On their next adventure into the jungle, Ornate and Sombra discover a long lost city and someone's origin is discovered.
The sweltering jungles of Equestria hide dark secrets, as well as a lost civilization. As Sombra and Ornate discover the strange new city, the origin of a pony's family is discovered and it will change their life forever. But when a dark pony disrupts their plans, will they be able to escape?
The transition from the Icy North to the Sweltering Jungles took a toll on Ornate. Her fur had just begun to get thicker for the colder weather when they had gotten their new orders from Celestia to explore the jungles. She wished they had gotten some time off so she could re-adjust to the temperature changes. It was too late now.
Sombra walked in front of her, leading the way as he used his magic to clear a path. He had used the spell to lead them to the imbalance, but it just kept leading them forward deeper into the jungle.
Ornate began to pant. The heat was unbearable. She looked at Sombra and wondered how he could keep so cool when his coat and mane were black. Continuing to trudge onwards, she did her best to keep her mind off the heat.
After several hours of walking, Sombra stopped and helped Ornate sit down in a shady area to keep cool. He waited for her to catch her breath, keeping his guard up for anything that might attack them. After a while, Ornate stood up to begin walking again.
Suddenly, the ground gave out from under them, sending them cascading down a tunnel. Ornate tried to stop herself, but the dirt walls slid past her hoofs. Tumbling deeper down the slide, Ornate was shocked when she finally stopped. Sombra bumped into her a little as he also came to a stop.
Even though the tunnel was leading almost straight down, they were surprised to see the sun again. They looked around to see they were right outside of a city of some sort. The thick walls around the city were made of baked clay and were as strong as stone. The wooden doors were gigantic and looked heavy.
Ornate stood up and brushed herself off. Before she could survey her surroundings again, she found they were surrounded by strange ponies wearing dark brown wooden masks while wielding spears. Armed to the teeth, they examined their prey. They snarled at the sight of Sombra and kept him at spear point.
But they acted differently towards Ornate. They muttered words in a different language that Ornate did not understand. They sounded as though they were in shock. Ornate began to shake. Who were these ponies and what would they do to them?
That’s when all the ponies began to part away letting another pony grace their way towards her. She noticed that the ponies did not let up with Sombra and kept him surrounded by their spears. Ornate then turned her attention to the pony striding towards her. As soon as she laid eyes on him, her eyes went wide.
The pony walking towards her was another zebra. He was about her same height with deep red eyes that searched her over. His dark black stripes fought against his red coat. His gray mane was sleek and shimmered in the sun. He wore a band with three feathers on it; one green, one blue, and one red. He also wore a gray tunic, with a belt. The belt, however, was the thing that caught Ornate’s eye the most. The belt buckle was a cat’s eye charm; one almost identical to the one Snow Plain wore. She knew that was the source of the imbalance.
The zebra’s expressionless face stared her down. Her face flushed as he peered at her face ever closer. Another pony ran up and stood beside the zebra. He, too, was a zebra. His dark blue stripes were quite charming against his light gray coat and his light blue mane looked soft. He was out of breath, obviously from trying to catch up to the darker zebra. He stood up straight and cleared his throat.
“Your Majesty,” he started, “What do we have here?”
He glanced at Ornate and glimpsed at her features. When he looked away, his eyes widened and he performed a double take. His jaw dropped in astonishment and he quickly walked around her.
“This can’t be!” he muttered to himself. He was quick to the dark zebra’s side and whispered in his ear. The more he whispered, the more the dark zebra’s expression became distinct; he was shocked.
The light zebra walked up to Ornate and slightly bowed. Ornate was confused. What was going on?
“I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you sooner, Princess Ornatia” he apologized.
Ornate’s eyes opened wide. She backed up a little.
“I’m not Princess Ornatia,” she stammered. “My name is Ornate.”
The light zebra shook his head.
“No, I recognize Queen Lylia’s features. You are her daughter all right.”
Lylia: That was Ornate’s mother’s name. She knew nothing about her mother other than her name. Was it possible that she was the same Lylia?
The light zebra looked at her confused expression and knew it was his cue to fill her in with the details.
“Queen Lylia was a faithful leader,” he began, “but she was adventurous. She didn’t like to stay in one place for too long. A stallion paid us a visit and stole the heart of Queen Lylia. She was soon pregnant. She always said she would name her daughter Ornatia. And one day, she ran away with the stallion, never to return.”
Ornate was receiving a lot of information. Was this really her mother? She was confused. Her knees buckled beneath her and she fell to the ground. The light zebra was quick on his feet and helped her up. He escorted her into the city with the others following.
All of the buildings were made of the same dry clay the walls were made of. Everywhere she looked she saw other zebras of all sorts of colors and sizes. The shock of the news left her in a state where she could not process everything. The light zebra and dark zebra took her to a castle in the middle of the city, but the guards sent Sombra to the darkest building they had.
