There comes a time in every unicorn’s life where they must make a decision that may affect not only their own life, but the lives of everyone around them. Not many people know the existence of The Crystal Empire or the evil unicorn that ruled it with an iron hoof. In the words of a famous unicorn “evil is not born. It is influenced by its actions and by events that are beyond their control”. This is not simply the tale of a dark king that took over and empire, this is the story of how one simple unicorn lost everything he ever cared for in an instant, to rise from loss and sadness to the dark figure head of an empire that made the entire kingdom of Equestria tremble at its very name. This is the tale of Sombra, The rise of the tyrant.
“No….that isn’t right. You need to concentrate in order for the spell to work”. The black unicorn with the disheveled mane stared forlornly at the floor. “But sir…I have been trying my best…I just don’t understand what I am doing wrong. I just can’t get it”
The legendary unicorn Starswirl the bearded sighed and shook his head. He proceeded to pace around his young apprentice sizing him up. His pacing slowed and he took a deep breath.
Starswirl was wise beyond years and comprehension. While no pony knew just how old Starswirl was exactly, what was known is that he was one of the most powerful unicorns in the entire kingdom. He had earned his place at Celestia’s side as her adviser and dearest friend.
He sat down and removed his hat while he contemplated his words. “I have my work cut out for me with this one, he shows so much potential yet he lacks the control and patience to be great. I have had students like him before, and I have faith that he can go on to great things” he thought to himself.
“Alright Sombra, I think that is enough for today and do not forget that you need to study for your test. You cannot pass the exam next week if you haven't learned the ability to teleport yet, I have faith, but you must practice so you can prove you are ready for Celestia’s training. I have faith in you, but you must practice.”
As he left the classroom the young unicorn took a deep breath and stared at the floor contemplating what he had just done, or more specifically, not been able to do. He was a young stallion, with a disheveled mane and had a distinction that kept him apart from the others in his class, and that was the fact that after all this time he had no cutie mark, he did not know his place in the world and he had no friends or family except for his childhood friend Firefly.
Sombra and Firefly had grown up together and have been inseparable since foal hood. She was a beautiful young mare with a gray coat and lovely silver hair and Sombra loved her more than just a friend. She was studying to be a teacher and she was good at what she did. Sombra wished more than anything that he could tell her how he felt, that she was the his entire reason for living but she just could not see it.
“So how did you do on your test you silly filly?” Firefly came running up to him and gave him a gentle nudge in the shoulder. The young unicorn looked at her forlornly and then stared at the floor again. He trotted along slowly and spoke while staring at the ground “I couldn’t do it. A simple teleportation spell and I couldn’t do it.”
Firefly could hear the sadness in his voice then nuzzled up against him “Listen Sombra, Starswirl knows what he is doing. He knows what gifts and power you have. He saw that you were no ordinary pupil but you just need to practice and reach your true potential and you must complete his studies when he tells you do do them, otherwise he will let you go and you have too much potential to give up that easily.”
Sombra looked up with a weak smile on his face “you’re right, I do have potential to be great, but I need to work at it. I’ll get started right away. Thank you Firefly, you have always been there when I need you and I don’t think I could ever make it through life without you by my side.” And with this he saddled his books and ran down the hall to his dormitory.
True to his word Sombra did study, and he passed his exam and he honed his skills. Teleportation was easy. Levitation telekinesis and illusions were his specialty and he enjoyed it. He was thrilled when another star was added to his test chart. All was well for the next year until one fateful day. Sombra had agreed to meet Firefly for lunch at one of the Canterlot campus restaurants where they greeted each other then proceeded to sit down and enjoy their meal together.
It seemed like any other dinner date with food and chit chat and just having a good time. Sombra had so much on his mind, but he had decided that today was the day that he would ask Firefly’s hoof in marriage. He had bought the ring and had her favorite stone set in its place. She had always loved sapphires and after saving all of the bits that he could he found her the perfect set. Today was the day and he couldn’t be happier. Meanwhile over on the other side of the restaurant a brash young Pegasus started a fight with an equally brash unicorn jock. This kind of things happens frequently in campus restaurants so no one paid much attention to it, until things started to escalate. Sombra said to firefly Perhaps we should leave before things get too carried away , Firefly nodded and stood up to head for the door, half way to the door they got caught up in the fight and there was no way around it.
