Chapter 14 – Trust
The sound of a hoof knocking hard against the door rings around the room as the world behind the door begins to stir to movement.
But as the door comes open the tired crystal mare squints to the distraught stallion at the doorstep S-Sir.Swirl?"
Star Swirls breath has calmed down but his journey through the night with nothing but his thoughts has only made his mind pound hard to him. The weight of the world has seemingly decided to bear down on this single pony, or at least this is how his mind has perceived it, his eyes show this thought as he looks over the mare, "I have killed them Aura...And I have failed them as well."
The pegasus mare's eyes go wide to the comment as she quickly springs from her still slightly sleepy stare, "Bite your tongue!" Her hoove quickly pulls the stallion into her house as she closes the door fast.
Star Swirl stands motionless from where the mare pulled him as he holds his eyes to her with his broken voice, "...I do not know what to do..."
The mare brings her hoof to the stallion's side as she holds her concern to him, "What has gotten into Sir.Swirl? What nonsense are you speaking?"
Swirl doesn't fight her lead as she brings him to rest on the couch, Aura's tone stays low as she takes her seat beside Swirl and begins to move her hooves to his head, "Are you sick Sir.Swirl?"
He pushes her hooves from his head as he stares to her face, "Yes, sick with guilt, sick with more pain than any normal pony should have to bare."
Aura shakes her head as she listens to his low serious voice, "What's happened Sir.Swirl?"
Swirl's voice shakes a little as he puts his hooves to hers, "Queen Apatite is dead, and I am at fault."
The mare takes her hooves from his grasp as she points to his face as her voice raises a little, "Sir.Swirl I do not know what has come over you but you must calm yourself, I know you too well to believe such-...such horrible words."
"But it's true Aura, I have failed King Sombra and now the Queen of the crystal empire has suffered for it." The stallion's voice trembles a little as he continues, "Failure, I have always believed failure is just one small step to success...But I have learned nothing from this! And I see no reason why they have been made to suffer for my failure."
Aura blinks to Swirl's slightly raised voice but she doesn't speak over his as she moves her hooves back to his neck as she rubs softly, "Sir.Swirl...What happened?"
Swirl swallows hard as he again takes her hooves from him, "I believed the Crystal Heart was the cause for her sickness...I have no doubt that I was correct, but no cure was found for seeking it out." The mare still held in his grasp doesn't move as she holds her gaze to his words that have no sign of ending, "...And because of my actions and the trust I have so foolishly misused they have paid the price for it...not me."
The stallion's voice comes down a little as he shakes his head, "I have wanted peace like them for so long, even before this new land...and now I alone have just plunged this land's greatest hope for peace into an abyss."
Aura shakes her head to the words as she tightens her hold of the stallion, "No, you tried your best...I know you too well for you to lie Sir.Swirl, you only allowed it to happen because you were following your own selfless goals."
To the words Swirl nods, "You are right...I allowed it to happen...I alone." His voice shakes as he turns from the mare, "...I have ruined a great friend and a greater ruler's life Aura...And I must face my fate for it."
The mare puts her hoof to Swirl's head as she turns him back to her, but no words come from her as she presses her lips to his. The shock of the abrupt kiss sends Swirl's eyes into a wide stare as he goes silent to the mare as she breaks it. Her hooves hold to his as she talks in a low voice, "Sir.Swirl...Everytime you leave I have missed you, promise me you will not beg for a punishment you do not rightly deserve?"
Swirl is silent as he looks over the mare that has a tight hold over him, "...Aura, tomorrow is something I have excepted." He takes his hooves from her as he looks her over, "...But if I stay here tonight it would be the worst lapse of judgment for-..."
His words are cut off again as Aura presses her lips to his once more, but Swirl doesn't fight her touch as he moves his hooves to hold the crystal mare.
- - -
Sombra moves his gaze from the large glowing orb in Discord's claws as the dark gray stallion stares blankly to the ground.
The glowing orb that holds Swirl and Aura's scene is lost as Discord snaps two fingers on his other hand, but Discord's bright eyed gaze stays to Sombras as his voice comes back almost hypnotic, "You see King Sombra, I will not rest until your Queen is healthy again, and I will never lie to you about my actions."
The dark grey stallion still holds his gaze to the floor as he struggles to believe the scene he saw, but his horn stays dormant as Discord's voice comes back to the room, "Do you trust me my King?"
With a slight hesitation Sombra turns his head back to Discord as he nods.
A smile crosses Discord's face as he speaks up, "Perfect, then tomorrow when the sun has become high in the sky I shall come back for the heart you have retrieved for me."
Sombra's horn sparks up as it ring to the creature in front of him, "Tomorrow's sun is still too far off, I shall retrieve it now."
"Oh no no no." Discord presses his paw to Sombra's chest as he holds a faked concern, "My King, the heart's magic is still to active, you would meet the same fate as your Queen...Tomorrow I shall arrive."
With another hesitation Sombra's horn chimes out again, "I can not pass the heart over in such a manner, the heart is unity in our land I do not wish to cause unrest for subjects."
Discord smiles as he cocks his head, "Do you know the beauty of dark magic King Sombra?"
The stallion blinks his eyes to the comment as Discord's clawed hand begins to glow, "...The beauty is that it consumes you-..." At the last word Discord's hand rushes towards Sombra as a bolt of bright orange magic sends the stallion flying to the other side of the room until he hits the wall and comes to rest on the floor knocked out.
Discord lets out a slight laugh as he looks over the stallion, "Sleep well my king, for tomorrow your new empire comes to rise."
End of chapter 14