History of Equestria - Chapter 5 - The Shadow of King Sombra

In the snow covered and blizzard torn lands of the north are a unique tribe of Equids called the Crystal Ponies, who's stone like bodies helped them survive the harsh environment. They built themselves a mighty capital that acted as an amplifier for an ancient artifact called the Crystal Heart, most famously it acted as a battery that could draw on the magic of everyone within the capital and project it outwards to form a defensive barrier around the surrounding lands, within this space the storms were kept at bay and the air was temperate. This miracle in the tundra was known as The Crystal Empire.

Their ruler following Groomercords defeat was a powerful Unicorn named Queen Amore who had been introduced to Queen Celestia and Princess Luna when they were foals and impressed them with her talent for wielding positive energies. Hearing of the Two Sisters defeat of such a powerful monster, Princess Amore reached out for their help when the Crystal Heart was stolen by a dragon and close ties between the two kingdoms were forged, founding the Crystal Fare as an annual event to share love and friendship in order to recharge the Crystal Heart.

It was during this time of relative peace that a grey colt was found wandering alone in a blizzard by some scouts, in a daze he kept muttering the word 'Sombra' over and over again which they assumed must of been his name. He was taken to Chestnut Falls orphanage and after a while seemed to be a normal unicorn if exceptionally bright. He soon caught up with his class mates who treated him rather poorly due to his precocious mannerisms but he found a friend in Radiant Hope. Around the time of their first Crystal Fare Sombra was wracked by agonising pain and desperate to help her friend, delved into healing magics for which she developed a intuitive skill with. Each year the flood of positive energy causing more agony to Sombra than the last until finally it almost killed him as he began disintegrating. However Radiant Hope preserved him once again gaining her the attention of Celestia and Luna who were visiting, inviting her to study at Equestria's academy.

However she would never have the chance, as following his brush with death Sombra fled out into a blizzard, he came across a massive red loadstone in the middle of the tundra that spoke in his mind and revealed itself to be his 'mother'. The crystal was a focusing crystal for the Umbrum, spirits of darkness that conspired to destroy all light in Equestria. They told Sombra that he was a being of their creation and his purpose was to destroy the Crystal Heart to unleash the Umbrum that had been suppressed beneath its light under the glacier. Finally finding his place in the world Sombra marched on the Crystal Empire easily ceasing the Crystal Heart, when Queen Amore attempted to resist him he turned her to stone then shattered her into a million pieces.

Radiant Hope horrified with her former friends actions fled the Empire with the last of the Royal family, fleeing to Equestria and begging the Two Sisters intervene. Celestia and Luna knew the danger, as a magical amplifier the Crystal Empire radiated magic over the whole of Equestria, it was said "If the kingdom is filled with hope and love, then those things would spread all across Equestria", so it falling to dark magic was a looming catastrophe. They readied their armies and prepared to march north to oppose Sombra.

Meanwhile the newly crowned King Sombra had subjugated his citizens as slaves and using the dark magic at his disposal had began to turn them into brainwashed, unfeeling soldiers. His goal nothing less than the complete domination of all Equestia. He arrogantly met Celestia and Luna on the battlefield assuming an easy victory, however he was little match for the two Alicorns who easily vaporised him, sending him screaming back to the Umbral caves below the artic north.

In spite of this, the last laugh was his; Sombra had rigged a dead man's switch so that if his body was ever destroyed, a curse was activated that would seal the Empire away in Limbo until he returned. So when the Equestian army went to find The Crystal Empire, it was gone, not to be seen for a millennia. Radiant Hope wracked with guilt returned to the Tundra and vanished into the blizzard without a trace, the Diarchs limped home with victory tasting like ash in their mouths.

A long watch settled in on the north and the Crystal royalty passed out of knowledge.