The Darkness Shall Rise Again

Chapters

Prologue
Miss me?
You will show me respect.
Starting To Lose Hope
Dinner With The King

Prologue

Prologue

Written By KingSombraTheTyrantRuler

King Sombra's P.O.V:

After six long and gruelling months, I have fully healed from my failure from reconquering my Empire. A failure that I wish to correct.

But I am not the only one who has healed after all this time.

The empire has licked its wounds and no longer feels threatened by my presence. They had all but forgotten me.

I have been waiting for months to strike, and now seemed like the perfect time to take back my empire. Before teleporting to the border of the empire, I changed my appearance to that of a pegasus colt with a yellow coat, purple eyes and an orange mane.

I was currently in the Crystal Caves (which weren't protected by the Crystal Heart's shield, making ponies afraid to go there) and it did not drain me of too much magic to teleport outside the border, at which several guards were situated.

I knew that I would be unable to enter the Empire without them seeing me, so I came up with a plan. Using a little bit of my magic, I made my right wing look as if it were broken, and got myself ready to act.

Making sure that the guards could see me from where they stood, I cried out, "Somepony, help! Please, somepony! Anypony!"

A guard with a blue mane, purple coat and green eyes, ran up to me. I noticed that he was an earth pony. He asked, "What's the problem, colt?"

"M-my wing feels like it's broken. I was coming here with my family when the train broke down. I flew to get help, but I c-crashed." I explained, making sure to add a few tears and sniffles at the end. It wasn't the most believable story, so I used some magic to help influence the guard’s mind so he would be more likely to believe it.

The guard had a look of sympathy on his face as he said, "I'll take you to a hospital to get your wing checked."

As we walked to the hospital, I waited for a chance to strangle the guard. I wouldn't be able to do anything if he was in my way.

One of the nurses, a mare dressed in a nurse's uniform with a teal coat, purple eyes and a green mane walked up to us and saw my wings condition. She walked up and talked to the guard, asking what happened and how my wing got in this condition. The guard told her what I had told him and the nurse did some paperwork at the front desk and assigned us a room.

She walked us down a few hallways until we reached the room she had assigned to us. She told us to go inside and get comfortable and that she would be back momentarily.

Once the nurse left us alone in the room, I made sure that the door was shut before I removed my disguise and pushed the guard to the ground. He was about to scream for help, but I sat on his back and pushed my hooves onto his throat and mouth. His face turned blue as he was unable to breathe, losing what little strength he had left in his body and could no longer fight back.

I gave one final push, putting all my weight on it until the guard was finally dead. I put my disguise back on, fixed the broken wing, and jumped out of the window, using telekinesis on myself to make it look like I was flying.

As I flew closer to the castle and the location of the Crystal Heart, I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from screaming in agony. I had to remove it as soon as possible, or I would die from the pain.

I finally reached it and, making sure nopony was looking, I conjured a bag and put the heart in there, hissing in pain while I did so.

The protective shield around the empire disappeared, and I knew that I had to get to the castle quickly, for it would not be long before the new Crystal Princess would notice.

I flew up to the castle, (again using telekinesis) and hid in the shadows. I read the guards' minds using dark magic so that I could know what they feared.

And I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from laughing. When I was in power, their biggest fears were getting punished, killed or their family being executed. Things that any normal pony would actually fear.

And now? Now their biggest fears were none of that! Their 'biggest fears' were losing their lunch, losing their favourite plushy, missing their lunch break and other such nonsense.

Still trying not to laugh, I cast the mind controlling spell on them and walked to the throne room.

As I thought, the Prince and Princess were there. My disguise melted away, and the two gasped and yelled in disbelief, "King Sombra?!"

"Yes, it is I, King Sombra," I smirked, revelling in their fear. "Did you actually think that I was defeated?" I laughed, shaking my head. "Both of you are fools."

Their horns started to glow, but I quickly grew magic crystals on their horns, cutting off their magic. "Did you think that I'd let myself get defeated so easily? Guards! Take them to the dungeons!" I yelled and the guards ran to do as I had told.

Those two had put up quite a fight, but after I had injected a sleeping potion into them, the guards were able to take them to the dungeons where they were locked up.

However, my mind couldn't help but linger on what the pink alicorn had told me before she fell. She had said "Even if you can defeat us, and take over the Crystal Empire, you won't be able to rule for long, Sombra. Twilight and her friends will come and defeat you again, this time with the Elements of Harmony!"

