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// 1) Still Alive 
// Story: Lost into Shadow 
// by Lucidenn 
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"A thousand years the blink of an eye
one hundred decades, come and by
crystal home and crystal throne
love to protect with heaven's dome

The evil king in darkness looms
should Twilight fall the world he dooms
yet love and armor shining bright
with Heart the ponies regain their light

Dark master destroyed, his tyranny dead
and the light of joy, dancing overhead
through Harmony and dragon take
slaves no more, a home remake

Yet shadows lurk beneath the walls
he's living still where no light falls
beware the rising of his tomb
should Twilight fall, the world he'll doom"


In the cloak of shadows, King Sombra slowly regained his strength, bit by tiny bit. He had survived by spreading his essence to the shadows of his empire, yet now they were his prison until his strength could reform his magnificent physical body. Disgusting crystal fools, they will pay for what they have done to me. He would not be so foolish as to openly challenge the defenses of his empire  again; no, this time he would have a plan born of cunning intellect. Hidden away in his element, carefully King Sombra watched, and learned. Though it had been the blasted pink princess and fumbling dragon that had brought the crystal heart for his slaves to wield against him, he soon discovered that it had been a lavender unicorn who had bested his traps and caused the heart to be discovered and ultimately freed.

To take back the kingdom would be as easy as enslaving the children to the gem mines once he regained full strength. All across the Crystal Empire the laughter of the crystal scum could be heard, rejoicing in their belief that their nightmare was over, dead and gone. Nopony, not even the current royalty would be ready for his attack the shadows lurking in the corners, and hiding from the sun at their very feet. Yes, revenge would be sweet and swift as the slitting of their throats. Yet the problem of the lavender mare persisted.

How could a simple unicorn slave from outside his kingdom overcome traps of the mightiest monarch the world had ever seen? Even more importantly, when he were to strike back and regain his throne, would she be able to defeat him again? NONSENSE! I am the Darkness that lives within the souls of my slaves! I have mastered Fear, Hatred, and the Infinite Shadow! No worthless runt could hope to stand against me, not even the princesses of the Sun and Moon could defeat me without their precious elements! But it was because of her that he was reduced to being the monster under the bed, a powerless evil barely felt yet never seen.

As his power returned, King Sombra flexed his power and set a trap for an unsuspecting stallion. From underneath the train platform, he focused his consciousness, and from below grabbed onto the shadow off a crystal pony about to tour Equestria. The poor stallion Plain Strider froze in his tracks, panting as if he had ran all the way from the Crystal Palace to the train, foaming at the corners mouth. Throat locked in a silent scream he felt his heart freeze over, helpless as his greatest nightmare cackled in triumphant echoes inside his skull. Though the stallion tried to fight it, Plain Strider watched as his eyes became windows as the darkness slowly closed them against his will.

ALL ABOOOoooaaaAAARD!

Plain Strider's eyes snapped back open and looked at his surroundings with confusing, as one who wakes from a dream. In fact he was having trouble remembering when and how he had gotten to the train station that morning. I'd better remember to have coffee before a long trip next time, I certainly don't want to fall asleep during the trip and get myself lost, Plain Strider chuckled to himself. At least his sleepiness hadn't caused him to forget his destination, in fact it was the strongest thought on his mind. He couldn't wait to reach Canterlot and Tour the castle of the two Princesses. Happily humming to himself, the stallion boarded the train, and no pony, not even Plain Strider himself, noticed that though he was an earth pony, his shadow wore a curved horn.