//------------------------------// // In The Grasp of Darkness // Story: Shattered Glass // by Eric Michael Kline //------------------------------// CHAPTER 5 IN THE GRASP OF DARKNESS (Author's Note: Get ready everyone. Because HERE is where it starts to get dark!) =Equestria Prime= In a secluded corner of the castle library, Twilight and Spike listened as Luna explained to them and Cadance what she and Fluttershy had learned from Tiberius. "Are you sure about this?" she asked. "Tibbles feels most strongly about what he sensed," Luna insisted as the possum nodded in agreement. "And you can't argue that the timing for it is far from coincidental." "But I still don't understand," Cadance said. "The mirror was broken so shouldn't the shard be powerless now?" "Not necessarily," Twilight mused. "According to Star Swirl's Law of Magical Infusion, an enchanted item will remain enchanted unless intentionally disenchanted. So even if the mirror itself was broken, that remaining shard could still retain a portion of the original magic." "But that still doesn't explain how," Spike pointed out. "The mirror only had the power to open a doorway to other worlds right? So how could somepony use it to cast a spell on the Princess?" "A better question would be who," Luna said. "In order to do so they'd have to have known everything about what had happened. So who else knew about the mirror besides us?" "No one," Twilight answered. "Except the ponies in the other world. And if the shard still has some magic then the portal could still be partially open." "Enough for somepony to cast a spell through it into ours," Cadance realized. "Luna, you told me that the Celestia and Luna of the other world were evil. Could they be behind this?" "But that's impossible," Fluttershy said. "Remember? King Sombra used the Elements to drain them of their evil." "Except he drained it all into himself," Spike reminded them. "So what if...you know." The four mares exchanged worried glances; none of them wanting to say what they all were thinking. "It can't be," Fluttershy finally said. "He loved her." "But that may not matter anymore," Cadance pointed out. "From what Luna told me, he's become just like the Sombra of our world." "It's all just theory though," Twilight said. "We can't know for sure unless we examine the shard and see if a link between worlds still exists." "Then we've no other choice," Luna decided. "The time for subtlety is over. We are going to confront Celestia now." =Mirror Equestria= With a cloud of dust trailing behind them, Braeburn and the rest of the Apple Mob's Rustler Gang galloped headlong through the sun baked Badlands. Ahead, the sand suddenly gleamed blue and Braeburn strained his eyes for a better look. Out here, a pony could run himself ragged chasing one mirage after another. But the sight of desert grass growing at the sheen's edge assured him that he was indeed looking at actual water. He steered the others towards its direction and they found themselves at a shallow river flowing up from the south where the Badlands were said to gave way to unsettled woodland. "We'll make camp here," he announced. "Fill the canteens and get some grub goin'." Saddlebags were dropped and a pile of kindling was set ablaze as a tin of beans was opened and dumped into a beat up kettle that had been set over the fire. "So what do we do now boss?" Bramley asked. Braeburn glowered as he pulled his hat over his eyes. When word had reached him that Celestia and Luna had turned themselves over to Sombra, he knew that it was only a matter of time before Discord or another of the king's lawmen was bound to come gunning for them. So he and his gang had pulled out of Appleloosa where they had had the run of the entire town and rode south for the Macintosh Hills. By keeping a low profile, he had hoped that they'd eventually join up with other members of Celestia's forces who had escaped capture. Like maybe his Aunt Granny or even one of the bigwigs like Cadance. But during a supply run at a nearby mining camp, one of the boys had heard that Discord would be in Appleloosa the next day so the entire gang had picked up and fled into the Badlands. Here, the sun cooked the land dry and all kinds of dangerous varmints could be found hiding behind every rock and cactus. "What else? We keep ridin' south and hope nopony bothers to look that far for us. We'll follow the river so at least we won't get dried out." "Hey Braeburn?" Arkansas Black asked. "What?" "Why are we making camp here anyway?" Braeburn opened his mouth but realized that he didn't have an answer. Why DID he decide to make camp here? There was no cover to hide them from sight and no shade to protect them from the sun. And speaking of the sun, it was still mid afternoon and they were losing daylight. "Grab your gear!" he ordered. Something wasn't right. They had to get out of here now. "Boss look!" Braeburn looked to where Smokehouse was pointing and saw a figure in a ratted cloak shambling towards