//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Sombra. Saga of Hatred // by HiddenUnderACouch //------------------------------// The milky white clouds were running in the sky, which itself had the color of a river that streamed down into the unknown, and undoubtedly, found itself a cliff to fall down from. The sky must be alike. Somewhere, far beyond the horizon, this crystal blue water would fall down from the sky to pour all over the land below. Maybe that was how the great seas and oceans were formed: with clouds turning into land the instant they hit the surface. Summer brought many other beautiful gifts as well, like the breeze that blew through the streets and alleys of Crystal City and around the ponies that strolled around thereupon, who shuddered from the surprising amount of cold it brought. It contrasted strongly with the sun that was pouring its scorching heat down on the world. The huge red-burning disk in the middle of the heavenly ocean was the pinnacle of summer's power. It was the most precious thing in its collection, its pride, and most beautiful wonder. The golden rays hit the young crystal unicorn right in the eye, making him wink and turn away. The sunlight made his blue sparkling coat seem almost blinding. If he could fly, he would seem almost as blue as the sky. But why would he need to fly, when he already was in the seventh heaven? Amethyst turned away from the sun and smiled to himself. The warmth seemed to wrap around him and the south-west wind played with his long pale red mane. It sometimes got into his eyes as he walked, and he had to brush it off with his hoof. Ponies that saw him walking down the street would immediately brighten up if they were sad, or smile at him, if they’d already been happy. They looked at the colt who sashayed down the street, his every step looking like a jump of a swift and agile bunny. But none knew the reason for his happiness. That reason was quite simple yet at the same time important, perhaps the most important thing to ever happen to a colt in any country, in any time period, in any empire, of every species. The moment every husband awaited day and night, anywhere in the world. The moment, when he’d become a father. Amethyst stopped for a second and inhaled, filling his lungs with fresh air of summer. The tiny particles of dust slipped into his nose, tickling it, and right when was about to let out a loud sigh of happiness, he let out a loud sneeze. "Gesundheit!" the nearby crystal pony called out to him, looking at this happy unicorn. Amethyst scratched his nose, and smiled at the stranger. "Thank you!" "You look very happy, friend. Care to share the news?" the crystal pony asked. Amethyst was pleased by this friendly attitude, and the fact that the stranger cared. "Of course! These news are too pleasant to be quiet about! Today, I will become a parent! I am a father!" he proclaimed, while the emotions filled him to the brim. He couldn't just stand still anymore, and jumped into the air shouting loudly. "I am a father!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, while up in the air. Many ponies turned around and looked at him. Some looked with displeasure, because shouting in the street wasn't really a common occurrence in Crystal City. Amethyst blushed after realizing that dozens of eyes were pinned right at him. "I'm happy for you, but you don't need to yell, you know," the stranger noted, though he smiled at the same time. Amethyst could only utter an awkward apology, and slowly make his way onward down the street. The color on his cheeks still persisted as he galloped through the crowd, though many ponies looked at him with smiles. Some already knew this feeling, having lived through this moment, and now it just warmed their hearts to see yet another colt experiencing it. The crowded streets of Crystal City were buzzing like a giant hive of bees. The sharp tips of gigantic towers that looked upon the city below, like mountains that stood before a small field, were turning the light into many multicolored rays. It was a special feature of the crystals the towers were made of. All inhabitants of the city enjoyed looking at the lightshow in the middle of the hot day. This natural display of beauty that appeared when a masterful pony tampers with the elements of nature showcased what kind of heights the Crystal Empire had reached through the generations since its creation. Finally, Amethyst reached the garden of the maternity hospital. The beautiful birches along were rocking back and forth due to the soft touch of the wind. The green leaves, which covered their crowns with a natural garland, trembled and whistled during even the weakest breeze. All of these trees had been imported from other countries, for the fields of the Crystal Empire were quite harsh to plants and trees, allowing only unhealthy looking grass to grow on its surface. Every tree that’d be planted into the Crystal Empire’s soil would wilt and die slowly, which made the sight of them all the more precious. Because of that, the public parks were one of the most beautiful places many miles around. The Emperor really wanted his subjects to see the beauty of nature not only in the reflections of crystals, but by witnessing the wild growth of trees, flowers, and bushes. Amethyst reached a small bench on the side of the road to the maternity hospital, not far from the entrance. From that place, he could overlook all the windows on the front of the hospital. In one of these rooms was his beloved wife, the pony Amethyst treasured more than anything in his life: Willemite. The dreamy