Concordia's First: Mingling Worlds

by Albi

Chapter II: The Other Side

Chapter II: The Other Side

Sombra let out a ferocious roar of anger. His eyes glowed an emerald color, purple smoke curled off the corners of his eyelids. His horn began to glow in a similar manner as he wheeled around and let loose a blast of black energy, blowing a gaping hole in the wall of Sagittarius Tower. He stood at the edge of the burning hole, seething with relentless anger. Anger he decided to take out on a crow that had unwisely decided to fly past him at the moment. Sombra yelled again and struck the helpless crow with a bolt of lightning, piercing it right through the heart. He watched it begin its long fall to the world below, finding no joy in its death. He was still furious with what he had seen.

The unicorn turned to face his desk where a few pieces of paper were now being blown around by the wind. On top was a black crystal shard that occasionally released a small spark of left over magic. He levitated the crystal over and dropped it in front of his hooves where he proceeded to smash it repeatedly. He snarled and stomped on the stone until it was nothing but black powdered dust that was blown out the hole and into the night.

But Sombra was still angry.

It was a rarity. He hadn’t felt this level of fury in a long time. Normally he would have enjoyed the feeling of power that came with his anger, but right now he felt only… disturbed.

It had been over twelve years since Nightmare Moon had assigned Sombra to research the magic necessary to breach the veil dividing the worlds. Since he was the only unicorn on the research team, all of the practical experiments fell to him. He had made great strides in the last decade. He had perfected the world viewing spell which enabled him to cast his gaze upon what Nightmare Moon had dubbed ‘The Light World,’ though he could not always control what he viewed. More often than not it was something useless and trivial like a pony grocery shopping, or a warm sunny day at the beach, or fillies trying to earn their cutie mark.

The spell was best used when using a crystal as a conduit; however it also took a great deal of magic to perform. Breaking through the boundaries of reality was not an easy feat, thus Sombra had decided to only perform it once a week merely to see if he could gather anymore intelligence.

There were rare occasions where he would glean vital pieces of information, like the landscape of the other world, though there weren’t many notable differences. He had also learned that the ponies of the Light World had moved their capitol from the Everfree Forest to a more defensible mountainside location yet had kept to calling it by its old name, Canterlot. Apparently the original Canterlot now lay in the forest as nothing more than rock and ruins.

However, since Nightmare Moon had learned the viewing spell, Sombra had had little need to relay information to her. Her magic was vast and surpassed that of his own. She spent most of her night casting her gaze into the world of light, greedily eating up the information it would yield to her. Now Sombra only peered into the other side purely for curiosity sake. What he had seen tonight had only left him howling in fury.

He had powered up the crystal, allowing it to create the sphere of light overhead. Inside, the image slowly came out of the fog that always preceded it and presented to Sombra a very interesting sight.

His eyes beheld the Crystal Empire under siege by… himself. He had seen his shadowy figure begin to attack the city, spreading black crystal everywhere. The crystal ponies screamed and began fleeing for their lives as they ought to have. It was a glorious sight.

All ruined by the dragon and the alicorn.

Just as the Crystal Heart had been about to fall into his alternate self’s clutches, the pink princess had swooped in and rescued the dragon and the heart.

Then there was light. Accursed light!

Sombra had watched in anger and horror as the light of hope and love destroyed his other self, blasting him to oblivion. His own body shuddered violently, as if he could feel the pain that he had just bore witness to. He had cut the power after that, unable to continue looking.

Sombra glanced down at the spot of the floor where he had smashed the black crystal. There was still a smear of powder left. Having nothing left to take his anger out on, Sombra continued to smash his hoof against the now microscopic remains. How? He thought. How could I have been defeated not once, but twice? And the second time was not even by divine might, but by the power of ‘unity.’ The more he thought about it, the angrier he grew. Revenge. Oh how he craved revenge. Revenge on the dragon, revenge on the princesses, and revenge on the Bearers of Harmony for he was sure they had a hoof in his second downfall as well.

Yes he had seen the Bearers before. Both he and Nightmare Moon had borne witness to her alternate self’s own defeat a few years prior. He now understood the rage and frustration she had felt that night; being defeated in such a humiliating way. But at least her other half lived, his had been reduced to dust.

Sombra was stirred from his thoughts by a gentle knocking at his door. No doubt a guard coming to assess the damage he had created. Good, he needed somepony to take his anger out on. “Enter,” he growled.

