It was an unspoken, yet undeniable thought that both Twilight and all her friends had amongst themselves lately; that them riding on trains never led to anything good. It had been a long time since they'd first left the station of Canterlot, heading immediately north at the request of Princess Celestia. Barely a few days had passed since they had first arrived in their capital to attend Shining and Cadence's wedding, and already, they had been called away for something of great importance. Needless to say, there was some level of annoyance at this, though none would say it. Even so, the knowledge that they were journeying yet again into a dangerous situation had them all on edge, even Twilight, despite her foreknowledge. It was, expectedly, another silent journey, with the only real sounds being that of the train itself, and the sound of hooves upon the floor of the carriage, as Rainbow Dash was busying herself by pacing up-and-down the place. In time, Rarity turned to her, giving a look of irritation at her behaviour, and once Rainbow saw that look, she immediately put on an apologetic look and got back into her seat next to Fluttershy. As for Twilight herself, her mind was hard at work, thinking over what it was that she planned to do. She knew it was dangerous, and a serious risk, but even so, as she'd told herself, if there was a chance, she had to take it.

But, as her mind thought over that matter, her eyes never strayed from her window, out of which she gazed upon the changing landscape of Equestria. While they had started out in the mountainous regions near Canterlot, that had soon given way to many open fields. However, the further north they went, the less green those fields had become, and, more importantly, the number of small towns, villages and even ponies had shrunk with it. Looking up, Twilight could not help but notice how grey and overcast the skies were becoming as they continued on their journey, and, soon enough, she saw the first of what she already knew she'd see here; flakes of snow. Those continued, and in greater numbers, the further they travelled. Eventually, the once-green fields had now given way entirely to vast snow-plains, with a veritable blizzard swirling around their train, much to the concern of her companions. It was getting rather difficult to see anything out of the window at this point, so much so that Twilight eventually resigned herself to just looking to the ground of her carriage. Thankfully for her, she did not have to do this for long, as she heard the distinct sound of the train's brakes now being used. She could feel the whole vehicle slowing down, eventually coming to a full stop, and thus, finally got out of her seat before starting to walk towards the carriage exit, with her friends close behind her.

As soon as those doors opened, Twilight, Spike and all her friends were greeted with a sudden and icy blast of wind, causing many of them to shiver massively. Twilight looked to them, trying to give them an encouraging look, but it was clear that none of them were happy with this situation. Sighing, Twilight instead got back to the matter at hoof, stepping out of the train carriage and gazing upon their surroundings. A vast, icy wasteland, as far as the eye could see. Why anypony would build a train stop here in the middle of nowhere, where no Empire had existed since before trains were even invented, Twilight couldn’t say. Still, it was convenient, so it had that going for it at least. And so, Twilight, Spike and the other mares started on their journey, walking to the edge of the train stop and hopping off it, before starting to make their way further north, right in the middle of the blizzard. As one might have expected, it was a difficult period, with many struggling to see more than five feet ahead of them. They'd shield their eyes from the oncoming snows, but still be chilled to the core from the sheer cold of the winds that blew on them. But, Twilight kept on moving, with her friends doing their best to keep up. Eventually, she stopped, and began to see a figure in the snowy gloom before her. At first she narrowed her eyes, but then broke out into a smile once the figure became clearer.

"Shining!"

Sure enough, it was indeed her brother, Shining Armour, who, unlike the rest of them, had actually come dressed for the weather, wearing not only a long scarf but also a pair of snow goggles. That latter, he soon removed, as he looked upon his beloved sister and broke out into a smile. The two siblings approached one another and, while it had not been long since the last time, nevertheless embraced one another. It was a heart-warming sight, and one that Twilight's friends couldn’t help but smile at. Even so, the two siblings soon parted from one another, with Shining looking upon her with a more serious expression.

"I'm glad you're here, sister. Cadence has been struggling to help the Empire since it returned."

Twilight's own smile faded upon hearing that, after which she returned her brother's serious look.

"Then we'd better not waste any time. Let's go."

