As the first curtains of light draped out across the land Sombra had launched from out under the comfort of the doona. He pulled his red cape from its stand and his armour materialised on him as he left his room. He immediately marched from the castle and led himself to where the Crystal Heart slowly spun where he had first placed his spell unto it.
The area was ghostly quiet. Sombra watched the ground as the new morning sunlight peeled away the darkness. He scrunched his eyes before squeezing them shut. Ignoring the ominous surroundings his horn lit up with bubbles of purple and green as he picked the Crystal Heart out from it’s orbiting space. He felt the weight of the heart on the tip of his horn and begun to tug it from it’s place. The heart resisted feebly and Sombra easily rested it within his floating field of telekinesis.
It still slowly spun around innocently unaware of Sombra’s small grin. He turned about-face and trotted off, making for the throne room as the next destination to head to.
Within his throne room he charged a beam of magic that aimed at the crystal stationed above his throne. It glowed momentarily and reflected a beam to the floor. It disappeared revealing a spiralling staircase going deeply into the ground.
Sombra pictured in his mind where he wanted to be. His horn shined and he blinked out in a dark light and reappeared again some three thousand steps below, at the base of the stairs.
The bottom of the stairs were dank and eerie, with a single wooden door embedded into the rocky wall. Sombra charged his his horn and ray of purple light harpooned the door. He commanded it to open.
The door opened with a weak cringe. Sombra eyed the other side of the door wearily. A black shiny oil morphed and moved around the framing of the door as if it were a living creature made of ooze. As Sombra stepped through the oil squeezed around him, chilling his coat slightly.
On the other side of the door was another staircase, large and white, ascending higher than the previous had descended.
Sombra looked to the high horizon where the stairs disappeared as he pictured in his mind the very top of this place where he wanted to be. With a quick fling of his horn and another blink, he was there. Six thousand steps high.
His vision skewed and blurred slightly. Once his focus come back he surveyed his surroundings. A small area with a ornate floor and domed roof. The roof was held by several large columns which allowed access to looking outside to the world around. Sombra approached the edge and saw his empire from it’s highest, most inaccessible peak.
He breathed heavily as the Crystal Heart spun silently next to him. The empire was also silent at this time.
He slowly moved the Crystal Heart to the centre of the room. He noted the archaic patterns on the floor were still in place. As he laced the heart in the centre his horn glowed and the room responded with a faint aura of its own.
Sombra stepped in close to the heart and pulled out the necklace hidden within his fur coat. He held it, in hoof, near the heart and watched carefully as the heart repeated its movement without fail. A line of dark purple leaked from the crystal and disappeared on the surface on the crystal. The crystal necklace glowed briefly while the heart dimmed.
Sombra nodded to himself, returning the necklace back around his neck. His closed his eyes while he focused his magic along his horn. A moment passed. The heart took on the hue of his magically signature before the colour faded away.
He opened his eyes to inspect his work. He noted to himself to remember to show Pitch and Sabre how to get here, without issues, and begun back to the castle the same way he came.
Back in the throne room Sombra dispelled the stairwell so the room didn’t have great big hole in it. He turned his head to where Twilight’s room would of been. His normal eyesight still couldn’t penetrate the walls. He grunted.
He trotted out determinedly till he found himself in front of her door. He eyed the door from top to bottom desperately seeking along the ribbed lines of the wood for some answer or question he didn’t know he was looking for.
Sombra shook his head, grumbling, and turned his attention elsewhere where it was more needed. A maid would see to her needs soon enough.
Sombra swept passed the corridors of the castle. Each flap of his adorned cape and click clack of his metal wearing hooves was the only sound that echoed. It was ominously empty, as if all life kept outside a boundary length of him.
Standing in the empty courtyard where he assailed the empire’s former princess Sombra ready himself for another day. He peered up towards the highest peak of the castle. With the assistance of the Crystal Heart at the highest peak of the castle Sombra’s mind crept out and covered the empire. Life began to stir and it awakened.
Twilight Sparkle woke up, feeling sore all over. The bed was fine, soft and pudgy, her muscles protested from the previous days overexertion. Her sleep was hard to find as she wondered what she could do to stop Sombra. His previous attempt to enslave the Crystal empire did not paint him in a grand light.
From the balcony to her room Twilight’s head appeared over the edge of the railing as she rested her head on it, wearily. As she stared over the empire, nostalgic for the time she did so similarly during her time as Celestia’s student in Canterlot, she tentatively felt the black crystals along her horn. She pushed her magic through her horn only for it to stop upon coming into contact with the crystals, it made her head ache.
She grumbled, moving her vision across to the courtyard below her she noticed something rather peculiar. Everything felt still and ghostly quiet, almost as if time had frozen or all the citizens of the empire had gotten up and left during the night prior.
Twilight lifted her head as she caught a green light from her peripheral and she inhaled sharply.
Sombra was down in the courtyard, standing out starkly from the pinkish and white pavement. Channelling what Twilight could tell, squinting at the magic around his horn, was a rather large spell, though she couldn’t decipher what it would do. He cast the spell and she felt the fur on her fetlocks bristle.
More curious was when the spell had stopped and he had started what Twilight figured must've been some sort of morning workout routine. Twilight stared astonishingly.
He rotated his shoulder blades and they poked his cape up and down. He also stretched out one foreleg and the opposite hind leg, switching it around and doing it again, almost like a dance.
Twilight watched bemusedly as Sombra stood on his hind legs and stretched his forelegs up to the sky. She gaped as Sombra yawned. His mouth was a giant maw with sharp white teeth and red viper tongue slinking out. Sombra smacked his dry lips together to moisten them and looked rather tired after his short routine.
Nothing happened for a few minutes. Though, Twilight convinced herself that the moment she looked away she’d miss something. Sombra after all was rather enigmatic pony to her. He wasn’t a pony she had read much on and had only really came to terms of him when the Crystal Empire had first appeared after a thousand years.
Twilight gaze turned as the sound of the gate rattled away with chains and timber. It begun to open, four guards, two to a side, pushed the large door open. Numerous guards trotted in briskly afterwards, towards Sombra.
As they convened, Twilight also noticed something else being walked into the courtyard. Her breathe caught in her mouth and her mind worked uselessly for words to describe what she was seeing.