I had laughed her comment off, but didn't the Royal Sisters wield the power of the Elements? It seemed like much had changed during my thousand years of banishment.

I walked to the library, hoping that I would find some information there. I must find out how in Tartarus there were new element bearers. I glanced at each of the shelves until I saw a book titled The Elements of Harmony and its New Bearers and pulled it off the shelf. I opened it up and started to read the new book until I found what I was looking for.

The Elements of Harmony are six magical gems that are used to combat the forces of evil in this world. They are:

The Element of Magic.

The Element of Kindness.

The Element of Honesty.

The Element of Loyalty.

The Element of Laughter.

The Element of Generosity.

They used to be beared by the Royal Sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but the latter transformed into Nightmare Moon who wanted Equestria to be drowned into eternal night.

Her sister, Princess Celestia, used the Elements of Harmony against this new threat and banished Nightmare Moon to the moon, making her into the famous Mare in the Moon.

After a thousand years, the stars aided in her escape from her imprisonment. Princess Celestia's student, Twilight Sparkle, turned Nightmare Moon back into Princess Luna by using the Elements of Harmony with the help of the New Element Bearers, (pictures are given) AppleJack the Element of Honesty,

Rarity the Element of Generosity,

Rainbow Dash the Element of Loyalty,

Pinkie Pie the Element of Laughter,

Fluttershy the Element of Kindness,

and herself, the Element of Magic.

The Elements are shaped as the Bearer's cutie marks. These Elements can be used to defeat all evil. However, if one Element or its Bearer are missing, then the Elements will be useless, for they can only be used as a whole and are incomplete without all Elements present.

Interesting. I would need to ponynap one of the Element Bearers or take one of the Elements. It would be easy since the book had given pictures. But before I could do that, I had a few things to do.

I teleported to the Crystal Empire's balcony and put a magical barrier around the Empire so that nopony apart from myself would be able to leave. Once I finished putting up the new barrier, I teleported to where the Crystal Heart used to be.

Growing a crystal underneath myself so that all of the Crystal Empire could see me, I started my speech, declaring myself as ruler of the Crystal Empire once again. "Hello my Crystal Ponies. It's been so long since we last met, huh? Did you all think that I was actually defeated? And here I thought that you would know me better, having been under my rule a thousand years ago. You were foolish to think that I was defeated.

“You never should have gotten your hopes up. Now I rule over you once again and this time nopony will be able to defeat me. Nopony and nothing. Not even the cursed Elements of Harmony."

I laughed as the ponies were shaking and I cast a spell that placed chains upon the crystal ponies. The buildings lost their colours, becoming black as night, as all the happiness drained out of the empire.

"Go to the mines and begin mining!" I yelled. I would've put all of them in a mind control spell, but I wanted to have some fun tormenting my slaves. And if they weren't controlled, some would try to stand against me, and I would have fun executing them.

After killing a pony in the most painful way, impaling them with a dozen crystal spikes that is, the others did as they were told and ran off to the mines. Soon after, I teleported outside the shield and wore my pegasus disguise.

If I was going to ponynap an element bearer, then I would need to make sure that their absence wouldn't be noticed for a while.

After flying around for a while, I landed in Ponyville, which, according to the book, is the home of the element bearers. I walked around, trying to find somepony who would have the right information on where the element bearers were.

And then I saw her, a yellow pegasus with a light pink mane and three butterflies as her cutie mark. I watched how she was so quiet and how ponies didn't even notice her. If I remembered correctly, she was one of those mares who had been at the empire at the time of my defeat.

She was an element bearer. If I recall correctly, the book said that her name was Fluttershy.

I followed the mare back to her cottage that was near the Everfree Forest and outside the edge of Ponyville. I found a bush outside her house that was aligned with the trail leading to her cottage and hid in it. I will wait until night has fallen and then I will take her back to the empire.

Author's Note

Hey everypony! Here's a new story for you all! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to vote/like and comment! This wouldn't have been possible without Myrkur's help. So, thanks a lot, Myrkur!

Miss me?

The Darkness Shall Rise Again

Chapter One

Written By KingSombraTheTyrantRuler

Fluttershy's P.O.V:

Tonight there was a storm, so I was sitting in my living room drinking a mug of hot cocoa, while Angel bunny sat on my lap.

The reason that I was awake was because on nights like this, I had nightmares. Well, I had nightmares every night, but when there were storms, my nightmares were much worse.

All of them were about King Sombra. A few months have passed since he was defeated at the Crystal Empire, but even if I know that he's defeated, I still fear him.

