//------------------------------// // 2. The Things we do for Love // Story: Toxic Love // by Silvermyr //------------------------------// Cadance ruffled up her feathers, giving herself a fuzzy look. She always thought she looked silly when she did that, but Shining Armor said it made her look cute. Now, however, her reason for doing it was not looking cute, but something much simpler: she wanted to keep warm. She had only been here once before despite it being in her very own castle in the Crystal Empire. That was when Celestia showed her the room and taught her to access it. Back then she could have promised that she would never come here, and yet only a year or so later, here she was. She wished she had remembered this cold though. Then she could have brought her earmuffs and maybe a warm winter saddle too. But it was too late to turn back now. She proceeded deeper and deeper down the stairwell, her hooves clip-clopping on the crystal steps. Small puffs of smoke escaped her lips with every breath and swirled in intricate spirals up to the roof. She stopped and looked up. She could hardly see the roof anymore. The stairwell continued uninterrupted and seemingly forever. With a little bit of imagination, she could even imagine the blue roof being the sky. She was walking down from the sky. It felt better thinking of it like that. It left out the fact that what she was doing practically felt like treason to Celestia. She was, in fact, going down deep beneath the earth to see the fallen king, Sombra. After all, Celestia had said it herself: she did not know just how Sombra had extended his life. Maybe it was not some horrible ritual. Maybe it did not involve dark magic. Maybe she could barter with Sombra and get him to share his secret. It was a long shot, but she really did not have anything to lose just by exploring the option, right? Her brains told her no. Her heart told her that Celestia would despair if she ever found out about this, and she dared not even think about how Luna would react. After all, this was pretty much what Luna had ben worried about. Finally she came to the bottom of the stairwell, to the surprisingly normal door. Just a dark oak door with iron fittings. It was not even locked. She pushed the door open and peeked in, more apprehensive than she wanted to admit. The cell was circular and carefully walled with black bricks. Celestia had explained that they had been quarried in Tartarus and shipped here to create a magically isolated room. Four torches burnt on the walls, though Cadence knew nopony ever changed them. They just burnt on and on. From the walls stretched four thin gold chains that ended in empty manacles, as if whoever they were for had just vanished and left them laying on the floor. Those manacles had been enchanted by the four alicorns to keep the most dangerous pony in recorded history trapped here. The same pony whose horn now sat alone between the golden links. Cadence swallowed and preformed her breathing exercise, sucking in a mouthful of frigid air. It sent a shiver through her body. Before she could second-think herself, she closed her eyes and reached into her soul for her magic. She felt her horn beginning to shimmer, and she reached out for the golden shackles. ”Come,” she whispered. Something whispered back, directly to her mind. Her ears instinctively twitched to catch a sound that did not exist. ”If you want an audience, you will have to ask properly, young one.” Normally, Cadence would have refused and left. This time, she did not have that luxury, however. ”I, Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire, requests that you receive me, King Sombra of the Crystal Empire.” She thought back to wherever King Sombra was. Cadence knew he could not leave this room, physically or mentally, but he still did not seem to be entirely in it. ”I shall grant your request,” Cadence opened her eyes. Sombra stood before her, his legs chained in the thin golden links. Even though Cadence knew just how Sombra looked, she still took a step backwards. Sombra was huge, easily larger than her and probably twice as heavy even without the massive armor. Even in the dim light of the cell she could see how his powerful muscles strained under the smooth ashen coat. His size and strength only served to make his silent appearance all the more eerie. Even the metal links around his legs had not made the slightest sound. He looked disdainfully at her. It had more of an effect than she liked due to his size. She was not used to look up at a pony, especially not one so menacing. ”Bow, young one,” he barked shortly, sharply. ”I won’t,” she replied. ”I am a princess, I bow to no one.” Sombra’s eyes narrowed. ”If you were a true monarch, you would not have to say your title. To think such weakness now governs my empire… How come ponies call me cruel when this irony is so much crueler.” ”For good reason! Your name is still cursed by every crystal pony who even dares speak it!” Cadance growled. ”Precisely. Even here, chained, buried and thought dead, I still command more respect than you ever will,” Sombra spoke calmly, certainly. Cadance swallowed her withering retort. She was not here to bicker, she needed the help of this wretched pony. ”I am not here to argue with you. I…” she wanted to throw up. ”I need your help.” If