> Sombra Dislikes Crystals
>  by The Apologetic Pony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Amethyst Has No Face
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The foal tried to lift the little amethyst, face scrunching in concentration. He knew he shouldn’t be doing this—Mom would be really angry if she found out. But Mom was out! This was his chance to learn it before anyone else in his class did! But it was hard. However much he willed it so, the stone just wouldn’t float. His mum could do it; so could his Dad, so why couldn’t he? They didn’t even have to think twice about it! The foal concluded, ‘If Ma and Pa could make things float, so could he.’ He just needed to figure out how. That was the hard part. It seemed to be taunting him, gleaming in the sunlight, mocking him for his inability to lift its minute weight. A passionate, searing warmth rose within the callow colt. Why do ponies think that you’re so special? You’re not special. You’re just a stone, a stupid, boring stone. You might as well be a rock. Words weren’t enough for it. The stone deserved worse. He abandoned his learning, and swept the evil thing off the desk with his hoof. Suddenly, it was below him, below his hooves...

If the amethyst had been sentient, it would have experienced great relief when the father of the foal walked in the room. Instead it remained whole, representing an undefeated nemesis.

‘What are you doing Sombra?! That’s Fey’s stone!’

Sombra, the foal, was left poised to crush it, not daring to face his father’s scorn. He might as well smash it anyway. And smash it he did, relishing the sweetness of the feeling as the amethyst collapsed under his weight. Now it wouldn’t be able to stop him; he’d be able to learn levitation before anypony else. The beating he received gave him an excuse to spend time alone, practicing, ignoring the pain of dual kind. Such measures against foals had recently been legalised prior to Luna’s banishment, as a way to aggravate Celestia, legally. In actuality, it was seldom practiced.

He moved onto other objects—a clock here—a cup there—even his cute parasprite doll Hungry Bug. He’d been told he’d have better success if he tried the spell on objects that meant something to him, but all it seemed to do was leave those objects in more pieces than when he’d started, by no magical mystery. To him, the pseudo-violent compulsion he felt was a mystery.

Fey was disappointed to hear what her grandson had done, but a lot calmer than his parents had been. She was calm enough to be aghast when Alex, Sombra’s father, told her he’d hit him. Not with great force, he insisted, but enough to ‘teach the colt a lesson.’ Mien gott, did it teach him a lesson! It was a lesson on how to hate your father. He wouldn’t have been able to put it into words, but his suffered injustice inspired the kid to aggressively enforce his sense of justice. He hit a bully who had paid no mind to him, but earned neither respect nor praise—just a few days off school and yet more disdain from Alex. He tried appealing to his mother, who only gave him an apologetic smile. 

Now both bored and angry, he tried other spells he’d seen ponies use. Sombra had been cautioned to not attempt anything except the most basic of magic at his young age. They’d told him that he might hurt himself trying. As much as he denied it, he was afraid. But he thought it’d anger his father; that was motivation enough for him. Sombra was a foolhardy colt.The most the foal could do was make a few pathetic fizzles from the tip of his horn. And he kept doing it, having great faith his efforts would be rewarded. Everypony had told him good things would happen if he worked hard, even those in fairytales. The sisters were happy; they worked hard. So was his mother and so was his teacher. If he worked hard like them, wouldn’t he be happy? No he wouldn’t. He learned nothing, however much he wanted to, during his three days of suspension. His little experiments weren’t completely fruitless, as it turned out, even if he didn’t realise it. Sombra’s approach changed when he faced continual failure to one carefully conceived. It was still infantile and narrow, but he did stop trying the same over, eventually. 

Alex tried to assuage his son, through gifts and nuzzling, as plastic parentals do. But Sombra wouldn’t have it. He’d seen just about everypony was nicer than him and he’d even started wanting to hate Alex. Such emotional intelligence, if it can be called that, was truly incredible for any prepubescent pony to have. Teachers and friends gave him craved sympathy when he told them about what a mean father he had. And Alex grew callous once Sombra pushed him away, believing there must be something deeply wrong with his son, if he was refusing fatherly love. Alex thought the solution was to push it onto him until he accepted it, and knew what a wonderful thing it was—to be adored by your father. By the time he gave up, it was too late.

Sombra wasn’t just emotionally intelligent though. Robyn, his mother, had asked that he take up the piano, because it was healthy. His teacher described him with the phrase ‘extremely talented.’ He’d been skeptical about taking it up, but he trusted her with more than his heart. While she occasionally didn’t step in to stop Alex, she never refused Sombra shelter, from Alex. That wasn’t the case. She was passive in the development of her son, except for a few niches like music. But Sombra couldn’t see that. The contrast between Alex and her was too great for Robyn to only be a statue, like she was. If Alex was the subject of all his hate, then Robyn was the subject for all his love, but they were both dolls with different coloured manes. She didn’t break his bond with her, but she didn’t reinforce it either.

His anger as rage, faded, but he still held a grudge. Alex euphemistically referred to his sons attitude toward him as ‘ruthless determination to best his father.’ The description left ponies to ponder for a moment, if it was just that. Even the most trusting ones sensed eerie discord in the wording. Sombra only spent as much time pushing Alex away as his father spent attempting the opposite, so their feuding died down to tense, wordless dinners together, where neither had energy to start a spark.

Among everything else in the colt’s life, he found there was one more activity he excelled in at and contrary to many others, he enjoyed it for only himself.
> Snarling Produces No Topaz
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regardless of his previous experience, it turned out he was proficient in magic in an especially unusual way. When Sombra used or performed it, ponies or just about anyone didn’t know what to make of it. The magic of a unicorn (or aura as it was called) wasn’t supposed to be dark. While those skilled enough could temporarily alter the colour of their aura, it was draining to do so, just like every other spell. Sombra’s aura didn’t just look naturally black, but other unicorns skilled in magic told him it “felt” different and they were scared by it. He thought of the apparent difference as frivolous. Their magic didn’t feel different to him and neither did his, so why did they think it did? 

Sombra made several good friends in school, who helped to stop him distancing himself from others, including himself. It wasn’t very hard for him to make friends, even less so after he’d gotten suspended. That’d earned him a lot of respect. When he could afford to, Sombra thought upon the ancient questions in simple terms. ‘Do I exist? Do my friends exist? What’s the point in living? Why is my father so mean?’ But when he asked his friends about them, they shrugged, saying ‘I don’t know’ and that was the end of the conversation. He didn’t like that very much. His friends didn’t seem to care about those sort of things.

He finally dropped the piano when he was fourteen, when his mother failed to overrule his insistences. That was the start to him becoming independent. He was wise enough and old enough to easily refute, else shrug off the attempts of his father to build a more harmonious relationship between them. It was a matter of habit now, merely an instinctive reaction. He’d lost the reason as to why he continued to keep his father so far away, but Sombra wasn’t bothered by it, so he let go. When confronted by himself or others as to why it was so, Sombra honestly said it wasn’t a consideration.

Sombra had already gotten his cutiemark, but nopony including himself knew what it represented or even what it was exactly. Visually, it was made of up three purple, curved lines that joined at one end and that end blossomed out into a jagged, circular shape. At first he thought they looked like fireworks. But others had told him that they saw it as many different objects. Some said it was a flower, and some said it was a peculiar streamer. Most puzzling of all was that it’d shown up on his flank when he was doing a benign activity—eating! He wasn’t a glutton, or a culinary master, so what was it? Nopony knew. 

Being unaware of the meaning of your own cuitemark was indeed odd, but not unprecedented. Ponies had come up with a name for it. They’d called it Undefined Talent Syndrome, or UTS for short. Once Sombra had discovered the label, he’d read about it. The text books went like this:

Undefined Talent Syndrome (UTS) is a rare occurrence when the foal is either unaware of what talent was being performed when the cutiemark was acquired, AND/OR performing multiple, indistinct actions at the time of acquisition. This event may result in a smudging in the perceived meaning of the cuitemark, or even complete removal. This is especially prominent in foals whose cuitemarks are representative of a talent in a symbolic, or abstract sense. If the foal is unaware of the meaning of their cuitemark more than a month after its acquisition, it is considered as having UTS. Usually the talent is rediscovered by adulthood, however there have been cases where the talent was never found. UTS is known to blah blah blah blah, words he didn’t understand and weren’t interesting.

In the intimate and awkward occasions where somepony asked him what those curvy lines were, he was honest about it. A lot of them didn’t believe him. They thought he was having a laugh. One of the more comical responses was that an a quixotic apology as if it was the recent loss of a loved one. Ponies are weird. 

One day he was trying to encourage his friend to be a bit more assertive. 

‘Snarl!’ he said, while snarling.

‘But snarling’s scary, Sombra...’

‘Snarl to get your way!’

‘Can’t I ask nicely?’

‘No, they refused!’

‘Can’t I give up?’

‘This is important to you!’

‘Snarling isn’t important to me...’

‘You know what I mean.’ he said, finally dropping his playful aggression. 

Sombra didn’t confront his friend on it, but he struggled to think how anypony could get by if not with some anger. At the time, the thought of relying on the sympathy of others scared him. He thought that must be the only alternative, instead of burning motivation. But we do wild things as children, don’t we? He later learnt that motivation tied into aspects of the personality too, not merely the resolution to have motivation. It can be difficult, trying to get motivated, by motivating yourself to get motivation.

Alex and his son started to get on better terms with each other. The silences at the table weren’t so icey; they sometimes made small talk. It wasn’t exactly trust, but a mutual respect that harmony made both their lives easier. And for all Sombra’s stubbornness, he didn’t hate his father anymore.

A year later, when Sombra was fifteen, a unicorn transferred into Sombra’s class from another school. ‘Parent’s moved’ was all the unicorn told him, though they quickly became close friends. His name was Tinker Tailor. When Sombra was idly levitating a pencil and doodling with it in Lore class, his friend gasped in astonishment. But Tinker blushed when the teacher asked him if everything was quite alright.

‘Is everything quite alright, Tinker?’

‘You’re going to make me blush again, Sombra!’

‘Cute.’ 

‘Says you! It’s just I’ve never seen somepony with a black aura before.’

‘Neither have I.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘I’ve never seen somepony else with a black aura.’

‘Oh.’

‘And that was enough to make you swoon? Are you that infatuated with me, Tinker Tailor?’

‘No, I’m not infatuated with you, I’m in love with you!’

‘Yuck.’

‘Does that mean I win?’ 

‘If you’re willing to go that far, Tinker, sure.’ 

‘So that means I get a prize.’

Sombra shuffled to the end of his chair furthest away from his friend.

‘I want to show my Dad your magic.’

‘...Is he a pedo?’

> Quartz Has No Guise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘What?’

Sombra stumbled over his words.

‘Are you picking a fight?’

‘No, no, I was joking honestly.’

‘Oh, that’s alright then.’ Tinker said smiling.

Sombra was left in the dangerous position where he didn’t know if that had just been another joke or not. It was rather intimidating.

Tinker’s house was full of happy creatures, haired and feathered alike. Everyone made sure to  keep each other laughing and the guests were gifted overly enthusiastic welcomes, Sombra included. There was a griffin lounging about, for reasons unclear, but she seemed friendly enough. She just grunted when Sombra said hi. It wasn’t a dismissive grunt though. 

Once they’d settled into his room, Sombra asked when Tinker’s Dad was going to come round.

‘Few minutes, I dunno. Want some drink in the mean time?’

‘Woah, they let you have that stuff, Tinker?’

Tinker raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, puzzled by Sombra’s surprise.

‘What? It’s just beer, dude. It’s nothing else, relax. Your oldies stuck up about that sorta thing or something?’

‘Sorta...’

‘Enjoy then, I know I did.’

The can was chilly in his hooves.

‘Watcha waiting for? Drink it.’ Tinker said.

Still hesitant, Sombra put the metal to his lips... and spat the beverage out, now lewdly smeared across the marble floor.

‘Shit huh? Sorry, didn’t think it wasthat bad.’

The colt was too embarrassed to be taken aback by the cuss. Inconveniently enough, somepony opened the door before they’d managed to clean the floor.

‘What’s this Tinker? Have you been shoving poison down our guest’s throat again?’

‘No no, it was nothing like that.’ Sombra said.

‘You can tell me you know, he’s done it before.’

‘No really, I was just curious. He didn’t force me or anything like that.’

‘Promise?’

‘Promise.’

‘Father, this is the colt I was talking about.’

‘Oh so you’re the one?’ the parent asked.

‘You make me sound special.’

‘Well if Tinker over here is telling the truth then you are special. What’s the name?’

‘Sombra.’

‘Just Sombra?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Dramatic. Come see me soon, Tinker’ll take you.’

Tinker said nothing.

‘Wont you, Tinker?’

‘Yes, father.’ he said, making his reluctance gratingly apparent.

The door closed shut.

‘Seriously, man how do you drink that stuff? No offense but...’ said Sombra.

‘Well you know what they say.’

‘What do they say?’

‘A drunk mind speaks a sober heart.’

‘...That’s stupid.’

‘Fuck you.’

‘Yeah right, now you’re just pretending to be drunk.’

‘You got me.’

Sombra asked about why he was going to see Tinker’s father specifically, and Tinker went on to explain that his father had vigorously studied the conventional magic arts.

‘Didn’t you notice his cutiemark?’

‘Not really.’

‘It’s a wand. Which is strange really since we don’t need wands for magic. Never gotten that. Can I ask you something?’

‘Sure.’

‘What’s yours? I mean, it looks kinda cool and all but I don’t know what it is.’

‘Oh you mean my cutiemark?’

‘Course I mean your cuteimark, dummy.’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Eh? How does that work?’

‘Well you don’t know what it means do you, and neither do I. I was only eating when I got it.’

‘That’s weird.’

‘It’s called Undefined Talent Syndrome.’

Tinker giggled.

‘What?’

‘Sombra it’s just that you’re such a nerd!’

‘I am?’

‘Totally, dude. You know whatever that name thingy was and you hate beer and you’ve hardly drunk any booze at all!’

This time Sombra was the colt blushing, though Tinker didn’t seem to notice.

‘Don’t get me wrong, it’s cute but like, you might wanna be aware of it. Lots of mares are into nerds!’

Tinker finished his beer before finally taking Sombra to another room. Tinker’s father was a fairly pale stallion, who seemed to be an easy going fellow, more so than his son. 

‘Ah there you are! What took you two so long?’

‘Beer.’ Tinker said.

Following his father’s instructions, Tinker left the other two alone in the cramped, paper ladened space. The father, (whose name Sombra still didn’t know) tentatively asked Sombra to perform any kind of magic he wanted that didn’t involve manipulating his own aura.

‘You think I know a spell that can change my aura? That’s professor level stuff!’

‘Only trying to cover all the bases.’

Sombra easily urged a few sparks into existence.

‘Sorry, I’d prefer something a bit more prolonged. I want to examine your aura you see, and a few milliseconds isn’t long enough for an old stallion like me.’ 

He put on some glasses.

‘You’re not old.’

‘Why thank you!’ He smiled as he said it, making Sombra think that leaching praise was his intention from the start.

Only one easily prolonged spell came to his mind: levitation. Feeling bold, he magically yoinked the glasses off the muzzle of the stallion, into space.

‘Thankfully my eyesight isn’t bad enough for me to tell that it is a... unusual colour for an aura, Sombra. I’ve seen many in my time, but none of them any darker than rouge.’

The glasses twitched in the air.

‘That’s what everypony says, that it’s too dark, that it isn’t meant to be black. And the unicorns say it feels different, magic wise.’

‘Now now I wouldn’t say it’s too dark like it’s a bad thing. You’re clearly perfectly healthy. But, Sombra, can I ask you something a bit personal?’

‘Err, sure.’

‘Do you like using your magic?’

The glasses began to slowly rotate.

‘I think I’m... indifferent towards it. I’ve never really thought about it.’

‘I see. It’s only because there may be some truth to your aura being different beyond a superficial level. There are two.. how can I say? I’ll call them distinctive features. There are two distinctive features I’m seeing here, Sombra, not that I mean to say that they’re bad, of course! I’ll try to keep this brief, I know tend to bore people if I go on for too long about these sorts of things.’

‘No no it’s alright, take your time. I’ve been curious for a long time.’

Sombra let the glasses fall back onto the face of their owner. Tinker’s father went on to explain that while Sombra appeared to be performing just a simple levitation spell, it lacked many of the signature features of a levitation spell. It didn’t use the same amount of energy, judging by Sombra’s effortless upkeep of the spell for over two minutes, and reversed the normal order of the processes of the spell. The magic lifted the glasses before it strengthened itself, instead of the standard vice-versa.

‘So what, it’s just a different way of doing the same thing?’

‘I’d think so, but there’s something else, which may well be just me. I hope you  don’t mistake me, you’re aura and levitation method are very interesting to me, but I find myself somewhat repulsed.’

‘Repulsed?’

‘ As in... Again I mean this with the utmost respect, but it scares and disgusts me. I find something unbearably thick and heavy about it. Do remember that it’s my personal impression, there’s no apparent objectivity in this point.’

‘But you’ve seen hundreds of auras before haven’t you?’

‘I’m only proficient at studying, not performing. And I’m only one unicorn.’

‘Are you two done with your orgy yet?’ Tinker interrupted, peeking his head through the door.

‘Where did you get that one from, my son?’

‘Where did I get it from? Hah! It’s oldschool, Dad!’
‘We’ll be a few minutes.’

Tinker took great effort in closing the door as slowly as possible.

‘Pedophilia humor is oldschool? I really must be getting old!’

‘Is he always like that?’ asked Sombra.

‘Only when there’s guests around, he wants to irritate me.’

Sombra chuckled.

‘Is your cuitemark magic orientainted?’

‘Gosh I’m sick of explaining it.’

‘I’ll be quiet then. I suggest you see somepony more qualified than me; I can get you in touch with one if you want.’

‘I’ll think about it.’

‘Haha alright then. Just let me or Tinker know if you do. Very pleasant meeting you, Sombra.’

‘You too, mister...’

‘Oh how rude of me!’

> Ruby, Don't Lie To Me
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tinker’s father’s name had no significance. 

Sombra went back to Tinker’s room, continuing to dwell on the possible relation between his talent, and his magic. Tinker offered to have him stay for the night, and Sombra gladly accepted, his parents wouldn’t worry. At some point Sombra asked why his friend was acting so differently than when they were at school.

‘Is that so, Sombra? I hadn’t noticed.’

‘What do you mean you hadn’t noticed, how could you have possibly not have noticed? You’re like a different pony!’

‘How?’

‘You’re... agressive.’

‘Aggressive?’

‘But in like a boisterous kind of way. You’re timid at school.’

‘I hadn’t noticed; I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘You’re the weird one then, Tinker. I don’t get it.’

‘Hey, colt, you gotta do what you gotta do.’

‘Even if it doesn’t make sense.’

That’s all Sombra remembered, not that there was much else to remember from then. He’d been thinking about the implications of his aura for months on end, and yet there remained a sense of unease, shrouding it all. He was disturbed by it, now that he was focusing on it. Not knowing something so personal and significant disturbed him. Like all unicorns reasonably proficient in magic, Sombra considered it (aura included) as a part of his identity. Sombra had thought about it before, of course, but not about how it affected him. Tinker’s father had seemed utmostly noble, yet he didn’t want to ask him to effectively further the investigation about himself. And so he was left pondering, which became brooding, once the more positive avenues had expired. Instead of, ‘I wonder what this unknown means to me?’ his thoughts were ‘I wonder how this unknown harms me?’ Eventually Sombra would have turned pensive, and concluded that it was both, but the arrival somepony else intervened, just over a year later. 

Tinker’s and Sombra’s friendship strengthened further over a year and the two really did miss each other when they parted soon after. In the final year of basic education in Equestria, when Sombra was sixteen, the Royal Sisters were touring the schools of the land, and answering the many questions of students on what it was like to be princesses.

Each school organised who and how everypony got to ask their questions independently from other schools. Sombra’s particular school, had one pony from each class act as the vessel of that class, separate from the normal classroom representatives. As you’d expect, there was some overlap, but the teachers modified the final lists to keep repetition minimal. This unegotiable alteration was to the agitation of the more independent if stubborn students and Sombra was one of them. Of course there was no unseemly revolution over it, but Sombra did get somewhat vocal to his teachers and friends. This was problematic, considering he’d been the only volunteer in his class. Coupled with his previous suspension, even the meager responsibility of compiling then reading a series of questions was seen as barely tenable. Granted there was some symbolic meaning to it, but Sombra was just the voice of one class, in a unique (albeit significant) event.

As things turned out, Sombra kept the position, though cold and hesitant relations remained. But exactly like the little rebel he’d come to be, he tried his best not to care. It wasn’t as if he was going be here much longer – next Summer Sun Celebration and he’d be away. With adolescence, gone was the influence of his father, let people do what they want, tolerance in abundance and acceptance in even more abundance! Dare not impose your will to others, treat individuals as ends in themselves, judge yourself not by the standards of society! That was what he liked to think was his creed, as for reality, I’m not so sure, but who are we to judge? That’s what people with hindsight are meant to do isn't it, judge? Sombra still respected Alex, Sombra saw him as a better stallion now then he’d done in foalhood, and a better father even. He’d only based his liberal views to veer away from what Alex was when Sombra was younger. You could say that Alex had been a role model in the form of a terrible warning, but not as much anymore.

Finally, it was time. 

‘Good morning, everypony!’

‘Good morning, Mister Alston.’

Alston pretended to be tone-deaf as usual.

‘As I’m sure you know, we have some very special guests visiting us today, for their tour of all the schools they reign over. Your class voted representatives are standing here, to my right, where, as I’m sure you’ve heard already, they will ask your questions. Please give them your most enthusiastic applause!’

And they did. They actually clopped their hooves together, because they were seated. The stamping of hooves on ground was only for standing ponies, when they didn’t have two arms free.

‘Without further ado, would you please welcome, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia!’

In contrast to the representatives, Luna received cheers mingled with the harsh sound of hooves colliding. Celestia was nowhere to be seen; murmurs rippled through the crowd. Luna gracefully took to the podium.

‘My fairest greetings to you all. Before we begin, I would like to apologise in the stead of my sister, who has been called to urgent matters. I’m sure she would have enjoyed being here. I would also like to thank Mister Alston, for his kind introduction.’

Alston made a dismissive gesture from the back of the stage.

‘So, shall we start? What’s your name,’ Luna said, looking one of the representatives in the eye.

Alston hesitantly walked up to the princess and whispered something in her ear.

‘My apologies! I should have known that an order had been set. Whoever is first, please ask when you are ready.’

The first representative to speak fumbled with the microphone.

‘T-thank you your highness.’

‘Please dear call me Luna. Our subjects should call us by name, don’t you think?’

For somepony so versed in public speaking, Luna was certainly making it hard on the colts and fillies.

‘Okay, Princess Luna. For everypony who doesn’t know, I’m the representative of class F and my name is...’

For the most part, it wasn’t very interesting.

‘What would you be if you weren’t a princess?’

‘I’m not certain. That’s akin to asking what I’d prefer as a cutiemark, and nopony knows the answer to that.’

‘What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?’

There was chuckling from the crowd.

‘Oh my, I haven’t heard that question before. Um, living for as long as I do... many things come to mind. My sister once fooled me into asking a stranger where his clothes were.’

‘Is being a princess fun?’

‘It’s difficult sometimes. You must not think of us as perfect, as we’re sometimes talked about. We get tired, and fed up and sad just like you. My sister and I don’t always get along, but nothing brings me greater joy than to see the smiles on your faces, and the skips in your hooves, and that’s what makes it fun.’

‘What’s your favourite pastime?’

‘Decorating the sky with beautiful stars, if that counts. Although it does get a bit lonely.’

‘Who has more work, you, or your sister?’

‘Haha, I’m glad she’s not here to stop me from telling the truth! I’m joking, but we normally do different kinds of work. She tends to go to the social gatherings, while I look at the many smaller, nationally proposed changes. I seldom go outside the borders for official duties, but she often does.’

> Diamond's Aren't Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Why is it legal for parents to spank their kids, Luna?’ asked Sombra.

That wasn’t on the list.

‘I’m surprised somepony as young as you is aware of such obscure legislation!’

Sombra said nothing; Alston looked like he was on the brink of intervening.

‘We feel it is a law for the future, though we both hope that it won’t be used under merely arbitrary circumstances.’

‘Is the future one where I can abuse my son?’

‘Sombra that’s enough, this isn’t a political debate.’ Alston said, borrowing a microphone off another representative. Sombra huffed, but did nothing more.

After the questions Sombra and the other representatives stepped down from their stands, joining the crowd of students, now making their way towards their classes. Tinker nudged him.

‘What?’

‘You may want to go outside.’

‘What? Yeah if I wanna be late.’

‘Just go outside, by that flower patch y’know?’

‘Am I gonna get soaked or something?’

‘No no no, it’ll be fun, honest. 

Sombra didn’t move.

‘Come on man, it won’t take long, and it’ll be... fun.’

‘Fun.’ Sombra said.

‘See you later, okay?’

Sombra trotted his way to the empty schoolyard, feeling more irritated than curious. The flower patch was on the opposite side of the space, inconveniently enough. But it wasn’t long until something else caught his attention.

‘Som-bra?’ she said his name funny.

The voice came from his left. Sombra was rather surprised when he turned to face it.

‘You?’

‘Were you not expecting me?’

‘Not in the slightest... er your–’

‘Don’t give somepony you loathe as much as me that title. You do loathe me, don’t you?’

Sombra was clueless as to how he ought to be conducting himself in the private presence of royalty.

‘I am only a mare Sombra, speak to me as you would any other pony, or as you did earlier if you prefer. We are alone.’

‘Um, with respect, what the fuck are we doing here?’

Luna bore a sly grin.

‘I’ve been informed that your aura is most unusual.’

‘Have you now? Haha, well...’

‘Could you show me? There’s a stone over there.’

As asked, Sombra levitated it, the same way he’d levitated the glasses, and just about everything else. He didn’t know any other way.

‘Obviously, he was correct.’

Sombra dropped the stone.

‘And who’s he?’

‘Somepony I once worked with.’

‘Does he have a son?’

‘Yes, an only child.’

‘Is his son’s name Tinker?’

‘I did presume you’d already met him by such circumstances. He’s not know for being the most sociable of ponies otherwise.’

‘I still don’t know why we’re here. So what if I have a weird aura? I won’t be competing in the Unicorn Olympics, if such a thing existed.’

‘That might not be a bad idea...’

‘As long as alicorns were banned from entering.’

Luna rolled her eyes.

‘I believe you’re finishing school soon.’

Sombra waited for elaboration.

‘I propose to act as a tutor for you once you’ve completed your education. I believe there’s hidden potential in you, and your aura. With my help we’d discover it fairly easily.’

‘Aren’t there thousands of unicorns who are in the same position, Luna?’

‘My dear, there is a difference between powerful and unknown magic. The unknown is more valuable to both you and myself. You don’t have to decide immediately, of course.’

‘I won’t.’

‘Good.’

Sombra pawed at the ground, somewhat reluctant to bring an end to the conversation. He felt as if he’d forgotten something.

‘What about my classes?’

‘I’m sure that can be sorted out. Have the day off, if you like?’ Luna said.

‘Seems a bit... lavish.’

‘Take it as a bribe.’

‘Why would you–’

‘I think we’re done, Sombra.’

He was so stunned at interruption that Sombra didn’t say anything as she strode off.

Alex didn’t believe his son at first. He couldn’t fathom why Luna of all ponies would be interested in some oddly coloured magic. ‘She must have better things to do with her time.’ he told Sombra. Eventually they agreed the situation was most perplexing.

The young unicorn was unsure if he wanted to accept the invitation. The talk with his father hadn’t touched it and though he hadn’t thought about it in great depth, he did muse with some possibilities in his head. What would it be like? Would he learn the most powerful spell known to the Equine? He probably wouldn’t, though it would be fun... probably. Would he become known as a pioneer of revolutionary, life-saving feats of the horn? If your ego’s big enough, Sombra. Perhaps they’d discover nothing at all. Maybe in a series of unfortunate events, he’d end up on a throne, become a tyrant and to be banished under the ice. If he thought of that last one, he’d be an oracle too. He wasn’t an oracle.

‘So how was it?’ Tinker asked the next day. He’d invited Sombra over to his house again.

‘Not particularly fun and quite strange.’

‘So what happened?’

‘What do you mean, “what happened?” you sent me to meet her!’

‘Only ‘cus my father was getting me beer for it.’

Tinker proudly went to get some of his pleasure out of the fridge, and Sombra’s life had gotten even more novel.

‘Only ‘cus your father was getting you beer for it.’ Sombra repeated, nodding slowly.

Tinker stared at him like it was a perfectly normal motivation.

‘So I had no clue what you were going to.’ said Tinker.

‘He didn’t tell you?’

‘Nope. Could have been a pedophilic trafficking gang.’

‘Thanks for that! I’ll make sure to give you a dagger next time.’

‘Hey, if it actually was, I’d be sad too, ‘cus then I might not get another chance for some free lager.’

Sombra bit his lip to stop himself chortling at the quip, even though Tinker had been laughing before.

‘So what happened?’

Sombra explained it to him, and his loyal friend was just as surprised as Sombra had been.

‘Was she hot?’

‘What kind of question is that? I tell you I’ve just talked with Luna, and you ask if she’s hot?’

‘I’m not too fond of mares but I can appreciate why ponies say she’s beautiful.’

‘Don’t you care about how she might be my tutor?’

‘And how you might end up fucking her?’

‘What the fuck is wrong with you, slut?’

‘Slut? The princess's pet is calling me a slut! What’s the cunt gonna do? He’s gonna fry me with his black magic and cut off my balls for his ritual.’

A door slammed shut; Tinker’s room was quiet. This was one of those times when Tinker wished beer was made of stronger stuff. At least his father wouldn’t find out about their row, he wasn’t coming home until late tonight. Maybe he’d gone drinking too. 