There was swearing and bucking, the unicorn took a hoof to the mouth busting his lip and knocking out a tooth. Enraged the wounded unicorn reared back to deliver an electrocution spell to the pegasus that had kicked him. Intense purple light emanated from his horn and other ponies in the room either ducked for cover or ran out of the building entirely. The unicorn let loose with an electrical charge that shook the building with a thunderous boom. As the charged bolt flew through the air the Pegasus ducked to the ground, allowing it to pass over him where it struck Firefly in the neck.
The charged bolt was true in its aim. As she was struck by the bolt Firefly reared back. The purple energy took over her entire body. Sombra could only watch as Firefly convulsed helplessly as the energy short circuited her nervous system. Her eyes rolled back into her head and after a few seconds the screams stopped, instead being replaced by a sickening gurgle as she started to cough up blood where she hit the floor, a smoldering shell of her former self.
After the smoke cleared and everyone picked themselves up everybody in the room was walking about in a daze…everyone except for Sombra who was slumped over the charred body of Firefly. He nuzzled her and pleaded “Please, Please Firefly don’t leave me. I can’t live without you, please don’t go” With tears streaming down his face he looked over to the dazed pegasus that was dusting himself off and said in a low growl “You!” He jumped up and a powerful sensation that he had never felt emanated from his body like a roaring fire. Both the Pegasus that started the fight and the unicorn that launched the charge were dangling from the air helplessly struggling to break free of the invisible bonds that held them in place.
Panting angrily he walked over to them, using his magic to toss tables and chairs like they were made of paper. He stopped walking and looked both of them in the eyes. “YOU….you started this fight, and YOU took from me the only thing in the world I cared for. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you both right now?” The arrogant and brash Pegasus just chuckled and said “Tough luck with the dame blank flank, maybe next time when you see two ponies having a dispute you’ll get out of the..” and before he could finish his sentence Sombra snapped the pegasus’s neck and tossed his limp lifeless body into the corner of the room.
Slowly he turned his gaze towards the helpless unicorn. Fear gripped his eyes as he looked about for help from someone else…help that would never come. Sombra grinned vilely and practically hissed “You took something from me I can never have back, now you shall feel my burning rage” where upon this the poor suspended unicorn starts to smoke. As the seconds tick on he moans in pain and the smoke becomes more intense. Right at the point of the unicorn on the verge of combustion the door of the restaurant flies open, the burning unicorn hits the floor and Sombra is thrown against the wall. A loud shout of “ENOUGH!” is heard as the darkened shape of Starswirl enters.
In a daze from being tossed against the wall Sombra weakly clamored to his feet “sir, please stay out of this, it is none of your concern. I have to avenge what was taken from me” Starswirl shook his head grimly and teleported himself and the grief enraged unicorn outside of the canterlot city walls. Sombra still reeling from the ordeal screamed at his beloved mentor “What are you doing….how could you do this to me…I have to finish this and come hell or high water I WILL HAVE REVENGE!..I just….I just…” and he fell to his knees and sobbed uncontrollably “why did it have to happen….why her? She was the only thing in the world I cared about. I loved her and now she’s gone”.
The wise old unicorn walked over and sat down next to his grief struck pupil. “Sombra…even with all of my abilities, not even I can mend your shattered heart, and I cannot stress enough…vengeance does not solve anything. It simply leads to more grief and sadness”. In between sobs Sombra whispered “it can’t end this way. There are still ways. Ways that I can make this right, I can change things…I can bring her back”.
Taken aback by what he had just heard Starswirl stood up “Sombra…I know you are devastated by your loss, I am heartbroken as well for she was one of my favorite pupils, but surely you cannot mean what you say, what you are hinting at is not only blasphemous…it is evil in its purest form and I forbid you to go into this matter any further. I know how heartbroken you are but I know what you are thinking of, and it isn’t just Firefly’s fate that hangs in the balance but your own as well. Sometimes you just have to let go.”
Angrily Sombra nods his head then gets up and wanders off into the distance. This would be the last time that Sombra would be seen for 3 months.
