//------------------------------// // Chapter 12: Softness in Shadows // Story: Shadow of a Doubt // by MayhemMoth //------------------------------// Twilight had invited her friends to stay the night, and had even offered a special pancake breakfast for the trouble she’d caused as an extra measure. Of course, her friends agreed anyway, considering she was housing an emotionally unstable and magically overcharged former tyrant, but she still felt like she owed them something. Whatever the case, they’d all dug right into their breakfast, while she sat there staring down at her own. She’d been stressed since last night, hardly catching a wink of sleep as she thought about everything that had happened. Seeing Sombra break down, literally and metaphorically, was not something she would grow used to, especially when she blamed herself for his current state. She knew she shouldn’t, she knew that after what he's done he had it coming, but that still didn’t stop the fact she hurt him in a way she’d never expected to hurt anypony before. She’d thought about checking on him that morning, but didn’t want to risk him panicking again. At the very least, she had stopped by his room to listen, but had heard nothing more than the skipping of his record player. That would likely wake him up soon, but she hoped he’d stay put until Starlight stopped by to check on him. Twilight had thought about waking her as well, but knew that she had needed sleep more than anyone. Yet at the same time, Twilight couldn’t help but feel like she was making a mistake somewhere. “You feelin’ alright, Twilight?” She jolted out of her thoughts at Applejack’s voice, holding back the urge to lie about how she really felt. Instead, she poked her breakfast, saying, “Just a bit nervous after last night, is all.” “I think we’re all a bit nervous after last night, seeing Sombra try an’ attack you like that,” Applejack replied. “No offense Twi, but it was pretty dumb to take both the mask and magic inhibitor off him,” Rainbow said, interupting her friend before she got a chance to respond. She then pushed her empty plate away, continuing, “I mean, we can beat him again if we need to, but did we really have to make it that much easier for him to go on another rampage?” Fluttershy and Applejack seemed to agree with Rainbow, while Rarity glanced around unsurely. Pinkie just continued to scarf down her pile of pancakes. Twilight shook her head, “I’m afraid it’s not that simple. Unicorn magic can be incredibly volatile, especially in somepony as powerful as Sombra. Keeping it contained would not only hurt, it could cause irreversible damage to him, both mentally and physically.” “As much as I despise the beast, I’m afraid I have to side with Twilight on the argument,” Rarity agreed, “I’ve never personally experienced it myself, but every Unicorn is taught the risks of magic suppression.” Rainbow rolled her eyes, “C’mon, really? Isn’t it better to keep everypony else safe? His mind’s already messed up as it is, so who cares how much more damage we do to him?” Fluttershy gasped, “That's a terrible thing to say!”  “Are you forgetting that he tried to attack you?” Rainbow asked, crossing her arms, “Because I think it’s totally justified to want his magic gone!” “I just don’t think we should be hurting him,” Fluttershy whispered, melting into her chair a bit, “I know he’s mean, but maybe we just need to wait?” “Well, I’m already tired of waiting. Sombra’s taking too long to change, and hasn’t done anything to make me think he’s trustworthy. I swear, if he tries to hurt any of you again, I’m gonna-” “Are there any more pancakes?” Rainbow shut her mouth at Pinkie’s interruption, all the other ponies looking to her as well, in mixtures of relief and surprise. Twilight was most relieved, worried of what exactly Rainbow was going to say, as good as her intentions were. Pushing her own breakfast to Pinkie, Twilight said, “You can have mine, I’m a little too nervous to eat right now.” “You sure?” Pinkie asked. Twilight nodded. “Thanks! Now I hope you guys are done fighting.” She stuffed her face into the pancakes, leaving her friends to sit in a brief, but awkward, silence. Taking a few deep breaths, Twilight calmed down before readjusting herself to sit a little higher. Something to boost her confidence for now. “Alright,” She began, “No more talk about Sombra. We’re gonna have a good day today, okay? One of fun and friends. Any suggestions on what we should do?” Rarity sighed, “Well, I’d suggest the spa, but I imagine you’d rather us stay in the castle for today.” “Gross.” Rainbow stuck out her tongue. “I’d rather go to the pond while it’s still warm. Can we do that instead?” “No, Rarity’s right, we’ll be staying as close to the castle as possible today,” Twilight agreed, rising from her chair, “That being said, I’m going to go see if Starlight and Spike are awake, so you five can figure something out. Wouldn’t want to leave them out on any fun, right?” “Might have to do some convincin’ with Starlight,” Applejack said, “She’s certainly dedicated to this whole thing.” “Well, if it comes down to forcing her to have fun, I’ll find a way.” With that, she left the room. By all accounts, she was still stressed, and her appetite still lacking, but she was going to try her best to make this a good day. She was also going to try her hardest to make sure Starlight got a break as well, because she’d been so stressed herself. Sure, that would leave Sombra on his own for a bit, which was worrisome on its own, but now that he had his eyesight back it shouldn’t be too hard to keep him occupied. On her way to Starlight’s room, she passed Sombra’s. She heard nothing as she passed the room this time. He must have woken up and shut off his record player, though she heard no shuffling from within. Continuing on her way, she was about to knock on Starlight’s door when she heard the rushed clatter of hoofsteps approaching.  