//------------------------------//
// Magic 
// Story: The Eternity of Twilight Sparkle 
// by zzCiver 
//------------------------------//

Princess Twilight Sparkle. Such a fitting name for one so powerful. But why do you settle for what you already know? Why do you hold so dear to the lessons of Celestia? 


There is even greater power in this world. You know it. You used it. You felt it. 
Power that dear old Celestia does not want you to know. 


She fears who you are

Who you could become
 
What you can do. 
She only holds you back. I know your true potential. I can show you his power. Let me show you what you can become.

Let your curiosity beckon. You want to know, you love to learn. You are burdened by the unknown. Burdened by glorious purpose. Of what you are, of your power, of your potential. Come to me, and I will show you all.


Yes, you will come, this I already know. The call is great, and you wonder.

Wonder away Princess. Let the wonder compel you. 
Come Twilight




`
"Gah!" Twilight yelled as she shot up from her bed panting with a cold sweat running down her body. She looked around the room to calm herself down. She was in the Ponyville Library, bedroom. It was still night time but her racing heart made her feel like she had run a marathon. 

"Spike, Spike wake up" she said down to the baby dragon sleeping in a small cot next to the bed. 

Not lifting his head from the pillow Spike mumbled "'Ts late. Morning, good"

Twilight levitated the covers off him and pulled him out of bed as she began pacing around the room preparing herself for travel. "This is serious Spike. I had a dream, actually more like a nightmare." 

Spike was barely keeping on his feet after being so suddenly woken up. In between yawns he managed to say "Everypony dreams Twilight. Just go back to sleep, and it'll all be better by morning."

"We can't wait until morning.  Princess Celestia said that now that I'm an alicorn my most vivid dreams have meaning. What I saw, what I heard, it may be some kind of prophecy. And I can't let my dream slip away from me." 

Spike was hoisted on to the alicorn's back as the two of them made way for the door. Spike asked "So where exactly did this dream tell you to go?"

Whether it was tiredness or lack of caring, Twilight responded in a very matter-of-fact manner "To a dark mysterious cave in the middle of the Everfree Forest."





Twilight approached the cave. It was smaller than in her dream, but still big enough where she would be able to squeeze in between the rocks. "Maybe we shouldn't go in" Spike said in fright. 

Twilight levitated Spike off her back and on to the ground. Speaking in a determined manner she said to him "You're  right. If both of us go, we might get trapped. But whatever meaning my dream had, is in that cave. I'm going in." As she walked away from her assistant and towards the opening she got a sense of fear as well. Just one moment of hesitation passed her thoughts, but she knew there was no turning back. She squeezed her way past the rocks and into the mouth of the cave. 

Using her horn to light her surroundings she ventured deeper into the cave. To her surprise it seemed to be lived in, and not by any animal. A fire circle was set up in the corner, along with a small pile of straw as a bed. Despite her horn's light, one corner of the hollow remained in the shadows. 

As she approached the dark corner a voice began speaking from within the darkness. "So, the Princess heeds my call. I should feel so honored to be graced with her presence" the voice said sarcastically. Clearly whoever, or whatever it was, was not fond of her. 

Twilight asserted herself towards the darkness and addressed the voice "That voice, it's the same one I heard in my dream. Who are you? Why have you called me here?" She did not show any fear, she knew that if there was a time o be scared, it was long gone. Now was the time to show herself as a Princess of Equestria. 

With a slight chuckle the voice began again "I see you wish to get right to the chase, very well then. There you are in all your glory, and here am I." 

Out of the shadows stepped a gray unicorn, mane as black as night, and a horn glowing red. Despite standing just as tall as Twilight, King Sobra managed to stand over her in his entrance. Twilight stood there, not moving, not speaking. In shock of who it was before her. As he let the emotions run through his guest, Sombra continued speaking. "What's wrong, o alicorn princess? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Still recovering from the sight of the fallen king, Twilight did manage to find words to say. "H-how is this possible? In the Crystal Empire, you were blown to pieces. You were defeated, My friends saw it with their own eyes." 

