Chapters King Sombra galloped away from the spirits that chased him tirelessly. He ran over the shadowy outlines of the world of Equestria. Buildings, trees, other parts of the land loomed out of the endless gloom that surrounded him. None of it was truly there; if he ran through it, it dissipated into specks of shadow for a few moments before reforming behind him. The walls didn't stop the spirits that chased him either. They ran through the walls as if they weren't there.
Though Sombra didn't seem to truly need sleep, he longed for it. With each step, he could feel his energy draining. Eventually, he would fall, exhausted, and the spirits would fall upon him, seeking their vengeance for his actions in life. But then it wouldn't be over, it would just start again. Some of the spirits seemed sated for a while, and at first, his pursuers would be few. But then, eventually, they would be a horde chasing him over the shadow landscape.
There was no tracking time in this world, Sombra could see neither sun nor moon, nor the ponies of Equestria to track the passage of days. Though he didn't know the actual time, he knew it had been decades. He couldn't prove it but he knew it in his bones; he had done this hundreds of times, and would keep doing it hundreds of times again. Seeing a small house on a nearby hill, he turned towards it. Though the walls would not stop the horde, they did block their vision. Sometimes he could buy himself time in such places.
While Sombra would never admit he had been wrong in life, he did what he thought was perfectly acceptable in a world of dog eat dog. However, if he knew that this would be his fate for leading such a life, he would have lived as a pauper his entire life. No life of luxury and power was worth this eternal torment. He shook his head as he ran up the strangely familiar hill to a house he somehow thought he recognized. He couldn't put his hoof on why but it seemed like a place he should know.
The mystery was resolved when he got there. He looked back to see his crystal empire, this house on a hill on the outskirts of it. Where he had been left as a colt to die to the elements, being deemed a threat to the succession of his brother. It was here that a simple shepherd and his wife had taken in the royal unicorn, and raised him as their own.
Sombra chuckled his dark chuckle, looking back at the horde starting up the hill. He could keep running, but he didn't, he entered through the door, looking about at the insides of the small cottage. A single room, he and his parents had shared as he grew up. They hadn't been rich, and though he longed for more, longed for the silk sheets he saw in the markets, hoped for the sweetmeats and the vibrant clothes, he had been... Content with his parents.
Then that stallion found him, told him of his heritage, and told him of his destiny to rule the empire. He was lured away from his contentment with the promise of power and riches, and he took it. A path of blood-drenched his way to the throne, that was indeed rightly his. That he could justify, even in this place where he was damned. But after that, his paranoia, his lust for power, drove him to madness.
Not actual madness, sadly. He couldn't justify his actions by saying that he was insane, no, he chose to do everything he did. He trusted no one, his advisors were imprisoned and executed for treason. His guards were punished for not being properly respectful. His servants scourged over the tiniest things. The stallion who found him executed for attempting to gain favor for his actions. And, most egregious, his own adopted parents executed under suspicion of treason. He hadn't even had proof, just suspicion, and he destroyed probably the only two ponies that loved him. He looked out at the horde climbing the hill after him. For just a moment, a flicker of doubt entered his mind.
Sombra shook his head, trying to dismiss the doubt from his own mind. But it grew, it tried to devour him as he stood there, watching the horde. It wasn't some mindless mass of ponies, it was individuals. Every pony in that horde was a pony that he had killed, or at least wronged. There had been so many he couldn't be sure that he had them all executed, but there was enough that he wouldn't be surprised if that was so. He had, at least in the minds of others, wronged so many, that they could have surrounded this large hill a hundred thick.
He knew a few would be among the number, his birth father who had him abandoned, seeking vengeance. The stallion who would have been his top advisor, who found him when he was just a shepherd's son. A maid that he had executed for simply dropping a cup. And so many others that he had put to death or extreme punishment for trivial things. But he had had to do so to establish his power, he had to make sure no one would move against him like the old king. His own birth father had been overthrown because he had not been hard-hooved enough to ensure no one would dare move against him!
But as the doubt grew in his mind, it whispered one truth to him. His parents, the shepherd and shepherdess had never been in the horde. They had never pursued him to take vengeance on him. He had executed them for a suspicion that was likely false, and they did not seek him in this hellish place. They let him be, they did not hold against him hatred like all these ponies did. They, wherever they were, in whatever peaceful afterlife they had found, no doubt loved him still, as they told him on the day of their execution.
