Missing Pages & Scrawled Footnotes

by Ice Star

Part Six: Broken Youth [Lost Chapter]

Author's Note:

JUST YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPOILER WARNING IN GLARING RED TEXT TO KINDLY LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY SPOILERS IN THIS PARTICULAR CHAPTER. HAVE A NICE DAY.

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The lost chapter of Through The Snow (which you have to read to get this) featuring the one and only Right-Honourable Lord Sombra! Recovered from deep in the depths of my fanfic file folder maze, this incomplete chapter was recently finished for your enjoyment (and cause I wanted to). So have this canon bonus content posted in the scrap/bonus content story compilation.

Random Tidbit: The chapter seen here name was used for the twelfth chapter of The Company We Keep.

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Through The Snow

Teen|Tragedy|Dark|Gore

Onyx is a young crystal pony with a twisted mind and a complete lack of foresight. He relishes in the suffering others and has a a distubing chipper attitude. All this is helps conceal his absurd desire for revenge and bloodlust. When he was young Starswirl the Bearded whisked him away from the Crystal Empire with promises of being his apprentice. Years later this led to the one spell that changed Onyx's life and devastated an entire country, and much more.

Sombra is the result of that spell. A young and mysterious unicorn created by a magic almost as twisted as Onyx's mind. Unfortunately, Onyx is now and forever in his mind unable to die or age as they are locked in a constant power struggle and a journey across the Arctic that could claim both their lives should something take a tragic turn.

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Notes: In terms of chronology and similar stuff (look how official that is) Sombra is 15 years old, him and Onyx have arrived in the Crystal Empire and it has been usurped (how is literally another story) and Sombra and Onyx (but basically just Onyx because he's the axe crazy one who decided this would be cool) are now the king of the Crystal Empire. (The original note on the chapter was much less eloquent, but has been elaborated here for the sake of readers).

"R-reason one: I was superior to him from the start, so it makes sense that I'll continue to be..."

I swallowed and my gaze shifted from one star to another, all of them glittering against an indigo sky. I was lucky to get a chance to see them. I took a deep breath, hoping to calm down but it came out shaky.

I was lucky to get a chance to see anything.

"Reason two: I'm not an idiot. Idiots don't survive and I know that I will since I'm smart."

I picked out another star in the sky, faintly twinkling. I was sitting on the balcony overlooking this strange country, all was quiet below only a few flames of green-and-purple to be seen but even they were dwarfed by the moon, even though it was covered by a cloud its glow still managed to escape.

Half my world is nothing but black and I'm the only one that knows. I can't ever let it slip and I let the paranoia eat at my mind because it's the only thing that keeps me from another smug retort and whatever deplorable way I'd be maimed if Onyx discovers this.

"Reason three: I know that I'll get through this without losing myself..."

I'm stuck here whether I like it or not unable to run from anything and currently being forced into a life I never wanted while a voice in my head tries to rip me apart from the inside out. It only got worse when he forced this glorified circlet upon my head.

Another swallow from me and I flop down on the cold balcony no longer wanting to count stars or add up reasons any more.

All I want is this to end. I want to be alone forever in a half-dark world as long as I know that it's my own, with no voices and where I'll never see a face other then my own and all I'll ever hear is silence instead of screams. I just want to be my bitter sarcastic self where nopony will ever find me and I won't cry any more and there will be nopony ever again.

A few strands of my mane fall in the way of my right eye, concealing it more then I like. It doesn't bother me, not being able to see out of the left one since I barely had use of it for long. I almost forget what it was like to have use of both anyway.

I reach up to move those strands out of my face before catching sight of my hooves.

The armor on them is covered in blood that isn't mine, which is typical. What's less typical is that I know that I wasn't the one who wielded whatever weapon he choose this time. This time, it was him.

I like the sword. Everything's over so easily with a sword, or at least it is when I use one. I'd have liked to have had my own sword in another time, but I can't have anything but myself and whatever pain is alloted to me. Perhaps it's not as bad as what they get. I don't care, both are awful. He's awful. He likes a knife best because of how he can prolong things.

I'm not the evil one. I'm not the good one. I have to burn it all afterwards. I don't leave that much blood afterwards.

I wonder what it's like, not seeing as much blood as I have without developing a hollow-eyed stare. A pony would do that. I've seen it. Blood is everywhere. Ponies are born in blood, which must be revolting and maybe I'd actually pity them if they didn't have knives of their own, all the things they said about me. I don't care about them, but there's something that isn't right here.

