The Eternity of Twilight Sparkle

by zzCiver

Corruption

Sombra was sitting in his cave next to the warmth of the fire like he did most days. As he expected to happen eventually, Twilight squeezed her way through the mouth of the cave and approached him. Happy to see this guest he began his introduction with "I see you've returned again. Who have you lost this time?"

In a tone lacking any form of sadness She responded, "Nopony actually. I didn't come this time for a lesson." On her own accord Twilight sat down across the fire from Sombra. "I came to know about your past. What I saw last time I came here, I could not get it out of my mind." In a tone of genuine curiosity she asked "What happened to you Sombra? How did you go from that white stallion to who you are now?"

With a friendly smile Sombra said, "Now that, my dear, is quite a story. Before I took over the Empire, before I had the form you see here today, before I even knew about dark magic, I was a doctor and a scholar in the Crystal Empire. And I had a different name. One I had not even thought about for many years. I was once known as Sunbright."

---

High above the Crystal Empire, the Crystal Palace stood, it's many hues of color radiating from it's peak all across the land. On the grand balcony, King Sapphire Song looked down on his city with a smile. The townsponies went about their day, laughing and playing in the streets. The Crystal Fair was still a month away, but preparations were already under way for the occasion. The first crop of crystal berries had arrived and the young foals were learning the flugalhorn in school. The king's heart was lifted to see his Empire so peaceful.

A guard came onto the balcony to address the king. "Your Highness" he said with a bow "Doctor Sunbright is here to see you as per your request."

"Thank you, bring him into the throne room, I'll be in shortly." Sapphire said, as he took one last look at his citizens, He turned around and walked back to the throne room, where Sunbright had been patiently waiting.

Upon the king's entrance Sun Bright bowed and waited before speaking. After several seconds of the unicorn king's silence, Sun eventually took the first word. "My king, I should feel so honored that you requested me."

"The pleasure is mine" the king said modestly. "I've heard tales of you on the battlefield. How you can heal hundreds of injured soldiers at once." he said with a genuine grin.

Looking a little bashful at the king's compliment, Sun Bright blushed as he said "Well medical magic is my talent after all" He turned his flank slightly to show Sapphire his Cutie Mark of the medical cross, radiating with magic. He turned back and continued "But I do have more experience in the laboratory than the field."

Sapphire straitened his posture as he further addressed his guest. "Which brings me to why I asked you here. I have recently had a change of heart about the well being my citizens. Just last week my daughter, the young Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, took her first steps. As a father, it was the proudest moment of my life." His tone saddened as he continued speaking "The next day she walked herself right off a flight of stairs. She's fine of course. As royalty she has the best care takers in the land. But even so, to think that even the highest noble can be hurt so."

He turned to look out the window. He continued speaking while giving his land a long stare. "And then I thought of my ponies. They suffer from the same incidents, without the same help we do in the castle. They get hurt, become diseased, gulp, die. And there is noting to be done."

He turned back to Sunbright and revealed his radical idea. "But what if that was not the case. What if ponies could be protected from harm at all times. To be freed from injury and pain. Everypony from the highest noble to the lowest farmer could share he same protection. This idea, this radical idea, is why I called you."

Looking Sunbright directly in the eyes and said "If there is anypony who could find a way to make this dream a reality, it would be you. I, nay, the Empire would be forever in your debt."

Sunbright stood there wide eyed, in shock of the request. He paced back and forth mumbling to himself about whether or not it could be done. Eventually he looked up directly at the king and said "What you want, it may not be doable. It may be impossible." He got down on one knee and bowed his head to say "But on my honor as a doctor, and for the glory of the Crystal Empire, I will no rest until I have an answer."

---

Twilight was laying down in the cave now, gotten comfortable whilst hearing this tale. Occasionally she closed her eyes in imagining what was happening. She was fully entranced by the story, and rather shocked when Sombra ended the scene.

