• Published 31st Jul 2019
  • 7,507 Views, 612 Comments

Shadow of a Doubt - MayhemMoth



Starlight quickly learns it’s going to take a lot to save a pony with no hope.

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Chapter 7: Honesty

It was with great disappointment that Starlight returned to her office to see a mess of papers on her desk, along with some trash on the floor. She still didn’t know who had substituted for her while she’d been gone, she’d forgotten to ask, but despite the mess at least everything else seemed to be in order.

She’d informed the others of Sombra’s arrival when she’d gotten to work, though Twilight had already told them ahead of time. None of them were particularly happy about it, but they couldn’t voice their displeasure on the subject, because they wanted to keep quiet once the students started coming in. Twilight was hoping to inform them, as well as the rest of Ponyville, of Sombra’s return later that day.

Sighing in a mix of annoyance and exhaustion, she approached her desk and got to work organizing her papers. Most of them were just early year paperwork that needed to be signed, and things to hand out to students for certain issues, so she separated each accordingly, stopping every now and then to wave to a few students as they walked past her half open door.

Once done with that, she looked at what the students had left her. They mostly seemed to be drawings and thoughtful notes, things she’d be looking over later when she wasn’t worried about any students wandering in. Wouldn’t want anyone to see any private information.

After that, there were only two envelopes left, one labeled from Twilight, and another with nothing on it all. She grabbed the mystery one first, tearing it open with her magic to find a folded up drawing, two crudely scribbled ponies upon it. One was pink, with the words ‘get well soon’ over the top of it, while the other was rather angry looking black one, with the word ‘stupid’ messily written above it.

Starlight stared at the drawing is utter confusion, was that supposed to be her and Sombra?

She had no idea who drew this, and no idea how they could know about Sombra. Flipping the paper over, she looked for a signature, but found nothing other than a few more senseless doodles. They weren’t quite as coherent as the ones on the other side, but with another flip to see if she’d missed anything, her door swung open and she shot back with a yelp.

“Starlight!” A blue Unicorn barged in shouting, running immediately to her desk, knocking over some papers as she leaned over it, “You’ve been gone for so long! Why didn’t you tell me you were going to Canterlot! I could’ve scheduled a magic show there!”

“Oh, uh, hello Trixie,” Starlight muttered, crumpled drawing against her chest, “I’m sorry, I didn’t really have time to say anything, I didn’t think I’d be gone that long.”

“You could’ve at least sent me a letter,” She pouted, before noticing the paper in Starlight’s hooves, “Oh, but I see you got mine.”

Starlight took the paper away from her chest, looking between it and Trixie, “Wait, you drew this?”

“Well of course,” She scoffed with the wave of a hoof, “I drew that for you because no one in their right mind would think taking in that beast was a good idea.”

“How did you even know about Sombra?”

“Twilight told me.”

For some reason, that surprised Starlight, though she knew it really shouldn’t. There was really no reason for Twilight to lie about where she might’ve been, everypony was bound to find out soon enough anyway, and it did save her a lot of explaining.

“Oh. Well there’s nothing you can do to stop me,” She finally said, levitating her papers and reorganizing them, “Besides, haven’t you said everypony deserves another chance? What makes Sombra any different?”

“The fact he hurt you for one thing.”

“I appreciate the concern, really,” Starlight smiled, though it was somewhat awkward, “But I’m perfectly fine. I actually managed to hold Sombra off for a while when he took over Ponyville, and even if that ended badly for me, he’s nowhere near as strong as he was.”

“But what if he tries to manipulate you?”

“You really think I’d fall for that sort of thing?”

Trixie raised a hoof to object, but found herself at a loss for words. Frowning, she found the next best thing to complain about, “Okay, fine. He probably won’t be able to trick you, but that doesn’t excuse the fact you left without telling me!”

Back to that then. Starlight sighed. A few students were beginning to pause at her door, either curious over the commotion, or waiting to speak with her. She hoped it was the latter.

“Like I said, I didn’t have time, and I’m sorry for that,” She repeated, getting out of her seat to face Trixie directly, “Maybe we can make up for the occasion later? I’m sure you’ve got another show scheduled soon, right? Maybe then we can catch up, how does that sound?”

She flicked her ear in the direction of the door. Trixie cocked her head at the gesture, confused until she glanced over and saw the gathering students. At that point, she understood, a quiet noise of realization escaping her mouth before a smile lit up her face.

“Sounds good to me,” She said, gently hugging Starlight before turning to the door, “I’ll see you after school!”

“Wait, today?”

“Well of course, silly! I haven’t done a magic show since you left, so I just knew I had to schedule one the moment you got back!”

She trotted out of the room happily, cheerfully greeting the students and encouraging them to come to her show. They seemed quite excited by the prospect, and most began to stray from the doorway, making their way to class, though two others stayed. Groaning to herself in annoyance, Starlight shoved away her irritation as she picked up a some scattered papers and smiled at the two.

“Give me a moment to clean up and I’ll let you in, alright?”

They nodded, and Starlight gathered up the stray papers from the ground, glancing at Twilight’s letter before setting it in her bag. If it had been something important, she’d have told her that morning, so it was probably something related to work or students. She’d open it after work, or after the magic show, whichever gave her the biggest break.

Speaking of which, she was going to have to find something to do about Sombra now, wasn’t she? Leaving him at the castle was certainly an option, but she wasn’t sure if she liked it. She’d figure out something before the day was up.

