Canterlot...
Princess Celestia was not happy at the moment. Her face was filled with worry as she walked down the many corridors of her castle, all in search of her sister. She had already checked her room, only to find that Luna was not asleep. This made her come to only one conclusion, one that she found when she found her little sister inside Canterlot Tower.
"Sister?" Celestia asked as she walked up to Luna, who was currently in a trance as she stared at the many stain-glass windows. "Why are you up? You should be resting."
Luna continued to stare at windows as she replied. "I can not sister. I could not fall asleep."
Celestia knew where this was going. "You are worried for Ruby."
Luna nodded, a small tear trying to form in her right eye. "She was one of my closest friends before the Nightmare. You remember what happened when I lost her..." Luna began to look down at the floor, "And how it helped me lose myself..."
"Stop that Luna." Celestia grabbed her sister's head, turning her to stare at her straight in the eyes. "Don't go down that path again sister. You need to believe in her, and believe in Twilight and Flash. They will succeed."
Luna just stared at her intensely, her lip trembling as she responded. "Sister...you don't understand what you're asking. You don't know what Ruby would say about Sombra. They were best friends. Ruby spoke of him often, never with a negative word against him." Her expression turned a shade darker as she continued, "I was amazed when she came to us for help, telling us how the same innocent colt murdered one of the strongest unicorns we've known since Starswirl. Do you honestly think she will be able to fight him like back then?!"
"I...I do not know," Celestia turned to look up at the stain glass windows herself. "But I do know this sister. She will not be alone."
Meanwhile...
Ruby stood alone in the snow covered wasteland, glaring up at the mass of black shadows that stared down at her. Sombra's wicked smile made her feel a chill that ran down to her very soul, but she showed no signs of fear. She had cast them away, even those of her own death, long ago. She would defeat him, even if it cost her life itself.
She magically swung her sword around her body, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Sombra let out a chuckle before slowly lowering himself towards the crystal mare, locking eyes with her. The shadow summoned a dark hoof, presenting itself directly in front of the knight, "Ruby, it doesn't have to be this way. Join me in my conquest of the empire, and together we will rule this land. It is our destiny."
"Never." Ruby immediately replied, pointing her sword at the shadow monster, "I will never join you after what you've done."
The shadow shook its head as Sombra's face disappeared into the dark gas. In that moment, the black cloud began to spiral around itself as it shrank in size, soon taking into a shape that Ruby knew all to well. It was Sombra, who soon stepped out of the shadow while looking exactly as he did a thousand years ago. The only difference was that his eyes were no long red and green, but instead green and white like when he was young. "I only did what I was sent here to do."
Ruby just blinked at the statement, her sword almost lowering. "What are you talking about?"
Sombra shook his head again, still chuckling, "You once called me your best friend, but you don't know the first thing about me."
"Oh really?" Ruby responded, narrowing her eyes at the tyrant. "Then who am I talking to?"
Sombra shined a dark grin, his pure white teeth shimmering as he started to talk, "I am something beyond what you could imagine Ruby." His eyes started to turn back to the red and green form, "I am no ordinary pony, for I...am a king."
"Of a stolen throne?!" Ruby spat back. "One that you have no right over?!"
Sombra just shook his head again. "No. I am a king. A king of shadows."
A thousand years ago...
"Sombra. It was the only word I could say when they found me. No matter what they asked, the only work I would say was Sombra. So they made it my name.
I had no family, as I was found alone in the blizzard plains of the north outside of the empire, so the Crystal Guard brought me to Chestnut Fall's Orphanage. I soon tried to adapt to the place though I was years behind my classmates. They all knew things I had never even heard of. Saying their words felt like chewing peanut brittle, like my mouth wasn't meant to say them. But I was a quick learner, and Ms. Chestnut Falls would help when I couldn't understand the words I was supposed to speak.
And as I lived there, I soon found out that I was different. I was not a crystal pony, who had coats that shined like jewels or manes that glistened like diamonds. Instead, I had a dull gray coat and a dark black mane, my body unable to shine.
And as I saw that I was different, I found that there were troubles that came with it."
"Greetings friends," Sombra said to the three ponies who were playing with a ball. It was in the afternoon at the orphanage and Sombra had just started to fully learn how to talk. Seeing this, he decided to try and have fun with the other foals his age. "Can Sombra play too?"
He watched as the pink one sighed before talking to the others, completely ignoring him. It was here that his ears easily picked up the sneering of the pink foal, "Why does he talk like that? I don't even know why they keep him around, he's not even a crystal pony."
The blue one nodded in agreement. "I don't even know what he is. He doesn't have his cutie mark."
Sombra frowned at hearing this, looking back at his blank flank. As he did, the three turned and walked away, their heads held high. "Go away sombrero. We don't want anypony to see us with a weird pony like you."
"Yeah! They might think we're weird like you."
"But-" Sombra tried to say, only for the pink one to turn around and flick his nose.
"Didn't you hear us you stupid, weirdo freak?! We don't want to be seen with you! Go away!"
"But why is-"
"Hey! Why don't you lot get off your high horses and stop thinking you're all Celestia's gift to Equestria!" yelled a sudden new voice. They all turned to see a crystal unicorn filly who was several different shades of red.
Then, the trio began to laugh as the blue filly pointed at the unicorn, "Look everypony, it's the great protector. So, still trying to be a hero?"
"Yeah! The great protector of weirdos!" the pink filly chimed in. "What a loser!"
