The sound of the creaking door hinges forced a weak effort to raise his eyelids from Sombra. His head pounded and his forehooves felt numb. When he tried to move, several tiny splinters in his flesh made their presence known. He whispered sounds of displeasure, but barely made any movements.

It seemed his whole body had gone numb. His bed might not be the softest in the world, but it was certainly better than the damn floor.

"What the holy sky happened?" the loud, worried voice of Sweet Tooth reached Sombra's ears. It startled him just a little bit, Tooth's voice being not the one he preferred to hear after having just woken up.

"What in.... Sombra! Boy, are you alright?" the unaware pony asked, approached Sombra and lifted his head just a tiny bit above ground level. The boy felt the dry blood weighing down his mane, which, in his half-awake state, felt like being strapped to a boulder that was falling down a pit.

"Ouch... I..." Sombra started to talk, partially faking the pain and partially being incredibly exhausted. Sweet Tooth quickly covered the boy's mouth with his hoof. Sombra glanced into his eyes wherein slight hints of fear, worry, and guilt were visible. For a moment, he thought that Sweet was actually concerned, but Sombra quickly figured out that he was just startled by the sight of chaos and blood — nothing more.

"Don't talk, kid. Does your head still hurt?" Sweet Tooth asked and Sombra nodded weakly. The shopkeeper sighed in return.

In several minutes, Sweet Tooth helped Sombra bandage his head. He didn't even check if the wound was even there, thankfully. The boy managed to tear away a piece of bandage and wrap it around the cut on his hoof. Sweet was too busy inspecting the damage to his shop, letting Sombra do what he pleased with the medicine.

"What in the name of the Kaiser happened here?" he swore, again using a foreign word that the boy didn’t know. Sombra slowly looked round himself. He’d already come up with the story.

"I was cleaning up the floor here in the hall when I heard the sound of breaking glass. Before I could turn, I got knocked out. The thieves hit me straight in the head," Sombra narrated, rubbing the bandaged 'wound'. "Then they just left me to bleed on the floor. Before I’ve lost consciousness, I’ve heard them looking around and destroying everything."

He paused for a second to take a deep breath. Meanwhile, Sweet Tooth slowly approached his counter and his face distorted in despair and shock as he saw his precious chest smashed open and all the money gone.

"No! No, no, no! Scheiße!" he suddenly screamed, startling Sombra. "Oh, what am I going to do?! It's all gone!"

"What's wrong?" Sombra asked innocently, trying to make himself look like an innocent sheep, a victim of these supposed thieves. "What did they take?"

"What did they take? What did they take?! They took my cash! All of it!" Sweet Tooth lamented. "Do you even understand what that means?"

"Yes, yes I do," Sombra replied, relieved to know that Tooth had forgotten about his stupid rules. His head ached a bit from all those pokes in the past. But at last, there would be no more pokes, hits, or slaps.

"Damn it... I don't think I can last even to the next spring... I think I'm going to have to... close the shop," Sweet Tooth uttered these horrifying last words to himself. Sombra on the other hoof wasn’t even fazed. He just kept the mask of an innocent lamb and slowly, trying to cause as little pain as possible, tried to scratch the dried blood from his mane.

"May I... go home now? Please? My head hurts verily..." Sombra muttered, rubbing his bandaged head. He quickly started to sweat and it became really itchy underneath his new headgear.

"Yes... of course. Don't even need to come back anymore. Ugh..." Sweet Tooth said, and collapsed on the nearby chair, which also was the only undamaged one. He closed his eyes, looked up, and just sat like this, completely motionless, sometimes uttering a saddened sigh. Sombra made his way outside, unwilling to witness more of that scene of absolute despair. It made him feel horrible and somewhat guilty. But those feelings were, again, suppressed quickly.

He finally got out of the bakery, greeted by the cold wind and snowflakes, which continued to peacefully fall down onto the ground. Sombra inhaled, letting the cold bite his throat, refresh himself from the dusty air of the shop. Even a broken window couldn't fix that place, and he had surely swallowed up a lot of dust while he had slept there.

The bag was waiting for Sombra right where he had left it. Thankfully, everypony seemed to think of it as garbage, thus they didn’t check its contents. After swiping away a light cover of fluffy snow, Sombra used his telekinesis to put it on his back. He almost fell down from the amount of weight that he had to carry, but at least this burden was a pleasing one.

Sombra traversed the streets of Crystal City that were filled with the soft light of the morning sun. No clouds were present in the blue ocean above and the cold of the morrow had turned into mere freshness. The snow crunched under his hooves and wind played with his mane, which was still partially bound by the bandage.

A strange feeling of ease filled Sombra's heart. He felt strong, powerful. He felt like he could lift entire buildings all by himself.

