Tough Scales

by Harmony Charmer

Rating: teen
Tags: Spike, Pinkie Pie, King Sombra, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 11547

Sombra finds himself looking for Spike after he and Twilight get into a fallout, then asks Spike why he was so upset at Twilight in the first place. He wasn't prepared the for the answer he received.

When Spike and Twilight get into a fight with one another and Spike storms out, the town goes on a search party looking for the baby dragon. After days and no sign of Spike, Rainbow returns with an injury that could only have been inflicted by none other than Spike.

Realizing the futility in Twilight or her friends reasoning with Spike, Sombra takes it upon himself to find out why Spike was so upset in the first place.

Sombra could never have been prepared for the answer Spike was going to give him.

Side story to my multi-chapter SombraPie fic. SombraPie is included in this story, but to a minimal amount.

Published 2014-04-15 23:10:04 UTC
Last updated 2014-04-17 02:27:22 UTC

Chapter 1: Can't Feel A Thing

SLAM!

The loud sound from the wooden door resonated throughout the deafeningly silent library like a muffled echo, the sound remaining for only moments. But, to Twilight, it seemed to have lasted an eternity for her as she gaped at the now closed door before her, attempting to absorb what had just transpired.

"Spike..." she whispered, tears welling in her eyes as she put a hoof to her lips to prevent any noise from escaping them.

Sombra, too, was speechless as he stared at the door of the library in stunned silence with Twilight, completely shocked by the actions that had just taken place.

'Did he just...?' Sombra thought to himself, struggling to get over his shock. In all his time in Ponyville, the place in which he resided since Princess Celestia planned to reform him, he had never seen such an act of negativity within the small town. In all honesty, Sombra thought the only evil this town was capable of was spreading mean-spirited rumors.

But, as he was watched Spike tear into Twilight with the ferocity that which a manticore couldn't compare, he was beginning to see the pure negativity that dwelled underneath the bright and happy town's surface, it's residents included.

"H-he just n-needs to c-cool off..." Twilight said to herself, stammering as she struggled to walk upstairs.

"'Cool off?'" Sombra repeated, giving her a bewildered stare, "How can you say that that lizard needs to 'cool off' after what he just did?"

Twilight turned to look at him, and while Sombra was expecting a steely glare, he was surprised to see her give him a despondent look. Her eyes had officially spilled over from tears and the salty liquid had coated her cheeks in seconds.

"He won't listen now..." she whispered, her expression turning pained as she added quietly, "I never realized how... angry he was."

Sombra frowned and turned away from her as he 'hmphed' at her response. "Some friend you are, then," he grumbled, giving Twilight a peeved look, "you would think you would notice something like that."

Twilight lost her dejected look and replaced it with a tearful glare. "You wouldn't know anything about having friends!" she shouted at him, leaning forward in hostility.

Sombra gave her a blank look and remained silent for a brief moment before he raised his eyebrows to show his lack of empathy.

"It would appear you don't, either," he responded blandly.

Twilight gave him a wide-eyed stare as she gasped and more tears filled her eyes. She screwed her eyes shut as she sucked in breath through her teeth in an attempt to calm herself down. Finally, she opened up her eyes as she gave Sombra a fixed, glowering look as she held her intense gaze with gritted teeth.

"Go to Tartarus," she snarled, her tears shining in her eyes. And with that, she turned away from him and rushed up the stairs, holding in her sobs until she reached her room at the top.

Sombra glanced upwards as her muffled cries reached him, every sniffle and sob resonating throughout the empty feeling library. He found himself looking at the door that Spike had slammed only moments ago, the reason for the action replaying for him.

'I never knew that he had it in him,' Sombra thought to himself, somewhat amazed by Spike's actions. For the time he had been there, he had watched Spike be ordered around like a slave, something he was familiar with doing in his time of rule, but was not able to do with the baby dragon, much to his chagrin.

Sombra glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed at the time. It was late, which was probably the real reason for Twilight not going after Spike, now that Sombra thought about it. He laid his head down on his hooves, which were free from his gauntlets that usually resided there after his armor and cape were ruined in an unfortunate incident with Pinkie Pie.

'He will be back tomorrow...' Sombra thought to himself, rolling his eyes as he did, 'He will be grovelling at Sparkler's hooves by the time I open my eyes...'

And, with that concluding thought, Sombra closed his eyes, freeing himself from consciousness.

* * *

"Spike!" Twilight exclaimed, stamping her hoof.

Sombra looked up from his novel to look at Twilight as she called out for her dragon assistant, wondering what could have caused her to sound so angry. As if awaiting her command, Spike out of the kitchen wearing a messy apron with flour and other stains on his face, a faint, quizzical look upon his features.

"What is it, Twilight?" Spike asked, somewhat offput by her sharp tone.

Twilight magicked up a pile of books in front of her, a scowl on her face. With vigor, she dropped the books on the floor with a THUNK!, keeping her glower going steadily.

"You were supposed to put these books up today, Spike!" she told him, sounding exasperated, "That was all I asked of you!"

Spike stared at her, then held up a claw as he said, "But, Twili--"

"What were you doing all day?" Twilight continued, giving him a hard look, "Were you sitting around all day doing nothing, like Sombra?"

"Hey!" Sombra exclaimed, not appreciating that she would use him as an example for Spike's laziness.

"Twilight, I was--" Spike tried to say, but Twilight interrupted again.

"I've been out all day with the girls, Spike!" Twilight exclaimed, "I don't want to have to come home to a messy house!"

"Twilight--" Spike barely got it out.

"You're supposed to be my assistant! I'm supposed to count on you for these things!"

"Twilight--" Spike lost his pleading gaze as he replaced with a peeved look.

"I swear, I wonder why I put up with you sometimes! Sometimes all you do is sit around and twiddle your thumbs when you can be doing your chores instead!"

"Twilight."

"And whenever you're not avoiding your chores, you're out with Rarity pining after her like a pup-"

"Shut up!"

Twilight went silent as Spike's shout echoed within the library, her eyes wide with shock. Sombra watched in silence at the scene before him and gave Spike a bewildered look at his outburst.

"What did you just say?" Twilight breathed, narrowing her eyes angrily.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Spike screamed, screwing his eyes shut as he clenched his claws together in anger.

"Don't you talk to me that way!" Twilight ordered, pointing a hoof at him biliously.

"Oh, but it's alright for you to talk to me that way?" he countered, pointing back at her, "Last I checked, you aren't my mother!"

Twilight stopped glaring at him as her look changed to surprise.

"But it's good to know where we stand in our relationship, Princess," Spike sneered, saying Twilight's title as if it were poison, "good to know that all I am to you is an assistant."

"Spike, I didn't mean-" Twilight tried to say, her expression turning hurt.

"Wow, that's so eye-opening!" Spike exclaimed sarcastically, "I mean, really, it is! It's no wonder you leave me out of all the stuff you and your friends do, Twilight!"

"Spike, please--" Twilight pleaded.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I meant 'Your Highness'! I guess I'm a servant now; not an assistant!"

"Spike--" Twilight barely got it out.

"Oh, and you wanna know what I was doing all day, Princess?" Spike asked, not giving her time to answer, "I was in the kitchen making you a cake to show my appreciation towards you, Your Highness."

Twilight didn't even attempt to speak as she gaped at Spike, her eyes shining with regret.

"Well, it's good to know just how much you appreciate me," Spike snarled, tossing his apron down. With a huff of anger, Spike turned on heel and walked towards the door, vigor in his step.

"Spike!" Twilight exclaimed, finally getting over her shock.

Spike whipped around to face her, fire in his eyes. "I'm done listening, Twilight. Get someone else to do it, because I am sure as Tartarus am done doing things for you."

"Stop acting so childish, Spike!" Twilight shouted, stamping her hoof, "I'm sorry for yelling at you, alright?"

"Are you kidding me?" Spike growled, narrowing his eyes at her.

