Chapter 26: Those Who Have To Fear
As Flurry Heart's mind was able to perceive something again, it got greeted by murmurs. She was in a black environment, with no lights anywhere, and the murmurs seemed to come from all sides. Her legs prickled and Flurry Heart wanted to move them, but the murmurs made her afraid, so she did not dare. And there was no indicator of where she was. All Flurry Heart knew was that she was lying on the ground, that the left side of her body felt cold and that her chest was feeling a warmth coming from somewhere in front of her.
It took a few minutes for Flurry Heart to realize that everything was black around her because her eyes were closed. And with that realization, two things happened; the urge to move her stiff limbs increased and the murmurs she could hear turned into actual voices.
“.....hiding in this cave for three days now and the waiting is getting tiresome. I finally want to enter the Crystal Empire with you at my side!”
Flurry Heart could hear a deep sigh coming from someone. The voice of the pony, if it was a pony, was equally deep.
“I can't do it. After everything that happened, they would chase me out. There is no reason for me to enter it, no hope.”
“But you already did!” The other voice became more urgent and impatient. “You set hoof into it in the first night after our return. I know you are able to do this again!”
“That it was dark was the only reason why I could do this. And even there I scared a filly to death.”
“But you also saved them! They will grant you forgiveness now.”
The deep voice sighed again.
“After I almost destroyed them. You should go into the Empire without me and have a good time. I can wait in this cave for you.”
Now Flurry Heart heard the stomping of a hoof on the ground. It made her wince and she instinctively brought her hooves in front of her face in a protective manner.
“You are a coward! We have witnessed so many things together in the Crystal Empire. And you want to throw away all of it because of your fear!”
Something rustled in front of Flurry Heart. She suddenly felt eyes resting on her, which made her tremble.
“Let us stop talking about this now. Our guest has awoken.”
The other voice huffed.
“You are trying to change the subject. We will continue to talk about this. This is not over.”
Flurry Heart heard more rustling, coming from the other voice's direction this time. Then hoofsteps were approaching her. She began to whimper.
“You don't need to fear me or my friend. We won't hurt you.”
There was something gentle, yet at the same time rough, in the voice and neither of these things did anything to calm Flurry Heart down. She kept hiding her face and continued to tremble and whimper. Now that she was fully conscious, she could also feel a throbbing headache. Flurry Heart let out a cry of pain.
“Did you get hurt?” the voice asked. Flurry Heart twitched as she felt a hoof palpating her body. It was gently pressing down on her shoulders, her chest, her stomach and then her legs. And every time, the voice asked if it hurt to do that, but Flurry Heart did not give an answer. But she also didn't cry in pain again and the voice seemed to take this as a proof of her body being unharmed.
In the next moment, she felt two hooves tugging at her own, gentle, but with persistence. They managed to overcome her resistance and pulled her hooves away from her face. Flurry Heart started to whimper more, with the one thing that gave her a tiny feeling of safety being gone now.
“You need to tell me what is hurting, young filly. I can't help if you don't.” The voice scolded her a little, yet there was something caring in it.
The heart of the young princess was beating faster, as she tried to figure out what to do. For just a moment, she concentrated on her magic to use it as a means of defense once more and could already feel her horn starting to glow, but then she ceased her action as she remembered the outcome of the last two times.
The pony in front of her mistook the reaction. “Is it your head?” it asked.
Flurry Heart felt a horn touching her right temple, then, from one moment to another, it started to feel cold. The chill feeling spread out over her whole head, like it got wrapped in towels that had been soaked with cold water first. It made her shiver, but felt pleasant at the same time. Then the headache was suddenly gone and Flurry Heart started to feel relaxed. It surprised her so much that she forgot her fear and opened her eyes.
In front of her, a purple crystal pony mare was sitting, looking at her with warm concern. Flurry Heart looked into her face, then up to her horn, which was sticking out between the strains of her light-blue mane. She fixated the horn. “How did you.....?” was all she could say.
The mare smiled at the baffled filly. “It is my special talent. I can cure every ailment with my magic.”
And in the same way her headache got cured by the unknown mare, Flurry Heart now felt like her fear had been cured as well. All she felt anymore was curiosity.
“Who are you?” she asked, still staring at the horn.
“My name is Radiant Hope. And this is my friend,” – She pointed to a stallion with a grey coat and a short, black mane – “His name is Sombra.”
Recognizing the name, Flurry Heart sat up quickly. As fast as her fear had disappeared, as fast it did return now. Immediately, she inched backwards, not letting the stallion out of her vision.
A dark haze appeared on Sombra's eyes. “See, Hope? Even fillies who were born after I left the Crystal Empire fear me.”
Radiant Hope looked over her shoulder, giving him an angry glare. “She is just wary because she doesn't know us!”
Returning her attention to the filly in front of her, she spoke more softly again. “I see that you know my friend already. What did you hear about him?”
“He is evil!” Flurry Heart shouted, not looking away from him while she sat there in an attentive pose. “Mommy told me he enslaved all the ponies in the Crystal Empire and that he let the Empire disappear for a thousand years!” Her eyes seemed to drill through Sombra's body. There was fear in them.
