//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Sombra, Knight of the Empire // Story: Broken Crystal // by Sylvian //------------------------------// Chapter 1: Sombra, Knight of the Empire The drums of war, his teacher had once called them. The steady, thunderous hoofbeats of a thousand soldiers marching at once, rumbling the earth beneath them as they move steadily towards their goal. He had always believed such descriptions of a marching army to be simply the flowing, romantic words of old soldiers, their eyes misted over by the memories of their youths spent fighting for honor and glory beneath the banners of now long-passed cities and monarchs. Such feelings had changed the first time he had marched out with the Crystal Empire’s army, a young officer unsure of his place in the world and having nothing more to his name than the armor and sword he had been gifted by his adoptive mother. He had seen quickly how accurate the old soldier’s tales were, how indeed the ground rumbles beneath the hooves of a marching army. How that steady, rumbling beat can make its way into your very soul. Now, years later, marching at the head of the combined armies of the Crystal Empire and their southern allies in Equestria, Sombra finds himself having to amend what his teachers had once told him. For he does not march to the steady beat of drums heralding a war. No, today he marches to the clarion call of a force returned in victory. Today he marches not at the head of an army of soldiers, but leads a group of weary mares and stallions, who just like him are ready to return to their homes and families knowing that their actions the past month had secured a lasting peace for their children, and grandchildren. Stopping has he crests the final hill that borders the verdant valley Mirrormere, the Capitol of the Crystal Empire, Sombra cannot help but breath a deep sigh of relief. On both sides of him, the two mares who had come with him as his fellow commanders do the same. “I have never been so happy to see a city in my life,” Sombra chuckles as he pulls back the hood of his cloak and lowers the scarf over his muzzle. “A month in the wastes really makes you appreciate what you’ve got at home.” “Agreed, Lord Sombra,” one of his companions, a dark blue alicorn mare, agrees. “Such splendor is well received after our long trek in the frozen reaches beyond your borders.” “Luna is right,” his other companion adds as she moves over slightly to brush against Sombra’s side with one of her white wings. “I am looking forward to a nice hot bath, and warm bed tonight.” Smiling brightly as he returns the gesture to the white alicorn, Sombra nods. “Yes, a warm bath and a comfortable bed sounds blissful.” He looks over at the white mare, smiling softly. “And, if I may be so bold, your majesty, I would also hope that I may spend this evening in your warm company as well?” “We shall see,” the mare replies with an equally warm smile. “Do not pretend, dear sister,” Luna smirks, her tone playful. “We saw the young lord sneaking into thy tent, Celestia, and you did not complain then.” Blushing slightly, Celestia clears her throat. “It is cold out there, and I saw no reason to not to accept a little extra warmth.” “And I was honored to help her majesty keep warm,” Sombra states with no small amount of pride. “Star Swirl would never allow me to return home if I let one of his precious fillies fall ill under my watch.” “Yes, Grandfather Star Swirl is quite protective, isn’t he,” Luna giggles before nodding towards the city, and the soldiers streaming towards it. “But, he would also not forgive you if we arrived after all our soldiers have. We must keep up appearances, after all.” “Quite right, I did promise him that I would see both of you safely back to him,” Sombra sighs as he rolls his eyes before nuzzling Celestia’s neck and winking to Luna. Starting off with his head held high, he gestures calls back. “Well, no point in keeping the old bag of bones waiting. I’m sure he won’t crumble to dust before we get there, but no point in taking that chance!” The comment incites a laugh from both of the alicorns as they quickly follow after Sombra. The journey into the city is one of laughter as they pass by their soldiers, who all greet them with polite bows and salutes, and a few even walking with them for a ways to inquire after various things. All of them are treated as friends and equals now that they are no longer on actively an army, and Sombra cannot help but feel pride in the temperament and integrity of his troops, as each of the purple-clad ponies are wholly his. And then they are in the city. The