//------------------------------// // The Shimmering Kingdom // Story: A King of Shadows // by Gremlin Grenade //------------------------------// Somber Shades smiled gently as he watched his good friend, strewn across the seat in front of him, snoring loudly with his luggage laid haphazardly around him. Starwirl had expected to stay in Canterlot, however his in his meeting with Princess Celestia, her instructions to join Somber in his studies at the Crystal Empire had caught him by surprise, so he had spent the night preparing his things instead of getting a good night's rest. Of course, for Starswirl the Bright, "preparing his things" consisted largely of digging through his belongings, stumbling across an old book or artifact, and spending the next hour or so trying to discover something new about the old trinket, so what should have been a relatively short process instead left him completely without sleep. Somber himself had not slept as he should, either, kept awake into the early hours of the morning by both anticipation and anxiety. Not only was he to meet the family of his beloved, the esteemed nobles of the Crystal Empire, but he was to do so with the personal sanction of Princess Luna. Suddenly his quest was not only one of personal knowledge, but a journey to benefit the whole of Equestria. Much was now riding on his shoulders, but Somber knew if anypony was capable of this task, it was he. "Excuse me, can you please get him to be a little more quiet?" the pony sitting behind Starswirl leaned over her seat and shot him a a cold glare as she spoke. Jolted back to reality, Somber briefly looked around the train car to see nearly all the passengers giving the cacophonous sleeping stallion the same bemused glare. Somber merely chuckled before replying. "Of course, I'm sorry he was bothering you." He figured it was about time for the two of them to get ready anyways, the Crystal Kingdom was nearly in view. As the light of the setting sun struck the rising crystal towers of the city, a dozen intricate patterns of color emblazoned the countryside. The lower the sun fell, the farther the lights spread, until the entire city was covered in a twilight of dancing lights. How the crystal ponies managed to fashion their entire city out of such glamorous material was nothing less than a feat of wonder to him, a feat which puzzled his mind and captivated his heart. Somber nudged his sleeping partner to wake him, magically grabbing their bags from the compartment above as he did. "Come, brother, we're nearly there," he said with a smile. Starswirl awoke gracelessly with a jolt and a snort, lazily tracing his eyes around the cabin as his awareness crawled back to him. He shot up as it came to him, hastily trying to save face for his earlier behavior. As the train came to a halt, the two of them slowly stepped down onto the platform, their eyes fixed on the city before them, glowing in the low sunlight. Their mutual trance was broken as a crowd of less patient ponies forcefully moved past them, and it was then that a well-dressed crystal pony approaching them caught Somber's eye. "You two are Somber Skies and Starswirl the Bright, are you not?" the stallion asked with an almost annoyed tone. Starswirl puffed out his chest and smiled coyly at being addressed by what was obviously the representative of some very important ponies, though Somber knew his friend well enough to know that behind his confident pose the studious unicorn was both nervous and enthralled to his core. "Indeed we are! And who might you be?" he replied with a tone bordering on conciet. "I represent the Imperial royal family. If the both of you would be so kind to accompany me?" He gestured toward the sprawling tower in the center of the city before heading in that direction, each of them in tow. As they walked down the streets, both unicorns spent every precious second taking in the bizarre and beautiful sights of the Crystal Kingdom. The majesty of the towering structures that lined the city made Somber feel small in a way Canterlot never could, producing a sense of mystique and power, as though some sort of mysterious power flowed through every building and every pony in the kingdom. Crystal had told him many stories of her home before, but seeing it with his own eyes was a humbling experience still. The crystal escort led them to a tower with four entrances at it's base. A group of servant ponies retrieved the pair's bags and retreated into one doorway while the escort led them into another. As they traveled the towering halls of the structure, their size and descriptions rang familiar to Somber from the stories his dear Crystal had told. This grand palace was the home she grew up in, and though he had never seen such a place before, it already felt like home to Somber Shades from all her anecdotes. Finally, they were led to a huge, crystalline door leading into the throne room. "His majesty awaits the both of you behind this door, sirs," the escort said apathetically with a bow as he slinked away. As the massive doors slowly pulled open to reveal a sturdy red crystal stallion sitting at the throne, a strong, regal mare at his side. Beside the throne were seven younger stallions, each dressed up in an elegant, noble uniform. The red stallion was speaking to a slew of advisers when the unicorn pair entered, but the sound of the door immediately drew his attention to them as a wide smile spread across his face. "Come in, come in! The princesses already sent word of your arrival!" he bade them happily as he waved a hoof inward. "As I'm sure you know, I am King Carnelian, this is my lovely wife Amethyst, and these are my wonderful sons and kin!" He turned to Starswirl first, looking him over with a broad smile. "I take it you are are Celestia's protege, Starswirl the Bright, if I am not mistaken!" Starswirl simply nodded and bowed in response, trying his best to appear confident and comfortable. "And you, of course you must be Somber Shades! Princess Luna's personal protege, and, more importantly, my future son-in-law!" he pulled Somber in for an over-the-shoulder hug