Family isn't just Blood

by Sailor Aether

Jelousy and A History Lesson

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As the Gala got underway Icarus watched as his father jogged off to find food. Claiming that he would need a stronger drink and a full stomach to tell this story. This left Icarus on his own in the middle of the castle ballroom. Sighing to himself Icarus took a sip of his punch, before a Stallion came and tapped him on the shoulder asking for his name.

“Ah yes, I’m Icarus, Icarus Umbrum, and you are?” Icarus asked, looking at a very well dressed stallion. He looked Icarus over and scrunched his nose. The stallion in question had white fur, black and blue suit and a monocle.

“I am Fancy Pants, and so far…I don’t approve. She deserves better.” Fancy said with repulsion. Icarus raised an eyebrow at him and took a sip from his punch. Fancy noticing that Icarus wasn’t responding grew irritated as the moments passed. Before the Unicorn could do or say anything further, Fleur trotted over to them.

“Mon ami! You made it through.” Fleur said happily. Fancy turning away from Icarus stood in front of him to greet the model.

“Fleur it has been too long, when do w-”Fancy choked on his wine as he watched Fleur trot past him. When he turned to look at her his jaw dropped as the mare had thrown herself around Icarus.

“I saw that you had trouble and ooh! Ça m'a mis tellement en colère!” Fleur huffed angrily as she hugged him a little tighter. Icarus couldn’t help but laugh as he returned the hug.

“Fleur you’re ranting in Prench again. What will the others think of that hmm?” Icarus said smugly, eliciting a groan from Fleur.

“Oh hush, or your Prench lessons might end up mysteriously more difficult.” Fleur shot back, finally releasing the hug. The two made eye contact scowling and held it for a few moments before laughing.

“I am still here you two…” Fancy said, clearing his throat. Icarus rolled his eyes and looked over to meet the Unicorn's confused gaze.

“I know, I was just hoping you wouldn’t be,” Icarus scoffed. A vein popped out of Fancy’s forehead as he tried to compose himself at the blatant disrespect. Fleur, seeing this, held in her laughter and greeted Fancy.

“Hello Fancy, and I am so sorry for running past you. I got too excited seeing my... friend, I hope you understand” Fleur said with some regret in her voice. This was enough to calm down the finely dressed stallion after he heard friend.

“That is quite all right, but I must inquire. Who is That and what is he to you?” Fancy asked, gaining the attention of a few ponies who recognized Fleur. Icarus and Fleur awkwardly exchanged glances before they quickly looked away from each other blushing.

“He works with Starry Lens and I-” Fleur began but was cut off by Fancy.

“That is not what I was asking. So let me be clear, What is the relationship between the two of you?” Fancy asked again. Icarus could feel the gaze of a few ponies on the back of his head as the eavesdropping became less subtle.

“Well ya see that's-” Icarus began to say before Sombra appeared next to Icarus. Startling Icarus and Fancy.

“ I have finished gathering food, so where did I leave off?” Sombra said snacking on an hor d’oeuvres. Looking away from Icarus he saw Fleur smiling at him. “Ah Ms. De Lis, a pleasure to see you again, please join us for story time.” Sombra said ignoring Fancy, much to the white stallions' irritation.

“Uh dad, can you uh…”Icarus trailed off, motioning his head over towards Fancy. Sombra turned back to his son, and then to where he was motioning.

“Ah terribly sorry, I got caught up in the moment. I beg your forgiveness sir.” Sombra said sarcastically. Smirking, Sombra took an exaggerated bow making onlookers stifle laughs and giggles. Fancy having this happen one too many times stamped his hoof and threw a pocket square at Icarus.

“YOU, I WILL NOT STAND FOR ANY FURTHER DISRESPECT. I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL!” Fancy screamed at him. At this the entire ballroom turned to face the 3 of them. Icarus looked at the pocket square, then back to Fancy, then around him. He saw Fleur’s shocked expression. Looking at Sombra Icarus saw a few emotions flash on his fathers face. First was amusement, then concern, and finally anger.

“You would throw your shabby little fu-” Sombra began to rant. Icarus quickly put a hoof over his mouth smiling sheepishly at the onlookers.

“You promised not to make a scene and tell me that story. So PLEASE calm down” Icarus said through gritted teeth before turning back to Fancy Pants.

“Well? Are you going to accept or run away?” The stallion asked Icarus smugly. Icarus could feel his heart beating out of his chest. His blood roared in his ears as he tried to compose himself.

