Chapter 16: Laughter
Relearning Poneish was annoying, but nowhere near impossible. Sombra was grateful he had nothing better to do, spending almost every waking moment in the library, reading and studying through every book he could. It gave him the rest his body needed, and the knowledge his mind craved, all while making his imprisonment in this castle all the more tolerable.
Of course, he’d still wander the halls on occasion, but only to a few specific rooms. Namely, his bedroom, the washroom, and somewhat frequently, the kitchen. They were all he needed to stay content, with the added bonus of raiding Twilight’s food stores. He was under the assumption that she’d noticed his thievery as well, considering the past few days he’d found baskets of pastries upon the table. Starlight also hadn’t scolded him for taking them, convincing him they were yet another friendship bribery from the princess.
He would never say if they were working or not, though he would willingly admit the Alicorn was surprisingly good with baking. She got bonus points for using crystal berries in these ones.
Licking his lips to clear them of jam, Sombra leaned down to grab a pencil in his teeth, scribbling some words down. First in Old Poneish, and then in modern Poneish. He was beginning to notice some consistencies, though it still frustrated him that the language had been changed at all. What had even been the point of that?
He ran a hoof through his mane, clearing the smoky wisps from his eyes, glaring down at the paper and chewing on the end of his pencil before spitting it out. It was time for a break, before the whole History change got to him again.
Pushing the table away, he rose, stretching himself. He was bored, and overdue for some exercise, but his broken leg was still firmly contained in that stiff cast. It was hard to do anything physical with that there, and he had no idea how long it would take to heal fully, but he wasn’t about to push himself. Starlight had given him a rather in depth description of what laminitis was, and he had no interest in dealing with that.
Of course, that didn’t stop him from sending the occasional healing pulse throughout himself just to speed things along. He healed quicker than the average pony anyway, so who was going to notice?
Starlight, probably, He thought. That still wasn’t going to stop him.
Wandering the room, he skimmed through sections of the library he didn’t much care for. Fiction and fairy tales specifically, though he couldn’t help but be drawn to the small section of foals’ books in the corner. He was curious about what stories were being told to them nowadays, and whether they still contained the worthwhile life lessons the books of his own childhood had. Lessons that taught one not to follow the flickering flames of the forest, not to trust creatures who didn’t cast their own shadow, and not to give your name to a stranger. Those had been particularly common, at least when he was young.
Strangely enough, those books did not get his attention. He quickly found himself distracted by something much different than what he'd seen so far, a stack of thin, colorful booklets in a box. He lifted one curiously, not sure what to expect. It seemed far too thin to tell a proper story.
Flipping it open, he was surprised to see that the entire booklet was covered in pictures, and not words like he'd come to expect. They weren't even diagrams or simple illustrations like a book would have normally. No, these pictures seemed far more dynamic. There were also words scattered around the pictures, written in Poneish and mostly illegible to him, though a few of the simpler words caught his eye.
Plopping down to the floor, Sombra skimmed through the rest of the booklet, head cocking curiously as he made it to the end. It was very short, and very colorful, and it intrigued him greatly. He’d have to come back to those when he could read more, but until then he would simply skim through them.
Each booklet had the same colorful characters within, usually beating up some other creature that he could only assume were the bad guys. That was how fictional stories usually were, weren’t they? A hero beats a villain. It was traditional, and cliche, and not at all the way life truly worked sometimes. Real life was unfair, and the villain was often praised as a hero, while the one who had been hurt had unknowingly and unfairly become the villain.
And unlike stories, real life rarely had a happy ending.
He tossed the booklet to the side, bringing a hoof to his mouth to anxiously groom it as an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach began to distract him. It wasn’t pain, his bruising had faded, and it certainly wasn't the anxiety of an uncertain future. He was probably just still hungry. He’d only eaten a few pastries anyway, that was hardly a meal for him.
At the thought of food, he got a mouthful of hair, ruining the thought. Pulling his hoof away, he glared at his own fetlock, unkempt and damp from his grooming. His feathers had been growing in again. He didn’t like his feathers. They’d always gotten caught in his armor, even before he donned his royal attire, and he’d always tried to keep them trimmed. But he couldn’t do that now, lacking the proper grooming equipment, and he’d gotten into the habit of overgrooming them in the hopes of getting them to the length he preferred.
It wasn’t working. If anything, it’d just made his feathers uneven.
Wiping the hair out of his mouth, he rose, ambling toward the library’s exit. He probably didn’t need food, but now he wanted something to drink to get the hairs out of his mouth. An excuse to leave the room was good as well.
He briefly considered the washroom. He’d never admit it to anyone, but when he was feeling sore toward the beginning of his recovery, he’d just go in there and drink from the faucet. But that was before Twilight had gotten a new mirror for the room, and since that had been replaced he’d been trying to avoid the room unless absolutely necessary.
So to the kitchen he went.
He knew the way just fine, traveling down the stairs as a shadow before reforming in front of the room and pushing open the doors. Unsurprisingly, nopony was there, still busy with whatever jobs they had at the school. The pastries seemed untouched as well, and with a sparkle of magic, Sombra snatched another one. He was sure nopony would miss it.
Ignoring the kitchen faucet, he went straight to the refrigerator. The contraption still intrigued him, a box that was magically cold on the inside was something that he never would have thought of before. Then again, who would have needed a cold box when you live in the North? Sometimes he was tempted to stick his head in there, just because he missed the cold and crisp air of the Crystal Empire, but he hadn’t given into temptation yet.
He reached in and grabbed a jug of apple juice, a batch gifted by Apple Bloom after hearing of his injuries, and therefore juice that was first and foremost his. Next, he got a cup from the cupboard, poured the juice in, and then drank the whole glass in all of two gulps.
The good news was he got the hair out of his mouth. The bad news was he had no idea what to do now, and he wasn’t hungry enough to justify stealing more food.
Accepting defeat, he groaned in annoyance and plopped his head onto the counter. It would be a few hours yet until Starlight, or anypony else for that matter, returned. He could go back to learning Poneish and reading, but he really didn’t want to. He wanted some variety to his time wasting, and maybe even a little freedom, though he knew he wasn’t allowed that unsupervised.
Gazing around the kitchen, he got another idea. Perhaps he could bake something? He’d always been the first to help his caretaker with meals, and though those meals had primarily consisted of soups and stews, he knew a fair bit about baking as well. She’d made cakes and pastries and so many warm sweets that just the thought of them made his mouth water.
