Wrath of Sombra
Prologue
Darkness… cold lonely darkness… all around me… consuming me… I can't escape… I need to try, escaping… I need to try… I c- I can't breathe, help me, HELP ME! "GAH!" Princess Luna awoke from another nightmare, cold fearful sweat dripping from her face and onto her sheets, tears streaming down from her face and the familiar smell of fear filling the air of the room as she breathed heavily. She had this dream every so often and each time she had it, it had gotten worse and worse to the point where she didn't even feel like sleeping at night anymore just wander the castle aimlessly until her sister rose the sun at dawn. She knew what these dreams where and she also knew what they meant, for you see, 1000 years is a long time to be isolated on a cold rock. A guard came in with the utmost urgency.
"Your highness!" He said with a tone of worry in his voice "Is something the matter? I heard a noise and thought you were in trouble, is everything alright?!"
"Yes" The princess said as she caught what remained of her breathe "Yes I am fine guardsmen, you were right to come in and check on me as you were trained and I admire that, but if you would be so kind as to please leave me now and return to your duties that would be much appreciated" Princess Luna said this with such stern and fear in her voice that it almost shook the guard where he stood.
"Y-Yes your majesty" The guard said as he was leaving the royal chambers. Luna looked at the door and then her moon and wept softly and silently as so no one could hear it outside her chambers. Let me tell you something, something gravely important: Fear, no matter how irrational, no matter how implausible can rule over a pony's life and make them weak, make them feel helpless.
Chapter 1
Princess Celestia, Queen of Equestria, was about to celebrate her 3000th birthday. 3000 years is a long time, especially if you are immortal, but Celestia (or more simply called Tia by her younger sister) felt different. She had felt something that she had never felt before: old. This was, naturally, a grand celebration for all of Equestria even more important than Heartswarming or Nightmare Night for all the pony's gathered round and were ready to present their gifts to the princess. Some pony's homemade there gifts, it was quaint and had a certain charm to them, others bought theirs and gave them to a ruler could honestly buy them herself, but again they were charming none the less showing that her subjects at least cared for their princess enough to give her a gift and show their honor. The gift that Celestia loved to receive however was ones from her dear sister Luna who always gave the best gifts. Luna knew her sister collected antiques and was a fan of Pre-Equestrian artifacts and would love her newest gift to give her. Her hoofs echoed through the halls as she was carrying her gift on her back, wrapped in clean summer yellow wrapping paper her favorite color.
"Tia?" Luna called out through the halls. "Tia where are you? I come baring gifts!"
Celestia walked down the halls of the royal castle and saw her little sister carrying something that looked rather heavy on her back.
"Luna?" Celestia called out "Luna is that you dear sister?"
Luna saw her sisters smile and ran up to her embracing a hug as her magic held the gift in place. The two sisters hugged for what seemed like forever, Princess Luna broke the hug and smiled at her sister.
"Hello Tia" She said in a cheery voice "Happy Birthday!" she floated the gift to her sisters hoofs as she looked at it with childish delight.
"What is it?" Celestia asked as she tried to shake the package seeing if she can make out the contents of the package.
"Open it and find out!" Luna said as her smile grew across her face. Celestia unwrapped the gift and pulled out the contents of the package revealing a pair of old, withered glasses.
"Oh my" Celestia said as she examined the glasses.
"The pony who sold it to me said it was from Pre-Equestrian times" Luna said "He said it belonged to an earth pony"
"Well this is very sweet dear sister, thank you" Celestia said as she put the glasses next to the other artifacts on her shelf. Celestia sighed; Luna looked at her in fear of her sister being sad or distraught.
"Sister" She began to ask "Is something wrong?"
Celestias face grew with confusion and worry as she looked at her sister with age in her eyes.
"Well" She began "Yes Luna… yes there is"
"Well you can tell me Tia" Luna chimed in "I am your sister after all, and if you can't trust me then who can you trust?"
Celestia sighed and looked at Luna with a long worrying face.
