//------------------------------// // Pickpocket // Story: Sombra. Saga of Hatred // by HiddenUnderACouch //------------------------------// “Can you believe it? I mean, seriously, can you believe it? He dumped me for some stupid broad!” a young mare exclaimed, angrily swiping the tears from her cheek. Judging by her looks, she seemed to be from the fifth grade, skinny, with grey mane and coat. “Relax, honey, boys are no crying matter. You'll find another one – a much better one.” Her friend, a mare of the same age, tried to calm her down. “But I thought he loved me! No, I knew he loved me! And I still lo—” her unfinished sentence hung in the air as she looked over her friend's shoulder, staring at the approaching stallion. Wide-eyed, she stared, her jaw almost dropping. Intrigued, her friend turned around as well. Sombra slowly walked through the corridor, admiring the new color of the walls. The school had certainly changed in those three months of summer holidays. Everything seemed so new, fresh, weird and strange. It almost looked like a completely different place. But Sombra had changed a lot as well. The fresh fifth-grader had grown up significantly, both in height and in width. He had certainly gained some weight and muscle mass, no longer resembling a cockroach with several limbs torn off. His mane had become longer, glossier, and smoother. His limbs had increased in length, become more muscular and strong. It seemed like Sombra was still getting used to his own height, for he walked rather carefully as if afraid to knock something down or bump into somepony. His eyes were bright, they almost shimmered with green light and his lips formed a friendly smile as he passed the two mares. “Good morrow to you,” Sombra greeted them politely and went on with his business while the two mares continued to stare at him in amazement. Partially, Sombra understood them. It was certainly hard to recognize him after the summer. Granted, he had changed throughout the previous grades as well, but this summer had been the one to change him the most, and for the better. Sombra enjoyed being in school as long as Krystal was nearby. They would always meet in the cafeteria and discuss various topics of her choosing. She could talk with him about so many topics and even if he wasn't experienced in it, he would listen carefully and hear her every word. During summer holidays, they were separated. During the first days, Sombra had felt horrible being alone all the time, but during previous school years, Krystal had taught him a bit about cooking. Sombra had learned that even slapping some butter on a slice of bread could be tricky. However, there was still a financial problem. Unwilling to ask Krystal for money, Sombra had made a decision which had taken him quite a lot of time to consider. At first, he had thought it was very nasty and mean, but as days went by, he became confident, and — for the first time — sneaked into his father's room and stole his money. He hadn’t taken much, just enough to pay for bread, though it would definitely leave Amethyst without an extra cup of booze for several days. Soon, Sombra grew bolder and stole more and more, enjoying himself a nice meal of homemade sandwiches, while Amethyst raged and screamed about the missing money. He was always too drunk to figure out that Sombra was stealing from him. Sombra had felt guilty the first time. Very guilty. He knew that stealing was bad, especially from somepony close to him, but if Amethyst didn’t care for him, he would do it himself. Sombra stopped caring about how hard his father went around the streets and begged for money; he stole exactly as much as he needed, sometimes leaving nothing behind. At one point he had seen Amethyst sitting in the kitchen, screaming that he had nothing to eat and that the gods were punishing him for no apparent reason. Sombra had grinned when his father grabbed his own belly and bent in pain. He knew how horrible the hunger could be. He loved every second of his father feeling the same torment as he had. With the unofficial financial help, aided by his skills in persuasion, Sombra had managed to stay happy and fed throughout the whole summer preceding the fifth grade. His organism had accepted all of it, rewarding him with proper growth and release from the aches and pain. Sombra looked forward to finally meeting Krystal again. He hadn't seen her for the whole summer and he wondered if she had changed at all. She spoke a lot about wanting to lose weight, though Sombra preferred to stay silent during her laments, for he felt like any comment about her form and weight would offend her greatly. Sombra quickly trotted past his classmates and straight towards the cafeteria. Everything inside him was shaking and burning, he couldn't wait to see that pretty face once again. Just a few more minutes and he would be there. The cafeteria remained unchanged. Same walls, same smell, even the same feelings. Sombra felt a bit melancholic as he made his way through the filled hall, listening to all the noise and conversations. The children, however, had