Regem et Patriae

by Autism Central

One Night Down...

One month had passed since Sombra attempted to steal the Crystal Heart. In that time, Hope had responded to the Royal Sisters to accept their offer of studying magic under them. Princess Amore sent her own letter to accompany Hope’s which informed the two that their new student would be joined by her closest friend, as well as the details of his unique situation and a request he work with their Court Mage to understand his strange form of magic.The Princess was unsurprised when the response letter she received informed her that the Sisters would be more than happy to accommodate Sombra.

The Princess had also decided to keep Sombra’s actions between herself, Sombra, Hope, the Royal Sisters, and Starswirl the Bearded. She felt Sombra would find it difficult to acclimate to Equestria if the populous knew what he had attempted, and it would be doubly worse if the rest of the Crystal Empire found out. Sombra was asked to ensure he keep his heritage a secret from the Crystal Ponies as well, which he wholeheartedly agreed to. This also meant that he had to wear coverings to keep the changes that occurred from the public eye. His horn was wrapped in thick bandages, and a pair of goggles were placed over his eyes. While uncomfortable, he only had to wear them within the Empire, and was given the option of doing away with them once in Equestria.

The simplest portion of their departure was what Sombra and Hope had to pack. Being orphans, neither had much to claim. Aside from their dragon shaped Crystal Bank, they only had a few books and posters to bring; though Sombra made a big deal of carefully packing his Assault on Giant books and posters, saying something about wanting them in “mint condition.”

They did, however, spend a few days debating whether they should have the money in their Crystal Bank converted into Equestrian Bits, or to keep the Imperial currency. Hope felt entering the kingdom with spendable money would allow Sombra to buy some things while in Equestria, as she didn’t think he’d have a lot of opportunity to make money while he worked with Starswirl, and both agreed that they didn’t want to ask either of the Royal Sisters for money. Sombra, however, saw the jewels as keepsakes of their foalhood. This spurred on a humoured comment from Hope about how he was acting like a dragon hoarding gems, and Sombra remarking that Hope wanted to dare to steal from their ceramic dragon bank. They eventually settled on exchanging all but two jewels which each would hold onto as keepsakes, and the exchanged money would be split between them.

By week’s end, a royal chariot arrived at dawn, carried by three grey pegasi stallions in padded cloth armour with metal plates sewn into the knees and chests. One of the guards removed the yoke from his neck to approach the two. He gave the Princess, who stood with her two subjects to see them off, a salute. “Princess Amore,” he addressed in a stiff, gruff voice. “I’m Swift Wind, of the Royal Guard.”

The Princess gave him a respectful bow of her head. “I hope the flight here wasn’t too cold… I notice you come in… unusual armour.”

“Princess Luna’s orders,” he replied, signaling the other two guards with his hoof. They too removed their bindings from the chariot to begin moving luggage. “Metal armour, even if padded for warmth, would slow us down.” He looked back to the other guards, who by now had loaded the few belongings of their passengers into a storage section on the chariot and were getting back into the harnesses. Swift Wind turned to face the Princess once more and gave her a second salute. “If that will be everything, your highness, we’ll set off.”

Amore nodded as she moved passed the guard and approached Sombra and Hope, who were saying their goodbyes to Miss Chestnut. The matron gave each of her former charges a tight hug, asking them to write back when they could, which they agreed to. Once they were no longer being embraced, Amore gently cleared her throat, as the two didn’t seem to realize she was standing near. Sombra and Hope quickly turned to face the Princess, Hope’s face changing to a shade of red.

“Beg your forgiveness, your highness,” Hope said as she tried to compose herself. It was obvious from the way she and Sombra looked to the chariot almost every second that they were either nervous or excited to be flown through the sky for the first time.

The Princess kept herself from giggling. “I remember my first time being on a sky chariot,” she said. “It can be a bit strange the first few times; I suggest you keep your eyes on one another, or the horizon. Just don’t look down or behind you and it’ll be over before you know it.” This advice appeared to calm their nerves.

Hope moved forward to offer a bow. “Thank you for everything Princess Amore, I’ll make sure to keep you updated on my progress.”

Amore smiled down at Hope and beckoned her to meet her eyes and mirthful smile. “You won’t be needing to address me so respectively in the future, Princess-to-be. You’ll probably start calling me, “Amy” as a nickname.” Her statement seemed to fluster Hope as she tried to refute the Princess without stepping out of line. “Kidding,” Amore held a hoof up to try and calm the upset mare, who eventually realized what the Princess had said and managed to regain her composure.

“I’m… just going to hop on the chariot…” she whispered, trying to cover the returning shade of red on her face.

“Just remember not to look down.” Hope nodded at the Princess’ repeated advice and climbed onto the chariot.

“Thank you,” Sombra spoke up. “For everything.”

“Oh, it’s just basic advice for air travel,” she joked.

“No,” he shook his head, then craned his neck to meet the Princess’ eyes. She could barely see his eyes from the smoke filled goggles, but his serious expression told her he was trying to convey something important. “Thank you for giving me a second chance.”

Amore was taken aback by this, though she did well to hide it. “Sombra,” she said in the motherly tone she often used with her subjects. “Don’t see this as a “second chance.” See it as you taking a better path.” her expression saddened as Sombra’s remained stoic and his stance ridgid. “I’ve forgiven you for your mistake. One day, Sombra, I hope you can forgive yourself.” She placed a hoof on his head and lovingly ruffled his mane, offering him a warm smile. “I believe in you, and so does she.”

