Chapter 7
The two stood at opposite ends of the fountain, each staring back at the other.
Umbra's mouth hung open. The unicorn was just as tall as he was, her wings making her seem larger. All she did was stare at him with an expressionless face, silently examining him, tilting her head, then blinking.
Both frightened and confused, Umbra didn’t know what to do. Should he answer this mysterious newcomer whom he was pretty sure he had seen before, or remain silent? "Was that who was standing behind me?"
After a prolonged moment of silence, the mare spoke up, her harsh tone and loud voice making him shrink back. “You are in no position to be defiant here, Sombra!”
Her statement rattled through his head. “Sombra?” Realization overcame him as a memory flashed across his mind. Obscure images of a high balcony with Sombra staring up at the sky. Two figures, one light and one dark, flying towards them. “It can’t be!”
Instinct kicked in, taking over his mind and forcing his body to obey. Umbra spun in place and bolted towards a nearby alley. His heart pounded in his ears as he ran from the mare. As he neared the two buildings, the sprinting unicorn spared a glance behind him. He noticed that there was no one behind the fountain where he stood a moment before. Umbra returned his glance ahead of him. The blue mare stood directly in front of him, wings outstretched, blocking his path.
Planting his hooves in the ground, Umbra attempted to stop himself before crashing into the intimidating pony. Instead, Umbra lost his balance and found himself stumbling to the ground, hitting his head on the unforgiving earth.
When his vision returned, two hooves appeared in front of his face. Looking up at their owner, Umbra’s heart sank.
“You cannot run away.”
He backed into a wall away from the unicorn towering over him. The blue mare took a step closer. Umbra tensed himself and prepared for the worst.
“How are you here? You were vanquished in the Crystal Empire.”
Umbra could not look her in the eyes. He kept silent.
“YOU KNOW WHO I AM, DO NOT TEST MY PATIENCE, SOMBRA!” she roared.
“I-I-I’m not Sombra…” Umbra managed to squeak out barely audible.
“SPEAK LOUDER!” her deafening shout rattled his mind and sent panic through his body.
“I’m not Sombra!” he responded involuntarily.
A puzzled look crossed her face. “W-what?” she said in a much softer voice.
“I-I’m not S-Sombra,” Umbra repeated almost in tears.
The tall mare took a step back, pausing to absorb what she had been told. Umbra all the while shivered up against the wall. After an overly extended moment, the blue unicorn spoke again.
"If you are not Sombra, who...are you?"
He didn't know what to say, all the words he tried to form slipped from him. "My...I-"
"Why did you attempt to flee?" she cut him off.
"W-well I uh-"
"Where did you come from? Why have I never seen you before?"
"Um...I ca-"
"Well come on then, stand and speak!"
Umbra sighed. It was useless to lie to her. She already knew about Sombra, she was there from the beginning. He rose to his unsteady hooves. Though her voice had lost its deafening edge, Umbra couldn't help but feel intimidated. Standing up, he was just barely above her eye level. It gave him a slight boost in confidence.
He took a deep breath, swallowed his pride, then began his confession.
"I came from the Crystal Empire." Her eyebrow arched as he said that. Still, the mare listened intently as Umbra continued. "I ran because I've seen you before. You were there on that day-” Umbra noticed her eyes darting back and forth from his eyes to something directly behind him. He lost his focus and trailed off as he swung his head around to see what had been stealing her attention.
Around the corner of the building, at the fountain where they once were, stood an immense figure of what looked to be a pony. Squinting his eyes, Umbra saw that the pony’s neck had a kink almost like that of a garden hose and something long and thin hung out of its mouth. The details of the figure were obscured by the night sky. Umbra blinked and rubbed his eyes. The pony had disappeared.
Umbra stared at the empty courtyard, at the trickling fountain. He was sure somepony had been standing there not a moment before. The blue unicorn cleared her throat, causing him to jump. “You were saying?” she said as her hoof beckoned in the air.