Horn sparkling with magic, Twilight flared her wings and turned in a panic. Starlight was running toward her. For a moment, she was relieved, until she realized Starlight wasn’t slowing down. Letting out a yelp, she teleported to the side, Starlight barreling right over where she’d been standing before skidding to a stop. “Twilight? What are you doing over here?” She asked. She seemed anxious and out of breath. “I came to wake you up, but I guess I don’t have to,” Twilight said, tilting her head in observation. Starlight was looking rather frazzled, her mane didn’t even seem to be brushed, “Though it looks like you’ve only just woken up. What are you even doing out here, running around like that?” “I went to check on Sombra,” Starlight said, glancing away nervously.  Twilight’s own nervousness from that morning returned. “Is he alright? I’ve been a bit worried after what happened last night.” “Well, here’s the thing. He’s not in his room.” “What?” Twilight’s feathers fluffed up, panic edging at her nerves as Starlight danced on her own hooves nervously. “I’m sure he’s here somewhere!” She said, trying to convince herself as much as Twilight, “I’ve been looking, I swear! So far I’ve checked the bathroom and the library, and he wasn’t in either of those rooms, but maybe he just got lost?” “Yes. That’s probably just it,” Twilight agreed, “As long as he stays out of the map and Spike’s room, I’m sure it’ll be just fine. Speaking of which, I should really get Spike now. You keep looking.” She ran off before Starlight could respond, leaving her to wrack her brain for ideas. Sombra being lost in the castle was a very real possibility. After all, it had happened to her, so chances were it could happen to him, right? She just had to figure out where exactly he could wander off to. Running in the opposite direction Twilight had, she stopped at every room to peer inside, keeping her ears alert for any sound of him. She tried to detect the faintest of noises, anything from a hoofstep to even the chance of hearing him breathe, but she heard nothing. She was getting more and more nervous as she went on, and it wasn’t until she made it to the main hall that her anxieties reached a level too high to handle. He wasn’t in the castle, was he? There was nowhere for him to hide, unless he’d taken on his shadow form, and what would be the point of that? She wanted so badly to think she was wrong, but there was nothing to convince her otherwise. He had to be outside. She walked to the door slowly, so sure she was going to be met with a disaster. Of course, he could have just wandered off, but she was so sure he’d cause trouble. She tried to assure herself that, had there been trouble, Twilight and the others would have already dealt with it, but she couldn’t be entirely convinced. Preparing to open the door, lifting her hoof slowly, she paused as a noise broke the silence.  A knock.  She pulled the door open far quicker than she would have normally, expecting either a panicked pony or a mind controlled army ready to invade. To her surprise, and maybe even relief, she was met with neither of these things. Instead, she was met with a pair of rather anxious looking children. “Gallus? Silverstream?” She looked between the two in confusion, and maybe even concern, “What are you two doing here?” Despite the circumstances surrounding their original meeting, bonding with the Tree of Harmony had been an honorable accomplishment. Just like the Elements of Harmony, and the Pillars of Equestria before them, a new and unusual group of friends had become a beacon of hope for Equestria, to be called upon by the Tree itself under the most dire of circumstances. Sometimes those most dire of circumstance were emergencies, such as horrible damage to the tree. It had been through these friends' effort that the tree had been saved, and it had been quite the feat they were all proud of. It had seemed over and done with, the tree was alive and thriving. But of course, the tree had many circumstances it considered dire. The current of which included an escaped threat that the tree had failed to eliminate. A threat that was now a gravely wounded ex-despot. Which, on one hoof, he had it coming. On the other, asking a group of teenagers to assist in a murder was not likely to end in the Tree’s favor, especially after seeing just what the Tree had done to him in the first place.  