“Remember how he used to sing to us?” Princess Celestia asked, staring out the window at thousands of candles, all burning in remembrance of her father. With thousands of twinkling lights below, reflecting the stars above, it seemed as if the entire city was out, mourning its king. She looked the perfect picture of grace and serenity, her long, sky blue mane blending into her pink silken gowns, framed perfectly by the soft light of the city entering through the window.

“All those terrible little songs he used to make up...It’s a shame his funeral is meant to be a dignified affair. I’m sure his friends would’ve loved it if we could sing those same songs. Maybe you could have worked one into his eulogy.” Luna mused, laying back on Celestia’s bed, her short blue mane and layers of thick robes pooling around her as she stared at the ceiling, the wine in her belly giving color to her cheeks and dulling the pain of loss in both herself and her sister.

Celestia cringed. “Um...Oh, your glass is empty! Let me fix that.” She quickly steadied the glass with one hand, pouring the wine with the other, never taking the glass from her sister.

“Celestia...what’s wrong?” Luna asked suspiciously, sitting up and staring into her sister’s eyes.

“…I won’t be giving father’s eulogy tomorrow.” She answered hesitantly, turning her gaze back out the window. “The High King has requested to do the honors, and as his vassals..."

Eyes across the city turned up toward the castle in shock and wonder as Luna’s scream of rage echoed through the night.

“We cannot keep kowtowing to his every request!” She growled, pacing back and forth, the wine glass in her hand clutched tightly for a moment before being emptied and cast aside, shattering on the floor.

“Luna, please, don’t make a mess...” Celestia sighed, enveloping the shards of glass in her magic and reassembling them, levitating the glass to her hand, and quickly filling and emptying it. “And we have to. That’s one of the few reasons King Sombra hasn’t crushed Canterlot already. We submit to him, and we keep the sun and moon in motion...and he can toy with us.”

“He takes our land, he takes our food, he takes our wealth, he takes our ponies, he...” Luna took a deep breath, trying to steady her quivering voice and hold back the tears in her eyes.

“He took our father.” Celestia finished. “Because father had enough of groveling in submission. Believe me, Luna...If I wasn’t afraid of what would happen to you, and to all of our subjects when I died, I would gladly go down fighting against Sombra. And not for father, or for our ponies, or even for pride. I just want to feel my knuckles cracking against his jaw.” She poured herself more wine, raising it to her lips, only to have the glass disappear from her hand and reappear in her sister’s before she got a drop.

Luna emptied the glass in a single gulp. “...I would love it if you did, but...I don’t think I could live with you AND father gone...and your poor little student?”

“Yes, what would Twilight do without me around to pat her on the head? The poor thing might actually develop a stable sense of self-confidence.” Celestia gave a sad sigh. “...There’s something about her, though.” She said, staring at the wine bottle. “Something rare...I only pray Sombra doesn’t take one of us before I get the chance to see it mature.”

“Do you think she’ll be coming to the funeral?” Luna asked.

“I doubt there’s a pony in Canterlot who won’t be coming, at least to pay their respects at the gate...Even Cadance is coming, though Heavens know she's got far more to be mourning than any of us...” Silence fell over the room for several minutes before Luna spoke again, slurring a bit as she fell deeper under the wine's spell.

“I don’t want Sombra there.”

“I know. But Canterlot serves the Crystal Empire. There’s not much we can do.”

“We could try to assassinate him?” Luna half-joked.

“...Dear sister, I do believe you’re drunk.” Celestia scolded with a hypocritical slur.

“I lost my father. I’m allowed.”

“Hear, hear!” Celestia replied, raising the wine bottle. “To father! May he always give us an excuse to drink!”

“To father!” Luna replied, raising her glass. The unicorns drank long into the night to remember their father, and to forget the reality of King Sombra’s power over them.