From the second that I first saw him I knew that he would haunt my every dream. My nightmares are about him ponynapping me, and then forcing me to be his...pet.

Sometimes it feels so real that I wake up, covered in tears and sweat. I keep telling myself that he's gone for good; there's no way that he could hurt me.

Angel told me that I should go and talk to my friends about my nightmares, but I don't want to make them worried.

When I told Angel this, he said that he understands, and offered to sleep with me if it helps. And it has been helping me a lot.

I absentmindedly pet Angel while stirring my cocoa, until a knock at the door startles me. Who would be coming here at such a late time and in a storm?

Nevertheless, I still take Angel off my lap and go answer the door. I opened it, and saw a cloaked figure.

Lightning raced across the sky as he took off his hood, and I gasped in horror. There was no mistaking who it was. A red, curved horn, silver crown, fangs, and those blood red eyes. He was none other than King Sombra!

"Hello Fluttershy. Missed me?" he asked; just like how he does in my dreams. I was too shocked to answer him. What was he doing here? I thought that he was gone for good when he was defeated by the Crystal heart.

He chuckled deeply as I stood there frozen, looking down menacingly at me with a wicked grin. His fangs glistened in the moonlight as if they were ready to sink into my flesh.

His sclera had a sinister green glow, and trails of purple smoke seeped out through the corners of his eyes. And his irises had a menancing red glow that made me feel as if I were staring into the pits of Tartarus itself.

I somehow managed to force out, "K-king Sombra? W-what are y-you doing here?"

"I've come to pay you a visit, Fluttershy," he answered. How he knew my name was beyond me. He stepped in before I could stop him. This was scaring me; I was terrified.

This felt so much like my dreams. I pinched myself, and the pain told me that I wasn't dreaming. I gulped as he walked towards me. "Why so much fear Fluttershy?"

He smirked, and as he came close enough to touch me, I became a whimpering mess on the floor.

"P-please don't hurt me." I begged him. "P-please don't hurt me."

"I would never dream of hurting you." I knew that he was lying. "But if I have to," he drew his face closer and looked at me with a stare that spoke of death, and whispered, "Then I will. Come with me without struggling, and I won't hurt a single piece of mane on your head. But if you do struggle, then let's just say it won't be pleasant."

I started struggling as he lifted me up. He put me down and asked, "Choosing pain, are we? I did give you a warning. Here's a secret. It's going to hurt a lot."

He laughed at his own joke, and I curled up into a ball and cried, knowing that he would take me with him, and that I wouldn't be able to do anything to stop him.

It was my fate. I felt myself being encompassed by magic, and then thrown on the floor. The last thing I saw before everything went black was the evil King's smirk.

King Sombra's P.O.V:

After the mare fell into unconsciousness, I was about to leave with her when I saw a bunny on the table.

She loved that bunny, as she spent more time with it than anything else. I would be able to threaten her using it, so I put it in a small bit-bag and tied the top of the bag. Then I tied Fluttershy's hooves to each other with a rope and pulled her out of the cottage.

A trail of blood was left on the floor, with one of her feathers. But that didn't matter. I had to get out of here as quick as possible.

Then I changed into my disguise and again using telekinis to support myself, took them to the Empire.

Once I reached my castle, I put the mare into a cell. I chained her and then left.

Rarity's P.O.V:

It was a lovely morning. The sun was shining, and not a cloud remained in the sky. It was a wonderful day to go to the spa. Today I was taking Fluttershy with me, as the poor dear needed a break from taking care of her animals.

I reached her cottage, and knocked on her front door. When nopony opened the door, I asked, "Fluttershy? Are you home?" There was no response or any noise coming from inside of her cottage. That was odd. She normally would be here at this time of day. It was not like Fluttershy to sleep in.

I normally didn't go into somepony's home without them letting me in, but today was our spa day.

I opened the front door and walked into Fluttershy's cottage and saw that she wasn't there. I walked around, looking for a note or something that told me where she was, when I saw a small puddle of blood on the floor which had one of Fluttershy's feathers in it.

I made sure that I didn't touch it, and then walked upstairs to Fluttershy's bedroom. "Fluttershy? Where are you?" I asked, but got no answer.

I hoped that nothing bad had happened last night. I looked all over the cottage, but Fluttershy was nowhere.

I decided to tell Twilight about the blood, and ran as fast as I could to the Golden Oaks library. I bursted through the front door and yelled, "Twilight!"

"Rarity?" she asked, "What happened?"

