//------------------------------// // Hero Worship crushed // Story: Sombra's Midnight Star // by Twilighted Rose //------------------------------// (Present, Equestria) Luna stared at the moon, reflecting upon the Council meeting. Her sister was insane. Sombra couldn’t possibly be alive. They had defeated him at the Battle of the Crystal Empire, right? If memory served her correctly, the slate grey Sombra whom Twilight and the rest of Mane Six fought was not the same Sombra this alicorn had studied under. Maybe he was a clone. If that was true, then Luna feared her sister would be in danger. Twilight would be safe. But Celestia would not. Luna took a deep breath and opened the gates to her magic. The doorway to the Dreamrealm revealed itself in the waking world by her command. Dreams were her domain. The night was her kingdom, and she would travel it in search of Twilight Sparkle. Ω (Past, Harmonia) ΩSombraΩ What in Harmonia was this unicorn thinking, eating my food like that? And how did she get in here? A snarl rose up in my throat like bile. I had had a long night, and that mango was going to make the day’s events tolerable. But, no, this creature was currently eating the last remaining fruit. Now I had to go and buy some more! I really did not want to go all the way to– Water brazenly splashed my face, breaking my concentration on the mango thief. I turned to the source of the water … and became drenched in it. “You can stop now,” I said as Harmony sprayed me again with water. She was treating me like an ill-tempered housecat. I spluttered as my beautiful face received another round. “Are you finished throwing your tantrum?” she asked with one eyebrow raised. “If so, can we please enjoy a civilized conversation? Or are you going to throw another hissy fit? There’s more water in this bottle if that’s the case.” And she was right. She had access to an infinite supply of water. She raised the spray bottle threateningly. “I think I’ve got it out of my system. You can put the water down now,” I cajoled her. But Harmony just glared back at me. Water sprayed in my face again. “I’M TELLING YOU THE TRUTH! Why did you do that?!” “Just because,” she shrugged. “Now, Mid… well, crap on a stick and call it brown and sticky.” I turned back to the doorway and saw a vague outline in my head of where the mango thief used to be. I guessed that she ran. I looked back at Harmony and saw magic flashing in her eyes. “Way to go, idiot.” Ω ΩMidnightΩ I’m dead! I’m dead! I’M SO DEAD! And I was going to lose my horn! Where was the front door?! Where?! I ran as fast as my hooves could carry me. Damn it! This hallway was unending. Did I pass that statue three minutes ago? I could swear I had seen that painting. What was going on? I kept on running. It was the only thing I knew to do. It didn’t matter now that Sombra was my hero. He was an Alicorn, and all Alicorns were the same. They would kill and ask questions later, or even mutilate anything and everything in their paths. Sombra was like that, too, I thought. He got angry with me for eating one mango. But Harmony was the one who gave it to me! Oh, well, it didn’t matter anyway because I was blowing this joint. I ran into a wall of silver. Iron bars wrapped around me, caging me in a silvery cocoon. “Shh, little one, it’s alright. You’re safe. My son was just being an idiot.” Harmony’s voice soothed my anxiety over the situation. “I would like to apologize for my actions back there. I was indeed out of line.” The deep bass of Sombra’s voice rumbled through my bones, turning them into goo. How was it fair that my idol had power, celebrity, that gorgeous tail, and such a wonderful voice to top it off? … Wait a minute. Did he just apologize? An Alicorn, no, the Firstborn apologized? To me? I twisted my body to look at him, slack jawed. He was sitting at the end of the hall, completely soaked. His ruby eyes bored into me as I eyed his silhouette. “Why are you wet?” I asked in a small voice. Sweet Harmony, those eyes were scary. He was scary. Sombra tilted his head and smiled. *Thump* went the sound of my heart as it stopped for a minute. “It was one of Harmony’s many weird punishments used to keep me in line. Today, she treated me like a cat.” He chuckled. He rose to his hooves, and I skidded backwards. A deep vibration jellied my limbs in a rhythmic hum. I practically lost all thought, but that wouldn’t dissuade me from asking another question. “Weird punishments?” I asked. “Cat?” “Oh, stop your whining, Sombra,” Harmony’s voice said behind me. “It was not that bad.” “Humph,” was his answer. So confusing. “So you’re not going to take my horn and kill me?” I asked in a small voice. I looked into Harmony’s face and burrowed further into her side. Cautiously, I leaned back and anxiously awaited the Alicorns’ answer. Ω ΩSombraΩ “So you’re not going to take my horn and kill me?” The unicorn’s small voice carried softly to my ears. By Harmony’s ears, could this little unicorn get any cuter? Probably not. She was the smallest unicorn I had ever seen. And what she said just now set ablaze a raging inferno in my heart. Take away her horn? What kind of monster would do that? Oh, that kind of monster. “Why would I do that?” I was quite proud that I kept my voice calm and steady because inside I was trembling with rage. Her amethyst eyes shot toward mine, and her answer sparked further ire. “Because I made you mad.” So