//------------------------------//
// Make me a Sombra 
// Story: Dark Hearts Chronicles: King Sombra 
// by Ex-Machina 
//------------------------------//

Sombra never thought that his view of the Empire could ever get boring, but it did and he found himself using most of his days to develop his skills in magic.

The only thing that had really changed was his skill in magic. He was sure that was what it was called. 

Magic. Unicorn. Crystal Empire. 

Books and his mother, Ella Care taught him everything he knew about the outside world.

By then, he could easily move his stool around and a few other tricks, like conjuring water out of thin air. It was a useful skill to have, as the water that his mother brought up to him was almost always somewhat dirty. He still, guiltily, hadn't told her about his powers.

He knew that he could do so much more, the fact that he had been able to expand his powers to water proved that. What else could he do? What if he was the first pony ever to make water? Who knows? Maybe he was?

It was the next day when he made a breakthrough.

It was midday and when he looked out his window, he couldn't fail to notice all the ponies gathered in the streets. It was difficult to see from high up, but he could make out large crowds gathered around small shops and he could faintly hear the sound of chatter and laughter.

What was going on? It looked like everypony in the entire Empire was there. He'd seen a similar thing happen a long time ago through his window, but he never had really thought much of it until that day. All the ponies looked and sounded so happy.

He turned away from the window, wishing that for once in his life, he was allowed to know what was going on in the outside world. He knew about magic and Unicorns and Pegasai, but he wanted to know more about what was happening now. What was the point in learning about ponies and events if they'd never be any use to him?

He'd tried asking Ella Care a few times, but she would always guiltily say that she couldn't tell him today. What was stopping her? Who wouldn't want a young colt to know anything? It wasn't as if he was dangerous!

Angrily, he kicked at the wooden stool with such force, it flew across the room and smashed against one of the shining sapphire walls. One of the legs broke off and came rolling toward him. He kicked it back so that it joined the rest of what was left of the stool.

For once, he wished that he was like the sparkling ponies below him. He wished that he could run around with them in the streets, but he knew that it was impossible. For some unknown reason, he had been kept up here his whole life and he would for how many more years to come?

Sombra. That's what he'd been called by the strange Pegasus he barely remembered from about a year ago. What did it mean again? Shadow? Well, that's what he wanted to be. He wanted to live up to his name and become shadow so that nopony would see or care that he was there. So that he could move silently, without detection and find out all he wanted about anything without anypony feeling the need to take him back.

The colt gasped as a sudden surge of magic swept it's way through him. He'd once read that it was normal for young Unicorns to get unexpected, powerful magic at random times.

Well this time, he was going to make the most of it.

"Conceal me." he murmured, wondering if he should be more specific, "Conceal me like a shadow, make me a sombra." 

He gagged as a salty, coppery taste hit his mouth and he spat out a red liquid. But when he looked down at himself, he forgot it at once when he noticed that he was almost see-through. A shadow.

Could he slip under the door? There was only one way to find out.

Being a shadow, he was flattened against the ground and practically glided across the blue floor and under the door.

For the first time in his life, he was out of the room.

His excitement almost caused him to solidify, but he controlled himself and began his journey down a long staircase. The staircase went on for a while and as he made his way down, he could see the Empire below him getting closer and closer. If he'd had a heart in his shadow form, it would have been thudding like mad.

He finally reached a door, easily slid under it again and found himself in an undecorated cavern made from stone. He took some more stairs upwards until he reached a kind of trapdoor. Easily, he went through the cracks and found himself in the biggest, grandest room he'd ever seen.

The throne room of Princess Celestia and her sister that he'd once seen in a book was nothing compared to the room he was in now. It was made from every crystal imaginable with deep red silk banners hanging on either side of the room. Two shining gold thrones studded with gems sat on one side on a raised platform. When Sombra looked down, the trapdoor that he had come out of was almost invisible. A perfect place to hide things.

In total, there were four guards in armour: three male and one female. Two stood beside the throne and two stood on either side of the large double-doors on the other end on the room.