them across the desert. "Think it's another one of Celestia's gang?" "Let's find out! You and Arkansas are with me. The rest of you get ready in case it's a trap." With his two right hand stallions behind him, Braeburn trotted out to meet the stranger. The closer he got the more he realized something was off about this pony. It didn't look as if he had any supplies of his own on him. Not only that, but he was half limping across the sand on hooves that looked as if he had walked all the way from Manehatten. "Say partner," he finally called out. "You're a long way from respectable places. Care to explain what you're doin' out here?" "Food," the stranger whispered. "Give...me...food!" So that was it. Just some fool who had wandered into the desert for whatever reason and gotten himself lost. Well, it was a blessing for them. Braeburn nodded to Smokehouse who gestured for the others to come join them. Tensions had been running high among among the rustlers since everything had fallen apart and roughing somepony up was just what they needed to let off some steam. "Mister," Braeburn said. "I think you could use a lesson in manners." Around them, the rest of the rustlers formed a ring around the stranger, cutting off any potential escape route and giving each one an angle to get their hits in. "Get...away!" he growled. Braeburn looked to his men and they all snickered. "Now here's your first lesson," Braeburn lectured as he stepped closer. "When you talk to somepony, you be sure to look them in the eye." With a flick of his hoof, Braeburn knocked the stranger's hood back, exposing the curved red horn jutting from his forehead and eyes glowing with a sickly purple light in a face that was shockingly familiar to them. "What the hay!" he yelled, just before the stranger charged Braeburn and sent him flying into the river. From within the the desert scrub growing along the river bank, the Shadow watched as the outlaws moved in on his pawn. It was fortunate that he had found them in time to draw them into Sombra's path. For two days he had managed to keep Sombra contained in the Macintosh Hills by means of the dream glamour, all the while mesmerizing any ponies passing on the road to bring whatever food they had to his hiding place. Eventually though, Sombra had begun to fear that someone had found him and had fled into the wastes of the Badlands where the most the Shadow could do was lure him to shelter from the searing sun and freezing night winds. Be thankful I need you alive, the Shadow thought. Otherwise I would have left you to your fate as you deserve. Now the outlaws were surrounding him and despite Sombra's warning, the leader flipped up his hood and was subsequently knocked back into the river. Before the rest of the gang could recover from their initial shock, Sombra had already thrown himself into them with the fury of a wild boar, his hooves and horn lashing out with a strength forged from 1000 years of battling Celestia and fueled by the raging conflict within him. Impressive, the Shadow thought as Sombra rampaged among his opponents. I suppose there was some justification for how he was able to reign for so long in this world. Such a waste that he squandered that strength in the service of weaklings. In less than a minute, the outlaws lay strewn around the desert sand but to the Shadow's disappointment, Sombra lacked the resolve to finish them off as he would have done. And THAT is why you lost your throne. But at least Sombra still had enough control not to use his magic and draw attention to himself. The time for that would come soon enough. "Run!" Sombra warned as his opponents painfully struggled to their hooves. "NOW!" The outlaws stared at him, unbelieving that such a haggard pony could have beaten them so easily as Sombra lowered his horn and prepared to charge them again. "Forget it!" one finally yelled. "I'll take my chances with Discord!" As if in mutual agreement, the entire gang turned and fled back towards the Macintosh Hills in the distance. "You yellow bellied chickens!" Braeburn sputtered as he splashed out of the river after them. "You can't just leave me behind!" As the outlaws vanished into the distance, the Shadow watched Sombra loot what he could from their camp; downing almost the entire pot of beans and then stumbling to the river where he drank his fill before collapsing onto the bank. Once he was certain Sombra was asleep, the shadow crept out of the scrub toward him. He had waited long enough. By now Celestia was fully in the thrall of the curse he had placed upon her. She was the only pony in his world that posed any real threat to his goals. But now that she had been dealt with, he could finally put his plan into motion. And he would start by eliminating the one being in THIS world that could stop him. Approaching Sombra's side, the Shadow spread himself around the sleeping king and began to envelop him in his darkness. "And now," he announced, "I reclaim everything that is rightfully