Sombra shifted uncomfortably, looking across the table. Luna sat there, one of her guards on each side.
"Then what happened?" the princess asked. Sombra tried to get a read on her face. Disappointment, concern, anger, anything. Instead, she showed him no emotion.
"Seeing AppleBloom cry like that was awful," Sombra replied, "I took her to Sugarcube Corner and bought her some ice cream to help her calm down. I didn't know what else to do."
------
"Are you okay?" Sombra asked, sitting beside AppleBloom.
The filly elected not to say anything. She gave a slight nod, and sniffled.
"Oh, look who's here," The voice of a filly came from the doorway. Sombra looked over and saw two school-aged earth ponies. The one on the left was pink, with a light blue mane, highlighted in white. She wore on her head a small tiara, that matched the one on her flank. The one on the right was grey, wore silver-framed glasses, and had a spoon adorning her flank.
------
"They just started making remarks," the unicorn continued, "Just the usual comments on me being creepy, how AppleJack shouldn't be trusting me to be near her."
"And you got angry?" Luna asked.
"Not at first. I just thought it was the usual. But after a little bit, they talked about blank flanks," Sombra looked down and sighed, "it took me a moment to realize that they weren't talking about me."
------
"You sure know how to pick your role models, blank flank," Diamond Tiara said, "First the freaky zebra with the potions, now the zombie king from the Crystal Empire?"
"Leave us alone," AppleBloom said, "Zecora got petrified."
Diamond Tiara blinked for a moment, then put on a smirk, "Well, she'll make a better lawn ornament than a mentor."
"Shut up!" Sombra said, looking directly at the pink filly, "What right do you have to talk to her like this? What reason?!"
Diamond Tiara tried to stammer out a response, as a white unicorn stallion with a gold mane entered the building.
"Get out and leave AppleBloom alone!" Sombra shouted, slamming his forehooves on the table.
------
"I noticed afterwards that everypony in the building was staring at me," he said, "those two ran screaming, and I saw my reflection in the window. I saw shadows coming from my eyes, like they did back then."
"And then we were alerted," Luna said.
Sombra nodded slowly.
"This is serious," the princess told him, "you could have hurt somepony."
"I know."
"You could have undone everything you've worked to fix."
"I know."
"What do you think should be done about this?"
"I don't know," Sombra said.
"Excuse me. Princess?" The white unicorn started as he stepped into the room.
"What is it you need?" Luna asked, looking back at him.
"My name is Angel Mist. I saw the whole thing."