Alone

by Child of Stars

Prelude: The Tyrant King

The end, it’s inevitable. Many kingdoms and nations have existed before just as many will exist after. All of them thought that they could prevail, that they could win. For a time most do, but in the end they all crumble into dust only to be remembered as nothing more than a small footnote in history if they’re lucky. Most aren’t.

Most are forgotten to time, lost completely to fade into obscurity. In each of those glorious empires there were creatures who never gave credence to the thought of obliteration the time of day. They heard the stories and rumors, the myths and legends of nations long past, yet they never once stopped to think that those kingdoms of old were once like them. They heard stories of their own, tales of the fallen and they never gave them any thought themselves. They gave no thought to how in those tales of kingdoms long gone that creatures just like them went about their lives with no thought that they could ever suffer the horrid fate of being forgotten.

If they thought it possible they’d only think about it for a moment before coming to their senses and reasoning that something that horrid wouldn’t happen to them. That even if their nation fell or their world burned they wouldn’t be around to experience it, they’d be long gone. Few however think how possibly the end could come in their lifetime, they push it off in their heads going on about their lives blissfully; however, absolution doesn’t care about those creature’s wishes. It doesn’t wait and it doesn’t stop.

So, one day there will be creatures who hear about nations of the past. The tale enthralls and captivates them before they go upon their ways off to live their frivolous lives. Then at least a few would stop and ponder the notion that perhaps real creatures lived through the end of their own empires, and with this thought they’d shudder before laughing off the idea. They’d return home and speak of the tale they heard before telling their family of their silly notion that the end would come in their lifetimes. They’d laugh at the thought before continuing on with their days. Then right as they would be settling in for a nice long rest after a hard day they’d see it, the sky lit ablaze by fire.

The fires of the end. The fires of Armageddon. The fires of war. Just like that it dawns on the creature that the end is here, and it waits for no one. As they’d scream, they’d be hit with the horrifying realization that they have become just like those old kingdoms in the stories. That everything they had ever done and ever been would be erased and lost to history. Their lives, family, friends, everything was meaningless. It was nothing more than a barely remembered story that someday itself will be gone. They’d realize that many had come before and said, thought, even breathed the same as them and never thought that they’d experience the end. Yet still there those creatures would lie, screaming in agony as their world burned and flames washed over them. And in the end, they are ultimately forgotten.

However, in almost every tale like that there would be at least one nation, one ruler, one creature who denies fate. They see the end and decide to fight back, they decide to try and persevere to a new beginning. Most times those rulers fail and their empires fall, but every once in a while the rare occurrence happens. A ruler pushes back and wins, and for the time being their kingdom is safe until the next catastrophe that the next ruler has to deal with. Rulers like those are the reason we still have civilization today. Rulers who fought back against fate, rulers who geared up for a war they had no idea they could win, rulers who in the end won.

That is what Sombra strives to be, a ruler who won and a ruler who doesn’t let his empire fall. He can see the end on the horizon, he knows it’s coming. He’s known ever since the day he ousted the previous leadership of the Crystal Empire and replaced it with his own. From that very moment he was on a timer, one ticking down to the day Equestria would find out about his machinations and declare war. A war upon his empire, his ponies, their way of life, their beliefs, and him. He knew the moment he sat down on that crystal throne and took his place as king of the empire that his fate was set in stone.

What the sister rulers of Equestria don’t know however is that he has been waiting and planning for that day for a long time now. Even before he took the empire for his own he knew that war would come, and he made sure to make his own preparations to defy fate and be a ruler who wins. One who pushes back, and one who doesn’t let his empire be forgotten. For now though, the upcoming war is something he need not concern himself with. For not only has it not come upon his empire yet, but he also has something more important to him standing right in front of him.

“Sombra, is something wrong?” The pink mare opposite him asked with confusion clear across her face. “Did I do the spell wrong again?”

“Hm? Oh, no Hope you’re fine. You did everything fine, I just got lost in thought there for a moment,” Sombra responded. “You may continue as you were.”

“Okay, but don’t hesitate to talk to me if something’s bothering you.” Hope said back to Sombra with concern evident in her voice and on her face.

“Ha ha,” Sombra gave a good natured chuckle. “I know Hope and I thank you for your concern, but really I’m good. Just caught me thinking about the war again.”

Hope was still clearly concerned as she turned back around to face the four training dummies that were behind her. “Alright then, I guess that’s why you're training me now anyway.”

