Sombra’s hooves vibrated in the dirt, his mouth twitching between a smirk and a sneer. It hadn’t taken him long to find the two fillies that ran the other lemonade stand a block over, and for the longest time he waited and watched, trying to catch his breath and steady his thoughts.
It was easy to figure out which bully was which by their cutie marks. Diamond Tiara leaned back in her cushioned chair while a servant of hers handed out glasses of lemonade fitted with mini-umbrellas. Currently, only two ponies stood waiting in line.
Sombra’s eyes darted from Silver Spoon to Diamond Tiara.
Which one first? Who would scream the loudest?
He stepped towards the stand, teeth bared.
A tiny hoof touched his shoulder.
“Please don’t, Mr. Sombra,” Sweetie Belle said, looking up to him. “Please don’t hurt them. My sister always says that violence never solves anything.”
“The same sister that ripped me limb from limb only a few years ago?” he growled.
Sweetie Belle looked away. “But you were up to no good, remember?”
“And those two aren’t?” He knelt to her. “I know it must be hard to understand, but I can make this pain go away. All of it. One spell—one little spell—and then you’ll never need to deal with them again. No more taunting; no more name-calling. Doesn’t that sound nice?”
Sweetie Belle thought for a moment. “It does, but I don’t want it like that. Twilight told all of us that bullies only do what they do because they’re afraid. I even think one day we might be friends with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Or… at least Silver Spoon.”
Sombra clicked his teeth together. “Not good enough.”
He took a step forward and Sweetie Belle stopped him with two hooves to the chest.
“Please, Mr. Sombra! Can’t we just go back to our stand? I’m sure Apple Bloom and Scootaloo need our help.”
He took another step, pushing her along. “Right after a quick double murder; shouldn’t take longer than a minute.”
Sweetie Belle wrapped herself around him. “Do it for me, then, please?”
Sombra stopped. A heat burned behind both eyes.
Do it for me?
He'd broken that first promise, all those many years ago. Would he really do the same now?
He gave her a quick squeeze. “For you, Sweetie Belle, those two will live to see another day. But that does not mean I will not sink their business.”
He lit up his horn and directed it towards the mare that’d just purchased a glass and took a sip. All at once, her eyes shot open and she spit out her mouthful of drink, coughing.
“Oh, Celestia, that’s horrible!” she screamed. “It tastes like poison! I think I’m blind!”
Sweetie Belle pulled away from him, mouth agape. “Did you do that? Why would you do that!?”
Sombra rolled his eyes. “She’ll regain her sight and sense of taste in less than a minute. I just need to make sure the word around Ponyville is that their lemonade is dangerous. And now I have.”
Already a crowd had gathered around the shouting mare, bewildered expressions all. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon soon came to investigate, before evacuating their stand as fast as their little legs could carry them. Diamond Tiara’s servant sighed and followed close behind.
Eager to get away from the mass of ponies, Sombra plucked Sweetie Belle up and set her on his back. Together they made their way up the street and away from the commotion.
He turned back a single time to watch the two bullies steadily disappear into the distance. He might not have allowed himself to hurt them that day, but that wasn’t something he couldn’t correct in the future.
Picking up the pace, he gave Sweetie Belle a single buck, making her laugh and cling to his sides. Sombra smiled in return.
***
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo could not believe what had happened since Sombra left with Sweetie Belle close behind. Business at their little stand had not only doubled or tripled, but had gone much further than that. The punch bowl that Sombra had filled with his tiny vials had already sold out and Apple Bloom hastily made them up another batch. This one was also running out fast, even if it contained none of the ingredient Sombra had dumped into the first.
Sixty or more ponies surrounded their stand and clogged the street. Berry Punch was currently being tossed in the air by a couple of red-faced stallions, as she hollered and hiccupped and somehow held onto her drink, managing not to spill a drop.
“What’d’ya think was in that lemonade?” Apple Bloom asked.
Scootaloo furrowed her brow. “I don’t know, but whatever it was, it sure got everyone acting funny. Too bad we didn’t save ourselves a cup of that.”
Apple Bloom nodded. Then she watched as Berry Punch quickly galloped into a bush to vomit.
“Actually, maybe it was a good thing we didn’t get any,” she corrected.
***
Rarity’s snores had grown louder as a trail of drool seeped from her mouth. Four empty lemonade glasses circled her thin blanket.
Around Pinkie Pie were twelve empty glasses as she sat in the same spot as before. She spent her time scanning the rowdy crowd through her binoculars.
She frowned. “Why is everyone acting so silly all of a sudden? And why am I not acting like that!? I mean, come on! I drank more than everyone, I should be—”
Pinkie Pie quieted as she suddenly realized she was upside down and had her binoculars pressed against her plot as if her cheeks could see.
