Spike's Shadow

by DraconequusMaximus

Misery Business

Sombra stepped out of the shadows of his destination and surveyed the area.

He had slept alone in the shadows for a short time, nut he knew it hadn't been long enough for the dessert to have changed so much. It had been several months since he had been in Farrier's Gulch, but the town was now thriving despite the lack of inhabitants. There was plant-life absolutely everywhere, crawling up the sparse few structures the tiny town had to offer or growing wild, and it was even raining somewhat heavily.

After a short investigation, Sombra discovered the source of the drastic changes to be a number of oil-drum sized containers.

Some were empty, but there were at least a dozen full ones left. One half empty container was on it's side, leaking a luminous sky-blue fluid. A large tree was growing from the mud it produced. Sombra knew the tree hadn't been there the first time he had been in town. Before there were only the skeletal husks of plants.

The canisters bore Luna's seal, and was labelled with a great deal of information. Most of it was detailed lists of chemicals and magical compounds, as well as some biological agents. In bold, there were large letters at the top of the label which read:

TERRAFORMING ALCHEMY GEL PROTOTYPE - BATCH X-34B

Keep contents out of the reach of foals, do not ingest

There was a red X marked in a checkbox on the back of the label, signifying the batch was a bust. It listed (in Luna's own writing) that it was incompatible with lunar soil conditions. Though it certainly did the job on Earth.

"Ah... It would seem this is where Luna was testing her experiments to make the moon more livable. I suppose the desert would be the most unlivable place on Earth. I wonder if she ever got the formula right... Though I suppose she still has time." Sombra muttered as he lifted the overturned can with a shadowy hand.

A thought occurred to Sombra as he looked at the ooze, a memory of one of his books he had read in Twilight's castle. It was a book about hobbies Twilight had purchased when she first became an alicorn. A misguided, but well practical attempt to prepare herself for the immortality she had briefly thought she had.

It had contained a large section on gardening.

"A garden the size of a small town... I suppose it would take my mind off of things." Sombra pondered.

After distributing the remainder of the canister's watered-down contents around the town Sombra decided it best to head inside while it worked it's magic. Other than the developing plant-life and changing climate Sombra found little had changed about his real-estate since he had visited over four months ago. There were still only a small handful of buildings, not counting the water tower.

The only new non-arborial addition seemed to be an old covered wagon, parked near the gel canisters. Sombra supposed Luna must have used it to transport the canisters from the train station. It looked hoof-crafted, leading Sombra to believe Woody must have left behind.

The cold didn't bother him so long as he had his scarf, but the heaviness of wet fur was rather uncomfortable. After a quick tour of the town exterior Sombra decided to head into the Inn. After fishing around for the keys he had never had an opportunity to use before, Sombra reached out to use them, but found the door unlocked.

Hmm. I suppose those that live in the country can afford to keep their doors unlocked... Not like anyone is going to break in and kill me in my sleep. Sombra thought grimly.

Sombra walked into the lobby, taking advantage of his perfect dark-vision.

Most everything was gone from the desk except for a small lamp, but the grand carved desk was still quite a sight.

Sombra thought about inspecting the rooms, but he was tired and not in the mood. Tomorrow he would do the rounds and take note of everything that needed repaired, repainted, or remodeled. The grand old inn was certainly lovely, but Sombra had been thinking of turning it into a vacation spot for his new extended family. Now that it was becoming a lush new version of itself it seemed even more plausible.

But first and foremost, Sombra wanted Spike to be able to stretch his legs a bit, and that would require a bit of work.

At the very thought of his giant purple lover guilt boiled to the surface of Sombra's mind when he realized he had left so abruptly. But everything was still so confusing, and there was so much hurt roiling about in his head, and in his gut, that he could be made to lash out at someone again if he wasn't careful. Discord may have deserved it, but Sombra was disgusted with himself for trying to destroy him, or even thinking of taking out his pain on someone else.

If Spike hadn't stopped him, Discord would have been just as broken as he had been after the crystal heart disintegrated him.

