//------------------------------// // On The Road Home // Story: Spike's Shadow // by DraconequusMaximus //------------------------------// Sombra once again found himself in the low-budget train he had arrived to Farrier's Gulch in with Spike. Only now Sombra and Daring were in the train alone, as Spike was flying above them. Spike had taken to using his gifted understanding of air-magic quite quickly, even though he found no joy in the new avenue of skills. Spike had decided to use it to allow him to almost entirely diminish the wind-resistance during flight, making it possible to cross great distances in less than half as much time. Sombra and Daring both agreed it was best to let Spike spend the duration of their trip airborne, as it was clear Spike needed to cool his head for awhile. Given the speed at which Spike had taken off from the train station, Sombra wouldn't have been surprised to see him waiting for them back at Ponyville station. Daring had been almost entirely silent since they had confirmed Phomac's claims, finding one single cat-print in the dust beside Ahuizotl. The villain had been treated with as much reverence as possible, carried down to desert and burned in a funeral pyre crafted with a number of the dead trees littered about the desert. Using earth-element magic, Spike crafted a makeshift marker stone for Ahuizotl. Even though it was very unlikely anyone would venture far enough into the desert to see it. For a time they had watched the temple drift towards the sea, until the timer eventually beeped and Spike flew them back to Farrier's Gulch. Daring hadn't cried, but Sombra knew the expression on her face. Daring had no idea how to feel, and not knowing what to feel was eating away at her. It was a surprisingly relateable situation, but Sombra knew Daring had a less than high opinion of him so he deigned to keep quiet. Sombra didn't open his saddlebags to grab any of the books he had brought to stave off boredom, as seeing the novels would likely do Daring more harm than good right now. Instead, all there was was silence. Sombra still had no ideas of what to say to Spike about things, and asking Daring her thoughts wouldn't likely yield anything. For the umpteenth time since being revived Sombra was completely out of his depth. Even sleep seemed pointless at present, as the utter blackness Sombra had once felt so comfortable in felt like it was just empty now. Sombra was able to identify his current state of mind as loneliness, which he had never felt before. Quiet and solitude were once his sanctuary, but now all there was was confusion. Being incomplete was a continual source of frustration, and Sombra only felt relief when Spike was near. "Hey, Sombra?" Sombra was broken from his latest bout of inner turmoil, realizing Daring had finally spoken. "Yes?" Sombra replied uncertainly. "What's Ponyville like? Is it an alright place to live?" Daring asked out of the blue. Sombra was decidedly unprepared for the question. Even if he had known it was coming he wouldn't have known what to say. Sombra hadn't been into Ponyville proper more than a few times, but had been all over. Thinking it over for a moment, Sombra formulated his opinion. "I suppose it is a rather nice settlement. I have only been to two modern cities, Ponyville and Farrier's Gulch. Ponyville has many restaurants, stores, and from what I have gleaned from conversations, a decent school and hospital. The slums are interesting and diverse, but as long as you stay strong I imagine they are not overly dangerous. "The castle at the center of town is rather ugly, but it belongs to Spike's mother. If I understand correctly Ponyville is also only a short train ride to Canterlot. I have yet to see Canterlot, but I understand that as the capital it is even larger than Ponyville." Sombra answered to the best of his abilities. Daring listened intently, finding Sombra's description a bit lacking. Considering Sombra was a bit out of his time and only into her's for a couple weeks he probably wasn't the best pony to ask. Still, the slums interested her a bit. Living in some little white-bread community wouldn't suit Daring, but the slums might keep her on her hoof-tips until she figured out what she was to do with the rest of her life. "Guess I'll try and find an apartment there. I could use some new scenery, and the place I'm normally holed-up in has been attacked so many times it's about to collapse in on itself. Maybe I'll drop in on you and the big guy sometime, Spike seems like he knows some interesting characters." Daring decided. "Indeed he does. Most of them either hate me, barely acknowledge me, or annoy me immensely, but I suppose they are mostly entertaining." Sombra admitted. Daring chuckled a bit, seeing it wasn't just her Sombra was unsure of. "You know, I think Spike really does see something in you that he likes. I swear I'm not teasing you this time." Daring added. Sombra got a bit flustered, but the look in Daring's eyes told him she was being sincere. Sombra turned away from her, fearing that he was blushing. "I have no experiences in such matters. Or not that I can recall. My mind was wiped clean of everything other than what was necessary to rule The Crystal Empire. Even my cutie mark is gone, if I had one to begin with. "Until very recently I had no desire for friends, or anything other than conquest. Even if Spike does see something in me, I would be unable to reciprocate such... emotions. I am incomplete." Sombra replied, unable to look at Daring. Daring was giggling a bit at the display, but noticed Sombra was adjusting his scarf. Most likely subconsciously. "What's with the scarf? The train has Air conditioning. You could probably take it off. I know it's magic or whatever, but is it really necessary?" Daring asked. Sombra hadn't realized he had been messing with his scarf until Daring mentioned it. "I suppose, but Spike took the bags with him. I have nowhere to put it, and I would feel naked without it since I removed my armor." Sombra reasoned. Daring wasn't satisfied, wanting to know what the real story was. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Spike gave it to you. It's even the same shade of purple." Sombra didn't refute the claim, but Daring felt that maybe she was being a bit too direct with Sombra. Without Spike he seemed far less at ease than she had seen previously. It hadn't occurred to Daring that Sombra might have issues, being displaced in time and possessed. Daring thought it might be best to change the subject. "So, immortality... What's that like?" Daring asked out of the blue. Sombra hadn't expected the question, but nonetheless tried to formulate an answer. "I suppose it is just like living as a mortal. I can still feel pain and become seriously injured, or even destroyed or sealed away. I will still exist, and I can even regenerate, albeit extraordinarily slowly. I am not entirely certain, but I do not think I age anymore either. I will most likely look like this for eternity, unless Spike's cooking makes me fat which I am becoming genuinely concerned about." Sombra theorized. "Huh. I've stopped a few bad guys from achieving immortality, mostly because they were going about it through some bloody rituals. They made it sound like it was the best thing ever, but I guess it has to have some downsides." Daring surmised. Sombra nodded his agreement, instantly calling upon his memories of Spike lamenting his fate to watch his loved ones wither away. Except for me... Sombra thought silently. Sombra's chest thudded dully at the thought of Spike considering him a 'loved one'. He had made his way into Spike's life unintentionally, and for the worst of reasons. Yet now Sombra occupied one of the volumes of books in Spike's hoard. It was an exclusive list containing less than fifty people in the entire world. Spike's loved ones, his favorite people in all of creation. Sombra hadn't thought of it much since it happened, likely for the reason he couldn't fully process the feelings involved. Or that he couldn't allow himself to, which was becoming obvious to even him at this point. It occurred to Sombra that Daring would likely keep quiet since it is her nature to be a loner, and that she was something of a third-party. She was also technically older than either Spike or Sombra, and had traveled the world. It seemed she was the best option for Sombra to talk to, and they were currently the only passengers on the train. Sombra forced himself to gather all the gumption he possessed, necessary for the personal nature of the question he was about to ask. "Daring... I, if it is not over-stepping our... acquaintanceship, I would like to ask... Have you ever... had the feelings you claim Spike has for me, for someone in your own life?" Sombra attempted to ask, stuttering from sheer embarrassment. Sombra had somewhat expected Daring to blow off the question, or be outright hostile with him, but instead she merely smiled. A look of nostalgia came over Daring, and to Sombra's surprise, she smiled. "His name was Tam, the chief-to-be of a small tribe of zebras on the southern coast of Zanzebra. I was, what... seventeen? I ran away from home when I got my mark for adventure, which was easy because I'd never really been close to anyone. I Stowed away on a freight ship and never regretted it in the slightest, even now. "The instant I looked into his eyes, I knew Tam was an adventure in and of himself. He taught me how to fight, hunt, forage, read and speak their language, and showed me a lot of things less fortunate mares never get to experience." Daring began. Sombra was able to gather from Daring's tone that Tam had been her ideal match, and that she had loved merely being with him. As well as being with him on a more... intimate level, which Sombra chose to ignore entirely. Regular emotions were hard enough, Sombra would have to work his way up. "But, one day..." Daring started, her tone shifting to a far less cheerful denotation. Sombra felt as though Daring was about reveal something to him that she hadn't ever told anyone else before. "One day, Tam's dad got killed by a chimera. A big one. Tam spent a week tracking it down and killing it alone. He returned with it's pelt, and wore it to show everyone his power as chief. Tam had become a totally different person almost overnight. When he stopped being my adventure, the wanderlust came back to me and I traveled the world twice over, getting into any trouble I could get a hoof in. "Then, in a seedy pub on a tiny island in the Amethyst Archipelago, I overheard some thugs talking about a plan their boss was hatching. A month later I had foiled my first Ahuizotl plot and decided to fund my escapades by telling the world about the amazing things I did. I was twenty-four then. "Now I'm forty-nine and three-quarters, I've broken every bone in my body twice over, and I have no friends or family to speak of. Everyone who meets me as A.K. Yearling does nothing but tell me how awesome Daring Do is, but right now she's feeling less than amazing. I don't know if the only stallion I ever cared about is alive or dead, and I'm in a broken-down train with an emotionally-stunted, reluctant, super-villain." Daring finished. Sombra had very little idea of what he was supposed to say to Daring's life story, as it had been far more than he bargained for. When he didn't say anything, Daring must have taken it as a cue to continue. "Looking back, I guess I would have done some things differently. But overall, I suppose I can't complain. I've got at least twenty years left in me, if I play my cards right. But if you're looking for advice on the matter, I say strike while the iron is hot. If I'd have made a real commitment with Tam, who knows where I'd be now?" Daring added after a pause. Sombra briefly wondered if there had ever been a special somepony in his past, but after some thought he decided it was best left a mystery for the time being. If Sombra had had someone they were almost assuredly dead now, or even worse dead because of Sombra's own actions while under Dootha's control. Sombra was uncertain he could handle such a revelation. Sombra needed to think on Daring's advice. Spike was the only thing Sombra cared for beyond himself, likely even more so than himself. Spike certainly cared for him, but it was also obvious that Spike cared for everyone in some capacity. Yet, Sombra was the only person in the world who had seen Spike's hoard. Even among the others that were in it. Sombra felt like the ache in his chest was going to collapse him in on himself, as if the vacancy was a literal black hole. The uncertainty and doubt were beginning to be counterbalanced by increasing amounts of positivity and emotion, but Sombra's mind was more out of balance than ever. While he was happy, Sombra found he was often engulfed by misery and turmoil at times where emotions were high. "Things were never so complex when I thought I was a king." Sombra sighed, hanging his head. "Welcome to life. It sucks, all the time. Just enjoy small victories, like how you've got a four-ton hunk chasing your tail like a puppy." Daring chuckled. "You are far from as helpful as I had hoped." Sombra responded, retreating behind his typical mask of annoyance. "I kick people in the teeth on a regular basis. A guidance counselor I'm not." Daring countered. "Touche" Sombra submitted. Against all odds, Daring and Sombra were able to talk to one another with marginal success. Daring's input, and occasional jest at Sombra's expense helped much more than Sombra was comfortable admitting. All in all, it was an alright end to the current leg of the adventure to save the world, but Sombra would have felt better if he knew how Spike was fairing.