Father
Chapter 22
It was early evening when the carriage rumbled into the sparse, snowy forest that surrounded the slowly rising mansion outside Stalliongrad. The snow was falling heavily as the edge of winter began to creep in. Stalliongrad was famous for its bitter, biting winters and especially for the snowstorms that roared down from the far north, although lately the storms had been of less worrying intensity. Most of the citizens attributed that to the re-emergence of the Crystal Empire for the more mild (by Stalliongradi standards at least) winters. The far northern Crystal Pegasi helped to guide and the tame the intense storms, breaking them up before they reached the northern regions of Equestria in full force, instead dispersing a half dozen small storms across the whole of the great northern borders.
Still, the snowfall was far heavier and more intense than Fluttershy was used to. Even the carriage’s enchantments, which were designed to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the cab, were not quite up to snuff in keep the biting cold out. Scootaloo shivered, curling up closer to Fluttershy, her small body more adapted to the temperate climate of Ponyville,
“Why do we live so far outside the city?” Scootaloo peered out the slightly shuddering window and watched the trees pass, every so often spying a white rabbit dart across the tableau.
“Because the city is full of terrible ponies,” Fluttershy, still in her disguise as Cloudy Skies, answered softly. She hadn’t been apart from Sombra since they had met and she found that she did not care for it at all and was very much looking forward to being together with him again.
“So why do we live here?”
“Because,” Fluttershy replied with a gentle smile, glancing over at her daughter who was staring questioningly at her. “We’re trying to avoid attention and best way to do that is to hide amongst those who don’t wish to be noticed.”
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at that answer. “Uhm… did we do something wrong?”
Fluttershy shook her head.
“So why are we hiding?”
“Did I say we were hiding?” Fluttershy asked, ruffling her gray feathers.
“Basically,” Scootaloo said flatly.
“Hm,” Fluttershy shrugged. She was feeling confident being so much closer to her King and knowing she was getting closer every moment. “I wonder how he does it. Saying so much without saying anything at all.”
“Who?” Scootaloo dropped down to the seat and curled up next to her new mother.
Fluttershy leaned down, nuzzling Scootaloo’s cheek and eliciting a small grunt of annoyance. “Your father, he’s a very accomplished stallion and spent a lot of time in higher courts.”
“So he’s a politician?” Scootaloo asked.
“A sorcerer, actually.”
Scootaloo blinked, not knowing exactly how to respond to that. She wasn’t stupid. Sorcerer was an archaic term and not a particularly polite one. The word Sorcerer conjured up images of dark robes and darker magic. Illegal spells and proscribed crafts. Scootaloo didn’t know what to do with the fact that her mother chose to use that word knowing full well what it meant.
“W-what’s he like?”
Fluttershy turned to look down at Scootaloo warmly and for a moment the small filly saw a sparkle of something… fiery in her mother’s eyes.
“He’s terrifying,” Fluttershy said finally, her voice full of affection. “And wonderful, and powerful, and dangerous, and noble. Your father is a terribly dangerous stallion who has done terrible things to many ponies, yet he carries a throne in his heart wherever he goes, holding himself to a higher standard than anyone else.”
Silence thickened in the carriage cab as Scootaloo swallowed dryly. Moving back to the window, Scootaloo watched as a large white archway slowly came into view. The rumbling of the carriage wheels became slightly less pronounced as they reached the properly cobbled roads leading up to the manse’s more finished regions. Passing under the arch, Scootaloo’s eyes widened as she saw the partially constructed edifice rise fully into sight. It was half-built, true, but that only seemed to add to its imposing appearance. The eastern wing was the most finished section; made of dark stone, not quite black but clearly something other than plain granite. There was something that Scootaloo couldn’t quite put her hoof on though, something about it felt… old. Even though it was clearly brand new and currently under construction there was a feeling of antiquity about the whole place. Rather than being built it felt like the whole place should be a crumbling ruin.