Oh dear, Tinker, what have you done now? You’ve just called your best friend a cunt, with hostile intentions. He took it just the way you meant him to, fucking stormed out the house and all. Well done. Are you jealous? Is that why you pretended a perverse curiosity? Congratulations on your false revelation. ‘Not too fond of mares?’ You fucking wish. Or are you unsure if you want to fuck ‘em? Is that it? Then you are worthy of applause for letting it manifest in such a mature fashion. Don’t like me? You can always blame the beer.

‘Hah, yeah blame the beer.’ Tinker said, taking another gulp of it. The irony eluded him like a pesky salmon. Sombra wasn’t the only one with an imagination. 
> Sapphires Don't Grunt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When he got back from somewhere, Tinker’s father pointed out the wealth of empty cans in his son’s room. Tinker grunted.

‘How was Sombra? Did he get to the meeting alright?’ Tinker’s father asked, sliding onto Tinker’s sofa. Tinker edged away.

‘He was well, and he got to the meeting fine. He sounded keen to learn under Luna.’

‘Oh I see. She hadn’t told me she was going to offer the colt tutorage—or young stallion rather.’

Tinker left the room for a minute, and returned with a sixpack on his back. 

‘Haven’t you had enough poison for today, Tinker?’

On another day, Tinker would have objected.

‘I had a fun time.’ Tinker’s father said.

‘Did you now?’ 

‘I went to that dragon’s comedic-thingy’

‘You mean that tourning comedic dwarf dragon guy?’

‘Yeah, that’s the one.’

‘Amusing I take it.’ Tinker said.

‘Hilariously funny!’

Tinker started to tap his hoof on the sofa chair. 

‘You don’t appear to be in the brightest of spirits though.’ Tinker’s father said.

Tinker grunted again.

‘Ah, that’s a sure sign!’

‘What me grunting?’

‘The unusually large number of cans, your lack of a challenge when I told you to stop drinking them, and the grunting.’

Tinker grunted.

‘What’s wrong, son? You’re not grunting your way out of this one!’

‘What if I do it again?’

Tinker’s father grunted, and that was enough to get a laugh out of his son.

‘It’s lots of things, Dad. I basically called Sombra something not very nice and mocked him for his achievement of getting recognised by Luna.’

‘And then what?’

‘Then nothing. He walked out.’

‘Sounds like it could have gone worse.’

‘He’s too smart for it to have gone worse.’

‘And what else?’ Tinker’s father asked.

‘You know you could have told me that it was Luna.’

‘I thought you’d prefer to hear it from your friend.’

‘No way! ‘Course I wanna know if my friends going to be meeting Luna.’ 

‘Then that was my mistake. Sorry.’

Tinker’s father asked if he could grab a can from the sixpack, and Tinker just nodded.

‘Do you know why you did it?’

‘What?’

‘Calling Sombra whatever and all that.’

‘I dunno. Felt like it.’

‘You felt like drinking a few moments ago.’

That prompted a vicious glare from Tinker, and any chance Tinker’s father had of hearing his son’s feelings evaporated. Tinker’s father wished Tinker goodnight several silent minutes later.

Sombra had only recently returned to his home. Getting to and fro Tinker’s house was a real hassle if he didn’t splash out on a taxi. He’d have to get on a bus, then walk a while, then get on another bus, and then walk a while more. It was dusk by the time he got back.

His house was well lit and considerably tidier than Tinker’s, though the dark carpet Sombra now walked on would have been good at hiding stains. From the door lead a hallway, branching off to all the rooms on the first floor and a set of stairs at the end of it. Upstairs was mostly Sombra’s domain, except for a cupboard his parents kept spare towels in. 

‘Welcome home, Sombra.’ Alex said as he heard the door open.

‘Hello.’

‘Did Tinker’s go well?’

‘Sort of. Fun game of solitaire you’re having over there?’

‘I’ve just lost it.’

Sombra was about to head on up to his room, as he usually did, when Alex said, ‘Can we talk, stallion to stallion? I’m feeling lonely.’

Sombra was surprised by that. While often informal, Alex rarely showed weakness to him.

‘Er, sure.’

‘I’m not sure how else I can put it but, this may understandably be delicate matter for you... and me.’

‘Delicate was not a word to be associated with my father,’ Sombra thought as he sat down next to Alex on the sofa. But there is ‘A first time for everything.’

‘I want to apologise for what I did to you when you were just a colt. I took advantage of my power over you and I thought it’d make you into a better stallion. I was wrong, though your character speaks otherwise.’

‘That was a long time ago, it’s okay, Dad.’ Sombra said as he caught his Dad in a warm embrace.

‘It’s not okay, and it won’t ever be okay. I just wanted to acknowledge it.’

Sombra felt patches of his nape getting wet.

‘Getting sappy on me?’ Sombra asked, his own voice much higher pitched than it was meant to be.

‘I ought to be this time.’

Once Alex had composed himself, he fetched the two some water and told Sombra there was still something else.

‘What’s with acting like who I want to be?’

With that, Alex took on an odd expression, somewhere between hangdog and sheepish.

‘What?’ Sombra asked.

‘No matter, it can wait.’

Sombra was tired, too tired to pursue whatever Alex was hiding. They engaged in nothing but small talk from then on, until Sombra retreated upstairs. He was surprised by at how he’d kept his own tears in from Alex – he’d felt vulnerable ever since he’d returned from Tinker’s place. But as he lay in his bed, he found himself crying for longer than he’d like to admit. Fortunately, hushing the weeping wasn’t particularly difficult; only the occasional muffled sobs escaped him.  Though he believed himself innocent, Sombra couldn’t couldn't face putting all the blame on Tinker. That was too cruel.

Two days after, Sombra delivered a letter to the post office, with the recipient address labeled as:

Equestria
Canterlot
Main District
Canterlot Royal palace
Lunar Court

He wondered for a moment, how many letters does she receive, approximately? He didn’t mean official, Royal correspondence, but letters from ordinary ponies. Kiddie’s drawings were well known as being sent to only Celestia and so was just about everything else. Maybe she’s the one that gets the romantic poetry of bored fellows. 

As they’d expected, Sombra and Tinker avoided each other (as much as they could) over the next week. They even went out of their way to ask ponies on desks miles away for spare stationery, when they were sitting beside one another. Eventually the ice did thaw, when Tinker cautiously offered to share lunch with his friend. Tinker apologised profusely and Sombra offered to bring some beer around to Tinker’s, amusing them both. The sweet make up talk concluded with an abrupt hug from Tinker. And though it was a friendly gesture, Tinker held on longer than he should have, far too long... probably my imagination.

> Jades Aren't The Best For Valentines
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘I sent the letter to Luna.’

‘I thought you’d tell me first!’ Alex said.

‘A big colt gotta make his own decisions, Dad.’

‘The big colt has advisers.’

‘Oh well, I’m sure you won’t mind. I said yes.’

‘I hope you’ll flourish with her. She’ll know what she’s doing.’

‘She said she could do it easily, but I’m a bit skeptical.’

‘Why’s that?’ Alex asked as he redealt yet another lost game of cards.

‘Because she also said that she has no idea what kind of potential it is, that it’s unknown.’

‘She must know something. She’s only lived for who knows how long. And she obviously knows it’s worth the offer.’

‘She might.’

Sombra looked above the book he was reading, and examined the state of the latest game of solitaire Alex was playing.

‘Can I help you with that, or is that against the rules?’

‘I just want to win at the moment. But I never taught you how to play.’

‘Well I learnt, somewhere. Can’t remember where.’

They didn’t have any more luck. 

Tinker was extremely anxious, but he didn’t quite know why. School had finished just yesterday and he’d invited Sombra over in celebration. This had been the first time Sombra would have visited since they’d fallen out, and Tinker’s father had made sure not to be out this time. Tinker didn’t expected anything remotely similar would happen again, though.

With a knock on a door came Sombra, wearing a tattered cloak. Tinker answered the door.

‘What hobo, stupid cape thing is that?’

‘The kind that hides things I shouldn’t be carrying.’

They scampered into Tinker’s room.

‘Take a look at it.’

‘Fucking hell, mate, where did you get this!? I can’t get bloody beer by myself you got this shit? And you don’t even like it!’

Sombra had brought several bottles of various spirits, and a single, lonely beer can.

‘I have my sources y’know. And I tried a bit of this one and I liked it.’

As astounded as Tinker was, the curiosity at trying the enticing liquids overcame most of his questions. He’d already taken a mouthful of one before Sombra could have warned him that the drink was an earth pony's buck stronger than beer. Tinker was writhing on the couch in seconds.

‘Everything okay in there?’ Tinker’s father asked from beyond the door.

‘We’re fine! Everything is fine! Shut up already, he’s gonna see the stash we’ve got here, Tink!’

Tinker pushed himself deeper into the couch, while Sombra desperately shoved the alcohol under the same couch in preparation. Sombra could hear Tinker’s father getting closer and closer to the door.

‘Are you sure I can’t get you colts anything?’ 

Tinker’s father opened the door to find Tinker twitching face down, and Sombra sitting in front of the couch in what looked like a very uncomfortable position. 

‘No thank you! We’re fine thanks, aren’t we Tinker?’

Tinker waved a hoof, and Tinker’s father smirked before he closed the door.

‘Lucky your father’s such a softy. He totally realised something was up.’

‘Did you call me Tink?’ 

‘In my panic I think I might have.’

‘Beer, please.’ Tinker said, voice hoarse.

Sombra handed him a can.

‘I told you at school that I sent Luna a letter yeah?’

‘You did.’

‘She sent one back. Apparently I get a fancy carriage to take me there next week.’

‘Lucky you.’

Tinker kept away from the other drinks for the evening, so Sombra was left to get drunk by himself. He got too drunk.

‘Arrre you shure you don’t want any?’ Sombra asked for the fifth time.

‘Sombra.’

‘Okay.’

‘Sombra you’re not making it home.’

‘I can make it home.’

‘Catch this and I’ll let you go home.’

Tinker threw an empty beer can behind him.

‘You didn’t catch it. You’re sleeping here tonight.’

Instead of complaining, Sombra stared at the floor, looking very sad.

‘I should be the one piss drunk.’

The house wasn’t accommodated for overnight guests, so Tinker insisted on sleeping on the sofa, letting Sombra take the bed. Tinker wasn’t surprised that his neck was as stiff as a flagpole when he woke up. In the night he contemplated just how he considered Sombra, while his gaze guiltily flicked between the ceiling, and his friend. That it is to say, though he’d been calling Sombra a friend almost since they’d first met, he was feeling certain things he shouldn’t be as a friend. He wanted to sit closer than Sombra would be comfortable with, and Tinker wanted to impress the other unicorn in the smallest of ways. He’d make an extra quip there, add some bravado here... So what is it, Tinker? I’m scared it’s love. 

Maybe that would explain his undeniably erratic behaviour.One minute he’d been asking if Luna was hot, the next he’d be saying horrible things. Tinker wasn’t deluded enough to genuinely believe it was the beer, that was just something he said for his own amusement. You like to repeat that often, Tinker.

Tinker awoke first. He muttered something about ponies sleeping on sofas, and left the room to go do whatever Tinker did in mornings like this. When Sombra got up, he speculated he’d probably gone to take a shower, or something. How much of the damn stuff had he drunk? He’d drunk more than enough to give him a killer hangover, and with it he realised why they were recounted with grimaces. 

‘Morin’ said Tinker, closing the door behind him.

‘I didn’t make it home did I?’

‘You were that drunk?’

‘No, I just wanted to make sure I didn’t do anything too unreasonable.’

‘You’re a cooperative kind of drunk apparently. You were fine.’

Sombra had already stood up, and done some stretches.

‘You going already?’

‘Yeah, my dad’ll be worried if I’m not back by like, twelve.’

‘It’s already eleven.’

‘All the more reason. Wouldn’t want cops coming round to your place.’

‘Seriously?’

‘Maybe. I don’t know.’

Sombra gathered the bottles and cape, but stopped right at the door.

‘Wasn’t there something else? I think you said there was something else along with your apology.’

‘Oh, that.’ 

Tinker’s mind cast back to his thoughts to last night. When he’d apologised, Tinker had thought he’d have the bravery to tell Sombra about it, but that clearly wasn’t the case.

‘It’s nothing.’

‘Are you sure? You seemed very–’

‘Earnest.’ Tinker finished off for him.

Sombra stared at him for a few seconds, bewildered, before he wished Tinker goodbye. There was no need for a hug this time.
> Opals Aren't Indicative Of Sexual Advance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A week had past, and Sombra was glad he was finally going to see Luna. He hadn’t particularly enjoyed school, (sparing the wit Tinker provided) but Sombra was disgruntled with having nothing to do. It felt like wasted time, though as his mother sometimes said, ‘Time enjoyed is not time wasted.’ Sombra had long noticed the spacious room for interpretation the statement provided, but he’d always assumed Robyn wasn’t trying to insinuate anything. Only I’d be so wicked as to consider the thought.

He’d have to go by train. It wasn’t the longest train ride in the world, but the unicorn did consider the whole hour it took to be fairly substantial. The few times he’d been on a train was to visit his fuddy-duddy relatives, over in Baltimare. They weren’t much fun. 

Luna had been kind enough to have an escort waiting for him at the station.

‘Welcome to Canterlot, Sombra. I’m Felix, your guide,’ he said, bowing.

Felix the pegasus took him to the palace, left Sombra in an antechamber, and told him the Lunar Princess would be coming to see him soon. As Sombra should have expected, the palace interior was grand in both size and design, yet he was still surprised by it. A lone pillar covered in cosmic etchings stood in the centre of the space... he’d never seen one of them displayed quite so directly before. The few times he’d been in or close to buildings that needed pillars, they were pushed aside for some other visual delight. He hardly noticed that he’d stood up from his chair and started to walk around the support, admiring the insane grandeur of it all.

‘Hiya, Som-bra!’

‘Oh hi!’

‘You look like you’re lost.’

‘No, it’s just that it’s really magnificent.’

‘The column? It is splendid.’

Luna let Sombra adore it a while longer, before she politely reminded him why he’d come.

‘My intention is to lead you to the garden.’

‘Okay... Why’s that?’

‘Technically, so there’s a chance what havock you may wreak will find itself in the heavens, instead of the ceiling ponies worked so hard to make.’

‘Oh.’

‘But there’s going to be a lot of talking before that. I think you’ll find the garden to be least intimidating in this unfamiliar place for you.’

‘Talking?’

‘Yes, talking when we get there.’

‘What kind of talking?’

‘What happened to that colt I met at your school? Wasn’t he shy around me?’

‘Well I did like, challenge you on that law.’

Luna took a moment to remember.

‘Haha, so you did! Good for you.’

A flight of stairs and some high ceilings later, the two arrived at the garden, which turned out to be plain compared to the rest of the place. ‘That might be why she thinks I’ll be comfortable here. Makes sense,’ Sombra thought.

‘Over here.’

She took him to a set of marble benches, but the back was too steep, making Sombra feel like he was a monk when he sat on it. I’ll get used to it. To Sombra’s slight embarrassment, Luna swiftly sat right next to him, instead of the bench opposite. Jeez she’s huge! She really was huge—his head barely met her shoulder when they were sitting like this!

‘Are you scared of me now, Som-bra?’

‘I’m confused why you’re calling me that.’

‘Are you offended?’

‘No.’

‘It’s reminiscent of how I called my sister in our foalhood, but I can stop if you prefer.’

‘No, no call me whatever.’

‘Whatever.’

‘You’re really a child, Luna.’

‘Thank you!’

‘So...’

‘Right, the talking.’

Luna took a deep breath, and looked Sombra in the eye before continuing.

‘Sombra, let me be frank. If we plunge ourselves into the depths of your power, whatever it may be, we will be leaping into the unknown. I told you before, I’m confident we’ll find some worth, and I stand by that, but you must realise that attempting to do so is not without risk. While I don’t doubt I’ll be able to stop you if need be, if it comes to that, you’re unlikely to leave unscarthed.’

‘Like what?’

‘At best some bruises, at worst your ability to use magic may be... compromised for the rest of your life.’

Sombra was skeptical. He wasn’t that powerful, was he? 

‘Why is it worth trying then? I mean, if it turns out all I can do is make some pretty lights, I’d have risked it for nothing.’

‘I assure you, it’s very unlikely to come to such drastic measures.’

‘How reassuring!’

‘For to be hurting you at all would already mean I’d have failed. That’s the only reason why it’d happen, I’d have messed up.’

Sombra frowned and faced away from the intense stare she’d been giving him.

‘Sorry was I too... earnest?’ 

‘No no, it’s rather serious. But why didn’t you tell me before?’

Luna looked away.

‘What?’

‘...I forgot.’

Sombra had been expecting something convoluted.

‘That’s ridiculous!’

‘Completely irresponsible of me. I’m sorry.’

‘...I think I’ll do it anyway.’

Luna chuckled.

‘Then we need to learn to trust each other. That’s what were going to be doing for these first few sessions.’

Sombra asked how, but Luna put his question aside. She just told him that it would be beneficial for them to have a normal conversation for now. They did try to have a normal conversation, though they didn’t have much in common. What was he supposed to talk about, the latest album from The Horsefellas?

‘Perhaps I should warn you we might end in delving into some fairly unsavory topics. Purely in pursuit in of our mutual trust, of course.’

‘Why’s that?’

‘For honesty! How am I supposed to trust someone I’m not honest with?’

‘Are lying and trusting incompatible for you?’

‘You can lie to me, if you want. I’m not at all used to talking somepony such as you.’

Sombra waited for Luna to actually answer the question, but all he got was an expectant look back. I can’t understand her at all. It was then that Sombra felt something was really off. Where’d her wing gone?

Sombra lept off the bench when he realised just where she’d put her wing—she’d draped it over the back of the bench! From the conventions of less civilised times anything with wings wasn’t supposed to relax them like that. Since the wings were both vital and delicate for the majority of creatures that possessed them, they never left the flank outside of flight, privacy, or intimacy. Nopony expected to have their wing spontaneously maimed anymore, but the gesture retained its amorous, even carnal status for everypony old enough to have such desires.

‘Oh my I didn’t mean to do that! It slipped!’

‘It slipped a long bloody way!’

‘I’m just not used to having anypony around! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean anything of the sort!’

Sombra sat heavily on the opposite bench.

‘That wasn’t your trust was it?’

‘Sombra, enough. I’ve apologised, don’t take advantage of my mistake. You’ll lose a lot of friends that way.’

It could have gone better. 

> Bismuth Isn't Faithful 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sombra was sent home on Luna’s personal pegasus-driven chariot after that. Being so high up was exhilarating and made him want to be a pegasus too. His life would be a lot simpler without the pesky horn. Wind flowing around your ears, no magic to worry about... That’d have been a good life. Sombra wasn’t sure if ‘good’ was better than his current life though.

It was already dark when they got back and Sombra was grateful for it, as being carried in a golden chariot was decidedly unsubtle. Unfortunately the night didn’t stop his parents from noticing two tired pegasi landing in front of their doorstep. 

‘Welcome home, your highness.’ 

‘No thank you, Dad... Where’s Robyn?’

‘Come on in.’

Alex let Sombra go in first, before shutting the door once he’d gone in too.

‘She’s staying at friend’s house.’

‘Whose?’

‘They went to the same school together... Name slips my mind. But never mind that, how’d your first lesson go?’

‘We just talked. Not much happened. It was fine. She’s a bit more introverted than I expected.’

‘And what do you mean by that?’

‘Well, you know, introverted. I thought she’d be like, awing and more adept with ponies that anyone I’d ever met.’

‘Awing isn’t a word.’

‘Yes it is, Dad. Before you ask me to, I’m not bothered to look it up in the dictionary for you. I’m sleeping.’

‘When are you seeing Luna again?’

‘Day after tomorrow!’ Sombra yelled from his room.

Tomorrow came quickly. Sombra was still getting used to the idea of getting up whenever he wanted, so on some days he’d wake up far earlier than he meant to—school day early. To Sombra’s disgruntlement, this was one of those days. He went down and made himself some toast. Dad’s still asleep, I guess. Just as I say that, I hear footsteps. Sombra didn’t know Alex got up this early...

Sombra was baffled when a cream colured, pegasus he’d never seen before strode into the living room, his living room.

‘Who are you?’ they asked simultaneously.

The mare wore an elegant green dress, and looked equally astonished as Sombra. A gratuitous silence developed, neither of the ponies moving in the slightest. Sombra stood from his chair, saying ‘Um...’ Swiftly now, she walked within a wing-span of Sombra, glared at him, and muttered ‘Are you...’ He’d just been thinking of introducing himself, but she’d just made herself a lot more threatening. 

‘Never mind then.’ She said, and left as quickly as she’d come.

What the fuck was that? Sombra bounded down the corridor to Alex’s room, but when he reached the door, it opened, in his face and into his face. By all means, being hit by a door was not a common occurrence for him, but he was confident that he’d never been hit as hard by one before.. When he came to his senses a few seconds later, it took him a few more moments to realise why his temple was so warm. It’d only been a side-on blow, so his horn was unharmed.

‘Sombra!’ Alex shouted at him.

‘What?’

‘Did you see a pegasus leave?’

‘Huh, can’t you help me?’ Appropriate for what he was saying, some blood had flowed into his mouth, so he was spitting red droplets. Tastes awful.

‘Where’d she go?’

‘Are you going somewhere?’

Evidently he was. Alex was in the living room when his bleeding son called out for him to wait. Sombra had lurched himself up, and was slowly making his way to block his father from leaving. The sight of a bloodied young unicorn desperately trying to stop his father, was a picture that’d make even the most cold-hearted of individuals hesitate, and of course from Sombra’s point of view, Alex was an extremely cold-hearted individual right now. Paralysed by indecision, Alex neither went to aid his son, or barged out the front door. But he effectively had his mind made up for him when Sombra swayed too far to one side, fell over, and got up again, even less stable this time. Alex grabbed a dry washing cloth, and pressed it tight against his son’s head.

‘The bleeding was just about to stop until you fell, you fool.’

‘Sorry, I was feeling a bit dizzy... Imagine what’d Robyn would make of this if she came in now.’

‘I really am hopeless, Sombra. I don’t even help you even after I slam a door in your face.’

‘She must be important.’

‘Nothing should be as important as you.’

‘Mmm, should. Really, Dad, what’s going on?’

Alex explained, feeling too guilty to keep it a secret any longer. Her name was Rosie. Alex had been seeing her for six months, and he'd’ wanted to offer running away with her.

‘She promised she’d stick around today to hear what I had to say.’

‘Did she now?’

‘Aren’t you angry with me?’

‘Oh yes, furious. I want to punch you honestly. Robyn’s been as great a mother as I and you could hope for. But maybe unlike you, Dad, I don’t get angry when it’s not good to be angry.’

The two had been sitting on the floor, for far more time than was needed to stem the bleeding. 

‘I’ll clear the floor up. You do whatever you want to do.’

‘I still want to know some things, so I’ll stand beside you.’

Alex fetched a wet towel and got started on removing some stray drops of blood.

‘Why’d you do it? Don’t you love your wife anymore?’

‘No, like you said she’s great, really wonderful. I just...’

‘You just...’

‘I got bored, Sombra. She’s less attractive than your mother in every way–’

‘Fuck off, you expect me to believe that?’

‘I don’t expect much anymore, but I’d hoped you’d believe me.’

Sombra stomped on the ground in fury, feeling just as powerless as when he’d been spanked. After this, the relationship of his parents would disintegrate, and then what? It wasn’t something he’d questioned before. Why’d he done it? Nopony just gets “bored.”  But why’d he lie to me now?

‘Loving husband’s don’t just get bored.’

‘I wouldn't expect you to understand.’

‘You’re disgusting.’

Knock Knock, went the door. Robyn’s home.

> Garnets Can't Play The Piano
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sombra and his father were left in a foreboding silence. Of course, the son was well aware of his power, a terrible noose waiting to be tugged at. Alex felt like a hostage at this point.

Knock knock, went the door, louder this time.

‘She has keys.’

‘Go clean yourself up would you?’

‘We’ll talk later.’ Sombra said,  sounding more threatening than he’d intended. Mind you, there wasn’t much he could have said that wouldn’t have been threatening. Perhaps you shouldn’t have said anything at all.

Alex hastily stuffed the bloodied towel into the bottom of the tiny washing pile.

‘What are you doing, darling?’

‘Oh I just thinking that I’d left some keys in there... How was your friend?’

‘He seemed lonely, but he’s been doing okay. We reminisced about our school days, had coffee.. He remembers a lot more than I do, which is a bit sad, haha.’

The rest of the day was uneventful. Alex and Sombra didn’t ‘talk later,’ but they did have a peculiarly terse supper, to Robyn’s bafflement. For as much as Sombra despised Alex for what he’d done, Sombra felt a distinct guilt. He didn’t want to have an invitation for blackmail over his father, or over anypony for that matter, it was unfair. Probably terrified I’m going to snitch on him. 

The next morning, Sombra was awoken by his father’s calls.

‘Sombra! You said you were going to see Luna today!’

‘Comming!’

Drowsy because he’d woken early yesterday, Sombra repeated the same routine he’d done since school, which was: shower, teeth, breakfast, (how he pined for tasteless toothpaste) money and then keys (just in case). The only difference was that his bag had the train tickets he’d bought yesterday, instead of school textbooks. Just as he’d stepped outside, his father pulled him aside.

‘You’re not going to tell her, are you?’ 

‘What, Robyn? Only if you’re not going to tell her.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘It means you better tell her, dumbass!’

Sombra strode off to the station, got on the train to Canterlot, and at some point found himself amused at his little outburst. Bit cold. But you don’t like him do you? Yeah, and rightly so, the dumbfuck. Maybe having this power isn’t so bad.

It was just as he arrived in Canterlot when he realised he’d made a terrible mistake. Luna was nocturnal. So what does a young stallion in Canterlot do?  He had some expensive coffee, wandered the bustling streets, and gave his change to a street performer, as it turned out. Canterlot was its own world, where shops of all kinds (some more dubious than others) were plentiful, even outside the commercial districts. And where there weren’t merchants, there was art. He’d past libraries, galleries, sculptures and theaters, and all looked as if they were held with great prestige. There were an array of plays, the most popular of which were on fictional democracies, interestingly enough. Still, by evening, he was exhausted. Hope she’s not gonna make me do anything too strenuous. Nah, it’ll be fine.


‘Welcome Som-bra! You’re a bit early.’

Sombra slumped onto the uncomfortable bench, opposite—not next to Luna.

‘I’ve been wandering around this city all day, so it doesn’t feel like it to me.’

‘You should have come here!’

‘Maybe I should have.’

‘Even if I wasn’t available, I’m sure they’d let you use the library, if you’d like.’

It took them ten minutes before they got off the small talk. 

‘What are we going to be doing tonight?’

‘We can do a few exercises if you’d like. I think the easiest and simplest way for us build trust would be by simply performing magic together.’

Sombra asked if the ‘trust thing’ was a ‘big deal,’ to which Luna replied ‘It might save our lives one day,’ staring at him, with her azure eyes, in way so it seemed she’d been piercing his soul. Luna went on to ask, ‘Do you play any instruments, Sombra?

‘I had some piano lessons when I was in primary school but that’s about it.’

‘But for example you could play, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, or something else basic?’

‘It doesn’t get more basic than that, I think I could still play it.’

‘Excellent! Follow me if you please.’

Luna took him through a courtyard and a flight of stairs before they reached a room that appeared smaller than it was, because the magnificent piano occupied an equally magnificent space. For once the ceiling wasn’t excessively high; Sombra could have jumped to reach it.

‘It’s gorgeous!’ Sombra said.

‘It’s a shame it doesn’t get played more often... Could you play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for me then?’

Sombra devoured the sight further before he sat down on the piano stool.

‘You could be playing this.’

‘But I’d play it in a different way to you, Som-bra!’

‘With your wings, knowing you.’ (Extremely demeaning.)

‘Yes and you’d play it with your horn.’ Luna made a faint motion to slam his horn onto the keys.

Sombra played out the simple tune with his hoof, as any pianist should do. He was marginally confused that Luna had leaned in, intently watching him press the keys.

‘Now I want you to play it with your horn.’

‘...It was dry the first time.’

Luna played the first three notes with her horn, telekinetically.

‘Oh.’

It was significantly harder with magic. Sombra had to apply relatively precise, brief pressure to the keys, release them and then repeat in rapid succession. It was a similar challenge (if somewhat easier) to levitating multiple, small objects at once, you had to be constantly aware of where the note was, where the next one was going to be and if you weren’t, you’d most likely end up hitting two keys at once. For a simple tune in particular, magic required more concentration than hoof movement ever would. 

Luna stretched as Sombra toiled, never finishing the entire tune faultlessly, as she’d insisted he should do nothing less. ‘Well, at least it’s good for my ego, if not his.’ Luna thought. 

‘Not so easy, playing it with your horn?’

‘Apparently not. It’s like, learning a way harder tune for the piano, done conventionally. I know where the keys are, but getting my horn to cooperate is a different story. Could you do it?’

‘Yes.’

‘I’m sure you could do better.’

‘It’s grossly unfair, Sombra. I’ve been living for too long.’

‘I’d still like you to show me, if you don’t mind... And trust, right?’

‘Trust.’

Sombra stood  in expectancy, and by the time he’d left the seat, Luna had already teleported somewhere and back again, now with a turquoise bandana slinked over her neck.  

‘That was fast.’

‘As I’ve said Som-bra, it’s grossly unfair. In some areas, even the masters or the artisans haven’t had as much time in their craft like I have. What I can do does cap though. Don’t forget that, else you think I’m a scholar in everything.’

‘And the scarf?’

‘Bandanna turned blindfold, to make things a bit fairer.’

‘You don’t have to handicap yourself for me!’

‘Ah but it adds pressure!’

Quite the jump from fairness to pressure.

Luna sat on the stool and asked Sombra to tie her blindfold.

‘Where did you even get a turquoise bandana?’

‘Made to order place called Indigo. Would you like one?’

‘Er, I don’t know...’

‘You could get your own colour, and we’d be the... The Bandana Ponies?’

I hope not.

