One Step at a Time

by CinnabarPony

Rating: everyone
Tags: King Sombra, Adventure, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Silverstream
Length: 10209

King Sombra finally meets someone who shares his love for stairs.

Equestria's biggest, baddest, most stair-obsessed tyrant has returned, and he's got plans.

That is until destiny strikes, and our king runs into a bubbly young hippogriff with whom he's surprised he actually shares something in common.

The unlikely duo set off to discover only the best stairs in all the land, and may just learn a thing or two about themselves along the way.

Published 2018-04-23 00:20:07 UTC
Last updated 2018-04-23 00:20:07 UTC

Part 1

Sunday around Princess Twilight’s school was rarely too exciting a locale, and today was no exception. The time was nearing noon, and Celestia’s sun hung lazily above without a single interfering cloud in sight. The only exception to an otherwise perfectly still afternoon was a powdery pink hippogriff, who was wandering the barren courtyard with wide, curious eyes, eager to discover everything her new school had to offer. While none of her fellow students or teachers had any desire to visit the place after hours, Silverstream had practically begged her father to allow her to stay and admire the place all by herself. Unfortunately for him, Silverstream was the kind of hippogriff it was incredibly hard to say no to.

The young filly soared around towers, dove through waterfalls, and careened through corridors, having immense fun all the while. It seemed that with other creatures to keep her company or no, Silverstream always managed to find a way to entertain herself.

Approximately five hundred miles away, in the bitter frozen north, a unicorn stood feeling something very similar, and that was complete awe at his surroundings. It might've been a bit of a dull atmosphere, sure. Nothing but a dead, snowy wasteland. But it mattered not how his environment looked. What mattered was the fact that he could see it with his own two eyes, feel the ground with his own four hooves; the bitter winds on his grey coat.

This was the proof. He was back.

After soaring up to the highest tower and repeatedly opening and closing the large doors to headmare Twilight’s office (they didn’t have anything like them underwater) Silver just then noticed a glint of something in the corner of her eye. But after turning to investigate, it was gone.

Then, out of nowhere, a sound. It was almost like… a laugh? But it was strangely deep in tone. And just like the light, it was gone the moment it appeared.

“Hello?” She asked, glancing down both ends of the hallway. Nothing.

Silverstream wandered down the hall of empty classrooms, ears perked and eyes open for whatever had been the cause of such a strange noise. While it was bright and sunny outside, there were no candles lit in the interior of the building, and very little natural light found its way into this particular section. Long shadows stretched along the hall, giving the whole place an eerie vibe, all of a sudden.

But Silverstream was far too curious a filly to concern herself with mere shadows on the walls, and continued on her course.

“Join me…”

The voice again. This time ending the sentiment with a loud cackle. Whoever the source of it was, they certainly did love a good laugh.

“Hello?” Silver asked once more. “What’s so funny?” Still nothing.

“You don’t have to be shy,” she assured as she proceeded to open doors and inspect classrooms. “Who are you?”

“Come with me, little one. You’ll find out.” Silver whipped her feathery pink head around. The voice seemed to be coming from outside the window, at the very end of the hallway. Overwhelming interest chasing out all possible concern, she spread two feathered wings and soared outside into the sunlight.

“Yes, yes. This way, little filly,” The omnipresent voice continued to urge. Then another laugh, all coming from the direction of the trees behind the school.

Silver landed two claws and two hooves on the grass behind the building, where the sun was for the most part blocked off, and all the trees seemed to be cloaked in darkness.

“Helloooo?” Silver asked, peering into the wood and trying the make out anything beyond shadows. “Are you down here... whoever you are? Are you alright?”

When nopony answered, Silverstream cautiously stepped a bit further. She continued with hesitant steps, until she noticed that the school was out of sight behind her. Just before she was about to give up and fly back, however, something appeared in front of her, straight out of thin air.

Stairs.

But not just any stairs, no. Probably the most beautiful flight of such the young hippogriff had ever seen.

They were made of pure crystal. A darker variety, it seemed, and glistened in the scarce rays of sunlight pouring down from breaks in the treetops. Up they climbed into darkness, with no end in sight.

Naturally, Silverstream was positively thrilled by the presence of her absolute favorite thing in all of Equestria. Well, she’d actually only known what they were for a week or so, but ever since she found out that such masterpiece of architecture existed, she was certain they were, in fact, her absolute favorite thing in all of Equestria.

Without thought, she began to climb. The smooth crystal felt like ice against her claws. Is wasn’t long before Silver realized that this particular stairway seemed to be spiraling. She found this a bit odd, but nevertheless kept going, just as eager to experience the joy of climbing as she was to figure out what was at the top.

However, several minutes of nonstop scaling, no matter how blissful they might be, was enough to get anygriff wondering. And wonder she did, and that was whether some kind of magical force could be at work here. The young hippogriff knew very little about Equestrian magic, but in headmare Twilight’s class she and the rest of her friends had learned that magic here could do very strange and mind-twisting things sometimes. This definitely seemed like one of those times.

But although it was dark and everything pointed to this being some sort of powerful, dangerous sorcery, Silver was simply having too much fun to stop. Every step she took was a new accomplishment, every inch she rose, a rise towards greatness. Every bead of sweat that formed on her forehead was a mark of her unwavered dedication.

Minute after minute went by, which soon dragged on into hours upon hours. Silverstream had absolutely no idea how long she’d been climbing, but knew she’d been enjoying every second of it, and had no intent of stopping anytime soon.

“Hm.. hm… hmm… it’s a good place to staaaart…”

“You, there!”

That was it again. The voice. Silverstream searched around frantically, but for the life of her still couldn’t find the source.

“Hello?” she asked. “Are you still here? What’s going on?”

“Little pony, I-”

Silver giggled, “I’m not a pony, silly. I know it’s dark, but can’t you tell? I’m a hippogriff!” She flipped her mane and gave a dramatic pose, hoping that wherever this strange being was, they were getting her good side.

“A hippo...what? What difference is there?”

“Wow. You should really get out more often," She gave the darkness a flat look. "Hippogriffs? We used to live in the sea, but now we’re on land? Well, most of the time. I guess it doesn't really matter. We live near Equestria, on Mt. Aris!”