Everything started to become comprehensible to Ornate as she was lying on a plush bed with silk sheets. She was immediately led into the castle and brought to her own room. It was all still a haze. Was it her mother? She couldn’t know for sure. She wondered if Sombra….
She quickly sat up. She didn’t see Sombra enter the castle. Where did they take him? Her heart beat wildly as she stood up and ran out of her room. She didn’t get far. She was stopped by guards who stood on either side of her bedroom door.
Startled, she jumped back and looked at the guards. They wore dark face paint and their blank stares penetrated her soul. The light zebra ran out of a nearby room and approached them.
“What seems to be the trouble, m’lady?” he asked nervously.
“My friend,” Ornate began, “the unicorn, where is he?”
His face went pale. The dark zebra approached them and glared at the light zebra. He looked at Ornate with a devilish look. He bowed slightly and closed his eyes.
“I am Shadow Ire,” he introduced himself. “This is my servant, Rare Aura.”
Shivers ran up Ornate’s spine as Shadow Ire spoke. His dark, husky tones were somber and sleek.
“Your friend,” Aura interrupted, “is in another room. For now, just go and lie down. You were very pale when we brought you here.”
Ornate couldn’t tell if they were telling the truth or not. She snorted and dug her hoof into the ground a couple of times.
“Take me to him,” she ordered.
Aura’s eyes went wide. Shadow glared at her. She froze. His eyes began to swirl red and sent Ornate into a hypnotic state. Her eyes became dull as she walked back into her room.
Shadow turned to the guards and growled an order. The guards tensed up and slightly nodded. Shadow was pleased. He then turned his attention to Aura, who froze in fear.
“Make sure she never leaves her room,” he said in a hushed voice. “If I am to be king, I will have to marry into the royal line.”
Aura nodded a little, and watched Shadow walk away.
***
Sombra woke up on the floor of a prison. His groggy state started to wear off and the pain of being hit on the head was taking its place. He couldn’t remember much after finding out Ornate was a descendant of royalty from this messed up place.
Slowly rising to his hoofs, he inspected his prison. It was made of the same material the rest of the place was made of. The door was steel with steel bars covering the only window in the wall. It was night time. But where was Ornate?
Sombra looked up at his horn. He didn’t use magic too often, but it was certainly handy. Summoning up enough magic, his horn began to glow black and he teleported himself outside the city. He was thankful that the zebras didn’t take away his magic.
He found himself half a mile away from the city. It was a safe enough distance that they wouldn’t find him too soon. He noticed a big castle in the middle of the city. That must be where they took her.
“But how to get in?” he mumbled to himself.
“That is the whole challenge,” a voice from behind threatened.
Sombra looked back to see a large yellow pegasus with purple tipped wings and a black mane and tail. His red eyes gleamed in the moonlight. He wore a purple crown with a ruby in the middle along with a purple pendant and hoof covers. He sneered at Sombra.
“Might as well go home,” he chimed. “Those zebras are very protective about their belongings.”
Sombra growled and dug his hoof into the ground. The yellow pegasus raised an eyebrow at him, taunting him with the smirk of pure delight. Sombra charged towards him, only to have him knocked backwards by an invisible force. Stumbling, Sombra tried to figure out what had happened.
The yellow pegasus walked over to him. His red eyes began to swirl and they locked eye contact.
“Ornate is no longer your concern,” he began. “Just leave and tell the others she is no more.”
Sombra started to sway a little with a blank stare, but quickly shook it off.
“I’m not leaving without her,” he persisted.
The yellow pegasus was in shock. He shook his head and growled.
“You can try to break in and get her,” he started, “But your efforts will be in vain.”
Sombra’s horn glowed again and his appearance changed. He looked more like a zebra. His gray stripes over his new green coat were sleek. His horn disappeared, but it was merely invisible. He teleported into the shadows of a dark corner of the castle, quickly trotting to Ornate’s room. Walking into her room, he noticed her lying on the bed with a blank stare. He quickly ran over to her and hugged her. She remained limp and lifeless.
“Ornate,” he said, choking back tears, “It’s me, Sombra.”
There was still no life to her.
Sombra had no choice. Holding her close to him, he teleported to the Canterlot castle in front of the throne. Celestia was sitting on her throne working on paperwork. The teleportation had startled her and looked at them. Sombra turned to his normal state with tears streaming down his face.
Celestia was quick to his side and examined Ornate. Her eyes were wide with fright.
“Whoever casted this spell is very powerful,” she whispered.
Sombra looked at Celestia.
“Please,” he cried. “Help her. There has to be something we can do.”
Celestia looked doubtful at Sombra. She quickly led Sombra to the hospital wing; they didn’t notice a dark purple pegasus with demon wings and fluorescent green hair flee from one of the windows into the night.