“Sorry,” he apologized, forgetting the strange vision he had witnessed just earlier. He continued his speech while at the same time trying to keep a good eye on both her and his surroundings. “You were there on that day. I saw you and another pony flying towards my father right before he…” Her expressionless face suddenly changed to heavy worry. Her eyes opened wide staring above his head. Her mouth opened in a slight gasp. She took a step back. The sudden change her appearance unnerved Umbra. Something was wrong.
His back tensed as another freezing breath ran down his neck. Goosebumps formed along his legs and his spine began to shiver. Umbra looked to the tall blue pony with pleading eyes, begging for help. She looked just as terrified as he did. He didn’t think she would help.
Umbra slowly turned his head. A jagged blade reflected his petrified face in front of him. Its owner stared at him with a single cloudy, bloodshot eye. The entire right half of the massive pony’s head was either unrecognizably mangled or completely gone altogether. Patches of skin were missing all over the body. Like he had seen before, its extended neck bent at an unnatural angle to the right. Its back was straight and cracked when moved. There was no tail nor was there a mane. Bright, pointed teeth held the blade and grinned at Umbra, eager to meet him.
Umbra looked back at the blue mare, his entire body shaking. Her eyes glowed white and she started to fade.
"Run," she said before disappearing.
Something between a piercing shriek and an evil laugh sounded above as the terrible creature leaned it's broken neck over him. Like a startled cat, Umbra darted away from the monster, out of the alley and into the street.
Just behind him, he could hear the sound of hooves scraping on the ground. The flash of the blade in his eye. He was being chased.
Through teeth clenched on the knife, Umbra heard the monster breathing behind him. It was deep and angry. All it wanted was to end him. It was getting closer too.
Umbra ran as fast as he could. His heart raced. He felt the creature's frozen breath on his back. It was right behind him. The knife wasn't aimed for his back however. The knife wanted Umbra's throat. Umbra had to do something quick or else the blade would get its wish.
Up ahead in the road, a little red wagon sat off to the side. Umbra ran straight for it.
The ends of his mane brushed against the razor sharp tip of the knife. Umbra's horn glowed with his aura. He leaped above the wagon as his magic lifted it up behind him.
He heard the monster's long leg crash into the wagon, sending it and the knife tumbling downward which caught Umbra's side and tore into him. Umbra winced at the burning pain but ran on.
Glancing behind as he ran, Umbra saw that the creature had a new rage in its bloodshot eye. The blade dripped with Umbra's own blood. He saw that it wanted more.
Umbra also saw that the monster now ran with a limp. It was much slower than he was. Umbra decided he could use this to his advantage. He could run then hide.
The stallion sprinted onward, his chest heaving, blood trickling down his leg. He ran until the limping monster around the corner of a building and into another alley. Umbra darted into a dark corner behind a dumpster.
Umbra pressed himself into his corner, trying to make himself as small as possible. He strained his chest and took deep breaths to try and slow his heart down which pumped blood through the gash in his side.
The pain made him want to scream. It made him want to groan in agony. Instead, he clamped his teeth down on his lip and whimpered to himself. A single tear rolled down his cheek. He had to keep silent. That monster could be anywhere. He stayed huddled in his hiding place and kept quiet, letting his wound burn and throb.
Around the corner of the dumpster, Umbra heard the sound of hooves skidding across the ground then halting. Umbra's heart stopped. He held his breath, trying to stay as quiet as possible.
A set of hooves slowly clopped their way down the alley. They were getting closer.
A metal blade scratched across the side of the building Umbra sat against. The sound made his entire body tremble.
Onward it scraped, inching closer and closer, getting louder all the while.
It scraped against the dumpster. The new sound rang in his ears. The pounding if his heart was louder still.
It crept near his head, sending shivers through his mane. Then it stopped.
There was silence. Only his heartbeat remained in the dark alley.
Everything was silent.
