Broken Crystal

by Sylvian

Chapter 2: Visions and Kind Words

Chapter 2: Visions and Kind Words.

The warm rays of the morning sunrise gently caress Sombra’s face as he slowly rises from the dreams he had been graced with after returning to his bed and Celestia. The warmth brings him forward, and into the world of the waking, and quickly brings with it a feeling of absence.

Cracking an eye open, he finds that his beloved has risen ever so slightly, separating her body from his, her horn aglow with the brilliant golden light of her magic as she rises the sun beyond the window. The gentle rays of the new day frame Celestia, her long pink mane and pristine white fur seeming to almost glow with an otherworldly halo as she guides her celestial charge into the waiting heavens. The sight takes Sombra’s breath away, as it had the first time he had witnessed his beloved so deftly perform this feat, and once more he feels his heart flutter in his chest at the powerful mare who has stolen his heart.

“I’ll never get used to seeing such a beautiful sight when I wake up,” Sombra whispers, just loud enough for Celestia to hear. “Truly, I feel as if somehow I am living in a dream, for how else would I be so lucky to wake to such splendor?”

“I try my best,” Celestia giggles softly, turning to look over one of her shoulders. “I am glad you love my sunrise, though, dear heart.”

“Oh, I suppose the sunrise is beautiful,” Sombra concedes as he sits up and nuzzles into the space between Celestia’s shoulders. “But, I spoke more of the radiant beauty I share my bed with.”

“Be careful, Prince of my Heart,” Celestia whispers as she turns fully over, fixing him with a hooded stare. “Many who have dared behold this ‘radiant beauty’ have gone blind.”

“A fate I am willing to accept,” Sombra replies in an equally soft whisper before rising up a bit more and capturing Celestia’s lips with his own for a brief kiss, before continuing. “But, I think I am safe, for I am sure I am loved by the sun as much as I love her. She shall let no harm befall me, nor I her.”

The couple kiss once more, before settling back down into their bed, wrapped in each other’s warm embrace as they fall into a light doze. Or, at least Sombra does, for he is still tired, he cannot help but remain awake to continue to experience the feeling of Celestia’s soft fur against his face as he nuzzles into her neck. Her warm scent, a soothing mix of the lavender in her soap and her natural scent that could only be described as sunlight, luls Sombra nearly back into sleep, before a loud knock at the door causes both him and Celestia to jump.

“I hope you both are decent!” Amore’s muffled voice comes through the door, “because we’ve brought you breakfast!”

“It’s pancakes!” a second voice, which echoes slightly, adds in.

“We’re decent, Lady Amore,” Celestia yawns, “we were simply attempting to gain a few more moments of peace in each other's embrace.”

Opening to the door, Amore beams widely at the two who are now sitting up in bed. “Well, I can’t fault you for that,” she shrugs as she comes fully into the room, followed by a crystalline pegasus mare who is balancing a pair of trays on her wings. “But, Partner wanted to check up on you, and you know I can never really say no to her.”

“As I recall, Amore,” Partner chuckles, bumping her hip against Amore’s, “You were out of bed and pestering the kitchen staff this morning so you could bring your son breakfast in bed.” She looks at Sombra and winks one of her glowing eyes. “Your mother is quite excited to have you and Tia’s romance out in the open.”

“I won’t argue that,” Amore sighs, rolling her eyes. “But what mother isn’t excited to see their child fall in love for the first time!”

Taking both of the trays in his magic, he levitates one to Celestia before setting his own down in front of himself. “We are very excited to have it in the open as well,” Sombra says warmly, leaning over and gently nuzzling Celestia’s neck.

“We are indeed,” Celestia agrees, levitating her fork up and delicately cutting a section of the pancake before starting to eat. Sombra takes this as his own cue to start, and levitates the glass off of his own tray and takes a sip of it.

As he does, he catches Partner’s expression, and his heart hits his stomach as he notices the almost predatory gaze the construct has.

“So, Celestia, Sombra,” Partner starts in a sing-song voice, her smile growing as she props her face up on her hooves. “Amore and I were wondering…. When can we expect grandfoals?”

Having expected the question, Sombra only spits a little of his orange juice onto Partner’s face before swallowing and coughing. Beside him, Celestia, ever the example of grace and poise simply chokes on her pancake and beats a hoof against her chest while coughing with a stricken expression.