Returning his juice to the refrigerator, he began to search the cupboards. He wasn’t sure what he would make yet, but figured browsing Twilight’s stores would bring something to mind. She had all the essentials, flour, sugar, baking powder, and upon opening a cabinet full of food, the very thing he considered a blight on this century.
Cocoa in a box. A watery and sadly sweetened chocolate beverage. He’d have thought that living in an area where the ingredients were more plentiful would have the ponies consuming the real deal, but no. They went for a sad alternative.
He was tempted to toss it in the trash, but resisted. Food waste was still food waste, no matter how sad of a food it was. On the plus side, the box cocoa had given him an idea on what to make…
Something let out a yelp behind him, prompting Sombra to jump, nearly rearing himself in defense as he spun with a snarl, magic dancing at his horn. The being in front of him let out another cry at this, his tiny purple form cowering beneath Sombra’s gaze, sheer terror irradiating from him as the stallion stared him down in a defensive rage.
A rage that, much to the tiny purple dragon’s confusion, faded into a disgruntled scowl.
“Oh, it’s just you,” Sombra muttered, rolling his eyes as he turned away, “I was expecting somepony worth threatening.”
“Wh-what?” The little dragon seemed to jolt, almost a little bit braver, “Don’t you know who I am?”
“Of course. You are Princess Twilight’s little servant, whose dragonfire somehow managed to break through my crystals,” He spat back, gazing down at him irritably, “Now what was it they called you again? Spit, was it?”
“Spike.”
“Spike, right. The little nuisance.”
Sombra turned away, back to the cupboard. Spike sat in silent confusion, torn between running or proudly informing the stallion who he was.
“Don’t you recognize me from anywhere else?” He asked.
“Not particularly, no. Unless using you against your friends counts.” Sombra slammed the cupboard shut, and Spike flinched, “Do you happen to have any chocolate or mint in this castle? I need some for what I want to make Starlight.”
Temporarily caught off guard by this statement, Spike was at a loss for words. A snort from Sombra got his attention, and his wings twitched as he answered, “S-sorry! I don't think we have either of those things right now, it’s been a while since we went shopping.”
“Yet you have milk. I’d have thought something like that would never last. Where could I get some of these supplies?”
“You’re not allowed to leave the castle,” He replied bluntly. Sombra barely restrained the urge to roll his eyes and groan.
“Not even for a friend?” He asked, putting a hoof to his chest in mock heartbreak, “I suppose that just means I can’t give Starlight a gift.”
Sombra sat like that a moment, hoping the little dragon would let him get what he needed. Much to his annoyance, he got another awkward silence, and a look of unwavering confusion from the dragon. With that, he dropped the act and let out that groan.
He had half a mind to scare him, but knew that would only run the cowardly little creature off, so he took to looking through cupboards again. He’d already located everything he needed that was in the room, and with another peek, found a bag of something that might entice the dragon into giving him what he wants.
Grabbing that bag in his mouth, he set it on the counter and demanded, “Take me to the nearest shop with the supplies I want.”
“You know I won’t do that,” Spike said, crossing his arms in defiance. His bravery was growing, as was his foolishness for allowing it to do so, “You’re not allowed to leave without permission or a guide, and Twilight and Starlight are dealing with meetings today.”
“I didn’t ask for them. I asked for you. Take me to the shop.”
Spike shook his head. A faint smirk made itself known on Sombra’s face, genuinely impressed by the child’s bravery. Turning to the bag, he grabbed it in his mouth, tearing it open with his fangs to allow its contents to rain across the counter in a rainbow of colors. Spike’s eyes widened at the mess, a string of drool trailing from his lips as he eyed the buffet in front of him.
Sombra levitated one of the largest gems of the bunch, a pristine ruby that shone nearly as red as his horn. Floating it in front of Spike’s face, he looked down at the dragon with a fang bearing grin.
“How about now?”
It was a testament to Ponyville that the duo was not met with a look of anything worse than confusion. Or at least the looks Spike saw. Sombra showed no obvious discomfort from potential glares, focused only on their destination, though Spike assumed that even if a pony had thrown him a hateful glance, he wouldn't have noticed it anyway. He was probably used to such looks.
Spike wasn’t even entirely sure if his gaze had ever strayed off the path. He’d been sure to watch Sombra closely, making sure he went down the exact route he was told, and to his surprise he did exactly that. They made it to Sugarcube Corner without him letting out so much as a peep, which was surprising, considering his gait had become considerably more lame. He wondered if he was in pain.
"You really shouldn't have come out here," Spike stated.
"You really should have never been hatched," Sombra shot back, limping to the door. Spike followed with an annoyed groan, cutting in front of him just before he reached it.
“Maybe I should go in and explain everything first?”
Sombra contemplated, but only for a split second. Then he nudged Spike out of the way, pushing the door open with a simple, “No.”
He was promptly greeted with the screams of angry children, and a cupcake to the face.
“Pound! Pumpkin! That is no way to treat a customer, no matter how many horrible things he’s done!”
Wiping the frosting from his face, Sombra was greeted to the sight of two very angry foals, as well as the very pink pony who was trying to hold them back. Confused by what had just happened, he wasn’t even angry about it. At least not yet.
“Pinkie?” Spike squeezed into the room under Sombra, a glob of pink frosting dripping off his nose and onto the dragon’s face. He stuck a claw in it, unable to resist taking a little taste as he asked, “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be busy with meetings?”
“Oh right, I was scheduled to foalsit Pound and Pumpkin while Mr. and Mrs. Cake did some deliveries, so Twilight let me go,” Pinkie explained cheerily, dropping the twins onto the ground. They stayed put, glaring at Sombra with as much rage as their tiny bodies could contain, “What are you doing here, and with Sombra of all ponies? Did Starlight tell you to take him for a walk?”
Rubbing the back of his head, Spike laughed nervously, “Yeah, about that…”
Once again, Sombra pushed Spike away.
“I’m here to acquire the ingredients for hot cocoa,” He announced, standing tall and regal. Another glob of frosting fell from his nose, and with a sigh he dropped the act, head lowering as he continued, “You ponies have made it a disgrace, and I wish to make Starlight some real cocoa.”
Tilting her head, Pinkie squinted just slightly as she asked, “Really? And what ingredients do you need?”
“Chocolate and mint.”
“Oh, okay!” She brightened up at this, hopping toward another room, “Watch Pound and Pumpkin for me, will you?”
The twins watched her leave, glancing at each other with a nod. Sombra eyed them in confusion, the two of them blowing raspberries at him before they ran off. With that, he sighed, slightly shaking his head to get rid of the remaining cake chunks and frosting in his mane.
