//------------------------------// // Audience // Story: Midnight Radiance // by Yoru-the-Rogue //------------------------------// The following day found Luna a bundle of nervous anxiety and mixed emotions once again. Thankfully she was able to maintain her outward poise, giving the impression of a collected calm she didn’t fully feel. But with so many ponies depending on her and Celestia, looking to them for reassurance, that false calm came to the Princess of the Night fairly easily. Truthfully most of the ponies in Canterlot and throughout Equestria didn’t know quite the same level of panic at Sombra’s appearance that the Crystal Empire would, but word of Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and their friends’ journey to the Crystal Empire had gotten around. Those ponies who had visited the Empire since its return were sure to have learned of the unicorn king’s reign of terror. After the events of last night in an effort to avoid much more unrest, Celestia was planning to make a public address to reassure their subjects that they would come to no harm. Luna wasn’t so sure how well this would work. Their niece Cadence must have gotten word somehow or else had some sort of premonition about what happened, as a messenger had arrived earlier with an urgent letter from her to Celestia. The princesses had yet to read it, but that alone didn’t bode well. “What do you think?” Luna asked. “About Cadence’s letter?” Celestia said absently as they strode side-by-side on their way to address those who had gathered in the heart of the city proper. “I don’t know, but I hope to read it as soon as possible once we have stepped away after this. I have hope there is no immediate danger posed, but we’ll need to be sure regardless. Still, we should speak with our subjects first.” “I agree we should hold to that,” Luna lowered her voice to a murmur as they neared the square. “There isn’t any way that these things are unrelated. I can feel it in the very core of my being.” Celestia didn’t respond immediately but Luna could sense her elder sister was pondering this intently. Their guard procession let them toward the center of a large crowd that had gathered to hear them, and Luna felt a brief spike of social anxiety again. She would have to stand up before all of these subjects and give them reassurance that wall would be well, reassurance that she wasn’t even sure she genuinely felt herself. But as she helped her sister magically conjure a raised platform on which they would stand, the feeling diminished. Instead a sense of duty rose in its place, lending her a sort of clarity and an anchor. She could do this. She would do this, for the sake of all ponies looking to their princesses for assurance. As one the two stepped up onto the platform and stood in its center, and Luna looked out at all the waiting faces, calm in her armor of dutiful spirit. Immediately a buzz grew in the crowd as those gathered started to voice concerns. But at a gesture from Celestia they quieted, ready to listen to what they had to say. “My little ponies,” the Princess of the Day spoke to them, her head held high and her bearing regal. “We are here because doubtless many of you witnessed the appearance of King Sombra at last night’s Grand Galloping Gala. This came as a shock to us as much as it did to all of you. For now we would ask that you please don’t panic. The situation shall be dealt with.” Uneasy looks were exchanged between many of those gathered. None of them had any reason to doubt their princess’s words, but this was still the fallen unicorn king they were speaking of. Luna stepped forward, ready to speak. They would need to hear from both of their rulers on a united front. “King Sombra is being kept under guard,” she announced. “He is being heavily monitored at all times until we can conclude what to do to resolve this situation. Please do not be afraid, dear ponies. We will not let any harm come to you.” Many still seemed uncertain but at least now some measure of relief was starting to take hold of the crowd. The two sisters glanced to one another, shared a brief nod, and looked to their subjects as one. “Together there is no threat we cannot overcome,” Celestia promised. “With the aid of the Elements of Harmony, we will ensure the safety of everypony.” Now they were truly beginning to take the words to heart, and Luna could feel the weight on her own troubled mind ease. Yes, Tia was right. Together they would protect Equestria, just as they always had before, and there was nothing to fear. Yet still… She thought back to before, reflecting upon how foolishly she had believed the tale Sombra spun about the Changelings. Sweet, cool night air and her tapestry of stars were as clear in her mind’s eye as they had been during that excursion. She remembered talking with the unicorn king, running alongside him, wearing his royal cape, laughing with him… beginning to fall for him. She thought she’d been well on her way to getting over what had happened. But then Discord had thrown a wrench in the gala last night and that same wrench derailed all the progress Luna was sure she had made. She had barely looked at the dark king before a knot