Sombra looked to the ground after hearing those words, guilt in his eyes.
Radiant Hope placed a hoof on her shoulder. “This was a long time ago. He has changed. There is no reason to fear Sombra anymore.”
As Flurry Heart did not ease at those words, Hope wrapped the filly in her magic and carried her to a rock. She took seat, then she sat Flurry Heart down at her side.
Flurry Heart still glared at Sombra, but she also noticed only now that there was a fire in the cave. Her eyes became a little clearer, now knowing where the warmth she had felt earlier came from.
A question rising in her mind, Flurry Heart averted her gaze from Sombra. She looked up at Radiant Hope at her side. “Where am I?” she asked. “How did I get here?”
Radiant Hope answered. “Sombra found you outside. He saved you from something very dangerous.” Her face took on a warning expression suddenly.
“Dangerous?” Flurry Heart answered, puzzled. She looked back at Sombra, who still eyed the ground, now surprise in her eyes.
“You were talking with the Umbrum. Do you remember anything?” Hope asked her.
Flurry Heart taxed her brain, trying to regain the memory of what had happened before she fell unconscious.
Now Sombra looked up. His face showed that he felt uneasy. “Let's not bore her with the details, Hope.”
Hope nodded at Sombra, then looked back at Flurry Heart. “It was good that Sombra found you. The Umbrum are monsters and he said you looked like you were falling for their words.” Then she quickly changed the subject before Flurry Heart could ask more questions. “How is your name?”
“I'm Flurry Heart,” the filly answered.
“What were you doing out in the cold?” Radiant Hope probed further. “Sombra and I were surprised to find a filly out here and that you are an alicorn surprised us even more.”
Sombra began to speak again now. “That she is an alicorn can only mean one thing, Hope. She is Princess Cadance's daughter.” It was an easy enough conclusion to make.
Hope's face was doubtful, though. “I never heard of a born alicorn before. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna taught me that only few ponies are destined to become one.”
Sombra chuckled slightly. “Do you suddenly believe in destiny, Hope?”
Radiant Hope scrunched her face. “Sombra, a pony can't choose as what it is born. That's why I don't believe this. She must have chosen to become an alicorn just recently.”
She returned her attention to Flurry Heart. “Who are your parents?” she asked.
Flurry Heart grimaced. Of all things, Radiant Hope was asking about the one she wanted to avoid talking about at all cost. She taxed her brain for a lie, but her mind was still weak and didn't leave her any chance. Sighing, Flurry Heart just decided to confess.
“Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor,” she whispered, head hanging low. Tears entered her eyes as mentioning the names of her parents once more reminded her on all that happened.
“And how did you become an alicorn?” Radiant Hope continued asking, her interest piqued.
Flurry Heart shook her head, absentmindedly. “I didn't. I always was one.”
Now the mare furrowed her brow. “You were really born like this?”
“I told you,” Sombra answered for Flurry Heart. “It's not a big surprise with an alicorn as mother and a unicorn as father.”
Radiant Hope raised an eyebrow. She still appeared sceptical.
“What have you done outside of the Crystal Empire?” Hope repeated her first question, addressing Flurry Heart again.
Flurry Heart sniffed and brushed a hoof over ner nose. “I'm fleeing. I'm nothing but trouble for everypony in the Crystal Empire and now everypony there hates me.” She whimpered. “I'm dangerous.”
Sombra directed his glance back at Flurry Heart over these words.
“This reminds me on somepony,” Radiant Hope replied, looking at her friend at the other side of the fire. “You should ask her about the details, Sombra.”
Sombra agreed. He addressed Flurry Heart, his voice sounding softer than before. But there was concern in it as well. “What happened in the Crystal Empire?” he asked the alicorn filly.
Flurry Heart sniffed again, then started to explain, not looking at him. “I destroyed the Crystal Heart,” she said, plainly.
It made the face of Sombra fall apart. He jumped up. “The Crystal Heart is destroyed?! Has my empire fallen?” He did not notice his choice of words and neither how little sense they made.
Radiant Hope's face was calm. “Sombra, focus,” she said, a little stern. “I just tried to convince you of entering it a few hours ago. We both saw it's still here.”
Sombra sat down again, breathing out in relief.
Flurry Heart looked at him, face full of guilt for starting her explanation this way. “It happened five years ago!” she hastily corrected herself. “My crystaller could restore it. But.....” She trailed off, her eyes looking into the dancing flames in front of her.
“Continue,” Radiant Hope said. “Sombra is the last one who would judge you.”
Flurry Heart nodded, understanding. “It wasn't on purpose,” she continued. “I don't know how I could do it. It just happened. Mommy and daddy tried to keep it a secret, but now all of them know.”
“How?” Sombra addressed her again.
“It's the fault of my teacher. He wanted that we tell in front of the class what our names mean..... And my parents named me after what I did to the Crystal Heart.” She sighed.
Sombra's face became adorned with disbelief, then his eyes narrowed. “They gave you this name without thinking about what it could cause for you in the future?”
Flurry Heart did not reply, but her eyes took on a dull expression.