Single file, one by one, crystal ponies; albeit without the telltale crystal coats, were walked into the courtyard. Each pony wore a large metal yolk. With a rope that wound around from one yolk to the next. Their forehooves were also restricted with metal chained hoofcuffs. Guards were spotted outside the line keeping the ponies on the move. The crystal pony line snaked around the courtyard haphazardly in a single but disorderly pattern. The head of it started at Sombra.
Twilight glared at the back of Sombra’s head, anger building up inside of her. The ponies were made to look like criminals, no, not that, slaves! Twilight’s throat tightened and she wanted to yell.
Sombra felt his chest thump, feeling a pony's eyes on him when he had first came outside. It was angry, he turned to look over his shoulder and gave Twilight a toothy side grin he knew she could see.
Twilight grumbled annoyed, she didn’t feel like she would be in any danger from asking the question.
“What is this exactly?” She murmured to herself, her wings tense on her sides and they flapped agitatedly. She surveyed the numerous ponies tied up and the ponies who were spread out along the line with spears in their grasp.
She admitted she didn’t like just watching as she devised that Sombra was manipulating the guard’s minds with his magic. Twilight lifted herself onto the guardrail and leaped off of the balcony and glided steadily down to the yard. She was prepared to give a good talking to Sombra.
Sombra didn’t need a written invitation to guess who had just landed, with a clip-clop of hooves on stone, a scant few metres behind him.
“I organised this yesterday for this morning,” Sombra stated. “It seems there are still ponies who can resist my magic.” He approached where the line begin and received a low bow from the two pony guards that were there.
“Good work Captain.” Sombra said, a slither of a kind smile on his face.
The captain simply nodded at his approval.
The first pony in line shook like a leaf as Sombra eyes past her over. He came very close to her muzzle, his piercing, terrifying, hypnotic like gaze, capturing all her senses. Sombra’s horn bubbled with dark magic for a brief moment. Twilight watched with a stern yet curious expression.
The ponies eyes faded from a dark blue too a lifeless grey and her body sagged noticeably.
Sombra tilted his head upwards slightly, eyes narrowed. He stretched his neck and shoulders as his energised his horn once again. A large, dark, metal like helmet materialized and encompassed around the mare's head. The small rectangle holes for eyes lite up green. The pony stood up confidently then she had been previously and lifted her hoof to her forehead where the sound of hoof and metal clanked.
Sombra breathed out and nodded to the guard next to her and he unlocked the yolk around the neck. It crashed to the ground, cracking the ground slightly. Another unicorn used their magic to pick up the discarded yolk and move it away.
Twilight watched as the pony trotted away back towards the gate and disappeared from sight. She was curious as what that helmet was and how it seemingly changed the pony underneath it. It didn’t act like the spell he had the rest of the empire under.
Unlike the guard ponies who were docile this spell had an immediately potent effect.
“Next!” Sombra barked.
The captain pulled the line along. Once again Sombra repeated himself. Applying his magic directly.
It didn’t take Twilight long to realize that for the next few hours that this was going to be a wash, rinse, repeat exercise till Sombra tentatively whittled down the line to nothing.
Twilight trotted with heat in her hooves and clenched teeth. Sombra perceived her coming fiercely close to him. He turned, having a smirk ready for her to see. What he didn’t plan on was for Twilight to get right up in his face.
His neck lurched and face backed away from hers and she poked him in his chestplate irrefutable. However, she continued her assault of his personal space.
Sombra juggled his legs trying to right a course away, both from running into the ponies behind him, and from the purple face menace that seemed undeterred to press its muzzle a mere breath or two away from his.
“How could you do this?” She poked, he backed up.
“You’re using that helmet to imprint a more direct control over them, aren’t you?” She pressed her face forward, he leant his all the way back, so as not to feel her breath hitting his face.
“I thought you were evil, but that is just plain cruel.” She poked and pressed her face forward. He found his four limbs and straightened them back up preparing to face Twilight face on. “How far will you go to control others?”
Twilight was so close that Sombra could count her eyelashes. He snarled angrily at the form her actions was taking since he didn’t expect to be caught in surprise with how close she came to his face.
“To think that’s why when we banished you there were ponies about that still believed you were the king, their King! They had the residual influence from that magic still in their mind.” Twilight said angrily, poking the chestplate.
Sombra thought about smacking her arm away and giving her a verbal lashing. He was already weary though, she was alicorn and could potentially be as powerful as Cadance, maybe even more so. A useful mind was hard to come by, much less one that come with potentially latent power.
“They lived in fear of you all that time.” Twilight’s volume tethered off.
Sombra squinted, looking Twilight in the eye. He grumbled.
“Enough.” He said grimly, horn flaring. Golden black chains that glowed ghostly burst out of the ground and latched themselves to the ground and in around Twilight. They snapped and crushed Twilight to the ground.
“What the? Hey!” Twilight fought against her binding, grunting and gritting her teeth. Sombra’s eyes glowed as he looked down at Twilight.
“Very good.”
Sombra stepped away from Twilight ignoring her struggle under the chains. He returned to the task at hoof.
“Hey! Leave those ponies alone!” She yelled.
Twilight tried charging magic through her horn but was stunted by the small black protruding crystals on it. Her teeth gritted at the feedback in her head.
“...And give me back my magic!” She fought against the chains rabidly.
Sombra smirked amusedly at Twilight’s efforts and antics. His eyes glowed, teeth reflecting the green colour, as his terrifying gaze pierced through another ponies soul.
By the time Sombra had gotten through a hoofful more of ponies she was tired and aching from the chains digging into her. If she couldn’t get out physically or magically to stop Sombra she would have to try something else.
“Sombra, you can’t just do this to other ponies,” Twilight pleaded, a tint of aggressiveness behind it. Words and knowledge were Twilight’s best friend; aside from her actually friends. She could win this battle armed with them, hoping to appeal to Sombra’s humanity.
“This isn't what a real king would do to his ponies.” Twilight waited for a response but none came.
“You’re messing with their minds for pony sake! There are laws against this sort of thing. How could you know what you’re doing to them not have irreversible effects?” Twilight said.
Sombra wasn’t forthcoming. His expression hardened.
Twilight struggled against her bindings hoping that over time they would weaken. It was improbably that Sombra could hold this binding spell indefinitely while also doing other repetitive spell casting.
Though the chains had slacken significantly so should could stand up, the spell still persisted so she couldn’t move one hoof in front of the other.
Twilight leaned into her bindings, directing her voice at Sombra’s ear. “Why do things like this? Why not allow ponies to follow under their own autonomy?” Her breathing was heavy.