Sombra sat solemnly next to Ornate’s hospital bed. She remained still and lifeless as she did when he found her. It had been two weeks since their engagement with the Zebra Civilization, and every spell and cure they had tried on her had been in vain.
Sombra stood up and began to trot around her bed, pacing and waiting. There was a zebra coming in soon, named Zecora, to inspect Ornate. Sombra hoped that she would be able to help.
It wasn’t long before Celestia walked into the room with a hooded mare beside her. Slowly, the mare removed her hood, revealing herself to be a zebra, presumably Zecora, Sombra thought.
Zecora calmly walked over to the bed and peered down at the dazed zebra before her. She began to poke and prod at her, testing the limits of the spell. Finally, she looked up at them.
“The spell she is under was casted long ago,” she began. “A cure will be difficult to find and bestow.”
“Is there anything you can do, Zecora?” Sombra desperately pleaded.
She shook her head.
“There is very little I can do. The magic is otherworldly, too.”
“Otherworldly?” Sombra asked.
“Magic, or anything for that matter, that is not from our world, is known as otherworldly,” Celestia explained. “I would like to know how otherworldly magic was brought here.”
“Two ponies that are otherworldly dwell among us,” Zecora remarked. “One is dark and is here to deceive us. The other, pure of heart, but distraught by fear. The pure will find the dark and remove all the bad that has transpired here.”
“Who is the one who can defeat the dark otherworldly pony?” Celestia asked.
“That I cannot tell,” Zecora spoke softly. “For I am also bound by an otherworldly spell.”
“So you’ve seen these two ponies?” Sombra questioned.
Zecora nodded.
“Both otherworldly,” she answered, “but only one was born courageously.”
“Thank you, Zecora,” Celestia remarked. “If there is anything else you can tell us, please let us know.”
She nodded, and with that, she left. Celestia sat down upon the ground and rubbed her temples with her hooves. Sombra laid his chin upon the bed, staring at Ornate.
“This has all become a mess,” Celestia mumbled.
Sombra began to sob quietly. Celestia watched him, her ears slowly lowering. She looked away after a while and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Sombra continued to wail, and didn’t notice the pegasus from before sneaking into the room.
He stood behind him, scowling at the pathetic pony. The red ruby adorning his mask turned into a ruby red unicorn horn. His horn glowed with black magic, which picked up Sombra and tossed him into the wall. Sombra slid down to the ground, panting and cringing in pain.
“You’re pathetic,” he said. “Crying over her will do nothing. The spell is too powerful for any of you.”
“You’re the dark pony,” Sombra gasped.
“That’s right, but you’ll never find the one who is meant to defeat me.”
Sombra arose from the ground, striking a menacing pose. This only made the pegasus laugh.
“Even if you could beat me in a fight, it would do nothing to save her.”
“How do you even know?!”
“Because I am the one responsible for controlling ponies with the cat’s eye pendants.”
Sombra’s eyes widened, before narrowing again. He charged up to him, his horn glowing dark red. The pegasus used his magic to swing Sombra away again.
“Don’t you get it?” he asked. “You’re weak. The only way you’ll save her is if you listen to me.”
Sombra slowly stood, panting. He glared at the pegasus before giving in.
“What do you want from me?”
“I want you to join me.”
Sombra looked away.
“I’m trying to get people to trust me again.”
“I know you, Sombra. I know what you did to the Crystal Empire. And I know you want to do that to all of Equestria.”
“I don’t want to do that anymore,” Sombra growled.
“Once a villain, always a villain,” the pegasus cackled. “I see the true desires of your heart. I saved you. This mare has you under a spell.”
Sombra glanced at Ornate. He knew what the pegasus was saying wasn’t true, but also he knew listening to him was the only way to save the mare he loved. He cringed at the thought of returning to his evil duties after finally convincing everyone he was good.
“Think of it, Sombra. All of Equestria at your hooves, and the zebra as your queen. Ruling side by side with an iron hoof. Isn’t that what you want?”
Sombra sat on the floor, dazed. He didn’t notice the pegasus’ amulet horn upon his purple crown charged with magic, creating a crown upon Sombra’s head. The jewels upon it were emerald green cat’s eye gems, much like the ones found on the pendant and belt. Sombra’s eyes turned steely cold. He stood up and confronted the pegasus.
“I am ready to begin conquest, my liege,” Sombra spoke softly.
The pegasus smirked in delight. His magic began to glow once again, surrounding Ornate’s body. As she began to wake up, the pegasus disappeared in an instant. Slowly, she sat up and looked around.
“Where am I?” she asked aloud.
“Safe and sound, my dear,” Sombra spoke with a rich timbre.
Ornate looked at him, eyes wide and her whole body shaking.
“S-Sombra, what happened to you?”
“I have been given the power to make all our dreams come true.”
He approached her slowly, allowing her to notice the crown upon his head.
“Sombra, what have you done?” Ornate cried.