When they’d found him out in the woods, unconscious and soaked from the morning dew, he’d looked dead. Head lying in a puddle of his own blood, legs twisted beneath him, and his coat covered in mud, it had been a horrifying experience for nearly all of them. Smolder had been the first one to realize he was only unconscious, having been the only one of the group willing to poke a corpse, though a quiet groan from the stallion had proved he was still amongst the living. It had been a pretty much unanimous decision that, despite his crimes, none of them were about to send the near dead Sombra to his grave yet again. But at the same time, he was in such bad shape none of them were sure how to get him back to Ponyville. On a stroke of luck however, Sandbar remembered that there was somepony in the Everfree with knowledge of potions that could probably keep Sombra stable for the time being, and with that thought had run to get help. And that was how Sandbar, Ocellus, and Smolder found themselves sitting around Sombra curiously. Yona was outside waiting for Gallus and Silverstream to return from informing Twilight and Starlight, while Zecora worked on a potion to ease the stallion’s pain. “Okay, so I knew this guy was supposedly terrifying, but are we even sure that he’s a pony?” Smolder asked, leaning forward to poke Sombra’s lip, exposing his blood stained fangs for a brief moment before pulling back as he twitched, “Because I’m pretty sure ponies don’t have the teeth of a dragon.” “I mean, that’s what the history books and the Headmare says, so what else could he be?” Sandbar asked. “I dunno,” Smolder shrugged, “A longma maybe?” “A what?” “You’ve never heard of a longma?” She asked, almost annoyed, “Y’know, a dragon with hooves and scales?” “But Sombra doesn’t have scales.” Smolder seemed less than amused at Sandbar’s observation, but before she got the chance to retort, Ocellus interrupted, “Maybe he’s part Kirin?”  Sandbar and Smolder glanced back to Sombra, backing up a bit as he twitched again, another groan escaping him as he began to stir. All three creatures jolted back at the sound, before a bloody, choked cough escaped him, and he once again went limp onto the bloodstained towel that made up his makeshift pillow. “Yeah, I think I can see this guy bursting into flames,” Smolder muttered. The clatter of something behind her, and both she and her friends jumped and turned to see Zecora walking toward them, a bowl in one hoof. From the looks of things, she’d merely knocked one of her vials over, though since it hadn’t spilled she’d left it be. “Does it really matter, his origins, you think?” She asked, kneeling down beside Sombra to lift his head slightly. He gasped at the motion, his eyes fluttering open as she held the bowl to his lips, “Currently, what matters is his health, so come now, drink.” Desperate for any relief, whether it be an attempted assassination or not, he did. Quite quickly in fact, and it was only a matter of seconds before he finished, gasping again as soon as he was done. Zecora sat his head down gently, returning to her cauldron. “Not quite a cure, but it should give you relief, but only if you stay still, otherwise it will be brief,” She said. Sombra’s ear twitched, possibly in confusion about her speech pattern, but he said nothing of it as his gaze turned to the children in front of him. Each one froze at the eye contact, the most unusual and unidentifiable of the bunch letting out a quiet, but startled, noise. Licking his lips, he asked groggily, “So which one of you poked my face?” Smolder’s eyes widened. “How long have you been awake?” “Long enough.” He tried to rise, but the aching pain in his chest forced him back down before he could even make it to his hooves. Collapsing back onto his makeshift bed, he curled up and wrapped his arms around himself with a hiss, “Blasted dark magic… That was supposed to be healed.” Or maybe he had been healed, and this was just a long lasting side effect. The fact he still tasted blood didn’t support that theory however, nor did the fact putting pressure on the area was still painful. Quite apparently, being unconscious didn’t help heal everything, and with a pained grunt he reignited his horn.  “Please don’t attack us!”  His magic sputtered out as he reopened his eyes to see the strange group of children cowering, the pony and weird colorful one with their arms around each other, while the dragon looked ready to fight. He wasn’t entirely sure which one of them had yelled, but was putting his bets on the strange one, as he didn’t expect such a quiet, yet high pitched shriek to come out of a colt. “I’m not attacking, I’m regenerating,” He muttered, closing his eyes as his horn bubbled with magic again, “I’ve nothing to gain from attacking you. After all, if I were to fail, you’d have an easy time finishing me off.” Not the most reassuring of things to say, but it seemed to work. The strange group of children said nothing else, at least not to him. Instead, they whispered amongst themselves, audible enough for him to hear, but he ignored most of it. He put all his focus into regenerating, trying to ignore his lingering pain. At some point it had stopped hurting, either from the zebra’s strange concoction, or from a faltering consciousness, he didn’t know. He just knew that their voices had become muffled after a while, though he snapped back to awareness when a familiar one whispered his name. “Sombra?” His eyes opened slowly, meeting Starlight’s gaze above. Her own eyes were wide with panic, and her cheeks seemed damp. “Last I remembered, that was in fact my name,” He muttered back, struggling to sit up. The pain was finally bearable, but he was weak and dizzy, and it seemed that at some point a blanket had been laid over him, “Were you crying?” “Just a little,” She said, wiping her eyes, “But can you really blame me? I was so worried when I couldn’t find you this morning, and when Gallus and Silverstream said you were hurt...” She trailed off, sniffling a bit as more tears threatened to form. Sombra wanted to roll his eyes, but felt a pang of something