//------------------------------// // 1: Nightmares // Story: Let The Crystals Break: The Rise of Sombra // by joe mother //------------------------------// "C'mon!" Sombra yelled as he ran across the fallen tree, looking back behind him at his younger brother, who was scampering along slowly. "Wait up!" Hunter cried, trying his hardest to reach his older brother. The young colt attempted to climb up the fallen tree trunk, but quickly lost his grip and fell. "Use your magic!" Sombra told him, smiling. "It's not strong enough!" Hunter complained. "Don't leave me!" Sombra rolled his eyes and jumped back down from the log. "Let me boost you up," he said, already picking up the colt. He lifted him up with his magic to the top of the wooden cylinder, where he stood, wobbling uncertainly as he balanced on its top. "What if I fall, brother?" he asked Sombra fearfully. "Then I'll catch you!" the black colt responded, following Hunter over the trunk. Sombra was a young unicorn who had just earned his cutie mark: a red star. It was the sign of a fire mage, which Sombra had learned fairly quickly when he read into it. He had a jet black coat, and a mane that resembled shadow, flowing gracefully down his neck in a dark mass. His eyes had purple irises, and at night they would sometimes glow. His horn was rather unique; it was a dark grey, with a spot of blood red at the tip, another symbol of a fire mage. His brother, Hunter, was not so special looking, instead having a plain brown coat and a plain black mane, which stuck up in spikes. His horn was just the same brown as his fur; nothing was different about it. His eyes were light blue, and reminded most ponies of a clear sky in summer. Sombra led Hunter over to a ridge, where he sat, staring off into the view. "What's so special about this?" Hunter asked, confused. "It's just a hill." "But look at the view." And so Hunter did, and very soon he was sitting as well, staring at the beautiful landscape. Across a river that had formed the gorge they were now sitting on the edge of, there was quite a sight to behold. Crystal trees of every color of the spectrum sparkled in shimmering radiance as the sun's rays bounced through them, sending out rainbows in all directions. In the distance, the Old Crystal Tower could be seen, its red exterior slowly turning to black as it was left to collapse. However, it was not an ugly black, but a glossy, shining darkness that felt like a large omnipresent shadow containing invisible jewels reflecting light. "It's so cool!" Hunter marveled, his eyes fixated on the glowing wonders. "Well, we have until dinner to look at it," Sombra replied. "Is this why you were late to dinner all those times, brother?" Hunter asked. "Yeah." The colt nodded and continued staring, entranced by the beauty of the sculptures. Burn with the empire. Sombra looked around, the voice echoing throughout his hearing. He turned back to his brother and saw him to be frozen in place, not moving or breathing. The ruins of the empire will go with you. Unless you protect it. Unless you can fight against those who wish to destroy it. "No!" he yelled, covering his ears with his hooves in a desperate attempt to block out the noise. Do not let it fall. You are the empire's only hope... The world around him began to run like wet paint mixed with water on a wall. The colors melted away until all that there was left was darkness. ~ "Brother!" Sombra woke up with hooves shaking him, and his brother's voice calling to him. "What?" he said blearily, trying to fight the weariness in his body. "You were shuddering again," Hunter said fearfully. "It scares me." "I know," Sombra replied. "It's just a nightmare." "But you have it every night! You've got to tell Mom!" "No, I don't. I'm not a scared little colt anymore, and I never get help from anypony! I can do it all myself!" "How prideful of you!" Sombra jumped as his mother spoke, and he turned to find her standing over her. "But I don't think you can do everything by yourself just yet," she said, smirking. "I don't think there's a single pony in the world who can do everything on their lonesome. Now, it's time for you two to get ready for school." Sombra and Hunter followed their mother to the kitchen, where a bowl of hay awaited them. "Eat up!" she told the duo. Sombra's mother, Evangel, was the pinnacle of nice. She was always helpful to anypony who needed her, and never seemed to get mad at anypony. She had a brown coat just like Hunter, but her mane was more like Sombra's, appearing as almost a shadow, but extending father down her back than Sombra's. Her eyes were an emerald green, and they sparkled whenever she smiled or laughed. Her cutie mark was a pair of knitting needles, and knitting was something she did frequently. She ran a small crotchet shop