Zerus, the Untold Story CH1

Starswirl the Bearded stood on a spire in the black night of Canterlot. It was a cool spring night. A swift wind blew at his heavy blue cloak, his graying brown beard whipping by. He stared down a young stallion who stood on a spire opposite to him dressed in an identical black cloak. He felt a flame of rage grow inside him just by looking at the youth.

“So it's you, is it?” he spat. “Sombra, the pirate king?”

“Father,” Sombra said in a haughty voice “why do you speak with such contempt in your voice?” Starswirl glared at his opponent's prideful response.

“You have not been my son since you abandoned your home and became a criminal, Sombra.” Starswirl growled. “Pillaging and terrorizing the seas, and for what?”

“I was no longer your son,” Sombra said sharply, raising his voice “when you took those two under your tutelage... when you began to love them more than me.”

“Don't start that again!” Starswirl roared, clouds slowly gliding through the night sky, passing by the moon, briefly shadowing the two. “I never chose anypony over you... I loved you, Sombra... but you just craved power...” Starswirl lowered his head, feeling sorrow inside. “What is it you have returned for?” he asked. Sombra let out a low laugh.

“I am no longer king of the pirates, father.” Sombra said proudly. “I have chosen to crown myself king of hatred and fear-” “Dare you!?”

Starswirl glared at the black cloak before him. “Why say such a thing? Why would you embrace such horrid capabilities? What is your endgame, Sombra?”

“I will unleash Cataclysm-” “YOU CANNOT BE THAT MAD!”

Starswirl stared with wide eyes after what his child had said. “You cannot dare be serious, Sombra! No good can come of unleashing Cataclysm!”

“That is where you are wrong, father.” Sombra said as he shot with great speed for the aging pony. Starswirl jumped high, Sombra landing on top of an archway. Turning, his horn growing sharp, he watched as Starswirl slowly descended to balcony. He could tell his father was looking at him from under his hooded cloak.

“Leave this place now, Sombra.” Starswirl said narrowing his eyes. “I will run you through.”

“Would Canterlot's benevolent ruler Starswirl really do such a thing?” Sombra taunted. Starswirl leaped from his balcony, crossing horns with Sombra as his grew sharp as well.

“Do not taunt me!” Starswirl spat. The two tussled back and forth. Starswirl felt an icy chill run up his spine as he stared into Sombra's hazel eyes, completely full of blood lust. Losing strength, Starswirl shoved Sombra back with all his might, his son falling over the edge of the archway, landing on is hooves as his cloak flipped off, revealing his chestnut body identical to his father's. Starswirl looked over the ledge in bewilderment as Sombra laughed darkly up at him.

“Is that all, father-” Sombra said, leaping out of the way as Starswirl fired a powerful burst of energy for him, a small crater left in the ground.

“Youre magic is still nothing to mine, boy.” Starswirl growled. “I will not tell you to leave again... I will kill you.” Sombra huffed and shook his head.

“Do you think that was the fullest extent of the glorious power hatred yields?” Sombra said in a proud voice. “Now we fight for real, father.” Starswirl watched in fear as Sombra's chestnut coat turned to dark, steely gray, his eyes turning blood red and long fangs stretching from his mouth. Grinning at the terrified look on Starswirl's face, green flames began to dance from his eyes.

“You look surprised, father.” he said with relish. Starswirl could tell Sombra's magic had increased more than tenfold just by looking at him. This wasn't good. There would be no way he could possibly hold off Sombra for long by himself. Before he could think on it any longer, however, Sombra powered his horn, a gigantic black crystal stretching out from the ground, ascending to meet with his father.

“You look frightened, master Starswirl the Bearded.”

Starswirl glared and charged forward, his head bowed and his sharpened horn outstretched, but Sombra was quick. Powering his horn lazily, a chunk of black crystal shot out of his foothold, Starswirl crashing into it painfully.

