Corruption

Celestia stood in the wasteland of the very spot where the Crystal Empire once stood. She was wearing the armour she wore on the day that she fought Sombra. She took around frantically. Frantically trying to find any sign of life. Luna. She had to find Luna. She looked through the snowstorm.

No pony. There was supposed to be a war here. There was supposed to be an Empire here. Her sister has supposed to be here.

"You are a failure." The familiar rough voice called out. The voice that had been plaguing her. There was no empire because the empire had been gone for more than a thousand years. She looked towards the source and watched as a shadowy figure headed in her direction. "Fear is what keeps ponies in line. Only a true leader would understand...Would accept it."

"Show yourself."

The figure stepped into her view. She gasped and stumbled backwards in shock. She should have known. The voice. She should have recognized the voice as...as...

Sombra.

"What are you doing here?"

"I have come with good news. For the both of us." He said with a cocky smile. "I have returned. My presence in your mind will dwindle as I grow stronger in the Empire. When you wake up your guards will confirm this. I will be waiting for you."

"I know who you are." Celestia snapped. "You are a pony who was used as a test subject by a pony that you trusted. A pony who promised you that if you survived the test, you would become his personal student. But instead of surviving...You fused with the dark energy and became a monster. There is no way Starswirl would accept a monster as a student. He gave up on you so you had to take it out on Equestria. That is the true origin of dark magic. The Pony of shadows had dark energy. When it fused with unicorn magic it leaked from you to the rest of Equestria when you polluted the Empire. It went to every unicorn, earth pony, pegasi and Alicorn."

Sombra growled.

"I already know that you are aware of my history. Part of me was in your head remember."

"I know. I just thought a reality check was in order. You have continually tried to make sure that I lead the way you want me to. You have tried to make me like you. Unlike you, I am not a monster."

Sombra chuckled as he got closer and moved his mouth near her ear.

"Everyone is a monster. Even before I was born. Even before the Pony of Shadows existed."

Sombra moved away with a toothy smile showing off his sharp teeth as the world around them started to fade and the dark abyss started to grow. Sombra watched as he started to fade away and gave her a sweet smile.

"How's Dizzy?" He said. Using a mocking tone at the last word.

"Shut up."

"I will be waiting for you outside the Empire. You know how to find me."

Celestia woke up. Breathing heavily. Her first thought was how relieved she was that she didn't allow Luna to check on her dreams. Her second thought was a wave of panic at the thought that she couldn't feel the presence. Sombra's presence. She had figured out the problem too late.

She got out of her tangled sheets and used her wing to wipe away sweat from her brow. She climbed out of bed and grabbed her brush with her magic. Carefully brushing through the tangles of her mane, fixing it into the soft flowing magical mane.

She heard a soft knock on her door and she used her magic to open it. Allowing Arone to trot in with a concerned expression and a scroll.

"I...I have some bad news." Arone said. He opened his mouth to speak again but Celestia held up her hoof to silence him.

"I know. King Sombra has returned with an entire Empire behind him." She muttered with disappointment. Arone looked at the scroll, then back at Celestia.

"H-How did y--you-"

"I saw it in a dream."

Celestia left without another word or even an explanation. Arone was left alone in her chambers. Looking back at the military report and then to the closed-door where Celestia left.

"OK, then."

(A few hours later)

Celestia stood beside King Sombra. Hidden in the fields of the Crystal Empire, hidden by the shroud of Sombra's magic shielding them from any peeking eyes.

"Rule with me." He stated. Celestia scoffed and flared up her horn to warm herself. Casting a look at her personal assistant on the other side of her. Arone shook his head against the idea.

"I would rather die." She simply stated with a cold tone. "I would rather die."

Then why did you use dark magic?" He asked with an arrogant glare towards her. She gritted her teeth and flipped open her spellbook that Sombra had given her before Twilight had shown up. She knew coming here was a mistake. A horrible mistake that she couldn't find herself regretting the decision.

"I used them because I had to. Because I will admit I needed the pain and your annoying voice to get out of my every living moment." She snapped back. "Why not ask Luna. Even Twilight."

"You have more power than both of them combined. Besides, I like you more." He grinned. Celestia looked away being clearly uncomfortable. She put the book back in her satchel and glared at him.

"So I am just a pawn?" She asked.

"No. No. No. How does..." He paused and looked Celestia over. "Queen Celestia sound?"

"Like I would become a dictator. I am not that kind of a ruler, Sombra."

"Of course not." He insisted. "But ponies change."

"How stupid do you think I am? I love my ponies and I won't allow you to hurt them. Especially the elements. They will find the heart." She spat back with pure hate. Sombra stepped towards her but her loyal assistant jumped between them. Ready to defend his ruler. Flaring up his horn with green magic.

"Don't you dare." The stallion growled. Sombra laughed and stepped back.

"We will see who wins this time." Sombra challenged and disappeared in a haze of smoke. Celestia cursed to herself as her assistant joined her atop the snowy hill. She wrapped a wing around him as he started to shiver from the bitter cold.

"W-What do we do now?" He asked through chattering teeth. She sat down and rose a shield to hid them and provide warmth for her friend. The Changeling.

"We wait."

Later in the day, she stepped up the main steps of the tower in the crystal castle, followed by her assistant who was frantically readings over the book of spells he gave her.

"Are you sure no pony followed us?" Celestia hissed as they carefully made their way up the steps.

"Yes, I am sure they would have made their presence known! Meeting one of the Princess's of Equestria is a wonderful honour, you know." He explained as he continued to scan the book. "Are you sure I can pull this off?"