At this, Sombra turned his gaze towards Hope, who was doing her best not to look at the Princess in fear of showing her embarrassment. Once again, he felt his resolve strengthened, and his personal vow to do right by her surfaced in his mind. He returned his attention to the Princess and nodded firmly before bowing and moving to join Hope.

“Oh, and Sombra?” Amore called, causing the stallion to turn to see her as he walked. “Try smiling, I’ll pay for the stitches.” she gave him a humored grin, which he couldn't help but mirror.

Sombra stepped up onto the chariot and sat in the empty seat next to Hope. She had calmed down a bit and was managing to appear somewhat dignified before their escorts. He couldn’t help noticing the interior of their ride was quite spacious, with cushions set for their long flight.

Swift Wind moved to the front of the vehicle to reenter his yoke, all the while speaking to the two passengers. “Is this your first time in the sky?” he asked. Both responded that it was. His mouth upturned into a smirk at the nervous looks they had, and he waved his hoof about as if to brush off their concerns. “Don’t worry, we’ve done this a hundred times without much incident.”

“Without… much?” Sombra responded nervously.

“Well, mistakes make the best lessons,” Swift answered in a mirthful tone. Without warning, he and the other two pegasi began to gallop, causing the chariot to jerk forward and the passengers to jerk back. They gained a surprising amount of speed in a short distance, though it was clear they could move faster if the ground offered more traction which the shear surface of the Crystal Empire’s streets lacked. Soon, their wings sprang to action and began to flap. The sound of their hooves rhythmically hitting the crystal streets vanished, though their legs still moved as if on solid ground. Hope and Sombra frightfully clung to one another as the sensation of being lifted from the ground hit them unpleasantly, and they felt as if they were going to fall off the vehicle at any moment.

Eventually, their ascent slowed, stopping once they broke through the clouds. Sombra and Hope winced as they tore through the cloud cover, expecting to feel some sort of impact. Instead, they shivered as they were momentarily hit by a cold and wet mist that washed over them, then dried quickly as they met the rising sun. The chariot carefully leveled out until the only indication that they were moving came from the rushing wind and occasional gentle shifting of the vehicle.

Before them, a seemingly infinite expanse of fluffy cloud tops and snow buried plains stretched over the horizon. The frigid wind swept their manes out behind them and brought Hope’s eyes to water, yet they kept their heads above the chariot’s front cover to stare slack jawed at the strange and beautiful scenery. Sombra dared to look behind them to the Crystal Empire, and immediately came to regret it as he felt a sickening sensation overtake him as the landscape rushed into his peripherals from behind him. While the sight of the Empire steadily shrinking in the distance was a fascinating one, he had to quickly turn back, lest he vomit from motion sickness. Apparently, Hope had done the same as him, and like him, she too came to regret it. They both appeared a few shades greener as they laid down in the chariot, groaning in misery.

They could hear Swift Wind chuckle from the front. “You looked back, didn’t you?” he called out in amusement. His passengers seemed to be less entertained as their replies were quiet grumbles and whimpers. Swift laughed again and shook his head, giving both his fellow guards a knowing smile and roll of the eyes, “Groundlings, am I right?” Both snorted and nodded their agreement.

****

It took well over a day for them to reach the Castle of the Two Sisters. The pegasi guards must have had the endurance of Earth Ponies, as they nearly went without rest the entire trip, only stopping to eat, drink, relieve themselves, or when their passengers needed to heed the call of nature.

Sombra and Hope had spent two days and a night and a half on the chariot, which thankfully had supplies and blankets stored within to help make the trip more bearable. While at first they were content to remain lying on the floor of the vehicle and talking to one another to try to distract from the fact that they were six thousand meters from the ground, they eventually grew restless, and sought to overcome their reservations of sitting back up. It took them some time, and a bit of assurance from their escorts that they were in no danger of falling, before they managed to sit upright and stare ahead of them once more. Despite it being late into the afternoon they were still in the Frozen North. Swift Wind had informed them that they would likely arrive late at night the following day, as they were weighed down by both the chariot and its occupants. By the next day, they had arrived in Equestria a few hours after lunch, and only arrived at the castle by midnight.

The castle was unlike anything either Hope or Sombra had ever seen. The Empire earned its name by the structures built from crystal it held, most of the citizens had never seen a building made from stone, mortar, and wood. Three great towers stood erect at the front, serving as the main entrance to what appeared to be a small community. The walls stretched around to incase a multitude of smaller structures that seemed to be a hodgepodge of houses, storage sheds, and workshops. A spire rested close to the three towers of the fort, with two buttresses connecting it to a watchtower and the rightmost tower at the front.

They began to descend slowly as they drew closer to the castle. Swift Wind had warned the two that they may feel some discomfort upon landing before, which they had the opportunity to experience on the trip. Thankfully, he had several tips to help them deal with the pain in their ears. As soon as they returned to ground, the chariot began to slow its pace before the grand double door entrance, where a small regiment of guards awaited them. Once they came to a stop, Swift Wind was approached by one of the guards at the entrance.