in his chest at seeing her so upset, and it prevented the motion. Probably another internal injury. “You ponies are so disgustingly emotional, there are far more important things to be upset about than a lost cause like me,” He said, struggling to lift himself. His pain was mild, but nausea rampant, and he nearly collapsed. Starlight caught him, and though momentarily calmed by her presence, the horrible memory from the night before had him pull himself back and demand, “What was it that you were afraid of again?” “What?” If Starlight's eyes hadn’t been wide before, they certainly were now. She trembled at the question, “Sombra, that isn’t important. Why are you-” “Just answer it. Please.” Starlight hesitated, looking away before whispering, “I’m afraid of hurting others.” To her surprise, Sombra collapsed back against her with a relieved sigh. “I just needed to know that it was you,” He said.  He lay there against her, tempted to fall back asleep as she gently stroked his mane. He was still so tired and disoriented, having already used up so much of his excess magic and energy with such quick regeneration. At least it wasn’t as bad as the last time he’d been forced to do this, though the memory of Twilight and her friends blasting him to bits got a quiet growl out of him. Starlight mistook his annoyance for a groan of pain, “We need to get you to the hospital, you’re hurt bad.” “No, let me heal myself,” He growled, reigniting his horn. Magic sparked from it rather weakly, and he growled to himself in annoyance. Weeks of suppression should have given him an excess of magic, yet here he was struggling more and more to keep it flowing, “I don’t need anyone to help me.” “Sombra, stop,” Starlight demanded, her own horn igniting as she pulled the blanket over his head in an attempt to smother his magic, “I’m going to take you to the hospital, whether you like it or not. I’d do it now, but I’m too upset to even think about teleporting anywhere. You need to rest until we can get you help.” “We’ve got a wagon by the Tree, you think that’ll help?” Sandbar offered.  “I appreciate the offer, but I think I’m going to wait until Twilight gets here, she might-” Sombra shot up at the mention of Twilight’s name, a wave of nausea washing over him as he finally forced himself into a near standing position. Sandbar and Ocellus launched back at the motion, smoke leaking from Smolder’s nose while Starlight tried to get the raging stallion to calm down. “Don’t you dare allow that wretched mare anywhere near me!” He shouted, “She was there last night! She tried to kill me!” “W-wait, we can explain!” Ocellus squeaked, “It wasn’t her, it was the Tree!” “You expect me to believe vegetation did this to me? I saw Twilight there! Her and that bespawler of a Changeling queen ganged up to murder me!” Ocellus yelped. Starlight’s eyes widened.  “Changeling queen?” She asked, “You mean Chrysalis, but she’s-” “Dead,” Sombra spat, wavering where he stood. His pain was catching up with him again, “Or at least she should be, if Twilight had anything to do with it.” “But the tree never mentioned her…” Ocellus whispered, eyes glistening as though she was about to cry, “You don’t think-” The door to Zecora’s hut flew open, Twilight and a Unicorn neither Starlight or Sombra knew barging in.  “Is everything okay?” Twilight asked, “I heard yelling, and-” A blast of magic grazed her wing, Starlight and the three children let out various cries of alarm. “You two faced wretch!” Sombra shouted, eyes aglow with dark magic, “I ought to kill you for- Augh!” Another blast of magic went off, hitting one of Zecora’s many shelves as Sombra brought a hoof to a sudden pinch in his neck. Something was sticking out of it, and turning his head in the direction it came from, he saw the zebra standing there with what looked to be a tube in her mouth. She seemed incredibly unamused. “What did you just do?” He demanded.  “You were making a scene, so I decided to intervene.” “What did you…” A new and sudden drowsiness began to take over him, and with only three legs on the ground, he began to sway. He tried to fight it, baring his teeth as he staggered toward Zecora and demanded, “What did you just do to me?” Zecora stood tall, not even a trace of fear in her posture and voice as she spoke. “Not only did you harm Twilight, you gave these children a fright. I’m tired of the interruptions, so I did what I had to,” She poked Sombra in the chest with her tube, and he staggered back in disgust, before tripping over his own hooves and crashing to the ground, “Good night.” Sombra struggled to get up, eyes ablaze with shadows and muttering something in that same foreign language no one could identify, before he finally crashed to the ground again. For a moment, every creature both in and out of the house was silent, waiting until Sombra’s only movements were the rise and fall of his chest. At that, all heads turned to Zecora. She shrugged, setting her blowgun to the side, “What did you expect? I live in Everfree. Sometimes it takes more than convincing to get creatures to leave me be.” “That’s fine, not exactly the first time he’s been sedated! Hopefully the last though,” Starlight laughed nervously, eyeing the unconscious Sombra on the floor before looking at Twilight, “Are you okay?” Stretching her wing, the pony beside her observing it, she nodded and said, “Yeah, just a bit ruffled is all. Either Sombra’s aim is off, or he doesn’t actually want to kill me. I’m