That was a pleasantly surprising experience to say the least. That stallion was certainly a rare breed. Smart, kind, and quite skilled. The only others I knew were my friends and bandmates, but I wasn’t really up for dating them. They were like family to me. I just couldn’t see myself with them in a romantic sense. Harpo seemed to prefer being single anyways and Frederic...Oh Frederic, poor Frederic. I hope it works out for him. He deserves to be happy. It’s just that Beauty Brass wasn’t exactly all for that idea. At least, I thought she wasn’t. I could be wrong. I hope I’m wrong.
Anyways, today was rather pleasant all around. If fate were a kind mistress, it would stay that way. However, I was not that naive. This is Equestria. What can go wrong, will go wrong in such spectacular ways. I can’t even imagine most of them. It didn’t take me long to reach our apartment.
“Back from your date already?” Beauty asked, trotting up to her friend. “Come on. How was it? You have to tell me.”
“It wasn’t a date,” I rolled my eyes. “We just conversed for a while like civilized beings. He’s more of a friendly acquaintance.”
“Well, how was your ‘friendly acquaintance’?” Beauty smiled. “Was he as cute inside as he was outside?”
“He was a perfect gentlecolt,” I honestly answered. I wasn’t going to call him cute. It wasn’t proper and he wasn’t. He was gorgeous, but there was something off about him that I couldn’t place. His song felt deep and darker than it should have been. Must have been this place messing with my senses.
Harpo trotted up and raised an eyebrow as if to say ‘Really? That’s all?’. Of course, there was a little more to it than that. Harpo’s manner of speaking was incredibly complicated to explain, like my own musical sense.
I blushed as I got his full meaning. “Harpo!”
“Bad Harpo,” Beauty chuckled, but was blushing just as brightly as I. Harpo just silently laughed.
“One of these days, Harpo.” I snorted, but couldn’t help but smile. At least his antics weren’t as vulgar as Vinyl’s. She was a dear friend, but her language was so hard to take sometimes. Perhaps it’s just me. “Where’s Frederic?”
“Asleep,” Beauty said. “He spent too much of last night practicing, remember?”
“Right, right.” I nodded. Frederic was talented. Far more talented than any other pianist I know of and that’s a lot. Whenever he finds a new sheet a music, he will not stop until he has mastered it. So now that we were in a whole new city, he was going ballistic. Sad to think the crystal ponies don’t have really any piano dabbles. The only ones they had were ancient variants of Equestrian piano songs. Still, he would give it his all no matter what.
Harpo went into the other room and we could hear the sound of a loud ‘thud’ and then Frederic crying out in alarm. I sighed. Harpo was a nice stallion, but he was far too blunt about things. If he was going to wake you up, be sure that it wasn’t going to be pleasant. I should know. He pushed me off the bed quite a few times before I learned to get up extra early, or at least learn to be a light sleeper.
“Schweinhund,” Frederic cursed aloud. “I’m up. I’m up….Octavia’s here?” Frederic trotted out from the bedrooms and smiled at me. “So, how did the date go?”
“It was not a date,” I huffed. My cheeks were slightly heated. “I don’t see where you all got that idea from. I just met this fellow not long ago.”
“But you don’t often get asked out by handsome strangers,” Beauty elbowed my side playfully.
“And I hope it doesn’t become a recurring act,” I snorted. Although, I wouldn’t mind it really. It was nice to know I was more than just a musician. I didn’t spend an hour every morning prepping myself for nothing.
“So are you going to see him again?” Beauty asked with a hopeful grin. Ugh, this mare has such a fascination with romance.
“Possibly,” I nodded. “He is a travelling minstrel, but he should be around for at least a few days. We’ll probably bump into him soon enough.” I decided to leave out the fact that I invited him. Beauty wouldn’t let me hear the end of it. Yes, he’d probably tell them I said it and then I’d never hear the end of it, but at least I had a day's reprieve. I wonder how Somber was doing right now?
____________________________________________________________________
That was far more pleasant than I thought it was going to be. Perhaps it was because she wasn’t a crystal pony. That may be it. As well, I thought she was going to be like one of those stuck up nobles. If she was, I’d have taken her into an alley and snapped her neck. Well, I would have thought about it. I needed her for my plans. She was my ticket to this ‘Ponyville’ and the elements. Gah, I hate that name. Ponyville. I was going to raise that town to the ground for its stupidity.