The words caught Sombra’s ear, yet, he shock his head weakly and continued his proceedings.
Twilight continued to lean into her bindings, thinking of the continual effort it would have on Sombra to keep up his magically effort would eventually slacken enough that should could slip out.
For everypony that Sombra allowed to leave the line with a brand new helmet Twilight kept a mental tally of. Against the hard earth Twilight’s hooves begin to embed themselves.
“Sombra.” Twilight’s voice croaked and she coughed.
Sombra’s ear twitched hearing Twilight had worked her voice hoarse. The guards brought forth one of the final ponies left.
“Unhoof me, cretin! Do you know who I am?”
Sombra’s ears caught onto the angry noise. A new pony was being brought into the courtyard, albeit, rather boisterously. Sombra brow tensed, he’d hoped a pony was not going to act out and make a fuss.
“That’s…” Twilight knew who the mare was, she grimaced awkwardly, both from the pressure the chains caused on her back and then seeing the familiar pony.
Sombra glowered. After the last few hours of not moving he left his spot to see what was causing the mare from joining the line. She sat in protest at the edge of courtyard below the archway entrance, leaning against the taut rope being pulled by the guard.
The blue coated mare was making an effort to chew through the ropes curled around the metal yolk, and kick at any guard that came near. One guard pulled at her mane while another tried to get the rope out of her mouth. She pushed herself forward, her mane coming free of the guard’s mouth. A rear hoof shot out freely as the guard pulling her mane jumped away to avoid a blow to the face.
Sombra chuckled airily. He approached the two guards pony who noticed him and immediately stood away from the irate mare as she pulled at the rope. The final tendon coming apart and separating herself from the length of rope.
The mare puffed and panted and dared a glance to where to guard ponies were now worriedly looking. She also looked a little worried. Running away wasn’t an option as her forehooves were clamped together with metal. She wouldn’t be able to chew through that. She slowly looked to the dark pony.
Sombra harrumphed. The two guard ponies got the idea to flank each side of Trixie and push against her and along towards Sombra. She flinched wildly upon seeing his green and red eyes. She pushed back against the guards trying to rustle herself out from in between them but was locked firm.
Twilight glared. “Don’t do it Sombra!” she yelled out, struggling vainly against her bindings.
They held her head in place as she instinctively struggled to keep her horn away from Sombra’s or at the very least swing her horn hard enough to possibly break his off.
It didn’t matter though as he found the meeting point. It happened quickly.
Trixie trembled as she waited for the magic to take effect. She opened eyes widely when she noticed she felt totally fine, she hoped.
Sombra sneered airily. Trixie gulped, doing a little mental joy dance, she had been unaffected by his spell!
Sombra turned back around to Twilight who was still straining against the chains he had conjured up to hold her in place and out of his face.
“You vex me Twilight Sparkle, you vex me so.” Sombra’s horn faintly glowed, highlighting the greyish bags underneath his eyes for just a moment. The chains around Twilight disappeared. She blinked owlishly. He then turned back, horn aglow, to continue.
“Well that makes two of us.” She shot back with a leer, now free. She ran briskly, steeling her mind, having had seen enough for one day, and stood in front of the blue tired mare.
This lead Sombra to raise an eyebrow at Twilight.
“I’m going to stop what it is you’re doing.” She declared.
Sombra lazily eyed the crystals that adorned horn. Twilight’s anger unaffected Sombra. He turned back around to the guards.
“Continue the search for any more and take those that are left to the detention centre. I’ll continue this another time.” He marched off, not giving anyone a cursory glance. Trixie let out a relieved breath.
As Sombra disappeared behind the closing castle door Sombra regarded Twilight’s action with one curious eye on her and grumbled. Twilight rubbed her tense shoulders.
“Twilight Sparkle?” Trixie sounded astonishingly.
“Trixie.” Twilight said in way of greeting, not meeting her eyes still eyeing the door Sombra had disappeared behind.
“I’m not sure what you’re doing to these ponies Sombra but it stops now.” Twilight levelled her gaze as the door closed with a resounding boom.
“Umm..Trixie, would very much appreciate a hoof here Sparkle.” Trixie waved frantically to get Twilight’s attention.
Twilight failed to notice that Trixie and the last few bound crystal ponies were being escorted out of the yard. Albeit, Trixie was being levitated out by a unicorn.
“Oh, huh...right.” Twilight turned surprised to see Trixie floating off. She rubbed the jagged edge of her horn. She grimaced at the conclusion to try and pull Trixie out of the magical field. She jogged to the Trixie just as she was the last one to leave the yard.
Twilight jumped up and grabbed one of Trixie’s leg and pulled hard against the restraining magic, flapping her wings hard. In hindsight, she really should have checked how much effort she was using. Trixie slammed out of the magic field and onto the ground, getting a mouth full of dirt.
Twilight stood up, brushing dust out of her coat. “Oops, sorry about that Trixie,” She grinned with a squint.
Trixie picked herself unceremoniously off the ground and spat out some dirt. She rubbed her tongue clean before she addressed Twilight.
“Trixie will forgive you this time Sparkle, considering this unorthodox situation.” She looked around the area uncertainly.
Twilight quickly noticed that the guards had kept on going without even noticing that she had apparently rescued Trixie.
“What do you suppose their deal is?” Trixie asked watching as the proceedings walked off.
“I’m afraid this is a first for me. I’ve only had today to study what is it that Sombra is doing to the crystal ponies.” Twilight scratched her chin. “I think the surest, quickest way to find out is straight from the source.” Her hoof found the ground and beat against it as she strode off after Sombra’s shadow.
Trixie stood quickly. “Twilight Sparkle! Don’t leave Trixie alone. Trixie doesn’t know what to do in these situations! Twilight!” She watched Twilight creating distance, her face a strained plead.
Trixie’s hoofcuffs clunked as she pushed them to their maximum allowed distance trying to reach Twilight. She was slower than a snail.
Trixie yelled. “What is the Great and Powerful Trixie to do! Gah!” she stomped. Her head sprung back up. “Wait-a-minute!” Her eyes crossed looking at the tapered cylindrical blue ivory textured appendage in the middle of her forehead. It glowed blue followed by the restrains clicking and sliding off her wrists, the yolk followed, hitting the ground.
“Ha! Bet you couldn’t do that Sparkle!” She scoffed loudly to no one. Twilight had already disappeared while she wasn’t looking. Trixie grimaced remembering her predicament. All alone Trixie looked around seeing not another soul in sight.