Sombra merely grinned as he explained his life "The beauty of crystals, Twilight Sparkle, is their ability to grow. In the right environment even the smallest shard can become a brand new gemstone. And what place in Equestria is a better environment for me to regain my strength then the Everfree Forest?" He paused momentarily letting Twilight take in what he had said. Before she had a chance to reply, he continued "That is why I am here, but what about you. Why have you come so deep into the forest? Into my home?" 


Twilight thought carefully about what she was about to say. She knew it was his voice which called her here, he knew why she'd come. She decided her best course was to tell the truth. With all the confidence she could muster she answered "I came to see what my dream was about." She decided to keep her words short, lest she accidentally give Sombra some edge to work his mind tracks around.

Sombra further approached Twilight as he spoke, Always keeping his distance, but beginning to pace around her. "Many ponies have dreams Twilight Sparkle. Many ponies have nightmares. What about my call really made you come and find me?" 

Twilight gulped as she knew what response Sombra was looking for, and it was her true answer. With a heavy sigh she told him what she knew he wanted to hear "You mentioned power. Great power. Power greater than Celestia herself." 

"Precisely" He said with a grin as his horn bubbles forth with black and red magic. The shadow where he once hid himself grew, over the walls and floor of the cave, right under the princess's hooves. In no time at all the cave where the two once stood became pitch black in every direction. Sombra then continued "Dark magic, Twilight sparkle. You've used it before. I know this, how else could you have gotten to the Crystal Heart? It is a power not many can use, and even fewer can master. You have already shown your ability to harness it, and I know your powers can grow." His eyes glowed again with dark magic as he summoned in his open hoof a crown similar to his own, albeit more feminine. "Celestia may have named you a princess, but learn from me, Twilight Sparkle, and you would be a queen." 

Twilight reeled back for a moment at the offer. Her eyes fixated of the jagged crown before her, but in no more than a moment later she came back to her senses. "You think I would abandon everything just like that? Celestia is more than just my teacher. She's also my princess, my co-ruler and most importantly my friend. Everything she's done has been to help me, to help Equestria. And if you think I would leave her side over the promise of power, you've got another thing coming." 

Sombra stood there, looking at the defiant alicorn before him. Without any change in expression he made the crown he held vanish. Keeping his same expression he spoke "You think Celestia has all the answers, don't you? Well, I'll let you in on a little secret, there is one thing Celestia, in all of her power will never be able to know; what it is like to become immortal.  That, Twilight Sparkle, is what nopony can help you with. You will be forced sit there and watch your loved ones whither and die, while you remain. The lives of thousands will pass like grains of sand in an hourglass, and you will remain. The mortal mind was not meant to understand eternity, that is your burden Twilight Sparkle, to suffer life eternal."

Twlilght became suddenly saddened by Sombra's words. She had never considered that she would outlive her friends, outlive everypony, to watch ponies die. Her head drooped as these thoughts washed over her, while Sombra continued to spin his tale of woe. "So you finally realize what immortality is. Celestia cannot help you, she knows not what it is to become immortal. But I do. We're not so different Twilight Sparkle, We are both doomed to wander time, seeing life expecting to die, but never getting to. Twilight Sparkle, I could he-"

"NO" The alicorn suddenly exclaimed. Whatever grievances she was feeling just a second ago were wiped clean as she had a new look of resilience on her face. "No more of your lies. You may be a fallen king, the most twisted villain I've faced, but you are no different from the villains in story books." 

Twilight now took the commanding role of the confrontation. As she approached Sombra she lifted her wings, showing her importance as princess, taking it to heart. "You are trying to draw similarities between us two. Make us connected. Well I'll tell you we are nothing alike. I earned my place at the throne, you cheated your way into the Crystal Empire and took it by force. You are no king, you are a fraud, and I would never bow before you, or stand at your side." 

