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// So this is how I die... 
// Story: A shadow of what I once was. 
// by FaelaArts 
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“Come on Sombra, just buck a tree, that’s ah’ll I’m askin’ here.” Applejack had been trying for over an hour to get Sombra to buck an apple tree. Twilight said if he refused, ordering him was her only bet, but Applejack was trying to make friends with Sombra, not make him a slave. Applejack sighed once more, and decided to relent.

“Ok Sombra, but stay close ya hear? My family knows every inch of these fields, and we can find you if you run in a heartbeat. Applebloom! Come an’ watch Sombra while I buck the south field.” Applejack knew if Sombra tried to silence Applebloom he would find it a challenge, that filly could scream even with her mouth closed. Added to that, Applebloom was their best chance at melting that wall around Sombra.

‘“Kay sis, ah’ ya’ sure?” Applebloom trotted out of the house and over to Sombra and Applejack, a perplexed expression on her face as she glanced between them. Applebloom had been told to stay away from Sombra on the grounds he was a bad pony, despite the fact they were trying to reform him.

“Jus dun get too close to him, I’ll be back every 15 minutes.” Applejack hesitated for a moment longer, and then turned and headed into the trees. As silence descended, apart from the occasional bang as a tree was whacked, Applebloom stared into Sombra’s eyes. After a moment, she couldn’t stay silent any longer and opened her mouth.

“Mister Sombra? Is it true you enslaved the Crystal Empire? Is that how you got your cutie mark?” Applebloom beamed, eyes sparking with curiosity. Sombra regarded the filly, and breathed out, looking toward the direction Applejack had gone. Applebloom deflated, knowing that meant Sombra wasn’t going to answer.

“I did not enslave the Crystal Empire, I ascended the throne rightfully after my father,” he replied slowly in a monotone voice, bored beyond compare. Applebloom breathed in, and he glanced to her as she leaned forward, plopping her flank on the ground. Sombra breathed out again, and slowly turned to her, expression unchanging.

“Really? I always assumed cause’ ya were the bad guy you had taken it from Cadance or sometin’.” Applebloom scratched the back of her head and smiled sheepishly, embarrassed she had made such wrong assumptions. What she didn’t understand was why Applejack said Sombra was a bad guy, he seemed pretty polite to her.

“Cadance, that pink form I wish was covered in her lover’s blood, is likely an ancestor of my sister who was married off to establish good relations during my father’s reign. In hindsight, I should have killed her at birth.” Sombra narrowed his eyes and they flashed bright green for a moment, before returning to the same bored expression.

“Hey, tha’s mean, she was ya’ sis, dun ya miss her?” Applebloom tilted her head, apparently not bothered by the death threat against Cadance, but instead bothered by the death threat against Sombra’s sister.

“Aye, I miss using her as a bowling ball as I levitated her around the house, and then blamed it all on her. The joys of being the only unicorn in the family.” Sombra smiled perversely at the thought, before breathing out and leaning back against the tree, once more holding a bored expression.

“Ok Mister Sombra, I’ve got another question. Applejack says Celestia said you got ‘corrupted’ and ya’ heart is as ‘black as night’. When did you get ‘corrupted’?” Applebloom decided asking about Sombra’s sister was likely not going to end well. It seemed they were not very close.

“That question really depends on your definition of corruption.” Sombra closed his eyes and stifled a yawn. He had been up quite late the previous night.

“There’s more than one?” Applebloom tilted her head again, and Sombra opened up his eyes again and glared at her. After a moment he sighed and closed his eyes again.

“No you imbecile.” Sombra was not in the mood to explain to the idiot what perspective meant.

“Oh...Okay.” For a single moment after Applebloom spoke, there was blissful silence in the air. Of course, it wasn’t to last.

“Ah have another question Mister Sombra. What was your father like?” Applebloom looked towards the trees and realised there was no sound. It looked like Applejack was on her way back.

“My father was the king, it did not matter who he was like,” he replied.

“And you’re not? No offense Mister Sombra.” Applebloom had seen the glare long before it had reached his eyes, and she shivered as she shrunk under it. Sombra was really scary when he was angry. Moving closer, she leaned forward to listen in. Sombra looked at her eagerness, and sighed irritably.

“Well of course I am! And the title is King! Not Mister. I expect you to call me by it.” Sombra waved a hoof in irritation, and growled at Applebloom, who shuddered openly under his glare. After a moment, he looked away and returned to his bored expression.

“Did you have any other siblings King Sombra?” Applebloom made extra sure to use Sombra’s proper title. It wouldn’t hurt to be nice, even if he had yet to return it. Sighing loudly, he didn’t spare Applebloom a glance.

“An older brother, he was first in line to the throne before his death.” Sombra glanced to the sky before once more returning his attention to the void in front of him.

“I’m so sorry to hear of your loss.” Applebloom felt her ears lower. Poor Sombra, a sister sent away, an older brother dead, he must have been very lonely.

“Don’t be, I’m the one that killed him.” Sombra felt a ghost of a smile fall on his face at the memory.

“Was it an accident?" Applebloom reared back slightly in horror. Sombra sighed, and rolled his eyes.

“My one regret was that it was an accident.” Sombra glanced to Applebloom, the smile still slightly on his face. After a moment, his eyes widened and his face contorted with fury. Standing up, he swiped a hoof hard at Applebloom, hitting her on the cheek and sending her flying.

“YOU STAY AWAY FROM ME!” Sombra blinked, noticing he had actually hit Applebloom. If he had been about to think thoughts on the matter, it was interrupted by the sound of hooves running toward him. Turning, he saw Applejack was running toward him in a blind rage.

“How dare you touch mah sister!” Applejack pirouetted, and kicked with all her strength, sending Sombra straight at the barn door, where the handle hit him in the back as he broke through it, sending him into some hay. After a second, Sombra coughed, and blood spluttered out of his mouth. Looking to his hoof, he collapsed, eyes rolling back in his head.

“Ah you ok Bloom?” Applejack was over her sister in an instant as she sat up, and groaned, rubbing her sore cheek. Surprisingly, Sombra’s hoof had had barely any force behind it. The bruise would be gone in two days tops. Applejack felt a slice of guilt hit her in the chest, and glanced to the bloodied form of Sombra. Maybe she had been a bit too strong for her own good.

“Sis ya can’t let ‘im die, ah dun think he meant to hit me. I got too close.” Applebloom tried to think to the moment after when she had breifly caught Sombra looking at her after she had been hit, but couldn’t remember it very well with her slight concussion. Applejack breathed out and glanced to Sombra. While she seriously doubted Applebloom's story, she was right about one thing.

“No point in reformin’ a dead pony.”