Before the Darkness

by Riku006

4: The Fair

“Sombra, hurry up!” Stone Cutter yelled over the banging of hoof on crystal.

“Give me a second!” The unicorn stallion shouted back, refocussing on the ceremonial glass sabre on the workbench before him. Channelling his energy as Stone Cutter had taught him a decade prior, Sombra brought his hooves down, willing the odd rough surface of the blade back into line. A few more strikes sounded out before Sombra stopped, took off his goggles and levitated the weapon close to examine his craft. With the smile of a job well done, he slid the sword back into its scabbard and walked out to the display portion of the shop, where Stone Cutter and a well-dressed pony waited.

“Sorry for the delay, sir.” Sombra said as he brought the sabre before the customer. “Just making sure it was flawless.”

“I would hope so,” he replied in a bored tone as he examined the blade. “Master Statute will most definitely demand a refund if such is not the case.”

“If Sombra says it’s flawless, then I’ll stand by that,” Stone Cutter spoke up. The action brought a small smile to Sombra’s face, seeing someone defend what he worked so hard on. “Now, our fee?”

“Oh, yes. Of course.” The customer placed a brown fabric bag on the counter, the sound of bits jiggling within. “One hundred and forty bits, as agreed.” Stone Cutter took a look inside before nodding to Sombra, who then placed the sabre in a velvet-lined case and hoofed it to the customer. “Good day to you both.” With that, he turned and left, the ringing bell ringing out his exit.

“Up-tight plot,” Sombra grumbled, the smiling face he put on for customers crumbling instantly.

“Well, that’s what you get when you’re raised with a silver spoon in your mouth up there in the inner district.” Stone Cutter replied, a sly smile on his face as he placed the bits in the crystal vault beneath the counter.

“Hey! I was raised in the inner district and I turned out fine.” Sombra mock pouted, turning his head in a huffy manner before the two stallions started laughing.

“Well, Mr. Upstanding Citizen, why don’t you call it a day? I can close up on my own.”

“What?” Sombra asked, looking a little surprised. “You sure you can manage it without me? You’re not exactly in peak physical form.”

Looking over his mentor, it was obvious age now had a visible effect on him. There was a lot more grey hair in his mane and tail, and his posture lacked the strength it once processed. Sombra had even had to use his magic to help him lift a few items from time to time.

“Son, I was managing this store long before you wandered in, so I think I’ll be fine. Besides, I might not be as big as you, but these hooves of mine still have some strength left in them.”

Sombra shook his head with a smirk. “Fine. I know when not to argue with a stubborn old mule.”

“This stubborn old mule has the power to fire you,” Stone Cutter shot back with a sly grin of his own. “Now get out of here. You’ll just get in the way.”

“See you tomorrow,” Sombra called out with a laugh as he magically put on his scarf and saddlebags on the way out. The dusk held a small chill as Sombra stepped outside the workshop, yet nopony showed any sign of discomfort. The few ponies that were present on the expansion district path were either on their way home after a hard day’s work or just chatting casually with friends. As Sombra entered the outer district, he spotted one such friend shopping around the parade markets.

“Quartz.” Sombra called out as he came over to meet his childhood friend and roommate. Like Sombra, Quartz Guard had grown into a strong stallion, though he lacked a few inches compared to Sombra. “What’re you getting?”

“Oh, just some stuff for tomorrow,” he shrugged as he paid the salespony and grabbed a bag of food. “You should’ve seen some of the lines in the inner district shops though. I almost thought one of them would’ve come into the outer district.”

“I bet the nobles were scared of getting robbed this far out.” Sombra laughed as he and Quartz turned down one of the side streets towards their shared house. “So, how were the students today?”

“Ugh, don’t get me started on Diamond Crown,” Quartz groaned, bringing a hoof to his face. “Just because she’s the daughter of some uptight noble that makes her believe she could do a better job teaching the class. Tartarus, she’s barely summoned a gem bigger than a pebble, yet she’s even more of a brat than Lapus was!”

Sombra rolled his eyes as they came up to the front door. Despite following his mother’s hoofsteps and becoming the crystalmancy instructor at the academy, Sombra knew Quartz wanted to join the Imperial Guard and “defend the Empire as a hero”, as he put it.

Opening the door, Sombra let Quartz place the shopping on the kitchen bench to the right of the entrance before passing the unicorn and collapsing on the couch to Sombra’s left with a loud sigh. Sombra, meanwhile, levitated his scarf, goggles and saddlebag up the stairs in-front of him and around the corner into his room.

