Celestia’s sun shone brightly over the Crystal Empire as a new age dawned, one free of Sombra’s tyranny. Just moments ago, the monstrous king had been destroyed by the radiant light of the Crystal Heart. Birds sang their joyous songs now that the threat of the shadow king had dissipated, and all seemed at peace.
The single disturbance of this peace was located in the Crystal Empire's extensive library. Two figures stood in the rows of books, each with brilliantly tinted gem-colored coats.
A purple mare, her crystalline coat sparkling, searched excitedly through the rows of books. Her mane was done up to look quite sophisticated compared to the average pony: a gentle blue band with two small purple crystal decorations on the side kept it from falling back into its usual state. On her flank resided a single pink star, hidden behind the refraction of the diamonds.
The building’s librarian smiled gently at the unicorn. "Twilight, please do help yourself to our selection of books. It's the least we can do after you and your friends saved us."
Twilight scanned the bookshelves, looking at the bindings of each and every book and occasionally pulling one out with her magic. Her expression was ecstatic, to say the least, and the the pile of books soon grew larger as she added to it. The sheer joy of the librarian letting her take a few of the books home with her was enough to help Twilight ignore her failure of Celestia’s test. Every few moments she would ‘ooh’ or ‘aah’ as a particularly interesting volume caught her eye.
After about half an hour of her book frenzy, the librarian left her to her to attend to other business. Twilight gave a large sigh as she stared back at the shelves of books, books she wanted oh so very badly. She began to trot back to her main pile of tomes and scrolls, when a small brown book caught her eye.
Unlike the rest of the books, it held no title or tag for organization. It was a very tan kind of brown, like the color of crisp hay fries. The texture was wrinkled and rough, and it smelled strange, like a mixture of tar, sweat and mold.
Luckily, Twilight got over the smell quickly enough to see the book was held shut by a piece of the cover. A purple glow encompassed the entire strap until it came undone. Gently, she released her magic from the entire book, laying it on the ground with a gentle thud. A light glow took hold of one of the pages and flipped it. Twilight scanned the text quickly, looking for anything of interest.
"Dear journal... finally acquired the throne... Soon, I will control them... signed..." She stared at the page harder, trying to figure out the signature.
"King Sombra!?!"
Twilight firmly shut the book and rebound the strap. Her heart thumped furiously, both excited and terrified at the prospect of finding such a huge well of information on the late king of the Crystal Empire.
"Calm down, Twilight. All you did was find the journal of the king who ruled a kingdom that almost nopony knows about. It's not a big deal..." A moment passed. "Who am I kidding!?! This is huge! This journal could tell me the secrets of how Sombra took over the Crystal Kingdom!"
The clip-clopping of hooves echoed into Twilight's ears. Quickly using her magic, she hid the journal under the large stack of books. She rose back to her hooves just as the librarian rounded the corner, smiling warmly.
"There you are, Twilight. I have been searching all over for you." She glanced at the stack of books with a raised eyebrow. "My word, you have been busy. Anyway, I came to tell you that your friend Applejack dropped by about a minute ago to remind you that you and your friends are leaving for the train in twenty minutes."
Twilight walked over to the stack of books and placed her sack beside it. "Alright, just give me a moment to use a shrinking spell so they all fit."
"Okay, Twilight." The librarian turned and began to trot off to the front of the library.
Twilight released a heavy sigh of relief. She took the leather book from the pile with her magic, placing it gently on the floor before turning her attention back to the larger pile. Shutting her eyes firmly, she focused on the image of the books shrinking to a minuscule size and felt the magic exit through her horn into the pile. After a moment or two, she felt the flow of magic halt, and opened her eyes. The great stack of books was reduced to the size of a quill. She took the pile of books in her magical grip and placed them in a side pocket of her bag.
She then turned her attention to the tanned journal of the former king. Her grip extended toward it and lifted the book off the floor with a glow of purple. Twilight opened the main pocket of her bag, gently placing the book inside of it and levitated it onto her back. Her mind raced with the possibilities and mysteries that the book could hold. She quickly navigated through the library to the front desk where the librarian waited for customers.
