Somber

by apaulingbrony

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad
Length: 3252

Who was King Sombra, and why does the year of his rise to power and subsequent defeat coincide with Princess Luna's fall from grace?

King Sombra, ruler, and tyrant of the crystal empire, despoiler of Equestria, his name has been cursed a thousand times and after Luna and Celestia Defeated him 1000 years ago his name has been struck from the records all knowledge of his previous life destroyed.
Who was King Sombra, and why does the year of his rise to power and subsequent defeat coincide with Princess Luna's fall from grace?
Prequel to Nightingale
Do not need to read Nightingale to understand Somber

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-06-04 22:39:50 UTC

The Orphanage

Luna stalked down the alleyway; rain fell down her face and matted her pristine coat. She was unused to this district of the capital and the distinct smell of poverty filled her nostrils. Yes, poverty had its own smell, a smell of grime and death topped with hopelessness it was a pitiful smell but a much needed change from the stink of snobbishness and entitlement that plagued her and her sister with its rot.

Turning down a side street marked Nocturne Court she found herself in front of her destination, The Hope Orphanage, a small lopsided building towards the back of Nocturne Court. The white paint that had once shone brightly in the morning sun now had peeled and left the Orphanage stripped and blackened. An oil lamp flickered in the front window and a small sign marking the slum as the Orphanage creaked in the wind. Luna trotted to the door step and found shelter beneath the small awning above the door, pausing only to cast a quick drying spell and straighten her mane.  Composing herself she knocked twice on the door, her hoof booming against the thick oak.

After a moment of silence the door creaked open and bathed Luna in the dull light within, on the other side of the door stood an old mare. Her coat was a brilliant orange, and streaks of grey lined her orange mane, wrinkles lined her face and her eyes gave the impression of a pony that could look past your body and into your soul itself. In short, she was old.

“Ahh Princess it has been quite some time hasn’t it? When were you last here, why I must have only been thirty five!” The mare exclaimed before embracing the Alicorn.

“Yes sadly it has been quite a while Warm Embrace hasn’t it? And sadly I can only stay a little while I have come on business.” Luna replied. “I have come for one of your charges, a young stallion by the name of Somber Heart I believe.”

“Oh… you’re here for… him?” Warm Embrace replied looking away “Has he done something wrong?” she asked sadly

“Well no, he hasn’t. Why do you ask? Does he often get in trouble?” Luna inquired

“Well… no but he is unusual. He… well he is very talented but the other fouls… they are scared of him. I haven’t ever seen him hurt them or doing anything to harm them, but all the same something is different about him.”

“Well that is partly why I am here; I have heard of a powerful unicorn foal in this part of town and tracked the rumors down to here.”

“So, what are you going to do with him?”

“Well, that is for him to decide, if you could please take me to him?” Luna asked, Warm Embrace nodded before leading Luna into the Orphanage and up the narrow stairs to the second level. The stairs creaked under the weight of the two ponies as they ascended. Warm Embrace led her through a hallway on the right and to a door at the end of it. The door was marked with fading gold letters as the colts bunk room and giving a quick knock Warm Embrace opened the door revealing a room full of foals. The room had four bunk beds and the foals were two to a bed except for one colt in the back of the room.

The colt was a unicorn but his horn was deformed into a sharp curved horn like a rhinoceros’s the colt also was unusually big for his age, only slightly shorter than Warm Embrace and taller than the rest of the foals his age. His coat was a charcoal grey and his mane was silky midnight black, unusual colors for a pony. Often time’s ponies with grey or black coats were regarded with superstition as bad omens.

“Bloody hell it’s the Princess!” one of the foals in a bunk yelled before stooping into a bow, the action quickly replicated by everypony in the room.

“Please rise my subjects” Luna said “I require an audience with Somber Heart if you would all be so kind as to leave the room.” Luna’s request was quickly obliged and soon enough Luna and Somber Heart were alone. Luna approached Somber and sat down on the bed beside him.

“Hello Somber Heart.”