Unlike their pegasi escorts, the pony that approached was a brown furred earth pony. He wore burnished steel armour with a small round shield bearing the Equestrian flag tied firmly to his back. His mane, tail, and Cutie Mark were hidden by his armour, giving him a generic look. He finished a quiet conversation with Swift Wind before turning to address Hope and Sombra. “Miss Radiant Hope, Sombra,” he gave both a salute. “I’m Captain Flax Harvest of their Majesties’ royal guard. I’ll be escorting you to your rooms. Once you are ready, you will meet with the Princesses in the throne room. Do either of you have any questions?”

The two stepped off the chariot, using each other to keep themselves stable after having spent so much time off their hooves. Sombra looked to Hope to see if she was going to speak. When she showed no signs of doing so, he returned his eyes to Captain Flax and shook his head. The Captain nodded and beckoned them to follow. Their belongings would be taken to their rooms later. The two guards at the entrance opened the double doors and straightened to salute their guests.

Captain Flax brought them through a spacious room which he claimed to be the wiating room, where ponies would sit and wait to see the Princesses. It was almost ten meters by ten meters, with cushioned seats lining the side walls, with soft carpeting lining the floor. Opposite to the doors they entered were another set of double doors, with the left holding a crescent moon, and the right engraved with a picture of the sun. on each side of the hall were two reinforced doors, which the captain explained were for guards and soldiers only.

They entered the two engraved doors and found themselves in what had to be the largest room they’d ever seen. A hall that stretched well over thirty meters carpeted in red silk fabric graced their eyes. Along the sides were grand openings that could allow more than ten ponies to walk up the stairs they led to side by side without discomfort. At the end of the hall were a set of stairs leading off further to the left and right, and before them, hanging from the high ceiling, were two banners. One was dominated by gold and yellow, and depicted a white alicorn under a bright sun. the other was made of dark and light blues and held an alicorn of similar colours beneath a starry night sky with a crescent moon.

The captain had to pause and turn around to realize he had made it a quarterway across the hall when the sound of two sets of hooves went missing. He chuckled when he saw that Hope and Sombra were staring dumbstruck at the splendor of the Main Hall, and he allowed them a moment more to soak it in before clearing his throat. The two awoke from their wonderstruck dazes and hurried to catch up with the captain.

They moved up one of the stair cases on the left side, and after a somewhat lengthy walk down a hallway filled with doors upon doors that seemed to stretch on forever, came to wooden door that looked like the multitude they had passed already. How the captain knew to stop at what appeared to be a mirror copy of the last several stretched of hallway they passed was beyond them. Captain Flax turned to face the two and nodded his head towards the door. “This is one of our guest rooms. Mister Sombra, this will be your room for the foreseeable future. Miss Hope will be staying in a different part of the castle during her time here.”
“Can’t I use one of the rooms here?” Hope asked, moving her hoof to present several doors within eyesight.

The captain shook his head. “Sorry, ma’am, but Princess Celestia herself oversaw the preparation of your quarters in the western tower.”

Hope balked at this. “The tower!?” she hollered. She knew her stay would mean she’d be living in the castle, but the thought that she’d have a room in a tower like something out of a fairy tale surprised her.

If the noise bothered the captain, he did a good job not showing it as he stared calmly at the mare before him and replied, “You’ll be studying under both of the Princesses. It would be wise for your living quarters to be close to theirs for convenience and in the case of an emergency.”

“Emergency?” Sombra went rigid and fixed Flax with a look of suspicion. “What kind of emergency?”

The captain maintained his neutral expression as he replied flatly, “I am not at liberty to discuss this, sir. You may ask the Princesses when you meet with them in one hour. Until then, I suggest you clean and dress yourself in the clothes provided.” With that, he turned and beckoned Hope to follow him. “Miss Hope, I’ll take you to your room now.”

Hope looked between the two stallions, then gave Sombra a quick hug. “I’ll see you soon, okay?” she whispered, then moved to join the captain.

Sombra watched them leave and waited until they were no longer within sight before his face dropped into a scowl. The captain’s reply had left a bad taste in his mouth and left him feeling a familiar anger bubble up within him. While Princess Amore had privately encouraged him to curb his anger lest it consume him, he found it too difficult to simply let it go. Sometimes, he liked being angry.

He opened his door with a bit more force than what might have been necessary when it made an audible, bang against the brickwork. The room, like the other rooms he had seen, was overly large. A single pony bed stood between two nightstands on the right wall, with a sizable storage chest in front. A small fireplace rested on the opposite wall from the door, with two springline windows on each side of it, one of them having a wash basin with soap and towels in front of it. The left side wall contained two large closets, one of which had a small personal wood tub on top, a quarter-filled bookshelf, and a full length mirror. In the center of the room sat four well carved wood chairs positioned around a circular tea table.

For a moment, Sombra had forgotten what had gotten his hackles raised, until the response Flax Harvest gave him surfaced to mind. He grunted through his nostrils and closed the door behind him. The anger had dulled slightly, but part of him still wanted to march up to the captain and demand answers. If there was potential danger, he and Hope had a right to know, and being stonewalled by someone who clearly knew something frustrated him. The captain said he could ask the Princesses when they met, and so Sombra planned to make that his priority. For now… he needed to clean up.

