Rage of a Queen, wrath of a Mother

by Askre

Chapter 10. And what if I had said no?

Chapter 10

Sombra opened the door to his room and peeked his head out with a curious expression. After breakfast he had quickly retired back to his room, not really wanting to be in the company of the others right now, still being a little sore after that embarrassing chair incident yesterday. The king could almost swear Coal kept glancing at him and giggling.

What had prompted him to glance out was the sound of cello music. Sombra was not really acquainted with the modern music scene, even though he had already become acquainted with some modern technology during his time in hiding.

What instrument is this? Certainly not a harp or a lute, but it sounds like strings, Sombra frowned now and fully stepped out of the room. Certainly not those ear-bleeding flugelhorns.

Deciding this was worth investigating, he followed the sound downstairs. He entered the living room and his brow rose in mild confusion; all he could see was Private sitting in a chair in one corner with his eyes closed. Next to him on a side table was a box-shaped device with a spinning black disc on it. Connected to the device was a large brass horn of some sort and from that came the music.

“How can a horn produce stringed instrument music?” Sombra asked and did his best to hide his bewilderment though he was starting to suspect some magic was involved.

Private opened one eye to look at the confused Dark Pony. With a sigh the unicorn opened both eyes, used his magic to grab a needle on the device and the music stopped immediately. Then he turned his full attention to the king.

“This is a gramophone. It’s playing recorded music from a cello,” Private quietly explained. He was so glad a bored neutral expression came naturally for him, because it was very funny to him to see Sombra become even more confused.

“This is a record,” Private picked up the disc of the device. “The music has been recorded on it and when played on this device, the music can be listened to again and again, so long as the record doesn’t get scratched too much or otherwise damaged.”

“I see. So it’s like written records just for music,” Sombra frowned, figuring he understood the basic principle behind this and had to admit being curious how this was possible. He made a note to investigate it later. “And that instrument, it was strings but not like what I have heard before.”

Private picked up the cover for the record. It depicted a grayish-colored mare with long dark gray mane and tail. Around her neck was a pink bow tie and the cutie mark was a violet treble clef. She rose on her hindlegs and in her forelegs she held a cello and a bow.

“This is Octavia Melody, a cellist. The instrument she uses is called a cello. That’s what she’s playing on the record,” he told the king. “She is a part of a band but also has a solo career and has also made appearances with her sister who does a bit more modern style of music.”

Sombra nodded and walked over to the couch close to the entrance and sat down on it. As he started thinking it over, during his time in hiding, he had seen these devices before but paid no heed to them as they hadn’t seemed important. When he had heard music, he had just assumed there was someone playing nearby on an instrument.

“Why are you really offering to help?” Private asked, not really expecting a straightforward answer or any answer at all. Not surprisingly the king chuckled and shook his head.

“Really now, Private. We have known each other for a while. You should be aware by now that I only give so much in terms of answers,” Sombra gave the unicorn a look indicating he should know better.

Private just grunted, not really having a response to that since it was true. Yet he still wanted to know the real reason. This couldn’t be just because Sombra was suddenly willing to help with his mother. He was too well aware of the king’s hatred towards Saddle Arabia and he would in truth not care at all if his mother succeeded with her plans.

Then he recalled from his captivity how Sombra had been more prone to being more open, even placated when reminded of the past. Private had a thought and wondered if this would work. He had initially had no intention of revealing this, feeling it was none of the king’s business to know considering what he had done to him and his family.

“Tell me and I’ll tell you a few things we’ve discovered about Timido’s life here in Equestria,” he offered. Sombra, who had started to look around as if considering what to do now, snapped his head to attention on the unicorn.

“You have found out more?” The Dark Pony looked and sounded skeptical.

“After enjoying the ‘hospitality’ of your tunnels, my parents started digging more into mom’s ancestors, especially Feather Fall, Timido and Ala’s daughter. Keep in mind that before you took us prisoner, we had only recently managed to connect mom’s ancestry to them, but thanks to you and that ancestor spell you used on me, we had it confirmed that she is the Dark Pony mom and I descended from,” Private explained. “After going through family heirlooms from different relatives on mom’s side, we finally dug up a very old diary. Most of the pages are unreadable due to age, but mom managed to decipher a few passages.”