beautifully crafted houses and businesses of Mirrormere glitter in the afternoon light, and are matched only in the beauty of the ponies that line the large main street leading towards the Crystal Sanctuary at the center of the city. All normal business had been suspended in favor of welcoming back the armies, as doubtlessly Amore had known that nopony would be able to focus when there were loved ones and friends to embrace. The sight of ponies enthusiastically greeting their returning heroes makes Sombra smile even wider, and in a fit of boldness he leans against Celestia, who is bit taller than him, and nuzzles her cheek. The gesture, while surprising to Celestia, is well welcomed as she returns the nuzzle with one her own. Before their journey a month prior, such displays of affection would never have been done in public, but now? Now Sombra could care less, as he had spent an entire month with her, and his heart had only grown more fond of the beautiful mare beside him. Reaching the base of the Crystal Sanctuary, the group is met by a small gathering of ponies, all centered around a tall unicorn mare of a very pale rose. Beside her stands an ancient grey unicorn who is grumbling and stroking his beard and a silvery-violet unicorn beside him dutifully trying to get him to stop. Stopping before the small group, Sombra bows deeply, his horn nearly touching the ground. Beside him, Celestia and Luna incline their heads to their fellow ruler. “Welcome back, all of you,” the tall unicorn says in greeting, her voice is soft, but commanding. “From the joyous looks upon the faces of your soldiers, I take it your quest was met with good fortune?” Her amber eyes drift to Sombra who is still bowing. “My dear child, please rise. You know you need not bow so deeply to me.” “Forgive me, Queen Amore,” Sombra says with a blush. “Some habits break hard.” “They do indeed,” Amore chuckles, turning her head slightly she continues on. “And it’s ‘Queen’ now? Are you trying to butter me up, young stallion?” “No, Mother,” Sombra coughs, earning giggles from Celestia and Luna. “Good,” Amore says simply with a smile as she turns her gaze to the two alicorns. “Celestia, Luna, I am glad you two have returned safely to our humble city. I knew I was right to assign Sombra as the commander of our forces, for he would do anything to see you two safely returned.” Her smile grows a bit as she narrows her eyes. “I trust you found his companionship satisfactory?” “I fo- I mean we found his companionship to be a comfort in the wastes, your majesty,” Celestia states, her face developing a pale red tint. “He is an apt military commander, and we never believed for a moment he would not return us safely.” “Indeed,” Luna adds in, “my sister and I found him to be most pleasant company.” She then winks to Amore, her tone becoming conspiratorial. “My sister, especially, found him to be quite warm company on the long journey, as expected.” At the statement Celestia, Sombra, and the elderly unicorn all start and look between Luna and Amore who both are wearing huge grins. Sombra and Celestia both shuffle a little closer, sporting rather prominent blushes, and the unicorn glares at Amore and stands up. “Amore, tell me you haven’t been attempting to play matchmaker with my charges!” He demands sternly, gesturing a hoof at Celestia and Sombra. “It’s not fair, encouraging him to aim that high with his prospects! Adoptive son or not, he-” “Remind me again, dear grandfather,” Amore states sternly, turning to the unicorn with a frown. “Were you not aiming high when you fell in love with, and then married, my predecessor? Was not Queen Crystal Hope a mare that many would believe normally out of the reach of an acolyte? Or need I remind you that love knows no such boundaries and limitations as rank?” “Amore that isn’t fair…” the unicorn replies, though with less anger than before. “I know, Star Swirl,” Amore replies, her tone softer again. “But it needed to be said. You cannot control Celestia’s heart.” She then turns back to the three who are still standing before her. “Now, I think you three have stood around long enough in your travel clothes in the cold. Let’s get you inside where it is warm, and you can regale us with the tales of your adventure over an early dinner? I shall make sure there are baths ready for you three and chambers prepared so that you may take the remainder of the day to rest and recover.” ---- The warmth of the fireplace crackling softly pales in comparison to the warmth radiating from the mare laying beside Sombra. Truly, the warmth of a thousand fires could only pale beside the warmth