Sombra trotted over to the closets, removing the cloth wrapped around his horn and hopping onto his hind legs to reach the wooden tub. While using magic to lift the thing would be much easier, he was intent on keeping his promise to the Princess; besides, while most unicorns would find it simpler to use magic to move objects, Sombra had never been great at using his horn. This meant he had to do things in a more earth pony way. And so, after he gave the closet a few shakes, as he was still unable to reach the tub, he managed to get it to wobble in his direction… then flip off the top and land face empty side down on top of him. Sombra’s horn pierced the bottom of the tub, and his vision was obscured by birchwood and shadow.

A knock at the door startled him. “Mister Sombra?” a feminine voice called out from the other side of his door. “I’ve brought the water for your bath. May I come in?”

He furiously tried to remove the tub in a panic, dreading the thought of the castle staff seeing him in such a state; however, try as he might, the cursed thing wouldn’t budge. Apparently, one of the downsides of having a curved horn was having it hook itself into things. The servant called to him again, asking if he was in the room. Sombra called out, “I’m in here! Just... give me a moment!”

Sadly, she seemed to miss his last request, and entered the room, pausing mid trot when she met the sight of a stallion trying fruitlessly to remove a tub from his head. Sombra’s heart wrenched in dread when he heard a stifled giggle from behind. He let out a defeated sigh and turned his head and the tub in the direction of the suppressed laughter. “Little help?” he asked.

The tub was encased in a neon brown aura before being tugged upwards. Sombra had to twist his head about to unhook his horn, but he was finally free. Before him stood a smiling unicorn mare with brown fur. She wore what he assumed was typical for the servants of the castle, with a black cotton dress with white apron.

“I’m sorry to have barged in like this, sir,” she apologised, despite the humor in her tone and the smirk still on her features. “I heard you call back, but I couldn’t quite… hear...you…” her words and smile left her as the tub was moved to the floor and allowed her to see just what had put a hole in it. Her expression almost instantly changed from mirth to shock at seeing the red horn.

“I’m not infected,” Sombra spoke up in annoyance. He thought of placing the bundled cloth over the horn again, but seeing as she had seen it, it would do little in fixing her reservations. “I get that it looks diseased, but this is just what my horn looks like, miss…”

The mare blinked and shook her head, her eyes immediately moving to look at anything but the distracting appendage. It was only once she managed to find the far window particularly interesting to look at that she realized she was asked her name, and so she hurriedly replied. “M...Maple Springs… sir. I’ve been assigned to help you this evening.”

“I can cover it up if it bothers you so,” he offered.

“No!” Maple quickly returned her gaze to him and focused on his hooves to avoid looking up. “That is… I’m sorry, sir, I’m not as accustomed to foreign ponies as the rest of the staff… It will simply take me time to adjust to seeing it.” she dared to let her eyes move up to try and meet his eyes, and noticed the goggles, causing her to cock her head slightly in confusion.

This didn’t go unnoticed by Sombra, who sighed once more and promptly removed the eyewear. “Then you’ll need to get used to seeing this as well.”

Maple stifled a gasp in shock at the sight of Sombra’s eyes, though she surprisingly regained her composure enough to blurt out, “Does that smoke hurt?”

Sombra cocked an eyebrow and shook his head at the absurd reaction. “No, it doesn’t.”

The servant slowly let out a deep breath and relaxed her stance. “I’m terribly sorry, sir, I didn’t mean to insult-”

“It’s fine,” he waved his hoof in dismissal. “Let’s just forget about it and move on.”

“Oh! Very well… well, as I said before, I’m here to help prepare your bath…”

Sombra nodded and looked down at the breached tub, sighing with dejection. “I’m afraid I’ve made a bit of a mess of the tub…”

“Oh, that’s all right, sir,” Maple assured. Her horn lit up to once more lift the tub into the air. She gave the hole an inspection before straining her face and changing her stance as if she were weighed down by a cumbersome force. This lasted only a moment as the tub quickly repaired itself good as new. Once the hole was gone, Maple seemed to relax and let out a relieved sigh, placing the tub down.

For a while, Sombra was at a loss for words. He had never seen magic used by other unicorns more advanced than levitation. Hope was the exception, but it was quite the shock to see another pony repair objects much like Hope fixed injuries. It was only until Maple was looking at him expectantly that he realized he had been awkwardly staring. He blinked and shook his head to look somewhere else to hide his embarrassment. “I’ve… never seen magic like that before.”

Maple cocked her head to the side once more. “It’s a basic repair spell, sir. All of the staff need to learn it to do their jobs.”

“Ah… that makes sense,” he replied awkwardly.

This earned him another pregnant pause, which was eventually, and thankfully, broken when Maple asked, “Your bath, sir?”

Sombra mentally groaned to himself. He felt he was doing well with the whole “social interaction without Hope” thing, and then he had to stare at someone uncomfortably long before failing to carry a conversation. The best he could hope for was that Maple would convey to the other servants that he wasn’t threatening or scary… just odd.

He turned to see Maple placing a small blue gem in the tub before she began taking towels from the closet. He trotted over to look the odd stone over, and was surprised to see the tub carefully filling with steaming water. He had apparently taken on a silly look of shock, as Maple suppressed a giggle while facing him. He looked up and asked, “What is this?”

“Lord Starswirl made them,” she answered as she went about setting the towels down and retrieving some soap from her pocket. “I don’t know how they work, but he’s made them easy to use.” Maple placed the bar of soap on top of the towels and retrieved the now clear stone from the filled bath. “Will you need anything else, sir?”

