A somber Tale.

by TerraTossAZerg

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Dark, Alternate Universe, Sad, Tragedy
Length: 2233

It was a peaceful morning for the crystal ponies, everypony was happy and kind with their fellow neighbors. But, a sudden black cloud enters their midst, a cloud that would tell the end....

Crystal ponies were everywhere, almost bustling as much as Ponyville's marketplace. The crystal empire was hardly the center of trade from Equestria to the griffon lands. Everypony was happy with the current ruler, but a sudden change of clouds, shadows and sounds brings the once peaceful empire into a state of disaster…

Testing this out, experimenting if I can make a non-human fic for once…

First person!

Art by: peachiekeenie on deviantart!

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-07-11 04:49:14 UTC

My shackles.

“Noooooooo!”

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Blackness... A pure, and aching blackness shrouds me. I was wronged, again. I was trying to protect my subjects, from the once corrupt heart, but I was too late. My mind was focused on destroying it, but alas the so called “Elements of Harmony” has stopped me.

A thousand years ago, when I was king. I was forced into slavery by a black dragon. Times were hard back then, but we were masters of magic, combat and tactics. But the shrouded dragon was too much for even me, and my subjects combined. I was ruling the ponies in constant despair and desperation, waiting for the right moment to strike. I asked for the aid of Discord who was reigning chaos in the lands of Equestria. But, the draconequus refused to aid us in times of need, and I was thus left alone in the cruel world.

My plea was answered by two alicorns, one an alabaster white, the other a dark and starry blue. They were shocked to see ponies chained and doing forced labor. They looked at the me, grinning happily at their arrival, the ponies were smiling even bigger. But, the alicorns were arrogant and ignorant, for they have judged me by nothing but first impressions. I was happy to see them and the ponies as well! But, those two so called “benevolent” and “regal” rulers were nothing by children with their pacifist ways!

They didn’t even know crystal pony history for Tartarus sakes! They banished me, the king banished to the arctics of the north for no such reasons! I watched from the naturally formed tower of my imprisonment, and saw them “crusading” throughout the lands for this so called “order” of theirs.

This was pure and evil chaos! Discord couldn’t even compare to them! They were going about the already formed lands and nation and “cleansing” them of their so called “chaos”. The land was peaceful, except for Equestria, but everything else was peaceful. Everypony lived in prosperity, minotaurs, griffons, diamond dogs and small communities of draconequus as well!

And they come, and barge into innocent settlements that had no involvement in the chaotic Equestria. They were all deemed “evil” under the name of those TYRANTS! I was boiling mad, I even went on and created this black cloud of magic. My anger fueled my magic, but my control over it was exponential. I waited, and waited, and waited for the right moment to strike those who wronged me! My ponies! My neighbors! And my friends!

These “lands” didn’t belong to those two alicorns, they didn’t deserve it. Their conquest over us is the only proof I need to overthrow them, and I know, ooh do I know. That THEY cleared that out of history. But, I was lucky this time. My horn was the only part of me that wasn’t destroyed, and I have enough power to resurrect my body.

I waited several months, I saw how she goes and transform her “faithful student” into an alicorn... And that was the boiling point everbrony. I raged, for over two thousand years I raged of fury. “WHY MUST SHE TORTURE ME THIS WAY!” I shouted, shaking the cold mountain region of the crystal empire. “This is both unfair, unjust and illogical! Turning a regular old everyday unicorn, a librarian as well, into an alicorn and naming her a princess!” I was fuming with anger, this wasn’t normal. For over five thousand years of the worlds history, not even the draconequus could turn a normal everyday creature into something sentient, or even turn someone into a being of immense power.

My prison broke, I was finally free to voice my plea and protest. I can already tell that the nobles will also plead their worries and rights towards the princesses about a simple “commoner” turning into royalty, and the “princesses” will undoubtedly find a way to turn their protest around.

But I was ready for them, and they weren’t ready for me. I still had a few history books back at the castle, but those many history book are long gone and probably confiscated by the princess. But, I was lucky to be able to poof one into existence, being around draconequus for a while gives you certain perks.

Books of my time were well thought out, and not something for everypony to read or understand. They were works of art, everything is comprehensible for the right pony and the right book.

But enough about books, I got the books that I need. I quickly looked around for any essentials and whatnots in the now abandoned prison. I found a few broken up saddlebags and corpses, but nothing that I personally need. So, I went off into the unknowns, and with luck I can get to either Ponyville or Equestria in no time.

.....

.....

.....

Just my luck, someone left a teleportation rune in the middle of warden’s office. I giddily powered it and entered it. The other side was, as always, colorful. The crystal empire couldn’t compare the amount of color and brightness of the area, almost every single building in the crystal empire was either made with crystals or wood, and the amount of brightness and color is too much for me.

I looked behind me to see that I was on the edge of a forest. I could see that it was eerily dark inside, the trees obscuring any lighting from the sun. The ponies of old had a sense of humor, and laced a sign saying “Everfree forest, DO NOT ENTER. Strange and dangerous creatures inhabits this forest.”. Of course it was nothing but to keep the public out of the forest because of that old teleportation rune, and a few well placed facilities.

Conspiracies from all across Equestria about the forest, many thought it was a facility housing aliens or tech. But, it was nothing but an abandoned forest now. Unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies all worked here to create the monsters that calls the Everfree home. It was a sight to see, many ponies cower in their homes when they hear the animals cry for help by the cruel hooves of the Canterlot scientist and scholars.

