A House for the Holidays

Moosetasm #1 · Dec 23rd, 2019 · 9 · ·

Sombra felt something he’d never felt before, in his chest. A jolt of dull electricity that didn’t go away. And he decided he would do anything to make it go away. “Right.” Sombra placed the teacup on the floor—there were no tables—and rose to his hooves. “Come with me. And grab your belongings.”

And what happened then?
Why, in Appaloosa, they say, that Sombra’s heart grew three sizes that day!

Also: The three little pigs have nothing on Troubleshoes Clyde.

Ice Star

Ice Star #2 · Dec 23rd, 2019 · 7 · ·

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Adorably grumpy Sombra? Wholesomeness? Pieces exploring characters interacting in unique pairs? Sombra?

...Well, I can't not upvote this. Poor Sombra can't seem to catch a break, missing his horn and all, but it's nice to see he's going to spend the holidays with a friend. I know it's a Jinglemas gift, but if there's ever any requests for a sequel from the gift receiver, I'll have to second that. Good stuff.

Miller Minus

Miller Minus #3 · Dec 23rd, 2019 · 8 · ·

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10000980
Sombra does have a horn to find...

Thanks for reading!

10000958
And you too! 💙

Ice Star

Ice Star #4 · Dec 23rd, 2019 · 6 · ·

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10000994
Thanks for writing!

Sombra does have a horn to find...

That sounds like a sequel idea to me. Just sayin'.

duckmagee

duckmagee #5 · Dec 23rd, 2019 · 7 · ·

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and so sombra decided to go into the construction business making the most fantastic homes imaginable and making so many bits he just bought the empire back much to the annoyance of the princess

Vivid Syntax

Vivid Syntax #6 · Dec 24th, 2019 · 5 · ·

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Aw... This is spectacular! It was touching and funny and absolutely bursting with character, and it was so much more than I had dreamed of getting. I gotta admit, I felt bad after submitting my request, because I had no idea how someone could get both Troubleshoes and Sombra into a story, but you knocked it out of the park!

I loved the format of it all, breaking it up into seasons like that. It made the story feel so grand while still being grounded in Troubleshoes' experience, and the little touches of Appleloosa were wonderful. I'm always a sucker for seeing the kinder side of Sombra, too. It's all got me itching for a sequel with Troubleshoes and Sombra as roommates, but maybe I'll just have to get lucky again next year.

Thank you again so much, Miller Minus! This made my night (and more!).

Miller Minus

Miller Minus #7 · Dec 24th, 2019 · 3 · ·

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10001757
Ahhhh! I'm so glad you enjoyed it

I gotta be honest, my first reaction when getting my assignment was Oh, come the fuck on. But then this idea of Clyde getting a crystal house from Sombra popped into my head, and after I'd written the Spring scene I came to the realization that I was going to have an irresponsible amount of fun making this. And that's exactly what happened.

So thanks for the curveball! It turned out to be a blast. Merry Jinglemas, and I hope to see you around friendo

And thanks for the follow!

musoperatica

musoperatica #8 · Dec 25th, 2019 · 2 · ·

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To the author - What an unusual & fitting cast of characters for this fic!
Good on troubleshoes uses princess twilight's love for books to his advantage
sombra sums up jasper perfectly!
i'm totally down for a sequel as well but make it a multi-chapter one...please?

p.s: also enjoy duckmcee's idea of cadence freaking out over sombra being alive and making bits with his magical skills.

this was written yesterday (on the 24 of December!) but took awhile to write out and finish

MayhemMoth

MayhemMoth #9 · Dec 26th, 2019 · 3 · ·

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Saw this show up in the Sombra group I follow, and had to click it after seeing such an interesting cast of characters, and I gotta say, I adore this. Troubleshoes isn't a character I think about much, but I really enjoyed him! And despite his grumpiness, even Sombra was cute in his moments of friendliness. ~~But of course, I'm biased because he's my favorite.~~

Also I second everyone else's votes for a sequel, more Troubleshoes and Sombra is not something I ever expected to hope for, but I am very glad it's a thing now.