One of the most painful near-deaths he had yet to experience.

Sombra began losing himself, his body breaking down into a dark cloud more and more the further into despair he sank. It was an ordeal, but he pulled himself together enough to take his meditative stance. Despite his body being almost irrelevant as a concentration of pure darkness, being in his native form helped him maintain order in his mind.

Sombra hadn't told Luna this, as she might have pushed him to abandon it in order to learn shape shifting.

He was afraid that if he lost his shape he wouldn't be able to go back, and he would lose himself in the infinite realm of darkness that ran parallel to the realm they lived in. Sombra had no way to know if that could happen, but he wasn't going to chance it. Shape-shifting or no.

Sombra let his mind sink into the calm and cool darkness, taking away the strain his state of mind was putting on his physical form. Sombra prided himself on his sharp mind, but never let anyone but Spike see how fragile or brittle it really was. Obsidian was an excellent comparison, hard, sharp, but at the end of the day it was still a glorified form of glass.

Glass that had just had a bat taken to it.

Sombra's mind was in pieces, shattered by the knowledge he was the result of genocide caused by Dootha. Innocent and pure spirits robbed of themselves and made to serve something corrupt and wrong. That was to say nothing of the poor pony Dootha had sacrificed to shape him either. It made Sombra feel filthy, guilty, and brought the bitter taste of being used back to him.

Only recently had it left his mouth, and he had forgotten it, but now it was back in all it's infamy.

Like putrid citrus.

But still, the meditation was helpful. It was something Sombra did daily, in order to set his mind to rights and tame his powers. His mental state had a tremendous impact on his abilities, and he knew that if he truly were at peace he could be so much more than he was now. Enemies like the troll would fall at his hooves effortlessly if he could only keep his head in the game.

It was an uphill battle, and it needed to be fought every day.

Sombra had lost a great many battles to himself lately, but the war would never be over as long as he held onto some shred of sanity.

After nearly eight hours, Sombra brought himself back to the normal world, though only his mind had really left. He had fought and won against the opposition in his own mind, though it had been close. Sombra couldn't claim he was fine, but the healing could begin.

To his surprise, when he opened his eyes and regained his physical form's senses he noted a number of changes to his surroundings. For starters, the lights were on. Secondly, there was a blue unicorn mare with white hair standing what she most likely perceived to be a safe distance away from Sombra.

Last of all, but certainly not least, was the simple observation that Sombra himself was tied and bound in place. With both chains and ropes. Whomever his would-be captor was, Sombra had to compliment her preparedness. As well as her impressive death-glare, whish he was seeing first hand.

Not that Sombra would verbally compliment her after this of course.

"Okay, Bub. Now that your nap is over, who are you?! This is my ghost town! I found it fair and square." The mare barked.

To show she meant business, the mare lit her horn and summoned up an aluminum bat with a glossy red finish.

Sombra kept a look of practiced indifference, trying not to laugh. Had he been any other pony the situation would have been rather serious. But, this mystery mare clearly had no idea who she was dealing with. With barely a thought, he could have captured her, thrown her through the shadows to a random location, or terrified her out of her skin.

So, Sombra decided to have a bit of fun with her to blow off some steam.

Nothing mean, just enough to show her who was in charge and make her think twice about threatening random ponies.

"I am the physical embodiment of darkness and shadow, and you, Madame, are powerless before me. Release me, or I shall rend your world asunder." Sombra declared, devoid of emotion.

The mare got quite irate, raising the bat high.

But she was struck silent when Sombra began to sing. After a single line she dropped the bat out of her aura and began to weep, though she couldn't even understand what Sombra was saying. But it was as if thousands of voices were mourning one another, forcing empathy upon the mare.

She watched in horror and fascination as her shadow got up off the floor and swayed to the song, making it's way to Sombra.

She was awestruck as Sombra passed right through his seemingly inescapable bonds, and he offered his hoof to her shadow. They began to dance as she accepted it, stepping off the ground and through the air like dark streams of pure elegance. It was beautiful and horrible all at once, and the song began to get sweeter as they danced. She could even hear her shadow singing along, using her voice to add to the chorus.

