Heart Of The Umbrum
Written by PacifistDoodl3r
High pitched squeaks from an old wooden bar stool cried out once he leaned over to reach his bubbly. Warm cider wasn't enough to dry his eyes, unfortunately. But at least the drinks helped with the pain momentarily. A warm fireplace brought a cozy feeling to the place even though it too, failed to comfort the stallion.
The place almost reached max capacity with a limit of thirty and yet... It felt empty. As the chatter died to a low murmur here and there, the sense of invisibility shattered when a low smokey voice spoke to him.
“Do ya’ want a refill, sir? They're free here, but I recon you just want some alone time.” The bar tender’s most prominent attire was his tan leather hat, and then it was his blue ascot tie of sorts. His voice was softer and brought a caring tone, almost like a loving grandpa. “I understand regardless. Happy Hearth’s Warming, friend.” Were his last words before rinsing a wine glass inside of a sink.
Fire crackling seemed to be the only noise that he heard. The volume was magically dialed down, muting the chatter and sounds of silverware on plates. He heard the tree branches snap, coal boil, and invisible flames above the fire heat up any surrounding brick. This was the only thing that made sense to him at the moment.
Even though he read many Daring Do books and understood the lore... He needed to do research and read extensively to understand coherently. The fire, however, was hot and burned things. That was simple. Something easy to get a grasp on was what he needed after the horrible events that had transpired some days ago.
He quickly took out his flask from one of his jacket pockets and drank bitter liquor. It tasted awful but helped to cloud the painful memories. After putting his flask back, the disgruntled stallion wiped away some remaining lip wetness. Alcohol was also easy to understand for him. A *glug* *glug* and all of a sudden, nothing matters. He could go the rest of his life with nothing but simplicity and lack of feelings. Emotions very much confused him and now they're the source of his pain.
The stallion clutched his eyes shut for a moment, grimacing at the returning sorrow that felt as if it had left. Deep down he knew the bottles of booze can't save him forever but that was a problem for future him to deal with. What mattered now was the gasping and racing of hooves. He only shrugged one shoulder before grumbling something under his breath.
More and more ponies flocked to the windows, pressing their hooves and faces against the glass. Their expressions were obscured by the growing crowd but he didn't care as long as the bartender was around. Speaking of whom, now shrinking back towards the kitchen door to hide himself.
In fact, many ponies backed up and held their breaths. Again, the tired lonesome stallion gave side glances without a single care given. He just wanted to feel something. Any feeling other than grief or regret would do. A few ponies stared and glanced between the stallion and whatever was outside. One gulped, taking a few steps as her friend attempted to hold her back. They both looked mildly concerned from the carelessness being shown by the drinking stallion. After a few whispers amongst the pair, a decision was made.
He only coughed, retracting a hoof that was about to drink again. Everyone screamed.
Thunderous steps knocked against the lumber floor. The bartender joined in on the crowd, ushering them towards the back exit. His eyes shifted to the side, taking a moment to gaze upon his customer whom sat in silence all by himself. Before he can say anything to him in regards to the unseen terror... Laughter.
It was a dark, powerful laugh that commanded the bartender to leave. He silently made mouth noises to the drinking stallion in an attempt to convice him to follow the others. After failing the first time, he tried again but used hoof motions and tapped impatiently against the wood. As black smoke clouded the windows, the bartender slowly backed away and shook his heavy head. The same laughter persisted, howling with the wind like an feral bear who somehow learned to scream happily. Many of the ponies who were inside of the bar, staring out of the window, found themselves doing the exact opposite minus the bartender.
One of them banged on the window quickly before they drew too much attention. The wet coldness left a few hoofprints, dripping water from the window.
Bamf,
Bamf,
Bamf!
The warning knocks continued all until one final laugh reached the bar. Silence.
“One spicy cider with cinnamon peppered in for YOUR KING! Now!” Shadows swirled and crept around, forming the figure of a mighty unicorn. “Chop, chop! I require refreshments.” He gave a wicked grin, smiling at the empty bar table. And then he chuckled once the sight of the lone stallion caught his attention. “You, there! Servant. Kneel for your king. I have this fancy looking mask for you!” He teleported next to the stallion presenting a black and grey slave helmet with neon green eyes.