"What do you mean?" Twilight questioned, not liking his negative tone.

"You yell at me, call me useless, downgrade me to an assistant, call me a love-sick puppy, and you expect me to just forgive you because you said you were sorry?" Spike snapped, gripping the door.

Twilight opened her mouth and closed it, repeating the process as she attempted to find the words to deny his claim, but found none. Spike gave her an icy glare and shook his head at her.

"I wish you had never hatched me, Twilight!" he exclaimed, slamming the door close, leaving Sombra and Twilight in the library, wondering what just happened.

* * *

Murmurs. There were murmurs, Sombra realized. He attempted to open his tired eyes to see the source of the murmurs, but the lids stuck together, preventing them from doing as he wanted. Realizing his inability to see, Sombra stretched out his ears to hear better.

"...not back yet," said what sounded like Twilight's voice. She sounded hollow, her voice cracking to show that she had been crying.

"What happened, Twi?" asked a thick, southern voice, who Sombra recognized to be Applejack, one of Twilight's friends.

Twilight remained silent for a moment, and Sombra thought he heard a sniffle originate from her. Suddenly, Twilight was sobbing, hiccupping through her cries.

"Oh, darling!" Sombra recognized the regal tone of Rarity, the dressmaker for Ponyville and the object of Spike's affection.

"H-He s-said th-that h-he--" Twilight couldn't finished her sentence as her sobs escalated.

"Shh, sugarcube," Applejack said softly, "ya don't have to tell us if ya don't want to."

Twilight continued to cry as Sombra heard a door open, then the sound of entering hoofsteps.

"Alright, Twilight, what was so important you had to-- Oh my, Celestia!" Sombra felt a rush of wind so strong that it knocked his blankets off him and let out a yell of surprise as he tumbled out of his cot.

"Who did that?!" Sombra exclaimed angrily, tangled in his blankets on the floor.

"Can it, Dumb-ra!" shouted Rainbow Dash, holding Twilight in her forelegs with Applejack, "Twilight's upset enough as is without you around!"

Sombra gave her an icy glare. "I already know that she's upset, you idiot!" Sombra snapped, "I was there for when that lizard yelled at her!"

"Ya were?" Applejack blurted out, still holding onto Twilight's shaking form while she glared at him, "Did you at least say something to make her feel better?"

"No, he didn't!" Twilight exclaimed, pulling away from Applejack to give Sombra a glare, "He made everything so much worse!"

"Dammit, Sombra!" Rainbow hollered, "What did you say?"

"Why are you yelling at me, you morons?" Sombra barked, "That imbecilic lizard is who you should be screaming at, not me!"

The four mares went silent at Sombra's outburst, Twilight eyes welling up with fresh tears as she screwed them shut.

"What?" Sombra asked, giving them a cholerically confused look.

"Spike didn't come home, you idiot!" Twilight exclaimed, tears running down her face, "He's still out in Celestia knows where, probably planning ways to get away from me!"

"Twilight, dear, I'm sure he feels just awful for the things he said to you," Rarity assured her, putting a hoof on her shoulder, "I mean, Spike loves you, Twilight!"

"No, he doesn't!" Twilight cried, "He hates me! I know he hates me!"

"Now hold on just a minute!" Applejack bellowed, facing her hysterical friend, "Spike doesn't hate ya, Twi!"

"Could have fooled me," Sombra muttered, causing all four pairs of eyes to face him.

"Sombra!" Rarity exclaimed, "Now is not the time for your comments!"

"He's right!" Twilight sobbed, putting a hoof to her face, "He would know!"

"Hello everypony! How's it goin-" Everyone turned towards the door where Pinkie had bounced in, stopping in mid-air when she caught sight of Twilight in her hysterical state. Sombra, who normally would've been happy to see Pinkie, felt dread take over as her positive attitude clashed against the negativity in the room.

"Pinkie, now's not a good time," Rainbow Dash told her, then gave Sombra a hard look, "just get your coltfriend out of here."

"What did he do?" Pinkie asked, her face turning into concern as she continued to look at Twilight sobbing form.

"Just get him out of here!" Rainbow exclaimed, "Everything's bad enough without him here to make things worse!"

"But--" Pinkie tried to say, but was cut off.

"GET HIM OUT!" Rainbow screamed.

Pinkie blinked in surprise, her eyes shining with pain as she looked over at Sombra pleadingly. Sombra, not used to her being so silent, remained silent as he followed her out of the library, glancing over his shoulder on his way out to see that all but Twilight, who was too immersed in her tears, was glaring at him as he exited.

"What's going on, Sombry?" Pinkie asked quietly, her expression turning fearful as they stood in front of the library.

Sombra frowned at Pinkie as he heard her nickname for him, but didn't comment on it. With her being his reformer and marefriend, he had grown used to the annoying name, but that didn't make it easier to hear it.

"Sparkler and the lizard got into an argument last night," he told her, causing her eyes to go wide, "and the lizard stormed out after he yelled at her."

"And he isn't back yet?" Pinkie breathed, uncharacteristically sober.

"Yes," he replied, then added, "I honestly thought he would be back by now. I was expecting to see him crying and pleading for Sparkler's forgiveness this morning when I woke up."

"But Twilight was crying instead," Pinkie concluded, her expression turning troubled, "this isn't like Spike, Sombry. What did they argue about, exactly?"

Sombra frowned in remembrance of the fight. "Sparkler was upset at Lizard for not doing one of his chores and started yelling at him about how he didn't do anything for her when she asked and how she was out all day with you and the rest of your friends and expected the library to be nice and blah, blah, blah. Why is it important?"

Pinkie frowned in return. "It is important, Sombra!" she exclaimed, "Twilight and Spike might not be friends anymore! Don't you know how bad that could be for them?"

Sombra flinched as Pinkie's voice raised to a screechy level. "Lower the volume, Pinkie," he told her, causing her to open her mouth in reply, to which he quickly put his hoof to her lips, "yelling won't get anything done."

Pinkie continued to talk against his hoof, but it came out incoherent and muffled as he held it there.

"Are you going to be quiet if I put my hoof down?" Sombra asked, raising his eyebrows while Pinkie continued to talk.

Pinkie glared at him for a brief moment, but nodded as she let out a "mmm-hmm" in reply.

"Alright, then," Sombra said, putting his hoof down, "so Lizard ran off to cool down from arguing with Sparkler and no one knows where he is, correct?"

Pinkie opened her mouth to answer, but Sombra held up a hoof.

"Just a simple nod will do, dear," he told her, causing her to frown.

Pinkie begrudgingly nodded in response.

"Well, then why aren't you looking for him?!" Sombra exclaimed, holding up a hoof, "He could be anywhere by now!"

Pinkie gasped. "You're right! We gotta tell Twilight and the others!" Pinkie zoomed over to the library door to open it, but was slammed back when the door flew open.

"Oh, sorry, Pinkie!" Rarity exclaimed when she saw Pinkie laying on the ground.

"You alright?" Sombra asked, peering over Pinkie's form.

"Of course you ask her if she's alright," Twilight muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.

Sombra frowned at her. "The difference is that I like her, idiot," he responded, helping Pinkie to her hooves.

"Sombry, please," Pinkie pleaded, then nodded at the others, "tell them what you told me."

"Oh, right," Sombra said, remembering why they were going back in the library, "we should start looking for the lizard, seeing as how the chances of him coming back are slim-to-none at this point."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Do you really think Spike's not coming back?" she breathed, her eyes welling up with fresh tears.

"He didn't mean it like that!" Pinkie said quickly, holding up her hooves, "He just meant that Spike might still be a..." Pinkie paused as she struggled to find the words, something that didn't happen too often. "...teensy-weensy bit mad and might not come home immediately."

"Ah hate to be the pessimistic one here," Applejack said, looking over to Sombra, "but Ah agree with Sombra, for once. Spike could still be pipin' mad, for all we know."