Maybe it was because his assailant was a pair of foals, but he was more annoyed than angry at the gunk in his coat. Not even because it was an attack on his dignity, but because now he was going to have to shower before making Starlight’s cocoa, and that may very well ruin everything. He wanted this to be a surprise, and it wouldn’t seem as special if it wasn’t.
“Does the pink pony have a faucet I could shove my head under?” He asked with a frown, shaking harder, “I refuse to go out in public like this.”
“She does, but I don’t think the Cakes would appreciate your weird hair clogging their plumbing. Maybe just deal with it when we get home?” Spike suggested.
“Perhaps I could deal with it when we get back to the castle,” Sombra growled, leaning down to eye level with Spike. He let out a squeak at the motion, getting a grin out of Sombra, “Or perhaps I could make this both of our problems.”
He shook his head, frosting and cake flying everywhere, including onto Spike. The little dragon tried to shield himself, but managed too late, tiny pink globs splattering all over his face and body. He didn’t pull his arms away until he heard Sombra laugh, momentarily left at a loss of words after what had just happened.
“Ready to find that faucet now, whelp?” Sombra asked, an amused look on his face.
“Not particularly,” Spike replied, wiping some of the frosting from his nose. He thought to wipe it on Sombra, but decided against it. Just because he was being cheery now didn't mean he wouldn’t suddenly turn on him over something as small as that, “But I’m guessing you feel better about this now?”
“Just a bit, yes.”
Spike sighed. He already wanted to go home, at least to put away the gems before Twilight found them. Hopefully Pinkie wouldn’t be much longer. Finding sweets in a sweet shop never takes long, and she was foalsitting anyway.
Speaking of which, where were the twins now?
“Pound? Pumpkin?” He called. He’d hoped they’d just stayed put, but apparently not. They hadn’t followed Pinkie, had they? “Hey, where’d you two wander off-”
“Agh!”
Sombra suddenly stumbled back, nearly stepping on Spike’s tail as he shook his head, frosting splattering around him. Once again, some of it got onto Spike, and he shook his own head to get it off. How had Sombra not shaken most of that off yet? How much frosting could one cupcake even have, anyway? More concerningly, had the frosting been blue before?
Something flew above Spike’s head, and Sombra cried out in annoyance, jumping over the dragon and landing awkwardly in front of him. Chocolate frosting was splattered onto his shoulder.
“Who dares?” He shouted, shadows beginning to creep from his eyes, “Show yourself, coward!”
His hidden assailant let out a tiny war cry, and he was once again splattered with a cupcake across the chest. Growling in frustration, he yanked the sticky cake from his coat, scanning the room until he saw them, hidden behind a table leg. At first, his eyes widened. Then they narrowed.
“So you want to fight dirty, little ones?” He whispered, horn crackling as he removed another cupcake from his coat, “I’ll show you dirty!”
Enveloping them in darkness, Sombra flung the cupcakes at the foals before Spike had the chance to stop him. They tried to dodge, Pound's little wings buzzing and Pumpkin's horn sparking as they tried to use their ingrained instincts to escape. Only one of them succeeded, Pound zipping away right as his sister was buried in frosting. Her brother cried out as she fell, before snatching another cupcake from his ammo stash and glaring daggers at Sombra.
Seeking retribution for his sister, Pound threw that cupcake as hard as he could at Sombra, the stallion easily sidestepping the projectile. It hit Spike in the face instead.
“I suggest you admit defeat, little one,” Sombra stated with a smirk, slowly levitating the foals’ cupcake stash over to himself. Pound glared back, clinging to a single remaining cupcake as his sister dug herself out from beneath the sugary rubble, “Because I’m certain I have the upper hoof here.”
Popping out from under the mess, Pumpkin’s horn sparked with magic, and with a pop she vanished, her brother clapping his hooves as she did. Sombra’s smirk faded as he saw this, looking around the room for the missing filly, only for a sharp pain to run through one of his forelegs. He let out an annoyed yelp at this, unstably balancing on two legs as he tried to shake off whatever had latched onto him. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t budge, and with a snarl he turned down to look and was met with the sight of the missing Pumpkin, biting down on his fetlock with what felt to be unnaturally strong jaws.
“What the-” He shook his hoof, but the filly held tight, clamping down tighter. Growling in frustration, Sombra’s eyes flashed with shadow, “You indignant foal! I hypnotized you once, I can do it again!”
He flailed harder, stumbling on his remaining two legs, unprepared as Pound zipped over and slammed into his face. With that, Sombra’s legs finally buckled, and he fell to the ground, magic sputtering out as his jaw slammed against the floor. Cupcakes rained over them all, burying all three ponies in a rainbow of sugar, as well as splattering a certain dragon nearby.
And then, it was still. Like a battlefield after a war, nobody moved. A voice broke the silence.
“Sorry for the wait, all our mint was wilty so I had to go and pick some from-” She paused, the twins and Spike rising to meet her gaze, while Sombra stayed sprawled out on the floor, “Aw, did I miss a cupcake fight?”
“More like a cupcake assault,” Spike mumbled, shaking himself. Much to his annoyance, frosting had gotten stuck under his scales, but that was the least of his worries. Sombra still hadn’t moved from where he lay, and he was worried that he might have injured himself further. Or worse, he was waiting for his moment to strike at the twins, “Uh, hey, Sombra?”
He let out a grunt at his name being called, uncaring of the mess on the floor as he flipped onto his side. Rubbing his jaw, he let out a noise. Not a frustrated one, or a pained one, but something that Spike might have assumed was something more light hearted. But of course, this was Sombra, enslaver of many and manipulator of fear. Spike didn’t think he could show positive emotion.
“Hmph, I’ll give you this much,” He rolled again, this time onto his back as he leaned his head to look at Pound and Pumpkin, the tiniest of smiles gracing his lips, “You’re probably the worthiest ponies I’ve ever had the honor of fighting. How about a truce?”
The twins looked to each other, babbled something in a somewhat incomprehensible foal speak, and nodded. They scrambled onto Sombra’s chest, letting out cries of victory before smiling down at him.
“Or we can say you won, sure.”
Handing the chocolate and mint to Spike, Pinkie pranced over to look down at Sombra, letting out a giggle at his rainbow smeared coat. She leaned over him, meeting his gaze and asking, “So does that mean it’s okay to laugh at you?”