What no one knew is that while he had dropped out of Starswirls academy he spent day and night in the Canterlot library. Sombra had stumbled upon writings of a spell that would bring back the dead. He realized that there was a chance he could still have Firefly. He could bring her back and they could be together forever, like nothing had every happened. He studied up on this new magic, he studied and he practiced on simple creatures honing his skill. He knew it was time to set things right.
One dark night the alarms sounded at the Canterlot Mausoleum. Fearing that it had been vandals or grave robbers the royal guards rush there post haste only to find that all of the doors and windows were magically sealed, a strange dark magic that enveloped the building in a sickly purple haze. Once again the services of the most powerful unicorn in Canterlot were called forth to break the hex on the building. He was able to walk through the barrier and gain entry to the massive hall.
Wandering through darkness he cast a light spell so he could see the way ahead of him until he noticed the glow of a distant fire, he was concerned as to what he may find once he reaches the end of the hallway. As he rounded the corner he took a deep gasp at what he saw. In front of him on the floor lay a dead body surrounded by candles, and floating above the body surrounded in the same sickly glow was his best pupil, now a wielder of black magic trying to bring his fallen love back to life. Starswirl sat there horror struck at the sight. “Sombra…. why have you taken this path of destruction?”
Sombra turned his gaze towards Starswirl “You. When I needed you the most you cast me aside. I have nothing to live for without her in my life, and if it means selling my soul to be with her I don’t care…I can’t live without her”.
Starswirl stepped close and started to plead with him to stop but before he could speak a bolt of lightning shot through the stained glass skylight and struck the body of Firefly. The old unicorn gasped as the body under the sheet arched up and convulsed. The smell of sizzling and charred flesh filled the room. After a few moments the convulsing stopped and Sombra lowered back to the ground.
After a couple of tense moments the mass under the sheet started to move and to Starswirl’s horror the mass stood up. Firefly was no more. Instead in her place was a rotting shadow of her former self. Her mane had started to fall out, her eye was missing and she could barely move from the rigor mortis. She looked around in a daze and hissed “where am I? Sombra…is that you? What’s happened to me? I don’t understand what’s going on. I hurt and I can’t see.”
Sombra walked up to her and with tears of happiness in his eyes he brushes back what was left of her mane. “I don’t know how to say this. You died Firefly. I couldn’t live without you so I brought you back. I love you Firefly and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you”.
Taken aback she hoarsely croaks out “I…died? How long have I been dead?” She glared angrily at Sombra who could not answer. She turned towards her mentor “Sir…please tell me, how long was I dead?” saddened by what he saw Starswirl quietly says “three months Firefly. You need to go look in the mirror over there.”
She wandered over to the large reflecting mirror in the center of the mausoleum where ponies came to pay respect to their loved ones and reflect on their own lives. Unable to see she levitated one of the candles over in front of the mirror where the poor pony saw what she had become. She gasped then fell to her knees. Trying to cry she hissed “how could you do this to me…you brought me back to turn me in to this, this sick and grotesque mockery? It wasn’t my choice to die and it certainly was not my choice to come back. You brought me back for your own selfish need Sombra, I hate you”. Once again rocked with grief Sombra stammers “Firefly…I…I just” she shakily turned around and glared into his eyes “you sick and horrible creature, you only thought of yourself and your own selfish desires. I can never show myself in the daylight again and I want nothing to do with you ever again”. And before Sombra could reply Firefly levitated one of the oil lamps from the wall over above her head. Glaring at Her former friend she whispers “May the god’s help you” as she broke the oil lamp open over herself and the open flame of the candle. Sombra could only watch in horror as he lost the love of his life a second time. Still ablaze Firefly wandered towards the center of the mausoleum, what is left of her flesh burning away and falling to the ground. Once she reached the center of the room she laid down on the ground, dead once more. This time there was no bringing her back, she was finally at rest.
Losing his reason to live a second time Sombra fell to his knees once more and sobbed. “I thought it would work. I was certain it would work. I have no reason to live anymore.” Starswirl did not reply to him. He simply turned and walked away as two of the royal guards came in to take Sombra to the castle dungeons.
