Chapter Text
Varian had Rosedust wait until everyone was there, including Sombra though Sombra was not willing to make himself known to the crystal citizens at large. He was hiding in Radiant Hope's shadow, but luckily anyone who wasn't looking for him wouldn't notice. There was also a very awkward moment where Rapunzel and Eugene showed up, both apparently determined to help whether he wanted them to or not. And Hugo jumped on the timing to make it so Varian couldn't argue and tell Sombra to take them back, because really they didn't want to leave Forget-Me-Not trapped longer then they had to. Varian glared over in their general direction before he sat down next to Rosedust, calming himself down before he spoke to the nervous changeling.
"I know it probably doesn't seem related, but… could you tell me first where you came from?" Varian asked.
"Oh uh, well, when we were born we were in Grogar's old hide out, in a swamp somewhere." Rosedust explained.
"I knew it." Cozy whispered, everyone looking at her. "Oh uh, well Chrysalis had these weird logs she kept talking to, six of them. I don't know when or how or why, but considering how Rosedust here is holding herself, and the colors of the logs, I think the new changelings were made way differently then any changelings before them. I think she somehow took something from Twilight and her friends."
Varian thought for a moment, "so… one of them is as smart as aunt Twilight."
"That explains how much more… thought through this plan was." Sunburst admitted.
Rosedust tilted her head thinking, "Well, I don't really remember how we were made so I have to believe you."
"But wouldn't they still be kids?" Hugo asked. "It's only been a little over ten years, so what twelve maybe? Don't changelings age pretty normal?"
"We do." Ocellus admitted, looking at Rosedust confused. "But she looks like a young adult… Oh! I remember, there was something Chrysalis could do, in times of crisis, to grow new changelings faster. She never told us how, Chrysalis was never very… well honest with us. There's a reason almost every changeling was willing to try a new way when we realized we could have one. I think, when those new changelings would hatch, they would skip the larval stage. So instead of being born an infant, they'd be born a nymph."
"Hopefully it doesn't come with any health complications." Donella frowned, thinking.
"I think it did. When we first met Forget-Me-Not, even before she got an infected wound, she wasn't very healthy. Her shell was dull. It wasn't until a while after living in the Empire she started to look healthy, I wonder if something she was eating or..." Varian thought for a moment, but he couldn't begin to guess. "Anyway, okay… so she basically put her new changelings in a pressure cooker, with some kind of essence of the Element bearers. Rosedust?"
She nodded, "I don't have any memories of being small, just sort of… waking up. We were alone, and we only had one instruction, to free Chrysalis. But none of us knew how to do that. So, one of us uh… the purplewood, we didn't really have name, she started to make plans. We started training for a lot of different outcomes of plans, but until you made that potion that could break stone sleep spell we really didn't have an idea."
Cozy nodded, "That's how I got free, during a scuffle between Varian and Forget-Me-Not."
"She took your notes, once she got free of the goo trap you trapped her in, and brought them back to the hide out. Knowing how much smarter you were, our purple sister started making more elaborate plans. We made the potion ourselves, and… and Forget-Me-Not let herself get caught because she was injured and sick and she was… slowing us down." Rosedust whimpered a little.
"I don't think you believed that. But I guess it's what the purplewood said." Varian mentioned, Rosedust nodding. "It's okay. She made it through okay."
"Because you didn't give up on her." Rosedust mentioned, looking at Varian. "She spoke really highly of you."
"I can't imagine that went over well." Hugo mentioned.
"No… eventually, once it seemed like everyone thought Forget-Me-Not was the only one who existed, we freed Chrysalis. And Tirek. The purplewood was sure we needed his powers, because he could make sure the alicorns could never strike back. Magic like that can't really be destroyed, it'll just transfer to a new pony." Rosedust explained.