of the sun, and the love Sombra feels for Celestia. Nuzzling into the side of her neck, the feel of her soft white coat and her flawless pink mane akin to the softest of beds, Sombra sighs happily. Looking up from the book she is currently reading, Celestia turns and rests her head against Sombra’s, a content sigh escaping her. “I’ve been dreaming of doing this all month,” Celestia whispers, extending a wing to pull Sombra closer. “No duties, no pressing emergencies, just us.” “I won’t argue with that,” Sombra chuckles softly as he leans back. Reaching up with a hoof he gently caresses Celestia’s cheek, then leans over for a kiss which is returned with equal passion and care. When the kiss ends, Sombra pulls back slightly, his lips a hair’s breath from Celestia’s. “Have I told you lately I love you?” he whispers, almost reverently. “I seem to recall you have,” Celestia replies, her breath hot on Sombra’s face before she leans back over and quickly kisses him. “But I never tire of hearing you say it.” Smiling back, his heart beating in his ears from the sheer joy he feels, Sombra nods slowly. “Nor do I tire of saying it, my love,” Sombra chuckles as he goes back to leaning against Celestia. “And I plan on saying it as often as I can, for as long as I can.” The comment brings a certain silence between the pair, as Celestia turns her attention to fireplace. Joining her observation of the fire, Sombra watches the dancing, flickering flames in the hearth, his eyes slowly drifting partway shut as he allows the warmth of both his love and the fire to lull him into a relaxed state. Beside him, however, he can feel Celestia tensing up slightly, a quick glance to her face showing her ears back against her head and her eyes unfocused. Clearly, she is thinking on something, and a feeling of fear pull Sombra up from his near-dozing state to sit up a bit more. “Celes?” He asks softly, the uttering of her nickname bringing her back from her thoughts. “Is something wrong?” “No,” Celestia responds, then pauses and sighs as her shoulders slump. “And yes… it’s complicated.” “Whatever it is, you can tell me,” Sombra offers, a loving smile on his face. “Sombra I…” Celestia starts, furrowing her brow as she looks at the fireplace. “Yes?” Sombra prompts, his ears going back against his head as a cold pit forms in his stomach. “Are you truly happy?” Celestia asks softly, her eyes never leaving the fireplace. “Being in love with somepony like me? I will never age, not physically at least. I will outlast you, outlast anything we do… outlast ou-” she pauses, the word sticking in her mouth. “Our what, my dear?” Sombra asks. “Nothing,” Celestia sighs, looking away slightly as a blush rises on her cheers. “You were going to say our children, weren’t you?” Sombra asks, a warm smile spreading across his face as the dark pit in his stomach vanishes. Putting a hoof on her cheek and gently guiding her to look back at him, Sombra leans up and kisses her. “And, I am happier than I have ever been in my entire life, Celes,” Sombra answers her earlier question. “And no matter what, no matter how long you may live, I will always be with you. I may not be Amore’s real son, but she has taught me a lot about how love works.” He gently reaches over and places a hoof against her chest. “So I know, that once you love somepony, they’re never truly gone from your life, no matter how time ages them, or wars wound them. They shall always be perfectly safe in your heart, and in your memories.” Sighing, Celestia settles back down and relaxes beside Sombra. At least until he opens his mouth again. “Now, about that thing you almost said,” Sombra says in a teasing tone, his eyes aglow with mischief. “Would you really want to have a family with this poor orphan of a stallion? I mean, I have nothing to offer you but the loving heart of a mortal.” He smirks, leaning his head against Celestia’s neck. “But what is such a thing, next to the warmth of the sun?” “Something far greater,” Celestia whispers, resting her head against Sombra’s. “And, I would love nothing more than to have a family with you. Perhaps someday, when Equestria is more stable…” “And when I am king of the Crystal Empire,” Sombra adds, smirking. “Well, potentially,” Celestia chuckles, “Though, I do not think you shall take that mantle for many, many years.” She sighs, closing her eyes and continuing to simply lean against her love. “I pray your mother does not pass for a long while, we lost her predecessor not all that long ago in the grand scheme of things.” “I hope she is around a long time too,” Sombra replies, closing his own eyes and sighing