There was life here, though. There were workers of all stripes moving to and fro between the various structures and scaffoldings. It was a motley crew that stunned Scootaloo with its diversity. Two griffons worked alongside a pegasus on the roofing section, a broad-shouldered female mule pulled a cart of quarried stone up an incline towards a section of excavated foundation supported by two earth ponies on either side of her. Near what Scootaloo guessed would eventually be the western wing was a caribou, his coat heavy for the winter, lifting dozens of large square stones into place as he mortared them together, his enormous antlers aglow with light from his magic. In the center of them all was a huge minotaur underneath a field pavilion and surrounded by tables and desks covered in blueprints. She lost sight of the activity when the carriage turned, the driver guiding it into a small alcove off of the east wing that had a distinctly temporary look to it.
“So uh, I guess this is a stupid question but are you like, super rich or something?” Scootaloo asked as she stepped out of the carriage, shivering in the sudden bitter cold.
Fluttershy shrugged. “We have wealth, but only your father knows the full extent, but I think by reasonable standards the answer is ‘yes’. Now, follow me, we’re going into the study. We have a lot to talk about before anything else.”
Scootaloo stared at the innocuous side-door adjoining the carriage garage to the east wing like a viper, and Fluttershy let out a small sigh before trotting over to the scared filly.
“I promise it will be alright,” Fluttershy whispered, leaning down to nuzzle Scootaloo’s cheek. “Nothing bad is going to happen, not while I’m around.”
Tearing her eyes away from the door Scootaloo looked up at Fluttershy, and the disguised mare felt a small pang in her heart. She wanted to shed this disguise as soon as possible, she hated being hidden from her new daughter even though she knew it was important that she never show her true form outside the walls of the slowly rising complex. Secrecy was their greatest defense here, after all.
Lowering her wing over Scootaloo’s back and pull her closer, Fluttershy nudged the filly forward towards the door and began walking. Scootaloo obliged a bit haltingly but eventually they were inside, out of the cold and surrounded by what had quickly become the more familiar smells of home. Woodsmoke and strong coffee permeated the air, a sign that her King had spent numerous late nights working. There was also the faintest scent of something darker, the scent of Sombra himself, a kind of rich spice that sent a shiver up Fluttershy’s spine and down her wings.
Quickly hanging her scarf and hat and doffing her boots, Fluttershy turned to Scootaloo and smiled. “Finally, we’re indoors. Scootaloo, I’m going to show you something but I need you to promise that you won’t tell a soul about it, okay? It’s incredibly important.”
Scootaloo paused from pulling her own scarf free. “Uh, okay yeah, I mean, it’s not like… something weird and creepy is it?”
Chuckling, Fluttershy shook her head. “No, it’s just this.”
Shaking out her wings and mane, the gray coloration drained off of her like water as her fur slowly returned to its natural butter-yellow and her mane one again became the pink, silken waterfall she was accustomed to. In moments the mare standing in front of Scootaloo went from being a near-stranger to the familiar face of one of the kindest mares anypony in Ponyville had ever know.
“F-Fluttershy?!”
Scootaloo stared at the mare she had come to know well over the course of her friendship with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. The one who had braved the Everfree Forest and an angry Cockatrice to help them during their sleepover. Who, according to local Ponyville gossip, had stood up to a dragon. Who had stood hoof to hoof against Nightmare Moon, tamed Discord, and together with her friends had banished both King Sombra from the Crystal Empire and Tirek from Equestria as a whole.
Only to vanish mysteriously.
Of course, Scootaloo had heard rumours. Orphans were invisible to most and heard more than almost anypony suspected. That Fluttershy had done something unforgivable. Some even claimed to have seen the demure mare dueling Princess Celestia herself. Which was silly. Right? Then there were the rumours that Fluttershy had been willingly harbouring some evil unicorn who used dark magic on her. That Scootaloo believed, even though none of the orphans did. She was positive she had met the very creature Fluttershy was accused of helping.
That would, of course, meant that Scootaloo’s new father was most likely...
“Scootaloo?” Fluttershy asked with a wary but hopeful smile. “Is everything okay?”
With no response forthcoming, Fluttershy moved a little closer. Wrapping a wing around Scootaloo, Fluttershy smiled and nuzzled her cheek. A second later the filly snapped out of her stunned torpor and stared wide-eyed up at Fluttershy.
“S-so… are you still my mom?”
“Yes!” Fluttershy almost gasped out, tears shimmering on the edges of her eyes, “Of course I am, I adopted you because I wanted to be your mother and nothing will change that, I promise!”
