The Prince of Shadows

Chapters

Trapped
Reawakening
Guess who's back? Back again.
Holiday Special - Christmas' Eve
They Will Know Fear

Trapped

King...Sombra...That was my name...right?

I couldn't really be sure. I couldn't even be sure of my identity, of the vague flashes of distant memories I occasionally got, nor if my existence was real. Caught in a nebulous and hollow hell of my own, without knowing why I was here. It was infuriating...irritating...confusing...terrifying!

I was terrified...of nothing.

I was starting to remember some things. I knew that I was once an ambitious stallion - such key features of my supposed character could not be erased so easily. I also knew I had an ever-lingering desire to...CONQUER EXISTENCE ITSELF!

...Ehem...

Considering that, and the swirl of negativism etched deep into my consciousness, I knew I was most likely the type to look down on love and compassion. Honestly, I could see why. Kindness, generosity, honesty, laughter, loyalty, friendship...these things just seemed silly to me, even if in my current state, I did not fully understand them. To me, these were trivial things, not to be prioritized.

Heh...Ponykind never took too kindly to 'loveless fiends' as far as I could recall. Is that how I got here? Mayhaps this was a punishment for a serious 'crime' I have committed?

So, I was damned to reside in this solitary hell...Heh...What a loveless punishment.

It's driving me crazy. Or maybe I am crazy already and I have simply become aware of it.

I was only certain that that once...if I escape this formless pit, the first thing I would do is...look at a mirror. What? I needed to know if my apperance had changed somehow.

Of course, the second would be to inflict suffering and unspeakable horror on those who did this to me. Them or...their descendants...It really depended on how much time I had actually been here.

The more I thought about it, the more I started to get a sense of...familiarity. As if though I had actually been here before. In fact, I probably had.

There was some wisdom residing deep in my sub-consciousness...a wisdom one could find only in ancient kings or princesses. If that was the case, I wouldn't have put it past myself to have come back numerous times, only to be defeated again and again.

These wondering thoughts always seemed to fill me with...anger...and...I think I may have started...remembering. Actually remembering my past.

Good. This was good. I will most likely come back soon. If I had managed to escape this hollow hell once, then why wouldn't I be able to again?

In the meantime, my visceral anger and contempt will keep me sane. I am only worried that once I do return...my enemies will make sure I wouldn't be able to escape ever again...and though I hate to admit it, the thought frightened me.

Author's Note

Hello to every...pony? Is that how you greet people here? I am gonna assume that it is for now. This was my first ever story on this site, so be wary of OOC-ness, cringe, some lore mistakes, ~~boring Micheal Bay-esque action sequences~~ and be sure to call me out on any of it.

I used to watch My Little Pony when it still aired in my country and recently I have caught up with the series. Unfortunately, the series was ending at the same time...

I liked the final season. It wasn't the perfect conclusion, but it was a great conclusion nonetheless. But...Sombra...man, they did him dirty...

This story is just an idea I've had for a while. Nothing special, really. I'm just trying out things at the moment. In fact, I don't plan to have a frequent updating schedule.

Reawakening

"TREMBLE BEFORE ME WEAKLINGS! I AM YOUR RECKONING! I WILL MAKE YOUR ANCESTORS REGRET THEY WERE EVER BRED!"

I am in no way proud to admit that these were the first words that left my mouth when I manifested into my physical form for the first time since my defeat at the hands of the cursed young princesses - Twilight Sparkle and Mi Amore Cadenza.

In my defense, the feeling of being whole and solid once again overwhelmed me and the dwendling anger and contempt in my consciousness went wild.

It reminded me a little of my days as a young colt. Whenever I'd get excited about something, I'd shout profanities. All of my peers believed I was out of my mind.

They weren't entirely wrong...but, as an astute king exceling in the art of war, like many small kingdoms, I did conquer myself as well, or in simpler words - I learnt how to keep a straight face at all times.

Despite what others might think, an oppressive tyrant does have to keep up appearances, much like those pampous princesses in Canterlot. One slip of the tongue and your subjects might start getting it in their heads that you are showing weakness, which in turn could lead to some disastrous conflicts.

Of course, I never had any remorse whenever I crushed their little rebellions, but still...I'd rather rule over a grand kingdom than a ghost town.

Ah, perhaps I've been going on this nostalgic trip for too long. Let's get back to where I left off.

My body solidified into it's original form. There weren't any altercations to my form, though I did feel...limited. Clearly whoever has summoned me from the void beyond wasn't competent enough to restore me to my true self!

