Sombra stepped out onto a balcony overlooking Canterlot that was burning down in flames and ash. Sombra crept a smile on his face and said,”Oh how beautiful this night is. Today we took Canterlot. And tomorrow we shall take Ponyville. Who can hope to stop us?”

Sombra lifted his hooves high in the air in triumph and laughed evilly into the night. It echoed across the midnight sky, booming through the city ablazed. This was only the beginning, soon Sombra would see Ponyville burned down. Killing the Spirits of Harmony’s home, the ones who killed him.

His plan was set in motion and nothing could stop him now. Sombra heard someone enter his room in the castle and turned around. Standing there was Queen Chrysalis, his savior. Sombra said,”I must thank you Queen Chrysalis. Without you I would still be dead right now.”

Chrysalis stepped out on the balcony next to Sombra and she said,”I wanted you to see and participate in the burning of Equestria.”

Sombra put a look of concern on his face when he says,”But your Changelings are dropping like flies because of Dracula and Princess Luna. We cannot allow this intrusion, we have waited too long and failed too many times to allow this. What news from your experiments?”

Sombra was referring to the experiments to extract the powers from the Originals. Chrysalis did not know what to say and how to say it. Sombra was older than she was and paid great attention to detail, if she says the wrong word her life might be in question. Chrysalis breathed heavily and said,”They are working on it. They are very close with extracting Marrok’s powers, as well as Riptide’s. But Night Dancer’s powers are more tricky.”

Sombra cracked his neck and said in frustration,”Work more quickly. Or I will take matters into my own hands. Tomorrow we march for Ponyville.”

“What shall we do about the survivors of Canterlot?”Asked Chrysalis as she looked out at the destruction of Canterlot. Even she had never before seen it at this level of destruction and she was happy about it. For so long she desired her vengeance over Celestia and Luna, now she would have it. She used to serve alongside Luna and Celestia but that changed. Her betrayal started like any other,

It was a dark and rainy day. Chrysalis waited atop a snow driven cliff and waited for the arrival of her comrades. She was a dark green mare unicorn with light mint green mane and tail. She called the attention of the new rulers of Equestria Celestia and Luna. They wanted to prove that they were not like their Alicorn counterparts.
Chrysalis or Golden Song as she was known as when she was a unicorn. Golden Song discovered a mysterious and dark tower in the Frozen North and it was nothing of Sombra’s. Golden squinted her eyes and focused on the dark black tower that pierced through the sky and loomed ominously over her.

Golden Song was the first of Celestia’s students and was not the last. Golden Song stood at attention and bowed gracefully as the two sisters landed next to her. Despite their great powers they looked relatively young to be ruling Equestria, but they carried themselves like so. And Golden Song treated them anything but less.

Celestia nodded her head in acknowledgement and said,”Nice to see you Golden Song. What have you found again?”

Golden Song pointed her hoof at the large tower and said,”I was scouting through the area like you said with the rest of the scouting team and found this. But something came out of it. A great darkness your majesties, they killed the rest of the scouting team. I tried to save them but I wasn’t fast enough.”

Luna put on a comforting face and said resting her hoof on Golden Song’s shoulder,”It is not your fault Golden Song. There was nothing you could have done. Thou did the right thing in calling us.”

Luna turned back to Celestia and said,”You sense his magic too right.”

Celestia nodded in agreement and said,”I sense it too. Looks like he wasn’t as dead as we thought.”

Golden Song wanted to question but she decided not to. Luna and Celestia motioned for her to follow and they walked to the entrance of the Dark Tower. Golden Song peered up at the large doorway and suddenly her vision went dark and she heard a dark voice say,”Yes...you shall be my disciple of shadows.”

Golden Song woke up at the top of the tower in the middle of a great blizzard. She stood up struggling to keep her footing. She saw in front of her a stallion made of pure shadows and it looked right at her and said,”You walk down the path of light young Golden Song. That is good. A noble cause.”

The shape disappeared and reappeared behind her and said,”But do you really think that they will save you?”
“Yes!”Golden Song screamed over the wind,”I have complete faith in my teachers abilities!”

The shadow chuckled and said lifting his hoof and showing an image. Golden leaned in closer and saw that Luna and Celestia were walking silently away from the tower.”Does this look like saving to you?”

Golden Song shook her head in disbelief and said,”No...they...they’d never...you’re...you’re tricking me.”

The shadow laughed again and said,”I am a great many things, but a liar is none such as that.”

He grew a shadow larger than him that wrapped around her and Golden Song said,”Your voice is unfamiliar. And your shadow is that not of Sombra. Who is the shadow before me?”