“Trixie, exit, stage left.” She announced, theatrically throwing a hoof up to the sky, and galloped off.
Hot on her hooves Twilight galloped to catch up to Sombra. Her hooves echoing through the corridors. She passed by Pitch and Sabre coming out from a hallway. Seeing her distress, Sabre motioned his head, a questioning look at Pitch. He nodded and they briskly trotted after her, his saddlebag bounced along with him.
Charging her horn Twilight grimaced from the magical feedback. She shook it off and shoved the doors to the throne room out of her way with a firm swing of her leg.
“Sombra!” Twilight announced to the throne room. She blanched as she saw a line of ponies leading to the throne. They were similarly dishevelled in appearance as the ponies that she saw in the courtyard. However they were dressed smartly in collars and ties, a few had guard uniforms on.
Sombra walked until he came to the head of it and seated himself softly down on the throne.
Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she trotted alongside the line up towards Sombra. Twilight’s eyes passed over them concernedly. Sombra gave her a cursory glance as she approached. The other ponies stood by, not seemingly aware of the concentrated rage of emotion coming out of Twilight’s eyes that directed to Sombra.
“You’ll have to wait.” Charging his magic, black crystals throngs caught all four of Twilight’s hooves.
“Hey!” She yelped.
Pitch and Sabre stood from the doorway.
“Hmm, methinks we should wait Pitch.” Sabre said.
Sombra motioned with his hoof for the first pony to step forward. The pony stepped forward and stopped almost a noses length away. Sombra titled his muzzle slightly so that his horn touched the forehead of the pony. Both closed their eyes and Sombra’s horn pulsed with purple and green bubbles. Momentarily opening their eyes as like they had just awakened the pony turned and left the room. Passing by the other ponies in the line and Twilight.
“You may be able to stop me from interfering Sombra. But how long do you think Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will let you do this? They’re going to come eventually.”
“I’ve already prepared for their interference.” He said as one pony moved out and another took its place.
“You mean that shield around the empire, pfft. Even my brother and I could get through that. I’m sure the princesses would have no trouble,” Twilight said.
“I didn’t create that shield for you and your brother,” Sombra said, a hint of annoyance behind him.
Twilight scrupulously watched as the pony in question walked by, half lidded eyes, and didn’t pay her any mind. She also curiously noticed Pitch and Sabre by the door as the pony pasted them. She turned her attention back towards Sombra. His expression unchanging and Twilight’s stuck back into a frown. He was a lot more at ease here than in the courtyard.
“Words can be deceptive,” Sombra said simply and he continued another administration.
Twilight closed her eyes angrily, quietly meditating to regain herself. She breathed heavily, experimentally trying to pull her limbs free of the crystals but couldn’t budge them.
Pitch chewed his lips observing the quiet scene; Twilight simmered in her bindings while Sombra took all the time necessary with each individual.
Sabre eyed his cousin curiously along with what he saw. He hummed and left Pitch’s side.
“Where are you off to Sabre?” Pitch asked.
“I’ll be back.” He droned.
Pitch watched him disappear around the corner, an eyebrow raised. He tensed awkwardly, shifted his shoulders and walked over to where Twilight was stationed.
“So...hmm, nice weather we’re having today.” Pitch said with a strained grin.
Twilight deadpanned. She grumbled, “Is there anything you can do about these crystals? They’re kind of squeezing my hooves at the moment.”
Pitch gleamed quickly at Sombra who was preoccupied half a the room away, eyes closed, horn glowing.
Pitch hummed contemplatively, examining the colouration and texture of the short black crystals on Twilight’s horn and the larger ones encasing her legs. His horn lighting up to examine the dark crystals.
“Crystals, dark energy…very dense…” Pitch mumbled quietly. “Another species altogether than what I’ve been able to achieve or seen.”
Twilight tsked audibly. “Anything you can do Doctor?”
Pitch shook his head. “...sorry. I may study dark magic but when it comes to application I’m a bit limited.”
Twilight’s head sunk.
Pitch’s ears flapped towards the entrance. Sabre trotted in, balancing a tray with pitcher and glassware on his back. Pitch watched wordlessly as Sabre pasted him two glasses. They floated in his magic as Sabre poured water into them.
Sabre carefully repositioned the pitcher on the tray so it wouldn’t tip off his back and walked towards Sombra. As he continued with what he was doing Sabre poured a glass of water in his hoof as Sombra’s eyes opened again.
Sombra motioned for the next in line. Pitch waved the glass of water just outside of Sombra’s peripheral. Wordlessly Sombra took the glass in his hoof and placed it to his lips, draining it quickly and licked the top of his lip afterwards.
Twilight gulped, lips parched, she also licked the top of her lips. She turned to Pitch shyly, “So, umm… would you mind Doctor? I’m a little limited myself at the moment.”
“Oh, of course…” Pitch pushed a glass through the air towards Twilight’s waiting lips. She was able to angle to glass with her mouth in order for the water to drain to the back of her throat.
“Thank you.” Twilight said airily.
Relaxation folded from within and Twilight drooped. Cool, life giving water suppressing her steamy mood.
Slowly, the room was empty of ponies lined up for Sombra. His horn lit up and the rocks around Twilight’s hooves crumbled and disappeared.
Sombra’s nostrils flared as he took deep breaths. He swivelled his head slightly, looking bored. He eyed the crystal atop if his throne with a stern gaze. He heard his heartbeat thrum in his ears.
“Watch your step.” He said curtly as he lit his horn up. A beam of magic shot out and hit the large crystal atop the throne.
Twilight and Pitch jumped back quickly as part of the floor disappeared from the room.
“Those stairs…” Twilight muttered, peering down into the darkness that the stairs vanished into. She looked at Sombra. “What are you going to do now?” She asked nervously.
Sombra had turned back around and was considering either ignoring Twilight and going about his way, or indulging her question. He hemmed for a moment while Twilight grumbled.
“Why don’t the three of you come along and I will show you? I believe you’ll find the experience illuminating in a way.” His expressions was hard and gazed down the staircase with tired eyes. His eyes turned up, not quite meeting with Twilight’s, they challenged her to step forth.
Twilight stood shocked for a moment and turned to see Pitch shrug.
Sombra didn’t wait for an answer as he began down the stairs. Sabre followed behind him.