She actually had to check and make sure her lips weren't moving at one point, so mystified she couldn't tell she wasn't singing otherwise.

Once her voice had meshed with the song, words began to make sense to her, letting her know it was more than a song. It was an epic story of loss and love that had yet to find it's end. It was the story of a dragon that wanted only the happiness of others, and a lonely spirit that had no past but wanted nothing more than to find purpose and place.

Yet against all odds and all reason the two found their fates intertwined by a villain as old as time. Fighting a secret war that bound them together and set their hearts burning for each other.

But still the chorus swelled and fell as the next act led to naught but pain.

Just like that, Sombra stopped dancing and the mare could see the pain in his face and the tears in his eyes. With an unheard whisper, Sombra returned her shadow to her and it reapplied itself as if it had never left. She suddenly felt quite guilty for threatening Sombra, but there was more to it.

She had to hear more.

"That... That can't be it. There isn't any more to the story?" The mare asked.

In spite of himself, Sombra let out a chuckle as he wiped the tears away.

"As of yet, no. No ending. But now I believe it is my turn to ask questions of you, Madame. I assume you'll be rather receptive to it, given your newfound knowledge of my abilities. I'd like you to start with your name, if you would be so kind." Sombra replied.

While the display had gone a different way than he had intended it had been a sufficient vent, at least for the moment.

"Oh... I'm Trixie. The great and powerful, when I'm on stage, Lulamoon for business purposes." She informed Sombra.

Sombra nodded, feeling she was being honest.

"You may refer to me as Sombra. I've no other names, and I must ask you to never refer to me as king. This town, as it so happens, has recently come into my ownership. A gift from my sister-in-law after she obtained the deed from it's last owner. I've the deed, the keys, and all other forms of identification on hoof if you'd like to see them." Sombra informed Trixie.

Trixie paled as she realized she'd been caught in the act of breaking an entering and tying up the owner.

She fell to the floor, bowing to Sombra in a misguided act of penance.

"I'm sorry! The stallion at the train station told me that the last stop had been left abandoned when the Innkeeper moved! I took him at his word. I just thought having my own little town would be a great way to start fresh. I'm closer to forty than thirty, and living in a covered wagon the rest of my life isn't ideal.

"I thought I'd stake a claim, do some paperwork, all that. I've got money, not a lot, but enough to fix this place up a little. Then I'd just need to find some citizens to help fund me, and before too many years I'd have my own community to call home... I've been on the road all my life. I wasn't trying to steal this away from you. My life of crime is behind me." Trixie swore.

Sombra listened to her story, and in a way he sympathized with her. They only wanted somewhere to belong. The only difference was Trixie wasn't searching, she wanted to make herself a place to belong. At present, Sombra could think of no loftier or meaningful goals.

What would Spike do with a homeless mare? Sombra thought to himself for a moment.

Trixie seemed a bit worried when Sombra didn't say anything for a couple minutes, but didn't show it, nor the relief when Sombra started moving again.

Sombra pulled several pieces of parchment, an inkwell, and a phoenix feather quill-pen from his mane. In very little time, Sombra had penned a few letters and written down a list of some sort. He passed the lot of them to Trixie.

"Trixie, I am particularly busy as of late. I'm only here to try and sort out some... personal issues. As it stands, I will only be here once in a great while. I would not be opposed to offering you to be the mayor in my stead. My regent, if you will.

"So long as you keep the place running smoothly, and write me at least twice a month, I will offer a small sum to aid in expenses. More, once I have a method of obtaining bits for myself. Though I will expect you to keep the princess suite of the inn ready for me and Spike whenever we feel like visiting. We will be the town's benefactors, after all. All I want, is for you to take in people of all walks of life and give them a place to belong. Other than that, you may do as you wish, so long as you keep the town's interests at heart." Sombra offered.

Trixie looked over the letters, each addressed to either Princess Luna, or Princess Celestia. The next was a note to the bank in Canterlot where Sombra's savings were held, the account numbers, and how much Trixie was allowed to take out. Those few simple papers amounted to everything Trixie needed to get started.

