King Sombra’s Downfall
Special thanks for collaborating with me on this goes to SwiperTheFox, Rust, and KillJoy!
In what was once the proud Crystal Empire, both soul-rotting corruption and sheer tyranny bound ponies together. The iron ties ensured a freedom denied. The rustling wind going over the rusted shackles and chains sounded like a spiteful melody.
Every drop of hope that once existed within their beings had withered away at the hooves of their ruler and dictator, King Sombra. Despite all they’d had, from peace and serenity to what seemed like a never ending supply of love, the black hearted unicorn possessed an extremely powerful magic of spreading animosity, counteracting any feeble thoughts of opposition that popped up. His abilities allowed him the window of opportunity to seize the kingdom, enslave the ponies, and rule afterwards with his every whim fulfilled.
Nopony remembered how he acquired such power, though it hardly mattered for those caught under his reign. The ponies didn’t need answers or mere bits of information. They needed a hero, somepony to save them from their torment of the dark fiend they learned to obey. His rule of the land only survived through bringing out the worst of ponies, spreading jealousy, greed, lust, and other dark emotions upon the subjects he saw through his magical aura.
On one particularly fateful afternoon, the king of the Crystal Ponies smiled as he sat on his temple throne, watching the two mares chained by their throats at his sides. As the blackened double doors open, his fanged grin grew wider, his loyal guard slowly marching over to him. The tallest guard pony, bowing before Sombra, had his purple mane flutter across his shoulders while his smoky steel armor shimmered from the sun’s rays that seeped through the curtains.
The steed spoke in a shy voice, trying to sound neither hesitant nor nervous, “Your lordship, we must discuss today’s agenda for the subjects.” He made sure to lock eyes with his sovereign.
The king rose and walked down to his adviser. He had spent much of the morning contemplating plans for expanding his empire, but, as always, decisions for the ponies whom he controlled body and soul had to take place. Walking outside, the king gazed at the rows of deep red pillars towering alongside him. He let his mind wander for a moment.
His reign had brought ruins and flames of disharmony when he rose to power years ago, with the might of his bare hooves matching the abilities of his magic to divide former adversaries. He thought about how he had easily pit supervisors against each other, allowing himself to take middle grounds before climbing the administrative ladder. One engineered crisis after another had allowed him to accrue more and more authority over ponies’ personal lives, promising to restore growth and prosperity through more centralized controls.
As they trotted, Sombra listening to the slight echo of the hoof steps he and his adviser both made, he recalled how the rapid expansion and exploitation had eventually left the land barren and weak. Yet his resolve, along with that of his subjects, could hardly have risen higher, with the empire set to grow into new, barbarian lands led by overly sentimental leaders.
“Destiny,” he remarked to his adviser in a low, gruff voice, “one must understand that strength makes morale... strength determines one’s destiny, Autumn Ages.”
“Yes, of course. First, my ruler,” Autumn replied, steering back to his important questions as he noted the tone of sheer ruthlessness almost dripping from his master’s words, “we must determine the food quotas, the new administrative distribution. The lower ministries expect a decree.”
Those emerald eyes blinked through the swinging winds, his rage ever growing as he compelled his thoughts. He flashed back to his life as a young colt seeing those pathetic, decadent ponies of the chattering classes that had guzzled down nutrition-bereft sweets and snacks while the just, strong ponies of the military such as himself had went by with little. The emotionally weak, economically useless had begged for mercy when his steady hooves had finally gotten to them.
“As usual, one must exercise things with the utmost efficiency, which obviously involves making sure the right kind of ponies get the right kind of proportions,” he replied, raising a front hoof for emphasis, “give my pitiful subjects the bare minimum of survival. Nothing more, nothing less...” He stiffened his facial expressions as he narrowed his eyes. “Those work-shy individuals who have resisted me, well, I only need them to stay alive for the mining and building procedures. Other than that, the regressive ones needn’t be fed anything other than what’s essential.”
Autumn bowed his head, setting pen to paper shakily while he jotted down the dreaded orders with teeth biting into his bottom lip. “And, sire, what about land expansion?” Autumn saw his master’s face light up at the mention of his favorite subject. “I understand that the advance team has confirmed their expectations, or so the latest cable read, with a large quantity of assorted crystals, gems, and far more lying below the forests above the northern boundaries.” He magically lifted a grey scroll from his saddlebag.
