By the time Radiant Hope had regained consciousness, a few things had happened...
"No... It can't be... It..Sombra.... That was all just a lie right? Just a.. Just a bad, bad, dream. right?" But even as she said it, her eyes were filling with tears.
His reply was accompanied by a small sad smile, "no dear Hope, I'm afraid last night was very much as real as I am."
Seeing her suddenly fall to the ground did something, odd, to him. At the time Sombra didn't know what, but it had caused the red haze to lift away. It was like he had just become aware of standing on solid ground, and in the back of his mind a panic was starting to grow.
His subjects were focused on the purple pony on the floor, and he wouldn't (could never) forgive himself it he had let them descend upon her. With a strong commanding stomp he managed to get his message across, taking special care to glare with deadly intent at those who were reluctant to obey. Fearful of his wrath, the Umbrum dissipated and spread throughout the crystal empire, wreaking havoc and torturing the crystal ponies who thought themselves safe in their homes, behind tightly closed, sealed, and locked doors.
Sombra placed Hope's body comfortably on his back. He didn't know where he was going to go, he just knew he had to take her with him.
He followed instinct, and it led him directly to the throne room. The rest of the castle was full of black crystals anyways...
He never remembered putting a giant tunnel in the center of the room, but he didn't question it, or stop to consider what was happening. Sombra simply kept walking, down the long spiraling stairs, till he reached the bottom.
Still he didn't stop until he entered the only room down below, the door barely hanging on it's hinges.
The room was small and only furnished with bookshelves stuffed with dusty tomes. At the back wall, the bookshelf was disseminated, lying on the floor, the books were strewn about. Mixed in with the mess were splinters of a darker shade, Sombra assumed it belonged to a door that used to cover the hole on the back wall. The hole being his pony-kind's prison.
This was where he was born.
This is where he would stay.
He needed to remind himself of today. To never forget what he was.
Sombra gathered the splinters into a pile and transformed it into bedding, after he'd placed Hope on the conjured pile, he turned his attention to the rest of the room. Using the tomes, he fashioned a thick red curtain to frame the hole from whence he came, then created statue busts of himself, all of them snarling, dark, and twisted. A select few were made to look as if he was more shadow than pony.
It wasn't much, but it was enough for the time being...
He turned at stared at her sleeping form.
Should he just kill her already?
Would she still love him the same, knowing he was a monster?
A killer?
A King?
A Ruler?
Whatever emotions that had ruled him before slowly began to trickle out. All he did for the rest of the night was watch Radiant Hope as she slept. His iris slowly began to turn green, but eyes still misting the same purple mist.
She awoke a few times, in between nightmares, he assumed. Her legs would flex and twitch as if she were struggling. Her head would suddenly jerk in one direction and then another; Looking around perhaps? Searching?
Whatever it was. It was a nightmare. He was sure of it. Her movements were violent enough to wake her and make her ask if she was still having a bad dream. And each time, he had the same answer prepared for her.
This was the reality.
And there was no end to the Nightmare...
Oddly enough, the more times he said it. The more comforted he was by this truth.
Finally-
Finally...
the truth.
The one thing he never had ever since his conception.
The one thing he needed to free his people.
And the one thing he needed to fulfil his destiny.
Sombra was almost tempted to retrieve a shard of the crystal heart, just so he could look into it and see what future he had now. What depths of depravity he'd descend to. What kind of King he'd be to his umbrums? Would any of the crystal ponies even survive after tonight?
The stallion threw his head to the side as hate filled his heart. Suddenly. Unbidden. His eyes returned to their cruel reds.
No... There is no sympathy for hypocrites and liars. Bullies and Elitists.
There is only the strong. And the weak.
And his people he knew were strong. It took true strength to survive as long as they did in their prison. Lost in his warring thoughts between the pony-kind who made him and the pony-kind who raised him, Sombra failed to keep a track on time. So he failed to notice when Hope had finally, fully, stirred from her slumber.
When Hope opened her eyes she could only feel the pain of loss. It felt as if some invisible beast suddenly burst from the earth just to clap it's cold and numbing jaws around her heart. She couldn't feel the organ anymore... she could barely hear it beating. The pain of this assault hit her hard enough to make her instantly sob. Big fat tears would not stop manifesting themselves and all Hope could do was cry-
Cry, cry, and cry.