"I hate to say it, but I concur," Rarity added, then gave Twilight a sympathetic look, "we're going to have to gather Fluttershy and perhaps some other townsponies to look for him, Twilight."

Twilight sighed. "I feel so awful..." she whispered, "I should never have yelled at him..."

"Ya were both in the wrong, Twi," Applejack told her, "but we can't keep dwellin' on the past if we wanna move forward and find Spike."

Twilight was silent for a moment, mulling over Applejack's words. With another sigh, she nodded in agreement.

"Alright," she said barely above a whisper, "let's go get Fluttershy and some other ponies."

"I'll come with!" Pinkie chirped, "I'm really good at starting search parties!"

"It's not that kind of party, Pinks," Applejack told her, rolling her eyes exasperatedly.

"Duh, I know that!" Pinkie replied, then pulling Sombra into a hug with a foreleg, "Sombry can help me!"

The four other mares exchanged worried looks with one another, then looked back at Pinkie and Sombra, who was struggling to get out of Pinkie's iron-like grip of a hug.

"Pinkie, maybe you should stay behind with Sombra," Rainbow Dash suggested, "it may not be a good idea to bring him along."

"What?" Pinkie blurted out, releasing Sombra, who collapsed to the ground gasping for air, "Sombry's not gonna mess anything up!"

"Pinkie Pie, Spike and Sombra don't really..." Twilight stopped as she struggled to find the right words, then said, "...get along."

"Why not?" Pinkie asked, blinking in oblivion.

After Sombra managed to get to his hooves, he smacked his hoof to his face as he let out a groan while the other four mares gave Pinkie looks that might as well have said, "Seriously?"

"What?" Pinkie questioned, looking at Sombra for clarification as he dragged his hoof down his face.

"You can be such an idiot sometimes," he told her, giving her an annoyed look, "you know that, right?"

Pinkie frowned at him for a moment, then her eyes widened in realization as she began to understand.

"Oooooooh," she drawled, then bonked herself on the head, "duh! Silly me!"

Sombra sighed. "Sometimes I wonder why I like you so much..." he muttered to himself, shaking his head.

"Anyway," Rainbow Dash enunciated, gaining everyone's attention, "Sombra isn't coming with us on the search party. And don't argue with me on this, Pinkie." Rainbow gave Pinkie a hard look when Pinkie opened her mouth to protest.

"Alright, fine," Pinkie conceded, "I'll stay with Sombry, then."

"Oh, no, you don't," Sombra told her, nodding his head towards her friends, "they're going to need all the help they can get, Pinks."

"But, Sombry-" Pinkie tried to protest, but Sombra put a hoof to her lips.

"No 'but's, Pinks," he said sternly, "they'll be able to cover more ground with you."

Pinkie looked like she wanted to argue some more, but instead, sighed and nodded in agreement.

"Alright, Sombry," Pinkie replied, then gave him a worried look, "just don't get into trouble while I'm gone, 'kay?"

"Fine, alright," Sombra said with a sigh, "make sure you find Lizard soon, alright? I'm actually starting to miss his whining."

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie chirped, then kissed Sombra on the cheek, much to his surprise.

"Aw, sick!" Rainbow exclaimed, jumping into the air and remaining there with her wings, "I'm outta here! Get to covering the ground while I fly around!"

Without another word, Rainbow flew off, leaving her trademark rainbow streak behind her as she did.

"Well, it's settled, then," Rarity said, "Pinkie and I will gather ponies while Applejack and Twilight start covering the ground. Are we in agreement?"

Twilight, not used to anypony but her taking the leadership role, nodded in stunned silence while the others nodded more assertively.

"Then let's get to it!" Rarity proclaimed, pointing a hoof in the air and putting it in the center of her friends, "For Spike!"

"For Spike!" Pinkie exclaimed, putting her hoof over Rarity's.

"For Spike!" Applejack agreed, following suit.

"For Spike," Twilight said, sounding sober as she placed her hoof on the pile.

All four mares turned to Sombra, who was watching the spectacle of friendship before him with sickening intriguement.

"No," Sombra said flatly, "I have done some pretty embarrassing things in my time in this backwoods, hickville town; but I refuse to lower myself to such a display--"

"Sombry, put your hoof on the pile, or else," Pinkie ordered, her tone turning gravely low.

Sombra blinked in surprise, offput by Pinkie's icy tone, then narrowed his eyes at her.

"Or else what?" Sombra countered.

"Or else no more 'desserts'," Pinkie replied simply, causing Sombra's eyes to widen in horror while everyone else looked confused.

Sombra sighed in surrender. "Fine," he grumbled, then begrudgingly placed his hoof on the others' as he rolled his eyes, "for the lizard."

* * *

"This can't be happening!" Twilight exclaimed, her eyes screwed shut.

"Sugarcube, we've looked everywhere," Applejack told her again, putting a consoling hoof on her shoulder.

"But he's been gone for three days, AJ!" Twilight cried, tears threatening to spill over.

"Darling, we know that," Rarity said almost chiddingly, "but we've run out of leads. Nopony knows where he is."

"Poor Twilight," Pinkie whispered to Sombra, who was next to her at the top of the staircase where they were listening in on the conversation below.

"You've been looking for days, Pinkie," he told her, sounding somewhat concerned as he added, "and nights."

Pinkie turned towards him, giving him a chance to see the dark bags that were under her glazed over blue eyes. The normally eccentric and hyperactive party pony had nearly been run into exhaustion from all the searching Twilight was forcing her and the others to go through.

"I know, Sombry," she replied, snuggling into his side, "but Twilight's really upset about Spike."

Sombra frowned. Although he cared for Pinkie, he absolutely loathed it whenever she put other's happiness before her own, especially when it was affecting her well-being.

"Twilight, the entire town is exhausted from looking," Fluttershy told her, her shyness forgotten as she addressed her concerns, "maybe we should take a break before looking again?"

"No!" Twilight shouted, causing everyone in the room to flinch, "I have to find him! I have to find Spike!"

"Twilight, Rainbow is out looking right now," Rarity reminded her, "perhaps she's had some luck in the search?"

As if on cue, the door to the library opened, the silhouette of a winged pony standing in the doorway. Sombra's eyes widened as he recognized Rainbow Dash's tell-tale rainbow mane.

"Rainbow?" Twilight blurted out, her eyes wide, "Did you find him?"

Rainbow didn't say anything, but collapsed to the floor of the library with a loud thud, letting out a pained groan as she did.

"Rainbow!" Pinkie exclaimed, rushing down the stairs, Sombra in tow.

"What happened?" Sombra questioned as he made it to the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh... my..." Twilight breathed, her eyes wide, "I don't believe it..."

"What happened to-- Oh, my gosh!" Pinkie gasped, putting a hoof to her mouth in shock.

"How could he have done this?" Rarity whispered, then cried, "How could he have hurt Rainbow?!"

Fluttershy let out a whimper and retreated into herself, wrapping her wings around herself as she did.

Sombra rushed over to the circle that surrounded the pegasus mare and froze as he saw what was causing the girls such distress.

Rainbow's right wing was singed black, wisps of smoke coming off the injured wing. Her right foreleg and back leg was blistering from what looked like a minor burn, the burn extending all the way to her flank, just barely missing her cutie mark. Rainbow let out labored breaths as she hissed in pain and attempted to flap her wing, which only caused her to cry out in pain.

"Quick, get the first aid kit!" Pinkie ordered, pointing at Rarity, "We gotta save her wing!"

Rarity, who had just gotten over her shock, nodded and rushed into the kitchen to retrieve the kit.

"It's alright, Dashie..." Pinkie told Rainbow, petting her mane, "You're going to be alright."

Sombra gave Pinkie a shocked look as he watched her take initiative, something that she didn't do that often.

"Rainbow, please tell me that this wasn't who I think it was..." Twilight pleaded, leaning towards her friends face.

