//------------------------------// // No One Loves Like You Do // Story: Long Live The King // by Morpheus Sandman //------------------------------// Sombra’s nostrils flared hotly. He felt overly hot and needed an escape from his current state. Dealing with the disposed minds of the empire’s subjects had tried his patience to walking on hot coals. He needed to cool off. He marched, blindly noting, he had passed Pitch and Sabre standing still. Both of them blinked. “Did you see that? Am I seeing this right Sabre?” Pitch didn’t look at Sabre, instead his eyes were focused on a particular part of the wall in front of him. His eyes didn’t budge but his mind was doing back and forth self-imposed questions. “The Princess Twilight Sparkle? Is she the guest of Sombra?” Sabre drolled. “Yes. No. Maybe?” Pitch said and muttered an echo to himself; he had put a hoof to the temple of his forehead. “Yes yes, and what?” Pitch spluttered, pulling at invisible strings of memory trying to find the one he was looking for. Sabre watched as Pitch tried to construct a mental image with his hoof wobbling out in front of him. It wasn’t as unusual sight for Sabre to see Pitch in a world of his own. Sabre watched carefully and patiently waited, knowing that Pitch would inevitably find what he was looking for soon enough. “A, ah.” Pitch’s hoof twirled one last time and nodded in sync with his head. “..princess of what?” He asked turning with a sudden desperate plea in his eye and exasperation in his voice. “...Friendship?” Sabre drawled slowly. Disbelieving that Pitch, as intelligent as he was, could forget such a tidbit of widely known information. Pitch gasped, the whites of his eyes fully showing. His expressions was one filled with over-brimming joy. “Of course! Why, that was announced a few months ago.” Pitch settled on his haunches, resting his head on the top of one hoof as the other supported it. “Why didn’t I think of it back then? A Princess of Friendship.” Pitch chuckled wistfully. He imagined that his long and laborious time planning out a reform program for Sombra could have been spent better elsewhere if he had just had the forethought to see the princess, of friendship no less. Surely she dealt with such things on a daily basis after all. “We can ask her how we get our grandfather back in the good books.” Pitch started to trot off with Sabre following closely on his heels. Pitch took no time in finding the room he had prepared for Sombra’s guest. He quickly knocked on door, one knock after another, and waited to hear a reply. Pitch knocked again, just in case. Twilight stirred from her thoughts to the noise from across the room. She didn’t want to be seen in the state she was currently, by complete strangers she predicated. So Twilight raised her head from the pillow, cleared her throat, and said in a raised volume, “Go away.” Behind the door Pitch blinked and looked to Sabre for any suggestions. He shrugged and Pitch grimaced. He knocked again. “I said go away!” Twilight said, more annoyance in her tone, eyeing the door. Pitch continued to grimace as Sabre watched him, waiting for the next idea to present itself. Pitch really wanted to talk to the Princess of Friendship. His hopes, he re-determined, could be solved by the sage insight of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Pitch went for the door handle. Sabre’s eyes widening and his hoof shot up and lowered Pitch’s hoof without any forethought. Sabre shook his head. Pitch nodded, agreeing silently with Sabre about his rashness to see the princess. Plan ‘B’ was quickly formulated in the doctor’s mind. “Excuse me, Princess. This is Doctor Pitch, of crystal and dark magic research in the Crystal Empire and my assistant Sabre. May we come in, please?” Twilight caught some of what had been said. She furrowed her brow, not wanting to be disturbed. She rested her head against a pillow and signed. She got up from atop of the bed and went to pull the door forth with a telekinetic grab of magic. She squinted as her magic drew back from the black crystals on her horn. Pitch’s hoof paused mid attempt to knock again as it drew open. Sabre eyed Twilight curiously. “Well, what do you want?” She grumpily asked, trying to reel in her annoyance but not succeeding. “Ah, Princess,” Pitch bowed deeply, his chin almost knocking on the floor. Sabre only lowered his head. “We have come to ask for you help in a matter.” Twilight raised a single eyebrow, with a little bit of impatience and disdain at the doctor’s direct tact at asking for something . She wanted nothing more than to go back to the soft mattress and rest her own worries rather than try to figure out someone else’s at this precise moment. Twilight nodded her head regardless, “What is it you need help with?” She asked, sounding genuinely interested. “Sombra - we want your help in rehabilitating him!” Pitch blurted out. Twilight Sparkle stared, blinked, an eye-twitched, did she just hear that right? “W-what!” “Are you crazy? You’re crazy!” Twilight shrieked pointing an accusing hoof at Pitch. She trotted back into her room and begun to pace around the room. “Everypony knows that Sombra is a monster.” She muttered to herself as she tried to give him the benefit of doubt, trying to recall a memory that cast Sombra