When Darkness Falls

by MisterEdd

The Truth Scars

No, no, no, this can't be happening!

The whole chariot ride was spent in a loaded silence as Princess Celestia bounced an anxious hindleg, her thoughts occupied with images of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor being tortured, their bodies and mind broken by King Sombra's vengeful rage. When she'd first heard of the umbrum's demise, she was a mixed bag of emotions, expressing both pain and heartbreak as well joy and relief. With Sombra dead, she wouldn't have to worry about her family's lives being in danger nor her shameful past being exploited. Now it seemed her secret sins were returning to plague her and those she loved. She recalled her nightmares of late and realized that yes, this was all her fault and her fault alone.

"Sister? Please calm down. Cadence and Shining Armor are strong. They'll make it."

A blue hoof gripped her own and she was met with a pair of gentle cyan eyes. Despite Luna's attempts to assuage her fears, terror maintained its strong grip on Celestia and all she could do at that moment was to give a half-hearted nod. As they neared the Crystal Empire, she silently prayed that no matter what happened, even if it resulted in her own demise, that Cadence remained unscathed.

The wheels skidded against the quartz-covered streets as the chariot touched down, drawing the attention of the iridescent citizens as they began to gather around the area. The chariot had barely come to a complete stop when Celestia leapt out it, galloped past the curious onlookers and rushed towards the castle, ignoring the yells of Luna and her guards.

"Celestia! Wait!"

"Your Majesty!"

Please be safe, please be safe, please be safe!

Celestia repeated this mantra, her legs carrying her faster than they ever had before. When the castle came into sight, she dug her hooves into the ground to gawk at the formerly-zircon structure.

"No..."

Craggily, spikey black crystals crawled up the castle's exterior, resembling a twisted mockery of its former glory. This brought Celestia back to over a thousand years ago, when she and her sister led their army against Sombra in the Battle of the Frozen North, during which the lives of many noble soldiers were lost. A needless conflict and needless bloodshed that fell on her shoulders.

The castle's main doors swung open, revealing a dazed but otherwise unharmed Shining Armor. Charging up to him, Celestia drew him into a suffocating embrace, only stopping when she felt the tap of his hoof on her foreleg. Flummoxed, she released him and apologized, just relieved that he was out of harm's way.

"Where's Cadence?!"

Shining looked away shamefully. "King Sombra...he has her. He said that if she remained with him, he'd free me."

Anger boiled in the sun princess' veins. "Shining, go find Luna and inform her of what has happened. I'm going in after Cadence."

~*~

Breath in...

Twilight Sparkle sat with her hindlegs crossed and her forelegs balanced on her knees, her chest expanding and contracting with each steady breath she took.

Breath out...

She exhaled, releasing both the air she'd collected and the accumulated terror that accompanied it. Meditation was a pathway to inner serenity, a road to personal reflection and a conduit to the energy of the universe. Twilight wasn't into the New Wave nonsense like chakras or healing crystals but she did find meditation soothing, something to help her collect her thoughts.

Breath in...

Right now, she needed all her wits about her if she was going to rescue her sister-in-law and her B.B.B.F.F. and put an end to King Sombra's villainy once and for all.

Breath out...

The six ponies hurried off of the train, hastily thanking the conductor before dashing through the biting winds and harsh cold, their thick winter coats and wool caps and scarfs protecting them from the frigid temperatures. Just like their last visit, trepidation and anxiety clouded their minds, making it difficult to think about anything else but the foe they had to face. King Sombra had been frightening before but facing off against him again? It shuddered each and every one of them to think about it. Despite the fear and the cold, they dashed through the snow and the howling winds, hoping and praying that time was on their side. They didn't and couldn't stop until the Crystal Empire came into view, charging through the twin pillars of the gateway and into the shimmering city.

I'm coming you two. Twilight swore, the castle now within her sights.

I won't let you down.

~*~

A golden glow radiated from Celestia's horn, illuminating the dark and desolate hallways, her pink eyes vigilantly watching for any sign of a trap. Even as Prince Tourmaline, she knew Sombra to be clever and wily, his wits only matched by the ingenuity and ambition by which he carried out his plans. He invited her specifically, knowing that holding Cadence hostage would force her to come to an area she didn't know, unlike the palace in Canterlot. Breathing through her nostrils, Celestia fought to control her shaking nerves, every shadow and dark corner appearing to jump out to attack her. She'd feared King Sombra and his dark arts before. She wouldn't let him frighten her again.

