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Late Night Encounter [Invite Only]


dragonofruin

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Raven actually started to giggle a bit as Sombra mentioned her word choice of reform, and how much he had fixated on it. "Sorry, sorry... I... I'm sorry, it's just that was a complete misunderstanding that I didn't know would get under your skin so much." She said as she started to calm down. "What I meant was that I wasn't going to try to change you, it never really works. Unless, of course, deep down somepony wants to change. No, I was stating how I wasn't going to judge you, or say what you did was right or wrong, not without hearing what you had to say about it."

 

Raven was glad that he seemed to be enjoying the tea, and decided to address his other statement. "Right... The REA was formed after the Crystal Kingdom was sealed... So, basically, after Luna became Nightmare Moon and was banished, Princess Celestia decided that pony-kind would be better off defending it self, or something like that... I actually suspect depression from having to fight her sister caused her to want to withdraw some. Anyway, so the EUP, or Earth, Unicorn, Pegasus, Guard was formed. Later, they kinda split into different factions, and eventually we ended up with the Royal Equestrian Guard, made up of the Royal Equestrian Army, or REA, and the Royal Equestrian Navy. Also, I do have something else, I help those around Canterlot who need it. Well, that and learn new spell theories..." She stated, her tone becoming almost lecture like as she gave Sombra a brief history lesson. She left out how her family had been present through almost that entire time, however, as while she was proud of that, it was an unimportant fact...

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His guess had been correct. Change. To want to reform him, or anypony, was the want to change them. It felt wrong, and he was a beast who had done a great many wrongs. It was just that to want to change somepony, who they were, rubbed him the wrong way and he was glad Raven was smart enough not to try. If she had, it wouldn't have gone well for her and it likely wouldn't turn out well for anypony who came to reform him and who he was as a.. creature. An umbrum. He couldn't very well call himself a pony now, except in the loosest sense for the ease of speech. Her soft giggle was noted with some interest.

 

"I see," Sombra rumbled, the tone of which he'd said it expressing that it'd finally clicked. REA. The Royal Equestrian Army. Their guard. Now it made sense who exactly this mare wanted to join and who her family had served for generations. The stallion grunted, crossing his forelegs over his barrel chest and sipping tea from his levitated cup. "Perhaps it was best you never had that chance to join them. Equestria, from what I have seen of thus far, is strangely peaceful. I know of its history, to an extent, and I know it has encountered greater powers.. the kind of power a mere mortal army cannot battle on its own. If I had ever had my chance, how well do you think they would have stood against me? Not very well. They would have fallen easily."

 

Pausing, he peered into his cup thoughtfully. "Whether your horn was cracked or not, you would only have been putting yourself in terrible danger for.. what? The princesses? They are far more equipped in power to deal with such great threats than a mortal, or even an army of mortals." The more Sombra spoke about the royal sisters, it made it clear that he was disenchanted with them, with princesses or any sort of royalty as a whole. He thought very little of them.

 

After mulling over whether he had any more questions, Sombra felt all of them that he'd asked thus far had been answered. Save one. "My last question. What was that spell you used against the ruffians in the alley? It was new to me, and strange. After you answer this last question, I do believe I'm due to tell you about myself."

 

 

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"You misunderstand yet again, I'm afraid." Raven said, her tone seeming to harden slightly, as if she was offended. "I would gladly give up my life if it meant making Equestria a better place. I don't care if that means doing what the Princesses want, or going against their will. They are not the people of Equestria, just two really powerful members of it's citizenry." She took a steadying breath, her face softening as she did.

 

"That was rude of me... It's just, My family has put a lot of time and effort making Equestria a better place, and we are proud of it. Honestly, we didn't even want to be made nobles, but the Princesses decided that it was the best way to reward our tireless work." She tried to make up for how she'd snapped at Sombra. If there was one thing she was passionate about, it was her family's legacy. They had spent a millennium or more, and lost several lives working hard for the benefit of all pony-kind.

 

She actually blushed at his last question. "That... That's actually related to how I got my cutie mark... After I learned how to cast again, my parents decided we would to go on a vacation.On the way to the town we were going to, we were ambushed by Diamond Dogs. In my panic, I felt a huge surge of magic pour through me, and I unleashed the Shadowsun. As far as I know, I'm the only pony that can cast it. It generates a huge flash of light and a huge bang of sound, as you saw. I call it a Flash-bang effect, and I'm immune to it, so... It's a great first strike spell." Raven ducked her head slightly, embarrassed slightly at the fact of her heroism...

