Discord's Demon Dilemma

Chapters

Close Encounters Of The Demonic Kind
Unwilling Participant
Fight Night!
Fire and Ashes
Time To Heal
Interlude 1: First Night
Aftermath
On The Hunt
Interlude 2: Overload
Target Found
Let The Games Begin
Interlude 4: Desk Work
Uncertainty
Interlude 5: Switching Places
Third Strike
Epilogue: Fresh Start
Tearing Reality A New One
Interlude 3: Car Comfort

Close Encounters Of The Demonic Kind

After a few weeks stuck in hotels, he succeeded in buying a house. Clearly he had to stay in Canterlot, ironically.

The dwelling he settled on eventually was a house that bordered on a mansion in terms of size. It had plenty of grounds around it, so he'd have privacy, and was big enough to conduct magical experiments in.

Once purchased, he made some modifications. Setting up magic wards on it, in case of intruders. He used the money he had left to purchase state of the art computers, using them as stand ins for magic. With the majority of his funds used up, he would require a way to keep it going. He needed...ugh...a JOB.

This was the downside of this world, without free use of magic things relied on money to an excessive amount. Even using his powers to fool people would eventually arouse suspicion.

Then fate dropped the answer on his lap. A newspaper was pushed through his letterbox. Flipping through it he seen an advert for that same high school. They needed a science teacher.

"I could teach that easy..." Discord scoffed. Science was this worlds magic it seemed, so he'd taken to it like a duck to water, devouring whatever books on the subject he could! He'd been extremely interested by this "Higgs Boson" matter, as well as the large Hadron Collider. He'd misread that one, mistaking it for a large hard- never mind.

Dressing in his best clothes, Black trousers, white shirt and tan vest, he tied his hair back with an elastic band and headed for the school. The paper had specified to bring a record of academia with you, as proof you were a legitimate teacher. A combination of black market and magic had furnished Discord with one that would withstand some serious scrutiny. He'd worked in different places around the world according to his resume, that’d make tracking down his sources that much more difficult.

Since he hadn’t been able to master the art of driving, he was still reliant on public transport or taxi cabs. He took the former to the school, and stared up at the massive building. The statue of a rearing horse out in the courtyard caught his attention, but he ignored it for now, heading inside.

"Gangway!" he shot aside as a blur of Rainbow colours ran by kicking a ball. He spun on his heel, seeing the flash of her hair as she vanished out of sight. Just for a second there he'd been reminded of one of the harmony ponies, the loud-mouthed tomboy pegasus.

Shaking his head he studied the map, and felt a further shiver up his spine when he seen:

"Principal CELESTIA and vice-Principal LUNA" on the map.

--No doubt about it, this is some sort of alternate world, guess I’ll never escape her fully. Still, there doesn’t seem to be a ME here, so chances are very low she'll know who I am.--

All the same, he kept his magic to hand, just in case he needed an escape on the fly.

But Celestia, her human version, looked right at him without even a blink. She read his resume, and Discord fed her the stories he had prepared. He found out his magic affected her as much as anyone, and for a moment felt bad about it. He reasoned he wasn’t here to wreck her little academic kingdom, he just needed to find the owner of that car.

He got the job of course. She rang a week later to confirm he'd checked out, she would see him the next week for orientation and signing the papers.

Discord sighed in relief as he shut the cell phone off. That was a load off at least. He'd have access to money once he worked, and he be able to find the prophecised owner of this sword.

He arrived on time to begin his first day on the job. Most of it was spent in Celestia's office, as he signed paperwork. Then he was shown his private office, where he could put his things. He was glad to see it came with a computer, those things were proving instrumental.

"Oh dear, I’m running late for a meeting.." Principal Celestia frowned, looking at her watch as they headed back to her office "I had hoped to show you around-ah!" she spotted someone exiting Luna's office and called out;

"Have you a minute, professor Somber?"

Did she just say-? Discord had a brainfart as the name reminded him of another facet of his old history...

The figured stopped in his tracks, a bunch of folders stuffed under one arm.

"Something the matter Principal Celestia?" he asked. Discord stared. This was the same guy from the car, the voice was a dead give-away. Up close, he looked around the same age as Discord, with black hair tied neatly into a ponytail that fell partway down his back. His eyes were a striking red, his manner of dressing very upper class, in black trousers, red shirt and black embroidered waistcoat.

"This is our new Physics teacher, Dr. Discord. I’m running late, could you show him the school?"

Somber glanced at Discord, and the former Draconequus spotted a look of irritation and recognition before the professor nodded.

"This is professor Somber, he's our history teacher here at Canterlot, with a specialism in ancient history and superstition."

--Like..magic?-- Discord wondered, before grinning at the still annoyed Somber and sticking out a hand. Sombra grip was firm, and as he let go, Discord got the impression he was going to get a right telling off about the car business.

Sure enough, once Celestia was gone...

"I recognise you, you walked out in front of my car." Somber gave an annoyed glare "wouldn’t have pegged you for a teacher..."

"I wanted a change in career, so when I seen the advert," Discord shrugged "I figured, why not? I’ve been wandering since leaving my former occupation, and this school seems like the ideal place."

"I see.." Somber didn’t look convinced, or maybe he was just annoyed he'd been hijacked from whatever he'd planned by Discord's arrival. "This way.."

As the history teacher showed him around the huge school, Discord took a moment to study him. He didn’t know how he hadn’t copped on before.

This guy was an incarnation of none other then King Sombra. The name was subtly different, but his appearance...

The skin colour matched the former tyrants coat, and the mane was the same jet black. Even the deep red eyes.

--So Sombra exists in this world too? Yet he doesn't appear a bad guy. A history teacher? Seems tame for HIM, in comparison. He looks just like him..well, except the whole human thing, obviously.--

He had an unusual aura about him, which Discord couldn’t pin down. But he'd figure that out later. The more pressing problem was how he was going to go about figuring out if that sword REALLY belonged to Somber? He could hardly ask him to come over to the house, to see if a sword he owned was friendly with him. For pity's sake, it sounded like some form of innuendo at best, and creepy serial stalker at worst.

--Blast, this is going to be tricky. Whatever that thing is, it WOULD have to attach to the most stubborn person in several histories?-- he sighed.

"This is the gymnasium-whoa!"

For as Somber was gesturing to the massive hall, a ball came flying over in his direction. Discord grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back and to the side, and the ball bounced past without injury.

Somber blinked, silenced by surprise. He'd gone incredibly tense, which Discord assumed was from shock. He let him go, and looked over at the balls owner.

No two ways about it, it WAS Rainbow Dash. Blue skin, rainbow hair. She was looking distinctly guilty, and the girl next to her, clearly Applejack, was trying to look innocent.

Somber looked annoyed, and looked on the verge of delivering a rant. Discord fetched the ball, and booted it back to Rainbow Dash.

"Sorry prof!" Rainbow Dash said weakly, looking like she just wanted to leg it out of there.

Somber sighed, told her to watch out, but mercifully dropped the issue.

"I seen her earlier as I was coming in..." Discord mused as they left to go to the final stop, the canteen.

"Yes, she's in my classes, bit of a rowdy one." Somber muttered.

"How long have you been here, Professor?" Discord asked curiously.

Somber shrugged, his tone evasive "just a few years. I taught in another school, but I left that one."

Discord was amazed by the similarities. It was odd to find Sombra in this world, he was absent from the one Discord had occupied, having been defeated after the second takeover. Discord had wondered if there was a world where Sombra lived. Now he'd found it..

Maybe Somber possessed a latent magical ability in this world? Could that be why the sword went for him?

During lunch, he quizzed Somber about the school, asking a few detailed questions. Sombra answered them cordially enough, but Discord got the impression Somber was very much a solitary being, not one accustomed to friends or close scrutiny. His personality struck Discord as odd. He didn’t seem a megalomaniac as his equestrian counterpart was. But then, the differences in this universe were as many as stars...

"Well, I have a class full of unruly kids to teach.." Somber got up as lunch finished, and offered a fleeting smirk of a smile "welcome to Canterlot."

Discord chuckled as he observed the teacher walk away.

"Interesting.." he murmured.

When he got home after another fun day keeping kids amused, he again looked at the sword. It hadn't responded since the first encounter. But then, Somber wasn't anywhere near, so it made sense it was being silent.

"I don’t know how you expect me to get him to believe me..." he complained to the sword as he shut the case and retired to bed late that evening.

Naturally, the sword couldn’t talk.

A week passed, and Discord was no closer to bringing up the matter of the sword with Somber. He would happily join him in the staff dining area, even if most of the time Somber just ignored him.

After a few days of this, he reluctantly began to answer Discord's questions, and defrosted a little...

"Lived here long?" Discord asked one day. Sombra looked up from his book, nodded.

"Canterlot? All my life. I used to drive to cr- my previous job."

Discord's ears were pricked, metaphorically speaking, had that been a slip-up from the taciturn teacher?

Somber clammed up after that, making non-committal noises the rest of the break.

However Discord did learn something interesting over the days, via his chats with Somber.

His theory had been wrong, magic HAD been sighted in this world, in this school.

He'd asked Somber about any unusual happenings for that particular days natter.

"You mean like the incident at the battle of the bands?" Somber asked.

"Ooh, do tell.." Discord was curious.

Somber sighed, setting his fork down he folded his hands on the table in front of him, frowning as he recollected the incident.

"It all began last Fall Formal, when a large portion of the schools front lobby was destroyed. I mean clean ripped apart. I was off that night, as I had no desire to oversee a party. But from what Miss Cherilee told me, things got way out of hand, and everybody that was there swears straight they seen a blast of rainbow light. I asked could it not have just been fireworks, but Cherilee said she was sure she felt something.." he trailed off, shrugging "I paid it no further heed until that blasted competition."

"The battle of the bands?" Discord prompted. Somber nodded, carrying on.

"These new girls joined, and right from their arrival things got weird. I'd black out in class, come back to myself feeling tired, always with those three hanging around. The students would be spacing out too. Once, I woke up and it was long after class, just the trio there. The one with the orange hair was standing in front of me, smirking, toying with a red gem necklace that I could’ve sworn had an odd glow to it. The other two were blocking the doorway, looking just as smug.

The puffy haired one, she said something about "your an anomaly, not the same as the others, but just as easy to drain...". I managed to speak then, asked what the hell she was on about. She looked startled, as if she hadn’t expected me to be able to hear her, then she put on this fake, simpering voice saying shed come to ask a question about her classes, and I’d passed out. Was I feeling alright? I was still struggling to think, so I just made an "I’m fine" sound. Then she left with her friends."

Discord stared, eyebrows raised. This sounded weird, yet interesting.

"Anyway," Somber shook his head to dispel the memory "I figured I was just imagining things. I mean...magic? Come on!" He gave a snort.

Discord kept his mouth shut, not saying a word.

Somber carried on unawares "I had to supervise the final performance, where Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna chose the winners. Even at the back of the hall, with earplugs in-" catching Discord's amused look "I am NOT a fan of that type of music, I was only reigned in because Celestia had drawn up a schedule for us all to help with that nonsense! Anyway, despite the protection, I still heard that music as if it was playing right next to me. Felt uneasy just listening to it, like I was close to blacking out again. I seen two students getting in each others faces, and made to break it up. One yelled at me to- well I wont repeat it, but suffice to say it startled me enough to snap me out of my daze. I told him that was no way to speak to a teacher, and he looked shocked for a second. Then the crowd kicked off as the song finished, yelling and booing and the look came back on his face. He shoved me out of his way and stormed off. It was strange."

"Very," Discord murmured "then what?"

Somber looked up at him "Then came the final performance. Yet again I was suckered into acting as a supervisor along with Spitfire, Professor Cranky and others. I recall suffering through Miss Lulamoon's self-indulgent dirge, then those three came on, and everything a blank until suddenly another song broke in. By that point my head was aching so badly I was nearly sick, so I don’t recollect what happened that well. What I CAN recall is a light-show, someone must’ve gotten into the lighting or set off fireworks, as the sky was full of blinding light. Then, suddenly as that, its over. Those three started singing again, only this time they were tone deaf. They ran off stage and I tried to pursue them, but whatever had gone on had messed my head up, and I collapsed in the parking lot. Woke up being tended to by paramedics.." he shrugged "that's about the weirdest thing, if that fulfils your curiosity any."

"That it certainly does.." Discord mused.

Somber shook his head, and got up to go.

"Glad I could assist.." he drawled sarcastically as he walked away.

--Real ice king isn't he?-- Discord chuckled.

Somber shook his head as he left the classroom. What was this new guys obsession with pestering him?

A small part of Somber almost didn’t mind the company. A doofus Discord may be, but he was at least capable of an intelligent conversation at times. It was better then most, Somber mused. But if that guy thought he'd found a best friend, he was in for a shock.

--I don’t do friends. What a waste of time..-- Somber snorted arrogantly as he reached his classroom.

Discord sighed as he stared out the window, sat in his office later on. This wasn’t quite what he planned. This world had its restrictions, most of which seemed to be the lack of magic...

Maybe it was his fault, he'd used that power source without fully comprehending it. He had never guessed this would happen...

He flashed back to Celestia's expression as he'd vanished, she'd looked stricken.

For the first time Discord thought about how...alone he was in a way?

Flashes of images, snapshots...wait..this was the school??

Discord tried to break the dreams hold, but he was forced to see something prowling the hallways.

Please...stop it...

A faint wisp of a voice spoke to him, and he seen a ghost light flickering as it stood between the darkness and the classroom door. Squinting at the sign, Discord seen it was his classroom. This thing was after him.

He woke with a yelp, feeling cold. he shivered as the nightmare pieced itself together in his waking memory. He scrambled out of bed and hurriedly wrote it all down on one of the computers. But it still made no sense...what did the thing want??

The next day was uneventful for the most part, well, up until lunchtime that was.

Walking down a hallway, Discord heard a slam, a shriek and then the sound of somebody crying. This was followed by a louder voice demanding to know who'd knocked her friend over!

Running round the corner Discord seen a human version of the one thing he missed in Equestria, Fluttershy, sitting on the ground cradling her wrist. Standing over her was an angry Pinkie Pie, who was scanning the halls for the brute that’d pushed past her poor friend so rudely.

"What happened?" before Discord could open his mouth, someone else came out of the room across the hall. It was Somber.

"Professor!" Pinkie looked at him "some total mean jerk just came running out of this classroom, pushing poor Fluttershy over and hurting her! Look!" She pointed at Fluttershy's wrist, which bore a mark of what looked like a hand.

"Let me see..." Somber knelt by Fluttershy, who sniffled before offering the hurt wrist out for him to see. Somber frowned.

"These are-"

"Friction burns." Discord finished. Somber looked up at him, and nodded. He gave Fluttershy a hand standing up, and Discord offered her a tissue from the pack in his lab coat pocket.

"T-thanks.." the shy girl hiccuped.

"It's OK.." Pinkie Pie assured her timid friend "that meanie wont bother you, I'll find him and kick his butt!"

"O-oh, don't get into trouble, I-if that's OK..." Fluttershy begged her friend. Pinkie Pie dug in her skirt pocket and produced some sweets, which she insisted her friend have to "help with the shock".

"Go to the nurse if you feel unwell,"Sombra sighed "I’ll look into it.."

"Thanks professor!" Pinkie Pie chirped, before linking arms with Fluttershy, who bobbed her head in thanks before being ushered away.

Discord felt bad for the girl, she was just like his flutters back home.

He realised Somber was still standing there, but he'd gone quiet.

"What is it?" he asked. Somber's dark red eyes flicked briefly to him, then, after a pause, he extended an arm to point at the door jamb.

"That door was locked, I seen Miss Cherilee lock it when she left. So how did someone get in there? Look at the door."

Where he was pointing, it showed something had forced the door, the lock broken.

"Good grief, that takes some force." Discord felt a stab of concern.

"It's the second one this morning.." Somber muttered. THIS got Discord's attention;

"Second?" he asked.

Somber nodded "the door to the library was busted too. I seen it when I got in early. Principal Celestia is liaising with the cops to see if there’s been any reported break-ins nearby. Nothing has been stolen however, which is odd."

This worried Discord even more. The dream he'd had last night...

Somber sighed crossly "I'd better go inform Principal Celestia about this." then he turned on his heel as was gone. Left behind, Discord felt uneasy.

Something was searching for him, that dream had showed it honing in on Discord's classroom. Had it been a premonition?

He resolved to come back that night, see if he could find out more, maybe catch the thing in the act?

So when the school was empty of students, and darkness was falling, he got a cab over to the school. He was carrying the sword in its bag, wondering if this thing would be of any use?

He picked the lock with his magic and crept inside, having already knocked the security cameras offline with a small EMP device. Along with knocking the guard out. He couldn’t be too careful, this world was more guarded then Equestria had ever been. Between CCTV and the internet, everything was everywhere. Rather taxing, really.

He didn’t notice the door fail to close properly as he crept inside...

Somber was annoyed. He'd left his phone at the school. If he was lucky, the security guard wouldn’t have locked the doors. Sometimes the guy stayed late, especially in light of the break ins.

To his relief the door was slightly ajar, and he pushed it open.

Empty silence met his ears. Where was the guy?

"Mr. Lightshield?" he called. No answer. Somber began to feel uneasy. Something felt off. Like that door earlier. He'd felt cold as soon as he seen the girls injury. Something weird was going on, but he didn't know what. It reminded him of the battle of the bands incident.

He was about to call for the guard again, when he heard a crash, a cry of surprise, and- glass breaking?! Taking off, he ran towards the sound, grabbing a metal folding chair as he ran past a display by one of the younger classes. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was all he could get hold of. Swung with enough speed, it could still incapacitate someone!

He ran round the corner, and nearly dropped the chair in shock. A shadow was holding that loopy physics teacher, Discord, about three feet off the ground.

"Hey!" he snapped "get out of here before I call the police-"

In a heartbeat, the thing dropped the dazed Discord, and shot at him like a bullet. He swung the chair towards it, but was surprised when it hit something that offered resistance, but felt spongy. It absorbed the impact like it was nothing.

"I'm sorry.." a garbled voice giggled "your voice isn't as interesting as hearing your bones BREAK-!"

The chair was suddenly pushed back with enough force that it pulled free from Somber's hands, and slammed into his collarbone. A blinding pain shot down his right side, and he soon caught sight of the ceiling as it knocked him to the floor. Dazed, he fought to breathe as he scrambled into a sitting position only to fall again as the thing shoved him.

"Hmm...what to do..?" it babbled. Somber tried to curl onto his side and get to his feet that way, but the vile shadow pinned him back down again, like a cat with a mouse. The cold of its body felt like ice water seeping into his clothing, the temperature around him dropping...

"Never turning your back on ME is a good start!" Discord got to his feet and charged up a small bolt of his magic. He brained it in the back of where he guessed its head was, causing it to turn towards him again.

"Very well, I’ll drain everything you've got, then I’m breaking every bone in this frail ones body!" it cackled. It shot towards Discord, who ducked and rolled aside, causing it to smash face first into some lockers. He continued to lead it away from Somber, hoping the teacher would get up and run.

--He is vastly different to the Sombra I knew of. He’s a normal human here, not a magic user.-- Discord reminded himself.

At last the shadow got tired of Discord's tricks, and feinted one way, before striking another, using tendrils of its shadowy body to pin his wrists and ankles tot he floor once it knocked him down. The sword he'd been ineffectively wailing on it with was knocked aside, skittering across the floor.

"You know.." Discord snickered "you’re very forward. A date first would be much more appropriate-?"

"Shut up!" it cackled "your blathering wont help you now!"

While this was going on, Somber had regained consciousness, and seen the sword. It was lying a few scant feet from him. Something about it called out, and before he knew what he was doing he was staggering to his feet, swiping the blade off the floor as he did.

To his shock it grew a shimmering red aura along the blade, and he felt an electrical charge jolt through his whole body, the sensation nearly enough to make him pass out. It pushed the pain of his injured shoulder out of the way. He felt...powerful. He looked up as he heard Discord's off-hand innuendo to the one trying to kill him, and ran towards them.

The darkness, since Discord didn’t exactly feel like asking its name, raised another spike, aiming to drive it down into its captive's heart-

When a searing pain interrupted it, slicing across its lower body. It retracted itself, releasing Discord. Its mind reeled, who had-?

"Somber?" Discord blurted. Somber was standing between him and the shadow, the sword held it front of him. The blade was gleaming a brilliant red...

--No way-! This is what it can do?!-- Discord's mind was whirling.

"I said get the hell out of here!" Somber snarled, stepping forward and fluidly spinning round to swing at it once more, cutting a second bright red line across its body. It withdrew even further, realising things had shifted.

"You've bought yourself a little time, but an inexperienced fool with a sword will not hold me for long!"

Sombra shook his head in irritation "I do fencing, you idiot! This is just a better sword!" He shifted into a stance that certainly leant credence to his claim.

It laughed, then just as abruptly dissapeared into a shadow cast by the now bright moonlight outside.

Soon as it was gone, silence rang in the halls. Somber let the sword drop with a gasp of relief, doubled over with his hands braced on his knees. He felt dizzy, like that time he'd gotten a minor electric shock...

"Professor...?" Discord got up, slowly approaching the stunned man. He reached out a hand to brush his shoulder, but barely had he made contact then Somber straightened up, shoving the hand away as he turned to face him.

"What.." Somber hissed, face flsuhed from adrenaline "was THAT?!" at that last word he stepped up to Discord, expression one of fury.

"Its a long story..." Disocrd looked at the sword, which was back to its normal, unassuming self "how did you do that?"

"I don't know!" Somber tried to hide his shock behind bluster, picking up and swiftly shoving the weapon at Discord so he was forced to hold it. "It's your freakish weapon! What does it have to do with me?"

He trailed off, coughing "U-ugh...if eel about to be sick...". He turned his back to Discord and stumbled a few steps away.

"That's shock for you. You need some tea or something sweet. Come with me-" Discord moved towards him, backing up rapidly when Somber turned and glared at him again.

There was a phrase Discord had learned back in Equestria that seemed relevant here. "If looks could kill". Were this true, he'd be dead as this worlds dodo's.

"Are you CRAZY?!" Somber yelled, jabbing a finger at Discord's chest "after everything I just seen, and that weapon you brought into a school, why would I go anywhere with you?! Well, the police station maybe!"

Discord stared calmly back at him, "because I can explain all this." He said "you’ll have tot rust me.."

"TRUST?!" Sombra cried "that's the last thing you're getting from me!"

"Do you honestly believe what you just saw? I can explain all of it, and the sword." Discord spoke bluntly, honestly.

Sombra faltered, unsure what to do. His mind was grasping at straws...

"I'm not the threat here, I promise." Discord reached out a hand towards him again but Somber flinched back, the uninjured arm raised in a "keep back" gesture on autopilot. Evidently he was still on edge.

"I can at least treat whatever injuries that thing gave you.." Discord could see from how pale Somber's darker skin tone had gone that he in quite some pain.

This made Somber hesitate. He pictured how much trouble would be caused if he went to A&E, the doctors would ask questions, the police would be called. And he'd be locked up for being a loony before he'd even finished the explanation.

Let alone how he'd explain the damage to the school to Principal Celestia. It was this idiots fault anyway.

"That thing was trying to get me off- wait I mean OFF ME as well. Sorry, turned a bit sexual there. Then again, it had tentacles...” he shook his head and carried on more sensibly “Believe me, I’m not friendly with it, and I’m pretty sure it wants to kick my ass."

"Well it can join the queue." Somber growled under his breath.

I don't know what else I can say to convince you. Other than THANKS." he took in Somber's confused expression "I'm Serious. Cross my arse- wait, no heart. you saved my ass back there, I owe you. Sorry, my grasp of the language is everywhere today!"

Somber stared at him for several silent seconds, then reluctantly spoke;

"Fine." he said, then added "but you’d better have a DAMN good explanation for this bullshit!"

Discord nodded, then picked up the sword, stashing it away in the bag he carried. He gestured off down the hall, Somber storming ahead of him. A quick bit of magic behind Somber's back tidied up any spilled blood, any TRACE they'd been there. Somber didn’t deserve to get in trouble over this..

After all, he'd saved Discord by intervening when he had.

Realising Discord didn’t drive, Somber insisted he'd drive them. Pointing out he was probably in shock only made the professor snap at him, so Discord just kept a very close eye on him as they drove in silence. This was only broken by the GPS telling Somber what route to follow.

"This is your house?" Somber stared up at the huge residence as he parked the car. His hands were starting to shake, which wasn't good...

"Yup, I like my privacy." Discord shrugged. He ushered Somber inside, leading him towards the biggest room, which was where he'd fitted all the tech equipment and his notes. It was a makeshift lab of sorts.

"What...what ARE you doing in here?" Somber paused in the doorway as Discord chucked the bag containing the sword onto a nearby couch, and swept some papers off a lab table.

"Plonk your butt here, I can see if that bones broken.." Discord said with an air of unruffled calm. Still leery, Somber realised he'd gone too far to back out now. He reluctantly did as instructed.

With barely even an eyelid being batted, Discord easily undid the top few buttons of Somber's shirt. When he seen the bruising he winced.

"Yeesh, that thing certainly packs a wallop!" he said with raised eyebrows "now, just to warn you, this is gonna hurt-!"

"Yeowch!" Somber still found himself caught off guard, even with the aforementioned warning. On instinct, his left hand snapped up to grab Discord's wrist before the other could poke him again.

"Relax. As I said, I’m not the one trying to kill anybody here...would you rather go to the, what-sit called?"

"Hospital?" Somber said sarcastically.

"That's the one." Discord seemed entirely unfazed by Somber's anger. Glowering at him a second more, Somber forced himself to relax and let Discord's wrist go.

"Now hold still..." Discord had studied the anatomy and bone structure of these humanoids, and had learned a great deal about how to maintain a human body. Necessary after all, to take care of his own!

But good grief did Somber fidget. Every poke and prod made him mutter, curse and fidget atop the table. He sat as drawn up as he could, hands gripping the table so hard his knuckles were white. Eventually, he began gazing at the walls, which were plastered in printouts and photos, to the high tech computers.

"Are you running something out of here?" he blurted at last, as Discord backed off and returned a second later with an ice pack.

"Like what? Oh right, you have those problems with fake money and whatnot. No, nothing of that nature, I assure you. I just need a lot of computers, that’s all. I've been looking for something."

"What could you be searching for that needs this much power?" Somber looked at him then, paling slightly and wincing anew as the compress pressed against his collarbone.

"The thing that attacked us." Discord's reply cut Somber's sarcasm short.

"You’ve been searching for it?" Somber asked, looking confused. At least the icepack was numbing the pain, he could barely feel it right that second...

"More like its been searching for ME," Discord sighed heavily, suddenly feeling tired himself.

Somber didn’t speak for several seconds, then he asked "I want to know what happened at the school tonight, exactly what’s going on?"

"Very well, let me finish here and ill give you the details."

A mute nod. He got the impression Somber wasn't fond of close contact, he was so tense right that minute, Discord expected him to sprain something else in addition to his injuries.

After more silent minutes passed, with Somber seemingly all out of illegal things to ask Discord if he was involved in, Discord finally removed the icepack and nodded "how does that feel?"

Somber cautiously moved his shoulder, and stared.

"I-it barely hurts at all. How did you-?"

"It WAS fractured." Discord said, nodding at Somber's injury "now, little more than heavy bruising. See?"

He brushed a finger over the spot where the fracture had been. Sombra yelped and tensed up, expecting it to hurt like hell, but...only the faintest throw of pain registered on his radar. he felt himself flush at his reaction, but mercifully Discord didn’t seem to notice.

"What is..?" Somber stared at the ice pack.

"Infused with something unique," Discord gestured to the ice pack "I’ll explain that too..."

--What is he??-- Somber thought shakily as he did his shirt back up, relieved to not be on display like a specimen or something. But he marvelled at how the injury didn’t hurt hardly at all...just a dull ache.

Discord sat him on the couch, fetched some sweet tea, and began explaining. It involved some of the photos and drawings on the walls, and a lengthy explanation.

By the end of it, Somber wasn’t sure what was first on his list of "things that I refuse to believe", so eh went for the most ludicrous.

"Another universe? Really? Are you sure you're not running hallucinogens out of this place?" Somber snapped, as he paced back and forth in front of the couch.

Discord was leaning against the table, seemingly unfussed by Somber's fury.

"Ponies? A dracon-ehwhat? MAGIC?! That makes no sense. You know, right now I think you're high!"

"I am NOT a drug dealer, for the last time!" Discord sighed. Somber stopped pacing, threw his hands in the air in a gesture of defeat and slumped back onto the couch, head resting in his hands.

"Well it makes more sense then other worlds, dragons and- what did you say...a unicorn King?!" he looked back up.

"I said that's who you remind me of. Back there, Equestria, there was a King named Sombra. His coat and mane, even the eyes, resembles you closely. Although you're skinnier."

Somber was silent. Even their names were similar...

"So what happened to him?" he asked "I can tell by your face it isn't good."

"It's not. Sadly, he went famously crazy with power and was sealed away. When he broke free, he was erased by the crystal heart. That's in my time-line anyway. Clearly there are others in which he turned out to be a good guy. Or a human teacher in this case."

"This is madness."

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

Somber shook his head, the shock was fading and he felt so tired.

"What is that weapon?" he asked at last.

"That sword? I don’t know. It showed up after I did in this world, some months ago...all the clue I had was this." He handed the sheet of paper over to Somber.

"Hope? Find one that wields- hold up, you think this means ME?"

"Yes." Discord leaned back against the table behind him "That weapon responded to you. You remember the thing with the car?"

"Yes, I nearly ran you over. Starting to regret using the brakes. What’s your point?!" Somber snapped.

"My point is, that was when that sword let me know it was more than just a hunk of metal. I seen it when you were wielding it, it was glowing all manner of magical!"

He picked up the weapon from the bag, and held the blade very carefully, extending the handle to Somber.

Somber shook his head "No way. I am not touching that thing...not again."

Discord sighed, he'd expected resistance. It seemed Somber was easily as stubborn as he himself was.

"Look, I’ll phrase it this way; That thing nearly killed me. Me, a creature of chaos magic. I cant kill that thing by myself. I don’t know why it chose you, maybe it can see something in you that even YOU don’t know exists. Right now I know about as much as you do. But I need your help, end of story."

Somber sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He looked as if he had a massive headache. It was this that put the crazy idea into his head.

"This is BULL, and maybe you'll quit pestering me if I humour your madness!" he snapped abruptly, then reached up and took the blades handle. He hoped he could prove Discord was off his face on something, that the lump of metal wouldn’t do anything at all!

Sadly for him, however, at the slightest touch the sword shimmered faintly, the same glow building up around the blade. Sombra bolted to his feet, aiming the weapon away from Discord and himself.

"T-this is crazy..." he stammered. "how?"

He felt as if something was invading his head, a tangle of images and sensations. The world seemed to go grey, and he felt a jolt run from him to the sword.

Discord watched in fascination, seeing the blade react a second time further proved his hypothesis. Somber seemed frozen, staring in apparent surprise at the weapon.

Then the glow on the sword died down and the one holding it swayed unsteadily on his feet. The sword clattered to the floor as Discord managed to catch Somber before he gave himself a concussion.

He looked from the unconscious Somber to the innocent looking blade lying on the floor.

"Well, this escalated quickly.." he muttered.

Somber didn’t seem to be planning on waking up any time soon, So Discord realised he'd have to find somewhere to let him sleep off everything that happened.

He settled for putting Somber in HIS bed, and figured he'd do some work, then sleep on the couch.

Somber didn't budge an inch towards waking even when he being tucked up in the big double bed. He muttered something inaudible and winced slightly, but that was it. A quick check revealed he had a mild temperature.

--Not much I can do. Hopefully he'll be lucid enough by tomorrow.-- Discord shrugged.

As he shut the door behind him, he reflected on what a relief it was the next day was a Saturday. He didn’t think Somber would be particularly appreciative if he was late for classes on top of everything else he'd put up with!

Author's Note

Crazy as it is, i had fun writing this.

Unwilling Participant

Discord had been awake about 3 hours when he heard a muffled thud and a series of curse words from the floor above. For a moment he wondered who the heck was making those sounds, then recalled the little adventure in the school. Where an unexpected spanner in the form of Canterlot High's history professor, Somber, had shown up in the works.

Chuckling in amusement as he recalled Somber's rants when Discord had explained as promised, what was going on, he walked upstairs and entered the bed room. In time to see Somber trying to untangle his foot from the billowy bedsheets. The thud had been the disorientated teacher clearly realising this WASN'T his bed and falling out of it.

In the struggle, the raven haired man's shirt and waistcoat had ridden up slightly, showing while he may have looked skinny and weak, his muscular state hinted at a hidden strength.

--How long staring is rude..?-- Discord pondered curiously, wondering why he was analysing Somber like this. Then he shook his head and walked over, quickly untangling Somber and hauling him to his feet. Somber made a baffled sound, trying to regain his balance.

"Steady on," Discord grunted, sitting him on the bed at last "anybody would think you'd spent the night drinking?"

"You mean I didn't?” Somber groaned, but a glance at his expression made it clear he recalled the incident. Some of the previous nights irritation was starting to return to his expression the more awake he became, and Discord tried diverting the matter;

"Coffee?" he suggested.

A sharp, long glare. But eventually a nod.

"I had hoped that was all a nightmare." Somber muttered, plucking at the hem of his rumpled shirt as he sat at Discord's kitchen table, which was also strewn with paperwork and printouts. He watched the steam rising from the coffee cup as he wrapped his hands around it, before finally taking a drink.

"That makes two of us. This was not my intention when I came here, but I made a mistake." Discord sighed.

--Understatement of the damn century!-- Somber bit back a venomous response, insetad asking "How so?"

"The source I used to power my trip here...turns out there was more to it then meets the eye. It housed some dangerous things. I got the impression it was a prison."

"What does that sword have to do with it?" Sombra asked. He sounded remarkably calm to his ears, especially given how angry he felt inside. But there were just TOO many strange things that reminded him of the battle of the bands incident for him to just ignore it. As angry as he was, he wanted every bit of information he could get. Then he'd have grounds to throttle this idiot.

"I think its a remnant of hope, the one thing that may be on our- my side in all this." Discord said.

"What does that thing want?"

"I don't know. Energy, whatever comes close to magic in this world? I have no idea...but I think that hope is the key."

Somber fell silent as Discord trailed off, running something through his head. Discord's story had an unsettling parallel to one he'd studied in his career.

"Pandora's box.." Somber murmured at last.

"What’s that?" Discord asked.

"An ancient legend from a long time ago. the story goes that a girl named Pandora was was given a large pithos, a type of giant jar, containing all the evils of mankind. She opened the box, unleashing death, greed, everything onto mankind. She tried in vain to shut the box, by which point only one thing was left inside. Elpis, HOPE."

"My my.." Discord stared at him in astonishment, seeing how Somber's eyes lit up when he talked about his chosen subject.. "that's quite a story."

Somber shrugged "Its very old. Nowadays its sued to refer to how a small action can sometimes have far-reaching consequences..."

"Hit the nail on the head there." Discord sighed. Somber looked up from staring at the empty coffee mug in front of him, all enthusiasm gone now.

"How long ago did you arrive here?" he asked.

Discord thought back, giving him a rough estimate. He couldnt really recall to be honest...

"I see.." Somber sighed "that’s when the headaches started."

“Headaches?" Discord queried.

"In a manner of speaking," Somber frowned irritably "I began having nightmares, sleeping badly. I thought it just a product of stress, until I seen that damaged door. Something felt off, similar to those dreams. Similar to those girls and their singing."

"That must have been when "hope" found you."

Somber glanced at the sword "it should be named Elpis, after what it represents." he said after a heavy pause.

Discord studied him carefully, then spoke "you believe me?"

Sombra glared over the table at him "Not as much as you'd like. But I know what I saw, what I felt. Fever dreams don't shatter your bones, that thing did. That thing, I’m sure its what rushed that girl."

"I don’t doubt you’re right," Discord sighed "at any rate, I suggest you keep Elpis with you..."

"I repeat yesterdays statement, you're nuts." Somber snapped "I can't keep a sword in my car!"

He reached for it, with intentions of shoving it back towards the madman that’d handed it off to him in the first place. But when he touched it, it shone brightly, before shrinking to a smaller size. When the light faded, a miniature version hung from a chain.

"Guess that solves that problem." Discord chuckled. Somber looked a bit queasy.

"Ah, yes, I was mulling it over last night," Discord added "I think that thing used a lot of your bodies energy to start with, converting it to magic. Hence why you’re feeling dizzy. I dare say it’ll adjust."

Discord trailed off as Sombra got up from the table, looking tired and upset.

"Yes, well." Somber sighed, shaking his head at the necklace and turning his back to it "I have papers to grade, a life to attend to. I don't need this nonsense or whatever you're planning!"

"Here," Discord unlooked his phones screen "let me-"

Sombra glanced over his shoulder"I left my phone at the school. That was why I was there, I came back in hopes of fetching it. Not to get pounced on by that thing."

"Ah.."

Somber sighed, before dictating his number to Discord. He reasoned if this got out of hand, all he'd have to do was wait for this nutjob to call him then hand the number to the police, problem solved.

"Got it." Discord smiled as he hit the save button. Somber sighed irritably again, and headed towards the door. Then he stopped. Despite his anger and confusion over the incident, Discord HAD saved him from enduring a broken collarbone for weeks. He hated to seem ungrateful, even if this was total insanity.

"Thank you. For patching up the broken bone. I'll see you at the school." his voice sounded clipped and short, as if he was holding back what was really on his mind.

Discord just nodded, and watched from the front doorway as Somber got into his car, sat there a moment, then put the thing into gear and drove away.

--He's very secluded, yet very intelligent....-- Discord thought. There was something intriguing about Somber, the impression there was a lot more to him beneath the surface.

But he had to put that thought on hold as he went back to trying to figure out a way to stop that thing that’d attacked them. The chances he could count on Somber's help a second time were slim.

Sombra collapsed into bed that night, mind utterly frazzled by the days events.

A sword, why in sanity's name did that madman think Somber was going to walk around town carrying a deadly weapon at every opportunity?

The thought did occur he should just call the cops and be done with it.

As the thought he could put an end to these shenanigans popped into his head, he was lying in bed on his back, holding the cell phone above him in one hand. Its luminous screen highlighted his face in the darkness of his bedroom. But even as his thumb hovered over the dial key, the three digits for the emergency service waiting patiently, something told him NO.

He ran the other hand over the formerly broken collarbone, which now bore only a large bruise. It hurt a smidgen to the touch, but compared to how agonizing it'd felt when it had been broken, it was nothing. Somehow Discord had healed what would’ve had his arm in a sling for weeks, in a matter of minutes.

Had Discord wanted to trap or kill him, Somber realised, he could've easily overpowered him while he was fixing the injury. Referring to him as a danger felt incorrect. Mad as a box of frogs, maybe, but not dangerous. There was something very odd going on here.

With a frustrated sigh he erased the number, locking the phone. Why didn’t he want to just end this nonsense and get that fruit-loop locked away?

"Because I know what I saw.." he murmured softly into the darkness "and that makes me as crazy as Discord."

Rolling onto his side he looked at a photograph on his bedside table. It was taken with friends at the faculty when he worked at his last school. But after THAT woman had taken over, things had become unbearable.

After that, he'd vowed to keep people at arms length, to avoid being betrayed again.

But that fruit-loop teacher, Discord. He seemed to have no regard for personal space, just happily charging in and saying to hell with the consequences!

Yet, that fight was the first time Somber had really felt his heart race like that. He'd settled into a dull routine, slowly becoming bored. Becoming indifferent to the other teachers and his job.

At last he fell asleep, a confusing rush of images serving as dreams.

The next day, Sunday, he threw himself into grading the paper,s and trying to block out the whole incident. He could almost pretend he'd just gotten drunk and hallucinated it all.

But that night as well, all he seen were images he couldn't decipher, but sent shivers up his spine nonetheless.

Thanks to those nightmares, he felt pretty tired when he got up the next morning, head aching. but he hurriedly ate breakfasts and scrambled out the door.

He got in to Canterlot high just as the doors were being unlocked, giving him time to run to the office and grab his phone. He saw it had a missed call from Discord, and figured he'd see him face to face later.

On his way to his classroom, he ran into Principal Celestia.

"Ah, Professor Somber, good to see you!" She smiled.

"Good morning Principal Celestia," he said politely "how are you?"

"Up to my eyeballs in paperwork, we had another break in Friday night!"

"Another?" Guilt raged against Somber's façade as he kept a concerned look on his face.

"Yes, a few display cases broken, two more doors busted open. Yet nothing stolen. the police are baffled, but with the power outage last night, the cameras caught nothing..."

"That’s a pity," Somber lied "I’d like to see the cretin behind this defilement caught in the act!"

"So would I," Celestia said wearily "have a good day, Somber!"

Sombra returned the sentiment, then walked teh rest of the way to his classroom in silence.

"H-hello professor!" He seen one of his students had shown up early. It was the shy one, the same one that'd had her wrist hurt by that shadow.

"Ah miss Fluttershy, is it any better?" he nodded at the bandage. She smiled lightly.

"Oh, yes! It doesn’t hurt too badly...."

"Hey flutters!" the loud and bouncy Rainbow Dash charged up, clapping her friend on the shoulder "you all good?"

Fluttershy nodded silently.

Soon all the students arrived and class began with the usual hubbub of finding seats, passing out papers, the same routine as ever...

Sombra had set them a test to do and was sitting at his desk, glowering at sheets of paper trying to concentrate, when he felt a shiver run up his spine. He got up and walked to the window closest to him, unease churning in his stomach.

But nothing looked out of place. Outside it was a beautiful day, with a few scattered clouds here and there. So what was bugging him?

He shook his head, chiding himself for buying into Discord's nonsense. While it was true he'd studied myths and superstitions, he put his belief in logic, more intent on debunking the origins of these things.

Then his eye caught a flash of movement, something was zooming in-between the trees bordering the grounds. His heart tensed, one hand coming to rest over his chest, where it felt like his heart was pacing so fast it hurt. It brought with it a horrible sensation of something watching him....

Then it was gone as fast as it'd appeared. He faltered, wondering if he had seen something, imagined the chest pain. Settling for that, he turned to go back to his desk.

CRK. He turned, a bad feeling launching in his stomach-

-As the windows all blew in at the same time. Thanks to the placement of a row of locked cupboards underneath, the desks were further back. But the students were still sprayed with a rain of glass.

Somber seen glittering shards jetting towards him and did his best to protect himself, but he wasn't fast enough. A shard whizzed past his cheek, cutting into it, and he felt a few more stinging pains in his hands as well. He stumbled back, and his left leg buckled and slammed him into the floor. Screams were echoing throughout the room.

Somber's ears were ringing, but he forced himself to his feet, bellowing for them all to evac. He crouched by the window, then cautiously poked his head up over it. But there was no sign of what'd done this.

Then, he once more found his heart speeding up, a tingling racing over his skin, making him gasp softly. Whatever was out there was toyign with him. Then the feeling vanished, and he felt as if the one responsible had left.

The image of the shadow monster in the empty hall shot through his head, and his heart sank.

--This is getting crazy, that thing could've killed my students!!-- fury bubbled up, and he resolved to get every last detail out of Discord about this "Magic". And that sword he'd used prior.

"SOMBER!" He heard a voice call his name. He spun, seeing Cherilee in the doorway, the security guard, Mr. Lightshield, behind her "are you alright?"

"I'm fine Miss Cherilee," Sombra assured her as he walked over to the door "I think whoever did this is gone."

"The police and ambulance are on their way," Lightshield added, "are you OK sir?"

"I'm fine." Somber said, but in reality he felt liked he'd just run a marathon. Every nerve ending was on edge, making him feel antsy. His students lined the hall, all looking freaked out.

"What the heck WAS that, Teach?" A blonde girl asked, wide green eyes fixed on Somber.

"I don't know," Somber answered truthfully "but I’m sure the one responsible will be found once the police investigate."

This calmed many of them down, but he could see they were still jittery.

Cherilee stared at the cut on Somber's face, very concerned at how much it was bleeding. She pulled out a fresh handkerchief and pressed it to the cut. Sombra hissed in pain, but kept the cloth pressed to the wound as advised.

There were a series of smaller cuts all over his hands, but they were only light scrapes compared to that one.

From there it was a case of the police asking him what’d happened, then CELESTIA asking him what happened followed by sending him home. Thank goodness he only had classes for the morning.

He was relieved to discover the students weren’t severely hurt. Shocked and badly shaken, but nobody had sustained serious injuries. Small cuts and scrapes were the worst outcome.

As he walked past the canteen where the students were being checked, he seen Rainbow Dash was already back to her boisterous self, guarding her shy friend, who’d been far more frightened by the incident.

The girl with curled purple hair was grumbling about her dress having tears in it, and the bouncy pink haired one was trying to cheer them all up with balloons.

After packing up his briefcase, he checked the timetables and realised Discord wasn’t in today. He decided there and then to go see him.

As he got into his car, he insisted to himself he was fine, the paramedics had bandaged up the smaller cuts and the one on his cheek. He wasn’t in shock, he'd be alright to drive. His injuries hadn’t been deemed necessary of a trip to the hospital, thank goodness.

He drove like a bat out of hell to Discord's, parking the car skew-whiff in the driveway as he raced up to the door, hammering on it urgently.

"Alright alright, you know I’m probably not buying what your sell-oh, Somber! Well this is a surprise!" He smiled widely, looking pleased to see the man.

"Trust me," Somber said, staring at Discord without even the slightest sign of amusement on his face "You’ll buy what I’m about to tell you!"

Seeing the state the man was in, Discord nodded, his mood suddenly turning much more urgent at the expression on Somber's face. This was the guy that'd stormed out declaring he wanted nothing more to do with Discord, yet now here he was.

To cause such a turnabout, something major had to have happened.

And the cuts on his face and hands, where'd those come from?

After ditching his briefcase in the entryway, Somber followed Discord to the kitchen, too on edge to sit still on the couch as he described the incident.

"It attacked my CLASS Discord!" he cried, anger and concern mixing together as he finished his story "targeting me!"

"I see..." Discord frowned as he went rummaging for teacups. It'd attacked Somber's class? Or had it been gunning for Somber himself and the rest was just collateral?

"Whatever you know about this magic thing, I want to know it all, and NOW." He heard the strength in Somber's voice, along with a loud THUD as Somber slammed a hand onto the kitchen table next to him.

He straightened up, turning to face Somber. The history teacher stood there, both hands clenched tightly into fists at his side, looking strung out.

"Somber-" He attempted to placate him somewhat, but Somber's rigid posture didn’t change as he stared bluntly at Discord.

