It had been almost a year since Twilight Sparkle rose to the position of the Princess of Friendship. As usual, she was spending her time in the castle library with her friends. Applejack was looking through a recipe book for apple based dishes, Rarity was looking up fashion books for new designs and inspiration, Rainbow Dash was looking through the history of the Wonderbolts, Fluttershy was tending to her bunny Angel, Twilight was reading up on science-y things, and Pinkie Pie was just being Pinkie Pie. As Twilight began to finish up on the book she was reading out of a stack of almost 50 books, a deep dark and familiarly sinister voice echo through the library. It was low at first the only Twilight could hear it.
"Did you girls hear something?" Twilight asked, looking around the library. To this, each of her friends shook their heads and continued what they were doing. It was the voice came again, low and almost growling at one word.
"Crysssssssstals~"
Twilight looked around in all directions even at the library ceiling. This time she was sure she heard something but couldn't place her hoof on where the voice might be coming from. "OK I'm sure you girls must've heard it this time! How could you not?!"
"Easy there, sugar cube. Maybe it is time for you to take a break from all the reading you've been doing." Applejack said, walking over to Twilight and placing a hoof on her book to close it. "You're probably tired and hearing things. So why don't we all jus' go to a dining room and have a little snack and a breather. You've been in the library since early this mornin'. I'll head over to the kitchen and whip us up some grub. I just saw a new recipe that might do the trick."
"I have to agree with Applejack. Look at all the books you've read and have yet to read, darling. If you keep exerting yourself so much, you'll end up like me when I made all six of our dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala" Rarity said.
“I agree too. If you’re hearing things Twilight, then it’s time for a break.” Fluttershy said softly. “And a snack now would be perfect too.”
Rainbow Dash stretched and scratched the back of her neck. “Don’t get me wrong but being in one spot too long, especially the library, is super boring.” She was about to fly up and place her book up on the shelf when Pinkie Pie hopped in.
“Every pony needs a break.” Pinkie smiled as wide as ever.
Seeing her friend’s concern for her, Twilight smiled. “You’re right. Maybe I do need a break. So let’s have that snack.” She and her friends were about to leave the library; the voice came back, much louder this time.
"Crysssssssstals~" Soon a familiar black mist circled the room, a maniacal laugh filling the room. The ponies looked around and panicking before the mist took its proper form, the evil pony King who ruled the Crystal Empire, King Sombra. He cackled at his triumphant return to a physical form, but put the other ponies on high alert. He looked at all of them individually till his eyes fell on Twilight. “Well, what a surprise. The foolish unicorn that found the Crystal Heart and fell for my trap.”
“King Sombra! What are you doing here and how did you return to your physical form?! You were destroyed when the Crystal Heart was re-energized!” Twilight started to power up her horn.
“If you really want to know, you brought me here.” Sombra chuckled in his throat.
“Wh-What?” Twilight’s horn lost its glow, as she looked dumbfounded. “How could I have brought you here?”
“Don’t listen to him Twilight! He’s just trying to get into your head!” Rainbow Dash said before getting ready to charge the dark stallion King, only to have Applejack bite down on her tail.
“Woah nelly! Rake it eashy, Dash!” AJ muffled out.
“We certainly can’t have this conversation here. Too many distractions. Let’s go somewhere more private.” With that, Sombra returned to mist and surrounded the room again. The ponies covered their eyes and screamed as Sombra’s laugh echoed and bounced off the walls. Soon everything was quiet and Rarity was the first one to open her eyes. She looked around the room, counting all of her friend before shrieking.
“Twilight! She’s gone!!”
"What?!" Rainbow Dash and everyone else looked around. Where Twilight was first standing moments ago was a feather from her wings.
"Where could she have gone?" Fluttershy trembled, holding a struggling Angel tighter.
"She couldn't have gon' far. Search everywhere!" Applejack ordered and each pony took a part of the castle. Each came back with nothing.
"How could this happen? Where could she have gone?" Rarity asked, the panic and fear settling into her voice.
"What if that monster took her?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Easy girls...w-we jus' have ta keep searchin'. Even if Sombra took 'er, Twilight is a tough Princess. She can handle herself. " Applejack said, trying to be brave. But just like everyone else, she was worried about there friend.
"What if...he killed her?" Pinkie asked, her mane deflating as her eyes teared up. This caught everyone else off guard.
"Now don't even think such a thing, Pinkie Pie! Th-That could never happen!" Applejack tried not letting the tears spring up.
"But what if she's right? What if Sombra kill her?" Fluttershy almost immediately started crying.
"D-Don't be silly. Twilight wouldn't go down without a fight" Rainbow Dash said, landing and letting her wings slack instead of folding them in.
"But none of us could see. And there was no scream. What if Sombra took her and is torturing her before killing her? What if we never see her again?" Rarity said, her mascara running from the tears streaming down her cheeks.
All of the ponies silent cried echoed in the large foyer. Even as Spike, who had gone to Canterlot for a while, came back and saw everyone.
"Hey girls. What's the matter? Why are you all crying? And where's Twilight?" He asked.
