Reflections

by Knight Breeze

Chapter III

Chapter III

Princess Celestia woke with a yawn, her jaw clicking oddly as it popped back into place. She didn’t even need an alarm, not really, given that a thousand years of regularly raising the sun had basically set into stone when she would wake.

That’s not to say she enjoyed it. There were days where she honestly wished that she could just sleep in, let the day wait a few hours extra… but her duty, the lives of everyone in Equestria and beyond, depended on her.

So, it was with groggy, stumbling hooves that the Princess of the Sun made her way to the balcony, threw open the window with her magic, and reached up into the sky to take charge of her ancient pledge. She could feel her sister’s magic in the sky, easing the burden, and allowing her to only concentrate on her own half, which naturally brought a relieved, thankful smile to her face.

“It is good to have you back, dear sister,” Celestia said as the sun rose gracefully on the horizon. “Now, about some breakfast.”

Despite the rumbling in her belly, however, it took the Princess of the Sun a while to make her way to the breakfast table. Her mane coursed with the power of the sun itself, and was therefore immune to bed head, but that did not mean that her fur carried the same property. What’s more is that she was scheduled to meet with the Taurian delegation just after breakfast, so she needed to ensure that preparations were seen to before she thought about satisfying her hunger.

So, it was a tired, but prepared Celestia that wandered into the dining hall. Luna was already there, looking spent after her night, but none the worse for wear. “It is good to see you, Luna. How was your duties last night?”

Luna’s mouth opened wide in a tired yawn, before she looked at her sister. “I have had worse. A few nightmares to chase, one that broke into the waking world, but it was easily conquered, with only some minor damage done to Fillydelphia.”

“Was anypony hurt?” Celestia asked as worry bled into her voice as she piled some oatcakes onto her plate.

“Thankfully none, but there was some panic to deal with afterwards,” Luna answered as she took a sip of cocoa from her mug. “I did not think that ponies could possibly become any more skittish than they already were, then I come back after banishment only to find that peace has made them lose their minds at the first sign of trouble.”

“Still, it is good to have you back. Your Night Sentinels have done a marvelous job in your absence, but it does not compare to having a true master of the craft back at the helm,” Celestia comments to her tired sister, causing her to blush with pride.

“As welcome as your praise is, I feel too tired to really appreciate it,” Luna said as she suppressed a yawn. “I could use some sleep, and maybe…”

Whatever Luna was about to wish for quickly trailed off as a wisp of smoke snaked through the open door and rushed to Celestia, before it resolved itself into a scroll. Celestia grumbled a bit as she unfurled the parchment, though her irritation was quickly lost when her eyes began to scan its contents.

“What strange danger or life lesson has your student found out now?” Luna asked curiously as she took a sip of her cocoa.

“It isn't from Twilight. Instead, it's from Cadence,” Celestia corrected her as her eyes went wide. “And it’s urgent. Sombra’s back, and he’s apparently developed an immunity to the Crystal Heart.”

That immediately got Luna’s attention. “I didn’t think anything of that monster would have survived!” she said as she rose to her hooves, her previous exhaustion all but forgotten. “But to actually develop an immunity to such powerful and ancient magic? This cannot bode well. Did she say how high the casualties were?”

Celestia scanned the letter, then looked at the back, as if searching for something, before shaking her head, a frown on her face. “It doesn’t say,” she said, clearly troubled. “They did manage to get him into custody, though, and they're requesting our presence as soon as we are able.”

“They caught him?” Luna asked, clearly not believing the words coming out of her sister’s mouth. “We’re talking about the same unicorn, right? The one that forsook his knighthood? He who delved into the dark arts and became one of the most powerful and evil sorcerers in history?”

“He hasn’t shown those powers yet, apparently. Cadence seems to think it may have something to do with why the Heart didn’t stop him. That he may be hiding them somehow? She did note that there was something wrong with his appearance, though she did not specify what that was.”

"Well, I think this important enough to put off a few things," Luna said as she stood up, a stern look on her face. "He may be imprisoned for now, but that cannot last, especially given that the Crystal Empire's dungeons were never really made to contain someone of Sombra's caliber."