Rainbow cracked an eye open, wincing as she did so. "Twilight..." she rasped, then hissed in pain again.

"Don't talk, Dashie," Pinkie told her, "you need to save your strength." Pinkie looked up as she saw Rarity rush in with the first aid kit in her field of magic. "Rarity, get the gauze and start wrapping." Pinkie nodded her head at Sombra. "Sombra, hold up her wing so Rarity can wrap it, STAT!"

Sombra nodded and did as she said, cringing when Rainbow cried out in pain.

"Sorry," he told her, then gently pulled her wing higher up, "we need to elevate your wing."

"Just get it over with!" Rainbow snarled, sucking air through her teeth when Rarity started wrapping, "Celestia, that hurts!"

"Rainbow, you don't have to talk," Twilight said quickly, "just nod or shake your head, alright?"

Rainbow nodded, letting out another hiss as she did.

"Did Spike burn you?" Twilight asked fearfully, her voice barely above a whisper.

Everyone went silent as the words reached them, the silence becoming deafening as it continued.

Rainbow looked up at Twilight, tears in her eyes, and she slowly, but surely, nodded in response.

"No..." Twilight whispered, backing away from her friends, "no, no, no...."

"Twilight..." Fluttershy tried to say, attempting to put her hoof on her shoulder. Twilight smacked her hoof away and let out a feral screech.

"No, no, no!" Twilight cried, "This is my fault! This is all my fault!"

"Twilight!" Applejack exclaimed, rushing over, "Calm down! I'm sure it was an accident!"

"No, it wasn't," Rainbow rasped, "Spike knew it was me and he still blew fire at me, guys... he's... he's real upset..."

Twilight screwed her eyes shut as she shook her head, whimpers resonating from her. Without another word, she rushed up the stairs, tears leaking down her cheeks.

"Twilight..." Rainbow whispered, "I'm so sorry..."

* * *

"I'm really worried, Sombry," Pinkie whispered, snuggling into Sombra as she did.

After Twilight ran into her room and refused to come out, despite her friend's pleas, the others agreed to meet up in the morning after they got enough rest. Rainbow, who was still healing from her encounter with Spike, was resting in a cot that Pinkie put together for the injured pegasus.

Pinkie, who was too tired to make the trip back to Sugarcube Corner, was sharing Sombra's cot next to the staircase with her coltfriend.

"I'm worried, too," Sombra admitted, looking down at her, "I've never seen Sparkler so... hysterical."

Pinkie nodded. "This is worse than the time she thought that Princess Celestia was going to send her back to Magic Kindergarten..." she murmured to herself, putting her head in her hooves.

"What?" Sombra blurted out, disregarding his troubles to look at Pinkie bewilderedly, "When did this happen?"

"Way before I even knew about you, Sombry," she told him, smiling for a brief moment, then frowning again, "but that's not something for me to tell you right now."

Sombra mirrored her frown. "I can understand that," he conceded, then sighed, "this entire thing with the lizard has gotten completely out of hoof."

"It really has..." Pinkie yawned, her eyelids drooping as she smacked her lips, "I'm sleepy."

"You need to rest, Pinks," he chided her, "when was the last time you slept?"

Pinkie's answer was a loud snore, followed by a snort that resonated throughout the library. Sombra sighed and pulled the blanket over Pinkie's sleeping form, who only snuggled closer to him and sighed in content.

"You're such a dork," Sombra whispered, laying his head next to hers. He closed his eyes, expecting to fall asleep immediately, but couldn't find solace. He sighed as he adjusted his position, but found no relaxation from it, either.

'Why aren't I able to sleep?' he asked himself, opening his eyes irritably. He was in bed, laying comfortably next to Pinkie and the night was silent.

Sombra blinked in realization. That was it.

Normally, Spike would be snoring his tail off, the sounds being so loud Sombra could swear that the entire library would shake. And while Pinkie herself was loud snorer, it didn't feel the same to Sombra.

'Do I actually miss that annoying lizard?' Sombra thought to himself, finding himself looking over at Spike's bed near his own. He sighed in annoyance and attempted to sleep again, but to no avail.

'Pinkie's snores are going to keep me up all night...' he thought irritably, giving Pinkie a small glare, then realized it'd be ridiculous to do so while she was unconscious.

With another sigh, Sombra climbed out of the cot, careful not to disturb Pinkie from her slumber as he did. As he made his way over to the kitchen to get something to drink, his ears perked up at the sound of crying coming from Twilight's room. Curious as to what could've caused her to break down so suddenly in the middle of the night, he walked up the stairs, careful not to make any noise to alert her of his presence.

When he reached the top of the stairs, he walked up to Twilight's door, the sobs subsiding for a moment. Sombra carefully placed his ear against the door, not wanting to alert Twilight of his attempt to eavesdrop on her.

"Dear... Princess... Celestia..." he heard say to herself quietly, followed by a ragged breath.

Why was she writing to Princess Celestia at such an hour?

"I have some news that will be... difficult to hear, Princess," she whispered, the sound of a quill scratching against papyrus reaching his ears.

'She hasn't told her about Spike leaving?' he pondered to himself, leaning in closer to hear better.

"I have come to realize that I can no longer accommodate for Sombra during his reformation," Twilight said finally.

Sombra froze as those words reached him.

"After a... unfortunate incident with Spike, I find myself mentally unfit to deal with Sombra at the time being."

'She's not serious, is she?' Sombra thought, completely alarmed by Twilight's words.

"I apologize for my incapability to cope under intense pressure, but I simply cannot continue on as of now."

'She's being serious!'

"When you receive this letter, not with Spike's assistance, unfortunately, I will have Sombra sent to you under the supervision of Pinkie Pie, his assigned reformer."

'No, no, no!'

"What is to be done for Sombra's reformation will be in your hooves, Princess Celestia. Although, I cannot say Pinkie would be willing to leave Ponyville to continue her duties."

That was it. He couldn't stand to hear anymore.

Sombra quickly, but quietly, rushed down the stairs to get away to escape what he was hearing. Twilight was going to send him away! He wasn't going to be able to be with Pinkie anymore!

Sombra felt his gaze go over to Pinkie's sleeping form, his heart growing heavy as he did. Although she was annoying, irritating and flat-out vexatious, he still liked and cared for her more than he had for anypony else.

'I have to figure out a way to get Sparkler to change her mind...' Sombra thought, pondering for a solution. When one came to him, he felt dread take over his being as he groaned irritably.

Sombra glanced over at Pinkie to remind himself who he was doing this for and sighed as he made his way over to the library door. With a careful hoof, he turned the knob and was to see that Twilight hadn't put her security system on for him that night. After he opened the door, Sombra looked over his shoulder to look at Pinkie one last time and walked out of the library.

'If Sparkler and her friends haven't had any luck with the lizard, perhaps I can find him,' Sombra thought to himself, walking through the silent town. The moon was full as could be and illuminated the entire area in luminescent, silver light, making it easy to see despite the late hour.

After walking around the still somewhat unfamiliar town for a long while, Sombra felt himself grow less and less motivated to keep looking for the baby dragon. When he remembered the damage that Spike had done unto Rainbow Dash, a close friend of the dragon, Sombra found himself wondering what would happen on the off-chance he did find Spike.

'He isn't fond of me,' Sombra thought,' and the feeling is mutual, in all honesty. He did take my last chance at taking my rightful place on the throne in the Empire.'

He shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. He couldn't start to think negatively about Spike whenever he needed to find him. His future with Pinkie was counting on it.

'Maybe it would be for the best,' Sombra admitted to himself, 'maybe things weren't meant to work out with Pinkie in the end. I could always find somepony else in Canterlot. For all I know, I could end up with one of the Royal Sisters themselves! Celly is too... uppity for my tastes, but Luna seems to fit rather-- Wait, where am I?'

