Chapter 13: Hope & Hate
Despite the heat, Scorpan and Hope had opted to travel by day. The stretch of desert they were in now was nowhere near as hot as Bone Dry Desert had been, making it much more tolerable, and with those extra few hours they’d made it to their destination by nightfall. Just as Scorpan had said on the trip, it was small and quaint, unlike the few places Hope had grown familiar with. Compared to the Crystal Empire, it was dull, brown, and dusty, and there were far fewer ponies than she’d expected to see.
Yet, in a way, it also seemed familiar. Among the dull brown buildings was the statue of a pony, a mare in a mask. Along with that, there were sparkles of green everywhere, from the eaves of the houses to the tip of the statue mare’s ears, dancing above like stars in the night sky. It was such a wonderful clash of earthy tones and glimmering starlight, that she wanted so badly to get a closer look. It was so different, so new, but she didn’t want to wander too far from Scorpan.
“Is this the place you mentioned?” She asked, perhaps the slightest bit of awe in her voice. It was strange how something so simple could be so fascinating.
Scorpan nodded, “I believe so, though it’s quite different from what I remembered.”
He took a step forward, then paused, brow furrowing in thought. He was staring ahead, into a crowd of ponies, who Hope now realized were adorned in the same sparkling green that surrounded them. Stepping forward, her curiosity beginning to get the best of her, she tried to wait to see if Scorpan would follow. He didn’t, still focused on the crowd, an unreadable expression on his face.
She wondered if he was worried they’d be afraid of him? He wasn’t exactly a creature common in Equestria, and even she’d been wary of him at first, but he’d been nothing but kind to her. Maybe she just needed to introduce him first?
“Hello, my friend told me about this place, and thought that we should visit,” She announced, voice quiet as she finally made her way to the crowd. A few ponies turned toward her, though at the sight of Scorpan their eyes widened and they backed away. Hope’s own eyes widened at this, but out of worry instead of fear, “Oh no don’t be scared! He’s very friendly, I promise. Just give him a chance to introduce himself, I can promise you he’s very kind!”
The group still seemed unsure, murmuring amongst themselves. Hope was disappointed in their response, and was about to say something else before her ears perked as a voice made itself heard among them.
“Scorpan?”
A peach colored Pegasus made her way through the crowd, stopping just in front of the duo as she looked to Hope, and then to the very creature she’d muttered the name of. Hope turned between the two of them, watching as Scorpan’s expression changed to one of surprise.
“It’s been a very long time,” The Pegasus said, a smile making way to her face, “It’s nice to see you again.”
“Somnambula?” Scorpan sounded happy, and he rushed over to the Pegasus with the flap of his wings, landing with a smile as he said, “Why, you look as though you haven’t aged a day!”
“Can't admit I can say the same about you,” Somnambula laughed, fluttering up to the gargoyle and wrapping her arms around him. Scorpan returned the hug. “But it’s nice to see you either way.”
Hope was quick to realize that their friendliness got the townsponies to calm down, and many of them wandered away, while a few of them inched closer. They were probably curious, and Hope wouldn’t blame them. She was curious too, but for reasons much different from theirs. She wanted to know who this pony was, and how Scorpan knew her, because from what he’d told her, he hadn’t been to this town in centuries.
She wanted to ask, but she knew that would be rude. So she waited.
“I never thought I’d see any of my old friends still walking amongst us! Are the others still around as well?” Scorpan asked, loosening his grip on Somnambula to see the Pegasus nod in confirmation, “Now how did that ever happen?”
“It is quite the story,” Somnambula answered, fluttering out of his arms to hover at eye level, “One that taught us far more than we knew before, and gave us a few new friends along the way. It’d be much easier a tale to tell if Rockhoof or Starswirl were here, between a penchant for storytelling and an important lesson learned, but it’s a hopeful one.”
“Starswirl. Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in ages, what’s that old coot up to now a days anyway? Though, I suppose I’m past the point of calling him that considering I’m an old coot now as well.”
They both laughed. Hope began to nervously paw the ground, feeling awkward about being stuck between the two. She didn’t know her way around the town, so she couldn’t leave, but she didn’t want to interrupt their reunion either. She wouldn’t want anyone to interrupt her potential future reunion either after all.
Thankfully, Scorpan seemed to finally remember her.