Those words broke the dam and Scootaloo sniffled before burying her face in Fluttershy’s soft fur before the sob that quickly turned into full crying escaped her lips. The two of them stood there, lost to the world around them for several moments as Scootaloo slowly got back in control of herself. She had spent so much her life prepared for the absolute worst, knowing it would be more likely than not to happen. Suddenly having all of that weight lifted from her tiny shoulders, paradoxically, made her feel like she was suffocating. Her mind was trying to tell her to relax but the ingrained memories in her muscles were telling her to find the danger. To find the lie. To find the threat.
If it had been anypony but Fluttershy it might have been harder, but the yellow mare practically exuded calm and. Eventually, Scootaloo found her breath again. Looking up into the warmly smiling face of her new mother who reached a hoof over to gently wipe away the streaks of tears that were matting down the fur of her face.
“Better?” Fluttershy asked softly. Scootaloo just nodded, earning a smile from her mother. “Good, now let’s go see your father.” Fluttershy didn’t bother denying how good that word in connection between herself, Sombra, and Scootaloo, felt to say.
~ o ~
The newly completed audience chamber was, in Sombra’s opinion, quite adequate. As compliments go, that one was quite high given he had ruled an empire for centuries and his standards for such things were high.
It had been completed no less than forty hours ago and decorated mostly with the more lavish rugs and pieces of artwork from the cache below the foundations. There were few windows, and none of them were of any considerable size, leaving the whole place dimly lit with only the numerous braziers saving the place from near total darkness. Sombra preferred it that way if he were being honest; he wasn’t sure if it was his northern heritage, coming from a land of limited sunlight, or his nature as a creature of shadows, but he had a strong preference for the low light conditions of sunset and evening. It was why he had preferred to take his walks at night.
Either way he had found himself spending more and more time working in the wide, empty audience chamber than he had in his study. Partially this was due to the fact that, frankly, he had been growing tired of the quarters. Something about them made them feel cramped, rather than cozy, without the Mouse nearby. The other part was, honestly, that the throne he had designed for himself and the Mouse was actually surprisingly comfortable. It was a gorgeous, dark marble affair, more akin to a bench curving in a half-moon form with a high, scooped back depicting various images of royalty and more than a few eclipsed suns; his own private, albeit petty, jab at the Diarchal sisters. As if anypony but himself would notice. It still gave him a slight chuckle every now and again.
He had spent the past day and a half going over the latest construction reports alongside the reserve of wealth under his hooves. He preferred to pay the workers directly rather than use any of Stalliongrad’s banknotes. That way there was no paper trail to judge how extensive of a construction he had ordered and he could maintain the facade of ‘Cloudy Skies’ occupying a small, previously overlooked, estate quietly. Spending too many bits in a place like Stalliongrad was an excellent way to be noticed by the wrong sorts of ponies. To say nothing of potentially tipping his hoof to agents of the crown who might have been keeping a weather eye on the flow of bits in the city..So far things were going quite well; construction was ahead of schedule, there was no sign of the Royal Sisters wising up to their location, and first trickle of arcane power was beginning to flow through the structure like a sieve. It was, comparatively, only a few drops, but it was more than Sombra had tasted since the Mouse had refilled his reserves. The former King had been settling in for another day spent settling various accounts when the interruption came.
Several loud raps at the chamber doors broke Sombra from his calculations regarding a chest of centuries old Zebrican coinage and whether it was best used as tender or sold as a collection. Blinking away a bit sleep from his eyes, Sombra glanced up, his spine cracking loudly in the dark silence of the chamber.
“Yes? You may enter.” Sombra spoke with an almost reflexively dark authority. Just of a hint of a growl rumbled behind his words. A habit from his Imperial days. Sombra smiled faintly, feeling rather glad his old ruling habits hadn’t died off fully.
There was a brief delay before one of the large double doors cracked open to permit a sight that Sombra had been sorely missing the past few days. Fluttershy stepped into the audience chamber and onto the plush red carpet leading up to their new, shared thrones. Setting his work off to the side, Sombra could feel a faint grin tug across his face as he stepped off of the dais of the throne and trotted forward, quickly speeding to a canter and nearly tackled Fluttershy, sweeping her up and pulling her close. The pale yellow pegasus giggled wonderfully as Sombra nuzzled against her neck, face, and muzzle, before pressing his lips against hers. Fluttershy gave an appreciative hum as she leaned in to her king’s affections. This is what he had missed, this is what had been missing for a long, long time, but most recently for the past week.