mine." =Equestria Pime= "I still don't see why we had to leave so early," Rainbow griped. "Especially If Twilight said not to meet back for another half hour. We could have watched the Wonderbolts do another Aerial Relay and still make it back in time." Applejack rolled her eyes as she strolled into the castle with Rainbow flapping behind her. After securing the sale arrangement with the Fruit Vendor's Guild, she had gone to the WonderBolt's Stadium to collect Rainbow Dash while Rarity tracked down the Gourmet Bakery where Pinkie Pie had hopped off to. "Because we need to see what Twilight found out about the Princess," Applejack reminded her as they walked down the hallway. "Furthermore, with the Equestria Games comin' up, you should be thinkin' more about the training for Ponyville's team." "Hey," Rainbow countered, "knowing your opponents is the key to victory. That's why I was checking them out so intently." Seemed like you were more interested in checkin' out Soarin's flank in that coattight jumpsuit of his, Applejack thought. "Besides, Twilight and Spike are probably still down in Star Swirl's Library. You know how she gets when books are involved. Especially old and dusty ones." "Yeah well I don't like sittin' around doin' nothing if I can avoid it," Applejack said as a maid hurried down the hall toward them. "Here comes somepony now. We'll ask her if she's seen Twilight so we don't waste time lookin' for 'er. 'Scuse me ma'am? Have you seen Princess..."but the maid ignored Applejack's question as she rushed past them without so much as an excuse me. "Well that was weird," Rainbow remarked. "She must have somethin' on the stove," Applejack guessed as the sudden rumble of approaching hooves caught her attention. The two of them turned around and their mouths dropped open as an entire mob of castle servants rushed towards them. Throwing herself against the wall, Applejack pressed herself flat to avoid getting stampeded while Rainbow took to the air. "Hey what's going on?" Rainbow yelled out as the servants gallloped past them. "Where's everypony going?" But all of them were too busy running for the hills to bother answering. "What the hay was that about?" "I dunno," Applejack answered. "But I got a feelin' it's trouble. Come on!" Backtracking the mob's route, Applejack and Rainbow hurried down the hall until they come across Spike who was cautiously peeking through the the partially closed doorway of the castle's ballroom. On the door's other side, Fluttershy cringed against the wall where she cradled a possum in her hooves. What in tarnation is that critter doin' in the castle? Applejack wondered. Though she knew city folk weren't as used to wild varmints as she was, somehow Applejack doubted that one possum would be enough to cause that kind of a panic. "Hey y'all!" she called out. "What's goin' on?" "Guys keep it down," Spike whispered. "This is kind of a delicate situation." "What is?" Rainbow asked as they heard the voices coming from within the ballroom. "Princess please," Twlight's voice begged. "We're just trying to help." "I do not need help," another voice said. "What I need is for you all to stop wasting my time with baseless accusations." Lining up behind Spike, Applejack and Rainbow peered through the crack and saw Princess Celestia being confronted by Twilight along with Luna and Cadance. "You really think I would not know if I had been placed under a spell?" The Princess asked. "As I told you earlier I am perfectly fine!" "No you are not!" Luna said. "Sister, something is wrong with you. I don't fully know what the cause is but you have never acted this way before. And until we find out why you should excuse yourself from your royal duties. I'm even beginning to think that the Summer Sun Celebration should be postponed until..." 'No!" Celestia yelled. "I most certainly will not! And the Celebration will procede as scheduled! I will not be seen as incapable before my subjects!" "Celestia nopony's thinking that," Cadance tried to assure her. "But we're all worried about you. You've always been there when we needed you so please; let us be here for you now!" "Is that so?' Celestia asked. "And why are you here Cadance?" "Um, well..." "As I thought," Celestia grimmaced. "Who was it that told you? Luna? Twilight? Or was it one of her friends? How many others know? I swore you all to secrecy but it seems that I can't trust any of you! And if you all have a problem with how I conduct myself then maybe Twilight and her friends should have followed my original orders when we battled my counterpart! Maybe then Sombra wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself and you could have Luna for your ruler instead!" "Oh that tears it," Applejack said. "Applejack no!" Fluttershy warned but was too late to keep Applejack from throwing the doors open. "Alright that's enough!" she yelled as Twilight and the others spun around to face her. "Applejack?" Twilight gasped. "Whoa easy there cowgirl!" Rainbow yelled as