Later that night, or in this case, sunset; Rarity poked her head into Fluttershy's room.

"Are you awake?" she asked quietly.

"Of course I am, you woke me up." Fluttershy yawned and poked her head out of the blankets, her hair slightly messy.

"I have to talk to you, dear." Rarity said.

Fluttershy flew out of her bed and laid down a few feet away from Rarity. "Well?"

"I-I-think you know that nopony has stepped forward and-"

"Yes?"

"We don't want Twilight gone forever so I-I-" Rarity stammered; "came to give you your bundle of roses back!" she quickly swiped a vase with roses nearby.

"Oh, thank you. Is there anything else?" Fluttershy accepted it graciously.

"Yes, so um, anyway… I've decided that… oh out with it! I'm volunteering!" the unicorn whispered loudly.

"Huh?" Fluttershy blinked sleepily, "You are?"

"Of course I am!" Rarity declared softly.

"So you weren't fooling around? Okay, why so?"

"We're all busy here… Sweetie Belle nearly all grown up… Opalescence hates me..." Rarity blinked tears, sitting down. "Spike and Sweetie Belle can look after the Boutique… and I need a break…"

"King Sombra is looking for a maid, not someone to look after," Fluttershy told her. "Plus, you hate dirty stuff."

"I know, I know!" Rarity said with a wave of dismissal, "But we all got jobs to take care of. Plus you got a special somepony to take care of," Rarity added with a wink, making Fluttershy blush.

"I know you can do anything! Just… what about the Spirit of Generosity? What's your true reason? I know you better than that."

"Oh, thank you Fluttershy! I knew I can count on you! You know that neither I nor you can live forever, darling. There will be replacement for us but for Twilight. She's… immortal."

"Your true intentions?" Fluttershy tried again.

Rarity looked seriously at the cream Pegasus. "Pinkie Promise me to never mention this to a soul."

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Rarity took a deep breath and spoke with hast: "Oh Fluttereshy what a relief this is! You know why I seem so tired all the time? Why, I was having a repeated nightmare! I was being chased by King Sombra! You see darling, this has got to stop! So I'm going to get rid of it once and for all!" Rarity gasped for breath and waited for Fluttershy to respond.

"Oh, okay." She added after she blinked: "We'll visit you, you know."

"Why, Fluttershy! You're making me feel like a prized friend! You know I will truly miss you all." Rarity declared. Now it was Fluttershy turn to cry as she leaped up to hug Rarity. "I'll miss you! Please be safe!" the pegasus begged. Rarity nodded silently, hugging her friend back. "Please promise me to be kind, Rarity!" Fluttershy begged.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Why?"

"Being kind worked for Discord you see… So perhaps it may make him let you go, too!"

"Oh I don't know, Fluttershy," Rarity added solemly."I will try to be kind."

Somepony pounded on a wall near them. "Go to bed!" Rainbow shouted, "You're making me stay awake, somepony's trying to sleep!"

"Bye," Rarity got up and cleaned Fluttershy's tears out of her face. Then she got her own handkerchief and dabbed below her eyes.

"Bye Rarity," Fluttershy waved as she jumped into her bed. Rarity closed the door and trotted slowly to her dorm and looked at the sunset.

Rarity woke up to the bell's gong, with the sun stuck into the sky. Rarity groaned and shrunk her head under the blanket. Her wish was not granted, however, as Rainbow Dash knocked on her door.

"Wake up! Sombra has arrived and Twilight is bidding goodbye!"

Rarity leaped out of her bed as she said: "It's that time already?!" as she hurried past Rainbow Dash.

"Wait… wait!" Rarity wailed as she ran into the throne room.

"Wha-?" Apple Jack looked on in confusion as Rarity fell on her hooves in front of King Sombra, looking up with pleading eyes.

"Please take me-not Twilight- oh please, please, please, pu-leeeease?" the unicorn begged.

"Uh…" he said confused as the ponies gasped at the sight.

"What in da tarniation?!" Apple Jack ran up and smacked Rarity's face. "Have yer gone crazy?!"

"Hold on a second! What did I just miss?!" Rainbow Dash demanded as she flew in.

"Rarity, you can't! You have Carousel Boutique and Sweetie Belle plus Opal to look after!" Twilight insited, and then she tried to pull Rarity away. The unicorn quickly grabbed hold of the king's hooves, pulling the baffled king along.

"Twilight, I have to do this! Ow! Not my tail! Apple Jack, I AM NOT CRAZY!" Rarity whined.

"Oooh! Somepony has a secret!" Pinkie squealed.

"What's the meaning of dis?!" Apple Jack demanded. "Fluttershy, what do ya know?"

"I-I-I…" Fluttershy squeaked.

"EVERYPONY QUIET!" King Sombra roared, shifting the attention of the friends to him. He wiggled out of Rarity's grasp. "I will take the mare, since she volunteered willingly. Any objection will result the prisoners harm." He spat, glaring.

"You monster!" Rainbow Dash yelled.

"Then-then let us say goodbye?" Fluttershy whimpered, tears forming.

"Fine, two minutes top." The king rolled his eyes and transformed into the shadow, disappearing into the ground.

