Chapter 16
After much consideration, it was decided to hold Sombra’s trial at the castle of the two sisters. Where the elements of harmony could be taken and returned almost immediately. Anypony could come provided they were of legal age and fully understood what they were about to see. Citizens of the Crystal Empire flooded Ponyville by the hundreds but those who just wanted to see the elements of harmony in action also came.
Sombra only had issues when they began to sell merchandise, “I had hoped my death could be more… dignified.”
“This might not be your end; you can increase the chances of the elements showing you mercy. Please, for the final time, where is the Crystal Heart?” Sombra sighed, he found the pink princess to be the most annoying.
“For the final time, I. Don’t. Know. Where. It. Is.”
Cadence stomped a hoof in frustration, Shinning Armor picked that hoof up to give it a calming squeeze. Cadence gave him a loving look in thanks and re-fortified herself. “Let’s try this another way. If you had to hide something very important, where would it be?”
Sombra huffed but complied, “I would use phycology, hide it in plain sight so most eyes gloss over it. Make it look ordinary…But if it was Extremely important, I would also have it close by, in a room where it wouldn’t be strange for me to be for hours at a time.”
“The throne room?” Shinning Armor asked his wife.
“Maybe…”
Sombra rocked his head back and forth, thinking. “I would also make it inconvenient to get to so somepony wouldn’t just casually touch it and discover it. The first time I learned about the heart was in a book, oh!”
“Yes?”
“What is it?”
“The crystal heart was discovered in an ancient dragon carcass-“
“It was?” Shinning looked mildly sick.
“…Yes, has that place become a tourist trap?”
Cadence shook her head, “No, I don’t even know where that would be.”
“Perfect!” Sombra clopped his hooves together but instantly regretted it when his chains clanked together. “Owh; I might have hidden it back where it was discovered. Who would look somewhere they already looked?”
“Who was the author of that book?”
“Sunburst. I lost my notes or I would give you the reference material.”
“Sunburst?” Cadence looked to her husband, “Is he here?”
“I’ll go check.” Shinning went galloping off stage to search the crowd.
Cadence watched him go, “Thank you Sombra.”
“My pleasure.” He grumbled as he adjusted his chains, “Are these necessary? I’m here willingly.”
“I think it’s just standard.” Cadence thought for a moment before levitating the key off of a guard’s armor. The guard gave her an odd look, she smiled apologetically before turning back to Sombra. “But you can have them off for now I think.” The lock clicked open and they fell to the floor. Sombra rubbed his wrists and tested his movement.
“Thank you.”
“You are welcome…”
Sombra turned his attention to the space in-between the curtain where he could see the crowd. Cadence looked at him, he seemed so normal compared to the ancient paintings. Twilight made sure a medic bandaged his split hooves but the medic went the extra mile for his ear. Apparently, the medical pony found it amusing that the hole was a perfect circle and gave him an earring for it. Sombra went along with it and now it seemed intentional. Rarity was disgusted by his ruined shirt and vest and had tailored him a replacement suit jacket for the occasion. She also had his hoof bandages replaced to match their natural color. If he wasn’t so tired and stressed, he would look like any other pony going to a party.
Sombra caught her staring but didn’t seem to mind, “Question, you’re the Princess of Love right?”
“…Yes?”
“Is it a good or bad sign when the pony you have a crush on shows up to your execution?”
“It-um. Depends on their reaction?...Who is it?” Sombra pointed somewhere at the third row.
“The cream-colored mare in the sweater.” Cadence took his place to look out at the crowd, eyes scanning over the seats at least twice before she circled back to the only mare with that description. She was surprised, not only that somepony like Sombra could have those feelings but… Objectively speaking Sombra was an unusually attractive stallion. Good bone structure, tall, flowing mane, decent muscles. The mare he pointed out was objectively plain looking and disheveled, not who she would have thought. Cadence backed up and plastered a kind smile to her face.
“How…did you two meet?”
Sombra’s smile was more authentically nostalgic. “She was my boss at the library. Incredibly smart and well read; doesn’t take shi- I mean, speaks her mind. She was the only one I felt safe with, I could bring up any topic and she would teat it all the same, as an academic discussion. This one time, I felt horrible for having this…inappropriate dream but I could tell her about it in full and she didn’t judge me at all. We spent our break together looking up the function of dreams and what they meant. Turns out, phycology wise, I just wanted to have a better relationship with them. So, I put more effort into that and I haven’t had one like it since. I felt a lot better.” Sombra looked at the ground sadly, “Not like a freak.”