"You can't hide your fear from me, Tia," a voice boomed from seemingly nowhere, sending a chill like a lightning bolt down Celestia's spine. "I can practically taste it, like a fine, thousand-year-old wine."

"Show yourself, Sombra!" She challenged, increasing the brilliance of her golden aura. Sweat gathered on her brow, her teeth clattering slightly as she rotated with every step. "Enough games!"

"As you wish."

Celestia nearly shrieked at the stallion that materialized behind her, watching her as if she were a firefly in a glass jar. Seeing him standing there, she felt her knees wobble and ready to give out. His expression was neither one of glee or anger, instead that spoke of curiosity and hesitation. Crimson eyes scintillated like rubies in the glow of Celestia's magic and she was reminded of the last time she stared into those eyes, really stared. Even through everything that he did to her and was still doing, she couldn't deny the backflips her heart was doing at the sight of the umbrum.

"Tia...you look as lovely as ever," Sombra breathed. "Then again, you don't age like a normal pony, do you?"

Celestia lowered her horn at him like a rapier. "Where...is...Cadence?"

Sombra turned his back on her and let out a weary sigh.

"Do you know why I hate you, Celestia?"

The question came so out of left field that it left her speechless. He then faced her again, untold grief carved into his features.

"It's because I never stopped loving you," he wistfully answered.

The golden glow around Celestia's horn dimmed but didn't go out. Unexpectedly, her hoof extended to touch his shoulder.

"Sombra-..."

The umbrum quickly drew himself back.

"I will take you to Cadence."

He then turned on a hind hoof and began to march away. Ignoring the sickly tingling in the pit of her stomach, Celestia followed close behind. Wordless, they passed through numerous darkened corridors, ascending several flights of stairs until arriving at what Celestia recognized as the royal bedchambers. Sombra's horn pulsated with purple light and the black crystals formed around the door collapsed and shattered on the floor allowing him to open it with a creaking sound.

"She's right through here," he intoned mournfully and passed through the wooden door.

There was a moment when Celestia considered not walking through the door, just turning and going back the way she came. But it was only for a moment.

Unlike the rest of the castle, the royal bedchambers were bathed in light though Celestia kept her horn aglow. Sombra slid out of Celestia's way and pointed, revealing a familiar grayish pink alicorn huddled up in the corner, a small black and maroon blanket draped over her shoulders, her body trembling as she audibly whimpered.

"Cadence?"

There was no response. Celestia inched closer, nearly stepping on the broken remains of a green bottle, her hoof coming into contact with a pure-white liquid.

Memory potion?

"Cadence?"

The young mare kept her face down and sniffled.

"It's alright, I'm here," Celestia smiled softly and gently took a hold of Cadence's shoulders. "You're alright-..."

Slapping Celestia's hooves away, Cadence's head shot up, revealing crimson pupils, her eyes staring accusingly at the newcomer. Rising onto shaking limbs, she pulled the blanket tightly around her and glared at Celestia, her cheeks slick with untold tears.

"Is it true?!" Cadence screamed.

Celestia turned to look at Sombra, whose face might as well have been fashioned out of stone. She turned to face Cadence again, this time finding purple wisps of smoke steaming out of her eyes.

"Cadence, I don't know-..."

"Is...?" She stopped to compose herself, her voice raw and scratchy. Cadence then looked Celestia in the eyes and asked the older mare the one question that Celestia hoped that she never would, the one question she dared to pray that she'd never have to answer: "Is…King Sombra...my father?"

Author's Note:

Say WHAAAAAAAAAT?! Yes, here it is, the big moment that's been built up since page 1!

Honestly, how many of you can say you saw it coming?

(If you're going to answer, please don't get specific. Noone likes seeing spoilers in the comments section)

Comments

[Viper Pit]

Not a bad reveal but it may come a little late

[Wallens Sparkle]

Actually at the beginning till now I suspect cadence to be the daughter more than any pony in the story but Sombra present in ponyville and his relationship with twilight really confused me about the whole thing

[Deathclaw2014]

I saw it coming.

[KingSombraTheTyrantRuler]

Yes! I knew it!