"I don't know I just" Celestia began to speak "I just can't shake this feeling of age, of regret… of sadness. I just feel old; I mean 3000 years old that's… I can't fathom that, I mean so much has happened in the last two years alone! You coming back, Twilight becoming a princess, and even now Princess Cadence and Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire searching for any lost pony's that may have gotten lost from their home… I just want to sit down for once and breathe, just breathe and let things flow naturally for once and not let things get so out of control… just once…" there was a long silence as the two where in the room, Luna staring at her big sister in her time of need.
"Well" Luna said, breaking the silence "If you were to take my advice Tia, you need to get out of this castle, take a break go on a vacation, before you truly become old, before you truly become one of these artifacts."
Celestia stared at her sister as a smile beamed across her face, she went up to her sister and kisses her on the forehead.
"Well" She said "I just might do that"
Chapter 2
Cadence and Shining Armor had been surveying the lands outside the empire they ruled looking for room to expand their ever growing empire's needs. With permission from the princess of course they scouted the area in search for lands they could use for farming, building, living Etc. Things had been looking up for the young happy couple, but you must remember, there are no such things as perfect marriages. They had been in the freezing winds since at least 7:00 this morning scouting the lands and watching the temperature slowly drop, it had been a cold and bitter winter. Armor looked through his telescope next to Cadence, who was shaking in her coat from extreme cold.
"A-A-Armor" She said shivering "I w-w-w-want to g-g-g-go h-h-home, please, I'm freezing"
"Hold on" he said in response to her "I just need to see if this land is ready for farming needs"
"Armor I'm freezing" Cadence said "I want to go home now!" she said containing her shiver
"Hold on" Armor said
"N-n-no more 'Hold On'" Cadence said "I want to leave!"
"Cadence" Armor said "I'm busy; we have a mission to find land and were going to do that"
"A mission?" Cadence said with a laugh in her voice teeth chattering and her anger warming her up so she can speak "everything had to be a mission doesn't it? You still feel like you're in the military huh? Gah, everything is about you isn't it?! I'm not some grunt you can just bully around into doing things Armor, I am your wife!"
"And that's exactly why you're here!" Armor snapped back "You are not only my wife but the princess of the crystal empire, and it's your duty to help these ponies!"
"But what about us?!" Cadence snapped "What about our future? You want children yet you can barely pay any attention to me! I feel like…" tears formed in Cadences eye "I feel like you don't care about me"
Armor saw how he hurt his wife, the one who was there for him when no one else was. His heart broke as he went to comfort his wife in his strong hoofs.
"Hey… hey… shhh" Armor said to her "I do care about you… you're my life Cadence my everything, I wouldn't be here without you… it's just all this stuff, all this I just… I guess I lose focus. Look, you and I both want children, both want to start a family and I want you to know that I do love you ok? I'm sorry; I didn't mean to snap…" Cadences cries were hushed and Armor as they looked at each other and kissed passionately, like how the moon kisses the night, how heat from a fire gently kisses your skin, this love and this passion could only come from two who were truly in love. Armor broke the kiss and looked at his wife with passion and love as a smile crept across his face.
"I'll pack my stuff" He said "And then we'll go" He began to grab his equipment but something caught his eye, a black figure in the distance. He grabbed his telescope and looked at the figure, it almost looked like a pony.
"H-Hey!" He said to Cadence "I think somepony might be out there!"
"What?" Cadence questioned "It's probably just a rabbit"
"Rabbits aren't that tall" Armor responded "Hey! HEEEEEEY! OVER HERE!" Armor yelled at the figure with enthusiasm and curiosity. He waved his hoofs around and the figure looked at them and started coming their way.
"Hey Cadence" Armor said "Come on! He's coming this way!"
"What?" Cadence said "Are you crazy?! That could be a wolf or something!"
"I don't think it's a wolf!" Armor said as he ran out to greet the figure.
