//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14: Give It A Chance 
// Story: A Tyrant To A King 
// by ShuTodoroki 
//------------------------------//

"So, what do you both usually do at these tea parties?" Sombra inquired, as he took a sip from his cup of ginseng tea that was refreshingly hot. It was a nice change from the same food he had while he lived at the castle suite, making him feel like he was actually being treated like a king and therefore more at ease.

"Well, sometimes we just sit in comfortable silence while eating food, but usually we talk about things that we want to catch up on! Fluttershy's always got her hooves full at the animal sanctuary so she talks about what's going on there most of the time. But this tea party is more about you, since you wanted to learn more about friendship, right?" Discord said as he looked at Sombra expectantly.

"It's also a nice change of scenery instead of pacing around this room all day, and eating the food delivered to the door." Sombra stated, downplaying how he mentioned learning about friendship since he felt uncomfortable otherwise.

"Oh, of course! I'm glad I could help make your stay here more comfortable, while helping you to learn about friendship at the same time. After all, that's why you're here, right?" Fluttershy replied with a warm smile, as she tried to think about something she could bring up to help Sombra understand friendship.

"Did Discord tell you everything about what I taught him when Princess Celestia gave me the task of reforming him?" Fluttershy asked, wanting to know whether she had to explain anything or not to Sombra so she could best teach him whatever she knew about friendship.

"Yes, he basically told me his life story while you were getting ready for this tea party, I assume." Sombra explained, looking quite deadpan since he was bored to death throughout Discord's verbal autobiography.

"Oh, how nice! So is there anything that you want me to clarify or add to? I'm happy to explain anything Discord may have mentioned if it helps you learn more about what friendship means." Fluttershy kept her gaze on Sombra even if she wanted to look away, trying to make the former tyrant feel comfortable.

Sombra was quiet for a bit as he thought about what he wanted to ask, taking another sip from his teacup using his dark magic. "So you managed to convince Discord to use his magic for good by refusing to be his friend if he didn't turn Sweet Apple Acres back to normal?" 

Fluttershy nodded. "I wanted to build trust with him by promising to not use my Element of Harmony against him, but when it became clear to me that he was using me for his own reasons, I knew that I had to be assertive and put my hoof down and I wouldn't let him terrorize my friends like that."

"I didn't want to lose the one friend I ever had, after all! It hit me at that moment that I never had any true friends before that due to alienating everypony with my reign of chaos, despite how fun it was. I wanted to keep that feeling of companionship, and having somepony to talk to." Discord added.

Sombra tried not to think too deeply about what Discord and Fluttershy had told him, deciding to move on to his next question. "So, do you think fear and respect are different things? I believe my subjects in the Crystal Empire respected me, and knew their place in my empire. They followed whatever I commanded, even without my mind control."

Fluttershy's expression faltered when Sombra mentioned his past reign in the Crystal Empire, since she was trying to ignore Sombra's past from affecting how she treated him. "Well…yes, I'd say so. Fear means that the Crystal Ponies followed your orders or decrees because they were afraid of punishment. True respect means so much more than that; it's something that's mutual between friends."

There was a brief pause as Fluttershy thought of an appropriate example to give to Sombra. "When you talk with a friend, you don't interrupt them because you regard their wishes to have their feelings expressed without interruption, just like what you would want if you were doing the same. In my opinion, it feels a lot better that somepony respects you not because of fear of retribution, but because they admire you."

"I felt the same way when I realized that I was going to lose Fluttershy's friendship, truly. I realized that friendship was a two way street, and making everything about me wasn't fair to Fluttershy or her other friends. Yes, compromising hurts my pride a bit, but it's better than having no friends." Discord added.

Sombra was quiet as he was fighting that same internal war he fought again and again, every time Discord brought up true friendship and now Fluttershy. If he wasn't lying to himself, it sounded appealing, but then there was his prideful side that questioned why he was even thinking about this. He already had everything a pony could ever want when he ruled the Crystal Empire! He had no need for friends!

Then again, if he had no need for friends, then why was he questioning himself? If he was so sure, then why did he even need to think about it? Was he truly considering changing his ways, even if he really didn't need to by his own logic? Hmph, a simple question wouldn't hurt. I'm not selling out to their ideology… He rationalized, even if his pride protested vehemently against it.

"Why does friendship matter to you both so much anyway? I mean, you of all beings, Discord, I really don't understand. You're the Lord of Chaos; you don't have to bend to anypony's will. You obviously didn't before you were reformed, ruling Equestria in a perpetual state of chaos and disharmony. So why compromise in exchange for simple companionship?"