she and Spike tried to pull her back. But the farmmare shook them off as she marched into the ballroom and up the the Princess. "Now look," she told Celestia. "I dunno just what the Sam Hill is goin' on here, but there's no reason to act like this. Now I know you've had a rough time lately and... "You?" Celestia asked. "You dare assume to know what I feel?" Celestia stepped forward and Applejack backed away as the Princess loomed over her. "What do you know about loss? What do you know about sacrifice? What do YOU know about obligation and..." but Celestia was cut off as Luna stepped between her and Applejack with her wings spread. "Sister," she warned. "That is enough." Celestia glared at them all but didn't say anything more. Instead, she alighted her horn and vanished in a flash of golden light. "Wow," Rainbow said. "So this is how Fluttershy feels all the time." "Applejack?" Twilight asked. "Are you okay?" "Applejack," Luna said, "I am so sorry about that." "Just forget it," Applejack said. "Wasn't your fault." Lowering her hat over her eyes so nopony could see the shock and anger that she could feel spreading over her face, Applejack turned and walked away. "If y'all would excuse me, I'm gonna go outside and wait for Rarity 'n Pinkie to get back." Teleporting to her personal chambers, Celestia's breath heaved as she paced back and forth. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so angry. She had been inspecting the refurbishing of the ballroom when Twilight, Luna, and Cadance barged in and demanded that the servants cease their work and leave. And when Celestia demanded an explanation, Twilight had concocted a ridiculous story about sensing a possible magical disturbance in her quarters, even going so far as to insinuate that she was being mentally affected by it. But even worse was when Twilight's friend had the nerve to claim she understood what Celestia was feeling; as if she knew how it felt to have your one chance for happiness dangled in front of your snout, always out of reach before it was finally snatched away forever. But what if they're right, a tiny voice in her heart asked. Impossible, Celestia retorted I would have sensed it. But nothing in my quarters has changed. The only thing that's different is... The rage Celestia felt turned to dread and she rushed from the drawing room into her bedchambers. To her relief, the mirror shard was still hanging from the tree in the corner next to the tag on which Sombra had written his wish. That had to be it. They couldn't stand that she was still thinking of him. Why? Why couldn't they leave her be? It was all she had left of Sombra and they wanted to take it from her. Just like Star Swirl had tried to do when he sealed the mirror. They're all trying to betray me, Celestia raved as she stepped towards it. They don't care if I suffer so long as they get what they want. But I won't let them take it. The shard is mine. And if anyone tries I'll make them pay! As she leaned forward, the mirror shard cast back her reflection and Celestia was taken aback by what she saw. Her eyes were so cold and her face so twisted in rage that she didn't even recognize herself. And the shock of it numbed every emotion she felt. Is that how they see me? she wondered. Have I really become such a horrible pony? The look she had seen in her eyes...it was almost the same look as the one in his.. ...The freezing northern winds blew with such force that even Celestia had difficulty flying through them. Snow clouded her vision and the cold stung her through her thin coat but she pressed on through the icy storm. When the light of the Crystal Empire had suddenly faded, she had sent Star Swirl to investigate. Now he had vanished as well, his last message a frail cry for help. "Star Swirl!" she yelled over the howling winds. "Star Swirl where are you?" "Princess," a voice in her head called. "I'm down here." Celestia looked to her left and saw a light flicker among a rocky outcrop carved out of the ground by the yearly glaciers. She dove towards it and found a rift in the crag's face that led into a small cave. Celestia squeezed through and against the rear stone wall, huddling battered and bruised, was her old friend and former teacher. "Star Swirl," she cried as she rushed to his side. "Are you alright?" The old unicorn shook from the cold but didn't answer. Alighting her horn, Celestia conjured a miniature sun that filled the cave with light and warmth as Star Swirl quickly came to. "Princess," he whispered as he looked up. "You came." "Of course I did. Now who did this to you? And where are the Pegasus guards that I ordered to escort you?" Star Swirl hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry your highness. I failed in my mission." "Never mind that," Celestia assured him. "Just tell me what happened." Star Swirl took a deep breath and looked back up to her. "Your highness...it's Sombra." "Sombra?" she gasped. "Here? How? When? Is he alright?" "No you don't