“W-we,” Celestia is able to cough out before swallowing and clearing her throat. “We had not planned that far ahead, Partner,” Celestia admits as she looks towards Sombra, who has by now also gotten his coughing under control. “Honestly, we were going to take it one step at a time, now that things are out in the open.”

Nodding vigorously, Sombra takes a few more sips of his juice before speaking. “So, did you and mom come here with food simply to tease us, or did you need something?” Sombra asks, a small smile forming on his face.

“Actually, we came with breakfast because we figured you two would be tired after the long trek home,” Amore answers, her smile turning motherly as she settles down next to Partner, “and we also were hoping to persuade you two away from doing anything official today, so you can continue to relax.”

“Plus we missed you,” Partner sighs, giving Sombra and Celestia puppy dog eyes. “Your poor mother was worried sick about you out there, in the cold, fighting Cosmos knows what! I think, for her sake, you should stay close to home.” The construct finishes the little speech by winking to Amore and leaning against her as the unicorn queen simply rolls her eyes.

“Or at the very least, you two,” Amore says, her motherly smile evolving into a smirk, “should spend some time together when not under the threat of being attacked, or freezing to death.”

“Actually,” Sombra starts as he looks over to Celestia, “I was thinking we could go walk around the city a bit? Give you a personal tour?”

“Sombra, I’ve been coming to this city for a long, long time,” the alicorn chuckles, before leaning over to kiss the tip of Sombra’s nose. “But, perhaps I shall find something new looking at it through your eyes?”

“Perhaps you shall,” Amore agrees, “I shall inform the guard of your plans?”

“After breakfast!” Partner cuts in, putting a crystalline wing over the unicorn’s back before leaning over and gently kissing her cheek. “It’s been ages since last we were all together for breakfast, and we’re going to enjoy it.”

“Well, then we shall stay here until breakfast is finished,” Amore giggles, nuzzling the crystal construct.

“Well, I for one would love to continue to discussing how are day shall go,” Celestia starts as she rises carefully from the bed, “but I fear I must excuse myself for a moment to deal with some morning business.” She smiles as she crosses to a nearby door to the bathroom. “I’ll be right back.”

As she vanishes into the other room, Sombra continues to eat his breakfast, pointedly ignoring the two sets of eyes staring at him with matching mischievous smirks.

“So,” Amore starts after a pregnant pause, “do you, perhaps, have any other plans for today?”

“Well, I figured perhaps Celestia and I could go to a nice lunch,” Sombra says coyly with a smirk. “I know the palace kitchens will be disappointed, but we’ve been on the march for so long I think the need to move and be in the open air has yet to leave us. Or, me, at least.”

“No, silly!” Partner chuckles, reaching out to lightly bat at one of Sombra’s hooves. “We mean are you going to give her that necklace! You know, the one you commissioned from that amazing goldsmith down on Fillyon Street.”

Instead of answering, Sombra simply gives his mother and Partner a knowing smile, before going back to his breakfast.

-------

The afternoon sun beams brightly above the Crystal Empire, lending it’s gentle warmth to the growing feeling of warmth and companionship that Sombra feels radiating from the mare beside him. The two of them had spent the majority of the day, at least after they’d been released from their room following the family breakfast, wandering Mirrormere with no real aim in mind as the real goal had simply been to spend time together.

Many of the citizens in the city had stopped to talk to them, or simply waved as they passed on with their own business. A few even offered them flowers or tokens of their affection towards their rulers, something that Sombra took no end of pride in. The love of his ponies, while it still came in second to his love for Celestia, was something that he had no end of pride for, as it showed him that even if he was not born into royalty his ponies still felt him worthy of his circlet.

Now, though, it was time to return to the Castle’s grounds for something far more important to Sombra.

Striding into the courtyard, the sun above warming his back as the one beside him warms his heart, Sombra leads a smiling Celestia over towards the Crystal heart before stopping just outside the range of the slowly spinning crystal artifact.

“And here we are,” Sombra says warmly as he leans up and nuzzles against Celestia’s neck, “the pride and joy of the Crystal Empire,” he pauses and winks, “oh and then there’s the Crystal Heart, that’s rather important to.”

“You surely are the pride of your people,” Celestia giggles as she lifts a wing and pulls the stallion close. “But the Crystal Heart is the embodiment of love, dear heart, it is quite important.”