precious. Harmony looked down upon her little prisoner. Unshed tears filled her eyes, and she took a steadying breath. “What you are saying,” she started, “is that if you make an alicorn mad, they have the right to take away your horn?” “Well,” the little thing said, “not exactly. You see, I’ve had three transfers already. Because of that, I am considered useless to society. Because of that, I must forfeit my horn to the last Alicorn who owned me. And that means you. By law I must give up my horn, and my magic, too, because I am a complete and utter failure and should not be let back into society. I am an outcast.” Silence filled the room at her words. I did not know the alicorns’ depravity was so total! Harmony urged the little unicorn closer. What was the little pony’s name again? I could memorize the Oracle’s Letters word for word but never managed to remember a single name! How pathetic! How could I… Never mind. "By the way,” the little thing’s soft voice carried over the blood rushing in my ears, “what the hell is that vibration? And why does it feel so good? … Why are you both laughing?” Tears streamed down my eyes with the intensity of my laughter. She was so delightful. Her look of confusion became more intense the longer Harmony and I laughed. I finally composed myself, but by then she was irritated. “Sorry, Blue, but you are too charming,” I said between bouts of chuckles. She narrowed her eyes. “Midnight.” “What was that?” I asked. “My name is not Blue,” she mumbled. “It is Midnight. Not Ocean, not Icy, not Cornflower Blue. Midnight. Just Midnight.” “Ok, Just Midnight, the vibrations are what we call a purr.” I smiled at her stunned countenance. So expressive. I looked at Harmony, finding her body shaking with hardly suppressed laughter. “Like a cat?” "I suppose that is a decent comparison.” “So what you are telling me is that not only do Alicorns have cool powers and great might, they can also purr like a cat?! Excuse me, whose grand idea was this?” "It was mine,” Harmony responded. “Oops.” “No, it is alright, little one,” Harmony said as she examined Bluebell. I was sure I’d get her name someday. “Unfortunately, most of my servants have turned against my children. All because of my opposite.” Her teeth snapped at this. Just mentioning Him turned her eyes red. Little Blue started to struggle. What a little empath we had here. “Harmony, Daylight is trying to escape.” “Oh!” She snapped out of her moment of anger. “Sorry.” “You are mad! I’M LEAVING! I refuse to be an Alicorn’s snack!” Icy shrieked and tried to jump out of Harmony’s bonds. This broke my heart. Her mistrust of my kind was so extensive that she believed even Harmony would harm her. Harmony took a breath and magic shot through her eyes. “What happened?” Navy asked, having stopped struggling more rapidly than she expected. “I removed your fear of my son and me,” Harmony answered. “Unfortunately, it is only temporary. Now, let’s get to the most important matter at hand. Midnight, you have been assigned to my son Sombra. This is permanent. This means, Sombra, that you cannot get rid of her and that, Midnight, you cannot quit. You are to work together. Sombra, protect her and teach her more magic.” Sapphire’s eyes lit up at the mention of magic. Interesting. “And you, my dear Midnight,” Harmony continued. “I expect you to make sure Sombra becomes sociable and can enter polite company. The Void knows he needs a little more conversation.” “Harmony!” Indignation shot through me and out my mouth. But, as per usual, she ignored my comment. Azure tilted her head in question, confusion flickering across her face. “Why does he need me to help him talk to people? Doesn’t he have a lot of Alicorn friends?” Her head swung back and forth between the two of us. “NO!” I yelled as Harmony declared at the same time, “Heavens no.” Startled, Navy blinked. “Uhh… umm… excuse me?” “I can’t stand being around my own kind.” I shuddered at the thought. “Those beasts are disgusting, vulgar, and unspeakably plain…” I looked Harmony in the eyes. “Really, Sombra,” harped Harmony. “Are you really going to start singing?” “Maybe.” “Don’t.” “What?” squeaked Cerulean. I smiled the wickedest smile I could muster and began my tune. “I know that your powers of retention are wet as a warthog’s backside. But thick as you are, pay attention! My words are matter of pride…” Ω ΩMidnightΩ What was going on? I was so confused. Beyond confused. This singing goofball was supposed to be the Great Firstborn? Not to complain - his voice was fantastic. His voice melted like a fountain of the purest dark cocoa into my receptive ears. My hooves started tapping along to his song. I had absolutely no idea what he was singing, but it sounded glorious. “It’s clear from your vacant expression,” he sang as he waved his hoof in front of an unimpressed Harmony’s face, “that the lights are not all on upstairs. But we're talking kings and successions! Even you can't be caught unawares.” Then he started, I don’t know, stalking? Prancing? – around the hall in dramatic fashion with the next line. “Be prepared for a chance of a lifetime. Be prepared for sensational news!” He sat down, head falling back, and rolled his shoulders, his hoof gracefully sliding across his chest before easing him up onto his hooves. “A shining new era is tiptoeing nearer.” Sombra literally started to tiptoe on all fours around us. I heard somepony say, ‘And where do we feature?’ behind me, scaring the crap out of me in the process. Sombra continued to sing, “Just listen to teacher. I know it sounds sordid, but you’ll be rewarded when at last I am given my due...” I crawled over to Harmony’s side and whispered, “What the hay is he doing?” The Benevolent Creator looked me square in the eyes and said, “He’s trying his best to distract you and me. Between the two of us, it worked on one. And it was not I. Real mature, boy. Real mature.” “And injustice deliciously square. BE PREPARED!” he sang, his wings spreading out with dramatic flair. Ooh so pretty! Sombra looked at Harmony expectantly. She shook her head. Then, the strangest thing happened. Sombra sat pretty, wings folded tightly behind his back, head bent down and bottom lip jutting out like I had heard the werewolves sometimes did. “Please?” he begged in a high-pitched voice, “Pretty please?” And he batted his eyelashes. But Harmony was not giving way. “Huff, you are no fun, Harmony,” he sulked. “You’re trying to distract me, and it is not going to work.” Harmony narrowed her eyes, and that crazy lunatic just smiled at her. What was wrong with this pony? One minute he was truly angry and ready to kill me, then the next he was gentle and sympathetic. Now he was singing and dancing to a song that I didn’t know. Speaking of… “What were you singing?” Ω ΩSombraΩ “What were you singing?” Blueberry asked, tilting her head to the side. Before I could utter a word Harmony chirped, “It’s called ‘Be Prepared,’ and it’s a piece from a picture show in another dimension called ‘The Lion King.’” “Dimension?” Picture show? “YES!” Harmony exclaimed. “Sombra made a mirror that can peer into alternate dimensions! It’s fantastic! I’m so proud of him. Making his own spells and whatnot.” She got a dreamy look on her face. Well, my plan had worked after all. Harmony was now distracted from the execution of her plan. All I had needed to do was sing. How would I get Harmony and the little blue one out of my house? There’s got to be… Oh I know! “Harmony, I am led to believe that Caerulean…” I started to say. “Midnight! My name is Midnight!” “Right. Lapis is probably quite hungry, and I do not think that mango filled her up. What about the café that you always take me to? You could take her, and I could stay here to make sure the house doesn’t burn down. What do you say?” “No.” Wait, what? “Why not?” Bewilderment coursed through me. I thought this tack might work. Harmony let a look of disappointment cross her face and linger for a while. “Why not? Because, Sombra, that is not consistent with my plan. And you will not deviate from my plan, boy!” her voice rumbled and shook the ground beneath my hooves. At this moment, I was reminded once again that when Harmony had an idea she would not be dissuaded, and there was power in her voice. “But…” I started to argue before thinking better of it. Harmony would not be dissuaded from her goal, but she could be persuaded to turn me into one of my beloved mangos if I gave her reason. “But what, boy? Speak up, if you have the courage,” Harmony said with a hint of a laughing sneer in her voice. I did not like that tone. A hard glint shone in her multifaceted eyes. Oh, sweet Heavens, please help me! She had the Look in her eyes! “And if I do?” Shut up, Sombra, you did not want to be turned into a toad! “What are you going do about it?” “Nothing,” hope flared up in my chest, “for now.” Well, that hope came and went quickly. “I will deal with your attitude later. As of right now you have a new housemate. So, go show that hospitality that I drilled in your head for the past three hundred years. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to make sure you two do not escape. Oh, and I have to go fix some alicorn problems.” “WAIT!!” But she was already gone. Blast it! Now what? I looked at the tiny blue thing who was now my responsibility. Well, I guessed I must show her to her room. “Well, if you would please follow me,” I requested, “I will show you to your room.” I started down the hall. I heard a little patter of hooves trailing behind me. Smiling to myself, I continued down the hall. “So, Blue, what is your favorite color?” I asked her. “I’m not your color palette! Call me by a shade of blue again, and I’ll cut your mane and tail off and make them into a bed!” she yelled indignantly. “Okay, but you still have not answered my question.” “Not pink.” “But what IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?!” “NOT PINK!” “I KNOW THAT! WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS WHAT YOUR FAVORITE COLOR IS SO I CAN FIND THE ROOM BEST SUITED FOR YOU!” “Well you don’t have to yell. I’m just saying that I don’t like pink. I could care less what color the room is, as long as it is not pink,” Midnight stated. “I was not yelling,” I grumbled as I led her to the canary room. This pony was going to send me to the Void. I became less sure with each passing minute that I could not become Discord-touched. What was Harmony thinking! We were not going to survive this week! Finally, we made it to the canary room’s door. Maybe if I locked her in this room, I could get some peace and quiet. “Here you go, Cornflower,” I said as I opened the door. I looked back when I noticed that she was not moving. “What?” “You called me Cornflower,” she growled as a pair of shears appeared above her head, “I don’t make idle threats.”