private IC: Return of the King (1x1 with Catpone Cerberus)

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

This explanation was not at all far off from what Sombra had expected. To that, he would smirk somewhat. "As expected, Biological weapons of war. Super soldiers. As advanced as Equestria currently is, I have not yet seen plans for such things. I have...encountered classified information and I have seen no mention of this, so it is safe to say this world is many decades away from inventing such technology.  It is inspirational for future plans, however." he would state simply, finding himself rather enticed by this idea. 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props ValRoa
"More than decades, centuries." the dragon argued "The only reason we got as far as we did was because of the thousand years of war, the sisters modified their empires to exist only to destroy the other, and the United formed theirs to oppose the sisters." "In some aspects you are closer than in others, for example replacing flesh with metal is already researched by individuals here, but to reach the level we had, you are not mad enough to succeed." 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

"It will take me many months, perhaps years, to fully understand the modern concepts of magic and technology. I do not know exactly where to start other than perfecting my current knowledge of things to the point where I have fully mastered. My ways would have cut it a thousand years ago, but no more, would that work..." Sombra said in realization.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props ValRoa
"What is outdated is your mind." "Though, you are not special in that, you ponies have always lacked imagination." "Not to say that my kind has been any better, we tend to be simple minded, you know, hoards, violence, every stereotype is based on something." "I'm not going to tell you what to do, as stated, I don't care to get involved, but, while learning what your enemy knows is important, what they don't know, is even more critical." 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra would look nod in agreement, swallowing his pride there. He knew very well that his pride was his downfall. He had every chance to study and learn but he didn't. He only went full force into his rage and ego, madly destroying what stood in his way. While destructive, it only delayed the inevitable. "Yes. If you don't care to get involved, then I would ask for you to provide me knowledge of what you know." 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props ValRoa
"That would be me getting involved now wouldn't it?" "If I was to tell you something you have no other means to know, that would be direct involvement from me towards specific outcome." "What I will say, is that the biggest obstacle for your success is...you yourself." for the first time during this conversation, the dragon changed the way she spoke, changed it to...imitation of Sombra "My knowledge, I will master, I, I ,I and I." she then stopped the imitation, returning to the usual neutrality, Una wondered if the dragon was really that emotionless or if the Orb was just unable to show any emotion in the voice.

"I'm not telling you to seek the magic of friendship or whatever, but as a general with over 700 years of combat experience, I can tell you the concept is no nonsense." "You will not be the master of everything, you will not know everything." "You know what my solution was when my unit lacked in a specific area? I recruited someone who had experience in that thing." "a sole individual ruling over everything is simply an impossibility, even in our world, where the sisters are god-like, they have others doing things for them." 

"Just look at those you call your enemies, the two sisters don't directly rule everything." "The guard is partly under the prince of Crystal Empire, the magical defense and foreign affairs is partly under the princess of friendship, study of magic is under countless individuals, all looking at their own specific things, the list goes on" "You need allies, not bribes, not slaves, not bootlickers, allies." "Though, I cannot see how you would succeed at that, you have a companion that is seemingly altered to be unable to betray you, yet you barely trust her with your plans, I can't imagine how real alliance would form since that requires compromise."

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra's expression took one of understanding. While sure, he preferred slaves, bribes and being worshipped as a god - he had the intelligence to realize that he didn't get as far as he wanted with that. He snorted somewhat. "There is one thing these ponies have that I never had - they had the ability to forge alliances and to counter threats effectively. As ruler of the Crystal Empire, I ruled over a large Empire. It was short lived due to the invasion the Two Sisters performed on me. Due to the dire circumstances, I had no other option but to enact slavery and brainwashing of my subjects. The power corrupted me, and I lost due to the circumstances that dealt me a bad hand." he admitted.

"It is the Two Sisters that I hate. Their followers are merely lead into the idea of believing they are just and effective rulers. It is not the average worker or pony that I hate. I do not want to get into a situation to where I have to fight another war with them, because I will merely lose on an open war front." he sighed. "My plan as of yet was to brainwash the Equestrian Guard and overthrow the Two Sisters in secret, not having an open battle with them, but dealing with them quickly and quietly in their sleep." 