“Well, it’s because it’s that embodiment of love that we’re here,” Sombra whispers as he moves in front of Celestia and leans up to kiss her gently. “That way, I can profess my undying love to you again, in front of a relic of love,” He pauses to smile widely, “for all to hear.”

“Oh?” Celestia asks as they continue to approach the center of the courtyard, and the Crystal Heart it contains. “And how are you going to profess your love anymore than you already have?” She pauses to lean down and kiss her love, “not that I ever tire of hearing it.”

“Well, you see,” Sombra says slowly, his magic reaching under his cloak, “they say when you look in the Crystal Heart, it can show you glimpses of the future,” the beautiful gold amulet with a sunstone set in the center he had procured earlier starts to drift from it’s hidden pocket. “I know this to be true, because when I look into the Crystal Heart,” he pauses, his eyes turning to the heart, “I see….”

-----

The sensation of a soft breeze, not too warm and not too cold, is the first thing Sombra feels as his senses return to him. Slowly, he opens his eyes, the light blinding him temporarily, causing him to hiss as they adjust from the shadows he had been in what felt like seconds before.

As his eyes open once more, and the world around him comes into focus, he is shocked to see a verdant field of brilliant emerald all around him. Looking down and lifting a hoof, Sombra is amazed to see it is grass, far greener and lush than he had ever seen in his entire life. But, why is he here? Where is the courtyard and the crystal heart?

Where is Celestia?!

Fear stabs into his heart at the realization that he does not know where his love is, a fear that far outweighs his own self preservation as he stands and does a complete circle. His frantic searching is stopped by the sound of a giggle, soft and carefree, that comes from beside him. Heart hammering in his chest, Sombra turns slowly and back peddles a little when he finds a young unicorn filly sitting behind him, a serene smile on her face and reflected in her deep blue eyes.

“Do not be frightened, child,” the filly says with a giggle as she stands up and starts forward, “I will not harm you, nor would I wish to even if I could!”

“Who are you?” Sombra asks quickly, backing up another step, “and why do you call me child? You’re clearly younger than me.”

“I am Little Love,” the unicorn, Love, says with a smile as she puts a hoof to her chest. “Before your mother, I was the one to bear her mantle, perhaps the last who shall ever do so by the ancient traditions.” Sighing, Love sits back down, patting the ground beside her with a yellow hoof. “ Your love for Celestia has called me here, and there are things I must tell you.” She aims a pleading look at the confused stallion, “Please, Sombra, our time is short.”

Blinking slowly, Sombra starts over towards the young filly. “I know of you, my mother told me stories of Nana Hope’s apprentice, the little filly who became the loving sibling to all the Equus refugees.”

“Their home was my home,” Love says brightly, her smile growing wider. “I could do nothing less than welcome them into my heart, as I welcomed my own family!” She scoots over a bit closer to Sombra as he sits beside her, patting him on the shoulder with a hoof, “Like your mother welcomed you into her home, and her heart, when you needed somepony to do so.”

Sombra looks down at the little filly, staying silent as he has nothing to add.

“But, that is not what I need to discuss with you,” Love sighs, looking down a moment before her gaze refocuses on the distant hills, “I need not tell you, Sombra, that there is evil in this world far more ancient and vile than a normal pony can comprehend. After your victory over the Black Dragons, you know this to be true.”

“I do,” Sombra agrees before looking to the hills with Love. “What of it?”

“There is a storm coming, Sombra,” Love whispers, her voice soft and afraid, much like the filly she looks to be, “an evil that Hope and I fought in life.” She looks up at Sombra, her blue eyes full of fear. “The prison’s seal is weakening, and will soon break.”

“What prison?” Sombra asks, a worried tone filling his voice as the icy grip of fear claws at his stomach.

“The Umbra,” Love whispers, scooting closer and shivering against Sombra’s side like a scared foal. So complete is the image of this ancient ruler being simply a scared filly, that Sombra instinctively lifts a foreleg and wraps it around the shivering Virtue. “The shadows unleashed by the fall of Equus. They will soon break free, Sombra, and you must stop them.”

“Me?” Sombra asks, agast, “Why me?”

“The Cosmos have chosen you,” Love replies, looking up at Sombra with a sad smile. “As they chose your mother, as they chose me….” She leans against Sombra’s side, her smile remaining, “and when destiny calls us, my dear child, we must answer.”