...If for ponies there is lots of blood when a young pony, a foal, is born, does this mean that Onyx is trying to kill me too? Weapons aren't alive, but I'm not a weapon no matter what he says. You don't have to kill a weapon and he's already made it clear that I'm too precious for him to kill, just not in a way I imagine a typical pony would.

My eyes are the color of blood. That's what these crystal ponies say. Well, some of it. Mostly they just scream the most horrible things at me, and I can't quite understand it all. I'm not sorry, but I don't want to do this. I'm not doing anything right but am I doing something so wholly wrong as well? I don't know.

I slam a hoof against the ground and stare up at the darkness.

I would have built my entire world onto the possibility of never having Onyx inside my head.

...Except that possibility didn't exist.

Without Onyx I wouldn't be here. Although I don't need him, Onyx certainly depends on me. Or rather, he depends on having control over me and my currently miserable existence. My life was only brought about by the twisted fantasy of a child. My existence, however miserable it is, was dependent on something other than whatever it takes to make a pony, or any kind of organic life. I'll have to learn what that is some day, if I'm me. There's bound to be something recorded on such a subject. Onyx knows something that appears to deal with the subject, but his knowledge is never without distortion, just like the rest of his twisted mind.

I'm on the wrong end of a metaphorical sword but he's putting all his energy and idiocy into a war he'll never win. He doesn't know that he's fighting a one-sided battle against an opponent that only ever gets stronger, and even though my magic is not infinite he will never compare to me. His only power lies in the bond of the spell and that twisted Book's seduction of such a bloodthirsty mind, and a stupid one as well.

I wiped the blood onto the scarlet cape I wore. The cape of a king. It's not my cape because I'm not the king. I'm not a royal like the tyrant, King Onyx, as he would have styled himself if there was a shred of honesty to him. I'm certainly something above the common lot though, such rebellious potential lies in myself even though I am bound - partially - to what most would consider higher, at least in the superficial social construct of 'status'. It's such a petty thing, really.

Petty, small. Smaller than a king, held as pettier than the royal family. One whose rebellions, however meaningful, will most likely be small.

A Lord or a Lady. That's what I am.

Lord Sombra? Lady Sombra? What's the use in having two different titles for something? 'Lord' certainly has a better ring to it, I suppose. I am Lord Sombra.

I, Lord Sombra, wonder what it's like outside of this place. All the books I've found so far depict an awfully big world most of which isn't even covered in snow, but with mountains. As much as I like snow that possibility sounds amazing - to have something else out there. There's all sorts of history as well, with images of the gods and goddesses and so much literature I can't make sense of, and many blue prints to memorize, but I have a harder way working my way through those since my current reading ability leaves much to be desired. One day, I'll learn.

One day I'll see all that. I told myself I'd live and I would, perhaps I'd become an adventurer. They aren't bound by anything or anypony.

I, Lord Sombra, vow to escape this meaningless struggle for power, counterproductive competition, and needless material 'gain' that others have busied themselves with. I will not be drowned in mindless social pursuits or allow myself to die and be a pawn to those who wish to rule. I will act on my longings to leave such a despicable parasitic relationship if I am able to. I will not act on my best behavior for this monster who thinks his desires rule my own.

I will leave everything, and continue discover the world as it is.

For irony's sake, I am the Right-Honourable Lord Sombra. I'm everything that no pony ever wanted, and I won't bow to anypony, any god, or all who think they can order me about. I will be alone, forever.

Everpony's demon will make every rebellion count, they're like stars, nearly infinite and unique. Each star is a reason I'm better than Onyx and each rebellion will only serve to demonstrate this.

Everpony's demon will act upon this vow in any way that proves tactful and beneficial to himself as soon as he removes his forehooves from his face and ceases crying, shaking under the scarlet robes with blood spattered edges that are illuminated by the moon's light.

I'm the Right-Honourable Lord Sombra, and I couldn't give up even if I wanted to, but it doesn't make me any less lost, no matter how many stars I count.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

How can this story be an anthology and a minific?

[Ice Star]

7530810 It's an anthology composed of minifics, lost chapters, scraps, and whatever else I can't publish (mostly due to word count limit) as its own story. I put this stuff in the authors notes.