Ah, no matter...It was still better than being stuck in that miserable hell of absolute nothingness.

As my crimson evil eyes examined my current vicinity, I noticed three unfamiliar figures standing and glaring at me, magic glowing and wings flapping nervously, from the lower floor of the...cave? Indeed, I was in a cave...

Ugh! Why did it have to be a dirty old smelling cave?! You know what, nevermind...I don't have to concern myself with such trivial nuisances.

...Still, I wish it'd been the elder princess' old castle. Could've made for an ironic twist!

Now, back to the fools moronic enough to dare glare at me like that. I flashed the trio my classic fanged grin. The two bigger creatures were barely deterred. A changeling and a centaur.

Hmph...that explained the audacity in their demeanor. At least the little pegasus had the common sense to appear frightened, though the emotion seemed a little...faux.

"King Sombra, you have returned? Why did you summon us?"

I snorted.

"Little insect, if I was the one who summoned you, it wouldn't have been in a dirty old stinking lair such as this," I retorted haughtily and scrunched my nose in disgust.

"What did you just call me?! I am Chrysalis! QUEEN Chrysalis! The most powerful of the changeling race and you will treat me with proper respect!"

My brows slightly rose and despite my rising ire, I was smirking. This one had fire in her. And she was also a queen. These features were pleasing for a renowned being such as I. Still, I had to assert my dominance.

"An insect is still an insect is still an insect, regardless of their rank. In Equastria, there's only one hierarchy that applies. Me, the nefarious Sombra at the top, with the alicorn princess being close rivals. Everypony else is a minion or vermin."

The look of absolute loathing that the changeling queen gave me was hilarious, and I even managed to offend that haggard centaur, too!

Their horns glowed with their magic, a clear sign of opposition. I chuckled and my shadow aura flared out in excited waves of hollow flames, lifting my cloak up. I didn't mind a little 'morning excercise' before I took on the princesses.

It was at that moment of escalation that our TRUE summoner decided to reveal himself.

"ENOUGH!"

The voice was strong, old and gruff. Rings of dark yellow and black magic trapped the four of us in place and cancelled our own magic output.

'This is troubling,' I thought. I couldn't move nor could I use any of my magic to break this spell.

An old ram with blue fur and bells dangling from it's thick neck. Like me, the ram had twisted red eyes. His pose and demeanor was also that of an ancient tyrant vanished and seeking revenge, too.

"It was I!"

I wondered who this fellow was...Was it perhaps the infamous Grogar I've heard stories about when I was a colt? The tyrannical 'Father of monsters', the first emperor and the 'mean old ram with the many bells'?

"You may call me - GROGAR!"

Yes, I do stand correct. And who said a tyrant isn't an excellent judge of character? Though it was so obvious, I nearly had the inclination to roll my eyes at the other three's gasps.

We were released from the binding spell and each of us sighed with slight relief. We gathered around the table at the center of the cave, where Grogar now sat, magic ball in hooves.

"Grogar? As in the first emperor of Equastria Grogar? THAT Grogar?" asked the changeling.

"I thought you were a legend. Like one of those scaredy tales ponies tell their misbehaving foals." the centaur added with just as much disbelief.

"Indeed, he was a tale told to young ponies to keep them from being 'rude to one another', at least during my time. It's not much of a surprise that he turned out be real in the end." I said, rubbing my kingly composure right in their faces, which earned me a pair of glares and a side glance from Grogar.

"Yes! Not only did I summon you and not only am I very real, but with your aid, I will also be the one to rid Equestria of Twilight Sparkles and her friends!"

Oh...Well, wasn't this interesting? I might've made a huge misunderstanding, because no way was this the real Grogar. His motivation just didn't make sense to me.

An ancient monster such as him would not give a crap about Twilight Sparkles and her tag-alongs. I speak from personal experience, being an ancient monster myself.

Though I was wary of Cadance and Shinning Armor, they were never my main targets. They were just obstacles to my ambitions.

It might be a little far-fetched, but if my defeats have taught me anything it's that it was a good idea to always be cautious.

By the time I finished my dilemma, I had missed many parts of the conversation and bickering Grogar had with those three fiends. I only tuned back in to hear:

"I suggest nothing. I demand that you join me and together Equestria will be ours!"

