//------------------------------// // Warmth // Story: Sombra. Saga of Hatred // by HiddenUnderACouch //------------------------------// The biting cold on his cheeks and a sudden quiver that ran down his spine woke Sombra up. He slowly opened his eyes, squinting from the light. He saw the wooden ceiling, and immediately thought that he was at home. Not a very comforting thought, not at all. Sombra slowly got up and realized, with relief, that it wasn't his home. He was still outside, as the only thing guarding this safe haven from thick white veil was the wooden roof of the summer house. He noticed Krystal sitting right nearby him on the bench, desperately trying to keep herself warm. She immediately noticed that he’d woken up and turned her attention to him. "Thank the Abyss you woke up! Oh, I was so worried!" she said, got up, and approached Sombra from the side. She looked pale and very scared, almost terrified. "I thought you were a goner! I mean, you didn't say anything, you were all reeling from side to side. Couldn’t even stand on your own," she babbled quickly, holding Sombra's face tightly still. "Don't be silent! Talk to me!" "Al-rphight..." Sombra said, trying to free his face from her hooves. "Did I just... pass out?" "Yes, you did! I found you sleeping in the snow. At first, you woke up, but then you fell down right back again. Can you even imagine how you scared me?" she asked in a frustrated voice, though tones of sadness persisted in the pronunciation of certain letters. At first, Sombra wanted to say something witty to cover up his extreme lack of sleep, but he suddenly realized one thing. There was a time he collapsed right in the middle of a crowded street, and not even a single pony had tried to help him. But Krystal did. Sombra looked at his 'blanket' realizing it was her fur-coat. The girl sneezed, and quickly pressed her warmed up hooves against her cheeks. It was so cold right now, and she’d given the coat to him in his time of need. Sombra had never experienced something quite like this before, but it made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. It was new, unknown to young Sombra, yet he barely noticed it, far too consumed by blush and shame. "I'm sorry... It doesn't happen that often. Usually," he replied, and Krystal looked at him with shock. "You mean this is... usual to you? Oh, by the heavenly gems!" she swore, raising her hooves towards the ceiling. "You're clearly not well. You fall asleep in the cafeteria, you fall asleep in the middle of the road, and you also don't seem to eat too much,” she summed up while pointing at the thin body Sombra had compared to most kids. “I will keep a close eye on you, Sombra. No matter what you say, you do need help." "Thanks... I guess...” Sombra said, trying to hide his fragile body under the fur-coat, and blushing even more when he remembered that it was her coat after all. "I… I think I'll be heading home now..." "Good idea. You'll show me where you live, and I'll escort you there," Krystal decreed. Sombra quickly shook his head in denial. "No-no-no! You shouldn't! You definitely shouldn't! Don't worry, I feel perfect now!" he blurted out, realizing that he just couldn't let this girl see where and how he lived. Suddenly he felt so embarrassed of his own house. Even his life a little bit. This girl had some expensive clothes, and what did he have? An old school bag. That was all. What would she think of him if she saw what kind of life he lived? "I insist!" she continued to enforce her will of helping him, but Sombra just refused as politely as he could. Krystal turned a bit sad for a second, and then gave him a 'what should I do with you' kind of look. "May I at least bring you food every day? We'll eat together at lunch," she offered, and to that Sombra agreed immediately. "Well... at least, you accept that kind of help. Brr… it's so cold," she shivered and sneezed loudly. "Gesundheit," Sombra said, carefully picked up the fur-coat and put it back around her shoulders. She quickly bundled up in it harder and even smiled with relief. "Ahh... Still warm," she sighed. "Well, Sombra.. I'll see you tomorrow then." Her bag, which had lain just by the bench, was quickly wrapped up in sparkling light aura, as she threw it over her shoulder. She seemed to handle her bag very masterfully, like it was nothing but a feather. "You're a weird pony, Sombra, I'll have to say. Don't know why you're so enclosed and all... But I think we'll be great friends. Take great care!" she said, gave Sombra a smile and went away into the thick white veil. Sombra followed her with his gaze until her figure had fully disappeared in the milky fog of snow. He agreed with her, in some way. He was weird, really