The next afternoon, Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia, examined herself in her mirror, a long black dress covering her body. What she saw was, in her mind, a perfectly plain mare, and that was fine. Her mane was straight and orderly, though perhaps a bit flashy with the dark blue mass broken by two streaks of pink. She wasn't especially tall, and, while she was admittedly out of shape, she wasn't really overweight, either. She just saw herself as ordinary, whenever she took the time to consider such things, and that was all she needed to be. Trying to look all fancy seemed frivolous, after all. But today she wished she knew how to put in a little extra effort, out of respect for the king if nothing else.

She sighed, straightening out the skirt a little, before turning her body to check the back. She closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath to try and keep herself calm. A gentle, scaly hand squeezed her own, and she looked down to see her baby dragon staring up at her with a morose expression, wearing a tiny suit. She might have complimented him on how dapper he looked, but she just didn’t have it in her. All of Canterlot was reeling, and Twilight was no different.

“Come on, Spike...” She said quietly, holding his hand as she left her quarters, walking out into the palace hallways. Was it always this quiet? As she passed by a window, she happened to glance out, and paused, seeing a massive crowd outside the palace gates, hundreds of ponies bringing small tokens of condolence to leave on the steps of the palace. She sighed, turning away. It was a touching sight, all of those ponies gathered together, but she and Spike had a funeral to get to.

The pair followed a steady stream of ponies deep into long forgotten, unused parts of the palace. Down flight after flight of stairs, they journeyed into the empty underbelly, to the point where the palace ended and the caves beneath it began, reaching the tombs of past Canterlot royalty, and finally coming upon the chamber built for King Aegis. The tomb was well lit for the interment, and filled with ponies from local and foreign nobility, come to pay their respects. The walls were covered with spectacular murals depicting his life and his feats. It was hard to believe all of this work had been finished within a week and a half, starting when the first panicked pegasus flew to the city, saying Cloudsdale was gone and the king of Canterlot had died. After examining the murals with Spike for a moment, she turned toward the gathering bereaved and made her way through the crowd to stand by Celestia’s side.

The princess, flanked by her student and her sister, did not say a word. But when Twilight gave her condolences, a small, sad smile made its way onto her face. Or perhaps she forced herself to smile? She reached up, placing a hand on Twilight’s shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze. Luna did not smile, but voiced her appreciation just the same.

Spike awkwardly fidgeted in his suit, tugging at his tie, unappreciative of how tightly it hugged his neck.

The tomb suddenly fell suitably silent as an eerie cold flowed in from the entrance. The crowd parted, creating a path from the door straight to the princesses. Looking at the entrance, Twilight felt a sharp chill run down her spine as she saw King Sombra. She’d never seen him in person before. His eyes were like glowing rubies. A wild, unkempt black mane was held back from his smoky face by a silver crown. His horn, like the fang of a dragon, curved to a deadly point, and was the color of hot iron cooling in a blacksmith's forge. Who knew a unicorn could be so tall? Who knew that a pony could be so terrifying? It was almost like he was sucking away all the light in the room. And what was this feeling, all over her skin? It was like every last inch of her fur was charged with static. Was this his magic, radiating into the room? Was he, was any pony really that powerful? She had assumed the stories of the High King ruling for a thousand years were just an old nag’s tale, that it was just the deification of a dynasty, calling each son Sombra. That guess seemed as good as any other, given the limited amount of knowledge that anypony could find about him and his kingdom, sequestered off in the frozen north. But now, seeing him for the first time, feeling his power flow across her skin...It seemed impossible that he’d even exist in the first place. Why couldn't he be a thousand years old? Whatever he was, why shouldn't it be called a god?

When Sombra reached the princesses, Spike bowed his head, used to doing the same in the presence of the king he had once been acquainted with. Twilight quickly curtsied, but tripped on her hooves. As she flailed, attempting to steady herself, Sombra caught her hand in his own and helped her regain her balance.

She nearly screamed. She held it back, but she wanted to cry out in pain. He was so cold. Unbearably cold. Her whole arm felt numb as she sputtered through an awkward mix of gratitude and apology. She tried to look down at the floor, but she couldn’t seem to pull her gaze away from his horrible red eyes.