Sombra spent the next 2 weeks in the crystal dungeons deep below the castle until one day a guard came in and drug the forsaken unicorn from the cell “you’re lucky you filthy creature. They want to make an example of you, so instead of the usual execution you are hereby exiled from Equestria and all of its territories, sentence to be carried out henceforth”. After a day’s ride they reached the edge of the Equestrian Empire. Celestia herself showed up with Starswirl to see him leave. Nothing was said to Sombra except that he was to never be allowed into the empire again, all he could do is sigh and stare at the ground as he wandered off into the wilderness beyond the borders of the empire.
The disgraced unicorn wandered the wilderness for 3 weeks, crossing from the edge of the desert, through forgotten villages and north through the northernmost wastes that had never been charted. Then one day while crossing a river on a fallen tree he lost his footing and fell into the water and was swept away. Not caring for his wellbeing anymore Sombra allowed himself to be carried away down the river. At last he could find peace from this tortured existence and his inner demons that constantly reminded him of his folly.
Sombra awoke with a deep gasp for air and crawled away into a dark corner of an unknown room “where….where am I? Who’s there, show yourself!” a dark red pony walked out of the darkness, but she wasn't like any pony he had ever seen. She was crystal like, he could see somewhat through her to the fire glowing on the other side of her. He settled back down on the floor “where am I?” the pony sat down on the floor across from him “Im amethyst rose. And you are in The Crystal Empire. I found you floating in the river a couple days ago and brought you here because you needed help. You were almost dead when I found you, but you should be healthy and back on the road again before too long”.
Five more days passed while He healed up from his ordeal. On the sixth day Sombra finally had enough strength to walk out onto the balcony of the room that he had been staying in. He was amazed by his surroundings. He took in the environment around him, it wasn’t like anything he had ever seen before. The streets, all of the creatures, even the massive central castle were made out of pure crystal. Something about this place and the crystals powered him up, made him feel alive and recharged again, He hadn’t felt like this since Firefly died the first time. He was able to perform various feats that he had never dreamed of, his powers were increasing by leaps and bounds and over the next couple of years he became a trusted and beloved member of the empire. With his wealth of knowledge of the outside world he earned a place as the queens advisor and confidant, all the while he was enjoying his new life, he was constantly haunted by his memories, of the events that brought him to this place, of the wrong decisions he made, and the trusted friend that turned his back on him. He dreamed of vengeance every day and every night, and with the wealth of knowledge in the empires library what he has always wanted is now closer than ever. So close that he can taste it.
After 5 more months of study and practice he was ready. Somehow the crystals in the empire acted like batteries, increasing his powers to levels that could rival his old mentor Starswirl the bearded, if not surpass them. On one faithful night there was a knock at his chamber doors. Sombra walked to the door and asked “what is the meaning of waking me up so early in the morning?” the guard at the door apologized and informed Sombra that the king has had a heart attack and that he requested Sombra’s presence immediately.
It only took a few minutes for the royal advisor to reach the kings chambers. Laying in his bed was the king, now near death. Sombra walked up to him and knelt down on one knee “Your grace, what service may I be to you?” The king slowly raised his head and whispered “Sombra, These last few years you have been an unbelievable service to the empire. I may not know where you came from, but as far as I am concerned you are a member of my family, more so since I have no surviving children of my own. I have one last task for you. Since there is no one else to take my place through lineage, so on that note I want you to command the empire in my place.” It had finally happened, he had gone from a despised unicorn fallen from grace to the king of the crystal empire.
With the king dead and Sombra taking his place it did not take long for the roots of greed and power lust to take root. All those that opposed his will were enslaved, used as soldiers in his armies or eliminated entirely if they did not bend to his will. And now with complete and utter control of the empire and its prized relic the crystal heart he had his eye set on his old home, Equestria.
Word traveled fast to the ears of Celestia and her most trusted advisor Starswirl that encampments to the north have fallen to a “Crystal Empire”, no one had no idea of what this empire was or where they came from due to the fact that once the armies of the Crystal empire invaded no one came back. Not sure who this new empire and ruler were they took no chances and readied their troops for battle. Now amassed on the boundary of the empire, Celestia, her sister Luna and Starswirl waited for the crystal army to arrive, and arrive they did. Vast armies of soldiers, both slaves and crystal constructs marched towards the line. The empires soldiers stepped aside for a large crystal machine that came rolling into the field. It was made of pure crystal and gave off an eerie green light from its heart. Atop the machine rode the evil king that Celestia had heard so much about. He wore a blood red cape lined with fur from different slain animals, a crown of purest silver and crystals that slaves had mined specially for him. His mane and tail now a blazing fire, and black magic literally seeped from his eyes. Starswirl looked sadly up to his former student and whispered to himself “Sombra, what have you become?”
