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Ice and Shadows [Closed]


dragonofruin

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"I can understand your concern, and I agree. This might not be the actions of a mere few. However, like I said before if all a pony does to something that they don't understand is show hate. Especially to something that as you said, can be potentially very dangerous and feeds off of creating fear and despair, wouldn't it be better to try to work with them and giving them a way to seek out what they want without, treating them like complete trash? Giving them a reason to hate us, and what to turn and use their powers to spread fear and despair on the Empire as a whole, verses other ways that it could be done and still allowing harmony to flow. After all, those seem like perfect creatures to have an army built of and to be a guard of sorts," Ice Storm started in response.

 

"And trust me, I'm well aware of how marching into something and just opening a few doors would just be foolish. It's foolish to blindly believe anything. That's why information is always so valuable in any circumstance. The more information you have on something, the better decisions you can make. That's exactly why I want to speak with them. I want to know what there desires are, what their intentions could be, and if somehow a truce between the Umbrum and ponies could be a thing at this point. I'l be honest I can totally understand them not wanted to work with anything and just simply trying to take over the entire planet. After all, if you're a being of shadow, why just stop at Equestria? Wherever there is light, there are shadows. Equestria is but a blip in a vast sea of darkness beyond out sky. You are correct. I don't know what I'm messing with, but as you said, neither do you completely. The fact of the matter is, if we do absolutely nothing about it, then we'll never know the answers that we seek," she commented.

 

"As far as Amore being justified in protecting her ponies... if she was able to protect them through the crystal heart itself, and the magic from the artifact was enough to keep Umbrum at bay, then honestly they should have been released from the prison. If the magic from the heart was causing you that much pain from being in the empire around it, then them being trapped in the empire, with no way of getting away from the magic would certainly be agonizing. If they couldn't get through the barrier, then there's no point in keeping them there. However, I can sit here and speculate until I'm blue in the face. I'm sure Cadence, being a descendant of Amore would have some more information on them as a creature. Although I'll have to remember to take everything with a grain of salt, as her views will likely be biased as well as her descriptions. Rightfully so, but I'm looking for unbiased facts to formulate my own opinions on," Ice said as she sat back a bit. This was a lot of information to take in, and while it was true, she tried to see the good in everything, deep down she knew that some things just couldn't be changed. However, that didn't stop her from at least confirming or disproving anything. She wanted confirmation for herself. She wasn't going to be able to lead anything or set the tone for her organization if she wasn't willing to get her hooves dirty once in a while for it.

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King Sombra sighed heavily and flopped back up against the backrest and dropping a rear leg over one of the armrests. It was a most frustrating topic. On one end, he knew in his heart that the umbrum were not to be underestimated, sympathized with, or trusted- they weren't like ponies, they didn't think or feel like ponies.. They were an entirely different beast from changelings, though he knew very little about them too beyond what Ice mentioned of their ability to feed on love. Yet, he could also see what Black Ice was trying to get at. There were flaws in her line of thinking, but.. he saw regardless.

 

"They didn't need a reason to hate ponies. They may now, they may have always hated ponies.. Who knows, really? Ponies are just their food source. If they were released after being imprisoned for more than a thousand years.. I can't begin to think of what sort of carnage they'd cause in order to fill their bellies. They might be useful as an army, but only if they can be controlled, and I doubt they can be, whether the Heart remains to protect the empire or not," he growled low, trying to drive home the true threat that he knew them to be. He could agree with Black Ice, though: he knew about as much as she did, if not a little more when he knew his own nature.

 

"This Princess Cadance is Amore's descendant?" Sombra repeated, caught by that particular detail. He would've guessed from the crystal princess's appearance, or at least what little he'd seen of it in so brief a time, but.. Hm. It was interesting. Amore must've kept whatever offspring she'd had a secret in order to protect them.. or he'd just never paid much attention to every little goings-on with the princess that ponies were so fond of focusing on.

 

"As far as I know.. they're in no such agony. I don't know what their prison would be, exactly, or if its like a pocket dimension.. perhaps similar to how I was imprisoned for all those years. It's the spell, or magic, that Amore used with the Heart to imprison them, but its influence possibly doesn't reach them. Just keeps them contained. Even during the Crystal Faire, which was the only time it ever bothered me." Sombra fell quiet, his eyes remaining locked on Black Ice in an intense and thoughtful stare. After a few minutes, he sat up a little more and brought his forehoof down onto the armrest it lay on. "How about this. If you want to speak to the umbrum so badly, I will escort you to the empire myself where the crystal is. We can have that talk. But, that's as far as we'll go. Anything concerning the rest of what you wish for can be discussed later, and it depends upon what sort of answers the umbrum give us that will decide their fate. If I don't like anything they say, I refuse to free them."

