Days of the Dead

Chapters

Dark Mirage
Sullied Grace
Dreams and Disappearing Kings
Beautiful Prison

Dark Mirage

The first time I saw him, I had only been a filly.

Mother and Father had taken me to the Grand Galloping Gala, formally invited by my future teacher, Princess Twilight Sparkle herself. They’d been friends of hers for years they’d said, and hearing them talk so highly of her all the time had dedicated me to the task of becoming one of her students.

Ah, but as much as I’d love to speak of all the wonderful things she’s taught me, that’s a story for another journal. Right now I have much more urgent things to make a note of.

As I was saying, we were at the Gala. An event that was made to be fun, formal, and friendly. It bored me terribly. Mother and Father had left me under the care of Princess Flurry Heart, and though I’m sure she meant well, she kept encouraging me to befriend and play with all the other foals. It had been so agitating, stuck within that noisy ballroom, the knowledge that I was within the same castle of the most magical being in all of Equestria, but couldn’t learn anything.

So of course, the moment Princess Flurry Heart was distracted, I made my leave. I just wanted to find Princess Twilight’s library, with such hopes of indulging myself within piles upon piles of magic books. It had been a dream come true, finally being in these halls, and finally having the chance to sate my unending thirst for knowledge.

It had been everything I had ever dreamed of. It would become my every nightmare.

Unfortunately, I had not known my way around the castle at the time. It did not take long for me to become utterly lost and afraid. The halls were so dark, and the guards were off duty, it had been so deathly quiet. The moment I had heard that moan from within the cracked door at the end of the hall, that insatiable curiosity had taken a hold of me.

There was somepony in the throne room.

Ever so quietly, I had rushed to the doorway, and peeked inside. I remember it well, every detail. The room had been dark, the only light source being the moonlight through the stained glass windows, illuminating the room in an array of kaleidoscopic colors. In a way, it could have been described as beautiful, but I couldn’t stay focused on the lighting. I had been too focused on the dark figure hunched over behind the Princess’s throne.

It had looked to be a pony, one that seemed to be in pain. He had been shuddering and moaning, the colorful lights around the room giving him the illusion of being semi-transparent. If I didn’t know any better, I might have even thought he seemed incomplete somehow. As if something was missing.

Against my better judgement, I approached him. I asked him if he was okay.

I wish I could say I remember what exactly happened, but a foal’s young mind is prone to repressing traumatic memories. All I remember are that thing’s eyes, somehow both pale and vibrant, a mess of green, red, and purple meshed together like a sickly concoction on the verge of detonation.

It was by a pure stroke of luck that Princess Flurry Heart heard me scream, and rushed in to rescue me, though by the time she arrived the figure had gone. The rest of the Gala is hazy at best, though I do remember spending the rest of the night clinging to my mother.

Of course, it’s been years since this incident, and nothing has come of it. My nightmares of the event have since faded, and I’ve grown past such childish fears. The entire incident had to have been a trick of my mind, or a cruel trick by one of the castle guards. There was no other explanation.

Yet at the same time, I’ve been staying in the castle for weeks now, and with every creak and draft I feel in the halls, there’s been a lingering paranoia that something else is there with me. It’s illogical. It’s paranoia. There’s nothing else there.

Canterlot Castle is not haunted, ghosts do not exist, and I am going to prove this for myself.

Setting my quill to the side, I looked out the window. The moon had risen considerably, and I had no doubt my beloved teacher had already made her way to bed. Her schedule was so strict, so I knew she’d be asleep by now, but for extra measure, I read over my journal entry. I’ve always been thorough with my proofreading, but for the sake of my current research I’d been even more observant than usual. It was actually a bit ridiculous, seeing as this was nothing more than a reassurance of my foalish fears, but proper grammar was always important.

Satisfied with that, I closed my journal and set it beside my bed, taking one more look at the moon’s position before slipping out of my room. The halls were dark and quiet, not unlike that fateful night, but I kept my head high and my gait confident. Any fear I felt was irrational. Canterlot Castle was perfectly safe, and nothing would hurt me here.

I had no need to worry about encountering guards in my travel to the throne room, Princess Twilight hardly saw the need for them, so reliant on her trust in others. She had always seemed so sure that Equestria was safe, that she was free from threats because of her focus on befriending others, and that the guards were best to train for other things. It was such a foolish point of view, one I felt was a recipe for disaster, but how could I argue with the Ruler of Equestria?

Throne room within view, I tossed these thoughts away as I forced myself forward. Suddenly, my movements felt difficult, and I could feel the fur on my back bristle. I was scared. I shouldn’t be scared. I’d been in this room so many times during the daylit hours, there was absolutely no reason I should be afraid of it at night.

Taking a deep breath, I readied myself before pushing open the doors. It was so close to how I remembered it. The room was alight in dim colors, the Princess’s empty throne sitting upon the top of the walkway. There was nothing behind it, but of course, why would there be?