It took him a few moments to snap his attention from the conjured water to respond. “N… no, that’s all… thank you.”

Maple simply bowed and left without another word, leaving Sombra to return his gaze to the newly fixed and filled tub. In a matter of minutes, he had seen two acts of sorcery that were foreign to him, yet were completely mundane to the servants. It was both confusing and exhilarating for him.

He carefully slipped into the bathwater and relaxed as the warmth washed over him. He hadn’t enjoyed a warm bath in some time. The orphanage had a few tubs that needed to be shared, and he’d often have to bathe in water previously used. The last time he’d had the pleasure of a warm bath was the night before he and Hope left the Empire. Princess Amore had the two of them stay in her guest quarters, which allowed him to make use of the chiseled in “bathing holes.” The water of his first Equestrian bath, while lacking in the decadence and comfort of the Empire’s, worked wonders to sooth him. It smelled of citrus and lilacs, which aided in his need to relax himself and remove his frustrations.

****

By hour’s end, Sombra found himself in an outfit that, while comfortable and somewhat loose, felt alien against his body. The green brocade doublet with white undershirt rubbed against his body in an unpleasant way, as if to constantly remind him it was there each time he moved.

Maple returned to his room fifteen minutes before the meeting to guide him to the throne room, as well as to see if he required any help with his clothing, which he remained adamant about needing no such aid. He was sadly wrong, as the buttons and laces required the use of something more nimble than hooves. Maple was kind enough to not laugh at him frustratingly clamping his hooves at the buttons in an attempt to get them to hook into place, all the while having the doublet inside out and messily tossed over his head.

Once he was dressed, Maple brought him back to the Main Hall where they ascended the stairs that laid at the far end. After traveling through several more hallways, they came to the end, where a set of double doors similar to the ones connecting the Main Hall with the waiting room met him. Hope was sitting in a cyan silk dress with ruffles that reached the floor. She too seemed uncomfortable to be dressed with the way she shifted in place and tugged at the cloth with her teeth, though her mood shifted when Sombra approached.

Hope wrapped her hooves around Sombra’s neck and gave him a crushing embrace. “You look silly,” she whispered as she let go.

Sombra raised a brow and looked down at himself. “Really? I thought green suited me well...”

“Oh, it does,” Hope assured him, though her tone held some insincerity to it as she looked her friend up and down. “But you look like bugs are crawling on your fur.” She pointed her hoof at the various intricate wavy lines of embroidery that ran across the doublet.

Sombra visibly shuddered at the imagined sensation of tiny insects skittering over him and fixed Hope with an annoyed, though humored look. “Thank’s, I needed that visualization.”

Hope threw her hooves up defensively. “Hey, it’s how it feels with this…”

“Dress?” Sombra offered.

“Tripping hazard,” Hope corrected. “The silk is nice, but I’m not used to wearing clothes. Are we going to have to wear these all the time?”

“I hope not,” Sombra shivered at the thought of wearing stuffy clothing all the time. “Do you think they wear this stuff to bed?”

“That’d be awful! I don’t even want to imagine all that cloth ensnaring somepony like a thousand snakes, or a like being trapped in a spider web.”

“Stop making me want to tear off my clothes!” Sombra hollered, tugging at the neck of his shirt.

“That is no way to speak to a lady!” Sombra and Hope both jumped at the new voice and turned to see a caramel colored unicorn in a simple green dress with blue undershirt. She gave Sombra a gimlet eye, as if trying to will him silent with her stare.

“What’d he say?” Hope asked before Sombra could pose the same question. She thought over their exchange and couldn’t think of anything particularly rude or insensitive being said. The only thing that possibly came to mind was… “He didn’t mean he was going to actually tear the clothes up by the threads… is… was that what was wrong?”

The other unicorn’s face changed to one of shock and confusion momentarily, then she seemed to go quiet as the wheels turned in her head. “Does… does the Crystal Empire not have clothes?”

“We don’t need them,” Sombra replied, having recovered from the fear that gripped his heart from the unicorn’s glare. “The Crystal Heart keeps the temperature comfortable for everypony. The closest would be the armour worn by the guards and the outfit worn by Princess Amore.”

“I see…” the unicorn said quietly to herself. “We’ll have to go over more than court etiquette… ahem,” She cleared her throat and moved to bow to the two. “Good evening, my name is Copper Star, and I’m the Royal Secretary of the Night. You must be Hope an-” Her voice momentarily caught in her throat as her eyes managed to take in the oddities of Sombra’s appearance, though she recovered with remarkable haste, swiftly placing a smile on her muzzle and finishing. “And Sombra. It’s good to see the two of you have arrived safely.” The doors clicked behind her as she stepped forward and began to circle the two guests, carefully inspecting them.

“Is… is everything alright?” Hope asked, flinching when Copper Star plucked a loose thread from her dress before moving to give Sombra a once over.

“Yes, yess…” the secretary replied absentmindedly as she brushed some wrinkles from Sombra’s undershirt and used her magic to readjust the collar. “Simply making one last check before we begin.” Once she seemed satisfied with her work, Copper Star moved to stand before the two once more, her chest slightly puffed out. “Now then, when you enter, I will be announcing your names, whereupon you are to kneel or bow to the Princesses… do either of you know how to kneel or bow?”

