Sombra's Recovery

by MisterEdd

Lumos

Twilight's eyes shot open. A noise like an off-key note pierced the air, a horrified scream loud enough to echo throughout the castle's halls. Launching herself out of bed, Twilight galloped at full speed in the direction of the sound, her mind racing just as quickly with a multitude of unpleasant scenarios. She skidded to a stop, her hooves having inevitably brought her to the room of the only other creature currently staying at the castle. Throwing open the door, she burst into the room and quickly discovered Sombra huddled up in the right-hand corner of the bedroom, his pale face slack and scarlet eyes widened in terror as he lightly released a series of heaving whimpers.

"Sombra?" Twilight sat down in front of him, a hoof lightly grazing his face. "What's wrong?"

He turned to her, a full-body shiver causing him to shake in place.

"The nightmares...Faust, the nightmares! How did I live with them before?"

Twilight scooted in closer. "Nightmares? About what?"

"Everything," Sombra answered with a shudder. "Grimoire, my adoptive parents, the crystal ponies."

"Sombra, it's alright." She stroked his scarred cheek gently. "That's in the past-..."

"No, you don't understand!" He yelled with a small voice crack. "I made them suffer and..." The stallion looked as though he was on the verge of tears. "...I liked it. I enjoyed making their lives miserable."

Twilight said nothing; what could she say?

"At first, I told myself that it was right, that I was just getting my revenge but then it started to feel good. The chains, the expressions of despair, the power..."

Sombra let out a choking sound and buried his face in his hooves, his chest heaving as he wept. Twilight rubbed Sombra's back and gently shhhed him as he laid his head on her shoulder. Up until that moment, Twilight had never fully comprehended the psychological damage he'd sustained throughout his life, the anguish he suffered and did so alone. He'd been traumatized at a young age, had his mind wiped and replaced with false memories, and received the shock of learning that the life he'd been living was a lie constructed by one who aided in the extinction of his kind. And this was all before the advancements in psychiatric care, which could've aided him had it existed back then.

The more she thought about it, Twilight came to the conclusion that his dark half, the cold side of Sombra was the one that enabled him to take the mental and emotional strain of his experiences. Without it, the realization of his actions and the pain of his memories burst free and there was no dam to stop the raging waters. The negative aspects that Sombra had removed, ironically, served a beneficial purpose to his overall health. For all of his harsh, seemingly bleak pragmatism, the umbrum took his pain in stride, finding a way to continue moving in spite of it. It seemed as though he traded one stigma for an even worse one.

Eventually, Sombra laid back down and fell fast asleep, his guilt and shame no longer plaguing him if his light snoring was of any indication. Acting as the big spoon, Twilight kissed Sombra's brow and snuggled up against his back, magically pulling the blankets over them, locking in their shared body warmth. She continued to watch him as though she were some kind of sleep-time guardian. Perhaps Princess Luna would appear to him and give him some advice like she always did for everypony else. As busy as she was, she always made time for those who needed guidance the most, taking time out of her schedule to comfort the despondent sufferers of nightmares.

The light breaths exuding from the stallion lying next to her gave Twilight some little comfort. As much as she loved him, she was aggravated by her inability to help Sombra through his issues and wished there was something she could do short of memory manipulation. Although... No! The previous rulers of the Crystal Empire saw no harm in using mind magic against a young colt's will and she would not subject him to the same procedure. Failure to learn from the past doomed the future.

Twilight sighed and nuzzled Sombra's neck.

"How do I help you?"

~*~

The next morning, Twilight awoke alone in Sombra's bed and released a large yawn. Clearing the gunk from her eyes, she splashed some water on her face before trotting into the kitchen. There, she found Sombra cooking eggs over the stove while wearing a light blue apron, the frying pan engulfed in a red aura. He appeared to be humming a tune Twilight was unfamiliar with, perhaps a folk song from his colthood. Adding in a sprinkling of pepper, he noticed Twilight's presence and gave her a huge grin.

