Sombra felt himself inside of a dream. Instead of something he had experienced in life or a scene entirely of his creation, he was in a empty dark place.
"Sombra." The voice called out again.
"Who's there?" Sombra called out.
A laughter crackled around him sending chills up his spine. A pair of eyes peered out from the darkness staring directly at him. Sombra froze for it was the same eyes that he had seen in his earlier nightmare belonging to that strange unicorn. Soon the figure stepped out into full view. The unicorn stood tall and pround, its eyes stayed fixed to Sombra.
"Who are you and what do you want from me?" Sombra shouted at it.
"Want? We don't want anything but whats best for us." The unicorn spoke.
Sombra shook his head. "Who's us though and whats best for you?"
The unicorn laughed while lifting its head back.
"Answer me!" Sombra ordered.
This caused the unicorn to violently snap its head back to glaring at him.
"I can smell your fear Sombra but don't worry I am not here to hurt you." It said.
"Then what are you here for?" Sombra asked.
"We don't want anything but whats best for us." The unicorn repeated.
Sombra became angry. "What does that mean? Tell me!"
The unicorn growled and took a crouching position.
"What are you doing?" Sombra asked.
The pony leaped at Sombra in a violent manner.
"NO!" Sombra screamed
He felt a something nudging at him. "Sombra? Sombra wake up." Chrysalis voice called.
The young prince opened his eyes and immediately sat up. "Where? Where am I? Where did he go?"
"Where did who go?" Chrysalis asked.
Sombra looked around to see that he was back inside his bedroom. His breathing was heavy and he tried to calm himself.
"Sombra whats wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Chrysalis asked.
Sombra looked at her. "Yeah I am fine. Just....its nothing, just a bad dream."
"Is it something you want to talk about?" she asked.
Sombra laid back down, his heading hitting the pillow. "I don't know how to."
Chrysalis curled up beside him. "Well tell me what the dream was about."
He swallowed. "I saw this unicorn."
"A unicorn? Was it somepony you use to know?" She asked.
"No, I never had met this pony before but he seemed familiar though." Sombra began. "It was as if....."
"As if what love?" Chrysalis asked.
"Its late Lis and I am really tired. I'll tell you the rest in the morning." He said.
Chrysalis sighed. "Okay." She said while resting her head near his cheek. "Don't worry I will make sure no more nightmares come to haunt you tonight." She kissing him.
Sombra smiled and started to fall asleep. For awhile he rested, feeling the warmth from Chrysalis gave him comfort. Just as he was about to drift off he felt a slight ache started in his hoof. It soon traveled up his shoulder and then began spreading in his chest.
A knock on his door interrupted his sleep and he slowly rolled out of his bed. The sun had barley begun to makes its great climb into the sky by the time he made it to the door. He flung it open to reveal Sam.
"Sam, you better have a good reason for waking me up this early." Sombra said sleepily.
"Sorry Sir but I got a disturbing message from one of our southern forts near Vole valley. A group of traveling business ponies where attacked by a strange creature. Reports from the survivors said that whatever it was that attacked them turned their carts into jello pudding. Then proceeded to make their tools come to life." The butler said with a strait face.
Sombra stared blankly at him. "Sam I don't want to be awoken again by such nonsense. Now if you would please go and tend about your duties."
"Sir one of the ponies claimed that this thing called itself 'Discord'." The butler said.
Sombra rubbed the center of his head where his horn began protruding. "Great, so you're telling me that the most sought after thing in Equestria is right in our backyard."
"Correct my liege." Sam said.
"Alert the colts, I want the capital on high alert. Go now, oh and have Mils and Shara meet me in my dressing room in five minuets with my armor ready." Sombra said.
"Right away sir." Sam said galloping down the hall.
Sombra went back inside his room and quickly snagged his crown. He went over to the mirror to look at his chest. Whatever the pain he felt the night before was gone. Smiling he went over and stood above the spot where Chrysalis rested. Kneeling his head down he kissed her on the cheek.
She instantly shot up knocking him square in the noise. "Whose there?" She asked. Seeing Somrba wheeled back made her get up and rush over to him. "Oh, Sombra I am so sorry."
"No its alright just caught me off guard you did." He said.
"Why do you have your crown on? Are you going somewhere?" She asked.
Sombra shook his head. "Just got to make an exception on one of the southern forts thats all. Didn't want to wake you but that didn't work."
"Sorry about that. Do you need anything before you go?" She asked.
"Yeah, I need you to go back to sleep so that you want fall over later today." Sombra said.
Chrysalis laughed. "Be careful out there."
Sombra gave her a kiss and was out the door. He stormed in his dressing room where the two servants had all the pieces of his armor laid out. It was fast work getting the armor on but he hated how much it weighed him down. He entered the courtyard to find his top generals waiting for him.