The bag filled with money felt like a feather to him now. The coins hit each other, making clattering sounds that were surprisingly pleasing to the ear. The sound of success, that's what it is, Sombra thought to himself.

This was his reward, his money for working his croup off there, sparing no time and strength to please his employer; always trying to be on time. But how could he manage that every single day? Krystal had helped him with homework, but he still had to read to keep up with others. So many times he had already found himself asleep on the math, physics, or chemistry books. Formulas created by ponies that wore strange hats, and dictated everypony else the laws of nature and how you couldn't break them.

Teachers followed these hats-wearing ponies; whatever they said – it was a law. How one lived, how one walked, how one should look like and what one should wear. Krystal had gotten scolded so many times for her looks. She, apparently, refused to tie her mane into a braid every time she was at school. Sombra had to admit that she looked beautiful with a braid, but if she didn't want to wear it, why force her to? But they still continued to nag her about the stupid bride, and she looked very saddened by this sometimes.

Sweet Tooth with his set of rules as well. They seemed so simple, yet there had been so many instances where these rules had prevented Sombra from doing something useful, like giving him advice or just saying something relaxing or funny.

"Rule number two," Sombra whispered to himself, “Always, under any circumstances, stay silent.” Everypony Sombra had met seemed to embrace this rule: teachers, Sweet Tooth, and his father. Noises could rouse him from drunken sleep and lead him to Sombra's room, which always ended in several strong punches to the gut for the boy. Sombra even kept a separate towel for soaking up his own blood in order not to mess up his room.

They're all the same — every single one of them. They all seem so different and yet all their rules are the same: be beneath us; obey and follow the rules; live by the pointer.

Several ponies looked at Sombra when he passed by, sneering to each other, probably making jokes about what he could be carrying. Let them laugh, Sombra was done with this.

When he approached the park, he decided to take the scenic route, which led him to the steep edge of a hill. He decided to take a break and threw the bag onto the ground.

The view upon the park was amazing from here. The many naked trees with snow laying upon the branches seemed like an army or a crowd, standing in complete order. It was peaceful, calm, relaxing. Sombra, however, felt rebellious inside.

"So, you think you can put me in a line and treat me like a pawn: go there; do that, pick that; use those; look up; look down; and suck it?" he started talking to himself, knowing that nopony could hear him; this place was quite distant from the usual travel paths of ponies who passed through the park.

He didn't know why he had started to talk. He just felt so much at the same time and he felt the need to speak even if it was to the nature surrounding him. Deep inside, he pointed out the exact receivers of this message.

"Hey, you! Yes, you! You want me to follow your stupid rules, do what you tell me to do? You want me to abandon my dream and work my croup off so you can fulfill yours?" Sombra said angrily, mentally painting a picture of Sweet Tooth and almost every teacher he had ever met. "Well, I've got an answer for you…"

"Burn in Abyss! All of you!" Sombra suddenly, even to himself, shouted at the top of his lungs. Several trees below, not far away from his position, seemed to bend a little by the wind. But Sombra considered that his achievement. Even nature agreed with him.

The feeling of guilt was gone completely, replaced by pride. He did something on his own; he had proven that he could do it and that he didn't need rules to be happy. Yes, he’d stolen from those ponies on the market. Yes, he’d stolen from Sweet Tooth, and yes, he’d stolen from his father — and he was proud of it. He’d made them look like fools.

"Tricked... by a slacker," Sombra grinned as he approached the bag and opened it to take a look at his spoil. He would love to see Sweet Tooth's face if he ever found out that it was Sombra who stole all his money and who had evaded punishment completely — would be a good lesson for him.

Besides the beautiful, sparkling gold coins, there was also a small wooden box. Sombra raised his eyebrow, trying to figure out how it had gotten here. He had to have thrown it along with the money. It had been quite dark when he had bagged the money, he couldn't see clearly. Intrigued, Sombra wrapped the casket in the magical aura and dragged it out of the bag, hitting several coins along the way.

The second he opened it, the tart smell of tobacco pierced his nostrils and went right into his lungs. It smelled like the bark of a tree that had been locked up in a dry place for several dozen years. If Sombra dared to sniff it, he would surely choke to death.

The tobacco consisted seemingly of grained dust which was colored dark-brown, almost black. It really looked like pieces of a leaf that had been dried out to the point of crumbling and, after being mashed, it had simply been thrown into the casket.

Sombra remembered this stuff. On the carnival, some pale-skinned unicorns had rolled this stuff for those who were willing to buy it. Cigarettes, as they were called. He also recalled seeing many respectable-looking colts smoking these in the market. Sweet Tooth was also fond of them.

Adults seemed to adore these paper tubes and, as if by coincidence, several sheets of paper were attached to the inside cover of the box. Sombra raised his eyebrow and sneered. If the adults could, why couldn't he?