All she needed to do was say yes to Sombra's generous offer.

"Um... Can I have some time to think bout it? You just sort of showed up with amazing powers and all the answers. I'm subconsciously wondering if you're the devil or something. Nothing personal." Trixie asked awkwardly.

Sombra wanted to be offended, but her request was entirely too reasonable to fault. Given the situation he even found it mildly amusing. Sombra might have laughed on any other occasion.

"Yes. That's quite alright. It's a hefty commitment to make I suppose... Tell me, are you familiar with Spike The Dragon, or Twilight Sparkle? I only ask because now that I think about it, I believe your name came up at some point." Sombra asked.

Trixie suddenly seemed hesitant to talk.

It was a full minute before Trixie felt comfortable enough to answer.

"I have something of a history with Twilight Sparkle. She humiliated me once, though in retrospect I brought it on myself. Then in retaliation I bought a forbidden relic called the alicorn amulet and took over Ponyville for a few days. But I haven't used dark magic artifacts since. I even went to a support group a few times." Trixie replied, sounding thoroughly ashamed.

To her surprise, Sombra wasn't shocked or appalled. More accurately he smiled, in a mildly satisfied way.

"Ah, that makes sense. That's why your name sounded familiar. Spike told me about you when a friend of ours was endeavoring to destroy the alicorn amulet." Sombra exclaimed as he put the pieces together.

Sombra felt a bit bad about dredging up painful memories, but there was something Sombra felt obligated to do.

But after the brief look of satisfaction at recalling Trixie, the blue show-mare felt a tone shift as the flicker of relief died and gave way to a look of concern. Sombra was quiet for a moment, but Trixie could see the gears in his head turning.

Trixie was mildly alarmed when Sombra lit his eyes with pink spirit energy and flowing green miasma. But when he didn't do anything but stare for a moment she relaxed a little bit. Sombra sighed after getting a good look, his face an odd mixture of relief and guilt.

"Items like the alicorn amulet... They leave a bit of their evil in your soul, even after many years. In your case it's almost impossible to notice, but we have no way of knowing exactly what it will do when the evil forces awaken. I have the ability to remove it, if you would be willing to let me. It is entirely up to you." Sombra explained.

Sombra formed a slender tendril of shadow from his mane, demonstrating how easily it could pass through objects by slipping it through the nearby desk and over the other side harmlessly. Being immaterial wasn't his most practiced skill, but if he only focused on one part of his body at a time it was almost as easy as making additional limbs.

"The alicorn amulet has been destroyed?" Trixie asked hopefully.

"Yes. Zecora went through a great deal of trouble to do so, before I discovered my own ability to destroy powers such as theirs. Yet another thing eating away at my conscience..." Sombra replied.

Trixie bit her lip and seemed to hesitate, but she closed her eyes and nodded her head fervently.

Sombra wasted no time, passing a tendril straight through and out the right side. It was over in the blink of an eye. Not that Trixie had opened hers yet.

"Okay, hurry. I want it gone. Maybe It'll help me forget. Just... Just don't tell me when you're about to do it. I'm super squeamish." Trixie asked.

"I did it the instant you nodded consent. I've successfully removed it." Sombra deadpanned.

Trixie opened her eyes to see Sombra's tendril of shadow gripping a mote of green and purple corruption. Admittedly, it was barely the size of a bit, and nearly transparent. It would seem the observation that the alicorn amulet had been much weaker than Ahuizotl's chest-piece was right on the money. It was the weakest corruption Sombra had seen, and after Trixie had gotten a good look at it it was gone.

Sombra crushed it like the rest, though he wondered if it would have died off on it's own.

"Huh. You made that sound way more dangerous." Trixie admitted.

"Yes, well, most cases I have seen were much more serious. The alicorn amulet wasn't all that powerful it seems, and you had limited exposure. Regardless, what would you say to locating some provisions? Have you seen anything edible in the kitchens? I imagine Woody would have bought in bulk since it's quite a train-ride to the nearest town for groceries. Canned food isn't ideal, but it will do." Sombra suggested.