Drawing in a deep breath, Sombra glided across the floor and right passed the two guards at the door. Neither on the ponies noticed him at all. His spell really had worked!

Now he felt that nothing could get in his way.





Lucida restlessly shifted her hooves before scowling at the back of one of the guards in front of them. It was Crystal Fair Day, not Restrain Your Princess and Prince and Don't Let them Have Fun Day! Their privilege of being royal was to sit around, looking dignified while all the citizens of the Crystal Empire could have fun. 

Unfair.

The two foals were with a few guards on the massive balcony at the front of the palace that overlooked the entire fair. The same thing had happened the previous year, although Lucida could barely remember it. She would have preferred to be down with the citizens, though. Taking part in the fair was sure to be exciting than simply watching it from a distance.

Pluto was looking just as bored as she was, but at least he had his magic to entertain himself with. She noticed him attempt to drop one of the massive banners onto a gaggle of excited mares, but his lack of skill in magic caused it to simply twitch slightly.

For the occasion, the prince's white mane had been braided and he'd received endless remarks from his sister that he looked like a filly. He moodily kicked at the ground and received an irritated look from one of the guards.

"I'm bored." he said at last.

"And you think I'm not?" Lucida asked. More glares from the guards.

The two young ponies looked down at their subjects that were laughing and having fun at the fair.

"You know." Lucida said slyly after a while, "This fair really did TAKE OFF to a good start...."

Pluto didn't seem to catch her hint, "Yeah, I guess it did."

"Everypony's spirits sure must be SOARING."

He shot her a quizzical look, "What-"

"In fact, I bet that they're SKY-HIGH by now."

The prince grinned, finally catching on, "What do you think of our thrones, Lucy?" he asked, "I think they'll make the best launch pads!" It wasn't a very discrete pun (it wasn't even a pun at all), but it didn't matter. By the time the guards whirled around, the two foals were flying over their heads and into the crowd below.

Though Pluto was the worst when it came to magic, he was amazing when it come to flying. Although he was nothing compared to his sister.

"Freedom!" she squealed as she took a nosedive straight downward. The crowd scattered beneath her as she slowed down at the last second and landed gracefully on four hooves. Pluto tried to mimic her and ended up ploughing into a small group of ponies.

When he managed to get away from the ponies who were muttering their humblest apologies for getting in his way, he joined Lucida, "So, now that we're finally free of those guards, what do we do now?"

Lucida laughed, "Anything!"





The massive halls were empty, save for a few ponies every now and again. But none of them paid any mind to the formless shadow gliding across the floor beneath their hooves.

Sombra marvelled at the details that the builders of the place had created and couldn't help but wonder why nopony was there to admire the architecture. They were probably all used to it like he was used to the view of the Empire.

He jumped as a solemn guard in crystal armour marched right over him. The guard stopped a moment, a look of confusion in his eyes and Sombra held his breath. 

Had the spell worn off? He looked down at himself and saw his shadow hooves against the tiled floor.

The guard stared at where he was with a puzzled expression for a moment before shaking his head and muttering something about 'that stupid prince learning to cast useful spells'.

He exhaled deeply, the guard must have simply seen a disembodied shadow and thought a pony with magic must have made it. He almost laughed, but he caught himself right before he did. Just because somepony couldn't see him didn't mean that pony couldn't hear him.

Sombra descended a staircase and he was suddenly assaulted by a wave of colour and noise. Banners and streamers hung on every pillar and ponies gathered around the hall, talking and laughing. The shadowy unicorn hesitantly glided through (and sometimes under) the crowd, unsure of what do do or where to go. 

He'd never been around so many ponies at once and to see all their bright, shining pelts at once made him feel slightly giddy. And then it suddenly hit him.

He was free.

The door that had held him in that room all those years was useless now that he had found the shadow-spell. Now he was out the door, now he could do whatever the heck he wanted and nopony could stop him because what can you do to a shadow?