understand!" Star Swirl cried. "It's not the Sombra we met in our travels. It's OUR world's Sombra! I theorized that an evil version of him could exist in our world but I had no idea the kind of malice he was capable of!" Celestia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Had they really found the Sombra of their world? But even more shocking was the state her old friend was in. Never before had she seen Star Swirl so shaken, not even when he had fought Tirek alongside her and Luna. Kneeling before him, she placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder. "Tell me what happened." Star Swirl took a deep breath and looked up her. "My chariot had just arrived at the border of the Crystal Empire. Suddenly, something attacked us. It was like a cloud of living darkness. Those poor Pegasus guards pulling the chariot...they took the full force of its attack. Only I survived the crash. And no sooner had I pulled myself together then the shadow came down to earth and transformed into him. He was practically a mirror image of the Sombra we met. But his eyes...I didn't think it was possible for a pony of all creatures to have such malice in them. I tried to fight him but his magic...it's unlike anything I've ever seen before. So I was forced to retreat. Princess, you have to summon Luna. Tell her to bring the Elements of Harmony. They stopped Discord so they should be able to stop him as well." I don't believe it, Celestia thought. Star Swirl must have made a mistake. Or maybe somepony knew about the mirror and had created an illusion to lure them into a trap. Rising to her hooves, Celestia turned and exited the cave. "Your highness what are you doing?" "Wait here where it's safe," she answered as she stepped outside and spread her wings. "I will handle this myself." With a single flap, Celestia launched herself into the sky and towards the direction of the Crystal Empire. "Princess wait come back!" Star Swirl yelled behind her. "Don't face him alone! You have no idea what he's capable of!" As his voice faded into the howling wind, Celestia pressed on through the storm, the storm buffeting her from all sides and threatening to knock her off course. But she grit her teeth and forced herself on until finally, the edge of the Crystal Empire came into view as the wind and snow ahead of Celestia began to shift and bend around the barrier generated by the Crystal Tower that shut out the frigid northern weather and kept the Empire in a state of perpetual spring. With a final burst of speed, Celestia shot herself forward and plunged through the barrier. She shook the snow from her eyes and what she saw froze her in a shock far colder than the weather she had just escaped from. Where once the fields of the Crystal Empire were lush and beautiful, now they were barren and dead; punctuated with jagged shards of black crystal. No longer was the sky the pure blue of spring but had been stained a sickly brown, almost as if it had been burned by whatever evil infested the Empire. But worse was the Crystal Tower. No longer a dazzling crystalline spire reflecting beauty and elegance, it was now an ugly and twisted mass of black shards and spikes. And on the ground beneath her, the Crystal Ponies marched in stocks and chains, their eyes broken and their coats dull and tarnished as great hulking bipedal monsters of the same black crystal drove them forward. As Celestia watched, a mare stumbled and one of the Crystal Brutes loomed over her, his arm raised to crack down the whip it held. But it was only able to raise its instrument of torture halfway before Celestia fired an energy beam that shattered the monster to pieces. "ENOUGH!" she roared. Every eye, pony and monster, fell onto her as she dropped to the ground, her wings spread and her horn charged with power Two of the Crystal Brutes charged toward her, their arms shifting into blades and spiked clubs. But like the first one, Celestia struck them both down with one blast. Another brute extended the spikes growing along its skin before flinging out its arm and launching the spikes towards her. Celestia raised a shield and the spikes shattered on her defenses as the other brutes joined in, pinning her down with a hail of razor sharp daggers. I don't have time for this, she decided and teleported back into the sky. Now that she had some breathing room, Celestia's power surged through her, igniting her body with the flames of the sun as she dove back towards the ground and smashed through all the monsters in one attack. With her enemies dealt with, Celestia lowered her flames and flew back to where the Crystal Ponies still cowered and trembled. "Where is he?" she asked as she broke their chains. "Where is the one who did this to you?" But even after being freed, the Crystal Ponies still hesitated to speak before finally, the mare she had first saved timidly pointed towards the balcony above the Tower's archway. "Don't worry," she told them. "Your nightmare is going to be over very