“Excellent,” Sombra murmured, savoring the words as he would a delicious dinner, “have a squad of the most expendable ponies march out at once, build barricades, and secure the next cell of that sector. Make sure and work them till they drop.” He closed his eyes for a moment, imagining the new treasures almost in his grasp. “Anypony who finds anything worth value may live.”
The final note left Autumn almost ready to question his ruler’s sanity. “Uh,” he muttered, pausing with a gulp in fear of his master's ability to burst into sudden rage, “there are... some slaves who… are attempting to break their chains and..” He shut his eyes and he forced out the last two final words, “possibly escape.”
The king responded in silence, yet a smile began to creep over his silhouette face. Autumn slid his eyes back open, sucking in a low breath. The king nodded for him to go on and ordered, "Continue..."
“It would seem that your spell on them is… wearing off,” the adviser commented. “Memories of their past status, which happened to be high class, have returned amongst some of the strongest minded. What would you do, my lord?”
The king drank in the torrent of thoughts. Imaginings of cruel punishment raced in circles around his mind. Yet, in the end, the most suitable resolution to him would prove simple to carry out. His molten horn flared with black and red sparks. For a moment, everything in the whole world came to a steady, unfortunate halt. Autumn could barely even breathe. Time slowed down to the adviser, and once the demonic light dissipated, the vindictive ruler gazed at Autumn.
“If these ponies believe they are allowed to escape, they have another thing coming, my young associate,” he replied, voice building up dramatically as he marched forwards, “thus... death...” He let the fateful word drip off his lips like oozing poison onto the cold, hard ground. “It shall be the only treatment. Hell will seem like heaven once I’m finished with them!”
“Sir,” the adviser began, knowing that his ruler had received an affront to his pet project that might as well have been a stab to the chest, “what... if...”
“Unfortunately, time is wasted when I try to... well, you know,” the king went on, stepping far ahead of his adviser as he saw the sunlight through the opposing clear glass doors, “enjoy blissful pleasures like bringing justice to those who defy me. Spending so much effort on them and...” He paused, cocking his head to the side and finishing his thought. “I simply have decided to end them. It’s the most efficient thing to do, after all. It’s their lives versus my plans to ensure the expansion of my kingdom. Execution for every last mare, stallion and foal who dares defy me. How dare they be so selfish?”
The stallion bowed with anger that he refused to show, his teeth clenching within his plain facial expression. He knew not to cross the ruler. That may have turned from being out of respect to out of fear as Sombra’s reign had expanded. Yet, the day continued on as the king left his adviser merely standing alone in the corridor.
“There, problem solved,” the ruler remarked, heading off into the sunlight, “Oh, Autumn, you should oversee it yourself.” He gave a look back, eyes flashing in a way that conveyed strength yet more than a touch of insanity. “Those that resist destiny... they resist life itself. Is this understood?” Sombra didn’t have to wait for a response as he ventured to the summit of his castle, a stone’s throw away.
High above the land, winds and gusts roared with deafening force, blowing the king’s terrifyingly majestic mane all over his shoulders. The menacing unicorn gazed at his world, frowning at how little he actually had even with his highest goals fulfilled. Despite achieving victory against the inferiors of his world, allowing for total equality and total efficiency under the management of his obviously superior mind, he remained plagued by one issue he simply could not control: the land. Having stripped things bare, unleashing resources to the most deserving, he had discovered far less than destiny should have allotted him.
While his mind’s wheels turned, the king stepped forward and went before the gigantic ledge, his hooves digging into the cold steel that made the structure thick and unbreakable, even by magic. His empire deserved far more. He seemed to burn his senses with that fact.
Somewhere above the almost endless forests to the north sat the land of Equestria. To him, the land seemed lost to an insipid, pleasure-filled near anarchy. He pictured a place where superior unicorns of talent and ability drank themselves silly in momentary frivolities and allowed work-shy pegasi to suck up resources from the truly able. It sickened him. Those Equestrian fools had such potential if only they would recognize destiny and serve him.
Safe in his dread fortress, surrounded by personal guards, and having subjects mentally brainwashed by his powers, didn’t feel like anything even close to enough. Despite it all, thoughts of the foreign lands occupied Sombra’s mind. Those two alicorns had taken over his dreams, and so he felt he had no choice.