"I do not know where one would find effective allies in Equestria. This land is manipulated by the sappy softness of the Two Sisters and they are willing to die for it. I do know of one thing though, there existed Nightmare Moon - evidently after my first defeat, she had amassed a large following before her banishment. It is probable that this following still exists somewhere, and that would be the best bet I have for an ally. But they would want Nightmare Moon back, which would not be possible. I could instead, fill that role - and bring Nightfall. It is not incompatible with my goals." he spoke.

"There is also the Changelings, Dragons..." 
 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props ValRoa
"Ah, Nightmare Moon, that's actually how I know the night-sister as, unlike here, she was never dealt with back home." the dragon mentioned "But, yet again you show the simplicity of your mind, do you truly believe that the only reason for her following was the time of day she represents?" "Creatures and their motivations aren't that simple, well, for some it is, but for most it isn't." "Some may have just disagreed with the current status quo, maybe they saw that they were wronged by it, maybe they wanted to do something not allowed under it, there are many reasons." "Sure, some chose the night because they prefer it, but others chose it because it wasn't Celestia." "Even those like the weirdo you just met, while she certainly seems bit unstable, if you would manage to find the right string to pull, she could be useful ally."  

"To be an ally doesn't mean that they want you specifically, they just need to prefer you over other options, enemy of my enemy is my friend. And who said they need to be in Equestria" "Now, I said I wouldn't tell you much, but there's one hint I'm willing to give, this peace, it's a fragile thing, not only the one between different creatures, but between the three races of ponies, one lie here, whisper there, ponies are gullible fools."

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra grunted to what he was told. He was told the truth. His mind was simple and dumb - and he knew it. The effects of the dark magic has long since rotted away a lot of his inner reasoning, before this - he was a lot smarter and could think more clearly. The fact that the Dark Magic had taken such a deep hold in his mind was something that was undeniable - even for him. "Would be useful to divide the three races against each other. Political division would be useful to disrupt the ruling order - and I can use those divisions to build off a power base of something that isn't Celestia, which would already be appealing to those who are wanting something else. Nightmare Moon's followers who still exist, likely, would much prefer seeing Celestia fall to seeing her reign continue." he spoke.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props ValRoa
The dragon was silent for a moment "Ah, it seems our time to chat is running out, my destination is visible in the horizon." "I will leave you with this, those you know of are not the only ones here from our world, there are those who came before us, and those who will come after us, some of us don't care, some of us will work against Equestria, some of us will work for Equestria, yet, not all you meet are from there, like that hybrid from before, this world is not without its own anomalies, so keep your eyes open, and remember, you'll never know who's watching." "Now, if you would be so kind, I'd appreciate you letting go of my drone, or I'll be forced to use force against you." and with that the orb went silent, responding no more to speech, and for her threat? well, if not let go in reasonable time, or if Sombra attempted to destroy it again, it would let out a magical blast resembling a shock wave, which wouldn't do any damage to anything, but would activate every pain receptor in one's body for a second, making it brief but very painful.

When free, it would fly up and turn invisible again, regardless of if it was let go or if it fought itself free.  

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra grunted slightly at what he was told, but he understood the logic in it. "One day - perhaps we'll speak again." he spoke bluntly, and would release the orb from his magical grasp without issue. It was strange for him to talk to the Dragon like that, usually he expected almost anyone he meets to automatically be out against him and needing to be put in their place. That just showed how much his mindset was outdated, and he recognized the need to change - but now, he was unsure of what to do now. Finding allies is a goal for the future - but as for right now? Perfecting his own knowledge was at the front of his mind, after all.

He'd look to Una, wondering what she thought of this.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props ValRoa
Una had focused on different things than Sombra in the conversation, mainly the parts that related to her herself, partly because the rest didn't seem relevant to her specifically, and partly because the speaker had actually said surprisingly little while talking a lot, having repeated same things in different words. Assuming the voice had been truthful, something Una didn't actually doubt due to how pointless it would be to lie about it, she had gotten few answers to her questions, but it also gave her more questions, for example, she now had an idea why she felt off about the idea of the two sisters and why Nightmare Moon was so familiar to her, but it brought the question, why the name of the other sister didn't ring any bells then? Was Celestia using some other name in her world? if yes, then why and what?

There was another detail that stuck to her mind 'a great bloodshed shall come, if the world doesn't collapse upon itself first' What had the dragon meant with that?