This scene, this… situation was nostalgic for some reason and not in a good way. Icarus felt his mind yank him back to his foster parents home in Cloudsdale. His mother and father looking on as Eris, his former sister screamed and berated him.

“You were supposed to not embarrass me. No one is supposed to know you’re my brother. GODS! You mess up everything, this is why you have no friends!” Eris screamed. Those words rang in his head, the smug and condescending looks on that family's face burned into his memory. The words rang in his head over and over again as he slowly came back to reality. The chatter that was in the background was replaced with low murmurs as people realized there was something going on.

“I -A-Ah b-b-but” Icarus stammered while trying to get his words out. He felt hot tears begin to form in the corners of his eyes. His legs buckled and his rump hit the marble with an audible thump.

“Fancy Pants, what’s going on with you tonight? This isn't like you at all.” Fleur pleaded.

The Unicorn only scoffed in response as he stared at the object of his disdain. This coffee colored, crippled Pegasus dare show his face here at the Grand Galloping Gala. The event that screamed to every pony, ‘You made it’. Yet here he was, and to add insult to injury, he had taken Fleurs attention from him. His Fleur was clinging and giggling with another, and he wouldn’t stand for it.

“A C C E P T .” Fancy said slowly and coldly. He would make it so no pony would ever see him as a stallion. They would see him as the coward, and fraud he Fancy Pants knew him to be. With Fancy’s attention fixed on Icarus he failed to notice the path opened up behind him.

“That will be quite enough of that Mr. Fancy Pants” a steady feminine voice said from behind him.

“Oh and who would decide tha-” Fancy began before taking a knee.

“I apologize Princess, I did not realize it was you,” Fancy said, quickly correcting himself.

Celestia looked around at the ponies gathered. Then her gaze fell on Sombra’s infuriated expression. Celestia couldn’t help but smile, seeing the former king so worked up over something like this. She shook her head at Sombra and he scowled in response.

“Pray tell, what you are ushering a challenge for a duel for at my sister and I’s Gala?” Celestia asked inquisitively.

“W-well your highness, I was insulted. Not once but three times by this…thing” Fancy said disgusted. Sombra bit his lip hearing his son referred to as a thing. He was reformed, he was a parent, he was better than this. Yet he felt this Stallion wouldn’t be missed too much. If he did that every pony else would have to disappear like him Before Sombra’s thoughts could spiral further Celestia spoke again.

“Hmm, I would believe you but, there was an insult to another one of my little ponies in your explanation. And well…” Celestia trailed off as her horn glowed from its usual cyan hue to a solid red. Most knew this spell, it was on display for many public trials, and for certain disputes in day court.

“Y-your highness if I could explain further you would believe me!” Fancy said panicking.

Sighing Celestia shook her head, “this I wholeheartedly doubt. You have upset the fun atmosphere here and lied to me, Please see yourself out.”

“Your h-highness please if I ma-” Fancy pants said before his mouth slammed shut with enough force to make those around him wince.

“That is quite enough. Thy sister has asked thou to vacate and I would advise you to leave before we call our guard” Luna said approaching from behind Celestia.

Fancy looked around at the gathered crowd and then to Icarus. Frowning he turned leaving the Gala; seeing this, the musicians began to play again and ponies began to return to their activities.

---

Fleur and Sombra helped Icarus up as the Princesses returned to their former engagements. Sombra could feel the colt's heart beating heavily and the shallow breaths concerned him.

“Slow down, it’s alright now. I’m here for you," he said.

“Monsieur, We are here for him” Fleur interjected, winking at him.

The two walked Icarus over to a table where he sat and stared into the drink in front of him. Fleur sat next to him and rubbed his back and tried to comfort him further. After a few minutes Sombra saw that his son was doing better. Smiling to himself he got up from the table.

“I’ll be back, hopefully story time isn’t too far off” Sombra said sarcastically. This got Icarus to give a small laugh before waving his dad off.

“We’ll be ok, I think,” Icarus said softly.

Nodding Sombra left the table and made his way through the crowd. He strolled through nobles, business mares, and merchants until;

“Your Highness’s,” Sombra said, clearing his throat.

Celestia and Luna turned from their conversation to face Sombra. Luna scowled and turned away from him and Celestia sighed.

“We will continue this another time, my student,” Celestia said.

“You!” A small purple alicorn exclaimed. Sombra paid no attention to her, as he met the eyes of the rulers of Equestria. After a few intense moments, Sombra bowed his head. Making the three onlookers flinch.

