Umbrum Dawn

by Penguin Lagann

Rating: teen
Tags: Profanity, Violence, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Other, Romance, Thriller, King Sombra
Length: 1332

A year after her use of dark magic at the Crystal Empire, Twilight is plagued with nightmares about it. Can she overcome them?

Twilight didn't want to use dark magic. She had seen what had happened to the last user of it. But she had to. The Crystal Empire was in danger, and it was the only way to get to it's heart.

About a year later, Twilight is plagued with nightmares. Tempting her to give in to the corruption. To join King Sombra. Will she prevail? Or will she fall? And what effect will it have on her friends?

Diverges from Canon after Season 4.

Published 2017-10-28 18:30:06 UTC
Last updated 2017-10-28 18:30:06 UTC

Intrusive Taunts

‘Twilight Sparkle.’

The dark shadow crept upon the crystal castle in Ponyville. It was giant compared to any other building in the otherwise small town.

‘The mare who thwarted my plans. With all that raw power, wasted on stupid ideals like friendship. I will have you on my side, through any means needed,’ the shadow said, as he entered said alicorn’s dreams.

…

Twilight was in a black void. A place she had not been in very often when in her dreams. She took note of that and grew curious and worried as to what was happening.

Normally something would've happened by now, like a dream about a three-thousand page book, or one about being shrunk down, like Applejack was a while ago. But nothing happened.

Nobody came.

She was then whisked away to one of her memories. It had taken place when she was saving the Crystal Empire a year ago.

…
Flashback begins

She had been searching around the once used throne room of the Crystal Empire to find a way to the Crystal Heart. “Its gotta be around here somewhere!” She grunted.

She then noticed Spike was about to pick a small crystal gem off the wall. “Not a claw Spike. Celestia’s orders.”

“Sorry,” Spike said apologetically.

‘Think Twilight!’ She thought. ‘What can I do to find it?!’

She then heard an echo inside her head. It was from Celestia.

“If the Empire is filled with hope and love, those feelings are felt across the land of Equestria. But if hatred and fear take control…”

Twilight then came to a realization. “Of course! I know where it is!”

“You do?” Spike panted. “Is it in the castle?”

“No, because this isn’t King Sombra's castle!”

“I don’t get it. Isn’t where he lived?”

“It is. But it didn’t look like this.”

Twilight closed her eyes and started concentrating. Her normal magic aura started to get darker and darker, until a sickly purple and green surrounded her horn. Soon after, a purple mist started emanating from her closed eyes. When she opened her eyes, the whites of her eyes turned a neon green, while her iris turned red, and her pupils turned into slits. She fired off the dark beam at the crystal above, causing it to turn black, and a secret staircase appeared underneath the throne.

Twilight giddily clapped her hooves, as the dark magic faded from her eyes. “Whoa. Where did you learn that?” Spike asked.

“That was a little trick Celestia taught me!” Twilight confidently stated.

Flashback ends
…

Twilight was confused. “I don’t understand. What was the point of that?”

A mysterious voice popped up. “I think we both know what it was, Twilight.”

Twilight gasped and turned around. She knew who that voice belonged to. Thinking about that unicorn gave her terrifying memories. About how he showed her worst nightmares. About how he almost killed her friends and family.

King Sombra.

She spat in anger, and flared up her wings. “What do you want Sombra? And that’s Princess Twilight to you!”

Sombra walked to Twilight slowly. “My apologies princess. I wasn’t invited to your coronation, since it was held weeks after my… shattering.” He put emphasis on the last word. “But I believe your potential is hardly being used to it’s fullest.”

Twilight was caught off guard. “My potential?”

“I mean, I’m just a ‘tyrannical’ ruler obsessed with crystals, but I’ve seen your raw power. Your hatred makes you strong. Remember your fight with Tirek?”

Twilight faltered at that. ‘It.. Its true. I almost killed him due to how angry I was.’