outside of the house, where she sold the various items she made to passerby or ponies in town. Sombra dug into his hay, eating it happily with a smile. When he was finished, he levitated the remnants to the trash pile outside and went back to his and Hunter's bedroom to get his schoolbooks. He grabbed them and hopped back out to the living room, where his mother was waiting, along with Hunter, who kept his books hidden somewhere; he would never tell where, not even to his own mother. "Let's go!" Sombra said, and they walked down the stone path from where their house sat near the Crystalline Ridge to the schoolhouse, which was located right in the center of the small town bordering the Empire's main village. Outside, the school's principal, Stirile, was standing, greeting everypony who came in. "Hello, Sombra and Hunter!' she said when they approached. "I hope you're ready to learn!" "I'm always ready, Mrs. Stirile!" Sombra replied. The middle aged mare chuckled at his enthusiasm. "I envy your strength," she told Evangel with a smile. "Sometimes, I wonder how I manage," Evangel replied. With a kiss on her sons' cheeks, she left. She waved to them when she was a good distance away. Sombra and Hunter waved back. They went inside of the building and departed from each other to go to their different classrooms. Sombra sat down at his desk when he reached his and sat anxiously, waiting for class to begin. Sombra loved to learn. He always had a thirst to know something new or understand a thing that he did not before. Once, he spent a whole week of the summer break sitting in his room reading, only stopping to eat, sleep, or go to the bathroom. His wait was soon over as more colts and fillies filled the space and the teacher, Ms. Redline, walked in. She took her seat and waited as the students followed suit. "Alright class," she spoke when all of the ponies in the room had sat down. "Let me take role, and then we will begin with today's-" The door burst open and a red colt came in, a lot larger than anypony else in the class. His name was Dregs, and he was an earth pony with a bad attitude and strong muscles. "Do not interrupt my class!" Ms. Redline yelled angrily, nearly tossing her desk in rage. Dregs did this everyday, just to annoy the teacher. "You do this everyday!" "Yeah, whatever," he replied. "Don't 'Yeah, whatever' me, mister!" she yelled. "Get your flank in your chair while I mark you tardy and make a note to remind your stupid self that you don't get any recess!" The class gasped. Ms. Redline had never said flank before, especially not to a student, and had never insulted one either. "'K'," he replied, dragging his hooves slowly to his desk. He passed by Sombra on the way over. "I hope you did my homework for me, nerd," he whispered. Sombra nodded and gulped. He had done Dregs' homework, but only because there was a large threat hanging over his head. "I'll get take it after lunch," Dregs said. "Which I believe you're getting for me?" Sombra just nodded again, his heart rising up in his throat. "Yeah," Sombra said hoarsely, his voice weak and helpless. "Yeah," Dregs replied, continuing to his seat. He sat, and class began. ~ Sombra felt much better after learning some new things about the world outside of the Empire's borders, and when the lunch bell rang, he had almost forgotten about Dregs' indications earlier. This forgetfulness was soon left behind as he got his lunch and went outside to the playground. "Hey, nerd," Dregs said as he walked up to Sombra. "Is that my lunch?" Sombra stopped dead. And then he nodded. "Thanks," was the reply as Dregs ripped the tray from Sombra's magic field and pushed him over. He laughed. Sombra's horn lit up as he began to charge a spell, furious at the mistreatment. "Uh, uh," the earth pony said, raising his hoof up. The light around the black colt's horn vanished, leaving him laying in the dirt, defenseless. "And just we're clear," Dregs said, leaning in on Sombra. "Tell your mom, or anypony else, and you'll get the crap beaten out of you, understand?" Sombra just nodded, a silent gesture of submissive agreement. "Good." Dregs walked off, leaving Sombra to pick himself up and find a place to sit. After finding comfort under a nearby tree, he heard hoofsteps approaching him. He peeked out through his eyes, fearing it to be Dregs returning. However, it was Ms. Redline, who placed a hoof around his shoulder. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Why don't you have a lunch?" "It's nothing," Sombra said. "I wasn't hungry, so I gave it to Dregs." Ms. Redline nodded, still knowing that something was up. She decided to leave Sombra alone, because he obviously did not want to speak to anypony, and went away. Sombra curled up into a ball and hid his face, so nopony could see him crying.