Shining nodded at that, as indeed did all of Twilight's friends, and it was mere moments later that the group resumed their journey, with the older stallion himself now leading the way. It was a long journey, so much so that they did not know how much time had passed since they'd started. All they knew was that this snowstorm they were in was getting worse every minute, much to the chagrin of Twilight and her friends. Spike had actually resorted to blowing the occasional spark of fire form his mouth in an effort to warm himself and those around him, but it did little good. Eventually, through squinting her eyes a great deal, Twilight began to see, at long last, a faint light ahead, which she knew from her memories was the Empire itself. Although she broke out into a smile at this, that expression was short-lived, as a new sound could be heard over that of the blizzard. The entire group stopped, as they too had begun to hear it, and were now darting their heads about in an effort to find the source. But, all they saw around them was snow, snow and even more snow, leading to many concerned looks amongst them. Then, the sound could be heard again, almost like a ghostly wail, much to their distress. Eventually, it was Rainbow Dash who finally stepped forward and spoke up.

"Okay, what in the name of Faust is that?!"

Shining turned, looking upon them and frowning slightly.

"I know it sounds crazy...but we think it's that old unicorn king that used to rule this place. Sombra."

Needless to say, that earned many fearful looks from the group, barring Twilight herself, who merely kept her usual determined look in her eyes. Now knowing the risks of being out there, the group, as one might expect, upped the pace and began to head on faster towards the light of the Empire in the distance. But, when it looked as if they were finally within a stone's throw of the place, they stopped, hearing that ominous howl once more. All together, they turned, and then they did, their eyes widened in horror. For at last, something could be seen clearly through the snowy blizzard, though it was hardly something they'd want to see. A shadow, seemingly as vast as a mountain, washing over the snowy plains before them, charging forward like a great tidal wave. The ponies looked on, ever fearful, even more so when they gazed at it and believed, just for a moment, that there were eyes within that darkness. No words were spoken, merely action, as all eight of them immediately charged in the opposite direction, heading straight for the safety of the Empire. On and on they ran, only occasionally looking behind them, seeing that darkness rush ever closer. But then, there was Twilight, who not once showed an ounce of fear in all this. She waited, watching as her friends drew closer to the Empire, before finally doing the unthinkable; she stopped running.

She stayed utterly still, watching as her friends, Spike and brother ran off without her, not knowing she had fallen behind. Instead, she turned, seeing the shadow loom large over her, and did not falter before it. But, it was only now that somepony finally notice what she was doing, as Shining turned to look behind him, gazing with horror at his sister standing still before the great shadow, and it was not long before he too stopped running. Immediately, he spun around, charging back towards her, clearly in an effort to save her. Twilight, hearing his calls to her, turned around to see him approach. But, her eyes narrowed, and her horn glowed, and before long, Shining was bathed in the aura of her magic, moving him via levitation back where he had come from, no matter how hard he struggled. He called out to her, begging for her to run, but all Twilight could do was offer her brother a soft smile, which then faded as she turned once more to the shadow. She looked upon it, utterly fearless, as it rose higher and higher, before finally charging down. Shining, Spike and all of her friends called out, screaming for her to run, but she did nothing but remain where she was. Closing her eyes, Twilight silently waited for the darkness to wash over her, and in mere moments, it did, cutting her off from her brother, her son, and all of her friends.

Twilight did not know what awaited her within that darkness, but her best guess was that it would be painful. And yet, that was not what she felt here. Instead, as she opened her eyes, she found herself surprised that there was literally nothing around her. No light. No sounds, with even the blizzard itself finally silenced. And, above all else, there was nopony but her. She turned, looking around her, but continuing to see nothing but a deep blackness all around. Her eyes narrowed, and she began to walk, perhaps expecting to come across some kind of barrier, or edge to this strange realm she'd found herself in. Instead, this place just kept going on and on, as if stretching out forever. As was expected of a mare like Twilight, who often strived to understand the world around her, such unexplained occurrences were not something she enjoyed being a part of, and soon enough, the sheer lack of anything going on around her led to her frowning somewhat. But, it was at this moment that something did happen, as a sudden chill ran through her. It was not the cold of the blizzard winds beyond, but a different kind of chill. One she knew all too well; it was the sense of somepony of terrible power drawing near. Assuming a defensive stance, she narrowed her eyes further, waiting for some kind of attack. Instead, she heard a voice, deep and menacing, and yet one she nevertheless knew.

