Chasing Shadows
by Vexy
Chapters
Prologue
He was always walking, always constantly, restlessly moving. He did not sleep, he did not eat, and he did not hesitate. Greatly weakened, he kept to the shadows. Not once did he talk to anyone, and not once did he step into the light. Instead, he wandered endlessly, always in darkness, always shunning the light. He was so weak that he was unsure of how he was still able to move, nay, how he was still able to think. He had no form, for he was but one with the darkness that he clung to like suckling foal to its mother. Had he been reduced to that of a foal now? Once he had been great. Once he had been powerful. Indeed, once he had a purpose, but those times had grown old, and now he wandered Equestria’s shadows, ever fearful of being discovered.
Fear.
It was not an emotion he was accustomed to enduring. Power? Yes. Pride? Perhaps. But fear? Nay, fear was something his very presence—his very name—stirred in the hearts of ponies. When they saw his powerful magic, they shivered in fright. When they heard his mighty voice, they trembled in fear. It brought him no greater joy to watch a particularly defiant insurgent break down into tears at a mere glance. It them taught them respect: a life lesson that they would one day value. Fear was something that was synonymous with his name. Only spoken in whispers, ponies were rarely brave enough to utter it. Fear was something he exuded and reveled in. It was the air he breathed and the ground upon which he walked.
Yet, here he had become a slave to fear. Ironic, perhaps.
Now, ponies only spoke of his demise. WIth loud yelling and callous cheering, the ponies celebrated his downfall. He heard them often; the ponies were unafraid to walk through the shadows. His shadows. They did not fear the darkness anymore. However, he learned many things from these ponies. They spoke of powerful magics and dark artifacts, of great sieges and mad coups. It seemed a lot had happened in Equestria during his absence. He felt a small twinge of sadness or regret. He didn’t care which one as he batted the thought away.
Days passed by like months, and months passed by like centuries. He was unsure of how long he had been wandering, and he didn’t care. Soon he would be strong, and soon he would have a purpose. For now he was restless, sleepless, ceaselessly moving. Never stopping. Never pausing.
After what could’ve been millenia or perhaps merely days, he found his purpose.
Hidden in the desolate mountains of the badlands, an enormous hollow structure protruded from the earth. Despite the forsaken land, the structure was teeming with life. Perhaps struggling, yes, but life nonetheless. Moving in closer, he grinned to himself as small, insectoid monsters flew in and out of the hive. They worked tirelessly and mechanically. All of them had a purpose, and all of them served their purpose without question. They looked like warped and twisted equines, but he already knew what they were.
Shapeshifters.
Pathetic vermin that consumed love as if it were a mercilessly addictive drug and followed their queen blindly to their demise. That had been one of the main causes for the species being in decline before he had been vanished. Now? He was probably looking at the last hive left in existence. Alone, these creatures were weak, but together they were surprisingly strong. Almost admirable, perhaps. However, they were naive and stupid, and they obeyed their queen without question.
They were perfect for his plans.
Soon, he would be strong again, and then he would make ponies fear him again. They would tremble before him once more, and his name would once again be synonymous with fear and uttered only in hushed whispers. He’d teach them the respect that they had forgotten, the respect that he deserved.
King Sombra vowed that he would teach the world to know fear again.
Chapter One
“Leave me. I wish to be alone.”
This was not the first night that Queen Chrysalis had commanded her servants to leave her in peace, nor would it be the last, she suspected. Her servants obliged wordlessly, of course, leaving the queen to her own devices. Once they had left, the changeling paced her lair restlessly. It had been many months since her minions had laid siege to Canterlot, yet the crushing defeat still left a bitter taste in her mouth each night, denying her mind peace. Victory had been all but assured, yet it had been snatched from between her teeth at the very last moment. Being vanquished by the magic of love was, perhaps, one of the cruelest of ironies the changeling queen had ever faced.
An all-too familiar feeling surged from within her. It was something she had felt every evening for the last several months and had slowly grown to despise herself for it.
She was scared.
It was only a matter of time before her race drove itself into extinction. Survival of the fittest, and her loyal changelings were dwindling. They needed food, and they had none. They needed love, and they had none. They needed a good home, and they had this. Even mentioning the home she’d lived in for her whole life left a foul taste on Chrysalis’ lips. Their home was falling apart, just like them. Perhaps it was a race for whichever fell first: her home or her hive.
Grunting in frustration, Queen Chrysalis stomped a hoof on the ground and glanced over at the mirror. She wished she hadn’t smashed it, but she just couldn’t bear to look at herself any longer. Not after the debacle at Canterlot. Her minions had been quick to forgive her, but she couldn’t forgive herself. Not after that.
As she walked towards her bed, movements in the corner of her eyes snapped her out of her stupor.
“Who goes there?” Chrysalis demanded as she swivelled around, “I said I do not wish to be disturbed.”
The room was empty, however. A trick of the light, perhaps? Chrysalis might have dismissed it as nothing more than her mind playing tricks if it wasn’t for the chuckling that followed.
