//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: What Lies Beneath // Story: One Thousand Years Ago // by Scroll //------------------------------// “And here we are,” Sombra announces as he uses Cozy's crystal to magically open the door to Cadence and Shining Armor's royal chambers. Before this moment, Cheese already took off. She claimed she was hungry so she bounced off to get some food which the royal couple welcomed. “What?!” Shining gasps. “You mean to tell me the secret room was located in our own bedroom this whole time!?” “These are the royal quarters,” Sombra reminds. “It used to be my chambers, too,” he says as he moves Cozy into the room. “And speaking of which, my, my . . . it's interesting what you two have done to the place.” Once inside, he has Cozy's eyes scan around the room, noting the many artistic decorations displayed. There is also a lot of furniture, mainly piles of comfy pillows. Magic crystals built into the walls which not only lights up the room, but could potentially change color. Several chandeliers hang from the ceiling that also shines with multiple colors. On one of the walls, he notes an animated, 3D looking picture that seems to be a map of Equestria. The “clouds” that hover over the painting are actually moving. He hears running water in the room before he visually locates it. That is in one of the corners of the room. There is a short waterfall which is illuminated with rainbow colors. Shortly ahead of that is a few plants. “You two certainly have a theme going on here,” Sombra notes before moving on to one of the back rooms. “Many of these are gifts from our grateful citizens,” Cadence informs honestly. “Also, we had some help with the interior decoration from Mistmane before she moved back to her homelands and . . .” she sighs sadly before continuing, “since passed away.” “Mistmane?” Sombra asks with recognition and sudden interest. “The Pillar of Beauty?” “You heard of her?” Cadence asks with a tilt of her head. “I . . . think I do . . . but I don't recall how,” Sombra answers honestly. “Well, as she said, many of these are gifts from our grateful citizens,” Shining Armor says with a sharp attitude, “but you wouldn't know anything about that, do you?” “Hon, behave!” Cadence commands. “Like it or not, Sombra is a guest in our chambers. We should treat him with our common courtesy.” In reply to that comment, Sombra passes Shining Armor a look that is very hard to read. He's keeping Cozy's expression carefully neutral. In fact, that is honestly the most “Cozy Glow” like expression he's worn on her face so far, for it is a very quiet and calculating look. But since Flurry Heart is still in their company, she can read their guest deeper. Once again, most of the readings she's getting from him is quite complicated. Based on that, however, she is noticing an emerging pattern. It seems most of Sombra's thoughts is a clash of two separate personalities that are each fighting for dominance. One of them is almost pure evil, but fortunately, that one isn't too dominant. However, the other side isn't pure good. That side is more balanced, although it heavily leans on the depressing side. In other words, he is a pony full of regrets. After staring at Shining for a silent moment, Sombra resumes his journey to the living room. From there, he uses Cozy's crystal to move aside several tables and chairs from the center of the room. He also moves aside a carpet that was originally below the furniture. “I have to ask you, Sombra, do you ever regret what you've done?” Cadence asks him with an edge of hope to her voice. Flurry does not need to ask, though. She already knows the answer is yes. “Feeling pity, are you?” Sombra sneers as he gives Cadence a cunning grin and a narrow side glance. During that time, it is spooky to notice Cozy's eyes flash for a brief moment. “You wish to redeem the Dark King? “Heh. You wear your title well, Your Majesty. Eternally seeking to guide lost souls.” “I'm curious if you are even interested to rejoin pony society,” Cadence wonders aloud. “For my part, I hope you are. I don't think anypony is beyond the reach of redemption. In you, I see a lot of regret in your eyes. Well, Cozy's eyes but you're controlling her for the moment, so that is your expression.” “Don't read too much into it,” Sombra advises with a shade of weariness in Cozy's tone as he looks down at the crystal floor. “I just want to help!” Cadence presses. “Something tells me you are lonely and that you suffered enough. Come home!” “With all due respect, Your Majesty,” Sombra says while flashing Cadence a dark glare, “I didn't come here to talk about my feelings, make friends, or entertain your insipid delusions. I came here in pursuit of my own mission, so may I please get back to work?!” he finishes with a harsh tone. “Hey!” Shining growls. “Nopony talks to my wife like-” “It's okay, Dear,” Cadence interrupts. “I think he can't help it, and he doesn't like it when other ponies get close to the truth.” Sombra growls for a moment, then aims Cozy's right hoof at the floor. He's about to concentrate on her crystal again until he is interrupted by another question from Cadence. “You care about this city, don't you?” Sombra bows Cozy's head and