“Hey! Wait up. I’m not letting you out of my sight.” Twilight called as she galloped around from her side to the stairways fringe. Pitch jointly followed behind her.
By the time the trio had finally made it to the bottom Sombra was seated, facing away from them. He looked, bored, at the door in front of him.
Twilight froze. She recalled the door Sombra was staring at the last time she was here. A sense of trepidation and curiosity struck Twilight. The door in of itself was an oddity much like Sombra.
Sombra gazed at the door like he was being hypnotized by it. He turned his head enough to see Twilight, Pitch and Sabre on the edge of his vision. He got up slowly and approached the door, grabbing the ring on the door he pulled it open. Twilight braced herself, with a silent gasp, as the door slammed opened and vortex of wind pulled them all into the darkness.
Darkness.
The familiar shape of a heart, blue, rotated lazily, light glowing with each disembodied laughter that drifted from somewhere. The joyful sounds flitted around the heart until it was a kaleidoscope of laughter.
It slowly faded into the background.
In the darkness light entered. The light took shape of a pony as it trotted happily along. Another light, another pony, trotted past. Bubbles of light drifted, taking the shapes of ponies within the darkness. A chatter of incomprehensible noise rose the more lights joined in. The noise sounded happy and cheerful like a choir of instruments performing a sympathy that gently caressed the ears.
Suddenly, all the light vanished. Somewhere, something cracked, and light sputtered across the ground. Colours danced, merrily cracking away, appearing randomly from all around. A single firework sparked and spun about like it were turning on a wheel. It crackled and fizzed making a chaotic noise, spinning in a crazy pace, blurring all the colours together with its motion. It spun faster and faster and expanded, filling the space, until it popped out of existence again. Confetti flew out and away.
A single small whimper passed by the left ear.
A struggling sniffle passed by the right ear.
A small pony ran along the bottom of the vision. A light shining from behind it distinguishing it. As it slowly ran, not making much traction, fireworks explodes above it, vivid colours igniting the otherwise pitch black sky.
The pony continued to run at a steady pace. Each vivacious colour drawing a pattern that never repeated exactly. From behind the pony, a blue heart materialised, staying behind where the pony had came from. Its milky misty form seemed to respond to its surroundings.
The pony continued to run, now half way across. Displays of fiery blooms trigger shrieks and shrill noises. The heart pulses, sending out a curved line of bright blue. It presses past the fireworks, they backed up slightly, but were otherwise undeterred.
The pony continued to run, two body lengths away from exiting the vision. A beam of light splits the scene from the left. Another light splits the screen from the right. The fireworks trapped above the lines of glowing light. The heart below thrums and echoes.
The fireworks burn impatiently, smacking loudly against the twin lights. Both glow with a correlation of colours of the rainbow. Then burst, covering the area in a brilliant, snowy white blue.
The heart fades. The black silhouetted pony runs off. Light turns to shadow.
The sound of metal scraped against hard rock. An ache somewhere in the head where there wasn’t one before. A burning pain in the shape of a ring on the forehead. A resounding snap echos through empty space, drawing away. A dull ache takes its place.
A brilliant red crystal slowly rotates down from the sky as light bounces off of its surface. It cracks audibly, and part of the bottom of the crystal falls away. The crystal floats drawing the jagged broken edge around to the face. Without anticipation the crystal jabs quickly into the forehead and begins to glow red.
It sinks backwards into watery darkness.
A curving line of light draws into a street, made of a dull glow appears, and pony silhouettes, all a single colourful light from the rainbow, walked around without apprehension or delay. Spots of misty translucent colour shift throughout their shapes.
A pitch black silhouette of a pony enters the streets however, everyone turns, gasp.They all seem to be looking up at the glowing red horn on his head.
The blue heart appears at the end of the street. It’s form slowly diminishing in and out of view.
Yells and screams echo and chase away. The heart pulses to the sound as its form turns cloudy. The angry turns to fear. The heart cracks, almost splitting into two, veins stretched across it.
A darker shade of black begins to envelope around the shadowy pony and its visage begins to slowly fade within the dark but not before the sound of angry yells could be heard. Three trailing smokes of purple burst forth. Green ghostly light opening beside the outer two.
The pony approaches the heart. Small incandescent sparks lance off of the heart, almost invisible.
The pony’s back arched backwards its head and body then curled in of itself into a ball. A purple sphere encased the pony inside. Outside the sphere fireworks crack and spark for short periods. None touched the sphere.
The sphere draws backwards to reveal another purple sphere. The fireworks crackling against it as it continues to shrink away out of sight.
A purple mote jumps from the left. Another joins nearby from the right. Two green eye-like shapes reveal themselves. Another purple mote started to smoke from between the two others. The sound of chains and metal clanked and snapped.
A pony shaped head appears with the motes, looking downward to the ground. Ponies, shimmering into the vision, dimly lit and lopsided; head and tails held low, slowly walked underneath the floating pony head. Between them sound of swaying chains and metal clanked and snapped as they walked slowly by.
The blue heart, shimmering into the vision, just above the single line of ponies. A swirling line of purple swam energetically within it. A smaller rainbow one, circled away, close to the bottom of the heart. Minuscule, electrical fireworks sparked in and around the heart.
A smokiness drifted along the ground. It drew away from the ponies that it wafted off and disappeared when coming into contact with the heart. The rainbow line, dimly glowed a pinkish hue.
Ponies continued to walk underneath the heart. Left to right, ponies appeared and disappeared.
A burst of light struck from the left side, cutting a line between the floating pony heart and the heart. Another light burst from the right, cutting a line between the heart and the ponies below it.
Two ponies made of light come into vision from the sides. Standing twice the size as the ponies next to them, their wings outstretched and horns pointed towards the heart. Lancing light spiralled from their horns towards the heart. From within their shapes light pushes outward and against the dark, taking over the scene, as it moved in on the heart.
A shield of purple blocked them from hitting the heart. The heart hummed erratically. A circular ring of blue expanded off of the heart then collapsed towards the dark pony. Tendrils strike off the pony latching onto the ponies and onto the heart. As the light pushes in the sphere towards the heart the beating sounds rapidly builds to into an eerie ebbing and flowing noise.
The sphere burst wildly outward, in a flash of speed everything was gone. Only the two large ponies were left in a display of light.
They slowly faded away, unmoved, and the scene darkened
Twilight breathed evenly, much like Pitch and Sabre were doing. Each one eyed the now closed door that Sombra was glaring at. None of them had moved from their spots as if that had been frozen statues.
