//------------------------------// // A Crazy Little Thing Called "Love" // Story: When Darkness Falls // by MisterEdd //------------------------------// How? How in Erebus' beard could he allow this to happen? Sombra had laid out a very careful plan: 1. take the identity of a Ponyville resident with the means of getting him close to the Elements of Harmony in order to learn their weaknesses, 2. gain the trust of the Elements of Harmony, 3. crumble the will of Twilight Sparkle in order to demoralize Elements, 4. find a way into the Crystal Empire and 5. lure Celestia into a final confrontation. Nowhere did it say, "Develop feelings for one of the Elements, especially the one that posed the greatest risk out of the six of them!" Faust give me strength! Sombra glanced across the table at the mare locking eyes with him. Despite his own shock at the unexpected turn of events, he found himself unable to find any kind of fault with Twilight, taking the blame solely for himself. Neither one of them planned for this to happen. And yet, happen it did. Somewhere, somepony hates me. When the food arrived, both of them ate without exchanging a word, using the profound silence at their table to just stare at one another and exchange smiles. Sombra concentrated and used his disguised horn to get a reading on his date. Aside from their shadow-bending abilities, umbrums were also naturally empathic, being able to detect and feel the emotions of those around them. A wave of intense emotions struck him and he had to wrap his hindlegs around a leg of the table and grit his teeth to keep Twilight from noticing anything was amiss. He felt fear, trepidation, self-consciousness and joy. Most of all, however, he felt something...else. Not hot enough to be love but not cool enough to be platonic affection. It was more like romantic adoration with a hint of lustful curiosity. She desired him but was unsure about how she felt or how to proceed with it. "Twilight?" Sombra finally spoke up. The violet unicorn, apparently stuck in her own thoughts, snapped her eyes up to look at him. "How...how are you feeling? Is everything okay?" Dabbing her mouth with a napkin, she took a moment to think before responding. "Honestly? I'm a little scared." A hoof reached across the table to cover Sombra's own, a gesture of intimacy he'd not experienced in the longest time. "Don't get me wrong, I'm having a nice time with you. A really nice time. It's just..." "This is your first date and you've never felt this way before so you don't know how you're supposed to be feeling nor how the rest of this evening is supposed to go," Sombra finished. Twilight nodded, both flabbergasted and impressed by the stallion's assessment. "R-right, exactly! I mean, I've read every single book on dating that I could get my hooves on but reading about it and doing it are two different experiences!" She looked away and drew her hoof back, depriving Sombra of her soft, warm touch. "I'm sorry for being so awkward." Oh you beautiful fool... Sombra reached over to clasp Twilight's hoof in both of his, directing her gaze back towards him. "Don't apologize. Never apologize for something that isn't your fault. This is your first time, isn't it? Being close to a stallion, right?" A shy, hesitant nod confirmed his suspicions. "It's okay for you to be nervous. I mean, this isn't my first date but I'm nervous too. The truth is, I haven't been with anypony in a very long time. When I asked you out, I wasn't sure if you'd even accept my invitation and when I thought you weren't interested, I was a little relieved. It meant that I wouldn't have to feel scared about trying to impress you or wondering how soon it'd be before I screwed things up." The thing about the truth is once you got started, it was pretty damn hard to stop. The more Sombra opened himself up, the more he'd unwittingly revealed his more vulnerable side, a side he didn't even know he still possessed. It was disbelieving to the two of them how emotionally exposed he was at that moment. "I wasn't planning on courting you. You were just another mare to deliver mail to but when I got to talk with you, I knew that I had to try. I'm not spontaneous; I like to have my day planned out to the T. I guess what I'm trying to convey is...I like you...a lot. And even though it took me completely by surprise, I want to continue to see you, to court you. That is, if you'll have me." All was quiet and still, a pregnant hush filled their little corner of the restaurant and for the longest time, Sombra feared that he'd overstepped some boundary. He didn't know where his confession came from or why he even said it aloud. He wasn't romantic or some scared, green-horned colt bringing a classmate to the malt shop. Grand scheme or no, it scared him to think he'd effectively shut the door on a potential relationship with this incredible mare. In that instance, the prospect of never speaking to Twilight again or gazing into her violet eyes terrified him in a way he loathed for more reasons than he could count. "Parcel...," Twilight mercifully uttered after the extended silence. "That was the sweetest thing that I've ever heard." Her hooves covered his and she struggled to keep her eyes from tearing up. "I like you too. As in, like like. I'm scared that I'll be the one to mess things up between us. But if you're willing to give it a try, then I'd like to keep doing this." "Wait, you