Hope and Sombra exchanged confused looks before the former replied, “Of course we know how to bow, we’re not savages...”

Copper Star nodded, though her expression betrayed her belief in Hope’s statement. “Well then, after you’ve bowed, they will greet you, which you are to respond appropriately by rising and giving thanks for allowing you to be here. Conversation will ensue, and I expect you to speak to the Royal Sisters with the respect and reverence that befits their stations. Understood?” She didn’t wait for a reply as she turned and opened the double doors, then began a brisk canter into the Throne Room.

The Throne Room was just as large and open as the Main Hall, with luxurious red carpet coating most of the floor leading to the thrones, and meter wide walkways that allowed one to enter the numerous doors on each wall. The thrones were raised by two small sets of marble stairs, with a little balcony separating them. Both thrones were on equal height, and both were the same size and dimension. Their differences were in color and the ponies that sat in them.

The rightmost throne was painted in cheery yellows of various shades. In it sat a white alicorn with a multicolored mane that moved about as if lifted by some unseen wind. The leftmost throne was a mix of blues radiating from the center into darker shades. Upon it sat a dark blue alicorn with a mane that looked as if someone had captured a bit of the night's sky with stars included. Both of them sat straight faced and barely moving save for their eyes which tracked the three ponies approaching them.

Copper Star ceased her careful march as she and the guests made it to the center of the room, whereupon she offered a quick and polite bow to each dirach before clearing her throat. “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna,” she moved to the side to allow Sombra and Hope to be the centers of attention and moved her hoof to present them. “I present to you, Miss Radiant Hope and Mister Sombra of the Crystal Empire.”

Hope and Sombra both knelt and bowed their heads.

“Good evening,” Celestia called. Her voice was warm and motherly, causing Sombra and Hope to relax a little. “We trust your journey here was pleasant?”

Sombra and Hope rose from the floor, and the latter spoke. “Y-yes, your highness,” Hope responded nervously. “And thank you for allowing us to stay here…” She feared an awkward silence would ensue, as her mind went blank on what to do or say next. Copper Star said conversation would ensue, but Hope’s mind was going blank at the sight of the Royal Sisters.

Thankfully, Princess Luna had seen the silence was short lived as she spoke. “We have heard many a grand tales of thy curative magic. Wouldst thou humor us a demonstration?” Hope blinked and jerked her head back when she realised she had been given a request. Before she could voice a reply, a small wooden box was lifted in a cobalt blue aura and moved to rest at Hope’s hooves. “A fortnight ago, we discovered this creature wounded in the Royal Gardens,” Luna explained. “While our groundskeeper has done well in seeing to its swift recovery, we are interested to see if thy reputation proceeds thee.”

Hope peered into the ornate wooden box and found a sparrow with a tiny splint wrapped to its left wing. The bird looked up to the strange new pony with fear and concern, then made a short lived attempt to take flight, only to stop when pain shot through its wing. Hope looked down at the creature with an expression of motherly concern, something she had adopted since she first started tending to Sombra during the Faire. She offered the sparrow a gentle smile and sat down. Hope had done this hundreds of times for ponies, and the odd animal, and so found it easy to brush away her nerves to focus on the patient.

She placed her hoof before the box, causing the sparrow to flitter to the opposite corner. “I’m here to help you,” she cooed softly. “You weren’t made to remain cooped up in a box, waiting to be free. Please, let me help you fly again.” The bird seemed unsure at first, but when Hope made no movements away or towards it, it took a gamble and accepted the hoof offered, hopping up to perch.

The sparrow was carefully lifted to allow Hope a better look at its injury. The splint and strips of cloth were removed and placed in the box, revealing a mostly repaired, though still awkwardly bent wing. Hope took in a deep breath and lit her horn up, enveloping the warped appendage in her cornflower blue aura. In a matter of seconds, the oddly misshapen limb reformed itself. In less than a quarter minute, the aura faded and the sparrow’s wing was whole once more. The bird inspected its mended wing for a moment before giving it a few test flutters. Satisfied, it leapt into the air and proceeded to fly about the Throne Room, chirping and singing in delight. It stopped its joyas flight for a moment to let its feet find purchase on Hope’s Shoulder, whereupon it gave her a grateful “peck” on the cheek before taking flight through a nearby window. Hope took on a look of serenity, as she often did when aiding the ill.

“Marvelous,” Luna spoke up, snapping Hope from her bliss. “We see thine power is truly capable of greatness, and with our guidance, thou shalt flourish.”

Hope’s eyes widened and she had to do her best to keep from jumping with excitement. “So… it’s official?” she asked, the anticipation palpable in her words. She didn’t expect the Princesses to have turned her down, she was already accepted from the letter; however, she had been looking forward to hearing it from them ever since she first received their message.

Celestia offered her a warm smile and nodded. “Indeed,” she replied as she and her sister both stood from their thrones. “We accept you, Radiant Hope, as our apprentice and student.”

That was all Hope needed before she began to jump merrily about. “Yes yes yes!” she called as she bounced on her hooves and nearly tackled Sombra with a hug. “Did you hear that!?”

Sombra laughed and returned the affection by wrapping a leg around her. “I think the servants back at the guestrooms heard y- ow!” he was cut off when Hope gave him a playful jab in the ribs. “I need those!” he whined pitifully, earning another, albit lighter, jab.

