Post by Mal on Jul 3, 2016 1:05:51 GMT -5
Lord Sombra. It had been two years since the return of the Crystal Empire and the defeat of its cruel king. The love and light from its citizens, and the Crystal Heart, shattered him, but he was not yet gone from the world. Sombra still lurked, where the only whole piece of him still existed, like an ill tempered ghost stuck to the object it haunted. Much of the time he was unaware of his surroundings: he couldn't see, feel, or hear. It was like being asleep. He was, slowly, regaining some of his strength, but he was still incapable of interacting or doing much more; it might take many years before he could gain semblance of a body, and it was unknown how many had passed. He was left with just his sluggish, disordered thoughts.
Radiant Hope had left the shadow prison and the Umbrum recently, having studied her arcane arts and powers for a millennium there and finally set out to see if with the strength she had these days she could finally find and hopefully be forgiven by her best friend Sombra, her companion from youth, regretting that she had once long ago asked the princesses for aid after he had shattered Princess Amore, she was sure things could still be salvaged.
Lord Sombra, what was left of him, had been flung out into the icy snow beyond the Empire's protected circle of warmth. The snows since may have buried the horn, thankfully shielding it from the sun, but any chance of reforming was still low. The horn noticeably gave off the sinister, unnerving feeling of dark magic; a dark spot on the edges of unicorns' senses. Something wicked lay out in the frozen wastes, but currently harmless. There were occasional faint surges of magic as he tested his strength, but none of it gave him a result.
Radiant Hope trudged through the snow towards the empire she had called home in her youth, Sombra had to be there and she would find him no matter if he was imprisoned or worse, she couldn't leave him all alone.
Lord Sombra gave himself periods of rest before he tried to rematerialize a body, and unbeknownst to him all he managed was to cause the snow to swirl faintly. There was no wind, which made it strange. Had he a voice and a throat, he would've growled his frustration, but alas. There was nothing he could do to come back fast enough to reclaim what he saw as his empire. Sombra would just have to bide his time.. here, out in the wastes some distance from the empire. He couldn't be sure if there was anypony coming that he could use, or not.
Radiant Hope would by sheer happenstance sense the pattern of energy that was familiar to her, but if that was him why was he outside? the last she had been here the empire had been gone, but for some reason it had resurfaced as of late, she would move to the energy source to see if it really was him.
Lord Sombra didn't quite give up on his attempts, but he was giving it a rest. His dark magic was still there, a small, dark beacon buried by the snow. The small eddies of disturbed flecks were slowing and settling back onto the surface of white. Sombra waited, preserving what energy he had before he sent himself into whatever darkness that served as slumber. The king supposed it was.. better than being banished in the ice. Gone for a thousand years, and what felt like the briefest of freedoms and consciousness.. now he was here, again. Damn those ponies..
Radiant Hope blinked watching the scene and sighed, this made so many things clear, now she had to do something that would hurt her friend and exhaust her but she couldn't let him be like this, her horn burst with energy as she poured her powerful magic into a restorative spell angled at the dark mass.
Lord Sombra could only wait. That was all he was left to do. Planning or thinking was difficult, let alone focusing on something for too long. It was a situation that he felt he was just going to have to hibernate on... until he felt something. Magic. The only thing his senses were picking up, because it was being used on him, or what was left of him. Healing magic. Familiar magic.. It was impossible, but Sombra let the magic fuel him and slowly began to reform, a red horn floating up atop a mass of shadow, out of the stark white of snow.
Radiant Hope poured more magic into Sombra's form as tears trailed down the corners of her eyes, as impossible as it was she had finally found him after a millenium, then sank through her knees as she spent most of her arcane reserves and restored Sombra to his full body.
Lord Sombra's body began to take shape under the horn. His head, his body, his neck, his legs. He could feel and see again. The light hurt his eyes and he felt the stinging cold of the arctic, but the velvet cape dulled some of it. A low rumble rolled out of his throat and past sharp teeth as he reopened his eyes, and onto Hope. It was her, unless being shattered by the Heart's magic made him delusional. Seeing things. Sombra picked up one hoof, marveling at finally having a physical form and made his slow way through the snow towards her, towering and silent. "Hope. Do mine eyes deceive me? Is it thee, truly?"
