Sombra. Saga of Hatred

by HiddenUnderACouch

Antisocial Behaviour

Author's Note:

I want to see your comments, товарищи! If you don't comment, I'll comment for you!

The principal's office was a place of quiet- and calmness. The dust hadn't been disturbed for months and in some places even ages. The books that rested safely upon the wooden shelves had been printed and released over 40 years ago. The previous principal was a big fan of adventure stories, and he had filled this office with these kinds of books. Ms. Lavender, an elderly mare with a dark-purple mane, which started to get white streaks on some parts, and light brown coat, carefully fixed the picture standing in a pretty grey frame on her table.

She enjoyed this kind of silence. Her career as a teacher had ended long ago. She still remembered those years with slight shudders and a phantom-pain in the general area of her rear. All the screams, all the scandals, each and every single one of those little monsters ready to sink their little teeth into her young, pure, fragile neck and suck out all the blood until she slowly suffocated—it was all gone. Now, she had earned her place in this office and her mark as well.

She carefully craned her head around and looked at the pretty picture on her flank, which depicted an open white book wherefrom white waves of energy seemed to flow out. Marks were like badges of honor in the Chrystal Empire, though, they were completely magical in nature. Not even a single sorcerer had ever managed to find out why they even existed.

It was universally known that ponies only received these marks when they found their true selves—that what defined them, their very soul—this was what they had to find in order to get one of these. Every pony got it eventually, but the most common age of its obtaining was around twenty-five up to the thirties.

Chrystal ponies were always baffled by how fast their neighbors from Great Fields got their marks. When spoken about, these marks were called ‘cutiemarks’, because that was the name it had in the language Common, though, most crystal ponies pronounced it as ‘cu-teh mark’ due to the phonology of the Crystallian language, which differed greatly from that of Common.

Getting a mark meant finding their true meaning for most crystal ponies. Some needed years for that, and there were rare cases of ponies dying without a mark even at the age of 40. However, Ms. Lavender was lucky to get her mark before the little pests that were her pupils had eaten her up completely.

She was the principal now. She could rest, she could walk around the school catching some skippers along the way to send them back to class—no worries, no noise, no problems.

Suddenly, Lavender's peace was disturbed by nervous knocking on the door. She lazily yawned and told the pony to come in.

It was her assistant, Mr. Crow Feather. His grey mane synergized quite well with his pale brown coat. He also served as head teacher here.

"Ms. Lavender... you have a... two visitors," he informed her in a quiet and worried tone. Lavender sighed heavily.

"Let me guess…"

"Yes, Ma’am," he said and opened the door completely so the principal could lay eyes upon the two troublemakers.

Ms. Lavender sighed yet again, sick of seeing these two in her office. There wasn't a week when these two wouldn't cause trouble. And it wasn't just usual trouble like running in the corridors or not doing their homework, no: fighting, vandalism, and—may the Emperor save their little souls—smoking! At this young age!

"Alright... ehem, come in and have a seat," she invited and moved two chairs closer to her table so the two ne’er-do-wells would directly face her.

"It's not like I was going to stand, anyway," the dark one replied quite rudely. Lavender gazed at him strictly.

"Sombra! How dare you talk to me that way?!" she snapped in an angry voice. Sombra just sneered arrogantly.

"I wasn't talking to you," he said, sat down, and looked at her. "Now I am."

Ms. Lavender growled quietly at his display of arrogance. She swore to herself that she would not reduce herself to shouting because of some brat.

---

Sombra tilted his head a bit, flexed his muscles, and yawned. The day couldn't have been more boring than it was. It was amazing how this idiot, Crow Feather, kept catching him.

Why wouldn't he understand that this wouldn't change anything and just let it slip?

"So, what was it again, Mr. Crow?" Lavender asked.

"I found these two in the school yard. Turned out that this one," and pointed accusingly at Sombra, who smirked in return, "got thrown out of the classroom. He told Ms. Long Mane to... ugh..."

"What did you tell Ms. Long Mane, Sombra?" Lavender asked flatly, looking at the dark unicorn.

"I’ve told her to go su—"

"Suck a phallus, ma’am" Crow hastily finished before Sombra did whereupon Lavender clenched her teeth.

"This is outrageous! How can you say that to a teacher? An adult, who lived much longer than you, knows more than you? Where do you find the nerve to say something like that?!" she shouted, finally losing her nerve. Sombra smirked at it and turned to his 'partner-in-crime', Iron Wheel, who was literally shrinking on his chair with every word that was shouted at the two of them. His face was pale and he frantically looked around as if looking for a corner to hide in... or cry in.

"Don't your parents teach you anything? Don't you know the basic rules of etiquette? Respect your elders!"

Oh, rules. Again. How these morons love rules.

"Wow, hold on there, Lavie," Sombra interrupted, making Lavender's eye twitch in fury. "I'm not the kind of a pony that blindly follows rules. You see..." He leaned closer to Ms. Lavender, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Rules are for losers."

"That's it!" Lavender screamed at him. "You're unbearable! Not only you started breaking the rules, but you're also dragging down this fine pony along with you!" She pointed at Iron Wheel, who seemed nigh unto tears by this point.

"He used to be such a fine pony! There was not even a single complaint from any teacher until he started hobnobbing with you!"

"You really don't know what you are talking about, do you?" Sombra asked as snarkily as he could. Lavender ignored him, but it worked to Sombra's favor. He would let the mare shout a little bit more, and then give her a piece of his mind that he had been itching to tell her for a long time now. But he just couldn't miss the chance, even though Iron Wheel was quietly whimpering to himself like a filly. He begged Sombra with his eyes to not annoy Lavender anymore. The poor little foal was scared.

"If this keeps going on, I'm going to have to contact your parents! Especially yours, Iron Wheel!"

"No! Please, no! Don't tell my mom and dad!" Iron Wheel finally found the strength to say something. "Please, don't!"

"I would love to not do this, but you're giving me no choice...." she looked into Iron Wheel’s wet eyes, and sighed. “Well, I'll go easy on you. For this time."

"But not in your case, Sombra! You're going to have to learn some manners, young colt! If I can't do that, your father certainly will!" she shouted, hoping to invoke every child's fear of their father, the leader of the family.

"Oh-ha-ha-ha! Don't make me laugh. Believing that my father can teach me something is the same as believing that fleas can dance ballet!" Sombra laughed right in her face.

"Please... don't be mad, Ms. Lavender. Sombra isn't right in the head," Iron Wheel pleaded in an attempt to save the situation, poking himself in the head to enforce his point.