“So,” Sombra asked as he grabbed an apple from the bench and took a bite. “You have any plans for tomorrow, or are we just going to lay about here all day?”

“Of course we’re not staying here all day,” Quartz replied, looking over the back of the couch like Sombra had sprouted a second head. “Not with all the mares around.”

Sombra planted a hoof firmly into his face. “Quartz, please don’t tell me you’re going to spend all day following mares.”

“Don’t need to,” Quartz replied with a cheeky grin. “Opal Orchard asked me out.”

Sombra immediately spat out his bite of apple. “Opal Orchard?! How in Tartarus did that happen?” It didn’t make any sense to Sombra. Opal Orchard was one of the sweetest and most popular fillies back in the academy, and her popularity carried over into financial success with her inner district flower store. So for someone like her to randomly ask out Quartz seemed unlikely.

Quartz shrugged. “I don’t know. I got out of the academy and then out of nowhere she strikes up a conversation. Next thing I know, she wants to meet me later on tomorrow.” The crystal stallion laid back, resting his fore-hooves behind his head. “I don’t know about you, but I have a feeling tomorrow’s going to be an incredible day.”

“Yeah… Me too…” Sombra replied, his smile covering a small bout of uncertainty.

“Hear ye, hear ye! Their Majesty, King Cobalt Blade and Queen Jade, do cordially welcome one and all to the four hundred and ninety eighth Crystal Fair!” With the royal crier finishing his proclamation, Cobalt lit his horn and shot a bolt of magic into the bright sky, the spell exploding in a dazzling array of colour to signal the start of the Empire’s most cherished tradition. Down below, the gathered crowd of ponies roared in delight at the announcement, Sombra and Quartz joining in.

“So,” Sombra asked as the crowd began to disperse to each of the different booths set up for the fair. “You off to meet up with Opal?”

“Not yet,” Quartz shook his head. “We can look around and see what’s on offer. Corn on the cob?” Sombra nodded, and the two set off for their desired food.

The next few hours passed quickly as Sombra and Quartz followed the throng of ponies enjoying the fair. They enjoyed special delicacies, watched on as entertainers performed in the streets and bought a few knickknacks, all of which Sombra teleported back to the house. After a while though, one event caught the eye of both stallions; the jousting. Joining the growing crowd in the stands, the two friends sat and watched excitedly as members of the Imperial Royal Guard would take turns charging at one another.

“That guard’s real good,” Quartz commented as the winning stallion waved to the crowd for what was his fifth consecutive victory. “You think he can beat the captain?”

“Doubt it,” Sombra shook his head. “Fracture’s an incredible jouster. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him lose.”

Quartz shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. It’s getting close to the time Opal wanted to see me. Want to come?”

“I don’t think Opal would like me tagging along with you two,” Sombra pointed out as he stood. “I’ll probably look for Mum. I was planning on spending the final hours of the fair with her anyway. Come on, let’s go.” Nodding, Quartz followed the unicorn down through the crowds. But before they could exit the stadium, Sombra saw something. Coming towards them was the seemingly unstoppable Royal Guardspony.

“You two, halt!” He called out, the two friends complying. While Quartz’ eyes were lighting up with excitement, something seemed familiar about that voice.

“Yes sir.” Quartz replied with a prideful salute. “Can we help you with something?”

“Not really,” the guards answered with a smirk that Sombra instantly recognised as he removed his helmet. “Although it’s nice to see you two outcasts finally showing me some respect”

Staring back at them was the midnight-blue coated face of Lapis Lazuli.

“You flank-kissing plotho-” Anything else Quartz said was muted as Sombra cast a sound dampening spell, one he used on Stone Cutter’s workshop to stop complaints, as well as lifting him off the ground in case he tried using crystalmancy.

Lapis smirked. “Well, and here I thought you becoming an instructor would’ve tempered your foul mouth. Then again, it is a shame the fillies and colts of the Empire are denied a quality instructor because of nepotism.”

Quartz’ eye twitched before he let loose with a tirade of silent swears. Sombra strengthened his grip on his struggling friend before turning his annoyed gaze back at Lapis. “What do you want?”

“Oh, nothing more than to show these ponies a good time, as well as prove my standing as a stallion worthy of respect. You two should stick around. After all, I’m about to become the first soldier in Imperial history to best Captain Fracture in a joust.”

“I’m afraid we can’t stay,” Sombra replied in a neutral tone as Quartz crossed his forelegs and looked away. “However, if you like, I could give you a tip about Fracture.”

This caught both Lapis and the silent Quartz off-guard. “Excuse me?”

