Chapters There were two unicorn stallions in front of him, and standing in the middle was a pegasus mare. Clear Cut, Hard Facet, and Ice Dreams. They were irritated, angry and many words along those lines. They had failed again. They always did. He wasn't dead yet. He always survived, no matter how hard they tried to do him in. By Tartarus, they did try. But he couldn't. He was the last. The last of the Ateus, the last of the rebellion. A cry that would not be silenced by those who did not wish to heed its call, nor acknowledge that they are the cause of it. They saw him as a monster, not understanding that most monsters are made, and not born.
"Why isn't he dead yet? That frost magma should've been enough to kill even a Wendigo." Ice Dreams had the coat of freshly fallen snow, her mane a pattern of all dark blues both named and not. She had icy blue eyes, and on her flank was a Z made from ice with smoke coiling around it like a foggy snake. She had a voice like warm honey. But like his adoptive father had once said; beware those with voices of honey, for they may rot your teeth. Sound advice, coming from a very grumpy stallion.
"I'm sorry, but we don't have an answer, m'lady. Why not leave him to the wastes and let the gods decide?" Said Clear Cut. Ice Dreams glared into his grey eyes, the stallion's soft ivory coat standing on end in fear. On his flank, lay a perfectly cut ruby and a chisel next to it. "Why not feed him to the Wendigo?"
"We've already tried that, and he became pals with the cretins. Keep trying. He'll eventually die. If not from our efforts then it'll be him realizing that there is no escape from what he deserves." When you are different, others look down on you. They fear you. Hate you. Wish ill will or even resort to harming you for not being like them. It was something many races had to endure at the hooves of the ponies. They did not understand nature. They sought to control it. But he would not bow to them. He would not bend to their fears and their madness. He was far too above them for that.
Ice Dreams walked away, a grimace of her normally beautiful muzzle. Clear Cut looked at Hard Facet, the two then looking down at the half-dead body before them. To their dismay, he seldom got further than that. It hurt. Everything they did hurt, but he never gave up. He did not know why, but he never gave in, even when he wanted to.
"Send out for Ruby Court. He'll want his pet to be ready for the next try." That name. It was a name that burned his ears, that soiled his tongue and stilled his hearts. Ruby Court. One of the few things he still feared or acknowledged that he feared. It did not even deserve to be called a *he*. It was a monster, one that brought great terror to him. "Look, he's shaking. Think he remembers what happens when Ruby ain't happy?"
"I'd be disappointed if he didn't." A voice that frozen volcanos echoed in his ears. He trembled, practically vibrating despite being trapped under frozen obsidian, fear overloading him. Ruby Court was here. If you speak the devil's name, he shall appear. The monster put a hoof to his face. While Ruby Court had a warm smile, his eyes were different. They were evil eyes. Each plucked from demons in the very depths of Tartarus. Softly, Ruby Court spoke. "It's time for your cleansing, my sweet little shadow."
And then he woke up. It was another nightmare Sombra wished he'd stop having. They weren't helpful in the slightest, just reminders that he couldn't go back until he had allies, many of them. To go alone, was to die alone. The stallion growled as he pulled his injured body off the dirty ground. Being so used to pain it didn't bother him, not as much as it should have. He was in a strange forest, one that he didn't recognize.
Sombra had performed a very powerful, and very emotional, teleportation spell. One sending him miles away from the Empire, or Kilometers. In his haze, Sombra could not picture very clearly where he wanted to go. As long as it was away from the Empire, he hadn't cared. As there was not a snowflake in sight, he was not in the frozen north anymore. He couldn't turn to the Wendigo for help, one of the few allies he had left.
He limped through the forest, exhaustion screaming through his still regenerating limbs. He pushed on anyway. Even when his vision had begun to blur, Sombra didn't stop. If he did, he might not get back up again. His magic reserves were low, his stomach was empty, and his mouth was dry. Sombra was not in any condition to move. He seldom ever was.
He tried. He had tried to very hard, but his legs betrayed him and gave out. And then, Sombra was alone. Left to lay in an unknown forest as unknown creatures sung around him. Sombra had never heard birds before. In the north, it was too cold for there to be any avians or insects, while this place had them in abundance. Unable to do much other than breathing and blinking, so Sombra watched, and he listened to all that was around him.
Every now and again, Sombra would see passing fauna. Some were simple animals that he had seen drawings of or read about, others were strange creatures he had found no scripture on. Sometimes there would be rabbits with deer antlers, chickens with dragon tails and there had been a monster with a tiger head, a goat head and a snake coming from its rear. Sombra was unsure about what that one was.
Then he heard a sound. It was faint, but he recognized that cries of fear. Someone, or something, was in great terror or pain. Would he allowed his body to give in, or would Sombra get off his flank and do something? He decided to do the latter. It took more effort that Sombra would have liked, but the cries of fear were getting louder, so Sombra used them to fuel what little strength he had left.
Once on his aching hooves, Sombra limped towards whatever was making the sound. Sombra was a lot of things, but he wasn't a coward. He wasn't a knight, nor was he a saint, but he wasn't willing to lay back while others cried for their lives. When he was young, Sombra had cried for aid which was ignored by those who laid back, who had done nothing to help. Sombra wouldn't let others suffer the same. Even the mute had voices, and you just needed to change your way of hearing them.
Sombra, surprising to him, did not have to go far. There was a creature Sombra did recognize, a manticore., and it was attacking a little orange filly pegasus with a purple mane. He knew her wings were deformed the moment he saw them. The filly was trapped. She was hiding beneath a tree, crying, while the monster smashed his weight against it. He was going to break down the tree, and then kill the foal. While Sombra did not have much love for ponies, there were a few that he grew attached to, one was a pegasus he looked up to like a father, a stallion named Silver Stream.
Silver Stream taught him that anyone who couldn't save themselves needed help from others, and Sombra was that other. Even in his weakened state. Pony or no, someone needed help, and he was going to give it.
Sombra's eyes glowed. Slowly, he changed form. Flesh and bone became a shadow, one seething with rage and anguish, a potent combination for a dark magic user. When the manticore finally realized that there was a shadow beast near him, he turned to face it. It wanted to take his prey, and he would not allow that. The manticore swiped at him, but his paws went right through the shadow. The monster blinked in confusion, and Sombra slowly opened his mouth, hunger starting to claw at his mind.
Sombra lunged at the confused beast, biting it in the neck, but it wasn't enough, so Sombra reverted to his physical form. He had much more force in his bite in this form. The animal was screeching, running around, and trying to claw Sombra off of him. The stallion didn't let go. As he continued to add more pressure, blood was now rushing into his mouth and dripping onto the ground. With his mouth no longer dry, he could add even more force. The manticore jabbed him in the back with its tail, but that didn't stop him.
Sombra let go, falling against the claw scarred ground. The grip of blood loss was starting to take its hold. He was struggling to see. The overuse of his magic had drained him more than he anticipated. If he became unconscious, the monster would surely eat him. He didn't want to go through that again. The piercing of the skin, the feeling of teeth scraping against the bones, and the ripping of the flesh, all of those memories making him feel sick.
A glass bottle filled with a green liquid was thrown and shattered against the manticores face. The smell was acidic, and the monster screamed. It wiped at its face as it slowly started to melt. It ran off, its cries capable of chilling the empty spots of the heartless. Sombra watched as four striped hooves walked in front of him, the telling signs of a Zebra. He used to know a Zebra, a young stallion called Kito. The name translated into Precious Stone, a name very fitting for the Crystal Empire.
"Never in my days did I think I would ever meet you, so it's a shock to see you out of the blue." She was a shaman, how fascinating? Only shaman Zebra spoke in rhyme. When it came to shamans, and their rhyming, it was either irritating or tolerable. After a few moments, he heard a small pop, one that put him on more edge than before. The sound he had heard was a cork being pulled from a glass vial, not that he knew. She slowly lifted his tired head and gently pressed the opening against his lips.
Her strong cyan eyes met Sombra's mix of brilliant scarlet and grayish sap green. Too weak to fight against her, the Zebra slowly opened his mouth, and poured the liquid in, never breaking eye contact with him. He was starting to feel tired, more so than before.
She smiled as the effects of the potion started to take effect. Zecora also marveled at him. Most would be asleep the moment they smelt the potion, but he needed half of it to feel drowsy. Her people called him Skaduwee Kraai or Shadow Crow. It was a rough translation of Cuervo Sombra's name.
"I-is it safe to come out...?" Said the fearful voice of a familiar orange pegasus. Zecora nodded, watching as she came from hiding. The filly was hesitant to be around such a large equine, but she was thankful. "He saved me from the manticore. Even though he was hurt he helped me." He wasn't asleep yet, but he wasn't going to be able to do much.
"Please stay here while I go get a cart unless you would not like to take part?" Scootaloo shook her head and sat down next to the stallion. Zecora didn't want to leave them alone, but she was the only one who could get the cart. If anything happened, Scootaloo could make another call, and she'd come running to help them.
"Before you go, do you know his name? I don't think I'll be able to ask." Zecora gave his name, and then she walked back into the forest from whence she came. Scootaloo looked back at the stallion, smiling. "I don't think you can hear me, but my name is Scootaloo. Nice to meet you Sombra."
Author's Note
It's probably a bit of a mess, but I'm using Grammarly now, and it's very bossy. I can't afford the full package, but the little I have is very demanding. I'm sorry if it's hard to read, but I wanted to twist the story about the 'tryant king' and the 'innocent crystal ponies'.
If you liked it, thanks!
Doctor Flatline wasn't sure how his day was going. A few days ago, a Zebra and a pegasus filly came to the Ponyville hospital with a behemoth in a cart. By the laws of science and magic, he should be deader than a priests slash pastors sex life. Excluding those who had an eye for foals of course. And by some miracle, he was alive.
They brought in a dentist to check his teeth, and according to her, he was a pure carnivore. That was new? Everything about him screamed that he wasn't a pony, but a different species. Unlike ponies who had iron-based blood, his was platinum-based. His blood was still red, but it had a shiny effect when in the light. His body was more feline-like than equine. He even had two hearts.
But when it came to x-rays and tests, they brought sadness to anypony who saw them. Zecora had sworn the few doctors who were working on him to keep him a secret, as she feared the ponies would attack him for being so different. As he was a carnivore, they saw the logic in that. The stallion, whose name they learned was Sombra, was a tragic case. One of the worst many had seen in their careers.
Sombra had suffered, the scars littering the outside and insides of his body could attest to that. His bones were as hard as iron, due to being broken so often. Doctor Flatline himself was a witness to the stallion's regenerative abilities, causing him and a few others to suspect that if not for that healing factor, Sombra would look a lot worse. Thankfully, the doctors were logical enough to figure out what caused these injuries. Torture.
They didn't know why somepony would harm another. Why would you do such a thing to another? They feared that somepony was targeting predators. One with a disturbed mind. Doctor Flatline was concerned about something else. Hunting down the crazy ponies was the polices job, not his. A few hours ago, a keen-eyed nurse, a lovely miss Redheart, pointed something out to them. His body structure was similar to that fo a thestral. They did not believe her at first, but after having a look themselves, it was clear that she had been correct.
According to his skeleton, there should be wings on his back. Perhaps there used to be at one point? As he was a new species, they didn't know if it was normal or not. Until he joined the land of the awakened, they weren't going to get many answers. It was fascinating though. Scholars already on their way to study him. According to the filly, he was able to turn into a living shadow and was able to resist the poison of a fully grown alpha manticore. Perhaps they could use his blood to cure cancer if the antibodies were that powerful.
Doctor Flatline walked into the patient's room and was met with an open window, and an empty bed. He called Code Rainbow, a code specifically made for Rainbow Dash but was used when other patients escaped their rooms. Why did the unique ones always have to disappear like this?
"I'm not paid enough for this," was all Flatline could say as he walked towards the window.
Sombra couldn't have landed in a worse place. He was in Equestria. If he had appeared somewhere else like the Dragon Lands or Yakyakistan, Sombra wouldn't mind. Instead, he was in hell for the living. He couldn't fight them in his condition. He needed to find somewhere to rest and figure out what to do. He could see the sun witch's castle from where he was, and he was too close. If he tried using magic, she would sense it and come for him.
The stallion bit onto the bandages wrapped around his body, testing them. Sombra knew that he shouldn't take them off, but he didn't trust them. You would be surprised with what you could do with bandages. They were likely enchanted, which was a pain. Speaking of which, he didn't feel any. His entire body was numb, which concerned him. He was always in pain, from agony to minor aches. He did feel itchy as well, but that was something he could easily ignore.
Sombra pondered, trying to decide where he should go, preferably somewhere with no ponies. While a lot probably didn't know who Sombra was, they would be fearful of him. Those afraid of the unknown try to control it or destroy it. Fear can lead to paranoia and paranoia can lead to numerous things. As Sombra was a predator, it made him an outcast when it came to the herbivorous ponies. He could never be accepted. Even the kindest of souls would still be in fear of him.
"Hey!" The stallion nearly jumped out of his fur when he heard a familiar voice. "What're you doing out here? You should be in the hospital with Doctor Flatline!"
"Flatline...?" His medical record must look very shady. He turned around and saw the little orange filly he tried to help. As she was alive, tried was an understatement. "Who are you? And how did you find me so quickly?"
"My name is Scootaloo. And I found you because I saw walk into the forest." He should have sensed her coming. Though his senses weren't very sharp at the moment, so he would blame whatever poison was within his veins.
"What cruel parents you have." Pony names were getting stranger and stranger. Scootaloo. What in the hell even was that? A breed of chicken?
"Oh! I didn't know you were from Eagleand!" No, he was taught to speak by someone from Eagleand. A friend called Jupiter Ballad, he was a siren in the form of a unicorn. He made sure everyone knew that he wasn't happy about it. "So, you gonna come back to Ponyville?" That was stupid. Not only were their names stupid, but now their town names were stupid. "Is something wrong? A nurse said that you might be feeling unwell because of the morphine or something." He blinked at her. "Oh, it's medicine used to take the pain away."
"I'm not going back. I don't trust ponies. I can tolerate them, but I don't trust them. It's better this way..." Scootaloo was an orphan. She knew how to recognize the signs that somepony was trying to hide their pain. He ticked a lot of boxes on her mental list. "Leave. You shouldn't be in this forest. It's filled with monsters." Monsters weren't born as they were. They had been made that way because of the cruelty of others. Or the drawing of the short straw when it came to the mind. Sombra wished that he did not suffer from the latter.
"Exactly, so let's get moving!" The filly was determined, her wings buzzing like a fly. She nudged him, but he did not budge. "You saved my life, let me save yours! I overheard the doctors saying that you have a lot of problems they want to fix. Broken bones and stuff like that." They probably wanted to cut him open to find out how he ticked. He didn't want to go through that again.
He had to give the filly some credit, as she was very determined. There was a little fire in her grayish purple eyes. The flint and steel that created the spark were not from malice. But it was from concern. What a strange little pony. He watched her wings, seeing that they were far more deformed than he had previously thought. She would never fly, but that didn't seem to bother her.
When he was much younger than her, he remembered having wings. They weren't feathery like hers, but he still remembered what it had been like to have them. Queen Amore removed them because she felt insulted by them. The first time he had ever met his tyrant, and she tore off two of his limbs. He hated her, and he hated that he hadn't been the one to deliver the final blow to her, and he was thankful for it as well.
"Scootaloo, stop. You're going to hurt yourself." She looked up into his dual colored eyes. They were like drops of blood in acid with slit pupils, but he didn't scare her. He looked fascinating to her. He had a black blaze which wasn't very common these days, he had a red sharp horn, cool sideburns and his mane was like a black flame. "While I appreciate your concern, I don't need it. As long as I have somewhere to rest, I can regenerate and heal myself."
"Firstly, cool. Secondly, you can do that at the hospital. If you're staying out here then so am I! I can be just as stubborn as you." he sighed, realizing that she was not going to let this go. The filly sat down, crossing her legs while making a pouty face. It was cuter than either of them would dare to admit.
"Scootaloo, stop being difficult. I won't have the blood of a foal on my hooves, so take your leave." She remained seated. "I'll carry you back to the town if I have to."
"You don't know the way." Damn her and her logic. "You're hurting. You need a doctor."
"What makes you think that?"
"I can see it in your eyes. There's a lot of pain in them." She wasn't as stupid as her name entailed. "If we go back, I'll stay with you, ok?" Here were Sombra's options. He could stay in the town or wander around. Considering his options, maybe he should stay? Not indefinitely, but at least until he could stay on his four hooves. It would be harder for them to come after him, and their bullshit story would fall on deaf ears because they would know the truth.
Perhaps Sombra could turn them on his side? If he did that, then the crystal ponies wouldn't be able to kill them without proving his points that they were the monsters. Not him. At this current moment, the benefits were outweighing the risks. While Sombra would always remain cautious, it was probably safer to be in the lion's den, than their hunting grounds.
"So be it." Scootaloo smiled. Inwardly, she was ecstatic that she managed to break through to him. "Point the way, and I'll carry you." Sombra turned his head and bit onto the scruff of her neck, picking her off the ground. He had done it enough times to know what he was doing. While at first Scootaloo panicked a little, she quickly calmed down. When the filly pointed the way, the stallion began walking, his senses keeping watch for any dangers.
"Tell me again how you managed to lose a patient that weighs over three hundred pounds?" Doctor Flatline sighed as Doctor Full House limped next to him. He had lost his hind leg in an accident, leaving him with a prosthetic. He made sure everyone knew he was unhappy about it. "Come on, give a good excuse."
"He can turn into a shadow, how's that?" Doctor Full House grumbled, unwilling to admit that it was a good excuse. "He probably didn't know where he was and panicked. While I would say that he couldn't have gotten far, I don't know how fast he can run. The morphine should've slowed him down though."
"He beat manticore poison so I doubt that morphine could bring him down." That was a fair observation. "I just want to know why, and how he had wings, and why they're gone." Many doctors wanted that answer. Why had his wings been removed? The healing of the bones showed that they had been pulled from his body, a discovery that made the few pegasi on staff cringe.
