Celestia, Luna, and Princess Cadence all walked alongside one another down a crystal hallway. It was quiet enough to hear the clink of each hoof and the clatter of plated armor behind them, and the nerves racking against them. Each princess looked ahead, and never once beside them, their own thoughts consuming their world so their eyes could only look forward. The Princesses only looked at the detail of the walls and the floor of the castle they were in. The light of the candles over head shimmering off the jeweled areas and illuminating the bright fractals, each detail eye popping. They turned down another familiar corridor to the right, taking no notice of the usually comforting surroundings.
How many turns had they made now? Well, it didn’t matter, more time to think. Soon after Celestia visited Cadence’s office and discussed the matter of importance that brought them there, they spared no time reaching Luna. She’d advised that they see the situation through and talk it over completely rather than basing plans through communication of Celestia’s letter to Cadence. It was better to talk about the plan first hoof, face to face, and the other two princesses agreed as well. It was the very reason they trotted down the hall, turning an infinite amount of corners it seemed.
There was no clock to tell the specific time, but each princess could hear the ticking of the seconds passing as they came closer and closer to their destination. It became apparent to the royal sisters that there would be no shortage of guards where they were headed as they were stationed in closer proximity now and the guards per perimeter had only increased since they began their long treck. Cadence’s breath hitched as she turned another corner, the princesses following her example.
A tall door of black crystal dulled the rest of the hall, like an ugly painting that had been hung on a finely painted wall, or a weed that stood up dramatically while it killed the flowers around it. Celestia and Luna gaped at it, their nerves and animosity growing by the second, but Cadence reassured them with the swiftness with which they had turned the corner.
“Don’t worry, it’s only an illusion to scare you. He does have some of his magic back, but none of it is dark...that’s all disappeared for now.” Cadence smiled reassuringly. The other princesses nodded, accepting the small comfort, but neither released their breath. Cadence nodded as well, though her frown only deepened as she focused on the grave matter at hoof and ordered the guards to open the door. They hesitated, then thought better of it, and followed their orders to open the door by use of magic.
The room was dull, and the air still as Celestia and Luna walked in for the first time. Even as an Illusion though it was, it remained intimidating for everything to feel frozen and down cast. It screamed “Go away! Leave me to my own thoughts!”.
Or was the object in the middle of the room actually speaking to them?
A single light shined on the object that was kept in a glass, upside down box on a wooden pedestal.
“There he is… or what’s left of him...” Cadence whispered.
The princesses that had arrived recently were the first to come up to the object, they eyed it, their expressions worrisome. It was a horn, curved and threatening, and it was stained a loud red. It glowed momentarily, Luna flinched just the tiniest bit, while Celestia eyed the room, glowing gold as the horn shimmered a low powered glow.
“He tries to hold up the illusion as best he can, I’m not sure why since it’s draining his power and keeps him from coming back sooner. He’s been making it darker and still the whole time he has been in here.” Cadence said, coming up to the glass box and looking down at the horn in pity.
“Perhaps, thou knowest he is defeated and his pride is hurt. Now thy evil dweller is good for only small illusions and tricks of the eye?” Luna suggested deadpanned, also looking at the horn in pity.
“Maybe, but enough on the decorations, we must discuss what it is we must do with him.” Celestia lead, her voice strong and determined. “Cadence tell me what you know of this.”
Cadence nodded and stretched her hoof out to the sofa that was placed in the room and the table. The alicorns walked quietly and sat down ready to talk. Before saying anything on the task at hoof Cadence called for a guard and asked that he bring them tea, and Luna some coffee. While they waited, Cadence was silent, and all the alicorns eyed the horn in the center of the room. Only after the beverages were delivered to the princesses, did Cadence begin to speak.