Radiant Hope lay on her side covered by her cloak but flicked her ears as she heard him call her name. "Yes Sombra, tis me and if you still feel anger in your heart for my mistake a millenium ago, now is your chance. as you see I've not become a princess."
Lord Sombra mulled over the sound of his own voice, his everything. He was back again, truly, but not entirely under his own power. It was her. The king quietly searched his memory, his brow furrowing down over those sinister eyes in a faint scowl. He didn't know what to say, now that he had a voice again; it was deep and rumbling, as always. "Has thee not?" Sombra queried. "There is still yet great anger in my heart, but if you recant thy traitorous actions against me.. perhaps. I shan't kill thee." His lips remained parted for a moment, eyes flicking away as that one word finally caught in his attention. Millennium? It.. certainly made sense. "Tell me, how it is thee still lives."
Radiant Hope sighed resting her head down and closed her eyes. "After you shattered Princess Amore I panicked, that's the only reason I went to the Sisters, I wanted them to stop you so you could get help and see reason. I never wanted you hurt, deep inside you know this Sombra. I yet live cause apparently time functioned differently in the shadow prison where I had stayed after the empire had vanished due to you."
Lord Sombra rumbled quietly, recalling that night. He'd been very angry that the princess knew what he really was, and did nothing. He did what he had to do. If he had not, she would have interfered again like she'd interfered then. "Get help? I don't need help, not from the likes of them." Sombra growled, his expression twisting briefly before he backed down, more of what Hope said drawing his curiosity. "Shadow prison? The umbrum?" Sombra repeated to confirm this. If it had.. perhaps it made sense. He turned his head away, sweeping that red and green gaze over the expanse of snow until his eyes were caught by the faint glittering in the distance. The Empire. Even so far, he was close. Last time.. they'd been prepared for him. If they believed him defeated for good.. they wouldn't be any longer. Taking them by surprise was an advantage he wouldn't waste.
Radiant Hope looked up at him and sighed, he did need help, but they had acted wrongly, she would not make their mistake and would instead support her friend the best she could, if he still wanted her. "Yes Sombra, they taught me a lot, they're the fairy friends I told you about when young."
Lord Sombra broke from his thoughts of retaking the Empire to look back down at Hope. Currently she was a source of information, but there was a part of him that felt it was wrong to treat his foalhood friend so coldly. She was tired, perhaps freezing. "I'd ask thee to elaborate on this." Sombra nearly demanded, but pulled himself quietly back from doing so. It was unfair. Life had been unfair to him, too.. but it was unfair to her. He had.. his reasons. "The umbrum are monsters." Sombra stated, his deep voice lowered to a murmur. "Speak of this to me later. What has happened since my failure? What news?"
Radiant Hope struggled to her hooves and looked up at him flicking her ears back. "M-monsters? um.. well that unicorn Twilight Sparkle is an alicorn now and I believe the empire is now ruled by a niece of Princess Celestia along with her husband, I think those two events are the biggest."
Lord Sombra's narrowed his eyes as he briefly checked his memories. To him, it wasn't that long ago, speaking with the voice coming out of the red crystal. "They said as much." His voice was a mere whisper, and he listened to this news attentively. The one she spoke of he hadn't seen, but the others he had; the pink alicorn most of all. The interloper. "I must find out more, before I can take it all back." Sombra took a step towards Hope, now that she was on her hooves. "Thy betrayal aside.. wouldst thee assist me in this task? Perhaps I might forgive thee, after all.." It was a persuasive offer he was striving for. "Prithee, be by my side, as I have offered thee once, and I offer again a last time."
Radiant Hope smiled and stepped up to nudge his cheek. "Though I'm not certain your path is the best to travel I will not leave your side again, we will see where we will end up, be it destiny or choice. So yes Sombra I will be by your side."
Lord Sombra didn't quite freeze or fluster easily upon receiving that nudge, but he did tense up. A ripple of confusion through his current emotions and thoughts before he shoved it aside. It was useless to dwell on it when he had plans to weave. He also noted that Hope spoke.. differently, which told him that the times had changed quite a bit since.. since his banishment under the ice. "This pleases me to hear it." Sombra rumbled, accomplished to have finally gotten her loyalty; convinced or not. He nodded and turned towards the sparkling empire in the distance, pondering quietly. There was a possibility they were just as open and trusting as they were a millennium ago, or they'd finally decided to muster a force of knights. Would they, cowardly though they were? It was a risk to investigate, so he would not. Yet. Sombra picked a direction and strode off, south. "Let us leave this place, for now. We need a place to set up, and information to gather."