Miller Minus

Miller Minus #10 · Dec 26th, 2019 · 1 · ·

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10004529
10003326
You guys are wonderful. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments

Vivid Syntax

Vivid Syntax #11 · Dec 27th, 2019 · 2 · ·

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10002506

Oh, come the fuck on.

Yeah, I pretty much assumed that would be the case about an hour after I submitted my request. That said, I think you did an amazing job with it, and I'm happy to hear you had a good time with it, too!

Nekiyha

Nekiyha #12 · Mar 18th, 2020 · 2 · ·

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This was an absolute treat to read

Miller Minus

Miller Minus #13 · Mar 18th, 2020 · 2 · ·

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10135659
What a coincidence; so was this comment

Thanks for stopping by!

Bicyclette

Bicyclette #14 · May 7th, 2023 · 1 · ·

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Troubleshoes Clyde made his way into town, while behind him, his straw hut burned right on down to the ground. He knew the proper thing to do was to wait outside while it burned, to shield himself from all the burning debris, to weep and blubber about all the lost possessions, to gawp up at the smoldering bunches of straw as the sky took them away, but he didn’t really see the need. There wasn’t any time to be sad when you had work to do. That’s what Mama Clyde always said.

amazing first paragraph, just establishing so much about Troubleshoes in so little space

“Clyde!”
Clyde looked up. Only one pony in all of Appleloosa called him by his preferred name, and that was Braeburn. Sure enough, the little golden stallion was sprinting up the hill on three hooves—the fourth busy holding his hat on straight—with a look of fear all over his face.

so Braeburn so true. you are really good at these character introductions

“I’m sorry about your house,” Braeburn muttered.
“Like I said—it ain’t nothing more than a pile of straw, to me.”
“Not that one.” Braeburn gestured towards the bank of trees that was the start of the forest. “Your old one.”
“I don’t see how you were responsible for the sinkhole that took it down, but I accept your apology.”

love it

He took a bite of his sandwich, found it salty, took a sip of his tea, found it weak. He pulled out his flask and solved one of the two problems before him. And one-outta-two weren’t nothing to scoff at.

just the light whimsy in Clyde’s endless misfortune, you really nail that note

Actually, that wasn’t altogether correct. There was one other pony sitting by their lonesome. All Clyde could tell of them was that they had purple fur, on account of the purple snout and hooves sticking out of his long brown cloak and hood. Wasn’t it hot in all that? wondered Clyde. But he reckoned the body temperature of other ponies wasn’t really his business.

oh and doesn’t this demonstrate Troubleshoes’ mix of sharp observation and nonjudgmentalness so well?

Clyde hung his head and placed a hoof on his hat. He’d never felt more ashamed.

augh, just want to give him a hug

Clyde lamented the fact that Pearl called him Trouble. It wasn’t her fault, though. Clyde just wished he was better at raising a fuss.
Pearl clicked her tongue and scrawled something into her crossword. Clyde hoped what she’d written was correct.

augh why is he so good and perfect

“What’s in the box,” said Jasper, only he didn’t inflect it like a question, so Clyde wondered if he’d misspoken. Surely he didn’t mean to sound so impolite.

he thinks so well of others! and i can just about hear Pearl and Jasper in my head despite them being just introduced only in this scene

Pearl winked and waved as Clyde left the candleshop. Outside, the sun burned, and ponies bustled and chattered. The long walk to the hill had begun, but Clyde held his head up high. He was excited to build something out of bricks. He was excited for a good sweat.

does sort of feel like “The Three Little Pigs” story, except it’s about how all the different building materials can go wrong for Troubleshoes specifically

He could also spot an empty place in this here line of books, between Construction: Masonry and Cymbals for Foals. Was there a book missing?

hehe, clever usage of alphabetization here!