"Well...what do we have here?"

Trying to keep herself as calm as possible under the circumstances, Twilight took a deep breath before speaking up.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle...and I've come on behalf of Princess Celestia."

The mention of that name caused the still-unseen Sombra to let out a low growl.

"Celestia. So...you've come to finish what your oh-so great mentor could not?"

Twilight looked around, still trying to make out where the dark stallion could be.

"She would have me battle you, yes. However...I'm hoping we can come to some sort of peaceful end to this."

"You will be disappointed," Sombra replied.

The young unicorn started to frown at that.

"Sombra...we don't need to fight here today. You don't need to go back to what you did a thousand years ago. Just...let the crystal ponies be."

Upon hearing that, the dark lord let out a dry and hearty laugh, much to Twilight's chagrin. But, when it finally died down, she looked on with shock to see something finally emerge from the darkness before her. The face of a stallion, with a jet-black made and eyes a sickly-green. His horn was as red as blood, and he looked upon her with an evil grin.

"I will grant you this much...you're a bold one. Not many would come to face me alone, knowing what I've done."

When he finished, speaking, Twilight's expression softened somewhat.

"I know...far more than that."

For a moment, Sombra actually looked taken aback by those words, but the moment was short-lived, as he simply let out a brief cackle before his face moved forward. Twilight had to fight every urge in her body so as to not take a step backwards at his approach, and so it was that she kept her ground, with her enemy now within a few short feet of her. He stared right into her eyes, as if trying to gaze upon her very soul, but even so, Twilight did not flinch. Many minutes passed as this silence prevailed, and as it persisted, Sombra's expression turned to confusion as he looked to her. Eventually, he frowned towards her.

"You intrigue me, young one. During my time, I have looked into the hearts and minds of many ponies...seen their darkest fears...their very nightmares. But you? I cannot sense your thoughts, your hopes, dreams. I can feel...nothing from you."

Despite the seriousness of all this, Twilight's couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"You're not the first time I've been able to keep somepony powerful from entering my mind."

Although clearly annoyed at not being able to use his trademark abilities on her, Sombra nevertheless seemed quite jovial about the whole thing.

"Very well then, Twilight Sparkle. In that case...do tell me what you claim to know about me."

Twilight sighed, conjuring forth those memories of the time when she had discovered more than what she'd ever expected to. Opening her eyes again, her expression was a soft one.

"I know what I've been told. A powerful unicorn king, so dark in his heart that he sought to rule over all around him. You took over the Crystal Empire. You enslaved the crystal ponies. And, had it not been for Celestia and Luna, you would have done far worse than that."

Sombra narrowed his eyes somewhat, clearly not liking having to be reminded of his great defeat. However, he kept quiet as Twilight carried on.

"I also know...other things. Things nopony else is alive to know. A young colt...all alone in the snow...taken in by the Empire he would one day control."

Upon hearing that, Sombra's dismissive look disappeared, replaced instead by genuine surprise and curiosity. He looked to Twilight, seeing no trace of deception or trickery in her as she continued speaking.

"They looked after him...took him in when he had nopony else. He spent his life in that Empire, living amongst them...and then he betrayed them."

The steel with which Twilight had spoken those last few words was clear, and it cut deep into Sombra, as his face charged forward, now barely an inch from Twilight's, with him snarling fiercely as he did so.

"I WAS THE ONE WHO WAS BETRAYED!!!"

Twilight held her ground, not flinching even a tiny bit from this verbal assault. Realising that he'd momentarily lost control of his emptions, Sombra took a moment to compose himself, clearing his non-existent throat before speaking up again.

"That...wretched crystal heart of theirs. It...did things to me. It hurt me, even as a child. Every year, on the same day, it would make me sick beyond description, as though a terrible plague had befallen me. But everypony else? They were fine. They danced, singed, and loved that special day each year when the crystal heart's power was at its zenith. To them it was bliss. For me...it was only torture."

