What Follows Hugs

by David Silver

36 - Fond Farewells

Cadance stood before many eyes. It was a position she had grown used to as serving as princess of the Crystal Empire. Some were ponies, but many others were rabbits, peering at her with unabashed curiosity. "Good people, you have shown us nothing but kindness since we arrived." She set a hoof at her chest. "Your art and work are both imbued with a deep and vibrant love that is awe inspiring to be around."

A subtle nod prompted her husband, Shining, to action, "Dedication!" He holored, mangling that a bit. "Your dedication is remarkable. Though you don't have a cutie mark to make your destiny clear, you take it in your own paws and make it just as much part of yourselves as any pony could claim."

Cadance gestured across the cavern to where Sombra, Quick, and Toby sat, watching them from a raised platform. "Your leaders are invested and genuine in their desire to see you grow and mature." She silently added that two of them had less-than-pure motives for wanting it. "As princess of the Crystal Empire, I welcome friendship with your people and look forward to trade, exchange of ideas, and even to see the occasional bounding visitor within my land." She smiled gently. "Perhaps some ponies will grow curious and come here as well."

The tsuki perked up at that. More cute ponies would visit them? Great paws came together in eager claps, cheers soon to follow as the crowd looked forward to the idea.

Sombra raised a hoof and the crowd quieted. "It has been a... delight to host you, Princess. We would be delighted to see you or your ponies. May your travels be, hmm, safe."

Quick folded a hoof across his front. "We trust our gift is not too troubling to transport?" A faint smirk hinted at the joy of considering how difficult moving the great statue up the hole might be.

Several of the ponies regarded the massive crystal object. One of the pegasi pulled down his glasses. "Let's do this. Strap us up." The others nodded in agreement and began throwing ropes over and under and all around the statue, attaching them to all the winged ponies they had, including their princess.

Cadance spread her wings wide. "On the count of three." She beat her wings, practicing and preparing. "One." They all began to lift, though not drawing the rope tense yet. "Two." Just before she could say the final word, they hit the end of the rope, each pulling their rope tight. "Three!" They flapped as hard as they could, slowly pulling the statue free of the grip of the earth.

With great effort and work, they slowly began to rise. The tsuki erupted into cheers, clapping their paws, slapping the ground, and tackling one another in a show if naked happiness at the victory of their new friends.

Toby clapped a little more reservedly, keeping himself upright as he brought his paws together. "That was nice visit," he spoke to the two ponies beside himself. "You happy?"

Sombra watched the princess and her servants lift ever higher into the air. "That was... agreeable. To display our wealth and power was... satisfying." He raised a hoof to his chin in a soft tapping, watching some ponies mount their rabbit mounts to bound up and away from their cavernous home.

Quick smirked victoriously. "You should have seen her expression. She was awed by the display of our magic. Our students are learning adequately as well. We will be ready if force is required."

Sombra leveled a hoof at his right-hoof stallion. "Not that we will require it, hmm. It is a sign of weakness to need the strength beneath your velvet glove. It should always be present, but to play the game of the modern era, we must avoid it, and ensure others fall to the weakness of resorting to it."

Toby's smile expanded in a brilliant display of pure joy. "Sombra!" he practically shouted, drawing the attention of other curious tsuki. "That is good! You get better!" Before Sombra could form a defense, he grabbed his supposed ruler in a fierce hug, squeezing the dread ruler of shadows tightly and snuggling against him. "Yes yes! We good, show good. Not need fight, can fight, no need fight. Is good!"

The cheering for the ponies easily turned to their leaders, the tsuki applauding for Toby's eager display.

Quick coughed softly into a hoof. "Yes, yes, this is good. But I simply must tell you what we've managed."

Sombra's horn glowed darkly as he nudged Toby back, getting a small bit of breathing space. "Yes, I would hear of this. You would wish to hear of the accomplishments of your kin, do you not?"

"Yes," excitedly agreed Toby, looking to Quick. "What do?"

"It was quite the display..." He began to tell the story of the session.

---

"Reflect," called Quick, hurling the force with a toss of his head.

It darted right through the first tsuki that tried to bounce it, as he was aiming for the one behind it, Celene. Celene caught it in her hands but did not immediately reflect it. It seemed to bounce from paw to paw as if it were repelled by them, smoothly going back and forth without harming her. "Deflect," she repeated imperfectly, hurling it at the young male.

He dropped down and lashed out a foot. "Reflect!" he cried as his foot smashed against it, but it never really touched, repulsed in the same fashion towards another tsuki.

The doe caught it. "No!" She swirled her paws over the dark and angry magic, seeming to sculpt it even as it rebelled against her. It lashed out around her fingers and arms, trying to get at her, but it could never make proper contact with her. Its freedom was held captive as the grinning tsuki molded and shaped it. She slammed it into the ground and it wobbled like jello, but remained intact, a little angrily glowing sandcastle.

Quick brought his hooves together in slow and meaningful claps. "Very good! Very good indeed." He glanced aside at where Cadance was watching. She looked unnerved, gazing at the feat of magical manipulation. She knew the meaning of it, and he grinned at their triumph and her discomfort. "Your manipulation is growing. If you can hold, move, and manipulate shadow magic, than you can work with any magic you wish."

The young tsuki tod bounced forward and reached for the castle. With an extended claw he poked little windows in it with a happy grin. Celene joined in a moment later, taking some of the escaping energy to fashion a few happy clouds. Another hurried to get a paw in and work in a few fluttering flags. They all giggled with childish joy, enjoying the work of art they had created together.

