//------------------------------// // Part Nine: the aftermath // Story: Mother Knows Best // by CrimsonRose97 //------------------------------// “What's the status of the child?” Prince Shining Armor asked the guards outside of the holding room. It has been a week since the assault of the Crystal Empire, the damage around was significant, still cleaning the debris and rebuilding. “She hasn't left from her spot, sir.” The guard on the left responded. “Denied food and other substances.” Shining sighed. He looked towards the door. “I feel bad for her, she's just a kid.” “So was Cozy Glow, but we saw the damage that little filly did.” The guard in the right said. “Still, she's just a baby…” On the other side of the door, the holding room was made for a young foal, toys, games, a bed for her to sleep on. There were four bottles of milk, still full, all were on the table. In a corner, back turned from the door, was Umbré. She was in her pony form once more, however… The purple on her muzzle and hooves were a deep black, her eyes were red with an emerald green sclera surrounding. A flowing black mist flowed from the sides of her eyes. Her tiny horn were curved, tiny fangs protruding from her lips.  After that flash of the white light, Umbré was found by soldiers in the debris at the base of the Crystal Heart, after taking her in to get her checked out for injuries, was placed in the cell. Investigation lead to the findings of this little foal's destroying the city. And by the citizens' surprise and horror, the foal was fighting Sombra. They were shocked to find another shadow creature among the ponies. After the weight of everything had crashed down, Umbré couldn't believe everything that had happened. With Sombra, Hope dying… The little foal was in tears as Hope's face flashed in her eyes. Guilt and sadness overcame her. Hope died because of her... Shining told the guards to stand guard before opening the cell door. He stuck his head in and looked inside. Seeing the foal sulking in the corner. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Being a father himself, it could easily be Flurry in this place… She was just a baby after all. "Little foal?" Shining called out to her softly when he heard her whimpering. He walked a little closer to her, the Prince Consort took note of the full bottles on the table, the toys not touched. He felt confident since they temporarily binded her unstable magic so he wouldn't get hurt. Once Umbré heard him get a distance, she slowly looked over her shoulders and looked up at him, eyes, though misting, was puffy red and her cheeks streaked with tears. What was he going to do to her? Shining thought a moment before levitating a bottle with his magic. "Hey aren't you hungry?" He asks, carrying the bottle over to the foal. "Here you go." He knew that this foal was dangerous, but he couldn't help it, his fatherhood was showing. Umbré looked at the bottle. Her eyes glared at him as she reached up and smacked the bottle out of his aura with a yell. The bottle flew out of his hold, colliding in the ground, spilling its contents  Shining gasped, retreating a step back from her. Umbré whimpered softly before turning her back away from him. The white stallion waited a moment before sighing softly. "I'm sorry that you're going through this. A child your age should be with a family...not in some cell." He looked to her as he inched closer. The foal didn't move. Shining could see this depression clouding Umbré. "I have a daughter, you know. She's a little older than you." " Flurry…" Umbré muttered, caused the stallion to stop. "You can talk?" Shining asked, taken aback. The foal only looked a couple of weeks old, and yet she spoke. His daughter's name no less. Not realizing that Flurry and Umbré had spend time together. "What else can you say? Maybe you can say what happened. Why were you fighting Sombra?" Umbré slowly turned her head to Shining. She gave him the most evil, dirtiest look a baby could give anyone. The words, "don't ever speak of that name.", Though she couldn't quite say it, the expression on her face was quite clear. Shining was unwavering to her gaze. "Do you at least have a name?" The child stared at him for a moment. "Umbré." Umbré responded before turning away from him again. Like before, the way she pronounced it was Ombre. Shining stared at the child for a moment before sighing heavily. He lifted up another bottle of milk from the table with his magic. He heated it up with a spell before approached her, slowly placing it next to her. "You still need to eat, Umbré." Shining said calmly, pronouncing the same way she spoke her name. "Excuse me, your highness." A guard comes in. "Princess Twilight and company have arrived."  Shining sighed. " I'll be there soon." He turned back to the foal. "I'll be back soon… hopefully with a solution for you." With that, he left the child in her cell. I barely had the strength to be able to open my eyes. Everything was literally red, everything upside down. I had no idea what happened, nor how I ended in this state. I tried to move but there was something that blocked my movements. "Oh? Look who's awake?" Mother strides in. The shadow queen had a sickly smile on her face. Her voice was a little muffled but I could hear her. "What…. happened..." I heard myself spoke, but my voice wasn't normal. Disembodied… Mother chuckled softly, her eyes gazing at me menacing. "This is what happens when you don't do your job properly." She said.  I didn't understand. But I was going to soon enough. Mother began circling me. "Remember when I told you to kill Princess Amore?" " I did…" I hissed. I tried to look for my body… All I saw was a black mist. "What am I… in?" Mother shook her head. "Her body yes. You turned her into a statue and smashed it. It's her power you fail to destroy. That energy went inside of the Heart. Amore is still alive." She chuckled darkly then. "an eye for an eye." My body… by the gods… "Don't fret however, my dear King." She giggled, raising a ghastly hoof up and stroked what cage I was in. "I manage to save your spirit. You'll have your body again." Her horn glowed black and I felt my eyes getting heavy to keep them open. " By the time you awake, your next mission will begin." She said. " Sleep well, my son." Then everything went dark. " Are you sure about this?" Twilight asked Shining on regards to Umbré. " Aren't you afraid she might be like Sombra?" Spike asked as well. " No, I don't think she will be." Shining responded. "She's a baby." " A baby with dark arcane magic that destroyed the empire while fighting an evil tyrant.' Twilight said. "All babies have unstable magic." Shining, Twilight, Spike and Cadence were at the Foal center. Standing in the hallway, watching the many orphaned foals play together through a viewing window. "Twily, this is just to see how she'll react to the others. She's harmless now." Cadence said. Gosh she wanted to hug all these babies. " Well, it does not look like she's playing." Spike said. He was right. Sitting far from the happy and giggling foals, Umbré casted herself from the others in a corner. Only playing with a ball by herself. Pushing the ball back and forth with her magic. The other children were nervous to be around her. "Despite the destruction, Umbré is young…" Shining said. " She isn't hurting anypony." "So… putting her up for adoption might make things easier?" Spike asked, watching the baby play alone. " It might make her not be so… depressed. We'll see what happens.".Maybe putting her with ponies that would love and take care of her, that would solve some problems.