"Is it possible that he is a different species of Alicorn?"
"Nah, they're all girls aren't they?" Doctor Full House looked out of the window, frowning. "I've always wondered that. Why are they all female? Maybe it's like with mantises? They do a dance, fuck, then eat their heads. I would rather a cigarette but to each their own."
Doctor Flatline rolled his eyes. Full House was an odd stallion. He had bright orange eyes, a light grey coat, and a green mane so dark it almost looked black. Full House's cutie mark was a house with a red cross on it. Flatline was beige, had a ginger mane and his eyes were amber. His cutie mark was a straight line with a stethoscope hanging from it. Somehow Full House could make a joke about anything. He didn't care how black the humor got. Flatline respected that in some ways and cringed in others.
Doctor Full House whistled for Flatline to join him. The Earth Pony, and Unicorn both looked outside and saw Sombra standing outside with little Scootaloo in his mouth. That was a surprise.
"He came back?" Flatline said, slightly surprised.
"He's like my cat. He'll disappear until he's hungry, ungrateful git."
Sombra hadn't met a doctor before, not a modern one anyhow. And his first introduction into the profession was an oddly named Unicorn and an Earth Pony who lost his leg. They reminded him of Silver Stream, and Jupiter Ballad. Full House was grumpy and didn't have a filter while Flatline just wanted to get things over with so he could go to bed. As they were similar to his parental figures, he wasn't too nervous around them. Still, they were very determined about keeping him in bed with a needle inside of his hoof. That was cause for concern.
"Sombra, is it?" Doctor Flatline asked. His horn became enveloped in a yellow glow as he lifted a clipboard, a frown on his face. "We have a few questions for you if you don't mind."
"I'm not going to say yes, but I'm not saying no." He didn't want to deal with this. The filly said that he'd be better here, not interrogated. Just keep thinking of the benefits, and this will go along faster. "Ask away."
"While unconscious, we conducted a few tests. The more we knew about your condition, the more we could help you." What kinds of tests? "Have ponies tried to hurt you?"
"I question your occupation if you need to ask that. Along with your poorly chosen name." He was not the first to mention that, and Doctor Full House made sure that he'd never be the last.
There had been cases of disturbed ponies killing and torturing others, one that Doctor Flatline's aunt treated. A mare named Pinkamena Loralei Pie had gone insane. Slaughtering little foals, and then feeding them to the town. His aunt was unlucky enough to treat one of the few survivors. It was a genetic thing, sadly. It was one of the reasons Pinkie Pie had moved to Ponyville. She had the signature pink of The Pie Curse, so she had checked in to the hospital in case it reared its ugly head. Doctor Flatline feared that she could end up like her grandmother, but so far so good.
Anyway, back to Flatline's aunt. The foal had developed PTSD, making things very difficult. According to her, he would have violent flashbacks and was very aggressive to ponies who were trying to help him. His aunt didn't say much, patient confidentiality saw to that. But it made him concerned.
If Sombra had something along the lines of PTSD, how could they treat it? He was a completely different species to them. Therapy for Griffins was fighting with nothing but their bare claws, a prime example that different species healed in different ways.
"What is your species, if you don't mind me asking you?"
Sombra wasn't sure if he should say. He was the only one as far as he knew. The only one that was free anyway. Nopony knew that he was an Umbrum, giving away such valuable information could hurt him later on. It was unwise to give ammunition to someone who had a gun. These ponies wouldn't know what that was, would they? It didn't matter. Abyssinian weaponry should stay in Abyssinia.
"Umbrum." He had relented. Sombra knew that his biology wasn't like theirs, it was likely they'd name him if he didn't give up his species. He wouldn't be called anything else other than Umbrum. He wasn't a pony. He wasn't a unicorn. He was an Umbrum. And damn proud of it! No matter what anypony said. "U.M.B.R.U.M."
"Fascinating." Doctor Flatline wrote the word down, raising a brow. He had never heard of that before. "Is it common for your species to have wings and a horn?"
"I never said I had wings," he said in a low and intimidating tone. Sombra never said that he had wings, how did the Doctor know that? Was this a trap? He needed to bolt. He could jump out of the window and then he'd be able to disappear. The pegasus filly they had taken away wouldn't be able to catch him. He'd be free and would stay far away from ponies. The Empire's influence was here as well. It was everywhere. No matter where he went, he could never escape their gaze.
"It's called an X-ray. We're able to take photos and look at your bones. Your skeletal structure has evidence that you used to have wings. Along with two nasty scars on your shoulders."
Doctor Flatline had seen the signs. Unfortunately for him, he worked with the Apple Family a lot. Applejack was possibly the worst patient he had ever had to work with, along with Rainbow Dash and Thudnerlane. He knew the signs of when somepony was about to bolt. If Sombra had something along the lines of PTSD, then Doctor Flatline would have to choose his words carefully.
"I haven't met another of my species, not since I was born. My mother had wings. I suppose I acquired them from her."
Silver Stream told him about the day a large mare he found inside of a cave. She wasn't a pony but was heavily pregnant. As he was one of the few ponies with a soul anymore, he never told anypony about her. He looked after her until Sombra was born. The very night that she went into labor, the Queen herself came with some guards. They pulled Silver Stream away, then slaughtered her like a pig. The umbilical cord hadn't even been cut when she died with him in her forelegs.
"What happened to her?"
"What do you think?" Sombra snapped, raising his voice sharply. It wasn't a good idea to think about her. It brought too many painful emotions that he didn't want to deal with right now. "She died, just like everyone else. I may as well be an encarnación de la Muerte!" he wanted to make them pay. He wanted to spill their blood, just like they had done to everyone he ever loved. They needed to suffer the same way he had!
Doctor Flatline failed. He was supposed to watch his words, and now he'd gotten his patient into a very emotional state. He was crying, not even bothering to try and hold back his tears. Doctor Flatline didn't know what Sombra had said, but he guessed that it involved death in one form or another. Sombra sounded like he was calling himself an incarnation of death. Doctor Flatline didn't believe that, but Sombra looked like he did.
"I'll give you a few minutes." Doctor Flatline walked out of the room, not even noticing the orange filly who had been watching through a crack in the door.
Scootaloo hadn't seen a stallion cry before. Sombra had every reason to, though. He had wings once, but he lost them. The same being said for his mother and his friends. He had lost everything. When Scootaloo was young, her mother drunk herself to death. Her father was alive but was in prison so he may as well be dead.
Scootaloo did the only thing she thought she could do. She walked into the room, she climbed onto the bed, and she hugged him. And he let her. She could feel both of his hearts pound against his ribcage, the softness of his fur surprising her. It was like she was hugging a kitten. A very big, and very hurt, kitten. She didn't say a word, knowing that they wouldn't be good enough right now. While Scootaloo didn't know what he had gone through, she knew what it was like to hurt.
And he wouldn't have to be alone anymore.
Author's Note
If you enjoyed, thank you. If you have any advice, I'd love to hear it! But be careful, Grammarly is looming over me like a boss from hell.
(Sombra should be voiced by Idris Elba)
He'd done it wrong. Neat Beryl made it very clear that he had to get it right. If she found out what happened, he'd be dead or worse for sure. He didn't mean to knock over her vase. It wasn't his fault its standing was in the middle of the narrow hallway. What could he do? She would be here any moment now, and there were shards everywhere! Sombra swallowed, his ears flattening against his mane. Maybe he could try using magic to fix it? Maybe Sombra could make it disappear like he'd seen Jupiter do?
His horn started to bubble with magic, a faint red that twisted into a combination of black, green, and purple. The shards that used to be a vase started to glow and tremble. Carefully, he lifted the pieces. He didn't want to break them further, so he needed to be gentle. Sombra started to piece the vase back together, doing his hardest to make it look as good as it used to be. Neat Beryl didn't like a mess or anything out of order, so he had to make it perfect. If it wasn't perfect, it wasn't good enough for Neat Beryl.
"Sombra!" shouted a shrill voice that ruined all of Sombra's hard work. Every time a shard hit the floor, his heartbeats quickened a little. Neat Beryl. Slowly he turned around, looking up at the mare. She was furious. If there was anything that Sombra's seven years of life had taught him, an angry pony was a painful pony. The ones who hid their rage under a veil of calmness were even more terrifying. "What have you done to my father's vase!?"
"I'm sorry miss Neat Beryl, I was cleaning your floor when I backed into it, and it fell apart! I-I tried to fix it!" She lifted a hoof, and shoved him out of the way, sending the colt to the floor. "I'm sorry..." he said as he slowly got to his hooves, his ears yet to rise.
"You dare break my vase out of incompetence and then defile it with your sordid magic!" How dare it? How dare it break what was hers! Sombra slowly backed away from the much larger earth pony. What should he do? What could he do? Why was she angry that he had tried to fix his mistake? "You know that you're not allowed to use your evil sorcery, but you don't care, do you? Typical of you Ateus. You think only of yourselves, a bunch of ungrateful fools who wouldn't be anywhere without us! You wouldn't be anypony without me! I have given you shelter and food, and this is how you repay me!?"
Neat Beryl didn't expect it to understand. It was taking her for granted. It had broken her father's vase on purpose. Why else would there be tainted shards all over the floor? It was pushing her boundaries. That was it, that had to be why. It was trying to see what it could get away with, but Neat Beryl wasn't going to let it continue this behavior. She had to nip it in the bud before it became a problem.
"I didn't mean to!" Sombra didn't understand. He was trying to fix it, why was that so bad? "It was an accident!"
"This wasn't an accident, and you know it," she hissed. Neat Beryl bit onto his eat, and started to drag him through the corridor. She needed to sort this out as quickly as possible. It was back chatting against her, that was something else she needed to sort out. Neat Beryl had dealt with this before. She dealt with it through fear. The more afraid it was, the less likely it would be incompetent again.
What was she doing? Sombra squirmed, but he didn't do more. He was afraid of doing so. What if she got even madder? Could she get even madder? He didn't want an answer to that question. His ear was bleeding from how hard she was biting. Sombra teared up, his watery eyes filled with pain and fear. Neat Beryl stopped in front of a door, dropping him against the floor without a second thought. She pushed open the door and kicked him inside.
Sombra fell into what could easily be mistaken for the bottom of a well. He looked up, discovering that there was no roof to this new cell of his. Around Sombra's hooves was water, but it smelt awful, burning the inside of his nostrils. He was smart enough to know what it was, but his young mind refused to accept something like it. He looked at the door he had been kicked through, unable to figure out how to get back to it. He had fallen three meters, and he didn't have a way to get back up. What was Sombra supposed to do now?
Sombra noticed something else. There was a semi-circle close to Sombra's eye level, so he had a look inside. Maybe it was a way out? His nose twitched as he picked up a new scent he hadn't smelt before. He saw two glowing red eyes meet his own. Sombra called to them, but all he got was a growl. Then it lunged at the bars, surprising Sombra and causing him to slip and fall into the muck around him. When he got back up, he emptied his stomach as the smell was now far worse than before.
Sombra cried out as the monster managed to get a very long and fuzzy arm through the bars, trying to swipe at him. It had long claws, sharp enough that they could cut Sombra open like a fish. He backed against the wall, tears freely falling as he was trapped. Sombra couldn't go anywhere. To make matters worse, somepony from above dumped a bucket of their muck into the well, covering the colt.
All he could do was curl up and cry. There was a growling monster behind some small bars, muck around him and falling from above him. There was no escape. He was stuck here until Neat Beryl thought he had been punished enough for what he'd done.
"Psst!" Sombra looked up, seeing the face of a young griffin. The Griffin pulled a rat from somewhere and dangled it above him. "Catch!" He dropped it, and Sombra caught it in his mouth. He wouldn't dare use his hooves, so Sombra threw his head up to get all of it in his mouth. He chewed for a little bit and swallowed, smiling at the new face. "My name is Grover, what's yours?"
"Sombra," the colt replied.
"What'd you do to get into the shit pit?" Sombra told him what happened between himself and Miss Neat Beryl, a somber look on his face. "Well, keep it up!"
"Huh?"
"Can't let them ponies break us, alright? We've got to stick together. The punishments suck, but they should fuel us, not dowse the little fire we have already!" Sombra liked Grover. He was very optimistic despite being an Ateus. "If we keep fighting, one day we'll be kings! I'm sure of it!" The griffin chirped and looked behind him, somepony likely calling for him. "Gatta go, see you later Sombra!"
The stallion slowly awoke from his dream slash nightmare. He couldn't help but smile. Grover had been right, and they had become kings. Then Sombra remembered that he was one thousand years in the future. Grover was dead. He didn't even have a copy of his soul for a seance. If he had the magic, and the time, Sombra could talk to Silver Stream or Jupiter Ballad.
Sombra could use necromancy to bring them back, but to what? A world where the Crystal Empire still stood was not safe for them. And a lot of them weren't as stable as Sombra was. Sombra didn't know if they could ever heal after being broken as they had. It wasn't fair. They didn't deserve to die. They didn't deserve to suffer under the hooves of those who thought Ateus were lesser than them.
Abalone. Zeus. Aethevia. Fubuki. Kumo. Farijika. Drarzodar. Star. Terra. Valheim. Xar'gallun. Kaha'aheo. Arisu. Bwana Mkubwa. Alraxon. Bralmath. Kulgrezaath. Zazral. Jude. Fortune. Dusty. Vermillion. Sarkadin. Sephasis. Trath'tazag. Ocraddan. Rysisdar. Tulukaruk. Jezako. Krazius. Gerebos. Inisian. Chrissy. None of them deserved to die. And they were the Ateus. There had been ponies who suffered as well. Not as much, but they still paid the price for being different. If you had a deformity, a disability, you were thought to be cursed by an Ateus. Ateus like him.
Sombra glared at his pillow, imagining the faces of all of the ponies who had made his life a misery. He wasn't going to play nice this time. He was going to kill them one by one, instilling fear and terror. They would fear to leave their houses at night, they would fear the underneath of their beds and would quake when near a shadow. His hearts raced as he came up with many ways to kill them, many ways to finally get justice. Each would have to be different than the last. Each had to fit crime committed.
"Sombra?" Sombra snapped out of his fantasies to look at Scootaloo. The other night, she had hugged him, and for some reason, Sombra let her do it. He needed to keep his emotions in check. You can't get revenge when you're a sobbing mess, can you? "You... You looked angry enough to kill somepony?"
"I am. And I'm going to. I have a list of ponies who wronged me in ways you aren't old enough to comprehend yet. None of them deserve to breathe, and I'm going to be fixing that problem."
"It is because of your wings?" She had been spying on him. Interesting.
"Every friend I have ever had is dead. My only family is dead. I have had everything taken away from me," he snarled. It was a sound that would make an Ursa Major run for the mountains of Yakyakistan. "Everything but my will. They aren't getting away with it. I'm going to make sure of that." Sombra sat up and scowled at the wall. "Over one thousand souls are waiting to be avenged. I can't let them down."
Sombra climbed from the bed. He couldn't sit around while the dead rolled in their graves, that wasn't fair. His body had healed itself, so he was ready to go. Sombra didn't have any trouble with the Alicorn or her husband. They would be free from his wrath. Sombra only wanted to the guilty and the complicit. But if they tried to stop him, Sombra wouldn't play nice. They wouldn't die, they hadn't done anything to deserve that.
"They hurt that many?" Scootaloo whispered, his superior hearing catching it quickly. It was nice that his senses weren't all over the place now. He needed them to be in perfect condition for his plans. "Why? Why hurt so many?"
"Because we are Ateus," Sombra answered. "We are seen as inferiors. If you aren't a pony, you are an Ateus. But that wasn't enough for that, little filly." He looked deep into her eyes, his pupils thinning. "Thousands upon thousands of Ateus were enslaved because we weren't like you. But these beasts were cruel. They are cruel." And they always would be. "These monsters are so cruel that they enslaved their own. Why?" Their noses were almost touching, and the rage he was trying to suppress scared her. "Do you want to know what made innocent ponies become the equivalent to an Ateus?"
"W-what?" She was afraid of asking, but she asked anyway. He was opening up to her. Scootaloo might not understand how the world worked yet, but maybe she could try to understand his?
"Because they had something wrong with them." Scootaloo blinked and furrowed her brows in confusion. "Deafness, blindness, albinism, a cleft lip or palate, retardation or... deformities." Her wings closed tightly against her sides. "If you had been born in the empire... you would have been an inferior. An Ateus."
"I'm never going to fly, so that means I'm Ateus. That means I'm going with you." That wasn't the point he was trying to make. Scootaloo wasn't supposed to stick by him in this. He couldn't let her go there. They'd use her against him. He blamed his two hearts for getting so quickly attached to her. Sombra always had a soft spot for offspring, even if they were a pony.
"No."
Sombra wanted to eat something. He could get one of those chicken lizard creatures. Nobody would miss it. He tapped the window, feeling for the lock. The window had an enchantment on it, and the moment Sombra found it he evaporated the very basic spell. For a stallion raised to think magic was evil, he was very talented with it. Not to mention extremely gifted. He opened the window, then felt a tug on his tail. Sombra moved his gaze to meet Scootaloo's, a strong determination in her purple eyes.
"If I'm not going, neither are you!"
"You've known me for a week, kid. Stop acting like you're my friend."
Ponies had a strange concept of friendship. They thought you could make friends in a day, that if you didn't want friends that something was wrong with you. Some thought friendship only belonged to ponies. Most thought that Ateus were unable to make friends. They were wrong. They couldn't fathom how wrong they were.
When you were a slave amongst hundreds, if not more, you learned to be friends. No, not friends. Family. Everyone was equal. Everyone knew your pain. Everyone relied on one another to survive. If you were hungry, someone would risk themselves to get some food for you. Everyone was your brother and sister, nephew and niece, grandfather and grandmother, father and mother, uncle and aunt, you cousins and second cousins. They would keep secrets better than the deaf. They would make you feel like you weren't alone.