Satisfied with her work, she smiled to the ponies at the doorway and said, “Sorry about the wait, you can come in now.”

Surely one of her friends would be willing to watch him for a few hours?


“Absolutely not.”

“Please, Applejack?” Starlight begged, “I really need to do this magic show with Trixie, she’s already upset with me for leaving without warning, and I can’t just disappoint her like that again.”

“But why me? D’you really think I want that tyrant anywhere near my family again?” Applejack asked, “He possessed ‘em, and used ‘em as his slaves. Heck, he used Big Mac as a battering ram!”

“He possessed me too.”

Applejack frowned, “Alright, yeah, but that’s not the only issue! The apples are starting to ripen, and I gotta get to buckin’. Apple Bloom’s out doin’ some after school activity, and Big Mac’s busy delivering yesterday’s bushels. I can’t just sit around and waste my time foalsittin’ some wannabe king.”

“No one else is available right now,” Starlight said, sharply nudging Sombra as he huffed in annoyance, “I know I didn’t get the chance to ask you earlier, but I asked everypony else. Rainbow Dash is practicing, Rarity’s got a bunch of orders to work on, Pinkie’s foalsitting the Cake twins, and Twilight’s working on school assignments.”

“What about Fluttershy?”

Starlight glanced to Sombra, the stallion more or less ignoring her, before whispering, “Didn’t he try to attack her?”

“Ah, yeah. Forgot about that bit,” Applejack muttered, before letting out an agitated groan, “Fine, I’ll take him, but only if I can put him to work.”

“He’s got a sprained leg, a cracked rib, and he can’t see. I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”

“No offense to you Starlight, but like I said, after what he’s done, I’m not gonna be happy with him anywhere near my family. The least he could do is help out. I imagine he made plenty of ponies in rough shape do his dirty work, so it’s only fair,” Applejack said, glaring at Sombra a moment. He’d finally reacted to their words, a fang baring scowl upon his face, “If he can’t buck the trees, maybe I’ll have him carry the buckets. He might be a Unicorn, but he’s got a pretty solid build. I’m sure I could get him working for a while.”

“You do know that making anypony work while injured lessens their use down the road, don’t you? It’s just not practical,” Sombra scoffed with a flick of his tail, “You criticize me for enslaving them, yet you plan on using me as a slave yourself? You ponies grow more and more hypocritical with every waking moment.”

“It ain’t slavery, it’s contribution. If you’re gonna be spendin’ the evening on my farm, you’re gonna be making an effort to help out.”

“I’d sooner make an effort to burn your livelihood to the ground.”

Applejack was ready to retort, hooves stamping the ground in anger, but Starlight intervened, stepping between her and Sombra as she said, “This obviously wasn’t a good idea, I’m sorry. Perhaps it’d be best if I just take him with me.”

She turned to walk away, but Sombra stayed where he stood, stopping Starlight in her tracks as she hit the end of the rope. Applejack hadn’t moved either, and Starlight turned to see her still glaring at Sombra. He couldn’t glare back, but with a hint of a grin on his face, and his ears focused in Applejack’s direction, she could tell exactly what he was trying to do.

He was challenging her, and worst of all, It was working.

As expected, Applejack responded after a moment more of glaring, “Nah, don’t go ruinin’ your day draggin’ him around, I can handle a little stubbornness.”

She went over and grabbed the rope from Starlight, firmly grasping it her teeth and giving a hard yank. To Starlight’s surprise, Sombra was actually pulled forward, stumbling over until Applejack was in his face. Though he couldn’t see her, he could smell the stench of sweat and filth upon her coat, baring his teeth in frustration at being so close. Applejack wasn’t having it.

“Now then, you’re gonna be carryin’ my baskets, and you’re gonna be gentle with ‘em, ya hear me?” Applejack demanded, the scowl on Sombra’s face deepening, “For every apple you bruise and ruin, I better see double the bruises on your own body from the effort of workin’.”

Starlight stared in horror. Sombra’s frown morphed into a grin.

“You Elements are capable of much more cruelty than you let on,” He stated, earning a much deserved smack to the nose. This pony hit much harder than Starlight did, and he jumped back with a hoof to his snout. The scowl returned full force, magic fruitlessly trying to spark at his horn.

Grabbing the rope back with her magic, Starlight worriedly said, “Okay, you know what, this was a terrible idea. Please, just let me take him home.”

“No,” This time it was Sombra who interjected, stepping on the rope and licking his snout to check for signs of blood, “I think I’ll stay. The bumpkin is right, I’ll just get in your way. Go on and have your little outing with your friend. We’ll be fine here.”

Starlight wanted to argue, to prevent a worse fight from breaking out, but she knew it pointless. She’d seen Applejack compete with Rainbow Dash, both were stubborn and always up for a challenge. Sombra seemed hardly different, incredibly stubborn, with the added trait of provoking ponies in the worst ways possible. There was no way she was going to get the two to end their freshly made rivalry, so with a sigh of defeat she nodded.

“Alright, just please don’t let this end in injury?”

“No promises,” Applejack said. Sombra growled.

Starlight sighed as she turned away. This was not going to end well, she just knew it.

The moment she was out of sight, Applejack yanked the rope, dragging Sombra toward her. He tried to resist, digging his hooves into the dusty ground, but to no avail. She still managed to move him, and he snarled in frustration and pain as his sprained leg was dragged over the dirt.

