To the Heart of the Matter
"I will be with you in one moment Princess Mi Amore Cadenza" Umbra said to Cadence as he slinked through the shadows bast her bubble. "Or is just Cadence acceptable?"
For a moment Cadence genuinely considered telling Umbra when he returned to only refer to her by her formal title. But then she might have to start referring to him by his title: Drakon of Midnight, or something along those lines? If there was one thing Cadence could change about being royalty it would the asinine fixation on titles. Half the time they were hereditary nonsense that barely meant everything except the bearer was unshakably sure they were better than everyone else, contrary to most evidence. She at least had EARNED her title as princess.
But “The Drakon of Midnight” seemed a fitting title, though she supposed ‘Midnight’ probably referred to a place not the concept. And ‘Drakon’ was very fitting, in Equestrian myths the Drakons were a titanic race of beings that modern day dragons were descended from. It was said in myths the dragons had physically built the volcanoes where their progeny now lived, digging right down through the planets crust. The world spoke of ancient immutable power and in the bare glimpses of Umbra’s body she thought she may have spotted the shape of a dorsal fin or spines.
“Cadence will suffice.” The princess replied as the glowing eyes returned. For a brief moment she wondered if Umbra has seen Drakons when he had last been to their world. Then she considered the fact this being was old enough for the question to be reasonable. “By Star-swirls beard….” She thought to herself as she put on her best diplomatic face. She was a Princes of Equestria, she could handle anything.
"So shall we begin?"
"Please go right ahead."
"Well Princess, to start off;" Umbra began "I must say your record is quite uneventful, well compared to some-ponies."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, no major emergencies can be regarded as your fault. I mean your child did destroy the Crystal Heart. But you Alicorns are a well of untapped potential. Accidents are sure to happen, so I'm not so harsh as to hold that against you or little Flurry.”
"I should hope not," Cadence said, voice suddenly icy. "Such severity would be...an unfortunate mistake."
"Is that a threat?"
"Do you see it as one?"
"Heh, not really."
"Hmpf... you were saying?"
“Yes, nothing really of note,” Umbra mused, “I might suppose that being captured by the Changeling Queen…twice…is a little embarrassing.”
Cadence grimaced.
“Then again. The second time EVERYONE got captured.” Umbra continued, “Actually, is that more embarrassing or less?”
“Chrysalis was skilled at what she did,” Cadence sniffed, “Unfortunately for us.”
“Was skilled?” Even through the murky shadows Cadence could see something twinkle in Umbra’s eye. She felt her gut drop. “She’s not dead you know!”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“What did happen to her then?”
“She…uhh…got away.” Cadence stuttered slightly.
“I feel like you people should have really tried harder to stop that.” Umbra said, conjuring up a screen. It showed an image of the last they had seen of the former Changeling Queen. “Hang on let me count; four Alicorn princesses, five rainbow power bearers, a unicorn with magic comparable to Princess Twilights, your husband, the new Changeling King, a small army of restored Changelings….oh and the 'Chaos' whelp Discord.”
Cadence looked up at the screen. It was replaying the look of utter contempt that passed over Chrysalis face as she slapped away Starlight’s hoof.
“And NONE of you tried to stop the Queen escaping!”
“I guess going after her seemed wrong.”
Umbra’s eyes rose in the air as the incredulous air in his voice increased. “Right after she swore ABSOLUTE VENGENGE on you all?”
“Well… I don’t know how the Wardens do things, though if your anything to go by its doesn’t look positive,” Cadence rounded on him, “But in Equestria we believe in giving others a second chance. No matter what they’ve done.”
"Your compassion is admirable. You are of the line of Grasshoof are you not?"
"I'm sorry I don't know what that means."
Umbra shook his head. "This ignorance of you Alicorns is astounding. To know nothing of the history of your world, of your own history. Civilisations have fallen for far less." He sighed. "It is of no matter for now. Tell me, when exactly did you first hear of changelings?"
