//------------------------------//
// Crystal Tyrant  
// Story: Dr. Sombra 
// by Mr Inkhooves 
//------------------------------//

Unable to raise Cadence, I was stuck. With Shining nowhere in sight, I was to play the role of the "Crystal Tyrant" Aa I had dubbed myself. 

I really must credit the vividness of this construct, the subject is not present as far as I can tell and the images show an independent function beyond simple terror.  I mean, the servants were grotesque and loping  much like my assistant earlier, creatures I was accustomed to dealing with. But the Magistrates and Overseers, from what I could tell, had a structured society in place. I was fawned over by simpering ponies in silks, spoken to with respect from grizzled military types. I won't lie, It was exciting.    

Soon I was led away by the imposing figure that had stood at my side earlier: Marshal Ironside. Duties awaited me in the throne room it seemed. 

I thought that nothing could impress me any more, considering the beautiful formations I had passed. The Throne room proved me wrong, although It was slightly marred by the "Fortress of Dread" motif  that pervaded the palace. Crystals reflected, darker, yet captivating colours: greens, reds, purples. I can't imagine what It would be like if the crystals were entirely translucent. 

A royal purple carpet led up to the throne,my throne, a jutting and imposing mass of obsidian. I sat at its height and gazed  about the room.      

My guards, flanking me and the room was full of petitioners, I felt powerful. 

A line from some poet or other came to my mind: "My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"  I'd forgotten the rest but that was of little consequence.   

The Marshal stepped along the carpet and came to kneel with a clank: "Joyous news, My Lord."

I leant forward "Yes?" 

"The Loyalist armies have been broken and the false Emperor grievously wounded. He was borne away by his guard before the killing blow could be issued, yet, I surmise, he will die within hours, if not already rotting." 

"Damn Shining! One hell of an imagination you've got. Fallen Empires, a rebellion? How are you not an author? If you could hurry up and  attack me though, that'd be great."     

A murmur sounded from within the crowd in the roped off area. I could hear screaming and hysterical pleading as two burly guardsmen came into view, dragging a middle aged stallion, who might once have been finely clothed, but was now in fine rags and bleeding profusely. 

My assistant from before ,let's just call him 'Minion', loped over to my side, with a wide grin. "I dealt with the problem like you asked my Lord." A harsh cracking sounded as he bent into a bow, the structure from before punching through his skin as he did. "I brought him here." he said, with a wheezing cackle, before placing his hooves to his mouth and saying in a discordantly high pitch. "to face judgement!" 

The pony managed to raise himself, one half of his glasses falling from his face, while the other lens was shattered, he was bruised and battered. "I only did what you said! You wanted the stairs!" he said, hysterically, fighting against the grip of the guards.  "you wanted the stairs!" He wailed. 

The Marshal struck him, a meaty blow that dislocated his jaw, the sickening sound carrying throughout the hushed chamber.  

He turned with an indifferent expression. "My Lord?" 

My conscience screamed at me to save him, but then I remembered this wasn't real, and I was playing a role after all.

I waved a hoof: "You know what to do." 

It was in the Marshal's hooves, not mine. I was blameless... he wasn't even real!

His struggling and his moaning sob stuck like knives in my heart. His hooves drummed at the floor as he was dragged away, his head shaking from side to side, not one pony spoke out. 

The Marshal sniffed in displeasure, while Minion cackled and twirled on the floor with malicious glee before a guard pony kicked him and he slunk away like a dog.    

"No word from our envoys to Equestria my Lord. The Sisters are silent, yet, there is no movement as of yet. They never cared for the Emperor as you well know, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared." 

I nodded, taking on the role. "Make it so. Alongside this, I need a pony found" 

He clicked his hooves together, jutting out his chest. "Name them, My Lord. " 

I told him and he said something about the College of Scryers, but I didn't catch it as Cadence's voice entered my thoughts. 

"Sombra!" she said "I've fixed the link. Any sign of Shining?" 

"Not yet, no." I said, relieved that she hadn't seen that episode. " Something's off Cadence, In my other studies, the focus was entirely on the subject,  a moment of trauma which I can coax them from, either fictitious or a memory. Right now, I'm lording over a kingdom with very 'real' ponies. It's not as scripted and uniform. I have no idea what's happening." 

"Should you pull out?" She said, a twinge of concern in her tone. 

"No." I said abruptly  "I need to study this further. If I'm to use this technique in future, why not test it now, when i'm in no danger? Besides, I'm not sure I can leave."  

"If you're sure... be careful" 

"Always." I replied, smoothly. 

Time passed slowly in the dream. I have no Idea how long passed in reality, but here it felt like weeks. I became all the more engrossed in my role, wanting to facilitate some action. I got it, eventually, but not what I wanted. 

The Marshal entered the Throne room, followed by a cowled pony, who I guessed was a Scryer. 

"Any news?" I said, being fed grapes by a rather pretty slave. (I obscured that and any other difficult action from Cadence's sight.)