in a redeemable manner. She stopped in place and tapped her chin and tried to pierce the veil of her mind to find distinct memories of Sombra. “He ponynapped me!” She blurted out. She shot back around and pointed a hoof at both Pitch and Sabre not knowing which one would deserve a good pointing at more. Twilight fell to her haunches and rubbed her forehead. “I am sorry.” She said, heaving a sigh. “This past afternoon has been trying.” The two ponies present weren’t at fault after all and any arguing at this point was only going to be counterproductive, Twilight knew. Pitch scratched his chin and tried to show some sympathy. “Yes, well getting ponynapped isn't on my bucket list either.” Twilight raised her eyebrow, not sensing any real emotion behind Pitch’s tone. Sabre noticed her annoyed expression towards Pitch. Sabre rolled his hoof in front of himself. “I think what my cousin is trying to say maybe we can help one another here.” Twilight and Pitch looked at Sabre then back at each other again. Twilight stood back up on her four hooves. “You two...you're not affected by Sombra’s magic in anyway?” She asked, her eyes squinted, scrutinising the both of them. “Nope.” Sabre smiled simply. “We are how we’ve always been princess.” Twilight wasn’t sure if this should be comforting. It seemed like a bit of a joke that somepony would want to rehabilitate Sombra, the menacing pony of fear. She massaged her head. “And why would you both want to help Sombra? You’re both crystal ponies.” Twilight stated. Pitch nodded. “Yes...umm,” he grounded the floor with a hoof. “...but... we also a part of his family.” “What?” Twilight sprung up and landed back on top of the bed. As the bed squeaked in bewilderment of her weight it warped in protest. Twilight quickly lost her footing and plopped onto the soft bed. She wasn’t sure why she did that exactly, it seemed like a safe thing to do in the circumstance of hearing such information. “You’re both related to Sombra, how is that even possible to begin with?” Both ponies nodded as Twilight gather her legs together more comfortably. Pitch and Sabre eyed one another surreptitiously. “Which is partly why we wish to help him,” Pitch said. “You see, once other ponies found out our lineage our lives got a little more difficult, restricted, and isolated even.” He tried to explain factually, in short terms. “Our lives over the last few years have been trying for us.” Pitch’s head lowered in thought. “We try not to let it bother us too much but it’s hard.” Pitch’s heard raised again to see Twilight looking at him. “The how is a little harder to fully comprehend princess….” Pitch begun. Sabre put a hoof on Pitch’s shoulder. “...and probable best left for another night, least to say, the empire continued to live on even while existing out of this world.” Twilight listened intently and hummed agreements. Pitch’s restrained speech convinced her that her was trying to hide his pain. It wasn’t hard to imagine that ponies would react within a negative spectrum hearing anything related to Sombra, much less ponies who were related to him through blood. She was also infinitely curious what happened with the crystal ponies when the Crystal Empire banished. Sabre continued. “What is good for Sombra could be good for us all too princess.” Twilight pursed her lips and nodded her head. “Hmm, yes. Not having to worry about a evil dark king rampaging Equestria would be a good thing overall and generally a lot nicer than banishing him.” “If I help him, he may even to let me have my freedom back.” Twilight chuckled weakly. She got off from the bed and approached Pitch and Sabre. “Ok. I am going to be here for awhile anyway. So I might as well make the best of it.” Twilight said with a look of determination in her eyes. “I might even learn some friendship lesson from this!” She beamed at the thought. Pitch and Sombra turned to one another, best leaving any comments left unsaid in the presence of an alicorn. “Thank you princess.” They bowed his head. Twilight blushed. “That’s alright...and just Twilight is fine.” She said sheepishly. “Oh, my, where are my manners. What are your names?” she asked, her mood heightened considerably. Pitch and Sabre smiled and told her their names. Pitch and Sabre spied the new resident; Twilight, waving to them as they left her room and down the corridor. Pitch felt like dancing on sunshine, he was feeling really good. Having talked to the prin...Twilight, his confidence was renewed that Sabre and he could successfully support Sombra in becoming a better, altogether good pony. Pitch signed deeply, holding a hoof to his chest. “Am I getting this right Sabre?” Pitch asked. “The Princess Twilight Sparkle?” Sabre asked for reassurance at the task. “Who else? Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and Sombra, the soon to be ex-dark King of the Crystal Empire…,” Sabre’s eyebrows raised questioningly. “Don’t you see what’s happening? This can work out perfectly for Sombra...it’s perfect. She’s the one, she can bring Sombra back!” Pitch danced on the tips of his hooves excitedly. Sabre stopped his walking. Pitch noticed a moment later and turned to face Sabre. “What are you getting at Pitch?” Sabre asked, his monotone voice hiding the fact he was having skeptically thoughts at where Pitch’s own thoughts were leading him towards. Pitch grinned cooly. He brought up one hoof in front of himself than the other. “Him…,” one hoof moved towards the centre of his chest. “Her…,” the opposite hoof came to almost touch the other, “...alone.” They clopped together. “...together.” Sabre’s expression relaxed back to expressionless and he trotted past Pitch. “That stinks.” “Stick in the mud.” Pitch glared at the back of Sabre then trotted quickly up next to him. “Sorry. But we need, really need, a good plan; not a miracle, a real plan. We’re no matchmakers.” Sabre said, his tone not changing. Pitch hummed in thought, mild with a disagreeing tone. He and Sabre headed to the lowest floor of the castle where their personal space was, and hopefully would still be, where they conducted their practises in dark magic. Their virtual home away from home. Meanwhile in the castle Sombra’s shadow stretched high along the walls, the light of the torches warped its form as it flickered in a cooling breeze that flittered through the castle corridors. He made his way towards the West Wing of the castle. His thoughts went over the activities of the day. Crystal Heart, checked. Disable current leaders, checked. Reboot base economics for empire stability, checked. Get back at unicorn who foiled trap… “An alicorn…?” Sombra stopped in his trot. He looked back over his shoulder from where he had came. He imagined his eyes could pierce through the solid rock and crystal materials and to where Twilight Sparkle was. But they couldn’t. He hoof reflectively touched his chest where his necklace hung. Sombra scrunched his face briefly and continued on before suddenly stopping again. He also recalled passing by Pitch and Sabre without having dismissed them for the night. “My grandsons…,” he wondered. His eyes felt dry and tired and he squeezed them tightly shut. Sombra rubbed the temple of his head and sighed. He turned around and back towards the south exit of the castle. There was one thing that he wanted to put off till it become urgent and didn’t believe it ever would become important. But tiredness was a foreign concept to Sombra. He had spent years with a slumbering body, never moving and spending the majority of time exploring his own mind. Every so often he would try to pierce the veil of his crystal prison to see with his mind’s eye the goings on of the the real world, but the crystals of prison barred his passage. With legs throbbing Sombra left the castle and headed towards the Crystal Empire library. Approaching the library front Sombra smiled genuinely appreciating his own improvement on the griffon statues that flanked the staircase up to the library doors. Not feeling the energy to cast any more spells today he opened up one side of the double doors that served as the main entrance. The moonlight shined bright and strong, cascading down into the midst of the large interior of the library from a single large circular ceiling window. Beams of moonlight from the surrounding walls of the library also revealed the the space from the arched window frames. A plethora of books greeted any eyes that came into the area. Each wall of shelves homed hundreds if not thousands of books of varying information and knowledge, from fact to fiction. The library, which would normally be an array of soft blue crystals which formed the structure of the place, were now deep dark blues, purple, and greens, with colours swirling together to make a translucent looking goop that was held in stasis within the crystals. Sombra appreciated his handy work for a moment, smiling with one side of his face. Sombra appreciated the fine layout of the Crystal Empire’s library. It was spacious, large, and held many books. It was also a rare place to see many other ponies visit. Sombra frowned at this thought. Amethyst Maresbury, an elderly earth crystal pony and the librarian, appeared from behind a bookshelf. “Oh…,” she almost gasped, staring and making and almost unbreakable connection with Sombra’s eyes. Their faint purple vapour made her shudder slightly as if they promised to haunt her dreams tonight. In the dark Sombra’s body had melted into the shadows. Only the brief moonlight that caught his face made any suggestion that he was perhaps a pony. Sombra noticed she carried in one hoof a unique instrument of the Crystal Empire: a crystal torch staff. During the night it wouldn’t be uncommon to see a pony with one. It was a wooden staff with a crystal twisted into the bark at one end. It was a special white-type crystal which could be enhanced to mimic sunlight reflecting off of the moon. It was an eerie and ghostly looking light but it did in a pinch if you didn’t want to walk around in the dark blindly. The librarian bowed her head to Sombra and came closer to him. As she walked into the moonlight she tapped the end of the staff twice on the ground and the light faded from the crystal. “M-May I help you y-your majesty?” Amethyst asked, stuttering slightly with a softly gentle spoken voice. Sombra held the librarian to some regard, as the pursuit of knowledge was a noble undertaken. What the librarian lacked in knowledge she made up for with knowing where to find said knowledge. She was much like a good-natured will-o-the-wisp, guiding