Illuminating my horn, I stepped forward. The floor creaked under my hoof, sending another shiver down my spine. I continued to force myself toward that throne, and I kept going until I was right on it, that illogical fear freezing me in place. My heart was pounding, and my legs trembled. Still, I stayed where I stood, reassuring myself over and over that there was nothing behind that throne, and that I would prove it.

It took far longer than I would’ve liked, but eventually I managed to peek behind the throne.

Nothing was there.

I let out an audible sigh of relief. Of course there wouldn’t be anything there, but I’d so desperately needed the reassurance, as ridiculous as it was. There was still no explanation for what I’d seen that day, and even with a thorough observation of the surrounding area, I found nothing that would create such an illusion. Perhaps it had just been a draft of some sort? A loose cloud of magic, even?

Whatever the case, my fears were alleviated. There was nothing here, there never had been. My foalish paranoia of the castle being haunted from a strange event during childhood had blinded me for so long, and had made me doubt the facts. Ghosts were not real, and there certainly wasn’t one in the castle.

Still, I was cautious as I made my way to the door, my ears and eyes alert for any sign of life in the room. I had only made it halfway to the exit when I noticed that the room had gotten darker. The rainbow lights had dimmed significantly, but despite my growing anxiety, I knew it was simply a cloud covering the moon. It had to be. It couldn’t be anything else. There was nothing else here.

I quickened my pace. A cold wind blew. A draft, I’m sure. I’ll be sure to tell the Princess.

The tall doors of the throne room slammed shut, blocking me from the halls. I heard a noise behind me.

There was something else here.

I couldn’t bear to turn around.

“It’s not often I get visitors after dark.”

Almost as if against my will, I did.

A dark figure sat upon Princess Twilight’s throne. The shadows gave the illusion of him being transparent, and his mane flowed in a nonexistent wind, akin to how a princess or any other powerful unicorn’s would. He was dressed rather regally, adorned in armor that didn’t seem to shine, with a deep red cape over his back. His eyes were shut as he leaned into his hooves, and there was the glint of a grin on his face.

I knew who he was, I’d seen illustrations of him in so many History books. I’d read about his every crime, and heard stories of his numerous defeats from both my parents and teacher. He’d been defeated, destroyed even, by some accounts.

King Sombra was sitting in Princess Twilight’s throne.

I opened my mouth to speak, but hardly more than a squeak came out. I wanted to run, to alert my teacher, but I was frozen in place. Despite the fact his eyes were closed, King Sombra seemed to notice this, a chuckle escaping him as his grin widened.

“At a loss for words I see,” He said, eyes finally opening to look down upon me. They weren’t the sickly mismash I had seen years ago, but instead a dull and lifeless red. They did not shine in the moonlight. “I do enjoy seeing that I still have that effect on the living.”

I wanted to run, but I couldn’t. So many questions were running through my mind, freezing me in place as my thoughts raced between a thirst for answers and the urge to run. How was a long defeated tyrant even here? How did he manage to get past what few guards the castle still had? Shouldn’t he have an army if he’d manipulated them?

Eventually, I managed to speak. Standing high, I faced the thing that had scared me for all those years, sitting in a place he was entirely undeserving of. Pinning my ears and swishing my tail, I looked him in his lifeless eyes and demanded, “How dare you, what right do you have to sit in Princess Twilight’s throne?”

To my surprise, he laughed. Neither cruel nor genuine, it echoed around the room and gave me a horrible sense of paranoia.

“Why, there’s always been two rulers for Equestria, hasn’t there?” He asked, “It was only fitting that I take the night shift, don’t you think?”

He sounded so sure of himself, so cocky. It was sickening. He did not deserve to be here.

“You’re not worthy of the throne. You never have been.”

“Neither is your beloved princess, nor were the ones before her.”

Though the disrespect toward my teacher hurt, I didn’t show it.

“I’d say anypony is more worthy of Equestria’s throne than a long forgotten monster such as yourself.”

He rose from her throne, slowly making his way toward me. His hooves made no sound as they touched the floor, and his movements seemed unnatural. I took a step back, finally turning to run, but he was upon me in an instant, as though he’d teleported. His dead, dim eyes had enveloped themselves in shadow as he stared down at me angrily.

My own eyes widened as he shot toward me, a cold, armored hoof holding me in place as he leaned into my ear. Even the parts of him without armor were freezing. As cold as death.

“I will never be forgotten,” He whispered, "I've made sure of it."

Releasing me, his glare faded as he backed away, turning to make his way back to the Princess’s throne. I stayed frozen in place, my skin cold where he’d touched me, too afraid to look away.

“Return to your quarters, young one,” He said, “This will feel like nothing more than a nightmare tomorrow morning.”

“No.”

He paused. I immediately regretted what I’d said.

“What is your name and purpose of being here, little pony?”

Once again, I was at a loss for words, and once again, I was filled with that ever obnoxious urge to run, but I wouldn’t. I needed to know something.

“L-Luster Dawn,” I stammered, “My name is Luster Dawn, and I’m Princess Twilight’s best student. I came to disprove my fears, and prove that ghosts aren’t real.”