“And if I do not?” Sombra asks, pride overriding his fear for a moment.

“Then,” Love whispers, looking back towards the hills, “then everything you love will perish…”

At her words, the sky grows dark as rolling clouds seem to pour over the distant hills. Lighting flickers from them, and as they pass above, Sombra finds himself straining his neck to look up at the boiling clouds above. When he looks down, though, the meadow he and Love had been sitting in has been replaced by the courtyard he had sat in earlier with Celestia.

All around him and Love, ponies are bound in chains and strain under heavy loads of dark shadowy crystals as guards wearing wicked armor lash out at them with cruel whips. The sight horrifies and sickens Sombra, causing him to quickly stand and turn in a tight circle, his heart racing as he hears the cries of pain from his subjects, from his friends.

“This is what will come to pass if you do not stand and defend them when the time comes,” Love says in a hauntingly adult tone, causing Sombra’s attention to snap to her and recoil slightly at the serious look fixed on the filly’s face. “They will suffer, and many will die, beneath the lash of their oppressors.” She stands, and advances towards Sombra with what feels like terrible finality. “And once the shadow overtakes this place, and robs it of all it has to offer, it will spread, and spread. Like a cancer, from the Heart here, to other lands to consume them.”

Backing up as the terrible spectre of a filly advances on him, Sombra whimpers instinctively as he folds his ears against his head. He keeps going until he runs flank first into the solid crystal of one of the Sanctum’s support pillars. Something about the young dead virtue scares him as she talks, and without thinking he closes his eyes in a vain attempt to block out the horrible vision around him.

“But,” Love continues, her voice suddenly soft and kind once more, “if you fight this darkness, my dear little colt,” her hoof suddenly touches his cheek, the warmth of it spreading through his very soul like a balm, “then the fear you carry within you, of having to leave fair Celestia, will be no more.”

“How can you be sure,” Sombra asks, cracking open one eye to find the smiling face of Love and the verdant field once more.

“Because,” Love says with a smile that causes Sombra’s heart to burst with warmth and love, “here, in the realm of the heart, we are as we are truly meant to be.” She softly pushes his face to one side as he opens his eyes fully, only to gasp when he catches sight of a wing fluttering at his side. Sombra just sits there, his eyes growing wider as the wing unfolds and refolds itself at his command, his head whipping around to the other side to see a matching grey wing on that side two.

“How….” he asks softly, his eyes turning back to Love.

“The Cosmos works in mysterious ways, young colt,” Love replies as she pats his cheek before returning her hoof to the soft earth. “You fear not the long years you shall spend together, with her as beautiful and radiant as the day you first met her, but rather your heart aches that you shall not spend the years beyond your death with her. You fear leaving her alone, having loved and then to carry the weight of your loss for all time.” She pauses, her smile once more filling Sombra’s heart. “Do what the Cosmos ask of you, young prince, and what you shall earn your wings, and your fear shall never become reality.”

“I… I think I understand,” Sombra says softly.

“Good,” Love says brightly. “Remember, you must face them, Sombra, but only when the time comes. Not before.” She then steps back and turns slowly, “For now, though, I’ve said all I can. Heed my warning, Sombra, and all will be as it should be.”

“Have you truly told me all you can?” Sombra asks, standing and taking a step towards the young filly.

“Not everything I know,” Love says with a sigh, her ears folding against her head, “but, everything that I am allowed to say, yes.” She looks up at Sombra, and comes back over to kiss his cheek softly, “You’re going to do her proud, Sombra, your mother.” She then giggles and scampers off, quickly making her way towards a nearby hill, which when Sombra looks at the crown of it he spies a powder-blue Pegasus mare standing and smiling down at the young filly who is running to her.

For some reason, when he looks at the mare, he feels an intense hope and surety that the future shall be alright. So overwhelming is this feeling, that as the world around him starts to fade out again, Sombra cannot help but smile.

-----

“Sombra, please wake up,” Celestia’s voice pleads from what seems like a great distance.

“Give him some space, Tia,” the warm voice of Sombra’s mother says softly, “he will be just fine, I promise you.”

“But,” Celestia starts, her voice wavering and full of worry.