“Don’t you even start,” She threatened, getting in his face again, “Get goin’ now. We gotta fit you with a harness so you can pull the wagon.”

“I will do no such thing! It’s undignifying!”

“You’ve never been dignified,” Applejack responded, stamping her hoof to silence him before he argued, “It’s either that, or I tie you to the nearest tree and leave you till Starlight gets back. Now make your choice.”

Neither option seemed acceptable to Sombra, but he already knew what he’d unwillingly choose. Physical labor was not something he had any intention of doing, but being tied to a tree like an unruly animal was even more insulting. So with a grunt of annoyance, he followed Applejack as she yanked the rope.

He had no idea where she was leading him, stuck in an unfamiliar location. The smell of nature surrounding them, bird song sounding from all sides, confusing him further. He was as good as lost on this farm, and he hated it. They eventually stopped after what Sombra could only assume were far too many minutes of walking, new scents and sounds overtaking the ones of the outdoors, and a soft yet crunchy ground now underhoof. Lifting a leg curiously, Sombra felt the ground and sniffed. A few moments of that and the scent came to him, though it wasn’t one he was particularly used to.

Straw. He’d heard that ponies used that as a cheap bedding for the floor sometimes, was he in a building? He didn’t have much time to think about it, because Applejack laid something over his back. He jumped back with a yelp, trying to shake the offending item off.

“Calm down, it’s just the harness,” She said, “Didn’t even get it latched yet.”

“Give me a warning next time!”

“Did you warn the Crystal Ponies before you threw chains on them?”

Sombra growled, but gave in. Applejack came over and readjusted the harness, wrapping the straps of it best she could around his barrel, before adjusting a few more things. Once done with that, she yanked the rope, Sombra following behind her quietly as she lead him somewhere else, where she attached a wagon to the harness.

“A bit loose on you,” She said, looking over the set up and trying to adjust the harness again, “It’s fitted to my brother, and from the look of things, you’re quite a bit skinnier than he is. I can’t tell if it’s because you’re too reliant on magic to get things done or if you’re just thin from lack of a proper diet.”

She poked him in the ribs, careful to avoid his sore side. He still stomped a hoof in protest.

“Can’t say there’s much to eat in the dungeons,” He muttered, “And I wouldn’t really consider Starlight the best at making meals.”

“Well, maybe if you pull your weight, I’ll spare you some dinner when we’re done. How’s that sound?”

“You’re the second pony today to bribe me with food,” He observed, refusing to answer.

“So, does that mean it’s workin’?”

“Just put me to work already.”

A smug grin on her face, Applejack grabbed the rope around Sombra’s neck and lead him to the corner of the orchard where the ripest apples were. She had to stop occasionally, Sombra pausing to readjust the harness around his midsection, but they made it to their destination with relatively little trouble.

“Alright, now I’ll be doin’ most of the work,” She explained, spitting the rope out and grabbing some baskets from the wagon, “All you need to do is pull the wagon, stopping and moving as I say. Right now, you need to stay where you are until I’m finished with this tree, ya got that?”

“Whatever you say,” Sombra shrugged, shaking a hoof to get the dirt off it.

Despite his apparent indifference to the situation, Applejack didn’t trust him. She kept her eyes on him as she set the baskets around the tree, lightly adjusting them with an occasional glance to the apples above until she was sure they were in the right spot. Satisfied with her work, she had a good stretch, planted her forehooves in the ground, and bucked.

A loud thunk reverberated around as she hit precisely, the sound of falling apples and a near silent cry of panic following.

It took Applejack a moment to realize that last sound had been Sombra. He hadn’t left his spot, though his forelegs were now hopping back in forth as though nervous, ears twitching around all over. He seemed about ready to bolt, so Applejack stepped on the rope to stop him. The slight pull got his attention, and his ears turned to her direction.

“Apple Pony?” He asked, voice uncertain, “Are you still there?”

“It’s Applejack,” She corrected, “Course I’m still here, we’ve hardly gotten started. What’s got you so jumpy?.”

“I think a tree fell. I don’t think this orchard is safe.”

“Not safe? What, y’think we don’t take care of our trees? We check biweekly for any diseases or pests, ain’t no way a tree is fallin’, and I’m insulted you’d even think like that! What even gave you the idea-” Applejack paused, remembering the racket she’d made kicking the tree, “Wait, is this about that thunk? I was kickin’ the tree to get the apples outta it!”

“That doesn’t sound very practical.”

“Ain’t exactly another way to do it, now is there?”

Sombra couldn’t answer, and with a silent nod and a pin of his ears he turned away. Applejack eyed him a moment longer, making sure he stayed put, before hoisting the baskets onto her back and stacking them into the cart one by one. Sombra continued to stand idly, ears twitching but otherwise unmoving, waiting until Applejack tugged the rope to get him going again.

She continued on with the harvest, bucking trees and filling baskets, stacking them into the cart and leading Sombra forward. He no longer fought or insulted her, only flinching with each unwarned buck of the trees. It eventually got to the point where Applejack nearly forgot who she was working with entirely, and she couldn’t deny she preferred this much more submissive stallion over the unruly colt Starlight had dragged in earlier.