of tangled emotions suddenly burned in her chest. Progress? No, she hadn’t made any whatsoever. Celestia had promised they would keep their subjects safe, and doubtless together they could. Luna just wasn’t sure anymore if that meant she would be safe as well. “Lu-lu?” her elder sister whispered once they turned to depart from the gathered crowd. Luna stepped down from the platform, wondering how best to approach the subject. Celestia followed, banishing their spell, and a shower of golden sparkles blew around Luna’s legs as the platform vanished. The escort guard followed, keeping close enough to maintain order and decorum but still keeping a respectful distance. “I am just worried, Tia,” she replied softly. “This entire thing could go quite poorly. And I do not wish to be hurt again.” There was a pause, and she knew her sister was also worrying… worrying for her. She always had, even when Luna hadn’t believed she did. Not for the first time she wondered what her sister’s thoughts were on everything that had transpired. Celestia had been angry when she rescued Luna from the Changeling court but that was openly directed at Sombra, Queen Chrysalis less so. But did any of that anger originally stem from how the Princess of the Day must have felt about her younger sister releasing the tyrant king from his imprisonment? Was she still upset with Luna in any way? “Sister,” Celestia murmured. “I am here for you, always. Whatever happens, I will be by your side. You don’t need to go through this alone.” These at last were the words Luna needed to hear to gain some measure of reassurance and comfort. Her big sister always knew how to assuage her fears. Exhaling a breath gently, Luna looked up and gave her sibling a small, hesitant smile. “Thank you. That means more to me right now than anypony can possibly imagine.” The two had barely advanced another two strides when Celestia abruptly stopped, turning to look over her shoulder. Luna slowed down, glancing to her sister in puzzlement as Celestia frowned. “Sister?” she asked. “Is something wrong?” The Princess of the Day didn’t answer her immediately; her eyes flicked back and forth at the dwindling crowd behind them. Luna tried to follow her gaze, looking back. Was something amiss? Nothing appeared off. “Sister?” she prompted again. “It’s nothing,” Celestia replied a bit absently. “I just thought for a moment there were unfriendly eyes watching us.” A chill ran through Luna. Unfriendly eyes? She would have to return to accompanying the night watch patrols soon and alert them to be vigilant. Of course it could be nothing… but Luna wasn’t going to dismiss her sister’s uneasiness as “nothing”. “I suppose I’m just jumping at shadows,” Celestia finally stated, though it was evident she wasn’t wholly convinced. “I don’t know about that,” Luna whispered as she kept pace with her. “Sometimes the darkest shadows have a way of lingering.” *** Sombra wasn’t sure how much time had passed when the escort guard finally arrived to bring him up to his audience with the princesses. Perhaps too much time spent in the oubliette had dulled his sense of it. It could be any point in the day, or the night. The thought that they might have kept him waiting too long was irksome regardless. There was an initial awkward pause in which his escorts shuffled uneasily and wouldn’t let him advance, and when he finally demanded in irritation what the problem was, one of the armored ponies cleared his throat and spoke up. “It is customary for you to submit to a temporary magic-nullification spell,” he explained. “As it is for all unicorns who come forward for questioning. It’s simply procedure, sir.” “Hmph! I thought this was an audience, not an interrogation,” Sombra snorted, bristling, but he lowered his horn an inch or two anyway. If he had been aware they would force indignities like this upon him, he might have insisted to Discord on being left in the oubliette. He was a king, and the fact everypony continually seemed to forget that only served to make his mood more sour. As he mulled over his irritation, the unicorns among the escort deftly wove together a spell directed at him and once they had released their magic, the spell latched onto him. The effect settled over the unicorn king like a heavy, damp blanket, a sensation he did his best to ignore. If he wanted to put forth the effort, he was sure he could break the spell of his own willpower, but then where would that leave him? “Ah, the things you’re willing to do to talk to Princess Moody-Moon again,” a voice purred somewhere around his left shoulder. His gaze flicked to the side and he wondered why he was even surprised to find the draconequus grinning at him. “Really, I’m impressed! Nopony can say you haven’t got moxie, Spooky-Boots!” The guards all made various shouts of alarm, which amounted to a rather poor harmony of “It’s Discord!” The subject in question made a small huff in response, looking thoroughly affronted. “Really guys, you’re still doing that? Come on, lighten up a little. After all, now that I’ve made myself a main character in the story, I deserve a more positive round of recognition,” he remarked with a bit of a sniff. “What?” Sombra