Private half-expected the king to retort something along the lines of ‘and you think I would be interested in that?’ but there was silence. Looking at Sombra the unicorn saw that he looked almost contemplative.

“What did those passages say?” Sombra finally asked in a quiet tone. “And before you say it, yes, I will tell you why I am assisting the Princesses.”

“Hold on, I need to get the copies my mom gave me,” Private said and rose from his seat and left the living room. He went upstairs to his study and got out of a small file cabinet a folder, marked “ancestry”. This he took with him back downstairs. The king still lay on the couch, looking contemplative again.

Private sat back down and opened the folder. He pulled out a few papers, then he started reading:

“…Mother keeps telling me not to stress out father, that he has difficulties sometimes. I do not understand what she means. Difficulties with what?”

“We always finish our meals with the words ‘and may the prince find his way to Equestria to reunite with his people again.’ I do not understand their meaning. Is this a reference to the empire? When I ask, father goes quiet and mother shushes me and tells me it is just a saying.”

Private noted that Sombra actually looked surprised when hearing this passage. But since the king said nothing, the unicorn kept reading.

“I do not understand father sometimes. When talking business with mother, he talks and talks and talks. He engages in mathematics like it was the simplest thing in the world. But the moment he has to talk with strangers he goes quiet and mumbles his way out and looks nervous and even frightened.”

“Mother and father went to Canterlot this week, meaning I have to attend the shop. Something related to the business. Father didn’t really want to go, but mother insisted. Said something like, ‘here in Equestria we are equals. You no longer need to defer to the mares, Timido.’ What does that mean? And why do they keep calling themselves Timido and Ala? Aren’t their names Timid Shadow and Winged Diva? That’s what our neighbors and customers call them.”

“What a disrespectful child,” Sombra muttered, causing Private to almost chuckle.

“Never dealt with a teenager, have you?” Private asked and glanced at the papers. “It’s of course impossible to say, since we have no confirmation, though mom could find a few dates she recognized, but considering the wording, we figure Feather Fall wrote this in her teens.”

“Ira never behaved like that. I practically raised her for mother,” the king grunted.

“Are you sure?” Private allowed himself to smile when seeing the glare given to him. Curiously there was no response, so the unicorn went back to reading:

“I think I am starting to perceive what my mother means when she says father has difficulties. Things that come naturally for most ponies do seem to confuse him, yet things like mathematics, economy and business is where he really and truly shines. He could accurately predict we needed to lower the prices for certain wares we had in stock well before a sudden economic change occurred that went well over my head and just make my go cross-eyed when they talk about it. Mother always said that my father was the best thing to happen to her and she will be forever grateful towards Prince Sombra of the old empire for introducing him to her.”

Private read the last line with slight hesitation. He glanced up at Sombra who looked stunned. This was one of the things the unicorn wasn’t sure the king deserved to hear. The prince he used to be sure, but not the pony currently lying on his couch.

“There are few more passages, but they go into a stallion that she clearly had a fancy for. Then there are few passing remarks about the weather and nothing much more about Timido or Ala, at least from what mom managed to decipher. But from this little we garnered that Timido and Ala opened up a shop somewhere in Equestria, not in Canterlot, but perhaps in a nearby town. Not Ponyville, it hadn’t been founded yet. Maybe the early settlements that would eventually turn into Fillydelphia or even Manehattan? The oldest district here in Fillydelphia is younger than that time period, but we know there were previous villages and small towns in the area before central Fillydelphia was founded,” Private explained and started putting the papers back in the folder.

“At least he found a good home,” Sombra muttered and his head was downcast. He still seemed stunned and having trouble digesting what he had just learned. Then his features hardened and the king looked up.

“I’m helping the princesses because my mother promised she would come for me next once she was done with Saddle Arabia. I wanted you as my custodian because I had no desire to be put under watch of the ponies who had me killed,” he stated coldly.

