The shadows yield and I find myself far from the lighthouse. I try to look around, but a blizzard rages around me, limiting my vision severely. Unusual. The realm may be one of frost and cold, but my Empire should still be protected from the elements by that accursed Heart.

What concerns me even more is that I cannot sense my home. It used to always call to me. Perhaps my power hasn't fully returned.

I trot further into the raging snowstorm. The marks I leave in the knee-deep snow quickly start filling back up. I pay it no heed. Now that I have my magic, the cold has no power over me.

I try to count the minutes as I walk, yet as they keep ticking by, I still cannot see anything. I don't understand, my spell should have brought me to the edge of my Empire. It should be in front of me already. Blasted storm, did I walk in the wrong direction?

As I continue to avoid the large mounds of snow around me, I suddenly spot a blotch of darkness through the gloom. Finally! I break into a gallop, letting the wind rush past me as the form slowly begins to gain details. The storm starts dying down, giving me a chance to take a better look. My newfound enthusiasm snaps in a blink.

There is no city in front of me. What I approach is a faded monument, sunk slanted in the snow. Below a thick blanket of frost I can see the faintest memories of etchings that once adorned its surface.

The snowfall stops completely and as the flakes finally settle, a massive building reveals itself in the distance. I run even faster in the silence, until I reach the ancient structure. Its top ends in a jagged edge, its peak lies broken off somewhat further away, almost completely covered. A single, arched hole stands in the middle of it, with a small platform jutting out, both far out of my reach. Due to the sinking, it too leans slightly to the right.

With my magic's help, I fly up to the hole and enter. A familiar darkness envelops me for a moment, before my eyes adjust to the gloom. What I see makes me wish for the darkness once more.

It's no question. I am in my old room. What remains of the ages old furniture is different from what I remember, but the layout is unmistakable. A gaping hole has been blown into the wall on the other end of the room, revealing another endless field of snow beyond. I ignore it. I ignore everything. My horn glows for a little while.

In front of my eyes the room morphs into a lavish bedroom. The chilling cold melts into pleasant warmth. I glance back and the hole behind me is no more. The faded and torn carpet blooms into a radiant red under my steps, befit a ruler. I posture myself as a king should. With my head held high, I trot up to the balcony, just like the old days. I observe my domain. Cloying nostalgia overtakes me as I stare out at the wasteland in front of me. This time there is no Empire to greet me back.

The illusion behind me breaks apart. The shining furniture molds and rots away to how it was. The carpet's color bleeds away as it frays and shrivels. The gash on the wall opens up once more, yawning like a mortal wound. The warmth dissipates and frost begins to mar my coat again. None of it matters. There is no amount of magic or trickery that could bring back what's truly missing.

What's the next step of my brilliant master plan? I ask myself with a bitter chuckle.

The frost-bitten frame of the sofa groans and buckles under my weight, but I pay it no heed. I stare at the nothing in front of me. My mind feels completely blank and numb.

I was prepared to fight. I even made peace with being forgotten and having to prove myself again. But this? This is torment beyond anything I have faced before.

Then I slowly realize there is one more thing I can do. My horn flickers for a second as I raise a hoof and tear into space itself, opening a dark gash that hangs in the air. I reach inside and yank out the journal. I flip to the chapter about my Empire again.

I must have missed something! There has to be a throwaway sentence. Or a clue. Or a single word. They cannot be all gone!

As my eyes dash over line after line, I desperately cling into the tiny island of hope in my soul, fighting against the massive, black waves that threaten to suffocate me alive.

In a desperate bid, I flip to the very last page. Most of it is just pointless drivel about friendship.

My hoof freezes suddenly. Just after the lectures, all painstakingly horn-written, my eyes fall on the print of an article, written in Crystalese-script. My Empire's writing system.

The text is succinct and dry. It is a tally of population and wealth. Seeing how great and prosperous my Empire became in my absence gives me bittersweet feelings. I read on and my eyes go wide.

"Due to the recent events, by the grace of the Sun and the Moon, We, the Ruler of the Kingdom of Equestria and Protector of the Crystal Empire, declare the latter's general evacuation, abandonment and dissolution; effective immediately. All citizens are to leave the Empire as soon as possible, with only as little as necessary for their immediate survival..."

Is it really possible? Despite everything my people and through them my Empire yet survive elsewhere? I feel a rush of adrenaline inside me, as I begin the next paragraph.

"... Considering the challenges posed by the event in terms of our involvement, We and the Ruler of the Crystal Empire, Mi Amore Cadenza, declare our mutual intent to abdicate our respective thrones, also effective immediately. Due to the same circumstances, Princess Flurry Heart declines her claim to the Crown.

"We decree that until fitting successors can be found, the Equestrian Parliament shall rule in Our and the Princess's stead, with hope that their choices and decisions will work towards the betterment and prosperity of all Equestrian citizens. ..."

The rest of the text is merely hollow formalities, that give no indication of the reasons for such an unprecedented turn of events. I feel my island sinking into the darkness, dragging me along. Visions of what could have happened fill my mind, each worse than the last. Immortal royalty does not just abdicate without naming a successor. Especially when there are so many candidates at hoof's length.

My pondering is broken as I notice a slight movement in my peripheral vision. My eyes snap towards it. It came from beyond the hole in the wall. The blizzard stopped, so what could it be?

I carefully place the journal on the sofa and walk to the hole to peek outside. Without the raging elements, the scenery is almost serene. Curiously, the sky is black, even though it should still be early in the afternoon. Then it hits me: The sky is pitch black. I cannot see the Sun, the Moon, or even the Stars.