Sombra looked back out at the crowd, “I see her but nopony else I know…Do you know if there’s a ‘friends and family section?’ haha.”
“I…Don’t.” Cadence looked around to find some excuse to leave. She found one when she spotted Twilight, the others wouldn’t be far behind. “Excuse me.”
Sombra watched her fly away then went back to scanning the crowd but discovered the gap in the curtain was no longer there. A mismatched set of yellow and red eyes in their place. “Enjoying the view?”
“Ga-fuck!” Sombra leapt back, slipping on his discarded chains and falling on his flank. A tall creature with different assortments of body parts slipped through the curtains as if they were a rip in reality instead of the side of a stage.
“Ah, sorry about that. I should really find a better way to enter a room.” Suddenly, a second version of the creature appeared behind the first, dressed as a black jack dealer. “Why don’t you send a telegram?” A telegram appearing in his hand.
“Oooh, that could work.” The first version took the telegram from the second and handed it to Sombra, the second version disappeared soon after.
Sombra rubbed his lower back as he got up but still took the telegram. It said ‘Discord, Lord of Chaos’ with smaller print adding: ‘of the House Targaryen, the Fist of His Name, The Unburnt, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Protector of the Realm, Lord Regent of the Seven Kingdoms, Breaker of Chains and Father of Dragons.’
Sombra pointed at the small text, “I’ve seen this show. Only got to season 4 though.” Sombra handed Discord back the telegram.
“I wouldn’t bother finishing it. Not that you have much of a choice I hear.” Discord said while crumpling up the telegram and tossing it in his mouth.
“Doesn’t that taste bad?”
“Depends on the quality of the writing.” Discord leaned in very close to whisper in Sombra’s ear, “Some fanfictions give me the runs for days.”
“Then…Don’t eat them?”
“Eh, I’m weak.” Discord snapped his finders and the surrounding area turned into a therapist’s office, Sombra on the couch with Discord in a sweater vest and a clip board. “Back to business,” He pulled out a pair of glasses and set them on his nose.
Sombra looked around his new setting, “That’s handy.”
“It’s good to be helping. Now then, how do you feel about this situation? Stressed? Angry? Cheated? Afraid?”
“Numb.”
“Humm,” Discord doodled a hang man on the clip board. “So, you have accepted the inevitable I see, very mature way to handle it. But you seemed very successful at hiding, why come back?”
“I should pay for what I have done.”
“Why?”
Sombra looked at him with a sneer, “WHY?” He got off the couch and began to pace. “I enslaved other ponies! They suffered and died because of me. Assuming the elements do deem me ‘worthy,’ how can I live with that?!”
“Sounds to me like you want an easy out.” Discord drew the hangman’s head and torso.
“Oh, I’m sorry, of course I should live. I can make it up to the crystal ponies by volunteering at the soup kitchen, pick up trash. They would totally forgive me for what I did then.”
“Humm,” Discord rubbed his chin and pointed his pen at Sombra, leaving his clip board to float in the air. “So, you want forgiveness from the crystal ponies?”
“I can’t ask for something that can never happen,” He sat back on the couch and put his head in his hooves.
“Sure, you can! Ponies do it all the time. Wealth, power, a large house, for people to accept that you are cannonly married to Fluttershy in the show’s finally. All impossible.” Discords fingers had been growing in number during his list but they all broke off and turned into airplanes which flew towards a literal pie in the sky and crashed. Exploding the pie all over the room. Sombra wiped the blue burry filling off his cheek.
“Perhaps but I prefer to be more realistic. You just can’t get away with what I did, memory or no memory.”
“Yes, but what is a memory? What is a personality? Is it the body that dictates the self or is it the soul? And what is a soul except that it resides at the bottom of your feet.” Discords feet detached themselves to grow angel wings and fly away. He saluted them as they left with a tear in his eye.
“Are you saying that I am cosmically innocent but guilty because I’m in a guilty body and the body is all that counts because it’s what is perceived by others and therefore our only means to exist and interact in the world?”
Suddenly, the office disappeared to be the stage once more. Discord’s feet remained planted but his body stretched impossibly far to grab Twilight by the shoulders, she let out a yelp in surprise but got over it quickly.