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The king frowned, tensing a little from her tone and made an effort not to rise to that flicker of anger, to respond in kind. There wouldn't be any point to argue with her, or any pony; they were so set in their ways and -- what did he know of familial connections? "They are also its rulers, and most of the responsibility of leading and protecting their kingdom rests on their shoulders," he couldn't help replying. "I see no point in throwing your life away, whether for nothing or some greater good." And not for princesses.

 

The latter was kept to himself and he huffed softly, drinking the rest of the tea from his cup and setting it back onto the table. "But perhaps that is only my view," he added in a quiet rumble, exhaling heavily through his nose. A small shrug followed, as if the conversation were closed. He was a stubborn, bitter creature, and he didn't want to get into any sort of a fight with his host no matter how much he disagreed. Instead, he focused on the story behind her unique spell, listening with his ears perked in interest. "It seems to be," he quietly agreed. It sounded like it was a useful spell, but not one he could attempt to try if he ever wanted to. It was unicorn magic.

 

"Now then, I've gotten the information that I was so curious about, I suppose it's time I give you my history, isn't it?" Sombra said after a brief pause, tapping the end of one of the chair's armrests with a forehoof. Maybe she'd see why he thought the princesses were worth wasting one's life.. His head tilted as he considered where to begin. He already knew he wasn't going to launch into any close detail.

 

"My first memory was waking up on somepony's back. One of the crystal guard. They'd found me lying out in the snow some distance from the empire, and with no family to bring me back to, and because I wasn't a crystal pony, they brought me to the orphanage, run by a mare named Chestnut Falls. I couldn't speak the pony language, and the only word I knew was the one that became my name: Sombra. I grew up in that orphanage, and I was schooled by Chestnut Falls along with the rest of the orphans. It was difficult, but once I'd managed I was eager to read and learn whatever I could." The king quieted, searching his memory. "It feels.. strange now to admit that the other foals bullied me, but they did. I wasn't a crystal pony. Dark colors, dull coat.. Why wouldn't they?" he muttered bitterly. "The only thing that got me through that orphanage was a filly who befriended me, named Radiant Hope. I suppose she wasn't as well liked by the others either for being strange. Still, she had been my friend and I grew up with her. We did a lot together, and did what most foals did when they try to get their cutiemarks. And of course there was the Crystal Faire.. which has its own history entirely. For me, however, the crystal heart's magic affected me negatively, and at the time I had no idea what it was. All I knew that every year, every Crystal Faire, I was in extreme pain. You should understand that that pain, and all the foul treatment at the hooves of those ponies is why events unfolded as they did. Whether I had Hope, or not, I grew bitter, and did my best to bottle the anger I felt."

 

Sombra exhaled and slouched back in his seat, forelegs draped over the armrests. "To make this short.. the tipping point was the day the Crystal Heart nearly tore me apart, and Hope saved me. She developed powerful healing magic and managed to keep me from a terrible fate. As a result, she got her cutiemark.. and later got a letter from the princesses requesting her to become their student, to hone her extraordinary magic. Of course, after she showed me that.. I became distraught, and fled out into the wastes in hope I'd find my own destiny. Too, I wished to escape, because without Hope, what nearly happened to me might happen again. I ran into a large, red crystal and a voice spoke to me, calling itself my mother who explained what I was and where I'd come from." He tilted his head. This story of his was getting far too long, but he'd covered most of it. "The umbrum are imprisoned deep beneath the Crystal Empire and that crystal is their only window on the world. The only way to escape was to turn one of their own into a pony, to lock his powers away, and slip him out. So, Rabia unlocked my dark power and I realized my purpose. That was pretty much where it started what you know. I went back into the empire, stole the Heart, and shattered Princess Amore.. because she knew all along what I was, and let me suffer all those years." He snorted. "So the Empire became mine. I let my rage and bitterness out, and I enslaved them. Most of them."

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Raven's face dropped like a stone in water when she heard Sombra's tale. It took her a while to respond, her voice weak when she finally found the words. "I... I'm sorry..." She wanted to reach out and hug him. "I... I know it's... It's much too late, and too little, but I'm sorry... That shouldn't happen to anypony, I mean anypony. It's... It's not fair at all... To be tortured like that, to feel abandoned like that... I mean, you didn't handle it well, but I can easily see anypony making that mistake..."