He levitated the paper sheet and scooped some tobacco inside it. He remembered how masterfully the unicorns on the fare had done it and carefully knocked it against the sides of the casket, so that the tobacco would fill the whole empty space inside the tube. Well, with a little bit of practice, he might master this art as well.

The cigarette was ready and Sombra levitated it towards his mouth and bit it right at the end. He felt a bit of sourness on his tongue, but paid no attention to it.

After chewing the cigarette for a second, he manipulated the magical streams, concentrating energy into his horn to form a small spark just near his face. The fire flushed and Sombra lit the tube on the opposite end. After letting it smoke for a while, he inhaled.

It felt like he’d just drunk a whole cup of tar in one go. The smoke went through his mouth and into his lungs, sending him into a frenzy of loud coughs. The smoke flew out of his mouth every time his lungs pushed out another patch of air. It streamed up into the air, making Sombra's eyes tear. He started beating his chest to get rid of the smoke, but to no avail.

In addition, the muscles in his throat started to contract, causing a gag reflex. Sombra noticed a small bush not far from his location and ran towards it, covering his mouth with his right forehoof.

He didn't know how much time he spent puking into the bush. It had to have been at least several minutes before he actually gained control over his stomach. After the retching had finally stopped, Sombra backed away and sat down onto the light snow. He felt a slight headache and his throat hurt. He inhaled deeply, trying to fill his lungs with fresh air.

It had felt so disgusting, sickening, to say the least. However, in the bunch of these negative feelings, Sombra had another one: the feeling of being in the wrong. Not guilt, no. The feeling when one did something bad, broke the rules, and would feel completely calm, even happy about it — This feeling of unbound freedom.

Yes! Sombra looked up into the sky and smiled at the sun. May the sun be his witness as he declared this – he was finally free from rules! He could do whatever he wanted. If he wanted to smoke, he'd smoke. If he wanted to learn dark magic, he'd learn it. If he wanted to cut school, he'd cut it. If he wanted to date Krystal, he'd date her. The money he had should be enough for the tickets, alright, and for much more. He might even consider himself rich.

With those thoughts, Sombra went back to the bag, picking up the casket along the way, and stepped onto the smoldering cigarette. Now, he just needed to reach his house, hide the money somewhere safe and then enjoy his life — his new, free life, free of pain and need.

The crimson horizon started to dim, the last rays of dying sun washed the tips of the trees that were covered in white snow. Crystal ponies were peacefully making their way home after a long day of exhausting work. The sounds of clopping hooves and crunching snow were dominant, for most preferred to be silent when they walked. The ponies formed a moderately sized 'river', slowly flowing to their destinations. Each pony was different, unique, and yet their features blurred in the crowd.

However, there was one pony who went against the tide, in the exact opposite direction. She carefully dodged any incoming body, sliding gracefully through the gaps.

Krystal couldn't afford to go around the crowd. She had to hurry, she couldn't be late. Not today.

The wind played with her clean, fragrant mane, trying to coil her curls around her neck and ears. Her blue scarf was also affected by the wind, its ends flapping around funnily. A thin layer of snowflakes was covering her fur-coat that was usually colored brown and black, but now it had the color white added to the palette.

A small golden pendant swung back and forth as she crushed the snow under her hooves. If one were to look into her pale blue eyes, he or she would see a strange mix of feelings: happiness, joy, tenderness, but also a small touch of sadness. Her mind was doing two things at once, and her partially worried, partially relaxed face was a clear indicator of a mental struggle Krystal waged against herself. However, yon struggle didn't slow her down even a bit, for she couldn't miss something like this.

Several days ago, Sombra had approached her, wearing a shy look on his face. His cheeks had looked so red she could have cooked eggs thereon.

He’d smiled awkwardly and looked at her while she slowly moved her sight towards him, asking a silent, what’s the matter?

"Hello," Sombra said, lowering his eyes. "How’re you doing?" His horn was aglow; he was surely holding something with telekinesis. Krystal tilted her head and looked at him questioningly.

"I'm fine, thank you", he replied and immediately hid whatever he was keeping afloat with his body. Krystal raised an eyebrow.

"That's...good. I guess.... You look a bit worried. Is it something you wanted to say?" she pronounced and tried to peek over Sombra once again. "Or to show?"

"Yes, actually," Sombra paused to take a deep breath. "Krystal... I've worked so hard for this moment to come. I haven't slept for days, and I gave it everything I had. Krystal, I hope you will accept my invitation."

As he finished the sentence, a small paper flew from behind him. Intrigued by the question of what kind of paper could possess such value that Sombra would need to hide it from her.

The paper gently landed on her extended forehoof and she took a look. She looked upon it before her mouth formed a gentle smile and her vocal cords produced a girly squeal on their own accord.