And they were all gone.
"Why can't I be?"
"Because all of my friends are dead. I don't want you added to that list... it's long enough as is." Sombra shook his head, growling. "I'm going to get something to eat. I'm getting sick of fish." Scootaloo watched as Sombra jumped out of the window. She should be worried as they were on the fourth floor. Sombra didn't seem concerned, but he was also the kind who would fight a manticore while half dead.
Sombra wanted to kill the ponies who hurt his friends, and Scootaloo didn't want to stop him. Why? Scootaloo had read many stories about this situation. They were always told that there was another way, but was there another way? Those were just stories, and this was real. Maybe if she talked to somepony, they could help him get justice.
Zecora breathed in a deep sigh as she faced the Tree of Harmony. She was waiting for somepony. No, someone. More like someones. It was important that the Ateus Community knew of Sombra's return. Zecora hadn't moved to Ponyville for no reason. The Zebra had been sent by her people to gather information on Equestria and to watch over the resting place of Prince Skiadrum.
There were other informants like herself and were on their way. It wasn't often that these meetups happened, but when they did, it meant something big was happening. The arrival of King Sombra for instance. That was big enough to bring leaders, but she doubted that they would. It wasn't safe, not while the Empire was still around.
"I must say, I'm surprised." Zecora didn't flinch when she heard him. Tarsus. He was the Changeling King's informant. For decades he had donned himself the perfect disguise. The form of a grumpy bunny. "It's not often that you call all of us. Normally it's me doing the calling." Tarsus was a strange one. He sounded as if he was going to slit your throat for a laugh, but he wouldn't. That'd give him away too quickly.
"I apologize Tarsus, but this is news that must be heard by all of us." He didn't like her rhyming but tolerated it. "They are already here, for the tree do they have that much fear?" Tarsus rolled his eyes and hopped next to her, looking at The Tree of Harmony. Soon he would reawaken, and the empire would fall. King Arachne had told Tarsus that before he left Insecdia, all thirty hives were counting on it.
"Of course. It's the resting place of Skiadrum after all. You'd be mad not to fear the magic of an Umbrum, especially a prince."
Prince Skiadrum was one of three brothers and a sister. They were offspring of The Mountain King, Noche De Neón, a colorful and powerful ruler. Nopony had ever seen any of them alive, and for centuries they were believed to all be dead. Zecora learned otherwise. If Sombra was alive, then they had to be as well. Umbrum lived a lot longer than ponies. A thousand years was a mere week to them. From what little Zecora was able to find, the spell keeping them imprisoned warped them. If the ponies of Equestria felt a day, so would they. It was cruel.
But Sombra was here. His existence proved that the Amanecer Family was still alive, even after all of this time. The Umbrum were still alive and were waiting for the sweet taste of freedom. In front of her and Tarsus was presumed to be the only free Umbrum, and that had now changed. Now there were two Amanecer's.
"Pretty." Thestral informant, Karlel, stood next to Zecora. She was grey, like most of her kind, and had a lavender mane. Her golden eyes looked up and down, fascinated by the construct. "If he consciously made this, Skia had some good tastes."
"That twit Starswirl managed to make the ponies believe that he and his pals made it. Like idiots, they ate it up." Tarsus hopped onto Karlel's back, a smile on his little fuzzy face. "Anyhow. What is so important that you had to drag all of us here?" Zecora didn't face them, keeping her gaze on the beautiful looking tree.
"Happy I am that you have been able to arrive, for I have news that King Sombra is alive." Tarsus fell off of Karlel's back, staring at Zecora with shock. She didn't look at him, but her smile remained.
"How?" Karlel said. As the idea started to sink in like fangs, her pupils became as thin as paper. "King Sombra was killed by the Crystal Heart. Everyone knows that." King Cuervo Sombra, son of Queen Armadura De Estrella and King Medianoche Brilliante of the Umbrum. "This is huge!" Her ears twitched as she heard small rustles in the forest. The others had left to spread the word. "Where is he? Is he ok?"
"He's at Ponyville Hospital." Karlel looked on her back at Tarsus. "There's been a lot of activity there lately. It's probably him."
"What!?" Karlel hissed. "One of the greatest Ateus ever is in the lion's den!" Zecora understood her frustrations, but she couldn't do anything about it. Tarsus' ears twitched, and he looked into the trees. In the canopy, he saw two golden eyes with mismatched red pupils. It appeared that one of the informants hadn't left yet. "Sombra deserves to be somewhere far safer than a literal train away from the twin tyrants!"
"That's not very nice," said the owner of the eyes. "King Gekidō and Queen Mshindi have come together and have proposed an idea." What idea would that be? "I have been here a lot longer than the rest of you, so I have a better understanding of them."
"You're also dumb enough to be stoned with Skiadrum's soul stones," Karlel hissed.
"You think that wasn't on purpose?" he chuckled. "Celestia has grown over the centuries. Rather slowly, but she's growing. She's gone from a tyrant to a mother figure who is trying to turn her protege into the next ruler of Equestria. If they learn the truth about the empire, Equestria will be on our side." Karlel wasn't convinced. Trotsylvania had cut ties with Equestria for their xenophobia. The same being said for the whole of Hasia and Okaprika.
"I've been living with one of the Elements of Harmony for years. If she knew what was going on, she'd tell her friends, and they'd be on our side. As much as you're a pain, Fuwa, you're very good at your job," Tarsus grinned, rubbing his little paws together evilly. "The best part is that the Alicorn in Ponyville is that her brother and her sister-in-law are running the Empire. If she learns about this, she'll help crush the empire from the inside out."
"You Hasians are insane," Karlel spat. "Sombra deserves better!"
"As do we," he said firmly. "Draconeqi, Zebras, Thestrals, Changelings and many more, deserve better. When Equestria takes our side, it will benefit all of us. Sombra will be the catalyst to end thousands of years of suffering. It's time to end this chapter and start anew."
"I'll tell King Zaphkiel about this, but he isn't going to be happy." And neither was she.
Scootaloo had spent the entire day in the library. While she would rather be with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, she needed to help her new friend. He didn't know they were friends, not yet. Maybe he didn't understand friends the way ponies had it? Ateus probably dealt with things in a very different way. Her wings shuffled as she thought about that word again. Ateus.
Because of her wings, she should be an Ateus. But, Scootaloo wasn't. The Ateus ponies were from the empire. After knowing Sombra for a week, it finally clicked. He wasn't a random pon-Umbrum called Sombra. He was *King* Sombra. Why hadn't she realized this before? The empire that had hurt him so much was The Crystal Empire, but those ponies were good! Good for ponies. Whenever Scootaloo had gone there, nearly everyone was a pony. The only oddity was Spike.
Did that make them the bad guys? Did that mean that they were as bad as the Crystal Ponies now? Scootaloo didn't want to be the bad guy.
"Oh, Scootaloo, what brings you down here?" Said Starlight Glimmer. Scootaloo looked at her with wide eyes, a light bulb going off in her mind. Starlight. Sombra probably feared that ponies couldn't change, but Starlight had changed. Starlight could prove to Sombra that ponies were able to change, and it might make him ask for help. He couldn't take on an empire on his own, the last time he had done that he almost died.
"I need your help!" Scootaloo said quickly. She looked around, hoping Twilight nor Spike were near. Scootaloo would need as many allies as possible to prove to them that Sombra wasn't the bad guy. Then Celestia and Luna would come, and they would help as well! He wouldn't be alone in getting justice.
"Hm? What for?" It was about time somepony came to Starlight. Barely anypony came to her when it came to counseling, so she was very bored.
"What do you know about the Crystal Empire?" Starlight gave it a few moments. All she knew was that Sunburst lived there. That Cadence and Shining Armor ruled there. Flurry Heart was born there. There was a heart in the same of a crystal. That was it. Other than Spike saving them from a smoke monster.
"Uh, not that much. Why?" That was good. Starlight hadn't spent much outside of her little cult, so she didn't know much about what had been going on. Scootaloo could work with this.
"Because it's wrong," Scootaloo tried to imitate Sombra's tone, but she couldn't do his accent. "The Crystal Ponies are secretly evil. Well, not evil, but cruel without realizing it. Like a pony abusing a pet because they think they're lesser than them." As sad as it was, things like that happened. Scootaloo wouldn't even bother with the Pie Curse. It was a silent rule not to talk about it, especially since Pinkie had eyes and ears everywhere. "I have evidence that they're evil."
"What evidence would that be?" Starlight didn't find it too hard to believe. The Crystal Empire was apparently from one thousand years ago. Like everything else that ever bothered Equestria. Sweet Celestia, back then monsters ran rampant like a plague of fleas. Also, she had shown her cult as a sweet and innocent town when it was more on the dark side in reality. Looks could be very deceiving.
"Sombra himself." Scootaloo felt a bit stupid for not realizing it, but she could use her age as an excuse. Starlight took a step back, shocked. "A week ago, I was attacked by a manticore while on the way to visit Zecora. Suddenly he came and saved me!" Zecora played a hoof as well, but Sombra had been very close to death, so it was a little bit more impressive. "I've been watching over him in Ponyville Hospital since then... and he's hurt, really hurt." Her expression saddened as she went back to the memory of Sombra crying.
"Why haven't we heard anything about this?" Starlight was in a bind. Twilight had an extreme bias because of her brother, sister-in-law, and her niece. If Starlight chose Twilight's side and Scootaloo was right, then she would've broken a secret vow. She wouldn't be the villain again. It was best that Starlight judge this for herself, and then talk to Twilight. Probably.
"Zecora probably wanted to protect him. I've only come here to help him... If I can prove that ponies can change, maybe he won't be so determined to get revenge on his own." Revenge? Starlight didn't like the sound of that. "Thousands of others have suffered and died because of the Crystal Ponies, all of Sombra's friends and families are with them. He wants to avenge them so they can finally rest in peace. I..." Scootaloo took a deep breath. "I'm supposed to tell him there's another way, but what other way is there? If I had been born in the Empire, I'd be a slave as well because I can't fly!"
"Scootaloo..."
"I need your help, please." It looked like she was going to play counselor after all.
"If you don't sit your ass down, I'm taking my leg off and ramming it up there so far you'll have two horns!" What an interesting character, Doctor Full House. He had lost his leg somewhere, probably under the couch, and he wasn't bothered in the slightest.
He wanted to take some more blood from Sombra. Why? Because of many reasons. One was to examine it as he was the only living creature with platinum-based blood. The other was because they wanted to store it. If he needed more blood because of an injury, they could take it from the fridge. They were obsessed with learning about his species and were saddened when Sombra didn't know too much about them.
"You are a very strange stallion." The Doctor didn't seem affected in the slightest, still grumbling under his breath. "What is so important about my blood, exactly?"
"For all we know, you could cure some of our most dangerous diseases. Cancer, AIDS, politicians. The latter is a sickness where we've made no progress on curing, but we'll get there someday!" If this doctor wasn't related to Silver Stream, Sombra was going to be very disappointed.
"AIDS seems a little high on that list compared to the latter." Doctor Full House mumbled a small agreement as Sombra pointed his hoof at him. The Doctor pushed a needle through his skin and watched the blood flow. "How is it that you lost your leg?"
"When I was young, I was a retard. An average colt. Me and some cunts I used to hang around dared me to have a beer that was on fire. Like the retard I was, I drank it. I spat it out because it was piss, not beer. My house went up in flames. When we got out, I realized my baby brother was inside of that house. So I went in and got him. Passed out after we were outside, and I woke up without my leg." That was an interesting tale. It made Sombra snort. Friendship wasn't magic. Alcohol was. "Quid pro quo kid. Where's your alcohol story?"
"Hm..." There were a couple, only one of which ended well for him. That would be a good one to tell. "After a long and miserable day, one of my friends Grover and his brother Gerebos stole some very expensive alcohol from their master." They were good memories, some of the few he had. "We were smashed. Even our Wendigo friend, Urgrethaz, was pissed blind."
"You managed to get a Wendigo drunk? Do continue," Doctor Full House grinned. His stupid story about his leg was a good one, though many didn't see it that way. Nopony had a sense of humor anymore, not until now that is.
"We were at the level of inebriation that anything appeared to be a good idea. So, we went around putting itching powder in literally everything. Beds, bathroom powders, sugar, and whatever else we could find. Even the palace wasn't safe from it," he grinned. "That wasn't all of course." Doctor Full House pulled the needle from Sombra's hoof, a mischievous smile on his muzzle. "There were two pipes conveniently placed next to one another. One for sewage and one for water." His grin was all the Doctor needed to know what the stallion had done.
"Looks like I've got some work to do in Canterlot." Doctor Full House then frowned. "But I doubt that they would notice, given that they have their heads up their asses twenty-four seven."
"They'd notice. Not from the smell, but the stains on their precious coats, and unnecessary clothing."
"Preaching to the bloody choir." The Doctor only wore his white coat so he wouldn't take any germs home, and so that he wouldn't get fluids on his fur. "Damn shame you aren't a pony. We need more stallions like you these days. If you haven't noticed, Equestria is currently experiencing an epidemic where 74% of the population is female. Maybe you can help solve that." That was a surprise. Most of Sombra's friends and masters had been male.
"Is that so?"
"If you're born a male, you're almost automatically made to be a guard or farm pony. It's not often we get to be anything else other than that." It was a sad fact, but a true one. "The Y Chromosome has been getting rarer and rarer, especially in the unicorn community. I blame cutie marks."
"In the Empire, a centaur I knew called Krazius suggested that when a pony got a cutie mark that it affected them. He thought that when ponies are born, they could do and be anything they wanted, but then that mark would appear and it'd change them. A filly he was made to babysit used to be an amazing singer, but then she got her cutie mark as a dancer, and after that, she couldn't sing anymore. It was odd as she had never danced until her mother ordered him to teach her." Krazius was one of the geniuses among the Crystal Ateus. From what others that were passive enough to babysit, they had said that similar things happened. "It almost sounds like an infection or a subtle way of controlling? They can't be natural. If those marks are truly unique, how is it that some share the same one?"
"You're starting to delve into cutie-theory. And that's a very controversial topic. However, you do make some good points, as does your friend, may he rest in peace. Is it possible that cutie marks and the lack of Y chromosomes are connected? Maybe. We won't know for sure until we do the proper research." Doctor Full House got an idea. "You don't have a cutie mark, do you?" Sombra rose a brow and showed his bare flank. "Are you able to remove them? I've heard that there's a unicorn in town who can pull off such a feat, but can you?"
"It's dark magic, so of course I can. I did it to all of the ponies who joined the Ateus' side so that they wouldn't be mistaken for the enemy."
"What happens after you've removed them?" The conversation had changed from how Full lost his leg to Cutie-Theory.
"They cannot perform the talent that the mark represented." Sombra paused for a few moments. "Well, they could, but not as good as before."
Perhaps they could solve one of the most important questions ever asked. What was a cutie mark? There were theories everywhere, but nopony had the answer. No *pony*. Sombra wasn't a pony, and according to him, could remove them. The Doctor was either going to be sacked or promoted for this, and it was going to be exciting either way.
Anxiety was an understatement. Scootaloo was very clear on what she had heard and had seen, but didn't seem to comprehend what she was saying. What Scootaloo was describing was speciesism, torture, slavery and hinted at more. She was also disturbed by another fact that the filly had mentioned. Sombra used to have wings. Although he wasn't a pony, she couldn't help but find it bizarre for there to be a possible male Alicorn.
Starlight wasn't even a qualified counselor. How was she supposed to help? It was difficult enough living with what she had done in the past, but having to hear what others had done? It would make her want a counselor. Why did Doctor Wolf have to be on vacation?
Ponyville Hospital. Starlight had never been there before, and that was probably a good thing. Now that she was inside, she felt even more nervous. It was a lot busier than shown on TV. Everypony was rushing around, everypony had a reason to be here. Starlight felt like she didn't. She didn't feel like she belonged in the school, Ponyville, or anywhere else for that matter. She didn't know where she was supposed to go or what her destiny was. Destiny and friendship was everything to ponies, and she wasn't very good with either.
"Starlight Glimmer, is it?" Starlight jumped as she heard somepony. She turned around to face a Doctor. Doctor Flatline was very happy, so much so that it appeared on his face as a smile. He didn't have to go and find her, which was a win in his opinion. "Wonderful, we were just about to go and collect you."
"Why?" She asked, confusion on her face. Scootaloo was also confused. What did Doctor Flatline want with Starlight? Maybe he had the same idea she had?
"As you're with Scooatloo, you probably know of our most interesting patient." Starlight felt even more anxious. What did they want with her? Why were they looking for her? "Come. It isn't safe to talk about him outside of the restricted ward." Starlight didn't argue. She followed the unicorn who appeared to be indifferent to everything around him. Scootaloo didn't seem concerned, but that was because she was young. She didn't understand how sensitive the situation was.
How could she? Scootaloo was barely thirteen. She hadn't even had her first heat season yet. Scootaloo was trying to be kind, trying to be friends with a lonely stallion. But this stallion was broken, if not the body then the mind. He needed more than a song and dance to make him feel better. Starlight could say what he needed, but it wasn't a musical number.
Starlight doubted that he was going to be happy to see Twilight again when Starlight finally told her. Twilight had claimed that they had defeated Sombra thanks to the Crystal Heart that had blown him up. They thought they murdered him and wasn't bothered by it. That was a little disturbing.
Maybe Sombra was right about ponies? Ponies weren't exactly well known for their interactions with other species. Ponyville outcasted Zecora when she first arrived because she looked different, going as far as calling her a witch and accusing her of cursing ponies.
Changelings, Yaks, Dragons, none of them liked ponies very much. Equestria didn't know much about those three. They knew even less about centaurs and Draconeqi. They didn't even know if there were more like Discord or Tirek. Discord was very quick to trust Tirek. Maybe Draconeqi and Centaurs knew each other?
