//------------------------------//
// Chapter 18. I raised them to be strong. 
// Story: Rage of a Queen, wrath of a Mother 
// by Askre 
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Chapter 18

Saddle Arabia was a large peninsula in the distant south. It was not too far from Mount Aris, where the hippogriffs lived. To the west across a bay was Abyssinia. Equestria was to the far north, past what had once been the Dark Pony Empire and Somnambula.

The northern part was a vast desert, hemmed in at the far north by a mountain range that once marked the Dark Pony Empire's northern borders. As one went further south, a mighty river crossed the peninsula that gave home to vegetation and granted the locals the ability to farm food.

The river also cut right through the capital of Saddle Arabia, a large city that sprawled far enough that it reached to the northern desert. The city gates were situated both on the north wall and the south wall, and during the daytime, it had a constant stream of ponies and other creatures coming and going.

The Emir's palace was close to the eastern wall and the biggest building, with three large, spiraling towers topped with golden oval roofs. The main building itself was a large golden dome, and the walls were made of pure marble. The courtyard was a lush green garden, with flowers and trees from across the known world and a large, four-layer fountain as its centerpiece. Palace staff was kept quite busy tending to it all.

The city was busy as usual at this time of the day. The marketplace was full of merchants selling their wares, shouting over one another to attract customers. Regular citizens walked back and forth, attending to their various businesses. Inside the palace, things were a bit tenser.

The guards were nervous; they had been informed of an incoming visitation and asked to make sure to keep anyone too curious away. This was meant to be as secret as possible. They were though not that worried about the ruler of Equestria coming for an impromptu and rushed visit. It was who was accompanying her that worried them.

The last time he had been here - over a thousand years ago - it had not been pleasant. And though now it was ancient history, it was still history most Saddle Arabians had ingrained into their memories as the terrifying descent of the Lost Son of Queen Rabia upon the palace, his slaughter of the last king and his court in revenge for what they had done to the Dark Pony Empire. They still believed his howls of rage could be heard in the northern desert wind.

So it was somewhat understandable when some guards cringed slightly when three ponies appeared inside the great hall within the palace in a flash of light. Princess Celestia was a welcome sight, but the dark unicorn wearing his crown, red cape, and armor was a far more frightening one. Thankfully, they didn’t need to do anything as a palace aid was already approaching them.

“Y-your majesties,” the nervous, dark yellow Saddle Arabian pegasus bowed before them. He barely even dared to look at King Sombra, who was scowling and looking around as if he expected an attack at any moment.

“I believe Emir Horsefar wished to see us urgently,” Celestia addressed the nervous aid. She looked tired, even for her teleporting all the way to Saddle Arabia took a lot of energy.

“Yes, this way. His Eminence waits for you in the throne room.” The aid raised his head and gestured for them to follow.

Sombra snorted, but otherwise remained quiet as he followed Celestia and the aid. Trailing behind them was Private Iceland, still unsure why he was there, aside from the fact that it was the only way the dark pony would even set a hoof in this place.

He did take the opportunity to look around. Private had never been in Saddle Arabia; his parents had, due to their archeological work in the old Dark Pony Empire. As he looked around, admiring the swirling marble columns and the colorful banners, the unicorn noticed that he wasn’t the only one looking around. Sombra was as well; his scowl now changed to mild confusion.

“This has changed. Where are the emblems? The smug paintings of their past rulers? This looks more like Canterlot, if anything,” Sombra muttered, sounding baffled.

Sombra got no answers to his questions; Private was silent. Unseen since she was in front of them, Celestia was smirking, having overheard him. They arrived in the throne room, and once again, the Dark Pony was very confused. The throne was a simple silver embedded chair. He remembered a big ornate seat, studded with jewels and gold.

Before them stood a tall, bluish-colored Saddle Arabian mare. She had a simple tiara on her head and was draped in a silver-colored silk dress. Next to her stood a young colt, brownish-colored, with a white muzzle, wearing a simple green robe with golden hems.

“Emir Horsefar, Regent Manemin, it is a pleasure to meet you both,” Princess Celestia addressed them with a warm but tired smile.