The Shadow laughed again and said,”I carry many names. The Father of Darkness. When I was an Alicorn I was called Midnight Shadow. But most call me in hushed tones now, the Living Shadow.”

The Living Shadow lifted his hoof to his chin and thought as he spoke.”The Sisters cannot know about me. For they think that I was vanquished long ago, it is because of this that they must not know that I am still here.”

There was a dramatic pause in between his next words and said with a devilish grin,”No. You will make sure of this. For Golden Song is long dead killed by another. I will remake you into something darker. I will malform you into a being of pure darkness. A testament.”

The Living Shadow rubbed his hoof down her cheek and said,”A testament that even the most pure, the most beautiful of ponies can succumb to darkness. You will be a nice substitute until my sons are born.”

Golden Song closed her eyes and lowered her head in utter defeat. She accepted whatever fate the Living Shadow. Living Shadow lowered his head pointing his horn towards Golden Song and black and white energy shot out of his horn and she felt something.

Her skin began to harden. Her bones began disappearing. Her teeth grew sharper. Her mind broken and torn, all she could think about is how Luna and Celestia betrayed her. She now became who she was today. The embodiment of what it means to back stab. She became the spirit of Betrayal.

Chrysalis shook herself and Sombra looked at her with a look of confusion. She knew that Sombra could read minds and he probably read hers. Sombra gazed away from Chrysalis and walked out of the room. No doubt he wanted to see how the experiments were going.

Marrok awoke to the sound of his brothers and sisters. A sound he had grown used to over the past three days. Most were Phantoms now, all of his Werewolves were already either dead or brainwashed by Sombra’s and Chrysalis’ magic. Marrok lifted his head up to look at his open chest. Most of his organs were missing and always wondered why and how he was still alive.

Never before in his long existence had he wished so much for a swift and clean death. It was much more merciful now he knows first hand what a prolonged death feels like. Marrok attempted to look around but his vision was not as piercing or as alert as he remembered. His vision was dark around the edges of his eyes, even his subconscious was weakening.

Not only could he hear his brothers and sisters screams, but he could mildly feel their physical pain. Due to their mild connection to Luna. In the dim light shining over top of his throbbing head, a pony walked in and Marrok knew who it was. It was Victor Frankenstein.

As he entered the light he wore a white blood stained apron and holding with his magic, a syringe filled with a black liquid. Marrok said nothing more than,"Victor."

Victor winced and said,"Let me guess, you are mad at me for working for Sombra."

Marrok shifted and said,"Not mad just disappointed."

Victor responded,"You are not the first to say that. And I regret nothing, he loves my work."

"So did I Victor,"Marrok exclaimed."But now I see I was dead wrong. You’re nothing but a coward now Victor. You are scared. Too weak to face me yourself so you resort to such dishonorable ways. I’m disgusted, so would Mother.”

Victor looked inside himself at that moment. Marrok thought he touched what remained of Victor’s heart. But he was wrong again, all Victor said were these words that when he said them it was like they were poison.”I am merely doing this to survive. You of all people should know about surviving. And I will not act like I have not thought of rebelling, imagine you were in my shoes. I am almost being forced to do this. This is all, Marrok.”

His final words stung through Marrok and he continued to glare at Victor. Victor saw the glare and merely winced. Victor drew the syringe closer to Marrok and Victor said,”This is a new invention of Sombra’s, it is called Virus X or Virus Ten. It will restore all your abilities and talents, as well as your organs. It will also give you improved strength and speed. And finally you will have undying loyalty to Sombra.”

The syringe was almost stabbed into his foreleg and Victor said,”Do not worry Marrok. This will only hurt...a lot.”

For the next few minutes Marrok truly felt hell in his veins. He could feel it rush through him, a giant wall of pain and suffering coursing through his very body. Marrok cried in horrible and miserable pain. Despite this, his wounds and his eye began to heal and regenerate. Even some of his internal organs began to return, as well as his supernatural strength.

But the pain never subsided, it continued on. Ever increasing, his skin and coat started and continued to be replaced by pure dark energy. It rolled off of him like an aura. His mane and tail had the same effect. The agonizing pain dissipated and his breathing was heavy and exhausted. But just when all seemed fine, the monster released.

Changing form and shape increased his already god like strength and physical attributes. He was now the Alpha. Without any struggle he ripped his bonds out of its rivets. Breaking and bending the metal that restrained him for three agonizing days. Marrok got up and stood, looming over top of Victor.

Before Victor could say a word Marrok swiped his claws at him. Causing him to fly through the air and crash into the wall. Hitting the wall and splintering the wood he groaned in excruciating pain. A few of Victor’s bones had broken and was cut where Marrok maimed him.