“Umm… well I believe Princess Celestia had mentioned them a few times before…” Cadence took in a deep breathe, “The invasion at my wedding. I certainly knew the main points of the species.”
“Main points?”
“Well…the main points as we knew them at the time.” Cadence quickly corrected herself.
“Of course. And at the time they were?”
“A shapeshifting parasitic race that fed on the love of others.” Cadence replied. There was a slight sinking feeling in her gut, “I think I can see where this is going.”
“Ah. Well then I can skip to the point. So on the one hoof we have a race that’s been suffering under a millennia long famine. On the other we have a demi-god who embodies their only food source. Now call me crazy, many do, but I think we might have a problem and a solution right here.”
“I would think my first proper meeting with them would indicate that would have been a bad idea.”
“And I think your little friend Thorax bluntly shows it was worth pursuing.”
“That did change things…”
“Nothing changed. You couldn’t just stop ignoring the problem anymore. For a princess of love that’s seems like a pretty big empathy blackspot. Or did you simply not care?”
“You are grossly simplifying a much more complex situation.”
“You’re a princess. You don’t have the luxury of not dealing with complex situations. Which you didn’t. After all you had to get kidnapped again to find them. And EVEN then it was Thorax and Twilights student who fixed them."
“You are assuming I could have even done anything.” Cadence said, stepping into short back and forth pacing. Anything to tear herself away from the relentless stare bearing down on her. “The Alicorns probably couldn’t have done anything to help them, so criticise all you like but I am not in the habit of putting myself, and by proxy, all those under my protection in danger by putting myself in unnecessary risk.”
“I suppose one has to pick their battles.”
“Exactly. And even with Thorax living the Crystal Empire I couldn't risk everything rushing into a hostile kingdom on the evidence of just one rogue changeling”
“Well from where I’m standing it didn’t seem like you were trying very hard, even if you were being cautious.” Umbra countered. Cadence now found his eyes seemed to be fixed in front of her gaze. With a barely supressed snort cadence ceased her pacing as Umbra continued. “And you do know Thorax wasn’t the only one right?”
“He…he wasn’t?” A slight edge of uncertainty started to creep into her voice.
“Thorax wasn’t even the first one. There like two others running around in your kingdom. One of them was even at that donkeys wedding you attended. He wasn’t even disguised!"
"And the other one?"
"Can’t talk about that one."
“Ok…why won’t you tell me?”
“4th dimensional space-time weirdness. And you know…” Umbra chuckled. “I’m not just going to just out them like that. What do you take me for? Some kind as jerk asshole?”
Cadence balked briefly. Umbra’s demeanour was fraying her already stretched patience. “What?”
“I can say that I'm pretty sure THAT than one might just have saved the kingdom more times than you have. Which isn't all that hard really. I mean you weren't around for much." Umbra chuckled darkly “Somewhat your theme really.”
For a moment Cadence was ready to scream. However she had spent pretty much all of her teenage and adult life as a princess so trained composure won out. Breathing in deeply she looked up and pressed on. she would keep paying this creatures game for now; “What do you mean by that?”
“Well…what can I say? You really don’t do much do you?”
“I am the princess of a small nation if you hadn't noticed” Cadence nearly spat.
“And even there your impact seems minimal.”
“Excuse me?”
“Look, how about I go through this step by step so you can understand.”
Cadence grimaced disgruntledly. “I have the feeling you’re going to explain it all to me anyway.
A few thunderous claps rung out accompanying a few more chuckles of Umbra’s physical voice. “Heh heh, now you’re getting the idea of this!” Umbra’s conjured screen resized itself forming into a slideshow like projection. The first image that flickered up was very familiar.
“So to start at the beginning as it were. We are all quite aware of the legend surrounding your two aunts, and what happened when she returned. Have to say Everypony seemed pretty surprised to learn Celestia had a sister. Almost like the fact she had a ‘niece’ didn’t even cross their minds.” And of course we can look at your input during that whole event, or rather the total lack of it. Did you even know?”