I grunted, irritated by the notion. Me, the KING of the Shadows and the master of Fear, holding hands with these fools on an enthusiastic conquest? Well, that didn't sound bad if I got to make the pretty little changeling mad...still, it was laughable! This imposter should've known that I wasn't going to take his offer. EVER.

...Yes...I would've never taken his offer...

Maybe that's exactly what he was counting on! So, not only could he be an imposter, he could also be a double agent for the princesses!

I couldn't be sure, but I knew I had to play my cards right or I might get myself destroyed again sooner than I could anticipate.

I made a slightly hasty decision at that moment which would end up benefiting me in the long run.

"I don't do ours. I only do mine!"

It wasn't a rational plan, but then again...When did any of my plans make sense?

Author's Note

So what's happening here? What's Sombra's plan and why did he say the same line he said in the episode?

Guess who's back? Back again.

After giving an annoyingly domineering speech about how I would stampede through my opposition, I managed to irritate 'Grogar' enough to be send to the outskirts of my kingdom.

You know, I never really understood why historians refer to it as a 'kingdom'. If its full name is the 'Crystal Empire' shouldn't it be an empire? And wouldn't that mean I was 'Emperor Sombra' not 'King Sombra'?

Agh, whatever! That's irrelevant! What's important is that I was back! Furthermore, I managed to trick that fraud, (the most likely false) Grogar, that I would foolishly launch a self-destructive attack on the Crystal Empire all by myself!

I looked towards the Crystal Castle twinkling in the distance and chuckled.

Of course I wouldn't do that! What kind 'conqueror' tries to take over a land filled with powerful magic creatures in a few days without planning ahead? An incompetent one!

Or Iridium, the last descendant of the Original Dragon Lord. Oh, Iridium, you were a bruttish and dimwitted fellow! I learned a lot from your failures during our quite long-lived alliance.

My point is, I knew that my chances of taking over Equestria all by myself were low, at best.

The blank spot in the painting that were my viscous plans, was the fact that I knew just as much about the current state of Equestrian affairs - next to nothing.

Equestria's defense was great, mostly because it was not merely magically enhanced walls or gates. With the Elements of Harmony, the Crystal Heart and other powerful tools, the princesses' potential prowess could practically break any limit, far surpassing even my might when I am at my very best.

Now, I knew there were ways that could be overcome, but I should probably wait for a little while before doing anything of great significance.

First, I needed information and that's where the second issue came in. I probably should have convinced the changeling queen to join me, because she would have been perfect for the job! For me, that was near damn impossible!

How, you ask? Shouldn't the great, infamous and all-powerful dark master of Fear be able to gather simple information easily, you wonder? Well no, I couldn't!

I am a unicorn with umbrumish origin! I can only change my form from 'unicorn' to 'shadow pony'!

Sure, I could cast an illusion spell, but weakened as I currently was, the princesses would probably see through it immediately! Then they would vanish me into the Abyss once more!

I grumbled to myself, kicking a few crystal stones.

I guess being one of Equestria's most feared and known monsters came with the huge downside of everypony being able to recognize you on sight.

It was good for intimidation, but what good was intimidation without the capability to back it up? You just end up making a fool of yourself.

So, I wasn't at full power...Maybe I could refill my magic supply by feeding off the fears of ponies. Yes, that could be a good starting point for my revenge.

However, I didn't know what I was really up against...

And as I said, I couldn't gather any information safely, nor did I have anywhere to go, where my mere presence wouldn't cause a commotion...

Well...except one place...

Yes, yes... I was going back to that old ram's lair, literally a few minutes after I had left. Believe me, I was just as vexed at this silly turn of events as you all are.

I wasn't actually returning to Grogar. I had simply come to gather key intel on Twilight Sparkle. A short-term operation(I hoped). A quick in-and-out job.

I just hoped that imposturous goat wouldn't see me. At least I could be spared some of the humiliation.

It'd probably be for the best if I stayed in my umbrum form. That way, I could easily blend in with the background if I managed to flatten my sprawling body into a wall, in case Grogar were to appear suddenly.

"Now, which one of the three fiends should I interrogate first?" I said quietly to myself. Sometimes, I tented to do such impetuous things. Thus, my cover was blown fast.

"Oh hey, Sombra, you're back!"

I froze up, shock and horror briefly filling me. I turned around and my eyes widened.

"What the-?! The little pegasus?!"

"Yup, that's me!" the noodle-haired filly said, smiling at me, "I'm Cozy Glow, by the way. I sorta dorta forgot to introduce myself when we were all...well, introducing ourselves! Heh heh..."