“It was only a few days ago, I’d contacted you after we found him. A few years back, Twilight came to see me. We had gone down the very staircase that lead Twilight to the Crystal Heart. There we found King Sombra’s office and apparently his journal he wrote in while he had imprisoned the empire. We soon learned that he was actually not a pony but he was part of the Umbrum that had been locked away for quite some time underneath the empire. After Twilight and I had read the journal ourselves and left the office alone, I had locked it securely with a spell so no one could go down there but me.” Cadence paused, taking a sip of her tea, remembering what all had happened only a few days prior.
Cadence woke up hyperventilating and shaking. A nightmare had awoken her and she was left on her own at her desk. The princess grabbed her head with her hooves. She must have fallen asleep while doing her paperwork. She quickly rubbed her eyes awake and started reading her paperwork again before her thoughts went back to what she was dreaming about.
It was dark, she understood. The crystals were all black around her and she kept hearing voices. They were all deep and sad and they surrounded her and scared her. “Please-” It called out, as if it were dying, “Help me, please! Let me out! Help me, Princess!” It screamed in agony and fear. It was afraid, so very afraid. That’s when Cadence had woken up. She wanted to help that voice, to help the pony that was calling for assistance and was trying to escape from-something, whatever it was.
Cadence couldn’t think anymore on the paperwork and instead looked at her doors exit in thought, her hoofs touching tips and resting on her chin. She thought on the voice in the dream and how familiar, but distant it was. Strange. In that moment, she felt as if it was one of her subjects calling for her and she felt the fear engulfing the voice and her own body as everything swept into nothing. Her kingdom, her subjects, her family, all of these ponies she felt important that made her heart and magic strong.
Cadence’s magic allowed her the ability to see others’ feelings, whether it was love or something other, distinguishable by color. Love was white, pure and innocent, which she saw the most of, and often promoted. It’s what she was known for seeing and understanding best, but she could see other colors too. Angry and wrathful red, the royal blue of sadness, green of envy and jealousy, and sometimes she could see emotions swirling together as one. She could say she’s seen the most burgundy, which was pride, and the white love, blending together.
Other times the colors glowed depending on the intensity of the feeling, the stronger the feeling the more it’s color shined. To Cadence, it wasn’t just colors but like swirling, levitating fabric that was alive and moved in circular motions around one's heart, others feelings were more real to her and they seemed like living things that moved with the beat of their master’s heart.
It helped a lot when assisting her subjects, and even her husband and children. At one point, not too long ago, she had seen a certain guard with a dull glow of white and blue as he surveyed the halls. He had been like that ever since Twilight had left after retrieving her crown from which it was stolen. Cadence knew it was his love for Twilight, it had to be, so she sent him off and knew surely it would end well.
Or at least, she had hoped.
But of course! Cadence was (usually) always right when it came to love and emotion, so it would always meet the silver lining. She’d thought Twilight would change her mind, choose to follow her heart and not her head. What a stubborn princess she was indeed. Cadence’s family was so very important to her, no matter their personalities. It was all she had, it was something that she anchored to, even knowing she wouldn’t have them forever. She still loved them, despite that truth, and she always followed her heart.
That made Cadence reflect deeper on her dream, the blackness, the echos and screams, it greatly unsettled her. Her heart was telling her how real it felt and her head was contradicting such a claim.
It was dream! How could it possibly be real? Her brain argued.
I’m not sure, but something about it was off, like the voices were talking to us personally, like a message from somepony. We can’t just ignore it! Her heart retorted.
Of course, Cadence knew her dreams were never nothing but messages or reason. She knew her heart was right. But where could she begin to find the voice, if it wasn’t being heard now? She couldn’t just go back to sleep and talk to it, could she? No, she needed to find it, wherever it was trapped. Cadence thought harder on the surroundings of her dreams and realized that they were set inside the castle! Cadence got up quickly, out of her office, and out in the hall where she saw a guard stationed outside the door.