Starlight lost her train of thought when she walked into an open door. Embarrassed, the mare stepped back. Before her, was the unicorn from before and an earth pony with a missing leg. While the unicorn looked apathetic and disinterested in life, the other didn't. He looked old, grumpy and had a dark sparkle in his eyes. She felt like she was being sized up for the butcher's shop.
"This is her, eh?" Doctor Full House cackled. Scootaloo walked past him, not bothered by the stallion's weirdness. "This is the mare that can take Cutie Marks away?" Doctor Flatline nodded. "Sombra's gonna have a field day with this runt. That filly weighs more than she does! At least I can look at Scootaloo. Her color palette is burning my retina." Starlight's nose wrinkled with irritation. How dare he insult her like that! "Get in there. You'll probably do fine." Starlight walked into the room, her anxiety increasing to the point she wanted to run away.
"Ah. You're Starlight, aren't you?" The voice was deep and sent shivers down her spine. Starlight's face drooped when she saw Sombra, suddenly feeling very small compared to him. Seeing how nervous she was, Sombra tried smiling. That didn't help as he allowed her to see all of his very sharp teeth.
Starlight nodded, her moderate Persian blue eyes drawn to his teeth. They weren't the teeth of a herbivore, and it scared her. He was bigger than Big Mac, he had the most unusual eyes she had ever seen, and his mane flowed like a black flame. He was beautiful along with dangerous. When she looked away from his teeth, she took in the whole of his body.
Sombra had scars, enough to make him look like a mutant zebra. Carefully, Starlight walked behind him and saw two gnarly scars on his shoulder blades. Scootaloo couldn't have understood how much force it would take to rip a wing off. Sombra watched him, silently judging her. She was more powerful than she let on. Unicorns seem to have gained in magical power since he last knew them, which may be a problem for him.
Celestia was weak when it came to any magic that didn't involve the sun. Luna was far more skilled and talented than her sister. Luna wasn't afraid to use dark magic, not like Celestia who trembled at the mere thought of it. Sombra didn't know anything about the pink Alicorn, or if there were more than her. It would be unwise to underestimate them, and vice versa.
"Sombra, right?" Sombra nodded. "Scootaloo told me about you. She wanted me to prove that ponies were able to change." The little orange filly smiled widely. "I don't know how I'm supposed to do that, not exactly."
"The bias I have against ponies is a mere byproduct of my upbringing. I hold nothing against you, not personally." At least he didn't hate them because he wanted to hate them. Starlight could practically feel the magical power leaking from him. If he got in a fight with her, she had a strong inkling that she'd lose. "These good doctors are taking my mind off of that for now. We're going to test if cutie marks are the cause of the sudden deterioration of the SYR gene."
"What's that?" Scootaloo asked, curiosity in her eyes.
"It's the genes that encourage the development of the testicles in the male genitalia. According to Doctor Full House, there has been a significant drop in the production of the Y Chromosome. I gave him an idea a friend of mine had, and it is possible that cutie marks are the cause." Doctor Flatline nodded, looking down at Scootaloo as a lightbulb went off in his brain.
"Scootaloo, could you get a blank flank over here? It would help with our research." The filly beamed at the idea of helping and ran off, leaving the adults alone in the room. "So, Starlight, can you demonstrate the spell you use to remove cutie marks?" Starlight shivered. She didn't want to use that spell, not after last time. "We need to compare it to Sombra so we can test which way is safer." Starlight's eyes widened. Sombra could use that kind of magic as well? Was this why they wanted her here?
"I volunteer." Doctor Full House didn't believe he had much to lose. He'd lost a leg, why not his butt tattoo?
Everyone looked at Starlight, all of them expecting her to perform the evil spell. She swallowed has her horn glowed a pale blue, a magical aura starting to surround the three-legged doctor. Starlight tried to be very careful with him, not wanting to get herself in trouble. The stallion grunted as he could feel his flank burn. It dulled from a burn to a hollow throb.
Sombra now understood why Doctor Full House asked him what happened after he removed a cutie mark. It was supposed to be quick, and painless. It wasn't supposed to make them lose a couple of shades. Doctor Flatline wrote down some notes on a clipboard he got from somewhere, seemingly indifferent to the sight.
"Interesting," Doctor Flatline commented.
"You love it, I see it in your eyes!" Doctor Flatline made a small smile. He wasn't wrong. He was enjoying this. Immensely. With his magic, the Doctor took some blood with a syringe. "Bastard!" Starlight felt terrible.
Starlight hadn't wanted to use that spell ever again. Many called the magic she had used evil. How did she know this? Starlight had learned to read lips when she was younger. Starlight knew everypony disapproved of her magic, and that they were disgusted at what she could do. They secretly looked down on her just for being able to use such spells. She lived with Twilight because nopony wanted to sell her a home. Or hire her.
"For a mare only using basic magic, that wasn't bad." Starlight looked up at Sombra, surprise in her eyes. "The spell you used was created by Scorpan. One of the Fifteen Fires of Magic." Tirek's brother made that spell? Tirek could take magic, and Scorpan could take cutie marks.
Scorpan had been a strange character. Scorpan licked almost everything he found, which was very gross and annoying, he was obsessed with scarves as well as squid and had a habit of walking into doors. Sombra could never figure out why, but it was always funny. Scorpan didn't get upset over it either, he just laughed and brushed it off.
He felt a hoof against his shoulder, bringing him out of his melancholy. It was at that moment Sombra realized that tears had made darkened streaks on his cheek fur. He wiped them away, pushing the memories away. Why did Sombra pain himself reminiscing about the dead? It did nothing but add to his ache. He looked at Starlight, seeing the pity in her eyes. He hated it.
"Sombra, you're up next."
Sombra pushed the sorrow away, leaving only rage that he was trying desperately to bury. Sombra shot a very dark and pained look at the mare, causing her fur to stand on end. Starlight saw the wrath in his eyes as they started to leak purple smoke. He had enough rage to choke a Wendigo, and it scared her. She felt the dark magic surround her body, could feel the anger that was fueling it.
He wasn't looking at Starlight right now. He was looking at a different unicorn. A unicorn called Lapis Falls.
Lapis Falls was a white unicorn, the coat being very common. Her eyes were like Lapis Lazuli's, her mane like golden silk. For years, she and Sombra had been close. She was some of the very few ponies who were kind to the Ateus, who gave them affection and didn't hate them for being different. One of Sombra's closest friends, Eirene, was a Tyun. Or Panda pony.
She had been bought by Lapis Falls' family as a pet, from Dyna. One day, not long before Eirene's fifteenth birthday, she and Krazius were ordered to look after Lapis Falls' little sister, Mount Lazuli. Babysitting was one of the easiest of all the jobs they had to do. Some enjoyed the idea of just staring at a bundle of diapers run in circles for hours.
When they didn't come back, Sombra became worried. It wasn't like Krazius to not be back in time. He hated being late to the most minuscule of things. Eirene was just plain optimistic, far too optimistic. She could probably find the silver lining in the world exploding. They rightfully blamed her sheltered upbringing.
Sombra snuck out from his stable. Well, not a stable, it was more a hole in the ground. Anyhow, he ventured outside to find them. He was careful not to get caught. He had made it all the way to Lapis Falls' home, then he transformed into a shadow and slid under the door. At the time, he had recently discovered he was able to do such a thing but wasn't used to it yet. He couldn't hear anything, which was strange.
Sombra walked around. He started peeking into open doors, finding nothing. Sombra walked into the family room, finding it empty save for one thing. It was Mount Lazuli. He took a step back, his eyes wide at the sight of her. She had exploded. But how? Why? Sombra couldn't understand what could have caused this. It didn't make any sense for this to have happened! Krazius and Eirene weren't capable of this. What had killed this little foal?
Sombra's ears twitched upwards when he heard someone coming. Hoping it was Eirene or Krazius, he quickly turned around. He didn't see them. He only saw Lapis Falls, tears flowing from her eyes. What had happened? Why was Lapis crying?
"Lapis?" Sombra stepped towards her, not knowing what to do. "What happened? Why is..." Sombra turned towards the family room, his eyes back at Mount Lazuli's cadaver. Why was she dead? What could have done this? Many of the Ateus had rightful hatred towards the ponies, but he didn't know of any that'd take their rage out on a foal not even a year old. It didn't make any sense.
There was a sudden pain in his back and chest. Slowly, Sombra looked down, seeing a crystal sword poking through his ribcage. He was horrified. Blood dripped onto the floor below him, both from the blade and his mouth. It tore out from his body as quickly as it had gone in, fear and confusion clouding his vision. Or were they tears?
"Why did it have to be you?" Lapis said with sorrow as his legs started to give. "Why not one of the bad ones? Why not a changeling? Why did it have to be you!" She shouted as more tears fell onto the floor, mixing with his blood. He didn't understand what had just happened. Why did Lapis stab him? Why was she upset over it? None of this was making any sense!
"Why...?" he choked out, his body shaking as it begun to regenerate. Lapis kissed his cheek, tears dripping onto his muzzle, joining his own.
Lapis didn't say a word. Her horn glowed a soft orange, creating a bubble around the stallion. She lifted him off of the ground and walked into the basement. Sombra wanted to know why she had done it. Why had she stabbed him like that? He was getting more questions than answers, and it frustrated him.
When Sombra saw the basement, he regretted ever coming. It was a scene from a horror book that Gerebos would steal. There was blood covering the stone walls and stone floor. In the middle of the room was an altar, and there was a worrying engraving in the middle of it. A unicorn skull on fire. The symbol of Tophet, The Tartarus God. There was fresh blood on it.
"Equestria and the Crystal Empire have gotten out of control Som. We need to get the gods involved. We need them to save us from ourselves. Ateus' are different from ponies. If enough of them go before Cadaver of Judgement and Tophet of Tartarus, they'll help us." She'd lost it. Lapis Falls had lost her mind. If the old gods even existed, they had better things to do than dirty themselves with a xenophobic empire of equine. "They'll listen to you Som. You're special. The only one of your kind. Maybe this is your destiny?"
"This is pure madness!" Sombra exclaimed. "Listen to what you're saying Lapis. You're talking about sacrificing our friends to gods who may or may not even exist." Lapis Falls looked away from him, sorrow staining her face. "Put me down, and let's talk about this." Sombra was far more powerful than Lapis, but she was his friend. He didn't want to make this awful situation any worse than what it was.
"Even if they aren't real, it's better to be dead than be here!" She shouted back at him. "This isn't living, Sombra! If there aren't any gods, then I'm saving you from this painful existence. I'm going to save all of you! Free you from your shackles and your pain!" Lapis Falls didn't want to do this. But Sombra was going to be in a happier place. She may go to Tartarus for this, but at least she would be proud that she saved her friends from suffering.
Sombra's horn glowed with dark magic, popping the bubble. He fell onto the altar, then slowly rose to his hooves. He didn't want to hurt her, but Lapis wasn't backing down. She honestly believed that she was helping. Sombra grimaced when her horn glowed brighter, magic starting to hum in the room. She fired a beam of energy, and Sombra easily dodged it.
"Is that what happened to Lazuli?" Sombra said, his voice colder than the weather outside. "Did you try to save her as well? What about Krazius and Eirene, have you saved them? Have you killed them?" He wanted the answer to be no. He desperately wanted her to say that it was someone else who took that little foals life.
"I..." Lapis faltered. "I didn't touch Krazius. I didn't get to save him because you arrived."
Lapis had killed her little sister and Eirene. She thought that she was doing the right thing, but it wasn't. Lapis looked at Sombra with pity. She was pitying him! Why? Because he wanted to live?
"You..." He was seething with rage. "You have no idea how stupid you are!" Years and years of rage started to bubble to the surface like lava in a volcano. Instead of smog, purple steamed from the magma pits that were Sombra's eyes. His horn shone even brighter with dark magic, hot tears streaming onto the floor. "You have lived a life of luxury! Don't you dare preach about saving us when you have no idea what you're even doing! The Ateus have gotten as far as we have from living, not from dying!"
"I don't want to see you hurt anymore!" Lapis Falls cried. "I don't want to see Ruby Court or Queen Amora hurting you..." His anger only got worse when she said *his* name. "They keep hurting you Sombra. They hate you more than they hate the rest of the Ateus. Why...?" She sobbed, shaking with grief and sorrow. "Why do you want to live through this? Why do you want to hurt yourself even more? It isn't fair! Why won't you let me free you from your agony!?"
"Enough!" The power from his voice alone slammed Lapis against the wall, causing her to cry out in pain. Sombra stepped back, falling off the altar. Concern overpowered his rage, and he rushed to make sure she was alright. He didn't mean to hurt her. Sombra had not meant to let his magic overpower him. "Lapis?" Lapis looked up at Sombra, more tears in her eyes. She mouthed the word sorry to him, and Sombra didn't know why until it hit him.
Lapis Falls blasted Sombra point blank range when his defenses were down. The beam of pure energy went straight through his chest, destroying his lungs and hearts. He collapsed immediately, shaking violently. She wanted to kill him. Lapis Falls slowly got up and hugged him, her breathing ragged while he couldn't breathe at all.
"I'm sorry..." Her horn sparked as she prepared the spell again. "I just don't want you to be in pain anymore..." He was in a lot of pain, pain that she caused. Sombra didn't want to die. Not like this, not while somepony was pitying over him. He didn't need her pity. He didn't want her pity. He tried to talk, but he couldn't. "Don't talk. It's only going to make it harder." She tried humming to him, stroking his mane, terrifying him even more than before.
Then she was pulled off of him. Sombra looked around, desperate to find who had come to his aid. Sombra's eyes met Krazius'. His black sclera and glowing blue pupils would be scary if not for the kind face he always wore. His pale orange face had the soft smile that could warm even a corpse. Sombra never thought he'd be happier to see Krazius until that moment.
"Hang in there Som, I'm getting your fluffy backside out of here." Before Sombra's vision faded to black, he felt the centaur slowly pick him up. He called Lapis' name but didn't get a response.
He never saw her again afterward...
He shook his head as the flashback ended. He hated those. They made his life very difficult. Lapis Falls, a mare he hadn't thought about for a very long time. Lapis had good intentions, but some of the evilest actions had been done, with good intentions. Krazius didn't tell Sombra much about what had happened. While it was annoying, Sombra respected his need to let the situation sink in.
When an Ateus went through something traumatic, everyone let them collect their thoughts. They didn't leave them entirely alone, not when they could be suicidal. Sombra kept an eye on Krazius for a little while, but he never really recovered from that experience. Everyone, including Sombra, thought that Krazius grieved more over the loss of Eirene and Mount Lazuli than whatever happened to him. He was selfless like that.
"Hey!" Sombra took in his surroundings. He was in the Everfree forest, a very fitting name. "I'm talking to you!" Sombra turned around to face a strange sight. A light blue pegasus with a rainbow mane. How? How is that even possible?
"I didn't know that gay flags had evolved?" The mare scowled in anger, suddenly in a fighting stance. It wasn't practical, and Sombra was sure that it wasn't even a stance. It looked like a silly pose from something the mare had seen. "Listen, I am not in the mood to deal with... whatever you have got going right now. I need to be alone for a little while. Preferably while my retina doesn't vomit at your bright colors."
"Hey! I just spent three hours looking for you, and this is the thanks I get?" The stallion paled.
"What...?"
He had been in that flashback for four hours. It wasn't Sombra's record, but it was still a while. According to Doctor Flatline, he had started to panic after taking Starlight's cutie mark and then started acting up. He was panicking, mumbling, and wandered off into the Everfree. Nopony was hurt. But the same couldn't be said for a couple of animals. Sombra managed to slay two hydrae and a male chimera. He didn't know how until they mentioned black crystals. He was able to summon those without magic for some reason. And they were most potent when he wasn't all there upstairs.
Thankfully, Doctor Flatline and Doctor Full House want to continue working with him about cutie marks. Along with the possible connection between them and the drop in production of the Y Chromosome. Sadly, Sombra was made to be in a much more secure room. The silver lining was that he had a bigger bed, and they gave him food other than fish to eat. He was getting very sick of fish.
Sombra didn't know who that rainbow pony had been. Scootaloo did though. She had practically broken into the hospital to make sure Sombra was ok, which he secretly respected. It took a lot of balls to do something like that. She reminded him of an orange and purple dragon called Jasper. She was a lot more crazy, and Sombra had only met her a very few times, but she had been very friendly.
Sombra had met crazier. A Draconequus for example. Well, she was half Draconequus and half changeling. Arisu. She was very odd, mumbling about space, ships that sail through stars, Kling-somethings, and so on. Draconequus were all strange creatures. Nobody could fully understand them. They just assumed that she invented a different reality for her mind.
The room Sombra was in had a window. It wasn't anything special. The magic enchantments on it didn't impress him. The enchanter would feel safer if he didn't dissolve their work. They may even feel like they were stronger than he was. If that became the case, they might become arrogant. He'd discovered that when someone believed they were in complete control, they showed what was under their mask.
Silver Stream taught something to Sombra that he would never forget. Don't judge people by how they treat their equals, but by how they treat their inferiors.
There was a bed that was larger than before, which he liked. He had to squeeze into the other one. It looked like a cats bed, mostly because of its circular shape. It felt more comfortable to be curled up than lying straight. There was a bookcase of books he was going to read when he got around to it. And there were art supplies. They probably didn't know what he liked to do so they just gave him anything that he could waste time on.
On the wall next to the door, there was a mirror. Now, Sombra wasn't an idiot. He knew it was a window disguised as a mirror. It was so obvious that the blind could see it, no offense to Snow Drop. Whatever happened to her? Probably dead from old age, but he liked that mare. She, and the Wendigo's, really hit it off.
There was something else, something Sombra hadn't figured out yet. There was a black screen facing the new bed they had gotten him. He didn't know what it was and was a little hesitant at trying to find out. Next to his bed was a small black box with buttons on it, but he didn't know what that was either. Best to leave it alone until somepony explained it to him.
He heard his door open, but he didn't face whoever came inside. He recognized this magical energy. It was the mare who had freed that abomination called a heart.