He turned from her, his expression ne of anger as those memories returned to him.

"When I discovered the truth, I knew what I had to do. I would take that heart as my own, and hide it, so its power could never hurt me. And as for the crystal ponies...they too would be mine."

Twilight stepped forward, narrowing her eyes as she did so.

"What happened to you wasn't their fault, Sombra. They didn't mean for you to become hurt as you were. You can't blame any of them for what was inflicted on you.

The dark stallion turned to her, raising his eyebrow.

"Oh...but I can. Their accursed Princess, Amore...she knew. Right from the moment I first entered their Empire as a colt...she knew. And she kept it from me! The knowledge of who I was! What I was! She knew it all and never once tried to stop my pain!"

His expression became a grim one soon afterwards.

"She deserved what I did to her. To turn to stone...to shatter into a million pieces...she deserved it!"

Twilight looked at him, at the anger upon his face, and studied his expression carefully. The subtle tweaks and twitches from his eyes to his lips, they all told a story, and that story was now an open book for Twilight to read out loud.

"You're lying."

The calm way in which Twilight had spoken those words caught Sombra off-guard, and he looked to her with confusion, prompting her to continue.

"The way you talk...it's all bluster. The words of somepony trying to convince themselves more than they're trying to convince others. You doubt, don't you? You doubt whether what you did was right, even now, a thousand years later."

The dark stallion frowned at this and began to move forward. As he did this, the shadows began to withdraw from him, revealing his full appearance. He was tall and muscular, much like Shining, but his dark grey fur was foreboding in its appearance. He still bore the cold iron armour and red cape that gave the illusion of somepony regal, and yet Twilight knew all too well was meant to instil an image that this was somepony powerful. She was not impressed, and watched as her enemy brought his face close to her.

"You can analyse me all you like, Twilight Sparkle. But you cannot change my mind on this. The Empire and its ponies were a blight to me. The source of their power and joy was a dagger through my heart every year. Its leader was a mare of deceit. And it's people? They looked upon me as a stranger, an outcast. They took a colt, with no family, and made him feel worthless, simply because he was not one of them."

He turned from her, rage building in his eyes.

"I do not regret what I did, even after my defeat. The crystal ponies deserved what I inflicted on them, because not once did any of them ever make me feel like anything other than a worthless outsider. Not once."

As Twilight looked to him, her expression became one of sadness. She knew what she had to say, but took no joy in saying it.

"...What about Radiant?"

At that moment, it was as if all of time had stopped, as Sombra became as still as a statue. There was an utter silence, both between the two ponies and all around them, as not even the faintest whisper could be heard. In time, the elder stallion turned, albeit very slowly, and looked to the young unicorn before him. Her expression was one of honesty and earnestness, and she watched him carefully, waiting for some reply. Sombra bore a look of utter shock, something he had, perhaps, not felt for many centuries. It took several tries on his part, with many false starts, but, in time, he finally managed to get out his words.

"What...what are you talking about?"

Twilight remained still, keeping her voice low and soft.

"Radiant Hope. That little filly who treated you kindly when you were children together. You grew up together, becoming the best of friends. No matter what the others of the Crystal Empire did to you, or said to you...she stayed by your side, always wanting what was best for you."

Sombra remained in that state of shock, clearly not having expected this mare in modern times to know of such ancient things. And yet, he did not lash out. He did not shout. He did not make any kind of aggressive move towards Twilight. Instead, he took a step backwards, keeping his gaze away from her.

"How...how do you know about her?"

Twilight took a single step forward before giving an answer.

"It wasn't easy. Most histories don't know she even existed. Much knowledge from your time was lost over the centuries. It took some digging...but there were records of her...and your friendship with her."

Only now did Sombra's expression gain a tint of anger, as he frowned slightly.

"Radiant...was not my friend. She...she betrayed me! She fled the Empire, appealed to the two sisters. Told them to come here and slay me!"

Twilight narrowed her eyes at that.

"That's not true and you know it! Do you know why Radiant went to them, Sombra?"