That awkward laugh. That bright smile. Those cute glowing eyes. There was just something off about her. I could feel it. I mean, what is a friendly, happy-go-along, weak pony doing amongst Grogar's coalition. We are talking the most feared and resented opposition of the whole damn Equestria itself. How in Tartarus is she even still breathing?

"Uh...heyyy...um...hm..." the filly waved a hoof in front of my face.

"What?" I growled harshly, causing her to shiver and back away a little.

"N-Nothing, it's just that you've been staring at me for quite a while now and you haven't said anything, sooooo...yeah, kinda creepy-"

The fright and anxiety in her filly eyes was obvious and although my lips should have curled up into a menacing smirk, they formed into a callous frown instead. I still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong about her whole attitude.

I hummed and made the coat of shadows disperse into thin air, so I could conversate with the filly in a much more familiar to her form, with a much less intimidating voice.

"So, child, I have been caught by you. You now know of my lies and deceptions...what are you going to do with this newly acquired information about me, the great, the evillest, the one and only - King Somb-"

"You lied to Grogar?"

I stammered, baffled.

"Wh- Of course I lied to that goat! Do not mistake me for a mere glaikit gascon! Everything I do is part of a intricate, carefully considered and judicious plan, exploiting the factors of-halt! Why am I even informing you of this?!"

I glared at the filly. Judging from the expression on her face, she was either scared or confused to the point of being scared. I heard an acute gulp.

"Because...you like having someone to talk to about your devillish plans!"

As she said that, that filly had the audacity to give me a bright-eyed smile, too. I growled.

"No, I do not. Now, I admit, that might've worked on a more dim-witted and egocentric black hat, especially the type to genuinely brag, but I, as you must already know, am Sombra! So, to your lame excuse I say: Pathetic, child, pathetic!"

Now, with my face literally pressed against hers in a manner that's supposed to be threatening (but might've honestly looked hilarious on the outside), the filly had no chance but to concede, either due to horror or inability to comprehand the situation.

"O-Okaaaaay...uhm...I was, uh, thinking...maybe we could, ya know, go to my chambers and have a little chat there." then she gave me that strange awkward smile and winked at me.

I was shook. Did a filly just wink at me while offering to share a bed? What world have I been resurrected to?!

"Revolting!" I screeched, jumping back a few meters, "Be ashamed and disgusted with yourself, child! How come you offer your body, to royalty, at this age...I wanted you to know your place and it certainly isn't in a bed with me."

"What?! No, what the-No!" the filly exclaimed, twice as repulsed and horrified by the idea than even I was, "That's not what I was trying to say at all!"

"Then why give an open invitation to a stallion like myself, if not to engage in the mating ritual?" I asked. Now I was the confused one.

"Because-!"

A voice echoed through the lair, cutting the pegasus off.

"What's going on over there?!"

I panicked a bit and immediately merged with a big shadow on the wall. I heard vulgar mumbling heading our way, getting louder and clearer. I had to keep my eyes closed so as to not give myself away, thus I couldn't see the approaching figure.

"Oh, Chrysalis, what's up?" the filly asked casually.

Chrysalis? Was this not the fair Queen of changelings?

"-'What's up' is the volume of noise you've been making for the past ten minutes! Unlike you, I am not a young fluttering youngling filled unending supply of enthusiastic energy! Some of us, need some peace and quiet from time to time!"

I tried my hardest not to giggle to the senile complaining of the changeling queen.

"Oops! Sorry, I'll try to be less noisy in the near future,"

There was a pause. Through her own shadow, I could feel she was shuffling around a bit, as if examining the area.

"Who were you talking to anyways?"

"What? Uh, nopony! I mean- myself, I was talking to myself!"

"You're a terrible liar, child..."

Couldn't agree more...

"It's true, there's nopony here!"

"Hmmm, I'll be the judge of that..."

Poor stupid thing. I'll have to leave in a second, because it'd seem I'd be found out by the changeling queen as well-

"Ah hah! I knew I smelled the scent of an umbrum! Quit hiding, cowardly king!"

"Cowardly king?!" I roared in fury as I emerged from my hiding spot, the cloak of shadows now sparkling with unruly magic. The arrogant queen merely smirked, as if mocking me, which obviously didn't help my mood, "I will show you what a coward looks like, once I bring out the worst in you and make you look at a mirror!"

"No need, I have one to look at right now!"

I felt passionate glower rise in my throat.

