Sombra's Mission

by Strythio

The Pursuit of Violet

Sombra had not enjoyed sleep so much in years. Although unsure of how long he had been sleeping, Sombra awoke to find himself back in his guest chambers, tucked in and everything.

“Philuna…” Sombra murmured to himself upon noticing the cleaned up room, the balcony looking oddly inviting, “I feel weird.”

“Morning your highness.”

Casually Sombra turned to the source of the sound; a crystal mare, an elderly one at that. Her mane was gray, and she wore what might could be called glasses. Her attire was lacking, but she seemed to have an air of importance about her.

“Um, morning,” Sombra replied, suppressing the urge to yawn widely, “My schedule keeper?”

The mare nodded, and cast an awkward glance to Sombra's erection. “Would you like me to fetch one of the servants to take care of that?”

Sombra thought it over a moment before thinking better of the request. “That will not be necessary. You may go.”

The mare left the room with a restrained haste, as if galloping would not have been fast enough to leave his presence, but it would have been rude to go any quicker than she was. Sombra decided not to let that get to him; it was not unusual for the enemy to be unnerved about his presence.

Hopping out of bed, Sombra finally was forced to confront his morning wood. He hadn’t experienced this since his adolescent days, though memories were brought back at the thought.

“Guess that is what happens when you get an undisturbed, good night’s rest,” Sombra joked to himself, walking towards the balcony.

While he felt that he should wait for his lower tension to return, the bright sunshine splashing on his face warmed him to the point of smiling wide.

Just basking for a moment, Sombra half-stepped back into his chamber, eyes closed in some private bliss as his morning wood finally softened. “Celestia…” the stallion thought to himself, imagining her warm smile upon his return, her announcement of his retirement as Captain of the Guard.

And then of course the celebratory party that his wife would have planned. She would probably dress up for the occasion. He would don his ceremonial armor, and together, the two would retrace the steps of their first meeting.

---

---

"Come on Sombra, I know you can gallop faster than that!" A large stallion in chainmail jeered, "Get a move on!"

Sombra had only been in the guard for a single day, and in his younger years, he had little idea of what it truly meant to be a member of Equestria's military. To his detriment, that did not spare him the many times he had to run the obstacle course. He had leaped over fences, pranced around sharp wheels, and even swung over a pit of hungry manticores (many times he prayed that the chain would not snap on him). But the most difficult test was set before him.

Gallop, full speed, down a straight path, without stopping. It would not have been as bad had it just been a small stretch, like the last tests. But no, this was perhaps miles worth of path, filled with jagged and sharp rocks, gaping holes, and the occasional wall. Although his instructor could not stop him from stopping, doing so would require him to run the course again tomorrow.

Sombra was on his sixth run of the week, having had to re-run it each and every single day. Today was the day he was supposed to make it. But fate had other plans, for just as Sombra managed to nimbly dodge a sinkhole, a large wall presented itself. No hangs, no hooks, not even a crack for breaking through. Just a vertical wall that most pegasi scoffed at. Of course, they had a different course, but they scoffed at the audacity that a pony had to scale it with nothing more than their hooves.

No magic allowed. Sombra swore that this course hated unicorns and everything about them. It had to have been a conspiracy by Earth ponies to make their unicorn counterparts miserable. Going around it was the only logical answer, but that took one quite out of the way, and forced a jump over sharp spines. That would wear the pony out even more.

But, it sure beat climbing a vertical wall with no fingers, so Sombra took the traditional route and went for the spikes. Huffing and puffing, the brief moment from when he left the ground to at the high point of his ascension was an odd bliss. He didn't have to carry his own weight, and he could just let gravity do some of the work. It was too brief to fully catch his breathe though, and he nearly stumbled once he landed on the other side.

"Only a mile left to go private!" the stallion shouted, the earth pony somehow keeping pace, "You are literally the last one on the course! At this rate, you'll still be trying by the time everypony else comes back for the monthly exercise."

Dear Celestia, anything but that! A month straight of this torture was enough to drag the unicorn to seek the easiest route; to find a sly way to use his magic in order to help him out. There were so many unicorns watching though, they would know if he used even the slightest bit of magic.

Before he could gather his thoughts, a purple mare ran onto the course, pursued by two guards in grey armor.

"Stop!" the ponies cried out, but the mare was not having it; not weighted down by armor, she quickly gained the lead on them. d

"Hey, off the track!" Sombra's instructor cried out, but neither guard nor mare heeded, the former attempting to lose the latter.

Before Sombra realized it, the mare was smack dab next to him, her purple form racing to try to get ahead of her pursuers. Her azure gaze was dead set on the track, her dark blue mane billowing in the wind, her powerful muscles propelling her to jump across a sinkhole. By the time Sombra realized that he should have also jumped, he missteped, and found himself plummeting into the very same hole that had caught him off guard yesterday. His excuse then had been that it had been covered up with leaves; this time, he should have known exactly where it was.