“Yes, indeed.” Sombra responded as Hope took up a fighting stance once more and faced the first of the four training dummies. The dummies were set up in a row, each one shaped into the form of a pony and adorned with crystal armor painted in the colors of the Equestrian soldiers. Hope was currently at the leftmost one, closest to the windows. Sombra had this whole arrangement set up in the training grounds of the crystal castle. It was a large room with various training equipment set along the dark crystal walls just waiting to be pulled out and set up for soldiers to use. It had rows of wall mounted torches, fueled by dark magic, lining the walls. The dark fires blazed brightly with their green and purple flames. Just like the rest of the Crystal Empire the room was entirely made of black crystals that were imbued with dark magic. The whole room is one of the newer editions to the castle that Sombra had ordered to be constructed shortly after his reign had started. He had needed a dedicated place for guards and soldiers to train for any future conflicts and uprisings that were sure to happen. So, on most days the room would be packed with crystal ponies sharpening their skills for the oncoming war. Today however, the room was empty except for Sombra and Hope. And on Sombra’s behest nopony was to disturb them either, unless the matter was of utmost importance.

Sombra watched Hope carefully from behind while appraising her form and technique. He watched as she steadied herself and narrowed her gaze upon the dummy that was placed in front of her. She closed her eyes as her face contorted into an expression of concentration, sweat droplets slid down her features as she changed up her stance ever so slightly. Black lighting began to arc around the pink unicorn’s horn and a purple mist started spilling out from her closed eyes. Now on her right Sombra stared at her for a moment longer to check that her eyes were still closed. Upon confirming it was as such he let his mask of a cold and calculating ruler slip so he could gaze upon Hope with affection.

‘Oh, Radiant Hope,’ Sombra thought. ‘My dear crystal pony queen, you are progressing in your training well.’ Radiant Hope, queen of the Crystal Empire and a rarity amongst rarities. Being a crystal unicorn or a crystal pegasus was uncommon nowadays in the Crystal Empire. Most of its citizens were only normal crystal ponies with no special extra adornments. But here Radiant Hope was not only a crystal pony unicorn, but the queen of the empire as well. Though if you asked any pony who didn’t work at the castle they’d have no idea that there even was a queen. Sombra chose to keep his wife’s existence as a secret only amongst him and his highest ranking castle staff. Outside the castle she doesn’t exist, and inside she’s just his personal advisor. Most thought there was only one ruler, the king himself and that was all, which was just to Sombra’s liking. If his enemies thought he had no connections or meaningful relationships then they wouldn't target those few he cared for. So, Hope was kept hidden to the best of his ability, and besides him most of his empire’s staff and government was unknown. If King Sombra took all the brunt of the Crystal Empire’s scorn then those few he trusted could continue to work in his best interests, they could stay anonymous and protected.

Radiant Hope’s horn sparked more as a purple and green aura formed around her horn, the black lighting continuing to streak through it. Her pink coat that had once glistened like crystals had long since faded to a matte pink. Her medium length mane flowed around her horn and down the side of her head before curling slightly up at the bottom just like her tail. Both shared the same light blue color that her eyes normally would be. Said eyes had just opened to reveal that the once round pupils had turned to slits. Those azure irises now a vibrant blood red color with her sclera having gone from white to a sickly green.

She stared at the dummy in front of her intently as more magic built and bubbled up at her horn. Sombra’s expression long since having changed back to its original state now stared at her like he would any other soldier. He looked for every imperfection to see what he could instruct Hope on what she should give more practice. So far however, Hope seemed to be doing everything right much to Sombra’s satisfaction. Hope let out a grunt as the magic built more and Sombra raised an eyebrow at her efforts.

“Hope what are you doing?” Sombra questioned with slight irritation. “Release the spell.”

“I’m trying!” Hope said while struggling to talk. “It won’t go! It hurts!” Sombra’s irritated expression turned to one of understanding upon his gaze landing on a light coming from Hope’s chest.

“Cut the spell off.” He stated calmly. Radiant Hope looked at him for a second, face laced with pain, before she obliged. She canceled the spell causing the dark energy to seep back into her horn and her eyes to return to normal. Her knees buckled under the exhaustion, and despite her best efforts she lost the fight with her body to stand. Her legs gave out as she slid back unto her rump and sat glumly, gaze cast to the floor. Sweat poured from her as she breathed heavily while seething in a mixture of anger, embarrassment, and disappointment. Her azure locks streamed down around her head, obscuring her face.

Sombra looked down at her for a few seconds before sighing and softening up his expression. He kneeled down to her level and nudged the side of her head with his. Hope turned her gaze up to his as a questioning look entered her eyes. Only her eyes were visible from behind the blue veil of hair as Sombra looked into them with affection. A small smile graced his face as he continued to stare at Hope. In turn her features softened as her eyes glistened and a similar smile to Sombra’s then adorned her face. After a moment longer of staring, Sombra nuzzled Hope and she returned the gesture before they both rose. Hope’s horn ignited and a baby blue magic field materialized around it before expanding a vigor spell to the rest of her body.

“You know it’s moments like these that remind me just how much I love you Hope.” Sombra stated softly.

“What?” Hope questioned with a snort. “You remember how much you love me in moments when I fail to even do a basic dark magic spell?”

“No, not quite,” Sombra chuckled lightly. “I mean times when you, despite the odds and your own limitations, push forward towards your goal. You couldn’t do the magic spell, so instead of stopping you just tried even harder to do it.”

