Sombra couldn't help but marvel at how the world changed. How ponies changed while Twilight ran things. Even if the mare begrudged her position, he could hardly see a world more prosperous without her. He spent many hours pondering to himself why he had a hard time hating the alicorn but he concluded that he admired a well running government. In spite of what others think, he was proud of how much wealth the crystal empire generated and how it maintained the strongest raw military might in the world during his rule. Twilight ran things very differently, but he admired her style of ruling that did not waste time with formality or ego pleasing like Her while enjoying popularity for her own level of care for the individual as well as the collective.
Sombra paced up and down his room. It had been one week, a blindingly fast week where most of his time was spent healing and learning. The capitan of the guard kept his distance and the dragon named Nash bothered him from time to time, yet he enjoyed a lot of freedom when it came to his own wants and needs. Sombra was deep in thought, musing about his enemy...
"The Shapeshifters, Birds, Yakcows, and smaller nations all joined her umbrella as Greater Equestria..."
Nash interrupted him, she was sitting on his bed, legs crossed and tail waving in the air lazily while he pretended to not notice her remarks. She was deeply annoying, and he resolved she would be the first to be exiled when he won the duel.
"Changlings, Gryphons and just Yaks." she corrected, he ignored.
"Defeat Twilight and they either all turn on me, or they all submit...If I begin the subjugation curse now..." he lost track of the thought and picked up another. "I can't begin any rituals, pointless. Better to focus on...what?" he asked himself.
Sombra had been clawing at this wall in his head for days now, and his conclusion was still the same.
"You can't plan for anything because Twi won't let you, yet if you lose to her all your plans will backfire, or worse, you'll lose and regret your plans." Nash went on.
Sombra finally eyed her, blowing out a deep sigh and lowering his head a fraction. "And, pray tell, what might you suggest-" he turned to face her, a vile grin on his face and eyes radiating the sickly green color. "Dear Friend?"
The look did not have the same effect on her as it did with countless Crystal Ponies, all who cowered in fear of their kings ire. Instead she just shrugged, which, again, deeply annoyed him.
"Best thing you could do is fight her on your terms. Don't wait for her, just do it quick and quiet and you can lay out all your curses in secret." Nash rather candidly suggested before laying down on her back, letting her legs stretch out, her head resting on his pillows.
"Of course this occurred to me, do you even know who I am?" Sombra shot back. "The murder of an alicorn will be felt by all ponies...that is what legends say and I would rather not risk the revolt of a nation until I'm aware of Twilight's full intent and the repercussions, I need to know where I may go and who will be of use to me when I am free of aliconrs."
Nash shrugged again, her claws digging into her jacket pockets and eyes closing.
Is she bored?! I grace her with the chance to confer with me, the master tactician of the Crystal Empire, and she's BORED?!
"Then you also see that if you got that far, held all the cards and got to Princess Celestia, you would be fine with the sun exploding?" Nashta interjected.
"That was an age ago, and the situation was much different..." he retorted.
Sombra let a groan escape him, feeling boxed into a corner with no legitimate way out without either sacrificing his pride as a king or putting himself in a position of total loss no matter what the outcome. Twilight didn't look it, but she was adept at working unexpected situations to her total favor. The first thing Sombra burned into his head was that Twilight Sparkle was the culmination of generations of teaching through not just Celestia, but Luna, and their cousin Cadence. On top of that, she had a horribly well suited hero in Starswirl the Great which most of her own self-taught lessons stemmed from. Adding on more merit, she mastered the gifts of harmony and has vast experience in dealing with national and global crisis. This wasn't just the avatar of the sun or mistress of night, this was the utter peak of power and wisdom hard earned...Sombra knew when to admire a foe, and while he knew Celestia was a backstabbing, manipulative, coward with far too much raw power; a blunt but large sword, Twilight was a razors edge. It felt almost impossible to win, let alone find pleasure in victory if what she said was true about the Crystal Empire.
"Tell me, where are the archives in this castle?" he asked, his tone cold and commanding.
"The library? It's on the lower floor, open to the public, ya know?" she answered care-free.
Sombra couldn't nail it down, but he felt his ire lessoning in intensity. Probably a symptom of being around her too long and getting used to her horrible and outright cheerful attitude around him. That, and perhaps her sympathy, that night escape under the moon, was still putting her in his favor. Sombra took a moment to think as he stopped pacing, seeing her glance up at him.