“Oh, do forgive me, I’ve forgotten to introduce you to my new friend and traveling companion,” He motioned to Hope, at which the mare waved a hoof, “Perhaps you’d like to introduce yourself?”
“Hello,” Hope greeted, noticing a faint yet mischievous grin upon Scorpan’s face, “It’s very nice to meet you, my name’s Radiant Hope, but just Hope is alright.”
Scorpan’s smile widened. Somnambula giggled.
Hope tilted her head. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing at all, I simply love your name. ‘Hope’. It’s a very nice one, and something we all need,” Somnambula reassured, putting a hoof to her chest, “I’m sure you overheard Scorpan greet me, but you may call me Somnambula.”
Hope perked up a bit at her compliment, while Scorpan observed the town and its residents. It had changed so much in such a long stretch of time, but their reliance on glowpaz seems to have stuck. The giant statue of his friend was a new, and incredibly story worthy, addition however.
“If I may ask, Somnambula, why exactly is there a statue of you in the middle of the square?” He asked.
“Oh, right, that.” Somnambula turned to look behind her and at the effigy in question, “It’s quite the story, though I believe I’ve told it before. It also answers why the town and I share a name. I suppose my time in Limbo made me a bit of a legend among the ponies of my home.”
Both Hope and Scorpan’s eyes widened at this as they blurted out, “Limbo?”
“Like I’ve said, it’s quite the story, and one for another time,” She said, unlatching the glowing necklace around her neck. Approaching Hope, she fastened it around hers, “For now, why not celebrate?”
Hope looked down at the necklace curiously, lifting it to see it better. It was the same gem that sparkled among the town, emitting a soft green glow, not unlike some of the crystals in the Empire. It was strangely soothing, and if she didn’t know any better, she might have even said warm.
“What is this?” She asked.
“Glowpaz, it’s the treasure of our home,” Somnambula explained, “They once used it to decorate the town and celebrate my heroics, but we now share it to celebrate my return. Please, enjoy the festivities, I’ve made sure it’s a much more enjoyable occasion now.”
“What about you and Scorpan?”
“We’ll join you shortly,” Scorpan assured, “We simply wish to catch up, if that’s alright?”
Hope nodded. She understood. She could only imagine how Scorpan felt, she’d love to see her friend again.
“And I must give Scorpan his own string of glowpaz, it’s tradition after all,” Somnamula added, “Feel free to do whatever you wish, Hope. There’s food and dance and all sorts of games. This is an event meant to inspire others and celebrate the present now, not to wallow in the past. It’s about the hope of a bright future.”
Hope smiled, Somnambula and Scorpan beaming along with her before they got back to chatting. Taking a few steps forward, she gazed around the town again. Now that she thought about it, this was almost like the Crystal Faire. There was a lot of fun going on around, ponies laughing, snacking, and exchanging their glowing gems. Many of them were in groups, ones that Hope could only assume were friends, and she didn’t feel like it would be right to intrude. Or even worse, that they’d potentially out her for her sparkling coat or strange mannerisms.
Yes, this was very much like the Crystal Faire. An event where, though there was always joy and happiness all around, Hope found herself completely and utterly alone.
She wasn’t sure what to do, so she walked aimlessly. She figured she’d find her way to a game booth, or snack on some new and unusual foods, hoping that maybe somepony would approach her. Surely somepony would take interest in her, right? There had to be somepony out there who would notice her, or looked lonely enough to approach without judgement.
By the time the final sliver of sunlight had escaped the horizon, it was evident that this wouldn’t be the case. Nopony would come to her, and she couldn’t bear to intrude upon a group of strangers. They would probably hate her for that, if not for being who she was. Crystal Ponies were supposed to be beautiful, but after a thousand years of being hidden away, other ponies might not think so much.
Other ponies. That was the problem. She didn’t know how to interact with them anymore, if she had ever known before. She’d spent so long in a sort of suspended animation, without contact from anypony else, her only companions being the fairies that had given her a home while the Empire was hidden away. Yet even before that, she’d never made friends with actual ponies, seeing as the best friend she’d grown up with had also been one of those fairies. The closest she had would’ve been her caretaker, yet she wasn’t sure where their relationship would stand today.