"No more games, whatever you brought here is trying to kill me, and I’m not having it!" Somber shook his head, voice bordering on a yell. He was flushed slightly from the adrenaline spike of the morning.

"You’re out of your mind, and I cant believe I’m buying this. But after today, after what I seen, I have no choice. So anything that can show me how to rip that thing apart, I need to know and fast!"

Discord was stunned by the ferocity in Somber's voice, but underneath was a passion that rather suited the man. Until now, it had seemed to him as if Somber had been hiding behind a façade of calm and emotional neutrality. This outburst was a surprise, but it made him smile a little as well.

He waited to ensure Somber's rant was finished then walked over to him, resting a calming hand on his shoulder, looking at the stressed professor. "Then that's what we'll do," he said honestly "but in the meantime you need to sit down and relax. You've had a very chaotic morning."

Somber studied Discord's expression, and decided this was as genuine as he'd ever seen from the guy. Given he'd barely known him long, that didn’t tell him much, but he didn’t have many options right now.

So he nodded at last, some of the anger and tension fading from his body language.

This close, Discord could see the exhaustion in his deep red eyes, see the bags under them.

"Did you sleep the last couple of nights?" he asked, frowning.

"Not well, I had nightmares." Somber shivered, the only source of warmth coming from the hand resting on his shoulder.

Discord nodded, reaching into his left pocket he withdrew the sword necklace, and pressed it into Somber's hand without a word. Somber's fingers curled around it, and Discord was sure he seen it glow slightly.

"Go, sit" Discord said after a pause, nodding at the door "See if you can get that cable box to work if you want, I cant figure the blasted thing."

As Somber silently drifted out of the room, Discord added "I’ll make some lunch..."

Somber flicked through channels, having sorted out the problem with the box. Somehow Discord had muddled up the settings and locked half the channels. He came across a documentary about egypt, and settled into the familiarity of the subject matter.

"Ooh, intellectual.." Discord chuckled as he swanned in hefting a big tray "I couldn’t be arsed to clean the kitchen table, so couch lunch it is!"

Somber snorted at Discord's carefree attitude "you’ll have to clean it eventually, you know that right?" he said sardonically.

"Yes, but I prefer to wait until I run out of usable things, its more fun that way!" was the response as Discord set the tray down on the big glass table "ta-da!"

He'd cooked a whole bunch of things, from pizza to some unusal looking pasta dishes.

"How-? So fast..." Somber blinked.

"Magic! Don't tell anyone.." Discord teased. Somber rolled his eyes but accepted it with a nod. "Oh and...hope you don't mind I’m not a meat fan?"

"Why would I?" Sombra gave him a confused look, but Discord just grinned. Given he'd come from a world full of ponies, he'd decided on landing in this world, to eschew the "meat" products. Doubly so after reading an article about a scandal...

Seconds after the first bite, Somber realised he was starving. And the food was good.

"Mm.." Discord looked over at Somber as the other made an intrigued noise. He'd just tried the pasta, and seemed to like it.

"Found that recipe just yesterday!" Discord explained "this world has so much interesting food in it! Just delectable~!"

"It's uh...it's delicious." Somber noted, before having some more.

"Do you cook?" Discord asked curiously

Somber gave a snort, "Pfft, nope. I’m more likely to set the oven on fire somehow! It's junk food or ready meals as far as I’m concerned."

"That cant be healthy," Discord mused, as Somber leaned forward to set the plate on the table. As he did, Discord poked his side "no wonder you’re so lanky-"

When he poked Somber, the professor let out a yelp, and nearly fell face first off the couch he jumped so high. Discord snapped out an arm and easily caught him, pulling him upright.

"Goodness your jumpy aren't you?" he chuckled. Somber tried to smack him over the head but Discord ducked back and out of reach by sheer luck, and Somber lost balance and crashed into him.

"Hmm?" Discord noticed shards of glass were tangled in the teachers ponytail "you been home since the incident?"

"No!" Somber went red and sat himself up hurriedly, hating to lose his composure "I wanted to get this nonsense on the track to being sorted asap. Sitting at home would do no good."

"You have glass in your hair." Discord pointed out.

Somber frowned, running a hand through it. Sure enough, small s[pecks caught the light as he did.

He swore, that’d been a dumb move.

"Eh, doesn’t matter, I’ve spilled sharper things on here, try locating a scalpel." Discord chuckled as Somber immediately went stiff as a board and looked worriedly down at the couch.

"Don’t worry, I found it." Discord dead-panned, receiving a glower.

It was amusing to see Somber pull such expressions, it made a nice change to the near constant frown Discord seen him bearing.

He told Somber he was free to take a bath or shower while he worked out some manner of spell to try and take that shadow down.

"I'd suggest we go back tonight," he stressed "if it's coming after you so rapidly, we cant waste time. You may as well wait around here."

Sombra nodded, but he didn’t look too thrilled at the prospect. Great, more time for Discord to pester him.

"Before you clear off, let me check that injury from last night. It should be almost fully healed, the trace amounts of magic shouldn’t even allow it to stay bruised for long." Discord was pretty sure his spell was solid, but it didn't hurt his research to check on the formerly fractured bone. Since Somber was here, he figured he may as well...

"I didn’t even notice it this morning." Sombra mused as he unbuttoned the slightly torn shirt. he sighed, realising he'd need to buy new clothes soon.

--Must be nice being this rich...-- he thought irritably. That made him wonder how Discord had gotten so much money since he'd (supposedly) shown up in this world only a short while ago?

Unable to sit on his curiosity, he blurted the question out as Discord studied the rapidly-fading bruising.

"Hm? Oh, your "lottery" system. Took me awhile!" Discord answered smoothly, "I'd have been pretty stuck had I not used that method."

"I see." Somber muttered, gaze going distant. He wished he had this sort of money, although if he knew himself, he'd get bored without a job of some kind. Shame all the money in the world couldn’t-

-Fingers brushing lightly across his collarbone dragged his attention back to what was going on. With his mind elsewhere, the contact had sent a sharp shock up his spine, which always unnerved him.

"Well, Monsieur fidget-bottom, good news is its almost healed fully." Discord laughed when Somber glowered at him, pulling his shirt collar closed defensively. The way his face reddened was a bit of a give away that he'd been caught off guard.

Really, he looked kind of cute all flustered like that...

This thought surprised Discord. He'd drifted away from human relations once he'd moved to Canterlot, completely forgetting about it until now. Especially with the recent developments regarding the shadow.

--No denying, he's pretty handsome in this universe...-- he admitted. But what caught his attention was the increasing similarities, yet coupled with subtle differences, compared to the unicorn king. Somber was, in a way, like a mirror reflection. Similar, yet different. He wasn’t crazy here, but he was no pushover either.

"What's-? You in there?" Somber waved a hand in front of Discord's face.

"What? Oh, excuse me. Lights were on but I was locked in the bathroom. I was just thinking about the sword chain.." Discord nodded at the necklace Somber now wore. the silver chain highlighting his skin.

"That reminds me..." Somber said uncomfortably "when I thought I sensed that thing, I…"

He trailed off, trying to put it into words.

"You what-? Didn’t feel well? Got a headache? Threw up?" Discord guessed.

"No, it felt more like a very irregular, very fats heartbeat.." as his gaze went distant, one of Somber's hands came to rest over his heart. The motion nudged his collar askew, as it remained unbuttoned after the check-up. This also nudged the necklace, making the silver ornament reflect small shards of light "that and it felt like static electricity all over my skin..?"

He shivered, "it felt distinctly unpleasant. as if that thing knew me, and was watching me." his eyes focused on Discord "going by your face, you know what that means?"

--I hope you wont do your shirt back up?-- was Discord's first thought, but he dismissed that to seriously analyse what Somber was saying. NOW was not the time to let his mind wander...

"Seems to me that perhaps via your connection to Elpis, or maybe you have a natural predilection for magic a sit were, you can pick up on that thing. Maybe it was pushing its power so it KNEW you’d feel it. Given it attacked when you were close by the window, id go for that option."

"Great.." Somber's hand dropped to his lap, and he sighed.

"Still, that’s interesting..." Discord stroked his chin, looking deep in thought "I have simulations to run!"

And thus Somber found himself shooed upstairs, told where to locate the shower and everything else, then Discord whooshed off to his lab.

--He's like a mad scientist from a cheesy movie..-- Somber thought privately.

He attempted to puzzle out why his anger wasn’t holding strong in the face of all this. Perhaps fear of what was trying to kill him was more of a priority now?

This was beyond something he could dismiss, the broken bone and then the windows exploding, whatever this WAS, it was very real.

The shower went a long way towards calming his nerves, but the whole situation surrounding the sword still gnawed at a corner of his mind.

--Why did that thing...Elpis...go for me? Surely there's somebody better. I'm not a hero, I'm...just a history teacher!!--

But he realised that fight HAD felt like his life was more than just a humdrum existence. There were two different sides, one craving the adrenaline of the recent events, the other merely wanting to return to his closed off existence. And the thought that’d in Discord's world, he'd been a KING, a powerful magic user. Okay, he'd gone crazy, but it still sounded astounding.

With a tired sigh he got out of the shower, redressing and drying his hair as best he could. He was in the process of tying his hair up when the elastic band decided to break. With an annoyed huff, he threw it in the bin and headed downstairs.

"A-ha!" Discord lifted his goggles and squinted at the small glowing shard of stone he'd been working on.

"You figure something out?" a calm, serious voice drifted in. Discord looked up, and nearly did a double take when he seen Somber hadn’t tied his hair back. Free from its neat confines, the ebony black hair actually had a slight curl to it that was once again reminiscent of the Sombra from HIS world.

It made him look totally different.

"Why do you not wear it like that?" Discord blurted nosily. Sombra blinked, before realising he was talking about his hair.

"It gets in the way...." he lied.

--Then why grow it at all?-- Discord got the feeling there was something else behind Somber's edgy nature, but decided not to push it.

"What is that?" Somber came to stand by him, peering critically at the stone. This close, his hair brushed close enough for Discord to smell the shampoo. This fresh from the shower, he could feel the heat from his skin...

Seeing Somber waiting for an answer he cleared his throat and nodded at the thing in question.

"Its not as efficient as the gems back in my former world, but I can use cheap stones to hold a small magical charge. This ones designed like your "flash grenades". Should be enough to throw that thing off. Sadly, too many laws and police preventing me from using ACTUAL grenades casings."

Somber nodded, impressed. It was a curious thing, seeing this "magic" existing in a world ruled by science.

Discord stepped back to allow Somber to to get a closer look.

"Is it safe?" he asked.

"Yep," Discord nodded "its only designed to detonate when I unleash the spell. Much like the grenades they're based off, it takes a second or two to go off! It wont hurt you, how else would I set them off if I couldn’t hold them?"

As he rambled, Somber reached out to lightly tap the stone. The next second he let out a loud yelp, and scooted back so fast he bumped right into Discord. The quick-thinking ex-draconequus grabbed Somber's shoulders, stopping him from knocking them both over.

"I thought you said it was harmless?" Somber turned his head to glower at Discord, as he did his long black hair brushed Discord's face, and he had more thoughts the Professor would likely smack him for.

"It is!" Discord objected, "Did it burn you?" He grabbed the hand Somber had poked the crystal with, turning it palm up so he could get a look. this meant he was just an excuse away from hugging the startled Somber, who was giving the crystal death glares.

"Nope, your fine! Probably just a shock because you’re not used to magic.." he let Somber go, who wobbled a moment before getting his balance.

"If they blow up that damn THING, I can live with the shocks." Somber muttered. He avoided looking at Discord, instead staring intently at the contents of the table, arms folded across his chest. He was aware his face was flushed. He always got funny around physical contact. Discord had seemed amused by how over-sensitive Somber was earlier, but if he only knew the truth.

--Maybe if you weren’t so averse to letting anybody get within three feet of you?-- a common sense part of his mind piped up --you’ve been this way ever since you left- --

He cut that thought off with a shake of the head.

"I’m going to make a small batch of these. I suggest you get some rest or something, we need to go back tonight." Discord said seriously, studying Somber's morose expression. He wondered if he'd made him uncomfortable just then? Although surely, given Somber's temper, he would've simply elbowed Discord in the gut or something. Seemed more his style, really.

Somber sighed, nodding.

"Cant believe I got caught up in this.." he sighed as he walked out of the room.

"Sorry about that..." Discord muttered to the empty room.

For the first time he began to consider just how much danger he'd put himself and now Somber in by coming here. Before he'd showed up, Somber's life had no doubt been routine, just teaching and studying maybe. Now, he was getting dragged into a fight he didn't want any part of, but that was determined to get him regardless of how he felt.

When he broke away from his work, he went looking for Somber. And had to suppress a laugh when he found the exhausted teacher curled up on the couch, the TV blaring away.

Feeling somewhat shameless, as if he did this while Somber was awake he'd likely get punched, he took a moment to study the sleeping Somber. Then he put a blanket on him, and set about putting together what he needed to catch the mad THING that'd attacked them. It seemed to be sticking to the school, so that was where they were going to start!

Author's Note

Right now i have a fever, but i wanted to get this all done.

Fight Night!

Somber was woken later on, and his heart sank when he realised they'd be trying to kill a shadow thing that had come from an ancient artefact.

His stomach shifted uneasily as he and Discord piled into Somber's car and drove to the school.

Discord told him to park up some distance away, to avoid the car being recorded on the schools CCTV.

Once they were close enough, Discord again used the disruptor to cut the power. Handing Somber the bag containing the magic grenades, he carefully picked the lock with his magic, and they crept in.

The sound of a clock ticking was the only sound as the pair stealthily crept down the halls. Somber's heart was pounding loudly in his ears, he almost expected it to be audible to Discord as well!

Discord was focusing intently on the sounds around him as they walked. He motioned Somber to stop, and they stood there, ears straining.

"What-?" Somber hissed, about to ask a question when Discord heard footsteps round the next corridor. A flash light made the shadows grow longer as it came closer...

"The guard!" Somber croaked hoarsely, panic landing in his stomach like a ball of ice.

--He's still here? My information was wrong..-- Discord spun, seen a nearby classroom door and with the steps getting closer, picked the door lock. He grabbed Somber, who was focusing so intently on the encroaching guards footsteps, he got a fright from the suddenly sensation of being towed off his feet. He tried to object, but instead just swallowed too much air..

Discord shut the door and they slithered into a heap at its bottom.

But then Somber made a hiccuping sound, his eyes wide.

--Not the best time for hiccups.-- Discord motioned him to hold his breath, Somber tried, but another hiccup made him shiver, making the door rattle a little in its frame.

--Gotta silence him somehow...--

Discord pressed Sombra back against the door, snared the teachers wrists in his hands, and kissed him firmly. It was a selfish temptation on his part, he could’ve easily just put a hand over his mouth, or something. But the urge was too strong, and he was practically pressed up against Somber's warm body. Somber was a mystery to him, and he liked solving such intricacies. But how to solve a conundrum like Somber?

The scent of the shampoo brushed his nose once more as he briefly let Somber go, hearing the professor gasp softly, only to kiss him once more before he could hiccup again.

At the instance of the first kiss, Somber's body went tense and a shiver ran down his spine, a feeling like he'd been lightly shocked. Only it wasn’t a feeling of doom or something wanting to kill him...to his shame, he enjoyed it...

While his brain went into a spin cycle, his body seemingly approved, for he heard a muffled moan, which he realised was coming from HIM.

--Nonono, don't you DARE drop your defences now, you hear me?!-- his mind screamed pointlessly. But the feeling was still there...

While this was going on, the footsteps stopped outside the door, then carried on. Discord let Somber go, and they stared tensely up at the glass panel in the door above them, hoping..

"I think he's gone..." Discord sighed in relief once several seconds had passed.

"Good. Then you explain what you thought you were doing?!" Somber hissed, face red as his eyes.

"It was a kiss, was it not? Or do you have different terminology here?"

"I know what it was you bozo...it-" Sombra flushed again, torn in two by conflicting feelings on the matter. On the one hand he was humiliated he'd been caught off guard like that. He'd tried so hard to avoid emotional entanglement. The past had taught him it was more hassle then it was worth! But on the other hand-

"Is that why you don't like contact? You’re really that sensitive?" Discord raised an eyebrow, he was having some seriously wandering thoughts right now...

Somber did smack him upside the head this time, getting the gist of it "If I may remind you, this is not the time to be conducting an all-inclusive exploration of my sexuality you ASS!"

"Ow.." Discord got the hint and let Somber get to his feet. as they crept into the now silent hall, he asked "so when IS?"

"Maybe, I don’t know..when we're not fighting for our lives!" Sombra snapped angrily.

"Okay, okay.." another pause.."Wait, you said "Fighting" right? not-"

"Shut. Up." Somber hissed, looking about to bust a blood vessel he looked so peeved. But he was still flushed, giving a hint he may not be as adverse as Discord thought.

He spoke again, sounding calmer as he peered round the corner. "If the guards here, we are in trouble. If he sees us..."

"We need to incapacitate him. Lucky for us, I have quite a few tricks in my arsenal for that!" Discord snapped his finger, a small flare of magic lighting the dark before he snuffed it out. Somber stared at this brief apparition, still having trouble coming to terms with it.

So they followed the path the guard had taken, and Somber hid in the shadows while Discord did something that involved a flash of magic, and then the unsuspecting guard was out cold.

"He wont wake up until later, lets go." Discord whispered, as Somber gave him a hand lying the guard down in his office and then snuck out.

They wound up in the gymnasium before they finally encountered the stalker in the shadows.

There was something creepy about a school with the power out late at night, Discord decided.

As this thought ambled through his head, he heard Somber shiver.

“Its gone cold again...” Cold combined with that “something's coming” sensation from before really put his back up! As he spoke the doors abruptly slammed shut behind them, and Somber felt a shiver run up his spine. He dove aside in time for a thick blob of shadows swirl up where he'd been standing. Pulled the necklace over his head, mentally pleading with it to turn into the sword again-

He almost dropped it, the change was so rapid. But he was soon gripping it as he did his fencing sword.

Discord seen what Somber meant, this thing gave off a WRONG feeling when you focused on it.

"Soo....you didn’t heed my warning..." the shadow laughed at it looked at them "I should have cut you to ribbons, flayed you alive!"

Somber shuddered at the snake-like hiss of its voice.

"Get the hell out of my world." he snapped.

It morphed into a shape that reminded Somber of a tiger or a bear.

Or a PONY. Somber reminded himself that this thing HAD come from Equestria, as Discord had explained it.

But as he stared, it shifted from a smooth shadowy shape, to a spiked, dangerous looking clawed hybrid of pony and porcupine. Its skin was a mottled grey, reminiscent of some awful disease.

"Catch!" Discord yelled. the thing turned, and was hit in the face with a stone. Said stone shattered, throwing a blinding light into its eyes. It roared in fury, the sound making Somber's ears ache. But he grit his teeth against it, and delivered a deep slash down at its neck. It whipped round, its claws raking Somber's chest as it knocked him back. He hit the polished floor, skidding some distance before getting up. A hand fluttering to his chest revealed blood seeping from a trio of cuts.

He snapped at that precise moment. He'd had it with this nonsense.

The pain fell prey to adrenaline as he got back up, his fencing training clicking into place, body acting out the more complex moves in his arsenal. The blade flashed in the light as he was able to duck its attack and slash at its neck, forcing it back.

But he didn't let up, tuning everything else out as he continued to parry it's claws, sparks flying.

Each cut he made let wisps of shadowy smoke escape, making the thing roar in anger. He blocked its claws with a defensive stance, but the weight of the thing made his arms ache and shiver. Fencing wasn't taught for combat, and his arms ached. Its grin widened, almost distorting its face as it pressed its full weight against the skinny little biped trying to slice it apart.

As it lunged for Somber, it found its feet encased in ice. It slammed face first into the floor as Somber darted back, using both hands to hold the blade.

Another grenade landed in its face, and Discord moved in front of Somber, shielding him from the blast of light as he closed his eyes.

It screamed again, and kicked free, charging them. they split, and it honed in on Discord this time. He panted, it was harder using his magic, especially this much of it, in this world. It was still growing in a way, after the shock of world transplanting. He still had it, but gaining access to it had started off exhausting, and had only eased up since arriving in Canterlot. But he formed enough together to punch the thing in the jaw, an electrical shock making it stagger back, dazed. it roared and tried to swipe him, only for its aim to go off kilter as something came slicing down on its tail. It screamed, whipping round so as to confront the one with the blade.

"Come get me!" Somber snarled, spinning on his heel and running away as it pounded after him. He stopped, spun and ducked. This again allowed its claws to rake over his head, as he dealt another stab to its shoulder before quickly withdrawing.

Discord, after taking a split second to admire Somber's work, looked for something, ANYTHING, he could use to help. Then he spotted something against the wall...

The porcu-pony was distracted, having finally pinned Somber against the far wall, when something thudded into its back.

It stopped, seeing a blue squishy mat was now stuck to its back, snagged on the jagged spines.

"Booiing!" Discord cackled, as he leapt onto its back, holding on tight as it bucked about like a wild horse. Somber stared in amazement as he peeled himself off the wall. As the thing reached the height of its rage, Discord leant over the top of the mat, and shoved a handful of the magic-infused stones down its throat. He was thrown off as it tried to hack them up. But too late. A blinding light seared their collective vision, and Somber seen it stagger, dazed.

--NOW!!-- his mind bellowed at him. he ran at it, the sword angled above his head.

With a furious yell, he brought the sword down on its head. The blade shone a dazzling red, and a neat line of power cut the thing in its path clean in two.

With a disturbing scream it exploded. That was the closest Somber could describe it. A wave of pressure knocked him onto his back, a blast of hot air rattling the ropes and railings high above.

At last....silence. All he could hear was his pulse pounding and his ears ringing. Somber lay on his back, one hand resting on his heart. It was pounding so madly he felt like he'd run a marathon. But it felt pretty good....

"You alright?" He opened his eyes, seeing Discord leaning over him. He had a few bruises himself, and looked like he'd been dragged through a hedge backwards.

Somber nodded, and accepted the hand held out to him.

He stood to one side, watching as Discord used his strange chaotic magic to erase and destroy any evidence they’d been there. Well, except for the damage to the floor an equipment. Nothing they could do about that.

They left, both silent, back to the car. Somber drove them back to Discord's house. The surge of triumph had dulled slightly, but not faded.

Discord studied him surreptitiously, noting the way he looked.

When they got in, Somber sat on the couch in the office/lab, still running the nights events through his mind.

"Shirt, off." a voice said languidly, a short while into his circuitous musings. Somber jolted back to the present, clocking what had just been said. Discord was crouching so he was on a level with the seated Somber, peering closely at him.

Somber felt his face grow hot and he spluttered indignantly "W-what the? Is now really a good time to be hitting on me-".

"Your shirt is soaked in blood. I’m assuming the shock is blocking the pain, but trust me you'll feel it soon enough and I need to patch you up." Discord said bluntly. Somber felt a jab of embarrassment, and stared at the floor a moment before nodding slowly and beginning the process of wrestling with his clothing as Discord stood up and darted out to the kitchen.

He stared in bewilderment at the torn, bloodied shirt now tangled around his hands.

"Yeesh, that looks nasty..." Discord winced as he returned with a bowl of warm water and a cloth. He admittedly stole a quick glance at Somber, what with him being sans the shirt and all, but soon relegated ogling to the back of the queue. there was a lot of blood on the man's chest, starting to dry into his skin..

Somber didn’t have a response for that, bar a nod. He began to feel the aches and pains as the damp cloth was pressed to the trio of cuts.

Discord mopped up the blood, being as gentle as he could. He tried to catch Somber's eye, but the professor wouldn’t look his way.

"I can use my magic directly to heal this. It takes less time than the pre-made compress." he said at last, having worked out the level of magic required for such a cut.

Somber looked a little apprehensive, but he nodded. He'd seen what Discord's magic had done for the broken bone just days ago.

Discord closed his eyes, focusing his magic despite how tired he was. Reaching his magic in this world felt like wading through treacle at times. It certainly wasn’t as easy as it had been in Equestria....

"This may sting a little." he warned, and Somber just made a faint sound.

Somber tensed up as he felt a series of cold pins and needles prickle over his skin, in contrast to Discord's warm hands. But then he stared in amazement as small sparks darted over the cuts, slowing the flow of blood and starting to seal it up. He winced as residual pain flared up, the sped up healing felt so strange...

He looked up from the hand pressed over the cuts on his chest, to the one healing him.

And realised Discord was looking as ill and dizzy as Somber felt.

"Stop!" he blurted, grabbing Discord's hands and breaking their contact with his skin.

"What?!" Discord opened his eyes, the action making the room spin before settling down. He looked like he was having difficulty focusing, in Somber's view.

"Somber, what are you-?"

“Don't mess me about!" Somber said curtly "Look at yourself, your in no better state than I! its going to be detrimental if you finish this isn’t it?"

Surprised by this, Discord fumbled for the words, clearing his throat and attempting to explain "Well, it will probably cause me a few days off on top of all the aches and pains....". he tried to sound flippant, but Somber wasn’t buying it, he could tell. He tried one last tack-

"Besides, if I leave it now, it’ll scar-" the ex-Draconequus objected. but Somber shook his head, gaze firm.

"What does it matter? Most injuries will scar, its hardly unusual. Besides, no-ones going to see it." Sombra said shortly, looking away, over at the bloodied shirt he'd dropped onto the arm of the couch..

--I wonder, would you let anybody see you without your emotional armor, Somber?-- Discord pondered.

Thus he queried "not even me?" which caught Somber off guard, making him flush. Then his expression shifted to one of anger as he recalled the earlier first kiss...

"Will you stop winding me up, for pity’s sake-!"

"I’m being serious Somber, this isn’t just a joke." Discord said bluntly, poking Somber's nose lightly and shutting him up. He figured he may was well be honest by this point.

"But....why-?" Somber wasn’t sure how to phrase this. Wasn’t sure he understood at ALL.

"Why not? Why do you keep a defence up, pushing people away? I noticed it on day one. The real you, the one that fought a shadow monster with a sword and fencing moves, he seemed so alive. But then you shut down, you hide. Why?"

"Why? That’s not important!" Somber blurted protectively, shaking his head emphatically. But it sounded feeble even to his ears. Sure enough, Discord folded his arms, expression very sceptical.

Somber bit back a tirade, feeling a mix of angry and upset. Angry at Discord for exposing him like this, and upset at himself for falling into it. Anger was on the verge of winning out, his blood pressure running high as he tried to dredge up a reason to dislike Discord's affections, or the man himself...

But then Discord idly reached up and tucked a stray section of Somber's ebony black hair back behind his ear. The contact was warm, and he felt the breath hitch in his lungs, caught between anger and something far nicer.

"It looks more like you this way, forgive my presumption," Discord said idly "that façade is like the casing on a china doll, frozen in place."

They were nose to nose now, Somber barley able to concentrate, he was caught up in whatever spell this was.

The second kiss was even warmer than the first. Less rushed, and far more intimate. It felt like his nerves were being invaded by darts of electricity, just like that hasty first kiss in the school...

--What could it hurt....-- the voice in the back of Somber's mind insisted --aren’t you tired of being alone, always so angry, so stubborn...--

--Maybe…-- Somber thought in reponse… --If I do..?--

So he closed his eyes and let the kiss continue.

All too soon it ended, and Somber blinked dazedly as Discord moved back to look at him.

---I don’t understand. Why me...but..??-- This jumble of questions was the best his mind would come up with. Poor Somber couldn’t think straight right that second, too many things were clamouring for his attention.

Discord's thumb brushed over his lower lip a second later and Somber seen the expression on the others face. He really didn’t seem to be treating him as a joke...

So when Discord closed the distance between them again, Somber finally let himself lean into the kiss, just a little, just enough to satisfy his own curiosity. It did feel good.

Discord at last Somber go so the dazed professor could breathe. His face was flushed, and sweet Celestia he looked gorgeous. The bright lights of the lab catching his crimson eyes, his hair loose and ruffled, the ends of it brushing against his bare shoulders.

"You sure..?" Discord asked, indicating the halfway-healed cuts on Somber's chest. For a moment Somber was confused, did he mean about the fact he’d returned the kiss? He wasn’t sure he could answer that.

Then he realised Discord was referring to the cuts and managed to get himself to clear his throat and speak.

"Its just a scar..." Somber said softly. Discord titled his head, trying to read the others expression, but Somber had retreated behind the mask again.

"Besides," The professor added after the silence began to bother him, a small seed of guilt sprouting "it was worth it to finally feel like my life had more meaning then just being the serious, scary teacher the kids laugh about in their free periods."

Discord chuckled "scary? I doubt that..."

"You’ve never seen me lose my temper." Somber pointed out, staring at his fingers, which were drumming a pattern on his thighs.

"Yes, I have. repeatedly. I'm pretty sure you’ve spent more time yelling at me than anything else." Discord laughed, placing a hand under Somber's chin and angling his head so the professor couldn’t avoid his gaze. he smiled gently as he added "and its not THAT scary."

"Was...was the other me, the one in your world, like this?" Somber asked.

"In truth, I barely knew him. But Celestia described him as being haughty, proud. Strong, but dedicated to the wrong cause."

"And here's me, just a lowly academic..." Somber said wryly. Something loosely related to a smile flitted over his face for a moment.

Discord offered a smile of his own "Don’t compare yourself to him. You share the same fiery nature, but you are still different entities. In fact, meeting you here makes me think this is the universe where his spirit finally got to have a better life, free of his insanity. Just a normal, secure life. I'd say that’s a good thing.."

This made Somber feel a little better.

"Besides," Discord added "you showed plenty of determination and guts earlier. I don’t know what this "fencing" is, but ill go so far as to assume your an expert at it."

Somber laughed "I’m a bit rusty. I quit after I left Crystal Prep-!"

He cut off with a sigh, wishing he could stop the words escaping.

"What happened?" Discord asked, seeing how Somber's expression revert back to his "closed off" manner.

"It's nothing." Somber said calmly.

"It isn’t "nothing", though, is it?" Discord brushed some loose strands of hair away from Somber's face, admiring how warm to the touch he was...

Somber looked at him, then back down at his hands, which were clenched in his lap.

"That body language doesn’t speak of someone who's comfortable with what's on their mind. Tell me..." Discord encouraged.

Somber figured things were beyond the marker of lying having any point, and reluctantly prepared to revisit the memory.

"It..." Somber sighed, resting his head in his hands and staring at the floor "I taught at Crystal Prep Academy some years ago. I was so happy there, I truly cared about the students and the school. I was working towards becoming the vice Principal. But the Principal at that time, a long time friend of mine, got offered a position in another place. It was at a prestigious university, and so naturally she left. The woman she named as her successor, Abacus Cinch, seemed good at first but all too soon she became obsessed with winning everything. Every challenge, academic or physical. She was bending the rules and coming down hard on the students who didn’t measure up.

I noticed the teachers began siding with her, some out of genuine belief, but many seemed...afraid. The current vice Principal told me to try "keeping my head down", as she was concerned with my behaviour towards Cinch. I was stunned, she'd never seemed so muted before. Needless to say, I butted heads with Cinch numerous times regardless, hating to have the system I’d worked so hard at maintaining be torn down by her ruthless ambition. So she turned her gaze on me instead of the students. Bit by bit she began undermining me, always subtly threatening to fire me if I ever exposed her. And I tried. but by then she had even convinced some of the pupils to act as spies. One of them was a computer hacker, it turned out. She hacked my computer and copied a letter I was going to send to the head of the board...."

His heart twisted as he recalled the day it'd all started to fall apart;

"I realised it was going to end my career for good if I stayed there, so I handed in my resignation and left the next week after Cinch's threat. Ill never forget her smirk as she seen me leave her office. She said "such a pity Somber, you could’ve been so good here, you just had to let that heart of yours get in the way." I realised she'd meant I’d been too soft, that perhaps there might have been a way. But, the heart of that academy was already gone, in that witches grasp."

He sighed "so I resolved not to fall for that trick ever again. Not to let my heart become involved in my work. I was grateful when Principal Celestia gave me a second chance, even with Cinch's less-than-stellar recommendation. Canterlot seemed like a strange place compared to the academy, but the students are so free and energetic compared to the gloom that invaded Crystal Prep. I think Celestia sensed something had gone on, as she offered me the job at Canterlot very quickly. But even with her kindness, I was still reluctant to let anyone under my skin again, so I kept them all at arms length. I reasoned I wouldn’t be betrayed if I never let anyone get to know me well enough."

His head ached, but at the same time it felt like a weight had been lifted.

"And that's the whole story...." With a sigh, he straightened up.

"That absolute BITCH." Discord said at last. Sombra jumped, surprised by the venom in the man’s tone.

"Seriously," Discord continued to the stunned Somber "you tried to do something good for that school and she repaid you by driving you out so she could let one of her choosing take over!"

"What was I supposed to have done?" Somber sighed "Well, maybe I WAS too naïve, I thought I could change her mind. But I wasn’t prepared for how low she was willing to sink, manipulating everyone around her. By the time I realised, I'd already lost."

Discord smiled "I’m convinced this is the Equestrian Sombra's redemption. You tried to protect the heart of Crystal Prep instead of taking it over. You were a good leader there, and you paid the price against a tyrant."

Somber smiled very weakly, but it soon faded.

"Why do you always tie your hair up?" Discord chanced another personal query "was that because of her?"

Somber coughed, and laughed "sadly, yes. One of her methods was insulting me by saying I looked like a hippy at best, or at worst very unprofessional. She flat out hinted that I could get written up for it, for not following her dress code. So I started tying it back, a futile effort to get along while she was still trying to exert her influence over the school. I fell for her trick, thought this would solve the problem. But things escalated and I never thought about it again until AFTER I left, then began again at Canterlot. Just in case, I started tying it back up, to avoid that happening again."

"It was something to focus on, hmm?" Discord said.

Somber nodded "exactly, foolish as it was." he laughed softly. Reminded by the talk, he looked for and spotted a stray rubber band, and reached automatically for it. But Discord grabbed it, and sent it pinging across the room.

"No," he ordered mock-sternly "you don’t need to believe her lies any more..."

"But.." Somber huffed, as he gave a last ditch effort to stick to his routine. He was countered with a kiss from Discord, and pulled gently into the others embrace. He put up a token resistance, old habits died hard, but it soon crumbled. Warm hands settled on his bare back, making him shiver delightfully.

"Stop hiding the real you." Discord almost scolded. Somber felt the world outside his comfort zone jab unpleasantly at his defences, and shook his head slightly.

"I don’t know.." he muttered, at last looking up at Discord.

"It's time to set yourself free, Somber." Discord told him.

Another, even fiercer kiss cut off any further attempts at weak excuses from Somber, and the professor lost all hope of winning the argument as the others tongue pressed against his lips, begging to be allowed even further...

Flying in the face of every rule he'd ever wrapped himself in, Somber gave in to the first thing in YEARS that'd elicited any response from him. He heard a muffled moan that he recognised as his voice. Discord tangled his fingers in Somber's hair, then they came to rest at the base of his neck, rubbing slow, soft circles at the spot.

The shivers hit Somber again, but they felt like bolts of lightning bringing a cold heart back to life. Good sanity, it felt so alien to be this far out of his comfort zone. But a part of him liked it...wanted to keep it...

Discord let Somber go reluctantly, seeing how the professor was flushed and looking a bit overwhelmed. But he looked pretty damn tempting, and WAS halfway to undressed as it was-

--No, bad Discord. Don't go too far too fast. I think he's in enough shock from me making out with him!--

So he squashed any thought of a sexual nature and instead said;

"Come on, let me put a dressing on those cuts, then ill find you some clean clothes. You can sleep in my bed again-" As Somber looked a little flustered he carried on "-Don’t worry about me, there's a reason I bought the softest couch in the showroom. I sleep here often to keep an eye on my experiments."

Somber tried to object, feeling oddly rude for kicking him out of his own bed, but Discord ignored him. He patched him up as promised, then headed upstairs and located some of his own clothing to give to Somber. Once the other had changed and dumped the clothing outside the bedroom door, Discord took the dirtied, bloodied articles and disposed of them.

He went back up not long after to ask if Somber wanted tea or coffee, and smiled when he peeked in the bedroom door. Somber was curled up atop the bed, utterly worn out.

"Silly Somber, you’re supposed to be IN the bed. Still, close enough I dare say."

As he spoke, he was grabbing another blanket and wrapping it around Somber, who didn’t even stir.

He shut the door behind him, heading downstairs to recharge the EMP device. It'd taken a long time to build the thing, but it was his only option for knocking out the CCTV.

At last, he flopped back onto the couch and drifted asleep, a mix of relief at having destroyed that thing, and concern this was just the start running through his mind...

But a smile did flit over his face as he recalled the high point of the evening. Kissing Somber, and seeing the man behind the mask.

He woke early, the blaring of his alarm on his phone startling him awake. He groaned as he checked the calender, and remembered he had classes to teach. Wait...did Somber?

He jogged upstairs, knocking on the door.

"Unhh...wha? Yes?" the sleepy professors voice drifted in the door as Discord opened the door. He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge of of it, grinning and tousling the sleepy Somber's hair.

"Knock it off!" Somber said half heartedly as he sat up, blinking sleepily up at him "what’s-?"

"Do you have classes today?" Discord asked. Somber rubbed at his eyes and sighed "sadly, yes. Although the last thing I feel like doing is teaching."

"You could call in sick-"

Somber shook his head "No, I'll be fine. I need to get back to work."

Discord nodded "I have classes myself, so we both need to get a move on."

Somber sighed, looking serious for a moment "it's not over, is it?" he asked. Discord winced guiltily, looking away for a moment.

"I'm afraid that's unlikely. I cant be sure, but I’m certain there were multiple entities in that box."

Somber sighed wearily, staring at the multitude of small cuts on his hands from the exploding window pane just the day before.

"For what its worth, I’m sorry." Discord sighed at last. he'd never been one for apologising, preferring to charm or annoy his way in and out of most situations.

Somber looked up, surprised. He couldn’t think of anything to say to that. Discord's face said it all, he regretted his folly.

"This isn’t your fight Somber, and it was my impulsiveness that brought this madness here..."

Somber blinked, surprised at how downcast Discord genuinely sounded.

"Why did you open that box?" Somber asked after a pause.

"While I undeniably have a great deal of power, it was never enough to break the boundaries like I did this time. I felt confined, out of place. I had a friend in Fluttershy, the pony version of that girl with the pink hair and yellow skin. She would invite me over for tea, and talk to me as a friend. But she had other friends, including Princess Twilight and the others. I couldn't expect her to spend her time with me alone. I couldn’t do much without running the risk of Celestia sealing me in stone again."

"So..you were bored?" Somber summed it up. Discord chuckled.

"Hit the nail on the head there Somber. Yes, I was bored. I felt like my mind was atrophying, I tried to quash my chaotic nature, to not turn ponies lives upside down. But, it turned out to be far harder than I thought to change who I was. I felt like I was losing who I was inside, being so bound up in rules! I’m a chaos being, I cant just be pinned down."

"That sounds rough.." Somber sounded fairly sympathetic "is that when you decided to come here?"

Discord nodded, staring morosely into the distance "Yes, and I fear I may have been too hasty in my decision. I escaped my old life, but I ended up bringing a nightmare to this world..

I knew Celestia kept artefacts locked away in her palace. It took weeks of investigating to learn that box was hiding a source of power. One that would be enough to get me out of there. I didn’t realise where that power had come from. I researched that myth you spoke of, about Pandora. You were correct in a way, that box was similar. It housed...I think you’d call them "spirits" in this world. No doubt captured or created by some lunatic in Equestria's distant past. If it was in Celestia's possession, chances are she helped seal them away..."

"I see..." Somber nodded "so when you drained its power, those things got out?"

"Exactly," Discord nodded "and there was a spark of something good in there. Your "Elpis" as you called it. It must've been watching over the occupants of that box, and when they got out, so did it! It left me a trail to follow, and shot off in search of an ideal candidate. Which was when it found YOU."

"Why me, though?" Somber asked, frowning up at him "I’m just a history teacher, nothing special."

Discord smiled, facing him and toying with a strand of Somber's hair "you’re far from "nothing special", Somber. Most people I’ve met in this world would've run away from a demonic shadow, let alone a sword that adheres itself to their soul. You took that thing on with a chair to try help me. I wouldn’t call somebody that can do that, ordinary..."

Somber flushed slightly, but admitted Discord had a point.

"Considering what you’ve faced since I barged in and turned your life upside down, you're remarkably well adjusted. I'd be stuck if you hadn’t agreed to help me. Hell, I’d probably be dinner for that thing."

"How strong is your magic here?" Somber asked. Discord pondered.

"Well, it felt as if it was still regaining its legs for the longest time. I used up pretty much everything getting here, I’ve never gone that far before. Sometimes its a bit of a struggle to launch it. Seems to come and go in fits and starts at times. But, I manage somehow. I just have to concentrate a lot more than I used to. Gotta use my brain."

"I didn’t realise things had gotten that serious." Somber joked.

Discord blinked, then stared intently at him as the insult sunk in "was that a bit of sarcasm, Somber?"

"And if it is?” Somber snorted, feeling the urge to laugh.

"Then you can colour me impressed. I didn’t think you had a sarcastic bone in your body."

"Never underestimate me." Somber sniped back, a smile making his lips curve enticingly.

"Oh I wont..." Discord murmured, suddenly hungering for another little morsel of intimacy. He leaned in close, so his nose brushed Somber's "mind if I kiss you?" he said seductively.

Somber flushed, but a nod was Discord's answer. The kiss brought back all of last nights tension, answers, everything...

Discord let Somber go, studying the man’s surprised, flushed expression.

Somber had to mentally kick his brain to make it pay attention;

"If those things are after the both of us, we need to get to school.." he reminded Discord, who nodded.

"Alright, lets get a move on. You can get a shower first, I have a few more calculations to check. I'll go fetch some fresh clothes..."

He ushered Somber into the bathroom, saying he'd leave the clothes outside the door, so as to not intrude.

Somber flushed. But his heart was pacing faster than he'd ever known it to. The last few days had done that to him. He felt strangely free.

A shower and clean set of clothes from Discord later, and he was ready to go.

Being as his car was still outside, he naturally offered to drive them both to school. It was only as they were walking across the parking lot that he realised he'd forgotten to tie his hair back after brushing it. He swore, wondering if there was a spare in his pocket. Before realising these weren’t HIS clothes.

"You don’t need it.." Discord murmured as he poked Somber to make him get moving again.

"But-!" Somber grumbled.

"NOPE!" Discord declared loudly, making Somber jump and look at him funny, then laugh softly and shake his head.

"Shall we get some coffee before classes start?" Discord yawned as they greeted Lightshield, who was looking none the worse for wear after begin knocked out, and entered the school. Somber nodded, he could use some caffeine.

Cherilee waved as he walked in, from her spot by the window and Somber returned it, even managing a small smile. Discord grinned and called a good morning!

A few other teachers were scattered around, a couple asked Somber was he OK after the previous day? Somber told them he was fine, he'd barely been hit.

“What in blazes was the point of attacking a school?” Professor Cranky asked as he glared daggers at the coffee machine. Somber shrugged, shaking his head.

“Still, you’re in one piece sonny, so that’s good!” The grumpy teacher added, which made Somber feel a bit better.

“I just wonder how they did it?” One of the maths teachers pondered.

“With any luck the police will find out.” another teacher put in.

Somber nodded, the relaxing scent of coffee making everything feel normal again as he took a sip “I'm just relieved nobody was seriously hurt.”.

While Discord had healed the wound from the final battle, thankfully he hadn't tried to heal the cut on Somber's face. THAT would've raised too many questions. So for now he'd just have to put up with the livid mark across his cheek as a reminder.

The coffee duly gulped down, they headed towards their respective classrooms, which weren’t that far apart.

"Do you think Celestia knows about the chaos last night?" Somber said worriedly, to Discord.

"The wrecked gym mat? Probably? I doubt Lightshield kept being knocked out to himself." Discord replied.

"Maybe...he assumed he fell asleep from tiredness?" Somber said, realising how unlikely that was and sighing.

"We need to be alert." Discord said what the other was musing over. Somber nodded.

"We need more lerts." Discord added in the same tone. It took Somber a second to process the cheesy joke, and when he did he face-palmed, a gesture he'd learnt from his students.

"Sorry." Discord coughed, grinning innocently.

"Seriously??" Somber sighed, exasperated.

They fell silent as they heard Celestia's voice up ahead, speaking to someone. The two rounded the corner, and Somber's stomach sunk.

The woman in talks with Celestia was none other than Abacus Cinch. He felt his blood go cold in his veins.

"Somber!" Cinch declared mock-cheerfully "I never expected to see you here!"

Somber didn’t speak for a good few seconds, "Principal Cinch.." he said, as cordially as he could.

Discord raised an eyebrow, THIS was the woman who’d run Somber out of his much loved school, and put him through blackmail hell? He got the impression the only one she cared about was herself, and that she held no remorse for what she'd done to Somber.

As he studied her, he seen the look of contempt in her eyes as she regarded Somber.

Celestia didn’t seem to notice the thin veil of politeness was masking utter hatred on both sides.

"Its been a long time." Cinch said, with a well disguised sneer in her voice as she regarded the fallen teacher. So he'd landed here had he? Poor fool. She dimly recalled a phone call asking about a recommendation, and had happily done her best to shoot it down. She hadn’t realised it was for here.

Celestia's phone rang, and she politely excused herself to go answer it. Cinch closed the distance between them, studying Somber's expression as she did.

"So, this is where you washed up Somber. Pity really, you seemed so suited to Crystal Prep.."

"Do the students have any freedom left?" Somber shot back archly "or have you conscripted them all by now?"

Cinch glared at him, caught off guard by the fact he didn’t seem scared at seeing her like she'd expected. If anything, he seemed like he didn’t give a crap. When she'd launched her smear campaign to get shot of him, she'd always thought him passionate, but too closed off to ever fight as hard as she had. She hadn’t been joking when she said he could’ve been good. He was smart, ambitious, and well liked by the students. Thus shed pegged him as trouble when he didn’t join her side. She'd anticipated trouble.

Sure enough, he'd objected to many of her proposals, and had been on the way to becoming a real problem. That was when she'd had a particularly prodigious student hacker get into his computer and copy the letter he'd been writing to the school board. With this, she'd "suggested" he play along, otherwise she could easily get him fired. She could make the letter look like defamation, slander. With the hacker's help, she could alter the file, a lot of files. She had friends in high places after all.

He'd left in the end, telling her to her face he would rather give up teaching altogether than watch her drive the academy into the ground. It was noble yet foolish, like all those bleeding heart types. She'd forgotten about him, assuming he'd simply moved away from the area.