"Twilight, you've got to help me! When I went to Fluttershy's cottage, she wasn't there!" I told her.

"Rarity, she could be in the Everfree forest." said Twilight. "Or a hundred other places."

"But Twilight! I saw a puddle of blood on the floor, and it had one of Fluttershy's feathers in it," I said.

"Blood? Did you see anything else?" she asked.

"After seeing the blood, I panicked and came here," I replied.

"Let's go to Fluttershy’s cottage and look for more clues," suggested Twilight. "And get the blood tested."

Fluttershy's P.O.V:

When I opened my eyes, I didn't know where I was. My vision was blurry and my head was spinning. Once my vision started to focus, I tried to get a hold of my bearings. Sitting up, I saw that my hooves had heavy, metal chains on them. I noticed that the wall was made out of dark purple crystals.

There was a door on one of the walls that appeared to be made out of the same material. There were torches hanging above the door that provided light inside of the cell. The chains that held me were attached to the wall opposite of the door, preventing me from being able to get within a few feet from the door. And my head hurt, as if I had hit it hard.

Then I remembered what had happened last night. Sombra had came to my cottage and had ponynapped me. That means I was now in one of his dungeons. But that meant would mean he might must have taken over the empire again. Why did he take me? The door opened, stopping my train of thoughts.

He stood there. He walked through the door and stood before me, staring with that same smirk he loves to use.

"Fluttershy, you're finally awake." Sombra said, "Your head must be hurting now, but that's because you didn't come with me willingly. And yes, I did take my empire back. You're in a cell right now."

He answered my unspoken question. I stayed quiet. How long would it take for the others to realize that I’m missing? As if he had read my mind, Sombra said, "And don't worry about your friends. They'll never come to rescue you. Ever."

He was about to leave when I asked, "Why did you ponynap me?"

He turned around and looked me in the eyes and told me, "Because you're weak. I watched you for a whole day and learnt that you were the weakest one out of all the Element Bearers." His last words before leaving me alone were, "Sweet dreams, Fluttershy. Or should I say bad dreams?"

His laughter rang in my ears. After he left I tried to break the chains on my hooves, but it was all in vain. Looks like I'll be stuck here for a while, unless somepony comes and saves me. I shut my eyes and cried myself to sleep.

King Sombra's P.O.V:

I knew that her dreams would be far from sweet. She would get nightmares, and without the princess of the night to help her, she'd be unable to do a thing.

I wasn't a fool, and knew that it wouldn't be that long until they decided to check for any spells last used around the cottage, or send Luna looking into dreams. I had used a spell to wipe all traces of my ever being there, or using magic to take the mare away. The only thing that showed that something had happened was the blood that was left on the floor, and one of the pegasus's feathers.

I left it there because if I went near a pony's blood, then I would drain them completely. I didn't have my fangs for nothing. They were for killing ponies with. Nopony would ever be able to rescue her. After all, they had thought that I was gone for good.

Nopony ever thought that I would come back and take over my empire again, did they?

And that purple mare thought that her silly princess of love was still on the throne. Ponies were so easy to fool. Just too easy.

Author's Note

Hey everypony! I'm back with a new chapter! I know, it's been a long time, and I should've given a much longer chapter.

But something is better than nothing, right?

I'm sorry it took so long to update- the last time this was updated was in bucking 2021!

Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long.

I've decided that I don't need an editor, so it should come out soon.

PS: This chapter was made with the help of Myrkur.

I hope you enjoyed this, and don't forget to vote/like and comment!

You will show me respect.

The Darkness Shall Rise Again

Chapter Two

Written By KingSombraTheTyrantRuler

Fluttershy's P.O.V:

"Oh Fluttershy. Do you actually think that your friends will come and rescue you?" he asked, forcing me to look into his red eyes. "You were just a burden to them. They always had to protect you from other ponies. Now that you're gone, they're happy."

"T-that's not true! My friends will come to rescue me! I know it, they will!" I told him.

"Oh really?" he asked. "Then why haven't they rescued you already?"

"They must be thinking of how to," I said.

"Or maybe they just forgot about you. The only thing that you're good for is keeping beds warm," he laughed.

I felt tears starting to gather in my eyes, but I couldn't cry. I had to be strong. I couldn't break down in front of him. I couldn't be weak. My friends were coming, and I knew it. They were coming.

I woke up, not wanting to hear his laughter any longer. It's been a week since I was brought here. And just Just then, he came in. The pony that I hated the most. King Sombra.

