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All By Myself4,036 words
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New Faces2,990 words
Settling in4,695 words
Trapped5,118 words

New Faces

The trip out of the village was first made in absolute silence. Nothing beyond the snow creaking beneath their hooves and the occasional squeaking of the cart was heard. It was only once the village was completely out of sight, that Brick was able to gather his confidence enough to turn and look back upon Sombra.

“Why did you do that?”

“Hm?” Sombra hummed, lying on his back just on the edge of the cart. He had found a little indentation he could laze in and let one hoof dangle along.

“Why did you do that? Back in the alley?”

Sombra didn't look back at Brick. “Does it really matter?” He asked, offhandedly wiping a snowflake off of his nose.

“To me it does… If… If I am allowed to know?” Brick´s head sank slightly, turning away as he was certain his lord would simply dismiss the question as he had with every other.

“He deserved it.”

Brick´s ears went stiff and his head snapped around to Sombra, as he had answered his question.

“I…” Brick started, not sure what to say. Sure, He felt that Abs had deserved whatever Sombra had done to him, but, Sombra kept confusing him. “Yes… He did… But… Didn't you want to be alone?”

“What does that have to do with it?” The dark Unicorn asked, finally tilting his head towards Brick and raising one of his equally black eyebrows.

“Abs is friends with the Guvnor, so if you used magic against him, he might report you, or maybe-”

“He´s not going to do anything.” Sombra cut off.

“How do you know?”

The dark unicorn rolled his head back up towards the darkening skies. “The pony is a Coward. I made him see his worst fears. Trust me, he is going to be too distracted with those rather than worry about who did that to him.” Sombra said, closing his eyes and releasing a gentle sigh.

“Ah… Okay…” Brick said at first, continuing to pull the heavy cart of supplies, plus lord, along the narrow mountain paths, though quickly, one question forced itself into reality. “What is his worst fear?”

“Is that really important?” Sombra grumbled.

“Well… No…” Brick had to concede. “But I woul-”

“Then there is no reason talking about it then!”

Snapping his eyes back to the road, Brick frowned slightly. He really wanted to know what Abs was afraid of. Perhaps then he could get him off of his back.

Disappointed that the conversation had just taken such a hatchet, Brick tried to revive it with another question.

“But, Why go so far? I mean, you didn't have to step in-”

“Of course I had to step in.” Sombra cut in.

“Why?” Brick asked, looking back over his shoulder again, hoping to get some kind of straight answer from Sombra. “Why did you need to save me again?”

Sombra turned his head and let his eyes meet with the workhorse in his servitude.

For just a second, Brick felt as if Sombra looked, hurt, weakened, before he then instantly rebound back into a determined, and almost gruesome scowl.

“The only one who gets to abuse my Staff is, Is Me.”

That message sent a shiver down Brick´s spine. It was frightening, but, somehow comforting. Sombra had done nothing really evil against him up to this point, and his sense of ownership seemed to be playing to his favour. It… Was just weird to place the true feeling about that. So, Brick conceded to giving a small smile.

“Of course, Lord Sombra.” He affirmed.

The last of the journey castlewards settled back into silence, with only the winds and snowfall picking up. Occasionally Sombra would question if Brick could keep pulling the cart, though he never actually got off of it to ease the burden. Even when they had to get up the makeshift path that was the last kilometre up until the cave entrance leading up to Sombra´s large gate.

They parked the large carriage outside the entrance, as it couldn't get inside the caverns, even without the extra supplies on top of it.

As Sombra casually hopped off of the cart, and checked to see if everything was there, Brick unhooked himself and dropped himself face first into the snow.

“Urrrrrghhh…” He groaned. The journey had been long and quite tiring.

“Don't tell me you tore a muscle?” Sombra asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

“No… I'm just tired…” Brick said with a muzzle full of snow.

“Urgh.” Sombra groaned. “Rest for a bit. Don't take too long though! I will be wanting your assistance pretty soon.” The former monarch mused, as he picked out a single specific box from the cart and made his way inside.

Left outside in the snow, Brick allowed himself to relax for once. Even if he was in a pail of snow and feeling quite a heavy chill factor from the winds, it felt rather comfortable and the knowledge that they were home, and in time before the snowstorm really picked up, was a great relief.

Although he was frozen to the bone, and had essentially dumped himself in a pilel of snow, he still felt a gentle bubbling warmth inside of him. His eyes slid gently over towards the tunnels which Sombra had just left down, and he smiled softly.

This place. Despite all its hardships… Felt… Good.

Suddenly however, Brick´s ears sprung upwards and he sat up straight, looking in the direction of the sound. Due to the howling winds and the heavy snowfall, he had not noticed it earlier, but there were two cloaked ponies approaching.

One, the slightly larger one, was walking in front, and held a posture marred by exhaustion, yet trying to come off as confident.

Bricks´s original thoughts of running inside and closing the door was immediately dismissed since they still had the food in the cart.

If these were somepony he knew… He'd have to distract them for Sombra.

Finally getting close enough to be in the windy cover of the mountain, the ponies pulled their hoods back, revealing them to be a mare and a stallion.