Sombra stopped walking as he looked around his surroundings, none looking familiar to him. There were longs, thorny vines hanging around him like ropes and nooses, looking like sleeping snakes in the darkness that covered the forest he mistakenly walked into.

'Great, now I'm lost,' he thought darkly, his expression turning dour. How was he supposed to find that annoying lizard if he didn't even know where he was?

Suddenly, Sombra heard a snap come from somewhere near him, breaking through the silence of the forest. Sombra's ears flattened against his head in uneasiness as his eyes darted left to right in alarm. He forced his ears to go up so that he could hear better and detect the source of the sound, but found none to be sensed.

"H-Hello?" he called out, uncharacteristically unhinged. Sombra heard nothing for a moment, his unease growing as the silence continued. Perhaps it was his imagination, then.

SNAP!

Or not.

"Is someone there?" Sombra called out, not sounding as unsteady as he felt. When he heard no reply, he felt his unease turn to anger at the idea of someone trying to scare the King of Fear himself.

"Show yourself!" Sombra demanded, stamping his hoof, "Whoever you are, you have three seconds before I come after you!"

There was no response.

"Fine, then," Sombra snarled, "One..."

There was still no response.

"Two..."

Suddenly, there was a series of snaps that eventually turn into full on barrage of sounds, the cacophony growing into a clamor as it grew closer.

"...Three?"

Then, to Sombra's shock and surprise, a figure jumped out of the shadows, snarling and growling like a feral beast.

"AAAAAAAAAH!" Sombra let out a loud screech of terror and rushed away from the being, his tail between his legs.

Sombra felt his heartbeat start going faster, matching that of a kettledrum as he continued to run from the shadowy beast that was chasing after him. He didn't dare to look back, for fear of being caught when doing so.

'Oh, sweet Tartarus, this is how it ends!' Sombra thought, 'I take back what I said about Pinkie! I don't want to leave her! I swear, with Celestia as my witness, I will find a way to make up for my unfaithfulness to--'

Sombra let out a yell of surprise when he felt his hoof make contact with a large rock, making him lose his balance. He cringed as his face made contact with the muddy, but gravel-like ground in the forest, his eyes lolling about in his skull while his tongue plopped out of his mouth in a cartoonish manner.

He heard the heavy breathing of the beast behind him, the snarls growing louder as the demon grew closer to him. Sombra screwed his eyes shut as he awaited the swift, but painful killing that the beast would inflict upon him, thus ending his long, miserable life.

"...Sombra?"

Sombra opened his eyes in surprise, then slowly turned his head to look at the "beast" before him.

"Lizard?!" Sombra blurted out, shocked to see that it was Spike who had been chasing him.

"What the heck are you doing in the Everfree Forest?" Spike questioned, his eyes wide with shock.

"Is that where I am?" Sombra asked, looking around from the ground, "I guess that explains all the trees, then."

Spike frowned at him. "Why are you out here? It's the middle of the night!"

Sombra mirrored his frown as he stood up and brushed himself off. "I could ask the same of you, Lizard. You've been gone for three days, mind you."

Spike blinked at him in surprise, then scowled. "So that's why you're out here, huh? Princess sent somepony out to come get her assistant, then?"

Sombra narrowed his eyes in a glare. "Sparkler didn't send me out here, Lizard. I came on my own accord."

"Wait, what?" Spike blurted out, blinking in surprise, "What could you possibly hope to gain from me coming home?"

"That's not important," Sombra told him, "All that matters is that we get you back to the library before anyone realizes that I left."

"Oh, no, you don't!" Spike exclaimed, crossing his arms, "I wanna know why you're out here looking for me, even though we both know that you hate me!"

"Come on, now, that's not true," Sombra defended, holding up a hoof.

Spike quirked a brow upwards to show he wasn't buying Sombra's excuse.

Sombra sighed. "Alright, fine," he admitted, "Twilight is going to send me to Canterlot in a couple days, unless you come home."

"Huh? Why would she do that?"

"She doesn't believe herself to be 'mentally fit' to deal with me as of now, what with the emotionally trying things that's been going on lately," he told Spike, causing the dragon's eyes to widen in shock.

"Is she blaming me for what happened?!" he shouted, his teeth grinding together in anger.

Sombra's eyes widened as trails of smoke started leaking out of Spike's nostrils, growing in intensity as Spike began to huff and puff in pure, unadulterated rage.

"Lizard, calm down," Sombra ordered, careful not to sound too forceful in the process.

"Calm down? Calm down?" Spike repeated, a lick of green flame escaping his lips, "That witch is blaming me for something that's her fault!"

"Well, you did yell at her," Sombra said, then flinched when Spike snarled at him.

"She had it coming! She's always had it coming!" He exclaimed, clenching his claws in fury, "She orders me around like a slave half the time, goes out with her friends all the time without even thinking to invite me along, and now she's blaming me for something she did!"

"Lizard, will you cut it out already?" Sombra snapped, "You're acting like a child!"

"That's because I am a child!" Spike countered, "What's her excuse? She's supposed to be the princess of Friendship and Magic, but it's obvious that she doesn't understand the most important of the two!"

Sombra, realizing that talking was only going to rile him up even more, decided to let Spike tire himself on his own accord,

"I mean, come on! I do everything for her! I clean up the library, without her asking, by the way! I pack her things when she has somewhere to go, even if I'm not going along! And I even made a stupid cake for her, which I hope to Celestia that she didn't so much as touch when I left!"

And now, she has the nerve, the gall, the sheer audacity to call me useless? To call me her assistant? To say that I'm a lovesick puppy?"

Sombra refrained from commenting that Spike was, in fact, a lovesick puppy in regards to Rarity.

"It just goes to show, then! I was right about it! It's clear as crystal!" Spike exclaimed, his volume going down as he continued. With a deep, ragged sigh, Spike fell to the ground, pulling his knees to his chest as tears filled his eyes.

"She doesn't need me anymore."

Sombra's eyes widened as he watched Spike's anger turn into sorrow to quickly, almost as though someone flipped a switch.

"What are you talking about?" Sombra questioned, walking over to the sniffling dragon, "Sparkler does need you, you idiot!"

Spike shook his head. "No, she doesn't," he whimpered, "she's never needed me, Sombra... It was only a matter of time before she sent me away."

Sombra gave him a confused look as he sat down in front of him. "You left on your own accord, Lizard," he told him, then blinked in shock, "did you just call me Sombra?"

Spike stopped sniffling for a moment to look up at him. "Well, yeah," he replied, "that's your name, right?"

"Well, yes," Sombra responded, "I'm just not used to you saying it, is all."

Spike blinked in realization. "I've never called you by your name..." he whispered to himself, then shook his head, "that's not important, though."

"Listen, Lizard, I can tell you're going through something right now, though I can't imagine what," he said, muttering the last part to himself.

Spike gaped at him for a brief moment. "You don't know?" he breathed, his eyes wide.

"Know what?" Sombra snapped, "I barely even know you, Lizard!"

"But, how can you not?" Spike exclaimed, "I mean, I saw it because of you!"

Sombra gave him a wide eyed stare. "What?" he blurted out, raising a brow in confusion, then narrowing his eyes in annoyance, "You're not making any sense!"

Spike sighed, then took a deep breath. "It was back when the Empire first returned," Spike began, "Twilight was looking for the Crystal Heart when she found out that it was more than just a centerpiece for the Crystal Fair and I was following her around to make sure nothing bad happened to her."

"Sparkler thought the Crystal Heart was just a centerpiece?" Sombra repeated, chuckling at the thought of it, "That is hilarious! Tartarus, I wish I could have seen her face when she found out otherwise!"

Spike frowned at him. "Anyway," he continued, "Twilight had gotten into the throne room and was looking in there when she realized that that technically wasn't your castle during your time of rule."

Sombra's eyes widened as he heard this, but he remained silent, wishing to hear more of the story.

"So, surprisingly, she used dark magic to change the interior of the throne room, making it look like it did during your rule," Spike explained.

