//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: The Land Before Them // by Fat1thatyoulove //------------------------------// Chapter 7 – The battle for wits "...Tell us King Sombra why have we all been called here?" Commander Hurricane’s voice comes to the large meeting room with the same depth as if he were right next to everypony. The large grey unicorn nods his head as he looks around the round crystal table he sits at, his horn has a faint green glow to it as the echo of his thoughts ring around the room, "Yes, I believe now that everypony has arrived we should not waste anymore time." Everypony's eyes become fixated to the grey stallion as the words spring into their ears almost like a perfectly told whisper, "Since Equestria was founded by you three the Crystal Empire has grown to be the largest city in the land...Now not only has this Empire started to spread beyond the ideas of old but it has started to completely change what peace means." Sombra's words stop for a moment as he looks around, "...Peace as it was called when Equestria was founded was nothing more than a trust the three tribes formed to insure the problems of old did not follow us into this new land. I propose a change to that peace." A slight nervous laugh comes up from the caramel coated stallion with light brown mane as his voice comes up, "What do you mean a change? I believe right now there is nothing needing changing." "Yes." Commander Hurricane cocks his eyes to Sombra as he talks, "The winds of change can be very helpful...but presenting a gust when unneeded will cause the best to fall from the sky." The white mare that sits across from the table is silent for the moment as she plans her words, but her regal and low feminine voice cuts through the stallions beside her as she speaks up, "Commander Hurricane, Chancellor Pudding cup, perhaps we should let the pony finish...No sense jumping to conclusions." The room begins to go quite as Sombra's horn glows again, his gaze sits to the earth pony leader as he talks, "You believe nothing needs to be changed correct?" Pudding Cup nods his head but Sombra's echo comes up before he can speak, "Then tell me Chancellor, how has the peace been treating the earth ponies?" The caramel stallion blinks his eyes to the comment as he talks, "I beg your pardon?" Sombra nods his head as his horn glows a slightly bright dim green, "How has the peace treaty been to the earth ponies?" Chancellor Pudding Cup slightly stumbles on his words as he shakes his head, "I-it fine? I can not see a problem with the way it’s going thus far." "Really? Then tell me earth ponies have been allowed into Unicorn provinces for more than just food delivery?" The stallion goes quite a little, but to the silence the white mare shifts her eyes a little uncomfortable towards the other unicorn whose echo still rings through the room, "...And is it not true that in some parts of Equestria the ability of growing has become strained due to lack of sun time?" Chancellor Pudding Cup nods his head as he talks, "Well yes the day time has been scarce these past few moons." Princess Platinum speaks up as the comment lofts into the room, "The sun time has been only altered a slight bit?" "Why has the daytime been altered Princess?" The white mare turns her head to the pegasus as he turns a questioning eye. Platinum's voice comes out in an almost defensive tone as she tries to hold her regular tone, "The day time has been shifted to align with the building of the new unicorn capital." A slight chuckle comes from the pegasus as he shakes his head, "So is the will of a unicorn...to believe the world is nothing more than an object to be influenced in only the way they see fit." The white mare squints to the comment as she nods her head, "Yes, the sun and moon is our right. As long as Unicorn magic is what it takes to rise and set, then its will is that of our own." Sombra's expression shows his lose over the situation as he tries to bring his voice back to the room, "Now Commander Hurricane this meeting was not held to bring up issues so petty." The pegasus turns his head to him with a slight tone as he speaks, "Petty? Something that affects every tribe is petty?" Sombra is unamused to the comment as he shakes his head, "I merely I’m pointing out flaws in our treaty." "Flaws? Very well, I assume the pegasus would be next...so be it King Sombra, judge the pegasus like Unicorns have judged before." The armored pony moves his hooves to the helmet that still sits atop his head as he waits for the grey stallion to continue. Sombra closes his eyes for a moment as a sigh comes from him, "Commander Hurricane, you should know starting your flight in the hardest flap expecting hard winds will only leave you tired when calm air meets you." To the words Princess Platinum's voice speaks up a little louder, "King Sombra I must insist that a unicorn of your stature should not bow to speak in the tongue of pegas-..." Sombra's echo deepens as it booms back from the crystal walls of the meeting room and back down to the white mare, "Princess Platinum, your youth in matters of such magnitude is your undoing...Do not speak judgment on those more fit then you!" The white mare's ears goes down as she nods her head, the other two stallions turn their eyes to the grey pony as his horn starts to flicker a little. But the echo from him becomes steady as his words move through the room, "The treaty of old is flawed in ways we do not see because of our blindness to change the rules of old...We