“Good catch, Troubleshoes. The Crystal Contract by Diamond Diamond Obsidian.” He snorted at the author’s name, which Clyde found impolite, but he didn’t mention it.

what? that’s a great name!

Clyde’s frown deepened. Now that just wasn’t appropriate. Jasper could disrespect him all he wanted, but he had no right disrespecting a public service.

so true actually. this Jasper guy’s a real jerk!

“S’cuse me, Mr. Bellflower. If you don’t mind, I’d like to pay Jasper a visit on your behalf.”
Mr. Bellflower smiled, at first. Then he got mighty serious. “Are you sure? That Jasper is a spooky character.”
Clyde answered by way of a nod.
“I reckon I am too,” he said. “When it suits me.”

and augh, there is the heroic Troubleshoes we know!

Even from the small crack in the door, Clyde could see the half-melted candles all over the floor and the shelves, the books splayed around everywhere, and some white paint on the dirt floor. The paint was in the shape of a circle, only it wasn’t like any circle Clyde had ever seen.

ooh, love that this was being foreshadowed the entire time! that is amazing

“I’d prefer it if you called me Trouble.”

and a beautiful callback. i am in awe

“Now, I don’t know what you know about me, Jasper, but I happen to be the friend of a friend of a pony who takes books and libraries mighty seriously. It’s no trouble to me to write her a letter sayin’ you’re abusing the Appleloosa Public Library. She’d be none too pleased, I reckon.”
Jasper’s grin came back even wider than ever. He threw his head back in a great big laugh. “That’s your threat, Clyde? Oh, I’m quaking. I didn’t know you were two degrees of separation from a librarian!”
“I sure am. And you may have heard of her. Goes by the name of Princess Twilight Sparkle?”
The color drained from Jasper’s fur. It was as though the white spots on his forehead had grown until he was entirely white as a sheet. His mouth hung open, then shut again, but it was shaking.

well, i didn’t expect to love this story for literally every reason i loved its sequel, but here i am

“Resurrection is magic,” Sombra blurted. Then he shook his head. “I mean, obviously. And you don’t have a horn.”
“Well, sir. I reckon it takes one to know one.”

ahahahahaha perfect

“Er… Now, Clyde.” Sombra began to levitate. “Prepare to die.”
Clyde lowered his head and kicked at a nearby patch of grass. “Aw, shucks,” he said. “Ain’t that just my luck.”

just want to hug him forever

“But I also reckon that you have no idea what I put in my tea.”

ehehe wow you are good at this

“Oh, I wouldn’t go that far.” Clyde poured his mug again, wide-eyed and focused, and he succeeded this time. He picked up his flask and topped up his drink with bourbon. “Jasper’s a determined stallion, Mr. Sombra. Sometimes the prickly folks are just too determined to be polite, if you ask me. Ain’t their fault.”

augh he sees the good in ponies so much

A phoenix flew out of the trees overhead. It made straight for the top of the house. But the spire hummed, and a sudden blast of wind pushed the wild bird up and over. Only slightly perturbed, it continued flying on, over the trees and out of sight.

amazing

Sombra grinned. Did this mean he was growing soft? Hardly. King Sombra had read that book in the grass, The Crystal Contract, before. Many, many times, in fact. And it mentioned, several times, that Sombra had the ability to conjure crystal architecture. An ability that Clyde wouldn’t shut up about during their entire walk through the forest to his home. No, this house was that bumpkin’s scheme all along, the scoundrel. And Sombra could appreciate a well-executed scheme.

ehehe! oh, how wonderful! making the pairing of these two characters more than what is needed for the plot of the story, but rather a dynamic with a lot of potential

so, so glad i finally got around to reading this! brought back all the warm feelings i remember from its sequel, and then some. thank you so much for this gift, Miller!

Miller Minus

Miller Minus #15 · May 7th, 2023 · 1 · ·

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11577523
Great to see you Bike thanks for stopping by and I'm so glad you enjoyed

Miller Minus

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