“Twilight, we need him, he speaks nonsense you have to!” He shook her back and forth, her element of harmony crown almost falling off.
Fluttershy flew over to place a hoof on his head, “Now Discord, we don’t know what the elements will do. Sombra may be perfectly fine at the end.”
“We don’t know that! That tree spat out a flower that spat out a box that spat out an abomination of a castle; the tree of harmony is crazy!”
“Your one to talk,” Rainbow Dash sassed as she flew nearby. Discord appeared in front of her with a crown on his head and a diploma floating just behind him.
“I’m an authority on crazy because I’m the Lord of Chaos. And I couldn’t even come up with that!”
Applejack tugged on Discord’s tail to get his to give Rainbow Dash some space. He just detached it and appeared next to her to snatch it back, literally screwing it back on. She rolled her eyes, “Fluttershy is right, the elements have never done us wrong before.”
Fluttershy flew back up to Discord, “Have faith in us, everything will be alright.” Discord looked at her, at the floor for a moment, then back at her and smiled.
“Of course, Fluttershy.” The mare smiled and flew off to stand with her friends, it was almost time. Discord watched as Sombra was led to where he was supposed to stand, the princesses and elements taking up position. He bit his knuckles before disappearing to who knows where, the curtain rose.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What was once the throne room of the two sisters had been converted to a temporary stage for the event. Seating taking up every available space of what was once the main floor as pegasi flew overhead. Crystal ponies shouted angrily at the stage, their volume only increasing as the curtain rose to reveal the former King. Some threw their food and drink purchased at the event; Rarity winced as a full soda hit the stallion on the side and broke open, staining his suit jacket beyond repair. The princesses shared a disappointed look with one another, Cadence showing the most embarrassment over her citizens behavior. Celestia raised her wings and stepped forward, her presence enough to silence the crowd.
“Welcome citizens of Equestria and the Crystal Empire. Today represents an unprecedented trial. Before this moment, the leaders of Equestria have only used the elements of harmony during times of great misfortune and conflict on the field of battle. Their judgment, swift and deliberate, uncontested. The pony on trial today has committed unspeakable tragedies in the past. The Murder of Princess Amora, the enslavement of the citizens of the Crystal Empire, and the theft of the Crystal Heart. Under normal circumstances, as soon as the Empire returned from banishment, our elements of harmony and heroes of Equestria would storm the crystal castle. Meet the King of Fear in open battle, and destroy him to bring peace across the land.”
The crowd erupted into cheers, eager for just that to happen. Celestia raised her hoof and the crowd silenced once more.
“However, this is not what came to pass. King Sombra awoke with no memory of his past crimes, indeed, no past at all. He fled the kingdom he had claimed and began a new, peaceful life among us. Without malicious intent or ambition. In this new, humble life, he made friends, attended school, and strived to improve Equestria with revolutionary technology. But is this enough? Once he re-discovered his past transgressions, he submitted himself to prosecution and sentencing, fully aware of what may happen to him. Princess Cadence, Prince Shinning Armor, Princess Twilight Sparkle, The Elements of Harmony, Princess Luna, and myself have all agreed to place both King Sombra and the stallion on stage now on trial. Both past and present will be rectified so that we may share a bright future together. By the highest power in the land, the essence of harmony itself, we accept this judgment.”
The Princess of the sun fell back in line so that the elements of harmony could take center stage. All lined up as Sombra was brought forward. He was shaking with cold sweats, as ready to die as anypony could be, but wanting to run so badly.
The heroes of Equestria shared a look before allowing the elements to activate and glow. They rose in the air as a rainbow of light and color enveloped them.
The citizens of Equestria ‘oohed’ and ‘awed.’
The citizens of the crystal empire cheered for death.
For sphinx’s held each other to keep from falling.
Two stallions covered their mouths in horror.
An old mare and colt held hooves but wept silently.
A young mare prayed for the first time in her life.
And a lone figure high above snapped his fingers.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Pain. There was so much pain.
Burning, blinding, all-consuming, burning.
He should have just asked to have his head cut off.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It was too bright for anypony to see what happened until the mane six landed on the ground once more.
A smoldering spot on the stage where Sombra once stood.
The crowd cheered wildly, ponies clapped for the both the light show and the death of a terrible villain. Nopony bothered to notice the few who cried, screamed, shattered, or regretted. The elements shared a look, the right decision finally clear after the deed had been done. Celestia gestured to the stage hands to lower the curtain which fell with a sickening finality.