"Gentlecolts any reason why you are out here?" He asked.
"Yes sir, Sam put the royal guard and all local forces on alert. We just came to make sure nothing gets near the palace." General Oakpath said.
"Good, very good, now I am going to head to Vole valley now and I am going to investigate this incident. Anypony care to join me?" Sombra asked.
"Get a chariot ready and seven squads of stallions ready now!" A general barked.
Soon shortly the small armed caravan was off and racing towards the southern valley. Sombra sat in his chariot watching the natural landscape pass him by. After a solid hour he began to see the walls of the old fort that stood on the southern slope. The fort was one of the oldest parts of the empire. Built way before the years of the crystal palace. It stood as a symbol of surviving the times. The mighty gate crackled as he arrived at the entrance. With his colts in formation he stepped down and touched the ground of courtyard.
"My lord we are most gladd to see you today." A warrior said.
"Where are they?" Sombra asked.
"Ah, you mean the ponies who where attacked. Right this way."
Sombra was lead deeper into the stony building.
"Now the only ones that can talk right now are two small ones, a mare who's scared out of her mind, and a blind stallion." The guard spoke.
They came to a room where the door was locked shut. Once the door was open Sombra stepped inside.
"Leaves us." He ordered.
The door slammed shut and he turned his attention to the occupants of the room. A pair of small young ponies stared at him with great admiration in their eyes. Both had pale brown coats and each had a different shad of yellow type manes The mare, having the same coat but a black mane, stopped dead cold with her mouth hanging open. In the corner sat an old stallion, his color faded beyond years of exposure to sunlight.
"Hello." Sombra said in a comforting voice.
One of the small ponies slowly walked up to him. "Are you Mr. Sombra?" He asked.
"Yes I am, I understand that you had quite the experience. Can you tell me about it?" Sombra asked.
"Its not good for a young one to speak of such things." The stallion said.
"Father, this is the ruler of the empire." The mare snapped.
"Its alright, if it is not good for a young one to speak why not an elder." Sombra said walking up to him.
"Ah, you see I may not be able to see but my senses give me much more than sight. This creature that attacked my family and the others was of a dark nature. He enjoyed watching us falling into chaos. Almost delighting in the fact that my son in law was injured when trying to take control of the situation. We good sir are but simple ponies and haven't done anything to anypony to deserve such a brutish attack. Now from what the other told me, this creature was not a pony but something unworldly. Me being able to gain that much was able to drive the creature off." He told.
"Forgive me old friend but how did you manage that?" Sombra asked.
"Magic. I use to be a great student in the arts of wizardry. Well until one day I grew impatient and ended up blinding myself. But I was able to fend off whatever this thing was and I was able to keep us safe until a group of guards found us." The old pony spoke. "Let me tell you one thing good sir. Being familiar with magic I could tell that this thing was using powerful dark magic. Nothing I have experienced before in my life." He finished.
Sombra nodded. "Thank you for your story. I wish to have all you friends and family transported to the capital for treatment. Now I must be off."
"Wait." The old one spoke. "There is something else."
"What?" Sombra asked.
"You're in pain right now aren't you?" He asked.
"No." Sombra answered.
The old pony chuckled. "Maybe you don't feel it right now but I do. I also feel a spell trying to cover it up. Almost like a way to relieve you of this pain."
Sombra froze, how on earth could this pony know about Vig's spell.
"Trust me I can sense it. I also can sense the darkness within you pain." He said.
"Father thats enough you don't want to freak him out." The mare interrupted.
"No its okay, what do you mean you can sense the darkness?" Sombra asked.
The old colt stood off his seat. "There is something that is eating away at you. Something dark, something that you haven't been able to get rid of through normal means. It starts off small but then grows larger usually settling right in you chest." He said while poking Sombra square in the middle of his armor.
With that a slight pain rushed through Sombra's chest causing him to cry out.
"Father what did you do!" The mare said while rushing over to Sombra.
"What do you know? Tell me!" Sombra ordered. "How do you know all about the spell and my illness?"
"I can feel it sir." The old colt said. "There is a presence that is close to you, that is causing you this pain. It is infecting you with dark magic. Whatever it is its going to end you if you don't stop it."
"How can I stop it if I don't know what it even is?" Sombra asked.
"Luckily, I know what it is." The colt said.
Sombra waited for the old one to spit it out. "Well?" He said growing impatient.
"I saw this a while ago deep in the southern lands. A colt was greatly tired all the time and was completely drained of energy. Turns out he had been afflicted by a strange creature called.....oh what was its name again." The old colt rubbed his head. "That wasn't it, no it couldn't be that something else. Anyway the creature was naturally gifted with a cruel trait. For in its antonymy it found a way to feed off his emotions. All while being hidden right underneath his very nose but there is something that I am forgetting. How......"
