Rise of the tyrant

by emperorstarswirl

Rating: teen
Tags: Tragedy
Length: 3411

the story of how the dark king Sombra rose from a humble beginning to a brutal king that ruled with an iron fist.

When I watched the season 3 premier I felt that Sombra was never given a chance. We never got to learn anything about him, and we never got to learn his motives for why he became this evil king. I wanted to give him a life that the show failed to touch on, but I didn't want him to be a bad guy and thats it, nobody just wakes up and says "yup, I'm going to be evil today". I have always felt that a monster isn't born, but is created, is influenced by his experiences that shape what it is to become. This is the story of how Sombra came to power. from his humble beginnings to the rise of the tyrant.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-01-14 18:10:01 UTC

Chapter 1

“No….that isn’t right. You need to concentrate in order for the spell to work”. The black unicorn with the disheveled mane stared forlornly at the floor. “But sir….I have been trying my best…..I just don’t understand what I am doing wrong. I just can’t get it”

The legendary unicorn Starswirl the bearded sighed and shook his head. He proceeded to pace around his young apprentice sighting him up.  He then proceeded to stop and take a deep breath and think about what he was going to say. “I have my work cut out for me with this one, he shows so much potential yet he lacks the coordination and patience to be great. But I have had students like him before, and I have faith that he can go on to great things” he thought to himself.

“Alright Sombra, I think that is enough for today, now don't forget that you need to study for your test. You cannot pass your exam next week if you haven't even learned the ability to teleport yet, I have faith in you but you need to actually do your work so that faith isn't unfounded.”

As he walked out of the classroom the young unicorn took a deep sigh and stared at the floor contemplating what he had just done, or more specifically, not been able to do. He was a young stallion, with  a disheveled mane and had a distinction that kept him apart from the others in his class, and that was the fact that after all this time he had no cutie mark, and he had no friends, no friends except for his childhood friend Firefly. Sombra and Firefly had grown up together, she was studying to be a teacher and she was his only friend, sometimes he felt that she was more than that, but she just didn’t see it.

“So how did you do on your test you silly filly?” Firefly came running up to him and gave him a gentle nudge in the shoulder. The young unicorn looked at her forlornly and then stared at the floor again. He trotted along slowly and spoke while staring at the ground “I couldn’t do it. A simple teleportation spell and I couldn’t do it.” Firefly could hear the sadness in his voice then nuzzled up against him “Listen Sombra, Starswirl knows what he is doing. He knows what gifts and power you have. He saw that you were no ordinary pupil, you just need to practice and reach your true potential, and you must complete his studies when he tells you do do them, otherwise he will let you go and you have too much going for you to give up that easily.”

Sombra looked up with a weak smile on his face “you’re right, I do have potential….I can be the greatest unicorn to have ever lived, I need practice and I need to study, I’ll get started right away, Thanks Firefly, you’re always there when I need you” where he saddled his books and ran down the hall to his dormitory.

True to his word Sombra did study, and he passed his exam and as time went on he became better at what he did, and he enjoyed it. He was thrilled when another star was added to his test chart. All was well for the next year until one fateful day. Sombra had agreed to meet Firefly for lunch at one of the Canterlot campus restaurants.  They greeted each other normally then proceeded to sit down and enjoy the meal.

It seemed like any other dinner date, small talk, food and just having a good time. And then over on the other side of the bar a brash Pegasus named Jetstream started a fight with an unknown unicorn. These kind of things happen frequently in campus restaurants so no one paid much attention to it, until things started to escalate. There was swearing and bucking, the unicorn took a hoof to the mouth, busting his lip and knocking out a tooth. Enraged the wounded unicorn reared back to deliver an electrocution spell to the Pegasus that had kicked him. Intense purple light emanated from his horn and other ponies in the room either ducked for cover or ran out of the building entirely.

