//------------------------------// // Fear & Hatred // Story: The Umbra King // by Car Cloth //------------------------------// “Be a dear and bring me another ruby, Spike.” “Um, Rarity? Shouldn’t you be researching magic gems or King Sombra?” “I am, Spike! What do you think I’ve been reading this whole time?” Spike glanced over Rarity’s things and realized she had an old tome open in front of her. It was hard to see in the dark hallways of Twilight’s castle, and it was even harder to see with Rarity’s dress-making materials thrown about the area. King Sombra was still imprisoned within his crystal cage only a few feet away. He had been slowly pacing the darkest corner for some time now, his body a mere silhouette. All that could be seen were his red eyes. “Shouldn’t you do this later?” Spike nervously laughed, glancing over his shoulder at King Sombra. “Working on your dresses, I mean.” Rarity had one dress horse and several stacks of fabric brought to the castle. Her boutique was currently in shambles but she knew she could repair it, given time. “I need to complete my latest dress line, Spike. Besides, I’ve learned a great deal while I’ve been working. I think Twilight pointed me in the right direction. Remember the Alicorn Amulet? Look here, Spike. Doesn’t that red gem in the center of it look familiar?” Rarity used her telekinetic powers to hold the book up for Spike. He glanced at the picture of the Alicorn Amulet and nodded. The red gem in the center did resemble the gem he had helped Rarity dig up. “You don’t think they’re the same, do you?” “No, no, no… The Alicorn Amulet is with Zecora now, remember? And besides, King Sombra has had his powers for over 1,000 years. I just thought they might be similar. Look here. Remember how the amulet could only be removed by the wearer?” Rarity leaned in to whisper, “Perhaps it’s the same with the gem King Sombra has.” Spike slowly nodded. “Maybe… Shouldn’t we try talking to him then?” “A lady doesn’t demand someone talk to her,” Rarity said flatly. “We’ll talk once he’s ready. Now… where’s my ruby?” Spike half-laughed at Rarity’s statement but stopped when he realized she was being serious. He reached into the small bag of gems and pulled out another ruby. Rarity used her magic to sew it into the dress and took a step back to admire it. The design looked very similar in concept to the Alicorn Amulet. There were even faux wings and the color scheme was that of red and gray. “It needs more… rubies. Another one, Spike.” “All right…” He reached back into the bag and frowned. “All you have left in here are sapphires…” “That won’t do, Spike. I have a color theme going here. Sapphire blue will clash horribly. Be a dear and run back to the boutique for me? Please? Spikey-wikey?” He sighed and nervously glanced back over at King Sombra. He was still pacing… it reminded Spike of a shark slowly circling it’s pray. “I don’t want to leave you alone with him,” he whispered. “He’s in a cage, Spike. And Twilight locked away his magic. I’m perfectly safe here.” Wrecked by indecision, Spike tapped his fingers together and looked between Rarity and Sombra. Surely nothing would happen in the short time it took him to run and get rubies… “O-okay,” he stammered uncertainly. “I’ll be right back!” He jogged from the hallway as fast as his stubby legs would carry him. Rarity watched him go with a raised eyebrow. That baby dragon was weird sometimes. Of course she was perfectly safe… Right? She glanced over her shoulder and jumped in fright. King Sombra had moved from the furthest shadowy corner of his cage and was now standing as close as he possibly could to the dress horse and Rarity. She hadn’t heard him move! Not a single clop of a hoof against the stone floor! How could he have been so silent? “And so they’ve left a lowly seamstress to guard me… How quick you ponies forget my power.” “Hm!” Rarity pulled herself together and shook away the momentary fright. “I am not a lowly seamstress! I am a fashion designer! There is a big difference.” “And that is your calling in this life?” he asked in a calm, but dark, voice. “To design clothing? Clothing with no proper function?” “What do you mean, proper function? My clothing has a function.” “Armor defends from attacks. Heavy cloth breaks the wind and cold… What does your gaudy dress do? Weigh you down? Flaunt your wealth for thieves and pickpockets?” He half-laughed at his own joke as he stared at the large frilly dress. “Clothing is an outward expression of who you are,” Rarity angrily huffed. “We no longer need to worry about war breaking out at any moment, or terrible winters. Not in Ponyville, at least. My dresses are statements.” “And your satisfied with that?” he asked slowly, quietly. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” “You don’t think it’s unfair? Your destiny?” Rarity wrinkled her nose. “Unfair? Whatever are you talking about?” “That your friend’s destiny was to be the Princess of Magic and your destiny was that of a seamstress? There is only one Princess of Magic but there are thousands of seamstresses.” Rarity turned back to her dress and huffed. What was he talking about? Was he implying she would be jealous of Twilight? Of course not, Rarity thought. Of course not. “You realize that your life has been lived a million times before you and will be lived a million times more, don’t you? That the struggles of an artist making clothing are insignificant to the grand scheme of life… that your destiny has doomed you to a life of mediocrity while it granted others a life of importance?” “That’s not true,” she replied weakly. She