sighs, then half turns her head back at Cadence as he asks, “Your point?” Cadence waves a hoof at Cozy as she says, “Clearly you have a lot of knowledge about this city. We, for instance, didn't know about this secret room. I can't help but wonder what other secrets you guard about this city. If you cooperate with us and help us rediscover them, this city can grow even more safe and prosperous. “You helped to build this city and its society, didn't you? Don't you want to be part of something so worthwhile again?” Flurry realizes that, although her mother meant what she said, the true intention of her words is to bait Sombra into opening up by exploiting a subject she suspects he cares deeply for. Flurry smiles softly at her mother in appreciation. It's not easy to reach past the demon within him to the pony beyond, but clearly, her mother is putting up a valiant effort. Looking back at Sombra, Flurry notices that those words did indeed cause a stir. His anger greatly subsides, and in its place is fondness and gratitude. “Your Majesty,” he says as he turns Cozy about to look back at Cadence fully, “you don't need me to fulfill that goal. I saw what the city looks like beyond that window. Under your wise and compassionate leadership, you've turned this place into what it was always intended to be in the first place.” He shakes Cozy's head before he goes on. “I can't tell you how many others bled, worked, planned, suffered, and even died to bring you the paradise you all enjoy today.” He looks to the walls. “When I look at this place,” he shifts just Cozy's eyes back at Cadence but keeps Cozy's face directed at the walls, “I see a world that is very different from the one I grew up in. It is born of the desperate hopes, dreams, and wishes of those who came before you. They would want you to enjoy the paradise they fought to earn, so please,” he bows to her, “enjoy it.” After rising from his bow again, he goes on. “It is clear to me that this world demands new leadership that is relevant to the changing times. In the time I grew up in, everything was scarce. Every creature fought each other for every scrap, and hatred abounded in plenty. Survival of the entire world was pushed to the edge of destruction, and all hope was lost to all but a very special few. Back then, we needed warriors and scavengers, but now . . . diplomacy and friendship seem to be the best path to secure lasting peace. If that is your will, then so be it.” He tilts Cozy's head as he adds with a tone of caution, “But if you will indulge an old and weary soldier, I would give you some advice.” The family glances at each other, then Shining Armor says as he looks back at Sombra cautiously, “We're listening.” “There is a price for the peace you all may not have accounted for,” Sombra announces. “I suspect the former Princess of the Sun is guilty of this as well, for I have noted the status of the Equestrian military to be sadly lacking. Were that not the case, I wouldn't have seized control of these cities so easily.” Shining Armor's head shifts back as he notes, “You used mind control magic. How were we supposed to prepare for that?” Sombra looks at Shining sharply as he says, “The fact you had to ask that question already validates my point. You all have lived in peace for so long that you don't even know how to approach problems like this. “Think about it. I used magic to exert my influence. How does one counter dark magic?” “Friendship?” Flurry proposes. Sombra rolls his eyes, then says, “Perhaps. It's been an unexpectedly effective tactic, but nonetheless, there are more conventional approaches.” He turns Cozy to look back at the floor again, then says, “You may wish to talk to Star Swirl about counter curse spells.” “Ah . . . I think we have those already in the library,” Cadence recalls with uncertainty. “In that case,” Sombra says over Cozy's shoulder in a tone of annoyance and impatience, “teach your military forces those spells. Keep a contingent of royal unicorn guards on staff at all times who are prepared to protect others in a way that actually matters.” “The Royal Guards that I've trained do have some training to that effect,” Shining Armor brings up. “But, against the likes of ponies like you, we do seem sadly inadequate so I'll look into your suggestion.” He sighs, then says more softly, “I can't believe I'm saying this, but . . . thank you for that suggestion.” “I used to be in charge of security before you,” Sombra tells Shining. “Ultimately, it doesn't really matter how it is done, as long as the job is done. If you ignore my advice, then find another way to be prepared. I warn you . . . diplomacy and friendship doesn't always work. When it falls through, it is important to have a reliable backup strategy.” “I will,” Shining promises sincerely. “Flash Magnus is now native to this timeline too, is he not?” Sombra checks. “Yes, he is,” Cadence immediately confirms. “He's the new Captain of the Royal Guards in Canterlot. I have heard he's been keeping the soldiers in battle-ready condition. Also, I know where you are going with this point.” “Good,” Sombra returns in satisfaction. “In that case, if you'll excuse me, I have to concentrate.” At first, the crystal around Cozy's neck lifts