soon." In a flash of golden light, Celestia teleported herself onto the balcony but nothing appeared to challenge her. "Where are you?" she yelled "Show yourself you coward!" Nothing answered so she cautiously entered the vacant throne room, which was now as dark and twisted as the rest of the tower. But though she couldn't see her enemy, she could feel him in the overwhelming presence of dark magic that was smothering in its intensity. Suddenly, the throne room echoed all around her with a laugh that sent an icy chill racing up Celestia's spine "It seems I have a guest. Though I was expecting two this is much more agreeable to me." That voice, she thought. It couldn't be. Before Celestia could react, a wall of black crystal suddenly rose over the entrance to the balcony. Similar barriers were erected over the windows, trapping her inside and shutting out the light as the braziers lining the walls were lit with flames born of the same dark magic that filled the air. Something moved in the darkness and as the throne room lit up, Celestia's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the armored and red-caped stallion that had appeared on the Crystal throne. "Sombra?" Superficially, the unicorn on the crystal throne resembled the stallion she had met in the other world. But while his face had been kind and handsome, the face of the one before her was hard and cruel. His red eyes burned with cold malevolence and his black hair writhed about his spiked crown and the curved crimson horn that jutted from his forehead. His lips parted, revealing a smile lined with fangs and Celestia suddenly felt as if she were a rabbit being stared down by a wolf. "First the famous Star Swirl and now you," he said. "I was unaware that my glory had already reached as far as Canterlot. I bid you welcome Princess Celestia. I was hoping to gain an audience with you and am honored that you chose to seek me out first." His condescending tone pulled Celestia out of her shock and she straightened herself up. She had already made the mistake of trotting right into a trap. She wouldn't allow him to have control of the situation as well. "Where is Princess Amore?" she demanded. "What have you done with her?" With a smirk, Sombra levitated a battered crown from beside the throne and tossed it at Celestia's hooves. "Gone," he said. No, Celestia thought. This can't be. "Why? Why have you done all this?" Sombra laughed again as he dissipated into a cloud of shadows before reconstituting himself on the throne room's floor. "Why wouldn't I?" he asked as he walked along the room's edge. "The Crystal Ponies were weak and foolish. They welcomed me with open hooves, granted me access to their libraries, and even allowed me to work my way into the service of their princess." Celestia kept her eyes on him as he casually wandered by her and noted that not only was this Sombra cruel, he was arrogant as well. He kept his back to her, his eyes sweeping the once beautiful walls of the Crystal Tower's throne room as if she were beneath his notice. If she were quick, she could end this now with one attack. But every time she tried to gather her energy, the memory of his counterpart in that other world flashed in her mind and she hesitated. "Not once did they ask why I had come or why I sought the knowledge they held," he continued. "And now, like all weaklings, they have been put in their proper place. To be used as I see fit. But that is not what we need to discuss." "And what would that be?" Celestia asked before Sombra dissipated once more into darkness. She frantically searched around her for any sign of where his attack would come from when he suddenly materialized directly in front of her, eliciting a startled cry from Celestia as she stepped back. Around her he walked, sporting the same wolfish grin and looking her up and down in a way that made Celestia sick with revulsion. "Lovely," he stated. "And so powerful. But you have yet to embrace your true potential." "What is that supposed to mean?" "Oh I mean no insult. It's just odd that such a magnificent mare as yourself would settle for being a mere princess when you could be so much more." "What are you insinuating?" "I have been watching you for a very long time," Sombra told her. "Your magic controls the sun, source of all light. My magic on the other hand controls the darkness, the source of all corruption. We are two sides of the same coin Celestia. Perfect equals of each other." "We are nothing alike!" "Are we now?" Sombra laughed. "You claim that you and your sister rule together, but who is it that the ponies of Equestria venerate? Who makes the final decision in matters of rule? Whose power is the land dependent upon for its life and sustenance?" As he spoke, Sombra's voice seemed to take on an almost a musical warble and Celestia suddenly found it difficult to concentrate. "You can claim that you rule solely to bring peace and harmony. But in your heart, you relish the power you have over others and