I decided to see if there was any recordings of said facility on my history books, with luck I found one dictating that princess Celestia herself ordered the construction and study inside the Everfree forest, and insisting the ponies stationed there to use unorthodox and unethical methods to get the job done.

Enough about the forest, for now. I trotted towards the familiar town of Ponyville and took the time to look around. The scenery was welcoming and looked fluent, it was both beautiful and dark. "I will find those princesses and bring real justice! The children and family they stripped away from the small communities of draconequus to the small villages of the griffon empire!"  I shouted loudly, grinning madly. This was going to be a great day....

Parliament.

As I was trotting on and about, I noticed that my appearance changed a little. I trotted for a few more minutes and found a river, not wanting to say no to a natural mirror and hydration source; I obliged.

I still had the tint of purple smoke from my eyes, thankfully. My body had lessened and was beginning to look more gray. My mane looked cut, and my maw looked less intimidating; maybe the fact that I didn’t have fangs this time attributed to that thought.

I giggled inside for a while, and continued my journey towards Ponyville undisturbed ‘Maybe they won’t remember me.’.

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Princess Twilight Sparkle was trying hard to ‘get use’ to having wings. Unfortunately for her, she used books instead of actual advice; maybe Rainbow Dash wasn’t suitable enough. She continued this shenanigans, or what she would call ‘study’, a white-ish unicorn came into view; her head tilted up to see from the welcoming grace of the earth.

She was fascinated by what may be inside the saddle bag he’s hanging around. She, like many other times, recognized if a book was in somepony’s possession; being in a library was proof enough that she know’s her books.

She, as gracefully as possible, lifted herself up and dusted her coat and mane. She eyed the saddle bag, trying to decipher as too if she had read that book or not. She like’s to keep up-to-date with these new trends of newly discovered books and was very well versatile with Starswirl the Bearded’s work.

The unicorn took a glance at Twilight, and gave a menacing glare at her; making her question how many ponies really enjoy her princesshood.

She sheepishly looks away, hoping to hide away from his menacing glance. She looks back to see him head low, parallel to the ground; snorting puffs of steam from his nose. She begins to see clearly the book hidden in his bag, one written in clear archaic language unknown to her, and probably to Princess Celestia.

Her curiosity begging her to ask the stallion the title of the book, or whatever he knows of it; but her mind tells her not to interfere as to not anger him further: if his glare wasn’t proof enough. She quickly tries to distract herself with complex mathematical problems, but even those couldn’t distract the years of reading in the Canterlot Library and not once finding that book, or any book showing the same language.

It looked like some Crystal pony runes, was he a crystal pony?

She couldn’t answer that question, as the stallion was boarding a train to Canterlot; and by the looks of his opposite bag, he had the bits to even own a restaurant there.

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I knew I should have veered off of Ponyville, never know if ‘all-mighty Princess Twilight may appear’. Ponies these days, if they have open minds these days: wouldn’t they have already invented complex architectural structures?

He glances at Canterlot Castle, and snorts another puff of steam. Just like the Roaman’s, she goes out of her way and steal anything she glances to. That clearly shouts out Crystal Empire, I mean, if the Spire of the Crystal Castle wasn’t a shout out enough? I know that the Crystal Empire had just recently appeared, shouldn’t critics be criticizing Celestia’s reign?

Oh wait, I know. She doesn’t want ponies to interfere her rule, I know she banished Luna for another reason; I know that Luna is hiding those thoughts beneath her facade, and I know that Celestia sees that and keeps her on a leash.

His thoughts were interrupted when the train had arrived. His snort was now a bigger puff of cloud, not steam. Another stolen technology...

He boards the train and gives his ticket to the conductor, entering sans-faux. He takes a seat to the far end of the car, as to not drag attention to himself as he reads the strange book. He knows by now ponies are trying to document the seemingly limitless language in the ever expanding Crystal Archives.

He reads the book and seemed to not have interest at all. He knows everything written here, he was the one who had been interviewed and gave a free copy of. The author was none other than Starswirl the Bearded himself. He loved studying the various culture the Crystal Empire gave, and was visibly culture shocked by it.

What many ponies don’t know, is that Starswirl the Bearded existed way before C and L, the ponies he even despised; of course the princesses censored it fearing to be rebelled and overthroned.

Sombra admired Starswirl’s ever expanding open mindset, and Sombra theorised that he might still be expanding if he were alive today, of course he could but: he died.

He sighed, missing his old acquaintance and friend, and closed the book; hoping to clear himself of his past.

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Twilight was watching the unicorn from after, and confuses herself as to why he sighed sorrowly. She, of course, didn’t pay heed except for the book he closed. She lectured herself that clearly it isn’t a book, but by the size of it perhaps a manuscript or a codex.

The hoofwritting, from Twilight’s perspective, looks like late-roaman perhaps later. The hoofwritting definitely resembles that of Starswirl the Bearded, now only if she can decipher the language barrier. But, failed as the stallion placed inside his saddle bag, and locked it shut.

She curses herself and was glad that the train stopped at, probably, his destination.

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The train stopped, finally... Can’t stopped being stared at by Twilight, so I took the liberty to humor her by closing the manuscript that Twilight love ‘o so much. I even took the time to lock the saddlebag from possible thieves.

I trotted out the train, and headed for parliament. The parliament, the simplified use of a Ponyx... I hated the word parliament, too Pranks for me. I always had bad relations with the Pranks, always want me to drink their blasted wine... and the cheese, oh how I hate the cheese. The mares were nice, but the cheese and wine....

I entered the parliament freely, it is a public government building. I got my badge and paperwork done and before I knew it I was in the hall as a representative of the Crystal Empire.

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