//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Pools of Pain // Story: Shadow of a Doubt // by MayhemMoth //------------------------------// Green. His eyes were green. Even in the waning moonlight, he could tell how wrong it looked within his wavering reflection in the pond. He was frozen in place, his only movement being the trembling of his body as he stared down, eyes wide enough to know that he wasn’t just seeing things. Still, maybe it was a trick of the light? Surely his eyes were still the piercing red he’d grown accustomed too? Surely his eyes were still his, right? “Sombra?” The wind blew, and the water rippled, Sombra’s stomach lurching right along with it. He shut his eyes, a much more noticeable shudder going through him as he held back the urge to vomit. The feeling refused to go away, and with a quiet whine, he peeked open an eye to see the same green eye staring back up at him. “Sombra!” Starlight’s voice got hardly more than a twitch of an ear in response, and before she knew it, he bolted. Away from the water, away from the reflection that was not his own. He ran to the castle, Starlight following along behind in the hopes of stopping whatever he was about to do, but she couldn’t catch up. He zipped around corners faster than she could follow, and it didn’t take long for him to lose her, though he hadn’t gone far. Barging into the one washroom he knew the location of, the memory of the rippling water replayed in his mind, he stumbled with a retch. Nothing came of it other than a worsening feeling of dizziness, and with a strangled groan he staggered to the sink, leaning against it to try and reorient himself.  Where had this sickness even come from? He’d been fine all day, and he hadn’t eaten in hours. For a moment, he wondered if that apple juice he’d drank earlier had caused this, but he doubted it. Apples had never affected him so horribly before, and Sweetie Belle had drank some, so it couldn’t have been poisoned. But he couldn’t think of anything else that could’ve done this, not even the strangely horrifying prospect of his eyes’ sudden hue shift.  Setting his hooves on the sink, he shakily lifted himself a bit higher to gaze into the mirror above it. Sure enough, his eyes were still that sickeningly bright shade of green, and he had to turn away. His eyes hadn’t been green since he was a foal. Before he’d learned his talent of fear and nightmares, and before he’d touched upon dark magic, so why would they change now?  Was it something the Princesses had done? Had they somehow drained the dark magic from him? Had that mask just been a punishment, and they’d completely drained him? No, they couldn’t have done that. Draining a pony of their magic was reportedly a near fatal punishment, and even with as much as Celestia hated him, she wasn’t big on outright killing. Plus he’d had the headaches to prove there was still some massive energy flowing through him. Massive energy that he still hadn’t released. Maybe that was why he was so sick? A knock on the door. He ignored it. Pulling himself back up to look in the mirror, he gazed back into his reflection. This time he managed to stay focused, overly aware of just how much the unnerved face in front of him didn’t look or feel like his own. Shutting his eyes to rid himself of the view for the umpteenth time, his horn began to bubble with magic. Another knock, and Starlight’s familiar voice, “Sombra, is that you in there?” She went unanswered, and with an explosion of magic, both the washroom door and Sombra’s eyes shot open. Purple mist erupted from green sclera as a pulse of darkness shot throughout the room. The others had probably felt the surge, but he couldn’t be bothered to care, because within his reflection were the brilliant scarlet eyes he’d grown accustomed to. A quiet laugh escaped him as he saw them, slowly growing into a full blown cackle that seemed to echo around the room.  “You see Starlight, red as the blood that flows through a pony’s veins!” He cried out, turning to the opened door, “Not a trace of green to be-” He cut himself off as he saw the doorway. There was no one there. In fact, outside the washroom was nothing but a dark hallway. Had it been that dark when he’d run through it? He’d been sick and confused and had just wanted to find out what was wrong, but he didn’t remember it being so dark.  And where was Starlight? She’d just spoken to him a moment before, and it had to have been her that had barged in, right? Taking a few steps forward, he quietly called to her, “Starlight?” No response. Just a cold wind, and the sound of dripping water. Something about that made him nervous, but he blamed that on a cracked window and a leaking sink. Or at least he did, until his own maniacal cackling filled the room again.  