Umbra slowly peered around the corner, his head shaking almost violently.
Nothing but an empty alley.
The breath that had been long held in his chest was released. His lungs bathed in the new oxygen. Umbra panted and slouched over to the ground.
Umbras back tensed as breath blew across it. He gasped and spun around in an instant.
"Hey Umbra! Whatcha doin?"
Umbra groaned and looked to the ground. "Hi, Applebloom," he said with apathy.
The yellow filly looked at his side. "Are you okay?" she asked as she leaned over to get a better view.
Umbra looked at his wound. It was covered in dirt and still dripped red. The pain was immense.
"I think I'll be alri-" his sentence stopped as he looked above Applebloom. Just above her head, the shine of the jagged blade glowed with the moonlight. A set of large, pointed teeth smiled at Umbra while a single bloodshot eye looked directly at him.
Umbra's heart stopped.
The wicked smile spread. More teeth than any pony should have grinned at him in malevolence.
Umbra knew what the monster would do.
The blade flashed and it dropped. Right for the filly's neck.
Something stirred inside Umbra, it gave him power. Faster than he ever thought possible, Umbra leapt to his hooves and dove for the filly. He reached towards Applebloom and pushed her out of the way.
The blade was hungry for blood. The blade would get its keep.
Umbra collapsed on the ground. The feeling had left from his legs. They became heavy as if they were filled with lead. His neck wouldn't move. His vision narrowed.
The world around him started to spin. He tried to say something but no breath came.
The last thing he saw was a tall blue unicorn with a sad expression standing behind a silent and tearful filly.
***
Umbra jerked awake, springing to his hooves. The lone unicorn kicked at the ground, shouting at the sky. He swung and thrashed at an innocent garbage can. The back of his neck throbbed where the knife had been. The agony made him swing about, crashing into nearly everything in the alley.
He wanted it to stop. Not just the dreadful pain in his neck, everything. He didn't want ponies constantly chasing after him. He didn't want to have to hide himself every time he saw someone. He didn't want to have to be afraid of what horrors might haunt his dreams every time he fell asleep. He wanted it all to end.
The weight of his burdens was too much to bear.
In the midst of his rage, he heard laughter. It was deep, slow, and familiar in its sound.
Umbra stopped and looked about him, trying to locate the source. Just as sudden as it began, the laughter stopped, leaving a confused stallion spinning in place.
Umbra stood there for a moment, his rage nearly forgotten, trying to comprehend what just happened. Along the street outside the alley, a group of ponies walked past. Umbra looked out at them. They laughed and chatting amongst themselves as they walked down the street. All of them having a good time.
Umbra envied their joy. How they walked as if they had nothing to worry about.
"What if they're just hiding it?"
He wondered if they all wore masks like he did. He wondered if they were hiding their worries and troubles. If they were hiding who they are. Did they wear the same mask?
Another group walked past, distracting him from his thoughts.
"Where is everypony going?"
The lone stallion stepped outside the dark alley. The morning sun shone flooded over him, warming his coat and stinging his eyes. He hadn't realized it was morning.
As he walked out into the crowded street, his leg caught a single page of the day's newspaper. He brushed it aside, not noticing the peculiar headline: CRYSTAL EMPIRE SAVED FROM EVIL DICTATOR and the picture of a shadowy armored unicorn.
Umbra followed the flow of the town. He tried his best to stay along the outside of the crowd but he soon found himself in the middle of the street, completely surrounded by ponies. Even though he was nearly a foot taller than everyone else, the unicorn couldn't help but feel claustrophobic.
He looked all around him. So many ponies. All of them seemingly content with themselves. Each knowing one another and enjoying the company it brought them.
None of them acknowledging his presence, not even noticing he was there among them.
While he liked the fact that he wasn't the center of attention, being amongst the crowd made him feel different. It made him wish he knew someone there. He longed for someone to talk to. Someone he could trust to know his identity. Someone to share his problems with. Someone to help carry the load.
