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

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props Valroa
The market had, well, market stuff, there was vendors for food, potions, armor, plants, decorations, all kinds of commodities, some more useful than others, only the sky was the limit....and the size of the items, since many of them were travelling merchants, and you could only move so much stuff at once.

Una, it being their ultimate goal, specifically focused on the magical side of things, and after a while, she'd spot something that could interest Sombra, among all the vendors selling all kinds of magical trinkets with interesting, but in the grand scheme pretty pointless effects, there was a blue earth pony mare, selling trinkets like others, though on closer look, she was wearing some kind of odd accessories herself, that looked magical in nature. But while something that stuck out, it's not what Una got caught on, rather it was a sign in her stand, that stated along the lines of 'Modification service for legal magical items, price negotiated case by case.'. Una found the emphasis on the word 'legal' bit odd, but she assumed there was a reason for it.

She'd look if Sombra had noticed it too, but if it seemed he hadn't, she'd nudge him to get his attention and gesture in the direction. 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra would keep his eyes open for anything worthy of interest to him. He was very intent on what he was looking for. There were many things for sale here that may possibly interest him - though he would figure that anything that was up his alley would be illegal to sell, and so he wouldn't put too much thought towards it. Soon enough, he would spot the blue Earth Pony Mare that Una had spotted.

He'd walk closer and examine the sign, and would assume that it would be possible to get this mare to make illegal magical items for him. Modification service...that sounded somewhat close to what he was looking for. It was his best bet, so far. With that in mind, he would nod to Una in acknowledgement and approach the blue mare. "Excuse me, may I inquire as to what services you offer?" Sombra would ask her directly. He was being deceptively kind.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props Valroa
The vendor answered in a way that made it clear that she had answered this question many, many times "I reshape, combine, or otherwise physically modify any and all magical items, any way you can think of changing an item physically, I can do that." "However, I do not enchant items, or otherwise create new, and while I have certain basic enchantments in storage for combinations, the customer is required to provide their own enchanted items for anything more complicated." "I also require proof of legality in cases specified by the law, so no stolen items, be it from the dead or living, or items with illegal enchantments, and if you are unsure if it's illegal, it probably is."  she finished with a friendly smile, before adding with slight humor in her tone "You'd be surprised how many grave robbers I get."

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Certainly sounds like what he was looking for to say the least. While the whole "illegal" part wasn't something he would touch upon right now at the moment he would be sure to keep in mind what has said.Everything Sombra was doing was illegal and so he wouldn't mention it while she was not brainwashed yet. "This makes sense. Thank you for the information. I'll be sure to come around again once I require your services." he spoke, and then turned away and lead Una away from the scene before he would mention, "I believe I found who I need to convert the brainwashing spell from helmets into rings." 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props Valroa
"Don't think about it for too long, I'll be returning on the road soon enough!" The vendor shouted after Sombra as they left, before turning to one of the other vendors nearby and talking with them. 

Una responded as a sort of a continuation from Sombra's statement "So now it's only a matter of getting her to do that?" she of course had an idea how to do that, but as she was pretty sure Sombra had that same idea already, she didn't say it out loud as she didn't want to sound like she thought Sombra was stupid or something. 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra would look to Una, "Now all I need to do is think of a way to get her out of here and put a helmet on her head - brainwash her to do my bidding. Hmm..." he put a hoof to his chin as he quietly thought that over, wondering how they would approach that situation. 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props Valroa
"Markets aren't open around the clock." Una noted "We could just wait until she closes shop and goes wherever she spends the night at." she suggested, she had no doubt that Sombra could have come up with that idea himself too, but he was more action minded, so she figured he may get stuck in thinking about an active way to get the vendor separated, and thus miss the potential of not needing to do anything. "In worst case scenario we need to catch her when she leaves the city." the vendor didn't seem to have any kind of protection with her, so she would most likely be travelling alone, or in the worst case, with other unguarded vendors, so it would be easy to get to her even if she spend her nights somewhere they couldn't get to unnoticed. 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