"I can see that!" Lavender snapped at Iron Wheel before she suddenly moved so close to Sombra's face that it felt a bit uncomfortable. "Listen up, you insolent foal! You will learn respect and follow the rules, or else..." she took a deep breath.

"Or else I’ll expel you!" she screamed right at him. That, however, only served to widen Sombra’s grin, making it seem almost manic.

"Oh, my. Expel me! Oh no! Please no! Have mercy!" he parodied Iron Wheel, trying to make his voice sound as high pitched as possible. "I'm a small little girl and I'm about to wet myself because I'm so scared."

Iron Wheel looked at him with such offense, Sombra felt a little sad. Just a little.

"Now, listen to me. I'm a free pony. And you can't control me", he said, suddenly turning serious, his muscles straining and his eyes filling with anger. "I'm not your puppet, so leave the rules for the twats with no life who can't handle living on their own."

He looked at Lavender's desk whereupon many papers and pictures rested, probably all documents and work.

"You need manners? Have some of this!" Sombra growled and violently swiped everything off the table. A picture was sent flying, and, seconds later, crushed into the floor where it was buried by a small pile of crumbling paper. The sound of cracking glass could definitely be heard.

"That's my final answer! Go straight to Abyss!" Sombra screamed right into Lavender's face , got up and prepared to leave. "Iron Wheel... I am waiting."

Iron Wheel swallowed and nervously shifted his sight between Sombra and Lavender. A quick kick to the chair, which broke its leg and sent him flying face first to the floor was more than enough reason to follow Sombra.

"S...sorry... Goodbye, Ms. Lavender!" Iron Wheel uttered, still shrinking from fear, and slowly followed Sombra who proudly walked out of the office. Before leaving, Sombra used magic to slam the door shut, the impact making the shelves tremble and the month's old dust fly up into the air.

Lavender fell on her chair and sighed heavily, observing all this chaos caused by one rebellious colt.

"I need to quit this job."

***

Iron Wheel carefully swallowed as he and Sombra walked alongside each other through the corridor. Whenever they passed a pony, they would glance at the two with fear in their eyes. It was unsettling for the young colt how everything had changed in just a few years. From pariahs, outcasts, they had turned into the school's most known and most feared students.

Well, not exactly both of them. It was but Sombra who ponies were afraid of, no, absolutely terrified of, and for a good reason—who wouldn't be afraid of the big, muscular, dark colored unicorn with explosive temper?

"Good work, Admiral Pansy, nice job back there," Sombra quipped and carelessly slapped Iron Wheel on the forehead. "Not right in the head! Bwah!"

"Sorry, Sombra... I was just scared," he said, rubbing the aching part of his forehead. It hurt him more mentally than physically.

"Yes, I figured. As always," Sombra replied absentmindedly while staring down a third grader who peeped at him from behind a corner. The kid disappeared hastily.

"I'm getting sick of this. Every time we go to the office of Queen Bitch, you whimper like a little filly. That's not what I want to see," Sombra said without even looking at Iron Wheel who quickly swiped away the wet spots under his eyes.

"I'm sorry... I'm really, really sorry," he replied timidly.

"Sorry isn't enough. I'm sick of cleaning up your tears. Seriously, colt up!" he finally turned his disappointed gaze to Iron Wheel. They stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"If this happens one more time, I'm leaving your croup behind and move forward, ‘cause you're slowing me down. You got that?"

Iron Wheel took a deep breath and tried to look proud.

"Yes, Sombra. I will not disappoint you again. I promise," he said, speaking from the very bottom of his heart, and Sombra rewarded him with a smile.

"Very good. Now, let's go to the cafeteria to grab a bite. I'm pretty damn hungry," he decreed and Iron Wheel felt relieved. He moved a bit closer to Sombra, feeling protected near the mighty unicorn.

Iron Wheel really had to select his words carefully. Over the years, Sombra traded quietness and shyness for anger and aggressiveness. He never was an object of insults, but it seemed like he held a grudge against the whole world—nopony was safe.

He became so... powerful. Not in terms of strength, but in spirit. He had told Iron Wheel about the complete waste called ‘rules’ and taught him to live by himself. He had become so independent, so volitional. Iron Wheel just felt drawn to him.

Sombra opened the door that led to the cafeteria and proudly walked in, looking for a good table to sit at. He didn't even look towards his lonely scratched table he used to sit in front of every time. Noticing a comfortable table not far from him, Sombra went straight there, Iron Wheel following him quickly.

Two ponies of Sombra's age were peacefully eating at said table, but their repast was interrupted by Sombra who carelessly stomped his hoof right beside the dish, which made it shake and spill out some porridge.

"Mind if I sit here?" Sombra whispered right into the pony's ear who silently nodded in return and, with a grimace of fear on his face, gestured for his friend to get out of here. They left quickly and even forgot some snacks.

"Ah, perfect!" Sombra exclaimed to no one in particular, wrapped one of the sandwiches—which had been left here by the former occupants of the table—in his magical aura and moved it closer to him.

After a quick nosh, Sombra stretched out his front hooves and yawned. For some reason, he became sleepy every time he filled his belly.

"Sombra... what lesson do you have next?" Iron Wheel asked, pushing away the empty dish with several crumbles of bread remaining on it. "Just... asking."

"Lesson? Hah, are you kidding? I'm not having any lessons. Just look outside!" he replied, pointing his right hoof at the window. It was just the start of autumn, but summer was still strong. It was quite warm, but not too hot. It would be a shame to sit in a dusty classroom during a time like this.

"I'm not sitting and listening to yet another stupid lecture," he concluded. Iron Wheel took a look at him and sighed.

"I'll go with you, okay? If you don't mind..." he offered and Sombra nodded silently.

"Sure thing, bro. I'm not against good company. Besides, I'd still like to ask you a few questions. Between you and me and the gatepost, so to speak," he said, getting up. "Let's go before the bell. You wouldn't like getting caught again, would you?"

Iron Wheel nodded thereto and followed Sombra. He is so awesome! Iron Wheel thought. The unicorn might give him a friendly slap on the head, but it was all just in good spirit. Sombra was teaching him the way of freedom, as he called it. Deny the rules and live by your own.

Iron Wheel really wanted to adopt that motto, but his parents were a huge problem, having raised him with care and tenderness. If they found even a small scratch on their beloved son's body, they would raise all Abyss, and Iron Wheel would really hate to disappoint them, but, at the same time, he wanted to taste freedom. Sombra was giving him the chance to feel independent.

As they passed by another table, one of the occupants, a colt with light blue coat and grey mane, looked over his friend and stared at Sombra. It seemed he had seen how brusquely Sombra had kicked away those two boys and didn't like that too much. Maybe they were his pals, or friends of his friends. He didn't say anything, he just stared.