His head slumped low and his eyes fixed on the ground. It was there, in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by ponies, Umbra felt more alone than he ever had. He had to hide it though. So he fastened his mask and walked on.
Just another weight on his shoulders.
The crowd thinned out and began to line the edges of a street. Umbra still not knowing what was going on, followed along with the rest of the town and picked an empty spot along the street. He stood there looking up and down the lines of ponies, trying to see if he could get any idea what was happening.
Just down the street, Umbra heard ponies cheering. He looked that direction and saw several large decorated carts rolling down the road. They were all made to look like different foods. A giant head of lettuce made its way past him. Umbra watched as floats of all shapes and sizes slowly made their way down the street. Suddenly from his right, a large golden apple came racing down the road. Three familiar fillies went chasing after it.
He wasn't all that surprised.
Through the excited cheers of the crowd, Umbra started thinking about Ponyville.
The weight he carried every time he took a step in Ponyville was taking its toll. He could feel himself weakening, his spirit deteriorating. He didn't know much longer he could last.
"You know how to end your suffering."
Umbra gasped, it was Sombra's voice. He looked frantically around him. Nobody else had heard it.
Umbra nervously stepped away from the crowd of ponies at the parade and started walking towards the park. He needed some space.
***
The park was nearly empty to Umbra's relief. The parade was to thank for that, though there were still a few ponies here and there, having a relaxing walk or sharing a moment with someone close.
Umbra walked alone. He glanced at a pony sitting in an awkward position on a bench. The mint green unicorn read the day's newspaper. She too was alone.
The stallion slowed to a stop. Though she looked content, Umbra wondered if she felt alone as he did. Was she wearing a mask? He thought about going over to talk to her.
"Would it really be so hard?" he thought as he stared at her. "Would it make a difference if I gave her some company?"
Umbra took a step toward the bench but stopped in his tracks. A biege earth pony with a swirled mane approached the mare and greeted her. He watched as the unicorn looked up from her newspaper and smiled at the newcomer who joined her up on the bench. The newspaper slumped to the ground, exposing a picture of a dark armored unicorn.
Umbra sighed and walked away, staring at the ground at his hooves. The weight didn't let up.
"Give in, Umbra."
He grit his teeth.
"You don't belong there. Give in."
Umbra's heart began pounding. His pace increased.
"All your pain can stop here."
He tried to run away.
"Accept your destiny, Umbra."
Umbra ran through the park, past several ponies, not caring where he went. He wanted to get away from it, from everything. He wanted it all to stop. He ran until the cramps in his stomach forced him to stop. He stopped just outside the Everfree forest.
He sat in the middle of the road, wincing from the deep pain in his stomach. Breathing heavily through clenched teeth, Umbra hung on the edge of sanity. His head pressed to the ground.
He remembered what Sombra said. The allure of an end to his pain was starting to sound more and more enticing. It was an easy way out, a way to remove the weight.
"Would it really take it all away?"
From his moment of self pity, the sound of hooves in the dirt filled his ears. Suddenly becoming self conscious, Umbra stood up and looked around. A familiar face trotted towards him from the depths of the Everfree.
"Ah, my new friend from Ponyville anew," Zecora spoke to him. "What a coincidence it is, I was told to come find you."
"Friend?"
"Y-you were told to find me?"
"Indeed I was, to take you someplace. But not until sundown, there is no reason to haste." Umbra stared at the zebra in confusion. "In the meantime, I have some errands to run. So it seems that you will just have to come."
"Um...what?" he said as she started walking towards the town. It seemed he didn't have a choice. Umbra caught up to the zebra and matched her pace. The two walked in silence as they entered the town.
***
The time passed slowly as Umbra followed Zecora went she went to various shops and stalls around the town. The pair didn't talk much save a bit of idle chat. Umbra didn't mind however, the company of someone he knew was enough for him. He enjoyed the comfort it brought. He didn't know if she knew how much it meant to him. He didn't feel as alone anymore. The weight didn't feel as heavy.
