A Somber Appearance

by Black Hailstorm

Chapter 1

A Curse In The Form of A Virus

Magic. There are many types of magic. Each and everyone different and having various categories under it. These are the following forms of magic known to Equestria: dark magic, harmonious magic, chaos magic, and ancient magic. Along with these different types of magic there are different uses for each type as well as different classes of magic that every being on Equus can use.

These classes of magic are called tiers. Tiers range from 1-5.

Tier one magic is magic that can be used by virtually any unicorn, pegasus, or earth pony according to their natural abilities and strengths. It’s main factor is innate ability. Pegasi are able to control the weather. Unicorn’s are able to lift things with their magic and move them around, this is an example of tier one magic. Earth ponies are generally good with land. This is an example of tier one magic. All tier one magic focuses on natural ability of each race with the exception of alicorns and other magically gifted or more potent beings.

Then there is tier two magic and beyond.

Tier two magic involves the manipulation of many artifacts at the same time or in intervals. A unicorn having the capability to not only use their magic for their special talent but also use it for other things like teleportation, the enhancement of their own special talent or even the ability to manipulate a myriad of objects all fall under tier two magic. Unicorns that are skilled with freely expanding their magical capability will be able to manipulate a multiple amount of things at the same or different times without much effort. This tier level of magic doesn’t necessarily require a unicorn to have large reserves of magic.

Tier three magic is based more off of skill than how well one is able to manipulate multiple objects at will. The primary skill unicorns need to have is not only magic but also creativity. Unicorns capable of adapting their magic to be used in different forms, like a levitation spell that could be used to keep an object afloat or other ponies, can be reversed into a gravitation spell with the right tweakage and correction of formula or procedure in which the spell is cast. However ponies will need to have enough stamina and a larger reserve of magic than the average unicorn.

Dark magic falls under this quite well, as it can be used to instill fear on it’s victims yet also can be a curse if disrespected and used without caution.

Tier four magic revolves around power and raw power alone, with only a few combinations of tiers three and two. Unicorns with unnaturally high levels of magical potential and will fit this tier. Tier four level magic focuses solely more on power and how it is used. A strong factor in tier four level magic is based off the strength of the will of the unicorn and the supply of magic they are able to use and regain within a short period of time.

Finally there is tier five magic. Alicorn magic; a combination of all five tier types into one. This category of magic belongs to-

“Sombra!” a voice called into the library.

A dark grey unicorn slowly lifted his head from the book he had been reading. Approaching him was a crystal stallion, with a light maroon coat and grey mane with green highlights. The crystal stallion wore the traditional armor of the crystal empire, as he trotted with some haste in his step towards the unicorn who had been so absorbed in reading his book on the different forms of magic that he hadn’t even heard his name get called the first eight times.

“Sombra, I’ve been calling you for the past five minutes what have you been doing in here?!” the crystal pony asked with annoyance.

“Reading. You know as well as I, Bright Sight that I always spend my time reading. I was also trying to learn if there was any magical relation to the recent illness that has affected the few of our nation. Anyway, are they here?”

Bright Sight nodded. “Princess Luna and Princess Celestia are indeed here. They are currently talking with our princess as we speak. They have summoned you to see if you have learnt anything new, but judging from what you’ve just said” Bright’s voice slowly dropping to a more quiet tone.

“I’m guessing you have found nothing. Is that right?”

Sombra nodded solemnly. “Yes, sadly I have been unsuccessful in locating the illness that has affected a small section of our population. I suppose for now we should meet the princesses so I can report my findings so far.”

Lifting the pile of books that had surrounded him the unicorn stacked all four hundred thousand, two hundred and twenty-nine books he had been reading, to find a cure for this ailment, in their respective shelves before turning to the Crystal guard.

“Ready?” Bright Sight asked.

“Always” Sombra stated following the unicorn out of the library.

The two unicorns exited the Crystal Library, both making their way towards the palace that lacked proper security, since some guards had to return home due to their families being ill or they themselves being ill.

As Sombra passed he noticed how empty the streets of the glorious empire was. Only a few crystal ponies outside and even fewer were near the castle as the studious unicorn and crystal guard made their way into the castle.

This illness is more of a mystery than I thought.

---

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the diarchy of Equestria sat in comfortable seats brought to them by a group of unicorns in front of the current princess of the Crystal Empire; Pristine Heart.