“Good evening Princess.” Somber replied shortly, avoiding Luna’s gaze. “What did I do?” He asked after a moment’s silence.

Luna laughed “Why is it that that is always the first question when I mention you?!”

“Well I’m not exactly the most popular stallion around if you couldn’t tell.”

“I could.” Luna paused looking Somber Heart over. “You are very talented aren’t you?”

Somber looked away “What do you mean?”

“You’re a very talented unicorn, unusual, but talented.” Luna replied “your magic is not like normal unicorn magic. Do you know why?” Luna asked

Somber shook his head

“Normal unicorn magic is based in thought and logic, it uses theory to bind the magical forces that surge through every unicorn’s body and direct it through the horn as magic.” Luna explained “However your magic seems to be based in your emotions, you use positive emotions to bind together your own magic and direct it through your horn.”

“What about negative emotions?” Somber asked looking up at Luna

“Well that’s the interesting part of your magic, while positive emotions binds your magic together negative emotions rips your magic apart and forces the energy released by the fission through your horn as magic.” Luna replied slowly “It is a more powerful form of magic, but it is also more dangerous and unwieldy.”

Luna then looked at him with a knowing smile. “That’s the type of magic you used in the park yesterday.”

Somber was aghast “You saw that? I am in trouble aren’t I? I knew it! I swear I didn’t mean to do that! It just happened!”

Luna stopped his ranting with a hoof “Relax Somber Heart, you are not in any trouble!” Luna said with a smile. “However I am very curious as to what happened yesterday.”

“I-I just lost control, the other foals were making fun of my horn and my coat… they were saying I was unlucky and I should hang out with the thestrals. They said I was half thestral!”

“Is something wrong with thestrals Somber Heart?”

“Well no, but I still don’t wanna be one! I don’t know what I wanna be.”

“Why not be you?”

“Why not be somepony else?”

“Well I can think of one reason.”

“What?” Somber asked looking up at Luna

“Well nopony else is Princess Luna’s personal student.” Luna said smiling over at Somber Heart

Somber Heart paused his face contorting through a tidal wave of emotions as he realized what the princess had just said. “Wha- what?!? You can’t be serious!”

“I am, that is unless you don’t want to be my student?”

“Of course I do!” Somber Heart said hugging Luna. “oh sorry your highness, that was probably improper of me.” Somber said stepping back and composing himself, before Luna swept him into a hug.

“Oh horse apples to properness.”

Dining with Royalty

It was late at night when Luna and Somber Heart approached The Royal Castle of the Pony Sisters, their hooves echoing through the street. As Somber looked around he heard a sigh from beside him, looking over he sees Princess Luna looking around the streets with a frown.

“What’s wrong Princess?” Somber asked looking up at his new teacher. “You look sad. Is everything ok? Did I do something wrong already?”

Luna chuckled “No Somber Heart it is nothing you’ve done its just… oh forget it, you should be happy right now. I am not going to worry you with the worries of an old mare.”

“You’re not old! You don’t look any older than my mom was when she-“Somber quickly said before falling off. Luna looked at the colt.

“When she what?”

“When she died.”

“Oh- I am very sorry to hear that Somber Heart, from seeing you I can imagine she was an amazing mare.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well it takes one heck of a mare to raise a good colt like you don’t it?” Luna said winking at Somber. “So tell me Somber have you ever been inside the castle?”

“Only once as part of a field trip, we only got to see the entrance hall!” Somber replied “It was really cool but I lost my ticket for the tour so that’s all I got to see.” He continued frowning a bit. “It must be cool to live there huh Princess? Somber asked.

“Well- yes it is a bit cool, but let’s see how you like it in a week or so how about that?”

“You me I can come see it?”

Luna laughed “No Somber I mean after YOU live in it for a bit!”

Somber was slack jawed “You kidding right!?”

“No I am not kidding you will be sleeping only a few doors down from me in the royal guest room. We will eat breakfast together every morning and dinner together every night, I will assign a task to be done by dinner at breakfast. Additionally you will have private lessons with me every night in the astronomy tower.” Luna said seriously.