"So the idea was to keep them alive so the magic won't transfer away, and to keep the magic with Tirek." Varian surmised, frowning. "With all four adult alicorn princesses magic…"
"I don't know whose stronger right now, Queen Chrysalis with the love she stole meant for you, or Tirek." Sunburst admitted.
"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough… one of them is going to turn on the other." Cozy mentioned, everyone looking at her. "When the three of us were working together, I was working hard to keep those two on the same page. That's the only good news we have, there's no way we'll have to deal with both of them."
"And I'm sure the purplewood found a way to make sure they were prepared for that too. So we'll be dealing with Chrysalis." Hugo sighed, Cozy nodding.
"I'm certain of it. I think that's another reason she urged Chrysalis get them to take her to Canterlot, besides avoiding the Crystal Heart outing us." Rosedust admitted.
"Because she wanted to scrounge up Chrysalis' old throne…" Varian's eyes widened a little. "Is the pieces of that still in Canterlot?"
"I don't think we could have found all the pieces if we wanted to." Sunburst admitted.
"… Okay… alright well, if one of them does take out the other, that is technically good for us." Varian admitted, and Donella nodded. "So we'll just have to be careful about the throne pieces ourselves."
"If we're lucky, the pressure of you showing up will cause them to begin to make mistakes. Maybe not at first, I'm sure they'll think they can beat you, but the closer you get to this Canterlot, the less assured their victory will feel." Donella explained.
"I hope you're right." Varian sighed, standing up. "Well, Rosedust, I doubt you can tell us much about the thing on my moms throne."
"I can tell you its not a changeling, but I don't think it was completely unexpected… I saw the purplewood, shortly before you came back. She seemed like she was looking around for something, but she didn't seem too bothered by 'Amore'." Rosedust explained. "I think at some point she stopped trusting me though, so I don't know absolutely everything she knew about."
"Well, if Zhan Tiri gave the dark crystal the power to take this new form…" Sunburst thought for a moment, looking at Rosedust. "Have you ever noticed the purplewood maybe… talking to herself?"
"… Actually, yet, but… I thought that was normal for her." Rosedust admitted. "I mean, none of us are exactly… we weren't made right."
"That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you." Rapunzel said, Rosedust looking at her. "I mean, nothing being treated right can't fix at least."
Varian bit his tongue, seeing as the assurance did clearly help Rosedust. He almost forgot there were things he liked about Rapunzel, that she was kind and sometimes knew exactly what to say. Still, that wasn't something he had time for.
"How are you going to stop 'Amore?'" Coalquette asked.
"Well, we need to figure out where she hid the Heart first. Checking my lab isn't the worst idea, I mean she knew I wouldn't be there to look in it. That's where Sombra hid it." Varian admitted, thinking. "It should work, I mean it has been pushing the evil opposite away this long…"
"… Do you think…" Flurry stopped, and Varian looked down at her. "Do you think Zhan Tiri, or one of her minions, was the one who poisoned the Heart that one time?"
"…" Varian paused, looking at Flash Sentry. "Did you get a look at them?"
"No, your highness." Flash admitted. "I think they were a pony though, they were shaped more like a pony then a human."
"That doesn't technically mean it wasn't. Zhan Tiri might have pony minions too." Cass sighed.
"And… trying to kill you, trying to get rid of the Crystal Empire, well I think after whatever happened in the Eternal Library that if Zhan Tiri could they would kill you personally." Hugo added, and Varian nodded.
"Yeah I… I can't argue with that. I never tied it in because I thought Zhan Tiri had been sealed, at least before the blizzard…" Varian admitted, sighing. "When Starlight banished Discord from the school grounds, he was still able to do a lot to mess with the school and appear like a ghost. Do you think Zhan Tiri's body is the only thing that's actually banished?"
"… That does make sense." Sunburst admitted with a sigh. "Meaning they've been able to do whatever they wanted this whole time…"
"Well, we can't stop Zhan Tiri until we save Equestria." Hugo said, standing up. "So, first things first, some of us need to sneak into the castle and have a look around. Try to find the Heart, and break Forget-Me-Not out."