“Excuse me-” Cadence whispered politely to the corporal. The guard bowed respectively to which
Cadence only nodded mutually, noticing the immense burgundy fabric swimming around him. “Have you heard anything, maybe somepony calling for me in the past twenty minutes or so?” Cadence asked worriedly. Maybe her security would have heard a voice if it was real or not, maybe the voices from her dreams were echos from something her ears picked up on outside of them.
“No, M’lady. Fortunately, nothing has alarmed me. I haven’t heard anything but the castle’s usual creaks and groans through the night.” The guard answered truthfully. Cadence only frowned as she walked down one of the halls. The guard’s colors turned into one’s of concern and doubt, which was a mix of teal and forest green, he was confused as the bluish green fabric intertwined with the teal color of his worry. Cadence also was reminded of the respect she’d receive from her citizens as she watched another colored fabric, a navy blue, quickly swirl with the guards other emotions. The pony mind was one of complexity, but Cadence could always pinpoint the feeling that was the most heavy on one’s heart.
“Your highness, did you hear somepony call for you? Would you like me to join you?” He quickly added before Cadence walked off any further. The princess smiled and turned her head to see him before she turned the corner.
“No, you’re on break right now, I’ll be fine...just going to stretch my legs is all.” The guard watched, a bit more relaxed, as Princess Cadence turned the corner. She walked and turned numerous times, the halls lengthy and quiet enough for her thoughts to sing aloud with the clang of her horse shoes. It was dead silent, except for a little whistle, like a tune on the wind.
Cadence’s ear twitched to listen to it as it brushed through her mane and circled her, then it pushed her. She flinched as she looked behind her and realized it was black smoke, not the wind. It dissipated as soon as she turned to inspect it, and the air was still again. Cadence let out a sigh, she didn’t even know she was holding her breath. The smoke seemed familiar, it pushed her to move on in the direction she had been going. Forward. Towards the throne room. Had she even known that’s where she was going in the first place?
She looked to the throne room’s double doors, her brow furrowed in worry. Whatever pushed her must be from the voice she had heard earlier in her nightmare, it was calling to her now and she didn’t even realize it. The air suddenly picked up into a light wind and it brushed across her and through her mane again. It was soft, but it felt strange, like it was longing for something.
Why can I not see anything? Wait. Cadence paused and then lit her horn, she gasped. She had released a spell to see the feelings that she feared to see the most. She saw it everywhere in the castle. It stained the walls with its blackness and empty screams unheard to anyone but the princess who knew feelings. The smoke traveled everywhere to find anyone, somepony to save it from it’s agony. Cadence had long since tried to keep herself from seeing such colors, for she always wanted to see the good in everypony, and wished to only try and drive the good to do the best that it could. So now, watching her nightmare become that of reality, she could only gape and tear up at the sight of dark, black fear engulfing her castle, and she was the only one who could see it.
The black fabrics flew and slammed into the castle walls and crawled in and out of doors and from the floor. Most of the shadow and black fear came up from the floor and breezed around Cadence, trying to push her to the throne room.
Cadence stood for a moment, tears running down from her eyes and leaving wet tracks on her cheeks before she shook her head and looked around.
“I-I’m sorry! I don’t understand, where are you? What are you so afraid of?” She called out, her voice echoing off the crystal walls. All she heard was the small screeching of the fabric against the crystal walls and floor, like claws to a chalkboard. She looked around and then practically face hoofed when she realized the smoke was coming from down below. If the situation wasn’t so serious she would have laughed at herself for being so blind in that moment.
The Princess ran to the double doors and bucked them open. She looked to the floor, the shadows increased by triple in numbers. The pink alicorn made her way to where they were coming from most and quickly realized who had been calling to her. She should have known before, for it was blatantly obvious who the shadows belonged to. This time, however, the shadows were not casting fear on others, they were afraid themselves. The fabrics of somepony else's feelings were flying and could only be seen by the princess, they were not smoke spells of black magic. Cadence, painfully, used a tid bit of black magic to open the trapdoor and used a word from her voice to open it.