The ancient king turned to her, showing confusion upon his face. After a few moments, Twilight's face became one of melancholy as she carried on

"She went to them...because she wanted to help you. Because she believed, hoped beyond hope...that they could pull you back from the darkness you let into your heart."

Every word she spoke was like a dagger thrust into the stallion, as he turned away, his face giving away that pain he now felt. But, as bad as he felt now, what Twilight said next made things even worse for him.

"...She loved you, Sombra. And I think...you loved her too."

The old stallion's head turned downwards, not wanting to look the young unicorn in the eye.

"I...I asked her to be with me. We...we could have ruled the Empire together. We could have been with each other...if only she could see."

Twilight stepped forward, her face a stern one.

"You know she would never had stayed with you, not like that. No matter what she felt for you...she loved her people just as much. And what you did to them...what you're still doing to them...it broke her heart."

Slowly, the ancient king turned, gazing upon her, and for the first time in all of this, perhaps for the first time in centuries, there was softness to his expression.

"What...what happened to her, in the end?"

Twilight looked at him, seeing, to her surprise, genuine affection, buried deep in the darkness that filled his eyes. He still cared for her, even after everything that had happened. Sighing, Twilight gave him the answer that he most likely already knew, yet needed to hear.

"She was the only one from the Empire to escape your curse. She spent the rest of her days going from place to place, helping those she found. Her talent was to heal, and that's exactly what she did, aiding the sick, the injured, anypony who needed help. As for the rest...she lived...she grew old...and she passed on."

Sombra, for a brief moment, gained a look of uncertainty.

"Did...did she ever find...?"

Twilight didn’t hear him finish, but didn't need to, for she knew what was on his mind right now.

"No...she never found another. I think...even after all those years...she could never find any pony to take the place you still held in her heart."

Those words immediately caused him to move away, snarling angrily as his spoke anger-filled words.

"No! I cannot allow thousand-year-old memories to sway me! I must continue on with my goals! I will take the Empire! I will be the king I was always meant to be! I...I...I...I..."

With those final words, Sombra shut his eyes tightly, the pain of the knowledge that Twilight gave him now seeping into him like a poison. Twilight watched, never speaking a word, but waiting patiently for him to give some sort of response or reaction to all of this. She watched as, ever so slowly, he opened his eyes again, looking down as he raised a single hoof. As he looked upon that appendage, clad in heavy iron armour, he let out a sigh.

"I...have done terrible things...haven't I?"

The young unicorn mare beside him kept quiet, merely nodding her head slightly in response. As he turned to her, his expression and tone were calm and soft.

"I don't...I don't have anything left, do I?"

Twilight shook her head.

"No. When you accepted the dark powers into yourself...you became bound to them, body and soul. When Celestia and Luna cast you down...they destroyed that body."

Her expression became one of sadness once more.

"You...are magic now, Sombra. A spirit. Formless. Even if you were to continue your quest, to take the Empire and enslave its people again...you could never go back to being what you were before, no matter how hard you tried."

The dark stallion turned, pain returning to his face.

"Then that's it. I am truly lost."

Twilight stared at him, hearing the despair in his voice, and sighed. There was a long silence between the two, which then ended when, against all reason, Twilight put on a small smile. She stepped forward, placing a hoof upon Sombra's shoulder, gaining his attention.

"Sombra...you don't want to be this. A living darkness, whose mere presence strikes fear and hate in others. You don't want that, not really. If you truly want to make amends for what you've done..."

Her expression changed, becoming one of uncertainty for a brief moment, before eventually changing to one of determination.

"...you will need...to let go."

Sombra turned to her, looking as if he did not understand her words. But, it did not take long for understanding to dawn upon him. And when it did, he did not bear anger, nor hate as Twilight had expected, but a completely neutral glance in his eyes.

"So...you ask I simply...end it. To let go of the last shred of my life, here on this mortal plain? To relinquish the power that keeps me here, so I may pass on? You ask...that I accept death?"

There were no words on Twilight's part, merely a grim nod in confirmation. Sombra chuckled in a dry manner.