The unicorn let loose with an electrical charge that sounded like a lightning bolt striking the ground, sending a shockwave through the building. As the charged bolt flew through the air the Pegasus fell to the ground, allowing it to pass over him…pass over him and allow it to strike Firefly in the neck. The charged bolt was dead on with its accuracy. Two sickening cracks were heard, the first from the bolt striking the poor mare, the second was when she hit the floor, a smoldering shell of her former self.

After the smoke cleared and everyone picked themselves up everybody in the room was walking about in a daze…everyone except for sombra who was slumped over the charred body of Firefly. With tears streaming down his face he said in a low growl “You….I’ll KILL YOU!!!”  He jumped up and a powerful sensation that he had never felt emanated from his body like a roaring fire. Both the Pegasus and the unicorn that launched the charge were dangling from the air helplessly struggling to break free of the invisible bonds that held them in place.

Panting angrily he walked over to them, using his psychic abilities to toss tables and chairs like they were made of paper. He stopped in his tracks and looked both of them in the eyes. “YOU….you started this fight, and YOU Killed my only friend. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you both right now?” “The arrogant and brash Pegasus just chuckled and said “Tough luck with the dame blank flank, maybe next time when you see two people having a dispute you’ll get out of the..” and before he could finish his sentence Sombra snapped the pegasus’s neck and tossed his body into the corner of the room.

Slowly he turned his gaze towards the helpless unicorn. Fear gripped his eyes as he looked about for help from someone else…help that would never come. Sombra grinned evilly and practically hissed “I have something special in mind for you, but let me ask first, isn’t it getting a little warm in here?” no sooner he says this the poor suspended unicorn starts to smoke. As the seconds tick on he moans in pain and the smoke becomes more intense. Right at the point of the unicorn nearing the combustion point the door of the restaurant flies open, the burning unicorn hits the floor and Sombra hits the wall. A loud shout of “ENOUGH!” is heard as the darkened shape of Starswirl walks inside.

In a daze from being tossed against the wall Sombra weakly clamored to his feet “ss…sir, please stay out of this, it is none of your concern. I have to avenge what was taken from me” Starswirl shook his head grimly and teleported himself and the grief enraged unicorn outside of the canterlot city walls. Sombra still enraged from the ordeal screamed at his beloved mentor “ WHAT are you doing….how could you do this to me…I have a score to settle and come hell or high water I WILL HAVE  REVENGE!!..I just….I just…” and he fell to his knees and sobbed uncontrollably “why did it have to happen….why her? She was the only thing in the world I cared about….and now shes gone”.

The wise old unicorn walked over and sat down next to his grief struck pupil. “Sombra…even with all of my abilities, not even I can mend your shattered heart, and I cannot stress enough…vengeance does not solve anything. It simply leads to more grief and sadness”.  In between sobs Sombra whispered “no…no it cant end this way. There are still ways. Ways that I can make this right. I can change things…I can bring her back”.

Taken aback by what he had just heard Starswirl stood up “Sombra…I know you are devastated by your loss….but surely you cannot mean what you say, what you are hinting at is not only blasphemous…it is evil in its purest form and I forbid you to go into this matter any further”. Angrily Sombra nods his head then gets up and wanderes off into the distance. This would be the last time that Sombra would be seen for 3 months.

Then one dark night the alarms sound at the Canterlot Mausoleum. Fearing that it had been vandals or grave robbers the royal guards rush there post haste only to find all of the doors and windows magically sealed, a strange dark magic that enveloped the building in a sickly purple haze.  Once again the services of the most powerful unicorn in Canterlot  were called forth to break the hex on the building. He was able to walk through the barrier and gain entry to the massive hall.

Wandering through darkness he cast a light spell so he could see the way ahead of him. As he rounded the corner he took a deep gasp at what he saw. In front of him on the floor lay a dead body surrounded by candles, and floating above the body surrounded in the same sickly glow was his best pupil, now a wielder of black magic trying to bring his fallen love back to life. Starswirl sat there horror struck at the sight “Sombra….what have you become, why have you taken this path of destruction”

Sombra turned his gaze towards Starswirl “You. When I needed you the most you let me down. I have nothing to live for without her in my life, and If it means selling my soul to be with her I don’t care…I cant live without her”. Starswirl stepped close and started to plead with him to stop but before he could speak a bolt of lightning shot through the stained glass skylight and struck the body of Firefly. The old unicorn gasped as the body under the sheet arched up and convulsed. After a few moments the convulsing stopped and Sombra lowered back to the ground.