“And what if I had said no?” Private asked in turn, frowning hard. “That option was given to me. I didn’t even need to state a reason for saying no. Surely you are aware I wouldn’t exactly find it fun to have you suddenly around, again.”

“I’m well aware,” Sombra snorted and rolled his eyes. “It was worth the risk. A well-calculated one. You are just as well aware of what my mother is like.”

“You intentionally withheld information to force the princesses to come ask me. They had no intention of coming to me until your mother raided the Crystal Empire for your sister’s coffin,” Private snapped, starting to feel a bit angry now. However he held back on going on a rant about everything the king had done to him, figuring Sombra wouldn’t care and just laugh it off.

“Was anyone killed?” Sombra asked pointedly.

“Well… no but…” Private stammered, not sure why the king had brought that fact up.

“Exactly. I had to make a point to get it into their thick heads that my mother was a real danger without anyone being hurt. If my mother knew exactly where my sister was buried, she would make a grand show of retrieving her, but she would make sure not to harm anyone. My mother is very pragmatic - she would know better than to piss Equestria off too much. Rattle them, sure, but not piss them off, at least not until it's too late for them to do anything," King Sombra stated and tapped a hoof on the nearby side table for emphasis.

“By doing this, my mother showed the Princesses that she was indeed ready and not afraid of them. However, it did tip her hoof. Now Equestria knows she’s ready and if they want to be ready to help those… Saddle Arabians, they will need my help. A burned hoof learns best. No matter what I would say it would not be listened to. They had to be shown.” The king finished, now glaring at Private, daring him to refute his point.

Private cringed. This was not history, this was more political debate, something he truly sucked at, like most conversations that turned to more modern talk. King Sombra knew very well that no matter how much the unicorn was protesting in his head, he would be unable to come up with anything to counterpoint it.

“I have some work… to finish,” the unicorn mumbled and quickly departed the living room, having no desire to be in the company of the Dark Pony anymore.

King Sombra smirked and shook his head. Even without his powers at his disposal, it didn’t change the fact that he knew Private like the back of his hoof and exactly how to shut up him up.

Still tripping over your tongue when not talking history, hmm Private? He chuckled to himself.

Sombra noticed that Private had left the folder behind. The Dark Unicorn grabbed it up and opened it. He lifted out the papers and started to browse through them briefly, but there was nothing new, aside from what Private had said earlier. He put the papers back in and carefully placed the folder back on the coffee table.

The mares must be at work and the filly in that school of hers. I didn’t realize so much time had passed. Sombra glanced around again and could hear no sound, indicating that for the time being he was alone. Better not push my luck though with Private. He’s been granted the authority to throw me right back in Tartarus and I don’t think I’ll manage to get out so easily a second time.

As much as I loathe the idea, playing nice with them might serve me better. It might even prompt the princesses to actually protect me from Mother, because right now… if she were to know where I am… Sombra shuddered and rose from the couch. He walked over to the gramophone and noticed a pile of covers full of those records Private told him about. Lifting them up, the king started shuffling through them, all the covers depicted the image of this Octavia.

Hm, I do recall a fondness for cello music when I was scouring Private’s brain for information, back when I was possessing him. Guess it’s no surprise he has a pile of cello music records. Curious though that it’s always this same mare on these. The king arched his brow, then put the covers back down. He looked over at the entrance when hearing the front door open. Dew Doe soon appeared, walking past the living room door.

“Home from work already?” Sombra asked, even if he really had no idea when the mare would usually come home from work. Dew Doe stopped and glanced in, looking at the king neutrally.

“I had some vacation days to spare. I decided to use them,” she simply said before continuing towards the stairs. Sombra shrugged and turned his attention to the bookshelf.

---

“Figured you would be here. Swift Mane told me to use my vacation days until the current situation in our house is over,” Dew Doe said as she entered Private’s study. The unicorn had looked up quizzically when seeing her arrive.

“You have enough? We have no idea when it will be over,” Private asked, concerned.

