//------------------------------// // Flight or Fight // Story: When Darkness Shines // by TeonnaKatzGuardianStorm //------------------------------// After Sombra and Cadence managed to get the closet empty remodel work had to start. It needed to be umbrumfied! Luckily, Sombra happened to be an expert. "Black floors, black walls, a black roof, if it's a noun that doesn't have an adjective that starts with a b, paint it black." Cadence shook her head. They had been going over design ideas all morning and so far "paint it black" was as far as they got. "It's a baby's room Sombra. It needs a little color." Amore had offered that the staff could do it but Cadence wanted to do this herself. And of course Sombra had to help. "Let's do blue for now. It matches the floor and her mane." They settled on doing black walls but Cadence had an idea after Sombra put Selena down next to it. Her crystal coat reflected off the wall and created an iridescent effect. She decided to add in some of her crystal unicorn heritage by adding small crystals to the walls. Sombra said the effect reminded him of the caves back home so she wanted to make it look like a cave wall to honor it. Halfway through Sombra grew frustrated. "Why couldn't we just paint it black and call it a day?" He said as he groaned, knocking his head into the wall. "Sombra! I just painted that!" She yelled both out of concern for the wall she just finished and now Sombra had a horn and muzzle covered in iridescent paint and tiny crystals. "He got so frustrated he walked off and stepped right into a black paint bucket. He exhaled sharply at his own mistake. Cadence couldn't help stiffle a laugh as she turned away. "What was that?" Sombra asked as he tilted his head a little to the side. A mischievous look on his face. "I couldn't hear it over the sound of paint!" He wiped a smear of black paint over her shoulder. He did it slow and purposefully as he made sure to really smear it on there. He turned around thinking they were now even but Cadence quickly grabbed his tail and smacked a glob of iridescent paint right down the side of his flank. His leg twitched, and he jumped away. "Cadence!" Sombra squealed out of embarrassment and horror as he was now covered in more paint. Cadence cackled loudly and flew up to avoid another attack by Sombra. Sombra's cheeks were as red as his soul color and he would have grabbed her before she flew up but he did NOT want to get teased. Throwing it was out of the question so he figured the next best thing. He pulled the curtains shut and smirked at Cadence as she realized what he was going to do. As soon as the room was dark he shifted. Cadence looked around frantically trying to see him before he got to her. Her efforts were futile as he whispered, "Boo!" Before he shifted again this time behind her causing them both to go tumbling to the ground. He shifted again just before they hit to reduce the impact of the fall. He reshifted them next to the iridescent bucket and pinned Cadence down with the leg covered in black paint from when he stepped in the bucket(on purpose to get even more paint on Cadence). He got a glob of the paint and wondered where he should put it. "Hmm... where should I exact my revenge?" He taunted. Cadence didn't say anything but dipped a few feathers in the bucket and flicked some at Sombra with a defeated grunt. It splattered him his cheek. "That will do." He lifted up her head with the other hoof covered in shiny paint. A quick gaze into her royal colored eyes and he forgot what he was doing. His leg pinning her down loosened up enough for her to get in a sneak attack. She pounced before Sombra could realize what was happening. She pushed him over and rolled on top of him. Her legs out to either side with Sombra below. All Sombra could think was 'Thank the goddesses it's dark in here!' Gazing up at her and seeing her accomplished and mischievous expression, he couldn't help how red he was, and it wasn't just because red was his soul color. Cadence leaned down and whispered. "I win." Sombra almost choked. If she didn't bloody move. "Why is it so dark in here?" Amore called from the doorway. Cadence leapt off him and Sombra rolled over and as he did he stuck his hoof in the paint again. Cadence opened the curtains letting light back into the room. The both of them were covered in paint. "What happened to you two?!" Sombra spent the next few paint sessions by starting to put his hair up in a bun. Getting the paint out was tricky and he did not want to go through that again. They were nearly done with the walls. The black layer was finished and nearly all the iridescent coating and cave designs. Just a few more crystals and Cadence would be happy with it. While Cadence struggled with the wall, Sombra felt conflicted. Ever since the first paint fight, something for him changed. He would often find himself looking to Cadence more than he would want to admit. During the day he would battle the blushing and when in his room he would either groan into his pillow how frustrated he was or how big of a freak he was or on occasion thinking about her. That would turn into him thinking he was a freak. He could say they were friends now with certainty, but he did not want to be the cause of them going back to despising each other. Their parents left them alone, dealing with the feuding nation and the court. Sombra's father would be back soon as well. He had gone with a patrol to find some of the missing umbrums in case they had survived the attack and followed them. He didn't know anyone else here like he had came to know Cadence over the past few months. Selena was almost 3 months old now. That was another thing he couldn't put himself in a position to make things awkward with her as she was Selena's adoptive mother. He had other things to think about. He had priorities. However, his priorities didn't make the feelings go away. Finally it was Selena's first night in her new room and Sombra's first night without her. Cadence had offered to let him sleep in there with Selena the first night but he refused. It was just as much a big step for her as it was for him and he might was well make the pain go by quick. But he found himself in her room playing peek-a-boo on her first night. She was growing tired but didn't want to go to sleep. Cadence went to go get a few items in case she needed them during the night. "My precious Selena darling, you have it easy. Just play with Uncle Sombra, Grandma, Mora, and Cadence and we do everything to your little beck and call." He gave her a boop on the nose as she pulled herself up on her crib. "We all know who the real queen is here." He wanted to take her put the crib but he felt that might make it worse. Once he picked her up it would be hard to put her back down. So he opted to sing for her. "Sleep now princess of the dark, The shadows matriarch, My darling in darkness you rest, Shifting and twisting a nightmare's guest. Come now little umbrum and lay your head, Resting so quietly in your bed, The voiceless night bows to your steed, Give it to they who don't know they should plead. For your mercy comes in high regard, And those who disrespect are worth disgard, There's a reason the darkness has no light, Fear us and our might." "That's a pretty dark song there." Cadence said as she stepped into the door. She set down the items on a nearby table before walking over to Sombra. "Would you believe me if I said it was something my mother used to sing?" Sombra retorted. "Knowing your mother, yes." Selena climbed off her crib and laid down in her bed. Cadence covered her with a soft blanket as she started to fall asleep. Cadence tilted her head towards the door and Sombra followed. She left the door cracked and sat down on her couch. She patted the seat next to her for Sombra. He laid his head on the side and mumbled. "I'm going to miss her." "The offer is still open." Cadence said not looking up from her puzzle. She planned to be awake most of the night so she had a few puzzles. This one was a waterfall. "No. She is going to get attached to me in there and I will never get back to my room." Sombra said grumpily as he looked down at the puzzle. He slid a piece over to her. "That goes to what you are working on." Every so often he would give her peices until Cadence turned to ask him if he was going to help put any together and she noticed he was asleep. She tossed a blanket over him and went back to her puzzle.