"… Do we know why some of the crystal citizens were unaffected?" Eugene asked, looking around.
"… No." Varian admitted, pausing and looking around. He was looking for a pattern, and he quickly got it, nudging Radiant Hope. "Do you see anyone you recognize?"
Radiant Hope tilted her head before she looked around, looking confused and looking around a little faster, "Oh. Oh! All the original citizens, they're the only ones she has control over. That's why it affected me and Coalquette, but not Nova."
"It only affects citizens who would remember Amore's reign." Hugo surmised, thinking. "So… the spell she's using might be… on the Heart itself?"
"… That's… probably true." Varian sighed. "… I don't see every creature I know though."
"Not all of them escaped, some of them are in the dungeon, and Mistmane is hiding more of them in the garden, she made a labyrinth." Rosedust explained.
Varian smiled a little, "Good thing we have one Pillar living here in the Empire. Okay… I think then, if we can get the Heart back maybe… maybe Flurry could reverse the spell?"
"If I can't, we know someone who can." Flurry said quietly, glancing over at Radiant's shadow.
"And once we stop this fake Amore, then I think the crystals preventing our allies from helping will drop." Sunburst added, Ocellus smiling a little.
"Alright, Hue, Donella, Lance, and… Eugene, I know you all can be good at sneaking, so I'm trusting you to help me search the castle." Varian said. "Hugo, you know where the dungeon is so I'm also trusting you to try to break Forget-Me-Not and everyone else you can out."
"Got it." Hugo nodded with a small smile.
"Flurry, you and Sunburst and anyone who thinks they can do it, you need to go up there and try to detain our brainwashed citizens to stop them from getting hurt." Varian added.
"Okay!" She smiled and nodded, looking up at Cyrus. "You look strong, your with me! If you think you can handle it."
Cyrus smiled just a bit with a small chuckle, "Spunky."
Varian smiled a little, before he noticed that Lance seemed distracted, and after a quick look around he realized why. Cataline and Keira weren't there, neither was Cheerilee, or Lyra and Bonon, and much to Varian's concern neither were the CMC, nor Diamond Tiara or Zecora.
"… Did everyone from Ponyville not make it?" Varian asked, looking at Ocellus.
"Some of them stayed to try to keep Chrysalis or Tirek from going to any other part of Equestria. Like Starlight, she knew Chrysalis would drive herself insane trying to catch her." Ocellus explained, before she looked worried. "Smolder stayed behind too, but she told me to get our students to safety…"
"… Then I'm sure they're all okay." Varian assured, putting a hand on Lance's arm. "As long as they stick together. Besides I uh, I know something about your friends Lyra and Bonbon I technically have the clearance to tell you. But it's a secret, okay?"
"Okay?" Lance raised an eyebrow, leaning down as Varian gestured to him to do so, listening.
"Lyra and Bonbon are secret agents in the Secret Monster Intelligence League of Equestria. That's why they disappear every once in a while unrelated to Lyra's music or Bonbon's candy making, they were on missions."
"… For real?" Lance smiled a little, clearly relieved. "So the girls are with the best possible ponies, right?"
"Right." Varian nodded.
Technically, he knew he wasn't supposed to know about S.M.I.L.E., he'd found the information one of the times he'd managed to sneak into Celestia's office, and after finding out he'd paid more attention to times he'd spot Lyra and Bonbon around outside of Ponyville. And he's noticed they generally showed up around monster sightings, as expected when he found their files. He knew Bonbon had figured out he knew, but the mare didn't seem to mind, after all someday he and Flurry would be the ones S.M.I.L.E. worked for. That day just came sooner then expected…
"Alright. I'm focused little guy. So, I'm looking for a big heart shaped crystal that usually is floating in the castle square, right?" Lance asked.
"Right." Varian nodded.
Rapunzel neared, clearly about to ask Varian what she should do, but he just glared at her.
