Dark Crystal Fires - Book One: Child of Shadows

by Hail King Sombra

Dark Crystal Fires - Book One: Child of Shadows

"Build a bridge between the worlds,
With blood you do not have.
With Luna's moon and life's last gasp
Your chances will be had."

~ a nursery rhyme based on Prophecies of the Umbrum

Deep underneath the frozen wastes of the North, whispers moved in the dark. Everywhere else in Equestria and beyond, shadows did not speak, had no life but what was given them by the movements of the creatures they belonged to.

These Shadows were different.

They moved, they had life, were the second things to be born into the world after light. Be that a story for another time, the Shadows in our tale held counsel, spoke of the dank, filthy prison they had been cast into, mourning the loss of their life and freedom above in the cool, clean air of the world.

Tua, the latest Umbrum Queen, was bitter and angry, desperate to escape the wretchedness of their existence. She was clever and it was not for nothing she had earned the respect of the others as their leader.

There was a way, she told them, a chance they could escape with careful planning and patience. In the world above, a delegation of ponies on their way to the Crystal Empire had died in the cold wastes above, right at the entrance to their prison. Even now, a wild pack of animals feasted on the carcasses, blood staining the snow and the crystal set to guard the Shadow Prison entrance. This life-giving force of ponyfolk was slowly dripping into their realm, unencumbered by the magical locks, and could be used by them for one chosen Shadow to escape and seek a way to liberate the others.

They had already chosen their champion – not the strongest of them, nor the eldest or cleverest, but the only one that had even a wisp of a Shadow's chance to make it. A tiny child, Tua's grandson, would probably be the last Umbrum born, so depleted was their own life force. When there were protests, she explained that only young, new life was able to bond to the blood for Tua's brilliant, mad scheme to work.

The infant was brought to them by his mother, Sharia, who kissed him tenderly before passing him to Tua. She shook her head at his tiny, weak cry. Poor thing would not survive without this chance and though it was certain this plan would mean his mother and Tua would not see him for a very long time, the sacrifice was necessary.

Tua, her daughter Sharia and the Shadow Council went to the prison entrance with their precious charge, seeking out the base of the crystal where the blood had been seeping in from.

Another Shadow whispered to Tua. “There hassss been nooo drip forrrr a while nowwww, Mother. I fearrrr...”

“Looooook!” one cried, floating up to a spot in the ceiling, bobbing excitedly.

A bare trickle, one of the last drops, gathered. Tua took the infant and floated close, waiting. The magical barrier, so close to the entrance here, sent a buzzing sensation through her, made her want to flee. She endured it, when yet another problem arose.

The child, so weak, mewled pitifully, its efforts to stay cohesive and alive threatened by the barrier itself. If Tua could have cried, she would have. Cried for her grandson, cried for her people. Had centuries not been enough punishment -

The drop fell, catching faint slivers of Luna's moonlight on its way downwards towards the child. Tua tensed, concentrating all her smoky essence as thickly as she could underneath him, hoping if some of the blood clung to her, she could pass it on to the babe.

A wave of fear washed through the air as the assembled Shadows saw the little essence go limp as the crystal-infused pony's blood sent a small, magical spark through the babe upon contact. Had Tua made a horrible miscalculation? Crystals reflected light, was infused with energy...was it possible it was too -

The child grew too hot to hold, forcing the Shadow Queen to yelp and shrink back. Then the light came, the terrifyingly painful light that drove her and the others back into the deep, dark sanctuary of the cave. Her daughter's scream only a whisper, it was heart-breaking to hear just the same.

When the light faded, they swarmed back, quivering. The infant was gone!

A soft sound that was not a Shadow, stirred the cave drafts below them. There, on the cold ground, lay the source of the sound. Tua and her daughter floated closer. It was a small foal, a male, with a coat of smoke shadow grey.

“Pleasssseeee beeee an Earth Poooonnnyyy,” Tua prayed aloud. Earth ponies were the strongest of the three types – Shires, Clydesdales and the breathtakingly beautiful Fresiens the largest of the Earths...any of them would have the best chance to survive the frigid tundra above until one of the patrols came by and saw him.

They waited until the sleeping child stirred enough more of his features came to view. No tiny wings graced his back...good. The Council saw his build was sturdy as well and the new, strong aura of life that radiated from him sent their small, whispery voices excitedly chittering through their empty realm.

But there was something wrong with his head, his mother noted. If only she had flesh hands to caress him with, see what -

The child stirred again, ebony hair parting just enough to expose a tip of crimson bone.

“He isssss hurt!” someshadow whispered sadly. “The fall...poor child!”

“No,” his Sharia whispered, brushing his cheek with her smoky essence. “Not a fallll...not all Earth Pony...Uuuunicccooorrrnnn!”

The little one, hearing the soft, familiar whisper of his mother in his ear, opened his sleepy eyes. There were murmurs and exhalations as they beheld the soft glow of crimson crystal its depths.

“Myyyy childdd,” she swirled around him. Fascinated by her movement, how different it looked from what he remembered, he reached out a hoof to touch her. She flowed over and around him with a sensation no longer warm, but chilly to his new flesh. Curiosity lit up his crystal-red eyes. “You will saaaveee us...my darling...my Sombraaaaa...”