"AAAAAH!" she squealed, forgetting about her usual behavior. Realization came like a shower of cold water.

"Oh, sorry. I think I lost my cool there. What I meant to say was... AAAAAH!" she couldn't resist but to squeal again.

And how couldn't she if, with her own eyes, she saw the tickets to the concert of her most beloved singer: Lucia.

"Sombra... I... I can't thank you enough!" she said, accepting the offer, smiling like a fife years old filly who just managed to reach the cookie jar. She looked at him, and just barely held back from hugging Sombra to death.

"Also, if you don't mind... I will come with you," he added timidly, revealing another ticket. "Of course, if you want somepony else to go with you, I can give this one as well. I wouldn't mi—" he was unable to finish before Krystal shoved her hoof right into his mouth.

"You shut up this instance! Now, I understand what you worked so hard for, and I will not behave like a thankless harlot. We will go together – you and I." she decreed, took a deep breath, and hugged Sombra. He was staggered for a second, and then gently stroked her mane.

"This will be so great! Do you know what kind of acoustics the Sanguine Theater has? You will love it, I promise you," she started to gabble while Sombra just stood there and listened.

Krystal calmed down from the euphoria that had taken hold of her, of course, and now her thoughts were a bit more philosophical. She wasn't thinking about the concert; Sombra consumed her thoughts instead.

Krystal couldn't understand. Why would he give her such a precious gift? These tickets cost a lot of money, a great sum. Whence would Sombra get so much money? And, even if he did find this much, why her? Was she really that important to him?

She could guess where he’d found money – he’d told her that he’d found a job, but to earn so much in such a short amount of time?

What am I thinking about? That's his business, not mine, I shouldn't concern myself with his ways of self-enrichment! It would be rude. she reproached herself. It didn't matter how he’d gotten the money; she should be grateful that his heart was big enough to invite her.

Or did he do it out of something else? Krystal got that idea when she came back home that day and couldn't stop thinking thereabout ever since. She was thinking about herself, Sombra and who they were in reality.

Friends? Definitely. They helped and supported each other whenever the need arose. They could talk to each other about anything... and yet they didn't. It seemed like Sombra was hiding something from her, but she had secrets of her own. They weren't horrible, but after such a gift, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Should she reveal her secret, or would it destroy all hope for their relationship, the chance that their friendship might become something more?

She truly wanted to get closer to the mysterious dark colored unicorn. She wanted to know what he felt and what he thought about her and the world. Krystal was the kind of a pony who liked to know other opinions on such topics as love, friendship and life which were often raised in books and novels. She thought about it so much, but she never had a friend she could share it with.

But was that really everything she wanted from the young colt? No, there was something more, and Krystal tried to hide it as deep inside herself as she could. She was far too shy to admit it, even to herself, and the excitement over seeing her idol today just might surrender to this buried feeling.

Finally, the beautiful walls of Sanguine Theatre, which were covered in colorful banners and posters of the most famous actors and singers in the empire, came into eyesight. The azure banners of the Crystal Empire were hanging under the roof of the beautiful building.

The main entrance, guarded by a soldier dressed in light crystal armor, was welcoming and just seemed inviting for any pony who passed by. Krystal let her sight wander until she spotted a small dash of black in the ocean of white. She hurried up to meet Sombra who stood by the streetlight and looked around impatiently.

"Hello!" Sombra greeted as Krystal approached him. She looked at him: he looked just as usual, only his mane looked far more stylized and bright than usual.

Krystal chuckled and looked at the dresses of other ponies: expensive fur coats, jewelry. Even the stallions wore something fancy like medallions, bracelets, or even earpieces.

"I'll be the star of the show then," Sombra deadpanned and they both chuckled. At this happy note, they approached the guard.

A tall, muscular pony circled the two with his eyes, looking completely emotionless.

"Your tickets," he said in a cold voice whereupon Sombra quickly passed his and Krystal's tickets to him. They landed on his hoof and he dropped just one glance upon their rough surface before he looked up and smiled welcomingly.

"Welcome to the Sanguine Theatre! Please, maintain the order and follow the rules. I wish you an enjoyable evening!" the change in tone surprised both ponies, but they quickly proceeded past the guard when he stepped aside to grant them passage.

The Theater already looked beautiful from outside, though on the inside, one would love to stay forever, for the beauty of these ornamental walls, beautiful paintings, and incredibly soft lighting was impossible to dislike.

There were pieces of red majestic cloth embroidered with gold and silver coiling and fusing into different patterns flowing from the ceiling, creating the atmosphere of a real palace.

Sombra couldn't take his eyes off the ornaments on the walls. They depicted great battles, heartbreaking tragedies, glorious victories, and bitter defeats. The whole spectrum of feelings — love, hate, despair, horror, hope — was shown in these walls.