After a couple of tense moments the mass under the sheet started to move and to Starswirl’s horror the mass stood up.  Firefly was no more. Instead in her place was a rotting shadow of her former self. Her body filled with holes from the decomposition and her color changed to black and a sickly greenish blue mane, and she had somehow sprouted what could loosely be called wings. She looked around in a daze and hissed “where am I? Sombra…what have you done to me?” before he could explain she looked over into the mirror on the opposite side of the wall from where she was standing.

She gasped then fell to her knees. Trying to cry she hissed “how could you do this to me…you brought me back to turn me in to this, this sick and grotesque mockery? I can never forgive you for this sombra, I hate you”. once again rocked with grief sombra stammers “Firefly…I…I just” she spun around and glared into his eyes “you sick and horrible creature, you only thought of yourself and your own selfish needs. I can never show myself in the daylight again and I want nothing to do with you ever again”. And before either Sombra or starswirl could say anything she was gone.

Losing his reason to live a second time Sombra fell to his knees once more and sobbed. “I thought it would work. I was certain it would work. I have failed you master”. Starswirl did not reply to him. Simply turned and walked away as two of the royal guards came in to take Sombra away.

Sombra spent the next 2 weeks in the crystal dungeons deep below the castle until one day a guard came in and drug him from the cell “you’re lucky you filthy creature. They want to make an example of you, so instead of the usual execution you are hereby exiled from equestria and all of its territories, sentence to be carried out henceforth”. After a days ride they reached the edge of the equestrian empire. Celestia herself showed up with Starswirl to see him leave.  Nothing was said to sombra except that he was to never be allowed into the empire again, all he could do is sigh and stare at the ground as he wandered off into the wilderness beyond the borders of the empire.

The fallen unicorn wandered the wilderness for 3 weeks, crossing from the edge of the desert, through forgotten villages and north through the frozen wastes that had never been charted. Then one day while crossing a river on a fallen tree he lost his footing and fell into the water and was swept away. Not caring for his well being anymore Sombra allowed himself to be carried away down the river. At last he could find peace from this tortured existence.

Sombra awoke with a shock and scurried away into a dark corner “where….where am I? Who’s there, show yourself!!” a dark red pony walked out of the darkness, but she wasn't like any pony he had ever seen. She was crystal like, he could see right through her. He settled back down on the floor “where am I?” the pony sat down on the floor across from him “Im amethyst rose. And this is the crystal empire. I found you floating in the river a couple days ago and brought you here because you needed help. You were almost dead when I found you, but you should be healthy and back on the road again before you know it.

Five more days passed while He healed but he noticed that he did more than heal, he healed and his magic was amplified. Something about the crystals powered him up. He was able to perform various feats that he had never dreamed of, his powers were increasing by leaps and bounds and over the next couple of years he became a trusted member of the empire. He rose through the ranks of the kingdom and worked his way up to royal advisor, all the while remembering where he had come from, and remembering the score that he needed to settle. He dreamed of vengeance every day and every night, and now he was close enough that if he was careful, he could stage a coup and take over….he could become king, it was within his grasp and it was glorious.

And then, 5 months later he got his wish. Somehow the crystals in the empire acted like batteries, increasing his powers to levels that could rival his old mentor Starswirl the bearded, if not surpass them. On one faithful night sombra and his army stormed the castle, disposed of the old king and anointed himself in his place. It had finally happened, he had gone from a despised unicorn fallen from grace to the king of the crystal empire. All those that opposed his will were enslaved , used as soldiers in his armies or eliminated entirely if they did not bend to his will. And now he had his eye set on his old home…..Equestria.