Trixie shook her head.

"That's gonna be an issue. I've been here for about two months. I've finished off the pantry, except for a gallon can of banana pudding and a sort-of stale box of nilla-wafers. Each is about half empty, and in the fridge. I was actually headed out to the train station for supplies when I found you. But it's come and gone already. They don't wait here long, and it only comes around every couple days. We're stuck." Trixie confessed.

Sombra hummed thoughtfully, thinking about what sounded good. He hadn't a care to spare for the distance, now that he was confident in his shadow jumps and his many sigils. Truthfully the only question was how to fit his new (prospective) employee into the equation.

Sombra threw his despair away for a moment and decided to focus on his new friend.

"Hmm. How do you feel about curry? There's a lovely little family-owned restaurant in the food district of Middle-Canterlot. The homey atmosphere might do me a great deal of good right about now." Sombra asked.

Trixie just stared at Sombra like he was insane for a moment.

Sombra didn't fault her. But instead of clarifying, Sombra created shadowy hand and painted the outline of a door upon the wall of the inn with it's pointer finger. In the space of thirty seconds the blackness bled together from every direction and became a solid black rectangle.

"If you hold your breath and shut your eyes, I can hold your hoof and in a few steps we'll be in an alley a block away from the restaurant. It's a bumpy ride, but it's easy enough so long as you brace yourself. Normally I would just step into a shadow, but I felt the door imagery would be better for a passenger." Sombra proposed.

Trixie spent a moment thinking about it, but then merely shrugged.

"Not everyday a stallion tries to take you to dinner after he's had something inside you. Especially not a gay one. But today's been that kind of day where you just have to roll with the weirdness." Trixie joked, offering Sombra a hoof.

Sombra laughed, and took her hoof as they began walking to the makeshift portal.

"Madame, weird is the only way I know how to roll. Today is positively mundane compared to most." Sombra laughed.

Trixie did as she was instructed and held in a lungful of air and kept her eyes shut tight as Sombra led her through the wall.

Much to her surprise, she recognized the numbing as total sensory deprivation. She recognized it from training for escape tricks, but to be thrown into it unaware was a bit jarring. It was more intense than she remembered, but before long she found herself on solid ground again.

When she opened her eyes, just as Sombra had claimed, Trixie was in an alleyway. There were spires visible in the late afternoon sun, and the air smelled of exotic spices and all manner of comestibles. As a traveling mare, Trixie knew the culinary district of the nation's capital quite well. They were very obviously in Canterlot, just as Sombra had said.

In the middle of the alleyway, on the paved ground was a perfect representation of Sombra's cutie mark.

"That was pretty amazing. Not as smooth as teleporting, but it has much better stage presence." Trixie marveled.

Sombra seemed to almost disbelieve Trixie's unaltered countenance.

"I find it vexing how you handle a quick jaunt through the shadow realm so much better than a ten-ton armored titan I have literally fed diamonds. Spike looked as though someone tried to drown him in a freezing lake the last time I got him to come with me on a jump." Sombra commented in a confused and impressed way.

"I don't like to brag... But I am pretty great." Trixie replied in a futile attempt at modesty.

Sombra merely rolled his eyes, but smiled in spite of himself. Trixie was a little odd, but in the same way as Lyra. It was comforting to have someone to talk to, and making a new friend was surprisingly uplifting.

In no time Sombra had lead Trixie to a cozy restaurant that was as colorful as he was monotone.

Before they entered, Sombra removed his scarf and disappeared into the void of his shadow. From the same void, Sombra bled his plum hoodie through and onto his body. Next came a maroon cap that went low enough to cover his curved horn. Though it took her a moment, Trixie realized his mane had stopped flowing and was merely wild and unkempt.

He was still rather handsome, though he was clearly trying to play down his appearance as much as possible.

As soon as Sombra felt presentable, he held the door open for Trixie and entered a moment later. The restaurant definitely qualified as homey, but who's home was up for debate. The decor was bright and varied in color, and full of tapestries and lit by candles in colored glass jars.