looks could kill, Cadance would have died ten times over from Sombra’s glare. ”A monarch does not ask, he takes. From a prisoner, he shall not even have to do that. He should barely have to think for his wish to be granted.” She did not answer his last challenge, however much it stung, but preformed her breathing exercise again. It left a bitter taste in her mouth to swallow such insults, but if she wanted to get anywhere she would have to play by Sombra’s rules, at least for now. ”I have come for your help, Sombra. Will you hear my request?” ”As the true sovereign of this empire, it is my duty to hear what you have to say, young one, though it is not a duty I enjoy.” ”I want to know how you extended your life like this. Can anypony do that?” Sombra smirked. ”So you are not satisfied with near immortality? Perhaps I misjudged you, Cadenza. There may yet be a small glimmer of potential in you.” ”I am not asking for me, I am asking for Shining Armor,” Cadance explained. Sombra sighed. ”Are you referring to the insect I swatted outside my empire?” Cadence did not answer, but she did bite her tongue to prevent her from saying a few choice words about how Shining Armor was everything a true monarch should be. ”I shall take your silence as a yes. Before I answer, I want to know: does he know about this plan? Does he know that you want him to study Dark Magic with me?” ”So Dark Magic is involved?” Cadance asked, keeping her voice steady despite the wave of defeat that washed over her. Sombra nodded. ”Dark Magic is to normal magic what carbon steel is to iron ore. It is stronger and tougher, more ductile and more flexible. It opens doors to things so terribly wondrous that few ponies would dare to dream of them. Immortality is but one of many blessings it can give to those who dare to unlock that door.” ”We are done, Sombra,” Cadance said and turned. She would not find any help here, and she would sooner die than give Sombra the satisfaction of seeing tears in her eyes. ”So he does not, in fact, know about your plans?” Sombra chuckled. ”Well, then perhaps he won’t have to use dark magic after all…” She knew she ought to leave. Nothing Sombra suggested could end well. Just thinking such dreadful magic could be used for good must make her the most naive pony in Equestria. And yet, if that was what it took for just the shadow of a chance to stave of Shining Armor’s death, then she would gladly be the most naive pony in Equestria. So she stopped and looked over her shoulder. ”Maybe there is somepony else can do it for him?” She remained still, listening and waiting. Sombra smirked darkly. ”Maybe you?” ”Me?” Cadance was surprised. Had Sombra not listened to her at all? ”I am not interested in your twisted magic. I only want Shining Armor to live, I don’t care about your misguided sense of power!” ”Not even if that power is what could save his life?” ”How?” Against her will, she turned to the dark pony again. ”How can I save him?” ”Alone you can’t. You will need my magic and expertise in using it.” ”And just how would that work?” Cadance asked neutrally. ”I would gift you with dark magic and help you reenact the same ritual I used to extend my life in ages past. I used the ritual on myself, but nothing prevents it from being used at somepony else. And the subject does not have to be conscious. You could preform the ritual on this ’Shining Armor’ in his sleep, for instance, and he would be none the wiser.” Cadance opened her mouth to protest, to shout at Sombra that she would never go behind her husband’s back like that, but somehow her words died on her lips. Already by being here she had gone behind his back. He had never, and would never, ask her to give him agelessness. Worse than that, she knew Shining Armor would resent her for this if he ever learned what she had done. She also knew that if the roles were reversed, he would have done the same for her sake, and she would resent him for it. So she asked the one deciding question. ”Will this… if I do this, will only I have to use dark magic? Not my husband?” ”Correct. On that, you have my word as king.” ”I don’t trust you.” ”My word is good as gold. A king never lies,” Sombra said bitingly. Cadance could immediately think up a thousand- no, a million- reasons this was a very bad Idea. She was actually considering going behind her beloved husband’s back to make a deal with the most evil tyrant in recorded history. She, Princess of the Crystal Empire, was considering a deal with the pony who had cursed the same empire to be gone for a thousand years and then tried to reclaim it through fear and cruelty. And yet, for all that, she could also see one reason to take the deal. That one reason that resonated so within her. For her love, she wanted to go through with this, no matter what happened to her. ”Alright,” Cadance said. Her voice was collected considering the circumstances. ”I will do it.” ”Then bring back parchment, one sheet is enough, a bottle of ink, a sliver of Sombratite and the feather of an alicorn,” Sombra said. ”Sombratite?” ”The crystals I conjure with my magic,” Sombra explained impatiently. ”Surely you have some stored away for studying? Bring the smallest, sharpest one you can find.” He glanced over Cadance. ”And I assume awooden stick, some leather straps and a bathrobe would also be advisable…”