//------------------------------// // Snow // Story: The Umbra King // by Car Cloth //------------------------------// Sombra stalked through the darkness, agitated by the dreams he had been having. He knew they were the work of that accursed princess, but he wasn’t powerful enough to stop it yet. He was powerful enough to use his nightmare spell, however… the spell that showed the pony their inner most insecurities and fears… I’ll use the nightmare spell on the seamstress and her fear will be the power I need to break this locking spell on my horn, he thought. He hated being reminded of his failure. He hated all of those memories. Sombra shook his head, wrecked by the memories of being trapped in the frozen north. He had spent those 1,000 years hunting down and eradicating each and every Arctic Timberwolf he could find. Each one he killed adding to his hate for that monster race of wolves… Sombra took a deep breath and calmed himself. Once he had enough power he would never need to feel this shame and guilt again. The main door to the castle opened and closed, heralding the arrival of his guard. Sombra slid through the shadows with ease, having escaped his crystal cage hours ago. She was trusting enough… it wouldn’t be hard to cast his spell on her and leave. No need to harm her – she had attempted to save him from the alicorn princess, after all. That would be his favor to her. He would let her live. “See? This is a castle. Are you satisfied?” “No! I want to see the whole thing! I’ve never been here before, Rarity! C’mon!” “Arg… All right, Sweetie Belle. Just… wait here. I need to go see if somepony real quick.” Sombra heard the two voices and hesitated. She had brought another with her? It doesn’t matter, he thought. I’ll use my nightmare spell the two of them and get even more power… The white unicorn turned the corner into the hallway he was hiding and Sombra stepped from the shadows, blocking her path. The mare jumped back, startled by his presence but quickly calming herself. “King Sombra?” she asked. “I thought Twilight sent you back to the cage…” “She let me out,” he lied. “Oh, good. That was what I was coming to do. I’m so sorry she attacked you like that, but I’m sure she apologized herself.” Sombra narrowed his eyes. He was done with pleasantries. “You brought somepony with you.” “Oh? Um, yes. I was hoping to introduce you.” “Lead the way,” he commanded. With a graceful swish of her mane, the white unicorn lead the way. Sombra readied his spell, hoping to catch the both of these ponies with one use. They entered the main hall and, right before Sombra used his terrifying spell, he froze. The mare had brought with her a filly! Sombra practically chocked back the spell, unable to bring himself to use it on a foal… He took a step back when the little white filly trotted up to him. “Hi,” the filly said. The white mare motioned to Sombra. “Sweetie Belle, this is my friend, Sombra. Sombra, this is Sweetie Belle.” Silence fell over the group as Sombra stared down at the filly. She looked so much like… His mouth became dry with nervousness and Sombra took yet another hesitant step back. The filly stared up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Sweetie Belle,” the mare harshly whispered. “Do. Not. Embarrass. Me. Staring isn’t very lady-like.” “Sorry,” the filly whispered back, averting her gaze and only occasionally glancing back to Sombra. “Well, Sweetie Belle, why don’t you explore the castle why I talk to Sombra?” “O-okay. Sounds good.” The white foal galloped away, half excited to see the castle and half grateful she could avoid the awkward conversation. “Is it yours?” Sombra asked once the foal had disappeared into one of the nearby rooms. “Pardon me?” “Is it yours?” “Everything is all natural, darling,” the mare said, fluffing her mane. “Well, except for the eyelashes…” “The foal,” Sombra growled. “Not your appearance.” “Oh! Sweetie Belle? No,” Rarity said with a laugh. “No, no, no. She’s my sister, like I told you earlier, remember?” That’s right. She had mentioned her sister before. “Why did you bring her here?” “She wanted to the see the castle. You know how some foals can get.” “You shouldn’t have brought her here. You don’t know what I’m capable of…” The mare took a step closer to him and gently smiled. “You’ve been a perfect gentleman with me. I don’t think you would harm Sweetie Belle.” Sombra turned away from her. Of course he wouldn’t hurt a little filly! But… his dark magic won’t work without fear… The filly was gone. He could use his spell on Rarity, right now… Sombra shook his head. Rarity… He knew her name… he had tried to purge it from his mind; to forget it each time he heard it, but he was failing. “Are you okay?” Rarity asked. “Don’t concern yourself with me,” he snapped. I should leave her presence. I can’t think properly with her around… “Rarity! Rarity!” The filly ran back into the room with a smile on her face. “What is it, Sweetie Belle?” “Scootaloo and Apple Bloom are outside! They’re playing in the snow! Can I go out to see them?” “Of course.” The adorable little foal ran for the main door and pushed it open with