He briefly bared his fangs, a flash of green in his eyes before he sighed, “I suppose this would be as good a time as ever.”
With permission granted, Pinkie lost it. She fell into the mess beside him, arms wrapped around herself as she kicked the air with the bubbliest laugh Sombra had ever heard. It was a contagious laugh too, Pound and Pumpkin joining in with her, and Sombra had to try and hold back his own laughter.
He failed. Soon his own laughter joined in with theirs, something so much less maniacal than anypony might have expected of him. Spike was the only one to not join in, utterly confused about what was going on in front of him.
Smile widening at Sombra’s laughter, Pinkie rolled over to face him, the twins jumping into her arms as she asked, “Was it fun?”
Stifling his laughter with a sticky sweet hoof, Sombra nodded, “I think I can say that it was, other than the getting bit by a foal part.”
“Oh yeah, Pumpkin’s always been a bit bitey, but that’s just part of her charm!” Pinkie tossed the filly into the air, where she levitated for a moment, before falling back into Pinkie’s hooves, “You should have seen how bad she was when she was still teething.”
“Hmm, I don’t think I would have liked that,” Sombra said, raising his head to look over himself. His entire body was coated in frosting at this point, his mane a bit matted against his neck and his cast stained rainbow, “Ugh, I hope that washes off.”
“Well, casts are usually enchanted to be waterproof, so who knows.” Pinkie rose to her hooves, offering one to Sombra to help him up. He hesitantly accepted it, allowing Pinkie to help him to his hooves as well, “You know, for a mean pony with horrible taste in cakes, you’re much more fun than I ever would have thought!”
“Horrible taste?”
“Well, duh! Did you even see the cake you made the Cakes make for you? I mean, I won’t diss black licorice fruitcake, but with those colors? It was so ugly!”
For some reason, she started laughing again. Sombra cocked a brow at this behavior, but couldn’t hide the crooked grin that made way to his face.
“You’re a strange little mare, aren’t you,” He stated, “And I’ll have you know I never even got to taste that cake.”
Pinkie patted his shoulder, “Maybe when your birthday comes up, I’ll make you a much better looking one.”
“Good luck discovering my birth date, not even I know it.”
Pinkie’s bubbly giggling abruptly stopped, replaced with something unnervingly serious.
“Oh don’t you worry, I’ll find out. I always find out,” She assured, before brightening up again and saying, “Anyway, that’ll be three bits!”
“Bits?”
He hadn’t thought about those. He’d forgotten they’d existed. Even if these prices were lower than expected, he did not have the bits to pay for them. Luckily for him, Spike intervened.
“I’ll handle this,” He said, dropping more than three bits in Pinkie’s hoof, “I hope that’s enough to make up for the mess too.”
“Not really, but it’s fine. We all gotta have a cupcake fight every now and then,” She shrugged, tossing the coins into her mane before gasping, “We should do a snow cone ball fight next time!”
Sombra perked up at that, saying, “I like snowball fights.”
Spike just stared at the two of them in utter confusion again.
“I’ll have to plan something then!” Pinkie exclaimed, clapping her hooves, “Oh, I can’t wait!”
With an excited nod, Sombra opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by Spike, “You know who else can’t wait? Starlight. Didn’t you want to make her cocoa, Sombra?”
“Oh right!” He snatched the chocolate and mint from Spike, ignoring the dragon’s yelp as he dematerialized with a flash of rainbow and flew out the door as a shadow, “Gotta shower first, meet you in the castle kitchen!”
“What just…” Momentarily stunned, Spike was stuck frozen in confusion before letting out a cry of alarm and taking off after Sombra, “Wait! You can’t go out unsupervised!”
Pinkie and the twins waved as he went.
“Sombra’s actually a pretty fun guy, isn’t he?” Pinkie asked.
Pound and Pumpkin nodded in agreement.
Spike had just finished putting away the scattered gemstones from earlier when Sombra returned to the kitchen. He was still soaked from his shower, mane slick against his back and his coat dripping water onto the floor. Spike groaned at the mess, flying over to the broom closet in the room.
“Ever heard of a towel?” He asked, grabbing a mop.
“No time for that,” Sombra shook his head, spreading more water as he gathered all the ingredients and kitchenware needed for his task at hoof, “I can’t imagine it’ll be long until Starlight returns.”
Spike shrugged, “Fair enough.”
He set the mop against the closet door, knowing that as long as Sombra was still soaked it’d be counterproductive to clean up. For now, he sat at the table, watching Sombra work, as well as making sure he didn’t misstep and slip on the puddles he left. He was practically three legged at this time, and even if he’d made it out of the cupcake fight unscathed, he was still open for further injury.
Sombra was currently fiddling with the oven, a spoon held in his mouth as he tried to understand the modern contraption. He’d already set his pot on top of it, still empty, as he poked and prodded at the oven. Spike allowed him a few minutes of confusion, eventually pitying him enough to speak up.
“Need any help with that?” He asked.
“No.” Sombra continued to fiddle with the knobs, until a burst of flame finally erupted from one of the burners, prompting him to hop back in alarm. He scrambled to make that fire smaller, before turning to Spike proudly and saying, “See? I can do it.”
“The pot’s on the wrong burner.”
Sombra pushed the pan over the fire. “There, fixed.”
Ignoring any other comment Spike may have had, he gathered his ingredients and began his task, pouring some milk into the pot. He then turned to the chocolate bars, far too big to melt at the speed he desired, and with a hoof to his chin in thought he skimmed the room until noticing the knife rack. He quickly grabbed one, momentarily terrifying Spike, until he realized he had only grabbed it for its intended purpose.
Sighing in relief at that realization, Spike finally decided he was going to mop the floor. Sombra was still sopping wet, but Starlight and Twilight should be returning soon and Spike was far more worried about their safety than Sombra’s.
So, grabbing the mop, he did exactly that. It was a quick clean too, just a simple brush around the room, avoiding a kick from Sombra when he accidentally brushed against him, and the floor was cleaner than it had been before. At least there was one benefit to Sombra’s laziness.
Putting the mop away, he watched as Sombra tore up some mint leaves & sprinkled them into the pot. He then lifted the tray of chocolate, tilting it above the pot before pausing and turning to Spike.
“Do you have any Yak milk?” He asked.
“What?” Spike recoiled in disgust, “No! Why would we have something like that?”
“Why wouldn’t you have something like that?” Sombra asked, genuinely confused, “I saw a Yak among your village, I assume that would mean you were on good terms with them? Do you not make trades with them?”