“Spicy cider?” He finally spoke. “Weak stuff. I'd expect someone like you to order rum or bourbon but who am I to judge.” A swig from the metal flask canister.
“Who are you to judge? Did you not hear my words, mortal? Thou hast insulted my fancy for drinks and now you're going to pay!” The shadow pony reared on his hind legs, turning completely black with glowing green and purple eyes. Nobody could save the drinking stallion.
“Come and sit. The bartender is gone but there's many free drinks around here.” He said, exerting a deep sigh.
He was right. Many customers left in a hurry and glasses were either half full or half empty. Ice was seeping water through the cups, clinking against one another like tiny sinking ships. The shadow king merely scoffed with a hint of annoyance once his eyes scanned the empty seats.
“You make a good point.” He used green and purple magic to pick up a full glass, sipping it slowly. “This tastes cheap. Ponyville’s beer is not like the Crystal Empire's brewery and I can't stand for that!”
“As an avid drinker of many drinks... eh, I ain't impressed by the sparkly rock ponies.” He paused and scratched his head after saying that. It just occurred to him who he was talking to. Or maybe he just forgotten the history. “King Sombra? That's my opinion.”
“My opinion revolves around your execution! I'll humbly remove your presence for insulting my Empire so... Boldly!” King Sombra stood next to the drinking Stallion in a menacing manner. His silver crown never looked so sharp.
“Not a fan of... I'm not a fan of sparkling water and their alcohol is exactly that.” He suddenly stopped talking, taking one last drink from his flask before returning eye contact. “Please. If you do. Give ol’ Quibble Pants here a quick death.”
There was some hesitancy in the the way King Sombra prepared a magical blast. Dark smoke began to envelop the stallion who had no fear.
Chants from lost souls spoke to him as everything spun counterclockwise. King Sombra suddenly stopped.
“Peasant, If I may... Why dost thou accept one's fate so peacefully? That look... I've lived through it before.” King Sombra had made away with his magic with a wave from a hoof. “Before you face torment, reveal to me thy name.”
“I already told you I'm Quibble Pants... or at least I used to be.” Quibble rested his head over crossed forelegs, staring out at the raging blizzard.
It seemed as if all of the onlookers departed. The two of them had the bar to themselves. It was the type of silence he needed, periodically being interrupted by the fireplace.
Quibble huffed out frosty vapor, blowing it out like chilly flamethrower. And then he spoke again, “This bar is my home now. I have seen so many bartenders come and go.” His growing beard and damaged hat made the pony seem older than he actually was. “I come here to forget why I'm here. Recently something bad came up to pile onto my problems. It's like I'm bonded here for life.”
“I don't care to sit down and listen to most woes, and yet, your eyes bleed from heartbreak. I give no sympathy for your issues but...” King Sombra pulled out the bar stool next to Quibble and took a seat, crossing his back legs elegantly, “you may receive my understanding. ONLY because there is time to kill.”
Quibble quickly flicked his eyes at the Umbrum besides him, fixing his stare dead ahead at nothing. “Just to get it off of my chest, I am one neglectful step dad. Everything was all fine and dandy until incident one of many... I passed out reading a stupid book while I was trusted to cook dinner.”
King Sombra was about to interject something, clearing his throat while he pried apart fangs glued to his lower lip but changed his mind once Quibble started with a strained cough.
“She was never taught by her mother how to make anything and went to bed... hungry. This happened everytime my ex wife had to come home late. I felt too ashamed to tell her— pretending to sleep after taking care of our daughter.” He slouched and eyed the flask in his jacket pocket.
“Your daughter kept this a secret? If that is the case... Then I must ask why? It seems to me as if you've done nothing to halt or prevent this neglect further.” King Sombra rubbed his chin, studying the stallion.
“You're right. I— I let this happen. I don't know why... but things got worse. I eventually stopped caring about my relationships with not only my friends but with my family too.” Quibble Pants swallowed hard, closing his eyes. “I even stopped reading the book series I liked... Just stared at the ceiling for an extended period of time. Thinking about and doing nothing.”
“Thou hast spiraled and twisted down a mind that manifested like a dark castle hallway? How... Poignantly bleak. And is that how your wife discovered the habit?”