Once the cloth was securely fastened, Luna pressed every key (just to get a feel for it, she said) and went on to play a melancholic tune. Sombra was too embarrassed to admit it, but Luna (blindfolded) was better than he’d ever been, magic or none. She’s enjoying herself though... Sombra didn’t find the instrument to be much fun. The things we’re forced to do rarely are.

Luna swayed her head to the command of the harmony, ebbing, flowing, haunting. Is this what she spends her time doing? Idly mastering what she thinks are her hobbies? What a strange life Luna leads.

‘Phew, I really had to concentrate for that.’

‘...You’re amazing.’

‘Thank you, but I’ve got to cite my age again.’

‘And just how old you?’

‘Would you like to know?’

> Icarus Didn't Grasp A Jasper In His Plumet
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Younger than whoever these belonged to.’

Luna instantly materialized three crimson feathers of differing lengths; two of them had yellow tips. 

‘They’re phoenix feathers. My sister tells me they’re one from the plume, one from the tail, and one from the base of the wing. Supposedly they’ve been around before we—anypony existed.’

‘Any particular reason why they’re all different? Like, different parts of the body?’

‘Some courtier of Celestia’s brought them to her. I don’t know more than that. He found them in the woods, I imagine.’

Luna offered to give them to him when he was done for the night. ‘A little motivator’ she called it.

Sombra got very close, but didn’t quite achieve perfection in his Twinkle Twinkle Little Star playing, always a bit slow somewhere, occasionally a note off. After forty minutes of frustration, Luna told him to give up for the day. 

‘We’re going to be doing something similar again the day after tomorrow, so I don’t want my little student to tire himself out. Not yet anyway!’

‘I can still keep going–’

‘You know how [magic] induced weariness works, Sombra. It creeps up on you, and one day you’re completely exhausted, no warning.’

Truthfully, Sombra had never extended himself enough so that’d happened. Naturally, he gave Luna the benefit of the doubt on this one. Alicorns are Alicorns, and Princesses are Princesses. If they’re one and the same, you should probably trust what they have to say.

‘So how are things at home?’ Luna asked.

They were sitting in garden again, though on the grass instead of the chairs, as per Sombra’s request.

‘Dramatic. Really... not so good.’

‘Is that so? Sorry. Let me know if I can help.’

‘And yourself?’

‘Tia, I mean my sister, says she wants to announce a new celestial holiday, called The Summer Sun Celebration.’

‘That’s... nice.’

What was I supposed to say?

‘Not sure why. Maybe she’s feeling a bit self indulgent, haha.’

Quite suddenly, a crackle of thunder passed through the garden. (And probably the entire palace, judging how close it was!) Luna apologised for her forgetfulness of the weather schedule (‘Forgive me.’) and invited Sombra inside the grand Canterlot palace.

‘Where would you like to go, Sombra?’

‘...As much as I wouldn’t mind touring the palace, it’s late.’

‘Oh it is for you, isn’t it? Sorry again, I’m not being very mindful of you am I?’

‘Really it’s no issue.’

‘I shan’t give reason for my student to spite me!’

‘I don’t spite you.’

‘Now now, would you like a carriage back?’

‘If you’d be so kind.’

When he arrived back home under Luna’s night, he tried to tip the poor chauffeurs, but in true regal fashion, they refused. Whoops. His parents were already asleep, so he didn’t receive any welcome as he opened the door, except for the jangling of keys... it was a lonely sound.

Next day came, breakfast and supper. It seemed Alex still hadn’t told her. I’ll give him one more lesson’s worth ‘till I pounce on him again. 

‘Isn’t nice not to have any homework to do anymore?’ Robyn asked.

For as long as Sombra could recall, she’d had this habit of reading the morning newspaper in the evening; she was doing it now.

‘I guess so... never considered it a problem, it was just, there.’

‘Really? I always hated it... But Sombra, don’t you think your father’s been a little off recently?’

I wonder why.

‘Huh?’

‘You don’t think so? He tries very hard not to make eye contact with you.’

‘I haven’t noticed.’

Robyn looked distinctly unconvinced as she said ‘Really?’

‘You know the other day you woke early for the lesson with Luna? ‘Course she’s not up at that time.’

Robyn was intimidatingly quiet. In an effort to escape the confrontation, Sombra promptly declared his early bed time, and cantered straight out of the room. He heard her whisper something on the way out, ‘Liars.’

Sombra was anxious about the escalatingly toxic state of the house; it occurred to him that he could mask his more malicious intentions with it. Why was he pressuring Alex so? Because Robyn would force them if he didn’t and that would be far worse. You better realise if you’re lying to yourself, Sombra. You know I love you so, but I am the easiest of all to fool.

‘I have a terrible power, Som-bra.’ Luna said, strolling about the well kept garden.

Sombra did a ghost impersonation.

‘I...’ Luna struggled forming a sentence, chuckling as Sombra continued.

‘You obviously like my spoooooooky ghost noise, Luna.’

‘You’re very silly.’

‘And you’re a filly for laughing at it!’

‘I was going to say something serious, but I can’t quite face it after that.’

‘Spooky.’

‘Anyway, has the situation at your home improved?’

‘Not exactly...’

‘Talk to me.’

‘Well as it turns out, I’ve got a terrible power too.’

Sombra didn’t hesitate in telling her, he wanted the catharsis. Luna didn’t say much about it though, apparently she was indifferent and only mildly sympathetic.

Sombra went back to playing the piano again, and on his fourth try he played the tune faultlessly, finally.

‘Not far until there’s less talking for us Som-bra. I might work you quite hard, depending on our progress.’

‘I’ll try my best.’

‘I’m apprehensive for you.’

‘Why’s that?’

‘...Let me show you. I’m going to emulate your aura as best as I can, general negativity included, and push myself as far as I can stand. You know what happens to most unicorns, don’t you?’

‘Yeah, they get a bit dizzy, a headache, migrane even, confusion and fatigue. Haven’t experienced it myself though, pushing it that far is for the duelers. ‘Part from a few times when I was a colt.’

‘Sometimes you get nausea as well.. For alicorns like me and my sister, its much the same, though we take longer to recover, as our sheer magical output is, as you know, is greater than a unicorns.’

‘Are you sure you want to do this then? It really doesn’t sound so pleasant.’

‘If I can lift and lower the moon once a night, I can do similar without harm. Besides, I’m not going to let you take all the risk, Som-bra!’

He felt guilty as Luna’s horn illuminated. Her was brow creased in concentration; standing so rigid Sombra doubted he could move her if he wanted. She took the fastest and least productive route to magical depletion, intensely concentrating on her horn so that while a lot of energy was passing through it, all that was happening was that it gradually being lost. (Or magical diffusion, as it was termed in scientific contexts. The rate of energy lost increased as more energy was passed through the horn, though this was not dependent on how dense the magic was outside of the horn.)

Thirty seconds, and she kept going. Sixty seconds, ninety seconds, two minutes passed, and to Sombra they seemed far longer. Luna gasped, the last of her magic crackled, and she started swaying like a drunk. 

‘Balance, Sombra, if you’re there.’

Sombra rushed to her side, let her arm go over his neck and hoped he wouldn’t have to do any more, her arm was heavy enough! Something was weird, though. She looked absolutely terrified. 

‘Are you alright? You–’

‘Mm, give me a moment... Wall, guide me to a wall.’

‘You can sit down instead, that might be easier.’

‘Wall.’

With moderate difficulty, Sombra nudged her to the nearest wall, taking care not to push her over entirely. She kept biting her lip, and sweated like she’d flown too close to the sun.

‘That’s better. Keep a hold of me, please.’

‘Are you sure you don’t want me to call someone?’

‘Shhhh.’

Holding his teachers arm and simply listening to her breathing was strangely alluring. Granted he was concerned for her, but from here the thought of brushing up against her wing or neck wasn’t repulsive to him in the least. Fucking Tartarus, if you carry on you really are going to end up fucking her. Yeah right, in your dreams. You won’t prove Tinker right, never never never.

‘Thank you. I’ll stand now.’

Sombra slid under her outstretched arm.

‘That wasn’t very nice.’

‘You don’t say, Luna!’

‘But not like acute magic exhaustion. Still dizzy, still a headache, but something different too. A distortion of the senses, a vague inexplicable force—as if it had a will.’

Sombra didn’t know what to say, or do. His alarm at Luna’s whimsical decision to take such a risk for him made him unsure if he should be feeling, regardless to what he was actually feeling. He didn’t know what he was feeling. The piano now seemed trivial, as he imagined what could happen to him, but a mere unicorn, meddling in what even Luna struggled with.

‘It was terrifying... I doubt it was as menacing as it seemed. That’s often the case with the unfamiliar.’

‘Is it so easy for you to just copy my aura? Tinker’s father said he’d never seen anything like it.’

‘Easier for me than it is for him, or any Equestrian. I’m fairly confident that, should you exhaust yourself, the results would be similar. I think you’ve been taught that the safest method to conduct a spell for the first time is to allow a miniature version of it get out of control.’

‘The Unicornian Method they call it, yeah. Only the unicorns who had magic-specialised cutiemarks were taught it, but I got shoved in with them too, since I don’t know what mine is.’

Luna cocked her head, unaware of Sombra’s destinyless cutiemark before now. Sombra had forgotten he hadn’t told her. In an effort to mask her surprise, she quickly brought him back out into the garden. Later, when the cleaners made their rounds, they were bewildered by the  damp patch on the wall of the piano room.

> The Tiger's Eye Sees Not The Horrors Of Monogamy And Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carriage, pegasi, goodbyes and Sombra was home again. He’d only talked with Luna for the rest of the night. Once again, it was too late for his parents to be awake, so for the moment Sombra could only hope his father had done the right thing.

‘Alex? He left early this morning, said he was going to get you something.’ Robyn said.

Alex’s behaviour reminded him of his “let me take a day of school, the teacher will forget about homework” attitude he’d had through school. 

‘And you let him go?’

‘Why wouldn’t I, Sombra?’

Robyn knew she had him caught. It was obvious to her, that Sombra and Alex had been doing deals behind her back, and apparently it wasn’t a light matter either, going by just how submissive Alex had become.

Figuratively, Sombra was squirming. Of course his dad had run away, am I going to be a snitch here? She deserves to know, doesn’t she? ‘Course she does... So go on then, tell her. She was saying something, but he wasn’t listening anymore. He’s not gonna tell her, so you do it. You’ve got to. You’ll regret it if you don’t! Sombra The Coward you’ll be! 


‘You won’t want to hear this...’

Sombra finally trampled his guilt.

‘He’s been cheating on you.’

‘With who?’

‘I Dunno really. He didn’t say much about her... Pegasus.’

It was then, that Robyn did something very strange: she burst out laughing. Sombra was dumbfounded, too confused to ask what was going on, or even if he should. 

‘That’s really funny, Sombra!’

‘Do I look like I’m joking to you?!’

‘There there, I’m aware, don’t snap at your mother now. He’s done a worse job than me...’

‘What are you on about?’

She glanced away like some shy school filly.

‘You’re kidding me!’

‘I don’t think you’re wrong.’

Sombra was astounded by how silly his idea was.

‘So you’ve... been, y’know... with someone else?’

‘Probably longer than your father has.’

‘...Well fuck me!’

‘You shouldn’t use such language.’

‘Extraordinary circumstances.’ Though by no standard, was swearing extraordinary. He wanted to say, ‘Fuck you.’

Alex didn’t come back from wherever he’d gone to that morning, at least, not today. Your parents sure like keeping secrets from you, don’t they, Sombra? Each other too. Wonder if there are any more.

With Alex still absent, Sombra reluctantly boarded the train to Canterlot the following day. Your princess calls, I suppose. That sounds a bit weird. Not as weird as my “family” though. What had been happening at Sombra’s home had already disconnected him from his lessons, and now he was disconnected from his parents too. It was one betrayal after another, and why were they still together, if this had been going on as long as his mother implied? Why did I ever think they loved each other? He once had a shadow of a hope that the family was recoverable but the sun had since fallen.

‘Welcome, Som-bra!’

Still with the name?

‘Yeah, hi, Luna.’

I sound grumpy.

‘You sound grumpy.’

‘Yeah well, shit happens.’

Oh it hurts if you downplay it!

‘I hope you’re feeling brave.’

‘Oh yeah?’

You really are grumpy aren’t you?

‘You’ll be doing what I did in our last lesson.’

‘Err, okay.’

‘You’ll be fine, I’ll poke you if you’re in trouble!’

I guess that’s her wit for you. The weirdest slapstick known to Equestrians.

‘Some tongue movements first.’

‘We going to the garden again?’

‘That seems to be our usual spot.’

‘Take us somewhere else, I’m bored of going there.’

Luna was clearly taken aback.

‘W-where would you like to go?’

‘I don’t know, somewhere I haven’t been before, library?’

‘Sure.’

Turns out the library was at almost the opposite end of the palace, but they got there eventually. As one would expect, there were a lot of books. Far more than Sombra could count, and full shelves more than twice his height. It was like the chamber had been made too perfectly for ponies to inhabit it, or life in general. Aside from Luna and Sombra, the library was empty.

‘Impressed?’

‘You could say that.’

‘I’m afraid its grandeur has worn away for me. Disgusting in that I can’t appreciate my luxuries anymore, isn’t it?’

‘I can’t empathise.’

‘A sensible position... Was there a reason you wanted to come here?’

‘No, just, bored of the garden.’

‘You could make a forest with the paper that’s in here.’

‘So what, do you like reading Luna, or do all these books just sit here?’

Couldn’t have put it any less confrontationally could you?

‘They’re plenty of ponies in here during the more diurnal hours. I’m only of it’s many users.’

The two talked for some time before Luna showed Sombra what she’d do if Sombra lost control of his magic, which is to say, kick him in the tummy, shove him to the ground, and put pressure on his horn. I’ll have the migraine of my life if it comes to that. 

‘But worry not, Som-bra! It’s going to be just like when I did it two days ago.’

‘That looked harrowing in itself.’

‘Be brave, my son!’

They both chuckled at that. 

She took him back to the garden, and told him to start when he was ready. With trepidation, Sombra started to channel his magic through his horn, letting it uselessly drain out of him. It was an odd sensation, as flowing lots of magic through the horn was normally a preparatory stage to a powerful spell, where a burst of energy was required. The flow became harder to maintain and just like Luna, Sombra was sweating buckets.

And then he gasped and spluttered, tumbling onto his back. Luna was swift to assist.

‘It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m here.’ Luna soothed, using her arm to support his neck like he were a foal. She found herself enjoying it while it lasted, but Sombra soon pushed her away.

‘Well, whatever helps you. Talk to me when you’re ready.’

Sombra repeatedly bit his lip, as if he wasn’t convinced it was there, but after a long minute of heavy breathing, he broke his wordlessness.

‘Fucking... schizophrenic in there.’

Luna said nothing.

‘Can I go home, Luna?’

‘Sure, tell me about it next time.’

‘Give me a little bit, still dizzy.’

In the exhausted state he was in, he’d forgotten what was going on at home, and didn’t remember until he was fumbling with the keys again.

> Phoenixes Don't Gift Tanzanaites
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As usual it was late when he got home, so Sombra didn’t expect his mother to be awake. He did expect her to be present, however, and she wasn’t. Her bedroom door was wide open, as was the space on her bed. She run away too?

Sombra wasn’t too great at making breakfast, so he only made himself some toast. It was a bit frightening, being alone... No, it wasn’t that, it was the possibility nopony might come back. He wondered what he was doing, and what he ought to be doing, as the birds chirped outside. You’re staring at the wall, that’s what you’re doing. And what ought I be doing? Don’t get all existential on me! 

Sometimes we escape.

A vast, open field, blue clouds, white sky, and a crystalline owl flowed into consciousness. Somepony, somewhere was floating. 

‘Poof poof,’ went the clouds. ‘Where have my parents gone?’ they asked, and fell into the field.

‘Scrunch scrunch,’ went the field, eating the clouds. ‘Your misery is so tasty, I think Im going to–’ it said, then bursting into sparkly shards.

‘Smash smash,’ went the owl, climbing over the remains. ‘I dislike crystals and I got hit by a stone, but you are neither.’ it said, landing on the pony's impossibly long horn.

‘Woosh woosh,’ went the pony, crushing the owl beneath it. ‘None of this is related.’ it said, beating the owl into mushy red.

‘Related to what?’ the owl asked in its dying breath.

The pony didn’t answer until the owl was dead.

‘Related to your death.’

There came a knock on the door, and a startled Sombra. Waking up as Sombra did, with drool down your cheek is never pleasant, especially with thick fur. At least yours is dark, else it’d be noticeable to everyone else for ages.

‘Are you hungry Sombra? I can make you some late breakfast!’ 

‘No I’m fine. I made some myself, earlier. Why weren’t you here last night and this morning?’

‘Dull errands.’

Scandalous relations. Do you think your father will ever return, Sombra? I don’t know, I don’t know.

‘Were you just having a nap?’

‘Apparently.’

‘Excuse me for bothering you then.’ Robyn said, and closed the door.

Sombra looked out the window, feeling a bit better now that Robyn was back. There were three trees in a bank of grass on the middle of the street, casting pretty shadows on the ponies below.. With a gust, the leaves rustled, while spots of light shifted and merged, and Sombra saw an outline of something very unusual. Perched on a branch barely visible to him, was a bird—a huge bird! It looked as if its wingspan alone was bigger than him! 

Spurred by curiosity, Sombra rushed down the stairs and ran outside before Robyn could ask where he was going. He couldn’t see much but branches from ground level though. I could try the roof... But like most roofs in Equestria, they were sloped. You feelin’ risky? You wanna try balancing on the spine of it? I’m gonna have to try like, lying on it. He could have tried teleporting onto the tree instead of course, but he decided to leave tree-climbing to the monkeys. Very few trees supported the weight of a full grown stallion, but he wasn’t sure roofs did either. Like a colt once more, Sombra teleported himself so that his torso lay on the peak of the roof, and he was facing the tree (more importantly bird) he was so interested in. Unfortunately he’d placed himself  too high, leaving him to fall onto the roof scrabbling, and utterly winded. Gradually he succeeded in securing his (incredibly uncomfortable) position, and peered into the tree once more. Where was it again? There I think...

Just as he found the right branch, Sombra heard a flapping of wings, and turned to the right to see a phoenix landing beside him. It wasn’t just the shadows, it really is massive, could gouge my eyes out if it wanted to. Supposedly, phoenixes weren’t violent though. From what little Sombra had heard about them, you were supposed to treat them like ponies or griffins, not like animals.    

‘Hey.’ Sombra said.

It cocked its head, and looked at him.

‘You can understand me, right?’

It shuffled a step closer. Obviously, it wasn’t justan animal. Sombra was still acutely aware of the rooftop dividing his front and back legs.

‘Wonder why you’re here, apparently you don’t visit cities much.’

Qutie suddenly, the phoenix opened its left wing, and gently stroked Sombra’s back. Maybe I’m the animal here. 

‘Oh, er, thanks. Your feathers feel funny, a bit tickly, ahaha.’

He wasn’t sure if the whole open wing to intimacy association carried over to phoenixes, or even birds in general. But I mean come on, even if it does, it’s a phoenix. Try to relax.  As hard as Sombra tried to not think about it, he was still scared of the thing, with its giant claws and tiny eyes. Why there aren’t more picture of them, they’re gorgeous. ‘Cus of their rarity, I guess. 

‘I bet you’re all poetic in your head... I’ve got a question for you though. Would you happen to know what it meant if a phoenix left three feathers together? One tail, one plume, and one wing feather I think it was.’

The phoenix went rigid, and instantly withdrew its feather.

‘Woah woah, easy there! Didn’t mean to upset you, sorry.’

So something bad then... Roof’s getting pretty hot.

‘This is getting a bit uncomfortable for me, being up here. You probably don’t want to come down with me, do you? Well then, nice talking to you, really interesting! I guess it's goodbye.’

And just like that, before Sombra had even started to prepare to get off the roof, the phoenix flew away. It’d left two claw marks you could only see from the ground if you were looking for them, which Sombra thought suitable for such an ethereal being. It’s a pity there was nothing ethereal from where he’d come from, and where he was going.

> Agates Aren't Portals To Better Futures
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

How long had it been since he’d seen Tinker? It was only a month, but it’d seemed like two. Time did tend to drag on for Sombra, with so little going on every other day, not to say he found it unpleasant. Even so, maybe I ought to get a job or something...

Robyn had been rather apathetic (as usual) when Sombra told her about the phoenix on the roof. She hardly seemed surprised that such a rarity had been in the tree, on their street. Sombra hadn’t been so happy in quite a while, yet his mother didn’t even pretend to share his enthusiasm. Somehow, he didn’t think Luna would be much more receptive either. Well at least you can talk to her about the feathers.  

‘Do you think Alex will ever come back?’ Sombra asked over dinner.

‘Oh Sombra, would you like him to come back?’

‘Course I would!’

‘It wouldn't be the same.’

‘Yeah, no kidding.’

And that was all they said. Sombra thought he might not be able to contain his rage if Alex did come back, but it was a lot better than apathy, right? 

‘Sleep well, Som-bra?’

‘Huh? Yeah I guess...’

‘What?’

‘It’s just strange of you to ask me that.’

‘In some circles I am called the dream mistress.’

‘Should I care?’

You’re feigning uninterest. Get off my back would you? I said what came to mind.

‘You must be troubled to be so snide.’

‘Mmm.’

‘I’ve got a terrible power, Sombra.’

She's started on about something like this before. Somehow, I don’t think she’s dramatising, as silly as she sounds.

‘Mmm-hm.’

‘I can see ponies dreams, and even influence them to an extent.’

‘That sounds fun.’

‘Do you realise what I could make anypony—you do? ‘

‘Bring down the heavens?’

‘Are you even listening?’

‘Come on you can’t do that much just through someone’s dreams, lots of us forget about them anyway.’

‘Haha, I’ll prove it to you. You’re going to say something quite odd next time.’

‘Yeah right.’

‘So would you like to tell me what the brink was like?’

‘The brink? That’s what we’re calling it?’

‘Unless you have a preferred term!’ she giggled.

I guess not.

‘Well I mean... you know, schizophrenic, distortions and voices, I think you heard them too when you tried.’

‘I might have, but I don’t want to say anything to influence your memory.’

‘Never done anything scarier, felt like I’d lose myself.’

‘And what do you mean by that?’

‘Er, like I’d forget who I was... corrupted, maybe?’

Luna frowned.

‘That’s not good Som-bra.’

‘I won’t do it again then, Lu-na.’

She gave him a cheeky grin.

‘We should be able to get you to harmonise with your magic eventually, even when you are pushing yourself.’

After some lengthy discussion about the technicalities of what “harmonising” involved, Sombra brought up the phoenix he’d encountered. Luna was puzzled to hear how it had reacted, she hadn’t thought the feathers could mean anything dire. ‘Are you sure?’ she kept asking. 

‘Still, I’m glad you talked to one, though my sister tells me they can be rather moody.’

‘I–’

‘She’s been trying to find a way to understand them, I’m sure they’ve got some interesting tales to tell, haha.’

‘Isn’t she busy with running Equestria and that stuff?’

‘More than me, but she finds time. She’s even mentioned how she’d like to have a collection of phoenix feathers, I’ve no idea why she’s suddenly become so interested in them.’

‘Maybe she wants to be one!’

‘That would be liberating wouldn’t it? Quite lonely though, they’re not social, generally.’

‘Yeah yeah I know... So what are we gonna do?’

‘We could try more of the same, if you’re feeling brave. You’re going to have to conquer the fear eventually, unless you want to freak out every time you get to the brink.’

‘But that wouldn’t happen outside of doing it deliberately, right?’

‘Who knows?’

Who knows? Freakin’ alicons know, that’s who.

Begrudgingly, he did as he’d done last time, channeling all of his magic into his horn, letting it uselessly fizzle out.  And the voices called out to him, from an unrecognised part of the soul. 

‘Welcome back.’ they said, as if there wasn’t grass beneath him. ‘But there isn’t any grass beneath you, you’re with us now.’ 

Sombra tried to find the grass.

‘There is no grass, Sombra! Only us, us us, and us together, until you think you’re gone! Look at us, aren’t we beautiful together? Don’t try and treat it as if we’re seperate now, you’ll spoil our complexion!’

And they were spinning, spinning, twisting turning falling.

‘Hush it’s all right now Som-bra, you’re right here.’

‘Here is relative.’

‘Here is where my voice is.’

‘That’s an odd “here.”’

‘Odd is relative.’

Sombra laughed, finally back in the garden, sweaty, biting at his lip, and feathers brushing against his side. He was secretly enjoying her—and Tinker popped into his mind again. I mean come on, why am I so bothered about that? ‘Course I’m going to like being so close to her. She’s pretty, and shes strong and a bit weird. And she’s y’know, she, duh.

‘Feeling better now?’

‘Oh yeah, I am thanks.’ Sombra said with butterflies in his tummy.

‘Something else on your mind? You seem... distracted.’

‘No no nothing at all, just relieved I’m not nearly as shaken as last time’

Stop it. Stop staring at her neck. Stop staring at her, Sombra. She’s right next to you, of course she’s going to notice. What’s wrong with you? You’ve had your eye on mares before, fucking control yourself, yeah? You can do that can’t you? 

‘Oh really? With respect, I’m a bit doubtful.’

‘Just a bit, haha.’

She leaned closer.

‘Do you like me, Som-bra?’
> Lapis Lazuli Is Never Used In Love Rituals
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Ahahaha... errr, just little.’

‘No need to be shy, they say I am pretty!’

‘Well, you are a princess...’

‘You don’t think I am?’

Sombra didn’t answer, becoming more and more fed up.

‘Don’t you?’ she teased, so close now that Sombra could feel her breath on his cheek.

‘Are you enjoying your embarrased pet?’

‘Fine, I’ll stop. I thought you were enjoying it... sorry.’

Was that what it fucking looked like? You were a bit though, admit it. Fuck off.

‘Really its fine if you do, Som-bra. That’s all I wanted to say.’

‘Must be a common thing for you.’

‘Most of them don’t get to see me in person I imagine.’

‘So I guess we’re done for today.’

‘Yes you’ve done well. It was brave of you to go to the brink again. One last thing before I send you off with the pegasi, if I may.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Sombra, do you dislike crystals?’

‘Yeah... huh, what?’

‘Why did you say that?’

‘I was wondering that myself. I don’t mind them.’

‘Got you!’

Lithe for her size, Luna sprang and fluttered ahead of Sombra, towards where he’d be leaving. But Sombra was too puzzled to leave.

‘Huh?’

‘Your dreams, I told you I could get into ponies’ dreams! I tweaked it so that you’d say you disliked crystals.’

‘Oh... how bold.’

‘I didn’t pry, I promise. I just made you dislike crystals and left. Didn’t see a thing.’

‘Thanks, I guess?’

‘Just think of it as a blown kiss!’

So what, you like me now? 


Sombra got back to home. Still no Alex, Robyn asleep. Sombra was thinking about Tinker again. 

Both the night and the morning after passed quickly for Sombra, entirely unmemorable, like it wasn’t related to him, or even if the events were related to each other. There was choiceless cosmos between him, and the world surrounding. ‘It is related though,’ he told himself. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, it is. It is it is it is. What is related to me? Some teenage spice with Luna, and what? Your mother? You don’t listen to her anymore. Your father? You don’t hear him anymore. And Tinker...

‘I’m going to see Tinker.‘

‘Oh good, you haven’t seen each other in a long time have you?’

Sombra was already gone.

‘Knock knock.’ went the door, or was it his hoof? Sombra couldn’t tell.

Thirty seconds, and nothing.

‘Knock knock!’ it went, louder this time.

‘Tinker? You in there?’

Tinker came to the door, cowering at first, but he smiled once he saw it was Sombra knocking, and not somepony else, whoever else.

‘Sombra, it feels so long! Good to see you!’

Tinker was camp, like when they first met. He even grabbed one of Sombra’s hooves in glee.

‘Ahaha it has! I just wanted to check you’re doing alright.’

‘Yeah yeah, I’m good! Come on in, the house is empty apart from me.’

‘Your father?’

‘He’s out.’

Out.

Tinker enthusiastically ushered Sombra in (too enthusiastic).

‘Tinker?’

‘Sombra?’

‘Where are the beer cans?’

Tinker sat on the sofa.

‘Y’know, the ones ‘sposed to be covering the floor.’

He was sitting in an odd way.

‘And why are you sitting like that?’

‘And where’s your cutiemark, Sombra? No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.’

Tinker paused.

‘Hug me, please.’ Tinker said.

Sombra did as his friend asked, concerned as he was bewildered. Tinker sobbed in his arms, and Sombra found himself nuzzling Tinker’s mane. It didn’t feel like a choice, but it did hurt to see him in tears. Was that a choice?

‘Oh Tinker...’

‘It’s- it’s my Dad.’

Sombra pulled back his own tears. He didn’t feel disconnected.

‘He had a stroke, big stroke.’

‘Is he-’

‘No no, hes fine. Just different... really different.’

Tinker gently pushed Sombra away and looked into his eyes. Sombra got an offbeat vibe, a bit of intimacy when he (they) should be reeling, right? That is what we should be doing, right?

‘So different that he doesn't seem like him anymore.’

‘Does he not let you drink anymore?’

‘No, and he yells at me, and now he’s going out with some gold digger, doesn’t believe me about it.’

He could probably could have pushed it further, but I wouldn’t want to fight with my own father either. Wait, I suppose that isn’t exactly true...

‘Why didn’t you come over to my place or something, Tinker? You know I would’ve helped.’

‘Didn’t know if he’d live for a while, couldn’t leave his bedside. Oh look at me...’

Tinker wept once more. Sombra was starting to feel like a guardian, listening to all Tinker's problems and avoiding talking about his own. 

‘Say, could you maybe smuggle in some? Like before, with the cloak.’

‘I’ll see what I can do.’

‘Thanks. I mean, I could push it further, but I don’t wanna end up fighting the old guy.’

‘Yeah yeah I get it.’

‘...Listen, Sombra theres another thing.’

Sombra had a surge of butterflies as he heard Tinker’s tone. It’d been emotional time enough already!

‘I don’t really see for a better time to say this, but um I’ve always liked you.’

