//------------------------------//
// The Regretful Ascension 
// Story: Somber Rule 
// by Seraph Serenitatis 
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	The pain as the full power of the Crystal Heart and some other familiar power rushed through me. Now do I realize those Princesses had sought not to cleanse me, but the Empire instead. The full power of the Elements was briefly transferred into the Heart before the city was banished, and now that the Empire was cleansed, was purifying my dark and tainted soul. The pain was hardly imaginable, and something I care not to put into words.

I broke through the pain, like crashing through a wave; I was gasping, weak and wretched. I realized my past transgressions and my sins as sovereign of the Empire. I was pitiful. Worst of all, I doomed my mother to death, destroyed her entire being, imprisoned my sister, and brought pain and slavery to my people. I was no longer fit to rule; I should be tortured, death too kind a punishment, for the rest of my life for the sins I placed on my nation and family. After all of that, I still had my mother's Alicorn magic within me, a power and responsibility I did not deserve. 

I looked up at the Crystal Palace, not from the outskirts of the city, but from the foot of its crystal arches. Held at spear point and surrounded by guards. My sister, no, the Crystal Princess, looked down at me, both with pity and anger, and a hint of hope.

I rose to my hooves, the guards wary of every move I made. I looked upon the Princess, tears freshly staining my muzzle.

“Your Highness,” I spoke as formally as I could manage through raspy breaths, “I accept any, and all, forms of punishment you and 
your people choose to bestow upon me. For my crimes to you and yours warrant the highest treason. I shall not list the many deeds, for surely your subjects remember every single one of them, foremost, the forceful possession of your mother's, Her Grace's, Alicorn magic.”

The Princess held her breath a moment, and then asked me, “What is your name, stallion?” 

I looked down, closing my eyes for but a moment. Lifting my chin, and meeting her gaze, I replied, “My name is Somber Rule, formerly known as the dark King Sombra. Spare me not in any semantics, for both names, and all crimes under them, belong to me, and me alone.”

Her smile reminded me much of Mother's, sad and pitying. After a moments silence, she conferred with both the white stallion at her side, and the six mares who had appeared not two days ago. I thought of appropriate punishments, like exile out into the Frozen North or the Great Beyond, places where I would survive, but constantly be in pain and suffering, or tortured for life in prison. However, I had not expected the decision exacted on me.

“Somber Rule, from hence on, you shall take the punishment of Community Service, whereupon you will be required to advise me in my decisions as sovereign of this Crystal Empire, and send in rehabilitation reports to the Equestrian Princess known as Luna. Every Tuesday for until however long it takes, you will reside with one family within the Crystal Empire and reconcile with each and every citizen of this, your former nation. You must also, never again, touch, or study Dark Magic.”

Of course I protested, my crimes warranted the most severe of punishments, and yet, I was released with a small slap on the fetlock. My sister was far too kind. Unfortunately, no amount of protest on my part could convince her to make a harsher punishment.

Later that evening, after the large amount of partying that a strange pink earth pony with far too much energy had somehow put together last minute. I do not care to find where she stashes such a strange and large weapon. Of course I had stayed close to one of the walls, refusing to join in any of the celebrations. After all, I had other things on my mind: my punishment, my sins, my mother. 

I must have been on the verge of crying again, for my sister had sidled up next to me, strangely enough with that purple unicorn mare from earlier. My sister reached her hooves around, just like my mother had done, so many centuries ago, and held me to her chest. I briefly, off-hoovedly, noticed a change of our surroundings, and my sister whispering a silent “thank you”. I cried hard like the foal I once was, no longer caring who saw. I cried out my sorrows, my apologies, and my regrets; and most of all, I cried for my mother and my father. After a time, I had finally settled, my throat raw, and my muzzle wet with tears. My sister told me of our mother's final moments. Cadence said that Mother regretted nothing, even as she allowed me to take her magic; even going so far as saying that it was a lesson I needed to learn on my own. She also said that Mother still loved me, despite all I had done to her and her nation, and had mourned for my exile and loss. Mother had made Cadence promise to take care of me, because she had known that, before all my corruption, my intentions were meant to be good, both in thought and nature.

After a time, I realized we were indeed not alone. The six mares, the dragon, and the white stallion, who seemed to be intimate with my sister, were all standing nearby. When each in turn hugged me, much to my surprise, I inquired about my sister and that stallion's relationship. They both blushed at that point, and Cadence coughed out that they were, very much so, married. Slowly, one by one, the mares filed out of the room, to rejoin the party. As had the stallion, Shining Shield or Sparkling Armor, or something. Do not seek to blame me, she is still my sister, and even in my corruption I was very protective of her. However, the purple unicorn mare remained, along with my sister. I told them to go join the party, that I would be better off alone, however they both remained. 

