//------------------------------// // One last Mission // Story: One Last Mission // by Strythio //------------------------------// A full moon hung over a mostly sleeping Canterlot, as a single bedroom housed two occupants. Tired from the day's events, two ponies rested in bed, one wrapped in the other's hooves, the two slumbering quite soundly. All was still, and not even the wind disturbed the peace. Suddenly, and with little warning, a sharp rap echoed throughout the entire house. One of the bed's occupants, a black haired, red horned unicorn, shot up like a lightning bolt, eyes ablaze with a purple flame. Scanning the surroundings, the unicorn eyed the window for just a moment before hearing the rap again. It was coming from downstairs, and a faint whisper could be heard. “Sombra, Sombraaa!” It was a pitiful attempt at a whisper at this time of night where sound traveled exceptionally well. Upset at being disturbed, the unicorn slowly, careful to not awaken his companion, tip-toed from the room. Opening the door with a red aura, Sombra made his way downstairs, passing by several closed bedroom doors before reaching the front door. It was a quick trip really, and thankfully none of the stairs creaked from his weight. Taking a peek through the front door's peephole, Sombra put on a scowl as he seemed to recognize who was at his door at this hour. Not bothering to use magic, the displeased unicorn opened the door with his left hoof, immediately revealing a pegasus member of the royal guard. Clad in glittering gold armor, it was a surprise that Celestia allowed any of her guards to walk around the city at night with that garb on; they would be seen from a mile away by criminal and vigilante alike. Then again, maybe that was the intent. “What do you want Thunder? I am on vacation." Sombra growled, baring his teeth in an attempt to get the pegasus to leave. No such luck as the stubborn guard carried on with his message. “Captain, a message from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” The guard fidgeted, as if trying to display a nervousness unbecoming a member of the royal guard. “You are to come off of leave and immediately report to the sisters' castle.” Sombra furrowed his brow, his dark mane seemingly hissing in anger at the report's contents. “And should I refuse?” Sombra almost dared the pegasus to threaten to drag him from his home; it would be a good show, at least for his family that is. Thunder flattened his ears against his golden helmet; he apparently did not have an answer for that. If the captain of the guard refused, then only a superior would be able to pull rank and force him. “I do not know, but the way they said it, it is very urgent. I am not sure they would be pleased...” Sombra slammed the door, scowling as he began the trek back upstairs. Whatever it is, it would wait till morning, he reasoned. Otherwise they would have sent a more assertive guard who would back up the urgency. A knock at the door yet again, this time with much greater force. Content to ignore it, Sombra carried on upstairs until a familiar voice threatened, “If you walk up those stairs Sombra, you can say good-bye to any sort of pension.” Sighing, Sombra returned downstairs and re-opened the door. The voice had shifted dramatically to a certain princess of the night's, whom Sombra had little desire to see in person at his front door. Lo and behold, Thunder had went from being just a royal guard stallion to princess of the night, Luna. Luna had apparently disguised herself, though for what reason Sombra could only guess at. She eyed Sombra with a critical look; Sombra silently cursed himself for not picking up on any signs of a transformation. He was supposed to be skilled in detecting fakers among both the guard and the royalty. Thoughts of the past few weeks came to Sombra, particularly in regard to his reception when he finally came home for the first time in five years. Sombra had been tackled by his wife and kids at the door. When he announced his vacation time the family was suspenseful, doubtful even, that it would last longer than a few days. Within a week, the foals became convinced, and started literally dragging him anywhere and everywhere. With his filly, Shade, he went to school plays and magic shows, and his colt Umbra to play dates. Alone time with Violet had been sparing through all of this, but she didn't seem to care, as long as Umbra and Shade were enjoying their father. The crimson earth colt and hot pink unicorn filly hardly resembled their purple, earth mare mother and grey unicorn father; Shade did not even have Sombra's horn. Reinforced with these memories, Sombra's frown and furrowed eyebrows, combined with his now steely glare, created an expression of irritation and defiance. His facial expression did not go unnoticed, and Luna intended on getting the point across that the previous message had been a direct order, rather than a request of any sort. “Report to the castle, immediately, for briefing.” “You know what, I am not going anywhere." Sombra stomped a hoof to the ground, firmly leaning forward with the kind of audacity that would make one