grown up and stopped imitating animals or anything of this sort. Instead, boys started gathering up to wage verbal wars against each other about stupid topics. Girls stayed away from the 'messy' boys while quarrelling and shouting at each other even more than the boys did. Sombra found his way through the quarrelling crowd, and finally saw his old table. It didn't change at all; the principal didn't even order to polish it, so it continued to stay as a lonely, scratched piece of wood amongst other, cleaner tables. But there was one big difference between now and then in this sight: Krystal. She sat on the bench with her lower legs crossed, looking very bored as she put her head on the table and just waited for something to happen. She waved her tail from left to right and placed it beside her, enrolling it in a pile of light amber fluff. Even though she had promised to go on a diet for the summer, she didn't look any less pudgy. However, she had gained a few inches which made her plumpness a little less noticeable. Her face looked as bright as ever, complimented by a slight blush on her cheeks. Sombra quickly approached her and dared to disturb her little moment of silence, gently tapping her back. Her fur felt soft and she was very warm. “Oh!” she gave a small start before turning round. “Sombra! Long time no see!” She smiled and they hugged each other. “I missed you too, Krystal.” *** Time passed quickly during their conversation wherein they discussed how they had spent the summer. Sombra mostly listened, for he hadn't done anything special at all except reading 'A Runaway from Fate'. He was halfway through the second book which had been generously provided by Krystal. When Sombra mentioned said book, Krystal suddenly perked up. “So, do you love it? Did you read the part where he sells his family regalia? Did you read the part where he meets Solitario?” she asked away and Sombra nodded silently. He had read quite a lot of it, and so far, his opinion of the main here was very low. His name was Atris. He had had a very bad childhood and lived in complete poverty, his father being a simple vendor and mother being an impaired invalid. The kid had quickly gotten tired of living like this and ran away, to live and learn under the caring hoof of a travelling merchant. For over twenty years, Atris lived and learned under the watchful guidance of this trader. He grew up into a handy apprentice, helping his master as much as he could, however, he never ceased lamenting that he could achieve so much more. Then, when a chance finally arrived, he stole a very important package from his master and ran away to join the newly formed Trading League. He quickly became acquainted with the rules and started rapidly amassing his fortune. However, his way of making it was sickening. He would happily leave a family without any income for his own gain, doing anything in his power to achieve wealth even if it meant causing death and destruction. Sombra really hated Atris. No matter how justified his actions were, there was nothing more precious than a pony’s life. He couldn't understand what Krystal found so appealing in that guy: in Sombra's eyes, he was naught but guilty. “Yes, I did reach that part,” Sombra replied and Krystal talked for a minute about how important Solitario was. To Sombra, she seemed like a generic love interest, nothing more. After a brief talk — filled with uninteresting comments and other trash talk — they discussed their opinion on the overall story and characters. Suddenly, Krystal stopped talking and sighed. “Great, we just met after not seeing each other for over three months, and we're already arguing,” she said. Casually, she swiped the sweat from her forehead, probably induced by the heated discussion. “Yeah, I agree. Let's talk about something else.” “Say... When is Emperor Lux's Coronation day?” Krystal suddenly brightened, and looked at Sombra who raised his head and glanced at her, arching an eyebrow in confusion. “In about a month, so?” Sombra answered after a moment of thought. The day of the monarch’s coronation was a holiday in any self-respecting country. “There's always a fair held at the park. This year, it's park’s turn to hold it! What if we visit?” Krystal asked excitedly. Her eyes sparkled with interest while Sombra looked away. He didn't have money to go to fairs. The entry was free, of course, but what were they supposed to eat? What were they supposed to drink? What would he do when Krystal wanted to play a game of sorts? Sombra didn't want to humiliate himself. “Aw, come on, Sombra. It’ll be fun. Maybe we'll even see the Emperor!” Krystal said, but when she saw that Sombra continued to hold the unsure mien, she tried an alternative method of convincing. “Come on, Sombra, don't be such a killjoy. It'll be loads of fun! We'll play games, we'll walk around. Just you and me, like true best friends forever.” Sombra looked around for a second. He considered the idea of going to the fair with Krystal a bit unsettling. After all, she was a mare and he was a colt. And when colt and a mare