"And what makes me a coward, little insect?" I asked in a low, cold and menacing voice, but if anything, I more or less annoyed her with the 'little insect' addressment.

"You being here is proof enough, ruffian! You were probably scared out of your skin when Twilight Sparkles and her little friends came to defend the Crystal Empire! You ran away, licking your wounds and you came back to plead for our help, didn't you?!"

Oh, this mare was really testing my patience! I felt so furious at her words, I wanted nothing more than to devour her whole, envelop her in a suffocating embrace while meshing our fanged lips together as I drown her mind in her worst nightmares!

...

Huh...Where did that come from?

"What?" the changeling queen spat, "Too hurt by the truth to move, king?!"

I gave her a sideways. Mare, if I told you why I appeared stunned, you'd probably be shivering, so shut your trap. Still, what were these burning emotions I experienced just a moment ago when I was in the heat of an argument with the insectoid mare. Had I gone through this before?

"Guys, can you keep it down a notch! Sweet Celestia, I'm surprised Tirek and Grogar haven't already heard us!"

The changeling and I turned to look at the pegasus filly who we had briefly forgotten about. We snorted almost in sync, which caused us to glare at one another before looking back at the pegasus.

"Why are you so stressed about others finding him here?" the changeling spoke first, eyeing the filly with justified suspicion.

"I-"

"Nevermind that. First, we need to discuss your bedding invitation, child."

"What? Ew, gross!" the changeling exclaimed next to me, her suspicioun now mixing with revulsion, which caused the filly to groan in exasperation and rub her temples with her hooves.

"For the last time, I don't want to have sex with Sombra! Since Sombra's back, I just wanted to-"

"Sombra's back and you want to have sex with him?! I thought I taught you better, Cozy Glow!" a raspy voice chided from somewhere down the tunnel which the changeling queen had come from. Before I could turn to see the newcomer, my hearing senses were brutalized by a scream that could put my Screaming Banshees to shame.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH...!"

Author's Note

Hello guys, I apologize it took so long to make this chapter. There are many reasons for the delay.

This chapter certainly took a weird turn during the writing phase...Writing from Sombra's prespective is fun, but a bit difficult. I mostly drive my inspiration from medieval kings and other nobility and their way of thinking.

Since certain gestures and suggestions have different meanings during a long period of time, I believe it'd be quite easy for Sombra to often misinterpret some stuff.

I also tried to capture the inconsiderate and apathetic aspects of his character by having him not remembering Chrysalis' and Cozy Glow's names. It's funny, because when I read it, he also comes off as sexist to me xd.

Anyways, that's it for now...Might be back in two weeks...or months...maybe years...eh...

Holiday Special - Christmas' Eve

So...I have been informed by an important figure that at this current point in time, you mongrels are celebrating a widely spread holiday called...um, what was the name again? 'Celestia's Eve'? No...Uuh...Crisp Mass' Eve? No, this lacks any sense whatsoever...It was...Ah...Oh damn it all! Your childish gatherings are irrelevant to me and so are the names you pick for them!

However...the teller of this variation of my story will unfortunately be temporarily absent from his duties. THIS is something that concerns me, as it hinders everything! Granted, after being told of this Chris Manson Eve he and his fellow semiens celebrate mirthfully, although angered at first, I decided to pardon that dull mongrel...just once.

If it were up to me, I'd dedicate most holidays to gift me with sacrifices in fear of my wrath or to humiliate those pesky princesses. Alas, I am still too weak to impose my will on others.

But soon...SOON... EQUESTRIA WILL KNOW THE NAME-!

"Sombra! Somepony brought a package and it has your name on it!"

Damn that Celestia! Always meddling in my affairs when we aren't playing our roles! Why is she even here?! Doesn't she have that obtuse sister of hers to annoy and bicker with?

"I'm coming!"

"Not the best choice of words!"

That mare...Oh, I am going to make her scream tonight! She can be sure of it!

The package does in fact have my name scribbled on the back in black letters trimmed with red and green at the edges. Interesting...Who would go through the effort of wrapping junk in colorful junk and then have it transported over to me?

"So what is it?" Celestia just came in, a huge box of sweets in her magical grasp.

"Let me open it and I'll tell you." I snap back, making her pause and briefly scowl at me before she resumes to drown herself in candy treats. Gusty, no wonder I hear mocking comments about her rear on a daily basis with how much sugar she consumes.

I tear open the package to reveal a little blue box inside. I curiously poke the box with my hoof.