Something inside him broke, shaking his head as he tore himself away from the window. He was so tired, he couldn't keep running. No matter what the horde did when they caught him, he couldn't run any further. He walked over to what had once been his bed, putting a hoof through it and sighing, slumping down next to it with a dejected sigh. He could hear them now, they were close enough for their hooves to be heard on the ground outside. He looked hopelessly up at the ceiling, smiling faintly. He had forgotten, but it was strung with ropes of wool in different patterns. They hadn't had riches, but they had spent their hours happily together, making the many designs and pictures that the ropes formed for their ceiling. He could hear them now at the door, closing his eyes and whispering. "Father, what must I do to earn even a single night's rest?"
Sombra raised his head in surprise, he didn't hear the thundering of hooves any more. Casting his head around he could see nothing no horde was around him, halted and savoring their time to strike. Then he realized, he couldn't see the house of his youth either. He could see color, something unheard of in this shadowed place. In a flash he realized he was no longer in that shadowed place, he was somewhere else.
Casting about with his eyes Sombra stood up, he was in a large room, a magnificent bed surrounded by crystal walls. Shelves, couches, wardrobes and tables made up the lavish furniture of the room. Realizing he was in some kind of palace he frowned, was this some new trick, showing him what he had lost, or what he could not now have? He walked over and indeed, his leg did pass right through the couch. Scoffing he did notice that it was not like in the shadow world. Here the couch seemed to be solid and it was his leg that dissipated when it touched the object.
"Who's there!?" Sombra jumped and whirled as the voice came from the bed, in which sitting up there was a purple alicorn. Sombra sighed, guessing that it was time for him to be killed by the new princess called Twilight Sparkle, but he was serious about being tired of it all, he'd let it happen no matter which way it went. As he expected the question was followed by a shouted, "YOU!" As the alicorn catapulted herself out of bed and sent a blast of energy towards him.
Sombra was quite surprised, as, if her expression was anything to go off of, was the princess as the blast of magical power went through him as if he wasn't there. Looking down in surprise Sombra saw that he was completely unharmed by the magical bolt. Both of them stared perplexed until a few moments later the door banged open to reveal a blue mare in knight's armor accompanied by a few royal guards. "Princess what's the matter!?"
Minuette and the royal guards looked perplexedly around the room, from the scorched wall back to the princess. Again, brought together by their confusion Sombra and the princess just stared at the other ponies. The princess shook her head, hard, then looked at Sombra again before speaking to her guardians. "Nothing Minuette... Just... Thought I saw something." Minuette nodded and waved a hoof, dismissing the royal guards as she kept her eyes on the princess, who gave her a small smile. "It's alright Minuette, you can go, I'll be fine."
Nodding, Minuette turned, though obviously unwillingly as she closed the door behind her. Sombra turned his eyes back to the princess who was watching him intently, before addressing him. "What are you? You're not my imagination, and you're no illusion. When you were a specter everyone could see you, are you some ghost haunting me now?”
Sombra looked over the princess. He didn’t know the answer to any of her questions. But as satisfying it might be to lie, to confuse and sorry the princess, he couldn’t muster the effort. "I don't know."
Princess Twilight blinked, staring at the past king. She had expected threats, veiled taunting, or any number of other things, or even just laughter, but this was not what she was prepared for. She scowled at him but walked over to her mirror and started to brush her main. "Well, I will figure out how to get rid of you this evening. Whatever you are you aren’t material so you aren’t a threat.”
Sombra sat back, considering his change in circumstances. He wasn’t material, he double-checked this again and pushed a hoof through the nearby table. He took a deep breath, or at least tried. He didn’t breath, not truly. Huffing he turned to demand answers from the princess who was pointedly ignoring him. “You did not call me here from beyond the world...?”
The princess attempted to ignore the past king but he did see the slight twitch of doubt in her expression. Sombra had become an expert in reading even the slightest expression in those around him. It was required when everyone around you was trying to assassinate you. But that was no longer a concern for Sombra, he was dead already, again, and again, and again.
The princess walked purposely towards the door, trying her best to not glance towards the disembodied king. The king however stood and walked over next to the princess. He had long ago let go of his hatred towards this specific princess and simply help a hatred for the new Alicorns as one. “Do me one favor, princess. Tell me if my empire. Does it prosper as it did under my rule? Are my people still strong, even under the weak rule of your kind?”
The princess couldn’t ignore that mockery, she scoffed, stopping before she opened the door. “Cadence’s people prosper in ways you couldn’t imagine! In ways that your ruthless savagery destroyed!”
Sombra laughed harshly s “You foolish child. You know nothing of how the world works! You are still sheltered from the realities of this world, aren’t you? Warlike griffins, savage yaks, devious hippogriffs, insidious changelings, vicious dragons. All these things and more can only be kept back by a strong leader and a strong army at his back!”
