//------------------------------// // Waking only to nightmares... // Story: Umbrum ad Infinitum // by Pixel_Spark //------------------------------// Scorpan had always mourned the loss of his beloved brother. He'd only been young when his older brother Tirek had started messing with magic. He'd idolized Tirek, and longed to be as brave and tough as he. But their parents had disapproved of Tirek's attitude, as he was forever defying their wishes and associating with an elder named Sendak. Thanks to that same elder, Tirek had become obsessed with Equestrian magic. It'd all started when Sendak had brought back a captured unicorn, and Tirek had gotten his first taste of power. It never left... While not technically DEAD, Tirek was once more imprisoned in Tartarus, the worst prison Equestria had to offer. Scorpan had heard of his brothers escape, and had hoped he'd come home, or to his senses at least. Sadly it wasn't to be, as Tirek was caught by that new Princess, defeated once more, then thrown back into Tartarus' hold. How dare that bratty Alicorn do this to his family? Those Princesses would PAY. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After having his hopes of a happy family dashed once more, Scorpan began delving into some way, ANY way to redeem his brother. When that failed, he became obsessed with getting enough power to break his brother out. One way or another he'd have his family back. He'd be happy... One thing he gave blessings for was his species longevity. They held much longer age spans than those troublesome Equestrian ponies. Thus, as they aged and faded, Scorpan would grow little by little, eventually reaching his adult years. But he didnt want to wait, and sought ways to speed things up. At least his brother would not die of old age in that hellish prison. He kept his obsession with restoring his brother a secret from his family during this time, playing the part of a good son. His mother hadn't been the same since Tireks loss, and his father threw himself into his work, and tended not to notice his sons coming and going. Scorpan spent every moment he had spare poring over ancient tomes dredged up from all around the world. Somewhere there existed a solution, he was certain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two years passed since his brothers recapture... One centaur Wiseman he cornered and threatened reluctantly admitted if he had DARK magic he may have a shot at it. It was an attempt at diverting Scorpan, the guy was clearly becoming unhinged, but there WAS a modicum of truth to it. Dark magic was unstable and notoriously hard to master, yet it was undeniably powerful. Scorpan yelled at him until the terrified elder told him there was a pony that had been said to be a master of dark magic. The former King of the North, Sombra. “Sombra? Isn't he dead?" Scorpan narrowed his bloodshot eyes. "W-well yes...but there's a rumour part of his horn survived the explosion from the crystal heart. I-if you find it, you might be able to resurrect him, b-but its a risky operation-" “Then you'd better tell me what I need, hadn't you?" Scorpan twitched. Exposing himself to numerous corrupt magic sources was slowly eating away at his sanity. He was barely sleeping, his thoughts consumed by getting his once loving family back. Not long before this encounter, his parents had disowned him, after his studies nearly killed one of the staff. The reality of what their son had become at last coming to light. They realised he was becoming unhinged, and gave him an ultimatum, stop this madness or be excised from the family. Scorpan had left and never gone back. He was doing this for himself now, his brother was all he needed. They'd have each other... Under threat of being tortured, the elder gave what little information he knew to Scorpan, but warned him controlling a beast like Sombra would be difficult. After all, it'd taken numerous attempts to destroy him THIS many times. “T-there's a legend about him. I found an ancient text saying he's not a normal pony. A surviving document of the King's mentioned one word: “Umbrum”-” “And what...” Scorpan tightened his grip around the elders neck “is an Umbrum?” “Please...I’ll give you what little I have, j-just let me go..” the older centaur was afraid of Scorpan. There was something deeply wrong with this creature, but he wasn’t brave or strong enough to oppose him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gradually, after much threatening and studying, Scorpan found a little-known prophecy regarding the Umbrum. It came from a copy made of an ancient document. It speculated that one would rise as the ruler of the Umbrum race, and this one would bear the ultimate ability of the species. But all sources seemed to indicate the Umbrum had been missing for a long long time, the reason behind their disappearance unknown. No sightings, none ever found. A note scrawled at the bottom of the copy read: “War with crystal ponies? Possible, but far-fetched. Perhaps they ran into something that drove them out?” That meant, if Sombra WAS indeed the last one, the duty of the prophecy would fall to him by that logic. Day after day of researching left Scorpan in no doubt that Sombra was the last of his kind. Had the Umbrum existed, somebody would have documented something. Not even those meddling Equestrians knew anything about the missing species. They'd become an urban legend now… ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scorpan had his goal. He didn’t care what he had to do to that pony, he'd have his magic one way or another. First task was to siphon off enough of the dangerous magic to fill several amulets. These would be needed to make HIM the stronger foe. After all, once Sombra served his purpose, Scorpan had no intentions of leaving him alive. Dark magic would fuel this plan, and when it was done, he'd allow Sombra's magic to rebuild, then unleash him on the Princesses in the prophecy’s “ultimate form”. What that was, he didnt know, but it didnt matter, it would be his to control. But first, he needed the pony subservient to him. What he understood of Sombra left him in no doubts the former King would not bow to another. In a way, Scorpan had to begrudgingly respect him. He was a monster too. So he came up with a simple plan: if he could render Sombra's will broken and useless, the pony would be incapable of fighting back. He would become an empty shell, a magical battery. To break his mind, Scorpan theorized, he would start by breaking his body. Pain could be a powerful mind killer, a tool he could use to instil fear and teach Sombra a swift lesson; he didn’t mess with Scorpan. He began to laugh at the mental image of crippling the pony's mind so much he'd willingly BOW to Scorpan. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The plan all laid out, Scorpan blazed a trail across the lands, until he came to the outskirts of the Crystal Empire. After days of searching he at last found a shattered, dulled artefact almost lost down a crevasse. Sombra's horn. Dormant and powerless. For now. Even as he held it in his hands, he seen it glow just faintly. He stole away from the Empire, grinning. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Days passed, as he used every available amulet and power source he'd collected to build up his supply of power for the ritual. Working alone was tough, but he knew his own kind would not help him. Unless sufficiently fearful, there was a chance thay would run to his former parents for protection, unravelling all his plans. The last action said parents had taken, was to issue an alert stating he was dangerous, and not to approach him. He was on his own. But he was able to disguise himself and bribe some citizens to bring him what he sought, yet none were let into his inner sanctum. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He'd travelled far and set up shop in an old mountain range. There was a complex network of caves there that served him perfectly. Few came out here, the land was barren for the most part, only a few species of birds migrated here, and they were hardly a threat. It was the last place anyone would think to live... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, after so long, the ritual was ready to begin. He set the amulets he'd filled with power, drained by any means necessary from his own people and some unicorns, in a circle according to the books instructions. On the floor, ancient arcane letters formed the base of the ritual to return Sombra's mind and body together. The power was flowing into the broken horn now, taking on a dark purple hue. It crackled and sparked, and there was a blinding flash of green light. The ground shook, and he fought to keep his balance. As it faded he heard hoof steps, and a low growl. Opening his eyes quickly, he seen a shape in the light. As it dulled, he grinned. Stood in front of him, sluggishly taking in his surroundings was the former King. An impressive looking pony, he was powerfully built, with an ebony black flowing mane, crimson eyes and smoky grey fur. He wore silver armour and a crown, giving him a faintly military air. But he was rapidly regaining his senses, and Scorpan couldn’t have him escape- "Who are YOU?" The pony had noticed him now and was striding towards him, fury in his eyes. "Who dares- urk!" for an invisible hand had snapped around his throat, hoisting him off the ground. Scorpan strode over until he was eye to eye with the thrashing stallion. His own hand replaced the magical spell holding Sombra off the floor by his neck. "I, am your MASTER now, little pony. You will give me the secrets to your magic!" "Unhand me you fool!" Sombra surprised Scorpan by managing to sink his sharp fangs into the others hand. Scorpan threw him back into the wall with enough force to stun him. His crown clattered to the ground, the silver gleaming in the flickering light of the torches. As Sombra fought to get up, the nerves in his lower back numbed from impact, Scorpan advanced on him. He seen the ponys ears fold back, heard a growl building in his throat. Good, he'd realised he was trapped, nowhere to run now... "I have learnt many a way to inflict pain, little pony. Unless you want to be introduced to them, I suggest you shut up and do as your told-!" With a furious roar Sombra stumbled up. Scorpan had to give him credit for being a stubborn little fool, but he had no time for games. He needed this pony broken, and fast. All his secrets laid bare. The pony lunged for him and he grinned. He snapped his fingers, and chains slammed around Sombra's legs, neck and muzzle. This cut his momentum to a dead stop, and the unicorn was dragged painfully down to the cold stone floor. "Not one word from you-" Scorpan was delirious, grinning manically "I want that magic and I want it NOW. With or without your consent!" Sombra had been awake less than a few minutes, and his pride refused to allow him to accept he'd been outmatched. This was deliberate, this mad THING wanted him specifically. But beneath his ego and his growing unease, he knew he couldn't let this cretin have control of his magic. "I found out a lot about you..." Scorpan cackled "you're an Umbrum, a shadow pony, correct?" Sombra glared. Yet inside he went cold. That word, how could someone other than HIM know it? It was from his memory... "I'll take that as a yes, after all, I know I’m right. I know a lot about them now, about what they can do, and what they ARE. Your power is unique, and you're the only one left! The duty has fallen to you, hm?" He seen a glimpse of fear in Sombra's eyes, and smirked, knowing he'd triggered his memory. Strange, he didnt seem as certain as Scorpan had expected, could he have lost the memory during his ressurection? No matter, he didnt care. "You don’t even fully know what you're capable of, do you-? Well, no matter, I will show you in time. For now, i just need your magic to power my plans. You can either give it freely, or i can drag it from you." Sombra glared at him, snarling softly. "That a no? Too bad..." Scorpan advanced on the stallion "on to plan B..