Sombra glanced into the colt’s eyes and narrowed his own, trying to stare him into submission. However, he didn't back off and kept staring back instead. Sombra didn't like that one bit.

"Hold on a sec, Iron. I need to teach somepony a lesson in physical education," Sombra said in a slightly annoyed voice.

"Sombra, there's no need to..."

"Oh, there is a need to. I want to – that's a good enough reason," Sombra cut him off bluntly, approaching the table where his supposed offender sat. The pony quickly reverted his eyes back to his food, but it was too late.

Sombra spun around and bucked the table, putting his entire strength into his hindhooves. The table almost overturned, sending all the dishes flying into the air. The pony, which just had his lunch flung hither and yon, sighed heavily and covered his face with his hoof.

After the table fell back into place, the poor offender was covered in porridge from mane to the tail. He scratched off a patch off his face and, by the way the porridge shifted, it was clear that he was either scared or angry.

Sombra smiled viciously at his victim, turned around and came back to Iron Wheel. It seemed the pony he just punished wanted to rise up and take some retribution, but his friend held him back from this foolish idea.

"I told you not to piss him off. Let it go! We'll wash it off later... Damn you, ruined my lunch... damn!" his friend whispered, more worried about his lunch than his friend's damaged honor.

***

The bell rang just as they entered the schoolyard. Sombra had only stopped to pick up a small bag he had left in the entrance hall, and right now, that bag was dangling back and forth while occasionally being held in place with his hoof in an attempt to stop said annoying dangling. They ventured for the backyard, which was rather quiet and peaceful. There were a few bushes, but nothing else.

Sombra sat down near the wall right beneath the closed windows which belonged to some classroom that was empty at the time. His horn started glowing and a little paper tube flew out of the bag he had carried.

"Could really go for a drag right now," Sombra said and put the cigarette in his mouth. After chewing it a bit, his horn flashed once more and a tiny tongue of flame slipped from its end and lit the cigarette. After letting it smoke for a bit, he inhaled deeply, letting the smoke tease his lungs, then exhaled, spitting out a grey cloud of smoke.

Iron Wheel looked at this process with interest and a bit of jealousy. He had never tried smoking, for his mother always taught him to follow the rules, but now, he started to doubt her words that smoking was bad. Sombra made it look so easy and cool.

After a few more drags, Sombra noticed that Iron Wheel was hungrily staring at the smoldering end of the cigarette.

"Huh? You want one?" he asked, lifting up another cigarette from his bag. Iron Wheel looked around nervously, thinking that somepony could see him.

"Really? Um... don't know if it's a good idea."

"Don't be a wuss. You afraid of something?" Sombra asked tauntingly and Iron Wheel shook his head.

"No... I'm not. Toss it here," he said and swiftly caught the cigarette in mid-air with his mouth.

"Don't breathe in all at once. It might cause you to vomit. Not pleasant," Sombra warned him, lighting the cigarette. "Just let it smoke for a while, get used to it."

"Okay," Iron Wheel replied, finally feeling the wrongness in his heart as the smoke slowly drifted up into the air before his eyes.

They stood together like this for several minutes, Sombra occasionally letting out a small cloud of smoke from his mouth. He kept silent, consumed by his own thoughts.

"Can you see how much everything has changed, Iron?" Sombra suddenly spoke. "Just a few years ago, I was so... shy! Afraid of the world, of the rules. Now, everything has changed!"

"It certainly has," Iron Wheel confirmed, admiring the smoke coming from his smoldering cigarette.

"Ah, ‘tis beautiful. This life suits me just fine," Sombra concluded. Iron Wheel thought about being free, rebellious, going against the flow. The unicorn, however, thought about his beloved. Being the most feared was good, of course, but he couldn't have achieved the strength and courage necessary to develop such a mindset without her.

Suddenly, the crunching of the leaves disturbed the peace of the two. Sombra quickly looked around and noticed an approaching pony. He was worried for a second, but then sighed with relief.

Krystal approached the two, looking verily tired. When she got closer, Sombra rolled the cigarette to the other side of his mouth and puffed out a cloud of smoke.

"Hello, sugar," he greeted, looking at her. "Hey, Iron, could you leave us? Adults need to talk."

"Hi, Krystal!" Iron Wheel greeted the newcomer as well, smiling awkwardly with the cigarette tilting slightly. She didn't even look at him and Sombra made a gesture that ordered him to get out of sight. He sighed, spat out the cigarette, and left the scene.

"Hello, sugar," Sombra repeated, coming to hug Krystal, but she stopped him just centimeters away from her. Her horn started glowing, and the cigarette flew out of Sombra's mouth and fell into the ground.

"Sombra, I thought I already asked you," she said in a serious voice, and Sombra's smirk disappeared from his face.

"Yes, Krystal, you did."

"And yet you still come here to smoke?"

"Krystal, I need something to soothe my nerves. You can imagine how much stress it is," he looked straight into her eyes.

"Sombra, I heard your excuses: nerves and all. But you are the one causing all this stress to yourself. Don't you notice how much trouble you cause?" she asked and Sombra looked somewhere away, digging through memories.

He had to admit, he did misbehave a lot. But how else would he beat the idea of him being untamable to all the idiots out there?

"Krys, I can understand your worries. But please, cut me some slack. I'm not coming up with excuses; I'm asking to give me more time."

Krystal sighed heavily and wrapped her hooves around Sombra's neck, delving them into his black, shiny mane.

"I'm worried about you. I fear that you might hurt yourself with behavior like this," she gently kissed him on the cheek. "Please, stay safe. You know that I'll kill myself if anything bad happens to you."

Sombra blushed a little. He loved being close to her, but it would be so awkward if anypony saw him right now. But nopony could, so his hooves were untied.

"Don't you worry, sweet cheeks. I can take care of myself just fine. You can sleep peacefully," he replied and rubbed his cheek against hers. He loved the warmth of her body, how her fur tickled him. It felt so beautiful to be near her.

"Sweet cheeks? Oh, my, the language. Where did you learn this urban talk?" Krystal asked, tilting her head.

"Ha-ha. Does it matter? I bet you'll teach me something better, better than any teacher."

"I sure hope so. You definitely need some lessons, though. Maybe you should go back to class?"

"Oh, no. I'm not going there. No, thank you."

"Uh.. well, I guess I am not really in the mood to learn, too," she figured. She wouldn't usually cut school, but, she thought, Sombra started to affect her. "Will you take a walk with me?"