Except, he hadn’t opened his mouth. He wasn’t even grinning. But as his laughter continued, he came to a horrible realization. Slowly turning to the mirror, his red eyed reflection stared right back, a mad smile on his face as he laughed at his own idiocy.  He’d just let loose a powerful pulse of magic while facing a mirror. He’d just used his fear gaze on himself. He’d never done that before. He didn’t know he could. Worst yet, this meant he didn’t know how to escape it.  So he stood frozen, staring at his laughing reflection, anxious for something to happen. He wasn’t quite scared, but he certainly wasn’t comfortable with what was happening, and It felt like far too long before the laughing began to quiet.  “Now isn’t this a predicament?” He, or maybe even it, asked, “And, rather ironically, quite the wake up call too.” “A wake up call?” A feeling of dread began to well up inside him as he faced his reflection dead on, “For what? There’s nothing that you would know that I wouldn’t.” “Have you really forgotten? What you used to have? Who you used to be?” It asked, the reflection’s voice raising with each word,  “Have you forgotten what they did to you? What she did to you?” “She? Are you referring to Starlight? Hope?” He demanded, that sickening feeling from earlier beginning to return. He wasn’t about to let this vision get the best of him, and the only way he thought to fight it was challenging his other self, “They’ve never done anything to harm me! How dare you even imply they’ve-urk!” He stepped back as he suddenly choked, eyes wide and nostrils flaring as something began to well up within him, and he began to heave. He tried to hold back the urge to vomit, but couldn’t, and it wasn't long until he finally gave into his body’s demands. Whatever he threw up, it was cold, wet, and salty, his body shuddering with every gag as he purged the disgusting poison from his body.  “You have forgotten, haven’t you?” His reflection asked, voice echoing around him, “Pity, I suppose we’ll just have to relive things, won’t we?” Sombra staggered back with a few wet coughs, disoriented. His legs shook as he stumbled, trying not to fall into the mess below, that cold fluid dribbling down his chin. Turning back to the mirror, his vision fuzzy, he tried to relocate his reflection. He didn’t trust it, and he didn’t want it out of his sight. Once his eyes focused upon it, for a moment it seemed as though another pony was in the mirror, one that was small and terrified, but with a few more blinks his grinning reflection reappeared. Tilting his head in confusion, he stepped forward and right into whatever he’d hacked up. Jolting back in disgust, he lifted his hoof and shook it, losing his focus on his reflection as he finally looked down to see the mess he’d made. Water. He’d thrown up water. And with the rising feeling of cold within him, it felt like he wasn’t finished. Swinging his head back up to look into the mirror, his eyes were wide with panic as he turned back to his reflection. The twisted grinning Sombra was gone, replaced with a much more frightened version of himself.  He shot back, slamming into something, or someone, he couldn’t see. They didn’t show up in the mirror, and he wanted to look back, but was frozen in place, trapped in the clutches of his nightmare. A quiet noise behind him began to reverberate around the room, something between a laugh or sob, and a voice he didn’t recognize. “You’re not supposed to struggle yet, remember?” The floor gave out beneath him, and with a panicked cry, he was engulfed into an icy darkness. Cold, salty water rushed into his mouth and nose, sending an uncomfortably realistic sensation of both freezing and burning down his throat. He kicked his legs in an attempt to swim to the surface, but no matter how hard he tried, he just seemed to be sinking deeper. Yet he wouldn’t stop, every ounce of him was telling him to fight, to try to survive. Any sense of reality was lost upon him as he did, thrashing and kicking as the weight of the water dragged him down, the already dim light from above fading even further. He could’ve sworn he saw a shadow move within that light, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared, and with a sudden tug, he was pulled into complete darkness. An element that normally comforted him, he was once again struck with an intense feeling of terror as whispers began to surround him. Opening his mouth in a failed cry for help, he continued to thrash, kicking and screaming as the frigid water continued to fill his lungs, flickers of light edging his vision. He didn’t know who was talking. He didn’t know what was happening. He didn’t know why. All he knew was that he had to survive, he had to keep trying to swim to the surface, no matter how far out of sight it was.  