“Hellou!” The stallion in front announced, his voice sounding almost happy go lucky.

Brick blinked in confusion. The mare was an earth pony and had maroon coloured fur, while her mane and tail was average lengthed and a gentle brown colour. The stallion was a pegasus with an azure blue coat, with a rather long black mane for a stallion. He couldn't see either of their cutie marks properly.

But more importantly, he didn't know them.

Receiving no real response from Brick, the stallion kept on speaking.

“My name is Caliber, this is my friend, Ember.” He said gesturing back at the mare behind him. “We are a pair of travelers who got lost here in the mountains as the snow storm set in!” The pegasus summed up, as if it was a textbook explanation. Or more appropriately, he was slowing himself down as to try and get the point across to Brick. “We noticed your cart in the distance, and thought that the best hope for survival in horrid situation.” He spoke smoothly, making eye contact with Brick, letting green meet green. “Would you perhaps be so kind as to give us food and shelter for the duration of the storm?”

Brick blinked again. Staring at the stallion who was just smiling confidently, and the mare behind him seeming quite confident in him as well, despite the situation.

Brick saw no other choice, he opened his mouth, took a deep breath, and uttered:

Inside with Sombra:

Perfect. That was the only way Sombra could describe it.

Within an incredibly small time-span, and with an only half exhausting amount of energy, Sombra had been able to shape himself a full sized perfect body Crystal mirror. Oh and that was not the only thing. It had a pair of smaller mirrors on the side, which gave plenty of space for a couple of cupboards for his vanity items.

And he had made all of this with sheer determination and shaping magic. This was wonderful.

A thought struck him, perhaps for the flair, he should add a little crystal symbol up on the top of the main mirror? That could really top off the aesthetic. And considering much of the castle was still bare bones, he was needing to soon do SOMETHING to beautify the place.

The dark unicorn focused his magic for just a few seconds, centering it all on a point on the ground. Almost instantly, a dark crystal grew out of the ground, standing upright as a single spike. With a couple of waves of his hoof, and shifts of focus with his magic, he twisted the crystal almost like putty, shifting its form into a star.

Satisfied with the shape, Sombra lifted up the newly made ornament and hovered it up to the top of the mirror, just to get into its right place.

Seeing it almost on its spot, Sombra thought:

lMaybe things will actually turn out for the better now?'

“SSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMBRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

In an instant, Sombra lost control over the ornament in his magic out of surprise, and the thing crashed the the floor, shattering into a million tiny crystalline pieces. Not only that, but the sudden, ringing and echoing shout had been such a surprise that the former monarch actually jumped forwards, ending up knocking his head against his newly created mirror, setting a huge crack into it.

Shaking his head, and realizing the situation around himself, Sombra felt nothing… For about two seconds.

Then anger returned with the intensity of a forest fire.

“Grrrrrrr…” Sombra´s growling grew as he snapped around on his hooves, turning towards the door, and shouting back with a voice that belonged in nightmares.

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?” His voice boomed and rang throughout the halls and bowels of the castle.

“There. Are. A. Pair. Of. Ponies. Here!” Echoed back to Sombra.

The dark unicorn gave a small uncontrollable twitch in anger.

“WHAT!?”

“I said-”

“I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID YOU BLOODY BAMPOT!” Sombra roared in return as he ran off through his Castle, quickly making his way towards the entrance way. “What I meant was, WHAT IN THE BUMBLING BREEZIES IS GOING ON!?"

Sombra stamped out of the cave opening, each step almost cracking the ground beneath his hooves, and looked upon the scene before him.

Brick stood next to the cart, turned to face Sombra as he came, not too affected by Sombra shouting. He was used to it after all. The traveling pair however, did look slightly surprised by the sudden roar of aggression that had now personified itself in the form of the dark Unicorn.

The stallion, Caliber, however, took on a calm smile.

“Hello Sir, I am Caliber, this is my Friend Ember-”

“What are you doing here?” Sombra demanded coldly.

Trying not to let the Unicorn get the best of him, Caliber continued.

“Well you see sir, We are a pair of Travelers, and we planned on a bit of a hike through the mountains, however we got caught off guard by the snowstorm, so we were hoping that perhaps you could grant us shelter?” He asked with a voice gently pleading, using a much more eloquent explanation than needed, to really play at the generosity of their possible host. And with the biggest smile possible.

All of which was crushed within a second.

“No.” Sombra said.

Caliber blinked a couple of times in confusion.

“Come again?”

“I Said No.” Growled Sombra.

”B-B-but…” Caliber tried to comprehend the situation. “You can't just-”

“I can and I did. And I said No.”

“But you need to let us in!” The mare, Ember, stepped forwards and asserted, her blue eyes trying to cut their way through Sombra´s resistance. “We don’t have anywhere else to go!”

“Yes you do.” Sombra stated cynically, in no way phased by the optical attack. “Anywhere but here.” He said, pointing out at the snow covered landscape.

“But there is a snowstorm!” Caliber added.

“So?” Sombra asked, rolling his eyes disinterestedly.