and glows while enveloped by a crimson aura, but it steadily shifts to a black and purple popping aura. After a while, he opens Cozy's eyes as they become wreathed in a mask of dark magic. Cozy's stance becomes tense, too. The feathers on her wings straighten a little. Eventually Sombra blasts a beam of black/purple energy at the floor. That energy spirals around a symbol that was formerly invisible. As the pattern spreads out, the onlookers eventually notice the fact that the symbol that is on the floor kind of looks like a pair of crimson eyes. When the flow fades, the floor splits apart between the eyes. Those panels lower an inch then spread to opposite sides under the floor, thus revealing what lies beneath. In this case, it appears to be a set of crystal stairs leading below into the dark. “How is this possible?” Shining wonders aloud. “The floor beneath us is only four feet thick. Below that is another layer of the castle that does not lead to this.” “The science of crystals is a gateway to unlock many possibilities,” Sombra informs followed by a dark chuckle. “Now, give me another moment while I disable the traps below. I shall also reenchant them so that they ignore the three of you from now on.” “What would happen to us if we did get caught in those traps?” Shining asks Sombra. Sombra makes Cozy pass Shining an evil grin as he makes Cozy say, “Something unfortunate.” Shining blinks at Cozy, then says numbly, “Okay. I'll keep that one in mind.” Dark magic pops around Cozy's crystal again, then flares for a brief moment. As a result, sickly greenish-looking flames ignite on torches one by one. They alight in an ever-escalating distance down the stairs then out of sight as the stairs meet up with a flat level floor. “Young Majesty,” Sombra brings up as he makes Cozy look at Flurry Heart with a much less antagonistic expression. “Could I trouble you for a favor by fetching a blank scroll, ink, and quill?” “Certainly!” Flurry confirms brightly. “I know just where to get some.” “I have some on my desk,” Cadence reminds her daughter. “I know,” Flurry assures as she trots away. “I used it last night for my homework, remember?” “Thank you, Dear!” Cadence calls after her daughter happily. “You are such a Sweetheart.” While Flurry is gone, Sombra makes Cozy proceed a short distance down the stairs but then immediately turns to her left. He applies her hoof to the crystal wall. It lights up with a dark purple aura. After a moment, a swirl of energy passes back and forth between her legs and the glowing purple wall. After eight seconds, the energy fades away. He breaks contact with the wall and returns the leg back to the crystal stairs to enhance her balance again. “It's okay. You may all come down here, now,” Sombra invites. “The traps shall ignore you all from now on.” “But just us, huh?” Shining figures as he ignites his own horn with a bright purple aura. He did this because he wants to use a light source that is under his own power since he does not trust the sickly-looking flames on the walls. Besides, his horn is brighter. “I guess we won't invite others down here as a guest room.” “That would be most unwise,” Sombra agrees as he trots Cozy further down the stairs. “There are worse things down here other than the traps, after all.” “Such as?” Shining asks cautiously. “Come down here and I'll show you,” Sombra returns as he arrives at the base of the stairs. From there, he turns Cozy about and looks up the stairs. There he waits until the others arrive. Flurry Heart is the last to arrive. When she shoes up, she floats over a rolled-up scroll, a bottle of ink, and a quill. Flurry's golden aura color is replaced by a red one when Sombra takes over floating the items. When he does, he unfurls the scroll while dipping the quill in the ink. After that, he starts writing notes down on the scroll. He does all of this without looking at any of the items. “The first thing I want to point out to you all is this,” Sombra says as he points one of Cozy's legs at a wall that pulses with a dark purple aura. “Behind this wall is a single crystal that is fused with a combination of several crystals I once found attempting to encroach and corrupt the kingdom. Back when I was still guarding the city, one of these kinds of crystals infected my magic with a dark curse. This happened while I was attempting to study it for analysis in order to figure out what it was and how to disenchant it. The result of that curse is it corrupted my magic which later turned me into the Dark King. If you do not wish to suffer the same fate, then I advise you all to leave them alone.” Cadence gulps nervously, then says, “I can't believe crystals like this dwelled below our bedroom for all these years. I'm surprised they didn't at least infect our dreams.” “I have them well contained,” Sombra assures, “but that has the side effect of amplifying them from where they are. “Incidentally,” he continues as he briefly pats the purple pulsing wall which briefly causes the observing family to almost panic, but he goes on before they even peep a complaint. “these crystals are also powering some of the dark technology I have in the city. For example, they can power beams of destruction through the magic