Both armies stood at the ready for several minutes, then a loud horn broke the silence and Sombra screamed at his soldiers “Charge, Let no Equestrian soldier leave alive this day”. Soldiers from both sides rushed towards each other, knowing very well that this day….the hills were going to run red with blood.
Not afraid to get into the fray himself Sombra leaped from his motorized cart and charged through the crowds of soldiers, killing some with a crystal flail he brandished in his mouth, and using black magic to kill others, some he burned, some burst from a psychic blast, he didn’t care, he was filled with vengeance and blood lust, nothing and no one was going to stand in his way. As he worked his way to the center of the battle he caught sight of his target. He reared up on his hind legs and unleashed a deafening battle cry. Starswirl was in his sights and he had unfinished business to settle.
The Old unicorn stood in the field, surrounded by death and gore he bellowed out “Sombra….this ends today. I am going to do what I should have done all those years ago.” Sombra perked his ears at the sound of Starswirls voice and teleported across the battle field to a point about 50 feet from his old mentor. “So my old teacher and friend has turned into my nemesis. Come to give me my final test old colt? I have improved greatly since we last met, you and I have unfinished business and it ends today”.
Starswirl shook his head and he said to Sombra “why did it have to come to this, you had so much potential. When I said you could be a leader this isn’t what I meant. You could have gone on to great things, and this is what you have reduced yourself to, A mockery of yourself and a dishonor to our order. You have dishonored not only You and myself, but you dishonor the memory of Firefly. You should be ashamed of yourself. I beg of you, please stop this before there is any more heartache and bloodshed. Im sorry that you lost Firefly but how do you think she would feel if she saw you now, do you honestly think she would be proud of what she saw?”
Sombra became enraged at the mention of Firefly’s name and bellowed “ENOUGH!. How dare you mention Her name, you have taunted me for the last time, now you die!” The sky blackened and rain started to pour as the two unicorns rushed each other from across the field. Starswirl reared back with an energy charge and Sombra teleported behind Starswirl, kicking him in the back leg dropping the old wizard to the ground. They battled hoof to hoof for 20 minutes, occasionally getting a magic spell out between blows.
Sombra swung around with one final blow to Starswirl, sending the old colt plummeting to the ground. Kneeling down beside his teacher, now a bloody heap on the ground Sombra whispered into his ear “What do you think, you doubted my abilities, and when I needed you the most you turned your back on me. This is the monster that you created, how does it feel to be defeated by your disgraced pupil?” spitting out blood Starswirl chuckled, "who said I was defeated?". No sooner he says this a Shimmering light bursts through the clouds.He looks up and stammers “no, It can’t end like this.If I can’t have the empire than no one can.” Soon an eerie green and purple light starts to eminate from his eyes. The light ray bursts through the cloud, striking the king of evil like a bolt of lightning, Sombra emitted a deafening roar and he burst into a purple and black vortex of energy. The cloud of energy emanated out from the area Sombra had occupied and engulfed everyone in the battlefield. The Armies of the crystal empire were enveloped by the energy cloud, and once the could of energy had cleared out all traces of the crystal empire had disappeared. ponies, constructs, everything. All traces of Sombra, and his empire had vanished without a trace.
Starswirl lay on the ground in a pool of blood, his life slowly slipping away. Celestia slowly walked up and knelt down beside him “My dearest friend, what has happened to the evil king and his army?” the wizard coughed and replied “he told me before he disappeared that if he couldn’t have the empire nobody could. I am not sure what happened exactly, but somehow when he was defeated he took the empire with him. I tried my best but….I..”. and before he could finish his sentence the legendary wizard had died. In the aftermath of the battle a caravan was sent to the location of the empire’s capital city. All that remained of the city and all of its citizens was a shattered perimeter and a crater in the earth where it once sat, now a silent void of memories and the lives that once lived there.