"Feel free to lurk around in the area and blend in, you can find out various information from other vendors if you wish. I will wait in secret here and observe her movements from nearby." Sombra decided, finding himself satisfied with waiting here until she decided to close up the shop and head elsewhere. "You can also wait in the general vicinity and follow her a distance incase she leaves, and I'll follow her to her home or wherever she is based out of and then I'll put a helmet on her once she is alone." he decided, and proceeded to back off a bit but kept his eye on the certain vendor. 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props Valroa
"Understood" Una stated, and as Sombra had indirectly told her to, she disappeared into the crowd and started walking around to see if she found anything else interesting. Though she was mainly seeking information, she also looked what kind of stuff there was being sold, not because it was useful per say, but because she was just curious. Her attention was taken by a little interaction outside the crowd between guards, a guard, who she assumed to be a messenger, had brought pile of papers to another guard. 

At first she couldn't tell what the papers were, but as they were moved around, she got a glance of them; they were wanted posters, and the picture on them, while she only got a short glance, was unmistakable, it was Flint, and along the usual information, there was big letters saying 'Dangerous individual, do not approach'. Guess they would be seeing her face a lot around soon, be it hopefully only on paper. 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra would also notice the poster with Flint on it. To be honest, he couldn't lie - it was sort of amusing. But he wasn't really in the mood to be seeing her again anytime soon. At least Flint was useful the last time he needed something from her, but that didn't mean that would be happening again. He hoped that she wouldn't bother him for a while here. At least his view on her was neutral, she was useful when he needed her but otherwise he didn't wish to see her. As he watched the blue Earth pony vendor, he would also take notice of the other vendors as well - of course, and as expected it wasn't anything he would find particularly useful but it was good to know at least. 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props Valroa
Una had to admit that she was slightly impressed, the way Sombra talked about the princesses, made them seem like a force to be reckoned with, so the fact that Flint had gotten away had to mean something when it came to her abilities. The lack of wanted posters in general also spoke of her being special case, since she was deemed dangerous enough that the public will be warned about her; sure the posters could be only for the guards to see, but that was unlikely considering the warning about not interacting with her, since dealing with dangerous individuals was their job.

Though now that a messenger had reached this place, there was no doubt that the local branch of the guard was now also aware about the stolen artifacts, which meant they'd need to be extra careful again. 

Una continued walking around in the crowd, not seeing anything more for now, though she did stop momentarily as she felt something, it didn't last long, so she couldn't pinpoint the source, but she felt a wave of hatred moving past her, hatred that put Sombra's hatred to shame. While Sombra's hatred was fueled by his anger towards those he blamed, this hatred was hatred out of hatred, whoever it was she had felt for a moment, felt hatred not because they were angry, but because they genuinely hated something or someone, in fact, the lack of anger, or any other emotion in that matter, caused Una to shiver, she didn't even see who it had been and she was already terrified of them. 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra would continue to observe his surroundings - as he would stand there casually while doing his best to blend into his surroundings. Many of these ponies seemed like normal ones. Some of them he would say were out of the ordinary though he wasn't really sure if that was the case since he never really had the time to properly observe non-Equestrians since before his banishment. He was a fish out of water. Out of his league. As he thought to himself further he realize that not only was his previous plan stupid, but he was very lucky that he managed to survive his encounter with those vile 6 ponies.

At least Sombra knew that so far, his plan was succeeding. He had managed to re-claim his Alicorn Amulet, steal a bunch of blueprints that detailed the technology and organizational structure of the Equestrian Guard, managed to learn some Fire magic that was amplified by an amulet he found, as well as some other odds and ends. This wouldn't be enough - but it was a start. Next up on the agenda for the future was to find allies, more sources of power, and in the immediate sphere - was to abduct that blue Earth Pony Vendor and have her make some brainwashing rings. Once he had the ability to brainwash other ponies, he knew that he would be capable of setting up some sleeper agents in high positions of power who could feed him the information he needs to advance his plans. At least that was one possible alternative.

Sombra continued to wait, unless something would happen - he would be content with waiting there until that Vendor would move off to return home or go wherever. If she did, he would proceed to follow her. 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props Valroa
Nothing much happened, only further event worth mentioning was when a guard patrol went to speak to the vendor mare they were waiting for, it was less of a conversation and more the guards just telling her something, Una wasn't close enough to hear what was said, but seeing the mare's reaction, that being a lack of reaction besides a nod, she assumed they had just told her to keep an eye out for something, an assumption that got more weight behind it. as the guards went on to talk with other vendors too, specifically everyone handling magical items. 

