//------------------------------//
// Doubt 
// Story: When the light goes dim 
// by Jonah Smith 
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Chapter 1

- When Twilight was told that she had to find the crystal heart, she had thought it would be a simple task. Find it, use it against the vile darkness, and return to Canterlot to bring her mentor joy.

She didn't think that she would spend her time running through the empire to save the entire land of Equestria.

She dashed through the city, the city that wouldn't be here tomorrow if she failed. "Ugh, where could this artifact be? Maybe it's hidden back in the library, wait, no, one of my friends would have noticed it." She halted, realizing the one place it could be. 

Twilight skid to a halt in front of the crystal palace, her faithful assistant Spike followed, panting for breath.

"Twilight. How. Can. You. Run that fast? I thought you the slow one, well, putting teleportation aside"

Twilight turned to face Spike "Spike, I think I've found the location of the Crystal Heart!" She pointed a hoof to the palace. "It's right here in the palace! Now, let's hurry before Sombra breaks through the barrier, we don't have much time left!

Twilight bucked the door open and began running to the throne room, certain that the crystal heart would be somewhere in that vicinity. Where else could it possibly be if not there? She searched every crack and pushed the walls to see it there would be any doors that revolved to show some hidden lair of. Finding nothing, she turned around and looked directly at the throne, she didn't know why, but something about it looked awfully familiar.

Then it hit her, this was a replica of the crystal Celestia was using while showing her how to use dark magic. If the structure was the same, it would probably function the same, too. "Spike!" Twilight shouted, "This isn't the throne room!"

Spike scratched his head in confusion. "What? But if this isn't the throne room, then where else could it be?"

Twilight moved toward the throne, "Sombra did live here, Spike. But as you'll soon see, the answer is right in front of us. Literally."

Twilight concentrated, going deep within her mind to find all the negative emotions she carried: worry, self-doubt, anger, fear... all of these emotions concentrated into a dark black and green color on her horn. Twilight struggled to keep it in control, this was Dark magic, after all. But Twilight was confident enough in her abilities as well as the advice of her glorious mentor.

She went deeper, reliving every moment where she was angry. In a flair of purple and green magic, Twilight released the anger in a beam aimed at the crystal atop the throne. The crystal absorbed the energy and turned to a dark black, revealing through its shadow a spiral staircase in the floor.

Swaying slightly from exhaustion, Twilight walked to the top of the staircase. She could only see two levels down before the blackness swallowed them up.

Twilight turned her head, "Spike, please stay here and keep watch. I need to know how close Sombra gets to the empire. If he happens to break through Cadance's barrier, shout it to me."

Spike, though shivering with fear for her, agreed. "Yes, Twilight. But, promise me you'll be careful?"

Twilight gave him a smile, "I promise, Spike. I've dealt with worse than stairs." She began walking down them slowly, knowing what would happen if she lost her footing. After what seemed like forever, she came to the landing, only to be greeted by a single door.

Using her magic, she tried to grab the handle, but before she could turn it the door moved. "A self-moving door? It must be a security measure Sombra installed so other ponies couldn't get through. Maybe it works the same as the throne-crystal." Once more channeling her negative emotions, she unleashed a beam of dark magic. This time, the door unlatched.

"It is just me, or did that seem easier than before? Never mind, I'll research it when an empire isn't depending on me." She pushed open the door and a bright light poured out.

"Yes! This must be the way to the real throne room! The Crystal Heart must be here!" She galloped toward the light, but was greeted by a void once she passed the door frame. There were no stairs, no evidence of a door, simply darkness.

Twilight began to lose her composure and started shivering "Ugg, fine. So I fell into another trap. No matter, I'll just teleport myself out."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said a voice.

Twilight's body went as cold as ice. She turned her head, and behind her was a stallion. His fur black, his green eyes leaking purple plasma, and his horn... his horn."No! No, no, no, no, no! This can't be happening!" she shrieked. "You can't be here, you're nothing more than a shadow with eyes! How are you here?

Sombra remained unaffected by Twilight screams. "Really?" he asked. "A shadow with eyes? So that's what I've been reduced to." His mouth curled to show a set of fangs. "Curse those royal sisters, they must have done a bigger number on me than I thought." Sombra looked into her eyes. "I am not the King Sombra you saw in the waking world, I am only a remnant of his consciousness banished into this door. And I've been waiting for you." 

Sombra took a step toward Twilight, who let forth a burst of energy. A beam that fazed through him.

"A valiant effort, my dear, but it's all for naught. You are currently within my mind and cannot hurt me, just as I cannot hurt you. Well, physically.

Twilight took a few steps back, turning her head just enough to look for an exit. "You won't be able to stop me from finding the Crystal Heart, Sombra. No matter how hard you try!

Sombra stopped walking and was silent for a minute. He then burst into a fit laughter that would make Pinkie Pie seem second-rate. "Stop you? I don't want to stop you. Quite the contrary, Twilight Sparkle, I want to rescue you."

