Five hundred years...

To most ponies, those centuries seem to be filled with torture, their lives dictate by his order.

For five hundred years, He'd ruled with an iron fist, putting fear into everyone's hearts, forcing them to mend to his will. They trembled under his feet as the king walked across the ground. He reign of all Equestria, though it wasn't an easy tasks, having to deal four alicorn princesses, was still going strong.

The past decade however, there was something missing from him. He did not know of it yet. But he was determine to know soon.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Sitting on his dark crystal throne, King Sombra was in the middle of reading a good book: Fallen Magic by JJ: Felix. He snarled when the knock on the doors won't stop. He sets the book down and glared at the double black crystal doors. "ENTER!!" He snarled out.

A lonely servant mare enters the court, shaking in her clothes specificlly for his chosing of dressclothes. She came to her harshship and bowed. "S-s-sir...Q-queen Chrysalis is r-requesting your presence...." the mare's teeth chattered as the feeling of ice was creeping up her spine.

"What does that Changeling want?" He asked, staring down coldly on the pathetic mare.

"Just a simple talk." The servant mare chuckled suddenly, her blue eyes flashed changeling green. A thick green smoke covered the mare, she grown taller, her white coat became ebony, her greenish blue hair waved passed her shoulders, covering her large chest, hugging her figure with a black spandex dress with her bug-light wings furled on her back, her curved horn coming out of her forehead along with her crown. Queen Chrysalis stood in front of King Sombra. For an ugly bug, she was beautiful.

Sombra snarled, standing up from his throne. "What is the meaning of this? I allowed you to keep that bug territory of yours, why have you come here?"

"I just came here to talk, my King." The Queen chuckled, approching King Sombra, swaying her buxom hips at the process. "I came to talk about trading."

"Meaning...?"

"My subjects are dying of hunger. Sure you have equestria but my country needs food. As much as I love having both of our boarders closed off from one another, I need to have at least ten percent of your pony slaves for my darlings." She said, stopping at least ten inches from him.

Sombra snorted. "Fine, take what you want and then bug off." he waves her off before sitting back down and grabbing his book.

"Now surely you have to...excuse what??" The queen looked at the king confused. "What did you just said?"

"I said, take what you need and get out of my kingdom." He huffed, opening the book and getting back to his reading.

"So, the rumors were true, you've gotten soft." Chrysalis said, putting a hand on her hip. "No fight, no threats, no blasting me with your magic?"

"I have not gotten soft!" Sombra snarled, the dark purple mist formed around his eyes. "I just don't want to see that wretched face of your in my country, now go before I change my mind."

"When was the last time you harmed a pony? feeling their bones crushed under your feet? When was the last time you brainwashed one of these monkeys to dance for you. You single handedly took down four alicorn princesses, uphold an entire empire to enslave all of Equestria. Face it, King Sombra, you lost your touch, your spark!" With a whirled of her dress, The Queen of the Changelings walked off. "I'll send some of my subjects to collect the ten percent." The doors slammed behind her.

When the moon raised above the crystal castle, Sombra looked down upon the land he conquered five hundred years ago.

Spark? I have not lost my spark. The king thought as his horn glowed. Raising his hand, he shot a blast of his dark powers at a near by crystal monument. Destroying it with one go, leaving a patch of black fire in it's way. I have power, I have a kingdom. I have everything!

The king looked down and noticed a mare and her stallion taking a risky walk down the crystaled streets. The king put up a stricted curfue decades before and this was the first time he saw ponies foolish enough to break it. He was about to summon guards to arrest them but instead, he just watched them. The stallion was being a gentle colt to the mare as they went towards a frozen pond. Their eyes were a mixture of both love of each other and fear of being caught outside.

If King Sombra didn't destroy the Crystal Heart years ago, this would've been a problem, but it wasn't. The ponies here lost their will, lost their way of love, and yet, these two ponies are infatuated with each other. Snarling, the king retreated back to his chambers, closing the balcony doors and using his magic to shut the curtains from the freezing outside world.

"That changeling bitch doesn't know what she's talking about." He growled. "Me, losing my touch?" Balling up his fists, he raced outside to the balcony once more. His dark magic fueling him, he raised his hand at the couple. Aiming at them two.

They broke the rules, the punishment was death. That was that.

"I have not lost my sp-" Sombra's ears detected footsteps running up to him. He turned his head around and only saw a black blur. With a force of a strong stallion, Sombra was pushed over the balcony. He didn't have time to think as he quickly hit the glassy crystal concrete.

Sombra quickly regain conciousness, his body been turned to shadow before becoming whole again. If he wasn't immortal, the trip to Tartarus would've been a painful one. He slowly stood up, his body was sore from being shoved out of his balcony. He didn't know what was that tried to kill him.

He was going to learn soon enough.