“Anyone get that number on that wagon…” Sabre rubbed the side of his head.
Pitch gritted his teeth, shaking his head.
“So,” Twilight licked her dry lips, mulling over in her mind what she had just witnessed. “What the hay was that? I don’t get it…” She grumbled, shaking her head as she lifted it up. She squinted at the back of Sombra’s head, small trails of smokey purple drifted lazily from the side of his head. “That shadowy pony, that was you. I’m guessing since the horn was red and had a purple magic signature around it, much like yours?
Sombra didn’t turn around to regard Twilight’s glare, or the minor look of concern that Pitch and Sabre gave them both.
Twilight smacked her lips together. “You saw an opportunity...in whatever that mess of coloured fireworks was... to take control of the Crystal Empire...till the Princesses stopped you.” She blurted out angrily with a added snarl.
“Follow me and I will show you my secrets.” Sombra said firmly, he showed his profile, a bright green eye standing out in the dark. Glaring back at the door his horn glowed purple and the door slammed open. This time there was no sudden wind that pulled them in. A glossy, tar like substance filled the threshold of the door. The trio watched apprehensively as Sombra stepped through the slick, substance that morphed around his body.
Twilight watched with mild curiosity at how the membrane of the material seemed to opened up and around each part Sombra’s body. She gulped and stepped towards the portal, closing her eyes as she pressed on through the liquid.
“I guess we follow too?” Sabre said to Pitch.
Pitch hummed not really equating that himself and Sabre with what was happening between Sombra and Twilight. He nodded his head momentarily.
“Hmm, yes, come on Sabre. Awkwardness aside, Sombra seems to want us around for this. Come on.” Pitch crept forward followed by Sabre.
On the other side Sabre found Pitch staring, wide eyed, at the splendour of a colossal pearl essence staircase that raised towards the sky.
“Wow.” Sabre said simply.
Sombra, back turned to them, was waiting at the edge of the staircase. Sabre joined the three of them after having his visual fill of the staircase. The trio waited on Sombra to move.
“Closer.” Sombra growled softly over his shoulder.
Unsure, and looking at each other questioningly they took a step forward together.
“Closer.” Sombra said wearily, his tone lightening.
Another step forward.
Sombra snorted, his horn shined brightly and they blinked out of existence and transported them to the top of the spiral stairs.
Pitch’s eyes rotated in his head, never having a part of or performed such a spell himself. He shock the disorientation out and rubbed his skull, groaning all the while.
A curtain of light raced across his face. “What? That’s the Crystal Heart?” Pitch said in disbelief.
“It is.” Sombra said as he approached to stand next to the heart.
Twilight expressed a frown. “What did you want to show, Sombra?” she said strictly.
Sombra grunted. “I only want for you to understand Twilight what it is I’m trying to achieve here.” A small smirk played on his face. “That memory that I revealed to you was obviously too much for you to comprehend it’s meaning.”
“I can too comprehend it.” Twilight said in a quiet huff.
Sombra sighed. “I don’t entirely trust you Twilight Sparkle.” He said firmly. “I don’t like to be too detailed when revealing my own memories to others.”
“Uh?” Twilight said softly.
“However...your concern for the crystal ponies is encouraging.” Sombra hummed contemplatively. He closed his eyes for a moment and looked calm. He opened them and they locked onto the heart intently, whimsically moving as if watching the light move around the heart.
His horn glowed, the armour around his neck and legs and crown around his head puffed into smoke and drifted into the sky. Horn still glowing, his magic grasped a necklace made of small crystals, was picked out of his fur.
Twilight, Pitch, and Sabre watched apprehensively.
He held the crystal up to one eye, carefully rotating it. He slowly brought it down towards the heart, holding it firmly. The crystal lept from his magic to the heart then pressed it into the surface slightly. Sombra quickly got a hold of the crystal with both his magic and hooves and pulled it back and threw his whole body away from the heart. His looked at the heart feverishly as the crystal glowed weakly.
Ears perked and bodies shifted uncomfortably as the room creaked like a ship out at sea and darkened like a flickering candle flame at night. Twilight jerked, her head whiplashed around the room. She turned back to Sombra. In his hoof the small crystal cracked and exploded in a small display of glittering dust. He brushed the remaining particles out of his hoof.
Twilight stood uneasily as if just finding her breathe again. “That was...magical...” She said slowly trying to find her words, the sense of foreboding leaving the room, “...And it felt...it’s making me feel like something is crawling up my spine!” She whimpered, tears filling in the corner of her eyes.
Pitch and Sabre sagged noticeably.
“What was that?” She yelled.
“A surprising turn of events.” Sombra drew out a long breath, patting the fur of his chest feeling the bumps of the remaining necklace along his hoof. He looked at the heart with sceptical eyes.
“You're fortunate.” Sombra’s horn lit up, looking at the heart uncertainly. “Most can not feel the magic around them so strongly. It may be because you're an alicorn that you can feel it.” Sombra hummed as he circled around the heart. The Crystal Heart glowed similar to Sombra’s magic. “You might understand a bit better now.” He went silent for a while as he inspected the heart.
He nodded, satisfied with his analysis, Sombra turned to face Twilight, seeing her tremble slightly, his hoof traced the necklace back under his fur and held it on his chest for moment.
“That necklace…” Pitch eyed Sombra’s chest, where a single, small crystal stood out against his soot-dark fur.
“Beautiful isn't it?” Sombra held the necklace out in his hoof, looking down at it.
“What is that necklace Sombra and what did you do with it to the Crystal Heart?” Twilight demanded.
A moment passed by as Sombra gaze bore through crystal necklace like a drill. Twilight waited awkwardly as Sombra stared at the necklace. “It’s why we’re all here.”
Twilight tensed.
Sombra’s chest thrummed.
“I shall speak plainly.” He sat down. “Sit awhile and listen.” Sabre and Pitch shrugged and followed suite but Twilight stayed standing. They listened with rapt attention as Sombra talked. His eyes closed as if telling a story.
“A thousand odd years ago an abomination attacked the Crystal Empire. Nopony was able to defeat it; as if it were impervious to any attempts to stop it, magic or otherwise. As turmoil and heartache spread I decided upon myself to leave the empire to discover a way to defeat it.”
Sombra stopped to roll his tongue in his mouth.