Radiant Hope had left the shadow prison and the Umbrum recently, having studied her arcane arts and powers for a millennium there and finally set out to see if with the strength she had these days she could finally find and hopefully be forgiven by her best friend Sombra, her companion from youth, regretting that she had once long ago asked the princesses for aid after he had shattered Princess Amore, she was sure things could still be salvaged.
Lord Sombra, what was left of him, had been flung out into the icy snow beyond the Empire's protected circle of warmth. The snows since may have buried the horn, thankfully shielding it from the sun, but any chance of reforming was still low. The horn noticeably gave off the sinister, unnerving feeling of dark magic; a dark spot on the edges of unicorns' senses. Something wicked lay out in the frozen wastes, but currently harmless. There were occasional faint surges of magic as he tested his strength, but none of it gave him a result.
Radiant Hope trudged through the snow towards the empire she had called home in her youth, Sombra had to be there and she would find him no matter if he was imprisoned or worse, she couldn't leave him all alone.
Lord Sombra gave himself periods of rest before he tried to rematerialize a body, and unbeknownst to him all he managed was to cause the snow to swirl faintly. There was no wind, which made it strange. Had he a voice and a throat, he would've growled his frustration, but alas. There was nothing he could do to come back fast enough to reclaim what he saw as his empire. Sombra would just have to bide his time.. here, out in the wastes some distance from the empire. He couldn't be sure if there was anypony coming that he could use, or not.
Radiant Hope would by sheer happenstance sense the pattern of energy that was familiar to her, but if that was him why was he outside? the last she had been here the empire had been gone, but for some reason it had resurfaced as of late, she would move to the energy source to see if it really was him.
Lord Sombra didn't quite give up on his attempts, but he was giving it a rest. His dark magic was still there, a small, dark beacon buried by the snow. The small eddies of disturbed flecks were slowing and settling back onto the surface of white. Sombra waited, preserving what energy he had before he sent himself into whatever darkness that served as slumber. The king supposed it was.. better than being banished in the ice. Gone for a thousand years, and what felt like the briefest of freedoms and consciousness.. now he was here, again. Damn those ponies..
Radiant Hope blinked watching the scene and sighed, this made so many things clear, now she had to do something that would hurt her friend and exhaust her but she couldn't let him be like this, her horn burst with energy as she poured her powerful magic into a restorative spell angled at the dark mass.
Lord Sombra could only wait. That was all he was left to do. Planning or thinking was difficult, let alone focusing on something for too long. It was a situation that he felt he was just going to have to hibernate on... until he felt something. Magic. The only thing his senses were picking up, because it was being used on him, or what was left of him. Healing magic. Familiar magic.. It was impossible, but Sombra let the magic fuel him and slowly began to reform, a red horn floating up atop a mass of shadow, out of the stark white of snow.
Radiant Hope poured more magic into Sombra's form as tears trailed down the corners of her eyes, as impossible as it was she had finally found him after a millenium, then sank through her knees as she spent most of her arcane reserves and restored Sombra to his full body.
Lord Sombra's body began to take shape under the horn. His head, his body, his neck, his legs. He could feel and see again. The light hurt his eyes and he felt the stinging cold of the arctic, but the velvet cape dulled some of it. A low rumble rolled out of his throat and past sharp teeth as he reopened his eyes, and onto Hope. It was her, unless being shattered by the Heart's magic made him delusional. Seeing things. Sombra picked up one hoof, marveling at finally having a physical form and made his slow way through the snow towards her, towering and silent. "Hope. Do mine eyes deceive me? Is it thee, truly?"
Radiant Hope lay on her side covered by her cloak but flicked her ears as she heard him call her name. "Yes Sombra, tis me and if you still feel anger in your heart for my mistake a millenium ago, now is your chance. as you see I've not become a princess."
