Sombra in the Legionby TheClownPrinceofCrimeChaptersA Reluctant New MemberThe King and QueenTalk with the Magic EaterUncle SombraThe Final GatheringA Reluctant New MemberA huge black cloud flowed right above a rocky podium and twirled repeatedly until a familiar dark equine revealed himself once the cloud vanished. King Sombra opened his eyes and beheld his surroundings. “What? Where am I? Wait..” Sombra muttered as the realization came to him. “I AM BACK HERE AGAIN?!” “Indeed you are, Sombra.” a familiar evil voice replied. Sombra looked down from the podium and saw the same four villains he encountered earlier: Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, Cozy Glow, and the Father of Monsters himself, Grogar. He stood up on his hooves and descended from the podium to confront them. “What do you want from me?! Didn’t I tell you I didn’t want to be a part of your...team-up?” Sombra angrily spat. “May I remind you of the deal we had before?” reminded Grogar who had a smug look on his face. “If you fail, you will submit to me.” his smug grin then turned to a disappointed scowl. “Twilight Sparkle and her friends defeated you once again because of your arrogance! Have I proven my point?” “What point? The point that we need ridiculous cooperation in order to take over Equestria? I was just about to win the war until the Mane Six had luck by their side to destroy me!” Sombra excused. “That was my reasoning earlier.” Tirek added. “Luck? How about I refresh your memory of what happened right after you destroyed the Tree of Harmony, shall I?” Grogar said before tapping his crystal ball to bring the scene where Sombra trapped the Mane Six within a cage of dark crystal shards. FLASHBACK Sombra walked around the trapped mares menacingly as he began to taunt them. “With you out of the way, I will rule ALL of Equestria! And I know just where to start!” “Don’t you dare say it!” said Applejack, glaring. “Your sweet little hometown.” Sombra darkly spoke. “You leave Ponyville alone!” defied Rarity. “Or what? Without your elements, it will be so easy to control you!” said Sombra. His shadowy arms surrounded them to take full possession of them until he spoke again. “But there’s no point.” The arms retracted as he spared them. FLASHBACK ENDED Grogar then glared at Sombra after the scene finished before them. “Do you now see the red flag that caused your defeat?! If you weren’t so arrogant enough to leave them alive and completely left to their own devices, you would’ve actually won! Taking possession of them should have been a bonus for your victory had you been smart and strategic.” Grogar rebuked. “I really have to admit it. Grogar has a point.” Cozy concurred. Sombra stood there seething in rage for being insulted and called out for his failure. However, he realized that his pride led to his downfall although he refused to admit it verbally. Seeing that he had nothing to say to counter Grogar’s words, he turned his head in shame. “Fine then. I suppose you will show me how I can properly exact my revenge on those insufferable ponies.” Sombra said. Grogar grinned at his submission. “Excellent. Then allow me to introduce the villains whom you will collaborate with.” Grogar said pointing to the triad. Sombra looked upon them in disgust and hatred. “I have to work with these pathetic wannabes?! Especially that filly over there!!” Sombra yelled. “What’s the matter, King Sombra? Don’t like to be humiliated like a true weakling you are?” Chrysalis taunted while smirking. “SILENCE, YOU DISGUSTING BUG!! I refuse to have you insult my dignity!!” bellowed Sombra. “Dignity? You won’t have any ‘dignity’ left once I drain you of your magic!” Tirek also taunted. “Is that a challenge?!” Sombra shouted. “I always love a great challenge. However, it would be a waste of my strength to fight a challenger who has a fetish for getting his flank beaten by those weaker than him.” Tirek mocked. “Golly, the great and fearsome Sombra sure is fearful of those ponies, isn’t he?” giggled Cozy. Sombra then turned to the filly while glaring at her in response. “You foolish little filly, you would be wise to recognize me, King Sombra, the rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire, as the master of fears! I fear NO PONY!! All will one day tremble at my power! I will be undisputed, respected, saluted, and seen for the wonder I am!!” Sombra boasted arrogantly. With that, he flew off to his new chambers in the lair. “You three! Come here!” Grogar called out to the trio. They nervously stood before him and wondered what he had in mind for them all. “I sincerely do not care at all if he were among us or not, but considering his potential and power, we need him in our midst. Plus, in order for him to be one of us, he needs to know his place and understand the importance of working together to defeat Twilight and her friends.” Grogar said. “So what do you suggest we do with him?” Tirek asked. Grogar sighed as he thought about a solution. “Perhaps the best way to handle him is to talk to him as to a friend. Becoming acquainted with him, sharing your similar desires to conquer Equestria, and actually complimenting him for his past accomplishments and for who he is would be a great start.” advised Grogar. This surprised the villains as they heard his words. “Complimenting him?! NEVER!!” Chrysalis defied. “Talking to him like a...ugh...’friend’? That’s disgusting! No way!” Tirek refused while crossing his arms. “Hmmmm, I guess that works for me! Besides, I know all about friendship!” Chrysalis and Tirek then shot at Cozy unamused looks. Cozy recoiled out of fear. “But I doubt that it would work though knowing his stiff-necked personality.” Cozy said. Grogar angrily bound the trio to a wall with his magic. “I’ve heard enough of your ramblings!! Sombra is one of us now, and you shall treat him like one! Either you show him how much he means to this Legion or face my wrath as consequence for disobedience!! Do you three understand?!” Grogar bellowed at them. The three villains fearfully nodded. Grogar then dropped them to the ground from the wall. “I’ll be back in a while. I need to begin my search for my Bewitching Bell. I expect to hear tremendous progress when I return. And finally, be at your best behavior.” Grogar commanded before he left the lair. The trio looked at each other unsure of what to do. “Well, if Sombra has to be a valuable member of our team, we have to do what Grogar says.” Cozy said. “There is no way that loud-mouthed fool will be able to listen to us!” argued Tirek. “But the fact still remains that King Sombra is just like us—hating those ponies and taking over this land. If we just familiarize ourselves with him, it could be beneficial for our cause.” Chrysalis reasoned. “I too don’t like this idea, but it is worth a shot.” The three villains then turned to face Sombra’s chambers. “Well, here goes nothing.” Author's Note I’m very sure you all wondered how it would’ve been if Sombra were a member of the Legion of Doom after his demise. I’ve always thought about it and imagined it being like this. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for the next chapter! The King and QueenChrysalis opened the door and saw Sombra lying on his bed moody and depressed. She walked toward him as quietly as possible until he noticed her through peripheral vision. The changeling stopped walking as soon as she saw him look at her. “Ughhh, what do you want this time? Mock me further more?” Sombra grumbled. “Actually, I’ve come to...talk...if that is all right with you.” Chrysalis strained to say. She could not bring herself to speak to him as an equal. It took all of her strength to subdue her pride and hatred to be in that situation. The King of shadows laughed at her reply. “Since when did you ever consider speaking to anypony as an equal? Not too long ago, you and those other fools mocked me like I was nothing. Now you come before me with a different attitude? How pathetic.” Chrysalis wanted to vaporize Sombra at that moment right after he slighted her like that. But remembering Grogar’s command, she let those words slide and continued, “Look, I’ve come for a decent conversation where we can get to know each other for a while. Considering that we are here and brought together by Grogar to destroy the protectors of Equestria, I thought it would be appropriate to have our...social time.” “I am KING! A king, like me, does not talk to his subjects like equals. He commands them. He gives demands and orders. A casual conversation is simply an insult to my authority.” Sombra haughtily spat. “Surely, as queen of the changelings, you would’ve known that by now.” “Oh, I have. And I do agree to an extent except we are both royalty and we have been brought together by the Father of monsters himself in this place where he bends us to his rule. And you are here. So where is that authority of yours now, hm?” Chrysalis replied with a smirk. Sombra looked back at her angrily. But before he could blast her with dark magic, he thought on those words. Seeing that he had nowhere to go and had been beaten several times by the heroes of Equestria, he realized that his respect and power had grown dim. Knowing she was right, he sighed deeply and looked at her again. “Perhaps you have a point. You have my attention, Queen Chrysalis. What is it you wish to speak of?” “Well, firstly, I would like to mention how you managed to destroy the Tree of Harmony which Grogar showed us earlier.” said Chrysalis. “Oh yes! It was that easy truly! I tricked those foolish mares into thinking that they defeated me for good. Oh, how wrong they were! They indirectly led me to their source of power! Destroying that tree was the greatest pleasure I ever had in my life!!” Sombra bragged. “You should’ve seen their faces when I eradicated it from existence! I couldn’t stop laughing at their funny faces of defeat and horror!” “Yes, indeed you have.” Chrysalis said with no enthusiasm. Then she grinned once more. “Then Twilight and her friends vaporized you back. You are lucky Grogar brought you back again.” “Do not remind me that!” he snapped. “And yes, I am happy that I am revived for another round. At least that’s one thing I can be thankful to Grogar for.” Sombra then changed the topic. “So what drives you to conquer Equestria, Queen Chrysalis?” “Well, I have several things that motivate me to destroy those loathsome ponies. One, revenge. I remember one particular pony who took away everything from me...STARLIGHT GLIMMER!!!” screamed Chrysalis. Her sudden change of attitude and the mention of Starlight’s name piqued the dark lord’s curiosity. “Starlight Glimmer? I’ve heard of her before. Wasn’t she the one who took cutie marks away to increase equality in her old village? What did she do to you?” he asked. “She corrupted my own subjects, destroyed my hive, and took away my victory! I will never forget what she had done to my kingdom!!” she angrily shouted. “Interesting. A strong vendetta, I see. Have you been planning your revenge on her ever since?” Sombra asked. “Of course! I’ve been planning for months to get my revenge on her! One day, I created clones of the Mane Six to be my minions so that they could steal the Elements of Harmony and I could use that power to destroy Starlight and rule Equestria as its queen!” she exclaimed. “And how did that turn out?” he asked. Chrysalis then turned her head in shame. “Those clones...decided to betray me. Luckily, the Tree of Harmony destroyed them before they could defeat me.” “I know how that feels. Minions nowadays are prone to become complete failures to their masters. They always disappoint you to no end. Thus, you have my pity.” he replied with his hoof to his chest. Chrysalis was surprised at his reply. “You...you pity me? I thought you refused to treat me like an equal!” “I did. However, it’s like you said earlier, we are villainous royalty.” he said. “So what have you accomplished that made you a fearsome enemy to Equestria?” “We changelings have done many things! Years ago, I impersonated as Twilight’s foalsitter, Cadence! I managed to invade Canterlot and brainwash Shining Armor to do my bidding!” she evily laughed. “Second, I ponynapped Twilight and her friends so that we could drain them of their love for generations! You see, I was very close to ruling Equestria several times. That made me a memorable foe.” “I see. You are a very persistent creature. I will give you that. But it seems that your supposed victories were taken away the moment you were about to win. Therefore, I can say that you are no different from me...now.” he said. “(Sigh) You’re right, King Sombra. Looks like we have something in common, don’t we?” she said. “Indeed, we do. Soon, those wretched ponies will rue the day they left us in the dust! They will cry for mercy before we finish them all off once and for all!!” Sombra shouted. Then both he and Chrysalis wickedly laughed together. After several minutes of laughter, they ceased laughing and looked back at each other. “Well, it’s been a nice chat with you, dear Queen. Changelings are very useful in combat and conquest. Though you have lost your army, I’ll create one for you.” Sombra suggested. “Why, King Sombra, you’re too kind! I would definitely love a new army at my command! Celestia and Luna will cower before me once they see me in full glory once more!” she boasted. Once they ended their conversation, Chrysalis left the room and reunited with Tirek and Cozy who were playing chess. “So how did it go?” Cozy asked. “Not too bad. I think we’re in good terms...for now. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were to make an army for himself instead of me.” she said. She turned her eyes to the centaur. “I believe it’s your turn, Lord Tirek.” “Hmmm, if your conversation worked out quite well, then I suppose mine could do well also.” Tirek said. He walked toward Sombra’s door and knocked on it. “Is the King of shadows available for a talk?” Talk with the Magic Eater“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the mighty and infamous Lord Tirek. What brings you into my chambers?” Sombra asked. “A simple...conversation with you. As a feared being of power myself, I must admit that you are truly a legend worthy of praise and respect.” Tirek half-heartedly acknowledged. “Ha! You say this while thinking I’m gullible enough to accept your flattery so that you can stab me in the back once you earn my trust. You would love to do that, wouldn’t you?” Sombra scoffed. Tirek rolled his eyes in annoyance and sighed. “If I were to take you down, I would’ve drained you of your magic by now without wasting any precious time in being a sycophant for you. Besides, I’m only here for a chat.” Sombra then narrowed his eyes to the centaur in suspicion. After several moments of silence, he soften his investigative gaze and drew nearer to Tirek. “Very well. I suppose you are here to learn more about me?” “Well, not exactly. I meant to tell you that your accomplishments in conquering Equestria are actually remarkable.” said Tirek. “To be honest, no other creature has ever managed to be successful in taking on Twilight Sparkle and the other ponies besides yourself.” “Really? Well...thank you. I never thought you would compliment me like that.” said Sombra who looked amazed and puzzled. “I know, it is rare I compliment other creatures besides myself.” said Tirek. “Nevertheless, I know a true villain when I see one. Plus, I’m looking at him right now.” “Oh please, you’re too much, my good centaur! Hahaha!” laughed Sombra. “But I do appreciate your kind words. This is exactly how everypony should fear and respect me when I retake Equestria under my control!! They will shout and cry the name of Sombra!!” “Oh, it would be so worth it to see those pretty ponies finally defeated once the love and magic of Friendship abandon them. It would be the greatest joy of my life!” Tirek exclaimed. Both the unicorn and centaur evilly laughed together. After they finished laughing, Sombra stood up from his bed. “You know what? Your ability to absorb magic is actually admirable. I’ve heard that you nearly brought Equestria to its knees when you absorbed all the magic thereof. If we were to combine our forces together, we would be unstoppable!” Sombra said excitedly. “To think about it, I really like the sound of that. With Grogar leading us, we will actually manage to exterminate everypony that stands against us! I will devour their magic, you can cast fear into their hearts, Chrysalis will drain them of their love, and Grogar will create more monsters to destroy Equestria!” explained Tirek. “Precisely! Speaking of which, I wonder what that filly is doing in our midst.” wondered Sombra. “What can she do anyway?” “It’s—it’s a long story, Sombra. Anyway, it’s like what Grogar told us before, ‘We shall use their own strategy to defeat them!’ That makes sense if you think about it.” said Tirek. “Indeed. I’m starting to feel ashamed that I spurned that opportunity before I left for the Crystal Empire. But now that I’m here, I will seize that chance to succeed where I had fallen and finish what I started!” exulted Sombra. “That’s the spirit. Just as the saying goes, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ We’ll talk again later. I have some weight lifting to do.” Tirek said before shaking Sombra’s hoof and left the door. After Tirek left, the King of shadows looked at himself through a mirror. “Rejoice while you can, Twilight Sparkle; for very soon, you and everypony you know and love shall be but a memory, a history that will be forgotten. Wait and see. Wait and see.” spoke Sombra while he grinned sinisterly. Once he said this, the pegasus filly flew into the room and landed behind him. “Hello there, Mr. Sombra! Want to have a nice chitchat!?” said Cozy Glow with a cutesy smile on her face. Sombra snapped his head around and looked down at Cozy with disdain. “Oh no, not you! And knock on my door next time!” he yelled. Uncle Sombra“Sooooo, how do you like our little get-together, Mr. Sombra? Do you like it here?” Cozy asked, smiling brightly. Sombra sighed out loud in annoyance. “This ‘get-together’ you speak of would be much better if you weren’t part of it! What are you doing here anyway?! What does a little fragile filly have against Twilight Sparkle?!” shouted Sombra. Cozy giggled in response as she heard his dramatic outburst. This puzzled the dark equine. “Golly, I’m sure you will be very impressed with how I was close to taking over Equestria.” she said. “Hahaha!! Really now? A filly conquering Equestria? How laughable!! Oh, do tell, little pony, your story.” scoffed Sombra. “Well, I was just Twilight’s student in the School of Friendship. Not a single pony and creature had any idea what I was up to. My good friend Tirek gave me instructions to how I could drain Equestrian magic. Those tips he gave were very helpful! So I used the specific artifacts that could activate the magic drainage. It took plenty of time for me to do that. I tried to not allow my meaningless school studies to conflict with my plan time-wise.” she began. “Wait...Lord Tirek helped you? Why would a powerful magic-stealing centaur help a little pony who has no special powers to take over Equestria?!” yelled Sombra. “Ask him that. Also, I may not have any special magical powers since I’m just a kid. I may not be a magic-eater or a changeling or a powerful necromancer like Grogar or even a shadowy unicorn like you, buuutttt...I am a smart filly. I’ll tell you that.” Cozy said. “Is that so? Prove to me, little one, how you are a threat, a danger, a FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH!!” challenged the dark king. “Absolutely! As somepony who was close to Headmare Twilight, I played the cute little filly act to play my friends into my game. You see my cutie mark on my flank? That’s a rook. My talent is manipulating ponies into my game to do my bidding. That’s my thing! During the time Tirek was in Tartarus, there was a rising crisis that threatened Equestria: the loss of magic.” she said with an evil look on her face. She then flew up to Sombra’s face. “I tricked the Mane Six into thinking that Tirek was the only culprit for that situation. So I practically lead them to Tartarus and trapped them there!! Hahahahaha!!” she wickedly laughed. Sombra stood there frozen in place. Seeing a supposedly innocent filly behaving like a villainous psychopath was completely odd to him. “Anyway, I also trapped Starlight Glimmer within my own hideout where I was draining all of the magic of Equestria. She had no clue what was happening until bam! Backstabbed her really good! Those poor students blindly followed my hoofsteps. I turned them against Chancellor Neighsay and against those ridiculous six students as well!” she continued. “I don’t understand this. There is just one thing I find mind-blowing...HOW IN EQUESTRIA DID NOPONY SUSPECT A THING OF YOU DURING ALL OF THIS?!?” screamed Sombra, pressing his hooves on both sides of his head in confusion. “Maybe most ponies have low intelligence. That’s just my guess but...not that I care!! I should have seen the looks on their faces when I betrayed them! You would’ve laughed for sure! Trust me!” Cozy chuckled. Sombra was speechless at first when he heard her story. But as he thought over her infamous deed and how she almost defeated Equestria’s heroes, he somewhat started to soften on her. “Hmmm, very interesting plan you carried out. I must confess...you truly are