(Crystal Empire Train Station, Dark Obsidian’s P.O.V)

After leaving the train, I was back in my home it felt good to be back, but I knew I was not going to be here long, for I refused to believe the vision Randablitz showed me was real, but since I overloaded the telepathic link we had, it was severed and I was unable to hear his voice inside my head and it would probably be for the best, since it would feel like he was watching me… “Wait a second, That cutie mark he has, an all seeing eye.” It all clicked together, he will be watching everything like the stalker he intends to be, but I knew everypony has a weakness and I need to find some way to exploit that, but for now, I needed to find that book.

Using the sun and shadows, I was able to determine the direction of East and turned to the left toward the vast outskirts of the Frozen North. “I really hope this book will help.” I questioned myself. “I mean, what if he was trying to trick me, joining his side instead of living the life I deserved, but I could never have as a colt.” My anger fueled my ambition to find the book Penumbra hidden away. “He knows nothing about me, or the life I had before I became Sombra’s heir!”

After travelling for a few minutes, I was away from the Empire to activate my dark magic and find some sort of path or sign to know I’m going in the right direction. Then Black patches came through the snow and slowly connected to form a path. “This must be it.” I said to myself as I walked along the path and with each step, the path began to disappear to be sure nopony else finds it. As I stopped to rest for a moment, I see the moon rising over the horizon, it was a full moon tonight, and then I saw a hidden path through the glacial caves north of my current position. “So this must be a path that Penumbra used to keep himself hidden, travel by night, hidden by day, that makes sense actually.” I said as I followed the path towards the caves that undoubtedly lead to the cavern. “Well, here goes nothing.” I said as I treaded carefully across the frozen valley. But not before I summoned a parchment and quill to send a letter.

(Meanwhile in Ponyville 3rd pony P.O.V.)

As Ponyville got ready for the night ahead, Minuette decided to stay with Roseluck at her place. They both were worried about Obsidian, “why didn’t he kiss them?, did he even love them?” were the questions that buzzed in their minds. “Rose, do you think that he loves us?” Minuette asked in a sad tone. “I don’t know, Minny, I don’t know.” Roseluck replied with equal sadness in her voice. Suddenly, a bright light appeared in the room and faded as soon as it came and a small thud was heard. The two mares looked at it to see it was a parchment with an “O” on the seal. “What’s this?” Roseluck asked as Minuette undid the seal and opened the parchment which she read aloud.

Dear Roseluck and Minuette,

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m no longer in Ponyville, it’s not because of you two, it’s more my fault. I don’t really know either of you to truly say that I love you, so I hope you can forgive me, but it’s just too complicated for the both of you to understand, but I’m on a path you can not follow. This is for the best, I bid you a fond farewell.
Sincerely,

Dark Obsidian

After reading the letter, the two mares were holding each other and crying their eyes out. “I can’t believe he doesn’t love us!” Roseluck wailed. “He didn’t say that he didn’t love us it’s because we were moving too fast for his tastes.” Minuette said in between sobs. Roseluck looked at Minuette with red and puffy eyes due to her crying. “If it’s any consolation Minny, I’ve always had kind of a crush on you, I was just too scared to tell you.” Roseluck said while hugging the blue mare lying next to her. “Thanks Rose, but I still feel love for Obsidian, I know he feels the same too.” Minuette said feeling slightly better. “Maybe Princess Cadence can help us.” Roseluck said as she took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down. “You’re right, maybe she can help us, but maybe tomorrow.” Minuette said as she yawned. “Yeah let’s get some sleep, see you in morning Minny” Roseluck said as she and her dentist crush lied down to sleep for the night.

(The next morning)

As Celestia’s sun rose over the horizon, Roseluck and Minuette woke up in each other’s embrace. “Mmm, Good morning.” Roseluck said as she took a nice long sniff of Minuette’s minty smelling mane. “Morning, want to get some breakfast?” Minuette asked as she slightly nuzzled Roseluck affectionately. After the two ate breakfast, they left for Twilight’s Castle to see Princess Cadence. “This is it, you ready?” Minuette asked as they got close to the castle’s door. “Yeah, I’m ready, let’s do this.” Roseluck said as they prepared to knock on the door.

The door opened to reveal Princess Cadence who smiled softly and motioned for the two mares to enter. “Good morning girls, what can I do for you today?”Cadence asked the two mares walking beside her. “Well we’re both in love with the same stallion, but we’re not sure if he loves us back.” Roseluck explained to Cadence. “Well the solution is to…” Cadence started to say until she heard the distinct sound of her son’s cry. “Uh-oh, looks like little Spirit is awake and he knows that nopony’s around to give him some attention, come with me and we can continue our conversation.” Cadence said as she started to run off to the guest room she shared with Shining Armor and her newborn son Strong Spirit.

