//------------------------------//
// Shenanigans (Part 1) 
// Story: A Tyrant Uplifted 
// by ToneCraft 
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	It was two months after Sombra had seen his first movie. Princess Twilight had been giving him daily lessons, and Lyra had been helping him catch up with the times. Language hadn't changed too much, except that royalty no longer used that ridiculous 'Royal Canterlot Voice'.
Lyra and Sombra were at Sugarcube Corner. After the first impression Sombra got from Pinkie Pie, he started to like her, since she didn't seem to care about his past. He'd mostly gotten used to her weirdness, but Pinkie was unpredictable. The only thing Sombra could call was that she was going to find a new way to surprise him.
The dark unicorn got along with the embodiments of the Elements for the most part, though he could still feel tension. He and Fluttershy had started to speak to each other, talking about how they'd both ended up rather isolated, and their struggles with bullies.
Applejack had been wary, but told him she'd give him a chance to earn her trust. They had the occasional meeting, though not much happened. Apple Bloom seemed to enjoy his occasional visits, which was the epitome of surprise to Sombra...
...Until he met Sweetie Belle. Despite Rarity's objections, the filly insisted that she get to hang around with the dark unicorn, and actually snuck out to go to his apartment once. Sombra had taken her back to Carousel Boutique as soon as he could, and Rarity let him in for a drink. After that incident, she started talking to him in a more friendly manner.
Aside from Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle seemed to be the only one who was almost completely relaxed around him. Whenever they met outside of her scheduled "friendship lessons," They would have a decent conversation, sometimes sit together for lunch or dinner, and generally act like friends. Sombra enjoyed the thought of being accepted so quickly. Somewhere, he felt he didn't deserve it.
"But isn't that what forgiveness is?" Lyra asked when he told her his concerns.
"What do you mean?" He responded, looking at his friend in confusion.
The mint unicorn smiled at him, "Well, if you earned it, you wouldn't have been forgiven. It's impossible to earn forgiveness, it has to be given freely."
The darker smirked a bit, "Where'd you get that one? Fortune cookie?"
"Yeah." They both laughed a bit, but Sombra stopped a moment later, his eyes darting over to the door as he saw a familiar pegasus. Miss Roy G. Biv herself... He thought to himself.
Rainbow dash was the only one of the Element bearers with whom Sombra did not get along. Not only did she have a habit of reminding him of what he'd done every time they met, but her egocentricity bordering on narcissism reminded him of Sunrise Flare. About the only thing separating them was that Rainbow Dash didn't like teasing other ponies.
Sombra's glare softened when he saw Scootaloo. He'd seen her several times, a filly from a broken family. Dead father, depressed mother, and no siblings in her life. She'd spoken to him several times, been the first pony, aside from Pinkie and Lyra, to try and make an honest connection with him. As much as he'd thought he should avoid foals, it worked. With bits Luna sent do him, he'd often treated her to ice cream, without letting Rainbow Spaz know about it, and eventually--
"Hi, Sombra!" Scootaloo broke him out of that train of thought.
Rainbow shot a look, and turned to the orange filly, "Scoots, what have I been telling you? He's dangerous!"
"Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle don't seem to think so!"
"They're just as young as you are!"
"And neither do their sisters!"
Sombra sighed and started to get up, "Lyra, I'm going home..."
But when he looked at Lyra's seat, he saw she wasn't in it. He turned around to see his friend glaring at Rainbow. Not at Rainbow... Sombra realized, At her milkshake.
Lyra's horn flashed and all at once, Rainbow Dash was covered from head to hoof in partially liquefied strawberry ice cream. The dark unicorn's jaw dropped, even as the cyan pegasus turned on him, "You.. Just blew up my milkshake..."
"What?!" Sombra stepped back, "That wasn't me!"
"Don't even try to lie to me!" She responded, taking on a smirk, "Take credit for that prank!"
Lyra tapped her hoof, "Actually, I blew it up. Didn't want you badmouthing him for something long past."
"Prank..?" Sombra blinked, "As in.. Practical joke..?"
"Yeah," both Rainbow and Lyra said, but only Rainbow Dash continued, "So it wasn't you. Tell you what. If you can go through a day of pranking without EVER taking it too far, I'll give you a chance."
"Wait.. What?" He couldn't figure why this would be what Rainbow would give him as a way of earning her friendship. No, a chance at becoming friends.
"You heard me. Meet me here tomorrow at dawn, and be prepared to play pranks on ponies all day."

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"Just a couple more victims..." The creature said to the cockatrice, "And then you will go free. They haven't discovered the zebra yet, and the minotaur.. Well, even I need some entertainment."