The unicorn shook her head, soon walking up to Sombra and patting his shoulder, "Don't bother trying to be their friends. They're not worth anypony's time."
The three hopped in place at this insult. "We're worth more time than you disgusting freaks." the pink filly said as she patted her chest. "We're real ponies unlike you weirdos."
The blue colt stuck out his tongue before pointing at the duo. "Eh, let's just leave these losers alone. After all, you two deserve each other."
With that, they left the duo alone. Once they were gone, Sombra turned towards the filly and smiled. "Thank you for helping Sombra."
The unicorn smiled back as she patted him again. "Don't mention it."
"That was the day I made my first, and only, friend. Her name was Ruby Scarlet, and we soon became inseparable. I sat next to her in every class, usually passing notes to each other that were written in our own little language. The other ponies still laughed at us, but we didn't care. As long as we were together, we were happy.
And as those days passed, she told me about the Crystal Empire's greatest artifact, the Crystal Heart. It was an object that told somepony what their future is, and Ruby had seen it. She told me that it had shown her, which was a future where she was a mighty warrior and protector. Ironically, she had given this destiny up, but after about a week of encouragement, I convinced her to restart her training to be a warrior.
But of course, I too wanted to know what the heart would show me. So some time later, we went to the Crystal Castle to gaze upon the Crystal Heart. I wanted to see what my fate was, what true destiny that I would be given.
As it turned out, I knew nothing of what fate truly had in store for me."
"Come on Sombra!" Ruby cried happily as they raced through the city towards the castle, making their way to the Crystal Heart. Before they knew it, they had arrived and Ruby slowly pushed Sombra up to the relic. As the two stepped up to the heart, they began staring at it as they waited for it to show their reflections. Sombra saw Ruby smiling as she saw her reflection, so he turned to stare at the heart.
But what he saw was something he never expected.
His reflection showed not some great hero or protector like Ruby. No, his image was much darker. Instead, he saw his body concealed by a shroud of darkness, an evil smile on his face and a pair of monstrous eyes that gleamed a sinister stare.
"No!" He cried as he leapt away from the heart, only for his back to collide with something. Looking around, he saw the ruler and protector of the land, Princess Amore.
The princess smiled down at him. "You know, they say the Crystal Heart's reflection has magical properties. In fact, it is told that it can reflect what is in your heart. But I've always believed we have to power to shape our future however we want it, so whatever you saw...you have the power to change it Sombra."
Fear and dread raced through Sombra's entire body. What would they do if they knew what he had seen? Would they make him leave? "B-B-But I didn't see anything," he lied. "All I could really see was darkness. Like...like a shadow or something."
Amore nodded. "I believe you Sombra." She raised his chin with her hoof as she continued to smile before glancing at Ruby. "Now, you two both better go home for now. The Crystal Heart is not something foals should just play with, okay?"
"Yes your majesty." they both replied in unison.
"I was wracked with guilt all the way home. I don't know why I did it, but I lied to the princess. It was as if it was instinct on my part. Little did I know, I had actually saw the truth. I saw what I was supposed to become.
But as for the guilt, it was all but soon forgotten four days later, when I first felt the pain and agony of the Crystal Fair. It was an event Ruby had told about to me for weeks, only to find out that I couldn't attend. For some reason, I instantly found myself bedridden as soon as the day of the fair started. The pain I felt that day was like nothing I'd ever felt before, something that tore into me like a dagger throughout my body.
And that was just the beginning. For you see, every time that the fair happened, I found myself bedridden again and again. I kept getting sick on that day, and we had every doctor in the city to try and help me, only for nothing in return. I stayed sick, broken when the fair happened.
It wasn't until our fifteenth year that things began to change. Ruby had figured out that it was the fair that was making me sick, so she proposed a plan to me. She asked me to join her to leave the city on the day of the fair, to find out if her theory was true.
She turned out to be right, as on that day out of the city, I was fine. I didn't feel a tinge of sickness or pain, I was fine. But as I we left the city into the frozen wastes of the north, we found new danger. We ran into a yeti, a snow monster that attacked us without hesitation. And as it did, I soon thought my life was going to end, dead with my friend on a frozen mountain in the middle of nowhere.
But then Ruby changed. She summoned a giant crystal sword, one that scared the yeti away. And as the monster ran, Ruby gained her cutie mark, a mark showing a true protector like she had told me she had seen in the Crystal Heart. She soon fainted and I carried her back to the empire, only for my sickness to hit me as soon as entered the city.
Before I knew it, both of us were bedridden, though for different reasons. And as the day finally ended, I found out that Ruby was asked by the Royal Sisters to train with them. I knew she wanted to go, but I also knew she did not want to leave me. But I could not live with myself, knowing I had stood in the way of everything she had ever wanted. So I made a sacrifice."
"You should go," Sombra told her as he helped Ruby out of the hospital room. "After all, isn't this your dream?"
Ruby tried to respond, only to frown as she began to stare at the floor. "But...but if I do...you'll be all alone."
In that moment, Sombra rose her chin with his hoof. "No I won't." Sombra replied, giving her the kindest smile she had ever seen. "Because even if you're a thousand miles away, I'll still have a piece of you with me. Our friendship is one that'll never be destroyed."
Ruby's heart felt like it was gonna explode, tears filling her eyes. She then threw her hooves around his neck, hugging him with everything she had. "I'll come back, I promise! I'll become the hero you inspired me to be! I will!"
Sombra hugged her back, tears starting to appear in his eyes as well. "I know you will."