said, perplexed. “What in the world are you even talking about?” “Riiiight, right-right-right,” Discord quickly amended, flinging an arm over Sombra’s shoulders in a manner that was quickly becoming habitual. “You’re absolutely right, I’m closer to the plucky sidekick role, except I’m your wingman.” Sombra blinked, not quite processing any of the nonsensical jargon Discord was spewing. It seemed the longer he spent around him, the less and less sense the draconequus made. Finally Sombra managed a cautious, “N-o. Arm off of me, please.” “Whatever you say, Spooky-Boots,” Discord said in cheery reply, before promptly frowning at the guards still watching the scene unfold. “Aren’t we headed to see the princesses? What is wrong with you ponies? Chop-chop!” A sudden urge to laugh nearly overtook Sombra and he immediately strangled a chuckle that tried to escape him. Quickly attempting to regain his composure he glanced away, trying to hide any evidence of a sense of humor. As he did so, he noticed the glow from the crystals wink across his armor, and a thought struck him. “Wait,” he said. “Hold on just a moment.” And without waiting for a response he proceeded to kick the armored boots from his hooves. Once his hooves were free, he struggled with the plate mail over his chest. Truthfully he couldn’t remember the last time he hadn’t worn the armor. It just felt like part of him by this point. He had just worked it loose when he heard Discord exclaim “Oooh, here!” and with a click and a pop the plate mail vanished, reappearing seconds later near his boots. “Thank you,” he said in a quiet mumble, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious. He nodded to the guards and they set off, traveling back up the path they had taken down here the night before. Sombra noticed his body felt much lighter than it had in ages, and indeed his strides were quicker now. Had the armor really been that much of a hindrance to him? “So why the sudden change in fashion statement?” Discord asked, floating alongside him. At this the guards shifted, flicking their ears or glancing back briefly. They were, Sombra realized, subtly trying to listen in and see what his answer would be. He thought about it, only to come to the realization he didn’t have a reason for leaving the armor behind. “I don’t really know,” he answered. “It just seemed like the right thing to do.” Discord gave a hum of uncertainty but offered no further thoughts on the matter. Really it was a welcome relief. Sombra didn’t think he minded the quirky fellow so much, but he did tend to prattle on. The remainder of their walk to the throne room went by in relative silence. Once they had ascended to the hallways, the warm glow of mid-morning sunlight filtered in through the windows. Perhaps the princesses hadn’t put off their audience with him for very long after all. This time he looked around more openly, taking what precious few moments of opportunity he had to study the various decorations. Something about the Canterlot royal palace gave off a comforting sense of peace and security as much as it emanated quiet regality. A sort of tranquil calm stole over Sombra and he slowly relaxed. It had been so long since he had appreciated any palace. What would it be like to get lost exploring this one? Perhaps he would find a library. Surely they had to have an enchanted library. “We’ve arrived,” one of the guards announced as they approached a towering set of double doors. The procession slowed to a halt and Sombra stared, steadying himself. This was it, wasn’t it? He had no idea what lay in store for him during this audience. But if she’s here… if she’ll just speak to me… Then everything up to that point would be worth it, he was certain of it. The doors opened before them and he was led into a long chamber at the end of which sat two raised thrones. The guards announced him formally, an unnecessary detail but one he appreciated regardless. The figures seated at the thrones watched with neutral expressions as he and the guards entered. Everypony immediately tensed and the sensation of being on edge was palpable throughout the throne room. In spite of this Sombra barely noticed their tension. He only had eyes for one mare present. They finally came to a halt before the two thrones, the guards bowing before their princesses and then quickly withdrawing. Teal and magenta eyes studied the unicorn king, and he gave them a half-bow out of somewhat begrudging courtesy. “King Sombra,” Celestia spoke in carrying tones. “My sister and I thank you for your cooperation. It is appreciated. However now that you are here, the matter of you being free of your imprisonment must be discussed.” Instinctively he began to bristle. If they thought they were going to put him back in the oubliette, they were wrong. He was about to say as much when he looked toward Luna and found himself hesitating beneath her gaze. Drawing in a deep breath he calmed himself, exhaling in a long sigh before speaking. “If it is all the same to you, Your Highnesses,” he replied, managing a civil tone, “I have no desire to go back to the oubliette and wait millenia again for a breath of fresh air.” There was a long