"I see Canterlot's lax dress codes allow you to get away with this~" She smirked, flicking a finger at his hair.

Fed up with this woman by now, Discord decided to scare her. She was standing just in front of a display case full of trophies. So he used a small smidge of magic to make the largest trophy there topple, sending it thudding against the thick glass. The banging sound make Cinch shriek, as it was right by her face. Somber jolted slightly, but it was barely noticeable. He snickered softly at Cinch’s face. She glared at him, but Somber couldn’t take her seriously any more.

She clenched her fists, teeth gritted. How DARE that second-rate history professor laugh at her!

She glanced at the other teacher behind Somber, who was apparently absorbed in his phone.

"Who are you?" she asked haughtily, ignoring Somber, "Celestia didn’t mention new teachers!"

"Oh I’m very new," Discord put the phone away and smirked cheerfully "just last week! her former physics teacher left, so I applied for the job!"

Cinch took in his neatly pressed shirt, trousers and trench coat, then the flyaway white hair, and pegged him as a lunatic.

Celestia returned, and Cinch was back to her super-polite mode, all smiles. Well, as best as she could do. Celestia escorted her off down the hall, talking about the new changes to the school, all set for the games...

"You alright?" Discord asked soon as the pair were out of earshot.

"I feel about to be SICK!" Somber spat out. Discord cast him a sympathetic look, lightly patting his shoulder.

Somber managed a weak smile after a brief struggle with his emotions "its fine...I’m fine..."

But he didn’t break from this morose state even as Discord said goodbye, and departed for his own classroom.

Author's Note

I just dropped an iPad on my foot. Ow.

Fire and Ashes

Somber sat at his desk, staring irritably into thin air. Seeing that dragon, Cinch, again felt like it'd depleted the good mood he'd felt that morning when Discord had kissed him again.

He sighed softly, allowing himself a faint iota of happiness. The kiss, the way he'd FELT...

He shoved those thoughts aside as the bell rang, the door opened, and the wave of students began flooding in.

"Hey teach!" The bouncy haired Pinkie Pie beamed widely as she skipped by the desk.

He observed a few students giving him odd looks throughout the lesson, and wondered if the cut on his face was that obvious?

The windows had been hastily replaced, with new panes of glass. One thing he gave Celestia credit for, she seemed to have contractor son tap that were happy to do emergency work! Probably helped the windows were a uniform size.

He shook his head, telling himself to concentrate!

Come lunchtime, he was starving, and didn't hang around like he normally did, instead making a direct beeline for the staff canteen.

As he was walking in, head still full of thoughts of the shadow fight, he bumped into Cherilee and one of the PE teachers, Spitfire.

"Somber!" Cherilee smiled "I didn’t get time to talk to you this morning. Are you OK after the incident?"

"The what? Oh, the window.." Sombra nodded, sticking a loose bit of hair back behind his ear on autopilot. He'd been doing it all morning "I got off easily, just a scratch or two."

"Tough guy, huh?" Spitfire chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder with a grin "good to hear!"

"Well, take care.." Cherilee smiled, then she and Spitfire walked off.

"Well well," Discord said as Somber sat down opposite him "Somebody's a ladies man!"

"What on earth do you mean?" Somber asked, frowning.

"Cherilee was pretty much flat out staring at you. With your hair down, you look different..." he lowered his voice so Somber just about heard him "you look GOOD."

Somber coughed, turning his attention to his food lest his face go red.

"Don’t look so worried, I promise not to hit on you in front of anybody." Discord chuckled at how he affected Somber. He much preferred this side of him, as opposed to the quiet, cold and emotionless one he'd met at first.

"Is that why the kids have been giving me weirder looks then usual?" Somber pondered "because its not tied back?"

Discord just smiled "people are always intrigued by getting a glimpse into someone who's very guarded. You're a bit of a mystery it seems."

Sombra shook his head and sighed, as if he assumed Discord was yanking his chain.

He left the lunch hall, and as he rounded the next corner, cradling some books from the library in his arms, someone charged into him. He was knocked back on the floor, winded.

"Ow.." he grumbled as he sat up.

"Oh gosh, I’m sorry!" a girl with purple hair streaked with shades of pink and purple and wide framed black glasses looked worriedly down at him as she scrambled to her feet, "I'm so so sorry Sir!"

Somber got up, assuring her he was fine. He noticed she wore a Crystal Prep uniform, and realised she had to be part of a tour with Cinch.

"Oh, these books-!" The girls eyes lit up as she read the titles "these are amazing works on the occult!"

"I'm surprised, not many young adults are into such subject matter." Somber remarked as she helped him gather them up. She grinned.

"I have a first edition of this one! That one too! I love books, its all I have at that school.." She suddenly looked saddened again. Somber frowned.

"Cinch." he said softly. The girls head snapped back up, wide eyes fixed on him.

"Y-you know her?" she winced.

"That’s an understatement," Somber's expression somehow seemed to sympathise with her, she noticed "lets just say we used to know each other."

"I see." She nodded.

"Ugh, Twiliigght...." a drawling voice called, and a girl with pale hair done in two ponytails either side of her head stuck her head round the corner "move, we have to go."

"Coming!" Twilight bobbed her head to Somber "goodbye, sir." Then she was gone.

As she disappeared, the other girl chiding her, Somber felt a stab of concern. That girls reaction spoke exactly of what he was afraid of. That Cinch had the students oppressed under her thumb.

He at last wound up back at his own home that night, after driving Discord home and going shopping for food.

He dumped his briefcase on his desk and walked over to the mantelpiece above the fire. It was a framed photo of a slightly younger Somber by a few years, his hair down loose, surrounded by his class of students. It'd been taken in the front lobby of the school, flags declaring “GO Shadowbolts!” hanging from the walls. In it he seen how he smiled, how much faith he'd had in things since then.

"I hope she hasn’t destroyed you completely." he murmured, before setting the picture back down.

He took the necklace off from around his neck, staring at the minute sword hanging from the chain. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, concentrating on making the full sword appear. He opened his eyes as, in his hands, the sword began to glow, then with a flash it formed the full-sized sword. he caught it by the handle, swinging it expertly around.

His house wasn’t big, it was filled with books of varying value and age. But the main living area was big enough once he pushed the furniture back a bit, to practise his old fencing moves. He would have to adjust it to compensate for the heavier sword, but the basic Principal was the same.

At the end of his routine of sorts, which cycled through most of the major moves, he flipped the sword over in the air, catching it in the opposite hand a second alter, finishing in a defensive stance.

When someone applauded, he nearly passed out from fright.

He whirled round, eyes wide, body tensed and seen-

"Discord, you moron!" He snapped, face flushing as he relaxed "what are- wait, how did you get in?"

"Magic." Discord chuckled "I was knocking on the door, you didn’t answer. But I could hear you pacing about, so I opted to let myself in!"

Sombra recalled him picking the lock back in the school and sighed.

"That was impressive.." Discord wandered over, as Somber stared down at the blade in his hands. he jumped when Discord's hands settled over his on the sword, and the other nuzzled behind his right ear.

"Like I said," Sombra blurted "I did fencing a long time ago..."

Discord let him go, having spotted the framed photo.

"Is this your class?" he asked. Somber nodded.

"That was my last year..." he whispered, sighing as he focused on turning the sword back into a chain.

It was clear the defeat still stung, made worse by the encounter with Cinch, so Discord didn’t press it any further. Instead he decided to try get a smile;

"Wasn’t that old bats face hilarious when the trophy hit the glass?"

Somber bit his lip, then allowed himself a laugh.

"It was pretty satisfying." he admitted at last, looking a little brighter.

Discord grinned “at your service, for all your revenge needs!”

This made Somber laugh even more. Discord’s OTT personality was practically the opposite of his own. But then, didn’t the old adage say “opposites attract”. He felt his face begin to redden as this implication sunk in.

He was saved from further teasing by Discord by his brain grasping at straws and coming up with a valid one for a change. "wait, why are you here?"

"I wanted to give you THIS." Discord held out a box. In it was a phone.

"I already have a phone." Somber was puzzled.

"I know, but this one is tweaked a bit. If my research has worked, it should go off when strong magic is nearby. It's the best I can do, this world isn’t like back home."

"I see." Somber nodded, switching the device on. It looked innocuous enough, nobody would know it was anything off if they just picked it up!

“See this app here?” Discord tapped at one that looked like a standard game icon, marked with a small book icon bearing a star on it “That'll generate an alarm if the mods I built into the phone detect magic surges.”

“That’s impressive.” Somber was startled by how adept Discord was with technology. He brushed the camera app with his thumb, eyebrows raising as a way higher definition picture then he expected flicked to life.

“I programmed tagging into it..look..” Discord curled his hand around Somber's, settling his body close to the professors, and aimed the camera at the bookshelves. The screen flashed, and the picture popped up, lots of little dots speckling it.

“Its made a note of the book titles, and you can search for details using the internet. Fascinating isn’t it?”

Somber chuckled “I never looked at these high-tech phones too closely, I guess you just get used to technology in this day and age. It must seem drastically different to magic?”

“In a way, yes. But these things can do so much it practically IS magic to me!” Discord sounded happy, Somber could hear it in his voice "Its still a full blown cell, just with a few mods to it. If you want, I can copy everything off your old phone onto it?"

Somber nodded, and offered to go make some coffee while he did so.

Somber learnt Discord was something of a whiz with tech, and Discord realised Somber made damn good coffee.

He admired the bookshelves, and Somber talked about some of the trips he'd gone on to get them, about finding some by luck in flea markets and such. He really did relax when you coerced him into discussing something he liked, Discord realised. otherwise, he seemed to live behind that fierce, near unapproachable veneer.

At last Discord reluctantly had to go, and Somber walked with him to the front door. There, Discord slipped an arm around his middle and quickly stole another kiss.

"I''ll get out of your hair now. Very nice hair.." Discord was tangling his fingers in it as he spoke, brushing Somber's neck. Somber swatted idly at his hand, but there was no force behind the gesture.

"Sleep tight..." Discord teased, before slipping out the door again. From the window, Somber seen him get into a waiting taxi, and the vehicle drove away.

"You’d think with all that cash, he'd learn to drive." Somber mused.

He yawned, feeling exhausted. Using that sword seemed to take his energy away.

He removed the clothes Discord had leant him, making a mental note to wash them tomorrow. As he shrugged on a well worn nightshirt and shorts, he noticed the scars across his chest. He ran his fingers over them, a weird shiver running through him.

The thing that'd done this hadn't been of his world, yet he'd helped destroy it. Not something he'd ever imagined in a thousand years could happen in his previously mundane life.

But this wasn't some nightmare he could just wake up from, this was real. And he'd carry these scars for evermore...

He shook his head, buttoning up the nightshirt to hide the reminder his life was changing so rapidly he was in danger of being left behind.

But, maybe not all the changes were bad..?

It skulked around the outside of the school building, sniffing the air, a primal growl echoing from its throats. Multiple eyes scanned the building, looking for a way in.

At last it spotted a skylight, and scaled the wall, melting through the glass. At last. Here was where another of its kind had been slain. Traces of detonated magic hung in the air like smoke. A red line, only visible to its eyes, stood out glaring bright on the polished gym floor.

It crouched, sniffing at the magical echo. This magic had destroyed one of the prisoners. Whatever did this bore hopes signature. That frail light, never sputtering out, had been the bane of their existence during their time in prison.

It swore there and then it would find Hope and rip it to shred, as vengeance.

It lurked in the shadows and watched as the room filled with daylight. These strange bipedal creatures came and went, some shining with magic, others dull. It licked its lips, here was a meal...

The skies opened up and rain pounded down, and so it was that Somber found himself supervising the kids in the gym, alongside Cherilee. She smiled, making conversation as they kept an eye on the boys and girls. Rainbow Dash was heading up a soccer game, with Pinkie Pie galloping up and down the sidelines with pom-poms, hooting and cheering in total glee.

Applejack booted the ball a bit too hard and it bounced into the bleachers and down behind them.

"Oops...mah bad!" the blonde girl grinned sheepishly at an annoyed Rainbow Dash.

"Ah, never mind, I’ll go grab it!" Rainbow Dash wriggled between the compacted bleachers, made so there was room to get between the mechanics. She squeezed between the folded down struts to reach her ball..

That was when she seen a pair of eyes level with her own. Startled witless, she let out a garbled shriek. She tried to run, but something hit her in the stomach, tripping her. Her foot got snagged, and she felt a pinching pain, like something was been drained…

Somber and Cherilee both jolted, running over to the bleachers as Rainbow's yell rang out.

"Oh my goodness!" Cherilee squinted into the gloom "Rainbow Dash?"

"M-my foot's stuck, I cant get out!" She sounded panicked. Somber opened his mouth to ask her to keep still, when he felt a vibration from his pocket. Pulling out the phone, he realised it was the new one Discord had given him. his gut churned. Had something else found them?

"I’m coming!" Cherilee blurted, as she tried to figured out a way to reach Rainbow Dash.

"Lets go.." Somber followed after. Using the phones flash light Somber navigated the mess of struts, ducking and slipping between them. At last they reached Rainbow Dash, whose left ankle was trapped between two of the struts that seemed to have malfunctioned and bent slightly closer in than was normal.

"Heh...gimme a hand, please?" the blue skinned athlete said jovially, but she looked pale despite her bluster.

Somber stared, then spoke to Cherilee

"Grab miss Dash under her arms. I'll push the struts as much as I can, and you need to pull her free right away!"

Cherilee nodded, doing as instructed. Rainbow Dash tensed up anxiously as Somber stepped around so he was facing her, and crouched to grip the struts.

Bracing his feet, he put all his weight into forcing the joints back to their normal position. It creaked, the other joints giving it very little leeway. Somber wasn’t strong enough to move it far, but-

"It's loosening!" Rainbow Dash blurted in relief.

Somber grit his teeth and felt his shoulder aching as he gripped the metalwork so tightly it felt like it was cutting into his hands. There was a tiny squeak, and he felt it give-

"Now!" he gasped. Cherilee gave a small gasp and a grunt, heaving Rainbow Dash back with all her might. The Wondercolt was deposited on her backside a little further back, as Cherilee had to let her go to keep her balance. But she was free. Somber let the joint go, plopping onto his backside with a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, big time.." Rainbow Dash gulped, glad she was free. Together the two teachers helped her clamber back out, where the anxious group of friends and fellow Wondercolt's waited.

"Dashie!" Pinkie Pie swallowed her up in a big blur of hugs and pink hair.

"Oh my stars, are you alright?!" Rarity grimaced when she seen Rainbow Dash's swollen ankle "oh dear."

"Its cool," Rainbow Dash said bravely "I’m tough, I’ll heal before the match!"

Cherilee said she'd fetch the doctor, and Somber nodded. As she darted away, he stretched his back and heard it click, snarling an obscenity under his breath. He looked at at his hands, seeing groove marks from the metal supports on his palms.

"Your covered in dust bunnies." Pinkie Pie made him jump as she sidled over, investigating the swear word.

"Ugh..." Somber realised she was right. His nose itched and he sneezed.

"Excuse you!" Pinkie Pie chirped, before bounding back to Rainbow Dash's side.

Cherilee arrived with the school doctor, who checked Rainbow Dash over and deduced it was a nasty bruise and sprain, and luckily not broken. He bandaged her up and asked her friends to help her hobble to the doctors office so he could fill out a report.

"Thanks prof.." Rainbow Dash said to Somber as she passed. She'd always thought him weird, a total grouch. But since he'd helped free her, she had respect for him. He nodded in response, and she hobbled away with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie's help!

Soon as he could, Somber hurried away, anxious to locate Discord. But his phone went direct to voice mail, so it took all the patience Somber HAD to wait until the days end.

It’d found him.

The thing had hidden in the dark, using as little magic as possible, and watched the dark haired creature freeing the rainbow one it'd drawn its all important energy from. She'd been a rich host, supplying a power that felt strangely familiar...

But the black haired one with the red eyes. He was the owner of the magic that'd killed its fellow prisoner. It could detect it, a faint red aura radiating from the humans chest as he struggled to free the girl.

Once it dealt with HIM, the other one was next.

Somber finally managed to catch up to Discord at the days end. He told him what had happened as he gave Discord a lift home.

"Crap." Discord groaned. Somber nodded, hands gripping the wheel tightly as he drove.

"How many are there?" he asked.

"Three." Discord rubbed his face and sighed.

"It attacked that Rainbow Dash girl," Somber watched the first spattering of rain cover his wind shield "First the shy girl, now this one."

"Two students have been attacked. Maybe it's coincidence, but back home, those girls had powerful magical elements. Maybe they have special talents here too?" Discord mused.

"Maybe." Somber was too worried to think too much about the girls involvement, he was more concerned with tracking this new threat before the thing found THEM!

But they couldn’t think of any further clues, so they fell silent, each lost in their own world as the car came to a halt in the driveway of Discord's house.

Discord got out of the car, coming around to the drivers side window as Somber rolled it down.

"You’re welcome to stay you know.." Discord chuckled, eyes sparking with mischief. Sombra flushed, reminded of how close they’d slipped.

"I have to get home, all my papers are there and I’m behind as it is.." he said reluctantly. Discord nodded, looking a bit disappointed. So he settled for leaning through the window to kiss Somber goodbye. Quite a few kisses, committing the sweet taste of Somber's kiss to memory until he next got him alone. He finally let the flushed professor go, watching as he drove away into the night.

The side of Somber that wanted to finally experience something other than monotony and a near emotionless daily life raged at him for walking away from the affection being shown to him.

--I...I don't know...-- Somber thought at last, sighing sadly.

Somber duly did try to do as much paperwork as he could, before getting dressed for bed and falling fast asleep.

There was a fuzzy sound, boring into his dreams, dragging him awake. Somber groaned, and reached out to swat at the phone. The thing wasn't on silent, so why was it buzzing- wait, buzzing?!

He sat bolt upright, staring at the buzzing device. It was the phone's warning system again. Heart in his mouth, he practically leapt out of bed, pulling on shoes and his coat. He stuffed the phone in his pocket, grabbed the sword chain, and bolted for the hallway, literally vaulting down the steps-

He stopped dead. There was a THING standing there.

It had three heads, each one uglier then the last. It was big, but semitransparent. Its heads brushed the ceiling, glowing eyes fixed on him. Behind it, the door was undamaged. Open, but unbroken..

--Magic...of course...-- Somber gripped the sword necklace tightly as he glanced around him, before making a dive for the living quarters. The furniture was still pushed back from his fencing practise the night before. He'd have room to fight here...

He tried to use the phone to send a warning. Discord had programmed it with an SOS button. Barely had he hit the switch, something red hot seared across the screen, melting it in a flash. Sombra cried out and dropped it to the carpet. The thing lay unnoticed, flickering faintly as Somber backed up.

"You...killed one of ours.." the first head hissed, its sinister presence filling the room. Somber backed up even more, gripping the necklace, willing it-

"NO!" the other head hissed. Its head darted down, teeth sinking into Somber's shoulder even as he tried to dodge. The baggy material of the nightshirt prevented it from getting too good a grip however.

With a yell, Somber pushed the sword to appear, and managed a wide swipe at the things face. He seen one of its eyes get punctured by the sword tip, felt it release him with a scream of fury.

"Burn!" the third head hissed, and it was a desperate dive that saved Somber from being flambé as he dove behind the couch. The terrifying crackle of flames made him panic. The room was on fire!

"Peek a boo!" one of the three heads appeared over the top of the couch. Sombra yelled, pelting away from it again. But another gout of flames shot over his head and landed between him and the door.

He backed up, turning to face the thing. Thinking about it, it resembled a hydra from ancient legends. From what Discord had described, hydras existed in Equestria, known for their tempers.

One swung its head low, hitting him in the gut. He hit the floor, stopping just short of the growing ring of flames. The air was getting smoggy, he couldn't breathe. With the focus broken, the sword shrunk back to a necklace again.

"Time to die little wretch.." the hydra-phantom cackled as it loomed over him.

Somber gripped the necklace in his hands, looking up at the thing. The heat was making him so tired, but he had an idea. As it lunged all three heads down towards him, he ran AT it instead. He plunged his hand, still gripping the necklace, into the centre of its chest. A red light flashed out, making the hydra screech and stagger back.

Somber was knocked back several feet, feeling the necklace burning into his palm. Raising his head he seen the thing looked angry, the burst eye trickling an icky substance down that particular head.

"I'll see you perish yet!" it snarled, before turning into a blur of darkness and slipping out amidst the flames.

Somber ducked as the window exploded from the heat. he had to get out-!

He bolted for the window, stopping only to grab his bag from the side table, stuffing the photo frame into the outer pocket, then using its weight to knock the glass out. Mercifully this was the ground floor, so there was no danger of bone-breaking force being incurred from the ground below. He huddled on the damp grass, coughing and retching, lungs aching.

Sirens filled the air and he blacked out...

When he came to, he was in hospital, a mask over his moth and nose. Breathing felt easier, but his throat ached.

He heard a muffled snore, and cautiously turned his head. He felt about to pass out from relief when he seen who it was. Discord, slouched in the chair, arms folded over his stomach, looking dishevelled.

He coughed, trying to get his voice to work, but he was too thirsty.

So he settled for moving as much as his stiff, aching body would allow, grasping at Discord's sleeve and tugging it.

"Huh? What? No I didn't abduct that pineapple-" Discord snapped out of whatever fuzzy dream he was having and blinked sleepily at Somber. His brain put two and two together and he sat upright, scooting his chair closer to Somber's bedside and peering worriedly at him.

"Can you hear me?" he asked.

Somber nodded, and Discord looked so relieved it made him feel a funny pang in his heart.

Discord gently stroked Somber's cheek. He looked so pale, eyes tired and a hint of something else, fear.

"You’re safe, I promise." Discord assured him.

Somber nodded, then tried to say he was thirsty...

After a few seconds desperate miming, Discord caught on and brought him some water.

Once sat up in bed, Somber asked what'd happened.

"Somber, I don’t know how else to say this," Discord shook his head, normally amused eyes full of sadness "the damage was extensive. By the time they put it out, I’m afraid most of the lower half of the house was lost."

Somber's ears were ringing, and he felt about to be sick. He stared numbly at the wall ahead of him, aware of a warmth around his right hand. The lower floor, his library...

"I’m sorry." Discord murmured, squeezing his hand. Somber didn’t say anything, just looked over at the window instead.

Discord was starting to really worry, until at last Somber squeezed his hand, and the raven-haired man looked back at him at last.

"Everything? T-the books..?" he said shakily.

"I think a few survived," Discord sighed "I had them take whatever survived back to my house. I traced the phones signal, got there at the same time as the fire department."

He reached up and brushed strands of hair out of Somber's dark red eyes.

"I'm just glad you're alive." He said at last. Somber nodded numbly, still gripping his hand.

He didn’t say much after that, and Discord was concerned. Somber drifted asleep for another hour, then woke, startled awake by a bad dream if Discord had to guess.

After that, Somber insisted he be discharged soon as was legally possible. Before that could happen, the police wanted to talk to him.

Somber told them he'd seen an intruder wearing dark clothing in his house, who'd tried to kill him. Trauma and smoke inhalation went a long way towards fudging the details. When the police left, they seemed satisfied it'd been a bungled home invasion turned to arson.

Discord hailed a cab, and took the insistent Somber back to his house, as the professors was still under investigation.

"Somber." he said softly as they stepped in the front door.

Somber didn't speak, just stood there. He wandered on autopilot until he reached Discord's lab room...

"The report said there was no sign of accelerant, they think the "Invader" used a home-made weapon, perhaps rigged from a lighter-"

"Hydra." Somber croaked.

"What?" Discord asked, walking round to face him. Somber blinked up at him.

"It looked like a hydra." he stammered.

"Somber." It scared Discord a little to see him so distant. He reached a hand out to him...

"I-I’m tired." Somber ducked his out-held hand.

Discord nodded, leading him upstairs to his bedroom, where he made sure Somber was comfortable, staying by the bedside until the poor man fell asleep.

"I’m sorry." he whispered, before leaving the room and heading downstairs.

Author's Note

I swear i just did the loudest belch ever....dangit fizzy drinks, stop distracting me!

Time To Heal

Somber ventured downstairs a few hours later, towards late evening time. Discord settled him on the couch, made him some hot soup. Somber managed a grateful smile, but it soon faded, and he became as withdrawn as before. Discord longed to do something, anything, to clear that sadness from Somber's eyes. But the poor man needed time and space to grieve, not romantic advances.

So he just did what he could, telling silly anecdotes to make Somber smile for a moment. Making him coffee, and when Somber fell asleep on the couch, wrapping him in blankets so as not to disturb him.

He called in sick the next day, saying he had an emergency, and Celestia was very understanding. He didn’t say this to Somber, worried it’d give him something to fuss over.

Somber seemed as lost as he'd been the previous day, but he at least responded to Discord's jokes. Discord wondered if he should get Somber to talk about what happened, Somber hadn’t said a word about the fire.

He wondered if Somber blamed him for this. He would not stop him, he realised. This felt worse then when he'd upset Fluttershy, seen her cry.

But when he tried the next day, as they stood in the kitchen clearing up the dishes from lunch, Somber looked stricken at the idea. He shook his head, voice strained as he declined, begging Discord not to bring it up.

Somber closed his eyes, feeling sick as what’d happened threatened to overwhelm his head. He just couldn't cope right now, he didn’t have the strength.

Discord gently brushed Somber's nose with his, making him open his eyes.

"Its alright." Was all Discord said "I wont force you Somber, know that..."

Somber nodded gratefully. Discord gently pressed a light kiss on Somber's lips before letting him go, insisting he go watch TV, and leave the dishes to him.

Somber curled up on the couch. Just thinking about the loss of his home, his collection, made him feel sick. Part of him suggested this was all Discord's fault. Why did he have to come here, tear Somber's world apart?

But when he tried to graft the blame onto Discord, his guilt made him back away. Yes, there was no denying that one action, unleashing the occupants of that box had been foolish. But like Pandora herself, Discord had not foresaw what his meddling would do, it’d been random chance he'd come here.

He could’ve just walked away, let those things run rampant. For all his ego, Discord did have a conscience, even if it was buried under a landslide of perverted thoughts and sexual innuendos. And in the end, this was what blunted Somber anger, deep down...

For dinner, Discord made the same pasta dish he recalled Somber loving that first time. This seemed to catch Somber's attention, made his eyes brighten just a fraction. He had a good enough appetite to Discord's relief. But he seemed so lost, so quiet, it worried Discord. As they sat watching TV after dinner, Somber inched a little closer, perhaps seeking comfort. Discord went one further, wrapping him in his arms and lying back so Somber was resting on his chest. He wrapped his arms around him, rubbing his back in small, subtle movements. Somber smiled wanly, and Discord got the impression it was hard for him to muster much emotion right now.

After about an hour, he realised Somber had fallen asleep, and decided to wait as long as he could before inevitably needing the bathroom, before disturbing his sleeping Somber.

Sombra winced, making a frightened sound in his sleep.

"No- get away.." he moaned unhappily. Discord ran a hand through that soft raven black hair.

"It's OK Somber," he whispered, rubbing his back again "I'm here..."

Somber's scared words trailed off into faint mumblings, and he relaxed a little.

In the end, Discord dozed off still cradling the sleeping Somber.

Somber woke up, confused and disorientated. The standby timer on the TV said it was 9:00pm.

He noticed how warm and secure his bed felt, and realised his bed was Discord's embrace. He flushed a little, but didn’t have the heart to deny how safe he felt right now...

So he studied Discord while he was sleeping. His flyaway crazy hair, even tied back still stuck out everywhere, how totally carefree he managed to look even while sleeping. The heartache of the previous days faded a little as Somber looked at Discord for a few moments more, then to the window behind the couch. It was full dark, with the windows reflecting the well lit room around him.

"Mhh? Oh, hello~" Discord's voice startled him back to attention, and he turned his head back, coming nose to nose with Discord.

"Sleep well?" Discord chuckled. Somber felt a bit guilty as he spoke.

"You should've woken me, this cant be good for your back."

"Ridiculous!" Discord declared, smiling softly "you’re very comfortable to hold, you know that. I didn’t want to let you go!"

"Now who's being ridiculous!" Somber muttered, flushing. How could Discord be so blunt about how he felt? It was as if he didn't have a filter about how his mind worked.

"You and me." Was Discord's answer, before an amused kiss sent Somber's heart rate soaring. The thrill of a kiss pushed aside the impending grief he knew he'd have to face about all he'd lost, the terrifying encounter that night...

So he returned the kiss with a need almost equal to the one kissing him.

They were already as close as could be, but nonetheless Discord could swear Somber found a way to press ever closer.

--Sweet Tia on a pogo-stick, does he know how tempting he is?!-- Discord moaned softly, tracing patterns up Somber's back with his fingers, before letting them roam back down, toying with the edge of Somber's shirt...

Somber felt a fresh shock to his nerves when he felt fingers brush bare skin, slipping under his rumpled shirt. It felt strange, but wonderful.

At last Discord broke the kiss, taking in Somber's flushed face, the way his hair fell so sexily over his shoulders. Idly he reached up and tucked it back behind the man's ears.

"It looks good that way." he said firmly.

Sombra smiled softly, but Discord could see the sadness behind his eyes. While he wanted to carry Somber upstairs and not let him go until he'd demonstrated every way he could make him feel good, a part of him felt guilty about the idea. Somber had been through so much, Discord didn’t want to hurt him...

Somber's stomach gurgled at that point, and he blushed furiously.

"Somebody’s hungry," Discord kissed him lightly as he sat up, "how about I heat up some more of that pasta?"

A silent nod.

But as Somber sat back on the couch to allow Discord to stand, his back twinged stiffly, and he cursed.

"Hmm...food, then a bath?" Discord suggested.

Somber nodded again.

He seemed to go back to his listless self once Discord let him go, staring into the distance barely responding. Discord monitored him while he ate, and wondered if there was anything he could do?

He shepherded Somber upstairs once he was done eating, making sure he had towels, clean nightwear and whatever he needed, and kissing him one more time before leaving him to it.

He tried to watch TV but his guilt, suppressed in favour of trying to coax Somber back to happiness, came slithering back.

This was HIS fault. If he hadn’t torn the opening in reality to escape, used that box, Somber's life would be the same. He'd have his home, his health. Things Discord had put in jeopardy.

--I have to find a way to give him back what my folly took. I owe him that and so much more.--

So he brought one of his laptops into the room, running simulations on what it'd take to get the money to buy a new house. Also a method of getting more out of his magic, so that Somber need not fight-

"What are you doing?"

So caught up was he in his calculations and self recrimination, Discord hadn't heard Somber come downstairs. he looked up, and his heart nearly stopped at how cute the man looked.

Discord had found him a baggy black shirt and clean shorts to serve as bedclothes. And sweet Celestia they looked cute on him. This, combined with his loose, freshly dried hair falling in loose waves over his shoulders, he looked tempting...

"N-nothing.." Discord blurted, attempting to hide how upset he felt. But Somber wasn’t a fool, and leant down to grab the top of the laptop, stopping it from shutting the screen He quickly absorbed the stats Discord was running, and his expression went cold.

"What are you doing?" he repeated, looking at Discord.

"Sit down..." Discord patted the couch. Somber stared a moment longer, then sat stiffly, expression blank.

"I'm the one who caused this problem, my foolish pride in seeking out a world I’d like better than my own. Because of this, evil spirit shave been set loose, and I’ve repeatedly put your life in danger."

"So you're trying to get rid of me?" Somber asked coldly. Discord shook his head, feeling closing to miserable now he'd finally acknowledged what he'd done, in regards to this man.

"I want to protect you, my dear Somber. You're the one who's been hurt the most because of all this. This isn't your fight-"

“The hell it isn’t!!" Somber said sharply. Discord stopped, looking over at him.

"That thing, Elpis, it had to go somewhere. That there is hope at all is what kept Pandora going in that story. it's what keeps humans going at all. There is always hope. Yes in this case its a literal weapon, but at least we have hope..." he trailed off, grasping for words.

"I said it before, I’m sorry." Discord murmured, taking in the flushed, dishevelled Somber currently glaring at him, hands clenched in his lap.

"What are you apologising for you...moron?!" Somber didn’t sound too certain of his insult, he sounded upset.

"How about bringing that darkness here? Destroying your life?!" Discord shot back, why wasn't Somber seeing this "don’t pretend this hasn’t hurt, you've been through hell-"

"Don’t make assumptions!" Somber shot back, voice raising a little, eyes blazing.

"You're not alright with this, you and I both know this. Your books, your memories, you shouldn’t have had to lose them. Nobody deserves that..."

"The things that matter aren’t held in photographs," Somber said, trying to keep his voice level "we hold them in our memories. If something is that special, you're not going to forget. Yes, faces fade, time goes by, but how you feel about it will be the same! Many philosophers have said as such throughout history, and I believe them."

Discord was impressed by Somber's mind, his conviction.

"You really are amazing." he said out loud before he could help himself. Somber faltered, blushing slightly at the utter truth of Discord's voice.

"Says the one who's changed into an entirely new species!" Somber shot back "but that's not the point. What is THIS?!" He gestured to the laptop screen.

"I wanted to find a way to keep you away from the fighting, try and protect you-" Discord glanced guiltily at the rows of numbers and data.

"I appreciate the thought, but BULLSHIT." Somber snarled.

"Somber?" Discord blinked, looking back at him. Somber was standing up, looming over him and the laptop. The light caught his eyes, and Discord was surprised to see furious tears gathering there.

"Don’t you dare patronize me. Yes, I was pissed at you at first, barging into my life and dragging me on this batshit crazy adventure. But I’ve been thinking about it since that first night when you stopped that thing from killing me and healed my collarbone. And everything else you’ve told me.

Yes, it was downright foolish of you to open that box without seeing what all that power was guarding, but all the guilt in the world wont fight those things. I respect you more for you’re determination to FIX your cock-up rather then avoid it than anything else. This isn’t the real you talking. You accused me of sheltering behind the façade I erected, now look who's doing the same thing?!"

"What?" Discord stood, looking him in the eye "are you seriously saying you’re hunky dory with your life being turned into that of a monster hunter, like that show about those two guys hunting ghosts and looking for their father? You've seen the crap they run into, this is practically the same, only its real!"

"Are you even paying attention? Yes, I was mad. WAS. Aren’t you listening?!" Somber yelled, shutting Discord up.

"I was stuck in a rut, commiserating over losing my old school position, hating that woman for destroying my career. I avoided the other teachers at CHS, not wanting to make friends if I could help it. Then you show up, badger me relentlessly at lunch, force me to talk, then save me from a maniacal shadow. Yes, it was a shock, but I’ll tell you this: I’ve never felt more alive since the Crystal Prep disaster!"

"Somber.." Discord blinked.

Somber shook his head, rubbing at his face with one hand before letting it fall to his side, head buzzing.

"After it attacked the classroom and nearly hurt my students, I realised just how serious this was. Monsters exist in this world, but by default they wear human skin. There's a way to stop human machinations, and I swore I’d find a way to stop this thing's plans. I finally feel like I can do something, instead of just fleeing a fight. Yes, yes, a millions times YES, how it came to be is a grave error, but we can stop it!

You can run all the simulations you like, but you’re missing one factor: how hard I will kick your ASS if you try to take this on by yourself. Elpis is here for you, that’s why it left that message and went off to find a suitable vessel. You can ignore me all you like, I’m not done kicking that thing back to whatever hell it spawned in. What are you going to say that!?"

His tirade finally came to an end, eyes blazing, flushed and breathing rapidly.

Discord stared, then blurted "you're so damn HOT when you’re angry-ack!" as Somber all but lunged at him, and they fell back onto the couch. Discord tried to sit up, but Somber shifted quickly, pinning him by the shoulders.

Looking up, Discord seen those gorgeous crimson eyes full of determination and anger as Somber glared down at him, soft black hair brushing his cheek. It took every bit of strength Discord had not to reach up and toy with it. No amount of amorous advances would stay Somber's fury, he knew that much!

"Stop making sexual innuendos to try and get out of this! You always do this, that first night with that tentacled thing, then when you first kissed me in the lab. Now this!" Somber shook his head, a look of anguish on his face "just be honest with me for pity’s sake!!"

Discord stared at him, wide-eyed. Somber had a hidden side, one of fire and fury. So much passion in a few sentences, it’d caught him off guard...

Plip.

Discord blinked as a single droplet splashed onto his cheek. He reached up, brushing away the frustrated tears threatening to fall.

"You ass," Somber snapped, shaking his head "you give me a reason to feel alive again after all this time, then you treat me like a fool! How DARE you-?"

“I know," Discord realised he'd been so, so wrong "And I’m sorry, Somber..."

Somber said nothing, just staring at him, not letting up on his position of bodily pinning the other to the couch until he got his answers. Discord's hand came to rest against his cheek, and he closed his eyes, nuzzling his head against it just slightly.

Discord swore his heart sped up another notch, uniquely caused by Somber's responses to him...

"I'm angry I lost my library, those books were old, but more than that, they were reminders of my old school. But, clinging onto the memory of them wont help me now. I can rebuild..." Somber opened his eyes, looking back at Discord.

"I will find a way to replace each and every one of them," Discord swore "I’ll build you a library here until we get you a new home. Its the least you deserve-"

Somber shook his head again, "I could have died. That’s what made me realise. Yes, I lost a lot of possessions, but other copies will exist, even if it takes ten years to get the rarer books. I'll be able to find them again. Maybe find new books. It's not the end of the world, even if it felt like it right now. You said it at the hospital: I'm still alive. I haven’t lost everything."

The shirt he was wearing was hanging loosely on his slender frame, Discord seen the spot where the fractured collarbone had been, and brushed the shirt aside, pressing his fingers to that place.

"That’s why it chose you. You’re resilient," he stated simply "many I have met in this world would have turned and run by now. But you’ve faced the worst in such a short time, yet here you are. Hating me for trying to mess with your life.."

"I never said I hated-" Somber calmed his voice down, blushing a little at the warmth of Discord's hands "I NEVER said that. Idiot."

Discord chuckled, only now tucking Somber's hair back behind his ears.

"Can you let me up for one second?" he asked. Sombra removed his hands from Discord's shoulder, sitting back. With his arms fully free, Discord pulled the laptop over, and wonkily managed to hit a few keys. A screen flashed up, and he hit "Yes".

"Data erased" flashed up in capital letters on the template left behind. Somber blinked, a spark of hope rising.

"It was crass of me to think you’d be so easily scared off, you’re so much more than that Somber," Discord murmured, lying back on the couch and looking up at the man holding him captive in more ways than one. "I just hope you can forgive me. I don't want to lose you..."

Somber still looked a little angry, but his expression was softening. He leaned forward, resting his hands either side of Discord's head on the couch.

"Yes, I CAN, you big idiot. But if you ever do this to me again, I’ll make you regret it!"

Discord felt light headed with relief "Alright, I’ll hold you to that, and hope I never have cause to witness it."

Somber smiled at last, a wry sort of smile "there, was that so hard?"

"Uhh...poor choice of words." Discord chuckled, going slightly red. Somber frowned, what was he on about?

"You’re uh- the way you’re sitting..?" Discord grinned. Somber blinked, tilted his head slightly, and went bright red.

When he'd pounced Discord, he'd been too furious to think beyond doing whatever it took to stop Discord dodging the issue and HIM. He now realised his knees were straddling the others hips. It looked suggestive at best. He felt somewhat mortified.

"Now who's being weirdly sexual?" Discord teased.

"Argh!" Sombra groaned "shut up. This is YOUR fault!"

Discord pulled Somber's hands towards him, causing him to lose balance fall further on top of him, using his elbows for balance. Their faces were inches apart, and Discord took full advantage. He kissed Somber hotly, feeling a shiver race through Somber's body.

When Somber uttered a bewildered moan, Discord knew he'd gone beyond the point of ever being without this stubborn, wilful man. He wanted him, more than ever before.

They broke apart for a moment, then it was Somber's turn to kiss Discord, all the fire and fury that’d laced his words now in a simple kiss.

Unable to quash his desires, Discord let his hands roam up and over Somber's hips, settling them on his back. A small push and the shirt slid down, bunching up around its wearers shoulders. And he was free to trace his fingers over bare skin.

Somber blushed even brighter as they pulled apart.

"I wasn't kidding,” Discord said breathlessly “you really are cute when you're mad. I don’t even want to BEGIN tainting your innocent mind with what I’m fantasizing right now-"

“So I’m going to take second place to a fantasy am I?" Somber shot back, half angry, half teasing. It was hard to say which.

"All jokes aside Somber," Discord said seriously "I don't think now is a good time to be proposing I ravish you senseless. You’ve been through enough, I don’t want to take advantage of you-"

"I said shut up about that!" Somber glared again, flushed and a little out of breath from the kissing "you think I don’t know what you’re getting at? You want SEX. There, I’m not stupid!!"

That he was not, Discord realised. So he had read the hints, the innuendo...

"You’re right," he said at last "I want to indulge in every perverse thought I’ve had since I kissed you. But my question is, my dear Somber.." he reached up and ran a hand all the way down Somber's back until he reached the waistband of his shorts "is it what you want?"

Somber heart was threatening to make him pass out, it was running so fast. But the thought would not leave his head. To have somebody want you that much, it was an unknown thing for him. But he was tired of always being cautious, playing it safe. He wanted more...

He felt Discord's fingers slip subtly under the waist of the shorts, and he liked how it felt. It sent his already sensitive body into overdrive.

Discord was kissed sternly the next second, and when his eyes met Somber's, the others were filled with a blatant longing.

"You need an invitation?" Somber said, in a sultry growl.

That was what did it. Discord kissed him, then sat up, angling himself so he was able to throw Somber across his shoulder.

"Uwah!" Somber yelped "what are you doing?"

"What do you think?" Discord purred "a bed is far more suitable an arena for this occasion! I want to do you right, my precious Somber."

Somber felt the blood go rushing to his head as this perpendicular view of the floor whooshed by, his pulse like a drum in his ears.

Thus, when the familiar carpet on the bedroom came into view, and he was gently set back down on his feet, everything was spinning.

"Whoa there!" Discord chuckled, wrapping his arms around Somber's middle, pulling him to rest against his chest. Somber hands came to rest on Discord's back, they felt so warm through the linen shirt fabric. He was breathing rapidly, and Discord swore he could feel the others heartbeat. Somber blinked up at him, and Discord couldn't resist kissing him again, sliding his hands under Somber's shirt and pressing the kiss even deeper.

--How much more irresistible is he going to look?-- Discord mused, before scooping Somber up so the other had to wrap his arms around Discord's neck to avoid falling, then carried him over to the bed. He brushed the covers aside and gently set Somber down…

Author's Note

That burp gave me hiccups. Not many more chapters left....i think.

Interlude 1: First Night

He kissed him softly, murmuring "sure you're ready?"

Somber pulled Discord closer to him, nodding once. He was flushed, eyes bright.

"I know what I want.." Somber said huskily.

With this answer in mind, Discord pinned him to the bed, starting with his jawline and leaving a further trail of kisses down to Somber's collarbone. It reminded him this was when it'd first started, both the fight and them in a way.

Somber shivered lightly as the shirt was slipped off over his head.

"Mmm, gorgeous.." Discord purred happily, running his finger over Somber's chest, brushing against the trio of scars for the prior fight.

Somber spotted a similar scar on Discord's left shoulder as his partner removed his shirt and let it fall carelessly to the floor.

"What happened?" He murmured, running a finger over the jagged line.

"Nothing glamorous," Discord captured Somber's hand and kissed it, smiling dryly "bar fight. Turns out some people don't like being beaten at fight, so they call three of their friends, one of which was waving a broken bottle. Irresponsible of me really. It was back in the early days..."

"Don’t worry," He continued, kissing Somber as he moved close enough to so he could slip the shorts down and off Somber's body "I’m careful not to start a fight unless I know I can win it. Now, you just lie back and let me work~"

Somber had questions, but these were soon discarded as Discord's attentions began in earnest. Lips and hands began blazing a trail from top to bottom, exploring and marking every inch of him...

Somber squirmed atop the fancy sheets, but Discord was unrelenting, lips pressing all over his body, driving him half crazy. Then, he just as suddenly stopped. Somber blinked dazedly, then got a kiss before he could say a word. The soft fwumpf of fabric falling to the floor told him any remaining articles of Discord's had been thrown heedlessly aside

"This is just the beginning my dear Somber," Discord breathed, admiring how flustered and aroused Somber was "it can hurt a little if you’re not prepared."

Somber wondered what he meant by "prepared"-OH.

While he'd been talking, Discord had used his magic to summon an innocuous looking tube..

"Whats-ahh.." Somber yelped as something cold and slick pressed against that most intimate spot.

Discord nuzzled Somber's neck, his other free hand pinning Somber's wrists above his head.

He leant down and nipped at Somber's neck, making him utter a small moan.

"Its lubricant my dear Somber, I don’t want this to hurt you after all, not when you've never done it before..."

Somber wondered how much it could hurt-

Then instantly let out a surprised yelp as Discord's fingers pushed further into into him. A faint spasm gripped his body, making it instinctively tensing up at this unknown intrusion.

"Relax your body, I’m not going to hurt you.." Discord whispered into Somber's ear. He placed a reassuring kiss on the man’s neck, feeling his pulse racing.

--Relax? Is he crazy?? I don't know if I can...-- But Somber pushed the thoughts aside, taking a deep breath. This was Discord, he trusted him, wanted him to...

After a few seconds, Discord felt Somber's body loosen up a bit.

"There we go." Discord murmured, as he pushed further in, stretching his fingers- he let go of Somber's hands, whereupon they came to rest on Discord's shoulders, pulling him closer.

Biting back another moan, Somber gripped Discord's shoulders tighter, nails digging into the others back as these ministrations continued, becoming easier to bear with each passing second. Somber closed his eyes, letting this foreign sensation fill his entire awareness.

"You’re so hot..." Discord purred into his partners ear.

Somber blushed, feeling a little out of his depth as he opened his eyes, looking up at him. Discord just smiled, kissing him as he continued to explore his lovers body.

-Soon to be lover, that is...by Celestia, I cant wait much longer. You're too damn cute Somber.--

He kissed Somber gently, giving him a brief rest from the preparations, and the man’s dark red eyes met his. In them Discord read a hint of nervousness, but it was heavily overshadowed by an obvious need and desire, one that was undoubtedly mirrored in his own expression. Gently, he brushed away sweat-dampened strands of ebony hair, and kissed him again.

"Feels good mm?" he teased, as he slipped his fingers free of Somber's body, and sat back, reaching for the tube again...

Somber nodded breathlessly, unable to think of a coherent response. Seeing how...big his partner was, he hoped his body could take this...

