I was 16 when I was recruited. That was the law back then. I remember Amore’s face when she saw me, a singular crystal pegasus. I still had the slightly metallic fur and the gemstones that grew out of my skin, but I was and still am a pegasus. I was almost instantly made into one of her bodyguards on that fact alone. I had no experience, I had been at the palace for no less than half an hour. Yet still I was made her bodyguard.
At first I was excited. It was one of the most honourable things you can do, guard a princess. At the time I didn’t notice the way she looked at me, like I was something to breed for my “rareness”. At the time all I knew was what I saw on the streets. A kind and caring mare who always wanted the best for her ponies, even if there were still those who suffered under her. Those poor Umbrum did nothing to deserve what happened to them. But many of us just went along with what Amore said.
It didn’t take long for me to see her true self. She was incredibly manipulative with her words, or maybe it was the fear of broken bones that made ponies believe her. I learned quickly what her other side was like. I’m a fast walker and I was walking next to her shoulder to shoulder. She didn’t like it. She broke my leg so I walked slower and at her flank. That was when I realised why most stallions that went into the army rarely returned. We didn’t have the highest death rate though.
If you walked down the street back then you would see two different races. The crystal ponies and then these unicorns called Umbrum. They were giants, taller than Celestia I believe. They all look the same if you look from a distance. Dark grey fur with pitch black manes. Their hair floated in a way, at least when they’re healthy it did. The only colour on them were there horns, eyes, hooves and the claws on their back legs. Adults came in almost every colour, only the foals were green. But it was just their eyes. they had four hooves which changed through puberty along with the rest of the colour growing in. Adorable, but off putting since there nearly the size of a full grown pony.
They only got curious about the settlement being built on their territory. Yet apparently Amore saw the giant ponies as work horses. I remember my dad owned a few, they became slaves effectively. The pair lived in our basement. I believed I asked them one day, I had taught them ponish before-hoof, if they would have helped us anyway. Apparently they come down from the North for breeding season, and that they would have helped out with farm work while they were there. But Amore chose the hard way.
They had their neck and legs wrapped in chains. Many worked the farms while their owners relaxed. I know the two dad owned did that, we were only a small farm so we didn’t need many of them. I thought it was normal to have one or two. But then Amore took me down to hers. I don’t remember the exact number, but she had far more. They were in the worst condition I had seen.
They were skin and bones, which was common but worse in her cells. They sat in their own excrement as their cells were never cleaned. Being creatures of dark magic and just unicorns in general, it was common practice to have their horns sawn of and the wound nailed so it couldn’t heal. To make it worse Amore drenched their chains in acid so the chains rubbed down the skin and muscle. I can remember the smell and the cries.
Even though we as guards and the other workers in the castle were beaten and abused we still knew we got it better. It got worse though. There’s a Colosseum a few miles away hidden in the crystal mountains. The stallions were taken there and were thrown in to face off southern monsters. Typically Timberwolves, ursa’s or other chimera beings. They had to get from one end to another. Many ponies saw sick enjoyment over them being ripped apart, there silver blood flying everywhere. I never did. I’m not a fan of the sight of blood, even if it is sparkly and silver.
There was one time when I was guarding the carriage that Amore was sitting in. Pulled by two of the umbrum. Their harness were lined with nails that dug into them, especially the breast collars. They were too broken and numb to act up, they would only be whipped hard in response. At one stop one tried something, the stallion had bent his neck around and attempted to take a chunk out of Amore. His partner had to do the rest of the pulling by herself for the rest of the day. His body was left on the side of the street.
Amore had strict rules. I had to be up before her every day. She usually got up at six which I was able to be up and at the door waiting for her. But there were many times when I wasn’t there. She had broken a lot of my bones the day before. I can’t remember why, my brain blocked it out. But I was walking slow and struggling to breath so of course I didn’t make it. As I didn’t show up on time, I was denied food, water and my, albeit short, breaks for the day.
It was like that for years. I forgot most of it under the trauma and pain I received from it. for me it got worse on a personal level. One day my food tasted rather off, next day I woke up sleeping next to Amore. She…violated me for my “rare” genes. I’ve never let it down and it wasn’t even my fault. Thankfully she never got anything out of it. The chefs gave me my meals straight from the window after that, I even watched them prepare it. it never happened again, she tried though.
Amore had a thing for breeding actually. The stallions that went into the Colosseum often died. So the mares were breed like farm animals. Amore had a few brood mares. One in particular was particularly resilient. She had a foal from her days of freedom. A colt to be precise. She never let him leave that cage with her. Amore breed the life out of her but that mare sacrificed those foals to keep her own. Umbrum have a five thousand year life span so foals would be magically aged up so they were “useful”. That’s what her bred foals would get. They would be dead by the time the next competition came around.