He would have to return to the tower soon, though. Despite the dizzying rush of exhilaration he felt, he hadn't forgotten that he'd give Ella Care a heart attack if he suddenly disappeared.

Right. He thought, I'll stay out until evening and then I'll sneak back into my room. Or maybe I should go back earlier... He looked around the place, but he couldn't see very much as there was almost always a pony standing on him. Or maybe the evening... It was about midday, he had plenty of time and it wouldn't hurt to have a look around.

Most of the ponies, Sombra noticed, were gathered around the centre and were looking at something under a large bluish stalactite of crystal. He glided under the ponies with ease, although it felt weird to be stepped on by countless hooves and not feel a thing.

Carved from crystal was a glowing heart.

It was floating between the stalactite and smaller stalagmite of the same colour. Despite it's roughly cut appearance, it was beautiful and he could feel the raw magic that radiated from it. He could feel it emitting some kind of warmth that made him feel safe and secure as if he was surrounded by a shield of some sorts.

He slowly began to move toward the light when he heard a voice.

"Quick, this way Plu- what the hay?"

Sombra cursed and pulled himself back so that he was hidden among the many other shadows of the other ponies. It felt so weird to be under so many hooves and not feel a thing.

A pony stepped into view and Sombra's breath was taken away. He had to struggle to keep his shadow form.

It was a winged pony, slim and graceful with elegant wings folded across her back. Her pelt was of a light blue that glittered and sparkled like all the other ponies around her, but there was something different about her shine that Sombra just couldn't place. Something mystical, something royal. Her almost white mane was in a complicated plait threaded with crystals of all shapes, sizes and colours and her large dark eyes shone brightly. He reminded Sombra of the heart of crystal.

She was wearing a thin dress embroidered with silvery sequins and crystal boots. She couldn't have been much older than Sombra as she looked like she was still around a filly's age.

She frowned and looked around, "Weird." she mused, "I could have sworn I saw another one of your stupid failed spells."

"Well, I am so sorry I'm not perfect like you." a silver colt with a white plaited mane grumbled, trailing after her. He reminded Sombra of one of the ponies in a book that Ella Care had brought him once. He had wings like the filly, but he also had a straight horn protruding from his forehead. 

They looked slightly familiar, had Sombra seen them from out of his window?

The pale blue filly gazed around the foyer of the building, "The snacks looked good." she stated to the winged Unicorn, "Nana Brightspark brought me some cupcakes from Golden Oak's stall."

The silver colt looked offended, "Why didn't she bring me any?"

"Because you're a bad pony. Come on, her stall's this way." she strode through the crowd, who seemed to part to let her through and- Wait, were some bowing? Who was she?

Sombra tailed the two ponies through the crowd curiously until they stepped out from under the palace and into the sunlight when he hesitated. A shadow on it's own would raise some suspicions and he's stand out even more in bright sunlight. Before the ponies got too far away, he dashed out from under the palace and into the colt's shadow.

Fortunately, nopony noticed and he sighed with relief.

"Did you hear something?" asked the colt.

Sombra swore.

"Yeah, where do you pick up those words?" asked the filly.

"That wasn't me, I swear I heard somepony else." the silver winged Unicorn said, looking around.

The filly shrugged, "Well, this is the Crystal Fair." she said, "You get all sorts of ponies here, especially the kind that has nothing better to do than confuse stupid young colts."

Crystal Fair? Was that what this event was called?

"I am not stupid!" the silver colt exclaimed.

"Only a stupid pony would say that."

"Well, what would a smart pony say then, huh?"

No answer.

"Ooh, I get it. You don't know because you're stupid, too. Right?"

"I like how you said 'too'. Is that a confession that you're stupid?"

"Buck!"

"Language, Pluto."

Pluto made a face and followed the winged filly. Sombra snuck after them in the silver colt's shadow, making sure not to get too far ahead or behind.

The filly stopped at a box made from wood and began to talk to the mare sitting inside it. "Hello, can we have two crystal berry cupcakes?" she asked.