the veneration they give you. So why put on such a hollow pretense with your sister? She is weak. She is inferior. She is not your equal. And she knows it. That's why she hates you. That's why she longs to overthrow you and take what she cannot have. If she were a little stronger she would not hesitate to strike you down." "That's a lie," Celestia gasped, the throne room spinning around her. "You know nothing about my sister. Luna would never betray me." "Perhaps," Sombra smirked. "But that doesn't change what you are. You are the high princess of Equestria. Star Swirl offered to help you claim it and you accepted without hesitation. And you did so because it is the right of the strong to reign over those who are weaker. Do you really think that the three tribes would have accepted you and your sister's reign if you weren't Alicorns? You're only fooling yourself if you do. But Equestria is only one part of the world. There are countless other kingdoms and lands, all of them ripe for harvest. And who better to seize them than the two most powerful ponies who ever lived." Raising his hoof, Sombra materialized a crown of black metal studded with red gems which he held out to her. "Join with me Celestia and become my queen. Together, we will grind the entire world beneath our hooves." Celestia stared at the crown and suddenly felt as though it were calling out to her, compelling her to take it and accept Sombra's offer. Sombra, she thought. I could be Sombra's queen. It was then that his image flashed across her mind, not the Sombra that stood before her, but the kind and noble one from a world that was so alike and yet so different from her own. It snapped her out of her trance and thrust her back to her senses as she took one look at the creature who had dared to try and ensorcell her before blasting the crown he offered to her out of his hoof. "I will never join with something like you! The very sight of you disgusts me! You don't even deserve to call yourself a pony! You're just a monster wearing a unicorn's mask!" For a brief moment, Sombra's composure broke and he almost seemed disappointed. "I see," he sighed. "So that's your answer is it?" But the moment passed and Sombra's face twisted once more into a fanged grin as his eyes and horn crackled with dark energy. "As you wish!" Lowering her horn, Celestia spread her wings and ignited her flames, scouring the walls of the throne room with golden light. Sombra cautiously stepped back and she knew that she could fight him now. This THING was not the Sombra she had met in that other world. As far as she was concerned, he was nothing but a grotesque mockery unworthy of that name. "You may have bested Amore and Star Swirl," Celestia threatened. "But I am not like them." "Indeed," Sombra agreed. "Amore I had no use for. And your pet wizard was smart enough to flee while he had the chance." Before Celestia could react, Sombra stomped his hoof and lashes of black magic rose out of the floor from the same circle he had walked around her. They latched around her, binding her hoof and wing as her flames were suddenly extinguished before they slammed her to the floor with enough force that Celestia nearly passed out. When her efforts to physically break them failed, she attempted to teleport out of their grasp but found to her horror that her magic was no longer working. "Don't bother," he told her. "That spell is one of my personal creation. It binds not only the body but the spirit as well, sealing whatever magic you have. I don't know why you hesitated to strike when I first offered you the chance. But you will live to regret it. As will your subjects." "They will never bow to you!" she hissed. "Oh but they will," he laughed. "Remember, I've been watching you and your so called reign. Your subjects care for you deeply. They would do nothing to endanger their beloved Princess of the Sun because without you they are lost. And once they know you are in my grasp, they will surrender without raising so much as a hoof against me." Sombra leaned over her and Celestia cringed as his breath rolled over her, choking her in its rancid malice. "But until then," he whispered in her ear, "how shall we keep ourselves amused?" Help me! Celestia begged. Somepony anypony please help me! Suddenly, an incredible force tore through the throne room and Celestia felt Sombra blasted away from her. She opened her eyes and saw that the crystal wall Sombra had raised over the balcony entrance had been shattered. And in the resulting hole was Luna, her horn still glowing from the energy blast she had just unleashed. At the other end of the room, a pile of rubble from which an armored hoof protruded lay before what had once been the crystal throne. "Luna!" Celestia cried as her younger sister flew to her side, snapping Celestia's binds with a flick of her horn. "What were you thinking?" Luna yelled. "Why didn't you wait for me? You're just lucky Star Swirl had enough strength to summon me himself!" "Luna...I..."but