During one trip down there something drastic happened. The mare still spoke her language but she had learnt ours. I can still her the harsh “no” in my head when Amore asked her to give up her foal. So Amore tried to force him away. It happened so quickly. One moment Amore had four legs, the next I was dragging her out the cage a front leg short. They ate away at that leg that had hit them so many times. The pleasure on their faces as food finally entered their stomach.
It all ended eventually though. At the Colosseum a particularly large event was taking place. They managed to get their hooves on a full grown manticore for the colosseum. Many died. But one stallion, he still had some form of muscle. Scars from the chains were laced over him but he had muscle. In his blue eyes I could see something different. He slaughtered that manticore. “How much do you reckon they’d want for him?” I heard Amore say just before he let out a bellowing howl. They had planned a whole revolution without us knowing. Havoc would be an understatement for what followed. Many on both sides died and I remember flying above it all. Watching shadow burst out from buildings and red and silver blending together. I watched Amore take the heart and use it to cast them away. It was as if someone just flipped a switch and everything was calm. But in the distance I remember seeing one lone black figure, a relatively small one sprinting over towards an old willow.
We were sent out on lookout the next day to make sure all the umbrum were gone. I went straight to the willow. I found him there, cowering in the roots, I recognised him as that mare’s foal. Still covered in his own waste. My heart broke for him. He just lost everything and I know it caused one hell of a wave of grief later. I did the only thing I knew what to do. I couldn’t leave him he would be found by another guard and bought to his death. So I took him to an orphanage on the outskirts of town. I could remember overhearing the mare that ran the place say she refused to give any foals to those who owned umbrum. So I knew I could trust her to keep him safe.
I didn’t see him for another twenty years.
There was always talk about a few Umbrum managing to escape. Of course I knew one had. But I never saw him. A lot of stuff seemed to happen in those years. Mostly rebuilding our life to not revolve around slaves.
It was about eight years after the revolution that I could tell something was changing. It became rather popular to look into the crystal heart and see what your future is. Amore, using her sweet side, used to stand there so the little foals could tell her about their future and destiny. She would always say that there not set in stone and that it’s possible to change.
There was one filly who went up to it one day. A little unicorn, Amore seemed to be offended by her entire existence. The filly’s face lit up when she looked in the heart. She saw herself as a princess. There was something rather interesting about her, particularly her hair.
Before the umbrum were enslaved they had a tradition to braid their hair. They wove different beads into each braid. There are meanings to each but I can really only remember if I’m directly told or find the paper I wrote them down on. But this little filly’s hair was braided exactly that way. Granted the beads weren’t gemstones, which we found out when we took them from the Umbrums hair, but the style was so very similar.
It was also that filly that year’s latter got a letter from the sisters to come to their school for gifted unicorns. True healing magic. There were spells that would close a wound but only for some time. Apparently it burnt out a unicorn on the first spell. But that filly, now a mare had magic that closed wounds seamlessly with no scars.
So of course rumours started. Some believed she must have healed a bone, a logical reason. But then the rumours about that one umbrum came around. The crystal heart was now designed to kill them of if they got to close during the crystal fair. A “safety precaution” according to Amore. Some said maybe she healed one and stopped the hearts power. Like all rumours it eventually died out.
The days were I had to walk with Amore around the empire I would sometimes see her. She didn’t ware as many braids in her hair. Just the odd one or two that were pulled up into the bun. The mare gave Amore the definitions of death stares. I always saw her on the same street, Amore noticed as well as more guards were placed there. I don’t think she trusted the mare. That was usually the most I saw of her. That changed quite quickly.
There was a panic one day down by the heart. When I got down there with the other guards we found a crystalized version of Amore. She was reared up in anger by the looks of it. probably in pain to as there was a hole straight through her neck. Then the Umbrum took his chance and took control.
I could tell that he had planned every little bit of his takeover. In fact it was an act of revenge. Many of us were put in heavy collars and forced to dig large mine-shafts. Many gemstones and metals were found of course. So others were made to polish and shape them. he was smart. Kept the economy going so it didn’t look like we had just disappeared.
I learned his name was Sombra. Sombra Galacian to be more precise. He remembered me which quite surprised me. He was so grateful for me giving him a second chance at life. Sombra told me that for the past few years he was planning this. the main goal was to get the umbrum free. He had managed to do some sneaking around in a form of shadow and overheard Amore saying that she could sense the hearts power underground, and that her killing spell actually just put all the umbrum in a limbo prison instead. The mare that I kept seeing was his best friend Radiant Hope. She had helped as well, telling him ideas on what to do.