"At the same time, we have too much work on hoof to really just drop everything," Celestia countered. "The treaty talks with the minotaurs are still underway, and the griffon emperor was planning a ball, celebrating his latest marriage. To snub him for this could be seen as an insult."

"Yes, but at least-"

"And you are exhausted, Luna," Celestia interrupted her gently, even as her sister let out a gigantic yawn. "I will enlist Twilight and her friends, as well as a contingent of both our solar and lunar guards to go with them."

"But what if-"

"It will be fine, dear sister," Celestia said gently as she got up to shoo Luna off to bed. "They were able to handle you while corrupted, did they not? What's more is that I have a feeling that the danger here is not nearly as pressing as it would first appear."

Luna quirked an eye at that. “And what, pray tell, makes you think that?”

Celestia smiled at that, before fluttering the letter at her. “If he were as big of a problem as you are implying, then this letter would never have been sent. All we would have received is a declaration of war before Sombra and his slave soldiers marched upon our lands.”

Luna shivered at that, before nodding in understanding. “You make a good point… Very well. I shall have faith that your student and her friends, as well as the imperial couple, are more than enough to take care of this would-be warlord…”

* * *

Sir Sombra fumed silently inside his prison cell. He had been relieved of his weapon, stripped of his armor, and thrown into a jail like some common criminal, all because some lowlife had thought it a funny joke to steal his identity and usurp the Crystal Empire.

Sombra wasn't an idiot, and even if he was, it didn't take a genius to put all the facts together. How they had spoken of the previous crystal princess's murderer, the shock that had spread through the throne room the moment he had removed his helmet, the whispers of dread that had followed him as he was dragged to his cell. All of that wasn’t even taking into account the information he’d managed to glean from the frightened whispers as the guard switched every few hours. If what they said could be believed, then they all were waiting for the moment when he broke out of his cell, unleashed his foul powers and wrath upon the whole empire and anypony that might stand in his way.

They needn’t have bothered, though. The restraining ring they had fitted and locked upon his horn was more than enough to keep him contained. Still, it was clear that they feared him, and greatly at that. They spoke of him as a monster, and knew with a certainty that, even without his weapon, he easily had the power to kill them all.

He didn't. And even if he did, he wouldn't give the monster who took his face the satisfaction of making his little farce a reality. He'd rather face the guillotine before becoming the monster they claimed he was.

As Sir Sombra mulled on the strangeness of his situation, the door to the prison proper opened, causing him to look up in interest. It was the white stallion that had been in the throne room earlier. The unicorn had a straight, spiraled horn as opposed to Sombra’s own curved one, denoting him to belong to the old day clan of unicorns. He also had a blue mane and tail, with lighter stripes running through both, while a shield with stars was emblazoned on his flanks, the mark of power denoting him as someone with the holy calling of protection. He was clearly someone of some importance, be that as the leader of the princess's guard, the leader of the imperial troops, or the princess's own consort, it mattered not. All that mattered to Sombra was that he treated the stallion in front of him with the respect that he was owed.

"I am at thy service, My Lord," Sir Sombra said as he fell into a low bow, the chains around his hooves clanking merrily as he showed subservience to his captor. "To what do I owe the pleasure of thy presence?"

“Can it, Sombra. We’re on to you, so you can stop it with this ‘innocent knight out of time’ routine you’ve got going here,” the stallion said, his sky-blue eyes boring into Sombra, faintly reminding the knight of his old master. “The only thing that confuses me is why you surrendered. What’s your game, here? What are you planning?”

“I assure thee, tis’ not a ploy,” Sombra said, coming up from his bow and standing at attention. “I honestly cannot recall any of the crimes that thou hast ascribed unto me. I swear upon my honor, and upon the honor of the House of Nocturn, that mine innocence is so assured that I am quite incapable of describing even one of the diverse crimes and evils that mine unruly doppelganger committed in mine absence. However, given the short synopsis from thy knight who received me upon mine arrival, as well as thy reactions in the presence of the Crystal Princess, 'twas trivial to piece together at least a few of them, as well as suppose that this villain also stole my face and performed all of his heinous deeds in my name.”

