Imprisoned

When he heard that some of the stallions were planning to use Fluttershy, his natural protective side kicked in. Since he was on his way back from studies, he was able to do something. However, when he saw her terrified eyes and tense body, he froze. He didn't want to lose his only friend. However, he was soon tackled by Rickshaw. As he locked eyes with her one more time, pain blossomed over the back of his head and his vision went black. When he woke up, he was in a large, cement room with a small bed in one corner. Sombra wasn't surprised, given what happened earlier. Rubbing the back of his head, he groaned as a pounding headache overtook him.

The door opened and Rickshaw walked in, his shoulder and leg bandaged. Sombra pinned his ears back, a growl rumbling in his throat. Rickshaw narrowed his eyes and stepped aside, revealing the last pony Sombra expected to see. Fluttershy's pink mane, now half the length it was when she got here, was hanging over her eyes as she looked away. Sombra's heart leapt as Rickshaw left, merely saying she had wanted to speak with him. Staring at her, he tilted his head.

"Why, were you fighting them, Sombra? Please tell me why you'd do this." Sombra's ears dropped and he looked down. Fluttershy sighed and walked over, sitting down in front of him. She gently touched his leg, once again surprising him with her gentle, kind nature. He sighed and relented.

"I... I heard them saying that they were going to use you for, well.... you know. I've always been protective of friends. So I snapped and overreacted." He looked at her to see a look of pure horror. Sombra gently wrapped a fore leg around her trembling shoulders, pulling her close. "I realize that I shouldn't have acted like that but I was just reacting." Fluttershy pulled away from him and smiled, though it fell when he turned away from her. His ears were pinned back and he just sat there trembling. He could hear Fluttershy pleading for him to keep talking with her but he didn't move. Finally, he heard the door open and close. He closed his eyes as his trembling increased. No matter how much she reassured him, he knew that he couldn't be forgiven. He remembered who he was but when he'd been brought back, his corruption had been washed away. So any hint of his old self that rose up made him feel worse.
He was in solitary for a whole two weeks and when he got back to his cage, Fluttershy was curled in the corner, her tail and wings wrapped around her in a protective fashion. She looked up and her fear turned to relief. Sombra stared at her in horror, fear rising up in his chest.

"Fluttershy, you weren't actually..."

"No, luckily somepony came in before they could go too far. However, they did touch me. Rickshaw and his friends." Pure rage bubbled up in his chest. Rickshaw would pay for this dearly.

It had been almost a whole year since Fluttershy arrived and Sombra was having a dilemma. When he came back to his cage to see Rickshaw trying to force himself on Fluttershy, his vision turned red. He'd attacked him and once again got put in solitary. However, her reaction when he got back was worth it. Sombra shook his head as he thought about it. He refused to think about Fluttershy, with her soft fur, smooth and silky feathers, and her jewel-like eyes. He shook his head again, trying to clear the thoughts from his head. Sombra cared about her, of course. They had bonded quite well over the past ten months and he had gotten even more protective of her.

"Let's go, Sombra." His thoughts were broken when his cage door was opened. Rickshaw was staring at him, a deep V in his left ear. The nick was the product of his last attack. He turned to Fluttershy and sighed before following Rickshaw. Fluttershy had begged him to fight Rickshaw less, for fear he would get hurt. He pinned his ears back as they approached the Persuasion rooms. The highest amount he'd been put through without blacking out was level 7. His fur even spiked slightly as the got to the room. However, once the binds were attached, he began trembling.

He turned towards Blueberry to see her cranking the level up to 5. Sombra began to whimper quietly as she made preparations. After the lever was pulled, he was brought down in a few seconds. As he writhed in pain, tears streaming down his cheeks, he could feel his horn sparking. His body had had enough of this treatment. Curling, his screams pierced the air. Finally, the pain dulled and he could relax. He looked up, his vision blurred by tears. Blueberry looked at her screen and shook her head.

"Please, s... stop." The two turned towards him in surprise. Rickshaw shared a victorious grin with Blueberry. The blue mare nodded and turned the level up. Unknown to Sombra, however, she wasn't turning it up by one but by four. Sombra whimpered and his head dropped. He knew that if he got out of here, he would be afraid of lightning for the rest of his life. Suddenly, far more power than usual poured into his body, sending him into a world that consisted only of pain and electricity. His eyes were squeezed shut as tears poured down his cheeks and he writhed around, sparks running over his body, hair and horn. Blueberry kept an eye on her monitor, sighing in frustration before going up again.

Sombra was soon in so much pain he went silent, his mouth open in a silent scream. Finally, his levels began to fluctuate as his horn began to glow a brilliant red. Blueberry nodded to Rickshaw and flipped the lever. They looked at Sombra, unconcerned at his state. He was barely lucid and was still twitching. Tears were still streaming down his cheeks and he was shaking. Blueberry wrote something down and nodded to Rickshaw.

"Get him back. He can rest then we'll go again in a couple days. We're so close to some real results with him." Rickshaw nodded and pulled Sombra after him and to his cage. When Fluttershy saw him, she screamed in horror. His head was lolling to the side as he was rested against the side. Shudders ran through his body and he still had tears running down his cheeks. Fluttershy gently reached through and stroked his fur. Sombra tensed at her touch before whimpering, more tears flowing as he silently cried. She stuck her other hoof through and wrapped them around his shoulders and neck. He stayed like that for the next hour as his body and mind reached their breaking point. That night, he decided that he'd had enough.

"Fluttershy, I can't take this anymore. I need to get out of here." Fluttershy was shocked, since there was no way out.
"Sombra, the only way to get out is fighting your way out." He gave her an apologetic look and she froze. Sombra stood up and made his way to the door. If he was going to get out, he needed his strength.