• Published 29th Jul 2013
  • 1,708 Views, 34 Comments

The Land Before Them - Fat1thatyoulove



The new land of Equestria has been founded, but real peace still lays just out of hoof's reach for the ponies that inhabit this new world. But the great King Sombra is looking to change that through the use of the Crystal Empire's examples.

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Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Magic of simple, not for all

The inside of the crystal empire gives off its own bright blue-white glow as the sun from the world around it begins to roll into the mountains in the distance. But as the tall dark grey stallion stares out of the window to the crystal lit city beneath the windows there's no urge of setting for another day.

Sombra's stare over the world is not to last long though as the sound of a hoof knocking to the front throne room door. The stallion's eyes lighten a little to the sound as he turns to the door that comes open to his magic's glow.

But the slightly excited gaze that the stallion had to the knock is not brought to hold as he watches the dark blue crystal stallion coming into the room. However his voice holds its own unique deep echo, "Yes Nimby, what is it?"

The stallion bows his head as he speaks up, "I did not mean to bother you King Sombra."

"Nonsense, my most trusted adviser has never been a bother." Sombra holds a patient smile as the stallion begins to speak up.

"The pegasus have sent their final word on your speakings today."

Sombra nods his head as he moves his stance towards the empty throne, "Very well."

Nimby moves aside from the throne room entrance as he nods his head. As the crystal earth pony steps aside a white pegasus wearing gold and blue armor steps into the throne room.

As the stallion's voice comes to the room his hoof comes to the helmet on his head as the pony removes it and gives a slight bow, "Emperor Gust wishes fair winds for you King Sombra."

The grey stallion returns the respectful nod as he listens to the stallion's words, "...But Emperor Gust has refused the offers given at this meeting until there is signs of the other two considering this proposal."

Sombra's horn is silent for a moment before he gives a slight smile, "Yes..." His horn goes quiet for a moment as the stallion places the helmet back to his head, "...I wish you clear skies, but I do not have a reply at this moment."

The pegasus nods his head as he turns to the door and starts to trot through the door without Nimby at his side s the crystal pony waits for Sombra's words. But the grey stallion doesn't speak up for a moment as the pegasus leaves the room, his horn stays a low glow though as he listens to the hooves becoming an echo to the room.

A smile crosses Sombra's face as he looks to the crystal pony still in the room, "Tell me Nimby, for a pegasus to remove ones armor in the presence of unfamiliar ponies what does that tell?"

The crystal pony squints to the comment as his voice comes to him, "I-I was unaware of the stallion's motions."

Sombra nods his head as the echo come back to Nimby, "That’s because words can be forced, they can be puppetized and controlled...actions, even small ones are how we all truly speak." The stallion's horn pops to the spell as he brings his right hoof up to the crystal stallion.
Nimby follows the motions for a moment before he bows his head, "And a well night for you King Som-..."

The pony's voice is cut off as the sound of another unfamiliar tone cuts through it, "Well, I must say that is quite insightful King Sombra...Quite insightful indeed."

The two stallions already standing in the room turn a questioning and confused eye to the words as there eyes move to lay on a old looking tan coated earth stallion with sand colored mane with a short sand colored tail and a simple brown cloak around the pony's figure.

Nimby's voice comes back to the room as he moves to the stallion, "I'm sorry Sir, but court is over and no audience can be seen without-.."

Again Nimby's words are brought to a halt as the stallion cocks his head to the words as he squints his yellow-orange eyes, "Oh no no no, there is no audience fit for a king...just me and my assistant." The stallion gives a slight chuckle as he sways a little, "I hardly find us entertaining either, so there really would be no need for an audience."

The earth pony waves his hoof almost in a gesture telling the crystal pony to leave.

The gesture sparks Sombra's horn back up as his echo comes back to the room, "You have not been permitted to seek me, and you now try my patience."