“Well, that’s nice I guess. Thanks.” Hope responded as a slight blush became just barely visible from within her pink fur.

“That and the way you overreacted when you failed and looked downwards sullenly was cute.” Sombra said with a cheeky grin.

“Epp!” Hope let out a squeak before her face flustered to a bright red that shone right through her coat. “Hey! Don’t say that…” Hope then trailed off into a mumble. She looked quickly away from Sombra and back towards the dummies in embarrassment; however, upon seeing the dummies her blush receded and her face became one of confusion. Sombra stopped smiling and noticed Hope’s attention had been drawn back to the training dummies causing him to frown. He looked towards the dummies before speaking.

“Before you say anything Hope you did everything perfectly, just as I’ve taught you,” Sombra said calmly. He looked back to Hope who now had turned her own head to look back at him. “In fact, you couldn’t have been more perfect in your execution of the spell.”

“But Sombra, I failed to release the spell! I must have done something wrong!” Hope decreed. “I mean I have been feeling a bit...” Hope broke off as her eyes shifted slightly side to side before landing back on Sombra, “Funny recently. So, I don’t know how the fault could be anypony’s but mine.”

“No Hope, the fault isn’t yours but mine,” Sombra stated with confidence. “It is completely my fault. I should have foreseen that your power and proficiency with dark magic would have risen to such heights by now, but I was foolish.” Sombra stared at Hope for a second as if waiting for a rebuttal. Upon receiving none he continued, “I just didn’t expect you to reach that level this quickly. I figured that your natural affinity for harmonic magic would mean your progress with the dark arts would be slower than it evidently is. Do not get me wrong though, your inclination towards the lighter magics did play a part in your struggle.”

Hope looked at Sombra as understanding lit up her face before it was swiftly replaced with more confusion. “But wouldn't that mean it was my fault then? And not yours?”

“Hope think,” Sombra stated simply. “What is it that could possibly restrict your dark abilities that would be of my doing?” Hope stared blankly at Sombra long enough for him to raise an eyebrow before shooting a glance at her chest and back at her. Hope looked at Sombra in confusion at first, but upon him repeating the same action again it dawned on her what he was referring to. She cast her gaze down towards her chest and saw it.

“The necklace!” Hope exclaimed.

Sombra lifted his right foreleg and pointed right at her. The armored hoof glistened as its silver color was caught by some nearby torch light. “Yes!” He said loudly, “The necklace exactly.”

Sombra lowered his hoof back down to the floor and gazed at the necklace that dangled from his wife’s neck. ‘To think a construct of my own design could unwittingly work against me.’ Sombra pondered. The necklace to which Sombra had cast his gaze towards was simple in appearance yet complex in purpose. It was a small black crystal about the size of a pebble that was cylindrical in shape and came to a point at the bottom. It was stuck into a silver bowl shaped receptor that had an array of three tiny red gems encrusted into it. Said receptor had a little loop on it to then connect it to a chain so it could be worn as a necklace. The necklace as a whole acted as a way for a pony to use dark magic without it corrupting them with its temptations. The magic caster would call upon the arcane arts and summon the dark magic spell of their choosing, then once a spell was selected and being put to use the necklace would come into play. The dark crystal, imbued with dark magic, would attract the magic summoned by the pony to it so it could build. Then the receptor, filled with harmonic magic, would suck up the dark magic into it before flowing it back into the caster. The dark magic then taken on and used by the caster would be a form of cleansed dark magic that would not corrupt the wearer. Due to how the cleansing process works the user would end up using a form of fake dark magic, one that still worked the same but had some limitations and was overall weaker.

Sombra had recently had the necklace developed as a way for Hope to be able to practice dark magic without allowing the magic to sink its dark tendrils into her as it had him. He cared for her and didn’t want her to befall the same fate as he did. ‘She needed a way to get the darkness to heed her call,’ The dark lord thought to himself and then looked up to meet Radiant Hope’s gaze. ‘When war breaks out I won’t always be there to protect you, Hope.’ The necklace could also have limitations placed on it by anypony who could use dark magic comparable or superior to that of the amount used to make the thing. The pony could set how powerful of a spell they would let the wielder of the neck charm use, as not to overwhelm the gem or the wearer so they could have a ceiling and slowly get accustomed to dark magic. Though if the wearer tried to use a powerful enough spell, and they kept trying, they could overflow the crystal and break the necklace and its limiter causing them to start to use raw, corrupting dark magic.

“I set a limit on just how much dark energy I’d allow the gem to let through and consequently let you to use,” Sombra said with a sigh. “Here let me fix it.” A red glow then engulfed Sombra’s curved crimson horn and the necklace. The blood red magic soon turned a dark black with streaks of neon purples and vibrant greens throughout as Sombra unlocked the limits of the necklace and placed new ones much higher. Then the glow dissipated and purple smoke ceased to billow from Sombra’s eyes as they turned back to their normal state, red irises and slit pupils respectively.