Marrok looked down at his blood stained razor sharp claws. He never felt so much rage or strength before. He as well never hated a pony as much as now. Victor must have been misinformed, he did not feel any loyalty towards Sombra. If anything, he felt more anger and more of a grudge. Marrok shook his head and scanned the now lit City Hall or Council Building. Chained against opposite walls was Riptide and Night Dancer.

As quickly and as fast as possible he ripped their bonds off the walls and carried them both over his shoulders. Marrok passed a doorframe that lead into another room and saw his brothers and sisters that cried in great pain. He wanted to help them, he really did, but too many escapees would attract too much attention. He closed his eyes in sorrow and continued on down the hallway.

Finally entering what looked to be a supplies closet, he set Riptide down and Night Dancer in the room. He shut the door behind him and moved crates in front of the door and scanned the floor. He found a sewer hole. Sealed and on the lid was the insignia of the Children of the Night. He moved the lid and grabbed Night Dancer and Riptide. Marrok stood at the hole and looked down into the darkness. He took a deep breath and jumped down.

Landing on his feet he looked around and found the only way through was straight. A river of filth lead his way and no light but his Dark Vision fixed that. Most Children of the Night can see in the dark. He stood straight up and walked slowly down the muck ridden passageway. As he did he said to himself in the darkness in a voice of deepness and darkness,

“The night will return to us my brothers and sisters of the night. This I promise. Dracula, we will join you soon.”

Sombra headed to the Council building of Shadow Garden and on his way there he began going over his invasion plans of Ponyville. So many of them to keep track of and all gave him the benefit of winning. He stopped at the entrance of the Council Building, he looked up at it. It was a black color and it was made of refined stone. Rough edges and cuts as well as many columns at the entrance of the menacing building. Very similar to the City Hall in Ponyville, but gave a darker feeling and the architecture looked unfamiliar to him. But he knew that this architecture had a dark history.

Everything gave Sombra the chills, especially the castle sitting atop the cliff overlooking the darktown. No matter if it was in the light of day or the dark of night, it never changed its menacing light. It loomed over the town like a dark sentinel. Again, dark and had the same architecture unknown to Sombra. Even though the former residents call it Old Victorian. Sombra did not know what Old Victorian meant but he did not question.

As he looked back down at the interior his headache returned to him. Taking the body of a strong unicorn is not easy to maintain. It did not strain his magical abilities, the problem was the unicorn fought back with almost equal magic. Sombra knew a way to make his visit more permanent. Thinking of Shining Armor made Sombra wonder where his bride Princess Cadance was. His vengeance would soon find its way to her as well. Most likely in her crystal palace completely oblivious to why her beloved husband and king had gone.

Sombra’s headache began to die down and he entered the Council Building. The place was a mess. Lab equipment was strewn on the floor, decorations were broken on the floor, and the strange part was Sombra found no bodies. Until he found a large indent in the wall and looked down and saw the unconscious body of Doctor Victor Frankenstein. Sombra rolled his eyes and said as he healed Victor’s wounds,”Did you make any attempt to fight back?”

Victor strained and moaned as he got up and said,”I was not counting on how strong he was going to be. This plan of yours better work.”

“How dare you doubt my plans. Be thankful that I do not kill you where you stand,”Sombra responds,”It will work. I have not been dead for an entire year and have my enemies succeed against me again. No. I refuse failure now.”

Sombra motioned for Victor to follow him and he followed Sombra upstairs and they stepped on a balcony looking out at the darktown. Sombra looks out at the night sky and says,”I am the Pariah of this prophecy. The dark among darkness. Spreading lies and murdering as I see fit is my destiny. Everything I have done was for myself, to improve my knowledge of conquest. For a thousand years I lived to regain my strength to retake the Crystal Empire. Only to find that the Heart had not been destroyed as I have thought so long ago. With my defeat I began to think about my failure.”

Sombra turned and looked at Victor and continued,”I was not defeated because I was weak. I was defeated by what people call a shot in the dark. I was defeated by a clumsy baby dragon. I was defeated by a young ruler and her king. I was defeated by a lucky shot. And it will not happen again.”

Victor broke a moment of silence by saying,”Then why do you require Chrysalis’ and my help, if you know you will not fail.”

Sombra stared back out at the town and said in response,”Watch your snakish tongue Victor. I sense a hint of treason and betrayal on your lips. The only reason I have you here is because you seem to be the only one that can fully understand mind control as well as reanimation. But do not think for a second that I cannot replace you.”

Sombra’s voice was threatening and he continued,”We agreed you would use it on a weaker Werewolf, not an Original. Now that it is running through the veins of an Original he might have better control over Virus X. Do not fail me again”

Sombra leaves and Victor looks over the wreckage and damage and says under his breath,”Don’t count on it.”