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scorpan at last took a step back, eyeing the beaten and bruised pony sprawled limply across the floor. Blood trickled from cuts in the ponys once immaculate coat. He flexed his claws, crimson smeared across them. --Not as easy as I'd have hoped. He's taken a beating, yet he refuses to beg. Almost impressive...-- Sombra tried to get up, but Scorpan slammed a hoof down on Sombra's right hind leg. The stallion was driven to the floor again. Scorpan laughed as Sombra tried to pull free, and an idea occured to him... More pressure was applied until there was a sickening snap of bone fracturing, and Sombra screamed in pain. Scorpan had removed the chains from his muzzle, giving him the opportunity to speak the words the crazed being longed to hear. That he would give up his magic voluntarily. He stepped back, watching as Sombra slumped fully to the cold stone floor. The pony shivered and retched, panicked convulsions hitting him hard... Scorpan loomed over him now, smirking "Well well, impressive. Your ego comes before your life. I have other things to do, so for tonight you'll be sleeping here. Tomorrow, I’ll ask you again." With those parting words he vanished into the shadows, leaving Sombra to eventually black out, chained and captive. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day after day, Scorpan sought out ways to tap Sombra's power. His abilities weren't on the same par as his brother, he couldn't master magical artefacts so easily. But what he could do, he made use of. At last he hit on a way to drain large amounts of Sombra's magic all at once. The process was painful and eventually Sombra's screams of pain tailed off, his voice fading to barely a whisper. Even with this sadistic extraction of his magic, Sombra he swore up and down he wouldn't give Scorpan what he wanted. "Seems a shame, after all, don't you WANT to see those Princesses made to suffer?" Scorpan hissed. "You...don’t know...what you’re messing with..." Sombra laughed "twice I FAILED to take what was mine, what makes you think you can succeed where I and your insane brother failed?" Scorpan punched him hard across the jaw, slamming him to the ground again. "Watch your mouth you filthy cur!" he spat "I wont make the mistakes your or my brother did..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once more Sombra was left alone in the dank, dark cave. Only a wall mounted torch lit the room. Scorpan had moved him to a different room, but he was still trapped. Chained like a dog, magical wards branded him, ones that burned and scarred if he tried to push past the limits of his chains. He had no idea how much time had passed. There was no sense of time passing, no windows to see the sun rise and fall. But he knew he would fade soon, he had no strength left. That lunatic wanted to destroy the Princesses? More fool him. Something felt different in him. Night after night Sombra seen that blue light, felt its love and warmth sear him from history. He woke up shivering, but also with a longing for that warmth. It would be bliss compared to this pain. The leg that'd been broken the first day hurt constantly, with no bandage to support it. Each new round of his captors interrogations, the sadistic Gargoyle forced the bone, preventing it from healing. --Pathetic...why doesn’t he just kill me..?-- Sombra pondered. But he knew deep down that his status as an Umbrum pony made him valuable. This mad Gargoyle knew too much about his ponies, including THAT… But his mind was starting to fray, each day he felt less of an entity, like he was losing his mind... A faint chirruping broke his musings, and he raised his head. A bird? He had to be in one of the rooms near the outer wall of the place. A small, green bird fluttered out of a crevasse in the wall, its chirping echoing off the vaulted walls of Sombra's prison. At last it spotted Sombra and came down to land on the cold stone floor a few feet away. A stale hunk of bread rested by Sombra's right hoof. He batted at it, dislodging a small chunk. He rolled it towards the bird and it hopped forward, pecking eagerly at the bread. Sombra rested his head back on his hoofs. Even that simple action seemed to drain what little he had... "I wish you could understand me.." he whispered "oh, the tale I could tell..." It cocked its head, bright eyes fixed on him. "The Princesses have a madman headed their way. Celestia's precious little students should know Tirek wasn’t the only mad one in THAT family. That big lug had a brother..." he broke off, coughing painfully. "I must be losing my mind, I’m talking to a BIRD. But right now I would rather bring him down and face extinction again. Death by Celestia's hooves would be better than helping this fool succeed. Maybe..maybe I’ll get lucky, and if they find him they'll free me from this nightmare..." He laughed, but it was a broken, miserable sound. "What good does telling you this do me? You can't...talk…" he was growing hoarse again. It hurt to talk. All the screams of agony had left his throat red raw, making him cough up blood occasionally. The bird chirped, taking the hunk of bread in its beak and actually hopping closer to kindly rub its cheek against the pony's muzzle. "Ah-!" Sombra flinched at the contact, then managed a weak smile "kindness? Sympathy for a monster....well, thank you..." his voice trailed off, and he coughed painfully, the sound agonising. "How strange that you should flutter by, a nomad of the clear blue sky..." it was a line from a poem, one he'd learnt as a child. The bird stepped back, bobbed its head, then took off, finding the crevasse that led back to the outside world. Alone once more, Sombra closed his eyes, slipping into blissful sleep, away from his pain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But the bird was more than a passing guest. It was a highly intelligent species. One that was capable of more than rudimentary intelligence. Flutter...flutter by... These words reminded it of a kindness shown from another pony. It turned mid air and began to fly in a new direction.