Bit went with Keen up into "Revolution Square." But of all the old parts of the city, she'd never been inside the subway station, so she didn't know what had changed. The crystal dome ceiling looked intact, though she doubted the old one had so many red banners. Zircon's city colors had been silver and blue before, and she couldn't see those anywhere.
Just through the doors waited soldiers in black armor, the kind made of complex interlocking metal rings. All painted black, though the cloth underneath was deep red, with a single prominent black star. Keen stopped them at a low doorway near the front of the room, holding up a little pad of paper to the soldiers as they passed through.
They gave him only a nod of respect, but blocked the way for Bit. "Weapons?" a stallion barked, his voice flat. "Any blade longer than an inch, any contraband. You will be searched, so turn it over now."
"I have no weapons," she said, annoyed. "I brought nothing beside my reference tablet." She lifted it out from her robe, holding the shard of flattened crystal up in the air. "In case I got questions I couldn't answer." Or in case the Secretary of Labor wanted to see what happened to Pathfinder.
The soldier took it from her, turning the crystal slab over in a faint magical glow. After a few seconds he turned towards Keen. "Do we let her keep it?"
"Yes," he said. "This isn't a pony like any you've met before. From what I've studied about her, I don't think she's even capable of lying to us."
Could I? Bit considered the question, remaining frozen and still as they poked and prodded at her, running a wooden rod along the length of her body, then up under her belly. But their search discovered no hidden weapons. She wouldn't know how to use them even if she'd brought them.
Eventually the search concluded, and Keen levitated her tablet back to her. "You should be careful where you bring a device like this. Old tech like this is the property of the Revolutionary Guard. We'll get this certified for you before we leave."
Then we'll have to make sure the Revolutionary Guard never looks into my tower. Bit might not know what her purpose was anymore, beyond that little message the Wizard had left for her. But she wasn't going to let his tower get dismantled by these ponies.
They walked through an office building of sorts, with wooden dividers that didn't even go halfway to the oversized dome ceiling. But here in the center of the city, the Zircon filled the sky, keeping the building toasty warm. It would probably even be comfortable in the coldest depths of winter.
"What happens here?" she whispered, as they passed endless rows of clerks, secretaries, and vaguely-scholarly-looking ponies. Most wore the same red uniforms, though the markings on their collars were different. A few wore black, and those watched her most suspiciously. "There're so many ponies working..."
"Running the city," Keen answered. "Managing every industry, setting prices, seeing to the needs of every pony great and small. Monitoring our hostile neighbors to the south. Other things you can't be told for the safety of Zircon. Yet, anyway. A personal interview like this is exceptionally rare, Wizard. From what I know of the Secretary of Labor, he's very interested in the applications of old magic to rebuilding Zircon. Apply those skills effectively, and there may be a place for you in the party."
They came to the end of the expansive office space, where a short hallway led to a fine-grained wooden door. Unlike the rest of the building, this all looked original, though she doubted the old subway station had so many military posters and bright red propaganda.
A little desk rested in front of the door, with an elderly mare wearing the less common black uniform. She glanced at them through a pair of thick-rimmed glasses, squinting at Bit. "Secretary Ardor," she said, clicking her tongue disapprovingly as they approached. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."
He shook his head. "The responsibility is my own. I did not adequately communicate the urgency of this meeting to our guest."
"Hmm." She scribbled something, then pressed the intercom button in front of her. There was no screen there, just a single glowing light and a simple microphone. "The wizard is here."
"Send her in," said the voice. A little higher than Bit expected, though still a stallion. There was little emotion in it, at least nothing she could read. "Alone. Keen can wait until we're finished."
"You heard him." The mare gestured at the door. It swung open, with another pair of blackclad soldiers stepping out from inside. These were the strangest ponies she'd seen yet, with helmets that covered their entire faces. How could they even see in those things? There was only a sliver of purple crystal, vertical between where the eyes should be. Mirrors, maybe? There was no time for questions.
She was scarcely through the doors before they banged shut behind her—this time with the strange guards outside.
