Prologue: The Legacy of Shadows
Prologue: The Legacy of Shadows
Some may ask how I came to be. It's not a story I tell very often. For one thing, talking about how your parents met and fucked isn't something anypony likes to talk about. For another, that it happened over one thousand years ago makes it feel like ancient history. It is a time so far gone that dwelling on it is worth less than the worms that crawl underneath our hooves.
That doesn't stop ponies from asking, though. After all, when you're the son of the most evil unicorn in the history of ponykind, ponies are always rather curious, when they're not terrified.
King Sombra took the Crystal Empire by force, subjugating the ponies to do his bidding, and for nearly two decades, flew under the radar of the Canterlot princesses with his powerful magic. It was only the escape of one mare to plead for help from the royal sisters that brought his reign to a screeching end... but he hadn't been doing nothing the entire time.
Despite what many ponies believe, he wasn't needlessly cruel to his subjects. Some ponies think of him as everything wrong that a pony can be, but he wasn't really. He didn't murder his subjects with absolute impunity and he didn't rape ponies just to make a point and fulfill his endless desires. He was a creature of darkness, but he was also a creature of structure. Everything, and everypony, had a place where it belonged... which was right where he wanted it. It was only when ponies stepped out of line, and tried to move out of place, that action needed to be taken.
I don't actually know how he met my mother, Radiant Dawn. I do know that when he met her, he was so taken with her immense beauty that he took her in as his queen immediately, and that is saying something in a land where even the flesh and fur of the ponies glitter like the diamonds that the other races covet so. I'm also not sure how willingly she became his queen. He never mentioned it, and she always refused to talk about it.
I do remember, however, that on the day we watched my father destroyed by the Crystal Heart, I could hear her mutter "I'm free."
I'm getting ahead of myself, though. Ponies always expect me to talk about how terrible living in the palace with him was, or discuss the horrors of what went on inside. In truth, my life was easy, if confusing. I wasn't born just by accident, after my birth my father began training me, teaching me, as his future successor. He knew that even he, with his immense power, could not live forever.
I watched ponies die when I was five years old, executed for crimes against the crown, and while ponies want me to be revolted, I really didn't mind. It was just something that happened, something that everypony expected. No different from a pony being sent to prison for stealing an apple today. Death was a part of daily life in the Crystal Empire, something that my father used to keep the order he desires. It was something I accepted.
Yet the entire time I was being raised by my father during the day, my mother accompanied me to bed each night and told me stories of times gone by. Stories of heroes and virtue, of stallions who fought for their ideals against all odds. I didn't understand it at the time, but I think she was trying to ready me for some kind of revolt against my father, to turn me against him. That time never came, of course. The royal sisters appeared in the Crystal Empire before whatever she hoped would happen came to pass.
It was a strange time for me. I was seventeen when the royal sisters struck at my father. The attack came at night, so for me, it was as if I laid down to sleep with my mother's soothing voice in my ear, and the next morning one of the aides told us that Princess Cadence was in the palace. I wanted to go talk to her, to demand to know where my father was, but mother stopped me. She was afraid if I was discovered the princess would destroy me to get to him... and so we hid in the palace, waiting to see what would happen.
We waited for some time, being brought food by the royal aides in secret. Yes, as you might have guessed, I saw everything that happened outside the palace when my father returned. I must admit, despite being adjusted to his ways, despite loving him with all my heart, the darkness I saw rise out of the horizon frightened even me. But still, when the Crystal Heart activated, and I saw his body torn apart-
We'll just cut that part out. Anyway, after that we did eventually reveal ourselves to Princess Cadence. We couldn't just hide in the palace like rats feeding off of her leftovers, after all. It didn't go as badly as we feared. She is a notoriously kind soul who accepted our story calmly, and didn't show me any malice at all. She even allowed us to stay in the Crystal Palace despite knowing who and what I am, since we had spent my whole life living there. Part of me has to wonder if she did it so she could keep an eye on me and be able to get rid of me if necessary. If that was her intention, I was never able to find the guards she would have following me at all times.
It has been a year since then. I'm eighteen now, and still living in the Crystal Palace. I admit I haven't gone outside very much in the meantime. Princess Cadence has been shockingly cordial with me, but the Crystal Ponies outside the palace walls are a different story. Sometimes I think when they look at me they can only see my father. There is certainly a resemblance, I suppose, but I'm not my father.
In any case, that's the story of how I got here. I am Umbra Rex, the son of King Sombra, and the Prince of Darkness. Where I go from here... I guess only the future knows.
