Sombasi, Brother of Sombra

by Pomp-Neigh

Chapter 22~

Celestia glared at Amore, whose ears were folded against her head, although she defiantly narrowed her eyes as the duo silently stared at one another outside the closed door of Luna’s occupancy in the medical wing of the Crystal Castle.

Ever since Amore dragged Celestia out of the room, the tension between them had grown so high that even the crystal and equestrian guards, each separated on either side of the hallway and behind their respective princess, could feel that…pressure.

After several moments, the sun alicorn sighed, closing her eyes and taking a recuperative breath. “We will continue this conversation in private, Amore,” she said, opening her eyes and hardening her face.

“And make no mistake; if my sister suffers any permanent physical or psychological damage because of what hath transpired yesterday, which thou were aware of by thine own admission, I will hold thee accountable, and demand compensation.”

Amore’s gaze fell to the crystal floor in sorrow and sighs, “That’s fair.” She raised her head, ears perked up, and cleared her throat. “As I’ve been saying, everything shall be revealed once-”

The rattling sound of the nearby horseshoe-shaped doorknob interjected itself, and both princesses turned toward the door that was now being pulled inward, revealing the alicorn princess of the night.

“Greetings, sister. Amore,” Luna began, looking at them both as Celestia could only stare at her sibling with an agape muzzle, Amore offering a pleasant smile.

“It’s good to see you’ve recovered, Luna,” the crystal princess said.

“I thank thee, Amore. But I daresay that thou hath some,” Luna narrows her eyes, “explaining to do.”

Amore fidgets in place and scrapes the crystalline floor with a forehoof, “Y-yes.” She said sheepishly.

The answers Luna had gained from Fimbulvetr were undoubtedly associated with the subject that caused tension between Celestia and Amore, which the lunar alicorn could sense from the moment she opened the door. She could also hear them through it before she opened it; they’re not exactly what she would call subtle.

“S-sister…” Celestia managed, garnering Luna and Amore’s attention. “I-I…”

Confused silence takes hold as Celestia can’t seem to form any more words.

Typical… Then again, Luna expected this. After all, somepony needs to raise and lower the moon, but the vibrant sun, Celestia, can’t be bothered to do so, right? It is beneath her…

Celestia soon regains her composure and clears her throat. “It…pleases me to see thou in fine condition, sister.”

“Verily,” Luna answered monotonously.

Amore looks between the alicorn sisters, sensing some disharmony between them. In hindsight, her ability to feel emotions always gave her a hint of their relationship, but to see it for herself…

“Now then,” Luna began. “Since we’ve established mine condition to be satisfactory, let us proceed to more pressing matters. Amore?”

“Yes?”

“Thou shall inform mine sister of the truth pertaining to Snowdrop.”

“W-won’t thee accompany us?” Celestia inquired.

Luna shook her head, “Nay. I already know of the truth.” With that, Luna began to trot down the hallway, Celestia and Amore awestruck by what the lunar princess had said.

“I shall await our departure once thou hath been informed, sister.” The lunar alicorn didn’t even bother to turn around as she spoke. “Until then, send a detachment to the empire’s orphanage. Or thyself. Thou shalt find me there.”

“Th-the orphanage…?” Celestia asked in utter confusion.

“W-what? She already…knows?” Amore questioned in absolute shock. “W-wait, Luna! H-how do you already know?”

Luna paused, looking back over her shoulder, “I hath mine methods.”

“Luna!” Celestia beckoned, taking two decisive steps forward, causing Luna to scoff. “What art thou hiding? If thou possess information vital to both of us, thou must-”

“Share it?” Luna interjects. She rolls her eyes and chuckles as she turns forward, “That’s a laugh. It doesn’t feel too good now, does it, sister? Fret not, for I am not as monstrous as thee. Amore shall clue thee in, so mine presence isn’t necessary.”

The night princess kicks off into a trot, “It never was,” she whispers bitterly as she passes by the solar branch's equestrian guards—yet another trait of Celestia’s selfishness, and disappears around the corner.

A pained expression was plastered on Celestia’s face as she watched Luna’s departure. The sun alicorn falls onto her haunches, and her eyes go downward somberly, followed by a sigh.

“She hates me, Amore…”

Hooves clop against the crystal floor as Amore approaches the sorrowful alicorn. “She doesn’t hate you, Celestia,” the vermillion mare said as she sat beside Equestria’s co-ruler.

“Forgive me for not being as optimistic as thee…”

“There must be more to this, Celestia. Something’s clearly troubling your sister…and you need to figure out what that is.”

“And thou don’t thinketh that I-” Celestia was about to retort, but a raised hoof from Amore stopped her.

“Not here.” Amore fires up her horn, “Come…let us speak privately in my chambers. We have much to discuss, Snowdrop and sisterly bonds, among them.”

Celestia nodded, prompting the crystal princess to cast a teleportation spell as they disappeared with a resounding ‘POPSH.’

The remaining guards of Equestria and the Crystal Empire began approaching one another following the princesses’ departure.