“I… ugh, I don't care! It doesn't matter to me what you are, young one. The only thing that matters is that you have so foolishly fallen into my trap!” He laughed. He deep, resounding laugh that shook the very crystal Silverstream was standing on. “Now you’re all mine! And there’s no going back!”

“Trap? What trap? All I see are stairs.”

“No, you see, the trap is-”

“And I could totally go back if I wanted to. I mean, all I’d have to do is climb back down.”

“No, wait! Don’t do that!” It was true that this was a flaw in his plan the unicorn had not considered. “Forget I said that, alright?”

Silverstream laughed, “Don’t worry, I’m not about to stop now! This is way too much fun! I bet i’m almost at the top!” With that, she continued upwards.

A wide, devilish smile enveloped the unicorn’s face, not that the little filly could see it. “Then keep climbing, little one. Climb until you reach your reward. I assure you, you’ll get it in good time.”

“Ooooh, there’s a reward? Awesome!”

“Oh yes, yes, naturally there is.” the unicorn couldn’t help but commend himself on such a purely genius move. What the little pony… hippo… whatever she was didn’t know, was that her reward would be her new king’s complete and total control over her mind.

“I love rewards!” Silver squeed, as she continued to make her way up the king’s never-ending magical pathway. Sombra only chuckled to himself, for his plan was working like a charm.

But countless more time passed, more than either unicorn or hippogriff could even bother keeping track of, and Silverstream stayed as invested as ever. She savored every step, admiring the rather bland and dark scenery as if it were a beautiful fantasyland. The unicorn grew confused at this, usually ponies went completely insane after less than half this amount of climbing. Usually they grew exhausted, or regretful, or scared, eventually ending in complete detachment from reality. But nothing of the sort with this one. If anything, she looked like she was actually enjoying the torture she was being put through.

He was too curious. He needed to know why.

It was then that a cloud of black smoke began to congregate in front of Silver. She retreated a few steps, slightly unsure. When a pair of electric green eyes emerged from the darkness, she hid her face in her wings and feared the worst.

“Young one! Hear my voice, listen!”

Slowly, Silver removed two feathered wings from her face and was immediately enthralled by what, or who, was before her. A towering grey pony, with a mane of living smoke, glistening metal armor, and a red cape which matched the bloody shade his horn was tainted. He wore a wicked scowl and looked down upon his prisoner with two glowing green eyes and unnatural pupils.

“Y-yes? Who are you?”

“I am King Sombra. Past ruler of the Crystal Empire, and future ruler of all of Equestria!”

“Why… why are you here?” Silverstream started to tremble.

“Why, isn’t it obvious? This is my whole plan! I’ve sent you on a path from which there is no return, no escape. You will be forced to wander upwards into oblivion, until there is nothing left of you! Until i’ve won over your soul!” He finished his sentiment with a hardy maniacal laugh, just for good measure.

“Really? Aw, but I like it! Can I keep climbing?” she asked, glancing around the grand unicorn inconveniently blocking her path. “I was really on a roll there.”

At this, Sombra was completely taken aback, “But my magic… it doesn’t... anger you? You don’t feel resent towards me for leading you on this endless, winding path towards insanity?”

“Nope! I just love stairs!” Silver’s fear of this strange pony had apparently been short-lived. “More than anything else in all of Equestria, Mt. Aris, and beyond! And it looks you really love them too, based on the fact that they’re your way of driving ponies insane, and all.”

“I… I do…” Sombra looked down towards his hooves, his stance wavering. “They... speak to me, you know? How perfect and symmetrical they all are, the great success they symbolize! The way they look, and feel, and smell..." he began admiring the stairs beside him with loving eyes. "Nopony understands me the way stairs do. Nopony understands how meaningful or how beautiful they are behind the surface!" He sighed. "It’s crushing, liking something that nopony else seems to want to look twice at…” Sombra glanced downward and drew circles in the crystal with a metal slipper.

Silverstream gasped, “Omigosh, I know exactly what you mean! The second I saw stairs, I knew how great and how so so important they were, even if none of my friends saw it! I think they’re just so used to seeing stairs everywhere they go, they just don’t know how lucky they are to have them! I mean, when you think about it, everypony in Equestria would just be lost without them!”

“That’s what i’ve been trying to get into these ponies' heads this whole time!" A pause. "It's strange, I… I’ve never met anypony who shares such an interest with me before. It… it really is wonderful. You mean to say that… you actually find joy in my magical conjurings? You actually like climbing them?

“Of course! They’re the prettiest things i’ve ever seen! And I like the crystal, it’s a nice touch.”

The king dropped his head a bit, and was that... a blush? “Thank you, it means a lot. It’s not an easy spell, you know. It takes powerful magic to make stairs like these.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it for a second!” said Silver, fluttering her wings and rising into the air out of sheer excitement. “You know, i’ve even made a promise to myself. I want to climb all the stairs in all of Equestria! I don’t care how long it takes!” She then looked up to the winding path above her. “Starting with these!”

With that, Silverstream squeezed her way around Sombra and continued to climb ever higher. Sombra turned around, and, to his surprise, thoughtlessly proceeded to follow her up the pathway. Silverstream only smiled when she noticed that the shadow king had decided to accompany her. Before he even knew it, he was smiling back.

He then quickly turned away and let this expression die, knowing deep down that such a connection he was feeling over a common interest was only a form of weakness. But after the silence dragged on for longer than he could bear, Silverstream looking as undeterred as ever, he couldn't help but press her further.

“So… you say your dream is to experience all the stair-climbing Equestria has to offer?”

“Oh, yeah! My friends all think it’s crazy, of course. But I like to say nothing is impossible if you work hard enough at it!”

“Well, I think it’s a very nice dream. Mine has always been to enslave all the ponies of this world and turn them into mindless war machines at my beck and call, ruling over Equestria as eternal king. But I think if that one doesn't work out, yours would be a good plan B.”

“Thank you, Sombra! That's very nice of you, I... I think! You know, it’s so great to finally know somepony who loves stairs just as much as I do! I’m so glad I met you!” Two big purple eyes looked up at the unicorn with undying compassion and understanding, a look that was near impossible not to warm even a desolate, black heart like Sombra’s. He, too, was very glad that he had finally met somepony who shares such a unique interest of his. It was true that he felt a connection to this young hippogriff, accompanied by an insane desire to somehow make this dream of hers come true.