Putting aside the fact that this monster knew her name, Twilight asked, "Rescue me? From what, yourself?"

"No," Sombra replied, "I want to rescue you from the tyranny of Celestia, the true evil one among us."

"What?" Twilight cried in disbelief, "What are you talking about? She trusts me and has time and again guided me through the most difficult of tasks! I'm not falling for any more of your tricks."

Sombra smiled. "Okay, if that's true then tell me, what do you truly know about me? Only what your perfect little princess has told you?"

Twilight thought for a moment, what did she know? "I know that roughly 1,000 years ago there was an evil king who took over the Crystal Empire. Celestia and Luna were able to banish him, but not before he cast a curse to take the Empire with him."

Sombra sighed. "I thought as much. So, you're the scholar, can you really trust the word of only two ponies?" Sombra shrugged. "Perhaps you will believe my side, perhaps not. But at least do me the honor of listening. Now, I was a king and greatly loved by my subjects. I brought prosperity to the Empire as a master of trade and negotiations, and, if need be, a master battle strategist. All of Equestria flourished while I ruled, but the royal sisters didn't think the same. They didn't understand what I was doing, so they staged a coup. We were all supposed to rule together, but I was betrayed."

The darkness around them was replaced with the Crystal Empire, but it was engulfed in flames. Ponies were screaming and running for their lives. Twilight looked up and saw pegasi using clouds to shoot lighting at buildings, setting them ablaze. She looked down to see a filly on the ground, her body gruesomely cut by pegasi wing-blades.

Sombra and Twilight looked at each other. "That friend of yours, Rainbow Dash. I wonder how she would act if she found out this is what the Wonderbolts truly are? They just hide it behind fancy aerial shows, trying to forget the lives their predecessors ruined."

Not all those running by were ponies. Twilight noticed a Minotaur and a Diamond Dog, both of which were consumed by a jet of flame before they could reach the city wall. The pony who made the flame, was the very same Twilight had studied under for years. Her eyes were cold and empty

Twilight had seen enough. "Stop it, please. Let it end." 

Sombra made eye contact and the vision slowly faded.

"I can't believe you," Twilight managed amidst tears, "Celestia would never do something so cruel. Equestria's a land of harmony, not this... this horror."

Sombra shook his head. "And who's to say Equestria is the perfect land of harmony you think it is? Have you ever looked at the balance of power? Ponies reign supreme while other races go looking for scraps. Remember that Diamond Dog you saw? They used to have a large empire. They mined minerals and gems in trade for food. Then Celestia and Luna took it all. Why else are they living in caves? And the Griffons, look at their once glorious city of Griffonstone.

The shadowy realm dissipated once again and Twilight lifted her face out of her hooves to look at the changed landscape. Where she expected to see a city similar to that of Canterlot she saw nothing of value, the houses, run down and looked like they would fall under the gentlest of breezes, the citizens, constantly shouting at each other it was the complete opposite of harmony.

"Does Celestia not have the means to do this to an entire race? Does she not possess the resources?"

Twilight remained silent.

"I take that silence as a yes. Instead of giving them away, all the resources go to those petty nobles in Canerlot who waste money simply to flaunt their social status. Greed, lust, cruelty, dishonesty, the very types of behavior that Equestria should stand against and yet nothing ever changes because those with power stay in power."

Silence lasted once again before Twilight finally posed a question. "Why should I believe you? All the citizens remember your tyranny, and the sisters as saviors." Twilight started to regain her confidence believing this final shred of evidence would be enough to prove the monster wrong.

"Their memories have been replaced. Before banishing me, the sisters cast a spell to make it look like I was the evil one."

"B-But that's impossible! Only the darkest level unicorns could cast a spell like that, there's no way that-"

Sombra cut Twilight off and literally moved through her. "But remember, Twilight," he said, his voice growing more powerful, "who's the one that taught you dark magic in the first place?"

Twilight completely lost her composure, shooting blast after blast through Sombra.

"Yes, that's it, Twilight," he said. "Unleash all your anger upon the world. You've been lied to by your teacher countless times. Join me, and we can make Equestria a better place! All you have to do it help de-throne Celestia." He held out a hoof for her to take.

In reply, Twilight spit through his face "Burn in Tartarus!"

Sombra sighed, "So be it." Sombra's horn started glowing and before Twilight knew it she was flat on the ground, around her hooves was a black tendril crushing her.

"AHH, Twilight screamed. I thought you said you couldn't hurt me in here."

Sombra's smile sent shivers down Twilight spine, this pony knew exactly what he was doing, and there was no regret. He could kill her with one simple command and yet he didn't. "Fine then. Just remember, when your friends call out your name to find you, nopony will ever come. They'll all suffer all because of your close mindedness because...... Friendship. Is. Tragic.