question his sanity. Now it was Luna's turn to frown; her eyes became piercing daggers on their own as she returned Sombra's body language, practically standing in his face at this point. “Sombra, the situation is dire. Explaining it to you here might unnecessarily jeopardize lives; cooperate, for there is no other pony that we can get to do this.” Sombra growled, but backed down, having to reconsider his options. After all, if she had to, Luna would drag him from his home, unconscious and in a comatose state, with not so much as a word to Celestia regarding her methods. Sombra leaning back and standing straight, with a more respectful stance towards the princess, brought a smile to Luna's lips. That was more like it. Sombra cast a look to the side as he thought about what kind of situation he was in. On one hoof, if he went, then his family would be devastated, and may even show some signs of resentment towards him for choosing work over family, again. On the other hoof, if some other pony was sent on this job, they might would fail, and he might be forced out of his vacation time anyways if the screw up drags the country into a conflict of sorts. Or worse, Luna might remove his family and insist that he had no further reason to resist complying with her simple order. After all, it could be nothing more than a high profile delivery mission. Sombra shifted his gaze again, making eye contact with Luna as he finally gave in to the seemingly less dangerous option. “Very well then, what, in short, am I to be doing?” Luna blinked gestured with a flick of her ears towards a chariot manned by two bat-winged pegasi. Sombra rolled his eyes, getting the hint. “Alright, let me get my armor...” “No!” Before Sombra could fully turn away from Luna, two small voices cried out in protest, likely having eavesdropped on parts of the conversation. Shade and Umbra rushed downstairs, moonlight filtering through the open front door just enough to illuminate their small forms. Eyes watery, they rushed to Sombra's hind legs, wrapping their hooves in protest around his rear limbs. The unicorn nearly stumbled from this hindrance to his mobility. “You just got back!” Umbra cried out, “You are leaving us again?” Sombra bit his lip, for a moment lost for reply as he focused on the two foals obstructing his movement. A soft set of hoofsteps brought his attention back to the staircase. “Foals, back to bed,” Violet demanded, her azure gaze staring past her immediate family directly at Luna. At first, the two youngsters seemed to refuse, but the purple coated mare was not to be denied for long, and when her icy glare went upon them, they released Sombra and dashed upstairs, giving Sombra one last look before heading up. Their faces were a mixture of grief and hurt, both of which caused Sombra to avert his gaze from them to Violet. Knowing full well that they would stop at the top of the stairwell to listen in, Violet looked towards Sombra, her dark blue mane quite the mess from having just gotten out of bed. The earlier door slamming had probably awakened her, but Shade and Umbra coming downstairs likely convinced her to get out of bed. “So, duty calls yet again huh?” she dully stated, gaze softening slightly “And here I was thinking you were really on leave this time.” “I am!” Sombra insisted, turning full face towards Violet, his back now to Luna, “Listen, Violet...” “This is not exactly the first time that Sombra has had to leave unexpectedly,” Luna curtly pointed out, just a hint of impatience coming across, “Make this quick. It is not like Sombra will not be coming back.” Violet restrained some of her irritation with Luna's blunt force method of hastening their farewell, largely because Luna was one of the top princesses of the land. She could not bite back a bitter remark, however, just for the sake of making a point. “What if he doesn't come back though? And even if he does, he will just be called back again.” Silence lingered as Sombra racked his brain for a solution to ease her worries. Luna's demeanor shifted completely, and she seemed to completely shift into an alternate version of Celestia. Her face softened, her body language more erect and restrained as if she sought to ease the tension. “Is there anything I can do to make this easier on you?” Luna sounded as if conflicted between the task and Somnbra' personal life. “Sombra has to follow through with this mission, and I do not think worrying about his wife's state of mind will help him perform at his best.” Suddenly, Sombra realized the most sensible solution to their problem. “Make this my last mission before retirement, and we have a deal,” Sombra offered as he turned to face Luna, “After this one last mission, I can come home with full pension, more than enough so that I am not required to rejoin the active service.” Luna's face twisted into a wry smile, almost as if barely containing an outburst of laughter, as if Sombra were joking. However, as she looked towards Violet, who had trotted to Sombra's side by this point, it became clear that Sombra was quite serious. Another silence, as two hearts nearly stopped when Luna opened her mouth