“There that should do it,” Sombra calmly stated as Hope looked from the king to her necklace, and then back to him. “Go ahead, try and obliterate that dummy now.” Sombra nodded his head towards the first training dummy that Hope had previously struggled with. She looked at him with glee and flashed a quick smile before turning back once more and starting the process of building up the dark magic spell all over again.

As smoke began to spill from her eyes, Sombra's own had trailed back to the mark that adorned both sides of Hope’s flanks. ‘A golden pole with twin gold snakes wrapped around it. Each facing inwards at the other with eyes closed and a golden ball above them, one that sprouted its own pair of gold feathered wings,’ Sombra’s ruminated. ‘A symbol of healing and harmony.’ Sombra’s gaze then traveled back to Hope’s face as she built up more black magic. ‘I fear that she may soon hit her limit when it comes to the dark arts. She has a natural affinity for the lighter healing magics, so could this be it? Radiant Hope, I don’t know if you can surpass what abilities you currently have.’ Sombra’s expression became melancholic. ‘I fear as though you’ve gotten as strong as you possibly could, and you won’t go beyond as I’d hoped.’

The dark king looked skyward as he retreated into his own mind momentarily. The ruminations on cutie marks had gotten him to think of something he had not thought about in a long time, himself and his past. His thoughts drifted from the day he was first found and brought to the Crystal Empire, to the day he met Radiant Hope, to the day he and Hope decided to be more than just friends, to when Hope saved him and gained her cutie mark, and to the day he joined the Crystal Empire’s army. His thoughts then were drawn to darker memories like the day he discovered his true nature and the darkness that laid dormant within him, to when he cast his first dark magic spell and killed his mother, to the time when he studied the arcane arts while Hope was in Equestria studying under the princesses, and the day when Princess Amore revealed her treachery to him. He had long since forsaken his own shadow pony kind, the Umbrum, since that day he met his mother, but after that day he spoke with Amore, he had forsaken her as well.

From there his mind drifted to the beginning of his rule when he overthrew Amore and her regime with the military’s backing, to him announcing himself as King Sombra the new ruler of the Dark Crystal Empire, to Hope’s return to the empire and her horror at what Sombra had done, to her deciding to stay and support him after hearing out why he did what he did and Amore’s betrayal, to him enslaving the empire’s citizens to accumulate more resources in preparation for war, to his restructuring of the government and the development of his obedience helmets for those who wouldn’t fall in line, and finally to the day he proposed the Radiant Hope and then married her shortly thereafter.

The king was brought out of his memories by the sound of magic being fired off. He looked down and saw the training dummy in front of Hope was now nothing more than a smoldering pile of ash. Surprise quickly turned to satisfaction as he looked over at Hope to see her giddily bouncing up and down at her successful spell casting. Her celebration soon came to an end as Sombra walked up next to her and turned to speak.

“Good job Hope,” he said and gave her an approving nod. “You’ve done quite well.”

Hope smiled, “Thanks to you fixing the necklace.”

“Oh no Hope, I may have fixed the charm, but you performed the spell all by yourself. This is your accomplishment and yours alone.” Sombra smiled reassuringly. Hope’s smile widened at that, and a happy gleam entered her eyes.

“Thank you Sombra.” Hope’s cheery disposition was infectious. Soon the dark lord himself felt his spirits lift if only for a moment.

“Well how about you try that dark crystal spell I taught you a few days ago on the second dummy there.” Sombra suggested as he pointed with a hoof to said dummy.

“Are you sure?” Hope questioned hesitantly. “I mean I only just learned it.”

“Why not Hope?” Sombra shot back. “Just give it a try. The worst you could possibly do is fail to cast the spell and no one besides me is here to see the outcome. And you know I wouldn’t judge you if you messed up.”

“I g-guess you’re right,” Hope nervously responded with a gulp. “Okay then, here goes nothing!” Sombra backed up and watched intently as he went back into his instructor mode. He looked for every imperfection to possibly critique Hope on as she readied the dark crystal hex. Just as she was about to cast her spell the doors to the training room slammed open with a loud crack. Hope’s concentration was shattered by the loud noise causing her to lose the spell and squeak in surprise.

At the sound of the doors being opened Sombra’s calm and relaxed face instantly contorted into one rage. That rage only heightened upon seeing Hope startled enough to cause her to fail in casting the spell she had so far been doing perfectly. The dark lord snapped his head around to see who dared to interrupt him and his wife. What he saw caused his blood to boil as he whorled his whole body around to face the lowly crystal mage who now stood before him.

The mage stumbled upon his entrance before quickly regaining his footing and kneeling deeply before the king. His features were all obscured by the dark gray mage’s cloak he wore with only his light blue muzzle peeking out from the front of his hood visible.

“My king, I-” He started before being cut off by the irate king.

“DO YOU FORGET YOUR PLACE?!” King Sombra seethed as he focused all his wrath on the mage in front of him. Hope backed away from the two and awkwardly looked off to the side of the room. “You barge in here despite knowing full well I wanted no intrusions, and you have the audacity to speak to me without my permission!” The mage whimpered as he cowered on the floor knowing he’d made a grave mistake.