He didn’t want to die, but for some reason he remembered that someone else wanted him to. “You poor, poor little Black Heart.” That voice struck something in him, and with a gargled scream of fear and fury, he twisted within the water toward where they had come from. In the darkness he couldn’t tell if he was sinking or swimming, but he continued to fight, finally managing to propel himself in the direction he thought was upward. Slamming into the ice, a horrible pain surged throughout his body, along with a muffled scream that didn’t seem to be his own. He hit the ground, barely catching himself as pain throbbed throughout his head, gasping as air began to fill his lungs again. Something wet was running down his face, freezing him in place, terrified of seeing the darkness, and falling back into the frigid waters.  “Sombra!” Starlight’s voice forced his eyes to shoot open, greeted to a mess of mirror shards upon the floor before him. His own frightened face was reflected throughout them, green tinged eyes wide and trembling, blood trickling down his face and dripping over the reflections below.  Letting out a few more gasps, he didn’t move from where he was as he whispered, “Starlight?” She was by him in an instant, sweeping the shards of glass away with her tail as she quickly, but gently, lifted his face to look at her. The growing pain he felt confirmed the fact she was likely real, and with a desperate whine he grabbed onto her arm to confirm it. She seemed to jump slightly at the contact, but stayed where she was, a look of worry upon her face. “It’s okay, it was just a nightmare,” She assured, slowly lowering her hoof to his shoulder, “It’s over now.” It had been a nightmare, hadn’t it? He knew that, of course, but it had felt so real and familiar. Were they always like this? Was this what others saw when he used his gaze on them?  A shuffle of hooves outside, and an uncomfortably familiar voice, “Is everything alright? I felt a surge of magic, and-” Twilight stopped suddenly in the doorway, her friends bumping into her as she froze in shock at the mess in the washroom. Shards of glass everywhere, some smeared with blood, a panicked Starlight in the middle of the room with Sombra. He had his back to them, mane flaring and body beginning to shudder once more. “What did you do to me?” He asked, wavering voice hardly above a whisper. Twilight stepped forward confused. “What?” “WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?" Sombra swung away from Starlight with an enraged scream, turning to face Twilight and her friends as he demanded, “You cursed me! You did something! WHAT WAS IT?” Twilight took that same step back, that fear she’d felt from the stallion so long ago welling up within her again. In previous battles with him, she’d only ever seen him irritated at his worst, but never downright furious. The shadows that danced in his eyes were flaring dangerously, his horn sparking with an excess of dark magic as he bared his fangs. Blood was trailing down his face, the occasional glint of embedded glass sparkling in the eerie light, only adding to the terror she felt. “I-I didn’t do anything, I promise!”  “LIAR!” He shouted, blasting the floor in front of her. Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack tried to jump forward, but Twilight held out her wings to keep them back, “You princesses are all alike, cursing any creature that dares to defy you to an existence of pain and suffering! You’ve already killed me once, what’s stopping you from trying again?” Twilight bit her lip nervously, trying to think of the best way to calm Sombra. She knew reasoning with him was out of the question, no reassurance was going to convince him he was safe when her previous actions proved otherwise. Her friends probably weren’t helping the situation either, but she felt much safer when they were with her. “Like I said before, I never expected our magic to do what it did,” She said, glancing at Starlight for the briefest moment. She was looking away and shivering, perhaps on the verge of her own breakdown, “And I have no intention of hurting you like that again.” “And why