“Sunshine-” She whispered and the door opened painfully slow. Cadence hitched a breath when the door opened and the black fabrics flew out in a hurricane of wind and swirled around the throne room trying to escape. “Oh, no…” Cadence hurriedly ran down the staircase, taking much too long, realizing this, she flew down the path instead. Anything to spare a sliver of time. She glided, the shadows growing darker than any right they had to be, as she went deeper into the tunnel of endless stairs. Cadence finally reached the bottom, but the pony she expected to face wasn’t there. Instead, there was a door swinging within it’s frame, trying to pry itself open. The fabrics prior, seeping through whatever cracks and creases were around the door. Cadence knew how to open the door, from Twilight’s example, and shot a beam to it revealing the office of the former King Sombra.
She stepped forward, cautiously, as the fearful fabrics swirled around a foreign object lying on the floor. In all it’s glory it glowed, vibrating and sliding across the floor as if it was trying so very hard to get away from something. Cadence galloped over to it and quickly realized the relic was none other than Sombra’s horn, shining a bright gold and shaking, almost like shivering. The Princess felt pity for a moment and reached out to take it away from the darkness it was so afraid of only to be hissed at by another entity in the room.
Cadence now saw what was seemingly scaring Sombra’s piece of life. From a dark door of even darker crystal, blue deadly dry ice came through the tiniest bit from the bottom crack, reaching for Sombra’s horn. The alicorn watched as the small, sharp object quickly moved, having to stop every few moments as the smoke chased it. It was a sad game of cat and mouse and Cadence would not stand and watch a creature be terrorized. The majestic alicorn moved swiftly, hitting the smoke with a bolt of power as she quickly grabbed the horn with her hoof and moved for the door. She slammed it and locked it, heaving from the excitement of her night.
“Oh, yes...that will-” a voice breathed tiredly, pausing for a moment. “-keep them out, locking the door on the Umbrum...how could I forget that our one weakness is the wood of a door.” It remarked sarcastically. Cadence had all but stopped breathing when she first heard the voice from her nightmares echoing in real time, and off the walls. The alicorn clutched the horn to her chest, somehow determined to protect it, not even understanding it. She should be scared that it was a piece of the awful King that had enslaved her kingdom in the past, but her heart was beating with sympathy in that moment, and she had witnessed Sombra-or rather, Sombra’s horn, under attack by something obviously dangerous. Even though she was supposed to be afraid, she stood firm and held the object of importance in her hoof tight.
“Who’s there?” She demanded. “Are you the voice who called for help? In my dream?” Cadence didn’t consider where the voice was coming from only that it must be down there with her and possibly was associated with Sombra’s horn, it might want it for it’s own ends. Cadence frowned, trying to protect what she had found.
The room was silent for the longest time, before the horn glowed in the alicorn’s grasp.
“I admit...I wasn’t strong enough to ward them away from me...I will be, however...in the near future. On other matters...I appreciate you hearing me after I had been calling you for quite some time...I understand sitting on your pompous gluteus and eating cake is so much work for you princesses...I’m glad you had the time to steal me away from the creatures within the door.” The horn spoke. Cadence now recognizing the voice, lifted the glowing object to her eyes. Now, she was terrified. Her hooves shook as she held the creature.
“S-Sombra?” She said in a shaky breath.
Silence. Cadence relaxed a bit, realizing what he had said prior. He was weak, and...was he saying...thank you? At first she thought she would be seeing the shadowy form of the ex-King when she came down here, but in finding the horn she only thought of something possibly living, not Sombra himself. She didn’t realize how fearful she really was of him before this, but upon looking at him, her fear suddenly dwindled away into nothing.
“No, it is not Sombra...I am King Sombra…” The voice replied. Cadence frowned deeply at that and then placed the object down on the ground, looking at it for many moments. “I understand my appearance is devastatingly hoofsome...but don’t you think you have better things to do with me?” The horn glowed brighter with each breath and shimmered slowly as the strong voice spoke. Cadence only eyed it, lost in her own thoughtful haze.