The sun had begun its descent and was now almost below the mountains on the horizon. Zecora decided it was time to take him to his surprise. She led him down a street with her bags full of the goods she had bought.
Umbra became anxious. "So, where are we going?"
"Don't worry, it will all be fine. You will find out in time."
Umbra didn't like the answer but he kept to himself. He followed the zebra through the streets, glad he had someone he could call 'friend'.
A thought popped into his head. "Maybe I could tell her." He considered the thought as he walked. Would confessing to the zebra lift the weight off his shoulders?
***
Umbra looked at the interesting building before them. A sign hung next to the door with an image if a cupcake. The building itself looked as if it was baked in an oven then decorated with all manner of sweets. If he didn't know any better, he might have tried to steal a bite. It reminded him of an old fairy tale he read as a foal. He looked at Zecora. He hoped they weren't walking into a witch's house.
That would be ridiculous though.
Zecora stopped at the entrance to the strange building and stepped to the side, gesturing for him to go first. Umbra walked up to the door, brushing past a discarded page of the day's newspaper with the title CRYSTAL EMPIRE SAVED FROM EVIL DICTATOR. He stepped forward and reached for the handle. He looked back at her, a hesitant look on his face. She responded with a silent nod towards the door.
The unicorn sighed, then pushed it open.
Umbra stepped in the room. It was dark, feeling similar to the room he woke up in a few days ago in the Crystal Empire. Only this time, the sweet scent of vanilla and frosting filled his nostrils instead of the musky air of the closet. The delightful aroma made his stomach growl and ache.
Suddenly the lights flashed on, forcing him to shut his eyes. His ears cringed as the cries of dozens of ponies filled the air. He blinked his eyes open. The entire room had been elaborately decorated including a sign that ran across the ceiling with sentence in bright letters, "Welcome to Ponyville, Umbra!" The room was full of ponies, most of which he didn't recognize, though he did see a few familiar faces. Big Mac waved to him from a table and the mint green unicorn from the park stood off next to a group of ponies he didn't know. All of them had their eyes on him.
His smile grew when he saw the long table towards the back of the room. It was the one thing on his mind, food.
Pinkie Pie bounced from out of the mass of ponies. She landed in front of him, her face beaming. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by a shout from somepony behind her.
"It's King Sombra!" A brown unicorn yelled with one hoof pointed towards Umbra. Levitating next to his head was the day's newspaper.
Umbra's heart sank when he heard that name, it froze him where he stood. Many gasps escaped the open mouths of the ponies in the room. They whispered amongst themselves as they backed away from him.
Umbra looked about the room. The eyes of everypony were still on him only now, they were full of fear. He looked at Pinkie as she took a step back. He looked at her shocked and heartbroken face. Her expression didn't show fear. It showed betrayal.
Five ponies stepped forward from the crowd. Umbra's heart dropped to the floor. Twilight eyed him then gasped. "It is Sombra!"
"'T Ain't impossible!"
Umbra's heart started racing. His mask shattered.
"We can't let him enslave us like the crystal ponies! Let's get him!"
The crowd inside Sugarcube Corner was ready to attack.
He was nowhere to be found.
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Oh god...poor Umbra. This chapter made me wanna tear up a little bit, to be honest. Can't wait to see how this goes.
Will things ever get better for Umbra before they get worse? Hope so, poor guy. Buy anyway....can't wait for the next issue!
You're right, Applejack. It's not possible, because it isn't Sombra.
...
The effects of sins of the father are felt for generations. It only gets worse from here on out.
Poor Pinky is gonna be so sad about what's happened, somepony getting run out of their own party that she set up.
3503828 Was it really that powerful? Jeez, I guess I don't know my own strengths!
3503900 Maybe they'll just get worse, who knows? Oh right, I do!
3503912 How'd you know he isn't Sombra?
3503971
???
