Author's Note
Go watch the music video that inspired this fic!
https://youtu.be/IFUzAjEBffA
Downfall
His life had always been a vision of perfection. He had more than a mortal could ever ask for: an empire that continued to thrive despite the untimely death of his father, a populace that revered and respected him regardless of his lack of experience, and a beautiful mare that loved him... but not just any mare.
Princess Celestia, the Goddess of the Sun was everything to the fledgling king and he'd done his utmost to prove his feelings to her. He lavished her with gifts, love, and possibly most importantly, his precious time.
As the heir apparent of the Crystal Empire's throne, the young unicorn Sombra was destined to one day rule the whole of the north of Equestria. He'd been carefully groomed since foalhood to one day inherit the position of his father, but as soon as he reached his teenage years he began to make his own choices. Many wise ponies would look on and say they were the most foolish of decisions.
It was around this time that he'd started to notice the unparalleled beauty of the Princess of the Sun. At that age he frequented the same soirées as the alicorn due to the treaty of peace the two countries had agreed upon. What started out as an innocent crush for the prince bloomed into full blown adoration and love for the perfect mare.
The first time they'd met was when Sombra was just a young colt... at least to the best of his recollection. It was reasonable to assume that she'd seen him prior when he was a foal, but it's not like he could easily recall those early days of his life.
At their first encounter he wasn't quite mature enough to see the allure of the Sun Princess. They'd been cordial to one another in spite of his age, but she quickly became one of his favorite creatures to interact with. She was very respectful and didn't treat him like he was inferior to her and that elated the unicorn. The cherry on top was that she didn't try to order him around like his own caretakers or father insisted on doing.
It was a breath of fresh air for the young prince of the Crystal Empire. As he got to know her better he began to realize he couldn't get his mind off of the diarch. The intense thoughts of her permeated his waking hours and his restless nights. At every opportunity he sought the presence of Canterlot's ruler under the guise of developing their countries relations.
He was fairly confident she'd always been aware of his true intentions, but she'd never pointed it out, instead going along with his foalish desires. Little did the alicorn know, spending so much time with the prince would cause him to become quite endearing to her as well.
Age was a troublesome thing for the immortal goddess. She'd been alive for many thousands of years and planned on being around for infinite more, so something as trivial as how long a pony had lived was hard for her to concern herself with. It's not like she could fall in love with a foal, but an intelligent young stallion who made her heart soar? That was a completely different story.
Sombra lit a fire inside the ruler of Canterlot. The pressures of his looming reign paired with a lack of free will drove the unicorn to fight for the freedom he'd never been permitted, a freedom that Celestia herself had never gotten to experience. The appeal of leaving everything behind, of running away and never looking back was something she'd struggled with on a regular basis.
She'd never been given a choice, the duty of regulating the day and caring for the sun thrust upon her since creation without her consent. She longed to be free, just like Sombra and that desire would draw the two royals closer and closer together.
They would always speak of it, fantasize of disappearing, but both knew it was just a fanciful dream. Too much and too many depended on them. Still, their love blossomed as they spent more time together.
Sombra's father, Umbra, was thrilled at the union, his son's happiness of the utmost important to the then king. However, the monarch absolutely loathed Sombra's disobedience when it came to his numerous responsibilities. Umbra lost his beloved wife during Sombra's birth. Having never lost his feelings for her he'd never betrothed another. The king swore to her on her deathbed that he'd raise their son to be the greatest leader to ever bear the title King of the Crystal Empire.
Umbra's lineage was filled to the brim with distinguished unicorns, stretching back thousands of years. Making such a lofty promise would be exceptionally difficult for the king to keep. One crucial philosophy had been passed through the family over the generations, one creed each ruler believed above all else. A single weak link can be the destruction of a mighty dynasty.
As such, each and every member of the family that ruled the Crystal Empire had done everything in their power to be as strong a link as possible. To be considered weak by any stretch of the imagination was utterly unacceptable. So great was the fear of such a fate that somewhere along the line one of Umbra's ancestors had taken on a very dangerous magic to ensure their rule would be a prosperous one.
It had been a terrible mistake. The mare had been so terrified of being perceived as weak that she'd delved into the darkest of magic. It gave her what she desired, the power to exercise absolute control over those with less magical ability than herself, but it sent dreadful ripples throughout the empire.
First, the evil magic would corrupt the entire family lineage, being passed down to each generation. Second, the mental state of the wielder would exacerbate the corruption. Bouts of anger or depression would further taint the mind of the wielder, eventually driving them mad. Finally, the more the power was used the more it would fester, eventually destroying the host completely.
The curse ran deep, effecting every member of the family for the worse, yet for some reason seeming to stay at a distance, only causing slight misfortune and pain over the centuries. Eventually Umbra's great-great-grandfather was able to bring the magic under control with an endless amount of self-control and meditation.