“I…I can’t believe it.” Twilight said, almost to herself.
“Well…that’s that then.” Applejack said as she put her hat back on. Rainbow Dash flew right to her to glare directly in her eyes.
“Is that all you have to say?!”
“Well what do you want me to say Rainbow? We all decided that the elements knew best when we went into this. Obviously Sombra was beyond redemption.”
“But…He had so many friends who loved him. I thought friendship was the most important force on earth.” Twilight began to cry, Rarity put a hoof around her in comfort.
“Of course it is darling. We have seen that time and time again…Perhaps Sombra just hadn’t changed enough?”
“Y-yeah” Pinky added as she came over to hug Twilight as well. “He was a big, big meany pants in the past. Maybe he was just faking?”
“He wasn’t” Everypony turned to see a cream-colored mare in a sweater panting from running. A guard came up to apprehend her but Princess Cadence stopped him with a wave of her hoof.
“It’s ok Spear Head, let her speak.”
“Moon Dancer?” Twilight trotted over to great her fillyhood friend, reaching out to hold her. “I’m so, so sorry about Som-“ Moon Dancer punched her.
Twilight fell to the floor clutching her cheek, her friends moved to defend her but it was clear the mare wasn’t done. “You don’t get to brush this off as easily as you did our friendship. If any of you spent more than 5 minutes with him then you would know. You would know that he was a rash, impulsive, selfless, bastard! Who wore his heart on his sleeve, because his face always told you exactly what he was thinking and feeling. You would know, that even if he was put upon or irritated, he never allowed himself to hurt anypony. He would hang around your house for hours because he didn’t want to hurt your feelings by leaving until you had to kick him out by force! He would genuinely care about everything you had to say. Never want to let you down. He invented an entire rune craft because he was too awkward to admit that he panicked in a conversation and didn’t want to disappoint Ledger who wanted one. He turned himself in because he couldn’t stand the thought of somepony being upset with him for any reason.” The tears that had been building up in her eyes during her rant were starting to take over. “He-he wrote us letters. But it never even occurred to you that we might want to say goodbye too?”
She wiped the worst of her tears away but they were quickly replaced. She glared at Twilight one last time, “Some Princess of Friendship you are.”
“Moon Dancer, I-“
“DON’T ever contact me again.” And with that, the mare fled.
All of Twilights friends went to comfort her, soon joined by her sister-in-law. Luna and Celestia stood by to watch yet another of their mistakes unfold.
“What have I done?”
Stats
Page generated in 0.032 seconds
Total duration
664 users online
856,745 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Congratulation Elements of Harmony! You, all six of you, are murderers. You. You have killed the last of the Umbra species. How does that feel? Eh. To kill the last of an endangered species. To finish the work of Princess Amor. Congrats. Your all murderers. Hear that everyone? The beloved Elements of Harmony are Murderers! Now...I have only one person to apologize to. And that is Fluttershy, sorry. I truly am.
Poor Moon Dancer.
Poor moon dancer. You tell them...
.....
b r u h
There's so much in this paragraph alone that needs to be capitalized. The Castle of the Two Sisters is a proper place. The Elements of Harmony are named relics.
Sombra's reaction belongs in a different paragraph. This is Cadance's line.
I think you mean psychology here, specifically reverse psychology. Extremely important are words that also don't need to be capitalized here.
(Another thing is that Shining Armor's name is not spelled 'Shinning' Armor.)
In this instance, you actually need a hyphen in psychology-wise.
My ass is too dumb to get the reference here.
Canonically.
Discord's.
I mean, he is right...
1) He's referring to a 'sole' in the second part, and it should be spelled as such.
2) Throwing out ideas is one thing, but here it feels like abusing Discord by teasing central concepts to the reader. These are things the story should either jump head-on into or not touch at all, provided you still want to maintain a more comedic tone.
The Tree of Harmony is also a proper noun. In the second line, Rainbow Dash means 'you're' not 'your'.
Four sphinxes.
Also, what the fuck was that ending in a comedy story.
Haha. Clever little reference there.
Maybe you mean ‘Four’?
10241099
Eh, it's fine if the other person killed people first and you don't have any attachments or ulterior motives towards that person. At least that's how the ponies view it.