Then again, she didn’t know what her relationship would be with him, either. After all these years he was bound to have changed, but she wasn’t sure if she expected it to be for the better. She had heard nothing about him since his initial attack on the Empire, but she hoped he'd changed. She’d hoped he’d abandoned his plot for revenge and had simply settled down somewhere, but the chance of him being imprisoned, or Celestia forbid, dead, was far too likely.
She hated not knowing. She hated that she wanted to know. After what he’d done, she shouldn’t care, the Crystal Empire was back. It was happy and welcoming, the bright place she’d always remembered, but when she’d returned for that brief time, it had felt wrong. The Crystal Empire didn’t feel like her home anymore.
It was because he wasn’t there. It was because he was the one thing that had made the Empire feel truly like home. He was the one pony that had truly loved her.
And most regrettably, she might have even loved him back at one point.
“Radiant Hope?”
“Huh?” She lifted her head, briefly glancing at the pony in front of her before quickly turning away to rub her eyes. She didn’t think she was going to cry, but she wanted to wipe away any potential tears before they shed, “Somnambula? What are you doing over here, shouldn’t you be celebrating?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” Somnambula said, prompting the Unicorn to turn away again, “I’ve spent much of the night speaking with Scorpan, he has much to tell after so long. He also may have let slip that you may have some of your own stories from a thousand years ago.”
“A lot of Crystal Ponies have stories from the Empire’s heydays,” Hope stated, gazing at the nearest glowpaz, a necklace hanging off a shop’s eaves, “But once you’ve heard one story, you’ve heard them all.”
“Oh, but I haven’t heard any stories from the Crystal Empire. I was not awake for it’s return, nor was I awake for the initial curse,” Somnambula explained, sitting beside Hope. She raised her head in confusion, ear twitching in a silent wish for her to continue, “I have been away for as many years as you have, dearest Hope, and I miss what I lost every day.”
“You… You were in Limbo for a thousand years? The Starswirl you mentioned was that Starswirl? How?”
“Now that story would take far too long to tell in one night, but perhaps if I tell you a story from before, would you return the favor?” Hope nodded, her eyes wide and ears perked with curiosity, “Very well then. Though I don’t think this will count as much of a story, and more of a reminiscence of lost friends.”
At that, Hope’s curiosity faded, her ears quickly drooping as she looked downard and began to fidget with the glowpaz around her neck. Somnambula seemed to notice, but said nothing to Hope, instead beginning her story.
“A thousand years ago, this simple little village was a great kingdom,” She began, gazing upon the ponies before them. Very different from the ones back then, yet very much the same, “We were ruled by a pharaoh, though I knew very little about him personally. However, I was well acquainted with his son, Prince Hisan. He called me his advisor, while I was quite alright with calling him my friend.”
Hope seemed to perk up just a bit, though she continued to toy with her necklace as she asked quietly, “You were friends with a prince?”
“Of a sorts, he was far more interested in keeping things professional, and I guess considering me a friend went beyond that. He still trusted me with many secrets, and I helped protect the kingdom from the occasional threat, along with keeping the ponies optimistic. They all looked up to me more than him, and treated me like a hero,” She said, before chuckling. Hope couldn't be sure, but it had almost sounded sad, “But I wasn’t trying to be a hero, I was simply doing the right thing. It doesn’t take a hero to do that.”
Somnambula then turned to the statue, Hope following her gaze.
“That statue is a memento of my first ‘real’ victory, when I saved Hisan, erected at the ponies’ request after my sealing in Limbo,” She explained, “But I do not hold it above my earlier deeds. If a simple act of kindness is heroic, then any pony who’s ever helped another should be a hero, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know.” Hope paused her fidgeting momentarily, confusion in her voice as she asked, “What if you helped them do something bad?”
Somnambula shrugged, “I suppose they might consider you a hero for helping them, but that’s what makes the whole thing quite the mess, doesn’t it?”
“I guess so? But what does that have to do with lost friends?”
At this, Somnambula smiled, “Everything, actually.”
Hope tilted her head curiously at this, urging Somnambula to continue. Her anxiety was still there, but she’d managed to calm herself somewhat, and she wanted to learn more about the Pegasus now.