King Sombra’s ire was far from extinguished as his horn ignited with a dark aura. His black magic wrapped around the mage as he lifted him into the air before slamming him hard against the crystal floor. The mage let out a grunt of pain and started flailing about when King Sombra picked him up again. Hope watched worriedly with her mouth parted in unspoken protest of Sombra’s treatment towards the mage if he tried anything more. King Sombra summoned some dark crystals and pointed them directly at the mage’s throat.

King Sombra brought the mage close to his face and with a horrifyingly calm voice said, “You are lucky we have a witness. If she wasn’t here I wouldn’t have even entertained this conversation with you.” Sombra squinted at the petrified mage causing the purple smoke flowing from his eyes to stream out slower. “As soon as you stepped through that door and spoke out of turn I would have lobbed off your head. Do I make myself clear?”

“Y-y-y-es…” The terror-stricken mage mumbled.

“SPEAK UP!” The tyrant king yelled in the mage’s face.

“Yes!” The mage hurriedly responded. Sombra glared at him before letting his dark crystals dissipate and chucking the mage across the room with ease. The young thaumaturgist hit the crystal floor and slid back a bit before he carefully got to his hooves and bowed before Sombra.

“Som- I mean, King Sombra!” Hope said frantically, only barely managing to catch herself before she blurted out Sombra’s name without the proper honorifics in front of the crystal caster. The dark magic ceased to flow from Sombra’s horn as he cut off the magic and glanced back at Hope.

“It’s fine advisor, I’m ready to listen to this intruder now.” King Sombra stated with a measured cadence. He looked back to the mage groveling at his hooves and bowed his head to the castor’s level and menacingly whispered, “This better be important you arrogant foal. Because if it’s not, then my advisor’s being here won’t stop me from freeing your head from your shoulders this time.” The mage nodded his head up and down quickly as he prostrated even deeper, having his nose touch the ground.

King Sombra raised his head back up and narrowed his eyes as he gazed down at the young mage in front of him. After a few more moments he relented, “You may lift your head and speak to me now.”

“Y-yes, of c-course my lord,” The mage stuttered out. “It’s Ablazer, he s-said there’s been a breakthrough with the amulet.” At the mention of the amulet Sombra’s and Hope’s demeanor changed completely. Sombra’s became one of surprise and joy while Hope’s became that of confusion and intrigue.

“Ha! Wonderful news!” Sombra exclaimed.

“What amulet?” Hope quietly asked Sombra as she came up beside him. Sombra turned to her and mentally debated telling her or not but decided to let her in on his project.

“Come with me and I’ll tell you along the way there.” He whispered in return.

He turned to the mage in front of him, “Now then, you. First, is Ablazer in the usual chamber?”

“Yes my liege.” The mage stated quickly.

“Good. Secondly then, you shall go on ahead of me and my advisor and alert Ablazer of our arrival.” Sombra sneered.

“O-of course, your highness.” The mage spoke.

“And finally, GUARDS!” King Sombra called out as two guards adorned in the black crystal armor of the empire holding spears came in through the opened doors. “I assume you let this fool into the training grounds because he said he had an important message from Ablazer for me and he showed off his mark?” The two guards nervously looked at one and other before nodding hesitantly. “Good then,” King Sombra spoke. “I want you to follow this idiot to his destination. Then once he’s done speaking with Ablazer I want you to escort him to the dungeons and lock him in one of the cells. I’ll figure out what to do with him later.”

The guards nodded as the mage stood up, eyes wide but knowing better than to speak back to the king, as he hung his head in shame and walked out the doors. The two guards flanked him on either side and walked with him down the crystal hallway beyond. Sombra let out a sigh of annoyance as he turned to Hope. “Let’s get going, we can finish your training later.”

The king started out of the room with his queen right beside him as he shut the doors behind him. As the red flare of his magic petered out, Radiant Hope turned to him.

“You didn’t have to be so mean you know.” She commented.

“If I’m not harsh they’ll never learn to fear me. And if they don’t fear me Hope, they’ll revolt. So, always remember that ruling through fear is the best possible way to keep others in line, they’ll never dare strike out against something that terrifies them.” Sombra spoke. Hope’s expression was a conflicted one as she mulled over what her husband had said.

As the pair continued through the dark crystal halls of the palace, crystal ponies bowing to him all the way, Sombra took note of his wife’s discontent and decided to try and change up the subject. “So, you want to know what mark I spoke of the guards checking for on that impudent mage?”

Hope looked up to Sombra and said, “I guess so.”

“Well, you see all mages who work on the amulet project are assigned by me and Ablazer personally. Each one is then branded with the symbol of the dark arts using a hot metal mold. It’s burned into their flesh over top of their cutie marks showing absolute loyalty to the crown, project, and to me. Plus, it’s hard to fake convincingly, so no pony outside of those I deem worthy could learn of this project’s true nature. I will say though, that particular mage must be a newer one chosen by Ablazer because I didn’t recognize his voice at all. I’ll have to talk to Ablazer about his choice of candidates for the project as well as possible replacements.” Sombra spoke as Hope perked up at the word amulet.

