Heart of Darkness (King Sombra x Reader)

A Painful Message from the King

Warning: this chapter contains violence that might be upsetting to some readers.

Sombra chuckles, a dark gleam in his eyes. "Oh, I may have to reinforce my message in a more... physical manner. Something... permanent."

He lets out a dark chuckle. "I think a reminder of my power shall do perfectly. Yes, a brand. How fitting." He snaps his hooves and calls out. "Bring me my branding iron, slave."

I cry out in fear when I hear his plan.

Sombra grins down at me, clearly enjoying my fear, my cries for mercy falling on deaf ears. "Oh, so scared of a little marking?" he taunts, taking the branding iron from the approaching guards with his magic. "Perhaps you should have thought of the consequences of your actions before acting so out of line, hm?"

"No... no don't... please..." I say, my voice panicky as I crawl to the edge of my cell in an instinctive attempt to get away from him. I see the pure cruelty in his eyes, how little he cares that I'm scared. How foolish I was to think I was special.

Sombra gives me a smirk, savoring my pleading. "Oh, now you're begging?" he asks as if I haven't been begging him this whole time. "Too late for that, my pet. You had your chance to comply and behave. Now, it's time for you to face your consequences."

He holds out the branding iron, its tip glowing with heat. "Come now, my pet. Don't fight. It'll hurt more if you resist."

I start sobbing and fall at his hooves. "Don't do this..." I beg him.

Sombra reaches down, gripping my chin and tilting my head up so I'm looking at his eyes. He lets out a cruel chuckle. "Too late for that, my pet. It's time for you to learn a lesson, one you won't soon forget."

He nods to a guard, who proceeds to hold me down, keeping me in place. "Hold her down," Sombra says, his voice stern. "She might struggle, but it's important she accepts her punishment."

"NOOOO! Please don't hurt me!" I scream and thrash around as the guard holds me down.

Sombra presses the branding iron against my flank, searing my skin with the mark of his brand, a cruelly-mocked version of his cutie mark. "Three jagged crystals," he taunts as he holds the iron against me. "Now everyone will know that you disobeyed me. You've been marked as one who defies the king and gets punished accordingly."

I scream in pain, my body trying to lurch as it is held down. Sombra chuckles sadistically as he watches me scream, a cruel smile on his face. "Hurts, doesn't it?" he asks, watching as I writhe and struggle against the guard holding me in place. "Serves you right. Maybe now you'll think twice about defying me again, hm?"

Tears flow down my face as I look up at him, heartbroken. Sombra kneels down in front of me, his gaze fierce. "This pain will never be forgotten, my pet. You will always bear this mark, always be branded as a disobedient pet for disobeying the king," he taunts, a cruel smile on his face as he watches me writhe in pain.

"You will bear the mark of your mistake forever." He reaches down, gripping my chin and forcing me to look at him, the iron still glowing hot in his hand. Now, will you obey me, my pet? Will you act like a good little servant, or shall I continue with my... 'corrections'?" he asks smoothly.

I nod, tears still streaming down my face like waterfalls of misery. "I-I'll l-l-l-listen..." I blubber out.

"Good... good..." he says, petting my head, a little like a pet owner again. "That's what I like to see. Obedience. A good little pet. Now, come with me," he turns away, heading for the door of the dungeon. "Follow me, my pet. Let's see if this lesson stuck."

He attaches the chain around my neck back to his armor and leads me to the balcony where he observes and addresses the crystal ponies. 

"My subjects!" Sombra calls out, looking down at the assembled crystal ponies. "I have a very important announcement to make!"

He turns to me, a cruel grin on his face. "It has come to my attention that disobedient pets can, with the right... motivation and training, learn their place. And today, my loyal subjects, I present to you... a living embodiment of that truth!"

"W-what are you doing?" I sniffle in pain and question, embarrassed and not wanting to show myself.

"Come," he orders, pulling me up onto the balcony with him. "Show your fellow ponies how obedient you've become, my pet. Show them your new mark. Show them who you've truly submitted to." He grins down at me again, his eyes filled with cruel anticipation. 

"Show them."

"Please..." I weakly whimper.

Sombra chuckles. "Oh, my pet... you will not beg for mercy from me. Not anymore. It did you no good in the past, and it will do you no good now. Beg all you want. I've made my decision. Now, it is time for you to follow it." He lets out a cold, cruel chuckle, his eyes raking over me. "Show us, my pet. Show us your new brand."

I hang my head in shame and turn to the side, showing the crystal ponies my flank. With freshly burned, ripped flesh, it looks awful. I look awful. I'm hideous. Gasps arise from the crowd. They've faced torture themselves, but the sight in front of them is still horrific to look at. They seem to feel bad for me even though I've been so cruel to them. Weak, pathetic ponies. And yet, I'm one of them.

Sombra chuckles once again. "See, my pet? Was that so hard? And they seem impressed. And scared. Terrified." He grins down at me, his eyes gleaming. "Now, let them all see you're a good girl. A good little pet who obeys her king."

I look down in humiliation and bow to him.

"Good girl," he says, his voice almost affectionate but still dangerous and sinister. "Now, come. We will continue this in private." He turns away, his gaze falling on the crowd. "Dismissed, my crystal slaves."

The crowd of crystal ponies looks at me, impressed and scared, before turning away and dispersing, leaving the two of us on the balcony alone.

He takes me back into the castle, where I hold in tears. "This isn't what I imagined..." I whisper softly.