In the room, Shining Armor was tending to Spirit by playing some catch with a small blue bouncy ball, everything was going well until the ball bounced off of his head, making him start to wail for his mother, aunt, Godfather, or his great aunts. Shining tried his best to calm his son down, but had no success. “Shining, perhaps I’ll take over from here.” Cadence picked up the little colt and rocked him as if he were in a cradle. Strong Spirit began to calm down and eventually fell asleep once more. Cadence put the alicorn foal into his bed and faced the two mares. “Isn’t he just adorable?” Cadence asked the two mares as she placed her sleeping son into his cradle. “He sure is, Princess, he certainly is.” The two mares said as Cadence led them out of the room with the foal sound asleep.

“So what was it that you needed again?” Cadence asked the mares as Minuette answered. “Well, We’re both in love with the same stallion, but we’re not sure if he loves us back.” Cadence smiled as knowing somepony has come to her for love guidance. “Well, where do we begin.”

(Penumbra’s Cavern, Dark Obsidian’s P.O.V)

After writing the letter I sent to Minuette and Roseluck, it was one less worry that left me, but the next one was what trials I may face in the cavern when I arrived. I then saw the path stop in front of a side of a mountain covered in ice and snow, but thinking of how Penumbra would access a secret area, I scanned the side with dark magic.I eventually found a lever that looked like it was made of shadow in the side of the mountain. I pulled the lever and the entrance opened up and I saw that the cavern was a dark void. “Well, I guess I found it.” I said sarcastically as I walked into the cavern. Since I had my dark magic active, it could help me see in the darkness.

As I travelled through the cavern I heard a voice in my head, I thought it was that stalker of a prince, Randablitz. “Just shove whatever you’re going to preach to me up your plot, I won’t let your lies sway me!” I mentally scolded as I looked around for the guardian known as Grim. “I don’t know who you’re talking about, but I know what you’re seeking, and the only way you’re going to get to that book is if you can defeat me in single combat.” The voice said to me as I continued my way through the cavern. I realized that the voice that was speaking to me was the guardian, Grim. “So you’re Grim, very well I accept your challenge Grim, and let give you a tip about me, I won’t go down easily.” I retorted hoping to get the guardian interested in my capabilities. “Then let us begin.” Grim said with his actual speaking voice.

He immediately charged an attack by releasing a blast of dark magic toward me, I reacted by shielding myself with my magic and quickly charged to summon a blast of dark magic of my own, but I missed because Grim actually moved towards me. The blast that Grim used was merely a distraction to try and slice me with his six sickles. Grim’s face was that of a pony’s skull, but had glowing purple eyes. I managed to buy myself some time by summoning a black crystal sword being handled by my magic and began clashing at Grim’s sickles. “Oh so you like to fight dirty, huh? Well it’s a good thing I hate fair fights then.” I said as I broke our blade lock and lunged towards one of his arms. With a quick slash, the arm fell off from his body and dissipated into black smoke Grim grunted in pain, it was clear to me that I needed to target his arms in order to advance my attacks and avoid being sliced to pieces.

Grim began maneuvering his sickles around in circular motions causing me to back up a little. Slowly advancing, I looked for an opening and once I timed it just right, I struck and our blades clashed in another blade lock. With a quick motion, I sent his sickles toward the ground and I jumped over him to slash another arm on his upper portion and I landed behind him to hear him growl with pain and fear. He charged a blast of magic, but it wasn’t a projectile, it was a dark screen, form of temporary darkness that even dark magic can’t see through, using this opportunity, Grim retrieved his sickles and he slashed downward at me to attempt to cut me in half, but I dodged him just before his blades came down and hit the cave floor. I may not have been able to see through this new tactic, so I decided to do something that Penumbra would not do. I ignited my horn to use light magic to disable the spell and once grim was in my sights, I charged at him blocking all his attacks from his sickles. After I dodged an upward slash, I rushed forward and slashed his upper left arm off. This made Grim roar in agony as he lost another arm, he redoubled his efforts and smack my sword from my hooves and smashed me to the ground. I looked up to see Grim looming over me I saw my sword in two pieces and the pony-skeleton had three sickles in his arms ready to strike me down. “You are unworthy for the true power of the book and now, you must die.” He said as I remembered one last trick up my hoof. I used as much dark magic as I could muster and became a shadow just as Grim struck down his sickles. “What?” was all he said before a jagged section of one of his sickles pierced his chest. I then manifested back into my original form to see Grim turn around and face me with the sickle’s blade sticking out from the front.

“Impressive, you’re the first one in centuries to best me, it seems I was wrong about you, but by doing this you’ve freed me from Penumbra’s curse, if you truly want to pursue this path, you best sacrifice your sense of self as it will cease to exist and you’ll be forced to stay that way until you too are slain in battle, just like me.” Grim said as he fell to the ground dissipating into black smoke. “What he said as he was dying, could it be true?” I asked myself as Grim’s words echoed in my mind. “Could Randablitz be right about my future?” I asked as I remembered what that stalker of a prince showed me back on the train. As I pondered those thoughts I saw a book sitting on a pillar in the darkest void with a bridge of grey magic connecting the rest of the cavern to the pillar.

