The two alicorns stared uncertainly at one another before directing their combined gaze at Twilight, who sat in confusion at the two. She didn't like how silent they were nor how reluctant they seemed to act. Her friends were one thing but what about their niece? Surely that was a huge motivator! What is wrong with them? This is the part where one of them says something profound and they rally the troops before taking off to deal with the threat. What's going on?

"Is everything alright, Princesses?"

Princess Celestia sighed and placed a tentative hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "I'm...afraid it's just not that simple," she replied gently, an undercurrent of sadness gripping her voice. "We...can't launch an attack against Sombra. At least, not yet."

Twilight was stunned. "I don't understand. Why not?"

Seeing her sister at a loss for words, Luna gently interjected, "You see, Twilight, the last time Celestia and I defeated Sombra, we were only able to do so with the Elements of Harmony. We lost our connection to them and they later chose new bearers: You and your friends. Since your friends are with Sombra-..."

"-...They can't use the Elements of Harmony," Twilight finished, earning her a sad double nod from the princesses.

"Indeed. You yourself could try using them but they won't respond to you," Celestia stated sadly. "Since you are only the Element of Magic, the corresponding Elements won't work. Not unless..." She strayed off, refusing to meet Twilight's eyes.

Feeling a lump develop in her throat, Twilight swallowed and asked, "Unless...?"

Luna replied, "Unless...your friends were to die. Then the Elements would choose new bearers."

The whole room seemed to spin and Twilight had to grip the edge of the bed to keep herself upright. A vice of despair gripped her chest, her breathing coming out in harsh bursts. "Unless they...oh goodness." Not only had a terrible, nigh-unbeatable foe risen up to once again enslave an entire race, but he'd also captured her friends and is apparently invulnerable to the greatest weapons Equestria has to offer. Never before had she felt so...helpless. With Nightmare Moon, Twilight had her friends to fall back on and even Discord, in his own twisted logic, gave them a chance to win, even if the game was rigged. But Sombra? He was the raging forest fire, the eye of the hurricane. A force of nature.

Celestia gently pushed Twilight onto her back and pulled the covers up to her chest. "Don't worry, Twilight. We'll figure something out. In the meantime, I suggest you eat something and rest. You're going to need your strength." She brushed Twilight's hair aside and gave her a maternal smile before heading out, Luna shortly following suit. Reluctantly, Twilight forced herself to eat the soup until she was full before wrapping herself in the silk sheets like a cocoon. How? How can I possibly sleep at a time like this? My friends are in the clutches of a monster and here I am doing nothing! She pictured gentle Fluttershy scared out of her wits, shivering in a dark dungeon and sweet Cadence bolted to a wall and screaming in agony. Her greatest fear, however, came in the form of Spike bound and muzzled, crying out to her.

Soft tears wet the pillow as Twilight feared for her adoptive brother's safety, praying that the others could watch out for him. Her fear turned into rage at the thought as Sombra torturing Spike, cackling madly as he shoved a red-hot poker in the baby dragon's face. No! Stop thinking about it! Spike is fine, the others are fine! She curled up in a ball and hugged the sheets close to her, wishing she could believe what she was saying. After what seemed to be hours of quiet sobbing, Twilight finally sank into an exhausted sleep, dreaming of black crystals and red eyes.

King Sombra looked over his redecorated throne room with pride, having swapped the vibrant, shimmering transparent crystals for black, opaque crystals. Jagged pillars stretched from the floors to the gothic-style ceilings and spiked gargoyles littered every corner. Ascending the dais' stairs, he took a moment to admire his new throne, a high-backed chair comprised of red and black crystals and shaped like his crown. "And now, for the finishing touch."

Placing the Crystal Heart in the center of the dais, he touched its center with his horn, sending all of the collected fear and misery flowing into the relic, charging it with an ominous black and purple glow. It surged with negative energy, transforming it from a glistening blue to a malevolent blood-red as it hummed with a black aura. He then levitated it to the top of his throne so that it was situated between the two horns at its peak. Slowly lowering himself into the seat, Sombra sighed deeply and sat back with his eyes closed, feeling as though all was right with the world. After spending a thousand years in a dark haze as a living shadow, he could finally just kick up his back hooves and enjoy the spoils of his glorious conquest.

He finally opened his eyes to behold his dominion but found that despite how gloriously desolate it looked, the castle felt somehow...disappointing. Wait, how in the name of Tartarus can that be? He tapped his chin thoughtfully with an armored hoof. I've captured the Elements of Harmony-well, five of them anyway-and deposed the false rulers. I've successfully regained my physical form, corrupted the Crystal Heart, taken back my kingdom, created an army of brainwashed soldiers and reclaimed my throne. Why is this so damn underwhelming?!

"What more do I have to do?!" Sombra yelled in frustration, his voice echoing throughout the empty throne room as his personal guards stood by motionless, barely registering the world around them. He grumbled angrily as he rubbed his temples, vexed by his sudden boredom. He thought back to his reign a thousand years ago, where he ruled the Crystal Empire with an iron hoof for over two-hundred years until those damned princesses stuck their noses in his business. In all that time, he alone held dominion over the Frozen North, solely responsible for keeping the kingdom running.

He glanced out of the corner of his left eye to an empty spot on the dais, idly wondering what it would be like to have... Wait, that's it! That's what's missing! Shooting out of his throne, Sombra slammed one hoof on the top of the other, pleased with the sudden epiphany. What I need is someone to share my position with, to rule beside me and perhaps even give me an heir that I may groom to one day succeed me. A wicked grin crossed his face, a newfound purpose brining glee to his black heart.

"What I need...what I desire...is a queen."

Making his way to the dungeon, Sombra went over a list of possible candidates in his head, frustratingly rejecting one after the other when one name rose above the rest, shining brightly like a great bonfire at night.

"And I know exactly who it should be..."

Author's Notes:

Now, my explanation on how the Elements of Harmony work exactly is just pure speculation plus I needed a way to explain why Twilight simply couldn't use them all as Princess Celestia once did against Luna/Nightmare Moon.

What do you think? Is Sombra just bored with the status quo or is it something else...?