"Sombra." He could practically hear the arrogance in her voice. Those enchantments were probably her most powerful, making Sombra a little disappointed.
His ears twitched up as he heard the sound of shuffling wings. So Celestia had made another abomination? How quaint. Celestia was weak, a fact he came to exploit during their battles. She had a lot of raw power, but she was too lazy to harness it. Most of that power was just so that she could move the sun. Sombra had no respect for a coward who hid behind her little sister and sent *underage* mares to clean up her mess.
"I don't think he likes you." Sombra looked at the dragon next to her. The dragon smelt like he had just gone through stone-scale, which he found strange. The dragon looked like he was around thirteen or fourteen years old, he should've gone through that stage in his life when he was three. He was underweight, stunted, his baby teeth weren't gone yet, and he was carrying a scroll and quill. He'd seen this before.
Ponies kept dragons underfed and stunted their growth to keep them from getting too big. When dragons were as small as this one was, they couldn't produce real fire. Instead, they released a pseudo-fire. You could tell a dragon's fire glands were underdeveloped because their flames were tinted green. Ponies enchanted the fake fire to send messages to others. It was despicable. It also made them infertile because the fire glands affected testosterone production.
"He's at least paying attention to you." Sombra looked into the mares moderate violet eyes, disgust written all over his face. "Starlight doesn't know why he snapped. The Doctors on the other hoof think that Sombra remembered something and it triggered a flashback or something." Spike shrugged, writing it down anyway. "Nopony got hurt, but that might not be the case next time. We don't know how dangerous he is or when he'll snap again." He was right there, and she was talking as if he wasn't in the same room. Her arrogance was astounding.
"Don't ponies get flashbacks if they go through something traumatic?" Spike wasn't sure what he should do. Scootaloo and Starlight both said that Sombra was dealing with a lot of mental scars. The Doctors agreed with them, stating that it was best that Sombra was allowed time to adjust to his new situation. Twilight thought all of it was a facade and had come for answers. Spike had agreed with her. But after seeing Sombra's scars for himself, Spike wasn't as sure was before.
"Sombra isn't a pony Spike. We don't know how his mind works." Sombra felt insulted. Why? He had heard much worse, but this was what made him feel bad? It was probably left over feelings from Lapis. "Scootaloo said that he's an Umbrum. I've tried searching for it, but I haven't found it anywhere."
"I'm the only one." He didn't want her to slander his species. It was bad enough she had a slave. "The rest of the Umbrum have been sealed away, and I don't know how to free them yet." Sombra didn't like thinking about it. Was his father alive? Did he have a family? He wouldn't know until he freed his people. It made him anxious just thinking about it.
"If the Umbrum are sealed, then how are you here?"
Sombra glared at her viciously. He didn't want to answer that question. He didn't even want to think about it. Armadura de Estrella, a mare Sombra never got the chance to meet. He wished he did. Silver Stream had only known her for a day or two, so she was a complete mystery to him. Nobody knew her. She was just a name to him. He didn't even know her face.
"My mother escaped while heavily pregnant with me. She hid inside a cave where a pegasus called Silver Stream found her. He looked after her until she gave birth to me. I wasn't even ten minutes old when your kind came and slaughtered her." He was struggling to keep his rage under control. He needed to be in control. He wouldn't insult her memory by lashing out. "I was taken. And I have been a slave since."
Sombra didn't have physical shackles anymore, but the emotional and mental ones were still on tight. He was willing to admit he was afraid. He was scared to face what he had been hiding and burying for decades. He wasn't ready to face his demons, not yet. What happened to him didn't matter, not until he got his revenge. Not until he got *their* revenge.
"A slave?" Twilight was surprised. It was the other way around. Sombra enslaved the crystal ponies, and they didn't do a thing to him. "How could you be a slave? You took over the Crystal Empire!"
"Aren't you the same mare who thought she had killed me but didn't bat an eye? You could have been a murderer, and yet you aren't bothered by that." He inwardly grinned when he caught her off guard. "Who told you I was the bad guy? Celestia. Who told Celestia I was the bad guy? The Crystal Ponies. I'm not the hero of this story, but I'm also not the villain." He climbed down from his bed and towered over the alicorn. "Do you know who you're defending? Whose side you're taking? Are you willing to listen? Or are you ignoring the truth because of your personal bias?"
"Y-You don't have any evidence!" Twilight felt that something was wrong. Sombra wasn't telling the truth, he had to be lying. He was the villain, but why did he make such a strong point? She thought she had defeated him, that she had rid the world of another evil. Twilight had killed him, or she believed that she had. She didn't feel upset over the idea. Twilight felt proud. She felt pride in killing another.
Sombra's inward grin widened. He had her. For her to listen to him, he needed to block her mind from personal bias. Acknowledging that she felt pride in murder may have been harsh, but it was the tool he needed. She had family in the empire. She couldn't process the thought that they were in a world of monsters.
It was a little sad how ponies didn't seem to understand that they weren't on the top of the food chain. They controlled the weather, they controlled fauna, but they didn't control nature. He was the predator, and she was the prey. It was something that she needed to understand. It didn't make Sombra better than her, nor did it make her better than him, but it had gotten into ponies minds that they could try and change that.
The ponies had been too controlling for centuries. Nature sent many creatures to prove that ponies weren't on top, but they didn't learn their lesson. Wendigo, Centaurs, Sirens, they hadn't been enough. Not even a Draconequus was enough. But what about the Umbrum? He had enough magic to go hoof to hoof with a Draconequus, something even the ponies couldn't do. He had fought Celestia and Luna, survived the darkest of the dark and had beaten all odds. If he had a purpose in this miserable life, perhaps it was to knock these fools from their self-made pillar.
"Where is your evidence that they *haven't* committed atrocities?" He was starting to lose control of his anger. He needed to keep it in check before he'd do something he would regret. It wasn't beneficial to think like that. His mind wandered to dark places when his emotions weren't in check.
"Where's yours?" Asked the little dragon. Sombra took his vicious gaze and looked at Spike with a softer expression. The dragon was pony raised. He probably didn't understand anything about his species. Sombra could relate to that. He'd never met his parents, and probably never would. Similar to this little dragon.
"You shouldn't ask questions you don't want the answer to." Sombra frowned, looking at the dragon's wings. "I'm sorry." Spike looked at him, confused. Why was Sombra apologizing to him? "I've known dragons for most of my life, little one. What you have gone through is called De-Spicing." Spike blinked at the word. De-Spicing? What was that? "A pony takes you in as an egg and raises you like a slave. You're fed only gems to keep you underweight, small, and manageable. Your fire glands never grow, keeping your fire green and useful. You never reach proper puberty because those glands produce testosterone, their underdevelopment keeps you docile and infertile. You're a eunuch, a servant who will forever be small and will never be a parent. For that, I'm sorry."
If not for his regenerative abilities, he would be in the same boat. It depressed him. Sombra had evidence, but it was unfair to give it to them. He'd have to share a memory with the mare, and he doubted she would be able to withstand it. He didn't want to protect her, but she didn't deserve what he had seen. She was arrogant, but she wasn't even aware of it. Did she deserve to be punished for that? Maybe not. Sombra wasn't supposed to take out his anger on ponies who didn't do anything.
But this mare wasn't innocent in this twisted tale of misery.
"I... What?" Sombra didn't give the dragon pity. That would be cruel. The dragon had just learned that he wasn't going to be like the rest of his kin, Sombra was going to give him time. If he let it rule him, then Sombra would live with the guilt that he broke the drake. If he lived on despite it, Sombra would have respect for him. Not many could handle the sour taste of the truth. "That has to be a lie!"
"Truth is a particularly sour lemon. Some handle it better than others." Twilight scowled, ordering the dragon to leave them alone. Spike didn't argue. He left the room, frustrated and confused. "What a nice slave you have." Twilight glared at the much bigger stallion, rage in her eyes. His inward smile grew again. She was becoming conflicted, wasn't she? He knew more about dragons than she did, so she didn't know how to argue. She had no proof that Sombra was lying. He shouldn't be enjoying this.
But he was.
"What in the hay was that!" Twilight shouted, rage thrumming throughout her very being. Sombra was a monster. He had mentally attacked Spike, a dragon who shouldn't have been near such scum in the first place. Twilight pressed her muzzle against his, having to beat her wings to be able to do so. "Why did you do that!? Spike didn't do anything to you!"
"I'm not the one who de-spiced that young dragon." There was something Sombra had learned from his many arguments. If you were quiet or if you remained calm, it made your opponent even more furious. He didn't know why, but it was fascinating to him. "Mare, I advise that you get out of my face. It isn't wise for a sheep to butt heads with a wolf." He grinned, deliberately showing all of his carnivorous teeth. "And this lion hasn't had sheep in a long time."
Twilight flew backward and landed, surprised. Sombra was a carnivore. There wasn't a herbivorous tooth in sight. He was far more dangerous than he was before. He said everything as a matter of fact. He stood proudly, holding his head high and locking his gaze with hers. He was a very intimidating sight. But Twilight was stronger than before. She could defeat him.
"I haven't done anything to Spike," Twilight said adamantly.
"What do you know about dragons?" Twilight didn't have much of an answer. Despite building relations with the Dragon Lands, the dragons were very reluctant to give away anything about them. It was frustrating, but the bridge they had built was fragile and flammable. They needed to progress at the dragons pace so that the bridge could be stronger in the future. "I have been raised by them, and around them. Ask the dragons about me, and you'll hear the same thing I'm telling you. The Crystal Empire evil."
"You have connections to the dragons?" Twilight scoffed, not believing what she was hearing.
"I have connections to many of the non-pony cultures." Sombra smiled as he sat down. He was still taller than Twilight, but at least they were eye to eye now. "Ask any of them. They'll tell you the same thing." Twilight glared, but she didn't know what to say. There was something she could do though.
"If you aren't going to tell me, then I'm going to have to force it out of you." Sombra rose a brow at the mare. Uh-huh. This mare, whose name he didn't have yet, was going to force him to talk. Even the Empire didn't manage to do that. "I'm a lot stronger than I was before. I'm an Alicorn. I can defeat you if you resist me."
"Sweetheart, I don't even know your name. The fact you're a goat with wings doesn't mean a thing to me." Sombra closed his eyes. Purple smoke started to flow from them as his breathing calmed. "You're nothing compared to me. You're just a unicorn with wings who has to rely on magical trinkets to overcome her enemies." His eyes opened, becoming the only source of light in the abyss of darkness. "I, on the other hand, have overcome the impossible on my own." Yes, he had many friends in the beginning, but they weren't here anymore. Not physically at least. "I have studied with Scorpan, Starswirl, Catrina, Quietus the Wendigo King, even Grogar himself. I have over one thousand years of practice, experience, and knowledge. What do you have?"
Sombra most benefitted from Quietus and Scorpan, the others, on the other hand, had their issues. Starswirl was alright, but Sombra quickly surpassed him. And a lot of his spells were from Scorpan anyway. Catrina was a backstabber. Literally. After learning some of her potions, she tried to kill him with a poisoned dagger. She had failed, but he didn't take it out on her. She had taught him alchemy after all.
And Grogar?
Grogar was both a mistake and a blessing. He taught Sombra a lot of magic, but a lot of them weren't worth the trouble. Necromancy, for instance. Sombra was capable of it. He could raise the dead, but after seeing Grogar do it, Sombra didn't want to. That goat was nothing but trouble. Even so, a couple of Grogar's spells proved to be invaluable. Many required something in equal exchange, similar to alchemy, but was a lot darker. While his magic was gut-wrenching, Grogar was honest. He twisted words, but he never told a lie. Sombra was more afraid of that than his magic.
" Remember this Sombra. The game of life is not chess but is cards. Everyone has a part to play, and there are many variations of that part. It is about strategy, patience, and luck. The trick is being able to count the cards and keep a few secret aces, and it's wise to keep at least one ace hidden at all times. Losing a few rounds of the game can be just as important as winning them. You learn your opponent's style. You lose a few battles, but you learn how to win the war."
That goat terrified him.
Twilight could breathe, but it didn't feel like it. Sombra was right. He had a lot more than she did, and was easily proving it. There was so much magic around her that she could taste it. He claimed to have studied with some of the most powerful beings in Equestrian history.
Twilight hadn't heard of Catrina, but she must be important. She didn't know that the Wendigo was still around, let alone there being a king of them. Twilight couldn't believe that Starswirl or Scorpan would associate with Sombra, and she could prove his lies by talking to Starswirl himself.
But then he had mentioned a name that froze her soul. Grogar. A goat that had cemented himself in legends for being one of the most powerful monsters alive. He was the only known necromantic, and one of the very few who had achieved immortality. He was so evil that he didn't see pony kind as anything more than ants and ignored them. It was both an insult and a blessing.
"What monster doesn't work for Grogar?" She said nastily.
"I never said I worked for him." Then it was all gone as if it hadn't been there. Twilight tried her hardest not to show the amount of fear that was inside of her, but it was proving difficult. Sombra could see she was afraid. That was enough for him. She was just an arrogant pony who didn't know anything. She didn't deserve to know the details of his life. "I'm not going to show you my nightmares. I'm not petty enough to burden you... Not that you could comprehend them. As a species with a superiority complex, it's only natural that you cannot accept that you're capable of things like de-spicing."
Sombra felt confused, angry, disgusted and other things. He needed to be alone to lock all of these feelings away, not let him work himself up. His emotions were dangerous. If Sombra didn't have control, then he could do some serious harm. He would release his centuries of anguish onto those who deserved it, not ponies who weren't involved. Sombra needed to make the mare go away so he could fix himself.
"You're just confusing me!" She shouted, irritated beyond belief. How could he be so annoying? And have so many good points even if she didn't believe them? "And by the way, my name is Twilight. Princess Twilight Sparkle!"
"Princess of what exactly?" He questioned. If Twilight said that she was Princess of candles, it'd be more impressive than the other three. Celestia of cakes, Luna of self-pitying and Pinkie the Javelin. He didn't know her name and didn't care.
"I'm the Princess of Friendship!" Twilight said proudly. "If you accept the magic of friendship, maybe you wouldn't be so evil." Sombra's eye twitched, his seal on his anger breaking. "That's it, isn't it? You're envious of us. We have friends everywhere, and you have nopony." There was a line. And it had been crossed. Sombra stood up and pushed his face into hers, rage filling his eyes. A primal growl emanated from his chest and vibrated through her body,
"You know *nothing*!" He snapped. His horn bubbled with dark magic, preparing a spell without even thinking of it. "But I'll show you..." It took a lot to make him snap, and not many lived to tell the tale.
Twilight blinked and found herself in the Crystal Empire. What had happened? Where was Sombra? Why had he snapped like that? Was she right? She must have been. It probably wasn't a good idea to poke the bear as hard as she had. But Twilight knew she was right. Whatever nightmare Sombra was going to throw at her, she could easily beat it. Well, maybe not. He was a lot more powerful than she was. But she was the Element of Magic. She shouldn't let him get to her.
"What a load of wendigo shit," said a young voice. Twilight turned around, and her eyes widened. It was Grover, the legendary King of the Griffins. He was a chick, probably only nine years old. "How can Glitter Shitter expect me to wash her Yeti? She feeds Ateus to that monster!" He was talking to a small dragon around Spike's height. He looked like another Spike, only he was white and blue and had a fin atop his head that covered his left eye.
"I like that. Glitter Shitter." Twilight blinked when a colt walked up to the two. He looked like he was a year or two younger than Grover. He had a grey coat, a flaming black mane, and dual-colored eyes, along with a red horn. "She's gotten worse over the years. I think it's because her husband cheated on her with Neat Beryl. As you can see, she's venting." The little colt was Sombra, and he had a foul-smelling substance covering him.
"Damn Som, you got into the shit pit again?" The little dragon's voice made him sound like he was thirty or older. "Neat Beryl is such a bitch. Glitter Wind and herself have been fighting over that player for years, and instead of growing a pair, they take everything out on us." Grover walked over and patted Sombra on the back, trying to comfort him. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up. You stink."
"No shit," Sombra sighed as he followed the small dragon. Grover chuckled, covering him with a wing. Sombra silently thanked him for it. "I'm going to be the butt of all jokes now, aren't I?" Gover grinned at him.
"Nah, you're just where those jokes land," Grover cackled, tightening his grip on the colt. Sombra rolled his eyes, unable to help but chuckle. Vapor joined them, unable to resist their infectious joy.
Twilight was wrong. Sombra used to have friends. And that dragon which looked just like Spike gave evidence to what he had called de-spicing. Sombra kept showing that he wasn't lying, but she couldn't believe him. Could she? Twilight had to resist him. She couldn't let him beat her. Twilight was the Princess of Friendship, she had earned her wings, and she was going to resist his dark magic.
Twilight wasn't moving, but she was forced to be by their side. Grover and Sombra joked more with one another, the small dragon laughing along. The two reminded Twilight of Shining Armor and herself when they were young. Grover looked like he was a year older than Sombra, making him the big brother. She might not go as far as dirtying herself for the sake of a younger sibling, but she could relate.
"Sombra!" shouted a thick Trottish accent. Twilight watched as an old Pegasus raced to the little colt, rage in his mesmerizingly green eyes. His entire color scheme was dark or light grey, save for his dark brown Stetson hat and shining silver streak in his mane and tail. Either Twilight was going mad, but his feathers had a silver tint to them as well. " I've been looking for you for hours! Where in Tophet's ass have you been!?"
"Neat Beryl threw him in the shit pit again," Vapor sighed with a frown. "And with cholera going around, I'm surprised the little shit didn't drown." Sombra glared at the older drake who merely smirked at him. "All jokes aside, he's gonna get sick soon. If he isn't already."
"Did the wee bastard have any open wounds when he got pushed in?" The stallion asked. Despite having a thick accent, Twilight could hear the concern in his voice. "Bloody hell laddie, you're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days. And I doubt Jupiter Ballad could raise a plant let alone you." The stallion picked up Sombra and put him on his back, raising his wings so Sombra wouldn't fall off. "Now, were you hurt before you went in?"