The pony looked up through her large glasses at Twilight. "You can keep those books as long as you want, Twilight, but do try to return them in the same condition."
"Don’t worry, I'll make sure to treat them as if they were my own." Twilight gave a friendly smile before exiting the grand library.
Twilight walked through the newly invigorated Crystal Empire. Crystal ponies wandered the streets, smiling and chatting. It was a stark contrast to earlier, when they had simply hid in their houses, filled with sorrow. The entire aura surrounding the empire was lighter than when Sombra had still been a threat.
Twilight met up with her friends at the outermost edges of the city. The crystal spell had worn off, and each of them had returned to their natural states. After a short greeting, they set out toward the train station.
The cold bit into Twilight as she exited the empire’s protective dome. She shivered slightly, but the thought of keeping the book safe and speculation about the price of her not following Celestia's orders perfectly managed to keep her occupied long enough to make the journey.
Twilight went straight to Celestia as soon as the train had arrived in Canterlot, the fears brought on by Sombra’s door filling her mind once more. What if she doesn’t want me to be her student because I wasn't the one who delivered the heart? These thoughts cycled through her mind like an audio track stuck on repeat. As she entered the Celestia’s chamber, her worries only rose.
Outside of the chamber, Twilight's friends all waited with hooves crossed for the fate of their friend. A few of the mares attempt to distract or calm themselves with activities. Pinkie hyperventilated into a large balloon that she had pulled from a nearby tree stump. Rainbow Dash lay supine casually on a cloud trying to calm her nerves. Each passing moment, their worries grew. After what seemed like eternity, the door swung open. Twilight triumphantly walked out of the room and shouted, with all her pride,
"I PASSED!"
It took her friends a few moments to process what she had said. Shocked faces spread across the group were quickly turned to joy and excitement. Before long, Rarity began to sing, followed quickly by the remainder of her friends. Each one praised her, saying she was prepared for the test. They continued to sing a wonderful song until they had reached the train home. By the end of the song, they were already on their way to a well deserved rest.
Later that night, Twilight lay resting by her fireplace, the tongues of flame breathing out heat towards her. She welcomed the warmth of the hearth, especially after all that had transpired that day. Spike had already gone to bed. The stress of nearly causing an empire to be once more under the control of an evil king had worn the little dragon out, and Twilight smiled as she watched his small form sleeping in his bed.
Twilight’s horn began to glow with a purple shine, slowly opening her bag and revealing the brown-bound book within. Twilight levitated the book closer, laid it in front of herself and sighed. She undid the binding once more, and flipped to the first page.
Journal entry #1
I have finally done it. I have acquired the throne! The pathetic mongrel that was the crystal queen has finally died! No longer must I act 'nice' for the incompetent staff for fear of her punishment. I am quite glad she is finally out of the way, as she was a bothersome hindrance in my plans for the new age. The crystals told me to 'remove' her from play sooner, but I knew that the peasants below would not trust me just yet. But now, after so many long and hard years of waiting and planning, I am now finally King of the Crystal Empire.
It is really a shame that I did not get to dispose of the fake queen personally, however. I would have loved to witness the blood drain from her veins first-hoof, but the assassin I hired says it was quite a sight. Well, he did before I 'removed' him from play as well. The insects need somepony to blame for the murder of their precious pony. The fact that they think of me as a hero who tried to save the queen but was too slow is just a bonus. It's almost as if the universe itself wants me to rule. No, not if... because it does want me to rule this deplorable kingdom.
My first order of business will be to remove the Heart. The crystals warn that it poses the biggest threat I face so far. The ponies will not trust me if I try to take it away now, after such a brief period of time since the death of their queen, so I will bide my time and pretend to be the king they think I am until I can get rid of the blasted thing.