contently. “But such worries are for later. We are home, safe and warm. Best to think on happier topics, than the sorrows of the future.” Celestia humming is the only reply he gains, and for a long moment the two of them sit comfortably in each other’s company, their eyes closed as they bask in the warm glow of the fireplace and their love. After a few more minutes of this, Celestia lets out a soft yawn, prompting Sombra to release one of his own. “Perhaps her majesty would like to retire to the bed?” Sombra asks softly, nuzzling just behind Celestia’s jaw. “I promise, that it shall not be a cold, nor lonely, night.” “If that is true, then perhaps it is time to retire,” Celestia replies in an equally soft tone before putting her book to one side and rising to follow Sombra to the large bed. Climbing up and under the covers, Celestia waits for Sombra to do the same before lifting the covers up and snuggling up close to him. Letting out a content sigh, Sombra scoots closer to the large mare that had stolen his heart, and rests his head against the side of her neck as he snuggles against her back. Her warmth and scent fill him with with a feeling of peace, of unending love, and he can’t help but smile widely. “I love you, Celestia,” he whispers softly. “I love you too, Sombra,” Celestia echoes in an equally soft tone, before sighing herself and settling down, her breathing becoming slower and more even as she drifts off into her sister’s realm. Yet, despite the love of his life sleeping peacefully beside him, Sombra’s own mind can’t seem to quiet itself sufficiently to allow him to sleep. It continues to whirl and spin with their earlier conversation, as well as the habit for constant vigilance at night born from the time spent in the wastes. With a tired snort, he gently and slowly pulls himself away from Celestia, and rises from their bed, fetching a fur-lined cloak to drape it over his shoulders to stave off the worst of the chill in the air, before leaving the room to wander the castle to perhaps find some peace. ----- Walking through the hallways of the Crystal Palace, Sombra cannot help but marvel once more at the subdued splendor that surrounds him in his home. All around him pictures and tapestries illustrating the history of the Empire sit side-by-side with beautiful flowers and crystal sculptures of creatures and ponies of legend. Yet, for all it’s wealth, the palace’s interior is not covered in gold, nor jewels, though Amore could afford to do so if she wished. No, it is instead an open and friendly place, the hallways filled more with laughter and the quiet conversations of friends than the opulent displays he had seen on his few visits to Canterlot, and Celestia and Luna’s own castle. This is not to say that his beloved and her sister were the kind to flaunt the wealth and influence of their fledgling nation, great though it is. They are kind, and compassionate, to be sure, and truthfully Sombra is convinced that they have so many expensive items cluttering the halls of their castle because they cannot imagine not accepting a gift. Turning a corner and starting down a flight of stairs from the private quarters, nodding to Guards as he passes, Sombra cannot help but smile warmly as he thinks of Celestia. Her kindness is what drew him to her, much like a moth to a flame, and made his heart yearn for her touch. And much like a moth, Sombra does not care if he is burned by that bright entrancing light, so long as he gets to bask in it for a while. Moving from the stairs and onto the main floor of one of the floors reserved for the higher ranking servants and the low-ranking dignitaries, Sombra pulls his cloak a little closer, as this late at night the chill of the Empire’s surroundings is creeping into the crystal hallways. Some of the chill, perhaps, is also due to the earlier conversation. Seeing Celestia sad in any way made his heart all the less, for he knew he was the cause of it. “Perhaps I am the one who should ask her if she is truly happy with me,” Sombra whispers to himself, turning yet another corner, “Can she tru-” He is cut off as he runs face first into something soft, causing him and the object to stumble with the tinkling of bells. The sound causes Sombra’s stomach to drop as he look up at the annoyed face of Star Swirl looking back at him. “And what are you doing out of bed,” Star Swirl says slowly in an almost growl, “Your Highness.” Clearing his throat, Sombra opens his mouth to retort with something witty, but then closes it and sighs, looking away slightly. “I was attempting to clear my head.” “And why is that?” Star Swirl asks slowly, his