Sombra Dislikes Crystals

by The Apologetic Pony

Pumpkins Aren't Always Made Out Of False Gemstones

Sombra didn’t enjoy it much, recoiling at the roughness of Tinker’s tongue, but a friend is a friend. Sombra had a very acute, queer feeling that Tinker was enjoying it.

Neither said anything for a while after they’d separated, perhaps neither knew what to say.

‘You should go soon, my Dad’s gonna be back.’

‘Would that be a problem? Not that I won’t leave if you want me to.’

‘I don’t know, I don’t know how he’d react.’

‘Okay then. I’ll see what I can bring for next time, I guess.’

‘But really thanks, that meant a lot to me, you mean a lot to me.’ he said and hugged him.

‘Friends, Tinker.’

‘Mmhmm, friends for years to come.’

They didn’t feel like friends anymore. Then again, does alex “feel” like your father anymore? I don’t know.

And so it was with conflicting thoughts Sombra left Tinker’s house, carry on carry on. The sensation of disconnection returned as quickly as it’d lapsed. Maybe it’s all because of my cutiemark. Traditionally they were portrayed in the foals’ tales as granting great purpose to otherwise mundane ponies, leading to heroic feats and eternal happiness. Of course, the living society isn’t so simple, where it was given connotations of how you earned your bits, but not necessarily being passionate about it. The degrees to which it was considered a part of the personality varied between pony to pony, where those raised by griffins were known as not considering them anything more than another skill. But even they yearned for a meaning behind the mark on their flank.

‘Good to see you’re back, thought you we’re going to gallop away with how you left.’

‘Like Alex’s done to us?’

‘Food in the kitchen, I’m going to bed.’

‘I guess I’ll just gallop to my bed then!’

Dreamless night, then came the next day.

‘Good evening Som-bra!’

‘It’s morning to you.’

‘Celestia moves the sun as she wishes, not when I wake.’

‘I guess.’

‘I think I’ve discovered something interesting for you. I tried conjuring something while copying your aura, and instead of a pumpkin, I got black shards.’

‘You tried conjuring a pumpkin?’

‘First thing I thought of.’

‘Right... I don’t even know how to conjure anything anyway.’

‘Oh of course you don’t, you didn’t specialise.’

‘I wonder why that is? I wouldn’t be specialising around now would I? No I’m just joking, I never was going to. Hard to specialise with a meaningless cuitemark.’

‘I’m just too pretty.’ she said, stretching her wings.

Is she actually fetishsing this or what?

‘Luna...’

‘What?’

‘My gay friend asked me to kiss him yesterday, lay off me would you?’

‘Feeling confused? I’m aware of how you feel towards me, but I only do this because I hardly ever get the chance to, Som-bra. But fine, lets go to the garden, spoilsport.’ Luna managed to flirt while pretending not to be.

They arrived at the garden, which was empty as it usually was when Sombra came. Apparently conjuring was just a modified self teleportation spell, making Sombra wonder if some startled farmer was going to see his prize pumpkin vanish in front of him.

‘Just think of it already existing, and you bringing it here.’

‘Existing where?’

‘In the ether, on your horn, wherever you want.’

‘Uh... okay. So like, teleportation spell, but with the pumpkin?’

‘Sort of, it's a bit harder because you need to project the magic outwards instead of onto yourself.’

It took him a while, but after a few hours of practice he got something, if not a pumpkin.

‘What exactly are they, crystals?’

‘Do you like crystals?’

‘Yeah yeah funny.’

Luna tried to balance one of the black shards on her muzzle without much success.

‘They’re quite fragile though,’ Luna pointed out. ‘It’d shatter if we were inside.’

‘And not particularly useful?’

‘Cool though, right?’

‘If you’re twelve or if you like exotic earrings, I guess so.’

‘Too dark for sunglasses.’

‘Hip sunglasses!’

That brought them some laughter.

‘I wonder what’d happen if I gave a guard one?’ Luna said.

‘Aww I’m so gonna do that!’

That guard was very confused, but he did end up accepting it.

The garden was washed in rose light with the sunfall.

‘You know I got spanked for breaking a crystal once. Wasn’t like these though, purple one.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that... So that’s why you were so insistent about asking me that when we met.’

‘I thought I made it pretty clear.’

‘Sorry.’

‘I had a bit of a fight with ‘Tia yesterday.’

‘Oh yeah?’

‘She’s a bit scared of you. I’ve showed her a bit, she thinks your magic’s dangerous, and she doesn’t like me helping you develop it.’

‘Is it?’

‘Only enough to proceed with caution, like we’ve been doing. She just doesn’t believe me when I say I could keep things under control if need be, without maiming you.’

‘But I agreed to anyway?’

‘I can get her to meet you if you like, perhaps she’ll find you more convincing.’

‘Yeah sure. What’s she like?’

‘A lot more formal than me, she gets clothed griffins and ponies to talk to every day, but I don’t think we’re so different. She won’t be angry at you, she’s just angry at me for helping you.’

‘Are you corrupting me then?’

‘Haha don’t be so harsh on her, she only wants best for you.’

‘Fine fine, just kidding. I’m sure she’s noble.’

Sombra stared off into the sky.

‘I suppose that’s it for today.’ he said.

‘I suppose it is, though I do miss you?’

‘We see each other often.’

‘It gets lonely, when everypony else is asleep.’

‘Perhaps you should invite some insomniacs over.’

‘I’m sure they’d appreciate speaking to me in the darkest hours.’

‘I’m sure!’

Sombra got his flying chariot ride back soon after. His thoughts leapt between ideas of what he could do with his seemingly useless ability to make black shards of something. Maybe he could leave them around the house until his mother noticed? Give them to Alex and say here’s the fucking amethyst back. That’s not fair, he’s already apologised for that. Whatever.