 

She slowly stood, and moved to be in front of Sombra. "I promise, upon my honor as the heir of House Dupone, that for as long as you wish, you will be welcome in my house, King Sombra. Furthermore, I will do my best to help defend you if it is needed." She bowed as she finished speaking, Her mind was still reeling as she did so, her thoughts dark and stormy. She had been bullied a bit before she was pulled out of school to study magic independently, but to feel so... wronged, she couldn't even begin to imagine the pain Sombra had felt as he had fled the kingdom for that first, fateful time. While he may have overreacted, he could have been pushed to even darker depths than he had gone, and Raven felt like he honestly deserved to get some kind of retribution against the kingdom, though a small voice in the back of her head did remind her of the possibility that they didn't know the heart was hurting him, or that red crystal was lying to him...

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Sombra hadn't intended it to get so lengthy. He thought he'd be able to present his history simply enough, but the more he'd talked the more he realized he couldn't reduce it. There'd been too many important details, and he'd even forgotten one: that Hope had abandoned him after what he'd done to Amore. While he couldn't blame her for fleeing from a monstrous act, she still -- left him. The only friend he'd had who he thought would stick by his side no matter what, but as it turned out, Hope seemed to have just been there for the good times. For the most part.

 

The umbrum had noticed how Raven's expression changed so drastically by the time he'd finished, and when she spoke, she surprised him. His ears twitched towards how weak her voice was in shock, and he shifted in his seat when the mare rose to stand before him. Sombra could do nothing but stare, an expression of some bewilderment on his face. She'd acknowledged him for what he was, and offered to defend him. Something stirred in him and he could dare to say that that proclamation had touched him. Was this what support felt like? Real support?

 

Sombra cleared his throat, as if trying to work past how this left him feeling and loosely draped his curled forelegs against his chest. He wasn't sure what to say. Such things like thank you and I appreciate this felt.. unusual in his mouth. "I never expected to hear such a thing in my life," he murmured, looking down at the bowing mare. "Do not be mistaken, what I did to them was terrible. I enslaved them, made them dig so that I might find the door to the umbrums' prison. Some of them were overworked and died. I am not innocent." Although he continued to speak quietly, gravely, his voice was still strong enough to be heard, a low rumble of sound. "If you intend to defend me, at least know what you defend."

 

He tilted his head, considering something else. "If you wish to help others, help those who actually need it. Ponies are not the pure, faultless beings they believe themselves to be, but terrible, selfish, and prejudiced. You'd do better to help those the world refuses to do anything for for being different."

 

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Raven stood, a soft smile on her face. "I know. You did terrible things, but did them in the name of your people. You are not entirely the monster that you, or others, think you are. Besides, I know of no pony who could say they had never lashed out in anger and hatred at some point... For me, it's every time I battle..." She said, before yawning loudly. The night had finally caught up with her, and she was feeling the effects of staying up so late. "I'm sorry, it's so terribly late I'm afraid... perhaps we can continue tomorrow?"

 

She put up the tea set, and extinguished the fire. "I've got some spell work to try tomorrow, but I should be free in the evening... Oh, you may see a Earth pony from Stalliongrad around, That's my uncle. I'll make sure he won't bother you." Raven waited by the door, hoping that the guest room had been made up. She would hate to seem to be unprepared to house guests when she had been so forward with her invitation for Sombra to stay with her.

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A low, rumbling chuckle left Sombra. "My people are monsters too, and they've done things just as terrible as I have. Perhaps worse, but perhaps that is a story for another time." A soft sigh left him. He wouldn't try to dispute what Raven had to say about him because it was.. nice to hear somepony say such a thing for once. To never name him a monster as so many ponies before her had done. The umbrum merely nodded and took notice of the mare's weariness. It was late at night, and most ponies were asleep at this time.

 

As for himself, he felt nothing.

 

Sombra leaned forward in his seat and rose back onto his hooves while Raven busied herself with putting the tea away, and putting out the fireplace. An ear was idly cocked her way, and he was made aware of her schedule tomorrow. Implying that she might want to spend more time with him once she had nothing else to do. He'd never admit that he actually liked the idea of somepony looking forward to talking with, let alone seeing him, the next day.

 

"I'd have no idea how to identify a pony from Stalliongrad or any other location. However, I'll be sure to remember who he is," Sombra replied with a little dryness as he made his way towards the door where Raven waited for him. He'd guess that she'd give him a room to sleep in tonight, and so long that he was here and had access to a bathtub, he was definitely going to take advantage of being able to bathe.