"Góðan daginn elskan mín," Sombra purred, then winced. "Sorry, I meant, 'Good morning, my love.' I sometimes forget you don't speak umbrumese."

"It's okay," Twilight replied and slid into a chair at the table, where silverware and a folded napkin had already been placed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Sombra responded over his shoulder. "I've had nightmares like that before but everything's alright now. There's no need to worry."

Twilight had her doubts but decided not to push the matter.

"If you say so. Are you making breakfast?"

"I ate an hour ago and figured that I could do the same for you."

Returning to his humming, Sombra included some additional ingredients like cheese, mushrooms, basil, parsley and tomatoes. Forming the eggs into a solid mass, he slid the omelette onto a plate and set a plate before Twilight. The meal was completed with a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice and half a grapefruit. Sombra then bowed deeply, a grin of satisfaction formed on his face.

"Omelette de Sombra. I hope you like it."

Cutting off a piece with her fork, Twilight took a small bite and was instantly overcome by a wave of euphoria. Everything was perfect, from the right amount of cheese to the measurement of seasonings and the ratio of tomato and mushroom slices, all culminating in easily the most scrumptious omelette she'd ever tasted. She regarded Sombra with a sense of awe.

"This is amazing! Where did you learn how to cook?"

"Well, I picked up several skills during my travels," Sombra admitted with a slight blush. "I didn't just spend my time learning magic. You really enjoy it that much?"

"'Enjoy it' is an understatement. It's wonderful!"

Sombra kissed Twilight's cheek. "It warms my heart to hear you say that."

Twilight shoveled several more bites into her mouth in a very un-princess-like manner.

"By the way," she managed once she'd gulped down the remainder of the omelette. "What were you humming? It was very pleasant-sounding."

Sombra slid into the vacant seat next to Twilight.

"It was something my mother used to sing to me. 'Mig dreymdi hann aftur.' It means, 'I Dreamt of Him Again.' It's a love song about a mare finding her perfect stallion."

"Could you sing it?"

Sombra chuckled somewhat self-deprecatingly. "I'm afraid I'm not much of a singer."

"Please?"

Twilight ensured to make her eyes extra large, her lower lip pushed out and quivering.

Rolling his eyes, Sombra shook his head. "Fine but don't say I didn't warn you."

Closing his eyes, he took a breath and began:

"I dreamt of him again
Of promises to treasure me
His eyes were shining
As he held me close
And then the sun returned

When the moon was high
And the stars were alight
We met under a yew tree
He took my hoof in his
And we danced through the air

The world stopped just for us
With the moon and stars above
My love and I danced on the wind
Lost in the eyes of the other
His smile was mine and mine alone

I dreamt of him again
I know he will soon arrive
Dressed in silk and gold
He will ask for my hoof
And be mine for all ages

My love, my dearest
Please hurry soon
The dawn is breaking
The night is almost gone
Please love me as I love you."

The song completed, Sombra opened his eyes and gazed right into Twilight's, her cheeks flushed and throat dry. His voice was actually quite wonderful, the umbrum's baritone creating the right blend of soft and deep. There was also the passion with which he performed it, imbuing it with longing and hopefulness, just like the song's heroine. Twilight couldn't understand why Sombra disliked singing; he had the talent and spirit for it yet he always shied away from singing with others, insisting that it was something that he'd rather not take part it. Was it a self-confidence issue?

"That was amazing," Twilight said breathlessly. "I didn't know you could sing like that."

Sombra drew back, his once-bright expression reverting to one of wistful contemplation.

"Thank you, Twilight. It's just not something that I regularly do."

"Why not? I'm sure the girls would love to hear you. You have a real gift!"

Practically shoving his chair away, Sombra went to work clearing the table.

"You're too kind. Maybe we should see what everyone else is up to."

Picking up on his reticent tone, Twilight sadly left Sombra to his own devices.

