//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9 - Cracking the Sombra code 
// Story: Retirement of a king 
// by Askre 
//------------------------------//

Well, here goes nothing, Private thought, and entered the living room. As expected, King Sombra lay on the couch closest to the entrance. The Dark Pony had basically claimed it by now. It was the biggest one in the living room and fit his size the best. The past few days had once again been rather uneventful. Private and Dew were still racking their brains over how to convince the king to retire. They thought they had something now and decided to try it out.

Coal and Foxy had thankfully not chased the king out of the house. The maroon pegasus had though, for the most part, managed to keep her daughter from bothering the king.

Private ignored Sombra for now and went to the rug next to the fireplace, his infamous napping spot. Many visitors had often been confused to see the unicorn almost always there, taking a nap or reading a book. He did use the couches and chairs, occasionally, but that rug was where he often felt most comfortable.

The unicorn lay down on it, making sure he was facing the king. Already everything he intended to say was becoming a jumbled mess in his mind. Private was not sure if anything he said or did would actually work. Then of course he realized he had almost jumped the gun a bit. Dew Doe was supposed to be present as well. She was still upstairs putting down some of what she intended to discuss in writing.

“You really do like lying on the floor, don’t you,” Sombra commented. He had been watching the unicorn enter and lie down on the rug. Private just shrugged, at least this gave him a moment to put his thoughts in order.

“So I take it you had a blast from the past as well, seeing that other me in Canterlot,” the king chuckled as he remembered the prince. It hadn’t escaped him how shocked Private had looked, far more than Dew Doe had been.

“A bit,” Private reluctantly admitted. He had afterward just tried not to think too much about it, taking Princess Celestia’s word on it that this had nothing to do with them. He looked at Sombra more fully. “What about you?”

“It was strange to see this mirror from the past, only having natural reserves of dark magic. Can’t say I cared much for it,” Sombra snorted. He was still going over what could possibly be going on. As far as he was concerned, it couldn’t be a coincidence that this prince appeared at the same time he was here. Still, the idea of another world intrigued him, a world where he hadn't accumulated power.

“So I take it you don’t miss being Prince Sombra,” Private wondered and wasn’t surprised the king laughed.

“I haven’t been Prince Sombra for a very, very long time. King Mustangfor the IV saw to that when he murdered my sister and my entire race.” Sombra shook his head. The smile dropped a bit and he growled something the smaller unicorn couldn’t catch.

“Prince Sombra died that day when he saw what had happened to the empire. The dead bodies of his people laying scattered on the streets to rot, when he saw the broken and battered form of his sister, skewered on a spike in the Saddle Arabian capital.” The king looked away.

“You miss them,” Private wasn’t asking. It was just the way Sombra spoke about the fall of his empire. Then he remembered back when the king took him and Barricade to the remains of it, how Sombra remarked how the streets had been full of living ponies.

“Anyway, why do you always lie on that rug?” Sombra looked at him again. Private tilted his head, wondering if he had hit closer to home than the king cared for.

“I’ve always just liked it. More room to stretch I guess than on a couch. Plus, in winter it’s right next to the fireplace.” Private shrugged, he honestly had no good explanation for his napping spot. There were no underlying reasons for it, he just preferred it over the furniture. He could see why Sombra was confused, though. That pony was of course far more accustomed to luxury.

Their talk was interrupted when Coal came tearing into the living room. The black filly jumped on a stool and stared right at the king. Private frowned, hoping she wasn’t up to something and he wondered where Foxy was. Then he remembered she was in her own room taking a nap. Despite Sombra’s assurances, the unicorn couldn’t help but worry Coal would do or say something that would anger the king.

“I know a good reason you should retire,” Coal declared, pointing at the Dark Pony with one hoof.

“Coal,” Private whispered sharply, this was not something the filly was supposed to get involved in.

“Oh really? Please enlighten me.” Sombra on his part just chuckled, finding this rather amusing.

“No one will try blowing you up or throw you into Tartarus,” Coal grinned triumphantly, clearly feeling this was the best reason of all.

“I will concede that is a point.” Sombra nodded. There was no denying that the filly wasn’t wrong.