The office itself was massive, as big as the wizard's lab. The wall was covered with portraits, medals, even a few old photos. Bit walked as slowly as she dared, taking in as much of it as she could. Most photos came from battles within Zircon, fought long before these ponies had been born. Would Crimson be in any of them, one of the king's defenders slain? None she could see.
An oversized fireplace was built into the wall behind the desk. The flames of real burning wood flickered out from within, illuminating the space in shadowy light.
A pony sat behind the desk, a unicorn with the powerful build of an earth pony. He wore a black uniform, with gold stitching instead of red. There were so many medals and patches that it didn't sit quite right on his shoulders. But if the stallion even noticed, he didn't seem to care.
"You're the wizard I keep hearing about," he said, settling back in an oversized crystal chair. Not quite a throne, though the resemblance was almost there. But where the old king's throne was covered in gemstones, this was plain blue crystal, straight backed and uncomfortable. "Do you know who I am?"
"Not well," she admitted. She stopped just before the desk, pawing weakly at the floor. She didn’t know this pony, but she'd seen that expression many times. He might not be the king, but he thought he was. "I've been in that tower for lifetimes."
"Then let me introduce myself. I am Sombra Bolero, Secretary of Labor. I am the pony who stands between Zircon and starvation. And freezing, and invasion, and corruption from within. I am the only hope for the ponies of this city. Do you care about Zircon, Wizard?"
She nodded. It might've been a lie a few days ago. But now that the Wizard had given her a purpose... "I was created to be the first of my kind, to share what I am with all the crystal cities."
"Crystal City, unfortunately," Sombra said flatly. "Apatite was invaded by Equestria fifty years ago. When Topaz froze three years ago, it left only us. Zircon is alone in the north, now. The last of an empire crumbling beneath the ice."
"Then with Zircon," she said. Keen was right, this pony radiated strange magic. He must be quite the sorcerer, for her to feel it even with her weakened senses. "I'm sure that was what my master meant, anyway."
The stallion was silent a moment, skimming over a few printed sheets. Finally he tossed them onto the desk before him, expression hardening. "There are those who are content to use your abilities to serve Zircon. Secretary Ardor outside those doors, he thinks you can be trusted to restore the heat in the city. But he doesn't know who or what you are. I do."
Bit flipped back the hood of her robe, meeting his eyes. "I have been entirely honest with Secretary Ardor, and every other pony I have met. Propriety requires honesty."
Sombra rose from his desk in a flurry of motion and swirling cloth. He circled around her, body cast into shadow by the fireplace. "What do you want, Wizard? The others have no vision—they see an automaton of the old empire, and rejoice because of what you have accomplished. They never stopped to question why, or what you might do next. I order you to tell me: why did you restore the power to the capital relay station? Were you trying to bring the strategic nuclear reserve back online?"
Her eyebrows went up about as high as they could go. "I have no idea what that is, Secretary Bolero. I never served a military purpose, and King Zircon believed I was too vulnerable to subversion to entrust with any useful information. Prince Crimson occasionally told me things I wasn't supposed to know, but he didn't care about the military very much. I believe he may have actively hated them.”
Sombra looked her over with a stern, hostile gaze. There was something strange about those red eyes, something about the magic behind them she didn't quite like. It was in the horn too, almost like an infection. But those questions were thoroughly outside her expertise.
"Then answer the question, Wizard. What is your purpose for Zircon? What goal have you been working towards?"
Of all the creatures she wanted to tell, this one had probably plummeted faster to the bottom of the list than any other. But he was also the one she could least afford to refuse. Besides, he might still decide to help!
"At first I was restoring the capacity of the tower, so that my master would return. But I am beginning to suspect he never intended to come back, or else knew he would be prevented for some reason."
Bit looked up into those strange eyes, and knew there was something wrong. But who else could she tell? Who else had the power to help her? "I was created to be the first pony of a new race of creatures. A race that does not sicken, or freeze, or age. There is a treatment that can be used to... uplift other tribes of ponies, to become what I am. My master wished for this treatment to be available to all creatures in Zircon, so I have inherited his goal."
Sombra didn't react the way so many others had—objecting that her claims were obviously impossible, that she was crazy, or must have some motive that only made sense to other ponies.