"Oh no no no, I am merely looking from the door you have left open." The stallion brings his hoof to tap to his mouth as he turns his head up and around the room, "Yes...quite a nice door."

Sombra's shows no amusement to the comment as his horn chimes, "Do you mock this castle sir?"

"OH no! Not at all." His eyes come back to the dark grey stallion with a slight bit of astonishment, "I am surprised a conversation such as that would have been wanted behind closed doors."

"You do not know of the conversations behind closed doors, nor should you ask of them." Sombra's eyes slightly tighten to the pony's unmoving stance as his voice comes back in laugh to Sombra's words.

"Of course not, I am nothing but a simple earth pony..." He smiles as he holds his hoof up, "But I have heard words from you, words that have made me think, could it be true? Could King Sombra of the crystal empire truly be taking the first hoof forward to uniting Equestria? T-to finally bring the peace we have all moved here for?"

Sombra nods his head but no words come from him.

The old earth pony brings his front hooves up as he smiles and claps them together a little, his voice is a bit more excited as he continues his nod, "Perhaps you would like to hear from a simple earth pony...you obviously took that simple messenger's gestures as importance..." The stallion puts one of his hooves down as he hold his other leg up weakly to his excited voice, "Maybe, just maybe words could be more valuable than a gesture."

Sombra holds his gaze to the old stallion as he blinks a little to the request, but the echo comes back as he looks to the empty area behind the stallion, "Tell me elder, you say you have an assistant, why does this pony not follow you?"

"Oh, you know the young's desires to please the many, it spreads them thin when truly wanted." The old stallion gives a smile as he waits for a response.

But the room holds the silence for a moment as Sombra looks over the stallion, but a nod of his head and a beckon of his hoof send Nimby out of the room and the old stallion in.

As the doors close from the crystal pony's grasp the old stallion looks around the room a little more, "Truly a wondrous castle King Sombra."

The grey stallion doesn't take the comment as his horn glows, "I have never rushed an elder but I must ask for you to stray away from words of so many and only speak your mind."

A smile crosses the old stallion's face as he lifts his hoof a little to the empty throne, "Tell me King Sombra, why does your throne sit empty while you stand?"

Sombra's eyes do not drift to the crystal outcropping he stands by as the low chime carries his words, "Your words elder?"

"Very well, very well..." His nod from the words stops as he looks to the grey stallion with an almost emotionless stare, "I am a healer King Sombra, and I wish to help you."

The chime to Sombra's horn glows goes a bit deeper as his eyes go a little wider, "There is no need for a simple healer."

“Simple healer?” The old stallion wiggles his right hoof a little to the comment as he laughs, “Do you believe just because I am an earth pony that all of remedies involve dirt?”

Sombra blinks to the words as his chime rings on, “No, my thoughts are not as vague as you perceive them to be, but there are no ponies in my castle that are in need of a healer.”

The stallion's hoof taps to his mouth as he begins to think out loud, "Hmm...Oh yes I know." The hoof comes from his mouth as he points to Sombra, "I forgot, a mind like yours would rather speak in senseless riddles, very well. I speak these words now because a breath can be wasted before the action has been completed." A smile comes over the old pony as he nods his head, "Do you understand King Sombra?"

The grey pony no longer holds the wide eyed gaze as he tightens it again with his horn's brighter green glow, "My respect for those older than me is great, but my will to hear nonsense is not...I am no longer asking but telling, you will leave now elder."

A nod comes back over the stallion as he looks to the horn glowing on Sombra's head, "Well, I must say...being told something is rather hard to follow..." The stallion pinnes his gaze to Sombra with a smile as he pauses, "...When the stallion speaking does not move his lips."

But before any action could come from the grey stallion the earth pony has bowed and turned towards the door.

Sombra's eyes hold hard to the old stallion as his horn pops to the fading spell, the room once again goes silent as the newly formed night sky sits without the moon yet to rise as Sombra moves back to the window.

End of chapter 10