Tomorrow, they will crown me king. Tomorrow, they will finally crown somepony truly worthy of the title as lord and master of this empire! In due time I will control the detestable bugs that I have been forced to live with for so many years!
I will end this entry here. I mustn't be late for my coronation, after all. The slaves will need to know their master for the day he gains ownership over them.
Signed,
The soon to be King Sombra.
Twilight turned away from the book, disgusted at the king’s actions. “He hired a pony to kill the queen, and then killed his own man so he would seem like a hero! How could somepony do such a thing? Why would he do such a thing?"
She re-scanned the page, hoping to find something she had missed that would make the king's deeds more acceptable, but was met with little success. Twilight released a heavy sigh. She grabbed the next page with her magic, and flipped it to reveal the next entry. Despite his evil deeds, her interest in the king was increasing with each word.
Journal Entry #2
It has been a month or so since my last update, and not much has happened. I had to attend several charity events and other assorted things like 'Hearth's Warming Eve'. All a waste of perfectly good time. At least this further motivates me to accomplish my goals. These idiotic ponies waste their lives with their friendship and harmony, yet little do they know I have found a better method for not only creating but also destroying.
My research during my reign so far has been quite successful, and my powers grow with each day. The crystals speak to me about the secrets, the amazing secrets of dark magic that the former Queen had so ignorantly refused. This only further proves my point that she was a weak, pathetic, old hag. Only the strong should lead, and by giving up the chance to have more power she chose to surrender her throne.
I continue studying the lessons of the crystals, particularly the aspect of imbuing objects with my essence and maintaining control over them. On a related note, new research into the chaos god Discord has brought up some interesting results. While searching through old tomes, I came across the very same spell he used back in the old times to control ponies. I believe the era-appropriate term was 'Discording', but with some small modifications I can make the spell stronger than his! Stronger than a so called god!
Once fully prepared, I shall execute my plan. Within a second when my true rule begins, I shall give the worms below me some purpose rather than letting them while away their useless lives in ‘friendship’ and ‘harmony’.
On the bright side, however, the mongrels do know how a king should dress. Thanks to some minor color tweaking and the addition of some armour, I think I will permit the royal tailors to live a little longer.
Within a month, I will be unconquerable. When that time arrives the new age shall begin. The age of shadows. The age of King Sombra!
Signed,
King Sombra.
Twilight couldn’t believe what she had read. The utter disgust Sombra had shown toward all around himself had left her in disbelief.
How could a ruler of an entire country show such hatred for his subjects?
The more she thought of Sombra's distaste for his own subjects, the more it confused her, no matter how she looked at it. The king or queen is meant to care for his or her subjects, but Sombra was exactly the opposite, Twilight thought. She turned the page once more, hoping to find some answers.
Journal Entry #3
Finally, after so much waiting and pretending, I can shed this idiotic disguise! I convinced the ponies that the crystal heart was broken, and that I would mend it for them! Can you believe it? Those incompetent buffoons fell for my trick! No longer does the Crystal Heart halt my shadows! No longer does it purge my darkness!
But I am getting ahead of myself. Tomorrow, I will tell the mongrels who their leader is. They might try and revolt against me, but it is far too late. Even as I write, my darkness is digging its way into every crystal in the empire!
Within moments of when I activate the first perfected stone, it will set off the next one, creating a beautiful chain reaction. Once I have broken the will of the ponies with my shadows, it will be a simple matter of exerting my spell upon their weak, fragile minds. Then I will begin the expansion that the old queen refused to do, hiding behind the claim that the alicorn sisters would not like it. Hah! The alicorn sisters are weaker than the queen! Their minds would be simple to warp with my improved version of Discord’s spell, which I have aptly named 'Shadow Sorrow'. Rather than flipping the personalities of the ponies, I simply amplify their inner sorrow. The more sorrow they experience from my rule, the stronger the spell. If Discord was so easily been defeated by the alicorns, then he was not worthy of the title king either. Only I am strong enough for the title. That is why the crystals chose me, and that is why none shall get in my way!
