Inheritor of Chaos - Chapter 28, S-tier black magic

>You wake up from your slumber, your eyes trying to adjust to the lightning of your room, trying to see around but everything seemed darker than usual. You stand up from your bed, you were in your room in the Crystal Empire, or that’s what you feel; your senses were stabilizing and your memory returning, little by little you remember what happened that made you be knocked out from the battle you had.
>Dark magic is... terrifying. To think you would get in the body of somepony- rather, some creature. That dragon, Ember. You quite remember a lot from her memories that it sends chills down your back.
>As you keep remembering, pictures of your sister and other ponies that were captured by the dragons came to mind.
"Rarity... I was so close, so close to finding you!"
>’Crying won't get you anywhere’, a voice inside you thinks.
>A voice...
>That's right, you nearly forgot but, while you were resting... you were dreaming.
>A dream, a nightmare, something that was almost reality. Words can't express what your dream was about.
>Or was it an alternative reality? Your mind can’t explain it nor remember much about it.
>All you can recall was Anon in there and he… wasn’t completely himself. Wherever he is, he looks different.
>His coat and mane changed, not that it looks bad on him, it kind of reminds you of Discord and he is his father so it kind of fits… but his eye… unsettles you.
>”So, you are finally awake.” You hear a deep voice coming from the door of your room; by the tone of his voice, it was Sombra.
>You nod to him, not wanting to say much. After all, you went and used dark magic to take over a dragon…
>"This is but the second time you wake up, the first time you screamed something about not entering a yellow door, that was two days ago. This is the third day." You hear the sound of the sheets of your room opening. "Your recovery has completed, you don't need to be worried about now. But part of me can't help but wonder about that door you mentioned, could be Discord’s doing."
>Three days? Ugh… talk about beauty sleep.
“I thought you would have a guard or somepony else waiting here… or was it a coincidence? Did a guard tell you when I woke up?”
>"I was waiting here until you got better. I left Queen Chrysalis under control of the army after she came from being kidnapped by that jester of Discord. Hmph. It seems like she didn't want to talk about anything that happened there, not that it matters to me. I’m not in good terms with her, but she needed a distraction over her loss of sanity with Discord."
>You turn your head. “You are not my dad, so don’t worry about me. It creeps me out.”
>"I know I am not your father, but you are my pupil. Somepony has to master the arts of dark magic, and you are a quick learner just like I was when I was your age."
"But I never wanted this power... it's so, frustrating, unnerving."
>"Don't tell me you haven't felt it yet."
>…Does he knows?
"Feel what?" You ask while hiding your knowledge of what you gained.
>"The urge for power, the use of your rage, and the fear of your enemies against them. This is but the start, once you master it, the legacy will move on."
“I… will never follow your lead. If anything, I just want to take Discord down for what he has done to Equestria and return the status the land had.” You walk over by the nightstand and look for your blindfold. After finding it, you use your magic to pick it up. “And now that I can sense with the help of the shadows, I won’t take this blindfold off until there is justice imparted in this kingdom.”
>Sombra stares up with a tired look. “I forgot fillies get in an age that they get rebel.”
“Shut up, you are not my father!” You say after finishing putting your blindfold and pointing your hoof at him.
>”You are pointing at the wall.” Sombra says, but much to his surprise, you can tell he was lying.
“I know where you are standing. As I said, the dark magic helps me sense shadows and other auras, and your aura stinks with rotten dark magic all over my room.”
>You hear a slight chuckle coming from Sombra. “Good, get used to your new abilities. Like it or not, this is your life now. Now, follow me, I need to show you something… a lesson you need to learn.”
>You had no other choice but follow him, not that you wanted but part of you was curious at what that lesson was.
>Knowing him, it’s nothing good.
>…
>You take a sigh.
>He can’t know that the reason you are using the blindfold isn’t for your excuse of not seeing his malice in the Crystal Empire, but rather… you lost your sight.
>You were shaking a bit, but something you don’t need is fear… Sombra will know something’s wrong. So far, you’ve been the damsel in danger… until the previous battle against that dragon happened.
>Courage… you need the courage to move on and stay positive. The shadows will guide you.