“Celestia…didn’t tell me exactly what was happening. She told me there was a chance ‘something’ was going to happen that day. And if anything did I was to stay safe and stay away?”
“Oh and you couldn’t go against the mighty Princess could you? Better let little Twilight nearly die saving the entire globe from total destruction.”
“I didn’t know about Twilight at the time.” Cadence sighed.
“I think that might be more disturbing.” The screen clicked and changed to an image that Cadence recognised as the post evening carnage of twilight and her friends first Grand Galloping Gala. “Not important enough to be invited?” Umbra queried.
“Actually I was attending the Manehatten event.”
“Ah… that explains it.”
“Sorry to interrupt.” Cadence interrupted halfway through the next image transition. “But you seem to have very inconsistent coverage of our activities. I would have thought that fact would have been easy to find out.”
“Well I technically can’t directly enter your dimension without a whole heap of problems arising.” Umbra explained, pausing the slideshow. “So this exercise was mostly researched by the Wardens Oracle division. As you might imagine their power are a little … wibbly… so they tend to only be able to focus in on important stuff… proves my point really.”
Cadence huffed indignantly, then again as the slideshow finished transitioning to an image of Discord laughing manically. “I couldn’t have done anything about that if I’d tried.”
“You could have helped. At least distracted him maybe.” Umbra said as the image transitioned again, this time showing an image of Canterlot with her husband’s force shield encompassing it. “However, I’m afraid the next couple of episodes really do outline the problem here. Especially since you actually make an appearance.” They were now looking at a snapshot of Twilight and her friends talking surrounded by picnic paraphernalia. Two official looking letters held by Spike.” “Did you know Twilight didn’t recognise you at first? She had to go all the way to Canterlot and have it spelled out by her brother before she twigged. Shows how big an impact ‘the best foal-sitter ever’ actually left on her.”
“Well, I don’t think she ever actually heard my full name. Our relationship wasn’t like that.”
“Yes I’m sure she looked at the name Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and couldn’t have possibly connected it to any other Princesses she knew of who’s name started with the letter ‘c’ and was strongly connected with love. Especially one she helped set up with her brother when they were in high school” For a moment Umbra’s voice became puzzled, “Then again…she did apparently manage to completely avoid mentioning her BBBFF for what, over nine months? Maybe that just Twilight being Twilight.”
Out of the corner of her eye Cadence thought she saw something flicker in the shadowy wall off to her lift. But before she had a chance to look properly Umbra had collected himself from his tangent and carrier on.
“But you know what? The real indicator in this scene is Rarity. Even Rarity didn't know who you were at first mention. Rarity! She even knew who Blueblood was! Bloody BLUEBLOOD over you!”
“ … Oh? ”
“As far as I can tell that fashionista has extensively studied pretty much all aspects of high society and royal life. Not to mention before she ever met you she was intermittently quite the sensation in Canterlot society, and in all that time…you…were never mentioned….once?”
Cadence scowled. Part of her was irritated that Umbra had gone for such a low blow. But Celestia dammit it was true wasn’t it? She had never gone to great lengths to ingratiate herself in Canterlot high society or go for egregious ego stroking in the public eye. But was she really such a non-entity in equestrian culture?
The slideshow images snapped by as Umbra rattled through his last few points. “Actual wedding? Twilight busted you out and effectively carried you up to the confrontation with Chrysalis. Crystal Empire? Yeah you shielded the empire but Twilight and Spike did all the legwork actually saving the day so you could get chucked off a balcony and blow up Sombra. Tirek? Did you guys mount up and take him on? No you went along with Celestia’s frankly laughable plan to dump all the Alicorn Magic into Twilight and hope to the gods Tirek doesn’t completely massacre your kingdom in the meantime. And everything you were sequestered up in your little Empire out the way and letting everyone else shoulder the risks of the apocalyptic event.”
“All I’ve ever done is try my best.” Cadence growled, patience finally hitting the end of its tether. “All I have ever done is do whatever I could to help other ponies…whatever way I could…and if that’s not good enough for you…”
“How old were you when you were changed?”