"Yes, it is. This theatre is legendary for its decoration," Krystal, who had already hung her fur-coat on the rack, said dreamily. She looked around, caught up in the hurricane of feelings, completely forgetting where she was going.

Meanwhile, Sombra stared at the carvings of Lux and his battles. He was shown leading the battle personally, keeping himself afloat in the sky surrounded by a white aura while his troops marched into battle against ponies dressed in dark armor.

Sombra knew the story of this picture from history lessons: at least 160 years ago, there had been a big rebellion. The nobles had started an uprising, wearing the black colors of the Weepers, to crush the Emperor whom they considered a tyrant. Lux crushed the rebels, but, to show them the errors of their beliefs, forgave all those who survived in the battle and let them go. It was a sign of great mercy and wisdom, for those who were spared could see the truth: Lux was a benevolent ruler.

There were several more carvings of great battles, but Sombra lost interest in them. He wanted to look at the paintings, but most of them were nothing spectacular. He decided to move on, thinking that Krystal would already be much further into the theatre.

His thoughts were proven wrong as he bumped right into her behind. Krystal squeaked, but managed to keep standing while Sombra fell down. It took him a few seconds to realize what just happened.

"Umm... sorry..." he blushed as Krystal turned around, still a little bit shaken.

"No, no. I'm sorry. I gawked around too much. Didn't think you would move," she said, trying to hide the red color on her face. She looked once more at Sombra, trying to find sufficient words.

"No, it's my fault. I should open my eyes and watch where I'm going," he retorted, getting up. Krystal smiled awkwardly at him and turned around as though nothing happened. Sombra guessed that they should just forget about the accident. But he just couldn't. It just felt like he’d struck the heaven with his head and then fell back from there! For a moment, he felt such softness around his face — his pillow, by comparison, would be solid concrete.

Sombra had to admit – Krystal certainly had something to look at. He blushed as he thought so, and tried not to look straight into her eyes as they walked down the hallway to the concert hall.

Krystal tried not to look at him as well, though with varying degrees of success. He noticed her glancing at him from time to time, her cheeks remaining just as red.

The concert hall was gigantic. The seats, upholstered with red cloth and cotton, took a giant amount of space – at least fifty rows. The ceiling was very high, and also ornamental, with the waves depicting the ocean flow. On the corners, where it was connecting to the walls, the statues of mighty dragons stood, holding the ceiling. The tension of their muscles could be seen on the lifeless surface of the crystal stone. The walls themselves were much less decorated than in the hallway, in order not to distract the observers from what happened on the stage.

The stage itself was big, fitting for such a concert hall. The mighty curtains that were made out of sky blue cloth and concealed the second wall of the theatre were embroidered with green patterns, which coiled around like snakes.

Sombra and Krystal found their seats in the middle of the thirtieth row and, because they’d come a bit early, made their way there without any problem. The seats were comfortable and quite warm. The red cloth was a bit spiny and Sombra needed a few moments to assume a comfortable position. He turned to Krystal, who was still struggling to find a fitting position.

"Agh, shoot!" she uttered, hoping that nopony would hear her – it was most unladylike to swear in public. When she noticed that Sombra had been looking at her, she quickly straightened up and blushed.

"The cloth's a bit spiny for my taste... uncomfortable to sit upon," she said, trying to come up with an excuse for her restlessness. Sombra nodded silently, still feeling a bit weird from the 'collision'. He just hoped that they would forget this as a simple accident.

The hall started to slowly fill with ponies and the sound of talking and whispering increased with every passing second. The more ponies came in, the louder the noise became. Soon, almost all the seats were taken, and ponies started just peacefully talking between each other. Some stallions tried to flirt with pretty mares around, some mares looked around for a suitable suitor, and some just rested their heads on their neighbor's shoulder and snored quietly.

Krystal finally found just the perfect position to sit, so she wrapped her tail around her hindhooves and relaxed a bit. Sombra insensibly peeked at her again, looking at the soft curls of her mane and remembering how soft they felt when she’d hugged him back there on the bridge.

"You have a very beautiful amulet," Sombra complimented and Krystal touched the pendant with her right forehoof.

"Thank you. Though, it's not an amulet – it's a pendant. Pure gold," Krystal said, moving her hoof, so Sombra had a better view upon it.

"Wow. It must cost a lot," Sombra noted, looking at its plain yet attractive surface.

As she said that, she smiled, and opened the pendant with her magic, revealing a small yet beautifully made picture. It was in black and white, depicting a family: a stallion wearing a tophat and sporting an impressive mustache, a pretty, smiling mare that tilted her head slightly to the right and wore a necklace, and a small filly that was sitting in the centre and smiled widely. Even though this picture was black and white, Sombra easily imagined the colors, giving each part of it a distinct and unique color.