Sombra shifted in the sofa.

‘What, liked liked?

‘Maybe even loved, I’m not sure. But its obvious you don’t reciprocate, which is fine. I just, thought you ought to know. You’re probably already hooked up with Luna!’

Sombra tried very hard to conceal his dread. How is always so precise with these things?

‘I’m just kidding.’

‘Yeah yeah, ‘course. Sorry though, can’t be so nice for you.’

‘I know this a bit of a stretch of me to ask, but could you, er... Oh I’m getting embarrassed now, silly me.’

Tinker is this?

‘Could I maybe, kiss you?’

Sombra hesitated.

‘You don’t have to if you don’t want!’

‘It’s okay, just don’t take it the wrong way. I don’t, you y’know-’

‘Yeah, just friends. Good friends.’

Well that’s one way to get your first kiss.

> Pumpkins Aren't Always Made Out Of False Gemstones
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sombra didn’t enjoy it much, recoiling at the roughness of Tinker’s tongue, but a friend is a friend. Sombra had a very acute, queer feeling that Tinker was enjoying it.

Neither said anything for a while after they’d separated, perhaps neither knew what to say.

‘You should go soon, my Dad’s gonna be back.’

‘Would that be a problem? Not that I won’t leave if you want me to.’

‘I don’t know, I don’t know how he’d react.’

‘Okay then. I’ll see what I can bring for next time, I guess.’

‘But really thanks, that meant a lot to me, you mean a lot to me.’ he said and hugged him.

‘Friends, Tinker.’

‘Mmhmm, friends for years to come.’

They didn’t feel like friends anymore. Then again, does alex “feel” like your father anymore? I don’t know.

And so it was with conflicting thoughts Sombra left Tinker’s house, carry on carry on. The sensation of disconnection returned as quickly as it’d lapsed. Maybe it’s all because of my cutiemark. Traditionally they were portrayed in the foals’ tales as granting great purpose to otherwise mundane ponies, leading to heroic feats and eternal happiness. Of course, the living society isn’t so simple, where it was given connotations of how you earned your bits, but not necessarily being passionate about it. The degrees to which it was considered a part of the personality varied between pony to pony, where those raised by griffins were known as not considering them anything more than another skill. But even they yearned for a meaning behind the mark on their flank.

‘Good to see you’re back, thought you we’re going to gallop away with how you left.’

‘Like Alex’s done to us?’

‘Food in the kitchen, I’m going to bed.’

‘I guess I’ll just gallop to my bed then!’

Dreamless night, then came the next day. 

‘Good evening Som-bra!’

‘It’s morning to you.’

‘Celestia moves the sun as she wishes, not when I wake.’

‘I guess.’

‘I think I’ve discovered something interesting for you. I tried conjuring something while copying your aura, and instead of a pumpkin, I got black shards.’

‘You tried conjuring a pumpkin?’

‘First thing I thought of.’

‘Right... I don’t even know how to conjure anything anyway.’

‘Oh of course you don’t, you didn’t specialise.’

‘I wonder why that is? I wouldn’t be specialising around now would I? No I’m just joking, I never was going to. Hard to specialise with a meaningless cuitemark.’

‘I’m just too pretty.’ she said, stretching her wings.

Is she actually fetishsing this or what?

‘Luna...’

‘What?’

‘My gay friend asked me to kiss him yesterday, lay off me would you?’

‘Feeling confused? I’m aware of how you feel towards me, but I only do this because I hardly ever get the chance to, Som-bra. But fine, lets go to the garden, spoilsport.’ Luna managed to flirt while pretending not to be.

They arrived at the garden, which was empty as it usually was when Sombra came. Apparently conjuring was just a modified self teleportation spell, making Sombra wonder if some startled farmer was going to see his prize pumpkin vanish in front of him. 

‘Just think of it already existing, and you bringing it here.’

‘Existing where?’

‘In the ether, on your horn, wherever you want.’

‘Uh... okay. So like, teleportation spell, but with the pumpkin?’

‘Sort of, it's a bit harder because you need to project the magic outwards instead of onto yourself.’

It took him a while, but after a few hours of practice he got something, if not a pumpkin. 

‘What exactly are they, crystals?’

‘Do you like crystals?’

‘Yeah yeah funny.’

Luna tried to balance one of the black shards on her muzzle without much success.

‘They’re quite fragile though,’ Luna pointed out. ‘It’d shatter if we were inside.’

‘And not particularly useful?’

‘Cool though, right?’

‘If you’re twelve or if you like exotic earrings, I guess so.’

‘Too dark for sunglasses.’

‘Hip sunglasses!’ 

That brought them some laughter.

‘I wonder what’d happen if I gave a guard one?’ Luna said.

‘Aww I’m so gonna do that!’ 

That guard was very confused, but he did end up accepting it.

The garden was washed in rose light with the sunfall.

‘You know I got spanked for breaking a crystal once. Wasn’t like these though, purple one.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that... So that’s why you were so insistent about asking me that when we met.’

‘I thought I made it pretty clear.’

‘Sorry.’

‘I had a bit of a fight with ‘Tia yesterday.’

‘Oh yeah?’

‘She’s a bit scared of you. I’ve showed her a bit, she thinks your magic’s dangerous, and she doesn’t like me helping you develop it.’

‘Is it?’

‘Only enough to proceed with caution, like we’ve been doing. She just doesn’t believe me when I say I could keep things under control if need be, without maiming you.’

‘But I agreed to anyway?’

‘I can get her to meet you if you like, perhaps she’ll find you more convincing.’

‘Yeah sure. What’s she like?’

‘A lot more formal than me, she gets clothed griffins and ponies to talk to every day, but I don’t think we’re so different. She won’t be angry at you, she’s just angry at me for helping you.’

‘Are you corrupting me then?’

‘Haha don’t be so harsh on her, she only wants best for you.’

‘Fine fine, just kidding. I’m sure she’s noble.’

Sombra stared off into the sky.

‘I suppose that’s it for today.’ he said.

‘I suppose it is, though I do miss you?’

‘We see each other often.’

‘It gets lonely, when everypony else is asleep.’

‘Perhaps you should invite some insomniacs over.’

‘I’m sure they’d appreciate speaking to me in the darkest hours.’

‘I’m sure!’

Sombra got his flying chariot ride back soon after. His thoughts leapt between ideas of what he could do with his seemingly useless ability to make black shards of something.  Maybe he could leave them around the house until his mother noticed? Give them to Alex and say here’s the fucking amethyst back. That’s not fair, he’s already apologised for that. Whatever.   

> Don't Ride On Chav Gold Carriages
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Hey mom.’

I haven’t called her that since forever.

‘Was it a good lesson?’

‘Made crystals.’

‘Oh, pretty!’

He conjured some for her.

‘Oh.’

‘Won’t be making a pendant out of it will you?’

‘No, but I might pretend its from some sacred volcano.’

‘Could well be for all I know.’ Sombra said, feeling some blood rush to his cheeks. 

Robyn coughed a bit before going to bed. Sombra had been so surprised and charmed at how well the conversation went that he even considered telling her about Celestia, but not for long. The world remained insincere to him.

There was that crystalline owl was back again again, though now it was made up of black shards. 

‘Obviously not coincidental.’ somepony thought. ‘Though thoughts without owners are only ideas.’ 

‘Oh yeah?’

‘Hello.’ The owl said.

‘Good time being dead?’

‘Yes it was very fulfilling.’

‘Fun killing you.’

‘Not related?’

‘Unrelated.’

‘Say, you know somepony’s looking?’ 

‘Want me to kill you again?’

‘You never listen.’

When he got up, Sombra was distinctly uneasy. He told himself he was being paranoid, and that Luna wouldn’t lie to him. For all her flirtation, she still had an immortal’s wisdom. And cunning, and all that. 

Robyn was eating as Sombra walked into the living room.

‘Good morning!’ she said.

‘Hi.’

‘Sleep well?’

‘Mmm yeah, sort of.’

‘What?’

‘No nothing really. Gonna go see Tinker later.’

‘You can always invite him here if you prefer.’

‘Mmm-hmm.’

He’d half-hoped he’d see the phoenix as he left to go to Tinker’s but it wasn’t there of course. Probably don’t stay in once place too long anyway.

Tinker wasn’t happy to see him.

‘What the fuck are you doing here, dude? I told you I didn’t want you to see him!’

His father I guess.

‘Bored.’

‘Freakin’ Luna... give me a minute then.’

A few minutes later, and they were walking to a cafe.

‘I guess things can’t be too harsh for you if you’re so worried about boredom?’

‘Haha I guess not. But boredom is boring y’know.’

‘Yeah I’d have never guessed.’

‘I do get to see Celestia soon though, apparently.’

Their conversation was interrupted by a waiter.

‘Celestia?’

‘Yeah she doesn’t like me very much or something.’

‘I thought you hadn’t met her?’

‘I haven’t, but she thinks my magic’s dangerous.’

Tinker slurped from his milkshake.

‘Not many issues where Celestia wants to see you are serious ones, unless she wants to fucking banish you haha.’

‘Nice knowing you!’

Tinker gave Sombra a comical salute. 

‘But I dunno, Tinker. I wonder if there’s something wrong with me, when the world feels a little grey, and I’m just bored with everything.’

‘There probably is, if you’re using mixed metaphors.’

‘Yeah I need to go and see a lit teacher.’

‘But seriously, I’m here if you need me, despite what I said before, I do like seeing you.’

‘Good... You ever experienced anything like it though?’

‘What, being bored with life?’

‘Sure.’

‘Nah mine is pretty fleeting. Is it bothering you?’

‘Kind of, it's just like a dull pain.’

‘Oh that’s horrible!’

‘Its not severe or anything, I won’t be in a noose next time you see me haha.’

‘Yeah then I’ll have to turn to necrophilia for my thrills.’

And that was that. As usual, it’s fucking impossible to hold a serious conversation with him for more than a minute. Sombra’s sympathies stopped him from venting his frustrations right then and there of course. Instead he tried laughing to pretend he still gave a shit about Tinker’s shitty jokes. Sombra was back at home soon enough. 

Alex didn’t come back.

Celestia sat beside her sister.

‘Have you been having fun in my dreams again? I’ve been having those typical odd thoughts that accompany them when I wake up.’

‘Maybe a little dip or two.’

‘Don’t be so coy with me, you know I don’t mind so long as its nothing major. Is that what you’re like with Sombra?’

‘No no all flirty and brazen, just like you’d be.’

They both smiled.

‘The poor colt must be scared of you.’

‘I’m gentle with him Tia, I assure you. He seems to have gotten used to it already!’

‘Must be into you.’

Luna giggled and stood up.

‘I’ll see you this evening then.’

‘Sweet dreams.’

‘That’s getting cliched.’ she said, because Luna didn’t ever dream.

Sombra was up earlier than usual for his lesson, apparently he was meeting Celestia today. He’d declined an offer from her for pegasi and chariot there. (It was too flashy, too chav for anything but the middle of the night.) 

‘Good afternoon, Sombra.’

It felt weird hearing his name pronounced normally in Canterlot Palace.

‘Afternoon...’

‘Celestia is fine, unless you suddenly have some civil matters to discuss.’

‘No I don’t think so.’

‘Excellent. Luna tells me you’re fond of the garden,’ Celestia said, gesturing.

He knew how to get there already of course. The stark difference between Celestia and her sister became apparent to him as they sat down. Celestia had this commanding, highly dignified manner, spoke firmly but with good intent and didn’t take every opportunity she got to flex her wings. If Celestia is royalty, then Luna is a cheeky whore who wastes an infinite lifespan on teasing colts. But those words didn’t sit well with him, so ‘ cheeky whore’ melted into ‘pretty whore’ and then just ‘pretty.’ Sombra still felt he was being mean.

‘Would you like tea?’

Posh, and royal. Posh in a royal way.

‘No I’m fine, thanks.’

‘Forgive my boldness, but what have you been studying with Luna? I’m not sure how much of this she’s told you, but we have some disagreements regarding how far she should keep going with you. We’re on good terms otherwise, but we’ve avoided discussing the topic since, so I don’t know what you’ve been doing with her exactly.’

Trying to contain her lust! What about yours? Silly ideas.

‘Just innocuous stuff really,’ he said, before going on to explain all the details.  

‘Crystals?’

‘Well kind of, these like useless black shards.’

He conjured some for her.

‘Odd looking pumpkin.’ Celestia said.

‘Don’t know why she chose a pumkin of all things.’

‘The reason is why I’m worried Sombra... it’ll be easier if I just show you. This might not be very pleasant for you, but I’ll make it brief.’

Celestia’s horn was surrounded with a familiar black, and then like his dreams, Sombra was somewhere else.

> Pyrite Doesn't Fool Anyone
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex was turned away, and Robyn was nowhere. 

‘Hey.’ Sombra said.

His father didn’t reply, so Sombra took a step forward.

‘I’m sorry.’ Alex said, then violently whipped his arm.

Sombra was grounded and bleeding instantly, stunned by the pain. Sure hooves are hard, but it wasn’t like he’d had time to windup was it? But as he soon realised, Sombra was a foal. Blood still didn’t taste any better.

‘It’s for your own good.’ Alex said.

Somepony else was here too.

‘It’s for your own good.’ Robyn said.

Sombra couldn’t speak, he couldn’t speak out of the sheer horror at what was happening and he he didn’t want any more of that tangy shit in his mouth. It wasn’t made any better when they kissed each other. 

‘Um...’

‘Take your time.’ Celestia said.  

He thought this was an even stranger event, until he remembered where the grass beneath him belonged. There was no blood, there was no pain, just that giant alicorn and the garden. (There was nopony eagerly rubbing her feathers against him.)

‘I’ve never been so convinced of the reality of a dream, I guess.’

‘After some experimentation with your aura I accidently sent myself into a rather unpleasant situation with that, and my poor guard I tested it on said something similar to you.’

‘Luna show it to you or something?’

‘Yes she did. But that’s what worries me, Sombra. She has to know what you’re capable of by now, I only discovered that little trick in a few days, yet it seems she’s said nothing!’

Sombra liked that Celestia was taking on so much of the speaking time, much better than the short exchanges with Luna, feels more measured. But that didn’t last long. What ever fucking does?

‘Might have gotten lucky.’ Sombra said.

‘Alicorns don’t get lucky with the magic... If I may, I’ll ask you to confront her about it.’

‘Feels like I’m getting involved in a familial dispute here.’

‘We’ll you’re not far off.’ Celestia chuckled. ‘Don’t you see it as in your best interests?’

‘Luna could not want me to learn it, or wants to leave it for later, I don’t know, but with respect, I trust her more than you might think, Celestia. ’

‘Perhaps you truly are family then.’ she said, and smiled a smile of suns. 

Sombra briefly considered if there was a way to wrangle some unintuitive benefit out of his role as an anchor between sisters, but ultimately decided that waiting was rarely unwise.

‘I take it she’s been treating you well, then. I know she can get overexcited.’

‘No no she’s well, you know, your sister. Witty, and sometimes a bit funny, but just mostly fun. Has she said much about me?’

‘We’ve spoken little about you and your magic since we argued. She only said that you like the garden last twilight... Unless there’s anything else you’d like to ask me, I’ve got some Lords to see.’

‘Mind if I hang around?’

‘Feel free to go anywhere the guard’s will let you. Shame there’s nothing else, between the two of us, they’re rather dreadful. Have a good lesson.’

Have a good Lord meeting thing.

As if reading his thoughts she smiled before heading off. Maybe if Luna can see dreams, Celestia can see thoughts? Nah probably not. Maybe daydreams. 

With two hours to kill Sombra went to the library to scroll through the spines more than anything else. Sometimes he thought he might try and find one on auras, or magic, or whoever the hell Tinker’s father was, but browsing titles such as ‘Mythology Of The Royal Sisters’ and ‘Malevolent Monarchies’ proved far too enticing. There were some really silly stories in the first one, with Celestia sacrificing a phoenix, and Luna indulging in grotesque trickery.

‘Boo!’

‘Oh, you’re up early.’

‘Only for you, dear.’

‘Bet your sister woke you up.’

‘She might have not wanted you to be so bored, but never mind the petty details.’

‘Is that for common folk?’

‘It’s for pedantic folk. Garden?’

‘As ever.’

‘And ever and ever!’ she said, bouncing with twilight (morning?) energy. 

The garden seemed more sombre in dusk, grass duller and trees still, not waving in the wind like they were in the afternoon.

‘I got the impression from her that your petit meeting went smoothly.’

‘Yes she showed me some things. But she's not pleased with you apparently.’

‘I’ve known that for a while, I told you.’

‘No but... ah nevermind. Not important.’

‘How gracious of you to tease.

‘I have talents too y’know.’ Sombra said, trying to put on some kind of sultry look as best as he could. 

Then there was a pause, and she burst out in full laughter, Sombra quickly joining. A certain satisfaction came from beating Luna at her own game and it took the edge off that he really did like her, as they both knew. Not that that’s really a bad thing I guess. Sombra did guess a lot of things.

‘Glad to see you’re enjoying yourself.’

‘Yeah well, maybe its just the wings.’

‘You wound me so!’

After yet more banter, (mostly about the fairy tales he’d read in that book about her) they finally started the lesson. Everything felt fresh, and Sombra couldn’t tell why.

‘I was wondering, if trying to conjure a pumpkin makes shards do?’

‘Nothing I imagine, sounds like it would be an infinite regress. Try if you want.’

He did, but even with tweaking, he didn’t get anything.

‘You could try an amethyst.’ 

‘Yeah, I could...’

‘Its that with your aura I’ve only tried pumpkins, Som-bra.’

‘How about we both try it?’

‘Two lovers in a magically induced coma sounds good to me.’

‘Yeah, Luna really?’

‘It’ll be fine.’

‘Whenever you’re ready then.’

> Alchemy Didn't Save Jasper, The Amethyst From Discolouration
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sombra tried the same thing with an amethyst. He’d assumed Luna hadn't suggested it out of whim, she had to remember, it was just too specific. ‘Would be funny if its pumpkins’ was the last thing Sombra thought before he got a very peculiar sensation, like he was conversing those shizo voices from before. But it wasn’t conversing with them at all, they weren't even they anymore, they were him. And he was soaring like a pegasus, busting the clouds, roaring, screaming with incomparable exhilaration and... he was held in a chokehold by lovely Luna. Fun while it lasted.

Sombra tried to say ‘Let go of me!’ but it came out something like ‘Gurgle gurgle.’

Luna released him immediately.

After some lengthy gasping and gulping, he said ‘Quite the forearms you got there.’

‘It’s an alicorn thing.’

Sombra had yet to notice the big black shiny thing jutting out of the ground.

‘That’s a big fucking shard.’

‘Well its good that you’re okay, welcome to this dark amethyst of your creation.

‘Amethysts are purple...’

‘Not the dark ones. Details, Som-bra.’

‘Details like you strangling me?’

‘No that was no detail. You seemed to be... unaware, not in control. That, and I’d rather the garden not be ruined further than it had to. Believe me I took no pleasure out of it.’

‘Could carve “Sombra was here” into it, haha.’

‘I’ve got a spell for that if you want.’

‘Nah nah I was just kidding.’

‘Bigger ones like these might be more useful though.’

‘Yeah, like pretending its a precious gem from a foreign land.’

‘Or an alchemist’s amethyst, Som-bra. Those were some nice wisps you had going on there.’

‘Huh?’

‘Didn’t you notice? You had purple and black wisps coming out of your eyes. Bit like my mane.’

‘err, okay.’

‘You did I promise! They were like this.’

Some dramatic wavy lines appeared and Sombra thought they’d look gorgeous on her. He was a bit miffed that was the first thing he thought of.

‘Snazzy.’ he said.

‘I might have thought you a drag queen if I didn’t see the crystal, but instead I thought you were a magician.’

Sombra shrugged with his inability to jest the jester, this time.

‘Perhaps, in time you’ll be able to make these, and more without needing somepony to stop you.’

‘Well it is a high.’

‘Is it? It wasn’t when you exhausted yourself.’

‘No that didn’t seem symbiotic with the schizo voices. Conjuring “Dark Amethysts” if that’s what you want to call them, did.’

‘Shizo voices and dark amethysts, quite the sophisticated jargon we’re making.’

‘Language is good like that.’

‘Som-bra, would you mind if I tried to break it? I want to see if its as fragile as the smaller ones.’

‘Uh sure I guess.’

She swiftly went and slammed her hoof into it, but there wasn’t even a crack. 

‘Ow.’

‘That looked like it hurt.’

Luna fired something at the dark amethyst. It still didn’t break. She paused, cocked her head, and tried it again. 

‘I think it’s an inefficient conductor, or something.’ she said.

‘Let me try.’

Sombra wasn’t expecting it to explode spectacularly when all he did was give it a little magical shove. Shards fell down like hail for a few seconds, leaving the ground peppered with them, lots and lots of them.

‘Ow.’ 

Or not.

‘Are you okay?’

‘You wounded me so.’

‘Sorry I wasn’t thinking I’d just blow it up like that.’

‘Now, Som-bra you know not to take me seriously. Sit with me, it’s been a long evening already.’

They navigated through the clear spots.

Luna outstretched her wing behind him.

‘May I? I’m too tired for flirting.’

‘Sounds serious.’

And so she carefully wrapped her wing round his back. It was still somewhat awkward for him,  but he’d learned to be more accepting of this kind of thing around Luna. Perhaps it was more common than he believed. Would be nice to be a pegasus and between warm feathers and warm body. She’s not your mother though, obviously. Sombra coughed when he realised their breathing had fallen in sync.

‘I think it must have been your magic. It broke to the aura that made it. I’ll try that next time.’

They sat in silence for a minute, peering at the sky of somepony’s creation.

‘So how does it work with the whole sky thing? Who does what?’

‘Interested now are we?’

‘Well you’ve got nice feathers.’

She snorted.

‘That’s fair. It’s not complicated, I move the moon, and stars on the lonely nights, all ‘Tia has to handle is the big bright one.’

‘That all? 

‘Well, ‘Tia in fits of lunacy asks to take the stars sometimes, though she know it’ll end up in a right mess. She’s probably end up crashing half of them if I let her!’

Their breathing was in sync again.

‘Could I try?’

‘Yeah yeah, dreamy colt.’

‘Dreams?’

As was often the case, Sombra wasn’t sure why he was asking what he was asking. He didn’t have a paticular desire to move the moon or anything like that. I think I just want to see how she’ll react, maybe? I don’t know. Does feel good having control over the conversation, that’s probably something to do with it. 

‘I could give you one about it, if you want.’

‘Yeah that’d be cool.’

‘You’re gonna have fun tonight then!’

‘Yeah alicorn for a night!’

Luna’s feathers really rubbed against him as they both giggled, but Sombra’s reluctance against the taboo had evaporated.

‘Well its been a fun lesson, I know it’s a bit earlier than usual, but I can’t think of what else I’d like to do with you.’

‘That’s okay, talking’s fun too.’

‘Good! Come out of that sex-shy shell of yours?’

‘No just the Luna one thank you very much.’

Sombra was slightly confused as to why she hadn’t made a motion to open her wing... Was she blushing under that dark coat of hers?

She stooped her neck; she was too tired for flirting.

> Generic Jewels Aren't Always Worse In Dreams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sombra recoiled initially, but stilled remarkably fast. He didn’t know if he was thinking, or what he was thinking, but he knew it felt good. Better than Tinkers, fucking hell. Seriously, it was a lot better. He was eager for Luna to lean closer, she seemed bigger now that they were side by side and her diaphragm almost pushed him away with its size. Feels like I’m making out with a dragon.

Between wing and tongue, he was disappointed when it ended. Luna wasn’t though.

‘Good lesson. Guard’s will be waiting at the gate.’ she said, and then promptly walked away.

That was utterly confusing. She was the one that kissed me, right? Right. It wasn’t you. Wasn’t you who walked away either. Is she ashamed? Is that it? Am I not noble enough? Did I do something wrong? Calm down, Sombra, losing your head over a kiss you are. No, not just that. So you care for the rude, crude, lewd alicorn now? No, I always have.

Despite his anxiety, the pegasi chuffers noticed the massive smile on his face as they flew him home. They didn’t think much of it.

For the first time in a long time, Robyn was awake to welcome him back. 

‘You’re back early.’

‘Yeah stuff happened.’

‘Mmm-hmm. Some snacks in the fridge if you want.’

Sombra didn’t bother with those, just a dark room and curtains please. The euphoric buzz he was on made his dreams last as long as it took him to get to sleep, but when he did, Luna was waiting.

‘Hello, Sombra.’

‘Hi.’

‘There’s a moon under the horizon.’

‘So I–’

‘Raise it.’

‘Luna...’

‘What?’

‘Don’t be so mean.’

‘If I was ever a goddess this would be where.’

‘Yeah but what do you want me to do with your freakin moon?’

‘Raise it, just try. It won’t be difficult.’

Sombra didn’t like the tone they were talking in, as if he was genuinely angry at her, and her genuinely angry at him. She doesn’t like it that we kissed, okay, but could she make her insecurity any more obvious?

‘Actually, you know what? I refuse.’

‘Poof goes the dream if you’d like. They’re endless.’

‘No, what I’d like would be for you to tell me what’s going on with you.’

‘Doing a favour.’

‘Of being a complete bitch?’

Luna made some puffs of smoke from her hooves.

‘You’re very brave and all, telling me off like that, but what we did doesn’t change anything.’

‘Well you’ve changed. Wheres the flirting? Wheres the mare who’d hold me close when I needed?’

‘She’s right here.’ she said, her image wavering in the dreamscape.

‘Fuck it, Luna whatever’s the fuck’s wrong with you, I don’t want to be taught by you until you’ve sorted it out.’

‘We aren’t equals here. I can be whatever I want to be, I can do whatever I want to do, and you’re stuck as a bloody pony.’

‘Would you stop trying to hide behind that dream shit? I liked it, okay? If that’s your problem.’

Luna said and did absolutely nothing.

‘Didn’t you?’

‘Yes, I did, Sombra.’

‘Good! Fucking progress!’

Luna casually sank into the floor.

‘You’re lucky I can’t remember the last time I had a conversation like this, or I’d know how to react.’

‘And you’re lucky your little pupil is so patient, floor pony.’

She remerged.

‘I imagine we’d both prefer somewhere equal to talk about it.’

‘Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?’

‘Its been about me, and not us. Besides, I don’t think its the same without physical presence, no?’

‘Sure...’

‘Moon’s still here if you’re so inclined.’

Without knowing either exactly what he wanted to do, or what he would end up doing, Sombra tried using generic kinesis on it. 

‘Nice try.’ Luna said, before the moon shrank to hoof size and then smacked Sombra in the muzzle. 

She woke me early.

Robyn was out, so Sombra made himself a basic breakfast and did his routine check on the tree outside, but the phoenix still wasn’t back. He didn’t know what to do on these free, lazy days. Tinker was a... questionable option. He can sort his father stuff on his own, yeah? That’s what I did. 

There was a knock on the door, but when Sombra opened it he was as shocked as he’d ever been.

‘What the fuck, Alex?’

‘Hi, Sombra.’

Sombra motioned to shut the door.

‘Don’t, that won't resolve anything.’

‘Yeah? Pretty sure it means I won’t ever see your fucking face again.’

‘I’m only here for an explanation and an apology, son.’

‘Don’t...’

Alex let himself in.

‘Look’s like Robyn’s been maintaining the place well.’

‘Yes she’s been doing well without you.’

‘No surprise.’

‘None.’

Alex sat on the chair opposite.

‘So before anything else, Sombra I want say I’m sorry, to both you and your mother. I don’t expect you to forgive me, I only hope that me coming here and saying what I’ll say will be better than me not.’

‘Fine.’

‘As I think you know, I ended up running off with some mare you’d met only once. She said you’d seen each other once, in here. Yellow pegasus yeah?’

Alex invited Sombra’s acknowledgement, but he didn’t say anything.

‘It’s not your mother’s fault-’

‘Fucking talk, and go. I don’t give a shit what you think.’

Alex tried to suppress a twitch.

‘She was a school friend, Jane, who I hadn’t seen in a decade, she recognised me, we had a night out and some fun with it. I’d been... more indifferent than I should have been towards your mother for long before that. I believe you’d recognised some of that. Jane was lonely, but it was ultimately that I thought I couldn’t solve it once it’d been done, and I was so convinced that I didn’t even try. And it hurt me, as it should have.’

‘Does she know?’

‘She does, and we’re not seeing each other anymore. But I don’t expect to be welcomed back, and that’s fair.’

‘You know you’re fucking stupid? Is that all? A fucking one night stand and you run off?’

‘Sombra–’

Robyn stood in the doorway.

> Don't try To Convince Amazonite You're A Warrior For Love 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

No pony said anything. Robyn just stood there, like she didn’t want to come in. The silence ate at them, until eventually she sat down and said ‘No rest for the wicked, Sombra.’

Trees trembled in the wind. The atmosphere had instantly calmed down, somehow.

‘Would you like to speak to him alone?’

‘No, no secrets anymore.’

‘Carry on then, Sombra sounded angry, what little I heard.’

‘We’re all angry. We’re all angry at me.’

‘Do you know why he ran off, Mum?’

‘Not entirely.’

There was a moment of silence.

‘So say something already then.’ Sombra said.

‘Was it the unicorn, or the pegasus?’

‘Pegasus, Jane... I’m sorry Robyn.’

Robyn looked at Sombra and said ‘I think it might affect you, more than it does us.’

‘Do you not mind then, mother?’

‘I do, I loathe him for the way he did it, but I knew it was going to happen, sometime. I think you were struggling to realise it at the time, so I should have talked to you, I even knew I should have been talking to you.’

‘So why didn’t you?’

‘Because I was a coward. I think I excused myself by saying you were strong enough without my help, and you were, but you’d be even stronger with it.’

Alex chimed in again.

‘As you can see, Sombra, we both knew we’d break up for a while, I just did it in the worst way I could.’

‘It would have been okay if you talked to me you know. I wouldn’t have been angry.’ Robyn said.

‘I wouldn’t have believed that. You didn’t like it when I forgot to do the chores.’