"Ready?" Discord whispered to him,.

"Yes.." Somber said softly, heart pounding afresh, caused by a mix of nerves and anticipation. He hadn’t felt this way before in his life, and he liked it. Fingertips pressed into his hips, lifting his body just a little...

Even with Discord's attentive preparation, he still felt a frisson of pain as the other eased into him, the hot mass stretching the inside of his body. He pressed his face into the soft pillow as the other leant over him, focusing on the point of contact between them.

"Ah, I-it's-" Somber tried to get the words straight, but it was difficult..

"Breathe," Discord pressed a hand to Somber's cheek reassuringly, toying with his hair once more "You’re doing fine.."

Somber nodded, breathing rapidly as he endured the initial pain...

Discord murmured his lovers name over and over until he was finally fully inside him. The heat of Somber's body felt so damn good.

"Discord..." even his name sounded different, wonderful, spoken in Somber's voice.

Discord waited a few moments, hearing Somber's rapid breathing as he adjusted to the sensation. He leant down and nuzzled his lovers nose, Somber's eyes meeting his.

He pressed one of Somber's hands to his chest. Somber blinked, feeling how FAST Discord's heartbeat was.

"See what you do to me?" Discord chuckled gently, entangling Somber's fingers in his.

Somber shifted how he lay so he could kiss Discord. The small movement sent small jolts up his back, as he bore up against the unfamiliar sensation.

"Ready?" came the question. Somber nodded, and braced his feet on the rumpled sheets underneath him.

Somber's obvious trust felt almost overpowering to Discord. Like the trust Fluttershy had placed in him, only this was of a far more intimate, connected nature. It was so fundamentally vital, more so now than ever before. He wanted to make this first time the most amazing thing Somber's body had ever known.

Bracing his hands on the bed, he gently eased back before plunging deep into Somber once more. Hearing the raw, pleasured moan Somber uttered only made him want more. He met Somber's eyes again, and kissed his lips gently. Then he repeated the movement, relishing the sensation as he pushed against his lovers slick inner walls.

As he was poised on the verge of thrusting into him once more, Somber moved one hand to run it through Discord's hair, and whispered two words that made Discord desire him even more;

"Don’t stop...."

Discord nodded and kissed him on the forehead, before returning his attention to the lovemaking at hand.

Discord's movements were slow at first, pulling back then sinking into him once more with a languid rhythm, letting Somber get used to the sensation. But soon the rhythm picked up speed, matching the pace of both their breathing.

"I...ahh..." Somber fought to speak, this felt indescribably good, the residual pain having now dissolved into an intense pleasure unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

--Damn, he feels good...so good.-- Discord thought. The knowledge he was the first to bed Somber in this way sent a thrill down his spine, as he claimed his lovers body with every thrust, hearing Somber gasping his name.

"Somber...fuck, you’re amazing.." He moaned, feeling Somber bracing his body, pushing into each thrust, driving Discord wild.

--Mmm, yes, that’s it my love...right there...--

Somber could feel the pleasure intensifying, peaking. He held onto Discord tightly, gasping his name between cries. The sheets clung to his back, strands of hair plastered to his forehead by his own body’s heat.

--He's close, so very close....-- Discord listened as Somber's pleas for more picked up the pace, -- as am I. Let's really blow your mind my dear Somber--

With one final, passionate thrust he came. He closed his eyes, relishing just how good this felt, as the orgasm faded. He could feel Somber holding onto him tightly, felt his nails marking his back as intense shivers hit the man hard.

Somber clung to Discord, afraid he'd lose his mind if he let go, as the sensation of thick, heavy fluids coating his insides drove him over the peak.

The world seemed to blur at the edges as the cascade of pleasure finally released its grip on him. Somber slumped back onto the plush pillows, panting heavily. His body felt heavy, as if he had no strength left...

For a few moments the only noise was their respective breathing, fast and breathless.

"Somber...my dear Somber.." Discord said gently, his voice slightly hoarse.

He pulled out as gently as he could, kissing Somber's forehead in apology as the man uttered a faint whimper. He lay down beside Somber, pulling him into his arms.

"Discord..." Somber said dazedly, looking up at him. Discord kissed him passionately, stroking Somber's hair out of his eyes and tucking it behind his ears.

Somber flushed, but appeared to be getting sleepier with every second.

"Sleep well Somber, I’ll be here." Discord promised. Somber nodded, smiling as he was wrapped securely in Discord's arms.

A quick use of Discord's magic drew the bed-covers over the both of them, the heat from their lovemaking keeping them warm. Somber dozed off seconds later, and Discord stayed awake not much longer, but just long enough to admire the one he held.

Then he too dozed off...

Author's Note

HI.

Aftermath

Discord woke up with a brief sensation of cluelessness, what was different about this morning?

A muffled, sleepy sound drew his attention to the beds other occupant.

Discord rolled onto his side, propping his chin up on one hand and studying the one sharing his bed. The morning light filtered through the curtains, highlighting messy black hair, and a peaceful expression...

Somber.

Discord flashed back to the previous night and couldn't resist a contented grin. Oh, it’d been exquisite. Somber's fiery passion, the fireworks between the two of them.

--That's the real you...-- Discord thought, watching the snoozing Somber --that restricted, quiet you was a lie. This determined, stubborn man who wont let go once he's made his mind up, that's the guy that Cinch tried to destroy. You have the equestrian Sombra's determination and strength, but a kind heart.--

He was distracted from his musing by Somber stirring at last, uttering a restful sigh, as his eyes opened and slowly adjusted.

"Morning handsome." Discord said with an amused grin as he gently pinned Somber in place, nuzzling his collarbone.

"Mmh, h-hey.." Somber half spoke, half groaned as Discord caressed the scars on his chest with one hand.

"You look gorgeous in the morning." Discord teased as he at last relented, and moved in to kiss him softly. He tangled his fingers in the messy black hair as he did, tongue brushing Somber's lips.

They didn’t say a single word for a little while, content to just reaffirm the previous nights fireworks.

At last they pulled apart, both pretty out of breath.

"How are you feeling?" Discord asked, seeing how the early morning light made his lovers eyes sparkle. Somber smiled, shifting how he was lying so a familiar jolt ran up his spine.

"Ah, whoa-!" he blurted, face reddening at how idiotic he sounded, as the unfamiliar sensations jolted up his back. But it felt pretty good.

"I’m afraid you may feel a little sore for the rest of today," Discord chuckled, watching him "it feels a little strange at first."

Somber nodded, snuggling closer so as to kiss Discord "I’ve been known to adapt quickly." he responded, then went red again. Could he say anything without sounding like a moron?

Discord smirked knowingly, "oh I don’t doubt that of you Somber. And I intend to test that theory QUITE vigorously." he smirked, letting one hand come to rest on Somber's hip, toying with the edge of the bed covers draped over his lovers lower body. "And I might add, you were very energetic last night, I’m impressed."

Somber found out he could get even redder in the face at all the hidden subtexts in Discord's speech.

"I’m sorry, I cannot resist teasing you a little," Discord said, not looking or sounding remotely apologetic "But I’m not kidding when I say I want to keep you." He did look serious, Somber realised.

"I’m not planning on going anywhere." Somber told him honestly, and was rewarded with another kiss, and Discord’s hand sliding UNDER the blanket-

Sombra gave a contented sigh. This was the happiest he'd felt in so long. He could almost pretend that the whole fire hadn’t happened, and for now he was happy to do just that!

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP. They duo hesitated just as they were about to kiss again, thrown off by the noise...

Discord groaned, glaring at the phone by the bedside.

"Really? Already?" He sighed.

"Already what?" Somber asked, then realised "Oh, you-"

"Yup, time to get up for work." Discord sighed, sitting up and pulling Somber into his arms "I hate to leave you my dear Somber, but I’m scheduled today. Unless, if you don’t want to be alone?"

"I'll be alright, I don’t want you getting in trouble." Somber shifted so he could kiss him.

"Damnit, I just want to ravish you until you can barely move." Discord groaned, one hand moving from Somber's hip to slide over that nice, firm behind.

But he knew a second round would be asking a bit much.

"Best not to push you too far just yet my dear Somber." Discord kissed him once more, before reluctantly setting him down on the bed.

"Fancy a shower?" he asked. Somber smiled languidly saying he could wait, Discord had work to go to, after all.

With a parting kiss, Discord headed for the en-suite bathroom.

Somber tucked his legs under him, watching the sunlight gradually lightening the room. The bed covers were wrapped around his body, and he listened to Discord singing some off-beat song about....big butts?

He face-palmed and felt a laugh trying to escape from him. It was just so funny for some reason. Of all the bizarre things Discord had picked up on entering this world, it had be a ridiculous song-!

Then something occurred to him.

"Uh...Discord?" he called.

"Hmm?" came the others voice, muffled by the running water.

"What...what happened to my car?"

"Oh! Juuust a minute-!" Discord had completely forgotten to tell him. But to be honest, this was as much interest Somber had shown in his belongings since the fire, so he hadn’t brought it up, not wanting to push him.

He finished his shower, grabbing his towel and darting into the bedroom and over to a drawer in the desk that occupied the far corner.

"I had to move it so the police could get access, but I had the driver I hired bring it to the school. Under your permit, it can stay there as long as needed. Saved you having to pay for storage."

Somber sighed in relief.

"So you can pick it up any time you need to." Discord pulled out some paperwork and set it atop the desk, then started on getting dressed. "All your stuffs stored in the spare room here, so if you want to take a look, feel free.”

"Thanks.." Somber sighed in relief, staring at the crumpled bedsheets underneath him, drawing idle patterns with one hand as he spoke "Feels like I’ve been living in a fog the last few days...."

Discord finished getting dressed and sat down beside Somber, gently cradling his lover's face with his hands. He pressed his forehead to Somber's.

"You’ve nothing to apologise for, you’ve been through a lot, its understandable you felt like you didn’t want to face it, OK?"

Somber nodded, some of the worry disappearing from his face.

"Thank you.." He said sincerely, managing a smile.

"Good man.." Discord smiled "get dressed and I’ll make breakfast. How do you feel about waffles?"

Somber ambled around the kitchen, getting the dishes from whichever cupboard Discord had randomly opted to put them in after washing them. Discord watched him as stealthily as he could, noting the subtle change to the way he walked. It made him remember the previous night and he couldn’t help from smiling.

"Why don’t you learn to drive?" Somber asked, as they stood in the hallway by the front door.

"I wouldn’t know how. Plus, I’m half afraid of the damage I’d cause if I tried to steer one of those two-ton metal boxes!"

Somber rolled his eyes "well its got to be costing you a fortune paying these cab companies," he sighed "alright, I’ll teach you."

"Seriously? Isn’t that car of yours valuable?"

“It's a vintage model, yes" Somber said "but it'll be easier if you have some experience with cars and their inner workings before going to the test centres. There’s some fields near here, we can go there."

"You are a genius Somber!" Discord grinned widely, looking absurdly happy over such a small thing.

"Yes, well. It seems pointless to waste so much money." Somber grumbled, shrugging.

He was seized and kissed quickly. When Discord released him, he was slightly flushed.

Discord grinned, and Somber again admired his blunt manner of speaking, how easy it seemed to be for the most part, for him to say what was on his mind.

"If that thing shows up at the school again-" Somber began.

Discord nodded, letting him go "I have the proxy phone, I’ll call you if it picks anything up."

This seemed to reassure Somber somewhat, and he seemed almost back to his usual self when Discord's cab arrived and he left for the school.

Alone in Discord's house, Somber wandered aimlessly, before settling for taking a long bath, then curling up on the couch until mid afternoon.

He blushed as he recalled the prior night. Arguing with Discord, then Discord declaring he literally WANTED him. He'd never had anyone be that direct with him before. He'd been nervous as it was possible to be, sex was quite a big step forward after all. But it'd felt great...

He shifted his position on the couch, again feeling the obvious difference in his body. Discord hadn’t been kidding, he WAS still a bit sore after their passionate night. His last memory had been of him drifting asleep resting against Discord's chest, feeling worn out, but happy.

He looked up, catching his reflection in the TV screen. He was smiling subtly, in a way he hadn’t seen on his face in years.

--Discord, what did you do to me, hmm?-- he chuckled dryly.

But one thing was gnawing at the back of his mind. He walked upstairs and sat on the bed again, reading the paperwork Discord had left out.

The personal artefacts had been recovered by the police. The fire had done the most damage to the lower floor, guttering most of the library/main room, and significant damage to the kitchen and storage closet.

Upstairs, the damage was mostly smoke-related, with some of the stairs badly burnt.

Somber set down the police report and sighed. He'd have to deal with the insurance at some point, seemed it'd been deemed arson, he could easily claim it, but the idea felt too depressing, so he set it aside.

As he set the paperwork down, he noticed the bedsheets were stained with something-

He realised what it was and coughed, deciding to locate Discord's washing machine and clean things up.

Sadly, that activity only distracted him for so long. He needed to get his car back.

So he called a cab to take him to the school near the end of the afternoon. Final classes were in session so the car park was empty. he got to his car and got into it.

He smiled as he ran his hands over the vintage vehicle. He drove away from the school, and on auto pilot, headed for home.

He realised what he'd done as he was met with reflections of police tape, that this maybe was a bad idea. He sighed, made to drive away, then changed his mind.

He got out of the car, walking over to the tape. It'd fallen down in a few spots, the site declared a caution. But the reports basically said the police had done their job, now the house was considered unfit for habitation.

He stood there for what felt like an eternity, hesitating.

"How LONG is he gonna just stand there?" Rainbow Dash whispered.

"Ah dunno, but it aint polite ta stare." Applejack rolled her eyes.

"Its a mysteryyy~" Pinkie Pie sang softly. they were hiding behind a car, observing the history professor standing staring at this fire-damaged house.

"He’s going inside!" Rainbow Dash grabbed her friends arms. Sure enough, Somber ducked under the tape, and out of sight of the trio, got the door open.

Rainbow Dash darted across the road, followed by a curious Pinkie. And a despairing Applejack. She continued trying to convince her friends to stop invading the house, but it fell on deaf ears, so she resigned herself to following after them. Inside, the house was silent and reeked of smoke.

"Where'd he go?" Rainbow Dash whispered, not seeing anybody. Pinkie Pie pointed to the stairs. The crept up, stealthy as they could.

"He's gone?" Pinkie Pie whispered "I knew it, he's a ninja!"

"Don’t be silly Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash grumbled.

To their left was an open door. They stuck their head sin, but it was empty.

"Weird..." Applejack murmured. they stood in the empty room, a little uneasy.

"What are you doing here?" The voice scared the daylights out of the trio of girls, and they shrieked collectively, bumbling into each other before eventually righting themselves and backing up a few steps.

Somber stood in the doorway, arms folded, frowning.

"Uhh....there's a perfectly good reason..." Rainbow Dash began. Then stopped. Somber raised an eyebrow.

"You want it NOW?" Rainbow Dash joked after she failed to think up anything convincing.

"You shouldn't be here." Somber said, walking past them and over to the smoke and soot coated closet. Applejack notice he carried a messenger bag slung over one shoulder, which appeared to be holding a few oddly shaped objects.

"Whuh? Well...why're you here?" Rainbow Dash said, proud of her retort. Somber sighed, his back to the girls as he spoke.

"I live here...well, used to."

Three jaws hit the floor.

"Oh dear.." Applejack said softly.

"What in the world happened?" Pinkie Pie asked sadly.

"An intruder broke in, attacked me and at some point while I was unconscious, started a fire."

"OH. Shiiieett. Uh, sorry." Rainbow Dash felt like an idiot, she'd pretty much put her foot in it there.

"That's why you haven't been at school." Pinkie Pie realised. Somber nodded, looking at them out of the corner of his eye.

Setting his bag down he stood on tiptoes, feeling along the top of the closet for something he'd stashed up there a long time ago.

The girls watched as he grunted in annoyance, before finally succeeding in taking down a shoebox.

"What's that?" Rainbow asked, curiosity winning out.

Somber set it down on the bed, opening the sodden box. With a visible look of relief he lifted what looked at first glance to be a blanket. Then it unfolded, fanning out to reveal it was a flag bearing the Crystal Prep emblem.

"Wait- why have you got a Crystal Prep flag?" Rainbow Dash objected, frowning.

"I worked there, once upon a time. This is one of the few reminders I have."

"Oh." Pinkie Pie stared at the flag, noting how distant Somber's expression was "isn’t Canterlot so much nicer though?" she said brightly, smiling.

Somber smiled very weakly before folding the flag back up and placing it in the messenger bag.

"I’m glad it survived at least.." he said heavily, slinging the bag back over his shoulder "not much DID."

"Ahm sorry ta hear 'bout this.." Applejack indicated the room "did the police catch tha guy?"

Somber shook his head. He couldn’t tell them it'd been a monster from a parallel world.

The three could see how depressed their teacher seemed. He looked tired too, like he hadn’t slept in days.

Somber shook himself out of his daze, thinking he shouldn’t be encouraging them to hang around a potentially dangerous house.

"Lets get out of here, it's not safe. I shouldn’t even be here, I just wanted to see if anything survived the blaze. Go on, shoo.." he ushered them towards the stairs.

Once they were safely outside, he locked the door again. He let one hand rest heavily on the door, feeling another jab to his heart. He'd miss his house, he'd grown up in it, after all. Passed down to him by his parents when they moved overseas, he'd made a comfortable home here...

He walked over to the car, which caught Rainbow's attention.

"Hey, is that a classic v-series?" she asked, eyebrows raised. Somber blinked, then realised what she was saying. he nodded,.

"I've had it for as long as I’ve been teaching," he mused.

"Pretty sweet.." Rainbow Dash nodded "I've seen these on TV, they're pretty expensive!"

"I got it cheap back then," Somber said, then "if you three need lifts, I can drive you."

“Really?" Rainbow eyed the car "awesome!"

So he ended up dropping all three off at Applejack's, where Pinkie said they were having a party.

"Thanks Prof, see ya back in school!" Rainbow Dash said as she hopped out.

They watched him drive away, ruminating on what he had told them.

"He's pretty bummed out," Pinkie Pie said, sighing "its so mean, someone burnt the house down!"

"Ah was wondering why he suddenly vanished, but ah figured he was sick or somethin'!" Applejack added as they trekked inside.

"I thought he was a grouch, but he's not al bad. Hope they catch the jerk that did it." Rainbow muttered.

Discord was at home when Somber arrived back.

"Where you get to?" he asked, curious "did you get your car?"

“Yes, it's in the driveway," Somber nodded "and I ended up at the house."

"Are you OK?" Discord asked, hearing the weight in Somber's voice.

Somber nodded.

"It was a bit of a shock, seeing it all blackened and damaged," he sighed, setting his bag down "but I did find a few more things, including my old Crystal Prep flag."

Discord nodded, and wrapped his arms around him, staring at the objects Somber was taking out of the bag. Then he sneezed subtly, making Somber jump.

"What are you doing?" he wheezed, eye-balling Discord.

"Sorry, your hair smells like soot, and extinguisher." Discord sneezed again. Somber laughed, shaking his head as Discord went in search of a tissue.

"I'm going to get a shower.." Somber sniffed his hair and realised it did smell like soot.

He returned a half hour later, hair freshly washed. He and Discord opted to lounge on the couch in the main room, watching TV before dinnertime.

At one point Discord gave a theatrical sigh and flopped over so his head was in Somber's lap, then shifted onto his back to peer up at the man’s bewildered face.

Somber blinked down at him. This was new. But, he found he didn’t mind the contact, the warmth.

"Alright, what’s eating YOU?" he asked after several seconds of silence.

Discord gave a childish sigh "I wasn’t able to find a single sign of that thing today. It's bothering me!"

"It found Elpis and I, somehow." Somber sighed. They fell silent, with Somber absently toying with strands of Discord's hair, as he tried to puzzle out the attack.

"Maybe it traced your magic?" Was Discord's theory.

"If that's the case, why hasn't it come here? You have magic out the proverbial wazoo!"

"That I do," Discord chuckled at Somber's choice of words "but I also set some spells around this house, stuff I used back in the equestrian world. Seems adequate enough here. Chances are it's not picking up any signals here, at least not at present. If its able to gain any further power we may be stuck."

On screen, the movie they were watching was currently showing a raging fire, with fire crews trying to put it out. Discord had offered to change the channel, but Somber had shaken his head, saying avoiding anything that reminded him of what’d happened wouldn’t help him.

Somber's mind wandered back to the hydra, and the myth surrounding it.

"Fire!" He blurted. Discord looked up at him, a little concerned.

"Is something the matter?" he asked. "It IS alright to say so, if you want to watch something else? Goodness me, your laps so comfy..."

"No, I mean..what?" Somber shook his head, tilting his head to peer at the one lying their head in his lap. He studied Discord's blissed out expression and sighed "that thing looked like a hydra, remember?"

"Yes, I recall you mentioning it in the hospital, what about it?"

"Well..in the original legend, every time the hero chopped a hydra's head off, it grew back, and grew MORE! So-" as he spoke, his voice became more like it was before, animated, excited. He really knew his stuff. Somber continued to toy with Discord's hair as he rambled, tangling it around his fingers. It actually felt rather nice...

Discord snapped at his attention span to buck up and tuned back into Somber's voice.

"-And in the end, he cauterized the heads, stopping them from growing back!"

"Soo...you need to kill it with fire?" Discord summed it up. Somber gave him a sarcastic sigh.

"Yes, kill it with fire." he dead-panned. Discord chuckled, reaching up to poke Somber's nose.

"Forgive me, my precocious Somber, I fear your knowledge is far beyond mine, I cant keep up!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Somber snorted, but he did lean in close enough so they could share a brief kiss.

Discord once more marvelled at the pleasure just a kiss from this specific person could do. No human he'd dated in the early days had made him go this crazy over them. Most the time, he'd gotten bored rather rapidly. A shag or two, then they inevitably drifted apart. But Somber, there was something else about him. Something he needed, and that he wanted, BADLY.

He at last let Somber go so the man could sit back up, leaning forward like that had to be awkward on his back.

He then sat up so he could also give his lovers lap a rest, and asked was he OK? Somber was staring at the screen, seeing the scene had switched away from the fire fighting, some of the unease faded from his eyes.

Discord sighed, and decided his Somber needed an intervention. He hadn’t shown any strong emotion since the fire, save for their blissful night together, when he'd seemed almost lost in the happiness their sensual dance brought him. He could see the tension still populating Somber's thoughts, could see him diving into everything he could in order to drown it out.

Somber was surprised when Discord pulled him onto his lap. He shifted so he was straddling Discord's lap, otherwise he'd fall. Discord's hands cinched at his waist, keeping him close. Somber blushed, recalling the last night.

"As tempting as you are to me Somber, sex isn't what's on my mind right now." Discord said softly.

"Really? I must say I’m shocked! From what I've been able to glean, you’re made up of 90% Innuendoium!" Somber snickered, expecting Discord to drop the façade. But although a faint smile did cross his face, Discord didn't rise to the bait. Somber's own smile faltered, replaced by a worrying fear.

"What?" he asked.

"How are you feeling?" Seeing Somber open his mouth "-and I’m not talking about the outer or inner-physical state of that gorgeous body, I mean up here." He tapped Somber's forehead lightly with one hand, seeing the professors expression shift to one of bewilderment.

"I'm fine, I told you." Somber shook his head, confused.

"Somber, don't hide." Discord's voice pierced Somber's core, made him flinch guiltily. He broke his gaze, staring at the pattern on the arm of the couch just a foot away. Discord's hand came to rest on his cheek, titling Somber's gaze back to meet his.

"I'm worried about you, Somber. Your little outburst on the couch showed me just how much you're still suppressing. So c'mon." he locked his hands around Somber's waist again, feeling the heat of him even through the clothing he wore.

"I'm fine Discord." Somber smiled weakly. His heart felt like it was being tied in chains inside his chest, he hated lying to him, but he couldn't talk about what'd happened. He just wasn't ready. The last 24 hours had been a haven from the darkness created by the arson and nightmares, and he wasn't willing to relinquish that safety just yet.

So he closed the distance between them, putting everything he so badly wished he could say into a single kiss. It was a bittersweet feeling, and he felt the guilt take further root, but it was alleviated by Discord returning the kiss, one hand moving to gently rub Somber's back. At last he let the kiss end, and looked at Discord.

"There’s nothing to worry about. Yes, visiting the house was a bad idea, but I had to go back eventually. I guess I just wanted it out of the way was all." Somber explained.

Discord studied him a moment, then nodded. He could see something was still bothering Somber, but he didn't want to drive him away by pushing too hard. So, even though it concerned him to do it, he let the issue drop.

"Alright my dear Somber," Discord kissed him softly, seeing Somber relax a little. "Just making sure you're OK, its been a tough week for you."

"I'll survive." Somber assured him.

"I don’t doubt that, you’re stronger then I first guessed, so much stronger..." Discord had to admit he'd misjudged Somber. He'd turned out to have a hidden strength that had saved their asses well, so far.

His stomach gurgled, and he chuckled, poking Somber in the stomach as well.

"Dinner?" asked, and the other nodded.

Somber reluctantly slithered off Discord’s lap, he'd really gotten rather comfortable, and drifted into the kitchen. Discord had offered to try teaching him to cook, and he was curious to see what random dish Discord would whip up tonight.

"I really admire the variety of food here!" Discord mentioned as they worked "such variety, compared to back home!"

"Got a favourite fast food?" Somber asked "cant live around Canterlot without latching onto one!"

"I would say the Pizza. Even plain they’re simply delicious, although I am partial to the vegetable ones!" he looked over at Somber, who was following his instructions and stirring the pot on the stove "what of you? Given you're skinny as a bean pole, I’d be surprised if you eat fast food!"

"Oh I do, just not as often as I’d like!" Somber chuckled "Fried chicken as far as I’m concerned. Dreadfully unhealthy, but when I cant be arsed to cook..." he shrugged guiltily.

Discord nodded, imagining Somber must metabolize like a furnace if this was true!

Dinner over with, Somber headed towards the stairs to go to bed, expecting Discord would follow. So he was surprised when the other just flopped down on the couch and yawned.

"You’re sleeping on the couch?" Somber asked, puzzled.

"Well, yes?" Discord looked confused "It would be somewhat presumptuous of me to kick you outta bed, and after everything you’ve endured, sticking you on the couch seems unfair-"

"Really?" Somber leaned over the couch, elbows resting on the back.

"What?" Discord asked, seeing Somber's amused expression.

"You carry me up to that same bed, make me feel like I'm going the best kind of crazy. Then run off the next night?" He flushed a little as he said this.

"I'd give your body time to adjust my precious Somber-" Discord reached a hand up and tapped his lovers nose lightly.

Somber rolled his eyes as Discord's arm flopped back onto his stomach "I'm adjusting just FINE, you ass. Just because its a bed, doesn’t mean its only for sleeping together...well, it could just be for sleeping...."

"Together?" Discord finished.

"Exactly. But in the other sense of the term, you know?"

"I only know the one!" Discord shot back, grinning at the innuendo. Somber rolled his eyes in despair.

"You’re hopeless. Do I have to teach you about semantics too?"

"If it means getting to stay in bed with you, teach away!" Discord said, eyebrows raised. Somber shook his head, turned and walked towards the door. Discord thought he'd annoyed him into leaving, then he heard Somber's almost haughty tone asking:

"Well? Are you coming?"

"I will be if you keep THAT up.." Discord murmured under his breath.

"Hm?" Somber turned to look at him as the grinning Discord vaulted the couch and strode confidently over.

"Nothing my silly Somber." Discord kissed his cheek gently, smiling innocently. Somber raised an eyebrow as if he wasn’t buying it, but didn't say anything.

Discord stealthily admired his bed partners body as Somber changed, studying the scars Somber had gained since this had all started.

"Didn't you get a good look at everything last night?" Somber asked, turning and seeing Discord studying him.

"Oh I did, just indulging myself~" Discord grinned. Somber shook his head, but that increasingly irrepressible smile was back.

And thus they fell asleep as close as the previous night, after idly talking about what little plans they had for dealing with the second demonic ghost.

Author's Note

:pinkiehappy:

On The Hunt

The next day Somber was back to work. He'd had enough rest at the hospital, and in the previous days. He was bored rigid, and had begged to be allowed to go back to work. Celestia had agreed, adding if he felt unwell he was to come to her or Luna. As one of Canterlot High's teachers, she was concerned for his well-being and so on, Somber got the gist of it, and thanked her for her concern.

"See you later.." Discord smiled as they got out of the car and walked towards the school. Somber nodded, and they went their separate ways. Discord had given him a new phone, identical to his old one...

Somber noticed all the students seemed even more amped up then usual as he walked the halls. He recalled Cinch's visit, and realised the "friendship games" started soon. All over the school posters were displaying the types of events, and lists were up for those who wanted to join different teams.

The teachers he met along the way asked how he was doing, offering sympathy for what’d happened. Somber found their kindness didn’t grate at him like it once had, and he actually thanked them for asking, managing to sound a lot less gruff then he usually did.

His class were lined up outside his classroom, with Rainbow Dash kicking her ball from foot to foot. He told her to put it away and she groaned, but did as she was told.

Then she realised who it was, and did a double take.

"Yer back, Professor!" Applejack greeted him "we weren't expectin' ya."

"Well, the hospital cleared me days ago, I was tired of sitting around." Somber said absently as he held the door open for the kids to file in. The class had heard from the trio Somber had caught sneaking around the burnt house, that their history teacher had been the victim of a bungled burglary. It explained why he'd suddenly vanished, being replaced by a substitute teacher for the last few days.

As he was taking the register, he noticed many kids reading the flyers about the games, seen Rainbow Dash poring over a book on soccer.

"Don’t tell me," Somber remarked as the last kid confirmed their attendance "your heads are full of nothing but these "games"?"

"Yep!" Pinkie waved from the back of the class where she liked to hide so she could rummage in her bag for party supplies and sweets without being seen as easily. “There so many awesome events and-”

Somber rolled his eyes "Yes, I’m familiar with the set-up."

"Do you remember it from when you were at Crystal Prep?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously. The whole class stared first at her, then Somber, who'd gone silent.

Whispers raced around the class. Somber had taught at Crystal Prep?

"That was a long time ago, I left when the school came under new management." Somber said, sounding flustered for a moment.

"You mean that snooty lady we seen talking to Principal Celestia?" Pinkie piped up. Somber just barely suppressed a snort of laughter, instead shifting it into a cough and looking sternly at Pinkie Pie.

"That's no way to talk about a teacher miss Pie, might I remind you we have a duty to show this school has a sense of decorum."

"Is that like that stuff you spray on your underarms?" Pinkie frowned.

"That's deodorant, darling." Rarity shook her head.

"Oh.." Pinkie grinned sheepishly at Somber "okie-dokie-lokie professor!"

Somber sighed, Pinkie was an oddball. She was clever, scoring pretty good on his classes so far, but boy was she absent minded. She'd pull out shebert sticks instead of pencils, and stash her homework in with her supply of balloons and whatnots.

Later on, as his students were absorbed in their test papers, his phone buzzed. For a moment, his stomach tensed, until he recalled he'd set it on silent for messages and calls also. The buzz turned to be from Discord.

[ Thinking of you. That's as far as I’m saying, I don't think id fit it all in this message =D ]

Somber face-palmed on instinct as this message sunk in.

[ Concentrate on your class you dolt! ] he reprimanded him, before locking the phone.

Pinkie finished the question she'd been working on, and looked up from her paper in time to see Somber read his phone screen, and face-palm. Seeing the smartly-dressed, formerly strict and old-fashioned Somber doing such a thing made her want to giggle, especially the look he gave the phone. Whoever sent that message was important, in a good way. She could tell from the barest flicker of a smile that crossed the teachers face.

Pinkie liked to think she was an expert of smiles!

A few minutes later, Somber felt the phone buzz softly by his hand. He rolled his eyes and picked it up, intending to switch it off. Discord's descriptions of what he was daydreaming were hardly appropriate- then eh seen the app on the screen. his stomach sank, this wasn’t good! It was Discord's early warning app.

He stared in shock, hoping he was imagining things-

FWOOMPF.

There was an explosion outside the window. Everybody in class piled up against the windows, faces pressed to the glass within seconds. A shed used to store the groundskeepers tools was up in flames, smoke rising thickly.

"Get back to your desks!" Somber ordered as he strode over. He seen the raging flames and felt a familiar rush across his skin. He clenched his hands tightly, pushing the sensation away.

He felt a familiar burning sensation against his chest and pulled the sword necklace free. The thing was glowing faintly, then it faded. He stuffed it back in his shirt, grateful the students were still rubbernecking and hadn't noticed him.

He seen something darting away, vanishing into the trees, and the sensation faded. He needed to talk to Discord.

"Get back to your desks!" He ordered once more, ignoring their groans. Another glance outside showed Lightshield and several others with fire extinguishers, and someone else on the phone, no doubt calling the fire service.

"I have to make a phone call, all of you get back to your work. Or if that fails, let that cavalcade of nonsense Miss Pie has in her bag amuse you!" he'd gone off on that tangent on seeing Pinkie dump her bag on the desk, streamers spilling out.

He grabbed the phone and ran out the door, hearing it click shut behind him.

"Is it me...?" Rainbow Dash asked in the hubbub that followed "or is he acting weird since he came back?"

"He seems a tad fidgety, but he's had a rough time, I’m sure he'll be back ta normal soon." Applejack shrugged.

"Party!" Pinkie Pie threw confetti in the air, and Rarity sighed, picking bits out of her hair.

Soon as he found an empty hall, Somber rang Discord.

"Hello hands-"

"Not now, we have a problem!" somber blurted.

"Yes, I heard the explosion, my phone did pick up, but didn't show exactly where it was. Felt it however, very disturbing."

"It was the sports shed, just outside my classroom window."

"Hmm...This things really gunning for you..."

"When it attacked the house," Somber sighed, made himself calm down a little "It seemed to want revenge for the destruction of the other one. That and I stabbed it in one of its eyes."

"That’s generally enough to make a crazy thing mad." Discord agreed "can you sense it? Did you-?"

"I got that same feeling, yes..." Somber shook his head uneasily.

"Alright, stay calm. Can you sense it now?"

"No, it disappeared not long after." Somber shook his head.

On the other end of the phone, Discord frowned, tapping a pen against his desk.

"Once classes are over, we'll drive around, see if we can ferret it out." He said at last.

"Alright, I’ll see you then." Somber was abotu to hang up when Discord added;

"Take care, Somber." there was so much said in three words, it made Somber pause, and smile softly.

"Of course." he said in response, before cutting the call. He caught sight of his reflection in the display case across from him, and seen he was smiling in a way he hadn’t seen himself do in a long time. He shook his head, telling himself to get a grip.

--Seriously Discord, what did you do to me?-- he sighed, shaking his head in mild despair.

The rest of that day passed fairly uneventfully, although Somber found it hard to concentrate. He met Discord at lunch, but with the room being full, they had no privacy to discuss the hunting of the shadows, so they ended up not saying a whole lot.

Somber stared out the window as the shops rushed by, drumming his hands on the steering wheel.

"Anything?" he asked. Discord shook his head. Somber sighed, looking down at the fuel gauge.

"Well, time to stop off..." he pulled into the nearest service station. Discord wandered into the shop to get something to drink while Somber held a staring contest with the fuel pump. He found himself humming the anthem for Crystal Prep, and stopped a few seconds later. He didn’t want to think about his old school any more. Seeing Cinch had been traumatic enough. As well as that obviously unhappy student, what had she said her name was? Twilight something?

He went into the convenience shop to pay the bill, and found Discord waiting, a bag held idly in one hand.

"Out of curiosity.." Somber asked as they headed across to the car "in your world, was there a girl named Twilight something?"

"Twilight Sparkle?" Discord finished.

Somber nodded "that’s the one."

"Yeah, she's a Princess, has a big castle in Ponyville. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I ran into a girl by that name during Cinch’s little tour of Canterlot, seems she brought a small platoon of them with her. She bumped into me, seemed interested in the books I was carrying."

"That’s Twilight, always a bookworm.." Discord smiled absently at the memory "So she attends Crystal Prep here?"

"Seems that way," Somber fumble din his pocket for his keys as he thought back to the encounter "but...she seemed utterly miserable. It seems Cinch hasn’t laid off on the students. If this is what she’s doing to the shyer, quieter ones..."

"Its a bit troubling, I’ll admit.." Discord shook his head "I don’t know what we can do though."

"I don’t think there is anything. Sanity only knows how to unseat a tyrant like Cinch."

As he reached for the door handle, Somber felt a shiver run up his back. He halted, one hand resting atop the roof of the car.

"Somber-?" Discord looked at him, then both felt the phones buzz in their respective pockets.

"Lets go!"

They piled into the car, Somber drove off as fast as the speed limit allowed, that feeling sending prickles across his skin. He bit his lip, feeling his face flush at how strange the sensation made him feel.

Discord wondered was he OK, then recalled how sensitive Somber was, and realised the magic was messing with him a little. He wished he could do something, but any spells he had required Somber to let go of the wheel with at least one hand, and he'd soon realised cars required their drivers to be very careful.

"You alright? Can we go any faster?" Discord queried. Somber shook his head.

"It's fine, I’m fine. And not unless we want to get arrested!"

"Ah yes, I keep forgetting about this worlds guards, these "police". I dare say they'll get cross and slam us in whatever passes for a dungeon here."

"Its called a jail, but you’re right. We cant afford to set them off." Somber felt the sensation begin to fade and sighed in relief, then realised that meant they were losing the thing and took a guess at which junction to take, feeling the sensation intensify as they drove.

"I think," he guessed "that its just recently fed, however it does that. It feels more...noticeable."

They were deep in the industrial area, just bordering the west side of Canterlot. here it was all warehouses and industrial estates selling wholesale goods. Past those, there were some fields, earmarked for further construction. Somber looked around as he pulled the car over by the side of a grassy verge.

"Looks deserted." Discord murmured.

"This used to be a big farm, but recently the owners cashed out and moved to Manhattan." Somber remembered the story in the papers, local businesses had been dealt quite a blow. The biggest farm left was Sweet Apple acres, which was the home of one of his students, Applejack.

"Look!" Discord pointed to an old storage building, made of corrugated steel, somehow still standing even as the rest of the farm seemed to have been left to fall apart. Locking the car, Somber set off through the fields, batting the overgrown grass out of the way.

The phones buzzed again as they got close, and Somber motioned Discord to shut them off, they needed to sneak up on this thing.

They crept in through a broken metal panel. inside, the old building was dusty and humid. also very dark. Somber held his breath, his pulse pounding. they waited as their eyes adjusted to the dark...

"Its here.." Somber whispered.

"Oh that I am, little pest!" a voice hissed. Discord grabbed Somber's sleeve and tugged him forward, sending them both stumbling into the centre of the dusty storage shed. Light filtered in through a few busted panels in the roof, making this area a little easier to see.

Discord stared in shock as a three headed monstrosity stepped out of the shadows. As Somber had described, it was missing an eye, and it looked PISSED. It’d gotten much bigger, Somber noted to his horror. When it'd attacked him, it hadn’t towered over him by much, maybe a few feet. Now it was well over two times that, if not more.

"I'll rip these weak bodies of yours apart, and roast your world." it grinned on all three heads as it regarded the two. Then it zeroed in on Somber, snarling furiously.

"And you, oh how I’ll make YOU suffer, wretch. You'll wish id killed you that first night. You have power, raw power, but you’re too weak and short-sighted to realise it!"

Somber moved a hand up to the necklace, feeling it burning his skin.

With a blur of movement, it lunged, forcing the two to scatter in opposite directions. Somber felt the swords reassuring weight as it materialised in its full form. The blade gleamed a soft red, and he felt the power thrumming through him.

He dodged again as one head snapped at him, hearing the snap of its teeth as it missed. Spotting a ladder he all but jumped up it, scrabbling for purchase as he reached the final rung. The temperature was already getting hotter, and he wiped sweat from his eyes and looked around. There!

Somber ran for the pulley as he sensed the thing breathing down his neck. Still suspended in a worn net was some metal scrap, abandoned when the farms owners had left. he lunged for the rope, slamming the blade into it. the rope snapped clean, sending the net and its sharp pointy cargo shearing downwards onto the things main body. The heads retracted, screaming in rage. Looking down Somber seen a dark oily blood leaking from its sides, like oil in water.

--So, you can be hurt!-- he thought triumphantly.

But his triumph was cut short as he heard a cry of pain from below. He stopped in his tracks, concern stabbing his gut. He seen Discord, unconscious, slumped by the end of the far wall. The Hydra was stamping over towards him, and Somber knew he couldn’t let him get hurt.

"Hey, you want a fight you piece of trash?!" He yelled, clutching the sword tightly in his right hand. It stopped, the heads turning to fix on him.

"Lets kill him.." one head whispered.

"Yes, a tasty meal before we kill this troublemaker." leaving Discord, the Hydra charged towards Somber. He ducked and ran along the dented platform serving as a second floor of sorts. With a resounding clang, a clawed paw short out and impacted the metal sheeting ahead of him. He skidded to a halt, attempting to backtrack, but the other arm soon prevented his escape. He backed up, feeling the metal pressing into his back as he confronted all three heads.

"I’m going to tear yours eyes out, seems only fair.." the one-eyed hydra head smirked, teeth glittering "then you'll never see your precious mate again. but rest assured we'll eat him too. You can sit and listen!"

They cackled together as they detailed their revenge on this creature. To their eyes he shone brightly, bearing the element of hope, their jailer in that infernal prison!

Somber's mind did register it was referring to Discord, although the terminology was a bit off.

"Yesss, we can smell him on you. You creatures are so primal, always showing off to attract a better mate."

"You really have no idea, do you?" Somber spat.

"Your world is food for us," The middle head laughed "why should we care?"

"Because.." Somber glared "this world is protected!"

"By two pathetic roaches? Hardly a threat!" One of the paws moved swiftly, and Somber felt the air being driven from his lungs as the claw pinned him in place. The sword dropped to the flooring, shifting back into the necklace form. The hydra somehow scooped it up with the other paw, staring at the necklace.

"So, what now, wretch? You’re powerless!"

Somber closed his eyes, he could feel the link to Elpis, feel it crying out to him, to reunite them.

This monsters little comment about him having raw power flitted through his mind as it cackled, the one missing an eye leaning in closer, sharp fangs extended towards Somber's face.

--Please...I don't want to die..-- he begged, and another thought --this thing took away my home, nearly killed me, and he hurt Discord. This thing has to be STOPPED!--

The head preparing to torture the pathetic little human it was pinning in place, suddenly stopped as it felt a burning sensation in its paw. All three heads turned to look at the paw holding Elpis. It was shining brightly.

As they watched, a beam of red light lanced out, shades of purple and green bubbling around it. It shot towards their captive, hitting his heart. Bright light obliterated him from their sight, and the force of the light left them no choice but to let go of their prey. In the commotion they let go of Elpis, and it flew back to its bearer.

The light faded, and Somber stood tall, sword gripped in his hands. But it'd changed, carved markings running along the blade now. His eyes, once a deep red, now shone with a pale green light.

"You.." Somber glared at the hydra, which was looking more uncertain now.

"What..?" it hissed in unison, how had this thing changed?

Somber ran froward, leaping off the walkway, sword slicing at its middle head. A gaping tear opened across its face, and Somber hit the stone ground, smirking as it stumbled back. he shut his eyes, revelling in finally having the power to take this thing apart.

He sensed it preparing to blast him with its fire, and even as the flame raced towards him, he didn’t move. Then he abruptly swung the sword up, knocking the ball of flame aside where it hit upon a dusty pile of wooden pallets and set them ablaze.

It quickly spread, but the flames weren’t the same. When they touched Somber's sword, they’d absorbed some of HIS power. So now they began to slowly shift towards green at their edges. Wary, the Hydra hissed, backing up.

Somber lunged for it once more, the sword aimed at its barrel of a body. It decided this was too risky, and all three heads nodded in unison before compacting into a snake-like form, and darting away, breaking heat-seared panels away as it escaped. Somber lunged after it, but a coil of black vine wound around his body, catching him in place. Rapidly the vine divided into more, wrapping around his arms, pinning them to his sides, trying to pull the sword from his grasp.

"Coward!" Somber laughed, yet furious at having his long deserved revenge taken from him.

Then a voice pierced the haze. Around him the flames were suddenly doused by another's magic, the air smelling of smoke.

"Somber....?"

Discord stared in shock as he regained consciousness in time to see the explosion of light. He watched as his previously docile Somber became a thing of fury and vengeance, striking the creature a painful blow.

It retreated, not wanting to risk what it had against this altered opponent. Somber yelled something, fury and elation warring in his voice. Discord looked from the green-tinted fire to the faint gleam in Somber's eyes, and was both dumbstruck and worried.

This was another similarity between this Somber and the equestrian Sombra. Their magic. What Somber was showing now bore a strange resemblance to dark magic from his world. Although he still sensed a purity within it, Elpis light. The light Somber was losing after all he'd endured..

He spoke his lovers name and the man he'd spent a glorious night in bed with, slowly turned that gaze on HIM, frowning.

"Why did you stop me?" he asked, sounding hurt.

"You’re advancing too fast my dear Somber..." Discord said softly "That thing was right, you DO have a talent for magic here. But right now you’re in danger!"

He could sense Somber's power simmering beneath a thin veneer of

"From what? Having my revenge on the thing that took my home, my library?!" Somber's furious vice echoed off the walls, the bitterness and sadness over his loss finally bubbling up. Discord understood now, this was what he'd attempted to get out of Somber the night before on the couch. But Somber hadn’t been able to face it, Discord had seen the pain in his eyes, so he'd let it go. Now that was no longer an option.

"Your in danger from YOURSELF." Discord said sharply. Somber stared at him, something creeping into his eyes. regret. Discord pressed it, hating to hurt him, but it was the only way.

"Right now you feel powerful, but if you let that anger overwhelm you, you'll lose what makes you so special. What Elpis came to you for."

"And what’s THAT?!" Somber yelled, a hint of desperation in his voice.

"Your strength, your decency. That strength that got you this far. Not anger, not this. This isn’t who you are, Somber."

Somber refused to meet his gaze, torn between the anger still stewing inside and the realisation his partner was right.

"Trust me, please..." Discord pleaded as he reached up and brushed a hand over Somber's cheek. Somber made a frantic sound, on the verge of giving in to Discord, but one thing remained.

"It took everything from me...why shouldn’t I rip it to pieces?" he whispered.

"We will stop it, but blind fury and vengeance will take you down with them. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose you Somber." Discord said fiercely.

Somber stared at him, hearing the passion in Discord's tone, seeing the way he looked at him. something in his eyes sent a warm flush of heat through Somber's body. He bit his lip, recognising the familiar sensation...

