The night was silent, not a sound made nor a stir within it's dark depths. All was at rest, all was at peace, all were aloof in their dreams.
Except one.
The only pony to have been unable to sleep in the night's serenity was Sombra, the former King of the Crystal Empire. His arrival in Ponyville a couple months ago seemed so far away to him and the others who were in charge of his reformation, ordered by Princess Celestia herself.
Sombra resided in Twilight's library, laying in the cot that was placed beside the stairs that went up to Spike and Twilight's beds. Despite his earlier grievances on sleeping in such a "drivel place", as he put it, he had grown used to the bed as a place of rest, freeing himself from the day's trials.
But tonight was not one of those nights.
The stallion let out an annoyed huff as he wriggled his form, adjusting his position slightly in an attempt to find solace, unsurprised when none turned up. Despite having turned multiple times in the past couple hours and finally getting comfortable on his side, he found he was unable to peacefully close his eyes.
With a sigh, he stuck his hoof under his pillow as he lifted his head, then flipped it over onto it's cooler, fresher side. Graning irritably, he placed his head down on the pillow for what felt like the fiftieth time and snuggled into it, closing his eyes.
Yet still he laid awake.
'Curse my insomnia...' he thought darkly, giving his pillow a sideways glare, 'and curse the cause for it!'
There were many a night where Sombra laid alone back at the Empire, perfectly content with himself for company during night's arrival. It had been a thousand years since he found himself laying awake, unable to welcome the pleasures that sleep brought. And he knew the reason why.
He didn't like to sleep alone.
It was so bewildering to realize, despite after all he had been through, that he was a dual sleeper. Sombra had never had trouble sleeping before his arrival in Ponyville.
Before he met her.
Sombra let out an annoyed huff as he turned onto the side that faced the stairs, away from all the distractions that darkly cast room held. He couldn't stand to be so immersed in his surroundings when he should be trying to sleep.
But he knew he wouldn't be able to. Not without her next to him.
While they held an intimate relationship that spanned beyond platonic behavior, Sombra was very aware that it wasn't the intimacy itself that got him through the night. It was laying next to her, feeling her next to him, knowing she was his to hold that gave him the peaceful serenity of slumber.
He found himself imagining all the traits he loved about her, his mind drifting off into nostalgia.
Her curly, mess of a mane that seemed to be a vortex that held a random array of items with a simple pull of a hoof. Sombra reminisced about the time his curiosity of her mane's inventory got the better of him and how he tried to search for items in her mane while she slept. Much to his confusion and surprise, nothing was there, her mane as normal as anypony's.
Her crystalline eyes, blue as the seas themselves and just as never ending in their depths. Sombra oftentimes found himself looking into them, hoping to find the secrets that they held. But, just like the oceans they resembled so beautifully, they remained unexplored, unfathomed, undetermined, the truth he had hoped he'd learn meant only for her lips to tell.
And her voice, while high and scathing to others, was melodic and pure to his ears. So many years he had been cursed with his ignorance to true music, to true lyrical majesty, which was soon rectified the moment her vocal cords resonated into a perfect level between sweetly dulcet and phonically raw.
Tartarus, how he hated her perfection.
It was because of her wonderful, admirable magnificence he was unable to sleep peacefully. Had she not been such a miracle to his dark life, he never would've had a sleepless night to be wary of.
Before meeting her, if you had asked him if he thought angels were real, his answer would have been negative, to say the least. His life held no grace, no beauty, no happiness to speak of, all of the positive feelings life could offer completely and utterly demolished by the darkness that consumed him.
Suddenly, he was granted another chance at life, a miracle within itself. In his bitterness towards his resurrection, he knew not of the heavenly presence he had been graced with, who had leaped at the chance to offer her wonderful insight on happiness. While her tactics were rather questionable and random, to say the least, they were nothing short of effective as the time they spent together grew.
And, finally, after months of struggling to keep a hold on the forbidden feelings the darkness kept from him, he admitted his love for her, almost certain she would reject him.
But angels can never deny love to where it's needed, especially when it's consensual.
Sombra shook his head, a futile attempt to force the memories and thoughts away. He forced his eyes to stay closed, thinking that if they remained that way, sleep would come to him and rid him of the flurrying thoughts in his head.
But, just as he was clinging onto the last bit of strength to keep his lids together, he heard a rustle from outside the library. Sombra froze, his breath catching in his throat as he cracked his eyes open, his pupils immediately darting over to the corners of his eyes as he turned his head slightly.
He saw the shadows of a figure leak under the door, sneaking into the library and reaching towards Sombra's form. He curiously adjusted his position to see the figure better, feeling no fear in the matter he was somewhat involved.
Suddenly, the familiar knocking pattern he had heard many times resonated throughout the interior of the library, surprisingly not waking the other residents within it's depths.
"Shave and a Haircut". It was a common knocking tune in Ponyville, but especially popular with the angel who haunted his night. He should have figured it would be heard at some point in the darkness.
He laid back down, not wanting to be seen as anticipating her arrival. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing he needed her.
A creak followed after a moment of silence, a sliver of luminescent light creeping into the library and onto Sombra's form. Sombra forced himself not to look, knowing it would only make him seem desperate for her, despite that being how he felt.
He soon heard a light clip-clop of hoofsteps, careful and quiet as she closed the door behind her, dissipating the light as soon as it appeared. Sombra held back his overwhelming urge to greet her full-heartedly, his pride being the only thing to keep him from tackling her to floor and giving her all he had to give.
Finally, he felt her touch, so light and sweet, almost intangible, yet so real. His breath hitched, a small shiver resonating from the spot she had so delicately impressed.
Too late, Sombra realized he gave his consciousness away, alerting her that he had been awake for her arrival. He tensed his muscles, hoping to give the impression that she had only surprised him into an arousal from slumber and not that he had purposely ignored her entrance.
He was surprised to feel her climb into bed next to him, so comfortable and lax in laying with him, despite his silent lie. He didn't turn to look at her, for fear it would ruin the little serenity he had left.
She put her muzzle into his mane, snuggling into it as she sighed in content. She had told him on many occasions how much she loved his mane and how soft it was, an intimate touching of the onyx tresses following immediately after.
Sombra held back a small grunt when her muzzle shifted to his ear, which he fought hard not to downturn out of reflex. With a light nuzzle from her nose, he heard five words that changed his perspective on the situation he was in:
"I couldn't sleep without you."
And with that, Sombra couldn't hold it back anymore. He rolled himself over to where he laid on her, successfully pinning her to the cot. She didn't seem surprised, but rather more taken aback, her eyes somewhat wide as she tried to process his abrupt action.
He leaned towards her, his eyes soft and sweet, a look nopony else had the grace of seeing.
"I couldn't sleep without you, either," he whispered, his nose brushing against hers.
With the most gentle movement, he kissed her lightly, his negative emotions fading away as he understood that even though both of them of had been alone for most of their lives, neither were able to sleep alone.
After a moment passed between the kiss, Sombra fell to his side, pulling his pink angel to his chest as he pressed his muzzle into her cotton candy mane.
"I love you," he whispered into it, his eyes drooping.
"I love you, too," she replied, snuggling into him,
And with that last passionate exchange, the two lovers fell into a deep sleep, finally able to give into the night as they held each other, no longer alone.
Author's Note
I wrote this late at night, so if it seems wonky or weird, it's cause of that.
[flash=425,350]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYpPTdCWlF0[/flash]
Two commenters said this fic reminded them of this song, so here ya go.