"Have the slaves bring up any tome regarding the major historical events spanning the last generation. Also, have them bring up a few on the Crystal Empire, any will do. Lastly, I demand nourishment for the long task ahead." He ended, deciding then to asset himself with a burst of vocal prowess and dominating posture, hoof slamming into the already cracked tile in his room and creating a crater of green and black magic. "On the double!"
Nashta sat up and seemed puzzled, her eyes reflecting a little worry and he felt the warm rush of pride as his command and noble presence inspired her to finally respect him. To which he felt all feelings of respect dashed when she stifled a chuckle and nodded.
"S-sure, but, ah; we don't use slaves and I'll add a few self-help books to the list, you really need to work on your attitude." she lifted herself in the air a few inches with a graceful push off the bed and a wisp of black smoke coming from her back. Sombra only recently discovered it was due to her rare heritage, but she could move shadow and create objects from darkness. Often she used this to walk and hide in places no dragon, pony or other could even imagine, he saw the usefulness in having her as a spy as her father wished, but he also saw in her an unparalleled assassin waiting to be born.
Such a useful talent wasted on an immature whelp. he thought to himself.
Nashta left the room to the worry of the guards nearby and he realized in her wake that he was left to his own...
At his full strength, Sombra assumed he could easily overpower a few guards and make a clean escape. However, the issue remained of how to deal with Twilight Sparkle and if he decided to move now, he would be forcing himself to move from a disadvantage in his state. Sombra began pacing again, dark magic leaving his horn to fix the tile as he paced so he would no longer feel the bite of broken stone in his hooves, which he also had a feeling a chip dislodge somewhere and rejoin the tile after the ground shattering gesture, causing a flash of pain ad irritation.
"I am truly unlucky..." he said to himself as he cast another spell, repairing the door and shutting it, the guards not able to, or unwilling, to throw themselves in the room to stop him sealing them off and finally enjoying the quiet of privacy.
Beginning the process of simple meditation, trying to focus his magic energy and better unlock all those worn and ill-used muscles, tapping back into the dark magic he was so skilled in, hearing the buzz of silence creeping in his ears and taking a deep and long, and loud breath to break the silence.
"I will overcome this. I will rule all of Equestria because it is my right. Celestia was-"
"Was more royal than you could ever hope to be? More of noble birth? A ruler of lesser ponies like you?" came a voice in the walls.
Sombra felt a cold spike run down his neck and suppressed the shiver that came with it. Sombra turned to the door to curse the guards for their snark but found the door he just mended was a blank wall with flowing tapestries depicting his downfall at the hands of a tiny dragon. He blinked, the vision faded in the instant and he closed his jaw, forcing his breathing to steady and fight the fear, closing his eyes again.
The echo of shrill laughter. The roar of white fire. The shouting of vindicated anger.
Silence.
The faint buzz in his ears deafening him to the world and when he spoke, he shouted to just hear himself.
"I'm fine, everything is fine, I'm free, I'm alone as I desire to be, as I always will be because a king is always alone. King Sombra!"
He opened his eyes, the world rotated sharply to a level angle again and he stumbled just slightly. The noise faded to just the sound of a bird, causing him to turn and see a blue robin in his window singing. Sombra felt sick to his stomach, his fur felt heavy and yet his skin was cold. Taking a step, not even noticing the specks of blood left behind from his wounded hoof. The only thought that occupied him now was a single, strange realization.
"You...not even you fear me?" he asked the bird.
He got closer and closer, thinking back to the cold empire and the rare birds, the rare wildlife in general of his homeland. How his rule and the wasteland he created ended most all species of animal that called the north home. Never once did a bird soil his balcony, but nor did it ever calm his nerves with wordless song. The bird just kept singing, Sombra was close enough to reach out to it, and it showed no sign of flight or fear.
"You've been trained...raised by ponies, that is why you do not fly. I'm just a possible source of food to you, aren't I?" he grit his teeth. Dark magic welled up inside him, running his veins cold and his eyes toxic green, he could see the bird like only a true mage could...a collection of parts, skull for a series of simple curses, feathers to make charms, and so many other uses... the window suddenly slamming shut, sending the bird panicked and flapping as the window reshaped into a crystal mirror, polished, embedded with dark gems and blocked out the sunlight.
