Child of the Dark

by Ocean Heart

The Return of the King

Twilight was sorting through books in her library, the sunlight reflected off the marble floor and a pleasant hint of lavender floated through the massive library. More books stacked on a table as she gathered a collection of studies and manuals for healing spells, hoping that a lesson might take Dusty's mind off the crown. The door in the foyer opened fast, the bang echoing into the library when it bounced off the wall and soon enough she heard the last thing she ever expected.

"Mom, I got my cutie mark!"

Twilight was so stunned that the books she was transporting to the table simply crashed to the ground. Breaking out in a run and throwing open the door with a burst of magic.

"That's incredible news! Where are you?"

The colt poked his head around the corner, smiling brightly before breaking out in a sprint, plowing right into Twilight and sending them back into the library. Twilight saw stars momentarily, realizing Dusty was standing over her looking just as happy as he was yesterday.

"Well get off me so I can see?" she said laughing.

Dusty took a moment to realize what his mother was saying and he jumped off; watching her get up in barely contained excitement. Twilight stood ready for the proudest moment of motherhood. Twilight was left speechless...

"See! Some kinda crystal something, I think its a diamond, and a star like yours but way cooler!"

"I..."

"And watch this!"

Dusty turned to face a window on the second floor of the library and braced himself. Power coursing through him and gathering at his horn, the all too familiar black orb of lightning and darkness growing rapidly until Dusty let it go. It sailed through the air and the wind snuffed out any lights save the sunlight through the windows; making the room feel very heavy to Twilight once she heard it shatter through her barrier like it was nothing, exploding in the air after.

"See, wasn't that awesome?!" He huffed, still tired from the long run and the exertion of dark magic...

"No..."

Dusty was so ecstatic about his talent; thinking that there would be books where he could learn more kinds of this special magic. Twilights answer was so shocking it took a moment to sink in...

"W-what?"

"No. I never want to see you do that again, do you understand me?"

Dustys eyes returned to white. The shock still leaving him drawing a blank, he was so happy but now...

"M-mom..."

"Dusty Armor, you will never use dark magic ever again, do you understand me?!" Her yell echoed through the empty castle...so much fear for her son falling to his fathers path sent her over the edge. Dustys struggled sobs and tears didn't phase her, staring him down until the colt was forced to run. Sounds of his crying echoed until he slammed the door to his room, leaving Twilight alone and understanding what she just did...

",,,Oh my Celestia...What have I done..."

Dusty slammed the door, the walls shaking with the force and all his sorrow turning to blind anger. Tears streamed down his face purple mist emitting even though his eyes were shut tight. Now he understood; all this time with no sign of potential and now he was dead wrong about his talent being life changing...Twilight hated him for being a failure...

"Why can't I just be normal!?"

Dusty felt the self loathing reach critical and he charged at the balcony yelling; throwing his body into the glass door and shattering it. Glass rained down, cutting and scraping Dusty but not seriously harming; he looked up at the sky, cloudy turning dark and the air heavy. Dusty walked clear of the glass on the ground, staring up at the sky; he sat down and wiped the shards from his mane, jumping when a drop lands on his head."

"I guess the movies are right...rain always comes-"

"At our darkest hour...Though I would say it comes to wash us clean of the past."

Dusty didn't look back, not even glancing in shame or glaring in hatred. Sombra sat next to Dusty; looking out in the distance. Thinking about how he should proceed...

"Why are you here...mom said she defeated you...."

"I know as much as you do, Dusk."

"What's that mean?"

"I am not him."

Dusty did turn that time, sitting behind him was a tall and built stallion. Mane pure as black night and coat a metallic grey, eyes free of the toxic green color he remembered in the throne hall. Rain started falling at a slow pace.

"I am part of you." Sombra said

"...You are not..."

"I am the last piece of your father that remained in your mother."

"Stop talking...."

Sombra gave no sign of emotion, eyes empty and body not even shaking as the rain fell harder, yet he did stop. Dusty forced himself not to shiver in fear or from the cold rain.

"....Alright, so how do I know you're telling the truth?"

"You don't, but you know it's fact. When you learned of King Sombra's existence I was revived; taking every little thing you knew about him and putting the pieces back together."

"Then why are you so calm...Mom told me you were a monster."

"I'm not real...just a memory left behind; what could I gain?"

The colt looked away, staring back into the sky as rain soaked his thick fur. Sombra was using a little restraint not to smile...

"...I have to say, your quick mastery of Dark Magic is impressive to say the least."

Dusty didn't respond; thinking back to how angry his mother was and just the thought of him knowing more and even pretending to care. I almost made Dusty want to believe somepony would still love him...

"Dusk Armor...why dont you call me Dusty if you are my dad?"

"It's how you introduce yourself, you prefer it so I thought it would be less upsetting if I used Dusk...If you don't want me to-"

"No...Its alright."

Just one more step...

"If you're just a memory...theres no harm in calling you Dad...is there?"

Perfect...

"If you wish."

Sombra did smile this time; ready to wipe it away if his colt turned around. They stood in silence while Sombra admired his work, a lie within truth. The best tactic he employed against his enemies and now the one he used in tricking his son into gaining his trust. Deep down he did feel a pang of guilt but the guilt was washed away when he watched Dusty turn around and nudge his way under Sombras arm. Twilight rejected his gift and sent him running to the first person that loved him more than his mother; a moment the king wouldn't stop exploiting anytime soon...

