//------------------------------// // Part Five: Rock Candy Ice Cream // Story: Young Sombra's Former Transgressions // by Art Inspired //------------------------------// When Spike awoke the following day, he was a little startled to see the small bed next to him completely unoccupied and unmade. “Sombra?” Spike asked, rising and stretching his scales a little. He noticed Twilight was still in bed, and it was fairly early, too. So, where was Sombra? With fear of what that trouble maker could be up to growing, Spike quickly left the room, still rubbing his eyes. The lobby seemed fine, and so did the kitchen. Everything appeared perfectly normal except for the peculiar disappearance of young Sombra, and the front door left cracked open. "Has the front door been like that all night?" Spike asked. He investigated, opening the door all the way, and blinked at the colt sitting before the purple shield that kept him from the one thing he’d secretly do anything for, even if it meant giving up an empire. That was the ice cream stand just across the way. The gentlecolt that stood passing out cones for all the other little fillies and colts kept looking back at Sombra, wishing he could go right through that barrier himself, like thin paper through a crease and give him a double scoop just because. Spike walked up casually, put his fisted claws on his hips and said, “Well, that’s a shame.” Sombra pressed his muzzle up against the glass-like aura, saying, “Twenty four flavors…” Spike rubbed his chin. “You’ve had ice cream before?” For a moment, he just kept looking anxiously through the glass, drool sliding down his chin. Then, he backed away while looking down curiously. “I… don’t remember,” he said, almost looking as if he was in a daze. “You can’t remember if you've ever had ice cream?” Spike asked. “But, you must’ve at one point, right?” Sombra sat down, looking about angrily. “I just can’t remember…” Spike folded his arms and looked outside. Sombra might’ve had ice cream before, which could also mean several other possibilities. Of course, the frozen treat wasn’t unheard of in the Crystal Empire. In fact, it was a celebrated delight, so it’s all too possible King Sombra indulged a bit despite being a maniacal warlord who would strike anyone as ice cream hating scum. Instead, here he was, his tiny stomach growling and him wanting nothing but the delicious substance. Spike could even see it in his glistening, red eyes. It was the way they stared over at the vendor menacingly, plotting, thinking… planning to escape. Spike could see the entire scheme unfold just by observing his new friend. First, the ice cream, and then, the treehouse. Finally, he would conquer all of Equestria and the Crystal Empire. Well, okay, it didn’t go exactly like that, but Spike had seen that face before. It was the very same face he'd seen when falling right for Sombra, chasing after the crystal heart. That lust filled gaze told the dragon Sombra wanted that ice cream badly, and that he had to have it. To Spike, being Sombra’s newest and only real friend excluding Twilight meant it was his duty to try and help. Taking a chance, Spike placed his claw on Sombra’s shoulder. “Hey, follow my lead.” “Why should I trust you?” Sombra asked, shrugging Spike’s claw off of him. With a roll of the eyes, Spike said, “Because I’m your friend.” The last word made Sombra’s ears perk up briefly, and then he looked up to the stand again. That word had been part of his life ever since he had arrived here in Ponyville, and it mystified the young colt to no end. This was possibly because he'd never really had a friend before, so this experience being so new to him brought about different feelings within. Most of those emotions would be rather unfamiliar, but one was becoming more and more recognizable with every passing instance. So, he agreed to follow Spike’s lead shortly after threatening, “Try anything funny, lizard, and I’ll turn YOU into ice cream!” Spike wasn’t the least bit intimidated. He knew exactly how to get Twilight’s favor in anything, especially things like treats being sold just outside their front door. It merely required a bit of pleading, something Sombra wasn’t expecting to see coming from his new friend. The door opened, and there was Twilight still sleeping, her back facing them while the sunlight started to grace her cheeks. Spike leaned in, whispering, “Just stay over there. This should be a walk in the park, but if I need you, I’ll call you over. If I do, just follow my lead." “Okay… If you say so,” Sombra said, a puzzled look in his eyes. For the most part, it looked as though Spike was simply going to go right up and take the money out from under Twilight’s nose, or from wherever the funds were kept. Instead, he shook her gently, and backed his palm away after the first shift from her shoulder. “Twilight…? We’ve got some ice cream outside, and I was wondering-” “No.” Sombra scowled. That lizard told him this would be easy, and he lied. Spike snickered, and said, “Aww, c’mon! It’s just across the street, and Sombra wants some, too.” Twilight lifted herself up, rubbing her eyes. “Wait, who? Sombra? Wanting ice cream?” “Yeah,” Spike said excitedly. “He seems to remember it, if only a little. Maybe