Sombra continued to chortle when Private rose up and quickly grabbed his niece in magic and started carrying her out of the living room. Coal was undaunted though, clearly very used to this.

“Ooh, ooh, you could also pursue other interests like, uh music. You like music?” she called as she disappeared through the entrance with her uncle. Sombra laughed louder.

Private took Coal to the kitchen and dropped the filly on a chair, staring very unamused at his innocently grinning niece.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Private asked quietly but sharply. Last time Coal had been thoroughly unimpressed that Sombra would be staying in the house while helping catch Queen Rabia and quite happy to go live with her father while that was going on. Now the filly seemed overeager to help.

“I figured if I threw out some ideas why he should retire, it would maybe help?” Coal shrugged a little.

“You can’t just throw random ideas at him and hope it sticks. Yes, he found it funny now, but this is a very dangerous and unpredictable pony. There is no telling what might eventually set him off,” Private told her and rubbed his forehead tiredly with a hoof. “Look, just let me and Dew handle this. We are the ones he clearly thinks can convince him.”

“Are you sure?” Coal furrowed her brow a little, tilting her head as she stared unsure at her uncle.

“What? Of course, I mean he’s hounded me for years and actually thinks we are still friends and Dew Doe has a history of helping ponies entering society again,” Private explained, not understanding why it was even in question who Sombra was talking about.

“He never said you and Aunt Dew specifically. Mom and I were there too and he just vaguely said that of all the ponies in Equestria two of us stood the best chance of convincing him,” Coal pointed out. She certainly couldn’t recall Sombra saying any names at all.

Private blinked. His brain already going over that first day when King Sombra just appeared on their doorstep and had invited himself right in. His eyes grew wider as he realized his niece was correct, there had been no names mentioned. They just assumed the Dark Pony had to have meant him and Dew Doe. The stallion grabbed the filly again and rushed out of the kitchen and headed up the stairs.

“I can walk you know,” Coal grumbled, but her uncle was in such a hurry that they were already on the second floor before she was dropped back to the floor.

“Dew,” Private rushed over to Dew Doe,  who was leaving their room.

“Remember how we just assumed Sombra meant us two when he said only two of us stood a chance of convincing him?” he told the pegasus quickly but quietly, then pointed at their niece who was sitting close to the stairs. “Coal kind of pointed out something, Sombra never actually specifically said us, Foxy and she were there too.”

“Well, it can be safely assumed it…” Dew’s words died out as she thought this over. She looked wide-eyed at Coal, who just shrugged. Foxy was peeking out of her own room, having clearly heard them talking.

“No, it’s not that simple, is it? Not with Sombra. Then which two of us was he talking about?” the pegasus scratched her head, unsure.

“Maybe it has to be Dark Ponies,” Coal said and looked at her mom who glanced at her skeptically.

“But the only ones with Dark Pony ancestry here is Private and…” Dew’s mouth opened wide. “No, it can’t be.”

“You’re not trying to tell me it has to be my daughter?” Foxy asked, thoroughly unimpressed.

“She just tried a few minutes earlier.” Private glanced back at Foxy, causing Coal to grin uneasily as her mother gave her a sharp glare now. “Sombra actually complimented her on making a good point. He seemed very amused by her.”

“I was talking with him earlier while waiting for you to come down and, I got the vibe from him that he misses the Dark Ponies. I actually think he misses being in the company of Dark Ponies.” Private turned back to Dew. His marefriend’s eyes widened in shock. She had not even considered that possibility. Foxy looked stunned, then eyed her daughter, trying to compute that her daughter was on the right track.

“He’s lonely,” Dew whispered and took a few steps past Private to look towards the stairs as if she was trying to see where King Sombra was in the living room. “He longs for the company of fellow Dark Ponies. Since he failed to recreate them, he wants to settle for the next best thing. Being amongst the descendants of the refugees.”

“Whaaa?” Foxy wasn’t sure she understood where her sister was going with this.

