End of the Elements

The four of them cantered down from the mountains, towards the heart of the Crystal Empire. It was said that the City of the Crystal Empire, more often known as the Crystal Empire, as there was very little of the Empire’s vast holdings beyond ice and snow, was one of light, a jewel in a cold and frosty world. The Crystal Palace was, quite literally according to some accounts, a pillar of light. This descriptions of the city, although the varied throughout history, always mentioned one thing; light. However, at present, the Crystal Empire was not very bright. A tall black tower protruded from a city. A dark city. The small houses that dotted the cityscape were dark as night, and, as they neared them, the ponies noticed work being done, on the outskirts. A group of four or five ponies. They were working on a small wall, made of an unrecognizable black stone.

“It’s Sombra’s own creation,” said Cadmium. pointing a hoof at the small wall. The ponies trotted over the wall. “It helps him with his brand of magic,” he said. Celestia and Luna noted the eyes of the ponies. The whites of their eyes were not white. Instead, they were a ghostly green. Cadmium’s eyes had also turned green, perhaps even a stronger green that that of the builder ponies once he had crossed the line. The moment Celestia and Luna passed over the small wall, they felt as though a slight pressure weighed on their horns, slightly restricting their magic. While the two alicorns were not stopped, the average unicorn would have found it difficult to perform standard magical operations. The city was dark. There was really no other word to use for it.

“So, tell me about yourself,” said Celestia, trying to draw some conversation from the silent Crystal Pony that was their guide.

“What would you like to know,” said Cadmium, pausing momentarily to look at them.

“Tell us about how you met Sombra,” said Luna.

“Well, I was one of his first followers. I was with him when he was just beginning to discover himself. I am sure you are aware that, although he is descended from only Crystal Ponies, he is a unicorn,”

“We’ve never actually heard of him except from what Zinc told us,” Cadmium stopped, turning to look at the two of them.

“And what did Zinc tell you?”

“Only that Sombra suddenly take over,” Cadmium looked at Zinc, annoyed.

“He is reclaiming control over the Empire,”

“He is of the royal family?” Celestia asked.

“The Royal Family?” Cadmium seemed to burst with anger. “What right did the Royal Family have to power? Sure, their great great great great great grandfathers were...great, but that was centuries ago. Sombra is here to restore power to who it belongs to,”

“The People?”

“The Strongest,” Celestia snorted, passing it off as a cough before Cadmiums enraged expression.

“I’ll take you to the Castle. Be warned....Sombra’s been very busy renovating the city...the interior of the castle has not much changed since after the siege.” By this time, they had reached the very center of the city, where, located above a small square, a massive tower of a building loomed over them, dark as the many other buildings that surrounded them. Cadmium swung a massive door open, revealing a long, white hallway. Celestia gasped. The otherwise spotless and beautiful hallway was tainted. The walls and floor were splattered with great stains of blood right across the room. Clearly, a battle had been fought. Could a pony could survive bleeding this much? Zinc fainted on the spot. Cadmium ignored him. The ponies left him there, as they continued through the maze of hallways. As the ponies worked there way up lengths of stairs, headed up to the throne room, they were accompanied by more and more stains of blood. Just as Celestia and Luna began to feel as though Cadmium had taken them through the palace simply for the shock value it had, they reached a pair of massive purple doors, decorated in detail with the seal of the Crystal Empire, a single, white snowflake. Standing guard were two rough ponies, one black, one tan. They both leaned against the walls, with no regalia, and no discipline. They barely nodded at Cadmium, though they had second glances for the alicorn duo that followed him in through the massive doors to enter a magnificent hall to rival Celestia’s palace in Canterlot. It was very similar, except the walls were made of crystals, covered, as the entire city was, with dark magic, though here it seemed perhaps a little stronger than at the city walls. But both alicorns eyes went to the end of the long hall, where a magnificent throne was located. Sitting in the chair was the Crystal King, the last of a dynasty that had lasted a thousand years, a pony with who had saved countless live by opening borders with Equestria, sending his own ponies into danger for other ponies. The two alicorns galloped towards him, only to skid to a halt a moment later when they realized why the King stood so still. His eyes, wide with fear, were blank. And, protruding from his chest, nailing him to his throne forever more, was a long, black spear. A pair of doors to the left of the throne swung open, and in walked in four gray crystal ponies. They wore dark grey armor, and each stood uneasily, trying not to look at the gory sight before them, aware of the magical prowess of the two alicorns beside, each of whom could blast them into dust without blinking. Then walked in another. Luna and Celestia quickly recognized him for their leader by his actions. While the rest looked away from their former king, he stared for a moment, a proud look on his savage face. Then he turned to see the two. The King paused, and the two alicorns could tell he was dying to yank the spear out of the dead king and launch it at them. Unlike his comrades, or anyone they had yet seen, he had a horn, a curved, red horn. He wore flowing robes. He grinned at them, and began to speak in a deep voice.

