It’s been a while since I posted anything related to my AU but heres something slightly less dour!
 

 
Somber: Maggie! Come on and hurry!
 
Magnesia: Yes, Young Master!
 
Somber: We’re gonna miss him if you keep falling behind.
 
Magnesia: I’m sorry, Young Master.
 
Somber: It’s fine. Just don’t fall and hurt yourself.
 
Magnesia: As you wish.
 
Somber: Mr Sunburst!
 
Sunburst: Hm? O-oh, Good morning, your majesty. Magnesia.
 
Magnesia: Lord Sunburst.
 
Sunburst: P-please don’t bother with that, little one. I’m no lord.
 
Somber: But you help father all the time.
 
Sunburst: Yes but… May I ask why you were looking for me?
 
Somber: Oh, yeah. I heard you got some new books.
 
Sunburst: Yes, from Griffinstone. They have a surprisingly vast library considering.
 
Somber: Can I borrow a few?
 
Sunburst: A Few?
 
Somber: Yeah, I wanna read some with Maggie.
 

 
 
Yay, cute foals doing cute things!
 
Somber Ecplise has inherited his mothers love of books, tending to reside in the castle library as opposed to actually training to fight. While he’s capable, he’d rather curl up with a good book than train, much to his fathers annoyance. Because of this, Somber has to sneak about and beg Sunburst, the Empire wizard, for anything he has.
 
Somber’s faves are comic books. Maggie herself can’t read so he just listens as Somber reads out loud.
 
Sunburst himself if generally happy for the company. While he has very little freedoms, he does enjoy talking with and spending time with Somber and Maggie. Sunburst has allowed them to think he’s there by choice and hides his disdain for King Sombra by taking on the derisively given title of ‘Lord’. When the Empire rose, he happened to be one of the first ponies to arrive at the city to investigate. After Sombra took over, he was captured and used for his knowledge of magic and Equestria.
 
At first, he had made an escape plan for himself and a few others but changed his mind when he saw his foalhood friend, Starlight Glimmer, imprisoned as well. It took months for him to get close enough to save her and even then, she had already given birth so she was exceptionally weak. After she escaped, Sunburst was captured once again, using himself as bait to keep her from being caught again. King Sombra, unwilling to lose such a useful pawn but not allowing him to go unpunished, had Sunburst beaten and then mystically chained to the empire.
 
Sunburst can now never leave the Crystal Empire, since his magic is too weak to break the spell. Despite this, he still cares for the Prince and Maggie, since they are innocent in all this. That and Maggie has no one else to care for her save for Somber.
 
For those unaware, the Dark Star AU is this:
 
This takes place in the Crystal War timeline, in which King Sombra is fighting against Equestria while ruling over the Crystal Empire. His apprentice and consort is Lady Twilight Sparkle, who was picked up after wandering into the frozen north. On the side of Equestria is Empress Celestia, Nightmare Moon, Captain Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. The war rages on, even as the youth of today strive to change things.