500 years before Princess Luna's return
The hooded figure was walking on the dirt road, snow starting to fall, his whole figure covered by a worn out cloak. Every step was a pain, a pain the unicorn was totally used to: no place could accept him, no other pony could share a bond with him, and so he had to travel, covering his own identity to make sure no one could recognize him.
A town was in sight, and he was glad: he could stay more or less a week, eat some warm food and maybe even make some bits with small work. His red eyes saw something strange though: smoke was rising to the sky; there was trouble.
The red-eyed unicorn rushed to the city, seeing the local militia, armed with only crude spears, battered shields and no armor at all, fighting against a much larger and much better armed force. A changeling shock-trooper squadron. A powerful voice stopped the fight for a little while, and a bigger changeling, in full black chitin armor, with a double hand halberd, made his way and stood proud in the main road.
"My name is Karagh, high commander of the third shock-trooper squadron, serving under the great Queen
Chrysalis the Third of the Changeling Kingdom. I demand to speak with your mayor."
While the red-eyed unicorn continued to walk slowly, a middle-aged earth pony, the only one wearing a little armor, showed himself: he was smaller than the changeling commander.
"I am this town mayor and the militia captain, my name is Stone Root. May I ask the reason for this attack?"
"It's simple: our great Queen demands to conquer this city and enslave its inhabitants to supply our people. You can choose to join voluntarily, or you will be captured without mercy."
The hooded unicorn stopped at those words, and listened to the answer:
"I'm afraid we can't accept your conditions: I administrate this town on behalf of the princesses, and this territory is under the great Equestria Kingdom. We will fight to the end."
The armored changeling snorted out what seemed to be a laugh and said:
"What a proud little pony. It doesn't matter, anyway: we will slaughter you pathetic militia and will enslave everyone else."
He lifted his halberd, but he couldn't connect the blow: his hand was cut off and fell to the ground. Green blood was starting to flood while the changeling commander started to howl in pain.
"WHO… WHO DID THIS?!"
"I did."
The hooded unicorn decided finally to reveal himself, and took of his cloak: black and red clothes inside a light metal armor that bore the symbol of the once known Dark Tyrant of the Crystal Empire, King Sombra. The mayor looked at the stranger, a red-eyed, dark blue coated unicorn with a black and lilac spiky mane, with a little braid on the left. The changeling continued to howl:
"WHO ARE YOU?"
"Just a stranger in a strange land. But even I couldn't let your action pass."
Karagh started to charge him: that unicorn was a little taller than the mayor, but was still way smaller than that giant changeling. That unicorn wasn't surprised and reacted running against him; Karagh smiled.
'What a fool.'
The unicorn jumped above him, leaving him surprised, and with a swift movement took out his weapon, a bladed whip. Charging the blow in the air, he turned, landing the attack on the changeling neck, grasping it like a noose, only to pull the grip of his weapon, literally beheading the commander. All in just a couple of seconds.
"Anyone else want to share his fate?"
Not a single changeling answered his question: they knew that Karagh was one of the strongest changeling warriors, and it was defeated with almost no effort. They looked at the unicorn, which was totally expressionless, like he did nothing out of ordinary. They started to run away like a cowardly mob. The unicorn turned to the mayor and said:
"You should be safe now, I don't think they'll be back soon. Just report that you saw changelings here and you should receive more money and better weapons."
"You bear the mark of Sombra, but he was defeated almost five hundred years ago. Who are you, and why did you help us?"
The unicorn smiled: "I'm just a nameless unicorn."
"I doubt it… Look. I can't possibly repay you for what you've done today for our town. Just tell me what I can do."
The unicorn put his right hand on the shoulder of Stone Root.
"Well… can you tell me if you have an inn? These bones of mine are a little tired: of course, I'll pay."
After a little chat with the mayor, the unicorn was in a comfortable room, taking off his armor and clothes to start washing in a hot tub. The hot water started to affect his state of mind, leading him in a numb state: after some minutes, he started to sleep.
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1000 years before Princess Luna's return – Fall of King Sombra
"Agh!"
"Surrender, Sombra!"
"N-Never!"
King Sombra was fighting fiercely against Princess Luna, exchanging blows with both weapons and magic: she was stronger, but he had dark magic on his side and could turn into shadows to dodge her enemy's mighty strikes. Both fighters were extremely tired, but Sombra was starting to get the upper hand: Celestia wasn't there, and the younger sister was fighting all alone. Turning into a shadow, he said:
"What's wrong? Can't handle me alone, after all? Where is your precious sister, Luna?"
"She'll be here, and when that will happen, you'll be destroyed, and your tyranny will end!"
"What a stupid dream! There is no hope now, she left you all alone!"
The words of Sombra struck hard into Luna's heart: it was true, Celestia wasn't there and she couldn't know when her sister could appear.
"You know, right? You can't tell where she is. You aren't loved like her. You aren't revered like her. People barely thank you for your work..."