Twilight looked at him a long moment but shook her head. “The world is not your twisted vision of it. We are at peace with all those kingdoms you speak of.” A flicker of sadness flashed across her features. “Did your empire have no allies?”
Sombra laughed, shaking his head. “They would have backstabbed me and devoured my empire. I would not let my people and my empire suffer such a fate.”
Twilight scowled at him, and tried another, but not as violent attack on Sombra, but nothing came of it as it passed right through him. The Princess sighed as she walked out of her bedroom, instantly accompanied by a worried-looking Minuette, though the smile the princess gave her was returned.
Sombra followed the two alicorns as they toured around the castle. It was very unpleasant. Sombra wouldn’t have thought he’d be missing the shadowlands. Fleeing, hiding, and dying in pain. But this, this torture was beyond it. He saw freshwater, sweatmeats, comfortable beds everywhere, but he could touch nothing! It was the truest definition of torture. This was an escalation of his punishment, he knew that now. But the only question was why could the princess see him, but only one of them.
Sombra has started off by peppering the princess with questions that she ignored. He did so only to distract himself from the most basic comforts of life that seemed to be the most decadent luxuries in his current state. Then his mind wandered back to a distant memory.
Sombra looked up at his father, stomping down hard on the barren hillside. “Father, why should we not spend the extra gold from the ewes this year? We could buy mother something nice, or buy us all some sweatmeats, or new bedding.”
The shepherd chuckled and shook his head. “Because we don’t need any of those things my son. Tell me. If I offered you a gold, or mother’s life, what would you keep?”
Sombra rolled his eyes. “Obviously mother, but don’t be silly father, how would spending extra money risk mother?”
“It may not, I admit, but what would you risk? We set that money aside, we can ensure our family is safe even if our flock suffers a disease. How many temporary comforts will you trade for that risk?”
Sombra paused, thinking for a long moment before nodding. “None, father.”
The shepherd smiled and nodded. “Find comfort in the simple things, most are free. A drink of fresh spring water, the love of family, or even just a moment of fresh air after the rain. Free, but the most priceless thing you’ll ever possess.”
Sombra frowned as he came back to the present time. He remembered many lessons his father had that sounded nice, but that’s what they were, nice little stories that didn’t work when confronted by brutal reality.
The two princesses talking about something to do with a farm being forgiven its taxes because of a plague over their wheat crops, they were barely able to harvest enough to feed their own family. Sombra smiled darkly, ahh, that old ruse. As much as it hurt him to assist these usurpers to his kingdom, the weakening of the kingdom weakened his people. "You know they are lying, princess." Despite herself, Twilight glanced back at the spirit following her. "Send your guards to retrieve the taxes, or else next year every other farm will 'have a plague' while they keep the gold for themselves."
Opening her mouth Twilight looks about to respond instinctively to the suggestion before pausing, and turning to look at Cadence. "Do you think we could organize a visit to the farm?"
Cadence was surprised by the question, but Sombra was completely flabbergasted. While Cadence saw no reason to say no the remainder of their question as they turned to leave the crystal palace. Sombra grinned wickedly as he followed the princess. Perhaps there was still hope for his empire, though the soft princess' did not know it they were playing right into his hand. When they saw how wicked even their own people were she would learn there was only one way to rule, by fear and power.
Sombra was extremely disappointed when they got to the farm, as the plague was quite obvious. Over 90% of the fields lay burned in an attempt to save what little has remained uninfected. An unexpected and unwelcome development. The princess would no doubt crow and gloat about how he was mistaken.
Even worse than being wrong though was to see how the concept of nobility had fallen. The farmers thanked the princesses but they did not properly grovel at the feet of their rulers. Did they not know who kept them safe? That they could live their lives without the threat of invasion!?
While Sombra stewed on these things the princess slipped away from Cadence and the others, approaching the specter she alone could see. “See, King Sombra? They told the truth. If we were to have taxed them they might have been able to pay, but it would have ruined them. And there would be no taxes later.” Twilight was obviously approaching it from a practical standpoint, appealing to kindness would get her nowhere with Sombra.
“You got lucky this time princess but you cannot be so naive as to think everyone in your kingdom is so kind.” He knew this because every time he had been told such had turned out to be lies.
Twilight shook her head, while upset, also a little saddened by how twisted Sombra's mind seemed to be. He suspected duplicity and betrayal everywhere. She looked out over the farm, shaking her head. "People are not how you think of them."
Sombra laughed, shaking his head. "This is not representative of how things work, little princess. Every time I heard such a sob story I sent my guards out, and guess what? Every single time they returned with the withheld taxes."