"That's me and my family. My mother – Celene, and my dad, Lazarus, the one with the mustache," Krystal said, which prompted a giggle from Sombra.

"Yeah, I figured," he noted, earning a smile from Krystal. "And that filly is you?"

"Yes, that's me. Already chubby, even as a kid, am I not?" Krystal asked jokingly and Sombra allowed himself the courtesy of taking a closer look.

"You look so cute. He-he, don't know why, but I just want to pat your cheeks," Sombra quipped, tilting his head. She really looked very cute in her childhood – he got this weird desire to hug the little cutie and feel how warm her body was.

"I get that a lot when I show this picture. You're not the first one," Krystal commented. "In this pendant, I keep those who I love the most. I want them to always be close to my heart... as close as possible," she said and closed the pendant, pressing it against her chest.

"You're a very kind pony," Sombra said, feeling the ache in his heart, remembering how devastated his portrait of his family looked. Was it even there anymore? He couldn't remember.

"Thank you. Though I can't be compared to you – you gave me so many presents already, I just can't thank you enough," Krystal said. "I mean, you bought the tickets for this concert, a concert I’ve dreamt about. I mean, I just love Lucia and her voice! It's like the chirring of a nightingale, only much more beautiful. It wakes such feelings inside me. It makes me think of distant, beautiful lands, or my own family; how we gather around the fireplace and tell stories to each other or share secrets. I and my mom have so many secrets to share... Ahh," she sighed and looked at the stage dreamily.

"Oh... Sombra. You never told me about your family. Would you like to tell me something about them, that is, if you want?"

Sombra coughed from surprise and went completely silent. He couldn't tell her. He couldn't tell her the truth. He couldn't tell her that his mom was....

"Sorry... I really don't like to talk about it...” Sombra repeated the memorized phrase.

"You say that every time I ask you about it... But I digress... Sorry, if this is a difficult subject for you. I just wanted to get to know you more," Krystal replied. "We've been friends for so long, and yet we don't know that much about each other."

"Well, now you know much more about me than I do about you. Does that make you my stalker?" she joked innocently. Sombra smiled at that and suddenly thought that, if he could stalk Krystal, he certainly would.

That's definitely creepy. What's wrong with me today, Sombra thought, trying to drive away the thoughts of stalking Krystal and the thoughts about her rear.

The bell rang, calling the ponies to keep quiet, and helping Sombra to drive away the kinky thoughts of Krystal's behind. The whole hall turned quiet, the noise died out, and silence reigned as the concert was about to begin.

Several minutes passed wherein the lights started to turn dim until the whole hall was engulfed in darkness, only the stage was illuminated by luminescent spheres which were located under the ceiling.

Suddenly, the quietness was shaken by beating drums and menacing piano accords. The great curtains started moving apart, revealing a whole battalion of soldiers in dark-colored armor, kneeling down in line. In front of them, a leader, probably a general, stood, wearing the same armor as his troops, but also bearing a long red scarf.

The general looked up, right at the audience, while the air was pierced with Lucia's angelic, disembodied voice as she started singing.

Many miles walked, many souls were sold
You stand at the verge of defeat.
You've chosen your fate, to doom leads this gate!
Turn back! You can still change your life!

"How foolish we were... To think that, with the coming of the monarch, our lives would change! That the will of one be more important than the will of the millions!" he shouted, his voice resounding through the air like thunder’s crash, enhanced by the acoustics of the theatre. Sombra pressed himself into the seat, feeling threatened by such a powerful voice.

"Our leader is a fool! A traitor! A tyrant! And it is my duty as the Empire's protector to see him fall!" the general went on and turned to his army. "Arise! Ye, my brave warriors! Our time hath arrived; we shall fulfill our duty as the protectors of the Crystal Empire! Follow me into battle!" he screamed and the ponies arose, hailing their general, ready to follow him to battle.

The lights started to bunch up, forming the circle just next to the general. The army and its leader turned quiet and still as the muse, the mare in white, Lucia, entered the spotlight. Krystal made an excited expression and leaned forward.

"Oh, thou poor fool. You go against the stream, fight against the rules. You believe you can succeed in what you wish to do... Why, my love, why do you run from your fate?" Lucia pronounced, and even though she was speaking calmly, the sound of her soft voice reached the very ends of the hall.

Then, she finally started to sing. Sombra wasn't too familiar with her oeuvre, but now he wished he was. Her voice was pouring forward, enhanced by acoustics, filling the void in Sombra's soul, refreshing his mind like a soft calm zephyr in the summer.