Meanwhile, in Canterlot, Princesses Celestia and Luna contemplated their objectives. King Sombra had made many attempts at spreading his magical influence into their major cities, but so far, he had only managed to worm his cronies into one. Still, as the latest report before their conference room desk read, ponies seeking trade influence and sheer wealth from Sombra’s empire held significant sway in the border area.
“Surely,” Luna commented, looking up at her sister, “we could simply be falling into the trap of overstating the dangers. What’s so wrong about a few agreements here, some immigration routes there, and then-”
“We have to feel concerned,” Celestia interrupted, a rarity in and of itself as she walked over and stood above her younger sister, “and it’s not just that the border region cities could prove the most important in the future, with the natural riches in those mountains...” She gestured upon the gigantic map before the alicorns. “Luna, please, we have to worry about the lives of all those poor citizens that have poisonous magic cross the border seeping into the very air they breathe!”
Luna had hardly seen her sister look so animated, motherly concerns burning into Celestia’s face as they both stood still. Finally, Luna went on, “But we both know that our prime minister and his closest advisers have run all the numbers. They’ve checked everything. Sombra’s empire appears like a gigantic castle made of cards ready to collapse. They have nothing much to rely on, with their own forests chopped down into wastelands and everything else... I just...” She trailed off as she saw Celestia only looking more animated.
“Lives could be at stake,” the white alicorn insisted, leaning over even closer as she ran her right hoof along the massive map. Luna gave an understanding look, hardly having any sympathy for the unicorn tyrant either. “Have you not heard the rumors of Sombra’s latest move, at the very least?”
“There’s nothing that sinister about leading a prison gang of ponies from one mountain to another,” Luna replied, taking a measured tone as her own mind swelled up with contradictory thoughts, “especially since the last report from the diplomatic mission said-”
With a bright flash, both alicorns froze. A gigantic box, tattered and splattered with all manner of dust and grime, magically materialized right on top of the conference table. Celestia immediately stepped forwards, clutching a bunch of ripped up scrolls from inside the box. Luna merely waited with her mouth slightly open.
“Is it,” she started to ask, but she stopped as she realized that she saw dried splotches of what looked like blood coating the bottom of the box. Luna trembled as her sister silently read from the scrolls. “Oh, my... this is from...”
“What’s left of the mission,” Celestia flatly declared, standing up tall as her mane and tail flashed up with magical power.
“Then, it was war,” Luna commented, lining up right beside her sister as she took in a deep breath.
“No, it was a slaughter,” the other alicorn replied, her eyes closing. Luna realized in just a moment that her sister had to fight back tears. “The king’s forces executed the gang. The mission took the wrong turn on the wrong road. And they happened to be next on the firing squad, not before making the fateful discovery.”
Nopony needed to say another word. King Sombra had become a major threat. All the lives he’d corrupted appeared set to blow up. Every last being in the world knew his name. The final decision for the two alicorns came naturally; they resolved to put an end to King Sombra before things spun out of hoof. Luna vowed to gather the Elements of Harmony while the other alicorn left with haste to inform the rest of the staff.
Telling her subjects to stay indoors, Celestia made sure that they knew to remain vigilant in case they failed at their mission. She doubted they would, much as she felt possessed with righteous rage. Meeting up with Luna, she prepared the Elements of Harmony for what she hoped would be the first and final battle.
King Sombra stood, beaming at his domain as he heard the news from his humble adviser. His shadowy aura escaped his eyes as he gushed to nopony in particular, reminding himself of who he was and what he had finally become. He wondered if he should indulge himself in a monologue, seeing no creature to listen but the birds. He grinned as he decided he just couldn’t help himself.
“This is my empire. Other cities shall bow before me, or else my forces shall burn them to ashes. The mountains will bend to my will or they shall crumble,” he called out, feeling his magic building, “I have nothing to fear. I have nothing that can stop me. This is now my world! All of the ponies will do as I say, or they will die by my will!”
He stood proud, looking through the red circle of clouds that entangled the sky swirling directly above him. He glanced for a moment towards the storm and gazed into its eye, thunder and lightning encircling through the ominous formation. He squinted and peered past the haze and saw two petite moving dots in the far distance.
The king continued with little regard for the fast approaching princesses, “I decree the future! It will be as I foresee or it will disappear! I have seen what must be done, and nothing will stand in my way. I, King Sombra, will be greater and will be stronger. No matter what sacrifices I must make, I know that this is my empire, and I will see it vanish before I see it surrendered.”