a threat. I am very impressed with the work you had done. But I am curious...why did you do all of that?” he asked. “Why? Because friendship is POWER! With more friends I can collect, the more stronger I can become! With everypony befriending me, I will be known as the Empress of Friendship!! Hahahahaha!!” she evilly laughed once again. She held a little crown that she took from a Twilight plushie she made and crowned herself with it. “Intriguing concept. But I find that scheme of collecting friends in order to be powerful very foolishly childish at best. However, considering you are a young filly still, I will just let that slide.” Sombra judged. Cozy was incensed at his judgmental remark at first but held back when he uttered his last statement. “Mmm, fair enough.” she grumbled. “What is your name, child?” asked Sombra. “Cozy Glow! A cute and lovable filly here to assist in taking revenge on Twilight and her friends!” she smiled. “Very well then, Cozy Glow. I appreciate your presence among us now that you’ve told me about you. Still though, I want to see more of that villainy with my own eyes. Of course, Lord Tirek can testify of what you’ve done. Henceforth, I will keep my eye on you, young Cozy.” said Sombra. Suddenly, Cozy flew forward and hugged Sombra’s chest tightly. “Awww, that’s sweet of you, Uncle Sombra! Can I call you that? Uncle Sombra? Or maybe Uncle Somby?” “Do not push it, Cozy! And please do not call me ‘Somby’! That sounds too informal! I am a king, you know!” Sombra scolded. “Okay, Uncle Sombra then.” she nonchalantly replied. Sombra grumbled under his breath. “With you on our side, those ponies won’t stand a chance!” she evilly grinned. “Obviously. And frankly, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if you actually manage to destroy Discord himself.” Sombra said. “You’re so weird.” Cozy giggled. “You have no idea.” he replied with a smirk. The Final GatheringThe Treacherous Trio were together on a round table outside of their chambers. They each had a fairly decent conversation with the king of shadows the outcome of which they didn’t expect. They felt both curious and anxious about what would happen next now that they are apparently in good terms with him. “That was unexpected. I thought things would turn out to be the same.” Tirek spoke. “I do wonder how Sombra will work with us as a team.” “I’m quite sure he will be the same old tyrant but with...acquaintances this time. Honestly, it just feels strange and unnatural to work with those who are supposedly equals unlike having minions who do your bidding.” Chrysalis added. “Can you guys imagine how those ponies will react to see Uncle Sombra by our side along with Grogar? They’ll be terrified as ever! They will crumble before us and worship us!” Cozy exulted, grinning. “Indeed, they will, Cozy. I can already imagine sitting on one of the thrones of Canterlot and every mare in Equestria kneeling before me while they praise my muscles.” Tirek bragged while kissing his biceps. Cozy and Chrysalis rolled their eyes in annoyance. “While you are at it, I will retake my stolen hive! Thorax will pay the price for his betrayal! And most importantly, I will take the greatest time of my life in destroying Starlight Glimmer! She will regret the day she took my subjects away from me!” Chrysalis shouted angrily. “And I will take over the School of Friendship! Those six students will be so sorry they defeated me when I almost drained all of Equestria’s magic.” Cozy said, glaring at the ground. “Well, it’s good to see my new friends forming their devious plans to take over Equestria.” King Sombra spoke. The trio turned to see their new comrade walking out of his chambers. “The Crystal Empire will be mine once again. Everypony there will acknowledge me as their permanent lord and master. Even Shining Armor and Candace will deeply learn their lesson to never defy me once I take good care of their precious Flurry Heart. I was almost about to—wait.” he interrupted himself. “What’s wrong, Uncle Sombra?” Cozy asked. “What are those over there?” Sombra asked, pointing to the mysterious prints on the ground. The four villains walked toward the prints to investigate. Once they got a closer view on them, they recognized them as paw prints in purple color. The paw prints glittered on the ground. “Are those...paw prints?” Tirek asked as he looked around the lair. “Purple paw prints. Is any creature in here?!” Chrysalis called out while igniting her horn. No answer came. “Hmm, that’s weird. I don’t think wild animals are around here.” Cozy said. “Let’s just hope that no creature seeks to harm us before we are ready to take over Equestria.” said Sombra. After several moments of silence, Grogar came back with an evil grin on his muzzle. “I have returned, my allies! Today is the day we finally take our revenge on Twilight Sparkle and her friends! I myself have just retrieved my Bewitching Bell!” he exclaimed while holding his ancient bell. The villains cheered for his accomplishment and for the announcement of conquest. “I assume that Sombra has come to peace with you all, yes?” he asked. “Indeed, Master Grogar.” Sombra replied. “I’ve finally come to a conclusion that teamwork and unity will help us accomplish our goals in destroying our enemies and ruling every creature forever! This time, the ponies will not know what will hit them.” “And in full gratitude, Grogar, we wish you the best as the returned Emperor of Equestria!” Cozy praised. The four villains then bowed before the Father of Monsters. The ram grew a large wicked smile which he hadn’t had ever since his defeat by Gusty the Great. “Thank you all. Just as you have given me the respect and worship I deserve, so shall every pony and creature likewise.” Grogar then activated his bell before it rose in the air and rang. The bell shot its first wave at him and gave him all the magic he had lost a millennia ago. He maniacally laughed along with the other villains. Once they finished, they exited the swampy lair while Grogar led them. “So, where should we strike first, Grogar?” Cozy asked. He chuckled before setting his eyes on Canterlot. “Canterlot. Once we defeat the princesses, Discord, and the Mane Six, Equestria will be defenseless.” Grogar darkly spoke. Then they all left the area. However, unbeknownst to them, a furry creature hid in the bushes while hearing everything they said. Once the villains were out of sight, it revealed itself as a black panther with a purple underbelly, purple paws, three purple stripes on either side of his body, and purple eyes. The panther looked on its paws which showed images of the five villains who left. “Ahhh, so the legend is here...Grogar has returned. Dear old Grogar just won’t stop at anything, huh? He must be desperate if he needs mere weaklings to do his bidding. What a fool.” it spoke. “Well...I might as well just join the party. Once I destroy him and his pathetic lackeys, all of Equestria will be under my control.” The dark panther then wickedly smiled with his canine teeth showing. TO BE CONTINUED Author's Note Do you fellas smell...a sequel? I sure do! If you want to see what happens next, stay tuned and give me a watch. I’ll appreciate that. Thanks for reading this story!