as he spoke, laughing heartily. "Yes, well, I wouldn't want to impose such an important role in your family until we are properly wed, your majesty." Somber replied nervously, unprepared by the sudden embrace. "Nonsense! My dear Crystal has told me so much about you in her letters I feel as though we're already family!" He gave Somber a heavy pat on the back as he laughed. "That child is the jewel of my life, you know. My only daughter, and the heart and soul of my empire. This entire kingdom will breathe life because of her one day, just you wait and see." Somber smiled softly, his gaze slowly lost in a sea of memories. "I would not doubt it for a second, your majesty. She is truly something special, and I only hope I can prove worthy of her heart." "Don't you worry, my boy," the king's tone became more serious, but still positive, "if you are half the stallion she has told me you are, then I would not place my trust in anypony more." The king laughed again, returning to his earlier jovial tone. "And please, enough of this 'your majesty' business. Call me Carnelian, both of you. Or, better yet ,you can start calling me 'father' if you are so inclined!" The king laughed so hard at his own comment Somber was nearly sure he would burst into a coughing fit. A deliberate cough from one of the younger stallions brought Carnelian's attention back to reality, however. "Oh, how could I have been so rude! As I stated earlier these fine young lads are my honorable family! These four are my sons, Malachite, Jasper, Kyan, and Obsidian," the king gestured to the four stallions closest to him as he spoke. "The other three are my nephews, Onyx and Agate, and my niece Topaz." The king raised an eyebrow as he looked over the members of his family. "As you can see, the gender distribution is a bit different than that of the Equestrian monarchy." He turned back to the two unicorns, "anyways, the two of you will be staying here, in the palace. I've already instructed the servants to unpack your bags in your respective rooms." Starswirl perked up at this, raising his hoof almost nervously in protest. "Um, your majesty, er... Carnelian, sir, would it be possible for me to take residence in the city library instead?" he sputtered out. "In the... library? Ha! I like the sense of humor this one has! Come, we were just about to have dinner! What say the two of you join us, get the chance to meet these strapping young kin of mine better?" the king laughed as he gave Starswirl a heavy pat on the back. "Besides, the both of you look like you haven't been properly fed in days! So, come, let me treat you!" Both of their stomachs gave out an involuntary groan as he mentioned food, and they decided to, somewhat reluctantly, follow the royal ponies as they headed toward the dining hall. "Why are we doing this, again?" Starswirl harshly whispered to his friend as they made their way over. "I understand your enthusiasm, but I am not getting married to any of the royal family!" "I am focused on my duties as a representative of the Equestrian monarchy first and foremost, brother. A role you share, if you remember," Somber whispered back. "Besides, I do believe I spied that Topaz giving you a most wanting look," he snickered. "Oh, if only such fortune truly befell me," Starswirl sighed. "Oh well, I suppose you are right. We have a duty to preform, and I will do so to the best of my ability. Besides, I must admit a royal banquet sounds delightful to my aching belly right now." Their mental image of a "royal banquet" hardly compared to the feast that laid before them as the dining hall's doors opened, however, and each had to keep himself from salivating openly. The long table in the center of the room seated far more ponies than were present, but the king made his way to sit at the far end nonetheless, his wife at his side and his four sons seated in a row beside her. The young stallions' cousins sat across from them, leaving two vacancies next to the king clearly meant for Somber and Starswirl. The duo awkwardly made their way to their reserved seats, trying their best to look proper in such an overwhelming environment. "Well, then, what say that each of you introduce yourselves to these keen young stallions!" the king said as he turned to his immediate family. "I do believe that we will be enjoying their company for some time, after all." "I am queen Amethyst, as my husband has told you, and it is a very good pleasure to meet you both," the queen's tone was curt, but gentle, like the purr of a lioness. She bowed her head to each of them before turning to her sons, inviting them to speak up. The first one to speak was the pony the farthest from them, a deep green stallion with his chin held confidently. "I am Malachite, and I look forward to getting to know you better." "Malachite is my oldest, and a spitting image of what it means to be part of the royal family, if I do say so myself," the king chuckled. "I believe you will get along quite well." The next farthest was deep blue, a relaxed, charming smirk across his face as he looked over both the newcomers. "I am Kyan, and I am honored to introduce myself to the representatives of the Equestrian government." "Be careful of this one, his tongue is more silver than my shining blade!" Malachite chuckled, nudging his brother. "Obsidian, why don't you introduce yourself?" The third stallion down the row was a deep, almost red shade of black, darker and less translucent than his father. "Yes, well, as my brother told you, my name is Obsidian." He said curtly with a bow of his head. "Tell me, do either of you consider yourselves tacticians?" As Starswirl scratched his chin, trying to decide if critical thinking skills would be related to tactics, Somber spoke up in reply. "I'm not sure in which manner you mean, but I've been told I'm something of a strategist in the way I approach problems, yes." Obsidian nodded, smirking, his eyes studying Somber carefully. "Well, I suppose we shall see in due time." The last of the sons, a small, light purple stallion, let out a barely audible squeak as he looked around nervously, realizing