Other than that, it was a regular market day, worst happenings being arguments getting too heated, probably equally boring to the guards who were around as it was to Una, she did wonder if Sombra was as bored as she was, but it soon turned to wondering if he even could get bored, with his dreams for power filling his mind.

Eventually day turned to early evening, and both vendors and customers got smaller in numbers, and when the last rays of the sun started to fade, their target finally packed her stuff. but instead of heading into the city like most vendors, she went to the opposite direction, pulling her wagon towards the outskirts. 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra would have waited around casually, and in the later evening - One of the ponies in the crowd actually walked up to him. It was a pink pegasus mare with blue eyes. Her mane had a dual tone between a darker purple and a lighter one - with silver highlights becoming more prominent towards the back of her wings and tips of her mane. The mare almost seemed to have an ethereal quality to her. Sombra gave her a passing glance before the mare would walk closer to her. Una would perhaps see this interaction.

"Excuse me Sir, do you know where potions are being sold?" the pink mare asked.

Sombra would casually point a hoof towards one such vendor. "Over there." he spoke, with a neutral tone.

"Thank you Sir, by the way, would you be interested in buying one of my potions?" the mare asked, and looked closer to him.

"Perhaps, what do you have to offer me?" Sombra asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

"A few simple healing potions, and a disinfectant one that will cleanse you of any ailments you have." the mare spoke before giving him a business card. Sombra looked down at her name as listed on the card, but she'd introduce herself anyway. "Name's Silver Star. I'm just visiting the area." she spoke calmly.

"Right." he spoke, and would offer her a reasonable price and he'd buy a few of those healing potions and the disinfectant one. The mare would leave shortly after, before Sombra would look down at the card she had and stuffed it away in his cape.

Then he would glance in Una's direction and begin following the blue Earth Pony Mare. 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props Valroa
Una noticed someone interacting with Sombra, but didn't pay much mind to it, as far as she knew, Sombra had found someone useful, and even if it was someone who would be trouble, there was absolutely nothing she could do that Sombra couldn't do himself better. During her exploration of the market, she had stopped by the potion sellers to ponder how some of that stuff worked, was it bottled spells? or did it enchant the affected individual? but besides thinking about it, she hadn't really even considered them as an option, as in her eyes it was better to just learn healing magic at that point. 

The vendor would eventually stop on a field, heading into her wagon to get something, she'd only be there for a moment, and if not interrupted during that moment, she'd soon come out with food, which she would then eat while facing the direction from which the moon rises. 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra would ponder upon what happened with the mare called Silver Star. Who was she? What was her real goal in being here? He felt as if for some reason that something was different about that mare. He had no clue about her at the moment, but those thoughts about her would soon become sidelined by what he was planning to do to this Earth pony blue mare. He'd walk closer to her and observe her actions. It was a good time to strike, but alas, Sombra did not. He would remain waiting, as if judging his "prey" and making sure he would be able to do what he wanted to do.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props Valroa
The blue mare wasn't that exciting to watch, after she had finished eating, she just sat there, watching the moon slowly rise, bathing in the moonlight, Una tilted her head slightly, they kept stumbling upon all the weirdos it seemed, though it was an unique sight to behold, not that anything special happened with the mare, rather, her color scheme was such that when the moonlight lit her up, she almost looked like a ghost, be it a very solid and non-transparent ghost. 

She'd stay there until the moon was high up, and if Sombra didn't act before it, she'd again go get things from the wagon now and then, things to read, pen and paper to write down and/draw things, stuff like that, things normal ponies did during the day.

[Props Valroa 26,048]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra would continue observing the mare, and would notice how her color scheme changed. It was rather unexpected to say the least - seeing that mare's color change. Sombra had never seen such a thing in a mare before, thinking it might be that she was some unknown type of pony that he did not know about. Whatever the case, Sombra would smirk evily to Una as he would summon into existence a brainwashing helmet.