“We’re going to rule Equestria, my dear,” Sombra cackled. “Side by side, king and queen.”
A silver crown formed in the air in front of Sombra with a glimmering ruby adorning it.
“Help me take over Equestria, Ornate. Become my queen.”
Ornate was staring at him with wide eyes. She started to back up until she felt her back end hit the wall. She looked back to see she was right in front of an open window, leading outside onto the roof. She looked back at Sombra, who was slowly inching closer to her with the crown in front of him. Taking a deep breath, Ornate jumped out the window behind her and slid down the shingles to the edge of the roof. She could hear Sombra yelling from the window. She looked down the ledge to find another section of roof. She hopped down and ran along the roof to get away from Sombra as fast as she could.
The roof she was on was far from the ground, so she began to look around for another empty window. She spotted one on the far side of the castle. She immediately felt relief to see that exit. Then, she heard hooves slamming on the shingles behind her. She turned and saw Sombra glaring at her with his deep, blood red eyes. Jolted, she started to sprint across the roof to the empty window with Sombra close behind.
“Ornate!” Sombra yelled.
Ornate ran as fast as she could until she finally got close to the window and dashed inside. She continued to run down the hallway, frantically looking around for somepony to help her. She could hear Sombra jumping in through the window and running after her. She ran as quickly as she could to the throne room and kicked in the door.
Celestia was sitting at her throne when the doors opened, the sound jolting her focus to Ornate.
“Ornate?” she asked, surprised. “You’re up?”
“Help me!” she screamed as she ran towards Celestia.
She made it up to her throne when Sombra ran to the doors and stopped, breathing heavily from all the chasing. Celestia’s eyes widened as she realized what had happened. She stood from her throne, her horn blazing with a gold magic aura and stormed across the room to Sombra. He, in turn, charged his horn with dark red magic and stood his ground. Luna stood protectively in front of Ornate, who was shaking in fear.
“Sombra,” Celestia hissed in a low voice. “A small part of me never wanted this to happen. It was only a matter of time.”
“Stand down, Celestia,” Sombra growled. “Don’t stand in my way. Ornate is to be my queen. Together, she and I will take over Equestria and rule it together.”
“So be it. Sombra, by the authority vested in me, I hereby banish you for treason!”
Celestia launched a beam of magic at Sombra, who disappeared in a flash.
“This isn’t the end!” Sombra’s cackle echoed in the throne room. “Ornate, you will be my queen and you will rule by my side! I’ll be back for you!”
He began to laugh maniacally, and soon, it faded into nothing. Celestia stopped her magic and turned towards Ornate. Luna was now cradling her, and Ornate was sobbing uncontrollably.
“Don’t worry, Ornate,” Celestia said softly. “Princess Cadence and Shining Armor will watch over you in the Crystal Empire.”
Ornate sat on a lone bench in the train at Canterlot station. She sat next to her loaded suitcase and wore a dark cloak with the hood up. Around her neck was a small, silver necklace that had the sun and moon symbols on it. Celestia had given it to her to conceal her identity with magic. She gazed out the window beside her at the large city. It no longer had the welcoming glow that it once had to her. Now, it was desolate and empty.
Once the train started to move, the trip was rather quick. She mostly stared out the window beside her. She hoped that her dear friend, Tailored Velvet, would help take her mind off of the recent events. She loved Sombra dearly, and it hurt to know that he was no longer in control of himself. Small tears gathered in the corner of her eyes at the thought of losing him forever.
Slowly, the train stopped at the Crystal Empire, and Ornate got off with her suitcase in tow. She looked around for a familiar face, when she spotted Rainbow Dash and Applejack approaching her.
“Welcome back!” Applejack greeted her enthusiastically.
“We’re here to escort you back to the palace,” Rainbow Dash sighed.
Ornate looked away, embarrassed that she had to be escorted at all.
“Let’s get going,” Applejack quickly changed the subject. “Princess Cadence and Shining Armor are waiting for us.”
All three of them left the station and walked toward the Crystal Palace. Ornate noticed everyone was happy and content, but she was aching inside. She stared at the ground as they approached the Crystal Heart, still on its pedestal. She found it hard to find the beauty it once had, but her heart was in no mood to be pleased.
Once they entered the Crystal Castle, Princess Cadence and Shining Armor were waiting for them with the rest of the mane six. Ornate stopped in front of them and set her suitcase down on the floor beside her.
“It’s great to have you back, dear,” Princess Cadence smiled.
“We want you to be comfortable during your stay here,” Shining Armor added.
Ornate bowed her head. “Thank you for having me,” she quietly answered.
Twilight walked up to her. “I’ll take you to your room, then. Follow me.”
Ornate nodded a little and picked up her suitcase before following her down the hall.
“Velvet said she wanted me to let her know when you arrived,” Twilight mentioned. “She seemed pretty excited to see you again.”
Ornate stayed silent, still following her.