‘I hope love’s no chore for you, honey! How are things with her?’

‘Not good.’

Robyn chortled.

‘You never were good with the bad mares.’   

Sombra wanted to be angry, thought he was sad, but was actually ambivalent. This wasn’t one of those times he enjoyed not knowing what to feel either, it was a kind of unhappy ambivalence.

‘So why’d you come? You don’t want to come back do you?’

‘I... don’t expect to’

A few tears found their way out of Alex’s eyes. He said ‘Excuse me.’ as he wiped them away.

‘Come on, that’s a little too much, you know we aren’t lovey dovey. Sombra would hate it too, I think. Would you, Sombra?’

‘I don’t want to see him again. I don’t know why you’d want to either.’

‘Are you sure?’ Robyn asked.

‘Yes.’

Though he was confident, the word burned his throat. Maybe I’m not so confident.

‘He’s justified in saying that.’

‘I suppose he is.’

Alex took a deep breath.

‘I guess this is goodbye... um. May the two of you fulfill your ambitions.’

Sombra wanted Alex to say something more, but he didn’t know what. I probably wouldn’t be satisfied whatever he said. Is that tragic?

And he was gone.

‘How surreal.’

‘No kidding.’

Sombra spent much of the day wondering why he wasn’t happier that he’d never see Alex again.  Over dinner Robyn mentioned that Tinker had asked to see Sombra yesterday.

‘Did he say anything?’

‘Only that he’d come another time. I told him you were here every other day.’

‘I’ll go see him sometime.’

After that, and as he lay he bed, Sombra’s sleep was mediocre. 

Oi, Luna, what are you doing here?

Me, Luna? I’m just a Luna of your dreams.

But you’re Luna.

I’m your Luna. Do whatever you want to me.

There’s only one Luna...

Am I Luna pretending to be your Luna? That’d be great! Kiss me darling, I’m sure she’d like that. Hahahaha, you wound me so, oh Som-bra my love, is it you who’s talking? 

Something nudged him.

‘Sir this is the last stop.’

‘Oh, shit sorry.’

Luckily, the last stop was Canterlot. Trains sure do move fast when you’re asleep. Trains weren’t the only thing that felt fast, the walk to the palace didn’t take as long either.

The typically barren entrance hall was bustling with ponies and griffins alike, so Sombra had to push his way through to get to the antechamber, where Luna usually met him. 

‘Heya.’

‘Good afternoon, Som-bra.’

‘You can’t hate me too much if you’re still calling me that.’

‘No, our ordeal was mostly my fault, I think.’

‘Sorry anyway.’

‘Me too.’

They went to the garden, and shockingly, the greenery was a little unkempt.

‘What’s with the crowd?’

‘In the entrance hall? My sister’s proposing to lengthen daylight by an hour. I’m surprised you haven’t heard.’

‘Oh no I have, I just didn’t know it was that. Was for extending work hours wasn’t it?’

‘Yeah, exactly. I’m a bit envious though, I’m going to get even more lethargic for longer when I wake up now. She gets to stay up an extra hour too.’

‘Weird.’

‘It must seem so to you, I imagine. Really stellar issue.’

‘That’s really bad...’

‘My puns are always supreme, Som-bra.’

‘Totally.’

‘Well then, before we start the lesson there’s one more thing.’

‘Us?’

‘You make it sound like a marriage when you say it like that.’

‘Haha, would you like it to be?’

‘Good to see you’re easy going about it, you certainly weren't in the dream.’

‘We’re different ponies in dreams, aren’t we?’

‘Some of us.’

‘But you didn’t lie right? You enjoyed it?’

‘Yeah, I did. I’ve even been in far more scandalous relationships than this.’

‘What like, Lolitas?’

Luna let out a meek laugh.

‘I guess you gotta do something for all those long years.’

‘I appreciate the excuses, maybe I’ll use them sometime, haha. But I am anxious I’m taking advantage of you.’

‘Don’t be stupid, you’re not.’

‘Convince me.’

> Tinkering With Turquoise Doesn't End Well
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sombra’s heart danced as he realised what she was implying. He still hadn’t got over that buzz, so when he was the one approaching, it was really fucking fun. Even a little scary.  It was slower this time, but didn't last as long as it seemed to. After a couple of seconds Luna let out a giggle.

‘You look drunk with that blush!’

‘Well you’ve got a bit too.’

‘Not as much as you.’

‘Again?’

Luna stooped...

‘Good evening, sister, Sombra.’

They scrambled to get a respectable distance between each other (and to keep their tongues in their own mouths).

‘Hi, Tia!’

‘Hello.’

‘I didn’t mean to interrupt you lesson, I only felt like I could do with some company after talking about sun and the workforce for an hour.’

Lesson, huh?

‘No we hadn’t started, we were just about to.’ Sombra said. He did try to skirt the outskirts of honesty, honest.

‘What did they think of the daylight extension?’

‘Oh you know, Luna, as we expected. Greg was the buffoon we knew he was going to be. But they were mostly happy with it, Sombra. I’ll still have to visit all the major cities in person to talk about it, of course. The vote’s two months away. I believe you could vote too, if you want, Sombra.’

‘Haha yeah.’

‘This is when my sister jokes about you offering sexual favours for extra votes or something equally lewd, right, Luna?’

Luna looked like she was having a mini heart attack.

‘I... yes. That would be like me.’

If Celestia noticed the odd, humourless response she didn’t say anything about it. Sombra was sure she did, though.

‘I’ll leave you two to your devices, have fun, and learn well. You might save us some day, Sombra.’

And she was gone.

‘Oh my god, Som-bra.’

Luna stood up and paced about the garden.

‘Not many times have I been as displeased as that for my sister to say hi.’

‘You really looked like you were freaking out over there.’

‘Hah! I’m usually good at lying too. So you want to do the lesson? It’s fun and all, but maybe we want to keep up appearances, eh?’

‘If we even have them anymore.’

‘Course we do, they’re just a lot more amorous.’

Sombra hadn’t heard that word before, pretty obvious what it means though.

They didn’t have much time, so they only went over what he’d done before, and a little more. Luna asked him to try conjuring a purple pumpkin, and when he did, the shards seems just a little bit harder. They were still brittle though.

‘Oh, Luna there was something I wanted to ask you.’

‘Hm?’

‘Why does your mane smell a bit of apricots? I don’t dislike it, its kinda nice, but I was just wondering.’

‘Mmm, I wonder. My last lover told me it smelled of oranges.’

Um...

‘I don’t really know. Maybe its the smell of the stars... Oh sorry, I shouldn’t have mentioned the oranges thing that’s going to make you feel awkward isn’t it?’

Her openness (or bluntness?) astounded him. She’s right but like whos so fucking casual about that kind of stuff haha? She’s great.

‘Haha that’s okay. Who was it, if you don’t mind me asking?’

Why am I asking?

‘Celestia.’

‘...Huh?’

I didn’t just hear?

‘Celestia.’

It still didn’t register, it just couldn’t register. What the fucking-

Luna cackled like witch.

‘Your face! I’m never seeing that again!’

Sombra gradually lulled himself out of shock.

‘I knew you had heart in you Som-bra, but not that much! Petrify a cockatrice with that!’

‘Don’t kiss me again, today...’

She howled with laughter.

On the carriage back home, the only thing he could do was marvel about at for how long she’d been planning the joke. His dreams were easier than what was coming the next day with a knock on the door.

‘I’ll get it.’ said Sombra.

As he opened it, his snout got poked.

‘Oh sorry I was just about to knock again!’

Yeah?

‘Hey, Tinker, things okay?’

‘Out for Coffee? My treat.’

‘Sure, why not?’

The cafe wasn’t so busy in the afternoon.

‘So how are a things going with your lessons ‘n shit?’

‘Good, really. They’re only kind of lessons anymore though.’

‘What does that mean?’

Mmm, what does it mean?

‘Ummmm...’

‘You look like you’re about to tell a lie.’

‘Maybe I am.’

‘As long as you’re happy. I’ve got a favour to ask you.’

Tinker took a drink.

‘I know this isn’t great, but I was hoping to get another kiss off you.’

‘Tinker, come on. I’d tell you to ‘eff off if I was in a worse mood.’

‘What’cha want me to do? I can’t drink, I can’t say fuck, I can’t talk to my father at all since, y’know.’

Tinker’s flamboyant tone was turning a few heads. Sombra really did despise how things changed so fast.

‘I dunno, get a coltfriend or something? This escapism thing you’ve got going on isn’t going to help you.’

‘I’ll do anything you want, Sombra, and no more after this. Never have to see me again.’

‘Would you not jump to extremes?’

‘Anything.’

Sombra didn’t budge.

‘You must like her, mustn't you? That’s why they aren’t just fucking lessons huh? I knew it, just like you to pounce on the first mare you get to spend a bit of time with.’

Tinker Tailor, the lucky one who prods the right places.

‘Thanks for the coffee.’

Tinker tried to follow.

‘I think you’ve got somepony to pay, queer.’

Woah I didn’t mean to say that!

‘Fuck you.’ was the last thing he heard before the doors closed behind him.

> Sometimes Pearls Don't Come From Clams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna yawned as she prepared to lower the moon.

‘Feeling up to raising the sun too?’ Celestia asked.

‘Huh? If you want me to, though you look perfectly fine to me.’

‘No need to worry about me. You though, looked as if you’d seen my corpse yesterday when I said hi! Does  that mean something?’

‘It means what you think it means, Tia. Your timing was unfortunate.’

‘Oh, well congratulations then, its been little while since you’ve had a proper courter.’

‘He’s still just a colt with weird magic.’

‘Is he lustful?’

‘He thinks he’s good at hiding it. Even asked me who I’d been with before! Maybe he’ll go treating you like the father and ask for permission.’

‘Not that you’d let him without laughing at him for five minutes

‘Just maybe, Tia. I’m surprised you haven’t bothered me with some kind of objection about the magic he’s learning again. You weren’t so happy about that at one point.’

‘I don’t believe you’re going to let him run wild with it if you care for him so.’

‘I’m glad it only took us imortal years to get to this point.’

‘He must like it when you’re cheeky, if you’re still being like this with me.’ Celestia said, and giggled. 

‘Your face.’

Sombra returned to an empty household. Robyn out to do whatever she does. He’d been scolding himself for his slip of the tongue with Tinker. Not that I regret it, I just shouldn’t have done it. Don’t even care for him that much anymore. Just Luna, oh there goes my heart again. Is that how Tinker... no, no way.

Just before he fell asleep that night, he realised that as he’d gotten closer with Luna, he’d become further away from Tinker and even Alex. Strange, and a bit wicked.

‘Yo, Som-bra.’

‘New one from you.’

She kissed him.

‘That’s also new, er. I think you’re going to jump on me when you do stuff like that, keep forgetting somepony as big as you can move so fast.’

‘Manticores are big and fast.’

‘Yeah, but they have teeth, a stinger and want to eat you.’

‘Well, maybe it will be to jump on you some day.’

‘Don’t wink at me like that, gives me a weird feeling.’

She winked some more, but Sombra was wise enough not to respond.

‘Actually there was one thing.’ she said. 

‘Make some crystals for me, please. Big ones if you can.’

‘Sure.’

Like before, Luna couldn’t break the large crystals with either her hooves or her magic, though she didn’t try mimicking Sombra’s aura herself. 

‘Break one of them.’

He did so easily, without having it explode into shrapnel this time.

‘So...’

Without warning she kissed him again, hugging him closer to her chest, and draped her wing around him. She let go just as fast.

‘Tell me if you’re going to do that! Holy fuck!’

‘Break one of them, quickly.’

Sombra mumbled something about a crazy alicorn before he tried to break one of the crystals he’d conjured. But even after a whole minute, there wasn’t a dent in it.

‘Are you messing with me again, Luna?’

‘I think you’re messing with yourself. You’re too happy.’

‘Huh?’

‘Remember, a while ago I explained how your aura is unnaturally heavy, and angry?’

‘Don’t remember the angry part.’

‘I might not have phrased it like that but essentially it seems that your magic, or more precisely, your aura, gets weaker if you’re happier. You were able to break your previous crystal without much effort at all, it looked like. And I can’t even copy your aura to use for anything right now.’

‘That’s really odd.’

‘Ah well, there are some advanced, though useless individual spells that rely on the emotional state of the caster. The fancy pants scholars call them harmonic spells, but you won’t be hearing me call them that again. Nopony knows about them except for the elite and the fanatics they’re so useless.’

‘So does mean if I feel bad, it’d be stronger?’

‘Stronger than how you feel now at least. The conventional emotional spells don’t get stronger beyond an easy to achieve baseline, you just to not be feeling too much of the opposite. But those are just spells, not entire auras, and they’re not as fickle to not work because of a kiss.’

‘That was quite the kiss.’

‘Aw, thank you!’

I didn’t mean that as a compliment.

‘Hey can you break it yet?’

‘Let’s see.’

He could, but almost sent tiny shards of doom flying everywhere.

‘Looks like you’ve calmed down.’ Luna said, chuckling.

‘You’re going to have fun with this aren’t you?’

‘Oh but we already have, Som-bra.’

‘More fun, I mean. Got any other theories about my magic?’

‘Nope! Not yet.’

For the first time since he’d met Luna that evening, Sombra was given a break from her manic enthusiasm (of one sort or another). 

‘It might be a bit early to talk about this, but have you, um, told your sister about me, and you?’

‘Yeah, told her yesterday, or more like, she figured it out from our last lesson.’

Sombra blinked.

‘I should have asked you first, really. But I figured she wouldn’t be telling anypony else anytime soon.’

‘I guess that’s fine. Is she okay with it?’

‘She sure was.’

‘Oh, good.’

‘Mmm-hmm, she’s even gotten over me teaching you this dangerous unknown stuff.’

Sombra noticed how dark it was.

‘It’s around the time I could go.’

‘You could.’

Luna thought there was something to say.

‘Well you’re not going.’

‘Of course not its my castle, silly! You’re not going either just yet, it looks like.’

‘Yeah, thats, something... I should say this, that I love you, Luna.’

> The Moonstone Loves The Amethyst More Than The Sunstone
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘You mean that don’t you?’

‘Yeah, I do.’

‘I’m a bit more cautious than you, I think. I like you, Sombra, but I don’t quite pine for you yet. Don’t take this as a rejection, I’m just not as feverish as you, for now. That okay with you?’ 

Sombra noticed he wasn’t Som-bra. He wasn’t sure he liked that.

‘Yeah that works. Thanks for saying.’

‘And heck, we have the perfect excuse to experiment, eh?’

‘Nudge nudge, wink wink.’

‘Exactly.’

They talked a little bit more about magic, or something, and then Sombra took the chariot out. He left satisfied.

Despite not doing all that much magic, he was pretty tired when he got back so sleep came quickly.

Hey you really do love me right? 

She winked.

‘Yup.’

Hey you really do love me right?

‘Yup.’

Hey you really do love me right?

‘No.’

Hey-

‘Hey.’

Hey hey, its morning. That can’t have been Luna Luna. Som-bra Luna. Is Tinker going to be knocking on my door?

Nopony was knocking on the door, but the birds outside might as well have been knocking on his eardrums.

‘Morning.’

‘Mornin’.’

‘Do you want to do something today?’ Robyn asked.

‘I might do.’

‘Can be anything you want.’

I’m meant to want something I think. Pretty sure you are.

‘A day in Canterlot, maybe.’

‘You go there every other day, but if that’s what you want then sure.’

‘It’s more like I go to the palace.’

They left soon after. 

‘You don’t go with Luna around Canterlot then?’ 

‘No, no real reason to.’

Unless we’re dating.

It took some willpower from Sombra to not automatically head towards the palace when they got to the station.

‘Palace that way?’

‘Yeah, not so far.’

‘It would be nice to meet Luna but I suppose she’d be asleep at the moment.’

‘Probably, or very tired.’

‘Oh, I know where we should go!’

Robyn lead him to a park not too unlike the palace garden, just a lot busier. 

‘I met your father here.’

‘Aha yeah?’

‘Friend in school set us up on date.’

‘Really? Those never work.’

‘Well it didn’t, I didn’t see him again until years later! He wasn’t a bad stallion though. A bit shy.’

Sombra felt rather upset with all this talk of his father and he wondered how Robyn wasn’t feeling the same. It didn’t sound like she was.

‘I know this is exactly the thing mothers aren’t meant to ask their son’s but did you have marefriends in school?’

‘No I would have told you!’

‘Would you?’

‘Course.’

‘Relax relax, just joking.’

‘It’s nothing compared to Luna’s’

Sombra blushed.

‘Oh what kind does she make?’

‘I guess you’d call them lewd? And puns sometimes.’

‘That’s not very regal of her.’

‘She never was, I mean, since I met her. She’s lived longer, obviously.’

A flock of pigeons landed a few meters away, looked like somepony was feeding them bread.

‘Have you met her sister as well?’

‘Yeah thought I told you?’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘Yeah Celestia was nice really. More serious than her sister, but it’d be difficult to imagine otherwise. They’re both really big you know that?’

‘Are they? I knew they were bigger than stallions, but not much larger than that.’

‘Yeah I mean, Luna who’s smaller, her wing is like three quarters as long as me, and her t-’

Why am I talking about that? Why did I even think about talking about that?

‘Tongue.’ he muffled, pointing to his mouth.

‘Are you okay? It’s not bleeding?’

Sombra shook his head. Well I didn’t change what I was going to say, and I didn’t lie, and I made it ironic. Luna would be proud.

‘Better now, just a bit sore.’

‘So what were you saying?’

‘Oh nothing.’

‘You to seem like talking about her.’

‘Yeah yeah I just forgot what I was saying.’

Sombra wasn’t proud.

The two were fairly mute for the rest of the time, as there wasn’t much to talk about. It was too awkward to bring up Alex again, and Sombra wasn’t brimming with ideas he wanted to share. Still, they’d mostly enjoyed their day out by the time it ended.

Sombra was happy to have a dreamless night. Talking with Luna about Luna was pretty confusing.

‘Hi, Luna.’

‘Hiya.’

‘Say, you wanna hear what’s on my mind?’

‘You never tell, honey!’ 

She giggled like some coy schoolfilly.

‘Not that it’s your fault or anything, but I’m getting bored, or like bored at how repetitive things are. I have a lesson with you, and then something happens, and again, and again. You’re almost always more fun than whatever happens... ah I dunno. Just disgruntled, maybe I want change.’

‘Is that a roundabout way of saying you want spend more time with me, Som-bra?’

A wing twitched.

‘You think?’

Luna stooped.

‘Mm?’

‘Mm.’

What a joy it was, between feather and tongue.

‘You haven’t made any crystals to not break.’

‘Sure haven’t.’

‘Nopony’s going to check for them you realise?’

‘Yeah...’

They fell into a lover’s silence again.

‘Enough, yeah, thanks.’

Luna ran her pinion through Sombra’s black mane.

‘You can spend more time if you want. I can easily make that happen.'

‘Yeah?’

‘Yup, fast as I can kiss you.’

‘Not that fast please.’

‘Mmm-hmm.’

‘Does time like, move really fast for you?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Aren’t mortals like butterflies to you?’

‘We’re still ponies Som-bra, a decade is a decade alicorn or not.’

‘I guess.’

‘So do you want to spend more time with me? You know I’d like to.’

‘How much more time would that be?’

‘Between an eternity and a lifetime, but really, its up to you.’

‘Even move into Canterlot?’

‘Even a certain palace in Canterlot.’

‘Boy oh boy.’

> Snails Don't Eat Peridots
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the chariot back, cold breeze rushing past, Sombra wondered what would happen if he did end up living there. It probably wouldn’t be great for her if Equestria found out she was dating some nobody, right? She seems to know what she’s doing though. Yeah, when doesn’t she? 

After however long it took him to think about that, they landed in front of his house far past sunset. One of the pegasi asked ‘What’s your relation with Miss Luna?’

Sombra was shocked to hear them speak, they like, never speak. The other pegasi was staring at him too.

‘Huh?’

‘You heard me, kiddo.’

‘I’m her student. Hasn’t somepony told you that already?’

It looked like the guard was ready to hit him, until the other whispered in his ear. Instead after a few tense seconds, they just both walked away and said no more. 

Sombra was shivering a little as he fumbled with the keys, and it wasn’t from the cold. They’re trained right? Fucking hell.

It started to rain as soon as he made it back into the house. At least they’ll be fucking cold and wet when they get back. He doubted the weather would be changed for some private chariot, even if it was Luna’s. The weather pegasi probably didn’t even know it existed.

Sombra fell asleep with the rain lashing at the windows.

Som-bra, do you like crystals?

Oh, so you’re the real Luna?

As real as a dream can be, Som-bra.

Hi then.

For once, Sombra noticed things other the voices. There was a mirage of Canterlot, and Luna held it in her hoof, like some cheap omen, metaphor, thing. That’s probably exactly what is, eh dude? 

Stay awake, Som-bra.

Sure thing.

Good, now...  World swapped and warped, and he was the world. Its how it feels to be me. Look, its you speaking now! We can see everything.

And they could see everything. Equestria shimmered and blinked like some dysfunctional magical circuitry. It didn’t feel like he was just watching it, they sensed it was going to behave before it did, like the trippy lighting representation it was. 

So we are it? Even better, we’re the royal we! Feels like we’ll vomit out our vastness. Remember we, remember not. This Luna’s a fake too, said another we.

Sadly, he wasn’t god when he woke up, but it’s good to dream. Sombra could hardly remember anything from it, apart from there being some Luna, which probably wasn’t the real one, else she’d have made sure he remembered. 

‘Morning, Robyn.’

‘Morning.’

Breakfast wasn’t fancy.

‘Say, what would you think if I wanted to move to Canterlot?’

Robyn took a moment to look away from the toast.

‘I’d be lonely. But I suppose you’d have good reason if you wanted to do something like that.’

‘Yeah I guess I would.’

‘You’re not making it sound very hypothetical.’

‘Yeah...’

Both of them shifted on their chairs.

‘Oh, there’s some mail, on the doormat.’ Robyn said.

Sombra lazily went to pick it up and opened it. 

‘Looks boring, stuff about me voting for the daylight change.’

‘Are you not interested?’

‘No.’ 

Sombra sat back down and finished his breakfast.

‘Y’know when I came back yesterday night I thought one of the pegasus who’d flown me back was going to hit me. He seemed concerned for Luna, for some reason.’

‘Had you done something?’

Eh, not really. Something like an overprotective brother.

‘Don’t think so.’

‘Maybe he’d had a long day.’

‘Probably.’

While the little lie didn’t bother him, it didn’t feel all that great either. Oh well, good for your memory, help prevent cognitive decline, you silly stallion.

Sombra ended up not actually asking if it was okay to move to Canterlot. But waiting is rarely unwise right? Yeah you hide behind that, funny guy. You know, this inner monnlouge of yours is sounding more and more like Luna, huh.

He slept soundly, though apparently not well enough not to fall asleep on the train again. At least I didn’t get woken by the warden again.

After a brisk trot from the station, Sombra let himself (or rather, the guards didn’t stop him) into Canterlot palace, and the usual antechamber.

‘Hello, Luna.’

‘Evening, Som-bra!’

They were at the garden in no time and the grass waved in the wind.

‘You know, Som-bra, I want to try something a bit ambitious today.’

Sombra questioned if her eyes were really sultry, or if he was just inclined to take it that way.

‘What’s that?’

She leaned close and gave him a quick kiss. 

‘A while ago when you tried to conjure an amethyst...’

‘That didn’t go too well did it? Ended up choking me.’

‘I want you to try that again, just, happy. And you’ve made some progress since then anyway.’

‘Other than making me nervous, won’t that just, not work? I couldn’t break my own crystals like that before.’

‘We only tried breaking them, not conjuring amethysts, or pumpkins.’

‘I suppose that’s true.’

Sombra turned his head, thinking he’d heard somepony step onto the grass, but there was nothing there. Maybe it was the rustle of feathers.

‘Som-bra, I’ll never let you come to harm, and if I do, I won’t ever teach you again. I couldn’t bear to.’

Sombra’s chest became very warm.

‘Wow, alright then, thanks. Umm, yeah, don’t know what to say to that.’

‘Well here’s to make sure you’re happy, whether you make those amethysts or not.’

Sombra snorted and said ‘Cheers?’

The alicorn and the unicorn kissed against the orange dusk, casting dwarf shadows on the grass beneath. Some leaves formed a miniature whirlwind pattering across marble, before stopping as they hit a pillar. That birdsong in the distance might have even belonged to a phoenix. All of this went unnoticed by the lovers, of course Sombra only knew his hooves were lower on her than they had any business being. Luna didn’t seem to mind though.

‘You must be happy enough by now, I am!’

That apparently didn’t mean that either of them wanted to let go of the other though. They did eventually, just with the vim and vigor of a drunk snail.

‘When you’re ready, you won’t get hurt no matter what.’

‘Ever?’

‘Never ever ever.’

> You're All Mine, Sterling Silver
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

And so Sombra’s horn lit up again, images of amethysts in his mind. The voices called to him, overpowering all other sensations to the point where they were the sensations themselves,  but it was calming in a way. He didn’t have any dread or fear of them, and they weren’t even loud, they were just all there was. 

He felt dizzy as he saw the sky again, but there was nopony choking him this time. Luna had her wing tightly embraced around him, making Sombra fiercely warm. 

‘Congratulations for making it back from the brink, or wherever.’

‘That was... hard work.’

‘You’ve conjured what looks like it’d be a marvelous Hearts And Hooves day present!’

He’d been too busy snuggling against her to notice the black, crystalline heart neatly laid in front of them. It was about half the size of him.

‘Oh, I spose’ so.’

‘Looks as solid as the others.’

‘I like you holding me of course, but is there any reason for doing it while I was wacked out? Or were you that desperate?’ Sombra smirked.

‘So harsh.’ she said, and prodded him with her hoof.

‘It’s important not to get lost while you’re like that, I thought some proximity might remind you you’re here, with me.’

‘It was one of the first things I noticed.’

‘Good.’

‘So er, what are you going to do with that?’

‘You know Som-bra, I don’t know. Give it to you?’

‘It’s yours?’

‘Well you are all mine.’

She leaned close, and gave him something else.

There was a lengthy silence before they took a break from being ever so entwined, and Sombra said ‘I heard the crazy voices again.’

‘Mmm-hmm?’

‘They were kind of nice though, like whispers, not as overwhelming as before.’

‘They might have grown to like you.’

‘What are they like, actual? They exist outside of me and amethysts?’

‘We’ll figure it out eventually, this is the great unknown. There must have been more talented individuals, with equally, if not stranger magic than you, but we’ve found hardly any recently... and Celestia’s got them all. Not that she loved any of them.’

‘Huh.’

Sombra wondered what to do around Luna sometimes, when they weren’t kissing, talking or taking a magical venture of her suggestion. Sitting in quiet, as they were now was fun, I guess, but seemed a bit pointless. Similar to the time spent making small talk with his mother it seemed necessary, but not so interesting.

I mean, we can’t be kissing all the time can we? Silliness.

‘You think there’s anything else worth doing?’

‘Not yet, though I think I’m going to fiddle around with this thing a bit. I have a few ideas,  mad sciency ideas.’

‘Will your mane be all frazzled when I see you next time?’

‘Yeah, and I’ll have a vial of purple liquid with me too.’

Isn’t purple more of a witch thing?

‘Last thing, my love have you thought anymore about moving into Canterlot?’

‘Not yet, haven’t told my mother yet either.’

‘No rush.’

And with that, Luna wished him a safe trip. Though when Sombra saw his pegasi for the night, he remembered he’d forgotten to tell her, oh well. Should probably ask about the dreams too, maybe.

The wind was sharp that night.

Ground, keys, door, close, bed. No weird Lunas please. They can’t have been the same guards right? Yeah can’t be, they would have said something.

There were no weird Lunas to speak of.

He’d just awoken, but Sombra already pined to see Luna again. It was very noticeable now, that as he enjoyed the days with Luna more, and more, the days inbetween were becoming fillers, barely tolerable time killers.

So what’s going to happen in between this time?

‘Hey so might you want a job? I imagine you could find some way to use the money.’ Robyn said at the table, empty breakfast plates in front of them.

‘Er, about that. You know that moving Canterlot thing we talked about day before yesterday?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Well don’t dismiss me when I say this, but I kinda want to.’

‘For a job? But what kind of job you’re gonna get offers accommodation?’ she said, laughing.

‘For a mare.’

Robyn’s back went a bit rigid.

‘That’s sudden. I haven’t even met her.’

‘That’s cus er, she’s Luna.’

‘What?’

‘She’s Luna.’

‘What?’

‘She’s Luna.’

‘Her?’

‘Her.’

‘Lunar Luna?’

‘Yup.’

A great myriad of expressions crossed over Robyn’s face.

‘So you and her...’

‘Mmm-hmm.’

As if he’d restored Robyn’s youth, she jumped off her chair and rushed to hug him.

‘Oh my gosh congratulations!’

‘Hey hey we’re not getting married you know.’

‘But it’s Luna! Oh I’m so happy for you!’

She squeezed him even tighter (somehow).

‘Yeah, love you too.’

‘And to think I was so worried after your father left us! She’ll be great for you!’

‘Sure, I might even be able to bring you along with me.’

‘Really? She’s that generous? Oh my gosh I still can’t believe it!’

‘Can’t breath, anymore.’

To his mild chagrin, she only let go several seconds later.

Guess I’m still a teenager.

‘I’m taking you out tonight.’

‘Oh you don’t have to.’

‘No, you’re not saying no, I’m not letting my son run with Luna her royal highness without a five star meal in his belly.’

It happened to go pretty well for a “filler” day. He told her in more detail about how it started, and how they sometimes pretended it was all for the lessons really. She seemed quite interested if she could move to Canterlot too under the Princess. Probably wants an early retirement.

Perhaps the best way to tell Alex to fuck off is to have a good time, and dine in glory. Good afterthought. 

> Alicorn Crystals Are So Weird
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna, I never did ask you, does your flesh counterpart realise you’re here?

Well like our relationship, Sombra, its complicated.

Is it?