 

 

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Raven didn't notice Sombra's statement, her attention span zeroing out as she started to head for the guest room. It had an attached bathroom on it, in case an important guest who valued their privacy more than the average pony stayed. She hummed softly as she walked though the halls, making sure Sombra was following. "I'm afraid it's probably not all that fancy compared to places in the crystal kingdom, but we have the basics here..." She said, coming to a simple wooden door. Opening it, she let out a sigh, glad to see that the bed was made up and everything was in it's place. "Bathroom's through the door on the right side, and if you want to hang your cloak up, closet's on the left side..." With that, she nodded to Sombra, before heading for her room. As she opened the door, she smiled, as she always did upon seeing her fancy four-poster bed. It was silly, but her parents had always called her their little princess, and the bed always reminded her of that. Her sleep was restless, as it had been since her parents had disappeared, but otherwise fine.

 

Raven woke to the sound of a soft hoof-tap to her door, and she blearily went to the door and opened, a soft smile on her face. "Morning Dyadʹko... Sorry for not being up sooner, had a late night last night, with an interesting guest. He's probably sleeping still..." The stallion she called Uncle smiled down at her. "Another guest?" He asked, his accent not lessened by his time in Canterlot. "Who is it this time? Yet another of the homeless?" Raven shook her head as she started down the hall, her uncle falling in beside her. "Kinda... It's King Sombra... Uncle..." The last was said with a warning tone, as when she said her guest's name, Uncle had stiffened, his body tightening up as if he was ready to rush in to fight Sombra himself. "He was nothing but cordial, and even told me his history. I promised him House Dupone's protection, and I mean it Uncle." Uncle slowly nodded, his face still hardened. "I understand, Pryntsesa, though that doesn't mean I like it..."

 

With that, they headed down to the kitchen, where Uncle proceeded to make her breakfast, before Raven retired to the study. If one was to be able to open the door, they would see books being pulled from the shelves almost haphazardly, as Raven scribbled formulae after formulae on parchment, occasionally trying a spell out, only to wince with pain as it backfired time and time again...

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The king trailed after the mare, his eyes wandering over more of the house's interior as he saw it. It was nicely spacious and clean, with rich carpet underhoof. He quietly scoffed. "Not all that fancy? It is far better than the buildings of the Crystal Empire! I've.. never been inside any of the houses, but the architecture in Equestria alone is far better than the empire's. Even the interior of your house is pleasant on the eyes. You need not apologize to me. As long as you have what I need, there'll be no problems," he replied, voice low and smooth.

 

Sombra stepped past the mare when she opened up the door to the guest bedroom and he scanned the room with curiosity. A comfortable bed, and another door that he presumed lead to a bathroom of some sort. It was confirmed shortly after by Raven. He grunted, pleased. Briefly he glanced back at Raven, watching her go before he shut his door behind her and made for the bathroom. His rich red cape was discarded, draped over the edge of the bed, and he took advantage of having access to a bath again. A nice, hot bath. Only shortly afterward when he was dry did he lay himself down in bed, giving himself a chance to relax. Eventually, he drifted off without meaning to.

 

When morning came, Sombra stirred, shying away from a thin beam of sunlight that was streaming between a crack in the curtains. He quietly grumbled to himself and tried to bury deeper under blankets he didn't remember covering himself with, trying to mentally find that dark abyss of sleep. Unfortunately, it was not to be. What shred of consciousness existed seemed to spread like a virus, and the grey king was lying in bed, awake but groggy. Giving up on any chance of returning to sleep, he kicked the covers off and rolled out of bed, giving himself a shake and slipping his cape onto his back and fastening it at his neck on his way out of the room. The surroundings seemed unfamiliar in the morning, but last night's memories were slowly coming back.

 

Raven. The mare must be around here somewhere. Sombra made a note to himself to also keep an eye out for this uncle of hers, just in case he ran into the stallion. He wandered the house on his own, getting to know its layout, and along the way he passed by a door that he was sure he'd heard faint rustling noises from, as well as the sound of a backfiring spell. His ear twitched, and Sombra attempted to enter the room to investigate. It was probably her.

 

 

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Raven rubbed her head, the pain starting to get to her. She decided to go take a break, and head out to the little garden outback. However, her journey was stopped when she nearly walked into Sombra as she opened the door. "Oh, sorry, I kinda expected you to sleep more. I'm calling it quits for today... Just can't find the right spell form... It's a simple spell too, just a stunning bolt... Anyway, I was going to go sit outside in the garden out back till my headache disappears... Unless you want to do something?" Raven said, stepping back a bit so she wasn't right on Sombra's hooves.

