Corruption

The shadows gathered as King Sombra approached Trixie, licking his viperish tongue.

"You have done well, my pretty slaveeee..."

"Wha-what? What are you tal...who are you?" Trixie cried.

"SILENCE! Stop quivering you pathetic creature!" the roar of Sombra was so intense that all the darkness around trembled. "I am the rightful owner of the Crystal Kingdom. I am the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria! I am King Sombra and I will have my recover my kingdom!"

Trixie remained still, too terrified to say anything while Sombra took the opportunity to walk around and explain the situation to her.

"My physical form has been destroyed but I managed to hold enough of my essence inside my horn. But I still needed another unicorn to find it and allowed me to use his magical energies to resto...are you even listening? What are you doing?!"

What Trixie was doing was realizing she was still wearing the amulet in the real world so she was pulling trying to take it off. SHe eventually succeeded, waking up back on her bed. She threw the amulet away, promising to never wear it again.

*****

....I can wait. I waited a thousand years for my revenge. I can wait.

*****

Vanished,

Forbidden.

Rejected.

Trixie looked at the fliers with her image scattered across Canterlot and felt her heart break. She was no longer ignored, that was for sure; but the price was that now she was considered a criminal. All the unicorns around her whispered and looked the other way.

"You! Hold it right there!"

Trixie saw the royal guards coming after her and resorted to one of her old tricks to escape. Her smoke curtain was still too short but luckily she had the chance to escape back to her van.

Back in the safety of her van, Trixie realized she had literally nopony to turn to. Half of Equestria labeled her a criminal and the other half won´t help her. She noticed how quiet it was inside her tiny van. It was the deafening sound of loneliness.

She heard another sound then, a small cackling sound, almost like laughter. It was coming from the bright necklace that lied on the ground. She picked it up, its red light seemed almost like a mocking laugh. Furious she put it on...

****

Again Trixie found herself surrounded by darkness and thick smoke and its center it was the armor cladded King Sombra. Curiously, his semblance wasn´t one of anger, he seemed more disappointed, like a teacher waiting for his student to admit her failures.

Trixie put on a brave face and walked in front of the stallion.

"I have returned..." she announced.

It seemed almost like Sombra was resisting the urge to say "duh."

"I understand that you are able to communicate with me when I´m wearing this amulet and in that case it means I, Trixie, is the one in charge."

Sombras was starting to grow impatient.

"Therefore, I must warn you that if you try to do anything at me or even just talk in a way Trixie doesn´t like, this amulet will be put in a box again and throw into the ocean, understood?"

Sombra said nothing.

"Understood?!"

"Understood..." Sombra said and Trixie turned around, proud of herself. "...Trixie-Ditzy."

Trixie frozen in place.

"How did you called me?"

She turned around and found Sombra displaying a smug smile, the same smug smile Trixie would do if she had control over another pony.

"I said, how did you called me?"

"One of the benefits of being locked in this state is that I have plenty of time to watch at some entertainment..."

Sombra waved his hoof, causing the smoke that twirled and changed shape until it took the form of a sort of window. The window showed the image of a building that Trixie recognized as Canterlot Magic Kindergarten. The image moved inside the building, into a classroom were a unicorn filly without a Cutie Mark was being mocked by her classmates.

"Trixie-Ditzy, failed again! Can´t perform a simple spell!"

All the other fillies pointed and laughed, the teacher simply turned away disappointed while the little filly cried humiliated.

"NO! Don´t look at that! Don´t!"

Trixie rushed against the window that turn into a harmless puff of smoke.

"Poor little thing. Always the laughing stock, right Trixie-Ditzy?" Sombra mocked her.

"Don´t call me that! I´m not a failure, I´m Great and Powerful!"

"Hardly. You can´t even do something as simple as turning an apple into an orange." and he created an apple from the smoke. A green apple.

"Don´t insult me! At least I´m not trapped inside a rock, oh you mighty King!"

For a second, Sombra reverted to his bestial state but he quickly regained his senses.

"I may be currently trapped but for a glorious moment, I ruled over an entire kingdom! I was respected!"

"That´s not what Trixie heard. She heard all the Crystal Ponies hated and feared you." she was recovering her usual confidence.