Then our new life started. Sombra was strict but at the same time he kept a balance. Everyone got three meals a day and we were even allowed to go home for bed. If you misbehaved your punishments would vary instead of just straight up beatings like Amore. So if you refused to work you may be denied one meal. There was a split between “we deserved this” and “this isn’t fair”. So fights would break out. Normally Sombra would just break it up but if it got any worse you would find yourself strung up and whipped. If you were good in terms of behaving or doing well at your job you’d get Sunday of so you could embrace your talent. We couldn’t complain, that was Hopes idea. Although sometimes his punishments did get a little brutal. Sometimes a stallion would get frisky and more often than not a mare would suffer from it. “gelding” is a better term for those stallions now.
I ended up ending quite lucky I did. Although if you didn’t agree with what Amore said and you seemed sincere about it you got better jobs and more privileges. You normally ended up as a guard because you could be trusted to some extent to not go against Sombra. I ended up as his bodyguard.
Sombra somehow managed to build a study in the castle. The staircase was rather long but for a long time I couldn’t figure out where it fit in the castle. I ended up becoming decently good friends with him considering I was around him all the time, so I got to go to his study. Turns out the staircase acts like a portal and his actual study is in the middle of the North. He said it was more comforting to be there as it was home for him.
Between controlling rebellious ponies, ordering miners and other things Sombra told me about the life he used to have. He told me the cultures that Umbrum had from braids and diet to tribal life and a literal god. That was only a small piece, but I still wouldn’t be able to imagine losing all of it in mere moments.
There were a few pieces of culture he didn’t lose entirely. He could braid his hair but he was never too sure on how to do so. However he did have his bird. Lumen peacocks were a sacred species of white peacock. A bird will find an umbrum it likes and their soul’s bond together. So if one dies so does the other. Opal was Sombra’s, apparently they have more umbrum like names usually as the peacocks name themselves. But Opal hadn’t so Sombra just named him after his mother’s favourite gem.
Opal acted as a messenger and a scout in a way. Him and Sombra could telepathically talk to each other so Opal would bring messages to him. Opal also flew over the land like a scout. It was almost impossible to avoid his watch unless he was ages away from you. He was commonly referred to as “the eye in the sky”.
Opal had a weird obsession with preening my feathers, but it saved me a job so I didn’t mind. according to sombra opal said he “expected my neck to be a little more flexible, so I do it for him”. I’m still not sure if I should be insulted or not.
Being closer to those two I became closer to Radiant Hope. A lovely mare with an amazing expanse of imagination, but she still had the right amount of maturity that she wasn’t naïve. It turns out the rumour about her healing an umbrum was true. I always found magic interesting and I learnt about hers. She could heal any wound from a bruise to giant and deep cuts. Although she had to get there before shock or infection. Hope said something about her not being able to stop pathogens and diseases because of something along the lines of she would have to destroy the bug which her magic is leaned towards heal not destroy, so it wouldn’t work. I do remember her saying that her magic does not work on her at all, she couldn’t heal herself even if she tried.
Hope kept going to school. She handled making sure that Celestia didn’t suspect anything by saying the empire was fine when she returned from a holiday. She would suggest ideas on how to prevent the train track being built. There idea was snowstorms which would halt any progress along with trying to lure Northern monsters into the build site. Granted it caused quite a few casualties to tormentors, wyverns, stalkers and ice wolves. But they did really care if it meant saving an entire race.
After about seven years Sombra was informed about a structure the miners found underground. It had the same silvery aura that the heart had. So of course it caught his attention after hearing Amore say she sensed the heart power underground. With one simple dynamite test a hole was blown into the exposed corner and for a brief moment a shocked and emaciated umbrum stared back, and the hole sealed itself.
It was that brief moment that sent Sombra into a research frenzy. He had built a lab earlier as he apparently had a thing for chemistry and magical research. So he began to order chippings from the wall which still held there power even after being separated. He did many experiments and eventually decided that explosions were simply too risky. So instead he, or more Opal, decided that he could burn it away with an acid.
Through the process of making an acid that would burn away and hinder the regenerative ability, sombra got distracted by other things. after twenty seven years of friendship Sombra’s and Hope’s relationship had slowly grown to something more. They practically skipped the dating half mostly due to them knowing each other inside out. Before long there was a foal on the way. For about two weeks. The light and dark magic in the genes clashed and it led to the self-destruction of the embryo.