The peace wouldn’t last for long however, and after a little over two dozen trees, Applejack could hear the agitated stallion let out a grunt. And then a few more. She turned to him, expecting another round of complaints to come out of his mouth, but instead turned to see him struggling to pull the cart up a small hill. She didn’t think it was that heavy yet, but she supposed his injuries could be an issue here.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, she also realized his thick coat hadn’t had the time to shed into a thinner one, and a northern pony wasn’t made for such hard work in a warm environment. It wasn’t hot, but it was certainly much warmer than the usual harvesting time, and he’d spent more time under the sun than the shade of the trees.

“You need a break there?” She asked.

“No,” He bared his teeth with a grunt, finally making it to the top of the hill and hissing in irritation and pain as his sprained leg threatened to buckle beneath him. Swishing his tail in an attempt to cool himself, he was hardly aware of Applejack walking up to him, until she set a hoof on his side. He promptly responded by bucking in displeasure, knocking a few apples out of the cart as he shouted, “Don’t touch me!”

Applejack backed off, gently demanding, “Hey, take it easy, alright?”

“Do not tell me what to do!” He demanded, stamping a hoof, “It’s quicker if we just get it done here and now. How exactly do you expect me to take it easy, if you’re so intent on getting all this work done?”

Applejack was very tempted to rebut in defense of the Crystal Ponies, but held back, sure it would only frustrate Sombra further. He was already beyond irritated, sweating and breathing heavily just from the heat. She could see his body glistening with sweat, the sun above almost appearing to beam down on him specifically. His near black coat, and the metal mask upon his face, probably weren’t helping the situation at all.

“Alright. Well, we’re done then,” She said, unhitching the harness from Sombra and stepping on the rope to keep him from running off, “Perhaps a bit less than I’d like, but it’s fine. We still got a ways till Autumn, if you couldn’t tell by the weather.”

“Why can’t you ponies just have constant Winter? That would solve so many problems,” Sombra complained. He felt the rope around his neck being pulled, and allowed himself to be led away, under what he assumed to be the shade of an apple tree. He no longer felt the heat of the sun on his body, though it was only a small relief.

“It ain’t usually this hot, especially not at this time a year. I reckon Celestia’s pretty darn angry today.”

Sombra bared his teeth at the mention of the princess, but said nothing back, dropping to the dusty ground to rest. Such little amount of work shouldn’t have made him tired, but between the heat and his recent exhaustion, he just hadn’t been able to do as much as he should've been capable of. Maybe it was because he’d been imprisoned for so long, and the lack of exercise was making him lethargic. Starlight had said it had been a week since she freed him from the dungeon, but he couldn’t be sure how long he’d actually been down there. Long enough to decline significantly, it seemed.

Whatever the case, the feeling of weakness probably irritated him more than the actual exhaustion, and he wanted so badly to fight it, but he knew well enough that such a thing would only make everything worse. He was beginning to regret convincing Starlight to let him stay, he’d much rather be with her, than on this dusty farm.

The rope around his neck shifted, as though Applejack was adjusting it, but Sombra didn’t stand. She hadn’t yanked it, so he didn’t think it necessary, and with a quiet sigh he sat his head in his arms. He was incredibly tempted to doze off, tired from work and a horrible sleep, even after he’d taken a nap following his breakfast from the princess that morning. It probably hadn’t even been that long since he’d awoken, but under the shade of a tree, a gentle breeze cooling his overheated body, he felt like that nap hadn’t been nearly long enough.

He was very nearly to the point of sleep when his ears twitched, and he raised his head in a panicked realization. It was quiet. He didn’t hear any birdsong, he didn’t hear any leaves rustling. He didn’t hear Applejack.

Reasonably, this should be a good thing. If she’d left, that gave him the opportunity to flee, but with a tug of the rope, he knew he wouldn’t be going anywhere. Rising to his hooves, he grabbed it in his mouth and tugged again, harder. It stayed taut, nothing being pulled toward him, and no pony scolding him for pulling it.

Had he been tied to a tree? Had Applejack stayed true to her words and tied him up for refusing to do work?

A bolt of worry ran through him. Silence meant imprisonment. Silence meant voices. That same horrible demon would be coming back to taunt him again, it always did. Every time he was left alone it would barge into his mind and ridicule him, for what felt like hours on end.

Letting out a quiet whine, he yanked the rope harder. The same results, but he didn’t stop, teeth tightening on the rope to try and free himself. He began to buck and struggle, teeth digging into the horrible thing imprisoning him. It scraped the inside of his mouth as he pulled and bit, burning his tongue and the sides of his mouth, but he still didn’t quit.

He didn’t want to be imprisoned again. He wouldn’t allow himself to be imprisoned again.

His teeth finally cut into the rope’s fibers, and it snapped, Sombra falling to the ground as it did. He smacked against the wagon, a few apples tumbling out upon him, scattering around and causing even more hazards underhoof.

Carefully rising to the ground on shaky legs, his ears twitched around him for any voices. None came, but the wind against his ears made him jump anyway. Spitting out the rope, he staggered back, bumping into something. He bolted away in surprise, only to slip on an apple and slam right back into the cart, this time falling into it and landing among the baskets.

Grunting in pain, mind going back to some semblance of reality, he lay there in a mess of discomfort and confusion. There was no doubt he’d bruised, or even crushed, a few apples under his weight, but if it was any consolation to the apple horse, he was certainly going to be sporting quite a few bruises himself. And with a lick of his dry lips, some rather inconvenient rope burn in his mouth as well.

