Shadows of the Heart

by Scribblestick

Light

"Mom, what are you doing?" Flurry hissed. She thought she'd prepared for everything, but she'd never suspected her own mother would try to undermine her. Mom stared straight ahead. The Council members frowned, and their eyebrows rose near their noses. A few tails flicked as they waited to see what Twilight would say.

"I see." Twilight spoke slowly. "Princess Cadance, on what grounds do you raise this objection?"

Mom glanced at her then, only briefly. "I wish to share my objection with the Council in private," she said, "as a matter of sovereign privilege."

Flurry's mind raced through her newly-acquired legal knowledge. She didn't recognize the phrase, but it seemed Twilight understood. She cast a spell, and the crowd's din faded to nothing. Dad stepped closer. "Cadance, are you sure you want to do this?" she heard him whisper.

"I'm sure." Cadance stepped forward and addressed the Council. "Flurry Heart intends to vouch for King Sombra's character, but I believe she is too easily misled by those trained to hide their true motives. The Council would be ill-advised to trust her in this matter."

"What!" Flurry bounded forward. "Mom!"

Mom held up a hoof. Still she faced away. "Flurry, please, don't make this harder on yourself. You've done an admirable job of holding this Council accountable, and I'm proud of you for that, but I can't let him get away with everything he's done, and I won't let your weakness cloud their judgement."

Weakness. Flurry had only rarely heard her use that term, always when she thought Flurry wasn't listening—in private conversations with Dad or closed-door meetings with therapists. For her to use it now in her presence, to discredit her so thoroughly that Sombra would pay the ultimate price...

"Cadance, that's enough." Dad's voice was stern. Mom didn't flinch.

Twilight let out a heavy sigh. "Flurry, do you have anything to say in response?"

She desperately wanted to say something, anything, but her mind turned blank as her mouth tried uselessly to form words. Her eyes darted from Dad's glare to the Council's frowns to Mom, who still refused to face her. Her calculus worked overtime. Angry. Disappointed. Faithless. Mom had always shown such confidence through the years that Flurry could overcome anything, but now, in Flurry's most desperate moment, she turned away.

Sombra cleared his throat. "I would like to speak to my advocate for a moment."

Twilight nodded. "It is your right."

Flurry felt numb as she walked toward him. She stared at the floor as she approached the barrier spell. Tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Don't apologize." His resolve was enough to raise her head. His red eyes locked on hers. "You haven't failed yet."

She shook her head. "I told you before. I never know what ponies are thinking. I didn't even know my own mother would... that she didn't..."

A strangled sob forced its way up her throat. Her tears splattered on the floor. "Flurry Heart," Sombra said, "do you know why your mother has chosen this moment to act?" She didn't respond. He continued. "As king, it was my duty to know the anxieties of my people. Thus, I always know a pony's deepest fear. Your mother has not lost faith in you, but in herself."

Flurry forced her breathing to slow, and her sobs to stop. "What?"

"She worries about your future, as most mothers do," he said. "She wants to give you a better world than the one she inherited, and she fears she won't live up to the expectation she puts on herself. She is afraid that you are making a mistake in believing me, and that your mistake will cost you dearly. She fears that if that happens, she won't be able to make it right."

His words calmed the tempest within. "What should I do?"

"Help her to see as you do," he answered. "If anypony can do it, it's you."

Flurry met his gaze and nodded. With one last rattling breath, she turned back to the waiting Council. "I'd like to speak to everycreature, please."

Twilight nodded. Her spell faded, and the courtroom's din returned. Flurry held up a hoof, and the crowd fell silent. "Most of you are here for the Crystal Faire," she said, "It's one of our most important traditions, a day when we unite to celebrate goodness and joy and... and love." She turned toward Mom, who watched her over her shoulder, face half-hidden behind her mane. Flurry noticed now the slight tremble in Mom's hooves, her pinned ears, and creased brow. Guilt.

She didn't have time to dwell on it now. "In the Empire, we talk about the light that shines in everycreature, the light that maintains the Crystal Heart and protects us," she continued. "I've always believed that that light is strong enough to overcome anything, even when it seems like only shadows remain."

Mom nodded and turned toward her. Straight posture. Ears forward. Tail swish. Flurry pushed her calculus aside and spoke from her heart. "My mother and I are different in a lot of ways, but we both love and care about the Empire, Equestria, and the world. We both want the best for everycreature, and we both worry about the future. Right now, a lot of you are worried about what will happen if I am wrong about Sombra. I understand why you're afraid. But we won't beat fear by giving in. There's only one thing strong enough to defeat darkness, and that's light. I see it all around me, every day, and I've seen it in Sombra as well."

She glanced toward the crowd. Dragons and diamond dogs, kirins and hippogriffs all sat in silence. For a moment, her words faltered, and fear crept into her chest. She looked at Sombra last of all. He smiled at her. She smiled back. Fear fled.