Author's Note
I've read quite a few pony Tumblrs over the years. "Ask Twixie Genies" and "Ask The Crusaders" for example, and most recently I was reading "Ask Firestarter Spitfire" when it occurred to me that, despite my usual attitude of sticking to stories about canon characters, most of these stories really didn't use canon characters. They used the names and likenesses of canon characters to tell stories about characters that were very much their own. And given the nature of the pony world, full of infinite possibilities with characters and lands we've never even seen in the show, it's rather silly to limit oneself entirely to canon when it comes to fanwork.
So here is the first time in my "career" that I've allowed myself to stray entirely into fan-character/OC territory. I'm not claiming it will live up to the best stories that the fandom has had to offer, but I hope to have some fun with it, and I hope you'll have some fun with me. And I promise it won't all be serious doom and gloom.
Episode 1: Liberation Day
Episode 1: Liberation Day
Outside his window decorations and streamers were going up all around the Crystal Empire, of every color and hue ponies could even see, and possibly many more that ponies couldn't see. Their vibrancy was matched only by the glittering, shining bodies of the ponies that were hanging them on every lamppost, park bench, and even the palace walls. Balloons swayed with the gentle wind that swept through the city streets, flags bearing the royal seals of Equestria and the Crystal Empire fluttered atop their poles, and confetti rained from the sky like rainbow ashes.
All in celebration of what they had dubbed Liberation Day. The day King Sombra had been murdered.
Umbra Rex knew that the rest of the Crystal Empire hated his father, he'd known it ever since his death exactly one year ago, but seeing them through the window dancing down the confetti-covered streets was like watching them dance right on top of his grave. Umbra just wanted to stay in his room and let the bastards celebrate to their heart's content, but he knew he had responsibilities that day.
His eyes jerked away from the window toward the sound at the sound of it creaking open behind him. His mother's kind emerald eyes met his with an adoring smile. "You should start getting ready for dinner, Umbra."
Umbra shook his head. "I'm still not convinced this is a good idea, mother. All of the Princesses will be there. I have no place among them."
"More of that nonsense?" Radiant Dawn giggled softly. "Enough of your pessimism, and come let us make you presentable!"
"Yes, mother..." With a final resigned grunt, Umbra moved away from the window, allowing himself to be guided down the hallway towards the royal tailor's room.
"Ah! Please, sit!" The royal tailor swept toward him with a flourish of her tail. "We have so little time and so much... ah... work to do. No offense."
Umbra ignored her as he sat down on the small stool in the center of the room and let himself become a living doll for this pony to dress up. His deep gray fur glittered with the typical Crystal Pony shine as it was combed neatly down against his skin, only to be almost entirely covered up by a thick red cape stretched across his shoulders and flowing down his sides, covering the cutie mark of a giant black cloud on each flank. He winced when some kind of liquid was sprayed into his emerald green eyes.
"To make them pop." The tailor answered the question he didn't care enough to ask.
Once his body was covered, she turned her attention to his pitch black mane and tail, tugging them straight and letting them sway against his body and legs with every motion. She turned now to the smooth, curved horn atop his head, so unlike a typical unicorn in that it was not the color of his coat, but the yellow and red of a raging fire. Here the tailor lifted a golden chain with a small blue gemstone on the end, letting the chain dangle from his horn to let the jewel rest against his forehead just above his eyes.
"There we go. Your son is ready for dinner." The tailor grinned and stepped aside with a flourish.
"Thank you, Jade." Radiant had a wide smile on her lips as she approached Umbra, dressed now in her own flowing gown. Her hooves rose to tug the cape tighter around his shoulders. "There's my prince."
"I'm no prince, mother. Not anymore." Umbra shook his head. "I still don't understand why you want me to dine with the princesses. I don't see what good can come of it."
"You've spent all this time locked away because you think nopony sees the good in you, and you can't see the good in them. These are the princesses, surely this is a place for you to start seeing the good in others."
Umbra huffed. "You wish for me to see the good in those who murdered father?"
"I wish for you to try, sweetheart." Radiant strokes his shoulders with an almost pleading look on her face. "You can't be alone forever, and I won't be here forever."
"I would rather be alone." Umbra tried to look away, but found that he couldn't. Instead he heaved a deep sigh. "But I'll do anything for you, mother."
"Then come. We should hurry to the dining room."