lost souls to the safest path to where they wanted to go. “I am looking for genealogy records….” Sombra said. “Oh…,” Amethyst nodded her head simple and her eyes squinted. Sombra took a steady breathe in and out, knowing what he had to do. “Be still for a moment librarian,” He commanded and brought his razor edge horn down lightly atop of her forehead. Where his magic tendrils danced and galloped along her memories. “You are the librarian here Amethyst Maresbury, you have been for many years. You know the place of every book and you put every book in its place.” Sombra said firmly and hoped that was enough to kickstart her memories. “Oh…,” One of her hooves met her lips tentatively as she looked down at Sombra’s hooves. She shivered slightly seeing his front hooves and legs were covered in dark metal gauntlets as if he was prepared in a moments notice for battle. He was in full armament, his neck and chest covered in plate also with a steel crown around his brow. Sombra could feel her fear well before he saw it in the mare’s eyes. He took another steadying breath as his legs got a little bit sorer. His brow creased, eyes closed, his horn lit up with dark energies as the vapour swishing around his eyes grew denser. Amethyst’s eyes widened apprehensively. Sombra easily casted his mind from his body and talked directly into Amethyst’s mind. Amethyst could feel her head get sore as her imagination unrestrictedly taunted her with images of Sombra’s menacing and monstrous eyes, unwelcomed and tormenting. Sombra had opened his mind's eyes inside of Amethyst’s conscious. He repeated to her mind the same thing he had said to her before. The glow of Sombra’s horn faded and he opened his physical eyes again. “Oh, yes, of course…,” Amethyst said as she appeared to have forgotten about the previous five seconds. “I remember now. I do work as the librarian here.” She tapped the staff on the ground once and the crystal shone brightly before dimming to a more subdued light. “Please follow me your majesty.” She led Sombra pasted wall after wall of shelves that held many books. Little spots of bright moonlight reflected off of the crystal materials. She came to a shorter but much longer shelf that held large heavy tomes and begun searching through the titles printed on the cover or spines of the book. She plucked a large one off of that that lied resting flat on top of the shelf. Sombra had seen himself to a desk and chair nearby and waited on for the liberian to place the book in front of him. Amethyst rested the staff against the shelf and picked the large book up into her embrace. She balanced herself on her hind legs and deftly walked over to Sombra and placed the tome in front of him. Sombra’s didn’t turn to face her as she approached and instead put a hoof onto the cover of the book after it was putted down. Amethyst coughed. Sombra turned to face her. “Well?” She asked softly. Sombra rolled his eyes, thinking he may have unlocked too much of her memory. “Thank you.” He said. Also thankful that no one else was around to hear him say it. Amethyst smiled. “Respect for your elders isn't too hard now is it?” And she walked away, with a bit of skip in her stride, to leave Sombra to read privately. He grumbled as she left him alone and turned back to the book, grinning with though. Sombra knew he didn’t look as old as he did. Both sides of Sombra’s lips lanced downward. His hoof smoothed out the cover frantically. His eyes focused hotly on each letter design. He didn’t blink and his whole head turned to stone. A single bead of sweat blazed down in between in his eyes, down the side of his muzzle, and alongside his cheek before finally gathering enough weight at the edge of his chin to fall and escape to drip onto the surface of the book. It left a noticeable cool touch along the stone. Sombra’s chest locked up hard and his breathing almost altogether stopped. He stared bewildered and twitched his head disbelievingly. He didn’t understand, couldn’t comprehend, a single letter or word on the page. He supported his head with one hoof on the table and did little circles to numb an increasing ache inside his head. “How…have I forgotten?” He said softly. From the corner of his eye he noticed the elderly mare librarian approach him with a look of motherly concern. “You look stuck.” She said. Sombra looked over to the mare. Her face was hard to read. She came and stood over Sombra’s shoulder to see what he was reading. As she pointed to the word Sombra looked at it. “That word says jee-nee-ol-uh-jee.” She said slowly. “Birth records for the year nine hundred ninety eight.” Sombra’s expression hardened fast on the word in front of him. He knew what genealogy was; what it meant and such. But this word, these letters, in front of him he couldn’t decipher. He finally rested his head back in defeat his hoof eased on his head. Time in the Crystal Prison had made him forget the written word. Amethyst saw Sombra’s face tense and teeth glowering in the moonlight for just a moment before they softened and his lips sagged. His foreleg moved and rested over his eyes - a sure sign of defeat from exhaustion. She guessed at what the problem might have been. “Y-you know your majesty…,” she said softly. Sombra grumbled unintelligently as he moved