Now that I had a better look the unicorn mare, Twilight Sparkle, coincidentally the younger sister of my sister's husband, she had a certain beauty to her as well. However, it is not her beauty that caught my eye, rather there was something beneath the surface, something deep within her magic and soul that led me to believe that this mare had a greater destiny to attend, greater than having a hoof in my defeat. A power that was growing most similarly in nature to an Alicorn's power. 

I briefly noticed a twinkle in my sister's eye, hoping she was not getting the wrong idea at the present situation. The mare must have also been unnerved by my unseeing gaze in her direction, for she fidgeted quite visibly. Although I was sure I could take the white stallion on in terms of strength and magic, I did not want, nor need, that sort of confrontation, especially over a misunderstanding. I quickly apologized for the excessive awkwardness that grew between the two of us, my sister less so, as she had been sneaking slowly towards the door, much to my dismay. I spoke my mind freely, the mare needed to be warn, firstly, of the dangers of dark magic and its influence, if this was indeed the mare who retrieved the Heart from its spot. Secondly, I briefly told her of a greater destiny beyond these past events, cryptically. After all, anypony would be scared about a large underlying destiny, and there was no need to over-stress the mare.

I bid the mare good night, deciding to instead retire to a guest room in the Royal Wing. The castle, sensibly, has not changed in my thousand year absence, which also means then, that my room is filled to the brim with dark artifacts. Avoiding that temptation altogether, the guest bedroom was my only choice.

The guest bedroom isn't small by any standard, after all, it is meant to house guests of royalty, like foreign dignitaries and what not. A few couches, here and there, a large queen-sized canopy bed with drapes to shut out the light if need be, and even a small bar, with most alcoholic beverages to accommodate any liking to the stuff. I was never really fond much of alcohol, I had a nation to run. Although, I did enjoy a glass of whiskey or scotch from time-to-time. There was also a balcony that overlooked the city below. I stood at the doorway, debating about going to bed or to view the night sky.

I knew I would be unable to sleep, so I moved toward the balcony. The night sky was not so bright as it could have been, but it was still beautiful. The aurora lights that came from the Crystal Heart's activation traveled across the sky in all directions, like threads twining and intertwining around and through each different color. The stars were dim specks compared to the Heart's aurora, constellations barely visible. The lamp light and street light along the ground could have just as easily been mistaken for the stars themselves in an upside-down world. Ponies still traversed up and down the streets, fully enjoying the Fair. In the past, when Mother held the Crystal Fair, it was a full week event. Tourists would come from all surrounding countries just to watch the Heart alight with the joy and peace in the Crystal ponies' hearts. For me, the sight was more inspiring and joyous, in that, despite my rule, these ponies could still feel joy, and the foals could still run down the streets so full of energy and happiness. As though those dark times never existed. 

I briefly recalled my sister saying something about a spell of amnesia that fell over the Crystal ponies. Nopony wants to remember King Sombra's reign, especially myself. But that, too, shall be my punishment to bear. 

Looking out beyond the horizon, I realized I had much to learn as well. Being sealed in the ice caverns in the Frozen North gave me no views of the outside world, especially because I was so far North of any other major pony populations. Were the Germane-ics still a gaggle of tribes fighting for territories and boundaries? Was Transylmania still as dark and dank, with its rumors of vamponies, as it had been? Did Amareca become a better established colony of Equestria? Did Neighpon ever open its borders for trade? Did the Griffons ever unite under one kingdom? Or the dragons for that matter? Will my definition of politics have changed greatly over the past millennium? What new countries, colonies, and cities exist now? What should I have expected? I was a foal in a new world, how much help could I give my sister, if the world has indeed changed so much?

Thank you listener, for reading my story. As you may not see me often, I help my sister in whatever ways I can. Although, I am most often absent from court, it is only due to my long study sessions on the world today. I had sent a formal apology to both the Equestrian princesses, and I continue to send Princess Luna my rehabilitation reports. It is comforting to know I have a friend in Luna, since her experience as the dreaded Nightmare Moon, not that I ever knew of her, is very similar to my experiences as King Sombra. I also regret that Princess Luna had to experience such a distasteful thing. 

I have also become quite familiar with the Crystal ponies. The degrees of their amnesia depend slightly on the individual. I have met many who do not remember King Sombra's reign entirely, and others who remember all of his reign. I have been insulted, beaten, reconciled with, and forgiven, even hit on, to which I vehemently refused all advances. I know most of these ponies by name, although, it may take me a moment to remember them. I have done everything in my power to recompense what I took from these ponies, and I know that everything will be near impossible to do. But I do what I can.

My name is Somber Rule, and this was my story.