“So, what is this amulet that the mage and you mentioned?” Hope questioned.

“Right, you wanted to know,” Sombra said. He looked around the hallway the two were in and saw no nearby ponies. Deciding that it seemed like as good a time as any to tell her he divulged, “Well simply put it’s a magical amulet that I’ve dubbed the Alicorn Amulet. It's something me and Ablazer have been working on that actually acts in a similar way to the Crystal Heart, they’re even both weapons. Honestly that necklace you’re wearing is kind of like a prototype for the amulet come to think of it.”

“Wait, what?!” Hope asked in startled confusion. “Okay first off, what do you mean the Crystal Heart is a weapon?”

“Ah yes. Most don’t know after all,” Sombra conceded. “Alright so the Crystal Heart is a weapon that was developed by the first rulers of the Crystal Empire. It was devised as a way of protecting the empire from the harsh elements of the north and a way for the rulers of the empire to ward off attackers. Sometime in the past a type of creatures called changelings tried to take the love of the empire but were fended off by the heart’s power which proved its effectiveness to the empire’s rulers at the time. When Amore…” Sombra trailed off for a moment before swiftly recomposing himself, “When Amore was ruler she declared all Umbrums enemies after they tried to conquer the empire. Hence why as I grew up, I was slowly being hurt by the heart more and more over time as it recognized me as an Umbrum more.”

“And she knew all along and still let you be hurt by it…” Hope said sadly.

“Yes, she did, and so did the Umbrum. Yet, neither waited to tell or help me till it was much too late for there to be any hope that I’d help them out.” Sombra said with disgust.

Hope tried to say, “I know and I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. If only I had stayed, I could have helped you-”

“No Hope it’s not your fault and you shouldn’t blame yourself; we’ve talked about this.” Sombra cut her off. Then, before she could retort he went back into his explanation. “Anyway, when I destroyed Amore’s statue the heart recognized me as the new ruler. I changed the Umbrum ward so it would affect all Umbrums but me. Then I took the heart and have been experimenting on it.”

“Experimenting on it?” Hope asked.

“Yes Hope, experimenting on it,” Sombra responded. “I want to see if I can use dark magic to morph it in a way that it would only ever listen to our family bloodline for the rest of time to ensure we’d never be able to lose our rights to the throne.”

“Oh.” Hope said in a kind of worried tone. Sombra paid it no heed as he continued onwards.

“I want to use the heart also as it was originally intended, as a weapon. If I could get it working Hope, I could flatten Equestria before they could ever even dare to wage war on our nation! The only reason I even decided to start these experiments on the heart if you’re wondering is because after changing up the Umbrum ward it stopped responding to my call. It still recognizes me as ruler, but it won’t do anything I command it too. I read in an old scroll that it will only respond to actions that have good intentions behind them or something. But wouldn’t you say that protecting the empire from war by obliterating Equestria is well intentioned Hope?”

“It seems so I suppose.” Hope said back.

“Perhaps since you’re my wife the heart will recognize you as queen and grant you access to its powers sometime. We should test that out later.” Sombra thought aloud as Hope and him neared ever so closer to their destination. They passed by a few more servants and guards on their way when a realization hit Hope, one that caused a pleasant smile to grace her face.

“Hey Sombra, now that you’ve told me about the heart, mind telling me about the amulet?” Hope asked.

“Ah yes, well the Alicorn Amulet was crafted by me and some of our top mages. We made it to act as an ace up the empire’s sleeve to win the war if it’s fully completed in time. Right now it’s only in its prototyping stages, but as Ablazer has clearly sent word of he’s had a breakthrough. Hopefully that means we’ll soon have it finished so that Equestria won’t know what hits them.” Sombra explained.

“Okay so how does it work and oh yeah, what does it look like?” Hope asked, fully intrigued in her husband’s secret project.

“Well,” He starts, “It is an amulet infused with dark vampiric magic used to suck the magic and life force from any creature the wearer chooses. I’ve imbued it with my own dark magic as a base, but I plan on using it, once it’s fully finished, on the two alicorn sisters if they do end up declaring war on our empire and are foolish enough to face me head on. It would suck up their magic and filter it through the amulet. Then it would give it back to me, combining it with the base dark magic to force me to ascend.”

Hope’s expression changed to one of shock as she asked Sombra something she couldn’t believe she was saying, “You don’t mean...”