“Being the Prince's advisor was much more time consuming than I thought, and though I made time with my friends, there was at least one I did not understand as well as I’d hoped to,” Somnambula continued, turning her gaze to the stars, “Nopony did, and for that, he suffered. He became a monster of shadow, imbued with hate and jealousy, upset that he had not been understood. It was to seal him away that forced me and my friends into Limbo, and though we managed to save him & the friendship we had, one thousand years is a very long time, and we lost just as much as we’d gained. Not only were our homes gone or very different, our family and friends, they were…”
She trailed off, unwilling to finish. Hope didn’t wait for her to continue. Her story was far too familiar, and she already knew what she was hinting at.
“They were dead,” She said bluntly. Her words stung Somnambula, so painfully to the point, and she nodded.
“Yes, they were gone, and the worst part is that they never knew what happened to us. I imagine it’s worse for the others, who lost family, while I simply lost a pony who I considered a friend.” She lifted her head, a smile on her face as her eyes glistened in the glowpaz’s light, “But it’s okay. I might not be able to speak for the others, but the History books helped me learn of his fate. Hisan would go on to live a long life, making a family of his own, and serving as one of the finest pharaohs to the kingdom. And if I am to be truly honest, that was everything I could’ve hoped for.”
Somnambula then rose out of her seat, a bright smile on her face. Hope wasn’t sure why, but she did the same, following the Pegasus as she made her way through the crowd of ponies. Many stopped to try and talk with her, but she would politely turn them down and continue on her way. Eventually, she stopped at one of the food carts, ordered a drink with a name Hope didn’t recognize, and paid the pony running it with a piece of glowpaz despite his insistence otherwise.
“Everything is free tonight, but I like to give something in return, and with all the glowpaz I’ve been gifted, it only makes sense to pass it on to somepony else,” She explained, before offering one of the drinks to Hope. She took it and sniffed it curiously, before looking back to Somnambula unsurely. “Don’t be alarmed, it’s prickly pear juice, something you’ve probably never tried before since it’s a cactus fruit.”
Hesitantly, Hope took a sip. Her ears perked the moment the juice touched her tongue.
“It’s good!” She exclaimed. Somnambula smiled.
“It’s certainly something I missed,” She said, taking another sip of her own before saying, “Now, about that story, what tales do you have from the Crystal Empire? Surely your experiences must be different, seeing as the entire Empire went with you. Are your friends still among their numbers?”
“I never really had many friends,” Hope admitted, sifting a hoof through the dust, “The other foals all thought I was weird, and they made fun of me. I only ever managed to make one other friend, and I think that was only because the others were cruel to him as well.”
“One friend is better than none,” Somnambula assured, “I’m sure you two were happy to reunite, correct?”
Hope lowered her head.
“I actually haven’t seen him since before he, I mean, before the Empire was cursed. I don’t even know if he’s still alive.”
She wasn’t going to specify who he was or what had happened to him so long ago, nopony would trust her if she admitted that she was looking for the scourge of the Empire. She hadn’t even told Scorpan his name, and he wouldn’t have even known anything about him.
Lifting her head, Hope glanced to Somnambula briefly, expecting another question. To her surprise, Somnambula simply smiled at her.
“I may not be able to truly assure you that your friend is alive, but I can encourage you to hope,” She said, smiling brightly as the Unicorn let out a small, hidden smile of her own at her choice of words, “Hope that, even if he is no longer with us, he lived a happy life. Or even better, hope that he’s still amongst us, occasionally thinking of you as well.”
“I’m not sure if I can have hope for either of those things,” Hope admit, though her smile widened, a hint of sadness within it, “But I think I could try. It’s in my name, after all.”
“That’s the spirit I was hoping to hear,” Somnambula smiled, before taking one of Hope’s hooves in her own, “Now would you like to return to the festivities? Scorpan and I still have much to talk about, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind a bit of fun. He was quite the excitable little gargoyle back in the day.”
Hope nodded, downing the rest of her juice before Somnambula dragged her away. It almost seemed forceful, but Hope was sure she’d just done it out of excitement. She practically galloped through the crowd, giving quick greetings to any pony that spoke, until finally skidding to a stop right beside Scorpan.
“Oh my, you were quick to return, weren’t you?” He asked, fiddling with the string of Glowpaz around his wrist, “I expected you to speak for much longer.”
“Hope wasn’t feeling up to speaking, so I simply told her a story,” Somnambula said.