"Whoa!" Celestia exclaims behind me as the box intrudes and sprawls onto the floor.

"I think I broke the thing..."

But what is this? It looks like...An entire room-sized model of the Crystal Empire under my supreme rule?

There is no mistaking it. All those black crystals. The dark fortress. It all seems so...graceful, so beautiful, so...real. And it is accurate to the tiniest detail! It even has Crinky's bar!

My hoof reaches eagerly to the model's details, but then something gets shot out of the wall canons. I am startled at first, of course. But then I see what falls down. A slightly burned piece of paper.

I unroll it and read the contents.

"'To our King, the best villain in Equestria - Sombra! Good luck on all your evil-doing! Merry Christmas!

-Your loyal fans'"

I...This...This is... certainly a surprise. And...it may be a welcome one...just a tad bit.

"Sombra, are you...smiling?"

"NO! I am merely sneering at this...disgusting attempt to appease to my wishes!"

I say that...yet do I truly mean it? No, of course I do! And stop smirking at me, 'Sunbutt'!

Author's Note

Decided to drop my own 'holiday special', cuz it is Christmas after all. I've always wanted to do this actually, but never had the inclination to write my ideas down. But now I finally did and it is a delight to the heart.

Merry Christmas every...pony!

P.S. This little in-betweener was supposed to be published yesterday but due to personal reasons that I would not dwel on(*psst* laziness, exhaustion and family arguments), it had to be delayed.

P.S.S. Grammar is probably a mess, I know. I rarely in anything other than past tense.

They Will Know Fear

Chapter OST=Dark Souls III Soundtrack OST - Slave Knight Gael (The Ringed City) - YouTube
At the moment, I know not what is happening...I am drifting through a void of bright neon colours and unreal spatial shapes. This void isn't like the Ether. It is much more...alive.

The final battle had ensued. With aid of my excellent and merciless leadership, I managed to turn the little group of scoundrels into the deadliest force Equestria had ever seen.

Tirek was muscular; big and strong...he made for a great berserker. He was also partially capable of magecraft, though obviously not on the same level as myself or Chrysalis. He worked best against a large number of weaklings. Like a diamond dog, he hunted all the little rabbits that scuttered about, trying to flee to their pitiful capital, either to seek shelter or assist their precious Princesses however they could.

The little pegasus filly, Crazy Glow or whatever...she was surprisingly versatile in her usefulness. She proved to be a great foil to Twilight. She herself could not match the Princess in battle. But fighting prowess wasn't Princess Twilight's best trait. It was bringing a great number of gullible fools together. Her intellect and charisma makes it an almost too easy feat for her.

But my little filly ally also exceled in that, except it was dripped in malevolence. Whereas Twilight's compassion and selflessness naturally drew others toward her, the little filly's manipulation and exploitation lured people to fall. And dear me, was she like a ticking bomb in this regard!

I directed her towards the most gullible of idiots on Equestria. Asinine rumours spread. Racism, xenophobia, confusion, religious fanaticism, conspiracy theories, political agendas. Crazy Glow and I set it all up! Simply magnificent *chef's kiss*!

Chrysalis was...a true Queen of Darkness. If I wasn't an apocalyptic force of nature, I'd say she was my equal. She was the only one in the group I could tolerate and respect, though after seeing her conversing with those pony dolls of hers, I redacted any mental plans for her and I to be King and Queen. I like freaky, don't get me wrong, but this was just too...unsophisticated? Pathetic? Weird?

EHEM! So anyways, Chrysalis, great asset and all. The only thing on her mind was vengeance and inflicting suffering. And she quickly came up with methods to do that efficiently. Now that, I respect. The sheer malevolent drive to do something these ponies call 'evil' was what made her so alluring to me in the first place.

As the strongest of the changelings, her arsenal of deadly abilities almost matched mine. With her help, I was able to deceive the majority of the Princess' allies into one neat spot. A canyon near the caverns that Grogar, who was actually Discord the entire time, had nicely stashed the four of us in.

What happened there was a delightfully cruel and horrid picture. It was so sweet! So great! I hadn't felt so satisfied. Not since the first time I invaded the Crystal Empire and butchered the royalty!

Tremble, tremble you vermin! HAHAHAHA!

Fear me! Fear Sombra! Fear the King of the Shadows! The Master of Fear! The Despair Incarnate!

Aaah...war crimes and merciless slaughter. Truly my area of expertise.

