Chapter 5 – Silent talking
The hallways of the crystal empire are nothing unfamiliar to Star Swirl, and the stallion has no problem navigating through them. But as the large two close doors at the end of the hall come into view he stops as he looks to a few ponies in front of the door.
In front of the door the two crystal ponies stand facing away from Star Swirl as he nears to their on going conversation, "...Master should we summon a healer?"
No reply comes from inside as the two ponies start to repeat themselves, but Swirl cuts them off as he speaks up with a slight smile, "I shall see what I can do, please wait for me to exit would you?"
The two crystal ponies hesitate for a moment before they step aside from the door, but Swirl is unable to open either of the doors with his hoof as he tries. A faint green glow comes over the door as he touches it, but his confusion doesn't last long as his horn sparks up in a faint gold glow and the door comes open, "I shall only be a moment."
The door closes behind him as the grey stallion turns his head to the other stallion in the room whose gaze is pinned to the mare laying in the bed. The echoey voice comes back to the room but Sombra doesn't turn his head, "You should not have come to find us...It will cause suspicion for Apatite's well being."
Star Swirl listens to the voice for a moment as he moves the items he was floating to a decorative crystal outcropping with a faint laugh, "You know my friend, that voice of yours can give a pony a slight chill with its tone."
Sombra turns his head to the stallion's voice but his eyes and expression doesn't match the strong voice that still echoes through his closed mouth, but no words get to come from him as the pink mare stirs in the bed with a faint laugh.
"Please Star Swirl, convince Sombra that i'm fine." The mare brings herself up in the bed as she leans herself to the crystal back part as she begins to fiddle with her cloak. Her happy smile moves to Sombra as she continues to hold her sweet voice, "Honestly, Sombra you could have at least let me put something else on, this royal cloak is much too short to be talking like this."
Star Swirl shares in the slight lightening mood but Sombra doesn't flinch his mouth as he looks over the mare, "Apatite , you need to rest an-..."
Her pink hoof comes to Sombra's mouth as she shakes her head, "No, somepony has to be there with you when you address the others."
Sombra moves from her hoof as his echoey chime comes around the room, "Princess Platinum should provide the support I need to convince the others, you are not to worry about it."
Queen Apatite smiles as she turns her gaze to the lighter grey stallion close to the door, "Tell me Star Swirl, if my stallion has not called you up here for support on these matters, then why has he?"
Swirl rubs a little with the hair on his chin as he talks, "Well Queen Apatite, you should know why Sombra has summoned me here." The stallion turns his gaze to Swirl as he continues, "...King Sombra has tasked me with making sure Princess Platinum learns something worthwhile from you two."
A slight laugh comes from the stallion as he points his hoof to the mare, "Now I agree with Sombra, you should rest."
To the words Queen Apatite again tries to move herself from the bed, "I assure you there's nothing wrong with me-..."
Swirl is quick to chime in as he talks, "Oh no, of course not, from what i saw you just got caught on your cloak...nothing to major."
The mare jumps to the stallion's words as she nods her head, "Yes, that's what happened, nothing more."
Swirl nods his head as he shoots back a smile.
Queen Apatite repays the smile as she looks between Swirl and Sombra, "Well...I do believe I will take a slight rest."
Sombra nods as he moves towards the door with his gaze to Swirl to follow. Swirl's horn glows a faint gold as the items he placed follow after him as the two stallion's leave the room.
Sombra's horn glows a little to the sight of the two crystal ponies in the hallway, "There's no need for any panic, you can leave us now."
The two crystal ponies bow their heads as they start away from the hall, as they leave Swirl floats the book next to himself as he talks, "I regret to inform you my friend, but the answers you wish to have did not come to me from just one night."
The chime from the horn turns to Swirl as Sombra nods his head, "I would not have thought they would."
Swirl quickly cuts him off as he speaks up, "But I do have some things to tell you if you would follow me."
- - -
(elsewhere in the castle)
The empty plates in front of Princess Platinum are starting to become moved as she floats a cloth napkin to the tip of her mouth and snout. But her closed eyes don't stay cut from the world for long as a familiar sounding stallion's voice comes to the room.
"Princess Platinum."
The white mare opens her eyes as she turns her gaze to the gold and black armored stallion staring to her from the entrance of the room, "Commander Hurricane?"
The pegasus blinks to her tone as he speaks, "You are surprised to see me?"
Platinum doesn't move from her seat as she wiggles her hoof to the stallion, "No, I was just expecting Emperor Gust would have came himself."
Commander hurricane nods his head as he trots into the room, "Our traditions are not as easily forgotten, its unwise to send such an important pegasus into a storm, even if the winds have been quelled."
Princess Platinum blinks to the comment as she holds her regal tone, "Yes...well i'm sure you had no problem arriving did you?"
The stallion shakes his head as he talks, "No, neither me or my guard had trouble." His eyes drift around the room for a moment as his voice comes back a little unsure, "Have the Earth ponies arrived yet?"
The white mare shakes her head as she answers, "No, but King Sombra should return when Queen Apatite has been steadied."
Hurricane's ear flicks a little to the comment as he stares to her, "Queen Apatite is ill?"
Platinum pauses for a moment before she continues, "To take such a nasty fall I assume she would have to be."
The light blue pegasus pauses for a moment as he thinks, but his voice comes back to him as he speaks up, "I suppose a meeting with only land dwellers is fine, providing the circumstances."
Before Platinum's voice can come back up the two ponies ears bring a deep echoey voice to them as Sombra and Star Swirl enter the room, "Commander Hurricane, I hope you're winds were fair and your skies were clear."
A smile comes over Hurricane's face as he nods his head to the larger dark grey stallion, "A greeting fit for a pegasus." The happy tone doesn't stay long as Hurricanes voice drops a little lower, "I do hope Queen Apatite becomes well before our meeting has finished."
Sombra shifts his head between Princess Platinum and Hurricane as his horn glows a bit brighter with quick words, "Queen Apatite is fine, she just had a fall...Please follow me and I will show us to the-..."
Hurricane cuts through the magic's chime as he speaks up, Should we not wait for the earth ponies?"
The dark grey stallion moves his eyes around the room again before he nods, "Yes, we shall wait for them to arrive first."
The light blue pegasus’s eyes move to Star Swirl as another friendly smile comes to him, "Sir Star Swirl, I was unaware you would be attending this."
Swirl brings his hoof up as he shakes his head, "That's where you are wrong i'm afraid, I will not be joining in this..." He stops with a slight laugh as he continues, "Battle for wits."
The comment goes unregistered to Hurricane as Platinum's regal feminine voice comes back to the room, "Commander Hurricane surely you're not going to wait the whole time in your armor...are you?"
Sombra's echo comes back now directed to Princess Platinum as he talks, "A pegasus never removes their armor in unfamiliar terrain."
"My word, I am starting to believe Emperor Gust's daughter has started to rub off onto you King Sombra." Hurricane turns back to Princess Platinum with a happier expression as he nods his head, "I am more comfortable now than I would be."
Princess Platinum holds a slightly discouraged expression as she nods her head, but she covers it up with a faint laugh as she talks, "very well."
As Commander Hurricane takes his seat Swirl moves a little closer to Sombra as he speaks, "I will return this evening to continue my research Sombra, I wish you luck my friend."
Sombra's right ear flicks down a little, Swirl thinks over its motion before he nods his head, "You're welcome my friend." The stallion's trot quickly brings him out of the room as he moves away.
End of chapter 5