It is getting late, and even a king must rest. Tomorrow I will finally take control of the kingdom, as I was meant too. I will not need to hide behind charades of 'kindness' or 'generosity'. The new age can finally begin, and this age will last for all eternity!
Signed,
King Sombra
Twilight shook herself away from the book, trying to gather her thoughts. The ideas that the king had about magic were perverse, but fascinating. Altering a spell from its original purpose, or changing its target... it was definitely an interesting concept. The thought of what she could do with the knowledge filled her mind.
"There are so many possibilities I hadn't considered," she said, smiling gently at the prospect of new experiments to conduct. “And the whole idea of dark magic is extremely interesting. I mean, I did it at the castle, but I can’t wait to see how I can use it now! Hmm. Maybe I should tell Celestia about it before I try. It might be dangerous, and she could give me additional information...”
Possibilities of how to harness the dark magic filled Twilight’s thoughts. "Dark magic is just magic right? The only difference is that the amount of things you can accomplish with it are much more abundant than regular magics. With that kind of magic you could build houses in a matter of minutes, create food for the hungry and solve nearly any problem conventional magic can't. The amount of advantages far exceed the disadvantages, why would Celestia hold back this kind of information? She could solve so many problems with a flick of her tail if she only showed dark magic to Equestria."
Thoughts raced through her mind of many more ideas and concepts that dark magic could easily bring to the world of magic. "Why would you withhold information on something so harmless? The study of necromancy was legalized only a few years ago and look at the results that it has shown. Increased life spans, greater understanding of pony anatomy and several medical advancements!"
The thoughts continued to swell within the mind of the little unicorn but in mere moments the dark truth seeped in. Thought of the wonder and beauty that could be created were halted by the images of what dark magic had destroyed in her previous encounters. Each one of the king's spells had caused untold amounts of misery and suffering within his own kingdom. A jet of cold crawled down her spine at the thought. She returned her attention to the other page of the book, trying to block out the dark thoughts.
Journal Entry #4
My plan went even better than expected. I gathered each and every one of the pathetic mongrels that live in my kingdom, and it worked perfectly. I only wish I could turn back time to that moment, to see it replay once more.
Time itself almost seemed to stop when I activated the first crystal. I loved how the black consumed the light of each crystal, then proceeded to the next one. It was a work of art.
Of course the ponies tried to run, saying I had gone completely mad. They are fools. This is the exactly why I must control them. They have not the slightest idea of true brilliance and power.
The crystals kept my subjects from leaving. They are a beautiful creation, made to do my bidding, just as these ponies will in time. I made sure that the crystals captured the few who tried to leave and forced the others back into their homes. They will learn, in time, that all I want is what is best for the kingdom and that they, in essence, are merely my pawns to play with as I see fit.
Today has truly gone beyond my expectations. The crystals tell me I have 5 captives for my next project. This one will be much more fun, mainly because of the how ‘hooves-on’ it allows me to be. I will finally be able to test my ability to imbue living creatures with my essence and control on life-sized ponies, rather than the rats and mice I had been forced to use. Today, the age of shadows begins, and tomorrow my subjects will bask in its glorious darkness.
Signed,
King Sombra.
Twilight turned the page, both worried and somewhat excited for what would happen next. The king was very intelligent from what she could gather, but his utter cruelty was almost making Twilight rethink reading the book in the first place.
Stronger than a god? she thought. Even Celestia isn’t stronger than a god, she showed that pretty clearly in the changeling invasion. She needed us to beat the changelings, and the elements to beat her little sister. Such possibilities from becoming a creature so evil, so, cruel... so powerful. That single word echoed in her mind for a moment, but a second later, her attention snapped back to reality and away from the thought. She stared down onto the page, now curious as to the secret of Sombra’s power.
Journal Entry #5
My demonstration went exceedingly well. First, I brought the citizens to the center of the city, I lined up each one of the captives up, so that they all could see what was about to happen. Some of them screamed at me, shouting nonsense like, “What happened to me?” and “Please, remember the good times!” It was quite funny, really, watching them try and turn me back to what they called good.
