//------------------------------// // Heart of Stone // Story: The Heart of Shadows // by TheSilentAuthor //------------------------------// Sombra sat with a nervous smile across his face. The only sound that echoed in the room was the ringing of his plate being tapped with his hoof. By his side sat Chrysalis who didn't share his nervous state but was enjoying her meal. Sombra glanced at the other side of the table where his brother sat. Mezzo also had the same look as he kept glancing at his wife. She stared at Chrysalis as she ate. The stare was a mix of anger and confusion almost like she couldn't comprehend what she was getting mad at. Then there was little Octet sitting on her father's other side, staring with fascination at Chrysalis. Chrysalis kept seeing this fascination and exchanged a kind smile to her. This was countered by a cold stone glance by Gavotte sending chills down the changelings's spine. "So Mrs. Chrysalis where is it that you hail from?" Gavotte asked. Chrysalis gulped. "My family line can be traced as far south as the marsh lands. I fortunately was born just north of here in a small village." "But you are not a crystal pony are you?" Gavotte countered. Sombra rolled his eyes. "Gee, how could you not tell just by seeing." He mumbled. "No ma'am I am not my father was though." Chrysalis managed to say. "Huh, imagine that another mixture of different kinds of ponies. No wonder Sombra took fancy to her." Gavotte under her breath. "What was that?" Chrysalis asked. "Oh just thinking out loud. So your father was a native. Please do tell what was his occupation." Gavotte said. Chrysalis kept starring into the princesses eyes. They seemed to want to tear her apart without mercy. Sombra began worrying after a few seconds. She slowly began "He." "I like you're mane." Octet said interrupting. Chrysalis jolted at this but quickly regain her composure. "Excuse me?" "You're mane is pretty and green just like the ocean waters near where I live." The young princess said. "Why thank you, I must say that I have never seen the ocean but just one time when I was little." Chrysalis said. "Really just one time? My grandfather's palace rests on a cliff by the ocean so I can see it everyday. Its not as pretty as this palace is though I must admit." Octet said going on. Sombra loved the reaction on Gavotte's face when her daughter said those words. He didn't know why but deep down he treated it like a small victory. "Well I am glad you are enjoying your stay so far." Chrysalis said. Octet sat up straiter."Oh I am. Just today me and mother went to..." "Octet Sweetie what did I say about our private affairs. We don't discuss things that others weren't there for." Her mom said hushing her. "Yes ma'am." Octet said. "So Gavotte I heard your father has rebuild most of the docks that line the coast. Quite the impressive feat after that nasty storm and all." Sombra said. He could tell that she was shocked since the words were directly at her. It seemed she was trying to process the words since they weren't insults. "Thank you, he has been working very hard lately." She said looking down at her plate. "Working a little too hard in my opinion." Mezzo said taking a sip from his cup. "One can never work to hard only can they stop when the work becomes to hard" Sombra said. "So my brother tells me that this 'rain forest of the south' has flowers that reflect the colors of the rainbow. Is that true?" Sombra asked to Octet. Octet nodded her head. "They do, mother and I take a couple of them back each time we go there. Except the blues ones though since they only bloom at night. I never seen them myself but mother has" "I bet they are nothing like the compared to the ones they have in Canterlot. While I was they're they had seas of flowers from all over the world. It was almost madding." Sombra said to her. "Whats Canterlot?" Octet. "It's the capital of Equestria almost lying in the direct center of the land." Sombra said. Sombra noticed the Gavotte had stopped eating and was just sitting there in silence. She seemed to be trying to put together something for she started to move her mouth. Whatever it was she was only keeping it for herself. Octet kept asking question, thankfully Chrysalis was quick to answer them. Soon the hour drew near for everypony to start heading home and attend to their evening affairs. Mezzo and his family went out of the palace while Sombra retreated to his throne room. "Well what did you think of her?" Sombra asked. "I hate how she looked at me the whole time. She seemed like she wanted to throw me out or something along those lines." Chrysalis said. "What gave you that impression?" Sombra said sitting down. "Its just the glare she had and when that little one was starting to tell what they did