>You follow Sombra and arrive at the entrance to his castle, you could sense Sombra and the ponies around. Changelings were guarding the entrance and your senses could go as far as the mines where the crystal ponies were mining against their will.
>Not something you wanted to look, but it’s… impressive how far you’re reaching to sense auras and shadows.
>”Polish Weather, I presume?” Sombra says to a captive crystal pony mare that was between two changeling guards.
>The crystal pony barely nodded to reply to Sombra, something you could notice is that her aura was very weak.
>”State in front of your king the reason you are here!” The changeling guard next to the crystal pony says as he points a spear to her.
>”I-I gave an apple to my daughter! Please don’t hurt me! Or her!” The crystal pony says instantly without hesitating.
>Sombra nods his head. “The honesty from a slave is nothing more that I expect from you, well done.” Sombra’s horn starts shining with his dark magic and after some seconds of casting, he brings from underneath two crystal walls that resembled a prison, each carrying inside a crystal pony, one a filly and the other a stallion. “You know what happens next, don’t you?”
>No matter your best senses, you couldn’t feel those two underneath where Sombra cast the spell. You decide to hide your surprise and continue listening to the trial.
>The crystal filly that was in the prison of crystals could only whimper and not call the help for her parents. As contrary to the crystal mare, this filly aura wasn’t weak.
>The stallion on the other hoof…
>You decide to pay attention to the trial.
>The crystal mare had tears on her eyes; she couldn’t make a word of the situation.
>”You may choose one of your relatives to get sent to the mines until further announcement, and they will remain there without any right to eat or drink.”
>You wanted to speak up, but what authority you have in this place? None.
>But one day, you’ll make for sure this place has what it deserves.
>The crystal mare points to her husband with his hoof shaking from the terror of the situation.
>The stallion bites his lower lip; he probably knew he was going to get chosen by her wife, after all, who chooses a kid over an adult, right?
>”So that is your choice.” Sombra’s horn shines once again and the crystal spikes release the filly from her prison.
>For a second there was relief in the eyes of the crystal mare after seeing her daughter free, but that moment lasted only seconds, as two changeling guards surrounded the filly and took her each by a hoof.
>”Take the filly to the mines.” Sombra says and the changeling guards take not a second thought on taking the filly.
>”Wait! I didn’t choose her! I choose him!”
>”You did. But there is something you need to understand. Betrayal.”
>The screams of confusion from the filly as she was taken with the changeling guards were uneasy. The father wanted to scream, but if he did anything he knew he would make the situation worse. As for the mother, she was devastated.
>Her aura disappeared, hopefully meaning that she just fainted as her shadow remained in place.
>But the horror didn’t stop there, as you could listen to the thoughts of the mother in your head.
>‘This is my mistake’, ‘Why did I feed her when I knew…’, ‘Will she ever forgive me?’ ‘I should have chosen my husband…’ ‘It’s his fault, he should take responsibility…’ ‘I hate him… I hate me..!’ ‘Why- Oh why?’
>You don’t want to hear those thoughts anymore… but you feel like you need it. If this is what just one pony feels, what about the rest of Equestria?
“That was…”
>”Cruel, right? You need to treat everyone the same if you want to become ruler of this kingdom.”
>The changeling guards give a brief salute to the king and then leave you two as they go elsewhere. Sombra decided to lecture you on this lesson.
>”I may be an omnipresence king, but a king needs its herd to trust him. So, I control them with fear and envy; give some more than others, the slaves with the most valuable and delicious food will be grateful, but still fear my iron hoof as others watch in envy as the others eat to their heart’s consent.”
>”They have known me for years, but you Penumbra, you can gain their trust with your words alone and then take where I left.” Sombra stares at the distance of the mountains of the Frozen North. “Discord is a spirit of chaos that can live forever, but I’m just a mortal warlock with my own goal to make Equestria a world ruled by magic… magic, that only we, unicorns, can create and hold to.”
“What about the earth ponies? Or Pegasi?”
>”Mere stock for use and disposal. Why do you think I give you better treatment than others? You are a pureblood unicorn, you learned dark magic like it was nothing. With my knowledge, you will be a great empress who will dethrone Discord and claim Equestria for yourself… for us, the unicorns.”
>You never thought you would see the reason why Sombra was like this... so he hates any pony race but unicorns. No wonder she doesn't get well with Chrysalis.
>”Your next step, Penumbra, will be to give a speech to everypony. Choose whichever words you want, in the end, it won’t matter.”

>Sombra and the changeling guards gathered every single crystal pony in the mines, except for the filly that was just taken from the previous trial, and whatever other slaves were down there punished.
>Sombra wasn’t with you, he left you to do your speech on the balcony of the castle, right where everypony could see you.
>You were nervous, but an inner voice speaks to you.
>’Now now, don’t need to rush it, my lady. You know the words you want to say, you just need to concentrate and speak freely. You are like those slaves, just another victim. So go on, speak, scream and let them know what you think, and, after you are done, I’ll be waiting to reward you for your efforts.’
>You remember the name of the voice now.
“Thanks… Ronove.”
>You take a deep breath, holding it for a second and then releasing it. You got this.
”I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an empress.” Your voice starts echoing within the Crystal Empire. “That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anypony. I should like to help everypony - if possible - ponies, changelings, zebras, all creatures. We all want to help one another. Ponies are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness - not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world, there is room for everypony. And the good Equestria is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.”
>You take a pause.
 “Discord has twisted our souls, has barricaded the world with chaos, and has goose-stepped us into misery and confusion. The friendship that gives us magic has left us.”
“We think too much, and feel too little. More than cleverness we need kindness. If possible, honesty too. We need laughter in our lives, be generous with others and loyal, not to those who torture you, but with the friends and family you have around each other… without these, life will be violent and all will be lost.”
“Even now my voice is reaching hundreds through this empire – hundreds if not thousands of despairing stallions, mares and foals – victims of a system that makes torture and imprison innocent ponies.”
“To those who hear me, do not despair. The misery that is upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness from a unicorn that fears the way of the progress of our ponies.”
“…And as long as ponies stand, liberty will never perish.”
>Despite having various changeling guards and Sombra down there, all the crystal ponies started to slowly clap their hooves on the ground of the terrain, soon, everypony, even from the mines, were cheering your speech.
>Some of them with tears on their eyes, some of them motivated by the speech yelling your name on praise.
>You had no words left, but you wish you could see with your own eyes the scenery that you made with your words, coming from your heart.
>’Well done, my lady. Excellent use of words.’

>”Are you sure you should give her this?” The Queen of the changelings, Chrysalis, asked King Sombra. “I lost one of my best soldiers and we’re not ready for a war against the dragons yet.”
>King Sombra chuckled. “In due time. As for her speech, I wasn’t expecting it to be that striking, it took me by surprise.” Sombra’s horn shines with a purple pure color. “If only half the reaction of the slaves weren’t fake, I’d say it was passable for an improvised speech."

>Somewhere in a distance, Discord was holding a video recorder and laughing to himself. “I can’t wait to broadcast this baby into Equestria! I arrived way sooner to wait for the war to start, but this is a good way to actually start a video.”