“Yes Hope, I do,” Sombra responded with pride. “It would make me an alicorn.” Radiant Hope stopped dead in her tracks as her ears splayed back. She couldn’t believe her ears, Sombra just said he intended to steal the Equestrian princesses magic and become an alicorn. “Now mind you,” he went on, “I wouldn’t be a true alicorn and would need to wear the amulet at all times to keep the immense power from causing my body to decay. But once I had worn it long enough, I could take it off and be just fine. I’d basically be a true alicorn in almost every sense, there would only be a few things I couldn’t… Hope?” He stopped as he realized that Hope had fallen behind. Upon hearing her name, the pink queen of the Crystal Empire snapped out of her stupor and caught back up with Sombra. The two started to walk again and Sombra gazed at his wife in worry.

“It’s fine, I’m fine,” she said. “You just caught me a bit off guard is all.” Sombra’s black flowing mane and tail whipped around as his red kingly cape fluttered due to his movement as he shifted on his hooves.

“I don’t intend to use the amulet unless push comes to shove, so you don’t need to worry. Besides it may not even be finished in time, war could be declared any day now so who knows.” Sombra tried to comfort his wife as they turned a corner and saw their destination lay at the end of the hallway in front of them.

“So as I was saying, the amulet would imbue me or any user with some dark magic during the process of ascension. If enough regular ponies were drained of their magic to equal an alicorn’s a similar process would also occur. The amulet would hold all the magic till it equaled the power of an alicorn then transfer it to the wearer. To use its magic sucking abilities the user would need to perform a special dark incantation to open the gem on the center of the amulet up and drain another creature. Another similar spell would be needed to initiate a transfer between amulet and user. It should also be able to amplify the bearer’s normal skills while they’re wearing it even without the power of others inside it. Also, as a way of preventing the amulet from being taken from me, or I suppose any creature wearing it at the time, it can only be removed by its user. Oh, also I’m currently trying to get the amulet to give the user immortality much similar to mine or the Equestrian princesses own. That way I could possibly grant others immortality if I so deemed so, I don’t really know I’m still working out the kinks.” Sombra concluded.

The mention of Sombra’s immortality caused Hope to flinch, something that did not go unnoticed by the dark lord. “Hope you already know I’m looking for a way to give you immortality too. It’s why the immortality experiments with the Alicorn Amulet are happening in the first place. And you know I’d sooner find a way to rid myself of immortality rather than go on living without you.”

“I know...” Hope said as she looked off to the side. A thought clicked in Sombra’s head as it dawned on him that Hope didn't know what the amulet looked like.

“Hope, you wanted to know about the amulet’s design?” He asked to which Hope looked back at him and smiled slightly. Sombra returned the smile as the setting sun sliced through a nearby window and caught on Sombra’s crown causing it to glow a silver light.

“Right then, as of now it’s just a simple silver metal band with a large indent on the front of it where the actual red gem that’s the centerpiece of the amulet resides. It’s meant to be worn around the neck and in the future will hopefully have a much more intricate design. Ablazer has already drawn up some sketches that look quite appealing. I’m thinking the final design will look something like the silhouette of a black and red alicorn, or at least something along those lines. Ablazer said it would look menacing and go great with my royal attire. Based on the sketches I’ve seen I’m inclined to agree.” Sombra articulated as Hope laughed at that last part, putting the two in good spirits as they reached the door to the research lab the Ablazer was said to be in.

The guards, having spotted the king, moved in front of the large crystal doors to push them open once he neared closer. It was at that moment an earlier thought resurfaced in Radiant Hope’s mind. The thought caused her to stumble as the weight of the idea caused her to momentarily reconsider what she was about to do.

“Advisor?” Sombra asked Hope. When she didn’t answer he walked closer and saw her blushing furiously as she looked towards the floor, her baby blue mane streaming over her face. “Hope?” He tried again in a quieter voice once he was closer to his wife. She looked up at him with a glint in her eyes and a mixture of embarrassment, nervousness, and joy. Confused Sombra was about to inquire once more when she suddenly spoke.

“Sombra, c-can we be alone for a moment? T-there’s something I need to tell you, i-in private.” She cast a quick glance at the waiting guards over his shoulder. He nodded in response and turned to the guards.

“Guards, leave us!” The king commanded, to which the guards saluted before carrying out their lord’s wishes and leaving into a side hallway away from the pair. Then Sombra put a magical sound canceling barrier around the two. “There you go Hope, guards are gone and nopony outside of this bubble can hear us. Now, what did you want to tell me?”

Hope decided then and there that she’d tell him. So, she cleared her throat and raised up her head to look her husband right in the eyes. She took a deep breath and steadied herself for what she was about to say. Filled with anxiety and barely able to contain her excitement, Radiant Hope spoke.

“Sombra, I’m pregnant!”

Dead silence followed her announcement. King Sombra stood still as a statue, his eyes wide, pupils like pin pricks, and unblinking as he processed the information he’d just received. Hope’s own expression changed from one of joy to worry at her partner’s lack of a reaction.

“Sombra? Are you-” She was cut off mid-sentence as Sombra’s brain started up again and he let out a mighty cheer before tackling his wife to the ground in a loving hug. Hope’s own expression shifted from one of worry to one of satisfaction and then to one of pure joy as she laid on the floor with her jubilant husband. Sombra squeezed his wife for a few more moments before breaking off the embrace and standing back up with Hope as pure joy and love filled his body.