“I thank you sincerely from the bottom of whatever heart I have for helping my son,” Sombra said. Failing to keep his emotions in check Sombra heaved a deep sigh to try and regain his composure.

For the second time in all Equestrian history, Celestia was truly speechless. As for Luna she looked as though she wanted to gloat but refrained from doing so feeling it would for once be inappropriate to do so. Twilight's jaw had hit the floor and rolled out of the castle gates. She didn’t know if this was the same Sombra she fought years ago, or the one that evaded her on the train from Aura point.

“I did not know how to handle a situation like that, and due to that Icarus was hurt. So I thank you again, for allowing me to learn how to handle these situations better without violence” Sombra said as calmly as he could.

After he finished speaking the 3 Alicorns simply stared at him. Here was a ruler, once so arrogant the very ground he walked on wasn’t good enough for him. No coin could satisfy him, the kingdom he had wasn’t enough, the stallions around him couldn't hold a candle to him. Yet, here he was in front of them; Humble and appreciative. Not a hint of deceit or malice, just raw concern.

“W-well it is what we should do as hosts. No pony deserves to be treated that way.” Celestia said, coughing into her hoof and regaining her composure.

“We did not do it for you.” Luna irritably huffed, still refusing to look at Sombra. Celestia giggled at her sister and turned to twilight to gently close the purple alicorn's mouth.

“Somepony still isn’t being too honest hmm sister?” said Celestia poking his sister in the side. Luna jumped slightly and blushed but said nothing. Sombra looked at the Lunar Princess before for a few moments and opened his mouth, then closed it. He turned and without another word and went to return to Icarus.

Celestia sighed and stared at Luna, who still avoided eye contact. Twilight shook her head and looked between the Solar and Lunar princesses.

“I’m going to uh…go find spike, yea bye!” The purple alicorn spat out before scurrying off.

“Sister, we know what thou want to say.” Luna said coldly as she slowly turned to face her sister.

“Then you know that pushing him away is only going to make this harder,” Celestia said half pleading.

“We don’t care, nothing has changed,” Luna said. Celestia saw the look on her sister's face and just sighed. The conflicting emotions shown on her face lead her to give up.

“You know as well as I that, That was not Truly Him, but fine I will let this matter rest. I will see you later on Lu-Lu” Celestia said, hugging her sister and walking off. Luna watched her sister walk off and sighed irritably to herself.

“Just when I thought I was getting better. No, I refuse to believe he’s changed …right?” Luna murmured. Finding herself on a balcony looking over the castle garden she got lost in thought.

---

“Sorry dad, I should 'a let you step in. I thought I had it like with the guards and all but…” Icarus said sheepishly as Sombra sat next to him.

“It’s alright, this is new to me as well.” Sombra interrupted patting him on the head before sitting. Icarus blushed and swatted Sombra’s hoof away from him.

“Daaadd, not when Fleurs here” Icarus said through gritted. Sneaking a glance at Fleur who giggled causing the coffee colored pony to turn a darker red. Sombra shook his head and laughed deeply for a few moments. It was a loud and joyous laugh that he didn’t even know he was holding in.

“Hoooh, ok now I am a stallion of my word. Let me see… where to start” Sombra said, wiping tears from his eyes.

“Um maybe start with why Princess Luna doesn’t want to be ya know, anywhere near you, like at all.” Icarus said with a deadpan expression.

“I am curious myself,” Fleur said, scooting her chair closer to Icarus and looking at Sombra. Sombra rolled his eyes and began stroking his chin in thought. Icarus sat deathly still as he felt Fleur lean on him, her breath tickling his ears. Icarus squirmed in his seat much to Fleur's amusement. The two of them waited for Sombra to collect his thoughts and after what felt like hours Sombra looked at the two next to him.

“Well probably because we were like you two for quite some time” Sombra began. This grabbed Fleur and Icarus’ attention immediately.

“W-what do you mean like us?” Icarus asked, the embarrassment from being called out brought back his blush. Fleur smiled at and blew on his ear making him yelp, before she looked at Sombra.

“How cute!” She exclaimed beaming at him. The look on her face practically screamed at Sombra to keep talking.

“It was a sight indeed. I would frequent Canterlot from the Crystal Empire. When my Queen of Night, wasn’t visiting my dreams we were together.” Sombra said, smiling while glancing across the room. He saw the royal blue mare conversing with the elements of harmony.

“Uh huh…queen of night? She's a Princess though” Icarus said, tilting his head in confusion.

"Its a nocturnal flower that grows in cacti, Luna is beautiful but a little prickly at times" Sombra mused.