A figure landed a few meters ahead of the dark king. The armor was black besides the silver shoulder guards. It was hard to determine if the attacker was a mare or a stallion but seeing their height, he could easly see that they were young. Their face was covered by a hood and a mask. They had a duffle bag slung over their back. Sombra could see that the attacker had a sapphire blue horn and hands. Holding a silver foot long dagger.

"You will pay for attacking your king." Sombra snarled, using his magic to summon his scythe and charged at them.

The assassin raised their weapon and was able to deflect Sombra's weapon. He swung again and the assassin again but they ducked down before countering attack by slicing the blade at his side. Sombra hissed when he felt the blade sliced his flesh. He grabbed the assassin's arm and threw them. the Assassin did an arrangement of flips before finally landing on their feet. Sombra looked down and saw his actual blood seeping out of his wound.

The assassin's body jolted like it was laughing at his pain. That only made him even more mad. His horn glowed, magic circled appeared above his head. His hand pointed at the assassin. Crystal blades shot at it but the assassin came prepared and used their magic, a solid red aura engulfed them. the crystal blades went through the assassin like they were transparent and shot through several homes and establishments, the streets filled with the red crystals. The king sees the solid aura before it became transparent like normal magic was used.

Does this pony know magic like me? The king thought. His knowledge, any magic that was a solid color indecates that they were using forbidden dark magic. The assassin then teleported off somewhere. In their place was a small pool of blood. the king walked over to it and glanced at it. The freezing temperatures was quickly made the crimson substance solid. He looked up and snarled. The assassin was sitting on his railing in his chambers and was giving him a friendly wave.

Turning into shadow, he quickly assended up. The assassin jumps off of the railing and rushed into Sombra's room and out in the hallways. He quickly followed persuit. Sombra saw that all of his shadow guards were under some sleep spell. He'll have to remind himself that they'll get punished for this in the near future. He sees the assassin going towards a two way corridor. When he saw the pony go and turn a corner, he follows. But Sombra saw no pony gone down this side. Hearing boots clacking the tiled floors, he turns around and sees the pony running down the other hallway.

"I will not be toyed!" He blazed through the halls, gaining maximum speed. The assassin didn't even turn back to see if they were being chased. It just kept going until they got to the doors to the throne room and teleported off.

Seeping through the cracks, Sombra became whole on the other side. He was in no mood to be toyed by an assassin! "Where are you..." He growled low. The deep purple mist lingered in his crimson eyes. His tongue licking his fangs as he searching the throne room. "Foolish of you to even attack me." He quickly turns around, seeing a shadow going past one of the columns. He used his magic and blasted a hole in the support columns. There was no one there. He sees another shadow doing the same and shot another and another.

The more he missed, the more pissed he was becoming. While he looked around the place, he didn't even bother to check above him. The assassin dropped from the ceiling and used Sombra to cushin the fall. They raised their blade and stabbed Sombra in the back. The dagger missed his heart about three cememeters. It was through and through, the tip sticking out of his chest. He screamed in pain before using his magic to blast the assassin off of him. The blast sent the assassin across the room before hitting the wall.

Sombra slowly pushed himself up, he coughed at the strain. He got to his knees and looked down, he could see his reflection from his own puddle of blood. He hasn't bled like this in centuries. He used his magic, engulfing the dagger. He took deep breaths before having his magic to quickly remove the dagger with a shout. When it finally had been removed, he chunked the metal across the room and stood up, one hand holding his bloody chest. His white satin shirt perimently stained with his crimson nector.

His cold dead eyes saw the Assassin was trying to use their magic on him. He could see one of his crystals had penitrated their leg. Trying to stay up, their horn tried to use magic. The light aura engulfed it but it quickly shortened out. Alarmed, the assassin attempted to reached for their bag. Sombra dashes over to it and back hands them. They collaped on the ground. They tried to get up but Sombra pounced. they rolled around the throne room before Sombra pinned the assassin underneath him. Both his hands around the assassin's neck.

It tried to push him off but Sombra seemed stronger despite being literally stabbed in the back. they tried to remove his hands.

"Now...lets see who is this..." Sombra hissed, huffing a bit. Some of his blood dripped onto the mask the Assassin had on. Releasing one hand, he grabs a handful of the assassin's hood and the muzzle of their mask and pull. The fabric rips as the assassin was revealed.

A young dark blue mare with pink short hair. Her dark crimson eyes stared coldly at him but she didn't make a sound while he choked her. Upon closer expection, her horn was simular to his: it looked curved and looked sharp as a blade. The mare could've just gotten out of her teens. Sombra couldn't help but laugh.

"Somepony sents a little filly to kill me?" He laughed at the irony, squeezing more at her windpipe. She let out a croaking sound. Being derprived from oxygen, her eyes rolled the back of her eyes and her arms slumped. Swinging his legs off of her but still had his hand around her neck, he risen up, picking up the unconcious mare with him. "Don't think you can just die that easy..." he hissed. He teleported away with her....

To be continued....