mean...?" Twilight nodded, her face made even more radiant by the smile of pure bliss. "I want to be your special somepony." Sombra's heart leapt with joy at hearing those words. As if driven by a will of its own, his right hoof began to caress Twilight's cheek, a gesture she in fact welcomed as she turned her face to better accommodate him. He tried to command his heart to beat slower but the stubborn organ refused to obey him. "So, instead of our usual academic discussions, I'd like to talk about you instead. I mean, everypony knows Twilight Sparkle, the Student of Princess Celestia and the Great Hero, but I want to get to know Twilight Sparkle, the Librarian and the Mare with a Head Full of Dreams." She nodded and caressed his hoof. "I was born in Canterlot, the younger of two siblings. When I was five, my parents took me to a museum exhibit dedicated to Star Swirl the Bearded and from then on, I knew that I wanted to practice magic and become the next great enchanter..." ~*~ They stayed until closing time, Sombra mostly listening to Twilight's life story and her own dreams and ambitions, only speaking now and then to compare similarities or to ask questions. When the Golden Horseshoe closed, they walked side-by-side, purposefully taking the long way back to Golden Oaks Library just to extend their night. There was a slight chill in the air so Sombra wrapped Twilight in his coat and placed a foreleg around her, both actions earning him a grateful smirk and her head on his shoulder. When it came down to his turn, Sombra tread very carefully, mixing what he recalled of Parcel Post's upbringing with elements of his own life. He liked being honest but too much would arouse her suspicion and thus bring this romance to an abrupt and untimely end. "Well...here I am," Twilight said with a small wave of her hoof, standing right in front of the treehouse's front door. The two said nothing, knowing full well that they'd be saying their farewells and ending their night. Reluctantly, she removed Sombra's jacket and gave it back to him, stopping to look up at him as their bodies came within inches of one another's. "I had a wonderful time, Parcel Post. Thank you." "It was my pleasure, Twilight Sparkle," Sombra answered truthfully, kissing her hoof. "If anything, I should be thanking you." They remained where they were, their bodies nearly roasting with how close they were in proximity. He stared at her lips, idly wondering about their taste and texture when he noticed how she seemed to be reading his thoughts, her face frozen with both fear and hopeful expectation. "We don't have to kiss if you don't want to. I'll understand." Twilight gulped and nodded. "I know. It's just...I've never been kissed before. I'm very curious. Scared but curious." Bending down slightly, Sombra took Twilight's face in both hooves and angled it slightly to the left. "You don't have to be scared, Twilight. I'd never do anything to hurt you. I...care too much." He then leaned forward, his lips gently brushing hers. Once she made it clear that he had permission, he gently pushed them together, savoring the velvety soft texture and the exquisite taste of wild elderberries. There was a slight whimper followed by a moan, indications that he was doing something right and that the unicorn was enjoying it. He then withdrew, taking in a deep breath as Twilight's eyes fluttered open. "How...how was it?" Twilight looked dazed, half-asleep even. "Hmm? It was...nice. Very nice. Great even." Her hoof gently traced her lips as if to commit the act to memory. "Thank you, Parcel Post. For being my first." "Anything for you," Sombra stated softly, planting a kiss on her brow. "Good night, Twilight." "Good night, Parcel," Twilight breathed, stumbling towards the door and maintaining eye contact with him, fumbling for the door knob a moment before locating it and hauling herself inside. Once the door was closed, Sombra snorted and pumped a hoof in the air, commending himself on a job well done. He slowly made his way back to his house, enjoying the splendid evening and recounting his kiss with the lovely mare, relishing the feel of her lips against his own. Shutting the door behind him, Sombra dropped the illusion spell and zapped his dress clothes away, having served their purpose. He leapt onto his bed and cradled the back of his head with his forelegs. "Sombra, you old Lothario you. Well done, my boy. Well done-..." "Thank you, Parcel Post. For being my first." "I had a wonderful time, Parcel Post." "Parcel...that was the sweetest thing that I've ever heard." "Good night, Parcel." Sombra could feel his reality shattering, his heart breaking into a million pieces. No, she didn't have feelings for him. She was infatuated with Parcel Post, with the façade! True, it was Sombra that romanced her but it was with the mailpony's face and voice. It was Parcel Post that made intelligent conversation and asked Twilight out on a date. It was Parcel Post that took her to dinner, opened his heart out to her and made her feel special. And it was Parcel Post that kissed Twilight and made her first time unique and pleasurable. The fact was, Twilight Sparkle cared for Parcel Post, not Sombra and she never would. "I...but I...I love her..." Sombra froze and scrubbed at his moist cheeks. "Tears? Since when do I cry?" He stared in disbelieving horror at his wet hoof. "What have you done to me, Twilight Sparkle?"