"Sure. Let's go", Sombra replied. "Whither, though?"

"Hmm... I'll come up with something as we go. Just keep close to me. I don't want you to get lost."

Sombra chuckled and pressed Krystal closer to him. The girl had infinite potential in terms of speech and persuasion. Though, it wasn't really needed when dealing with him; he would do anything for her. There was bound to be some trouble in their life, but they would make it through.

Four years had passed since Krystal and Sombra had opened up for each other. Four years that had seemed like the happiest time of Sombra's life. He had become quite big and muscular, thanks to spending most of his time outside. In fact, he was now taller than Krystal, which he liked quite a lot—he couldn't stop imagining himself carrying her around like a little filly. Thankfully, Krystal had still maintained the pudgy figure that Sombra came to love. She was very pleasant to touch, her skin was incredibly soft, and her lips still tasted like strawberry.

Krystal's mane had become much longer and fluffier. Sombra, though he would never admit it, would scream inside his mind like a child when she allowed him to touch it.

The cold breeze made Krystal shudder, but Sombra pressed her harder against himself, trying to warm her.

"That's a rare breath of winter I feel... Don't know if I am looking forward to it or not," she said in a dreamy voice. "I like snow, I like playing therein... even at my age."

"Why don't you ever invite me to play in the snow with you? Do I seem too boring?" Sombra chirped jokingly.

"Well, it seems to me that you like to think of yourself as an adult with the entire ruckus you cause," she replied.

"Ha-ha-ha... Mayhap. But I still enjoy playing in the snow—especially with you."

"I'm glad to hear that," she said and leaned closer to him, asking for a kiss. He indulged her desire and after an innocent peck on the lips, she made an expression like she had just eaten something bitter.

"Yech... You taste like smoke... and ash. Ew," she groused, scratching her tongue against her teeth. Sombra chuckled quietly, blushing.

"Sorry...." he apologized, turning very serious all of a sudden. "Krystal... if you really don't want me to smoke... I'll drop it, I promise. If you really want it that badly—"

"Sombra, it's not that I don't want you to smoke. It's that I'm worried about your health. You know that smoking can kill you, right?"

Sombra had heard this phrase hundreds of times before. But the fact that it was Krystal who spoke it made him listen.

"In any case... let's just enjoy the moment, okay? I really don't want to nag you right now. Let's just find something to do," Krystal said whereto Sombra silently nodded. Though, what exactly could they do?

The nature around them was beautiful. The trees were a mix of golden, red, and green colors; the wind was mostly soft and warm, except several winds from the north. The leaves were dancing in the air, whirling and doing pirouettes.

Sombra and Krystal strayed from the path and walked deeper into the park. The grass was pleasantly tickling their hooves, rustling as they walked. As the time passed, they reached a medium sized pond. The water was crystal clean with several small dragonflies buzzing above its surface.

Krystal approached the pond and felt the water with her right hoof.

"It's quite warm," she noted, turned to Sombra, and smiled. "Do you feel like swimming?"

"Swimming? It's autumn, Krystal."

"Woo-ho-ho. Do I hear that from Mr. Break the Rules? What happened, Sombra, hmm?" she said in fake offence as she teasingly descended her hoof into the water. "It's still summer, just feel the air. It's warm."

"Krystal, you do remember how much of a bad cold you caught when you spent several minutes without your fur-coat in winter?" Sombra reminded. "Just one 'breath of winter' and you'll catch pneumonia!"

"Oh, relax, dear, everything is going to be fine. I've been on a heavy diet—nothing but fruits and vegetables. My immune system had to improve somehow," she sunk her hoof deeper into the water.

"No!" Sombra almost shouted. He quickly approached Krystal and gently moved her away from the water. "Your immune system may have gotten stronger, but I am not taking any risk."

Krystal smiled tenderly and wrapped her hooves around his neck. Sombra shuddered from the water that still clung to her hoof and was now running down his fur.

"Sombra... ah," she uttered. "You're such a mystery. One minute, you're the tough rebel, causing ruckus and being—excuse my language—a jackass. With me, you're softer than a kitten. Do you follow any logic at all, I wonder?"

Sombra smiled thereto. Yes, it seemed so weird. When Krystal was away, he allowed himself anything: cussing, smoking—anything. But near her, he heard the voice that told him to stop, told him to behave differently. Was this how love affected him? He didn't know, nor did he care.

"Why do I need logic when I have you? You seem to be handling that perfectly, muffin," Sombra replied. Krystal looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Don't you ever call me muffin. Ever," she groused whereupon Sombra just smiled awkwardly. He had forgotten that she was still unsatisfied with her figure.

"Oh well, if you really care about me so much, I'll stay out of the water," Krystal relented. "Will you swim, at least?"

"I think I will. I really need some relaxation right now. Could you watch my bag while you're at it?"

"Why, of course", Krystal said, taking the bag wherein Sombra kept his cigarettes. She put it on the ground and lay down on her belly, giggling as the grass tickled her. Meanwhile, Sombra entered the pond and started going wild in it, swimming like a fish, diving and turning around. Sometimes, he would kick the water, raising waves and splashing it all over the place. Some drops even landed on Krystal’s muzzle.

While Sombra was busy swimming, Krystal innocently opened his bag and looked inside. She was quite surprised that cigarettes weren’t the only thing therein. There was also a book in black covers with menacingly looking letters of the Royal Alphabet written on its front.

A cold chill ran through Krystal's spine. It was a book on dark magic. But why would Sombra have it? She didn't want to make any guesses, so she decided to wait until he would get out and ask him personally.

Meanwhile, Sombra swam like there was no tomorrow. He dived underwater, with bubbles popping as they touched the surface and got hit by the pressure change. He observed the green tendrils of seaweed that rocked back and forth underneath the water’s surface when he disturbed their peace.

Several small fish swam in front of his face and he took care not to flinch, afraid to scare them off. His horn started glowing weakly, allowing him to stay underwater longer. Finally, after feeling refreshed enough, he swam upwards and burst out of water, sending it flying into the air. He swung his mane around to get rid of the water that clung thereto and it slapped him right in the face.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, clearly not expecting that kind of outcome.

"Having fun?" Krystal shouted from the shore.

"Yeah. Kind of. Ouch!"

"Sombra, could you come here for a minute, please? I need to talk with you."

Sombra quickly swam to the shore, swinging his hooves to make himself move forward. After he felt solid ground underneath him again, he walked out of the water and shook his body, splashing water everywhere in the process. Krystal tried to shield herself from the drops.