didn’t live a life of mediocrity… right? “Have you never dwelled on the significance of your mark? How some ponies are wealthy aristocrats while others are shoe shiners or nameless, faceless soldiers? How pathetic is it that of all the possibilities in the world you are to be a mere designer of clothing? Not even functional clothing, but frivolous clothing.” His words stung and brought back memories of Fluttershy telling her the same thing… did everyone think that way? Did they think she was silly for doing what she did? For designing clothing? Did her destiny force her into this? Rarity didn’t want Sombra to know his words had rocked her, so she kept her attention on the dress, slowly finishing the last of the stiches on the hem. His silence allowed her thoughts to continue to wander… her horn had dragged her to the rock that day she got her cutie mark… perhaps he was right. Perhaps these marks on their flanks made them who they were… She had never thought of it. She had always been more concerned with other things. When she glanced back down at the dress she realized she had absent-mindedly stitched a knot into the hem. “Rarity!” She turned and saw Spike running toward her. He was carrying a bag of rubies. When he reached her side he dropped the bag and began breathing deeply, winded from the long run. “I… got… them all…” he said between gasps. “Spike? Did you run the entire way?” Rarity asked. “No… Of course not…” he breathed. “I jogged…” “Thank you, Spike…” she whispered, pulling the bag close to her legs. “Are you okay? Did anything happen? Did he even move?” Rarity turned and saw that Sombra was back in the shadowy corner. Again, she heard nothing when he moved. He was as silent as the shadows he loved. “Er… nothing,” she replied. “Nothing happened.” --- Sombra took a deep breath and felt the sting of the cold in his throat. He was standing in the frozen north, overlooking a vast wasteland of snow. He knew it was a dream, but seeing his home during exile, even if it weren’t real, agitated him. His life… wasted. That was what his exile was. Wasted time and potential. “Tsk,” he growled aloud. He could feel his magic growing, but not fast enough… Hatred and fear fueled his dark magic… he had felt some of that when he attempted to manipulate the foolish seamstress, but he was losing his touch. He hadn’t quite convinced the mare, he hadn’t quite tapped into her hate… The wind in his dream picked up and Sombra glared into the eternal darkness. “Curse the cold…” he muttered into the wind. His own fear of being trapped suddenly gripped his heart. The fear of never escaping the cold… it also powered his magic but he couldn’t give in. He would take the fear from others… Suddenly, the storm stopped and the clouds overhead parted. Sombra took a step back and bared his fanged teeth. He knew who was here. In the moon overhead was the silhouette of the old princess. She descended down onto the snowy wasteland and spread her beautiful black wings. When she approached the snow around her melted away, revealing a lush, green landscape. Sombra held his ground, unimpressed by her ability to manipulate dreams. “King Sombra,” Princess Luna said in a defiant and challenging tone. “Don’t patronize me, girl,” he hissed. “You and your sister will be the first I come for when I have regained my powers.” The landscape around them continued to change until it resembled the yard of a poor blacksmith and his family. Sombra recognized the house and forge immediately. “How dare you bring us here!” He lashed out with his magic, fueled by the hate and contempt he held for his place of birth, and shattered the dreamscape. He awoke in a pool of his own sweat. He couldn’t stand the thought of his old home… his old life… what did Princess Luna know of it? The thought that others knew haunted him. Sombra stood up and glanced to the windows. Morning. His own nightmare had increased his strength, however, and he could tell it was only a matter of time. “Don’t worry, Spike.” “I worry.” “You shouldn’t.” The voices of his two guards echoed along the hallway. They were returning. Sombra stepped back into the corner of his cell, ready to wait for another chance… “Good morning!” the pretty white unicorn called out to him when she approached. “Did you sleep well?” Sombra didn’t answer her question. He was disappointed by her jovial demeanor. “I see my words of wisdom couldn’t penetrate your thick, peasant skull,” he said with a sneer. “Hm! I thought a king would have more manners!” Her silly insult cut at his pride. For a split second he almost regret his actions. “Wait, words of wisdom? Did King Sombra talk to you?” the dragon asked. “Oh, we had a brief chat. Nothing to worry your cute little head about, Spike. But, I came to an important realization last night, thanks to our conversation.” The baby dragon frowned. “What realization? You didn’t tell me about any realization.” The mare fluffed her elegant purple mane. “I can’t expect Sombra to see the joys of a cutie mark and Ponyville life if he stays locked up like an animal. He is a king, after all. King’s deserve some respect.” “You can’t be serious… He tried to gore Twilight!” “And me,” the white mare interjected. “I understand, Spike. He was confused. It happens.” “Not to sane ponies!” “Oh, come now. I’m sure we’ve all had our random bouts of… er… unnecessary violence?" “You can’t let him out.” “I most certainly can,” she said, flouncing over to the door of the cage. “I should have learned from Fluttershy’s example. She never treated Discord this way.” With a flick of her magic, the door to the cage was open.