Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat

by David Silver

83 - Plunged into Darkness

Silver was pinned to the floor under the oncoming rush of bodies. Thankfully, most of them seemed more focused on getting through the door than visiting any harm on him, and he just had to endure the sensation of countless ponies sailing over him, at least until he felt a nip at his shoulder and looked up into glaring eyes of one of the umbrum. "What are you? You're not crystal, or umbrum."

The room was becoming less densely packed, with the majority having poured free. Cadance was surrounded by hostile-looking umbrum, while another group was speaking quite animatedly to both Dark Pass and Sombra. Silver rose to his hooves slowly. "I'm neither of those. Nice to meet you, I'm Silver Lining, Ambassador from Equestria."

The umbrum tilted his... her? head. "Ambassador? That sounds fancy. You're captured now."

Silver shrugged his shoulders with a smile. "I suppose I am." With his agreement, he followed the umbrum towards the others. "It must be nice, being free now."

"Oh you wouldn't believe." It was a she. Silver was certain of it. "But that heart is still around. I can feel it. Sombra!"

Somba turned to address the hovering umbrum. "What is it?"

"Why haven't you destroyed the heart already?" She scowled at him. "They can seal us all away again so long as they have that."

The other umbrum began to agree emphatically with the need to destroy the artifact. "Destroy it!" cried an older male voice. "Before they bottle us back up in that damned place."

Cadance raised a hoof. "Nopony is rushing to seal you away."

One of the umbrum, a smaller, perhaps younger, one gave her a withering look. "You're one to talk! You smell just like the one that sealed us to begin with! Your magic makes me itch too, just like hers."

Sombra rose to his full height, considering something, when Radiant crashed into his side. "Don't even think about it, please! She did everything you wanted. She's working with you, Sombra. Please..."

His ears lowered and spun against his head. "What would you have me do? Infernal mare, you would have us simply walk away?"

She smiled hopefully, sitting up. "Yes? We could make something nice, together, all of us. It doesn't have to be here, next to her 'itchy' magic. She won't follow us."

Silver coughed softly. "If I may? I'm absolutely certain Celestia would not be opposed to you claiming enough land to make a town for yourselves, provided you followed the laws of Equestria, and they aren't hard to follow." A hoof swung at him and Silver barely ducked under the limb as an umbrum flew over him, barely noticing he was there. "Nopony would challenge you, or seal you away."

Cadance nodded with a bright smile. "I'm sorry for all the suffering you've endured, but it's over. All we want is to be friends, not enemies."

The umbrum that had almost struck Silver landed before Sombra. "We have captured several violent ponies. One large dark blue one, alicorn. They had a smaller alicorn with them. The rest were single tribes."

Sombra raised a brow. "Princess Luna. I don't recognize the others by that description." He looked to Cadance. "Stay." Then onwards to Shining Armor. "Come with me. Let's greet these 'freedom fighters' that have assembled to see me. It would be... rude... to keep them waiting." With a soft snort, he moved with a confident walk down the stairs, with Shining Armor prodded along behind him by several umbrum.

Silver raised an ear at Cadance. "Smaller alicorn? Twilight? Oh shoot! They were on the stairs." A memory came to him. "Penny was with them! How did I miss her coming up!" He put a hoof to his head. "Worst friend ever."

Cadance shook her head. "We're all a little frazzled right now. I just hope they didn't do anything too foolish when the umbrum were freed." She looked to one of those guarding her. "Could you ask your friends to be polite in the city? No need to go around scaring ponies for no reason."

The umbrum looked confused at the request. "I'm not in charge around here, and you're a prisoner. You don't get to make requests." He leaned closer to Cadance, looking her over. "You're awfully not-afraid for a prisoner. Don't we terrify you?"

Cadance smiled. "Yes, but only because I worry I won't be able to help you."

"Help us?"

Cadance nodded firmly. "You've been locked away for so long, it must have been awful."

"It was..." He scowled at her. "Are you making fun of us?"

Cadance raised a hoof. "Perish the thought. Every creature under the sun has a purpose. You must too."

"Purpose?" The umbrum as a whole began to look at her with more wonder than scorn at the very notion.

The smaller one waved a hoof dismissively. "What purpose would that be?"

Cadance shrugged softly. "I couldn't say, yet, but it's there, and it's worth finding. Every last one of you deserves a chance to be all that you can be, and that starts by being free of what's holding you down."

Another umbrum pointed at Cadance." Like you?"

