perhaps for a few reasons more.”

A few minutes later, the main course arrived and although it was roasted and didn’t resemble a vegetable completely, one bite told me that’s all there was to it. Since I was still trying to appear polite for Twilight’s sake, I chewed it all without tasting a thing.

“Oops.”

Twilight knocked her fork from the table and I caught it before it hit the floor. I gave it back to her.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Twilight.”

I heard some excited squeak come from Cadence’s direction. Looking up, I found her head propped up on one hoof, eyes glazed over and staring at either Twilight or me. By her obnoxious smile, she must have been joyous beyond measure.

Shining caught on. “Why do you keep staring at them like that?”

Cadence clapped her hooves together gleefully. “Because it’s cute, Shining! It’s adorable!”

He grimaced. “I hope you’re referring to Twilight, dear, because that’s the only possible adorable thing on that side of the table.”

Cadence rolled her eyes. “You really need to calm down, Shining. What’s in the past is in the past.”

“Less than an hour ago, he said he’d have killed us if we hadn’t stopped him.”

“But we did stop him! And either way, I was referring to Twilight and Sombra. Aren’t they just the cutest pair?”

“What are you…” he mumbled out before becoming silent.

All eyes found Shining’s as his mind worked toward an answer he had no desire to reach. From one pony to the next, he looked, searching for anyone that could offer him some clarification. He hitched in a quick breath while I prepared myself to move, should the lantern-jawed brute suddenly charge for me.

He blinked rapidly. “You two are…”

While I grinned wickedly, Twilight blanched.

Cadence rubbed one of Shining’s shoulders. “I thought you’d be happy, Shining. Didn’t you always want Twilight to find someone?”

He said thickly, “Yes, Cadence. Someone, not something.”

Twilight pointed a leg at her brother. “Now, let’s not say anything we’ll regret later, okay? Everyone just settle down.” She moved her leg towards Cadence. “And I never said there was anything between Sombra and I. At the moment, we’re good friends… and maybe—” She stopped and shut her eyes. “It’s nothing to get riled up about.”

I lowered in my chair, hurt from the category I had been placed in. While it was true that Twilight and I had never admitted anything to each other out in the open or had made anything official, I had thought we’d gone much further than that. Perhaps it was only because her brother was so close to boiling over.

Shining grumbled, “Whatever happened to Flash Sentry?”

“Things didn’t work out between us,” Twilight answered. “It was an unstable relationship, to say the least.”

“Last I heard he was stuck in the medical wing here. Was Sombra the cause of that?”

When no one answered his question, he exhaled loudly.

“Am I the only one that has a problem with this?” He turned to Celestia. “Celestia, please tell me you can’t agree with all this? This is insane!”

Celestia fixed him a cool stare. “I don’t need to agree with anything, Shining. What Twilight does in her personal life is none of my business, and it is none of yours. Think and act as you will, the final decision is wholly up to them.”

Shining huffed again. “Cadence, you’ve been gushing all night already. How can you possibly think Sombra and my own sister would work out?”

She said plainly, “Because he’s trying his best, Shining. He’s trying to improve. Not everyone starts off doing their best, but if we give them room to grow, why can’t they become something better? And isn’t the combination of good and ex-evil just so adorable?”

“No.”

“Well, that’s too bad, Shining. It’s not up to you.” She turned to Celestia. “You ever thought of giving Discord another chance?”

At the question, Celestia gulped loudly and set down her wine glass. She tried to smile back thinly. “Let’s try a different topic. A less invasive one, perhaps.”

Each plate that was brought before me, I stared at blankly and then chewed at until it was gone. I felt full but not sated in the least. And from the other side of the table, there was still that lingering smell of fear.

Since unveiling the possibility that a relationship could arise between Twilight and I, Shining had kept his mouth shut and his eyes focused on the space between his sister and me. I will admit he put up a good front, but he couldn’t mask every bit of his apprehension, especially when it was obviously out of his control.

Bored and listless, I wanted to do something to spice up the event, but I also didn’t want to make a scene in front of Twilight.

Then I had an idea.

Pointing my horn ever so slightly in Shining’s direction, I gave to him a small film that would be for his eyes only. The mock vision would appear so real and so clear, he would have no hope of differentiating it from the truth. It was an old technique I had used time and again to torture those beneath me—like some nightmare during the day. But I didn’t believe this one would be as messy.

As the real me ate the chocolate dessert presented to each of us, the film Sombra edged his chair closer to Twilight’s. When in range, he whispered something to her that made her giggle into a hoof. Already Shining was preparing to vacate his seat.

“Twilight? What is he saying? Stop giggling at whatever he’s saying!”

The film Sombra flashed him a quick glance and then returned back to Twilight, where he smoothly pulled her in close to kiss along her neck. Shining shoved his chair aside to stand by the table.

“Get away from her right this minute!” he yelled, in his standard authoritative voice.

In the real world, devoid of horny Sombras, I stared at him casually, as did everyone else at the table. I turned to Cadence. “I think your husband has cracked.”

She tried to tug on one of his legs. “He’s usually a lot gentler than this.”

Back in Shining’s vision, Sombra finished his business along Twilight’s neck and upended a few of her utensils onto the floor. Pulling out his chair, he brought the table linen up and prepared to kneel.

Shining asked loudly, “Now what are you doing?”