“We wouldn’t be able to survive it!” Ember pleaded.

“Let me get this straight…” Sombra returned his focus to the two interlopers. “You decided, to go out into the mountains, right before a snowstorm, then instead of heading back to where you know there is a village, you decided to follow a random pair of ponies, hoping that they would grant you food and shelter?”

Ember and Caliber looked at each other for a second or two, before returning to Sombra. “Uhm, I guess?”

For a few seconds, Sombra just stared cynically at the two interlopers. Then turning his head to Brick, who had been standing at the sidelines. “Brick… I take back everything I have said. You're a genius compared to these idiots.”

Taking his victories where he could find them, Brick beamed brightly. “Thanks!... I guess?”

Afterwards, Sombra returned his disapproving gaze back to the interlopers.

“Now as for you two Idiots. Be off with you.”

“B-But-” Caliber tried to interject but was immediately cut off.

“But nothing! Get off of my land!” Sombra growled menacingly, though keeping his magic in check still.

“But we'll freeze to death!” Ember added, almost running straight up to Sombra. “You need to help us!”

“I don't need to do anything.” Sombra simply stated, before his glare returned. “But the two of you need to leave if you want to live.” He snarled, beginning to consider perhaps a magical solution to this!

“Uhm, My Lord.” Brick´s voice quipped lowly at the side, taking away Sombra´s focus. “May I say something?”

“What?” Sombra asked gruffily.

“Maybe… They could be useful?” Brick offered cautiously.

For a few moments, Sombra glared skeptically at Brick, though he thought perhaps he might humor the idiot. He had been helpful after all. “Elaborate…” He said, though as he saw the confused look upon Brick´s face, he rolled his eyes and conceded to “Continue explaining.”

“Oh, right!” Brick quipped. “Well, The Castle is expanding very well, but if you are going to keep it warm and clean, then it needs to be maintained… And I think, it would take… Two ponies to keep things nice.”

Quick as a whip, Ember added just out of Sombra´s vision: “And we are Two ponies!”

Sombra rolled his eyes yet listened to Brick.

“But… Do you really want to keep going around and cleaning the castle?” Brick asked, tilting his head to the side.

As much as Sombra didn't want to admit it… The idiot had a point. If he wanted to continue expanding his castle, and keep it from decaying into a mess of dust and debris, he would need somepony to sweep up after him.

And it had been at least a thousand years since he had owned any good slaves.

His eyes shifted back to the two ponies, eyeing them contemplatively.

Ember caught his gaze, and recognized it as an opportunity. She instantly leapt at it.

“I used to work as a maid! I know how to clean and maintain a castle!” She announced to the intrigued menacing Unicorn. She then quickly hopped behind Caliber and bumped him forwards.

“And Caliber!” She added, as the stallion stumbled forwards in surprise. “He is a Stallion of a thousand talents. Need a guard? Got it! Need a heavy lifter? Got it! Need a piece of Eye-candy? Got it!”

While Sombra raised an eyebrow slightly at the last notion, the biggest reaction was out of Caliber, who instantly flushed in momentary panic. He turned back to Ember and almost hissingly whispered.

“Embeeeer, This sounds like you're whoring me ouuuutt…” He whispered through his teeth at the mare.

She returned the whisper with a look which was both pleading and threatening.

“Do you have any better idea!?”

“N-No… But Why do I have to be the one to be the Eye-Candy?!”

“Don’t you want to look good?” Ember asked in a low deadpanned voice.

“I… Yes, but thats beside the point!” Caliber hissed back.

While the two were having their supposed secret bickering session, Sombra walked just a bit closer to get a better look at the two.

They looked like they had been walking for a very long time. Their cloaks, while clearly made by some good materials, had already been worn quite a bit for most of its worth. A gentle shift of his eyes also saw both of them had saddlebags along, but they appeared to be almost empty. A couple of thoughts came to Sombra´s mind here. These two had obviously been going for a long time, and this had been their best plans. Why would anypony simply walk without a plan?

Somepony like himself… Somepony who wouldn't want to be found.

And that thought brought a smirk to his face.

“Okay, Brick has convinced me.” He announced.

This snapped the attention of the two interlopers away from each other and onto their new possible host.

“You'll let us stay?” Ember asked with a hopeful grin.

Sombra´s face was, eerily pleasant, and he gave a small smile in return.

“Yes, the two of you can stay here during the Snowstorm. However I do not accept freeloaders, as we do not have enough supplies to be generous about them.” Sombra calmly clarified. He then turned to Brick who was rather stunned off on the side that he had somehow convinced Sombra. “Brick, please begin to carry in the food and supplies, while I see our guests to their rooms.”

Brick, while still confused, saluted awkwardly. “Yes, Lord Sombra!”

Allowing Brick go get on with his task, Sombra gestured at the two newcomers. “If you would follow me.”

Author's Note:

Well This chapter might be a bit shorter, but If I did not send this out now, I would not have been able to update until way into march, so I thought it was best to at least give something.
I hope you´re all still enjoying this!

Please feel free to critique or comment, if you have anything on your mind.

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