“If you joined me, I could teach you everything I know. You could be powerful, dangerous, and unstoppable.”

Twilight stood up. “No.”

Sombra tipped his head in wonder.

“I won't join you. I may have made mistakes, but I will not betray my friends and family. They mean the world to me.” She took a battle stance. “Your going to have to do better than that.”

Sombra chuckled. “Going as far as to use my own magic to defeat me? You’re just like me when I was little.”

Twilight grew concerned. She conjured up a mirror, and gasped at what she saw.

Her eyes had changed. The whites had changed to a lime green. Her irises turned red, while her pupils thinned out and became snake like. Purple mist was flowing freely from the corners, giving off the appearance that she was using dark magic.

Her horn had changed as well. While it was normally straight with a swirl going upwards, it had curved into a sharper point, with the swirls disappearing, and the center up being a blood red. Just like his horn.

Finally, her mane was different. Instead of being navy blue with hot pink and dark purple stripes, it had become pitch black with red stripes.

Her appearance was the definition of corrupted. She looked like she was related to or married to Sombra.

She looked like a real queen.

She shook that last thought out of her head. “Wha… What did you do to me?!” She yelled.

“I didn’t do anything,” Sombra said. “But while we’re here, why don't we see what your friends think of your new look?”

The scene shifted to an area of Ponyville, with the sky being unusually red. Twilight’s friends surrounded her, but their reactions weren’t expected.

Pinkie Pie spoke up first jubilantly. “Wow Twilight! You have a new horn and eyes! You look just like that meanie-pants King Sombra!” Pinkie froze, and her mane went flat. “Wait, that’s a bad thing.”

Then Rainbow Dash spoke. “Twilight, I don't normally say this, but you’re kinda freaking me out here.” Fluttershy hid behind Rainbow the whole time.

“Darling, how could you?!” Rarity exclaimed. “You saw first-hoof what dark magic does, not just to me, but lots of others, and yet you still chose to use it?!”

Finally, Applejack went up to Twilight, with a disappointing expression. “Ah’m sorry Twi. Normally, I’d trust you with mah life, but that dark magic hooey has done weird things to you.”

Twilight was flabbergasted. “Wha… girls! I’m still the same!”

A booming voice was heard in the background. “Twilight Sparkle! You are hereby stripped of your princess title! Leave and never return!”

The scene shifted to the Crystal Empire.

“I can’t believe it!” Princess Cadence shouted. “All this time, the foal I babysat was working with Sombra?! Let’s see what your brother thinks of that?” Cadence whistled out to Shining Armor. “Oh Shiny! What do you think about your sister doing that?”

Shining turned around, bearing an angry face. “What sister?”

That was the final nail in the coffin for Twilight. She hung her head low, her now normal mane obscuring her eyes, and her horn back to normal.

‘Victory,’ Sombra thought. “You see Twilight, you have nothing to lose. You already lost your friends, and your…”

Sombra’s speech was interrupted by Twilight chuckling. It then turned into sinister laughter. She turned back to Sombra, eyes blazing with black magic, and a demonic smirk. “You think that’s actually going to work?”

Twilight summoned purple tendrils. They grabbed Sombra and held him in the air. “I’ve known my friends for nearly 2 years. They’d never leave that unless I royally ****ed up or personally hurt them.” One of the tendrils slapped Sombra. “Same thing goes for the Princesses and my brother. Hello! Spent my entire ****ing life with them!”

She slowly released Sombra. “So take that stupid queen bull**** and **** off. Cause… I… don’t… care.” Twilight slowly came back to her senses, dark magic fading from her eyes, and realized what she did.

“All in due time princess. You will need me. And I'll be waiting here. In your dreams.”

Sombra faded away, leaving Twilight in the same black void for the rest of her time asleep.

Author's Note

Ya'll ready for some drah-ma?

(I know. I stink at country-isms. I ain't no country folk)