Chapter Nine : Mysteries in History
Twilight sighed contently as she slowly awakened to comfort and warmth. She was confused as to why she was not greeted by the silk sheets of her palace bed, but a thick blanket of black wool instead. There was no mattress beneath her, either, only a thin cotton sheet fastened to a stone slab. Yet, it was oddly comfortable.
Groaning, she sat up and looked around. The sound of hoofsteps drew her attention to the doorway, where Sombra soon appeared. “Oh, you're awake,” he said, smiling. “I thought you would sleep the entire day away.”
“Oh, Sombra. Guess that answers my question as to where I am.”
He nodded. “You're in my cave.”
“How...?”
“I found you outside my door, so I brought you inside.” He frowned. “Were you trying to get here through the blizzard? That was incredibly foolish.”
Twilight winced. Oh, right, she thought. She recalled the blizzard—being lost. Then, she remembered how she ended up there in the first place. … Trixie!
Her eyes widened. “Y-yeah!” she replied loudly. “But, I was trying to get to the train station, not here!” She hopped off the makeshift bed. “I need to get to Canterlot!”
“What? Whatever for?”
A second after he asked, she was so close to his face that their muzzles nearly touched. Her eyes were filled with panic as she began to trot in place.
“BecauseTrixiecameaftermyfriendslookingforrevengeandshebrainwashedeveryponyandshechallengedmetoamagicduelbutshehastheAlicornAmuletsoIlosthorriblyandshebanishedmesoItriedtofindthetrainstationtogettoCanterlotsoIcouldtellPrincessCelestiabutIgotlostintheblizzardandIheardaweirdvoicethatleadmetoamagicflowerthatIatebutitmademepassoutandthenIwokeuphere!”
Only then did she remember to breath. She inhaled deeply and then she began to properly catch her breath. “So,” she panted, “I-I have to get to Canterlot. I can't take on Trixie without my horn!”
Eyes wide, Sombra looked at Twilight's forehead in confusion. “I have no idea what's going on,” he said, “but you do have your horn.”
Twilight blinked. “What?”
“Your horn is precisely where it belongs.” His brow furrowed as he touched his hoof to the base of her horn. “Do you feel well? Maybe you had some sort of fever dream...”
She stepped out of his reach. He didn't lie, for she was quick to discover that the magical appendage was right where it was meant to rest upon her forehead. The relief she felt was indescribable. “Oh, thank the stars,” she breathed. She tapped her chin. “It must've been that strange flower.” Now that she had calmed a bit, it occurred to her that she would've recalled seeing Sombra's cave if it were actually there when she became lost in the snowstorm. Was that also the flower's doing, or did she subconsciously teleport there once her horn returned? Either way, she was grateful.
Sombra sighed. “I still have no idea what you're talking about. Though, if you'll begin with telling me your name, I'll be most grateful.”
“Oh, I'm sorry.” She held out her hoof. “I'm Twilight Sparkle. Guess I should've told you that sooner.”
Smirking, the stallion gave her hoof a brief shake. “Do not worry about it,” he chuckled. “So, Twilight Sparkle, tell me how you ended up at my door? Slowly, if you please.”
Twilight took a seat on the edge of the bed as she began to explain her situation to him. She began with a brief version of her first encounter with Trixie, which slowly lead into the traveler's reappearance within the Crystal Empire's borders. Sombra listened patiently, though Twilight noticed his eyes widened when she mentioned the Alicorn Amulet. Finally, when her tale was finished, the stallion grunted as he sat before her on the floor. “This is... troubling news,” he said. “Troubling news indeed.”
“I don't even know how she got her hooves on such a powerful item,” Twilight sighed. “Then again, stranger things have happened, such as that flower I told you about.”
Sombra nodded. “I'm afraid that I have no explanation for either, Twilight, but I do know of the Alicorn Amulet.”
“You do?”
“Yes, please follow me.” He stood, then made his way into another chamber with Twilight on his heels. He lead her into the main room—using his magic to pull a worn book off its shelf as he entered. “Tell me, what do you know of the relic?” he questioned, sitting close to the fire.
The unicorn mare sat beside him. “It's heavily enchanted,” she replied. “It blesses the wearer with untold powers, but corrupts them in the process. It was also crafted with a magical lock, so it can be removed only by the pony wearing it. That's about it, though. Nopony knows who built it, so nopony knows a whole lot about it. There are only a few recorded instances regarding its use in history, but it seems that as soon as it appears it vanishes just as easily.”
Again, the stallion chuckled. “Yes, it's quite a fascinating little trinket. Dangerous, but fascinating. I actively sought it out during my... 'reign' as king.”
Twilight glanced nervously at him. “So you could use it?”
“No, so I could destroy it.” He opened the book, then began to flip back and forth through the dusty pages. “In my blind arrogance and paranoia, I wanted to rid Equestria of it so that nopony would use it against me. I already had the Crystal Empire under my control. I desired nothing else, other than its termination.” He appeared as though he found the page he sought, for his hoof immediately rested upon it to keep it in place. “It's hard to believe that the treacherous item was created by such an esteemed and wise stallion as Starswirl the Bearded...”