 

She looked a little haggard, but learning new spells always took more out of her than it should. "Whenever I try to learn new spells, I have to invent my own spell form, as I can't channel too much atheric energy through the part of my horn that's cracked..." She offered as a small, self-conscious apology about her appearance. She smiled at the once king, not that surprised to find that she enjoyed her time around him. He was not only a source of new information, but they were somewhat similar, though Sombra had been through more than any pony should have gone through. He seemed to not realize that he could be forgiven, nor even want it, but Raven would stay by his side, and show him... Yes, that's what she meant, when she said she'd help him... Help him to see he wasn't purely evil and dark...

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His hoof had barely begun to push open the door when it appeared to swing open on its own accord. Raven came into view in the next instant and he blinked, stepping back from how close she'd come to running into him. "Believe me, I wanted to sleep more. I may have to make an effort to make my room darker when the morning sun rises if I want to avoid being conscious." He snorted softly, as if being awake was the most inconvenient thing in the world. For a creature who spent most of his time awake, it could be; he was finding he was beginning to enjoy sleeping again.. at least when he had a comfortable bed to sleep in, that was.

 

Sombra moved further back into the hallway to give Raven space to leave the room. "Perhaps I can -- help, if you wish." To think, he was offering help. Him. But when it came to the practice of magic and learning new spells, he was willing. Besides, it would give him something to do.

 

"In other words, you need to work around your disability. It's commendable that you've managed it," he murmured, responding to her subtle apology with a mere shrug of his shoulder. "It makes me wonder, however.. Why have you never tried to find a unicorn skilled in healing magic? Surely they could help?" Sombra asked with a small frown, quizzical. Why hadn't she? Unless there were no healers with that level of skill available. Well, there had been one.. but that'd been a thousand years ago, and that traitor was surely dead unless she'd been in the Crystal Empire at the time he cast his curse.

 

The smile Raven turned upon him was met with a little more confusion and Sombra couldn't figure out why.

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"It was decided that because I was still developing, it would have been too dangerous to try to heal the crack, and at this point, it's been long enough it doesn't bother me much." Raven stated as she led the way out to the backyard. It wasn't big, considering she lived in Canterlot after all, but it was a nice, quiet place, enchantments put in place over the years making sure that the noise of the city faded... She messed with some of the flowers, not really doing much other than touching some and slightly moving some of the others, before laying down on a padded bench nearby. "I would appreciate the help though... I'm not sure what part of the formulae I'm messing up on... I'll show you my notes when we go back in... Are you well versed in magic theory?" Raven asked, her voice soft as she tacked on the question at the end. She wanted to nap, as exhausted as she was, till tea time, but didn't want to seem rude to Sombra.

 

"Oh, I think there might be an easy rest enchantment on your room, makes the windows not transmit light... I'll have to check to be sure though... Haven't used it in a while." Raven was really content right now, and her expression said as much. "Is there anything you might want to do? The spell work's really just a hobby of mine, I can put it aside." It was true, she had received an equivalency degree in magic theory right before her parents left on their trip... and just like that, a switch was flipped inside. If only she hadn't said that she didn't feel comfortable fighting, or that she was afraid to leave Canterlot... She might have been able to help, to try to save them. At least she would be with them, where ever they were. The only outward sign of this was her eyes though, the rest of her too worn out for now to show much emotion...

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The king rumbled softly in his throat and followed the mare through her house again, and out into the morning light that was shining down onto her back yard. The grass was a rich green, and the flowers added flecks of color. It was simple. He could appreciate it to an extent. While Raven settled herself on the padded bench, Sombra chose to seat himself on the soft grass, his eyes narrowed against the harsh sunlight.

 

"I can't say that I am. The Crystal Empire never had much in the way of unicorns, much less very many books on magic and spells despite their vast library. Most of what I know is what I could find, and what I could create from my understanding of magic. I can imagine after a thousand years that the understanding of magic has gotten far better.. It seems to, from the sound of it. I intend to learn what I can," he replied with a small shrug of one of his shoulders. "I still believe I can help, in some way." If he searched himself about why he wanted to help, Sombra wouldn't be able to find the answer or the reason. Maybe it was because she'd allowed him to stay in her home, or that she'd been so understanding and caring about what he'd been through. What she'd said was more heartfelt than he expected from a pony.

 

"An enchantment? I never knew." Sombra grunted, making a note to nose around the guest room he'd been given to see if he couldn't find that enchantment. Maybe he could do something to keep the sun from coming through the windows, or the cracks in the curtains. The question that she next asked caught his attention, dragging it away from his pondering. His head tilted, and he eyed her thoughtfully. "You need not drop everything for me. I'm not exactly the 'go out do something in town' type of stallion." An eyebrow rose, as if asking her if he really looked like a social beast.