"I was right...you are a bold one. I have glimpsed the lands beyond, Twilight Sparkle. That vast, dark realm beneath the earth where the damned dwell for all eternity. I do not seek to go there...not now...nor ever."

Yet again, Twilight gained a look of sadness, as her own memories came forth in her mind, those terrible images of her own journey into the place he spoke of.

"Sombra...I've been there. Tartarus. I know it better than you do."

He turned to her, raising an eyebrow, which prompted her to speak further.

"I have seen the souls who reside there. Those who did terrible things, yet thought they did right...even on their deathbeds."

Looking up to him, Twilight's face softened.

"But you? You're not there yet. You've done terrible things, yes. But...you know they're terrible. Somewhere, deep down in that darkened heart...is that little colt who wanted nothing more than to have other ponies accept him. And for him, if not for you...I think you may be spared that torment."

Silence fell yet again between the two unicorns, as Sombra looked away from her, deeply contemplating the words he'd just heard. A million thoughts ran through his mind, as all the possibilities, risks, and danger of the enormous decision was now laid before him. Twilight watched him in silence, half afraid that her words would not reach him, and that he was truly beyond all hope. She watched as he looked down to that armoured hoof once more, and then to the darkness around him, before finally raising his hoof and placing it upon the red and deformed horn upon his head. Feeling it, and the unnatural shape it bore, he let out a sigh, lowering his hoof once more. He turned, looking Twilight in the eyes once more, and spoke what was, perhaps, the only question in all of this that truly mattered to him.

"Will I...see her again?"

After hearing that, Twilight broke out into a small smile.

"I can't answer that, Sombra. But...if, in your heart of hearts, you are willing to bring the Empire's suffering to an end...you just might."

Despite all the doubts, all the fear, and all the hesitation of what was going to happen to him, Sombra actually put on a small smile, and as he did so, Twilight could see a glimpse of the good-hearted stallion he once was. She watched, utterly silent, as he took a few deep breaths, closing his eyes as he did so. Soon, to Twilight’s surprise, he eventually let out a long exhale that sounded like one thing and one thing only; somepony's dying breath. As the air left him, Twilight could see that he was starting to fade from her sight, growing more and more incorporeal as time went on, like a ghost. Eventually, he simply vanished, like a wisp of smoke, leaving her all alone in this place. For a moment, she was hesitant, and worried about what had actually occurred here. But, as she took a nervous step forward, she stopped dead in her tracks as she began to hear a loud cracking sound around her. She looked up, and saw, to her amazement, that cracks were forming in the darkness around her, with light pouring in from every direction. She waited for several moments as this continued, until, eventually, there was an almighty shattering, and the whole shadow collapsed around her. Though she shielded herself from it, she found that such action was unnecessary, as the shadows merely faded around her, much like their former master.

Now, she was back where she was before this whole thing started, in the snowy plains around the Empire. And, knowing this, she smiled, knowing what that meant. But that smile faded somewhat as she began to hear her name called out, and turned to see her brother and friends charging towards her. She smiled once more, and began to run over to join them. Within moments, they met, and Shining Armour embraced her in a hug so tight that it actually threatened to squeeze the life out of her. When he finally let her go, he looked upon her with great concern.

"Twilight! I...I don't...are you alright?"

Giggling slightly at her brother's reaction, Twilight moved forward and held him close, albeit far gentler than he did.

"I'm fine brother. Everything's fine."

Although confused at those words, Shining nevertheless let out a sigh of relief as he held his sister, oblivious to the many warm smiles their friends were giving them right now. However, they eventually parted when Pinkie Pie began letting out a loud succession of squeaks. They turned, and saw her pointing off towards the distance. As they looked to where she was looking, they found that the Empire was now glowing brighter than before, with one particular light glowing fiercely from atop the city’s palace. Twilight smiled as she looked upon it, knowing in her heart what it meant. As for Shining, he looked to her with confusion.

"I...I don't understand. What happened? Where's Sombra?"

Hearing that question, Twilight sighed, and then turned as she gazed upon the now-empty snow plains before her.

"He's...moved on...at last."