Their shenanigans were short lived, however, when somepony to their right cleared their throat. They both turned to see Copper Star staring at them with an intense look and jaw tight enough to make diamonds from coal. Her eyes briefly darted towards the thrones, as if indicating where their attention should be focused. Celestia didn’t appear to be taking umbrage with the short but loud display if her humored smile was any indication, though her sister remained straight faced. Hope and Sombra swiftly detached, the former nearly smashing her head to the floor as she bowed and sputtered out several apologies.

Celestia broke the tension with a chuckle and shook her head. “Rise, Hope,” she commanded. “We take no offence to somepony taking and sharing joy.”

“Simply work to remember what is appropriate for the setting,” Luna added, causing Celestia’s smile to waver slightly. “We will begin thine lessons on the morrow,” she continued. “Thou shalt additionally be advised to join us for breakfast.” she didn’t need to ask twice, as Hope bowed once more and agreed heartily.

It was at this point, a new voice spoke up from the back of the room. “Well, now that that’s settled, I’d like very much to speak with the young lad.” Sombra and Hope jumped and swiveled to see the new guest. They both gasped at the sight both magnificent and… somewhat disappointing.

Apparently, Starswirl the Bearded had entered without a sound, and while both had been looking forward to meeting the legendary mage, neither were prepared for what greeted them. Most drawings they had seen of Starswirl were of him as a mature stallion, with a grand and majestic beard that curled and bounced with each step. While some depictions of him presented an aged and thin stallion, they didn’t know how truly decrepit he was. The most noticeable quality he had was his thin body. His flesh managed to both sag and wrap to his bones to expose his knee joints and ribs. His face was gaunt and cheeks shallow, as if he’d not eaten in weeks; and his eyes were fishlike in the way they slightly bulged from their sockets. However, despite his well aged form, his eyes were the sharp yellow of a young stallion filled with curiosity, and his beard, though not quite as majestic as depicted in lore and legend, was as white as his coat. Lastly, his outfit was just as the tales described, depicting a starry sky on both his cloak and famous bell covered conical hat.

Starswirl’s eyes were fixed on the Royal Sisters, awaiting a reply to his question. Celestia was the one to give a reply. “Starswirl,” though her voice was calm, there was a hint of annoyance to it. “How kind of you to finally join us…”

“I got lost,” he grumbled irritably. “I can hardly be blamed for falling victim to this castle’s abysmal layout. Why, I’d not be surprised if one of the myriad doors in this place led to Tartarus!” he moved with surprising fleetness for one his age and swept past Hope, Sombra, and Copper Star to get closer to the Princesses. He took to sitting a meter from their thrones. “This is why towers are better than castles! You either go up, or down. There’s none of these labyrinthine halls and doors and doors leading to halls with more doors and halls! Why couldn’t we have just buil-”

“Starswirl!” Celestia nearly bellowed, slapping a hoof to her face in exasperation. The older stallion didn’t seem surprised or upset by the outburst. “We have guests, remember?”

It took a moment for realization to hit him, but once it did, he slowly bent his head back awkwardly to stare at the ponies he’d forgotten about upside down. He blinked a few times at the bewildered ponies, then moved his head back to face the Royal Sisters. “Hrmm… right… well, I’d like to speak with the boy when I can. I’m excited to see what he can do.”

“We have yet to address him, dear friend,” Luna said, her expression of embarrassment and annoyance mirroring her sister’s. Starswirl simply huffed in response and trotted up the stairs, sitting at the balcony which separated the sisters.

Luna took a few moments to regain herself before speaking. “Copper Star, please leave the room as we discussed,” she called. The mare in question bowed and left without a word. “Sombra, of the Crystal Empire,” her voice returned to its commanding tone as she stared at the young stallion. “We hath read of what occurred many nights ago, when thou sought to take the Crystal Heart and away it into the night.” Sombra visibly winced at the mention of his actions, though Hope offered him a reassuring hoof on the shoulder and her usual calming smile. “The letter sent by Princess Amore was… disturbing, to say the least. To know the existence of a new race, one whom utilizes dark magic naturally… this is upsetting news.” her concentration broke momentarily as her eyes moved to Starswirl, then her sister, and finally back to Sombra. “However, despite our reluctance, our sister and Starswirl the Bearded hath decided thou shalt continue without magic suppression for the safety of others. Thou willst be under escort of a guardspony for the foreseeable future. Dost thou have any protests to this?”

While Sombra disliked the thought of having a guard walking everywhere with him, he chose to accept it if he could stay with Hope. He met the Princess of the Night’s powerful stare with one of his own and replied, “I’ve no protests, and I thank you for your kindness, Princesses.” With that said, he bowed.

Princess Luna was about to speak again, when Starswirl began to burst into raucous laughter. “I already like him!” he shouted between chortles. “Did you see that look of conviction? He might one day best your intense stare, Luna.” The Princess of the Night didn’t quite know how to take that other than remain quiet until Starswirl regained his composure. Thankfully, she didn’t need to wait long as the old stallion managed to calm his laughter into light titters. “Now then,” he began, clearing his throat to wash away his mirth. “Since the boy has been allowed to stay, may I finally have a look?”