The stallion stared at Sombra long and hard at that, probably in an attempt to force the knight to lose his nerve, and crack under the pressure, but Sombra was too seasoned to be swayed by such tactics. He had seen the knights of his order eaten by lime-flavored gelatin monstrosities before. An angry stare was nothing compared to that horror.

Besides, there was nothing to crack. Sombra had the truth on his side, so why would he be nervous like a foal who had been caught wearing his father’s armor?

“So what, you expect the entire empire to just forgive you, then? To shrug off the horror you inflicted upon them?” the stallion asked after being foiled in his intimidation attempt.

“I expect nothing more than to be treated as the ruffian who stole my face,” Sombra answered honestly. “Tis’ unseemly to expect anything less, so I am content to subject myself to imprisonment and worse if it will serve my vindication. After all, from what I’ve gathered from the knight who directed me to the palace, the monster is already dealt with, his corpse thrown from the land, and his foul body a feast for the worms. It would serve no purpose, do no pony any good, to escape the hooves of those that only seek justice for past wrongs committed. So, I shall stay as directed, and await thy proper and just judgment.”

The stallion just stared at him for a few seconds, before shutting his eyes, as if in pain. He then shook his head, and let out a frustrated groan. “Okay, let’s say, for the sake of argument, that I believe you. What exactly did you do that led up to you waltzing into the throne room of the Crystal Palace?”

“Thou thinkest I jest, but tis’ the truth. However, I understand thy hesitancy, for if our positions were reversed, I would not be nearly as patient as thou art,” Sombra said, before gently inclining his head, and clearing his throat. “However, before we begin, I would ask thee for a favor.”

The yet unnamed stallion’s brow furrowed at that. “You’re in no position to ask for anything.”

“And it tis’ thy right as my captor to completely ignore my request, yet I must ask regardless,” Sombra said, knowing full well he risked angering his host.

The stallion stared at the knight for a few more seconds, before a rakish smile graced his lips. “Okay, I’ll bite. What do you want?”

“My story involves another stallion, one by the name of Fancy Feet.”

The white stallion raised his eyebrow at this. “A friend of yours?”

“My squire, in fact. Before whatever strange magics took me, I ordered him to return to the empire, and await my return there if perchance the trial I was to undertake extended longer than a day. If the empire truly has been sealed in time, then there is a chance he is here,” Sombra said as worry began to bleed into his voice.

“And he can vouch for you?”

Sombra shook his head at that. “By the sisters, no. If he was here, he would have been victimized by my loathsome foe just as much as the crystal ponies. If anything, the ax he has to grind against me tis far greater than those that anypony else here possesses… That is, if he even survived the villain's reign. Fancy Feet was a valiant pony, and it would not surprise me in the slightest if he lost his life attempting to bring the being he thought his master back to his senses.”

The white stallion’s eyes furrowed at that. “Then why even bring him up?”

“Hope. I still hold out hope that he somehow survived this madness. And if my hope is vindicated, then I would ask that he be cared for, and treated fairly despite the disreputable master he served in the past. He has had nothing but trouble and woe following and waiting for me, and it behoove us to treat him with the respect and honor he deserves. Finally, if he lives, and thou doth manage to locate him, I wouldst ask that thou deliver a message,” Sombra said, his voice clear and even, even as a single tear entered his eye. “Tell him… that I am sorry. For everything.”

This seemed to surprise the white pony, which only further cemented Sombra’s hatred for whomever had worn his face. If they thought he was that much of a monster, then the creature was lucky that it was already dead. If Sombra had gotten his hooves on the beast, dying would have been the least of his worries.

“I think I can do that much for you… If we find him, that is,” the yet unnamed noble promised him. “What does he look like?”

“My squire is a rather short and stocky Earth Pony lad, usually wears a scarf, and has blue fur and green eyes,” Sombra described for his captor. “His mane is a lighter shade of blue then thine own, nearly white, in fact, and cut short. He has a shield and hammer as his Mark of Power, and is as stalwart a companion as anypony could find.”

The white stallion glanced to his left at one of the guards next to Sombra’s cell, at which the guard nodded and immediately trotted out of the jail. The stallion then focused his attention back on Sir Sombra. “Now, you were telling me about how you came to be here?”

