//------------------------------//
// Chapter 16: On The Railroad 
// Story: The Not-So-Normal Adventures of King Sombra and Pinkie Pie 
// by Harmony Charmer 
//------------------------------//

	"Come on, Sombry!" Pinkie called over her shoulder, bouncing ahead of Sombra as he trotted behind her.

Sombra let out a huff of annoyed air. "I'm coming, I'm coming," he told her, picking up his pace a little as he made his way over.

Pinkie bounced over to Sombra, hopping in place when she made it to where she was in front of him.

"The girls are probably waiting for us!" she told him, "I don't want to be late!"

Sombra rolled his eyes. "I know, I know," he replied, his ears flattening against his head in annoyance.

Pinkie stopped bouncing as she quirked an interested brow upwards. "Is something bothering you, Sombry?"

Sombra frowned. "We're about to face one of the ponies who forced me into a 1000 year imprisonment, Pinkie," he said flatly, "I'm not exactly ecstatic to see Celestia again."

Pinkie gave him a sympathetic look. "I know, Sombry," she said, taking a couple steps towards him, "but we have to talk to her sometime."

Sombra sighed. "I understand that, Pinks," he told her, giving her a despondent look, "but it doesn't take from the fact that there's bad blood between us. Celestia and Luna aren't very fond of me, as I'm sure you know."

Pinkie gave him a reassuring smile, then put a hoof on his shoulder. "It'll be alright, Sombry!" she told him, "I'll be there for you, 'member?"

Sombra smiled weakly in return. "Thank you for that," he said finally, then gave her a stern look, "just don't attack them if things get ugly."

"No promises!" Pinkie chirped, turning around as she bounced away.

But, just as she was in the air, she was surprised to see that Sombra had taken a hold of her tail with his jaws, causing her to remain in front of him.

"I mean it, Pinkie," he said sternly, releasing her tail, "I don't want you to get into a fight with either of the Royal Sisters. Although I hate to admit it, they're a force to be reckoned with."

Pinkie gave him a deadpan look for a brief moment, then raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner.

"Have you met me?" she questioned flatly, her eyes half-lidded in annoyance.

Sombra opened his mouth to argue, but once he realized the futility in doing so, he let out an aggravated sigh of defeat.

"Point taken," he replied, holding a hoof up to emphasize his statement.

"Exactly!" Pinkie called out, booping his nose, "Come on, let's get to the station!"

Again, Pinkie turned around to bounce off, but was stopped as she felt something come up from beneath her, cutting of her hop. With a surprised yelp, she clung onto the form under her, stopping when she realized it was Sombra's head.

"Whatcha doin'?" Pinkie asked, adjusting herself to where she straddling his shoulders.

"This'll get us there faster," was all he said, crouching down into a sprinting position.

Pinkie blinked in surprise, then giggled as she snuggled into his mane.

"Okie dokie lokie!" she exclaimed, "Tally ho, Sombry!"

And with that last exclamation, Sombra dashed off, making his way towards the train station with Pinkie letting out cheers of joy.


*	*	*


"This is absolutely ridiculous," Applejack said to herself, casting her gaze between Rarity and their three other friends who resided on the other side of the station.

"Oh, Applejack dear, can you tell Twilight how wrong she is?" Rarity asked, ignoring the cowpony's statement, "I would do so, but I am a lady and I wish to conduct myself as such."

Twilight shot Rarity a glare. "I'm doing this as a security measure," she told Rarity sharply, "I don't want to, but it's just in case we're wrong about Sombra's reformation process."

Rarity didn't even spare her a glance. "Oh, Applejack, can you tell Twilight that Sombra would never do anything to hurt Pinkie because he loves her?" she said flatly, closing her eyes to show how apathetic she was.

"Again, Ah'm not sure about him lovin' her," Applejack said, refusing to be a part of the quarrel, "but Ah can tell that he cares fer her."

"He is really nice to her..." Fluttershy mumbled quietly, just barely loud enough for anypony to hear.

"Whose side are you on?" Rainbow asked harshly, hovering above Fluttershy's sitting form, "You're supposed to be watching Sombra's behavior, not defending it!"

Fluttershy let out a small squeak. "S-Sorry..." she stammered, "I just meant that Sombra is nice to Pinkie, is all..."

Twilight gave Rainbow a sharp look. "Fluttershy is right," she told her, then turned towards Rarity with narrowed eyes, "though, that's hardly concrete evidence for loving Pinkie."

Rarity snapped her head in the direction, the first acknowledgement she had made of Twilight since their argument back at the library.

"It's true love!" Rarity snapped, then pointed a hoof at Twilight biliously, "You wouldn't know, seeing as how the only pony you've ever loved was a book character!"