Twilight’s ears lowered as she glanced back at her.
“You really did love him, didn’t you?” she asked, quietly.
Ornate solemnly nodded.
Twilight looked away.
“I really hope everything turns out okay, Ornate.”
“Me too.”
Twilight opened the door to the guest room, all prepared for Ornate’s unexpected stay. The zebra walked over to the bed and set her suitcase down on it.
“Velvet will be dropping by soon. You won’t have guards directly around you all the time, but they will be in your area, just in case Sombra shows up in town.”
Twilight slowly walked out, closing the door behind her as Ornate sunk into the bed and began to cry.
***
Within the marsh-buried castle, Eternal sat at the head of a long table with his daughter, Shadow, and his new recruit sitting on either side of him. The table was crowded with shadow ponies serving them.
“Finally, we can begin the next part of my plan,” Eternal cackled. “You remember, right, darling?”
“Yes, father,” Shadow answered. “We are to invade the three cities that pose the most threat to us.”
“Precisely, my starling,” Eternal grinned.
Suddenly, the table cleared, and a map of Equestria appeared before them. Three red markers formed in the air above the map and fell straight down to their targets: The Crystal Empire, Canterlot, and Ponyville.
“For now, Canterlot holds the most power in all of Equestria, so we must conquer it before anything else,” Eternal explained. “I will be the one to invade it with my army of shadow ponies.”
Eternal turned to Sombra, who did little else from staring at the map.
“My new protege, Sombra, you will lead your army of crystal ponies to the Crystal Empire and dethrone Princess Cadence. Those princesses may have powerful magic, but I have eyes everywhere, and the Crystal Empire is where Ornate is located. As my protege, I will award your capture of the Empire by giving you the throne to become their new king and take Ornate as your queen, as I promised.”
Sombra nodded.
“Thank you, Master.”
Eternal turned to his daughter.
“Finally, you shall lead the army of skeletal ponies to Ponyville and make sure you take care of that princess and her friends, understood?”
“Yes, father,” Shadow nodded.
Eternal smiled sinisterly.
“For now, we will feast, then prepare ourselves for battle. Those ponies won’t back down without a fight.”
***
Sometime during her meltdown, Ornate had passed out on her bed. She slowly awoke to Velvet sitting beside her bed, watching her inquisitively. Ornate looked at her, wondering why she would look at her like that.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, “Has it really been too long since you’ve seen me?”
Velvet smiled.
“Oh, good, your voice is still the same,” she sighed in relief.
Ornate blushed, for she had forgotten she was in disguise.
“Sorry for sleeping,” she said as she got off her bed. “I really needed to get some of that stress off my back.”
“I understand,” Velvet answered. “I can’t even begin to imagine what you’ve been through.”
Ornate lowered her head and looked away.
“But enough of that,” Velvet said quickly. “I’m taking you to the spa.”
She smiled a little. A spa treatment would feel pretty good after a hard cry. They walked out of the room and headed down the hall. As they walked, Ornate noticed more guards than usual.
“Not much has happened here since you left,” Velvet started, “but I’m sure you have enough tales to fill a book by now!”
“I’d rather not talk about that, Velvet.”
“That’s fine, you’ll just have to hear about all the most “exciting” things to happen at my shop,” Velvet snarked, playfully bumping Ornate’s shoulder with her own.
Ornate smiled. Velvet really did know how to cheer her up. It was a nice distraction. They walked outside of the castle where the Crystal Heart stood on its pedestal. As they walked by, Ornate saw the Heart spin rapidly while hearing the soft sound of a chime. She gasped aloud as she watched it spin. Velvet looked at the heart, then back at her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I just saw the Heart spin rapidly on its pedestal,” Ornate softly answered.
Velvet looked puzzled.
“It looks just fine to me. Maybe you need this spa treatment more than I thought. Come on.”
They continued to walk down the street to the spa, and entered the building.
“I hope you’re right about this, Velvet.”
***
Velvet giggled as they left the spa, their hooves buffed nicely, and their hair still slightly wet. Ornate’s hair started to curl as it dried. She smiled and shook her head at Velvet as they walked to the dress shop.
“You’re such a goof, Velvet,” Ornate scoffed playfully.
“Anything to get you to smile again,” Velvet sighed happily.
As they walked, Ornate stopped in her tracks, and looked up and down the street. Velvet looked at her, tilting her head in a curious fashion.
“What’s up?” she asked.
Ornate didn’t respond. She could feel the ground shaking under her hooves. Something was coming.
“Let’s get to the castle! Quickly!” Ornate turned towards the castle and started to run as fast as she could with Velvet following behind her. Velvet looked back, but quickly turned her attention back to Ornate. They quickly made it back to the castle, where the guards slammed the doors shut behind them. Ornate quickly walked to the throne room where Princess Cadence sat at her throne and Shining Armor standing right beside her, wearing his battle armor.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Ornate, you must return to your room and hide there,” Princess Cadence answered. “I’m afraid he has returned, just like he promised.”
