How long had it been since he’d seen Tinker? It was only a month, but it’d seemed like two. Time did tend to drag on for Sombra, with so little going on every other day, not to say he found it unpleasant. Even so, maybe I ought to get a job or something...
Robyn had been rather apathetic (as usual) when Sombra told her about the phoenix on the roof. She hardly seemed surprised that such a rarity had been in the tree, on their street. Sombra hadn’t been so happy in quite a while, yet his mother didn’t even pretend to share his enthusiasm. Somehow, he didn’t think Luna would be much more receptive either. Well at least you can talk to her about the feathers.
‘Do you think Alex will ever come back?’ Sombra asked over dinner.
‘Oh Sombra, would you like him to come back?’
‘Course I would!’
‘It wouldn't be the same.’
‘Yeah, no kidding.’
And that was all they said. Sombra thought he might not be able to contain his rage if Alex did come back, but it was a lot better than apathy, right?
‘Sleep well, Som-bra?’
‘Huh? Yeah I guess...’
‘What?’
‘It’s just strange of you to ask me that.’
‘In some circles I am called the dream mistress.’
‘Should I care?’
You’re feigning uninterest. Get off my back would you? I said what came to mind.
‘You must be troubled to be so snide.’
‘Mmm.’
‘I’ve got a terrible power, Sombra.’
She's started on about something like this before. Somehow, I don’t think she’s dramatising, as silly as she sounds.
‘Mmm-hm.’
‘I can see ponies dreams, and even influence them to an extent.’
‘That sounds fun.’
‘Do you realise what I could make anypony—you do? ‘
‘Bring down the heavens?’
‘Are you even listening?’
‘Come on you can’t do that much just through someone’s dreams, lots of us forget about them anyway.’
‘Haha, I’ll prove it to you. You’re going to say something quite odd next time.’
‘Yeah right.’
‘So would you like to tell me what the brink was like?’
‘The brink? That’s what we’re calling it?’
‘Unless you have a preferred term!’ she giggled.
I guess not.
‘Well I mean... you know, schizophrenic, distortions and voices, I think you heard them too when you tried.’
‘I might have, but I don’t want to say anything to influence your memory.’
‘Never done anything scarier, felt like I’d lose myself.’
‘And what do you mean by that?’
‘Er, like I’d forget who I was... corrupted, maybe?’
Luna frowned.
‘That’s not good Som-bra.’
‘I won’t do it again then, Lu-na.’
She gave him a cheeky grin.
‘We should be able to get you to harmonise with your magic eventually, even when you are pushing yourself.’
After some lengthy discussion about the technicalities of what “harmonising” involved, Sombra brought up the phoenix he’d encountered. Luna was puzzled to hear how it had reacted, she hadn’t thought the feathers could mean anything dire. ‘Are you sure?’ she kept asking.
‘Still, I’m glad you talked to one, though my sister tells me they can be rather moody.’
‘I–’
‘She’s been trying to find a way to understand them, I’m sure they’ve got some interesting tales to tell, haha.’
‘Isn’t she busy with running Equestria and that stuff?’
‘More than me, but she finds time. She’s even mentioned how she’d like to have a collection of phoenix feathers, I’ve no idea why she’s suddenly become so interested in them.’
‘Maybe she wants to be one!’
‘That would be liberating wouldn’t it? Quite lonely though, they’re not social, generally.’
‘Yeah yeah I know... So what are we gonna do?’
‘We could try more of the same, if you’re feeling brave. You’re going to have to conquer the fear eventually, unless you want to freak out every time you get to the brink.’
‘But that wouldn’t happen outside of doing it deliberately, right?’
‘Who knows?’
Who knows? Freakin’ alicons know, that’s who.
Begrudgingly, he did as he’d done last time, channeling all of his magic into his horn, letting it uselessly fizzle out. And the voices called out to him, from an unrecognised part of the soul.
‘Welcome back.’ they said, as if there wasn’t grass beneath him. ‘But there isn’t any grass beneath you, you’re with us now.’
Sombra tried to find the grass.
‘There is no grass, Sombra! Only us, us us, and us together, until you think you’re gone! Look at us, aren’t we beautiful together? Don’t try and treat it as if we’re seperate now, you’ll spoil our complexion!’
And they were spinning, spinning, twisting turning falling.
‘Hush it’s all right now Som-bra, you’re right here.’
‘Here is relative.’
‘Here is where my voice is.’
‘That’s an odd “here.”’
‘Odd is relative.’
Sombra laughed, finally back in the garden, sweaty, biting at his lip, and feathers brushing against his side. He was secretly enjoying her—and Tinker popped into his mind again. I mean come on, why am I so bothered about that? ‘Course I’m going to like being so close to her. She’s pretty, and shes strong and a bit weird. And she’s y’know, she, duh.
‘Feeling better now?’
‘Oh yeah, I am thanks.’ Sombra said with butterflies in his tummy.
‘Something else on your mind? You seem... distracted.’
‘No no nothing at all, just relieved I’m not nearly as shaken as last time’
Stop it. Stop staring at her neck. Stop staring at her, Sombra. She’s right next to you, of course she’s going to notice. What’s wrong with you? You’ve had your eye on mares before, fucking control yourself, yeah? You can do that can’t you?
‘Oh really? With respect, I’m a bit doubtful.’
‘Just a bit, haha.’
She leaned closer.
‘Do you like me, Som-bra?’