Toxic Love

by Silvermyr

3. Here's to my Love

”Whammy!”

Cadance leaned into the bed and pecked her daughter on the cheek as she levitated the stuffed snail into Flurry’s waiting hooves. The tiny alicorn gave a happy gurgle and tucked the snail in under her own wing. ”Bye Whammy!” Flurry heart dove under the soft covers. Experience told Cadance she would not see much of her daughter for a while, so she took the opportunity to quietly tiptoe out of the room. She found Sunburst waiting in the corridor.

”She has her Whammy and will most likely fall asleep soon, once she has tiered herself out. But you’ll stay and keep watch over her, right?” Cadance asked.

”Of course,” Sunburst said. ”I’m always happy to spend time with little Flurry. Seeing the first ever alicorn infant play and grow is something I would never trade for anything.”

”That’s really nice of you, Sunburst,” Cadance said. ”I really need to get some extra shuteye tonight. I have had trouble sleeping these last few days.” To emphasize the point, Cadance yawned.

”Alone without Shining Armor I presume,” Sunburst said. ”But I understand. I wish you a good night.”

”Good night, Sunburst,” Cadance said and went to her bedchamber.

Strictly speaking, she had not lied. She had slept poorly for a while when she tried to convince herself that dealing with King Sombra was a bad idea. Sadly, the furious wish in her heart had not relented to any of the sound arguments she had thrown at it. Not even reading through the few records left of King Sombra’s time, where his most hideous crimes were documented had changed her mind.

Shining Armor would come back from the hospital tomorrow. This was her last chance to act undisturbed. She sighed and pushed open the door to her room.

Every item laid neatly placed on her desk: Parchment and two bottles of ink. Leather straps and a thick wooden stick. A floofy bathrobe with a feather she had plucked from her own wing, and finally, the one thing that worried her the most. A thin, razor-sharp sliver of jet-black crystal, hardly bigger than the thorn of a rose. She nodded to herself and pushed her many worries into the back of her head. She was a princess, she was strong enough to deal with Sombra. She picked up the items.

---

This time, Sombra was in the room when she came down the stairs. He stood still as a statue, eyes closed and breathed calmly, measuredly. It was an odd sight, seeing such a dark-hearted, brutish pony stand so calm.

”I have returned,” Cadance’s voice echoed in the cavernous room.

”Do not disturb my meditation,” Sombra said directly to her mind. He did not move a muscle. ”I have kept my schedule for a thousand years incased in ice, and I will not let an impatient mare interfere.”

Cadance bit back the silencing answer and instead laid out the items she had brought.

”So you have brought everything?” Sombra said suddenly. He opened his eyes and smirked at her. ”I honestly did not expect you to return. Perhaps there is hope for you after all?”

”I wish I could believe there was hope left for you,” Cadance said.

Sombra took no notice of her jab. ”I need you to combine the Sombratite with your feather to a quill. Push them close and their residue magic will do the rest.”

Cadance held the two small items in her magic. Her eyes wandered from one to the other. The slender, pink feather gradually changing into royal purple at the tip, and the blacker than black sliver of crystal, looking like a hole in space. If Sombra was correct in that they would react once they came close, then this was her very last chance to back out of this. After this, there was truly no turning back. ”Whammy!” Flurry Heart echoed in her mind, her own smiling little foal.

”I’m doing this for you, Flurry,” she whispered and brought the two items close. "And for Shining Armor... and for me."

A small fizz later, they had indeed combined into a makeshift quill. The crystal had simply flew to the end of her feather and lodged itself in it.

”Place the parchment on the ground with the ink next to it. Then balance the quill on the tip. It will stand on its own.”

Cadance obeyed. The quill shivered slightly, but it did stand upright on the parchment surface, like some bizarre plant.

”Now, then,” Sombra said with a pleased expression. He shifted his attention from the arrangement on the floor and to her. ”Now you will have it all in black and white. We are going to write a contract for our agreement. What are your terms, Amore?”

She had expected something like this. There was no way a pony like Sombra would trust her to keep her word, and she would never trust him. ”And… this contract is binding? I assume this is one of your so-called soul contracts?” she asked.

Sombra’s look turned approving for a moment. ”Why yes, actually. Might I also hope you know how they operate?”

”They are a set of directives signed by two ponies. If anypony breaks any of the directives, the other pony gains complete control of the contract breaker.”

”Precisely. So, Amore, tell me your terms loud and clear and the quill will write them down. If we both agree to sign the contract, then we have a pact.”

”Here are my terms,” Cadance ran through the list in her head. ”You will teach me all I need to extend my husband’s life and make available to me any magic, dark or otherwise, necessary to do so.” The moment she silenced, the quill vibrated on the parchment, dipped itself in the ink and copied down her words in a perfect, flowing script.

”Done.”

”You will never tell anypony about this agreement without my explicit consent.”

”Done.”

”You will not hurt me or Shining Armor.”

”Done, with a certain exception. To 'make dark magic available to you', I will have to place a certain… enchantment, we can call it, on you. It will act like a magnet and attract dark magic from wherever there is anger, fear or despair in Equestria. However, to place this enchantment, I need to preform certain... procedures. Nothing dangerous, if a little painful, and it will only affect you.”

Cadance bit her lip. ”Then you promise that you will only hurt me within the requirements of that enchantment, and that my physical and mental health will replenish soon. You will not hurt Shining Armor.”

”Done.”

”Those are all my terms,” Cadance said and steeled herself. Now came Sombra’s requests. ”Tell me yours.”

”I have nothing to add,” Sombra said. ”I find these terms acceptable, and I pledge my heart and soul to this contract.” As he silenced, the quill placed itself on the bottom of their contract and swiftly wrote out King Sombra’s signature. A ripple of magic passed over the contract once the quill stopped. ”Now the only thing left is for you to sign.”

Cadance looked at her enemy. What was he playing at? He had no demands at all? He did not even want compensation? Cadance had been sure he would demand the blood of thirteen virgins or something, but this…? Nothing? Just what was Sombra’s plan with this?

”What is the matter, Cadenza? I told you my word is good as gold,” Sombra pointed out.

”Then I should worry now, when you don’t seem to have any words.”

”Perhaps. But the question is if you would rather see your loved one age and die than take a contract that by all logic seems to get you everything you want at a most affordable price?”

Cadance hesitated only a moment. This was, objectively, the best outcome possible in her situation. Sombra had not demanded anything. She could not ask for more than that.

She took the quill in her magic and wrote out her own signature just below Sombra’s. Another ripple passed over the contract, and a shiver passed down her spine, like an icicle had caressed her back ever so gently.

Sombra smirked. ”Now then… Let us begin the enchantment process. It will take you some time to attract the necessary magic, so the sooner the better.”

Cadance swallowed. ”What shall I do?”

”Roll the leather straps around the stick and bite down hard. I don’t… or rather you don’t, want to scream and disrupt my concentration.”

”What are you going to do to me?”

”Write the runes that attracts dark magic. Or, to be more precise, I will carve them into your skin.” Sombra levitated up the quill. It gleamed sharply in the torchlight. Slowly if floated closer and, with her heart beating hard in her chest, she bit down on the leather-bound stick.

She gasped in pain as the quill pierced the skin on her right front hoof. Sombra began to write.

Comments

[Super Ponyman]

She was a princess, she was strong enough to deal with Sombra. She picked up the items.

5 bucks that Sombra has some ulterior motive to this?

10 to the person that guesses it. My guess is... possession/corruption of Shining Armor followed by a coup against Celestia.