The Triumphs and Demises of a Sombric War

by Michael Hudson

Lines

Celestia sipped on her tea, sitting within the grand, Canterlot throne room. She was waiting, reading battle reports from the front lines. They had mixed news, resulting in casualties, which always hurt Celestia’s soul to see. However, they were continuing to succeed in their twin missions, and so she merely had to continue waiting.

A soft slurp rang through the empty hall, just before the door at the other end opened, and a messenger pony ran up. She frowned for a moment, biting her lip ever so gently as she raised an eyebrow. It wouldn’t be impossible for this to be bad news, but she hoped it was what she was waiting for. What she had been praying for. “Yes?”

The white guardspony knelt before her, panting as his heart hammered in his chest. Looking up to the princess, sweat clouded his vision, and he brought one hoof up to swipe away the salt. He took in one more deep breath, before standing firm. “Sombra has requested an audience.”

Celestia’s whole body became stiff. While the war had been going on for many months, she had never spoken one on one with the false king. She put a hoof to her mouth, sucking in her lips as she thought. “Where is he?”

“Still besieged within Ghastly Gorge.”

“And his supply lines?”

“Still being allowed through.”

She nodded to herself, before standing up. “Thank you. I will go seek his company.” She shut her eyes, hoping that this was the day she had been waiting for, before blinking out of existence. The next moment, she stood within the encampment at the top of the gorge, surrounded by her ponies.

She looked around herself, smiling to the tired soldiers as they bowed to her. A creak brought her sight upwards, and she spotted Rainbow Dash flying to her, before the faithful commander brought a hoof up, saluting her princess. “Sombra awaits for you on a ledge between the armies. It is not made of crystal, and he has agreed to have our unicorns trained on him while you two speak. I will be joining you.”

Celestia nodded, beckoning the pegasus to the ground. Once there, she put a hoof upon Rainbow Dash, and softly smiled. “He is desperate.”

Rainbow looked beyond Celestia, and to wagons that were on the horizon, coming for their encampment. Dozens of transports, just to feed the large army that rested here. A cocky grin split over her muzzle. “I would hope so.” She turned around. “I’m ready, are you?”

Celestia breathed in, before nodding. The two began to walk through the other ponies. Every other time that she had been to camps like this, the ponies had been loud, a chorus of complaints or triumph that they wished to tell the princess, dependant on what the state of the war was. Today though, none wanted to put too much hope in her appearance. Not yet. She herself was by no means relaxed, despite what she thought may be the case.

They came to the edge of the gorge, and looked out upon the other army. The ponies at the bottom were hiding in their tents, making sure they could not be fired upon by the unicorns waiting above. On one ledge though, halfway up the cliff face, was a pony by himself in gray, steel armor, unlike the black that his army was clad in. That was her destination.

A short glide over, and she landed on the hard stone, before turning to the eyes of her adversary. The same, green eyes that had been tormenting her nation for almost a year by now. She remembered them well from a thousand years ago, and her own narrowed. “Hello, Sombra.”

He glared at her, slamming a hoof down. “Don’t act so casual with me.”

She forced back her anger, the casual nature being all that stopped her from trying to destroy him there and then. “I merely act to you with grace, something I would expect back from a fellow ruler.”

He growled ever so slightly, before nodding. “Then hello.”

“Much better.” She turned to Rainbow, who now had a constant glare affixed to Sombra. “I received word that you wished to speak to me. Here I am, so please, do allow me to know why.”

Sombra glanced away, baring his fangs a his own eyes scanned the edge of the gorge. Celestia did so out of her peripherals, but all she saw were her own soldiers. Standing there, waiting. “You won’t find help there.”

“I know!”

Celestia blinked while Sombra’s face was still only centimeters from her, before lifting a hoof, and pushing him back. “Please, you’ve been stuck here for what, a week? I would rather not gag at the moment.”

Sombra’s horn glowed, before the sparking of a dozen horns in his sight stopped him. “Why do you mock me?”

Celestia met his gaze head on, and said, “Because you are dead already. This is merely a formality.”

His shoulders slumped, before Sombra leaned back, getting away from the princess. “You… you don’t know that.”

Celestia shook her head, before looking to Rainbow. “Would you perhaps wish to tell him what we know?”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Gladly.” She flew up, staring down Sombra as she hovered in the air. “Your sneaky supply lines have been getting through because we know that a few hay bales every few days is not enough. We’d noticed almost a month ago that you entirely strip the land that you go through, but not of just gold. In fact, you left that behind. But never food.”

Celestia stepped forward. “When you came with such a massive army to push my own back, I was curious where they had come from. I feel like a fool for having not realized sooner that you had dipped into your farmers, and thus had to limit your supplies. And when you do that, you make active soldiers starve if you can’t salvage, just like at the bottom of a deadly gorge you did not see coming.”

Sombra’s eyes dilated, before he screamed, “Don’t mock me!” His blast radiated from his horn, jet black and straight, directed straight for Celestia’s chest. She was not a fool though, and the black knife never met, stopped by a shield that was powered by love, friendship, and a better diet than the hidden ribs underneath Sombra’s armor allowed.

She looked down upon him. “You will free your soldiers right now, and I will allow you to live in a small hut in the Crystal Empire, chained to the land, by steel and magic for the rest of your life. You will be stripped of your powers so you may hurt nopony else, and set to farm, so as to remind of your failure.”

Sombra was silent for a few moments, before looking down. “And if I would rather die?”

“Then I will grant you that mercy.”

Another long pause came, before Sombra lowered his head. When no ponies came around the bend, and a growl escaped the defeated king, Rainbow Dash turned away, just as Celestia charged her horn.

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