"And so, Ruby left to train with the Royal Sisters, and I was left alone. We wrote to one another, her telling me all about her training while I lied about how well I was doing. I knew I couldn't make her worry, but I also knew that reality was cruel. In truth, as soon as she left, I quickly found that I had nothing. Nopony to be with or talk to.
I was alone. Despite everything I tried after she left, I was still rejected by those around me. Everyone shunned me, spoke behind my back because I was different, because I wasn't a crystal pony. It seemed that I was destined to be forever alone, as Ruby would be my only friend.
And so, days began to pass. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and eventually the one year mark of Ruby's departure arrived along with another event I was dreading. Not wanting to endure the pain of the Crystal Fair alone, I left the city as I had done the year before. Only this time, I was alone. Alone in the frozen wasteland of the north."
A sixteen year old Sombra trudged through the snow, clutching the ragged cloak he was wearing for warmth. Not wanting a repeat of last year, he chose to avoid the mountains and instead walked through the wasteland. But as he did, the snow was not gentle, and instead started to kick up a gale storm. Sombra shivered as his coat was soaked through the incoming storm, the icy water chilling him to the bone.
"Maybe...maybe this is what I'm fated to be. Just a lone pony, alone in this wasteland of a world." he said to himself as he took another deep step into the frozen water. "Ruby...I'm so sorry..."
As he took another step, he suddenly felt the impact of the snow below him, the fluff covering his face as he hit the white ground. As he did, he tried to get up, only to feel nothing. He couldn't move, his body was frozen.
"Is...is this the end?" he whispered, slowly moving his head upward. He tried to open his eyes, only to feel another burst of cold air blast his face. The force made him drop his head once more, his mane sinking into the white frozen water below. "Ruby...I just wanted to see you one more time." he muttered as he felt his mind slowly drifting away. "Lonely...I'm so lonely."
Then, his ears heard something.
"Sombra."
Energy suddenly surged through him as the voice rang out in that wastland. The unicorn's eyes flew open at the mysterious voice. He was sure he had never heard it before, but somehow it sounded...familiar.
"Sombra."
Sombra tried to raise his head again, trying to find any sign of who was speaking. His mouth creaked open as he squeaked out, "Who's there?"
"Over this way. Come to me."
As those words entered his ears, his body suddenly stood upright. Before he knew it, he was on autopilot, fully picking himself up and starting to walk towards the voice.
"That's right, this way."
As Sombra followed it, a new feeling filled his body. It was a coldness, but not like the cold touch of the snow. Instead, this coldness seemed to warm him up, as if that made any sense. But as he continued, he found the source of the cold warmth, something that made his eyes widen as he saw it. It was some form of a red and black crystal that was stuck in ground in the middle of the snowy wasteland. This crystal was like nothing he had ever seen before.
"Are you the one who was calling to me?" Sombra asked the crystal, unsure as to why he was talking to a load of super condensed minerals.
But then, the crystal did something truly unexpected. It spoke.
"I am. I knew you would one day return to me."
"Return to you?" Sombra replied, tilting his head in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"What's the matter? Don't you recognize your own mother?"
Sombra's eyes went wide hearing this. "What?!"
"That's what you should call me. After all, I'm the one that brought you into this world."
Sombra froze at this new information. He blinked at the crystal as he stuttered out his response. "What are you...I don't understand. You...are my mother? But you're a crystal!"
"I am. But I am a crystal that talks, am I not? Not only that, where were you when you were first found?"
"I..." Sombra tried to reply, only to realize what the rock meant. "The Crystal Guards found me out here..."
"That they did. Not only that, haven't you ever wondered how you got here? Haven't you ever wondered why you are different from everyone else? Why you don't have one of those silly little cutie marks or a crystal coat like everyone else?"
"I...I've always wondered." Sombra said insantly, his eyes trying to get wider as the crystal continued its questions. Before he knew it, he ran up to the crystal and touched it, pure desperation in his eyes. "Please....please tell me! Tell me who I am! What am I?! Why...why am I alone?"
"The answer is so simple my dear child, my dear Sombra. You're not like them because you're not one of them. You're not a creature of shining crystal, you're the opposite. A creature of shade and smoke. You're the thing they fear...an Umbrum. A shadow pony."
Sombra frowned at hearing this, almost backpedaling as he said, "They're not afraid of me."
"Oh they are, they just can't remember why. You see, we're the darkness they fight to keep at bay. We haunted their every nightmare until they created a weapon to keep us away. After all, hasn't there been a time where you've felt unnaturally sick? A time where something is presented throughout the city you leave in?"
A lightbulb turned on in Sombra's brain. "The Crystal Heart. That's what you're getting at, isn't it?"
"Correct."
A tinge of anger appeared in Sombra's eyes. "So that's why the Crystal Fair makes me sick. Because it's supposed to protect them from me." The tinge disappeared as he then asked. "But why? Why does it hurt me? I haven't done anything to them. Heck, I can't do anything to them."
"Oh, but you can. Your magic is very powerful, but your magic makes you vulnerable to the heart. That's why we locked your magic away, until you were ready."
"Ready? What do you mean? Ready for what?"
"Your destiny of course. A destiny that you and you alone can accomplish. One that only being alone will allow you to become something truly greater."
"Destiny...of being alone." Those words ringed in Sombra's head for some time, slowly sinking in as he blinked at the crystal. He let out a low, dark chuckle. "I'm always alone, so would that really change things?" Then, as if on instinct, he asked the pivotal question. "How do I prove myself ready?"