~*~

The two strolled through the streets of Ponyville side-by-side with the sun on their backs and not a care in the world. Leaving the castle did wonders for Sombra's mood, his dolefulness replaced with unbridled joy, his tail intertwined with hers. Twilight didn't bring up the incident in the kitchen and neither did Sombra and she was quite content with that. She'd honestly never seen Sombra looking so carefree, as though a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders, allowing him to actually relax for once.

Ponies, of course, stopped and stared, taking turns to mutter to one another in hushed tones. Given that a Princess of Equestria was being so openly affectionate with a mystery stallion was grounds for juicy gossip, especially in a small-town setting. Sombra didn't seem to care, keeping his attention solely fixed on his marefriend so Twilight didn't care either. They made their way past the rumor mill and soon came upon Sugarcube Corner, the restaurant looking as busy as usual. Twilight could practically taste the cupcakes that were usually kept on display behind a glass case.

As they neared the door, Cranky Doodle Donkey shouldered past Sombra, dropping a sack of Danish's. He then turned and scowled at Sombra.

"Hey, watch it!"

The air was filled with bare intensity was Twilight worriedly snapped her head in Sombra's direction. The last time she'd seen someone upset him, he almost strangled a diamond dog and afterwards showed no remorse. It wasn't until she sent him away that he displayed any kind of regret for his actions. Then again, that part of Sombra was gone, leaving only his positive traits. Twilight waited with anxious anticipation for his reaction and prayed to Faust that it wasn't one of violence.

Sombra's entire demeanor changed. He bowed his head, his eyes lowered to the ground.

"I'm sorry, sir," he apologized rather timidly. "I'll watch where I'm walking next time."

"Hmph, you do that," Cranky grumbled as he retrieved his bag. Twisting on his hindhooves, he turned away from Sombra, his tail whipping around to smack him in the snout.

"Big clumsy oaf," he added under his breath and made his exit.

Twilight's mouth hung open the whole time. She turned to Sombra incredulously.

"Why did you let him talk to you like that?"

"I didn't want a confrontation," Sombra murmured, keeping his gaze lowered. "It was better to just let him have his way than to make things worse."

It was good that Sombra handled the situation in a non-aggressive manner but letting someone treat him like a doormat was downright inconceivable. Sombra was a no-nonsense stallion who refused to take trash from anyone, even ponies much more powerful than him like Princess Celestia. His adamant belief in himself and conviction to his ideals was part of the reason Twilight fell for him in the first place. Now he was acting like Fluttershy or Flash Sentry, the latter of which did something very similar during one of their dates when a nearby mare was talking too loud and berated Flash for speaking up. The stallion standing before her was a ghost of his former self.

Is it possible that more than just his negative traits was taken away?

"Come on, let's go inside."

Twilight led the way, magically opening the door despite Sombra's insistence that he should hold it open for her. The act, though sweet and chivalrous, was kind of patronizing and even a tad disconcerting given how Sombra usually treated her as an equal rather than a lady to wait on. If she wanted to be treated like a dainty little princess, then she would've stayed with Flash and let him fuss over her. Twilight wondered if she was being wishy-washy about the whole thing and was being unfair to Sombra. After all, he literally changed who he was in order to please her and help make their relationship work.

In the far end of the joint, Applejack and the others sat at two tables pushed together, the surfaces covered in half-empty milkshake glasses and plates of various sugary sweets. The farmpony grinned and waved a hoof in their direction. Taking two of the three available chairs, Twilight and Sombra sat down at the table and were greeted by a chorus of greetings from the four mares. Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity looked pleased to see Sombra while an uninterested Rainbow Dash peeked at him out of the corner of her eye. In no time at all, Pinkie Pie came zipping into focus.

"Hi Twilight, hi Sombra! What can I get for you?"

"I think I'll try the apple cinnamon scone with a side of soy milk, please."