Dew Doe walked over to his desk and sat down next to him. The pegasus glanced at the door for a moment, as if she was trying to see down to the living room where King Sombra currently was.

“True… but I honestly don’t think you should be alone here with him,” Dew Doe sighed and turned back to Private. “An abuser, Private, doesn’t need magic powers to keep his or her victim in check. Their mouths alone are often quite enough.”

“You remember how Barricade was with Foxy? He just needed to tell her that he loved her, that she was pretty and that he cared about her and he had her wrapped around his hooves. Foxy couldn’t break away, not until you literally threw him out and barred him from seeing her and even after all this time, Foxy still has feelings for him. Yes Barricade has changed now, but the emotional damage is still there,” the pegasus continued. “Sombra is no different. See how easily he manipulated things, just using words, to make sure you accepted taking him in?”

Private slowly nodded. He knew Dew Doe was right. There was no denying that. The pegasus scooted closer and draped a wing over him. She quickly removed it when noticing a faint furrow come on Private’s brow.

“What’s wrong?” Dew Doe asked immediately. She recognized the sign that the unicorn didn’t want physical contact.

Private grunted, then quietly told Dew Doe about the encounter with Sombra down in the living room. The pegasus narrowed her eyes a little, but had to concede to the fact that her coltfriend did have trouble with debates, no matter who the pony was, if it wasn’t history. That did not change the fact that this had been exactly what she was talking about.

“That was a classic justification an abuser uses, Private. Making it look like he was doing the right thing,” she said firmly. Private took a deep breath and let it out slowly before nodding.

Dew Doe rose up, seeing already that Private really was not in a mood for company. She had known him long enough to recognize all the signs and generally respected that he needed time to calm down, and letting him focus on his history projects was the best way for that.

The mare made her way back downstairs and went straight into the living room. Sombra was lying on the couch, browsing through a book.

“Tell me, why are you so scared of your mother that you feel it’s justified to withhold information about an impending raid on the Crystal Empire and use said raid to manipulate your way into my home?” Dew Doe asked and sat down, not too close but so she had a full view of the Dark Pony.

The shuffling stopped. For a moment nothing happened, then Sombra slowly turned his head to glare at Dew who didn’t even flinch, just returned it with her own hard stare.

“Do you think so little of the princesses that you think they wouldn’t take the threat of Queen Rabia seriously? They did come immediately to Tartarus to talk with you about it. It was you who selfishly dictated terms to open your mouth,” she then added.

“Is there a point to this sudden interrogation?” Sombra growled, though he had a feeling what this was all about.

“Let’s make something clear, King Sombra. Private tells me everything, not just because we happen to share a bed together, but because I am his therapist. I’m the only pony, aside from his brother, who he can’t hide anything from. If something is bothering him, I only have to look at him to know something is wrong.” The pegasus started to scowl hard.

“Lie to yourself all you want, justify your actions to yourself all you like. But don’t you dare try and make Private think you had any right or justification to worm yourself back into his life, life you have nearly destroyed two times over. One more time and I will find your mother myself and ask her to come here and drag you out!” Dew Doe then snapped, rose up and stormed out of the living room.

Still on the couch, Sombra continued to stare at the living room entrance, his previous annoyance at Dew Doe asking about his mother having evaporated, replaced with mild surprise at the sheer nerve and audacity displayed by the mare.

I am starting to see the attraction Private has for her, he thought and actually started to chuckle. She looks so petite and fragile, yet there is cold hard steel underneath there.

Hmm, if I manage to get out of this unscathed, I might not settle just for Private, the king thought but then frowned. Let’s not think too far ahead. Right now I must focus on making sure I don’t end up in Tartarus again. Alright, Miss Dew Doe, you win again. I had decided to play nice anyway.

End chapter 10

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Does Ira play an expanded role in any of your stories? She was already a wasted character in the comics and she's dead here... ...She deserves a bigger role!

[Askre]

10250697
In order not to spoil for those who have not read the story, here is a not so cryptic hint:
In the story Temor, you may find the answer you seek.