today. That tone in her voice was just harsh. I mean your brother seems so nice and gentle how on earth did those two ever fall in love?" Chrysalis said. Sombra shrugged. "You're asking the wrong pony. I fully don't understand it myself but they seem happy together." Chrysalis went to the window to see the young cover of night slowly take over the city. "Seems so very quite out there tonight. I keep feeling like something big is about to happen but I don't know what." She said. "Oh? What has given you that feeling?" Sombra asked. She turned to him. "I don't know its just I been all wired up all of the sudden." She said. Sombra smiled. "You probably just need to get some fresh air." He said getting up from his seat and walking up to her. "Care for a walk?" "Where to?" She asked. Sombra stopped to think "How about the hallowed garden by the old fountain." "But isn't that closed during the evening times?" She asked. Sombra smirked at her. "Yeah I just realized what I just said. Come on." She said grabbing him and pulling him to the door. The two wondered to the part of town where the garden laid hidden from the outside world. Sombra always loved the hallowed garden ever since he first laid eyes on it. Using his magic he unlocked the great iron door that opened to a flight of stairs. He guided Chrysalis and himself by illuminating a small light from his horn. Soon his light was met with a parade of colors from all over, even the ground was giving of a reflection. He couldn't remember the story behind this crystal garden but he knew that it was well around before he was even born. The two came to a chamber where only clear crystals grew so the light from his horn made it seem like the middle to the day. "Breathtaking isn't?" Sombra said. Chrysalis just smiled and said nothing. Sombra lead her along the path to another chamber where there was a great number of different colored gems. Each one sent a beam of color only to run into another beam. Sombra stopped in the center so that all the colors could wash over him. Chrysalis stood by his side and rested her head on his shoulder. He felt her breathing which gave him a sense of comfort. He kissed her on the head and leaned his head over hers and the two just sat there for a while. It was almost peaceful until Sombra began feeling something burning on his skin. It was almost like a little scratch but soon it began running up his right foreleg. He soon began to trying to itch the spots secretly but soon that became impossible. "Is something wrong?" Chrysalis asked. "Nothing its just that I have this terrible itch crawling along my coat." Sombra said raising his right fore hoof so that his horn could dig into his skin. "Should we head back?" Chrysalis asked. Sombra frowned a little. "No we can stay if you want." "No whatever it is thats bothering you is probably something from this cave. Lets go back and see if Vig has anything for it." Chrysalis said in a almost whisper. Sombra sighed. "Lets go." The two went back to the palace and Sombra had learn that Vig was not in at the time. He was confused why Vig wasn't in but he was sure that he would be back soon. The itch on his leg was begging to really bother him so he decided to try and wash it off. He scrubbed as hard as he could and soon he felt all irrarataion phase away. Drying off he went to his balcony to enjoy the evening atmosphere Sombra breathed in the night air. It lifted his spirits. "Well you're all gone now." He chuckled while whipping his hoof dry. A noise from below caught his attention. Coming towards the palace was a pony who was quite a rush. Sombra was confused at who this was coming at this time of night. The figure moved at a quick pace and was soon dissapreaed underneath his vision. Whoever it was had a great big bag dragging along the ground with them. Sombra waited to see if the pony would reemerge but only silence followed his curiosity. He looked up at the moon which was in full and casting a bright glow over the empire. Turning back to his room he walked in and retreated to his bead. His right eye burned greatly causing him to clench his teeth. He rubbed it with his hoof but it stilled burned terribly. Sitting up he opened his eyes to meet the early morning sunlight. Except he really couldn't see out of his right eye as if somepony but a green eye patch over it. Scrapping at it he couldn't get it to see any light. "What is this? Why can't I see anything out of it?" He said. A stirring sound came from behind him. Chrysalis came around. "Sombra whats wrong..." She screamed when she was directly in front of him. "What? Whats wrong?" Sombra asked. "You're eye.....you're coat.." She stuttered. Sombra began panicking. "Get Vig up here now!" He said rushing to his bathing room. Chyrsalis hurried