"Sparkler used dark magic?" Sombra blurted out, his eyes wide with shock, "Didn't know she had it in her..."

"Right? She told me Celestia taught her how," Spike told him, saying the last part with total nonchalance.

"Wait, what?!" Sombra exclaimed, his jaw dropping at the thought of the Sun Princess using dark magic, "Oh, this I have to hear!"

Spike shook his head. "She didn't tell me anything more than that, Sombra," he told him, causing Sombra to frown, "getting back to the story, when Twilight used dark magic, it revealed a stairwell that went on for ages. She went to the bottom without me and while I was waiting for her, I heard crying coming from the stairs."

Sombra felt a twinge of unease as he watched Spike's neutral expression turn to brooding as he continued on with the story.

"I hurried down to the bottom of the stairs," Spike continued, avoiding Sombra's gaze, "and when I got there, I saw Twilight, crying her eyes out."

Sombra's eyes widened as he began to realize where Spike was going with the story, but he refrained from saying anything to disrupt the tale.

"I-I asked why she was so upset," Spike stammered, "and when she turned to look at me... her eyes were glowing green."

"She looked through the door," Sombra concluded, his voice barely above a whisper, "Sparkler found the Nightmare Door."

Spike perked up. "Is that what it's called?" Spike asked, turning towards Sombra.

Sombra nodded slowly. "It is meant to show the worst fear of whomever looks into the door," Sombra told him, then blinked as he realized something, "but that is only if someone uses dark magic to activate the door."

"So Twilight used dark magic on that, too?" Spike breathed, his eyes wide.

"The door itself moves around to prevent from being opened by those I did not give consent to pass," Sombra explained, "it was a fail safe in case any rebels in the Empire managed to get into the staircase without my knowing, seeing as how none of the Crystal sla- I mean, ponies, are able to use magic."

"And that means they can't use dark magic," Spike finished, looking up at Sombra with a sense of admiration, "that's actually pretty smart, Sombra."

"Er, thanks," Sombra replied, giving him an uncomfortable look, "though, I was not able to prepare for the off-chance that a unicorn, or Tartarus forbid, an alicorn, found the door."

"Still, though," Spike told him, "it still managed to throw Twilight off the trail."

Sombra frowned. "What happened after you found Sparkler?" he asked, furrowing his brows in thought, "You say that this has to do with you."

Spike lost his blithe expression. "Right..." he trailed off, then said, "after I found Twilight, she snapped out of the hallucination the door put her in. And when I asked her why she was so upset about the door, I... kind of looked into it."

Sombra's eyes widened. "You looked into the door?" Sombra blurted out, completely bewildered, "What in Tartarus did you see?!"

Spike was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath. "I was at the library..." Spike started slowly, "Which confused me, because I could have sworn we were at the Empire... And then, Twilight started yelling at me. Like, full on yelling."

Sombra felt his unease grow as Spike took another deep breath to ready himself.

"She- she said I was useless!" Spike exclaimed, his expression turning hard, "And that I-I was just an assistant!"

"Lizard..." Sombra tried to say, but Spike was already going.

"And she told me that she didn't need me anymore!" Spike cried, tears welling in his eyes, "She said that she was done putting up with me!"

"Lizard," Sombra said, sounding firm.

"She never needed me!" Spike screamed, tears running down his face, "Twilight's never needed me!"

"Spike!" Sombra exclaimed, leaning towards the crying dragon. Spike froze as Sombra's shout echoed around them, resonating from the area.

"W-What?" Spike whispered, frightened about Sombra's next action.

Sombra let out a long sigh. "You're an idiot," he muttered, rolling his eyes while shaking his head.

"Huh?" Spike huffed, looking confused.

"You've known Sparkler for, how long, your whole life?" Sombra questioned, giving Spike a look that ruled out anything but straightforward answers.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"And what has Twilight done to give you the idea that she wouldn't need you?" Sombra asked, his eyebrows raised in curiosity of the answer.

Spike opened his mouth to reply, a claw pointed in readiness for a retort, but instead, held his tongue as he mulled over Sombra's words. Sombra, whose patience was fading as time passed with the troublesome dragon, sat in silence, refraining from making any comments to distract Spike from thinking.

"She hasn't done anything," Spike admitted, sounding glum at his realization.

"Exactly," Sombra told him, pointing his hoof to emphasize his statement, "Twilight, for whatever reason, needs you in her life."

Spike blinked in response, his eyes wide.

"She's falling apart, Spike," Sombra said, letting out a sigh, "and although you didn't realize it, you leaving has affected everyone."

"It has?" Spike blurted out, uncrossing his arms as he flattened out his legs out in front of him.

"Yes, you stupid lizard," Sombra replied exasperatedly, then avoided Spike's gaze as he muttered quietly, "including me."

Spike's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"Thanks to you, I can't sleep without you snoring, you annoying reptile!" Sombra exclaimed, giving Spike a glare, "You have officially made me an insomniac!"

Spike grinned as he wiped his tears away. "Aw, you missed me!" he cooed, putting his claws to his cheeks in fake adoration, "You're such a sweetheart!"

"Shut up!" Sombra snapped, which only made Spike laugh harder, "Tartarus, you're annoying!"

"Admit it, you like me!" Spike exclaimed, playfully punching Sombra's foreleg.

Sombra growled in response, then sighed when Spike continued to laugh.

"Perhaps I am growing fond of you, Lizard," Sombra admitted, then put Spike into a headlock, "but you should remember who you're messing with!"

"Gah, put me down!" Spike shouted, struggling to get out of Sombra's grasp, but failed to do so when Sombra began to rub his hoof into the dragon's cranium.

"Not until you admit it!" Sombra proclaimed, rubbing even harder.

"Admit what?" Spike called out, still struggling.

"That you're starting to like me, too, you moron!" Sombra replied, pulling Spike up so he could Sombra's smug grin, "Otherwise, you'd never have listen to me in the first place!"

"Alright, alright!" Spike conceded, "Just please put me down!"

Sombra let out a chuckle and released Spike, who fell to the ground with a small plop.

"Come on, we should be getting back to the library," Sombra told him, nudging Spike as he scrambled to get to his feet.

Spike frowned as he guiltily looked down. "But what if Twilight--?"

"Oh, for Tartarus' sake!" Sombra exclaimed, then grabbed Spike and tossed him onto his back, "I'm tired of hearing you talk about Sparkler!"

Spike let out a yell of surprise as he landed on Sombra's back and his eyes lolled around his skull as he attempted to see the correct amount of trees in the vicinity.

"Alright, fine," Spike muttered, crossing his arms once he lost his dizziness, "I'm just worried, is all."

Sombra sighed. "And I'm just telling you to quit worrying," he told him, then assured him with, "Sparkler's going to be happy to see you."

"But, what about Rainbow?" Spike asked, causing Sombra to stop suddenly, "I feel horrible for burning her..."

Sombra frowned as he mulled over Spike's point. "We can deal with that when we get to the library," he responded, "Rainbow is still resting, though. She might not be as enthusiastic about your return."

Spike sighed. "That was my fault," he admitted, "I just wish I hadn't gotten so upset..."

Sombra felt a pang of sympathy for baby dragon. "They'll understand when you tell them about the door," he reassured him, then added quietly to himself, "that door can do haunting things to somepony..."

Spike's eyes widened as he gaped at Sombra, a small squeak of shock escaping his lips.

"What?" Sombra blurted out, glancing back at Spike's shocked form.

"Sombra..." Spike started slowly, "have you looked through the Nightmare Door?"

Sombra was silent for a moment, which caused Spike to think that he had crossed an unknown boundary with the former King of Shadows, thus reprimanding their already fragile friendship.

"...Honestly?" Sombra asked, looking back at Spike with raw despondence.

Spike, after thinking it over for a moment, nodded slowly in response.

Sombra let out a ragged sigh. "Perhaps it's time I told someone, then..."