"So, what's the matter, honey?" he asked, coming closer to her, and she revealed the book to him. Sombra staggered for a second before he collected himself again and frowned upon his beloved.

"You know, it's not nice to look through other ponies’ things without their approval," he chided Krystal who smiled.

"I know... But I am worried about you. Because, you know, it’s just cigarettes yet, but what if it becomes something stronger? I don't think that, at your rate, you'll be happy with tobacco alone," she pronounced carefully. "One moment, I was scared I'd find Dust therein."

Dust was milled crystals. If inhaled by a unicorn, it tripled its magical powers, as well as the sexual prowess. It was also highly addictive.

"Emperor forbid, no!" Sombra swung his hoof in the air, disgusted by the sheer idea of doing drugs. "Tobacco was as far as I went."

"That's... somewhat relieving. But that's beside the point. Tell me, are you learning dark magic?" she asked and Sombra's cheeks turned red.

"Well... yes. I am", he said. "So what, it’s completely legal."

"Sombra, dark magic is incredibly dangerous to learn without an instructor. I think you should know that if you listen to anything the teachers say."

"They never say anything useful! Why even bother?" Sombra said in an annoyed voice. Krystal sighed.

"They tell you the basic rules of life. Those you simply have to follow."

"Screw the rules!" Sombra replied with his motto. Krystal sighed once again.

"Yes, you're one tough fellow. Very tough," she said, getting up. "Oh... Sombra, please, be careful. I'm very worried about you—especially if you learn dark magic. It can hurt others and you as well. Please, be very, very careful with it."

"I will, Krystal", Sombra replied, though with less assurance in his voice. Krystal reacted quite peacefully to his practice of dark magic—not that he had expected something else. The dark arts were normally just taught at a few high profile schools as part of their educational program. It was clear that the school Sombra went to would never be able to afford the necessary instructors. Sombra had never told Krystal when he had first used it, though.

He had even managed to hide his sharp teeth from her. Their kisses never went far enough so she could ‘explore’ them herself.

"Well, now you got two things you promised me to do. Drop smoking, and being very careful. I suppose we should start with the former," Krystal chirped, evidently unwilling to sustain any unpleasant conversations anymore. "I might be a fragile girl, but I am certainly going to make sure you do everything you promised. So, five circles around this pond, sergeant!"

Sombra reared up on his hind hooves and dashed forward, running around the pond.

"I... don't know... how's this... supposed to... help... but I suppose you.... know better," he tried to speak which he found surprisingly hard to do while running in full gallop. The water from the pond started to mix up with his sweat.

"I do! Keep running. I won't leave you alone until all the desire to smoke literally transpires out of you! Run, Sombra, run!"

***

"I think that was very, very good," Krystal noted as they walked down a path that was covered in fallen leaves. "Five circles in 3 minutes. Not bad for a heavy smoker."

"Oh, yeah, sure...” he paused to breathe. “You try it. We’ll see if you do better..." He was exhausted from all the running, but thankfully, it was warm enough so he wouldn’t run around with a wet coat for the rest of the day.

"Oh, don't be a grump! Get used to it; you will be doing that a lot under my guidance. True stallions never smoke—and you want to be a true stallion?"

"I don't even know anymore," Sombra groused, prompting a giggle from Krystal. His grumpiness would sometimes make her laugh so much at times.

"Come on, Sombra! If you'll be a true stallion, you'll have a true mare by your side," she bumped him in the side before she leaned against him. "Slim, beautiful and loyal—only to you."

"Ugh, you always find a way out, you beautiful lady," Sombra retorted, slightly annoyed that Krystal sometimes used their relationship as a tool to get things done her way.

"Yes, I do," she looked at the sky. The sun was already descending, the horizon slowly turned crimson, and there were even bleak and shallow stars in the sky.

"Oh my, did we really spend that much time at the pond? It's evening already," Krystal said, looking at the beautiful horizon.

"Time flies by. One second, we just met, and the other second, we both have to go home," Sombra noted, not fazed by the view. He was far too concerned with his own thoughts.

"Well, I guess that's as far as I go. Goodbye, Sombra. See you tomorrow," Krystal said her goodbyes and headed her way, scattering the leaves in her way. "Hopefully, it won't be like today."

"No promises," Sombra said in a joking tone to conceal the fact that he didn’t rightly know how else to bid her farewell.

"Hah. Well, bye! See you!" Krystal said again and left while Sombra watched her every move.

She wasn't angry with him, that much he was sure of. But it was obvious that her way contradicted his way of living. It would be impossible for them to be together if they continued to exist on different moral levels. Sombra could allow himself to say something rude, he could even cause pain. Krystal couldn't.

A small little thought, like a parasite, stuck to Sombra's mind. There was a fine line betwixt what he was doing, which was mugging, stealing, causing mischief, and the point where he was nought but a criminal. He could clearly see that Krystal wasn't just worried about him hurting himself. She was worried about that little line he could cross.

Sombra imagined how it would feel like to kill a pony. He shuddered at the thought of himself towering over a lifeless body with blood dripping from his hooves, his heart filled with rage and satisfaction, his mind whispering nought but congratulations to himself, and insults to the victim.

He shook his head. He didn’t want to even think about it. The thought terrified even him, and he wasn't afraid to admit it. He didn't want to cross that line. He would not cross that line.

Sombra suppressed any more thoughts on this topic—memories, guesses, everything, especially memories.

He might not be a saint. But he would never kill.

Sombra let out a saddened sigh and looked around. There seemed to be nopony around. Krystal had long ago disappeared on the horizon.

Well, the Empire wasn't built in a day, he thought to himself as he rummaged about in his bag for another cigarette, which he lit before even putting it in his mouth. The smoke seemed a bit darker, almost crimson in color under the light of the setting sun. After puffing out a small cloud, he thought of what tomorrow would bring him.

He would not be running low on money any time soon. The hoard he got from Sweet Tooth had supplied him through all these years with wise spending. However, after months of inactivity and complete freedom, he started to get a bit bored—very bored, actually.

Maybe it would be a good idea to come up with some kind of business with Iron Wheel. Something really cool, something thrilling.

Sombra's head wasn't working right, for he couldn't come up with anything. It was far too late for thinking, he realized, when he bumped into the front door of his house. He rubbed his forehead and spat out the cigarette, which turned into a darkened, smoldering stump.

He carelessly pushed the door open and stepped into the badly lit corridor. The smell of alcohol seeped into his nostrils, the smell he had gotten used to long ago. The rug near the entrance was almost completely worn out of color; just the edges seemed to endure still.

The picture of his family wasn't there anymore—Sombra had hidden it so Amethyst would stop constantly bitching about it.