should I believe that?” He asked, voice cracking as he seemed to stumble without moving, “You didn’t show a shred of mercy to me in the dungeon, what’s changed now?” “What’s changed is that I’ve learned better. That even with every terrible thing you’ve done, you’re still a pony. One that’s been hurt and scared by another’s actions, and it’s my duty as the Princess of Friendship, and future Princess of Equestria, to rectify that.” “Really?” Sombra let out a strangled laugh, shadows trailing from his mouth as it morphed into a choked cough, “Because with everything that’s happened, I’ve begun to believe that I’m hardly a pony at all.” Another cough, and he staggered back with eyes wide as the shadows continued to ooze from his mouth. Starlight bolted over to him as he let out a choked cry of panic, one of his legs giving out beneath him as he fell to the floor.  “What in the-” He shouted, his glare toward Twilight turning to one of panic as he tried and failed to stand, “What are you doing?” “Sombra, it’s okay,” Starlight said, rubbing his back gently as he began to struggle. Something about him felt wrong now, and the shadows began to ooze from his nose as well. She looked to Twilight briefly in a panic, trying to keep Sombra in place as he twisted and cried out in what seemed to be pain. “Sombra, calm down, please. I can’t help you if you don’t calm down.” “Why won’t you leave me alone?” He continued to struggle, his voice seeming to warp slightly as he screamed again. Starlight was so desperately trying to keep him in place, arms wrapped around him as she looked to Twilight pleadingly in a silent bid for help. Twilight however, was frozen in place, eyes locked onto Sombra, and the shadows bleeding from his body. “I don’t think he can control his form yet,” She realized, a new uneasiness growing within her, “He’s still unstable.” It was just like the Princesses had said. They'd found him in a similar state, struggling to keep his physical form, right after she and her friends had defeated him. She'd thought it was because of what they did, and maybe it was, but it also seemed his physical state relied on his emotions. And right now, he was terrified. Ushering her friends away from the door, she looked to Starlight and said, “He’s doing this because of us, Starlight. I can’t help you. Do whatever you can to calm him down, I’ll grab the mask just in case.” Twilight ducked away from the door, Sombra letting out another wail as his horn bubbled with magic, desperately trying to keep himself together. Most of his body was still physical, even as the shadows rolled off him, and Starlight wrapped her arms even tighter around him. “It’s fine, they’re gone,” She reassured, holding back tears. Her heart was racing, terrified at seeing Sombra so scared and in pain, “Please Sombra, calm down. It’s okay.” She spoke to him like a mother calming her child, but even if he had been more lucid, he might not have cared. Everything hurt so much suddenly, and Starlight was his only source of solace. Shoving his face into her neck, he shuddered with a sob. She let out a quiet noise at the contact, flinching back only slightly as the glass within his face jabbed into her. “It’s okay,” She assured, voice wavering as she ran her hoof down his back. His gasping sobs were already beginning to fade into quiet hiccups as he nuzzled into her deeper, desperate to cling to his physical form, and the comfort she brought him, “They won’t hurt you. As long as I’m around, they won’t hurt you.” She whispered this reassurance over and over, stroking his back as the shadows retracted back into his body, and his shuddering faded to a barely noticeable tremble. Even then, she didn’t stop, glancing to the doorway to see Twilight peeking in, the mask in her magic. A quick nod and motion from Starlight, and she popped out of view again.  “You’re not at all well, are you?” She asked, brushing some mane out of Sombra’s face as he continued to cling to her for comfort. He didn’t respond to her question, and she didn’t pester him for an answer. She already knew.  