"Good. Fear is a powerful motivation just like your fear of failure..." Trixie raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "That's why you travel from town to town. You are so desperate to get attention, to get ponies to notice you, to like you." Trixie did her best to ignore the King, despite his words hitting the right spot. "Is that all matters to you, to make...friends?" and King Sombra laughed, a deep arrogant laugh.

"I´m not looking for friends. I don´t need them, I just want them to recongize my talent. I want their respect!" Trixie explained.

"Fool. Respect is not something you ear, respect is something you take."

Again, Trixie raised an eyebrow intrigued only this time her curiosity was genuine. Something in the King´s word got her attention. Still quiet, Sombra waved his hoof, causing the window to return.

This time the portal was set on the Royal Castle and it slowly moved into the Main Hall. This was an image of times of yore, when both princesses ruled the kingdom. Celestia and Luna were sitting on their thrones while a unicorn stallion kneeled in front of them.

Princess Celestia was levitating a scroll in front of her. Once she finished reading she put it down and said "Your research is quite impressive, counselor; but I´m afraid that we can´t allow you to further explore it."

The stallion straightened up, surprised. "But your majesty..."

"Kneel, servant!" Princess Luna shouted.

The stallion put his head down back. "My apologies but I must say, I don´t understand. My research proves that the crystals from the northern kingdom will greatly improve the power of unicorns. Why are I not allowed to travel to continue my research?"

"I understand your motives, counselor and I know you have only the best interest for the kingdom in mind." Princess Celestia said. "But our relations with the Crystal Kingdom are not strong enough to send an emissary who would, for a lack of a better word, spying on them. Also, i have my reservations about emplying the power of the crystals. Our greedy ancestors wasted their life digging the caves below the castle and what for? I believe is best we leave this matter rest."

"But your Majesty..."

"Our sister has spoken! How dare you raise your voice witouth permission!" Princess Luna got up, her eyes shining in rage. "Your research has been proved to be dangerous and unnecessary! We share our sister thoughts on the matter! Our decision is final! Retreat from the palace! At once!"

The stallion bit his lip, fighitng the urge to commit the biggest crime against the crown. Instead, he put his head down and slowly backed down.

Before the image vanished, Trixie was able to hear Celestia saying "you were a little harsh, Luna."

"...you were rejected." Trixie said.

Sombra no longer looking angry, he looked sad, hurt.

"They made a mistake...but I proved them wrong. I travelled to the kingdom, I gathered the crystals and with their power I took control of the land. I did it! Celestia and luna tried to destroy me but they were only able to hold me down. A thousand year I waited under the frozen ice for my opportunity to return, to take back my crown! And once I was finally free, when the power was at my hooves again...I WAS STOPPED! A foolish unicorn and a baby dragon! They ruined my plans! But this time it will be different, I will recover my body, I will recover my kingdom, I will bring darkness to their lands! I...am...KING SOMBRAAAAA! And I will rule them all!"

His final roar caused the dark space to shake as thunder and lighting escaped from the clouds.

Sombra stood still, gasping for air when he felt a soft hoof caressing his face.

"I understand."

Now it was Sombra´s turn to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"I understand that pain. The truth is... that I´m not that talented. My magic is weak and my skills are poors. But when I held your amulet, when I felt your magic coursing through me, I felt...powerful! I want that power. I want to be strong! I want to truly be great and powerful!"

"You can be great and powerful if you swore loyalty to me..." Sombra said.

"I will...my King."

Sombra smiled and took Trixie´s hoof. The clouds gathered around them, slowly closing, engulfing them into darkness.

****

A group of pegasi were handling flier across the land. One particular cross-eyed grey mare was clumsy flying in circles, dropping half of the content of her saddlebags.

One of the fliers fell next to a hooded figure. The figure took the flier and read outloud:

"Princess Celestia welcomes the ambassadors of Saddle Arabia on their visit to the town of...Ponyville! Well well, what a coincidence. This looks the perfect opportunity for our appearance, won´t you agree...." and Trixie removed her hood. "My master?"

Inside his jeweled prison, Sombra laughed in anticipation.

Trixie smiled too, looking down the hill at the quaint unsuspecting town of Ponyville which soon will meet the true greatest unicron in Equestria.