While Silverstream continued her tireless climb, Sombra stood still as a statue, lost in thought. Then, he made a decision. An absurd one, perhaps, but one he thought was right.

“Silverstream! Get back down here, if you would.”

“Yes?” Silver asked, trotting back down to where the unicorn stood. She stayed a few steps in front of him, so that the two stood conveniently at eye-level. “Everything okay down here?”

“You say you want to climb all the stairs in Equestria. Is that right, young hippo?”

Silver laughed, “Hippogriff. And yes, that is right! More than anything!”

“Well then… I have decided I will join you in this quest. And while we may not be able to locate all of them, I know of some of the most exceptionally constructed staircases in all the land. It would be so wonderful to have somepony by my side to enjoy them first-hoof.”

Silverstream beamed, “You mean it? You’ll really travel around Equestria with me?”

Sombra couldn’t help crack a smile at the pure exhilaration radiating from the young filly, “Indeed I will. My plans can wait a little while, I believe, if it means spending time with some… hippogriff who understands me more than anypony i’ve ever met.”

"So... you're sure nopony will see us up here?" Silverstream asked doubtfully.

“Positive. My invisibility charm is foolproof. Now, which direction was it, again…”

It was definitely an odd sight indeed, one that fortunately nopony would question thanks to Sombra’s magic. An infamous, deadly unicorn and sugar-sweet hippogriff, both soaring side-by-side above the clouds. They were on their way to cross the first location off the bucket list, a place in Manehattan which Sombra had decided to keep a secret until the big reveal.

“Ah yes, I believe it’s east. Just way until you see these stairs, Silverstream! They’ll blow you away, i’m sure of it.”

But the airborne Silver wasn’t paying much attention, all of that was directed towards the gorgeous sights below her. Tall mountains, vast crop fields, forests of every shade of green imaginable, and all different sorts of buildings, big and small. If she looked hard enough, she could even make out several ant-sized ponies going about their day-to-day errands.

“Wow, Equestria is just so beautiful from up here! I don’t think i’ve ever flown so high before!”

“Why, yes…” thoughtlessly responded the unicorn, looking down at what he himself only saw as land and ponies which all rightfully belong to him, as something that he would spill blood to obtain and twist into whatever he saw fit. But the hippogriff made a fair point, even while he wasn’t able to bend it to his will just yet, Equestria did look quite lovely from this perspective. “I suppose you’re right. I don’t think i’ve ever been up so high, either. It’s a wonderful feeling.” Sombra felt a smile tugging at his lips, with the wind in his mane, the freedom of the open sky ahead of him. “Sort of like-”

“Omigoshomigoshomigosh! Sombra! Look!”

Sure enough, the tallest skyscrapers of Manehattan were just nearing the pair’s view. Giant structures of concrete and glass, rising up and reaching for the sun. It was unlike anything Silverstream had ever seen.

“Ah yes. Manehattan, they call it. A modern city that was built while I was imprisoned. I’m sure you’ll find it to your liking.”

Silver cocked her head, “Wait, you were imprisoned?”

“Indeed I was. These ponies really are a nuisance that way. Imprisoned, blown to smithereens, you name it. But I always find my way back. These pathetic Equestrians know that they’ll never be able to defeat me.”

“Wow. Blown to pieces, huh?” Silver seemed more intrigued than anything else, while the average filly might possibly be concerned by such a fact. “So you like… died?”

“Technically, yes. But when you're as magically gifted as I am, some things, such as dying, aren't really as much of a threat as they may seem. But let’s not worry about that now. Look, we’re almost there.”

But as the two came in for a landing beneath Manhattan's grand skyline, a significant problem struck Silverstream.

“Sombra, are you sure ponies will be alright with you walking around without the invisibility charm? Didn’t you say they used to be scared of you?”

“Even now, I strike fear into every eye that meets my own,” Sombra announced quite proudly. “But I believe that you’re right. I suppose i’m going to have to go incognito for this to work.”

“You. Look. Absolutely. Fabulous!” Silverstream shrieked, marveling at the unicorn in front of her who was now almost completely unrecognizable as a torturous, tyrannical king anymore.

“What? Is that a good thing? Because I feel ridiculous.”

“No no, Professor Rarity taught me that word! It means you look really, really good!”

“I have my doubts.”

“Over here, look!” With a surprising amount of strength, she shoved the towering unicorn in front of a full-body mirror. Out of the corner of her eye, the salespony at the desk shot both of them an uncertain glance. “You’ve gotta admit, nopony will ever recognize you like this!”

Sombra wasn’t exactly sure what he'd expected when Silverstream had offered him a new choice of clothing, but this certainly wasn't it.

His very fitting cloak, armor, and crown had been (much to his dismay) removed and replaced with the attire of mere commoners. He winced at the faded reflection of a once-mighty king in a straw sun hat, tinted sunglasses, and a shirt proudly sporting the words 'I heart Manehattan'.

"Silverstream, while I commend the effort, this is..."

"Incredible, right?! I just knew you'd love it!"

"Yes... of course. Though I think love may be a bit of a strong-"

"Ooh! And I think we're just missing one thing!"

"Of course we are..." The unicorn sighed. "To be quite honest, I don't even think it possible for an outfit like this to become more..."

"Fantastic? I think i'm up for the challenge." She grabbed a particularly tacky button-down jacket off a rack and handed it to the unicorn to put on.

"There! Don't you look dashing!"

“Well, at the very least it'll serve its purpose...”

“Oh Sombra, don't worry, you don't have to hide how much you love your new outfit from me! Watch, everypony will just adore you in this, and the best part is they won't even know its you! The outfit makes the pony, as they say! Here you are, miss.” Silver placed the required amount of bits on the counter with her beak and gave the shopkeeper a wide smile.

The jingling of a little bell marked their exit from the shop, while the pony at the counter considered pinching herself to find out if she was somehow still dreaming.

“Wooooah…” In a few moments, Silverstream was faced with the grandest, most gorgeous stone stairs she had ever laid eyes upon. They rose a good two stories up to the main double doors of the building, and had two large stone statues positioned on either side. “These are incredible!” She said, looking back at Sombra with nothing but pure wonder in her eyes.

“The manhattan public library. 100 steps of solid limestone. I thought you would like them.”