Pristine Heart, a pegasus with a plum coat, pink mane with light cerulean highlights and sapphire eyes, sat in her own thrown in silence. A sense of both relief and nervousness gripping at her since the appearance of her superiors.

It had been only three days since this catastrophe all began. At first she’d only assumed it was a cold or fever, the only real sign being a small cough which later turned into a fever. But as the hours had passed and those hours became days the ruler had learnt quite quickly that what now ailed her people was not a minor illness, but something completely different altogether.

“Princess Pristine” the regal yet kind voice of Celestia called gently. Pristine lifted her eyes to look at the princess of the sun, still lost in her own thoughts.

“Princess Pristine?” Celestia said again noticing the slightly wandering look in the pegasi’s eyes.

Pristine Heart’s eyes came back into focus, Celestia smiling at her as she did so. “Please tell us while we wait for your scholar and guard to return what exactly it is that ails this town.”

“Perhaps we may be able to offer our own help” Luna suggested.

Pristine Heart nodded, looking at the two guards in the room guarding the exit she said “You may leave us. Allow Sombra and Captain Bright Sight in once they reach the throne room doors.”

The two guards nodded and exited. Once they were gone and Celestia and Luna had dismissed their own guards the crystal princess cleared her throat and began speaking of what she knew and the information the medical teams had gathered.

“Three days ago one of our civilians returning from a recent journey from Baltimare fell ill with what we had originally thought to be a cold or flu.”

“What were the symptoms at the time?” Celestia asked.

“The usual. Runny nose, cough, a few shivers here and there, sneezing and dreariness.”

“We do not see the problem if this ailment is nothing but a cold, Princess Pristine” Luna stated somewhat strictly.

“That’s just it princess. It was what we had originally thought it to be. A few hours afterwards our civilian came out of her short-lived cold feeling much better. Three hours later I was given reports that several other ponies nearby this mare had gotten the same illness.”

“And what of the mare who had recovered?”

Pristine Heart took a deep breath before sighing. “Emergency room.”

Silence.

“I’m sorry what?” Celestia said with disbelief.

“The mare who had recovered from her cold, Flitter Spark, about half an hour later of recovery had suddenly lost all color in her coat and mane, grown extremely weak to the point that movement was painful to her and her personality had taken a complete 180 degree flip.”

Neither sisters said a word. Luna shifted in her seat before speaking once again, “Continue.”

Pristine Heart nodded.

“A day later the same ponies that had been in her presence showed much later signs of their own ailments doing anything to them. Meaning, after they recovered it took much longer for the complete effect of the sickness to take effect and by then those same ponies had come in contact with different equines throughout the majority of the day.”

Luna’s horn immediately gained a glow before a translucent bubble formed around her then disappeared completely out of view.

Both the other princesses looked at her, but Luna maintained her serious expression from the blank stares she was receiving.

“If contact is all it takes then I refuse to be infected by such thing.”

Celestia understanding her sister’s point, nodded and turned her attention back to the crystal princess. She’d already casted a health bubble spell ahead of time.

Pristine Heart continued, “Two days into this ailment and there have no longer been signs of a cold showing. Just gradual personality deterioration and increased lack of energy.”

“Medical reports?” Celestia asked after a few seconds of thought.

Pristine Heart frowned shaking her head. “Useless, none of the skilled doctors of this empire have been able to find anything within the bloodstream of the sick equines. And what’s worse our medical staff is quickly deteriorating.”

“Did they not get protection before examination was begun?” Luna asked.

“That’s the strange thing. They did. Yet they were still infected with the virus. A quarter of the populace has already been infected and the numbers grow by the second. Before you two came in I got a hundred more reports of ponies falling under the same illness.”

Celestia and Luna exchanged looks before the older of the two talked. “Have you gone through the various cures and applied them?”

Pristine Heart nodded. “We’ve tried that.”

“Every single one?” Luna asked.

Pristine Heart nodded.

The room fell with a heavy silence. Neither of the sisters sure of what exactly this new virus meant, but knew one thing. If the ponies of Crystal Empire were getting infected by this virus then they had to make sure not a single pony traveled to the other countries of Equestria. For fear of such an incurable virus spreading would cause nothing but mayhem.

A few more seconds of silence before Luna broke it. “Sister...is it possible Discord could have-”

“No” Celestia said firmly. “Discord may have done a lot of things but something like this...” Celestia’s ears wilted and her eyes were filled for a brief moment doubt. Doubt which she immediately cleared from her solid resolve in a matter of seconds.