The door opened slowly as a purple unicorn poked her head around the corner, cautioning her entrance. Sombra’s hopes for venting fell as he saw who was at the door. Twilight Sparkle: his diligent student in this world and leader of the Bearers of Harmony in the other.

“Sorry for disturbing you, Master Sombra, I just heard an explosion and was checking to see if you were alright. N-not that you couldn’t handle yourself or anything, I-I mean your magic is so powerful, I was j-just making sure… you know.” She stood fully in the doorway looking embarrassed of herself. Had she been anyone else, Sombra would have blasted her on sight. Instead he gestured for her to come inside.

Twilight stepped through the threshold, marveling at the sight of what was left of her teacher’s study. Besides the gaping hole in the wall across from her, the bookshelf next to it had toppled over from the blast, Papers were scattered all about the room, and the fire in the large chandelier that hung over head had been extinguished from the breeze.

Twilight made her way over to her teacher, shivering from the frigid gale all the while. Sombra stood in the remaining rubble, facing the clear night sky. Twilight stopped at his side, rubbing her front legs against each other in an attempt to generate warmth. Noticing this, Sombra took his red cape and draped it over her. She looked at him and mouthed a silent “thank you.”

He gave a curt nod and continued to stare out at the starry canvas. His face was stoic mask only broken when he would grind his teeth together.

They stood in silence for a few minutes before Twilight finally built up the courage to ask, “Master, um if I may, what’s the matter?” Twilight had hardly seen her mentor angry. He was usually calm and collected, often impassive and even emotionless. The only times she had seen him display emotion was when he would criticize or praise her magic.

Sombra shook his head. “It need not concern you Twilight.” He could not tell his pupil of the horrible death his parallel self had faced. It would sow an uneasy trust between them. Twilight would think him angry with her; it would create a new kind of fear in her that would blot out trust. And her trust was something he needed.

He thought back to the night Nightmare Moon had seen The Light World’s Twilight Sparkle defeat her, and how murderous she had been afterwards. The empress had every intention to kill Twilight that night, and would have had Sombra not intervened and reminded her what would be needed when Celestia’s magic ran out. He didn’t tell Twilight how close to death she had been that night.

Twilight had fallen silent at his response, respecting her master’s privacy. She traced circles in the dust with her hoof for a while before starting another conversation. “So… is Empress Nightmare Moon really going to attack this other dimension?”
Sombra nodded. “Yes, she plans to begin her campaign soon. The spell to breach the veil between our worlds is nearly ready.”

“Why? Why is she going through all this trouble to attack an alternate world?”

Sombra let out a snort of amusement. “She’s paranoid. She thinks that the Celestia of that world knows of her existence and is on a warpath of her own to end her Eternal Night.”

“Celestia,” Twilight whispered, thinking aloud. “That’s the pony from the fairy tales right? The one who tried to burn other ponies to death with her sun?”

Sombra looked down at her. “Didn’t I tell you not to believe those tales?”

Twilight blushed. “Oh. No I-I don’t I was just seeing if… if there was any relation… or not.”

Sombra gave her a scrutinizing stare before continuing. “The Celestia from the fairy tales does not exist Twilight.”

She tilted her head in confusion. “But wait, if there’s a Celestia in that world then how can there have never have been one here?”

“You misunderstand me. The Celestia from the fairy tales does not exist. There was a Celestia a long time ago however.”

“Really?” Twilight’s curiosity was piqued now. “What was she like?”

Sombra’s ears twitched as a cold whisper brushed past him. “Another time, Twilight.”

“Oh.” Twilight’s face quickly fell with the rejection of knowledge. She circled her hoof a few more times in the dust before asking, “So, you’ve been looking into the other world right; in your spare time?”

“Yes,” Sombra said slowly.

“So… have you seen me?”

A pause. “Yes.”

“Really? Ooh what was I like?”

Another pause. “You liked to read books.”

Twilight’s face fell again. “Really, that’s it, that’s all you saw?”

Sombra let out a small growl. “I cannot pick and choose what is shown to me, Twilight.”

“Oh, right… sorry.”

Sombra felt the chill whisper brush past him again and knew it was time for Twilight to leave. He cleared his throat and asked, “Should you not be in bed pupil?”

Twilight rubbed a hoof against the back of her head. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Sombra waved her away with a hoof. “Then be off with you.”

Twilight wiggled her way out from underneath her master’s cape and headed for the door. She stopped in the frame to turn back and say, “Good night, Master Sombra.”