his hoof away from the eye facing Amethyst so he could look at her. “...I could gather some learning material on reading and writing for your majesty, if you like.” Sombra closed his eye again and breathed out. This couldn’t of happened now, not when there was so much to be done. Though he considered, if he couldn’t read, it was likely that he couldn’t write too, maybe scribble, but definitely nothing that would be considered Equestrian language. Sombra’s mouth parted and teeth gleamed in the moonlight as he got up from the chair. He lowly growled, passing by Amethyst. Amethyst sighed exasperatedly and her expression saddened seeing Sombra leave. As she watched him steadily leave a sense of determination came to her and she trotted to him to see him out the door. As Sombra was about to pass through the threshold he sensed something odd coming from behind him. He turned back around to see Amethyst with a soft expression. “A little bit of kindness goes a long way your majesty.” She said. “Hmm?” He grunted in reply. “When someone does something nice for you you should thank them. It’s the polite thing to do.” Sombra’s eyes narrowed on her. Even in-between the darkness of the threshold and the outside Amethyst’s expression lighten up as every bit honest and kindness could. Sombra’s jaw loosened and he snorted derisively and left the library. He had to catch up to his thoughts which were now ahead of him. The pricking in the back on his neck was fading but now a heavy pressure thudded in his chest. “I need to move the Crystal Heart,” he muttered. Sombra ascended the staircase from the central fora of the castle and up another brief staircase and was in the west wing. Moving along the expansive corridors one door stood out. It was dressed in fine, bright pastel colours, a stark contrast to the rest of the grunge the castle had to offer. Sombra’s eyes narrowed in thought. He hadn’t been in the best of moods this day and there was a pony behind this door he needed to see to, sooner rather than later. If nothing else but to gloat and let off some steam. Sombra thrice knocked on the door before he shoved it open. Inside the room was a blast of bright pink and blue hues. A immediate difference from the rest of the newly refurbished castle of dark greys, purples, and greens. Sombra looked from floor, to the wall, to the ceiling, to the pony on the bed. He smugly grinned at her as she laid across the soft pink frilly sheets. Cuffed around her neck was a chain leading to an anchor point wedged into the centre of the room. It was the only point in the room the remained untouched and was the darkest black. Sombra looked around impressively before snorting. “You’ve been redecorating.” Addressing the pink alicorn across the room smartly. “So have you.” Cadance replied solemnly, the golden black chains clinked together as her head moved to face him, her eyes narrowing. The black crystals that were once surrounding her horn were no longer there. Sombra hummed inspecting the enchanted metal lynch pin imbedded into the floor next to the bed. He followed the short chain briefly along the floor, up to the bed, and onto the snugly fitted peytral around Cadance’s neck. Sombra smiled smugly and looked down his nose at her even as she laid atop of her bed. For an alicorn she was only half the size of Princess Celestia. “I believe I have the royal sisters to thank for alerting me to you juvenile exercises.” He said rubbing at the back on his neck. “I ask you to stop it.” He growled. As he stepped further into the room, he grunted and paused, his muscles tensed rigidly. The haze of purple around his eyes flickered agitatedly as the sensation of magic washed over him. “I imagine the properties of love are not to your liking as fear is?” Cadance unmoving, said cooly. Sombra focused his sense on the Crystal Heart as he braced against the pressure he was receiving in the room. He rubbed an ethereal hoof over its fractal surface. There was an ward in the way that he had cast himself. Caressing it intimately the field rippled softly at the familiar touch. Sombra hummed to himself, pleased to feel that the heart hadn’t been troubled with, and that the empire was still fresh with his magic. The troubled prickling in his neck had subsided and the heart felt safe within his shadowy presence. Sombra came back to the room, eyes on Cadance. “Nothing like you could imagine.” He said, his lips barely parting. Her ears flicked. “Funny, here I thought the Dark One had came to gloat about taking over my empire. Instead, Sombra, the King of Fear, is shying away from a little love magic.” Cadance’s expression softened. “Would sound like a joke now, wouldn’t it? If I didn’t know any better.” Sombra darkened, regarding her curiously. “Oh?” He cooed. There was a moment of silence as two unseeable forces silently pressed against one another. Candace’s body sparkled with crystal patches here and there. Sombra’s tail and mane billowed, a slow fog failing from them to the floor. Around him the bright colours begin to flake off of the surface of the room. The bright coloured peeling off the surface and objects around him and floated aimlessly. The flakes leaving behind much duller colours. “This magic?” Sombra lost focus of Cadance as his eyes circled around the