"You have nothing to prove to me. But changing you into what you were truly meant to be will take time. Your body must slowly adjust into it, or you'll basically explode from the power."
"Then what must I do?"
"For now, I will weaken the seal contain your power. That will cause a little of it to seep through, allowing you to slowly get used to it. But be warned, doing this will also cause the pain you feel during the Crystal Fair to intensify."
"Of course it will..." Sombra sighed, shaking his head. "I can't escape it, can I?"
"No, you can not. After all, this is what the crystal ponies want to do to you."
"They don't want to hurt me." he replied back, anger now returning to his tone. "Why do you keep saying that?"
"But they do. The princess fears you, that is why the crystal is displayed so heavily each year. After all, the more she shows, the more quicker your death will come."
Sombra's eyes went wide from this. "Death?!"
"Yes. It will eventually kill you, seal removed from you or not."
"But...why?"
"Because Sombra, she fears you. Didn't you ever ask yourself why she never really tried to help you when the fair happens? She know about it after all, our existence is known to her. You can ask her yourself."
"But that's...I mean...." Sombra could feel his world crumble around him as he heard these words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. But as he did, he thought up another important question. "What do I do to prevent it from killing me? How do I live from this?!"
"Why, you accept your destiny, of course."
"But didn't you say that will make things worse?"
"It will. The more powerful you become, the more being around Amore's weapon will hurt you. Once you have regained enough of your power, simply being in its presence will cause you to wither in pain. However, it is when you at the peak of your power is when you will be able to change your destiny. The power you gain can defy the death that the heart wishes to give you."
Hearing this, Sombra's expression became one of determination. He knew what he had to do. "Alright, I'll do it. Give me the power I was destined to have! Break the seal!"
"Very well. I hearby declare you worthy of accepting your destiny."
With that, a bolt of purple lightning shot out of the crystal and struck his horn. As it did, it was as if somepony had flicked a switch in Sombra's brain. He suddenly felt a rush of power, which made him cry out as magic surged through his body. And as the magic began to die down, the crystal said one last thing.
"Good. Very good Sombra. Now, for the next year, you must train yourself in body and mind so that when we meet again, you can take even more power. Don't worry, I'll tell you what you need to do in this next year of training."
"And so, I began my training. Fearing that I would be discovered, I left Chestnut's Orphanage the next day. After that, I found and bought an old run down old shack with the money I had saved for the Crystal Fairs that I never attended. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
With this place for myself, I spent my every moment training, preparing myself for future. As I did, If found one of the many upsides of my new power, specifically that I no longer required food or sleep, though I could do both if I wished. With this, my training was able to go leaps and bounds rather quickly, though I could be exhausted when using too much power.
However, the news of me moving got to the ear of the one pony I did not want to meet as I started my new training."
A week into the training...
Sombra was sitting in a meditative stance, his eyes closed and his mind in an almost full trance as his horn began to glow. As the light of his horn grew, several objects in the room began to float, all of them covered in a thick magic aura. Then, Sombra began to shift his hooves around as if he was conducting the objects, his eyes still closed as he chanted to himself, "Slowly...keep the pace slow Sombra. I must..."
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Aaah!!" the unicorn yelped as the sound of hooves smacked his shack's door. The objects in his magic all fell to the floor as his horn's aura spurted out, causing him to hop in place. Sombra turned to the door and yelled, "Who is it?!"
"It is I, Princess Amore. Please open the door Sombra."
The voice made Sombra almost freeze in place. He could feel an army of shivers going down his spine as he started to recount what his mother had told him. What she had said about how Amore wished to do him harm, only to then think about how Ruby adored the princess, telling him about what a great pony she was.
With a giant gulp, he got up and creaked the door ajar. "H-h-hello, your majesty." Sombra squeaked as he started to open the door slightly more, bowing as he did.
"Arise Sombra." she replied, a mix of a smile and frown on her face. "There is no need to bow right now. I am merely here to see how you are Sombra."
"See...how I am?" Sombra stuttered, his eyes shrinking at her statement.
Amore nodded. "Yes. I heard you...acquired this place, and I was worried."
"Why would you be worried about me, your majesty?" Sombra replied, his eyes darting away slightly for a second. "I mean, I'm just a lowly-"
His mouth stopped moving as Amore put her hoof on his shoulder, a look of pure worry on her face. "Don't say that Sombra. I care for all my subjects, including you. You are a wonderful pony, capable of anything. I am here because I am worried, worried that you are trying to isolate yourself from everypony around you. Tell me, does Ms. Chestnut know about this?"
"Yes." he said, knowing full well he had lied. He had told his orphanage owner that he was leaving and thanked her for taking of him, but that was it.
"I see." Amore replied, letting out a low sigh. She then leaned down as she now put both hooves on his shoulders. "Now Sombra, I want to say one more thing to you. I am always here to help you, you only need to ask. Understand?"
"I...understand." Sombra responded, his eyes staring down at the ground.
"Amore kept coming by after that, her visits were probably at least once a month. But despite all this, I kept away as much as possible from her. I...I just couldn't trust her anymore. I knew I had to be alone, and that included being away from her.
And as time passed for that next year, I continued to train. I trained until the fair came around again, where I then left the city to visit my mother again. There, she gave me more power, unlocking more of the seal. I repeated this again and again, leaving each year on the day of fair to break the seal. And as more of my power returned to me, the more pain I felt when I went inside the city. The pain started to happen even after the fair, almost to the point where I couldn't train a few weeks after the fair.
Despite this, I endured it all. All for my destiny.
Then one day, six years after discovering what I truly was....she came back."
A twenty-two year old Sombra was in his shack, his mind in a deep trance as his horn shined like a star. Around him was a dance of shadows, all under his power as dark magic filled the room. That is, till his ears picked up the sound of someone knocking at his door. A look of surprise covered his face, as nopony ever came to visit him. Getting up off the floor, he moved over to the door and cracked it open. He peered out of it, only for his eye to go wide.
"Ruby?"
The now fully grown mare gave him a huge smile. "Hello Sombra. Its been a long time."
""Yes...it has." Sombra replied, his tone mumbling. "Its been seven years."
"I know. Time really flew, didn't it?" Ruby responded as she leaned towards the door, her smile widening. "It's good to see you. Can I come in?"
"No," Sombra immediately replied, "I'm...busy. I'm sorry, you must leave." With that, he shut the door, sighing in pain. Ruby continued to try to get Sombra to respond, but he kept telling her no. And as he did this, he looked up at his now curved red horn, a recent development after his last power infusion. If she saw him like this, she would surely try and find out what was happening and that would put his plans in jeopardy.
"It hurt, but I could not be around my oldest friend. I had to keep myself away from other ponies. I had to be alone. That was my destiny. I must be alone until the day arrived that I could reveal my true self. Luckily, that time was closer then I thought."
The day before the next Crystal Fair...
"You are ready!"
Sombra's eyes went wide as he stood before his mother. "Are you sure?"
"I am. I am amazed at how much you have grown. It has taken much less time than I expected for you to grow in strength, but you can now handle your full power. Are you ready?"
Sombra took a deep breath. He had been ready for this moment for years. "I...I need to know who I truly am. Do it!"
Once again, a blast of purple lightning shot out the crystal and struck his horn. This time however, he did not feel the seal crack. Instead, the seal burst as a rush of power like nothing he had ever felt before spread throughout his body.
"In that moment, I knew exactly who I was. I was a pony of shadow, and I knew and understood everything about what I could do as one. At that moment, I truly understood what I had been destined for. The destiny that I alone could accomplish."
"There. How do you feel?"
Sombra did not reply at first, his eyes closed as he felt the new power surge through him. Then his eyes opened, the once green and white orbs now red and green, with purple magic seeping from them. He flexed his hooves a few times, feeling the cricks of magic flow through his entire power. "Amazing. I feel....powerful! As if nothing can stop me." Shadows appeared around him as he said those last words, engulfing his body and transforming him into a cloud of smoke. "Incredible. This is my true power?"
"That was the day that the true me, the me that had been hidden away for so long, was born. The power of being alone, of changing destiny and gaining power had given me true strength. Destruction was my talent, and darkness was my cutie mark."
"Excellent. You are now ready to complete your destiny."
Sombra turned to his mother. "Destiny? I have achieved the power you have trained me for mother, what else is there? Is there something else I need to do to escape my death from the heart?"
"No. Your destiny and why you were sent to the Crystal Empire are one and the same. After all, this is what all this work has been for."
"I...don't understand. I thought this was to save me." Sombra looked back at his shadowy form, blinking as another question entered his mind. "Also, this is something else I wish to know. Why am I the only one of my kind in this world?"
"You aren't. There is an army of Umbrum waiting below the city. We only wait for you to dig down and set us free, then you can lead us as the king you were truly meant to be."
Sombra floated back at this. "Me...a king?"
"Yes, but first you must get rid of the one thing that can stop us. Amore's Crystal Heart."
It was then that Sombra remembered Ruby, the one and only friend he had ever had. The thing that had been the most precious to him. "If I do this, I'll lose my only friend."
"You have no choice, Sombra. If you do not remove the Crystal Heart, then during the next Crystal Fair...you will be destroyed. That will be your destiny if you don't, even with this new power."
"But that's tomorrow!" Sombra barked back.
"Exactly. So what will you do? Abandon your subjects and be destroyed, or do what you were sent to do and free us. I told you before Sombra, it is your destiny to be killed by the heart. If you don't do this, if you don't use your new power to rid the empire of the heart, you will die."
"But-"
"Please free us Sombra. You are our champion and king. Only you can save us all from the heart."
"At the time, I had my doubts. I believed there was something else I could do to change it....but I was out of time. Not only that, but when I went to the Crystal Heart, I found myself face to face with Amore. She told me that she knew, and that's when I realized what had happened all this time. She had lied to me, about how I could change my future. She wanted me to abandon my destiny and remain trapped as her servant, which meant nothing more than a meaningless death to the heart.
But I would not die to such a destiny.
I took my revenge upon her, trapping her essence in stone and scattering it to the far corners of Equestria. Maybe someday, somepony will be able to rebuild her and set her free. But that would not be before I conquered all before me. As I did, my one and only friend was cast out of the empire, as she tried to kill me for what I had done. As she left to seek help, I stole the Crystal Heart, hiding it away as I took over the Crystal Empire. It was so fitting to see the ponies that had once ignored and mistreated me, now locked in shackles and forced to dig for my Umbrum army. I made sure they screamed out for the Heart or the princess to save them, only for nothing to get an answer.
But then an obstacle appeared. It was in the form of my best friend and the Royal Sisters. They laid siege to my empire, forcing me to stop my plans to unearth my subjects. As they did, Ruby returned to me as an enemy, and stopped me from finally defeating the foolish sisters. But I would not go down without a fight, as I used a special curse my mother had shown me over the years, allowing me to lock away the empire away until I was ready to return."
The Present...
"And now, I have returned to complete my work." Sombra stared at Ruby, trying to determine her reaction to his story. "I will retake the empire and once again work to free my people."
Ruby just stood there, her whole body and face shaking. She was unsure on how to feel about this new development. All this time, her best friend had been the enemy. But as she tried to think, Sombra tried to step closer to her, only for her to raise her sword again and point it at his throat. The king merely shook his head at this as he responded, "You must understand Ruby. What if your people were trapped with no way of escaping for the mere crime of simply existing? If you had the power to do so, would you not try and do everything you can to help them be free? Don't we have that right?"
"I...don't know. I don't know what to think anymore." Ruby replied, her sword slowly floating down as she looked away. As she did, Sombra's eyes went wide as he saw what her face did next. Ruby...was crying.
"Ruby?" Sombra asked, blinking at the sight. "Why are you crying?"
"I...I don't know why." Ruby looked back at Sombra, tears flowing down her face. "Is this all true Sombra? Is everything you just said true?"
Sombra quickly nodded. "Yes, it is. Why? Do you doubt me?"
Ruby shook her head. "No. I just..." the mare let out a long sigh before giving him a look of pure sadness. "Why didn't you tell me about this back then? Why didn't you tell me that you were suffering when I returned to the empire? Why...didn't you trust and tell me this?"
"What?!" Sombra yelped, not expecting this response. "What are you talking about?!"
"Sombra...if you had told me this when I returned to the empire all those years ago, I would've helped you!" Ruby barked back, anger now slightly forming on her face as the tears continued. "If this is really true and the heart was hurting you that much, I would've helped you find a way around it!"
"What are you-" Sombra stuttered, his mind trying to comprehend what he was hearing. But as he did, he gritted his teeth as he yelled back, "You can't be serious Ruby! Did you not hear me?! Amore was going to kill me! There's no way you would've helped me! You were loyal to that snake!" Sombra's horn began to flare as he stomped forward, steam blasting out of his nostrils. "You would have never-"
"I would have!" Ruby screamed, interrupting Sombra as he took a step back from her reply. "If I knew about this, I would have helped you Sombra! I would have helped you confront her over the heart and stood by your side! I would have tried to help you figure out some kind of other solution to save you Sombra!" Ruby's tears began to flow again, "I loved you Sombra."
"You're lying." Sombra hissed back, his horn still glowing. "YOU'RE LYING!"
Ruby just shook her head, "No, I'm not. When you betrayed me and the princess, it broke my heart. I didn't understand why you did it and it tore me to pieces!" Ruby wiped her eyes as she continued, "I thought I had lost my best friend because I wasn't there to help him. I thought...I thought my destiny the heart showed me had destroyed my best friend. I....I started to hate you and myself because of it!"
"I...you..." Sombra tried to respond, his eyes shaking back and forth as he tried to understand the scene before him. "You're lying...you have to be. You're loyal to her...to that snake..."
"I was loyal to her Sombra." Ruby calmly replied, her tears finally stopping. "But I would have gladly stood against her if you had told me what was happening to you. I would have defied her to help you." Ruby's face finally showed a smile as she said, "You were my greatest friend Sombra, I would have done anything for you."
Then, the sword she had made earlier started to float by her again. "But you didn't trust me. You did all those horrible things...and I don't have a choice now. I...we have to fight, as you know I can't let you take the empire again Sombra."
Sombra was silent. He closed his eyes as he heard this, a sigh followed as he slowly opened his eyelids. "Well, you were wrong Ruby. I have no friends, and the empire belongs to me. I am above all those so-called ponies in the empire, as they deserve to be my slaves." Sombra's nose twitched as he said the next words, "I had hoped that we could restore our friendship and you would become my queen...but I was wrong. It seems I am truly destined to be alone, where power truly comes from." Shadows began to surround his body, his eyes morphing into the previous red and green form. "Now, if you will not join me of your own accord, then I have no choice...BUT TO FORCE YOUR HOOF!" With that, he was consumed by the shadows and flew at the Crystal Knight.
Ruby reacted quickly, leaping out of the way as the cloud flew overhead. She then jumped back onto her hooves and raised her sword in her magic, the cloud behind her turning and charging towards her. She swung her sword at the cloud, only for the cloud to split in two. The two balls of smoky gas quickly spun around her, forcing her to create a shield as the first flew towards her. Blocking it instantly, the cloud reflected off the shield and fell into its other, morphing back into one form. A grin shined in the smoke, only for the gas to start spinning, morphing into a tornado in the wasteland.
The sight made Ruby go wide eye, quickly grabbing her sword in hoof and striking it in the ground. She gripped the weapon tightly as the tornado began to pull her off the ground, a small yell escaping her mouth as she felt the tornado pull her into the air. But then the tornado simply moved towards her, increasing the pull even more. It wasn't long till Ruby lost her grip, another scream coming out of her as she lost her grip. As she began to fly towards the raging magical wind, her sword vanished as her horn glowed, quickly forming a crystal cocoon around her. With it, the cocoon flew into the rampaging blasts, only for no damage to befall her encompassing shield.