“Well yeah, we are friends with them, but why would they give us milk? That’s just gross.”
“Not any more disgusting than the milk of any other bovine,” Sombra scoffed, “Even before I ruled the Crystal Empire, the Yaks and Crystal Ponies were avid traders. We gave them crystal corn and berries as well as sparkling wool for their milk and fur, though I suppose a thousand years apart broke that truce. Do you have anything of semblance?
“Does cream work? We've got some of that in the fridge too.”
Sombra frowned, “I suppose so.”
He reached into the fridge to grab it, pouring some into the pot and stirring it, quickly doing the same with the chocolate afterwards. Spike watched as he stirred it, suddenly aware of something very odd about the way Sombra was doing it. Specifically, the fact he was holding the spoon in his mouth. It made Spike curious, but he didn’t question it. Probably just a strange quirk of his.
“How long until Starlight returns?” Sombra asked.
Spike glanced at a clock on the wall, answering, “Should be pretty soon, unless they hit a delay.”
“Excellent,” Sombra said, grabbing two mugs from the cupboard, spooning some of the cocoa into them. Sitting at the table, he set the mugs in front of him and pushed one over to Spike, “I would prefer to have Starlight taste it first, but I fear I may be rusty with my skills so you shall be my test subject.”
Any surprise Spike felt at Sombra’s generosity was instantly dashed, replaced with disappointment. At least he’d watched him make the cocoa, and knew it wasn’t laced with dark magic or some other disgusting thing Sombra enjoyed. In fact, it looked delicious, even without the marshmallows he’d have added if he made it himself.
Grabbing the mug, he sniffed it, the warm and chocolatey aroma making his mouth water. It certainly smelled good, and he certainly wanted to drink it, but something about the way Sombra was staring down at him made him nervous. He looked strangely expectant, and not at all angry. Somehow, seeing Sombra with an almost innocent look was more distressing than any anger Spike had seen him with previous.
He would probably get frustrated if he kept sitting here, however.
With that thought, Spike took the tiniest of sips, eyes widening as the cocoa touched his tongue. Taking a much bigger gulp, he downed about half the cup before setting it back down on the table and licking his lips. Quite expectantly, it was burning hot, and had left him feeling warm, but that didn’t bother him in the slightest.
Eyes sparkling, he practically shouted, “That was probably the best cocoa I’ve ever had!”
“As it should be,” Sombra grinned, spooning some more into the dragon’s mug, “I would say there was none comparable, but it’s not quite the same without the Yak milk.”
Spike stuck his tongue out, “I still think that sounds gross.”
“You wouldn’t think it was gross if you lived in the Frozen North,” Sombra argued, sitting down with his own mug between his hooves, “Yak milk is rich calories, and during the coldest of days it was a staple for us.”
“Huh. I guess that makes sense.”
Admittedly, he really wasn’t one to judge. Dragons ate gemstones, something a pony wasn’t capable of doing, so why should he judge Sombra for what he liked? At least it wasn’t the actual flesh of another creature. Though, he supposed some dragons could relate to that.
Taking another swig of the cocoa, He looked at the clock again. Twilight and Starlight should really be returning soon, and he was wondering if they’d even head toward the kitchen. He figured Starlight might, since she’d gotten into the habit of grabbing some snacks before checking on Sombra, but Twilight might head somewhere else. Probably not the library, since that was where Sombra was expected to be, but somewhere. He’d figure it out later.
Glancing to Sombra, he saw him take a sip of his cocoa and smile. It was incredibly odd.
“Where’d you learn to make cocoa like this anyway?” Spike asked, a bit unnerved at the look, “Doesn’t seem like something a pony like you would care about.”
“Despite what you may believe, I too was in fact a colt once,” He said, the smile fading as he mumbled, “And even with all those years imprisoned, it hardly feels like it's been that long. I wonder if by today’s standards, your modern pony would still very well nearly consider me one as well?”
“Wait, what?” Spike was glad he hadn’t yet brought the mug of cocoa up to his lips again, or else he might have spit it out at that last bit, “How old are you?”
“How long was I sealed away?”
“How old were you before that?”
“I should have expected you to be difficult,” Sombra muttered, taking a sip of his cocoa, “I’m not entirely sure. I was still living in the orphanage the day before I took my throne, but many moons passed between then and my defeat, so I’m certain I am not that young.”
“Huh. I always thought you were like, fourty or something,” Spike said. Sombra shot him a glare, and though it wasn’t quite a death glare, it was certainly not the most assuring of looks, “Oh come on, can you really blame me? Pretty much every ancient evil that wants to ruin Harmony has been just that; Ancient. Why would I think you were any different?”
“It would do you well not to assume, infant,” Sombra hissed back in annoyance, though he wasn’t as angry with Spike as it would seem, “I suppose a thousand years on ice doesn’t keep one youthful. Let’s just say I’m half that, somewhere in my twenties.”
“Sounds adult enough to me.”
Sombra nodded, staring into his cup. Perhaps there was something in the Empire to tell him of his true age, but he highly doubted it. Even if he had known how much time passed between his downfall and his rise to power, there was still the mystery of his childhood before the orphanage. Even if they’d assessed his age, who knew if that were even true? He had no known birth date.
Glancing to the kitchen door, there continued to be no sign of who he was waiting for. Sighing in disappointment, he turned to Spike and asked, “How old is Starlight?”
“Starlight?” Spike had to stop and think at that, ”Well, she’s a bit younger than Twilight, I know that much. She doesn’t really talk about her birthday, and I’ve never asked for her age. Probably best to ask her that, but she might still be older than you.”
Sombra hummed at that, somewhat surprised. He’d assumed Starlight to be younger than him, and in a way she was, but it wasn't in the way he meant. Not that it really mattered.
His ears twitched as he heard something in the halls, excitedly jumping out of his chair and peeking out the kitchen door. He didn't see anypony out there yet, but he could now confirm he heard Starlight's, and unfortunately, Twilight's voices.
Hopping over to the stove, he began to spoon the cocoa into another mug, completing the drink with a garnish of mint. He was very excited for Starlight to try it, and the closer she got the more excited he got, to the point he involuntarily let out a little nicker when she entered the room.
"Starlight!" He trotted to her excitedly, levitating the mug under her nose in the hopes she got a whiff of it, "I made you some real cocoa, made with real chocolate, and not with cardboard."
"Oh, thank you," Starlight stepped back in confusion as the cocoa was shoved in her face, though she still enveloped the mug in her own magic. She made no move to drink it, staring at Sombra nervously, her ears twitching to face behind her, “Why are you soaking wet?”