“Were you going to ask if I was mad or okay!?” He exclaimed. “Because I can tell you Hope I’m certainly not mad and I am more than okay, I couldn’t be happier! I’m going to be a father!” Sombra’s own face now mirrored Hope’s as they laughed and celebrated together. Sombra drew his beloved wife to him as they kissed one and another in joy.

Then it hit Sombra that they weren’t exactly in a private area, and he still had business to attend to. “This is wonderful news Hope, it’s amazing!”

“I’m glad you think so! I’ve been thinking up names since the moment I found out. I have so many good ideas for colt and filly names, I’ve even written a few of the best ones down.” Hope said quickly as adrenaline pumped through her at her confession.

“And I can’t wait to hear them and celebrate more once we’re in a more private setting. As soon as I’m done here with Ablazer and the amulet I’ll go straight to our bedchambers. I can assume you’ll be there waiting for me?” The crystal king questioned.

“You sure can, I’ll get the list out a while so I can write down more names. Once you get back you can help me come up with some new ones!” Hope exclaimed.

“That I will Hope,” Sombra said. “Because for the first time in a long time I have something in the future to look forward to and to take my mind off of war.”

Hope smiled and simply stated, “I love you Sombra.”

Sombra dissipated the magic bubble around the two and approached the doors to the lab. Then he turned around and smiled back at his wife and said, “I love you too Radiant Hope.” With the thoughts of his foal’s birth on his mind Sombra entered the lab and shut the doors behind him leaving a doe-eyed Radiant Hope to make her way back to her and Sombra’s personal chambers.

---

The Frozen North, much like the rest of the world, was a wasteland. Nothing moved, nothing shifted, nothing lived. It was an arctic desert full of nothing, though at one point in history it housed life. There are myths and legends of a glittering and gorgeous city made of crystals. It was said that there everything, even the inhabitants themselves, were made of crystals. It was a bastion of beauty until an evil ruler toppled its government and took over. The vile beast had nothing in its heart but darkness and hatred. It corrupted the nation and enslaved its citizens as its poison slowly spread throughout the world. The terrible tyrant had no love for anypony and in turn could never be loved by others.

Then one day two valiant heroes, a princess of the day and a princess of the night, came to free the crystal subjects. The mad monstrous ruler fought tooth and nail to keep its kingdom of darkness in its grasp but ultimately it was for naught. For the twin princesses fell the beast and liberated the kingdom of crystals. However, the dastardly villain had one more trick up its sleeve. It cursed the nation to vanish into the abyss with it. Despite the princesses best efforts, the nightmare managed to drag the city into the ether with it. It completely disappeared and left nothing behind.

These legends were once thought by some to be true, but as time moved on less believed them and eventually the stories themselves faded. They faded away until no creature ever knew that an empire in the north had ever existed. It was a nation that was lost to history, a nation that once thrived, but in the end it crumbled like so many before it. However, unlike many nations that predated it this one refused to be forgotten. For in the Frozen North, where there was once nothing, a bright flash of light exploded as a city of legends appeared. Sadly though, no living creature was around to witness this miracle. There was one thing that stirred in the wake of the city’s marvelous resurrection, however. Something in the shadows of icy peaks shifted as darkness from all corners of the tundra seemed to coalesce into one spot. It was small at first, but slowly it grew larger and larger until all at once it suddenly stopped. Then without any warning the thing lurched forward as an agonizing wail tore through the air and two bright green eyes on its shadowy surface suddenly snapped open…

Author's Note:

Heyo! I hope you enjoyed that chapter and will continue to enjoy my story as it goes along, because let me tell you there is so much of it. Like seriously it is so long!!! This is just the start of a tremendously expansive and long tale I can't wait to craft fully and have you all experience! I hope you're all as excited as I am to go on this adventure, and if you didn't read the description there will be a new chapter every Sunday until this story gets going proper. When that happens, it'll have a new and more frequent release schedule. So seeya all next Sunday! ~ ✨ Child of Stars ✨

*P.S. Reason why it says July 31st is because I published the chapter earlier than I meant to back when the story itself wasn't published yet!*

Comments

[horses are fuckin weird]

But nobody came.

[Triumph Of The Will]

Man this story starts very well,I’m excited to see the rest.

[Bride of Sombra]

I’m excited for this story.

[MurderP0n7]

Esta historia empezó bien, pero me pregunto dos cosas, primero, King Sombra será un Anti héroe? Segundo y más importante, estas pensando en incluir un multiverso? Porque si todo lo demás en equis está muerto, es casi imposible mantenerse en ese mundo y aunque se que sombra es uno de los seres en FIM más inteligentes y astutos, es solo un pony (muy loco) y no creo que sea suficiente como para mantener tanto tiempo el imperio de cristal oscuro de una u otra forma sombra deberá agarrar su imperio y largarse de allí