Radiant Hope trudged through the thick snow of the north. The harsh cold winds biting at every inch of her body, despite the cloak she wore. She had a few ideas why she was here. But she still wasn't quite sure. For one she didn't have a home anymore. Sombra had cursed it while he was banished. But she was still confused over how she was still alive. It has been 500 years since that happened. She is still alive and young. The only difference was that 5 little crystals had formed on her chest.

She pushed forward into the wind. More thoughts raced through her mind like the wind. How she was alive? were is she going? why didn't she just head somewhere warmer? What are these crystals on her chest? Why did they appear? What if she found were the princess put sombra? He could tell her about the crystals most likely, considering their black appearance.

Hopes hoof slipped on the slope she was on. She slid down the slope. She believed she screamed, but the wind covered it up. She hit a dune of snow. Most likely there was a rock that got covered over the years. However, hope also noticed that there was an odd…calm.

The wind had stopped, its howling no longer defended her. The snow fell gently. Due to the wind vanishing, there was an illusion that it was warmer. Behind the rock she noticed she was by a large lake. Well, a large sheet of ice in this case.

And then it got stranger for Hopes cluttered mind. Was there a pony standing on the ice? They were facing away currently. Hope could make out a horn on its head. Then she could hear her gasp when it bent its head around and nuzzled one of its wings. The wings seemed an odd shape. But she could quite make out as the whole figure seemed to be glowing. A bright white. It looked like a spirit.

"hello" Hope called out to the figure.

It turned to her. Hope stood up so it could see her better. They seemed wearily at first. Then it moved slowly towards her. They had an odd gait in there legs. Though she swore it seemed familiar. As it moved closer, she noticed its front legs were more dog like with large claw like hands instead of hooves.

As the figure moved closer. Hope noticed some other things. Its horn was curved. Its wings were like a dragon's. They had a long scruffy mane.

"hello" hope called out again.

"who are you?" the voice suggested this was a mare. Her voice had an echo to it.

"I'm Radiant Hope what's y- "

"radiant hope huh. Iv heard a lot about you" the mare interrupted her, and hope took a step back. How did she know about her?

"how do you no of me?" she asked.

"let's just say I bought your only friend into this cursed world" she smiled.

"your…your Sombras mother? But how are you here. Aren't all the umbrum under the empire?" Hope became flustered.

"I shifted my spirit from my body dear, its useful being a mutant sometimes. I didn't get the immortal life of an alicorn, but I did get the magic. However, I just can't move from this lake" Sombras mother looked hope over. It sent a nervous pang over hope.

"well, he wasn't lying when he said you were rather pretty. And given I have a bad experience with pink unicorns, you should take that as a compliment".

"he…he thought I was…pretty. I, um" Hope became lost in her thoughts. She was always told she was beautiful by the workers in the orphanage. But she never thought sombra felt that way to. This only made her…feelings towards him stronger.

"I can read you like a book sweety. But I do hope you told him before he got banished" her faced turned solemn.

"why?"

The mare pointed towards the edge of the lake.

"over there is a tunnel. Ill let you see for yourself".

Hope turned toward were she pointed. She could see where the snow went down. She was about to move when she turned back to the mare.

"can I ask you what these are" Hope shifted part of the cloak that covered her chest. Showing the little crystals on her chest

"well, aren't you lucky. Its not everyday you see an umbrum has given a pony our lifespan…now hurry up and go down that tunnel. Or else you'll never find out why they are there, and you'll have a lot of regrets".

Hope nodded as she parted from the spirit. She made her way towards the tunnel. When she came upon it. she noticed it was deep. The snow had covered its floor. A step slope into relative darkness.

Hope inhaled as she descended. She ignited her horn as she walked. She could smell water. Unfrozen water. She noticed its waving reflections on the rocky walls. These reflections got brighter as she neared the bottom of the slope. Clearly her magic was shining onto the water.

The floor levelled of as Hope entered a large cavern. Most of its floor was covered in cold water. There was one large crystal on the cavern ceiling. It illuminated the water like her horn did. In the middle of this lake, there was a raised piece of ground. From it, many chains drifted out into the water. They travelled towards the walls where they connect. On that rock there was a body. A pure white one. Tied in these chains.

Steppingstones rose out of the water towards the centre in front of Hope. She nervously stepped onto them. Making her way towards the body in the centre. She could her a hum as she got closer.

The body was lying flat on the ground. Its tail end towards her. Based of the lion like tail, hope new it was a unicorn. She stood onto the centre rock. She looked the body over. It was a stallion. A large one that just fit on the rock. Hope noticed he to had the dog like legs. His face, seemed so, familiar to hope. Yet she had never really new any white stallions.