weird. He still remembered how he’d been when he was just two years younger. Were he to make a comparison, he’d find no similarities. Everything had changed so much in the last couple of years. Krystal was yet another change, but she felt much different. It felt like she really wanted to help him, though the bitter experience begged to differ. It screamed again that this was a horrible idea, ordered to remember what happened last time he’d trusted another pony. Sombra closed his eyes, clearing the horrific image from his mind for the thousandth time again. He couldn't stand it, he hated it, but it was still so fresh in his memory. It was the main argument for not letting Krystal near him. On the other side, there was this new feeling. It still felt confused, navigating through Sombra's mind, but it already wanted to make some changes. It begged to try to make friends, to try to make a difference in his life. Sombra sighed heavily, picked up his back and draped it over his shoulder. It still felt heavy, but not nearly as heavy as before. He stood still for a couple of seconds and then delved into the white veil. The wind blew harshly, bathing Sombra in its cold embrace, and the boy wished he had at least some clothes to wear. But at least he didn't feel sleepy anymore. He also noted that he definitely should get some more sleep, and he would, but the nightmares visited him every night and even during daydreams. At times, he wouldn't even sleep at all and just lay in bed, resisting the urge to close his eyes. Sombra shivered, and hurried up. While not too eager to go home, he still wanted to warm his hooves and rest up. An idea of closing the door to his room, wrapping the blanket around him, and then just simply pondering about the situation at hoof seemed like a perfect course of action. *** Just how many lines does the wooden ceiling have on it? Sombra counted them one by one, and when he reached the number of one hundred, he lost count. What do these lines on the wood even mean? Are they supposed to indicate age, like the wrinkles on the face of an old pony? Or are these in reality a huge canyon that sprawls its roots all throughout the world? Who knows, maybe thousands of tiny ponies lived there, completely unaware of this bigger life that is looking right at their small world right now. Maybe there is a boy in that small world, just like myself, who lays on his bed and stares on the ceiling. That thought made Sombra feel a little bit better – he didn't feel so alone anymore. Sombra sighed loudly and turned away from the ceiling, looking at the wall instead. He could be distracted so easily. He wanted to finally make the final decision about relationships with strangers, and yet his thoughts reverted to some bizarre fantasies yet again. He drove the silly thoughts away and began the discussion of Krystal with himself yet again. Discuss the pros and cons, think about any possible outcome that might appear from this friendship. The first steps were taken, and but there was still time to go back. To stop, and change directions. He could still keep his solitude. This solitude walked alongside him ever since Willemite's sudden and tragic death. It was like a veil that protected him from the dangers of the outside world, keeping him warm and safe from the evil knives and tongues of the surrounding nightmares. And yet, as safe as Sombra felt under the protection of this solitude, it couldn't keep him warm. Slowly it started to get colder for him; he started to look from under this veil at the outside world. And Krystal, like a ray of light, had seeped inside. Sombra had a choice now: close himself away again, or lift this box of solitude and face the outside world. It was tearing him apart: at one side, there was Krystal's smile, her witty comments, and the most important fact of her actually giving a damn about Sombra. She’d carried him to the summer house, and even tucked him with her fur-coat. On the other side, the horrible ghost of his mother's tragic death was still looming in his mind. This pain continued to eat away at him; the pictures of that horrible day came up and would not disappear. And it was all caused by a pony he’d considered his friend. Sombra thought he made the final decision when he’d accepted Krystal's offer, but the pain had left a scar that was simply to big to just let go. Friends could cause him pain much more horrible than strangers always would: at least, strangers were unknown, while friends were like the books he’d read for many times over and over. It was like with books. He could turn a page to suddenly face something disgusting, vile, and repulsing written there. Sombra's head started to ache from all of this complexity. He just couldn't