to announce her decision. “Very well then. Do this one last mission, and all will be arranged for your departure from our forces, just short of a funeral service.” Sombra turned his head to look towards Violet, who seemed just a little cheered up at this. Despite appearances, Violet still held some suspicion about the worth of the agreement. “How long is this mission going to take?” “I, uh, we, need it done in a week,” Luna answered very quickly, “Should not take any longer than that.” The two spouses smiled, overjoyed at the relatively short mission time. They looked towards each other once more; a resounding cheer came from upstairs, and Sombra and Violet brought their heads together. “Just a week,” Sombra cooed with a glint in his eyes, “one last mission, and then that honeymoon I promised years ago.” “I look forward to that,” Violet replied with a wide grin, “Make sure you come back in one piece.” “Don't I always?” Sombra replied before succumbing to a deep kiss from Violet. As the two began making out, Luna frowned, as she impatiently awaited the two to part. When they did not part within seven seconds, Luna raised a hoof to rap on the door. But before she could leave a mark in the door from the force of her rapping, the two spouses parted, and Sombra turned to Luna with a wide grin. “Alright, I'll go get my armor, and then we'll be off.” Seven Days Later It had been nearly a week since Sombra had departed, and today Violet had a special event planned for his expected return. She intended on bringing him into the shop while the kids were at school, immediately closing it and locking the place down. She wanted no interruptions in their intimate time alone. But that was for later in the evening; as for now it was still morning, with just a bit of sunlight streaming through the partially opened blinds. The small jewelry/pawn shop seemed rather homely, with wood panel floors and walls. It was a small business, only a single row of jewelry on display and such, but there were many exotic goods acquired from foreign lands that attracted more than a few customers. Of course, today, considering the strange extension of evening that everyone had had yesterday, and the strange figure seemingly cast onto the moon, there had been a haunting fear of imminent danger from non-Equestrian objects. Adjusting, Violet switched to a more standard jewelry set, with the standard sapphires, diamonds, and imported crystals (that few would recognize as imported). Business had been slow regardless of her efforts, and the single unicorn that had come in so far was going to be her first and only sale at this rate; if she could only convince him to buy a diamond. On the plus side, he had an upcoming wedding, or so he claimed, so that meant that he was not likely to leave without buying at least something. Violet wanted to make sure she made a profit off of it so that she could close the shop without regret. “This diamond will shine perfectly for your engagement,” Violet claimed, showing a rather large and ornate diamond to the dark blue stallion. “I don't know." The stallion eyed the jewel with some scrutiny before glancing at the price tag on the countertop. “The price is a little out of my range.” “Well, what does your fiancé value more?” Violet inquired with a sly smile, “A fancy wedding, or a diamond that she can wear around her neck and show off to all of Canterlot?” “Hm, well, when you put it that way." The stallion tapped his chin in thought, as if weighing the two points on an imaginary scale. “I suppose she always preferred the long term things. It is still a bit out of my price range.” “I will go lower by only ten bits,” Violet hastily bargained, “I will even throw in the chain for free.” Was it really for free? Already included in the price, but her client did not need to know that. “Alright, I will take it!” the stallion resolved with a cheer before adding, “It will not lose its vibrancy with time will it?” “Of course not sir,” Violet assured as she quickly bagged the item, “These gems do no so easily lose their shine.” The stallion paid his bits, retrieved his prize (a gold chain for it to hang on as well), and left the shop, opening the door and bowing to Violet's next customer. A long horn preceding a flowing mane of vibrant colors; what really caught Violet's attention, however, was the blazing sun proudly presented on the visitor's flank. Violet's eyes then moved to the white wings which, combined with the very long horn, meant that her newest visitor was none other than Princess Celestia. “Princess!” Violet chimed as she humbly bowed from behind her counter, “To what do I owe the honor?” In one fluid motion, Celestia used her magic to lock the doors, shut the blinds, and turn towards Violet, eyes ablaze with a strange fire. This display unnerved Violet, who now rose from her bow. If Celestia wanted to talk in private, outside of her castle grounds, then it meant that something was wrong. Sombra had always joked that that was a sure sign somepony had died, or worse, was about to. “Violet Gladis? I presume there are no others in here?” Celestia's eyes had just the tint of red, as if