Twilight was right. Sombra was unstable, physically and emotionally. Whether it was because of his near death experience, or years of holding things in, she didn't know. But whatever it was, it seemed to all be unleashing itself all at once, and she was going to try her best to help him deal with it. Even if it exhausted her. Shifting herself slightly, she tried to lift his head as she asked, “Feeling any better?” “‘M feelin’ somethin…” He muttered, voice muffled from within her coat, “Tired an’ pitiful, mostly.” “That’s perfectly fine.” She patted his back, a little more firmly this time, “You just had a rather… Strange experience. I’m not sure how to describe it.” “I let my emotions get the best of me.” “That’s not entirely a bad thing, though whatever happened was a bit of an unnerving experience for everypony involved,” She said, grip on Sombra loosening as he finally lifted his head. He grimaced in pain, lifting a hoof to rub at his face, but Starlight stopped him, getting an agitated look in response, “Your face is full of mirror shards. We should probably clean it.” Taking notice of the blood on Starlight’s neck, a mix of his and her own, Sombra nodded slowly. Checking the ground below him for more shards, he sat up, watching Starlight as she went into the closet. Upon exiting, she was holding a box and a broom in her magic. She brushed the scattered mirror shards to their own side of the room, smearing some blood across the floor as she did. Making her way back to Sombra, he lowered his head and muttered, “Sorry about the mess.” “I can clean it up later, it’s okay,” She said, setting the box out in front of him before explaining, “This is a first aid kit, and it should have whatever we need to clean out those cuts if just water and soap isn’t enough, assuming none are so deep you need actual medical attention.” Though she knew it would probably be a good idea to take him in soon enough anyway. Even without all of his panic induced injuries, he was still about a thousand years late for a checkup. It would have to wait until the residents of Ponyville were more comfortable with his presence, of course. Sitting down, she lowered Sombra’s head to be even with her own as she grabbed some tweezers in her magic and began to pick out the glass. He was surprisingly docile with her as she worked, only flinching back on occasion. Even when she began washing the blood from his face, he stayed as he was, eyes closed as he waited for her to finish. It didn’t take long, though a few of his cuts continued to bleed a bit, but it was enough to assure her he’d be fine. “Okay, I’m done,” She said. Sombra opened his eyes and sat upright, shaking his head a bit and looking to Starlight as she cleaned out her own cuts, then began to put everything away. “Why do you continue to help me?” He asked, rubbing his face, “What do you gain from it?” Starlight paused for a moment, setting the kit back in the closet before looking at him. There was a hint of something about her that Sombra couldn’t quite identify, but it almost seemed like sadness. “You just looked like somepony who needed help,” She said, “Is there anything wrong with that?” A part of him wanted to say yes, it was wrong. Trying to help a monster like him. A creature destined to cause pain and fear wherever he went. But all he could muster was a whisper, “I still don’t understand…” He turned his head away, as if in shame. Starlight scooted closer, into his line of sight. “What’s there to understand?” She asked, glancing into his eyes. They’d gone back to their piercing red after his magical surge, though she thought she still saw a hint of green at the edges, “You’re a pony, and you’re hurting. Even with everything you’ve done, do you really think it’s right to leave you to rot in a dungeon without another chance?” A quiet yet bitter laugh. It was the same thing Twilight had just told him, but out of Starlight’s mouth, it somehow sounded more sincere. “Depends on who you ask,” He said, “I’ve had plenty of chances to change in the past, and I never took them. What makes now any different?” “Did anypony make an effort to help you?” Starlight asked. Sombra looked away again, avoiding the question. Starlight once again inched closer, asking, “What do you gain from this?” Sombra seemed to stiffen, looking at her unsurely as he asked, “What do you mean?” “You haven’t used your gaze on me yet, have you? Do you gain something from keeping me like I am? Surely, it would be easier for you if you turned me into one of your slaves, right?” He continued to stare at her silently, shocked and confused. Blood red eyes, capable of bringing even the strongest of creatures to their knees, harshly gazing into her own. Yet despite everything, Starlight wasn’t scared. For there wasn’t the slightest bit of malice within them.  “Maybe I have gained something,” He said after a moment, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips, “I’m just not sure what it is quite yet.” “I’m glad to hear,” Starlight smiled back, rising to her hooves. Sombra followed, stretching each limb out before shaking himself again, “But it’s quite late, and I have some cleaning to do now. Would you like to get some dinner first? I’m sure Twilight and her friends made something to share.” As nice as food sounded, Sombra shook his head, “No. I’m tired. I just want to sleep.” “Are you sure?”  She seemed worried, probably concerned he would suffer from another panic attack. It was strange to know that she cared, but somewhat reassuring as well.  “I want to go to bed, I want to be alone,” He said, though a big part of him wanted to stay with her, it felt safer. “I also need some time to think.” Starlight nodded, “Alright. I’ll bring you something later if you’re still up.” He followed her out of the room and into the hall, quiet all the way. He hardly looked at anything other than the floor as they went, thoughts occupied with his nightmare. That horribly vivid vision was still burned into his mind, and for some reason, felt uncomfortably like a forgotten memory. It didn’t make a lick of sense, but it gnawed at him from within, the uneasy feeling of coughing up the water beginning to well up within him again… “Hey, look at me.” “Huh?” Starlight’s hoof was upon his shoulder, and he snapped back to reality with the shake of his head as he looked down to her confused. “I stopped hearing your hoofsteps behind me, and when I looked back you were staring off and shaking. Is everything alright?” “It’s fine, I’m fine,” He tried to assure, looking away. Starlight stayed where she was, knowing very well that nothing was fine, and with a quiet, disgruntled growl he turned back to her and said, “I lied. It’s not fine. Something is wrong.” Why had he just admitted that? He didn’t know, but Starlight’s hoof began to make its way over his coat in a soothing motion, and he was sure she could feel him relax under it. They stayed that way for a while, out in the open in the middle of a well lit hallway, Sombra on the verge of an anxiety attack. “I used my gaze on myself,” He blurted out suddenly.  “I know,” Starlight said, lowering her hoof, “I saw it myself, it was very worrying. What did you see?” For some reason, he was hoping she’d ask that, even if the memory of a dream sent a wave of panic through him. “I dreamt I was drowning, but,” He let out a hitched breath, looking to Starlight uneasily, “I haven’t been afraid of the water since I was a foal.” Grogar’s cave may not have been particularly welcoming, dank and leaky were not exactly the most ideal of living conditions, but it certainly beat out rotting in Tartarus for another thousand years. At least there was a bit more freedom, with plenty of space to walk around, exercise, and even a bit to read, even if the books were old and outdated. The food was certainly much more appetizing than expected, though after a millennia in an enchanted prison that almost nobody ever checked on you in, it wasn’t a difficult competition. “Is that even edible?” Though, there was still one tiny little nuisance that seemed to stick around. Cozy Glow was poking at a dead fish on a plate, tongue sticking out. Tirek grinned at her disgust, plucking the fish up to bite into it as he stared her straight in the eyes. “It is if you’re opportunistic,” He said, licking his lips as she gagged, “Or an omnivore. Spending all that time in a prison run by ponies really made me miss meals such as these.” “It’s disgusting.” “Oh please, you'd eat this if you were desperate enough.” “I’d rather eat all the thistle in the yard,” Cozy claimed, barely suppressing another gag as she heard him crunch the bones. “I’m sure there’s plenty of that to go around.” He continued with his meal, leaving the filly to choose between sticking around or wandering off. He was hoping she’d choose the latter, but as long as he was the only one present to pester, he didn’t get his hopes up. Grogar wasn’t within the main room currently, which meant he’d likely wandered off outside. Chrysalis had been anti-social as well, and Tirek had caught her sneaking out in the dead of night, but hadn’t bothered to ask what she’d been up to, though he had his suspicions. Grogar would catch her in the act eventually. Finishing with his dinner, he noticed Cozy actually had wandered off, and against his better judgement, he looked around for her. She hadn’t wandered far, just up to the table, leaning over Grogar’s crystal ball and tapping it. Scrambling up to her, Tirek yanked her over to face him as he demanded, “What in the world are you doing?”  “I just wanted to see how it worked!” “Probably through some indescribably horrific dark magic! What were you planning on saying if Grogar caught you?” "I'm sure I'd think of something," Cozy shrugged from within his grip, "Why stop me though? Is it because you secretly care about your friends?" That sickening sweet smile of hers was plastered over her face, and with a roll of his eyes, Tirek dropped her. She fluttered to catch herself, hopping back onto the table to mess with Grogar's orb again. "Don't you just wonder what this thing could do?" She asked, "It could show us anything or anypony we could think of? Doesn't that interest you? Isn't there somepony or creature you'd like to spy on?" Tirek twitched an ear and cocked his head in thought, but said nothing. Cozy continued to look the orb over, poking and rubbing it as she tried to search for something to get it to work, but to no avail. It continued to stay blank as ever, its eternally watchful eye staring from all angles. “Is there anybody you have in mind?” He asked, “You’re a filly, surely you have a family out there?” “Not one that matters,” She claimed, without so much as a hint of care, “What about you? We learned all about you and your brother, do you have anyone else out there?” A brief moment of irritation, and Tirek leaned over to poke at the orb as well, using Cozy’s words against her as he said, “Not any that matter.”  She frowned, and he smirked, mostly to hide a look of annoyance. He already knew she was aware of his and his brother’s past, or at least Equestria’s version of the story. She’d mentioned learning about them in the School of Friendship, which was a bit of a surprise for him, considering Celestia’s horrible habit of hiding the past. He might’ve despised all the princesses, Twilight most of all, but at least she had the sense not to let history go to waste. Though even after all this time, talk of his brother was still a sore spot, and just the mention of him had soured his already bitter mood. He wouldn’t deny he didn’t think about him on occasion, wondering what he was up to all this time later, but there was always a twinge of bitterness at the thought. There was a good possibility he was now the king of their land, if he was even still alive. As long lived as gargoyles and centaurs were, he’d certainly have aged without magic to sustain him, and a thousand years was plenty of time for tragedy to strike. The thought that Scorpan’s betrayal may very well have been the final interaction between them was an odd, almost unnerving one. “Hey, how’d you do that?” Cozy asked suddenly, jolting him from his thoughts. He was about to snap back to ask what she meant, before he noticed the blurred image within Grogar’s orb, and his eyes widened. A brown figure sat in front of a fire, face obscured and fuzzy, speaking quiet and muffled words. Neither Cozy or Tirek could make out what was being said, and in an effort to clear the image, Tirek set his whole hand upon the crystal ball. It seemed to work somewhat, because they could finally understand what was being said. “Is there anywhere you’d like to check first?” The figure asked, stretching his wings, “Equestria is quite a large country, so I’m sure there’s plenty of places to find him.” “I don’t really know many places outside of the Frozen North, so I wouldn’t even know where to go first,” An out of view creature responded, her voice soft and friendly, “Is there anywhere you’d like to go? I think it’d be nice to travel a bit, I’ve been trapped for so long.” “Wouldn’t you rather keep on the search for your friend?” There was a moment of silence, and a glimmer just barely within view, “Well, I suppose there is one place nearby. I knew a pony who hailed from a town that shouldn’t be too far from here, but I’ve no idea if it’s still inhabited. Have you ever heard of a place called Somnam-” “What in the world are you two doing?” Tirek and Cozy bolted away from the table at Grogar’s voice, swinging around to hide the fading image within the orb as they blocked it off. Feigning innocence, Cozy smiled, though Tirek was having a much harder time hiding his agitation. “We were just polishing your crystal ball,” Cozy claimed. “It is not a crystal ball, it is Arimaspi’s Eye,” Grogar explained, stamping a hoof as he summoned a bit of magic as a threat, “And it sees and knows everything that touches it.” “Ugh, fine! We were just curious!” “You were curious,” Tirek accused, “I was perfectly fine ignoring that thing.” “Oh please, you were the one who activated it, so obviously you were a little bit curious. Just had to see what your dear little brother was up to nowadays, didn’t you?” She