 

Looking at it, it seemed to irradiate pure hatred and general "Evil" - if Una was able to sense such a thing, it felt uncanny in a sense that it almost felt like something that was not meant to exist. These helmets were designed in a manner to be as intimidating as possible, with no doubt displaying Sombra's clear intent. Sombra would sneak up on the mare quietly, prowling about like a predator before he would suddenly slam the helmet onto the Blue Mare, allowing for it's magic to activate and take control over her mind.

If nothing interfered with this - the Mare would otherwise be unchanged, other than an undying loyalty to Sombra being felt. Though, as far as the mare was concerned, she was always this way. Sombra was her master. Her King. 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props Valroa
The helmet felt exactly as Una had expected something created by Sombra to feel like, like Sombra, but with less variability, it was similar to how Nightmare Moon's helmet had felt to her, just with slightly different flavor of emotion. Guess magical items stored the emotion of their creators pretty well, or at least ones with darker types of magic did, she hadn't yet experienced an item with light magic of such strength, so she didn't know if it worked the same for positive emotions. 

Also, now that she saw one of the helmets, she understood perfectly the need to change them, they weren't exactly subtle. 

Nothing stopped the helmet from doing its thing, though weirdly enough, a necklace that the mare was wearing cracked when Sombra's magic took over, it did nothing else, there was no magical effects of any kind, it didn't keep breaking down, there was just that one, single crack. The mare looked down and lifted the now cracked necklace with her hoof to look at it closer, before turning her head towards Sombra "It seems caution is in order, there's powerful magic in play somewhere nearby." 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra would look at Lunar as she was wearing the helmet he had put on her. "Oh, how I both love and hate these helmets at the same time. Look at you - so intimidating, so powerful looking - but oh so obvious." He spoke as if he was speaking to a pet. "They did their job well when I made them, and will have to do more in the future, but the time for their power has reached it's end. It's a new millennium, and that requires new tactics, and I have full expectations you will do well in providing me what I need to reach that goal." he said in a manipulative fashion, putting his hoof on the mare's chin as if she were his most prized possession.

"Be that as it may, enlighten me about this powerful magic you speak of - is it possible I am being observed, or followed?" He spoke, remembering the various times where those strange dragon creatures from another world had been observing him before. 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props Valroa
"Sure it's possible, but it's not something I know the answer to, as this is not that kind of amulet." The mare stated, her tone was exactly what was to be expected from someone who is blindly loyal to the one they were talking to, again proving the mind control effective "It is linked to me, and breaks in one of three situations, one, it gets forcibly removed from me, two, I get affected by magic strong enough to injure me, or three, my mind is being messed with." "It's still on me, and I'm not injured." she wasn't challenging Sombra, after all, she was under his magic, and rather, she sounded more thoughtful than anything. "Though potential of injury doesn't mean, certain injury, so one of the two latter ones has happened." "But that is not why I brought it up, you see, alone this thing would be useless, since in any of those three cases, I'd be unable to do anything with that information." "Rather, it is linked to various other amulets too, amulets that I have given to trusted individuals like friends, which would about now be glowing to tell them that mine has broken for unspecified reason." "Thus they have a reason to believe that I may be in danger, be it true or not, your highness."  "I'm not saying you did anything to me, why would you? but I am aware of you not being too popular around here for some reason, and I'm pretty sure my friends don't like you." 

Una's eyes widened in realization, what a clever mare, she had planned a way to contact help even when unable to do so.

"But do not worry, I cannot be tracked by them, so if this is a problem, I just need to lay low, though they will declare me missing after a while." 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra would look at her quietly as he processed her words, looking deeply into where her eyes would be. "That's a smart set up, but now surely, you would know very well how to resolve this affair with your amulet?" he asked, his eyes looking at her like a predator would a prey, "I am aware that my name is not one that is welcome around here. I require your assistance." he said, seemingly satisfied with her explanation for now. 

"With that in mind, allow me to say what I require assistance with. I have searched this area for a bit, and found you to be the most probable in delivering what I need. These helmets - I require you to come up with a method to alter their power to be contained within mere rings. These helmets are very obvious, and I require to have eyes and ears in all facets of Equestrian daily life, that cannot happen with these helmets being so obvious. These Helmets were constructed for War purposes, over one thousand years ago. That purpose no longer exists. I require a smaller, easily concealable method to brainwash Equestrian leadership and those with high influence in this world." he stated.