she had been weeping the previous night. Violet did not give it much more thought as she tried to think of the appropriate response to give to the simple question. “No your highness," Violet squeaked, her heart gripped with terror at whatever news could be coming, “Is everything alright?” Celestia titled her head, as if the question seemed very odd to her. “You have not heard the news? Yesterday was a very, eventful day in Equestrian history.” Violet shook her head, the dark blue mane swinging from side to side. In part, she had heard rumors from guards that the princess had been grieving last night, but with that being so recent, it was somewhat hard to know for sure. Celestia sighed, as if not wanting to go into the details at any length. “Yesterday afternoon Sombra had to be dealt with, and later that evening, a mare named Nightmare Moon attempted to overthrow me.” Violet gasped at both pieces of news that, by no coincidence she reasoned, happened so close to each other. “Did Princess Luna have something to do with it?” Violet's eyes began to water as she thought of the possibilities. “And Sombra, where is he now?” Celestia looked away briefly as she answered, “I am appointing a new Captain of the Guard at noon today, and Luna is not with us.” Violet's head swooned, just barely able to hold herself up any longer. Her breathing increased rapidly, tears welled to her eyes, and a violent shaking began to overtake her movements. “Is he, is he...” she stuttered, fearfully debating on whether she wanted to know the answer. Celestia looked again towards Violet, her eyes resolute. “You, nor your foals, will see him again in your lifetimes, to put it briefly,” Celestia ominously declared before taking a step towards the shaken shopkeeper, “I need to know, from you, if there was any connection between the two, as your response seems to imply.” “Luna sent him on a mission,” Violet spoke, barely listening to Celestia at this point as if she were lost in her memories, “She said it would only take a week...” “Answer me directly, Violet,” Celestia quipped with obvious signs of anger, “Did Sombra have anything to do with Luna's transformation?” Violet could no longer contain her tears as the reality sunk in; Sombra was gone, banished or killed, both of which meant that he was not coming home. That she could not see his stern face, smell his rancid morning breath, or see him play with Shade and Umbra. That he was gone from their lives, now and forever. Violet snapped back to attention by a shattering noise. Celestia had tapped gently on the display glass; despite her intentions, her strength proved too great for the glass and it shattered. The effect had been to catch Violet's attention; she had outright commanded it with this result. “Luna personally gave him a mission,” Violet started, tears still running down her face while apparently returning to what she had earlier glazed over, “He was supposed to be back here today.” “Was there anything strange about Luna's behavior?” Celestia lowered her head to look into Violet's eyes. “Anything at all?” “It was my first time meeting her face to face,” Violet confessed, unable to avert her tear streaked eyes, “I do not know if anything was off about her.” The uneasy stare down continued, with Celestia clearly withering the smaller mare with every passing minute. The re-emerging sobs from Violet eventually caused Celestia to ease up and raise her head, 'releasing' her from the scrutiny. “I believe you,” Celestia finally finished as she turned to walk towards the door, “I am sorry for your loss. His remaining pension will be paid out by tomorrow, and I will have this glass display replaced at my expense. Have a fine day.” As Celestia left the shop, everything was restored to its old settings, even the broken glass. The blinds were pulled back open, letting in the morning light, the “open” sign was raised, and the front door was unlocked. Violet, now alone, rushed over to the sign and switched it back to closed. She lasted until she personally locked the door again; trembling, she bit back a wail, tears still flowing like two rivers. Forget the pension, forget the stupid display, damn the whole shop to Tartarus! "Sombra..." It was all Violet could utter before she found herself on the floor, trying to keep herself from shrieking in agony. Some of the shattered glass had found itself underneath her hooves; thankfully most of it was still in the display, or else she probably would have fallen right atop them. "Mom, is something the matter?" Violet's head shot up like a bolt of lightning. Standing directly in front of her was both Umbra and Shade with worried expressions on their faces. She could not tell which of them had spoken, but it did not matter, as they both had the same looks. As much as she wanted to sugarcoat the truth, Violet knew that her actions, and the departure of Celestia, could only be interpreted as a narrow spectrum of things. The most obvious cause of her distress would become apparent, with what she was about to say. "Som... your father, will not be coming back to us. Go pack your things. We are leaving Canterlot in the morning."