Sombra Dislikes Crystals

by The Apologetic Pony

Magnetite As Dark As Night

By the time Sombra would speak with Luna again, for once, circumstances would have drastically changed. The sisters didn’t get along so well any more.

‘Or was that just another dream?’ Sombra thought, waking to the typical morning light blooming through the curtain.

Really, he was unsure if he was an outlier having memorable dreams so frequently. Probably Luna’s fault.

After a quick breakfast, Sombra trotted to Canterlot Palace. Think I’ve read more books this last week than I ever have. Nah come on you don’t read that little, maybe. As Sombra walked up to grand entrance, he noticed that there weren’t any guards, like there usually were. And he didn’t see a single one except for a distant passing figure, but then it was gone. Very odd.

‘Hello?’ Sombra called out in the library, disconcerted.

It didn’t look like anypony was around, unless there was somebody skulking behind a bookshelf. Books are good at absorbing sound, I guess?

He searched in the library some more, still not finding anyone, suspicion growing. I try reading up, like I planned, as weird as it would be. He did try to read more on cutiemarks and legends, but the weight of the apparent emptiness of a palace was simply too strange.

‘Anypony there?’ Sombra called again, feeling like he was a protagonist near the start of a horror movie, but there was nothing.

Finally curious enough (or perhaps nervous), Sombra left the library, seeking a fellow equine. Or anything, really. Lets try the garden.

But there was nopony in the garden either. He went around almost all the places he knew in the palace, but there was neither guard or royalty in any of them. There was Luna’s private quarters left, bar everywhere else he didn’t know, and there is a lot of that. Sombra wasn’t mad enough to poke further, only to get lost in the dungeons below. Or endless caves, or whatever’s in there.

When he reached the spire where Luna’s quarters were, he spotted a curious green flame, bobbing slightly on the stairs down.

Up the stairs is where the place you know is, Sombra. Yeah I’m well aware of that. I really wanna follow it though.

Like a timid colt, Sombra took one step down; the flame moved back. Then he took another step down and the flame moved back again, mirroring him. Soon he was mesmerized, following the fire with little thought. Sombra was in a completely different space before he realised the spell he’d been under, and how it made him feel nostalgic. He couldn’t think of a time he’d felt like that before.

A drop of something fell from the barely discernable cobble ceiling. Oh shit, er, how long have I been walking for? No idea. The air was musty, his legs were heavy, and it was dark like a midnight nightmare. Sombra illuminated his surroundings, seeing that he was in a tunnel, with uneven, bumpy walls. So I can just teleport myself out of here, right? You can do that, Som-bra. Sombra. But somewhat predictably, he ran into the same sort of teleportation barrier that he’d seen in a few demonstrations, only this one seemed really fucking strong, like alicorn strong. There didn’t seem to be any clear indication which way he’d come from, but he assumed that the way he’d been facing was the same way the flame had led him in.

So do I wanna go where Luna, or Celestia is telling me to go, or what might be back? Since they’ve gone this far, I guess it’s time to have some faith in our benevolent rulers, or fillyfriend, whichever. If it is them, I doubt I’d end up in a different place no matter which way I go.

‘Luna? Celestia?’ yelled Sombra.

Somewhat predictably, there was no reply.

Sombra went forward, his hooves making a dull thump as he went. I better get some favours from you Luna, if you’re the one doing this.

It wasn’t long before the tunnel started to widen, until he came to a small chamber (as much as a tunnel can have one) where he saw a narrow mirror, as tall as him. It looked like many of the dark crystals made up the borders of the mirror, which didn’t seem to have a single speck of dust on the glass. Sombra moved closer, wondering if he’d see an alicorn in the reflection. Nope just me. Bathe after this expedition, please. He’d just turned around, when he suddenly felt very faint. Oh fuck off was his last thought before the dark took him.

Sombra reemerged out of one space into another, yet unsure of where either of those spaces actually were. This is a dream if I’ve ever had one. Chairs were floating, and the border of the world pulsed with his own magic.

‘Hey why am I dreaming?’ he asked an entirely black figure that had formed in front of him.

‘We want to make a deal with you.’ said the figure, gone as soon as you looked at it.
Its voice echoed a bit.

‘Yeah wake me up first. I don’t care.’

‘You’re going to be the strongest pony in equestria, got your attention? Good, now listen, don’t you recognise us?’

‘Are you...’

‘No matter, we don’t recognise you either, it doesn’t matter. Just know we like ponies like you. We want you to lead the Crystal Kingdom. Do that and you’ll surpass even alicorns.

‘You are not real.’

‘We’re as real as magic.’

As if he were being shaken awake, his dream was interrupted, and he was back in the cave, leaning against the wall. Coughing, annoyed, and befuddled Sombra staggered on. Not much else I can do. At least it’s not as freaky as when I forgot that night, yet. He walked for a while longer, difficult to be exact, then things descended into a fever dream, with no goal in sight. Miraculously, when he called out this time, somepony answered back.

‘Anyone? Hello?’

‘Sombra is that you? Come over here!’