The Umbra King

by Car Cloth

Nightmares

“You promise?” Sweetie Belle demanded.

“Yes, of course,” Rarity promised absent-mindedly. She was so tired now. All that time in the Crystal Empire Library and the train cushions were so comfortable…

“I want to see at least one castle! You better not forget!”

Rarity closed her eyes, nodding slowly while trying to hush her sister. “Yeah, I promise…” she muttered again. With one slow exhale she felt herself let go of the waking world…

---

Rarity stood on the Canterlot Castle balcony, displaying her latest design for all Equestria to see. It was a perfect moment, if only she could share it with someone… She turned to her side and was pleasantly surprised to see Sombra, dressed in a regal cape and crown. Rarity knew now this was a dream. It was silly to think Sombra would care for somepony like her! What did he call her? Seamstress? He would never look at her with any sort of affection…

“Enough!”

The dreamscape vanished like a puff of smoke and Rarity was left standing by herself in a gray void. Princess Luna descended down upon her with powerful wings and stood before Rarity with a contemplative expression.

“Princess Luna!” Rarity bowed.

“I was waiting until Twilight had time but… I can see now you would be a better pony to share this information with for the time being.”

Rarity stood up and tilted her head in confusion. “What information?”

“I have seen King Sombra’s dreams and now I wish to share them with you. Perhaps it will give you the insight you need.”

“But, I-”

Before Rarity could finish, Princess Luna’s horn lit with her magic and the dreamscape shifted once again. The blinding light of the transition left Rarity momentarily blinded. When she finally blinked back the light she saw she was standing on a small piece of property on the outskirts of the Crystal Empire.

The dream played out like a silent movie before her. She watched a small family going about their day and almost immediately she knew it was Sombra’s. The father was a blacksmith and the mother a gardener. A tiny filly ran from the house, a pretty foal with a curly black mane and a lustrous gray coat. The filly reminded Rarity of Sweetie Belle…

But what ignited her curiosity the most were the two colts that exited the house after their sister. They were older than foals, but not yet fully grown, both with black coats and long black manes. The older of the two had a cutie mark: a forge hammer, much like the father. The second colt, the one Rarity knew in her heart to be Sombra, also had a cutie mark: a red and gray shield, similar to Shining Armor’s…

As if the dream were on fast-forward, the sky grew dark with clouds and soon the snow poured in. The father tried to call everypony back inside the house, but the filly was nowhere to be seen. The family searched, especially the younger Sombra, but the sun had set and soon it was difficult to see.

The Arctic Timberwolves, with their white pine bodies and stealthy movements, slipped ever closer as the family searched for the filly. Rarity watched with bated breath as they drew ever nearer without anyone noticing. When they attacked she turned away, barely able to stomach the tragedy she was experiencing.

The sound of fighting gave her hope, and she turned back to see the two brothers were fighting the wolves, trying to protect their family. Sombra… It was as though his calling in life was that of duty and protection. He fought the wolves even after he suffered terrible injuries, even after his older brother given up… Sombra wouldn’t quit, but tenacity wasn’t enough. He was still young and the wolves too powerful.

His sister appeared on the scene, unaware of the Arctic Timberwolf attack. When the wolves rushed for her, Sombra got between them and tried to fend them off. He was the only one still standing, but again, it wasn’t enough. The wolves took the filly and the meat from the bodies, leaving the still kicking Sombra to die from his grievous injuries.

Sombra collapsed in the snow, his blood staining the white all around him. As if possessed by a great determination, Sombra pulled himself forward still, trying to reach his sister and family. Rarity watched in pained grief as he managed to pull himself a far distance into the cold north, simply to try and save the last person he loved.

It was too painful to watch. She turned away, unable to process such a fate. “What a horrible thing…” she muttered aloud.

“Of course I would dream of you now…”

Rarity turned her head and saw the adult Sombra standing next to her in the dreamscape snow. He too was watching what was happening, trapped in Princess Luna’s recreation of his childhood. He watched his younger self crawl the snow with dead, unfeeling eyes.

Dreaming of me? Rarity thought. He thinks I am a dream? Did Princess Luna not tell him she would bring me here?

“I know cutie marks represent destiny,” Sombra spoke aloud, half to himself and half to Rarity. “Because I lost mine that day. My destiny was to protect the ones I cared for and… I failed them.”

The younger Sombra, too exhausted to go on, finally stopped. Snow began to cover his wounded body, and his eyes began to close ever so slowly. Rarity watched as his shield mark slowly faded into nothing…

“Why would destiny chose me to be a defender if I couldn’t even defend my own family?” Sombra wondered aloud. “Why had it given me a task I wasn’t strong enough to complete? How could destiny be so cruel? If I had only been a bit stronger…” His voice trailed off, gripped by regret and sorrow.

Suddenly the dream took a turn Rarity hadn’t been expecting. The wind parted the snow before Sombra, revealing the very tip of a red gem. It pulsed with dark magic, beckoning Sombra closer to it. Even in the dream Rarity could tell it was powerful…

“I knew then that all I needed was power… that if I had power enough I could write my own destiny… I could escape my horrid fate…” Sombra watched his younger self crawl just close enough to the gem to touch it with one hoof. “That was the day I knew that even destiny had abandoned me. I was alone. I had to be the unicorn that rewrote all of destiny… all of Equestria…”

The red gem flooded the younger Sombra with power, keeping him alive, despite his injuries, and allowing him to stand once more. The dark magic warped his unicorn horn and fangs appeared in his mouth.

“How did you become king?” Rarity asked, trying to pull away from those awful memories regarding his family.

“Only a pony with the magic to lift the crystal heart can be crowned ruler. With the power of my Nightmare Gem I managed to trick the Crystal Empire into thinking the heart had chosen me. Then I hid the heart and took the magic of the Crystal Empire as my own, making them my slaves. I needed the power of the Crystal Empire to change fate itself… I still need the empire… if I wish to change my fate…”

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Rarity said to him. “You can still recapture that passion you had. You can stay here in Ponyville. You could live here… close to me.”

The Sombra in the dream remained silent, watching his younger self. Before Rarity could plead with him further the dream ended when she felt a terrible pain on her forehead.

She jerked awake, realizing then she had fallen from her seat on the train when it had stopped.

Sweetie Belle giggled. “Are you okay, sister?”

Rarity jumped up and straightened her mane, making sure everything was in order. “Yes… Yes, of course, Sweetie Belle…”

“Are we going to the castle now?” Sweetie Belle asked. “You promised!”

“The castle? You mean Princess Twilight Sparkle’s castle?”

“Yeah! Of course! I’ve always wanted to go inside!”

Rarity slowly nodded. No turning back now.

Comments

[kniznik]

Well i guess Sombra isn't evil. Just misunderstood. This chapter does makes me wonder how citizens of Equestria feel about Luna invading privacy of their dreams.

[Gdenofa]

Luna is best dream stalker XD

Great chapter as usual!

[FinnPony]

This has been a great story this far! (I'm at chapter 4) Keep up the good work!

[ladyscythe]

I am simply enjoying this story, so much and I hope to read more of it soon. definitely looking forward to more of Rarity's encounters with King Sombra.

[FinnPony]

Ooh... Some juicy Sombraty/Raribra ahead :3

[Replica Knight]

I officially hate any type of timberwolves