Lord Sombra mulled over the sound of his own voice, his everything. He was back again, truly, but not entirely under his own power. It was her. The king quietly searched his memory, his brow furrowing down over those sinister eyes in a faint scowl. He didn't know what to say, now that he had a voice again; it was deep and rumbling, as always. "Has thee not?" Sombra queried. "There is still yet great anger in my heart, but if you recant thy traitorous actions against me.. perhaps. I shan't kill thee." His lips remained parted for a moment, eyes flicking away as that one word finally caught in his attention. Millennium? It.. certainly made sense. "Tell me, how it is thee still lives."
Radiant Hope sighed resting her head down and closed her eyes. "After you shattered Princess Amore I panicked, that's the only reason I went to the Sisters, I wanted them to stop you so you could get help and see reason. I never wanted you hurt, deep inside you know this Sombra. I yet live cause apparently time functioned differently in the shadow prison where I had stayed after the empire had vanished due to you."
Lord Sombra rumbled quietly, recalling that night. He'd been very angry that the princess knew what he really was, and did nothing. He did what he had to do. If he had not, she would have interfered again like she'd interfered then. "Get help? I don't need help, not from the likes of them." Sombra growled, his expression twisting briefly before he backed down, more of what Hope said drawing his curiosity. "Shadow prison? The umbrum?" Sombra repeated to confirm this. If it had.. perhaps it made sense. He turned his head away, sweeping that red and green gaze over the expanse of snow until his eyes were caught by the faint glittering in the distance. The Empire. Even so far, he was close. Last time.. they'd been prepared for him. If they believed him defeated for good.. they wouldn't be any longer. Taking them by surprise was an advantage he wouldn't waste.
Radiant Hope looked up at him and sighed, he did need help, but they had acted wrongly, she would not make their mistake and would instead support her friend the best she could, if he still wanted her. "Yes Sombra, they taught me a lot, they're the fairy friends I told you about when young."
Lord Sombra broke from his thoughts of retaking the Empire to look back down at Hope. Currently she was a source of information, but there was a part of him that felt it was wrong to treat his foalhood friend so coldly. She was tired, perhaps freezing. "I'd ask thee to elaborate on this." Sombra nearly demanded, but pulled himself quietly back from doing so. It was unfair. Life had been unfair to him, too.. but it was unfair to her. He had.. his reasons. "The umbrum are monsters." Sombra stated, his deep voice lowered to a murmur. "Speak of this to me later. What has happened since my failure? What news?"
Radiant Hope struggled to her hooves and looked up at him flicking her ears back. "M-monsters? um.. well that unicorn Twilight Sparkle is an alicorn now and I believe the empire is now ruled by a niece of Princess Celestia along with her husband, I think those two events are the biggest."
Lord Sombra's narrowed his eyes as he briefly checked his memories. To him, it wasn't that long ago, speaking with the voice coming out of the red crystal. "They said as much." His voice was a mere whisper, and he listened to this news attentively. The one she spoke of he hadn't seen, but the others he had; the pink alicorn most of all. The interloper. "I must find out more, before I can take it all back." Sombra took a step towards Hope, now that she was on her hooves. "Thy betrayal aside.. wouldst thee assist me in this task? Perhaps I might forgive thee, after all.." It was a persuasive offer he was striving for. "Prithee, be by my side, as I have offered thee once, and I offer again a last time."
Radiant Hope smiled and stepped up to nudge his cheek. "Though I'm not certain your path is the best to travel I will not leave your side again, we will see where we will end up, be it destiny or choice. So yes Sombra I will be by your side."
Lord Sombra didn't quite freeze or fluster easily upon receiving that nudge, but he did tense up. A ripple of confusion through his current emotions and thoughts before he shoved it aside. It was useless to dwell on it when he had plans to weave. He also noted that Hope spoke.. differently, which told him that the times had changed quite a bit since.. since his banishment under the ice. "This pleases me to hear it." Sombra rumbled, accomplished to have finally gotten her loyalty; convinced or not. He nodded and turned towards the sparkling empire in the distance, pondering quietly. There was a possibility they were just as open and trusting as they were a millennium ago, or they'd finally decided to muster a force of knights. Would they, cowardly though they were? It was a risk to investigate, so he would not. Yet. Sombra picked a direction and strode off, south. "Let us leave this place, for now. We need a place to set up, and information to gather."