Why Sombra could talk, she didn’t know. Why he was here, she didn’t know. What he wanted to do now that he was back once again, she didn’t know. She didn’t know anything. Cadence knew nothing of what was behind the door, she didn’t know of what was going on anymore, the only thing that told her she still had other things to keep to was the glowing horn on the floor...who was seemingly complaining.
“-and don’t even get me started on what happened last night! Dear Tartarus, you’d think somepony would save your flank out of at least pity, but no~” He sing songed his last words in a voice of aggravation. “You had to take a millennium to come down here!”
“Silence!” Cadence yelled, in the Luna Canterlot voice she had learned from the times spent with her aunt. The room then did get suddenly quiet as Cadence paced the floor. “H-how are you alive? What do you want? What are you doing here?!” Cadence asked all at once, only to get another awkward moment of silence from the disembodied Sombra.
Finally the horn glowed a bright gold and began to speak again.
“I am not a regular pony, I am a creature’s soul trapped within a frame that blends with the rest of this ugly world.” Cadence thought on that, disagreeing with it since she knew better that he wasn’t just any creature anymore, but she nodded for the sake of more information from the horn. “When you had-” He paused in recollection. “-defeated me, part of me survived and since I only need a little of my body to resurrect I am still well enough to live. I came to this place thinking it my safe haven...until I soon realized that my legion awaited me there and wished to torture me for my failure in seizing the empire. As for what I exactly want...” The room was silent for a moment, then the horn glowed again. “I don’t know anymore…”
Cadence sipped the last of her tea and looked at the concern etched on her aunts’ faces. She’d relayed the little misadventure to an audience which had remained deathly quiet through much of it. All three beings in the room listening, or at least two were.
“Sigh, He didn’t say anymore than that. I didn’t know what I should do with him then, but I knew I couldn't just leave him there. So, I took him to my quarters and watched him for any signs of black magic, but I didn't see anything throughout that time, so I knew it was safe to leave him in here alone. Of course, with security outside the door in case I missed something.” Cadence levitated her tea and set it down on the table in front of the sofa, then eyed the object in the middle of the room. Luna tapped her chin with her hoof before speaking up.
“Thoust say that he has no more black magic and is therefore defeated...I’d think better that thy niece would have left him there with his own kind.” Luna said spitefully, not intentionally at Cadence.
“Sister, you trust in Cadence’s decisions, let us hear what else she had to say about this.” Celestia placed a calming hoof on her sibling’s shoulder before nodding at Cadence to continue.
“Yes, perhaps I should have, but...I don’t know, I just couldn’t. He was afraid and he looked so...sick.”
“That thing is only a horn and is no good to our country, it is only a small vessel for whatever is left of the evil ruler...it is not even a real pony.” Luna spat.
“No, aunt Luna, he’s not just some object.” Cadence objected. “He is alive, but he is also weak and miserable.”
“As well it should be…” Luna whispered aggravatingly.
“Celestia, Luna...I think we should let him live in our world...he did say something about gaining his strength, perhaps he would become a real pony at some point. We are a land of second chances, we believe in the very principle of friendship and the act of forgiveness-”
“Thy country can not simply forgive and forget what thou hast done to thy kingdom and it’s citizens. It has destroyed countless dreams and it will do so again if thy niece and sister releases the Umbrum beast on our land...why doth thou not see it is dangerous and it should be locked away where it belongs.” Luna shouted angrily.
Cadence looked at her, her eyes wide and her pupils shrunk. Luna was right, it was dangerous, but even then forgiveness must be given to all creatures, not just a select few of ponies. Cadence opened her mouth to speak only to have Celestia lift her hoof.
“Cadence, I agree with Luna, Sombra is too dangerous to allow him to roam free.” Luna nodded in agreement. “Which is why we must reform him first.” Celestia smiled tenderly, to which Luna gawked at her sister.