Ornate’s body froze in fear. Velvet quickly pushed Ornate to her room and closed the door. She turned the lock to the door and sat in front of it. Ornate looked out the window to see the whole street was black with thousands of black crystal ponies filling the streets and forcing the ponies of the Crystal Empire into their houses.
“Whatever is happening, it isn’t going to be good,” Ornate whispered.
Ornate watched in horror as the black crystal figures in the streets began rounding up the citizens of the Crystal Empire. Though the window was far from the ground, she spotted Sombra almost instantly. Her eyes locked onto him, a twinge of fear shook her to her core. He was a totally different pony from the one she once knew. It scared her how much he had changed. Velvet quickly pulled her away from the window. Ornate snapped out of the daze she hadn’t realized she had fallen into.
“We can’t let him see you,” Velvet quivered. “That’s the whole reason he’s here, right?”
Ornate nodded. As much as it pained her, she knew she couldn’t let him find her. Sitting on the bed, her emotions started to overpower her mind, and she crumbled into a sobbing mess. Velvet quickly sat down next to her and gently put her hoof around her.
“It’s going to be okay, Ornate,” she gently assured. “We won’t let him get to you. Not today.”
***
Cadence sat on her throne with Shining Armor by her side. She knew that this would happen, and yet, it terrified her. Sombra was indeed a powerful pony, even more so with this army he had brought to her door. Whatever pony had given Sombra his newfound power and his army was much stronger than she or even Luna and Celestia could have ever imagined. Shining Armor gently put his hoof on hers.
“It’s going to be alright, dear. We prepared for this.”
Cadence kissed her husband’s cheek. “I know, but it’s still--”
Suddenly, the doors to the throne room slammed open with terrific force. It startled Cadence and Shining Armor, and their heads snapped towards the door. There he stood, in his shadowy glory, Sombra himself. His eyes were a deeper crimson than they ever had before. This crown, adorned with cat eye gems, felt unfamiliar and strange to see. Slowly, he sauntered to the middle of the throne room and stopped before Cadence.
“Good evening, Princess Cadence,” he spoke calmly. “I’m sure you both know why I’m here.”
“We know full well that you’re just here to take what you think is yours,” Shining Armor spat. “But despite what you may think, Ornate and the Crystal Empire do not belong to you!”
Sombra did not react at all to what Shining had just said. He just blinked.
“I’m afraid you haven’t been informed correctly then,” he chided. “In a matter of hours, Canterlot will be attacked and a new king of Equestria will be crowned this evening. Once he has the authority, he will just give me the Crystal Empire. I’m just here to either win it before then, or just wait until it is given to me on a silver platter.”
Cadence sat quietly, staring at Sombra. She couldn’t believe just how much he had changed in such a short span of time.
“We will never surrender!” Shining taunted.
“Fine, then a battle we shall have,” Sombra’s eyes glimmered.
Cadence tensed up. “Shining, don’t--!”
Before she knew it, Shining Armor was charging towards Sombra, his horn glowing brighter than ever before. In an instant, both stallions were locked in combat, their horns shimmering as they rammed head on. They started to circle each other, each starting daggers at one another. Shining retreated a bit, before charging again, only to be met with Sombra’s horn once again. Over and over, the two charged and clashed.
Finally tired of the situation, Sombra charged a beam of magic at Shining, slamming him to the ground and holding him there. Try as he might, Shining Armor could not get up again. Sombra approached the throne.
“It’s over, Princess Cadence. It’s time to surrender.”
Cadence hung her head as she vacated the throne over to her husband. Sombra retracted his spell from Shining and sat upon the throne. Cadence quickly teleported herself and her husband out of the throne room to Canterlot. Sombra smiled sinisterly.
“At last, my subjects, I have returned!”
Turning to some of the dark crystal ponies in the throne room, Sombra directed them to the hallway.
“Search the castle for Ornate. She’s here somewhere.”
The dark crystal ponies did not hesitate to immediately storm down the hallway in search of Sombra’s bride. Breaking down each door, the ponies stormed the castle. It did not take them long to find Ornate and Velvet in one of the guest rooms. Quickly, they took them to the throne room and stood them in front of Sombra.
He eyed them suspiciously. Slowly, he descended from his throne and approached Velvet.
“The Crystal Empire tailor? What are you doing in the castle, may I ask?”
“I was brought here to tailor some clothes,” Velvet said defiantly.
“I see. But you also happen to be Ornate’s best friend, are you not?
Velvet visibly tensed up. Standing stiffly, she was silent for a moment.
“I am, but she is not here.”
Sombra immediately got up in her face.
“I don’t believe you for a second,” he spat. “I have informants that have reported her coming here by order of the Princesses themselves. Now tell me, where is Ornate?”