“You're nothing, father. I've outgrown you, and tonight will show that to all of Equestria-” “Silence!” Starswirl called as he cast a powerful spell at Sombra, the latter casting a dome of black crystal around himself, but this didn't work. The dome was shattered and Sombra took the full force of his father's attack, falling backward off his giant black crystal pedestal, summoning another to catch him just before he hit the ground. Starswirl knew that was a lucky hit. There was no way he would get a chance like hat again. Lunging, Starswirl leaped off the black crystal mount and fired several times at Sombra, the younger pony easily deflecting each shot. Bowing his head once more, Starswirl shot for his son, but was sent flying as Sombra opened his mouth and breathed white hot flames all over his opponent. Starswirl rived and squirmed as he extinguished the flames on his body, Sombra cackling as he stepped closer.

“I think I've proven myself the better, father.” Sombra sneered. “Now you die.” he said with a smirk, his horn growing sharp once more, Starswirl smirking back. “What do you find funny, father?” he asked just as a blast shot down next to him. Turning, Sombra dove out of the way as two ponies fired powerful magic at him. Flying down, the two alicorns under Starswirl's tutelage stared down Sombra the same way they did years before.

“Ah, my two friends.” Sombra sneered as they glared at him. “How long has it been?”

“That's enough from you!” thundered Luna, they younger of the two. Stepping forward, a breeze floating by in her shortly cropped blue mane, Sombra licked his chops as he saw her for the first time since his departure.

“You look great, Luna... much prettier than I remember-”

“I said silence, Sombra!” Luna snapped. “Sister!” she called back to her elder. Celestia stepped up behind her, her long pink mane draped around her shoulder.

“And dear Celestia.” Sombra taunted. “Are you still tagging along behind your little sister?” Celestia glared silently from behind Luna.

“Leave now, Sombra.” Starswirl said as he approached the three. “We will not show you mercy. This is your last chance-” Starswirl and his two scholars dove out of the way as Sombra powered his horn and sent needle-sharp black crystals for the three of them, the shards sinking deep into the walls around them.

“Master! Catch!”

Starswirl looked up just in time to see Luna fling an adorned saber for him, Starswirl catching in his mouth and leaping for a swing at Sombra, the latter powering his horn, drawing his glinting cutlass as he parried. The two glared, their jaws clasped on their blades, sparks dancing as they tried to force the other back. Finally, Sombra rolled to the side, Starswirl stumbling as his blade fell from his mouth. Raising his head high to deal a killing blow, Sombra was sent tumbling away as Celestia fired on him, his blade sinking into the cobblestone street. Thinking desperately, Celestia powered her horn and pulled Sombra's cutlass from the street and flung it for him, Sombra easily countering with his horn.

“Foolish Celestia, you haven't changed a bit.” he taunted as Celestia commanded the blade to swing more frenzied for the stallion. “You can't fight steel with magic. It just won't work.” he jeered, powering his own horn and tearing his blade from her ethereal grip. Clasping it in his mouth once more, he charged for the white alicorn, Luna casting a bolt of lightning for him which he easily struck down with his weapon. In a flash, Luna charged in front of Celestia and blocked Sombra's weapon with her horn, but she was growing weak. He was far too strong. Tears welling in her eyes, she could feel her horn snapping as he pressed on. It was agonizing. Rushing, Starswirl headbutted Sombra from the side, a light cut left in the young stallion's flank from his father's sharp horn. As Luna sank to her knees, Celestia rose and stood beside Starswirl, neither of them blinking once as they stared Sombra down. He didn't scowl, but rather gave a small smile.

“I will take my leave now-” “I think not, Sombra!” Celestia spat. “You will not get away with what you've done tonight-”

“That is where you are wrong, Celestia.” Sombra interjected, giving his trademark wicked smile. “You will choose... me, or Canterlot.” Before anypony could move, Sombra opened him fanged mouth and breathed dancing flames all over Canterlot. Starswirl charged for Sombra as Celestia and Luna (the latter straining to get up) powered their horns to cast water over the fires. Starswirl ran as fast as he could, but Sombra was slowly losing him. His old age was catching up to him. Before he could give chase any longer, Sombra turned and cast a giant shield of black crystal between him and the old mage. Starswirl chipped away slowly at the thick sheet of black crystal, Sombra cackling as he escaped.