"Armor!" Cadence yelled "ARMOR! Oh great!" Cadence ran after Armor and almost tackled him to the ground as he got closer to the figure. As they got closer Cadence slowed down a bit as she saw what Armor was seeing, a pony in a cloak. As they got as close as they could to the pony without crushing it or getting in its bubble they looked at the cloaked figure, a tall dark clad pony with the hood of the cloak covering his face it almost looked as it he had a horn.
"Greetings friend" Armor said with a childish and excited tone "Are you lost?!"
The figure stared at him and then looked at Cadence; he saw how she had looked so cold.
"Cold?" the figure said in a menacing deep tone of voice "It seems as though you are, but I wouldn't stress any of it you get used to it once you have been out as long as I have."
Armor looked confused and saw the look on his wife's face as looked at the strange pony.
"Who are you stranger?" Armor asked
"You mean you don't know?" The pony said "You don't know who I am? She didn't tell you? Well I'm not surprised, who would remember an old relic? An. Old. King?"
As he said this he removed his hood and revealed himself. Armor knew that face, he knew it all too well, the eyes the mouth even the horn. His face grew in sheer terror as he saw who the pony really was. His mouth opened and all that could come out was one word one name.
"Sombra"
Chapter 3
Celestia and Luna were awaiting for two guests to arrive to the party that they were holding for Celestia. Celestias face looked troubled, as if she where hit by some strange force. Luna looked at her in worry and put her hoof on her shoulder.
"Dear sister" Luna said "Does something trouble you? Shall I call the guards? The medics?"
Celestia smiled at her sister and pulled her hoof off her shoulder.
"No dear sister" Celestia said "I'm just worried that twilight and spike won't make it here..."
"Sister" Luna said "Don't worry, they'll make it in time for the lavish party you have planned"
"Do you ever think dear sister" Celestia began "That these parties are to lavishly ludicrous? That the bits put into them could and would (if I weren't ruling) be used for better purposes, like feeding hungry foals or ending homelessness?"
Luna looked at her sister in awe of what she had just said and smiled very weakly.
"Tia" Luna began "Don't think that way. Today is your day and you should be very excited for what some ponies are bringing for you."
Just then out of nowhere Twilight with Spike on her back flew into the royal hall and landed gracefully. Twilight was the new princess and had been for quite sometime. She still lived in ponyville instead of living in the castle for she liked it that way. Twilight approached the two princesses.
"Hello Princess Luna" Twilight said "Hello Princess Celestia. I hope I'm not too early, I suggested to come early to give you my present myself."
"Oh!" Celestia said in surprise "Thank you dear! Let me see what you have brought"
Celestia used her magic to float over the wrapped gift that Twilight had on her back. Celestia used her magic to unwrap the present to reveal a book (What a shock...)
"Oh... A book..." Celestia said very unenthusiastic "How Lovely..."
"Do you like it?!" Twilight said with a gleam on her face "Its a Tale of two Cities! I know you might have already read it but i just thought you might like it!"
"well" Celestia began "T-thank you dear... its very... sweet of you to think of me"
Celestia looked inside the first page and saw the what she had feared. The words read 'To Princess Celestia for her 600th birthday'. 'Had I really gotten this old' she asked herself 'Had it really been so long?'. A tear fell from Celestias eye that landed on the page. Luna saw this and went to her sister to comfort her.
"Tia?" she said "Are you alright?" Celestia looked at her sister and wiped the tears from her face.
"Yes" Celestia began "I'm alright... now! The party starts in 6 hours, so lets get started shall we?!"
Chapter 4
Sombras smile shook the very soul of Shining Armor and Cadence. There backs shivered and eyes quivered not from the cold but from Sombras devil smile and crooked eyes.
"Hello" Sombra said to Armor like the wind whispers to the night.
"H-h-how" Armor barley whimpered out "How are you s-still-"
"ALIVE?!" Sombra barked back at Armor laughing with intense joy "Fool, if one part of me is kept intact all of me is alive. It's a shame that was the only thing you were told"
"W-w-what?" Armor mustered after receiving the blow Sombra had just delivered "What are you talking about?!"