Forcing information out of the survivors was easy enough. Haunt their subconsciousness with horrors long enough and even the sturdiest bend like molten metal.

...

(Sombra remains silent for several minutes)

This was, unfortunately, the last genuine victory I and the other three achieved.

Hmph...I admit now that I'm alone, drifting through the Elements know what, that my arrogance may have made me a little ignorant of the situation.

I was so drunk on the glory from that majestic butchery that I just sat my behind on Celestia's throne and hummed a dark and gloomy song about my greatest victory yet. I refused to listen to whatever blabber my allies were spouting. I actually put a barrier around myself.

I should've at least listened to what they were saying...CURSES! DAMN YOU, YOU PRETENDER-HEROES! We were so close-I was so close!

Rrrrgh...Hm. In any case, I once again fell victim to my own arrogance. I would've cursed myself for it, but I am simply too majestic to insult my own image.

Just a mere set-back...A lesson to be learned!

We started hunting our biggest enemies. We tried picking them one by one, but Chrysalis and Tirek rushed a bit in one of their attacks and almost got captured themselves. Ugh...this was the problem with scoundrels who inflict pain for revenge. It was too emotional, too personal. It clouded their judgement!

In any case. The following days were a compilation of skirmishes. Battles that merited no benefits for both sides. And then the wendigos started swarming in from the sky.

It seemed like a mutual telepathic agreement between the two sides. We knew we had to end our dispute before the wendigos grew a blizzard strong enough to freeze even me into a dark all-powerful popsicle.

Icy wind blowing through the hills, painting the top of the grass white. It was the four of us versus every remaining 'hero'. It was a legendary battle! Something on unspeakable levels! Our battle was so destructive we almost reshaped the entire world of Equestria, sundering the landscape and boiling the oceans.

Me, Chrysalis, Tirek and Crazy Glow managed to synergize near-flawlessly near the end, swatting away a dozen ponies and other creatures like they were flies!

Funny, I recall that we seldom got along. But at that moment, we were like an unstoppable disaster. Something even greater and more terrific than the blizzard of the Wendigos!

We had them overwhelmed. I was just about to plunge my demonic horn through the heart of Princess Twilight and end her pathetic 'Era of Friendship'!

...

(Sombra trembles in fury)

Sadly...that did not happen. Rather, fate didn't allow it to happen. Hm...kehahaha...I like to think I terrified all of Equestria so much that the WORLD itself and all its magic tried to stop my wake of destruction. Ooooh, I do love this theory!

Anyways, the best way to describe what happened was: deus ex machina. 'The great villain was about to slay the hero, but in the nick of time, the hero was saved by an unknown force!!' - yes, all that romantic jazz. That...that actually happened!

I understood my previous defeats, and those of my comrades well enough. The 4 would always end up being outnumbered, outsmarted or beaten down by the endless power of the Elements of Harmony.

But this time, THIS TIME...!

(Sombra lets out a howl, making the spiral space-time bridge rumble)

This time everything was set up in our favor. We had weakened the Elements of Harmony. We took precautious steps in battle. Our combined firepower was more than enough to put even Celestial, Candace and Luna on their knees with ease.

So, uh, naturally weak and tired Princess Twilight should've just died then and there, right? INCORRECT!

The moment my horn made contact with her, her body was enveloped in an ethereal glow that cut my goddamn horn clean off! The glow expanded until it turned into an explosion of bright light. My damaged shadowy body was blown to kingdom come.

When I came back to the battlefield, the Princess was floating in the sky with an aura of power so massive, I actually shuddered in terror. I am not even ashamed to admit it out loud! T-That thing...It wasn't Twilight. It was the Elements of Harmony. Or maybe Harmony itself? Or the whole Equestria??

Whatever it was, it made me feel like an insect. And if there is something I truly despise, it is exactly that feeling!

Floating World Goddess Twilight or whatever, just stared us down with a neutral look. There was no affection nor hate in that gaze. And her blazing blue eyes obscured any recognizable emotion. She spread her arms and began singing.

That was it, I thought. She's mocking us! So I acted rashly and blasted her with one hundred bolts of darkness. My attack did nothing.

Then, another astonishing scene occurred. Raw magic began to leak from...practically everything. My mind couldn't fully comprehend it back then, but...it was as if Twilight was soaking up all the raw magic in the world. From fallen comrades and friends. From the deceased. From nature. From history. Even from the wendigos. The freaking wendigos. HOW?!