It was pandemonium in the square. Everypony ran from their homes in terror as Canterlot lit up the night sky in a blaze. Celestia and Luna fought furiously to extinguish the fires, but the flames were clearly powered by the wickedness Sombra commanded. Taking cover under the archway as they sent torrents of water over the houses and buildings, more and more flames shot up. Celestia was not as skilled in magic as her sister, and Luna's magic hampered from her injury. Canterlot was in real danger. Finally, the two heard the clopping of hooves as their mentor returned, knowing he had no way of both catching Sombra and saving Canterlot. It was their home and he needed to defend it. As he finally caught up with the two, he quickly cast a powerful twisting wind, neither of the two sisters needing to ask him what his plan was. Everypony stared in awe as the two alicorns sent their magic torrents of water spiraling and twisting into Starswirl's twister. Powering his horn, the two sisters using their magic to help maintain the twisting wind flow, Starswirl rose his floating maelstrom higher and higher in the predawn sky, finally sending a shining blue bolt of magic into it, causing it to burst into a furious rainstorm, the fires extinguishing in the downpour. Everypony old and young cheered for their powerful protectors, Luna sinking to her knees again as she winced at her chipped horn.

“Are you well, Luna?” Celestia asked as she looked her sister over. Luna nodded slowly.

“It shouldn't be difficult at all to restore your horn, Luna.” Starswirl said as he peered closely at her horn. “You were quite reckless to try and counter Sombra without a weapon.”

“Yes Master Starswirl.” Luna said with a bow. “It was foolish of me.”

“Worry not, Luna.” Starswirl went on as the rising sun slowly peaked through the parting rain clouds. “We managed to save Canterlot from Sombra, and that is all that matters.”

“What do you think he came back for?” Celestia pondered. Before Starswirl could explain to them, they looked up to see the archway crumble, bricks and mortar falling for them. Just as Starswirl powered his horn to shield them, the trio felt themselves sent flying out of the way, tumbling into the square as everypony stared in awe, not at the three magi, but at a tiny unicorn colt who stared in awe with his shining green eyes.

“Young colt. Come here, sir.” Starswirl commanded promptly. The colt, shaking nervously, stepped forward. He was quite small, barely older than six or seven, had a coat of dark purple and a shiny brown mane tied back in a ponytail. He had no Cutie Mark “Did you do that just now? Did you save us?”

The colt shook like a leaf and nodded slowly, his parents looking on in shock with the rest of the square. Starswirl smiled beneath his graying beard at the youth.

“Tell me, lad... would you be interested in become an apprentice?”

“M-me, M-Master Starswirl?” he stammered. Starswirl nodded.

“You seem quite talented.” Starswirl went on. “I think you are meant to do great things.”

“Really, Master Starswirl?” the young colt said in awe. “You want to take me on as your pupil?”

“Of course not.” Starswirl said. “I think young mistress Luna should.” All three ponies around the elderly magician blinked in confusion.

“Why me, master?” Luna asked, Celestia unsure if she could find her voice.

“Because of that.” the old unicorn said as he motioned to the young colt's flank, a Cutie Mark appearing on it before their eyes. It was of a wisp of black clouds dotted with stars, a neatly rolled piece of parchment stamped with a crescent-moon seal. Luna knew it was the exact same seal on her collar.

“Tell me,” Luna said as she stepped closer to the awestruck colt “would you be interested in becoming my pupil?” The little pony stared at her for a moment before he nodded slowly. Everypony in the square cheered, Starswirl and Celestia beaming at the two.

=====

Luna and her new pupil stood in her private study of Starswirl's spire. Turning, inhaling deeply, she looked straight into the young colt's gleaming green eyes.

“I will say this now,” Luna said in a dignified voice “I expect nothing short of satisfaction from you, young colt. I expect you to go above and beyond in all your endeavors. I expect you to do any and all things I command you to.”

“Yes Lady Luna!” the colt said proudly, bowing.

“Very well.” Luna said as she cast a spell, a golden brooch appearing before the two as she levitated a small black cloak and pinned it around his neck. “First, tell me your name.”

“Yes, milady. It is Zerus.”