The Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep

by ngrey651

The Journal of Sombra Nyh-Tyaim

Soft light fell through the trees above, bathing I and her in faint warmth…warmth I could barely feel. I was faintly aware of shouts off in the distance, horrified cries of concern as they swarmed towards me, trying to wake me up. I think I tried to speak…tried to say something. Not sure what I said.

It didn’t matter, ultimately. None of it mattered.

Because that sunny spring morning was the day I died…and Sombra, the Shadowlord was born.

Wind rustled against the mane that ran down my neck. My body was matted with sweat, my lungs burning from within. I just wanted to flop over onto the grass below, but…but all I could think of was my sister as she lay on my back, unable to move any more than I could.

I think I tried to say something to her. Yes. To tell her we’d been found, but…no point. Couldn’t form a coherent sentence. Couldn’t see straight. Everything is fuzzy and blurry…you can feel my ribcage through the flimsy remnants of the black shirt I wore.

So tired.

Just…just give in. Give in and rest, it’ll all end…

But I keep thinking of Luza.

…Lul-loo…this is my fault. I was so selfish. If I’d just STAYED-

“It’s really muddled, hard to translate, but I’m getting there!” Twilight Sparkle admitted as she put the journal down, shaking her head back and forth, purple mane flopping about as her indigo eyes glanced over at the young changeling-blooded little filly who was looking the journal over himself along with her draconic assistant Spike. Yellow and Green eyes scanned the pages as little Squirt and Spike looked through it, struggling to try and make sense of the rest of the pages THEMSELVES, clearly not doing well.

“Innnnnteresting.” Squirt’s adopted father admitted, Shinedown T. Mare nodding his slightly Mohawky-esque hair a bit, the deep blue bobbing as he shook Twilight’s hand, smiling broadly. “But it was a GREAT idea for you to call me in. I’ve been spending week after week with the new Changeling clans we’re integrating into Canterlot, and the program’s been going splendidly.”

The Changeling race…shapeshifters who fed off positive emotions. And the answer to how they could become accepted was “retro”…do what their species had done before, and PERFORM. And because so many had been displaced through time and space by what they had described as the day the “Sky Split Open”, the Keobjil, Ilgagsu AND Nabang changeling clans were all eager to try and pick up where their race had left off.

And what better way to put your shapeshifting abilities to the test than on the STAGE? The tale of “Delirium” in particular was sweeping Canterlot by storm and soon they’d be performing it at Ponyville. The only problem was with the CLANS. The Ghainahm breed of Changeling were very eager to rejoin Equestria society, try to get back what the Changeling species had. But the Sugnbohn weren’t so hot on the idea. Though they only differed in really one respect, having actual hair, the rifts between the races were deep and it would take years to heal.

But baby steps. Baby steps. And being able to adjust your voice to the perfect pitch so you could belt out pop tunes WAS actually working at winning over the populace.

“I take it you’re no longer having issues with your singing?” Twilight asked of young Squirt as he held his hoof to his throat and cleared it, Shinedown walking over to his adopted song and putting a hoof on his shoulder as they began to sing, first Squirt with a word, then Shinedown, before joining in, both at alternating pitches and tones.

“Lollipop!” “Lollipop!”

“Oh, lolly, lolly, lolly!”

“Lollipop!” “Lollipop!”

“Oh, lolly, lolly, lolly, LOLLIPOP!” And then they both clucked their tongues, imitating taking a sucker out of their mouths and smiling broadly.

“It’s easy for most Changelings to get the looks down. NOT the voice. But it just seems to come naturally to me the same way it does with the band “Insane Colt Posse”.”

“Oh yeah, they use magic facepaint, right? The ones that make ‘em look like clowns with the black makeup that shifts onstage?” Twilight asked, scratching her head as Shinedown nodded. “It’s kind of…odd.”

“Hey, I use magic paint. How do you think I get my body this BEAUTIFUL medley of colors that so lovingly resemble the sky as the sun has just set?” Shinedown asked, holding up an arm as Squirt’s eyes widened a bit, looking back at the journal.

“Wait-wait-wait. I RECOGNIZE that.” He murmured, holding the journal up. “I know this language. It’s the same words the Ghainahm speak among themselves, in private, when they’re not talking to other races.”

“Yes, I’d imagine so…do you remember the old journal I found? The one that spoke of the Changeling Shimmer?” Twilight Sparkle wanted to know as she and Spike sat down next to Squirt, Shinedown joining them as he nodded in agreement.

“Yes, it’s the same language, isn’t it?” He inquired.