“Ewww…”
Sombra grimaced and pulled away from Fluttershy at the sound of a third, and familiar, voice. Fluttershy giggled again and turned her gaze and Sombra followed it to settle on a small, orange filly with wings that were far more impressive than they used to be. Scootaloo had a look of revulsion on her face.
“I see you were successful, Mouse,” Sombra said dryly as he, reluctantly, pulled away from Fluttershy and stepped around her to close in on Scootaloo. The filly’s features went from disgust to something like panic as he closed in on her. “So, you survived.” Of course she did. He ensured that she did. Not that she needed to know that at this juncture.
Scootaloo swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to stand up straighter, unconsciously flaring her wings to make her small frame seem larger and more threatening, a hopeless act of defiance against the towering, muscular draft stallion. Her only warning was a flash of dark light from Sombra’s horn before she was hoisted bodily into the air with an undignified squawk of alarm and brought to eye level with Sombra.
“Do you know who I am?” Sombra asked, his voice had a deep, resonant quality to it. Scootaloo was reminded of when she was younger, of how she would hide under her bed during thunderstorms. How the distant, and sometimes not-so-distant, rumblings would shake her to her bones.
It took a moment but Scootaloo found her voice. “Y-you’re the evil wizard Fluttershy was hiding, right?”
Sombra’s eyes narrowed. “Accurate, but not what I was asking, try again.”
Swallowing again, Scootaloo wracked her brains. “Uhm, a… bad guy?”
“Debatable and more a matter of perspective,” Sombra answered with an ominous grin. “But still wrong, try again. Who am I?”
“I don’t know!” Scootaloo shouted, squirming in his arcane grip. “Alright? I don’t know!”
“Dear…” Fluttershy said softly, putting a placating hoof on Sombra’s shoulder.
Narrowing his eyes, Sombra drew Scootaloo closer. “You have been adopted, yes?” Sombra asked, drawing out a nervous nod from the filly. “Then I ask again; who am I?”
“M-my dad?”
His gaze still fixed on Scootaloo, Sombra releases his magic, letting her drop unceremoniously to the ground. “You will address me as ‘father’,” he began, without preamble, pacing around Scootaloo like a wolf circling prey. “You will be awake with the dawn each day, and you will join me in the courtyard to practice forms. You are far too small for your age which means we have a lot of catching up to do. Breakfast comes after morning practice, then you will begin your schooling. Your days will be far more difficult than they have ever been. I am not a gentle teacher nor have I ever been a parent, and kindness does not come to me with any manner of ease. So, hate me if you will, but I will ensure you are prepared to deal with whatever challenge comes your way and believe me, they will. Months ago I offered you the sky on the wager of your life, now it’s time see that investment come to bear fruit. Have I made myself clear?”
Scootaloo fixed Sombra, no, her father, with a hard glare, one that he met with an equal ferocity. They stared one another down for several minutes, while Fluttershy watched them both with not a little bit of worry. She trusted Sombra but she also knew he was a difficult pony to live with at times. The silence stretched into a dull tension, with neither filly nor king turning away from the other.
“Am. I. Clear?” Sombra enunciated in a soft, dark tone.
Instead of answering, Scootaloo snapped her wings out wide, loosing a gust of cold air in the dim audience hall. With a single flap she nearly vanished, picking up speed at a rate that would have made her idol proud. The door thundered open as Scootaloo tore out of the chamber, leaving a faintly grinning Sombra and a shocked Fluttershy.
“Not surprising,” Sombra rumbled, dark light igniting at the tip of his horn to summon a fitted fanged and jeweled carcanet to his throat. Another flash conjured black, draconic wings from his back that dripped misty shadow. “Wait here a moment while I give our daughter her first lesson.”
Scowling, Fluttershy leaned in and up to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. “Be kind, your Majesty. And gentle. She’s been through a lot.” she said, before kissing his lips “And don’t use too much magic, okay?”
Sombra chuckled, “I’ll do my best.”