Velvet stared at him, searching for an ounce of humanity within him.
“She is not here.”
Sombra huffed, immediately turning his attention to the other pony before him.
“And you, I haven’t seen you before. Why are you here?”
Ornate stood there, horrified at the pony Sombra had become. She was too scared to speak, knowing that he would immediately figure out who she was the second she spoke. She began to shake. Sombra became furious.
“I am the King of the Crystal Empire! You will respond to me! NOW!”
Ornate crumpled to the ground, her hooves covering her head.
“Please,” she begged, “Stop yelling at me.”
Sombra halted and his face drained.
“Ornate…. Is that you?” He gasped.
Ornate did not move, tears continuously streaming down her face. At that moment, Sombra spotted the pendant around her neck. He teleported it off her neck and held it above her. In an instant, her disguise melted away before his eyes, revealing the pony he had been searching for. Throwing the pendant behind him, Sombra collapsed in front of her, gently lifting up her chin with his hoof.
“Ornate, I’m sorry,” Sombra softly spoke. “I had no idea it was you.”
Ornate moved her head away, burying her head under her front legs. Sombra slowly stood up, gently moving Ornate to his back using his magic. He turned to his soldiers.
“Take this tailor to the dungeon,” he ordered. “She has already proven to be untrustworthy.”
Sombra began to walk down the hall as his soldiers swarmed Velvet and began to drag her out of the throne room, Velvet protesting the whole time. Ornate continued to tremble as Sombra walked to the master bedroom.
Gently setting her down on the bed, Sombra sat on the floor in front of her, his eyes soft and caring. It made her long for the real version of himself, not the one being controlled. Tears continued to roll down her face. He gently wiped them away with his hooves.
"It's alright, darling. We're finally together again. There's no need to be afraid."
Ornate slowly looked at him. Despite his acting, she wasn't fully convinced it was truly him.
"Why Sombra? Why did you agree to this? I thought you had changed."
Sombra's body stiffened before he rose to his hooves. His expression seemed to be a mix of disappointment and understanding.
"I did this for us, for you. You weren't waking up from the spell. I did what I had to in order to save you. Once Eternal Terror attacks Canterlot and takes control, we'll be free to do what we want." Using his magic, he created the silver crown adorned with a ruby and a crimson gown out of thin air before placing them on the bed beside her. "Together we can rule over the Crystal Empire, and we can live a happy life. We can finally marry one another. No more waiting."
Ornate stared at the stallion before her. She could hardly recognize him at this point. Where had the Sombra she had fallen in love with gone? The whole situation seemed like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from.
"What do you say, my dear?"
Ornate found her gaze lowered to the floor.
"I want to see my friend, Velvet. I want to talk with her."
Sombra sneered. "That traitor? Fine, I guess I could allow it."
In an instant, two dark crystal pony guards entered the room. Sombra turned to them.
"Escort the queen to the dungeon. She wishes to visit the prisoner."
Ornate stepped off the bed and made her way out of the bedroom with the guards. The three of them slowly made their way down to the dungeons of the Crystal Castle. In the farthest cell sat Velvet on a lumpy bed against the stone wall. She watched as the guards let Ornate into the cell before closing the door behind her. The two mares quickly embraced each other as the guards departed.
"Ornate, it's good to see you well."
"As well as I can be. I don't understand why he would do this."
"Love can make ponies act a little irrationally."
Ornate gently shoved her friend with a small smile. Velvet chuckled in response.
"So, what's the plan?"
"I'm not sure. I've got to get through to Sombra before Canterlot is attacked. I just don't know how."
"You'll think of something, you always do."
“The crown he wears is controlling him. If I can find a good moment, I could take it off of him and free him from Eternal’s control.”
“Perfect!” Velvet gave her friend another hug before the guards approached the cell again. Opening the door for her, Ornate stepped out as the guards locked the cell. Guiding her out of the dungeon, she looked back once more at her dear friend and received a wave in response. She turned back forward as the guards led her back to the master bedroom. Surprisingly, Sombra was gone, but the crown and the dress remained on the bed, this time with a note beside them.
The guards closed the door behind Ornate before locking it tight. She slowly approached the bed and glanced at the note.
My Dear Ornate, I wish to invite you tonight to a candlelit dinner between the two of us. We have much to discuss. Please dress accordingly. Love, Sombra
Ornate sighed as she moved the note to the nightstand. Grabbing the dress, she took off her cloak and tossed it aside before putting it on. She used her hooves to smooth out the skirt while she made her way over to a long mirror in the corner of the room. She pulled the hair tie out from her mane and let her hair down. She had a lot to do to make herself presentable for tonight.
***
Sombra paced in the dining room of the castle five minutes before five o’clock. The amber colors of the fire in the fireplace danced across the walls and illuminated the table in the center of the room. It was covered with a deep crimson tablecloth decorated with gold trim and tassels. A bounty of food was placed on the table among several lit gold candelabras. On either end of the table expensive china and utensils were placed carefully at each seat. With all of the elaborate decorating, he only hoped it would cheer up his queen.