If I had stopped the event then, it would have been far too disappointing. So much information about bio-magic and crystals would have never been discovered. Besides, none of them stepped up to fight me further, solidifying my position as the most worthy to lead.
I started with a mare. I had seen her around the city at a few of the charity events, and I was certain she would make a good test subject. At that moment, I knew what I was about to do would be both demonstrative and fun.
I moved up to her and performed my spell, sending several spikes infused with a sliver of my essence into her body. I made sure they were far enough for maximum effectiveness, but not far enough to make her pass out. After all, we can't have a subject sleeping on the job, can we?
What happened next could only be described as magical.
The shards entered her bloodstream quickly and began to spread and grow. It started with screams as her skin bulged out. Then came her rebirth. The gems came to bear, breaking free of her mortal body, rebuilding her so that she would be the perfect soldier.
I filled the crystals with my shadows, turning them all black as the most perfect midnight imaginable. They morphed and rippled, changing the mare into the being of my dreams. I had done it. I had fused crystals with ponies at a level of symbiosis!
I named my creation 'Crystal Knight', and it was perfect. It followed my orders to the letter. The filthy peasants screamed when the transformation was complete. This only made me more excited to test on the other four.
My second test subject was not as successful as the first. It seemed he was too weak for me. The crystals rejected him, deciding to simply crush his organs when they expanded. Such rapid expansion lead to the pony being ripped into two by the enormous crystal that had formed inside his stomach.
They screamed at me, calling me a monster. The filthy peasants should feel nothing but awe for somepony who would elevate their family or friends to reach the perfection that is the Crystal Knights, a perfection far surpassing their own weak and pathetic origins.
A total of 3 out of the 5 captives survived long enough to evolve into a Crystal Knight. The other two were split in half. I will work on improving the speed of the corruption later. Besides, with such a public success of my experiments, I am sure the insects now understand what I was trying to get across. They now know how hopeless it is to try and resist me. They know what their fate will be, and they should feel lucky that I gave them the mercy of allowing them to live and bask in my shadow. Such an honor is far beyond what worms deserve, but I am a benevolent king.
Signed,
King Sombra.
Twilight dry heaved, her mouth open and gasping from the grotesque writing. The way the words were written, it was clear Sombra had enjoyed the experience. On the bottom of the journal entry were notes going into further detail about the Crystal Knights, including how to create one. Besides that, there was also a great deal about bio-magic, crystal magic and various combinations of the two. Despite her revulsion, Twilight was awed by the sheer amount of knowledge on a single page of the journal. So many possibilities that Sombra had uncovered filled every corner of her mind.
"This is incredible! With this we could make prosthetic limbs from crystal. This single page of research could help magic and science advance so far..." she murmured, before looking down at the page, suddenly sorrowful "But what price did he pay to get that knowledge?"
She stared down at the page, discomfort etched in her face. The more she contemplated the king's experiments, the more she was sickened. However thoughts of the amazing possible medical uses forced the more evil thoughts from her mind...
"These 'Crystal Knights' are interesting however... I mean turning a organic creature into a crystal hybrid is genius. We would have increased strength, disease immunity... so many benefits for so little relative cost. Why hasn’t Celestia looked into these kind of things? I mean, obviously the means he achieved them were wrong, but there might have been another way! It’s stupid not to look into such a wonder.” Her mind went off, running through on a tangent of questions about why Celestia had never tried to help her ponies like the journal described.
Twilight levitated a small paper slip, bookmarking the page with the Crystal Knight notes. Releasing another sigh, she returned to the book. She began to cycle through the pages of the book, stopping on a page of notes near the middle label "Studies on fear and its uses in magic." Twilight laid the book back on the ground, scanning the journal entry before reading the notes.