"That it.." Discord stepped even closer and kissed him, his hand moving to the base of Somber's neck. He heard Somber utter a soft moan as he continued to kiss him, and hoped this would be enough to break the hold Somber's magic-infused fury held over him. He kissed Somber's neck, whispering;

"You trusted me to make love to you that night, trust me again, now..."

Somber seemed to hesitate, then a lot of the tension seemed to leave his body.

"Discord...?" When Somber spoke next, his voice sounded like it used to. Looking into his eyes, Discord seen they were back to their usual deep red. No trace of the anger that’d filled them minutes ago...

There was a clatter as the sword was let go from Somber's grip.

"Good man..." Discord whispered, kissing him lightly. He seen Somber looking on the verge of crying, and frowned worriedly.

Somber fought to keep the feelings from overwhelming him, and was surprised by Discord wrapping his arms around him, letting Somber rest his head on his shoulder. He was in too much shock to clock on he was tied up, the vines hold wasn’t painful.

"Its alright.." Discord promised "just let it all out, then it wont hurt so much..."

Somber hiccuped, and Discord felt him shiver, then the damn broke. The stress, fear and fading adrenaline all combined together, fighting for escape. Emotions held in place since the night of the fire, only eased by the kindness his lover had given him, ran rampant now.

The desperate, lost cries his dear Somber made were gut-wrenching, but at least he was finally acknowledging what he'd endured. It still worried Discord to listen to the cries of grief and loss nonetheless.

He didn’t say anything, what could he tell him? So he just settle for gently rubbing his back, the spots where the vines didn’t cover anyway. Somber didn’t seem to notice his restraint, he seemed content wrapped in Discord's arms.

Eventually, Somber's hiccups slowed, and he sniffled. Discord brushed away any lingering tears, using the cuff of his shirt to dry them.

"Better?" He asked. Somber nodded mutely. He felt so foolish..

"Hay, no.." Discord poked his nose gently "you've nothing to feel guilty about, Somber."

"Not even going crazy?" Somber asked, face flushed. Discord chuckled.

"Not even that, it's over now." he assured him.

Somber nodded, then something sunk in "Ah, w-what's with this?" He looked down at the vines currently restraining him "I didn’t think THIS was your thing.."

Discord chuckled "I'm sorry about this. I had to stop you from chasing that thing, and the plunder vines were the first thing I thought of!"

"Plunder?" Somber blushed hotly "any reason you named them that?"

"I swear I’m rubbing off on you, that's quite the innuendo!" Discord chuckled "no, it's nothing sexual, they just ran rampant, caused some mess awhile back.."

"I see." Somber blushed, he felt weird, a mix of the after-effect of the adrenaline and something else.

Discord studied his flustered captive.

"Ah, I think I see what’s happened.." he murmured "your magic has, shall we say "awoken". Quite an exhilarating feeling, no?"

Somber squirmed "I’m not sure that’s the word I’m looking for. C-can you get me out of this?"

Discord kissed him, one hand straying to Somber's waist, and he smirked as his theory was confirmed…

Interlude 2: Overload

"Hm, I can. But first I think we need to get you OFF, my dear Somber."

"W-what?" Somber flushed, a mix of embarrassment and need fighting for dominance in his expression.

"I can feel how eager you are my dear Somber..." Discord nipped at his neck, and Somber squirmed.

Discord heard the half-muted moan of obvious pleasure and knew he'd hit a nerve. Without needing to look he unbuckled Somber's belt, and even as Somber tried to say he was fine, slid his lovers clothing down off his hips. Somber gasped as the chill afternoon air brushed across bare skin.

"This will make you feel a lot less tightly wound, my dear Somber~" Discord grinned to himself as he stepped back and knelt down.

"What do you- ah~!" Somber bit his lip as a new sensation was introduced to him. That first night they’d made love, Discord had gone over his whole body. Now he was focusing his attentions on one part...

The sensation was good, Somber couldn’t deny it. He squirmed as he felt Discord's attentions pick up the pace.

The squirming and moaning only spurred Discord on, as he ceased merely running his tongue over his lovers member, and began with the tip.

Then sensation of his lovers mouth wrapped around him sent a jolt of electricity up Somber's spine, and he didn't bother trying to muffle the low moan of desire that escaped him.

This was amplified as his lovers tongue swirled and teased him.

"Mmh....that's....Y-yes..." Somber tried to talk sense, but it was an impossible task right that second. But he didn’t need to speak for Discord to understand what his lover was begging for. Without breaking stride, he took him in entirely.

"D-Discord...ahh.." Somber was barely able to focus, so overwhelming was the sensation of what Discord was doing.

And sweet merciful sanity he was good at it. Somber had thought of Discord as being a silver tongued charmer, able to talk his way in and out of anything. Now he was learning just what his lovers tongue could DO. And it was frankly amazing...

Discord moved his hands to Somber's hips so he could ravish him even further, holding him still in the process. The vines still kept him captive, but now Discord had him at HIS mercy.

He ceased what he was doing and sat back. Hearing Somber uttering a desperate moan, he looked up at his lover.

"Discord..." Somber blushed. He looked so damn do-able right there and then, Discord didn’t want to stop at just this. But they couldn’t hang around here all day.

Besides, no need to rush things..each new discovery he unveiled to Somber deserved time to its own. To allow the emotionally secluded professor to experience what Discord could do.

"Enjoying yourself my precious Somber?" he asked, brushing his fingers along his lovers shaft. The answer was very clear, as Somber groaned, wriggling so much Discord was surprised the vines weren’t breaking.

With a snap of Discord’s fingers, their grip tightened just enough to stop him squirming. Sombra went even redder, clothes rumpled from the fight now clinging to his skin from heat and sweat.

Discord ran a finger over the tip, licked the sticky fluid off his fingertips.

"Delicious," he purred.

"D-don't...don’t stop...please.." Somber couldn’t stand the sensation of feeling so close, yet being denied.

"As you wish~" Discord said smoothly, before resuming the job. The small "pre"-views Somber's body had been giving him so far had him pulling out all the techniques he'd ever learnt to bring Somber to climax. He wanted to taste his sexy little Somber....

Somber closed his eyes, feeling a wonderful shudder wrack his body as the familiar feeling of a climax hit him.

--Mmm, good Somber.-- Discord thought triumphantly as he felt the thick, sticky fluids hit the back of his throat. And oh, the taste...

When the orgasm finally faded, Somber could feel his heart racing, but the magical surge had receded. NOW he felt the aches from the bruises he'd sustained in the fight, and the light pressure of the vines containing him.

Somber was dimly aware of his clothes being done back up, Discord's nimble fingers buckling his belt, his hands settling on Somber's waist.

Somber opened his eyes, and met his lovers gaze, seen him smugly lick his lips.

"You were just as delicious as I thought you’d be my precious Somber..." Discord said softly, nuzzling his nose. Curiosity made Somber close the distance and kiss him, blushing at the unfamiliar taste to the kiss.

"Oh ho~" Discord grinned as he released him "curious, hm? Very well, let us indulge you my Somber.."

He kissed him even deeper, slipping his tongue into Somber's mouth. Somber eagerly responded, blushing as he got a taste of himself.

At last Discord let Somber go so the man could breathe, and with a snap of his fingers, the plunder vines fell apart into dust and Somber stumbled into Discord's arms.

Target Found

"Lets go home.." Discord suggested, and Somber nodded wordlessly. They scrambled out of the abandoned shed, making their way across the field to Somber's car.

Somber didn’t say anything most of the way home, he had a lot running through his mind. He'd tried to fight that thing alone, nearly gone bananas, then discovered Discord was-

"I have to ask, how did you-" he cut off, red faced.

"Get so good?" Discord grinned knowingly "that’s a secret my dear Somber. But I’m glad you enjoyed it~"

Somber shot him a mock-glare, but the way his eyes seemed to shine gave away how much he'd enjoyed it.

At last they pulled into the driveway of Discord's house. Somber followed him inside, curling up on the couch as Discord said he'd make coffee. When he returned with the drinks, he noticed Somber had fallen silent once again. Staring pensively into space.

"What’s wrong?" Discord asked, handing him the coffee mug.

"I..." Somber sighed "what happened to me, Discord? What did I DO?"

He looked worried, biting his lip anxiously. Discord took a swig of the coffee, then began explaining in simplified terms. He paced back and forth behind the couch as he rambled;

"Elpis contains a special type of power evidently, but it required one compatible to it, to unleash it. It seems you have a natural talent for using magic as you demonstrated from the start. What happened today, well, you awoke your potential earlier then intended, which was a bit of a head rush. You lost control and all that trauma hidden away in that head of yours acted as fuel for your anger. But you scared the thing off, and were able to get free of your fury. So don’t be too hard on yourself. You were pretty hard on ME." he couldn’t help putting a not-so-subtle emphasis on that last bit.

Somber nodded once, then the double entendre sunk in and he almost choked on his coffee.

"Will you STOP with the sexual innuendo?!" he spluttered "you’re so crude!"

Discord was giggling his head off. Somber threw a cushion at his head, hitting him in the face. It hit with a surprising level of force.

"Oopf- OK, OK!" Discord pried the cushion off his face and held his hands up in surrender as Somber picked up another cushion, eyebrow raised "no more!"

Somber glowered at him a moment, then set the cushion down.

"Seriously," Discord coughed "don’t beat yourself off- I mean up." the cushion hit a second later.

"Worff eet" Discord mumbled.

"ASS." Somber snapped.

"No guilt though, okay?" Discord looked serious this time "what happened was out of your control, you couldn’t be expected to cope with that, let alone control it. I'm just glad you weren’t hurt."

Somber's fury seemed to dissipate, the tension easing from his posture. he sighed heavily before he spoke next, and Discord was concerned by the tone of his voice.

"If it wasn’t for you, Discord, I..." he stared at the surface of the coffee in the cup "I fear I may have become the monster the equestrian Sombra was."

"Hey.." Discord set his mug down, and did the same with Somber's. He sat down on the couch and wrapped his arms around Somber and pulled him into an embrace, childishly ruffling Somber's hair "enough now.."

"But-!"

Discord let him go, seeing Somber looking perplexed at how relaxed he was being, he explained further.

"Yes, you have a similar type of magic but the difference between you two is that you stopped yourself. You could’ve probably, VERY probably beaten me and escaped, Somber. But the point is you didn't."

Somber peered up at him, looking hopeful. As well as very tired out.

"Dark magic is banned in Equestria because its notoriously hard to control, also it tends to drain the user. You’ve used it in small amounts so far, and in a bigger amount when you destroyed that thing in the gym. I don’t think you need to feel scared of your power."

Somber nodded, a small sigh of tentative relief escaping him.

"And if you’re worried, then we can spend the weekend teaching you. Alright? You’re not alone Somber, I can help you."

"Yes," Somber accepted "that would be a good idea."

"See?" Discord grinned cheerily at him, bestowing a brief kiss on his forehead before scooting off to the kitchen "time for food! I don’t know about you, but I’m starving!"

"Yeah, I guess I am pretty hungry..." Somber thought about it, and decided, yes, food was needed. he felt utterly strung out, barely able to focus...

He went to go help Discord, but was unceremoniously shooed back out, Discord grumbling at him to relax. For once, Somber didn't argue.

With food added to exhaustion, he couldn’t help himself from falling asleep....

"Pfft, ridiculous, no?" Discord gestured at the show on the big TV. There was no answer from his partner. Discord leaned round, peering closely at Somber.

"Ah, guess you were utterly wiped out, hm?" he pondered, seeing Somber fast asleep slouched against the arm of the couch. He looked adorable all tuckered out like that.

--Well, I’d better get him to bed. He's had a weird day. No matter how much he says he's getting used to all this, I know its still hard on him.--

A little concerned by how much strain Somber was under, Discord carefully scooped him up and carried him upstairs.

While Somber slept, Discord went back to his lab, to work on trying to create another magical weapon besides the grenades. Although using his magic was becoming more streamlined now. It seemed magic was taking root in this world with more and more ease. It tallied with what Somber had been saying about those three girls and the singing contest...

He reflected on Somber's statement that he was afraid of becoming the same monster the equestrian Sombra was. there was no denying it now, the look of fervour he'd seen in Somber's eyes as he'd prepared to hunt that thing down had unnerved Discord.

He'd never seen the so-far placid Somber show that much fury. And dark magic could thrive on paranoia and hate. He'd do what he could to coax Somber into keeping calm. But in reality Somber himself was the only one capable of keeping it in check. He just needed to be confidant enough...

He curled up on the couch, stretching his back and wincing as he heard it click. He'd go up and check on Somber in a minute-

Within three seconds he was fast asleep, dead to the world.

Which was how Somber found him. He'd woken up in the middle of the night, disorientated and confused. the last thing he recalled was passing out on the couch, now he was in bed.

Obvious answer was; Discord had put him there.

"Surprised I still have my clothes on.." Somber grumbled. He knew Discord wouldn’t be THAT silly, although little surprised him with that guy any more.

He flashed back to the incident in the old storage shed. The fire, the creature, that sword...and other incidents. He felt his face redden as he reflected on how good that had felt. But it was slightly embarrassing at the same time, always falling to Discord's strange advances. But the part of him that insisted getting close was a bad idea, was barley bothering to speak up any more.

Nothing had made sense since that first night at the school, where he'd run into that first shadow and ended up with a broken collarbone.

But the smile that'd been settling on his face, as he opened the fridge to get a drink, soon faded as he recalled the downside to that whole thing.

He'd lost his marbles and nearly put both of them at risk. All because he'd let his anger get out of control and somehow showed off a magical ability far beyond what he'd expected.

He spotted a light shining from under the door in Discord's lab. Sleepily he pushed the door open, and squinted in the harsh strip lighting. Discord had passed out on the couch, and his computers were all on, running data Somber couldn’t comprehend.

He stared closer at the data, and seen an image hidden behind the boxes of data. he clicked on it, and blinked. It was a detailed drawing of a pony. But this was beyond the cutesy stuff Discord had described of Equestria. this pony was a powerhouse by all appearances. It was a coloured sketch, and Somber realised the similarities, and he knew who this was. This was confirmed by a single name written in the corner, barely legible.

"SOMBRA".

So this was the famous King that’d reportedly gone crazy and had been disposed of by those "Princesses" Discord had spoken of, counterparts the Principal and vice Principal of THIS world.

The pony wore armor and a fur lined cape. In his eyes Somber thought he seen an arrogance, but also a strength that couldn’t be easily matched. The colour of his coat...

Somber looked from the image to his own hand, shivering at the similarities between them. Even the eyes matched, the same deep red, and the same went for the pony’s jet black mane swirling like smoke.

Seeing his reflection in the monitor, Somber nudged his hair out from being tucked behind his ears so it fell closer around his face, noting the way it curled in a similar manner to the ebb and flow of the drawings.

--We're one and the same aren’t we?-- he wondered. He folded his arms and let his head rest upon them, fear making him feel sick.

He fell asleep in this position, too tired to move.

Discord woke with a groan, stretching as he sat up. And did a double take when he seen someone sleeping at the computers.

"Somber?" he asked. the man didn’t stir. Discord shook his shoulder, which in turned nudged the mouse. The monitors all flicked back on, and Discord noted the open file on the screen. He sighed, he needed to make something VERY clear with Somber regarding the whole "dark magic" thing.

"Uhh, whaa?" Somber groaned. He sat up, and nearly fell backwards off the stool. But bumped against a warm body. He titled his head back, catching the eye of an amused yet concerned Discord.

"Morning, you." Discord smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

"I uh...morning?" Somber realised he'd been rumbled and trailed off.

"Was this worrying you?" Discord tapped on the screen, indicating the image of Sombra.

Somber nodded "I seen it behind the other boxes, and I knew soon as I seen it, who he was."

"Yes, this was the version of him I knew of, recreated from a few references. Little is truly known about who he was, or where he came from. He was a mystery."

"He was a monster…" Somber sighed.

"As far as history says, I’m afraid so. But yet, I often thought there had to be more than just insanity to him. Sadly we may never know, he's gone now."

Somber stayed silent, Discord leaned down so he could meet his eyes and simply said "come with me."

Somber wondered what he had planned as Discord led him down to the basement. Discord flicked a switch, revealing he'd built an underground training area.

"So I can test out my inventions without blowing up the furniture." he explained.

"What are we doing down here?" Somber hovered at the edge of of the room. Discord paused, and held out a hand to the reluctant man.

"Putting your mind at ease, to the best I can. C'mere...."

Somber blinked, surprised by how calm Discord was. But he nonetheless stepped forward and took the proffered hand.

What followed was a gruelling session, with Discord pushing him to summon the power, no matter how much Somber panicked. At last the barrier was breached, and the same flood of power that’d overwhelmed him before, surged through him. The sword appeared in his hand, its blade glowing a faint reddish purple. It was slowly shifting to a version of dark magic, Discord explained, as Somber's unique abilities grew.

"The key thing with any magic, but most importantly dark magic, is CONTROL. You need something to remind you, keep you anchored. That’s what we have to create. A stronger emotion than fear or fury."

Somber was staring at the sword in his hand, fear rising as he seen the blade glow even brighter.

Then he was suddenly embraced by his teacher. the shock and warmth of the contact helped his racing heart slow down. Warmth pierced the cold of fear, the familiarity reassuring.

"Just focus, think of something." Discord insisted. He could sense how tense Somber was, but also a degree of control the man probably wasn't aware he was exerting. When he guessed Somber's breathing had calmed to a good enough level, he pulled away just enough to kiss him.

Somber happily gave in and let him, returning it with a relief that Discord could almost feel.

"Look now.." Discord let him go, stepping back. Somber blinked, seeing the sword was holding steady at a faint glow.

"See? Once you’re calm, it levels out. This is just the starter stage, there is much more to do."

"Whoa." Somber stared at the blade, shaking his head. Part of him was relieved, the other half still scared.

"Don’t get too complacent-" he looked up at Discord, who was grinning ear to ear "we're not done yet!"

By the time lunch rolled around, Somber was exhausted, and Discord was impressed. Once he'd issued the challenge to Somber to impress him, show him he was better than the fear he allowed to control him, Somber had started finally fighting back.

He goaded him, pushed him, even yelled at him at one point. Even conjured up targets with his own magic to give Somber a real challenge. The new power combined with Somber's fencing knowledge meant he soon fell into a pattern, swiping the missiles aside.

"Excellent!" Discord peered down at Somber, who'd collapsed onto the mats Discord had pulled out onto the floor.

"Oww..." Somber groaned "I don’t know which bit of me hurts the most."

“Ah yes, that WILL happen. But if its any consolation, you’re a very fast learner."

"Uugghh...." was the only response.

"Okayy.." Discord drawled, rolling his eyes "lets go get you a nice hot bath, so you don’t walk like a zombie later."

Sure enough, the bath did help, and Somber was feeling a bit less ragged when he staggered downstairs to find the other.

Discord was studying a new type of grenade, this one designed to unleash magic bolts that could stun.

"Still a prototype," he remarked as Somber peered at the green crystal "don’t poke it."

"Very funny." Somber grouched, recalling that first crystal grenade that'd zapped him.

"Well, not much I can do until the scans are done. Why don’t we keep working?"

"I wont be able to MOVE if this keeps up." Somber groused, but did agree he'd rather have this crazy power under control, than let it run rampant.

Some time later, Somber was lying on the couch on his stomach, grumbling curse words in a variety of languages.

"Still achy?" Discord asked. Somber's response was an incoherent grumbling noise.

"I studied human musculature and massage, I think I can make this better.." Discord toyed with Somber's hair "want me to try??"

"I don’t think it could ache any worse....knock yourself out.." Somber muttered, watching the images flickering on the TV screen.

The TV was soon forgotten, as warm hands gradually eased the knots of tension in his back.

"Better?" Discord asked after a minute.

"mm-hmm.." Somber said, too comfortable to even speak. The same hands that'd caused the muscles to ache with that crazy training now made it ease...

He started to doze off it felt so oddly relaxing...

"Hey, stay awake there silly Somber." Discord poked his cheek, waking him up.

"Hmm? Ah, right." Somber sat himself up, amazed at how much better it felt.

"Good, mm?" Discord grinned, waggling his fingers at him "amazing what I can do with these!"

An image flashed through Somber's mind and he blushed "I’m aware of that.." He said, then reddened even more and face-palmed at the slip up.

"Was that an innuendo, my dear Somber?" Discord teased.

"Yes- no! Shut up!" Somber huffed. Discord cracked up laughing, which only wound Somber up more...

Eventually, the argument devolved into Discord pinning Somber to the couch and kissing him until they decided to call off the fight to get their breath back.

They settled into watching the TV instead as the afternoon drew to a close. Discord pottered between the lounge and the lab, to keep an eye on his latest experiment.

When he returned from his third check, he flopped down onto the couch. In a mimicry of before, he flopped over so his head was on Somber's lap.

OK, NOW what is it?" Somber asked.

"Nothing, you’re just comfy..." Discord shifted so he could watch the TV and Somber just rolled his eyes. But he let him remain there.

Discord's stomach grumbled and he peered up at Somber.

"Hey, fancy going out for dinner? I cant be bothered to cook!"

"Lazy!" Somber laughed, but ti did sound nice.

"C'mon!" Discord wheedled.

"Okay fine.." Somber said after a pause, in which Discord didn’t move "you do realise you’ll have to get your face out of my crotch, right?"

"Aww..." Discord complained with a grin "its comfy!"

"Knowing you, you'll find an excuse to- I’m not going to finish that sentence." Somber said flatly, ignoring Discord's cackling.

At last, Discord did allow himself to be nudged off Somber warm lap, and they headed out.

Somber did admit it was fun eating out, it wasn’t something he'd had time for in recent months. Discord's constant commentary of everyone and everything he seen out the window made Somber laugh more than he expected.

Discord grinned to himself, it suited Somber, that cute smile.

Discord couldn’t resist using his magic to "accidentally" send a little jolt up Somber's back that made him jump slightly. the annoyed glare he gave Discord was pretty funny...

Once the hydra recovered, finished licking its wounds from the second encounter with the swordsman and his mate, it kept low.

It was still furious over the lost eye, and vowed revenge on the raven haired swordsman. It'd searched for the man, but the trail ended after the field, they’d escaped in one of those metal boxes on wheels.

Then, after days of searching, it'd finally caught a break when it’d chosen to hide back at the school, to catch and drain the beings within it. It seen the same white-haired man that'd visited the swordsman, his mate.

It kept its distance, not allowing itself to be detected, just watching. It followed the man, but the white haired ones home bore the smell of strong, chaotic magic. It'd be at a disadvantage there, it had to catch them elsewhere. So it had kept its distance, shrinking itself down to look like a wild creature the humans called a fox, to slink around unnoticed.

Then, finally, it'd seen them leave together. It followed after them, watching as they entered a building teeming with other humans.

It waited, wanting the exclusive pleasure of tormenting these two, these other targets would only get in the way

As they were getting ready to go, the bill all sorted (Discord insisted he'd take care of it), Discord seen something flash by the window.

He tensed, and the phone in his pocket buzzed softly.

"Somber?" He said, his voice very low.

"What’s the matter?" Somber asked, but a shiver ran up his spine nonetheless. One look at Discord's face told him everything.

"Its found us. Get to the car, fast."

Somber nodded. They darted outside, piling into the vehicle and pulling away from the kerb as fast as possible.

"Where are those fields you mentioned?" Discord looked out the rear window.

"The ones for practising driving in?" Discord hadn’t brought it up since, and Somber had almost forgotten. He racked his brain, pinpointing where they were;

"Not far outside of town, are you suggesting we fight it there?"

"Its chasing us, I think it wants a fight. What choice have we? We cant have it blowing up the house. Although I have only a couple of those grenade crystals..."

"We'll manage. I’m not letting that thing destroy anything more!" Somber felt the adrenaline surge as he hit the gas and shot ahead at the maximum speed he could get away with.

Soon the lights dimmed, and Somber recognised the field sin question...

"Where is it?" he asked.

"Still trailing us, I think it knows were trying to get away from it..."

Somber reached a hand to his neck, where the familiar necklace rested. They had Elpis, and if his theory worked, there may be a way to destroy it yet.

They pulled into the field and Somber cut the engine, flinging the door open and tearing out. As expected, the creature dove right for them soon as they were out in the open. Its individual heads snapped at both men, separating them so they were stood on either side of it.

"So..." it hissed, licking its chops and glaring at Somber "we finally find you again..."

Somber didn’t speak, just glared. His blood pounded loudly in his ears. This thing had destroyed his home, nearly killed him. he was furious. And now he was NOT letting it get away a second time.

"We searched...but you hid.." it hissed.

"And you.." it turned another head at Discord "the bastards mate-?"

A loud bang and a flash, and the things head that was facing Discord recoiled screaming.

"Shut your mouth!" Discord snarled.

The head missing one eye glared at Somber, fangs glistening.

"An eye for an eye, but as interest I’ll rip your head off!" all three heads swung round to bite at Somber, who was saved by his stepping back and slipping on the damp grass, courtesy of a light smattering of rain during dinner. The heads shot over him, teeth snapping shut like steel traps.

He rolled back onto his feet, changing the necklace to its sword form and falling into the familiar fencing moves, keeping an eye on his opponents movements. In this manner he was able to leave several cuts in its trio of faces. this worked until one dove at his ankle, its teeth snagging on the heavy leather shoes and pulling him off his feet. Soaked grass tangled in his hair as he stared dizzily upwards...

One head angled down, aiming for a second pass. Somber clutched the sword, thoughts of FIRE running through his mind-

FWWOMF. HE stared as it was now sporting a purple-green flame along its sharp edge. He swiftly jabbed it upwards, gritting his teeth...

The head aiming for him tried to back up, recognising that fire, but its momentum was its undoing...

Somber had expected this thing to be made of solid mass despite its ethereal appearance, but it still made him feel a bit sick as he FELT the sword plunge upwards into it. Thick, smoky black ooze spilled down over the blade, sizzling in the heat. The smell was almost enough to make Somber throw up.

Only the reminder he was in too much danger to spare a moment to be sick kept it in check. With a twist of the blade and a sharp yank to the side- he succeeded in separating it from the body. Once decapitated, the head vanished before it hit the grass, dissolving into oily smoke. Flipping the blade onto its side, he pressed the flat edge to the stump spewing black smog into the late night air as it tried to reconstitute itself.

With a flash of green flame, and a hellish yell of agony, the hydra reeled back. Its headless stump was waving about blindly, the other two heads clearly felt its pain. Discord doge in, grasping Somber's hand and pulling him to his feet. They raced back, Somber running an idea through his head-

"Aim for the eyes! I need it blind..." Somber panted, gripping Elpis' hilt, the flickering green-purple glow throwing a shimmering light around him.

--Amazing...-- Discord spared a millisecond to study the sword, then snapped back to reality.

Somber later asked was it really necessary to moon the creature?

To whit Discord had responded, hadn’t he said to blind it?

All this did was enrage the thing, it seemed butts were a universal language, and it raced for them. They split, and lucky for their plan, Discord was the one it chose this time. As he ran, Somber deliberately stumbled, telling the flames to gutter out, making it seems as if he'd lost the swords power. The hydra swung a paw at him and he braced for impact, although the grass provided a less painful landing then expected. Thinking him stunned, the creature focused on Discord instead. It'd been interrupted last time after all, by Somber's sudden case of the crazy powers. But it seemed the swordsman still couldn’t control it...

Discord tossed a grenade, doing an impression of a baseball player and flinging the crystal at its head. It detonated, arcs of magical electricity stabbing into the eyeballs of the middle head. It screeched in rage, stamping about like a drugged elephant, its heavy steps shaking the ground.

The remaining eyes that could still see focused on Discord, who was ducking and scooting back just out of range of its jaws, tossing a second grenade couple with magic-based wires that looped around its forelegs, making it stumble. It roared, bursts of flame lighting the night sky as it sought to crush this scampering little roach! But Discord was far more agile it was, and headed for the trees...

As Discord lured it by, Somber did what he'd never imagined he'd do, and took a flying leap onto its back. The two remaining heads swivelled to face him, and eh re-ignited the sword. slicing into its neck and letting the flames do the rest. His stomach churned in a mix of desperation and shock at what he was doing. But this thing would happily rip them apart, no room for second guessing now...

Its screams divided by half as the second head burnt to ashes, and the remaining one head butted Somber, knocking the air from his lungs. He hit the grass at quite a speed, struggling to get to his feet. A paw slammed down, pinning him by his chest. The thing had expanded as far as it could go, towering over him...

Discord closed his eyes, casting about him he spotted a rusty metal shovel and grabbed it. pouring as much magic as he could in a second into the shovel, he levelled it like a javelin, and threw it.

The hydra turned from where it was about to rip Somber's throat out, and got a shovel to the face, the searing hot blade cleaving its face in half. too preoccupied with the pain it was in it released Somber, who wasted no time in aiming the blade for the final head..

Another explosion, and both of them were sent flying to the grass, their ears ringing.

“I have never been exploded at this many times before.” Discord mumbled into the ground.

“That’s a weird thing to say.” Somber responded nonchalantly, with a hint of sarcasm.

Discord rolled onto his back, rubbed his shoulder, and winced.

"You OK?" Somber, sounding a little winded, stood over him now, hand outstretched. The sword's blade was dull once more, and Somber looked a little sleepy.

"Lets go home." Discord groaned.

They got back into the car, feeling relieved beyond measure….

Let The Games Begin

"You know..." Discord whispered seductively to Somber as he looped an arm around his waist "I think it says volumes that I cant even get inside without giving in to temptation."

“'I can resist everything except temptation', sound familiar?" Sombra quoted. Discord cast him a puzzled look, so he explained it was from a famous figure in history...

"Sums it up, just replace "temptation" with "hot, sexy, nerdy history teacher?"

"Nerdy!?" Somber spluttered indignantly, yet at the same time feeling oddly amused.

"A hot, SEXY nerdy." Discord emphasised. Somber shook his head.

"What am I going to do with you?!" he grumbled good naturedly.

Discord opened his mouth.

"I need to be be to walk in the morning, so not what you’ve got planned."

"Damn" Discord grumbled. "Smart ass."

Somber smirked. Then jumped as a hand casually groped his behind.

"Nice ass." Discord said airily, zooming ahead before Somber got the chance to smack him round the head.

Somber headed for the shower, and sighed as he realised he'd have to throw these clothes out too.

he wrapped a towel around his waist, gathering up the clothes as he stepped out into the bedroom.

"There's some clean cloth-"

"AHH!" Somber yelled, not having noticed Discord walk in a moment before. "Geez, you scared me, you idiot. What were you saying?"

Discord trailed off, staring blatantly.

"Hay!" Somber snapped, waving a hand in his face, looking moderately annoyed yet resigned "you’ve already seen me naked, what more is there to distract you?!"

"The fact that a towel is the only obstacle?" Discord pointed out. Somber sighed in exasperation.

"Alright alright," Discord settled for just kissing Somber quickly and snagging the clothes off him "I'll go dispose of these. Help yourself to some clean clothes."

"I'm going to have to replace them for you at some point," Somber sighed, keeping a self-conscious hand on the towel as he made his way to the drawers "I must’ve wrecked half your closets contents. I'll have to go shopping soon.."

"Well don’t worry about space, there's plenty of it in the closet.” Discord told him as he resisted temptation and scooted out the door to let Somber dress.

Redressed in clean clothes, Somber drifted downstairs. He borrowed one of Discord's laptops and settled down to finally sort out a few financial matters. By the time Discord finished showering and redressing, Somber was partway through filling out the forms for his insurance.

"Wow, looks boring.." Discord settled next to him on the couch, peering at the papers.

"It is!" Somber yawned, setting the final form aside "done, finally!"

"Good! Now you’re mine!" Discord grinned, wrapping his arms around Somber's waist and kissing him cheekily.

Somber didn’t argue with that, and they soon became entangled in one another again. They could relax for the night with that thing gone, but they both knew their little quest wasn’t over.

Somber had forgotten the Friendship Games started that week, and he didn’t think about it until he pulled into the parking lot and seen the banners.

"Oh-" he cursed colorfully.

"Ah yes, the students have been driven to distraction by this whole shebang..." Discord mused "honestly I couldn’t get much sense out of them!"

"Tell me about it, Rainbow Dash was lobbing a ball around my classroom!" Somber rolled his eyes. Then something occurred to him and he groaned, bumping his head onto the steering wheel.

"This means she's going to be here, that’s ALL I need!" Somber groaned.

"Ah, that Cinch woman," Discord patted his back sympathetically "c'mon Somber, lets get it over with."

With a reluctant nod, Somber got out of the car, and they headed towards the building. Despite Discord's support, Somber still felt his stomach sink as he walked into the staff room. Luna handed out schedules, showing which teachers were needed to help supervise which events.

"What are you saddled with?" Discord queried of Somber.

"Archery." Somber mused "at least its somewhat interesting. I gave it a try back in Crystal Prep."

"I gotta hang around the motocross. That’s the one with those sports bikes right?" Discord asked. Somber nodded.

"Sounds fun!" Discord shrugged.

Out of habit, Somber had tied his hair up that morning, he'd been doing it for so long he still did it, despite Discord's attempts to coax him out of it.

Recalling he'd likely see Cinch, he couldn’t help pulling the elastic free. It was a subtle, albeit pointless way of annoying her.

He walked down the hall towards his classroom, in time to see Cinch herself. She didn't notice him right away. She was escorting one of her students away from the music room. A baffled looking Celestia was stood in the doorway, sending a perplexed look at the other occupants of the music room. He recognised one of the voices being that of the fashion-obsessed one, Rarity.

But his attention was instead drawn to the student Cinch was keeping a firm grip on the shoulder of. It was that shy, glasses-wearing girl. What was her name? Ah, Twilight..

Twilight glanced back over her shoulder, throwing a wistful look at the music room, and apologetic look to the confused Celestia, and a look of recognition when she spotted Somber. She remembered the books she'd spoken with him about.

Cinch followed her gaze, and spotted Somber as he came to a halt beside Celestia.

She scowled, and picked up her pace, ushering her student away.

"What was that about?" Somber said softly to Celestia. She shook her head, looking baffled.

"Its nothing," she said at last "bit of a mistaken identity it seems."

Somber frowned, wondering if this would make any sense to Discord? He made a note to ask him...

A lot of the event members were in Somber's class that morning, and he was starting to get annoyed. Today was the registration and meet-and-greet, no events!

Rainbow Dash was either sticking her nose in a book about sports techniques, or she was pulling a soccer ball out of her bag and practising keeping it bouncing from foot to foot everytime he turned his back.

"Whatcha doing dashie-?" Pinkie Pie leaned over to see, and this startled Rainbow Dash. She gave a reflexive jump, her leg jerking, which sent the ball on a trajectory straight for-

"OW-!" Somber got as shock as something smacked into the back of his head as he was writing on the board.

"Uh-oh.." Pinkie squeaked, sliding out of sight under her desk. Although her mass of pink curls could still be easily spotted. Rainbow Dash just looked...blank. She figured looking innocent wouldn’t fool even a very intelligent pot plant.

"Miss Dash.." Somber rubbed the back of his head, struggling to keep from getting incredibly annoyed. He hated this nonsensical event... "can I ask you to keep that ball under control?!"

He looked pretty cheesed off, Rainbow Dash decided. She grinned innocently. The ball rolled into the corner of the room, where it was nudged and kicked back to Rainbow Dash.

There were no more incidents for the rest of that lesson, to Somber's relief. Pinkie emerged form under her desk, chewing on a candy bar, and resumed her work.

During the morning break, Somber went outside, badly needing some fresh air...

Rainbow Dash locked the storage shed behind her, having replaced the tennis rackets used in the previous lesson. As sports captain, she was in charge of making sure things got put away!

"Hey." A voice startled her and she yelped, spinning round. A strange, unfamiliar boy was standing by the fence, hands in his pockets.

"Hey," she said cautiously "are you from Crystal Prep? I don't think I’ve seen you around here."

"Nah, but I got a brother who goes," the kid grinned "I just snuck in to see what the fuss was about."

"Trespassing? That's ballsy.." Rainbow Dash snickered. This kid seemed harmless enough.

"You like sports?" he asked.

"Course I do, I’m in ALL the clubs!" Rainbow Dash boasted.

"Wow, are you good?"

"Good? I’m awesome." Rainbow Dash stuck a hand out "I'm Rainbow Dash."

"That's quite a name, I’m Black Star." the boy shook her hand with a charming grin.

"Cool name. Very dramatic.." Rainbow Dash nodded.

"So what’s all this "friendship games" stuff about. My brother wont talk about it."

"Its like, super competitive.." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes "every year Crystal Prep wins, its almost pointless!"

"Almost?" Black Star asked.

"Well, we got a special talent on our side. This years gonna be..."magical"?" Rainbow Dash snickered to herself at the pun. She missed the almost imperceptible flicker in her new friends eye.

Black Star kicked a ball he'd been hiding behind his feet, eyebrow raised. "Fancy a quick game?"

They were right by the foot ball field, and Rainbow Dash never could resist a challenge.

"You're on!" She grinned.

As she ran up and down the field grinning ear to ear, she didn’t notice how black star was studying her.

He made a subtle motion with his hand-

Rainbow Dash suddenly found the ground coming up to meet her and fell hard.

"Ow.." she groaned.

"Whoa, you OK?" Black Star was kneeling beside her in a flash, taking her arm and helping her up "your nose is bleeding!"

"I'm fine..." Rainbow Dash groggily answered. She didn't feel the subtle tug of energy being siphoned from her, she was too busy trying to slow the bleeding and breathe through the pain.

Sombra flicked through the messages from Discord on his phone as he walked, facepalming at the sheer randomness and lewdness of some of the older ones. The one he'd sent him that day seemed a bit distant, asking about where certain electronic stuff could be bought in Canterlot?

He was on the way to answering the message, when he heard a yelp and the sound of someone in pain. He looked up from his phone, realising he'd taken a wrong turn and ended up on the wrong side of the school.

But that could wait. Shoving the phone in his pocket, he rounded the corner of the sports shed and seen two kids out on the field. One was Rainbow Dash, no surprise there, but the other was in plain clothes, and Somber didn’t recognise him. Crystal Prep all wore uniforms, and something just seemed OFF about him-

He felt a heat against his chest. Elpis.

--Now I KNOW something wrong here...--

"Hey!" he called sharply, a she vaulted the railings and ran over "what’s going on?"

"I feww ober.." Rainbow Dash sniffled. Somber rummaged in his bag and found a clean handkerchief she could use. While Rainbow Dash dealt with that, Somber turned his eye on the boy with her.

"You’re not a student." he said with an air of certainty.

Black Star scowled inside as one of the school teachers spotted them. He was forced to let go of the Rainbow haired girl as the adult moved in to assist her.

Then the man suddenly looked right at him decisively stated "you’re not a student."

How had he known? A school this size, surely he couldn’t know everybody.

"Can you hear me?" Somber noticed the boy spacing out, and waved a hand in his face. Hidden from Rainbow's sight, Black Stars hand snapped out and gripped Somber's wrist tightly. What he felt made him stare, as realisation sunk in. This human had MAGIC too. But it wasn't the same delectable, almost sugary sensation of that girls power, this one was dark, sharp like a sword.

He was on the verge of crushing Somber's wrist, when Somber finally willed his magic to help him.

Black star seen a flash of green light race across the teachers eyes, and then he felt a sharp jolt run through his arm. Reflexively eh let go.

While all this was going on, Somber felt the phone buzz softly in his pocket. the particular pulse of the device only served to cement his fears. This was one of the boxes occupants.

Black star smirked at him, knowing this human had seen him for what he was. And on close examination he sensed something familiar from his jail days. Hope.

--So, this is where you fled to. This pathetic weakling somehow took down my fellow prisoners...--
He'd sensed the deaths of their individual magic, and had followed the trails, which had led him to this place.

"If you’re not part of this school I must ask you to leave," the black haired man continued "before I call security."

It was too early to take him down now, so Black Star decided to back off.

"Hey, I was just being friendly, my brother goes to Crystal Prep. Catch you around, Rainbow Dash." he added.

"Yeah, shee ya." Rainbow Dash waved as the kid jogged away, scaling the fence and dropping down on the other side. Somber watched him go, a sinking feeling in his chest.

"He wasn’t doing any harm, we were just chilling.." Rainbow objected to Somber as he escorted her to the nurses office. trust a teacher to spoil the fun.

"It could have been dangerous, if he was willing to sneak onto school grounds, who knows what he was after." Somber countered. Rainbow Dash had to admit he had a point, but didn't say so.

As Somber held the door open for her, she spotted a livid bruise mark on his wrist, poking out from under his shirt cuff. A hand print shaped bruise.

--Did...did Black do that?-- she wondered. It reminded her of Fluttershy's injury from that incident with the classroom door...

Luckily the nosebleed was soon cleaned up, and Rainbow Dash ran off to her class. Somber sent a quick message to Discord, unease warring in his gut.

All the students in his next lesson would speak about was the next event.

Somber half-assedly tried to teach them, then had the idea to change the lesson to centre around sporting event sin history. the rude fact that the early Olympic games required the competitors to be butt naked made the kids laugh.

"Why..?" A student with Light Blonde hair and slightly out-of-focus eyes asked.

"Back then, women weren’t allow to compete, so in order to stop them from trying, the rule was put into effect.."

Immature giggling abounded, and Somber shook his head in despair. Kids were so easy to distract...

"Damn, way to take all the fun out of streaking! They would've had to put clothes ON to get arrested!" One student, a boy with dark blue hair added, which set off more laughs.

"Yes, thank you for that enlightening scenario Flash Sentry." Somber quietened the class down "now, lets move on.."

The kids grumbled, but the brief interlude in serious studying seemed to have made them more willing to listen.

Once he'd shooed the last kid out of the class, Somber headed to the canteen to get some lunch. The events were spread out over a series of days, to give the kids representing the school time to rest between events and perform their best.

With the first hurdle of introducing the rival competitors over, the Crystal Prep students were allowed to attend classes, wander the school or stick with their headteacher.

Somber didn’t see Cinch, which he was silently thankful for. He wasn't in the mood for her nonsense.

He was returning to his classroom to sit the rest of his lunch break out in there, and finish off some paperwork. mid way there, he heard a frantic cry and the sound of something clattering to the floor.

He headed towards the sound, seeing that flustered girl again. he looked around, hoping to find somebody to send over to her. He wasn’t good with upset students, he could barely understand what would scare or upset that shy girl with the pink hair. She'd start crying if he asked her for the homework and she'd misplaced it!

But there was nobody else within earshot, the hallway was empty. Most teachers were in the lunch hall, or supervising the students. There was to be a party after school later that day, and a lot of students were occupied decorating.

"Are you alright?" he asked. She looked up, looking on the brink of tears. He spotted the reason behind her upset.

The chunky locket she'd been wearing when he'd seen her that morning was on the floor, the thin string it'd been hanging from had snapped.

"I-it's nothing!" She babbled, scrambling to pick it up and finally managing to scoop the rounded object up.

Somber studied the loop at the top of the device. He kept odd supplies in his drawer, including string that was often used to tie folders closed.

"I can replace that for you," He offered at last. She nodded, and hovered outside the classroom door as he started opening drawers on his desk and muttering to himself whilest rummaging around. She glanced at the name on the door. professor Somber...

She stared around the classroom, noting it looked a lot more cosy than the ones at Crystal Prep. She retreated into a cocoon until she spotted some of the books at the side of his desk.

"Oh!” She darted forward, eyes lighting up "is this the complete works edition?"

Somber blinked, bemused, as he finally found the string. "Yes, its a first edition. You seem to read a lot of very heavy study books."

"I LOVE reading," Twilight plopped down in a chair and peered at the rest of the stack "the library at Crystal Prep is amazing! they have a whole section dedicated to-"

"Mechanical engineering? Literature classics?" Somber flashed back to his memories. Twilight blinked at him from behind her specs.

"How did you know that?" she asked "did you used to work there?"

Somber sighed softly "it was some time ago," he said quietly "I left not long after Cinch took over."

"Why?" Twilight asked, noting his expression of distaste, then realised this was a tad personal "I’m sorry-!"

"Its fine. My class went into nosy-overload when they found out. It was a former job, nothing more. I didn’t agree, with her methods."

Twilight bit her lip, wishing she could say something.

"Cinch is.." she looked at the floor, wishing she could speak freely. Life at Crystal Prep was a case of constantly being on her toes.

"Is something happening at that school?" Somber asked.

"Its nothing! I'm fine, really!" but she didn’t sound convincing.

Somber took the necklace from her, and began threading a new strap made of the threaded string through the loop.

"It doesn’t sound like you’re fine, I understand what Cinch is like."

She nodded, sighing sadly. It made Somber furious that this was what was happening at the school he'd once loved so much. Those that didn’t fall under Cinch's approval got browbeaten into the shadow of a student before him.

He finished the task and held it back out to her "here."

"Oh!" She brightened "Thank you!"

He nodded, and returned the string to the desk drawer. Twilight gathered her courage, and blurted out "Cinch is AWFUL! All she cares about is winning! I didn’t even want to come to the games!"

"She forced you to?" Somber asked.

Twilight opened her mouth to tell him. Not that it'd help her any. What could he do? But he knew what Cinch was like, and didn’t seem afraid of her.

"I-"

"TWILIGHT!" A pompous voice busted into the meeting. Twilight let out a shriek, fumbling with the necklace and getting it back over her head.

The same pony tailed girl stood ion the doorway, expression one of total disdain as she regarded the petrified Twilight. Her glance briefly settled on Somber, frowning as if he reminded her of someone, then her glare was back on Twilight.

"Cinch says you’re to move your butt, were going to this party!"

"B-but isn’t there a party later..?"

“Yeah, we'll be coming back for that, but she doesn’t want to hang around."

"Oh.." Twilight nodded, getting up from the chair, expression and posture as downcast as before. She dragged her feet over to the girl in the doorway, glancing back at Somber.

"Thanks for the help, professor." she said, then she was forcibly towed away by the other girl, who shot a warning look at Somber before she was out of sight.

"Why were you talking to one of THIER teachers?" Sugarcoat accused "don’t forget whose side your on!"

"I-I was just- he helped me fix my necklace!" Twilight objected, indicating the strap.

"Well don’t be careless!" The other girl snapped.

Cinch stared over her glasses at the sheepish Twilight as she finally reached them.

"And where were you, hm?" She asked.

"She was talking to some teacher," Sugarcoat said glibly "I heard her mention Crystal Prep-"

"H-he used to work there!" Twilight blurted, then winced. Somehow this seemed like a bad idea.

She was right. Cinch’s expression narrowed.

"By any chance, was he-?"

