Chapter Eight: A Whole New World Part 2: Dark Sparkle
Warning: As a fellow Disney Fan, it is vital you know this may also be similar to Hunchback of Notre Dame (cough) Frollo and Esmeralda (cough) but I regret nothing!
After Shining Armor took off with Cadence on the Dragon Carpet, Discord vanished to do something Chaotic, and Spike had fallen asleep, Twilight went back into the Palace to try and find the library. And, so far that was not going well. She was almost a hundred percent positive that this was the same hallway she walked through four times. This made it the fifth time. She also really needed to watch where she was going, lest she keep walking straight into the chests of every stallion in the Palace. First Flash Sentry, awkward, now Sombra. Even more awkward, and they were supposed to keep what Discord called a ‘low profile’ unless they wanted things to go South.
“Lost, are you my dear?” his voice was smooth. Had it not been for the scar, she would have fallen into his trap like a googly eyed little filly. But she was Twilight Sparkle, she was smarter than that. She could only nod. “Would you like me to escort you to your room?” he offered with a genuine ‘concern’.
“I was actually looking for the library,” she confessed. His ears twitched at that.
“You enjoy a book then?” she nodded. He chuckled. “Well then, at least allow me to escort you to the library,” and that was that. The dark stallion lead the mare to the library and it took all of her self restraint not to let her jaw drop and hang open.
There was not just books, or hundreds, or even thousands. But millions of books! The previous Unicorn Sultans must have gotten all of them. “Even Starswirl himself enjoys to read and study the art of magic,” she nodded at Sombra’s words. Made sense.
She walked down the rows of all the grand books. There were more than even she could count. She had no clue where to start! “So, tell me again,” she had not noticed how close the dark stallion had been. “Why did you join your brother on his quest for Cadence’s hoof?” she shrugged nonchalantly.
“If my brother is to be wed, I would like to meet the mare before hoof,” he nodded, looking slightly annoyed. Her answer had been understandable and if the case, it could have been a truth.
“You know, Ms. Sparkle,” his words sent a shiver down her spine. “You really should give me more credit,” she raised an eyebrow.
“How’s that?” she asked, only half pretending to still be interested in the books. He smirked, darkly, and his fangs were still visible. He chuckled faintly, clucking his tongue. She bit back a soft yelp when she saw that it could have matched a serpent’s tongue.
Red eyes met violet ones. “You really think nopony would have noticed? Your brother alone, perhaps he could have gotten away with it. But you my dear, the magic just pours off you in waves,” he seemed to think for a moment as he circled her, like a predator to its prey. “When you bit me,” she glared. It was obvious who he was, it was a glamour he used to make himself look older. “I felt the Loyalty you have to your brother, it was enchanting,” he whispered in her ear. “Almost, intoxicating,” he chuckled at her angry eyes. “Quite the powerful Unicorn you are my dear,” he looked up, looking thoughtful.
“But if you were to tell Cadence and the Sultan what it was that happened, and the truth about my ear,” he tapped the scar. “Then they would ask questions, and who would be in more trouble? You, the street-rats posing as royalty, or me, who merely was searching for something and tried to rid Saddle Arabia of two worthless thieves,” she blushed and glared as hard as she could. Not that it would do her any good. “I would think it would be you, my dear. The Law states that a Princess must marry a Prince, not a Prince in disguise just because he has the Lamp of Chaos,” Sombra grinned.
“And what do you intend to do?” she asked. He chided her.
“Now, now. Wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise now would I? But then again, perhaps we could make a deal of sorts. My silence to the Sultan for your own, but then again what good would silence do? For either of us?” he tapped his hoof on his chin, thinking deeply. “Your brother is not to marry Cadence, you will make sure of that,” she snorted.
“I would never do that to Shining Armor,” it would have been a mistake for her to say that, if it mattered. “Or the Princess, and you couldn’t make me help you for anything,” she began to walk away. To tattle on Sombra to her brother, the Unicorn stallion could only wonder.
“You know...” he used his magic to poof himself in front of the door and the mare, startling her and blocking the exit. “It did surprise me quite a bit when you bit me,” he mused. “You have the power I’ve never seen before, and quite frankly it could be quite useful. But the fire I see in you, my dear,” she shuddered as he stepped closer. “Is breathtaking. I simply must know what it is like,” she growled, horn glowing pink as she was ready to strike if needed.
“Stay back...” she warned. Her eyes hardened as he chuckled again.
Sombra held the Alicorn Amulet Scepter up and the poor mare couldn’t help but look, but the ruby eyes of the Amulet met her own and her own grew the red swirls just as Starswirl’s had done multiple times before. She was entranced. “You will prevent your brother from marrying Princess Cadence,” she repeated the words, using ‘I’ instead of ‘You’, though. Sombra grinned. “You, Twilight Sparkle. Will make sure that Princess Fluttershy is first wed, to the Royal Vizier,” Sombra already had plans to do away with the Princess. He was immortal, and once Starswirl was gone, Cadence was elsewhere, and Chrysalis was posing as Fluttershy, they would rule Saddle Arabia. Her Changelings would be able to feed on the love of ponies, and Sombra would gain the power of Royalty as well as all access to Magic and complete control. But perhaps, as Chrysalis could pose as Fluttershy, Twilight could play a far more important role as well. He grinned. Things would be different around Saddle Arabia, and poor little Cadence. Her Mark was dead. He was sure of it. He knew it. He had more to plan, and this mare would definitely be involved in his plans. He would make sure of it.