Sombra reappeared behind her, without a sound, with a sword in his hand. Luna was on her knees, trying to catch her breath.
"Then why are you still here? DIE!"
The strike never landed: a bladed whip caught the sword. King Sombra looked at the owner of that weapon: a unicorn he knew too well.
"I thought you were doing well in my guard, but you just had to join the rebels and the army of the invaders, right? You traitor."
"I am no traitor, Sombra. I've seen how you treat your people: I just never had the occasion to fight you, and to free them."
"Shrouded Petal… I knew I couldn't trust you. However, what can you do, alone? You know I'm too powerful for you."
The red-eyed unicorn smiled: "Yeah… For me. Not for her."
A powerful light exploded in the room, almost blinding everyone present. Princess Celestia stood now in the center of Sombra's throne room, fully armored and with a sparkling light blue sword in hand; fear started to possess the dark tyrant's heart, as he knew what kind of weapon was that.
"Why do you have that sword?"
The answer didn't come from the Sun Princess, but from Shrouded Petal.
"I told her."
"TRAITOR!"
"ENOUGH!" Princess Celestia shouted, silencing everyone in the room. "KING SOMBRA, THINE TYRANNICAL RULE HAS COME TO AN END. THOU MUST FACE THINE JUDGEMENT: PREPARE THYSELF!"
Celestia attacked with unspeakable fury, swinging the crystal blade; Sombra was being crushed by her fast and powerful attacks, so he decided to retire, merging in the shadows, but Celestia was well prepared for that and with a mighty strike, she stabbed the shadows with her weapon. Sombra screamed in pain, almost
dead by the radiant energy of that pure crystal sword.
"You may have killed me… but you will never have my Empire!" Channeling the dark arts with what was left of his life, he cursed both his land and that unicorn. "For a thousand years this Empire will never exist, stopped in time and space, and in a thousand years I'll return, to reclaim the land mine to command! And you, damned traitor, may you never have joy, happiness or love in your life, I curse you to wander this land and to face me when I return! Remember, when I will be back, our fight will be your last act. You will die like the dog you are!"
Sombra vanished, while Celestia took Luna and escaped, flying away to their kingdom.
"So, you'll be back, Sombra? I'll wait for you."
Shrouded Petal walked away, laughing and crying at the same time. "A thousand years… You condemned me to a life of solitude..."
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500 years before Princess Luna's return
Shrouded Petal woke up: he was still in the tub, so he decided to get up.
"That memory again…"
After dressing, he took his hooded robe and put it on himself; he exited his room and went downstairs: he then asked the innkeeper for a beer and some food, paying for both room and board. Shrouded sat on a table near the kitchen door, and in a couple of minutes he had a plate filled with beets and some smoked pork, with a pint of ale near it. The unicorn took his time finishing his meal, thinking of where he could head next.
Stone Root entered the inn with a strange impetuosity, searching for the unicorn, and after he spotted him, he sat near him.
"So, our dear savior… do you mind telling me your name now?"
Shrouded snorted, replying: "Shrouded Petal."
"Ok, Mr. Petal, now could you tell me where did you get that armor and that weapon?"
Shrouded started to tell his story to the mayor: the fall of Sombra, the curse, and his wandering since then.
He didn't notice at first, but when he finished, the mayor wasn't the only one who had listened to his story: many citizens, at first just hungry and at the inn to dine, stopped only to listen to the endless wandering of the unicorn.
"You saved us today, so I want to repay your kindness. I have a friend in Canterlot, he works in the Royal Library. Go to him, tell him I sent you and ask for the dark magic section. Maybe you'll find something."
"I have many places to go, many things to see… I'm not searching for a cure right now. I'll just wait."
Stone Root was taken by surprise: "Are you saying you'll wait Sombra's return? Are you crazy?"
"Not by a chance. I just never back down from a fight."
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Present Day (after Nightmare Moon defeat but before Discord re-awakening)
"And so, this is Canterlot now…"
Shrouded stood near the giant gate, with his cloak and his hood. Merging with all the people entering, he managed to get in without anyone clearly seeing him.
"A thousand years, Sombra… Where are you? Where is the Crystal Empire?"
Wandering in search of the Royal Library, he finally found it after two or three hours, and unhooding himself, he entered. Walking with no clue of where the dark magic section could be, Shrouded was stopped by an old-looking female unicorn.
"Need help, young man? Seems like you have never been in a library before."
'Young man?' Shrouded almost laughed. 'I'm way older than you.'
"Excuse me for taking your time, ma'am. I was searching for the dark magic section."
The librarian looked at him with a shocked expression, but after regaining her composure, she asked:
"You have the authorization of the two sisters, right?"
"Er… no?"
"Then you can't. Try getting it, if you want, but I doubt our two princesses will give it to a unicorn who's never been in a library before."
Thanking the woman and exiting the Royal Library, Shrouded went straight to the castle, which was easy to spot and to reach.
'I made you a favor a thousand years ago, Celestia. I need to have it back now.'