She noted that the chains connected to rings on the stallion. One on each ancle. One around the ribs. One on the neck, another around the horn. They were magic suppressors. The humming was from them, but they didn't seem to glow like normal. Instead a mist floated out of them.

Hope then noticed how emaciated the stallion was. Bones jutted out making hopes stomach turn. But she couldn't help but remember somewhere in her magic studies that too many suppressors would eventually act as drainers. First they drained the magic, then the fat, then the muscle, and finally the life essence.

Hope used her magic to track his vitals. His heart and lungs were barely functioning. His brain had verry minimal activity. At most it was grasping to keep the body functioning. But in these waves hope can pick up memories. And in these memories she saw herself.

She took another look at the stallion's face, he just seemed so familiar. The humming was certainly ruining her line of thought. But she noticed little things.

Things she had only ever seen on one stallion.

A raised nose bone. A slightly parted mouth revelling sharp teeth. A curved horn that seemed to look like crystal. Sideburns that framed the face. An overgrown mane that looks as if it had never been cut or seen a brush. Hope gently used a hoof to lift his eyelid. Faded red eyes with a glassy sheen. Something clicked in her head.

"Sombra?"

Hope fell to the floor as she held her friend's head. It was him. Her only friend. One she wished would be more one day. Now barely alive in this cold cavern. But one question remained.

Why was he pure white?

She held him closer as she started to cry. But she couldn't do nothing.

"I will be back soon, hang in there for me" Hope gave one look back as she left the cavern and back up the slope. Hope could tell the princess never wanted him to return. To drain someone slowly of there life says it all.

Hope appeared back by the lake. Sombras mother was waiting for her. She too had a solemn face like hope.

"how do I help him" hope asked

"I fear there may be no way" his mother replied.

"I will do anything to help him. My talent is healing. If I can save him from the suppressors and then…I don't know why he's white. I don't know how to cure that" she was trying to find a way to help in her brain. Sombras mother sighed.

"before umbrum became a kingdom and we became talented in dark magic, we were pure white. It helped us blend into the snow, so the frozen wyverns didn't see us. However, when dark magic became our natural, like uniron magic is to you, our fur is naturally grey and black. When the magic is drained from us, we go white again. However normally it would be stored in a crystal so we can pull it back into us. Due to the use of suppressors. They have pulled it out of him, and it has vanished into the air."

Hope stood in thought. If she couldn't get his magic back into him, he may never wake up.

"how much longer do you believe he has?" hope asked.

"he's lasted 500 years, but that might not mean much. May I dare ask how thin he was" she gave a nervous look towards hope.

"too thin to stand" she hung her head. It only just dawned on her.

"then not long, if they've drained his muscle, there's only one thing left" a silence hung over them. Hope raised her head.

"are you able to teleport me out the north?" a hint of confidence built in her.

"potentially"

"if you can, get me as far out as you can. I used to be a student of Celestia's. I can get into the castle library. If I can, I will find anything to do with suppressors. I can try and find a way to get some of." A plan was building in her mind. To save a stallion she loved.

They gave each other a nod. Dark magic swirled around hope.

"by the way, call me Rabia" with a smile hope was teleported out the north. She appeared in the snowy forest that lined the north. Rabia. She heard that name before. But for now, her mind was set on Canterlot.

Hope galloped over the green land were the empire used to lay. Then back into the snow, and then into the grasslands. She kept her eyes forward to the faint mountain castle on the horizon.

After a day of constant galloping, she made it to Canterlot. She took time to catch her breath. She walked towards the grand castle. She approached the guards at the gate.

"halt" she stopped.

"what business do you have miss" the guards questioned.

"I am one of Celestia's old students. We are told we are welcome to her library when we wish". The guard gave her a stern look.

"you will be escorted. If you are an old student, then we are sure the princess will clarify that for us." A third guard led her through the door as she was led to the throne room. On the throne, Celestia sat looking through many scrolls. Her expression said nothing more than 'I'm bored'.

"princess" the guard addressed the ruler.

"yes"

"this pony here claims to be an old student of yours, she wishes to go to the library" his voice was still stern under his suspicion. Celestia glanced up, her expression changing as she saw hope.

"oh, radiant hope, how are you?" Celestia rose from her throne. Her face now showing joy as she meets an old student.

"I'm good, how are you princess" hope asked in reply.

"just the normal for me, although its quite nice to see an old face… er, how are you exactly…alive still" she questioned hope.