“I showered,” He replied quickly, tilting his head as she continued to stand there, “Is it too hot to drink? Do you want some milk to cool it?”
He mentally chastised himself. Of course it was too hot, he'd just made it!
Starlight opened her mouth, but another, much more terrifying voice spoke in her place, "Wait. How’d you even make that?”
Sombra stumbled back at her voice, ears pinned as he bumped into the oven behind him. Had Twilight been there that whole time? She was glancing between him and Spike unsurely, maybe even a bit frustratedly. Sombra wasn’t sure if those feelings were directed at him or the dragon, but he did not like the princess’ presence, of the sensation of his own anxiety permeating the room.
Starlight set a hoof on his cheek.
“It’s okay Sombra,” She said, slowly turning him to face her, “Twilight was just worried about Spike when he didn’t greet her. She’s not here to do anything to you.”
He stared at her, nodding in silence and turning to the pot of cocoa. Reaching over to grab the spoon, he began to stir it, trying to keep his attention to anything other than the very mare that had tried to take his life.
“Spike,” She began, paying little attention to Sombra at all, instead staring down at her little companion, “Last I remember we didn’t have any chocolate. How did Sombra get any?”
He hesitated, but knew very well that lying was no use, “We went to Sugarcube Corner. Sombra asked me to take him.”
“Spike…” Twilight looked disappointed, but not angry. Behind her, Sombra’s ears still pinned further at her tone, even if she hadn’t spoken to him, “Maybe next time come in and ask someone else to escort him, alright?”
“He wanted it to be a surprise though, doesn’t that count for something?”
Twilight’s disappointment faded to a light smile, “I guess it does. Just don’t do that again, okay?”
He nodded, and Twilight turned away, only to stop right in her tracks as she nearly smacked right into Sombra. He held a mug of cocoa in his magic, and without looking at her he shoved it into her hooves.
“Here. I know you’ve been leaving those pastries out, and I thought I’d return the favor,” He said, quickly turning back to the pot, "It's the least I could do."
Twilight opened her mouth, at a loss for words. She glanced over to Starlight, who was just as surprised as she was, but there was something about her that seemed much happier at what had just occurred.
"Thank you, Sombra," She said, Sombra's ears pinning at the sound of her voice. Quickly making her way over to Spike, Twilight wrapped a wing around him and said, "We'll be going now, there's some assignments I'd like to work on, and I think Spike could help out with them."
"Ugh, really? Even after all those meetings you still have more work?"
"Of course I have more work." Twilight set a few feathers over Spike's mouth, using her other wing to motion between Sombra and Starlight, "I'm not happy unless I'm helping others learn."
At that, Spike understood. Downing the rest of his cocoa, he hopped after Twilight as she exited the kitchen. Sombra listened to her hoofsteps fade, letting out an audible sigh of relief once they had vanished. Starlight noticed a faint tuft of shadow escape his mouth when he did.
She tried to ignore it, choosing to be encouraging as she said, "It was very nice of you to give Twilight some cocoa as well."
"It was a bribery to get her to leave," He claimed, returning to the table and his own mug. He sipped it, the warmth and flavor settling his trembling body, "Do you like the cocoa?"
“I haven’t actually tasted it yet,” She admit, bringing the mug to her lips to take a sip. She brightened up as she did, her ears perking as she took another, “Oh! It’s delicious!”
“Of course it is,” Sombra smiled, perking up at the praise, as well as Starlight’s happiness, “My caregiver taught me the recipe, though there were some ingredients missing.”
Starlight tilted her head in thought. Sombra had mentioned this caregiver before, but Starlight knew nothing about her still. She was tempted to ask, but held back. If she asked about Sombra’s caregiver, he’d likely ask about hers in return, and she didn’t want to start that conversation.
“Starlight?”
She broke out of her thoughts, “Yes?”
“How old are you?”
For a moment, she hesitated, before answering, “Twenty one. Why do you ask?”
“I was simply curious,” He answered, sipping his drink again. His cup was nearly empty, “Spike had asked for my age, and it made me curious about your own.”
“And how old are you then?”
“My age has been lost to time, I’m afraid. I don’t truly know, but I deduced it to be something over 18 for sure. Perhaps there are records in the Crystal Empire, but I can assure you none are precise.”
He finished off his cocoa, staring down into the empty cup. He debated on refilling it, there was still quite a bit left, but he wasn’t sure if he actually wanted more. It didn’t have that same taste it had had when he was a foal thanks to the missing Yak milk, but it still reminded him of simpler times, and that always made him anxious. Besides, maybe Starlight would want more? Or even Twilight? He might not have liked her, but everypony deserved some of this cocoa.
It was supposed to be for sharing, after all.
Starlight fidgeted. Sombra took notice. He’d noticed that she had seemed a bit on edge when she first came into the kitchen, and he’d assumed that was because Twilight had come in with her. But Twilight was gone now, and he’d calmed down significantly, so why was she anxious? She didn’t dislike the cocoa, did she?
“Something is bothering you,” He said. Starlight fidgeted again.
“Twilight told me that someone from the Crystal Empire is coming to assess you,” She said. Sombra briefly bared his fangs. “She’s not sure if it’ll be Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, or even just someone else yet, but it’s going to happen this weekend.”
“And what if I don’t pass their assessment?”
“You will, I’ll make sure of it,” Starlight stated, sitting just a bit taller and looking Sombra in the eyes, “But you’ll have to help me do it. I’ll need you on your best behavior that day. No defiance, no sass, and absolutely no threats. You need to at least act like you care about others’ feelings.”
Sombra grinned, but it wasn’t quite as good natured as Starlight would hope.
“You know I can’t do that,” He said, trying to hide that grin with a hoof, “I’d have thought you’d know by now that I refuse to conform to anypony’s feelings, least of all the ones that stole my crown.”
“You care about my feelings, don’t you?” Starlight asked, levitating a spoon to tap Sombra’s nose, “Don’t even try to hide it. We’re friends now. You cuddled me.”
“You fell asleep on me, I’d say that hardly constitutes ‘cuddling’.”
“Yeah sure, keep telling yourself that.”
She poked his nose again, snickering as he flailed his arms in front of himself to try and whack the spoon away, but she easily evaded him. It was only when his horn started to bubble with magic that she stopped, dropping the spoon into the sink. Sombra covered his nose with his hooves.
“Must you humiliate me?” He asked.
“Maybe not,” Starlight smiled, “But it’s just so much fun to tease you.”