“Of course, Dark Ponies were sensitive to each other’s presence, they always knew of one another. Even now Equestrian Dark Pony descendants can tap into it. Maybe Sombra has been having a serious sensory deprivation for years none of us could even begin to understand. He even sensed his mother before coming close to the house and told me she no doubt sensed him as well.” Dew nearly jumped up and down in her giddiness. The pegasus clearly felt she was figuring it out finally. “That must be why he is so calm now and ready to at least attempt it, just by being near Private and Coal must be such a relief for him.”

“I do not like the sound of him getting relief from being near my daughter,” Foxy grunted. Dew Doe shot her a glare.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, sis. You know what I mean,” the blue pegasus shot back before struggling to take to the air and flew down the stairs.

Private immediately hurried after her.  Foxy was too late to stop Coal who darted after her aunt and uncle. With a sigh, the maroon mare hurried after them all.

Dew Doe was just sitting down when the rest came running into the living room. Sombra could only watch and wonder what was going on now.

“So, Sombra, how long have you been feeling lonely?” Dew Doe asked, resisting the urge to grin when the Dark Pony looked at her with a scowl.

“What makes you think I am?” he asked in turn. There was hesitation in his voice, but the pegasus noted it wasn’t in a growl, nor was it very threatening.

“Oh please, you abducted Private and his family for the sole purpose of attempting to re-create your own race. Then you come to the one house that happens to have two Dark Pony descendants to give them a chance to convince you to retire. I'm not sure you need that much convincing at all. You just want company.” Dew Doe assumed a more serious, yet kindly face, something she often used in therapy sessions when dealing with difficult patients.

“It must feel good right now doesn’t it, having the presence of other Dark Ponies, even if they are by now only distant descendants. You being a full-blood Dark Pony can constantly feel they are there, that’s probably one of the reasons why you have been so obsessed with Private and his family. Their presence alone has been making you feel better,” the pegasus continued to talk.

Private watched with dread. He knew one thing about Sombra and that he hated it if ponies thought they had him all figured out. The unicorn just waited with bated breath for a mocking remark, sarcastic retort, or worse yet, a growling declaration that Dew Doe had no idea what she was talking about.

“How?” Sombra on the other hand stared stunned at the blue pegasus. He could not believe it. The pegasus had hit on everything. He had hoped to alleviate some of it by allowing the ponies in this house to try and convince him, figuring it didn’t matter if they succeeded or failed.

“Just finally piecing together everything I’ve learned about you up to this point,” Dew Doe smiled, omitting that she had to push aside a lot of resentment she felt for the king to succeed.

“She is a therapist,” Foxy pointed out.  Coal nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile Private just continued to stare dumbfounded at the king. This had not been the reaction he expected. Sombra still stared flabbergasted at Dew Doe.

“Mostly though, I can thank Coal,” Dew Doe glanced at her niece, who pointed at herself and mouthed ‘me?’. Sombra eyed the filly skeptically, not sure how she could have possibly assisted.

“So instead of flailing around trying to figure out how we need to convince you, I want instead to ask. What do we need to do to convince you to retire?” The pegasus returned her attention to Sombra. “Because we can list a ton of reasons that make sense to us, but I have a feeling you can just as easily shoot them down because they don’t make sense to you. You just think too differently than us. Foxy, Coal and I are glass half full ponies, Private leans more glass half empty. For you, it’s irrelevant to consider that. You just see that there is content in the glass.”

“I will give you that, Private, you know how to pick your mares,” Sombra remarked, glancing at Private, looking and sounding impressed.

“Actually, it was her who picked me,” Private corrected, causing Dew to drop her therapist's face. The mare now blushed and grinned innocently. Foxy and Coal giggled.

“How very Dark Pony appropriate,” Sombra chuckled and glanced at Dew who blinked. “In our society, it is indeed the mares who choose their suitors.”

“Alright fine." The king gave a frustrated groan and sat up on the couch. He assumed a more neutral expression as he stared again at Dew Doe. If she was that sharp, she would no doubt figure out the rest anyway.