“An unfortunate fate for one such as yourself, little Luster Dawn,” He snorted, continuing up the walkway, “I imagine that this is quite the unexpected outcome for you then?”

“On the contrary, I think this might be the perfect opportunity to learn something. You’re obviously stuck in some sort of dimensional rift, somewhere between living and dead perhaps?”

It was just a theory, of course, but anything made more sense than ghosts. Those were nothing more than stories, unlike the demons and fairies that were so often jumbled within the same category. King Sombra seemed less than appreciative of this theory however.

“I am very much dead,” He claimed, “There is no heartbeat to be found within me, and there never will be again. Your beloved princess and her revolting friends had done much to make sure of it.”

He spoke with the utmost contempt, and though I’ve never been the biggest fan of making friends, I knew that my parents were among some of my teacher’s closer ones. This gave me the impression that this delusional ex-king was accusing them of killing somepony. I knew this to be far from true.

“How dare you accuse the Princess of being a murderer,” I hissed, careful not to shout and wake someone. It might have been wise to have backup, or just somepony to confirm I wasn’t hallucinating, but King Sombra was making this uncomfortably personal, “She’s done nothing but protect Equestria, unlike you.”

“Twilight may be more capable than Celestia ever was, but she’s hardly a protector. She is and continues to be nothing more than a scapegoat for Celestia’s mistakes and wrongdoings, a personal protege groomed for the very purpose,” Sombra sneered, “It’s a fate worse than death, and if what you say is true, all she’s done is force the cycle to repeat in record time.”

He was looking down at me in disgust. I frowned right back. My fear had long faded, replaced with annoyance at his accusations. I knew the Princesses had made mistakes, but that didn’t mean I wanted to hear him insult them or me.

“Both are significantly more capable than you, that’s for sure,” I said, ears pinning slightly, “Though I imagine it’s not too hard to be more competent than a disillusioned old stallion so engrossed in being a King of the Dead.”

An amused grin made its way to his face.

“King of the Dead you say?”

He laughed, the horrid sound reverberated around the room. A cold wind began to blow from nowhere, and the stained glass windows rattled, the dull rainbow light around us trembling at the motion. My tail involuntarily swished as an unwelcome shiver made its way down my spine, and Sombra’s laughter continued to raise in volume.

Then it abruptly stopped.

“You don’t know just how right you are.”

I was suddenly struck with the feeling that we weren’t alone in this room. King Sombra began to make his way back toward me.

“How much does your teacher know, Luster?” He asked, “What has she taught you about me?”

“That you were a monster who enslaved the Crystal Empire, that you came back over and over, so foolishly desperate to take back what you didn’t deserve.”

He nodded. “And what did she say about how I was defeated?”

“It was the Crystal Heart.”

“No, no.” This time he shook his head, “That was the first time. How did she and her friends defeat me the second and final time?”

I opened my mouth as I searched my mind for an answer. None came. I’d only ever read or been told that Princess Twilight and her friends had defeated King Sombra, but they’d never told me how.

“They killed me,” He said, stopping right at the base of the walkway, “In this very room, in this very spot.”

I didn’t believe him. I couldn’t believe him.

"You're lying," I whispered, "The Princess would never-"

"Your princess can and has done worse," He interrupted, "Just as the ones before her twisted the truth, so will she."

"No!" I stamped my hoof. "You're the one who's twisting the truth! You're a manipulative monster, why should I believe you?"

"I am many things, a monster and manipulator included, but I am not a liar. Tell me Luster, did you ever hear about the war between the Perytons and Ponies?"

I shook my head. "No, Perytons aren't real. They're just stories."

"They were far too real at one point," Sombra said with the shake of his head, "What about the plague? The one that wiped out over half the Kirin?"

"A plague? No, I- How would you even know any of this was real? You were sealed away!"

"This castle is over one thousand years old, surely you don’t think I’m the only pony to have died in it?"

His cape rippled in a nonexistent wind, and he stamped his hoof, this time with the natural sound of metal against tile as he did. Whispers began to sound around me, and shadows danced within the rainbow lights at the edge of my vision. Ears twitching and eyes darting, I began to tremble in fear.

Why did I feel like we weren’t alone?

“You called me a King of the Dead, did you not?” Sombra asked. His voice was reverberated around the room, and my eyes widened in horror as the dancing shadows began to take shape. “Would you like to meet my subjects?”

The shadows solidified, creatures of all sorts filling the throne room. The majority of them seemed to be ponies, but there were so many others among them. Hippogriffs, Griffons, Kirin, Peryton, and so many more creatures I couldn’t identify. They came in all ages, from the elderly to mere children, and they all looked down on me with the same dull and lifeless eyes that their king had.

“Ghosts are far more real than you could ever imagin, little Luster Dawn,” He said, voice quiet, “And I suggest you learn to respect them, because someday you’ll be among us.”

