The Hour of Twilight

A Warm Welcome Home Part 2

"Woe to you, O earth and sea...For the Princesses send the chosen with wrath...because they know that the hour is late...let he who hath understanding reckon the will of the Eternium...for it is a simple host of souls that is the days long since forgotten by many ponies...it's members...are the last remaining souls left forgotten by the gods, the last of the Eternium...for your task was simple, you were to take the throne of the crystal ponies so that you might have them prepare for my arrival on Equestria--"

Tantibrus hated one thing in all of his immortal existance, and it was failure. The mere thought of failure caused him to repulse and convulse as the simple thought of such an outcome came to mind. Tantibrus thrust his hoof forward and with his remaining magic held Sombra in a choke. He had granted limitless dark powers at his disposal and he squandered such gifts and accepted death as penalty. The stallion squirmed and gasped for air, even here, even in Tartarus. He could feel his throat collapsing at his immortal hold on the shadow king. Consistency. Legitimacy. Nobility. Vanity. Things that this disgrace of a unicorn embraced and caused his mind to be lapsed with false judgment and with weakness. Tantibrus had cleared his mind and made him devolve into something less than a pony. A shadow of what he once was. A walking testament that even the most noble hearted king can fall to darkness.

Flames crackled and flickered with dark light as the chateau of hellfire burned eternally around them. Like the points of a crown blood red rock jutted up the sides, almost as if they were growing there so they might stab through the veil of magic to once again see the glorious light of Equestria. To once again live in the bathing light of such beauty. But tis a mere fantasy of a dying soul wishing to be more than just rock to be stepped on. So many souls forgotten and left to rot by the gods. How could they have abandoned such a beautiful place? Tantibrus returned as he felt Sombra squirm and wriggle under his tight grip. Red mist swirled off of his hoof and dissipated into the hot air, for once Tantibrus saw fear in his eyes. True terror that was placed ever so seemlessly in his eyes. His eyes that were meant to impose such fear as now. Just as he saw his mortal life being slipped away Tantibrus released his hold he had on his throat and let him drop to the floor. Tantibrus turned and kept his back on Sombra as he said, "Give a logical reason as to why I should not kill you now and show that I do not accept impotence in my dark empire."

He folded his hooves behind his back as he looked out at the swirling river of lava that was one hundred meters above the chateau of hell rock he stood upon. His voice was a chorus of many, echoes of the many that he devoured. Shadows rolled freely off of his robed form, for he stood a full ten feet tall, for this was his now true form since he had taken up the true dark powers of Equestria. A permanent stern look was plastered on Tantibrus' face as he said, "You say nothing because you have nothing to say, you have failed and it as simple as that...To think that you were so close as to get what you desired most."

He glanced back at the dark king and while he was prone he scampered to Tantibrus' hooves and begged, "No please...don't-don't harm her...I'll do whatever you ask, I will not fail you this time just...please..."

Tantibrus was not convinced nor did he find sympathy in the pony's voice. He kept his stern gaze on the lava and said, "I am hardly a judge of character but you have not proven yourself worthy of my trust any longer. You embrace my gifts and then you squander them--"

Tantibrus turned with fury in his eyes and with red magic forming around his hoof he raised Sombra to the sky getting him eye level with Tantibrus, the immortal shadow searched into his eyes and growled as Sombra gasped for air, "--You lose faith in the powers that I granted you so you asked for more, I grew to trust you so I granted you power...and yet you still could not defeat two simple ponies!"

Bones snapped as Tantibrus strangulated Sombra's neck, skin breaking and blood slowly oozing out of the wounds. Tantibrus pumped energy into him to just barely keep him alive. Sombra sputtered, "Yes...but...they...are...elements...of...harmony..."

He choked on his own words as blood came out of his mouth, now filling his lungs. Tantibrus scoffed, "Irrelevant, I made you resistant to the elements of harmony. Hardly a-"

"The elements are no more...they can...control their powers..." Sombra explained becoming absolutely pale. Tantibrus found this interesting, information that would help surely. For his hour of return would come soon, any minute now he would break free of eternal damnation and be released to wreak havoc on Equestria. But that prophecy he was told so many years ago was so vague that it could work out in his favor. All he needed to do was to find out who these chosen are.

Tantibrus found more use in this unicorn king than he gave credit for. Tantibrus released Sombra and healed his wounds and ordered, "Tell me more about these Spirits of Harmony. What are their abilities and do you know when they were born?"

Sombra remained knelt and took in large breaths, after catching his breath he explained, "The two that sought to destroy me once and for all are named Twilight Sparkle and Rarity...Rarity is a descendant of a War-Maiden, I could sense the magic on her...and the other is a new princess, a new alicorn...I cannot recall directly but all that I know about both of their birthdays are just before winter begins."

Tantibrus kept a neutral face on the lava river and thought to himself. Two chosen? Could it even be possible? Well that could not be right,  they each needed to have defied evil three times...watching their exploits this Twilight Sparkle has done more than her fare share of vanquishing evil, Nightmare Moon, Tirek, Chrysalis, and even herself. Now this Rarity, she helped in the defeat of Nightmare Moon and Discord but there was nothing...oh, but she did defeat the Nightmare Forces. Yes, they are both the chosen ones of the prophecy. And yet this made him feel empty. Surely he could manipulate one of them into joining the dark but not two. And he would certainly stay clear of this Rarity, a War-Maiden is not easily convinced nor manipulated. Tantibrus waved a hoof at his side, telling Sombra to join him and said, "Tell me more of this Twilight Sparkle. What is she patron of?"