pylons I have spread throughout the city. It's too bad you cannot harness them safely, for if you could, you could use them to defend the city from invasion. However, to operate these crystals safely, you have to use dark magic. The moment you try, they'll attempt to corrupt you. If you’re already corrupted, they'll obey you at your leisure with no further attempts at contamination. “And this is just one of the examples of surprises I have hidden here. I was a rapacious, paranoid, and jealous tyrant. I kept all of my best secrets close at hoof. “Anyway, the secret I wanted to share with you is back here. Follow me. As you do, touch nothing. I warn you.” He makes Cozy trot towards the back of the room while dodging crates and barrels along the way, except all of them were made of crystal of some kind. The rest of the family followed while being careful to avoid touching anything. During the journey, Sombra keeps writing notes on the floating scroll absently. “And here we are.” Sombra pauses in front of a wall. He lifts Cozy's right hoof at it. The walls slides down, revealing a storage panel behind it. This reveals six one foot long thin crystals with points on both ends. He floats them out of some kind of socket then hovers them between him and the rest of the royal family. “What are these?” Shining asks curiously. Sombra spreads a devious smile on Cozy's face (which, again, actually does seem like an expression Cozy herself would often wear) as he makes her say, “Communication crystals and ley line detectors. In Cozy's counterpart world, the closest equivalent to something like these is called cell phones which are devices used to communicate across vast distances nearly instantaneously as well as facilitate the transference of information. These crystals allow the user to communicate with others across vast distances as long as two conditions are met. For one, the sender and receiver must each have one of these crystals. For two, the sender and receiver must dwell near a magical ley line of the planet.” He looks through the crystals at the royal family as he asks them, “How many of you are familiar with that concept?” Flurry raises a hoof. When Sombra makes Cozy nod at Flurry, Flurry answers, “The ley lines are magical streams of energy that facilitate the flow of magic on the planet. They are like the lifeblood in our bodies.” “Pretty good,” Sombra commends. “You get a silver star.” “What did I miss?” Flurry wonders. Sombra looks back at the crystals as he makes Cozy say, “Ley lines are everything you said, but they are largely broken up into two categories; minor ley lines and major ley lines. Minor ley lines are the most common type in the world. They are virtually everywhere, but they are weaker. Major ley lines are like major arteries in the bloodstream. They transfer the largest amount of magic across the planet and they are critical for both magical and environmental balance. “These crystals,” he jolts them up and down to indicate them, “are powered by the ley lines of the planet, both minor and major. The good news about that is it means nopony has to enchant them for them to function. They naturally siphon off enough magic from their surroundings to power themselves, thus they can function almost indefinitely as long as they are not cut off from the source of their strength. “These crystals can do more than that. Their primary purpose is to allow the users to communicate with each other. It won't serve as a magic translation, however, unless they are given another enchantment, so bear that in mind. If any of them do have such an enchantment, then each one has it individually. “But their strength is also their weakness. While the crystals can power themselves in the presence of a ley line, they also require the ley lines to communicate with each other. If only a minor ley line is present, which is pretty much everywhere that I know of, the crystals can communicate a limited distance. That distance varies depending on the strength of the local ley line, but they average about two miles.” “I suppose that can come in hoofy,” Cadence says with a bit of an impressed tone. “You haven't heard the best part,” Sombra says with a grin towards Cadence. “If the sender and receiver both happen to dwell near a major ley line, say within ten miles of it, then these crystals can communicate across a virtually unlimited distance. Theoretically, they can be used to communicate across the entire planet.” “Whoa!” Shining gasps. “Now that is something.” He tilts his head. “But why did you say 'theoretically'?” “Simple.” Sombra waves one of Cozy's hooves at him. “Ponies have not explored the entire world during my time, so that theory is untested for the moment. What we do know, however, is major ley lines are the major lifeblood of the entire planet. No life can exist too far from their presence, so it's suspected they exist in every inhabitable place of the world. That includes under the sea, by the way. There are places on the planet under the ocean that have no life, and still others that absolutely team with life. These crystals can help confirm if a ley line is present in those areas, and if the strength of that ley line is absent, minor, or major. “Let me show you how