With another flare of black magic, Sombra vanished from the throne room, leaving the slightly annoyed Fluttershy behind. “Well, that went about as well as I could have expected, I suppose.” Looking about, she finally stopped to appreciate the changes that Steelhorn and his exceptional crew had wrought in her week-long absence.
The audience chamber had exactly the kind of dark grandeur she expected from her king’s designs. Some kind of ashen-colored marble with streaks of white that caught the flickering torchlight in such a manner as to both fill the area with smoky illumination and make the place more intimidating. Fluttershy smiled slightly at the thought to meet petitioners here, her king towering over them, herself at his side counterbalancing his ferocious mein. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the thought.
“Queen Fluttershy,” she whispered softly to herself, giggling at the sound of the incongruous words. “Father and mother would be so proud.”
~ o ~
Scootaloo tore out of the bleak throne room without a word. Her ‘father’ was nothing like Fluttershy but he was, perhaps, exactly what she expected from the dark unicorn that had given her the wings she was now using to flee his estate. A shout of surprise was elicited from a pair of draft Earth Ponies she dove between as she erupted from the east wing of the quickly rising manor. None of the workers caught more than a glimpse of the burnt-orange blur before she made it into the snow-filled forest. A moment later the cold caught up to Scootaloo and she began shivering in flight. The winters out near Stalliongrad were far more dangerous than the ones in her hometown, she knew. She would have to get higher, and try to find a thermal to ride back to Ponyvi-
SNAP
A massive black figure appeared several feet from her prompting a terrified squeak as Scootaloo pulled up hard to avoid a sudden and unpleasant impact, plowing through the canopy and about a meter of snow, blinding her as she emerged into the cold, open sky.
Scootaloo barely had a moment to clear her eyes of the white powder before a gust of hot, wild wind struck her from the side, sending the small pegasus wheeling in the air. Flaring her wings reflexively, Scootaloo steadied and brought herself to a hover. Her eyes widened at the sight of the dark unicorn hovering several meters away from her, wide, shadowy draconic wings flapping lazily to keep him aloft.
It was more than just his form though. There was a presence to him, wicked and foreboding, as he drifted in the air. “Well? You were fleeing me weren’t you?” Sombra grinned languidly, his fangs showing past his dark lips. “I’ll just tell you now, there’s a Lucent Barrier around this manse. Its purpose is to give a false image to scrying sensors and anyone looking from afar. Thus, if you can breach past the barrier’s limit, I’ll not be able to follow. I can’t risk anyone seeing my magic or my true form after all.”
Blinking away the snow caught in her mane and eyes, Scootaloo glowered at Sombra. “Why are you telling me that? I’m trying to escape, remember? You aren’t supposed to help me.”
Sombra’s unconcerned smile remained in place. “You believe you can escape me, then?”
Scootaloo’s glower turned to a scowl. “I know I can.”
“Excellent,” Sombra hissed. “Try.”
He had barely finished the word before Scootaloo vanished in a hard, clap of displaced air, her newly minted wings seizing the air around her like a vice, thundering her away away at high speed. Sombra careened after her, grinning. The little orange filly had an intuitive grasp of Pegasus magic that he had rarely seen even in seasoned weather Pegasi of the Crystal Empire. He had a notion as to why, too; Scootaloo had spent most of her life straining for even a taste of the sky, drawing in what tiny, bare sips of sky magic she could in order to obtain something like lift. Without ever realising it she became better and better at efficiently using those tiny drips of magic, maximizing the output. Now that her meridians were healthy and powerful, she was pulling in more magic than ever. Combining that with her natural talent for optimizing her magic, it made her throughput something to behold.
Not that it was even remotely fast enough. She might have had efficiency of magic, but her flight skills were atrocious. Even Sombra could see that. Scootaloo constantly flew and pulled against the wind and thermals. Whenever she struck a crosswind she ripped it out of her way, anytime she hit a thermal wrong she kicked it into shape.
In short, Scootaloo didn’t ride the wind so much as she did beat it into submission, and that took too much time.
Scootaloo nearly made it to the edge of the barrier; it was like looking through a heat haze, just a slight blur that was making everything beyond a certain point seem slightly insubstantial. She was almost to it when another surge of heated air crashed around her, lifting her high in the sky and away from the barrier, spiraling her around as the vastly differing temperatures of air caused her wings to catch one moment and flounder the next. Unfortunately, her fine control was badly lacking and another burst of air, ice cold this time, sent her spinning to the ground, flailing her wings as she suddenly had no grasp of anything at all. Snapping out her wings, the constant motion left Scootaloo desperately scrabbling for lift but the spinning, vertigo, and wildly thrashing winds were too chaotic for her to exert any control over. The only thing she knew was that the ground was closing in fast.