Trixie almost felt like she was actually in another land.

A rotund mustard-colored unicorn stallion of not-quite sixty greeted them, but Trixie could tell he was mostly happy to see Sombra. Though the stallion quickly cast a look past them, as if someone was missing.

"Mr. Coal! Very good to see you! It is cold tonight. Here for something to warm you up, eh? Where is Mr. Spike?" The stallion asked.

Sombra hesitated, but decided a white lie wouldn't hurt.

"He's away on business. I felt a tad down without him, so I decided to grab a friend and paint the town black." Sombra fibbed, but just a little.

The stallion smiled awkwardly and nodded.

"I am feeling the expression is to paint it red, Mr. Coal." The stallion replied.

"I'd like to think the person holding the brush gets to decide the color." Sombra remarked, to which the stallion offered no reply.

Trixie followed Sombra to a corner booth, and after a few minutes they were brought water and menus. The latter of which Sombra didn't even bother to look at. Trixie couldn't decide what to get, though not for lack of trying. It was written in common tongue, but the names of the dishes were so foreign to her it didn't matter.

Sombra noticed her plight, and felt a bit guilty.

"I'm sorry... I hadn't considered you being unfamiliar with the exotic cuisine. If you like I can order for you. Spike ordered for me the first time he brought me here... Our first date we had while we were living in Canterlot. I was a bit overwhelmed at first, but it's really a lovely place once you give it a go." Sombra offered.

"Sure. Just get me whatever you're having." Trixie replied, dropping the menu back onto the table in relief.

Sombra chuckled a little, but stopped himself to let Trixie in on the joke.

"I doubt you want that. I may look like a pony, but my dietary habits are a bit more... protein rich." Sombra explained.

It was only now Trixie realized Sombra's mouth was full of large, pointed fangs. There were mildly intimidating, but Trixie had met griffons and thestrals before, and even the odd changeling here and there. It was just that she had never seen someone quite like Sombra she supposed.

She was about to ask Sombra something when a waitress arrived.

She was a light yellow-orange color unicorn and her mane was a tied-back wave of dark curls. She wore a dark burgundy skirt and a pastel yellow blouse, and large magenta and turquoise hoop earrings. She also seemed to recognize Sombra, and had a smug look on her face. They watched each other in silence until she broke it.

"Kol! Yahaan apanee bhaasha kaushal ka pareekshan karane ke lie, ya apane pet bharane ke lie? kahaan apane aadamee hai? tum mujhe prakaar ke roop mein hadataal nahin karate ikasingon romaans kiya jaana hai, akele ghodee karate hain." The Waitress said in a language Trixie didn't know.

"Donon ka ek sa, kesar. Spaik apane adoring janata ke saath kristal saamraajy mein hai. Aaj raat, yah keval mujhe aur meree naee dost hai. Vah apane adbhut khaana pakaane namoona kabhee nahin raha hai, isalie mainne socha ki main use ilaaj hoga. Ek ladakee kee raat, mujhe lagata hai." Sombra responded in kind.

The mare laughed and punched Sombra lightly in the elbow.

"Ha! Very good, Coal! Your accent has improved much. I would be hard-pressed to find another with such a gifted tongue. What would you and your friend like, eh?" The mare complimented.

Sombra thought a moment, sparing Trixie a glance.

"I'd like the Nandu omelette, and some chicken biryani. As for Trixie... Let's try some dum aloo and the vegie-kofta. For the table, perhaps some modak, and imarti? While I'm no Spike, I am quite ravenous tonight. Oh, and some tea." Sombra ordered with confidence.

As soon as the mare left, Trixie turned back to Sombra.

"How many languages do you speak? And why is everyone calling you Coal?" She asked.

"All of them... More or less. And my continued existence is mostly secret. I can't walk about telling people who I am until I clear my name. Luna fabricated the name Coal Briquette for me, based on my coat and mane colors." Sombra answered hesitantly.

