Healing Shadows

by AzuraKeres

Rating: everyone
Tags: Dark, King Sombra, Meadowbrook, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 5141

Meadowbrook decides to make a choice to nurse a stallion that doesn't deserve the kindness of any creature, but she can't help but give it regardless.

After the coronation of Princess Twilight, life continues onwards for creatures in a new era. For Meadowbrook, she continues her life at Hayseed Swamp, enlightening the new generation, contributing all she can to her home and every creature.

But one day, she met a creature she never thought to see to come back to these lands. And to find that creature is such a sorry state, what else could she do but be true to herself.

Entry for May Pairing Contest 2020

Cover art by xbi

Published 2020-06-01 04:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-06-01 04:00:01 UTC

Darkness In The Swamp

A dark thought loomed over Meadowbrook's head. Questions about a story. Questions about the future. Questions about her sanity.

She answered them with excuses, reasons that she deemed understandable. But in her heart, she couldn't shake away the crevices of doubts that would return to her mind again and again. There was always the possibility, a very large one, that she was risking a terrible danger to her home. But she couldn't leave it be. But, was that truly right of her?

“Ms. Meadow,” a young orange mare approached Meadowbrook. “I helped out the last customer. Should we close now?”

Meadowbrook shook her head and spoke, “Thank you, Pye. You’ve been so helpful today. But you know you can call me aunt. We're family.”

“Sorry,” Pye apologized. “I wasn’t all that sure if it was appropriate here. I mean, I've only been your pupil for less than a month.”

“Don’t you worry bout that,” Meadowbrook held a hoof on Pye’s shoulder. “I take titles very seriously, so you can go ahead and shoo that away. You can call me aunt whenever you like.”

Months after the coronation of Princess Twilight, Meadowbrook had continued to sell her herbs to improve the health of rural ponies at Hayseed Swamp. To her surprise, Meadowbrook had garnered the presence of many traveling creatures that held interests in her products.

When Meadowbrook opened a shop at her hut, she didn't expect to attract so many customers. Her home got so infested with demanding buyers that Meadowbrook had to construct a separate hut to run her business. Meadowbrook wasn't one for owning multiple lands, but she could only endure her home getting ransacked for so long. Thank Celestia she had Cattail to give her a hoof, but demands for her works expanded to the ends of Equestria where established companies began to request collaboration with her.

She never envisioned her to gain so much attention, however, if her herbs can reach the hooves of many creatures and improve their daily life, she couldn't decline the offers. Meadowbrook decided to leave Cattail to negotiate the distributions while she ensured that her herbs were so the best of its quality. However, with Cattail gone to mediate with companies, Meadowbrook needed new ponies to adapt to the hefty production.

Natives of Hayseed Swamp and creatures that desired Meadowbrook’s knowledge in her apothecaries were placed under her tutelage. Learning her ways, most went out to produce herbs at other parts of Equestria, contributing to the distribution to all creatures and ponies.

Who would have thought this would happen during her quiet peaceful life in the swamps? She definitely didn’t expect Cattail to be hiding a younger sister from her.

Cattail was a descendant of hers that was the only one to remain in Hayseed Swamp. Meadowbrook was mixed with excitement, anxiety, and sorrow to meet her new family members. It was somewhat calming to know that she still had a family after all these years, but that also meant the bond she had with those long ago was now forever gone due to her long entrapment in limbo.

Pye was the name Cattail's sister went by. She was a very young mare, recently blooming into her adolescence. Pye was a ravenous learner in Meadowbrook’s teachings and sparked innovative ideas that intrigued the old pillar to work together to extend the possibilities to how they can contribute to the health of all creatures. It was an unending delight for Meadowbrook to have that young mare around. This must have been how Princess Twilight felt when she held Headmare Starlight Glimmer under her tutelage.

But right now, Meadowbrook’s beloved student and niece were plagued with concern. “Aunt Meadow,” Pye started. “Is everything alright at home?”

“I already told you, Pye,” Meadowbrook said in an assuring tone. “I have it all under control.”

“I know,” Pye stared at the floorboard. “It's just that he seems to be taking a lot out of you. You know I'm always here to help, right?”

“Now don’t you worry, Pye," Meadowbrook assured. "His condition is better each day. I'm not bending over backward like I used to. And besides, despite how he talks, he's a bit of a pushover with the way he is.”

“I know,” Pye said. “But his body has been the same for so long. When will he get better?”