Instead, he nodded. "I'm aware of the research. You're not direct evidence of its success, however. You were a branch towards necromancy, one that is not particularly useful with the population of an entire city."
He circled past her, to a hard crystal window. Like all such windows, it was actually two layers, with a void in-between to keep out the cold. It showed a view of the marketplace outside, thronging with shivering ponies. "I do not know how Prince Zircon managed to capture one soul. Even I could not do it with so many, even if I did wish to animate a city of remnants."
His words no longer entirely made sense to her. Sombra clearly knew magic well, though he had mixed the true science of it with the superstition practiced in Equestria. Where did he come from, anyway? But pointing that out was not going to get his help.
"The treatment is different for living ponies. I used it recently on a pony who was dying—one who had no other chance for survival."
She settled the tablet onto the table in front of him, then summoned a few photos. Of Pathfinder, dying. Then the crystal cocoon, and finally the finished result. "Those strange growths are not normal—they're the result of necrosis caused by the radiation poisoning. I'm removing them now. When the process is complete, Pathfinder will be the second crystal pony, the first created from a living subject."
Sombra took the tablet in his magic, and seemed to know exactly how it worked. He flipped through the photos for a few seconds, inspecting them carefully. "When will he be ready? I desire to meet this pony."
"Two days," she said. It was technically true, even if it erred on the side of caution. "I don't know what his mental state will be after two days of polishing, though. You may want to give him more time."
The unicorn set her tablet back down, then relaxed into his chair. "No, his mental state is precisely what I wish to investigate. You may go, Wizard. Not with my blessing, but my interest. We will speak again. Soon."
Oh look it's Sombra. Everything makes sense now.
Oh great! Sombra Appears. /Sarcasm
Nice Chapter however.
NOOO not HIM! CURSED NAME!!! RED FLAG!!! I can't tell if he the sombra sombra or an inheritor is he a umbra pony???
So Sombra is Stalin in this analog?
That's cool.
Is he radioactive too?
The time when computer scientists and neurologists are considered to be necromancers. I guess we will have one on Mars one day.
The crystal empire prequel series
Hey look, it's Sombra. Well that answers alot of questions... and brings up dozens more.
Hope Bit continues to grow, because I have a bad feeling about where this is heading is she gives him what he wants...
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I dunno, I'm pretty sure Mossflower was a lot deader than Pathfinder when Crimson did his thing. Maybe only mostly dead.
So he thinks she's a Lich? Best not disabuse him of that notion...
It's clear Sombra considers himself quite a bit more equal than others. Seems they have a strong hold on information too. This will be... Complicated.
Yes, it would be him, wouldn't it.
Apparently Bit can sense his Dark magic in some capacity. He probably gives normal ponies the heebie-jeebies too, at least the few he physically meets with.
Is this version of Sombra evil? Hmm, I like this version though, even if I'd prefer if he was just like most everypony else. Well, as normal as you can get when you're the secretary of labor.
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Except this clearly isn't canon Sombra, considering the lack of things like "Umbra" or "Cadance's royal ancestor"... and yet it isn't looking like he's going to be a good guy either.
I had to take a second pick, I first read it "Sombra Sombrero", which ruined the revelation XD
Attention deficit can be quite a bother.
Red red red red, propaganda, expensively outfitted military, sombra, nukes, our people, crystal supremacy, paying only lip service to the ideals they claim to represent. Hey guys, I think Scribe is trying to tell us something.
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Oh no, Scribe's definitely not trying to tell us that Sombra is Stalin of Equestria, not at all~
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Yes, yes they are,
GLORY TO THE MOTHERLAND!!! UUUURRRRRAAAAAAA!!!!!
Kappa
If i didn't want to burn those conis bukers before, now I must do so.
Uh oh.
Sombra is probably right that Pathfinder's mental state needs to be evaluated, but because he is Sombra I am fairly certain that his goal is not therapeutic in intent.
Communist sombra that got to be a first for Fim, I guess it a smarter way to seize power then in canon, also explains why equstria not come knocking
If this is that Sombra, then it appears Zircon will have to endure more suffering until its liberation by Equestria. Things don't look well for Bit if this is the case.