“You don’t actually need to convince me. I had already decided to retire a while ago. After my mother’s unexpected resurrection, the thought of conquest just lost its appeal. Even if I were to conquer all of Equestria, I just know she would somehow be there, ready to…take it all away. I only defeated her because I was allied with my enemies. As I hid away the second time, I found that I felt safer…with them still around, protecting Equestria from threats, like my mother,” the King spoke slowly and there was hesitation in his voice. The other ponies in the room were stunned at the confession.

“And you’re not wrong, Dew Doe. I was lonely. That is why I came here. I…know it’s difficult to believe, but I still view Private as a friend, and…” The Dark Pony trailed off and looked away for a moment.

“I was friends with Prince Sombra,” Private risked pointing this out, shaking off for a moment the shock of hearing the king’s speech.

“Yes…you were,” the king sighed. Without another word, he disappeared into the shadows. The other ponies in the room heard the door to his room open and close.

“Oookay, that happened,” Foxy spoke up, looking at Dew Doe, who was still stunned at hearing what the Dark Pony had just said.

“Wait, he was already retired?” Coal was very confused and not sure what to make of this. “Then what was the point of all of this?”

“Well, if he’s already retired, can we kick him out then?” her mother wondered. She was almost ready to go and do just that.

“No,” Dew Doe looked at her sister. There was almost fire in her eyes. “He’s maybe already ‘retired’ as he likes to put it, but that pony needs help.”

“Oooh boy,” Foxy muttered, knowing that face on the blue pegasus. “Yes I agree, he definitely has issues that need to be sorted, but are we really the right ponies to be doing that?”

They all four looked over to the living room entrance when being addressed. King Sombra stood there, clad now in his usual attire of armor, cape and crown. His expression was still neutral.

“I’ve put the room back to its original form as well as the bed,” he told them.

“Wait, you’re leaving?” Dew Doe questioned, alarmed. Her wings were too tired now to fly, so she got down and hurried the best she could over to the king.

“The terms of the agreement I made with you all never really applied. Since I have revealed you never needed to convince me, I figured I should not overstay my ‘welcome’ here,” Sombra stated and started to turn towards the front door.

“Sombra, wait,” Private spoke up, stopping the Dark Pony as he looked over at the unicorn. The mares and the filly also turned their heads towards him.

“Is it true? Have you really 'retired', as you put it?” the unicorn asked with a small frown.

“I have,” the king nodded his head, he arched his brow when Private narrowed his eyes a little.

“Is it King Sombra who is saying that, or Prince Sombra?” Private then asked. He already could spot a slight hesitation in the king’s body language.

“Both really,” the Dark Pony finally admitted.

“Oh come on,” Coal suddenly groaned. “Uncle Private wants you to stay and is taking forever as usual to say it. Aunt Dew wants to help you. Can we skip this drama already and you just go back and make your room again the way you like it?”

“I don’t know whose kid that is.” Foxy cringed a little, although she did try and scoot her daughter out of view behind her, but Coal just snorted and managed to stay put.

“You want me to stay?” Sombra’s brow rose high. He watched the adult ponies glare for a moment at Coal, then look at him again.

“Look, Sombra, I will be honest. I still have reservations and resentment towards you after what you did to Private and his family. However, if you stay, you will be attending therapy sessions with me,” Dew Doe calmly told the Dark Pony. Foxy had sat down, grabbed Coal up in her legs and held a hoof over her daughter’s mouth. The filly was in giggle fits.

“Please, stay,” Private said. He was almost sure now that this wasn’t the pony anymore who had tormented him. It was one thing that had been bothering him a whole lot during the last week. Sombra had been surprisingly cooperative, behaving far more like he had remembered him back when the unicorn had visited the Dark Pony Empire.

King Sombra glanced at the front door, then at the ponies. Then he nodded and turned back to the stairs. With a flash of his dark magic, he changed back into the silk robe instead of the crown, cape and armor.

“Very well, I accept your proposal, Dew Doe,” the king said as he ascended the stairs.

Private let out a breath he had been holding, Dew turned around and tilted her head. She could have sworn she saw a glow on Private's cutie-mark, but it was gone so quickly that the pegasus figured she had been mistaken. None of the ponies noticed that a similar glow had happened on Coal's golden heart mark just as briefly.

End chapter 9