I stare at the eerie stillness for a while, but I cannot see anything that could have moved. I slowly take a step back and turn away to pick up the journal again, but as my head turns, my eye catches another odd flicker. I still cannot tell what it is, but this time I'm sure it's not just a figment of my imagination. I decide to leave the ruins of my spire. Perhaps whatever I find out there may bring some answers.

I levitate myself down into the snow and slowly start walking forward. My eyes rapidly flick from left to right as I try to find the source of this mysterious phenomenon.

What's this? I suddenly spot another pony in the distance. His coat is entirely white. No wonder I had trouble noticing him. He's turned away from me, I wonder if he even realized I'm here.

No response. Perhaps the distance is greater than I thought. It's hard to tell when everything is so white. I take a peek back to confirm, but the spire is still fairly close.

Still nothing. What's worse, while I was glancing back, he began moving away from me. I push my body to move even faster. If I lose track of him, I don't think I'll ever be able to find him again.

The emptiness in me gives way to fury. I merely wanted to question him and yet he's not even deigning me with a look. Fine. So be it!

My horn flares into life and I project out my magic to incapacitate him. I feel the ethereal grip connect, yet he keeps on moving. This is impossible, I am the strongest spellcaster in Equestria! He should be squirming in my grasp!

I stop in utter confusion. Suddenly, almost at the same moment, he stops as well and slowly turns towards me. I can't really make out his features due to the darkness. His unnaturally white coat glistens in the cold air. We stare at each other for a few seconds.

"Is that truly what interests you?" His accent is odd and his voice has a certain coldness to it.

It could be merely a trick of the light, but I could swear his mouth isn't moving.

"I could tell you, but wouldn't you prefer to see it with your own eyes? Come a bit closer," he says, while beckoning me with a hoof. Some of the words dissolve into a slight crunching noise as he speaks.

He's now only ahead of me by a few meters, yet I'm still unable to see as much as his cutie mark. Before I could catch up to him, he turns around once more and trots forwards. Now that I'm closer to him, I use the opportunity to take a better look. My eyes go wide, as the realization slowly dawns on me and I begin to feel the blood freeze in my veins. His... No, its gait is a complete mockery of the natural order. It is as if its joints are in completely different places than where they should be. As it steps, its thigh slightly buckles in the middle, while its knee remains completely rigid. As its front legs move, its shoulders don't seem to be rotating, instead it is like they are merely sliding inside its body.

I feel terror slowly creep up on my mind, but I push it back. I remain silent and slow down a little. It continues to trot forward and after a little while its body passes over an almost imperceptible barrier, which shimmers with a sickly green light where it is touched.

I stop before the field. Upon noticing that I've stopped, its head turns around in a way that I am certain would break a pony's neck.

Its body seems more and more rigid as it continues to wave for me with movements that slowly begin to resemble a puppet being yanked around on strings. What an incredibly obvious trap.

I make up my mind. I put a hoof forward, right at the edge of the barrier. In the very same moment, the pony explodes into a flurry of snow that violently slams into the field before sliding harmlessly to the ground. I yank my hoof back.

That's when I sense it. I cannot see anything on the other side, but I know something is there. Its ravenous hunger radiates through. It sputters and drools corrosive saliva all over the barrier. Its slavering mouths open and snap shut, gasping for air it cannot truly breathe. My nostrils fill with the nauseating smell of ozone mixed with liquefied, molding flesh. It batters the barrier with an immeasurable amount of spiny appendages and wet tentacles hanging off its pockmarked, bloated body, glistening with colors never meant for pony eyes. My ears are filled with an otherworldly chittering, like a hive of ants burrowed into my brain. A thousand cloudy, dead eyes glare at me. Some of them open like horrifying mockeries of mouths, revealing rows upon rows of rotten teeth yearning for my flesh and soul. The very space distorts and shifts around it.

I fall back on my haunches. My consciousness flickers like a candle in the wind. In this moment, I'm not King Sombra, I'm a foal who wandered off alone during the night never to be seen again. My mind stirs and in a blind, instinctual panic, I let out a whinny and scramble back to the spire. With a flash of light, I'm inside the old building once more. My magic slams the half-rotten bed against the hole and I lean against it. I close my eyes as I uselessly try to calm my breathing. Blood rushes in my ears, blocking out my raspy breaths. The icy air stabs my lungs.

Minutes pass and I slowly open my eyes. It didn't follow. I'm still not dead. It takes a great deal of effort, but I finally calm down enough to take another look around the room. It is just as barren as before and everything is where I left it. Suddenly I feel another presence in the spire, below me. I feel my blood run cold.

I send a ping from my horn below. Even though it's buried deep in snow, the rest of the spire seems to have stayed hollow just like this room. I carefully carve a hole into the floor and look down. Only darkness greets me.

I float down. The air is stagnant. My landing kicks up a cloud of dust, sending me into a fit of coughs. When it finally clears, I focus my hornlight and look around. My heart pangs as I find myself in my old throneroom. I faintly see myself reflected in the walls, nothing more than a dark spot standing in the middle of even more darkness. Ancient banners, hanging from intricately carved pillars of crystal, declare my Empire's sovereignty. A lavish carpet leads to the throne standing in the middle. My throne. A mockery of everything I wanted.

Atop the throne sits the source of the light. My eyes fall upon an artifact I never expected to see again. The Crystal Heart.

I trot up to it, not daring to look away from it. It shines with the same sick green light as the barrier. I slowly stretch a hoof out and put it on its surface. It pulses and I feel my body forcibly dragged inside.

Northern Stars

by Reviewfilly

Ch.6 - Of Old Nightmares