“The fools,” Sombra said. Opposite of him, Radiant Hope couldn't help but nod at the statement. “At least you haven't done the same bad things as me.....”
Dropping some tears, Flurry Heart shook her head in sadness. “I did much worse,” she said, pain in her voice.
Sombra looked at her, face guilt-ridden again. “It wasn't your intention to destroy the Crystal Heart. What you did can't compete with turning a princess to stone and then shattering her to pieces and spreading those across the whole world.”
“Princess Amore is still alive, Sombra. We can restore her,” Radiant Hope reminded him.
Sombra nodded. “I know, Hope. But her mind and her consciousness got split and are now spread out over thousands of shards all over the planet. What Flurry Heart did is nowhere near as bad as what I did.”
“It isn't?” Flurry Heart asked him. Her voice sounded cynical suddenly. “At least you did not really kill another pony.” She dropped her ears and stared back into the fire. It was like she didn't even notice the flames.
Sombra's mouth gaped open. “What does this mean?!”
Flurry Heart's eyes appeared dull. “After everypony had found out about my secret, my magic got out of control again. I burnt one of my classmates with it when he attacked me and.....” She bit down on her lips until she tasted blood. “And I killed another pony because I was afraid of it, but he just wanted to give me a present.....” She sobbed.
“My crystaller sealed most of my magic after I destroyed the Crystal Heart, but now it does not work anymore..... I could destroy it anytime again!” She brushed over her eyes. “That's why I left. I'm a risk for every pony in the Empire.....”
Having finished this confession, she leaned forward and broke out in more sobs, head resting on her knees. Radiant Hope put a hoof around her.
“I hate my teacher. It's all because of him,” Flurry Heart hissed after having calmed down. Her voice and face were full of hatred.
Radiant Hope pulled her closer. “But it wasn't really his fault, right? He did not know your secret.”
Flurry Heart nodded. “He didn't, but he always hated me. And he hated my parents too. As he had found out, he brought everypony up against me even more. Since then, the whole Empire hates us. If my parents can't calm the citizens down.....” She trailed off again, not daring to finish the sentence.
The small cave got clad in silence. All three ponies were staring into the flames now, speechless all of a sudden. Sombra's brow was furrowed and a thoughtful expression was on his face. Minutes later, it was him who broke the silence.
“It sounds like the Crystal Empire can't find true peace, not even after I left.....” He looked at Flurry Heart. “How is your teacher called?”
“Austere Knowledge,” she replied. “But he wants that we call him 'Mr. Know'.” Her face turned into a grimace of disgust.
Sombra locked his eyes with his friend. “Do you think the same, Hope?”
Hope nodded sternly. “He is pulling the strings in the background.”
Sombra got up. “I have to go and help.”
Despite what she had said earlier, an alarmed expression appeared on Hope's face now. “You know what this means, Sombra. What Flurry Heart told us sounds like a rebellion is brewing. If you come to their aid now, they will not only get suspicious about you again, they will also trust the royal family even less than they do now.”
Sombra's face was stern. “I know, Hope. But they need me now. This empire has suffered enough because of me.” His face formed conviction now. “I can't allow that it suffers even more by a stallion who is a spiritual successor of myself.”
“You can't just trot in there,” Radiant Hope made clear.
“I won't,” Sombra assured her. “You know my powers, Hope. I am not an Umbrum anymore, but I always knew that my training in all those years would be of worth and that I would still need those spells one day. Now the day has come.” Without awaiting another reply by his friend, his horn began to glow red and he turned into a puff of black smoke.
Radiant Hope knew her friend well enough to realize that there wasn't a way to stop him anymore now. After all, it was her who had taught him to make his own destiny.
“Don't let them see you, Sombra,” she warned him.
“I will scout the place carefully, don't worry, Hope,” he assured her, then he floated out of the cave, his smokey body now swirling.
Flurry Heart began to tremble again after having witnessed his new form. She looked after him, afraid.
Radiant Hope put a hoof on her head. “A pony like you doesn't have to fear anything from Sombra anymore,” she calmed her.
A dark feeling rose in Flurry Heart. “But there are ponies who do.” She looked up at the crystal unicorn mare. “Austere Knowledge is one of those who have to fear him, right?” she asked.
A cold understanding appeared on her face as Radiant Hope nodded.
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wait
I have no idea what to think at this point
is Sombra leading a ruse cruise or does he genuinely want to help Flurry out
Your short description has an improper tense change.
Sombra vs Austere Knowledge. This outta be good.
8084952 With Radiant Hope there it sounds like they're using the comics continuity where I think he was redeemed?
8084952
8085114
Sombra is sincere. He truly wants to help. I'm actually not using any continuity here, except for the single Friendship is Magic continuity that exists.
aka The comics have the same canon continuity, but psst, you did not hear this from me! *hides in a dark hole*
I just hope Sombra's plan to counter Austere doesn't result in a "Zero Requiem" with Sombra playing the role of the plans creator.
But at least there's some hope now.
*grabs a bowl of popcorn* Oh I can't wait for this.
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should be bad
mlp trope. villains never die. they come back at most unpredictable moment and save the day.