North Star sat in front of the mirror in his room. His hooves gripped the magic suppression ring around his horn as he tried with all his might to pull it off. “What did mom and dad do, super glue this thing on?” North Star thought to himself.
“North Star, breakfast is ready!” Cadence called out.
“I’m coming!” North Star called back. He took one final look in the mirror and sighed. “Will my parents ever trust me with magic?” North Star made his way to the dining room and took a seat at the table. Flurry Heart was sitting in her high chair, making a mess with her food. Shining read the morning newspaper. Cadence came over and gave North Star a plate of pancakes and hay bacon.
Cadence took her seat at the table. “Guess what North Star, your aunt Twilight is coming over today for a visit.”
North Star swallowed his mouthful of pancakes and smiled. “That’s great! Is she coming to remove this ring from my horn?”
Shining put down his newspaper and spoke up. “Actually she-” Before he could finish, Cadence used her magic to close his mouth.
“Of course she is!” Cadence said.
North Star could not be more excited. After breakfast, Shining had a private meeting with Cadence in their bedroom.
“What was that all about? Twilight is coming here to check up on Flurry Heart.”
Cadence lowered her head. “I know. It’s just that I don’t think keeping that ring on North Star is being fair. I want Twilight to remove it so that he can feel normal again.”
“But putting the ring on his horn was your idea in the first place.”
“I know, and I was wrong. I’ve seen how miserable he is with that ring. He shouldn’t be punished forever just because he made one mistake. He is still our son, and he deserves to live a normal, happy life.”
Shining let out a sigh. “You’re right. Besides, one of our kids already nearly destroyed the Crystal Empire, what’s the worst that could happen?”
Later that day, as Shining was getting everything ready for Twilight’s visit, he was approached by North Star. “Dad, how do you know when you’re in love?”
Shining was taken completely by surprise by the question. “Why do you ask Bud?”
North Star dug his hoof into the carpet. “Well the other day when I was out, I stopped over at Summer’s house to have a talk with her. As we were talking, she kissed me on the cheek.”
Shining could not help but smile. “So, you had your first kiss Huh?”
“ But does this mean that I’m in love?”
“Well, how did the kiss make you feel?”
North Star rubbed the back of his head. “It made me feel pretty good.”
“Have you kissed Summer back?”
“No, not yet. Should I?”
Shining placed a hoof around North Star. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Just take your time. Tell me, do feel the same way about Summer as she does about you?”
North Star shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not really sure.”
“Trust me bud, when the time is right, you’ll know. I remember the day I first saw your mother. It was like time was standing still.”
“Did she feel the same way about you?”
“Well, no. That took a little song and dance on my part to win her heart.”
North Star was confused. “So, Summer is going to sing and dance for me?”
Shining could not help but laugh. “No, but she she has already shown that she has feelings for you. Whether or not you like her back, just be sure to show Summer respect.”
“I will dad. Thanks for the advice.” North Star then went on his way.
“They grow up so fast.” Shining thought to himself.
When Twilight arrived, she was greeted by Cadence and the two of them did their special greeting. “So, how’s Flurry Heart been doing?” Twilight asked.
“Actually, I want to talk to you about North Star first.” Cadence said.
“Oh, and why is that?”
“I want you to remove the ring around his horn. I thought it would be a good idea, but all it’s doing is making him miserable. I can’t stand to see him like this.”
Twilight scratched her chin and thought for a moment. “Well, I can try. The ring was designed to suppress dark magic. But since North Star hasn’t had any episodes like last time, then I’m sure I can remove the ring.”
Cadence was beaming with joy. “That’s great! I’ll go get North Star and Shining.”
The whole family had gathered in the throne room. North Star could barely contain his excitement. “Finally, I can go back to being a normal colt!” He thought to himself.
Twilight’s horn lit up with magic as she prepared to remove the ring. Her magic encased the ring, but it would not move. Twilight tried harder, but the ring remained around North Star’s horn.
“Twilight, why isn’t the ring being removed?” Shining asked.
“I don’t know.” Twilight replied with a worried look. “I should be able to easily the ring, unless…”
“Unless what?” Cadence asked.
“The ring was designed to suppress dark magic. If I can’t remove it, then that means that North Star still has dark magic within him.”
North Star could not believe what he was hearing. “Are you saying that I’m evil?”
“No sweetie, nopony is saying that.” Cadence said to North Star reassuringly.
North Star quickly became frustrated. “Then why won’t this ring come off?!”
Flurry Heart, who was sitting on Cadence’s back, began to whimper. North Star stared right at her. “Oh shut up you stupid little brat!”
“North Star! Don’t shout at your sister!” Shining said with a stern voice.
North Star then completely lost it. “She is not my sister! In fact, I’m not even your son! You said so yourselves in front of my entire school! I AM SICK OF THIS ENTIRE FAMILY!” North Star then took off running at high speed, tears streaming down his face.
Shining ran after North Star. But in the blink of the eye, he suddenly disappeared.
North Star came to a stop. He found himself surrounded by darkness. “Where am I?” North Star said out loud.
“You are home.” Two eyes glowing with green flame appeared in front of North Star.
North Star recognized the voice. “You’re the one from my dreams.”
“That I am.”
“Who are you? Why do you keep following me?”
“I suppose it’s time that you knew the truth. I am your father. My name is King Sombra.”