to do that.” Sombra concentrates on one of the crystals. He has that particular one float closer to the royal family. “I'm writing down the formula on this scroll on how to use these crystals even as we speak, but suffice it to say that when that particular function is activated, one out of four possible results can occur. “One; if the crystal does not glow at all, there is no ley line anywhere in the vicinity. To my knowledge, those areas are rare. Finding such a place is a sign that the magic in the area is damaged, drained, or blocked somehow. There very likely are other major environmental problems in the area, and as such, it would be highly unusual to find life in those areas. “Two; the crystal glows red. That means there is a ley line somewhere in the vicinity, but it isn't strong enough to be useful to the crystal yet except to help you find a stronger area. If this is what you find, wander around the area until the crystal at least glows orange. At that point, the magic is at least strong enough for the crystals to communicate a minor to medium distance. “The final color these crystals can glow is green. If you find one of these, you have found a major ley line.” “They are all glowing green now,” Flurry observes. “Yes.” Sombra nods. “That's because the Crystal Empire is deliberately parked on one of the planet's major ley lines. Not only that, but the reason for it is here. You see, when we found this place, we also found a rare type of crystal which, in ancient times, was called Starlight Dust. Starlight Dust are crystals composed of a super-condensed form of magic. In fact, Starlight Dust is the major source of light magic in the world. “In ancient times, during the dawn of the last epoch, these magical comets rained down upon our world, but most of them burned up in the atmosphere. When they did, they showered the land with sparkling magic dust, hence the name, which gave rise to both magic and sentience upon all life enchanted by this dust. Either all or most sentient species have evolved from this one source.” “How do you know this?” Cadence asks in awe. “Long story,” Sombra returned. “Suffice it to say, one of the possessors of the Red Crystal, which housed half of my soul, traveled through space and time. I learned a lot about the workings of the universe along with my former possessor. “Anyway,” he focuses back on the floating crystals instead of Cadence, “while rare, Starlight Dust comets occasionally managed to make it to the surface of the planet without completely burning up. These crystals are exactly that … fragments of Starlight Dust that originally enchanted our world with magic. That's also why they respond so much to the ley lines of the planet. It is because they are connected to them. They vibrate at the same magical frequency. “And before you ask,” he focuses on Shining, “the reason I can't make more of these crystals for you is because I can't duplicate any crystal with this much magical complexity. I'm good, but I cannot copy the original source of magic. “However, if you do happen to find more fragments of these crystals, then what I can do is enchant them so that they become another reciprocal for magical communication. That function isn't innate to a raw form of these crystals. I have to add that enchantment later.” He looks across the six floating crystals. “These ones just happen to be the ones I discovered so far, and another thing useful about them is the fact we can use them to find more of their kind, like this.” Cozy's crystal flashes red for a moment. One of the crystals flashes bright blue in response. Right after that, the other five crystals flashes blue, then the first crystal flashes bright blue five times. “These crystals can be used to send out a magical pulse,” Sombra explains. “The brighter the flash, the closer you are to another source of these crystals. Also, you'll note that the first crystal flashed once when it sent the pulse. The others received it and flashed in response. After that, the original crystal flashed five times to indicate that it detected five others of its kind in close proximity.” “I see!” Cadence gasps. “That's very fascinating.” Sombra causes all the crystals to spin as he informs, “I happen to know there are more crystals like this elsewhere, and they are also enchanted to perform these functions. These just happen to be the ones I had on hoof when I first came to the Frozen North in Equestria. Several other ponies had some of these crystals, and they had them so we could communicate with each other from a distance. I do not know what happened to those crystals since. I do know that the magic academy where I was taught had a few. My old teacher, Star Swirl the Bearded, had one. You'll have to ask him what he did with it since, but it is unlikely he dispensed with something so valuable. After all, even if all the other communication crystals were lost, a single shard of these crystals is good enough to find where the ley lines of the planet are. That is extremely valuable knowledge for a wizard, especially one of his caliber. “Back during my mortal days, we once used these crystals to steadily map out the location of these magic veins across the planet.” He looks at the family. “You'll