"… Varian, I want to help."
"Then you can help by taking over Radiant Hope's medical duties down here while she helps us in the city." Varian huffed.
"Okay." Rapunzel nodded, though she did want to argue.
What Varian was asking seemed too easy, but she needed to do it. Every little step would help Varian at least trust her again.
The orangewood, personally, like the name Forget-Me-Not picked out for her. Honeysuckle was a perfectly acceptable name in her honest opinion, and it was at least a name. She'd spent years without one, and Forget-Me-Not had thought so hard about it. Forget-Me-Not who had… well, she had chosen the ponies over them, but considering how better she looked when they saw her again…
She jumped up to her hooves when the door swung open, sighing as she saw it was just the purplewood. She was getting sick of her, too. She seemed to be completely losing it the longer it took Chrysalis to acknowledge them positively at all. Honeysuckle was accepting the fact that it just wasn't going to happen. She didn't care, as long as they stuck together, though it seemed like Rosedust had chosen Forget-Me-Not and the ponies over them too.
"Where's our Queen?" The purplewood asked, panting.
She looked exhausted, and it occured to Honeysuckle she hadn't seen her in at least a day, maybe longer. And it didn't seem like she'd stopped on her way to come tell Chrysalis whatever it was she knew.
"… How long have you been flyin'?" Honeysuckle asked.
"Just answer my question!" The purplewood snapped, Honeysuckle sighing.
"She's tauntin' her captives agin." Honeysuckle answered. "Like usual."
"Which ones?"
"I dunno." Honeysuckle rolled her eyes. "They're all in the dungeon. It ain't like it'll take you long ta look around."
Purplewood sighed in aggravation, "Why have you been so difficult lately?"
She didn't wait for an answer before she went down to the dungeons, and out of boredom and curiosity Honeysuckle followed her. All they'd been doing for a long while now was trying to hunt down Starlight Glimmer, which is what bluewood and pinkwood were doing as far as she knew, and trying to find an unknowable something to get Chrysalis' approval. Honeysuckle was beginning to think there was nothing they could do that would be good enough for her, she didn't even refer to them as her hive after they helped her defeat all the alicorn princesses.
"So, Mo-" She started.
"Don't call me that." Purplewood snapped, Honeysuckle sighing. "Forget-Me-Not can accept a stupid name given to her from a stupid pony prince but I can do better."
"Fine. What are you in such a hurry for?" Honeysuckle asked.
"I have news that her majesty is going to love." Purplewood admitted, perking her ears up.
Chrysalis was loud, always, especially when she was gloating. Honeysuckle gave a bored wave to Tirek, who was seemingly just as bored listening to Chrysalis gloat at Twilight and most of her friends, the pink one had escaped. Something Honeysuckle hadn't heard the end of despite not being in charge of that part of the plan.
"Your majesty?" Purplewood took a tentative step toward her.
"What?" Chrysalis sighed, looking at her.
"I have news I think you'll be interested in." Purplewood said.
Chrysalis sighed, leaving Twilight and her friends in their cells as she gestured for purplewood to follow. Tirek didn't move, and Honeysuckle considered just staying with him but she was curious. She followed, staying out of the way as Chrysalis turned to look at purplewood.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Varian nearly died. And I wouldn't be surprised if he's dead now." Purplewood explained, pulling out a broken pair of goggles. "He went to try to save his sister, she was possessed by her grief and anger and transformed into one of those darkness alicorns."
Chrysalis visibly perked up seeing the broken goggles and took them, hovering them around and looking at them gleefully. Honeysuckle didn't like it, it made her stomach churn as she internalized what she'd heard. They spent a lot of time watching Varian, learning how he acted and reacted and what kind of person he was. He was a good kid, a sweet kid, Honeysuckle saw why Forget-Me-Not would choose him over most of them if she were to be completely honest. And now he was… well, she couldn't be sure actually, he was resourceful, if anyone could find a way to snap Flurry Heart out of that, surely he could.