unicorn looked down onto the ground, remembering the day the good news had befallen his ears. It had been a rainy day; the sky was covered in the shell of grey clouds, and the small droplets of water only starting to fall down turning into thousand small particles, when his beloved approached him with a wide smile on her face. Even though the sun was hidden far behind the thick curtain of clouds, her eyes had shone brighter than any star. Amethyst was just waiting for her to return from the hospital. Willemite had felt sick this morning, and he’d accompanied her to the doctor. But it turned out that, after a session with the first therapist, she had to visit yet another doctor. Amethyst looked at her, confusion clearly written on his face. He just didn't understand what happy news the doctor could’ve had for her. The only ponies that shone this bright when coming out of hospitals were those who've just been informed that they were not sick, or? "What are we so happy about, hmm? I never saw you this oozing with excitement since I proposed to you," Amethyst said, tilted his head, and looked straight into his wife's big brown eyes. "Amethyst, I have great news for you. After visiting the therapist, I decided to pay a visit to gynecologist, just in case. Do you know what he told me?" she said with excitement that almost made her jump in place and bite her lip. "Dear, I'm not a mare, I don't know what gynecologists tell to you," Amethyst joked, and Willemite giggled. She enclosed him in a warm hug, rubbing her head against his temple. "I'm pregnant, honey! We're going to have a baby!" she said in a festive voice, right into his ear. The rain was getting stronger, but Amethyst didn't care. He didn't look for shelter. Instead, he pressed his wife against himself as hard as he could. There were no words in the entire world that could describe his love for her right now. Burning, bright, passionate, all these words paled before what he felt. Willemite, his most precious pony, his beloved gem, his wife – she’d have a baby! And it was his baby! His son or daughter! Amethyst smiled. That day, they’d both gotten wet and barely managed to get home without falling into a puddle of mud, but they were so happy that they didn't even notice. And now, after waiting for so long — these eight months dragged on for ages, it seemed — the day had come. Today, he would see his little baby in all his or her glory. He already imagined how she or he would look like, what kind of future would await him or her. If it was a mare, it’d be the prettiest mare alive, even more beautiful than his wife, which would be an impressive feat to achieve. The colts would be swarming before her door, offering their heart and hoof to her. Even the Emperor would be blinded by the way her crystal coat would reflect the light. And there would come a day when she’d come to her old parents, smile innocently, and tell them that they’d become grandparents soon. If it was a stallion, he’d be brave and strong, courageous and honorable. He’d become a great general, leading the army of the Crystal Empire to victory, or a wise magician, a teacher of the arcane arts in the University of Magic. Every mare in the Empire would talk about him, and turn as red as a tomato when he passed nearby. Their eyes would follow his gait, and some of them might even faint in amazement. Suddenly, Amethyst noticed movement in one of the windows. He quickly turned his attention, fixing his sight at this one square hole in the wall. His heart beat like a war drum, the sweat ran down his face, and his mouth widened in an insane smile. It was born out of great worry, but anypony who would see him right now would think he were insane. Finally, all his worry turned into nothing but fog as his beautiful wife leaned over the windowsill. The wind suddenly struck, making her silver mane flutter and wave around her horn as though nature was trying to showcase her beauty. Her coat shimmered with bright green color that sparkled and flickered in the sunlight. She looked down, noticing her husband. "What is it?" Amethyst shouted, looking up right at her. She smiled to him in return. "It's a stallion! Come up here, take a look at him!" her melodic voice reached his ears, and Amethyst rushed to the entrance. In just several minutes, he was going through the white corridors, wearing a medical gown. The doctors wouldn't allow otherwise; sterility had to be kept. Besides, Amethyst didn't want to ruin the pureness of this hospital. Even from the outside, this building looked like it was polished until the surface started reflecting the sun like a mirror. But the kids were obliged to have the best things. Finally, Amethyst reached the room wherein his wife was waiting for him. The doctor, who kept an overly serious face through their entire little journey, opened the wooden obstacle in the eager father's way, and welcomed him to enter. The room was quite spacey and comfy. The walls were painted in a soothing pale pink color to keep the young mothers calm and relaxed. Two beds stood lengthwise by the walls opposite of each other. There were also a few cupboards and shelves nearby, but what really attracted Amethyst's attention was the cradle right in the middle of the room. Willemite sat on the side of her bed that stood in the right side. The instant Amethyst entered the ward, she jumped off and approached him to encase him in her warm embrace. In return, he kissed her on the cheek and carefully ran his hoof through her curly mane. "So, how are you doing, dear?" he said in a dreamy voice. "How did everything go?" "It's