Well, even as he tumbled and hit the bottom, a grunt could be heard from his mouth. Despite the rules, he lit his horn, determined to get back onto the track and pursue the strange mare who had so captivated him to fall into this damned hole again. Calling forth his magic, he levitated himself from the hole, much to the chagrin of his unicorn counterparts, and went back to pursuit on hoof. His heart racing and his head pounding, the stallion found himself overtaking his instructor and the guards within mere moments, the mare coming into sight.

She had left a small dust trail, but that would not stop him. It would only make it easier to find her. Dodging obstacles as if they were learned pieces, Sombra kept his objective trained on the mare, who by now had noticed that there was only one stallion even near to catching her at this point. With the end of the track coming near, the mare prepared to veer off; Sombra, using his magic, fired a beam of magic at her.

Physically, nothing happened, but the mare seemed to go into a frenzied terror, and rather than fleeing away, instead fled towards the guards. A monster of sorts appearing in her illusionary vision brought the mare straight into Sombra's waiting hooves. He released the spell before she could smack him away in her attempts to escape the latest threat.

"Someone *huff* is in a *huff* hurry," Sombra jested, trying his best not to breath straight into the mare's face, "Something *huff* wrong?"

The first time Violet looked at him dead in the eye with those azure eyes of hers was the first time Sombra knew attraction. Of course, while he was more than a little aroused at the time, the arrival of the two guards and his instructor ushered the moment into a corner as she angrily brought a hoof across his face.

Her slap stung, but it garner her much favor as the guards pounced on her, just a mere second before she would have made off again. Sombra's instructor, a little worn himself, took a moment to catch his breath while the guards restrained the mare. One of them gruffly stated, "You know, running from the law is a good way to get caught you know that?"

"What is her crime?" Sombra inquired, that being the million bit question at the time.

"She stole a rare artifact from the local museum," the other guard replied, "She also attacked us."

"You attacked me first, for the record," Violet lashed out, "And I already told you, you have the wrong mare. You coming at me like a horny stallion is what sent me to running, not the fact that you are supposedly law upholders."

Sombra chuckled, much to the guards irritation. "What is so funny?"

"Oh, you know, the fact that I just chased the mare down for that very reason," Sombra commented, Violet not finding it amusing by the look on her face, "And do you have any evidence that she took it?"

"Eyewitness reports describe an earth pony with a purple coat, blue mane, and azure eyes," the first guard replied, "She is the spitting description of it."

"Does she have the artifact?" Sombra inquired, "I mean, clearly to remember those kind of details she must have stolen it recently."

"No," Violet pointed out, "Nor do I even know what artifact they speak of."

The guards looked to each other in brief confusion before Sombra's instructor cleared his throat. "Well, whether this is a little misunderstanding or not, Sombra, you know what falling into that pit means."

---

---

Sombra took a deep breath, eyes closed as he remembered this meeting. Indeed, yet another run at the course. But it had been worth it; missing out and having to do it for a week just to go to Violet's trial had been worth it. The look on the guards faces when it was ruled that, since Violet did not possess the artifact, nor was she even near the museum at the time of the theft, the description given was too specific, and likely had been intended to frame her.

Meeting her had been the easy part. Wooing her had been an entirely different headache. Flowers, green grass, roses, cakes, pastries, all sorts of gifts that he thought a mare would have been interested in, denied before he could even offer them fully. In frustration, he tried to take her on a date, only for her to decline with the excuse that she was quite busy. Sombra knew that she was not at all too busy.

Not that he had stalked her or anything, but he was well aware of her schedule, and knew that she had six hours where she just sat in a pasture and looked at the evening sky. Again, not that he had followed her, but Sombra just happened to be in the same pasture at the time for one particular night. The same night in the summer where the local plants would release their maddening pollen upon the world.

Violet had not taken well to the intrusion, at first.

---

---

Sombra had made his presence known by awkwardly stumbling next to Violet, belly first in the grass. The grass was tall, so at least Violet could not also see the expression of pain and shame that he made as well. Not like she would have cared for that anyways.

"You again!" she exclaimed, inching a few feet away from him, "What do you want this time?"

Had he been honest, he would have told her that he wanted her howling his name in ecstasy, but thankfully honesty was not an impulsive disorder for the stallion. "I just want a chance is all," Sombra answered, rising to his hooves, "I could not help but notice that you were watching the sky here today."

"Really?" Violet sounded skeptical that this was a coincidence. "Of all the random fields in Equestria, you chose this one to hang around tonight?"

Sombra nodded, and though Violet still did not believe him, she relented and turn away from him, gaze upwards to the sky. Sombra allowed silence to fill the gap of words, with not even the stirring wind making enough noise to rustle up the moment. For a long time, the two sat five pony lengths from each other, gazing towards the sky. At last, Sombra could take it no longer.

"Violet Gladis," Sombra declared, inching towards her slowly, "I demand a date."

"Demand all you want, but I shall also refuse all I want," Violet said, not taking her eyes from the sky, "Do I need to make my point made with my hooves?"

Sombra would have dared her, but he had seen her at work at the Canterlot mines; one good buck and he would be limping home tonight. "That will not be necessary," Sombra waved his hoof dismissively, "May I at least get a why?"