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Raven giggled a little, an exhausted smile coming to her face. "I wasn't asking to head out or anything, but I figured I could learn something about what a new friend liked to do." She said, more teasing then being serious about the friend thing. Sure, they were getting along fine, and Raven wanted to spend more time with Sombra, as she found herself opening more to him than most other ponies she knew, but still... They just met last night.

 

"As for the spell theory, that's basically what I have to do, is create new ways of casting known spells... Right now I'm trying to make a single target stun bolt work, but it keeps either backfiring from too much energy, or fizzling from too little..." Emphasis was put on have, as she had learned that very few spell forms still worked for her, and she couldn't just read the incantations and use the various other ways unicorns had of casting spells that could be easily taught... "I mean, it's not like I could just sling a miniature version of Shadowsun, right?"

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The giggle that he'd managed to elicit from the mare puzzled him, and Sombra had to take a minute to mull through the conversation to see if he couldn't find what Raven found so funny. So far as he could tell, there was nothing. Then again, he never had much of a sense of humor. His ear twitched. New friend? While Raven didn't sound like she was entirely serious about the statement, Sombra wasn't sure what to think of it. Friendship only left him wary now. It'd left him vulnerable to betrayal in the past, and Hope had been so quick to do so, to simply drop him. Yet, Raven wasn't a crystal pony.

 

It was something to think about later.

 

For now, he focused himself again on the present, paying attention to what Raven had to say about spell theory and her failures with a stun bolt. The solution could almost be simple, if he didn't know actually performing a spell was difficult in itself. He chose to say something along the vein of it anyway; sometimes it took looking at a problem from a different angle to find the proper solution. "It sounds like finding the perfect balance of magic is what is required. You should try to work up from the bottom until you discover the required amount of magic that will help the spell work," Sombra put in after a moment's consideration. "Do not be so quick or eager to try to perform the spell, even if you already understand how to do it. Have patience. You'll be able to cast them."

 

The king paused, head cocked. "If it's part of your talent, perhaps you could attempt such a thing.. if your stunning spell doesn't work."

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"Yeah..." Raven said, nodding as she thought of the possible mechanics of throwing her Shadowsun. After a bit her stomach rumbled a bit, and she stood and stretched. "You hungry? I think it's about lunch time..." She messed with some more of the flowers, before turning to head in. She slowly led the way to the kitchen, fixing things like photos on the wall and such as she passed. Most were of her time with her parents, they had enjoyed their time together a lot, and the pictures showed that. They also showed that they traveled to different parts of Equestria commonly, though Raven hadn't understood why till the day she got her cutie mark.

 

From the outside, they looked like happy memories, but they were truly sad for Raven. Her parents had been missing for awhile now, and even before that she had felt like she was holding them back because of her horn. She did her best not to let her pain show though, even as her thoughts darkened. She stopped by the fridge, her eyes closed as she focused, pushing down her sorrow. When she finally got done, she turned and smiled softly. "So... Is there anything in particular you want? I just usually have a dandelion and daisy salad, but I could make something else..."

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In the ensuing silence, Sombra's mind drifted again to the matter of magic, and Raven. To avoid looking like he was staring at her while his thoughts were elsewhere, the stallion shifted his gaze back to the backyard and the flowers in it. There were many colorful flowers that were unlike what grew in the Empire, and to an extent they were pleasing to look at. His attention was drawn away from his thoughts when Raven's voice broke into his reverie.

 

The king blinked. It didn't seem as if -- well, perhaps it was getting close to the time that ponies normally ate lunch. It wasn't as if he had much of a sense of time in order to tell. Sombra pushed himself to his hooves and followed after the mare again, despite the fact that he didn't need to eat and he usually wasn't hungry. Not for normal pony food, anyway, but fear. What his species fed on. His pace slowed once they were inside, strolling through the hallways full of framed pictures of Raven and other ponies. Two ponies, in particular, that Sombra could guess from their colorations and certain similar attributes that they were Raven's parents. Were they dead, he wondered, or had they simply disappeared? If Raven had told him, he couldn't remember that particular detail.

 

Sombra pulled his eyes away from the pictures, the depictions of happy ponies and a normal family life that he'd never had, to catch up to his colorful host and join her in the kitchen. "No, nothing in particular. I have no real need to eat, so don't feel as if you're obligated to keep feeding me," Sombra replied a little awkwardly, lifting a shoulder in a shrug. After seeing those pictures, and the portraits, he wasn't sure how to feel. The tall stallion moved to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair to seat himself in, sweeping the fur-lined end of his cape out of the way with a hoof as he sat down. There was a chance that it would bare some of his bare flank, but he tried not to think about it.