I just needed to formulate a plan. Celestia was no fool. She would have traps and guards placed around the bearers in case creatures like me came for them. It’s still jarring to think that mere mortals can wield the greatest weapons on this planet. If six young mares could do it, than anyone could.
I stopped in my tracks. Anyone? I grinned. Yes, anyone could wield them. Perhaps even I? No, I was getting ahead of myself. I was the antithesis to which the elements stood for. I was evil. A shadow given form. It would kill me if I tried to even touch them. Perhaps I needed time to think. There must be a way around this. There are always loopholes. If not, I needed to know how to destroy them.
Killing the bearers was only a temporary solution. The Elements changed hooves once. There was always a chance they’d just find another one worthy of their power and I’d be back in my icy prison in no time. I just needed time and this Octavia was going to give it to me. She knows this ‘Rarity’. Through her, I could become Rarity’s ‘friend’ and gain her trust. Then all I have to do is wait for the right opportunity and one element would be mine. Better yet, all six at once. Less chance of something going awry.
“You are as clever as I, my son.” My mother’s words rang through my ears. “You will make the most of this gift, I’m sure of it.”
I grinned. ‘Yes, mother.’
As I walked about, I didn’t bother looking at anything in particular. I’ve seen it all before. I hate it. I hate every ounce of this place. However, one sign made me stop in my tracks. It was a ‘liberation’ sign. Something about freedom from ‘tyranny’? These incompetent fools.
Crystal ponies never did anything themselves. If a monster came charging, they ran behind their crystal heart or got Equestria to bleed for them. They cry for independence, but the bones of thousands of Equestrians lay around the Empire showed how very little they’d fight for it. They are all cowards. I wanted to show them true war, true carnage like that which they forced onto their southern kin. Crystal ponies are just as Equestrian as any other race. They’re just some overblown city-state. The crystals of the empire were going to be painted red with my vengeance.
“A dead slave has no value.”
My mother was right. They were useless to me dead. My people needed me and these crystal ponies were going to dig them out. I snickered. This was all too easy. My intellect far outshines any being here or in Equestria. The only ones that could challenge me think I’m dead. Oh this is going to be so much fun.
‘You know how to have fun, don’t you Sombra?’
“R-radiant?” I stopped. That voice… it was so clear in my head. She always had such a lively spirit and she always wanted to see me happy. I wanted the same, didn’t I? Yes, I loved-
“NO! Do not think about that crystal mare. She was in your way. Remember your purpose.”
Right. I am above such emotions. I am fear. I am hatred. I am Sombra, the Umbrum. I was going to make this world pay for what it did to me, to my kind. Nothing would hold me back, especially not some dead mare… I hope she died well.
I never said goodbye.
I shook my head. That didn’t matter. What mattered is that I needed a place to stay. I smirked when I trotted into a hotel for guests of the empire. The crystal mare behind the counter was young, so I laughed inwardly when she blushed at the sight of me.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes,” my voice purred out the words. I felt disgusted with the thought of seducing a crystal mare, but I didn’t want to use my dark magic to trick her. Someone might sense it on her and my plans would be dashed or at the very least complicated. Well, more complicated than they already were.”I’d like a room. Nothing too fancy.”
“We have a few on the second floor available,” she nodded. “That’ll be five bits.”
“We can work out payments later,” I winked, causing her to shyly look away. “Tell you what. I can work out the payments by playing for the other guests. Free of charge.”
The mare took a quick look at my cutie mark. “I don’t know if my boss will like that,” she muttered.
“I’ll personally speak with him,” I smirked. I don’t think there’d be any harm with using my skills on her boss. She was visited by several patrons over the course of the day. Her boss could leave for a day or two, long enough for the tell-tell sign of dark magic to leave them.
She looked about and quickly hoofed over a spare set of keys. “Room E43. If my boss gets angry, I’ll tell him you stole them.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” I remarked, before chuckling at her shocked expression. “Kidding.” I walked off. That was too easy. Perhaps I made this form too sexy. Nah, I was a rather attractive creatures. Sad to think I was surrounded mostly by crystal mares. Maybe I’ll see that Octavia soon. It would be a good change of pace.