"Tall, black hair, dressed old fashioned?" Sugarcoat drawled, raising an eyebrow.

"Somber." Cinch’s blood boiled, did that hack really think he could turn her prize pupil against her? How typical...

"Who is that guy?" Sugarcoat asked.

"He used to work at Crystal Prep. He was fired for stirring up trouble in the faculty." Cinch lied "he's a disgraced former teacher with a grudge."

She frowned, she wouldn’t let this lie "Girls, get on the coach, I’ll be right along."

The Prep students duly filed onto the coach. Sugarcoat fidgeted, then grunted in annoyance a minute later.

"I gotta go to the bathroom." She declared, sliding out of her seat and jogging back towards the entrance to the school.

Cinch stormed the halls as she headed for where a very helpful student had told her Somber's classroom was. As she rounded the corner, he was just stepping out the door, a stack of books in his arms, fumbling with his keys.

"Somber." She said, her tone positively arctic. Somber turned in time for a hand to grab his collar and push him back against the door. The books spilled from his grasp, clattering to the floor. He stared, genuinely surprised at who his assailant was.

"You’re a bad influence, Somber." Cinch spoke his name like it was a bad word all on its own "one I wont have corrupting my students."

To her surprise, Somber didn’t look surprised or even remotely scared. He said nothing, just staring her down.

"Don’t interfere with my prize student, you second-rate hack!" she snapped, his silence unnerving her "There’s something wrong about this school, and I will not let my legacy fall to Canterlot High! I won't have you or Celestia luring my students to this dump! Twilight is merely confused, she knows where her loyalties lie, she's happy."

"Have you ever heard the phrase "familiarity breeds contempt"?" Somber snapped "you assume you deserve the victory merely because you’ve won it previously. You have no respect for your opponent, you shouldn’t underestimate this school OR its students."

Cinch twitched, anger rising "You’re as deluded as Celestia is, no wonder she hired you! Tell me Somber," she glared coldly, her tone mocking as she asked "How does it feel to stay here and watch your career go down the drain, hm?"

This felt like a jab to Somber's heart. he still missed his old school, how happy the academy had been before Cinch's takeover...

Cinch smirked as she realised she hit a sore spot. She let him go, only for him to suddenly speak, voice cold;

"Tell me this: If she's so happy, then why does that girl look like she wants to run and never look back?" Somber's observation made Cinch twitch. She knew Twilight wasn’t happy, but she'd been holding the girls application to a private study school over her head to ensure her loyalty.

"A student like Twilight belongs at Crystal Prep!" she said defiantly "not at a dump like this, with its shoddy rules and low-grade curriculum! Look at the students. Rowdy, hyperactive-"

"Happy, free?" Somber countered. "Take a good look Cinch."

"That’s PRINCIPAL Cinch to you!" She snapped "now more than ever I’m convinced I did the academy a favour by making you leave. Had the previous Principals plan succeeded, and you'd taken the vice-Principals spot, I dread to think what a mess the place would be. Floundering under the advisement of a stubborn, bleeding heart HIPPY!" She jabbed a finger at his unruly hair, still loose. She knew it annoyed him, it had done since the start.

she turned and walked away, pausing only to snap "stay out of this Somber, for your own good!" then she was gone.

Somber sighed.

--She’s truly losing it if she’s this obsessed. Makes me wonder just how well that school is holding together under her control?--

He retrieved the books, locking the classroom door and heading for the front entrance where he was due to meet Discord.

Mid way he was stalled by Lightshield, the security guard.

"You alright Professor?" He gave the teacher a polite smile "mind if I borrow you a moment?"

Somber's mind flashed through all the reasons Lightshield suddenly wanted to speak with him. And drew a blank?

"I couldn't help notice a slight altercation on the security cameras. Everything alright?" the guard asked.

Somber sighed in relief, glad that was ALL he was asking.

"That woman has had a grudge against me since I left my former job. She's always been paranoid, and I think this "friendship games" nonsense is getting to her. She's not a problem..."

"Are you sure sir? I could call the police-"

Somber shook his head, smiling reassuringly "Trust me, that’ll only fuel her ego. She’s more highly strung then the entire violin section of an orchestra. There's no need for concern. She's the type that eventually gives up if she doesn’t get the attention."

Lightshield looked a bit dubious, but he couldn’t force the teacher to file a complaint.

"A few more days and this will all be over!" Somber shrugged "then I wont see her again until the next games. That gives me a couple of years of breathing space, by which point she'll have become obsessed with something else.""

Lightshield let it go, just advising the professor to contact him if anything further happened. He'd tried to stall Cinch, but she'd refused to even answer, so he'd had to let her go.

Somber thanked him for his concern, then left to meet Discord.

"What kept you?" Discord asked as Somber joined him in the entryway.

"Sorry, Lightshield needed to talk to me a moment." Somber said absently.

"Serious?" Discord asked as they got into the car. Somber shook his head, saying he'd tell him when they got home.

That wasn't all Somber had to tell him, after all.

He told the story of meeting black star first, how he'd felt something unnatural about the kid.

Discord nodded, theorizing this thing likely knew what Somber was, maybe sensed his magic.

"We could be in serious trouble..." Somber shook his head, Rubbing at the hand print bruise around his wrist "that thing KNEW, Discord. That I’m..."

"The bearer of hope?"

"Exactly," Somber felt his chest constrict "It no doubt knows we took out the other two."

Discord knew right there and then he HAD to get some research done. Find a way to make a more powerful spell.

"So what did Lightshield want?" he asked after a pause.

With a sigh, Somber explained the whole encounter.

"She did WHAT? You could just get her arrested you know." Discord said in disbelief.

Somber shook his head "you don’t know what Cinch is like. It wont be enough. She'll shrug it off, call in a few favours. I could lose the job at Canterlot High..."

"Your just going to let her get away with, whatcha call it here, "assault"?" This made Somber twitch irritably. Looking at Discord's expression he seen the sceptical look on his face.

"I could lose everything I’ve worked for again. I'm not willing to risk that twice!" Somber said sharply, setting the coffee mug down and walking out. It made him angry that Discord seemed tot think this was so easy. It was alright for him, what did he have to lose? Did Equestria not have backstabbing liars or politicians?

--Land of harmony indeed...-- he snorted incredulously.

Did Discord think Somber hadn't lost enough in his life? He'd lost his job at CPA because of Cinch, and his own weakness, then he'd lost his home because of Discord-

--No!-- he stopped himself there, shaking his head. That had been out of Discord's control. Yes, that idiot had kicked all this off by ripping a hole in the world he'd originated from, but he couldn’t have foreseen just what would happen!

One of the many rooms in the house Discord had been using to store random crap had, during one of Discord's days off, been turned into a makeshift office for Somber. He slumped into his chair with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. His eyes stung, and with a grumble, he rummaged in the desk drawer and pulled a pair of glasses out. He rarely had to wear them, but when headaches hit, they alleviated the strain on his eyes.

He threw himself into grading the tests piled up to one side. Eventually his anger did begin to fade, at Discord at least...

But his anger still raged at Cinch. not just for threatening him, but for the state Crystal Prep seemed to be in. he had a vague memory of the previous couple of friendship games. Before Cinch’s involvement, yes Crystal Prep had won it, and OK there'd been a case of some students pranking CHS by putting a clown wig and spray paint on the Wondercolt's statue.

But the Principal had put that down to over-active high spirits, it hadn’t been a vitriolic campaign of smug one-upmanship. After Cinch’s arrival, the students had become fixated on winning the games, and their plans for victory had become less about fun, and more about preserving Cinch’s "Legacy" of being the best in the region.

He rested his head one his hands, staring morosely at the photo on his desk. One of the few things salvaged from the fire-damaged house. In the photograph beside him was the former Principal. They’d been old friends from earlier days, and he'd been thrilled to be working at CPA with her. In the photo he was smiling, looking so different...

His junior class were gathered around him, including one of his best students, a boy with blue-streaked hair. What had his name been? Something...shining?

Shining Armor, that was it. He was posing with some friends of his, looking incredibly goofy.

--He was the one that used to ask to hold those board game clubs in my classroom, wasn't he?-- he vaguely recalled rainy lunch breaks sat in his classroom supervising them. Mostly with his nose in a book. On one occasion Shining had left his book behind, a manual for a game known as Oubliettes and Ogres. Sombra read through the entire thing, slightly impressed by the amount of detail in it. It harked back to the fantasy books he used to read when he was Shining Armor's age. He'd given the book back to the kid on their next class, remarking on the complexity of it.

Shining had seemed both startled and impressed his teacher had read the entire book.

Somber sighed, shaking his head to dispel the lingering memories of CPA. he'd had so much passion for his job back then, but after having to abruptly leave CPA like that, he'd become hesitant. At the time Cinch's pressurising techniques had herded him into a corner, he hadn’t known what to do. He'd tried his hardest, foolishly thinking he could beat someone as manipulative as Cinch with honest tactics. After losing his position to her blackmailing, he'd vowed never to let himself be a target again. He'd shut himself off from forming any friendships with the CHS teachers, resolving to focus on just getting his job done. He still loved to teach, and some of his former passion for the art had come back.

Eventually he'd become used to his mundane, empty life. Work, home, books. He'd kept up the fencing as it'd always been an enjoyable hobby, one of the few clubs he'd run at CPA.

Thinking about it, he supposed he'd become bitter, angry. It seeped into his life like an insidious flood after leaving CPA. And it’d remained ever since...

...The incident of the near loss of control out at the abandoned farm crept back into his memory. had that power FED off the fury deep inside. Hadn’t Discord said darkness and hate fuelled dark magic, made it powerful, but viciously unstable. he shivered, thinking about it-

A hand came to rest on his shoulder. He yelled in shock, torn from his musings, bolting from his chair and stumbling back.

"Whoa..!" Discord stepped back, hands raised in apology "you alright?"

Somber blinked, taking in who was talking to him. He nodded, the panic dissipating at the sight of his parter.

"What’s wrong?" Discord seen how shifty Somber was being.

"Nothing, its-" Somber didn’t want to voice the terrible thoughts rampaging in his brain, so he just shook his head, remaining tight lipped.

Discord titled his head, but Somber wouldn’t catch his eye "are you mad?"

"..." Somber made a non committal shrug, that wasn’t the reason he was so jumpy.

"You are, aren’t you?"

"Discord-"

"All right, maybe I WAS being a bit of an ass. a lot of an ass. I am comprised entirely of ASS!" Discord tried at last.

Somber blinked cluelessly at him, taking a moment to realise this was an apology...maybe?

"OH alright, you got me!" Discord declared theatrically "I’m an ass, and I’m SORRY. Any better?"

"What..? Oh, right.." Somber shook his head to clear it "it doesn’t matter, really."

"You a crap liar, Somber." Discord smiled faintly, peering at his face.

"and you can stop rambling, I'm not angry...not at you." Somber admitted at last, perhaps he'd been a bit harsh earlier...

Discord nodded, realising This was still a painful subject for Somber. Then he noticed something else.

"Hey, when did you start wearing glasses?" the silver frames highlighted Somber's skin-tone, standing out yet suiting his face perfectly.

"Huh?" Somber blinked, then cleared his throat "well, I don’t have to wear them very often. Mostly it's just to help keep the headaches at bay. Its been happening since before I left CPA."

"By any chance, when Cinch began her campaign of terror?" Discord asked. Somber nodded.

"Well, if it's any consolation, they make you look even cuter then normal." Discord teased. Somber glowered at him.

"Don’t be idiotic!" he huffed "you say such things so easily-!"

"Its true," Discord didn’t seem put off by Somber's snarky comment "VERY hot-sexy-nerdy look you got going there!"

"You’re an ass." Somber sighed, but there was no force behind the words.

Discord made an elegant bow "Yes, am, that was part of my apology, admitting my ass-ness, my dear Somber."

Somber snorted, a faint smile playing at his lips. Discord grinned cheerily at him, closing the rest of the distance between them and snagging Somber by the waist, pulling him against his chest. Somber stumbled, hands bracing against Discord’s chest to catch his balance. He could feel Discord's heart beating underneath his fingertips, and was reminded of their first night together. Discord had pressed Somber's hand over his heart, telling him "look what you do to me". It'd been beating so fast..

He felt the heat rising in his face as he caught Discord's eye, seeing the knowing smile on the man’s lips. he could sense what Somber was remembering, couldn’t he?

"Not sure I can resist a man who can pull off the height of sexy and nerdy appeal." Discord murmured softly, tracing a finger along the side of the glasses.

"Are you capable of resisting anything?" Somber asked dubiously as Discord's arms wrapped back around his middle, hands interlocking at the base of Somber's spine.

"Not anything you offer," Discord admitted shamelessly "I always have been poor at resisting what I want."

"You're a total horndog aren't you?" Somber grumbled, resisting the urge to laugh.

"A what?" Discord laughed "what’s this word "horndog"?"

Somber raised an eyebrow, but decided to indulge him "its a term for someone who is a little. Sex. Obsessed." he raised an eyebrow pointedly, punctuating each word with a jab to Discord's chest. Comprehension dawned on Discord's face, and he grinned wickedly.

"I see. Well, then consider me horny~" he chuckled, studying the mildly annoyed/confused professor.

Somber made an exasperated noise, which shifted into soft, pleased sigh as Discord kissed him gently. It made the headache ease off a little, although the blasted thing was still there.

Discord seen him wince slightly as he let him go and frowned, asking was he OK?

"It's just a headache, as I said, I usually have to wear the glasses to get any work done."

Discord took this in, and nodded. Then he nuzzled at Somber's neck, up to a spot behind Somber's ear, that he knew from experience decimated Somber's defences.

"You know.." he muttered in his lovers ear, tracing one hand up Somber's back, following the outline of his spine up to his shoulder blades "studies have been done in this world showing acts of a sexual nature can help alleviate stress?"

"T-trust you to know that!" Somber bit back a pleasurable moan, Discord's wandering hands did feel nice.

"I admit, the social and private views on sex in this world fascinate me, as well as the biological studies your kind has done. You don’t get stuff like that in Equestria, at least, not so publicly aired..."

He ceased his nuzzle onslaught to snare Somber in a kiss once more. Somber looked flushed, expression caught between telling Discord to shoo and let him work, or…

Interlude 4: Desk Work

Without really thinking, Somber moved one hand to push the paperwork to the far side of the desk. An open invitation, he knew, suggesting the desk NEEDED clearing for something that might get...messy.

An invitation Discord did not hesitate to take, in one swift move, he lifted Somber off his feet and sat his lover down atop the desk. His hands trailed down Somber's legs, nudging them apart so he could press even closer, kissing him deeply.

Discord expertly undid Somber's trousers, brushing over his hips as he worked on getting that pesky thing known as clothing out of the way. Just knowing he was about to take his precious Somber was making it hard to concentrate. Images of their times together so far flashed through his mind.

He indulged in another long, sweet kiss with the professor, as he guided Somber's hands to his waist.. Hands normally used to rifling through books and signing papers had no trouble in unbuckling Discord's belt. As he did, Discord once again went for the sensitive spot behind Somber's ears, sending shivers down Somber's spine that made him squirm. As he fidgeted, Discord worked the man's trousers down and over his hips, letting the garment crumple around Somber's ankles. With one swift nudge said clothing fell completely to the floor.

Sombra yelped as the chill of the wooden desk sunk into his skin. Discord had expertly unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing whilst they’d kissed, and now it fell open, exposing the light scars on his chest. He closed his eyes as Discord's fingers strayed over the lightly marred skin, recollecting what had caused those marks, and how that night had been the first step between the two of them...

"So many memories, and in such a short time..” Discord mused. Somber looked up at him, tugging at his rumpled collar to pull him in for a kiss.

"Lets make some more, mm?" He asked, impatient for Discord to begin now they’d gotten this far. His heart was racing and there was NO misreading the signals his body was flooding his brain with.

"Took the words right outta my mouth.." Discord's silky voice intoned, as one hand slipped over Sombra's thigh, and between his legs..

With every time Discord made love to him, the preparation felt less and less surprising, and morecomfortable.

Discord felt it too, for he nipped at Somber's ear and said "My my, somebody’s adjusting rather well..."

"I do believe that’s your accomplishment," Somber smirked as he traced the scar on Discord's shoulder, a mark from a fight back in the early days of his living in the human world. He groaned softly as Discord pushed his fingers as far in as he could, knowing this was a mere taster of what was to come..

"Oh I aim to accomplish many things with you my dear Somber," Discord grinned as he flexed his fingers, enjoying the way Somber squirmed, completely at his mercy. After a short but sweet round of this sensual teasing, he ceased preparations.

He kissed Somber again as he gently nudged him so he was lying on his back on the desk.

Sombra heard the soft, tinny whirring of the laptops fan by his head, amplified by the wooden desk, as Discord's hands moved to his hips, hands pressing into his skin and lifting his body just a little...

Sombra gripped the polished wooden desk underneath him as he felt Discord enter him, the familiar mass pushing deep into his body once more. The movement was teasingly slow, drawn out to arouse him even further no doubt. The level Discord seemed to know about all this startled Somber somewhat, but he didn’t deny it made things even more enjoyable. Soon Discord was fully inside his lover, the heat and tension of Somber's body far too enticing for its own good. It was enough to drive him crazy.

--I would ravish you until you were incapable of walking, if both of us had the time to enjoy it. Sadly this job business makes it hard to max your limit my dear Somber..--

Somber looked so damn sexy lying there, clothes rumpled and disturbed, the soft light of the desk lap and laptop screen highlighting his body. Deep black hair spilled over the light mahogany desk as Discord let his eyes explore a body his hands knew VERY well. Down to the point where they were so intimately connected....

"What’re you doing?" Somber asked, voice a little breathless. The glasses really DID look sexy, Discord decided, the light reflecting off the silvery frames.

"Just admiring you," Discord murmured "you certainly take good care of yourself..."

He braced his hands on the desk, his eyes meeting with Somber's as he made the first move.

The first deep, penetrating thrust always sent the most ecstatic rush through Somber, making him feel like he was going the best type of crazy....he gripped the desk, breathing rapid and heavy. His pulse was pounding in his ears, never had his heart beat this fast, before that first night together. His body latched onto this ecstasy and pleasure, and refused to give it up. As if it was punishing its owners mind for being so secluded, so deep in denial of what he wanted, no, NEEDED.

The frustrations of the day, of Cinch threatening him, of his own fears not an hour before...all of it faded away in the face of pleasure like this. The rhythm of every deep thrust, the sound of Discord moaning his name. He'd never felt like he'd mattered this much to anyone before, never WANTED anyone the way he wanted Discord...

Their ragged breathing filled the formerly quiet room with sound, intertwined with moans of pleasure and whispered words...

Even with the heat of his body running so high, Somber could still feel the imprint of his lovers finger on his hips, guiding each thrust as deep into his body as was possible...

Somber gasped Discord's name, feeling the pleasure starting to peak.

"Damnit," Discord panted "I cant hold back any longer..."

With those words, Somber felt his lover thrust in one last time. And that heady sensation of thick, sticky fluids surging into his body was the final trigger for his own orgasm to grip his body for those blissful seconds. He closed his eyes, arching his back as the surge of sought-after pleasure overrode everything else, and he happily let that blissful sensation distract him...

Discord watched his lover as the orgasm faded, shamelessly admiring him. These tantalizing glances at Somber's unleashed side only made Discord fall even further. Underneath Somber's layers of complex emotions was a powerful soul, but not one devoid of kindness...

As the sensation faded, once more Somber became aware of the humming of the laptop close by.

"Whew.." he stirred at the single syllable, opening his eyes. He focused hazily on the man still inside him, who was looking down at him with the most gentle expression, hands braced on the desk surface. Discord reached down and pressed his fingertips to Somber's chest, feeling the thrum of his heart and the soft sheen of sweat on his skin as he trailed his hand over Somber's chest. At last, he returned both hands to Somber's hips, gently easing himself out of his lover. Sombra groaned and shifted, feeling the familiar sensation in his back...

"How's your head?" Discord leant over to kiss him gently. Sombra returned it, feeling not exactly tired...more, content.

"Doesn't hurt at all.." he said softly, smiling. Discord helped him sit up, pulling Somber to rest against his chest. He ran his hands through Somber's hair, just enjoying the moment, the heat that warmed them both, afterglow of the passionate little escapade.

After a few comfortable moments, Somber kissed Discord gently, then managed to slide himself off the desk. He felt something trickling down the inside of his leg, and on instinct wiped it away with one hand as he casually pulled his trousers back up. He was looking for a tissue when, as his brain activated his curiosity, he did something unexpectedly sexy in Discord's opinion.

He had to bite his lip to keep from blurting out how fucking hot it looked when Somber licked his fingers clean in an adorably innocent fashion. Seeing the curious look in Somber's eyes as he swallowed made Discord want to-

He told his libido to reign it in, meeting Somber's eyes as the professor only NOW seemed to realise he was watching him.

Somber flushed, how to explain himself? He self consciously tried to wipe his fingers on his shirt, but Discord snagged his hand and pulled him close. Before Somber could speak, Discord kissed him, mimicking Somber's curiosity that interesting evening Discord had brought his overpowered amorous lover under control.

"Mm, tastes pretty good.." he grinned, releasing Somber "still, you’re sweeter my dear Somber...."

"Don’t be so daft!" Somber scolded, but the way he flushed made it clear he didn’t mind the compliment.

Discord pondered if Somber would be willing to go beyond just a taste test....maybe on another occasion?

For now he would keep the memory of Somber licking his fingers clean stored away in his memory.

"Ah!" Somber looked over at his desk, seeing it was splattered with sweat and seminal fluid, and went a deep shade of red as the adrenaline faded and his naturally uptight self regained control "please tell me you have disinfectant, Discord?"

"Somber, Somber.." Discord chuckled, and with a snap of his fingers a trace of magic ran across the desk, tidying and cleaning it "easy. Developed that spell early on.."

“What fo-" Somber cut off as the 'Well DUH' conclusion reached him "never mind." he said curtly. Discord chuckled.

"What? I had to occupy myself before I met you! As you so eloquently put I am, what’s the word, a "horndog", mm? And washing the couch was a pain too.."

Somber glowered at having his words turned round on him, which made Discord laugh and brush a loving kiss on his forehead.

"Remind me never to go near your hard drive!" Somber grumbled as he picked up the laptop he'd been working on, making sure it was clean. "OR your couch for that matter!"

"Which couch? Therein lies the rub." Cue facepalm from Somber for the additional innuendo. regardless, Discord continued "That IS one of mine."

Somber stared at him, then the laptop, then held the thing at arms length.

Discord couldn’t stop himself from bursting out laughing. So much for composure.

"W-what?!" Somber stammered "who knows what you have on here!"

It was several seconds of gut-busting laughter before Discord could speak again. Sober looked like he was torn between braining Discord with the laptop, or preserving his work and putting it down!

"Haa...sorry my dear Somber, but I HAD to!" Discord wiped his eyes, giggling away "I wiped and reformatted that one specially for YOU. All that's on there is your files..."

Somber looked at the laptop, then slowly moved it back towards him, then set it back on the desk, as if afraid it would bite.

"That is not funny." he grumbled.

"Oh come now, surely you keep some smutty little tidbits on your computers?"

Somber coughed, "well maybe before the fire burned the thing to a crisp."

"What about those backup disks the police recovered?"

"I didn’t keep THAT on them," Somber explained "The backup drives were for valuable data!"

"Well, you're more than welcome to peruse mine!" Discord said airily "I got plenty!"

"Did not need to hear that.." Somber shook his head. But he couldn’t suppress a snort of laughter, the whole business was pretty funny. He was so used to keeping everything about him locked up tight, he was somewhat startled by Discord's open, couldn't-give-a-fuck manner of doing things.

Uncertainty

"I meant to say dinners cooking, before I got distracted by you!" Discord winked at Somber, who rolled his eyes.

"Should be done by now, what with the random sex to pass the time." Discord mused, then got an elbow to the side from his annoyed partner.

"So now I'm just a distraction?" Somber said crossly.

"Oh yes, you've succeeded in distracting me a LOT, Somber. Impossible to get any work done with you hanging around..." Discord grinned, running a hand up somber's back as he steered him towards the kitchen.

He wasn't joking. He'd been intending to work on a new weapon against the forces they were fighting, but the brief argument with Somber ended by the irritated professor stalking out of the room had left him distracted. Things seemed to work differently here, and Somber's feud with Cinch clearly went deeper than Discord could fathom. What would that madwoman do if Somber WERE to report her? Could she really get him fired?

He'd grumbled to himself awhile, telling himself Somber didn’t HAVE to be such a brat at storm off like that. Then he recalled one of Fluttershy's many lessons; no matter how big or small it may seem to others, its a big problem to the one its bothering. The solution seemed easy to him, but the games humans played were far dirtier than what he'd seen in Equestria. So he'd gone to find him, and had apparently scared the living daylights out of Somber. Then he'd noticed the man was wearing glasses, and sweet Celestia did it make him look even MORE irresistibly doable. He'd tried to hold back, but one kiss had not been enough, and he'd been incapable of resisting Somber once more.

Not that Somber had objected. Discord had seen the flash of desire in those deep red eyes, hidden by the reflections on the lenses of his glasses, but it'd been THERE. Then Somber had pushed the paperwork aside in one decisive movement, as if daring Discord to misread that signal.

It struck him as the human equivalent of presenting yourself, and he'd gladly taken it.

"You in there?" He snapped out of his daze, seeing Somber frowning at him.

"Yes yes~" he nudged Somber to the table, which was clear for once. Once dinner was over he resolved to get more work done. All joking aside, he needed to develop something new.

Somber winced as he stood up.

"My back hurts..." he grunted "not sure what’s to blame, sitting at that desk for too long, or letting a certain madman nail me on it!"

"Not guilty...wait, which one won't land me in trouble?" Discord asked, mystified. Somber rolled his eyes and he put the dishes in the sink "the one where I blame the desk." he said.

"Oh, the DESK. Not di-"

"No." Somber was struggling to not throw a tea towel at Discord, what was it with him and the sexual euphemisms/innuendoes?

"Although ill start blaming that shortly if your libido keeps at it." he complained.

Discord grinned "You know you love it really..."

More shaking of the head and eye rolling from his partner, who had his back to him at the sink. He couldn’t see his face, but Somber's sarcastic deadpan tone got the message across;

"Yes, I had wondered what those orgasms were telling me!" he muttered under his breath. Then nearly face-palmed at how stupid he'd just made himself sound.

"I do declare I’m rubbing off on you," Discord stepped up to the sink and wrapped his arms around Somber's middle, nuzzling the back of his neck and breathing in the soft scent of his lovers skin "that was quite sarcastic of you~"

"I work in a school full of teenagers, I’m surprised I haven't learnt every sarcastic tonal mode they’ve created!" Sombra grumbled.

With the dishes done, Somber returned to his office to finish his grading work. With what had been lost in the fire, he had a lot of catching up to do!

Discord said he was going to work on a new weapon prototype, and vanished into his lab...

Somber worked until the last possible minute before he regularly went to bed, before finally surrendering. The rest would have to wait...

He drifted along to Discord's lab, sticking his head round the door.

"Don’t forget to sleep.." he remarked, seeing Discord up to his elbows in wiring and computers.

"I wont," Discord glanced at him briefly before returning to his work "ill uh...be up in a bit..."

Somber wondered if everything was OK, Discord seemed a bit off. Still, maybe he was just distracted by whatever volatile thingamajig he was constructing. So he nodded, and shut the door behind him.

A quick shower later, some fresh short sand a shirt, and he collapsed into bed feeling that small twinge in his back. He felt himself flush, but nonetheless he was smiling as he lay there in the darkness.

--Damnit Discord, my whole life's made no sense since you came along..-- he yawned and curled up on his side. More echoes twanged through him, reverberations of the passionate interlude earlier. A brief sense of guilty pleasure formed in Somber's mind but he threw it out, and rolled onto his other side, by now thoroughly ensnared in the covers. He sighed softly, drifting asleep, looking forward to the day when the Friendship games would be over...

He woke up to the usual sound of his alarm blaring. He swatted at the phone, and turned to the other side of the big double bed. But there was no sign Discord had ever been there.

--He didn’t sleep on the couch did he? I thought I thought i'd made it obvious I wouldn’t mind?-- Sombra sighed, Discord was utterly nonsensical. Perfectly willing to jump Somber one moment, then insisting he give him space the next. He was mad as a box of frogs.

Sure enough, he found Discord sprawled on the lab couch. He crouched down, shaking his shoulder.

"Discord-"

"Wha?!" Discord bolted awake, flailing his arms. This knocked Somber onto his butt, scaring him just as badly..

"What’s-? Oh, Somber!" He looked pleased to see him there at least "what time is it?"

"Time for me to go to work!" Somber pointed out "you too, remember?"

"Oh! Of course..." Discord grinned, vaulting off the couch he grabbed Somber's hand and hauled him to his feet.

"That reminds me, once classes are over, I’m driving to the mall in the city. I need some supplies, and thanks to this region being so overcrowded with school kids, it stays open late. If you need anything picked up, now is a good time to tell me!" Somber recovered his scrambled thoughts as they headed for the kitchen.

"Oh? No, I’m good for supplies, we have plenty of food..."

Even on the ride to school, Somber noticed Discord seemed distracted. Normally he did something to put Somber's back up, whether it was staring at him while lost in thought to the point where Somber would jab him in the nose to make him blink, telling some obscene joke, or idly tracing patterns along Somber's leg at an intersection. But today he was staring at a notepad, not a single joke or attempt to hit on Somber.

--Whatever this is, its serious. Never known Discord to pass up an opportunity to wind me up!-- Somber shrugged to himself.

--Or try and jump me..-- he added, shaking his head to dismiss that thought.

The brief moment Discord surfaced form his thoughts was when he seen Somber redden slightly and shake his head, looking cross.

--Is he still annoyed about yesterday. I know he said he WASN'T mad, but he seems to keep things inside. Perhaps id best give him some space...-- so he refrained from groping Sombra the rest of the way there.

"Can you get home OK?" Somber asked. Discord smiled as he got out of the car, reassuring him he'd be fine, he'd get a taxi!

Somber nodded, and they walked into the school.

His first task was to supervise the Archery practise, in preparation for the relay event. The CHS students were gathered in the sports hall, and a variety of equipment had been set up.

Spitfire had thoughtfully set up some extra activities for the watching students to try their hand at, in the hopes of sparking someone's interest in sports. She mentioned to Somber she wanted to introduce some fresh clubs to the line-up, some more obscure or lesser seen sports!

She had to go speak with Cinch to sign some health and safety forms, and left Somber in charge.

"Wahoo!” Rainbow Dash was as hyped up as she always was about sports of any kind. She was booting her soccer ball around, bouncing it from foot to knee, then kicking it into the air and catching it on her HEAD. Several students applauded and she bowed, the ball miraculously staying in place.

“Yay!" Fluttershy cheered softly, clapping her hands happily.

Applejack was practising firing arrows with Fluttershy, as her part of the relay was the archery section. Pinkie and Rarity's was the roller-race, and Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer were up for the Motocross bit. Sadly they couldn't practise in the hall, and so Rainbow Dash led a small kick-about while Sunset wandered over to the other displays Spitfire had set up.

One of them was a fencing section. She picked up the sword and waggled it in the air, curious at how lightweight it was. she mimicked the movies she'd seen in this world and swished it around like a pirate.

"Close, but not quite.." She blinked, seeing the supervisor teacher standing there. She wasn't in his classes, she had a different teacher, but Rainbow Dash had mentioned this guy had helped her out after the incident with the bleachers.

"Hold it like So," He scooped up a sword of his own, holding ti easily and with little effort, making sunset wonder if he was a pro or something?

He made a couple of elegant motions with the blade, and motioned her to mimic them. Sticking her tongue out in concentration, she did just that. It was a bit ungainly compared to his, but she grinned as she managed it.

She followed his instructions and dance forward, landing a successful jab on the dummy’s chest.

"Cool!" She grinned, looking at the sword "Do we have a club for this yet?"

"NO, not yet," Somber said, examining the sword, thinking of his own custom made one at home. The case had been melted, but the sword had survived, being stored upstairs.

--Home...wait, am I calling Discord's house "home" now?-- he felt confused by how readily he'd accepted that. He dismissed the thought, gripping the sword in his hand, tossing it into the air and catching it. In his absent minded state, he forgot he wasn’t alone, and habit took over. He went through a short set of the moves and parrys from memory, ending with the sword pointed at the dummy’s heart.

Sunset stared, impressed as the teacher seemed to space out and go through a series of motions. He HAD to have been trained in fencing, he was way too good.

She wasn’t the only one staring, quite a few kids were absorbed in the teachers demonstration. When he finished, many applauded, thinking this was a recruitment for a new sword fighting club!

"Well, that's something I haven’t seen before!" Somber whipped round, coming face to face with Spitfire.

"You never told me you did fencing!" The PE teacher said, eyebrows raised "I'm impressed. Don't suppose I can rope you into running the club, if enough kids sign up?"

Many of the students nodded, saying they wanted to learn it too!

"That equipments been hanging around for years, I thought id finally make use of it." Spitfire nodded at the dummies and swords "There’s some of those outfits you have to wear, too. I know a little bit about it, but I was thinking I’d have to either find a particularly talented student or hire somebody!"

Somber felt like an idiot. He'd just drawn a lot of attention to himself that he didn’t want. But at the same time, he hadn't been able to help it. He did miss the fencing club from his days in CPA. Why not..?

"So...?" Spitfire slung an arm around his shoulders, a "pretty please" grin on her face.

Sombra cleared his throat, trying to look nonchalant as he answered "I fail to see why not."

"Alright!" Spitfire released him and clapped him on the back, nearly making him fall over "I'll let you know what Celestia says for dates and times!"

The students gathered around shared curious murmurs, and soon quite a few were mucking about with the swords. Pinkie was looking from the blade to a bag of marshmallows.

"No!" Her friends declared, and she pouted.

Somber just shook his head in despair.

All too soon it was time for the main event, the relay. It started with the Archery portion. Whichever team hit the target first would give their schools team a head start!

Fluttershy, for all her nerves, managed to hit the target pretty quickly to her team-mates delight. The same went for Applejack. The CPA kids however...

Twilight watched as Sour Sweet scored a hit no problem, and took a deep breath, begging her trembling hands to fire the arrow.

Somber seen the poor girl look about to collapse as her partner yelled at her as she failed to land a single target. Glancing across at the stands where the Principals and vice Principals from both schools (or in CPA's case, Dean Cadance), Somber could see Cinch's sour expression as poor Twilight struggled to land a hit.

She must’ve sensed him staring, for her steely gaze zeroed in on him, and if looks could kill, well....

Applejack at last gave the struggling Twilight a hand, and CPA was able to catch up on the skating portion of the relay at last. Somber seen something odd happen when Twilight hugged Applejack in thanks for her assistance. A light seemed to move from Applejack to Twilight's necklace.

"What’s...?" Somber murmured, a funny sensation gnawing at the back of his mind. He was setting off towards the stands where Twilight was heading, one hand moving to the phone Discord had tweaked and wondering if it could pick up on anything. Call it crazy, but he suspected magic somehow...

Discord had said the elements of harmony back in Equestria corresponded to six young mares. And one WAS named Twilight, another Applejack. The same two girls he'd just seen interacting. But Twilight wasn’t the same in this version it seemed...

But he never reached that far. The ground shook, and what looked like giant plants erupted from the ground. Somber yelped and ran away as one lashed out at him, missing snaring him by a hairs breadth. Students were screaming and panicking, and he ran towards them, yelling for them to keep calm and evac the stands!

He felt the magical necklace bearing the Elpis sword begin to heat up. Glancing around, he seen a couple of tendrils reaching for a terrified student who was curled up in a ball on the ground. Without thinking he ran over, pulling the necklace over his neck and changing it to its sword form in a millisecond. The blade sliced cleanly through the plant, making it recoil it pain.

"Go!" Somber pulled the girl to her feet and pushed her in the direction of the way out "don’t look back!"

She didn’t ask why, too relieved to be out of danger. Somber turned his attention back to the rogue plant, gripping the swords hilt once more-

When just as abruptly the portals the plants were issuing from snapped shut, making the things vanish.

Somber stared a moment, then he turned and ran, looking for the students that'd evacuated. He didn’t see Cinch staring after him..

Once out of sight he changed the sword back to its necklace form, sighing softly.

That’d been too close. Something WEIRD was going on here.

Needless to say Cinch did not let Celestia off lightly, threatening to get the head of the school system to declare a forfeit on CHS' part. Celestia reasoned with her, suggesting they maybe be declared joint winners but Cinch would not hear it!

Somber walked over, informing Celestia that all students were accounted for. The last six were crowded around the Principals and one dean.

"Thank you Somber," Celestia said kindly. Cinch’s eyes narrowed. Cadance titled her head to one side, she was sure she'd heard that name before, hadn't Shining Armor mentioned it?

"And if wings weren’t bad enough, and trained attack plants not enough of an insult, you allow tecahers to carry deadly weapons on school grounds!" Here she jabbed an accusing finger at Somber.

"Deadly? Him?" Rainbow Dash whispered with a smirk.

"Never underestimate people, Rainbow dear..." Rarity whispered back.

"What are you talking about?" Celestia was starting to get angry.

"I seen him-" She stared at Somber "taking a swipe at one of those plants to free a student. WITH A SWORD."

"Somber?" Celestia peered at him, but he didn’t seem alarmed.

"Merely a fencing sword." He said smoothly "with the right training, they can pack a punch."

Celestia's face lit up with relief, that made sense!

"Its true.." Sunset piped up "He was showing me how to use a sword earlier in practise, he's really good at it!"

Cinch hesitated, she was sure fencing swords were lighter, that thing had looked like a Japanese katana sword. But at that distance...

"You see?" Celestia capitalised on Cinch’s look of doubt, and sunsets backup "Our PE teacher Spitfire informed me Somber was an expert fencer, we're intending to set up a club here at CHS."

"Well I suggest you lock those things away, unless you need them. Swords shouldn’t be just lying around!" Cinch fumed.

She demanded the final game go on the next day, and she stormed off.

"Wow," Somber said in the silence "that wasn’t awkward at all."

"I’ve never seen her this competitive. I mean this is going beyond the pale!" Luna remarked.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to...ya know.." Sunset mumbled to Celestia, casting glances at Somber, hoping he'd leave so she could talk magic. She didn’t suspect what he'd been doing was any form of magic, she just assumed Cinch had it in for CHS and that'd made her angry. As angry as when she'd shouted at Twilight not minutes ago.

Somber vacated the group, already dialling Discord's phone as he headed inside. He was walking down a hallway when that same girl who'd come to collect Twilight stepped into his path.

"I'd go the other way," she said in a bored voice "She's REALLY steamed at you."

This stopped Sombra short, and he opened his mouth to ask who she was talking about, then wisely didn't, and turned back. She was one of the Crystal Prep students, she could only be talking about Cinch.

The phone clicked and his heart eased up in relief as he heard Discord's voice.

"You're not going to believe this.." he began.

Sugarcoat watched as the teacher took her advice and skedaddled.

A few moments after he was gone Cinch rounded the corner in the opposite direction, finding Sugarcoat absorbed in her cellphone.

"Have you seen that raven-haired loose canon anywhere? The one you caught Twilight conversing with the other day?"

"Nah," Sugarcoat said bluntly "I haven’t seen anybody."

Cinch gave an annoyed huff, but didn’t push it. She didn’t have time to search for Somber now.

But rest assured shed get her revenge for his meddling.

In the meantime she needed to talk to Twilight..

Discord's jaw hit the floor as he listened to Somber's story. MORE magic? And it was coming from those six Girls again?

"This is getting beyond bizarre Discord, what are we dealing with here? That necklace thing she had on, the one I fixed for her...I swear I seen it glowing! That’s when the rifts opened and those plants came through."

"Hmm...it must be equestrian magic. Somehow...oh I don’t know. I'd been out of contact with Celestia for some time before I did a runner, maybe she or Twilight developed something new?" Discord grumbled to himself.

"Maybe.." Sombra shook his head.

"Is there ANY method besides mine to get to this world? I know Celestia did some work with a mirror once, but that’s been gone for a long time. Does that sound plausible?"

"I don’t know!" Somber got the feeling he was talking to a brick wall, Discord was as distracted as before "I understand it less than you do!"

"I know," Discord said, seeming to snap back to himself. When he spoke, there was an edge of his usual kindness "take care, OK?"

"Of course." Somber said softly, feeling a little less irritated at Discord. The argument they'd had still stung a little, but when he'd made love to him atop the desk, Somber had KNOWN instinctively how strong Discord's feelings were. He felt it, in every little movement, ever syllable of his name. Hadn’t he..? He wanted to say something more, but the call disconnected. He sighed, wondering if the dark prisoners escape in this world had anything to do with the new magic?

This really wasn't a good time to be caught up with his love life, as insane as THAT was.

His growing concerns over just how and what Discord seen him as continued to fester, however, driven by his frustration at the days events. WAS it all just about sex? Was Somber's naivety appealing to Discord? That fact he'd been a virgin (in that sense anyway), when Discord first bedded him?

Why had he gone for him in the first place? He didn't understand. Was it that Somber was the first to challenge him properly? Tell him he was a madman?

Or was it just that he reminded Discord of this other him, the pony called "Sombra".

--I wonder, the way he spoke about him, did he REALLY never meet him, never know him? Or was he just attracted by the allure of dark magic?--

The same magic he, Somber, was now rapidly developing.

He shook his head to disperse the thoughts as he pulled into a space at the largest shopping mall in the city, bigger than Canterlot's by a wide margin.

As expected, the place was heaving with kids, escaping homework for a while in the arcades, or dawdling outside expensive boutiques. He found the shop he regularly went to, back when he lived here, and picked up enough new clothing to keep him going awhile. He managed to find some very similar in style to the ones Discord had lent him, the ones he'd gotten covered in blood or generally torn up.

--That’s that sorted at least...-- Somber sighed as he exited the shop. He hadn’t been back here in a while. He wandered aimlessly, stopping every so often to purchase things he thought he may need, but he was caught once again in the memories of regular visits to this place for supplies. In fact, didn’t there used to be an antique bookshop a few streets behind the mall? He perked up, and headed for the nearest exit. Unaware he was being watched...

Sure enough, the store was still there, and it made Somber's heart lift to see the familiar old shop front. He nudged the door open, hearing the little bell chime.

The same guy was still running it, and he recognise Somber instantly, even with the long absence.

He was devastated when Somber told him of the loss of the library, due to the fire.

"Where are you staying now?" the owner asked, leading Somber to the section where he kept the more valuable older books.

"At a friends." Somber hesitated slightly. After all, friend was hardly who he'd describe Discord as, was it?

He picked up three books that'd been part of his prior collection, ones that hadn’t survived. He'd be working a long item to get all of them back, but this was a start...

After a nice leisurely chat with the shop owner, Somber headed outside, to go home. His phone buzzed, and he glanced at the display, seeing it was Discord. He was about to answer it when it cut off. Somber frowned, misdial? Probably. He shoved his phone back into his pocket with a sigh, not paying attention. That was how he bumped into the man.

"Oof!" Somber felt the wind knocked form his lungs as he walked smack bang into someone, and stumbled back. The bag containing the books and clothing slipped from his grasp and falling to the pavement. One of the books slithered free, its worn leather cover shining in the light.

"Oh-" A warm hand grabbed Somber's elbow, steadying him "Sorry about that, you OK?"

Somber blinked, looking up at a tall, blonde haired guy with almost pure white skin-tone. For a moment he felt his mind falter, something was oddly mesmerizing about this guy, then he snapped free of it, stepping back so he was standing by himself, smiling apologetically.

"Its not your fault," he said calmly "I was distracted-" he knelt down to grab the errant contents of the bag "I apologise for my carelessness-"

He reached for the book that’d escaped, and so did the stranger. His hand landed partly on Somber's, and it was warm, gentle. Reminded him of..

"-No need for concern, honestly. You were distracted by your phone, and I was distracted by a person."

Somber looked up as he said this, and realised the stranger was looking at HIM. Surely he didn’t mean-?

The stranger smiled, a subtle, knowing smile, as if to say Somber had guessed correctly.

He looked at the title of the book;

"Wow, there's a title I haven’t seen in quite some time. I read these a long time ago, didn’t they base a whole series of TV shows around the concepts?"

"Yes, they did a remarkable job of sticking to the principles of the matters." Somber was caught off guard by this guys knowledge.

"You look surprised?" the man chuckled.

Somber flushed slightly at how ignorant he must have seemed "until now, I had thought I was practically alone in enjoying such topics. Most others consider them dull, preferring mundane TV shows or things of that sort."

"Like trashy TV?" The stranger snickered, as he handed Somber the book. Again Somber felt a funny twinge but pushed it down. This guy reminded him of Discord, in the way he seemed so intense.

"Would you like to go for a coffee?" was the next question; Somber hesitated, he had said he wouldn’t be long. But then, it wasn’t like he was looking after a small child. Part of him was still annoyed by Discord's casual treatment of Somber losing his job if he tried to get Cinch done for assault. So he nodded, he could use a break.

As they walked, the stranger introduced himself as Bright Shine. When he found out Somber was a teacher, he seemed curious, asking what was it like? Somber shrugged, describing the messy, chaotic life that was CHS.

They found a quiet little coffee shop away from the bustle of the mall.

Somber soon discovered his new acquaintance knew a LOT about philosophy.

As Somber talked, his eyes brightened and he became a lot more animated, which made Bright smile subtly.

When Somber finally laughed, the smile grew.

"What?" Somber spotted the funny smile "what is it?"

“Nothing, I was just noticing how different you look now you're enjoying yourself. You seemed very serious when I bumped into you, now you smile."

Somber flushed slightly. Again, he was reminded of how Discord had given him that smug grin when he'd finally coaxed him out of his shell.

Seeing his companions face redden, Bright couldn’t help ask "did I make you feel uncomfortable? I will admit I am a shameless flirt."

"No..no.." Somber shook his hea,d staring at the cup of coffee in front of him "you just reminded me of someone.."

"A special someone?"

"W-well.." Somber coughed "I’d rather not talk about it..." guilt nudged at him and he sighed.

"That’s fine, I don’t want to be prying," his friend assured him. "It concerns me a little that you look depressed..."

Somber shook his head "Its nothing, everything’s just wearing at me right now. With this whole event at the school, everybody's rushed off their feet. I'll be glad when its over."

“Well," Bright smiled "I’m sure it wont be long...."

Somber tucked his hair behind his ears, then fished in his coat pocket for an elastic band.

"You look different with it up. If I may be so forward, it suits your face when its down."

"I've been told that." Somber mused.

