Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto

DD66

Sombra watched the city below them from the balcony. "I could tell you a story. If you want to hear it, of course."

The mare shrugged. "I don't see why not. What's it about?"

"A stallion. A dead stallion, to be precise." Sombra turned and walked back inside. "The story starts as he dies. And as he dies, he gets to meet Death, there to take his soul away."

"Always with the fun kind of story, you, huh?" The mare just barely rolled her eyes.

Sombra ignored her. "But he stops Death. He says that he's done his research, his studying, and he knows of a way to get back his life. That he can make a deal with Death, play a game, and if he wins he'll go back to living."

"We'd lose a lot less soldiers if it was that easy." The mare took a sip from her crystal mug.

"Or perhaps Death is simply that good of a player. But back to our story. Death agrees," Sombra continued. "And so they start their game of chess."

"How creative." The mare's tone was surprisingly dry for someone who'd just been drinking, but just as sharp as the dagger at her side.

Sombra, again, ignored her. "But there's a price to pay for the game," he continued. "And when the stallion loses the first one of his major pieces, the first one that's not a pawn, Death asks a simple question. Death asks who that piece was, out of the friends and family and relatives and acquaintances the stallion held dear in life. And once the stallion chooses, Death takes that pony's life."

The mare drank some more, almost emptying the glass. "A pretty pointless loss if he doesn't win. Maybe that's the point. I don't think any of our guards are stupid enough to try that."

"The game continues. The stallion loses more pieces. His friends, his business partners, his wife, all taken away. And then, when he's about to lose the game, he..." Sombra paused, and pursued his lips, then he sighed. "I didn't tell that nearly well enough. I'd rather not give the ending away, it deserves more care taken to build it up. We'll leave it for another time, maybe another narrator."

The mare stared at him, her expression more resigned than anything. "Remind me to say no, the next time you ask to tell a story."

"I won't." Sombra chuckled, then broke into laughter, while the mare just stared at him.

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

Huh. Not in a position to check, but I think this is the first time we’ve seen Sombra in this story. Very intriguing, especially with leaving the chess with Death on a cliffhanger.

[Sejen]

The twist: Sombra offered Death a story.... About Sombra playing chess with Death... and in that story Sombra offered Death a story.... About Sombra playing chess with Death... and in that story.............(uh you get the joke right?).

Sombra is basicly safe as long as he does not end the story.... Death doesn't mind, she can wait...