it was his turn to introduce himself. "My n-name is Jasper... I'm pleased to make your a-acquaintance." His voice was more audible than a mumble, but still very soft and shy. He turned to his mother, seated next to him, almost immediately after speaking, as if to ask for some sort of comfort. "And these fine ponies," the king nearly interrupted his son to add, "are my brother's children." He gestured a hoof to the three ponies seated next to Somber. "Greetings," the pony directly next to somber spoke, his coat a translucent off-white and his mane a dark grey, "I am Onyx, and these are my siblings, Agate and Topaz." An orange stallion and turquoise mare leaned forward to wave to their guests as he introduced them. "It's a pleasure to meet you both." "Indeed it is!" the king's voice boomed happily. "So as I understand it you are both here on scholarly business, are you not? Tell me, what is it you have come to my kingdom to study?" Finally the conversation had shifted into Starswirl's court, and his usual charm and energy returned to him as he took to answering it. "Well, since you ask, I have actually been studying the core of magic itself! As you know, it is a very core aspect to our society, and though we have a great understanding of it on a functional level, very little is known about how it works or where it comes from!" Starswirl's enthusiasm caused him to eat more intensly as well, as though he had suddenly detected a defecit of energy in his body. Despite Starswirl's sudden change in behaivor, however, the king appeared unmoved by his energy. "So then, what about my kingdom brought you here to study such a thing?" The young unicorn suddenly froze, as though he had never considered the question. "I don't... know, actually. All I am certain of is that Princess Celestia told me I would find my answers here." Hoping to break the king's piercing gaze on the bookish unicorn, Malachite spoke up first. "Hm, yes, well I hope you find them, truly." Malachite knew his father's pride in his kingdom often came off as aggressive to those unused to him. "How about you, Somber, what sort of material brings you here? If I remember correctly it was your intention to come to the Crystal Kingdom even before instructed by your princess." "Well, my studies are a somewhat controversial thing, but I have been researching the properties of dark magic." Almost immediately, a heavy and abrupt silence filled most of the room, followed by the awkward shuffling of eating utensils and ponies in their seats, as everypony tried to quell the silence. "I know that sounds dangerous, but I'm trying to rectify the bad image given to the dark arts by revealing it's beneficial properties. The kind of magic isn't important, it's how you use it." Of all the ponies in the room, Obsidian seemed to be the most genuinely interested. "Really? And in what ways can the dark arts be used for the good of ponykind?" "It's simply about perspective," Somber replied. "For example, there are spells in tomes of dark magic that immobilize the target and subject them to their worst fear. Now, while the negative use of such a spell is obvious, spells like this could be used in therapeutic ways as well, presenting patients with phobias to exposure therapy in a manner that they cannot be harmed or harm themselves. There are spells that are intended to unnaturally extend one's life, as well, but these can be repurposed to be applied in a medical setting, regenerating lost tissue while more conventional healing methods are being figured out." "And for what reason did you decide to pursue this line of study here?" the king's voice was stoic, almost demanding, as he interrogated his guest. "Well, as you know, the crystals found here have amplifying reactions to magic, but what caught my attention was how they respond to dark magic specifically. When I experimented with some souvenirs Crystal had brought to Canterlot, I discovered that these crystals not only enhance the properties of dark magic, but it alters the crystal itself entirely to channel dark magic more easily. I believe this can be used to allow those who cannot use magic, or are uncomfortable with dark magic, to apply it's positive uses." It was Onyx who broke the silence that followed this time. "That's a very interesting perspective, Somber Skies. I must admit I'm quite curious to see how these studies of yours turn out." "As am I," Carnelian added coldly, as everypony returned to their food for the duration of the meal. *** The chilly evening air blew through Somber Shade's mane as he leaned over the balcony outcropping from the palace.The rooftops of the city glimmered in the moonlight, glowing in the darkness and casting a dazzling pattern onto the sky. He was so lost in thought, he didn't even notice the glimmering green pony walk beside him. "Beautiful at night, isn't it?" Malachite rested his forehooves over the railing as he too gazed down on the city. "Somber, please pay my father's suspicions no mind. I can tell he has great faith in you, and you seem like the kind of pony capable of what you plan to use this knowledge for. I'm sure my father will come around to believing that in time, and, for what it's worth, you have impressed me greatly already." He turned to Somber and placed a hoof on his shoulder before continuing, "I also wish to extend my personal thanks to you." Somber shot him a confused look. "Thank me? For what?" "For taking care of my sister. Father isn't the only one who cares about her; she's precious to all of us. Since we were young, the four of us were always protecting her, showering her in love and making sure she is happy, and from the letters she has sent us, I can tell she is very happy with you. It's meant the world to me to know that." Malachite turned back to the city. "As the oldest I am next in line for the throne, but I too know she is the one who will make a difference in this empire forever. So, thank you again for bringing her true happiness. And please, no matter what happens, continue to take care of my dear sister. I don't know what we would do if anything happened to her."