//------------------------------// // A Ponyville Welcome // Story: Sombra's Recovery // by MisterEdd //------------------------------// After nearly two hours of painstakingly slow and precise shaping and crafting, Sombra set down his tools and took a moment to examine the fruits of his labor. A necklace lay on a standing plastic tray, consisting of a semi-transparent violet gem covered in dark purple swirls and carved in mystic sigils that dangled from a brass chain. Nodding approvingly, he then closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling the eldritch magic flowing from his core, out through his limbs and focused into his horn, the extending organ throbbing with energy. His lips noiselessly pronounced the words, his horn steadily becoming brighter while it collected more and more power, the maleficium seeping into every fiber and molecule of the cabin. Finally, he unleashed his pent-up magic. The necklace was surrounded it in a purple and black cloud and lifted it into the air, and the heptagonal gem filled with a fiendish green glow. Had the train actually been busy that day, no one would've been able to miss the rays of emerald light that flowed from the cracks of the cabin door. Once the gem had become infused with enough power, Sombra cut off the magical stream, allowing the necklace to float back down onto the plastic tray. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he blew the excess smoke off of the gem and slipped the necklace on. A brief flash of his horn and the gem radiated a green light, projecting a wave of magic over Sombra and instantly reapplying his disguise. Casting and maintaining a glamour charm took an exhaustive toll on a sorcerer, even a seasoned one like Sombra. To that end, he crafted an amulet to contain the spell and not only free him to focus on other tasks but to limit the strain that thaumaturgical energy might have on his body. No matter what kind of arcana one practiced, the same rule applied: magic always comes with a cost, whether it be physical, mental, or emotional. This was one of the few lessons that Grimoire imparted onto Sombra that he actually took to heart and for good reason. Tales have been told and re-told of some foolhardy so-and-so who thought it was a brilliant idea to conjure and sustain a spell that they were woefully unprepared for, causing them major harm or even costing them their life. Creating the Alicorn Amulet cost me more than a hoof or a pair of eyebrows... Even now, he could perfectly recall the day that he crafted the now-destroyed artifact and the dark purpose for which it was intended. Much more than a mere bauble, the Alicorn Amulet was a phylactery, a rare and forbidden type of relic used by warlocks in the long-distant past for a single purpose: self-resurrection. However, the process was labor-intensive, requiring not only a powerful and competent spell-caster but also several unique ingredients, such as raw adamantine, a synthetic blood-red gem, and ashes gathered from the tooth of a Dragon Lord. The most important-and extraordinary-ingredient was something organic from an alicorn and Sombra's old wings, which he'd kept preserved in a cave in the Frozen North, were ideal for the job. Once the amulet was assembled, there was a final requirement in order to return its owner back from the ether... "Next stop, Ponyville!" Releasing a heavy sigh, Sombra stood up straight and adopted his usual austere expression. "Let's do this." ~*~ "Is he here yet?" Twilight glared at Rainbow Dash. "For the third time, no." "This is sooo boring! How come you can't just use that teleporter-thingy like we did?" Reaching into her saddlebags, Twilight retrieved a cracked, slightly burnt stone disk. "Because the summoning beacon only had enough power for a single jump. It's completely useless now." "Maybe ya could ask Sombra t' make ya a new one?" Applejack suggested. "It would save on trips." "Not a bad idea...oh, here he comes now!" The Friendship Express pulled into the station with an ear-splitting screech, steam rising up from the engine in bursts of hissing gray-white streams. This time, the train had been apparently nearly empty as a sparse amount of passengers exited the doors of each car. Then again, travel was usually slow this time of year, with business not picking up until around Hearth's Warming. Twilight surveyed each pony that entered her line of sight until she found her quarry: a red-brown unicorn garbed in a bright crimson cloak, a pair of beaten gray-black saddlebags serving as his luggage. She waved him over excitedly and a wide grin spread across the stallion's face. "S-Guess Who! Over here!" It was interesting to see Sombra like this, looking so ordinary. Seemingly standing at average pony height, "Guess Who" had a shoulder-length, blue-gray mane styled in a combed-back fashion, a glossy red-brown coat, light green eyes, and, fittingly enough, a cutie mark of a black question mark. Finally reaching the group, he barely gave Twilight enough time to blink before wrapping both forelegs around her and pressing her to his chest. Although they both wanted to greet one another with a kiss, that simple act of affection would've raised far too many questions. It wasn't that Twilight was ashamed of Sombra but the simple truth was that there'd be public outcry should anyone learn that the Princess of Friendship was dating an infamous former villain and fugitive from the law. "I missed you," Sombra admitted. The glamour-charm only changed his appearance not his voice, so he'd taken to speaking in a higher tone. "I missed you more." "Heh, I doubt that." Applejack cleared her throat, swiftly reminding the pair that they weren't alone. "Sorry t' interrupt, but Ah think we should take this here show on th' road, if ya catch mah drift." Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was watching them intently though remained silent. "Right, of course," Twilight chuckled sheepishly and disengaged, much to Sombra's obvious chagrin. "But first...Sombra, could you please drop your glamour?" He stared incredulously at her. "Excuse me?" "You don't need your disguise anymore." A slight tremor shot through the umbrum. "That's insane!" "Hey now, none o' that. Yer in a safe place." Rainbow Dash finally spoke up: "Yeah! What, are you scared?" Sombra glared at her. "There's a difference between fear and caution. In case it's slipped your notice, I'm not exactly welcomed here or anywhere for that matter." A gentle hoof was placed over his own. Sombra found Twilight peering up into his eyes, her brilliant violet orbs shimmering lightly. "Sombra, please. Trust me." His expression softened, though the trepidation was still there. For a time, indecision ruled his features, giving way to contemplation and finally, submission. Heaving a sigh, he bowed his head and ignited his horn. The gem hanging around his neck, which Twilight nearly missed, glowed a deep green and the stallion's true visage was revealed for all the world to see. Now left exposed, Sombra raised his head and swallowed. "Better?" Twilight nodded. "Better." They started walking when Sombra glanced around. "Where are the others?" "Well, Spike and Rarity are back at the castle. I'll...explain the situation later." "Fluttershy is helpin' Pinkie Pie with somethin'," Applejack added. "You'll see what Ah mean." The quartet made their way through town, trying their best to behave normally during the routine lifestyle of Ponyville's residents. The various vendors stopped selling their wares to track the movements of one pony in particular. Conversations either halted or ceased altogether, the speakers' collective attentions diverted elsewhere. Parents held their children closely to them, their little colts and fillies peeking up to catch a glimpse of the newcomer. Fear was to be expected, rage even but instead, a palpable sense of uncertainty dominated the town. Twilight couldn't help but sneak glances at Sombra who, on the outside, appeared to be his normal, stoic self, his face a mask of distant remoteness. Yet, Twilight had been around him long enough to pick up on the little micro-tics that clued her in on his true emotions. His ears twitched ever-so-slightly, his jaw clamped shut as he chewed on the inside of his mouth. Scarlet pupils scanned the surroundings while Sombra’s eyes and neck remained stationary. Even his hoofsteps were noticeably louder than usual, as though he were warding off any potential large predators by making himself appear larger than he already was.              "Sombra, are you alright?" His eyes flicked down, then back up again. "No. I feel...exposed." The castle soon appeared in view and Twilight couldn't contain the sigh of relief that escaped her lips. It was the same, glittering crystalline structure that it had been since Sombra's last, albeit brief, visit, only with a few unexpected additions. Party streams were strewn along the upper levels and gently flitted in the wind like flags. Green and purple balloons were placed along the pathway to the front door. Fluttershy exited the castle and trotted up to the group. "Hello Sombra," she said softly. "What do you think?" Sombra gazed up at the massive banner proudly proclaiming, WELCOME SOMBRA! "It's very-..." "HI SOMBRA!" A pink blur popped out from behind Sombra, nearly giving the poor stallion a heart attack. "Pinkie?! Wh-what is this?" Tilting her head, Pinkie appeared genuinely confounded. "Isn't it obvious? It's your welcome party!" Twilight rubbed Sombra's shoulder reassuringly. "We wanted to make sure you felt more at home so Pinkie decided to throw you a party. Wasn't that nice of her?" "Well, yes, but won't everyone else be angry that you're doing all this?" Pinkie nonchalantly waved a hoof. "Why would they? Everyone loves parties!" "'Sides," Applejack interjected. "They all heard what ya did inna Crystal Empire. How ya helped t' defeat Midnight Sparkle an' rescue Twilight an' all." "Hey, that was a team effort-...!" Rainbow Dash cut in, only for Applejack to mash her hoof against her lips. "So yeah, everypony's opinions 'bout ya have changed. They're still tryin' t' figure ya out, try'n place ya on th' good/bad scale. Tha's why they're all weird 'round ya." "We told them that you risked your life to save Twilight and all of Equestria," Fluttershy beamed. "And eyewitness accounts from the Crystal Empire helped to back our stories too." Sombra's brow crinkled in confusion. "Really? So they don't hate me?" "Of course not, silly!" Pinkie clapped Sombra on the back. She then began bouncing up and down as a merry, orchestral tune kicked in. Sombra noticed various townsfolk pour out around Pinkie, all of them bouncing in rhythm. "If you do the right thing, ponies take notice!" (Pinkie) Some-times, it can be hard to find your place Some-times, you're dead-last in life's race I know it's enough to make you cry But I know a trick that you can try That's guaranteed to impress A little thing called K-I-N-D-N-E-S-S! (Ponies) Kind-ness! (Pinkie) It's an extremely easy thing to do! (Ponies) Kind-ness! (Pinkie) Give it a go and you'll see that it's true! Just lend a helping hoof And you'll see the amazing proof Eliminate your sadness and your stress With a little K-I-N-D-N-E-S-S! (Ponies) Kind-ness! The townsfolk were now forming a ring around Sombra, waving their forelegs in his direction. The music continued to play, yet no one sang. He looked to their expectant faces and frowned. "It's not going to happen." A collective "Awww!" echoed through the surrounding area and the ponies all began to file out. Once it seemed like they were all gone, Sombra found himself face-to-face with a mint-green unicorn, the image of a harp adorning her flank. She shook her head at him disapprovingly. "See, this is why we never invite you to Karaoke Night!" As the mare trotted away, Sombra could only watch her with dumbfounded confusion. "I don't even know who you are!" "Sombra, how come you didn't join in?" Twilight asked. Sombra merely shrugged. "I don't really sing," he replied noncommittally. "But why not?" Fluttershy scratched her head. "Music connects each and every one of us, binding us to Equestria and harmony itself." "That's fine but it's not for me." "Oh, I get it," Rainbow Dash grinned smugly. "You're a lousy singer, aren't you?" A black, purple, and green aura surrounded the pegasus and she instantly vanished. "No," Sombra answered and jogged past the spot where she stood. "I just don't see the point."