"Well? Tell me the details." Chrysalis insisted to purplewood. "Usually I can't get you to shut up, tell me."
"Oh, uh, right. He was possessed by a ghost, from my understanding it killed him temporarily." Purplewood explained. "He was trying to find a way back into Equestria and the ghost was in the Eternal Library. He could barely stand when I saw him, so like I said I'm sure trying to stop Flurry killed him."
"This is perfect." Chrysalis giggled to herself, pushing past them to go back into the dungeon.
Purplewood looked momentarily down before she pulled herself together and followed Chrysalis, and Honeysuckle followed as well, the knot in her stomach tightening. She didn't like how gleeful Chrysalis was about the goggles, she didn't even seem to care about the actual news, as vague as it was, that purplewood had given her. Just about the broken goggles and she was making a b-line for the larger, deeper cells. She glared back at them, and they both stopped. Honeysuckle knew which cell it was, and it only made her feel worse. It was where Chrysalis had isolated Princess Cadance.
"You two stay here." She ordered, before entering the cell.
Cadance looked up, glaring as she spotted Chrysalis and lifting her head up defiantly.
"What do you want now?" She huffed.
"How have you been handling being all alone down here?" Chrysalis taunted, looking around. "I'm sure it brings back memories, to the days before your wedding."
"Do you think that's going to hurt me? Taunting me about the past?" Cadance scoffed. "I seem to recall that plan didn't go the way you wanted it to."
Chrysalis looked annoyed, momentarily, before she smiled a bit, "Here I am, come to bring you news about your 'sweet' boy, and you're trying to pick a fight."
"… What?" Cadance felt her heart starting to beat faster.
Chrysalis knew something about Varian? Cadance tried to tell herself that couldn't be true, but there was a nagging feeling in her mind because of the terrible feeling that had woken her up late in the night.
"I'm sorry to say, he died trying to find a way home. He went looking for something called the Eternal Library." Chrysalis taunted, throwing the goggles down in front of Cadance. "A ghost possession, I hear. But don't worry, his body isn't walking around under someone else's control at least, someone put an end to that."
Cadance had been taught how to act and react as a princess, she usually could keep a cool head without issue even when things got hectic. But she knew those goggles, she knew every scratch and every spot of worn leather, the cracks and broken glass were new, new and they told a story she didn't like. Varian never went anywhere without them on. He'd had them the day she took him in, and he'd worn them every day for the past eleven years. No matter how scratched up the glass on the goggles got, not matter how tarnished the metal, he wouldn't accept a replacement. And a possession was so specific, as was the mention of the Eternal Library, something Cadance had seen in Ulla's notes, too specific to be something the changeling could make up.
"Y… Your lying." Cadance said it out loud mostly for herself, but Chrysalis just laughed.
"I'm not. I'm just letting you know so your poor mother's heart can rest. Well, grieve, then rest." Chrysalis teased, turning to leave.
Cadance didn't like that Chrysalis was leaving, it made it seem more… real. She wasn't adding more information, she wasn't staying to watch Cadance's reaction, she was just dropping the goggles and the story and leaving. Cadance recalled her horrible feeling and began to fear that she'd felt it, felt herself losing her son despite the distance. Once Chrysalis was gone Cadance carefully picked up the broken goggles, looking at them as the news settled into her mind, despite how hard she tried to push it away. Her son was gone, she failed him, he must have been so scared…
Honeysuckle had left the area before Chrysalis left the room, she didn't think she could hide how… awful that made her feel. She made it around a corner before she heard the wail, the loud wracking sobs, grief so loud she couldn't help but feel her own heart ache. Tirek looked at her confused and concerned, and Honeysuckle cleared her throat.
"… She tol' Cadance that her son is dead."
"… Is he?" Tirek frowned.
