//------------------------------// // The Fairest Demon [Slice of Life] [Q] // Story: Endeavors of the Enigmatic and Eccentric // by Ice Star //------------------------------// I gripped the mane-brush gently in my magic and pulled it through Sombra's mane again, humming softly as I worked. He had a very nice mane, and the brush tended to glide right through. Only when he had been out in the elements did it really become tangled, but he liked to keep it in its natural disheveled state. I adored petting it, twirling it, and playing with it in all fashions. I also had the extra-exclusive privilege of braiding his mane, something nopony else could dream of. He sat before me, and I behind him. A mirror before us both properly reflected my aura and all the light of his gray-hued pocket realm so that we could see one another much more clearly. I was no particularly skilled mane-stylist, and most cosmetology was baffling to me. Though, I did not really find much to 'study' in such a field, as it struck me as very superficial. I was adequate, I should think, for one cannot expect to be an Alicorn and get by with improper mane and tail management. Caring for such a mane from learning various styles, using specially-made shampoos, and even learning what magics can actually have an effect on it are all things I had to learn. Because of that, I am good with braiding and some things. Sombra cannot braid, and adores it when I brush is mane. Is it not only fitting that I would help him with braiding and styling his mane in a mare's style. His eyes watched each stroke of the brush patiently, ears perking where I needed them to be while I gathered what I need of his mane. I did not even have to say anything; he observed all my movements carefully, and sensed the rest of what he needed to know through the movements of my magic. He purred softly as tied back a portion of his mane I had separated with a sky-blue ribbon. With only his mane left to work with, Sombra's look would soon be complete. The robin's egg blue of his his skirt spilled out beneath me, and the silver trim looked so new and clean in the glow of my magic, with faint dapples of a lighter, wispier blue visible too. And why would they not look so well taken care of? All Sombra's cloaks and less feminine things were patched, worn, and any combination of such things. The dresses he laid out, however, were all too good at bringing out other facets to his more his flamboyant side. He was an incredibly striking stallion, and though his dresses did not attract me the same way they attracted him, he knew how to pull them off and appear so alluring. Sundresses, cocktail dresses, gowns, flowing skirts, layered skirts, and many more things that were absolutely mind-boggling could all be worn by him so well. He was such a great diva, and I adored it so, and how his confidence bled into everything, no matter what he wore. A few more careful twists of his mane later, and he had a nice braid crowning his completed manestyle. His purring stopped, and I watched as his eyes widened when he finally saw everything in the mirror. I smiled warmly at the image of him, and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. "There," I whispered, "your look is complete." Sombra flicked a few strands of his bangs with his telekinesis. "I'm not sure it is." My smile faded, and a look of thoughtfulness replaced it. "What else could be done before we leave?" I thought of the opera tickets I had tucked in my saddlebags, waiting for us. While we had much time to spare, and a private, royal box reserved, I still thought it would be best to make sure to leave at a reasonable time, or even earlier. Canterlot always had plenty to see every evening, and I did love helping Sombra with his photo albums, but there was still much to do! I watched Sombra lit his horn and began to rummage through a few things quickly, his aura running across various objects, whether they were in plain sight or not, in order to touch what it was he was looking for. I sat down, waiting and thinking of what we might do in the city. I wanted to refrain from encountering too many ponies on the way, so not to dampen the fun of travelling through Canterlot. Sombra's magic could be used to help with that, and he would not be wearing his dresses or anything. He only did that when we were both in disguise, or alone together. Thankfully, unbraiding his mane would be easier than braiding it was. Excitement burned softly in his eyes, and Sombra presented me what his magic had found: his camera, a secondhoof thing that appeared as most cameras did. It was bulky, with a large round lens, and a harness-like strap that could be put around one's neck. I accepted it when he past it to me, taking a familiar, experimental peek behind the viewfinder, and slipping the strap around my neck before looking at what else he had clutched within his magic. What he held was a simple make-up container. Through the plastic