decide what direction to follow, whom to trust, nor if he should even trust anypony. He got up from his bed and slowly walked around the room, brainstorming this question. What would he prefer? The freshness of innovation, or the comfort and safety of the old life? Loneliness, where nopony would stab him in the back, or society, where ponies could help him? Sombra growled at himself and sat down on the floor. His head was aching from all these facts and arguments he’d created in his mind. For about an hour he’d done nothing but think, and yet, he was still as confused as he’d been before. Why did it have to be so complicated? It made his head spin, made him incredibly frustrated and angry. In rage, Sombra struck the table with all his might. The papers shook upon impact and Sombra quickly jumped back, rubbing the injured hoof. It seemed he’d overestimated his physical strength when trying to drive away the unnecessary thoughts that clouded his mind. He sighed in frustration. He couldn’t reach a compromise with himself. He couldn’t even fully understand himself. After a few minutes of just standing near the table, he went to his daily routine – homework, sleeping, and rarely, looking at his old drawings. He didn't even open 'A Runaway from Fate', as it had lain in the corner along with several other books since he’d gotten it. He was far too busy to read now. *** "The sixth guild master of Kriztalus Trading League, Atris, was a colt of many feats. He was the first pony to ever conduct an expedition to the center of the Endless Abyss. He was the one who found the Crystal Heart and—" the history teacher went on and on, as Sombra could barely hold his head from hitting the table. He wasn't paying attention to anything the teacher told, he was far too lost in his own thoughts and problems. Thankfully, teachers usually avoided asking him, so he could do almost anything in the lesson as long as it didn't involve noise. Sombra's eyes were swollen and red, he felt something heavy on his chest, and his skull seemed too small for his brain. He hadn’t slept last night; he’d been too preoccupied for that. He just wanted a nap, and yet, the weight of responsibility for his decision was far too heavy to just abandon it. While the teacher would usually sound just plain boring, now, he started to really annoy Sombra – his monotone wherein he read the lesson from a small notebook and his movements. Sombra just wanted him to shut up and leave him in peace so he could think. Every whisper, every sound made him grind his teeth in frustration and anger. Why was the world so loud? Why did the ponies have to whisper to each other, talk about something only they could understand? Why couldn't they all just shut up? Thankfully, the bell ended this painful torture with the cacophony of whispers, and Sombra could sigh freely, as his classmates left. It was time to get some lunch. The noise in the cafeteria was not a rare guest. In fact, during lunch, this hall was always filled with quarreling ponies who made new friends, or they just talked or emitted strange animal sounds. Some took it as a sport to imitate animals and even mythical creatures. Some boys loved to imitate dragons, growling and roaring like those majestic creatures. Right now, some of them gathered in a bunch and tested who had the most powerful roar. Sombra was sitting at his usual place, looking indifferently at the surface of the table. Strange, really, he never actually took a closer look at the table he adored so much. All these scratches and small holes, each of them must have a story of its own. Maybe every pony was like these scratches: different, strange, and unknown. Some were straight and looked quite fitting. Others were crooked and barely visible. Some were just huge blobs. What was his life like: a blob, a straight line, or a crooked scratch? Right now, it felt like an empty place. While others had already begun to draw their scratches on the table of life, Sombra was stuttering in one place, not sure what form to take. He was left behind, but not in a way of betrayal. He just decided to stay, while others had already made their first moves. "Good morning, Sombra," he heard Krystal approach and sit down next to him. He didn't even look at her, still thinking about whether it’d been a good idea to let her near in the first place or not. Was it really necessary to let the intruder inside his little dome? "Good morning..." Sombra replied gloomily, continuing to stare at the table. He inhaled the smell of a sandwich that was carefully moved towards him, but didn't even turn his head. "No, thank you, I'm not hungry. For real this time," Sombra replied to this silent offer and took a deep breath. "Sombra, is everything