"I… I don't know. Morn- uh, purple, she had his goggles and said he was alive last time she saw him, he'd just nearly died and was goin' ta do somethin' dangerous. Tryin' ta save his little sister." Honeysuckle explained.
Tirek's shoulders dropped a little, and his frown deepened as he looked down. He hadn't thought about his own little brother in some time, but… he understood why the human boy would risk his life to save his own little sibling, there was a time Tirek would do the same. And he wasn't sure how he felt about Chrysalis telling Cadance that news so gleefully, whether or not it was true. It was especially distracting seeing how she treated her new changelings, the only reason they were free in the first place. He liked them well enough, Honeysuckle especially was easy enough to get along with since she thought this long winded revenge was getting ridiculous herself. He wanted to get revenge on the princesses, ponies and Discord, for his imprisonment, he would prefer to either imprison them in a more permanent way like the stone sleep or to just kill them. All of this was getting too… cruel. He was starting to understand why his father had been so angry about the unicorn captive all those centuries ago…
As Cadance's sobs echoed through the hallways, he couldn't help but think of his own mother, of how heart broken she'd been about everything that had happened between him and his father. When she found out about his imprisonment, he was sure she'd cried. At least she knew he was alive, and all in all he had been safe. He turned to leave the area, unable to listen to the mothers heartbreak any longer, not surprised that Honeysuckle was likewise trying to hurry away from the sound. Of course, Cadance's cries were loud enough that others had heard it and Shining Armor slammed against his cell door.
"What is happening to Cadance?" He demanded.
"She's fine…" Tirek crossed his arms, continuing to leave.
He did stop and look back over his shoulder when he noticed that Honeysuckle hesitated, clearly at odds with herself before she looked at Shining Armor.
"I dunno if it's true, but ya deserve ta know what she was told, and ya deserve ta hear it a lot nicer then she was told. Varian… he might be dead. Somethin' about a ghost." Honeysuckle answered quickly, realizing she heard Chrysalis and purplewood coming.
Shining Armor searched her face for a while before he seemed to believe she was telling him the truth, the stallion stepping back from the cell door with wide eyes. She felt a pang in her heart seeing him so clearly destroyed by the news. She frowned but hurried out of the dungeons with Tirek, who paused a moment before he left the dungeon with the changeling. He didn't disagree with her choice to break the news more gently to the father, even if a part of him hoped it wasn't true. No parent should have to live through that.
Varian wasn't used to needing to be stealthy, but he knew the castle like the back of his hand. He peeked around a corner, frowning a little as he realized he hadn't seen many, if any, guards. It was technically good for him, but it made him worried about the palace staff.
"Varian." Sombra appeared and him jump a bit, but Varian pulled himself together before he spoke to him.
"Hey Sombra, what is it?" Varian asked quietly, looking back around the corner.
"I checked your lab, it isn't there." He answered. "I believe it may be hidden in a different part of the castle, there are many paths hidden in the shadows."
"Well, you'd know best." Varian admitted. "Can you help me look?"
"… Alright." Sombra nodded, leading Varian over to a wall and using his magic to turn it into the dark crystals, opening a new hallway.
Varian and Sombra hurried down the hallway as quietly as possible, for Sombra that was simple but Varian always felt like he was loud on the crystal. Of course he knew compared to his family he was quiet, he didn't have hooves, but he wasn't dealing with a pony. He stopped, thinking for a moment before he used the pearl, Sombra watching with curiosity. Varian felt a lot smaller then Sombra now that he was a foal but he flew up and felt like he was being a lot quieter.
"Fascinating. I didn't know transformation pearls could do that." Sombra admitted.
"I think they have to be made special." Varian admitted. "Sombra, do you have any idea how this fake Amore is doing this?"
"You and yours theories sound about correct, to me." Sombra admitted. "Using the Heart would feasibly work but… I'm not sure it explains everything. My biggest concern is I'm not sure there would be so clear a divide, the Heart connects all the citizens of the Empire. But I do think you are all onto something about those who knew Amore and those who did not…"
He paused, looking concerned for a moment, and Varian tilted his head, "What is it?"