Does Sombra want his son to commit suicide? 'cause that's what it sounds like.
3504001 At least that's how I imagined she'd react.
Her expression didn't show fear. It showed betrayal.
I know that's what it says but I'm sure she'd be smart enough to know he isn't Sombra. She who knows every face and name of everypony in Ponyville. Although she does seem to go with whatever the crowds feeling. all's I'm saying is that I think you made her react differently then she would normally.
3504002 Your avatar image works perfectly with what you said...
Anyway, it is a dark story...
3504051 Well I'm certainly not the best writer in the world.
You'll just have to wait and see what happens next!
3504098
S'not that I'm shocked, just confused. I thought that Sombra wanted to possess Umbra's body or something. I don't see how making that body be dead is conductive towards that goal.
3504115 It's not sombra's fault the town hates Umbra. All Sombra is doing, all he can do, is mentally torture Umbra to the point of submission. He wants Umbra to continue his empire.
Poor Umbra.
I'll give you a hug.
And BAM, the Umbra was gone
rbanzinfo.com.au/resources/images/EASY-OFF%20BAM%C2%AE.jpg
3504963 Would you if you believed he was a cruel dictator that enslaves those he rules?
3505159 Umbra prefers the stain fighting power of Oxyclean!
4.bp.blogspot.com/-xXupfupTX0g/Toom6uzBEnI/AAAAAAAAAVY/hEcqMa2DoRs/s320/billy-mays.jpg
Poor poor Umbra now the only thing he can do is run.
3505327 Run
ForestUmbra, run!He does that a lot.
Does running from your problems really solve anything though?
3505487
Running only delays the inevitable.
Ninja Umbra.
Or more like Batman Umbra. I dunno.
Cant wait for the next chapter.
3505261 I could most likely tell that he wasn't his father. Now my OC Prince Dark Bane is a different story. He is the clone of his father. Even acts like Somber is the true ruler of the world.
3509304 Sounds interesting.
Would you know for sure if the only information you had about Sombra was from a newspaper like the ponies in town?
3509318 Like I said I'm smart and I'm also logical. I would walk up to him and see if he had the balls to use dark magic.
3509357 You probably wouldn't fit in around there since most of them faint from bunny stampedes.
3505490 Is it not possible to run away from your problems?
3479077 It's a third Tuesday in an odd numbered month.
Can you hear all those trees falling?
this is getting really interesting. I can't wait for the next chapter please update soon
3509813 True I would most likely have a cutie make of wisdom or just not live there. I'm not a nature person.
3513486 I would probably end up dead in the everfree or something.
I've just been told that this story is number 7 in the list of highest rated stories on this site. I really don't understand what I did to deserve this but still, I CAN'T CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT!!!
anticgif.com/upload/content/68/54/371563c725cfae53b534e6e1ae6a5947.gif
Update. Aaaaaaaand it's gone courtesy of whoever that one guy is that downvoted.
I don't mind of you downvote, but I'd at least like to know why.
3514481 Lucking no likes my story that much and it actually has a great plot.
God dammit Umbra get your shit together!
Hey you More Now sry i wish you could contunio Dammit Yah you get the idea contuine the story now or ... i have taken the cupcakes hostage more now
3607906 Hey! I'm working on it alright?!
3608415 hey i just miss the story but hope next chapter will be good like always
da buck
didn't see that comming
Shoot, if LUNA says to run from a nightmare, you'd better listen.
To be honest, aside from the nightmare with AB and Luna, Sombra has only made me dislike this fic. It could honestly be better without his direct influence and it seems more like a crutch for the author than anything.
*slow clap*
I can forgive this random person and the Princesses. I cannot forgive the Crystal ponies, who should KNOW that Umbra exists.
I'm willing to forgive anyone but Rarity. Her eye for detail should spot that he isn't Sombra immediately.