“Princess Celestia. Princess Luna.” His voice was thick, deep, and captivating, and Twilight found herself stuck in it like quicksand. She prayed he wouldn’t say anything else. “I’m sorry for your loss. King Aegis was a good ruler.”

“Thank you,” Celestia replied tersely, saying nothing more, holding back her anger. Luna, on the other hand, silently seethed, the rage visible on her face.

Once again, Twilight’s attention was turned back to the entrance as King Aegis’ coffin was brought into the room, carried by his personal guard, who would see him safely to his final resting place. Among them was Twilight’s own brother, Shining Armor. She wondered what position he’d be given now that the king was dead. Would he be assigned to one of the princesses? Her attention turned to the coffin as it was placed on a pedestal in the center of the tomb. She hadn’t known Aegis well, but she'd often see him around the castle, and he had always been so friendly. Even when she pestered him with questions as a small child under his daughter’s tutelage, he had been so amiable and accommodating. It was hard to imagine what life in the palace would be like without him present.

The guards stepped back, bowing to the coffin, before dispersing into the crowd. She raised an eyebrow as Shining Armor approached a familiar pink pegasus that she couldn’t quite place. He put a hand on her shoulder, said some things she couldn’t quite make out, and they shared a long embrace before he moved behind her, staring at the coffin. Twilight would have to interrogate him about this later.

King Sombra moved over to the coffin, taking a glance around the room. Some ponies were quietly sobbing into handkerchiefs, others were furiously wiping their tears away, and still others stared at him quietly, with a solemn grace. He placed his hands over the head of the coffin, staring at it for a moment, before looking up at the crowd.

“We are gathered here today in remembrance of a great ruler. Now, I'm sure you know, I'm no great orator...but I did know Aegis. I knew him his entire life. He was a powerful and merciful king, who protected his domain at all costs from threats within and without. His desire to protect ponies was ultimately his downfall, but it is also why he will always be remembered. Look around you. His victories, his glory, laid out on these walls for all time. He will be dearly missed, by his friends, his loved ones, and his daughters. And though it is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to my old friend, I am certain that Celestia will take to the throne magnificently. So, while we mourn the passing of a king, let us remember that soon we will have a mighty queen ruling this nation. As we shed tears over the loss of Aegis, let us celebrate the dawning of the age of Celestia!”

There was a round of polite applause as he ended his speech. Ponies took their time mourning their king, then left him in peace, slowly trickling out of the tomb. Celestia and Luna were among the last remaining, and Twilight stayed by her teacher’s side the entire time. She cringed as she saw Sombra once again approach the princesses. Spike moved behind her, clearly sharing her unease.

“I suppose you two will be looking for husbands.” He said, a small grin on his face, like he knew he’d just gotten away with something. “After all, the line of succession must continue.”

Celestia gritted her teeth and took a long, slow breath. “Actually, we’re not in any hurry. Even if we should happen to pass, our cousins, heavens rest their souls, did leave heirs of their own. Four ponies in the line of succession seem plenty to me, for the time being.”

Twilight shifted uncomfortably as their conversation continued. Sombra seemed like he was trying to goad Celestia into something, and the princess was so...tense. Her fists were tightly clenched, and her eyes were narrowed, with tears building in the corners. If Twilight didn’t know better, she’d think the princess was about to haul off and deck him in the schnoz.

Spike tried to distract himself from all of this, looking at the murals on the walls, studying the pony who once held him years ago, when he got lost in the palace, separated from Twilight. The king sang him a funny song about stinky little dragon toes to make him stop crying. It was hard to believe this was the same pony, fighting monsters, leading armies...he always seemed so gentle. Spike never considered him a warrior. Then again, he never considered Shining Armor one either.

“When will your coronation take place?” Sombra asked.

“In two weeks,” Celestia replied. “Time enough to grieve, but not so long that the citizens begin to feel the instability that comes with the lack of a ruler.”

“Soon enough that I can simply stay in Canterlot until the proceedings.” Sombra smiled. Luna and Celestia both winced at this announcement.