Sombra took a quick glance at the menu. "The triple chocolate chunk crunch cookie sounds delicious. Hmm, I will have that and a...medium-sized bonkers blueberry blast smoothie."

"Coming right up!"

"So Sombra, me an' th' girls was wonderin' how's bein' like this treatin' yah?"

Folding his hooves, Sombra thought for a moment.

"It's a bit strange. I know that I'm me but I'm also not me."

"What do you mean?" Rarity questioned him.

"I feel as though something's missing. Do you ever have an off-day, one where you don't feel like yourself? It's like that for me all of the time. When I look back on my past actions, I remember doing them but I can't believe that I did. I suppose that it's reminiscent of waking up from a very vivid dream and almost swearing that what took place in it really happened."

"That doesn't make any sense."

Ignoring Rainbow's remark, Fluttershy commented softly, "Sounds very confusing."

"That it is," Sombra agreed. "In fact, I think that I should change my name. I don't feel that I'm close enough to who I was to continue being called 'Sombra.'"

"But wha' would ya change it to?"

"I don't know. Something more...apt, I think."

Twilight thought for a moment and a light bulb went off in her head.

"What about 'Lumos'? It's fitting, since you're Sombra's light half right?"

"'Lumos?'" The stallion repeated it a couple of more times, acclimating his mouth to the new name like trying on a new hat. "Lumos. Lumos. Yes, I think that will do just fine."

Pinkie reappeared with a steel tray, placing each order in front of their respective customers.

"One apple cinnamon scone, a glass of soy milk, a triple chocolate chunk crunch cookie and a medium-sized bonkers blueberry blast smoothie."

"Thank you, Pinkie. This all looks-..."

Without warning, Sombra, or rather, "Lumos," winced sharply and doubled over, his face twisted into one of extreme agony. His hooves clamped onto both sides of his head, which he now shook as if in a vain attempt at dislodging something. While everyone else began panicking, Twilight instantly rushed around the table and placed her hooves on Lumos' shoulders.

"Lumos! What's wrong? Speak to me!"

Sucking in air, Lumos tried to speak, instead gritting his teeth to stifle an oncoming groan.

Placing the tip of her horn on Lumos' brow, Twilight poured her magic through the appendage and into his head. She could feel some sort of tension and though it wasn't an ailment caused by physical distress, it still had a presence within the stallion's skull. If Twilight had to guess, the root of the affliction was magical in nature, just not any kind of magic she was familiar with. Concentrating, she felt around until she sensed a sort of "web" of thaumaturgical energy, every strand reaching through Lumos' body and connecting to form a new portion of the web. This told her that it wasn't a pony-born spell; a curse cast on one pony by another would closer resemble a hexagon instead of the more circular, intricately-made web-like shape found here.

Although Twilight couldn't break the spell, she could alleviate Lumos' pain. She focused on each strand, her own magic covering them in a thin layer that patted it down. Lumos shuddered at the contact but remained still, an act that ensured Twilight could continue her treatment unimpeded. Eventually, she worked her way to the quote-unquote "nerve center" of the curse, engulfing it in a protective barrier in order to keep it from assaulting Lumos any further. It lashed out at the barrier, furiously banging on the barrier's walls but was still trapped by Twilight's magic, seemingly ceasing its attack for the moment.

Twilight allowed the aura around her horn to fizzle out, panting as the magical exertion set in. Whatever this magic was, it was unlike any she'd encountered before, carrying with it traces of an older form not practiced in centuries. Lumos had stopped whimpering, gasping in short breaths as he nodded at Twilight and kissed her cheeks in gratitude. For now, he was going to be okay though Twilight was uncertain when the next flare-up would occur. For now, she was content with being held in Lumos' forelegs.

"What in Celestia's name was that?" Rarity queried in astonishment.

"I don't...know," Lumos answered, still reeling from his experience. "I've felt it before but it was nowhere near this severe. I know as much as the rest of you."

Applejack rose from her seat, both forehooves firmly planted on the table.