“The very same.” Twilight proclaimed. “And because Shimmer was so prolific, I’ve been able to translate this journal. I believe it belongs to King Sombra himself.”

Shinedown and Squirt and Spike shuddered all at once, Spike especially so as his claws dug into the floor and he cringed. “S-Sombra…” He whispered out. “That awful, awful guy…”

“From what I’ve gleamed from the first chapters, Sombra was found outside of where the Crystal Empire was forged.” Twilight said, focusing slightly as she closed her eyes, an image of Sombra from the journal appearing, that of a young unicorn with an oddly…cheery face, a sweet looking little sister riding on his back. “He apparently escaped from his people to try and seek asylum somewhere as far away from them as he could find.”

“Wow, even as a FILLY he was causing trouble?” Shinedown wondered aloud. “He looks so…nice.” He murmured, not understanding how somebody that looked so ordinary and normal could become something as horrible and cruel as King Sombra had become.

“He LOOKED nice. But…” Twilight trailed off slightly. “…well, I’m not going to say he was a monster from start to finish. Nopony’s born evil, but…I’ve read through the journal. Bit by bit, I started…noticing things about him that kept popping up with more frequency.” She admitted, poking a hoof down at the journal as Squirt clapped his hooves together.

“Oh please, oh PLEEEEAAASE read it to us?” He asked, eyes eager and wide like dinner plates. “I love a good story!”

“And you have that natural talent of telling them.” Shinedown added with a sage nod.

“Well…I’m not the only one.” Twilight admitted as she held the journal up and cleared her throat, holding a hoof in the air as she began to speak. “The night is sultry, a good kind of burn against my fur as my father and I head out onto the field of battle. The War Games shall come to an end and the fate of Manechuria will soon be decided today. I shall finish strong, just like Poppa wants me too…”

…

…

…

… Sombra Nyh-Tyaim trotted alongside his father, Lord Seoul Nyh-Tyaim smirking broadly as he gestured across the cold battlefield, the air thick and heavy in shop contrast, charged with electricity as Sombra took in deep, careful breaths. His father’s army murmured and whispered amongst each other as Sombra spread his legs slightly, bowing his horn a bit as it sizzled and hissed, tiny wisps of smoke rising off the shaft as it began to glow brighter and brighter with greenish/black light, a perfect imitation of his deeply piercing eyes…his father’s eyes.

His dark black mane whipped back and forth in the air as his father nodded firmly at him, Lord Seoul turning to the troops as they instantly stopped their chattering and murmuring. “Behold! I sponsor my own son for the Duel as an end to the War Games. Manechuria has managed to match us duel for duel…but today, that streak ends…”

He smirked proudly, revealing sharp canines that made the Manchurian Sugnbohn cringe nervously. That smirk gave them the willies, and they glanced about at each other, their armored forms slightly bunching together like scared deer as their selected champion snorted harshly, his strong jaw line cracking a bit as he slammed his fangs together, sparks sizzling through the air. “You do not frighten me…BOY.” He hissed at Sombra as the sultry night air filled Sombra’s lungs and he began to sway back and forth in a rhythmic fashion like a snake, circling around the thick-shelled Keobjil changeling.

“Big words from an overgrown beetle that is soon to be squished.” Sombra remarked. “I do hope you understand you can’t surrender in the middle of the fight. You only get one chance and I’m offering it to you now. I suggest you take it. You’d like to keep your limbs, wouldn’t you?” He inquired, waving a silver-armored hoof in the air, his chest rising and falling against the tight crimson vest he wore.

“Elitist snob.” The Keobjil grunted out as Lord Seoul trotted over to his troops, letting out a loud howl as all his men banged their hooves against the ground. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. Soon the Manechurians joined in, thumping their hooves against the earth below as they began to chant.

“Duel. DUEL. DUEL. DUEL.”

The two rushed forward, Sombra’s horn glowing brightly, the Keobjil leaping into the air, trying to crush the young unicorn beneath his massive weight. Sombra quickly rolled out of the way, then jumped at the changeling, his horn slashing, slicing across his foe’s chest. The Keobjil growled, headbutting Sombra on his muzzle, knocking him back before a harsh backhand sent him flying.

The Manechurians let out a cheer, Lord Seoul growling in annoyance as Sombra struggled to his hooves only to get slammed through the air by a rush attack from the Keobjil, but Sombra’s horn glowed brightly and he re-righted himself in midair, landing on the ground, some blood dripping down to the murky ground below. Sombra’s eyes narrowed intensely as the Keobjil raced towards him and Sombra did something unexpected: DIVING. He dove right underneath the charging Keobjil and then flipped the surprised changeling up into the air, leaping up after him and delivering a powerful kick with both back hooves.