Sombra broke out into laughter at the sight of of the princes stupidity. He walked over to Cadence, who was petrified with fear and anger. He lightly brushed her cheek as his sharp razor teeth appeared and looked at her with malicious intent.
"I hear you are trying to have children" Sombra said with his words cold and bitter as the ice they were in "I'm glad. I've always wanted Grandchildren."
Armors eyes sunk as Sombra brushed the cheek of Cadence and looked at her with any sign, any sign on her face to deny the accusation that was muttered by the former king. There was none.
"But its a shame I won't have any" Somber said breaking the long silence between the three.
"W-w-what?" Armor said almost weeping
"What. do. you. mean you old F-" Cadence said before Sombra used his magic to close her mouth.
Sombra smiled and laughed at both the stupidity of Cadence and Armor.
"You mean you both didn't know?!" Sombra said before laughing fiendishly and loud into the cold bitter air "Oh... how somethings are so sad, and Celestia didn't tell you. Alicorns live forever, that is their gift, but nothing is free in the world. In order for them to keep their immortality they must lose their fertility"
The couple looked at each other in shock and awe of the news that changed their lives forever. Sombra let Cadence free and the two started to weep. Sombra smiled and looked at the couple, smoke climbing from the ground and entering their bodies.
"Yes" Sombra smiled and saw the smoke enter in the bodies of Cadence and Shining Armor, there eyes turning black and minds bending to his whim "Go my children, go the palace of the tyrants and help me. exact. my. REVENGE!" Sombra laughed and turned into the smoke that enveloped the bodies of couple as they started mindlessly walking to the train station that had the next train into Canterlot. Sombras plan was working perfectly.
Chapter 5
"I don't get it Twilight" Spike said as he was hanging decorations from the ceiling "I would have thought you, of all ponies would have read the book cover to cover before giving it to you mentor"
"I did read the book Spike" Twilight responded "I just thought it would be a neat gift, to have a sort of nostalgic buzz to it... I didn't know she would react that way."
Spike looked at the Princess putting confetti she borrowed from pinkie pie, the local party pony, around the palace. In her opinion it looked party ready, the tables where set out, the lavish cake was in the middle, the gold silverware was placed and guests even started to show up.
"Yep!" Twilight said "Party ready!"
The guests started to flow in like, well, ponies going to a party. Twilights Friends (Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and the aforementioned Pinkie Pie)Started to come in as well.
"Welcome Girls!" Twilight said greeting her friends "The party is about to start and your seats are over there"
"OOOOOOH!" Pinkie Pie started "I CANT WAIT FOR THIS PARTY! OH THERE'S CAKE AND BALLOONS! YIPPY!"
Pinkie held on to Rarity, Rarity not looking the most pleased of ponies.
"Darling" She said "Please let go"
"Oops" Pinkie said letting go "I'm sorry, just so excited!"
"Well girls" Twilight said "I'll lead you to your seat"
All her friends smiled as she lead the way to the seats.
The three princesses sat down and watched as gifts and ponies filled the large chamber. Just then, the doors opened to two more guests that surprised everyone.
"Big Brother?!" Twilight said as she saw Cadence and Armor walk inside very machine like. She ran up to him and hugged him. "Shining Armor! I'm so glad to see you my BBBFF"
"Uh hu" Armor said sounding very machine like and uninterested.
"Uh, are you ok?" Twilight asked
"Yes..." Armor said "Just fine" The two sat down at the front table and looked blankly at the crowd that looked very oddly back at them.
Princess Celestia tapped her glass with her gold spoon and smiled at the guests.
"Thank you all for coming" Celestia said "We are gathered here today to celebrate my day of birth, and whilst this is an important event in Equestria we often times forget about the ponies who help the most. You. You all have helped with this lavish celebration, but I must also add that this is completely ridiculous" All the ponies gasped at the princesses remark.