She giggled. “Oh, Pinkie Pie, you so craaaazy! You know you can’t see anything like that.” She moved the tip of her tail out of the binoculars way to give her butt a clearer view. “That’s better!”
When enough blood had rushed to her head, Pinkie Pie collapsed to the grass next to Rarity. In a few hours’ time, they’d both wake up to a nice, juicy hangover and have absolutely no idea why.
***
Sombra made sure not a single one of them saw as he led them to the clubhouse. When one of them tried to pull at their blindfolds, Sombra hurriedly flicked their hoof away. He wanted everything to be a surprise.
Yesterday’s lemonade sale had been quite the success. With other businesses torn apart and Ponyville’s water supply oddly missing for the better part of the afternoon, that meant most ponies took to the streets in search of something cool and refreshing to drink. Those that’d had the CMC’s lemonade earlier in the morning came back to sample their “new” lemonade at close to double the cost. Peeved as they were, most still paid the full price and returned several times over; a faint lightheadedness telling them that they could somehow afford another glass.
Apple Bloom’s Power Ponies lunchbox soon became fit to burst, so Sombra emptied a nearby potato sack and filled it with what remained. Grunting from the weight, he then took the bits with him and told the girls he’d surprise them in the morning with that he had planned.
None of the girls seemed to mind. They were just happy they’d out-sold Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, as well as serve close to the entire Ponyville population in a single day.
In front of their clubhouse, Sombra halted them with a leg. “All right. You can look.”
The three fillies removed their blindfolds and scanned upward, eyes trying to take in all the changes to had taken place.
Apple Bloom asked, “How in Equestria did you manage all this, Sombra?”
“And all in one night,” Scootaloo added.
Sombra smirked. “Oh, my silly fillies. It was not me that did all the work. I only had the coin to get it done.”
The four of them took a loop around the trunk of the tree that supported their place. The CMC’s clubhouse had now become an extra story taller and close to double the width. The wood planks had all been reinforced with steel and iron and had taken on a more industrial vibe. A circular hole through one of the walls showcased the end of a new telescope angled towards the sky; a smooth wooden ramp with a sharp curve at its end lead out from a high window—a giant mound of haystacks at the ready to catch ponies launching off the ramp in the nearby distance.
Sombra continued their tour. “Yesterday, while mingling amongst the crowd around our stand, I happened to have a conversation with a doctor. He informed me he liked to tinker and build things. I then told him that his services might become needed soon.” He chuckled. “At first, he said no—because he knew who I was and didn’t want to become associated with me—so one kidnapping later and voila! Your new clubhouse.”
Scootaloo angled her head. “It looks more like a fortress than a clubhouse now.”
Sombra raised a brow. “And what’s wrong with fortresses? I assure you, it has the absolute best in defensive technology. If anyone wants inside, they’ll have to try very hard to get in. Take the elevator, for example.”
Sweetie Belle gasped. “Elevator?”
“Secret elevator,” Sombra corrected. “Voice activated and everything. Come and take a look.”
He led them around the trunk of the tree—new supports added to hold the additional weight. With a hoof, he pressed on a knot in the bark and a speaker panel flipped out.
He cleared his throat. “Sombra, King.”
“Welcome,” replied the robotic voice, before a wide space of bark slid out of the way to reveal a hollow core.
“It might be a bit tight, but we should all fit,” Sombra told them, before they all stepped inside. “To get in, you’ll need to say your names like I did: Bloom, Apple; Belle, Sweetie; Loo-Scoota.”
Scootaloo looked up at him. “Why’d mine need to be reversed? It’s only one word.”
Sombra shrugged. “I don’t know. Didn’t want you to feel left out, I guess.”
The tree trunk elevator rose to the main floor and its doors parted with a soft hiss. The four of them exited and strolled around the room, marveling at all the new objects and bits of furniture.
In the corner of the room was a new podium with attached speaker system, painted black with a red cloth draped over its front. Sombra’s silhouette had already been stitched into the fabric. A small bar with stools had been set up towards the other end, with a three spout system offering ice-cold apple juice, chocolate milk, and root beer.
“Is that a new chemistry set!?” asked Apple Bloom, gasping at the long table loaded with various tubes, beakers, vials and a burner. “I don’t even know if Twilight has stuff this nice!” She stuck her head behind a wide beaker, elongating her face.
“This I gotta try!”
Sombra turned in time to watch Scootaloo plunge out the window connected to the ramp outside. She disappeared from view for a moment before shooting up again on her scooter, hitting the lip of the ramp and soaring meters and meters into the air.
Sombra perked his ears up for either the sound of a swoosh or a thud. Only once he heard Scootaloo safely hit the haystacks and tumble down did he breathe out a sigh of relief. (He’d only been guessing where ponies might land once they launched off the ramp.)
Sweetie Belle pointed to a wall lined with black and red metallic objects, all clearly labeled. “What’s all this stuff?”