A Reluctant New MemberA huge black cloud flowed right above a rocky podium and twirled repeatedly until a familiar dark equine revealed himself once the cloud vanished. King Sombra opened his eyes and beheld his surroundings. “What? Where am I? Wait..” Sombra muttered as the realization came to him. “I AM BACK HERE AGAIN?!” “Indeed you are, Sombra.” a familiar evil voice replied. Sombra looked down from the podium and saw the same four villains he encountered earlier: Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, Cozy Glow, and the Father of Monsters himself, Grogar. He stood up on his hooves and descended from the podium to confront them. “What do you want from me?! Didn’t I tell you I didn’t want to be a part of your...team-up?” Sombra angrily spat. “May I remind you of the deal we had before?” reminded Grogar who had a smug look on his face. “If you fail, you will submit to me.” his smug grin then turned to a disappointed scowl. “Twilight Sparkle and her friends defeated you once again because of your arrogance! Have I proven my point?” “What point? The point that we need ridiculous cooperation in order to take over Equestria? I was just about to win the war until the Mane Six had luck by their side to destroy me!” Sombra excused. “That was my reasoning earlier.” Tirek added. “Luck? How about I refresh your memory of what happened right after you destroyed the Tree of Harmony, shall I?” Grogar said before tapping his crystal ball to bring the scene where Sombra trapped the Mane Six within a cage of dark crystal shards. FLASHBACK Sombra walked around the trapped mares menacingly as he began to taunt them. “With you out of the way, I will rule ALL of Equestria! And I know just where to start!” “Don’t you dare say it!” said Applejack, glaring. “Your sweet little hometown.” Sombra darkly spoke. “You leave Ponyville alone!” defied Rarity. “Or what? Without your elements, it will be so easy to control you!” said Sombra. His shadowy arms surrounded them to take full possession of them until he spoke again. “But there’s no point.” The arms retracted as he spared them. FLASHBACK ENDED Grogar then glared at Sombra after the scene finished before them. “Do you now see the red flag that caused your defeat?! If you weren’t so arrogant enough to leave them alive and completely left to their own devices, you would’ve actually won! Taking possession of them should have been a bonus for your victory had you been smart and strategic.” Grogar rebuked. “I really have to admit it. Grogar has a point.” Cozy concurred. Sombra stood there seething in rage for being insulted and called out for his failure. However, he realized that his pride led to his downfall although he refused to admit it verbally. Seeing that he had nothing to say to counter Grogar’s words, he turned his head in shame. “Fine then. I suppose you will show me how I can properly exact my revenge on those insufferable ponies.” Sombra said. Grogar grinned at his submission. “Excellent. Then allow me to introduce the villains whom you will collaborate with.” Grogar said pointing to the triad. Sombra looked upon them in disgust and hatred. “I have to work with these pathetic wannabes?! Especially that filly over there!!” Sombra yelled. “What’s the matter, King Sombra? Don’t like to be humiliated like a true weakling you are?” Chrysalis taunted while smirking. “SILENCE, YOU DISGUSTING BUG!! I refuse to have you insult my dignity!!” bellowed Sombra. “Dignity? You won’t have any ‘dignity’ left once I drain you of your magic!” Tirek also taunted. “Is that a challenge?!” Sombra shouted. “I always love a great challenge. However, it would be a waste of my strength to fight a challenger who has a fetish for getting his flank beaten by those weaker than him.” Tirek mocked. “Golly, the great and fearsome Sombra sure is fearful of those ponies, isn’t he?” giggled Cozy. Sombra then turned to the filly while glaring at her in response. “You foolish little filly, you would be wise to recognize me, King Sombra, the rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire, as the master of fears! I fear NO PONY!! All will one day tremble at my power! I will be undisputed, respected, saluted, and seen for the wonder I am!!” Sombra boasted arrogantly. With that, he flew off to his new chambers in the lair. “You three! Come here!” Grogar called out to the trio. They nervously stood before him and wondered what he had in mind for them all. “I sincerely do not care at all if he were among us or not, but considering his potential and power, we need him in our midst. Plus, in order for him to be one of us, he needs to know his place and understand the importance of working together to defeat Twilight and her friends.” Grogar said. “So what do you suggest we do with him?” Tirek asked. Grogar sighed as he thought about a solution. “Perhaps the best way to handle him is to talk to him as to a friend. Becoming acquainted with him, sharing your similar desires to conquer Equestria, and actually complimenting him for his past accomplishments and for who he is would be a great start.” advised Grogar. This surprised the villains as they heard his words. “Complimenting him?! NEVER!!” Chrysalis defied. “Talking to him like a...ugh...’friend’? That’s disgusting! No way!” Tirek refused while crossing his arms. “Hmmmm, I guess that works for me! Besides, I know all about friendship!” Chrysalis and Tirek then shot at Cozy unamused looks. Cozy recoiled out of fear. “But I doubt that it would work though knowing his stiff-necked personality.” Cozy said. Grogar angrily bound the trio to a wall with his magic. “I’ve heard enough of your ramblings!! Sombra is one of us now, and you shall treat him like one! Either you show him how much he means to this Legion or face my wrath as consequence for disobedience!! Do you three understand?!” Grogar bellowed at them. The three villains fearfully nodded. Grogar then dropped them to the ground from the wall. “I’ll be back in a while. I need to begin my search for my Bewitching Bell. I expect to hear tremendous progress when I return. And finally, be at your best behavior.” Grogar commanded before he left the lair. The trio looked at each other unsure of what to do. “Well, if Sombra has to be a valuable member of our team, we have to do what Grogar says.” Cozy said. “There is no way that loud-mouthed fool will be able to listen to us!” argued Tirek. “But the fact still remains that King Sombra is just like us—hating those ponies and taking over this land. If we just familiarize ourselves with him, it could be beneficial for our cause.” Chrysalis reasoned. “I too don’t like this idea, but it is worth a shot.” The three villains then turned to face Sombra’s chambers. “Well, here goes nothing.” Author's Note I’m very sure you all wondered how it would’ve been if Sombra were a member of the Legion of Doom after his demise. I’ve always thought about it and imagined it being like this. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for the next chapter!