"Tia" Luna whispered "What are you doing?"
"Trust me sister" Celestia whispered and winked at her little sister. "Now" Celestia said with her voice raised "With all the gifts you have given me over the years I have saved each and every one and have decided instead of celebrating my boring birth, to instead celebrate the birth of those who do not have folks to share it with. That is why I am selling all my gifts, all the gold silverware and all, all the food to the Prancy Pillinger Foster home! so I say a toast to the foals who will hopefully have a family to celebrate their happy birthdays with!" As she said this all the ponies in the room raised their glasses and applauded the noble act of the Princess. Twilight and Rainbow Dash clapped especially loud for that's where there filly friend Scootaloo lived, and they know knew that she was in great hands. Just then Shining Armor and Princess Cadence started to yell in pain and clutched their stomachs. twilight went over to comfort her brother.
"Big Brother" She asked "Are you OK?"
Just then both of the vomited black ooze, all the ponies started to scream in terror and confusion as the ooze started to take shape.
"BIG BROTHER!" Twilight ran to her brother and held him in her hoofs "Big brother! What's happening?!"
Armor looked at her sister and only muttered one word "R-Run..."
Just as he said this the ooze took form into the mad king Sombra. Everypony's jaw dropped and Celestia looked in shock and terror. Sombra looked at the crowd and smiled.
"FILLIES AND GENTLECOLTS!" He yelled at the crowd "I AM TONIGHT'S ENTERTAINMENT" everypony screamed as Sombra Laughed in glee and malicious evil.
"And tonight" he said "I'm going to make a tyrant... Disappear!"
Chapter 6
"Sombra!" Twilight shouted at the mad king "What's going on?! Why are you here?!"
Sombra laughed and looked at the new princess with a fiendish look in his eyes.
"Well, well, well" Sombra began "If it isn't Twilight Sparkle, the insipid brat who defeated me less than a year ago. I must say you have grown into quite the mare"
"That's Princess Sparkle to you!" Twilight yelled in the face of the smiling king.
"Oh I'm sorry where are my manners?" Sombra mockingly said to twilight's face "Oh. That's right. I don't have any."
Sombra laughed in the face of the princess as there stern angry looks tried to pierce the mad king.
"Enough!" Celestia shouted, the entire room vibrating as she did "Sombra! What are you doing here?! Speak before I banish you to whatever realm of darkness you came from!"
"Oh, why you of course" Sombra said to Celestias face nearly nipping her nose as he said it "But not just yet."
"What do you mean not just yet?!" Celestia demanded. Sombra laughed at Celestias foolish attempts at trying to control him.
"Well you're the main dish of course" Sombra chuckled "But first, I want an appetizer."
Just then a black inky hand erupted from the ground and grabbed princess Luna from the table.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Luna yelled "Un-hoof me you oaf!"
"And why would I do that?" Sombra said looking at Luna "You are the opening act after all"
Sombra laughed as he took Luna screaming out the front door. Twilight and her friends tried to chase after them but the door closed. When they tried to open it they saw that it was locked from the outside and no amount of force was going to open it.
"Man, this stinks!" Rainbow said angry and confused "If AJ where here she would bust this stupid door down like it was nothing. Stupid apple convention!"
"Rainbow! This is serious!" Twilight shouted at dash "If we don't get out of here who knows what Sombra will do to Luna?!"
"You don't think I know that?!" Rainbow snapped back
"Well you sure don't act like you do"
"Oh you know what ya egghead"
"What you lowbrow?!"
"Low Brow?!"
as the two started to bicker Celestia stomped her hoof down, the echo was so loud that it rang through the entire hall
"Girls, calm down!" Celestia said "Don't you see this is what he wants us to do?!"
The two started to look down and back to Celestia knowing that she was right.
"Sorry twi..." Dash said
"Yeah" Twilight replied "I'm sorry to..."
as the two reconciled Celestia looked at them and smiled.
"Now" Celestia said "The first order of business is to knock down this door"