Sombra saw himself, admiring the mirror in his cold sweat as a trinket from his past. Time long ago he used so many such mirrors to admire himself, to hurt the crystal ponies in such mazes of torture. The mirror snapped, cracking down the center, then falling apart into crystal dust that scattered on the wind in a dense glow of purple magic. Twilight would not allow any dark constructs in her domain, that was obvious now...he cursed her name over and over, feeling the small drops of blood now on his hoof and redoubling his healing efforts, making the signs of his weakness vanish in a quiet wisp of green fire, clearing the spots in the room, and finally leaving him back in silence.
Not total silence...
Sombra felt his attention pulled down, looking out into the garden of Twilights Castle, seeing a pony of pale green hue tend to the bird he cast from his ledge. He saw the aviary, and how concerned the caretaker was of this bird. He noticed that around this little section was musical instruments and perches with music sheets nearby.
"Songbirds...The princess must see value in them."
Sombra noticed his rage was slipping away, feeling something like pity, snarling to himself and leaving the window before the pony could look up and see the cause of her anguish. He felt the buzz of silence creeping in again, nearly shouting in frustration he threw open the door much to the guards shock and stepped out.
"I am going to the library, stop me if you dare!"
__________________
Spike couldn't help but lose track of his own schedule now. What was once a meticulously crafted blend of downtime and meetings was now in utter chaos as he worked overtime speaking to guards, sometimes whole sections, sometimes individuals, about the issue of King Sombra's return. Creating contingency plans, stopping any leaks to the press and absolutely despising what the cursed stallion was doing to his daughter. He didn't know if he should forbid her from speaking to him, what good that might do, and what kind of message that might send to both of them.
'Isn't there a saying, sir? Thick as thieves?' a commander had said to him in jest. Spike put him on double watch duty for two days.
Jokes would get him nowhere in solving his king sized issue, yet there was nothing he could do to override Twilight's decision. When it came to the Princess of Friendship, trust was key to being her captain of the guard. Spike was sure not even Shining Armor could handle this position these days. Still, Spike had the years of trial to know Twilight was good on her word; King Sombra was one of their toughest foes, but he was also one of the few that were beyond help at the time...he was sure Twilight held regret for that, especially after fighting Queen Chrysalis who also wouldn't even try listening.
Spike let out a yawn, trying to organize an effective patrol of the grounds that stepped up security without looking too obvious to the public. He also was desperately trying to carve out time to interrogate Sombra about his intentions for the duel and maybe, just maybe find enough to disillusion Twilight.
Spike finalized the watchlist, standing up with the parchment in claw and stretching, the leather of his uniform creaked and he felt a pop in his back that sparked a little worry in the back of his mind, not liking the idea of needing to workout more to limber up.
Traveling down the halls, he saw the uneasy looks the guards gave him, making him exhale a frustrated groan as he finally turned into the guards central hub, the armory and central station, but the name it was given was just 'The Barracks' even though it was just a long room. Spike handed the parchment over to the watch commander who couldn't suppress a yawn, then gave a sharp, if nervous, salute and started issuing orders to the runners on standby. The castle was on lockdown, though no one would guess it unless they spent a lot of time in the castle recently.
Spike didn't care to justify his actions; while he was understanding and full of compassion, lessons learned right alongside the elements of harmony, he was also his own dragon and his top priority was keeping Twilight safe. Guards might go with a little less sleep than normal but it couldn't be helped while he got a handle on what Sombra was planning.
"Why so many guards suddenly?" Thorax asked without any preamble.
Spike felt wind get stuck in his chest and he turned with a smile wanting to cross his face while he wanted to be serious.
"Diplomats should stick to their quarters and the dining hall." he snapped back. Thorax wasn't having it...the changeling shook his head and repeated his question. "Look-" Spike continued. "We are having an issue with a new arrival...someone from awhile back, way way back, and-...See...the issue is...we...I am just trying to carry out Twilights...orders?"
While the watch commander might not think it was audible, the stifled chuckle earned him another days punishment the moment Spike could address him. Thorax, though, wasn't convinced.
"You and I both know Twilight well enough that if she says its handled, its handled. If she needs help, she will ask for it." Thorax began, thinking. "So why don't you sound confident in your...orders?"
Spike rubbed his tired face, starting to walk and nodding, admitting defeat to the changling and adding. "Come on, I'll explain it to you, you might as well know since you're here."
Thorax had stayed behind while diplomats came and went, as he was deep in talks with Twilight about creating a new sub-state, a place for changlings to expand their territory and mingle more freely with the other races. This took long conversations of state-craft that a hero like Spike hated sitting in on. Yet it was always nice to have old friends, and while Thorax looked much older, his shell only had a faint greyness to it. Walking, Spike had to admire again how different the insect like changlings were. The emotions themselves sustained them like love and joy, but deeper emotions such as friendship kept them full of youth.