Twilight gaped at her. "I told you that in confidence!" she hissed angrily, standing up and leaning towards Rarity in hostility.

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Applejack exclaimed, jumping between the quarreling mares and holding her hooves out to prevent any movement on their part, "This has gotta stop! Y'all are friends, 'member?"

Both Rarity and Twilight were silent for a moment, then looked down shame-faced collectively.

"Sorry, darling," Rarity said earnestly, "I just find it hard to believe that Sombra would do anything to hurt Pinkie, is all."

Twilight sighed. "I know that," she told her, "and although I can see that Sombra has changed since his arrival in Ponyville all those months ago, I'm still worried that it could be some elaborate trick to catch us off guard."

"Twilight has a point," Rainbow said, flying over and landing next to her alicorn friend, "I can totally see Sombra being skeevy and tricking Pinkie into liking him! I mean, don't you think it's a little strange how quickly he started liking her?"

Rarity gave Rainbow a wide-eyed look. "Rainbow Dash!" she exclaimed, putting a hoof to her chest dramatically, "Love does not have a set timer!"

"It was a bit strange..." Applejack said to herself.

Rarity gave her a sharp look. "You're not helping!" she snapped, then turned back to Rainbow Dash, "Haven't you seen them together, Dash? It's clear that they love each other, even to the blind!"

Rainbow let out a sound of disgust. "If you're talking about how they kiss in public, then yeah, I've seen it," she told her, then shuddered as she added, "unfortunately, eye bleach hasn't been invented yet, so I'm not gonna forget seeing that anytime soon."

Fluttershy made a small smile. "I think it's sweet..." she said, "though, they probably shouldn't be so..."

"Open with their affection?" Applejack finished, raising a brow, "preachin' to the choir, Shy. Ah can't tell ya how many times Ah had to shield Apple Bloom's eyes whenever those two decided to get comfortable near the apple stand."

Twilight made a sour face. "At least they haven't gotten friendly in your house!" she exclaimed, "Do you have any idea how hard it is to brush up on reading Starswirl the Bearded's anamorphic spell with those two not a room away from you sucking face?"

Everyone let out disgusted sounds, except Rarity, who only made a sickened face as she tried to unhear what she just heard.

"Alright, we get it, they like to get friendly in public!" Rainbow cried out, screwing her eyes shut, "Can we please stop talking about it? I'm having flashbacks!"

Suddenly, a loud squeal broke through the group's conversation, causing them to turn their attention to where it had originated from.

"Is that...?" Fluttershy said, trailing off.

"Yep," Applejack said, her expression turning deadpan, "it's the happy couple."

As if on cue, Sombra slid into the station's wooden platform, stopping just in front of the girls. Pinkie poked her head up from Sombra's, a wide grin on her features as she giggled happily.

"Hi, guys!" she greeted, "Did ya miss us?"

"Why, yes, indeed!" Rarity exclaimed, jumping in before anyone could make a comment on their manner of arrival, "How is the happy couple?"

Pinkie giggled. "Things are great!" she replied, then looked down at Sombra as she snuggled into his mane, "Isn't that right, Sombry?"

Sombra chuckled. "If last night was any correlation," he said, raising his eyebrows.

"Eeeeeeeeeeew," Rainbow drawled, screwing her eyes shut, "get a stable!"

"Alright, alright, that's enough of that," Applejack said, "Yer gonna give me nightmares..."

Pinkie let out a giggle. "Sorry, guys!" she called out, "But I'm just really happy right now!"

"Let's just get on the train," Twilight said, "we already got your tickets for you."

"Oh, thanks!" Pinkie replied, then nudged Sombra's head, "What do we say...?

Sombra frowned at her, then sighed. "Thank you, Sparkler," he droned.

Pinkie gave him a frown, but then shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, close enough," she said nonchalantly, "Come on, let's get on the train!"

Sombra grinned up at her. "What do we say...?" he said, mimicking her tone from earlier.

Pinkie leaned over his head so she was facing him upside down, giggling as she did.

"Pretty please with sprinkles and a cherry on top?" she guessed.

Sombra shrugged. "Eh, close enough," he said, grinning when he saw her expression, "I'm just messing with you, Dork."

"I'm not a dork!" she argued, getting back into her original position.

"Are too," he sang out, trotting over to the train car.

"Am not!" she called out.

"Are too!" he called back.

As the couple continued to argue, the others followed behind them, watching with interest.

"And you still say he's tricking her?" Rarity questioned as she passed Rainbow, who seemed rather surprised by Pinkie and Sombra's interactions with the other.

Rainbow frowned at her. "I don't know what to think," she said flatly, her gaze going back to the couple once again, "but that's what makes it so hard to trust him."