//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Bloodshed // Story: Tomb of Magic // by Ice Star //------------------------------// "I have a reason!" I cried, wincing as the charm loosened. Now, how persuade him not to kill me? He had the upper hoof right now, but I was a skilled magic user who didn't need to resort to such corrupt methods and behavior. "You'd better." Wait... he's not even a little remorseful, or aware of what he's doing is wrong? He was friends with Cadance so maybe he'll honor the bond of family. "I'm Cadance's sister-in-law." He snorted, "Not helping you." What... ? That really didn't work? I thought he liked Cadance. He is a fairly power hungry individual right? If I throw some names out there, he'll play right into where I want him to be, thinking that he's really the one with the upper hoof. Ponies that crave power are very petty, and he's no exception. "I'm the Spark of Magic?" He rolled his eyes. "And I can just as easily spark a fire. Does this make me a special little Spark too? Where's my reward?" He has a sense of humor? It really isn't that funny, just mean. Think, Twilight! How do you persuade a murderous, sarcastic, power hungry individual not to kill you? Although its not like I'm going to let him kill me. If only I could just get a plan ready and then a back-up plan and a back-up plan for the back-up plan... "Because-" "Hmm, one more poor answer and I have the perfect excuse to hurt you." He smiled wickedly as if to acknowledge what I thought of him. Okay... what should I try now? I could just tell him what I was doing there is only so much he can do to stop me... but he can't be trusted. I'd better get a power surge or a spell breaker going as a back-up somehow... Sombra shrugged slightly and blew a lock of his mane out of his face as if to say 'any day now'. It was strange that he didn't act too much like a tyrant so far, but I had no doubt in my mind that doing that was just part of his plan. Doesn't he realize that he's a fool and Princess Celestia will stop him from doing anything evil? He's just standing there so casually. Here goes nothing... take a deep breath as best as you can and- "I'm-going-on-a-quest-to-find-Starswirl-the-Bearded's-stronghold-and-lost-works. I-am-also-quite-sure-that-Celestia-ordered-you-to-be-my-accomplice." I paused quickly, breathing rapidly before continuing at a faster pace adding anything it might take to persuade him. "We-get-to-go-to-Trotland-ride-trains-and-read-old-books-and-I-know-you-are-friends-with-Cadance-and-wouldn't-you-know-a-visit-to-Cadance-is-right-in-the-schedule." I stopped and started to pant a bit, hoping I came out understandable and noticed that the charm and aura were gone, even though there's no way he could have sensed the controlled surge I had been working up. Next, to show proof I teleported my bags outside and showed him the order and the letter from the Princess. He skeptically read them before putting them back into my saddlepacks like they weren't important documents from Princess Celestia, but something as ordinary as a grocery list. Who treated sealed, valuable documents like that other than somepony who didn't know their value? "Okay," he muttered in an unamused manner, "What exactly do you want me to do?" I was taken back by his response. Was he always this aloof and bizarre with Cadance? She never specified his exact behavior very much, but the way she spoke of him at least made him sound like somepony who might be a capable pony... it looks like I'll have to lead this trip myself. Oh, maybe assuming leadership is a test from the princess! "Where do you want to board a train?" he grumbled. "Huh?" There were no trains in the middle of the desert. "Are you deaf or just plain incompetent? I asked you where you wanted to board a train." What kind of a question was that? The closest city was Appleloosa... he had been living around here for a while, right? So for him to ask an odd question like this and rule out Appleloosa made no sense to me. He must be crazy. Or maybe he drinks too much cactus juice. "Appleloosa is the closest station," I began, "but if we combine both our powers while still being exhausted. Also, considering you are a unicorn and I'm not-" "Canterlot?" Sombra interjected. "Yes, Canterlot, haven't you been-" "Okay Purple Eyesore, get ready." Purple Eyesore?! "Wait, get ready for-" ... "Sombra?" I inquired nervously, as I inspected our very real surroundings and the bustle of ponies who just seemed to look away from Sombra - or at him with the contempt and disgust I politely held back. Some ponies waved to me, and I raised a hoof shyly. "Yes?" he looked at me in that manner somewhere between annoyance and sarcasm, aura clasping his sword hilt. Was he ever honest or sincere about anything? Going alone really did sound nice... 'the more, the merrier' applied to everypony but him. "We are in Canterlot, alive, from a spell you performed solo. One that should have killed us or worse! Even I can't perform a spell to that extent! I don't think ponies can do that? How can you?!" He immediately shot me a dismissive look. "Listen, Purple Eyesore, I just performed a normal teleporting spell. Now be quiet and let's just board a train. I'm planning on leaving you alive for now." Is he insane? How can he just dismiss a spell like that? Something is very wrong here! I made a mental note to ask Cadance where he learned magic like that. Teleporting partway across a country was something that gods could most certainly do... but a mortal creature? No way. What could be that powerful? I'd have to think about later - he was right about missing a train. After boarding a private first class train car - because apparently there was something wrong with the second class cars - with the use of our passes I donned my new garb and returned quickly to make sure Sombra wasn't stabbing anypony. He wasn't, thankfully. Didn't he want to talk to anypony else since he clearly didn't like me? Private cars were great for reading, but I don't think he brought any books with him. Plus, he doesn't seem like the type to appreciate a good book. Instead, he was