out the door as he stumbled towards the mirror that hung near his tub. Coming into reaching distance he jumped at the sight that was before him. His eye was completly green, save his natural red iris and pupil. It looked like it was infected by something but surly it couldn't take away his sight? The other thing he noticed that the area around his eye was all grey in fact the area ran down all over one half of his face. It poured down to to his neck almost consuming the entire area then it spread to his chest. There was a small sliver along his hip but it leaked onto both of his hide legs. He turned around to see that his entire back side was almost the same color. "What happen to me? I can't just hide all of this it would take hours to do." He said cradling his head. A slight shot of pain shot off in his horn. "Not that to." He said returning to the mirror. Upon examining his horn he noticed a small area that been turned to a bright red. This could have been a sign for infection but he had a suspicion that it was related to his current problems. Stepping back he retook in the image that was before him. A unicorn who's coat was mostly grey with splashed of white mostly on his left side. His left eye was as normal only to be mirrored by a hideously looking green eye that now had a small trace of purple begging to come out of the corner. Sombra grew angry and slammed his hoof into the mirror shattering it. "He's right this was Vig." He head Chrysalis voice say. "Now, now am sure whatever it is isn't as bad as you made it..." Sombra turned to see Vig standing the the door way. "Oh my." The doctor said stepping back. Sombra rushed the doctor with full force. "What is all of this? What could have possibly done this to me? Anwser me! Answer me!" he demanded. "I dont know give me a chance to examine you first." Vig said. Sombra slumped down. "First the eye." He growled. The doctor kneeled over him and started to examine his eye. "Dear goodness what did you do?" He asked under his breath. "I did nothing you idiot. Why on earth would I go out of my way and purposely do something like this?" Sombra hissed. "Sombra he's just trying to help." Chrysalis said. Sombra turned his head away a little bit from her. Suddenly Vig pulled out a magnifying glass of some kind and quickly scanned Sombra's neck. "Finding anything Doc?" Sombra asked. Vig kept looking until his eyes lit up. Whatever he just saw made him smile not the kind of smile that one gives to a friend but the one in which somepony just won an argument. "I can't really tell but your coat is now mostly this grey color and the source could be a number of things. Give me about three days and I will probably find something for you." Vig said proudly. "And what of the eye?" Chrysalis asked. Sombra sensed a sharp and cold look shoot from Vig's eyes as he turned to the changeling. "The eye is something I can't fully understand right now. Like I said give me some time and I will figure this all out. Until then my advice is that we get his groomers up here to making him look like his old self." Vig said. "No." Sombra mumbled. "What was that sir?" Vig asked. "I said that I don't want any groomers touching me." Sombra growled. Vig chuckled. "You don't really mean that do you?" Sombra stood up. "I do, if there is no way of curing me of this than there is no use of hiding it. Ponies will just have to get use to it." "Sir I would advise you differently." Vig said. "Get out Vig and hurry with whatever voodoo you have to fix this." Sombra said in a low voice. "Excuse me?" VIg asked. "GET OUT NOW!" Sombra yelled at him. The doctor made his way out in a hurry slamming the door on his way out. Sombra went to his sink and began pumping water so that he could wash his face. It was funny the water almost had no feel as he soaked his face. He paused for a minute and then turned to see Chrysalis still standing there. "What?" He asked. She said nothing but looked afraid as his words came out. "What?" He asked followed with no response. "WHAT IS IT?" He said in a harsh tone. She whimpered. "Sombra what has gotten into you." Sombra was about to say something else but he stopped himself. Looking at Chrysalis he could tell he frightened her. "Chrysalis I, I am not myself anymore." Sombra said in a low whisper. "I know thats not an excuse for me to treat others around me with such a mean spirit but I am frightened. Anger shouldn't be the way to express these feelings but I feel like I have no control over it." Chrysalis loosen up a bit but still kept her distance from him. Sombra looked a back at the broken mirror before he did anything else. He took in one more glimpse of himself then he walked out passing Chrysalis along the way. He went strait for his door. "Sombra where are you