"How much do you think we can trust her your highness?"  she asked, she didn't necessarily believe she couldn't be trusted, after all, none of the information had really been something Una saw as worth lying about, and the voice had also openly critiqued and straight up insulted Sombra, so obviously the speaker wasn't trying to get on his good side. 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra would look to Una. "She had some valid advice, but I know little of her to say anything of her trustworthyness. She is more trustworthy than the other one we came across. We must find allies, but even more important, is for us to perfect our knowledge of the world and it's state of affairs. Allies are meaningless without the ability to cast modern types of magic. Once I have a solid understanding of the magics of this era, then we can move forward with the plan." Sombra stated, as he continued walking forward towards the library. "If this world is as thinly veiled as she implies, I suppose it won't be that hard to find information about the social inequalities and divisions of it." he added.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props ValRoa
"I have a guess for one such division your highness." Una stated "The capital, you said it is inhabited by the elites of the land, and well, I couldn't help but notice that the population is very species specific, unicorns."  "Not to even mention the non-pony species, any positive mentions in history seemed far and few between, and those that were there, were only after they converted to pony way of life." her tone, along the usual, was thoughtful, she didn't know much about much, but she was very observant, picking up things that she didn't even realize she had picked up. 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra looked to her, thinking deeply. "Unicorns are the ones who have political and social power. In such a division, we would best align ourselves with the Pegasi, Earth ponies, and non-pony species. The Unicorns seem closely tied to that of the Two Sisters..." he thought to himself, wondering what Una would think.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props ValRoa
"I do see one potential problem." Una stated thoughtfully "If we are to say that the princesses are pushed out through making unicorns the enemy, in what likelihood would your highness be accepted as the replacement? The common less educated creature would most likely not understand the difference between the species of unicorn and you, and thus whatever aspects that would be used to turn them against unicorns, would also be seen in you, your highness." "Not to mention the reputation you already have if we are to assume that most are aware of the taught history." She wasn't making any moral judgments here, rather she was just trying to see it from the other angle, it didn't ultimately matter who was right or wrong, what mattered was what the majority thought was the truth. 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

"I am not a regular Unicorn. I am a Hybrid between an Umbrum and a Crystal Pony. Originally I was entirely a Crystal Unicorn. I was in the military, but before that, I was first and foremost a scientist. When I discovered what the Umbrum were, I knew it was my destiny to seek more than simple discovery - and I became a part of their kind when they accepted me as their leader." he spoke. "Crystal Ponies have always been a separate group from that of the Equestrians. There are the three races as you know them, though most are Crystal Earth Ponies. Pegasi are the rarest ones. I never knew why this was, it was far before my time, if not, thousands of years, when the Crystal Empire was originally founded." he spoke.

"The founding of the Crystal Empire is shrouded in myth and legend. The Crystal Ponies themselves are entirely different than that of the 3 Ancient Earth Pony tribes, that much is certain. Throughout all of history, the Crystal Empire has existed as an independent force from that of Equestria. They stayed neutral in all the affairs in Equestria, and their formation." his eyes narrowed, and gave Una a look of pure hatred.

"Until the former King and Queen of the Crystal Empire broke this tradition of Neutrality, and aimed to incorporate themselves into Equestrian royalty, a move that would make the Crystal Empire no longer an independent entity - but an entirely subservient Vassal State. It is then, that I began my rebellion. I overthrew the traitors, and established myself as the Rightful King. Many joined me willingly, others did not - hence I was forced to use unethical methods, because before I could consider any other option, the Equestrians themselves had already begun an invasion, and slaughtering my soldiers. The Unicorns, the Equestrian Unicorns, have always held political power. This is one thing that has never changed." he stated, his aura of hatred intensifying. 