Twilight blinked, then looked at the shadowed king, who was staring... Almost longingly at the surviving patches of the wheat field. "What would you have done to your guards if they had failed to do so?"
Sombra's response didn't take even a moment to come. "I would have had them punished for negligence of their duty!"
Twilight sighed as she stood up, shaking her head and looking the specter in the eyes. "Do you not think that might be why they were successful every time?" She turned and walked off, shaking her head as Sombra stared after her, frowning. No... It could not be so, his way was the best way, the princess didn't know, his father didn't know, none of them understood. Strength was the only way to rule!
Sombra grumbled to himself as he followed the princess across the new Crystal Empire. He had heard of their issues and offered his solutions to every one. And every single time he had been shown that the world wasn't how he expected it to be. The farmers weren't hiding their harvest, the orphans weren't organizing thief rings, the guards weren't slacking off and the maids weren't stealing things! While Sombra knew, at least, believed he knew that they did back in his day, it seemed the world changed since he ruled the Empire.
Sombra was contemplating if this showing off a better world was his newest punishment. SHowing how much more powerful, more prosperous, and more happy his empire was under the rule of another. He scowled but could do nothing except put up with it until he was sent to whatever his next form of punishment was. If he was a pettier creature he might have taken some joy in annoying the princess but he was a king! A king did not lower himself to such an act!
The princess was traveling on the road all alone, she had sent her guards away, he assumed so they wouldn't think she was insane when she addressed him. She turned to do just that, but she never got the chance for as she turned out of the shadows jumped a small group of crystal ponies, clamping a magic suppressing collar around the neck and then hitting her upside the head with a club to knock her out. Sombra stared in amazement, that had been faster than even he could have reacted, the pampered princess hadn't stood a chance.
Sombra felt no little satisfaction in that such a band of rapscallions could never have survived in his empire. Following the group as they dragged the princess into a nearby building, then down into its basement, and down even further. Sombra couldn't help but be impressed, they may be some slimy criminals, but they had quite the infrastructure. Passing by inscriptions on the walls he frowned, pausing a moment to look at them before nodding. These were records of his rule carved on the walls. He chuckled to himself as he finally reached where apparently they were going. At least these ponies had good taste in history.
Sombra watched as the group put the princess in a cage before removing her collar and quickly retreating, locking her inside of it and apparently waiting around for her to wake up. Sombra laid down to wait as well, the contraption was utterly inscrutable to him except that it was connected to some kind of gate.
The princess groaned as she woke up and one of the crystal ponies smiled, walking over to her and banging on the cage. "Ahh, good, you're awake usurper, I didn't want you to miss this."
Twilight looked up at him, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Usurper?"
The pony cackled, nodding as two others start to crank some kind of device. "Yes, you and your kin who stole the throne from its rightful ruler." As Twilight opened her mouth to respond whatever she had planned was interrupted by a scream. Sombra raised his head in intersted as the cage seemed to become electrified in purple energy. After a few moments, he realized that was magic being pulled out of the princess.
Sombra watched in fascination before he felt a shudder run through his body. Frowning and looking down he saw his body starting to fade and he shrugged. Whatever reason he was brought here seemed to be over, and it was time to return to the world of shadows, or whatever torture was next. At least he'd have the satisfaction that knowing one of those who usurped him would likely be joining him in the afterlife soon.
Sombra took a step forward frowning, he had just left here... Princess Twilight in a cage, a handful of shadowy crystal ponies scattered around and one next to the cage. One who bowed lowly to him. "My king, the spell worked, you have returned to us." Sombra looked up, his muzzle breaking out into a smile as he saw the gate connected to the machine above him, and laughed. These people were loyal to him, they summoned him back to this work from the land of shadows and specters!
"YES!" Sombra laughed as the other crystal ponies bowed to him, and he looked to the princess, who locked eyes with him. "You see Princess? Even your 'utopia' has its descenters. They realize that your way is doomed. They seek a leader of strength to return order and safety to the Empire!" He started to laugh as he looked at the ponies that called him back then he frowned. No... He could see it in their eyes, they weren't truly loyal to him, only to the idea of him. They would balk when they found out what truly needed to be done to put the empire in order. But no matter, they could be used, then they would be executed like all traitors!
Sombra froze, his eyes widening as he realized what he'd just thought. These people who had sought him out without knowing if it would work. They who had hidden their organization. They who had kidnapped a princess and found a way to bring him back from beyond the grave. And he, he thought they would betray him. It wasn't the princess who was wrong, it was him. There was something broken inside of him. He would not trust anyone, he would never trust that there was goodness in others. He raised his head, shaking it slightly, saying quietly. "No more..."