going?" Chrysalis asked. Sombra opened and closed the door behind him. "Sombra!" Chrysalis called after him. He walked down the hall heading for his throne. A servant was walking in the same direction ahead of him and turned around as if he heard the unicorn coming. The servant fell to the floor with a whelp as he saw Sombra. He stared with horror in his eyes as Sombra passed by. Deep down Sombra felt strange for he never had that reaction be given to him. Mentally he tried to be prepared for ponies to be shock but now that he had experienced it maybe it wouldn't be so easy as he thought. This thought continued and increase with each passing pony that he passed. Each other gasp from shock or back away quietly. Sombra grew more and more afraid at this point for he was starting to regret not trying to hide his new condition. Bitting his lip he slowly pushed open the door to the throne room. Before doing this he turned around to see a small crowd of ponies staring at him as if trying to study him. With one breath he threw opened the door so that everypony would know he was there. All his officials stared at him as he sat on the throne. Some looked like they were about to begin a protest with him sitting there until they realized that it was they're prince. "Well?" Sombra asked. A servant with a hoovefull of papers just stared at him. "Any reports for the day?" Sombra asked. There still no response from the pony. Sombra became angry. "Can I get a status report on something please?" He shouted. This caused all the ponies to jolt and shake. Sombra retracted himself and tried to remain calm. "Sorry about that now has anypony have anything urgent or important for me?" Sombra asked. The door flew open to reveial Sam coming towards the throne. "My lord I heard something terrible has befallen you." Sam said stopping and gazing at him. Sombra shrugged his shoulder. "Really? Cause I feel fine." "Its just your appearance has drastically changed sir." Sam said. "Oh yes I noticed it too Vig said he would try and find something to fix that but it the mean time it's here to stay." Sombra said. Sam's face had a look of worry on it. "Sir are you sure you're alright?" "Never been better." Sombra said. "Would you like me to go and tell your brother before he gets this...this surprise?" Sam asked. "Yes go and tell him that his brother is suffering from.......stain mishap." Sombra said. Just then the doors flew open again causing all the ponies in the room to turn their attention. A guard came rushing in all huffing and puffing. His face dripped with swat and his legs were shaking. Three more guards stood in the door way forming a almost triangle around somepony. "My........this miner found..........crystal.........crystal." The guard said while gasping for air. "Forgive me.....just.......up stairs." "What is this all about? What miner and what crystal?" Sombra asked. "The miner found the heart." The guard said stumbling to the ground. "The what?" Sombra asked. He motioned the other guard to come forward. The guards escorted a pony covered from head to hoof with dirt. He was clutching something wrapped in cloths. Whatever it was it was of decent size for it was bigger than any crystal Sombra had ever seen. The miner had a look of wonderment on his face as if he had just found paradise. As he drew closer the silence in the room grew more intense. Sombra felt something inside of him electrified as the miner came closer. It was a cooling feeling that seemed to ease all of his worries and pains. It was calling out from the cloth in the miner's hoof. Whatever it was he wanted it. "What is it that you have found good miner?" Sam asking stopping the guards. "My good sir I believe that I have found the legendary crystal heart." The miner said softly. The room filled with gasps of curiosity. Sombra stood quickly. "The heart you mean to tell me that you actually found it?" Sombra asked. The miner nodded his head in excitement. Sombra looked around as if he was about to ask a secret. "May I see it?" The pony unwrapped the cloth which slowly revealed a light blue glow. A heart shaped stone was soon out in the open. Sombra stared at it for he couldn't explain it but he wanted to reach out and take it. With one swift motion he grabbed the heart and began studying it. It made his feel happy and alive. The sun from the window hit it causing it to glow brightly. "It's beautiful." Sombra said. "And it's mine." He whispered. "Sir, this is quite the historical moment shall I send for the historians to come and write this down?" Sam asked. "Yes fetch them, my brother, Chrysalis, everypony that you can that must share this moment with us." Sombra said with a smile. "You miner what is your early income?" Sombra asked. The miner looked embarrassed at