must move to a feeling of true peace and acceptance not bound by rules and orders of so many, we must combine these ideals to a whole...one set design that fits for all, with no restrictions because of a ponies race." Commander Hurricane’s voice is low but it carries his surprised tone well as he goes wide eyes to the unicorn, "What are you saying?" Sombra stands from his seat as the echo calls around him, "I am saying to move forward there can be no three, there can only be one." His eyes go hard to the three ponies as he looks around the room to them. But Princess Platinum and Chancellor Pudding Cup do not speak as the blue pegasus starts to shake his head, "One ruler?!" The surprised voice doesn't last long as he regains his tone, "This is just more of unicorn's desires to control..." His hoof comes towards the grey stallion as he talks, "I should assume you believe there no better pony to rule over this idea but you, a unicorn!" Sombra's horn goes dull as he drops his hard face shocked by the pegasus hard words. "I must say King Sombra, I side with the pegasus on this matter...There can not be one ruler." The stallion stutters a little as his gaze and hooves come to point to the crystal table, "I-it would be chaos when that one ruler dies, no rule would be the same we would be bond still by restrictions and prejudices ideas determined by that pony's rule." Sombra shakes his head as he flickers his horn to power again, "No, I do not seek power, I wish to unit Equestria like we have done in the Crystal Empire. Not through the use of conquering or force." Commander Hurricane shakes his head as his voice comes out, "No King Sombra, with this idea you seek to undermine the powers of the rulers and in turn bring all the lands power to you.” Sombra's echo comes out again as his words target Hurricane, "I wish to see an Equestria no longer bound by the failed ways of old, I wish to see Pegasus, Unicorns and Earth ponies together." "And just how do you suppose Unicorns,Pegasus, and Earth ponies would adopt these ways of life if not by a single rule?" Commander Hurricane's posture is impatient as Sombra's fading voice comes to him. "By asking the rulers here in front of me to make the change to allow Equestria to grow." Sombra's eyes move to the earth stallion and Princess Platinum as he struggles to hold his spell, "Surely you two would will your powers away for the great good of Equestria?" Both Platinum and the earth stallion are silent as they look between each other. A laugh comes from Commander Hurricane as he stands from his seat, "A unicorn asking a unicorn to give up the power of rule?" He shakes his head as he stares to Sombra, "I was right when I spoke of Queen Apatite, you are now more pegasus than unicorn." The stallion cocks his head as he slows his voice, "You have peeked my interest on this day King Sombra, I will not tell Emperor Gust of your plan to take power away from him. But I do have a question King Sombra...you speak of change and allowing all three to live together in a world where everypony is completely equal...but tell me King Sombra what becomes of the Crystal Heart? The most powerful item right now known to Equestria, a power so grand no pony truly understands it." He holds his gaze to the gray stallion as he speaks, "What happens to this power? Is it free for anypony?" Sombra is silent for a moment as his horn comes to a low glow, but his eyes drift to the table and away from Commander Hurricane as he speaks, "No, the Crystal Heart would have to stay in the care of Unicorns." "Of course it would King Sombra...Of course it would." The pegasus looks between the other two ponies still sitting as he talks, "I am not the leader of the pegasus and I do not have final say on the matters presented here today...But when word hits Emperor Gust that King Sombra wishes for him to consolidate power with the other two I believe he will turn it down." He bows his head to the two ponies he talks to as he stops his soon to be trot out, "There is not disrespect for the peace treaty we all live by so far and it will not be altered. I see no movement from either of you so I believe this meeting of us has come to its end." Hurricane turns back to Sombra as he gets a lower voice, "I wish fair winds for you and Queen Apatite." At the end of the stallion's words his trot starts back towards the door. Sombra continues his stare away from the other two as Chancellor Pudding cup moves from his seat, "King Sombra, I will be taking my leave tomorrow." The grey unicorn nods his head as he looks to the stallion, "Nimby will show you and your company to your rooms in the castle." Princess Platinum waits for the room to clear as she stares her green eyes to the unmoving stallion, her stance up comes fast though as she adjust the cloak around her figure, "I have a question King Sombra." The grey stallion brings his eyes to meet her as he waits. "Why did you not tell Commander Hurricane that magic, even magic in items can only be manipulated by Unicorns?" Sombra nods his head as he again struggles to hold his spell, "Princess Platinum...For a young ruler you have the most attuned mind, even if it is only to your own kind." He pauses for a moment as he watches the mare nod her head, "Yes, its true I lacked in telling Commander Hurricane that and the reason is because I do not believe magic is so one sided." His horn lets out a pop as his magic leaves it, Sombra nods his head to the white mare as he begins his trot towards the door. End of chapter 7