room. With quick precision Cadance lept from the bed a blinding light shining from her forehead that struck Sombra in the face. He arced across the room. Cadance winced as he impacted the wall loudly and slumped to the ground. The purple trail of smoke drifted behind where Sombra had left. It caught back up with his eyes and disappeared. He hacked a single couch and his jaw froze open. He felt something heavy form under his necklace. With gritted teeth he shot up on all fours. Like a pony of stilts his legs wobbled sending him towards Cadance. Sombra’s legs backpedaled underneath him. Unable to catch up the rest of his body collapse in a heap on the floor. The storm died down. He eyed Cadance wearily. She gasped, leaned back, wide eyed with shock. “What did you do to me?” Sombra spoke through his teeth, slowly trying to rise. “How are you doing this?” He yelled. “You have the strangest eyes I’ve ever seen.” Cadance looked at him intently. Sombra red eyes quivered wildly. He wobbled to and fro as he sat up on his haunches. “They’re rather…” “Tch.” Sombra blurted hotly, choking back his words. His necklace was beginning to feel warm against his chest. Cadance watched curiously, waiting a moment for Sombra to calm down. “I was going to say they look empty.” Sombra breathed out of his mouth, feeling hot all of suddenly. His hoof held against his chest. “A pony without light in their eyes or in their heart isn't much of a pony. I just reminded you there was a small piece there. Though, I really do wonder how that came to be?” Sombra stood and his eyes narrowed dangerously. “I won't be manipulated,” he said to the ground. “What?” Cadance tensed worriedly. She could see his eyes as his muzzle raised. A strand of blank mane split them apart from one another. Within those eyes, a steely determination, stoic and unmoving. Sombra bared his teeth, firmly planting his hooves. A heat burned in his chest desperately for release. He hacked up cloud of pink dust and it disappeared just a quick. A slither of purple ether appeared around the edge of his eyes. He felt a throbbing from his chest to his ears. “Mi Amour Candenza.” Sombra said, pronouncing each syllable slowly and purposefully as she bore her eyes into him. “I am just here to see that the alicorn is comfortable in her humble abode.” He said nonchalantly. “It can be rather busy looking after two after all.” He baited. Cadance kept a cool demeanour. Sombra grimaced. “Yes. Even I was interested in that. I could have sworn last I was around that the little pint-sized purple alicorn was a normal unicorn.” He stared down at Cadance. She didn’t say anything. Sombra rolled his eyes exasperatedly. “Celestia and Luna and I daresay yourself, are strong enough to withstand my brainwashing but I wonder what of this new alicorn? Why, with an alicorn by my side, who knows what I may accomplish? Or even what effect it would have on the Crystal Heart. No doubt you have heard the stories about me?” Cadance remained unaffected. Sombra growled at not getting more a reaction but managed a short laugh. “Imagine an alicorn by my side.” He repeated, doubling down on his efforts to get to Candance. He grinned looking at his hoof as he swayed it back and forth. “I might just persuade her to take my side, as queen.” He glared back up at her threateningly. He watched Cadance tersely. Her head shifted slightly. “I guess it’s true then. No one loves like you do, King of Shadows.” Cadance unblinkingly stared down at the stallion now. Sombra’s head snapped back. A single dilated eye staring back at her. “What did you say?” He lowly hissed. “You heard me.” Her eyes squinted, challenging. Cadance steeled herself. “What did you come here to do? To gloat, to be understood? Fear may be your weapon but love is mine. You can feel the fear inside of ponies just as naturally as any other ponies feels the wind!” She paused, staring. “But I can feel the love. The love inside of everypony.” “Shut it, Princess of Love.” He growled venomously. Cadance didn’t like the tone or the suggestion he was making. Though she tried to keep calm and level-headed her brow creased and eyes trained on Sombra. A small twinkle in her eye. She pressed forward herself till the chain held taunt. “I am the Princess of Love.” Cadance said softly, level eyed with Sombra. His muzzled twitched. Both set of eyes remained locked together. Cadance blinked, wetting her dried eyes. She begun to look at her hoof tiresomely, examining each section of the front slowly, twisting her ankle slightly. “Strange, history paints you as somewhat of a strategist, particular to battles of war. But all I see here now is a dumbstruck little colt. Trying childishly to put together his thoughts and arguments about what it is he is doing exactly. If you came here to intimidate me - colour me unimpressed.” The purple mist engulfed Sombra’s eyes. Quickly the room was spread with thick smokiness. The bed acting like driftwood out at sea. The green eyes of Sombra like a lantern in the night. “Don’t take me lightly little alicorn!” His voice echoed around her and the room strained from the pressure. “I was easily able to pluck apart the minds of the empire's citizens and put them back together in less than a day.” He barked. Though Cadance felt unease with