“By the time I came back the alicorn sisters had either already banished or chased the monster away; somehow remembering that the Crystal Empire was also a part of Equestria.” He said dismissively. “Yet they left again without thinking about the Crystal Heart. Only one of the most important artifacts of Equestria, mind. As the heart is connected to crystal ponies so too are they connected to it. The light within protects the empire and that light spreads throughout Equestria.”
“The monster attack did not just hurt the crystal ponies, it left a lasting impression within them. The seeds of a new threat grew in their souls, and chaos spread quickly in the empire aided by the Crystal Heart. For some reason I didn’t know at the time the Crystal Heart didn’t affect me. Everypony conspired that I had done something to the heart. Madness was rampant. With the new power I had acquired I could feel the Crystal Heart; it’s desperate cry drifted in the latent magic of the air.”
“I went to the heart and I saw - and I saw!” Sombra swallowed. “What chaos magic was really like for the first time. It stained the whole heart and was being absorbed by the crystal ponies. It felt so strong that if it was unleashed all at once it may have destroyed Equestria, driving ponies insane. I thought I could counter the corruption of chaos with my own dark magic. Drowning the madness in darkness.”
“So I devoured all the magic from the heart leaving it with only darkness behind, blinding ponies; shielding them from the chaos.”
Sombra’s eyes opened and stared at the floor in a lost daze. His magically eyes wavering.
“I knew I had to get rid of the magic quickly our lose myself to the chaotic influence and it corrupting the land. Thus, I used the heart to draw out the energy from me to everypony else in the land; a large part dark energy with a slither of chaos. To harmlessly vanish the magic.”
Sombra smacked his lips together and grumbled for a moment.
“Every day the chaos was trying to escape from the darkness. The heart saturated the empire and further lands in fear and strengthened the darkness so there was no light it could escape to.”
Sombra lifted his heads to stare at Twilight. She said nothing, intently listening and he continued.
“Fear safeguarded ponies from plummeted into the depths of insanity caused by the erratic energy. By controlling the ponies through fear I could control the chaos and was slowly able to ebb the flow of energy. It was brilliant, it was working.”
Sombra voice raised. “Yes, Equestria was suffering but it was the only way to stop if from causing irreversible damage!”
“Better to lose your senses to fear, temporarily, than to lose you mind forever to insanity. “
“When the sisters came to blast me halfway across the land. The Crystal Heart stepped in to protect Equestria from their light, stranding me in the Crystal Prison and vanquishing the empire to another plane.”
Silence sung so loudly dust could be heard frolicking in the current on the minuscule wind that swept through the room.
“So.” Twilight asked tentatively. Breathlessly examining the crystal necklace around Sombra’s neck. “The chaotic energy that was once a part of you is now in that necklace? So why no just keep it there?” She had seated down like everyone else as he talked.
Sombra’s head lowered further. “Chaos was never meant to be contained in these crystals forever. Eventually they’ll wear and when it gets free it will do as chaos does. It’ll try to take over every creature it comes into contact with and eventually would.” He hummed, pawing at his chest fur where the necklace laid underneath. “The only creature in existence that could perhaps control it is the one that created it in the first place, that abomination.” he growled, resting his hoof back on the ground.
Twilight blinked, eyeing Sombra’s head. “That’s a lot to take in.” she finally said. “There’s also a lot of high claims. Things that can’t be proven or disproved.” She looked away in thought.
“So, what are you going to do now? Will you try and stop me?” Sombra hummed, his head tilted up to see Twilight’s.
“Huh?”
“Will you try to save the ponies yourself, like the sisters. Will you try to push back the darkness and shadow with light.” He grunted. “Unless you have amazing proficiency in love spells your magic will only fan the fires of chaotic energy.”
Twilight cheeks brightened, squirming to her feet. “Hahah, oh no, I’m not the pony to ask about that sort of thing. But if Cadance was here; she knows a thing or two about those sort of spells. But you know there’s always trying the power of friendship.” She chuckled forcefully.
Sombra brow raised.
Twilight squirmed.
Sombra’s brow remained raised.
“You know. Loyalty, laughter, honesty, kindness, generosity, magic! Even chaos can be overcome with the magic of friendship?”
Sombra smirked. “What ideal cynical nonsense.”
“What?” Twilight shrieked. Everypony’s ears folded back.
Sombra’s expression hardened into a scowl. “Didn’t you listen?” He spat. “Only in darkness can the shadow be swallowed so that the light may be saved.”
Sombra’s eyes glazed over in the immediate silence. “Fight fire with fire.” He said glumly. “That is how you defeat chaos incarnate.”
“Twilight, I don’t think his majesty would know about that. He was in the prison when that avenue of magic was discovered.” Pitch said standing back up on all fours.
“What are you saying?” Twilight asked softly, confusion in her tone. Realization came to her. “He doesn’t know about the power of friendship?” She asked, eyes widening.
“That’s it!” Twilight beamed, a bright smile one her face moving from Pitch to Sombra. “I just need to teach you about the magic of friendship and then you can use that instead on you dark powers on the Crystal Heart then everypony will be happy. Chaos is gone, friendship wins the day. Ha-ha!” Twilight said. She pranced back and forth making grand sweeping motions with her forehooves finishing up steadily on her four legs.
Twilight showed her teeth to Sombra. “All I need from you is to get rid of these crystal things from my horn.” She said pointing to said horn.
Sombra looked up and away. “No.”
Twilight’s paused, face falling. “Huh? What! Why not?” She gruffed.
Sombra got up from the ground, sighing. “I will not risk the chaos from getting out of hoof. It is under control at the moment. Adding in other variables might change that. I will not allow that to happen.” He trotted past Twilight.
She sagged dejectedly. Her chest expanded back and forth tensely, her eyes squinted wearily. Her thoughts continued as they started to wane. She took a short breath and steeled her words. “Ok. I can accept that you don’t trust me. I’ve given you no reason to. But understand I can’t trust what it is you're doing here either Sombra. Ponies are suffering and are unhappy and it sounds like to me that that will continue for awhile yet. Even if you promised what you’re doing in the will end good and well... I can’t stand by and watch ponies suffer like that.”
Sombra looked back, his muzzle lowered, his bleak eyes glowing.
Twilight tensed but schooled her expression turning back to Sombra, all eyes on him. A question was a the tip of Twilight’s tongue but she swallowed it back for a later time. “You trusted me enough to show us that...memory. Will you trust me enough to show you friendship at least?” she said.