"Why Rarity why?!" Pinkie Pie wailed, with her mane straight; tackling Rarity and knocking her off her hooves.

"Well, no pony stepped up-and we can't replace the element of magic…" Rarity slowly started.

"Then let me go!" Apple Jack announced.

"What about the element of generosity!?" Rainbow shouted.

Twilight shook her head, finally catching on. "She's right, girls, Pinkie you got most of Ponyvile's mood. Rainbow Dash, sorry but you're too violent."

"Hey!" the Pegasus protested.

"Apple Jack, you got a farm, and one of the main food source for Ponyvile. Fluttershy, you're scared of your own shadows, and me-well, that can't work since nopony can ever replace the element of magic.

"Ya hates getting yer own hooves dirty!" Apple Jack reasoned with Rarity.

"Well-I, you see-" Rarity stammered.

"Time's up!" Sombra's voice boomed through the palace. Saved by the bell! I mean shadow! Rarity thought, hugging her friends.

"Visit me, okay? I'll write letters! Please take care of-"

The next thing the volunteer knew, she was standing outside of the Crystal empire, standing next to Sombra. The captives has all appeared on the exact same spot where Rarity was previously standing, causing Pinkie Pie to deflate like a balloon.

"Wha-?" Rarity said in shock, feeling a bit green from the spell.

"Now your first task is walking with me to my castle," King Sombra added with a smirk; "as you step through mud and leaves. You will learn my rules, slave." Rarity groaned and shivered.

"Rule number one: no complaining and whining, don't forget the groan." He said, galloping north.

"Hey! That's not fair, you jerk!" Rarity whined as she hastily caught up.

"Rule number two, get hit in a face if you disobey me." The shadow king summoned a tree for the slave to crash into. "Just fooling around."

"Gee, thanks." She mumbled, rubbing her nose.

"Real rule number two: address me as 'my king' or 'sir' at all times. Got a problem?"

"No-o sir."

"For number three, you must sleep at the very moment the sun leaves the horizon, and up when the sun rises. If not, you'll get an surprise." By now, the stallion was figuring out that he will have to write a rule book later, for the mare was looking dazed.

"Rule number four, let me guess; I can't see my friends?" Rarity remarked with sarcasm.

Sombra snorted, "I'm not a monster, am I? That's rule number 15: break day is every full and new moon, break hour is at noon and dinner. You shouldn't be so rude, fool. Call me 'sir' or 'my king'!"

"Uh, yes. Sir!"

"Rule number four: my word is your law, which means; obey right away!"

"Of course, sir." Rarity rolled her eyes.

The king stopped and looked at the mare directly in her eyes: "Rule number five: Do not, ever leave the castle grounds, ever." Right now Rarity was feeling faint and stars was starting to form from not getting enough exercise.

However, after the stallion had announced the 16th rule, his castle was seen in the distance. It had a haunting look to it.

"That's your home, fool." He said gesturing towards it. "Rule number 17; do not be afraid of my servants."

"Wait-you have servants?!" Rarity screeched in annoyance.

"Of course I do, they're awfully boring!" He hissed.

"Oh…"

"Rule number 18: do not disobey the servants."

"Oh wow, I'm the faible être here?" she added, feeling hurt and sarcastic.

Rude! The king thought to himself. "Rule number 19, no failing job miserably. Result is cleaning my horseshoes."

"Ew, sir; what did you do with them?!" Rarity wrinkled her nose at the thought.

"Mud on mountain, slave." Inside his mind he added: Duh!

Rarity lets out a squeak of alarm as she stepped on a mud hole. "Much of a lady in distress, are you?" his remark earned a glare from Rarity.

King Sombra punished Rarity by teleporting to the gates on a flat slope of the mountain, facing the king's castle. Rarity looked up in shock, green in face.

"I-I-It's… huge." She stammered. Rarity jumped as a shadow pony slipped in front of them.

"Welcome back, sir." The servant bowed.

"Thank you, Blacky, please show my new slave around." King Sombra instructed. "No, she's not what you think!" he added swiftly. Rarity shot him a questioning look.

"Yes, master." The shadow-no, Blacky, Rarity corrected her thoughts-bowed again. Then it studied her.

Rarity noticed that her new supposed "Master" was gone, so she swallowed nervously and cleared her throat, "So, shall we?" The shadow pony gave a nod, and the gates opened slowly.

A/N: Squee! Now the story truly begun! Everyday my mind is planning a new chapter; and to keep this up with my homework, I draw. Pretty excited and EXHAUSTED (1:24 AM over here). At first I didn't know what to do at the beginning of the chapter. At least it's done for now! For those who are direct on shipping SombraXTwilight, start imagining if Rarity didn't show up! :) I really hate chapters that is seemly short. Or too long.

Anyway I was running around the house with a fly swatter in one hand and a small portable vacuum in another screaming "DIE MOSQUITO DIE!" My house had at least 8 mosquitoes... 3 in my room! Where did they all come from, seriously?! :( Anyway, picture it Rainbow Dash style. ,'8D

Hopefully, I can write more sooner! I like school but I absolutely hate homework... -_-

Anyway, how do shadows have eyes? O_o I guess you just picture it with purple hazy eyes...