“You’ve been waiting all week to say that, haven’t you?”
“You know it.”
Starlight stuck her tongue out. Sombra repeated the gesture. She ignored him as she hopped out of her seat, trotting to the pot of cocoa and spooning some more into her cup.
“At least try to be civil to whoever visits, please?” She asked.
“I make no promises.”
Starlight wasn’t sure if that reassured her or not.
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Very cute chapter! Keep up the good work.
Sorry, couldn't resist some unnecessary censorship
Super cute chapter! I love how you finally made me like Pinkie Pie A LOT more than I did back when I was first reading this story with the first chapter. Sombra's grudge against Spike was really entertaining too, him assuming Sombra's age was hilarity.
10520584
Exclusive preview of the (non existent) explicit version of Shadow of a Doubt.
That will never happen10520632
Honestly I think writing this chapter improved my own opinion on Pinkie! I mean I never disliked her before, but she'd never been one of my favorites, but writing the shenanigans in this chapter certainly made me appreciate her more.
Spike & Sombra's interactions were fun as well.
I feel like I forgot something important. Feathers?
10520697
The term used for the long hair that grows on a horse's lower legs, like on draft horses and such. Not actual feathers.
Actually, judging by the MLP timeline, Starlight would be younger then Twilight. Her village was only a couple months old, and it just seems like she created it right after leaving her home in Sires Hallow.
Not to mention that Starlights and Sunbursts parents seem younger then the parents of the Mane 6.
Not to mention Sunburst moved to the Crystal Empire after failing magic school, which didn't appear till the end of season 2. A school Twilight has already long graduated from by that point.
Meeting the parents and seeing her room actually pretty much confirmed to me that Starlight is just out of her teens. Around 20. A few things in her room would not make sense if she was older than that.
10520736
Huh, for some reason I was always under the impression that Starlight was older than them. I was going to argue about the parents bit, because Firelight has the 'middle aged eyebags' look about him while Twilight Velvet & Nightlight don't... But then I remembered that Shining Armors exists, and so does Flurry Heart, heavily implying that they're older. Those two sure don't look like they should be grandparents, do they?
Honestly I kinda just guessed ages for the most part, which by all accounts wasn't well thought out. Other than my assumption that Starlight was older, there's really nothing to work off of with pony ages in the show or comics as far as I know, so it was all assumption. I just went with her being 24 because that's how old I'm gonna be in about a week.
Sombra was surprisingly easier, because it's true. Despite his show appearance giving him the previously mentioned 'middle aged eyebags', Fiendship strongly implied that he was still super young, and with no set number of years he ruled, I just kept him young. It was to the point I was going to originally imply he was only like 19, but thought that just a bit awkward in the context of things. I suppose making his age ambiguous didn't help matters though...
I also didn't take Sunburst into account. Probably would have helped if I had.
Think I might change that then. Starlight being younger would make some sort of sense I think.
EDIT: Changed her age to 21
10520701
Ah. The assumption I made was that 'fetlock' was the hair, not the joint (as an lock of hair). Turns out fetlock is the joint.
Feathers?
10520910
Answered in a comment below
Another great chapter, whos coming from the crystal empire? I think I have an idea....
Didn't expect a Spike and Sombra chapter. Very nice.
Who's Spmbra?
10521084
Interestingly enough it was originally going to be Twilight instead of Spike but I changed it last minute, therefore extending Sombra's dislike for Twilight. I just thought Spike deserved some attention.
Good to know this is such a common mistype of mine my computer will no longer tell me it's wrong. Fixed, thank you.
Such an amusing chapter.
... That was sweet. Almost sickeningly so! (I promise you, all puns are intentional. Muahahahaa!) Still though, nothing better than a nice warm cup of cocoa to brighten one's day! And considering the rainy Saturday I've had I should probably go and brew up a cup myself... Mmm... Cocoa.... Great now I'm craving cocoa at 11 in the evening... Thanks Mayhem!
10521124
The cocoa I made in my blog post was made at like 1AM so I can and will enable you to make late night cocoa. Cocoa is always better when it's night time.
10521093
No prob. Glad I could help.
Thank you for the update. I really enjoyed the chapter I always thought that Starlight was the same age as the others? Anyway it was nice to see what the empire was like under Sombra rule until he went evil. I hope you will be able to update again soon keep up the great work.
10521148
There's really no set ages for any of the characters as far as I'm aware, other than a once mentioned jab that Fluttershy's a year older than Pinkie, so I admittedly just kinda made stuff up.
Thank you for reading and enjoying the story! I can't promise if the next update will be soon, but I'll sure try to get it written quick.
105211
Hello thanks for the reply I was just curious about the ages. No pressure on the next chapter but I look forward to reading the next chapter so keep up the great work.
10521127
... Glaaaaare. Evil... Thou art evil... Most assuredly... Sips hot cocoa... WITHOUT THE MARSHMALLOWS.
So he does not remember Spike from the... first time, does he? It seems the ice is gradually breaking in regards to Twilight, and he can be good with kids, have Pinkie consider him fun.
Good cocoa is always good.
10520701
Interesting, did not know that.
10520768
I honestly don't think that there's definitive implicit proof Starlight isn't older than Twilight (even her room's contents could be seen as unclear, because well, she isn't really mature pre reform anyway, or really post, for a while), even knowing about the timeline of "village started during S4." It was never said to my memory that Sunburst went directly to the Crystal Empire after leaving magic school, could've been living somewhere else, before moving to the Crystal Empire.
There's also an unclear gap of time between her leaving her home town and founding the cult, whatever preliminary stages before "village construction" there were, between whenever she came up with the cutie mark spell, her having studied magic for years, and getting ponies on board with the cult, then deciding to get the village going after convincing others to join her, whether the others came from other towns or not in the "convincing" process, and there's something about the thought of her being say, three-five years older than Twilight that's appealing, "age is not equivalent to wisdom" and all that. She strikes me as possibly more seasoned than Twilight was in some ways, at least in performing magic under pressure, started out with more skill in combat, but that comes down to opinion on if age directly influenced it.
Their parents don't seem younger than the Mane Six' as a whole, universal rule, because Fluttershy's don't have bags under their eyes, you already mentioned Twilight's, and Rarity and Sweetie Belle's parents do not have bags under their eyes, whereas Stellar Flare and Fire Light did have bags.