“You thought right! Oh Sombra, this has to be the best day of my entire life!” She then wrapped the shadow king in a giant, constrictive hug. “Thank you sooo much!”

Sombra eventually managed to awkwardly pry the young filly off him, chuckling nervously at the unwarranted physical contact. “You’re quite welcome. Now come, let's not waste any more time just looking at them.”

For a solid hour, both hippogriff and unicorn sat on the limestone stairway of Manhattan's public library, admiring the finish, calculating the height and stone composition, and taking their time climbing each and every precious step, counting as they did so. If any of the passing city ponies noticed anything about this particular behavior, not to mention the appearance of a tourist looking suspiciously like the tyrannical despot King Sombra, at least nopony was brave enough to say anything.

“That was fun!” Silver chirped, as the two had recast Sombra’s charm on were on their way southward towards Canterlot. Silverstream didn’t yet know that, of course. Sombra was certain, if she loved the stairs leading to Manhattan's famous library, these stairs would completely blow her away. He simply couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she saw them.

“Indeed it was.” the unicorn replied. “But this next destination will be far better than a mere library, I can assure you.”

“Really? I don’t think anything could ever top that. Where are we going?”

“Tell me, young Silverstream, do you know what the capital of Equestria is?”

“M-hm!” the hippogriff nodded. “Canterlot! It’s where the royal pony sisters live! I had to read up on it before coming here as an exchange student.”

“Correct. Laughably unguarded, and filled with weak-minded aristocrats ripe for the controlling. It’s practically begging to be taken over, and many have tried and gotten close. If I could only manage to get my own Empire back, Canterlot would be mine in an instant, I can assure you of that.”

“Wow, Canterlot sounds just amazing!” Silverstream did a masterful loop in midair, once again not paying much attention to whatever was coming out of Sombra's mouth. “I can’t wait until we reach it. Where are those stairs you were talking about?”

“Where else? At the base of the royal palace lie simply the most exquisite stairs one has ever seen.”

“I just can’t wait! But… hang on... what about Princess Celestia and Princess Luna? They must not be a big fan of you after all this taking over stuff you’ve been telling me about.”

“I’ve had some… disagreements with the royal sisters in the past, yes. But I believe it’s worth the risk if it means you get to experience some of the greatest stairs Equestria has to offer.”

“Some of the greatest? You mean they’re not the greatest?”

“I’m afraid not. I’m saving those stairs for today's final destination.”

“Woooah…. Cool! Look at all the ponies, Sombra!” As the pair flew above the business district of the city, Silverstream was completely enamored by elite ponies of every size and shade, all wearing only the finest of clothing and walking in only the most dignified of strut. “Everything here is so fancy.”

Sombra groaned, “Pretencious, more like. These ponies simply disgust me. Follow me, Silver, and i’ll show you what we’ve travelled all this way for.”

Soon all six hooves and two claws landed at the very base of Canterlot castle, and Sombra’s charm fizzled out.

“Here we are.”

Silverstream gazed up at what had to be thousands of spotlessly polished, white marble stairs that shimmered in the sunlight. Leading up to the grand castle of the royal sisters, they may very well have been the stairway into heaven.

“I... I don’t think i’ve ever seen anything so shiny and new!” Silver's mouth hung agape, her eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, struggling to take it all in. "These stairs are spectacular, Sombra!"

“Servants come and scrub them clean each morning. Aren’t they just the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen?” Sombra felt tears fighting at his eyes at the pure artistry before him, but fought to keep them hidden.

"I wonder just how far up they go..." Silverstream looked to the unicorn with a teasing smirk. “Bet I could beat an old pony like you in a race!”

Sombra smiled and began to stretch out his joints, “That’s what you think. I may be old, but i’m far from slow.”

At that, Silverstream began sprinting up the titanic staircase, laughing all the while. “We’ll see about that! Last one to the top’s a rotten egg!”

Sombra chuckled and began galloping himself, “And that egg will be you, mark my words!”

Atop one of the balconies of Canterlot Castle, a row of still-as-statue guard stood watch, eyeing both ground and sky for any threats that might come for Equestria’s royalty. Even while they often weren’t the best at actually fending off said threats, they did try their very best to watch out for them, which was all that mattered, or so Princess Celestia said. They knew that if any real threat was to be made against Canterlot, the Elements of Harmony would be called in to take care of things properly.

It having been a rather dull hour of a rather day of a rather dull week, the sight of two strangers galloping frantically up the castle stairway was certainly something to arise suspicion.

“Sir,” one guard whispered in the ear of his superior. “Who is that, running up towards the castle gates?”

“I don’t know…” the second guard replied, squinting to get a better view. “Whoever it is, he has an absolutely appaling taste in headwear, and if he thinks such a pathetic and obvious tactic is going to get him inside the castle uninvited, he is sadly mistaken.”

“But, wait! Sir! I think I recognize that stallion! That mane… those colors…. could it be?”

A gasp, “King Sombra! Sweet Celestia, you’re right!”

“But wait… who’s that with him?”

“An accomplice, for sure! Hurry, alert the royals! Don’t let them get inside the palace!”

They were nearing the end of their race, and Silverstream was in the lead by a mere nose. Sombra picked up the pace and made it into the lead by two, but Silverstream wasn’t about the give up just yet. She bolted with all the strength her legs could muster, getting ahead of the shadow king by several hundred noses.

But just before the sweet embrace of the finish line, a seething pegasus guard landed right in front of the two, looking far less than content with either of them. Several more guards soon joined him, all wielding spears and equally furious expressions. Silver glanced back at King Sombra with dread in her eyes, while the unicorn immediately felt a spike of regret for putting his friend in such danger.

Wait, friend? Is that what he just thought? He didn’t actually believe that he had made friends with somepony, did he?

But he didn’t have the time to ponder the sentiment at the moment, as a spear was thrown right over his head, taking the sun hat along with it. And there was sure to be more where that came from.

“Sombra, over here!” Silver cried, as she ran in the direction of the castle balcony, looking over the cliff of Canterlot mountain, and the waterfalls below. Before she could make it, however, several armed guards blocked her path, causing her to shriek and back away in fear.

“Halt!”

“Any accomplice of King Sombra is to be subdued at once!”

Without thought or hesitation, Sombra’s horn flared to life as he made several dark crystals protrude from the ground as a blockade between the hippogriff and guard ponies, leaving Silver the time to reach the balcony.