The leader of the crystal ponies took a few steps forward, looking up at him. "What was that, your majesty?"
Sombra locked eyes with the man, pitying him in a way that he had never felt before. The stallion had trusted that Sombra would bring safety, and he might have, but safety wasn't worth the cost, he understood that now, even if he could not understand why. But, he would show what mercy he could, even to these traitors. They were loyal to him, but they betrayed their current rulers. The ones who knew a better way. "You are loyal to me, you will die for me?"
The leader bowed lower. "Of course we will, your majesty! The way of strength is the best way to rule!"
Sombra nodded. "Then receive your reward for your loyalty, my servant." With a flash of energy, Sombra smashed the cage holding the princess, who quickly took to the wing so she couldn't be collared again. It wasn't needed though, Twilight cringed as she landed amongst the bodies of the crystal ponies that Sombra had killed.
"WHY!?" She was barely restraining herself from blasting him to pieces.
Sombra smiled at her. "They were traitors, Princess. Even your kind have the ultimate punishment for that act. And they were my servants." He looked down at them, a moment of legitimate regret flashing behind his dark eyes. "It was the best I could give them. A painless death as they saw their dream fulfilled."
Twilight shook her head, about to start yelling again before she saw Sombra turn back towards the now flickering portal. "What are you doing!?"
"I am returning from whence I came before this day began. Take care of my empire princess, I see now that your way... It works where mine failed... My ways are dead, my world is shattered... My world never truly existed... And I have no place in your world."
"Wait! King Sombra!... Anyone... You can learn..." Raising a hoof uselessly, Twilight reached out to the departing king.
"No, some of us are beyond redemption, little princess." Steeling himself Sombra prepared to return to the shadowed lands he called home. What even he now had to admit, was a just punishment. But he paused. "Princess, can you do me a favor?"
Twilight looked up at him, nodding. "Yes... What is it?"
"Outside the city, to the east, there is a small hill. Upon that hill, you will find the foundations of a long-abandoned home. Construct a headstone there. For White Wool and Golden Strands." Begining his step Twilight knew she had only a moment.
"Who!?" Twilight hoped against hope that Sombra would have time to, and be willing to answer.
Sombra turned his head, taking just a moment before answering, it didn't hurt for her to know. "My parents. Peaceful shepherds, do not hold them responsible for my actions." And then he was gone, back to his eternal torment.
Sombra looked around, he was back in the shadow realm. But he was there, in silence. He cantered over to the window and looked out at the horde, but the horde was stopped. They stood there, staring up at the house on the hill, Sombra was baffled. He looked around the house and then gasped, walking over cautiously to the bed that his father and mother had slept in. It, unlike all the other things, had color to it. Hesitantly Sombra touched it with a hoof, and it was solid. After a moment's hesitation, the king threw himself onto the bed. Without even drawing the covers over himself he was asleep instantly.
Sombra's dreams, oh his dreams were the purest joy. Not only was he back in Equestria, he was with his parents, and they were happy. He ran across the fields with the sheep, he sheered them with his father and wove with his mother. He could not tell how many memories he danced through, or for how long he slept, but he knew only that it was not enough. Even as his eyes opened he groaned slightly, trying to close them again, but he fell through the bed, and he heard them. The thundering of hooves up the hill.
But now, Sombra stood up, his rested soul now ready for the chase again. He barged through the wall of the house, turning down the hill, away from the horde seeking vengeance upon him. Though he knew this time, like all other times, this run would end in his death. But this time, he did not fear the coming pain as much as he had. He clung to the memories that the world and his dreams had dug up, clung to them as a starving pony clung to oats.
Sombra paused for a moment outside the home, seeing two headstones. While Sombra would have preferred his parents to be represented together, he supposed this was good enough. Though it cost him precious seconds he approached the two headstones, looking at the larger headstone he frowned.
White Wool and Golden Strands
Sombra looked to the other headstone, his eyes widening as he read what was on it.
A shepherd's son
Sombra would have marveled for longer but he heard the thundering of hooves coming for him. As he ran he glanced one last time back at the house, and the horde, frowning a moment. He wasn't sure if it was his memory playing tricks on him, but the horde seemed a little smaller than it was before he returned to Equestria. He turned his concentration back to running, fleeing from his victims. Looking up at the shadowed sky he smiled for a moment. For the first time in his afterlife, he had a sliver of hope for his future. "Father, I earned a night's rest. What can I do to earn my final rest?" Though there was no answer, he couldn't help but think that he saw a flicker of color in the corner of his vision.