“Your highness, I thank you for your prompt warning and response to our request to meet,” the mare spoke and nodded her head. Then her eyes landed upon Sombra, who looked back completely stunned. Then to his further surprise, both she and the colt bowed. “Welcome, your majesty. Thank you for agreeing to see us.”

“It was with some reluctance,” Sombra finally found his voice and sneered. “Let’s stop wasting time on empty platitudes. Why do you want to see me?”

Celestia glared at Sombra, but before she could say anything, Emir Horsefar stepped forward. His mother nearly reached out with a leg to pull him back, looking worried and biting her lips.

“It was my idea, Your Majesty. Your people were unjustly destroyed by mine. I know nothing we say or do can bring them back, or your sister. But, I still wanted to say this. We are sorry. Sorry for what the old king did to your people, to your sister. We committed a heinous sin that we may never be redeemed from, and now it seems we must face the wrath of your mother for it.” The whole time the young ruler spoke, his head was bowed down, his muzzle nearly touching the carpeted marble floor.

“All I can ask on behalf of my people is mercy. You have already justly punished the king who spearheaded the invasion and murdered your sister. Please help us stay the wrath of your mother. Let her not punish those whose ancestors opposed the invasion and did not celebrate the slaughter of our northern brethren.”

“Am I to believe that there were Saddle Arabians who opposed the invasion?” King Sombra snorted, almost ready to laugh at the very idea. This time Manemin stepped forward; she gently put a hoof on her son’s back, nodding to him before nervously looking at the dark pony.

“Your Majesty, if you yourself recall, despite hostilities between our two nations, there was still diplomatic relations. Several noble families here had business in your empire, and several of yours had connections in Saddle Arabia. When Queen Rabia died and your sister Queen Ira came to power, several hoped this would end the hostilities. They had heard of Ira’s more gentle nature and hoped she would end this long feud between our nations,” Manemin said, then sighed sadly. “Unfortunately, the king’s will ruled. He like his predecessors, despised your empire and with nobles loyal to him, rallied the forces that destroyed your empire. But after you justly executed him and the nobles celebrating in these very halls, those nobles opposed to the invasion quickly used the chaos to seize control.”

“Equestria, Abyssinia, even Mount Aris, they all cut us off after hearing of what had happened. My son’s own ancestor, Emir Ridefar, was declared the new ruler. What was left of the old royal family was exiled, as were those who had been an accomplice to the invasion. It took centuries to rebuild our reputation. We were nearly destroyed ourselves. It has only been in recent years that Princess Celestia herself has re-opened Equestria to us,” she continued to explain in a quiet tone.

Sombra frowned heavily, then slowly he glanced back at Private. Suddenly the unicorn realized why he was here. King Sombra did not trust a Saddle Arabian; he probably didn’t even trust Celestia for information like this. But the king had said he trusted him.

“It’s true,” confirmed Private. “Remember what I told you once? The Saddle Arabians call the destruction of the Dark Ponies their “Great Shame”. Their neighbors started shunning them, cutting off trade. They barely survived on what they could themselves produce and for centuries became one of the poorest nations in the world. Abyssinia finally opened trade with them again a few hundred years ago, and Saddle Arabia slowly started to recover, but they were never the same again. You were asking where all the paintings of their former rulers were; they burned them and tossed out all emblems of the previous ruling family,” Private told him.

“Do you want to see our museum? Dedicated to your race? I promise it is quite accurate, thanks in part to Equestrian archaeologists, all descendants of Dark Ponies,” Manemin asked. Hoofar almost looked hopeful.

“If we do, we must be quick about it, don’t forget, Queen Rabia is still at large,” Princess Celestia gently reminded them.

“Fine,” Sombra glared back at the Saddle Arabian rulers. “Let’s take a look at that museum of yours.”





The museum was a large building in the northern part of the city. Made of similar marble as the palace. Oval columns supported the great roof, instead of the more swirling, Saddle Arabian ones. A golden plaque adorned the entrance. It read:

“This museum is dedicated to our long lost brothers and sisters in the north, unjustly murdered by King Mustangfor IV. May it always remind us of our Great Shame.”

