Rise of Darkness

*bit of a tidbit, this doesn't take place in the Canon timeline of the show. but rather, in the continuity of my other stories, which were all written before Season 3 began. although the first half of this could be considered a prequel to the show.*

Shadows.

That's all he's even known.

For the past 40 years of his life, the Dark Unicorn known as Sombra has had the ability to use shadows. because of it, his life, and the lives of those around him, have changed forever. He wasn't always like this. He had friends... he had a family... and he was really pleasant to be around. But all that changed when he found his Cutie Mark and his Talent.... his talent over shadows. Because that, he was run out of his village. and though that, he turned into the Dark King we know him as today.

He became a monster.

but that's about to change. just outside the doors of his castle is a Pony, or rather, a Alicorn, and her friends who came to him, a 'Necromancer', for answers to her questions. Just a few more moments, and a long plan he and his compatriots have long and arduously put together is about to come to fruition.

As he waited, he went back into his thoughts and wondered how all this came to be.

"Hard to believe it was 40 years ago." he muttered. "seems like it was just yesterday..."

40 years ago...

A young Orange Unicorn Mare with a Yellow Mane ran past a tree, running away from a colt trying to tag her. "You're not going to catch me, Malice!"

"Yes i will, Sunshine!" The Green Unicorn Stallion with a jasmine mane exclaimed.

Another colt sat under a tree, reading a book intently. one guess on who this black unicorn is. A Yellow Pegasus Mare with a Egg-White mane hung down from a low-hanging branch and blinked at him. "What'cha ready, Sombra?"

"Book on how to obtain Cutie Marks." he replied. He's so cute for his age and his voice is so nice, so innocent; hard to believe he's gonna turn into a nightmarish sorcerer.

"Any good ones cause i need to find one for myself." The Mare looked back to her blank flank and frowned. 5 years and the only one of their group to find their special talent was Sunshine- she always knows how to bright up a cloudy day.

"Nothing we haven't tried before. *Sigh* let's face it." he closed the book and tossed it away. "we're never going to find our Cutie Marks."

"Now don't say that, Sombie. We'll find our talents sooner or later." Sombra gave Tulip a half-fazed look. "I bet i'll get one for being the best flier in Equestria- no, the world. maybe i'll be leader of the Wonderbolts." Now that was going too far. Tulip realized this and chuckled nervously. "well... maybe it'll be something as simple as a garden."

"There you go." Sombra used his magic to pull the book back over, remembering that his mother will hurt him if he lost another one.

Tulip landed on the ground. "So... you have someone to go with to the carnival Thursday?"

Sombra winced. "No! i don't! i forgot it was Thursday!" he face-hoofed and fell back. he exclaimed and hit his head against the tree. the carnival was a popular event in their town, celebrating the start of autumn.

Tulip pulled him up. "Well, i'm free. we could go together."

Sombra froze. holy crap, is Tulip asking him out? "um... together? like... a date?"

Tulip rolled her eyes and chuckled. "No, dingle-dork. as companions."

Companions? he didn't show it but he was disappointed. such a shame. Tulip is a pretty mare.

a pair of pine-cones came out of nowhere and hit them both on the head. "Hey, Doofus'!" Malice exclaimed. he bounced a pine-cone up and down in his hoof. Sunshine her more ready to go with her magic. "You ready to fight?"

Sombra and Tulip looked at each other and snickered evilly. oh, they're dead meat. Sombra used his magic to pick up pine-cones near him and Tulip grabbed all she could carry. "You're dead meat!" Sombra sent his flurry at them.

later that night, Sombra stayed up extra late to find his talent. he tried every single thing possible to find it. no such luck.

then came the yelling.

his stepfather was a rude drunk who's always abusive to both Sombra and his mother, most times to the point of hitting. he was especially brutal tonight, giving Sombra a black eye and sending his mother to the emergency room for some broken ribs.

"Stupid Red Vine." Sombra silently cried. "I never asked you to marry my mom." he grabbed his Captain Karol action figure. He's suppose to be a protector to all, not let something like this happen. That little realization caused Sombra to squeeze tight. "Some hero you are." he tossed the figure against the wall, causing it's head to pop off.

He used his magic to bring a book over. he jumped onto his bed and opened the book up. "If only i were stronger, Mom wouldn't have to hang around such a mean man." the book he grabbed was a Spell Book, and it was bookmarked to a page about Combat spells.

With Celestia in charge and her and her guards being more then enough for, well, anything, such a thing like Combat Magic is... not needed in this age. But Red... he hates him with a passion and 'accidentally' took this book without paying. This was the first time in a long while he got to get a crack at it.

"Let's see here... Fireballs. this basic spell can be used to launch balls of fire at your opponent, turning them ablaze." ... Sombra lightly exclaimed at the explanation then jumped down from his bed. he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and concentrated.

"Okay...come on, Sombie... you can do a simple fire spell. Come on." His horn glowed with a pinkish-red aura. He concentrated with all his might, every single bit, but he couldn't bring a fireball to form. He wasn't about to give up, though. He tried again and again and again and again and again.

On the 10th try, something... unexpected happened.

Sombra concentrated with all his might to try and bring that fireball up but it couldn't. He was going to try a 11th time when a loud pound came from his door.

"SOMBRA, YOU GO TO BED RIGHT NOW OR ELSE YOUR ASS IS GRASS!!!"

Sombra looked to his door and snarled. "Shut up, Red Vine." He had planned for him and blocked his door with his desk. Took a long time to move it. "I can do what i want!"

Vine tried to pound the door down, only to give up in a few seconds. "Grr... IN THE MORNING, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU WHAT FOR!!!"

Sombra angrily furrowed to the door, even long after Vine left. "Damn him..... why did Mom have to marry that jerk?" He went back to try and cast the fireball spell, but his anger got mixed in, corrupting it, resulting in the most unexpected thing imaginable.

In a flash, darkness shot out of the floor and into his own body, which he didn't notice or feel. Well, he did feel something- Power surging though him. His Magical Aura turned from pinkish-red to corrupted black and his eye color switched from green to red. Again, he didn't notice any of these things.

He did, however, notice the result.

He opened his eyes and gasped when he saw his own shadow moving like it wasn't attached to him. It turned and looked directly at Sombra. The Foal gasped in fear and backed up to his desk. the Shadow rose out of the floor and took on his shape.

"What... what are you?" Sombra gasped in fear. The Shadow moved closer to him, making fear rise in him. Sombra yelled out, "Stop!" And the Shadow did. It stopped in it's tracks and just stood there. Sombra cautiously got up from the floor and slowly walked around the living shadow. "What... what in the world is that thing?!" He shockingly gasped. Where did it even come from? Nobody knows how to use magic of this caliber, not even Princess Celestia, and she's the most powerful magic user on the planet.

Wait... when he said stop, the shadow stopped. And it is shaped like him. He wonders... can he control it? Did he somehow find a way to control shadows? Only one way to find out.

"hmm.... Move forward."

The Shadow complied and moved to him, much to his surprise. "Stop." The Shadow stopped. "huh... Hop on one foot and sing 'La Cucaracha'." The Shadow complied and hopped on one foot, but it didn't sing. Guess shadows are silent. Now for something complicated. "Hmm.... spin in a circle 10 times." The Shadow complied and spun.

That's when it hit him. Somehow, he found a way to control shadows. well, his at least. He figures that with training, he could manipulate shadows belonging to other beings, maybe even inanimate objects like Buildings and Trees. It's certainly worth pursuing. Nobody's done something like this before.

"HEE HEE! Tulips gonna be surprised to see this!"