the question. "Well sir I." "Never mind, don't worry about for this day you, including your family shall ever work again." Sombra said. "You shall be given anything you desire apart from the kingdom it's self understand?" The miner had a tear spring from his eye. "Thank you sir." "No thank you now be gone and enjoy whatever it is that you may need." Sombra said motioning the guards to escort him out. Something shocked Sombra as he held the heart is his hooves. It was something magical from what he could tell but he didn't say anything out loud. He knew that he had to show off the heart for it was one of the most legendary artifacts of his kind. Another side of him wanted to be locked in a room alone with it so that he could study it properties. "Sir shall I send for Doctor Vig?" Sam asked before leaving. Sombra stopped within this thoughts. "No." "Why not?" Sam asked. Sombra felt a sense of paranoia wash over him."Cause he knows a thing or two about magic and I guarantee that he will know something about this heart that I do not. The worm is always scheming and plotting against me. You all are, trying to take me away from all of this." Sombra said withing his mind. He began sweating and shaking. Sam just stared at him. "Sir you're looking quite pail. Is everything all right.?" Sombra jolted. "Yes now go." He said. The butler left the room leaving the young prince clenching the heart. Sombra began feeling paranoid as he glanced at all the ponies in the room. Through normal eyes one could have easily tell that they were excited to finally see the heart then and there. Sombra didn't see it that way. All he saw was greedy and lustful stares. He began clutching the heart tighter and tighter. A guard stepped forward trying to get a better look at the heart. "Halt, what are you looking at?" Sombra spat. "Just trying to see the magnificence of the heart sir." The guard said while jumping back. Sombra started walking backwards until he bumped into an unseen pony. Dropping the heart Sombra watched as is hit the ground with a solid thud. The whole room let out a gasp and remanned silent. It was odd but Sombra felt normal again except for his eye still hurting but the feeling of paranoia was gone. "Seems all good here." He chuckled as he picked back up the heart. As soon as his hooves fell upon the heart his mind was once again consumed by the same feeling. Was it greed? He thought why this feeling was so dominate. The feeling just switched un as easy if somepony had lit a touch. He fought for the words to come out. "Goldshire take the heart and place it in the treasury. Keep the door locked and have three guards keep watch over it. Miles I want you to go with him understand?" The guard came and took the heart from Sombra's hooves relieving him of the feeling once more. As the guards left Mezzo came in. He stopped and stared at the heart, his fore head began sweating. Sombra noticed the look in his brother's eyes for it was the same way he must have looked while holding the stone. Could the heart have some affect on ponies this way? His brother watched the heart leave and then turned around to his direction. "Brother was that......my heavens what on earth happened to you?" Mezzo said galloping up to him. "It's nothing just a slight eye infection." Sombra said. "And your coat as well?" Mezzo asked. Sombra nodded. "My brother you must not be feeling well, you must get some rest." Mezzo said. "Nonsense I feel fine now did you see it?" Sombra asked. "You mean the thing that guard was carrying out? I did but what was it?" Mezzo asked curiously. "Brother, it was the fabled crystal heart." Sombra smiled. Mezzo face lit up. "The crystal heart? You mean the heart that are ancestors have been digging around trying to find for ages heart?" "Yes, no longer does it hide from us. It is now here where it should be, in the capital." Sombra said. Mezzo looked worried at these words as if he was holding something back. The alicorn bit his lip as if he was just told that he couldn't have something. Sombra caught this looked and began worrying himself. "So brother shall we go celebrate this special occasion?" Sombra said. "Sure what did you have in mind?" Mezzo asked returning to his natural state. "How about we go to the old balcony and get something to drink?" Sombra said. Both of them began walking towards the direction of the stairs. Mezzo and Sombra both had a feeling deep within them, they both wanted the heart for some reason. Sombra felt like he had a connection with the heart through something magical. Mezzo couldnt explain why he was being drawn to the heart but all he knew that he wanted. The two brothers both had smiles on their face but deep down they began plotting about how one of them could keep the heart to themselves.