Unmoved by the approach, Sombra relished in his own confidence, feeling almost overwhelmed at the future victory that he knew had to come. Those insipid Equestrians would attempt to take back his land, determined otherwise to die trying. He wanted to grant their wish so badly.
He closed his eyes as he used a portion of his magical aptitude to place a curse upon the expansive empire before him. He forced his slight breathing down just as the alicorns’ features became more visible through the hazy fog. If he faced defeat by the two princesses, the city would instantaneously vanish into thin air. All the ponies would forget it ever existed, allowing him the ability to rise again. Only Princesses Celestia and Luna would remember the incident, though coming to them in fragments. Their incredible power allowed them this advantage.
However, the memory of any other mortal pony would be obliterated with harsh force. Sombra’s insurance policy seemed like a waste of time, with victory assured, yet he felt compelled somehow. He built his magic back up as he saw the alicorns land upon the highest point in all of the Crystal Empire.
Celestia looked at her foe, as did her sister, Luna. The three stared at each other for several long and painful minutes. Everything around the alicorns brought an insecure feeling deep inside their hearts. To see, hear, touch, and feel all the lives that had been ruined, the sheer disharmony and ruthless tyranny existing under Sombra’s reign, had brought the two sisters to the point of extreme anger. Flying over the kingdom to scoping out the weaknesses of their enemy, the princesses found that the ruler almost had none to notice. Yet the sickening sensations of Sombra’s magic, calling to the alicorns in almost a sensual cooing to merely submit to him and live in a hazy, submissive stupor, steeled their resolve.
The king smiled and chuckled, “Come to try and earn this land back? Failure is your destiny… that goes for both of you alicorns! This empire is mine, and I’m not giving it up for you… not for love, kindness, generosity, friendship... none of that!”
“Sombra,” Celestia begged, hoping to talk some sense into his corrupt mind. She still seemed to sense some kind of rationality in his vindictive mind, some need in his subconscious to right the wrongs done to him in the distant past.
“That’s King Sombra, to you… your highness!” Sombra laid down the sarcasm thick with the last word, flicking his ears back as he cocked his head.
“King Sombra,” Celestia said, putting on the same measured tone that she would use with an angry yet emotionally fragile student, “you must understand that hatred and darkness only consume the heart, eating away at it. You feel that you have no reason to live except to expand, to seize even more. It will not bring you peace. Your hate just leaves your soul there to shrivel away and die.” The grin of the king only made her put even more concern into her voice. “I’ve seen it happen with Discord. So, please, understand me when I plead you to stop this at once. You have committed one crime too many. We won’t hesitate to strike you down! But we do not wish to if we do not have to...”
The king’s laughter rose greater, mocking the two where they stood. Finally finished, he cleared his throat and explained, “Harmony is of little importance to me… if you want my reign of terror to end, then you’ll have to do it with force.”
For the longest minute of all three being’s lives, they stood, trying to call each other’s bluff. Sombra kept his place, wind whipping his mane and coat ferociously. Celestia felt slight fear of what could develop. She’d hope to never use the Elements of Harmony upon another being again unless absolutely necessary, but, in a situation like she faced on that fateful day, she had no such choice.
With a line of their magic, the two princesses summoned their weapon. Celestia used a golden sword made of ultimate energy, using pure magic. Luna wielded a double-tipped lance, blue lights coursing along the spiteful sides. King Sombra rolled his eyes. Instead of summoning a weapon, he just raised his hoof and beckoned them to begin the battle.
Luna nudged forward, but she was stopped by her sister’s hoof. Celestia charged forward, speeding closer to her target as she swung a mighty thrust towards him. The king deflected it, sending it to the right with a dark streak of evil magic from a mere move of his hoof. His phenomenal powers continued to disperse small but precise lines of shielding that denied the princess any chance at harming his body.
Soon, Luna jumped in. Her lance swung and cut the air around the king, but she never came close to the lord of darkness. Sweat formed on the two alicorns’ heads as all their blows came to nothing. The unicorn didn't fight back; he merely wanted to play with them, toying with their abilities. His chuckles, heard even through the loud strikes, taunted and annoyed the two immensely. It served as a mere warm up to him, a sparring practice.
“Getting worn out before this fight has even begun, I see,” he casually remarked, brushing some dust off of his mane.
Celestia shot back, “You won’t win! Harmony will prevail!”
“Shut it, lowly being!”
