Dr. Sombra

by Mr Inkhooves

Welcome Back

I came to with a heavy gasp "Cadence?!" I croaked, looking up at the concrete slab of the ceiling, I was back. I heard the sound of hooves and looked up into her benevolent face "I'm here." she said with a smile. I wondered why she wasn't experiencing the after effects of the magic, but I was too glad to question. I got unsteadily to my feet with the aid of the table, intending to leap into her hooves and show how happy I was.It started out well, then I sort of flopped onto her, still unsteady. She laughed, supporting me, as I made embarrassed apologies.

"How did you do it?" I asked as we relinquished each other. She just smirked and tapped a hoof to the side of her muzzle teasingly. I was like a kid at Hearts Warming,desperate to open my presents, only to be told "Later on." It was very crushing.

She laughed again,her bobbed mane now untied and flowing freely about her face and I grinned back "Be still, my beating heart." I thought as another groan sounded. Shining Armour was also rousing. I backed up a bit, not wanting to provoke another outburst. "Oh, hey Cadence." he said, then looked at me "Dr. Sombra." he toned casually.

My mouth must've been hanging open, as Cadence giggled,stifling it with a hoof, before replying. "Hey Shining. How're you feeling?" He rubbed his head,his eyes opening and closing as if fighting to stay awake. "I'm good. Very good. I haven't felt this good in ages!" He adopted the confident air of the Shining from the image. He roared with happy laughter, reverberating around the small room, before vaulting the table and enfolding us both in a crushing bear hug.

"You're...welcome" I wheezed as my circulation was cut off. Cadence grinned again "That's fantastic! No more visions?" she asked, he nodded eagerly,like a schoolcolt. "Brilliant." she said, returning to the Doctor-patient decorum with a clearing of her throat. "We'll need to keep you under observation for a week or so,make sure things don't regress and after a follow up session with a panel of Doctors, we can declare you well again.I thought his head would come off, he shook it so eagerly in glee.

"Yes! You bet!" he said, releasing us both.

She buzzed for security and they came to take him back to his cell. "Hope to see you soon Shining." she called as he was lead away, a huge grin crossing his features.

I turned to look at Cadence, full of burning questions; she smirked knowingly. "Ok. I'll make this easy What, when and how?" She put a hoof to my lips playfully "All in good time." she said vaguel,y then with a cheeky grin continued "But first, want to grab a drink?" I think I felt a nosebleed coming on. Trying to sound casual, I replied:

"Sure, sounds good to me, but...don't we have work?"

"Not on a Friday night we don't" she said with a teasing grin as I figured it out. I'd first seen Shining on the Wednesday, I'd been gone for TWO days?

I babbled "Two days?! I was in there for two days? It felt like forever!" Then another question came to mind: "How did you learn my method in two days? One, without me to teach you and two THAT quickly?!"

"It wasn't that hard, you know. Just use your little keepsake as a medium and you're in!" She said it like it was so easy. I wasn't entirely satisfied, about to ask another question before she stopped me, by opening the door. "How about that drink?" My tongue stilled, I followed her. We both blinked at the bright light of the hallway, not helped by the reflective sheen of the floor. I was never so happy to see anything in my life. We walked two abreast, both laughing.

"Nopony asked where we were?" I questioned,unable to contain it.

She rolled her eyes "They did. I told them we were practicing your method and they went quiet, the top brass revere you it seems."

I was silent as she continued "I did that in the later half of the first day, I only got rare murmurings and the odd vision. After your little outburst, then a rush of static, I decided to experiment with the link. For the first hour or so, nothing happened, however, I did get a feel for a magic, a small buzzing in my mind. Once I focused on that, with the aid of the crystal, I was in.

Like you found, no barrier formed for me, I simply fell from the sky. Just as I thought I'd hit the ground, I found myself in a nursery, some purple filly standing over me. I was in shock, then I remembered your ordeal and centered myself. This is what happened:"

"Cadence? Are you ok?" the filly asked

I stood up, " Yes, I'm fine errr.."

"Twilight. I'm Twilight." she said, looking curious "You sure you're ok?"

"Of course I am Twilight!" I looked about desperately for some distraction,spotting a patchwork doll sat at a miniature table with two oversized teacups. "Want to play tea-time with-" "Smarty-Pants" Twilight interjected.

"Yes! Let's do that!" Finding myself sweating under the scrutiny of a toddler.

I lay on the floor, putting on a voice and moving the doll, Twilight moved to the other side, levitating her cup "So Twilight,how're you today?" I said, flailing the doll's arms enthusiastically .

Entirely demure, Twilight responded with a sip of her imaginary tea "I'm well Mr. Smarty-Pants, just finished reading Magic and the Mind" I scoffed as it was a lengthy tome on complex magical theory. . I was about to say something, when she quoted several lines immaculately.

I was speechless, but I was saved from a reply when the door opened.

"Oh, hey Shining!" she toned, waving a hoof excitedly "Cadence and I are having tea, care to join?"
Confidently, he strode over, I just gaped. He became conscious of my stare and looked a little confused,but then grinned hugely.

"Twily, I think Mom wants you in the kitchen." Twilight dutifully scuttled out, grabbing Fancy-Pants with her horn. Soon we were alone.

