//------------------------------// // 2 - Air Supply // Story: Crybaby Sombra // by TheLatteDog //------------------------------// A yawn escaped Night Shade’s mouth. The scent of formaldehyde invaded his nose. The body of a relatively older mare laid before him, as well as a dead potted plant. Yep, he stood inside the cadaver lab. Technically it was not a part of the school itself, but the Canterlot Medical Institute that stood close by. Here lay the bodies of different creatures (mostly ponies) who donated their remains in order to further the education of up-and-coming medical professionals. Normally, the institution reserved the cadavers for creatures within the “medical” branch of magic.  Today was an exception.  Night Shade’s professor stood over his shoulder. The jet-black unicorn stallion held a clipboard in his green magic and scribbled some preliminary notes before finally speaking up. “Okay,” he said. “What you are going to do is bring that plant back to life, then animate this body, have it walk into that room over there”—he pointed to the dark room off to the side—“and recite the text you see through its eyes on the poster inside. Understand?” Night Shade nodded and lit up his horn and eyes.  “Begin.” Black lightning danced across the pot, before sinking itself into the soil. The pot began to vibrate, humming with the energy that built itself up. Soon, the dried-up foliage began to fill itself with life. The stems grew thick and sappy. The stems grew thick and strong. A vibrant green spread itself throughout the previously dead leaves. Some buds appeared on the stems, before fully blooming like it were spring.  The professor gave Night Shade a curt nod, showing he had done a satisfactory job with this part of the exam. The black magic then crackled across the body lying on the table. Suddenly, its eyes fluttered open, glowing with green energy. It proceeded to push itself up from the table as if it was alive once more. “Impressive, very life-like,” the professor noted. The dead mare lept off the table and trotted over to the dark closet, even closing the door behind her. Night Shade closed his own glowing green eyes tightly, scrunching his face in concentration. “Can you see the text?” the professor asked. “This mare’s eyesight isn’t great,” the colt complained. “Shouldn’t matter. You should be able to overcome it.” The purple and green light glowed brighter as he focused more magic into the body in his control. Eventually, his face relaxed as he began to read the message. “If you can read this, you have passed the test. Just summon an imp to retrieve your certification from underneath this poster. I knew I could count on you. Welcome to the club. Wait, really?” “You read that correctly. There is a summoning circle inside there already. Cast the summoning spell through the body you have under your control.” Black droplets already fell from the corners of his eyes, but he remained undeterred. More purple smoke poured from his horn and eyes as he focused more magic into his currently active spells. After a few minutes (and some shuffling inside the closet), a tiny, smokey creature popped out, followed by the dead mare he puppeted. The cadaver returned itself to its spot on the desk and let the glow in its eyes fade. The fuming imp tossed a piece of paper next to the colt before disappearing into thin air. Night Shade let the magic subside from his horns and eyes, leaving behind the fresh inky tears that traced the black streaks on his face. He opened his eyes for the first time since starting this, and let them rest on the paper the imp retrieved for him. There it was. Everything he had been working towards. A certificate of full membership to The Lunar Order of the Dark Arts. He couldn’t believe it. “I don’t know what to say,” the colt said, staring in disbelief at the paper before him. More black streaks trailed his face the longer he looked at it. “How about a ‘thank you,’” the jet black stallion added. Night Shade grabbed the stallion and wept into his coat. “Thank you, professor,” he muttered. “For everything.” The stallion rolled his eyes and wrapped a hoof around the colt.  “You did most of the work,” he responded, patting him on his back. “You wouldn’t have gotten here if you didn’t work as hard as you did.” “Also, you are no longer my pupil. You are now my colleague. So, don’t call me professor anymore. Just call me Sir ‘Black Mass.’”  Night Shade pulled away from Black Mass, sniffling.  “Okay, Sir Black Mass,” he said, smiling through his tears.  “Now, go away!” the stallion exclaimed playfully, giving the colt a shove. “I’ll take care of all this stuff. Go and spend the rest of the day with some friends or whatever. You earned it!” Night Shade nodded, enveloped his certificate in the dark crackle of his magic, and galloped away, busting out of the lab, then the building, towards his dormitory.  