eyes narrowing. “What troubles you enough to force you from your bed at this late hour?” “A worry,” Sombra admits, pulling his cloak tighter as he sits down as if to shield himself. “Celestia and I… had words, and I am troubled because of them.” “Heh,” Star Swirl snorts, “I see. You are finding she is different here, than in the field? That the romanticized creature you saw is not the same when she is allowed off her pedestal?” He turns fully towards Sombra, his eyes fully narrowed as he leans in. “Wha…” Sombra asks, ears folding back against his head. “What do you mean?” “I mean,” Star Swirl continues, leaning back and drawing himself up to his full height. “Do you find her different here, in a home, from out on the field of battle? Different now that she is not a leader of battle, now here where she commands from a throne? Or perhaps now the secrecy, the shadowplay, has been done away with the affair has lost its appeal?” “It has not,” Sombra replies, taken aback by the barrage of questions. “If anything, now that we are here, safe and warm on the he homefront, I find my love for her grows only more!” He stamps a hoof, though not too hard as others are sleeping. “And why should my love for her diminish now that it is in the light of day? Do you think me ashamed of her? Or perhaps some colt who only chases a mare because he finds the chase more exciting than the end result?” “I think you are young,” Star Swirl replies airily, “I think you both are. And I think think the young often charge in using their hearts and not their brains,” he illustrates the point by poking Sombra’s head with a hoof, though not hard, before pausing as his expression grows somber. “But I also know that you two shall not stay young forever, you more than she, and I do not wish for her heart to be broken once you realize she shall remain youthful and full of life forever, and you shall not.” “So you still do not not understand, Star Swirl?” Sombra asks softly, “I offer to her the entirety of my life, when I am but a prologue in hers. A chapter at the start of the vast tome that shall be her life.” He looks up at the older unicorn, a small somber smile on his face. “She is my everything, and I am but the brief flicker of a candle. She shall endure, long after I have faded… and I am okay with this, so long as I spend what brief time I have with her.” Sighing heavily, Star Swirl looks away and nods slowly. “No, I do understand, Sombra.” He looks back, a sad smile on his face. “I was young once too, you know, and in love. I am sure your mother has told you how well that worked out.” “She told me that you and Nana Hope were very much in love,” Sombra replies, reaching out and gently laying a hoof on the older unicorn’s shoulder. “She told me that your love overcame tremendous darkness, and helped preserve what would become this Empire.” He smiles softly as he removes his hoof. “You overcame much through your love, Star Swirl, I only ask that you give me and Celestia the same chance.” “All but one,” Star Swirl grunts softly before nodding to Sombra. “Very well, but if I am to give you this chance, and thus my blessing, young colt I must ask of you the same that was asked of me; Take care of her.” “I will, Star Swirl,” Sombra says quickly. “You know I will.” “Do you swear on your life?” Star Swirl asks, seriously, a small frown on his face. “Upon your mother’s? Before the very Gods of lost Equus?” “I-I do,” Sombra once more swears, blinking slowly. “Good,” Star Swirl sighs, his shoulder slumping, “I will hold you to that…” He takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I should return to my quarters, the hour is late,” he looks to Sombra, a mischievous smirk forming. “And so should you, I think, m’lord. Lest Her Highness wake and find her bed cold and bereft of her prefered company.” Blinking as his ears stand up straight, Sombra nods slowly. “You are right, of course,” he agrees quickly as he realizes what Star Swirl is speaking of. “I should return to her, for the nights are cold, and it would not do for her to catch cold.” “No, it would not,” Star Swirl agrees as he turns to walk down the hallway. “Sleep well, Your Highness.” “And you as well, Archmage,” Sombra replies, turning and quickly walking back from whence he came. And as he walks, he finds the thoughts that had troubled him before no longer plague him, and in fact he feels more at ease than he ever has before. Perhaps, he simply needed to just proclaim his love out loud to someone again, to reassure himself of the truth. And the truth is, he loves Celestia, and does not wish her to wake without him for a long, long time.