I finally ran. As fast as I could, to the dubious safety of my room. I didn’t look behind me the whole way, blinded by my own tears and desperation to return to some sort of familiarity. I wanted to go home, back to my parents and as far from the castle as possible, but I knew that I was too far away to even try.

All I knew was that I never wanted to return to the throne room again, day or night.

Yet despite my terror, I knew I would.

Author's Note

I wasn't planning on entering this contest, but I recently remembered an abandoned comic script I'd written down involving Luster discovering Sombra's ghost, and realized that it was the perfect thing to write for this contest.

I remembered it pretty late though, and I pretty much wrote all of this within the span of five days, so please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes you might find. I couldn't edit it as much as I'd like due to the deadline.

Sullied Grace

I’ve been keeping track of everything that has happened in my journal, and taking extra good care to hide it when out of my room, or keeping it on me at all times. Princess Twilight had noticed me being distant the morning after the incident, and though I know she won’t dare snoop through my things, I am also well aware that she knew I was lying when I said I was fine. I’m sure she expects me to come clean eventually, but I’m not sure if I can.

After all, it’s not as if telling her that Canterlot castle is haunted by the very stallion she murdered would sound even remotely sane.

Not that I felt sane after such an incident, and despite my fears, I had returned the next night, convinced it really had been a nightmare. There had been nothing in the room, but I could’ve sworn I heard whispers and saw shadows dance. Princess Twilight’s throne remained empty the entire time I was there, and not even announcing myself triggered any activity.

For a while, I was sure it had been a dream, though I still checked the room for the next few days. For nearly every trip, there was nothing, until on what I had decided was my final day. That was when I saw King Sombra again.

He had been on Twilight’s throne again, considerably less lucid than the last time I’d seen him, trembling and much more transparent. He seemed to sway in that ever present yet nonexistent wind, and his eyes were so much duller than they had been before. Deader, even.

I had tried to speak to him, to ask him the questions burning in my mind, but he was all but oblivious of me. On the few occasions he had noticed me, he had opened his mouth to speak in silence, or shaken his head. He’d looked so tired, but the dead couldn’t be tired, could they? Whatever the case, I eventually realized that I wouldn’t be getting anything out of him, so I thanked him for his time and left.

I spent the next night working on my own studies, but my curiosity continued to grow, and I refused to give up on my research. I needed to know how and why these spirits existed, and I knew that the only way to get the truth was through the spirits themselves. My anxiety in the matter was still strong, but neither Sombra nor any of the other specters had shown any true malice for me thus far, so I would continue to try and speak with them.

This was either the stupidest or most brilliant thing I've done yet.

Pushing open the door slowly, I peeked around the room before quietly announcing myself, “Hello? It’s Luster Dawn, are you here tonight?”

I waited a few moments for a response, but none came, so I made my way inside. There were no shadows or whispers, just the usual silence of the night. The moon was nearly full, so the room was aglow in colors. Princess Twilight’s throne sat empty ahead of me. I made my way toward it, expecting Sombra to appear out of nowhere, or for the cold that accompanied his presence to make itself known.

“Why is it that you keep coming back?”

My horn sparked as I turned in surprise, the dead king standing behind me. He looked much more aware today, and considerably more solid than he had a couple nights ago.

I smothered my magic when I saw him eyeing it, explaining, “I wanted to talk to you.”

He blinked, tilting his head curiously, “And why is that?”

“I wanted to know how you were still here.”

“Not how. Why.”

I repressed a frown. He was being cryptic, but I wasn’t sure if I should have expected much else from a manipulative being such as him.

“Why are you still here then?” I asked.

“Why do you think?”

That time I did frown, “Because you’re stubborn?”

He grinned, but it wasn’t malicious. If anything, it seemed cheeky.

“That could certainly be a factor,” He said, “Though I have reason to believe there are others.”

I waited for him to continue, but all he did was stare down at me with his dull, lifeless eyes. He should have scared me, and I think he wanted to, but I wasn’t having it.

“And just what are these other factors?”

“Well, I’d say the method of death is a major one,” He said, grin fading into a grimace, “Very few of my subjects were lucky enough to have a peaceful death, and I can assure you my own was quite agonizing.”

A part of me wanted to defend my teacher, but I bit my tongue at the thought. It was better not to agitate him further, my next question was risky enough.

“How did you die?”

“Painfully. With your teacher smiling down at me as my body was melted into nothing.”

That didn’t thoroughly answer my question, but the pure venom that oozed from his voice convinced me not to pry further. It was probably disrespectful to question the dead about their method of death anyway. At least I had other questions to ask.

“How did you manage to become their king, anyway? You didn’t force them, did you?”

“You’re a curious little one, aren’t you,” He observed, before shaking his head, “There was no cruel intent when I became their king. In fact, they asked me to take the role.”

“Somehow I doubt that.”

Sombra’s grin returned, “That’s because you’re still among the living, little Luster.”