"I honestly don't know. I was wondering if it had something to do with these" hope lifted her cloak to show celesta the crystals. "I searched every single library, but I can't find anything about them. They appeared when the empire was cursed. I think they have something to do with it, so I came here" she felt bad for lying.

"well in that case I will lead you to the library. We can catch up while we go" Celestia smiled as they walked to the library. They shared the past memories. New things that have happened. And came up with ideas about the crystals on hopes chest.

They arrived at the library. Hope was left to her own devices as Celestia headed back to work. Hope picked up some paper and a quill. If she finds any spells she can wright them down instead of taking the book. She searched the shelves. She found some books. Mostly on containing magic and prison systems. She found on that seemed to make the most sense. The diagram looked like the suppressors that were on sombra.

she took notes. While there was no direct spell. It seemed there was a locking mechanism inside she could get to with magic. Although every lock was unique. She would just have to fiddle around with them. Usually, the smaller the resistance in them the simpler the lock. So, she could remove the ones on his ancles. He should be back down to the typical 2 suppressors.

She put the books away. She actually did go of to find something about the crystals on her chest. Just so she had something to say when she left. She found out that each gem could hold either 100,500 or 1000 years of life in them. She didn't know the lifespan of an umbrum. But it clearly wasn't 500. She would be old by now.

She left the library. She had spent a few hours in there. Tracing her steps back to the throne room. She had put her notes into a inside pocket of her cloak. She entered the throne room and she gained Celestia's attention.

"did you find anything hope" she asked.

"oh yes actually. It turns out that each one can hold 100, 500 or 1000 years of life in them. Given that it's been 500 years. They certainly don't hold 100, I would be an old mare by now. So im either living for 2500 years or 5000 years" she smiled, yet again realising that she has a whole lot of life left to get through.

"well, you're certainly going to see the time change. But given your talent, I imagine you can save quite a lot of lives." Celestia laughed. Hope sure hoped she would save a lot of lives. One in particular.

Hope began to walk to the door.

"oh, are you leaving?" Celestia asked.

"yes, I have some places I would like to visit" she replied.

"you can stay here for the night if you wish, you look rather tired" Celestia offered.

"no no, its fine." Hope smiled and waved as her and Celestia said farewell. She left Canterlot. It was nearly time for Luna to raise the moon.

Hope proceeded to trot back the way she came until the sun set. She camped out under a tree for the night. She would continue her way back in the early morning.

She didn't get that much sleep that night. To many fears ran through her brain. The worst being of Sombra being fully drained before she even made it back. Granted he had done some horrid things. And any normal pony would love the thought of him dying slowly. But not hope. She loved him. She had realised that a while ago. And her biggest mistake was leaving him behind.

The sun rose the next morning. Hope awakened to the warm glow. She started her journey back north. Her breakfast was some blackberries from a nearby bush. Then she trotted on. The long journey back north.

After another day long journey, she entered the snowy wastes once again. Now she just had to remember were that lake was. The storm once again assaulting her with arctic wind. She was relieved when dark magic swirled around her and she was face to face with Rabia once again.

"did you find anything?" a flustered Rabia greeted her with.

"I found that each one has a unique lock. I will take the ones of his ankles. That should take him back down to the limit of 2 which means I might be able to start healing him" she smiled.

With nothing more she sprinted of back down the tunnel into the cavern. She quickly hopped over the steppingstones towards sombra.

She checked over his vitals again. The same as last time.

"good, keep holding on, just a little longer" she stroked his cheek. His fur was brittle from a lake of nutrients. Completely opposite to the artic fluff she was used to.

She held one of his hands as she pulled her notes out of her pocket. She got to work on sensing inside the suppressor. It was like clockwork in there. So many confusing pieces to turn and twist. Press or pull. Some needed flipping. Each there own little puzzle. But after 20 minuets of guessing, thinking she got somewhere, resetting, and trying again. It popped of his wrist.

The iron chain slid of the rock as its weight pulled it into the water. With a splash she watched it sink to the bottom. She could still make It out when it stopped sinking. But it had a deepness to it. she never quite liked large bodies of water.

Hope continued on his next hand. Once again going through linkages and gears. She was tired. Loosing her concentration. As her magic faded into little sparks this one finally popped of as well. This chain also dragging itself into the water.

She laid down next to him. She held him. She didn't have much energy. She slipped in and out of sleep. She held him close. He was cold, so was she. But currently she could handle it better with layers of muscle and pockets of fat on her. She kept him warm with her body heat. She couldn't check his vitals, but she could hear his heartbeat and breathing get stronger.

Just two more tomorrow. Then hopefully he can wake up. But even then just a sign that he is coming back to his consciousness would make Hope happy.