went out to the same place, it was called a... “Date...” Sombra whispered to himself before he could stop it. Thankfully, Krystal didn’t seem to have noticed. This felt a bit weird. Was Krystal trying to hit on him or something? However, he imagined himself and Krystal just having a bit of good time together, walking around the fare, looking at the clowns, the foreign traders, the guards dressed in golden armor, and he loved this picture. He certainly wanted to go to the fair with Krystal, if only to check out all the attractions, but with her as company. “Alright, Krystal. If you want to go to the fare, I'll come with you.” “Yay! We'll have a wonderful time! I suggest you prepare for the amounts of fun we're going to have – there's not too much time left!” she rejoiced and Sombra smiled weakly. Yes, there certainly wasn’t much time left. He had to find enough money to keep Krystal satisfied at that fair and himself from being completely humiliated. He would know how to prevent that. Whatever it might cost. "Why did you drag me all the way here?" Iron Wheel continued to whine as he and Sombra stood upon a hill wherefrom the marketplace was clearly visible. The unending hum and clatter was all around them and a copse of few trees was their only cover from the watchful eyes of the ponies on the market. "Because I need you for something," Sombra said evenly while he observed the marketplace. Everything inside him shook, throbbed, and trembled, but he knew there was no other way. The coronation day was only a few weeks away and Krystal had looked so excited and happy about it, to the contrary, Sombra was anything but happy at the moment. His father had become even lazier than before over the years. He barely brought any money home. Sombra could only salvage enough for food, for he had to leave behind quite a sum. If his father found out that he stole from him, he would be as good as dead. With a long time to think to make decisions, Sombra had made peace with his conscience and soul. "What for, exactly? I'm a busy pony, I have a lot of projects going," Iron Wheel lied as he approached to Sombra, glancing at him angrily. "I need money. A lot, actually," the dark colored unicorn began without turning to face his conversation partner. "How can I help you? Do you plan to sell something, genius? Gold doesn't grow on trees, you know!" Iron Wheel sighed. He and Sombra weren't really getting along lately, mostly because they didn't talk at all. Sombra preferred the company of Krystal which left Iron Wheel to fend for himself. "It's complicated. All I can say is that it's dangerous, but if we succeed, one third of it is yours," Sombra said. That caught Iron Wheel's attention. "Sounds nice, but what exactly are you going to do, huh?" he asked, leaning on the tree so he would have a hoof free to scratch his side. "We're going down there to the marketplace. Many ponies drag their purses with them, normally attached to their belts. You know yon thing you sometimes wear around your waist? Yes, that one. If I'm quick enough, I'll be able to snatch the purse and run away. But I can't do it alone; the victim must be distracted," Sombra explained quickly because he feared Iron might disrupt him when he saw his eyes becoming rounder and rounder. "You want us... to steal?! Are you out of your mind?! You're freaking insane, mad, cuckoo, nuts! Do you even realize what would happen if we get caught?" Iron Wheel shouted at Sombra. He had a good point, but Sombra had already made his decision. "It's that girl, Sombra, I tell you. She's a horrible influence!" "Shut up!" he barked which really did shut him up in a moment’s notice. "Listen, if our friendship means anything to you – help me! I really, really need damn money and I'm a goner if I don't find some. Please, I beg you,” Sombra pleaded, grabbing him by the neck – not strong, just enough to draw his attention, “Help me! If you refuse now, I'm as good as dead." Iron Wheel swallowed, scared by the sudden assault, but he finally realized that Sombra meant business. His eyes were full of silent plea, with small notes of anger and sadness mixed thereto. It was amazing how many feelings fit into these green eyes. Iron Wheel sighed heavily. "Alright... I will help you, but only because we're friends... kind of," he finally relented, and Sombra let him go. "I still get one third?" "Of course. And if we get caught, shift the blame on me," Sombra noted, but Iron Wheel shook his head. "Let's not talk about it. We won't get caught," he tried to relax himself. "So, I need to distract them while you snatch the money? Alright... sounds easy enough." Sombra smiled at him. They didn't quarrel too long at least. Maybe they really would become real friends. Sombra might even manage to re-acquaint him with Krystal, show him how she really was. He took a deep breath and prepared himself. He quickly explained the scheme to Iron Wheel. The maroon colored pony slowly nodded to his every word. The plan was simple: Sombra would pick a target, the pony with either the biggest purse or the most distracted one. Iron