“Sombra, hurry! Follow me!” And with that, she jumped.

It all happened in less than the blink of an eye. The unicorn ducked under the spear of one guard, made a rather impressive leap over another, and soon found himself over the edge of a railing, falling downwards in sync with one of the city’s massive waterfalls. He couldn’t help but scream at the top of his lungs as he plunged hundreds of feet towards the water below, flailing his limbs around violently, far too panicked to use any kind of magic to his assistance. Up ahead, Silverstream was laughing more than she had in her entire life, both out of amusement and pure adrenaline. As they neared the water, the beads around her neck began to glow...

SPLASH!

Sombra swam towards the surface with all his might, his unfortunate choice of outfit severely weighing him down. At last he managed to break the surface, gasping and confused. He was, quite frankly, surprised to even be alive.

“Wasn’t that fun?” A slightly altered version of Silverstream came bursting out of the water right after him, one with fins instead of claws or hooves. She wore the brightest smile Sombra ever thought possible to make.

“Fun!?” Sombra asked, obviously quite unamused with Silver’s response to the situation at hand. “We could've been killed by a couple of incompetent castle guards! I tell you, when I come back here for world domination, i’ll have their heads on…”

“Well if you were that scared of heights, silly, why didn’t you just fly away?” Silver asked, splashing her fins to prove her point.

“I’ll have you know, I’m only scared of heights when i’m falling from them, which isn’t very routine for me!”

This only caused more resounding laughter from Silverstream, who fell backwards into the water as a result of her uncontrollable giggles. At first, King Sombra’s face, hidden for the most part by his soaking black mane, remained completely unaltered. However, it was soon impossible to keep himself from joining in with the laughter, for when it came to Silverstream, it was absolutely contagious.

“Wow Sombra, I don’t think i’ve ever been on such an exciting adventure my entire life! Hanging out with you is just the best!” After hurriedly getting out of sight from Equestria’s capital and guard, the two were high above ground once more, flying westward. This time with Sombra intelligently choosing to use his telekinesis and Silver her wings. The sky was slowly melting in front of them, the sun just beginning to dip below distant hills.

“Exciting is one way to put it, I suppose…” Sombra had abandoned his rather unsightly outfit, but was still damp and discontented from their fortunate escape minutes prior. Not to mention that (while like Tartarus he was going to admit it) he really had been a fan of that sun hat.

“Just don’t tell my auntie, okay? She probably won’t be too happy with me if she figures out I ran from the law like that.”

“If I ever meet her, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Oh! You said that there was one more flight of stairs you wanted to visit with me? One that was the very best in all of Equestria?”

“Ah, yes…” he smiled. “The pinnacle of stair construction, better than even I could fabricate. They are the result of ponies long past, tradition forgotten into legend.”

“Better than even you, Sombra? That’s really saying something!”

Sombra chuckled, “You’re quite easily amused, you know.”

“How can I not be amused! This has to be the most excited i’ve ever been!” she shrieked so loud Sombra was forced to stuff two hooves in his ears. “And that’s saying something for me! I’m always excited!”

“Really, now? I never would have guessed,” as if on cue, Sombra then let out a large yawn. “Truth be told, this much adventure has taken quite the toll on me. Even if we’ve only been out for the afternoon, traveling around Equestria was never all too common in my day-to-day schedule.”

Silver shook her feathered head, “Not me! I could keep doing this forever!”

The unicorn gave a soft chuckle, “I’m sure you could. Although something tells me this might be, well... it might be our last adventure for a little while...”

A gasp, “Really?! How come? I mean, there’s so much we haven’t seen yet! And you haven’t even seen my home, Sombra! Oh, Mt. Aris is just the coolest thing-”

“I'm sure it's wonderful, Silverstream. But let’s not worry about the future just yet. Come, we should be safe here.”

“Safe? Safe from what?” Silver asked, as she followed the unicorn down into the cover of trees.

“Why, to open a portal, of course. What did you think?” He gave her a smirk as the two came in for a landing in the grass.

“Wait, we’re going to open a portal?” Silver asked, who somehow had become even more ecstatic than before. “Why didn’t you tell me before that you were taking us to a whole different dimension, Sombra? Oh, this is just gonna be so great!” At this point the hippogriff was literally bouncing around with joy, so much so that the unicorn beside her had to grab her in his aura and ground her.

“Calm down, clam down. You’d think a day of adventuring would do something about that energy level of yours. Yes, I am in fact opening a portal. A skill few other unicorns can master, i’m proud to say.” He gave a contented pose as dark magic began swirling and congregating around his horn. “Or rather, I should say we are opening a portal. For I haven’t been back for nearly as long as it would take for my magic to completely develop. That’s where you come in, Silverstream.”

“I’m ready to help, Sombra. In any way I can.” Silverstream announced as she gave her new friend a serious and determined salute. “So, what do I need to do?” she then broke character with the widest grin imaginable.

“Those beads around your neck. They hold a great amount of magic. Using them to help open the portal will barely make a dent in it, I can assure you.”

“Oh, you... need my necklace?” Silverstream hesitated as she looked down at the multicolored beads strung around her neck. “I- I’m not sure. My father told me to never let these get into the wrong fins, or... hooves, in this case. They’re very powerful, you know. I’ve gotta be super careful with them.”

“Of course, I understand.” Sombra said, dropping his head as his magic fizzled out. “If you do not yet trust me with such power, Silverstream. Although I fear if that is the case, these ancient and marvelous stairs will go unvisited for quite some time longer.”

Silverstream looked into Sombra’s eyes, not cold or malicious, but pleading, and knew she had to make a decision. It was true she wanted nothing more than to see the ancient, long-lost stairs Sombra had told her about, and she also wanted nothing more than to see her new friend happy. But nevertheless, the words of her father came barging into her mind to moment she even considered it:

“Silverstream, this necklace is not only a mark of your bond to our homeland, but also holds enough magic to transfigure you a thousand times, and then some. You must not let anyone have access to this magic but us, Silverstream. The results could be disastrous.”