Trixie tried to remember what she could of Sombra's epic song in a language that didn't really have any words. But most of it was a vague memory, almost as if it hadn't happened. She realized she knew almost nothing about Sombra, other than that he was deceptively powerful, probably immortal, and very upset about something he was trying very hard to not think about, or even get away from.

The notion he didn't mind being attacked also came to mind, but she wanted to forget about nearly striking Sombra with a metal bat.

"So... I know you weren't in control during the stuff that happened in the Crystal Empire, and that Spike The Dragon is your lover, and that you've got superpowers. Which, kick-ass resume' by the way. But beyond that, I don't actually know anything about you. I feel like if we're gonna be friends, and especially if I'm going to be your employee, I should know you a bit." Trixie insisted.

Sombra wanted to argue, but he saw the futility in it.

Trixie was right.

"Very well... I'll answer your questions." Sombra yielded.

Trixie tapped her hoof on her chin, trying to think of a good first question.

"Okay... You're some kind of spirit, right? Do you actually need to eat?" Trixie asked, starting off small.

Sombra conceded that was a reasonable question.

"To be honest, I've no idea if I actually need food and water. But Spike is a master chef, and I've just recently learned to cook. I don't feel much like starving myself just to find out. But I do enjoy eating... And it makes me feel a little more normal sometimes. I also feel it would be rude to turn down Spike's amazing food, and after months of classes I find I enjoy the craft." Sombra admitted.

"Hmm. I get that. Food is good. So... You aren't like, a ghost or anything? Are ghosts and spirits different things?" Trixie wondered.

Sombra was given a moment of peace when the waitress (whom Trixie discovered was named Saffron) returned with their tea. Trixie had never tasted tea quite like it before, but it was good. It was spiced, and dark, and she wanted to ask what it was but felt it would make her look dumb.

After Sombra had gotten a good drink of his own tea and Saffron had left, he felt he had had enough time to form a proper answer.

"I believe ghosts mean you were alive previously. I am a spirit, or an aspect of a natural element. Specifically darkness. I've only recently learned of my origin. Yesterday, in fact. I learned that I am the last of the Umbra. The dark elementals." Sombra said, with a tone unmistakable as mourning.

Trixie felt a stab of guilt as she thought she had found the cause of Sombra's stress.

She imagined herself twisting a knife in Sombra's chest, betraying his offers of kindness and willingness to help make her new dream come true.

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't know. Do you... Do you want to talk about something else?" Trixie asked apologetically.

Sombra sighed, and looked as though he had given up.

"I ran away from my problems, thinking that if I could be alone I would be able to hold myself together. Meditation and Spike has been all I've ever had, but being around Spike made me feel even worse. My life has only been mine a very short time, but yesterday I discovered something that broke me... I was... manufactured, by the very demon I have sworn to kill. Made to be his puppet before I even became self-aware.

"I could have handled that fact alone, I think. But the ingredients used to make up my body were the Umbra themselves, and one pony that Dootha had been inhabiting at the time of my creation. The Umbra that survived added themselves to my body, just so they could reunite with the others. Their knowledge is amazing, but along with it I learned just how many of them died to create me. Four-hundred and eighty-nine thousand, eight hundred seventy-seven and one unicorn I know nothing about. I was born from death." Sombra explained.

Trixie had no earthly way to know exactly what Sombra was going through.

She felt awful about it, but she sat there in silence trying to come up with the words to try and comfort him.

But before the answer came to her, the food arrived. It smelled amazing, even though Trixie had no idea what any of the smells were beyond the near overpowering spice. Trixie watched as a plate of odd ring-shaped pastry, and another of dumplings that smelled of coconut were placed between Sombra and herself.

Sombra's dishes were a delicious looking omelette, accompanied by a large plate of a rice dish with chicken mixed in. Despite the presence of meat in each they looked rather appetizing. Trixie's were some kind of potatoes in a spicy scented sauce, accompanied by a number of grilled meat-substitute kebabs that came with a spicy looking sauce and a yogurt sauce.