“Now Pye,” Meadowbrook sighed. “You really shouldn’t be stressing yourself like this. Maybe you should find something to do to clear your mind.”

“Ponies are coming out tonight to fish for glow fishes,” Pye said. “It'd be nice if you could join us.”

“I wouldn't dare miss a chance to bond with my little niece,” Meadowbrook hugged Pye. The young mare had reciprocated the sentiment and after closing the shop, they went their separate ways.

During Meadowbrook's journey back to her home, those same series of questions came back to her mind. The constant doubts irked the mare as she was trying her best to stay optimistic. But the doubts burrowed in each of her crevices.

Meadowbrook arrived back at her hut with a sigh as she opened the door inside. Her eyes furrowed when she became announced by a familiar voice that weighed on her constantly.

“It’s about time you’ve shown up,” shouted a stallion’s voice.

On Meadowbrook’s bed, laid a lanky stallion with such small muscles that they thinly draped over most of his bones.

“Hurry up and do something about this paltry thing you call a window,” the stallion pointed towards a window where the blind was slightly opened, guiding lines of sunlight near the stallion.

Ever since Meadowbrook allowed this stallion to take residence with her, she was forced to do all that she can to prevent the light from touching the stallion. His body had an odd feature to only take nutrients from the dark but be seared of skin when touched by the sunlight. Only a creature that relied too much upon the darkness would suffer such a curse. Meadowbrook wasn't surprised, the stallion was Sombra after all.

Meadowbrook glared at the stallion that was only visible due to the thin shades within the room. It was practically her only way to navigate through her home before kindling the chimney flames.

Meadowbrook made her way to the window and straightened the blind, redirecting the sunlight away from the room.

“You could have gone up and done it yourself,” Meadowbrook said. “You won't get any better if you don’t get those bones to work.”

“I don’t need advice from some mud-pony from the countryside,” Sombra retorted. “You should find solace that I even tolerate your presence.”

Meadowbrook’s eyes twitched as she walked her way beside the bony stallion. Meadowbrook had shaved the stallion of his wild beard and tied up his manes to dreadlocks. If not for that overbearing attitude of his, Meadowbrook probably would have swooned over him. Of course, she would never admit that.

Sombra watched her confusedly until he flinched when Meadowbrook pressed her hoof upon his hind leg. Sombra attempted to push Meadowbrook’s hoof off him, but his body so frail against her strength.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Meadowbrook said. “And it won’t get any better if you don’t take my advice.”

“Is this how you treat all your patients?” Sombra leered at the unsatisfied mare.

“I’ve done my part,” Meadowbrook stated. “I fed you all the nutrients you need, I’ve kept you clean and kept you warm in my bed. You have to do your part as well.”

“Don’t give me orders, mare,” Sombra growled. “Do not forget that you are speaking to—”

Meadowbrook pressed on Sombra’s leg again, making the former king flinch with a yip. “How about we stop thinking about social classes for once and start thinking about getting you back on your hooves, alright?”

“And once I am,” Sombra leered at Meadowbrook. “I’ll be certain to return your mistreatment ten folds. You won’t have a moment’s rest once I have you under my hooves.”

“Is this how you always speak to mares,” Meadowbrook glared at the stallion. “Don’t think I’m just some pony you can play like a fiddle. The moment you pull something funny, I’m calling in the Princess.”

“If that was true, you would have already told her.” Sombra grinned. “Just admit it, you can’t wait to have a powerful stallion to put you in your place. You desire it.”

“What I desire,” Meadowbrook voiced. “Is for a snobbish stallion to be more compliant. Do we really have to argue about everything as if we’re an old married couple?”

“You would like that wouldn’t you,” Sombra scoffed. “Maybe if you treat me more kindly, I will consider you as a concubine.” His remark earned another prod from Meadowbrook that forced a yelp out of the prideful stallion.

“That mouth of yours is going to get you in a lot of trouble,” Meadowbrook said. “Besides, thinking you could ever claim me sounds like a tall task if you can’t even get your lazy flank out of bed.”

“Do not tempt me, mare,” Sombra growled. His hooves wobbled as he tried to pull himself out of bed.

Meadowbrook backed away from the bed and stood next to a table that was feet away from the bed. “You don’t like being talked down to by a mudpony, right? Well, how about proving me wrong.”

Angered by Meadowbrook's words, Sombra carefully took a step out of his bed. His eyes were keen upon his hooves as they wobbled from the increasing pressure from his frail body.