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"I honestly don't know if she is or not, but I mean... it would make sense, and the connections are there. I mean her cutie mark is the crystal heart. That and the fact that her actual name is Princess Me Amore Cadenza, is too much of a connection for it to be a mere coincidence in my opinion. That's not to say that Cadence would have any direct knowledge over anything that happened, but she might know a bit more than most. I don't even know what Luna or Celestia would know, considering it doesn't seem like they started getting involved until you had already took over," Ice started. She nodded after his comments about the Umbrum, and his agreeance to guide her to the crystal, but if he didn't like what they said, he refused to free them. "Naturally. I'm not Princess Celestia or Princess Twilight. I'm not blinded to only see the good in things. After all, I feel like I'm the only pony in Equestria willing to kill to protect. I am very aware of how dangerous they can be. As you said yourself. You have a fraction of their power, and you were able to conquer an entire Empire with... relative ease all things considered."

 

She hadn't really thought of the fact that the magic might have simply just housed them in a pocket dimension. In which case, the imprisonment wouldn't be a bad thing. After all, it... wouldn't be any less sinister, but whomever controlled this dimensional portal thing that they would be in could simply make it where the Umbrum were the supreme rulers over whatever else was inside of it. The fact that they forced Sombra out meant that they hadn't. Still, it was something worth looking into. If they couldn't be trusted enough to be freed, then that would be a good alternative. Perhaps shift it in a way where it felt like they were breaking free and went into what would be a dimensional copy of the Crystal Empire if that was even possible. They would stop thinking about freedom all together because they would believe that they were free. Was that any less evil though? To make something feel like it was free even though they remained a prisoner? Where was the line? Did she honestly care? Even she would have to admit, if they targeted Equestria for anything she would be the first pony going after them to stop them. It was quite a conundrum indeed.

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The mare across from him had some valid points, and he could see the connections she was making for himself. Princess Cadance very well could be a direct descendant of Amore; there were enough resemblances to convince him of that and.. he'd felt the magic in the shield keeping him out of the Crystal Empire. It was exactly like Princess Amore's love magic. It was love magic. Sombra nodded slightly and shrugged. "I know from a bit of the Crystal Empire's history that the princesses had at least met Princess Amore and helped her out, before I came along, when a dragon living within the mountains to the north stole the Crystal Heart. But how well they knew each other, I have little idea."

 

Sombra made a noise in his throat close to amusement. "I'm glad you don't. You shouldn't give the umbrum much credit, let alone anything else. This world isn't as safe and kind and wonderful as ponies have been lead to believe for so long. Sure, it's nice to work towards uniting your kingdom and ensuring they can live happily- just not to the point they're all naive," he idly replied and made a noise in his throat. A fraction of their power? Did Black Ice think he was weaker than the rest of his kin? Sombra scoffed and rolled his eyes, offended.

 

"You can at least give me a little more credit than that. It took two alicorns using their might alone to banish me. A fraction, my ass." His tail flicked. His mind was still rolling the little deal he'd posed to Black Ice, that he could take her to the Frozen North to speak with the umbrum. He was entirely tempted to ask for something in return for even doing that, but what tempted him would be a risk to even bring it up. Sombra thought to tuck it off to the side of his thoughts, holding onto it until he made a decision. It wasn't like he really needed it, much- he just wanted it to study for himself.

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"Actually, that's giving the Umbrum as a whole a lot of credit. You said yourself they stunted your power so that they could get you out of the prison, and if all of this," Ice said making an all encompassing gesture. "Is a result of that stunted power, and it took two of the most powerful beings in Equestria to deal with, then the power level of them... I have to say I'm actually surprised they haven't found a way out themselves. I'm well aware that things outside of Equestria aren't peaceful and safe and kind. I've fought in Whitescar where the land itself tries to kill you. I've fought in Neighpon where if you anger the spirits there, they will kill you, and then of course on the open seas where there absolutely no forgiveness. You make a mistake, you're on the bottom of the ocean. That was only one mission though and it was an escort mission. I'm not entirely sure that counts even if there was some combat involved," she continued.

 

"At the same time, as you said, I have to respect that power. That is one of the primary reasons I want to talk to them before I make any decisions regarding anything," He seemed to be offended at the fact that she restated what he himself had told her. She wasn't entirely sure what she had said wrong but she filed it away for later. For now though, she really wasn't sure what more there was to talk about today. She couldn't think of anything else that she needed to ask. She did wonder if he had any questions for her. He did ask surprisingly little about her. she couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind at the moment.

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"You have it wrong," Sombra replied, trying to correct her. "My power wasn't stunted. They sealed it away in order to slip me out of the prison. Rabia unlocked it when I found the red crystal. My power is under my control in full force." He shook his head and waved his hoof, dismissing it. There wasn't much of a reason to keep correcting her on every little detail when there were other things they could talk about; he was just being too particular. Sombra had gained enough of an idea what sort of things Black Ice had seen and experienced across this land and others compared to most ponies living peacefully in Equestria. It was nice to know that she wasn't nearly as naive as he thought she was.

 

Moving on..

 

"We can plan a trip sometime," the king put in, twisting a little in his seat to rest on his left hip, and lean on his elbow. Once he'd made himself comfortable again, he lounged. They'd already talked this topic into the ground, from his point of view.. What else was there for them to talk about? "So, I think I've done enough talking, as much as I enjoyed it. Tell me more about yourself? I think all you've told me was that you were, what was it.. abandoned? Among a few other things, like living, homeless, in a park and.. whatever else it was. I don't know. What else could you tell me?"

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