"All I ask," she said, "is that you try to see him as I have. Not as an enemy, not as a threat, but as pony who has made mistakes and wants to make them right. Understanding will bring us peace, but we can't understand unless we listen first."

Mom's tail flicked as Flurry repeated her favorite axiom. She glanced at Sombra, then walked toward the barrier that held him captive. "How can I trust you?" she asked. "How can I know my daughter will be safe?"

"Because she is a good pony," Sombra answered. "Because she believes in me, even when nopony else does. My people are gone, but I can still fight for her. And I will, because..." He reached up with a hoof and carefully removed the iron crown from his head. It rattled as he tossed it to the floor. "Because I care for her."

Flurry felt her breath leave her body. Her head spun, and not just from the crowd's sudden uproar. He cares for me. Her mouth twitched into a smile. Half a laugh burst from her chest. And I care for him, too.

"Order! Order!" Twilight banged the gavel until the room was quiet again. "Cadance? What do you think?"

Mom turned and faced Flurry. She wore a smile as she walked forward and embraced her daughter. "I believe him," she whispered. "I should have believed in you. Please, forgive me for my doubts." To the council, she said, "I withdraw my objection, and I ask this Council to reconsider their decision. My daughter is right. Our light is strong enough."

---

Flurry giggled as Sombra stepped into the hall, wearing his new white suit. It wasn't Rarity's best work, but considering the rush, nopony could have asked for better. "It's a little itchy," he said.

"I think it looks nice," Flurry answered. She led him down the hall toward a balcony. "Come on. The ceremony is about to start."

"Are you sure about this?" Sombra asked. "The last time I was here for the Crystal Heart ceremony, it... didn't end well for me."

Flurry nodded. "Aunt Twilight checked everything. As long as you project your happiness into the Crystal Heart, you should be fine."

They stepped outside. Their balcony offered a poor view of the creatures gathered outside. That was by design; they had decided it would be best for Sombra to watch from afar, to avoid a panic among the crystal ponies. Most knew what had happened at the tribunal, but seeing him in person would be another matter entirely, one best left for later.

Flurry nudged Sombra's shoulder as Mom began her speech. "You're not nervous, are you?"

Sombra snorted. "I only remain free so long as I am able to make amends," he said. It was the one condition the council had set—making right his every wrong. Sombra was never going to be granted a full pardon, but provisional freedom was definitely a step up from realistic lawn ornament. "It's hard not to imagine how I'll mess it up."

She leaned against his shoulder. It was much softer without his armor. "You'll do fine. We'll just take it one step at a time, okay?"

He turned and held her close. His heart fluttered against her chest, matching her own. "As long as you're with me, Flurry Heart."

The speech was coming to an end. Lines of light traced themselves along the ground, converging on the Crystal Heart. "Ready?" she asked.

Sombra leaned back. His breath ruffled her fur, and his red eyes were radiant in the sunset. "Ready."

Their lips met. Time stood still. Their happiness melded with that of the Empire, but in that moment, Flurry didn't care. All she knew as the Crystal Heart's magic washed over them was that the joy she felt was enough.

Comments

[Just_Me123]

So, I found this to be fairly good, if a bit short (or maybe rushed, especially at the end) but overall it was a good story. Thanks for posting it.

[Scribblestick]

11156816
Thanks for the read! Romance isn’t my strength, and I can see why some people think it’s rushed, but I’m glad it turned out well.

[Bicyclette]

"Flurry Heart," Sombra said, "do you know why your mother has chosen this moment to act?" She didn't respond. He continued. "As king, it was my duty to know the anxieties of my people. Thus, I always know a pony's deepest fear. Your mother has not lost faith in you, but in herself."

i do really like how this part brought a lot of the pieces together. the ongoing theme of how to understand other ponies, the importance of Sombra's kingship to himself, and Cadance's position as an antagonist being driven by her own desire to be a good mother. (though this then also justifies Sombra's worldview on his own rulership, which is interesting! )

Mom nodded and turned toward her. Straight posture. Ears forward. Tail swish. Flurry pushed her calculus aside and spoke from her heart.

character growth at the climactic scene that loops back to the context of Flurry's life before her Hero's Journey, which was her anxieties over giving a speech at the Crystal Faire. good stuff!

Their lips met. Time stood still. Their happiness melded with that of the Empire, but in that moment, Flurry didn't care. All she knew as the Crystal Heart's magic washed over them was that the joy she felt was enough.

having a magical artifact that can act as an objective measure of things like "love" and "happiness" sure is useful sometimes!

---

this was a great story of being young and, as Flurry's parents put it, "quirky", and being underestimated and misunderstood because of it. the pieces were all great, with Flurry's characterization and her relationship with her parents particularly standing out. Sombra cuts a great scenery-chewing misunderstood villain here, and i really enjoyed his banter and chemistry with Flurry (though i admit, it definitely felt more like friend-chemistry than romance-chemistry).

in any case, this was a very enjoyable story. thanks for writing it!