Sombra turned his head towards her and managed a small smile. “Good night my student.” Even with the gentle tone he meant to use, Sombra’s voice always sounded menacing and dripping with malice. But Twilight had grown used to it over the years and knew the feeling behind the words. She smiled brightly before walking out the door and down the corridor.
Sombra was left alone only for a second before a miasma made its way through the hole and towards the center of the room. It shifted and formed into the tall and regal Nightmare Moon. Sombra turned to face her and bowed. “Good evening Your Majesty.”

Nightmare Moon looked around the room before addressing him. “You know, Sombra,” she began sourly, “I pay good bits into keeping my palace looking nice.”

It took all of the unicorn’s willpower not to roll his eyes. “Forgive me Your Majesty; I’ll fix it right away.”

“As you should,” she nodded. “Though I’m guessing you saw the same thing I saw in the crystal?”

Sombra chose not to answer.

Nightmare moon narrowed her eyes and sneered, “Not very fun is it?”

“You were not destroyed!” he snapped before remembering his place, “… Your Majesty.”

“True,” Nightmare Moon said, ignoring his tone of outrage. “But perhaps now you understand the magnitude of the situation. Imagine if they were to come here and strike first; how much damage they would be able to create! They could end my rule! They could end your life, Sombra!” Her mane snaked towards him and raised his chin so he was looking the alicorn in the eye. “This is why we must deliver the first blow before Celestia has a chance to mold her weapons against us!”

“I understand Your Majesty.”

“Good boy,” her mane patted the side of face before inching away. Sombra’s eyes flashed with indignant anger before returning to their expressionless state. “So,” she continued, “What were you discussing with young Twilight?”

“She was merely curious as to why I was angry.”

The empress raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And did you not tell her?”

Sombra grunted. “She doesn’t need to be bothered with such information.”

Nightmare Moon let a devilish smirk slide onto her lips. “Why Sombra, could it be you’re going soft after all these years?”
He let out a snort of annoyance. “Not everypony responds to fear Your Majesty. Twilight responds to compassion and we need her to trust us so compassion is what I will give to her.”

Nightmare Moon allowed herself a small laugh of amusement as she stepped passed Sombra and towards the breach in the wall. “Very well, Sombra, do as you see fit, it matters not to me in the end.” She spread her large black wings in preparation for flight. “The spell will be ready in a few months’ time. Continue to serve me well and perhaps I will grant you their Crystal Empire as a boon.” She lept from the ledge and soared off into night, laughing as she went.

Sombra continued to stand there, allowing himself a grin of his own. “Oh but Your Majesty, when this is over I will have that and more…”

******

Twilight walked down the black marble corridors of the Lunar Palace, yawning loudly as she went. It was indeed past her regular sleeping hours and the thought of her warm plushy bed was enough to make her drowsy.

The fire in all of the braziers had been extinguished forcing Twilight to create her own light with her horn. She hated walking through the palace when it was like this. Anything outside the pool of light that surrounded her was instantly eaten up by the shadows. She kept at a hurried pace, following the purple carpet back in the direction she had come from.

Not slowing down, she sharply turned a corner and plowed face first into something white. She almost jumped out of her skin before she saw who it was and scowled.

Shining Armor.

“Oh, sorry, Twilight; I didn’t see you there,” he said, rubbing his front where the smaller unicorn had run into him. “Here, let me help you up.” He offered a hoof down to help her off the floor, but she brushed it away.

“I’m fine,” she said coolly, standing up and brushing herself off. She stared up at him and gave him a clod glare. “What do you want?”

Shining scratched the back of his head, seemingly embarrassed by the question. “Well… I was just… coming to check on you. I thought I heard a loud noise and-“

Twilight let out an irritated sigh and said, “I told you, I don’t need you checking in on me; I’m not a baby. Just worry about yourself, it’s what you do most of the time anyway!” She pushed past him and continued her way back towards her room leaving the older sibling alone in the dark looking quite dejected.

The purple unicorn had left her mentor’s room in relatively good spirits; now after seeing the walking, selfish idiot she refused to call her brother, her mood had turned sour. He was always trying to check on her and see if she was doing alright. And she hated it with a passion. She didn’t care if he was trying to be a good brother, she would never forgive him for what he did, for what he was doing now.

