Secrets and Lies

by Metaphor

Chapter 3

“I wasn’t always like this you know although if I had the choice again there really wouldn’t be any contest,” began Sombra, “Being a simply unicorn again just wouldn’t have the same appeal you understand.”

“I thought you were going to tell me about Celestia,” interrupted Twilight with a small huff.

“Patience my dear, every story has a beginning and this one begins with me. I could bore you with the details of my childhood, try to persuade you that I was once a good little colt like yourself but I know that wouldn’t interest you. Instead let’s just skip ahead a few chapters to where I became Celestia’s student.”

Twilight almost choked on her own breath, “What?! That’s not true! Celestia would never take a monster like you as her student!”

“Did I not already say I wasn’t always like this? No, I was a good little colt once, always learning and doing my best. It was quite a proud moment when all that hard work paid off and I graduated top of my class in school as I’m sure you’re well aware.”

Twilight didn’t respond, instead the glare on her face remained steady and silent as she waited for more important facts to be revealed.

“But of course she wouldn’t tell you about that now would she? How could Celestia, perfect princess and ruler of all Equestria, announce to her subjects that she had taken a student under her wing who had nearly overthrown her?”

Sombra paused for a moment, clearing his throat as he studied Twilight’s face for a reaction but none was forthcoming just yet.

“Still unconvinced? Well how about I ask you a question then, why do you think Celestia and Luna create other alicorns?”

Twilight’s brow faltered, the frown vanishing for a moment as her brain started to mull the question over and over. It was true that both Celestia and Luna were immortal, or seemingly lived longer than recorded records. For thousands of years they had ruled over Equestria but Twilight couldn’t think of any previous cases of alicorns existing until her and Cadence.

“Let me enlighten you dear Twilight Sparkle,” interrupted Sombra as he looked squarely at her, “They create them only to be sacrificed.”

“What?!”

Twilight’s mind flashed back to anger at his words, the princess once again glaring at the unicorn before her. Sombra let out a chuckle.

“Don’t believe me? What about this then?” In a puff of magic the earlier image of Twilight’s roasted body appeared next to him, “It would seem that you make a rather good sacrifice.”

Twilight tried to form words but for a moment only ranting fumes left her lips as she looked from Sombra to the image and back again, “S-Sacrifice for what?!”

“What do you know of alicorn magic?”

“What do you know of alicorn magic?” Celestia’s voice rung out in her head like a klaxon call. Her frown returned, the alicorn glaring at Sombra once again but this time it wasn’t in disgust at him.

“What is alicorn magic...?” she asked slowly.

“That is a question that Equestria should have asked long ago and nopony has dared.”

“Enough word games Sombra! Tell me what it is, now!”

“My my, so impatient, very well I shall tell you or better still why don’t I show you?”

His eyes gave a slight pulse of colour and his horn came alive, crackling black energy pulsing along it. Twilight felt something touch her mind, a dormant force that began to stir as Sombra continued his spell. She shook her head the touch becoming a tingle and the tingle spreading slowly down her spine. As it did she jumped sharply and wrenched herself back into the moment. Sombra’s spell stopped a moment later, the unicorn smiling at her expectantly.

“What are you playing at Sombra?!” she demanded, once again glaring at the pony in front of her.

“Playing at? I wasn’t doing anything, why? Did you feel something?” he replied with a smirk.

“A tingle in my mind, don’t try to play dumb, you were trying to cast some kind of mind control spell on me weren’t you?”

“Mind control spell?” Sombra gave a small chuckle, “if I wanted you bent to my will I could do it much more easily than that. No, I was simply giving the power in you a simple nudge.”

“What do you mean?”

“Still clueless, I see.”

Sombra again raised a hoof to his head and gently scratched behind his ear.

“Very well, you wish to know what alicorn magic really is?” he asked slowly as an oppressive feeling began to bear down on Twilight like a freight train in the night, “this is alicorn magic.”

Without warning Sombra’s horn sprung to life once more, his eyes lighting up a green colour that was even brighter than before. All around him a dark mist began to arise, tendrils snaking off into the space surrounding him as behind him a large set of black feathered wings fluttered into view. Twilight didn’t know what to think, the scene was actually both incredible and yet terrifying at the same time. It felt like her very soul was being drawn out and held at Sombra’s mercy. She could feel the same tingling returning to her mind, the sensation slowly spread across her body and this time she could do nothing to stop it. The tingle started to burn, Twilight feeling like her nerves were on fire as she tried desperately to speak.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started it stopped. The tingling vanished and the burning sensation became a cool massage like a summer’s breeze at high noon. She felt herself relaxing, almost falling asleep before she managed to blink and clear her mind. As she did all the feelings stopped and she was returned to normal. In front of her Sombra had also returned to his previous form, the wings and tendrils nowhere to be seen.

Twilight tried to make sense of it. She had sensed what the magic Sombra had used was, the very same she had used to defeat his traps in the Crystal Empire. But Celestia had said that magic was evil, formed from hatred and fear. How could that be alicorn magic? It couldn’t be could it? Celestia had always cared about her subjects, there was no way that hatred and fear could be behind everything she did.