Umbra had always warned Sombra of his exceptional talent for magic, but the young unicorn was cocksure and brash. It was something his father had quite literally beaten into him and those trials had conditioned the unicorn to control his emotions as well as the evil force. Unfortunately, Sombra was far too lax with his training once he'd reached his more developed years and as such lost what little experience he'd had dealing with both his own feelings and the black magic.
With a lack of options his father prayed that Celestia was enough to keep his son from falling to the darkness. One fateful day the curse made a sudden move to destroy the king. Umbra had fallen ill, not due to the curse itself, but seemingly from a run-of-the-mill virus.
What would generally be recovered from in a few days took root deep inside the monarch, reinforced by the power of the dark magic. His condition deteriorated exceptionally fast, shaking the empire as well as his only son's world. Sombra did not take the death of his father well, his parting words instilling a monumental amount of fear in the colt, a simple request that his son not be weak.
Sombra was only seventeen when his father passed from the world at the age of fifty and due to his lackadaisical attitude the young one was not prepared to take up the responsibilities of the throne. The unicorn had expected his father to rule well into his seventies or beyond, not succumb to a random illness so prematurely.
The pain from his father's death negatively affected the new king's mind. The doubt that crept into him pushed the new ruler into a corner, driving him to make a rash decision. He began to lean on the dark power to bolster his confidence and exercise greater control over his many subjects.
This change in nature greatly troubled the Day Princess. Celestia made every attempt to comfort the unicorn, to give him someone to rely on, going so far as to frequent the Crystal Empire personally. Sombra was truly grateful to the princess, but the seeds that had been planted were already beginning to flourish, burrowing deeper inside of his heart.
Celestia was terrified of the worst coming to pass, begging and pleading her beloved to forsake the evil force. In the end, to keep her happy, he made a vow that he would never utilize the mana again. It severely compromised his magical prowess, but he was willing to do it to satisfy the love of his life.
However, fearing he may appear weak to others he refused to leave the Crystal Empire. Word had reached his ears that implied he was only capable of ruling because of his relationship with Canterlot and who Celestia was to him. He decided then and there that he would destroy those presumptions if the only thing they wished for was to ridicule him.
He would make Celestia his bride and thus unite the two countries, solidifying himself as the strongest link his family had ever produced. It didn't hurt that he loved the mare more than life itself. He'd contemplated asking for her hoof in marriage before, but every time he had the prospect of being rejected paralyzed him with terror.
His life would mean nothing if he couldn't spend it with her. He made arrangements to pop the question on his eighteenth birthday. He'd wanted the day to be a truly special one so he planned far in advance.
While Equestrian law wasn't particularly strict on someone so young getting married, it was still not something that happened often. Prepping his empire ahead of time was crucial to the acceptance of their new queen.
Meanwhile, the Princess of the Day was formulating schemes of her own. She'd taken note of Sombra's... disdain for travel outside of the empire and so planned a party for his eighteenth birthday. It would take place in Canterlot and the Princess of the Sun would pull out all the stops to make the event truly special for the stallion.
She'd wanted to surprise the unicorn and perhaps take his mind off of the past year, but Sombra would not agree to come if she'd not informed him of the true intentions behind the date. And so the day was set... the day that would alter the course of Canterlot, the Crystal Empire, and the rest of Equestria for thousands of years to come.
As far as Sombra was concerned everything had to go perfectly. If even one tiny detail went askew it would cost him his happily ever after. The fear of such a thing happening nearly drove him insane. Every day leading up to the celebration was worse than the last for the unicorn.
The king was reluctant to leave his empire after so many months, but seeing his soon to be wife's jubilant face at his arrival in Canterlot made it all worthwhile. Together the lovely couple made their way to the castle, already basking in one another's love.
The festivities were booming well into Luna's night, everything Celestia planned going off without a hitch. As Sombra went to make his own move, his grandest of gestures, a cold sweat gripped him out of nowhere. He did his best to hide the sudden discomfort from the alabaster alicorn as he pulled her onto the dance floor. Nothing would stop him from proposing to her now, or so he thought.
This is where he would do it, in front of all her subjects once the song had finished. As the band played on the ponies around them continued their dance. Sombra embraced Celestia adoringly, their muzzles nearly touching as they drew closer to one another. As the music died down Sombra's heart pounded in his chest like a drum.
He closed his eyes, preparing for the first of many kisses he'd share with his bride to be... and in a matter of seconds everything fell apart. He was roughly shoved backward, his eyes shooting open to find something he'd never thought he'd see in his lifetime.
The pure unadulterated fury on Celestia's face was enough to make the king cower in fear. He made an attempt to ask her what was wrong, but the way she bore down on him sealed his mouth shut. He looked around himself for help, for an answer as to what was happening, and that's when he realized the error of his ways.