"I..." The colt shivered. "Neat Beryl brought Shining Tanzanite and The Red Monster over..."
"R.C?" Vapor hissed. "Silver Stream, you better check for *the other* kind of hurt." The Pegasus scowled, his beautiful eyes narrowing viciously. "Grover, you go with them. I'm going to the stables. I'm gonna make sure everyone has heard about this." The stallion nodded. He watched as the dragon walked away, then he headed home.
Twilight didn't get to see where the dragon went. She was being pulled to stay with the Pegasus stallion called Silver Stream. Odd? Twilight had a hippogriff with that name. Sombra was very hateful towards ponies, but this one was a friend of his. She still didn't understand how Sombra and Grover could be friends. The chick and the colt acted as if they had known each other their whole lives. Since Grover was a legend amongst griffins, that meant the whole of Griffinstone would take Sombra's side against Equestria.
As Twilight looked around, she saw many more creatures. She saw changelings, griffins, a zebra, dragons, and more. None of them were happy. Most of them were in chains, and they ranged from under three to the elderly. All of them were slaves. The ponies on the other hoof looked like they were from Canterlot. They were beautiful, clean, and didn't bat an eye at the misery around them. A lot of the slaves had injuries on them, both old and new.
To the Princess' amazement, she saw a Haetae. He was only a cub, barely older than four years of age. Twilight had read about them, but she had never seen one before. His front half was a lion, and his other was equine. It was a beautiful white color. He was following a mare that Twilight recognized. Autumn Gem. Twilight had interviewed that mare the first time she went to the Crystal Empire.
The Haetae was carrying a bag too big for him, and he dropped it on the floor. Autumn Gem turned around and, to Twilight's horror, kicked him in the face with a hind leg for it. Nopony said anything. He just got to his feet, picked the bag back up and followed her, a bruise forming around his left eye. She'd hurt him for little to no reason, but nopony cared. A stallion even nodded in approval to her.
"Listen, laddie," Silver Stream started, secretly glaring at Autumn Gem. "I donae want you tae go near that mare. She isnae in her right mind. Especially while that red prick is around." Twilight was more focused on that poor little Haetae than whatever the stallion was saying. How could Autumn have done that? He didn't do anything wrong, but she hurt him anyway. It wasn't necessary, but she did it.
"How?" The colt asked, his ears flat against his waving black mane. "Neat Beryl bought me. If I stay away, you'll get in trouble."
"You could give me one of those laxatives, and I couldnae give a shit. Your ma, rest her soul, wouldnae want her only son tae suffer because of a delusional mare." She wouldn't want him anywhere near this place if she had anything to say about it. But she was dead. She didn't deserve to die, but at least she managed to hold onto her little one before she left. Silver regretted not asking more about her. All he knew was her name, Armadura de Estrella. Silver wished that he could tell her that her son was in good care, but he wasn't much for lying.
"If you haven't noticed, Sil, everypony here is delusional. Sad to say that includes you. You think that you can make a difference, but that's as likely as the gods giving a damn about us. By the way, what even are the gods? Ponies babble about the Pantheon all the time, but even Krazius doesn't know much about them. And he's a massive egghead." Twilight then drew her attention to the little griffin. What Pantheon? What gods? She had never heard of any of this before.
"They're a bunch of deities that sit on their flanks all day. If they're real, they should be fired and replaced." Grover shrugged. "Aye, they're most likely tae be like politicians. Those twats are closely related tae diapers, y'know. Both need tae be changed regularly for the same reason."
Silver Stream reminded Twilight of the one-legged Doctor at Ponyville Hospital. Only this stallion had all his legs, wings, and a thick accent. He appeared to be acting like a parent. That would explain why Sombra was so relaxed around the Doctor. She followed them outside of the city and into a small house just in the outskirts. Silver Stream walked inside first, then held the door open for Grover.
Twilight didn't want to believe. But how can she deny what she was seeing? There was too much detail for it to be made up. She could feel that something was wrong. But what? Silver Stream and Sombra went into what she assumed was a bathroom and followed. It was very primitive compared to Equestria, but she was expecting that. The thought that Sombra was playing a game with her still lingered, but it seemed less likely. It wasn't impossible, but when she looked into his rage-filled eyes, he didn't appear conscious of what he was doing. She'd never heard of somepony making a spell like this in a fit of unconscious anger before.
Then again, he wasn't a pony, was he?
"Why do they hate us...?" whispered the small colt. Silver pressed a rune stone, watching water fill the crystal tub. Silver didn't have an answer because he didn't know. As far as he knew, there wasn't a reason. Silver Stream didn't want to leave the colt's question unanswered though. He deserved more than that. They all deserved more than this.
"I donae know lad. I wish I did." Sombra watched the water rise, his ears still flat against his head. "Maybe it's because they're afraid of you? Maybe it's because they want control over nature? Ach. I donae know. I doubt I ever will." When Silver felt that there was enough water in the tub, he walked to a little door on the ground and kicked it. "Wake up ye useless bag of scales. Time tae dae your one job."
Silver confused Twilight. He certainly sounded like a horrible pony, but he wasn't. He stepped back as a small dragon crawled from the small door wearing a grumpy expression on his face. The dragon was a wyvern. He was a peachy shade of orange with a golden underbelly. His eyes looked like magma, and his expression matched. The dragon sucked in a breath and then breathed a blue-tinted flame onto the coal. It immediately set on fire, steam already flowing from the water.
"Sil, I can't wait for the day I burn you from grey to black. The mere idea helps me sleep at night." He had a deep voice as well, further proving what Sombra had called De-Spicing. "Hey, where's my pay?" The dragon asked grumpily, glaring into Silver's eyes.
"I should turn you into some dragon skinned boots." The dragon rolled his eyes and went back. Twilight knelt down and saw that the small door led into a small room that looked like a tiny bedroom. He lived here. "Ach, nevermind Dusty. He's an asshole but has some damn good fire." Silver Stream lowered a wing, testing the water. "And knows how not tae turn the water scoldin' hot." He nudged the small colt into the water, the clear water changing color almost instantly.
"Where's Jupiter?" Twilight now paid attention to Silver and Sombra. Now that the colt was wet, he looked a lot smaller than before. Instead of eight, he looked six or five and looked thinner. Was his fur that thick? "I didn't see him when we walked inside. I..." He paused for a few moments. "I wanna learn more magic."
"Jupiter is treating some of the other Ateus. Burning Citrine wanted a bonfire today. Donae worry lad. Most of 'em survived." Sombra looked down, feeling a shiver go down his spine when Silver mentioned the name. Burning Citrine had a fetish for fire. He set fire to Ateus for fun. There was also a rumor that he was a cannibal, surprising nobody. "Close your eyes lad. I'm gettin' the bucket."
Silver Stream pulled a bucket, scooped some water and dumped it over Sombra. The water around him turned dark as the substance started to slide from his coat. Twilight sat down, watching. The colt was a lot thinner than he had looked earlier. Silver took a bottle from a shelf and poured it on the colt's back, rubbing it in like soap. As the muck disappeared, injuries both old and new appeared.
On his back, Twilight saw raw whip marks. Silver didn't look surprised, but he was still irritated. He rubbed the lotion into Sombra's coat, being careful to avoid his wounds. Now he wasn't dirty, Twilight could see more scars. Even a few bruises thick enough to appear through his thick coat. He looked half the size of Grover now, a small colt with far too much damage to his little body. Silver sighed, silently asking what had caused this. The colt shivered but answered.
"I had to rearrange Neat Beryl's family room to make it presentable. But when they came, I was still trying to move her couch." His ears dropped even further in shame. "She got angry at me. Tanzanite got a whip and... well, you can see what he did." Silver scowled. "I didn't mean to be late!" He said quickly, shivering. "It was too heavy for me. That's not my fault, is it?" His voice was breaking her. She didn't want to watch anymore, but she couldn't leave the room. She was made to watch and listen.
"No, it isnae. That wench shouldnae have whipped you or kicked you in the shit pit. You're gonna get an infection again." Silver was disgusted. He'd brought this colt into a world of pain and misery, and he regretted it every day. "Now, you said the monster was there. What did he do?" The colt stiffened. "Lad, I cannae help you if I donae know." Silver's face grew somber, sadness in his emerald eyes. "Did it happen again?" Sombra's own filled with water and dropped into the dirty water around him. It was all Silver needed. He put his forelegs around the colt and held on tightly, trying his best to control his anger.
Twilight didn't understand. How could she? She had heard that Sombra was dealing with a lot of personal problems, but none to this extent. How could he have faked this? It wasn't possible. Silver Stream was odd. But his love could not be faked.
When Twilight compared her life to his, she didn't feel proud anymore. She hadn't suffered any of the hardships he had. She had an alicorn as a foalsitter. She lived in Canterlot, a place so wealthy that a cookie was ten bits each. She'd gone to the very best school in the country. She'd gotten to live inside of the royal castle. Her teacher was the Princess of Equestria. The Tree of Harmony gave Twilight friends. She had been given wings, along with the title of princess, but didn't do anything with it. A meaningless title. At this age, Twilight was sleeping with Celestia because she was scared that there was a monster in her closet.
Sombra didn't have any of that. It made a lot of her accomplishments feel worthless. Here he was, covered in pony muck and being hugged by one of the few ponies in his life that didn't want to hurt him. If she had been in his place, she didn't know if she'd be able to survive. But he had. He had gone through hell and was still standing.
"Hey, Som?"
Twilight's train of thought fell off the rails when Grover spoke up. She looked at the Griffin, a cheerful expression on his face. The small griffin was smiling, but she could see in his eyes that he was just as sad. He was hiding his misery for Sombra's sake. It was like the time Shining Armor got dumped by his first marefriend. He put on a cheery face around Twilight so she wouldn't be sad, but was crying on the inside.
"Not now laddie," Silver said softly. Grover nodded and slowly backed away. Before he left the room, he put a small parcel on the floor. Silver could feel the shivering form in his forelegs grow limper by the moment, the exhaustion of the day claiming him. He slowly pulled a towel from the wall and wrapped it around the colt, then nested him on his back. He bit onto the parcel and carried it out of the room.
Twilight watched him put it on a coffee table, then walk into a different room. She didn't have anything to say. What was there to say? Grover walked into the bathroom, likely to go and clean himself. Or talk to Dusty the grumpy dragon. Twilight walked towards the door, watching as the stallion put the colt into bed. It was a crate with pillows and blankets stuffed inside, so it was less a bed and more a draw. Silver took his hat off and put it on the half-asleep colt, kissed his forehead and then left the room.
Silver Stream looked at the parcel and then opened it. It was a cupcake. Grover walked from the bathroom, his feathers dripping wet. Silver looked at him with a raised brow. Twilight also wanted to know where it had come from, and how Grover had gotten it.
"The word about Ruby Court spread quickly. Stinger and Chrissy managed to steal that from Neat Beryl. Who is currently fighting with Glitter Wind about it." Twilight become worried. What would happen if they got caught? Their punishments were very brutal here. They might even die if they got caught, but they risked their lives anyway. They could have died over stealing a cupcake. "I can't have my little brother being this sad, can I?" Grover said proudly, tucking his wings against his body. It took a lot for Twilight to remember that he was only nine. He acted a lot older than that, but then again, you had to mature fast in a world like this.
"Aye," Silver smiled. "Ye better be getting back to Morning Morganite. That old bastard is gonna beat you with his cane if he doesnae find ye." Grover nodded, waved, then he left. Now he was alone, Silver sat on his couch, put his hooves to his face, and broke down crying. Twilight glanced at the door he'd just walked from, seeing a little red eye peeking through a gap. It too was watered.
She felt like crying as well. Silver Stream was Sombra's acting father, and he couldn't protect him. It was probably destroying him on the inside. It was hurting her as well. Compared to this, she didn't feel like she was right to stake a claim to anything. Would Rarity risk her life to steal a cupcake? Would her friends risk torture to try to make her day a little brighter? She doubted it.
Then it was over. Twilight was back in the hospital room looking into the eyes of a fully grown Sombra. He looked like he was seconds from breaking down, and she felt the same. Everything she ever had or ever gained felt worthless. Twilight gave a silent apology, turned around, and left the room. She didn't know if Spike had followed her, and deep down, she hoped he didn't. She didn't want to look at him knowing what she'd done.
Now Twilight had seen the truth, she just wanted to curl up in her bed, and never wake up. She hadn't even experienced what they had felt, but it still hurt her. Grover was only a year older than Sombra, but he acted like he was ten years his senior. He had so much love for his brother that he gave him a gift that could've cost him his life. Stinger and Chrissy would be in danger as well, but it felt more personal with Grover.
Twilight hadn't realized that she'd walked all the way from Ponyville hospital to the castle until she walked into a door. Twilight opened it, then headed for her room. Twilight then noticed that Spike was trying to get her attention. Spike, the dragon who's life she had ruined. He was asking many questions, all going in one ear and out the other.
"I'm sorry Spike," Twilight said, depression heavy in her tone. The dragon blinked when water started to trickle from her eyes. She opened her bedroom door, walking inside slowly. She locked Spike outside and climbed into her bed, hiding under the covers. "I don't know anything..."
Author's Note
My god is Grammarly demanding!
A big thank you to everyone who has stuck with me so far. Your advice and your likes are a massive help!
Twilight didn't get out of bed for breakfast. She wasn't able to sleep, not after seeing that. She wanted to know more about Silver Stream, a stallion who probably died defending his son. She wanted to know more about the Ateus, more about the twisted monsters who brought shame on her kind.
How did he do it? How did Sombra grow from that malnourished little colt into the beast of a stallion he was now? Twilight couldn't have done that. She doubted any of her friends could. If she had survived what he had, she'd want revenge against the entire species. Sombra was stronger than that. He didn't attack them, didn't blame them for everything that happened, and he even saved a filly's life when he didn't have to. He was working with two doctors to try and figure out why the male birthrate was so low, either directly or indirectly helping pony kind. She couldn't do that.
She wanted to know. But she couldn't ask. Twilight didn't want to look at his face. In her mind, Sombra was a small colt crying in his father's forelegs. His entire world out to hurt him save for that one spot against his father's chest. How he'd grown from that to what he was now she didn't know. He'd studied magic with the greatest in history, he knew more about Ateus than all of Equestria and was strong enough to be tolerant of his tormentors.
"Twilight?" Her chest tightened. Spike was worried about her, but he shouldn't be. She couldn't handle the guilt she was feeling. "Twilight, let me in. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong." Silver Stream had said something similar, and it forced the scene back into her vision. She didn't want to see it, but she envied it as well.
It had been a mistake. That mare, Twilight, shouldn't have seen anything. He hadn't meant to snap. When he'd gained enough control to end the memory link, she'd lost some of her colors. From what he understood, that was a bad thing. Ponies, no matter how much an eyesore, were naturally pastel. If they weren't, then it meant that something was wrong.
He couldn't do anything about it either. He couldn't just walk through town. Or could he? The door to his abode wasn't locked, and knowing equine princesses as well as he did, she probably lived in a castle. One with poor taste. He didn't even need to walk. He could turn into a shadow, or better yet, transport himself into the shadow zone. It wasn't a pretty sight, but Sombra could handle it.
Sombra stood in the middle of his room, his horn bubbling with dark magic. Runes appeared on the floor, then merged into a black pool. It looked like liquid onyx and smelt like the cherries for some odd reason. He took a deep breath and walked in. It was only a few seconds, but it felt a lot longer. When he was in the shadow zone, he climbed out of the pool that disappeared behind him.
The air was foul and rotten, yet still smelt of cherries. The shadow zone was a perfect replica of the light zone, but it had very different inhabitants. In this place, dark magic ruled. In this place, Grogar replaced Celestia. The goat probably knew that Sombra was here, but the goat was probably only going to watch him. And besides, there were a lot more things to worry about than his old teacher.
Nightmare Forces. Skiadigo. Gorgons. Poltergeist. Scylla. Ophiotaurus. Erinyes. Dybbuk. Rakshasa. Ifrits. Pishacha. Chupacabra. Ningen. Those were just a few creatures Sombra knew were native to this mirror dimension. There were also the rotting souls of those who were banished here. These creatures didn't have dark magic like Sombra. As he was a living shadow, he was immune to a lot of the *toxins* here. Those toxins mutated creatures from the light zone.
If a pony came here, they would melt into a disfigured monster that would never die. And would be left in pure agony. Maybe Sombra should send the Crystal Empire here? That would be good. It reminded him of something Grogar once said.
" The longer they live, the longer they suffer."
His eyes narrowed, and a toothy grin appeared on his muzzle. That was what he was going to do. He'd banish the empire into the Shadow Zone. Grogar would be very happy to test spells on them. Everyone won in this scenario. Now that he had an idea of how he was going to get revenge, Sombra could walk to Twilight's house. It would be wise to avoid walking through the hospital, so Sombra opened the window and jumped outside.
Ponyville looked like a ghost town. He expected it to look like this, and he expected there to be some unsavory monsters floating around. A couple of Nightmare Forces were already floating above and around him. They were only curious, and they would be wise to stay that way. The Nightmares weren't dangerous to Sombra. They were, in fact, rather harmless unless they were outside the Shadow Zone.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. Princess Luna, the fool that she was, followed him here once. She was able to resist the toxins because of her dark magic. But that was all. Nightmare Forces swarmed her like piranha to a carcass. Sombra might have helped one of them worm its way inside of her, but he wasn't admitting nor denying it. When Sombra learned about Nightmare Moon, he swelled with pride. Once a Nightmare Force was inside of you, you could never get rid of it. They merged with your soul, and they became the demon on your shoulder.
As long as you were a creature of darkness, they couldn't hurt you. Sombra cackled, pleased that he had already passed his revenge on Luna. When he got the chance to shove it in her face, her reaction would be all the better. It was amusing to know that Sombra could unleash a whole horde of Nightmares on Equestria, but he wouldn't. But he doubted they would believe him.