"By your special someone?" Bright teased, seeing Somber turn subtly red again. But the way he glanced aside made him wonder...

"Well, he used to point it out at first..." Somber kicked himself a second later. What was wrong with him, whining about something so childish. He was caught in the midst of a magical emergency involving escaped demonic spirits from Equestria, his love life had nothing to do with that! Plus hadn’t he said to himself Discord could be too intense..?

--Right up until he stopped lavishing so much attention on you. Your a selfish bastard, you know that?-- he scolded himself --maybe you’ve been too arrogant in assuming he's so devoted to you..--

"Is your someone taking you for granted?" Bright abruptly asked, as he studied Somber's expressions. Somber looked so surprised it was nearly comical, then he winced and frowned.

"Its nothing." he said at last "things have been rough for us both, I shouldn’t be whining to everybody I encounter!"

"So polite, a rare marvel these days." Bright said in amusement. Somber gave him a funny look, but it did make him smile.

After that they settled back into discussing the city, and how different it was to Canterlot. Somber was grateful to have a break from worrying about magic, insanity and the threat looming over him.

They exited into the still-warm sunlight, even as the shadows began getting longer. Somber folded his jacket over his arm as he walked. There were a LOT of crowds on the pavements, and he seen they were setting up for what looked like a street party. Loud music started up and Somber winced, reminded of the battle of the bands thing.

"I know a short cut," he said, sighing crossly "I'm not a fan of these things.."

"I must admit its a tad loud, how do people hear themselves think?" Bright raised an eyebrow as he followed Somber.

Somber ducked down a series of connecting alleyways, heading back towards the mall. The air was cooler here and it was quieter, the pounding bass more like a background nuisance now.

Not quiet enough however, to hear his new friends footsteps falter or hear the odd, fluid sound of something changing...

The first thing Somber heard was a whoosh of displaced air, then an intense pain sheared up his back, sending him crashing to the ground. The pain was almost strong enough to make him throw up, but he held it in check, swallowing raggedly as he struggled to sit up. Barely had he managed then something grabbed his shoulder and slammed him onto the cold ground on his back.

He gazed up through blurred vision, seeing what'd happened to the other man.

He'd warped into a half-human half-monster arithmetising. The first thing that popped into somber's mind was an octopus melded with parts of human skin, and hair in tufts all over its head. Its face still resembled a humans, and Somber could see glaring blue eyes staring at him.

"How-?" he asked. How had he not sensed it?

The thing once known as "bright" smirked "you really don't recognise me? I guess all those people I stole energy from paid off. You couldn’t sense me at all, and this allowed me to get so close to you. I'll give you a hint; you interfered with my plan to drain that girl."

"Dash...." Somber choked out.

"Yes yes, whatever her name was..." the creature scoffed "the one with the magic. The moment I grabbed you arm I detected something unusual. It took me too long to figure it out. You're HOPE. That jailer that tormented all of our existences. and now you’ve taken the others out." he sniffed, and an evil grin stretched over his face "You and your MATE. Yes, you reek of a lovers scent..." he spat these last words out. Somber glared, and tried to sit up, but two of the octopus-like tentacles lashed around his throat, forcing him to stay still or risk getting strangled.

"This’ll make you feel better about dying; I’ll tell him he should've treasured you more. I’m not without a sense of humour."

"The others...perished.." Somber wheezed, chest aching "you will too. Count on it."

"Brave words from a man about to die. And while I’m here, lets take this off your hands." With a spare tentacle it tore the necklace bearing Elpis away from Somber's neck. It threw the necklace, where it landed behind some broken shards of glass.

Somber closed his eyes, a myriad of thoughts racing through his mind. For some reason his frantic mind latched onto the image of the pony Discord had drawn on his computer. The equestrian Sombra.

--I doubt he'd fall at this hurdle..--- his mind thought weakly as the grip tightened around his neck. He struggled, but seconds later was restrained by further coils lashing around his legs and arms.

--Why cant I be that strong. Even if he WAS crazy, maybe he thought his fight was worthwhile..-- Somber was close to blacking out, and felt one last surge of desperate panic. the magic deep inside woke up, stirring as its wielder finally tried to fight on a level it could respond at. Somber felt like ice had filled his veins for a second, then it turned to fire. He cried out, thrashing desperately.

The thing holding him down laughed, thinking this was a last desperate gasp of life from the helpless man, then a flash of purple light blasted up from the ground between him and the captive. This meant it sheared the coils restraining Somber clean apart. The octo-creature staggered back, hissing in pain and indignant fury. Who dared? The light cleared, and it beheld a strange sight.

Standing in front of the human was what was undeniably an equestrian. A Unicorn. This being was see through, like a ghost, but its power was obvious. It was different, with the same aura as this strange man. Without a pause, the phantom launched for the attacker, its sharp fangs digging into its neck in a display of ferocious strength.

Somber coughed and curled up on his side, watching in blurred nauseous vision as the drawing come to life savaged the slimy creature him. Inky blood sprayed the wall behind it, and the pony leapt back, landing in a protective stance in front of the human Somber.

"You.." Somber croaked, but the pony didn’t turn, merely stared at its opponent.

"You’ve gained another day to breathe," the less smug octo-monster snarled "but don’t think your parlour tricks will save you when I finish my plans!" It took off, melding into the shadows in the alley. Somber began to shake, as he was left alone with the apparition he'd somehow summoned. At last the ghostly pony turned to face Somber and walked over to him. It sat down, and held out a hoof. Somber took it, noting that he felt solid yet oddly soft at the same time.

The pony gestured to Somber's heart, something like a smirk on its face, as if it was pointing out the obvious way to control it.

"Yes...you’re right.." Somber coughed. The ghost pony bowed its head, then with a flash of light he vanished. Where he'd been sitting, the repaired necklace, fixed once more. Somber picked it up, staring at Elpis. What had just happened?

He realised he needed to get home, get to Discord. All he wanted right that second was his lover. He knew it was childish, but he'd nearly died, and needed something solid to hold onto...

He crawled on his hands and knees towards where he'd dropped his coat at the start of all this. he felt ti stick to the bleeding wound on his back, and forced himself to his feet. Grateful the coat had a thick lining and comprised of black fabric, he took a deep breath and picked up the dropped shopping bag. He made his way as calmly as he could back to the parking lot, to his car. He didn’t want to draw attention, he couldn’t risk police involvement, they’d never believe any of it!

Somehow he got to the car without drawing much attention. He drove back to Discord's house, feeling oddly numb as if the pain had receded for now.

Discord groaned and stretched, wondering what had kept Somber.

Then he heard the door open and close, the sound of a lock turning...

"Ah, Somber-"

THWUMP.

Discord broke off, frowning.

"Somber?" he asked, hurrying out to the entrance hall. Somber had crumpled to the polished flooring, looking white as a sheet.

"What on earth happened?!" Discord asked, dropping down beside him. He reached out a hand and seen Somber flinch. he noticed marks around Somber's neck, and felt his blood run cold.

"Discord.." Somber's voice was raspy.

Discord tried to wrap his arms around him, only to encounter a wet patch on Somber's jacket. Pulling his hands away he seen they were smeared in blood.

"Oh sweet Celestia.." he croaked. Without pause he scooped Somber up in his arms, cradling him against his chest and running upstairs. He set Somber down on the bed on his side, and kissed his forehead gently.

He fetched a pair of scissors, and prepared to cut the fabric.

"Sorry about this, Somber.." he said softly, wrestling with the coat "but it’ll be easier and less painful this way."

"D-doesn’t matter..." Somber stammered.

"What happened?" Discord asked, trying to keep him occupied as he worked on cutting away the coat and shirt to get to the source of the bleeding.

"I was in the city. I wound up at my old bookshop.." Sombra focused on not throwing up, he felt like death "I..I met someone outside the store. W-we went....to get coffee..."

"Who was it? did they attack you?" Discord asked, feeling a small stab of jealousy amidst the gun wrenching shock of seeing the state Somber was in.

"He said his name...was "Bright Shine", he seen the book I was carrying, knew about it. We ended up talking at the coffee shop. I thought he was just hitting on me for a laugh..."

Discord's stomach cramped. He knew he would not be alone in finding the brooding professor sexy, but he still felt a childish prod of jealously. Naturally Somber would open up to someone who could talk boring philosophy books with him, why wouldn’t he?

"Who wouldn’t want to hit on you?" he joked, rubbing Somber's shoulder reassuringly as he prepared to move the shirt fabric aside. Somber gasped brokenly, the pain obvious. Discord seen the massive gash, and felt a bit sick himself. Whatever had done this was fast and sharp. Like a whip.

"I’m healing this magically. COMPLETELY." He said. Somber mad e a weak objection, but Discord hushed him.

"Just stay still.." he said calmly, placing a hand over the cut. Somber made a few barely audible noises as Discord pushed as much magic as he could into healing the cut. As he did, he sensed Somber's magic waking, meeting his in donation, so it didn’t take as much as he'd expected. It was soon no more than a faint mark on Somber's skin.

--His powers grown again, its amazing.--

He carefully washed away the remains of the blood, then gently helped Somber sit up.

"Any better?" he asked. Somber nodded, shaking badly.

Discord told him to wait there, and ran downstairs. He returned shortly with a cup of sweet tea and honey, which he persuaded Somber to gulp down.

"That help?" Discord asked. Somber nodded. With the injury healed, he felt coherent and maybe just a bit stiff limbed. Discord's magic really amazed him.

"What happ-?" Discord began to ask, just as Somber spoke up.

"I tried to forget it all, pretend things were normal.." the raven haired man croaked, eye full of pain and confusion "how could I have been so blind? I should've known he wasn’t normal, with this magic I’m supposed to have."

"Somber.." Discord wanted to ask what this guy had offered that HE hadn’t, but told himself to stop being so petty.

"He was going to kill us both. He said he'd tell you.." he swallowed uneasily "that you didn’t know how good you had it.."

Discord understood what Somber meant, and he felt guilty for the thoughts he'd just had.

"He was right," he said softly "I’ve been treating your life too lightly. Your still a human being, there's only so much punishment you can take. Me I'm too dense to notice pain 90% of the time. When you got angry the other day, I thought you were just too scared to confront Cinch. Then I recalled what Fluttershy taught me. not everything is as cut and dried as it may seem. You didn’t want to lose any more of your life, especially not CHS. I should've realised how heartless I'd sounded, calling it silly, acting as if it was so easy to fix..."

Somber blinked as Discord gently tucked loose strands of sweat dampened hair away from his face, tracing Somber's lower lip with his thumb as he spoke.

"I wasn't kidding when I came to say I was an ass. You're so important to me, Somber. Ever since that fight on the couch, I’ve realised how much I’d come to count on you being here with me. Not having you? It simply doesn't bear thinking about." he shook his head emphatically.

"Discord-" Somber began, but Discord was in full ramble and wouldn’t be stopped.

"I may not be as studious as you are, in some ways you remind me of Twilight, she was pretty no-nonsense too. I may not be one for books, but I’d read through a dozen of those befuddling, stuffy hardbacks if it meant impressing you-"

"Impress me?" somber blinked in bafflement "You've been listening to those crazy creatures once too often. This isn’t a mating dance, between us..." He shook his head, letting his forehead rest against Discord's, their lips so close he just wanted to kiss him.

"Then why do I feel the irrational need to do whatever it takes to keep you, no matter the cost?" Discord asked, sounding unusually subdued. Somber flushed a little, but he also smiled.

"I think all humans get that way at some point. In some ways we're still animals, only our rituals are more complicated, fickle even."

"Maybe I AM still partly an animal," Discord mused, staring into those gorgeous red eyes "after all, I’m an entirely different species at heart. When I see you looking so lost, so bereft, I just want to give your a reprieve from all that. Even if all my plans to do so involve sex. Damn fun sex, positively outstanding~" He grinned knowingly at Somber.

THIS was the Discord that’d made Somber's heart race so fast, made him finally step outisde of his boundaries. The Discord he wanted.

A sweet smile curved Somber's lips, and Discord swore his pulse picked up a pace. Even looking like he'd been in the wars, Somber was still the damn sexiest thing..

"Hay," Somber's voice pulled his attention back to his lovers eyes, seeing the amusement there "keep out of the gutter just a little longer."

"I assume "gutter" is code-speak for "your pants"?" Discord joked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Somber laughed, the sound so musical Discord could resist no longer, and snared him in a heated kiss.

"Ass." Somber laughed as he was let go, but there was nothing abrasive behind his words.

"Nerd." Discord shot back, making him smile.

"Seriously though,” Discord looked at Somber worriedly "what did he try to do to you?". He looked at Somber's (shirtless) body, fear rising. Those marks around his neck...

Somber realised what was worrying him and shook his head.

"He was trying to strangle the life out of me. Not initiate the horizontal tango. He didn't even try to kiss me, if that's what's worrying you. I think his intention was to get under my defences, by making me feel like I was important..."

"The opposite of how I’ve been treating you, in other words." Discord said bluntly. Somber paled.

"What?" he began, "now hold on-"

"Shush." Discord stopped him, and smiled gently. "I know I’ve been distant. It may have sounded a little crass when I said you were a distraction after our little activity on your desk. But I meant it in the best possible way. I think I’d be dead by those things claws, or crazy if I was alone. The urge for total, dangerous chaos doesn’t seem as ever present when I have you around me. Its not just sexual, although there is an ever present urge to tear your clothes off, its more than that-"

Somber cut him off with a kiss. It got heated fast...

They broke apart several kisses later, both breathing rather rapidly.

“Somber-” Discord attempted, but Somber poked him on the nose to shut him, and spoke firmly.

"I understand," Somber said "I cant explain the ways you’ve made my life utterly come apart at the seams. But I know I don’t want to fix it, thanks to you. So shut up with the guilt trip. If I didn’t want all this," he trailed a hand up Discord chest, ending with it resting on his shoulder "I wouldn’t be here. You're not the only one that can be pig headed and stupid you know."

"I know, I once met Celestia nephew. What a bore. Still, once this nightmare is over," Discord promised, "I swear I’ll find a way to rebuild your life, your books. You may have to point out which ones you need, I don’t think I even know the existence of the languages half the ones in your house were written in!"

“Primarily Latin..” was Somber's answer as he settled against Discord's chest, feeling relief hit him like a mac truck. The thought he'd nearly lost this- he didn't want to think about it. He couldn’t have faced this alone, much the same as Discord had said...

"Hmm. Did you say "Horizontal tango" a moment ago?" Discord asked as he finished filtering the conversation. He was trying not to laugh, and Somber had to dredge up the energy to smack his shoulder disapprovingly.

"Don’t say it."

“I am SUCH a bad influence. Rather pleased with myself actually?"

"So what's new?" Somber retorted.

"Oi! For that," Discord teased, kissing his lips gently "I’m going to have to come up with payback!"

Somber snorted, but he was shaking subtly again. He felt a bit light-headed. Discord spotted it, and peered worriedly at Somber.

"Are you alright? is it shock?"

"I-I think so.." Somber shivered. He'd read about this. Once the body stopped supplying so much adrenaline, shock set in as the mind and body worked through what it had endured.

"Its OK.." Discord kissed him softly "I’m here, you’re safe..."

It was this reassurance that was pushing the shock of the incident to the fore. Now he was safe and secure, his mind felt able to process it.

"That thing," Somber paled, all merriment gone from his eyes as the days event flashed through his mind "it was so twisted...so wrong-!"

Discord nodded, rubbing his back kindly.

"It despised Eplis, called it their jailer. I let my guard drop, and I nearly cost us both..."

"You're only human my sweet Somber.." Discord nuzzled his hair, trying to calm him down, Somber's body felt so tense all of a sudden. He was shaking so badly...

"I guess I WAS still mad at you, Discord.." he shivered at the near death experience "I let my own emotions blind me, let that THING pretty much paint a target on me and take aim."

"Stop blaming yourself.." Discord chided sternly "you’ve been through what most people would call hell, and you get back up every time. You have more guts then most I’ve met in this world, its one of the things that impressed me about you from day one. The man that attacked a shadow with a chair, cant beat that!"

Somber nodded, trying to slow his breathing. But his stomach hurt.

"Oh crap.." He groaned, abruptly tearing free from Discord's hold and pelting for the en-suite bathroom. Out of habit, he slammed the door behind him as he dove for the toilet..

Discord winced as he heard his precious Somber being violently sick.

He darted away, returning with MORE tea, which he held in one hand while he wrestled with the door handle with the other.

"Somber.." he murmured.

"I'm OK..." the shaken Somber mumbled. Discord sat beside him and kissed the top of his head.

"Ugh, don’t.." Somber groaned "I’m pretty sure I smell gross..."

Discord chuckled, stroking his hair "you’re talking to someone who went on epic benders and woke up feeling and looking FAR more disgusting. I’ve had my share of the 100 yard lavatory dash too, my dear Somber."

Somber chuckled at the idea of a drunk Discord. He pictured him doing something utterly ludicrous

"We should go drinking when this is over.." Discord grinned "get plastered, eat take out, come back and have crazy drunk sex..."

Somber smacked his shoulder again.

"Stop making me laugh, my stomach cant take it.." Somber smiled weakly.

"Oops.." Discord smiled, handing him the tea. Somber sat silently as he drunk it, Discord just settled next to him, watching over his pale, shaken Somber.

Once he'd finished the tea, he stumbled to his feet.

"Why don’t you take a bath, it’ll make you feel better.." Discord suggested. Somber nodded, standing shakily by as Discord twisted the taps, hot steaming water filling the fancy tub.

"I'll fetch you some clean bedclothes.." Discord told him, and ambled out of the room. Somber perched on the edge of the tub, feeling a bit less strung out, thanks to Discord's magic.

--Its a miracle I feel even this alive. On my own, id be in hospital dosed to the point of lunacy with painkillers.

"Here you go." Discord set the clothing and a fresh towel on a chair by the door. He sat beside Somber, and made as if to kiss him. Somber pulled a face, pressing a finger to Discord's lips.

"I don't think you want to kiss me right now, I’m pretty sure it wouldn't be that nice."

"Alright alright.." Discord smiled "But once you’re all cleaned up and feeling better, I’m kissing you until your lips go numb.."

"Deal.." Somber joked, poking him in the head.

Interlude 5: Switching Places

Somber felt a whole lot more human by the time he was done washing himself, shuddering as he seen faint smears of blood still on his skin. His heart rate calmed down, no longer racing in fear as he relaxed into the hot water. A fresh set of sleepwear, and a good few minutes with a toothbrush and mouthwash almost made the whole ordeal almost like a distant memory...

His stomach gurgled, and he tensed up expecting to be sick again. But he only felt a vague sense of hunger...

He uttered a sigh of relief, finishing drying his hair and wandering out into the bedroom. Discord was slouched on the bed, reading through an old book.

"What’s that?"

"Hm?" Discord looked up at Somber, setting the book aside and patting the spot on the bed next to him. Somber settled down gently, and Discord pulled him in close.

"Just a manual for one of my computers," Discord shrugged "nothing big."

"I see.." Somber smiled as Discord nuzzled his neck "I almost expected it to be something dirty.."

"I'm insulted!” Discord huffed “only “almost” expected?”

“Oh, so I should assume you read nothing but porn?” Somber raised an eyebrow.

“Hey you said it, not me!" Discord chuckled, pulling Somber so he was straddling his hips, Somber's hands bracing on his shoulders.

Somber laughed softly, feeling relief at having what he'd almost lost in that fight.

"Mind if I take you up on that promise now?" Discord asked, grinning. Somber recalled the deal that Discord could kiss him senseless once he'd cleaned up. So he happily gave in and let him.

Discord's hands roamed gently over Somber's back, trailing down his sides to his legs, fingertips resting on Somber's thighs. The touch made Somber feel grounded in reality, reminding him of everything worth fighting for.

Discord realised all too quickly that he was getting rapidly aroused by Somber's wonderfully distracting kisses..he tasted so damn good, Discord wanted more. But Somber had been through hell that day, sex was NOT likely to be on his priority list..

Somber's skin was still hot from the bath, and Discord could feel the warmth of him through the thin layer of clothing he wore.

He broke off the kiss, clearing his throat-

"What...?" Somber asked, surprised by Discord refusing attention.

Trying to look nonchalant Discord poked Somber's nose "Its uh...you’re too distracting Somber. I'm afraid that libido you were grumbling about previously is making things a little..." he trailed off.

"Hard?" Somber queried, raising an eyebrow.

"You said it, not me.." Discord joked again, but it was true. Somber had an idea, and a flirtatiously evil grin appeared on his face. After nearly dying, he decided he was tired of living such a tame life. He liked what Discord did to him, it was beyond anything he'd ever fantasized. He wanted to repay Discord for all those times they'd made love, where Discord had tended to HIM.

"Well..." he said, sounding calmer then he nervously felt "why don’t we indulge My curiosity then...? I’m pretty sure that magic of yours healed my throat.."

Sweet Celestia, Discord was surprised he didn’t explode at those words alone. Was Somber suggesting-?

"Yes, it Is what you’re thinking.." Somber blushed, expecting Discord to laugh at his amateurishness. Maybe this was a dumb idea-

But Discord's grin clearly indicated he was on board with it, as he spoke, his eyes mentally undressing the man sitting in his lap.

"Mm, I wont deny seeing you lick your fingers clean the other day nearly made me want to ride you all over again," Discord said at last, which seemed to spur Somber on, for he kissed Discord soon as he finished that last word, deliberately pressing against Discord's body.

"S-so I will in no way....stop you..oh-fuck-me-this-is-hot-" Discord groaned, the last words jumbling together into a blur as this move left him totally, undeniably aroused. Harder then an algebraic equation, to quote a book he'd read.

As they kissed again, Discord was keenly aware of Somber's elegant fingers brushing over his shorts, and willingly gave him a hand sliding them down. Somber released him from his kiss, studying the slightly dazed Discord as he prepared to begin.

Before Discord could fully recover and make a wise crack or innuendo, Somber shifted back so he could lean down and-

"Ohhh.." Discord groaned, any semblance of dignity out the window at how delicious it was having Somber be so....dominant. It sent shivers up his spine as his lovers tongue brushed along his length, brushing over the tip. Thick globs of precum were immediately lapped up by the red-eyed man. Eyes half close din concentration, Somber looked pretty damn irresistible.

"Mm..." Somber blushed as he tasted the sticky fluid, reminded of the brief taster in his office. And he wanted more.

“Sweet Celestia.." Discord groaned, as those deep red eyes met his, and he seen Somber's wilder side lurking within. Somber smiled knowingly, and dipped back down to resume his task, making Discord moan urgently "oh yes, that’s...that’s it..."

Somber's pulse was racing so fast he thought he'd pass out. The small taster he'd had the other day had sparked his curiosity. He'd seen this sort of thing in movies, books. But he'd never attempted it before.

So he went with what felt right. The scent of his lover was irresistible, making his heart rate pace ever faster, he swore he could feel it pounding against his ribcage..

Discord squirmed in delight as the same mouth that’d scolded him, cried his name, called out battle tactics and swore to destroy evil now took him in bit by bit.

He tried to keep his hands to himself, but the angle he was propped up at on the bed gave him reach to sit froward and tangle the fingers of one hand in Somber's jet black hair, caressing the back of his neck. The other hand pressed into the bed, scrunching the sheets between his fingers as the pleasure continued to grow. Having the one pleasure you being someone that drove you crazy made all the difference, Discord realised. He'd had numerous sexual encounters that'd involved either getting or giving this particular act. But they'd just been a way to release. With Somber, it was personal, intimate...

Somber felt Discord's fingers tangle in his still damp hair, and balanced on his elbows next, hands gripping Discord's hips to keep him from fidgeting so much.

"Ohh yes, my sweet Somber..." Discord praised, resting the hand that’d been tangled in his lovers hair back on the bed, letting Somber pin him in place. The way Somber was kneeling on the bed, balancing on his elbows meant that gorgeous arse of his was poised up in the air. Discord honestly wish he could clone himself right that second just so he could grope that nice firm behind...

--Sweet sanity, has he really never done this before..?-- Discord wondered, although it was getting hard to think. Somber's attentions had settled into a rhythm as the normally submissive man took control...and it was possibly the hottest thing Discord had ever seen. Had the encounter with that monster stripped any remaining hesitation in Somber's mind. Something in his eyes had spoken of a decision, that the man had made his mind up.

He flashed back to the way Somber's eyes had caught the light as he'd gone down on him, the seductive, lustful look in them. Discord couldn't take his eyes off the way Somber moved, every motion of that talented tongue sending ecstatic shivers down his spine, his shaft throbbing as he felt himself nearing his peak.

"Somber-!" he gasped, trying to say if he didn’t want Discord to finish inside him, he may want to stop now-

But Somber just dug his nails into Discord's hips stubbornly, anchoring himself in place, making his desire very clear...

He felt Discord's body tense, heard a sharp, cry of sheer orgasmic pleasure in his ears...

His throat constricted as the thick musky fluids hit the back of it, swallowing on instinct. There was quite a lot of it..

He sat back, taking just a moment to savour the taste before swallowing the last of it. He licked his lips, only half-aware of his surroundings. He'd never tried anything this liberating before. It’d felt beyond words.

Discord distracted Somber from his musings as he pulled him against his chest, kissing him hungrily.

"That.." The pale haired man panted "was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen....AND felt!"

Somber smiled softly "I guess you ARE a bad influence." he said with a smirk.

"And YOU have a natural talent for a head job, you sexy, nerdy Somber." Discord complimented him. Another sweet, tasty little kiss and Discord pulled his shorts back up, then the wrapped his arms around Somber, nuzzling his neck.

--I expected what just happened it remain a fantasy for a lot longer, I never expected he had it in him to...get it in him, basically..-- Discord flushed. He'd have to come up with a new fantasy now, not that there was a shortage of those running around his mind, featuring his sexy, sweet Somber...

Somber was pressed up close to his side, head resting on Discord's shoulder, one arm resting on his chest. And he was rapidly falling asleep. After all, it’d been a fast, frantic day.

So Discord let him fall into a deep sleep, and doze doff cradling Somber in his arms. He didn’t want to let go ever....

Third Strike

Once again, their alarms roused them from their slumber, and Somber reluctantly had to get up and get dressed. As he tossed his dirty clothes into the laundry basket, slipping on underpants and a fresh set of trousers, Discord's arms wrapped around his waist, and he felt the other's breath brush the back of his neck. He laughed, the sensation tickled!

Discord kissed his neck whispering "last night was frankly mind-BLOWING, my dear Somber...."

Somber caught onto the innuendo and felt the urge to laugh. An urge he happily gave in to. He felt Discord let him go, and snared the other in a kiss, feeling quite content that morning.

They finished getting dressed, had breakfast and headed for CHS.

"Last day, right?" Discord looked at Somber as they pulled up at a red light.

"Thank sanity yes..." Somber rolled his eyes "I’ll be glad when its over, and things can calm down!"

"I just hope that deranged witch keeps her hands off you." Discord grumbled. Somber chuckled at the sulky protective tone of Discord's voice.

"That reminds me.." he asked "before I came home all bloodied, did you finish what you were working on?"

"Yup, it's good to go..."

The light turned green and Somber pulled away, heading towards the school. He parked under a tree, the shade granting some relief from the hot sun. As he shut off the cars engine, Discord glanced out of the windows, checking all around, then he woke a small segment of his magic.

As Somber turned his head to tell him to get a move on, Discord snared him in a quick, chaste kiss. He let him go pretty quickly, seeing how red Somber was going.

"Discord!!" Somber hissed, looking around and thankfully seeing the parking lot was deserted. His heart was pounding a mile a minute.

"What? Nobody seen us, I checked!" Discord said smugly "plus I blacked out the windows."

"Seriously you-" Somber gave an exasperated sigh, but it HAD felt nice. And there was a strange thrill at being kissed on school grounds...

He dismissed it, Discord had already been a bad influence on him as it was!

They reached the main doors, and Discord said he was heading to his classroom. Somber needed to see Principal Celestia, so he headed for the office.

Before they parted, Discord murmured something about the kiss being their little secret, which made Somber redden, and he had to resist the urge to smack Discord across the head as he walked rapidly off.

He knocked on the door to Celestia's office, hoping he looked less annoyed. If he did, Celestia didn’t say anything, she just had some forms regarding the fencing club to sign.

As Sombra flicked through the papers, Celestia thought to herself that he'd looked flustered when he walked into her office. Was he feeling alright?

"Somber?" she asked asked as he signed the last page "Lightshield informed me of an argument between yourself and Principal Cinch. Is everything alright? I had meant to speak with you about it before but I’ve been snowed under with Cinch's attempts to badmouth my school..."

"It's nothing," Somber sighed "she's never been happy about the fact I left rather then work under her rules. She cant abide losing, as you’re undoubtedly aware."

"This isn’t about me, Somber." Celestia sounded genuinely concerned, and Somber wondered what Lightshield had told her. He couldn’t go through explaining it again, he'd had enough of his past shoved in his face recently.

"Its really nothing," he said as cheerfully as he could "I learnt from working at CPA that you’re best off not rising to her taunts. She has a formidable ego."

Celestia studied the forced smile on his face. She'd spoken to Cinch at the item of hiring Somber, and had been somewhat taken aback by the sheer vitriol of Cinch's opinions on the professor. But Somber was well-spoken, intelligent and had a clear passion for the material. Her gut feeling had said there was more to this, as Somber had paled slightly when she mentioned Cinch at the interview, hands clenching so tightly on his paperwork his knuckles had turned white. But he'd never shown any inclination to talk about it.

She'd been impressed by his knowledge and had given him a trial at CHS. After seeing how well he did, she'd given him the job.

Celestia knew Cinch was argumentative and snobby. Shed always looked down on CHS, treating herself and Luna as if they were little more than children. So when Lightshield had aired his concerns to her, telling her he'd seen Cinch, on the CCTV camera in the hall, grabs Somber's collar and slam him against the door, shed been concerned.

Lightshield added that he'd tried to broach the subject with professor Somber, but the professor had dismissed it, seeming determined to escape the matter. Celestia was concerned Cinch may be trying to intimidate the other teacher, but WHY was she threatening to hurt him?

Somber's explanation that Cinch hated him simply for not letting her walk over him did make SOME sense, Somber was strong willed and a little haughty at times. But it was still a little alarming.

There’d been no further contact, save for Cinch's accusations about Somber waving a sword around. It struck Celestia that Cinch really WAS obsessed with getting a victory at all costs?

She let Somber go, figuring she'd just keep an eye on him. She had her hands pretty full herself, between Sunset Shimmer's out of control task of keeping magic at bay, and the games in general.

The final event pitched the leader of both teams against each other. Which meant sunset versus Twilight...

Somber was leaning against one of the stands, watching the storm clouds beginning to amass in the sky. A shiver ran up his back and his phone began to buzz softly, a series of buzzes that told him something wicked this way comes...

"Can you cover me a moment? I have an urgent call. I-its the insurance company..." he tried to keep his face straight as he spoke to spitfire.

"Huh? oh, the thing with your house. Yeah sure, you wont miss much for a minute or two, They're still holding the pep rally before the event!" Spitfire ushered him towards the nearest door into the school, where he'd have more privacy "just don’t take too long, okay?"

"Of course not. Thank you.." Sombra blurted, then he darted away. Spitfire shook her head, chuckling.

"That guys still acts like he's got a rod up his butt!" she snickered. Although she had to admit he'd cheered up a little lately.

Inside the virtually deserted school, Somber fumbled with the phone as he raced through the hall, looking for Discord's number-

He slammed into someone and gave a startled yell. Firm hands gripped his shoulders, steadying him.

"Relax, Somber," Discord took in his lovers anxious expression "did you-?"

"The phone, yes. Something's going on.." Somber swallowed worriedly, heart in his throat. He felt weird, like the charge in the air before an electrical storm. Elpis was burning against his skin. The heightened sensitivity that had recently made any an all sexual adventures more than intensely pleasurable now made him feel like he'd trod on a live wire. Discord's hand resting on his shoulders was mixing up the signals.

Discord seen him flush and raised an eyebrow. It really was an odd condition Somber had...

There was a funny sort of popping noise, and both phones went dead. The cameras sparked, one exploding in a spray of sparks.

"The electronics have shorted out, and it wasn't ME this time-!" Discord cut off as he seen something out of the corner of his eye and dove forward, pushing Somber to the linoleum floor. they skidded several feet away, out of range of the thing pursuing them.

“I knew those devices we important...” The thing leered as it hit the floor, the force of the impact making the ground shake. Discord kept a protective grip on Somber, who'd gone tense.

"So..you managed to crawl back to your mate did you?" Discord looked up at the thing that’d crashed to the floor where they’d previously stood. It was as Somber had described, part human part- at best he'd call it a slimy mix of a slug and an octopus.

This was the scum bag that'd dared to leave a mark on his precious Somber, that'd tried to kill the one good thing Discord had gained since coming here.

"You should know something about a Draconequus.." he growled, getting to his feet and helping Somber up, keeping the professor behind him "we don’t take a mate easily. Centuries can go by without us ever choosing whom we choose to court. So I'd suggest you shut your filthy mouth before I REALLY get pissed off."

Somber felt a little jab of affection towards Discord. This little tidbit about Discord's species intrigued him, he hadn’t asked much about it since that first night. All he understood from Discord was that Draconequi had fairly voracious sexual appetites!

"Oh dear, whatever will I do?" It cackled "you don’t have your precious Princesses, that world is far away now. All you’ve got is a short circuiting link to YOUR magic, and an unstable power source being wielded by our former jailer."

He cackled at their surprised faces "that's right. I was able to glean a little knowledge from the linger spirits of the others before they faded for good. I seen how you killed them, how unstable that magic of yours is." He directed this at Somber.

"It was so amusing, seeing you fall for my trick. You really believed I cared worth a damn about you? Still, blame your precious lover for making you feel unfulfilled, no-?"

"Shut it!" Somber raged.

"Oh did I hit a nerve?" It grinned "maybe you two should share one last moment before I splatter these halls with your blood-"

Discord pulled Somber towards him, and did just that. The kiss was a searing jolt of pleasure, somehow combining everything they'd felt since that first night where they'd slept together. Discord winked at his lover as he let him go, and Somber pulled the Elpis necklace from around his neck.

The weight of the sword was reassuring in his hands, and he felt the faintest touch of the dark magic at his defences. he flashed back to that alleyway, where he'd summoned a composite image of the equestrian Somber from his memory of that picture. how the illusion had pointed at Somber's heart. Was that they key to keeping this power in check?

"Lets rid this world of this pointless excuse for even a scum bag!" Discord declared defiantly, seeing Somber nod. He turned, smirking at the thing "after this, every damn time my "mate" and I get it on, we'll remember how satisfying it was to put an end to you! Just like we did with all the others!"

Somber flushed when he thought about it. after the first one was defeated, they'd had that first real kiss. The second time, they’d done it in Somber's car.

Oh dear, Discord was right. If trends were a thing maths and statistics had taught him, they'd probably end up doing it later.

This display of confidence only served to piss their opponent off even more. Somber focused on the weight of the sword in his hand as the thing seemed to draw itself in, then it exploded outwards in a maelstrom of spikes. Somber and Discord were forced to opposite sides of the hall. Somber glanced behind him, noting the corridor up ahead was much wider, it'd give them room to fight. He gestured to Discord, and they took off running.

"Hahaa...no use in running now, it's time to die!" the monster cackled, reforming as a misshapen blob of darkness and flesh and chasing after them. It's gloopy body smashed into the lockers, leaving streaks of black goop in its wake, like an oil spill. Somber felt an idea spark in his head, and he shut his eyes, feeling the connection between him and the blade. He spun, slicing the sword across the air in front of him. A razor thin beam of light cut down the hall behind him. The sludge creature screamed in fury as the beam sloughed away a chunk of its body that fell to the floor with a splat. Then it laughed as the blob merely reconnected to the rest of its body.

"No good!" Somber backed up. They were standing in the middle of an intersection. Discord pulled what at first glance looked like a desert eagle from his bag.

"You brought a GUN into school?!" Somber squawked.

"Yes, it proved most compatible with what I had planned. Don't worry, its not registered, I made sure of that when I bought it."

“Whu...." Somber shook his head as Discord levelled the gun ahead of him as their opponent drew near.

"Besides, is it any less arrestable than a sword, if that's what you're worried about?"

How could he be so flippant? Somber shook his head "we'll discuss this later!"

"Of course my dear Somber," Discord chuckled "before or after the celebratory sex?"

Somber didn't have time to answer as the thing caught up to them. It drew itself up, so it could look down at the two.

"You mock me with your childish words. Do you two do anything other then interfere and fuck?" its crude words were hurled like darts at the duo before it.

"Sometimes there's dinner involved!" Discord snickered. Somber glared at the thing, trying to keep his temper in check. With anger came the overload, that loss of control...

It split in two, each side with a glaring red eye on it, and they were forced apart again. Somber swung the blade, deflecting its stabs. But no matter how many times he sliced and jabbed at it, it just reformed. He needed something better, all he was doing was putting it off, not hurting it...

It laughed, a tentacle of inky blackness lashing up from the side, cutting deep cross the top of Somber's sword hand, cutting deep. The sword clattered to the ground, oddly not transforming back to its necklace form like before. Blood splattered to the floor as thing lashed around Somber's legs. the world turned upside down as it lifted him upside down. Somber swung wildly, succeeding in severing the limb. This sadly Somber felt a flare of pain in his shoulder and he hit the floor with a thud. Somewhere outside he fancied he heard a tearing, ripping sound, and distant screams.

Then he heard a scream much closer to home. Looking over, he seen the one fighting Discord had stabbed a sharp pointed tentacle right through Discord's shoulder. The gun was no use, the hit was causing too much pain to even lift his arm.

"Discord!" Somber's desperate cry echoed between the two, and the one battling Somber laughed.

"Can't even protect your mate? What use are you.."

Somber shut his eyes, he'd vowed not to give in to his fury, but this was his LOVER for pity’s sake. He could not and would not sit by and see him suffer. Not after Discord had saved him, in so many ways

He reached deep inside, imploring the power to aid him now. There was no hesitation, he needed this dark power.

The thing laughed, grabbing Somber's chin with one oily appendage and forcing the man's gaze up towards its own. Then Somber opened his eyes and the thing paused. This frail humans eyes had been red before, now the had a dangerous green glow to them, and it sensed something powerful. This was more than just Hope, this power was dangerous.

Sombra grabbed the limb holding him in place and it screamed as black electricity crackled over its skin, shocking it to its core. Somber flung it away, hearing it smash into a display case. Next up was the one hurting his Discord...

Discord struggled to bypass the pain and beat this thing. It'd retracted the tentacle it stabbed him with, but wasn't giving up on trying to tear him limb from limb. All he was managing to do was keep a shield between himself at it, its teeth gnashing within inches of his face.

Then just as abruptly it was torn away from him, smashing into a wall. Discord stood, seeing Somber stood there, one hand outstretched. Elpis was nowhere to be seen.

"Somber.." he seen the glow of Somber's dark magic, but also seen the man he'd fallen for. This was the highest he'd seen Somber's power climb, and it was mesmerising.

--If we can just get through this, I’ll tell you...-- he promised as he pressed a hand to his shoulder, giving the injury a jolt of magic to keep it's bleeding at bay.

The two creatures rejoined, and dove after Somber their combined fury targeting him alone. Somber raised his hand, palm facing up. Strange writing etched itself into the air in glowing purple magic. The thing hit it head on, at which point the spell detonated. A burst of purple flame blasted the blobby attack into the far wall, making the building shudder.

"Somber!" Discord ran to his side, pressing a hand to his cheek. Somber blinked, tilting his head to smile at Discord.

"It's OK," he whispered "I haven't forgotten what you taught me."

Discord reloaded the specialist bullets he'd created. As the thing charged them, he whispered something to Somber, who nodded.

As it lunged for them Discord lobbed an old friend of theirs, the flash magic grenade. the unexpectedly bright light made the thing stumble, its swing going wide. It opened its eyes, seeing Discord holding up another grenade and smirking. Enraged, it grabbed for him, only to feel multiple daggers slam into its body each one exploding on impact.

It turned, reeling in pain. Not daggers, it realised, but gunshots. This was an enhanced version of the weapons these humans preferred. The bearer of hope smirked, cocking the weapon once more.

"Gotta wonder how shots I fired?" he sneered "was it five? or Six? Now tell me, do you feel lucky?"

While it was distracted, Discord closed his eyes. He'd been adapting and training his magic bit by bit since arriving in this world. Now was the culmination of it. Out of thin air a giant weight thudded down, hitting the thing right on the head. Black goo spattered Somber's clothing, but he was unharmed.

Discord gave a triumphant cackle. Then the weight began to crack and splinter. He dove back, struggling to outrun the thing as it expanded, the heavy weight crumbling to dust. He fumbled for a spell, succeeding in cutting off several of the tentacles as they reached for him. Like Somber had done, he tried to use a silver fire to melt the thing but it broke straight through, wrapping him up in seconds. It was reminiscent of how Discord had captured Somber with the plunder vines, only there was nothing remotely sexual about THIS.

A pained scream cut off his thoughts on the matter, and his gaze zeroed in on the scream, and he felt like he'd been punched in the gut. The thing had Somber. One coil was lashed around Somber's wrists, holding him up in the air in this manner. another was wrapped his lower legs. As Discord wriggled, he seen the coil inch further up Somber's body, slithering like a snake, and getting increasingly, perversely intimate....

"Get your filthy hands off him!" Discord shut his eyes, the air around him began to shiver-

"Uh-uh!" it sneered, and a gasp of panic from Somber caused Discord's concentration to waver. He seen the thing was tracing one oily limb along Somber's collarbone, callously unbuttoning his shirt...

"One more trick and I’ll do something unmentionable to this mate of yours."

"Don’t you DARE!" Discord hissed, but it just laughed.

"He IS hope, and all of us in the jail had to endure it was part of the punishment. To see hope but never attain it, never know release from that cell it was torture. Each of us dreamed of ripping hope limb from limb. And when you opened that box, you gave it a solid form. How convenient, I suppose I should thank you. Killing this weakling will be so satisfying. And you can sit here and watch." with a casual flick, it sliced a cut into Discord's cheek, making him snarl in pain.

"Yes, I think I’ll let you bleed out slowly. Your mate, your hope? I’ll show some mercy and kill him quickly, but it won't be painless!"

"Just kill this thing!" Somber managed to focus long enough to yell at Discord.

"One move, and I’ll not only kill him, I’ll tarnish that innocence you hanker after so much. Hell die hating you, knowing YOU did this to him..."

"You’re an idiot!" Somber gasped, squirming instinctively as a cold limb hovered over his heart, the oil soaking into his shirt. It reeked of decay and blood, and the sensation was abhorrent. It was threatened, desperate. It wanted to use their bond against them, and the mere thought infuriated Somber. Behind Discord, Somber spotted a gleam of light. The sword, Elpis. Its been knocked about by the fight after he'd dropped it earlier.

"Just do it!" He yelled at Discord "I’ve adapted to worse!"

This triggered something in Discord's memory. A cute little line spoken by Somber the morning after their first night in bed together, Somber saying he was perfectly capable of adapting to change. Or withstanding pain...

"Id rather you hurt me then this thing!" Somber added, glaring balefully at the one holding him prisoner.

Hoping he wouldn’t hurt Somber too much, and trusting his beloved had a plan behind his words, Discord let the anger just seeing that thing pawing Somber had generated rush to the surface.

Discord's voice was a snarl of feral proportions as he dredged up everything he had, opening his eyes and meeting the things incredulous gaze. The air around Discord wavered.

Somber tensed himself for retaliation, but the pain that shot through his body still took his breath away. His vision blanked out briefly, and when he refocused his chest hurt So badly he could barely breathe...

Then a literal giant fist made of warped and shimmering air punched the slimy creature full on, forcing it to let not just sober go, but Discord. Somber held out a hand to Elpis, begging it to use everything it'd brought with it combined with his own power, to destroy this thing. The sword shone, morphing into a beam of light that zipped across the distance between Somber and itself, pausing only to join the a shining shard of magic that appeared floating in front of Somber. This then formed into a glowing blade, which Somber grabbed and dove forward, driving it deep into what he could see with this boosted power was the oily-shadow's heart. It was a sickening sensation, like hacking at meat with a cleaver, but Somber didn't stop. He drove the blade through and through its heart.

It gave a dying scream, unable to believe these two roaches had destroyed it. They’d endured what would kill other humans in this world, for the sake of each other. What crazy kind of magic was this?

It seen the triumph of its jailer, of HOPE, painted across this arrogant humans features. As its last dying act it thrust a coil of its octopi-like body up, aiming for this wretch even as it faded.

One moment Somber felt triumph, relief he'd finally dealt it a fatal blow, then an intense pain erupted in his midsection. He blinked, looking down with fuzzy vision. Blood was blooming on his once pristine white shirt. His vision fuzzed as he realised how deep it gone. He staggered back, the things limb pulling free from the wound it'd inflicted, the world turning grey. The school shook, and screams filtered in from outside as Sombra felt his body impact the floor. he curled up, pathetically trying to press his hands to the stab wound...

"SOMBER!" Discord heard the creatures mocking laughter as it faded into a foul smelling smoke, then dispersed altogether, leaving only a scorch mark on the floor...

"Discord..." Somber looked up at him fuzzily "I don't feel so good-" he was already in shock.

"You’ll be fine..." Discord panicked, whipping off his jacket and pressing it to Somber's stomach "just hold on.."

But the blood stained the fabric all too soon, and Somber coughed painfully, the sound agonising.

"Don’t you dare die on me..." Discord kept his hand's pressed over the wound, trying to summon any magic left in him. he cursed the limits of this world that kept him from his true power. Power that could’ve saved Somber.

He pressed his forehead to Somber's, scared by how clammy and cold his skin was.

"Discord..." Somber fought to get the words out. He clung to the warmth of Discord's skin, recalling their nights together...

There was a loud RIP, and Discord looked behind him, seeing a portal had appeared out of nowhere behind him. On the other side of it was a familiar equine face he knew well..

"Celestia.." Discord gasped.

Celestia stared at the strange portal that'd suddenly opened up in front of her, and seen someone she thought she'd lost. Discord. She leapt from her seat, running over to the portal, heart ablaze with relief. Then she seen the scene the other was caught up in.

A world that looked so familiar, one she'd sent Twilight into to retrieve her crown that first occasion.

Discord was dishevelled, and spattered with blood. She soon realised it wasn’t coming from HIM, rather the badly injured man he was crouched over. He was barely conscious, dark red eyes unable to focus...

"Discord-"

"I don't care how mad you are Celestia's!" Discord yelled "just help me save him!!"