"There's a lot of things ponies don't understand about me, including that one." Discord quipped with a chuckle, before moving on to more serious things. "But if you really want my honest answer, having friends makes me feel good. I've probably told you this many times before, but doing things my way is only short term satisfaction. Friendship is…well, forever."

Sombra hated to admit it, but he was starting to think that Discord was right as he looked contemplative on his spot on the couch next to the draconequus, taking another sip from his teacup. "…If I gave this friendship you speak of a chance, would I be released?"

He really hoped that was the case, the extended time he was locked up in the castle suite starting to take a toll on him. He was convinced that it was taking a toll on his sanity, especially since he had just said he would consider friendship when normally he wouldn't even dream of entertaining the thought.

Fluttershy's expression lit up at that, happy that Sombra was actually considering reforming himself. If she had heard it from anypony else, she wouldn't have believed that Sombra wanted to turn over a new leaf. "I don't see a reason why you wouldn't! Princess Celestia and Luna would trust you if you said that you wanted to give friendship a chance. There's only so much you can learn from this room."

"Of course, the princesses would probably have to make a royal decree to everypony about what's going on once you're set free from your house arrest here in the castle suite. Wouldn't want to start total chaos when ponies see the King Sombra walking around the streets of Canterlot, would we? As much as I'd be amused by that."

Sombra once again showed no reaction to Discord trying to be funny, while Fluttershy politely laughed to make her friend feel better. "Well, I would probably be able to learn more about friendship if I were to meet the rest of your friends, instead of being locked in here. Although my accommodation is much nicer than my former imprisonment, I would much prefer being able to go outside."

"Anypony wouldn't like to be cooped up in here! I'd be happy to introduce you to my other friends, as soon as we get permission from Princess Celestia and Luna. Are they here?" Fluttershy asked, before one of the two royal guards stationed outside answered.

"They're not here at the moment. They had to attend a princess summit in Saddle Arabia." The royal guard chimed in from outside Sombra's door, the charcoal stallion letting out a huff of annoyance at being reminded that there were two royal guards who invaded his sense of privacy at all times.

Discord looked sort of disappointed as well, finding it quite dull to talk to Sombra in his castle suite every day. If he could observe his progress while he was out in the real world, however, that'd be much more interesting! "Well, what unfortunate timing! Oh well, I'm sure I can broach the topic with them another day, when they come back. I'm sure they'll have no qualms with the idea since they trust me as your reformer."

"Whenever they come back I'm sure you can tell them about how Sombra's ready to give friendship a try, Discord! For now, though, we should probably eat the scones before they get cold." Fluttershy suggested, which Discord readily agreed to.

The rest of the tea party went uneventfully as Fluttershy and Discord recalled more times that they spent together, Sombra more concerned with just having more of the delicious food that he thought was fit for someone of his-wait, he couldn't think like that anymore, could he?

He had already said that he was going to give friendship a try with some sort of genuinity, which surprised even himself. It's as if his mouth had acted before his brain, a Fruedian slip of something that he had been trying to suppress since he liked how things were before. He didn't need friendship complicating something that was a relatively simple plan.

Yet that plan had completely unraveled at this point, if he was brave enough to admit it to himself. He wasn't even thinking about using his freedom (if it was granted to him) to make a beeline for the Crystal Empire anymore with any sort of certainty. A small part of him wanted that, yes, but if he decided to use common sense he knew it was futile.

Those six ponies managed to beat him every time, and it was all because of friendship. If friendship was that powerful, surely it was worth at least learning more about it? That was how he rationalized his new plan to himself. Well, if he could ever put it into action, that is.

It seemed that all too common the princesses' absence wasn't a one off thing, and it was becoming more frequent. Discord never managed to catch the princesses on the rare chance that they were in the throne room, and when Sombra became desperate enough that he asked the royal guards stationed outside his room, they said Celestia and Luna were responding to "emergencies."

Even Discord didn't seem to know what kinds of emergencies were so frequent that it now seemed like the princesses were never in the throne room, thus his request to be set free so he could learn more about friendship from Twilight and her friends was left unheard and unnoticed.

He was still left on house arrest, with the same useless royal guards stationed outside his dark magic proof room, same surroundings, and same mundane schedule where Discord poofed into his room and carried on conversations that he felt were growing tired at this point.

Where were the princesses when he actually needed them?