"What? What is that you are forgetting. The creature was able to remain hidden? How? Please you have to remember." Sombra pleaded.
"Forgive but my mind is old and I can recall everything perfectly but I do know this. You are royalty yes? So you must be an alicorn correct." The old colt asked.
Sombra blushed. "Um, sure you can say that."
"Then you are more in danger than. For you see a regular host is just drained with energy but one who is born with magical potential is even more variable to it. You are not the first magical pony I have came across that has had this affliction but thankfully I know a way to find the creature." The old colt smiled.
"Really how?" Sombra said hopefully.
"There is a herb in my bag that with the proper spell can lift all the magic from your body. An addition it will lead you strait to the creature where ever it may be hiding." He said.
"Fantastic, can you perform the spell needed?" Sombra asked.
"I am afraid that my magic skills have long since faded. My powers would do me more harm than you good." The colt said. "But have no fear I have it somewhere around here." He said grabbing his bag. "Ah here it is." He said pulling a slick black leather book out. "In here you will find what is required under the section of healing and it should be the third one."
Sombra grabbed the book and instantly felt something move inside of him. "I don't know if fate brought you before me but I will be forever grateful for this. If this works." Sombra said under his breath. "You shall all be transported over to the capital immediately and I am sorry for you loses."
Sombra quickly resurfaced and was loaded up in his chariot. In no time he was back at the capital. Upon arriving he requested and audience with Vig. He took to have a small lunch in the great dinning room. He remind undisturbed until his ears caught the door opening.
"You wanted to see me Sir?" Vig asked stepping in. "Everything all right?"
"No, unfortunately not." Sombra said.
Vig grew nervous. "Sir please, I am sorry if the spell has had any repercussions on your body. I didn't mean for any of it, you understand right?"
"Vig calm down, you're not in trouble. But while we are on the topic, yes your spell didn't quite work out the way we hoped it would." Sombra said smoothly. "Today I encountered a colt, who may have been sent by the heavens for all I know. He has a gift for magic you see and he was able to tell me how to fix my problem."
"Really well what is it?" Vig asked.
"Well my problem isn't a sickness, its a creature. A parasite from what he described, feeding off the host using natural cruel magic." Sombra said.
"My, I have heard of such beasts but never have I actually any studied them. That would explain why the spell didn't work." Vig pondered.
"Know anypony who could help us understand more about this certain creature?" Sombra asked.
"Well that depends, did this colt give you a name, it would help narrow down a the list." Vig said.
Sombra shook his head. "Unfortunately no, but he did give me something else."
"What?" Vig asked.
"A way to find this creature while removing its dark magic from me." Sombra said reaching into a slit of his armor to reveal the bag of herbs. "Here and also this book has a section in it. There will be a spell that you will use on me to expose this beast wherever it may be."
"Um sir last time I tried a spell on you where out cold. Are you sure this thing is safe and for that matter how do you know this colt was telling you the truth?" Vig protest.
"Vig just do it." Sombra said tossing both things to him.
Vig hesitantly flipped through the book until he came to the spot where the pages where folded. Taking the herbs he sprinkled them in front of Sombra. At first they did nothing but soon they began to glow. While Vig read aloud the herbs slowly started climbing up Sombra's hooves and started to seep into his skin. It was a strange sensation but whatever this was Sombra could tell that it was working, really working. The odd thing was though that was it, no sound of a creature dying or anything just silence.
"Well that was odd." Vig said.
"What?" Sombra asked.
"This book it seems familiar to me, like I have seen it somewhere before but I cant remember where." Vig said.
"Well whatever it is its useless cause I don't see any creature anywhere do you?" Sombra asked with harsh tone.
Vig looked at him as if had seen a ghost. "I am sorry Sir."
Sombra's rage suddenly bursted through his chest, couldn't control himself.
"All you have done, all your 'help' has not done me any good. It took a random colt who I just met this morning to ease my pain than it took you with all your 'research'. A doctor you call yourself yet you rely on petty magic to do your work. NOW GET WHOEVER IT IS THAT KNOWS ABOUT ANY CREATURES THAT MACTH THE DESCRIPTION, NOW GO!!!!" Sombra shouted at the doctor.
Vig stood there with his ears folded back in fear. "Sir....am?"
"GO NOW!" Sombra screamed slamming his hoof into the table.
The doctor scrambled from the room in a great panic. As soon as he left a knocked followed.
"Sir is everything alright?" Sam said entering.
Sombra's eyes began filling with uncontrollable rage.