All the other ponies in the grand hall stood motionless, staring at the pair, their eyes glowing an eerie green. Sombra's horn shined with dark purple energy, crackling with electricity, his own eyes glowing the same sickly jade as dark smoke bellowed from them.
He did the only thing he could think of doing... he ran. As fast as his hooves would carry him, he fled the castle back to his waiting carriage. His tears fell as he leapt inside the vehicle, commanding the driver to take him home. With his heart broken the darkness overwhelmed him, the families curse taking full control of his mind.
He'd lost her. He'd broken his vow. How could he justify trying to make another to her, how could he ask for her hoof in marriage if he couldn't even keep a single promise? Maybe more important than that, he'd lost Canterlot. It was over. It was all over. He was the weakest.
Unless...
++++++++++++++++++++++++
He stared at the Crystal Heart, hunger dominating his body. The Heart was the core of the Crystal Empire, It kept the elements at bay, protecting the nation from the unrelenting cold of the north, but it could be used for... other things. If he couldn't have Canterlot through peace, he would have it through conflict. He would have her through war, through subjugation.
Devouring the Crystal Heart elevated the unicorn's magic to that of an immortal being. With so much power he'd easily be able to defeat her. He took control of the entire empire's population, each pony under his influence almost instantaneously. He had an unstoppable army that would obey his every command in a matter of seconds.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
The raven that carried King Sombra's declaration of war struck great fear into Princess Luna's heart. The Princess of the Night had been patrolling the city when the bird landed nimbly in front of her. It spoke with a distorted, low growl, relaying the message that the Crystal Empire and Canterlot were now enemies and if Celestia wished to avoid bloodshed she would surrender the throne immediately.
Celestia did not take the message well. The Sun Princess couldn't believe it, the stallion she loved, the one she'd been willing to open herself up to after millennia had stabbed her directly in the heart. She couldn't endure such betrayal.
She could not stand on her own collapsing into her sister's loving embrace upon hearing the devastating news. The Sun Princess sobbed, the horrid twist of fate shattering her world. Luna cried as well, her sister's sorrow much her own. Celestia sequestered herself in her quarters, the pain of such cruelty too much for the immortal to take. Why Sombra had done such a thing was beyond her comprehension. He'd only made a single mistake. He could have sought her forgiveness.
The Solar Princess didn't know what to do, she still loved the stallion very much. If only she could speak to him. If only she could make him see reason. How could they have spent so much time with one another, understood each other so well, only for it all to fall apart
so swiftly like this?
Princess Luna was forced to take on the duties her sister was unable to perform, the most important at the time being a response to Sombra's declaration. Luna extended a call for peace, hoping and praying that he would be reasonable. Neither country had been at war with any other for decades, to end such a time of peace could end up involving all of the rest of Equestria. The loss of life would be catastrophic.
Sombra relished the fear Canterlot's message contained. It was essentially just pitiful begging. They were scared and his spies had already revealed to him the pathetic state that Celestia was in. She wouldn't be able to stand against him. Canterlot had nothing that could stop him. He'd already won. He burned the letter to ash just as he would Canterlot.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
The capital would fight and the Princess of the Night would make the first move. Luna refused to bend to the will of a tyrant mad with power, even if said tyrant had been like a brother to her. The resolve the younger sister showed stirred something powerful in the heart of her elder sibling. Celestia wasn't certain she could stand against the stallion she'd given her heart to, but she'd darn well try.
The march on the Crystal Empire was an arduous one, but the Immortal Sister's would never bring conflict to Canterlot's doorstep if they could prevent it. For some reason Sombra allowed the Canterlot army to position their troops close to the empire. Luna deduced it to be because he would have the home field advantage.
Despite the Crystal Empire's protection from the relentless winter due to the Crystal Heart, the ponies that lived there were somewhat acclimated to the harsh weather. They hadn't always had the heart. Fighting in such conditions would be much more difficult for the foreigners now that the Heart was gone.
It took months of preparation and careful movements, but Canterlot's army was finally face to face with Sombra's forces. The whole of the King's army dwarfed the size of Canterlot's, obviously due to the conscription he'd forced on his ponies. Their eyes glowed the sickly green that those under the control of his dark mana possessed.
Canterlot's princesses were terrified of what this meant for the innocent ponies of the Crystal Empire. The sisters couldn't very well hinder their forces by asking them not to kill, doing so would make fighting even more difficult for their guard. Sombra's army would show no mercy. Because they were under the king's influence, until his defeat, they would continue to fight to the death.
Celestia and Luna were cornered when they had gathered that Intel, but they would not deceive their soldiers no matter what. It was either fight or surrender, and their forces chose the former. It was up to each and every pony to make the choice of how they'd go about handling their battle.