mocked, that false look of happiness upon her face, though her voice hardly matched, “How cute.” Teeth bared, Tirek probably would’ve retorted with something far from friendly had Grogar not blasted the ground in front of the two. He hopped back as the magic singed his hooves, Cozy letting out a frightened squeak from beside him. “I don’t care about your little family reunion, nor do I currently care that you were fidgeting with the Eye,” He said, magic welling up between his horns again, “I have much more important matters to attend to, and I need all three of you, now. Except it seems as though Chrysalis has wandered off yet again. Where is she?” Tirek stepped back as he stared at the ram uneasily, Cozy taking cover behind one of his forelegs. They both had an idea of what Chrysalis had been up to, but she’d been incredibly distant and secretive, so they couldn’t know for sure.  Searching his thoughts for an excuse, Tirek was mere moments from blurting something before a shuffle from above got the ram’s attention.  “I’m right here.” Chrysalis dropped to the floor in front of Grogar, shaking her head a bit to readjust her mane as she stood tall, “Where else could I possibly be? You give us less freedom than any pony prison.” “You can never truly know with vermin like you,” Grogar spat, walking around his underlings to his place at the table, “Sit.” All three obeyed, various sounds of annoyance or fear escaping their lips as they huddled together at the table. Grogar glared at them for a moment, ensuring they were focused on him before speaking. “I’m going out tonight,” He said, “On a trip to the North, in a search for something very important to our plan.”  “‘Our’ plan, huh?” Chrysalis scoffed, crossing her arms, “We haven’t done anything yet!” “Plus you leave all the time, how is this any different?” Cozy asked. “You will all learn of your place in time,” Grogar spat at Chrysalis, before turning to Cozy with a somewhat less agitated tone, “It’s different because this time I may be returning with something very important, as well as a new weapon that should turn the tide in our favor. Should I fail to retrieve it, you three shall make the trip in my stead.” “Why not just send us now?” Tirek asked, “I very much doubt you see us as a last line of defense.” “On the contrary, you all have such an immense lust for power that you would no doubt be able to accomplish what I fail,” Grogar claimed, voice taking on a much more frustrated tone, “That is, if you work together for once in your sad and sorry lives. As it stands now, I’d like to try and fetch these things myself.” “I still don’t see why we should work together, or with you, in any way at all,” Chrysalis complained with a glare, “This has been nothing but a waste of time.” “I seem to recall a rather conceited king claiming something similar not too long ago, and I think we all remember how that ended for him. Perhaps we should have a queen follow in his hoofsteps?” A growing orb of magic between his horns, and he snarled, Chrysalis challenging him right back with her own spark of sickly green. They stayed like this for an uncomfortably long time, neither backing down from the other’s threats. It was uncomfortably tense, and it wasn’t long before Cozy Glow broke the silence. “So, when exactly are you leaving?”  “Now,” Grogar spat, magic fading as he turned away, “Because if I don’t, I may very well splatter one of you against the table, and make the others clean it, but I’d rather not waste more of my magic on resurrection if I can help it. Stay here.” He stomped his way out with the flick of his tail, his three lackeys staying put long after his hoofsteps faded. They didn’t want to say anything risky, and being within earshot of the eye made them all the more suspicious. Backing away from it slowly, the three stayed against the wall for a few moments more. Eventually, Cozy had had enough and zipped to the cave’s exit, peeking outward to confirm, “He’s gone.” Both Tirek and Chrysalis breathed a sigh of relief, the former turning to his partner in crime as he said, ”He’s growing suspicious you know.” “Of course he is,” She scoffed, “He’s observant, and apparently has eyes everywhere. No matter, with any luck this will be my last venture out to Ponyville.” Flying back over to sit on Tirek’s back, an action the centaur did not appreciate, Cozy asked, “So what exactly are you planning on doing tonight?” “Simple,” Chrysalis grinned, a gleam in her eyes, “I’m going to finish what I started, and with any luck, it'll destroy that wretch Starlight in the process.”