Spike began by taking a deep breath.
"You know a little about the Crystal Empire; how the Crystal Heart protects it and that an evil king once ruled it, brought it to ruin and oppressed his ponies to the point that Celestia and Luna intervened just before it vanished." Thorax nodded. They took a turn and entered the Hall of Harmony where the map table and seats were for discussions. Spike touched the table, then scanned over it to the Empire, letting Thorax see the massive city and its unique splendor. "That evil king was named Sombra. Twilight and I defeated him when the Empire returned..." Spike turned to face Thorax, who was sitting now, listening intently. "Or so we thought..."
"Oh dear..." he replied. Spike in turn nodded.
"Unknown to us, Celestia recovered a fragment of Sombra. Being mostly a spirt, I suppose she knew he would eventually recover and threaten us again. She locked him in a prison made just for him...it was...this strange space where dimensions didn't make sense and the darkness was alive. He was there, chained totally immobile to the wall for fifty years. Twilight found out about him from Cadence as she passed..."
Spike had to stop, feeling the weight of his words and how it pulled into his chest, making Thorax change as well, feeling those emotions on Spike and empathizing.
"It's ok...Spike, it's just us. No need to play the hero." Thorax offered with a kind smile.
The dragon nodded, rubbing his face to chase away the thoughts and feelings.
"Celestia tortured him for a lifetime, all three of them...it's...hard to understand. Sombra is evil personified, bitter vengeance given form, but how could that happen." he paused, wrestling his emotions again, feeling the drag of stress more than ever.
"And now he is here. Is he a threat?" Thorax surmised.
"I don't even know. I think so, he used me to almost hurt Nash and Twilight." He started. Finding his emotions mixed, unsteady.
"Yet you know he was afraid." Thorax continued.
Spike chuckled. Nodding and turning a seat around, it was Pinkies by chance...sitting down to rest and nod again, blowing out a sigh. "You are still scary good at reading me."
Thorax smiled with a hint of pride and the warmth of a friend. "If you controlled your emotions better, I might not be as good."
"No wonder changlings are taking over the therapy business..."
That got a raised brow, and finally they both shared a laugh. It went on for long moments, Spike finally feeling that stress fall off him like old scales. Then finally coming to breath in deep and regain the conversation. Sitting back in the seat with those all important lessons about just smiling now in his mind, bittersweet, true, and needed.
Thanks Pinkie...
"I've done what I can to prepare for the worst, but the last thing we need is rumor getting out that Sombra is here and, Celestia help us, Twilight is protecting him." Spike admitted, standing back up and pushing the seat back into place. Thorax stood as well and nodded.
"I understand. It's not every day that a cursed king comes back to life, again...but what did I say before? If Twilight says she can handle it. She can handle it. We have to trust that she had a plan in mind, because I could just run for my life now if you think I should...but?" he paused, waiting.
"But Twilight and I will keep everyone safe." Spike ended. Thorax nodded and smiled.
"See? You both deserve your positions for just this reason. Though you can inform Twilight that I will postpone our discussions until after this is dealt with." he paused, looking a little sheepish at Spike and seeing that hard reaction. "I-it isnt out of fear, no, just that I would rather not add to the Princess' plate as is. I know everything will be fine, but she hardly needs a political mess like me on her hooves." he ended, turning for the door as Spike followed.
They walked, conversing in small doses as they made their way to the front door. Spike felt a little guilt, knowing sharing this information is the direct cause of the disruption, but Thorax was also right. Less stress for Twilight would be a great thing right now, and the ruler of the changelings has always been accommodating. Spike figured it was the deep connection to the emotions around him, but he was a genuinely kind pony as well.
Spike saw him out, walking all the way to the aircart station where all the flyers could freely come and go, seeing two ponies soon flank the changling king and erupt in a wisp of magic as their disguises drop. Then finally he watched them go, buzzing in the direction of the hive. He could only think about how grand their return would be once this mess was over...the moment Thorax retuned was also the moment Spike would be done with all this stress and, for good or evil, he could put all this uncertainty behind him.
For now, though, he had a goal in mind. Heading back to the castle, he knew the first place Sombra would go and he planned to get all the information the stallion was trying to keep locked up in that head of his...straight to the library.