"Had a nice dream?" he asked, acting as if he cared. I didn't answer him. There was no need to. "You must cooperate if you want me to give you anything."

"I don't need anything, and I don't want anything from you," I told him.

"Really?" he asked. "Surely you must be hungry."

He levitated a blueberry pie in front of my face and began eating it.

He was pure evil. The last time that I ate anything was three days ago. And it didn't help that as soon as I ate it, I vomited it out. Sombra thought that if he ate things in front of me, knowing that I was hungry, I would submit to him. That I would accept the fact that I was going to be here forever. And and that my friends would never come to rescue me.

But I would show him that nothing that he did would make me lose hope. He wanted me to be at the point where I would beg him to give me food. I was weak, but not that weak. I could will be strong.

But my stomach betrayed me. It and made me too hungry to think properly. Sombra noticed this, and used my weakness against me. He conjured a few cucumber sandwiches and waved them in front of me.

My body moved by itself, wanting to take a sandwich. But the second my hoof touched the plate, he moved the sandwiches away.

"If you want me to give you something to eat, then you must answer my questions," he told me. I nodded, too hungry to care that I was doing what he wanted me to.

"Good," he smiled. He sat next to me and asked his first question. "What element of harmony are you?"

"I'm the element of kindness," I answered. He gave me a glass of water, which I quickly drank.

"What are the names of all the elements and element bearers?" he asked.

"The six elements of harmony are: the element of magic which is beared by Twilight Sparkle, the element of loyalty which is beared by Rainbow Dash, the element of generosity which is beared by Rarity, the element of honesty which is beared by Applejack, the element of laughter which is beared by Pinkie Pie, and the element of kindness which is my element," I answered, and he gave me a sandwich.

And it went on like that. He would ask a question, I would answer, and then I would get a sandwich or a glass of water.

When he was finally done, he said, "Since you were good today, I'll let you sleep with this." He threw Angel at me, and I hugged the cute bunny. I had never been happier to see him.

Before he left, Sombra said, "Sweet dreams, Fluttershy."

And then he closed the door, leaving me to sleep with Angel in the dark cell with a full belly for the first time in a week.

Rainbow Dash's P.O.V:

I flew to the Golden Oaks library, wondering why Twilight had asked me to go there.

When she let me in, she had a worried expression on her face. And Rarity was there too.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Oh Rainbow, the most terrible thing ever has happened!" exclaimed Rarity. "It's about...Fluttershy."

My ears perked up at the sound of her name, and I quickly asked, "What happened to her?"

Both seemed a little reluctant to tell me. After looking at each other, Twilight finally spoke up. "She's missing. Somepony ponynapped Fluttershy."

I wasn't sure if I had heard right. "Come again?" I asked.

Rarity said, "Rainbow Dash, I know it's hard for you to take this in, as Fluttershy is the closest to you out of us six, but she was ponynapped last night. This morning when I went to her cottage to tell her to come for our spa day, she wasn't there. And when I walked in, (even though I don't like to enter ponies homes without permission) she was nowhere to be seen. There was a puddle of her blood on the floor. And trust us, we're not joking."

"We don't know who took her, or where. All we know is that she had cocoa and was taken," said Twilight.

Everything crashed down around me. Or it felt like that. I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't. This must be a bad dream.

But it was real. "Can't you do some sort of spell to find out where she's gone?" I asked, hoping that Twilight was able to do such a thing.

However, she hung her head down. "I'm sorry, Rainbow. But we tried. The pony who took Fluttershy removed all the evidence that showed that he or she was ever there," she answered, crushing my last hope.

I flew off. "I'm going to look for Fluttershy. And I don't care how long it takes."

I must find her. I must. Who knows where she is now, or what's happening to her? Or if she's still alive. Don't worry Flutters, I'll come and save you, wherever you are. Come day, come night. Come storm, come calm. I will not give up, I swear. I'll find you, Flutters, and give the pony who dared to ponynap you a good couple of punches on the face.

Fluttershy's P.O.V:

"Fluttershy," I heard him say my name, but I didn't move. "Fluttershy," he said my name a second time, but still I ignored him. "If you ignore me, then I'll punish you," he told me.

I didn't care. He pulled me, and forced me to look at him. I shut my eyes, not wanting to see his ones which were red as blood.

His eyes probably were red with blood. He forced me to open my eyes by slapping my face, hard.

I put a hoof to my face in pain. "You will do what I tell you to, mare," he growled, causing me to shake in fear. "Because if you don't, you'll face the consequences."