Sombra came over. “Our armory, of course. We couldn’t very well be considered super villains unless we had practical weapons at our disposal.”
Sweetie Belle scratched the back of her head. “Oh, right. We’re still doing that, aren’t we?” She leaned in to read a bit of text next to a long metal tube with a trigger. “What’s a toffee blaster?”
Sombra groaned. “One of the few weapons Ponyville’s good doctor would allow me to have. I said I wanted something with a little more power—you know, something to knock the head off a pony—but he said he only had non-lethal stuff. It’ll have to do, I’m afraid.”
Apple Bloom poked Sombra’s side. “This is nice and all, but who’s that pony in the corner?”
All three of them turned to the grey pegasus with yellow mane sitting in the corner. On the floor next to her was a length of rope. While she pleasantly snacked on a muffin, one of her eyes found Sombra’s while another found the framed Wonderbolts poster adhered to the wall.
Sombra put a hoof to his temple. “I almost forgot about her. I was supposed to return her, wasn’t I?” He strolled over to her. “How did you even get out of my ropes? I’ll have you know that was double knotted.”
The mare shrugged and continued eating.
“And where did you get that muffin? I searched you before I brought you up here and everything.”
The mare stopped chewing as she thought. “I have no idea.” Then she reached behind her back and retrieved another muffin. “You want one?”
“What kind?”
“Carrot.”
Sombra stuck out his tongue. “Blargh! I’d rather die all over again. Come on. Get up. You truly are the worst kidnapping victim I’ve ever had the displeasure of kidnapping. No screams. No calls for help. No nothing.”
The mare finished her muffin, licking the crumbs off her hoof. “I really had nothing better to do today.”
Once Sombra booted her out the window and down the ramp (she giggled the entire time she was airborne, eventually noticing she had wings with which to fly), Scootaloo reentered the room from the elevator and immediately ran to the window again.
“Again! Again!” she shouted, hoisting her scooter up.
Sombra held her back with a hoof. “You’ll have plenty of time for that later. Right now, I want to show you all something even better than this.”
“Something else?” Apple Bloom asked. “Isn’t this enough already?”
Sombra shook his head. “Villains can never have enough. Usually that’s our downfall. Didn’t you know?”
Sweetie Belle finished drinking her chocolate milk, leaving her upper lip with a tiny milk mustache. “Where is this something else?”
Sombra pointed towards the ceiling. “On the roof, obviously.”
***
A drop down ladder revealed a square hole in the ceiling that led onto the roof. Once they’d all safely climbed up, Sombra revealed to them what had been adhered to the thick upper branches of the tree and mostly obscured from ponies on the ground.
A trampoline. A very high and very big one.
Another ladder let them climb onto the trampoline’s side. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle nervously stepped on and looked around.
Apple Bloom appeared uneasy. “This seems a little… I dunno, dangerous, don’t you think? Bouncing up so high with no net or anything.”
Sombra patted her head. “You’d think that, wouldn’t you? No, I assure you, dear Apple Bloom, that a magic barrier is in place should anyone topple off. It’s only invisible so as to not block out the view.”
That answer didn’t seem to calm her any. “So that means the only thing stopping us from smooshing against the ground is your magic?”
Sombra brought a leg to his chest. “I’ll have you know I take great offense to that. If I’d have really wanted to kill the three of you, I would’ve done it the moment we first met. Trust me: the three of you are safe. For now.”
Apple Bloom glanced downward. “So how come you lied to us about your magic in the first place? You said you didn’t have it before, but yesterday you were using it just fine.”
Sombra dropped his leg as his expression softened. He glanced away from her. “Sometimes, when dealing with children, one finds it more appropriate to lie. Sometimes the truth can hurt to hear. Sometimes it can be too painful to understand.”
“How would knowing you had your magic back be painful?”
Sombra looked at her. “Would you have trusted me as much, knowing I could crush your skull with the simplest of spells?”
Apple Bloom’s thoughts were temporarily suspended as Scootaloo began bouncing near the center of the trampoline. Apple Bloom lowered herself to balance.
Scootaloo smiled. “I don’t know why you’re complaining, Apple Bloom. The height only adds to the danger! And the fun!”
Apple Bloom turned to Sombra again.
Sombra mouthed the words, “You’ll be fine. I promise.”
Reluctantly, Apple Bloom took a spot next to her friend and started bouncing.
***
“What’re they doing now, Twilight?” Applejack asked.
Twilight set down her binoculars. “They’re playing together on a trampoline.”
“That dastardly bastard! How could—” Applejack caught herself. “Sorry, hun. Come again? King Sombra set himself up a trampoline on the roof and invited the Cutie Mark Crusaders to come bounce with him? Why’s he doing all this? Some kind of a diversion?”