THRAKKA-THROOOM! The changeling collided with the ground, rolling away to avoid Sombra coming back down on HIM. The Keobjil tried to leap at Sombra to smack into him the way the unicorn had, but he wasn’t as fast as Sombra, who swiftly served out of the way and kicked at the Keobjil, only to have his hoof fist strike off the thick back of the beast. The Keobjil smirked, kicking Sombra in the stomach, sending him flying across the ground with a KRAKKA-THRUCK as Sombra growled out.

“GRGGH…” His neon green eyes glittered as the Keobjil raced towards him and his horn began to glow even more brightly than before as his mouth opened, his tone becoming…strange…

“You…will…sssstoooopp…”

The Keobjil halted in place, everyone gasping, Lord Seoul the only one seemingly unaffected as he calmly smiled, Sombra calmly walking towards the stunned Keobjil as his horn began to glow more brightly. “Yessss. You will listen well. Listen to me. Hearrrrrr my voice…ONLY myyyyy voice…” Sombra whispered out, his eyes continuing to glow along with his horn. “And kneeeeeel. Kneel before me.”

The Keobjil instantly fell to his knees, Sombra smiling proudly as he put a single hoof on the Changeling’s forehead. “Good. I’m glad we had this little chat.” He remarked, slamming his forehead into the Keobjil’s skull, the horn drilling swiftly in with a squelching, wet-meat sound as the Keobjil collapsed on the spot, dying instantly as blood slowly trickled down the horn. Sombra calmly turned the Keobjil changeling over onto his back, carefully placing his hooves in a position of repose as the other changelings began to glance about, confused. What had just…they’d felt so strange, like they were in a dream. What had…

And why were they all KNEELING, what-

Then they saw it. The Keobjil Manechurian challenger was dead, his hooves crossed across his chest, Sombra calmly sitting before the body, hooves clasped together. “It is done, father.” He murmured quietly.

“Wonderful as always, Sombra!” Lord Seoul lauighed happily, throwing his head back, gleefully howling with joy as his troops hooted and hollered, the Manechurians cringing as Lord Seoul put a hoof around Sombra’s shoulder and proudly nuzzled his son’s throat. “Excellent, EXCELLENT! Manechuria is now property of the Shadowlands.” He proclaimed, waving his other hoof in the air with a dramatic swoosh of his arm. “Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground…and we shall build a new future together.”

The Manechurians nervously glanced around at each other…but they all tossed their spears and swords and lances and shields to the ground, taking their helmets and armor off with them. The rules of the War Games were absolute. You had to obey. It was one of the few things all Changelings agreed on. And this meant Manechuria had a new ruler.

“This is a hell of a birthday present, dad. I mean, an entire country just for me and Luza?” Sombra asked with a faint blush of his cheeks. “You shouldn’t have.”

“Oh, son. This is just the first part of the present.” Lord Seoul Nyh-Tyaim chuckled, shaking his thick-maned head back and forth. “Wait until you see what your mother made for you…she’s had time to put the finishing touches on it whilst we were out and Luza was finishing up her fishing lessons…”

…

…

…

… “Salmon, cod, flounder and perch, I’ll drive my carriage into church!
Sunnies, haddock, tuna, trout! Wait ‘til you hear our minister shout!” A slightly squeaky voice cheerily sang out, bobbing her head back and forth as she held her fishing pole in her little hooves, her mother sitting next to her, smiling proudly at her child. Little Luza Nyh-Tyaim had her mother’s perfect bowl haircut which NEVER got messed up, and the soft, crimson-red eyes of her father, which became alit with joy when she finally got a nibble…

And then the fish tried to make off with the bait, the little unicorn focusing her power as her tiny horn flared. THA-SPLOOOOSH! The fish went flying out of the water and splashed onto the shore, her mother Mina smiling with pride, rubbing her daughter’s head, grinning eagerly. “Ooh, look how big that bass is!” She chuckled.

“That’s what FATHER said.” A voice rang out as she turned to see Sombra trotting towards them down the forest path, Mina’s horn flaring up as she launched HIM into the water with a loud cry and he went flopping belly-first into the water. KA-SPLOOOSH! “Heyyy!”

“Not in front of your SISTER.” Mina Nyh-Tyaim remarked, waving a hoof in the air as she turned to see Luza poking the fish’s stomach, the hook still inside the mouth. “Now honey, you need to carefully ease the hook out with your horn, alright?”