“It will be an honor to have you attend. Please, let us know if there is anything we can do to make your stay more pleasant, your highness.” She gave him a polite bow, and, apparently content that he had needled her enough, Sombra took his leave.

Twilight let out a long sigh. “Wow.”

Celestia and Luna looked over at the younger mare. “That was your first time meeting the High King, wasn’t it?” Asked the elder princess.

Twilight nodded dumbly. “I always thought it was just a bunch of old mare’s tales...how he could fight armies on his own...how he conquered the entire continent...how he was over a thousand years old.”

“All true, unfortunately. At least he lets us hate him, so long as we don’t act on it.” Luna mused, walking forward quietly and resting a hand on her father’s coffin. "I understand the ponies in the Crystal Empire don't have that freedom."

“...Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, if there’s anything either of us can do...” Twilight trailed off helplessly, staring at Luna’s hand.

“Thank you, Twilight. We’ll certainly let you know.” Celestia said with a gentle smile.

All at once, the quiet dignity of the tomb was torn asunder by the growling of a dragon’s stomach. All eyes turned to Spike, who simply shrugged.

“What? We skipped lunch to get here on time.”

Twilight blushed, embarrassed by the attention Spike was drawing from the few remaining ponies. “Well, I guess I’d better go get him something to eat. Come on, Spike.” She took his hand and made her way to the door.

“What’s that smell, hittin’ my nose, it’s stinky little dragon toes...” Spike sang under his breath. Luna cracked a smile as she heard it, tears quickly building in her eyes.

Twilight lead Spike to a banquet hall filled with buffet tables set up for those who had come to pay their respects. Not feeling particularly hungry, the unicorn grabbed a few pieces of fruit for herself, while her dragon companion piled whatever he could reach onto a plate. They sat at a table, quietly eating as a low murmur of constant conversation ran through the room.

"So, what're we doing tomorrow?" Spike asked, mouth filled with cobbler. Twilight shot him a glare, but he didn't seem to notice. Sighing, she decided to answer the question.

"I've got to go out and do some shopping. Celestia wants me to attend her coronation. I mean, I'd come even if she didn't want me to, but...I don't really have anything formal enough. Except this dress," she said, looking down at it, tugging at the black fabric, "and it's hardly fitting a celebration like that...Still, I have been wanting to work on that stamina potion recipe...The dress can wait a few days."

"Uh....I have a question." Spike said, wiping some crumbs off his face with a claw, and then immediately placing them into his mouth.

"Is it a question about table manners?" She asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

"No, it's about formal wear. For the coronation."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Yes, Spike. You'll have to wear your suit again." Spike groaned in annoyance. "Look, if it bothers you that much, you can take the tie off. The funeral's over, you don't need to be dressed up anymore today."

Spike quickly removed his tie and tossed it onto the table.

"I don't get why you hate the suit so much. You look really handsome in it," She complimented, smiling at him.

"It's uncomfortable. Who would want to look good, even if they couldn't be comfortable?" Twilight chuckled.

"I couldn't imagine, Spike."

Author's Note

So, this is it. My new story. I hope you like the prologue, and I hope you like the first chapter. I don't know what the generally accepted fanon name for celestia and luna's father is, but hey, it's an AU, he can have a different name here.

A word of warning, I don't really know much about the extended universe. From what I understand, there's some story lines about sombra that flesh him out more, but I haven't read the comics. I'm interested, I haven't gotten around to it, but, on the same point as the parent of celestia and luna, it's an AU, things are different here.

I've done a lot of editing and clean up work over the last few days on the prologue and first chapter, but I AM considering a mutually beneficial relationship with a friend that will lead to me having an editor. if I happen to do that, I'll probably end up revisiting these first two uploads. EDIT: I have already begun revisiting these just because I realized some things I needed to spruce up.

So, yeah...I'm currently working on several other chapters at once, because I kept starting one, and then realizing I needed to move it for the pacing, but I've finally got that hammered out, and it shouldn't be too long until the second proper chapter.