“AHHHHH!” The scream left her throat reflexively, only to trail off as her brain registered that she had stopped moving. A dark, tingling aura of magic surrounded her, keeping her levitating about a foot above the snowy ground.
“Your technique, if you can call it that, is in desperate need of refinement, little wing,” Sombra said, a dark bass chuckle hiding just at the edges of his words. Scootaloo wheeled herself in the air turning to face him.
“Yeah, guess so,” Scootaloo said grumpily, realising she had no way of breaking the sorcerer’s grip. “So I’m trapped here then, huh?”
Sombra’s face lost its playful mirth, and set her down gently. “No, you will never be trapped anywhere, I promise you that. If you really want to leave, I will do my best to facilitate it. It would, I’m sure, break the Mouse’s heart to see you go, but I know her well enough to say with some certainty that she would never keep you against your will either.”
Scootaloo blinked in confusion as her mind worked around Sombra’s words. That was it? She just had to say it and she could go… wherever? She tried to find the lie, or the catch, but she couldn’t. “After all that… chasing and windy magic and stuff?” Scootaloo asked, staring up at the centuries-old mage. “After the threats and the stuff about training and being up a the crack of dawn and investments? You were just… lying?”
Shaking his head, Sombra gave a fanged grin. “Not at all, I made no threats, little wing, and my intention of training you was entirely serious. Even you can’t deny you need it; you were just outflown by a Unicorn. I am a difficult taskmaster and I expect a great deal from you, but that’s only because I firmly believe you have a shining potential to be somepony truly incredible hidden within you that needs only time and a little direction to bring out.” Sombra said, his voice growing soft towards the end. After a moment, he surprised even himself when he put a single, large hoof on Scootaloo's back and drew her closer.
Leaning down, Sombra did what he remembered his mother doing for him when he was young, foolish, and feeling lost, and nuzzled her cheek. “I believe that with all of whatever is left to me of my heart, little wing, I promise.”
To his surprise, Sombra felt warm tears against his muzzle as Scootaloo gave a soft sob and leaned into him. Unsure of what else to do, he simply remained where he was, letting her cry against him. After a few moments, Scootaloo mastered herself, and pulled away, but not too far. “So, uhm… is it okay if I just… call you ‘dad’, sometimes?”
Staring down at her, into her bright and intelligent eyes, Sombra felt a little bit of his iron will cave. Letting his shoulders sag, he smiled a little wearily. “Sometimes, only sometimes, and only in private, agreed?”
Scootaloo nodded happily, hugging him around his barrel chest, even though her small limbs didn’t even come close to reaching around him. “Yeah! Thanks… Dad.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.03 seconds
Total duration
988 users online
431,879 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Wow. That was...surprisingly heartwarming. Sombra really is learning. Nice.
daww
Yay!
this will be interesting, (to put it as a metaphor) Sombra will be the wind that will push Scootaloo forwards and forwards relentlessly, while Fluttershy will be the updraft that will push her up and keep her flying
D'ah, cute!
I needed this heartwarming read, so thanks.
Over all great chapter! happy new year and I hope a year where I see more of this!
yay
your not dead 
That was so great
Well done, be proud at yourself you desurved it.
Yes i love this fic
So happy
*Holds hoof to chest as I read this* Hggggggnnnnnn!! Oh the tender moments and cute dialogue, what do you do to me you terrible beast!!
YES! It is here!
awwww. great NY chapter.
also obligatory 'not dead yet'
Aww, I wonder when exactly 'Mouse' started being a term of endearment instead of diminutive?
And this whole story was inspired by this comic wasn't it?
img00.deviantart.net/5e9c/i/2014/358/3/2/scootaloo_s_present_by_doublewbrothers-d8b1amy.jpg
8644992
What third option?
"Clapping noises" Great chapter!