“Thou sibling agree with Princess Cadence?! Why in the name of Tartarus should we trust that reformation is the best solution? Is it not equal in measure to throwing him back! Hast thou forgotten what he did to us?!” Luna demanded an explanation. Celestia smiled down at her sister.
“I do. It haunts me everyday, however Luna, I have to agree with Cadence. Sister, you of all ponies should understand forgiveness, for you too have suffered the ways of dark magic and what it does to somepony. Though Sombra is an Umbrum, that does not mean he is doomed to forever be evil. I don't know much about these creatures...however, they are still there and are trying to break through. If Sombra is willing, he could help us stop them once and for all. He is not all Umbrum after all, if Cadence’s account is correct, and what Twilight and her read is true, then Sombra has only a small piece of Umbrum in him. It won’t ever go away I’m sure, for that is his very being, but a creature like him has the future of doing great things for the good of harmony.” Celestia finished smiling down at her sister, understanding her concerns. Luna thought on it more before sighing in defeat.
“If thou thinketh right, I am in no position to deny it, for I do understand the darkness well. It is not only a practice of magic but a force that feeds off of us when it sees the chance. I was never a practitioner of such evil, but it still sought me out and took me, yet it was reversible. If Sombra is not all Umbrum, as you say, then he must have the chance to change his ways so the evil of magic will not come back for him. However, I caution we choose the right reformer for this.” Luna gazed over at the horn as Celestia began.
“Of course, I believe Cadence would be the best candidate for this seeing she understands-”
“I’m afraid not auntie-” Cadence interrupted, to which Celestia looked at her surprised.
“For many reasons it is a bad idea that I be the reformer. For one, he is not safe here, he is being sought after by both his kind and black magic...though the feeling of love is strong in this kingdom, I do not believe I would be able to protect him.” Cadence sighed. “Another is, I am frankly too busy to reform him, it would take so much out of my day and with a growing family and a kingdom to run, I don’t think Sombra would get the required attention he needs.” Celestia nodded in agreement, then tapped her chin in thought.
“I cannot either…” Celestia gave no explanation, but Cadence for a moment saw white fabrics swirling around her aunt, and the light blue hue of shame and guilt. Cadence didn’t want to question her aunt so instead she smiled.
“That’s alright auntie-” Cadence looked to Luna, but before Cadence said anything Luna spoke up.
“If thou thinketh me the best reformer you are very much mistaken and have spent too long at your desk, for my heart swims with hate towards this...stallion. I would not be any good either to him, I have not the patience for irresponsible creatures and too much work is to be done.” Luna looked off in a huff. Cadence watched the purple of Luna’s hate swim rabidly as she thought on who would be a good match for the ex-King. Then, an idea hit.
“Twilight...Twilight could do it!” Cadence said cheerfully. “Twilight has the patience and is the embodiment of magic and friendship! Surely she would be a good match for Sombra!” Celestia brightened at that and nodded.
“You are right, my niece. It is high time I gave Twilight a duty in helping her develop as a ruler. She is also quiet strong enough to have few guards there to assist her, but-”
“Yes, that seems logical enough, but no need to worry...I have already sent somepony to look after her every two weeks, however, since Sombra would be staying there with her we could extend the guard’s time there?” Cadence suggested.
“Hm, yes I suppose. Perhaps we should send a few more guards down there in case anything goes wrong...but I do have something that will make Sombra practically harmless.” Celestia looked to her sister and nodded, Luna understanding. “I believe this will work splendidly. For now, keep the Umbrum at bay and tomorrow we will give Sombra a new home.” The princesses looked to the horn, unbeknownst that Sombra had been listening the whole while and was now contemplating to himself.
Splendid, not only will I, the once evil overlord of the Crystal Empire, be forced to conform to the friendship cult, but I will also be bunking with the mare who caused me this grievance in the first place. I will live an eternity with the knowledge that my pride has been stripped of me not once, but three times...luck is not strong with me today…