Her father did have a knack of being right about these things… but looking into Sombra’s eyes, imagining his face upon seeing what whimsical magic this other world held, Silver doubted giving up just a little of her magic could do any serious harm. I mean, it wasn’t like she’d be giving her necklace away forever, right? It would be just to make Sombra happy, just to open the portal…

“Alright, Sombra.” the hippogriff’s ecstatic voice was far more tame than usual. “Because you are my friend, you may use my magic. But be sure to give it right back. My father will totally kill me.”

Just to open the portal…

Sombra then turned his head and gave Silver a wondrous smile, one that immediately put her mind at ease. “I can’t thank you enough, Silverstream. You are all too generous.” He then daintily wrapped a black aura around her necklace, took it off from around her neck and then over his own.

“Alright, let’s get this over with,” magic began congregating around his horn once more, and he could already feel the power of the beads around his neck, and the help they were offering him.

“You know…” Sombra hesitated for a moment, and his magic stalled. “Nopony has ever trusted me the way you do, Silverstream. Whatever happens to me in the future, I want you to know that I will be eternally grateful for that trust.”

Silverstream smiled, “Well, what are friends for?”

Without any time to waste, Sombra put all the energy he could muster into tearing a whole in the very fabric of time and space itself. It had been a long time since he’d performed a spell so advanced, and he knew from the start it wouldn't be easy. The magic surrounding him only grew, until a blinding green flash took over their surroundings. Then, everything went dark.

“Yes, yes! Silver, wake up! I’ve done it! We’ve done it!”

A dazed Silverstream finally came to her senses and pulled herself up off the ground, opening her eyes to find a huge, swirling green portal where there was once nothing but emptiness in front of her. It glowed eerily in the newly found darkness. She looked up at Sombra with a hint of concern.

“Fillies first, my dear.”

Part 2

Upon stepping cautiously through the portal, Silver felt the surrounding air get much colder and constricting, as the moon, stars, and any idea of separation between ground and sky was gone. And while she was certainly a little unsure, if not scared, her overbearing curiosity took over as her surroundings began to make themselves known.

Stairways of every size and shape extended upwards, downwards, sideways, upside down… every direction you could possibly imagine. The construction of the place itself seemed to defy logic completely, so much so that Silverstream had trouble wrapping her head around it all.

“It really it something, isn’t it?” It took a minute for Silver to realize that her friend had arrived and stood beside her, equally in awe of their surroundings. She immediately felt safer with him at her side in such a strange place.

Silver then felt a smile wrap around her face, and looked up at Sombra expectantly, as if asking for permission to go and have the time of her life.

He nodded, and urged her on.

With a few beats of her wings the hippogriff was off, ready to explore all that such a strange and magnificent world had to offer. But before she could get far, Sombra called to her:

“Silverstream, wait!”

She turned around and landed in front of him, eyes filled with worry. “What is it, Sombra?”

The unicorn then proceeded to take the magic necklace off and wrap it delicately around Silverstream’s neck.

“Wouldn’t want to forget this, now would we?”

Silver chuckled, “Of course not, silly me. Come on now, Sombra! Don’t these stairs look fun!”

“They most certainly do!” Sombra said, finding it especially hard to contain his excitement upon seeing them. “But, ahem… you go on ahead, Silverstream. I’ll catch up.”

While she was upset her new friend couldn’t join her, Silver could waste simply no time in wandering up, down, and around every pathway this realm held. She was simply ecstatic to find herself climbing upside down, in spirals, and in loops. She didn’t even bother trying to comprehend the complex magic that made it all possible. For hours, it seemed, all she could focus on was the dizzying fun she was having. Sombra was right, these stairs really were the best of the best!

But after she had been busing climbing, flying, and playing for longer than she could keep track of, she couldn’t help but notice that Sombra had still failed to join her. And she truly did feel bad in all the fun he was missing out on.

“Sombra!” her voice echoed out and faded into the darkness. “Are you there?”

After a pause, her friend’s distant voice responded, “Don’t worry, Silverstream. I’ll join you right away.”

“You better, this is way too much fun to have all by myself!” With that, she continued to trot upwards, no idea of where she was headed, but far past the point of caring, she was enjoying herself so much. As she walked, a question made its way into her curious little brain, “Sombra, who created these stairs? I know you said they were ponies from a long time ago. And why…” she arched her head and looked around at the endless maze of platforms surrounding her. “Why did they even hide them here in the first place?”

It took a little longer than last time, but soon enough the former king’s voice emerged, “Now where is that... ah, yes! This realm was a sort of dumping ground for what these ponies of ancient times didn’t want. As for who created such a marvel, none other than the ancient alicorns of those times. For only a pony with the magical strength of an alicorn could create something so law-bending, so strange and bizarre and... incredible.”

“Wow, alicorns…” Silver said as the continued to admire the beauty and absurdity of her surroundings. Truly, standing on stairs created my the magic of ancient alicorns was an honor indeed.

“Isn’t that right, my pretties?”

“Hm?” Confused, Silver turned around just in time to hear the most haunting sounds she’s ever heard, accompanied by what had to be the most haunting sight. Living shadows seemed to be making their way towards her, swallowing everything in their wake. Then, out of the darkness, Sombra emerged. Silverstream was at first relieved at the sight of her friend, but that was before she noticed what was following close behind.

Twisted, shadowy creatures that just barely resembled ponies, except nearly triple in size and from the looks of it, far less friendly. Over platforms and around staircases they dove, with Sombra at the helm. Silverstream covered herself with her wings at first, but as they soared right over her it was clear that the young hippogriff wasn’t their target. And if they didn’t want her, there was only one place they could possibly be heading…

The portal.

Silverstream could just make out the swirling green vortex in the distance, unnoticeably shrinking as the magic being used to create it began wavering.

“Sombra!” She called after him, as more and more of the strange creatures began flying overhead, causing dark shadows to dance and scatter all around her. “Where are you going? What... what are these things?”

Sombra turned around, wearing a brilliantly proud smile. It was one completely foreign to Silver, however. For the kindness and friendliness so many of the unicorn’s previous smiles held was gone. His eyes were hot embers and his expression a wicked one, as his devilish creatures circled around him, eagerly waiting for a signal to continue.

Sombra then let out a laugh. A hollow, empty laugh that clearly symbolized nopony’s good fortune but his own. Silver stepped back immediately.

“Young hippogriff,” he began. “I’m truly sorry this has to happen. You’ve been a great use to me, all things considered...”