Flipping onto his belly, a few apple stems jabbing into it, he stuck his tongue out at the reminder. It wasn’t horribly painful, but the rubbing rope had made his mouth feel even drier than it had been. He wasn’t sure if there was any water nearby, and was half tempted to sneak a few apples for some sort of refreshment, but with a shift of his body, the cart beneath him began to move.

Crying out in alarm, he shot out of the cart before it got the chance to roll away, backing away a few steps before stopping. He’d managed to free himself, but now what? It’s not like he could just walk off, there were too many trees and other obstacles all around him. Standing and waiting for Applejack to return wasn’t an option he was liking the thought of either, she probably wouldn’t be too happy about the fact he’d escaped his confines and pulverized her produce.

Ears twitching at a nearby noise, he was struck with a sudden thought. Why did he even think about caring about how Applejack might feel?

It wasn’t something he dwelled on, because with another ear twitch, he realized that he’d heard a voice. One that wasn’t Applejack, or anypony else he recognized. Quickly turning in the direction it was coming from, he bared his fangs, mane flaring as unreleasable magic built up inside him. A twinge of pain sparked through his skull as he did, the beginning of inevitable headaches from weeks of pent up magic.

“If you’re here to mock me again, I hope you’re prepared for a fight!” He cried, scraping a hoof through the dirt.

The voice seemed to yelp and squeak at the same time. It sounded off, less scornful than it had been the last time. Yet even after that brief moment of silence, it began to mutter quietly. The words were inaudible to his ears, yet he knew they were filled with the same mockery they always were.

“How dare you deride me!” He roared, charging in the direction of the voice. It screamed as he ran, a false sound of terror that would only come back to mock him if he didn’t run it off soon enough, “I am not contained! I can fight you, tear you apart!”

He tried to make his threats sound genuine, he really did, but there was a noticeably higher pitch to his voice. One of fear and panic that he couldn’t quite contain, but that wouldn’t stop him from trying.

The voice sounded again from behind him, muttering something, and he turned again to charge at it, screaming threats all the way. But this time, the voice didn’t scream as he approached, no it did something he never would’ve expected.

It cried, “Watch out!”

The warning was both too late and ignored, as Sombra slammed once again into the wagon, crying out in pain as something cracked. He fell to the ground with a whine, apples falling over him as he clutched his aching head in his hooves, desperately hoping that the horrible sound had been the wood splintering, and not his own horn.

“Are you okay?”

He whined again, curling up on the ground and covering his ears. The voice began to mutter to itself, though this time he could hear what it was saying, and he came to a terrifying realization.

“Isn’t that the awful stallion who gave us horrible nightmares?”

“What’s he doin’ here?”

“I thought he was dead.”

There were three voices this time.

Wrapping his arms tighter around himself, Sombra begged, “Please leave me alone…”

He was granted only a brief moment of silence before the childish voices began to whisper again, and Sombra let out a quiet, frustrated noise. He could only catch snippets of their conversation, and though the voices weren’t as cruel and mocking as they usually were, they still felt neverending.

“-Remember Rarity mentioning him-”

“-Think Applejack mighta said somethin’-”

“-One told me anything-”

“Go away! Please!” He cried, jolting to a sitting position, trying to back away. He was blocked by the cart, splintered wood jabbing into his back. His nostrils flared, unreleasable magic sparking. He flinched as it sent waves of pain through him, worsening his already developing headache.

“He’s having a dramatic experience!”

“It’s traumatic experience, Sweetie Belle.”

“Really? The way Rarity acts, I always thought it was dramatic.”

Sombra flinched, another pulse of pain going through him. He swore he could hear his own heartbeat, maybe even feel it. He didn’t like it.

“Well, that aside, something's definitely wrong with him, and I think we should-”

“Leave me alone!” Sombra shouted, backing further into the cart. Shards of wood began to pierce his skin, but it wasn’t enough to stop the voices. They kept whispering in false innocence, their quiet voices growing closer. Sombra tried to snarl at them in a threat, but barely more than a whine escaping his mouth before he twitched again, finally crying out, “I said leave!”

He dove to the ground, almost as if pouncing at the sound, before clamping his jaws around his arm. The voices cried out in alarm, but he ignored them this time, biting harder and harder, pain increasing until the horrible tang of blood tinged his taste buds. Raising his head to breath, he dove to plunge his fangs into his other arm, but a pair of tiny hooves pulled it away before he could.

“Please don’t do that!” One of the voices begged, more than likely the one clutching his arm. He was too dazed to move it, out of breath from panic, and confused over the fact that one of the voices had become physical, “I dunno what’s upsettin’ you so bad, but hurtin’ yourself is never helpful!”

Uncertain of the sudden turn of events, Sombra dropped his head to the ground, snorting as the grass tickled his nose and he muttered, “It usually is.”

“You’ve done this before?”

“It helps me remember what’s real, and makes the voice go away… It always laughs at me and then leaves when I do that.”

Another moment of silence, a bit of muttering, before the small voice still holding him said, “Well, we’re not just voices, we’re ponies, just like you. We got bodies, and names, and heartbeats, see?”

She placed his hoof on her chest, and Sombra felt that soft, yet quick beat of a heart. Iit seemed a bit more rapid than a normal one, likely because she was scared, but so was he, yet the gentle thumping was enough to calm him. Demons didn’t have heartbeats, most of the time.

“I’m Apple Bloom,” She said, “And these are my friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.”