Wheel would walk unto the target and engage in a conversation while Sombra carefully took the purse and left without raising any alert. The marketplace was crowded; it would be hard to figure out who had stolen the purse and when, unless they were to be caught red-hoofed. After that, Iron Wheel would simply leave the scene of the crime along with Sombra. Then they would look for another target to repeat the procedure. Even though the scheme was simple, it was still hard to execute. Iron Wheel worried greatly, his forehead was covered in sweat in seconds. Sombra looked indifferent, but inside of him, his inner voice was still begging him to stop. An amiable looking mare strolled peacefully through the bustling market. Her mane was of a burning, fiery red and her coat was maroon. She walked alone, casting her eyes hither and yon vacantly while her mind pondered the question what to buy. There was so much on the market yet she had so little use for many of the wares. "Excuse me… miss," a weak voice reached her ears whereupon she just barely managed to hit the brakes in time to avoid crashing into a cute foal in front of her. "Oi, there, you scared me, cutie," she said while waving her hoof in front of her in an attempt to disperse the dust she had stirred up with her sudden stop. The rains hadn't started yet, thus it was still very dusty. "What's the matter, sweetums?" "I'm... lost. I just... stopped to look at the pretty flowers… and then...then she disappeared... I looked for her everywhere..." the foal mumbled as tiny streaks of bitter tears streamed down his crummy muzzle. The lady couldn't help but let out a small tear herself as she beheld the heartbreaking picture in front of her. "Don't cry, youngling. We'll look for your mammy. Come closer," the trusting mare cooed in a soothing voice and hugged the adorable, poor kid. He quickly wrapped his tiny forehooves around her neck and pressed his head against her chest. After a few seconds of warm hugging, they went around the marketplace together, looking for the foal's mother. Suddenly, the lady saw a trader she recalled to be indebted to. "Wait up, sweetums. I need to deal with some minor annoyances," she instructed firmly and ventured to the trader's stand. He greeted her with a sly smile. "Hoy there, miss. I assume you came back to pay the debt," the earth pony, a foreigner, sung a low basso. The lady replied with an annoyed smile; she was obviously not too fond of the mercantile earth ponies. She reached for the purse which peacefully hung on the side of the belt she wore. However, when the tip of her hoof was supposed to almost feel the weight of the coins in the leather purse, nothing happened. Her purse was gone. She quickly turned around to ask the foal if he had seen anything, but there was nopony behind her except the unending crowd of ponies. Iron Wheel stumbled over a rock and barely held his balance. He sighed heavily and leaned onto the wall near Sombra who was sitting on the ground, looking carefully at the purse that he had just stolen. The dark colored pony rolled the purse in his hooves, looking at every scratch, every little detail. "Ugh... oh, my. Oh, Emperor... Oh, mommy, please, forgive me..." Iron Wheel panted as tears started streaming down his face. He had never faked his crying on the marketplace; those tears had been very real, but they were of a different nature than grief. Sombra silently looked at the purse, weighing it with his magic, trying to value the amount of money they had managed to get. He felt bitter inside as he recalled that Willemite had had an almost identical purse. It had been of the same color, only a little bit less ponderous. It was stolen from her in the same situation, identical scheme, identical actions. "Mom..." Sombra whispered to himself, cursing with the only swear word he knew at that time, and pressed the weighty purse against his forehead. "Blyat!... I'm sorry... so sorry...” What would Willemite say if she could still find out that he had committed such a crime? Would she cry? Would she shout? Would she understand? It hurt to think about it and, for this moment only, Sombra thanked the heavens that Willemite couldn't see him right now. "I'm sorry, mom... So sorry," he repeated silently so that Iron Wheel — who was too busy swiping the tears from his eyes anyway — wouldn't hear him. A small, bitter tear ran down Sombra's grey muzzle, fell down to the ground and broke into thousands of tiny droplets. He quickly swiped the wet trail from his face and opened the purse. He had known that it wasn’t enough before he laid eyes upon the coins that it contained. He still needed more. Iron Wheel brightened up a little bit when he saw the golden reflection of the coins, the yellow sunbeam dancing and reflecting in his eyes. "That's nice. Very nice, I'll have to say. Are you up for some more?" Sombra asked, looking at his partner in crime who ground his teeth. "Darn you... Alright. Let's go for one more. Only one more! Oh, I hope my mom won't find out," he said through his teeth before they both prepared for another round.