“No Luna. He couldn’t have done it. Even if he did all his magic would have been purged when we used the Elements of Harmony. He couldn’t have been the cause of this.”

Pristine Heart remained silent, obviously concerned by the current talk that had just went through her throne room. The mare had been ruling the empire for the past nine years ever since the last ruler of the empire’s passing, declaring her as the new ruler and the Crystal Heart had accepted her as such. Now after nine long years of hard work, everything was about to go out of control because of some silly unknown virus!

Pristine Heart had begun to sweat lightly, and as she did so the mare began to nervously tap her hoof against the diamond crystalline structure that was her floor in order to calm down. All while maintaining a calm disposition.

Almost entire incapacity of her nation had built a huge amount of stress on her in the past three days, and now only one thing was running through her mind.

Where is Sombra?!

The throne room doors flew open the sound of hooves clicking against the crystal sheet floors.

“Sorry we’re late Your Highness, getting Sombra took much longer than I thought” Bright Sight said with a bow.

“Thank you Bright Sight. You are dismissed, till further notice.”

The crystal guard nodded and rose, muttering a few greetings to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna before trotting off. As Bright Sight left the throne room he whispered something to Sombra then shut the doors behind him with a glow of his horn.

Sombra now stood in the presence of three princesses, however he was not nervous or worried in the slightest in being in the presence of royalty. As a scholar and one of the most well educated unicorns in the Crystal Empire he had been called upon many of times in the presence of the princess of his empire and had long since grown resilient to the presence of royalty, especially since he himself was of some noble lineage.

“Sombra” Princess Celestia said beckoning to come to the center of the room “Please come closer.” Doing as such Sombra moved to the center so all three princesses could see him.

Looking over to Pristine Heart Sombra waited till he was given the order to be allowed to speak. Princess Pristine nodded and with a wave of his hoof the scholar began.

“I have checked the Crystal Empire records, all historic facts related to illnesses in Equestria during both the Serene Era, where Princesses Celestia and Luna took control after the defeat of the master of chaos, and have looked in the Chaos Era, to see if any ailment of such a form has affected the equines of this nation or any other nation outside of Equestria before.”

“And what were you able to find?” the pegasus princess asked hopefully.

“Nothing” Sombra said frankly. “The past offered no information to an illness of this caliber and there are certainly no such forms of medical cures or procedures that can be taken for it. That I currently was able to locate or know of.”

Princess Pristine’s wings that had been raised in hope now sagged in defeat. The pegasus placed both hooves on her head sighing heavily, stress starting to take it’s toll on her from how her wings twitched.

Princess Luna turned her attention to the stallion before them. “There has been no record of this disease anywhere in Equestrian history.”

“That is correct, Princess” Sombra stated.

“And you have checked all that the library has to offer?” Celestia asked with a raised brow.

Sombra said nothing at this. For he had not truly checked all records and entries the archive had to offer. For just as he assumed Canterlot’s library has forbidden sections and wings that aren’t aloud to be entered so does the Crystal Empire. A certain part of the Empire’s library located on the east wing is forbidden to enter by non-royal members. He’d been told by the librarian the reason behind that was because there were books related to powerful ancient and dark magic in the East Wing that nopony aside from the ruler of the Crystal Empire was aloud to see.

This had bothered Sombra greatly but he’d said nothing.

“Sombra” Luna’s voice called driving him out of his thoughts.

Sombra looked up at the dark alicorn. “Yes Your Majesty?”

"Have you checked all the library has to offer?” Luna repeated her sister’s question with some stress.

Sombra took a second to respond. Would it make a difference even if I said no? The East Wing is forbidden entrance, there’s no way I would be allowed to enter that section of the archive.

He shook his head. “No...I have not. There is a part of the archive I haven’t been able to check due to it’s forbidden entrance.”

Princess Pristine’s ears perked up at this, peering at Sombra from her hooves the pegasus cleared her throat to break the silence that had now occupied the almost empty throne room.

“I grant you permission.”

Sombra’s ears perked up at this, a feeling of excitement for the new depths of knowledge he’d be able to find while at the same time an opportunity for him to find a way to save his people sang in his head.

“Sombra , I, Princess Pristine Heart of the Crystal Empire, hereby grant you access to the East Wing and all other forms of information available in the archives.”