“Does that…usually happen in Equestria?” A crystal stallion pegasus asked.

“Thou hath no idea.” An equestrian unicorn mare responds. “Just be glad that the castle’s roof didn’t get blown off.”

“...Wow,” another crystal guard, a non-crystal earth pony stallion, said. “And I thought my family had issues…”

“That’s the benefit of not having an alicorn, let alone two of them, as thine rulers, mares and gentlecolts.” The other equestrian guards nod in agreement, and the crystal guard can certainly agree with that fact.

Imagine that, an alicorn crystal princess with destructive tendencies, accidental or not… No way, Hoovse.

---

-Crystal Empire: Crystal Castle: Amore’s Residence-

Amore and Celestia manifest after a sudden flash of light-blue magical energy.

“Thine decor is as majestic as always, Amore,” Celestia compliments as she observes their new-found surroundings while Amore trots over to a luxurious canopy bed with amber curtains and silky sheets that match the color of her brilliant raspberry to-cobalt blue mane.

“I believe the last time I stepped hoof in this room was when thou was but a filly.”

Amore sets herself down on the bed as if she were posing for a photoshoot and giggles. “Truth be told, it’s just crystal, more crystal, and, oh, look! Crystals.” She said while playfully spinning a forehoof.

They then share a moment of conjoined laughter. “Well, the empire’s name wouldst be quite inaccurate otherwise,” Celestia said after recovering. “May I?” She asked while gesturing toward a four-cushioned blue couch with white swirls - positioned to the right of the chamber’s double pristine doors.

“Oh! Well, I was going to have you stand up during our whole conversation to hopefully burn off some fat from that ridiculously oversized flank of yours,” Amore teased, resting her chin over a forehoof while lidding her eyes playfully. “Seriously, it’s ridiculous. You’ve got back, girl.”

“Classy,” Celestia deadpanned, taking Amore’s humor as a ‘yes’ and splaying herself across the couch, taking up three of the four cushions while leaning her chest against an armrest.

A moment of silence takes hold of them.

“So…” Amore began. “Shall I start us off? Or would you like to talk about what’s going on with Luna?”

“Let us begin with what happened yesterday.”

“Very well. Oh! Hang on.” Amore flares her horn to life before plucking a crystal-comprised, oval-shaped object off a nearby nightstand beside the bed and floats it over to her, hovering it close to her muzzle.

The oval-shaped crystal began to glow with the same color as Amore’s magical aura. “Maneigh Marco?” The vermillion mare spoke into it. “You there, sweetie?”

Celestia’s ears folded against her head. A Communication Crystal. It had a rather simplistic name, yet its properties were something she could never replicate back in Equestria. It also reminded her that, despite Equestria’s prospering, its technology was comparatively pitiful to the Crystal Empire and the Griffon Nestions to the east.

It was, admittedly…embarrassing. Granted, Equestria was exceptionally gifted in the magic department, but a part of Celestia often wondered about the risk of what would happen if they could no longer rely on magic for their everyday needs.

The communication crystal suddenly changed to a light-gray color. -“Y-your Highness!”- Maneigh Marco’s voice echoes out from the crystal, seemingly panicked. -“Please forgive my late response! Busy, busy, busy. Ahem, how may I serve you?”-

“You overwork yourself, my dear. But I don’t want to distract you for long, so could you have some of the castle maids deliver an assortment of teas, cookies, and...” She smirks while looking over at Celestia, who, in turn, narrows her eyes in realization.

“Don’t. You. Dare.”

Amore winks at the alicorn, “One large banana cream cake for Celestia to my chambers, please. Big mare, big appetite, you know?”

Celestia’s left eye twitched as her teeth grind together.

-“U-uh…a-at once, your highness! I’ll have it delivered with due haste.”-

“Thank you, Manny-baby~” Amore chirped, ending the conversation as the crystal reverted back to its original color. The crystal princess sets it down beside her and kills off her flaring horn, turning a teasing gaze to Celestia.

“I hate you,” Celestia groaned as she facehoofs.

Amore rolls her eyes playfully. “Oh, please. You know you love me, sweetie.” She giggles, then recollects herself abruptly and clears her throat.

“Anyway.”

“Nice segway.”

“Onto the matter with Snowdrop.” Amore raised her head, tapping her lower jaw with a forehoof in thought.

“Hmm. I suppose the best place to start is with Snowdrop’s mother, Heimdale Bifrost.”

Comments

[Theone23]

Imagine that, an alicorn crystal princess with destructive tendencies, accidental or not… No way, Hoovse.

They are going to EAT those words when Flurry Heart is born...

Great chapter!!

[Bronycommander]

interesting and an interesting name for the mother

[Pomp-Neigh]

11611098

11611102
Thanks a lot, peeps!

[Bronycommander]

11611495
Youre welcome

[Misty Shadow]

Boy, did I feel bad for Celestia in this chapter. Getting hate from your sister and being the butt of fat jokes on the same day.