8645681
Well, I wouldn't call Sombra reformed, would you? Ultimately, he was always capable of the kindness and generosity we see him do, he merely had repressed it after years of governing a reluctant nation in dire need of change that hated him. He is still a Dark sorcerer, he still obviously plans to start this Order of his, and while I don't doubt that Scootaloo and Fluttershy are good for him, they haven't exactly reformed him. And honestly, it would be disappointing to see him be reformed.
Discord was reformed because, before Fluttershy, he never had to deal with a consequence for his actions. Stoning him didn't discourage his chaos, realizing he stood to lose something did. His Chaos wasn't worth it to him in the face of that.
Meanwhile, Sombra has obviously been facing consequences and making sacrifices for his entire reign. He will never apologize for what he has done, because he has weighed and measured the possible outcomes already, and deemed that what actions he has taken were worth the cost. The best that can be hoped for him is to give him priorities that lead to a more favorable outcome for all. Now that he has his emotions back and Fluttershy and Scootaloo beside him, those priorities now revolve around their happiness and safety first, his own second, and what ever project he does in the meantime third.
And while that is better than when he was a brutal tyrant, or an insane entity, it still isn't reformation. That implies change, and usually has a cost associated with it. And what has Sombra lost since he met Fluttershy? His Empire? His empire hasn't been his for years, and he obviously accepts that. His magic and power? Hell no! If anything, he's converting more to his side! His people? They hated him anyway, and I think he's content with having secured the future of his home. Instead he's gained a lover, a daughter, and future away from the weight of the crown! Why the hell would he want to reform, he's basically already won!
So, Sombra isn't reformed, and he sure as hell ain't dead (or else Fluttershy is into some weird stuff), so what is he? The closest thing I can imagine is that Sombra is like a savvy gambler in a casino. He was on a winning streak for a long time, which made the casino pretty ticked off at him, and then lost everything else in a devastating roll of the dice. Eventually he came back to the table with some of his savings from the long winning streak and managed to hit the jackpot. Now he's happy with what he's got and has decided to retire from the field with his winnings and start a new life for himself. The casino might hate him for winning like he did, but if he won't play, what can they do?
8645681
Sorry about the word wall, I kind of went full lecture mode.
soooo heartwarming. even Sombra cant help but cave to a daughters wishes. it makes me hella excited for the fully realized dark royal family.
8646123
It's alright, I understand what you are talking about.
I was just a little emotional when I wrote that first comment, I have a great distaste for slavery especially when a favorite character of mine is forced into it.
8647744
Oh I agree that he deserved execution at that moment, I just spoke from my knowledge of what happened later. Believe me, had he undergone no more character development by that point, I'd be right there with you. I don't do True Evil alignment. Lawful Evil, though...
8647783
You must be farther ahead than I am.
I'm at the chapter Taking Enthusiastic Walks. (Had to be away from the computer for a while.)
yeah I totally agree with ya.
8648054
Just a wee bit. Third time I've read the thing...
8648077
..........
Okay!
Finally an update. ^^ could actually become my favorit stoty ever. Need more black magic flutters
8649799
21 day lag time. God damn my internet connection is shit.
8645274
That was great thank you for sharing that, it made my day.
Yay adorable Scootaloo, how can Sombra not cave to her. Loving the story and can’t wait for more. Really need to get cracking on some drawings for this!!!
This is still my favourite fanfic ever. I've read it a couple of times. I'm so glad it finally got an update. Can't wait for more.
Well I finally got to reading this, since I saw that it updated this year. And I have to say, I almost wish I'd picked it up sooner. The contrast between the pair is something I've always loved, same as with Discord and Fluttershy, my other favorite pairing. The inclusion of Scoots was, unexpected, but honestly well done and makes it fit perfectly into the narrative. I look forward to more.
Good to get back into this.
I see Sombra is still a hard-ass but he's learning. Slowly but surely, he is learning!
While Fluttershy might continue to be her soft, demure self, and learning some of the arcane on the side, I fully expect to see Scoots mature and develop as a person and pony. I half-envision her as being Sombra's Right Hoof of Darkness or something. Of course, there's no real question about her staying and learning and getting stronger. This is the same filly that basically said 'yes' without even asking what the catch was to getting to fly.
What this history is doing to meeee!?
Who turned on the waterworks? Who opened the floodgates?! WHO STOLE MY TISSUES??!!!!