alright? You look pale," Krystal said, and carefully touched Sombra's shoulder. "You look si—" She was unable to finish as she started coughing badly. Sombra turned to her, a bit scared. Krystal had sickly black circles under her eyes, her cheeks were red, and the heat could almost be felt from where he sat. The poor filly had heightened temperature, and, judging by what little movements she made, felt sluggish and slow. No doubt everything in her eyes looked blurry. "Krystal, what's wrong with you?" Sombra asked, turning to her. "Oh... it's nothing… just a little cold..." she took heavy breaths between her words and seemed to have trouble speaking. Sombra wanted to ask her more about this, but something tightly gripped his throat. His doubts, his memories didn't want him to take any action. So he didn't. "O... okay..." Sombra managed to utter and turned his head back towards the surface of the table. It was partially his fault. Because of him passing out, Krystal had to sacrifice her fur-coat to keep him warm. She had to sit near him. It was probably there that Krystal got this terrible cold. This, in addition to the unresolved dilemma, made Sombra feel utterly pathetic. "Achoo! Oh, my... I hope it will pass soon. I hate being ill... Achoo!" Krystal could barely say anything without coughing or sneezing. "I still recommend you to eat something. With your complexity, you should eat much more than you—" she couldn't finish the sentence as she burst into loud coughing again. Even one who was inexperienced in medicine could see that she had something worse than a simple cold. "Gesundheit..." Sombra said in a quiet voice, as the sharp teeth of guilt sunk into his soul. He could no longer look at her, knowing that he was partly guilty for this... though, maybe it was entirely his fault. Sombra barely managed to push the sandwich down his throat. It would probably be the only piece of food he’d eat today. He couldn't bear to stay in this building any longer, hear any noises. He just wanted some fresh cold air, just some time away from the world. Alone. After the bell rang, and Krystal had ran away to her classroom, Sombra slowly walked alongside the crowd, looking for a particular pony he could entrust this little secret to. He looked through many faces, trying to find Iron Wheel. Sombra quickly caught up with him and got his attention by gently bumping him into the side. “Oh, hi, Sombra, what do you want?” Iron Wheel greeted, turning to him. “You look a bit grim.” “I need to leave, Iron Wheel” Sombra stated bluntly. “Well, go ahead. I'm not stopping you,” he replied, and the dark colored unicorn sighed heavily, realizing how few ponies actually cared. “I mean, I need to leave the school. I need some time alone. Will you cover me up, say that I'm sick or something?” “Sure thing. I've got your back!” Iron Wheel replied, giving Sombra a kind smile. “Thank you… I'll be on the bridge, the one above the creek” he babbled quietly, turned away and left. He went straight for the exit, avoiding any teacher and any student who would be more than happy to tell on him. While kids here avoided him, some would never miss a chance to tell lies about him to teachers. Sombra scared them, and they wanted him far away from them, as far as he could be. It could be easily seen by those glances they dropped at him whenever he turned away. Sombra finally left the school, and felt the cold air fill his lungs. He exhaled, letting out a big cloud of white fume. He still enjoyed this little trick of nature, as any child would. What could be more fun than finding a stick on the ground and 'smoking' it, imagining yourself being an adult with a tobacco pipe between your teeth? Sombra descended from the stairs and on the cold snowy ground. The sun was high up in the sky, never hidden behind any cloud, which all seemed to have disappeared from the blue heavenly ocean. Sombra slowly looked around, enjoying the beauty of nature, and set out for the bridge. He was sure he would find solitude and calmness there, and maybe, an end to all his problems. *** “Achoo!” Krystal sneezed loudly, barely managing to keep herself from flying into the wall behind her. This terrible cold was a nightmare. Her head was like a beating drum, the blur in the eyes was sickening, and her temperature seemed to continue rising with every minute. She should have stayed at home today, but the math test changed her plans – she couldn't miss it. She had to work very hard on her grades in mathematics, or risk listening to her father's boring lectures about mathematical formulas and et cetera. She never enjoyed math, but she was terrifically good at it. Mathematics was the next lesson she had, now she should get back to cafeteria and have a