Journal Entry 199#
Today has been quite eventful. My army of Knights and the few ponies who wish to serve me willingly located and dismantled a poorly hidden rebel base. It was quite lovely to watch from the spire, the rebel mongrels grovelling for my mercy, while others simply shouted vulgarities. Nevertheless my army has swelled by 30 Crystal Knights. I'm keeping a few of the rebels locked away in the dungeon for future experiments. They might even be the first of a new species!
Besides the recent success against my pathetic opposition, I have made substantial progress in fear magic. The pony who was once my court jester was possibly the best candidate for the job. I had watched the fool steal food and water from the castle kitchen for months. When I first learned of it, I was tempted to simply eliminate him there, but that wouldn't have been much fun. Instead, I waited and discovered that he was giving the food to his family! Needless to say, I was outraged at blatant transgression against me. There is a strict food supply routine. Those who work, get what they have earned. Those who are too young or are unable to work get the basics for survival. It is a simple regimen, one that is easy to follow. Even for mongrels. Well, I allowed this to go on for quite some time, until I thought of using the jester as a test subject for my research into fear and despair.
I called in the jester into my throne room and demanded he make me laugh. It was so much fun, watching the jester humiliate himself in attempts to amuse me. Of course, I had seen it all before, even his ‘act’ of hurting himself. After he finished, gasping for air, he pleaded for me to not kill him. I told him that there was another way he could entertain me. His expression of fear and sorrow when he saw his family come in absolutely priceless.
I took the moment to cast the spell I had been working on for the past week, and he produced amazing results. He was screaming, crying and begging as the spell took effect. His family looked on, utterly shocked.
I eventually released the spell from the fool. The look he and his family shared after was touching... and it sickened me to no end. I stepped down from my throne, intent on removing the pathetic scene from my court once and for all. I summoned a grant pillar of dark crystal, impaling the jester. He lived for a few seconds longer, attempting to sputter out some words to his family. He died shortly after that, the sobbing from his family rapidly became annoy to me. I ordered that children to be put to work, and the mother moved up into the Crystal Hunter research project.
I will now begin researching how to apply this spell in other scenarios for more effective use. The empire is expanding faster than I expected. In time, all the world will bask in my glorious shadow.
Signed,
King Sombra
The notes on the bottom listed the casting and usage of several fear spells and enchantments. Twilight was not concerned with the notes. With a simple glance, they somehow already felt as if they were second nature to her. She focused on the actions that the king had described in this journal entry.
"He killed the jester even after he passed the experiment... He killed him because of his joy at seeing his family." Twilight gagged a little, imagining the scene in her mind. “He was a thief though... It’s still wrong to steal, even to feed your family. Sombra must have had a delicate system of rationing that couldn’t take the strain of extra food being given to the weak, those who couldn’t help themselves... And he made the foals work to even out the system.”
With these new thoughts in her mind, Twilight returned to the book. She flipped through the pages of the journal, searching for something that might have explained the king's reasoning. Pages flew by in her search, until she reach a single entry near the end of the journal. Scanning it, she noticed a single page that mentioned Sombra’s parents. She laid the book onto the ground and began to read.
Journal Entry #329
The expansion of my empire is proceeding flawlessly. The increased patrols and scouts sent from Equestria are easily disposed of by the Crystal Knights. If all continues at this pace, the Crystal Empire shall begin it’s march to sister's capital of Canterlot within months. I’ll rid the world of all its weak leaders, spreading my empire ever further. I'll make sure to set up some fortifications are the current borders, in case the sisters attempt to send their minuscule army.
In news unrelated to my success against the alicorn sisters, I was also recently visited by my parents.
It is rather sad how low I was born into this world. I have given my parents a mercy that my other subjects shall never know, because they give the Crystal Empire its greatest gift: Me.
My brother did not receive my mercy, however. He was incredibly pretentious, always gloating about his sporting achievements. However, in retrospect, I suppose should have thanked him. Had he not constantly been the center of attention, I would have never discovered the dark crystals, and had I not met them, I would never have had the magic to conquer the entire kingdom, But I digress.