"And so I began my research into the impossible" Sombra said, his eyes lost in the past. "My first experiments showed little success. I can't tell you how many lab rats perished in my efforts to preserve life. I sought the knowledge of all the greatest minds of the time. Professor Whitewhack of Tramplevania, Starswirl the Bearded of Canterlot, even Redclaw the Wise of the Gryphon Kingdom, But none of them could help me in my search."

Twilight suddenly peaked up. In a giddy voice she said "Wait, you knew Starswirl the Bearded? THE Starswirl the Bearded? Ohhhh my gosh ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. Tell me everything about him"

Sombra said. "There's not much to say really. Aside from when I requested him, he largely kept to himself. When I offered that he come to the Crystal Academy he could not come sooner. At the time he was working on some kind of Unified Magical Theory. For the life of me, I could never begin to explain it, but he said that to work at the Academy would further his research immensely."

Sombra chuckled slightly, which shocked Twilight. "He'd kill me if he knew I told you, but he was like a filly in a candy shop when he arrived. Going from one piece of equipment to the next admiring them all. At any rate, it was during his stay that I discovered dark magic. I had my accident which you saw, and I had an idea. If dark magic could save a pony from the brink of death, could it also be used to restore a mildly injured pony, all the time. In other words, could be used as a preventative measure for death, rather than a reactive one. After many weeks of training my new abilities and trials, I finally had a solution to present to the king."

---

King Sapphire sat on his throne to meet with Sunbright. The doctor had requested a formal audience to demonstrate his solution. To his left side sat his wife, Queen Clarity and daughter Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.

"Presenting Doctor Sunbright" the guard cried as the white maned unicorn entered the throne room, followed shortly by another guard.

Sapphire sat up in his seat as he began addressing the doctor. "Sunbright, A pleasure to see you again. And a great honor to know you have found a way to protect my citizens."

Sunbright bowed to the royal family before addressing the king back. "My king, it is my honor to say that I have solved death. I hope you don't mind my request of such an event."

The king chuckled as he said "Nonsense. This is a great day for the Empire. And I am brimming with anticipation about what you have in store."

"I have little left to say, except that my test subject is one of your own willing guards. Let us begin" Sunbright said as the guard took center stage.

The white unicorn's horn began to glow with natural red aura as the guard was enveloped y the same light. His magic then darkened to blackness as his eyes let loose trails of magic of the same hue. The guard was barely visible under the red-black magic that surrounded him. The magic shrunk around the guard as it entered his being. He slightly winced as his body, and spirit were effected by the unique spell.

Sunbright's horn ceased its unnatural glow as the last of the magic entered the guard's body. Stopping shortly to get his breath, Sunbright said to the king. "While this guard my still look like a regular crystal pony, he is infact able to survive any injury, as I will now demonstrate."

He levitated a spear from one of the guards at the king's side and with one swift motion pierced the end through the test subject's chest. The Queen gasped and covered the Princess's eyes at the act, while the King stood looking down. To the surprise of everypony save Sunbright, the guard was still standing.

Where the spearr hit, it did not enter the body. Rather the chest of the pony shattered and broke off, shattering like a smashed window. The cavity left by the impact regrew swiftly and left the pony looking good as new. Sunbright, with a sigh of relief explained "As you see, due to the effects of my spell, this pony is now impervious to being injured by physical means. And if you would, my liege, blast my subject with a magical attack you would see he is protected from magic as well."

Sapphire complied, letting loose a powerful blast of magic hitting the guard square in the face. The entire left side of the pony's face flew off leaving a jagged hole in it's place. The crystals which seemed to make up the pony's head grew back to the shape of a head. Sunbright smile at the King, happy that his demonstration went off as planned.

The King however, was not as pleased. He looked at the ponies standing before him with a frown. Disappointingly, he shook his head at the doctor and said "This is your solution. You would use such dark forces to turn my citizens, turn my Daughter" He emphasized, pointing a hoof to the pegasus filly "Into some kind of half-breed creature. You have dishonored my request, and the Empire with your actions."