The King and QueenChrysalis opened the door and saw Sombra lying on his bed moody and depressed. She walked toward him as quietly as possible until he noticed her through peripheral vision. The changeling stopped walking as soon as she saw him look at her. “Ughhh, what do you want this time? Mock me further more?” Sombra grumbled. “Actually, I’ve come to...talk...if that is all right with you.” Chrysalis strained to say. She could not bring herself to speak to him as an equal. It took all of her strength to subdue her pride and hatred to be in that situation. The King of shadows laughed at her reply. “Since when did you ever consider speaking to anypony as an equal? Not too long ago, you and those other fools mocked me like I was nothing. Now you come before me with a different attitude? How pathetic.” Chrysalis wanted to vaporize Sombra at that moment right after he slighted her like that. But remembering Grogar’s command, she let those words slide and continued, “Look, I’ve come for a decent conversation where we can get to know each other for a while. Considering that we are here and brought together by Grogar to destroy the protectors of Equestria, I thought it would be appropriate to have our...social time.” “I am KING! A king, like me, does not talk to his subjects like equals. He commands them. He gives demands and orders. A casual conversation is simply an insult to my authority.” Sombra haughtily spat. “Surely, as queen of the changelings, you would’ve known that by now.” “Oh, I have. And I do agree to an extent except we are both royalty and we have been brought together by the Father of monsters himself in this place where he bends us to his rule. And you are here. So where is that authority of yours now, hm?” Chrysalis replied with a smirk. Sombra looked back at her angrily. But before he could blast her with dark magic, he thought on those words. Seeing that he had nowhere to go and had been beaten several times by the heroes of Equestria, he realized that his respect and power had grown dim. Knowing she was right, he sighed deeply and looked at her again. “Perhaps you have a point. You have my attention, Queen Chrysalis. What is it you wish to speak of?” “Well, firstly, I would like to mention how you managed to destroy the Tree of Harmony which Grogar showed us earlier.” said Chrysalis. “Oh yes! It was that easy truly! I tricked those foolish mares into thinking that they defeated me for good. Oh, how wrong they were! They indirectly led me to their source of power! Destroying that tree was the greatest pleasure I ever had in my life!!” Sombra bragged. “You should’ve seen their faces when I eradicated it from existence! I couldn’t stop laughing at their funny faces of defeat and horror!” “Yes, indeed you have.” Chrysalis said with no enthusiasm. Then she grinned once more. “Then Twilight and her friends vaporized you back. You are lucky Grogar brought you back again.” “Do not remind me that!” he snapped. “And yes, I am happy that I am revived for another round. At least that’s one thing I can be thankful to Grogar for.” Sombra then changed the topic. “So what drives you to conquer Equestria, Queen Chrysalis?” “Well, I have several things that motivate me to destroy those loathsome ponies. One, revenge. I remember one particular pony who took away everything from me...STARLIGHT GLIMMER!!!” screamed Chrysalis. Her sudden change of attitude and the mention of Starlight’s name piqued the dark lord’s curiosity. “Starlight Glimmer? I’ve heard of her before. Wasn’t she the one who took cutie marks away to increase equality in her old village? What did she do to you?” he asked. “She corrupted my own subjects, destroyed my hive, and took away my victory! I will never forget what she had done to my kingdom!!” she angrily shouted. “Interesting. A strong vendetta, I see. Have you been planning your revenge on her ever since?” Sombra asked. “Of course! I’ve been planning for months to get my revenge on her! One day, I created clones of the Mane Six to be my minions so that they could steal the Elements of Harmony and I could use that power to destroy Starlight and rule Equestria as its queen!” she exclaimed. “And how did that turn out?” he asked. Chrysalis then turned her head in shame. “Those clones...decided to betray me. Luckily, the Tree of Harmony destroyed them before they could defeat me.” “I know how that feels. Minions nowadays are prone to become complete failures to their masters. They always disappoint you to no end. Thus, you have my pity.” he replied with his hoof to his chest. Chrysalis was surprised at his reply. “You...you pity me? I thought you refused to treat me like an equal!” “I did. However, it’s like you said earlier, we are villainous royalty.” he said. “So what have you accomplished that made you a fearsome enemy to Equestria?” “We changelings have done many things! Years ago, I impersonated as Twilight’s foalsitter, Cadence! I managed to invade Canterlot and brainwash Shining Armor to do my bidding!” she evily laughed. “Second, I ponynapped Twilight and her friends so that we could drain them of their love for generations! You see, I was very close to ruling Equestria several times. That made me a memorable foe.” “I see. You are a very persistent creature. I will give you that. But it seems that your supposed victories were taken away the moment you were about to win. Therefore, I can say that you are no different from me...now.” he said. “(Sigh) You’re right, King Sombra. Looks like we have something in common, don’t we?” she said. “Indeed, we do. Soon, those wretched ponies will rue the day they left us in the dust! They will cry for mercy before we finish them all off once and for all!!” Sombra shouted. Then both he and Chrysalis wickedly laughed together. After several minutes of laughter, they ceased laughing and looked back at each other. “Well, it’s been a nice chat with you, dear Queen. Changelings are very useful in combat and conquest. Though you have lost your army, I’ll create one for you.” Sombra suggested. “Why, King Sombra, you’re too kind! I would definitely love a new army at my command! Celestia and Luna will cower before me once they see me in full glory once more!” she boasted. Once they ended their conversation, Chrysalis left the room and reunited with Tirek and Cozy who were playing chess. “So how did it go?” Cozy asked. “Not too bad. I think we’re in good terms...for now. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were to make an army for himself instead of me.” she said. She turned her eyes to the centaur. “I believe it’s your turn, Lord Tirek.” “Hmmm, if your conversation worked out quite well, then I suppose mine could do well also.” Tirek said. He walked toward Sombra’s door and knocked on it. “Is the King of shadows available for a talk?”