When King Sombra entered - a heavy scowl on his face and suspicion in his eyes - he immediately found himself in a great hall. The centerpiece was a large glass case. Within it, resting on a big velvet pillow, was an ornate crown with jewels, a necklace with a reddish gem in the center, and a scepter made of gold and silver. The Dark Pony immediately recognized the crown jewels of his mother.

Glancing at the walls, he saw many paintings, and there were several exhibits with wax figures made to resemble dark ponies of all three types. Most were doing ordinary things Dark Ponies did in their everyday life.

Sombra walked to the first painting. It showed a tall unicorn mare, walking through the desert in the dark of the night. After her was a long line of dark ponies, carrying supplies on their back and guarded by armored ponies. A plaque under it read:

“Queen Odio the First, leading her people through the northern desert to freedom from the yoke of the Saddle Arabians who cruelly hounded them.”

“No need to lay it on so thick,” Sombra muttered, ignoring Princess Celestia, Emir Horsefar, and Manemin, who stood by and let him explore the museum. Private was himself going around looking with great interest at everything.

“Ooh, Hall of Rulers,” Sombra heard Private remark and just missed the unicorn darting through a door on the far side of the hall.

I suppose they think this glittering show will placate…Sombra halted by an exhibit. It showed a dark pony battling a Saddle Arabian pony. He noticed that it correctly showed how the dark pony used his shadow walking ability to emerge from a shadow.

“The Dark Ponies were attuned to magic considered forbidden by the Saddle Arabians. It was mostly for defensive purpose, and though it could be used for terrible destructive effect when mastered properly, Dark Ponies rarely attacked first in any of the many skirmishes between themselves and Saddle Arabia.” He read on an information board.

Well, I suppose that’s true, Sombra shrugged and then saw an exhibit of dark ponies preparing a meal.

“Unlike the southern Saddle Arabians. Dark Ponies originated in the sandy regions of Saddle Arabia, mastering the desert life. As plants were scarce, they adapted to live a more omnivorous lifestyle, not unlike the Griffins in the distant north or the hippogriffs of Mount Aris. Thus meat along with vegetables was on their diet. The propaganda that they also ate other ponies has been thoroughly debunked, and no dark pony ever ate another sapient being.”

“Well of course we had to, we…” Sombra fell silent and glared back at the rulers watching him. Then his name was spoken, and the king looked over at Private, who was in the entrance to the hall of rulers.

“Sombra, you may want to see this,” the unicorn said and disappeared back into the room.

“Oh, this had better be good,” King Sombra snorted and relented to follow Private into the hall. There were even more paintings there, showing mostly tall unicorn mares wearing similar garb he was wearing. There was the occasional stallion, but there was always a mare in the back with him. Glancing around, he actually recognized the depiction of the Dark Pony Empire's various past rulers, and then he realized these looked very similar to paintings that had been on the walls of his old home in the empire.

Private was standing at the center. A big painting was stood there. Magical light shining on it. Sombra’s brow rose a bit when his eyes laid on it. A young unicorn mare was depicted on it, clad in the dark pony royal gear, but with a simple silver tiara resting on her head. The king knew the tiara was one of mourning that a new ruler wore for a year after the previous ruler had passed away. That however, was not what caught his attention. He recognized the painting too well.

“Queen Ira the Second, the last ruler of the Dark Pony Empire. Cruelly slain and violated by King Mustangfor IV,” Private read on a plaque under the painting.

Ira was depicted on a balcony overlooking a city. Her expression was sad as she looked towards whoever viewed the painting. Although the sky was sunny and bright and the city looked peaceful, ominous-looking clouds had been made in the far distance, as if foreshadowing the oncoming tragedy that would befall her and her empire.

Sombra approached the painting, never taking his eyes of the sad-looking mare on the canvas. Behind him, Celestia and the Saddle Arabian rulers stood in the entrance watching everything.

“Too kind for a cruel world,” Sombra muttered and tore his eyes away from the painting, looking down at Private with a sneer on his muzzle. The unicorn could see the dark pony was struggling to hold back tears. “Why am I here, Private? Why do they think this will change anything?”