alright. I don't think you really want to know the details," Willemite noted sarcastically, and Amethyst sneered. He had a lot of reasons to refuse being along with his wife, along with accoucheurs, mainly because he had a very strong memory. If he saw something shocking, he would remember it for the rest of his life. So the secret of childbirth stayed just that, a secret for him. "Yeah, I really don't. So, how's our boy?" he whispered in her ear. "Take a look yourself." There was somepony else in the room, a young mare, which was peacefully lying on her bed reading a book, when Amethyst entered. Now, she put away the romance novel, and looked on the couple right before her. She had brown mane and pretty red coat. "Congratulations, Willemite. You're so lucky to have such a loving husband!" she said, not even knowing if her voice would reach the happy mare's ears that was too occupied with her husband's whispers. "Thank you! I wish you luck. May the sun’s light always follow you and your children," Willemite replied to her. Amethyst looked over his wife's shoulder. This mare seemed to be Willemite's neighbor, and they, most likely, had become good friends while lying here. The mare's belly looked like a balloon, which signified that she had at least 6 months of pregnancy behind her. "Hi!" Amethyst greeted, and smiled awkwardly, seconds later receiving a painful poke in the side by his wife. "Ouch, that was completely unnecessary." "Oh, really? Come on already, let's look at the child," Willemite concluded, and together, the two parents approached the cradle. Amethyst leaned over the wooden wall and looked upon his son for the first time. The baby slept peacefully, lazily turning from side to side, wrapping the violet blanket around its fragile body. Sometimes, he swung his small hooves around in his bed, as if running somewhere. Once in a while, the child let out a quiet squeak, while shielding his eyes from the light. At one point, the little colt tried to reach his own horn. The one detail Amethyst noticed was his color scheme. He and Willemite had very bright colors, both mane and coat. Both of their parents had bright colors as well, so Amethyst couldn't figure out why the child was born with colors like these. He had a dark gray coat and pitch black mane, which the kid sometimes used as his chewing toy, though he quickly realized that it wasn't edible. Even his horn was of pale grey color, which meant that his magical aura would be of the same. Well, Amethyst thought to himself, nature can pull off many tricks. Who knows, maybe one of my ancestors wore the same colors. In fact, this dark color scheme will benefit my son in the future. Girls like edgy boys, right? "He's adorable, is he not?" Willemite gushed, looking at her newborn son, when suddenly, he stopped whirling in the cradle and turned his head towards his parents. He slowly opened his eyes and took a good look upon the world around him. "Oh, my, these eyes. These are mine, I tell you!" Amethyst exclaimed, looking into his son's green eyes. They reminded him of the trees outside, and himself, when he looked into the mirror. "Yes, he has your eyes, but my nose!" Willemite responded, pointing at the child's small nose, which really did resemble her own. The child raised its tiny hooves towards his parents, letting out quiet mumbling. It consisted of incomprehensible cooing, but Amethyst couldn't help but lend his own hoof to the child and see what he’d do to it. The kid wrapped its weak limbs around his father's hoof and started biting it with his toothless mount. Amethyst let out a giggle. It tickled. "He's such a beautiful kid. One day, he will make us proud," Willemite said, smiling and looking at her son. "Hah, what a fine stallion we shall raise! All the mares in the kingdom will fall to his feet and beg for the engagement ring, I am certain!" Amethyst proclaimed proudly, receiving another poke into his side. "Ouch!" "It's way too early to think about that... But I have to agree. You can't dislike such a pretty face," she said, and they both looked as the child tried to swallow Amethyst's hoof completely. A minute passed, another one, and they still stood there, looking at their little boy. "What should we name him? My father would love the name Ruby Eye. He always adored that name, and would have named me that way, if I were a colt," Willemite offered, but Amethyst made a disappointed face and shook his head in denial. No, that was no name fit for his son. His name must be something special, something truly great and amazing. This was his son. He had to receive the best thing life had to offer, starting with a name. "No, no, dear. He needs an uncommon name, a name that will show him that he's special. He's different from the others, because he is our son," Amethyst said, sounding very serious. Willemite turned quiet, and he carefully took his hoof away from the child, and leaned closer to him, looking him straight in the eyes. "Listen to me, my sweet child. You are destined for greatness, I can feel that with the very bottom of my heart," he whispered, and moved closer. "One day, the whole Crystal Empire will be talking about you. You will be famous, you will be great, you will be powerful, but most important of all, you will be happy." The child smiled at him, and let out sounds that sounded like laughter. Amethyst smiled, feeling his son's warm breath on his cheek. "Bear this name with pride, for one day, it shall become famous around the whole Empire... famous around the whole world! Bear it with pride, and always remember those who gave you life... Sombra."