Each filly spoke a quiet, yet polite, greeting upon their name being said, revealing which voice was who’s. Sombra’s ears fell back to a neutral position as they did. The fillies seemed to see this as a sign of relief, and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo approached him. Now that he wasn’t panicking, he could hear their hoofsteps, slow and cautious as they came closer. They stopped and began to mutter, but this time he merely ignored them until they spoke to him directly.

“So, what are you doin’ out here anyway?” Apple Bloom asked, lowering his hoof from her chest, though she still held it.

Sombra was quiet a moment, reluctant to admit what happened, but really, what were they going to do about it? Laugh? He’d humiliated himself already, what more could the truth add?

“Got tied to a tree for messing up,” He mumbled, “Broke the rope and got lost.”

“What’d you do?”

This time Sombra just didn’t respond, still limp on the ground. With his initial panic gone, his pulsing headache had begun to fade, and he’d become horribly exhausted. He was incredibly tempted to just fall asleep where he was, and face whatever consequences Applejack had for him when he awoke.

“What in tarnation happened here? And what’re you three doin’ here? Get away from him!”

Or now.

Pinning his ears back, Sombra yanked his hoof away from Apple Bloom and cowered against the busted cart. He couldn’t see what Applejack was doing, but she sounded upset, and he was bracing himself for another smack to the nose, or worse. Starlight had mentioned his aching ribs, so what was stopping this pony from breaking him completely?

Thankfully, Apple Bloom came to his rescue.

“We found him like this,” She explained, hopping in front of him, “He said you tied him up as punishment. When we found him he was panicking and hurting himself, we couldn’t just leave him.”

“Huh? I wasn’t punishing him, I was gettin’ us some water.”

“Then why’d you tie him up?” Scootaloo asked.

“Y’think I want him wanderin’ around the farm and causing trouble?” She asked, observing the mess, “Not that it helped. I wasn’t planning on being gone for so long, but Granny wanted me to help chop some carrots for dinner.”

Was that it? Sombra let out some sort of noise, a mix between bitterness and anger. He’d panicked over nothing, perhaps it would’ve been better to have just run away. At least then nopony would have seen him in such a sorry state, not that he cared now. Still, he flinched back as Applejack approached him and set something in front of him, before it registered that it was more than likely the water.

He hesitated to touch it, that constant worry of tainted food on his mind, but the dry, almost painful, feeling in his mouth won him over and he took the water in his hooves. It seemed to be in a pail, or some sort of large cup, but Sombra didn’t care about that as he chugged it down. He already knew he looked pathetic doing it, but he no longer cared. Anypony who’d seen him cowering on the ground had already seen him in his lowest state, so he might as well make himself feel better as they pitied him.

Through the way Applejack saw him however, there was more than just pity. She’d been hit by the reality of the situation.

The first time she’d learned Sombra was still alive, Twilight and Celestia had said he’d gone feral, back to the horrid mental state he’d been when they’d first beaten him. When Starlight had brought him to her farm however, Applejack had doubted the claim. She knew Twilight wouldn’t lie to her, but seeing him so similar to the obnoxious egotist he’d become the second time around made her assume he was as coherent as any regular pony.

But now she could see just how far he’d really fallen. When she’d left him, he’d been snarky and proud, but within the brief time she’d been gone, it seemed his demeanor had changed entirely. He’d become anxious and jumpy, his mane and tail limp like the ponies he’d once tormented. And though his coat had never been the brightest, Applejack could tell through the dust and apple juice coating him, it seemed a tad greyer than it had been before. There also looked to be blood on his arm, likely from the self inflicted wounds Apple Bloom had mentioned.

Finishing the water, Sombra dropped the empty pail to the ground to catch his breath. Applejack grabbed it, setting it against the busted cart with a sigh, observing the damage up close before looking back to the stallion. His mane seemed to have regained a bit of its flow, but he was still hunched over where he sat, ears twitching, though he was no longer trying to make himself look smaller.

“Apple Bloom, think you and your friends can organize these apples?” Applejack asked, “Leave the damaged ones and separate the good and bruised ones into baskets. I’m gonna take Sombra to the barn and clean him up.”

The trio nodded, getting to work grabbing empty baskets and inspecting apples. Applejack thanked them, looking back to Sombra to try and figure how she’d lead him home. The rope around his neck was about half the length it had been before, frayed and dirty at the torn end. Now, the dirt didn’t bother her in the slightest, but the thought of being that much closer to Sombra left some sort of feeling Applejack didn’t like one bit. She knew she didn’t have much of a choice though, and with a firm grip on the rope, she gently demanded, “Alright, get up now, we gotta clean those wounds of yours before you wind up with somethin’ nasty.”

Sombra bared his fangs, but did as he was told, rising to all fours but keeping his head down. Applejack gently lead him away, only pausing for a moment when Sombra did, little Sweetie Belle’s voice catching his ear.

“I hope you feel better soon, Sombra,” She said.

It took a somewhat rougher tug to get him going again after that, and he followed along behind Applejack quietly. He became somewhat numb to his surroundings after that, birdsong and rustling leaves now going ignored as he blindly followed the pony in front of him. His mind was busy thinking about Sweetie Belle’s words, the faceless little filly well wishing him for something he didn’t think he deserved.

Why would she want him to feel better? All that meant was he’d be able to hurt others so much easier. He blamed it on childish and naive optimism.