“He will be just fine,” Partner’s voice offers, “Sombra is a strong colt, whatever has occured I am sure he shall pull through.”

Opening his eyes slowly, he cannot help but smile to find his vision filled with the beautiful face of his love. Blinking to pull the rest of the area into focus, he finds he is back in the courtyard, not far from the Crystal Heart, with Celestia cradling him in her forelegs and his mother and Partner standing nearby with warm smiles. Celestia, for her part, looks worried, and the sight of his love in any distress causes his heart to break.

“What a lovely thing to wake up to,” Sombra whispers softly, “if this is the sunrise I shall always wake to, I fear you shall never be rid of me.”

Whipping her head down to look at Sombra, Celestia pulls him close and nuzzles into his neck, “Sombra! You’re awake!”

“I might pass out again if you keep squeezing me like that, my love,” Sombra chokes out through the iron-clad grip of the alicorn.

“Sorry,” Celestia says sheepishly as she relaxes a little, her cheeks and ears suddenly dusted in a pale rose as Amore and Partner laugh.

“It’s fine,” Sombra chuckles as he wraps his own forelegs around Celestia and leans up to kiss her. “Though, I owe you an apology.”

“For what?” Celestia asks, “for fainting?”

“For apparently being sought after by my mother’s predecessor,” Sombra sighs, his ears folding back against his head, “apparently the Heart had something else to show me than your radiant beauty.”

“You talked to Hope?” Celestia asks, attempting to power through the deepening shade of red on her face.

“No, it was…” Sombra starts, only to be cut off by his mother.

“Little Love,” Amore says softly, her warm smile never fading. “Hope’s ward in the dark days after Equus fell, and Mirrormere was just forming as that nation state that’d become the Crystal Empire.” She pauses, closing her eyes, “She has spoken to me before, and her council has never led me astray.”

“Then I should heed her warnings,” Sombra offers as he sits up and leans against Celestia.

“Yes, you should,” Amore agrees as she opens her eyes again to fix Sombra with a serious look, her smile fading at last. “What did she tell you, my son?”

“That something is coming,” Sombra starts, looking to his mother with an equally serious expression. “She told me that the Umbra are going to return, that their prison is growing weaker, and that I must stop them.” He looks up at Celestia, the promise Little Love made him on the tip of his tongue, but before he can speak them he swallows as he decides to keep that to himself, not wishing to get her hopes up. Instead, he leans against her and looks back to his mother. “She said I must face them, and if I do not, all I love and cherish shall come unto ruin.”

“Then face them you shall,” Amore says with finality, “at the appointed time, of course.”

“How did you know she’d told me that?” Sombra asks, eyes slightly wide.

“I am your mother, Sombra,” Amore smugly replies, “I know when you’re holding something back.”

“Right,” Sombra chuckles softly.

“Then it is agreed, tomorrow, before Celestia and Luna return to their homes we shall speak to Star Swirl,” Amore concludes as she stands and paces slightly. “Out of all alive, he would know the most of the Umbra, as almost all I know of them has come from him or Crystal Hope. With his wife beyond our reach, he shall have to teach you all he can to prepare you.”

“Then that is how it shall be,” Sombra says softly, his own mind awash with the desire to simply go forth and deal with the threat now, while surprise was on his side. He is drawn from his throughts by Celestia putting a wing over his back, and kissing his cheek softly.

“We shall figure it out, my dear heart,” she says softly, “Between your mother, Star Swirl, and you I am sure the Umbra do not stand a chance.”

“I pray you are right, dear,” Sombra replies in kind, leaning up and gently pressing his lips against hers for a fleeting moment, “for all our sakes.”

Author's Note:

Hmmm, that mare on the hill seems familiar, but I can't quite place her....

Anyway, so Sombra has had a vision of doooooom! Given to him by the totally-serious-and-not-cute Little Love! Is it a vision he can avoid? Can he defeat the Umbra? Or will everything he love shatter and be swept away by the tides of growing darkness, as Equus was in the previous age?

We shall find out!

Also, thanks again to my editor, co-conspirator, and friend, Witching Hour for her editorial and butt kicking skills, this wouldn't be done without her!

Also, short chapter is short, but this is a transitional chapter into the real meat of the story, so don't worry! There shall be more, and it'll be my usual length of written prose!

See you on the flip side!

Comments

[Veyron]

I really like this!