Still shaken and scared he dusted himself off and ran his hoof over his collar to try and soothe his tense and irritated muscles. Coughing, "She is patron protector of magic, and an exceptional practitioner in magic. Though Celestia stunts her so that she might be kept under wraps. She is more powerful than even Starswirl the Bearded was at his prime. And she is just getting started gathering her power. In the fight against Tirek she held all of the powers of the alicorns without even being torn to shreds or driven to insanity. And that is not even taking into account that she is exceptionally smart and is a tactical genius, often times she would be ten steps ahead of me."

Looking down and trying to imagine such a pony before him he said out loud, "Extraordinary."

Tantibrus stepped away and walked towards a stone altar that held many different items and tomes. Although he was in Tartarus, the Pits of Eternal Doom, he was well accommodated for his "eternal" banishment. He glanced over the items on the stone altar and finally picked up what he was looking for. It was a pure silver chalice that was archaic in design and held more dark power within it than anything else. It looked as if it was formed from silver bones of ponies. The Chalice of Umbra, the very relic that will aid in Tantibrus' escape. He grabbed the chalice and looked at it closely and chided, "This Twilight Sparkle will serve perfectly and it would seem that it plays well with the name of the prophecy, the Hour of Twilight. Catchy if you asked me. But such pleasantries must be set aside now--"

A blade materialized in his hoof and in a flash of light a chained crystal pony appeared at his hooves. Horror in her eyes with wounds and burns all around her body. Ropes were bound about her hooves and she screamed as she saw Tantibrus above her and her horrified gaze fell on Sombra and pleaded with eyes as wide as dinner plates, "Platinum! Please...help me!"

Sombra had scorn in his eyes as he looked to Tantibrus and screamed, "We had a deal Abbadon! I kept up my side of the bargain, what about yours!"

Tantibrus growled as he flicked his hoof in Sombra's direction and spat, "You will not refer to a name that was forgotten years ago, you will refer to me as Tantibrus only. And you must now--"

The mare lifted to the sky and she float just below Tantibrus' muzzle and he said, "--I never needed your blood in my return. I needed her's."

She sputtered and quivered under the dark grip of Tantibrus' magic and he said brandishing the blade in his grip, "Truly I never wanted it to end this way, little king. I was going to blame it on rogue hellhounds or that beloved Cerberus himself of your love's death. Then I would kill you, you see I held all the cards in the deck and dealt you the losing hand. I would say that I am sorry but I really don't, your devotion until this point was appreciated but I must move on...I will find another to be my avatar. Now are there any final words you wish to say to your love before I open her neck?"

Sombra spat up blood and looked with great emotion in his eyes to the crying mare, he shed a tear and choked, "...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry. I love you..."

The mare returned, "I-"

Her words were cut short as the chalice was underneath her throat and in a single cut Tantibrus opened up her throat, a stream of blood leaking out of the wound below her chin but at the top of her neck, where the head and neck met. The blood falling down into the cup, her last dying breath being just sputters and chokes as blood fell out of her throat. As she choked out her last breath Tantibrus chanted, "Equestria will be reborn in a new age of darkness. One where shadows shall rule over all. I was close before but I could not defeat my sisters. But now, I will have the assistance of Princess Twilight Sparkle. The new Avatar of Abbadon. The Bringer of the Hour of Twilight."

As Sombra watched as his once true love was given as a sacrifice for Tantibrus' return to Equestria. Tantibrus fed off of his despair and hatred for the dark lord. Truly he was ignorant of he believed that Tantibrus would not fall back on his word. The power given to him was now being taken back and Tantibrus watched as he withered away into dust, growing older and older as he casted the dark spell. Sombra looked up and just before he was not able to speak again he asked, "Why did you not kill her sooner?"

Tantibrus drained the mare of all of her blood and walked over to Sombra and left him a shrivalling old pony, resting prone on the ground in defeat and despair. Sadness welling in his eyes, Tantibrus leaned down and whispered into his ear with a cruel grin, "Because I wanted you to watch."

Tantibrus finished the spell and Sombra disappeared into dust. He stood up and raised both of his hooves, a dark blade in one and a chalice filled with blood in another and rose his voice, "The time is short Equestria! Your prince returns, and this time with true power and darkness!"

Tantibrus thrust the chalice to his lips and swigged down the blood. Chugging down the life force he felt the cavernous walls shake and shatter, thunder rippled across the echoing walls and lightning exploded. Dark lightning struck Tantibrus and he felt crackling power surge through his veins and he felt his infinite power return to him. For centuries he felt so empty, so devoid of power that he had forgotten what it was like to hold such power within his veins. It felt exhilarating. A deep rumbling laugh echoed forth from Tantibrus, with what sounded like a whole host of other voices joining it. As his mind adjusted to this power he took the memories of Sombra and found out all he could about this Twilight Sparkle. Gathering everything possible about this mare and with enough information he cackled and in a storm of dark lightning and shadows transformed into a large wall of great dark mist and galed, "You will soon belong to me, Twilight Sparkle."