hoping for the latter.” “You sound awfully calm after what just happened.” “I had my moment of panic after you ran off,” She assured, before looking at the trio of students huddled in the corner, “And though Gallus and Silverstream didn’t tell me everything, I think I also have a pretty good idea of what happened.” Smolder shook her head, “Trust me, you really don’t.” “Well, you can explain everything to me outside, alright? I’m sure Zecora would appreciate it if her home was less crowded, and Dr. Greymare still needs to check over Sombra.” She motioned to the pony beside her, who nodded in thanks before making his way to the unconscious stallion. With that, Twilight took her leave, the children following behind her. Starlight, curious to see the doctor work and worried for Sombra’s safety, approached the two of them. Dr. Greymare had already reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a small jar, rubbing something at the base of Sombra's horn. “What are you doing?” She asked. “Applying a numbing agent,” He explained, “We use it to keep Unicorns safe from magical surges during surgery, or in the case of a very unruly patient. I packed it when Princess Twilight told me who I was going to be dealing with, and after what just happened, I’ll be making sure to apply a very generous amount.” Starlight hummed with a nod, glancing around the room nervously. Zecora was cleaning up dropped vials, not entirely interested in her or the doctor. She wondered if she was upset at having another pony work on healing Sombra, but then again there were always some things she couldn’t heal, right? “Do you think you could help me move him back over there?” Dr. Greymare asked suddenly, breaking her away from these thoughts, “It’s a bit too cluttered here, and I’d like to lie him out so I can look him over properly.” “Is it even safe to move him?” Rather concerningly, Dr. Greymare shrugged, “He was up and blasting at Princess Twilight a moment ago, so I can’t imagine he’d be too beaten up.” “I guess that makes sense?” It didn’t, really, but who was she to criticize a doctor, “Can I use my magic? Is that safe?” “Safer than dragging him, I can assure you.” Grabbing his bag, he made his way to where Sombra had been laying before. Starlight followed, slowly maneuvering the unconscious stallion through the cramped space before laying him back onto his makeshift bed.  Glancing at the worried Starlight momentarily, Dr. Greymare set his bag to the side before once again igniting his horn and setting a hoof on Sombra, “I’m going to assess his condition before we take him anywhere, what’s your call so far Zecora?” “A broken leg, a punctured lung, and if his coughing is a sign, a belly full of blood,” She responded, reorganizing her things,” He is perhaps at risk of infection as well, seeing as the children found him covered in mud.” The doctor nodded, rummaging through his bag again and bringing out some sort of little monitor. He stared at it as his magic gently enveloped Sombra, while Starlight stared between the two of them. The doctor paid no mind to her, focused on his scanner as his expression turned to one of confusion. “That’s odd, other than a cracked rib and some nasty bruising around his lungs and stomach, there’s nothing to explain why he’d be coughing up blood. Or why he’s still got blood in his stomach.” “He said he was trying to heal himself, do you think that’s what happened?” She asked. The fact he had actually managed to do it came as a huge relief to her, though Dr. Greymare cocked a brow. “It’s not impossible, but it’s certainly not a feat most Unicorns can accomplish so quickly,” He said, putting a hoof to his chin in thought, “Then again, this is King Sombra we’re talking about. By now we’ve all heard of his infamous magical feats.” “Not to mention his regeneration from all of his defeats,” Starlight added, “He’s kinda been completely obliterated a few times.” Dr Greymare said nothing at this, returning his things to his bag before standing, though he still stared down at Sombra. “Of course, we still need to get him to the hospital to set his leg, and maybe get some fluids in him. He doesn’t seem dehydrated or hypothermic, but after being outside all night in the Everfree I’m not going to risk anything,” He said, turning to Starlight, “Has he been vaccinated?” “Considering how they treated him in Canterlot, I doubt it.” “Then we’ll do that as well, can’t have him getting tetanus after all. Could you fetch Twilight?” “Of course.” Starlight quickly made her way outside, careful to avoid knocking anything of Zecora’s over. Twilight was still talking with their students, and seemed rather concerned about what they’d told her. She turned when she heard Starlight behind her. “Is everything alright in there?” She asked. Starlight shrugged. “More or less,” She said, “Sombra’s still out cold, but I guess he managed to heal himself enough that he’s not at the risk of dying or anything. Dr. Greymare wanted me to fetch you, probably to get Sombra to the hospital.” “Alright, I’ll be there in a moment,” Twilight said, turning to her students, “Sandbar, could you and Yona get that wagon? We could use that. As for the rest of you, wait for them to return and then go straight home. Chrysalis may still be in the forest, and I don’t want you endangering yourselves.” Sandbar and Yona nodded, quickly making their way down what seemed like a random path through the Everfree. Their friends seemed to want to follow, but