“What?” gasped Twilight. She leaned in to look at the book. The aged page depicted a rough, but clear sketch of the grand conjurer—bells and all—sitting at a table with a variety of parts that she couldn't make out. Sombra slowly turned the pages one by one, which showed Starswirl as he worked on, and eventually completed, the item with a countenance of pride. “Did you draw these?” she questioned. She could only assume, for there was no title on the cover of the book, nor on the spine. Even then, the sketches were much too hasty-drawn and scribbled to be part of a published work.
“Yes.”
“So, you were there when it was created?” She jumped up onto all four hooves. “You watched Starswirl the Bearded craft it with your own two eyes?! Did you know him? Was he your teacher or something? Oh, my gosh, what was he like?! Was he really as wise and powerful as—!”
She was interrupted as Sombra gently placed his hoof over her mouth. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, there's too much to tell, and yes to your final question,” he said, amused.
Blushing, Twilight cleared her throat and smiled. Although, her smile was a bit too wide and awkward. “Sorry, it's just that I've admired his work for as long as I've studied magic. Just meeting somepony other than the Princesses who met him is, well, exciting.” Then, her smile fell. “I... I guess it is kind of hard to believe that he was the mastermind behind the Alicorn Amulet.”
Sighing, Sombra turned his attention to the book. “Yes, he was its creator, and I was the only witness to its birth, though he never told me why he created such a thing. You see, Starswirl moved to the Crystal Empire before I was born, and I came to know him as I grew. I was only a colt when he began to tutor me in the ways of magic, though it was only for a short time.” His eyes narrowed sadly. “This was the last project we shared, though he taught me only how he constructed the amulet. Upon its completion, he left the empire and never returned. Then, my knowledge of the Alicorn Amulet was fed by mere rumors and encounters with supposed eye-witnesses to its power.”
As Twilight mentally shifted through her knowledge of the historic stallion, she found that none of her books ever mentioned him living in the Crystal Empire. Sombra, however, was both born and raised there. That tidbit of information opened the door to a plethora of questions she wished to ask. But, now was not the time, so she made a simple mental note of it as she sat beside him. She placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder. “I'm sorry to hear that,” she whispered. “You must've really looked up to him.”
“Yes, he inspired me to continue my studies, even after he was gone.” He closed the book. “But, that is not the point. The point is that Starswirl's creation is now in the hooves of this Trixie—a mare who now controls the crystal ponies, the Canterlot Royal Guards, and the empire.”
“That's why I should get to Canterlot as soon as—”
“There may not be enough time, Twilight. Your loved-ones may not be in any immediate danger, but it's only a matter of time before Trixie completely loses herself to the Alicorn Amulet. It could be a few days, or a few weeks. Either way, we have to begin planning now.”
Twilight bit down on her lip. She hadn't thought of that. There really was no way for them to determine the effects of the amulet, nor how quickly they took root. “Wait,” she then questioned as the stallion's last few words clicked, “'we?'”
Sombra looked away from her, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “You will need dark magic, the very magic that created it, to destroy the item.” Once again, he opened the book and he returned to the page that displayed the amulet before its proper assembly. “The necklace is comprised of silver, steel, shards of a fragmented ruby, and an expertly-cut red diamond,” he explained. “The majority of it is simply for show. The Alicorn Amulet's power is in the diamond. As such, it can't be destroyed from the outside.”
Twilight understood the implication, and nodded to show that she followed. “It will need to be destroyed from within,” she retorted softly.
“Do not fret, I will teach you how to unravel its inner threads. Your magic is greater than my own, Pupil of the Sun Princess, so I'm positive that you will learn quickly.” He offered a smile as he returned the book to its rightful place on the nearby shelf. As he returned his attention to her, his expression turned stern. “But, I will teach you only how to destroy the Alicorn Amulet,” he then added. “Dark magic sets itself apart from benign magic for a reason, Twilight Sparkle. Do you understand?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Then, we will begin right away. The sooner we get started, the sooner you can stop Trixie.”
“Thank you. You have no idea how much your help means to me.” She smiled, and he did the same.
Odd. Only a few days ago, she believed Sombra to be a horrible monster and heartless tyrant. How quickly her view of him began to change once she came to the realization that he was the one who helped her deliver the Crystal Heart back to the crystal ponies, and it changed completely when they met face to face in that very cave. It was almost silly. Too soon was the Crystal Empire in peril again, and Sombra was there to aid her once more.
She just couldn't help herself. She giggled solemnly, much to the bewilderment of her soon-to-be teacher.
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Nice chapter. I always thought Twilight needed to learn more about Dark Magic. Good to see she will learn it here. Good luck with future chapters. I wonder what Trixie is going to do to everypony now. Especially to Cadence and Shinning armor.
This chapter was nice. It builded some backstory about the Amulet and Sombra, as well as introduce the idea of Dark Twilight in the story. Somehow, I think the lessons will begin the shipping between Twilight and Sombra
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I hope Twilight and Sombra end up together. I think they would be good together.
I always thought in my head that Sombra was a former student to Starswirl the Bearded. Glad to see I wasn't the only one.
Dark magic. Oh I'm sure nothing is going to go wrong with that. Not!
Nope. Nothing can go wrong with Twilight using dark magic.
None whatsoever.
This is crazy
Trixie, your level of you're fuckedness is rising
Really!!!???!?!?!!??!!?!??!!
7774243
I think it has past FUBAR level.
This story is so much like "A Somber Tale: FIENDship is Magic" that it warms my heart