My eyes shot open, and I was relieved to see that he wasn't here. And that Angel bunny was in my hooves.

I drank some water from the bowl that he left me. And then I decided to get some more sleep, as my cell was completely dark.

But I was scared to sleep. And the sound of thunder didn't help at all.

He came at the same time that he did everyday. "Had good dreams?" he asked. And I didn't reply, just like how I did everyday. And then he said, "When I ask you something, you will answer, understand?"

His harsh tone caused me to flinch. "Y-yes," I replied.

"Good," he said. "Now let's try that again. Had good dreams?"

"Yes," I lied.

But he slapped me and shouted, "You will not dare to lie to me!"

I shook and put a hoof to my cheek in pain. "F-fine. I didn't have g-good dreams."

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked.

"N-no," I replied.

He said in a softer tone, "Listen Fluttershy. If you want me to be good to you, then you have to be good. Or I'll have to hurt you, and I don't like hurting ponies. I hate having blood on my hooves."

I snorted. "You've hurt and killed millions of ponies. You love killing ponies."

He glared at me, daring me to say that again. Being as brave as I could, I continued, "But it's true, Sombra."

"You will call me King Sombra!" he shouted. "And you will show me respect." He continued in a softer tone, "Or I'll kill this little bunny and make you eat him." He put a knife near Angel's neck to show that he wasn't joking.

I shuddered. "I-I'll show you respect, K-king S-sombra."

"Good." He put Angel down as he said that. He threw a carrot at me and said, "Give that to your bunny."

I thought that he was being kind until he finished, "Because if I have to make you eat the bunny, it has to be more than a pile of bones."

He laughed and said, "Sweet dreams, Fluttershy."

I didn't move even when he slammed the door shut behind him. I just hugged Angel as tight as I could.

As I drifted off, the last thing I thought was, please, somepony save me.

Author's Note

This is one of the few chapters I wrote with Myrkurs help.

It's gonna be hard without them...

If you liked this, don't forget to vote/like, comment, and share!

Starting To Lose Hope

The Darkness Shall Rise Again

Written By KingSombraTheTyrantRuler

Chapter Three

Starting To Lose Hope...

Fluttershy's POV:

Weeks passed, and I slowly began to lose all hope of ever being rescued.

My dreams were only nightmares, and my only companion was Angel. I saw not a single soul but King Sombra, who taunted me…

I never was a pony who liked socialising, but now I longed to talk to someone, anyone…

I petted Angel and ignored the tears that fell down my cheeks. There was no use in wiping them away. Once they started, they would continue until they stopped…

I heard footsteps and sat straighter, covering my face with my mane. It would be the Crystal King, and I did not want to let him have the pleasure of seeing me in such a miserable state.

He sneered as he entered the cell, and I held Angel Bunny closer to my chest protectively.

"See? No one is coming for you," he drawled, and I tried to ignore him. "Weak...pathetic...useless… No wonder why even now, my Guards haven't encountered a single rescue team."

" Why…? " I asked quietly. So quietly, in fact, that I wasn't even sure if I had actually said it. But his head turned and I knew he heard me.

"Why what?" he snapped .

"Why don't you just kill me already? Like you said, I'm weak and useless. So why are you keeping me alive?"

He chuckled. "A cloak of misery shrouds your frail body. Your despair fills the air. And it empowers me…"

Another shudder ran down my spine upon hearing his words, and I repressed the tears that threatened to fall.

I failed.

A hiccup-like sound escaped my throat, and before I knew it, the tears were falling freely, streaming down my cheeks.

I would be alone here forever, seeing no one but him, and no one would rescue me…

I flinched as he drew closer to me, placing a hoof under my chin and drawing my face up so our eyes made contact.

He drew his other hoof up to my face, and surprisingly began to wipe my tears away.

I trembled as he continued doing this, and suddenly the warmth was gone as he stepped back.

His eyes flitted across the room, looking everywhere but me. "I shall take my leave...Behave now, hm?"

With that, the cell was free of his menacing presence, and I flung myself onto the hard bed, unable to think of anything other than the strange moment that had taken place between us.

King Sombra's P.O.V:

Once I left the dungeons, I headed out to my Castle's gardens to get some fresh air and clear my head.

What had just happened…?

I, King Sombra, a pony who delights in the fear of those around him...had just comforted my prisoner.

I wanted nothing more than to break her into pieces and use her against her friends, and now, when she was so close to breaking, so close that she even asked me why I hadn't killed her yet, I wiped her damn tears away.