He knew once they made it to the house, for not only was there a noticeable change in his audible surroundings, there was a pleasant smell of food cooking within. He sniffed around as Applejack led him to the couch, setting him down to clean the punctures in his arm. She used something much stronger than water and soap, forcing a horribly burning fluid into his wounds that prompted him to try and pull his arm away, though Applejack held tight.

“Stay here,” She ordered, disposing of the cleaning cloth and alcohol, “I reckon Starlight’s gonna be gone for a while yet, so just take the time to rest or somethin’.”

Sombra nodded, slumping onto a pillow as Applejack’s hoofsteps faded. He could hear the clang of pots in another room, and the smell of that food again, making his stomach growl a bit. It reminded him of his past, when he’d help his caretaker make dinner for everyone. His magic proved quite useful for carrying supplies and catching falling food, and with the memory of a time where he’d caught a falling bowl of icing before it hit her, the small smile that had made its way to his face turned into a grimace.

Right, that wasn’t a happy memory anymore. It was one that made him shudder with an ache in his chest. One that made him squirm where he lay, and shove his snout into the pillow to hide what he was feeling from anypony else. It was a memory he wanted to forget.

But he never would, and the memory repeated in his mind as he faced toward the couch, back to the outside. It was joined by a few others that had once been special to him, a horrible feeling of wanting to go back to that time, to stop everything that had happened, plaguing him as he lay there. They only began fading away when he fell into unconsciousness, though the memories still wormed into his dreams, a face he hadn’t seen in forever smiling at him happily.

She spoke to him, her gentle voice filled with the kindness and love she’d always showed him, yet none of her words made sense. He tried to approach her, yet with every step he made, she made her own the other way, giggling like she did as a child. It was like they were playing one of their games, and she was making up the rules as they went along. He wordlessly begged her to return to his side, but all she did was continue to laugh like a little filly, hopping away whenever he got too close.

‘Please’, he begged wordlessly, ‘Please come back to me, prove that you’re real. That everything so far has just been a terrible nightmare.’

She just giggled, but finally approached him, slowly reaching out a hoof. She spoke more gibberish, yet he was able to catch one word.

“Sombra.”

He tried to speak back, but with her hoof on his shoulder, not even a coherent thought came. In fact, he was frozen in place, unable to see her anymore. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t look down at her, and in a way, the thought of seeing her again scared him.

“Sombra?”

A wordless plea, and her hoof had made its way to his cheek. Finally, he glanced down, gut twisting in terror at what he saw. Or rather, what he no longer saw.

She didn’t have a face anymore.

“Sombra!”

“Hope!” He bolted upright, slamming against something, or someone. He was shaking where he sat, heart racing as the dream remained in his mind vividly, no outward sight able to drive it away. That had been a nightmare, his own memories playing against him to mock him from within, twisting them in unimaginable ways. He knew how they worked, his magic was fear based and he’d toyed within the dream realm before, but that didn’t stop the fact that seeing the pony he’d once cared about most like that had been upsetting.

Yet not as upsetting as the first, and last, time he’d made her cry.

Setting a hoof to his head, he growled as he tried to purge those memories and remember where he was, before the smell of food overtook his senses. Sniffing the air, his stomach growled and his mouth watered, hunger distracting him from fear.

Hearing a groan beside him, Sombra’s ears faced their direction as they said, “Hope? That’s a rather strange thing to say after waking up from a nightmare.”

“Starlight?” Sombra perked up at her voice. “Are you the pony I bumped into when I got up?”

“Yep,” Starlight nodded, “Brought me right to the floor too. I was just gonna let you sleep for a while longer, but you started twitching and whining so I thought I’d wake you.”

“I see. Well, forgive me for that, and I suppose I should thank you for waking me as well.”

“Oh?”

This time it was Starlight’s turn to perk up, surprised by Sombra’s words. An apology from him was a surprise on its own, but the fact he’d thanked her as well? Perhaps his time with Applejack had served him well, as horribly as it had gone. She was tempted to praise him on the improvement, but he dropped the subject there as he slipped off the couch and sniffed the air again.

“I’m hungry, and whatever’s cooking smells good. I want some. Where can I find it?”

Starlight’s surprise faded into mild disappointment. “It’s in the kitchen, but it’s not quite done yet. Applejack’s already told me she promised you some dinner, so I guess we’re staying a bit longer. You sure you’re okay with that?”

Sombra nodded. Starlight sighed. She’d rather have gone home, but a bit of socializing wouldn’t hurt either of them. If anything, it would probably be good for Sombra, even if she figured he’d mostly be ignoring everyone just to eat. It was a start anyway.

“Alright, but like I said it’s still going to be a few minutes until it’s ready,” She explained, putting a hoof to Sombra’s chest and gently pushing him back onto the couch, “I’ll get you when it’s done, alright?”

He nodded again, surprisingly compliant with her as he sat down. She turned away, walking back to the kitchen where Granny Smith and Applejack were working on dinner, while Apple Bloom sat at the table, thinking hard about something. Big Macintosh had yet to return from his deliveries, but they knew he’d be along shortly.

Grabbing her saddlebag off the table where she’d left it, Starlight threw it back on before joining Apple Bloom. She’d have offered to help with dinner, but apparently tonight’s meal was some special recipe she wasn’t allowed to know. From the way she saw it, it just seemed to be soup.

