Shadows of the Heart

by Scribblestick

Shadows

"Duskfall was never large or prosperous," Sombra said. "We survived on whatever vegetation we could find, and through sheer force of will. As you can imagine, we never had enough food to go around, and wandering the tundra just takes too much energy. The only way the village survived was through our magic."

Sombra's iron armor glowed red in the firelight. If it was hot or uncomfortable, he didn't seem to notice. "The black crystals made this place possible," he continued. "Every pony born here was a unicorn, and we all learned to harness the power of shadows. The crystals amplified that power and allowed us to endure."

"So everypony here was just as strong as you are?" Flurry asked, shuddering. "That sounds terrifying."

Sombra scowled at her. "Only because you've been taught to fear the dark. No, as the king of shadows, I am a paragon of what my kin could achieve. A few could transform entirely into shadows for a time, but none matched my skill. That is why I was chosen to..." He shook his head. "I'm getting ahead of myself."

"Why did you live out here, though?" Flurry asked.

"Do you believe you are the first pony to run away from the shadows?" Sombra asked. "We did not live here by choice, but because the crystal ponies feared us and drove us away."

"Like Nightmare Moon," Flurry said.

"Tch." Sombra flicked his tail. "Nightmare Moon posed a real threat to Equestria. Our only crime was our existence, and our natural power. We were punished for the overactive imaginations of others."

Flurry's gaze drifted to the flickering fire. Just like I fear other ponies. Or their hidden thoughts, anyway. Does anypony fear me like that? For my... quirks?

"My ancestors were fortunate enough to discover the black crystals, and survived long enough to build this village," he said. "For a time, we lived in peace, staying away from the Empire that scorned us. As a foal, I learned the story of our banishment, and I came to harbor the same resentment as my elders for the way the crystal ponies treated us."

Try as she might, Flurry couldn't fault him for that. "So, what changed?" she asked.

"The crystals started dying," Sombra answered. "Our village would have died with them. We knew more could be found in the Empire, and so we sent emissaries to trade."

Flurry let the silence stretch a moment before speaking. She had a feeling she knew what his answer would be. "What happened?"

"They were turned away, of course," Sombra said. "We sent others. They returned with bruises, and worse. It was decided that if they would not help us by choice, they would do so by force. And so..."

"So you attacked."

Sombra nodded and gazed into the fire. "I struck quickly. I was sure to show the crystal ponies every mercy they had given my kin through the years. The crystals brought new life to Duskfall, but as you know, it didn't last. I can only assume that once Celestia and Luna took the Empire's side, my people's spirit broke. Now, only their ghosts remain amidst these bones."

Flurry shivered again. His breathing was steady. His mane floated around him, casting parts of his face in shadow. His mouth curled down in a slight frown, and his gaze was distant, as though he were trying to stare back through time. She ran her calculations as she watched him in silence. She found no trace of deception. This, she decided, was the truth.

"I'm so sorry," she said softly. "I had no idea."

"Nopony does," Sombra said. "History is written by the winners, you see, and winners always think themselves the heroes." He turned to face her again. Their eyes locked. Flurry felt a jolt somewhere in her gut. "But heroes are only as good as the villains they defeat, and so the legend of King Sombra grows."

Flurry shook away the chills and took a deep breath. "You did inflict a lot of suffering on the Empire."

"Not nearly as much as they inflicted on my kin," Sombra snapped. "What I did may have been cruel, but it was just."

Flurry shook her head. "I've always thought cruelty only created more cruelty."

"Hah! Self-righteous, as always." His half-smirk had returned. "It is easy to speak of peace from a place of power and safety."

"Somepony has to end the cycle," Flurry said. "Otherwise, ponies will keep hurting each other."

"I'm sure that line goes over well with your subjects, but I am no common pony," Sombra replied. "We were always meant to be rulers, you and I. We know better. Even your precious princess of friendship knows that ultimately, violence is the one language everypony understands."

Flurry bowed her head and sighed. "It shouldn't be." She looked up at him from beneath her mane. "So, what will you do now? You... don't exactly have anywhere to go."