There were no sounds she could make. Nothing that would ease her sorrow. Nothing to numb the feelings of failure. Of uselessness. Her feelings of realizing she was the problem. She was the reason. It was her selfish actions that led her to live this future. Her throat was thick and far too swollen to produce any sound anyway. She was sure it was the sins of her past, coming to choke her till she simply died on this bed...
This ... this bed?
Fighting through the pain of her awakening, Radiant Hope struggled to turn her head. Despite the invisible jaws impaling her chest, despite the invisible past forcing it's way down her neck, she had the strength to raise her head, just enough to turn it. Her energy was low, so she let gravity do the rest, her head falling back on the bedding in it's new angle.
From here... she could see him. And he was by her side.
Hope could tell that he was fighting. Fighting with his good self... Because she just knew it was there. That was never a doubt. He was here after all, wasn't he? Right here, sitting by her side and waiting for her to wake.
She smiled as she thought, perhaps he'd wait forever? If she died here and now. He would still wait for her to rise... He was just, always so good like that. Without meaning to her hoof had moved. Reaching out to him. Trying to ... trying to what?
She didn't know.
She just knew she had to touch him. Let him know that it was okay. He was okay. She wanted him to have hope and comfort. She wanted to see him smile at her. Sink his cheek into her hoof and sigh in contentment. But instead as soon as his wits returned to him, he simply grabbed it. Pulling on it roughly like it was a chain collar.
"Ah Good. You're awake."
When her limp and tired body didn't move as he commanded it to, Sombra grew frustrated. "I said come!" He yanked her hoof yet again. "Come here! Get up!"
Hope felt foolish for still thinking about her good friend Sombra even as the monster king took her by the back of her head and raised her bodily to her feet. Unsurprisingly, her legs caved as soon as he let her go. Weak and still under the thrall of her great pain. But as her knees hit the ground, and her head bowed forward of it's own accord, she was proud of herself when she heard the sound, "Sorry", slip past her lips.
So she could still talk!
That... that was good.
"What's wrong with you!?" He snarled, laying on the floor to meet eye level with her. "Can't you heal yourself!?!" Red irises flashed as he spoke, snapping his teeth and letting a growl slip past.
Hope wanted to speak again, but the desire to do so wilted when she saw this Sombra. Cruel and ugly and horrible. This wasn't her Sombra. She didn't know this stranger. And she certainly didn't want to appease it. Let it snarl and growl like a dog all it wants! She would simply stare right through him. Right through It.
Testing a leg, Hope tried to readjust herself. Perhaps try to stand... She hadn't made up her mind yet. Either way, at least the tears had finally gone dry. Instead she was left with aching eyes. The pain in her chest was a little more bearable, but still enough to keep her down. So she stayed down, giving up on the leg she was trying to move. Looking back into Sombra's angry eyes, Hope wanted to feel angry too. Maybe if she yelled at it, her Sombra would return? Maybe if he regained his senses somehow-? She really wished she could move her leg. The stallion was within reach! She could just kick it right now!
Sombra huffed out a breath in impatience and rose. "Very well... Fine."
"Perhaps my Empress is tired. You may return to your bed and sleep some more."
The pony of darkness stalked away. The room they were in was small, Hope noticed. It's not a room she recognized. Allowing her cheek to rest on the floor, Radiant Hope took in the room... Bust Statues of horror framed each bookshelf. The smell of old books and underground mildew permeated the air. And around her, scattered on the floor were a few books. Almost tauntingly, 'The Heart of Darkness' was right there, close to her face. The crystal unicorn couldn't help but roll her eyes and make a sound of disgust.
"What was that my pretty?" It's voice was dark and heavy with disapproval. Hope even made an effort to tilt her head up to glower at his armored hooves. "Do you have something to say?" Tilting it's head, in a gesture that read, 'I'm listening' (but she knew he wasn't).
Hope remained silent. Her glare continued to hold.
"My... My... I have to say. I AM impressed." The beast lowered it's head and studied her from across the room. It's disgusting eyes transformed further and the sclera turned a sickly almost neon green. "I never knew my Empress had the capacity to hold such... anger. And Hate." It's purring was making her sick.
"Hmm," a hum of approval. "But of course. That's only to be expected."
Pleased with what he saw, Sombra held his head high and looked at his mare with hooded eyes. "Perfect. Aren't you?"
"You always know just what to do when I needed you to do it."
"You always knew just what to BE when I need you to be it." He took a step forward and lowered his head, "isn't that right, Hope?"