the change of environment she watched the unicorn closely. He was dressed imposingly in his armour, cape and crown while a bog-like smoke billowed where his mane and tail would be. The conversation lulled for a beat. Sombra licked his lips. He crinkled his nose. “Love.” He sneered and glared at her pretentiousness. “Don’t pretend you know everything about it. The reason I dislike the word is that it means so much to me, far more than you can understand.” Cadance remained unblinking. “But I do Sombra. No one loves like you do.” Unmoving, Cadance’s soft gaze pierced through Sombra’s hard protective shadow. His eyes narrowed disgruntled. He turned to leave without having said anything else. His cape billowing after him. The last thing Cadance said caused Sombra pause. “I do not believe you are the monster you would have others believe you are Sombra. You do not warrant that fear and you do not owe other ponies it.” Then he continued to leave the room. “I am not afraid of you,” Cadance said just as Sombra was about to pass the threshold. “Not like you are of me.” She leered at the back of his head. “Talk to Twilight Sparkle about friendship sometime. I think you’ll find it helpful.” Sombra snorted derisively, flicking his tail, and muttered under his breath, “Where were you a thousand years ago?” He slammed the door behind him. The tension and dark clouds slowly swept away. Cadance let out a heavy sigh. Sombra made his way back to his own quarters in the west wing. He made a lot of grunts and exercised his lips angrily. A short thrust forward and the doorway to his private room gave way. He sipped all the air in the room into his lungs and roared. As soon as the door closed Sombra narrowly stopped himself from crushing to the ground. He breathed slow and heavily, drawing as much air in as possible to his burning lungs. “That..bah! Alicorn!” He growled, a bead of sweat dripping from his muzzle. He continued to take large breaths, each one shortening and becoming steady again. Sombra stood back up a cool liquid building at the edge of his eyes along with a faint hint of purple. “She will play her part.” In the short burst that he wished lasted longer he become spent and weary. He clambered over to a large enough bed that could fit him ten times over. He ducked his under the doona and escaped from the hard floor into the darkness underneath the covers and the softness of the mattress. He breathed airly then monitored his breathe as he took long breaths in and out of his nostril. He didn’t remember days being this long. Below ground, underneath the castle, Pitch and Sabre brewed. “I’ve never really liked it down here, too quiet.” Sabre drolled. “Indeedly.” Pitch said absently, removing his saddle bags to place on the large central table with a loud clunk, and moving then to shuffle through a few books on a nearby shelf. They were now in there so described personal lab, which was more a single room hybrid home with all the amenities, plus lab and kitchen sink. As large as the room was, it was almost filled to the brim, from wall to wall, to all available space in-between, with various objects, knickknacks, personal items, and a scatter of crystals. A comfortable mess of their own making. Sabre sat away from Pitch at the otherwise empty table which, as table goes, was used for pretty much everything. Curiously he leant over the table and brought the bag to himself. “No bags on the table.” Sabre said. Though Sabre didn’t pay any attention. Opening it up he took out the hoof thick crystal that was half the length of his head, just reaching his eye line as he sat it upright on the table. “So, what are we going to do with this for now.” Sabre asked. “Hm?” Pitch’s flicked an ear towards Sabre then turned to him when more words weren’t forthcoming. “Ah.” Pitch said unsurely. On three legs, one holding a book, he came back over to the table. He shook he his softly. “I thought we agreed no crystals on the table?” He said. Sabre was always unsure what they had agree to that the table was to be used for. “I wonder what is better, hindsight or foresight.” Pitch said curtly. Sabre looked at his reflection in the bluish crystal. “Whichever works best.” He said absentmindedly. Pitch clicked his tongue and grumbled. He placed the tome he was holding on the table. Smacking his lips and closing his eyes he drew upon his well of magic from within himself. He channelled it to darker aspects, a faint whisper of purple lining the side of his eyes. A purple ether materialised around his horn before it took off and disappeared into the crystal. “How much do you think it can hold?” Sabre drolled. “More than I could conjure.” Pitch said. He flicked the book in front of him opened and scratched an itch on his neck. “Did we have plans for tonight?” Sabre asked. Pitch hummed, neither an agreeing or disagreeing tone. “Sombra, I mean, his majesty. He asked us to study the Crystal Heart with the spell he put on it.” He turned the book to face Sabre. A illustration on the Crystal Heart was printed largely on the page, a large box of tiny text on the page next to it. “Though at the moment I am more curious about the crystals in the prison…” Pitch turned around, looking through the large room, and grabbed a large chalk board at the far end and whisked