She sung of a river — a strong river — full of power and determination. The river had a wise father, the forest, who guided her and lead her unto a better future. The river obeyed her father until she understood the full extent of her own power. Why flow forward and bring nourishment and prosperity to the lands of ponies along her shores... when she could flow out, destroy and consume these equines for her own gain and entertainment? She was their queen, their only source of life, and therefore she also was the one to decide who lived and who died, not the forest.

The father-forest was furious, even the trees were blustering and bending in fright of his wrath. He commanded his rebellious daughter to calm down and follow her course, but the river, sure of its power, tried to flood the forest.

Many animals, critters, and insects died in the flood, but the trees were still standing just as tall and strong as before. With heavy heart and bitter tears in form of rain, father-forest was forced to kill his daughter, thus he commanded his trees to block the source of the river. She died slowly and painfully, realizing her mistakes as she became more and more shallow and weak and, minutes before her death, she called to her father.

The father-forest blustered with the big pine-trees and birches, saddened by the betrayal.

The last drops of water disappeared, evaporated by the sun. Father-forest stood still, his valleys and fields empty and dead, and his beloved daughter killed by himself. His trees and fields started to wither and die as he slowly faded away, dying from sadness.

Sombra felt something warm touch his shoulder. He looked to his side and saw Krystal huddling to him as close as she could. A single, tiny tear ran down her pretty face and touched his fur, making him shudder from the sudden cold. Sombra slowly raised his forehoof and wrapped it slowly and shyly around Krystal. She didn't seem to protest, quite the opposite, she leaned even closer into him.

Warmth and fuzziness filled Sombra's soul. Her curls were slightly touching his skin, sending waves of pleasant shudders throughout his body. The touch of her cheek against his shoulder felt so akin to his mother’s. She, too, would sometimes lean onto him, wrap her hooves around him, and press him so hard against her chest that he could hear her heartbeat. Thump, thump, thump, the sounds of life, and Sombra would feel sleepy listening to them. He had, one time, fallen asleep in her embrace, right in the middle of the room. But he had still felt the wet touch of her lips on his cheek, even through his sleep.

Lucia slowly went silent and, as she pronounced the last words, the hall was filled with the thundering sounds of applause. Ponies raised their forehooves into the air and clapped them together as loud as they could, congratulating Lucia on the beautiful performance. She gracefully bowed before the audience.

"Thank you... thank you," she said in a calm, somehow even sad voice, as the soldiers and the general left the stage. "Now... the song, dedicated to all those who have a pony they love besides them. Please... remember that... the true love only happens once in a lifetime. Keep those ponies safe, and hold them near as long as you live."

It was strange – why did Lucia sound so sad saying these words? However, Sombra was swept away from these thoughts when she started singing again.

Lucia sung about a star, a lonely star in the sky that she had found one day. Its beauty and light attracted her, made her reach for it. She cried for the star, she sung for the star, and she went to sleep thinking about this star. A lonely star in the night sky.

It was the only star she had ever adored. All other stars were bleak and shallow compared to it. One day, she decided to finally reach for her beloved star to be with it once and for all. So she found the highest cliff in the whole world and took flight…

But how could a pony with no wings fly? While she fell to her doom, she begged the star to remember her, always shine onwards, and maybe, pour down its cold light upon her tombstone.

Sombra felt another cold tear falling onto his shoulder. He turned to Krystal to check if she was alright and was greeted by her big eyes that were full of bitter tears. She was staring right at him, right into his soul.

"Krystal... wha—" Sombra started to talk, but couldn't finish as Krystal suddenly closed in on him and kissed him right on the lips. He was staggered and shocked, to say the least, but he didn't push her away. He couldn't. He didn't want to.

The kiss left a taste of strawberries in Sombra's mouth. It felt so sweet, so beautiful. It was a moment that he wanted to last forever. His body stopped responding to his commands and he hugged Krystal completely on instinct. He didn't want to let her go anymore, and moved her closer and closer to himself.

Krystal moved away a little bit and looked at her friend. Her eyes were full of tears and her cheeks turned red. Her breath was warm and a bit irregular.

"Oh....I..." Sombra stammered, unable to find the right words, but she quickly stopped him by gently touching his lips with her hoof.

"No. Don't say anything. Just... wait till it's all over. I have to tell you the truth," she whispered and Sombra couldn't do anything but nod. He wanted to know what was going on.

He wanted to know, but at the same time, he didn't. What if it was something horrible? Like that they couldn't be together? He wanted to be with her. Closer to her. Feel her warmth. Sombra finally understood the fuzziness in his chest after the fare. He knew what he felt.

Sombra and Krystal walked alongside through the darkening streets of the Crystal City. They hadn’t spoken since the kiss and throughout the whole last part of concert. Krystal had leaned on his shoulder, dropping tiny cold tears onto his skin. Sombra couldn't understand why, but he’d felt the need to keep her close, to calm her down. But he’ been afraid to say anything – so he’d waited.