It was then, as more and more creatures of smoke began soaring towards the exit, the structure itself began to crumble, as if a signal of somepony’s unwanted escape. Silver barely had enough time to dodge a plummeting staircase, breaking into rubble as it crashed down behind her.

“But i’m afraid it’s time for my friends and I to leave this place. You don’t really believe failed architecture attempts were the only things those ancient ponies sealed away down here? I knew you were dim-witted, little one, but never that dense.”

In a desperate attempt to stop what surely couldn’t possibly be happening, Silver spread her wings and tried to fly towards the portal, but a chunk of stone met one of her feathery pink wings on the way up, and pinned her back down where she started.

“Sombra, no! Why are you doing this? This isn’t like you!”

Sombra’s laughs only grew louder at Silver's words, as more and more creatures began circling, “You don’t know me at all! But worry not, with the help of these monsters, all of Equestria will know of me, adore me, chant my name in my presence! First Canterlot, and soon the world, will bow before their new ruler! The fantastic, the glorious, King Sombra!” The sheer giddiness in his voice was clear, an inextinguishable excitement for all the wrong reasons.

“But I thought we were friends!” Silverstream shouted. She tried and tried to pull her wing out from the large chunk of rock, but nothing budged. “Think of all the fun we've had, the places you showed me! You mean... none of that meant anything to you?"

“You're endearing, little one, but far too naive. Seeing the sights while this world is still full of hope and friendship was amusing enough, but there's no telling how much better it'll be under my complete control! Darkness, desperation, and plenty of stairs for everypony to enjoy! Oh, I can just see it now..."

“But- but I thought-”

“Why, just look at you all!” Sombra ignored Silver and instead turned his attention the beings circling around him, growing more impatient by the second. While time was of the essence, he simply couldn’t ignore such an excuse to brag. “Merciless creatures, without a drop of sympathy in the world! A true reflection of yours truly. With you little freaks of magical creation, taking over all of Equestria will be a breeze!”

The dozens of monsters shrieked and growled in anticipation, all the while glaring at Silverstream like a bite-sized meal.

“They hoped to never see you, their precious failed creations, again! Sounds like they should've come up with a smarter place to hide you all!”

It was then more and more platforms came crumbling down, all falling dangerously close to Silverstream and Sombra alike.

“Well, i’d love to stay and chat,” the stallion turned to face the slowly shrinking green portal behind him. “But it’s becoming a bit too hazardous in here for my liking. I have an empire to take back, after all.”

And with that, he turned and made his way towards the portal, several dozen shadow creatures at his side like dogs on a leash. He simply couldn’t believe it.He had done it.For once, his master plan had actually worked!

But there was still something that Sombra couldn’t bear to overlook, no matter how hard he tried. Silver called out to him, in such a rage-filled voice that it felt wrong to come out of such a sweet little filly.

“Was this your plan all along, then? To take my magic, just to leave me here in the end? I can’t believe I was so wrong about you! You’re just a big, dumb liar!”

“Really, now? And who’s fault is that? Who chose to trust somepony like me when all evidence pointed to the contrary?”

"I trusted you because I thought you had a good heart! Because I thought all you really needed was a friend!"

"Shame that you were so terribly mistaken, my dear. And actually, no,” Sombra didn’t even allow himself to turn around and face her. “My plan was to drive you out of your senses, and bribe the magic out of you for your escape. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out that way. But whatever gets the job done.”

“Ok… ok, fine!” tears were beginning to stream down the hippogriff cheeks, and she found herself powerless to stop them. “Maybe you never cared about me! About our friendship! Fine! But you care about Equestria, don’t you? It’s such a beautiful place, Sombra, where everypony can be themselves, and adventure lies behind every corner… y-you’re the only who showed me that! I-” Her claws began slipping and she struggled to keep herself steady on the platform. “I just don’t understand… don’t you love it as much as I do?”

“I’ll love it when it’s mine, dear. And mark my words, it will be.”

He was right there. Some of the most powerful magical forces were by his side, and his destiny lie before him with absolutely nothing standing in his way. But as he stood right on the border between failure and success, a thought popped into his brain. Uninvited and unwanted, he wished nothing but for this notion to go away so he could continue on with his conquest.

But it was too late. The thought had already stuck. As he stood there, the gargantuan structure crumbling behind him, his monsters whining and urging him to take the lead in their freedom, he found himself frozen. For this was truly something that the unicorn hadn’t even dared to consider before now. Equestria would be at his mercy in a second if he walked through that portal, sure. Except he hadn’t accounted for one small detail.

No matter how much he accomplished, no matter how great he became, Silverstream would never be there to see it.

Sweet Celestia, what was he doing?

Sombra whipped his head around, only to see his friend struggling to avoid large chunks of stone pouring down from above. It was so clear to him now, he’d known it all along. For all the fun an eternity of ruling Equestria would bring, it wouldn’t even come close to his and Silverstream’s single day together.

And they were going to be spending a whole lot more, he’d make sure of that.

His hooves nearly refused to budge, his body was unwilling, and his brain tried to convince him of just how stupid he was being. None of it mattered. As sickeningly cliche as it might've been, he knew in his heart what he was doing was right. He bolted for Silver as fast as his legs could carry him.

But his own stubborn instinct wasn’t the only thing standing in his way. As soon as the shadow creatures noticed their supposed master was abandoning them, all bets were off. With fearsome, animalistic growls their made their way after him, galloping it seemed on nothing but air.

The monsters were quick to overtake their former master and cloak him in shadow from above, but none could get too close. For every monster that blocked Sombra’s determined path, a beam of dark magic made quick work of them. Deep down, there was disappointment in Sombra, but it was all overshadowed by Silverstream and his desperation to reach her.

“That’s my friend, you!” Arriving right in the nick of time, he blasted a hungry monster to bits on its way towards the trapped hippogriff.

“Sombra!” In that moment, her relieved smile was the best thing he could imagine seeing.

“Silverstream, i’m sorry. I should’ve realized…”

Just then, a hunk of stone tumbled down from the sky and smashed between the two, scattering into countless pieces.

“Uh... not to be rude, Sombra, but maybe your apology can wait? We’ll be crushed if we don’t get out of here soon!”

“Right!...uh… come on then!” with a spark of his horn the rock restraining Silver was lifted, and the hippogriff sighed in relief as she folded a newly-bruised wing to her side.