When Sombra got his revenge, they wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. They had nothing to fear from him. After the empire was gone, he didn't plan on sticking around. Sombra saw a large crystal castle and correctly guessed that it was Twilight's. What was it with ponies and crystals?
Suddenly the Nightmare Forces scattered like frightened fish in a river. Sombra hadn't seen them act like that before, not unless a certain someone was nearby. His hearts quickened when he smelt cinnamon. Hairs on the back of his neck stood on end when he felt a familiar presence.
"Ah. Sombra, it is so good to see you again." Grogar was here. Sombra turned around and was eye to eye with the goat of legend. There wasn't a living or dead thing that didn't know Grogar's appearance. Sombra suspected the goat implanted his image into everything so he wouldn't have to introduce himself. Lazy, but effective. A faint aura of red flowed from Grogar's piercing red eyes, the color of freshly spilled blood. Sometimes Sombra swore they pulsed like a beating heart. "It's been a while since we last conversed with one another. What brings you to my realm?"
"I'm just passing through," Sombra answered honestly. "I snapped, and a pony saw one of my memories. I'm going to try to fix her before anything happens. I have enough blood on my hooves as is." Grogar smiled. Thanks to his sharp underbite, it made Sombra more nervous than before. There weren't many who could stand hoof to hoof with Sombra in a fight, and Grogar was one of them. Neigh, he was one of the few Sombra wouldn't even try fighting.
"Princess Twilight Abigail Sparkle," He stated calmly. Of course, Grogar knew. He knew almost anything. "She's quite the fascinating mare. I was tempted to take her under my horn, but I couldn't. She's still Celestia's student, and she's very possessive. When Twilight wishes to search for new pastures, my gates will always be open for her." Not only did Sombra have to try to fix her, but had to warn her that she'd caught Grogar's attention. "So, how do you plan on helping her, exactly? Pony minds are very fragile when confronted with the truth." He wasn't sure yet. "True, some handle it better than others. But the same can be said for spicy food."
"I swear you're the embodiment for gluttony." Grogar merely shrugged. The Umbrum shook his head, looking away from the goat. "I... I don't know yet. But I have to try something."
"You don't have to. You want to," Grogar said, his tone as calm as ever. "You have to breathe. You have to eat. You have to sleep. These are all things you *have* to do." Sombra sat down, looking down at his hooves. "You want to avenge your friends and family. You want to be free of the shackles still clinging to your hooves. You want to help Twilight. It's very common for people to muddle *have to* and *want to* when it comes to action. Sometimes, they're one in the same."
"Can you stop? You're not my teacher anymore. I made it very clear."
"The student does not dictate when class ends or starts." Sombra's lips peeled back a little in frustration. "What I am trying to say, is that you often confuse the two. You don't *have* to help Twilight. Just as you didn't *have* to save Scootaloo. You don't *have* to help those two doctors. Those are just recent instances where you have confused having with wanting."
Grogar was as terrifying as he was confusing. When you first met the goat, you'd never think that he was what others said about him. When you thought about evil, you think of a monster. A madman who did everything under the book to torture all there was that existed. They wanted world domination, power, slaves, an empire, and things along those lines. Some books depicted evil as an eye in a tower, a red devil, a politician, a comic book villain and so on.
But Grogar?
He already had the world in his hoof. He already had power. He technically had slaves and an empire of monsters in the Shadow Zone. Grogar was a blue goat necromantic who was addicted to cinnamon and listened to every kind of music there was. He was patient, had standards, and he didn't lie.
Grogar was grey. He has been white, and he has been black. Grogar worked in many shades, some dark and some light. If you gave Grogar two options, he would give you a third. No matter the reason for those options. He also gave good advice. Sometimes Grogar would give a lecture, a speech, a saying or a quote. You never knew what you were getting. And you had to be careful what you were asking for because Grogar didn't hold back. If you asked him how best to kill a kitten, he'd tell you to stamp on its head. He'd say that with a straight face.
Once, Sombra had asked Grogar why people defended villains? Grogar said seven words in response.
" One man's villain is another man's hero."
"How am I supposed to differentiate the two?" Sombra asked, his ears listening to the goat carefully as he also sat down.
"Pracitice makes perfect, but only if you put in enough effort, and are patient." Grogar didn't lie, but he didn't always give clear answers. "I didn't become master of necromancy in a century, dear student. Things take time. Sometimes they take longer than you wish, but that's something nobody should change."
Grogar also knew time travel magic, that's why he said should and not can. Sombra hadn't seen him use it, but Grogar once listened to a song by someone called PON-3. Ten centuries before she had even been born. If that wasn't time travel, Sombra wasn't sure what was.
"I don't want this to be about me. I'm here to help that mare, not get lectured." Grogar merely raised his brows. "You aren't my teacher anymore. I'm saying that loud and clear."
"It's a little difficult to help others when you don't want to help yourself." Sombra stood up and glared at him. Grogar shrugged it off like water on a duck. "I know you better than you know yourself, Cuervo. I know what you plan on doing after you have succeeded in avenging the fallen Ateus. Know that if you carry it out, I'm going to be there. I doubt I need to explain why." The Umbrum scowled.
"You aren't taking that from me. That's my choice, not yours!"
"What about those other Umbrum?" He'd forgotten about that. Sombra didn't have a way to get to the Umbrum, not while the Empire was as it was. He didn't even know how to get them out. "I'm able to do it, but then your mother would've died for nothing." Sombra's chest tightened as he started to pace. He wanted her death to mean something. He didn't want her death to be in vain, but how? How could he save them? "That little blue wrench in your mediocre machine? That's me."
"Take out the R," the Umbrum groaned, rubbing his eyes. "How am I supposed to help them?"
"Get rid of those pesky equines for starters. If you open a portal, I'd have a field day with them."
"I was planning on sending them here."
"Even better! All the ponies come here, I can have a PonyQ, and you can free your people. Everyone wins!" He didn't bother encouraging the idea. Could he send those ponies here? Sombra had seen what Grogar was able to do. He almost felt bad for the ponies. Almost.
"Good for you." He rolled his eyes. "Back to the Umbrum. How do I help them? I'm not even sure where they are. Not specifically." The goat appeared to be contemplating. Whether or not it was about that PonyQ was anyone's guess.
"Use the Shadow Zone." As if reading Sombra's mind, Grogar continued. "Even after you leave, Nightmare Forces will be following you in the Shadow Zone." He didn't know that. "They're drawn to you, my student, and that's just you on your own. I doubt they will be able to resist herding around their location."
"You've been tracking me." How else could Grogar know this? "How else would you know they follow me?"
"I have a spell that allows me to see a *shadow* of the light zone beings." Grogar's eyes flashed for a millisecond. Then they were surrounded by ghosts. They weren't ghosts, but they were translucent enough to appear to be. "I can watch all I want, and nopony ever notices. An Ateus might be able to sense me, but just barely. You don't because I shield myself from you." That was very disturbing to learn. How long had Grogar been watching him? Did he ever stop after Sombra left? "Draconeqi and Wendigo, and some Zebras are not as easily fooled."
Sombra watched as ponies went about their daily lives. They didn't even know that two of the most powerful magic users were amongst them. Grogar suddenly got up and started walking, so Sombra followed. He had no idea that he could use the Shadow Zone like this. Grogar had much left to teach him, it seemed. Grogar headed for a strange building that looked like a pastry. It was like the Gingerbread House tale that Silver Stream read to him when he was little. Instead of a witch, there was a necromantic inside.
It was a cake shop. Of course. One of these days that goat was going to choke on cinnamon. Grogar was checking the pastries, smelling for cinnamon. Sombra raised a brow at the pink pony rushing around. She looked familiar. He could've sworn he had seen a mare like that before. He couldn't forget such bright colors.
"Are we able to hear what they're saying as well?" Grogar grunted. It was a silent, of course, from the goat. Sombra watched as the pink mare quickly hurried her customers out, but let five ponies inside. An earth pony, two pegasi, and two unicorns. One of which was Starlight Glimmer. "Could you add audio?"
"Next time you ask, say please." When Sombra looked at Grogar, he looked like a blue mutant chipmunk. He couldn't look at him like that, so he decided to pray that there never would be a *next* time. "What? They have the best cinnamon everything in here!"
Sombra sighed but ignored him. He walked to a chair and sat down, watching the mares. His ears twitched in irritation as he tried to figure out what they were saying. They appeared to be irritated and uncertain. Probably because of him. He was very good at becoming the center of attention, even when he didn't want or deserve the spotlight. He was a magnet for attention.
He watched them and watched as they became more and more irritated. Angry, even. Starlight, who he should talk to as well, was trying to stand up for him.
The yellow pegasus appeared to be the timid type, so she respectfully stayed out of the fight. The shy pegasus didn't seem confrontational, but he could see she had a fire inside of her. It was only a few embers, but even a single shining ember could burn down a city. It just needed the right environment to flare to life.
The white one was trying to find neutral ground, which Sombra also respected. She looked to be the aristocratic type, and perhaps materialistic, but she was trying her best not to take sides. That wasn't an easy thing to attempt, let alone do. She was pleasing to the eye, but Icandy can be just as bad as regular candy.
Grogar didn't seem to understand the last part. How he wasn't a blob of blue lard, Sombra never knew.
The pink one made it look like she didn't understand, but you should never underestimate people, especially those who expertly pretended to hide their intelligence. He could tell that she was paying attention. Every now and again, she glanced in Sombra's direction. It appeared that she knew Sombra, or Grogar, was here. Fascinating. She was paying more attention to them than her friends, but only Sombra seemed to notice. She was going to be an interesting one if they got the chance to talk.
Gaypride Fag was a mystery. Well, not really. Scootaloo talked about Rainbow Dash, but Sombra would always call her Gaypride Flag. Anyway, she was harder to decipher. It looked like she was both against him and for him. Whether or not that was good, Sombra wasn't sure and didn't care. If she didn't want to like him, it wasn't going to affect his life. You can't please everybody.
The last one was the apple pony. She had a Stetson hat, so he naturally assumed she was a very grumpy pony. She had taken the role of devil's advocate. He didn't need audio to know what she was saying. Her familiar green eyes and expression were enough to prove that she didn't believe this. Or she did but didn't want to.
"Who are these mares?" Sombra asked quietly, more to himself than anyone else.
"Starlight Glimmer Angelos, Fluttershy Summers, Rarity DeLaCruise, Pinkamina Diane Pie, Rainbow Dash Blitzen, and Apple Jackson Grayson." Those didn't sound like pony names. "Ponies only use their full names on legal documents. They're better known as Starlight Glimmer, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack."
"Why did you tell me their legal names?"
"In case you wanted to learn more about them in the Royal Archives. Celestia has a file made the second a pony is born. That's why I sometimes call her Princess Sun Stalker." Sombra rolled his eyes. He didn't need to know that, but he appreciated the information anyway. "Keep rolling those eyes. Perhaps you'll find a brain back there?"
"What did I do to deserve being insulted like that?"
"You aren't thinking." Sombra glared at the goat. "Now that I have muddied the pond that was your plan, you don't know what to do. After you have avenged your friends, what then? Even after I've given you a reason to not go through with your first plan, you can't comprehend the idea that you can move on. No, not comprehend." The goat paused. "You don't want to accept that it's possible that you can move on."
"Since when were you a psychiatrist?"
"When you've become as old as I, you tend to take every different occupation under the sun as a pass time. I've been a janitor, a space captain, a doctor, a warlord, and a psychiatrist. I've had so many friends and families that I can't possibly name all of them within your lifespan. In many ways, I'm very much qualified to be your psychiatrist." Grogar took a few steps in front of him, grinning. "Also, what kind of teacher would I be if I neglected my student's health?"
"That's a long way of saying that you're old."
"And?"
"And you don't care about my health."
"I wasn't talking about your physical health." A cake suddenly appeared in front of the stallion. One that wasn't from this little pastry shop. The cake was obviously for a carnivore. The biggest give away was that instead of cherries on top it had eyeballs. "Believe what you will, but everyone has the capability of surviving the greatest of trauma. In this era, people are much more knowledgeable about the mind. You'll find someone who'll be able to help you." Sombra sighed, rubbing his eyes. "You're just afraid that you won't know who you are if you do manage to move on. It's natural to fear the future, especially when you didn't plan on having one."
"I would argue with you, but that'd just prove your point further." He felt depressed again. Sombra looked at the fleshy pastry before him, sadness burning his eyes. "My nightmares are a part of me. They make the few good times I've had even better... They fuel me. Who am I without all of this simmering rage inside?" He didn't want an answer to that question, even if there was one.
"That's not for me to decide." That was both an answer and not an answer. It didn't make him feel any better than before. He ate the pastry, his melancholy souring the otherwise sweet taste. "I want to resume lessons with you. It'll be a good outlet for all of that hatred burning inside of you, and there's still much I want to teach you. I don't take students very often, and I don't fancy taking another for a long while."
"What could you want to teach me?" Sombra asked. The pastry had a sweet aftertaste, lifting his mood a little. "I know magic. Dark magic that nearly nobody else knows. A lot of it is only useful if in battle..."
"Perhaps cooking pancakes that don't get up and walk away?" The Umbrum felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "You're in a brand new era! You haven't even looked at the night sky yet. There is so much to see and much more to learn. You can get a job, your own home, make new friends, maybe even start your own family?"
"I can do that?" The goat nodded. "I guess it wouldn't be entirely bad learning more."
"Splendid." Grogar walked to the door, nodding towards it. Sombra got up and followed him, glancing at the arguing mares. They were going to be busy for a while. The goat walked out of the building with confidence, something Sombra tried imitating. Deep down, he was fighting to keep all of his feelings under control. As he had a plethora of them, it wasn't an easy task. "You should cry more often." Sombra looked up at him, confused. "Nobody enjoys crying. Some despise it. It burns, it makes you tired, and you probably won't feel better afterward. But it's important. You need to let out your inner pain before it consumes you. You're trying so hard to control your feelings that you're not thinking about what it's doing to you."
"I've cried enough rivers. To let any of my feelings out of my control is a danger to others and myself."
"Go into a desert and trash it. Use some of the spells I taught you. Go into the Shadow Zone and trash something. Fight monsters. Write a disturbing poem or book. Try sparing against someone. Any of these can be of use to you." Grogar rose a brow as an idea came to mind. "Start hunting those who escape justice?" Sombra's ears twitched. "Despite what Princess Sun Stalker claims, Equestria has a rather gnarly crime problem. A lot of places, Manehatten for instance, is riddled with monsters in pony skin. Because Sunbutt is in denial that her precious ponies can do any wrong, they often escape the justice system. Or lack thereof."
"It sounds very appealing, I'll admit. What if Celestia catches on to what I've been doing? I doubt she'll let me get off killing her pets."
"That's for you to figure out. I can't solve all of your problems for you, that's not the way of the teacher." Sombra walked next to him, feeling less anxious than before. "It doesn't matter how you kill them. They're scum. Torture them maybe? Release all of that bottled hatred within. I'd pay to watch."
"I don't want to end up like the Crystal Ponies."
"Then set rules for yourself. Form a limit that you will not allow yourself to cross. Those without limits are the ones who'll be punished by you. And if you go too far or if it starts to affect you, I'll step in. I don't want you going insane, that'd ruin all the time spent on you."
He had a goal now. He had a purpose after the ending of the empire. He was going to slay the monsters who didn't deserve the air they breathed. But what would he do with the bodies? He couldn't eat them. Ponies were unhealthy and addictive. Maybe he could sell parts of them? No, not sell. He wouldn't do it for financial gain. Sombra could give parts of those cretins to hospitals. Yes! That was what could do. He could harvest their organs. Not only would the monsters die, but he'd be saving others in the process!
"Thank you." Hopefully, this wouldn't blow up in his face. "How much do I owe you for sharing your questionable but accurate wisdom?"
"I want ten cinnamon buns every time you come to see me."
"And I want your imminent diabetes to catch up with you. We can't all have what we want."
"I'm Grogar. I get everything I want."
There was another knock, another call of her name. Like all the others that preceded it, Twilight ignored it. How long had she been lying in her bed? She didn't know, and she didn't care. She felt anger, regret, and other feelings she didn't understand and scared her. Twilight thought about her family or lack thereof. She seldom saw or heard from Velvet Sparkle or Night Light. Did they not love her? It felt like it.
What about Cadence and Shining Armor? Did they know about the Empire? If they did, why did they protect such monsters? She prayed it was a spell like Chrysalis'. Shining wouldn't hurt anyone, would he? What was going to happen to Flurry? Was she going to lose her wings as well? So many questions that ran through her mind, all making her melancholy worse.
Her ears twitched as she heard a strange sound. It was reminiscent of Chancellor Neighsay's portal spell but different. And was that the smell of cherry she smelt? No. It couldn't be. Her mind was playing tricks on her.
"What a depressing room?" Said a very familiar voice. Twilight begrudgingly turned, and her purple eyes widened. It was Sombra. He was standing in her bedroom with a strange portal behind him. "About time we found the right room."
"It's not my fault this castle has over seventy janitor closets! Even I don't have that many! She doesn't even have any staff. Not unless she has a fetish for janitors." Twilight didn't recognize the voice, but she felt afraid for some reason. "I'll see you next week. Bye!" then the portal closed, leaving Sombra with her.
"Who was that...?" Twilight asked. Sombra shook his head with a sigh and walked towards her, his dual colored eyes scanning her bed.
"Someone I pray you never meet." Sombra didn't like what he was seeing. Her colors rivaled his, and that wasn't good for a pony. They were supposed to look like diabetic diarrhea on a greeting card, not this. "I bet you're wondering why I'm here. Well, I'm fixing my mistake. You weren't supposed to see what you saw. Judging by your coat, I might have emotionally scarred you." So much for wiping her memory.
"No, it's ok," Twilight sighed. She didn't see the stallion right now, only the colt. The little foal, or whatever a baby Umbrum was, that was crying in his father's arms. "You let me see the truth... I'm just struggling to deal with it right now."