There were yellowish stains in the corners of the room, and a big pale-red stain just up the corridor on the floor. Sombra smirked at the sight of the stain—it had turned out Amethyst would need bleach to clean up blood. Rubbing it with a brush hadn’t helped.

He slowly trotted further down the hall, and had almost reached the door leading to his room, when he heard the noise of breaking glass from the kitchen. Then, the sound of irregular hoofsteps that seemed like the pony couldn’t walk three consecutive steps reached his ears. Sombra entered his room and shut the door behind him with a simple magical lock. It was nothing fancy, but Amethyst couldn't break in without sobering up enough to use the magical wand that grew out of his forehead. But who knows, Sombra thought, maybe it doesn't work anymore, just like his brain.

Sombra's room hadn't changed much; it had just become a bit messier. It had been ages since he had tidied it up last, dusted it off, or even made his bed. There were dark-yellow stains on the ceiling from his constant smoking, though, the air was free of the smell of tobacco—he had made sure that. If his father ever managed to enter his room, he would smell nothing.

Sombra yawned and fell onto the messy bed, wrapping himself in the blanket. He felt so warm and protected in it, as if he was being held by a dear friend, a close relative, even his lover, maybe.

For a second Sombra wondered what it would be like if this blanket was a real, living mare around his age. He heaved himself up to look at his bed and the image of a mare with sky blue mane and pristine, spotless white coat lying on his bed struck his head. She playfully rolled around, wrinkling the bedsheet as she did. She turned her head and stared at him with gorgeous, big, half-shut eyes.

"Hello..."

Sombra shook his head. He could have sworn that he had actually heard a sweet, honeyed voice that reminded him of Lucia. This was getting a bit weird.

After that, he definitely needed some relaxation. Again. He fell onto the bed and used magic to bring the book on dark magic and another cigarette out of the bag. With a simple flick of his head, the window was opened and he lit the cigarette.

Weird sensations, really. On one side, he felt incredible sore in throat and lungs. On the other, it was kind of relaxing. He finally stopped thinking about blanket-mares and opened the book.

"Well, well, where was I?" he drawled absentmindedly to himself with the cigarette betwixt his teeth, knowing that his father was far too drunk to hear him.

His horn flickered every time he turned a page, looking for the paragraph he had started reading yesterday.

The top of the page proudly showcased the name of the spell he was about to learn: Tellum Ex Odio. As the description described, it was an attack spell that required a small amount of energy, but could be very powerful if the caster hated the spell’s target hard enough. Sombra smirked at the very idea of that, however the book made sure to explain this phenomenon.

While it may seem illogical that the attack’s strength increases exponentially to the caster’s hate for the target, Sombra read, you, acolyte, have to understand that, while other spells would normally just drain the caster’s soul of negative feelings and transform them into energy, this spell, which normally takes on a spear-like form, does not just take energy from the caster. Instead, it taps the channels that energetically connect the caster and its target, and thus, the energy in those channels is used to empower the magic projectile, as opposed to the caster’s magical reservoir in other spells.

Sombra decided to test the new spell. It seemed easy, not too costy, and definitely didn’t seem to augur any repercussions. In addition to the teeth, he didn't want any spikes to grow out of his spine or something. He looked at a cup that stood upon the table.

"Well, you're dead porcelain now," Sombra spoke to the cup that stood upon the table—menacingly! He concentrated and his horn started emitting black tendrils of energy.

How long had it been since he had used Visio Aeternum? Ten years? Nine? He couldn't remember. But he felt the familiar pain in his throat and heart. The darkness lingered, drank from his heart to empower itself. It crawled to his invisible wounds and drank the leaking blood.

Sombra felt like he had just met an old friend whom he had had a really bad quarrel with, and now, they met on purpose to finally settle down their differences.

The air just nearby Sombra's horn started cracking and heated up. He sweated a little when the reality started to warp and twist, forming a small blob of dark energy. A few seconds later, the blob stretched out, forming an oblong figure, very reminiscent to a spear. It crackled and shivered as if it was about to fade. Without a second thought, Sombra directed all his energy to the cup, sending the spear flying.

When the dark energy collided with the cup, it compressed into one, dark-glowing point and exploded outward, releasing a shockwave. However, the only thing the shockwave was able to move was the tobacco smoke that filled the room. Not even a single crack had appeared on the cup itself, it had just moved slightly sideward.

Sombra hummed, wondering if this was how the spell was supposed to work before he slapped himself on the forehead. Of course—the spell needed a target that was being hated to function properly.

He looked around his room, looking for potential targets. But there was nothing here he disliked too much—all the pictures, bags, cups, and even books he kind of adored.

The only possible target sat in the kitchen and drank his life away.

Sombra drove away the thought and started looking for another solution. It seemed the spell should work on material objects as well if he had some connections to them. Like a picture he really hated or a table he despised. Sounded silly, but quite possible.

Noticing that the cigarette had almost burnt out, he wrapped it in his magical aura and threw it out of the window. He didn't care too much for the stuff that might have gathered below his window, which would be at least a dozen of fag-ends and some copybooks.

However, his mind wasn't set for rational thinking at all. Instead, it would rather show him flashes of 'Blanket Mare'. Sombra moved the pillow closer to him and rested his head on it. His thoughts were plagued by strange fantasies.

Blanket would have a long, flowing mane, which would cover her shoulders like a pretty azure dress. Her slender figure, with just a little bit of weight on her rear end and sides, would tremble a bit at the breath of the cold wind that came from outside. Her smile would shift to an expression of sadness as she shuddered with cold…

---

"Could you close the window, please?" a female voice sounded. "It's really cold."

Sombra obeyed the voice and approached the window to close it.

"Oh, that's much better. Thank you," she said in a quiet voice and nonchalantly fell into his bed. Her long mane spread all over the bed sheet and she seemed to bask in these sky-blue curls.

"I'm... I'm a... a...", Sombra uttered, trying to ask a question or say a sentence. Instead, all that came out were murmurs. He shook his head, but when he laid his eyes upon her again, he was speechless.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm no stranger to you..." she purred in the same calm, soft, even playful voice. Then, she turned to him and smiled lustfully.

"In fact, I'm your closest friend," the strange pony drawled. She extended her right forehoof towards him.

"What do you mean?" Sombra asked, making her giggle slyly.

"Oh, a typical stallion, you. You've been sleeping with me all your life and you don't even know who I am," after those words the room was silent for a minute.

"What?" Sombra deadpanned, unable to come up with a better question.

"Ha-ha-ha. You're funny. I like that," she replied. "But, if you want answers, I'll give you answers."