The cold seeped into Dusty, shivering under his fathers arm but warmed by the wintered stallion. Sombra was much softer and kinder than Dusty expected; though he wasn't sure what he could expect from somepony he never had the chance to meet...until now.

"Why did she yell...?"

"Because your mother is afraid. She is afraid of what you might become if your talent is allowed to grow."

Dusty blinked in confusion, looking up at Sombra

"What does that mean?"

"Twilight fears you might walk the same path as King Sombra once did."

_ _

Twilight paced back and forth in worry, mane a crooked mess and Spike pointed out that she was getting 'That look' again.Twilight didn't care, she only focused on trying to find a way to fix the mess she made losing her temper with Dusty.

"What have I done....Spike, you know this means he'll hate me forever, he'll start simple by breaking rules but it could lead to running away, getting into fights, arguing and he might just cut all ties with us..."

Spike tried to calm her as much as he could, blocking her pacing path and making her take a moment to think.

"Twilight, you're blowing this way out of proportion again; just go up and talk to him before he starts acting like you with this pacing and talking to himself."

Twilight sighed heavily; angry with herself more than anything that she let this happen. Losing her temper like that was against everything she taught her colt...And now Dusty felt like a stranger in his own home...

"Alright..you're right, I'll go talk with him."

Spike nodded and walked with her all the way to outside his room; Twilight almost got cold hooves but Spike rolled his eyes and pushed her through the door, shutting it behind her and with no way out she nearly panicked, until she saw her son sitting in the rain through a broken glass door...

Twilight didn't bother trying to start the conversation; she just walked to Dusty's side and sat down, careful not to cut herself on glass.

"...Here to yell again? Tell me i'm a failure or just call me a freak?"

Twilight was shocked but she realized Spike was right about the timing; Dusty spun this farther out of control just as she did moments ago...

"Dusty...I would never do any of those things-"

"Then why did you yell when I showed you my talent?! I'm so late in getting my mark that I gave up and when I finally get one, you say it's not good enough, you looked at me like I was worthless!"

Twilight was speechless...the rain couldn't hide the fact that her eyes were watering up, because it was true. The dark magic sent her into a frenzy of horrible memories and she took it out on her only son. The rain made her skin numb but no cold could keep her from feeling this guilt and pain...

"...I'm just a screw up..."

Twilight couldn't stop herself; she grabbed Dusty and wrapped her wings around him, tears streaming faster than the rain could wash them away...

"I'm so sorry.....I'm so so sorry for what I said!"

Dusty's eyes widened, body stiff from the cold rain but tilted his head to look up he saw the agony on his mother face before she buried her tears in his head..wrapping him so tightly he didn't even feel the rain anymore.

"Please....I had no right to yell like that...Please forgive me..."

"...Mom..."

Thunder echoed in the sky, Sombra watched from the room. A scowl on his face as he work is undone...

I was so close....

"Mom, its alright...Just stop crying..." Dusty said worried...

Twilight lifted her head up, shivering uncontrollably, eyes watery and face soaked with more tears than rain.

"I can help you...I know how you can learn more about your talent; because i'm proud of you, and i'll never stop being proud..."

She kissed him on the forehead, Dusty felt his own eyes water, the rain slowing down around them. Dusty smiled up at Twilight, they no longer needed to speak, Dusty felt accepted again and even a little eager deep down to learn more like Twilight said. Sombra felt something that even he...the king of shadows thought he would never feel...regret...under the anger at Twilight for making his work for nothing, or the grudge against Celestia that filled his heart, he felt alone. When he was king he remembered many sleepless nights when all he had to do was pick a fetching mare out of his empire. None of them had a child because he would not allow it, taking precautions to keep such a thing from happening but this...he went through the motions, played his part and when it came to fruition; he fell in love... and now his only son was another instrument to his revenge. Sombra glared at the two and disappeared into nothing slowly...

This time I will not fail...no matter the cost...

_ _

Sentinel Heart was in the middle of a drink when he felt the bar shake, glasses on the racks clinging and a few others looked up as dust from the ceiling fell; another guard looked over to Sentinel and they nodded to each other, rushing out the door to catch whatever might have caused the strange occurrence.

Sailing high in the air was a black ball surrounded by unstable lightning. The ball exploded just seconds after Sentinel got a look at it, sending clouds scattering and black storm clouds taking its place. The energy made the weather unstable and what was once a sunny day was going to quickly turn into a flood of thunder and lightning.

"Senior...you think-?"

"I know...It came from the castle. Round up a platoon of sober guards, tell them HMCS doesn't give a buck about what they planned on doing, Liberty just got cut short."

"Their not going to be happy."

"I don't care, I'm going on ahead, grab a few soldiers and meet me there asap."

"Roger that, Senior."

The stallion took off on his search, Sentinel started running to the castle, praying he would be there in time to kick the teeth in of who ever fired a blast of powerful dark magic like that...

Comments

[Manendorf]

King Sombra even in death your crusade for revenge continues

[Noratcat]

Well I've read the first couple of chapters and I have to say I am very impressed with this. I think it is a worthy sequel to KOTD and would love to see this to fruition. I had an idea for a one shot of KOTD with my own interpretation of Sombra and Twilight's son.

[Darth Vader]

I played this at the very first word of the chapter, amazing

oh god, yes!

Please say this happens

[Super Ponyman]

3246441
Give him some credit that he is persistent AF