It happened multiple times. It wrecked both of their hearts and slowly Sombra’s work on the acid stopped as he cared for her. Sombra sent guards to deal with fights and those that misbehaved. Rarely he helped out on his own, even then I had to pester him to tell him I could stay with Hope. Opal was normally the one to convince him though. Hope stopped going to school after that. She didn’t tell Celestia about Sombra or the empire, just the miscarriages. Celestia rightfully let her off until she recovered.
Slowly after Hope started to recover after the first few Sombra returned to his work. His overall progress had slowed mostly from the emotional assault the pair went through. I used my time during that to stay with Hope. She always said she was fine but we all know no pony ever means that. But she enjoyed my company and it kept Sombra’s mind at rest knowing someone was with her.
I suggested that we could go to the library and see if there was anything to help her. But of course there wasn’t anything. So I asked her about her magic again. I told her that technically the embryo isn’t her, so she could potentially heal the cells. We eventually settled on the idea that when it does self-destruct it’s a simple case of apoptosis, which she new she could control as its exactly what the crystal heart does to the Umbrum. she was so excited about the fact she may be able to carry a foal full term she teleported to Sombra.
Eleven months later little Magnolia was born. She was more energetic than a pegasus when it learned how to use its wings. She had her mother’s fur and size while she had her father’s black hair. She had green eyes which Sombra said must have been from him as Umbrums are born with green eyes which shift colours.
Sombra had become very close to finding the perfect acid. It could stop the wall rebuilding for about thirty seconds. But he would need a lot of it just to potentially get one umbrum out at a time. It still needed perfecting but still Sombra decided to take time of to be a father. That time off from research lasted seven years.
Unfortunately Celestia and Luna soon found out. So Sombra sent Hope and Magnolia away. At first Opal stayed with him. But the day before the princess arrived Opal disappeared in the direction that they went.
Author's Note
I did not have fun writing this chapter. its not that I had writers block or was going of the idea. I had two free periods today at school so I decided to work on this chapter to fill the time. I wrote some good stuff but what I didn't know was that you need Wi-Fi to save word. My school has Wi-Fi that 6th formers can use. But it only gives you network so completely useless. so that really good chapter I half wrote was completely lost so I had to re-write it all.
good times
When the empire returned it was strange. Many of us, including me, had muddled up memories from Sombra’s curse. Most were back to normal in a few weeks though. The new princess apparently descended from Amore. I’m not sure how as she never had any foals, thankfully. But she’s nothing like her. Cadence is rather sweet, she seems nice enough but I think I have trust issues now. Her husband I believe came from the royal guards, as of which he has already become the general.
There was quite some tension of course. Many were expecting Sombra to show up and try and take over again. However he never did which I can’t tell if that’s more nerve racking or not. But either way this new princess and her friends stayed for some time just in case. During that time they helped us fix our memories and even started up our traditions again. I didn’t tell Cadence straight away about the true history of the empire, I just let her believe what Celestia had told her. But I did tell her eventually.
I believe utterly mortified is a suitable way to describe her reaction. It’s definitely not something you expect to hear on a Tuesday morning. But it was better than keeping her in the dark, especially if Sombra did ever return, which he hasn’t. To be fair, I think Sombra may be more interested in his family then us at the moment. That’s if there alive I doubt they lived for a thousand years, unless Sombra found a way to expand their lifespan.
We did however end up finding Amore’s statue. She was on some form of platform. Sombra had rerouted the sewer pipes so they opened up above her. Everything was dumped on her and it fell of her back into the pipes bellow. It was sort of another pay back I guess. After all Sombra and his mother, along with many other Umbrum, did have to sit in their own excrement. At the moment we are still unsure what to do with her. We still debating whether we should release her or not. Were leaning more towards holding her in prison and getting info and other stuff from her. Others wanted to try and “reform” her, they are under the reasoning of “a god of chaos could be reformed, why can’t Amore?”. To be fair they do have a point, but she’s so deeply rooted in her beliefs and ways I doubt she’s saveable.
Apart from that life is going back to almost completely normal. Cadence was a ruler we truly needed. Hopefully we can get more then twenty years of relative peace with her. She’s even letting me have a long break from the army, its up to me if I return or not. I want to start a new life for myself now. Hopefully I will get to relax and start a life I generally wanted. I know as a colt I wanted to be an acrobatic flyer, don’t think I’m quite spry enough anymore. Right know though I need to get some friends and hopefully find love. Its something I’ve been lacking for quite some time. There was a mare in the kitchens who used to make sure Amore didn’t poison my food again. I really quite liked her, she was rather beautiful. She seemed to like me as well, but we all tell ourselves that don’t we. But there’s no harm in trying.
Maybe one day I will return to the army. But not yet, I’m taking Cadences advice of a well deserved rest.