The other Sombra paused for a moment. “Some of Twilight’s silverware has fallen to the floor—right below her chair, if I’m not mistaken. Give me a moment and I’ll fetch it for her.” By the slight smirk I gave my other self, Shining must have thought he had something completely different on the mind.

He said sternly, “Don’t you dare.”

“But I do dare.”

That was when the other Sombra disappeared under the table.

In the real world, all four guests watched in muted shock as Shining dived under his side of the table, roughly clipping his horn as he went. Since I had stopped the spell the moment he pounced, he came to a halt the moment he found no trace of Sombra to destroy.

“Cadence?” he said quietly, still hidden under the table.

“Yes, sweetie?”

“I think I’m ready to call it a night.”

“That sounds good, Shining. Now please come out from there.”

Feeling satisfied, I gulped my latest glass of wine and watched the reddened stallion reappear and glance to each of us perplexed. I knew he wanted to say more, but thought another day might prove better. With any luck, I wouldn’t be invited to dine with the couple anytime soon.

That was when a strong magical force pulled at my head, directing me to the balcony that sat beyond a set of glass doors well behind Celestia’s chair. It was clear someone wanted to speak with me.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I told Discord. I stepped onto the balcony and cautiously eyed up the lithe creature.

As he leaned against the stone railing, he held something fluffy and dark in one hand. “You shouldn’t be here, either. I thought your time in Canterlot was over?”

I ignored the question. “Say what you want and then go.”

He turned and held a hand out to me, displaying the object he’d been holding. It looked like some stuffed black sock with bits of paper for eyes, along with one curved red horn that might have once been part of a pepper.

He asked, “You like it? I’ve had a lot of time to myself recently, so I’ve taken up the hobby of voodoo dolls.” He set it on the railing. “This one is you. And here’s Fluttershy. And here’s Rarity. And…”

He unloaded a dozen or so figures before running out. He picked the miniature Sombra back up and held it close to me. “That’s how I was able to turn your head. Isn’t that neat?” He pushed a finger against the doll’s cheek and it felt like a whole hand was pushing against mine. It was far beyond creepy.

“Stop with your distractions, Discord, and say what you will. The fact that I’m even listening to a single word you have to say is simply foolish of me.”

He grinned. “And yet here you are. Maybe you’re just a glutton for punishment, you ever think of that?” He sighed. “Okay, then. Two words: Lu Fish.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Lu Fish. It’s a type of fish.”

I glared at him. “I’ve reasoned that out for myself, thanks. But what does that have to do with anything? I’m… forcibly a vegetarian these days.”

He giggled. “Oh, no. You don’t eat a Lu Fish. Goodness, no! You’d become paralyzed and die within minutes—which is why it’s so sought after to begin with.”

I didn’t like where this was going.

He wrapped an arm around me and I concentrated on my horn, hopeful that Twilight’s spell might actually work.

He continued, “I’ve spent the last few weeks wandering around with next to nothing to do, and during that time I’ve learned a few things from wayward travelers, including a new type of poison that only a small band of monsters use. All originating from that little fish.” He pulled at his wispy beard. “They have silently killed dozens already; the cure hard to come by and to administer in time. From what I hear, their targets have been small so far, lower ranking officials and heads of successful businesses, but I fear they will soon try something a little more dangerous.”

I shoved his paw off my shoulder. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I fear for Fluttershy, and I fear for the rest of them. The six of them have made themselves a name in this world, and there will always be some out there that will try and bring them down, however they can. I only want you to keep them safe.”

I shook my head. “You know there’s no chance I can believe a single word you tell me.”

He smiled at me faintly, eyes red and worn. I could tell he’d been crying recently. “That’s all right. Just as long as you know. The odds of it happening are more than slim, I will admit, but the chances of it happening during Twilight’s long, long life are quite possible indeed.”

I asked bluntly, “What does that mean?”

He turned his back to me to watch the stars. “Call it the price of immortality. Her five friends might live their whole lives without such an incident, but Twilight will live on forever, and a lot can happen in that time. More than you’d want, I’d imagine.”

He hitched in a breath and put a hand over his face. “Just promise me you’ll look after them, okay? I… still care about them, you know. I only have trouble showing it sometimes.”

I took a step towards him, a mix of hatred and pity in my chest. “You could still apologize, Discord. They would take you back, I’m sure. If they invited me into their lives as readily as they did, I can’t see them saying no to you if you were sincere.”

He breathed out heavily. “You’re probably right, but that is something I’m not ready for. Maybe when things have cooled down. Right now, I need some time to think and put things in perspective. I only wanted you to know what challenges you may face, becoming close friends with the Elements of Harmony.”

I licked my dry lips, odd words on my tongue. “Then I thank you for the warning, Discord. You must know I would do anything for Twilight, as well as those close to her.”

He turned his tearstained face to me. “I know you would. And that’s why you’re much better than me.” Then he brought his fingers to his face and snapped away.

“Who are you talking to, Sombra?”

Twilight entered the long balcony, glancing around for someone.

“Only to myself, Twilight. It helps me think when I need to.”

She motioned to the stone railing. “And whose ruined socks are those?”

I had nothing for that one. “I have no idea.”

She smiled at me warmly, and in that moment I knew what I told Discord to be true.

I would do anything for her.

Author's Notes:

Sad to say, but it looks as though we've reach another conclusion. The next chapter will be the last for this arc. But I wouldn't worry. Knowing how I ended the first part, the closing events shouldn't be dark or depressing or unsatisfying in the least. Yep. Those are sure some words there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4mY4FHyT80