The Shadows Before Dawn

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The Shadows Before Dawn

A dead King Sombra finds himself in the Astral Plane, with an unexpected proposition to consider.

Written for the A Thousand Words Contest II.

Chapters (1)

Comments ( 10 )

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BleuBlooms

BleuBlooms #1 · Jul 30th, 2023 · 1 · ·

Oh! The little detail's! I am digging the the trees voice! Excellent job!

hawthornbunny

hawthornbunny #2 · Jul 30th, 2023 · · ·

11653132
Thank you!

Misty Shadow

Misty Shadow #3 · Aug 1st, 2023 · 1 · ·

Very interesting idea executed decently! Ponies from G4 getting reincarnated as ponies from G5 is a concept I've always loved.

Starswirl the Beardless

Starswirl the Beardless #4 · Aug 3rd, 2023 · · ·

You forgot the G5 tag.

hawthornbunny

hawthornbunny #5 · Aug 4th, 2023 · · ·

11657107
Nope! I omitted it on purpose (along with the Tempest tag) to avoid spoilers.

hawthornbunny

hawthornbunny #6 · Aug 4th, 2023 · 1 · ·

11654744
Good to hear! It's not something I've seen any of myself :)

Bicyclette

Bicyclette #7 · Sep 18th, 2023 · · ·

Blinking his newly reformed eyes, the unicorn lord found himself staring into the impassive, shimmering gaze of Twilight Sparkle.
"Well, now. I wasn't aware you had a sense of humor," Sombra remarked haughtily.
"Laughter is in my nature," said the Tree of Harmony. "But I have always had trouble expressing it."

ehehe love the familiarity here

"I wish to give you another chance," the Tree declared. "No creature is beyond redemption."
"No, thank you," said King Sombra, with an insulted sniff. "A second chance, yes. But not from you. I will not be a grovelling pawn in some insipid scheme of friendship. Now, return me."

aww that is so both of them

The image changed, vanishing the filly and replacing her with a much larger, more imposing figure, one which definitely did know its place in the world. The pony was tall and slender, her magenta coat shining with raw mystical power, her icy mane bound into tight, elegant braids. The projection was silent, but Sombra's mind could easily hear the sound of her cold, cruel laughter.

oh that is an amazing idea

"Her power is restrained," the Tree told him. "Your path is not yet set, nor is that of the unicorn Misty. But together, you will have the opportunity to shape each other's destinies."
Restraints can be broken, Sombra comfortably reminded himself. As can hearts, and minds. "You have said enough. I accept."

ehehe

"There is one caveat," the Tree added. "As is Opaline's power suppressed, so too is Misty's. You will lack the ability to use your unicorn magic."
"Figures," said Tempest, scratching her broken horn. "At least some things never change, right?"

ahaha i was wondering who that was! excellent reveal. love the take on these connections between G4 and G5 characters, and really puts the latter in a new light. thank you for writing!

FanOfMostEverything

FanOfMostEverything #8 · Sep 18th, 2023 · · ·

Huh. Huh. Fascinating concept. I have many questions here. Such as why Tempest needs a third chance. The really interesting thing is that while I want to see more, much of the rest of the story has already been told. The implications are staggering when considered in tandem with G5 as we know it. If nothing else, it’s a cunning way for the Tree of Harmony to cut off Sombra’s incessant dark resurrections.

This is a fun bit of thought provocation. More a prelude than a story in its own right, but still most intriguing. Thank you for it.

Also, the Tree now has a character tag in case you want to add it.

hawthornbunny

hawthornbunny #9 · Sep 18th, 2023 · 1 · ·

11698025
Thank you for the review!

11698523

I have many questions here. Such as why Tempest needs a third chance.

You're not the only person to ask this, which is an indication that I didn't communicate this plot point very effectively :) The idea was that Tempest herself doesn't feel like she's done enough to atone for her past; her spirit has been unable to rest, which is why she's in Limbo and why she mentions it being "itchy" in there. The Tree is giving Tempest another chance so that she might finally find the atonement she's seeking.

Ghost Mike