//------------------------------// // Generic Jewels Aren't Always Worse In Dreams // Story: Sombra Dislikes Crystals // by The Apologetic Pony //------------------------------// Sombra recoiled initially, but stilled remarkably fast. He didn’t know if he was thinking, or what he was thinking, but he knew it felt good. Better than Tinkers, fucking hell. Seriously, it was a lot better. He was eager for Luna to lean closer, she seemed bigger now that they were side by side and her diaphragm almost pushed him away with its size. Feels like I’m making out with a dragon. Between wing and tongue, he was disappointed when it ended. Luna wasn’t though. ‘Good lesson. Guard’s will be waiting at the gate.’ she said, and then promptly walked away. That was utterly confusing. She was the one that kissed me, right? Right. It wasn’t you. Wasn’t you who walked away either. Is she ashamed? Is that it? Am I not noble enough? Did I do something wrong? Calm down, Sombra, losing your head over a kiss you are. No, not just that. So you care for the rude, crude, lewd alicorn now? No, I always have. Despite his anxiety, the pegasi chuffers noticed the massive smile on his face as they flew him home. They didn’t think much of it. For the first time in a long time, Robyn was awake to welcome him back. ‘You’re back early.’ ‘Yeah stuff happened.’ ‘Mmm-hmm. Some snacks in the fridge if you want.’ Sombra didn’t bother with those, just a dark room and curtains please. The euphoric buzz he was on made his dreams last as long as it took him to get to sleep, but when he did, Luna was waiting. ‘Hello, Sombra.’ ‘Hi.’ ‘There’s a moon under the horizon.’ ‘So I–’ ‘Raise it.’ ‘Luna...’ ‘What?’ ‘Don’t be so mean.’ ‘If I was ever a goddess this would be where.’ ‘Yeah but what do you want me to do with your freakin moon?’ ‘Raise it, just try. It won’t be difficult.’ Sombra didn’t like the tone they were talking in, as if he was genuinely angry at her, and her genuinely angry at him. She doesn’t like it that we kissed, okay, but could she make her insecurity any more obvious? ‘Actually, you know what? I refuse.’ ‘Poof goes the dream if you’d like. They’re endless.’ ‘No, what I’d like would be for you to tell me what’s going on with you.’ ‘Doing a favour.’ ‘Of being a complete bitch?’ Luna made some puffs of smoke from her hooves. ‘You’re very brave and all, telling me off like that, but what we did doesn’t change anything.’ ‘Well you’ve changed. Wheres the flirting? Wheres the mare who’d hold me close when I needed?’ ‘She’s right here.’ she said, her image wavering in the dreamscape. ‘Fuck it, Luna whatever’s the fuck’s wrong with you, I don’t want to be taught by you until you’ve sorted it out.’ ‘We aren’t equals here. I can be whatever I want to be, I can do whatever I want to do, and you’re stuck as a bloody pony.’ ‘Would you stop trying to hide behind that dream shit? I liked it, okay? If that’s your problem.’ Luna said and did absolutely nothing. ‘Didn’t you?’ ‘Yes, I did, Sombra.’ ‘Good! Fucking progress!’ Luna casually sank into the floor. ‘You’re lucky I can’t remember the last time I had a conversation like this, or I’d know how to react.’ ‘And you’re lucky your little pupil is so patient, floor pony.’ She remerged. ‘I imagine we’d both prefer somewhere equal to talk about it.’ ‘Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?’ ‘Its been about me, and not us. Besides, I don’t think its the same without physical presence, no?’ ‘Sure...’ ‘Moon’s still here if you’re so inclined.’ Without knowing either exactly what he wanted to do, or what he would end up doing, Sombra tried using generic kinesis on it. ‘Nice try.’ Luna said, before the moon shrank to hoof size and then smacked Sombra in the muzzle. She woke me early. Robyn was out, so Sombra made himself a basic breakfast and did his routine check on the tree outside, but the phoenix still wasn’t back. He didn’t know what to do on these free, lazy days. Tinker was a... questionable option. He can sort his father stuff on his own, yeah? That’s what I did. There was a knock on the door, but when Sombra opened it he was as shocked as he’d ever been. ‘What the fuck, Alex?’ ‘Hi, Sombra.’ Sombra motioned to shut the door. ‘Don’t, that won't resolve anything.’ ‘Yeah? Pretty sure it means I won’t ever see your fucking face again.’ ‘I’m only here for an explanation and an apology, son.’ ‘Don’t...’ Alex let himself in. ‘Look’s like Robyn’s been maintaining the place well.’ ‘Yes she’s been doing well without you.’ ‘No surprise.’ ‘None.’ Alex sat on the chair opposite. ‘So before anything else, Sombra I want say I’m sorry, to both you and your mother. I don’t expect you to forgive me, I only hope that me coming here and saying what I’ll say will be better than me not.’ ‘Fine.’ ‘As I think you know, I ended up running off with some mare you’d met only once. She said you’d seen each other once, in here. Yellow pegasus yeah?’ Alex invited Sombra’s acknowledgement, but he didn’t say anything. ‘It’s not your mother’s fault-’ ‘Fucking talk, and go. I don’t give a shit what you think.’ Alex tried to suppress a twitch. ‘She was a school friend, Jane, who I hadn’t seen in a decade, she recognised me, we had a night out and some fun with it. I’d been... more indifferent than I should have been towards your mother for long before that. I believe you’d recognised some of that. Jane was lonely, but it was ultimately that I thought I couldn’t solve it once it’d been done, and I was so convinced that I didn’t even try. And it hurt me, as it should have.’ ‘Does she know?’ ‘She does, and we’re not seeing each other anymore. But I don’t expect to be welcomed back, and that’s fair.’ ‘You know you’re fucking stupid? Is that all? A fucking one night stand and you run off?’ ‘Sombra–’ Robyn stood in the doorway.