“A bit overwhelmed I presume?” Hope nodded in confirmation at Scorpan’s question, “Understandable. I haven’t been in such a large crowd in years, a crowd of ponies even longer. I’m not sure I’m enjoying this as much as I’d have thought either.”
Somnambula pouted, “Already? What happened to the Scorpan that was so eager to make friends?”
“He returned to his homeland, lost his innocence, acquired a heavy burden he later abdicated from, and chose instead to live as an old, crotchety, hermit.”
There seemed to be a hint of annoyance in his tone, but all in all he said it in good fun. Truthfully, he was merely tired from travelling and was ready to settle down for the night, and not wholly interested in the hustle and bustle of a party in a no longer familiar town.
“Fine.” Somnambula stuck her tongue out, “There’s an inn nearby, but I imagine they’re full and won’t accept gargoyles. Would you be alright staying with me for the night?”
Scorpan nodded, while Hope said, “Only if it’s no bother. I’m sure we could camp out again.”
“No bother at all! They gave me a large house, so I have room.”
Somnambula once again took Hope's hoof, taking her away from the crowd, Scorpan following after them. The Pegasus was much more gentle this time, casually leading them into a more silent corner of the town, though the occasional glowpaz still hung from the houses. The houses didn’t look much different from the buildings in the square, though they were closer together and much less decorative. They didn’t seem all that big either, though there were a few that seemed a bit taller than the rest.
It was one of those they stopped at, Somnambula opening the door and allowing her friends to enter. She followed them in, leaving the door ajar as she fluttered over to one of the cabinets, pulling a couple of blankets out.
“Feel free to sleep wherever you wish, though preferably not my own bed,” She said, passing a blanket to Hope, and then fluttering over to Scorpan and giving him one as well, “Unfortunately, I’m not sure if I have a comfortable place for you to sleep, or even a blanket that can cover you, but I’ve offered what I can.”
“It’s more than enough,” Scorpan thanked, taking the blanket and looking it over, “I probably don’t need a blanket anyway, and if worst comes to worst I could always just sleep on the floor, or even the roof. I’ve grown used to sleeping in the outdoors.”
“Whatever you say, hermit,” Somnambula replied, playfully sticking her tongue out as he shot her a look. She then looked to Hope, “If you’re hungry or thirsty, there’s water and fruit in the kitchen, and you’re free to have as much as you like.”
“Thank you, Somnambula,” She said, unclasping her glowpaz necklace and then offering it back to the Pegasus. Somnambula shook her head at the offer, pushing Hope’s outstretched hoof back to her.
“No no, those are yours to keep. Consider them a memento of your visit.”
“But you said it was the treasure of your home?’
“Yes, and we like to share those treasures,” Somnambula assured, “We have plenty, and I can promise you that as soon as I return, I’ll be given plenty more. It’s only right that I give my friends some as well.”
Hope tilted her head, “I’m your friend?”
Somnambula laughed, “Well of course! Any friend of Scorpan’s is a friend of mine, and I think we’ve shared enough that we could be considered more than acquaintances. Perhaps we can talk more about the past tomorrow, but before I go-”
She set a hoof on Hope’s shoulder, a warm smile on her face. She smiled a lot, Hope realized, though her happiness always seemed sincere.
“I know you’re focused on your mission, but please, don’t try to rush it,” She said, “There is much to see in the world now, and so much more hope than there ever was before. I implore you to meet as many creatures as you can, and enjoy every second spent in a new location.”
For a moment, Hope was silent, unsure what to say. She never quite figured out what to say either, because almost as quickly as Somnambula had landed by her, she shot out the door with a quick goodbye. Left in something that wasn’t quite silent, faint music from the faire outside still audible, she turned to Scorpan.
“What did she just say?” She asked. Scorpan shrugged, not even looking up from what he was doing.
“Somnambula has always been the cryptic one of the group,” He said, focused on polishing his staff, “She likes riddles. I think she was just telling you to make more friends.”
“Ah.”
Hope sat down, more puzzled than anything. Maybe she was just confused because she was tired, her and Scorpan had been travelling all day, and she was far past due for sleep. She didn’t really think making friends was a worthwhile motive right now, they’d all just end up leaving anyway, right?
Dragging herself over to Somnambula’s couch, Hope sprawled over it and threw her blanket over her head. The noise outside was somewhat annoying,and even after covering herself, the noise still broke through. She didn’t think she’d be able to sleep through that. With any luck, they’d quiet down soon, but even if they didn’t she was sure she could find something to do. Somnambula probably had books, and it’d be nice to read something new.