To you I am a fragment of your obsession, and to me you’re a toy. You know me, I’m not one for riddles, bar the double entendres with, and within the many different kinds of bars. Say you prefer kissing her or me? Or getting woken up by a curious colt?

Sombra was slow to realise he’d awoken on the train again, and was staring into the eyes of some tiny pegasus. The thing trotted away once it realised Sombra was awake though. Kind of like a foal Luna. Can you just stop seeing everypony apart from your own mother as versions of Luna please?

It was odd how he found waking up more memorable than falling asleep, sometimes. ‘So is today the big day then, where I say yes?’ he wondered, as the pastures and trees went on by. It wasn’t a fast train, but the outside was a mesh of green to Sombra’s unfocused eyes.

‘Hello, Som-bra!’

‘Hi.’

‘You seem a little bit down, you okay?’

‘No, no I’m good, told my mother about the Canterlot idea, she’s really happy about it.’

‘That wouldn’t make you down.’

‘No.’

‘Som-bra.’ she chimed, and ran the tip of her wing down his spine.

‘Ahaha that tickles!’

‘Talk to me, you’ll feel better.’

‘You’ve forced me into it now, I’d be laughing forever otherwise! I um, don’t mean to mistrust you or anything, but like, you haven’t been seeing me in my dreams since that one time right?’

‘Have you been seeing me?’

‘Yeah, a lot.’

Luna frowned.

‘That’s not good, sorry about that.’

‘But they’re just my dreams aren’t they? And they haven’t been nightmares.’

Luna sat with that same frown for quite a long time.

‘Something like this happened to my sister, long ago, but that was... What have I been saying in these dreams?’

‘Oh you know, just, nonsense dream stuff.’

‘But it must be scary for you? I could do so much without you knowing.’

‘Ahh come on don’t be silly, there’s a limit to how much you can do in dreams.’

Luna wrestled with some internal inconsistencies some more, before telling Sombra what she was thinking.

‘So a long time ago, when I’d just discovered I could do anything, in anypony’s dream, my sister starting seeing me, or something like me, every single night when I wasn’t consciously going there. But after I did try visiting her for a few nights in a row, I didn’t appear unless I went there anymore. We guessed that I’d become overly enthusiastic about my newfound godhood, so that I’d started to bloat and bleed my unconscious into the dream’s of the pony I thought of most. I don’t think Celestia said they were all that much like me though, really snarky. I must have said something awful for you to be not so happy like this.’

‘It’s okay, as long as there’s a simple solution. Glad you haven’t been spying on me haha.’

‘I’m puzzled if it’s happened again though. It’s only happened under peculiar circumstances before.’

Luna relaxed a bit.

‘Anyway I’ll come knocking on Sombra’s dream door tonight.’ she giggled.

‘Please don’t wake my mother on the way in.’

‘I’ll be a real ninja.’

Sombra snorted at the image of her wrapped in black.

‘In happier news, I’ve done some fun things with that dark heart of yours, come over here.’

She led him to the far end of the garden, further away from the palace, where the heart lay on marble.

‘That’s really shiny, jee.’

‘It’s great right? Looks like a sapphire now! And try lifting it! No with your hooves, silly.’

Looking rather skeptical, Sombra tried to lift the mighty crystal off the ground, then grunted, and then failed.

‘Just kidding!’

‘Yeah you’re not making that any lighter.’

‘It’s also breakable by pretty much all magic now, in case you ever planned on dropping it on somepony’s head.’

‘Yeah foiling my master plan, got me there.’

‘But seriously that was just a side effect. I could also turn it back, probably, though it’d take a lot of effort.’

‘And how’d you turn it in the first place?’

‘That’s a secret, neither my sister or I would be happy if I told you, or anypony else. Alicorn stuff.’

‘Haha sure.’

Quite suddenly, Celestia was at the edge of the greenery, walking towards them. Both Luna and Sombra were equally surprised.

‘So you’re the one who made this thing! My little sister has been having a lot of fun with that.’

That’s informal for her.

‘Has she now?’

‘Tia, you’re being awfully rude barging in on us like this.’

‘Only because I’ve escaped the hounding papers and ponies, sister. You’d do the same.’

Luna huffed.

‘Has she told you how she did it? She’s too shy I bet.’

‘No you know it’s not like that!’ Luna exclaimed.

‘Oh but it is!’ Celestia said, wrapping her arm around her sister’s neck and ruffling her mane. Luna only made weak attempts to get out of it.

That’s like a super brotherly thing isn’t it? Well they’ve been together forever haven’t they? They’re not sisters, and not brothers, they’re just siblings. Weird ones. Can’t deny that you love one of them though.

‘Stop it, the guards will gawk.’

‘You mean they’ll have an excuse to.’

Sombra laughed at his comically misplaced protective urge (or was it possessive?) after hearing that.

‘Yeah, maybe your guards.’

‘Does your coltfriend over there enjoy seeing you struggle? He looks like it.’

His heart sprang at being called coltfriend.

‘No I was laughing at something else.’

‘Really.’  the sisters said in unison, and then they were laughing too. 

Celestia barely had time to say ‘Oh, they found me.’ before her horn lit up in an instant, and she was gone.

‘...Huh?’

> It's Unwise To Covet Labradorite Too Fiercely
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Yeah, that happens sometimes, she hasn’t run off from her duties like that in a while though.’ 

Sombra had no idea what to say. It was one thing for a Celestia to become Luna for a few minutes, and another for her to spontaneously teleport, or get caught, or something? Alicorn things, huh.

‘I love you by the way, Som-bra. I haven’t stopped.’

‘I didn’t think you had. Is she like, normally like that? She hasn’t been like that while I’ve been with her, she’s been a lot more formal at least, I think so.’

‘With me? Yeah normally. She’s formal with anypony else she doesn’t know all that well though, like me, like most of us, really.’

‘I can’t really imagine her being all that casual with anypony besides us two haha.’

‘There aren’t many.’

There was a gust of wind as Sombra wondered who those ponies were, he was pretty curious.

‘And who are they?’

‘Ask her yourself why don’t you?’ she said and giggled, enjoying the power of information.

‘Yeah, maybe I will. There was something I forgot to say the other day, one of the guards that brought me home, actually, like nearly punched me until his friend stopped him.’

‘Did he now?’

He did, they did.

‘That’s probably Jasper then, I’ll talk to him. He’s always far too protective, a bit like you are, but he’s not my coltfriend, obviously so it’s not so appropriate. Not that I minded until now.’

‘I’m that protective?’

‘Yeah yeah, I noticed you when Tia was teasing me, you didn’t like it when she mentioned the guards staring at you did you? You can fool my sister perhaps, but not me.’

‘Haha Yeah? I guess so, it was pretty silly though.’

‘Silly feelings are still feelings, lovely.’

She promptly kissed him, and he was filled with a familiar joy. Why the fuck didn’t I find a marefriend before, it feels really fucking good. Good question.

‘I’ll tell him off, don’t worry. He means well, of course.’

‘So you don’t mind me feeling that way?’

‘I adore it, haha, do you know long how it feels for somepony to feel like they own you, after being a fucking princess so long? It’s incredible, Som-bra, don’t stop.’ 

‘I guess even you immortals have your dreams eh?’

‘Something like that, we have them for much longer than you guys though.’

‘You’ve done all kinds of stuff for longer than us haven’t you?’

‘So we like to think. I don’t know though, I know there’ve been lots with more interesting sex lives than me, haha, I think most ponies have!’

To Sombra, this seemed like a conversation appropriate for when they were all drunk out of their minds, they weren’t though, so it was a bit awkward for him.

‘Yo so I did have an idea about what we were actually going to do today, but it’s slipped my mind, maybe you were just too handsome.’

‘Or maybe your sister was just too pretty.’

Luna cringed as she said ‘Oh man you still remember that joke? That was a bit overboard.’

‘Did you have bad dreams about it?’

‘Funny.’

‘You know what? I’ve got an idea, let me try and change the heart back to that happy black it was before.’

‘And since when did you become an alicorn?’

‘Hush, and watch the prodigy at work.’

Sombra stared at the heart intently, before doing some rather mundane spell, turning it back to black.

‘Ta-da!’

‘Nice soot, that’s obscure.’

‘Aww, really, you can tell without even touching?’

‘Easy as... incest.’

‘Oh go away, Celestia would be ashamed.’

‘Not if we’re... incestous.’

Sombra ended up just shuddering at how weirdly funny it was, with the perfectly awkward emphasis.

‘How am I meant to want to kiss you after that?’

Luna shrugged.

‘Get a bigger libido?’

‘Yes, bloody most lewd meatsack ever! Do you want to drive me away?’

‘Ah enough, I did say it was overboard the first time didn’t I?’

‘And you clearly meant that.’

‘Clearly.’

The rest of the hour he spent there was equally as frivolous, though he did remember to ask an important question.

‘If I were to like, move here could my mother come too?’

Luna’s face got really scrunched.

‘Err, in terms of the palace itself, assuming that’s where you want to live yourself, not really without ahaha, er-’

‘Without what?’

She whispered something he couldn’t hear.

‘Marrying you, um I mean us.’

This was one of those rare times where it was easy to tell she wasn’t just being coy.

Both of them pawed at the grass for a few seconds, not making eye contact.

‘I could probably find some place near here though. I’ll look into it.’

‘Yeah that’d be great.’

‘You said you’re going now?’

‘Yup.’

‘Jasper’s off duty conveniently, you won’t have him.’

They had a quick kiss, and that was the end of a very wordy session with Luna.

He didn’t have Jasper, apparently, but he could hardly tell when all had white fur, blue eyes and gold armour. Why did they? Alicorn stuff, yeah everything you don’t know is alicorn stuff. Why did the pegasi have to schedule a storm as I ride home?  Damn alicorn stuff.

And it really was quite the storm, it’d must have been everywhere if the pegasus pulling the  chariot couldn’t avoid it.

When Sombra did get home, Robyn wasn’t awake, to his disappointment. He’d hoped she might have stayed up seeing how she was so excited yesterday. Maybe that’s why she’s asleep.

‘You fall asleep quickly, don’t you?’ Luna said, back in Canterlot Palace, though there were no stars in the sky.

‘Oh hi, I guess this is you knocking on my dream door?’

‘Forgive the intrusion.’ she said, lowering her head.

‘How was your trip back?’

‘Wet, and lame, and wet.’

‘The things we do for our fauna, eh?’

‘I guess.’

Quizzically enough, a long cigarette sprouted from Luna’s mouth, and she smoked it like it was no big deal. It probably isn’t. 

‘So was it like this with the me that’s not me?’

‘No it was a lot less distinct, somehow. This is a weird one for me, it feels like we’re here in the flesh everything is so distinct, like, separate if you know what I mean?’

Like this? Spinning shapes. Oh my god that’s trippy what the fuck is this? You given me shrooms or something? Mushrooms, sprouting hence, through, bursting out of his chest, with no pain at all. Psychedelic visions, horizons of beasts beyond and then a thought. I’m not sure what’s talking and what’s not, Luna, so, not everything so... No like, this?

Or this? She asked with world spinning, running, then he was clinging to something that wasn’t there, and he didn’t even have a form any more.

Well for one thing I can’t even remember that well what it was like, as much as not having a body is kinda interesting. Heeey, I’m back! Your head is so comfy! No, er... ‘This is super weird Luna haha. Not having a body is kind of manageable in its own way, but not having my own head either?’ 

‘Where are you getting all this from? Do most of us have these kinda dreams?’

‘No, they’d be the sort I’d have if I ever had any. I was just tinkering, trying to find-’

‘Woah so this is how it feels to be you!’

‘Oh, sorry about that, there you go. Let me fiddle around a bit more before I give up, she’ll probably just go away anyway after this.’

Sombra’s eyes fell out before the rest of his body turned into a blob, and a giant fissure opened up full of yet more strange creatures. Nearly got something, just a bit longer, Som-bra. Fortunately her voice cut through all the crazy stuff that was happening, so he was relatively content to let himself get squished by some unidentified object.

‘Aaand, there, let me take care of that.’ Luna said, leaving Sombra in once piece, and head as clear as a crystal, as if nothing had happened. Stuff had happened though, and I’m kinda confused as to what happened, so my mind isn’t actually all that clear? Fuck if I know, arguing with yourself again.

‘Apologies, love, that tends to happen if I really ruffle through the crevices of which I otherwise can’t acknowledge. It’s made me talk all posh too, apparently. Or a hundred years younger, perhaps.’

‘So you find anything?’

‘Behold, my many imposters.’

A massive layer of rigid Lunas in open jars appeared above them.

‘Um, what?’

‘Don’t worry, they’re not loose, apart from a couple that’s been bothering you, and I can’t really stop her directly. I could just kill all of them, make myself rather insane, but since I’ve dragged them all here, they won’t dare try and talk to you again.’

Watching an uncountable number of his marefriends’ eyes staring at him was fairly disconcerting.

‘Could you like, put them somewhere, oh, that works.’

They were gone before he finished the sentence.

‘I suppose my business is done, let me know if she comes back.’

Sombra tried to approach her for a kiss, or even just a hug, but she didn’t get any closer.

‘Sweet dreams!’ she said before she vanished, leaving a candy in his mouth.

Yeah, that’s Luna alright.

> Sombra Dislikes Bad Haze, A Gemstone In Making
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

He woke with the taste of candy in his mouth, somehow more pressing than the sun in his eyes. It was quite a while before he got out of bed, or do just about anything else other than mumble into his pillow. What had happened in the night seemed like something spiritual, unnatural in its intensity, and profoundly meaningful (he didn’t know what it all meant though, it just felt that way). She’s probably not a shaman, but she could sure as anything convince me she was one if she wanted. It’d be terrifying if anypony else had that kinda power huh?

Surprisingly, Robyn wasn’t around, though it was quite a bit later when he typically got up. As apparent as it was how these days were boring, and the others lots of fun, Sombra did try to appreciate what was likely going to be one of the last of them. Kind of like school, dull as fuck, you do what you can to make it interesting, though nothing all that wrong with it particular. Bad haze.

Robyn came back, with a much shorter mane.

‘Morning, sleepyhead.’

‘Morning, nice mane cut you got there, you get that this morning?’

‘Yeah, nice isn’t it? But how did your lesson go, Sombra? That’s more important.’

It took him a few seconds to think past the dream.

‘Well it was just another lesson, mostly. Got to see Celestia, don’t see her often, and you can’t move into the palace unless I marry her, apparently.’

‘Luna?’

‘Yeah of course.’

‘I suppose even she has some restrictions, I’ll be lonely without you.’

‘Oh no she’ll probably find some place near, or at least in Canterlot.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah, I think so.’

‘That would be great enough! And did you make any progress?’

‘What progress?’

‘Well, you know, getting closer to her.’

‘We’re plenty close already, Robyn, just you wait till you see us. I could probably even bring you with me next time, if you can buy another ticket. She wouldn’t mind.’

‘If you don’t mind, I don’t want to be a third wheel.’

‘No number of wheels could stop us now.’

‘Well not stop you, I just don’t want to be an unwanted presence.’

‘Nonsense, you’ll be proud. Luna’s gonna be intrigued too. She might not be what you expect though. You know how I mentioned she likes to make lewd jokes before?’

‘Yes.’

‘It’s, a bit difficult to emphasise just how much she does. She might well tone it down while you're around, but might not, too. She’ll probably think of it as an opportunity to embarrass me.’

‘That’s fine, It’s not like I’d dare argue with her anyway.’

‘Oh yeah?’ he chuckled.

‘This might be a bit random, but have you had any dreams about her, or even Celestia?’ Sombra asked.

‘Hm? No not that I can remember.’

‘Ah okay.’

‘Why’d you ask?’

‘Nothing substantial.’

That was largely what the day had to offer. Sombra thought he’d heard somepony knocking at one point, but they weren’t, and that was about all. Dull as usual. I'm probably not going to get to kiss her much with my mother around, oh well.

The only thing he dreamt of was an empty landscape. Surprising I remember it at all.

‘Would Alex be proud of me?’ Sombra asked on the train.

‘I thought you hated him?’

‘I do, but train rides are boring.’

‘Haha okay then. I think he would.’

Robyn looked at a stray ladybug on her seat, ‘It’s been awhile since I properly went to Canterlot, apart from when I went there with you, of course.’

‘Never went to the palace though.’

‘No... is it as big as it looks?’

‘Probably, we only really spend time in once place though, and I’ve only been to like, four.’

‘Looks like you get to show them me now,’ she said as the train finally stopped.

To Sombra’s surprise they got off the train and were in the palace in no time, he’d expected to be stopped by a guard, somewhere, but security’s lax I guess?

Luna was drinking some tea in the garden.

‘Hello?’

‘Heya, Luna, this is my mother, Robyn.’

Luna’s eyes went wide. 

‘Oh, pleased to meet you! I’m, well you probably know who I am, not to sound pompous.’

‘Not at all, Your Majesty. Sombra’s told me a lot about you.’

‘Gosh Luna is fine, not even he was that humble when we first met. And you should have told me you were bringing her, Som-bra, I could have met you in the antechamber.’

Robyn cocked her head at the name.

‘Don’t you like surprises?’

‘Well, kinda, but y’know... Do you want to see this crystal heart he’s made? Has he told you about it.’

‘I haven’t.’

Luna brought them over to the far end of the garden, where the heart lay as it had been before.

‘Wow that’s really something, Sombra. How’d you make that?’

‘Pumpkins and concentration, not very interesting, Robyn. It was black at first though, Luna made it blue, somehow. She doesn’t want to tell me why.’

‘Don’t embarrass me like that Som-bra.’ Luna moaned, and rather deliberately got very close to him, wing twitching.

‘No, we’re not doing that.’

‘Aw really?’

Luna had a massive smile on her face. If Sombra took pleasure from his marefriend struggling,  she took joy from making him squirm.

‘She’s always like this, Robyn.’

‘With respect, I find the two of you a bit overwhelming, Im sure you can understand, Luna. I’ve not seen my son like this.’

‘Of course, that’s perfectly reasonable.’ Luna said.

‘I don’t know how much Som-bra’s told you, but the crystals he conjured are quite special. Nopony apart from me, and him can break them since you need to use his aura.’

Sombra’s blush became even redder as he realised where Luna might take this, please don’t tell her that, pretty please.

> Good Colts Eat Their Turquoise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Can you copy auras, Luna?’

‘It’s an alicorn thing.’

She absolutely loves saying that. 

‘You know aha, she was so forward, mom, like seriously she was waving her wing about from the first lesson.’

‘No, it wasn’t like that, Som-bra. We just got closer, and then a bit closer still.’

‘Yeah, totally. All the way.’

‘Could I ask you something, Luna?’ asked Robyn, as if there was something important on her mind.

‘Sure.’

‘What kind of relationships did you have before? As I suppose you know, theres no mention in public of Sombra and any others before him.’

Luna giggled in a way Sombra didn’t like, so he nudged her a bit harder than he intended. 

‘Ow! I was about to explain to her if you don’t mind, Som-bra.’

‘Yeah you do that.’ he growled.

‘Not many in the last century, Robyn. But its not like either they or me would want it to be public anyway, that’d just cause an unnecessary fuss. I should have asked this before, but would you like a drink, Robyn? Tea perhaps?’

‘If you would be so kind.’

It didn’t take long for it to arrive.

‘Unfortunately, Som-bra, I did have plans as to what we’d do today but it’d involve that. You need to be, y’know.’

‘Oh.’

‘Need to be what?’ Robyn asked between sips.

‘Nothing, Robyn, nothing at all.’ Sombra said.

An unusually a lengthy silence reset the flow of conversation. Sombra took a bit to figure out why. What normally happens now? Robyn isn’t here, so I don’t feel embarrassed so... of course, we kiss. And we giggle a bit. She giggles more though.

‘Do you see any use for Sombra’s magic in the future, Luna?’

‘That’s a good question, Robyn. One that he should ask me more about.’

‘You’re just so interested in that.’ Sombra said, rolling his eyes.

‘Worry not what I’m intrigued by, Som-bra and focus on yourself.’

Hah, like I can do that! What’s she interested in beside me and her stars anyway?

‘To answer your question, I think he might have some use as an envoy, of sorts. I’m aware this will sound strange in many ways, but he’d be ideal for representing those unsatisfied with my and my sister’s rule.’

‘I don’t think anypony like that exists, Luna, let alone us being the way we are.’ Sombra chuckled,  perplexed at her suggestion.

‘There are some, Som-bra. You know recently the Crystal Kingdom has been expressing some discontent, they’ll want independence eventually, I suspect.’

Sombra had a hundred more questions, but he didn’t want to hound her too heavily in front of Robyn. Though I’m sure she’s just as confused as I am.

‘Was Sombra rebellious in school? He seems like he would be.’

‘Not terribly, he didn’t like the piano lessons I sent him to, I don’t think he particularly liked school either, but he hasn’t been in much trouble. Except when Luna came round right to the school, Sombra? You made quite a fuss then I hear. Some questions about something? What were you talking about again?’

‘Stuff.’ Sombra said, not only embarrassed at his passionate outburst that seemed so long ago, but also because he’d almost forgotten what he’d been asking about himself. He remembered now.

Robyn smiled, and some birds fluttered above the three.

‘Apologies that I haven’t much else for us to do other than talk, and drink tea, Robyn. I’d have prepared something if I knew you were coming.’

‘It’s no issue, just being around you is quite the experience.’

‘You know she can play the piano entirely magically, Robyn? And she’s better than I ever was with my hooves!’

‘Haha can you?’

‘He’s being overly generous, but I can, yes. Really hard work for me, which he seems to like.’

Robyn laughed heartily at that. Sombra imagined Celestia’s shadow egging her on sister to embarrass and fluster him as much as she possibly could. In a headlock too. He tried to object.

‘It’s not fair, Luna. I’ve got Robyn here to tease me, but you haven’t got Celestia here to tease you.’

‘But she’s not been teasing you at all, Som-bra.’

Sombra made a noise between a groan and a gurgle. The excitement of showing Luna to Robyn was rapidly waning.

‘I think we’re wearing my poor son out, Luna. I know it’s probably earlier than Sombra leaves, and he doesn’t have to come with me, but I’d like to take my leave for his sake.’

‘You spoil him so.’

‘He’s a good colt.’

‘I’ll come with you anyway, Robyn, I’m dead tired.’

‘Thank you for the tea and hospitality, Luna, you’re being very generous with your time.’

‘Not at all, I enjoy it, your son does too. I should tell you before you go that while I can find you a place to stay in Canterlot, Robyn and perhaps Sombra, I can’t have the both of you in the palace. You might want to talk with him about what to do. Oh, and I hope you enjoy your sleep Som-bra.’ she added, winking at him.

They ended up going back by train—the pegasi weren’t keen on carrying two of them. It was nice going back by train though, Sombra could appreciate the pretty lights of Canterlot even if he was exhausted as though he’d galloped through the city. (And he was!)

‘Sombra, why did she call you that? It felt intrusive to ask.’

‘Som-bra? I don’t know, she’s always done that. I thought she might stop in front of you.’

The train stopped rocking along the tracks at some point, and the two of them trotted their way back to home. Sombra had never been so tired from doing so little, it didn’t feel entirely unpleasant though. I guess feeling lots can be tiring too. And trying not to feel debased too. That’s a bit strong, probably. Definately.

For reasons unknown, he hadn’t registered that Luna’s wink obviously meant she’d come visit him tonight, so he was quite surprised when she did.

No stars in the sky, check.

‘Really caught you off guard then didn’t I, my Som-bra?’

His form was a bit shaky from the shock of suddenly being dragged into the artificial dream.

‘I thought I wouldn’t be having any dreams considering how tired I was, but I guess that’s what your wonders can do, Luna. Can we talk about this envoy shit you were on about?’
> Doors Made Out Of Feldspar Are Very Spooky
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna hesitated, hearing Sombra’s harsh tone.

‘This’ll take some time.’ said Luna, drinking some purple liquid with a straw.

‘You can make those dark amethysts of yours that neither I or my sister really can, and we can’t break them either. For somepony who’d represent those who didn’t want to live under our rule, magic that we can’t emulate, and to a small degree, can’t challenge, you’d be ideal. Not that it’s a matter of force... you can grasp the symbolism. They’d adore you, as envoy or even something more I’m not sure.’

‘Okay so what? That doesn’t mean I know anything about what they’d want, or how I’d even negotiate with you? I guess I’d do that.’

‘You’re getting ahead of yourself, my Som-bra. Even if you somehow ended up some place high up, that’d come much later and you’d be surrounded by advisers, they’d know your background, approximately.’

Like a proper tyrannical King from a book eh? Or a puppet one? Don’t think a real one would have to be like that, though it’s hard to think of it being any other way.

‘You been thinking about this for a while? Long enough so that you had to mention it for the first time when I brought Robyn?’

‘Aww don’t be mean Sombra!’ she said and snuggled against him. It felt peculiar in the dream. 

‘Yeah yeah, I love you too, just tell me why. It kinda weirded me out.’

‘I thought your mother might be pleased to hear is all. I didn’t think you’d mind, sorry.’

‘That’s okay, I guess. And why the Crystal Kingdom? They’re obscure as anything.’

Several giant sapphires slowly raised up out of the ground with no resistance as if it was liquid.

‘Cus they want independence, like I mentioned, Som-bra. It hasn’t been made public yet, they appreciate the disruption it’d cause if they announced it prematurely, without us being ready. They haven’t got a representative in particular either, a few floating around but there isn’t a popular one yet. I’m not sure how’d they’d react to you, but it's worth a try I think.’

‘And are these what they have there? These sapphires.’

‘Yup, and anypony who’s in there is all sparkly!’

‘Yeah, I knew that, that’s pretty famous.’

A literal light bulb appeared above Luna’s head.

‘Hey, you know what? Why’s it called the Crystal Kingdom when it's just a big city?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Because they wanted independence all along I bet! Right from the the unicorn that founded it.’

‘Oh. I guess that’s possible.’

He’d really been expecting a joke.

‘No just kidding, they wanted you to be their king, Som-bra. King Som-bra.’

Sombra’s laugh felt like it was echoing through a cave.

‘That totally sounds like a griffin thing, Luna, actually saying my name in a title like that.’

‘Som-ka! How can I be of service?’

Out of nowhere an impressively scarred griffin was sizing him up.

‘Who you talking to, punk?’

After a moment of doubt Sombra remembered where he was.

‘Luna if things are getting this silly don’t you think it’s about time I wake up?’

‘Yeah, punk, go smash yourself.’

And then the griffin made a chirp that sound it came straight from a robin for some reason. Probably because there’s one right outside your window.

Sombra woke to loud birdsong. Familiar, in a few ways. Oh I’m meant to talk with Robyn about moving into the palace, or something? Yeah, something. He was really groggy, even though he didn't think he’d slept badly. Dream exhaustion? Is that a thing?

He ate the daffodil sandwiches Robyn had laid out for him, though she wasn’t around at the moment.

A wild idea came to him. That’s crazy, you don’t have a reason to do that. Probably wouldn’t end well. You really shouldn’t be thinking about this. He stood up. You really shouldn’t be doing this. He walked towards the door. Okay you dumb dumb.

With the green bag he typically took to Canterlot palace, Sombra headed out to Tinker’s house, and he wasn’t looking forward to the lengthy bus ride. He’s not even gonna be there is he? That’ll save you the hassle.

With a heavy heart, and little idea as to why, Sombra knocked on Tinker’s door. He waited for a while, and then knocked again, still nothing. What a depressing way to spend a day. I guess you don’t get to envision him as some version of Luna, hooray. That’s a really, really horrific idea. As he was turning round to abandon the place eternally, the door opened a tiny bit before being shut heavily.

‘Hello?’

There was no response.

Hesitantly this time, Sombra turned around, but the door didn't move. Hope he’s okay, I guess? Nervous, and with the sense he was making a terrible decision, Sombra left, finding a bus back as quick as he could. That one was one spooky door, ahaha.

At least Robyn was there to welcome him back.

‘Heya, you were out for a while.’

‘Yeah, you weren’t here this morning either though?’

‘I was out for a walk, don’t think they’ll be nearly as nice places once we’re in Canterlot.’

Probably not.

‘So you’d be okay if I was like, in the palace and you were just in Canterlot?’

‘Yes of course, Sombra. Being in Canterlot at all is more than enough, you know how expensive real estate is there? You’re really lucky it’s Luna of all ponies.’

‘Or maybe you’re the lucky one!’

‘That Luna’s humour?’

‘No don’t be silly, she’d be like, “Or maybe you’re the lucky one coming into a very early retirement because of your son’s hard work.”’

Robyn was greatly amused.

‘I’ll let her know tomorrow then, I guess we’ll move pretty soon after that.’

‘She’s a great mare isn’t she? Do you think as most ponies as like, versions of her?’

‘Where’s this coming from?’

‘It’s only how Alex saw me at one point, apparently.’

‘That doesn’t make me happy.’

‘I thought it might not.’ Robyn sighed.

‘I’m going to my room, and no, don’t worry, I’m not angry at you.’

Are you? Who knows.

> Sombra wants Crystals Made Out Of Flour
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know you said you weren’t angry, but do angry ponies have angry dreams?

Sombra was staring at the crimson starless Canterlot sky, with Luna staring at him.

‘Seeing you tomorrow am I?’ Sombra asked

‘Why’d you make the sky red?’

‘Well jee, tell me god.’

‘Homicidal impulses, a raging love, or just rage. I think you just told me which one it was.’

Sombra grew some impractically large fangs for himself.

‘But I’m not angry, Luna, why would I be? I’ve got you, I’ve got my loving mother, everything. I came up with a dumb idea and a dumb thing happened, but come on, that shouldn’t make the sky red.’

Luna got slightly taller. 

What a dull metaphor.

‘Love, worry not, I’m the only other who can see it.’

‘What if you can’t handle me at my worst you don’t deserve me at my best and that dumb shit?’

‘I wanted to say that if you’re so inclined, to tell your mother tomorrow that I’ve got a place ready for a week from now. Sleep well, you angry pony.’

The ceiling was a bit less colourful that it typically was when he woke up. Like beige could ever be colourful. More grey then. That’d make it more colourful.