“No, really.” Sombra said. “He’s incredibly tough, but I’ve seen him practice. I know his technique, and if you want I could let you in on it.”

Quartz’ mouth hung agape as Lapis’ confident smile returned. “Well, it seems you aren’t as big a loser as I thought, Stick-head. Go on then, but make it quick; I need to prepare for the bout.”

Sombra ignored Lapis’ insulting nickname for him and pressed on. “Well, the key to beating Fracture is knowing where he’s going to strike, and that’s always where the armour is weakest.” The unicorn then took a step forward, examining the side neck-guard of Lapis’ armour. “I’ve made dozens of suit of armour for the Royal Guard, and all of them are pretty well forged. But sometimes, if you strike with enough force right here,” Sombra explained, placing a hoof onto the armour right near the left shoulder, “Then it can cause the suit to shatter and do some serious damage.”

Sombra stepped back and allowed himself a small smile at the sight of Lapis’ face; draining of colour and fixed with a mixture of fear of shock. “And judging from the hoof-work on yours, it has the same problem. A problem Fracture is very aware of. But I’m sure a valiant Royal Guard such as yourself will be fine. Good luck with your match.” With that, Sombra released Quartz and turned, proudly marching away from the now visibly worried Lapis Lazuli.

“Sombra,” Quartz spoke up again as the two walked away from the stands. “That was amazing! Oh, wait until Opal hears about this!”

“You really want me to come along?” Sombra asked with eyebrow raised.

Quartz shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

Sombra sighed. “And you wonder why you’ve been denied before. You go on ahead, I don’t want to bring down any chance you have with her. Besdies, I promised Mum I’d see her before the Crystal Heart powers up. But you have a good time, and say hi to Opal for me.”

“Okay then. See you later.” With that, the two friends split up; Quartz headed down one of the side streets while Sombra carried on down the parade and into the upper district.

As he kept browsing through the high-end stalls, one thing Sombra observed was that, like in most previous years, the upper class rarely spent the day outside their own district. Instead they would rather enjoy bragging about an achievement or show off an expensive trinket, much like Gilded Statute, who Sombra spied wearing the ceremonial blade he made yesterday.

Ignoring them, Sombra came to the central plaza; home of the palace and the Crystal Heart. Hovering in place in-between two spires directly beneath the palace, it was said to be carved by the Empire’s first queen and that she was gifted the powers of love and unity to fill it with from the White Mare herself. With each Crystal Fair, the nobility and all citizens would give the power of these values they believed in to the jewel, which would in turn use it to purify and protect the land from all that would harm it.

“Sombra! Over here!” His ears swivelling, Sombra quickly discovered the source of the voice. Near one of the palace entrances stood both Queen Jade and his mother, the latter holding a cone of ice cream with her magic.

“Hey Mum,” Sombra answered as he approached, giving the now smaller mare a hug before slightly bowing his head to the Queen. “Your Highness.”

“Hello Sombra,” Jade smiled. “Enjoying yourself?”

“Of course.” Sombra then noticed his mother smirk out of the corner of his eye. "What’s so funny?”

“Oh,” Sunbeam giggled. “I just remember when you were a colt, and how you got scared when the Crystal Heart was activated.” The two mares broke into giggles as Sombra blushed slightly.

“Mum, not in public.” Sombra whispered, looking around nervously at who was listening while his mother and aunt burst into another bout of laughter.

“Sorry, but you were so cute back then.”

“And you know,” Jade added. “Most mares actually prefer cute stallions.” The playful smile grew as Sombra’s face grew redder by the moment. “Say, where is your friend Quartz Guard? I hear it is rare you two are not together.”

“He’s off with somepony else.” Sombra hurriedly replied, thanking the White Mare for the subject change. “We’ll meet up later on.” Before Sunbeam could reply, the sound of trumpets rang out from above them. Looking back down from the ceiling, Sombra noticed their group was joined by another familiar face.

“Your Majesty,” he said as he bowed his head in the presence of the King.

“Greetings Sombra, Sunbeam.” Cobalt Blade replied before turning to his wife. “It’s time.”

“Yes, I did hear the signal.” Jade replied with a smile as the two came together and walked out towards the gathering crowd of shimmering ponies, Sunbeam and Sombra following a small distance back.

The citizens lined the border of the palace. There were a few guards stationed within the perimeter, but no one would dare try anything with what was coming. That said, Sombra quietly noticed there were still a few ponies milling about. While it was understandable that the shopkeepers would stay behind or beside their stalls, for almost every year he could remember there was never a single crystal pony that would miss the activation ceremony. One other important thing he noticed was that Opal was close by, yet Quartz was nowhere to be seen.

