Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat

by David Silver

85 - It Does not Destroy

Under Rock hopped up onto Dark the moment there was room. "Mommy's back!"

Dark smiled up at his little abomination of a daughter. "I see that. Can I talk to her?"

Under bounced off Dark's chest and began racing around the room, making sure everypony there knew that her mother was back, one at a time.

The mare on top of Dark smiled patiently down at him, face split in a grotesque display he could comprehend. "I missed you."

"Missed me? I thought you were... What happened?" Dark tried to sit up, but he was thoroughly pinned.

She shook her head slowly. "I thought so too, at first. When I faded, I was pulled away. When I woke up, I was with the others, imprisoned again, but very alive, as you can see." She put a hoof on his chest, gently rubbing him. "I waited for you to either get us free, or join us. I'm sorry you didn't have that comfort."

Dark's ears fell. "I didn't... I really... I thought..." Before he could break down into tears, she embraced him warmly, and kissed his noises away. Whatever pain they had endured, they were together again.

Cadance blinked out of her love vision. She clenched her teeth. "They can..."

Silver perked an ear up at her. "Can what?"

Cadance shook her head quickly. "They can love. They're not just creatures of the dark."

A loud snort came from the stairs as Night stepped up from below, a scowl on her face. "They said the same thing about my kind before." She waved a hoof at the umbrum around. "Of course they can love. They're ponies, Luna blast it!" Luna softly coughed at her name being used in such a way, and Night colored in her cheeks. "Oh! Hello there..."

Silver perked his ears. "Wait a moment. How do you feel, when you're in the other form?"

"Weak."

"Small."

Under Rock stuck out her tongue. "Puny."

Silver pointed at the pair. "What about you two?"

The mare looked up at Silver with confusion in her black eyes. "I don't care which I am if we can be together, like a family." They embraced, and the Crystal Heart shone gently.

Cadance perked at it, then smiled wide. "I see where Silver's going with this. When you're not creatures of fear and terror, then the heart loses its grip on you."

Under Rock tilted her head up at Cadance. "Being scary is our job, duh." She snorted at the princess.

Sombra turned towards the small umbrum. "Child, it doesn't have to be..." He glanced to Radiant, who nodded at him quickly. "We don't have to be monsters..."

An umbrum landed beside Dark and his wife. "Hey, remember me? I made you that wedding circlet, the one you proposed with."

His wife sat up, allowing Dark to slip out from under her. "Shadow Glimmer! It's good to see you again." She reached and hugged the umbrum stallion, and the heart shone gently with the warmth.

"Pale Whisper, it's good to be back. You're just as darling a family as you were back then." The stallion reached for Dark. "And you, look at you! You've raised a fine foal. A little spark in the night, isn't she?"

The warmth was infectious, as other umbrum began to step forward to claim the small portion of Dark and Pale's life they had touched, some larger than others. It didn't matter, each was welcomed. Each was part of a greater family, a community.

One little rolling bit of snow caught another, as other umbrum began to speak to one another, reminding one another of the lives they shared, together, and how they fit into it, even while imprisoned. Friendships were rekindled, memories restored, and hopes stoked to a building pitch. The fire couldn't be contained in the room and umbrum began to talk more and more outside of that room. Bound by mutual fear and hatred, they began to share tales of better times, and how they were friends, family, and other things beside.

Even old rivalries were brought out to light, and umbrum laughed with one another as they set aside old differences, which felt so small compared to the current events going on around them. "You never did return it."

"I broke the thing, and I was afraid to admit it..."

They burst into laughter and embraced. The crimes of the past were forgiven. Where once there was spreading darkness and frantic despair, the atmosphere relented.

A brave crystal pony approached one of the umbrum with a little smile. "I... Would you like a crystal berry?" She produced a basket of berries, and the umbrum around took her up on the offer, complimenting her on the tart flavor, even if it did little to appease their true hunger.

Inside the tower, the Crystal Heart shone brilliantly with new energy. A darkness deep within pulsed, engulfing that light, then it was gone, faded away. Cadance clopped her hooves with joy. "This is even better than I could have hoped for."

Silver nodded at it. "The Crystal Heart wasn't meant to do this. It was diminishing it. We've not only set free the umbrum, but cleaned the heart to shine purely." He looked up at Cadance. "Would you like to put it back now?"

"No." She lowered the heart in her magic, bringing it to float before Sombra. "I think somepony else would like that honor."

Sombra looked up at her, his magic wrapping around the artifact with an unsure expression. Radiant nuzzled into his side. "Go on. I'll come with you." Together, they rose and began to descend the stairs.

Night watched them go past her before looking to the others. "Somepony want to get me up to speed? Somepony went and left me asleep while this was all going down."

Silver had the sense to at least look ashamed. He walked past the chatting umbrum without challenge and began to explain the story to Night.

Dark and Pale approached Cadance, Under scurrying around their legs. "Princess," spoke Dark. "Are you certain it'll be safe?"

Cadance nodded. "I'm certain. So long as you remain ponies, not monsters, you have nothing to fear, from it, or me." She offered a hoof. "Welcome back."