a combination of her magic and physical effort. A burst of cold wind washed over the hall, causing Sombra to tense. He hated the cold. Rarity walked over and glanced outside, watching her sister run out to join her friends. Sombra slowly approached to see what was happening as well. He watched as Sweetie Belle joined her friends in the snow and immediately began to play and laugh. There were tons of foals out in the snow; an entire schoolyard worth. They were constructing snow forts and gathering snowballs in order to have a snowball fight. “Look, everypony! All the blank-flanks are here!” The other foals stared at Sweetie Belle and her two friends. Embarrassed, Sweetie Belle ducked into the snow with a sigh. “Get’em! The snow fight is on!” “Wait,” Sweetie Belle cried. “I just got here!” A hail of snowballs rained down on Sweetie Belle and her friends, covering them in the packed ice. The small snow fort her friends had made was quickly destroyed. The other foals began laughing, enjoying their misfortune. “Black-flanks! Blank-flanks!” With barely restrained rage, Sombra galloped from the castle and out into the snowfield, startling the foals. Stepping over Sweetie Belle and her friends, he growled and lowered his horn in an intimidating manner. While the foals were stunned he used his shadow powers to rise the snow up in the form of a terrible ice monster to scare them. Screaming, the foals ran from the snow field, crying as they went. Sombra enjoyed the power he got from their fear, but he held back… he never liked scaring foals. “Wow! That was awesome!” Sweetie Belle gasped. “Thank you, Sombra!” At first, Sweetie Belle’s friends were frightened, but the moment Sweetie Belle acknowledged him as a friend, they relaxed. The orange coated Pegasus let out an excited shout. “Wow! I’ve never seen a stallion with a blank flank! Awesome! You know him, Sweetie Belle? He totally scared everyone! He’s the best unicorn ever!” Sombra released the magic on the ice monster and stepped away from Sweetie Belle and her friends. He didn’t want to speak with them. He didn’t want to be in the snow. He just couldn’t stand watching them being ridiculed. He would have never let that happen to his younger sister… “Is Sweetie Belle all right?” Rarity asked, running through the snow toward Sombra. “She’s fine.” Sombra walked back toward the castle, confused by his urge to protect the foals. He hadn’t felt that urge in over a millennia… --- Rarity turned and saw that her sister and her friends were perfectly fine. Sombra had used his magic to frighten the other foals. He hadn’t harmed them. She ran back to Sombra and followed him back into Twilight’s castle. He seemed distant again, but now she knew why. “Sombra,” she whispered to them as they walked back into the castle. “Why don’t you take the time to relax in someplace warm? I found a bathing room when I was trying to show you around, darling. I always enjoy a good spa treatment… It will take away the sting of the snow.” He nodded at her suggestion, barely interacting with her. Rarity trotted ahead, trying to remember where, exactly, she had seen that room. Once she found it she opened the door and allowed Sombra to enter. It was a large tile room with a sunken down bathtub, deep and wide enough to fit at least ten ponies comfortably. The faucets were etched silver and the far wall was a dusted mirror. Rarity walked over and turned on the hot water, slowly filling the bath. She knew the warm water would make Sombra feel better. She knew he must hate the cold. “If you need anything else, just call,” she said with a smile. “I brought with me hoof-stitched towels.” “Stay with me,” he commanded. Rarity was taken aback. The steam filled the room and caused her to flush. “Me?” she awkwardly asked. “You want me to stay with you? W-well, normally mares and stallions bathe separately…” There wasn’t much of a reason to bathe separately, considering that most ponies went without clothing the majority of the time. It was just customary. “I would rather not be alone with my thoughts.” “A-all right.” Once the tub was filled with warm water he stepped in. Rarity followed after, allowing the warmth to seep into her coat and melt away any chill she might have felt from walking around in the snow. Rarity took a seat opposite Sombra but, very unexpectedly to her, he pulled her close to him, keeping her on his side. “When I’m alone all I can think of is gaining power,” he earnest admitted. “But when I’m with you… I feel a need to be something more than just a fulcrum of magic…” “If you need me to stay, I will.” She enjoyed his touch and rested her head against his mane. He nuzzled her head. This was more than anything she could have hoped for. She didn’t even know he felt this way about her. Rarity hesitated when speaking, trying to formulate her words to best articulate her desires. “I’ve always admired those who hold themselves with a duty and nobility… and I admire those with dedication and passion. I… want to be with somepony that needs me and who I will need to push me to my creative limits… Somepony who shares my finer tastes in life…” She