“So what’s up with you?” She asked Apple Bloom. The filly had been sitting at the table almost the whole time, a bit of a discouraged look on her face as she sat there thinking hard. Starlight had originally thought she was upset she couldn’t help out with dinner, but she’d helped gather a few spices, so that no longer seemed to be the case.

“Not much, just thinkin’ bout earlier,” Apple Bloom claimed, sitting up, “Did Applejack tell you about what happened earlier?”

“About Sombra? Yeah, she told me about his freak out, he does that a lot,” Starlight sighed, melting into her chair a bit, “I think not being able to see has made him a bit jumpy, and he runs into things and hurts himself. I’m trying to get that all settled, don’t worry.”

Apple Bloom’s voice lowered, a hint of uneasiness as she asked, “Did she tell you about the fact he hurts himself on purpose?”

Starlight could only describe the feeling she felt in her chest as panic. She’d already known Sombra had some sort of trauma from his agonizing defeat, but she hadn’t thought it quite that bad. This was officially beyond any problem she’d dealt with thus far with her students.

Apple Bloom seemed just as uncomfortable with the subject, and turning to her sister and grandmother she asked, “Hey, you said Big Mac’s gonna be home soon, right? You want us to watch for him so we can tell him about Sombra?”

Applejack nodded, “Sounds like a good idea to me. Probably wouldn’t be pretty if he saw that pony on our couch without warning.”

“That’s what I thought,” Apple Bloom agreed, hopping out of her seat and motioning Starlight to follow.

They both looked at Sombra as they passed the living room, Starlight humming quietly to reveal her presence, taking a moment to set her saddlebag beside him, and Apple Bloom saying hi before they made their way out the door. They didn’t stop until they made it to the archway where they could see the road to the farm.

‘What do you mean by he hurts himself on purpose?” Starlight asked. Apple Bloom looked away, uncomfortable with her earlier memories, “Please Apple Bloom, if I know how and why Sombra’s hurting himself, I can try to help him stop.”

“Well, when me, Sweetie, an’ Scootaloo found him, he was biting his arm,” She said, circling her hoof in the dirt, “He did it hard enough to make it bleed. He says it makes voices go away, and that he’s done it before.”

So he was doing it to ground himself. He’d been hallucinating since she’d first rescued him, as far as she knew, and probably even before that. The fact he’d done it before and she hadn’t known meant this was at least the first time he drew blood, which she thought was a small relief, at least for a moment.

Then she remembered finding him after her trip to the library that day, and the realization hit her, “He didn’t cut himself on the glass…”

She thought he’d just been too proud to admit he’d cut himself on accident, but now she was realizing those puncture wounds had been from his teeth. That's why there had been no glass in his wounds, and why some punctures had been deeper, those holes had probably been from his fangs. Had the blood on his mouth been from biting himself?

A hoof to her face, she started to pace, “How did I not realize? It should’ve been obvious! Did he do anything else?”

Apple Bloom shook her head, “Other than runnin’ face first into the cart on accident, I don’t think so. I took his other arm away before he managed to chomp on that one. Was kinda a dumb idea when I think about it.”

“No, it’s fine. He didn’t hurt you, and you got him to stop hurting himself,” Starlight assured, “But now I need to tell Twilight about this, and we have to figure out a way to help him.”

“Gettin’ rid of that mask would probably help.”

Starlight stopped her pacing, frowning as she said, “Unfortunately, that’s not my choice to make. I’m certainly going to be having a long talk with Twilight when I get home though.”

She went back to pacing, Apple Bloom watching her for a moment before glancing down the road. There was a pony in the distance, no doubt her brother finally on his way home. Turning back to Starlight, she asked, “I see Big Mac down the path, do you wanna go in and tell Granny and Applejack? Maybe tell Sombra too, so he doesn’t try an’ start a fight?”

Starlight nodded, rushing back to the house, nearly running into Sombra as she barged through the door. Papers were scattered around the couch, and her bag was on the floor, open. He held the envelope from Twilight in his mouth, the outer paper torn from his fangs.

“I can explain.”

“Please do.” She grabbed the envelope from his mouth, allowing him to speak easier, and prevent more damage to the mystery letter.

“I accidentally knocked your bag off the couch, and some things fell out. It’s incredibly hard to pick up paper with your hooves and teeth, especially when you can’t see it.”

“Well, at least you tried,” Starlight smiled, levitating the papers herself and organizing them into a somewhat decent stack, “I suppose this is just a sign I really need to get a new clasp is all, mine’s been a bit-”

A glimpse of gold within the torn envelope, and Starlight paused, eyes widening. Shoving the haphazardly organized papers into her bag, she brought the envelope to her face, confirming that there was in fact some sort of golden slip within. She hesitated to open it, dreaded it. Combing her brain, she tried to think of anything else it may be, but nothing came to mind. Nothing except the current time of year, Rarity’s sudden orders she’d mentioned, an annual social event that most ponies were excited for, and her usual avoidance of such events.

“Starlight, is something the matter?”

“No, everything’s fine,” She lied. A terrible thing to do within the Element of Honesty’s house.

She was tempted to shove the envelope into her bag, but with a breath to prepare herself, she closed her eyes and tore it open. It took her longer than she would’ve liked to open them, long enough for Apple Bloom to come back inside to announce her brother’s return, before she peeked into the envelope, and her fears proved correct.

Within the letter that had taunted her since morning, were two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala.