"My crystal slaves..."
"Yer not foolin' anypony! Yer pure evil!"
"How come you always find me?"
"Because you insisted that I should stop letting you win, remember?"
"You're beautiful Celestia, inside and out. Any stallion noble or poor would be proud to call you his wife."
"My brother's dead. I don't know who you are."
"Haven't you been listening? It's because I love you, you idiot."
Gradually, Sombra's eyes flickered open and he slowly sat up, the blurriness subsiding as his vision focused on his surroundings. The interior of his bedroom was made up of dark oak paneling, great tapestries lining the walls like battle flags. Carved wooden pillars and crisscrossing beams were strewn about the room, each one meticulously covered in spiraling etchings of ponies and beasts. A small stone hearth sat in the room's center, the fire having long gone out. Rising from the bed, Sombra removed the fur blankets and stretched, prepared to start his day.
A soft nicker from his left side drew attention to a mare-shaped lump beneath the covers and a dark sapphire, purple and raspberry-colored mane came into view. Sombra chuckled and kissed the scalp that it belonged to, grinning with satisfaction as a slumbering face was revealed. It was a young unicorn mare, the fairest in all the village...and all the world, in his opinion. Her name was Twilight Sparkle, and they'd first met when he found her lost and half-frozen during the land's worst blizzard in decades. As she'd been an orphan and, shockingly enough, not particularly well-liked by her peers, she agreed to stay with him and from then on, she'd always been at his side.
Although she was not an umbrum, she had adapted to their lifestyle fairly quickly, though still even to this day retained reservations about the more violent aspects of their culture. Eventually, her sweet nature, intelligence, beauty and charm won everypony over and she was declared an official member of the village. Twilight had even beguiled Sombra into making her his wife and their lives were truly never the same again. Staring warmly down at her, Sombra leaned down and kissed her cheek, causing her to smile in her sleep. Wrapping a dire bear fur cloak around his shoulders, Sombra quietly exited the room and made his way down the hall as silently as he could.
A red aura surrounded a nearby door and Sombra gently opened it, discovering the slumbering forms of the two foals within. He still couldn't believe he'd been blessed thus far: made the chieftain of his village, married to the love of his life, and father to two incredible children. If anything ever happened to any of them...well, he dared not to consider his options should such a dark day ever come to pass. Shutting the door once again, Sombra made his way past a few stationed guards, who bowed their heads in respect, and entered the front exterior of the building. The early morning air was crisp, the wind lightly whipping his mane and cloak around.
As Sombra stared out at his domain, he couldn't help but feel as though something was amiss though he hadn't the faintest notion of what that something could be. So far, the neighboring crystal ponies kept their distance, engaging in occasional trading but still respecting the boundaries of the umbrums' land. The Kingdom of the Three Tribes rarely ventured out into the Frozen North and when they did, it was usually a band of merchants or a royal envoy wishing to discuss business with the Crystal Empire. The past few winters were bearable and the other umbrum villages scattered across Equestria had not bothered with inter-tribal conflict for the last few years. So what was it that kept the chieftain feeling so at unease?
"Enjoying the view?"
Sombra snorted and turned slightly to find Twilight enter the left side of his vision. She was garbed in a linen long dress and thick wool cloak to protect her significantly thinner coat from the frigid climate. Despite this, she never once complained about the cold, not even during her early days in the Frozen North, back when it was blatantly obvious that she was freezing her flank off. Now she was a umbrum all but in name. Words could not describe the pride that swelled in Sombra's chest.
"I just needed some fresh air," Sombra smiled and placed a foreleg around Twilight.
"Sombra." He locked eyes with her. "What's wrong?"
She always could read me like one of her books.
He exhaled deeply through his nostrils. "I don't know. It just...feels as though there's something missing, almost as though I've been living a life that is not my own."
"You've been having those dreams again?"
Sombra nodded. "I can't really remember them but they seem so real."
Twilight sighed and rested her head against him. "We all have dreams like those. I was dreaming that I was stuck back in the snow storm, only this time you and your hunting party didn't find me. The point is, I think you should focus on what's real, on what's right in front of you."
She was, as per usual, correct in her assessment. Twelve years of marriage and Sombra still found himself in awe of Twilight's wisdom. He chuckled warmly and rubbed his muzzle against Twilight's, eliciting a soft coo from the mare. The smell of lavender wafted into Sombra's nostrils as he took in her natural scent. It was how a mare was supposed to smell.
"Are you ever wrong, my love?"
Twilight giggled sheepishly, "Well, there was that one time I told you that that snowbank looked stable enough to stand on."
The stallion snorted. "As I recall, it was situated over a trench and it took you two minutes just to locate and unbury my head."
"And at least I got to warm you up." Twilight smooched the end of Sombra's nose and wagged her eyebrows.
"That you did."
Sombra gazed into those violet orbs he adored so much, his chest inflamed by the love he felt for the one he trusted and adored most in the world. Gently, he pressed his lips to hers, enjoying their light texture against his own. Some light movement in the distance caused Sombra to peer past Twilight and at what appeared to be a wavy, pony-shaped silhouette. Taller than the average pony, it possessed both a horn and wings, the mane long and curling in the breeze like a banner.
"Sombra." The voice was feminine in pitch and tone and despite the garbled quality, it sounded...strangely familiar. "Wake up. This isn't real..."
Who is that? And why do I know that voice?
"Sombra...!"
"Sombra?"
The stallion snapped his attention back to Twilight.
"Hmm?"
Head cocked, Twilight raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Are you alright? You just sort of...froze."
The strange mare was gone.
"I'm sorry," Sombra answered apologetically. "I must be more tired than I thought."
Twilight smirked and nodded understandably. "It's alright, just try to get your full night's sleep. We do need our chieftain alert and awake." She turned and gestured towards the hall. "Come on, breakfast will be served shortly and I'm sure the children will want the first thing that they see when they awake is their father."
Sluggishly, Sombra followed her inside, pausing briefly to once more inspect the spot where the mare once stood. Shrugging, he shut the door behind him and soon forgot the issue.
~*~
"Morning Father!"
Sombra turned and was soon tackled by two foals, a colt and filly respectively. Bearing the full brunt of their affectionate assault, he chuckled and spun them around, listening with glee at their collective laughter. At ten-and-two, Agnar was the elder of the duo, a skinny light gray colt that possessed his mother's violet eyes and purple mane. Little Gyda, a seven-year-old filly, instead took after her father: black mane, red eyes, and a more bulky frame. Nevertheless, they were both precious in Sombra's eyes.
"Good morning, my treasures!" Sombra greeted them, holding them both tightly to his chest. "Now then, go and get breakfast. Your father has his daily tasks to perform."
Agnar nodded and took Gyda by the hoof. "Come on, Gyda. Let's go get us some cabbage stew and sourdough!"
"Yum! Bye bye, Father!"
Waving them off, Sombra soon found Twilight leaning against a beam, the widest of grins on her face.
"Something amusing, Beloved?"
Twilight sauntered over to him and wrapped her forelegs around him.
"Just you. There's never a day that any of us don't know how much you love us."
Sombra lightly kissed Twilight's brow. "I just want to show you all how much you mean to me."
"I love you."
"I love you too. More than anything."
~*~
Sombra's daily route took him through the village, greeting each and every denizen he passed. It was much warmer than it'd been earlier that morning and for that, Sombra was thankful. The dins of hammers on steel brought him to the blacksmith's forge and a smile stretched from ear to ear as he caught glimpse of an old stallion dunking a steaming horseshoe into a bucket of water. Despite his age, Weland was still hard at work, managing to keep up with and even outpacing his younger contemporaries. His white mane and beard still had streaks of black peppered through them and his body still rippled with muscle, a testament to his many years of back-breaking labor in the forge.
"Father."
Weland set down his hammer and bowed. "My lord."
"There's no need for ceremony with me."
"Nonetheless, you are the chieftain," the old stallion smirked. "My son the chieftain."
Sombra's smile drooped as he let out a sigh. "This isn't just a social visit. I wanted to ask you something."
Weland cocked a bushy brow. "Oh? Walk with me then."
The two followed the trail up towards a small hill, once used as a look-out point but now mostly used as a quiet out-of-the-way spot for talks such as these. Once they were certain that they were away from prying eyes and ears, they took a seat on the crude stone bench and briefly allowed silence to dominate their discussion. Weland waited patiently for his son to gather his thoughts, as it would grant him the ability to properly convey what was worrying him.
"Father, lately I've been plagued by these...bizarre dreams."
"Dreams you say? Go on."
Sombra steepled his toes together. "Scraps of memories, really. Memories of a life not my own. Of betrayal, death, scorn, and everlasting hatred. But also hope and new love."
Weland stroked his beard. "It sounds like your typical dream nonsense. Why, just the other night, I dreamt that I was a dancing carrot performing for a crowd of hawks all wearing fur hats."
"And earlier, I thought I saw an alicorn. And I heard her say my name."
"Did you now? And what did this alicorn look like?"
Sombra's ears drooped. "I'm not sure. It was more of a shape, really."
Weland snorted and clapped Sombra on the back. "You see? I think it was just a case of your tired brain coming up with something. I'm sure Twilight has already told you this but you need more sleep, lad."
Though still unconvinced, Sombra nodded. "Thanks Father."
"Any time, son. Now, if you don't mind, they need me back at the forge."
~*~
Soft, gentle humming drew Sombra towards the village well, where an older mare sat magically guiding a large needle through a half-completed blanket. Persephone, Sombra's mother, was still very much a beautiful mare, her ebony mane decorated with streaks of silver-gray hair. She remained with her back straight and head up high, a picture perfect representation of dignity and grace. Stopping in mid-stitch, Persephone smiled warmly at Sombra and patted the spot beside her. He obeyed without resistance.
"It's truly an honor that you'd take time out of your day to sit with an old mare."
Sombra immediately recognized her joking tone and responded, "Time can wait. A son has a duty to his mother."
"You always were such a sweet colt." A hoof caressed Sombra's cheek. "What troubles you so?"
"I just...I feel as though every time that I see you will be the last."
Persephone beamed at him. "You worry too much. I'm old but I'm not that old. Is it the crystal ponies? Dear one, they have not bothered us thusly and will continue to hide behind their glittering walls."
"And what of the alicorns?"
"They are cowards; big mouthed and spineless. They hurl their insults and commands like spoiled children and yet, the rest of Equestria keeps on living without them. A dying breed desperate for their glory days."
Sombra tenderly held Persephone's hoof between his own. "Perhaps you're right. I could just be worrying for naught."
"Never think that," Persephone said softly. "You are chieftain. It's your duty to worry about your subjects, just as it is mine to worry for my child and grandchildren. Just banish those thoughts that would plague you unjustly and focus on the real worries. Alright?"
And though Sombra nodded and held her tightly, he remained skeptical.
~*~
The main hall was alive with the sounds of clattering silverware and clunking of mead horns, the overlapping excited chatter and raucous laughter almost deafening. Umbrum warriors swapped tales and bawdy jokes, accompanied by arm movements and hoof-pounding on the tables' surfaces. Music cascaded through the hall, a procession of fiddles, flutes, drums, horns, and harps constructing a rhythm for the merriment at work. A roaring fire blazed within the center of the hall, the flames reflecting the festive energy of the hall's participants. Atop an oaken dais, there sat the chieftain and wife in twin thrones of pine, joined by Weland, Persephone, Agnar, and Gyda.
Twilight looked the part of a chieftain's wife: red underdress, blue outerdress, a mantle of dire bear fur held in place with golden tortoise shell-shaped brooches, golden necklaces, and a silver crown. Sombra, meanwhile, was garbed in a thick black wool cloak with an ice-warg fur mantle, sky-blue tunic, silver and iron beads in his mane, and a silver crown inlaid with golden interlocking beasts. These were the faces of the community, the ultimate in authority, and yet, they never gave off the impression of callousness or aloofness. They reached for one another's hooves and held them as they beheld the small kingdom they ruled over. As the ale poured and the music played, Sombra inhaled and for the first time that day, felt secure in both his position and his life.
The double doors swung open, the crashing interrupting the festivities and all at once, a hush filled the hall. Six umbrum guards led a trio of newcomers inside at spear-point. All of the males gathered in the hall rose to their hooves, knives and axes at the ready as the party was led up to the dais. One of the guards, a heavily scarred veteran, pointed his spear on the floor and bowed.
"My lord, these trespassers appeared on the west side of the village. They requested an audience with you."
A baby dragon nervously fidgeted with his claws, green eyes darting between Sombra and the spears still raised towards him and his companions. It'd been some time since Sombra had seen a dragon, having slain one and mounted its hide above his bed but never had he seen a hatchling. Beside the dragon was an orange earth pony, a brown hat of some kind atop her head, her gaze one of defiance. It was the third, however, that garnered the most attention. It was an alicorn, dark blue in color, a semi-transparent mane of glittering stars swirling from her scalp.
"Who are you and what do you want?" Sombra demanded.
The alicorn stepped forward. "You are going to find this incredible to believe..."