He made his way toward me, his hoofsteps silent and his mane flowing in the imaginary wind that always seemed to accompany him. I took a step back, hiding my fear as well as I could, but he made no motion to touch me. Instead, he walked to one of the stained glass windows. Flurry Heart’s specifically.

Staring at it wistfully, he said, “There had been another before me. A Crystal Pegasus who had lost his luster, one of the few escapees from my Empire before I had laid my curse upon it. He’d evacuated to Canterlot, desperately begging the Princesses to find a way to bring his home back so he could see his family again. They never even bothered to look for a way, and he died before he could ever see the ponies he loved again.”

I was hesitant to ask my next question, my heart skipping a beat at what Sombra could have possibly done to this pony. I couldn’t even imagine how he could have felt, seeing the very being who had ruined his life joining him in the afterlife.

“What happened to him?” I asked, voice quiet, “You didn’t destroy him, did you?”

I wasn’t even sure if the dead could be destroyed, but Sombra seemed amused at the idea.

“Quite the contrary, he was so far gone he could no longer remember who it was he had lost, but I knew,” Sombra explained, “I helped him remember, because I remembered them myself. Crystal Pegasi are few and far between, and I had distinct memories of his wife and child. They had been a feisty duo, and I remember punishing them often.”

His implications horrified me.

“You killed them, didn’t you?”

Sombra laughed, “You may not believe it, but I have never directly killed anypony. Enslaved and manipulated, but never killed.”

“What of the Pegasus? Does that not count as a killing?”

“I think you forgot the part where I mentioned him escaping to Canterlot,” He shot back, a hint of irritation in his tone, “Whatever the case, he’s no longer among us, and his family are safe in the Empire. They may still feel the pain of his loss, but they can recover. The dead cannot.”

“You still haven’t told me what you did to him.”

“Is it not obvious? I helped him move on.”

It took me a moment to catch on to what he meant, but when I did my eyes widened in surprise.

“You- But how?”

He snorted airlessly. “Like I said, I helped him remember, and with that I helped him move on. He’d spent his afterlife so sure his family was suspended in an eternal prison between life and death. It drove him mad, and he was hardly lucid by the time I was killed. By unearthing his lost memories, I managed to reassure him that his family was alive and well, and that the Crystal Empire was under the rule of somepony else.”

“And he just believed you?”

“Enough of this!” He bellowed, stamping his hoof with enough force to make sound. I jolted back with a squeak, “I have answered your question, and given more than enough details on what was done. Change the subject, or leave.”

He staggered back with a breathless gasp after this, his eyes growing dimmer as he brought a hoof to his head. I was slow to respond, terrified by his outburst, but I still stepped toward him. He was momentarily confused by my presence.

“King Sombra?”

My voice seemed to snap him back into focus, and he blinked a few times before settling his eyes back on me. He looked tired and unfocused.

“Forgive me,” He said, voice far quieter than it had been moments before, “I’m still not strong enough…”

“Are you okay?” I asked, only realizing right after that such a question was moot to the dead.

“I’ve used up too much energy,” He muttered, shutting his eyes, “I’ll need to rest soon. If you wish to ask anything else, do it quickly.”

At least he was still allowing me to ask questions, though I had to think of a specific one.

“Do you remember me?” I asked.

Sombra tilted his head, reopening his dimming eyes to look down at me confused, “You’ve been in here every night, of course I do.”

I shook my head. “No, before that.”

His head lolled to the other side in thought, blinking a few times as he racked his brain to remember. I quickly grew impatient, worried that his endless thinking would take up the rest of this precious learning time.

“A few years ago, when I was just a filly, I wandered into this room,” I explained. Sombra blinked again. “I saw you behind the Princess’s throne, and asked if you were alright. You attacked me.”

His eyes widened at the accusation, and his head shot up as if in realization. He looked down at me, his confusion still evident as he said, “I do remember somepony in the throne room, but I don’t remember why or who. I just remember being scared and threatened.”

“You were frightened by a filly?”

“Death is not kind to one’s mind, especially not if you’ve suffered a brutal one. Even now, my mind is often foggy, and it takes incredible amounts of energy just to make myself known to you.”

Well, that explained the last time I saw him at least. He must have been drained that night, but after the show he put on that first time, it wasn’t much of a surprise. At that thought, I suddenly found myself wondering if any of the other specters he’d shown me were even real, or illusions he’d conjured himself.

“Are any of the other spirits even real?” I asked suspiciously. Sombra bared his teeth at the question.

“You dare doubt the dead?” He asked, “I can send some of my stronger ones after you tonight, if you need convincing.”

“Absolutely not! I’ve had enough frightening for one lifetime, especially after that first time,” I said, thinking back on the topic of that first meeting, “You gave me nightmares for months, and I worried my poor parents ragged because they couldn’t understand what had happened.”

“Well, I suggest you appreciate what we do for you while you still have the gift of life,” He grinned, “And as much as I’d like to apologize for the nightmares, I’m much too preoccupied with keeping my ‘King of Fear’ title than I am with caring for your feelings.”

“You’re just as horrible in death as you were in life,” I frowned.