Twilight's words struck deep within the unicorn, though he did not show it. A half chuckle escaped his mouth before he began pacing around the princess one again. With a more intense tone he said "So, I'm just a fraud? No different from a story book villain? Well Princess, perhaps you'd like a plot twist." 

On the last words his eyes lit up with dark magic. With his horn bubbling forth with intensity he prepared his magic. A single stomp on the ground with one of his forelegs sent a pillar of darkness shooting upwards from underneath the princess. The pillar hit Twilight square in the stomach knocking her to the floor.

"I'm so sorry it had to come to this Twilight Sparkle. I had so hoped you would join me. But alas, your defiance has been your downfall." 

As Twilight tried to stand up after having the wind knocked out of her, Sombra readied another attack. This time a sphere of dark magic appeared out of thin air and rocketed itself towards Twilight. Still shaken from the first blow she was unable to dodge the ball which smacked her across the jaw like a solid rock. She fell to the cave floor, still pitch-black from Sombra's darkness. The only color apart from the dueling ponies was a splatter of blood dripping from Twilight's jaw. 

"You can't do this Sombra" Twilight pleaded, "I'm princess of Equestria." 

Another blast hit the alicorn, this time in the back leg. As she tried to limp towards where she thought the exit was she came to a terrible realization. The conjured darkness had sealed the exit, trapping her with her attacker. With her back to Sombra another ball of darkness hit her in the back of the head, adding another pool of blood to the featureless abyss that surrounded them. 

Sombra's voice grew more aggressive as he prepared what seemed to be his final attack. In a tone which resembled the Royal Canterlot Voice he yelled "TWILIGHT SPARKLE, YOU DISHONOR YOUR TITLE OF PRINCESS. STRIKE ME BACK TWILIGHT SPARKLE OR PREPARE TO DIE" 

Twilight weakly manages to put a magical shield around her body as she desperately tried to hold off against the assault. Sombra launched 3 more orbs towards the her. The very first orb smashed through the shield like it was glass, exposing her body to the other two which promptly connected. 

Sombra prepared 3 last orbs as he stood over the alicorn, lying helpless on the ground. "So this is the power Celestia has taught you. Pathetic. Equestria is better off without you as leader." He sent his balls forward to end his captive princess. 

In the instant before the balls hit the princess, her eyes began flaming. Her horn lit up with a purple-green glow as the balls stopped midair. Their color changed from black to a dark purple as they began to spiral around the noq kneeling Twilight. Her eyes stared blankly at her captor as the balls flew towards him. The first made direct contact with his face, though it merely splashed off, having little force behind it. The second hit him solidly in the neck, causing the king to stagger backwards. The final ball elongated itself in flight and whipped Sombra across the face, knocking him to the floor. 

The darkness covering the cave began receding as the injured Twilight limped towards the downed unicorn. Looking down at him, her eyes filled with tears as she recalled what had happened. "What, what have I done?" she asked herself aloud. 

Sombra laughed while covering his face. "Ha ha ha ha. What did I tell you Princess? Not so different. Ha ha." He stood up to address the alicorn revealing his left eye covered in a glowing red scar. "Not so different"

Twilight simply bolted for the cave entrance, ashamed of what she'd done. Just before reaching the light she was picked up by a red aura and brought back face to face with the king. "What else do you want with me?" she stammered to him.

"I'd simply like to clean you up a little" Sombra said as he enveloped Twilight in his magic. She clenched, expecting the worst from Sombra, but rather than harm, she found her pain to go away. The blood from her mouth stopped dripping and her broken leg was fixed. Much to her surprise the unicorn had healed her injuries, as if nothing had ever happened. She was lowered to the ground as Sombra spoke his last goodbyes. "Now Princess, you are free to go. And I do hope nopony needs to know about me. It would be a shame for Celestia to learn that her star pupil had such an affinity for dark magic."

Twilight ran for the door, leaving the king to sit back down in his makeshift home, and tend to his own wounds.