Somber Light

by Skeeter The Lurker


Prologue

What if.

A very simple question, and it’s one that everyone is guilty of asking at least once a day, if not more.

Of course, with all the possible, and, indeed, impossible, answers one can come up with when asking it, you really can’t be that surprised at it. It simply is up to the person asking it to decide the outcome.

And, in the process, make a few dozen new alternate universes/realities.

From the seemingly mundane questions:

“What if I had the tomato soup instead of the grilled cheese?”
“What if I wore the salmon color shirt, rather than the white and blue shirt?”
“What if I used red ink rather than the blue ink?”
“What if I didn’t do my homework today?”

To the questions that could change everything we know:

“What if Luke’s torpedo was faulty?”
“What if 1+2=5?”
“What if the government wasn’t corrupt?”

Each one will be given their own story, own reality, and own destiny.

And not a single place, item, or person is exempt from this question… It can be applied to anyone and everyone.

Including a group of 6 friends, bound by harmony, strengthened by friendship, who have saved the world time and again from certain doom.

Everyone knows the stories: Twilight Sparkle, protégé to Princess Celestia, came to Ponyville to make friends. In doing so, she managed to defeat Nightmare Moon, became the Element of Magic, and gained 5 new friends from the ordeal.

Later on, she once again, with her friends, showed what friendship could do when she faced down Discord, the god of chaos. And, once again, assisted in the defeat of Queen Chrysalis during the Invasion Of Canterlot.

Soon after that, the Crystal Empire returned, as did its former king, King Sombra. Twilight and her friends were sent to save the empire, but almost failed… If not for the actions of a certain dragon, they most certainly would have failed.

Soon after that… Twilight then faced off with an old rival, reformed an old foe, created a new spell, and in doing so, ascended to become Princess Twilight Sparkle.

But what if that wasn’t her destiny?

What if she was unable to fix the problem caused by the spell?
What if they couldn’t reform Discord?
What if they were supposed to be injured by the tornado?
What if she couldn’t best Trixie, possessed by the Alicorn Amulet?
What if she banished the wrong Pinkie?





What if they were never meant to save the Crystal Empire?





We travel now, to a point just shy of the climax of the Crystal Empire event. Twilight, in her haste, discovered the location of the Crystal Heart, but, triggered a trap set by King Sombra.

Trapped inside a crystal prison, she is left with the choice that will define the fate of a world…

A choice that won’t end how she, or indeed, anyone, would hope for it to end…