just nonchalantly looking out a window. Except, when you stare nonchalantly you don't visually nitpick every little blade of grass furiously... I plopped down at the small table the car featured, staring at an insignificant plate with a few crumbs scattered on it. Toast, I think. Maybe I could try to talk to him. If I could work my way from banter to personal questions about how he learned magic and where, I might be able to learn something valuable and research it! Princess Celestia did say he knew about Starswirl, and he is old... maybe they were schoolmates? No, he may know a lot of magic, but he doesn't seem to be that educated. "Why were you burning cacti?" He looked away from the window. "Why was I... oh, the cacti? I'm from the north so any plant I see I considered food or an herb. I tried to eat the first cactus I saw, and have sworn to terrorize them ever since." He paused, and I realized that he was serious. "The juice isn't bad once in a while, either. Word of advice that I know you'd never follow: don't drink them too often. You'll see some things." He tried to eat a cactus? Still odd, considering they have visible prickles, and the Empire did have plants, so he must have interacted with them in some way. The only kind of cause to generate that reaction, at least from my understanding, is that he must have lived somewhere with little to no vegetation which is not the Empire... but isn't that where he is from. If Sombra weren't sitting in front of me, I would've sworn he didn't know how to eat if he decided to bite into a cactus. Okay, back to questions. "Why did you rescue me from the bandits and how did you-" "Are you going to be asking me the questions of a lack-wit this entire voyage? I recognized you from the few times I saw you before, I'm not a fool, you know. Recognizing one as garish and noisy as you are isn't that hard." He propped his head up with his hoof and shot me a dirty look, which I promptly ignored. "Will you continue calling me 'Purple Eyesore'? I'd appreciate it if you would stop." I'd heard of glaring daggers, and to stare knives at somepony, etc. but the look he was giving me now made me wish he was staring daggers at me because Sombra stared legions. I shuddered. It would be less uncomfortable, for one thing. "Why? Would you like me to come up with something better? How about 'Lavender Loudmouth'? Will that work you little-" "Why don't you use heavy decorum when speaking? Cadance wrote to me about her trip and she never mentioned you using any kind of decorum even though you're royalty from the past." I blurted this out as quickly as possible cutting him off, hoping to distract him, maybe even puzzle him. It did anything but that. Sombra stiffened his posture and growled in a low voice: "That is a personal question and I would deter from asking those if you wish to keep all your internal organs." "You say that like you've killed ponies before, other than those bandits!" And he really did just growl at me! That was scary, he wasn't just spitting his words through gritted teeth like a normal pony would, he honestly sounded felid - and like a large one at that. His scleræ began to turn green and his teeth shifted into fangs that he bared at me while his pupils and irises began to acquire a shape I could only describe as demonic. I stood my ground. I was Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Faithful Student and Spark of Magic. I had faced down way worse than him! "Oh, yes, Purple Eyesore, would you like to add yourself to that list?" After all I had put up with from him, I was fuming. He can't kill me! This was my quest and he wasn't going to sabotage it. I did things for the greater good, which was more than he ever could. "An old saying is 'Kill once mourn 'ever, kill twice mourn never'! But in your case you are just a mindless sadist who doesn't even know how to mourn!" He gritted his teeth. "Somepony just doesn't know when to quit!" I flinched and suddenly, I felt a sharp pain on my cheek and a warm, wet stickiness that I know will be red if I look at it. My stomach drops. I never liked the site of... After all I had been through these past few days I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I snapped and began to cry. One or two small tears leaked out of my wet eyes making a dark depressing mix that flowed down my face. Sombra stood there blankly for a moment, slowly reverting back to his usual appearance, before registering what had happened. His sword was still in midair, grasped in aura, blood trickling down the black blade which gleamed cruelly. Drip. Drip. Drip. My blood. His face grew ashen and he got a strange look in his now restored eyes, with their crimson color and equine irises. Suddenly, he ran into the sleeper car and began yelling at himself, but I couldn't hear what it was about. He really was insane. I stood up, rising from the floor, and slumped into a nearby chair, placing a hoof on my cheek. I began to start a healing spell, knowing I was lucky the cut wasn't very deep. Was it my fault? No, perhaps... I just provoked him. Or... Wiping the last bits of blood from my cheek I wondered if I should apologize. Not only was it my question but if I didn't apologize I doubt he would, and that meant I should, since I was the better pony and was able to emphasize with others. It might help to keep us from fighting... at least for a little bit. I quietly padded over to the bunk car and pressed my ear up against it. He had obviously cast a muffling spell which was inappropriate considering it only muffled his screaming instead of completely silencing it. I still couldn't hear a word he said. I went back to the table and reached into my bags. With my magic I pulled out a pen and scrap of paper and wrote 'I'M SORRY'. I sneakily slipped it under the door before going back to the table and curling up on one of the chairs and counted the days until we reached the Crystal Empire. What were my friends doing? Surely anything else would be better than this. I sat and looked absently at the night for a while. Stars were nice and orderly, unlike all this. Soon, my eyelids became heavy.