She found her way back to her room and slammed the door behind her. With a flick of her horn, she lit the chandelier above the center of her circular room letting the light of the fire chase away the darkness. She let out a tense breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Being in the sanctuary that was her room left her feeling a little calmer than she had been previously. Half of the circular space was taken up by shelves upon shelves of books ranging from history, to math, to her favorite subject: magic. She had a small writing desk that sat underneath a window that gave her a view of… well not much of anything. From its lofty position in the sky, the Lunar Palace only gave a view of roaming clouds and the ever present moon.

She walked across the velvety, purple carpet that had her cutie mark embroidered into it, a purple star with smaller white stars around it, and jumped onto her large, cushiony bed. She laid there for a long time, staring up at the stone celling while she mulled over her anger with Shining Armor. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to stop the burning tears from escaping. Thinking about it only brought up the painful memories. He was the reason why they had lost their home; the reason why her parents were dead. It was his fault. It was all his fault and she would never forgive him! She turned over and buried her face into her pillow, unable to stop herself from crying.

She would never forgive him…

Never…

Comments

[Omni]

Wow, this is really good. How it's written, structure, character, it's good. I also like how these variations of Nightmare Moon and Sombra witnessed their counterparts' respective downfalls, and how outraged they were about them; after all, in their universe, they win all the time, so it makes sense that they get outraged at how their counterparts were taken down. So, yeah, I think this is still good, and I can't wait for the next chapter.

[Albi]

1612729 Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoy it so far

[With A Bang]

but right he felt only… disturbed.
right now he

the light of hope and loved destroyed his other self
love

It would sew an uneasy trust between them.
sow

Besides that, and quite a few comma mistakes, this looks pretty good. I like how you wrote Sombra here- he's manipulative, self serving, and downright evil. And I'm getting that from a relatively short interaction with him. Although I get the feeling that he does have a little, tiny soft spot for Twi. I like that she's kind of the same, even in this alternate world. Though I do wonder what year this is and how far it was from NM defeating Celestia. I mean, it had to be long enough for her to fade into mere fairytales. Though that also brings up the question of why they're peering into the other universe behind their own timeline. Does this universe simply move faster? Or is the magic involved showing them the past?

[Albi]

1615575 Thanks for pointing out those corrections.
Actually both timelines are moving at the same speed. I guess i didn't make that clear enough, but they view everything in real time. When Sombra saw his defeat, that was happening as he was seeing it.
Nightmare Moon beat Celestia 1000 years ago. This is the universe where she won the initial fight. Hope that clears a few things up.

[With A Bang]

1615627
No problem.

Oooh! Yeah, sorry. It's just that I was skimming over the first chapter again before reading this one and mistakenly out Celestia's Defeat and the year 988 together. Totally my fault, sorry!

[vazak]

Wow, I really like this idea, original idea having Sombra be NMs "Dragon" he's got a good villain personality here, as done NM very much in-line with her canon counterpart, I think I understand what she's doing with Ceelstia, though I'm not sure why, though that's likely a matter of conflicting head canons. I really wept for Celestia.
Nice seeing Twilight, will we see any of the other character from the main timeline?
Do you have plans for Cadence or Shining... hmm and how did Twilight, open a viewing screen between worlds? Has NM considered the threat of Discord both in her world or any other?
Sorry for all the questions, I can't help myself

Anyway great fic, I look forward to seeing more.

[Albi]

1620303 I like questions. The sad thing is that i can't answer any of them without spoiling the plot. I can say that uncontrollable magic brought out by fear can do a number of things. You saw what it did to Twilight's parents and Spike in canon.
Glad you enjoy the story though

[vazak]

1621456
Guess i'll just have to wait then. TY for the response!

[The Tyrannical]

Reviewed my story? Well I'm 'reviewing' yours RIGHT BACK.

Grammar score: 9/10
Everything seemed to be in order, and the little things I did notice weren't that big of a deal.

PROS: ONE.) Way to capture the attention of readers with Celestia getting the stuffing beaten out of her. In fact, good job with her character all around. She acted exactly how I think she would in that kind of situation.
TUU.) The entire plot is actually quite interesting in itself. Definitely original and interesting. Yaaay.
TRES.) It doesn't look like it's been written by a third grader. Detail, grammar/spelling, and plot make this a story that anyone can read and enjoy.

CONS: I don't like how the prologue kinda HAS to be read in order to fully understand everything. Just make it the first chapter. To me, a prologue should just be something extra. You don't have to read it, but it's there. Also, IMO chapter two's a bit short.

Other than that, good job! Keep on going with this.