North Star was in shock. “You’re my father?”
“That is correct.”
North Star was silent for a moment. “Then...who was my mom?”
“Your mother was a pony who never earned her cutie mark. She wandered all over Equestria, trying to find her purpose but to no avail. That is, until she came to frozen north. I found her lost in a blizzard, and offered her a chance to have the greatest purpose of all: to be a mother. She gladly accepted, and I impregnated her with you. And I must say, you grew fast. But the blizzard had already taken it’s toll, and she became sick with pneumonia. She only had enough strength to make to the gates of the Crystal Empire and give birth to you before passing on.”
North Star was saddened to learn that his real mother was dead. But he still had questions for his father. “Where have you been my entire life?”
“I have been waiting for you to grow. I must say, you have done me proud. Shoving that bully when he took Summer’s ball as a foal, zapping him with your magic when he insulted you and questioned your royalty, and slapping that spoiled brat Flurry Heart when she tore apart your plushie.”
“But those were all times where I was bad.”
“Are they? You were defending yourself and punishing an ungrateful foal. Besides, didn’t you feel better afterwards?”
Those words made North Star think for a moment. He did feel better when he lashed at others that had wronged. It was only later that Shining and Cadence told him that what he had done was bad.
“Come with me, North Star. It is time for you to rightly take your place on the throne.”
“But, what about mom and dad?”
“They are not your real parents. They only took you in because they wanted a foal of their own, and you filled that void. But now that they have Flurry Heart they no longer have any need for you.”
“That’s not true! They love me!”
“Do they? Flurry Heart got a crystaling, but you did not. You got into a schoolyard scuffle and are punished, but Flurry Heart nearly destroyed the Crystal Empire and nopony even raised so much as a hoof. Flurry Heart broke your favorite toy, but you are the one who had to apologize to her. Face it, Flurry Heart is they’re true child. You’re just somepony they took pity on.”
North Star lowered his head and began to cry. King Sombra was right. Flurry Heart was the true child of Shining and Cadence. They saw him as nothing more than an inconvenience. Then another thought came to North Star.
“What about Summer?”
“What about her?”
“Well, she likes me. I mean LIKE likes me, and I feel the same way.”
King Sombra narrowed his eyes. “Let me tell you about love. There was once a special somepony in my life. I loved her more than anything in the world. I thought that we would always be together. When I began my studies to strengthen my magic, I thought that she would stay by my side and be my queen. We would rule the Crystal Empire together! But when she saw my new power, she just ran. She ran and never came back. I thought she loved me no matter what, but then she just abandoned me.”
“Are you saying that Summer will abandon me too?”
“Of course she will. Being in love only leaves to heartache and pain. It is best that you cut her out of your life and avoid the pain all together.”
Everything that King Sombra was saying was making sense to North Star. He had already felt heartbroken by his family, and he didn’t want Summer to do the same.
“I’ll do it. I’ll join you, father.”
“Hmhmhm, you have made a wise choice my son.”
“But I still have this ring on my horn, and I can’t remove it.”
“Oh, but you can. Just concentrate. Focus all of your anger and unleash it.”
North Star closed his eyes. He thought about all of the times he had been bullied, ignored, punished, yelled at, and made to feel inferior. His horn glew with dark magic as the the ring cracked, and eventually shattered into pieces.
“It has begun.” King Sombra wrapped his darkness around North Star.
Back at the crystal Palace, Shining held Cadence as the guards searched the grounds for North Star. Suddenly, North Star reappeared in front of them.
“North Star!” Cadence shouted. “Are you alright? Where have you been?”
North Star just looked at her, and made a sinister smile. A pillar of dark flames then surrounded him and reached to the sky. When they faded, King Sombra stood in his place.
Shining, Cadence, and Twilight were shocked and wordless.
“Finally, I HAVE RETURNED!” King Sombra Announced.
“You monster! Where is my son!?” Cadence shouted.
King Sombra simply laughed. “North Star was but vessal, a way for me to once again have a physical form. All he needed was a push towards the darkness. And thanks to the two of you, that task is now complete.”
Cadence broke down crying as Shining held her tight. “You have no power here, the crystal heart is in place!” Twilight said.
“I have become more powerful than the crystal heart! Flurry Heart shattering it only proves how powerless it has become. Speaking of which.” King Sombra lifted Flurry Heart up in his magic. He then encased her horn in dark crystals, and locked her up in a dark crystal cage.
Cadence looked on with horror. “My baby!”
Shining summoned the guards, who surrounded King Sombra.
“You’re not the only one with an army.” King Sombra stomped his hoof, and the the two trapped guards encased in darkness appeared by his side. “Say hello to my shadow guards.”
“What have you done to them?!” Shining demanded.
“They serve as hosts for my darkness. Think of it as armour, except the armour is in charge.” King Sombra’s darkness then spread out from beneath him, catching and encasing the surrounding guards.
“Shining, Cadence, Sombra’s magic is too great! We have to fall back!” Twilight pleaded.
“No! I will not leave my children!”
Shining looked her in the eye. “Twilight is right, my love. We will get North Star and Flurry Heart back, but we must get help.”
Twilight then used her magic to teleport the three of them away to a safe distance. King Sombra’s darkness encased the entire crystal palace.
“My new reign of darkness begins!”