In that one moment, all the hope, pride and optimism within Sunbright faded. In a fevered attempt to change the king's mind he tried explaining "My king, you don't understand. This pony is just the same as he was before. In fact he's better, he's-"

"Enough" Sapphire proclaimed, still insulted by the doctor's idea. "If you think I am going to have my subjects changed, mutated, defiled, then we have nothing to discuss." He sat back down in his throne and ordered "You can see yourself out"

---

"I was embarrassed, disgraced. My life as a scholar was over." Sombra looked deep into the fire, recalling this part of his life. "I had spent years of my life, practicing Dark Magic, treading on new ground the likes of which the world had never seen. And then, in one fell swoop the king had my work branded 'evil' and my life as a scholar was done."

He then stood up from the fire and began pacing around the room. His horn began glowing as he relived his darkest memories. "That's when I realized, how to show him I was right. I would show them all. I decided to cast the spell on myself, to become the very essence of Immortality."

"With the help of Starswirl the Bearded I prepared the spell in my lab"

---

The two unicorns stood in Sunbright's personal laboratory at the Crystal Academy. Starswirl set up a ring of instruments in preparation for what his colleague was about to do. Skeptical of his partner's plan Starswril asked "Are you absolutely sure you know what you are doing? This Dark Magic of yours is suspect enough as it is."

Angrily Sunbright responded "No, If the King won't see the worth of my work on other ponies, he is sure to see it on myself. If you have no other complaints, I'd like to get this done with"

Starswirl simply gave a nod showing his agreement with the plan. He slid a pair of goggles over his eyes, signaling Sunbright to begin. The white unicorn's horn glowed dark red as his body became engulfed in a magical aura. His voice stressed by the magic he said "I will now begin the transformation"

Just like every time before, the magic absorbed itself into the unicorn's body. Staring from the feet the aura around the body dissipated as it worked its way into the pony's being. The process slowed on it's way up to the horn however. Starswirl noticed this when the aura map started going haywire. In a panic he shouted "Sunbright you fool! the magic trying to enter your horn is being negated by the spell being cast outward. You're tearing apart your own magical systems. You must stop!"

"Never" He said "If this is what it takes to get it to work, then so be it" After saying that he doubled his efforts into the spell. The magic was visibly arcing back and forth around his horn, fighting it's way around itself. His horn glowed red hot with power, which then began to crack. The cracks traveled all across his body, shining blood red.

With no warning the white unicorn suddenly exploded. Fragments of crystals mixed with still moving flesh hung in the air, still supported by the dark magic nebula hanging in the room. Starswirl removed hi hat in respect for his colleague he thought dead.

Just as he turned away, the nebula of flesh, crystal and magic began to pull itself together. A set of four grey hooves began to form on the floor. As the magic worked its way upward, the body of a gray pony was made. At the tip head a horn, not gray but blood red came into shape. When this ordeal was over the unicorn opened his eyes.

In complete disbelief Starswirl rubbed his eyes, before asking the new form "Sunbright?"

"Yes, and no" the pony said in a voice far deeper than Sunbright's. "The pony I once was was named Sunbright, but any light left within me is gone. A name more suited for me would be...Sombra"

---

"I died, Twilight Sparkle, properly this time. But I was reborn as the perfect fusion of pony, crystals, and magic. I became one with the dark, and I lived." He turned expectantly to the awestruck alicorn. "And that, is how I became who you see today."

Twilight sat by the fire wide eyed. Her world was taken up on end by the story. "Wow, so everything you did, all the learning and dark magic-"

"Was all in service to the king, yes" Sombra completed. "Think of me what you like Princess, but now you know, I was once a pony, just like you; in service to royalty, obtaining power. This is the reason I teach you slowly. If you are not careful, the results could be disastrous."

Twilight stood up and approached the king. With a smile she said "I may not be ready for my next phase of training, but I would like some practice from the master"

Comments

[FLUTTERxxDASH]

The plot thickens, I really like how its going, good work keep it up

[Moon Shade]

3636762
It's the thick plottens, not the plot thickens.

[FLUTTERxxDASH]

3645246
But is it really hehe

[Hawk24731]

I love Sombra, he's such a moldable 'villain'

[Glitter101]

Wow. His is past is just...I never expected that to be his past.