They were all amused at the novelty of it, but Quick knew the importance of it. If they could do such things, they could reshape magic in a way even a unicorn would struggle to do. They would never produce a single spark of their own power, but they had control over what was already there. "Class, put that away for now." They snapped to attention, forming a line in front of him, their eyes bright and eager to learn from him. Him, who had been hated and feared by them.

They didn't fear him. They loved him.

It was nice in a--

---

His story was interrupted with a rough tackle. Toby had jumped on him, carrying both roughly to the stone. His head did not strike the ground, instead landing against the soft pads of Toby's paws, being embraced and hugged fiercely by the great tsuki. "Is good!" he cried. "You grow. You grow and be good. So good!"

Though the crowd couldn't hear most of their words, they could hear Toby's excited calls and the celebration only intensified. Though they knew not the specific fashion in which something good had happened, they knew it had happened and heralded its arrival with thunderous applause.

Sombra smirked softly, watching Quick be the victim of Toby's hugs for a change. "So this is what it looks like from the outside..." He cleared his throat as he turned to the crowd, their eyes set on him and his co-leaders. "My people, while we say goodbye to our dear pony guests, we should look forward to our continued growth and development. The world hasn't seen the true scope of what we can do. As we unveil our mastery, to the greater world, and to ourselves, they will rush to be at our sides, as allies."

Making friends sounded like a good idea. The applause only grew in intensity.

With a thump, a tsuki joined them on that platform. Large, female, and scarred, Celene was an imposing figure. "We show pony our strength," she agreed loud enough for all to hear her. "But we also learn from pony." She waved a paw up at the departing ponies. "Pony get a day of not working if want every week." Her voice did not lower, booming as she shouted. "Pony set own hours, is not long as tsuki hours."

Some of the tsuki looked confused. Were they measuring time wrong? Was an hour not an hour? Confused murmuring spread through the crowd. A day off sounded pretty fun though. They had enjoyed the off-time they had gotten with the pony's visit.

Sombra scowled at Celene. Of all the times to bring that up... "Tsuki are a proud... noble people. they do not require as much time being lazy as a pony might."

Celene held up a finger. "But should be allowed to," she said with certainty. "Some tsuki work harder. Some tsuki work softer. All tsuki is good tsuki. No more punishment." She crossed her arms. "Unless do bad work, or no work, tsuki is good tsuki."

That much sounded sensible enough. Their loud alpha-female was speaking words that seemed to make sense. The cheers started to pick up in support of her.

Sombra's teeth clenched. His people were revolting right in front of him. He was losing control! But was he? Did he have to? He still wore the velvet glove. He had to be a modern leader. What was the correct course of action? Of course... "I would not dream of harming a good tsuki," he rolled a hoof slowly through the air. "All that I ask is that tsuki, all tsuki, take pride in themselves, and their community. All tsuki should contribute, so we can all have nice things. A bad tsuki, as you said, is one that does bad work, or no work. Those are the ones that should be punished."

Celene bobbed her head eagerly, ears flopping. "Yes! Yes! Good." She turned to her people arms going wide. "Remember today. In week, day off to do what you want!"

Shining watched the social reform happening before his eyes, smiling a little. "That's ni--" He was suddenly grabbed by a tsuki. "Wai--" He didn't get to finish his objection, screaming as he was lifted up in a great bounce. He was being carried free of the caves to join the other ponies outside.

One pony held up a hoof as a tsuki reached for him. "I want to stay."

The tsuki tilted her head confusedly. "Stay? Princess is going home. Friends go home. You not go home?"

He waved a hoof around the caves. "I want to live here, if I can? The princess said it was alright... I want to learn how you do things, and help." He smiled brightly. "Please?"

The tsuki sank with confusion. "I not mad if stay..." she looked up at the platform that held her leaders. "Want talk them." She pointed the way with a paw. "Up to them if stay or not. Sure not want carry? I take up quick, promise."

"You're very kind," he assured with a smile. "I look forward to being your neighbor."

Author's Note:

Monthly update ahoy! I feel like things are wrapping up nicely, you?

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

Pegasi are going Jeager Meisters there, lifting mega statue?

Sombra is possibly starting to learn, if he wants to treat his animal subjects properly, then he needs to learn to be a Vetinary.

[tsaukpaetra]

Sombra learns the nature of the chains can change as well. Soon enough this machine will be very cleverly disguised as a palace. Indeed, phase two of the invasion is only just finished preparing...
Keep going! ;)

[howard035]

Wonderful chapter. Sombra and Quick finally got what they deserved! (Cuddles.)

[Shadowshame]

Honestly please make a slice of life about the bunnies and ponies interacting in different settings the bunny hug plague must spread

[David Silver]

9750478
A sequel is being written, but it follows an entirely different bunny who isn't even part of this crowd, which muddies things a bit perhaps?

[FridayPie]

9115995
He lacks of Hevlock's main argument against sedition - a certainity of worse perspective without him.

[David Silver]

9750478

TNot Always Hugs

• MLP: FiM
• Adventure
• Drama

The tsuki have emerged from darkness to greet the crystal ponies with open arms. Culture and knowledge flowed freely between the rabbits and ponies and life was growing better, and more complicated. Things change when a trade caravan is attacked.

• OC
• Other
• CMCs
• King Sombra

David Silver · 63k words  ·  22  8 · 429 views

A proper sequel!