And over a half year later.. I'm back! No, I'm not dead. So it's Christmas Day (as well as my birthday) and I decided to post a chapter for the holidays. Hopefully I can get chapters out sooner, I really tried to make this longer. Give me feedback in the comments!

Burn baby burn.

Seething flames licked Donor's skin, tore at the lively colors and marked them blood red. What was the only thing that could follow? Screaming, convincing and strained. He thrashed and fought, his eyes rolled and then-

Sombra was gone by now. Tearing through the throng, he stopped abruptly and glanced back for a split second.

Come with me.

His eyes met Moneybag's, his only friend. They begged and filled with the hope and desire that his dear friend would throw away the law they were bound too and follow the web of loyalty they had spun together. It was only a second, but as Moneybag turned away, a thousand doors closed, and Sombra followed the only path he was left with, a path that was completely and utterly familiar. Solo.

No time to waste.

A mere spark from his horn and the thick steel door was broken, just like that. It haunted prisoners' minds for centuries. It was old, cracked, medieval even. Just like that. Sombra had once feared himself, knowing what he was capable of, but now he embraced it all. He was powerful, he felt himself grow and laugh with a grin.

Welcome back.

He worshipped another now. He was his Celestia, he was his safety net.

He didn't know what happened next, he didn't care. The wind was whipping past his mane, the sun was setting on the horizon in shades of red that blinded his eyes. The grass licked his hooves and the trees breathed his air. He couldn't stop laughing, freedom was a delicate thing and it was his now. He promised himself he would never give it away again.

When he was far out of reach, he stopped. Night time had settled now and the stars beckoned his hungry eyes. He knew he needed to rest, lack of strength weighed down on his body but a regained drive pushed it forward. Shining lights guided him atop a dew-dropped hill and he gazed down. It was Sweet Apple Acres, of course Sombra did not know this at the time. A sturdy red barn and fields of apples trees clouded his sight. He found his way down to the barn and slid the door quietly with his magic.

Dust, for a wet night he was least expectant of this. He coughed, gasped, his throat sore and eyes itchy, through the haze he saw buckets, tools, and hay cushioning every nook and cranny. The phase ended when he found a water pump, the cool liquid draining the pain away as suddenly as it had come. His heartbeat found a steady rhythm as he laid out a picnic blanket hidden in the back on a pile of thick, pokey straw. Before resting the exhaustion away, he hid himself with fellow haystacks. With the moon high and seemingly nothing to worry about, Sombra pushed his gnawing thoughts away and let sleep take him away into new hallucinations.

"Now stop your fussin'," Strong western voice, confident, hardworking. "All the information we've got is from that newspaper. I can give you more when I talk to the others." A flare of irritation, heading towards the buckets, wait a minute.. where am I?

Sombra's eyelids flickered open. The harsh sunlight blinded him and he struggled to focus. Memories came like dominoes harsh and all at once. Fire for him, freedom for me, a barn for sleeping.. He moved ever-so-slightly, dust hurled forward, weaving between straw and blanket. He choked back a cough and swallowed.

"Now get off to school, ya hear? I've got to take care of the chores."

A hushed sigh echoed off the barn walls. "Okay. Bye, Applejack." The new voice had a name. The filly who labelled her trotted off, the door giving a final creak as it blocked a way for sunlight to fill in.

He attempted to stand up, stabbed with straw and filled with dust he fell back on his knees, then began to cough uncontrollably.

"Who's that?" Startled, but not frightened. She was obviously a hard one to shake. "Show yourself!"

He swallowed once, twice, three times. His magic flew his hiding spot to a new place. The new adrenaline rush of revelation had him on his toes. He eased himself face to face, looming over her.

He wasn't looking at her, he wasn't even paying attention, but he could see her visibly shaking.

Only seconds had passed, but her mental pep talk left her to appear strong, she lifted her eyes to meet his gaze.

"What do you think you're doing here, Sombra?" Applejack's sharp tongue remained and it left him speechless.

Sombra smirked, the classic Cheshire Cat smile playing on his lips. "Why, just enjoying the view my dear." His hoof pulled her chin up closer to his lips.

Her eyes bugged and within a split second she had swung her head away and stared off to the side.

"If that's how you want to play it.." He stood broader, his horn lit sickly green and focused on Applejack, she began to squirm and thrash under his light, his grin widened as the spell ignited..

What? Webs of pain began to spread throughout his gut, then up his body through his limbs, then in his mind. It multiplied, stabbed him, gagged him, clawed him, tortured him. He started to lose his sanity and released Applejack.

It was gone.

Fast, too fast, he couldn't identify it. Beats of sweat streaked his forehead and then he realized.. the spell. But why now? Why had his pain not flared when he broke out of the prison? He pondered little, the mare was riled up and ready to slam the white X'ed door in his face.

"So my magic has proved useless," He chuckled. "but I think in the last few months, my physicality has not."

Sombra sped and blocked her designated direction, grabbing hold of her slender waist, he thrust her gently into the barn cellar and followed in pursuit. Swiftly tying the mare's legs together with dusted rope nearby, his greeted her helpless gaze with a glare. "I recognize you now, Element of Honesty. And as long as you know anything, I think it's better to call this cellar your new home."