 

"Maybe there is something you would like to do after lunch. Studying magic and the advances that must've been made over the course of a thousand years certainly interests me."

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Raven nodded as she pulled the ingredients out and started to make her salad. "That's actually really interesting... So, ambient energy or emotions, or... well, how do you sustain yourself?" She found herself asking as she finished making the food, and carried it to the table. Taking a bite, she thought about things for awhile. "Well, I do usually practice a bit more, or just read other's theories on magic to see if it might help me make a breakthrough... So we can go back to the study, and I can loan you some books on magic theory and other history books and such..."

 

Raven had noticed Sombra move his cape, but thought little of it, not used to looking for or at other's cutie marks. "Although tomorrow I may have to leave you alone, I have to go out to help unfortunate ponies, as well as acquiring some more books..." She didn't know if Sombra would be willing to head out into Canterlot during the day with all the other ponies, as well as the guard. She ate slowly, as well as drinking some soft cider as she thought some more about her parents. Would they have allowed Sombra into their house? Would they have accepted him for who he is? These thoughts swirled darkly through her mind as she ate, as similar thoughts usually did. She almost always had self-doubts and worries, and they almost always hit her hardest during lunch... it was probably the pictures, but Raven couldn't bring herself to take them down...

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A low and thoughtful sounding rumble rolled up out of Sombra's throat. Thus far, she hadn't been afraid of him.. at least, not since their initial meeting as far as he knew. "Fear," Sombra replied, straight to the point. "And despair. It is how the umbrum sustain themselves, as well as myself. Food is.. nice, and may help a little, but I get most of what I need from those emotions. I suppose it is, to some extent, like these.. changelings I've heard mention of, yet they feed on something different." Love. Sombra wanted to scoff at the mere thought of the emotion, the concept. Anything like it he might've felt once for Hope could've easily been mistaken for love, or some sort of desperation not to be alone among so many unfriendly ponies.

 

"I think I'd like to join you in this study of yours. I'd like to see these books, and spend some of my time reading to see what I can learn." And maybe even dare to practice some spells with Raven, if he could. He was feeling much more comfortable around this accepting mare the longer he spent around her, and her nature put him more at ease. It would normally be a little alarming, but there was nothing about her that appeared malicious, calculating or even suspicious in the least.

 

Sombra watched her curiously and tilted his head. Alone tomorrow? He didn't mind the thought of having the house to himself, but he had to remind himself it wasn't his house and that there was another pony here. Raven's uncle. He hadn't yet met the stallion yet, or seen him. "I wouldn't mind having a little time to myself, if that is what you need to do."

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Raven nodded at Sombra's words, her mind taking a second to process them. "Wait, Despair? I mean, I can kinda understand fear, but utter loss of hope? Huh... That's... Interesting..." She said, wondering if he was feeding off of her. She knew that her parents were probably dead, after all, they had been missing for the last few years, but she still held out some hope... right? Focusing her thoughts, she took a deep breath. She wasn't afraid of him, or of him feeding on her, but curious. Did it hurt, or was it possible the provider didn't feel or know a thing? Also, could it be used to strengthen others, make them more courageous by consuming their fear? Probably not, considering fear was the primary was to describe the emotional state of the Crystal Kingdom when Sombra ruled, but still...

 

"I would love to get your thoughts on my spell work as well, we'll head to the study after I finish." Her mind was now on the possibilities that Sombra might unveil to her, and she was almost giddy with excitement. She had always enjoyed learning new things, and spells most of all, though most spells the dark king could teach her would be as black as his coat. She didn't think that they had to be always evil though, it was just a matter of finding when to use them. She tried to take her time eating so as not to appear unmannerly, but still hurried her meal so that they could adjourn to the study...

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Sombra responded to her question with a nod of his head. It was one of the emotions that they did, indeed, feed off of. "While you eat your lunch, perhaps I can tell you another story as I mentioned last night. If you're interested," he left the offer open for her acceptance, or rejection, but he could tell that they might end up moving on to her study soon. There was always time, he felt, for him to tell her an important point in the history of the Crystal Empire. Near the beginning of it and the reason why the Crystal Faire even existed in the first place.

