Author's Note
Well, Here's my first short, Criticism is appreciated and welcomed
Why?
The moment that the blast from the Crystal Heart hit King Sombra the rest of his life was pain. Then, he died.
When King Sombra woke up he stood, confused as to how he was alive. When he looked around he realized, he wasn't. He was standing at the banks of a blackened river surrounded by tar colored sand. He then looked up and saw that there were no clouds, no sky even, just black as far as the eye could see and beyond.
He was not thirsty, he was not cold, he was not hungry, all he felt was empty.
An all consuming emptiness, a void that could not and would not be described through mortal concepts.
Sombra, in a daze, uttered the first words of his coming unlife "Where am I?" The Pale Mare appeared next to him and simply replied "It's time for your walk" And started down a path that was not there previously. King Sombra, still reeling from his revelations just started walking beside The Pale Mare. "I have but one question that I want you to answer on this long and dreary path," The Pale Mare said.
Why?
This one word was spoken softly and at the same time with enough force enough that King Sombra knew he could not refuse to answer lest he face the wrath of The Pale Mare. He also knew the unspoken words The Pale Mare had used with a single syllable 'Why did you decide that a happy place like the Crystal Kingdom deserved a tyrant?' Sombra replied with a sorrow filled utterance "Love."
At the word The Pale Mare, seemingly unsatisfied, said "Explain." and Sombra did.
5 years before the banishment of the Crystal Empire
Somber Heart was in love with the mare of his dreams and Quartz Shine loved him back.
She was dying and there was nothing Somber could do about it.
She accepted it; he didn't
Somber Heart started to research all different schools of magic to try to find a solution. He couldn't find one, at least not ones that were acceptable to the morals of Quartz or the rest of the Kingdom. So he started to research into the forbidden art of dark magic. With him being a natural light mage the self taught dark magic started to corrupt him. He thought himself fine, he was going to save his love and they were going to be happy for the rest of their lives!
His beloved noticed Somber Heart's changing personality so she decided to look around and found his research notes. She was devastated that her love could be using such vile magics so she confronted him about it. It did not go well. He experienced his first Dark Rage when his beloved confronted him and when he awoke, his beloved was taking her own walk.
4 Years before the banishment of the Crystal Empire
After the events the year before Somber Heart started letting his hatred build up. He hated Queen Amore for keeping the cure away from his beloved, He hated the mages for banning the teachings of dark magics, he hated the guards for locking him in the tiny cell he now resided in, he hated himself for killing his beloved Quartz Shine. Then he got an idea, one that was so simple and easy. He would claim the Crystal Kingdom for himself.
So he did. In a single day the Crystal Kingdom became the Crystal Empire and Somber Heart became King Sombra, the tyrant.
1 Year before the banishment of the Crystal Empire
Contrary to what most outside of the Empire thought, King Sombra was fair to his ponies. Everypony was treated as equals by one another because not one pony was given more than another. Everypony was fed the same amount, even King Sombra himself ate the same things as his ponies. Everypony had to work the mines and fields for a certain amount of time. Nopony was happy, but at the same time nopony was miserable. All but King Sombra, he was working with almost all of the Empires resources to find a way to get Quartz Shine back.
1 Week before the banishment of the Crystal Empire
King Sombra made a mistake. He had sent a letter to the Equestrian leadership asking for books on necromancy and soul magic. He had forgotten that outside of his Empire such things were condemned and vilified. The reply came as a full scale invasion of the Crystal Empire. At the time of the invasion all of his ponies were working in the mines or fields, So King Sombra fought the impending army single handedly. Thinking that his Empire was to be razed by Equestria, He 'saved' his ponies by displacing them in time seconds before being sealed away in ice for his crimes against equinity.
Back in the afterlife
The Pale Mare said to Somber "So, you're telling me you did it all to try to save Quartz Shine?" Somber looked back at The Pale Mare and replies "Yes, all of the pain and suffering I've caused was to try and bring back the one I loved and I don't regret a single part of it." The Pale Mare looked at Somber and his determined face and smiled "Good, good because this is the end of the path for you Somber Heart enjoy your afterlife. I have a feeling you will find love again." Somber, with a sad smile on his face, says "The only love I'll ever have is my beloved Quartz Shine, She is the one I have pledged my heart to and even after all these years I hope I can find her again"
The Pale Mare nods at this and says "I see." Before pointing Somber Heart towards a town that had appeared off of the path they were on. The Pale Mare had one last parting sentence as the cloak she wore faded away "The path is not always short and sometimes there is heartache. Soon you may be asked to guide another down the path to the afterlife." Somber was in tears because as the cloak faded Quartz Shine, in all of her beauty, was now standing before Somber Heart.
The End