She smiled a little and nodded. "Like me. I won't hold you back." She raised a hoof to her chest. "On my word as a princess, you are all free to go."

Dark Pass approached the conversation. "I believe her." The others looked towards him incredulously, and he nodded at them. "She's been nothing but kind to me when I've been terrible to her and her ponies."

Silver sat on his haunches and clopped his hooves. "The hardest part will be deciding what lovely part of Equestria should be yours. There's plenty of empty countryside just waiting to have an umbrum town in it." True, they were far from pretty things to look at, but it wasn't the first time Silver met things strange and alien, and he felt increasingly sure they were scared, rather than inherently malicious.

Elsewhere, Sombra, Radiant, and Shining emerged from the castle to where several cages of black iron and shadow held the Mane Six and Luna captive. On seeing Sombra, most of them scowled and stared, while Fluttershy looked away. Sombra smiled with jagged teeth at them. "Ah, Princess Luna, and some little assistants." His eyes wandered over Twilight. "You've grown since last we met, small princess."

"Don't worry Twily!" called out Shining before he was cuffed by an umbrum hoof. He glared at the source of the cuffing, but kept his snout closed.

Sombra looked beyond the 'main' cages to a smaller one that held two ponies within. "Who are these two?"

An umbrum shrugged at him. "They didn't fight, sir. They just cowered nearby the rest and we captured them."

Inside that cage were Penny and Stick, and Sombra recognized at least one of them. "The changeling... Keep them interred, for the moment." He turned back to Luna. "As for you... This must be so embarrassing. You didn't even get a proper fight before being thoroughly defeated."

"It would be..." Luna's horn glowed brightly, and the cage around her burst like a bubble. "If I were not simply awaiting your presence. Sombra, prepare to be punished for your crimes." Like an angry angel of retribution, she hovered with a withering scowl, horn crackling with ready power.

Sombra's eyes flared with fresh dark magic as tendrils reached from the ground for Luna. "So hasty? I knew her words were nothing but sweet, distracting lies."

"Wh--" She didn't get to finish as one of the thorny graspers seized a hind leg and pulled her roughly to the ground, only for others to wrap around her barrel and other legs, holding her fast to the ground. She trembled with fury before a fresh pulse of bright silver shattered them in their light and allowed her to stand. "What words?" she demanded as she rose. "Do not think you can talk your way out of this."

He shook his head slowly. "I tire of this--"

Shining stepped forward, shouting at Luna, "Wait! Cadie's still trying to work this out!"

Sombra glanced back at him, then to Luna. "With your helpers arrayed?" He flashed his teeth in a dangerous display. "Perhaps not quite as foolish as I expected of that Pretty Pink Princess." He waved a hoof at the other cages. "But pointless."

Luna advanced a step towards Sombra. "There's plenty of us remaining to defy your tyrant's rule."

"I always admired you." When Luna froze in shock at his words, his magic flashed darkly, and she was solidified in stone, locked in that expression of surprise. "Never change."

Radiant Hope stared slack-jawed at the stoned figure of Luna. "S-Sombra... why?"

Sombra glared down at her. "Mare! Were you not paying attention? She was a threat, as clear as any, and I have dealt with her."

Radiant shook her head violently. "We can't go turning princesses into statues!"

Sombra looked between her and the statue. "You're right. She may find a way out of it." He approached the statue with dark intent.

Radiant rushed between him and Luna's statue. "No! Absolutely not! No! Stop even thinking about it! Please! This is all just a big misunderstanding." She gave a nervous little laugh. "Come on, let's go back to Cadance and finish our conversation, alright? She wants to talk with us."

Twilight glared out of her cage. "You'll never get away with this!"

Sombra locked eyes with her and the alicorn sank back with sudden pain. "I already have, little one." New dark crystals jutted out from Twilight's horn, locking away her power. "Now stay in there and don't cause my umbrum any difficulties." He turned to Shining and smiled at his alarmed expression. "I've been most kind, all things considered. Come, let's see what your princess demands."

Rarity spoke up from her cage, "I say, darling, you do have the intimidating king look down proper, but must you keep us in such unrefined cages?"

Sombra raised a brow at her. "My apologies for the accommodations. I'm certain we'll find better once things are more... under control." His gaze wandered past her to the other two and back. "What are they, to you?"

Rarity glanced over at Penny and Stick. "A valuable source of gems, and friends. Whyever do you ask?"