Twilight turned to Applejack and the rest of her friends. “I don’t think so. We’ve been keeping track of him since he appeared in town, and so far, all he’s done is spend time with the Crusaders. Sure, he’s done some slightly odd stuff so far, but nothing close to what he’s done before. You think the Crusaders might be having a positive effect on him already?”
Rarity took a step towards her. “I don’t care one way or another if they’re having an effect on him. What I’m worried about is whether he’s having an effect on them. He’s still trying to make them super villains, right?”
Rainbow Dash hovered above them. “Haven’t heard of too many bad guys spending their time fixing clubhouses and bouncing around on trampolines. You think when he got blasted by all that love at the Empire, it might’ve scrambled his brains a bit?”
Twilight gasped as Scootaloo was bounced off the roof, soon caught by a reddish aura that stopped her and pulled her back in. The fillies and Sombra continued to bounce and giggle, all of their matching capes whipping around in the breeze.
Twilight handed the binoculars to Rainbow Dash before sitting on the ground. “If only we knew more about Sombra. All the history books know about is his time as King and, then later, his defeat. There’s no word what he did before then, or if he was related to anyone at all or what type of life he led. Most ponies aren’t just born wanting to hurt others.”
“Discord might’ve,” Rarity added.
“Discord’s not normal. Also: not a pony.” She looked up at Rainbow Dash, who was looking through the binoculars. “What are they doing now?”
“Having fun, by the looks of it. They’re playing popcorn.”
“Popcorn?”
“Yeah. It’s when one pony curls up into a tight ball and the other ponies try to bounce them out of it—popping the kernel, so to speak.”
“Who’s the kernel now?”
“Apple Bloom.”
Applejack chuckled. “Apple Bloom’s tough. She won’t pop. I guarantee it.”
Rainbow Dash lowered the binoculars. “And she’s popped.”
Applejack lowered her head. “Darn it, Apple Bloom. And here I was vouching for you.”
“Why are you all pretending like I don’t exist!?”
Pinkie Pie’s shrieks were wholly ignored by the rest of them.
“Let me out of this thing! I promise I’ll be good! Oh, Celestia, I can hear them laughing up there!”
Twilight sighed and went over to her. On the grass, Pinkie Pie was currently tied up tight in a white straightjacket, three times the usual amount of buckles wrapped around her. Twilight had designed the device herself with Pinkie Pie’s realm bending abilities in mind.
“We’re doing this for your own good, Pinkie,” she tried to tell her softly. “The levels of fun they’re having up there are close to a nine—perhaps a nine-point-five on the fun scale. If we let you out of this, there’s a good chance you’d be unable to control yourself and join them on the trampoline. If you did that, then Sombra would know we’d been spying on him and know of his return.”
Pinkie Pie’s eyes spilled over with tears. “But… but Twilight… there’s fun being had and I’m not having it! How can you be so cruel? Just five minutes! Just… just let me get one good bounce in!”
Twilight shook her head. “I’m sorry, Pinkie, but it’s something we can’t risk.”
Pinkie tried to sit up against her restraints. “What if… what if you shrunk me down to the size of a filly? Then… then I could join them and he wouldn’t know!”
“You’d just look like a miniature Pinkie Pie.”
“Then I’ll dye my coat! Light pink or something! I must get on that trampoline!”
Twilight’s silence was enough. Pinkie Pie whimpered and curled into a ball.
Rainbow Dash landed between them. “Jeeze. Sombra’s sure got a hold on some of you. Twilight and her attendance thing; Pinkie Pie and being left out of fun.”
Twilight turned to the rest of them. “I know it may be hard, but once we fully understand Sombra’s plan, then we’ll be able to act accordingly and end all of this silliness. Either he’ll discover the joys of friendship through the Crusaders or he’ll decide he still wants to be a villain. And I have a feeling one of those things should be happening very soon.”
Pinkie Pie whispered, “Can we come back when they’re gone and bounce?”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “All right. But no popcorn.”
***
One joyous bounce-session later, Sombra and the fillies descended back into the clubhouse and shared a round of drinks by the bar. He made them all clink their glasses together, before giving each of them a matching box topped with a bow.
“What’s this?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Open them and find out.”
The three of them did and removed the tissue covered present within. They each held them up to look at.
“These look an awful lot like you.” Apple Bloom spun the silver and black mask in her hoof.
Sombra nodded. “That’s because they’re supposed to. These will be our villain masks, used to hide our identity. The outside is made of chrome and contoured to my likeness. The inside is filled with a soft black padding with a four-way relay talking system. It even has a built-in voice changer.”
Sweetie Belle gulped. “But why would we need to hide our identities?”
Sombra grinned, before donning his own silver mask. When he spoke, it came out much lower than before, a slight echo making his voice rebound off the walls.
“Because tomorrow is when we perform our first heist.”