“Celestia...Luna...what a welcome surprise,” he said, taking a few steps towards them.

“Sombra,” said Celestia. Luna gave a look at his guards, who looked at each other uneasily.

“Leave us,” said Sombra, waving a hoof. The ponies left.

“So,” said Sombra. “I didn’t expect you to come this soon. How did you find out about me this soon? My wall isn’t even completed,”

“When you slaughter the entire royal family and take over the nation and don’t want people to tell others, you really should work on your borders,” said Luna. “There was an entire rebel force preparing out there,”

“Oh, you mean the refugees,” said Sombra, shrugging. “They are being….dealt with,” he trotted towards to balcony, looking over his dark city. “That’s what I sent Cadmium to the mountains for,” he turned to the two sisters. “Now, let’s skip the formalities and get to the point,” he said. “How many are there?”

“Of who?”

“Your own army,” said Sombra.

“We have not entered this city with any army,” said Celestia, truthfully. Their army they had left on the other side of the mountains. Sombra gave them a nasty smile.

“Well, in case you’re wondering whether violence is the answer you must give me,” he gestured to the Crystal King. “There is your answer,” Celestia looked at the pony for a long moment.

“There is my answer,” she said. she turned to Sombra. “What would you like us to do?”

“I would like only your friendship and-”

“Enough time to build an army to invade Equestria? I don’t think so,” said Celestia, angrily.

“Well, if you did not come with an army, and you do not seek diplomatic relations…” said Sombra, turning on the Alicorns. “Why are you here?” Celestia, stumped, turned to Luna. Each of their minds raced.

“Did you just come to see him?” he said, pointing up at the throne once again.

“Stop talking about his body like that!” Luna said in an angry outburst.

“Take him down if you like,” Sombra replied cooly. Luna glared at the unicorn, but did not make any move towards the Crystal King. Celestia decided it was time to change the subject.

“How are you a unicorn?” Sombra turned to her, curiously.

“I would have thought you would have known. You are the expert on magic...your creation of those elements of harmony was unmatched.” Celestia raised her eyebrows.

“Was?”

“Yes...for there is a new pioneer in the field of magic...me,”

“What kind of magic have you created?” Luna retorted. Sombra gave her a cold smile.

“As I’m sure you know, the first kind of magic was simple magic,” he said, taking a few steps away from the pair, looking out on the balcony. “Unicorns used it on a larger scale to raise the sun in the sky. Thus began Equestria, a nation with such power as to raise the sun and moon. Then,” he turned to face them again. “As I’m sure you’ll remember, Discord arose, with a new kind of magic, the oldest kind of magic, the magic civilization was built to stop; Chaos Magic. He took over the world, or so you believe...he never had much power up here, see. Then you two came and created your own magic, the perfect foil to that… harmonic magic. You overthrew him, and resurrected Equestria. And then there’s me….I created a new magic as well, I created dark magic.”

“Dark magic? What is it?” Celestia asked.

“As always Celestia, you wish to know everything about magic...but I think I will keep that information with me.” Sombra replied. “Know this only...Dark magic is superior. The wall we build will reinforce our dark magic, and will also, when completed, cancel out harmonic and chaos magic.” Sombra turned. “Go to your armies...don’t pretend you haven’t got them, and tell them of him. Tell him that twenty of my men were able to make it here, a place not even Discord tread. Tell them we are now over three thousand…tell them this, and see what they say,”

And without another word, Sombra left the hall, and the guards escorted them out.