“I was wandering ou—” He bit down on his hoof, thinking about his next words. Thinking about the things he had to lose, or better yet, the things he had lost. After the clock’s red hand began to sink, his guilt foamed and stabbed at him. “She found me screaming for my friend late at night. Something about waiting for a next adventure or... Well... Something.” He wasn't frowning before. Quibble seemed to have this natural look of sadness to him, however, his mouth was now cracking. “Many conversations were had later. About seeing a psychiatrist... Pills... Moving out for a few days. This was more than about neglect... I was... Maybe something— I had no...” He stumbled on a few words trying to say anything that made sense.
Quibble Pants was deflated. After a few silent stares between the two, he finally found the words to say something. “Fiction and drinking made sense to me— it makes sense to me. After she understandably asked to divorce once I started acting worse... I found this neat little place to feel all better!”
“Even though I'm one to say I had it worse than you... That does sound pitiful. Something crude just unnerved my stomach after hearing that. Ew.” King Sombra refilled his glass with another abandoned glass, using a small amount of his dark magic.
“Yeah? Well, I felt pretty unnerved once I was told by the Mayor herself that a divorce built upon mental issues are always denied a hearing. Ponyville can be so cruel at times.”
King Sombra tilted his head in a non cute way. The umbrum had a look on his face that shown he had been lost. “I have no idea what that is, of course, but thou hast faced unfair tribulations before and this is what shattered you completely? How trivial.”
“Look, King Sombra.” He sucked in a breath, awkwardly straightening out his teeth. “I am just a pony. You may have dealt with many painful things in the past but my lifeline is gone now. I have nothing. I want to feel nothing. Even though everything I cared about is gone... I still look behind me while walking because I wonder if I wore something tacky. I still comb my hair and tidy my collection of books just in case somepony visits me. I study the geology of Equestria just in case I travel somewhere with someone so I can be their guide. I want to stop feeling but my will to give a hoot won't die no matter how hard I try and I'd appreciate it if you can stop reminding me how insignificant my suffering seems to you!”
“I binge drink and read Daring Do books daily hoping someone will find me as a stiff and lifeless corpse because I just lost my will to continue. And yet, I still do... Why? ‘Why hast thou not findeth the drive to live but prolongs his breath?’ huh? I don't know! But, wow, this alcohol sure does taste delicious!” Quibble Pants’ face was red and he began to sweat. “So, yeah, recently the divorce was finalized all within the same week of Hearth’s Warming. I had a gift for my daughter and everything... It was a... Buckball and basket... That doesn't matter now. Can you reinstate your offer to end me or something?”
He was speechless. Usually the Umbrum had something to say back to mortals he deemed beneath him but not even a King like himself could muster up any words.
“Quibble Pants, is it? The entirety of Equestria and many creatures pray for my demise. It's my nature to be wicked and honestly speaking, I do not care for feelings nor accept anypony on the same level of loss as me.” King Sombra lowered his head, finishing another shot of beer. “Fortunately, I still remember what made me this way. I, too, had lost someone close to me unfairly. Just like you, it was against my control and understanding. I pushed through it by gaining power and making everypony fear me. I shall continue to yearn this conquest but I envy how small scale relationship issues seem now.”
“I am a barbaric King who is destined to rule with an iron hoof! But you've reminded me of a time before all of... This. In a strange way, I would want to relive my life to experience my heart breaking into small shards once more.” King Sombra stood up, dusting off his seat.
Quibble Pants had to digest these words, wondering what the King had just admitted and why. “A heartbreak is one of the worst feelings ever. Why... wh— why would you say something like that?”
“During my journey to rule Equestria, I stopped feeling. Sadness used to be the easiest thing to experience for me. I'd take the feeling of love dying inside of me any day over not experiencing it at all. Hearing your account... It makes me long for a day I can return to the past. Causing someone misery is the only thing that makes sense now, in a way.” Sombra was waiting for a response but took Quibble’s pained expression as one instead. “I must depart. Stay emotional.”
Fire popped and cackled within the fireplace. It made sense. In fact, the black logs with white ash stains made even more sense now. Or at the very least, Quibble almost made a connection between the heat from the fireplace and a burning sensation that sparked inside of his heart.