looked up at him, hoping that he would understand what she was trying to say. Sombra suddenly pushed her away. His mane was wet and straight, adding to his melancholy expression. “Don’t except anything of me. Once you’re gone… I’ll drift back to everything I ever was before.” “You’re already what I said you were,” Rarity admitted, moving closer to him. The heat from the water and the situation was intense. She had imaged feelings of affection before, but they had all been superficial. Trenderhoof, Prince Blueblood… they had all been fleeting feelings, barely skin-deep. She honestly wanted to help Sombra return to his old unicorn self. She honestly wanted him with her. “You don’t understand. I’ve failed everyone I ever cared for before… I’ve lost my way and now… now I-” Rarity hushed him and leaned into his chest. He didn’t need to relive all those terrible memories. “You won’t fail. I won’t let you fail.” Sombra held her close and leaned down, drawing his mouth along her cheek until it finally connected with Rarity’s. In that moment, in the hot, steamy bathing room, Rarity felt a passion she had never felt before. Sombra kissed at her muzzle and gently licked her when he finished. “Sombra…” she breathed. “Rarity, I…” Sombra was breathless for a moment, obviously holding back an urge to do more. “I will never be what you want. I’m consumed by dark magic. It permeates my core… I will never be my normal self…” “You mean because of the Nightmare Gem?” Rarity asked. “How do you-” “You could give it up,” she interjected. “You can get rid of it! Then you can leave this dark magic thing behind you… You wouldn’t be haunted by any longer.” “You don’t understand,” Sombra agonized, turning away. “The gem… it’s all that kept me alive when I found it; when I was defeated by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna… Without it I’ll cease to be… I’ll die.” Rarity could barely believe her ears. “How do you-” “My life has been stretched unnaturally long as it is,” he explained, his voice strained. “I should have died a long time ago… in the snow, all alone… Everything I’ve done since then is because of my dark magic. It fuels my body, even my shadows, and I can’t live without it. Do you understand now? I’ll always be this way…” “But…” Rarity began. “You said you don’t think about that when I’m around?” “No,” he earnest admitted. “No, I… feel like I need to be something better for you and your sister...” “Then I’ll just need to stay with you forever, won’t I?” “When the night comes I’ll be left to my nightmares once more.” “Then you’ll stay with me at night.” “Rarity…” “I told you I wouldn’t let you fail and… I meant it.” --- Using her magic, Rarity slowly brushed the length of Sombra’s mane. He was laying with her on her bed, relaxing after the long bath they had taken together. Rarity ran the comb along his back after she was done, messaging his coat. “Tell me about yourself,” Sombra said, breaking their contented silence. Rarity continued to brush and smiled. “What do you want to know, darling? I’ve told you what I feel passionate about, you’ve met Sweetie Belle…” “What do you think your cutie mark represents?” She glanced at her triple diamond mark and thought about the question for few moments. “I think it means that I never settle for less than the most rare and unique in life.” “The most rare and unique?” “That’s why I design clothing. To give ponies the power to make a unique statement. Each and every piece I make is special and different than the last. I don’t want what everyone else wants. I want to be remembered for bringing all ponies a sense of uniqueness.” Sombra looked back at her, his red eyes staring at her with a since of affection. “Your passion has dictated your destiny?” “That’s right,” Rarity said with a laugh. “And I guess my passion has followed me to my love life as well.” “What do you mean?” “I don’t think there has ever been, or will ever be again, a stallion quite like you.” He half-smiled at her statement and continued to enjoy her brushing. “Oh!” Rarity suddenly gasped. “I know the perfect thing!” She jumped from the bed and trotted over her to her belongings. “I always like to give my friends something special from my boutique… I have decided that I’m going to have to learn metalworking in order to fashion you some functional armor, but until then…” Rarity pulled from her bag a long silver and red, nearly completed, scarf. She also removed a spool of shiny black thread. Within moments she finished the scarf, stitching into one end a monogram of the letter ‘S’. She floated the scarf over with her telekinesis and wrapped it around Sombra to make sure it was long enough. “There! Magnifique!” She trotted back to the bed and curled back up next to him. “Now the snow won’t be as cold.” Sombra stroked the scarf and sighed. He rolled over and pulled her close, mentally noting how silk-like her coat was, practically the same texture as the scarf. Rarity used her magic to turn off the light and snuggled even closer. She enjoyed the feeling of Sombra’s hooves running the length of her body. She wasn’t tired and she suspect Sombra wasn’t either…