His horn glowed and created a widespread burst of his red and black aura, destroying the sister’s weapons and pushing the two off into the air. Simultaneously, they caught themselves and floated in the sky with difficulty, thanks to the strong gusts of wind. Both alicorns shot down to the structure, thoroughly displeased with the outcome. King Sombra stood tall. As for the alicorns, they huffed and puffed from extreme exhaustion. Nothing seemed to work. If they weren’t able to weaken him before using the elements, all hope was truly lost.
Celestia, having no other choice but to try her hardest to end it all, galloped at the threat with her horn extended. He laughed and used his power to flip her right over his head, sending her plummeting over the edge. Looking at the princess of the night, he trotted over, slowly and intimidatingly measuring each step.
“Well, well… things would seem that it’s just you and me now… what should I do?”
“Stay back!” Luna commanded. Her fear of his presence increasing with every trot he made. Without her sister to back her up, she was unsure about how she was to deal with this menace. Her horn flared in blue flames. She gulped and continued, “Take one last step... and I’ll obliterate you!”
He stopped, smiling, and used his mental persuasion techniques to vex her further, hopeful to bend her into yet another puppet.
“Who is ever awake during the day, your highness?” he casually asked. Luna ended the fireworks and gazed at him. She hadn’t asked herself this before, but now, slow, agonizing realizations emerged as he spoke. “Your sister receives all the attention. We both know this. She is blessed with the presence of ponies each day, all awake and at her hooves throwing their love at her freely… while, during the night, they merely sleep.”
“So... so...” Luna murmured, trying to force his slick words out of her mind.
“They never grant you the love you deserve. And, honestly, they never will. Why would they? Your sister will always be admired, while you will forever wish to be loved, but never will anypony truly care about you… you’re forever the junior partner with weaker authority, weaker power... nopony looks up to you... thinks about you... or truly loves you... not even your dear sister, Celestia.”
Luna was beginning to believe his lies. She found it hard to push the hateful thoughts away from her consciousness. His constant chanting of his negative words took over her mind. It became impossible for her to ignore him. Then, Celestia finally returned. She’d caught control of the winds moments before hitting the ground and returned to the tower. Celestia landed next to her sister, staring at the two, and she wondered if they’d been talking like old friends all this time. Luna’s face appeared locked in a dull, empty contemplation with an odd smile.
“What did you say to my sister, Sombra?!”
“King Sombra, you lousy alicorn! And I didn’t say a thing… Isn’t that right, Luna?”
The princess nodded her head while her eyes were hidden behind her flowing mane. The king laughed at the fact that she so easily accepted everything he had just told her for at least a moment, causing the young alicorn’s emotions to boil over unbeknownst to him. Celestia gulped and asked her sister if she was alright. The reply, however, was something that would bring King Sombra to a crushing end.
The princess of the night trotted forwards, looked at their enemy, swallowed her peaceful mindset away, and prepared to transform. Darkness from a blue, enchanting aura rose in a perfect circle around her frame. Sparkling shimmers rested in the air as her armor formed and rippled, twisting into a maniacal style. Her eyes closed and reopened to show blinding, white light incarcerating her vision, and in one last flash of anger, Nightmare Moon was summoned for this brief moment. She glared at the king with anger, her sheer animosity skyrocketing. Before King Sombra could usher a simple ‘what in Equestria’, she shot a devastatingly drastic lightning strike directly into his chestplate.
He fell, wounded and weakened. Luna returned to her former self, leaving her sister bewildered at what just occurred. Nevertheless, it was not the time to speculate on this subject. The incident gave them the perfect opportunity to end this tyrant’s rule. With the six Elements of Harmony spinning around the two alicorns, coming up from the edge of the tower, a mighty explosion of rainbow light blazed forth. The magical ray hammered into their foe and turned King Sombra to shadow, banishing him to the ice of the arctic north where he would wait, plotting his final vengeance.
The two floated on the summit of the tower, looking down upon the land. Suddenly, before their very eyes, the whole city and all its destroyed glory vanished. Landing on solid, green grass, the two understood all too well the sinister nature of the being's magic. They also expected that someday, he would return. Celestia wished she hadn’t needed to vanquish him for the time being, but she understood the price she had to pay, ensuring the safety of her world. Only a few months would pass, however, and Luna; the Sun Princess’ own little sister, would turn to darkness thanks to jealousy, and the lies of King Sombra.