Krystal cried silently, though, not a single whimper fell from her lips. She just kept on walking, leading Sombra somewhere. He wanted to ask whither they were going, but kept silent. He knew that whatever she was about to tell or show him was not going to be pretty.

The moon was high up in the sky and there was no sign of clouds anywhere. The snowfall had stopped and the silence that had taken over the world was baffling. The only sound was the snow cracking under their hooves.

They finally reached the outskirts of the park. Sombra recognized the road along the way – Krystal used to travel by it. Was she taking him to her house?

After a few more minutes of walking, they came out to a grand sight. Krystal sat down into the snow and lowered her head.

"Sombra... this is where I live," she said, pointing at the gigantic mansion guarded by a metal fence. It looked like it was made out of red birch, quite an expensive material for building, used mostly by very rich merchants and noble families. There was a fountain just in the centre of the road that led to the entrance, and the roof was held by statues of mighty gargoyles that spread their wings as if they are about to take flight.

Sombra gawked like he was beholding the birth of a second sun right before his eyes.

"I've never told you the truth... All this time, I used you, accepted presents from you, pretended to be your friend..." Krystal’s voice trembled and tears fell from her muzzle.

"My father is an ambassador. He's rich, respected, and even feared in the world of nobility. My family supplied me with everything I ever wanted – toys, dresses, more toys... I was supposed to attend the Diamond Academy for the Gifted, because my father had a friend there," she continued to utter. "I have everything I wanted. Everything… and yet I still took presents and gifts from you."

Sombra stood still, not knowing what to say. Krystal was a noble. How was he supposed to act? Be angry, that she hadn't told him and willingly took everything he had given to her, pushing him even to the point of breaking the law?

"How I ended up at that school? My mother demanded that I would go to a simple school, not to one where I would learn to be a snob. She wanted me to learn how to talk with... with.... rabble!" Krystal blurted out and started crying loudly. Sombra stood still and looked at her.

"Don't just stare at me! Say something! Hit me! I can't bear to see you silent!" she shouted and fell on her knees before Sombra. "I love you, Abyss take you! I love you so much... and I was lying to you all this time! Please, Sombra.... don't remember me as a thankless harlot... I'm not like this. I'm not!"

Sombra slowly approached Krystal, who closed her eyes as if expecting him to strike her, and before she could say anything, he encased her in a warm, loving hug. She turned silent, surprised by the reaction.

"You saved my life, you know. On that bridge," Sombra whispered to her, remembering the bridge and his return to the light. "You gave me a new meaning, a new reason to live. I might have not known this before, but now I do – I love you too."

"Just several years ago, a horrible tragedy befell me and my family. My mother... she died. She was my closest friend, the pony I loved most of all... My father turned bitter and cold after that, he doesn't need me anymore, he calls my mother... a whore..." Sombra spoke and tears started welling up in his eyes as well. "All these years, I lived in the darkness; I didn't want to live at all. Life was a pain, a complete and utter pointless idiocy... Until I met you."

He touched Krystal's cheeks with his hooves, swiping away her tears. She looked at him with her big, round eyes and her mouth slowly started to form a smile.

"That's why I never wanted to tell you about my family. I just don't have it... But now, you are my family... How could I hate you?" he said and Krystal finally smiled. "We held secrets from each other... so what? We love each other and that's all we need. I don't need the others – I need you. I don't need the whole world – just you."

Instead of saying anything, Krystal kissed Sombra again. Her lips tasted just as beautiful and sweet as before and he pressed her closer to himself, willing to get more out of this kiss. He wanted to make it last forever.

Krystal closed her eyes and simply allowed Sombra to caress her mane as much as he wanted. She had probably noticed that he liked it long ago and now, she would finally allow him to feel it much more personally.

When they finally moved away from each other, Krystal blushed, looked at Sombra, and smiled.

"Like it? I loved it!" Sombra replied in an excited voice. He felt so good, so happy, so easy right now.

"I'm... very sorry about your family. I kept pestering you and...” Sombra didn't let her finish and just put his hoof in front of her lips.

"No more talking about bad things. My father can be as cold as he wants to be – I don't care about him anymore. I love you, Krystal, and let's keep the topic on that, okay?"

She nodded silently and pressed her head against Sombra's chest. He carefully kissed her on her forehead, just below the horn.

That night, they barely managed to move apart from each other. Krystal promised Sombra that she would bring him gifts and make surprises for him as often as she could, asking him to just stay like he was now. When they finally left, each of them had a small, single tear of happiness running down their happy, smiling muzzles.

Sombra. Saga of Hatred

by HiddenUnderACouch

Family