"No, nothing is alright you idiotic fool." Sombra growled.
Sam stopped in his tracks. "Sir?"
"All my life you have served me yet you despise me don't you?" Sombra hissed.
"Sir I never have cursed you or your name. Now tell me whats come over you." Sam asked keeping his distance. The butler stood several feet away for Sombra had a wild look in his eyes. "Sir are you're eyes alight? There is something green in the right one."
Sombra wiped his eye, seeing nothing he grew annoyed. "Don't try and change the subject."
Sam stood there in fear not knowing what to say. "Sir are you feeling alright?"
"Never been better, why?" Sombra hissed. He paused for a moment. "You know what Sam I do need to relieve myself of some stress actually."
The butler lossen up a bit. "Sure what did you have in mind?"
Sombra smiled cruelly. "I think its about time that I deal with our, guest down in the dungeon."
"You mean those dreadful circus colts sir?" Sam said with a frown.
"Yes, I feel the need to take my anger out on something." Sombra said walking out of the room. " I am going to my throne room. Be there with them within the hour and make sure nopony is in there when they arrive."
"Yes sir." The butler said hanging his head.
Chrysalis trotted down the great corridor looking for Sombra, she began worrying for she hadn't heard from him in a while. She poked her head into Sombra's council room and was sad to see nopony there.
"Chrysalis." A voice called out.
Turning around she saw Doctor Vig coming right for her.
"Oh, hello doctor Vig, is something wrong?" Chrysalis.
"Nothing, nothing at all but may I talked to you for a minute." Vig said.
"Sure." Chrysalis.
"Chrysalis do you remember anything from your early days? Like your parents, family, friends or anything like that?" Vig asked.
"Um, not really." Chrysalis said. "Vig may I ask why you are asking me this?"
Vig smiled. "Just trying to get to know you better, so do you know much about what you are?"
Chrysalis began to grow nervous. "You mean what I am? You mean like creature wise?"
"Yes." Vig.
"Mr. Vig that is highly inappropriate to ask of me and I don't know why you need to know something like that." Chrysalis said.
"Please I don't mean to come off like that I am just as you know, a colt of study and was just wondering. I hope I haven't upset you." Vig pleaded.
Chrysalis was tempted to walk away but she restrained herself. "Mr. Vig, I am what they call a changeling but that is all I know so I hope whatever it is you wanted was given to you." She said walking off.
Chrysalis was disturbed by the encounter but she quickly made her way to the throne room. Upon arriving she saw that Sam was standing by the door.
"Afternoon Sam." She said.
"Sorry ma'am but Sombra has asked that nopony disturbed him right now." He said with dread in his voice.
A cry came out from the behind the door. Chrysalis pulled at the ring forcing the door open.
"Mrs. Chrysalis don't." Sam cried out.
The scene before her shocked her to her very soul. Sombra stood above a colt while a bunch of others sitting on the floors. He looked up when Chrysalis entered. One of the colts laid on the ground, blood was gushing
"Sombra what are you doing?" She said rushing over to him.
Sombra let out a laugh. "Just getting my frustrations out."
"By hitting a defenseless pony." Chrysalis said kneeling down to the broken colt.
Sombra smiled. "Why don't you take another look at that defenseless colt."
Chrysalis cradled the head of the colt and lifted his head up. She couldn't see what Sombra meant because of the blood that gushed from the colts nose.
"Please make him stop." He whispered.
"Yes tell him that you will make me stop, tell Sir Griswald, the leader of the ever-changing circus. Give the colt who made your life a living hell that, that you will grant him mercy." Sombra said.
Chrysalis sat there in horror as she held the the colt in her hooves.
"What are you talking about I have never seen this pony in my entire life. How on earth could I make her life a living hell?" Griswald pleated.
"Its you." Chrysalis said.
"What?" The scared colt asked.
"You, you treated me like an animal. You beat me, scared me, and made me hate almost everypony that I ever had met. You are a monster." She said begging to cry.
Griswald stared at her until the suddenly realization came across his face. "Oh god its you."
Chrysalis stood up and turned to Sombra. "Why, why did you bring them here, why, why, why?" She cried.
Sombra felt something inside of him move. It was odd he felt like he was being drawn to Chrysalis.
"Chrysalis I, I feel like." He stopped.
Chrysalis stormed out of the room before he could finish. He stood there, his head becoming cloudy with thoughts.
"Chrysalis...." He said.
He began galloping after her only to fall and hit the floor. "Sam! Get in here now!"
Sombra breathed heavily, he didn't know how but he couldn't remember anything that just happen. It was as if he had just had a blackout and couldn't remember anything.
"What? What just happen?" Sombra said. holding his head.