Arrival

The Friendship Express roared across the tracks through the lush countryside, the carts clanked against their links.

Within one of the carts a group of seven mares and a baby dragon were having fun as they enjoyed their down time.

“Oh it is going to be so grand to visit the Crystal Empire again, I can hardly wait to get that simply glorious crystal coat. And I will also want to take part in their new fashion designs this season” spoke Rarity as she lay on her bunk.

“I hear ya Rarity this year’s Crystal Faire is sure to be a down right doozy, what with all the preparation and planning thats been goin’ on” replied Applejack.

“I KNOW!” chirped Pinkie Pie, “I hear that Crystal Ponies are gonna be pulling out all the stops. Which means their gonna need a super-duper pontasticly amazing party planner for the party, after party, and after-party after-party!”

“I hear ya everypony, it sure is gonna feel good with something normal for a change” said Spike will leaning back on the pillow in his bunk, “after everything that happened with the Storm King last month, I’d say we deserve this.”

“But aren’t we going a bit too early?” asked Fluttershy, “The Crystal Faire isn’t supposed to be for another week or so.”

“I get what you mean Fluttershy but I think starting now is for the best, with all the planning that Cadence told me about it looks like this might the Crystal Empire’s biggest faire ever. Which means they need all the help they can get before the time comes” answered Twilight, “which means all of us better get some sleep before we arrive in the morning.”

That being said, everypony and dragon turned in for the night.

~~~

Meanwhile in the Hollow Shades

Sombra sat cross-legged in a center area, his eyes closed as his horn fizzled with purple and black magic. Slowly the magic began to spread to his entire body before engulfing him in an aura of toxic purple and green.

This act was followed by the stallion slowly levitating himself a few feet off the ground and holding his place in the air.

Sombra’s brow furrowed as he concentrated and put more focus and power into his magic as sparks of black and purple energy generated around him, and created three small spheres of glowing purple, black, and green magic to coalesce around him.

The spheres began to orbit the floating umbrum as there pace increased and the strain became visible on Sombra’s expression, gritting his teeth and showing his fangs as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

The umbrum slowly began to unfold his hindlegs and let all four drop below him as he descended back down to the ground as his expression became more relaxed yet still maintaining his focus.

The rotating orbs of dark magic increased their pace as they spun faster and faster before they abruptly stopped. Slowly they condensed and compacted into smaller forms before drawing in closer to the stallion at their center. Sombra opened his eyes to reveal that they were completely engulfed in green light as plumes of purple smoke flowed out from the corners. His focus remained on the magic orbs as he slowly brought the three spheres together and they forcefully began to merge.

Their combined power forming a large ball of pure dark magic that crackled with purple energy as it’s instability becoming apparent with it’s erratic ripples.

Sombra closed his eyes once more before slowly lifting his forehooves off the ground… before shooting his eyes open and slamming them back down on the dirt. And the orb of dark magic exploded!

It’s power sending out a shockwave throughout the whole of the underground lair.

Sombra opened his eyes as they returned to normal and inhaled deeply through his nose before exhaling out his mouth. The strain of the spell clearly leaving him exhausted. “Damn…” he grumbled “it’s been days and my strength still isn’t fully recovered.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised... ” spoke a pony from the shadows. Sombra looked over and saw Radiant Hope emerge from the dark tunnel, “you’ve only been alive for a few weeks after all, it’s not unusual for power, especially for one susch as yours, would take such a long time to regain its strength.”

“Mmm…” groaned Sombra. “What news do you bring Hope…” he asked.

Hope stared at the stallion for a moment in silence before finally answering, “The Crystal Empire is preparing for the upcoming Crystal Faire. Which means everypony, including the Princesses and the six mares responsible for stopping you will be arriving soon…”

Sombra’s mouth slightly parted in an irritated scowl at the memory of the six mares, the Elements of Harmony as they knew them.

“It also means that the time to act is soon to be upon us, which means…” Hope turned towards the stallion, “that despite you still recovering we will need to act regardless… for it requires both of you to open the door into the Umbrum prison.”

Sombra was about to respond before his mind caught onto something Hope had just said, ‘’both of us’... what does she mean by that’?’ thought Sombra. “What do you mean by ‘both of us’?”

On cue both ponies heard a set of heavy hoofsteps coming from down the same dark corridor that Hope had come through. A dark silhouette of a stallion, just as tall and muscular as Sombra, formed in the darkness as it neared the threshold.

But what really caught the attention of the two ponies were the pony’s eyes. They were glowing a piercing yellow and had sharp slitted dark-yellow pupils, their owner stopped short of the entrance and remained obscured by the shadows as it silently examined the two ponies.

The pony remained silent for a few more seconds before finally speaking. “It’s finally nice to see you…” it spoke in a low raspy tone.

Sombra’s serious expression remained fastened to his face as he continued to look at the newcomer. The dark stallion remained silent before finally speaking, “Who are you?”

The mysterious stallion’s yellow eyes remained focused on the stallion, before it finally lifted it’s forehoof and stepped forward. Revealing itself as it emerged from the shadows.

Sombra’s eyes widened slightly as he finally got a good look at the stallion in front of him, he would have thought he was looking at himself. The stallion had the same dark gray coat as himself, and his horn was the exact same sinister crimson curve as his was. But apart from the eerie yellow eyes, the stallion had other distinguishing features that added to his appearance.

His mane and tail were wild and spiky and were a strange, ghostly white with some streaks of silver. He was also wearing a brown sash around his middle and had brown cloth wraps tied around his lower hindlegs held together by light brown pieces of rope.

But what really caught Sombra’s attention, was that the stallion in front of him was completely covered in dark navy blue tattoos that went from his neck to his lower waist and across his forehooves. The tattoos were an intricate set of runes and symbols written in Old Ponish, and some tattoos were written in another language that he recognized to be Umbral, the native tongue of the Umbrum. And written across his back in red runes was the phrase: ᛁ ᚨᛗ ᛞᛖᚨᛏᚺ, to which he recognized to mean ‘I Am Death.’

The stallion finally spoke after a long pause, “Hello… brother.”

Author's Note

I used Icelandic because it is the closest modern language that resembles Old English, which in Equaestria, is called Old Ponish. I also use Scottish Gaelic as the native language of the Umbrum, which is called Umbral.

Gasp... who is this new stallion that has arrived? What is his connection to Sombra? And why did he call him 'brother'? Find out in the next chapter of Shadow of Reform.