“I assure you, I’m much more agreeable now, as long as you’re not one of my killers,” He said, before bringing a hoof back to his head and shutting his eyes for a brief moment. Upon reopening them, they seemed unfocused and distant, “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to rest. I have much work to do to help my subjects.”

I nodded, turning away to leave before stopping in place. Another question had wormed itself into my mind, and without looking to see if Sombra was still there, I asked, “What are you going to do to help them?”

He laughed, quietly and halfheartedly, his voice distant.

“I’m going to help them move on, of course.”

Dreams and Disappearing Kings

Mother came to visit today, and though much of her stay involved speaking with Princess Twilight about each other's schools, I spent as much time with her as I could. We talked about what we've been up to, her about Father and the School of Friendship, and me with my studies. I managed to slip in a few questions about Sombra, trying to hint at a project involving the Crystal Empire, but Mother was unable to answer most of them. It didn't surprise me much, though I was still disappointed.

Hopefully Father will visit soon. He lived in the Empire once and had even been a caretaker of Princess Flurry, so he would probably know something. I just have to be subtle, but since my parents already know I’m interested in magic and its history, I imagine they won’t question too much. As long as I didn’t give the impression I wanted to learn Dark Magic, that is.

Until then, I’ll just have to assume Sombra speaks the truth, though I see no reason for him to lie to me. He has nothing to gain from lying anymore.

“Why did you decide to do this?” I asked today, “After everything you’ve done, after everypony you’ve hurt, why help them?”

He shrugged, “I would say it was retribution, but I don’t know if I should consider a fate of helping others a punishment, though it’s much different than my first death.”

“First Death? You died twice? How exactly does that work?”

“The Crystal Heart is not kind to those who wrong her Empire,” He said. I tilted my head in confusion, unsure why he referred to an ancient artifact as ‘she’. He seemed to think my confusion lies elsewhere, continuing with, “I’m sure you’ve met the Lord of Chaos, correct? Well, it turns out Necromancy is Chaos Magic, and not Dark as many would have you believe.”

Though not quite the answer I was looking for, I found it important enough and quickly got to taking notes. Sombra watched me scribble, seemingly reading my notes before he decided to speak again.

“You’ve asked me many things,” He said, “Now may I ask you some questions of my own?”

“I don’t see why not, though I doubt there’s much I could answer.”

“I think you could answer plenty.” He rose from his throne, noiselessly stepping over to me before sitting down and looking at my journal again, “Why do you study under Twilight?”

“Oh!” That I could answer, very excitedly in fact, “My parents are good friends of hers, so I grew up with frequent visits to the castle. I was always so fascinated with magic, and wanted so badly to learn more. I knew, the moment I was old enough to try out, I wanted to attend her school.”

“So she didn’t choose you over any others?”

I shook my head, “Nope! I worked hard to get here, and it felt incredibly important, especially when my only other choice of a school was my parents’ Friendship School.”

Sombra brought a hoof to his face, suppressing a laugh, “A Friendship School? What sort of curriculum are they teaching, hoof holding?”

I couldn’t help but smile at his amusement, it was strangely endearing to see, “Well, there are some normal classes, but I can’t say you’re wrong. I’m sure it’s not hard to figure out why I chose Magic School.”

“When you put it that way, I understand completely, though I suppose that’s what happens when you put the embodiment of friendship in charge of a country. It’s ridiculous.”

“Hey, Princess Twilight’s a wonderful ruler!”

He shrugged, “You’re incredibly biased.”

I wouldn’t say it wasn’t true, but I still frowned. Sombra simply laughed at the look. I wanted to retort that he was a horrible ruler, but it certainly seemed that things had changed for him with his death. I couldn’t speak to the rest of the spirits personally, but I’ve caught glimpses of them, and they seem happy enough.

Eventually, his laughter subsided, and so did his smile. He turned to the stained glass windows, following their kaleidoscopic colors through himself.

Looking back to me, he asked, “May I ask another question?”

I nodded.

“I’ve not been dead for as long as my subjects, but it’s been long enough, and I’ve begun to miss what I’ve lost,” He said, voice just above a whisper, “I can no longer feel. Things like the warmth of the sun or the taste of freshly baked pastries are lost to me, and I will never have them again. Do you think you could describe them to me?”

“Oh, that might be a bit harder to answer,” I said, putting a hoof to my chin to think. Sombra nodded sadly, his gaze turning back to the window as I said, “But I think it’s worth trying.”

Making my way in front of him, I sat down, and lightly brushed his hoof with my own. As I expected, my hoof phased right through him, and I shivered as a wave of cold washed through me. I couldn’t touch him, though I could still remember when he’d touched me that first night, probably at the cost of immense amounts of energy.

“Can you feel me?” I asked.

“I feel something, but I’m not sure how to describe it. It’s incredibly faint.”

“Is it warm?”

“No,” He shook his head, before tilting it to the side, “Maybe? I have not felt another pony’s touch in over a thousand years.”

