Flurry Heart and the Imprisoned King

Twilight and Flurry appeared right in front of the throne of the Crystal Empire. Cadence looked at the two new arrivals in astonishment. Twilight let go of Flurry and got to her hooves to address her sister-in-law.
“Hello Cadence, I came for a visit with Flurry. I hope you don’t mind but we ditched the guard back in Ponyville.”
Cadence just batted her eyelashes and gave her a questioning look.
“Twilight, how did you...I mean you just. *ahem* What brings you to the Crystal Empire? You're supposed to be at home with Flurry. You know, watching her reorganize your library.”
“That’s true but I heard about a very interesting friendship problem.”
Twilight held up the journal with all the information Flurry had gathered over the course of her visits with Sombra.
“I also have a good book recommendation for you.”
She smiled warmly at Cadence asking.
“Where’s Shining Armor, this involves him too. You know he should also consider reading this book.”
Cadence didn’t answer. She just kept her eyes fixed on Twilight wondering what this problem was and why she should read the book she was holding up. She shook her head and closed her eyes.
“What friendship problem, Twilight? You know I’ll help in any way I can.”
“It’s my friendship problem, mom.”
Cadence looked over to Flurry, she had almost forgotten she was in the room. Flurry met her mother’s gaze. Fear and anxiety started to chew away at her. She watched as the gears in her mother’s head started to turn and her eyes widened.
“No, no, no! Twilight no. I know what’s going on and no. I can’t what if-”
“What if, what Cadence? Flurry’s sixteen now she doesn’t need you to make all her life decisions for her anymore. But we're going to discuss this with Shining Armor as well. Now where is he?”
Just as she asked, Shining Armor ran into the throne room. His jaw fell open as he gawked at the sight before him. He had detection spells placed in the throne room to alert him if anypony suddenly appeared or disappeared from within it. He did this out of fear that an enemy may be bold enough to just come into the throne room and hurt Cadence. However, he never imagined it would go off like this. He just stared at Twilight and Flurry in a stupor. Twilight gazed back and addressed him.
“Hello Shining Armor, why don’t you come in and sit down? I have to discuss something important with you and Cadence.”
He walked in, his astonished gaze never leaving the pair. He knew Twilight was an amazing mage and an alicorn but he never thought she could teleport from Ponyville to the Crystal Empire in a few minutes. He sat next to Cadance’s throne. He asked.
“Where’s Sweet Spear?”
He couldn’t believe they would leave her behind. She had orders to stay with Flurry and she wouldn’t just abandon her post.
“In Ponyville enjoying a day off.”
Twilight smiled at him before starting. He sighed.
“Now, I know what happened two months ago. I know your story and I know Flurry’s story and honestly, I agree with Flurry.”
Shining looked at Cadence and then to Twilight. Both of them replied, shocked.
“WHAT!?”
Twilight just kept smiling.
“I agree with Flurry. Although I do understand why you two did what you did, I also know you didn’t listen to Flurry or read this book.”
She floated the book over to the pair giving it to Cadence. Cadence looked at the book and then back to Twilight, Twilight gave a reassuring smile to them. Cadence held the book in her magic as she cautiously opened it and started reading from it. Shining addressed Twilight.
“Twilight, you don’t have a child to worry about, there’s no way you understand. Besides, you know how dangerous King Sombra is. What makes you think we would allow her to see such a monster anymore? For all we know he could have been lying to her all this time and making her into something evil or corrupt.”
“But he never did anything to me! You’re just assuming he did something to me.”
Flurry interjected. Shining Armor looked at her, disappointed. Twilight started to speak again. Shining Armor looked back to Twilight.
“Shining Armor you’re not seeing the whole picture. You’re also not listening to her. She isn’t a little filly anymore. She's a young adult and she can make her own choices now. Besides, you know how powerful she is, need I remind you of the Crystal Heart fiasco when she was just a baby.”
Shining Armor grumbled, crossing his front hoofs.
“No. But-”
“But nothing Flurry is a powerful mage, Shining Armor. I know she’ll always be your little girl but she’s growing up. And in doing so she's choosing to be friends with Sombra and I think what she’s doing is amazing. Besides she’s at least giving Sombra something you two will never allow him to have.”
Shining Armor was bubbling with rage. He knew that Twilight was making a point and he hated it. He sneered at her.
“And what's this ‘chance’ that we're not giving to a tyrant?”