Author's Note:

Dedicated to all the King Sombra fans out there - and there are a lot more of us than anyone (even The King himself) realizes. Also, there's not enough CUTE, baby Sombra to go around!

Hope you enjoy. I love constructive feedback. If you catch any typos. please DM me with them and I'll fix them straight away.

Comments

[Grekoy]

I like it.

[Hail King Sombra]

6773302 Heh, thanks! Oh Squee, another LunaXSombra shipper. ME TOO! Stay tuned and set your browser to stalk THIS story and me as they are a hot item in the chapters to come. Have one of my fav pics of their ship:
pre03.deviantart.net/a4e4/th/pre/f/2015/170/4/f/shadows_and_nights_by_roselinath-d8xy69l.png

[punzil504]

You've got my attention...

[Hail King Sombra]

6773438 and you have my thanks! Please don't hesitate to hit that friendly upvote button whenever you think its deserving. See ya round!

[Grekoy]

6773399 that picture is great.

[Tale Weaver]

Interesting beginning. I'd like to see where this goes.

[Cerulean Voice]

I might have to keep an eye on you. Your style's a little rough, but... hm. You remind me of how I used to write. That must be it.

Also, please continue this. It's not a bad first effort. Not bad at all.

edit: error fixed.

[Hail King Sombra]

6774029 A threat, er promise of stalking? Ooooo...*shiver!* Reminds me of how My King traveled a thousand miles to wipe out the Marazon race just to possess my prophetic power. There's hardly a better compliment to be had!

Nyx? This is MY stalker. Get out out of here and get your own! *shoves my alter ego off to the side*

Sorry about that...she's a little fiery when she thinks she's gathered new followers for our King and he'll be pleased. But then, that's another day we both get to live, so it probably is something to celebrate!

Seriously, though, Cerulian, thank you so much for the vote of confidence. I like you think it's a rough style. The Umbrum have it pretty rough down there...no running water, public bathrooms and the pizza guy always freezes to death before he finds the front door at the crystal entrance *sigh*. I wanted this one to be rough and harsh 'cause they've cornered the market on misery and no more options in that hell-hole, so it fit.

I am definitely continuing this - I've been writing like a mad pony possessed ever since I got bit by the Sombra bug - since around the first of November this year. He's HOT and HEAVY in my blood - I wake up with story ideas, I drive to work risking life and limb dictating 'em into my cellphone. I can't even exist lately without a new scene and/or idea popping between my ears and by our hated enemy Celestia, that is SO making life worth living right now!

As to your sharp observation of something so basic slipping my mind - I don't know whether to die of laughter or embarrassment right now, LMFAO! FACEHOOF! FACEHOOF! FACEHOOF! FACEHOOF! FACEHOOF! FACEHOOF! FACEHOOF! FACEHOOF! FACEHOOF!

There - it's out of my system. FIxed it, thank you for pointing that out and preventing further humiliation for all three of us - me, my mad seeress to his Majesty self and Our King.

Hail King Sombra!

[Hail King Sombra]

6773717 Which? Sleeping Sombra? Oh HELL YEAH! punzil did an AMAZEBALLS job on him. There's a whole series of cute, sleeping anything and everypony we could possibly be in to, but then, punzil's so talented he/she could make anything look cute...vermin, Tirek, the scum in the public bathrooms in the Umbrum prisons...

Nyx? I hope that was not a reference to them needing effort to make me cute.

Uh oh, me and my mouth...'cuse me while I prostrate myself and do damage control...

"My King, I thought you wanted to be hated and feared, not thought of as cute?"

Sombra pauses, thinking about this. "Hmmm...good point. You may continue."

*phew!* Close one. Anyhoof...go check out punzil's other cute attacks on Deviant Art at http://punzil504.deviantart.com/. And take some insulin to dial down the diabetic shock to your blood sugar while there.

[Grekoy]

6774300 I was talking about the picture of Luna and sombra

[Hail King Sombra]

6776002 Ah, gotcha! There is something uniquely beautiful about that one to me... how peaceful and serene they both look.

I have this idea for a similar look in an illo that would be set up like Luna and Celestial circling each other on the Equestrian flag, but it would be Luna and Sombra, the backdrop the stained glass window in his inner sanctum in the SFS Studio video, "Fall of the Crystal Empire". It would symbolize their one-on-one battle as Celestial lay helpless, possessed by Sombra's shadow power. If only I could draw...

[Cupcakes03]

I love baby Sombra!

[Ice Star]

Yay! Another Sombra writer!

[Hail King Sombra]

6777302 YES! Baby Sombra is SO CUTE!!!

[Hail King Sombra]

6956619 Welcome!!! Heh, I could say the same thing!!! As Evehly calls us, Dirty Sombra Plebes! Pixel_Spark is also a Sombraphile as well. She did the AWESOMETASTIC cover to my story Frozen Shadows, writes an AWESOME Sombra AND JUST TONIGHT whipped up a sketch for a sequel to The King's Gift which will be a future comedy story about Sombra's Heats n Hooves date with Nyx.

Life doesn't get much better than this, my friend!!!

[Ice Star]

6957945

Although I also love Luna...she is best pony after all!