But a lot of things had changed and were new now, weren’t they? She had a lot to catch up on and learn about, more than just books. Hundreds of questions would burn at her mind with every day of travelling, and though Scorpan had answered many, she kept even more to herself. She wanted to learn some things first hoof, and see sights that she had never seen before.
She still remembered when she had travelled from the Empire to Canterlot, a journey that, at the time, had been filled with pain and sadness. There had been so much she’d never seen, so many ponies to meet, and so much to learn. And she had ignored almost all of it, saddened by the loss of everything she’d ever loved, so blinded with sadness that she couldn’t even remember what Canterlot had looked like.
Maybe Somnambula had a point with her cryptic advice. Maybe travel would do her good. So far she’d mostly seen desert, dusty and barren of most things. Yet even if the heat of travelling during the day was horrible, the times they had travelled at night were wonderful. So many stars in the sky, and so many creatures she’d never seen before. Even with the horrible, lasting feeling of dust in her coat, those moments made it worth it.
She had a goal, yes. She wanted to see him again. But travelling had been such a new and exciting experience to her, that even if it made her feel anxious not knowing what had happened to him, there was something exhilarating about all these new feelings. She wanted more of it, she wanted to learn more, and she had no lead on where she should be looking. So perhaps a bit more travel would do her good.
She wondered where they’d go next. Perhaps she should ask Scorpan about his other favorite locations?
Oh how the mighty had fallen.
He’d scrounged every nook and cranny of this pathetic continent for his creations, but they’d all fallen from grace. Most had evolved into lesser beings over time, such as his timberwolves, once the size of a great forest, or the manticores, which had once possessed the most potent venom in all the land. Even his once gifted cockatrice, a creature that could once kill with a single breath, had been reduced to nothing more than a glorified fowl with a stony stare.
Many more had perished, such as Arimaspi, who’d fallen to his death for his greed, or the Sphinx, who’d flung herself down a cliff in a fit of rage. There were even a select few who had rebelled against their creator, their father, who’d given life to them. Those were the ones he’d refused to even acknowledge for his plan, the ones that he’d drain every spark of magic out of the moment he got the chance.
None of which disgusted him quite as much as one particular creation, but that disappointment was beyond his need, he’d found just enough pawns for now. The changelings might not have been his creation, but their former queen was full of enough hate to fuel an army. Centaurs were not of his making either, and were normally quite placid, but with their ability to suck the magic out of others, Tirek would serve as a back up. Even the little filly and the sad remains of the shadow king still served a purpose in his plan, ones that would be revealed in due time.
But their time had not come quite yet. There were still a few things to establish, plans to work out, and one more creation to deal with. One that had been sealed away, but not within the gates of Tartarus like the rest. No, the Crystal Princess had been far too clever to seal them away in such a place, it would’ve been too easy to break out of. She’d sealed them away within the confines of her own land, with a set of locks of her own creation.
A land that, though far, was not extreme enough to keep him away. He had thick wool to keep him warm, and was nigh invulnerable as it was. A bit of cold wouldn’t hurt him, but who was to say what it would do to his underlings. Not that he’d trust them, they were far too shady to do that. He already knew Chrysalis had been conspiring something, but he had yet to know what it truly was. She wouldn’t have been foolish enough to try and betray him, would she?
A whisper in the wind, an eerie red glow in the distance, and he knew he was close. The whispering grew louder, speaking in a language near dead, but one he could understand perfectly clearly.
“Who approaches?”
“Is it he?”
“Is it time?”
The monsters within swarmed excitedly as he approached, stopping in front of the reflective surface of their crystalline prison. They buzzed inside excitably, speaking praise and desperation to their master, only to go quiet a moment later. The silence was brief however, and with a shimmer across the prison’s red surface, he was staring at a face that was not his own. A horrifically emaciated one, eyes sunken in and glowing like a creature of darkness.
“You’ve certainly been keeping us waiting, Grogar,” She said.
“Conquering takes time, my dear. I’m not such a fool as to just barge into a kingdom and claim it as my own without a solid plan,” He assured. The creature frowned. “I may not have an army, but I have nearly everything else that I need to set things in motion.”