Thick, heavy masculine laughter resonated throughout the room. It was not a humorous nor hearty laugh. Instead it held a deep, mocking tone which made the changeling Queen’s chitin crawl. The mysterious intruder laughed at her seemingly from everywhere.
And yet the room was still empty.
“Who goes there?” Chrysalis repeated, masking the fear behind caution.
“Queen of Shapeshifters,” a deep, masculine voice purred, “I do believe we haven’t met.”
“Who are you?” she demanded, “You are trespassing in the royal chambers. Speak your business or face the consequences.”
“I am... an ally,” her intruder drawled, “I have been watching your hive for some time now, and I’m here because I believe we may be able to negotiate a mutually beneficial... agreement.”
“Where are you?” Chrysalis hissed, glaring into the darkness.
“I am right in front of you, my Queen.”
As if in response to the sinister voice, the candles in the room flickered, and the lighting in the room dimmed. The changeling Queen watched as the darkness itself appeared to ripple and flow, beating back the very light. A set of eyes loomed in the contorting darkness, burning green and red.
“Who are you?” Queen Chrysalis whispered, struggling to believe her eyes as the shadows became alive.
“I am an ally,” the voice repeated, “My name is King Sombra.”
“King of what?” she sneered.
“King of Shadows, my Queen.”
“I’m not your Queen,” Chrysalis hissed, “What do you want?”
“So fierce,” he chuckled, “I knew I’d like you.”
“Speak your business!” Chrysalis yelled irritably.
The humor in the eyes peering at her from the darkness vanished, replaced by a cold indifference.
“Very well,” the shadow growled, reverberating through Chrysalis’ entire body. “One thousand years ago, I overthrew the useless Queen of the Crystal Empire, and ruled over the empire of the north. It became, apparent, however, that these two princesses-” Sombra sneered at the mention of the word. “-were fearful of my power. I was tricked and ultimately defeated.”
“A riveting history lesson,” Chrysalis said sarcastically.
“I want my revenge. I want those two pathetic sisters to pay for what they've done for me. But first, I need an army. Your army.”
“How could my changelings and I ever hope to benefit from that!?” Chrysalis spat in outrage. “We will not be your fodder, my King.”
“We are not so different, you and I-”
“We are nothing alike!” Chrysalis yelled.
“Did you not also face defeat at the hands of the Princesses of Equestria?”
“My magic was more powerful than Princess Celestia's,” Chrysalis growled bitterly. “She was defeated-” Chrysalis turned to glare at the menacing shadows. “-By me!”
If King Sombra was surprised or impressed, the burning eyes in the darkness gave nothing away; they continued to stare back at her emotionlessly.
“I defeated them once,” he murmured. “But I was foolish in my youth. I thought that I had outsmarted them as well.”
An awkward silence ensued when Chrysalis didn't respond.
“The item that I seek is the crystal heart.”
“What is it?”
“It is the embodiment of the love and happiness of the ponies of the Crystal Empire.” Chrysalis subconsciously licked her lips in response. “I had hidden it away, but once again I was foolish and let it slip away.”
“Where can I find this crystal heart?”
King Sombra hesitated momentarily as he evaluated the worth of such information, “It is currently within the borders of the Crystal Empire, in the possession of their princess.”
“So why do you need me and my changelings?” Chrysalis asked.
“You really are quite an amazing species. Able to take on the form of any pony, even an alicorn, and emulate their abilities to a limited extent. But what really interests me is your method of warfare. Infiltration. Deception. Espionage. You know, ponies once called your kind the warriors of the shadows.”
Chrysalis could see where this was going, “Impossible. We may be strong, but we are not strong enough to lay siege to an empire, even if we did attack from within.”
King Sombra chuckled that chilling laugh that Chrysalis had become somewhat familiar with, “No, not the Crystal Empire,” he said, “But the whole of Equestria!”
A silence followed that Chrysalis had rarely ever found herself in. Mostly because she'd never been too stunned to speak before.
“You're mad,” she stated matter-of-factly.
“I'm a little too ambitious. A personal flaw,” Sombra replied calmly.
Chrysalis hesitated as she considered the King's words.
“How do I know I can trust you? I can't trust someone who hides in the shadows.”
“How do you know you can trust me?” Sombra asked as if musing over the question. “Well, you don't,” He replied, shiny white teeth glinting in the darkness.
Chrysalis eyed the shadows up and down.
“What do you want me to do?”
Chapter Two
Day One
“You will take these eleven changelings with you and infiltrate this fort while the night is young, when the moon is still in the east. There are four guards who patrol the eastern and northern walls. The southern wall is against the cliff and the western wall runs along the river.” Chrysalis informed her elite infiltrators.
They didn't know about King Sombra – not yet – and Chrysalis was left only with her own judgement on whether or not to trust him. His first order, or advice as he liked to call it, was to take one of the Equestrian forts that kept watch over the Badlands. It was within a crevice, one of the many cracks that ran split the merciless mountain range that separated Equestria from what lay beyond its borders.
“You are to fly in from the west and attack the western wall in the darkness, subdue the four guards silently and copy their appearances. I want the fort in our hooves by sunrise, and I want the guards alive.”
Chrysalis had been insistent on the last part.
