The Iron Chancellor

by Radical Centrist

A crystal corrupted

Battlefield: The trumphant Earth ponies

A sword plunged into a twitching soldier; making an audible *clink* as it penetrated the crystal skin. The sword twisted and turned until the soldier below it ceased moving.

"Shouldn't we retreat, general?" The sergeant asked, as he pulled out the sword and sheathed it; caring little of the blood still on it.

"Nay. We are too close to victory!" The general shook his head, wiping the blood off him as he did. "There's already a defecting faction within their very capital." He assured,

"What were their demands?" The sergeant distractedly said, as he swiftly plunged a dagger into an exposed soldier's neck; pushing aside his victim's helmet.

"No demands. Simply an unconditional surrender." The general smiled.

The sergeant faced the general in disbelief, "Then what are we still doing here?"

"They claim they need our 'persuasion' to convince the other factions to accept the deal." The general shrugged.

The sergeant stroked his chin; squinting at the general sceptically. "They have every reason to lie, and I'm pretty sure you know that." He continued, "You know that we may very well be trotting into their trap, general." He stepped forward.

"We must turn back..." The sergeant didn't warn; instead, his tone resembled more like an order. He pointed the way they came; coincidentally bringing to attention the frostbitten and starved which littered their path.

The general blinked. He stared blankly at the sergeant for a while, until he began slowly approaching him with a soft chuckle and a shake of his head.

He grabbed the sergeant's undeterred face and pulled it close; meeting him muzzle-to-muzzle. He stared deep into his soul. "We're too late..." He clattered out, "We're dead no matter what happens..."

The sergeant blinked.

"I know they are lying. But there is at least a small glimmer of hope that they are telling the truth..." The general pushed the sergeant away, returning towards their target; the Crystal City.

As the general slowly trotted, the sergeant quickly realised his injuries; both of his back hooves were frostbitten, and his flank and barrel were filled with cuts small to deep.

But the general continued trotting.

The sergeant looked to himself and back.
"The cold is getting stronger..." he noted, as he glanced backwards the last time.

He quickly galloped to the general's side; trotting beside him, not knowing the entire remnants of their army were slowly picking themselves up and following them.

They were heroes when they left, but now, they were little more than corpses.

---

---

---

Crystal City: the court

All members of the factions were on edge; the defectors accused the Umbrites of treachery whilst the former denied any fault.

The news of Carl's death and the encroaching Equestrian army had frightened everypony to such a point that most of the nobles and merchants had fled or disappeared in the previous nights.

The Umbrites accused the Amorians of deceiving and manipulating their information, but their excuses fell on death's ears, as their members were quickly surrounded, and their meeting place held under siege.

"Come out you cowards!" A noble shouted as a bolt lodged itself on the window hinge; causing an Umbrite looking out of it to quickly recoil and shut the hatch.

"What's going on?! How were we wrong?!" An Umbrite angrily entered the room; holding a crystal ball in his hooves.

"Sir! They're nearly through the door!" A voice echoed into the room; one coming from the entrance of the meeting place.

The Umbrite madly shook the crystal ball, "YOU! I demand an answer for your failures!" He growled, "We're going to be lynched because of YOU!"

A soft cackle escaped the crystal ball; causing everypony in the room to freeze and snap towards the ball. The cackle quickly devolved into a dark, echoing laughter, as the pony holding the crystal ball dropped it; causing a dark mist to fill the room.

Everypony present recoiled away from the mist; nearly falling over backwards from their backward thrust. However, they quickly regained their hoofing, as the dark mist began entering them.

Everypony's eyes were firmly closed, and they all stood still quietly, as they began to lose their crystal skin and their vibrancy in the process. The noises outside the building quieted as well, as the mist began to leak out the windows.

The ponies holding down the door looked up towards the spiral staircase to witness a dark mist snaking its way down towards them; causing them to jolt wildly to attempt to escape the predatory smoke. They would fail.

The ponies first exposed to the mists slowly lifted their brows; revealing a green, illuminating eye that replaced their once vibrant iris. Dark, colourless crystals began to manifest into the walls and floor; absorbing the heat around it and making the surroundings colder overall.

The dulled ponies stared at each other with their green eyes; one motive and directive in mind. "Serve King Sombra."

---

The Crystal Empire: the capital's surroundings

A dark miasma blanketed the surroundings of the crystal city; turning all crystal ponies caught in it into mindless servants and ridding them of their crystal skin and vibrancy.

The temperatures amidst the clouds decreased significantly, and the uncommon storms and winds became violent and everywhere.

The hopeless earth pony invasion would expectantly fail; its brave soldiers freezing to death from the now-apocalyptic conditions.

The dark mists would also have a secondary sinister effect, as it would cloud the judgements of the earth ponies; resulting in the remnants becoming paranoid and resorting to cannibalism.

The very last earth pony would die in the crystal empire in a cave; having killed all of his comrades and feasted upon their flesh.

The dark miasma would slowly spread, as it would affect the fearful citizens hiding in forts and castles who were too afraid to come out due to raiders and exposed borders.

It didn't help that the mindless slaves would drag villagers out and plunge them into the dark miasma; turning them subservient to their new master who now sat atop the Crystal Throne.

King Sombra was his name. And he would rule with an iron hoof. With a mad cackle and a slave army, surely he would triumph above all.

His first targets: the deadly and monstrous beings of the west, who would surely be great warriors once he made them his slaves.

Comments

[Radical Centrist]

Short. Weak

[CrimsonS4ge]

Would have liked more foreshadowing or set up for Sombra.

Also, what happened to Cadenza?

[Bronycommander]

10982536
short but good

[Ponygamer12]

King Sombra was his name. And he would rule with an iron hoof. With a mad cackle and a slave army, surely he would triumph above all.

Hanz get flaffenwenzer, we need a vacuum and the one we have isn't strong enough.

[ShadowShip]

Pazener Elite echoes from the distant hills

[MadhatterZack]

Short but effective.
Anyone else feels like The Crystal Empire is this worlds Russia and Sombra is like Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

[Pogmin]

Oh shit. Well, hope some Changling spies manage to nick some gun designs from the Griffons, they're going to need them. Though, I wouldn't put it passed Teddy to be able to build something basic.

[Bronycommander]

10983385
Did not expect to see you here

[Shadic Midnight Blitzer]

10983489
Well I had this in bookshelf

[Bronycommander]

10985263
fair point

[Davenfjeld]

SOMBRA
SOMBRA
SOMBRA THE TERRIBLE

This chapter was short, and that opening paragraph full of typos, but it was great nonetheless!