“I’m…not so good with that, mom…” Luza murmured. “But…I’ll TRY!” She added, closing her eyes, focusing intensely, the hook in the bass shuddering back and forth as it began to ease out of the fish’s big, thick lips, more…more…more…

But then it RIPPED out, half of the fish’s lip now gone as Luza cringed. “Ohhh! Oh no, no, I’m so sorry…” She sobbed, covering her face with her hooves, weeping over the dying bass as Sombra cringed at the sight of his sister’s pain, quickly racing over to her, holding her in a tender embrace as Mina quickly pocketed the fish in the little bag she had slung over her shoulder.

“You’ll get better, I promise.” He cooed to her, nuzzling her slightly as she looked up into his eyes and he softly kissed her forehead. “Nobody’s perfect.”

“But-but I…I killed it, I…ohhhh!” She sobbed out as Sombra got an idea, his tone momentarily getting lower as his voice became…persuasive.

“Shhhh…it’s alright…it’ll be alright…just relaxxxx…listen to my melodioussss voice…” He softly cooed, his eyes slightly aglow as Luza blinked a few times before whacking him on the nose. “OW! What was THAT for?!” He wanted to know as she pulled away from him, “harrumphing”.

“You tried to use the Sangy thing on me!” She muttered balefully, their mother Mina whacking Sombra over the head.

“No using your precious Mesmerism on FAMILY, Sombra. The ability to influence others through Willpower alone is something I only want you using in dire emergencies…and NOT on your sister. Not EVER!” Mina proclaimed firmly, shaking her head back and forth.

“I was just trying to calm her down, make her feel better…” Sombra murmured. “The Sanguine Condition’s a great way to get people to relax if used right.”

His mother held his cheek, lifting it up so HE could now stare into HER eyes, and though she didn’t know the technique, it was as if he was being mesmerized by her. “It’s also a great way to make them feel things they shouldn’t be feeling, do things they shouldn’t be doing, and you KNOW it.” Mina intoned softly. “Don’t you do it on her again. I want you to PROMISE me you’ll always, ALWAYS be honest and open with your sister.”

“I promise.” Sombra finally sighed, hanging his head in mild shame…just as his mother put something around his neck and he glanced down, eyes wide in amazement. “Is…is that a…?”

It was! There on his neck was a beautiful amulet of crimson and steel, a ruby diamond in the center of the triangular necklace, a little horned and winged pony’s head atop it as Sombra tapped it, his eyes glowing brightly in awe. “An Alicorn Amulet…”

“As you know, The Trinity of Inner Strength focuses on Willpower, Passion and Intelligence…you’ve got all in spades but even so I know you’ve wanted something to better help you deal with the…problems you’ve been having with your other forms of magic.” Mina admitted with a nod of her head.

“I’ll finally be able to perfect my transformation method with this.” Sombra realized aloud, happily embracing his mother with a deep, loving hug. “Oh, this is WONDERFUL, mother! Now I won’t keep collapsing unconscious every time I try to will myself to turn into something else!”

“That’s good.” Luza cheekily snickered. “Because I always gotta drag you back to your bed every time you DO try. How can your Will be so strong it can make people do stuff, but YOU can’t tell YOUR body to do what I can?” She asked, twirling around on the spot, hooves held in the air as she did a pirouette, her form shifting and shimmering into a lovely white-furred and white-clothed unicorn with long, flowing blond locks as Sombra “harrumphed”.

“Yes, well, the princesses if you’ll remember had issues with THEIR powers too, and our Lady Luna DEVELOPED the Trinity of Inner Strength. Mom and Dad said they dated for three weeks and during all that time-”

“Yes, in the days and nights, both sun AND moon were in the sky.” Mina remarked softly, wistfully, resting her head against her hooves and smiling. “He was SO nervous and SO shy. Don’t let your father know, but girls really like it when a guy is so very shy in front of her parents. It lets us know how much he truly doesn’t want to fail around them. Then there was the time they tried to bring one down and instead made an eclipse happen for three days. It WAS pretty, though…”

“And dad asked you to marry him under it’s soft, lilting light!” Luza finished, turning back to normal as she hopped down the forest path. “You and me!”

“Me and you!” Sombra chuckled out, all three joining in as they trotted back home.

“Both of us togetheeeeer!”

Comments

[Eclipse LunarSol]

Chrysalis x Sombra. That is all.

[ngrey651]

4044940

You just might see that. ;)