Twilight found herself back in the ancient Crystal Empire with a young Sombra in power, his dark reign had yet to begin. His form seemed broken by despair over his missing family, a far cry from how Twilight had originally seen. He just sat alone in what could be called a child's room, unmoving and unnerving with how still he was. The air in the room was lifeless as his sunken eyes held little emotion.
The sounds of hooves came bounding down the corridors like an army marched through the halls, in they filed into the room.
"Sir!" They all shouted in unison, they were a picture of the perfect guards.
Sombra had turned to the soldiers slowly, it was now Twilight could see the face of despair. His coat was stained with tears, deep bags shadowed his eyes, and his mane that once was clean was now tangled to the point nothing but cutting it would help. His eyes were puffy and red but held no fresh tears.
"Anything?" His voice was flat and uncaring.
"Many of the other Kingdoms have stopped us from our investigation, but we did find items of interest that you may wish to examine." Their Captain spoke calmly, her eyes pointed forward like a true soldier.
"They would be?" At those words the Captain pulled a small bag and placed them in front of her prince, slowly spilling out it's contents. Out came a golden locket and a small pink bow.
"These were the only items of the site of the carriage, my liege. I'm sorry for your loss." Her voice shook little as the news reached her Prince's ears.
"Leave me." Twilight could hear the pain in his words as he spoke only above a whisper. The room was dead quite as each guard left one by one single file. None dared to look back to see their ruler in such a pitiful state. The door closed softly leaving only Twilight and the soon to be king in the room, sounds of weeping could be heard throughout the halls of the palace. Twilight witnessed Sombra hold the items close to his broken shell as though that would be enough to bring his loved ones back to him, even Twilight could feel a tear trickle down her cheek for the monster to be. The young Alicorn could hear through his sobs some of what he had to be saying. "I'm... so... sorry... I... I... failed... you..."
The sound of sobbing died down slowly and hooves hitting the crystal floor could be heard. The air in the room thickened with a new emotion, a savage raw emotion that tainted the sorrow. The door opened slowly to reveal Sombra's uncle, Obsidian Lake, coming into the room slowly.
"Sombra I heard the news, I'm sorry my boy... I truly am..." Lake had his head bowed low to the ground. "The people need a leader Sombra... and I will take over until you recover from this loss-"
"You're sorry? You're sorry?! You're SORRY!? You say you're sorry for my loss and say you'll take over until I can RECOVER!?!?" The words echoed loudly off each wall as Sombra roared. His gaze narrowed upon his uncle sharply. "You expect me to lay down and recover from my loss? Just to watch you take everything my father built?!"
"I didn't mean it like-"
"Shut your mouth you worthless cur! You just want the last thing I have! You and those damned fools! I will not allow that to happen! I am prince no longer, I am KING!" Twilight couldn't believe the sight before her: Sombra's eyes began to shed the iconic purple mist, his horn grew an enraged red, and fangs sprouted from his jaws. He was monstrous looking, his own uncle shrank before his new form.
Anger, anger was all Twilight felt, it flowed throughout the entire room. The young Alicorn slowly understood what she saw play out before her, this was the day King Sombra began his dark and terrible reign. She felt his sadness that fed the ungodly rage that pulsed within his veins, the air was heavy with hatred.
"What is this power? I- it feels incredible! I feel so powerful." His deep voice rumbled as he felt this new magic seep into his body, it granted him strength when he was weak. Twilight could see the cogs turning in Sombra's head once he became quiet. A smirk formed with his fangs jutting out, giving him the mad pony look. "I need a test subject."
Lake's eyes shot open widely as the words were uttered. Twilight could see sweat dripping from Lake's brow, she could only guess at what would happen next. She watch in horror as Sombra stalked forward with malicious intent well seen within his cruel eyes.
"Sombra! Please I am your uncle! Please don't do this, I beg of you! Was I not always kind to you? Plea-"
"Shut your mouth!" Darkened magic shot forwards from Sombra's dangerously curved horn. Lake's tounge was held out of his mouth against his will, Sombra smiled wickedly at his new found power and what it did for him. "Now that you are being quiet, you will be my first subject to test what I can do with this... this... GIFT!"
The older stallion had tears rolling freely away from his eyes, which silently pleaded with his nephew to stop. Twilight couldn't look away as much as her mind told her body to. With a strong upper cut, Obsidian Lake's jaw sliced his tounge clean off with a squelching sound bouncing the crystal surfaces. Then the mad pony known forever as King Sombra spoke with a heartless tone that would mark Twilight's young mind.
"Wonderful, it seems I have complete control. Please understand uncle... You will be missed dearly."
Six hours in this nightmare passed slowly as the terrified young Alicorn watched Sombra brutality tear into his own flesh and blood. She couldn't believe the cruelty she witnessed for those hours of this damned nightmare. Twilight sat in a corner of the child's room weeping for the poor soul whom had been so ruthlessly taken from the world. Sombra sat in the mess he created from his new power, a wicked grin that rang of sadistic joy, crossed his features. His legs propped his body forward to the door, it seemed he was speaking to somepony out in the hall.
A maid walked into this horror show, violently vomiting at the sight. Her hooves pulled a bucket in to clean the blood from every inch of the room. While she worked Twilight could see the monster glaring at the poor mare in the room. Every once in a while he barked orders to clean the mess that threatened to drip on any item in the room, all the while glaring a horrible stare that would possibly break a Cockatrice.