When all of his hooves stood on the floorboard, he glanced proudly at Meadowbrook. “See, this no trouble to me whatsoever. Do not forget that I am the mighty king of the Crystal Empire. A feat such as this is—” Sombra fumbled a slight but managed to retain his balance, however, there was a constant quiver upon his hooves. “—foal’s play to me.”

Meadowbrook simply observed Sombra’s form. As expected, there has not been much to his body. Meadowbrook had goaded him into having him take walks with her during the nights and so far it has only garnered him a slight increase in his muscle mass, which tells Meadowbrook that there will be many more walks to come before his form is rejuvenated. Strangely, that gives her some delight. However, as for his magic…

“Tell me,” Meadowbrook started as she decided to approach Sombra. The quiver on his hooves was accelerating; he was sure to fall at some point. Meadowbrook stood next to him, allowing the stallion to lean all of his weight towards her. Meadowbrook remembered how disgusted Sombra was by her gesture the first time they did this, but time eventually caused compliance from the unruly stallion. “Has your connection gotten any better? Can you use any spell, like say your illumination spell?”

Sombra growled and averted his gaze from Meadowbrook. She sighed at Sombra’s stubbornness and tapped his belly. The former king immediately swerved his eyes upon Meadowbrook and glared at her with his crimson eyes. “Don’t you dare do that again!?”

“Try to use your magic,” Meadowbrook told him. “I’m trying to assess your condition. I’ve told you countless times that I can’t help you if you don’t let me.”

Sombra simply harrumphed in response and closed his eyes. Meadowbrook saw this as his attempt to concentrate his magic. Moments went by, but nothing, not even a spark occurred upon Sombra’s horn.

With a sigh, Meadowbrook told Sombra, “You can stop now.”

“Silence,” Sombra kept his eyes closed. “Just give me more time.”

“It’s okay, Sombra,” Meadowbrook said. “I’m sure it’ll come back to you...eventually.”

Sombra only responded with another growl as he continued to focus his magic out of his horn. Nothing happened as Meadowbrook expected. His condition was unlike anything Meadowbrook had ever dealt with and she was starting to come to the acceptance that she might not be able to fix this.

It all began when she went on a forage to replenish her supplies. In a clustered forest of the swamp, Meadowbrook happened upon a black blob that shuffled about within a burrow. Meadowbrook noticed how it struggled to get out. So, she gave the creature a hoof for it to climb on to get out.

Meadowbrook placed her hoof on the ground for it to slither onto, but oddly, the blob chose not to detach itself from her. She could feel a constant quiver from the blob’s form as if it was shivering in coldness. Meadowbrook grew unnerved as it attempted to slither up her leg.

Meadowbrook grabbed the blob with another hoof and tried to set it down on the grass, but it refused to let go of her. It was then she realized that those quivers were growing slower. Out of curiosity, Meadowbrook pressed her hoof upon it to see if she could feel any cadence of a heartbeat.

It was slow. Meadowbrook was unsure if this was natural for a creature like this, but now she couldn’t leave it alone until she was certain. And so, she decided to end her forage early and took the creature to her hut. Its wild retaliation to the sunlight led Meadowbrook to store it into her saddlebag and remove as much sunlight as could from within her hut to keep the creature calm.

Days went by as Meadowbrook applied numerous healing herbs and ointment upon the creature, hoping for any sort of positive feedback to assure her that it was improving. What she received was far from what she expected.

Daily, the form of the black blob expanded and gradually it began to grow limbs similar to a pony. She did not bother to burden her pupils or neighbors of the blob, seeking to resolve this mystery on her own. She contained it in a small cage for precautionary measures, however, the blob continued to grow more and more where she had to go out and purchase an even larger one.

After two weeks of her care, the blob revealed its pony form to her. She was shocked to discover that this whole time that she was caring for the menacing tyrant of the Crystal Empire.

His presence didn’t make sense to her. From what she recalled, Twilight and her friends ensured his end when they unraveled a secret power within their friendship. He should have perished from their power, and yet here he laid bony and resentful in his cage.

Meadowbrook wondered if she should have told Princess Twilight about him the moment, she unraveled his identity. His last presence in Equestria nearly resulted in the enslavement of all ponies. However, despite the danger he holds to her home, Meadowbrook paused at the ghastly condition of the former king.

He was unable to even speak at that time alongside being incapable of moving any part of his body. It just seemed wrong to retaliate against him when he was so weak and defenseless. She felt a strong urge to heal this stallion before doing anything else.