Dark and Pale met the hoof together, three hooves making a solid clop of a sound. Pale glanced aside at her husband. "So you've been spending your time with the prettiest mare you could find while I was away?"

Her words brought bright coloration to both their cheeks and she laughed for it. "I'm just teasing, Your Highness. Thank you, for everything. For being related to that, ugh, Amore pony, you're alright." A dark energy crackled over her and she flinched. "What the?" With a pulse of shadow, she was lost, and in her place was a floating pixie pony of shadows with a fluffy mane and a wagging tail. "My disguise?" she asked in a squeakier tone of voice, surprise clear on her face.

Dark looked ready to reply when darkness overcame him. When it faded, a matching pixie was left behind, blinking his large eyes. If one were to forgive him being a creature of shadow, he was adorable. "What happened?! I wasn't trying to hide!"

Cadance spread her hooves out to indicate both of them. "You're not hiding. Your other form, that was the disguise. I meant what I said. Welcome back, umbrum, dark fairies."

Under Rock stuck out her tongue, and was rewarded with her own wave of darkness, emerging as a little pixie. It was spreading just as the light had before. Umbrum to umbrum, they were overwhelmed with darkness, then sprang forth from it as the pixies they thought they had been hiding as. Under Rock landed on her father's head, scowling at her parents. "How are we supposed to be scary like this?!"

Cadance tilted her head at the young umbrum. "Do you have to be scary at all?"

Under rubbed her little belly. "I'm hungry..."

Cadance drew in a sharp breath. Feeding all these new ponies... "Please, gather all your friends and family, bring them in front of the castle. I'll do what I can to get food brought to you all." Not a single umbrum tried to stop her as she walked to the window and launched from it, quickly flying down to the castle proper.

Luna shook her head slowly. "This matter seems to be addressed." She tapped the ground lightly. "I... suppose a battle will not be required." She sounded disappointed at the idea.

Silver and Night approached her. Silver shook his head. "No fighting today, and that's alright. A friend earned is worth ten enemies you win against."

Luna raised a brow down at Silver. "You miserable little day pony." She was smiling as she said it though. "You are right, of course. If Sombra truly is ready to leave the terrible path he was trotting along, then this is good, for all of Equestria."

Night lifted a wing at one of the umbrum pixies. "You're still needed, Princess Luna."

Luna glanced up at the pixie and down at Night. "How do you mean, Night Watch? Speak plainly."

Night smiled, though it was more of a grin. "You are the Mistress of the Night, Princess Luna. The umbrum are also creatures of the night. They need a kind voice to speak up for them, and who better than you? You didn't make them, like us, but you can't deny they are ponies of your wondrous night."

Luna stiffened a moment, looking across all the pixies gathered in the room and to the others outside. "You... raise an excellent point." She leaned in closer to Night. "Do you suppose they have any powers related to dreams?"

Night shrugged softly. "There's a lot about them we have to discover."

Silver flashed a bright smile. "That's half the fun."

Luna rolled her eyes. "Now you sound like Twilight Sparkle."

Silver gestured to the stairs. "More seriously, Sombra did have some dream presence. I don't know if it's a shared umbrum thing or not. There's a lot about our new neighbors we have to learn."

Luna nodded slowly at this. "All very true. First, we must feed and shelter them." She looked down at him. "Knowing you, Ambassador, you've already promised them homestead?" Silver nodded quickly. "I thought as much. I know just the place, where they will have company, but it will be friendly company."

Energy washed through the room in a bright pulse. Silver, Luna, and Night all began to sparkle as diamonds. Silver blinked down at himself. "I would have thought it'd... feel more different. It's more like a coat of paint."

Night nodded at that. "Just as well. I don't need our foals being subjected to body-altering magic right now."

Luna pointed up at the pixies, who were talking, playing, and generally living. "They have not been banished."

Silver looked up and nodded, his smile deepening. "One disaster averted."

Author's Note:

Goodbye umbrum. Hello umbrum, dark pixies!

Comments

[SRY]

I like how this worked out

[Booster Spice]

Hello darkness our old freind.

[Gargon94]

This was a very cute and wonderful chapter. We now have a new pony tribe to play around with, YAY!

[Daremo]

somepony went - Somepony went

Night Wing - Night Watch

who better than that? - who better than you?

*****
A surprising but happy end to the arc, or cessation of hostilities at least.

Some thoughts bouncing in my head:

What will Sombra become?

What about the ponies that seemed to be working for the umbrum? Didn't someone mention mines, or was that in Damaged's story?

What of Amore?

It's been a wild but fun ride on the Silver express!

[Morphy]

6950193

Arts, arts is needed! I'd give it a try but my drawing skills are a slippery slope into madness and banned by the Geneva contract.

[David Silver]

6950231 I'm glad you're enjoying this trip along with us! The ride may look like it, but we haven't quite pulled up to the station yet.

The umbrum have needs!

[tsaukpaetra]

Hmmm what would Pixies eat indeed... Perhaps the Changelings can help with that?
Keep going! ;)

[Boulder]

6950336

"I... Would you like a crystal berry?"

I said it once & feel I need to say it again, these broken sentences are very distracting from the story.

[Typist Gray]

In all honesty, kind of underwhelming.

[David Silver]

7130269 What was?