“I was, Sir…?”

“Shining Armor. And I’m not a knight. Knighthoods were abolished around seven hundred years ago, and haven’t been a part of the Equestrian Military for that long,” Shining Armor stated flatly.

Sombra’s face scrunched up in confusion at that. “I see. Was our service not pleasing unto the Royal Sisters?”

“Had nothing to do with that. More to do with the fact that Celestia opened the military to the common folk, turned noble titles into more ceremonial and administrative roles, rather than attached to land, and opened the way for the common pony to compete with their leaders on equal footing,” Shining Armor explained. “I’m a commoner, in fact… At least, I was. Marrying a princess tends to change a few things.”

“Ah, I suspected thy role as the princess’s consort, but was not certain of it, Prince Armor. No doubt thou hast won the fair princess’s heart justly,” Sombra said, bowing politely to the stallion. “The common blood is a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. Some of the most stalwart stallions I have had the pleasure to serve with had been of commoner blood. Tis’ somewhat relieving to hear that they might stand with equal footing with us now, both on the battlefield, and in the boardroom. It will take time to adjust, however. There was a certain amount of respect expected of one of my station, and learning that a commoner has married himself to a position above myself is somewhat odd to contemplate, and doth cause unnecessary and unwarranted vexation of my soul.”

“I’m a military pony as well,” Shining said, a note of displeasure entering his voice. “In fact, until I was married, I was Captain of the Royal Guard, the equivalent to a grand marshall in your old knightly orders… A position I earned with every step, I might add.”

“Of course, My Lord, it was not mine intent to insinuate that thine accomplishments were unearned,” Sombra quickly apologized. “I was merely commenting on the strangeness of the era I find myself in. Tis’ not an issue, and will resolve itself in time.”

Shining Armor nodded at that, a certain amount of satisfaction in his gaze as he coughed uncomfortably, as if he just remembered why he was here. “However, that is a bit off track. You were telling the ‘truth’ of how you found yourself here.”

Sombra could hear the quotation marks in Shining’s voice, but he did not call the younger stallion out on it. He was still the prisoner here, after all, and he was not about to try the patience, or the mettle, of the warriors of this new era. “It began a short time after the saviors of Equestria turned the Discord, the God of Chaos, into stone…”

* * *

Shining Armor let out a sigh of frustration as he entered his wife’s parlor, causing Cadence to look up at him with worry. "I know that sigh. Whatever you learned from him, you don't really care for it."

"It's not that simple, Cadence," Shining said, before he collapsed on the couch next to her. "He's a devious snake, one who killed the last princess, conquered the empire, left a multitude of nasty traps around the Heart, injured me in battle, and drove you to collapse."

"...But," Cadence said, prompting Shining to continue as she brushed her hoof through his mane.

Shining let out a sigh at that, before glancing up at her, a despondent look on his face. "Either the stallion we have in custody is a really good actor, or he's not the same Sombra who took over your ancestral homeland."

Cadence suddenly stopped running her hoof through his mane, but before Shining could ask what was wrong, he felt her touch the tip of her horn to his own. There was a rush of power, filling Shining with a burning sensation in his chest, while simultaneously making him feel as if he could move mountains.

"What was…?" Shining started to ask.

"Well, we can rule out changeling, mind control or any sort of befuddling spell," Cadence said as Shining’s eyes met hers.

He just looked at her flatly as he raised his head until he was at her eye level. "You think I'd lie to cover for him, then?"

"No, of course not. Which makes this all the more aggravating," Cadence said as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Was Sombra under mind control, then? Corrupted into a monster by dark powers?"

Shining shook his head at that, before rolling over a little and looking up at her. “I really couldn’t say what happened to him, but I have a few clues. He told me a story of a knight attempting to become a guardian worthy of the Royal Sisters, finding and entering a magic mirror, then fighting demons for a handful of minutes at best. When he left the mirror, the world was changed, and his name and likeness was cursed more than anyone entombed within Tartarus.”

“...And you believe him?” Cadence asked flatly.