She provided excuses to convince herself to nurse the horrible stallion. Giving him warmth on her bed and providing him with food and medicine, Meadowbrook did everything she could to rejuvenate the stallion.

He never acted grateful for Meadowbrook’s care, stating that it should be expected from an irrelevant mudpony. His words pricked her nerves and so she made a bad habit to prick at him back. It was effortless, given how frail his body was.

Their conversations were a constant bash upon each other based upon their class and status. Sombra would constantly demean Meadowbrook about her being a country bumpkin while Meadowbrook would retort about his sorry predicament and remind him of that by flexing her superior strength over him.

That stallion had an ego equal to Princess Celestia’s nephew, Blueblood. How in Equestria did Meadowbrook manage to get used to this annoying behavior? It was probably because of her fellow ponies in Hayseed Swamp.

There was no way that Meadowbrook could keep him shut in this hut forever. His body needed exercise, but she couldn’t risk letting any pony realize his identity. To remedy this, Meadowbrook plotted to give him a new identity.

In the eyes of the world, they would know Sombra as Shadow Grove, a nomad of the lands that endured a long entrapment in a cave-in that was placed under the care of the Element of Healing. With a clean shave and tied dreadlocks, none would be the wiser to consider him as the former tyrant of the Crystal Empire. Though his smug attitude makes her anxious, but boy does he know how to make tall tales captivate creatures.

Through her endeavor to recover Sombra, his body has shown progress. Drastically slow, but still progress, nonetheless. However, his grasp upon his magic was evidently a different matter.

“It’s going to get dark soon,” Meadowbrook voiced. “How about we go for a walk? Ponies are going out fishing for glow fishes.”

“How many times are you going to have me walk through that bog you call home,” Sombra grunted, still struggling to exert magic out of him.

“Walking is the best exercise for you,” Meadowbrook pointed. “And maybe if you get some more muscles on you, you’ll be able to push some of that magic out of you.”

After another intense grunt from Sombra, he clicked his teeth. “Fine, I will humor your request. But don’t expect me to participate in your commoner sports.”

“It’s not a sport, Sombra,” Meadowbrook deadpanned.

When the moon finally dawned the sky, Meadowbrook held Sombra’s hoof, much to his annoyance, and guided him out of the hut. The population of Hayseed Swamp was still lively, playing music on the bridges and fishing the waters for glow fishes.

Meadowbrook and Shadow Grove were greeted by the populace and even cheered by some much to Meadowbrook’s annoyance. Some of her ponies would entertain the idea that the two were an item and engaged in acts while cooped up in her small hut. Obviously, she would denounce this, but Shadow Grove seemed to take delight in her embarrassment and chose not to help her in her case. She never figured him to be so petty...okay maybe, but not in this case.

“Must you continue harassing me with your filthy hoof,” Sombra commented as he tried to pull his hoof away from Meadowbrook, but the mare held her grip.

“Not unless you mind falling on the dirt,” Meadowbrook said. “Then you’d be no different from a mudpony, wouldn’t you?”

“You have a lot of nerves comparing me to your kind,” Sombra growled. “I’ll have you know that I ruled everypony with an iron hoof.”

“Oh, for goodness sake,” Meadowbrook sighed. “We’re not going to be arguing at each other through the whole walk, are we? I’d be more interested in hearing more about your past.”

“Hmph,” Sombra harrumphed. “Fine then. Basking back into my younger days would remove the horrible sight of this unsanitary place.”

These were the only conversations where the two could ever compromise on. Memories of a time that made sense to them, where everything felt normal and familiar. Meadowbrook thought she had found peace in her new reality, but for somepony like Sombra who has infested his ties with anger and cruelty may have a much harder time to look forward.

“My rise to power began with my long strife to comprehend the power of dark magic,” Sombra started. “Though it may be hard to believe, I was quite inept with magic in the beginning. Often, I would lag behind other unicorns, but as I grew close to the darkness and quelled into the shadows of creatures and the magic crystals themselves, I became something that no other became an equal to.”

“That’s nice and all,” Meadowbrook intervened before Sombra became overbearingly passionate in his speech. “But could you go a few more years back. I really like the stories about your foalhood. You sound so much more innocent and purer in that time.”

“It was a lie that I was living,” Sombra retorted. “I could never fit it with crystal ponies as their equals. They scoffed at my weakness and so I became something more than what they could ever dream of.”

“Did you hate your foalhood that much?” Meadowbrook wondered.