“Nearly. What exactly is missing?”
This time it was Grogar’s turn to frown. “My bell.”
“That silly old thing, really? You’ve the power to do so much without it, why even bother? Once we’re free, we can bring you as much power as you possibly need.”
“There’s never such a thing as too much power.”
“I suppose you're right,” The figure hummed, her face swirling within the crystal as another whispered behind her, “But let’s get back on track. How much longer until we get things started? We’re all so dreadfully bored, and it seems that you’ve been taking your sweet time to free us. Tell us, have you resurrected our child yet?”
“I’m afraid things haven’t gone quite as planned in that regard, but it’s no matter. Do you still have the crystal mare within your clutches?”
“Of course not. We sent her out to retrieve our child.”
“A foolish choice, really. Why not use her?”
The voices from within the crystal prison began to murmur, and the figure in front of him vanished for a moment. A quiet discussion of some sort went on, foreign whispers that he could only catch the faintest of words within.
Coming back into view, the figure within the crystal said, “She was to be our connection to the world outside, and the catalyst for our child’s return. A catalyst that still hasn’t happened yet.”
“Patience, my dear.”
“We have been nothing but patient for a thousand years,” The figure spat, “Tell me, have you at the very least obtained the vessel?”
“A vessel, yes. Though she may not be the one you asked for, she’ll simply serve as a backup for if things don’t go as planned. A little filly sent to Tartarus for reasons unknown.”
“No!” The crystal rumbled, the creature within shouting, “How dare you disgrace us with such an offering. We are your most loyal children, your daughters of darkness, and yet you wish to give us a forgotten filly? No, we demand something better, something that will tear the Crystal Empire apart from within. We demand their princess.”
He cocked a brow, questioning, “The very same Princess who tore your child to shreds?”
“No. There have been whispers from within the empire. Whispers of a spawn of the princess, whispers that grow louder as she grows bigger. The Crystal Princess tore our child away from us right as we thought him back. We wish to hurt her the same. We wish to take her child and make her our own.”
“You want an infant, and a highly protected one at that? It may take some time to fit this into our plan.”
“If it is to tear the Empire apart from within, and crush those horrific little souls of its denizens, we will wait as long as we must.”
A grin made its way to Grogar’s face. Apparently there was a way to curb his creation’s impatience, even if it did put more work on his own plate.
“Very well,” He said, “It may take a few months more, but I’ll work a kidnapping into my plans.”
“Try not to take too long, will you? I’ll be patient for a few more months, but any longer than that and we may have a problem,” The figure hissed, swirling within yet again as the voices behind her began to murmur, “We grow weaker by the day, and our numbers continue to fall. If you let any more of us die, I may not be so willing to work with you.”
“I will ensure it doesn’t make it to that point,” Grogar nodded, turning away, “But I’m afraid I must take my leave now. Can’t spend too much time dawdling in this frozen wasteland, the Princess has guard patrolling after all, and I have three misfits to keep in line.”
Shaking himself to get rid of the snow that had accumulated on his body, he began his trek back to his lair. It had been a long way for such a short conversation, but he had needed to make sure these ones were still on his side. Their imprisonment had made it difficult to communicate, and his lack of his bell left teleportation out of the question, but he’d been managing.
“Grogar,” The figure spoke suddenly, “Where is my child?”
The ram stopped in his tracks, contemplating his next words carefully. This was his most trusted ally, the only creation of his that still showed the utmost loyalty to him. They were his final claim to greatness, monsters that fed on fear and hate, and so destructively powerful that the fear they caused empowered him.
They were his greatest weapon. They were his most powerful creation left standing. They were a ticking time bomb of betrayal.
“Do forgive me, dearest Rabia,” He said, glancing to the prison, “But I’m afraid Sombra fell to the hooves of yet another Princess, and he was not strong enough to survive another resurrection.”
The crystal shuddered, an eerie and unnatural howl erupting from it as the creatures within let loose their sorrows. Grogar turned away with a hidden grin, knowing very well what was coming next.
“I’ll make them pay,” Rabia hissed, “Even if it means I must tear the very heart out of any pony that stands in my way.”
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Doesn’t matter that there’s no starlight or somber in this one, a solid expositional and new character driven chapter regardless
(But next time back to the wholesomeness ok?)