 

The king grunted softly and looked away from her while she ate, eying the kitchen with interest. "I'll be sure to let you know. You don't seem like you get much of a chance to get feedback when it comes to magic and spellwork. I'm sure it may be useful to you." Sombra was confident enough in his ability to feel like he wouldn't need such a thing, but he never knew. It was entirely possible that having another unicorn around like Raven would be useful for any discussions and problem solving. He rumbled softly to himself and allowed Raven to eat in peace, without staring at her or disturbing her further with talk. He was patient, but it was best this way so that they could get to the study much sooner; he was eager to peruse her archive of spellbooks.

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Raven nodded before speaking. "I think I would like to hear anything you might want to tell me... To be honest, I'm fascinated with learning new things..." She resumed eating, picking up the pace a bit. It wasn't long before she was done, and she sat the plate by the sink. While her uncle would probably get onto her for not washing it right away, she was too eager to get an outside look on her spell work. "My uncle's obviously not very skilled in spell work, and more... traditional locales for learning don't like or really understand my techniques, or my method of casting. Most of them are focused on established spell forms..." She said as they left the kitchen.

 

When they got to the study, she let Sombra go in first, before shutting the door, her horn glowing a bit as she channeled a little magic into the locking enchantment on the door, that would only allow the door to open from the inside, or after a set period of time. "I... It's not a good thing if I'm in the middle of channeling and I get disrupted... I've had to replace a few shelves in here before I figured out how to activate that spell... All of the books are organized by subject, so you should be able to find what you want... I have most of the spell books that are on the market right now, as well as several history books..." She went to work on her notes, the quill held in her magic's grasp moving quickly, but exactly as diagrams and formulae seemed to almost pour from it's tip. Anyone would be able to tell that she was used to this step, that it was with practiced motions she moved the quill...

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Sombra made a soft noise in his throat and nodded, acknowledging her acceptance. He didn't know why he felt comfortable enough to actually want to talk to her, much less tell a 'story' that was just a bit of the Crystal Empire's history, but he did. Perhaps she just made it so easy to, or her entire lack of fear of him. She didn't treat him like he was different, that he was some other; she just treated him like a pony and it was something he'd been missing for a long time.

 

The king chose to let the mare eat in peace, making a plan to find a chance to tell her the story later- and he thought of it as a story because he, himself, loved stories, although it was a detail he'd never let anypony know. Not unless they'd entirely earned his trust and with very good reason. He grunted softly. "How poor of them to never make magic learning more available for others less fortunate," he muttered.

 

Sombra rose once she'd finished and put her dishes in the sink with a soft clatter, and he shadowed her to her study. Once they were inside, he made a small note of her decision to lock the door and looked away once she'd expressed her reasoning for it, turning his focus onto the shelves of book with a glint of greed in his red, inequine eyes. The stallion approached the shelves and perused the titles written on the spines, his dark magic plucking out those that caught his attention. It was only after he'd restrained himself to a few that he picked a place to sit down and reclined, cracking open the first book. Yet, rather than leaping straight into reading, he glanced over the top of it towards Raven's scrawling with an interest. He couldn't quite read what she was writing from here, but the way in which she wrote was confident. Raven knew what she was doing, he could tell that much.

 

The umbrum resolved to peek at her notes sometime, if she let him, just to see what it all was. "I appreciate it. You've got quite a wealth of information in here, and I could spend quite a lot of my time just trying to read it all. Especially now that I have the time to." Ruling the empire hadn't exactly left him with enough free leisure time. "Do not be afraid to ask your questions, and request my insight. It is the least I can do, and an equal exchange."

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Raven's writing slowed. "Well, I was going to wait a bit, but... If you were to try to come up with a stun spell, never having known of the very concept of it, where would you start? I mean, I thought that trying to separate the sound part of the Shadowsun spell, and adding a little bit of electricity to it would work, but... The math works, I just can't generate the power without hitting my crack..." At this, she turned to face Sombra. She had quit writing, her formulae added up no matter how she approached it. She was at a total loss. "Maybe I need to come at it a different way... I've always had difficulty with stun spells. I mean, even Shadowsun isn't really a stun spell, more of a disabling spell, causing the targets to lose sight and hearing for a bit."

 

"I'm just not sure what to do..." She looked down, her face verging on sorrow. It wasn't often that she hit a wall like this one, where she just wasn't able to manage the aetheric energies to be able to begin casting the spell. It also didn't help that a stunning bolt was what she was trying to cast when she cracked her horn... It hurt her to relive that memory, as it was the last time she could be normal, her family was truly safe and happy. She had to get this spell right! She had too, if she ever wanted to move on, to be able to leave the past in the past...

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