A memory of the last time I had done that to someone appeared in my mind.

Hope…

Beneath all the hatred, I still missed her. She might have ruined my plans, but what we had before that was something that would forever remain present in my mind.

She did it with good intentions...Her natural kindness had made her do it…

And this mare I held captive only reminded me of her. The same kindness… They even had the same scent…

I shook my head. The past was the past and would remain buried.

Fluttershy was almost broken… Perhaps I should begin the second part of my plan now…

I was now in the dungeons, in that very same cell where that incident had taken place.

Fluttershy was quivering as I drew closer to her, and I forced myself to focus on the scent of her fear rather than her physical one.

She clenched her eyes shut and hugged her bunny to her chest, and I only smirked.

"Come with me," I commanded, and she whimpered. "I haven't got all day, so hurry up and walk. Unless you want me to rip that bunny of yours into tiny pieces?"

The threat was enough to make her start walking.

I would have merely teleported us to the room I had prepared for her, but I had placed a spell over the Castle that blocked teleportation and flying.

Throughout the whole journey, she remained quiet other than a few whimpers.

Soon enough, we reached the room. "You will stay here from now on," I said, making her look up in surprise. "It is your room now. You may take a shower whenever you wish, and must come down only when I send a maid to get you. You are not allowed out of the castle or this room without my permission. And yes, the bunny can stay here."

I turn to leave, and she says, "Thank you, King Sombra."

My lips curve upward in a smile. "You're welcome...Fluttershy."

Fluttershy's P.O.V:

After King Sombra leaves, I decide to have a shower as I can't remember the last time I had one. It must've been before he captured me.

I sigh in relief as the hot water hits my body, and after rinsing myself completely, I turn it off and begin lathering my mane in shampoo.

A smile graces my face as I realise it's the scented one that I usually use, and I wash Angel as well. Surprisingly, he doesn't protest much- perhaps he can tell that he needs a bath?

I take my time in the shower, relaxing for the first time in weeks, and only get out once I feel completely satisfied.

As I dry myself off with a towel, I can't help but wonder why King Sombra suddenly decided to let me out of the dungeon and treat me nicely.

After putting the towels in a laundry basket, I recline upon the bed, and Angel curls up against me as we both enjoy the soft bed in contrast to the rock hard one we were given in the dungeon.

…
…
…

Knock, knock

I startle at the sound of knocking, and immediately become confused after seeing my surroundings. This wasn't the dungeon…

And then it all comes back to me. King Sombra had a change of heart and gave me this room, along with certain rules I had to follow.

The pony at the door knocks again, reminding me that I needed to open it. Could that be a maid that he sent?

Upon opening the door, I see that my suspicions were correct - it's a maid.

"His Majesty desires Miss Fluttershy to come to dinner," she says, and I nod.

" Thank you for telling me. "

"I shall be waiting here while you get yourself ready," she says, and I nod again.

I brush my mane and after washing and drying my face, scoop Angel up and follow the maid downstairs.

As I walk down the stairs, I ponder upon what caused the King's sudden change of heart.

Author's Note

Finally, an update. I'll do my best to do another one before the end of the year, but no promises.

To be honest, real life kept me busy, as well as some of my other stories, and there's also the fact that I didn't have much motivation for this story.

But I couldn't just let it die, so yeah...

I hope this isn't too fast, but I wasn't sure how many more chapters of Fluttershy being hurt in the dungeon I could do.

Next chapter: Fluttershy and Sombra have dinner together. How will that go...?

Don't forget to vote/like, share, favourite, follow and comment, both on the chapter, and ideas for how it'll go!

Dinner With The King

The Darkness Shall Rise Again

Written By KingSombraTheTyrantRuler

Dinner With The King

Fluttershy's P.O.V:

As I prepare for the evening, I can't help but worry. What if...King Sombra tried to poison me? Or what if I accidentally offend him somehow and he gets really angry and punishes Angel and I for it?

I know I must surely be worrying too much, especially since Angel himself tells me the same thing when I discuss my worries with him.

After all, if the King actually wanted me dead, he would have killed me that night in my cottage instead of bringing me to his castle and going through all the trouble of keeping me as his prisoner for all these months.

At the thought, my eyes moisten a little. I've been here for so long...I miss my friends so much. I would give anything in the world to see them again.

Have they been looking for me? Or have they just...forgotten about me?

A soft knock on the door brings me out of my thoughts, and Angel stands behind me, alert as I open the door the tiniest bit to see who it is.