“Being my student is no laughing matter. It is hard work but I know you’re up to the task.” Luna finished before looking up at the gates to the castle. “Ah- here we are, home sweet home.”

“Wow” Somber said in amazement as Luna’s horn glowed consuming the gates in her indigo magic and opening them to reveal the entrance hall.

The hall was magnificent in every sense of the word; massive blue and white crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the oil lamps cast a dull glow around the room and due to their proximity to the chandeliers threw magnificent rainbow prisms on the walls as well. A large window in the shape of Princess Celestia’s cutie mark was the center point of the back wall- “Ah yes that would be my sisters doing Somber, It faces to the east so that every morning when she raises the sun it shines directly through that window and turns this entire room into a glorious sun filled, rainbow room. A little melodramatic if you ask me.” – A dark red carpet made up the floor and banners of Celestia’s and Luna’s cutie marks adorned the walls however it very plainly leaned towards Celestia’s influence architecturally.

Luna looked around with a slight frown. “Yes it is all just marvelous isn’t it, come now, I will show you to your room.” Luna said before nudging Somber along with a hoof.

They went down the last hallway towards the back of the room and trotted down it, the hallway was white with white marble and at this time of night very cold. Seeing Somber Heart shiver Luna wrapped her wing around him like a cloak and pulled him closer to her.

“Better?” She asked looking down at the now very tired colt.

“Very.”

They walked for what seemed to be ages to Somber before stopping in front of a black door marked with an ivory crescent moon, opening the door with her magic before lightly pushing Somber inside. The room was a dark blue and was trimmed with silver; it was a modest room with a single bed and bath. There was a small library with about three dozen books in it, all on the topic of magic, most bearing titles such as Unusual Magic by Starswirl or Channeling Energy by Clover. Dull flicking light filled the room indicating that the room was still using candles to light it.

“It’s not much but for now it will have to do.” Luna said “A servant will be by to wake you for breakfast, sleep tight.” Luna said smiling and stifling a yawn before shutting the door and walking to her room. Likewise Somber trotted around his room- his room!- and snuffed out the candles before collapsing on his bed, asleep in an instant.

*

Somber Heart was woken by a shrill high pitched voice, at first he was surprised to find out that this was the servant sent to get him and not a cat being skinned alive, then he was surprised to find it was a stallions voice.

“Mr. Somber Heart it is time for you to get up! Princess Luna has requested your presence in the dining hall in forty minutes!”

“Ughh but- but sleep!” Somber groaned rolling over and burying his head into his pillows. His head burying however was interrupted by the servant lifting him out of bed with his magic and dumping Somber in the already filled, cold bath.

“Ah! What the” Somber cried as the cold water woke him up instantly

“You would not get up so I got you up!” the servant puffed turning and walking out the door “I will be waiting outside to escort you to the dining room, wash up because you smell and put on the clothes I lay out on your bed.” He said before exiting the room pompously.

“Geez that was weird.” Somber groaned “Wait did he say clothes?!”

Sure enough once Somber had finished bathing and come out to his room there was a suit on his bed, the kind of suit the nobles around the capital wore, blue, ornate, tacky, and gaudy were the first words that came to mind when Somber Heart tried to describe it.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

*

Stern Gaze stood outside of Somber Hearts room waiting impatiently for the colt to prepare himself for breakfast with the Princess. Stern Gaze hated waiting defiantly when the one he was waiting on was a snot nosed colt, there was never anything interesting about a colt or a filly they were all the same; disgusting and entitled it was always so boring-*CRASH*- Sighing Stern Gaze walked through the door.

“What in the hay is going on in here?!”  Stern asked looking around at the mess Somber Heart had made. Clothes littered the floor and Somber Heart was lying on the floor with a shirt on and his hooves tied up in the tie.

“Oh uh hey servant… could I have some help?”