find the results of our discoveries in the main library here in the Crystal Empire unless something happened to those books since, but I must warn you that there are two problems with that information even if you do find them. “One; we failed to map out the ley lines across the entire planet, for we were too concerned with our survival at the time to focus all of our effort on exploration. In fact, several of these crystals was exactly what we used to find Equestria in the first place. What your ancestors did was use these crystals to find a major ley line and followed it in the hopes to find a more habitable area. We did know that the major ley line in our area was weakening due to the winter storms and the loss of all life. By finding the last remaining lines we had, they followed them and monitored them to see if these crystals grow greener, thus indicating a stronger ley line. “We didn't know, at the time, that we were also the cause of the winter storms, or more specifically, the negative energy we gave which the windigos fed upon. They were the true cause of the winter storms, as the old tales say. “Actually, one of my former servants, Clover the Clever, accidentally discovered a means to drive off the windigos. When he alerted me to that discovery using one of these crystals, I jotted down some notes about his discovery which eventually led to the construction of that.” He points one of Cozy's hooves at the hovering and spinning Crystal Heart in the room which is still following Flurry Heart. “That crystal uses the same principle as his discovery, except it is a more permanent version of that spell. It, too, is made of Starlight Dust. “As your ancestors continued to trace the major ley lines, they discovered this place, and here is where they found the largest source of Starlight Dust ever, for this was the only sample they discovered that did not burn up in the atmosphere at all. Instead, that comet was artificially pulled down into the planet through a magic portal. Because it didn't travel as great of a distance, it didn't burn up. “That crystal was used as the foundation for this entire Empire. It is like a seed that we encouraged to sprout with caring and loving energy. Like a plant, it sprouted and spread its roots. As such, we are currently standing on the largest source of Starlight Dust that ponykind has ever discovered to date.” “Wow!” Flurry says in awe. “That's amazing!” “The Crystal Heart,” he waves to indicate it, “is a smaller piece chipped off that larger fragment, which is why it has such an intense connection to this city. However, the Crystal Heart has more refined enchantments layered on it. This is the tool we used to help the rest of the city grow into the form it is today. A ritual, like the one traditionally practiced with the Crystal Fair, is what we used to give the Heart more and more power. That, in turn, was used to form the rest of this city.” “Okay,” Cadence points at Sombra within Cozy, “this is why I was hoping you'd rejoin the rest of our society. There is so much we can learn from you. So much that could help us to reconnect with our history.” She waves beyond. “The rest of the citizens of the Crystal Empire don't remember much about their past.” Her look shifts to a bit of an accusing stare. “Something about an evil curse has limited their memory.” Sombra rolls Cozy's eyes as he says, “Ironic. It turns out there are pieces of my history that are missing from my mind too. In fact, that is why I am here.” He sighs tiredly, then tells Cadence, “I appreciate your offer, Your Majesty, but I am an ancient weary warrior who has grown tired of constant struggles and battles throughout the passage of the last millennia. I have long ago asked myself if there is anything better than this existence, and I'm afraid I shall not rest until I find it.” He shakes Cozy's head as he goes on to say, “We ponies are not psychologically designed to last this long as an immortal. It can be done, but there are consequences. We lose a little piece of ourselves as time drags on. No matter how noble our goals may be during that time, it is nonetheless a major sacrifice. One I am tired of paying over and over again. “So, please forgive me, Your Majesty, but I'm afraid I must decline. “Besides,” he continues with a soft smile as he looks at the wall to her right, “from what I've seen, you've done a very fine job here, so ancient spirits like me are no longer required to keep the peace.” He looks back at Cadence. “To even try is to invite a much darker possibility. If I stayed here, I'd more likely be a threat to you rather than an asset. I don't want to remain in your compony any longer than I have to in order to avoid that risk.” He applies a hoof to Cozy's chest as he says, “With the last shred of everything that is noble within me, I wish to spare us both from this burden. “You'll do fine, Your Majesty. Trust your citizens, your family, and your friends. If you ever feel you have gone astray, they shall guide you back to the righteous path. You have more allies and friends than I ever did, and most of mine died a long time ago. I miss them dearly, and I don't wish to deprive them of my compony any longer. They waited and suffered long enough, and