Sombra stopped in front of the fireplace and stared into the flames. As he watched them flicker across the logs, he pulled from his suit pocket the ring box holding the emerald ring with which he tried proposing to Ornate. Perhaps tonight would fare far better than last time.
As the clock struck five, Sombra quickly stowed the box back into the pocket of his suit as the doors to the dining room opened. Standing alongside two guards was his lovely queen. The crimson gown and silver tiara made her look radiant. Her orange mane was let down in wavy curls and her jade eyes glimmered in the candlelight. Sombra felt his heart flutter within his chest.
The guards closed the doors behind her as Sombra made his way over to her.
“You look lovely tonight, my dear.” Gingerly he took her hoof and gave it a kiss. Ornate’s cheeks matched in hue with her dress.
“Thank you.” Her soft tone made Sombra’s heart flutter once more. Without another word he escorted her to her seat, pulling out her chair and pushing it back in as she sat down. Sombra quickly took his own seat and the two began to dine.
“I heard the weather is supposed to be quite nice tonight. Perhaps we can take a stroll after dinner?”
Ornate simply nodded her head as she continued to eat, her eyes remaining elsewhere and refusing to meet his own. Sombra frowned.
“Are you alright, my dear?”
“Yes, I am.”
Sombra could barely stand to see her so meek and mild. What had happened to the mare he loved?
Finishing up their meals, Sombra stood from his seat and made his way over to her. She looked at him hesitantly. Sitting in front of her, he gently took both of her hooves in his own.
“Ornate, you are the love of my life and there is nothing that I want more than to spend the rest of our lives together.”
"Sombra, I don't think--"
Sombra brought one of his hooves up to her mouth, gently shushing her. With the other he withdrew the box from his pocket. Her eyes widened, quickly switching from the box to his gaze. He smiled as he opened the box to her once more, displaying the emerald ring on a gold band.
"Ornate Harmony, will you marry me and become my queen?"
"Sombra, I…"
They each locked eyes with one another, with Sombra desperately wanting to know what she was thinking. Before he could ask her anything, she kissed him tenderly, wrapping her hooves around him. Pleasantly surprised, he melted into her embrace and kissed her back. He almost lost himself in the moment. That is, until he felt his crown being pulled off his head.
He looked at Ornate and found her clutching it in her hooves with a determined expression. Sombra quickly stood up, eyebrows furrowed together.
"Ornate, what are you doing with that?" The mare looked surprised.
"Wh-What? What do you mean?"
"That crown is mine, you know that. Give it back this instant."
"N-No!" She quickly shook her head before sliding off her seat and stepping away from him. "I'm freeing you from Eternal's control!"
"What are you talking about?" Sombra could feel himself getting angry as he stepped towards her. "I'm not under anyone's control! I am the king of the Crystal Empire!"
Ornate's face paled as she continued to back away from him, desperately clutching the crown.
"N-No, this can't be. Removing the object has worked before. Why isn't it working now??"
"I don't know what you're talking about. Give that crown back to me. NOW."
Ornate turned to run out of the room but was stopped as two guards marched in, trapping her in the room with the three of them. Sombra took the opportunity to take the crown back using his magic, placing it back on his head.
"Take the queen back to her room. She must remain there for the rest of the night. As for her friend, I have decided she must be executed seeing she's been a terrible influence on the queen."
"No!! Sombra please!!" Ornate sobbed as the guards dragged her out of the room. Sombra turned away as the door closed and was surprised to see Eternal Terror standing besides the fireplace. Sombra quickly bowed to him.
"Your majesty, what are you doing here? I thought you were attacking Canterlot?"
"All in due time, my loyal servant. The armies are gathered and ready to attack, but I felt it important to speak with you before we advanced."
Sombra stood back up and looked curiously at the yellow pegasus. The stallion stepped away from the fireplace and made his way over to Sombra before beginning to circle him.
"Your queen hasn't been very obedient to you. Are you sure she's the one you wish to rule beside you?"
"Yes, of course, your majesty. I love her with all my heart."
Eternal stopped pacing right in front of Sombra and lowered his head to match his gaze.
"Then you must understand just how dangerous this situation is. Whatever happens, you must make sure your mare never sings. If this happens, I'm afraid you will lose your powers and ultimately will be dethroned. I suggest you keep her under your control, or else she will have to get the ax, too."
"I… I understand, your majesty."
Eternal stood up straight with a slight smirk on his face. He began to walk to the door.
"Make sure all your citizens are aware they are not to sing under threat of death. If you can do that, things will go alright."
Sombra nodded as the yellow pegasus teleported from the room. He turned to a nearby guard.
"Spread the word to the crystal ponies. No one sings under threat of death."