“For the love of Celestia.” Stern Gaze said shaking his head before stooping to help Somber get dressed. And quickly enough Somber stood in the suit with nothing broken or out of place except for his pride. With a grin at Stern Gaze Somber asked when they should be going, answered by the old stallion looking at his watch and gasping.

“About five minutes ago!” he squeaked before grabbing Somber and galloping full tilt towards the dining hall dodging the ponies in the halls and occasionally jumping over ponies like a rodeo star. Finally after a few near death experiences they arrived at the dining hall, waiting at the entrance was none other than Princess Luna with a smile on her face.

“Get lost Stern Gaze?” Luna asked jokingly

“Uh- n-no your highness just Mr. Somber Heart here had some trouble getting changed and- well” Stern Gaze was cut off by Luna.

“Oh you’re the reason he is wearing that hideous suit?” Luna asked innocently all the while sneaking a wink in Sombers direction.

“No! Well yes but I just thought-”

“It’s fine Stern, really but from now on no clothes ok? It’s not like I’m wearing any!” Luna joked teasing Stern Gaze

Stern Blushed “Well yes you are not wearing clothes but you’re a Princess! You can do whatever you want!”

“If only that were the case my dear friend, I might have a lot less trouble with the nobility that way!” Luna said half-jokingly half sadly “But no even I have to follow protocols however this one I believe I can let slide.”

“Ok Princess! I promise we will be on time for dinner tonight!” Stern Gaze said before turning and leaving Somber alone with Luna.

“Ok Somber how about we get that breakfast I bet you must be hungry!” Luna said smiling as if on cue Somber’s stomach began to growl.

“Yeah that sounds great!” Somber said returning Luna’s smile “Thanks again for everything Princess I don’t know how I could ever thank you enough for what you’ve done for me.”

“Thank me by studying hard; trying your best and becoming the best that you can be can you do that for me Somber Heart?” Luna asked

“Yeah!”

“Good. Now let’s get something to eat I am starved.”

*

“Ugh… Why did I eat so much?” Luna asked no one in particular turning towards Somber who was perfectly content not in any pain from their massive meal at all. “How are you not miserable Somber? That was so much food… ugh”

Somber Shrugged “I don’t know Princess the high metabolism of youth?”

“Are you calling me old?”

“Oh! Nononononono Princess I would never say that forgive me if I-”

“Relax Somber I’m joking! Anyways we should probably get to work as I have a meeting with that snot nose Blueblood in half an hour.”

“Yes! Let’s get to it! So what am I going to be learning first, how to shoot fire from my horn or levitate massively heavy objects?” Somber asked enthusiastically.

“uh for now Somber we’re going to stick to some basic concepts.” Luna replied shaking her head “For today we are going to work on controlling the flow of your magic.”

“Oh okay so should I read a book or something?”

“Well that’s the thing Somber usually I would say yes, however you remember how I said your magic is different from everypony else’s? Well because of that normal techniques for controlling your magic will not work.” Luna said to a intently listening Somber Heart. “Your magic is powered by your emotions, with more intense feeling comes more power with more level headedness comes less.”

Somber looked confused.

“Let me make it easier to imagine. Everypony has a pool of magic stored within them for most through basic theory and practice they can learn how to channel it however with you your emotions act a lot like the moon works to bring the tides on a beach, as your emotions become more fierce the tides of your magic pool are larger allowing you to access more magic for your spells as needed.” Luna explained “When you clear your mind and become more neutral with your emotions your magic wanes as well. The thing is for different spells you will want different levels of magic to be available for use, that’s why for today’s task you will be going out to the firing range. You will fire a magical blast at each of the targets controlling your emotions to control how far your shot will go, if the shot goes too far it will be rebounded back at you for you to dodge so make sure you power your spell just enough to get it to the target or else you will be pretty sore tonight. Got it?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Good. Now I have to go to that meeting so Captain Morning Light here will take you to the firing range okay? I will see you tonight at dinner.” With a smile Luna left the table and left Somber Heart in the hands of the Captain.