bit of a lunch break. Krystal still had some sandwiches in her little box, but she really wanted to eat something less heavy: an apple or something like that. The girl carefully trotted through the corridors, avoiding any questionable personalities she noticed standing by the walls. Sometimes, she regretted going to this school. There were so few ponies to actually talk to. It was unbearable, she had so many thoughts inside her head, so many suggestions, so many themes for a good conversation, and yet most of these kids didn't even read Chehoof. Not even Cherry Orchard! Ridiculous! Everywhere Krystal went, ponies turned around and looked at her. She had a very strange way of walking: a mix of a prideful and elegant strut with causal walk. Krystal had a plump figure she was quite shy of, so she always tried to hide it behind causal walk, or just going into the crowd. She was so tired of her classmates calling her different names for 'fattie'. Almost every day, she begged her mother to not to give her some extra sandwiches, since she could never resist their seducing look, but to no avail. However, now she’d met Sombra. Interesting coincidence, really. Krystal was just passing by his table, trying to morally restrain herself from eating all of the sandwiches. The instant she noticed this skinny dark colored unicorn, she was utterly stunned at how poor he looked. Just sitting there, holding his belly in pain with watery eyes. He looked like a kitten in the middle of the road, all dirty, hungry and helpless. Krystal couldn't simply pass by him. The boy was very strange, to say the least. His surliness and unwillingness to open up were mystifying, yet incomprehensible for Krystal. Sombra looked like a pony that needed help. He looked troubled, confused, lost. Krystal had approached him with the hope to help. What she’d found, it seemed, was the only normal pony in this school. He was a pariah, as she’s heard, who stuck only with another outcast, Iron Wheel. From what Krystal found out, Sombra seemed like a very nice pony. Even though he still didn't want to become her friend. When Krystal took off her fur-coat for him, she had doubts. Many doubts. Should she risk getting sick for a pony she’d just recently met? Should she sacrifice anything for this dark unicorn? While she’d pondered, she looked at him sleeping on that bench, his black mane contrasting with the white stains of snow that had gotten stuck to his fur, moving his mouth soundlessly as if whispering something to himself, sometimes moving his hooves in some strange manner. Krystal couldn't bear to see him freeze like this. Going against her desire to stay warm, against her mother's advice not to take the fur-coat off under any circumstances, she’d helped him. He’d just looked so pitiful it would have been monstrous not to help. The cafeteria was filled with ponies, as always. However, Krystal was surprised to not see Sombra on his usual place. The table was completely empty. Krystal stopped for a second. Sombra had behaved very strangely today. He always looked grumpy, but now, he was downright grim, even less talkative, and he didn't even look at Krystal, like he either felt guilty or offended by something. It had scared the girl. The scariest part was that he just disappeared after they’d talked. Did he leave, was he sick or something? What happened to him? Seeds of worry started to grow inside Krystal as she approached the table and looked under it. For what reason did she get the idea that he would hide under a table? She just hoped to find him there. At least it would relieve her of more worrying thoughts. Having not found Sombra there, she looked around nervously. A grim look, strange behavior and, finally, disappearance could only mean one thing. Krystal prayed that all her experience of reading tragic romance novels was deceiving her. Krystal saw Sombra stick around Iron Wheel, so she headed straight towards him. He, at least, had to have a clue of Sombra’s whereabouts. Iron Wheel was sitting at his table alone, drinking water from a clay cup, with several empty dishes near him. He was quite a big eater, though he never seemed to get fat. Either he exercised a lot, or had another way of wasting all this energy. Krystal approached him from behind and tapped him on the back. He turned around quickly, as if a patch of burning coal had scratched his back. Iron Wheel looked scared beyond belief, as he slowly started to drag himself away from Krystal, sliding on the bench to the left. “I'm... What do you want? I don't have any money on me,” he spat, turning away, but Krystal, who was unwilling to waste any more time longer, cut straight to the point. “Where is Sombra? He was here a lesson ago. Where did he go?” she