He did it! He finally did it! Night Shade sat on the edge of his bed. He looked down, staring at his certificate. He still couldn’t believe it. The colt heard a knock on the door. He looked up before resting the paper on the desk and opening the door. “Well, seems like something’s got you cheerful,” Chora teased, their body floating along like usual. “You pass your certification?” The colt nodded before grabbing them out of the air and squeezing them with all his might. He could barely contain his excitement. “Woah, dude!” Chora squeaked out before poofing out of his grip. “Damn, I get that you’re excited, but you gotta let me breathe.” Night Shade rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Sorry, got a little carried away.” “Yeah, clearly. So, where is it? Lemme see!” The colt levitated his certificate to show them. It had an ink sketch of the “mare on the moon” with a bunch of occult symbols. His name was printed on top of everything, officially naming him as a member of “The Lunar Order of the Dark Arts.” “Dude!” Chora blurted out. “That is sick! Those guys really do know how to make a cool certificate. My surprise is gonna go perfectly with this!” “Well, it is after my exam and I have passed. What is this ‘surprise?’” “Nuh-uh, dude, I told you that you were getting it while we were on the campgrounds. Oh yeah, you should bring that with you.” “But it will get dirty…” “Nah, trust me, it’ll be fine. You do have the stuff, right?” The colt rolled his eyes and wandered back to his storage chest. A few flashes of magic later, he pulled out a few bags of green cannabis buds and some dried mushrooms. “Nice,” they said. “Let’s go!” “Wait, now?” “Hell yeah, dude! I have a tent set up and everything!” “But what about…” Chora rolled up the certificate and pushed it into their ear. “See, all safe. Now let’s go!” Chora grabbed his hoof and yanked Night Shade into the air before poofing out of existence. No use in waiting! It was time to celebrate! “Princess Twilight Sparkle,” a jet black stallion greeted, taking a deep bow to the throne before him.  “Rise, Sir Black Mass,” the princess responded. The stallion rose to his hooves, looking the princess in the eye. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Sir Mass?” “My pupil has completed his training and shall be welcomed onto The Lunar Order,” he answered. “I see,” Twilight pondered. “What is your assessment of his mental state? Will we have to worry about him in the future?” The stallion shook his head. “Other than absorbing a blackened sense of humor, which I personally think tends to come with the field, he is quite a sensitive and soft colt. I do not think he has the capacity to cause harm. Maybe even to his detriment.” “Hm,” the princess hummed. “That is a little reassuring. However, we cannot simply write this off as a ‘problem solved.’ There are still way too many variables in play here.” The princess slumped back into her seat. “Not to mention a new thorn in my side revealing itself recently.” “Would you happen to be talking about the Daybreakers?” “Yes, the Daybreakers.”  “They seem like an interesting bunch.” “An ‘interesting bunch’ who have decided to make it my problem that they’re unhappy with creatures other than them getting some respect for a change.” The princess heaved a sigh of exhaustion before sitting up on her throne once more. “I don’t know what to do about them,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “On one hoof, they seem like something that will probably fizzle out on its own. Just not acknowledge it and let them ‘revolt against the modern Equestria’ all by themselves. On the other hoof, they seem to be a growing movement. From what I can gather of their ideology, I can foresee nothing but destruction. This isn’t something one bad guy is pulling the strings for. These are just average ponies!” She took a deep breath and continued. “I feel like I should stamp this out now before it gets out of hand. But what do I do about them without just straight up hunting the members of the movement down like a tyrant?” “Hm,” Black Mass droned. “Maybe you should ask a political advisor that question. I can only give you answers as they relate to ‘the dark arts,’ and this doesn’t seem like a problem that falls under my expertise.” “Yeah, that would make things easier. Sorry for dumping my troubles on you. You are not the one who can help me with them. But I believe I know who can. Regardless, thanks for bringing me the good news. I shall give him a visit tomorrow as congratulations!” “I am certain he would be absolutely astounded by that,” Black Mass chuckled. “And likely cry a little.” Twilight let out a little giggle herself. “You’re probably right. Regardless, Sir Black Mass, you are dismissed.” The black stallion took his leave and left the princess’s presence. Once the door to her throne room was shut, she called out to her number one assistant. “Spike!” “I’m coming,” a voice replied. Out walked a purple and green dragon that was slightly taller and more slender than they were years ago, sporting a yellow off-the-shoulder top over a black bra with black leggings.  “Nice outfit, Spike. What are you dressing up for? Oh! And how shall I address you today?” “Any which way, today,” Spike responded, checking his nails. “And no occasion, today is just a more fem day. Now, what’s up? You caught me just as I was about to head out.” “I need you to send a letter for me if you don’t mind. It’s something important.” “Twilight,” Spike said. “Whatever the problem is, are you sure you need to contact Princess Celestia about it? She has been saying for years that you can’t rely on her for every problem you face as ruler.”  “Well, technically Spike, this does involve her,” she stated smugly. Twilight’s face fell before she continued onwards. “And besides, I think potentially seditious groups are a good reason to get her input. I have a feeling Celestia might know a thing or two about putting down rebellions without stepping into tyranny.” “Alright, if you say so,” Spike said with a shrug. She blew some fire into one claw. When the embers cleared, all that was left was some parchment and a quill. “Thanks, Spike,” she said, levitating the stationary towards her.  “Okay, now how to word this,” Twilight considered. “Okay, ‘Dear Princess Celestia, It has been a while since we last talked in pony. I feel that I have a matter that is of grave importance to the survival of Equestria, and I require your advice…’” Dusk threatened to swallow the day, allowing for the night to come out and play. Despite that, the dawn of the summer season allowed for daylight to hang around well past its welcome. The two teenagers on the campground, however, did not hold any ill will towards it. The light of day could not stop their night activities. The campgrounds lay just a little bit before the castle walls, right where the lake and forest would meet. They were open for anyone to set up camp if they pleased. One of the most well-known demographics that took advantage of this was teenagers. They would set up camp and have some (not always entirely legal) fun with each other, whether that was to play some games, fool around, drink, do drugs, do all of the above, or do none of it. Due to this, at least one pair of Guards patrolled the area, ensuring the safety of all those who decided to partake in the land. That, however, usually meant ensuring medical treatment was given to everypony who needed it and ensuring no one was murdered. Sometimes they would do a “wellness check” on anyone who stands out (i.e. is exceptionally loud). Sometimes that “wellness check” would result in those teens getting their illicit substances taken away. That was just how it went sometimes. It was always a toss-up to see if you were out with one of the “cool Guards.” Tonight, only one tent planted itself into the ground. Fortunately for the two teens inside, that meant they didn’t have to be too quiet to not disturb the other campers. They still couldn’t be loud enough to put the Guards on alert, but at least they wouldn’t have to deal with other ponies bitching to them about how they were “trying to sleep.” In spite of that, it seemed like the two Guards had nothing better to do regardless, so they initiated a “wellness check” on the two teens anyways. “Good evening,” the Guard said, poking his head inside the flap of the tent. “Good evening, sir,” Chora and Night Shade responded. “Is everything okay in here?” the guard asked. “Yep, everything is cool,” Night Shade answered with a smile. “You two aren’t up to no good now, are you?” “Nope, everything we have is age-appropriate.” Within their tent, they had bags of chips, soda bottles, and even a small radio blasting out some fun tunes (see: jungle/drum & bass). “Hmmm,” the Guard hummed. He contemplated whether or not to bother searching them further. He already knew they were definitely from The Celestial School for the Gifted, so the “special look” both of them had wasn’t particularly suspicious. Since he didn’t have any suggestion of any serious harm they could cause (and didn’t particularly feel all that “active” tonight), he made up his mind.  “Alright then, have fun you two!” The Guard’s head retreated to the outside world, the flap sealing the teens inside once more. After waiting for the hoofsteps to get quieter and quieter, and watching the guards move into a position that would allow them to watch the whole field, the two teenagers resumed their shenanigans. “Well, that was close,” Night Shade said, letting go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Hey, it wasn’t like they were gonna find our stuff anyways,” Chora reassured, unscrewing one of their forelegs and shaking out the contents, revealing the buds and shrooms they were partaking in prior. “Well, maybe not,” Night Shade giggled. “Still, you never know with the Guards. Thank Celestia we got a lazy-ass one tonight.” “Wouldn’t have mattered,” Chora expressed, screwing their foreleg back on. “As I just said, they wouldn’t have found shit anyways.” “True, true.” “Oh!” Chora cried out. “I almost forgot something.” “What could that be?” “Your surprise!” Chora then reached into their ear and pulled out the certificate they stored there earlier.  “So, here’s surprise number one.” Chora unraveled the certificate and flapped it a few times before it went poof. When the smoke cleared, the certificate now was in a silver frame, decorated with various occult symbols that were awash in a sea of dark magic. “I figured a certification as cool as this deserved a frame just as cool.” “Woah!” Night Shade yelled, ripping the framed certificate away from Chora. “That is amazing! Thanks so much!” He threw his forelegs around their neck and squeezed them tight. “Thanks so much, you’re the best!” “Ah, ah, ah. Don’t thank me just yet!” Chora unscrewed one of their back legs and pulled out an ornate bottle of what appeared to be— “Whiskey?” Night Shade thought out loud. His eyes opened in realization. “Wait a second, that’s top-shelf stuff! How did you even get your hands on it!” “I have my ways,” Chora said, a Cheshire Cat-like grin spreading on their face. “You didn’t steal it, did you?” “Nah, I can assure you that much, but I can’t tell any more than that.” “Why not?” “It’s a secret, and I Pinkie Promised not to.” “Ah, damn. Oh well…” Night Shade snatched the bottle away from Chora.  “Nothing left to do but try it.” He popped the cork off and was about to drink before a thought came to him. “Oh, can you poof this into my room back in the dorms? I would rather not have it here.” “Ah, it would be fine. Not even an explosion or fire could touch the certificate while in that frame. But, if it makes you feel better.” Chora grabbed back the framed certificate, the thing that certified Night Shade as a member of an org he had been training most of his school days to gain membership, and scrunched their face really hard. After a few moments, they threw the certificate up in the air. They motioned to clap their hooves, and just when their hooves were about to meet the certificate again, it vanished into thin air. “Done,” they said with a confident smile. “Excellent.” The colt took a big gulp of the amber liquid. The next thing he knew, he was hacking up his lungs. Chora, on the other hand, couldn’t help but howl at the consequences of Night Shade’s misplaced gusto.  “Oh dude, probably should have sipped the shit instead of just gulping it.” “Ack…you don’t…say.” It took a few minutes for the burning sensation to subside from his throat, enabling speech for him once more.  “Ugh, I forgot this shit is murder on your throat,” Night Shade finally uttered. “Yeah, maybe you should have remembered your experience with the bottom shelf shit,” Chora said smugly. They then took up the pipe and lit it, taking a big draw. “Come here,” they muttered with lungs full of smoke. Night Shade only just had enough time to turn his head before he found himself with Chora’s lips planted on his, blowing smoke into his mouth. Once there was no more left for Chora to give, their lips parted. Night Shade almost instinctively inhaled the smoke they had given him, before letting it flow out of him. A small cough came up from his chest as he cleared out the smoke he had taken in. “Why’d you do that?” Night Shade asked with a loopy tone of voice.  “Just because,” Chora answered. Night Shade giggled like a little school filly. “Hehe, I think the shrooms are starting to kick in with you,” Chora commented, noting their own growing lunacy.  “Hey, hey Chora,” the chortling colt managed to get out. “What?” the equally snickering thestral replied. “Did you know your colors are pretty?” he managed to say in between laughs. “What?” they tittered. “I’m just gray, heheheh.” “But it’s a pretty gray,” he shot back, still unable to contain his laughs. “Well, okay,” they conceded. A devious smirk spread across their face. “How pretty is it?” An equally devilish grin plastered its way on the colt’s face too. “Pretty enough for me to wanna do…this!”  He then pounced on the thestral, ravaging their body like a cat to a mouse. Squeals of delight emanated from the tent. A tent which the two Guards watching over them both decided would be more trouble than it was worth to interrupt.