pause following in which he studied Celestia’s expression. After several long moments, she spoke again, her words carefully measured. “You were very sincere last night in your apology,” she began, and Luna glanced away to stare off at nothing as her sister continued. “I wouldn’t have expected it of you. Still, I’m sure you can understand why we’re hesitant to trust you’ve turned over a new leaf.” He gave a nod, looking to Luna in hopes she might speak or at the very least give some indication of how she was feeling. But his efforts were in vain, for she continued to stare off to the side at nothing, as though for all the world she wasn’t aware this discussion was even taking place. Sombra’s spirits sank, and the weight of the magic-nullification spell grew heavier upon him. Absently he felt the sharp, cold pain stab behind his ribcage again, and almost missed what Celestia said next. “We would like however, to extend to you the chance to prove to us you’re changing.” “And how might I go about proving such a thing to you?” he asked. “Of that, I believe I shall leave it to you to best figure out how to prove your true intentions to us,” she answered with a frown, and if he wasn’t very much mistaken, he could have sworn she looked suspicious again. “But to this end you won’t be returned to the oubliette. At least not for now.” Relief washed over him but it was dulled by the sting of Luna’s affected indifference. Still, he managed to regain his composure and bow his head graciously. “You have my deepest thanks,” he responded solemnly. “I regret to say that you won’t be allowed to roam completely free,” Celestia pointed out in a stern tone, and Sombra was briefly, albeit strongly reminded of his mother. “You will be supervised and escorted wherever you go, at least until you’ve proven yourself trustworthy.” Once she got the sentence out, Discord finally broke his bizarre silence. Zipping right up next to Sombra, he startled everyone by announcing loudly, “Me! I wanna do it! I already called dibs.” Sombra caught a glimpse of the surprise in Celestia’s expression before the sides of his face were abruptly seized and his head yanked about to nearly bump snouts with the draconequus. “We. Are going to be. BEST. FRIENDS.” “No,” the unicorn responded reflexively, giving Discord the most withering stare he could manage under the circumstances. “Actually, given Discord’s recent reformation himself, perhaps that isn’t such a terrible idea,” Celestia said slowly, as though trying to convince herself of the possibility as much as everypony else. “It may help you as well as Discord to show how far you’ve each come.” “And at any rate,” Luna murmured, drawing their attention, “somehow I think Discord will make it a point to follow Sombra around regardless. If he is going to, better to have him do so with permission, yes sister?” Sombra blinked in shock as Discord let out a small squeal and repeated “BEST. FRIENDS.” Were they actually serious? They wanted Discord to be accountable for him? Were they hoping to drive him deliriously mad by doing so? Really, what did anypony think such a thing would accomplish? “Precisely,” Celestia said with a grave nod. “It could do you both some good. I will be expecting updates on your progress, Discord.” The dark stallion let out an uneasy groan as the chaos spirit nodded enthusiastically. Sombra was hardly looking forward to this. Though he tried to tell himself he could be worse off as far as being “free” went, he wasn’t sure how that could be right at this moment. “Do you have any questions, King Sombra?” Celestia asked, and at this, Luna’s gaze slid onto him in spite of her attempts to remain aloof. He swallowed over the knot in his throat. Did he even have an answer to the question? He couldn’t think of— no, wait… there was one question he had. He couldn’t leave without asking; it would be torture not to ask it. “Please,” he said as gently as he could, hearing his voice quaver. “Will you speak to me again, Princess of the Night?” Luna finally turned her head to face him, her gaze piercing into the very core of his being. Once again a long silence descended, and the rest of the world and everypony in it vanished from sight. There was only her and the distance that stood between them. A small eternity passed as he waited, hoping she would answer in the affirmative. Finally her shoulders shifted as she drew her wings more tightly against her sides and addressed him. “I must resume my duties this evening and accompany the Night Guard as they make their patrol around the palace grounds and the city gates,” she declared coolly. Without waiting for a dismissal she rose from her throne and descended, striding across the floor. As she neared him, she added, “Typically I follow my own route along the areas we usually patrol, by myself. I pass by the entrance to this throne room when I head out to do so. I will wait outside these doors for five minutes. After that I must carry on and do what is required of me.” With a tiny sigh, Sombra hung his head and whispered a quick word of thanks. He had been hoping for more. At the moment though, he was willing to take anything, however minuscule, she would offer him.