Through a mixture of apathy and forgetfulness, Sombra didn’t tell his mother what Luna had told him to, though he figured it was only the difference of an afternoon. And it is, to be fair. He blamed his grumpiness in the night on the decision to go see Tinker, and the overall weirdness that were dreams. At least I know that’s the real Luna, I guess.

When he got to the palace, Celestia was waiting where Luna normally would be.

There was something off. Apart from there obviously being something off. Celestia was positively grinning.

Um.   

‘Um.’

Celestia didn’t let him get a word in, gesturing the way forward.

After several minutes of walking, they finally got to the top of one the spires. 

‘You first.’ Celestia offered.

Sombra tentatively opened the door, which was already slightly ajar, and was swamped by a bucket of water.

‘Oh that’s so-’

And then he was covered in flour.

They were heartily laughing their wings off, though at least Sombra couldn’t hear anything with all the lovely gloop in his ears. They laughed even more when he tried to flick some of it at them, with no success.

‘You look like some mutated earth pony, Som-bra!’

Can’t believe I’d ever want an alicorn’s tongue for some not lewd reason.

Eventually, Luna was merciful enough to help get it out of his face with little magic.

‘God thanks, took you long enough.’

‘I could have done it faster, but I’d have to licked it off you.’

‘Yeah, ‘course.’

‘Somepony’s going to have fun cleaning this up.’

‘Nothing a little work can’t fix.’ she giggled.

‘I know I’m standing here, and I look silly as anything, but I didn’t take you for a practical joke kinda mare.’

‘It was all for the licking.’

Sombra grunted grumpily.

‘To be serious, my alicorn sized bath is ready for you in there.’

‘Thanks, I guess.’

As he plodded his way to the bathroom, out of nowhere, Luna smacked him on the rear.

Sombra stared at her for a long time before asking, ‘Are you drunk?’

‘No, now go take your bath, Som-bra.’

Sombra kept staring, curious as what she was going to do with the goop on her hoof.

‘What you think I was gonna eat it?’

She wiped it off with a conjured cloth. Sombra went to take his bath without another word. Hooray for this sludge hiding blushes.

The ornate bath was indeed big, but it still took Sombra some time to get himself clean, and many many towels.

‘Celestia gone?’ Sombra asked he walked out of the bathroom.

‘Long gone, you think I’d have smacked you otherwise?’

Sombra reeled at the thought of Celestia being there. Now able to see, he noticed this looked like Luna’s bedchamber, with plush cushions lining the bed she was lying on. The rest of the floury mess was gone too. 

‘Just take this all as a welcoming gift, for moving into this marvelous palace of ours.’

Luna's tone had a bit of sensuality to it. Just a little bit?

‘Very standard, royal, formal welcome, of flour and water.’

‘Hey I don’t run a bath for just anyone you know.’

Giggling, Sombra sat on the bed. Luna’s wing quickly found its way round his back.

‘So for real, I can stay here?’

‘’Course! Well not here here, but I’ll show your room in a minute. You don’t even have to go back to see your mother if you want.’

Sombra hesitated, confused at how serious she seemed about that.

‘Er, anyway, I wanted to say that I’m sorry for being so weird in that dream last night. Sometimes I act just instinctively, because it’s so weird to think that dreams can have consequences, even though you’ve been in them for a long time now.’

Luna snuggled really close, or more like, had Sombra snuggle close, her head resting next to his purple cuitemark on his thigh.

‘That’s okay, I suppose. Most ponies treat their dreams as an extension of their thoughts, so of course it’s difficult to see it otherwise. But you weren’t even that weird, Som-bra, just angry. It’s okay to be angry sometimes.’

‘Not when it hurts you.’

‘Rip me to shreds and it won’t hurt me there.’

Maybe I’ll just do that some day.
> Beware Of Fluorite Making The World Close In
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

They talked about how Robyn was grateful, and how the two of them we’re both looking forward to it before Sombra asked,

‘Can I see my room now?’

‘Of course! Do you not like mine?’ she asked, before giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

‘No, it’s just, y’know, we’ve been talking about it and all...’

‘Does seeing me on the bed give you thoughts?’

Sombra broke eye contact with her.

‘Get off it then.’

‘Okay, Som-bra.’

She took a very long time brushing her wing against him before finally taking the lead, leaving Sombra shivering, and having a hard time keeping his thoughts focused on his room-to-be. Like I’m drunk, love drunk, or something. Then what would actually being drunk while being like this be like?

‘Aaaand here it is.’

He wasn't even sure how they’d got from her room to his, or how how long they’d been walking down stairs for.

The doors weren’t nearly as grand as Luna’s room, but they were certainly a lot grander than his home, splattered with flecks of gold, and a painted image of the night sky.

‘You design the doors?’ Sombra asked.

‘No, I did ask it to be designed around a particular night sky though.’

Luna effortlessly opened the doors with her magic.

‘Wow this is quite the place.’

‘Yeah, I know right? I knew you’d love it!’

The walls were covered in a green, vaguely crystalline pattern, full of octagons, while the room itself was full of wooden furniture. There were windows the same size as his own room too.

‘What was this originally? It looks too royal to be a guest room, Luna.’

‘It was my room just a few years ago, until they finished the one above, the only thing that’s changed is the bed, there was a different one before, a bigger one, for alicorns. It was kind of changed into a guest room, but it hasn’t been used since then.’

‘It’s really, grand still, like yours, just a bit less, Lunary.’

‘Haha what does that mean?’

‘I don’t know, if it was yours I’d be inclined to think you were a civilised, serious mare.’

‘And mine doesn’t?’

‘Nah, the red cushions are like, the signifiers that you’re as lewd and flippant or romantic as you are. It’s just like dreams, Luna, you were the one who said that it could mean something like that.’

‘Take it however you want, it doesn’t make any difference now.’ Luna said, shrugging.

‘Well you don’t care about anypony apart from me obviously now do you?’

Luna snorted.

‘Did you really like wood or something? Even most of this lamp you’ve got here is wood.’

‘Not just any wood, it’s of the finest mahogany, because we’re just about the only ponies that have the loyalty to get others to go into the Everfree forest for us.’

The bed was as wide and as tall as any bed Sombra had seen, apart from the very one in Luna’s room.

‘Say, Luna, could I kiss you?’

Luna kissed him, with fervour and passion.

‘No, you’ll have to do it before asking, or I’ll be the one to kiss you. Som-bra, you don’t ever think of your cutiemark do you?’

How are you not breathless after that?

‘Um, only a little. Why does that matter, like at all?’

‘It makes you like a griffin, is all. Most ponies use it as stabilisation, they’d feel lost without it. Even for those with Undefined Talent Syndrome like you go on and on about it as dissatisfactory, if not worse.’

‘You know a lot of things, I guess?’  

‘Did you forget you were dating an ancient mare, Som-bra? Am I so youthful?’

‘I was going to say something... nevermind.’

Luna bit him on the neck, but there wasn’t any flour to hide his fierce blush this time.

‘I s-swear you’re drunk. Is this all we’re gonna bloody do today, you seducing me?’

‘Mm would you mind that?’ Luna asked, moving her wing so that it seemed she could have picked him up if she wanted, but wings can’t do that, right?

Luna rather forcefully pulled Sombra onto the bed.

‘You look like you’re the one who's drunk Som-bra.’

‘You’re still acting drunk. Is this a dream?’

‘Do you want it to be?’

Sombra woke up on the same bed.

‘What the fuck?’

Luna had vanished, but the room was otherwise identical and it felt like no time had passed. Sombra’s heart was still jumping about his chest. 

In a frustrated and panicked reaction, Sombra slammed his hoof against the foot his bed, there was definite pain there. The door creaked open, though he couldn’t see who was on the other side.

‘What the fuck, Luna!?’ he screeched.

‘Are you okay?’ came Robyn’s voice.

‘What did she do, Robyn, If you’re even my mother.’

‘We’re in Canterlot, Sombra.’

‘Where’s Luna?’

‘I don’t know, I–’

‘Then fucking get her!’

This is totally a fucking, shitting dream isn’t it? She’s gonna appear right in my face, what a tease!

Sombra checked his behind.

Yeah, purple lines still there. If this isn’t a joke, then I have to be going insane.

Utterly paranoid, Sombra bit his tongue a few times before peeking outside the half open door. It looked exactly the same as before, with the giant flight of stairs just in front.

If Robyn’s here, then some time must have passed, so what the fuck happened between then? She didn’t seem to think that my waking up was remarkable, so I guess I haven’t been sick, but then why did I stay here at all?

Sombra heard somepony running down the stairs, and then Luna appeared next to him, horn aglow.

‘What the–’

‘Sombra, listen to me. When did I pull you onto the bed in that you woke up on?’

‘Tell me what the fuck you did to me!’

‘When?’ she asked again, eyes locking with his.

‘Five minutes ago? I don’t know, but–’

The world closed in on him.

> Sometimes There Are Just Too Many Special Rocks To Count
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna cursed as Robyn came down the stairs.

‘Is he–’

‘He’ll be fine, don’t worry. He’ll wake up in an hour, and he won’t be alone this time.’

With a hint of effort, Luna levitated Sombra back to the bed. Robyn looked pale.
‘I’m sorry to have accidentally put your son through this, it’s my fault. He’s going to wake up, and likely be very confused again, but because he’s woken up once already, he won’t be as panicked, hopefully. I’ll be able to explain what’s going on to him then.’

‘And what is going on?’

‘I’ve been visiting his dreams too often, I believe. It’s not like I’ve visited anyponies dreams as frequently as him, and I know from when I’ve visited others even once, some have been affected in some minor way. Dreams aren’t meant to be meddled with, I got carried away with your son, especially after how he’d reacted relatively well, for really quite a while.’

‘But he’ll be fine, right?’

‘Yes, he’ll be fine. He’s essentially mixed what happened in his dreams, what happened outside of his dreams, and what actually happened. Rather terrifying, I imagine.’

Robyn opened her mouth to say something, but stopped. Luna went on.

‘He’ll need to see a clear and focused contradiction to help him sort his memories, which is why I’ll need to be alone with him when he awakes. We wouldn’t want him trying to figure out himself what happened, that'll make him even more confused.’

‘Does it have to be just you? I’d really prefer to be with him’

Luna pondered.

‘I think it does, sorry. He just really needs to be only thinking about how I’m saying what happened isn’t what he remembers. He’ll think that you’re related, or at least as a method to judge how much time has passed. I’ll let you in as soon as I can, I promise.’

Robyn wished for royalty to be true to its word.    

Eventually, Robyn left, leaving Luna alone with the unconscious Sombra. Though Luna hadn’t given an entirely accurate explanation she didn’t feel like it was too far from the truth. There was just a lot more that she didn’t know. 

Right on cue, Sombra stirred. It was a moment before he said anything.

‘Hi, err, you know I was hoping I wouldn’t be as confused as I was the last time, but I kinda am.’

Luna shrugged.

‘So what the fuck’s going on then?’

‘Let’s try and figure that out, shall we? I think it’s something like, I spent a long time in your dream last night, altered many things, with your permission of course, and it turns out I messed up somewhere, making you mix up dreams and non, and maybe forgetting some stuff? I dunno, you tell me what happened.’

‘You seemed a lot more certain when you put me to sleep.’

‘Some bravado was necessary, teehee.’

‘Mmm. What happened was, when you showed me the room, after the flour and the spanking and all that, you dragged me onto the bed, said something I can’t remember, and then I wake up here with me feeling like no time’s passed, with the fast heartbeat and everything. And then well, I guess its the same for us from there. Why do do that by the way?’

‘Do what?’

‘Knock me out.’

‘Because you wouldn’t have listened to me when you were so panicked.’

Sombra looked a little miffed.

‘I might have.’

‘With your mother there? It’d have ended in the both of you being deeply suspicious of me. Anyway that’s not so important, here’s what happened. What you said’s right, until the bed. once I “dragged you on,” as you put it, I asked you if you wanted it to be a dream, you said yes, and then we had this semi-conscious session of making out. Afterwards we agreed to invite your mother over here, and that was all. She likes her house in Canterlot very much.’

‘That sounds... great, like we had fun.

‘Mmm.’

‘Mmm.’

They chortled at the noises they were making.

‘I’m not ever going to remember am I, for whatever reason. It doesn’t feel like I will.

‘I think the reason is because I fucked up, basically. I really pushed it, blurring your dreams so much.’

Sombra frowned.

‘That’s it? Aren’t dreams fluid and blurry by nature, my princess?’

‘Yes, but that’s because of the dreamers, not because of somepony playing strings of the unconscious, copying the present at that. It’s truly a terrible power I have, Som-bra. We did have fun though, I’d do it again if weren’t so bad for you.’

‘Would I?’

‘Many times over!’

Should have expected that.

‘I hope I haven’t left you paranoid.’ Luna said. In a rare moment of vulnerability she looked crestfallen.  

She didn’t even look like that with the whole other Luna thing. I guess this is more directly her fault, but I mean, do I seem paranoid? I feel fine.

‘No, I dunno how to describe it though. It’s certainly not a disease, not an injury, not an adventure either. It’s just like I’m a little attracted to the danger of you, and the dreams you’re in. Playing with fire, or something.’

‘Though I said at the start it was the lessons that might be dangerous, apparently it’s just me.’

‘Yeah real murderer you are.’

‘And you were always most eloquent on a bed.’

Sombra took a moment to appreciate, and then burst out laughing. Luna went on to ask him if he could lie about his lacking recollection to Robyn.

‘I gave a slightly inaccurate explanation because I wasn’t sure of some things, and I wanted to get her out of the room while I was figuring out what was going on with you. Didn’t know if that might affect you, yeah you get me.’

‘Couldn’t you just tell her that? Or just me?’

‘Oh yeah sure.’

Why wasn’t that the first thing she thought of?

‘Then I’ll invite her in now.’

Luna walked out of Sombra’s room.

Despite presenting himself as mostly satisfied with Luna’s explanation of things, he still felt like he had a lot of questions, he was just too overwhelmed to think of them. Maybe she wants that. Now now, don’t get all conspiratorial on me now. Can hardly blame myself when she thought of getting me to lie before telling the truth. So what’s next? Just another chapter of this, I think.  
> Dedicated To A Proper Grim Clinohumite
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robyn was thoroughly reassured by Sombra and Luna that all was well. He had a slightly awkward way of telling her that not every single one of Luna's words were true, but she wasn’t too phased. Luna wasn’t bothered either, but she’s not bothered by anything is she? She is, by just a few things, but social interactions isn’t one of them.

‘Do you want to see the place Luna has so kindly given us?’ Robyn asked, unworried, with all the drama over.

‘Yeah, it’s not far is it?’

‘Not at all.’ Robyn said.

Luna looked miffed for just an instant, though Sombra was the only one to notice.

She’s not jealous is she?

‘I’m going to go back to sleep if you two don’t mind, it’s far too early for me to be up.’

‘Did you wake her, Robyn?’

‘Yeah at first.’

Sombra looked at his marefriend.

‘Sorry.’ 

With Luna off to bed, Robyn took her son to see her new home.

It was rather unremarkable, at least for Sombra. He’d expected something opulent, and though it was still several rooms larger than their old one, it was just a house really. The furniture was all brand new and comfortable, but the whole space felt soulless. What in Equestria was this place before? Ask Luna. Maybe it’s because Robyn hasn’t brought everything over yet?

‘I was thinking of having it painted.’ Robyn said.

‘Oh already? I guess it is a bit grey.’

‘Yeah, light blue perhaps.’

‘Do you like it?’ asked Sombra.

‘Doesn’t feel like it’s been lived in before, and the furniture’s all new as you’ve probably seen, but the space is good. Really high ceilings too... It’ll be a lot better in in a month or two.’

‘What do you think it was before?’

You know your mother isn’t Luna, don’t you, Sombra? Yeah I do, we’ve been over this already anyway haven’t we?

‘No, though not a home obviously. You should ask Luna!’

See? Even she thinks you should ask Luna.

‘Yeah, I should.’

Sombra spent the rest of the day wandering around Canterlot alone, trying to find the places he’d been to when he’d arrived too early for Luna’s lesson that one time. And he did find most of them, which was nice enough, I suppose. It wasn’t so nice realising that he wouldn’t be able to look outside his window to see if some exceedingly rare bird was there or not. You do get to look on your bed to see if a certain pony’s there. Yeah, and not remember what happened the night before... Oh shit I’m cold. He’d been sitting on a bench long enough for his sides to get a bit stiff, and it was just starting to drizzle too. No wonder you’re cold. Fortunately, it was late enough so that Luna’d be awake, probably. God your thinking is so predictable sometimes.

Feeling mildly frustrated at nothing in particular, Sombra walked back to the palace, his less than dry mane drawing a few looks from the guards. He got frustrated at that too. Calm me down please, Luna. He found her standing in the garden, which happened to be the place he went to first, for some reason. It’d stopped raining completely when he got there.

‘Evening.’ Sombra said, in a low pitch.

‘Morning!’

‘Sleep well?’

‘Didn’t get enough of it, with taking care of you and all that, but I’m okay. I’m not my sister, so there’s nopony that’ll care too much, except maybe you?’

‘Well no, as long you’re okay.’

‘I’m better than okay now that you’re here!’

‘Aha.’

Sombra let out a small sigh.

‘Thanks for the house by the way, it doesn’t really look much like a house, though. I mean the outside could be one, but it doesn’t feel like one, like at all. What was it?’

‘What it was before it was for you? Or your mother, rather.’

‘Yeah.’

‘Um... a jewellers.’

‘Are you actually that bad at lying?’

‘I’m a social pony Som-bra, leave the rest to Celestia.’

‘So what was it?’     

I’m really not fucked to play games.

Luna seemed a bit disappointed.

‘I don’t know, I just asked Tia to find a place that was nearby the palace. I assumed she’d have chosen something residential, but perhaps not.’

Sombra didn’t reply, looking at the grass.

‘Why so glum?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘That’s often how it goes. Lets sit down already.’

And she did, right there on the grass. Sombra was fairly amused, but it wasn’t quite enough to get him to smile. He sat down too, it was a little damp.

‘I don’t know how phoenixes manage it sometimes, Som-bra.’

‘Manage what?’

‘Not killing themselves.’

‘Huh?’

‘Some of them have been around longer than I have, and their lives must be so dull. I mean, I don’t want to alarm you, but inevitably I’ve considered it at times. Not out of sadness, but the world is just so overwhelming sometimes, you just wonder wouldn’t it be easier to not be? And then you run your horn against the brick wall of, these ponies care about me, that would hurt them terribly, I can’t do it.’

‘You’re not...’

‘No, I’m not considering it at the moment, Som-bra. Don’t treat me like I’m wallowing in self-pity, or that I need your help. I’m the teacher here, haha. But they’re calculations, Sombra, all the emotions, considering a rope and chair, perception of everything. Just treat them as what they are, and you win. Everything becomes separable, and changeable to whatever value you want it to be. And that’s a calculation too, just the one that involves the least numbers.’

‘Sounds like I should get a calculator.’

Luna bit his ear.

‘Well congratulations on making me not glum, Luna, if that's what you meant to do. I’m grim now’

‘Yeah, proper grim mate.’

‘Are you going to write a book about these “calculations” of yours? Titled,  “An immortals conclusions”.’ 

‘Dedicated to a proper grim mate.’

Sombra finally laughed.

> Try to Remove Your Eyes Of Taaffeite
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘I actually had something to teach you today, Som-bra.’

‘More than one plus one?’

‘I am supposed to be teaching you how to use that horn of yours.’

‘Are there new crystals for me to make?’

‘Kind of, you’ll see!’

Sombra braced himself for a kiss, or a spanking, or something, but nothing came.

‘Som-bra, stand over there.’ said Luna, looking at a pillar a few metres away.’

A little bewildered, Sombra did as she said.

‘Don’t be scared.’

‘Okay?’

Luna concentrated hard, her horn surrounded by the dark aura once more. She looks like she’s just fizzling it uselessly again, like when she asked me to a long time, but she wasn’t. He suddenly found her eyes ever so captivating, they looked like the black crystals he could make.

‘Luna? Your eyes are strange.’

‘I’m not teaching you anymore.’

Why does it hurt so much to hear her say that?

‘What?’

‘You heard me, Sombra. I’m not teaching you. I never want to see you again, leave.’

‘You can stop teaching me I suppose, but do I really have to leave? And what happened to the Som-bra thing? Am I just Sombra now?’

‘I was bored, Sombra. You know how alicorns just get so bored. I thought teaching you would be some fun; it wasn’t.’

‘And this is what you wanted to show me?’ whimpered Sombra.

‘Yeah, I realised that you weren’t making things any less bland. And you’re thinking I cared for you?’

‘But you fucking did!’

‘Do I look angry to you, Sombra? Do I look mad? You’re a butterfly to me, dead in a few centuries. What kind of pony cares for a single butterfly? As a collective, perhaps, but they’re too brief, they’re gone just as they’re there. There’s no meaning to them, just as there was never any meaning to you, or us.’

‘So your sister’s the only one?’

Luna crafted a truly heinous smile.

Fuck off, this isn’t a dream!

‘No it’s not, Som-bra, so wake up. Please, wake up.’

He felt like he was breathing again.

‘What is there to wake up from?’

‘Magical shenanigans.’

‘Aren’t those what dreams are?’

‘You’re being awfully pedantic for somepony with tears on his face.’

‘Oh.’

Sombra opened his eyes to a weeping Luna.

‘I’m so sorry Som-bra, I’m so so sorry. Are you okay?’

‘Yeah fine, I think. Kind of upset, but okay. You look worse than me.’

She hugged him tighter.

‘It’s all my fault, I’m so sorry.’

‘Hey, calm down okay? I’m okay.’

‘I thought I could get you out faster–’

‘I don’t wanna hear it, you’re way too freaked out. Hush for a bit.’

Luna didn’t stop crying for several minutes, so at some point, Sombra started hugging her back.

‘I can’t do this anymore Som-bra, I can’t hurt you any more.’ Luna said, her sobbing having barely subsided.

‘I’m not sure I want you to stop, it’s getting rather interesting. But if it makes you so upset...’

‘You should want me to stop! These lessons, when they’ve been lessons, have been nothing but me hurting you because I don’t know what I’m doing, nopony knows what we’re doing.’

‘Do you even know what happened just now?’

Luna took a moment to bring herself to say it.

‘You saw your worst fear didn’t you? And I couldn’t get you out of it, and I couldn’t bring myself to knock you out again.’

‘That’s what it was? Well I’m not traumatised like you seem to think I am, it wasn’t like me forgetting the dream, nothing like that.’

‘So you’re saying I shouldn’t be upset?’

‘No, I’m saying you don’t need to be.’

Luna laughed a little among the many tears. Sombra finally let her go, not looking anywhere else but at her. A beautiful rainbow had formed above the two, though neither were inclined to notice just yet. 

‘But you know what I’ll do if you stop teaching me, Luna? I’ll teach myself, and you know I’m going to end up as a crystal if I do that.’

‘Oh don’t do that.’ Luna mewled  

‘Then teach me.’

If she hadn’t been so upset, Luna would have been stunned to hear her coltfriend being so forceful.

‘Is that what you’re really going to do? What could be worth it for you to suffer so much? Is this what stops you from feeling glum?’

‘No, you do that by yourself... I guess we’re going to find out what’s worth it.’

They finally noticed the rainbow above their heads and remarked at its splendour, which was the last thing they talked about before returning to his new home in Canterlot.

He walked halfway towards the station out of habit before correcting himself. It’s a good question she asked, what could be worth it? It’s whatever we find, that’s what’s worth it. You’d think it would be something useful, having a cutiemark based on it. I don’t know, ponies do what their cutiemark tells them they’re good at right? That’s probably why. Anger’s gone, glumness gone, suddenly you just want to want to find what magic can do, and nothing beyond that, at least for now.

As he walked through the doorway, even if he wasn’t exactly surprised, it was strange to return to such a big home with so little in it. As if I’m a rich beggar.

‘Evening Robyn.’

‘Oh good timing, supper’s ready!’ yelled Robyn from the kitchen.

It’s been a wild day, so there’s light at the end of the roller-coaster tunnel? Not so eloquent.

‘Great! Mind if I eat it in my room?’

‘No if you want to!’

He regretted it afterwards, it was a bit lonely. The supper was good though. Is it really your cutiemark that’s driving you to do this, Sombra? You could just visit Luna as often as you’d like, and that would be a happily ever after. What else could it be? Do you enjoy having some limited power over her? No, not particularly. Would you be dissatisfied not ever knowing for sure what your cutiemark is? No, I don’t think so, it didn’t bother me before. Are you suspicious of Luna? Haha, yes.   
> Rise And Shine Bornite, Sunstone's Knocking
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sombra saw a Luna in his dreams, but he didn’t think it was her, it certainly didn’t act like her, and she only spoke of trivial things. So how suspicious do you wanna be? You gonna say that was her spying on you? No don’t be ridiculous, if there’s anything to be suspicious of, she wouldn’t do it like that. She’s god there, she could spy without ever being there if she wanted.  That’s one terrifying thing to be suspicious of, Sombra. Well I do still love her.

‘Is that so?’ Sombra mumbled to himself in the bed, light bleeding through the curtains.

Yeah it is so, you nitwit.

The birdsong was different in Canterlot then where he used to live, a lot more sombre somehow. There was no tree to scan for phoenixes either. Don’t even think of climbing the roof, you really will break your neck on this one.

Begrudgingly, Sombra got out of bed. He thought he might ask Robyn where the curtains came from, since he didn’t remember them being there when he first looked round the house, but she wasn’t here. What was there to do on days he wasn’t seeing Luna? Are the days going to be as slow as before, has coming here changed nothing?  You could go see her, wake her up, tell her how much you love her.

Somepony opened the door.

‘Hiya, Robyn!’

‘Morning, Sombra!’ Robyn replied, distracted by the keys she was still trying to get out of the door.       

‘I was just out looking for some furniture to fill the empty house.’

‘Oh, find any?’

‘A few things potentially, there was this nice looking sofa...’

Sombra found the rest of the conversation fairly dull, and it was fairly dull. There was only so much you could say about furniture, but apparently his mother really liked to push the limits of that.

He was curious as to if he’d be allowed close to the sleeping princess, as well as a certain book, so he went to Canterlot Palace again. He was a little bored too.

Some guards asked him a few questions before they let him in. Clearly they’d be told to, but they weren’t too comfortable on letting somepony in who didn’t have any specific ‘Royal business’. I couldn’t exactly say, here to wake up my marefriend up could I? Not that they’ll let me, I’m sure. He got in and tried to get as close to Luna’s quarters as he could, which ended up being pretty close, but was eventually stopped by a pair of guards. That’s what I expected, I guess, I don’t even know what I would have said if I did get to wake her up.

After making his way past yet a few more guards, he reached the library and looked through the books under ‘U’.

Undertale, Undersold, Undermined, there it is, “Undefined Talent Syndrome”.

Grabbing it from the shelf, Sombra opened it with a bit of casual telekinesis.

“...Cases where the patient never discovers or attaches a meaning to the cutiemark, even far into adulthood, frequently results in feelings of loss and hopelessness, commonly said to be akin to ‘losing a great asset of themselves they never had’. This is somewhat comparable to ponies who lose their visual representation of their cutiemark, as the result of mutilation or otherwise.”

Grim.

Sombra flicked to another page.

‘In a single fringe case, a pegasus suffering from UDT came to believe a talent she possessed was what her cutiemark indicated, but later found that it was something else. When she did, she became so distraught that she–’

‘Excuse me, Sir.’

Sombra turned around.

‘Her Highness will see you in the Royal Garden now.’ the guard stated.

Confused and a little irked about being interrupted, he opened his mouth to say something, but stopped short, realising it wasn’t a request.

‘If you would.’ gestured the guard.

Did she not want me reading that book? Does Luna not want me reading that book? No, you really are being paranoid now. Unless I’m... No shut up that’s a dumb idea.

He smelt the freshly mown grass, realising that he was outside. Celestia looked at him from the middle of the garden. Sombra shivered.

‘Good morning, Sombra.’

‘Hello... What’s up?

She dismissed the guard, and told him to come closer.

‘I know I’m not Luna but that it is a bit far away to have a conversation.’

Yeah, you’re not Luna. God I’m so paranoid.

Celestia’s mane rippled in the sun.

‘You’ve made the guards anxious coming unannounced.’ she chuckled.

‘With respect, Celestia, your sister said I could.’

‘And you can! It’s only that it would be easier if you mentioned to her exactly when, it’d stop the guards from speculating. As well trained as they are, we can’t stop them from gossiping completely. But by all means, it’s only a request, if there are important matters you must attend to, do whatever.’

‘I thought it was serious when your guard told me “I was seeing you now,” being sent for a stern talk or the like.’

‘That’s how they are. Though, I did say that this was “urgent business” so I could get away from some pompous son of a farmer asking for money. Sorry for that.’

‘No not at all, thanks for making time for me!’

‘I was making time for myself, think I’ll go back now. Tell Luna I love her next time you see her, if you would.’

Will you not get to see her before then?

Celestia disappeared.   

Sombra forgot about what was worrying him so for a moment, as he looked at the flattened grass Celestia’s hooves had made. He rushed straight back to the library as soon as he did, back to read that book out of more than morbid curioscity.

“When she did, she became so distraught that she scarred herself to the point that the cutiemark was unrecognisable. She went on to live a relatively normal life.”

While rather informative, the end of the passage didn’t explicitly tell him what he wanted to know. Did the talent she thought was her cutiemark effectively become her cutiemark?

Sombra was about to put down the book, to look for another, when he noticed the name of the author: Dr. Tailor.

What a joke.
> Botryogen Isn't Easily Broken
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Casting the realisation that he was probably going to have to visit Tinker’s again aside, Sombra  looked for another book.

They’re not going to have it are they? I don’t even know if one exists, but there’s no way it’s just what she says it is...