"I am busy, I have already told you." Violet spun her ears backwards in irritation, at last turning again towards Sombra. "What about that can you not understand?"

"You are not busy right now," Sombra insisted, yet still advancing, slowly but surely, "Five minutes of your time can not be that much to ask for."

Violet sighed and turned fully towards Sombra, perhaps now noticing the increasingly closing proximity of her persistent follower. "Five minutes. If I miss the meteor shower-"

"The name is Sombra," Sombra interrupted, jumping right in with his limited time already ticking away, "Private in the Equestrian Guard, aspiring Captain of the Guard. My father fought in the last war and actually came back, and my mother oversaw a rock farm until her recent departure from this world. I have sought to follow in my father's footsteps and make him proud, though he has a few grays in his mane already."

He stopped advancing and waited for Violet to press on. However, her ears were perked upward instead of back, as if now she seemed mildly interested. "Tell me more about this rock farm."

Sombra found it strange that she took interest in that, but he pressed on. "Well, it is a rather large rock farm, the mining operation in Canterlot. After her death, she bequeathed it to her sister, knowing the kind of interest I would take in overseeing such a thing."

"My workplace," Violet pointed out, as if Sombra did not already know. Well, as far as she knew he didn't know.

"Nothing against it, but I prefer the unknown and peril!" Sombra puffed out his chest here, going into his entry day speech all over again, "Adventuring is the life, and the fight to defend and expand Equestria is the greatest calling of the day! And one day, I will be head of it all!"

Violet giggled, though for what reason is still a mystery to him, even to this day. "Well, if you happen to run into your Aunt, let her know that I am still looking for that pay raise."

Sombra deflated. It was clear that Violet was less interested in him and more interested in his aunt. He took offense even. "Yes, I will surely let my aunt know that two minutes of my five minute date was focused on her business."

Violet softly batted a hoof at Sombra, no doubt wishing he were still approaching so that it might hit him. "Do not take offense, Sombra. You sound very charming, but I have my own dreams to fulfill. I am sure since you have been following me for weeks you are aware of them."

"How-"

"When you work in a mine long enough, feeling vibrations in the ground is a very important skill," Violet explained, "To be honest though, you were not exactly subtle. I mean, following right behind me in broad daylight? I have encountered sapphires with more stalking prowess than you."

"Well, I was not trying to be subtle," Sombra insisted, "Being subtle would have been suspicious."

"Yes, following a mare who constantly rejects you is not at all suspicious," Violet teased, "I think you have been in the Guard a little too long to understand that being bold does not make it any less suspicious."

Well, she had him on that one. "So, have I at least made myself talk-worthy?" Sombra inched forward just a foot, now within arm's reach.

Violet smiled, a wide smile that brought hornets to Sombra's chest and a bolt of lightning to his head. "Well, for a unicorn I suppose you are quite talkable."

A flash of light through the night sky, as the first falling meteor went blazing through the atmosphere. The two's attention was brought up to the temporary light show as more meteors followed behind. Sombra quickly lost interest in this and found himself staring back in Violet, her eyes reflecting the magnificence of her gaze. For the briefest of moments he thought that he might have seen her flick her ears, but perhaps it was a trick of the light.

He studied her features, from her rounded muzzle and mildly dusty coat to her strong legs and oddly straight tail mane. Yes, how sturdy and firm she was built, even in aesthetics. Once the light show ended, Violet looked towards Sombra again, noticed his stare, and blushed. She started backing off, unfortunately. "Yes well, this has been a fine, erm, date, but I really must be going."

She dashed off, leaving Sombra speechless and, frankly, very confused. He was about to chase after her when his erection interfered with his galloping.

"Damn it all!" Sombra cursed aloud. He was so close to making a connection, so close to finally getting her attentions. And then he just had to start fantasizing about what it would be like to roll through the grass, pumping her till she begged him to stop.

Sombra shook his head, the hornets in his chest departing to be replaced by a soreness instead. He would have to try again, perhaps in daylight, where she would be less susceptible to thinking of date rape when he became aroused by her again. Well, he already knew that she would leave her home an hour before sunrise, so he had till she got to the mines to try to convince her to give him another chance.

---

---

Sombra cackled to himself as he thought back, shaking his head. Violet later told him that he had not been far on the mark; she had felt quite uncomfortable with all the attention Sombra had been giving her. Not to mention he was a unicorn and she was an earth pony, a difference that didn't seem all that great until the two became more of a couple.

Sombra, not wanting to rekindle those particular memories, peered over the City to take his mind off of that bit of his past. The residents were hard at work, going about their business as if it were a regular day. It seemed almost as if their leader had not just been assassinated two nights before.

Speaking of which, since he was in charge, then that meant that he should probably get prepared for the day. Which meant that he needed to go into the Crystal throne room, past the many guards still alive, and anypony aware of a facade going on in the streets of the city.

If he were lucky, Luna had worked her magic again and the residents would be very much willing to comply with his new rule of the kingdom. After all, though many of them walked around as if they were free, every last one of them were now his slaves. And every single one of them would know the name Sombra.