“Sombra…”

“Come with us, Sombra…”

“We can have it all…”

With a mighty beam of magic a trio of monsters behind him was eradicated, leaving the unicorn responsible panting from exhaustion.

“I’ve got all I need right here, thank you very much.” he gave Silver a smile.

“Wow. Aren’t these guys rude.”

“More than just rude. These creatures are bloodthirsty manifestations of dark magic. That’s why we must-”

Silver gasped, “Sombra, look, the portal! It’s getting smaller!”

Sombra looked past the falling debris and overarching platforms, only to see Silver’s observation confirmed. Its magic dwindling, the portal back to Equestria was indeed getting shrinking far faster than before. Soon, not even a pony would be able to fit through.

Just then, the platform below the pair began to shake, signaling that it wouldn't be free-standing much longer.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Silver’s wing bruised up and Sombra drained of energy, the two had no choice but to make their way to the portal by hoof, hopping from staircase to staircase and dodging pieces of debris by the dozens. Meanwhile, the rest of Sombra’s shadow creatures had regained their targets and were in hot pursuit.

“Sombra, the portal!” Silver cried out, as her legs began to burn and the terrible sight of an ever-shrinking vortex was just out of reach.

“We’re going to make it, stay by me!” Hungry living shadows blanketed everything behind them in darkness, but the two summoned the strength from somewhere to keep going. Hundreds of monster cries were unbearable on the ears, and the portal was quickly caving in on itself...

With one final leap and a dizzy, slightly nauseous side-effect, they were through. Enraged non-pony shrieks died out behind them. Both unicorn and hippogriff lay belly-up on the grass in the middle of a dark forest, just as a swirling green portal blinked out of sight behind them.

For a moment, all Sombra could do was lie there, in shock of his decision and in awe of his luck.

“Woah…” Silverstream slowly got to her feet, her mind was racing and she was just as relieved and absolutely bewildered as Sombra. Their synced hyperventilating was just about the only sound in the serene, nighttime forest. “That was… that was…”

“A little too close for comfort, i’m sure,” Sombra eventually made his way to his hooves himself, but he stood slouched over and obviously ashamed, as if he was somehow intimidated by the hippogriff dwarfed by his sheer size, who was wearing the faintest scowl.

“Silverstream, you must forgive me. I had this fantastic plan, the most brilliant, evil, and wonderful plan you've ever seen. I really didn’t do any of this just to access your magic, Silverstream, you must believe that. I really did enjoy my time...hanging out with you today. But I thought… I thought that my plan needed to become a reality, no matter the consequences. I thought that was the only way i’d be happy once returning to this world.”

The hippogriff’s expression softened at this, as she gave the former king a concerned look, while not daring to interrupt. Around the two, the sky, grass, and trees were gradually being warmed and bathed in soothing oranges and yellows, as Celestia’s morning sun began peeking over the horizon.

“I got so carried away, I guess more than a thousand years of evil will do that to you. Of course, I should’ve realized that I had something that would have made be happy all along.”

At this, Silver’s eyes widened and her mouth burst into a grin, “You don’t mean…”

Sombra sighed, “Yes, I suppose I do. Friendship, yours in particular, is perhaps far more powerful a force than I originally thought. Just- don't ever tell anypony I said that. Especially not the princesses...” Silver chuckled. “But young Silverstream, thank you for showing this to me. Taking over all of Equestria, well… I won’t take it off the bucket list just yet, but if laying low for a little while means going on more adventures with you, I suppose it can wait.”

“Oh Sombra!” she wrapped the unicorn in a bone-crushing hug. “Apology accepted! I’m just glad everything’s back to the way it was!”

The two then looked up in sync to find a sky becoming progressively lighter, as the sun made its way above the trees and warmed the morning sky.

Silverstream then began to stare at the empty space where the portal once existed, “I wonder what those monsters back there-"

Sombra waved a hoof dismissively, “Don’t worry about them. There's a reason these creatures were hidden in such a place. I think a couple thousand more years in exile will do them well."

“So…” Silverstream pawed at the ground with her claw. “I guess i’ll be starting school pretty soon. Accept-” She looked all around her, eyes meeting nothing but trees and other foliage. “I’m not even sure which direction school is from here…” there was a clear hint of worry in her voice. “And i’m not sure I can fly that whole distance, either…” she looked down at her wing, still rather bruised and sore.

“Don’t worry, my dear friend,” Sombra smiled. "You can leave that to me.”

It was early morning, and a brand new Monday at Twilight Sparkle’s Friendship school was getting off to a rather uneventful start. Students were awfully drowsy from getting up so early, and even the professors seemed to drag their hooves a bit as they entered their classes. Professor Rainbow Dash, as per most Mondays, probably wouldn’t even show up until noon.

Except as dozens of students began pouring into the building and filing into class, it didn’t take long for many to notice that a certain spunky hippogriff had so far failed to join them. None had reason to concern themselves for too long, however, for their classmate’s arrival was signaled by a mass of terrifying black smoke descending onto them from the heavens.

Several students were in awe, others cowered or ran, as the large, ominous cloud landed at the very base of the building. It faded away to reveal Silverstream and a tall, menacing, awfully familiar unicorn by her side.

“Hey you guys!” she called out to the mass of students and teachers that had gathered in obvious shock and disbeleif at the school’s entrance. “Oh dear, I really hope i’m not late…”

“Nonsense, we’re right on time. And if these so-called professors give you any trouble about it, i'll-”

“Now now, Sombra. What did we say about blasting other ponies into oblivion?" Just then, the bell sounded. "Oh! I’ve gotta get going!” she gave the unicorn the biggest possible hug goodbye, which he returned.

“Have a great day at school, Silverstream!”

“Thanks for dropping me off, King Sombra! I’ll see you soon!”

As Sombra disappeared in a plume of dramatic smoke, Silver flew carefully up to the grand gates of the school building and gave her agape classmates a warm smile. “So, who’s ready to learn about friendship? I know I am!” and just like that, she pushed open the doors and entered, ready to start her Monday off right.

Author's Note

This story idea came to me pretty much immediately after watching the season premiere. A match made in heaven, clearly! I'd like to thank XombieSlayr for all his incredible input on this story! Couldn't have finished it without him.