Something like "ten years older" is a bit ridiculous, probably, regardless. I'd tend to think she's somewhere close to Shining Armor/Cadance in age, perhaps younger.
admittedly Iamattached to the "older" headcanon, but I don't think anything I said is any less true, including Sunburst not being said to move to the Crystal Empiredirectlyafter he was done in regards to magic school(that feels like it could've been implying a noticeable amount of time passed, "how lost you were")
It all seems rather nebulous. Celestia didn't say "recent" student or something like that, so we really don't have a concrete indicator, unless I'm forgetting something. Parents aren't really a hard indicator anyway, since they can have kids young (late teens, early 20s), or near thirty or whatever, people age differently appearance-wise... and yeah, the show wasn't really great at keeping up with ages anyway. The CMC should've probably been teenagers, and the Cake Twins should've gotten bigger, due to the fact that they were a bit too willy-nilly with holiday episodes.
10522276
Yep, Sombra's got very little memory of his first defeat because he was a raging half-dead shadow back then. A millennium on ice isn't kind to one's mind, after all.
I do also prefer Starlight to be older than Twilight, but the lack of any implications or hints just makes me not sure what to choose. And even if I did take Sunburst into account, I was assuming he'd be a bit older as well, probably dropping out while Twilight was still in school. Her not recognizing or remembering him obviously isn't an issue, we all know she wasn't into making friends and would probably only know kids in her classes anyway.
Yeah, I think this would have been where I would put her normally, though there's nothing obvious for them either (Late 20s, maybe?). But for the sake of the fic I lowered it, because I'm adamant on keeping Sombra young to relate to his comic portrayal.
Their ages aren't actually too relevant to the story, all things considered (Except Sombra's, because him still being so young gives him a sort of naivety to how certain things work, especially since he'd have spent most of his later teen years bitter and resentful instead of learning to be a functional pony), so whatever age I choose for Starlight is only really being thought out in a way that pairing her with Sombra isn't awkward. Though, I guess since her past is somewhat similar to Sombra's in that bitter and resentful bit, as well as not knowing how to be a functional pony, making her younger makes sense in the long run.
So I guess unless there's something to disprove it, I'll keep Starlight younger, even if I was accustomed to the other idea.
You almost caused an internal conspiracy theory about how Sombra used to be a pegasus. Thank you for the An, I was freaking out a little bit.
10522488
It wasn't even there at first but so many people questioned the feathers so I decided it would probably be a good idea to note that.
Fallen Alicorn Sombra has always been an excellent concept however.10522509
Ah, thanks ror that.
Fallen Alicon isn't even where I was going with that, lol. I began a train of thought that ends in the idea that Sombra cut off his wings, and traded them for a horn and dark magic. It's just taking the "extra unnatural horn" idea to another level.
10522512
My mind just went immediately to Alicorn when you mentioned Pegasus, but I gotta say, that is absolutely an idea I'd love to see integrated into a story!
Another lovely chapter. I do believe Sombra's starting to mellow out a bit.
Good chapter, had Pinkie being pinkie, the cake twins, spike being a little annoyed yet happy sombra didn’t recognize him from his first attempt to take over of the empire, and Sombra trying to do something nice for starlight. Wholesome content all around.
Is this the cutest chapter ever?
Amazing chapter. Love how he made them all cacao, even twilight
AHHHHHHHHH THIS WAS TOO CUTE OH MY GOSH YOU ARE AMAZING
10601138
Here are some good examples of violent stories that don't have gore also:
- MLP: FiM
- Romance
- Dark
- Adventure
Luna seeks her own place in the world, but stepping out of the light of the sun can lead to dark places.- MLP: FiM
- Romance
- Dark
Equestria has fallen to a curse of eternal darkness. Together with the spirit of Luna, a stallion seeks to return the sun and moon to the sky, before the Devourer consumes all.- MLP: FiM
- MLP: Comic
- Dark
- Sad
- Tragedy
When nature ran wild and free, ponies had only begun to dream, and a different moon roamed these skies. So it might have stayed, had the deer in their pride not turned to Wrath and to Ruin. That time is gone, but its legacy—and its lessons—remain.They're also some of my favorite fics.
10601153
I've been meaning to read that first one, I should get to that. I'll be adding the other two to that list as well.
So... how does that work exactly? If he physically aged while sealed in ice, wouldn't the poor fella be a raisin by now?
Also, the slow-burn aspect to this story really adds to the cuteness. I'm glad I'm all caught up.
10605563
He's mostly just going for an excuse and just blames the ice for the fact Spike thinks he's old, there's no deeper explanation there. Unless you assume he means the emotional aspect of it, in which imprisonment for 1000 years drove him mad and y'know stress makes you look like you've aged.
10605994
Yeah, character tags have a limit. Thank goodness too, knowing how much people would spam them otherwise.
And yeah, I wasn't sure since I don't know how immortality works in your 'verse or its scope. I figured Sombra here was something edging closer to lich territory because of repeated deaths and otherworldly non-pony nature. I mean, his physical body is essentially made just to resist the heart in the comics, right? Had there be any actual confirmation that the umbrum can die? Maybe they just live longer than ponies, maybe something else. Either way, I'd be curious to see how that plays out in your story and what conflicts an immortal (or mortal) Sombra would have with a very mortal Starlight.
10606009
Ah, so he just hates being told he looks old. Sounds familiar.
10606033
Immortality and the thoughts put into it is admittedly something I should maybe work on a bit more. I've got some stuff, but nothing entirely solid.
I'm under the impression that they're weird somewhat immortal beasts, but there's an obvious implication their prison had some sort of temporal freeze since Hope didn't age while she was in it, so perhaps they can age and die? But then again, things might be different for ponies there, and also Ira exists and that would imply that she's been an unaging child for 1000 years, and to a looser extent, that Sombra may actually have been her age or younger when he was ponified.
I'm going for the immortal beasts thing, at least by aging. There are other things out there that can kill them.
10606057
There is always the possibility of aging (to some degree, in order not to have immortal kids frozen forever that way) without being able to die. Perhaps those funky dust bunny gloomy moth horses do that?
10616363
THANK YOU. FINALLY A MAN SHOWING RESPECT TO THE FATHER OF MONSTERS.
Also I finally caught up and now and have to wait like everyone else..
10616682
Well, I'm happy to know you like it at least! Been a bit slow working on the next chapter, but I'm hoping it won't take much longer.
I am eagerly awaiting the next chapter. There are very few good Sombra stories out there. And I would very much enjoy for this one to continue
10617520
Oh, it will be! I may not be the quickest
or most focusedwriter, but I try to update this story as often as I can!