A mare, most likely a maid, is on the other side of the door, and I open it fully. "H-hello?" I squeak out.

"His Highness has ordered me to deliver these to you, Miss Fluttershy. He wishes for you to wear these at the dinner, " she says, handing me two boxes, which I take, smiling nervously, and then shut the door to inspect them.

I open the first box and gasp in delight for it contains a long, beautiful, blood red gown which seems to shimmer in the last rays of sunlight, streaming in through my window as the sun sets. To go with it is a mane clip of a similar color, studded with gems all over.

I open the second box, and see a pendant, which matches the other two items. These all look so beautiful, but my worries haven't eased in the slightest.

Why is the King, after treating me so cruelly for so long, suddenly acting all nice? It's all so strange...But I won't complain. I suppose I should enjoy this nice treatment rather than question it, because it's much more preferable to how I was treated before.

A shudder runs down my spine as I wonder if this is all just some sort of twisted trick, and I'm not actually supposed to wear all this, and-

Angel taps my leg, looking at me with an annoyed expression. He makes a motion with his paws and tells me to just stop worrying because worrying will do nothing.

I take a deep breath. He's right. Worrying will do nothing but make me more anxious, and then that will cause me to really mess up. I steel my nerves, and deciding that enough time has been wasted, start getting ready.

King Sombra's P.O.V:

I sit alone in the dining hall, awaiting my guest, who seems to be taking her sweet time. Not that the cooks have brought out the dishes yet, nor is it truly the set time for dinner, but I expected such a shy, meek pegasus like her to come early, perhaps in hopes of not incurring the wrath of the host.

And yet, as the kitchen doors part and the cooks start to push the trolleys towards the table, I hear the faint sound of hoof steps, growing closer with each passing second. With perfect synchronization of that with the timing at which the table is laid, the mare arrives, and my breath hitches at the sight of her, for she looks absolutely breathtaking in the outfit which I have provided for her.

I draw back a chair for her with my magic as she approaches the table, not knowing where to sit. The chair is one to the left hoof side of my own, and I notice that her bunny has followed her.

She seems to be unaware of this fact until the bunny seats itself next to her, at which she gasps, "Angel!" ever so softly in that sweet, delicate voice of hers and glances at me fearfully.

"The bunny may stay," I say , and she visibly calms down.

"Thank you King Sombra. I'm sorry if I took long," she replies shakily .

"Not at all. It is I who came early," I say, and at my gesture, the servants lift the covers from the dishes and put the covers aside.

I signal for them to leave, and watch as Fluttershy's gaze flits from dish to dish, taking in all the different food. "Take whatever you desire," I tell her as I serve myself some of the roast chicken.

Her face pales noticeably as she notices what I am taking, probably not used to seeing ponies eating any sort of meat. Normal ponies would not require meat, but as I am an umbrum, my dietary needs are...different.

She nervously reaches for some roasted vegetables and salad, the latter of which she also serves her bunny who begins eating straight away.

As I start eating, I notice that she is wearing the pendant, and slightly smirk.

Fluttershy's P.O.V:

There are quite a lot of dishes: lasagna, roasted vegetables, some sort of salad, some sort of pie, and to my horror, roasted chicken with gravy, as well as grilled salmon.

Not feeling much of an appetite after seeing those last two, I hesitantly take some roasted vegetables and salad, and also give Angel some.

I wait for King Sombra to start eating, and then start to nibble at my own food, still feeling bad for the chicken and salmon that were cooked.

We eat in silence for a while, until the King asks, "Do you not like the dishes?"

I look up, startled. " O-oh, I appreciate it...But I'm a vegan... "

"Ah," he says, and the silence resumes, more awkward than ever. "Well, don't hesitate to help yourself to more, next time I shall tell the cooks to include more vegan dishes."

I nod, not sure what to say. The dinner seems to take forever, and while Angel has finished almost all the salad that was given, I've barely touched my food.

My stomach feels like it has knots in it, from how anxious I feel, and even if I wasn't so nervous, I doubt I could have eaten much anyways, because I got full very easily. I assume it's due to the months in which I was kept in the dungeons because I was never given much food...

When the King, at last, excuses me, I'm relieved, and Angel follows me back to the room. I take the dress off, as well as the clip, but leave the necklace on because it looks so beautiful, I just don't want to take it off.

Author's Note

It took me so long to think of how this would play out... That necklace sure is beautiful... If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to vote/like, comment, share and favorite!