Cadence’s ranting stopped, the question catching her off guard. Umbra’s voice seemed different now. The subtly mocking tone dropped and replaced by something softer. “Uhh…excuse me?”
“How old when you became an Alicorn?”
“I…I was ten years old.” Cadence felt oddly calm, completely at odds with the building rage she had felt moments before. Suddenly she was staring right into Umbra’s eyes, almost with a hypnotic effect. “The village I lived in was being drained of its love by a sorceress named Prismia. I confronted her, was able to use the love she had stolen against her, made her good again. Saved Everypony.”
“And then?”
“And then I was somewhere else…full of stars.”
“And?”
“And then Celestia was there. She told me that I was worthy of being a true princess…and then it was like all the love and compassion in the world was passing through my body.”
Suddenly Umbra voice has lined with a severe edge. “Sounds like you weren’t given much of a choice.”
“No it wasn’t like that. I did accept.” Cadence shook her head, the memories were difficult to describe. “I don’t…I don’t think it would have worked if I hadn’t wanted it to.”
“Maybe…but you were just a kid.” Umbra replied. “What kid doesn’t want to save the world?”
“I don’t regret becoming a princess if that’s what you mean.”
“I would hope so.” Umbra sighed, "Well, I guess you can just carry on sitting quietly (on aunt Cellys orders) until you're summoned again. Perhaps she'll send you to blow up Sombra again or something." Umbra let out a hollow laugh, "I imagine he's used to that by now"
“You sound sorry for him?”
“You aren’t?” Umbra sounded genuinely shocked before letting out another hollow chuckle. “Wait… what DO you think he is.”
“The legends told of a unicorn who’s heart was as black as night.” Cadence paused slightly as the well-worn phrase passed her lips. “At least that’s how Celestia described him. “
And you believed her just like that? Pretty convenient excuse to just write him off as simple evil.” His voice had same edge that had crept into Umbra’s voice before. “Your auntie is well practised in covering up her mistakes. She’s the reason he ended up like that.”
“She…turned him into that monster?”
“Not directly, But she may as well as pushed the dagger between his ribs.” There was a long few moments of silence before Umbra spoke again. "Well I think that's everything" said Umbra tucking away papers Cadence was sure hadn’t actually been there before this point. "We should be reconvening shortly after I speak with your sister and Aunt Celly. Meanwhile, please do enjoy the entertainment. I do find the truth to be quite enlightening."
Twilight pulled back as the hole in the shadows she'd been poking at quivered before closing up entirely.
"Well then Princess Twilight. I do hope you've been taking notes. We have quite a lot to cover."
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So what Umbra is getting at is that Celestia is the root of everyone's problems?
7828426 he was a lot of reasons to dislike her
some rather personal
never said he wasn't biased
um not sure what word you wanted to use there
if you want i can preread the chapters for you
7828458 thanks and thanks but i already have a pre-reader, guess we just both just missed that mistake.
plus she already knows largely what is going to happen in this fic so shes knows the tone im aiming for better
7828485 there were several others in this chapter which i did not point out
7828485 I figured she was doing some serious Spitting and Sputtering but anyway, very interesting how the sun holders have a tendency to drop the ball quite well since Discord said the last time such a "trial" happened the sun holder got dealt with hard for their screw ups and tia is pretty much oblivious to everything that doesn't cut into cake time.
7828530
oh
oh buddy
thats not what discord was getting at
and theres a lot Celestia doesn't know about what went on before
I like this Umbra character. Looking forward to the next chapter.
Gotta say I like the sound of this third mystery changeling. Once again lamp-shading just how much non-Princess Equestria saving goes on really is driving home Umbra's message well.
I should have seen the signs eailer but come on a condescending bash/fix fic?! Really!? Normally I downvote trash like this but I'll let it slide for now because it is at least well written... and at least some of it is intriguing
8695484
well thanks for not down-voting. I didn't really intend it to get quite so bashing but i am awful at pacing lol