“They don’t. But they are as afraid of Queen Rabia as you are,” Private said and frowned. “I mean, why haven’t you destroyed Saddle Arabia?”

“I killed the king and the ones who at…” the words froze in Sombra’s mouth. He looked back at the Emir, who watched him right back, despite his young age, his eyes full of trepidation.

“That was enough for you. You had nothing against the general population or the nobles who didn’t partake in the attack, right?” Private then asked. “They are not asking you to like them, but they are hoping you can help them. I don’t think your heart is as black as ponies like to say.”

“What? Who said that about me?” King Sombra blinked, then noticed Celestia coughing and looking nonchalantly away. “Oh…of course. Thank you, Celestia.”

“Well, to be fair, you did enslave the Crystal Empire, among other things,” the princess pointed out.

“Fair point,” Sombra grunted and turned towards her and the others. He glared at the Emir and his mother. “Fine, I will stop my mother. I was helping Celestia anyway, might as well go full force. On one condition, though.”

“More conditions?” the Sun Princess gave an exasperated sigh. The Emir and his mother, however, nodded for the king to proceed.

“Statue of me, holding the severed head of Mustangfor IV, here in this hall,” Sombra smirked at the princess.

“Uh…Done. I’ll have the royal sculptor get to work on that,” Manemin blinked at this fairly simple albeit gruesome condition.

“Have it say, ‘The Lost Son enacts the vengeance of the Dark Ponies’ or something along those lines,” Sombra chuckled and pushed past them as he walked out of the hall. “Come along, Celestia. We have a raging queen to stop.”





Deep in the woods near the Mcintosh Mountains, Queen Rabia stomped back and forth in front of the three rocks where she had secretly buried the sarcophagus of her deceased daughter. The mare was fuming.

“How dare that insufferable pony cast aspersions on me as a mother,” she snarled, her tail swishing back and forth.

“I nursed them personally myself. No nursemaid was worthy enough,” her ramble continued, dark purple mist poured from the corners of her green glowing eyes.

“I raised them to be strong. Brave. To face adversity. Sombra was a pedigree, Ira…” Rabia stopped and looked at the rune carved rocks. “Ira… was my heir…”

“Oh, my daughter,” the queen whispered and approached the rock, her rage diminishing for now as she gently touched the runes. “I never meant to leave you so soon. But your father…that selfish oaf!” Rabia sneered. She pulled her hoof back and stomped it on the ground.

“He killed me, saying I had driven our son away, and he would no longer stand by and watch me twist you. How dare he! I was molding you to be queen. Unluckily for him, I still had enough life left in me to kill him in turn before my spirit departed my body and went to the stasis mirror in my personal study….” Rabia fell silent and looked at the rocks once more. A single tear started to crawl down her cheeks.

“I was trapped, Ira…in the mirror. Only someone of my blood could open the secret passage, only a dark pony could activate the mirror to bring my spirit back to life…” the queen whispered, and she looked down towards the ground.

“I heard it all. I heard their screams of terror… I heard our subjects being butchered above… I heard your pleas of mercy… but I could do nothing. I had not yet shown you the secret passage. Only Sombra knew of it… you were not ready…” Rabia grit her teeth, and another tear escaped down her cheek. “That was all that was needed, one of you coming down, freeing me from the mirror, and I would have come and saved you all…”

“But…I am here now,” the Queen started to smile and looked up, a mad glint in her eyes. “Yes, my little dark foal. I am here now, and I will avenge you and our subjects. I will destroy them just like they did you.”

“Then I will show that insufferable mare what kind of a mother I am. Saddle Arabia will feel my rage as a Queen; they will feel my wrath as a mother,” she lifted a shaking hoof to touch the runes again. “They will relearn why they feared me so, for I am the Queen of Rage and Wrath.” Rabia’s voice started to deepen as her body dissolved into shadow and smoke, her head growing larger and more demonic. “And they will rue the day they murdered my daughter! They will pay for every dark pony’s blood spilled!”

Then with a rage-filled roar, the Dark Pony Queen took to the air, and her direction was south towards the far distant mountains that marked the beginning of the Saddle Arabian peninsula.

End chapter 18