At that moment a feeling of joy spread within Sombra. A form of jubilation he had not expressed since discovering his very own cutie mark which was a symbolic representation of how dedicated he was to the Crystal Empire. And also a representation of his very own magical talent.

“Thank you princess” Sombra said bowing his head and forcing down any signs of the strong joy he currently felt. “I will do my best to find a cure, for now I will need a few days, to find the best sources to gather the necessary information.”

Pristine Heart nodded and rose from her seat, looking at the other two princesses who had also risen from their own seats.

“Well then. With this I suppose our meeting is adjourned” Princess Celestia stated. “Sombra, be sure you report any findings to all three of us immediately. And Princess Pristine Heart, I’m sure you know what we will have to do in the meantime to make sure this pestilence doesn’t become a pandemic case.”

Princess Pristine Heart nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. “Do what you see fit Your Highness, we will see what we can do from our end.

“As will we” Princess Luna stated, placing a reassuring on the pegasi’s shoulder.

With the meeting over and all said and done, Sombra and the princess watched the sovereigns leave the throne room, in silence.

Sombra turned his attention to the princess after the regal sisters had left. Noticing how tired she looked now.

It was sad really. So much stress was currently being put on her shoulders and she had no one to help her aside from the guards and her trusted servant and his friend Radiant Hope.

And speak of the devil, the exact unicorn came trotting into the throne room doors a few seconds after the sisters departure.

“Princess” Radiant Hope said trotting into the room carrying another stack of papers.

Pristine Heart sighed. “More casualties?” she asked in almost a groan. Radiant Hope nodded sadly. “Correct.”

Another sigh.

“Put them on my desk, I will attend to them shortly” she stated getting up from her throne. Turning her attention to Sombra who was now lost in his own thoughts of what he should begin searching in the pegasus tapped her hoof on the ground twice to gain his attention.

Sombra looked at her with an apologetic smile. “Apologies, I was lost in-” Pristine Heart raised a hoof for silence.

Sombra did as such.

“Sombra. You may be the only one that I can trust to find and figure out a cure for what is affecting our people. And if we are unable to find a cure within the next few days before it has spread far, then the princesses will have no choice but to quarantine the entire empire.”

The scholar froze at these words. Quarantine all of the Crystal Empire? Isn’t that a bit much? But in reality Sombra knew this was reasonable, to save the rest of the world from suffering from such an illness measures needed to be taken.

And if their country, his home needed to be cut off from the rest of the world in order to preserve the safety of others than...so be it.

A spark of determination burnt within Sombra’s heart as he nodded at the princess’s words. “Don’t worry princess” he said with a confident smile as he made his way towards the door. “I promise you I will find a cure to this virus before anything of the sort can happen.”

Princess Pristine Heart smiled hopefully at Sombra’s words. Hopping that the unicorn would be able to find something that would be able to save the empire before it was too late.

Sombra left the throne room that afternoon to head into the library and finish his studies in the South Wing before he would finally go to the East and see what was there that it had to offer.

That day he left with confidence.

---

What time was it? Sombra thought to himself. He’d fallen asleep in a pile of the books he’d been reading, several different books based off of past events that led to a certain illness. three other books open based on magic strong enough to cure such an illness;

All nine books in total yielding nothing.

Getting up Sombra clicked his dry tongue over the roof of his mouth. He hadn’t eaten much in the past day nor had he stepped outside of the library since entering.

He currently had no idea what was happening outside the library, nor had anypony come in here once since he’d been in here after the meeting had ended.

It was...unsettling.

A unknown virus that wasn’t killing anyone but just weakening them. Crippling them. Changing them. It was like a spell he had read in a dark arts book once how a unicorn with enough magical power could strip a pony of their abilities. Doing so would result in dire consequences to the victim.

Of course Sombra had originally thought this was that same spell just being used as a form of disease. But when he had checked on the multiple victims, his friends, and even the doctors that had fallen to the illness none of them had lost a single cutie mark. They just looked extremely weak, tired, lifeless almost on a few occasions.

And in pain.

Sombra trotted towards the library’s exit. Expecting to see the librarian at her post only to see the desk empty.

He frowned. Has she been infected as well?

One of the things Sombra had noticed is that the virus in it’s earliest of stages during the first day of it’s arrival in the Crystal Empire was that it had shown the signs of being nothing but a cold. Cough, sneeze, etc. The princess had most likely told Princess Celestia and Princess Luna the same thing.