Sombra saw this and instantly stopped the tornado, the cocoon soon landing in the snow with a gentle thud. As she did, Sombra dispersed his dark vortex, returning to his solid form. The shadowy king's horn began to shine as he started staring at the cocoon. He didn't know how long he glared at it, as the cocoon just sat there, unchanged. That is, till a small crack chipped out of the top of it, only to grow over the whole thing. Sombra's horn started to glow even more till-
SMASH!
The cocoon shattered, releasing a brilliant light that forced Sombra to shield his eyes.
"Crystal Saber!" He forced his eyes open and saw Ruby charging towards him, a crystal sword in her magical grasp. Sombra's horn sputtered as he quickly morphed into his shadow form, dodging the blade as it cut through his black cloud. However, Ruby quickly spun around and yelled, "Oh no you don't! Crystal Shot!" In a flash of light, a swarm of crystalline arrows appeared in the air, all firing at once.
But as the arrows flew through the air, Sombra quickly dodged as he morphed into the ground with his shadow form, the projectiles just barely missing him. The moment made Ruby smile, an idea quickly hopping into her head. "So that's it. That's how I get him." Her horn began to glow, creating a crystal pillar under her hooves that propelled her into the air. As she flew, she swung her sword again, only for the cloud to split in two again.
Sombra's shadows faded as the cloud quickly took to the ground while the knight was still midair. His horn shot out of his smoky form, shining as it suddenly summoned a legion of thick red and black crystal spikes. The spikes shot out of the ground, causing Ruby to go wide-eyed, but only for a second as her horn glowed again, her necklace shining at the same time. A flash of light followed, only for what could only be called a crystal surfboard to appear at her hooves. She fell towards the closest spike and grinded down it, sliding towards the ground. Sombra growled at the sight, quickly shooting his shadow form into the air in an attempt to body slam her.
"Crystal Guard!" She cried as a shield appeared between the two of them, only for Sombra to smash right through it with ease. But as his body shattered the barrier, his momentum slowed as he finally hit his target. The resulting blow didn't do any damage, but instead had the duo fall off the surfboard and into the crystal below. They both rolled down the spike, slamming into the ground with Sombra on top of Ruby. The crystal pony mare quickly recovered and kicked up her back legs, propelling Sombra off of her as he let out a small snarl of pain. The shadow pony soon landed as he changed back to his shadow form, growling at his opponent as he readjusted himself.
"Don't bother with that charade," Ruby remarked as she created another sword. "I know you still have a physical form in that strange shadow of yours. Why else would you dodge my arrows?"
Sombra chuckled at her remark, his horn beginning to shine. "Think you have me all figured out, do you? Let's see about that." He shot forward again, a wicked grin on his face. "Come and kneel before your king!"
"I don't bow to you." Ruby replied as she gripped the sword in her hoof before tapping her necklace. "Crystal Shot!" A barrage of arrows shot out of the necklace, instantly firing at the charging Sombra. However, as soon as they got close to him, they immediately phased right through his cloudy body, soon embedding themselves in the crystal spike behind him. Ruby's eyes widened at the sight, "WHAT?!"
"You'll never beat me Ruby!" Sombra yelled as his horn's glow brightened. "Take this!"
"Oh no you don't!" Ruby barked back, quickly charging and swiping her sword at the king's neck. As she did this, she soon saw that her blade went right through his body, just like the arrows. "What in the-"
"Surprise!" He said as his head suddenly appeared in front of her, his horn towering over her. "Have a nice a trip." A beam then shot out of his horn, quickly hitting the knight before propelling her body into a nearby crystal spike.
"Augh!" She cried as she smashed into it, pain rocketing through her body. She felt her whole form sink into the snow as her sword fell to her side. A series of coughs escaped her breath, only to look up and see Sombra stepping towards her with an evil smile.
"We're done here, my dear. You lost."
"No...no, we're not Sombra." she moaned out as she slowly picked herself up. "I'll...I'll never give up Sombra!" As tears began to appear under her eyes again, her horn started to flare, so bursting with a volley of light. "CRYSTAL FORCE!" From her horn fired a powerful tornado laced with crystal shards, all of flying at Sombra.
The one who called himself king was taken by surprise, not having enough time to take his shadow form before the tornado struck him. As it did, he was pushed through three of his spikes before coming to a stop. Seeing this, Ruby felt her body weakening, only to grab her necklace. "I...I....I won't lose! SOMBRA!!!!" She let out her battle cry as she charged forwards, creating a pair of crystal swords as she did. She knew he would go back to his shadow form, so she leapt onto the top of a nearby spike as she prepared herself for another round. "SOMBRA! Come out and face me you-"
Her next words never came out as she saw the next sight before her. Her eyes felt like they were playing tricks on her as she stared at the sight before. It was Sombra, but he now looked he did when they were young. His horn was gray like his coat and his eyes back to normal. His royal cape and attire were now missing as he sat there, looking up at her with a look of pure fear in his eyes. "Ruby..." he whispered in the same voice she had heard him speak in whenever the Crystal Fair came around. "Please, don't hurt me."
Seeing this made Ruby's body react without a thought. She landed on the ground and pulled herself to a stop, her blades mere inches away from the young pony she had once called her friend. She couldn't even speak as she stood there, her blades slightly shaking. She just stared at him, unsure what to do next.
But Sombra knew exactly what to do next, his usual smile and eyes returning in an instant as he turned into a shadow once more. Ruby tried to counter, only for another beam of darkness to fly out of his horn, blasting her across the snow. The knight let out a scream as she hit the ground with a thud, her swords flying out of her hooves.