“We're not killing them,” Chrysalis stated firmly.
“You have a soft spot for those pathetic vermin?” Sombra asked impatiently.
“Don't be so hasty to judge our food, you idiot,” Chrysalis hissed. “We're not killing them.”
“As you wish, my Queen,” the changeling captain hissed, dragging out each consonant.
They were suspicious. Chrysalis knew it. They could see that she was suddenly giving out orders with a new purpose. She had spent the last several months reminiscing bitterly and alone, but now she was active once again. Perhaps suspicious was the wrong word.
They were excited.
And perhaps Chrysalis was as well. She didn't know whether or not to trust this mysterious being that clung to the darkness of her room, but she reasoned that she had the army. She had the power. If needs be, she could simply take the crystal heart from King Sombra by force if he tried to trick her.
Queen Chrysalis licked her lips subconsciously for the umpteenth time that day.
The crystal heart. A gemstone said to contain all the love and joy of the Crystal Empire. Why hadn't she heard about it before?
“The Crystal Empire has only recently returned. My curse grew too weak upon my return,” Sombra replied.
“Your curse?” Chrysalis asked, hoping to glean some new information from her mysterious partner.
“Yes. I was King of the Crystal Empire once, but Princess Celestia tried to take that away from me. However, I cursed the Empire when she sealed me away, the fool.”
The more she found out about 'her King', the less she liked.
“We will return by the sunrise,” the changeling continued, interrupting Chrysalis' thoughts.
“There will be no need,” she replied. “Once we win the fort, I will be joining you there.”
“Very good, my Queen,” he replied unemotionally, hiding his surprise well. “We will leave immediately.”
Watching them go, Queen Chrysalis allowed herself a moment to feel proud. Away flew her children, fighting for her. She didn't usually entrust them with so much responsibility. She'd always been told that trusting one's subjects too much will ultimately lead to one's downfall.
Chrysalis turned away from the changeling spectacle. She had been told wrong, she assured herself. Her changelings were powerful and clever. More so than their pathetic food, at least.
“Do you not trust your own changelings?” a voice from the shadows purred.
“Of course I do,” Chrysalis replied curtly. “It was you who suggested they go and not myself.”
“That's because I would like to discuss my plans further with you.” Sombra replied, although Chrysalis doubted there would be much 'discussion' going on.
“What did you need to discuss?” she inquired.
“There are four forts within this crevice alone. They maintain regular contact via magical communication once every forty-eight hours-”
“How do you know all this?” Chrysalis interrupted.
“When a King wanders the land in shadow, looking for an army, he hears many interesting things.”
Queen Chrysalis scowled. King Sombra;s incredible knowledge of the workings of the Equestrian military forces was both an asset and also very intimidating.
“What must we do to emulate this communication?”
“There is no need. If we take the other three forts by the time-”
“Take the other three forts? We cannot!” Chrysalis objected, “We're not strong enough. We need time to recuperate.”
“Do you not trust your own changelings?” King Sombra asked again with a smirk.
The changeling queen snorted furiously at her own words being used against her, “Of course I do!” she insisted. “However, I know my limits.”
“Then you'd know that taking these other three forts tomorrow night is well within those limits.” Sombra chuckled, the shadows swirling about rippling as the air throbbed in time with his menacing laugh. “Either we take those forts, or we alert the princesses of Equestria of our presence unnecessarily.”
That fact was irrefutable. Chrysalis stood in contemplative silence before responding, “Would we have enough time?”
“The forts were in contact a matter of hours ago.” Sombra replied smugly. “We have more than enough time.”
“”How are we going to attack these forts?” Chrysalis asked.
“All in good time,” Sombra chuckled, before his presence vanished from the room.
It only occurred to Chrysalis later that she had been saying “we” as if King Sombra and her were allies working together.
She resented the thought.
“Status report,” Chrysalis ordered, walking along the line of changelings.
Twelve. Not a single one got injured.
“The fort is yours, my Queen,” the captain hissed loudly. “There are nineteen guards total unconscious in the fort's prison. There are enough food supplies to last them seventy-two hours at the most. None of us were wounded. That is all.”
“Very well,” Queen Chrysalis said slowly. Clearly, with such dwindling food supplies, these guards had been expecting more in the very near future. “Rest now, my little changelings. Tomorrow night we prepare for another attack.”
If any of her soldiers were surprised by this, none voiced it. Instead they stood in absolute silence, awaiting her departure. However, as the Queen left, she heard mutterings in her wake.
They were suspicious and excited, and Chrysalis was excited as well.
“Your changelings appear to have mixed feelings over your new ambition,” a deep voice purred from the shadows.
“They will follow me,” Chrysalis said confidently. “They will follow me or they will die.”
“Ooh, how utterly brutal of you,” Sombra chuckled.
“Does my brutality shock you, my King?” Chrysalis asked with a sweet smile.
“Indeed, you put the princesses of Equestria to shame for your bone-chilling viciousness."
“And I'm sure you could give the poor foals of Equestria nightmares,” Chrysalis replied, “That is, if you had the gaul to stand in the light.”
With that, the Queen left the room, leaving behind a very amused King.