Shadows in the dark

Chapter 1

Shining Armor's head was impaled onto a pike just outside of the Crystal Castle. Mouth slightly agape and eyes still widened from the initial horror he felt before his life ended. The former captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard barely stood a chance against the dark magic used by King Sombra. The last thing he heard was the gray stallions dark cackle before his vision faded. But he died in fear. Fear for his wife. For his sister. For her friends. For all of Equestria. Over time, ponies would come to envy the fallen prince. For he wouldn't be around to endure the horrible future that would befall all of Equestria.

Twilight Sparkle was crying. Feeling alone and forgotten. She prayed that her friends were alright. That they were able to escape before it was too late. But her brother... Her dear brother...

"Shinning..." she started crying with warm tears flooding down her cheeks. Memories of watching Sombra ripping her brothers head right off his body and slamming it down on a pike came rushing back. She screamed and cried for her brother. Refusing to accept that he was really dead. Wanting to actually hug his head. It had been three days since Sombra had taken over the Crystal Empire. All of its residents easily submitted themselves to the tyrant's rule and returned to work in the mines in chains.

She, however, had been purposely spared. Locked up and chained in the darkness of the dungeon. She cried day in and day out. Only stopping to sleep. Just to cry again the next morning when she found herself in the same, dreaded, place. King Sombra enjoyed seeing her suffer. Mocking her for her failure and how she had been foolish to even think she could outsmart somepony like himself. It only brought her more grief.

"Just kill me already...please..." she begged him.

Sombra gave her a dark, sadistic chuckle in reply. "Then we would miss out on all the fun. After all. I have special plans for you, Twilight Sparkle." He started grinning.

It sent a shiver down her spine thinking about what the stallion had in store for her in the future. All that mattered, though, was that her friends were safe. That they were able to reach Princess Celestia. That she and the others would come to her rescue and defeat Sombra once and for all.

"Princess Celestia will rescue me!" Twilight said defiantly. Tears brimming her eyes.

"Sweet Twilight." Sombra crooned chillingly, "She's yet to even show up. What makes you think she would come to your aid?"

"Because I am her most fateful student!" Twilight Sparkle said proudly.

"Really now?" Sombra asked. For a pony to be a student of Celestia's meant that they are worthy. Possibly powerful. "Young, mare." Sombra chuckled, "I could teach you far more things than that pathetic excuse for a alicorn."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes widened with anger. "Don't you EVER insult the princess like that!" she roared, "And I will never join you! I would rather die by your cold hooves than betray the princess!"

Sombra saw the defiance her eyes and sighed deeply. "Perhaps we have a lot of training ahead of us." The king then grinned darkly. Sadisticly. "Let's see how long it takes for a mare such as yourself to break." his red horn started to glow at the tip.

Twilight could only scream as she endured her worst nightmare over and over. Seeing the disappointment on Celestia's face would forever embed itself in her mind. Sombra enjoyed seeing the younger unicorn cry and suffer. He focused harder. Making the nightmare seem more real. Twilight covered her head with her hooves. Curling up on the cold, unforgiving floor and screaming at the top of her lungs while tears coursed down her face. Sombra eventually stopped after a half-hour to rest.

"My..." he panted, "You're a strong filly, aren't you?"

Twilight weakly opened her eyes; both were puffy and red from the crying she's done. She slowly got on all fours. "I...will never...break..." she said weakly, "Princess...Celestia...will come for me... You'll see..."

Sombra smirked. He couldn't help but admire this mare's strong will. "I can assure you. The Princess will never come for you. If your friends can survive the frozen terrain, that is."

"M-my friends will go and get her! You'll see! Princess Celestia and the Canterlot Royal Guard will come and stop you!"

"Hmm." Sombra stared at the young mare. This was going to take much longer then he originally intended. "It appears I have a lot of work to do with you..." he murmured. He then narrowed his crimson irises towards the young mare and grinned darkly. "Let us begin round two, then." he chuckled as the tip of his horn glowed once more.

The Princess, nor her friends, never came