Fallen Shadow

Sombra was lying on the floor, breathless. He didn't know why had he been crying before. He fought the urge to growl. He had so much boiling anger in him.

'Twilight Sparkle... Oh how I will be glad to sunk my teeth into you! I do not want to be reformed. Why can't everything go as planned?'

Sombra stood up, his stained white eyes stared at the scenery outside.

'So peaceful... What would my life be if I joined Princess Amore?'

He shook his head violently.

'No weak thoughts! History can't accept 'ifs and woulds'! I have what I have now, nothing more, nothing less. Radiant Hope is gone, Princess Amore is gone. If she didn't lied to me... If she told me the truth... But she kept it hidden! Disgusting... She had seen me suffer. She could do something! Anything! And what do I get? 'Sombra, you can still change!' Pathetic... I shall not surrender! I didn't bow before Amore, didn't bow before Royal Sister, and I will not bow before Twilight Sparkle! It will never be her way!'

Sombra started laughing. Slowly, his laughter raised from barely heard to a hysterical laughter of maniac. He never felt himself better. He kicked the table, breaking one of its legs. Books, paper and ink created a mess on the floor. Sombra continued laughing, as last of his sanity was gone. He kicked the window, shattering it. He looked down and saw that it was pretty high to jump. He saw ponies staring at him with shock.

'Never!' was Sombra's last thought before he jumped off the window. With a sicking sound, he collided with the ground. Many his bones broke or shattered. In a few agonizing seconds of pain, Sombra was good as new. His hysterical laughter continued as he galloped towards the Everfree, scaring every pony that could see him.

"Sombra!" he heard a voice shouting for him. He looked back and saw Twilight Sparkle galloping towards him. She was good hundred meters away but was closing the distance quickly.

Sombra made a short laugh and charged his magic into his horn. He felt a ball of green energy escaping his horn and nearly colliding with Twilight. She dodged but stumbled and fell, hitting her head hard against the surface. Sombra grinned and continued his escape to the Everfree Forest.

Twilight groaned. She head a nasty headache.

"Princess, are you alright?" one of the ponies helped her stood up.

"Yeah, thanks..." Twilight thanked the pony.

"What was that?" it asked.

"Uh, just point at the direction it ran, okay?"

"Um, right. That way." the pony pointed. Twilight nodded and started galloping fast. Unfortunately, direction was wrong. Pony's eyes changed to menacing green. "I have different plan for him, your highness."

The pony chuckled and started to trot towards the Everfree Forest along with another pony from the crowd.

Sombra dashed through the forest without a particular direction. He earned various scratches while galloping through the bushes. Suddenly, he couldn't feel the ground under him. He stumbled and started rolling down the side of gorge. Finally hitting the bottom, he groaned in pain. He had no strength left to stand up.

"Well well, what do we have here..."

Sombra turned his head enough to see two changelings approaching him.

"Who... are you?" he asked, his voice weak.

"We are the Hive. Our Great Mother sent us here to retrieve you. You are going with us."

"Your queen? What..."

"It is either you go with us or we leave you to Twilight Sparkle. Even she cannot offer help as we can, umbrum."

It didn't take long for Sombra to make a final decision.

"I agree." he said. He slowly stood up, his legs shaking. The two changelings gestured him to follow.

Some time later.

Sombra entered the large cave. He had no idea how the two changelings led him there. He mindlessly followed them, not really looking around. He could still see that he is in the Everfree Forest, yet something was different.

The three entered the cave. Changelings' horns glowed and a large boulder closed the path to the surface.

Descending down through the caves, Sombra saw numerous green cocoons with more changelings inside. Hundreds changelings were sleeping, their cocoons attached to walls and ceiling of the cave.

Sombra and his two companions walked through many tunnels, and finally came into a large cave that looked like it was a big hall of the castle.

"Hello, Sombra." slightly distorted, feminine voice sounded further into the cave. Suddenly, the cave lit with sickening green light. Sombra looked at the source of the voice and saw a majestic changeling. As tall as Celestia herself, the slender changeling stood before Sombra. She had aqua blue mane, green slit pupil eyes, and pitch black chitin.

"My greeting, King of Shadows." Queen Chrysalis grinned, exposing her sharp teeth. "I am Chrysalis, and I am the Queen of Changelings."

Sombra nodded, a little too weak to introduce himself since the queen has already known his name.

"I see your suffering, King Sombra. And I am offering you help."

"Why do you?"

"Because we will benefit from it. You will have your power back, I won't have to watch my children starve." Chrysalis replied before changing a topic. "Do you know what a changeling is?"

Sombra shook his head weakly.

"A changeling is not a pony. We are those who can shapeshift into ponies at will. But we need one certain thing to survive... Love. It is invaluable to us. Since ponies will never give they love freely, we have to steal it or forcefully suck it out of them."

"And how can I help?"

"I can tell you seek revenge."

"Twilight Sparkle..." he growled, the image of friendly alicorn filled his mind with hate. However, it felt wrong...

"Yes. She ruined my life too. With our combined strength, we will unleash our revenge unto her! You will chain her with fear and I will drain her of her so precious love and magical energy! Together, we will rule Equestria, bending ponies to our will! No more will a changeling starve! No longer the King will be a peasant!

"You were in her castle, you know more of her than I do. We will use it to our advantage. Our attack will not be expected. And I know the curse that was put on you, King of Shadows. I will remove the curse and you will not be the poor carcass you are, you will be more powerful!"

Sombra grinned. Without any hesitation, he stretched his right hoof to the queen.

"Let's give 'em hell, Queen Chrysalis."