"Thank you, Saffron. It all looks, and smells, magnificent." Sombra told Saffron, as if nothing were wrong.

As soon as their hostess left, Trixie knew she had to say something right then, lest the moment pass.

"Sombra... There's literally no way I could weigh in on something so out of my depth. But, I've been on the road my whole life. I've met good ponies, and bad ponies. I've even been on both sides of the law before. So, without a doubt, I can say that I know you're a good pony. I busted into your inn, and you could have done anything you wanted with me, but instead you showed me something amazing and offered me a job.

"So what if you were born in an... unconventional way? I have no idea who my parents are, and honestly after awhile it stopped mattering to me. I decided I was going to be great, and powerful, all on my own. I hit some snags along the way, but I made a name for myself eventually. Now I've realized being alone all the time isn't healthy. You've already got more than most ponies, so why not live five-hundred thousand times harder for the ones that can't? You have a good life, they'll have a good life." Trixie tried to reason.

Sombra was given pause, but he didn't say anything right away.

Instead, he started in on his omelette. Yet Trixie could see his mind working through the situation like a complex machine processing data. In the span of a couple minutes, he had finished half of it. But at that point he stopped, and Trixie felt like she hadn't seen such a serious mood shift in anyone before.

"I suppose... Objectively, that my past doesn't change the plans Spike and I have for the future. If I alter my perceptions on life because of a thousand year old loss, than I will be the only one to suffer. Or by extension, I could make my loved ones unhappy because I can't enjoy their company if I'm sulking. I should honor the Umbra... and live for them.

"I suppose it makes sense, but I still feel such guilt... So much like a monster. No one could possibly... know... How that... feels. Oh no." Sombra began, but started winding down.

He put his head in his hooves, and he let out the saddest laughter Trixie had ever heard.

"Spike. Spike could know how that feels... And I left him when he wanted to comfort me. I have officially lost my mind." Sombra cried.

Trixie patted Sombra on the back, and the two of them ate. All the while, Sombra regaled Trixie with the stories of his life thus far. A clearer, more well articulated version of the epic song she had heard at the inn. While it had lost a great deal of mysticism, it was still quite a story regardless.

By the time the food was gone, the both of them were stuffed to capacity, and Sombra felt a bit better about his dubious origins. But it would take time to heal, and he would need help. And for that, he would need to prepare himself to face Spike again.

After paying the bill, Trixie took Sombra on a tour of her favorite places in Canterlot. They wanted to wait just a bit before going back to the inn, just to make sure Trixie didn't lose her dinner as soon as they got there. It was nearly midnight by the time they actually went through another shadow and made their way to bed.

Trixie had already made herself quite at home in the princess suite, so Sombra let her keep it after she used a less than legal spell to duplicate his keys for convenience. It was only a few minutes before Sombra heard her muffled snoring from the floor below. He didn't mind, as he had very little intention of actually sleeping that night.

He had a lot of thinking to do.

First and foremost, he needed to figure out exactly what to say to Spike.

Author's Note:

Hey. I don't really have a lot to say about this chapter other than that I hope you guys enjoyed it. I can relate to Sombra here. When I feel overwhelmed I usually want to be alone, or to try and ignore the biggest issue. It's not super healthy, but it is what it is. But eventually I usually break down and talk to someone.

Anyway, soon Sombra will return to Spike's side, and they will reconcile, and it will be awesome. Then shit will go down in the chapter after that. At this rate the story will be over around the time of the new year? I dunno don't quote me. I'm bad at math. Also, my 'A' key has been sticking lately. Sorry if I missed some errors here and there, but I think I got all the missing ones.

Regardless, I love you guys. See you next time. (I realize the chapter name isn't great.)

Comments

[L o n e]

I don't need to read this to know that it would be a very fascinating read. Something with such dedication put into it (by the word count alone) and such amazing feedback on it is clearly going to be. If I ever do get around to reading this, I will... until then, I applaud you for the feat that you have accomplished.

[MasterBrony Forever]

I don't know why my comment was deleted. It wasn't meant to be an insult or anything...