When Darkness Shines

by TeonnaKatzGuardianStorm

Darkness

Sombra felt a sharp pull before he felt reality slip from him. He awoke in a pitch black world with nothing to keep him company but his thoughts.

"Hello?" He called out.

There was no answer. Just an echo of his own mind. Was he dead? Was this the afterlife?

He wasn't sure how long it was when he started seeing little flashes of light. He would spend hours(he assumed) just counting to twinkles. Until one of them smashed down in front of him. He blinked through the sharp and painful light.

"Hello there, long time no see?" A voice chuckled, it was filled with warmth.

He knew that voice.

He cleared his vision to see Radiant Hope standing before him. Or at least what looked like Radiant Hope. Her coat still had a crystal shimmer but now she twinkled like starlight. Her eyes were also white. He missed her pale blue hue. "Radiant!" He yelled as he engulfed her in a tight hug. "I missed you too Sombra. But we have to get going! There's not a lot of time." She turned around sharply and seemed to walk on air. "Am I dead and going to the afterlife?" Sombra inquired curiously. Radiant laughed lightly. "No but you are on the border. Now hurry and follow me." She beckoned upwards. Sombra quickly followed her up the invisible steps as the world started to get brighter. He blinked at a particularly harsh light and gasped when he opened them. It was a world full of stars. Open fields and houses surrounded a large castle. Radiant waved over to one of the other ponies. "Don't you want to know about Selena? Did Cadence pick a good name? Did we do her nursery justice-" Radiant cut him off with a hoof to the muzzle. "I've been watching over her and it is a perfect name. You two have been doing a wonderful job." Sombra sighed in relief. "I've also been watching over you." Radiant added. "I know about your feelings for the princess too." Sombra blushed at the thought of Cadence. Radiant lead him into the castle.

"We use this when we have visitors. We actually have houses down there but now that your here we actually get to use it." Radiant said as they stepped in the door. "Who all else is here? Is Seraph-" Sombra began before he was tackled by a larger form.

"You aren't supposed to be here until your mane is all grey!" Sombra stared to see Seraphina's starry form pinning him to the floor. Sombra couldn't help it and grabbed his sister with tears in his eyes. She helped him up and gave him a proper hug. "I missed you too. And good job with our baby. She is lucky to have you and Cadence." They led him to a table where Sombra recognized his Aunt Satisha, one of the members of Seraphina's charge who had also passed in the attack. There were also his grandparents on both sides there.

And there also stood Queen Amore.

"Boy! You and that eyeliner!" His grandma scolded before pulling him in for a hug.

"Ignore your grandma. Until your generation we never looked as fabulous." His grandpa chuckled.

"Ignoring her is how you ended up with Rabia!" His other grandma joked and started howling to her own joke.

"Like you can say anything, we had two and they had one." Her husband said before joining her laughter.

Sombra grew teary eyed at the display. He had thought he wasn't going to see any of them for a (hopefully) very long time.

"Don't tear up now brother, we have stuff to show you!" Seraphina said and she wrapped her foreleg around him and brought him to the table. They each placed a hoof on it and Radiant beckoned Sombra to do the same. When he placed a hoof the table disappeared. The legs were still there but now it looked like some kind of portal. He could see the living realm below.

"My turn baby!" Seraphina kissed Radiant Hope on the cheek before jumping inside and vanishing. Sombra turned to Amore and she motioned for him to follow. He gave the former queen a long hug. She squeezed him twice. "That's for my little Cadenza." She let go with a smile. "Go on now before I throw you in there!" One of his grandma's shouted before he took a deep breath and leapt over the side.

When Sombra landed he had to blink away the light again. (Did everything in the spirit realm have to be so bright?) He saw himself on a cot. His eyeliner was faded and he had a row of bandages across his side. Sombra instinctively looked at himself and saw a large scar down his side. He hadn't noticed it before. Before he could ask Seraphina why they were there the door opened and Cadence walked in.

Cadence lightly pushed his shoulder like she used to. He felt a little push. "Hey." She said as she looked down at his sleeping form. Sombra wished she could see him standing in front of her. She looked so broken. "You know everyone here misses you. It's been over a month now." She climbed her upper half on the cot next to his sleeping form's forelegs. "Your mom and dad really miss you. She can't wait to see you wake up." A tear fell down Cadence's cheek and she climbed the rest of the way onto the cot. She squeezed her eyes shut and blinked a few times. Sombra couldn't stand to watch her cry like that. He went to walk over to the other side but Seraphina stopped him. Seraphina placed his hoof on his sleeping form and he was sucked inside. He panicked momentarily before hearing Cadence again. "Selena really misses you too." He heard her lightly chuckle. "You know her first word was Sombra." Sombra couldnt bare this, he was gald he couldnt see her but to hear her sobs was breaking him. He couldn't move but desperately wanted to hold her when she started nuzzling him. He could feel it like she was right there. He could feel himself internally sobbing when she grabbed his forelegs and leaned into him "I miss you!" She nuzzled his neck and Sombra stopped breathing. "I can't lose you too." He inhaled her beautiful scent. "I haven't done a puzzle since and I barely leave the castle. I can't do anything that reminds me of you without the thought of forever doing it without you." She let go of his foreleg to squeeze into his neck. She sobbed, "I can't imagine a forever without you in it."

Seraphina pulled him out and he leaned over to her with tear stains on his face. He wanted to be able to hold her. Anything to make her happy again. He was in agony seeing her like this. Seraphina gave him a light squeeze.

"I can't imagine a forever without you in it either." He whispered, knowing she couldn't hear him. They started to fade from the room and Sombra didn't stop looking at Cadence until he blinked and was back atop of the table. Seraphina hopped off and stood beside Radiant Hope. "Come on! Now we can help you get back." She said. Sombra needed to catch his breath and wipe his eyes before turning to her. Sombra stood where Seraphina told him to and the others surrounded him in a circle.

"Good luck." Radiant Hope said.

"And tell that girl your feelings already!" Seraphina teased, looking over to Radiant Hope. "Love is a very beautiful thing." She kissed her lightly before signaling to the others. Sombra nodded and they closed their eyes and dipped their heads. Each one making the light brighter under him until he felt engulfed.

Sombra awoke in the infirmary. This time he was in his own body. And that scar was no longer covered. It looked mostly healed. He looked around to see Tamaar actually smiling. She made a noise and ran out of the room.