She rolled over, rubbing her belly against the surface of the bed. "I am your blanket."

"What?" another flat ‘what’ sent her into a laughing fit.

"I'm your blanket. The one you cover yourself with; the one you wrap around yourself; the one you sometimes build a tent in the morning with,” she winked at the last one. “The one you sometimes harshly jump upon," she said, pronouncing the last phrase with a bit of reproach. "I know all your dirty little secrets."

She playfully shook her hoof at Sombra as if scolding him.

"You naughty little boy."

"Alright, stop, please," Sombra interrupted, trying to keep his cool. "So, what you're saying is that... you're my blanket," she nodded quietly, "and you know all of my secrets?" She nodded again and moved a little bit closer to the pillow. "So... why are you here exactly?"

"To indulge your desires, of course. Why else should I be here?"

Sombra swallowed, just barely processing this. His entire attitude and wit was gone just because he couldn't understand what the hell was going on.

"Don't put too much thought into it, Sombra. It won't make any sense anyway," she dismissingly spoke while she turned over again and continued lolling around on his bed. Sombra glanced at her belly and he got the insatiable desire to kiss the girl's body.

"I think I know where this is going. And don't you think it's a bit weird? I mean... you're a blanket... an inanimate object," Sombra said. These words seemed to have struck her deeply and she looked at Sombra with saddened eyes. He regretted those words. "Don't get me wrong! It's perfectly fine. You just look so... so...."

"I look... how?"

"So hot!" Sombra blurted out before shoving a hoof into his mouth to shut himself up. What in the Empire was he saying? What was wrong with him?

She smiled lasciviously at him.

"I'm pleased to hear that. But, you see... I can't be any less 'hot' than you make me to be. I am just whatever you want me to be," she pronounced carefully as though she wanted Sombra to not misunderstand any of her words. Her words confused him still.

"So… you don't always look like this?"

"No. I look however you want me to look like. If you want..." she became silent for a moment wherein a cloud of mist suddenly formed over her head that dispersed as fast as it had appeared, revealing a horn. "I can be a unicorn if you want… How do you, unicorns, even handle these rods? I couldn’t bear walking around with something phallic sticking out of my skull… Let’s go on, shall we?”

The mist touched her sleek sides, and in a few seconds, she flapped a pair of cloud-white wings.

"I can be a pegasus. I'm whatever suits your fancy at the moment," she concluded after she had spread her wings to showcase their spotless plumage. She gently reached out for Sombra with a wing. He looked at it with a bit of fright, thoroughly looking at all the feathers, which looked quite soft. He allowed himself to gently tap the wing, making the mysterious blanket mare moan quietly. "But please, for the love of you, don't make me change my gender."

The point of that remark completely eluded Sombra.

"Well... if you're the product of my mind... what is the name my mind gave you, you..." he paused shortly as she playfully tickled his neck with her feathers, "incredibly attractive beauty?"

"My name? I'm just a blanket. Hmm... Blanket. I like that. You may call me Blanket," she cooed and tickled him a bit lower, making him shudder. "So, what should we do, sweet cheeks?"

Sombra looked at her again, exploring her body with his gaze, practically devouring her with his eyes. His cheeks filled with color in seconds and he felt very guilty. Blanket saw through his disguise.

"Oh, I see. I see," she gestured for Sombra to come closer and he barely managed to make a step before he was in reach and she wrapped her wing around him. "I'm not here just because of… that. We might discuss something, play a game of chess, I might give you a massage... not that kind of massage... but if you really want me to, I could..."

Sombra shook his head and carefully moved her wing away. He couldn't do this. This wasn't real. Besides, wouldn't that be cheating on Krystal?

"Blanket... I've got so many questions. Because right now, I'll be honest, I don’t understand shit here. Why are you here, why do you seem so real, and why do you even exist."

"It's… complicated. You might find out when you're older..." she spoke carefully, relaxing her wings and allowing them to lay on the bed. "But, let me ask you one question: are you ready to take the risk that... your marefriend might bust us just for a splendid night... with me?"

"I—I—" Sombra was torn apart by his undying loyalty to Krystal, and the desire to have Blanket. He knew that the right choice would probably be to refuse... But he couldn't control himself. He wanted her, and he didn't care why Blanket knew that he had a marefriend. She was an apparition created by his mind, after all.

"I'm... ready," he replied.

"Really?” her tone turned completely serious now. “You are ready to make a sacrifice for a moment of pleasure?" she whispered. Gone were her playful tone and her teasing behavior. These words seemed to be important.

"Yes. I am willing to take the risk," Sombra said, completely forgetting the vows he made to himself.

"Well then... you've made your choice, pretty boy."

She yawned, moved away from him a bit, stretching out her limbs, and Sombra couldn't help but stare at the curves of her slim body. He was literally hypnotized, and when she playfully beckoned him with her hoof, he just moved towards her.

"Come on... I don't bite... but for you, I'll make an exception," she looked at him, and Sombra couldn't resist the fire in those brown eyes which reminded him of Willemite's so much. She turned over again and looked into his eyes as he looked down upon her.

"I'll be honest—I liked you since the day your mother bought me for you. You were so cuddly and fluffy; it was a pleasant job to keep you safe, to cuddle you. Now, you'll cuddle me for a change," she purred lasciviously before their lips merged in a passionate kiss. Blanket slowly reached for his shoulders with her hooves and pulled Sombra closer without breaking the kiss.

After they both ran out of breath, Blanket gazed into Sombra’s eyes hungrily, starting a firestorm in his soul.

"I think... you know how the rest goes... Or do I have to teach you? ...I'm a very good teacher, you know."

---

Sombra opened his eyes, realizing that he was lying face down on his bed with his face buried in his pillow. First of all, he checked if he was doing—or had been doing—anything morally questionable to his blanket, then sighed with relief. A weird dream, it was but a very weird dream.

At least it wasn't a nightmare. Just for this one night he had felt something except disgust, fear, or hate. Though he wondered if what he felt right now was right.

Well, Sombra figured, there can be several explanations to the dream I just had. Maybe I'm going mad. Maybe the use of dark magic before sleeping has altered some flows in my brain, thus causing the weird hallucination. Or maybe I should just stop smoking. That’s also possible.

However, Sombra noted what had happened in the dream, namely, an incredibly attractive mare sharing a bed with him. He remembered the last biology lesson and connected that this might have to do with him being attracted to mares.

That being said, he had always been attracted to mares. The only thing was that it was actually entering an active phase. The first time was in a dream. What would happen next?