"Really? I couldn't tell." He put a hoof on her chest, feeling her heartbeat. Ponies averagely had a heart rate from thirty-two to thirty-six beats per minute. Twilight's was twenty-five. He was going to have to keep a careful watch on that. "Judging by your smell, you haven't moved from this bed, have you?" She shook her head. "Twilight, it's been two days."
Sombra kept eye contact with her, noting that they were dull. She was depressed and lethargic. He pressed his hoof a little further against her chest, feeling her dry skin. His horn glowed as he slowly made her mouth open then looked inside. Thick, and most likely sticky, saliva. She was dehydrated. He'd seen this in enough equine Ateus to know the signs.
"Two days...?" His horn flashed with magic as he brought a cup of water before her. It had a straw to make it easier for her. He poked the straw against her lips, and she wisely took a sip. That sip grew into gulps until it was all gone. She thanked him, much to Sombra's well-hidden pleasure. "I didn't think it had been that long?"
"When you've been through something traumatic, time doesn't feel the same." He brought a chair over and sat on it. "I'm sorry for what you saw. I usually have my feelings under control, but my control slipped. And because of that, you dehydrated yourself. You could've died if I hadn't decided to come and apologize." Her ears dropped at the thought of it. She never thought that she could die. Twilight never considered the possibility that it could be done by her actions either.
"I should be the one apologizing." She wasn't wrong. "I had no idea that ponies were capable of something like that."
"We're all capable of evil. I won't lie and say I'm entirely innocent, but I'm better than others." His teacher ate a kitten once because it pissed on his carpet. When Grogar got mildly annoyed at something, living or dead, it was nightmare inducing. He feared what an angry Grogar could do. "Nobody is truly innocent. It just depends on severity."
"I guess that's true..." She looked at his scars, her frown yet to lift. "But what I saw? It got me thinking about my life." She looked back into his eyes. Before this, the sight had disgusted her. She could see more than just the colors now. He had a genuine concern for her, and she didn't feel like she deserved it. "Everything has been handed to me. Even my friends. When I think about what Grover did for you, I realized that none of my friends would go that far. None of them would risk their lives to get me a cupcake."
"Twilight, it's a good thing that your friends don't have to do what mine did. We come from two very different worlds, mine being cruel and yours being loving. It isn't fair to compare both yours and mine." His were dead. She should be grateful that hers were still around.
"I know." She moved a hoof and pressed it against his chest, feeling both of his heartbeats. His fur was soft, much like a kitten's. "But I can't help but compare my family to yours. My dad never loved me the way yours did." She had a dysfunctional family? Well, that just made things worse, didn't it? "I wanted to have a dad like Silver."
"I wanted my mother to be alive. Seldom do I get what I desire." She cringed away, causing the Umbrum to sigh. "You need to sort yourself out Twilight. I have a gut feeling your pals are going to come at me with torches and pitchforks if you don't." He bit onto her covers and ripped them away. "You're having a bath first. I've smelt worse, but you stink." He magically transported her onto his back, a large grin on his face. "I'll bathe you if I have to."
"You wouldn't!" The mare squeaked, a blush forming on her cheeks.
"Resistance is futile. Bubbles and soap are inevitable!" When he was younger, a Draconequus called Arisu said that to him. He didn't know what it meant, but it made him feel a little better. All he had to do now was find her bathroom and then wash that stink off of her. He wasn't going to tell her about Grogar or his plans while she was in this condition.
He'd tell her later.
Author's Note
Grogar was so much fun to write.
Here's a pic I found, and it's perfect.
But writing with Grammarly isn't.
He dreaded sleep. It was almost always the same. He would re-experience a memory, suppressed or not. The former being his worst. He knew because he didn't remember them. He might as well have a Nightmare Force trapped inside of him. The idea that it was a monster conjuring these nightmares made it slightly less painful. Anything would make it less painful. These nightmares added fuel to the volcano surging under him. They were adding more and more pressure to a window that he struggled to repair whenever he cracked. He was afraid of what was behind it.
Afraid of facing his self-created monsters.
Sometimes he would see a face in that window. It was horrific. It was like a skeleton with wisps of Wendigo smoke surrounding it. It had no skin, no muscle. Nothing but the smoke of light greys and very pale blues. Its eyes were empty spheres of white. On its hooves, the back of its neck and its tail looked like flowing hair. It didn't look like hair, however. It was like a twisted demonic soul. Its goat ears were always forced back in pain and misery. And that was not the worst of it.
It cried.
Behind the glass that shielded him from millennia of pain, it cried. Sometimes it sobbed. Sometimes it screamed. Behind it was an empty abyss of darkness. It amplified its screams. It was unbearable. Every time he had a nightmare where he saw the creature, he watched the glass crack. Whenever the glass cracked, the monster put a hoof against it. He couldn't run from it.
It was his demon. He couldn't escape what was inside. Sometimes he wanted to put the monster out of its misery, but that would mean he would have to break the glass. He couldn't. It was the cork in the bottle. Without that cork, he didn't know what would happen. He didn't know what the monster would do. It wanted to come out, to release its wrath upon the world. He couldn't do that.
Whenever Sombra had a little control of his dreams, he used that control to block everything out. When he did that, he was forced to see the demon. Forced to see it stand at the window. Forced to watch it copy him. A monster in a sea of black that taunted him. He hated it. He wanted it gone. But no matter how much he tried to bury it, it always came back.
Jupiter Ballad once told him that no matter where light reached, it would always find the darkness there first. If he ever managed to get some *light* back into his soul, perhaps it'd burn the monster away.
The Umbrum's eyes narrowed as he sensed an intruder. It didn't take a moron to know who it was. Not a lot of beings, Pony or Ateus, were able to travel through dreams. He knew that Grogar, Draconeqi, and even some Diamond Dogs were able to do it, but not much else. It appeared that the Lady of the Moon had come to visit his tortured mindscape. Amusingly, Luna had tried to fight him inside of his mind before.
Thanks to her little Nightmare Force, it was unlikely that she could do anything. He was how it got its host after all.
Quickly, Sombra changed his mindscape. It was now a forest. The black window was something he couldn't change or move, so he left it alone. Grogar had given a spell that turned his nightmares into guard dogs whenever an intruder came. Maybe she would be a fool and stumble among one? Knowing her, that would probably happen whether she found him first or not.
He waited for her. She was searching for the one she likely assumed to be on of her subjects. How disgustingly naive. He should visit dear old Tia and crush her under his hooves. That would make Luna suffer. Or Sombra could break her? It'd break Celestia into pieces. Celestia would need a Draconequus or a Diamond Dog to attempt to help her, and he doubted any of them would be very willing. Draconeqi naturally hated Alicorns, and Diamond Dogs didn't like ponies in total. He could break two birds with one black stone.
"Don't beest gasted. I hast cometh to help thou!" He never understood that strange way Alicorns spoke. He didn't understand Alicorns in general. He only knew two of them, both of which he despised. "Thou can cometh out. Nay needeth to fear me." The blue mare landed not too far from him. She couldn't sense him but knew that he had to be here. Not Sombra specifically, but someone. Somepony to be exact. He doubted she cared for other species.
She was in an opening and looked very different from when he last saw her. Gone was her short light blue mane, now it was replaced with one that flowed like his. She was darker than before as well, which barely surprised him. She had been infected by a Nightmare Force after all. It was a side effect to such pure dark magic.
Strangely, Sombra hadn't gone outside while it was night yet. Since Luna was a princess of the night, it made sense for her mane to look like the night. He wouldn't know. It wasn't Luna's night anyway. According to Jupiter Ballad, it was Jahmuttik's and Zontupoz's. The former was God of the Stars while the latter was God of the Night and Dusk. He didn't understand much about that religion, but Jupiter spoke so often about it that he knew all of their names. Along with what they did and one or two little tales.
None of them involved Luna. Or Celestia.
"But thou fear me." He watched her. She turned around, unable to sense when he was. He could smell her fear. It excited him. "I can smelleth thy fear. 't is so much sweeter than our first meeting." Her fur was on end, the feathers in her wings stiffening and her ears lowering. "I see thou haven't forgotten me..." Dramatically, Sombra walked out of the bushes behind her. His chest was nearly touching her when he said, "Luna."
She turned around, and unlike before, she had to look up. Luna hadn't even grown an inch since they last met, making him smile. He must be much more terrifying to her. In her moderate cyan eyes, he could see the flickering sparks of an excited nightmare. It may as well be waving at him with happiness and gratitude for granting a long-lasting food supply.
"I see. 't is a Crystal Pony I visit this night." He was irritated that she would suggest such a thing, but he calmed himself. Luna would not see him while weak. "Thou art taller than I recall."
"Not at all Luna. Thou're just a midget." She couldn't hide her fear. She was trying, but the Nightmare was so excited that it didn't let her. "It's talking to you, isn't it?" Sombra smiled, looking down at her. Now he could do it literally. "Thou can tryeth to ignore 't Lulu, but thou can only hold out for so long. 't'll englut thou whole! The Nightmare *always* turns thou into what thou tryeth so desperately to hide." His fanged grin grew even wider. "Thy *true* self."
"Silence!" She shouted, her horn shining with magic. He started to circle her, their eye contact never breaking. "Thou art nothing more than a construct of a tortured pony's mind!" She wasn't entirely wrong. The only part she got wrong was that this wasn't the mind of a pony but the mind of an Umbrum. "Begone nightmare!" She released a spell that did nothing. Well, it blew wind in his face, but that didn't count as something. Or did it? No. It didn't. "What?" Her look of horror was priceless.
"Whose mind do you think you're in?" He gave up the funny talk to be a little more serious. When it clicked in her mind, she backed away. "Are you going to run away with your tail between your legs, or are you going to face me like the tyrant you are?" He hissed at her, his pupils narrowing to slits.
"How art thou alive!?" She shouted, charging her horn with more magic. Sombra powered his own, his power canceling out hers. "Thou wast slain by the Crystal Heart!" His eyes narrowed darkly, purple smoke flowing from the corners. An ear twitched as he heard the cracking of glass, along with a low groan from the monster.
"You think that weapon was enough to slay me when neither you nor your sister had the power!?" He shouted, his lips peeling back viciously. He stamped a hoof down, his anger giving everything around them a red hue. "I have survived things that would rot you from the inside out. I have been to Tartarus and back. I was and am a student of Grogar. I am more than you'll ever be! I deserve the right to take revenge on those bastards you so adamantly protect!" The mare slowly backed away, but he only followed her.
"There is nay revenge to taketh. None but the revenge against thou for thy crimes!" His crimes? Yes, he wasn't innocent. But he wasn't the one who started this, even if he was going to be the one to finish it. "Art thou so arrogant that thou can't accept that thou art in the wrong?" Another crack in the window. Another twitch of his angrily scrunched expression.
"Me?" He hissed. "I have not slain thousands! I have not enslaved ten times that for being different! I have not tortured those barely old enough to walk! I have not brought species to extinction for *fun*!" He was shaking. Why was it so easy to anger him? He was better than this! "When your precious subjects learn of *your* crimes, they won't be so willing to bow to you anymore. You will lose your country because of your bias against Ateus." There had been good ponies in his life. He even put Lapis Falls in that category.
"One thousand years in ice hath driven thou mad. I did not think that to be possible, but hither thou art." He had a very long list of ways to prove her wrong. Perhaps he should show her his monster? Luna should know such beasts couldn't be made up. "Though, I am compelled to asketh." Did she want proof? He could give her that. It'd scar her, but he didn't care about her enough to worry about it. "Why is't that thou art enduring a nightmare? Is't thy guilt? Doth thou feeleth remorse?"
"I wasn't even ten minutes old before they pried me from my hooves and drove a spear through her skull. I feel guilty that my father made a promise to her to protect me." He scowled at the floor. "The very promise that got him executed." He missed Silver. "I feel guilty that I couldn't save all of my friends from meeting the same fate. I sometimes feel guilty that I survived and they didn't. I feel guilty about a lot of things, Princess, but my revenge against the Crystal Cunts is not one of them."
The land around them changed as his mind started another memory.
It was with Jupiter Ballad and Silver Stream. Two stallions who may as well be his fathers. Despite being a siren, Jupiter's body was that of a tall grey unicorn with a copper mane. His golden eyes melded well with Silver's emerald. Jupiter and Silver were taking Sombra to a cave on his fifth birthday. The cave was one of the most beautiful things he'd seen at that age. It was a special secret place guarded by the Wendigo.
"Listen here, kid. You canae tell nobody, alright?" Silver had said, a grin on his muzzle as the colt nested between his wings. "This is a wee secret for the Ateus and good ol' pones like myself."
"Is it because the ponies will take it away?" Sombra had said. He stood on his hind hooves and rested his body on Silver's head, crumpling his hat. "I won't tell. Promise!" Jupiter's horn glowed orange as he moved the Stetson from under the colt and put it on his head. Thanks to how small he was, he couldn't see. Sombra tried to push it up, but it kept falling over his eyes. "Aww, why won't it stay up?"
"Give it time Som," Jupiter smiled, biting the back and pulling. It was still too big for him, but at least he could see now. "When you're big like us, you'll be able to wear it fine." Silver shot a glare at Jupiter, one that Sombra didn't understand at the time. Silver was silently telling him off for making a promise that may be hard to keep. Jupiter glared back. "I bet you'll be bigger than grumpy grey here. What do you think?"
"Will I be big like the Queen?" He had been too young to understand at the time. Too young to know that the Queen was the enemy. The ponies talked about Amore like she was a goddess. Since they spoke so highly of her, he just assumed that they were right. "She's big! Even bigger than you, Jupe."
"Never call her that laddie. She's a cunt. Her and her damned herd of little cunts!" Silver was not known for censoring himself. "Ya only call that Arsehole Amore a queen if she or her herd are around. Since Jupe and I are neither, you call her Arsehole Amore. Alright?" Jupiter nodded proudly. "A witch like that doesnae deserve tae be called a queen, not after what she's done. Winged goat or not, she's nae queen of ours." Sombra nodded, the hat falling over his eyes again. "Donnae forget that laddie. She's not our queen, and she's not *your* queen."
"Arsehole Amore is not my queen!" He proclaimed loudly, Jupiter and SIlver smiling proudly at him. "If she's not my queen, then who is?"
"That'd be Jupe. He's more feminine than the color pink!" Jupiter snorted and rolled his eyes. "That makes me the King, and you the Prince." Silver stopped at the end of the cave, a smile on his face. "And this your wee kingdom." Jupiter activated a spell causing the end of the cave disappeared, revealing its hidden contents.
The cave opened up to a beautiful cavern. There was a river that became a pool that had an island in the middle of it. On that island was a Prism Tree, it was much like a Sakura tree only its leaves were every possible color there could be. The roots of the tree had grown in such a way that they became a bridge over the glowing water beneath. On the ceiling were thousands of Ice-Glow Worms that imitated the night sky. And what made the water glow were the Wendigo eggs that'd been sitting there for thousands if not millions of years.
"Wow!" said a young colt who had spent his whole life seeing nothing but crystal and snow. Sometimes Sombra wished he could feel like that again. It was a feeling he wouldn't forget.
He missed them. He wanted to see them again but he couldn't. Yes, Sombra could speak with the dead, but that just made it so much more painful. He tried to think about them when they were alive and not dead. It was difficult sometimes.
When he was just a few months shy of seventeen, he watched his father die. Arsehole Amore had decided that Silver was more trouble than he was worth. Silver didn't cower away from his fate. He stood proud, staring Amore right in the eyes with a confidence Sombra always tried to imitate. Silver Stream spat in her face before his days came to an end, and Sombra had made it a tradition. Every time he saw her from then on, he'd spit at her. Sometimes on her.
"I hast walked amongst dreams long enough to know the difference between dreams and memories." How nice of her. Purposefully, he let her see the memory of Silver's dead body. Then Jupiter's. Both of their cadavers had the queen standing above them, a cruel smile on her face. "They did mean a lot to thou."
"They're dead. Just like everyone else." He glared down as the memory faded. "You stood by her side. You helped exterminate my family and their family. You kidnapped the few ponies who tried to do the right thing, and then you brainwashed them into fighting against me. I meant what I said about your Nightmare Force." He didn't expect this to be talking and not fighting. Perhaps the silly mare had matured? If so, good for him. He'd already gotten what he wanted from her.
"Even though thy memories art convincing, I can't taketh thy word for 't." He looked to the side, his gaze meeting that of his demon's. There was a lot of cracks on the glass, but he was slowly mending them. The monster tapped the glass, trying to get free. It was getting on his nerves. "Doth thou also hast a Nightmare? 't would explain thy knowledge of such creatures."
"It's a personification of my hatred and pain. If it ever breaks through that glass, all of my bottled emotions will spill and likely destroy everything around me. Only the Empire deserves this creature. They deserve what they created." It wasn't enough to send them to the Shadow Zone. He needed to release the monster, and it had to be them who felt its wrath. "Maybe I should let you have a taste of it. Give you a little taste of what true hatred is." Despite his revenge already swirling within the false goddess, he didn't feel like it was enough. Maybe it would never be enough.
"Celestia will learneth that thou art alive. She wilt decideth thy fate."
"My fate is mine to control, not yours or Celestia's." He looked into her eyes, watching for signs of her Nightmare. "You should know by now that I am not easy to get rid of." When he saw it, he watched as it practically danced with joy. "Do you feel that? Can you feel the Nightmare dance? Good. Do you know how I know it's there?" He said darkly. "I put it there." With a flash of his horn, he pushed the mare out of his mind and in the process forced himself into the waking world.
He couldn't wait to see her again after she processed when he'd just told her.
Author's Note
Sorry. I've just started college and it's eating up all my time. I'll try to update more often.
Soon, I will be unpublishing this version of Black Mirror. I am going to be transferring it to a new 'story'. To those who have enjoyed this so far, I thank you. You're all awesome!