it in front of him. Sabre idly tapped the crystal in front of him as Pitch chalked several diagrams and shorthand notes. Sabre knew this already but Pitch obviously had a new idea to show-and-tell him. Pitch quickly finished boarding what crystal containers were all about. It was more straightforward than how Pitch was presenting it, but he was an academic, so some professionalism and flare had to be shown. To be short, container or vessel crystals, as they were sometimes referred to, were crystals that could hold magical energies. Crystals weren’t particular a rare occurrence in the Crystal Empire, albeit, one could trip over one with every hoof step taken, container crystals were a little more special. They were crystals that grew throughout the Frozen North. An easy analysis done by a unicorn would be able to tell whether or not a crystal could hold magic in it or not. “Are we going to be here all night?” Sabre asked as he made his way to the kitchen section of the room. Which had a few books and flasks next to the sink. He managed to fish out the kettle from underneath some large scrolls and set it up to boil water on the small stove next to the sink. “No, we won't be.” Pitch assured. He looked back at the chalk board. “There’s something that’s been bother me.” Sabre took his seat again. “At it’s limit a crystal wont take any more magic in. Forcing more will cause the crystal to shatter, naturally.” Sabre nodded along with Pitch as he explained. “Though I’ve never seen a crystal turn grey like what we saw in the prison.” Pitch said. Sabre remained motionlessly waiting to see what Pitch’s imagination had to spill. “It’s really fascinating - like a whole new thing about crystals that even I have no clue about.” Pitch chuckled. “But what would make a crystal act so uncharacteristically like that? What magic, what spell?” Pitch’s head circled around looking at the notes he had made on the chalkboard. “We could always try and drain his magic with the crystal here and see what happens.” Pitch turned wide-eyed. Sabre continued despite Pitch’s discomfort.“So far we’re failing on a colossal level with rehabilitating Sombra. At the very least we should try to get him away from the empire. Him being here isn’t healthy for anypony.” “I mean, looks what he's done to empire much less our lab in less than a day.” “Uhh, yeah.” Pitch said uneasily, lazily rolling his eyes from one side of his skull to the other. “Doesn’t really look that much different in my opinion.” Sabre ignored him.“Even with Princess Twilight’s assistance we should have a backup plan to neutralise Sombra’s power if it starts to get too much for us to change him with it. That should be our priority now.” “We should work with what we got here.” Sabre pressed the crystal to lean on one edge. Letting it go it swung back and forth on the table. “Then if we can’t rehabilitate Sombra, hmm.” The crystal tobbled over. Pitch and Sabre looked at it glumly. The kettle finished boiling with a loud whistling. Twilight trotted happily into the hallway. Her teacher, Princess Celestia was there. “Celestia!” She sung. Twilight didn’t noticed the cold look that Celestia gave her as she pressed her cheek into teacher’s chest. “So you have returned from the Crystal Empire after failing what I sent you their to achieve?” She said darkly. Twilight winced under Celestia’s tone. ‘You’ve failed me Twilight.” Twilight tensed fitfully. It couldn’t be true. Celestia used one of her large wings and pushed Twilight along the floor away from herself. Twilight unsure chocked on tears. “Now you must leave as you are no longer my student.” “What? Why? But I…tried as hard as I could. I didn’t think that failure mean I could no longer be your student.” Twilight tried to hold her voice firm from shouting and choking. Celestia’s dismissed Twilight’s presence and turned away from her. The room and Celestia faded, blowing lazily away in a sandy breeze Twilight found herself in a large empty room with thickset archways through which one could see out into the Crystal Empire. She moved and large darkened crystals ensnared her. The Crystal Heart was a few steps away from her, just out of her reach. Spike approached the heart, his claws safely kept under his armpits. “Spike, you must get the Crystal Heart to the crystal ponies.” Spike nodded, freeing his claws and picking up the heart that was almost as big as him, and leaped away. Just as Spike fell from Twilight’s view the sky darkened and she felt scared. From the stairs Sombra approached with Spike in his magically grasp. “Oh no, Spike!” Twilight called as he was dropped not close enough that she could pull him towards herself and out of potential danger. Sombra laughed manically, a swollen serpent tongue lolling out of his mouth. His teeth grew larger and more sharp. Twilight shivered, fresh tears replacing the ones she had just shred. She had failed again. Sombra’s form turned shadowy at Twilight’s tears. His head remained as it got large enough to fill the room. Twilight had nowhere to run as Sombra opened his mouth to trap Twilight between his teeth. Twilight woke up with a fright. Her hoof pressed tightly to her chest to keep her lungs in her chest. She looked at the window and found herself wondering what her friend were doing.