the words stuck in Celestia's throat. Even if she told her sister how could Luna possibly believe her? "Never mind!" Luna snapped as the pile of rubble began to tremble and shake. "Just get ready! He's coming!" Opening her saddle bag, Luna summoned the Elements of Harmony to emerge and surround them as the rubble exploded into a cloud of darkness. Up to the ceiling it rose, and from out of the cloud, a cruel and twisted face materialized into form. "You will regret that little princess," Sombra snarled as all around them, the walls and floor of the throne room burst into an impassible barrier of twisted and spiked crystal shards. "Know that you both will face your end screaming!" "Sister?" Luna asked. Suppressing her fear and shame, Celestia forced herself to stand. The Crystal Empire and its ponies needed to be freed. And this monster that should not exist in either world needed to be dealt with. "This ends now," she vowed. Joining their magic together, the two Royal Pony Sisters activated the Elements, their light illuminating the throne room as the Shadow lunged toward them... ...But it hadn't ended. Through the evil Sombra had been banished to the Frozen North, he had managed one final act of cruelty as the curse he had placed on the Crystal Empire and all of its ponies banished them into nonexistence, along with nearly every memory and record of them, almost as if they had never existed. Not long afterward, Celestia had crossed over into the other world by herself for the first time. She had to see the other Sombra. She had to know that he was there and was still the kind and noble stallion she had met. What am I supposed to do? she thought as she buried her face in her hoof. Sombra was the only one I could let myself go with. He was her shoulder to cry on, the safe port she could run to when her crown grew too heavy. But even if the mirror hadn't been broken, she could no longer run to him. The stallion she loved was gone. And it was all her fault. "Princess?" a mare's voice called from the outer door. "Are you in there?" It was Raven, her personal assistant. Celestia took ten deep breaths and forced herself to calm down. "Yes," she finally answered. "What is it?" "I'm just checking to see if everything's alright. I heard there was some kind of a situation in the ballroom." "Everything's fine," Celestia answered. "Raven, tell Kibitz I want to see him in the throne room immediately." "Right away your highness." "One other thing," Celestia added. "Tell the guards that I want a full post at both the doorway to my quarters and on my balcony at all times. Tell them that anyone who enters without my consent is to be arrested." "Y...yes your highness." Celestia waited until she heard Raven's hoofsteps retreating from the door before moving to her washroom. Filling up the sink, she splashed cold water onto her face and stared at her reflection. "I will not be weak," she vowed. "I will not cry, I will not make further mistakes, and I will not show any weakness before my subjects. I am Princess Celestia of Equestria. And I will be strong." From outside on the balcony, Philomena watched as her master swayed on the brink only to pull herself back when Raven knocked at the door. Nothing had been the same since that night when the call of a male phoenix woke her from her sleep. From the balcony railing outside of Celestia's bedroon he had called to her, his golden feathers blazing like the sun against the night. And when he spread his magnificent wings that spanned almost the entire balcony to take flight, she could not resist his invitation to join her. After him she had flown, out of the castle and off into the sky. She had almost caught up to him when Celestia's scream broke the night's quiet and snapped her out of the chase. She looked around but the male had vanished and her master was in possible danger so she flew back to the castle as fast as she could. To her relief, Luna and Tiberius had already arrived and Celestia was safe. But ever since then, Philomena had sensed a change in the kindly master she had loved for so many centuries. She hadn't talked to Philomena in days or even acknowledged her when she entered. And whenever Philomena tried to approach her, Celestia reacted so coldly to her presence that the phoenix couldn't bear to be close to her for long. After Celestia had fixed herself up in the washroom and left, Philomena glided across the room to land in front of the tree. The mirror shard that hung from its branch. The night the male had lead her off, Tiberius had picked up on something about it. Something that he didn't like. And the way Celestia was staring at it just now. It was the first time that Philomena had actually been frightened of her. "Well this is an unexpected development," a voice behind her said. "So, what are you going to do now?" (My depiction of Celestia's first encounter with Prime Sombra was inspired by Omny87's comic "A Somber Meeting" which can be viewed at DeviantArt.com)