“If that was his whole story, then no. I’d pass it off as an unrepentant killer that had been stripped of his power, doing his absolute best to avoid responsibility for his crimes… If it weren’t for the request he made to me before we started,” Shining said as he reached up and gently traced a hoof through his wife’s mane. “You see, he claimed that he wasn’t alone. He left on this quest with his squire, Fancy Feet. I’ve already requested records, and found that he indeed arrived here with a Fancy Feet when he first came to the Crystal Empire, but not when he came back as its conqueror. He seemed to be under the impression that he sent Fancy Feet back to town before delving into the cave with the mirror.”

“He asked for you to find Fancy Feet to collaborate his story?” Cadence concluded for him.

Shining just shook his head, though. “No. He did ask us to find him, but to make sure that he was okay, not to get any sort of testimony. More importantly, he wanted us to apologize to him for the now imprisoned king. Sombra was more concerned with his squire, and what his squire thought of him, than with anything we might do to him.”

Cadence frowned at that, before rising to her hooves and gently stepping over Shining and onto the floor. “You’re right, that doesn’t sound like the monster that my mother scared me with stories about before bed.”

“Thing is, he’s given us an easy way to test his story,” Shining Armor said as he rolled back up into a sitting position. “I’ve already sent a few stallions out to find this mirror. If his story is true, and it does what I think it does, then there’s a pretty good chance we have the source of our Sombra… And the reason why he doesn’t cast a reflection, or have a shadow.”

“That's the rub, isn't it? It all depends on if his tale is true. If it is, then it was probably his shadow that we-” Cadence started to say, easily guessing where her husband's mind had gone, but stopped when a wisp of smoke flew in under the door, traveled up to her, and resolved itself into a scroll.

“Celestia’s response?” Shining Armor asked curiously.

“Sort of. It’s actually from little Twili,” Cadence said as a smile grew on her face. “She said that she had things explained to her, and she and her friends are on their way up here right now.”

“Well, if anyone can figure out what the hay is up with this, it’s those seven,” Shining said as a broad smile broke out on his face. “Though… It probably would be a good idea to send her a letter telling her to calm down a bit. You know how they can get... Might also be a good idea to warn the locals. Spike always makes a big splash whenever he shows up around here.”

Cadence tried, and failed, to hide a snort of amusement at that. “He certainly does. And a letter to Twilight wouldn't be a bad idea, either. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rainbow Dash soared right through the walls and decked Sombra before we could even say anything to her,” Cadence said as she moved over to her desk. “I’ll get right on that.”

Shining Armor smiled at his wife before he got up and trotted out of the room. His sister and her friends could be a little… rambunctious, at times, but when the chips were down, there wasn’t anypony else he’d rather trust with the fate of the world.

That being said, he could only imagine the kind of trouble they’d cause before they actually solved the problem at hoof.

Author's Note:

Hey, all! I know it took forever and a half for me to get back to this, but I did! I also have an announcement to make:

My new book, Nightmare of the Past, is out!

You can buy it right now, from the link above, at Amazon in both E-book formats, as well as softcover. If you don't have a kindle-capable device, you may also buy it, as well as its prequel, What I've Become, on Google Play or Google Books. You can find the link to both of those below as well.

What I've Become: Google Edition
Nightmare of the Past: Google Edition.

As for what I have planned for this story, coming back to it has reminded me of the potential here, and I'm really going to buckle down and get more of this done. However, first I need to complete a promise I made. I promised I'd update all my stories once my book was done, and that's what I'm going to do. Just decided to start here, since this is where my muse led me. Anyway, hope you guys stick around for the ride! It's going to be a doozy!

Comments

[Knight Breeze]

11388619 Chapter's out.

[Frazikar]

Three years the first time and five the second time around, hopefully not seven for the next?

[Knight Breeze]

11573400 Oh, I took five years off for all my stories, not just this one. Wasn't idle, either. I was working on Nightmare of the Past. That one's done, though, so I can finally get back to these other stories.

[Vaultboy0000]

11573365
Awesome! ^^ just noticed it. The notifications weren't working right. But I am to see this story updated!

[clerfamerg]

Interesting stuff. Gonna put this on Tracking and hope for the best.