“Citizens of the Crystal Empire!” Cobalt called out with a booming voice, garnering everypony’s attention. “I thank you, one and all, for attending and helping to make this Crystal Fair a thoroughly enjoyable experience. For centuries, this day has been a time to come together. Whether you be nobility or commoner, soldier or civilian, we come together to renew the spirit of love, light and unity that we hold dear, and help spread them across our great land.

“So now, I ask you not as a King, but as a fellow citizen of Glacier Spire. Please, as we have for centuries past, and hopefully for centuries to come, help us ignite the beacon that will spread love and light throughout our great Empire!”

Turning towards the Crystal Heart, Cobalt gracefully bowed before it, the crystalline paving beneath him beginning to glow. Jade followed his lead, as did everypony gathered together. As the glow from the ground continued to spread throughout the city, Sombra and Sunbeam shared a happy glance before they too bowed. Like his mother taught him years ago, Sombra charged his magic while envisioning the happiest, love-filled thoughts and memories. Times he messed around with Quartz as a colt, the gifts and care he received from Mirror Shine and his adoptive aunt and uncle, and his mother’s love flowed out from his heart, and the soft glow from behind his eyelids and the slight tug on his magic told Sombra he was successful in joining in.

As the glow grew brighter and brighter, it suddenly vanished as all the energy was drawn into the Crystal Heart. The sacred gem increased its rotational speed, spinning faster and faster until all the collected energy was released in a burst of blinding light. The pulse quickly expanded past the gathered citizens, and as it passed over Sombra he felt his coat become tingly and strange.

Standing straight and opening his eyes, a smile quickly formed when, for this one moment each year, his dull grey coat shimmered just as brightly as everypony else. Looking around, he saw he had risen a fraction earlier than the others. His mother was still bowed, savouring the moment and feeling of a shining coat as well, and Cobalt and Jade were beginning to rise. But casting his gaze across the crowd, Sombra’s face froze and his blood ran cold at the sight.

Scattered throughout the crowd, even amongst the Royal Guard, were dark, pony-like creatures with insectoid wings and jagged horns. For a moment they, along with everypony present, were stunned by the sudden appearance. Then the one Sombra first noticed charged its horn, green magic surrounding and extending past it, and swung to its right, carving a large gash into the pony next to it.

The moment the stallion dropped dead on the ground, chaos erupted.

Suddenly, all the creatures began slaughtering everypony in sight, be they civilian or Royal Guard. Some took to the skies on buzzing wings and blasted ponies from above, while others used their magic to lay waste to the former celebration. As the Royal Guard hastily tried to combat this threat, the crystal ponies were running in a blind panic, their once shining coats now a duller hue of their former selves. A buzzing noise grew louder as Sombra turned to see one of them closing in from above, its horn aimed directly at Sunbeam.

“Mum, get down!” Sombra shouted, leaping over her to tackle the creature out of the sky. Getting to his hooves quickly, Sombra looked up to receive a hoof full of holes to the cheek, knocking him down again. The creature leapt on top of him, horn charging up the killing stroke. Sombra braced for the end as he heard his mother scream, her voice growing closer.

But a cry of pain roared out instead of his end, and after feeling wet droplets fly onto his face, Sombra looked up to see a light blue crystal blade embedded in the beasts back. A blue aura grabbed the handle as the sword lifted the creature into the air, only to have three more swords manifest from the palace walls itself and skewer it in the head and torso.

“Sombra, are you alright?!” Sunbeam cried out as she skidded to a stop beside her son. Sombra’s response was to tightly embrace her, his breathing shaky.

W-Why, Sombra thought as he witnessed the chaotic scene before him. He didn’t have much time to ponder this though, as three more beasts charged at him. “Mum, get back!” Flinging his mother out of the way, Sombra channelled his energy and struck the ground, summoning a wall of ruby for the insects to run into. Two connected hard with the wall while the third took flight, only to be caught by the blue magical hue and thrust to the ground, its head impaled on a newly summoned spike of crystal.

Sombra looked behind him to see Cobalt staring their way, a mask of unbridled fury adorning his usually calm face. Around him, the Royal Guard were starting to gain ground in the fight against the bugs, Sombra noticing Captain Fracture escorting Jade into the palace, swiftly ending any enemy that dared approach.

“ROYAL GUARD!” Cobalt roared, his voiced magically amplified to a level Sombra didn’t know the King could reach. “PROTECT OUR CITIZENS! LET THIS FILTH KNOW OUR WRATH!” With that, the King rocketed forward, four crystal blades instantly summoned and magically held near his outstretched wings as he proceeded to carve up enemies in a vicious, unforgiving chain of attacks. By the time he stopped, twelve insects dropped dead on the ground. Emboldened by their King, the Royal Guard followed suit, bringing the fight to the intruders.