Celestia nodded, and with the cries of her petrified guards echoing in her eras, she dove into the other world. It was a sign how much things were falling apart that she stayed an an equine, instead of instantly transforming into a human as Twilight had described them.

"Who.." she paused as she caught on just WHO this man resembled.

"He’s not like HIM!" Discord said, upset and angry that she hesitated "he's the only reason I have Celestia!!"

Celestia looked into his eyes, seen the raw desperation and so much more in them. She understood. She'd grown to believe Discord had abandoned Equestria to seek something he wanted, that he felt he was missing. He'd found it, only to see it fading now in front of him. She imagined if she were to lose Luna in such a manner, and her heart broke.

She sat beside the bleeding Somber, and activated her magic. She hoped ti would work, that what she had would be enough. These were bad wounds...

A soft golden glow wrapped around the human Sombra' midsection, as she used every bit of training she'd ever had to try and repair his body. As she did, she sensed the power within him.

"He's...able to control it..?" she gasped.

Discord looked at her, a mere nudge away from breaking down.

"He has something akin to dark magic. I seen the resemblance on day one of coming here. Yet he was different. Stubborn, wilful, but he’s KIND. He gave up something he loved to do just to try and protect it. He surrendered Crystal Prep..."

"Like the empire." Celestia sorted these facts in her head as she focused on the slowly healing wound "I had wondered if it was possible to find a world where a being like him would be a gentle ruler."

"He's not a king, he's a professor.." Discord watched his precious Somber, felt a flicker of hope as some colour returned to his face. He silently pleaded for Somber to open his eyes, wake up! He was so busy concentrating on Somber, he didn’t feel a poke of magic healing the wound in his shoulder.

Celestia studied him, seen how frantic he was, seen the way he only had time for this human version of a former tyrant in their world. She realised the strength of their bond was undeniable. It was love.

"I cant explain how he....he's beyond anything I expected to see here. This world is strange but it HAS magic!"

"I know..” Celestia smiled "this is the world Twilight entered all that time ago. I did not think it would be the same place YOU'D end up. Maybe its fated, who knows..."

"I don't want to lose him Celestia, you don't know what he means to me."

“I can see." Celestia assured him, patting his back with one wing. At last she sensed she could help no more, and cut off her magic. She leant her head down and pressed an ear to Somber chest. Hearing a heartbeat she sighed in relief, then sat back up swiftly as he stirred.

Somber opened his eyes, seeing a face hovering near his. It was a soft white, vaguely horse shaped...wait…?

He blinked, blurredly fixing his gaze on what was definitely a PONY. With a flowing mane that reminded him of a certain Principal.

"You’re...Celestia..." he said weakly. He reached up a hand to see if she was real, only strong enough to brush his fingertips over her nose before his arm fell to his side. Then he was enveloped in the warm, familiar arms of his precious Discord a second later. Held gently against the others chest.

"Somber.." Discord breathed in the familiar scent of his lovers skin, feeling the beat of Somber's pulse in his neck as he held him. Weakly, Somber was able to hug him back, even though he felt utterly drained.

Celestia felt tears well up as she watched this, seeing the relief and happiness in Discord's actions. At last Discord released the shaken Somber, and helped him sit up.

"Celestia.." the ex-Draconequus didn’t know how to thank her. Celestia looked at the portal, seeing it waver, and a familiar magic emanating from outside, she smiled.

"I must go Discord, but I’m sure we will see each other soon."

Somber blinked at her, mind still struggling to process that he was alive "you’re...the sun Princess?"

Celestia nodded, seeing they were both bloodied she generated one last spell, fixing their clothing and erasing all signs of blood and conflict from the hall. Only the broken CCTV cameras gave any hint something had gone on. Her magic was at low ebb, but she knew it was all worth it.

"Go on, you two," she smiled in an almost motherly fashion " go, before your guards or whomever serves the worlds comes to investigate..."

"Thank you...for saving me Princess.." Somber managed to say. She nodded, taking in this humanoid version of an old foe.

"It's good to see you living happily in this universe, it puts my heart at ease." she said cryptically. Then she bowed, and leapt back through the portal.

"Say hello to Fluttershy, tell her I’m sorry, and can she forgive me...?" Discord asked her.

“She already has Discord, she told me. She just hoped you'd found happiness. I'll tell her you have..”

“Thank you, old friend...” Discord said genuinely.

She nodded, her kindly gaze never leaving them even as as the portal sealed up.

"Your majesty...what in Equestria just happened?"

“You will not speak of it, it was a magical anomaly that must be a secret." Celestia said firmly as she cast a spell to erase what they'd seen. She felt more than a little tired from the power she'd given to help heal the injured Somber. But she was glad he'd made it through. It was obvious Discord was in love.

The guard all blinked sluggishly at her, seeing their Princess staring into space, smiling. Had they missed something?

"Your majesty, you have blood on your nose!" one cried as he spotted it. Celestia blinked, seeing her reflection in one of the windows. Sure enough there was a small smudge of crimson on her muzzle. She recalled the human Sombra reached up to pt her, trying to see if she was real.. she erased it, saying she was fine, they didn’t need to worry.

She smiled, even as it was tempered by sadness. Seeing Discord again had been a relief, but she knew now it was unlikely he'd ever come home. He'd found something to tether him, something worth dedicating himself to. A special someone. Seeing the human Somber had been a surprise, but she sensed what Discord said was true. He possessed the power and strength of the former tyrant, but he had a gentler soul, not unlike a pony in another world far from her now., She shook her head to dispel that memory and focused on the papers in front of her, sighing as she penned a letter to Fluttershy.

"Discord, how did she-?"

"A portal just tore open, I don’t know..." Discord shook his head "I don’t know and I frankly don’t care how it happened. She saved you, that's all that matters."

Somber brushed the gathering tears away from Discord's eyes, his hands shaking subtly.

"I'm here.." he assured him "I’m sorry if I scared you.."

“You nearly died in my arms you silly, sexy man.." Discord sulked, even as he struggle not to break down from relief. Somber kissed him then, feeling his heart race as that familiar wonderful sensation jolted up his spine. Discord kissed him in return, one hand gently rubbing Somber's back. They heard sounds of shouting and cheering off in the distance.

"Lets get out of here!" Somber said urgently. They shared glances and ran outside through the nearest exit. Out in the fresh air they stood gathering their thoughts. On auto pilot they cut across the rear car park to get to the front lawn. Then Somber seen someone familiar..

Abacus Cinch was furious. How dare Celestia blackmail her into agreeing to a tie, declaring them both victors. And how DARE that pathetic Twilight go over to their side. Her own students had turned on her, the normally loyal Sugarcoat quite bluntly dumping her in it with a few harsh sentences. The looks on her students faces. They’d ALL been corrupted by Celestia. She'd see CHS fall, she'd have her revenge. That school had cost her the reputation she'd worked so hard to maintain. By hook or by crook, she'd fought her way to the top...

"Running away now?" a familiar voice cut the silence, and she spun, dropping her keys. Somber was standing a couple of feet away, arms folded over his chest. There was something odd about him, as if all traces of that former fear were gone. He seemed stronger, even just standing there she felt a nudge of unease. Standing behind Somber was that other teacher she'd seen hanging around before.

"Are you two psychically bonded or something? You're like a couple of cockroaches."

"Very nice," Somber dead-panned "but your little verbal assault is missing one crucial feature. My ability to give a flying fuck!"

Cinch's eyebrows rose as Somber swore. She'd rarely heard him use such language, but again, something was off about him.

"I'm going to guess you've caused a problem, or, by the sounds of it, finally realised I was right about overestimating your own capabilities-"

Somber was still pretty tired from the near death experience, thus he was unable to react fast enough when Cinch moved sharply and slapped him HARD. Hard enough to make him stumble back, arms unfolded to balance himself. He raised a hand to his face, but compared to what he'd felt already, this was easily forgettable.

"SHUT UP, YOU DEGENERATE HACK!" Cinch shouted, fury overriding common sense.

Discord had to clench his fists to stop himself from knocking the stuffing out of Cinch. He settled for setting a hand on Somber's shoulder briefly to steady him, asking was he OK. Somber nodded, expression unchanging. This only served to frustrate Cinch further.

"Somehow this is all your fault!" she glared at Somber. She was a strung out, dishevelled mess by this point, hair slipping from it's perfectly manicured do.

"PRINCIPAL CINCH!" she froze mid-rant at the sound of a female voice. She looked over, seeing Dean Cadance, together with The two Principals Celestia and Luna. All three were giving her stony glares.

"First you bully a student into using magic beyond her control!" Luna fumed "then you try to act as if it never happened!"

"Now we catch you assaulting one of CHS's teachers!" Cadance shook her head "what are you thinking?"

"Y-you don't know this madman!" Cinch yelled "he was bad influence at Crystal Prep too!"

"She's lying." A familiar drawl cut in. Everybody did double takes as Sugar Coat and the other five appeared on the other side of the strange stand-off.

"She told us he was fired, but I heard her gloating that she did CPA a favour by driving him out." the pony-tailed girl said curtly.

"How...?" Cinch twitched.

"I followed you, I wasn't sure why you’d have such a grudge against an ex teacher. Why would you care, unless he did something major to tick you off all that time ago." She glanced up at Somber as she spoke "I’m guessing he wouldn’t do what you wanted."

Somber blinked, floored by this girls astute observations.

Sugarcoat seen the bruise on Somber's face, and put two and two together, and added an extra nail in Cinch's career coffin "oh yeah, she grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the door as well. It looked like it hurt."

"I knew it" Celestia looked at Somber, who was looking uneasy, also very pale, then glared at Cinch.

"I suggest we open a formal investigation into the professor's situation, alongside Cinch's" Cadance looked at Luna, who nodded.

"Gladly." Celestia said in agreement. Cinch went pale, backing up against her car. She'd driven over there, leaving Cadance to stay with the kids on the bus, she hated having to listen to them chatter and shout!

She grabbed her keys, glaring angrily at Somber, who'd folded his arms across his midsection, he looked straight through her as if he no longer feared nor cared about her.

All she could mange was a parting "You’ll regret this!" before diving into her car and taking off out of the car park.

"I doubt it.." Somber muttered under his breath.

"She shouldn't have been so mean," Sour Sweet said sadly, then snarled "I hope she gets booted out!"

Somber blinked at this girls fervour, it was a little unnerving.

"You tried to help Twilight, didn't you?" Sugar coat stared up at Somber.

"I was concerned how miserable she was. I knew Cinch ruled with an iron fist, but I did not think it had sunk this far."

“It's hit rock bottom and started digging for china." Sugarcoat informed him. Somber looked worried, and his grip around his stomach tightened.

"You got tummy ache?" Indigo Zap asked.

"I don't feel too well," Somber agreed "it's nothing."

"Here," Cadance rummage din her purse and walked over to Somber, holding up a packet of antacids "these will help."

“Thanks.." Somber was able to swallow a couple, handing the box back to Cadance.

"I thought you looked familiar," Cadance said "I seen a photo in the records when Shining Armor was looking up his class photo. You taught him didnt you?"

"Shining Armor? Yes, he was a good student. He often requisitioned my classroom to host his tabletop games."

“Oubliettes and Ogres, yes I remember.." Cadance chuckled "he STILL plays, goes to the championships too."

Somber smiled faintly as he recalled those tabletop games..."its good to hear he's doing well. He was a bright student, when he wasn't goofing about with his friends."

"I'm sure we can find a way to reverse what Cinch did to you. I'll contact Luna, if its alright?"

“Yes, I..." Somber sighed "I think its time I helped put an end to Cinch's insanity."

Cadance nodded, glad to have his help. Cinch was in a LOT of trouble, that was putting it mildly.

"So, what do you teach?" Sugar coat asked Discord "you look like a mad scientist."

"Physics, and thank you. I try, but mad scientist is a tough look to pull off. I'd recommend walking through a hedge backwards, it helps." Discord shot back cordially, which amused Sugarcoat.

"Alright girls, we need to get going..." Dean Cadance ushered the six back towards the bus.

"Are you alright Somber?" Luna asked, seeing how quiet he was.

"I'm fine, just not feeling well, that’s all.."

"Well a lot has happened today..." Celestia sympathised. "We're ending the school days early, I think the students have had a long day too."

Somber walked back towards his car, recalling the kiss he and Discord had shared just that morning. It felt surreal, so much had happened since then it almost seemed like a whole different day.

"Sure you’re alright?" Discord asked. Somber nodded.

They walked past the Wondercolt's statue, where a certain seven girls, one of which was the shy Twilight Somber had encountered, were having a picnic.

"Hi teach!" Pinkie waved, then seen Discord walking alongside Somber "I mean, teaches!"

"Hey crazy hair!" Discord said casually, which made Pinkie whoop. Somber managed a strained smile, spotting the medals they all wore and congratulating them.

"We won!" Applejack cheered "Canterlot finally scored a win!"

"We're awesome!" Rainbow Dash nodded. Twilight bobbed her head and smiled.

"And we got a new Wondercolt!" Rarity nodded at Twilight.

"You’re transferring?" Somber asked. Twilight nodded.

"I-I like it here, I could learn a lot from the students here. but I feel bad for everyone else. They need someone nicer than Cinch."

"I think that Dean of yours will look after that." Somber said, which seemed to make Twilight feel better.

The two adults bid the kids goodbye and set off towards the car.

"They seem to get on well." Applejack remarked.

"I always through Professor Somber was THE most anti-social guy ever. But, he's actually kinda cool.." Rainbow Dash had it admit. Somber had helped her and the others out after all.

"I'm surprised he knew how to fence. Swords are kinda cool.." Sunset Added "I’m gonna sign up!"

While the others chattered about the activities Twilight could sign up for at CHS, Pinkie stood up atop the statue, watching the two teachers stride across the parking lot. She held up her thumbs and forefingers in the shape of a heart, and framed the two figures within it. A knowing smile crept onto her face and she sat down, content in her theory.

Somber drove back to Discord's home in silence, even the air felt lighter, fresher. Those things were gone, and he was alive.

Discord was a silent, comforting presence in the passenger seat beside him. They didn’t need to speak, they knew what they were both feeling.

As they stood at the front door, Discord rummaging for his keys, Somber asked an innocuous question;

"How does take out sound for dinner? I cant cook and you shouldn't have to..."

Discord got the door open and they stumbled inside. But barely was the door closed then Discord turned and snared Somber in his arms, pressing him back against the door. A single kiss embodied all the relief he'd held in check at seeing his precious Somber survive.

"Dis--mmh.." Somber couldn't even get a word in for a good few seconds as he was briefly released only to be kissed again. His heart pounded happily, and he happily reciprocated. His arms wrapped around Discord's shoulders, pressing their bodies together.

At some point balance became an issue, and they slithered to the polished flooring, tangled in one another.

At last Discord let Somber go, and tucked stray strands of the man’s hair behind his ears. Holding him so close only reignited the relief he'd felt earlier at seeing Somber alive. He'd never stop thanking Celestia for this.

His vision blurred, only this time there was nothing to stop him from breaking down. Nobody to keep a straight face in front of, no stray students to intrude on them..

"Discord-?!" Somber blurted, feeling panic at how suddenly the normally steadfast Discord had crumpled. He scooted as close as his could, so he was just seconds away from climbing into Discord’s lap, and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, brushing their foreheads together.

"Hey, I’m right here!"

"I know.." Discord sniffled "the fact you very nearly left for good scared me more than I thought possible. I’ve always been so cavalier about EVERYTHING. Even my friendships, what few I had in Equestria, I sometimes put in second place to my own plans. I took them all for granted, acted as if they were inconsequential."

"Your not alone in that.." Somber interjected "I shut everybody out after CPA, thought people would only betray me if I let them get close. I was wrong...."

Discord managed a very weak smile, pressing a hand to Somber's cheek, the warmth of his skin like an anchor as he continued.

"I acted like I thought it was nonsense. In a way I thought it was, although Fluttershy was an exception. When I thought I’d lost HER, it gave me a sharp shock. But I was still a long way from ever understanding. I felt like I was going crazy trapped by so many rules and regulations in that world, I endeavoured to escape. I used people for my own amusement the same as I did in Equestria, when I arrived HERE. Then I met a stubborn, wilful man who was having none of my nonsense."

Sombra smiled weakly, but was still concerned by how sad Discord was.

"For the first time, I had found something I wanted that I couldn’t just TAKE. Or manipulate, and it threw me. I became more and more curious about you, not just because of your resemblance to the other Sombra. The way you brooked no hesitation in tearing me a new one that first night where I fixed your collarbone really startled me. Very few have ever gotten through my immense EGO the way you have. Before I realised what I’d gotten myself into, I was thinking about more than just a friendship with you..."

Somber flushed a little, remembering how stony and standoffish he himself had been at the start.

"That night where you showed just how selfish I was being by trying to distance you from this conflict, it made me realise I was past the point of ever running such a risk again. I told Celestia you were all the reason I had, and I wasn't kidding. There was something else I promised myself id tell you when this was over.."

"What’s that..?" Somber asked, seeing Discord looking just a LITTLE bit flustered.

Discord kissed him then, a fierce, deep kiss that turned Somber's legs to rubber. He was grateful he was already kneeling down or he'd have just toppled over, as comedic as it sounded.

The words that came out of Discord's mouth wiped away all traces of these thoughts, the weight behind the trio of words immense;

"I love you."

Somber blinked, surprised despite himself. But he could see the raw honesty is Discord's expression, this wasn’t a joke.

--He...loves me? I...-- Somber's world was upside down yet again, and his own feelings came pelting down onto his mind, demanding he answer a very important question: how did HE feel? There was no denying they’d become closer than mere friends, more than just lovers.

Discord babbled on, unsure how else to fill the silence "I don’t know how else to say it. I fell harder then I considered possible, for the first time I found myself at someone else's feet. You can think me as crazy as you please my dear Somber, but its glaringly obvious. I'm in love with you-"

He was cut off by Somber kissing him. A firm but gentle kiss. Discord groaned softly, hw was he supposed to refuse this man? Every little thing Somber did left him scrabbling to match his intensity. Did this mean Somber felt-?

Somber knew hat his decision was, and Discord deserved to hear it after he been brave enough to admit how he felt. How could Somber do any less in return? He took a shaky breath and opened his mouth;

"You barged into my life and turned everything upside down, exposed me for a coward hiding behind my own arrogance and talked me into believing in magic. I have never met anyone that got that close, or did so much to me. Never mind letting letting them away with it! Add in the fact I came to realise I LIKED it, and it adds up to a very clear conclusion. I love you too, end of story." he smiled honestly.

Discord seized him and kissed him. Hearing his precious lover not only accepted but shared his feelings was a dream come true.

When they finally parted, they were both pretty out of breath, faces flushed and clothing rumpled from eager, exploring hands..

"Hey..” Discord chuckled "I'm going to ruin the romantic mood and suggest: why don’t we have mind blowing celebratory sex? Lot to celebrate after all.."

Somber burst out laughing. THIS was the Discord he loved, the goofy, blunt, tactless guy who's mind was a permanent resident of the gutter.

"Hey, don’t laugh-!" Discord said, reddening "you know, its a fact Draconequi are only any good at sentimental moods when they find a partner they want. Other than that were crude as all buggery."

"Then allow me to take a leaf out of your crude book and say this:" Somber closed the distance between them, red eyes blazing with that familiar fire that just flat out turned Discord on "shut up and just DO ME, you doofus."

Discord grinned, and in a repeat of before, threw Somber across his shoulder. Somber's heart poudned in his chest, and he laughed giddily, a sentiment echoed by the excitable Discord.

Discord charged up the stairs and into their bedroom, as he'd come to think of it. He deposited Somber down on the bed, pinning his lover there as he devoured him with his eyes. They were both breathing heavily, clothing all out of place. Discord seen his own desire reflected in Somber's deep red eyes.

"Let me take care of everything.." he whispered, staying Somber's hand as he made to unbutton his own clothing "I want to take you in all over again, like I did that first night..."

Somber blinked but nodded, content to grant Discord his wish.

"Good man.." Discord smiled, and took Somber's breath away with a heated kiss. He took his time removing Somber's clothes, hands and kisses exploring his lovers body as each article was thrown aside to join his own, just as they’d done that first night. So much had happened since then, not least the feelings between them taking even deeper root..

Every touch against his skin felt like it drove Somber's body temperature higher, and the bed covers soon stuck to his back, the cool air of the room brushed over bare skin. Discord's soft voice, repeating his name, was like music...and theirs was a duet.

Every scar of Somber's body was traced by the one who'd been by his side when he'd gotten them, this intimate examination of his body finally sealed with a kiss. Somber wrapped his arms around Discord's shoulders, there was no need for hesitation or preparation this time. Discord's eyes met his and they shared a smile that spoke volumes.

"Ready?" Discord mimicked that night once more.

"Oh, yes.." Somber smiled seductively and he felt Discord's hands settle at his hips, a delicious shiver wracking his body in earnest...

Somber's moan of pleasure was muffled by Discord's kiss as the latter pushed gently into him. He braced his feet against the bed, that delirious heady thrill of anticipation giving way to the even more intoxicating reality as Discord made the first move.

Their day had begun with a kiss, been shaken up by a fight that’d threatened to tear them both apart, and had been brought full circle with a declaration of love.

As the climax faded, they clung onto one another, dazed and exhausted but deliriously happy.

Discord lay down beside Somber as they wrapped the covers around themselves.

Discord pondered something Fluttershy had taught him and wondered if friendship was magic, what power then did LOVE possess?

--Enough to make YOU slow down and enjoy what you have. Love is as chaotic as it is wonderful it would seem. --

Epilogue: Fresh Start

As Cadance had predicted, Cinch was in a LOT of trouble. The previous Principal, Line Rule, took a break from her tenure at the university to oversee matters until a new principal was found.

In the end she appointed the former vice-principal to the principals position, but that still left the vice principal.

When she heard about Somber leaving due to Cinch's pressure, read the full statement he'd given Dean Cadance. She asked where he'd gotten to, and Cadance explained he'd worked at CHS since his departure.

Line Rule had an idea, and asked Principal Celestia if she could set up a meeting…

Once the hubbub over the madness that'd been the Friendship Games had died down, the school returned to normal. Somber taught his class as he always did, but the kids noticed he seemed a little less stern, and even let them get away with goofing about a few times.

On the day Line Rule visited, Twilight started her first day. She felt relieved to be wearing her own skirt and blouse instead of the CPA uniform. She'd gotten new glasses, her old ones had gotten broken during the bit of that fateful day where she'd turned into a demon girl. Rarity had kindly helped her select new frames that suited her eyes, and complimented her face shape.

Soon as she tentatively stuck her head around the music room door, Spike sticking his head up out of her backpack, she was swept up in a group hug by the other girls. She shared a “thanks for helping me” smile with Sunset, and felt like the burden she'd bourne at CPA had finally been lifted.

She was pleased when she seen she'd been assigned to the history class taught by that professor who'd been sympathetic about Cinch, Somber.

When he gave her a reading list to catch up on, her eyes were full of glee, so many books she didn’t have! The other girls had to practically carry her out of the library.

Somber packed up his briefcase and walked out of the classroom, locking the door behind him.

“Hello Somber.” a familiar voice made him jump, then spin round.

“Line Rule? What brings you here?” he asked, holding a hand out to her. It'd been a long time since they'd seen one another...

“I came to talk to YOU, Somber. Celestia has her office waiting along with some tea. Mind if I hijack you for a while?”

“Of course not.” Somber was puzzled. Seeing his confused expression she elaborated.

“Dean Cadance told me everything about what Abacus Cinch did. She's been dismissed from her job.”

“Cant say that school will suffer her loss,” Somber mused “by the time I left I could see the spirit leaching out of the students, replaced by Cinch's competitive obsession. I'm sorry I couldn’t do more-”

“Nonsense Somber,” Line Rule patted his shoulder “what could you have done? She was breaking all the rules of common decency and many that I held that school to. It's a sorry state of affairs...”

They arrived at Celestia's office, and Somber wondered what Line Rule wanted? Was it to talk about Cinch’s actions before and after he'd left. Made sense.

Sure enough, Line Rule did go over the statement he'd given, asking about the whole business during the Games. Once he'd finished telling the whole story, his throat was sore. Celestia handed him a cup of coffee, which made it feel better.

“I have a proposal for you Somber. I've discussed it with Principal Celestia, and while she'll be sad to potentially lose you, I came here to offer you the Vice-Principal position.”

“Pfft!” Somber made a comedic sputtering noise and hastily set the coffee mug down.

He opened his mouth to question her decision, when he seen Line Rule was chuckling, and Celestia suppressing an amused smile.

“Didn’t I tell you he'd have the funniest reaction?” Line Rule beamed at Somber.

“I’m not pulling your leg Somber. You were more than ready to take over when I foolishly appointed Cinch. You have a great track record here too, Celestia has told me all about it.”

Somber didn’t have a response to that, he was still getting over the initial offer.

“I understand its sudden, and I hate to make you feel rushed, but itd be ideal if you could start as soon as possible, if you should accept it.”

“I..” Somber felt a little lost. He'd dreamed of this job during his time at CPA, but he'd abandoned the idea after starting at CHS, his bitterness had gotten to it.

Line rule gave Somber her new contact number, asking if he could let her know by the weeks end.

The three of them sat talking about lighter topics awhile longer, then Lien Rule left. Somber was happy to see her again, he'd seen her in the papers sometimes, various articles detailing the Ponyton University.

“I honestly think this job will be good for you,” Celestia said as Somber made to return to his classroom “that school needs a little help right now.”

Somber nodded, and resolved to think it over that evening.

Discord met him at the doors, and they headed towards home. Noticing Somber had an accute case of the fidgets, Discord shepherded him into the kitchen and sat him up on the counter as he bustled around making something for them to eat. He'd really taken to cooking, there was something fun about making a dish out of just about anything!

“So, what's gotten into you? Its clearly not ME, therefore I’m very concerned.” Discord joked. Somber smiled, then heaved a sigh.

“I've been offered the vice-principal job at Crystal Prep.” Somber blurted it out, watching Discord's expression.

“Really?!” Discord nearly dropped the spatula, just catching it in time. He was grinning wildly as he set the heat to simmer and darted over to plant a kiss on Somber's lips.

Somber told him the whole story about the meeting, and Cinch losing her job. Discord made a sound along the lines of “duh”.

“You’re going to take it right?” Discord asked once he was done with celebratory making out. Somber raised an eyebrow, but looked unsure.

“Don’t tell me you don’t feel ready,” Discord scolded, “you’ve faced nightmare creatures, and nearly died. NO way is a teaching job scarier than that!”

“It’ll mean I’ll be at a different school to you..” Somber aired the one thing that DID make him falter a little.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’ll miss ogling you over lunch, but you are NOT passing up this chance because of me. Take the job, I can still send inventive text messages, or pho-”

“I swear to sanity, if you send me any pictures of yourself that aren’t fully clothed I will kill you. Don’t forget, I possess a sword.”

“Party pooper.” Discord sulked for a moment, then grinned again.

“But, you’re right...” Somber thought about CPA “that school needs help after Cinch’s reign of terror.”

“Good man!” Discord kissed him swiftly before returning to cooking “I’ll make dessert, this is worth celebrating!”

Somber smiled from his perch atop the counter, feeling actually excited about seeing the Academy again…

He called Line Rule the next day, and she was delighted to hear him accept the post. He'd start soon as the next term began, which wasn’t far off. She invited him round on his next day off to come to the Academy and sign the papers.

Celestia was sad to hear he was leaving, but she knew he'd be better off at CPA, given his history there.

Somber parked outside CPA for the first time since he'd left. The school was beautiful, all angles and shades of blue and purple. He walked up familiar steps, nudging the door open. He paused in front of a display cabinet, seeing familiar trophies and pictures.

He uttered a soft sigh, and turned, almost bumping straight into Sugarcoat and a girl with green and yellow hair. She had headphones around her neck, nodding her head to the tinny sounds drifting from them.

“Cinch is gone.” Sugarcoat pointed out “you must be here to see the stand in principal.”

“That's correct!” Everybody turned at Line Rule's voice as she strode over to greet Somber.

“Good to see you, Somber! Come with me.” They bid the two students farewell.

“Who's HE?” the zesty haired girl asked loudly.

“He used to teach here, remember? Cinch was super ticked off that he stood up to her.”

“Oh yeah!” Lemon Zest grinned, recalling the stand off “cool! Maybe he's gonna come back?”

Somber signed the paperwork, and Line Rule brought him to the staff room, where he was met with a mix familiar faces and some new ones. The whole room applauded when Line Rule made her announcement. Many of them had heard about Cinch's callous treatment that'd caused him to quit, and were glad to see the back of the woman. Not to mention how she'd reportedly bullied that shy Twilight girl.

By the time he left, Somber was feeling hopeful about returning to CPA. It felt undeniably good to see his old school again. He passed by groups of students, they seemed a little subdued, and Somber wondered if it was down to cinch leaving. Hopefully they'd brighten again, to how they were before…

“Well, how'd it go?” Discord asked later that day.

“Pretty good,” Somber remarked, as he shifted to lean against Discords side on the couch “I now have to get used to the fact I’m going to be a vice-principal starting next term!”

“I think it's outstanding~” Discord kissed him, grinning. Somber smiled, feeling that sense of excitement he hadn't felt in his job in a long time. He'd miss CHS but CPA had always been home.

The next week, Celestia made the announcement at the assembly, where all students were gathered to hear any new events.

“So..” as the applause died down, Pinkie Pie frowned “does that mean we wont be seeing him again?”

“Yeah, that’s what changing schools means Pinkie.” Rainbow said patiently.

“Aww, bummer.” Pinkie Pie huffed.

“I'm glad..” Twilight said softly “Crystal prep needs someone nice. And he seems to know a lot about CPA.”

“I'm sure he'll help 'em out Sugarcube.” Applejack assured her. Twilight nodded. She didn't miss CPA at all now, Canterlot was such a warm, inviting place she'd felt at home. That was thanks to her new friends as well.

It worked out for her as much as it had for the professor.

Twilight considered it a good ending.

Author's Note

Im sorry if some of the terminology has been a bit off, im British and ive used some of the terms from my country~ ^^

Here's a playlist i had on whilest correcting this:

Krewella - Alive (pegboard nerds remix)
Skillet - Circus for a Psycho (played this during Somber's crazy outburst in chapter 9)
Samantha Jade - What You've Done To Me
Alex S - Ultimate Sweetie Belle VIP
Black Veil Brides - Goodye Agony
Dragonforce - The Game
Helena Paprizou - It's gone tomorrow (Iparhi Logos)
Hadouken - Levitate!
Skillet - Monster
Ellie goulding - Love Me Like You Do (Every sexy bit, ever)
Selena Gomez - My Dilemna
Cosine pitchshifterz - Beg For Me
Accoustimandobrony - Kindness
The Ponies At Dawn: Awakening album.

Tearing Reality A New One

Author's Note

Well, its done at last. Now i can finally get back to other things. This has been sitting on the HD for months.

Why write something so odd? Because i wanted to make something that ive never seen so far, and ive read a LOT of strange pairings on this site. Its gotta start somewhere!

Enjoy!

Tearing Reality A New One

It was boredom that would be Discord's undoing, yet eventually his salvation...

For a long time after his release back into the waking world, he did his best to keep his nature under control, to be...GOOD. But forever present was that gnawing desire to unleash his chaotic power, see the world turned topsy turvy once again.

As more time passed, he began to drift away from even the one he counted as his first friend, Fluttershy. Her kindness went a long way to easing his misery, but he missed the chaos of his past.

But if he put one toe out of line, Celestia would send a certain high-powered set of friends after him and it'd be game over. Back to the solitude and stone.

But what if he were to escape to an entirely NEW world?

This thought took root and began to grow more and more as time went by. But he'd need a fair bit of power to open a hole between worlds, let alone close it again. He was unaware of Celestia's mirror, a hidden artefact that once in a blue moon (or thirty of them), opened into another world. She'd done her best to keep it secret, even moving it to the crystal empire at one point. It now resided at Twilight's castle.

For a time, his loneliness was forgotten as he began his search. And after several weeks had passed, he thought he'd found the thing in question.

Deep within Celestia's palace in Canterlot there lay a shielded room where magical artefacts were kept. Things of far more power and instability then the Alicorn amulet.

Day by he plotted the heist. He only needed the one artefact. a locked box, with what he could sense was a strong power slumbering within. Once opened, he could absorb it. He was a god of chaos, it would take a LOT to break HIS defences.

And he could finally feel liberated.

As he set off the distractions to divert the guards, he silently sent an apology to Celestia. She'd been good to him after all, and he could only hope shed eventually understand. He left a spell-locked scroll in the entrance hall, marked with her name. It would hopefully go some way towards explaining why this had all happened, as well as a letter for Fluttershy, saying he'd always treasure her even if she couldn’t forgive him.

Soon as he broke the wards on the artefact room, magical alarms went off right front and centre. But Discord paid them no heed, he had only seconds to find-

There. he scooped up the box, and his heart sank when he heard-

"DISCORD!" Speak of the Princess. She stood in the entrance to the room, horn glowing with Alicorn magic.

"Sorry, 'Tia.." Discord threw up a shield to deflect her blast, sending her diving for cover "but I need to be free....I cant live constantly bound up in regulations like you..." He shattered the bonds on the box, feeling its power surround him.

"Shut that box!!" Celestia screamed. He didn’t know what he'd unleashed. What darkness and cruelty lay within that box. She watched in horror as Discord absorbed the power, not seeing the dark shadows that escaped, as the box fell to the floor. The ground shook as he proceeded to rip open the very AIR. Through it she seen buildings far below. Discord didn’t hesitate, pausing only to gift her a sad smile, before diving through it.

"Oh no.." Celestia was close to tears as she seen him vanish through the shimmering portal. But all wasn’t lost. The box shone, and transformed into a small wisp of white light. It flew by her, brushing her cheek, and she sensed something good in it. Then it was gone, flitting into the portal as it shut with a resounding clap.

Celestia and the guard sat themselves up, all in shock.

"Princess...what just happened?" one of them finally asked.

"He...I believe he opened a way to a whole other world. That box..."

"What was in that thing?" a unicorn guard shivered "I sensed something...wrong..."

“You are right, what he unleashed is known as the Pandorica box. It contained three dark spirits, creatures of cruelty and hate. Amalgamations of the worst fears and darkness that have plagued powerful magic users in times gone by. But there was something else in that box too, I can only surmise it survived all this time somehow.."

"And what was that, Princess?"

"Hope, my ponies. Hope..."

There was a lot of noise surrounding him. Discord groaned as he sat himself up. He was in a forest at first glance, with lots of birds chirruping away. He raised a hand to his face, and did a double take. It didn’t look like it normally did. A quick glance downwards revealed he wearing a set of clothing, with a white lab coat over them. His face felt different too....glancing around, he spotted the box, now empty, was lying open a few feet away.

It seemed empty, save for a scorched roll of parchment. He reached for it, unrolling it. Guilt and unease warred for control as he realised what had generated that power. Just what his reckless haste had cost...

He'd assumed it merely some over-powered artefact. but It was a prison. For some nasty ghosts it seemed. He didn’t recognise the writing, it wasn’t Celestia's. It looked fresh, the ink smudged in places. As he touched it, it pulsed a faint white then faded away.

A fresh line wrote itself on the page as he looked.

-I am hope. I can save this place. Find me. My light has gone to be with one that is strong enough to embody it, and strong enough to fight. Take this weapon with you...you will know when you find them.-

"What weapon?" Discord asked, then something fell on his foot. Yelping, he danced aside and spotted a slim sword had materialised from the note.

"Oh....balls.." Discord grimaced. So much for an easy escape. At least he had his magic, right?

He could FEEL it, but when he tried to use it, he shocked himself.

"Guess it’ll sort itself out." he muttered.

As the hours passed, it gradually came back to his control. But he found himself physically tired from the smallest effort.

A check in a river he stumbled across showed him he resembled a strange being. Two legs, arms, hands...odd faces, but not unlike-able. He rather thought he looked good for a...whatever species he now was? He'd find out later.

He was fairly tall, with shoulder length white hair, a solitary black streak to the right side. His eyes were a golden shade, almost amber towards the bottom, his skin a pale beige. He put himself at about mid-age? He needed to learn more about this world before he could determine that!

Further checks revealed that, well anatomically speaking, he LIKED this species. Not all that different from what he was used to. After all, he stood and walked on two legs as a Draconequus. This form was just a little less....bendy than that.

He'd appeared with just the box for company, he would have to acquire what he needed via his magic and his usual charms.

In many ways, this world reminded him just a smidge of Equestria. The "humans" had variant skin colours, and outlandish hairstyles in many shades.

The first step was to acquire a house. On quickly learning how the currency of this world functioned, he set about getting some. In this world was a "lottery" which gifted its winners with copious sums of money. Using trace amounts of chaos magic he was able to pick out winning numbers and cards, noting the larger amounts required a place of residence to claim. So he stuck to winning small amounts day by day. And never staying in one place for long...

Nights were spent in what these "humans" called "hotels". Comfy enough, but not as fun as his chaos realm. Yes, he'd miss that...

Keeping the sword hidden was hard, and in the end he bought a large musical instrument case and used that to hide it. Waving such weapons around wouldn’t go down well here, he knew that much from his studies. In each town he'd come to, he'd gone to the libraries, discovering more and more about this "earth". It had some interesting things. Devices that showed endless information on "screens". He became quite fond of these devices, named "computers", and resolved to buy the finest he could get once he secured himself a home.

This world was FULL of chaos. People’s emotions were so rampant, there was always a conflict going on somewhere. It was like hearing a wonderful song, and it all appealed to the lord of chaos immensely. Everywhere he went, he was able to amp up the fights, often scaring the combatants into running away from each other when they seen what they could really do if they lost control. They still had some morals, these humans.

And so did HE. He'd re-learned this on one occasion, after getting caught in a bank hiest. Seeing these people prepared to open fire on innocent people, he'd stealthily woven his magic, until the gunmen threw their weapons down, screaming for someone to get the horrors off them. The "police" had shown up to take them away, and Discord equated them with the royal guard. Best not to get their attention.

But the matter of that note from the box...or its former inhabitants for that matter.

In none of his exploits did he encounter a person to whom the sword reacted. the weapon lay dull and silent, little more than a hefty trinket. He tried to use it himself, but whatever power it had lay locked behind a ward he couldn’t comprehend it was so alien to him.

He rented a small apartment while he finalised the financial situation. He'd realised, after the bank thing, that using these "cards" meant they could be traced, so he stuck to cash instead, keeping below the radar, even as he indulged in his chaotic pastimes.

He manipulated the lottery once more, getting his hands on enough to buy a fancy new house. He dodged the press attention, saying he preferred his privacy, and if that dint work he messed with their minds to make them forget they’d gone to interview him in the first place!

Through various nefarious methods, he was able to set up an account that’d be a little harder to trace then the usual.

--Interesting facet, this "black market"..-- Discord mused as he ran a search on the hacked phone he'd purchased. If he lost this thing, it'd come up as being registered to no known persons, or even network. He'd been very impressed with what the seller had been able to give him, and had paid the human well, going by the grin on his twisted face when Discord had dumped the cash onto the table.

He felt free here, like he could blend in, yet still unleash the boredom that’d been stewing inside him for so long now.

Nothing in Equestria had distracted him for long. Nothing mental, physical...even sexual, had held his attention. Speaking of that…

It'd taken some getting used to, the way and how these things operated, but he soon found carnal acts were the same no matter what the form. Some sought it for mere release of tension, others sought to show someone they loved them with their prowess. He himself had indulged in a few occasions here and there, after getting drunk at bars. In truth, both sexes had their appeal, their kinks...

His thoughts on humans and their horizontal tango-ing were cut short as the bus pulled into its last stop. With a groan he stretched and sauntered off, his suitcase containing the possessions he'd acquired so far, in tow.

Soon as he stepped onto the ground, he felt a sharp shock race up his arm and he dropped the musical case with a curse, glancing at his hand. No mark there, yet it hurt...

"Electric shock huh?" the driver joked as he picked up the case and gave it back to the spaced out white-haired gentleman.

"Blasted things.." Discord grumbled, thanking him as he walked away, looking for the nearest hotel.

There was a screech of brakes and a honk of a horn. He jumped, realising he'd walked onto the road in front of a car trying to pull out.

"Watch it, you idiot!" the driver, face obscured by the glare on the windscreen, sounded pretty mad. All Discord could see was he was well dressed, with dark grey skin. A glimpse of ebony black hair, but he couldn’t see his eyes...

Discord shot back, and felt the sword case pulse again. Quickly he glanced at the rear-view mirror of the car as it took off. A flash of a parking permit stuck to the rear window caught his eye.

He needed to find “Canterlot High School”. Whomever this sword had attached to was in that car, and obviously worked there.

What were the odds. CANTERLOT. The same name as Celestia's home back in his old world.

--I guess my thoughts had some influence over where I came to be, this universe has traces of mine in it somehow. Interesting, yet totally different. No Princesses, no guards save these "police", to protect the population. Yet magic doesn’t seem to exist here...at least, it seems doubtful..?--

As he walked towards the nearest hotel, he seen posters in a boutique window advertising a battle of the bands at the local school. He shrugged dismissively, paying it no heed.

He was pulled from a deep sleep early one evening, by the sense of something POWERFUL going off. It was brief, but he felt a jab to his gut. It felt like back HOME. What was going on in this world? Were there more links than just the name?

He stared out the window of the hotel, but the sky was clear, no sign of any explosion. What had he sensed?

He tried to find out, but the trail had gone cold.

Maybe he wasn’t the only odd one out here?

Interlude 3: Car Comfort

At last they pulled into the drive, where they sat there just processing what’d happened.

"Well, that was an interesting evening," Somber joked at last, turning to face Discord "wasn't ex-"

But he was cut off as Discord pulled him close, the kiss ignited other feelings. He fumbled with his seat belt, unbuckling it and leaning into the kiss. At last, Discord let him go.

"You.." Discord grinned "amaze me. Your developing a type of magical ability all your own..."

Somber flushed, not wanting tog et carried away again "I’m just glad it worked.." he said softly.

Discord kissed him again, and pulled Somber onto his lap. The car was fairly spacious, so it wasn’t that difficult.

"Whoa.." Somber chuckled softly as the only way to balance was to straddle Discord's lap. "what’re you after?"

"Take a guess, handsome?" Discord purred, nuzzling his neck. Somber faltered, but when Discord kissed him a second later, he gave in. After the fight, it felt good, both of them still running hot after the impromptu battle.

Discord’s hands slipped around his back, tugging his shirt free from his trousers, pressing cold hands to a warm back. Sombra yelped, a mix of shock and pleasure racing through him.

"Here? Really?" He asked, eyebrows raised. But he couldn’t deny he felt his own body responding to Discord's hands. Discord's fingers toyed with the front of of Somber's trousers, his expression suggesting he was just about holding off ripping the clothing off him. It was this look that made Somber give in. That Discord wanted him so urgently made him feel good...

In a simple, easy movement, Discord hooked one finger over the top of Somber's collar, slipping the buttons open with ease. A faint draft ran over Somber's bare chest and he shivered.

So he kissed Discord as he felt the others hands undoing his trousers, fingers brushing over Somber's rear. Soon his trousers and underwear were bunched around his ankles.

The leather of the seat felt cold against his bare skin, but Discord didn’t care as he manoeuvred enough to get his own trousers off. His hands rested on Somber's thighs, the heat of his lovers skin chasing away any cold. In the half-light filtering through from the lights lining the drive, Discord let his hands slide up and over Somber's waist, brushing over his chest. Somber's soft, warm hands linked behind Discord's neck, and the two shared seductive smiles...

There was none of the nerves of hesitation in Somber's expression now, and seeing the spark he'd lit in Somber after that first wonderful night made Discord's heart speed up. Sweet Celestia, the man was gorgeous. He kissed Somber's chest, brushing his lips over the scars from the prior fight.

Somber shivered in delight as he felt Discord's fingers push into him a second time, the familiar sensation sending jolts of electricity up his spine.

"Mm...right there...nhh.." Somber groaned, pressing his body against Discord's fingers as they pushed into him.

"Mm, you’re already quite eager, hmm?" Discord whispered in his ear as he worked.

Pretty soon, Discord ceased his preparations and moved both hands to Somber's hips, angling his own body, and guiding Somber so he was in the perfect position to gently lower him down.

His fingers caressed his partners shaft, as he plunged his own up into Somber's body. Damn he felt good. Somber squirmed delightfully under his touch, biting his lip as the blood rushed to his face. Discord smirked, kissing Somber deeply, hearing him moaning into the kiss.

"Ready?" he whispered, as he released him. Somber nodded, eyes sparkling in the dim light. As it had been the first time, they started off slow, but their tempo soon increased. It was a spacious car, but even so the space meant they had to be creative about their movements. Discord supported somber's waist, guiding him steadily up and down as he plunged deep into the others body with every thrust.

The windows soon steamed up, blurring the driveway lights. Discord was glad he had picked such a secluded house because having sex in your lovers car, even on your own lawn, was probably not something your neighbours would approve of. Sweat pooled on the fancy leather seat beneath them as their copulation neared its peak.

Discord's nails dug into his skin, and Somber knew there'd by hand-print bruises on his hips and waist come morning time, but this thought was soon dismissed as he felt the climax begin to build. This time it was HE who finished first. Spurred on by way Somber's body tensed at climax, Discord wasn’t far behind.

They sat there, both breathing heavily, the air in the car steamy and humid.

"Mmh, delicious.." Somber opened his eyes. Discord was licking something off his fingers, looking quite smug whilst he did so. Somber copped on just what it was and felt himself blush again.

Discord chuckled at Somber adorable expression, as he mopped up another glob of the stuff "better on em than your car, I dare say..."

"I think I’m going to need to wash the seat regardless..." Somber felt a laugh bubble up, and when his eyes met Discord's, it escaped. He collapsed against Discord’s chest, laughter filling the car, as they both snickered and chuckled for a minute or two...

"Hehh.." Somber felt like his sides were aching from all the laughter. It was the oddest place and time to have a laugh, but after the nightmare of the evenings fight, it felt equally as good as the sex they’d just indulged in..

"OK, handsome...breathe.." Discord wiped his eyes, his own laughter finally slowing. He gently helped his lover ease up and off him.

He pulled Sombra so he was nestled against his chest, running his hands up along his back. Somber smiled contentedly. In the half-light of the driveway lights, filtered through steamed up windows, he looked as gorgeous as was physically possible, at least that was Discord's point of view.

"That things gone.." Somber said softly. Discord peered into those gorgeous red eyes, then nodded. he could see how relieved Somber was. That THING had taken so much from him, had nearly caused him to go crazy...

They fumbled with getting their clothing back on, and stumbled out of the car into the cool night air.