"So, Cadence." he said,leaning on the door casually "What's up with you?"

I jumped up from the floor, pressing into him "Shining! You're here! So, Sombra must be around somewhere..."

His eyebrows shot up "Yeah, I'm here. Wait...who's Sombra?" he looked crestfallen, "are you cheating on me?!"

I ran out of the room and out of the house, an emotionally wounded Shining calling "Cadence?"

I didn't stop running till I reached a park and hid in a bush,watching the way i'd come. I charged my horn, if he's not here, he'll be somewhere else. "Find Sombra"! I commanded it, nothing happened. I groaned in frustration, as Shining came bounding into the park. Maybe this'll work? I wondered, "Since I'm so tied to his psyche"

I stepped out from the bushes, Shining ran over, tears collecting at the edge of his eyes. "Cadence...I"

"Forget you heard that." I commanded, blasting him with my horn. He went googly eyed, before rubbing his head. "Oh, hey Cadence. How'd we get out here?" He asked.

I kissed him and-

"WHOA, whoa, whoa! You kissed him?

By this time we were in her car and pulling up in the bar's parking lot. Evidently a slow night: only a few cars were there.

She smile coquettishly "Got married too." She laughed at my expression "Is somepony jealous?" she asked, getting out.

"N-no!" I spluttered,disentangling myself from the seat belt. "I just didn't expect that, is all."

She laughed at my feeble excuses "Let's go inside." she waited for me and went in together. Besides the barkeep, only one pony was there, a striking mare, in an alcove by herself. We sat down on the stools in front of the bar and ordered our drinks.

Something came to me suddenly "You said that you commanded Shining to forget something in the dream?"

Serious now, Cadence replied "Yeah. Why?"

I thought for a minute "You improved on my technique...hold on a sec, I'm gonna try something. Hey barkeep!"

He turned,cleaning a glass. "Yeah pal?"

"I had your mother last night" not the best insult,but I needed to test something.

Cadence looked shocked "Sombra!"

The barkeep shrugged "You really can't handle your drink,can you? I think you'd better le-"

I fired a stealthy blast from my horn,he went googly eyed, before shaking his head. "You wanted to say something?"

the mare didn't notice. "If that worked, how about..." "Yeah. You were gonna give us free drinks for the rest of the night" I fired again.

"Of course sir." he said automatically

Cadence hit me, not too pleased "Sombra! You shouldn't use the magic that way!" Although, she did look curious.

"Alright!" I said flinching back with a grin. "But, I can do good as well. You see that mare over there?"

She nodded, with a raised eyebrow

"Well, our friend here likes her quite a bit, but hasn't worked up the courage to say anything: I noticed when I touched his mind."

I fired again and he went over to the solitary mare,without a word he went up to her, she looked up and he kissed her right there and then.

"Whoa!" Cadence said, looking at me "Made that a bit fast didn't you?"

I was just as surprised as her "I didn't command, errr persuade him to do that! I just told him to show his feelings."

Luckily the mare must've felt the same, as she didn't slap him. The spell wore off and his eyes shot open, before he got into it.

Cadence and I were both grinning hugely, sipping at our drinks. I looked at her with a cocksure grin.

She laughed "Ok, I'll admit, it can be used for good means."

"One thing," I said waving my hoof in the air "How did we get out of there in the end? That crystal thingy?" 'Thingy' was about as articulate as I could be at this stage.

"The Crystal Heart" Cadence said "I had plenty of time to experiment with the magic, it was already there, so I just...modded it a bit"

She continued "It removes any external presence and or traumatic source, relatively quickly."

I jumped, excited now "So all we need to do Is use that and everypony could be cured in a snap!" My brain was whirring and I was in awe. "You've perfected treatment Cadence!" I declared.

She smiled "I suppose so,however, we'd need to replicate and set up the devices and I have no idea if that's possible, let alone how long it would take."

"Don't be so pessimistic!" I said, raising a drink "Cheers!"

We got back some time in the early morning, laughing like idiots. I was leaning heavily on Cadence, who wasn't exactly steady herself.

Stumbling up the steps and stopping outside my door, I disentangled myself from Cadence, tottering about briefly before regaining my balance.

"Thanks Cadence!" I slurred.

Alcohol brought an adorable flush to her cheeks. "No problem" she said, I stumbled a little towards her.

"Say Cadence-" I began, my heart in my ears. She silenced me with a kiss. I gave a surprised "Mmmph!" still in the middle of speaking, but that didn't matter.

It might've lasted a few seconds, or minutes, I can't remember, but it felt great! She ended it with a grin before springing down the steps with a litheness I'd never before seen in an inebriate.

She twirled about, floundering. "Oh," she said, raising a hoof for effect "I forgot to mention. In the dream I was the Princess of Love" the emphasis sent tingles down my spine.

"Only a Princess?" I asked "More like a Queen!" she bowed grandly, before tottering away into the night.

"Or maybe," I thought, as I turned my key in the lock "an Empress..."

Author's Note:

A little bit of Alt Universe shipping:3

Comments

[Der Kaiser]

very good concept and execution as well as interesting

[Mr Inkhooves]

3595089 Thank you very much! I love writing this story

[Moon loving Changeling]

I'm confused.