The sisters did however give their followers one great hope. They would prioritize Sombra and end the conflict as soon as possible thus saving as many lives as possible. Their forces just had to hold out for as long as they could. With no pegasi and very few unicorns the Crystal Empire only had the advantage in sheer numbers.
Celestia, Luna, and the Wonderbolts would have complete air superiority, so in theory the pair should be able to reach Sombra with little to no effort. The real problem with that theory was the harsh winter storm that chilled the Canterlot army to the core.
Celestia and Luna could cast a protective barrier over some of their soldiers to protect them from harm, but they also had to prioritize keeping their pegasi warm or they risked their own wings freezing up rendering them unable to fly. It was too much to monitor at one time while incapacitating as many enemies as they could. The harsh weather was definitely giving Sombra's army the advantage.
The battle was harrowing, the blood the Canterlot army spilled far greater than that of their adversaries. In spite of their dire predicament the ponies of Canterlot did all they could to neutralize their foes without killing. A luxury they were not being afforded themselves.
Celestia and Luna were able to stick to their plan, protecting a group of their military as they also worked to incapacitate as many enemies as they could and keep the Wonderbolts from freezing up. Sombra meanwhile operated from the shadows, taking advantage of weakened ponies he could prey upon with ease. The more blood and death the stronger his dark magic became and as he reached the apex of his strength he made his presence known.
With the battle dragging on, neither side was willing to give an inch, but Sombra's sudden appearance heavily swayed the tide of the battle. With a flourish of his horn he was able to completely obliterate a company of unicorns in seconds. The sudden loss of over one hundred lives did not go unnoticed by the Immortal Sisters.
When they located Sombra on the battlefield he was already in the process of cutting a swath through more of their army, hundreds more ponies losing their lives in mere seconds. They swiftly descended upon the tyrant, Celestia just a bit faster than her younger sister. Without thinking she crossed horns with her former lover, their eyes locking in that moment.
He growled, a maniacal grin spreading across his lips as his confidence swelled. She wasn't strong enough to stop him.
None were.
She faltered, the evil emanating from his cold heart causing her to wince as her knees buckled under the pressure.
It was over...
For the king.
He underestimated them, not even concerning himself with the younger alicorn. Princess Luna's spell was expertly cast, cracking the tyrant's horn in twain, a deep fissure forming within it. Sombra stumbled backward, his mind able to grasp what was going on as the darkness was forced to retreat.
He looked at Celestia, his eyes pleading with the alicorn as his grief-filled tears fell. There was no forgiveness in the mare, too many of her children slain that day, all at the hooves of the dark king. Once again Sombra did the only thing he could think of. He fled, teleporting back to the refuge of his palace.
He stumbled to his throne taking a seat, the strain of casting a spell with a fractured horn sending waves of pain throughout his head. With his magic stilted and the dark mana weakened, his control over his empire faded within seconds. In minutes his enemies and his own subjects would be knocking down the doors of the hall seeking his surrender or worse his head.
He'd lost everything. His empire would be overthrown by Canterlot, absorbed into their network of countries as a lesser state. His subjects had already returned to their senses, no doubt resenting the dictator and calling for his public hanging. Celestia...
Above all else he'd lost his heart, the Princess of the Sun. All he could see when he shut his eyes was her beautiful face. He longed for death. As he slumped over in his now meaningless chair, resigned to his fate, he felt another presence in the room.
When he opened his eyes he found a pony standing before him, void of any features, black and inky like the darkest of nights. It faced him motionless, it's black coat undulating and twitching. For some reason Sombra wasn't afraid, the pony only stirring curiosity in the king.
When it finally took action it spoke of only one thing, an offer. If the king would forsake everything he once held dear he would be given the power to take vengeance on all who'd betrayed him. He did not see it as much of a choice, only one real thing, one mare the objective of his desire.
With little hesitation Sombra accepted the demons offer.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
As the royal sisters made their way through the halls of the Crystal Palace with their soldiers in tow, they moved with the greatest of urgency. Sombra was supremely dangerous and his retreat could spell disaster if he had something up his sleeve that they hadn't anticipated.
The injured who'd survived were already being tended to and the crystal ponies had regained their faculties as soon as Sombra had made his retreat. All that was left was to get the tyrant into their custody and it would all be over.
As the sisters and part of their army approached the throne room a brilliant tinge of darkened light encompassed the group as well as the rest of the castle. In a flash it was gone, the castle, the Crystal Empire, and even the citizens of the nation. Celestia, Luna, and the Canterlot army remained in the middle of a cold desolate land, the driving snow buffeting them.
There was no sign that the Crystal Empire had ever existed, nor that there'd ever been any life in that place at all. It was like the entire country simply disappeared from reality. It would take more than a thousand years before the Empire would return and with it the Dark King Sombra...