The mare in the box bowed her head, "Anything for His and Her Highnesses." she said, producing two light objects that looked like mushrooms from somewhere in the box.

His and Her Highnesses? Were these ponies the king and queen or something?

The filly thanked the mare and picked up the cupcake in her mouth while the colt wrapped a white magic around it and lifted it up off the counter.

So other ponies can do what I can. Sombra thought. Maybe he wasn't as weird as he thought he was.

"This is goooood." the filly mumbled though a mouthful of the food. Already, her face was smeared with a creamy substance that was on the cupcake.

The cupcake smelled nice and Sombra would have drooled if it was physically possible to do in his shadow form.

Suddenly, he felt heavier and he briefly saw himself solidify slightly before turning back into shadow. How long had he been in this form? The spell must have been beginning to wear off.

Not good. He thought to himself, looking around, where was the safest place to turn back?

Everywhere he looked, he could see a pony. He'd never been anywhere but the tower before, where was a secluded place where nopony could see him? He looked around, panic steadily rising inside him.

Oh buckbuckbuckbuckbuckbuckbuck Sombra thought desperately, wildly looking around. He caught sight of a clump of bushes about ten metres away and dashed for it.

He swiftly glided under them and imediately solidified back into a pony. He coughed and spat out a salty red liquid and wiped his mouth with the back of his hoof.

He sighed and finally relaxed, "That was close..." he muttered, closing his eyes.

"Sorry, what was close?"

"Holy mother of-" he leaped into the air and whirled around to see the filly standing right behind him.

"Why were you following us?" she asked him.

Double buck. Sombra thought, "Um, er, I- I wasn't following-"

She rolled her eyes, "I'm not stupid, you know." she said, "I saw you jump in and out of my brother's shadow." drat, "I'm not angry or anything, by the way. I just want to know what you've got against walking around like a normal pony being."

Sombra just stared at her blankly, "What?"

"You can walk, right?" she asked, looking around, "Say, where are your parents? I've never seen a pony as young as you wander around on his own. Are you lost?"

"No, I'm not lost." Sombra said quickly, "I just... Um, don't really want anypony to see me." this had to be the longest conversation he'd ever had with anypony who wasn't Ella Care. In fact, he was pretty sure that it was the only conversation he had ever had with anypony who wasn't Ella Care.

The filly looked interested, "Why's that?" she asked.

Sombra briefly wondered if she was blind, "Well, I'm not really the shiniest pony ever..." he said.

She shrugged, "So?" she asked, "Hundreds of ponies from around Equestria have come to take part in the Crystal Fair." she smirked, "I think you're just shy." she said.

"Wah- No I'm not! I'm just-" he struggled to find a reason that was not 'I'm supposed to be in a tower in the castle'.

"Sure you are." the filly teased, "I don't blame you. For an ordinary pony, coming into a big sparkly city full of big sparkly ponies is sure to be pretty scary."

Sombra decided not to argue with her. As if he'd ever win.

"Are you hungry?" she asked suddenly, "I haven't had a whole lot to eat since breakfast and it's almost midday."

"I'm fine, I ate yesterday." he told her. He wasn't lying, but at the same time, he didn't want to owe anything to 'Her Highness'.

The filly stared at him a moment and then laughed, "You're weird, you know that?" she said, stepping toward him and nudging him to his hooves, "Come on, I still want food. You can change you mind whenever you want."

Sombra reluctantly stood up. If worse came to worse, he could always turn back into shadow and get back to the palace, it wasn't as if he would ever see this filly ever again. She'd probably just think that he'd been re-united with his parents and had to leave suddenly.

"What's your name, by the way?" the filly asked as she led him back onto the main street. He trailed after her nervously.

"Onyx Soul." Sombra said, speaking the first two words that came into his head that would make an alright-sounding name. He didn't want this filly running around, calling him 'Doodles' or something equally ridiculous.

"Nice name." the filly said enthusiastically, "My name is Lucida."