Twilight couldn't hold in her sorrow in any longer, loudly her cries rang out. She didn't want to see anymore, in fact what she first saw as an opportunity to learn about a figure of history, quickly became graphic in so many ways.
King Sombra shifted his death glare at the spot where the young and frightened Alicorn sat failing to keep calm, she froze once she had noticed his eyes were scanning her spot.
Twelve long seconds ticked by until the king turned to the maid who finished cleaning, her hooves soaked with the red liquid that once covered the floor. His eyes fell on her, the cold calculated eyes watched her with nothing of his thoughts being made known.
"What is your name maid?" The dark voice sent chills down the mare's spine.
"It's Sapphire my lord." In comparison to his voice, hers was soft and kind.
"Sapphire... you tell anypony what you saw in this room... you will beg for the same. Do you understand?" King Sombra leaned down to her ear, his fangs inches away from her neck. Her only answer came as a feeble nod. "Good. Take the day off, return to your family or what ever it is you have."
Without so much as a second thought the mare disappeared out the doorway, leaving the very creature of hatred alone with his own devices.
Again the scene began to swirl about, changing from from the nightmare into something that could only be worse.
There on the balcony stood King Sombra with the lavender mist flowing from his eyes in a non-existing wind just like his mane, armor wrapped around his chest and legs. Now he was the monster many would pray to forget.
Down below his vantage point a parade was held, not a jovial one but one where the guards from all over the city marched in perfect unison. Every step sounded of thunder as the thousands of soldiers moved like a massive column of ants. The public stood outside and watched silently as the military might of King Sombra marched through the streets. Each one wore a dark gray armor, making them imposing to even look at.
Twilight took note none of the citizens wore chains and collars, she estimated that this was still in King Sombra's early years of leadership. As the parade passed King Sombra turned around, giving Twilight more to witness. Behind the tyrant was what the young Alicorn assumed was the rest of Sombra's family. She saw young and old, mothers and children with husbands and fathers, Twilight wanted to warn each one about their possible fate if they stayed within King Sombra's reach. Try as she would, she couldn't do anything to help or save the ponies here.
"Well Sombra that was a very impressive show of might, but care to explain why our mines are being expanded beyond safe measured areas?" An older stallion asked.
"Well I have learned that some of the crystals your workers dug out have magical properties that simply must be studied further." The king stated simply to the old stallion without so much as casting a glance.
"That is good but some of our mines need those workers you've replaced!"
"Who is King of this majestic empire? You? Well then I guess you have quite the prowess to lead, don't you?"
"No but-"
"But nothing. Those mines are officially property to the crown, my crown to be exact."
Another voice sounded out of the crowd. "What about those rumors about an attack?"
"Aunt Diamond Gaze, maybe you shouldn't affiliate with matters of being a king."
The oldest mare finally spoke up, Twilight thought of her as the family matriarch.
"We have seen quite enough to take the throne from you boy, when the council confirms that you are unfit to rule you will be working down in the mines!" This earned the mare a glare from the king, who up until now had a small smirk at the edge of his lips. His eyes that had been white now began to grow sickly green as his temper grew. The matriarch of the family wasn't finished just yet. "I will make sure that no political power is ever within your hooves you disrespectful colt! I will have you kno-"
A black sphere held the old mare within it, slowly it shrank until the form of a pony could be seen. With an explosion of green and purple light the sphere was gone and so was the family's matriarch, in her place was a twisted crystal body standing without a hint of life. The black statue of the former mare stood quiet, the twisted king approached with a sick grin and tapped upon the statue with his horn. From where his horn touched, a hair line fracture slowly grew and grew causing cracks to form along the body of the once living mare. The statue unable to hold the weight of itself, shattered into a fine black crystal dust.
King Sombra turned back to the rest of the Obsidian Dynasty who stood in complete shock. His grin wrapped into a demented smile. "I will not be disgraced in my own palace! I am KING!"
Again the world shifted and twirled about before the young Alicorn with incredible speed, so many visions passed none were kind or filled with laughter. No they were filled with fear and an innumerable acts of hate, except for one that slowed for Twilight to witness.
No words were said by the monster that was King Sombra as he walked down the corridors of the palace with a slow pace, he stalked the halls with those blood red eyes scanning every inch of the hall. He stopped in front of a door Twilight had previously missed, his horn lit with a red hue. The door opened to reveal his child's room, the very same room he became a creature of nightmares.
Twilight moved forward to the door, only to have it slam shut. Whatever was causing this horrifying dream didn't want Twilight to see what happened behind this door.
"Twily! Twiliy please wake up!"
That didn't sound like Sombra, and only her big brother called her Twily. Her eyes flicked back to the door, it was gone. The rest of the old palace was melting away to the never ending darkness.
-----(Crystal Palace: present day)----
"Rarity this is why you need to pack lighter! I mean Twi's lucky you didn't have anything real heavy in that suitcase!" Rainbow Dash scolded the white unicorn who sat by Twilight's side since the bag had hit. Rarity was absolutely terrified of what happened to one of closest friends, and such she refused to leave her side for one moment.
Slowly the lavender mare's eyes opened to see her friends, her brother, and Cadence standing around her with concern in their eyes. As Twilight's eyes opened further the group brightened quickly, even Spike had tears in his eyes.
"What happened last night? I feel like I drank a entire bottle of Pinke's special punch." Groaned the youngest princess, each of her friends laughed at the comment. All that is except Rarity.
Rarity who had been quiet for this time finally spoke. "Darling I'm so sorry! One of my bags fell from the compartment and hit your head! I am so sorry!"