The Royal Sisters both appeared ready to deny his request, however, he was swift to offer them the look of a puppy begging for food as his eyes shone and his lower lip quivered. Both sisters synchronistically tightened their jaws and tried to withstand his manipulations. Sadly, this was an effort doomed to fail. Both let out exasperated sighs and Celestia nodded. “Very well,” she said defeatedly.

Starswirl didn’t need any further prompting as his horn lit up with a blue spark and he teleported from the balcony to Sombra’s side. Sombra let out a startled whiney and fell on his opposite side and nearly hit Hope, then scrambled to stand. Hope thankfully aided him in this and once he found himself in an upright position, Starswirl had produced, from who knows where, a glass ball the size of a hoof. “Now, Sombra,” he began, placing the orb on the carpet. “Will you be so kind as to lift this for me?”

Sombra looked at the orb, then to Starswirl, and back to the orb. He reached a hoof out to grab at it, but had it halted by Starswirl’s own hoof. The older stallion shook his head and pointed to his horn. It took a great deal of effort for Sombra not to smack himself in the head. How else would a wizard expect a unicorn to lift something? He returned his focus on the ball, and, for the first time in several weeks, used his magic. His horn bubbled with violet and green energy. Despite his efforts, however, the orb remained on the ground. Surprisingly, it seemed to fill with his magic aura. Sombra ended his attempts and looked to Starswirl for and answer.

The older Stallion picked the orb up in his hoof and eyed the roiling smoke within. Seeming satisfied with what he was looking at, Starswirl tucked the orb into his hat and gave Sombra a bow in gratitude. “That should be all for tonight, I’ll see you tomorrow at noon, sharp.”

“Tomorrow?” Sombra repeated in confusion.

Starswirl nodded. “If you’re to be my newest student, I expect you to be punctual.”

“S-student!?” Sombra balked at the idea. “I’m nowhere near good enough to study under you!” He knew he was to figure out how to deal with his races natural affinity towards dark magic, but he thought Starswirl would just help him get rid of it. He didn’t know he was actually going to become a student to the greatest mage in the known world.

The older stallion waved his hoof about as if to rid Sombra of his doubts. “Nonsense, no one is more or less capable to study magic to unlock their potential. Now remember, noon tomorrow.” He didn’t let any further conversation reach his ears as his horn once again lit up and removed himself from the room in a flash of light, leaving a baffled group of ponies.

Celestia broke the silence in the room by clearing her throat. “Well… I believe that will be everything for this evening… Copper Star will have the staff return you to your rooms. We look forward to your continued stay here.” she and Luna both returned to their thrones.

Copper Star seemed to appear from nowhere and didn’t miss a beat as she swiftly moved in front of Sombra and Hope and began shepherding them out of the room. Once they passed through the double doors, she breathed a sigh of relief. “I suppose that wasn’t… too bad,” she admitted whilst wiping her brow. “Now,” her horn flashed buttery yellow and the various loose strands of hair and wrinkles in her clothes were put back in place to smooth herself out, leaving her clean with a smile that seemed insincere. She stamped her hoof on the floor twice, and moments later, several of the castle’s servants entered and crowded around Copper Star. “I need one of you to take Miss Hope to her chambers, and another to escort Mister Sombra. The rest of you, will begin cleaning the Throne Room in a quarter hour. Dismissed."

The servants took a few seconds to decide who would show the guests to their rooms. Eventually, Hope was taken by some earth pony mare, while Sombra would be led by Maple Springs. She seemed more than happy to help him, though he found it suspicious that she and the other servants looked at him with humored expressions.

As they took the long trek back to his room, Sombra waited until he was sure no one else was listening before speaking. “You… you didn’t tell anypony about what happened with me and the tub… did you?”

Maple halted before him, her body going ridgid. She slowly turned her head to look back to Sombra with an expression akin to a foal caught with their hoof in the cookie jar. She offered him an innocent smile and avoided meeting his eyes. “It… it may have slipped out… a few times…” she admitted shamefully.

Sombra brought his hoof to his fact and groaned in frustration and exhaustion. “Just… take me to my room, please,” he grumbled. Maple gave him a nod and resumed her walk, albit with a noticeably quickened pace than before.

When they arrived at his room, Sombra noticed a guard standing at the door. She opened the door for him and Maple when they approached, though Sombra was adamant that Maple not enter with him. He just wanted to get some sleep, and while Maple offered to unpack his things which were recently placed on his bed, he maintained that he’d prefer to be alone for the rest of the night. He thanked Maple for her help and wished her a good night before closing the door and letting himself flop onto the bed. “One night down…” he groaned to himself. “...couple hundred to go…”

Author's Note:

I'm not too happy with how this chapter turned out, though I'm not entirely sure what bothers me about it.

Comments

[Bookeater_otaku]

Glad to see this story continued. Now that they are out of the Crystal Empire and with the Princesses (and Starswirl) the story can truly begin.

[Dustcan]

I'm not too happy with how this chapter turned out, though I'm not entirely sure what bothers me about it.

Well not much happened in this chapter to be honest. Unless the maid staff has a noteworthy role then in spite of its length the only things of note were the meeting with the Princesses and maybe the bit about culture shock.

[camgogo830]

Looks interesting, i like it!

[j1d1]

it would have been great to see this story unfold

[Rainny Night]

11317446
In fact, it would have been great to see this story unfold.

[xiwu]

I think the author is no longer with us.