Sombra got up from his bed quite slowly and approached the window. When he opened it, he was engulfed in the early morning's cold wind. The sun was only peeking over the horizon while most of the ground still remained in a state of darkness. Even if it wasn't a nightmare, he had still woken up quite early.

Sombra didn't feel like going back to bed at all. Everything inside him was begging for action, especially 'that kind of action'. He needed to do something active, something that would relieve his tension.

He hummed for a moment, delving deep into his thoughts. Should he and Iron Wheel go cut some purses? No, that had become boring long ago. Even the chases had become boring—they were far too fast for anypony to catch. They could do something else. Maybe break something, or...

Sombra grinned viciously at his own idea, a perfect plan to relieve the tension, have some fun, and send a little message.

He was a genius. Simply a genius.

***

The sun was at its zenith, filling the streets with warmth, which was quickly dispersed by cold wind. Ponies walked quickly, afraid to catch a cold from the sudden temperature changes.

Most markets had already disappeared from sight, which signaled Crystal City’s inhabitants to prepare for the long winter without any kind of entertainment, and also warning those who lived in the slums to prepare for starvation.

However, Sombra wasn't worried about markets; Krystal fed him quite nicely, she held her promise. Also, he still had a lot of money from Sweet Tooth. He could keep spending without thinking too much about it if he so desired. Though, one would wonder why he and Iron Wheel would tread the streets now, when most ponies stayed inside their little houses in warmth and security, where their purses would be safe behind locked doors.

Simple: Sombra was out for some payback.

"Sombra, are you sure we're supposed to be here? Ponies like us aren't usually welcome here," Iron Wheel said, carefully looking around for guards. "What if we get busted?"

"Quit whining. Everything's under control. I know exactly where we’re going, so don't be noisy," Sombra replied through the cigarette between his teeth, which released small clouds of smoke as he spoke. The smelly trails of smoke dispersed with the wind.

"Ooh... Still, I have a bad feeling about this," Iron Wheel went on. He was afraid, as always—afraid to get in trouble. It was clear that Sombra planned something bigger than a simple mugging.

Iron Wheel carefully looked around and noticed a good place to sit. He was quite tired from all the walking, so he gathered all his courage and asked Sombra to take a break.

"We've been walking for just 30 minutes. Alright," Sombra said in an annoyed voice. "If you start smoking with your condition, you'll barely be able to move your damn hooves around."

Iron Wheel approached the bench and jumped onto it, finally giving his hooves a rest. He couldn't stand long walks. He would rather prefer being carried by something, though, the prototype of his self-moving machine was still in development. Sombra lazily approached him and sat down on the ground, rolling the cigarette with his teeth.

"Iron Wheel, let me ask you something... just a friendly question," Sombra suddenly said after a minute of silence. "Do you have a marefriend?"

"Who... A mare...friend? Umm..." Iron stammered. He wanted to say yes to impress his friend, but he couldn't just lie to him.

"No... No, I don't," he replied and Sombra turned his head heavenwards.

"And why is that?" came the question out of nowhere which made Iron Wheel arch an eyebrow in confusion.

"What do you mean by ‘why’?"

"Well, you can just go up to a mare and..." he made a pause to blow out a cloud of smoke, "... ask her out."

"What? No! I can't do that. That's... that's just rude."

"How's that rude? What's wrong with asking a girl out? Do you think I hooked up with Krys because fate told me to?" Sombra questioned rhetorically and put his hoof under his chin. Maybe he did meet Krystal because of fate. But he refused to let questions regarding semantics take over his mind.

"Umm... Well, I don't know... But it seems so hard. I just... can't bring myself to walk unto a girl and talk with her," Iron Wheel replied. "Lucky you! You have Krystal. She’s so.... so..." he closed his eyes as if dreaming. "Oh... so beautiful."

"Can't argue with that. So, what I wanted to ask..." Sombra slowly turned his head to look at Iron Wheel. "If you're so scared of asking a girl out... are you one of those ponies?"

Sombra tapped on the wooden bench and looked suggestively. "Well, you know? Those ponies?" Iron Wheel tilted his head, not quite following Sombra's flow of thoughts.

"Those ponies?"

"I mean those that are not into mares... Those stallions!" his friend replied, puffing out smoke, slowly getting annoyed.

"I don't get it."

"A Queer! Are you a queer?" Sombra asked bluntly, infuriated by Iron's unintentional attempt of pissing him off.

Queers were quite unusual in the Crystal Empire. However, in the Unicorn Kingdom, they were more than common. Eager to promote the freedom of speech and actions, King Palladium, the leader of said Kingdom, introduced the so called 'Freedom of Sexuality'. This law permitted homosexuals to openly declare themselves as such, while in other countries, they would be frowned upon, repressed, and even executed. In the Gryphon Dominion, homosexuality was punished by castration for males, and beheading for females. In the Crystal Empire, it was punished by exile into the mines.

"What? No! I'm not one of them!" Iron Wheel was startled and almost fell off the bench. "How could you even think of that?!"

"I noticed that you've been staring at me quite often," Sombra stated, grinning like wolf, while Iron Wheel quickly crawled back onto the bench.

"I swear, I swear upon my mother I'm not a queer," Iron Wheel babbled, but Sombra's loud guffaw quickly shut him up.

"Ha-ha, got you good, didn't I?" he managed to speak. "Don't be afraid. I was just kidding. You should have seen your face!" Iron Wheel sighed with relief. Sombra really had a specific sense of humor.

Sombra started walking and Iron Wheel was quick to follow him.

"So, will you tell me whither we are going exactly?" the maroon-colored pony asked and Sombra spat out the finished cigarette and lazily turned his head around.

"To pay a visit to an old friend. He doesn't live there anymore, but his house should be there".

"And why are we going there?"

"Simple. We're going to trash it."

Comments

[Slip Kid]

I bet this won't end well...

[HiddenUnderACouch]

3743313 Since when telling teachers to suck male reproductive organs ever ended well?

[Cool_Story_Reader]

Suddenly Sombra's a badass... I like it!
And this Blanket, I love her! Damn, I hope that she isn't just a dream.

[MessoriaAQ]

3744675

Manifestation of all of Sombra's fetishes rocks, sayst thou?

[kalo-kalypso]

MOAR!!! Please? you make flutter cry.

[Moonshine Wing]

3743581 Do you really want that answer? There are a few who will indulge, if prompted.

[Shining Dawn]

WHY'D YOU HAVE TO GO AND MAKE HIM A BUCKING SMOKER?!!??? go eat a lemon! Smoking is TOO FAR!!!!

Excellent story! When's the next update? Also, plz consider my suggestion about an alternate ending.