asked coarsely. “How should I know? And why should I tell you?” Iron Wheel continued to be a prick, making Krystal's blood boil with frustration. She swore that if Iron Wheel didn't tell her where Sombra was, she’d punch him. “Because you know where he is. Do you think I didn't see you two walk around together? He probably told you, so tell me now!” Krystal shouted, striking the floor with her hoof to intimidate the uncooperative pony. Iron Wheel almost fell off the bench from the sound of impact, even though it wasn't that loud. He covered his face with his right hoof, as if expecting Krystal to hit him. “He went to the bridge, the one that's above the nearby creek! I don't know anything else!” he squeaked, and Krystal froze in place, as her mind put everything into one grim picture. Seconds later, she rushed towards the exit, through the halls, ignoring everypony in her way. She didn't even dress as she ran through the doors. The sun bit her eyes with the bright light, but she quickly regained sight and continued running through the deep snow. The golden shining made the snow look polished to a shine. The rare snowflakes that slowly drifted through the air like lonely travelers tickled Krystal's skin as she ran without looking anywhere but forward. Her worst suspicions had been confirmed, and she ran as fast as she could to prevent the consequences. *** Sombra leaned over the railing and looked down into the creek. Just like it was supposed be in the middle of the winter, it was completely encased in a frozen prison. However, the ice was thin enough for Sombra to see through it, and at the water that quietly flowed under the transparent shell, shielded in some places by patches of snow. The water seemed crystal clear, and if it weren't for the ice, Sombra could have seen the bottom with small rocks covering the ground, probably even peacefully swimming fish. Sombra wondered how good it’d be to be a fish, to just swim, swim and swim, until the end of his life. He wouldn’t have to worry about anything, no problems would ever concern him anymore – he’d just swim onwards. He wouldn't need to look behind, he wouldn't need to fear, he wouldn’t need to cry – he’d just swim. Several small snowflakes landed on Sombra's nose. Their weird, enchanting patterns persisted for a few seconds, before turning into tiny drops of water. They ran down his muzzle and fell onto the surface of the railing. Sombra sighed heavily. He felt at peace here. No noise, no screams, no headaches. Nature was the most beautiful thing in the world, for it was quiet, peaceful and ready to accept him for what he was. It wouldn't hurt him, never tell him to go away. It accepted him, because he was part of it. Sombra looked closer at the creek, asking himself a question rarely appearing in the minds as young as his. Should I go on? he wondered. The end to all his problems seemed so close in the form of this peaceful water that ran to places he had never seen before, forming a river, then a sea, and then an ocean. Sombra felt like he wanted to be a part of this cycle – to be nonviolent, pure, clean. His throat started aching from the harsh surface of his father's hoof, his eyes watered from the persistent stench of father's breath. His mind was filled with painful images, tormenting thoughts, and one final realization. Nopony cared. Nopony cared if he joined the cycle and abandoned life behind him. His father? It was more likely that water turned to gold than him even noticing Sombra's absence. Iron Wheel? No, he wouldn’t. He would be bored without a subject to drop all his mad ideas onto, but that was about it. Sombra was alone in this park, on this bridge. He was alone. He’d thought he liked being alone, but this loneliness was so hateful and bitter now. From an old friend, it had turned into an obsessive freak. Sombra sighed heavily, and looked down into the creek, seeing a few small fishes swim underwater. The nature was beautiful, kind... But he didn't want to be part of it. He didn't belong there. What'd be the point of living at all if he'd just give up? No, Sombra didn't want to give up. As sweet as the idea of a painless existence sounded, he didn't want to accept it. He just wanted to go home and live the rest of his life, though hopefully as little as possible. “Sombra! No!” a loud shriek suddenly pierced his eardrums. Sombra, shaken from such an attack, was just about to turn, when something suddenly knocked him down. Before he could say anything, he felt something warm and heavy on his back, and a gentle hoof that carefully held his face against the bridge. “Listen, Sombra, whatever happened to you, don't do this! This isn't the right decision! It never is!” a worried voice, which clearly