My parents had come to visit, though I can’t remember the original reason. I greeted them, and they greeted me back, just how it would have before the age of shadows. A courtesy, one that I do not give out freely. I learned that my brother had died in the mines. At least he perished usefully, rather than simply lazing around and not truly aiding our empire. My empire.
It seemed my father did not agree with my thoughts on my brother's death. I showed him mercy in the form of merely giving him a warning. Had he simply backed away from his comment about me being a tyrant rather than a king, he would still be living his comfortable life. Now, he can spend the remaining days of his life in the dungeon. Mother was luckier, however. She has the chance to evolve into a being of a higher level than even the Crystal Knights.
Tomorrow I will aid in the her glorious evolution. She is lucky. There are so many meant to go before her, but she, at least, deserves to be first.
Signed,
King Sombra
Twilight was completely appalled by the entry. She couldn't believe how the king had treated his subjects, especially compared to Celestia. She had known he had no remorse for them, but she had thought at least his family would be different. But no. He had showed them the same cruelty. She couldn't imagine showing such little care for her brother, let alone her parents.
“How powerful must a being be, to kill its own family like bugs that they are...” The phrase slipped Twilight’s mouth unbidden, making her start slightly as she realized what she had said.
The more she read about the monster that had been the Crystal King, the more her disgust grew. Yet almost like magic, it still managed to draw her in deeper into the journal. She took hold of the pages with her magic and turned them.
Journal Entry #330
Today my mother died from complications surrounding the Crystal Knight project. It's strange. I was almost certain that she would survive. After all, she did create me. I don't understand how she could be weak.
After I learned of her death, a strange feeling manifested itself in the pit of my stomach. I think I shall consult the crystals on what this sensation is, and whether it will be problematic enough to warrant action. For now I will end my journal entry here. Maybe it will simply fade away.
Signed,
King Sombra.
Twilight pulled herself away from the book. "I don't understand. Is this the same monster that I saw in the Crystal Empire? He seems... weak." Her tone sharpened on the word “weak”.
The thought of the king, who in all other entries was ruthless and cruel, showing any kind of regret simply stunned the unicorn. This only furthered Twilight’s curiosity, and she turned the page, eager to find out if there was perhaps a light in the shadow that was Sombra.
Journal Entry #331
I am now one step closer to the perfection that I deserve. The crystals told me the reason for the feeling I experienced. It was simply weakness leaving my body, bringing me much closer to the perfection that any ruler should have. I now realize that my family was simply a restraint on my full potential, but now that they are gone, I shall be held back no longer. I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner. I have decided that I will deal with my father personally rather than letting the usual ponies do it. After all, this is a family matter.
Besides my recent revelation, the only other event of note concerns those blasted alicorn sisters. It seems they are becoming wary of my expansion of the empire. I suppose it was bound to happen. The bugs always have objections to the giant crushing them. I'll send a few more Knights to the border to remove any threats, and perhaps acquire a few more test subjects along the way.
I shall end this journal here. I'm in such a good mood, I might just go visit the mongrels below. It would be the highlight of their pathetic existence.
Signed,
King Sombra.
Twilight couldn't believe what the king had written. Not only had he killed his own mother, but he said it brought him closer to perfection. She could understand that he might consider his family a weakness. It was a thought that crossed Twilight's mind frequently: how the villains she had faced could use her family against her.
“Pathetic... why do I leave vulnerability like that open? I mean, Discord did it, and he was just an... annoyance compared to the Crystal King.” She shook her head, disappointed with herself at her lack of action.
Deep in her heart, she felt a sort of resonance with the king. While it repulsed her in one way, in another it also increased her interest in the king even further. She flipped through the pages, finally stopping on the last entry.
Journal Entry #687
The alicorn sisters are closing in on my empire. First they sent an army, most likely to scout the border. They had considerable losses, for my creations were far too strong for the whelps of their kingdom. I was almost sure they would simply keep beating against the walls of my army until they had no ponies left to fight, but I was wrong.