The Marshal dipped his head and moved to one side. the Scryer stepped up, not in the least intimidated by me. I could just make out their eyes under the hood, as they spoke clearly and confidently: "The pony you seek does not exist." The tone brokered no argument.

"WHAT?!" I bellowed, knocking the platter from the slave's hooves in my rage. It rolled down the hall before coming to a rest with a clang. 

The entire room gaped in fear, even the Marshal jumped, but the Scryer remained unfazed.   "Not at this time anyway." 

The slave at my side trembled. I thundered :"That's not possible, this world hinges on his very existence!"   


Bewildered murmuring sounded from the galley. The Scryer boldly stated: "The world will need to wait one thousand years if that is the case my Lord. We have gathered our powers and we have seen the stallion you speak of. There is no question of possibility"   

I looked to the Marshal, my eyes blazing and he confirmed it with a nod.  

"Get out." I growled menacingly and the chamber emptied. Soon I was alone. 

"One thousand years!" I yelled, my horn firing and shearing of a section of crystal from the ceiling; It fell to the floor with a heavy thunk.  In my rage, I had forgotten to distort the images for Cadence.     

I heard her gasp, snapping me back to reality. My ears flickered, "Cadence?" I said.  

She was silent for a time before saying  "What has this state done to you?"  

I sighed "One thousand years Cadence. You heard. At the rate times's been passing here, I'll die before then." 

She replied "Can't you just leave and come back later?" 

I had no idea, but  I felt that something kept me anchored here. "It would likely just reset to this point again when I came back... If I can leave." I mulled it over in my brain, now free of rage. I paced the floor and the hall resonated with the clank of my armored hooves. 

"There's got to be some event I need to go through, something that lets me survive long enough for him to face me. It makes no sense for me to be here otherwise." 

A chilling thought occurred to me  "Am I wrong? Am I stuck in this vision  with no form of escape?"  

I opened the link, now convinced of my fate "Cadence...I"  The whole room shook. At first, I didn't believe it, then dust and loose crystals fell from the ceiling a muffled boom sounding from the outside . 

"What?" I said, "Who could...?"  I could hear a clash of weapons and shouts of triumph. At first I was afraid, then felt hope soar. 

"It's Shining!" I said, roaring for joy "Finally he's come. I can be free!" I twirled about in glee,laughing at that cursed windbag of a Scryer. "Let's get this over with. Enter, oh brave hero! Vanquish your fear." 

As if my words help the potency of a spell, the doors flew open and I awaited salvation. 

Only...Shining wasn't there. Two Alicorns stood in his place, one white with eyes burning fire and the other a deep blue, looking more controlled than her sibling, but no less dangerous.  

I stepped back "No, No, NONONONO! This Isn't right at all!" 

The fiery Alicorn spoke in a voice filled with wrath. " You believed we would stand idly by while you butchered these ponies? Your people!?" She sent a beam of energy in my direction, creating a fissure in the floor. The other pony remained silent, that was more intimidating. 

The melting of the crystal panicked me. I fired a beam in response, but it was redirected.  

I drew up a barrier of crystal as another beam was thrown my way, it's trail making a whooshing sound, It burnt through my barrier instantly and I shifted, just in time to receive a shallow gash to the shoulder, as apposed to being brained... It hurt.. I put a hoof to the wound and drew it back, blood dripping in beads to the floor.

I snapped. Shattering what remained of the barrier, I sent chunks of crystal hurtling towards my assailants. The silent one blocked them. I imagined great plumes of fire, lightning...Anything! It did nothing, the two sisters protecting each other from my attacks, only to unleash unfathomable power of their own. 

Desperate and bleeding from half a dozen gashes, I tried the return spell. The whole room distorted and seemed to fade, but I was still here. The silent pony yelled suddenly at her companion "Stop him sister!  He means to tear the veil and eradicate us." 

I concentrated heavily, grunting with the strain of the magic "Why won't you work!?" I thought. 

I was blown off of my feet by some spectacular explosion of energy. I felt my skin blister as I hurled backwards against my throne, an audible crack sounding as the section I struck broke off.

I couldn't move as the duo stopped in front of me. "We must go sister. The damage is too great for me to contain for long." 

"In a moment." said the other. She lifted me up, I was held, barely conscious in the grip of her magic. The pain of my wounds and the blurring of my sight told me I was to die, I accepted this. I would rather die here than remain trapped in this hell. What would happen to my living body? I couldn't say. 

She stared at me and I spat blood before croaking "Do...It."         

That only seemed to make her more angry, she threw me against the far wall and I felt another rib break. I was too weak to cry out. Shackles held my hooves as obscure symbols danced over and around my body in a ritual formation. 

"Death is too good for you!" she declared. "Sombra, YOU ARE BANISHED!"

I was pulled through the wall by the force of the spell, bound in a smokey form. I yelled as I  hurtled away from the palace, skimming across thousands of miles in the blink of an eye.  The spell thrummed with energy  and tied my very soul to a spot in the glacial tundra.

My mind froze and my body paralyzed; I maintained consciousness long enough to hear a faint voice:  "Sombra?" It called, as I was sucked into oblivion.