She ended her song with a piercing howl that still haunts me even to this moment.

She gathered all that endless energy into the tip of her horn. The glow was so strong I'm sure the minds of weaker individuals would be immediately destroyed upon gazing directly at it.

With one last roar, she fired it at us. I braced myself. I knew I had to be the one to overwhelm this...this freakish monster. Luckily, I had been stacking residue energy from the negativism that Crazy Glow caused. Our brutal victories further increased my stock of magic supply.

I commanded Tirek and Chrysalis to fire all of their magic directly at me. Charged up by their power and my personal supply of dark magic, I met Twilight's blast with a ball of pure malice. Something like a black hole. It thirsted for the annihilation of existence itself.

The clash was brutal and I am pretty sure it almost tore the entire world apart.

I was able to hold the terrifying attack of Twilight off, but the weight of it felt literally infinite. Like trying to hold the sky on your shoulders.

But I am SOMBRA! I will destroy even infinity if I have to!

I pushed and pushed, and Twilight pushed, too...My form cracked and I almost slipped up.

'It's over' I thought with despair. One look at my damaged form told me enough. I was not coming out victorious out of this struggle.

Twilight's blast was not only infinite, but it also grew infinitely. And with each moment, it pushed faster and faster through my blast. The sizes didn't even match. Hers was clearly superior.

But at the last second, fate smiled upon me, too!

I barely noticed it...a rift in space-time. It had formed right where our tremendous powers had clashed. Thinking swiftly, I abandoned my plans to hold off till the end.

I compressed the immense darkness around myself and dashed as fast as I could towards the rift. Twilight's blast quickly burnt through my armour of primeval darkness, but it was not fast enough to stop me from getting into the rift.

...And that is how I am here now. I know not how long I have been drifting through this dimensional tunnel for. Years may have gone by on Equestria. Or not even a second. Who knows.

I am...a bit scared. Of what awaits me at the end. Maybe it was a Hell, fit for demonic overlords like myself. A world specifically designed to torment me? Or just a random universe?

Either way, my story on Equestria has seemingly come to an end...And honestly, I'm fine with that. I feel an odd sense of satisfaction...It's almost overwhelming, really...hehehe...HAHAHAAHAHHA! To think-HAH-that not just the Elements of Harmony-HEH-but the entire world of Equestria had to use all of its available power in an attempt to banish me for all eternity...what a magnificent conclusion!

They will remember my dark and malicious existence. They will know the name - SOMBRA! The King of Darkness! The Prince of Shadows! The Master of Fear! The Sovereign of Destruction! The Despair Incarnate!

They will know FEAR...and they will be glad.

Author's Note

Hello! Long time no see, bronies or whatever you guys prefer to be called. I'm not really a part of the fandom anymore, but I am still a huge fan of Sunset, Sombra and Celestia. My personal favourites, to be honest.

Soooo...been a while, eh? Two years? Three years? Thank you for being so patient with me! Love y'all [insert 100 smiling emojis]

But in all seriousness, I'm grateful for the moderate amount of support this fic got. It has zero dislikes which at one point motivated me to really give it my all.

However, a great evil known to many fanfic writers struck - Writer's Block. At one point I simply lost interest in MLP. All MLP shows had ended which removed the investment in canon content. And I also couldn't bother putting so much time and effort in something that A. Should be done for fun only and B. It's not like the whole fandom's gonna read it and sing my praises across Discord/Reddit/Twitter/etc.

2020 also came along and fucked up any interest I had in writing fics. I was ready to play on Survival Mode for the first half of the year.

Now, skip to second half of 2021 and a lot has changed. Frankly, I've matured. And edgy long-winded fics aren't that appealing to me. I still like edgy Sombra villainy, but I would rather not write 50k words about how he tortures ponies. I can be doing much more productive things instead, like getting my driver license or getting a job. Life bruh.

I decided to temporarily return to finish this story, as it is the first I ever wrote on Fimfic.com. I didn't want it to rot, incomplete, like so many other fics before it. So...this is it. I present to you the rushed ending of "The Prince of Shadows".

I hope I landed the characterization of Sombra. I have my own personal spin on his personality and this chapter is an expression of that. Idk, I just love dark edgy dudes that look like they belong in Dark Souls. Is it generic? Yeah, probably. Should I use more original ideas? Definitely. But honestly, who CARES? I had fun writing this and that's all that matters.

So...I hope you enjoyed my little fic as long as it lasted.

FIN