“...No,” Sombra admitted. “Despite it being an illusion, there were plenty of blissful moments. Especially with her.”

“I would think so,” Meadowbrook smiled. “She was your best friend.”

“She was,” Sombra said. “But I wanted more than just that.”

“You were in love with her?”

“How could I have not fallen for her?” Sombra remarked. “She was the only one to accept me for who I was. And her company always brightened the darkness around me. If only she was still alive, I would have…”

“It’s hard to imagine that everypony we knew is now long gone in the past, isn’t it?” Meadowbrook asked. “When I came to realize that my old family had long passed and been replaced with a whole new generation, it was something I had a hard time coming to grips with. I made that choice for myself when I joined my friends in limbo but seeing that all of it was the result of a misunderstanding...It makes me have some regrets. I don’t like thinking too hard about it, so maybe that’s why I decided to start a whole business and teach a whole bunch of creatures about my herbs. And maybe that’s why I’m helping you as well if I’m being honest.”

“Two creatures lost to time,” Sombra mused. “Morbidly poetic, but that shall be irrelevant when I make my return to my empire.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Meadowbrook asked. “After everything you’ve done, do you really believe you’ll be welcomed back now.”

“Of course,” Sombra stated. “It’s my kingdom and I shall reclaim what is mine.”

“All you did was bring fear and disharmony to those ponies,” Meadowbrook argued. “Now that they’re finally happy, you want to take that away from them, again? Do you really think Radiant Hope would be happy about that?”

“She should have!” Sombra retorted. “I wanted to give her everything that she deserved. She told me that she loved me, so she shouldn’t have had no issue becoming my queen.”

“Whatever dark magic that you learned, Radiant didn’t like what it made you. Honestly, I think you should have left that kind of magic alone, to begin with. Maybe then this wouldn’t have happened to you.”

“It’s going to come back,” Sombra halted his movement as Meadowbrook followed suit.

“And if it doesn’t?”

“It has to,” Sombra stressed. “Where else would I go if it doesn’t?”

“Auntie Meadow?” Meadowbrook perked to a familiar voice that resounded beside the two ponies. Along their side was a large lake that revealed the Hayseed Swamp from the distance. On the coast of the lake, Meadowbrook noticed a young orange mare with a fishing rod within her hooves.

“Pye,” Meadowbrook said. “What’re you doing out here this late at night?”

“Fishing for glow fishes, remember,” Pye answered. “I found that a lot of them like to come over here at night, so I made this my spot.”

“Oh,” Meadowbrook said. “Well, that’s convenient.”

“Hi Shadow Grove,” Pye waved at Sombra. She then gasped when she noted how Sombra and Meadowbrook’s hooves, “Are you two finally dating?”

“What!?” Meadowbrook voiced and instinctively pushed Sombra away from him when she recognized she was holding his hoof. “Of course not. He’s just my patient.”

“So, this is how you treat all your patients then,” Sombra voiced as he struggled to pick himself not.

“Of course not,” Meadowbrook defensively said as she stretched out a hoof for Sombra to pick upon.

“Well, if the two of you aren’t on a date,” Pye voiced. “Think you could mind helping me collect some glow fishes then?”

“I’m sorry, Pye,” Meadowbrook said. “Maybe after I finish walking my patient I’ll come back and join you. Shadow Grove here doesn’t like fishing.”

“This is actually an acceptable scenery,” Sombra said. “It would be wasteful to not bask on this sight.”

“Huh?” Meadowbrook was surprised. “You weren’t saying that earlier.”

“Then go ahead grab a spare rod,” Pye said. “I’m looking to have dozens.”

“This is ridiculous,” Sombra growled after being dumped a bucket of water atop him. Meadowbrook had set up a wooded tub in her hut where she bathed the stallion.

Their sudden fishing event happened to have gotten dirty for the former tyrant as Pye continuously tried to pry information about the progress of his relationship with Meadowbrook. Meadowbrook made the mistake of forgetting how Pye was insatiably curious about things.

It all started as normal as it could’ve been with a discussion about his health and Meadowbrook’s treatment, whom he made vast exaggerations about. A prissy stallion like him would voice all sorts of imaginations. Without his strength and magic, he’s simply a spoiled brat with ridiculous demands.

But then, Pye had to ask very intimate questions that gave Meadowbrook pause. Questions such as how often they walk together at night alone. How close have they become? And have they kissed yet!?