Sombra raised an eyebrow. "I've already told you. I'll bide my time, and then claim the Empire as my own."

"Seriously? You know that will only end in rainbow lasers, right?"

"End?" Sombra smirked. "No. Delayed. You seem to forget that the powers of love and friendship have thrice failed to destroy me. Even if I fall, somepony like you will come along and set me free again. Perhaps even Discord himself will bring me back for a bit of amusement. Mark my words, Flurry Heart. The Crystal Empire will be mine. I have all the time in the world."

Flurry squinted at him as she studied his face. "This is just about revenge now, isn't it?"

"Hah!" Sombra snorted. "Have you only pieced that together now? For somepony of your intellect, you're certainly slow sometimes."

"Sombra, listen to yourself." Flurry stood. It felt strange, towering over a pony like him. "Do you really think your kin would want you to keep going like this?"

"I think my kin would have wanted to survive." Sombra stood as well. "I have given you my grace today, Flurry Heart. Do not test its limits."

"You won't hurt me. We've been over this."

Sombra growled softly. His horn ignited, shimmering red. "I have indulged your naivete long enough. Choose your next words carefully."

Flurry's eyes narrowed, and her own horn glowed yellow. "You won't hurt me."

Sombra's blast came quickly, but not as quickly as Flurry's shield. She leapt into the air and beat her wings, twisting to avoid his next two attacks before launching her own. She seized his cloak, still draped over her shoulders, and hurled it at his face. He deflected the heavy cloth easily, but the brief distraction blinded him to the trap she sprung. She blasted the wooden planks upon which he stood. They snapped, and his left hind leg fell out from under him, pinned by splintered shards.

She almost felt proud of herself, but that feeling vanished as Sombra melted into the shadows. Of course I forget the one thing he’s known for. Cursing her oversight, she landed near the hearth and erected a barrier around herself. "Come out!"

Sombra obliged, lunging at her from behind. She screamed as his body slammed against her shield and retreated once more into the darkness. His laughter echoed around her. She jerked this way and that, but the shifting shadows thwarted all her effort. He leapt at her again. Her shield shuddered. Flurry gritted her teeth. Time to change the rules.

She let her barrier fall and bolted for the door. Sombra was on her in an instant, knocking her to the side before vanishing once again. Flurry righted herself and beat her wings, making for the feeble roof. Sombra struck again, laughing at her pained cry as she fell back to the floor. The entire structure shook from the impact.

"What’s the matter, Flurry Heart?" Sombra’s voice surrounded her as she rolled carefully onto her hooves. Her left wing felt bruised, but operable. "Are you waiting for friendship to save you?" Flurry ignited her horn, the light pressing against the shadows. She backed slowly toward the closest wall. Sombra laughed. "I am everywhere," he said, "especially where you least expect."

She turned just in time to see his face burst out the the shade. She ducked as his body took solid form and sailed over her head, then leaped and kicked. The force threw Sombra across the room and through the weak wall. The wind rushed in. Flurry bolted toward the door. She burst from the structure moments before it collapsed, leaving her and Sombra standing in the snow.

Sombra grinned as the wind whipped around him. "Not clever enough," he said. "I can endure this cold for as long as I like. You, however…"

Flurry Heart snorted and prepared to charge. "You can’t hide in the shadows any more."

Sombra reared, then charged. Flurry responded with a barrage of magical bolts. He dodged every one with his shadow magic. Flurry leapt into the air moments before he struck, but was quickly forced to land. The wind made flight almost impossible.

Sombra’s magic enveloped a nearby spire of black crystal. Dark shards hurled themselves at Flurry Heart. She avoided the first volley, but was forced to block the rest with a shield. By the time the crystal dust cleared, Sombra rushed forward and threw her across the ruin with a savage shove.

Flurry’s head spun as she extracted herself from a snowbank. She could already feel herself shivering, but she refused to stand down. Sombra charged at her again. She seized the snowbank in her magic and threw it at him. He punched through, but the effort halted his charge, and the two stood still for a moment, gasping for breath.