"Ah don't know 'bout y'all, but Ah reckon there's gotta be somethin' we can do 'bout this. Twilight, d'ya think Princess Celestia might have uh clue as t' wha' this is?"

Twilight bit her lip. "Maybe. I could ask but without Spike here, it'll take longer for word to reach her and I'm already worried how well Lumos might fare. Perhaps for now, we should try looking up some answers in the library."

~*~

Back at the Castle of Friendship, the six mares-and Lumos-scoured the library for answers, pulling up any book they could find on relics, hexes, curses, spells, talismans, and magical maladies. Lumos, however, was feeling faint and, despite his protests, was escorted back to his room by Applejack, who had to resort to helping to carry him when one of his hindlegs went numb. That wasn't all, as Applejack noticed that his face was looking paler with more pronounced cheekbones and noticeable wrinkles. His gem-like eyes lost much of their previous luster, the faded red orbs now staring dully at her through dark, baggy eyelids. When he attempted to argue with her, even trying and failing to stand on his own, she had to resort to threatening to hog-tie him for the stallion to relent.

"Sombra, er, Lumos is back in his room. Ah gotta tell y'all, he looks mighty awful, like he's sick."

"Whatever this curse or hex is, it's sucking the life out of him!" Twilight speculated, tossing a book onto a stack. "There's got to be something here!"

"Everypony, I think I've found something!"

They all crowded around Rarity, who held up a large, rust-brown book with white-yellow pages. The book was turned to an illustration of a golden idol in the shape of an ox, the bovine sitting in the lotus position, its face both smiling serenely and snarling fiercely. It held a pair of balanced scales in each outstretched hoof, with one scale holding a sphere wrapped in flames and the other a sphere surrounded by smoke. On its stomach were two teardrop-shaped symbols, one white and one black, encircling the other in a kind of dance. The caption at the top of the page read, "THE SCALES OF TAIJITU--The RELIC OF BALANCE AND SELF-REFLECTION."

"It's right here in Kanthaka's Facts and Artifacts."

"Nice work, Rares!" Rainbow complimented her.

"What does it say?" Pinkie asked with her head cocked to the side.

Clearing her throat, Rarity adorned her red glasses and read aloud:

"'The Scales of Taijitu are a powerful relic from Chineigh that has the power to separate whoever uses it into two beings: one embodying all of the user's positive traits, and one comprised of their darkest impulses. They were the creation of Qianlima, a sorcerer who wished to rid himself of his worst qualities, leaving only the pure and good of his soul. The Scales divided Qianlima into two halves-one light and one dark-but quickly realized that doing so disrupted the balance of the universe as good cannot exist without bad, just as bad cannot exist without good. With every minute the two halves remained separated, the weaker they became, starting with splitting headaches and a feeling of fatigue. Had Qianlima not managed to unite his two halves before the sunset of the seventh day, then both would've faded from existence.'"

"Tha's why Lumos is so sick!" Applejack exposited. "He needs t' unite wi' his missin' half in order t' become whole!"

"Or else they'll both disappear forever!" Pinkie added.

They all found Twilight staring blankly ahead, her face resembling that of someone who had just been struck by a great and terrible epiphany.

"Twi? What's wrong?" Rainbow placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"What is it?" Fluttershy inquired.

"If Sombra's good half is here, then that means...there's an evil Sombra out there somewhere..."

Comments

[Viper Pit]

dun dun dun

[Theresa]

I am surprised it took the threat of his death to realize that wanting someone to change who they are isn't something that should be done lightly or for them. She wanted him to change because she couldn't accept his tough side when it came to fighting. Unfortunately she has to realize that if she had accepted him for him then he wouldn't be in this mess because I don't think even his dark side on loose will make him want to go back when he thinks twilight hates that side of him.

[PearlyDoesStuff]

Meet Edgelord and Doormat - how tf Sombra's brain operates.

Figured it would lead to "mfer dies for his stupidity"