Even if Zircon is not the precursor of the Crystal Empire, things still don't look well. The Union clearly believes Bit to be a servant to the revolution, not a partner. She will not have freedom to move about with her new found life.
Did you mean revenants?
The symbolism... Almost like the writer is trying to reference something! /S
Good chapter, looking forward to seeing how this plays out. Also apparently the city had a strategic nuclear stockpile?
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Probably that is
Same
In
This
Context.
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French revolution.
Screwed climate, famine due to vulcanic winters, inadequacy of economics to need of state.
Threat of invasion by powerful neighbor, uprising, collapsed infrastructure.
After uprising threat still exist, both imaginary and real, leading to infighting as remaining governace is wiped out.
Opportunism of those who reach position of power.
You know it's bad when the possibly synthetic intelligence can tell it's propaganda.
Ah, the Generalissimo look. A bit gauche, but a classic for a reason.
Oh dear.
Yeah, I think I see the general shape of where things go from here, but I'm sure there are at least a few more twists and turns yet to come. Especially given that nuclear reserve. This could go very nastily indeed. We'll see how this develops.
So my suspicions were correct, was wondering when he would enter the picture
Mr sombrero himself!
There are as many figurative red flags in this chapter as there were literal red flags. XD
She's certainly capable of strategic omission. And calling the polishing machine "dermatological" was not only a bit of a stretch, but probably a term she specifically used because they wouldn't understand it
Oh boy, a technology-hoarding militaristic upper class. Yea, that's a great sign
Bolero... labour... hostile neighbors to the south... Oh no. This is going to lead up to Sombra, isn't it?
Ah yes. "The Party". Not the kind that Pinkie would agree with, I bet.
Oof, the decadence. Live in the most naturally-warm spot in the city, and burn wood in a fireplace.
Aaaand there we go
Peculiar. I wonder why Equestria would do that. Unless of course this is just isolationist propaganda.
She has no purpose. She's the failed result of the Prince's personal experiment to revive his dead lover
Woah woah woah. Hold up. He's aware of the research?!?
Yeah. This is one very dangerous pony
Also, this story's not gonna end well, is it? We all know where this is going to lead. Sombra ruling over a population of enslaved crystal ponies, the Princesses invading, and then some kind of massive spell locking the whole city away without a trace for a thousand years
I just wonder if Bit's story will go beyond those thousand years...
Woahwoahwoah... The Sombra?
Noooo noooo! I don’t like where this is heading!
Given how fast the “treatment” occurs, and how events play out, and could play out...
Bit is in terrible, terrible danger. And yet... I think the result will be a good thing.
Now that's interesting.
The important question now becomes, is this an AU, or is this story destined to loop back and connect with canon Equestria?
Inb4 The king staged a revolution against himself disguised as “Sombra” so he could seize more direct control.
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Sounds about right.
Radiant Hope, "Good day at work sweetie?"
"Running the city,"
Running what? A scrap iron business?
Griffonstone had a better economy than this place and its government non-existent!
hostile neighbors to the south.
You guys don't look like you could hope to fight an actual war.
Sombra Bolero, Secretary of Labor
Radiant Hope, "Humph. That unifrom doesn't compliment your colors at all husband."
So the Umbrum already rule this city.
"Apatite was invaded by Equestria fifty years ago.
Why do I doubt that?
this pony radiated strange magic.
Likely because his tribe ISN'T unicorn, he belongs to the umbrum tribe.
strategic nuclear reserve
If those existed, they'd have been used by now, or intimidated the enemy into surrendering.
"I'm aware of the research.
He's not a normal pony. Since supposedly all those who had been alive during the revolution were dead. I wonder if he adopts a new persona every 50 years or so.
"superstition practiced in Equestria"
Superstition is just means not understood by outsiders.
and seemed to know exactly how it worked.
King Zicron didn't die did he?
Woo! That's my villain! You go buddy!
Sombra. Oh, this just got so much better.
Hmm... This guy knows too much, and he's too different. I wonder if the old king made it out after all? Or someone did, somehow. Through necromancy, or dark magic. the friggin numb crystal pony can even feel him radiating the stuff