10349446
Oh don't worry Sombra & Starlight will be back with their
bickeringnewly awakened friendship next chapter. I've actually gotten some of it done already because I missed writing them while working on this chapter.I think it's a good idea using the Umbrum. Give them some time in the spotlight.
Eh, screw you. I'm still happy I clicked on this as fast as possible. And heck yes, I LOVE how you're working the umbrum into this. The way you're working Radiant Hope into this is still pretty good too, in addition to the handling of the serious topic of death with an unexpectedly good characterization of Sonambula (the Pillars are so underrated). However, I look forward to the inevitable catfight between Starlight and Hope most.
Dear sweet Jiminy. Why do I feel that this is going to get so.. Sooo much more painful before it gets to the happy bits? I can't wait! Poor Sombra... I feel like I gotta help a bro out here! Or not... Cause how else is he supposed ta get all the Starlight cuddles?!
Very fun chapter, with a lot of background build up! I can't wait to see when this all comes to a head. I'm very curious to see what happens when Hope finds our Shadow boi again.
Never thought I'd be interesed in mlp lore, but this is quite engaging.
As soon as I got the notification I clicked it straight away and I LOVE where this is going! I’m soooo excited!!!
10349597
The Umbrum are good and I like them a lot. Glad it all came out good too, since Somnambula's one of those characters I wasn't sure how to go about writing, but I really wanted Hope and Somnambula (The element of Hope) to interact. It was too good of an idea to ignore, especially since they can bond about all the time lost and how different everything is now.
Also this made me laugh.
10349600
I enjoy hurt/comfort far too much. So much hurt and so much pain, but then I always solve it with something soft... And then ruin it all over again. I'd say it's an endless cycle, but this story is gonna end eventually, and I can promise it won't be a depressing ending.
I get more Sombra/Starlight cuddles that way.Reading this chapter... I feel really sorry for the Sphinx
10350730
Oh right, I, uh, kinda established that she's dead here, didn't I? I just based her fate on the actual myth.
10349597
And possibly the inevitable sharing,
I like this, both this chapter and the story as a whole. Well done man!
I can't wait for the next chapter!
As Hope wanders on in search of answers for her thousands of questions, dark forces make plans and set things in motion as a Father reconvenes with the last of his loyal children. But lies cannot bury the truth forever.
Another excellent chapter!
Nice story. Awaiting further updates :)
Been an enjoyable read catching up with this one.
While I don't know how I feel about the Umbrum, they fit far too well into the lore of the show, especially with Grogar being the Father of Monsters. And without them, there's not really much to Sombra, now is there? We'd have to invent all new lore, which is okay, but it's a lot of work. If you're writing a fanfic, why not just use what you're given? Even if it's not a popular idea, there's literally nothing else for Sombra.
Of course, you do need to do some work to make all the stuff fit together, but it's much easier than throwing it all out and starting over. I don't believe there are bad ideas, only bad execution. Granted, some ideas limit what you can do with them (not all story ideas will work with any genre or setting, and some can't work at all with the wrong tone), but if you put in the work, you'll usually have a decent story.
And you have a very good story. I'm going to keep reading and hope to see more chapters soon. Keep up the good work!
10409010
The Umbrum have always been one of my favorite concepts from the comic, and to this day I'm a bit disappointed they never got referenced in the show (Especially since Tirek's dad got name dropped, out of all the Fiendship things, so lack of Umbrum feels like a lost opportunity). I guess I can see why people don't tend to like them, but in my case they're pretty much all the things I enjoy wrapped into one creature, so they were an instant fave.
This is a good thing, because like you said, it makes giving Sombra a backstory so much easier. I mean, I've gone over a few ideas for Sombra that weren't related to the Umbrum, but overall I just found it easier to keep the Umbrum... And then complicate things further. Because I like to be difficult to myself and add more story, so I'm not just taking the ideas right out of the comic.
That being said, I'm happy to hear I'm pulling it off! Every now and then I go back and look at my notes and what I have yet to write and think 'Wow, this is a jumble of nonsense', but I think the fact I'm the one writing it makes me a bit harsher on myself, so whenever someone enjoys what I've done it reassures me that I do in fact no what I'm doing.
Hope to see you stick around until the end!
Oh shit, it’s the mothy fellas!
10350762
Yeah, I felt bad for the Sphinx too.