Sombra stilled, his expression stoic and unwavering. “I will not hear of it this day. The motion has been set and I will not change the course.” His eyes turned into tiny daggers that pierced Twilight. “Do not get in my way.”
Twilight flinched away from Sombra and she got caught on the other two standing ponies in the room. She cleared her throat.
“What do you two think? The Crystal Empire is your home.”
Sombra head swivelled to them as well.
Pitch and Sabre nervously eyes one another, their tails and ears twitched nervously. Pitch scratched the back of his head and Sabre hoof idly kicked back and forth at the ground. It was silent.
“It doesn’t matter what anypony thinks.” Sombra announced to the room.
Twilight’s head snapped to Sombra. A growl bubbled quietly at the back of her throat. With a final glance to Pitch and Sabre, Sombra trotted off down the stairs.
“Hey!” Twilight called out.
“I need to rest. We can talk again at another time.” Sombra disappeared down the stairs.
Sabre trotted over over to Twilight and rested a hoof on her back. She sobered slightly. Pitch joined next to him. His hoof whirled around.
“So, think we can get a lift back?”
Back in the throne room, through the windows, light of the setting sun scattered over the three ponies arriving back. Sombra acknowledged the ponies behind him. “Don’t forgo dinner after the sun sets. I will be expecting you all. Perhaps we’ll talk more then.”
Twilight’s eyes scrunched up as Sombra waited for confirmation. She turned her nose up haughtily. She had a look of determination and she firmly trotted by Sombra and out of the throne room. Pitch watched as they exited the throne room, separated and went in opposite directions.
“What do you suppose that was?” Pitch asked.
“It can’t bode well for their relationship.” Sabre said.
A single beat passed and Pitch tapped his hoof. “I think there’s more important things to worry about cousin. That has all been…,” his lips pursed. “Certainly something.” He deflated.
Sabre hoof rested reassuringly on Pitch’s shoulder. “Things are looking kind of grim,” Pitch said.
Sombra sulked off as his slowly moved along the corridor. He grumbled, shaking his head softly. He lifted his head, sparking his horn to life. He body stilled while he shaped away at a spell. The spell connected him to the Crystal Heart and to the heart he laid in it a new order. Rest.
Looking out to coming the night sky, the moon slowly made its way to it’s peak as the sun descended.
At the other side of the castle Pitch and Sabre knocked on Twilight’s bedroom door in tandem.
“It’s Doctor Pitch here.”
“And his cousin in arms, Sabre.” Sabre droned.
The door opened lethargically. “Hi guys,” She said softly.
The cousins winced as she trotted back into the room. They stepped in, unsure of themselves, with Twilight’s back to them as she looked across the room through the window, the light of the day waning.
“What he does to other ponies isn't right. He’s just too stubborn to look for another solution.” Twilight sighed.
She turned and settled down on her haunches. “So...what do you guys think?” She asked.
Pitch hummed egregiously. “I am a doctor of dark arts and crystal studies...Though, admittedly, the depth of my dark arts study is limited by the restrains of social stigma that it can affect ponies minds adversely.” He added quickly.
“I couldn’t theorise the long exposure that dark magic would have on Sombra’s state of mind. The crystal ponies are more or less laid bare. Though he is somewhat lucid from what I can tell - he seems determined not to change his plan.”
Twilight curiously looked back at him, her muzzle dipped.
Pitch shifted uncomfortable from leg to leg. “We originally weren’t going to bring him to the empire...but, that didn’t work out as we assumed. We were sort of hoping we and, then you, could help him here. Now I’m not so sure.”
“It’s hard to know what is to be believed. The situation is too big for any one pony to handle. If chaos magic ultimately corrupts who’s to say he’s not under its influence. That’s not taking into factor what dark magic might be doing to him.” Twilight said.
Silently for a moment Pitch and Sabre shuffled. Pitch held out a large crystal from his saddle bag for Twilight to gaze at.
“As long as it doesn’t shatter we could potentially seal his powers in a crystal. Then take him back to the prison. We can try again to rehabilitate him there.” Pitch said.
Twilight rubbed her shoulder. “He’s not exactly your everyday pony.” She grumbled. “I’m doubtful one crystal would be enough much less he’d come quietly. Any other day unicorn would become docile after having their magic depleted.” Twilight said.
She massaged her temple, grumbling loudly, sighing. “I never thought all of this talk of magic to give me a headache. There’s too many fractured questions that he hasn’t answered…chaotic magic, light, dark...he’s got no clue about the magic of friendship.” She shook her head.
Twilight shuffled, sighing wearily, relaxing her wearily muscles. “He seems confident in what he’s talking about though. But he’s giving us nothing but to only trust what he’s doing. For all I know it’s just one big cover up for something more dangerous to Equestria. He doesn’t exactly have a shining track record.” She said.
She examined the crystal, pointing a hoof. “It’d be less suspiciously it you kept that crystal with you Doctor. You always seem to have a saddlebag on.” She smiled crookedly. “That and Sombra seems to want to keep a close eye on me,” She said glumly.
“I know very little about dark magic,” She added. “I might be able to create enchantments for this crystal so it wouldn't shatter from the energy overload. But without access to my own magic I can’t really do much.”
Pitch’s horn lit up, rendered in a light blue. “I may be able to provide some assistance there.”
Twilight’s mouth formed an a small ‘o’ and she smiled. Nodding, “Given the chance we may just be able stop him.” Twilight bit her lip in thought. “We’ll do it...tonight.”
Pitch flinched. “What? Are you sure?”
“Yes, this magic is dangerous and it needs to be contained another way so that it stops hurting others. If this situation draws out too long the rest of Equestria will be a part of Sombra’s plot and then to darkness and whatever end game he has up his sleeve.” Twilight said.
Everyone took a moment to calm there hooves and their individual thoughts settled.
“What about - you will still be at dinner, I presume?” Pitch said, his tone wavering.
“No, I won’t be going to dinner.” Twilight shook her head.
Pitch paused and gurgled, “B-but.”
She interrupted. “I’ll help you to use your own magic to make a crystal that’s stable enough to house Sombra’s energy.” Twilight said as she took it, in hoof, from Pitch. She held the crystal up into the light of the moon that was beginning to reveal itself in the sky.
Sabre guided himself out.
“I’ll see to the king. Pitch will help with you with the crystal” Sabre droned.
Pitch stared, teeth clenched, watching Sabre leave. “I hope this bodes well.”