Sombra waved at their cage, and it disgorged them to the ground below. "Go, and stay out of my way." Without any further words, he left.

Radiant gave a nervous smile up at the ponies in the cage and the two just liberated. "See? He's... He's trying..." She scurried after him, catching up with Shining and Sombra before they entered the castle.

Author's Note:

Things are looking up, and down, and all around in this chapter. Is Sombra trying, or is Radiant guilty of a big typo?

Comments

[Not so New Brony]

Well, Luna almost dropped the ball big time, but I suppose she couldn't let go of what happened when the Empire first vanished. And for a species that has been trapped for well over a millennium, the umbrum are surprisingly more civil than I thought they'd be when they rushed through the door.

[RadicalDishonesty]

Is Sombra trying

Trying... to throw the ponies kindness back in their faces? That seems to be what he's doing.

Also, was I wrong when I read that he implied/I assumed that he was part of the reason why the umbrum were still captured? They treat him like he is not like that, and like the sleaze he apparently is he just... y'know... lets them. He's king, afterall, therefore they should be following him anyway. The arrogance is astounding.

[David Silver]

6942701 He's only lashed out at those who haven't extended a shred of kindness his way so far. He hasn't hurt Shining, Cadance, Radiant, or even that meddling jerk Silver.

[No one is home]

Well, he hasn't enslaved anypony yet, so there's that.

[Snow]

STILL not even a fraction of the chaos and destruction as Pinkie and the Mirror Pool.

[RadicalDishonesty]

6942708
Luna is hardly acting unreasonably. She knows they are giving Sombra a chance... but then the umbrum are released. They immediately capture her and all of her allies. Then Sombra walks in, clearly in command of those that have now kidnapped her. Hostility seems like a reasonable reaction to that.

Sure, Luna was "a threat" to him, but he's been given more forgiveness than he probably deserves already, given his lack of contrition (or, at least, his extreme reluctance to admit he's been wrong about something and he regrets it), insulting arrogance, and the massive misery (and probably death) that he's knowingly spread with his actions. So... I get the sense his overall attitude is one that is indicative on him not really intending to return that kindness in a broader sense. His unwillingness to treat Luna as anything but a threat, even though on any cursory examination she was acting totally reasonably given what she knew of Sombra, is just something that contributes to that effect.

It's not like I think he's 100% unredeemable, but if he keeps the attitude and actions he is pursuing, it is not what I would call redemption for the crimes he has committed.

[Daremo]

cage was Penny - cage were Penny

jut out from - jutted out from

*****
I'm still loving this as each chapter comes out, but wow is it getting dark, no pun intended.

Despite his actions I'm starting to worry less about Sombra. He seems to be acting more as a mirror to those he encounters rather than an outright aggressor, and Bright Hope seems to at least give him pause before he swings too far to the darkness. If everyone can stand down the posturing and rhetoric a peaceful solution seems possible, even likely.

Radiant Hope knows this I think, which would explain why she keeps hopping into the line of fire to interrupt negative interactions before anything permanent happens. I'm mostly sure Princess Luna will be ok... mostly.

[tsaukpaetra]

Many communication issues. Were the "backup" properly informed they might not have been placed in this situation. Still, they're following what the know and maintaining their role.
Keep going! ;)

[Booster Spice]

For Sombra to be able to easily slap down Luna, a celestial class alicorn prepared for combat, just like that, either he is more towards Discord level class, or he has a whole load of millenia researched illegal and otherwise totally evil new spell classes under his horn?

Teetering is difficult enough, its if the razors edge crawl becomes a totally drunken walk then its really worrying.

Pity it isnt a comedy. Pinkie could drive him so nuts by offering him rrefreshments from just out of the edge of sight while waving to him from her cage.

[David Silver]

6942901 Typos fixed, and Sombra is doing a lot that few would give him credit for. Perhaps such is the fate of the Umbrum.

[No one is home]

6943745 A typo stuck in David's plot. I'm truly sorry, but handing me that kind of pun in an author's note is just plain irresponsible.

[David Silver]

6944390 You are a mighty pain in the plot, and I mean that in the nicest way I know how.

[No one is home]

6944472 Sorry. I will shut up now.

[David Silver]

6944535 Aw, don't be that way. I'm just playing. You're one of my faves.

[roryokane]

Missing ending quotation mark:

"She's been nothing but kind to me when I've been terrible to her and her ponies.

"She's been nothing but kind to me when I've been terrible to her and her ponies."