Talk with the Magic Eater“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the mighty and infamous Lord Tirek. What brings you into my chambers?” Sombra asked. “A simple...conversation with you. As a feared being of power myself, I must admit that you are truly a legend worthy of praise and respect.” Tirek half-heartedly acknowledged. “Ha! You say this while thinking I’m gullible enough to accept your flattery so that you can stab me in the back once you earn my trust. You would love to do that, wouldn’t you?” Sombra scoffed. Tirek rolled his eyes in annoyance and sighed. “If I were to take you down, I would’ve drained you of your magic by now without wasting any precious time in being a sycophant for you. Besides, I’m only here for a chat.” Sombra then narrowed his eyes to the centaur in suspicion. After several moments of silence, he soften his investigative gaze and drew nearer to Tirek. “Very well. I suppose you are here to learn more about me?” “Well, not exactly. I meant to tell you that your accomplishments in conquering Equestria are actually remarkable.” said Tirek. “To be honest, no other creature has ever managed to be successful in taking on Twilight Sparkle and the other ponies besides yourself.” “Really? Well...thank you. I never thought you would compliment me like that.” said Sombra who looked amazed and puzzled. “I know, it is rare I compliment other creatures besides myself.” said Tirek. “Nevertheless, I know a true villain when I see one. Plus, I’m looking at him right now.” “Oh please, you’re too much, my good centaur! Hahaha!” laughed Sombra. “But I do appreciate your kind words. This is exactly how everypony should fear and respect me when I retake Equestria under my control!! They will shout and cry the name of Sombra!!” “Oh, it would be so worth it to see those pretty ponies finally defeated once the love and magic of Friendship abandon them. It would be the greatest joy of my life!” Tirek exclaimed. Both the unicorn and centaur evilly laughed together. After they finished laughing, Sombra stood up from his bed. “You know what? Your ability to absorb magic is actually admirable. I’ve heard that you nearly brought Equestria to its knees when you absorbed all the magic thereof. If we were to combine our forces together, we would be unstoppable!” Sombra said excitedly. “To think about it, I really like the sound of that. With Grogar leading us, we will actually manage to exterminate everypony that stands against us! I will devour their magic, you can cast fear into their hearts, Chrysalis will drain them of their love, and Grogar will create more monsters to destroy Equestria!” explained Tirek. “Precisely! Speaking of which, I wonder what that filly is doing in our midst.” wondered Sombra. “What can she do anyway?” “It’s—it’s a long story, Sombra. Anyway, it’s like what Grogar told us before, ‘We shall use their own strategy to defeat them!’ That makes sense if you think about it.” said Tirek. “Indeed. I’m starting to feel ashamed that I spurned that opportunity before I left for the Crystal Empire. But now that I’m here, I will seize that chance to succeed where I had fallen and finish what I started!” exulted Sombra. “That’s the spirit. Just as the saying goes, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ We’ll talk again later. I have some weight lifting to do.” Tirek said before shaking Sombra’s hoof and left the door. After Tirek left, the King of shadows looked at himself through a mirror. “Rejoice while you can, Twilight Sparkle; for very soon, you and everypony you know and love shall be but a memory, a history that will be forgotten. Wait and see. Wait and see.” spoke Sombra while he grinned sinisterly. Once he said this, the pegasus filly flew into the room and landed behind him. “Hello there, Mr. Sombra! Want to have a nice chitchat!?” said Cozy Glow with a cutesy smile on her face. Sombra snapped his head around and looked down at Cozy with disdain. “Oh no, not you! And knock on my door next time!” he yelled.
Uncle Sombra“Sooooo, how do you like our little get-together, Mr. Sombra? Do you like it here?” Cozy asked, smiling brightly. Sombra sighed out loud in annoyance. “This ‘get-together’ you speak of would be much better if you weren’t part of it! What are you doing here anyway?! What does a little fragile filly have against Twilight Sparkle?!” shouted Sombra. Cozy giggled in response as she heard his dramatic outburst. This puzzled the dark equine. “Golly, I’m sure you will be very impressed with how I was close to taking over Equestria.” she said. “Hahaha!! Really now? A filly conquering Equestria? How laughable!! Oh, do tell, little pony, your story.” scoffed Sombra. “Well, I was just Twilight’s student in the School of Friendship. Not a single pony and creature had any idea what I was up to. My good friend Tirek gave me instructions to how I could drain Equestrian magic. Those tips he gave were very helpful! So I used the specific artifacts that could activate the magic drainage. It took plenty of time for me to do that. I tried to not allow my meaningless school studies to conflict with my plan time-wise.” she began. “Wait...Lord Tirek helped you? Why would a powerful magic-stealing centaur help a little pony who has no special powers to take over Equestria?!” yelled Sombra. “Ask him that. Also, I may not have any special magical powers since I’m just a kid. I may not be a magic-eater or a changeling or a powerful necromancer like Grogar or even a shadowy unicorn like you, buuutttt...I am a smart filly. I’ll tell you that.” Cozy said. “Is that so? Prove to me, little one, how you are a threat, a danger, a FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH!!” challenged the dark king. “Absolutely! As somepony who was close to Headmare Twilight, I played the cute little filly act to play my friends into my game. You see my cutie mark on my flank? That’s a rook. My talent is manipulating ponies into my game to do my bidding. That’s my thing! During the time Tirek was in Tartarus, there was a rising crisis that threatened Equestria: the loss of magic.” she said with an evil look on her face. She then flew up to Sombra’s face. “I tricked the Mane Six into thinking that Tirek was the only culprit for that situation. So I practically lead them to Tartarus and trapped them there!! Hahahahaha!!” she wickedly laughed. Sombra stood there frozen in place. Seeing a supposedly innocent filly behaving like a villainous psychopath was completely odd to him. “Anyway, I also trapped Starlight Glimmer within my own hideout where I was draining all of the magic of Equestria. She had no clue what was happening until bam! Backstabbed her really good! Those poor students blindly followed my hoofsteps. I turned them against Chancellor Neighsay and against those ridiculous six students as well!” she continued. “I don’t understand this. There is just one thing I find mind-blowing...HOW IN EQUESTRIA DID NOPONY SUSPECT A THING OF YOU DURING ALL OF THIS?!?” screamed Sombra, pressing his hooves on both sides of his head in confusion. “Maybe most ponies have low intelligence. That’s just my guess but...not that I care!! I should have seen the looks on their faces when I betrayed them! You would’ve laughed for sure! Trust me!” Cozy chuckled. Sombra was speechless at first when he heard her story. But as he thought over her infamous deed and how she almost defeated Equestria’s heroes, he somewhat started to soften on her. “Hmmm, very interesting plan you carried out. I must confess...you truly are a threat. I am very impressed with the work you had done. But I am