Later on as it developed, the virus with no name, soon showed no signs of a cold. Anypony that was infected would be fine, probably showing small signs of weakness or lack of energy which would only be normal for hard working equines of the crystal empire.

What Sombra now knew was that this virus's main purpose was to weaken and break a pony. All patients so far expressed pain whenever they tried to move, in worse cases there had been few who shortly after going through a personality defect, slipped into comas shortly after.

The most common personality defect was one of a silence that seemed to creepily effect more than half the victims of this strange disease, Sombra noted as he looked through some of the notes he’d left at one of tables.

“They never say a word, just remain silent and stare at you with sadness that knows no limits” Doctor Pep Sprite had stated in one of his notes, before falling ill to the very same sickness he’d been trying to cure.

Sombra sighed, getting up and looking out the dome glass ceiling. It was sunny outside, but as to what day it was he had not a clue.

I suppose I should check and see what’s going on outside. A glow emanating from his horn as the doors gently creaked open.

Taking a step outside Sombra’s ears twitched.

Silence.

It gripped at Sombra like a cold hand the size of a full grown dragon, that held him tightly in it's claw. There was not a single soul present in the entirety of this space. Not even the guards that had been guarding the castle gates were present.

Doubt wormed it’s way in the scholar’s mind. His eyes narrowing as he took into consideration what could have happened to everyone.

So he did a round. Moving around the homes and work spaces of every building in the area Sombra did a clean inspection to see if anypony was home or within their working grounds, anypony that hadn’t been infected at least.

Not a single building, work display or other for of business was open. All were closed.

His eyes narrowed, his brows furrowed, Sombra looked around once more taking in just how empty the city was.

It was time he pay a visit to the hospital.

---

Five hundred.

That was the number of equines that currently filled only one of the Crystal Empire’s most prestige hospitals. Medical staff and civilian alike all falling under the strange effects of this illness.

None dying, just laying there. Weak, useless, unable to do anything but lay there either in silence. Brooding over something that no one could tell or even begin to understand. It was disturbing, unsettling to Sombra at most as he trotted through the corridor and peered through the two way glass.

Bright Sight stood beside one of the doors at the end of the corridor, looking a little weak himself.

“Well well, look who decided to show up after almost two days of seclusion.”

That long? Sombra thought. He shook his head and smiled weakly at his friend. “Is there a reason you’re guarding this particular room?” he asked.

Bright Sight’s mild grin faded in surprise. “You haven’t heard?”

Sombra cocked a brow in confusion, his head slightly tilted to the side. “Heard what?”

Bright Sight sighed, his coat only seeming to lose more color as he did so. “I can’t believe no one told you- Well...I guess I can’t blame them since there are seven guards left in the entire kingdom and-”

“Wait” Sombra said with a raised hoof. “What?!”

Bright Sight nodded. “There’s only seven guards left, myself included. While you were studying, searching for a cure. The princess ended up getting infected by one of the guards shortly before he submitted his own entry into one of the other hospitals. Princess Pristine Heart and Radiant Hope are in this room right here, two of the other guards who have been infected but are showing signs of fighting the virus are guarding them as we speak.

“I’m probably the only guard left that hasn’t been as infected as the others” Bright Sight sighed sadly.

Sombra couldn’t believe his ears. In a short span of two days or maybe it was one and a half- it didn’t really matter, the virus had spread from a quarter of the population, to nearly the entire populace.

“Anyway” Bright Sight’s voice said as he drew Sombra’s attention back to the present matters. “The princess wants to talk to you. Radiant Hope wants to see you as well, I suggest you make sure that you keep protected, whatever she wants to tell you it’s important so I’m glad you decided to come here.”

Noticing the slightly shocked look on Sombra’s face Bright Sight frowned, lifting a hoof and about to touch his friend on the shoulder he froze and retracted his forehoof. “Sorry, almost forgot physical contact transmits the virus. Go on inside.”

A light green aura covered Bright Sight’s horn as he stepped aside and opened the door for Sombra.

Taking a steady breath Sombra entered the room, now realizing that if this virus prospered and he remained unaffected.

He would be the last Crystal pony in all of Equestria. The last of his own, and as Sombra made his way down the small foyer then past the two guards guarding the doors to the room that now harboured the princess and his friend Sombra swore under his breath.

“I will do everything in my power to cure my people of this curse.”

Author's Note:

Originally meant to be a one-shot I'm going to stretch this out a bit. Enjoy, comments are always welcomed.