belonged to Krystal, exclaimed. Sombra barely managed to lift his head a little. “Wha— what do you mean? What isn't a right decision—,” he was unable to finish, as Krystal enclosed him in a warm hug and flattened herself all over him. She really wanted to keep him motionless. “Killing yourself! Suicide is not an option, it never does any good! I won't let you move until you are calm and ready to talk!” she screamed, tightening her grip more and more. Sombra could barely move. “Please, calm down. Don't kill yourself. I don't want you to die!” Krystal continued to shout. “I'll bring sandwiches to you every day. I'll take care of you, I'll make sure you're fed and happy. I'll do your damn homework, for crying out loud, just don't kill yourself!” “I wasn't going to! I just came here to think, that's all! Let me...erkh... go!” Sombra forced the words out, scratching the wooden surface of the bridge, and finally felt the freedom of movement when Krystal got off of him. “You... you weren't going to...” she said, still a bit shaken from the experience. Sombra swiped a small patch of snow from his mane. “No, I wasn't going to. Though...” he replied, and looked at her. Her cheeks turned red with a ferocious blush, and she shyly turned away, trying to hide her watery eyes. “You came here... because of me? And what gave you the idea that I was going to...” he said, slowly approaching Krystal. She covered her face with a hoof, but Sombra clearly saw a single tear drop upon the bridge’s surface. “I've... read... novels… and they said... You looked so... sad... and... then Iron Wheel said... you went to the creek... aahh… CHOO!' she sneezed loudly, and fell forward. Sombra barely managed to catch her. Finding herself in his grasp, she buried her face in his mane and started sobbing. Sombra felt so lost and confused, but he didn't push her away. Instead, he wrapped her in his embrace and started gently stroking her mane, hoping to calm her down. “I really thought you were going to—” Krystal sobbed, but Sombra gently tapped her on the shoulder, signaling her to stay quiet. After that, she just wept on his shoulder. Sombra felt so strange, realizing that Krystal came here completely by herself. Without her fur-coat. Was she worried? Was she in haste getting here? Did she... care about him? And now, she was crying on his shoulder, trusting him to keep her close. What made her think he'd be worthy of her trust? It didn't matter: Sombra was far too happy to care. He knew this girl cared now; he knew what the right decision was. “Relax, Krystal. It's just a coincidence. No need to worry,” Sombra said, smiling with a small touch of sadness on his muzzle. “Though I accept that offer of sandwiches.” Krystal quickly pushed him away gently, and swiped away the remaining tears. Sombra giggled, as she quickly spread her mane, trying to fix it from his caressing. Like a lady, she tried to make herself look cold and serious, though a small blush and few tears still lingered on her face. “It's settled then,” she said, with her voice trembling slightly. “From this day forth, I'll bring you sandwiches to eat.” “I guess this makes us friends,” Sombra said and extended his hoof. Krystal fastidiously looked at the offer of friendship, before extending her own over Sombra's and looked to the side, expecting something. “These are simple rules of etiquette. I'd expect you to follow them, if we seriously are going to be friends,” she said with feigned bombast, and Sombra looked at her with confusion. She sighed and smiled at him. “Well, I guess I'll have to teach you everything, then,” she stated, with a short snort in the middle of the sentence. “Have you started reading 'A Runaway from Fate' yet?” “Err... no,” Sombra smiled innocently, trying to ease the situation, drive away the heavy feeling that dominated at first. But Krystal was already relieved with her tears, her worry gone. “Then start! You can't put off a meeting with such a good friend. Because a good book is like a true friend! The instant you return home, you grab that fatty-tome and start reading it!” she decreed. Sombra giggled in return. “As you say!” and they looked at each other in the eyes. Krystal was happy to see that her new friend was alright. Sombra was happy to finally have a pony that really, truly cared about him. They both smiled at each other, and walked towards school together. The places, where Krystal's mane had rubbed against Sombra's skin, still felt warm and fuzzy. Her hair had felt like fluff, or even lighter. It reminded him of Willemite's mane. For the first time, the memory of his mother wasn't hurtful. For the first time, Sombra felt good remembering her. He was glad that coincidence helped him with the right decision.