I set my hooves within his own again, ignoring my involuntary shivers. Sombra looked down at me unsurely, and maybe even with a bit of worry, but otherwise stayed put.

“How much energy does it take to touch me?” I asked.

“More than I should be expelling for trivial fun,” He said, though he removed his hooves from my own and shut his eyes. The lights going through him faded, obscured by a faint but noticeable shadow, and certain parts of him had begun to reflect off the well polished surface of the floor. “Is this enough?”

Bringing my hoof forward, I tested to see if he was corporeal. This time, my hoof rested upon his own, though the freezing feeling of his body remained. Then, without warning, I did something to him that I’d only ever done with my family or teacher.

I wrapped my arms around him. It was incredibly cold, and with my head against his chest I could hear nothing. It was just as he’d said before, he had no heartbeat. Despite that, I didn’t let go.

“I don’t know if you can feel what I would, but this is what the sun feels like,” I said, “Comfortable and warm. Can you feel it?”

For a moment, he was unmoving in my grasp. Then, ever so slowly, his own cold arms would wrap around me, and his muzzle would rest upon my head.

“Yes,” He whispered, “I think I can.”

It surprised me just how long we stayed in that hug, for as uncomfortable as it was to me, I felt as though Sombra needed it. Even without death, he’d still spent a thousand years imprisoned, and we both knew it had been too long since he’d felt the warmth of another. It made me realize it had been a while since I’d hugged anyone myself, even after my Mother’s visit, so I took a mental note to do so the next time I saw her.

I waited until he pulled away from me, groaning quietly and shaking his head before saying anything else. He looked as though he’d used up too much of his energy again, so I spoke loudly to ensure he understood me.

“I might have to do some thinking to figure out how to describe anything else.”

He nodded, putting a hoof to his head as his body faded. I gave him a moment to regain himself before speaking again.

“Does it bother you that everypony who’s alive still thinks you’re a monster?” I asked, “Because it sounds like you’ve changed so much, and if you’d like, I could try and tell Princess Twilight about it.”

“Do you really think she’d believe you?” He asked, shaking his head, “I may play tricks on her occasionally, but she has no idea I’m still here. I would hate for her to think you’ve gone mad.”

“But Equestria is all about helping others change, if you could just make one appearance for her, I might be able to convince her that you’ve changed.”

“No.”

I flinched at his tone, though he hadn’t yelled, “Sombra, please, all the History books say you’re horrible, and that you died a monster, if I could just-”

“I said no,” He insisted, “I am a monster to the living, and I will never be anything else. It is the dead that I rule over now, and it will be the dead that see me as who I am. I do not wish to change that.”

“Sombra…”

He shook his head, “Little Luster, as much as I appreciate your company, I have no right to be interfering in your life as I have been. Tricks and hauntings are one thing, but befriending someone who still has a life ahead of them is well beyond what I should have allowed. I do not want anypony else involved in this.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out and it simply hung there. King Sombra, the pony that had once enslaved the Crystal Empire and Canterlot, had just referred to me as a friend. Was this what friendship was? It seemed much different when Princess Twilight described it, but of course, she was only friends with the living. I couldn’t be sure if that changed things, but I somehow assumed they did. Not that I had much experience to go off of.

“I understand,” I said finally, though I didn’t think I truly did. Sombra seemed satisfied enough, and he rose to all fours and returned to his throne. He looked tired.

“Thank you,” He said, plopping down into his seat and fading further, “Now if you don’t mind, I need to rest. I imagine it would help for you to do so as well.”

Nodding, I grabbed my things, thanked him for his time, and left. I knew I would return again, and I hoped Sombra would still appreciate my visits even if I wasn’t too sure if I could consider him a friend myself.

I may have to think about this.

Beautiful Prison

I’d be lying if I said I haven’t grown fond of my meetings with Sombra, as infrequent as they’ve become. It hadn’t taken long to learn that he was quick to tire out, and so focused on his subjects that he prioritized helping them over himself. It was so unlike what the History books had taught me.

Just now he was lying on the floor, a pale coated filly between his forelegs and telling him about the tricks she’d played in the halls. Sombra would praise her work, occasionally giving her advice on the best way to blow out a candle or whisper in another’s ear. It was both fascinating and depressing.

She was one of the many spirits that had begun to make themselves known to me, most of which were foals, and it had become increasingly obvious that there was an overabundance of them. They were innocent and unknowing, most completely unaware of the fact they were dead. They’d often ask me if I knew where their parents were, or asking if I could help them find them and it was incredibly upsetting knowing I couldn’t help. Thankfully, Sombra was always quick to whisk them away and distract them with something else.

He’d once explained that foals were so common because their parents would come to the Royal Sisters for help, and whether it was because they couldn’t or wouldn’t, many foals died. He’d also mentioned that, because of their innocence, foals were the hardest to help. They were all still too young to understand what had happened, and he had yet to help one move on.

Yet he continued to try, desperate to relieve their innocent spirits of the curse of an imprisoned afterlife.