As she laid there, Sombra stepped out of the shadows, his body now back to his regular stallion form. "Fool," he whispered to himself before slamming his front hooves into the ground. As soon as they hit the earth, the ground began to shake, soon summoning four crystal pillars around Ruby. She tried to get up, only to see that the pillar's tips were now touching each other, creating a pyramid-like design with Ruby inside.
"What the-" Ruby tried to say, only to feel a new sensation of pain flowing through her body.
"You should be honored," Sombra told her with a low, dark chuckle. "You will be the first to experience my ultimate weapon, one that will make sure I am never defeated ever again." His horn shined a crimson glow, only to shoot out a blood red beam that that struck the top of the pyramid. "Spirit...BREAKER!"
Ruby could only watch as what looked like red lightning sparked around the four pillars, only for a bolt of magic to fly down from the top, striking her instantly. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed as her whole felt the electrocution. For a full minute she felt the blinding, searing pain rip through her body.
Then, the lightning ceased, causing the pillars to retract back into the earth. And as they did, Ruby was left standing, her body limp as she felt the last sting of pain course through her. With that, her legs gave out and she fell into the soft snow. She soon tried to move, only to see that she couldn't even shake her body. To her, it felt like she had been awake for a week and had been running at her best speed the entire time.
"What have you done to me?" She asked as she watched Sombra step towards her.
Sombra smiled down at her. "Spirit Breaker. Its a spell I've spent the last thousand years mastering. It rips the physical energy of whomever it strikes, leaving them too exhausted to even stand." Ruby's eyes went wide at hearing this, causing Sombra smile to grow. "I see you've figured it out. Yes, with this power, nopony can stop me. Even your precious princesses won't stand a chance if they have no energy to cast spells."
"No..." Ruby moaned, trying to move her body, only to fail again.
Sombra just shook his head at the display of weakness. "It did not have to be this way Ruby. I gave you the chance to join me of your own free will, but now you leave me with no choice." His horn glowed once more, quickly shooting a beam into the ground that caused a crystal to grow from beneath Ruby's body. It then morphed into a crystal pillar, which was slowly surrounding her body.
"What...what are you doing?!"
"What I have too. This crystal is infused with my shadow. Once it consumes you, it will slowly change your body until you become like me."
"WHAT?!" Ruby barely screamed, her body shaking like a leaf as she tried again and again to get up. "No...don't do this Sombra!"
"You will become an Umbrum," Sombra said with a sigh in his voice, ignoring her pleas as he continued to explain. "I did not want to do this, especially since the process may leave your mind slightly unhinged. But I would rather be with you like that, then not at all." He turned away from her and started walking towards the empire. "The change should be complete by the time by I have taken the empire back. I will return afterwards to release you."
Ruby's eyes filled with tears again as the pillar grew higher, soon covering her legs. "I'm sorry everypony," she said to herself as she felt the crystals move past her legs. "I wasn't strong enough."
And as those last words floated out, her body became completely enveloped, leaving only her neck and head. The crystals then started to grow around them, forcing Ruby to close her eyes. "This is...the end."
SMASH!
Suddenly, the crystals around her body shattered, causing her eyes to shoot wide open. As she did, she felt gravity take hold of her, only to find herself landing on something soft.
"I gotcha," she heard a familiar male voice say as she felt herself slowly glide towards the ground.
She used all of the remaining strength to turn her head, only to then catch a glimpse of orange and blue. "Flash?"
Flash Sentry let out a long sigh of relief as he carefully landed on the ground, placing the knight on the soft snow soon after. He then kneeled down and rubbed her forehead. "You okay?"
Ruby looked up at him, her eyes barely open. "What are you doing here?"
Flash shined a big goofy grin. "When I couldn't find you in the city, I figured you'd probably gone and done something stupid like try and fight Sombra alone. Looks like I was right."
"You...you can't be here Flash! You have to get back to the city...you have to find the Crystal Heart!"
Flash shook his head, his grin widening. "Eh, don't worry about that. Twilight's on Crystal Heart getting duty, so right now, I need to get you to safety."
"You can't. You have to-"
Flash put his hoof over her mouth. "Stop. You know I can't do that. I'm not going to-"
"Ahem." said a third voice. The two glanced up, only to see a certain black unicorn with a vicious frown on his face. "What do you think you're doing?!"
Flash just blinked at the king, soon pointing his hoof at Ruby, "Uhhh...saving the day by saving Ruby from that uh...crystal magic thing of yours? At least I think that's what it was."
A burst of air flew out Sombra's nostrils as his horn started to glow. "You have ruined a scared magic of the Umbrum, colt. You will pay with your...wait." Sombra's frown began to grow as he snarled at the defender. "You're that brat from before! You blasted me with that stinging blade of light!"
Flash smirked, unsheathing his sword. "Well that's good to know. Guess you're in for a lot of stings then." Flash pointed his blade at the monster, his smirk growing. "Let's go big guy! Show me what you got!"
"Oh, you're going to challenge me?!" Sombra laughed as he pointed at the pegasus. "You actually think you, a mere squire, can defeat me?! You're out of your league boy."
Flash let out a long groan as he rolled his eyes. "What is it with everypony from a thousand year ago underestimating me? I'm more powerful than you think I am."
"Is that so?" Sombra asked with a low dark chuckle. "Very well then. I have some time before I unleash unending terror to those pathetic crystal ponies. Let us see just how powerful you are squire."
Flash began twirling his blade, soon gesturing a 'come on' stance. "Let's."