“A chance at redemption or at least another chance at friendship. You know isolation is considered one of the most horrible ways to torture somepony. The loneliness is said to be unbearable, well at least in most books I’ve read it is a horrible punishment. I’m surprised he stayed sane for so long.”
Shining Armor’s eyebrow twitched as he argued back.
“He is a danger to any and everypony who encounters him. His magic can even pierce through a protection spell cast by me and Cadence. And if he gets free again, he’ll just enslave everypony. He wants this Empire and would stop at nothing to get it, Twilight.”
Twilight hummed.
“You thought Thorax was a danger to every pony too when you met him.”
Twilight retorted. He huffed.
“Thorax and Sombra are two very different cases, Twilight. Sombra is a tyrant who ruled this place with an iron hoof. Thorax was just a changeling soldier doing his job when he helped attack Canterlot. Thorax isn’t a hateful monster like Sombra. Thorax never enslaved anypony or wanted to hurt others. Sombra wants nothing more than to hurt and torture ponies, Twilight. ”
He stressed his point ti Twilight. Twilight sighed.
“True, they are very different cases and I know you didn't trust Thorax til Spike showed you he was good but why is this any different? Flurry is saying she’s his friend just like what Spike did for Thorax and yet you aren’t listening. You’re letting your past experience with him cloud your judgment. I mean Sombra can't do anything while imprisoned and even if he could, Flurry is a powerful pony, Shining Armor.”
His anger was taking over as he listened to Twilight.
Flurry needs to be protected from him, Twilight! He’s a curse to anypony whose ever met him.
His anger boiled over.
“Twilight, Sombra is nothing like Thorax. If given the chance he'll take over the Empire again. He hates everypony here and his only goal in life is to make everypony suffer. Have you forgotten that! He’s a monster! He almost took over when he came back the second time and when he did come back he immediately enslaved the ponies here. Hell, you can’t even mention his name to a crystal pony without them freaking out and running for their life!”
Twilight thought for a moment.
That’s true, he did take over the moment he came back. I know Shining Armor has every right to think that Sombra would do it again in a heartbeat but Sombra hasn’t done anything evil the whole time he’s been imprisoned. He hasn’t even made any attempts to break out. Even now after having a mental breakdown he’s still here in the dungeon. If he was that angry at the crystal ponies than he would have freed himself by now and had gotten revenge. Once he was captured he gave up. That and Shining Armor can’t let that image of him being a tyrant and tormenting ponies go. Shiny has every right to be upset, I know that but he isn’t trying to move past his prejudice against Sombra… He also needs to stop babying Flurry.
Twilight gave him a stern look.
“If that were true, really true Shining Armor than why is he still in the dungeons? Why hasn’t he tried to take over the Empire in the last sixteen years? You said his magic can break through the spell on his cell so, why hasn’t he broken through them and taken over the Empire? Why stay locked up, instead of escaping? After my friends and I defeated him, he stayed here and I know you said he was a hoofful. With you and Cadence constantly increasing and maintaining the spell on his cell but after two years into his life sentence you weren’t constantly doing that anymore. He stopped making problems for you guys. Why would he do that, Shining? If he really hated this place, why stay here?”
Shining Armor swallowed down his anger as best as he could. Twilight was making another good point. If he could break through the spells on his cell that kept him imprisoned than why not leave. Why would he stay in the Empire?
I hate that she’s right about a lot of things. But I think he’s only staying to bind his time and than take over but… If he can break through the spells around his cell… Then why would he stay here?
Before he could give an answer a giggle escaped Cadence's lips. Shining looked back at her, his anger spilling out.
“You’ve been awful quiet til now, Cadence. Mind telling us what’s so funny up there? We’re having an important discussion, right now. About our child and her evil pet project.”
He noticed the book in front of her, asking.
“What are you reading?”
Cadence pulled her eyes away from the journal and coughed.
“Well, it’s just that Sombra thinks you’re and I quote ‘Surely your pathetic father didn’t send you down here.’ He also doesn’t respect you, honey. He said and again I quote ‘foolish prince.’”
Shining Armor’s face flashed red as he grabbed the book away from Cadence with his magic and started reading it himself. Cadence watched him and turned back to Twilight asking.
“Twilight, that book is rather enlightening but how do you know what’s written in it, is true? It could all be a lie.”