“Are you sure that the guard didn’t see you?” He asked the little one, she nodded excitedly, speaking in a voice so quiet I couldn’t understand, though it seemed so clear to Sombra as he laughed, “Is that so? In that case, I’m proud of you, that one is very hard to startle. She’s far too good at her job.”

The filly covered her mouth in a silent giggle, and even I couldn’t help but smile at her happiness. Whispering something else in Sombra’s ear, he nodded before smiling

“Perhaps I can join you next time,” He said, leaning down to gently kiss the filly’s head, “But I am very busy now. Go on back to your caretaker, would you? I wish to speak with Luster.”

Nodding, the filly sped off, quickly fading into the darkness to join her fellow spirits in whatever safety they found themselves in. I watched her go, the shadows quivering where I assumed her caretakers were.

“Do I upset them?” I asked.

Sombra shook his head, sitting up, “Some are wary of you, but they trust me, so they’re assured you won’t try and hurt them.”

“That’s good to know, I wouldn’t want to disturb them,” I said, gazing in other spots of the room. My ears twitched as I heard their incomprehensible whispers and their near silent hoofsteps, “What do they think about Princess Twilight?”

He frowned. “My own feelings aside, they seem to like her. Barring my death, our numbers have yet to increase, though seeing as her reign is still fresh when compared to Celestia’s, only time will tell if she’ll work in our favor.”

“I hope so, you have a lot to do if you want to help every creature here,” I said, another thought coming to my head suddenly, “But what’s going to happen to you when they’ve all moved on?”

“I suppose I’ll see when I get there,” He shrugged, “Maybe if I’m lucky I won’t lose my mind to the silence, and will stick around to help any more lost souls. Or maybe I’ll suffer the fate of a vengeful spirit and go mad, but at least then I’ll be able to haunt Twilight for the rest of her immortality, however long it may be.”

He seemed far too amused at the idea of harassing the Princess for the rest of her life. At this point, I’d grown used to his disdain for her, and it wasn’t too hard to hold back defending her anymore. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, it was just the fact he really had every right to hate her, all things considered. I still tried to offer a positive outlook however.

“Or maybe you’ll move on too?” I suggested, “Maybe helping all the spirits in the castle is your duty, and as soon as they’re all released from death, you will be too.”

“A lovely thought,” He smiled, though it was more sad than anything, “However, I don’t think I’m deserving of such a thing.”

“If you haven’t noticed, Equestria doesn’t go with the whole ‘what you deserve’ thing. Plenty of ponies have been reformed, and I don’t see why you should be any different. I know you don’t want the Princess involved, but I’m sure she’d forgive you.”

“Twilight keeps many secrets from you,” He said, shaking his head, “She won’t forgive me, just as she won’t tell you of her own crimes. I am perfectly fine awaiting my fate.”

“Yes, but… I’m not.”

He looked to me, face unreadable. He’d mastered the art of hiding emotion, and neither his ears nor tail gave me a hint of how he was feeling. It was frustrating sometimes, just how hard he was to read.

“My fate in the afterlife has never been your concern, and as much as I appreciate the fact you care, I would much prefer if you lived your own life instead of hyperfocusing on my death.”

“But, Sombra…”

“Hush now. My fate is sealed, yours is not,” He said, making his way slowly closer, setting a hoof within my own. I didn’t shiver, his cold touch had long grown into a calming feeling, “You have every option to change and to choose your own fate, but what you’re doing now is not it. You spend so much time chasing the dead and pleasing Twilight, and with that, you’re stagnating your future. Do you even have an idea on what you want to do?”

I opened my mouth to answer, promptly shutting it and shaking my head when I realized I had none.

“Then perhaps now is the time to make a choice? Surely, there are better ways to live?”

“Well, I guess I have been thinking about broadening my horizons, maybe an independent study?”

He nodded, “That could work. What would you be studying?”

“More magic, probably,” I shrugged. This time I could read Sombra’s mood, and that was because he was disappointed, “But I guess that could change. I’ll figure it out when I get there. Maybe I could even study the paranormal a bit?”

Now that got a chuckle out of him, and I smiled in return. It was a joke, of course, but I knew my views on such a thing would always be different after everything he’s taught me.

Stifling the laugh, he said, “Well, whatever you choose, I hope the future works out in your favor, Little Luster.”

“And I hope that yours, as unsure as it is, works out as well.”

His smile faded just a bit, as he turned to the stained glass windows. Their kaleidoscopic colors bathed us in their rainbow light, just as they had every night since our first meeting. In a way, it could be described as beautiful, but I couldn’t stay focused on the lighting. I was far too focused on the pony beside me, the gentle and wistful stallion that the History books had always told me to fear.

My first and closest friend, Sombra, King of the Dead.

Author's Note

~~Bonus points to anyone who recognizes the chapter titles.~~

Also while I'm here I'd like to do a shout out to Ice Star and his fic All That Lingers because I'm pretty sure I was subconsciously inspired to create this story because of that one. It's very good.