curious...why did you do all of that?” he asked. “Why? Because friendship is POWER! With more friends I can collect, the more stronger I can become! With everypony befriending me, I will be known as the Empress of Friendship!! Hahahahaha!!” she evilly laughed once again. She held a little crown that she took from a Twilight plushie she made and crowned herself with it. “Intriguing concept. But I find that scheme of collecting friends in order to be powerful very foolishly childish at best. However, considering you are a young filly still, I will just let that slide.” Sombra judged. Cozy was incensed at his judgmental remark at first but held back when he uttered his last statement. “Mmm, fair enough.” she grumbled. “What is your name, child?” asked Sombra. “Cozy Glow! A cute and lovable filly here to assist in taking revenge on Twilight and her friends!” she smiled. “Very well then, Cozy Glow. I appreciate your presence among us now that you’ve told me about you. Still though, I want to see more of that villainy with my own eyes. Of course, Lord Tirek can testify of what you’ve done. Henceforth, I will keep my eye on you, young Cozy.” said Sombra. Suddenly, Cozy flew forward and hugged Sombra’s chest tightly. “Awww, that’s sweet of you, Uncle Sombra! Can I call you that? Uncle Sombra? Or maybe Uncle Somby?” “Do not push it, Cozy! And please do not call me ‘Somby’! That sounds too informal! I am a king, you know!” Sombra scolded. “Okay, Uncle Sombra then.” she nonchalantly replied. Sombra grumbled under his breath. “With you on our side, those ponies won’t stand a chance!” she evilly grinned. “Obviously. And frankly, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if you actually manage to destroy Discord himself.” Sombra said. “You’re so weird.” Cozy giggled. “You have no idea.” he replied with a smirk.
The Final GatheringThe Treacherous Trio were together on a round table outside of their chambers. They each had a fairly decent conversation with the king of shadows the outcome of which they didn’t expect. They felt both curious and anxious about what would happen next now that they are apparently in good terms with him. “That was unexpected. I thought things would turn out to be the same.” Tirek spoke. “I do wonder how Sombra will work with us as a team.” “I’m quite sure he will be the same old tyrant but with...acquaintances this time. Honestly, it just feels strange and unnatural to work with those who are supposedly equals unlike having minions who do your bidding.” Chrysalis added. “Can you guys imagine how those ponies will react to see Uncle Sombra by our side along with Grogar? They’ll be terrified as ever! They will crumble before us and worship us!” Cozy exulted, grinning. “Indeed, they will, Cozy. I can already imagine sitting on one of the thrones of Canterlot and every mare in Equestria kneeling before me while they praise my muscles.” Tirek bragged while kissing his biceps. Cozy and Chrysalis rolled their eyes in annoyance. “While you are at it, I will retake my stolen hive! Thorax will pay the price for his betrayal! And most importantly, I will take the greatest time of my life in destroying Starlight Glimmer! She will regret the day she took my subjects away from me!” Chrysalis shouted angrily. “And I will take over the School of Friendship! Those six students will be so sorry they defeated me when I almost drained all of Equestria’s magic.” Cozy said, glaring at the ground. “Well, it’s good to see my new friends forming their devious plans to take over Equestria.” King Sombra spoke. The trio turned to see their new comrade walking out of his chambers. “The Crystal Empire will be mine once again. Everypony there will acknowledge me as their permanent lord and master. Even Shining Armor and Candace will deeply learn their lesson to never defy me once I take good care of their precious Flurry Heart. I was almost about to—wait.” he interrupted himself. “What’s wrong, Uncle Sombra?” Cozy asked. “What are those over there?” Sombra asked, pointing to the mysterious prints on the ground. The four villains walked toward the prints to investigate. Once they got a closer view on them, they recognized them as paw prints in purple color. The paw prints glittered on the ground. “Are those...paw prints?” Tirek asked as he looked around the lair. “Purple paw prints. Is any creature in here?!” Chrysalis called out while igniting her horn. No answer came. “Hmm, that’s weird. I don’t think wild animals are around here.” Cozy said. “Let’s just hope that no creature seeks to harm us before we are ready to take over Equestria.” said Sombra. After several moments of silence, Grogar came back with an evil grin on his muzzle. “I have returned, my allies! Today is the day we finally take our revenge on Twilight Sparkle and her friends! I myself have just retrieved my Bewitching Bell!” he exclaimed while holding his ancient bell. The villains cheered for his accomplishment and for the announcement of conquest. “I assume that Sombra has come to peace with you all, yes?” he asked. “Indeed, Master Grogar.” Sombra replied. “I’ve finally come to a conclusion that teamwork and unity will help us accomplish our goals in destroying our enemies and ruling every creature forever! This time, the ponies will not know what will hit them.” “And in full gratitude, Grogar, we wish you the best as the returned Emperor of Equestria!” Cozy praised. The four villains then bowed before the Father of Monsters. The ram grew a large wicked smile which he hadn’t had ever since his defeat by Gusty the Great. “Thank you all. Just as you have given me the respect and worship I deserve, so shall every pony and creature likewise.” Grogar then activated his bell before it rose in the air and rang. The bell shot its first wave at him and gave him all the magic he had lost a millennia ago. He maniacally laughed along with the other villains. Once they finished, they exited the swampy lair while Grogar led them. “So, where should we strike first, Grogar?” Cozy asked. He chuckled before setting his eyes on Canterlot. “Canterlot. Once we defeat the princesses, Discord, and the Mane Six, Equestria will be defenseless.” Grogar darkly spoke. Then they all left the area. However, unbeknownst to them, a furry creature hid in the bushes while hearing everything they said. Once the villains were out of sight, it revealed itself as a black panther with a purple underbelly, purple paws, three purple stripes on either side of his body, and purple eyes. The panther looked on its paws which showed images of the five villains who left. “Ahhh, so the legend is here...Grogar has returned. Dear old Grogar just won’t stop at anything, huh? He must be desperate if he needs mere weaklings to do his bidding. What a fool.” it spoke. “Well...I might as well just join the party. Once I destroy him and his pathetic lackeys, all of Equestria will be under my control.” The dark panther then wickedly smiled with his canine teeth showing. TO BE CONTINUED Author's Note Do you fellas smell...a sequel? I sure do! If you want to see what happens next, stay tuned and give me a watch. I’ll appreciate that. Thanks for reading this story!
