The full moon illuminated the crystal kingdom below as far as the eye could see; the light dancing off the crystalline structures like stars twinkling on the reflection of a lake. A cool breeze drifted up towards the balcony and toyed with Sombra’s raven locks. He inhaled deeply, as if it were the last breath he’d ever take. It had been nearly six months since Cadance found him in the frozen north, barely hanging on to life by a thread, yet the feeling of wind across his face, of warm light on his fur, of being alive- still felt all too raw to him.  
Moments like this one, were Sombra was alone with nothing but his thoughts to occupy him, he often pondered whether it was all real or not. What if all this time he had spent under Cadance’s attempts at reforming him- of helping him start a new life- what if it was all just a dream? The idea of waking up one day and finding it was nothing but his own delusion constantly nagged at the back of his mind.  
Even now, as Sombra stared down at the kingdom that spread out in front him, the same kingdom he had enslaved so long ago, those fears and doubts engulfed him. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice the sound of hooves echoing behind him, or that it was growing louder.  
“Sombra?” A voice suddenly called out.  
Caught off guard, Sombra nearly jumped out of his skin and off the side of the railing. Instead, he whisked around frantically, his eyes wide with alert. At the sight of the alicorn in the doorway, Sombra couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief.  
“Oh, Cadance, it’s just you,” he said, eyeing the mare. The creamy yellow ball gown she wore was new to him, and in the moonlight it made her look like a pale sunflower.  
As she began walking over to Sombra, her shoes clicked against the marble tile. Flashing him a smile that shone even whiter in the moonlight, she asked coly, “Am I interrupting your brooding time?”  
“Who said anything about brooding? I was merely…thinking,” he said, feigning an innocent air.  
Cadence gave him a cheeky smirk, settling down beside him. “Well, you could have fooled me.”  
“You and I both know that’s impossible,” Sombra chuckled, sending a slight chill down Candace’s spine. Or was that the cool breeze whipping her curls across her cheek?  
“Now, did you come up here to lecture me on my brooding habits or did you have something else you wanted to tell me?” He asked in a curious, but serious tone.  
Her playful smile dropped. A look of concern wavered across her face as she looked hesitantly off to the side. Cadence heaved a sigh before staring up at him again, this time with a small smile.  
“Look, Sombra,” she said cautiously. “I know Dinner parties aren’t your expertise, but I was…hoping you’ve changed your mind about coming. I even- I mean, there’s even a seat saved for you! It’s not too late to join us, if you want. We’re about to eat here in a few minutes, so I thought-”  
“-you thought you’d come up here and convince me to come down and join the party?” He interrupted, raising an eyebrow.  
When Cadence didn’t reply, Sombra sighed. “I…appreciate the thought, Cadence, but I’m afraid I won’t be joining you.”  
“Why not?” She asked huffly, cocking her eyebrow in turn.  
Sombra glanced at her before looking down over the balcony and saying firmly, “You know very well why.”  
“But, Sombra,” Cadence tried again, this time with an edge of desperation in her tone, “you’ve improved so much these past few months. I know it’s hard for you….to approach others, but think of all you’ve accomplished. You’ve successfully integrated into society here, earned your freedom on your own merit, and proven yourself to be an ally to Equestria. Not to mention you’ve grown in character and shown yourself to be capable of kindness and compassion. Yet after all this progress, I don’t understand why-”  
“-Understand what?” His tone was sharp, as was the look he shot her from the corner of his eye. She wasn’t intimidated by his scowls, but it did cause her to pause for a moment and think carefully over her words.  
After steadying herself, she said slowly, “You’ve changed, Sombra. I’ve seen it first hand. I’m sure that if you only opened yourself up to others, even just a little bit, I’m sure that they would see the good in you. Perhaps they would even want to be your-”  
“-friend?” Sombra snapped at her, causing her to jump. This was the first time he had raised his voice to her in months and for a moment she faltered. The anger in his eyes was suddenly replaced by a mix of worry and regret. He looked away with a subtle air of shame.  
“I’m…sorry, Cadence,” He said, sincerity sounding in his tone. “It’s just that, not everypony sees me the way you do. You’re kind hearted and caring, and able to see good in ponies like me, whether it exists or not.”  
Sombra paused for a moment, before gazing up at her. His eyes, this time with a sort of gentleness to them, lingered on her. Cadence waited breathlessly for what he would say next.  
Giving her a half smile, he said softly, “you were the only one who believed I could be reformed, the only one to gave me a second chance. One I really didn’t deserve, but you gave it regardless. You know me in a way that no pony else does…”  
Sombra trialed off, his smile drooping along with his shoulders. A aura of sadness came over him, causing Cadence to feel a strange ache in her heart.  
Hanging his head, Sombra sighed. “Everyone else; however, only see me as the villain I used to be. Those dinner guests downstairs, the citizens of the empire, Twilight and her friends- they all pretend to like me so as to not ‘provoke’ the beast. Even Shining Armor doesn’t trust me! It doesn’t’ matter what I do, I can tell behind their forced smiles, deep down, they all still see me as the monster you tamed.”  
His last words cut Cadence to her core and for a moment she was left speechless. The silence was so heavy, it felt hard for her to breathe, much less speak.  
After a moment, she whispered feebly, “Sombra…..I….you just need to give them more time-”  
“-Time?” Sombra yelled, frustrated, as his head suddenly shot up. He glared down at her in disbelief. “It’s already been months, Cadence, how much longer do you expect will it take!? Face it, they’re never going to accept as anything but the tyrant I was.”  
“I…” Cadence was taken aback by his tone. Her mouth was open, but any words she had were gone. All that was left was the look of fear that flickered across her face. Sombra winced in pain as he turned away, as if he was afraid to look at her a second longer.  
“I’m sorry, Cadence,” he muttered earnestly. “It’s not your fault that you don’t understand. You’re surrounded by subjects that look up to you, friends who support you, and family that…that loves you. Your name is a symbol of hope and love to everyone. You can’t possibly know what it feels like to be an outsider.”
 
 
“You’re wrong.” Cadence’s voice rang firm and clear.  
“What!?” Sombra exclaimed, unsure if he had hear her right. Spinning around, he saw Cadence sitting ramrod straight, a stern look on her face.  
“You’re wrong about me Sombra. I do know what it’s like to be an outsider. Sure I have a kingdom that adores me, but they don’t really know me. Same with politicians. I’m just a ruler to them and nothing more. As for my friends and family, they all live hundreds of miles from here and are too busy with lives of their own to spend time with me. Even my own husband is too ‘busy’ to even think about me!” Cadence yelled, slamming her hoof down so hard that Sombra could feel the vibrations of the impact. She squeezed her eyes tight to stop the threatening tears.