"Monsieur, that is so beautiful and creative" Fleur sighed sweetly.

“Princess Luna, Element of Laughter, dream guide, and bringer of the Night. I thought I would have her to rule by side. But…” Sombra paused as his loving smile faded and was replaced by an exasperated grin. Icarus followed his fathers gaze, he saw he was looking at Luna the entire time.

“I… Somewhere I lost the flame, the desire, the want to be with her after my brother died. It felt as though I had lost something then everything one day. Days passed turned to months, which turned to years. I distanced myself, shut my mind off from her, and laughed and loved less. The visits ceased and then well, you’ve read the rest in your history books.” Sombra said, chuckling pitifully to himself.

“The disappearance of the empire and corruption?” Icarus asked. Sombra nodded at him but said nothing. The white noise of conversations around them drowned out the silence at the table. Moments passed and Sombra drew a deep breath and exhaled.

“Then I met another mare, I don’t know if from grief or loneliness but I felt compelled to marry her and she ruled by my side. As the corruption got worse she remained by my side corrupting alongside me.” Sombra shook his head and grimaced.

“I thought it out of love. If only I knew why she was in my life sooner. I could have tried to mend my relationship with Luna. That mare was sent by the banished Umbrum, those of my people that were cast out for their vile nature. They used her to corrupt me to free them, in the end I was no different ” said Sombra sorrowfully as he mentally kicked himself.

“So Luna can’t stand you because you married someone else, dumped her and disappeared?” Fleur asked.

“Then why didn’t you find her after you ended up purified or whatever?” Icarus followed up.

“By the time I had been freed of the chains of corruption fully, there were new elements fighting me. As I tried to speak with my newly freed mind, I was met with flashes of previous exchanges between Luna and I. Millennia flashed before my eyes as I realized how much I had scorned her, hurt her, rejected her.” the dark Unicorn continued.

“It wasn’t that you didn’t, you couldn’t…” Fleur said, bringing a hoof to her mouth in shock.

“If I was to explain how I felt, hmmm.” Sombra closed his eyes and hummed as he thought.

“Like drowning in everything you didn’t say and when you try your mouth fills with water and you choke.” Icarus said, looking at Sombra. He knew what he meant because he was the same. When his family passed, all Icarus could think of was why the last thing he remembered from his accident was fighting with his parents. He was 8, what reason did a small colt have for fighting his parents. While they died all he could do was cry and choke on his words. The words ‘I love you mom, dad’ had never been so hard to say until they died.

Sombra smiled grimly at Icarus, “That is better than what I could have said boy.”

“Je suis désolé. My Lo… mon ami, I will be back. I am going to get more wine for us,” Fleur said, catching herself. Calling him her love then might have made for an awkward atmosphere. She could wait on those words for now, but she’d be damned if any pony else got her coffee colored stallion. As Icarus watched Fleur walk away and disappear into the crowd, he turned to Sombra. Who had resumed looking at Luna across the gala floor.

“The best of memories huh?” Icarus asked his father.

“It would almost be like me asking if you like Miss Fleur.” Sombra shot back at Icarus.

“T-Touche,” Icarus stuttered, getting up from his seat.

“Sit, you weren’t doing well not too long ago” Sombra said, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Nah I’m gonna grab food too, save her a trip ya know. I’m fine now, promise!” Icarus exclaimed. He was half telling the truth about getting food. He omitted the part where he was going to go try and speak with the Princess of the Night.

“Don’t make her wait too long,” Sombra said, sighing in defeat. He didn’t have the capacity to argue with Icarus but he figured getting food wasn’t going to take that long. Icarus nodded and walked off towards the food table once more before bumping into some pony.

“O-h sh- my bad are you alrig-” Icarus froze when he met the gaze of who he bumped into. Looking up he saw her, the Princess Celestia in well, most of her glory. She was floating a few different pastries next to her mouth as she sampled them.

“My my, are you alright my little pony?” Celestia asked Icarus.

“Your Majesty. Thank you for earlier. I am alright please don’t mind me” Icarus said robotically. Celestia gave a small laugh as she looked him in the eyes. Icarus felt her gaze peered right through his soul.

“I was going to have a chat with you anyway so this saves me time, Icarus was it? Follow me please~” Celestia all but sang as she walked through the crowd.

“Where are we going? I need to get back to dad soon or he’ll worry more than he already does…” Icarus trailed off as he followed Celestia past a couple of doors. They ended up in a cozy office space, with bookcases along the wall. A desk with a fireplace behind it already lit, and two velvet chairs with a table between them.