"Oh Spike...Twilight is...she's..." Rarity said, unable to finish before choking up on her tears. "SHE'S GONE!!!"
Almost immediately, Spike's jaw dropped in disbelief. After getting nearly incoherent explanation as to what happened, he ran to the library and immediately penned a letter to Princess Celestia before sending it in a green swirling flame.
Author's Note
Just for reference (and because of comments) I know Pinkie would never just jump to the conclusion that Sombra killed Twilight. But since this story is dark, I thought it might fit just this once
Darkness. That was the best way to describe what was everywhere. Twilight lit up her horn and pointed it in every direction. The only other sound aside from her heavy breathing was the echoing sound of her hooves as she turned around in place.
"Hello? Anypony?"
Her voice echoed in the vast darkness.
"Applejack? Pinkie Pie? Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy? Rarity? Are you there? Can you hear me?!" She started running in the direction she thought would be forward and called for her friends over and over. "Girls?! Where are you?!"
"They're not here" A voice said in the darkness, causing Twilight to stop in her tracks. "They were a distraction. No one else is here but you...and me."
"Show yourself!" Twilight demanded and without hesitation, Sombra emerged from the darkness.
"Hello little Princess. Did you miss me?" He chuckled darkly.
"Sombra...how can you possibly be here? Y-You were defeated!"
"Oh, my sweet naive little filly. Like I said. You brought me here" He placed his hoof under her chin. "From the Crystal Empire."
Twilight yanked her chin away and backed up a few steps. "That's a lie! I couldn't have!"
"But you did. When you tripped my little trap while retrieving the Crystal Heart, I was quite intrigued by your magic. You tried everything you could to get out. Even while looking for the Heart, you used a little dark magic to uncover my secret staircase. You are quite powerful, evident by the fact that you're now a Princess" He chuckled in his throat. "You waste you potential by bringing light and harmony to this world. Why not bring it to its knees? Bring chaos...darkness...despair. With me as your teacher, I can help you unlock more magic."
Listening to him, Twilight glanced down. She knew what she was hearing was wrong, but something in her heart latched onto his words. The thought of corrupting the world was not a thought that even passed her mind on even the most boring day. So why now was it coming to mind? Twilight quickly shook those thoughts out of her mind and glared at him. "Your words won't effect me. You're evil and darkness incarnate. I will never become your student."
"But you thought of it. For a moment, your heart began to waver and think of how things would be" Sombra paced around her. "The world shrouded in darkness, ponies under your rule, your friends...defeated, your precious Princesses...powerless against you."
"No! Never! You are the powerless one!" Twilight's horn powered up and she shed light on the empty space. But it barely helped. The light was almost quickly swallowed up and Sombra's laugh bellowed.
"Such determination for a futile effort. You intrigue me more and more." The shadows around them started to grab at Twilight. And despite her efforts to fight them off, she became entangled. Struggling and writhing with all her might, she stopped when Sombra's hoof slipped under her chin again. He looked down at her with mock kindness and pity. "Why not just give in? It'll feel so good. Come on. After getting one small taste of darkness, you can't say that you're not interested to know more of what it's like. Having such power at your disposal...standing above all...as Equestria's sole Queen."
"E-Equestria's...sole Queen?" Twilight stared up into his eyes. Having only recently become a Princess, she often wondered how powerful she could really be. After all, she once had all the magic of three Alicorn plus her own. Sure the circumstances for it was dire, but having all that power coursing through her was invigorating! She might've been clumsy at it when lowering the moon and raising the sun, and her flying was much much more faster. Faster than even Rainbow Dash. She was even an equal match for Tirek. If that battle had continued, it would've been a definite never ending stalemate until one of them possibly dropped from exhaustion or just surrender like she had to save her friends. "No, that'll throw all of Equestrian life out of balance! Nopony should ever have that much power."
"You did once."
"Yes. Once! And the circumstances at the time required it!" Twilight pulled her chin away. "You won't corrupt me Sombra. I am Twilight Sparkle. The Princess of Friendship and bearer of the Element of Magic! I'm stronger than you think."
"We shall see, little princess, we shall see." Sombra stared down at her with a smug grin on his lips.
***
In Canterlot, Princess Celestia was in her chambers looking through scrolls when the letter Spike wrote appeared before her. She opened and read before dropping the scroll. "Luna! Luna, come quick!!"
Luna ran in, hearing her sister's distress. "Sister, what is the matter? Tell us what causes you such distress."
"A letter just arrived from Ponyville. King Sombra has returned...and he's kidnapped Twilight."
"How could that be? He was destroyed when Spike returned the Crystal Heart to Cadance."
"I don't know, sister, but somehow he's back. And I can't imagine what she's going through now."
Luna approached her sister and placed her hoof on Celestia's shoulder. "She is your protege, you know Twilight better than anypony. She won't fall to temptation."
Celestia smiled converned. "I hope so, Luna." She stood up and walked out of her room, Luna following behind. "Guards, prepare a carriage immediately. We are going to Ponyville." She announced and the guards did as they were told.