so have I.” Cadence nods in acceptance as she says, “Of course, Sombra. I'm sorry for my thoughtlessness. You are right. You have been through enough. If rest is what you seek, then I shall endeavor to aid you however I can.” “And, in doing so, we'll end up helping both Cozy's as well,” Shining adds. “Sounds like a worthy goal to me.” Sombra bows to them, then says, “Then our goals are finally in alignment. Thank you for your understanding and any assistance that you may provide.” Rising from her bow, Sombra announces, “If I inform you of anything else, I'll let Cozy share this information through the communication crystals which, by the way, I recommend you keep at least one with you here in the Crystal Empire and one in Canterlot. I have no doubt that Cozy's mother will want to keep one close to her anyway. You know how tidy she can be when it comes to keeping track of any information she deems to be important.” “You can say that again,” Shining agrees. “You said it,” Cadence also concurs. “Um,” Flurry raises a hoof, “if nopony objects, I'd like to keep hold of one of the crystals.” “So you can keep in touch with your friend,” Cadence realizes with a fond smile passed to her daughter. “Permission granted.” “There is another benefit to that action, actually,” Sombra puts in. “These crystals can also act as a homing beacon for teleportation. If Cozy keeps her hooves on one of them, then you, Flurry Heart, will never arrive off target towards Cozy if Cozy's crystal is the focus of your teleportation.” “Awesome!” Flurry cheers. “Then that means I can pay her a visit whenever I want!” For some reason, Sombra notices Cozy's spirit inwardly groan upon that announcement. “O . . . kay,” Sombra says slowly with confusion worn on Cozy's face. “Well, um . . . this is good because that means the crystals have another strategic value. If the crystals are the focus, then you, Flurry, would be traveling through the magic ley lines to arrive at your target. Not only can that cheapen the magical cost of teleportation, but some unicorns have even been known to gain magical energy through this method because of the path they take to get there. By traveling through the world's primary source of flowing magic, you can absorb some of it along the way. Paradoxically, the greater this distance is, the greater amount of magic you'd gain. Usually it's the other way around, but by extending the distance through the major ley lines, you gather more magic as you travel. “And, of course, you can also carry with you a saddlebag full of supplies with ease. This means that those on the airship can be resupplied in mid-voyage. That, in turn, can greatly extend the range of the ship. By keeping one of these crystals here, it stays close to a major source of resources. That can only be to our benefit. That also means we continuously have some access to the library here and all of the information it contains.” “And we can add to it as the journey continues,” Flurry announces brightly. “Correct,” Sombra says with a nod. “Also, if the unicorn or alicorn happens to be skilled enough, such a pony can also take other passengers with their teleportation. “Think of it! That could potentially mean any of the crew of the airship could rest in Twilight's castle or one of the rooms here, then return to the airship as soon as they wake up in the morning. That is, of course, providing that there is a skilled wizard armed with teleportation to facilitate the journey back and forth.” “Knowing my sister,” Cadence adds with an amused snicker, “she'd make sure her guests are 'well fed' with a healthy breakfast before they leave. She'd probably even insist upon that. During that time, she'd want to know every detail of their journey so far so she can write a full-scale research paper on it.” Sombra feels Cozy Glow groan from within again then curses her companion for pointing this out. “And now,” Sombra announces, “without further adieu, I must return this body back to its rightful owner.” “You do that,” Shining agrees. “And . . . thanks, Sombra, for all you've shared with us.” “Paying old debts might be part of what I need for closure,” Sombra suspects. “Since I'm here anyway, I might as well make some value of my existence. “Farewell. If we ever meet again . . . may it be with a new face and purpose.” Cozy's head sinks low as she sinks into a deep trance. The others glance at each other while they wait until Cozy picks up her head once again. Following that, she stretches her hooves above her wings and does the same with her wings behind her. “I hate that!” Cozy complains. “It's so disconcerting and annoying to feel my body but be unable to do anything about it.” “Flurry,” Shining turns to look at his daughter sharply, “is it really her, or is Sombra just pretending to have given Cozy back her body?” As if to answer, Flurry races forward to embrace her friend in a tight hug, then assures as she squeezes Cozy tightly enough to cause an inadvertent squeaky sound, “It's really her, Dad!” Flurry assures happily. “Welcome back, Cozy! I missed you!” “I was gone for less than an hour,” Cozy says tightly because she can barely breathe. “Cr . . . crushing me! Lungs . . . barely able to breathe oxygen! Life . . . fading.”