Twilight gave her a smile. Happy that Cadence had taken over, since she was getting no where with Shining Armor. Cadence was more level headed than Shining Armor.
“Because if you look at the writing you can tell that a spell did that, not Flurry. I know that spell, I use it a lot myself. It can only record what happens in a moment from every word uttered to every little detail about something. It also changes writing style to a very bold print when lies are told. It's a default in the spell that no pony can alter when casting it. It’s mostly used when making a rough draft but it works well when two ponies are talking to each other to get ideas down or when making a legal contract.”
Cadence thought over the information she had just received.
He didn’t lie but he’s still a threat. He could retake the Empire and if that happens Flurry would have to take measures against him. If I failed to stop him. I’m thinking about that possible future, Twilight. I mean would you want to take down a dear friend of yours if they relapsed.
“I’m happy to know that he hasn’t once lied to her but still, Twilight, he is the biggest threat to the Empire. Just because he hasn’t lied to her now doesn’t mean he won’t in the future. And what if he does choose to break free and retake the Empire? What if I can’t stop him and Flurry has to? It wouldn’t be right for her to take down somepony she considers a friend. I mean if it was you would you be able to take down your friend?”
Twilight looked down, thinking for a moment before answering her.
“Candence, I understand where you’re coming from but that’s what happens in life. Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to. If I had to stop a friend who decided to hurt others or do something that jeopardized the overall good of our way of life than I would do everything I could to stop them. Besides, you and I both know he has the potential to change, Cadence. After all, he did grow up here. He may have made poor choices but what pony hasn’t.”
Cadence winced. Shining Armor lowered the book and looked at Flurry.
“You brought him those roses to make him feel better?”
She nodded as she remained quiet, watching in awe as Twilight was starting to getting through to her parents. Just then Twilight turned to her and addressed her.
“Flurry, don't you have something you want to say?”
She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. The two of them looked over to her as she stepped forward. She breathed in, finding the courage to speak.
“Mom, dad, I know I did a lot of shady and bad things recently and I want to say I’m sorry for lying to you and sneaking around. However, Sombra’s my friend and when I saw him last he was having a mental breakdown over Radiant Hope and what I said. I feel like I need to do something for him. I don’t want him to suffer alone in the dungeon anymore. It isn’t right. So, please, please can I see him?”
Her parents looked at each other neither knowing what to do or what to say. Even after reading some of her journal they still didn't trust or like their prisoner. Before they could respond a knock came from the door. All of them looked over at the door. Shining sighed.
This better be important. I’m sure everypony can hear us yelling and know now, isn’t a good time.
He shouted.
“You may enter!”
All eyes fixated on the light green pegasus guard that entered the room. Flurry recognized him, he was the guard that was always posted to Sombra’s cell. He saluted Shining Armor and spoke.
“Your majestys', I have a rather dire report.”
Shining was the first to address him.
“Feather Lane, what is it?”
He bowed and started.
“Sir, ever since you caught the young princess talking to the prisoner and forbid her to come back. He’s been... depressed?”
He questioned that last part as he continued.
“He doesn’t eat nor drink. He never moves from the middle of his cell and he just looks out at nothing. And well, sir if I can speak freely.”
Shining nodded, he didn’t like where this was going.
“He’s not himself, usually when a new guard comes in to see him, he is arrogant and incredibly rude to them. He holds himself with confidence and bravado. But when the newest guard came and saw him, well nothing, no retrot, no insult he didn't even get up to look down on her. It was just silence. It was jarring and creepy. I may not like the guy but I at least understand him enough to know when something is wrong. And something is definitely wrong with him.”
He looked at Flurry. Flurry was horrified to hear this, all the color seemed to leave her face, her eyes were widened with fear as tears formed in the corners. She looked over to her parents who looked as shocked as she did. Twilight was the one who broke the silence that set in.
“Well, are we going to check on him or what?”
All three turned and just gazed at Twilight, but Twilight only looked at Flurry a smile on her lips.
“You want to help your friend any way you can right?”
Flurry could only nod as her tears finally fell from her eyes. Twilight got up and addressed the guard.
“Please lead the way.”
He nodded as he started to leave, Twilight was right behind him heading towards the dungeon with Flurry close behind her. Shining and Cadence got up and followed behind the two although they didn’t like Sombra, hearing that he was supposedly ill was strange. He had never been ill in the last sixteen years. They followed out of curiosity as they wanted to know what was going on.