"Yes. Yes. Let's review the plan." She suggested. "Cadence and Shining Armour are...unavailable. They are exhausted and have fallen asleep. This is why I am casting the spell that Cadence had performed to protect the Empire. I told you, I told Twilight and the others only Cadence could perform the spell for a good reason. Anyway, we put Twilight to sleep when we reach the top. Grab the heart and I disguise myself as Cadence, you as Shining Armour. The moment this is all done we put the false memories of returning the heart across the empire like we discussed and this is all over. Once and for all."

"What if he...Does the spell again?" The Assistant asked hesitantly.

"Making the Empire vanish again? That won't happen." She assured him.

"That isn't what I meant. I am talking about consciousness transferral dark magic spell." He said. Celestia stopped in her tracks and looked back at her Assistant in confusion.

"Ho-How did you-?" She stammered, moving her hoof nervously.

"You talk to yourself. It is pretty obvious you are arguing with somepony that no pony else can see. You also talk into your sleep. Last night I had to guide Philomena back to your room and I heard you...Talking to Sombra. At first, I thought you were simply jumping to a conclusion when I walked in and handed you my report. It is clear now that you weren't. The injuries have always existed. You were good at hiding them. Until they became too much. I had read a book about magic a few months ago and stumbled across the spell. By accident I assure you."

"I suppose, I wasn't doing a very good job at hiding my issue was I?" She concluded, blushing in embarrassment. Arone placed a comforting hoof on her own with a smile.

"It will be OK, Princess. He might...be too arrogant to think he needs to do it again.

A few minutes later, they slowly crept up the final stairs and into the very top of the crystal castle where the heart was. Only it was surrounded by familiar black stones protruded out of the floor and the heart is hidden in the middle with Twilight and Spike trapped inside.

They peaked through the spaces and saw Twilight sitting in defeat with Spike, trying to come up with a plan. Occasionally looking up to the heart. Then Twilight heard the shifting of hoofs and snapped her head up to see Princess Celestia and her assistant.

"Princess!" They exclaimed and scrambled up. Twilight looked at her as if she was almost offended at her presence before she spoke. "What are you doing here?"

"I am on a mission. Don't worry Twilight. What I am about to do won't affect your...test." She said. Twilight opened her mouth to protest but was silenced by a raising of Celestia's hoof. "You won't remember this anyway. Trust me."

Twilight and Spike shared a confused glance before Celestia guided The changeling out as she cast a dark spell to carefully hover it over the spikes and over to the couple. Suddenly a dark black night swirled around them and Sombra appeared in armour with a cloak and a sickle. The weapon he used against her centuries ago.

Twilight and Spike gasped as Celestia and the Assistant readied themselves for a fight. She hovered the heart away from Sombra to behind her.

"We are returning the heart." Arone snapped. Sombra shook her head and stepped forward.

"You still have a chance, Celestia. To become the Queen." He pressured. "You are more skilled in the arts of dark magic than you know."

"Don't patter on with petty promises of a throne destined to fail." She sneered. He gave her a soft look and lifted a hoof against her chin.

"You don't want to suffer the way you have for centuries again do you?" He threatened with the kindest voice she ever heard spoke from his lips. "I did hate torturing you like that."

"Then why did you nearly push me over the edge a million times with your constant insults. The stabbing pain of Tartarus I had to endure will be nothing compared to what I will do when I am finished with you." She yelled in rage. She swatted his hoof away with disgust. Twilight could barely believe what she was hearing. Her horn flared up, preparing to blast him with the power of the sun when Arone called out in pain.

She turned to see her assistant being dragged into the ground by dark vines. He desperately fought them against his magic. Celestia quickly lifted him out of the roots before being slammed into the nearest pillar. She groaned in pain as she heard the clatter of the heart hitting the floor. Her vision cleared and she watched as Sombra was laughing as he lifted the heart.

"NO!" She cried out. She stumbled against the veins and managed to break free. Her Assistant joined her as he rushed him. He changed into a double of Celestia, throwing Sombra completely off. He stumbled back as Arone tackled Sombra. Celestia grabbed the heart and scrambled towards the edge, leading to the outside.

She unfurled her wings and took up into the sky, she felt dark roots reaching out and wrapping themselves around her body. She screamed as they pulsated and twisted her magic into nothing more than a spark. Causing the heart to fall from her grasp as she felt an evil presence entered her mind once again.

"You. Will. Be. The. Crystal. Queen."

She watched as her assistant flew past her, diving for the heart, knowing that if it hit the ground it would surely shatter. He transformed into Cadence and swooped down to catch it with his magic. Returning the heart to its rightful place. A brilliant light filled the area, blinding every pony.

The roots disintegrated, her wings were bents and probably broken as she fell from the sky. No. The lie was more important. She activated her horn and performed the memory spell, implanting the false memory, making everypony believe that Twilight was trapped and ordered Spike to get the heart. He fell off the landing and caught the heart as Sombra approached him. Cadence swopped them out of the sky and rescued the Empire. The lie was the truth. The truth was the lie.

Did she feel guilty? Oh yes. Extremely so. But that would have to be dealt with at a different time. For now, she would rest in oblivion. Knowing that she wouldn't feel peace like this for centuries to come if Sombra had invaded her mind. She felt his presence in the back of her mind. Too weak to do anything but growing.

Yes. She would enjoy this as she watched the hard crystal streets shinning come closer and closer, she faded into oblivion just as a deafening crack was heard across the city of the broken Sun Princess hitting the cold streets.

---End of Chapter Eighteen---