“Come sit, I would like to have a small chat about your father if you don’t mind,” Celestia said, sitting in one of the chairs. Icarus gulped and sat in the other chair and looked at Celestia as she slowly levitated the sweets she brought onto the table.

“So um, Princess….” Icarus began but was interrupted.

“Please, Celestia is fine. I am no fan of formalities. I am a pony just like you” She said using her magic to toss a muffin into her mouth.

“Ok…Celestia what is it you want to ask?” Icarus inquired. He waited for Celestia to finish chewing and then smiled at him and leaned closer.

“Tell me about it!” Celestia animatedly asked, causing Icarus to jump.

“About what?” He asked, confused.

“About how Sombra, the Tyrant is so… what's the word?” Celestia thought to herself.

“Concerned? Fatherly?” Icarus said, trying to help.

“Those work but the word I was going for was domesticated. How? Even when he was with Luna he could never settle down” Celestia said reminiscing. Icarus tried to hide his shock, this was one of the diarchs of the land. Yet here she was stuffing her face with pastries and wanting gossip.

“I uh… Don’t really know myself. He’s still sassy but wait. He’s been that way from the start hmmm” Icarus thought to himself.

“Lu-Lu and I could hardly believe it when Twilight told me about a disturbance on the friendship map.” Celestia began.

“Oh uh yeah the purple alicorn right? She wasn’t happy when we left on the train” Icarus said, recalling how he watched purple turn to crimson.

“No she was not and neither was Lu-Lu. Which was why I was so surprised when she sent the gala invite to you two” Celestia said happily.

“Wait Princess Luna sent us the invite? But it had your stamp on it, "Icarus said surprised. Then he thought back to when they got to the castle, how Luna came to get them from the guards. Then it hit Icarus like a brick and his eyes went wide. Celestia giggled as she watched the realization set in for him.

“I think you realized that Luna still cares for Sombra, more than she lets on. So I don’t ask as a Princess. I ask as a sister; tell me of your journey, tell me your story with him, please” Celestia asked bowing her head.

“Don't bow please I'll feel bad. God where do I start…”Icarus said getting Deja vu from Sombra telling his story earlier. Smiling to himself he hummed like his father and then looked at Celestia.

“So it started when I ran away from home…” Icarus said as he recounted his journey from the train accident, to the mountains, to Manehattan. Though he left out the part about Starry Lens and the way she looked at Sombra. The last thing he wanted was his employer getting jumped by the Princess of the night.

---

“ACHOOO, aye, is ze weather changing?” Starry mumbled in her apartment as a shiver ran down her spine as she tried to sleep.

Author's Note:

I want you all to know I stayed up until 4 am to get this done so I could do my best to edit it.
(If you see anything specfic thats mispelled please call me out) Enhoy the longest chapter I've done in a while!

---

I finally found a train of thought I liked for the Lore of Sombra and Luna. Meeting an old flame isn't always fun. Luna hun, I feel your irritation im sorry

Comments

[Bronycommander]

nice to see this updated, surpring potrayl of fancy, given how he is usually the polite gentlecolt. Also

“Ah terribly sorry, I got caught up in the moment. I beg your forgiveness sir.” Sombra said sarcastically. Smirking, Sombra took an exaggerated bow making onlookers stifle laughs and giggles. Fancy having this happen one too many times stamped his foot and threw a pocket square at Icarus

i always wonder with ponies, if hooves would sound better for this, no offense

[Sailor Aether]

11853016
good catch! thank you!

[Bronycommander]

11853028
youre welcome

[TheBoringBrony2s1]

This is truly amazing

[NicLove]

Losing a wing as a Pegasus

That makes me thing of some of my O.C.s

P.M. me if you want to see them

[Sailor Aether]

11853574
Thank you! This has been my favorite story to write by far

[Okie Brony]

Very nice! I'm still enjoying your characterization of reformed Sombra. Love the backstory of his relationship with Luna.
quickmeme.com/img/7a/7a794c287aeb02c6b17dd6bf864c3c7c3989e48edce16ec5582c117772da7dec.jpg

Aside from nitpicking over what I mentioned in my last comment--said tags and errant capitalization, though you're getting better--the only mistake worth pointing out is this:

Millenia flashed before my eyes as I realized how much I had scorned her, hurt her, rejected her.” the dark Unicorn continued.

Millennia.

The funniest line I've read in a while:

Twilight's jaw had hit the floor and rolled out of the castle gates.

Keep up the good work, fellow insomniac! Looking forward to the next chapter.