"Since my previous defeat, they put false rulers in my rightful throne. Cadence and Shining Armor. As vassal rulers. Both of them - having not a lick of heritage on the land they claim to rule..."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props ValRoa
"Yes, I understand your highness, but that was not my point." Una responded respectfully "You know what you really are, I know it, and no doubt the princesses know it, but does anyone else? Does a random farmer know it, or a dragon?" "My point was, that without giving my opinion on the plan itself, I can see one possible fault in gaining allies by focusing on unicorns specifically, that being, your appearance, it doesn't really matter what you really are, if the common, less educated majority thinks you are an unicorn." that was what he was called in the museum too, there was no mention of his crystal origin, only that he was Umbrum and an unicorn. 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra nodded. He growled at his inability to see that. "What I did to myself - to get this far, I sacrificed my sanity. Being banished for a thousand years - makes me slow to think about things..." he hissed in rage, it was more so directly at Celestia and Luna rather than anyone else. "So what is it that you propose? Finding allies is an obvious yes...but what allies?" he asked, sighing.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props ValRoa
"Unfortunately your highness, I don't know enough to give any solid suggestions, I can only deduce things based on what I do know." Una stated in apologetic manner "So as far as allies go, I'd say we just need to try to be patient and...observe." "Reading things like history is of course important, but the only real way to know the current situation is to be on the ground so to speak, listen what creatures talk about, rumors, grievances, things like that." 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra agrees with her and goes silent as they enter the library - he is intending to read more on history of the world now so they can get a better clue of this - and he leads Una right into that section so they can get started right away. Tons of ponies were around as usual.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props ValRoa
Una wasn't really sure what to read now that they were in this section, as she had already read about the parts of history she personally cared about, and unlike Sombra, she didn't covet to know everything, quite the opposite actually, she didn't know if it was programmed into her or if it was her own self thinking it, but she believed it was better to be expert at few things rather than be average at everything. Eventually she did make a decision though, and she ended up picking up things about the elements of harmony, things that sounded related to that, like 'Pillars of Old Equestria', and other books that seemed like they could explain the claimed 1000 year peace....now that she thought about it, it seemed quite odd that everything she had seen was related to 1000 years in some way. 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra noticed the 1000 years was a common timeframe to mention. It is interesting that Nightmare Moon happened shortly after Sombra and his Kingdom were banished away. He wondered what sort of connections the events had - if any. He would also show Una what the historians wrote about him. Obviously, it was all just claiming he was a brutal tyrant - without any sort of explanation as to how exactly he rose to power or what he did before the war. There were little mentions of Changelings at this time in history, it seems the bulk of interaction with them was in recent years. It is interesting how the books they read paint the two Sisters in a consistently positive light.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props ValRoa
Una nodded and otherwise acknowledged Sombra's explanation, it wasn't new information per say, as she had seen the short version of it in the museum earlier, and Sombra himself had spoken about some details, but there was some new details. She however saw nothing special about the one-sidedness  of the books, after all, history was written by the victor, and who in their right mind would write themselves in the bad light? acknowledging some bad things they did sure, but in generally negative way, that would be foolish. Then there was the fact that Sombra wasn't exactly a saint, while she was loyal to him, Una could see the other perspective too, and understood perfectly why things were told like they were, and it wasn't like there was straight up lies about what he did, the writers had just left things out and falsified the exact motivation.

For the books she had chosen, they weren't super helpful on grand scheme of things, she learned there was other protectors besides the Elements, 'The pillars' as they were called were one, the old protectors of 'old' Equestria, though they were apparently back somehow, and not as powerful as the elements, and while not mentioned, she had no doubt that a new set of Element bearers were trained already for the time the current ones are out.

The most interesting thing she got out of the books was that apparently nobody really understood how exactly the elements worked, they came from a tree of some kind from undisclosed location that was planted by the old protectors, but that's as far as is known, the planters nor the current wielders fully understood them, they know how to use them, but not why they did what they did....as far as the public books were to be believed.

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra head read up on "The Pillars". They were something that was from before his time, though he did not know much about them. All he knew was mere legend, and it seemed that they had uncovered a lot more about them recently. He saw that Starswirl was the leader, which was to be expected. Though this didn't answer his question as to how the Elements themselves were created - the whole location of the tree itself was something that as also unknown. Perhaps he could find a way to harness it's power for himself - but he absolutely needed to get the elements out of the picture if he was to rule Equestria. He couldn't have those around standing in his way.

As he read, he would read up more onto what the elements of harmony exactly embodied. It seemed like some over-glorified comic book thing to him, but it was real. He wondered if there was a thing called the elements of Disharmony - and if it was possible to use them against the Elements of Harmony? He would read more.