"I believe you may be capable of this, and I will require full access to your materials, the knowledge you have, as well as the whereabouts of your friends." he added. 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props Valroa
"Only way to revert it would be to make a new one and go re-link it to the others one at a time." "That's why it breaks, wouldn't be a good way to warn about potential mind-stuff if I could just turn it off now would it." The vendor stated, talking like this wasn't exactly such a situation, mind-control was weird like that, even though she was wearing very obvious helmet, something Sombra also pointed out to her, even someone like her failed to realize the obvious connection there.

"For the helmets, I'm not an unicorn, I can't alter the power itself in any way." "I can however make rings that can withstand the helmet's power." "Though, if I may share my professional opinion here, rings seem counterproductive, since they have to be worn to have effect." "Somepony wearing a ring everywhere, including the bed and a bath, especially if they don't usually wear jewelry, would rise questions." "If it was up to me, I'd choose something that sticks to creatures similarly to how these do." she 'activated' her wings for few moments to show what she meant by 'these', Una tilted her head at the showcase, interesting magical items those were "While the exact implementation depends on how exactly the helmets work, something I need to test before I can promise anything for absolute certain, in theory, if I made them small enough, they could be hidden under manes or other hair,  under a leg, or any other place where others don't often look, or even inside the body, if you somehow get it there." "If I have materials, I could even make them blend in." 

"Speaking of which, I only have few basic materials here, it's maybe enough to make few test pieces, but if you want lot of them, I'll need to get to my workshop in Ponyville...which is the first place the guards will look if I'm missing." "For my friends, no clue where they are at the moment, between the market season and few of them never being home, not that I even really know where they actually live, they could be anywhere in Equestria, or even outside of it to be honest." "We haven't planned any meetings lately either, since I haven't seen them for a while." 

[King Sombra]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sombra would listen to the explanation about the linking of her amulet. "Smart, that's smart." he admitted with a leering grin. "I suppose there isn't a way that you would be able to re-link it to all of your friends in any near future terms because one, you are wearing my helmet, and two, you say you never knew where your friends were - so you can't just go out and meet them, then re-link in a short timescale. Let us not worry about that, then. I have managed to skirt under the radar for some time, and I doubt that your friends would come up with the explanation of me being involved - as far as everyone knows, I have been dead a very long time." he stated, and then would speak more about the rings and the proposal she had.

"As for what you are saying about the rings, you have a better idea. I wasn't aware something like that was possible - it just goes to show you that my knowledge about things is limited, no matter how much I may wish that isn't the case. I crafted these Helmets during the war, and I did so hastily - I took an existing Guard Helmet and cloned it out of dark magic, then I implemented a spell to it that would allow me to ensure the loyalty of my guards in the war during the unjustified and evil Equestrian invasion. It wasn't enough to stop the inevitable, thanks to the Two Sisters and their vicious evil might they wiped out most of my troops..." he seethed with pure rage breaking through. He seemed like he was going to explode into rage - but he had to take a few deep breaths and go silent for a little bit to get his thoughts under control.

"Because you have these ideas, we are going to go forward with finding them. Testing them, find out what works. Inside the body would be the best place to put it, something small enough to where it wouldn't be noticed." he spoke to her, finding that to be the best option for now. "For now, I believe we must make haste in heading to Ponyville - though I can not be seen with you." he stated, seemingly ready to leave already - and knowing him, it was more of an order, than a suggestion.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,428]

@Props Valroa
"I am aware of the history yes." the vendor stated "I have studied historical artifacts more than most." "But what you suggest I do?" "I'm a merchant, not infiltrator or other sneak expert, not to mention the wagon with all my tools." "It's a long walk with not that much cover to hide myself in, and that's before reaching the town." "I also lack the experience to avoid guards, I've learned to do the opposite actually, as I actively interact with them due to my field of work, yet I have a feeling you don't want guards seeing me on this particular trip." Sombra's order had been vague enough for the merchant to bring this up, after all, he said 'make haste' not 'leave immediately'. Una also almost brought up a similar point, but since the merchant was faster, Una said nothing.