obeyed Twilight’s orders and simply sat down. “So they told you, huh?” Starlight asked. “Yes, but I’m not overly concerned,” Twilight confirmed, making her way back into the hut, “She may be powerful, but this is the first time Chrysalis has shown herself since she abandoned the Changelings, so she doesn’t have an army on her side. She’s on her own, and I think that’ll make her easier to deal with, assuming the Tree didn’t do something to her. I’ll check later, but for now we need to get Sombra taken care of.” “Right,” Starlight nodded, following along. She felt upset, knowing that Chrysalis was involved. For some reason, she felt like she should have expected it, “I think Chrysalis might have been the one causing his hallucinations.” Twilight paused, ears perking in realization. “That makes a terrifying amount of sense, but why would she do that?” She asked. “Maybe they have a history together?” Starlight suggested, “I’ll try and ask Sombra when I can. I’m sure he can answer.” “Please do, I need all the information I can get.” She continued on, making her way into Zecora’s hut to speak with her and Dr. Greymare, while Starlight went to sit by Sombra. He was still unconscious, breathing softly, almost as if he was simply asleep, and not knocked out by some sort of anesthetic. Gently stroking his mane, she listened in on the conversation behind her, but kept her eyes on Sombra. “It’s okay,” She said, more to herself than to him, she knew he couldn’t hear her, “We’ll figure this out, and you’ll be fine. We’ll all be fine, and as soon as you’re feeling better, maybe I can read you another one of Stygian’s books?” Tears began to form in her eyes, but she wiped them away. She didn’t need to cry, not now and not here. Everything was okay, Sombra was going to be okay. He was hurt and in pain, with a broken leg at worst, but he would be okay. Even if he wasn’t, she knew he’d survived worse, so there was no real reason to be this worried, but she was going to be anyway. Mostly because she blamed herself.  “I’m sorry,” She whispered, “Next time, I’ll try to listen closer.” Starlight could not have been more relieved to finally be back home. After everything that had happened, she was exhausted, and more importantly, upset. Though it wasn’t completely her fault Sombra had gotten hurt, she still blamed herself. Maybe if she had been a bit more watchful over him, this wouldn’t have happened, but it was too late to change the past now. Not that she’d want to do something like that again, but the thought still plagued her mind. It was okay now though, really. Sombra was safe in the castle, bandaged and calm again. Whether it was because his anger had truly faded, or if it was the pain medication dulling his senses, Starlight didn’t know or care. What mattered was that he was safe and alive, and she wasn’t about to leave him on his own again. “This isn’t my room,” He mumbled, observing the place lazily. His broken leg was securely dressed, forcing him to stumble around rather awkwardly, “My music player isn’t in here, and there are two beds. Why are there two beds?” “I didn’t think it was a good idea to leave you alone tonight, so I thought we’d share a room for a few nights,” Starlight explained, avoiding Sombra’s confused gaze, “Is that ok?” Sombra shrugged, “I guess so… I wish I still had the music player though. I like the music.” “I could get another one for you if you’d like?” She rushed out of the room before Sombra could say anything. He stared out the door for a few minutes, before promptly shuffling over and onto one of the beds. Making himself comfortable, he gazed out the window until Starlight returned, the thunk of a smaller record played against the table jolting him out of his daze. “You really didn’t have to get that,” He said, watching her adjust it with both magic and her own hooves, “I could have just waited until I was back in my own room again.” “No, it’s fine.” She sounded unsure of herself, but he wasn’t sure if he was imagining it. His mind was still a bit foggy, and all he wanted to do was sleep. The music was just a bonus, and the moment Starlight set one of the records onto the player, he plopped back onto the bed. The tune was soft and gentle, the same one that had failed to lull him into sleep the night before, but this time it already seemed to be working.  He was so close to being asleep when Starlight’s voice invaded his ears, her voice wavering as she said, “Good night, Sombra. I’m sorry about today.” He mumbled something back, but even he wasn’t sure what it was. He was too tired to care anymore, and after being in pain for so long, he felt strangely comfortable even with how banged up he was. Positioning his leg was awkward, and the inner barrel of his body still felt painful if he moved the wrong way, but anything was better than the agony of falling off a cliff. It seemed he’d managed to heal the worst of his injuries at least, and the Ponyville doctors had done what they could to ease the rest of his pain, even if they blocked off his magic again. He hadn’t been particularly aware at the hospital, still under the effects of the zebra’s drugged dart, but it’d been both fascinating and terrifying to see what the building contained. It was so different from how things used to be, and much more efficient. Or at least, that’s what they said. His ear twitched as the music changed to a different tune. Still just as soothing, but something about it seemed off. He couldn’t quite figure out what, but he didn’t like the sound. It was as if something else was invading his mind, and his eyes shot open as the memories of his recent nightmares came up. Yet the noise didn’t stop as he awoke, but his mind had finally been cleared enough to register what it was he was hearing. Sniffling.  