* * *

"THIS IS A DISASTER!" Pinkie screeched, zooming around the library at top speed.

"Pinks, calm down!" Rainbow called from her cot, "You're overreacting!"

"Oh, Pinks!" Pinkie cried dramatically, then put her face in her hooves, "Sombry calls me that all the time!"

"Darling, lots of ponies call you 'Pinks'," Rarity told her, not appreciating that Pinkie was stealing her dramatic spotlight.

"Somepony get me a fainting couch!" Pinkie exclaimed, sounding breathy and exasperated, "I neeeeeeeeeeeed one!"

Everyone in the library collectively turned to look at Rarity, who blinked in confusion at her friend's gazes.

"What?" Rarity blurted out, completely flabbergasted.

"Pinkie's right, but in a less dramatic fashion," Twilight stated groggily, her mane a mess and her eyes drooping from lack of sleep, "Sombra disappearing is nothing less of negative."

"Oh, my gosh!" Pinkie gasped, "He could be anywhere! He could be at the bakery, he could be at the Quills and Sofas shop, he could be at the book store, he could be--"

"--coming out of the Everfree Forest?" Fluttershy finished, sounding confused as she said it.

Everyone in the room turned to look at the shy pegasus who was seated next to the library's window, peering out of it with confused interest. Pinkie rushed over and blatantly knocked Fluttershy out of the way, causing the pegasus to let out a cry of surpise.

"Oh, my gosh!" Pinkie breathed, a grin coming to her face, "HE'S BACK!"

But, just before Pinkie could run out of the library to tackle/hug her coltfriend, she felt something hold onto her tail to prevent her from doing so.

"Whoa, there!" Applejack called out, still holding her tail, "Who's that with him?"

The girls all peered out the window and, sure enough, they saw that Sombra was indeed not by himself.

"Is that...?" Fluttershy asked quietly, too shocked to finish.

"It's Spike!" Twilight exclaimed, her eyes wide, "He found Spike!"

Everyone, including a somewhat injured Rainbow Dash, ran/limped outside, hoping to greet the two male friends that had disappeared, but returned. But, just as they were nearing them, they all froze as they listened to their dialogue.

"So you're saying Sparkler hatched you?" Sombra questioned, an eyebrow quirked upwards in disbelief.

Spike nodded enthusiastically. "Yep!" he called out, "Though, it was a total accident! I mean, she turned me into a 100 foot tall dragon!"

Sombra let out a laugh. "Oh, sweet Tartarus, that's hysterical!" he whooped, "I wish I could have seen her face!"

"You would not believe how freaked out Princess Celestia was when she saw it from outside the school!" he exclaimed, causing Sombra's eyes to widen.

"Celestia saw it?" Sombra repeated, a laugh escaping his lips, "Oh, that's even better!"

"Since when did they become...?" Twilight started, totally shocked by what she was seeing and hearing.

"Friends?" Pinkie finished, mirroring Twilight's expression.

"Yo, Spike, Sombra!" Rainbow called out, forming half a megaphone shape with one hoof.

Both Sombra and Spike ceased talking and laughing, the exchanged uneasy glances with one another. Sombra whispered something to Spike inaudibly, to which Spike nodded rapidly in response.

"What do you think they're talking about now?" Pinkie asked, looking over to her friends in questioning.

"It's probably just a guy thing," Rainbow concluded, shrugging, then wincing in pain.

Sombra made his way over to the group, Spike still on his back, who was avoiding the gazes of his pony friends.

"Sombry, where did you disappear off to?" Pinkie blurted out, jumping out from the line her friends had made, "I woke up this morning and POOF! You were gone!"

Sombra opened his mouth to answer, but Spike tapped his shoulder, to which Sombra turned back to see Spike nodding his head solemnly. Sombra nodded in return, then turned his body to where Spike was facing the girls face-to-face, though the baby dragon seemed rather tense about doing so, if his wringing claws were any consolation.

"He came looking for me," Spike answered finally, looking off to the side with particular interest.

The group of six mares all gaped at Spike, then faced Sombra, who gave no qualm about Spike's assertion.

"You went to go look for Spike?" Twilight breathed, her eyes wide, "But I thought that--"

"--we hated each other?" Sombra finished, the first thing he had said to the girls since his arrival.

"Yes!" everyone exclaimed, leaning forward in emphasis of their response.

"Oh, believe me, we still do," Sombra told them, nodding his head at Spike, "he's annoying, loudmouth reptile who can't tell a rock from an egg."

Spike crossed his arms as he nodded, a stoic look upon his face. "And he's a crystal brained, pink-loving, dessert-eating, gluttonous King who can't get over himself, even though he doesn't got the walk to back up the talk," Spike concluded, nodding his head Sombra's way.

All six mares went silent as Spike and Sombra continued to keep up their stoic expressions, not saying a word to each other or the girls themselves.

Then, Sombra cracked a grin and let out a small chuckle, to which Spike started laughing loudly.

"Ha!" Spike called out, elbowing Sombra playfully, "Did you see their faces?"

Sombra let out a laugh in response. "Indeed, I did," he replied, chuckling again.

"So, wait, you guys are friends now?" Rainbow asked, totally flabbergasted.

"Yeah, I guess," Spike said with a shrug, to which Sombra nodded in agreement.

After the moment of blitheness passed, Sombra rolled his shoulder to nudge Spike, reminding him of why he was there.

Spike took a deep breath, then exhaled deeply. "Guys, I wanna apologize for what I did over the last three days," he began, then looked at Sombra to see how he was doing, to which the former King nodded for him to keep going.

"I... I was a real jerk to you, Twilight," Spike told Twilight, his eyes turning downcast with shame, "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

Twilight blinked in surprise, then rapidly shook her head. "Spike, you don't have to apologize!" she exclaimed, putting a hoof over her heart, "I was the one who being awful!"

"But, I shouldn't have reacted that way!" Spike argued, his pleading gaze growing, "I should have been more composed!"

"That doesn't matter, Spike," Twilight told him, giving him a soft look, "I'm just glad you're home."

To both Sombra and Spike's surprise, she pulled the two males into a hug, tears running down her face as she did.

"I'm glad both of you are home," she finished, giving Sombra a look of gratitude.

Sombra cleared his throat awkwardly. "It wasn't that big a deal..." he told her, attempting to get out of the hug.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Spike exclaimed, tugging on Sombra's mane.

"Ow!" Sombra shouted, giving Spike a glare, "What was that for?!"

"GROUP HUG!" Pinkie cried out, tackling the three forms and somehow wrapping her forelegs around all of them tightly.

"I second that hug!" Applejack exclaimed, running to Sombra's exposed side.

"Don't encourage her!" Sombra shouted, but his cries went unheard.

"Thirded!" Rarity followed suit and hugged Sombra's neck beside Applejack.

Rainbow frowned and shook her head. "Nope, nope, nope," she said, backing away, "I am not getting in this mushy stuff!"

"Oh, yes, you are!" Pinkie ordered, nodding her head from Rainbow to the group.

"I'm injured, you guys!" she argued, holding up her wing, then hissing in pain.

"You can tackle Sombra!" Pinkie suggested.

"What?" Sombra blurted out, looking down at Pinkie in shock.

"Really?" Rainbow replied, a grin coming to her features, "Gladly."

"No, no, no, don't you even--" Sombra was cut off by the sudden impact that came to his side, knocking the air out of him. Stunned by the shock that overtook him, Sombra lost his footing and balance, which then caused him to land on the ground, the girls all piled with him.

"It's going down!" Pinkie exclaimed, "I'm yelling timberrrrrrr!"

"Pinkie, no one knows what song you're singing!" Sombra growled, his face smushed against the ground.

"It's good to be home," Spike said, sighing in content.