By the time they reached the dining room the golden rays of dusk were reflecting sharply off of the crystalline floors and walls, casting the room in a fiery orange glow. Outside the wall-sized window Umbra could still see the ponies celebrating in the streets. Why the old royal family wanted to look out over the masses while they ate was anypony's guess. The sight quickly made him sick, but he held it in as his mother approached the five already-seated ponies at the table.
She addressed them each in turn. "Princess Cadence. Prince Shining Armor. Princess Celestia. Princess Luna. Princess Twilight Sparkle." She turned to gesture Umbra closer, a command he obeyed. "I know you've met my son, Umbra Rex, but I'd like once again for you to give us your blessing to join you for dinner."
"I believe such a blessing has been given already," Celestia noted with a hint of a smile. "Please do sit. Your dinner will get cold if you're any more formal."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Radiant slit onto one of the chairs nearest the door, and Umbra took the seat beside her, though he didn't bother to touch his food.
"Now that dinner has officially begun, you really must tell us how the last year has been, Cadence." Celestia demanded curiously. "Much progress has been made to restore the empire, I see."
"With so much left to do." Cadence nodded. "But I'm sure my subjects are up to the task."
"I'm sure you're all up to the task." Celestia assured her with a firm nod. "As long as you all remember that you're in this together, you can put the shadows of the past behind you."
Umbra felt his blood boil, but still he kept it in, glaring at his plate of steamed vegetables like it had done him some personal wrong. His silence grew ever more desperate as the members of the royal family dissolved into further small talk, laughing and joking about everything from the weather plans to the state of the Crystal Empire. These ponies were no different from the ones out in the streets. So happy, joyous...
"How have you been getting along, Umbra Rex?" Umbra jerked a bit when he was addressed, but finally lifted his eyes to meet those of Princess Twilight seated just to his right. She didn't flinch when she met his glare, responding with a soft smile. "I know this time of year must be difficult for you."
Umbra froze. He hadn't expected anypony to realize... and now all eyes were on him.
"I'm fine, Princess Twilight." Umbra mumbled under his breath.
"He has been working all year to help rebuild the empire, as much as he can," Radiant chimed in.
"Yes, he certainly has," Cadence confirmed with a nod.
"I'm most pleased to hear it." Luna was watching him from across the table. "It's good that you realize you needn't walk in your father's hoofsteps."
"Of course he knows that, he seems like a good guy." Twilight Sparkle's smile was encouraging, but her eyes remained locked on him long after the conversation had thankfully moved on.
He tried to ignore them, to shut them out and let whatever his mother wanted to happen come to pass, but Twilight's eyes kept flitting over to him, sometimes filled with concern, sometimes a sharp, studying gaze. Any time somepony said the name Sombra she stared at him for a solid minute. It was starting to drive him crazy. He tried to eat, but could only get through a couple of bites before Twilight looked at him once more and he stood from his chair with a loud clatter.
"Excuse me, thank you for the dinner." Umbra whirled to march toward the door.
"U-Umbra, please..." Radiant forced a strained smile, her voice quaking. "Please come back to dinner..."
Umbra grunted a brief "I'm sorry" before pushing his way out of the dining room, making his way quickly toward the front entrance.
Night had begun to settle over the Crystal Empire by the time he emerged. Those ponies who were still out on the streets gasped and found excuses to give him a wide berth, keeping a large empty area around him, the same way they always did. Wary, half-drunken eyes watched him from every angle as he marched through the streets, but he didn't pay them any mind. They could go rot in the ground for all he cared. Perhaps he could dance on their graves to celebrate their deaths. It seemed to be the thing to do.
He jerked slightly in surprise when a crimson eruption of magic lit the air in front of him, and Princess Twilight Sparkle appeared from the darkness. Her wings remained folded against her flanks as her eyes met his.
"What is it?" Umbra growled through gritted teeth.
"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I didn't mean to."
"Apology accepted." Umbra continued marching past her.
"Your mother is crying, you know." This made Umbra cease in his tracks with his back to her, staring now out at the open fields of snow just beyond the shield that kept the Crystal Empire warm and beautiful. "She's worried about you. And so am I."
"Are you worried about me, or scared of me?"
"Both, actually."
He hadn't expected her to be so honest. "Let me guess, you want to be my friend and help me be a better pony."
"I want you to make the right choices, Umbra." Twilight's hooves clopped lightly on the hard crystal streets as she moved up beside him. "I saw the way those ponies were looking at you. They're terrified of you. It's no wonder you look so uncomfortable. Does everypony act that way?"