having some will jog his memory!” Twilight stood with a grunt. “Ugh, alright! Here, you each get two bits. That should be plenty.” Sombra tried to grab the floating coins that were given to him by Twilight aura, but he attempted this by using his own magic. Needless to say, they fell to the floor quickly after slipping right through his dark powers. Staring down at them, he made a, “Harumph!” and picked it up with his hooves. “Come on,” Spike said running down the stairs. Sombra was about to turn and head out, too, but did something even Spike forgot about. He looked at Twilight without a single hint of dark, purple streaks in his eyes, and said, “Thank you!” After that, he left. Twilight didn’t think much of it while letting down the shield and watching them carefully, but that was manners Sombra had just used. She and Spike hadn’t even gone over those yet. Not thoroughly, that is. Yet, he just expressed gratitude to her. Looking down at him and Spike who busily got their yummy looking ice cream cones, each getting the same flavor, chocolate with rock candy chunks crushed within every single bite, she wondered just how good a child he really was before coming into power. If he already knew how not to be greedy, and how to say thanks every once in a while, what other civilized aspects could he know of, and why hadn’t he ever act upon them as a tyrannical ruler? When they returned to the house and sat on the front steps, Sombra kept having trouble with his cone. Such small hooves such as his wasn’t made for holding something so big, not at that age. He predictably tried to use magic, Spike watching him and enjoying the rather amusing display. However, Spike did not like seeing Sombra’s special delight fall to the ground, ruined. The slush literally began to melt into the dirt instantly, bringing Sombra to mumble, “N-not again…” Spike’s eyebrows rose at the two words. “Again? What do you mean, Sombra?” He looked up suddenly, blankly, but with wide eyes. One could tell, he was trying to remember something, maybe even of varying importance. Unfortunately, his slouching frame, and moaning of sadness told Spike he not only lost the remembrance, but still mourned over his ice cream’s tragic fall. Spike somewhat chuckled at that. He hadn’t pestered Twilight first thing in the morning for himself after all. Spike did this so that Sombra could enjoy something they both might've liked, together, and Spike wasn’t about to let that be for nothing. “Here,” Spike said with a smile, offering the colt his own, slightly sticky cone. “I haven’t licked it much, and besides, dragons have way cleaner tongues than ponies do.” Sombra simply looked at it, the brown frost reflecting from his eyes. “You… really mean that? I can just... have it?” “Well, okay, one more quick taste. Only because it’s so good, though." His long, slithery tongue brushed the edge that he’d already been eating, and then held it forward for Sombra, but the colt was more focused on something else. “Whoa… That’s cool!” “Oh,” Spike said, a bit flattered. “It’s nothing, I can get one anytime.” “No,” Sombra said, dazzled not at the ice cream, but at what Spike had done to taste it. “Your tongue! Has it always been like that?” “Oh, this?” Spike asked. His mouth opened up, and his lengthy taster drooped way down, all the way to the ground. Then, it hastily returned with a wet, popping sound. “You’ve never seen a dragon’s tongue before?” Sombra munched down on the summit, swallowed some hard candy, and confessed timidly, “I’ve never even seen a dragon before. Well, except for you. I mean, I’ve got a long, snake tongue as well, but yours is just… Wow!” “Huh… Being the ruler of the Crystal Empire, you’d think you would’ve seen it all by now.” Sombra stopped licking. “Ruler of what?” For a minute, Spike had to pause before realizing his friend had just lost the very thing that might keep him in this dictator's mind set, and that was his memory of being just that, a dictator. “Err, nothing,” Spike fibbed. The last thing they needed was Sombra remembering those tragic events that are, after all, better left forgotten anyway. Once Sombra finished the ice cream cone Spike had shared with him, they returned to the room up stairs, inside the house. One thing Sombra remembered, though, was his odd fascination with stairs. Spike could barely get his mind off the things. When they finally entered the second floor room, Spike dragging Sombra by his tail, Twilight looked over with a content smile. “Thank you for not running off while I had the shield down.” Sombra looked at her, confused. “Why would I want to do that?” he asked. “I like it here.” Twilight couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Only a few days ago, young Sombra was ready and willing to run away, far away, and never be bothered by them again. Now, after almost a week's time, he wouldn’t leave the establishment for the world. It was funny to her and Spike, how only a few experiences taken away by fate, and newer, kinder ones replaced changed Sombra’s outlook of things entirely. Still, Twilight wasn’t completely convinced yet. Something still lingered around Sombra. It was a presence of evil, and darkness. The very kind she felt when he was so near the crystal heart.