Word traveled fast to the ears of Celestia and her most trusted advisor Starswirl. Not sure who this new ruler was they took no chances and readied their troops for battle. Now amassed on the boundary of the empire, Celestia and Starswirl waited for the crystal army to arrive, and arrive they did. Vast armies of soldiers, both slaves and crystal constructs marched towards the line. Perched atop a giant construct stood Sombra, a shadow of his former self. He wore a blood red cape lined with fur from different slain animals, a crown of purest silver and crystals that slaves had mined specially for him. His mane and tail now a blazing fire, and black magic literally seeped from his eyes. Starswirl looked sadly up to his former student and whispered to himself “Sombra….what have you become?”

Both armies stood at the ready for several minutes, then a loud horn broke the silence and Sombra screamed at his soldiers “CHARGE…LET NO PONY LIVE THIS DAY”. Soldiers from both sides rushed towards each other, knowing very well that this day….the hills were going to run red with blood.

Not afraid to get into the fray himself Sombra charged through the crowds of soldiers, killing some with a crystal flail he brandished in his mouth, and using black magic to kill others, some he burned, some he blew up, he didn’t care, he was filled with vengeance and blood lust, and nothing was going to stand in his way…nothing that is except the only pony that could stop him….his old teacher, friend and mentor Starswirl.

The Old unicorn stood in the field, surrounded by death and gore he bellowed out “Sombra….this ends today. I am going to do what I should have done all those years ago.” Sombra perked his ears at the sound of Starswirls voice and teleported across the battle field to a point about 50 feet from his old mentor. “Ah…if it isn’t my old teacher turned nemesis. Come to give me my final test old colt? I have improved greatly since we last met, you and I have unfinished business and it ends today”.

Starswirl shook his head and he said to Sombra “why did it have to come to this, you had so much potential. When I said you could be a leader this isn’t what I meant. You could have gone on to great things, and this is what you have reduced yourself to, A mockery of yourself and a dishonor to our order. You should be ashamed of yourself. I beg of you, please stop this before there is any more heartache and bloodshed. Im sorry that you lost Firefly but how do you think she would feel if she saw you now, do you honestly think she would be proud of what she saw?”

Sombra   became enraged and bellowed “ENOUGH!!!. You have taunted me for the last time, now you die!!!”  The sky blackened and the rain started to pour as the two unicorns rushed each other. Starswirl reared back with an energy charge and Sombra teleported behind Starswirl, kicking him in the back leg dropping the old wizard to the ground. They battled hoof to hoof for 20 minutes, occasionally getting a magic spell out between blows.

Sombra swung around with one final blow to Starswirl, sending the old colt plummeting to the ground. Kneeling down beside his teacher, now a bloody heap on the ground Sombra whispered into his ear “What do you think, you doubted my abilities, and when I needed you the most you turned your back on me. This is the monster that you created, how does it feel to be defeated by your disgraced pupil?” spitting out blood Starswirl chuckled, "who said I was defeated?". No sooner he says this a Shimmering light bursts through the clouds…he looks up…”no…It can’t end like this…If I can’t have the empire nobody can.” Soon an eerie green and purple light starts to eminate from his eyes. The light ray bursts through the cloud, striking the king of evil like a bolt of lightning, Sombra emitted a sickening shriek and he exploded into a purple and black vortex of energy. When this happened his entire army disappeared. ponies, constructs, everything. All traces of Sombra, and his empire were gone. Starswirl laid on the ground in a pool of blood, his life slowly slipping away. Celestia wandered up and knelt down beside him “My dearest teacher, what happened to sombra and his army?” the wizard coughed and replied “he told me before he disappeared that if he couldn’t have the empire nobody could. I am not sure what happened exactly, but somehow when he was defeated he took the empire with him. I tried my best but….I..”. and before he could finish his sentence the great Starswirl was dead. In the aftermath of the battle a caravan was sent to the location of the empire’s capital city. All that remained of the city and all of its citizens was a shattered perimeter, and a void in the earth where it once sat, now a land of ghosts, and tortured memories.