The second attack was by the sisters themselves. Every single army on the border was destroyed. My creations, the Crystal Knights, obliterated by the sisters in practically an instant. They denied their transgressions, spouting their lies about Harmony. I know the truth about their Harmony. It is a broken concept, created by weak leaders in futile attempts to create order from chaos.
I know my shadows are stronger than their light. The crystals tell me that they are attempting to reverse my beautiful darkness. They may be able to destroy my armies, but even they are still insects compared to my power. There is one thing that worries me, however.
The Elements of Harmony are a far stronger weapon than I had first thought. Ironic, is it not, that a concept meant to promote peace is being used as a weapon?
I am not stupid enough to think that they don't have a chance to beat me, so in the event I am defeated, I have created several precautions.
If they attempt to trap me or imprison me, as they did with Discord, I have set up a massive crystal rune, hidden far beneath the ice and the city so they will not find it. Unfortunately, a rune that size requires a great deal of magic and time, more than I currently possess. I will not have enough time to power it fully, so I will have to simply wait a while. Perhaps ten years, perhaps a thousand. I do not know how long the process will take, but I refuse to be trapped like a fly in amber like that pathetic Discord creature.
The crystal heart is the second thing I have dealt with. While I do enjoy having it as a trophy in my throne room, it has become a hazard. I have taken the heart and hidden it behind countermeasures created by years of research and experimentation. Down a stairway hidden ingeniously somewhere within the kingdom. I dare not to tempt fate and write down it’s location for those preying eyes gazing upon my journal in the future. If they manage to find my stairwell I have placed a door imbued with my power. Once more I will avoid speaking about what the door does and which door it may be in case of curious ponies. My final trap involves my research in crystal magic. I will make sure no ponies to who defeat my challenges will escape with the heart. Alive or dead...
But a king without his kingdom is not a true king. Accordingly, I have placed a curse over the crystal ponies and the empire itself. If I am to be defeated, my curse will be activated, sending the entire empire into a shadowy realm of my own creation. The realm is the product of years of research and studies, and it will preserve my spell over the peasants. After all, the crystal slaves must know who is their master is.
My final precaution, in the unlikely case all the others fail and I am destroyed, is a work of many years: a bio magic infection. It is similar to my Crystal Knight transformation, overloading the one infected with it and converting them, but unlike the Crystal Knights, it will keep the mind intact. The mind of the pony or creature infected with this will retain all their memories. I will infuse my essence in the Crystal Heart, which will then enter the subject. That subject will be overtaken, allowing me to be reborn in a new body. After all, if a pony is capable of bypassing my trials and traps, then they are truly worthy to house me in all my glory.
The most perfect part is, I will retain all of their memories even after I am reborn. This will allow me to keep up an charade in front of their friends, just as I did when the Queen was in charge. The crystal virus will be injected when a pony is trapped in the crystal prison in the heart room. It is a foalproof plan.
I must end this journal now. They are coming, I can feel them. I will use my Shadow Sorrow on the lunar princess as a final effort. My spies in Canterlot tell me she is jealous of her sister and with luck, my spell will turn her against Celestia. For now, I end this journal. I will write once more when I am capable, but until then, I shall hide this book away in the Crystal Library.
If the one I have chosen to succeed me is reading this, I thank you. I still live because of your sacrifice, and you shall have the privilege of experiencing my glorious rise to power first-hoof. Thank you, and goodbye.
Signed,
King Sombra
Twilight sighed heavily, shutting the book and closing her eyes in concentration. A second later, ever so slightly, she chuckled. The sinister laugh grew and grew, until she was unable to contain it any longer.
Suddenly, the laughter ceased, and Twilight opened her eyes. Burning a bright green and red in the room’s crystal mirror.
"Now, the age of shadows shall resume once more,” she coldly said, her voice intermingling with another one much lower. “The age of darkness. The age of crystals.”
“The age of Sombra!"