lid I could see various eyeshadows and a place to keep lipstick. I cocked my head to the side, feeling the strap of his camera brush against my usual necklace. "You want this to complete your look?" "I would like you to put on a little of this." He tapped a soft blue-gray eyeshadow through the case. "Sombra, you manage eye shadow even better than I do, why would you like me to do this?" He sighed with faux annoyance, reached out with his magic again and produced one of his photo albums, and swiftly threw it at me, knowing I would catch it with ease. And I did! "I want you to do it because I love you." He winks at me playfully, knowing it'll make me smile. And it does. I sit down, close to him, and give his latest photo album a quick glance. The pages' contents make it clear that these might as well be our albums. Sombra and I are visible in all the pages, and if it is not an image of us alone or us together, it is something we saw fit to photograph. I often added images of Canterlot and neighboring locations, or the many impressive airships that made their way to the city. They were one of my favorite things to photograph by far, and now that I've sparked an interest in my hobby in Sombra, I have somepony that I can show my photographs to, and one who will appreciate them as well! All my art was private to me, regardless of what it was, with only the night sky as an exception, and all my charts of the stars. Though, there was something private and to be treasured about even that art of mine. I did not seek to share them, but appreciated them with a quiet love. It was something to revel in, though quietly, to learn anypony did appreciate my art even a little. To have Sombra become so closely involved in my habits and with me was something more wonderful than any hoard of followers, be they genuine or a blind herd. He claimed to not be artistically-inclined, and this was true, but he had an appreciation for most of the things I made. My photographs, poems, songs, sketches, and even my sloppy amateur still-lifes all were finally appreciated by a stallion of fine intellect, and one who I loved dearly. I no longer had to simply store away all the pictures I had found myself taking since my return. We shared many passions, and while I was by far the more artistic, we both took to photography as something we could share. After all, Sombra came along to operas and symphonies because he knew how passionate I was about them and he could spend time with me, even if they did 'entertain him enough', as he told me before. With his ability to pull off such a variety of clothes so confidently, and how much he photographed himself as though he were some enigmatic, one-pony modelling company, it was only a matter of time before we filled entire pages with fantastic images of him, in whatever secret corner of Canterlot would be perfect to put him, and in whatever he declared was the outfit of the day. And we helped each other orchestrate it all. I scanned past projects for ideas of what I might wish to do with his eyeshadow to day, and what might appear to match his outfit and work against the gray atmosphere of his pocket dimension. I simply had the same makeup, as it was nice and practical, so for things like this I felt as though I floundered on what to do whenever I had to do something so much more... Feminine? I let the word swirl about in my thoughts. Was it the one I'm looking for? I... maybe. Sombra certainly has more a few feminine interests than me, though I am a mare, and he's so much more stylish. I am beautiful, he tells me, and I am stunning and gorgeous, he says. Sombra does make me feel beautiful, but there is something curious that remains in this, though I try to get used to his habits - the fun of our photography is one thing. My thoughts still remain, and I try to adjust. Even as I look at pictures from weeks ago, I know I've never met anypony like Sombra. That has always been true, but I've also never known a way to understand the peculiar allure he has when he's like this. A hobby is a good way to put this, for it is that to him, and there might be something more to it as well. And I love him through it all. Finding a satisfying example of Sombra's eyeshadow in the past, I present it to him. "How do you think this one would look?" He looks at it with eyes that are always the same, regardless of how Sombra decides to be Sombra, and there is a critical understanding in them, something I never bothered to have when considering my own cosmetics. I did like to look pretty, and to feel pretty, but that never struck me as the way to really feel so. However, Sombra looked gorgeous. "I think it would be great," he said eventually, the slightest of adorably crooked smiles showing on his muzzle. I gently opened the lid of his makeup container and smiled back. Sombra would look great, and I would get to help. Today, that was one of the few things I needed. The rest was spending time with him.