He glanced at the music player. It was not making those noises, so he looked over to Starlight. She was curled up in her own bed, trembling slightly. Quiet noises escaped her on occasion, and Sombra knew her to be the source of the sniffles. She was crying. But why? “Starlight?” She squeaked in surprise, looking up at him, before promptly covering her face and turning away again. “I’m sorry,” She whispered, “I thought you were asleep.” “What’s wrong?” She shook her head. “Nothing. It’s nothing. It’s okay, please go back to sleep.”  He stared down at her, that same pang in his chest returning from earlier. He knew it wasn’t an injury this time, but he also knew what he didn’t want it to be. It was uncomfortable and annoying, and he tried to shake it away, but it continued to linger. He knew what it was. It was a pain he knew all too well, but could never escape no matter how much he tried. Starlight was hiding her crying now, curled up even tighter than before, and though her sobs had been silenced, she still trembled. She didn’t know it yet, but hiding what she felt was futile. He could sense it. Her sadness, her anger, her fear. Even with his senses dulled, he could still feel them, the familiar scents permeating the room. Yet her feelings didn’t seem to be directed at him. Carefully slipping off the bed, he made his way toward her. “Starlight, please tell me what’s wrong, I don’t...” He trailed off, unable to hide his concern, yet so unwilling to say how he felt. He’d seen so many others break down in front of him, and though a certain few had made him feel something, he’d always push it away to return back to the monster they’d expected him to be. He couldn’t do that this time. Something was stopping him, that pain in his chest that was so disgustingly unbearable. He hated it. He didn’t want it there. He didn’t want to care. Lifting himself onto her bed, he set his head against her own and whispered, “I don’t want to see you so upset.” Starlight stiffened at his touch, or maybe even his voice. He wasn’t sure which, but she eventually jolted up in surprise to look at him, eyes wide and sparkling from her tears. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out other than a hiccup. Sombra simply leaned against her. “Please don’t be upset,” He said, gently and unconsciously nuzzling her, “You might not be upset with me, but it's my fault that you’re like this at all.” “It’s not your fault, it’s mine,” She insisted, holding back another round of sobs, “If I had just  checked on you last night, or even dealt with things better, then maybe-” “Starlight,” Sombra interrupted her before she even got the chance to start, or even worse, begin crying again, “Just because you’ve tasked yourself with reforming me does not mean every mistake I make is your fault. Nopony expected a Changeling, let alone their queen, to invade my bedroom in the dead of the night.” This time she finally did break down, choking out, “But it is my fault! Maybe if I had actually paid more attention when I thought you were hallucinating, maybe I would’ve known! I should’ve actually listened!” “And you did listen, and you helped in the only way you knew how. It is not your fault that vile creatures like her still wander our world. I’m surprised those filthy vermin haven’t been eradicated yet.” Starlight made a noise, something between a laugh and a sob. “Changelings aren’t all bad,” She said, wiping her eyes, “You were talking to a rather nice one earlier, after all.” He had to think on that one, confused until he remembered the strange little blue thing from earlier. Then it clicked. “That was a Changeling? How much have things changed in all this time?” “A lot,” Starlight replied, a faint smile on her face. He was glad his confusion seemed to lighten her mood, and he felt that feeling in his chest lighten as well. “Still strange that a love sucking parasite was in my room, don’t you think?” “It is, but I feel like it was a long time coming,” She said, getting a strange look from Sombra in the process, “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you tomorrow.” “Or you could perhaps have a day to yourself for once,” Sombra insisted, putting a hoof to his chest, “Despite the bruising and breaking, I am far from death’s door, and I’m sure your pretty little princess friend would be quite willing to keep me in line.” “But-” He put his hoof against her mouth. “No buts. You’ve spent far too much time coddling me, it’s humiliating for the both of us. I’m sure you have other friends out there, so why don’t you go pester them?”  She opened her mouth to protest, but all that came out was an annoyed huff, as she turned away and said, “Fine. But don’t you dare do anything as stupid as you did last night.” “No promises,” He grinned.  