And to make it worse, Sombra was oddly calm about the questions. The fact that he could be so blunt about his answers made Meadowbrook so embarrassed that she felt the sudden instinct to push the stallion into the lake when Pye asked her last question. She and Pye had to join in the lake to help pull him out since he couldn’t overcome the waves.

“Look,” Meadowbrook said. “I’m really sorry about what I did, honest. But the way you were going about things just made it plain too embarrassing.”

“And you don’t think I don't feel that right now,” Sombra argued. “Not only have I been stripped of everything, but now I’m forced to be pranced around like some filly’s doll.”

“Oh, stop your exaggeration,” Meadowbrook said. “It’s not that bad.”

“And it’s only going to continue on for months and months. For goodness sake, this feels like an eternity. And even if I get my strength back, I know that…” Sombra paused for a long moment, earning a concern from Meadowbrook. “It’s not coming back, isn’t it?”

“...What do you mean?”

Sombra gazed at the surprised mare. “We both know what I mean. My magic.”

“We don’t know that for certain,” Meadowbrook answered. “Things might turn around if we give it a few more months.”

“There’s already magic inside me,” Sombra said. “It’s always been there ever since I’ve regained consciousness. But even though it’s there, I can’t channel it. It’s as though my magic rejects my call.”

“Sombra…”

“I guess this is supposed to be my punishment then,” Sombra chuckled. “When I finally claimed the rule of the Crystal Empire, I wanted so badly for her to sit by my side as my queen. I was finally powerful, and every pony finally recognized it. They all looked up to me as Radiant said they would one day do. But she didn’t accept my call. She feared me. She tried to talk me out of what I was doing. I wanted her to understand that I did it all for her, that worked so hard for that power and position so I could be worthy of her. But instead, I ended up scaring her away and in my lapse of emotions, I summoned crystals into the throne...and one of them got her…”

Meadowbrook watched the stallion silently, taken aback from what he just implied.

“Nothing seemed to matter at that point. Nothing but that goal I set for myself. It was the only thing I had left. The only meaning I had left with my home. If I can’t rule it, then I have nothing. I’m just a lone shadow in this world forever to be rejected for my actions.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Meadowbrook said. “It must have hurt you a lot. But, why did you feel it was so necessary to be king. Didn’t she already love you?”

“I was uncertain,” Sombra said. “She was one of a kind. Do you think no other stallions would attempt to meet her fancy? There was one in particular that she appeared to have a lot of chemistry with. That smile she had with him felt so much more passionate than ever had with me. I had to surpass him somehow, and so I searched and discovered dark magic. With it, I became king, but I still lost her regardless.

“So then,” Meadowbrook grabbed Sombra’s hoof. “What is that you really want now?”

“Death seems such a pleasant idea,” Sombra said. “Maybe I could meet her again and apologize for what I did to her. But then, she probably wouldn’t forgive for wasting my life like that. So perhaps if I could find something else to lean on....”

“I can help you find you if you let me?”

“I think I’ve already had,” Sombra said. “As filthy and plain this swamp may be, the creatures here have been very welcoming. The nights have their own beauty to them, and I have found the company some ponies quite tolerable.”

“Think you don’t mind starting again then?” Meadowbrook asked. “It probably won’t be as fancy as your old life, but I’m sure you’ll find new meaning to be part of Hayseed Swamp.”

“As long as I have a queen, I think I can manage.”

“A queen?” Meadowbrook raised a brow.

Sombra turned towards Meadowbrook with determined eyes. “You must admit there is some truth to your neighbors. We do make quite a unique pair. Me, a royal, dashing stallion. And you, a feisty yet caring beast.”

“Did you really just call me a beast?” Meadowbrook deadpanned.

“One that I don’t mind being locked inside with.”

“If this is some ploy for you to manipulate me,” Meadowbrook leaned her face close to Sombra. “I’m never going to forgive you.”

“Then I’ll have to purge that thought out of your mind,” Sombra said and then immediately surprised Meadowbrook with a lunge of his lips. Meadowbrook fell back on her haunch and tapped upon her lips.

“That face of yours is so delectable,” Sombra grinned. “It would appear your steel resistance against was nothing but rubbish. I’ll be sure to make an honest mare out of you.”

“I think you have that backward,” Meadowbrook growled as she grabbed a bucket of water from Sombra’s bath and dumped it on Sombra. “If we’re really doing this, then there’s going to be a long list of ground rules, you hear me?”

“I’m a fair king,” Sombra grinned. “I’m sure we can find a compromise.”