“I see you are beginning to understand,” commented Sombra as Twilight looked up at him, “Alicorn magic, the magic that Celestia and Luna both wield...is the darkest power known to Equestria.”

“No, no that can’t be true...”

“And why can’t it be true Twilight? Because your beloved Princess Celestia is involved? The same Celestia that is now moments away from ending your existence? Could such a loving and caring leader do that to a pony without hesitation? No, I’ve seen the truth. When I became Celestia’s student I happened to learn what alicorn magic really was completely by accident. I overheard them talking, the sisters planning their next move and ultimately the fate that I myself was destined to endure. You see, they might use the dark powers of this world but they do not control them. They cannot bring themselves to use the full power they are capable of wielding.”

Sombra gave a gruff sound, obviously disgusted at the notion, “When I found out what they had in store for me I was terrified and yet at the same time I was furious. To hear such words from a ruler I thought was all loving and benevolent; it showed me the true meaning of this world. So I played along, I studied hard and did as I was told but always I was watchful. When it was finally time for my own ascension I was ready, they made me an alicorn, a conduit to the dark powers they feared so much, and in that moment I struck.”

“I opened my heart to the darkness, I welcomed it into my being, and it replied. It was an experience like no other, the raw unbridled power I felt...it was intoxicating. I think I surprised both of them with my actions and I would have killed them both there and then had it not been for intervention of that accursed Starswirl.”

“Starswirl?” interrupted Twilight suddenly.

“Yes, Starswirl the Beared, a great and powerful unicorn himself...but no match for me in that moment. Even so he held me off long enough for the sisters to escape. They ran Twilight, they ran from the power I wielded.”

Sombra smirked, reviling in the memories he was retelling.

“I knew that time was short though and I had but one chance to make my move. I took the Crystal Empire, the source of all love and good will in Equestria, and twisted it to my will. The dark powers reacted and had it not been for Celestia and Luna interference I would have succeeded in drowning Equestria in a sea of misery and sorrow. But alas the sisters saw it fit to reveal their weapon against such occurrences, the Elements of Harmony. It goes to show how much they despised their true power that they were able to wield them. I was defeated as I’m sure you know already, but darkness cannot so easily be overcome.”

“But...when you returned we stopped you again and...”

“Ah yes, I will say one thing Twilight, your use of alicorn magic during that time was most impressive indeed…it almost seemed like it was natural for you.”

“Don’t push me Sombra! I defeated you once and I can…”

“Ah but you didn’t,” interrupted Sombra, “You may have retrieved the Crystal Heart with the help of your dragon friend but it was Cadence that activated it and tossed me back into the void! If it hadn’t been for her spell shielding the Empire you would not have had time to accomplish your task and the kingdom would have fallen. Credit where it is due…and you may be interested to know that if it wasn’t for Cadence you wouldn’t exist in your current form at all.”

“What are you…?”

“Celestia and Luna both knew I would return eventually, they may have banished me but they could not defeat me. So they made the perfect defence, an alicorn who was not affected by the dark powers, an alicorn whose magic was the complete opposite of my own power. But there in lay the problem, such an alicorn couldn’t be used as a sacrifice…so they needed another…and you fitted that bill nicely as we have both seen.”

“You’re…you’re lying!”

“Yes Twilight I am lying, nothing I have said is true, it was all a clever plan to make you my willing subject,” replied Sombra, his eyes burning right into her, “You can’t deny it doesn’t make sense. Your beloved Princess doesn’t care about you; she’s shown that in quite glorious fashion already. She will end your life in order to seal away the power she fears and then move on. You are nothing more than a vessel. They create alicorns like us to serve as living sacrifices in order to bind their own magical power.”

Twilight was hunched on the floor, her front hooves clasped over her ears in a desperate attempt to shut out Sombra’s words. It couldn’t be true, Celestia would never do that to her…she was like a second mother to her. And yet whilst her emotions battled on her analytical brain went into overdrive. Everything Sombra had said made sense. She ran over everything in her mind trying desperately to find a fault, a loophole, some sort of non sequitur that could unravel his whole story…but nothing appeared. Everything was perfect, everything made sense.

She swallowed hard, her breathing quickening as she began to realise the truth. Her whole life had been a lie, an ideal fantasy constructed around her to hide the truth that lay behind it. The pony she trusted more than any other in her life had lied to her, moulded her into this form for nothing other than her own preservation. She felt a growing anger boiling inside her, an inferno she couldn’t control.

She looked up at Sombra, the unicorn, or rather alicorn, looking back at her with a knowing expression. He stepped forwards, offering a hoof towards her. For a moment Twilight looked at it, a faint glimmer of disgust passing across her face, before slowly reaching forwards and accepting the hoof. Helping her back to her hooves again Sombra gave a small smile.

“You have a choice Twilight Sparkle,” he said slowly, “You can either keep your faith in your false Princess and die by her hoof…or I can help you obtain a power that will not only save your life but will elevate you beyond that of anypony in the world.”

Twilight looked back at him, her expression firm and decisive.

“…I choose…”

Comments

[Nocturnal Soul]

Damn it >< Why did you cut it at this moment ?
Now, i really want to see the next chapter, and know what Twilight chose.
Arf u.u nevermind, i'll wait, but it's killing me.
See you soon