Starlight laughed. Or maybe it was another sob, he didn’t know. He wanted to go back to his own bed, but the thought of Starlight crying again left him frozen in place. Even after calming her, she was still teary eyed and hiccuping, and he was worried that if he laid down, he’d once again be awoken by her crying. He didn’t want that, but he wasn’t sure what to do. Without thinking, he laid beside her, laying his head against her once more. She stiffened again, but this time she didn’t bolt up in surprise. “I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to you recently,” He said, “But you made the choice to try and help me, a monster disguised as a pony, hated and forsaken by everyone else. It was a foolish choice, one that I’d expected you to give up on, but you’ve continued to try. I don’t know why, but I think I’ve come to appreciate it.” Her ears perked, and she looked up at him in surprise, “Really?” “Perhaps just a bit. After all, I’d probably be near dead in a prison cell if you hadn’t come around,” He said, adjusting himself. Starlight stiffened again as his body pressed against her own, “I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?” “What? No, of course not!” She answered far too quickly, and Sombra readjusted himself again, this time moving back a bit, “I mean, why are you doing this?” For a moment, he was quiet, looking away to the record player. It had switched tunes again, to something that seemed familiar. He didn’t know why, but it gave him a sense of nostalgia. Perhaps it was just his memories taunting him again, reminding him of those simpler times, when everything had been better. He sighed at the thought. “When I was younger, I had someone,” He began, finally looking back to Starlight. She stared at him expectantly, her eyes sparkling with something other than tears, “You might even call her a friend. Whenever I was sick or in pain, she would stay by my side for as long as she could, day and night. She always made me happy, hopeful even. I miss her terribly, but after seeing you cry, I’ve remembered her. Not because of your sadness, but because I think you could use someone like that right now. Is that okay?” Starlight’s eyes widened. Was he asking to be her friend? She opened her mouth to say something, but didn’t, opting to wrap her hooves around the stallion instead. He smiled at the gesture, hidden to Starlight as she nuzzled into his chest. Even with as much as she’d spent nights comforting him, it only just occurred to her just how soft he was. He was warm and comforting, even more so when he laid his own head upon hers. “I suppose that counts as a yes then?” He asked, unconsciously nuzzling into her. She was so small, but so soft and warm, and the sensation of another against him was so comfortably familiar, “Just don’t get too used to this, will you? I do have a reputation to uphold, after all.” She laughed, removing her face from his chest to simply lean against it. She could hear his heartbeat as she lay there, that oh so familiar reminder, that despite everything he’d done, that he was still just as much of a pony as she was. It was surprisingly soothing, and she lowered her arms from around him, simply leaning against him instead. He never pulled away from her either, simply allowing her to lay there against him as he began to think. There had never been any intention of getting attached to Starlight, but after what he’d just done, there was no going back. He’d shown his weakness, he’d allowed her terrible little friendship ideals to seep into his mind, he was currently hugging her. Truly, he’d fallen far from the powerful creature he once was. It was horrible. It was undignifying. It was probably the happiest he’d felt in over a thousand years. “Alright, enough is enough,” He said finally, voice quiet and ears pinned back in a mix of shame and embarrassment. He couldn’t believe that he’d let it last this long, “I am not your cuddle buddy, now if you don’t mind I’ll be going to my own bed, and-” A rather loud noise interrupted him. A sound that was wholly inequine in nature, and was nearly enough to scare the former King of Fear himself. A noise that, if Sombra’s assumptions were correct, had just come from a very much not awake Starlight. “Ah, such is my luck.” Contemplating his choices, he stared down at her unsurely. He didn’t want to wake her, he already knew she’d been sleeping just as little, if not less, than he’d been. His horn was still numb, forbidding him from moving her with magic, and if he were to push her she’d just fall off the bed. It left him few choices, and with a sigh, he knew exactly what he was going to do. He laid down. Slowly, so as to not disturb Starlight, though from the looks of things she was out like a crushed firefly. Her horrible snoring grated his ears, and nearly drowned out the music, but he did his best to ignore it, wrapping his arms around her and setting his head upon her own. She nuzzled into his chest, and had she been awake, he was sure she’d have heard his heart beat just a bit faster. “I hope you know that this is going to end up being very awkward for the both of us when we wake up,” He muttered. Closing his eyes, he nuzzled into her mane. She didn’t smell very good, hints of sweat mixed with the outdoors faintly assaulted his nose, but he couldn’t really fault her for that, she’d been too preoccupied to bathe herself today. He had half a mind to groom her himself, but didn’t want that dirty taste in his mouth as well, so he pushed the urge aside.  Despite that, and his awkwardly bandaged body, he was surprisingly comfortable. She was so warm, and he wrapped himself around her as best as he could. It didn’t take long for him to begin to doze off himself, any annoyance he had for the little mare quickly fading away as his consciousness did. It was probably the best sleep either of them had gotten in weeks.