“Mum, are you alright?” Sombra asked, dragging his gaze away from the bloody conflict to his mother. Sombra recoiled a little. He had never seen Sunbeam this terrified. She sat there, shaking with her forelegs wrapped around her shoulders. Quickly glancing around for any nearby creatures, he instead found Opal Orchard hiding beside one of the inner district mansions. A plan forming, Sombra swiftly lifted Sunbeam onto his back and galloped towards the closest door of the palace.

“Get her inside and keep her safe!” Sombra barked at the guard protecting the entrance before bolting the mansion, dodging green beams of magic and scuffles between creature and guardspony. “Opal! Opal!”

The cowering mare heard his cries, her eyes widening at the sight of him. “S-Sombra?” She asked, the tone of her voice bordering on hysterical. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” Sombra sharply rapidly. “Where’s Quartz? What happened to him?” Opal’s quizzical gaze did nothing but increase Sombra’s worried heartrate. “He said you asked him out yesterday, and he went off to meet you.”

Opal slowly shook her head. “I haven’t seen him today. I haven’t even talked to him in months.”

Those words ramming shards of icy fear into Sombra’s heart, he turned and ran, disregarding Opal’s cries for an explanation as he frantically looked for his friend. He poured energy into his horn, spreading his magic as far as possible to try and find his friend’s distinctive presence. All around him the battle raged on; insect magic squaring off against crystalmancy. Above him, five of the beasts tried to bring down Cobalt Blade, hoping sheer numbers and ferocity would be enough. But Cobalt deftly dodged each attempt, slicing off wings and limbs in a flurry of crystalline blades.

Finally, after dodging a brawl, Sombra finally felt Quartz’s presence down one of the side streets. Racing down the road, Sombra turned into an alley in the middle of the road to find his friend, though he wasn’t alone. Quartz sat there, his eyes faded green as if in a dream, as one of the creatures had its mouth on his throat, its body radiating a growing wellspring of magic.

“Get away from him!” Sombra yelled, summoning a chunk of ruby before hurling it at the bug. It backed away from Quartz, fangs on display, before charging at the unicorn. Sombra stood firm before teleporting next to Quartz, shaking his friend. “Quartz, can you hear me? Quartz!”

Before Sombra could get an answer, something struck him hard in the cheek and sent him crashing into the alley wall. His head swimming, he looked back up to see the insect charge up its horn before firing a green bolt of lightning. Pain seared throughout every vein as the bolt struck true, leaving Sombra writhing on the ground in pain.

Struggling to open his eyes, Sombra saw the creature turn to the prone Quartz Guard, summoning the same magic blade he saw earlier around its horn and arching its neck back. In that instant, Sombra knew what was about to happen.

He was about to witness Quartz’s execution.

A strange, unknown feeling instantly sparked to life within Sombra; something primal, something sinister. This feeling gave him strength enough to block out the pain and stagger to his hooves.

The bug was about to swing, but stopped and stare in what the unicorn thought was shock. Sombra took a strong, wide stance as the beast charged at him, blade ready to decapitate. Sombra charged his horn with as much magic as possible, the sensation almost feeling like it burnt his horn doing so. Just as it was about to strike, Sombra released the built-up magic with an animalistic roar of rage.

Sombra’s vision went black with flashes of purple for a moment as the noise of his magic unleashed deafened him to everything else. Once it was over, Sombra immediately brought a hoof to his head, his aching horn and a sudden migraine nearly sweeping him off his hooves. Shaking the strange exhaustion away, Sombra looked up to try and find the creep that dared hurt his friend.

What he found threatened to bring everything he had eaten that day back at once.

A ditch had been roughly carved into the ground by Sombra’s magical blast, as well as a large crater in the wall of the building in-front of him. But then Sombra noticed the green stains running along the ditch’s edge, as well as various organs, or what was left of them, and bone shards that led to what remained of the bug. Sombra didn’t get too good a look at the corpse, but he was fairly certain it was missing its head and at least one leg.

“Mm, Huh? Wh-Where am I?” A familiar voice murmured. “Sombra? What… Tartarus… Sombra, what happened here?” Sombra didn’t answer, still focused solely on the dismembered corpse he had literally just blown to smithereens.

His mind scrambling for answers while fighting off the nausea from the blast, Sombra hyperventilated before finally losing his lunch.