"Heh heh. You see now," Sombra said, grinning. "It is as I said. In the end, violence is the only language that remains."

Flurry shook her head, partially in disagreement and partially to clear her thoughts. "That’s only because you decided it was," she said.

"My kin did not strike the first blow!" Sombra roared. "But I will ensure we strike the last!"

Flurry looked around at the scattered crystal spires and the shattered homes. The shack in which they’d taken refuge—where Sombra had gone to save her life—lay just as ruined as the rest. Already the ancient wood began to smoke as the fire Sombra made to warm her body spread to engulf the wreck. A corner of his cloak stuck out from the debris, fluttering wildly in the wind.

Flurry let her magic ebb away, folded her wings against her body, and stood still, facing him. "I’m not going to fight you," she said. "You’ve already been hurt too much."

She almost didn’t see the attack coming. In seconds, black crystals pinned her legs and pressed her back against the snow. She cried as crystal shards pierced her horn, cutting off her magic. She heard Sombra’s crunching hoofsteps draw closer. He stood over her, horn shining red and black, green eyes filled with fire.

Flurry’s chest heaved. Then, she closed her eyes and waited.

She she lay there for what felt like hours, listening to Sombra’s ragged breathing and the shimmer of magic on the brink of striking her. The only movements she made were involuntary shudders as cold seeped into her bones. She thought she heard him raise an iron-clad hoof, but if he intended to hit her, the blow never came. At last, her crystal shackles fell away. She looked up. Sombra sat in the snow in silence, staring at the burning remains of his cloak.

Flurry slowly stood, wincing at the aches setting in. Her hooves shook as she walked, until she stood beside the silent unicorn. Then, she wrapped her leg around him and pulled him close. His shoulder tensed. "It doesn’t have to be this way," she said.

She felt his body twist and braced herself for the onslaught. Instead, she felt his foreleg wrap around her neck, returning her embrace. Flurry thought she felt a drop of water brush against her neck as the king of shadows trembled against her. "I wish it were true," he whispered.

She held him tighter as the wind whipped around them. "Sometimes, a wish is enough."

Comments

[GamePlayer64]

Poor Sombra and his species. And what Sombra say is true; history is written by the heroes and the Magic of Friendship does always ends with violence

[Scribblestick]

11149720
The major villains do seem to end that way. I’ve always thought that was a little weird, though with how evil they’re portrayed, I’m not surprised the writers didn’t try to redeem some of them.

[GamePlayer64]

11149727
Instead the writers gave us a fake Grogar, a Chaotic Weasel that got away with his crime, the worst finale battle and Epilogue episode in order for the viewers to be suckered into to forgetting that awful battle.

[PioneerofImagination]

"Sometimes, a wish is enough."

That’s another great line.

[Bicyclette]

Sombra's iron armor glowed red in the firelight. If it was hot or uncomfortable, he didn't seem to notice. "The black crystals made this place possible," he continued. "Every pony born here was a unicorn, and we all learned to harness the power of shadows. The crystals amplified that power and allowed us to endure."

these ponies have to get their calories somehow, and if not agriculture then why not crystals and magic?

"Nopony does," Sombra said. "History is written by the winners, you see, and winners always think themselves the heroes." He turned to face her again. Their eyes locked. Flurry felt a jolt somewhere in her gut. "But heroes are only as good as the villains they defeat, and so the legend of King Sombra grows."

aww, love collecting tragic Sombra backstories that justify his canonical actions against the Crystal Empire! at least in his mind, if anything else

"I'm sure that line goes over well with your subjects, but I am no common pony," Sombra replied. "We were always meant to be rulers, you and I. We know better. Even your precious princess of friendship knows that ultimately, violence is the one language everypony understands."

ah, the classic villain line! love it, so fitting for Sombra

She held him tighter as the wind whipped around them. "Sometimes, a wish is enough."

aww! very nice how the battle was a re-enactment of the story of Sombra's people and the Crystal Empire, which also gives hope for a better ending to that story as well