"Everypony except Princess Cadence and my mother." Umbra sneered. "I get it, you want me to make friends with them and become a productive member of society."
"That would be nice, but I think in this case there's just too much history here." Twilight looked him fully in the eyes now. "King Sombra is a figure of such hatred, such violence, that I don't know if anypony could simply look past the things he did. And you look so much like him."
With a growl Umbra ripped the chain off of his horn and hurled it into the snow. "I know they hate him, and I know they hate me! Yet they love Princess Cadence, even though her reign began exactly as my father's did! On top of a corpse!" He looked back at the palace with a sneer, stomping towards it as if challenging it to battle. "She's no better than him! Why does she get their adoration while he had nothing but their revulsion? He gave them food! He gave them safety! He gave them purpose! And all he asked in return was their obedience! Just like her!"
Twilight walked up slowly beside him. Oh shit, he'd just said all of that in front of a princess. He was going straight to the dungeons now, he was sure of it. If he didn't just get hauled straight to the guillotine.
Instead Twilight just spoke in a soft tone. "If you truly don't understand that, then I think you should leave."
"What!?" Umbra gasped in surprise. "Are you banishing me...?"
"No." Twilight shook her head. "This is a suggestion, not an order. You're so angry, Umbra... this is the kind of anger that can only explode in the end, and hurt everypony around you. It'll hurt you, your mother, and all of the ponies in the Crystal Empire."
"Even if this is true, how would leaving help?"
"You have too many memories here, I think. Memories can keep us going when we can't take another step, but they can also keep us from seeing the road ahead, and hold us back. Come to Ponyville with me. You can make a fresh start with new eyes. My friends can help you see exactly what the difference is between your father's empire and Cadence's."
"To Ponyville? With you? To be lectured and talked down to for who knows how long? No thanks."
"If you stay here, I'm afraid of the worst. Both for you, and from you."
Umbra stared out into the darkness beyond the city streets, watching the snow gather on the ground, casting the moon's sharp pale light back up into his face. It was always so serene out there. It was why whenever this place got to him, whenever he couldn't handle the glares from the ponies and the condescending bullshit from the princess, he would make his way out into the snowy wilds and just walk. Nothing happened, nothing bothered him, he could simply not feel or worry.
"I didn't say I was staying here." He marched back into the palace, with Twilight following hot on his heels, their hooves echoing through the towering hallways and chambers, empty at this time of night. The decorative red cape flew from his back in a burst of magic, fluttering off into a corner of the room as he made his way into the kitchen. His horn flared to life, dragging assorted small snacks and knickknacks off the shelves and into a pair of saddlebags he brought over from some hooks on the far wall.
"Where are you going to go?" Twilight asked.
"Nowhere. Everywhere." Umbra shook his head. "You say I need to get away from this place... and I believe you, but I don't want to go anywhere. So I'll just not be anywhere for a while."
"That sound dangerous."
"Probably." Umbra lifted the saddlebags to lay them across his back, turning toward her. "But if I die at least you won't have to fear me."
Twilight Sparkle frowned. "I don't want to see that happen."
"Relax. I know how to take care of myself. If there's one thing my dad taught me, it's that." Umbra brushed past Twilight at the door, moving past her and walking toward the front entrance. His horn lit up again, sweeping a thick black cloak out of one of the nearby closets to swing it over his back.
"You're not even going to tell your mother goodbye?"
"I can't. I've never been able to tell her goodbye, or tell her anything that might hurt her..." Umbra paused at the large entrance, glancing back at Twilight over his shoulder. "Tell her goodbye for me, will you?"
"I will, I promise." Twilight nodded. "If you need anything, you can always come back here, or come see me in Ponyville, or even Princess Celestia in Canterlot. You don't have to be alone."
"I don't know. Maybe that's exactly what I need." Umbra's horn glowed with a soft light, only to be muffled as the hood of his cloak lowered over his head. "For a while, at least."
"Then I'll see you when that while has passed. Take care of yourself."
"That's what I do, Your Highness." He couldn't help the sharp twinge in his voice or the quick salute before he whirled to sweep out the open palace doors, trotting quickly down the streets.
As he reached the edge of the empire, on the border between the crystalline lights and the shining snow beyond, he thought to look back one more time... then decided against it. He was leaving this place behind, he didn't want to explode... and he sure as Hell didn't want to hurt his mother with the ensuing explosion. Maybe he would come back someday after he had moved on, or maybe he wouldn't.
At least if he did explode someday, he wouldn't do it near her.