“This must be it.” I said as I walked upon the bridge to reach the pillar and sitting upon it like some gold statue in an abandoned temple, was the book and the cover read ‘Penumbra’s Book of Dark Magic, Necromancy and Sorcery’ I levitated the book’s cover to read what knowledge the book would contain and what really caught my attention was the amount of spells it contained; Advanced Healing, Shadowmancy, and even a section for masters of dark magic like Advanced Mind spells to corrupt and send one to their worst nightmare. One thing I read was one of the side effects of prolonged use, “can cause emotional degeneration.” This made the wheels in my head turn. “Emotional degeneration? What’s that mean?” I mentally asked myself as I sat in the cavern.

After about 3 hours of reading, I had learned and practiced so many dark magic spells that many practitioners couldn’t master in years. I felt more powerful than I could have ever imagined, probably as powerful as my Father. “I feel as if I’m ready to fulfill my destiny.” I said as I placed the book back onto its pedestal and left the cavern as it became hidden once more. When I returned to the North, it was still as if night had just fallen and it drew a conclusion that the cavern had some sort of time barrier to freeze time as if I could stay in there for years and it would still be night. “Penumbra, you certainly fascinated me once more with your tricks.” I said to the cavern and headed back towards the Crystal Empire.

(Frozen North, King Sombra’s P.O.V)

As my magic was almost completely regenerated, I felt ready to reclaim what was rightfully mine and make Equestria suffer. But I felt Obsidian’s power as if it had increased in almost a fraction of a second. “Obsidian’s power has grown.” I said as I felt proud of my son. “He maybe even stronger than me, but he’s nowhere near the level of experience I am.” I said to try to hide a little bit of my fear of my own son surpassing me in power. “I must keep my eye on him as well as that pain in the flank prince, Randablitz!” I said as I paced around in the cave I was hiding in.

(Twilight’s Castle, Randablitz’s P.O.V.)

After I showed my vision of Obsidian’s future, he broke our mental connection due to his rage. “ I hope you see the truth behind the vision Obsidian, or you’ll suffer immeasurable pain.” I said as I stood up from my meditation. At that moment I heard the sound of Cadence’s voice down the hall, then I heard two more voices that were clearly female. “I wonder who would visit Cadence at a time like this.” I asked myself as I opened the door to my guest room and peaked out to see if I could see the other two mares with Cadence.

I used an invisibility spell to keep me hidden from Cadence and the mares that came to see her. “So what was it that you needed again?” I heard Cadence ask. One of the mares, a blue mare that had a lighter shade of blue and white stripes in her mane and tail, beautiful blue eyes, and a cutie mark of an hourglass decided to answer Cadence’s question. “Well, We’re both in love with the same stallion, but we’re not sure if he loves us back.” I heard the blue mare say as she gestured to another mare that had a rose colored mane and tail, cream colored coat, lovely green eyes, and a rose for a cutie mark.

“Interesting, they love the same stallion, whoever he is he should consider himself lucky.” I thought as I continued to eavesdrop on them. I saw Cadence’s smile, it was a smile that said “Tell me more.”. This time the cream coated mare spoke up. “Well, where do we begin.” I heard her say. As they spoke I learned that Obsidian was truly a tormented soul in definite need of help. “Only Obsidian can accept my guidance, but he must save himself, I can’t do it for him, I can only show him the path, it’s his choice to walk it or not.” I thought as I felt the need to contact Obsidian and tell him about these two lovely mare who would gladly go through Tartarus and back just to be with the one they love.

(Train to Ponyville, Obsidian’s P.O.V)

Aboard the train back to Ponyville, I felt my time to strike was nearing. “Soon, Equestria shall fall to my hooves and Father would be pleased with my abilities.” I spoke to myself with confidence. “We should listen to the prince, it seems he’s walked a path similar to us once before.” I heard a voice say to me. I activated my magic and created a bubble of silence so nopony else could hear me. “I don’t have time for your mind games Randablitz.” I said in response to the voice. “I’m not the wise prince, but we should be aware of what the creature we defeated said, if we continue this path into darkness we’ll be faced with either eternal damnation, and suffering, or we could turn away from this path and create our own destiny.” The voice said. the voice sounded strange, but very familiar, it sounded like me. “Are you my subconscious?” I asked curiously. “I am, and I must say that the path we’re currently walking, isn’t going to end well, I feel like our Father will turn against us out of fear that we’ve become too strong for him to control, so keep a close eye on him.” My subconscious advised me. I was shocked at this turn of events. “Father, afraid of me, impossible, he fears nopony.” I said as I looked at my reflection in the window, then I dispelled my soundproofing spell.

Author's Notes:

Hello ponies and bronies, Obsidian here to say I hope you enjoyed and sorry for the delay due to saving issues, but with them sorted out things can go back to normal. Once again a special thanks to Randablitz for editing and be sure to Like, Comment, Favorite, and Follow me and Randablitz and til next time, I'll talk to you all later.