"… When I forcibly took the throne, I turned Amore into crystal and later shattered her. Both, I could reverse… I suppose even then I wasn't so sure of my path." Sombra admitted. "But, if someone like this Zhan Tiri found a piece…"
"They could use it to both give more power to the dark crystal and to give it her form… and partial control of the Crystal Heart… The reason the younger citizens are unaffected is they are connected to mom or Flurry more? I mean, because they also have a special connection to the Heart." Varian quickly realized what Sombra was thinking.
"You are bright." Sombra sounded like he approved, stopping Varian and looking around. "… This way."
"How do you know?" Varian asked.
"Because, this hallway was not here before, a thousand years ago." Sombra answered simply.
"Oh… yeah I guess that'd do it."
"… If I may… I know I have no place to give you advice… but in all the years I've observed you, I've never seen such anger and hatred in your heart. And that fear had all but faded once. You once conveyed to me that those people who once wronged you did not deserve to die or suffer under Zhan Tiri's dark magic, do you still feel that way?" Sombra asked.
"… I do. That belief was shaken a little but…" Varian sighed. "It's just easier to say I don't care, I guess. To try to stand up and say I won't fix their problems anymore and they're on their own."
"So, even though you no longer like or trust the princess, you would still help her?" Sombra asked.
"Yeah… I mean, Rapunzel doesn't deserve to die. If she touched the moonstone, it would kill her, not because I think the moonstone wanted to but because it would rip the sundrops magic out of her. Probably." Varian explained.
Sombra nodded, "That seems the most likely, even if the moonstone or sundrop didn't intend it… Forgiveness seems…"
"Hard, yeah... But… you don't have to forgive to move on, I don't think. I mean, I'll never forgive Frederic. What he was willing to do to me was selfish and stupid and it caused this whole mess." Varian explained. "I don't think I have to forgive him. I think I just need to reach… I don't know… indifference. Not care that he exists. And I think once I save my family that'll be easier, because I'll fix what was broken. Rapunzel I could see forgiving, maybe someday but… I don't know, not right now. "
Sombra thought for a moment, "… I see. I think I understand."
"… I think, for creatures like us, anger comes easier then it does to ponies, at least in general. But I don't think that makes us bad." Varian offered. "We maybe need to learn how to handle it better… I know I've snapped at Hue a lot more then I'm comfortable with lately…"
"Yes, but I think he understands. You are wounded, and scared. And unlike animals, we don't bite when that happens with teeth. We bite with words. I'm sure he's done the same." Sombra said, Varian perking up a little at the explanation. "The difference is… in the time I've seen you, in the time I've known you, you've never been so hurt. Cadance did a fine job raising you, she let you grow and kept you safe in equal measure. But Equestria has been peaceful, and that meant you were completely safe from learning new lessons about hardships, save for the one that brought you here. That is, of course, not Cadance's fault, and peace is not bad… It just means this is the first time you've really felt this sting."
"You think so?" Varian smiled a little.
"… Her approach reminds me much of Chestnut's approach with me… I can blame how disconnected I felt from the Empire on a lot but… not her." Sombra admitted.
"… You know she misses you." Varian mentioned.
"… I know." Sombra's tone was saddened. "I just… wanted to protect her from being treated poorly."
"I think that just means you're a good son, even after all that happened." Varian offered.
"… I suppose, coming from you, I have to believe that." Sombra admitted with a small smile as the two came to a fork in the path.
Varian smiled back, before he sensed something and looked around.
"… Was that the Heart?" Sombra asked.
"I think so. I don't have the same connection as my mom or sister but it has talked to me before…" Varian confirmed, going to one of the two hallways. "This way."
Sombra had no reason not to trust the boys assumption, so he followed him. For everyone's sake, they needed to end this quickly and move on to the bigger threat in Canterlot.