Sombra spent a good while looking for anything that could possibly be related, before deciding against seeing Luna entirely. I can ask her later, there’s still some stuff I can do, and Tinker’s comes first anyway. Y’know, if he’s even there, if he’ll even open the door. Celestia doesn’t know does she? No, she’d have said something. So that means, yeah, Tinker’s first. God I don’t even know what his Dad’s called.

With a steel resolve Sombra left Canterlot Palace, as if it was more important than it actually was. Doesn’t feel like it is. He saw Robyn briefly as he went back to the house to get some bits for the bus, but they didn’t swap many words.

‘Knock knock goes the door, haha.’ said Sombra, knocking on Tinker’s door.

The door inched open, Tinker’s eye poked out, and then there was a draft of air.

‘Fuck off.’ Tinker grumbled through the door.

‘I’m not here to make amends, Tinker, as much as I should be. I want to talk with your father.’

‘Do you want me to indulge you and ask what for? You know I’ll say no.’

‘Sure indulge me, for old times. Let’s pretend I’m a civilised stallion.’ 

‘So for what petty reason could you want to talk to my father, Sombra?’

‘He wrote a book that’s relevant to me, while he was working under Luna I think. I want to ask him some questions about it.’

‘You getting along with her just fine still?’

‘Yeah, just fine.’

‘I guess it’s the cutiemark one you’re talking about? He only wrote one anyway.’

‘Yes. There’s something I want to know about mine, specifically.’

There was a prolonged silence before Sombra stopped waiting for Tinker to make some sound of disapproval.

‘So that’s all, I guess you’re not letting me in.’

‘He’s not in.’

Good for him. Well this has been a wasted couple of bus tickets, as expected, but what can you do?

‘Bye.’ Sombra said, leaving one of life’s many closed doors behind.

The door didn’t talk back.

But there was still more to be done. Sombra picked up a small, dull gemstone on his way home that had some long, unmemorable name. So if I can break this, I can stop worrying. Robyn wasn’t there when he got home, so he got round to trying to break the stone with magic alone.

It seemed like there was no time at all between then, and now, as he walked into Canterlot Palace again, with a bag over his flank this time. He was focused, and a little breathless.

‘Good afternoon, Som-bra! I heard you came over yesterday.’

‘Yeah there are some things I want to ask you cus’ of a book I found, but first, could you try to break this for me?’

He hovered the dark gemstone in front of her.

‘It looks quite pretty, are you sure? Fluorite I believe?’

‘Yeah, it’s not expensive. Use your own aura, please.’

‘I didn’t expect it for you to ask me to do it by hoof.’

Luna expected Sombra to fire back, but he didn’t, leaving her lingering before she tried to break the crystal, but she gave up quickly.

‘I’m not breaking that, though a different aura might do the trick, one not as focused as mine, or as weird as yours.’

‘Try and break this, please.’ Sombra said, taking another gem out of the small, brown bag. 

Luna tilted her head in concern, pausing before saying,

‘Okay, my aura?’

‘Uh-huh.’

She tried, seemingly a little harder this time, but she couldn’t break this one either.’

‘No that’s one you’ve made I think. You know I can’t break those with my own.’

‘Yeah, you’re right about that. Could you do me one more favour before I tell you what I’m thinking?’

‘Sure, but I better have a nice long snog afterwards.’

Sombra had to smile at that.

‘Shoot.’

‘The one that’s mine, could you try and break it with some generic, unicorn right out of school aura?’

‘Sure.’

Sombra had been expecting more resistance given how little information she had, but she seemed to be just fine with it all. You shouldn’t underestimate The Princess Of The Night, Sombra. Yeah, that’s why I haven’t told her anything, isn’t it?

Luna tried, but gave up quickly again.

‘There are a lot of auras I could be trying with Sombra, just because I can’t break it with this one, or my own, doesn’t mean that there isn’t somepony with an aura other than yours that can break this thing.’

‘Try again, please.’

Reluctantly she did, for longer this time, but still failed.

‘Again.’

‘It’s not going to work, Som-bra.’

‘Again please, it means a lot if it’s really not going to work.’

With a slight puff of the cheeks, Luna tried again, scrunching up her face in concentration.   

‘You can break it, Luna.’

And finally, with great effort, she did. 

‘So what does that mean?’ Luna coughed.

‘My cutiemark isn’t what you think it is.’

> Beryl's Done Bloody Murder
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Why would a cutiemark that gave me this weird aura have it so that it could be broken by a guard, but not by you, unless I told you? You hardly managed it even then... I had this sense of panic all of a sudden yesterday night. I thought that you and I might have been wrong about my cutiemark, which was weird, since I hadn’t been all that bothered about it for years.’

‘You ruffled Celstia’s feathers by coming here without saying anything I heard!’

‘I was a bit paranoid when I got summoned while I was trying to look for a few books that were extremely relevant, haha.’

‘She has a hard time changing the way she does things between typical royals and less formal relations if I’m not around.’

Sombra was thankful for the brief comic relief, but got right back to confessing his sin.

‘At first I figured I’d look for books related to Undefined Talent Syndrome, and while they were interesting, they didn’t help me all too much. I remembered some obscure fairy tale that I read as a foal, which had some uncanny resemblance to what I was thinking of. But the Canterlot library doesn’t have fairy tales.’

‘And what were you thinking?’

‘That my cutiemark wasn’t what we thought it was, and that it was something malicious. Now I think that it was meant for killing you.’     

‘Does that bother you?’

Sombra made some kind of “huh” sound in surprise.

‘You don’t have to do what you think your cutiemark tells you do you? And if it really was supposed to be for killing me, you haven’t got a very potent cutiemark, Som-bra? How are you going to weaponise a few crystals that can be broken easily by any unicorn but me? It’s ludicrous, unless you’re going to slit my throat when I get that kiss I asked for.’

Luna’s brash dismissal made him a little more anxious.

‘I’m not sure it’d be so direct... not that what you’re saying is wrong.’

Luna started nuzzling around his neck.

‘It’s nothing Som-bra. I just hope you’re not too distressed by the ambiguity all of a sudden.’

‘I just don’t wanna kill you is all. And the whole thing with my aura getting stronger after I kiss you doesn’t make any sense otherwise.’

‘Would you rather I kill you than you kill me?’

Luna monetarily slowed as she felt Sombra tense.

‘Um?’

‘What?’

‘I don’t know, just kiss me already.’

Luna nibbled at his ear before she did.

Sombra, and his tongue, were manic; Luna drew back earlier than typical, though neither of them mentioned it.

‘There was a-another thing.’ Sombra stuttered, somehow still flustered by Luna peering into his eyes.

‘Straight back to business are we, haha.’

‘Wouldn’t this exception of the crystals hardly being breakable by you, but easily fractured by normal unicorns, make me an even better candidate for the ambassador of the Crystal Kingdom? Like, the more specific a counter it is to you, the better right?’

‘Might not be much of a difference, Som-bra, but I’ll look into it. Now relax this time, okay?’

Luna leaned in again and Sombra was more receptive this time. To Sombra it seemed like the kisses were breaks between a few still images of this talk with her. And what was this conversation but a culmination of an irrational worry that he could neither deny nor validate? But he hated how Luna had dismissed it so. That’s not what you’re supposed to do, that makes it seem like you know I’m right.

‘Hm?’ said Luna, taking him out of his little trance.

‘Oh sorry I was just super spacing out there.’

‘Was that my fault?’

Yes? Is that good?

‘Maybe? Kiss was good.’

‘You’re concerning me a little bit, Som-bra. And that’s stopping me thinking of anything funny either.’

‘You’re just off point, Luna, accept it.’

‘Funny.’

‘But why did you ask me that thing about me killing you, or you killing me? You don’t think that’s actually what my cutiemark is, do you?’

‘It was a bit weird wasn’t it? Sorry.’

‘It’s okay, but why?’ Sombra pushed.

‘Because I’m unsure if I’d want to stop you even if I had the choice. The longer you live, when there's no limit, the more apathetic you get, and your survival instinct weakens too. And because I love you very much.’

‘That’s... very strange.’

Luna gently rubbed Sombra’s back.

‘It’s the same for Celestia, she just expresses it in a different way. Not at all platitudinous like me!’ Luna chuckled.

Sombra felt like the images had ended, leaving things a lot more like reality now. Which is still just a fluid series of images, with different colours. It’d be red for anger, green for grass, black for magic, and grey for apathy, or white?

‘Gosh you’re never going to actually teach me new magic again during these lessons are you?’

‘I was never teaching you Som-bra, we were discovering, and I think we’ve discovered quite a lot today.’

‘Like you being bad at being funny.’

‘Oh you want me to start pulling out the bad puns? I can pull out the bad puns.’ 

‘No thank you, I should probably get back soon. We’ve been talking for quite a while, huh.’

‘You really are alright, aren’t you, Som-bra? I have to ask you before you go.’

‘Yes, you’ve settled my paranoia, all will be well by tomorrow.’

On the walk back Sombra wondered if his previous anger was manifesting itself as this completely utterly irrational fear that Luna knew everything he said about his cutiemark before he said it, that she knew everything and that he really was going to kill her, and that it was true, and that he was right, and that he wouldn’t be able to open the door home. No, you’re not afraid of that. Life’s certainly faster though, so that’s good.

‘Good lesson?’ asked Robyn after she’d said hi.

‘Yeah I’m actually tired just from talking pretty much.’ Sombra smiled.

‘Sounds very academic.’

Just the opposite.

> Celestine's Gone To Work
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sombra saw a brief streak of red outside the window as he woke up. Probably a bird. 

‘Morning, Robyn.’

‘Morning, Sombra. I was just going to make breakfast for myself, would you like some?’

‘Uh-huh.’

Sombra looked at the pots and pans, feeling strangely lost, as if he didn’t know what to do when he wasn’t high-strung. He was quite confused by the idea. 

‘Say, Robyn, do you know what you’d do if you thought someone was lying and you said you believed them, but they knew you didn’t really?’

‘Sorry?’

Oh why did you ask her that? Probably because you’re exhausted of having nopony to talk to about things you don’t what to voice to your marefriend, that’s what. That would lead you to see Tinker again, yeah I know you don’t want to, but it would result in this not happening.

‘Luna’s been working really hard recently, and it’s showing, but she doesn’t want to talk about it.’ 

‘As in royal duties?’

Gosh did you just lie to your mother? I think you did!

‘...Yeah.’

‘I didn’t think she’d have many, but it sounds like something that’ll sort itself out.’ said Robyn, placing Sombra’s plate down.

‘You’re not in much of a position to ask for anything anyway, with what she’s done for us.’

‘Mmm.’

Sombra gave monosyllabic responses for the rest of the conversation, trying to distance himself from the lie he’d told. And I’m trying not to tell any more. Eventually, he made an excuse of wanting to go for a walk, which worked. Although, I do want to, kind of, for a really dumb reason. It is a really dumb reason. Dumb reasons always involved distinctly harmless crystals.

Once he got out of the house, taking a bag with him, Sombra immediately made his way towards the biggest park he knew, though there weren’t many of those in Canterlot. Can’t believe you’re even considering it! Hey why don’t you talk to yourself, since you’ve got nopony to talk to, apparently. Okay, if that’s what cutiemarks drive stallions to do. Some of the passersby noticed and then forgot how the dull haired unicorn staring at the ground had his brows scrunched. So you want to find some excuse to get away from her, to not kill her, because not even magic can kill a thousand leaps and bounds away. But to do that you need to prove that you could. So you do try and weaponize it, to prove it? That’s so dumb, but that’s what you’re doing anyway, because you’re under the whims of a quill, I guess.

Sombra got to the park but hardly noticed, his final destination somewhere inside his head.

‘And she’s—oops.’ Sombra mumbled, realising his mouth was moving.

And she’s gonna still refuse even when you do, I bet. Then maybe you talk to her, like a rational stallion, just maybe.

There were few ponies at the park (workday, midday), so as long as he didn’t plonk himself right in front of some curious foal, he’d be just fine to practise. It was easier not to get sent a bill for erupting crystals out of the earth instead of a floor, of course. Young unicorns were notorious for causing property damage in public buildings, either accidentally or not. They were almost as notorious for gathering in the dark hours at parks just like these, so their magical hijinks could go mostly unnoticed. As a fine upstanding citizen of Equestria I’ll be just fine though. Yup. Sombra got to work.

Several hours later, Luna gently opened her eyes, seeing her sister reading a book.

‘Hmm, what are you doing here?’

‘I wanted to...’ Celestia yawned.

‘I wanted to talk to you, but you’ve kept me up for a while.’

‘Got more than your nightly read in?’

‘Forgive my curtness but I’d rather get to sleep five minutes from now, than fifteen minutes, Luna.’

‘No I’m sorry Tia, I was speaking to you as if you were Sombra for a moment, and it’s late. Speak.’

Celestia put her book down.

‘I appreciate seeing Sombra hasn’t returned today, though I don’t think you encouraged him particularly, not that I mean that disrespectfully!’

‘It’s not something you have to thank me for. He’ll come if he wants, and I thought he might today. Are you sure he didn’t come?’

‘Nothing from the guards, unless you’ve taught him something that could get him past.’ Celestia smiled.

Luna casually spread her wings, sat upright and said ‘Tia I know you want your beauty sleep but please be a little nicer to your sister.’

‘Yeah whatever it was a joke.’

That got a laugh out of Luna; she was reminded of her coltfriend for an instant. Celestia carried on.

‘There is something else, but I had an idea just now, so just make sure to visit me tonight.’

‘So secretive!’

‘It might be one of the rare things that’d be better said in dreams, doesn’t that make you happy, Luna?’

‘Yeah whatever.’

Celestia giggled.

‘Goodnight.’ said Celestia

‘Night.’

Right after Celestia left the room, Luna bit her lip at the idea of entering one of Celestia’s dreams. For reasons unknown, with only her sister, even a brief conversation meant an hour of sleeping herself, and Luna had something important tonight. Celestia hadn’t acknowledged it either. And so with that in mind Luna got to work. 

In her own bedroom, Celestia looked over the unusual report she’d asked for. It said how Sombra was reading a book with ‘Undefine Talent Syndrome’ in the title, and then she realised she’d have yet more to talk to her sister about. The princess burned the document after of course, like any good ruler would. As much as it seemed like spying, all she’d done was asked the guard what he’d seen, and it was to find what her sister was up to. What was she up to? With firm convictions Celestia got to work, by sleeping.
> Griffin's Hate Ammonite
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sombra took some lengthy breaths before he went outside, into the Canterlot Palace garden. The sun was strangely bright.

‘Hey.’ said Luna.

Sombra didn’t speak at all, until he sat beside her, then he said ‘hey.’ 

‘Yeah hey.’

‘Wasn’t it more romantic that way?’

‘It was definitely quirky if that’s what you were going for.’  

‘Oh Luna... ah whatever. Did you have something in mind?’ 

‘Um, yeah, to teach you? Celestia was just tryin’ to stop us, well I mean me teaching you, but I have something in mind.’

‘Oh?’

Sombra wasn’t sure if he was asking about Celestia or whatever she had in mind. She might not be either.

‘I was experimenting last night, and I think I found something. It still really tires you out to make a big crystal right?’

‘Yup.’

‘Can you fuse them?’

‘Like, together?’

‘Duh.’

‘Haha, funny funny. I haven’t done it before but if I try, should be okay.’

Sombra quickly conjured two hoof sized stones, and then fused them with minimal effort.

‘Yup, looks fine. I don’t know if you noticed but those are also a lot bigger that which I could originally do with no effort like that.’

‘Aren’t I great teacher, Som-bra?’

‘If I’m great, you’re great, yeah.’

‘So serious, jee.’

‘Hey it’s just, a teacher’s as good as her students, you know. Philosophy’s serious business.’

‘You name me somepony who can live off philosophy.’

Sombra was mildly impressed.

‘Anyway my idea, from that, is that if you could fuse them as you made them, you’d be able to make as big a crystal as you wanted. Fuse ten of those together, and you’ve got quite something.’

Could make them into any shape I wanted, like a spear. Fuck off.

‘I think you’re right. I guess I get to work on that, but there was something I wanted to show you first.’

‘Are you not going to ask about my sister?’

‘Eh, maybe, but watch this. Kiss me first, for research.’

‘For research huh?’ said Luna, before indulging.

Sombra momentarily thought that he heard some birdsong, but it was so brief, that it couldn’t have been real. What an odd thing to think.

Once he’d pulled back, Sombra starting concentrating, hard.

‘Don’t knock yourself out, kiddo.’ Luna said, frowning.

Suddenly, a crystalline sphere appeared, and then Sombra breathed a sigh of relief. It was about a quarter of the size of him.

‘And now...’

Sombra made some separate sharp crystals and then fused them to the floating ball, making it suitable for some oversized, brutal ball and chain.

‘Nasty huh?’ Sombra said, trying his best to sneer at his marefriend. He didn’t do a good job.

‘I thought we were going to play some catch until you did that!’

‘Aha yeah, I guess.’

‘Were you trying to intimidate me, Som-bra? That was a very sweet attempt, if you were!’

‘Mmm.’

‘Aren’t you just adorable?’

‘Yeah ‘cus your coltfriend having a cutiemark for killing his fillyfriend is so adorable.’

‘Firstly, no, you don’t. Secondly, you go ahead and try to kill me with that, you think you’ll do anything?’

I don’t, that’s not what it is? She knows what it is? Huh?

‘Huh?’

‘Go on, try.’

‘I couldn’t do that!’

‘Exactly.’

‘No, not exactly.’ 

‘You must have practised hard to be able to make a sphere that large though, so congratulations on that! Thanks for showing me, even if you did want to scare me, hehe.’

‘Does it not concern you that I did want to scare you?’

‘I think you’ve realised it’s an insincere attempt to break up with me, or rather, get away from me. You don’t need to feel guilty about this imagined fate of yours, Som-bra, but like, I’ve done similar in the past, so it’s okay. Not with you of course. Phantoms haunt us all.’

‘You really don’t know what my cutiemark is, do you?’ 

Sombra noticed the (phantom) lump in his throat, and was nearly in tears by the time Luna had answered.

‘No, but I think your suggestion is the unlikeliest of cases. Oh don’t you cry on me, you big foal.’

‘I can’t believe you, Luna! Why can’t I?’

Luna went to snuggle up to him.

‘If you don’t believe me, Som-bra, find your own proof. Find my apparent guilt, or something to end this tangent you’re on. I hate you upset.’

Sombra stopped all but two more tears. Not that you’d been crying properly crying in the first place.

‘I feel like asking about your sister now.’

Luna released him and said, ‘Yeah, that’s a thing. Let me get her.’

‘Is she not busy?’ Sombra thought, but she was gone before he realised.

Luna returned with Celestia in a chumley headlock.

‘What are you doing, they’re going to think you’re a drunk!’ barked Celestia.

‘I’m sure they were all suitably amused, sister. Now, my coltfriend over here would like to know why you’re interfering with his studies.’

‘Oh hello, Sombra.’

‘Hi.’

‘Can I just tell him to talk to me later, Luna, does that count?’

‘That’s up to him.’

‘Uh, sure. I—’

Sombra was interrupted by a powerful blast of wind when Celestia blinked out of existence. Luna seemed even more surprised, as she awkwardly slumped onto the ground, no longer leaning on her sister.They were both in hysterics soon after.

‘What did you do?’ Sombra asked between chortles.

‘Stumbled into some super serious meeting, apologised, and yoinked her here. It was the absolute best! You see how she flapped her wings a ton when I brought her here? She does that when she’s all flustered, it’s great, oh my gosh it’s great!’

‘What was that gust even?’

‘Probably her telling me to fuck off! It was definitely her, at least. I hope I haven’t sent Equestria to war, Som-bra. It was griffin's she was talking with, and I wasn’t in there long enough to recognise any of them.’

Ponies typically had a hard time distinguishing griffins from one another, though the inverse wasn’t true. Not that it couldn’t be overcome through the course of a conversation, but at a glance, they all looked the same. Popular gossip said that Celestia had practiced for many hours connecting faces to names.

‘I’m sure it was worth it.’

‘Yup.’

Sombra told Luna he’d be visiting the library tomorrow, and then made some minimal progress towards fusing crystals instantly. And while his grief had lulled in the face of Luna’s silliness, he’d only become more convinced Luna was holding a black shroud. I know I’m gonna find it.
> Magnetite As Dark As Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time Sombra would speak with Luna again, for once, circumstances would have drastically changed. The sisters didn’t get along so well any more.

‘Or was that just another dream?’ Sombra thought, waking to the typical morning light blooming through the curtain.

Really, he was unsure if he was an outlier having memorable dreams so frequently. Probably Luna’s fault.

After a quick breakfast, Sombra trotted to Canterlot Palace. Think I’ve read more books this last week than I ever have. Nah come on you don’t read that little, maybe. As Sombra walked up to grand entrance, he noticed that there weren’t any guards, like there usually were. And he didn’t see a single one except for a distant passing figure, but then it was gone. Very odd.

‘Hello?’ Sombra called out in the library, disconcerted.

It didn’t look like anypony was around, unless there was somebody skulking behind a bookshelf. Books are good at absorbing sound, I guess?

He searched in the library some more, still not finding anyone, suspicion growing. I try reading up, like I planned, as weird as it would be. He did try to read more on cutiemarks and legends, but the weight of the apparent emptiness of a palace was simply too strange.

‘Anypony there?’ Sombra called again, feeling like he was a protagonist near the start of a horror movie, but there was nothing.

Finally curious enough (or perhaps nervous), Sombra left the library, seeking a fellow equine. Or anything, really. Lets try the garden. 

But there was nopony in the garden either. He went around almost all the places he knew in the palace, but there was neither guard or royalty in any of them. There was Luna’s private quarters left, bar everywhere else he didn’t know, and there is a lot of that. Sombra wasn’t mad enough to poke further, only to get lost in the dungeons below. Or endless caves, or whatever’s in there.

When he reached the spire where Luna’s quarters were, he spotted a curious green flame, bobbing slightly on the stairs down.

Up the stairs is where the place you know is, Sombra. Yeah I’m well aware of that. I really wanna follow it though.

Like a timid colt, Sombra took one step down; the flame moved back. Then he took another step down and the flame moved back again, mirroring him. Soon he was mesmerized, following the fire with little thought. Sombra was in a completely different space before he realised the spell he’d been under, and how it made him feel nostalgic. He couldn’t think of a time he’d felt like that before.

A drop of something fell from the barely discernable cobble ceiling. Oh shit, er, how long have I been walking for? No idea. The air was musty, his legs were heavy, and it was dark like a midnight nightmare. Sombra illuminated his surroundings, seeing that he was in a tunnel, with uneven, bumpy walls. So I can just teleport myself out of here, right? You can do that, Som-bra. Sombra. But somewhat predictably, he ran into the same sort of teleportation barrier that he’d seen in a few demonstrations, only this one seemed really fucking strong, like alicorn strong. There didn’t seem to be any clear indication which way he’d come from, but he assumed that the way he’d been facing was the same way the flame had led him in.

So do I wanna go where Luna, or Celestia is telling me to go, or what might be back? Since they’ve gone this far, I guess it’s time to have some faith in our benevolent rulers, or fillyfriend, whichever. If it is them, I doubt I’d end up in a different place no matter which way I go.

‘Luna? Celestia?’ yelled Sombra.

Somewhat predictably, there was no reply.

Sombra went forward, his hooves making a dull thump as he went. I better get some favours from you Luna, if you’re the one doing this.

It wasn’t long before the tunnel started to widen, until he came to a small chamber (as much as a tunnel can have one) where he saw a narrow mirror, as tall as him. It looked like many of the dark crystals made up the borders of the mirror, which didn’t seem to have a single speck of dust on the glass. Sombra moved closer, wondering if he’d see an alicorn in the reflection. Nope just me. Bathe after this expedition, please. He’d just turned around, when he suddenly felt very faint. Oh fuck off was his last thought before the dark took him.

Sombra reemerged out of one space into another, yet unsure of where either of those spaces actually were. This is a dream if I’ve ever had one. Chairs were floating, and the border of the world pulsed with his own magic.

‘Hey why am I dreaming?’ he asked an entirely black figure that had formed in front of him.

‘We want to make a deal with you.’ said the figure, gone as soon as you looked at it. 
Its voice echoed a bit.

‘Yeah wake me up first. I don’t care.’

‘You’re going to be the strongest pony in equestria, got your attention? Good, now listen, don’t you recognise us?’

‘Are you...’

‘No matter, we don’t recognise you either, it doesn’t matter. Just know we like ponies like you. We want you to lead the Crystal Kingdom. Do that and you’ll surpass even alicorns.

‘You are not real.’

‘We’re as real as magic.’

As if he were being shaken awake, his dream was interrupted, and he was back in the cave, leaning against the wall. Coughing, annoyed, and befuddled Sombra staggered on. Not much else I can do. At least it’s not as freaky as when I forgot that night, yet. He walked for a while longer, difficult to be exact, then things descended into a fever dream, with no goal in sight. Miraculously, when he called out this time, somepony answered back.

‘Anyone? Hello?’

‘Sombra is that you? Come over here!’
> Azurite Dark As Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sombra rushed towards the voice, knowing who it belonged to, yet he was still surprised to see her. She emerged from the black, like some otherworldly being; her coat as beautiful as ever, lighting a spark of envy. Is that madness?

‘How did you find me?’ asked Celestia.

‘What... you weren’t leading me here?’

Celestia’s face changed from quizzical to concerned.

‘Who lead you here?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘How did you get here?’

‘Is it that important? I had to walk for an eternity to get here, saw a mirror on the way, a flame too, but how did you get here?’

‘Are you jealous of me, Sombra?’ Celestia asked, apparently completely serious.

‘What?’

‘Just answer and then I can tell you what the hell is going on.’

‘No?’

Celestia grimaced as if she was about to be whipped.

‘Alright, er, Luna feels like I shouldn’t take any part in our rule, and that she should be the only one at the throne. I was worried she’d put you under a spell, and I still am a little. She must have been the one who lead you here.’

‘It’s just a sisterly quarrel.’ she added, like it was no big deal.

Maybe it’s not to her?

Somehow Sombra’s mention of the mirror was overlooked, and he didn't’ realise it was overlooked. It took several moments for him to find words, still feeling somewhat delirious from the hours of trotting in black.

‘Why would care about me if all she wants is to rule alone?’

‘You shouldn’t underestimate your importance in this, Sombra, you have quite the magical ability from what Luna’s told me. I wouldn’t stand a chance if you were to take up her cause, aha.’ said Celestia, giving a faint smile.

‘What are you talking about, I can’t do anything, the crystals I make can’t do anything either.’

Celestia waved her hoof dismissively.

‘Regardless, I suppose I should tell you that your marefriend is down the stairs on the left; you’ll find them if you keep going forward. Be aware she isn’t in the happiests of states right now, and personally, I’d rather you didn’t start a revolution, Equestria is doing just fine, don’t you think?’

‘I’m not sure I know, but I’ll try and reason with her if I can, I guess. How dark it is here is driving me a little crazy really.’

‘I can teleport you out of here no problem, any time you want.’ Celestia chirped.

Sombra continued onwards shortly finding some wide stairs on the left and stepped down them, still not convinced he had any part to play in the royal dispute. And I don’t know how I even got here either, or what this place is really. So many unknowns, though perhaps I’m only noticing them now, surrounded by black.

His thoughts became wilder and wilder still until he finally stepped on level ground and saw Luna, horn alight. Her gaze quickly flickered to Sombra, rendering dubious circumstances null.

‘It’s good to see you, I hope you’re not too angry at me, leading you here. I assume you know.’ said Luna grimly.

‘No lesson this time, huh?’

Sombra didn’t know why he said that.

‘No, not this time Som-bra. I’m sure you have many questions, sorry I can’t offer you anything to drink. I would rather like it if you come sit next to me though.’

And so he did, but rocks weren’t so comfortable. Luna instantly wrapped hoof and wing around him, nibbling at his mane. He was quite shocked at the sudden intimacy, truthfully. Luna seemed to take his little shiver for something else, and giggled. Or did she?

‘So what can I tell you?’

He did have many questions indeed.

‘What is this place, maybe?’

‘These tunnels were dug in secret forty eight years ago, I believe. We intended them to be a place for me and Celestia to sort out any... crises between us, and only us. Obviously, we wouldn’t anything more than a petty disagreement between us to be public, so this is the place we’re meant to find agreement, and then arise back into the palace, never being anything other than harmonious. I’m a lot more harmonious with you right now though!’ Luna chuckled, slowly brushing her feathers against his back.

Sombra twitched a little bit, uncomfortable. Luna was amused.

‘And you lead me here? Why?’

‘I knew you’d be coming to the palace since it was our lesson, obviously. I simply thought that you would be a good arbiter in our dispute. My sister’s genuinely scared of you too, adding to that.’

‘I don’t get that, Luna, am I more than just your coltfriend for the two of you?’

‘Of course! You’ve got magic I can hardly counter, you’re clearly capable of weaponising it if you want to, as you demonstrated to me before, you could kill us both if you wanted to!’

‘What nonsense.’

‘Anything else, mm?’

A bit of rock blindly tumbled from somewhere to somewhere else.

‘Uh, what was up with that mirror?’

‘What mirror?’

‘Mirror that you left in the tunnel on the way here, the same tunnel I guess.’

‘Oh, what did you see in it?’

‘Weird stuff, I think, didn’t you put it there?’

‘Say, Som-bra.’ Luna said, tightening her wing.

‘Do you like crystals?’

‘Why are you behaving the same way as Celestia was now? She was asking me all this weird shit as well.’

‘Sorry, Som-bra, I was just spell checking, that’s probably what my sister was doing as well. You’re meant to see how the possibly affected react to a nonsensical question, and you passed, don’t worry. I don’t know what that mirror was, but it wasn’t a spell cast on you by Celestia. It didn’t hurt you, did it?’

‘No, it was just that it reminded me of when I first started taking lessons with you, I’m not sure how though.’

‘As long as you’re okay.’

‘Yeah, I’m okay. I guess we can talk about that some more later, for now just tell me what this big thing is with you and Celestia. Also how fucking long have you been sitting on these rocks? They’re as uncomfortable as anything.’

‘One does have to stand up frequently here.’

Sombra imagined she must be smiling.