When Hope awoke, she believed it was morning. She couldn't tell in the cavern. But she felt better. She went into a deep sleep last night. It filled her with energy. Her concentration had returned and so had her magic.

She got to work instantly. The remaining suppressors still having that mist float out of them. Once it started to glow it was all over. And that's one thing Hope was not going to allow.

She continued her work on the suppressors on his hind legs. They had bunched up all the fur around his hooves. She remembered how he would never let the stylist cut them. Even as a foal when he had 4 hooves those feathers would go untouched by both scissors and clippers. He actually kicked one of the stylists when she tried. She had to stifle a laugh even when he got scolded. That stylist got extra tips that day.

She worked on the locks. After the first two, she had learned little things. Even if every one was unique. They had patterns. A twist would let a flip be switched. A flip would allow a gear to turn. She managed to get these of much faster.

She checked his vitals once again. He was stronger now. His brain a little stronger. So were his heart and lungs. His ears flicked when her hooves tapped on the floor. It gave her hope. She summoned her magic. Hopefully now that the suppressors act as suppressors instead of drainers, she can put some nutrients into him. As she did, she noticed that the mist from them had faded. They were working as intended.

She smiled as she cuddled him. As she put nutrients in him, she felt his fur become soft again. It was comforting to her.

But now she didn't know what to do. The white fur. Didn't Rabia say that had something to do with them loosing there magic? Well, she should just go up and ask. She rose and left the cavern.

"Rabia?" she called out. "oh your there". Rabia was lying down on the edge of the lake. She hopped to her feat when she saw hope.

"is he alright? Did you get them of?-" hope had to stop her. Typical motherly instincts.

"yes I got them of. He's a lot stronger now. His ears flick at noise. But what about his magic. You said it would have vanished without a crystal to be stored in" hope was really confused on how she would get magic back into sombras body.

"I fear there may only one way. And its not exactly safe. Remember when I said the umbrum used to be white so the frozen wyverns didn't see us. Well when we were banished there primary food source was also banished. So now they eat any living thing they find. They don't breath fire they breath raw dark magic, incredibly potent it is, but it might be our only option" hope could see where this was going. A long crystal appeared in front of her.

"hang around a heard of the rhinos. They are sparce, but your best chances are between mountains. I hate to tell you this but you need to get this crystal in the line of fire. It will absorb the magic until it is full. It should be enough to help him. But the only complication is that it wont absorb if encased in your magic which-"

"which means I have to take it in physically" hope finished her sentence. This wasn't good. Getting in the line of fire of raw unicorn magic is bad. But dark magic has its tendencies of pain. But. She will do anything for sombra. the stallion she loves. Even if she never gets to see him again.

She nodded as she picked up the gem for now in her magic. Before she left Rabia took a step back and opened her wings in a welcoming way. She signals for her to come over. Hope took a step onto the ice as she was pulled into an embrace by the spirit.

"if you do this, and one day you and Sombra free us from our prison, I will do anything to convince my kind to accept you. They won't be kind at first with you being a crystal, but im sure they will if you succeed in this." Rabia released hope from her embrace. "my kind". Hope new she had herd her name somewhere.

"your…their queen." It made sense now. She had heard a story of an umbrum queen. Wanting help from the crystal princess. And now that was in her mind. She noticed between her flowing hair and behind her horn was an ornate crown on Rabia's head.

With a smile Hope walked away from the lake. As she did the howling of the wind returned. But the storm was a little quieter today.

She climbed up a part of a mountain. In the distance she could see some moving figures. A herd. She followed them close. Not to close to scare them, but close enough to stay by them.

She followed them for hours with nothing much happening. They seemed to be moving on the search for food while the storm was quiet. But it wasn't long until they stirred. And some ominous sounding shifts in the wind as something large flew overhead.

The herd ran as the wyvern started chase. Hope followed. She had to stay by them if she had to physically get into the line of fire of raw uncontrolled dark magic. She got close to the herd.

Looking back, she saw the ugly face of the wyvern. Blue smoke dribbling from its nose. Cold black eyes and many horns struck fear into her.

Its chest flashed a mix of blue and green as its mouth opened and with a tremendous roar the flame of dark magic raged towards the herd. Hopes eyes widened as she quickly chucked the crystal in the air and kicked it in with her hind leg. And a searing pain flared through her as she tumbled to the ground with a scream.

She watched the blur of the large monster as it scoped up its prey in its claws. Lifting the whole heard to wherever it dwelled. Hope grimace as she looked down at her left hind leg.

Its usual pink fur had been charred to black. Long lumpy streaks of green and lumps of blue were forming over top. While it wasn't visible on her leg. The snow below was stained crimson.

She looked over her leg and saw the once clear crystal now a dark black. She had done it. but now she just had to get back.

She summoned her weak magic and pulled the crystal towards her. It was hot to the touch still from the blast. A comfort in the cold snow she lay in. she held it close. Dark magic swirled around her as she was in front of the lake again.

"oh god hope what happened" was all she heard from Rabia as she laid in the snow.

"I…did…it" she tried to pull herself up. Only to fall again.

"your leg dear. Those never heal nicely…and before you ask about me being able to teleport you with dark magic when you just had your leg nearly blasted of. There's a difference between raw and controlled magic" hope nodded. She already new from magic school. Hence her lack of questioning.

She tried harder to pull herself onto her hooves. She held her leg of the ground. The snow burning it at the touch.

She limped down into the cavern. Slowly and inelegantly hopping over the stones. She noticed Sombras tail was curled into him. Was it always like that? The hair on the end was damp from being in the water.

"Sombra?" his ears flicked. She hobbled over as she placed the crystal down next to him. She fell to the floor, she was unstable on 3 legs. She propped the crystal up against his chest. Within moments the magic in it seeped into his body. From were it laid on him his fur darkened as it spread through his system.

With her magic she watched as his vitals rose. He was still asleep. But he was alive. And Hope couldn't be happier. She hugged him. She kept her eyes on those suppressors. They weren't showing any signs of pulling the magic straight back out of him. They were doing their job. Simply stopping him using magic.

She summoned up more magic as she put more nutrients in him. He would starve otherwise. Granted it was hard to summon things like starch, protein carbohydrates. But, It would keep him going.

As the last embers of dark magic were absorbed into him, his dark grey fur and black mane returned. She preferred him with the dark fur. She stroked his cheek again.

His face twisted as he came to his senses. The gentle hoof on his cheek awoke him after so many years asleep. His eyelids slowly opened and blinked. When Hope had last saw them they were glassy and pale. Now, they were there usual rich red, similarly the tip of his horn had turned red again.

"h... hope?"

"Sombra!" she pulled him into a hug, rolling him onto his back in the process. The chains rattled from the sudden movement. Sombra returned Hopes embrace, even if his arms were still very weak. They nuzzled noses. It was sweet until one of the chains aggravated Hopes wounded leg. She curled up as she held her leg and moved the chain from under it.

"hope. Your leg. What happened?" Sombras voice was riddled with concern by the burn that spread so far up her leg only the tip of her cutie mark was visible.

"oh nothing, just ignore that" she got a cocked eyebrow in response.

"fine. I had to jump in front of a hungry wyvern's magic breath to fill up that crystal to put magic back in you and I sacrificed my leg for it." she rushed it out. It wasn't exactly a lie.

"you risked your life, for me?" he asked.

"well what else did you expect when I find you down her barely having an inch of your life left".

"but why?" she gave him a look. She huffed as she did something she thought she would never do.

She kissed him.

What she didn't expect was for him to return it. not like she was disappointed. They parted, looking into each other's eyes.

"I wish I did that a long time ago" hope said laughing.

"you're not the only one thinking that".

They laughed together. It's been a long time since they spoke without any devious plans to talk about.

"sombra, may I ask how long I'm going to live for?" she pointed towards the crystals on her chest.

"I may have made you live for 5000 years. I put them on you when I cursed the empire. Do you want me to take them off?"

"I would turn to dust I'm already 400 years to old" she lightly punched him in the shoulder.

There was a brief silence until Sombra spoke again.

"can we please sort your leg out. Those gemstones only expand your lifespan not make you more resistant to injury" Sombra stated

Hope looked down at her leg. It definitely wasn't pretty. And unfortunately, her magic didn't work on her.

"just hurry up and dunk your arse in the water so it doesn't keep whatever dirt was in the snow in it." Sombra said as he pushed Hope towards the edge of the rock.

"I swear if this is you insinuating me getting wet I will smack you" Hope growled at him

"since when would you even hit me".

"I just did, not even 2 minuets ago- hey!" Sombra had pushed hope into the water, holding onto her front legs knowing she's not the best swimmer.

"oh my god that's cold!" they both laughed as she almost leapt out the water. She pulled herself out the water shortly after.

"and now your wet" Sombras classic cheeky smile he only showed to Hope spread over his face.

"OW you bitch" he grimaced as hopes hoof flew into his bony shoulder.

"you have a habit of learning the hard way don't you" they laughed together loud enough that it echoed up the tunnel.

"I will take that as him being awake then" Rabia smiled as she waited above ground.