"I hate you all," Sombra huffed, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

Author's Note

So, this idea randomly came to me when I was reading the fic "A True, True Friend?", which is about Spike dealing with being left out of Twilight and her friend's adventures. Honestly, I was almost in tears because I knew what it was like to be left out by your friends and how heart-breaking it can be when they don't even realize how often it happens...

So, I always knew that sooner or later, I was going to address Sombra and Spike's unspoken hatred for each other. But, since this is a Spike and Sombra related topic that doesn't really concern Pinkie, I knew I couldn't include my idea for them without taking away from the SombraPie romance in my other fics. So, to make up for the lack of Spike and Sombra development, I wrote this baby!

Enjoy~!

Oh, and do you wanna know what motivated my writing during this little project?

Over-dramatic country music

AS GOOD AS I WAS TO YOOOOOOOOOOOOU
IS THIS THE THANKS I GET?
WERE ALL THOSE YEARS
SO EASY TO FORGET?
DOES THIS MEAN YOU'VE WON?
ARE YOU FINALLY HAVING FUN?
OH, SHE SURE LOOKS GOOD,
BUT SHE WON'T EVER BE
AS GOOD AS I WAS TO YOOOOOOOOOOOOU

Alright, alright, I'm done singing... HA, NOPE.

MAYBE HE'LL NOTICE HER NOW
MAYBE HE'LL OPEN HIS EYES
SOMETIMES IT TAKES SOMEBODY LEAVING
FOR A MAN TO REALIZE

God, fine, I'm done.... Mainly because I can't remember the lyrics...

Also, this took me DAYS to finish... most I've ever written for a one-shot... ENJOY, YOU MONSTERS

Epilogue

"Are you being serious, Twilight?"

"Yes, Spike, I am."

"But, what about the--" Spike was cut off by Sombra's sigh of aggravation.

"Lizard, just accept the offer!" Sombra exclaimed, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"But, after what I did..." Spike trailed off as his gaze went became downcast, his claws wringing together.

"Spike," Twilight said firmly, but her eyes were soft on the young dragon, "I know why you were so upset."

Spike blinked in shock. "Huh?" he blurted out, his eyes wide.

Twilight smiled, then nodded her head Sombra's way. "Sombra told me, Spikey," she replied, giving him a meaningful look.

Spike blushed. "You haven't called me that since we were both little..."

"And you really should have known better than to tell him that, Spike!" Pinkie chirped, bouncing over to Sombra's side, "You know he'll use it against you!"

"Like you don't do that, too!" Sombra argued, nudging her shoulder, "Miss 'I'll-Keep-Your-Secret-But-Then-Tells-Sparkler-The-Moment-She-Can'!"

"Maybe it'll be Mrs.'I'll-Keep-Your-Secret-But-Then-Tells-Sparkler-The-Moment-She-Can' if you play your cards right," Pinkie whispered in his ear.

Sombra's ears fell flat against his head while his face flushed red. "Er..." he drawled, his expression fixed between shock and terror.

"I still find it hard to believe that you like--"

"Finish that sentence and I'll end your life here and now, Lizard," Sombra said sharply, breaking out of his shocked state.

"--pink mares," Spike finished, giving Sombra a smug look.

"Oh, you're dead!" Sombra exclaimed, leaping at Spike, but stopped short when Pinkie pulled him into a tight hug.

"Oh, but you know I like you, too!" Pinkie told him, kissing his cheek.

"I hate you so much..." Sombra muttered under his breath, glaring daggers at Spike.

"Anyway," Twilight enunciated, attempting to gain Spike's attention, "I don't want you to think that all you are to me is an assistant, Spike."

Spike frowned. "I know that, Twilight," he told her, "I just forgot for a while, is all."

Twilight shook her head. "That wouldn't have happened if I had been the good friend I was supposed to be, Spike!" she argued, hunching down so she was his height, "I love you, Spike. You're like the annoying younger brother I kind of always wanted!"

Spike smiled at that. "I love you, too, Twilight," he replied, then hugged her as he said, "And you're like my sister! And mom, in some ways..."

"Aw!" Pinkie cooed, rubbing her cheek into Sombra's as she grinned slyly, "Speaking of love--"

"No," Sombra replied flatly, "not gonna say it."

"So, what do you say, Spike?" Twilight asked, pulling away from the hug as Pinkie and Sombra exchanged dialogue, "Do you wanna go to the Crystal Empire with me?"

Spike nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!" he replied, then asked cheerfully, "Do you really think the Crystal Ponies will be happy to see me?"

"Heck yeah!" Pinkie called, then gave Sombra a playful noogie, "All cause you beat this big meanie pants!"

"Gee, love you, too, Pinkie," Sombra said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he did.

PInkie gasped. "You said it!" she cheered, then hugged Sombra tight enough to where his face turned blue from lack of oxygen.

"I... was... being... sarcastic..." Sombra rasped between small intakes of air.

"Still counts, Meanie Pants!" Pinkie exclaimed, snuggling her head into his.

"I... hate... you..." he muttered, still finding the energy to glare at her.

"Spike, I just wanna make something clear to you before we do anything right now," Twilight said to Spike, breaking his attention away from the quarrelling couple.

"What is it, Twilight?" Spike asked, his excitement dimming at her tone.

"There's a reason why I would never send you away, Spike," she told him, "and that reason is, even though I may not need you for something, I will always, most certainly, want you to be in my life."

"Oh, gods, stop it with the sappiness!" Sombra begged, then nodded his head to Pinkie, who was showering his cheeks with affectionate kisses, "I already get enough of that from her!"

"Oh, you know you love it!" Pinkie chided him, resuming her kisses.

"Tartarus, when will it end?" Sombra questioned, looking up to the heavens for an answer.

Twilight chuckled to herself. "We can discuss it further on the way to the Empire," she told Spike, "I wanna get through everything that's been bothering both of us, alright?"

"Okay!" Spike replied enthusiastically, then frowned as he realized something, "Wait, does that mean that you--"

"--made a checklist?" Twilight finished, magicking a scroll up for Spike to see, "Yep! I wanna make sure we got everything down!"

"Just how much is on that scroll?" Spike asked, taking the scroll, then losing his hold on it. The scroll bounced against the floor, causing it to unravel and reveal a long checklist the reached from the library's centerpiece to the door of the library.

"I want to cover all the bases and double check, and then triple check!" Twilight said giddily.

"Uh..." Spike drawled, totally surprised at the sight of the checklist.

"Come on!" Twilight exclaimed, "Let's get to the station!"

Spike, who was still in shock, was then pushed out the door by Twilight, who was enthusiastically discussing the topics of their would-be discussions.

"We can talk about your eating habits, your bathing habits-- which need a better schedule, by the way --your likes, your dislikes..."

Sombra and Pinkie watched as the two exited the library, leaving the couple by themselves.

"So..." Pinkie said, looking over at Sombra, "what do ya wanna do?"

"If you're implying that we should take advantage of us being alone for once in a long time, I have only one thing to say to you," Sombra replied, not even looking at her.

Pinkie pouted. "Fine, be a grumpy pants," she told him, crossing her forelegs in disappointment.

Pinkie wasn't prepared for Sombra pressing his muzzle against her ear, the sheer intimacy causing her to freeze as a blush came to her cheeks, the hair on her neck rising.

"I would be so open to that," he whispered, relishing in her reaction.

Pinkie grinned slyly. "Beat ya upstairs!" she proclaimed, then zoomed off.

"Sparkler will want to burn those sheets if she finds out," Sombra muttered to himself, then shrugged, "but that's Future Sombra's problem."

And, with that last word, Sombra ran up the stairs, taking the opportunity to be with his special somepony.

Author's Note

Ha, so since I kinda did a bad job wrapping up the story in the last chapter, due to popular demand, I wrote an epilogue for this. Since I didn't want to get into the whole thing with Twilight and Spike to a deep, emotional level, simply because I SUCK at doing stuff like that, I decided that they settle things off-screen...

...And that Pinkie and Sombra do the do in Twilight's bed while she's gone.