Sombra stood in a dark alley stuffed between two tall buildings, a frown creasing his face. His horn sparked with life, and for a moment there was a flicker of darkness that clung to the tip. Then it was gone, the dark magic blown away by some unseen wind.

“Dammit,” Sombra cursed under his breath.

The disguised stallion glanced out from around the dumpster back towards the street where he had left behind the others. There the three stallions stood, decked out in winter wear and laden with large bulging saddle bags stuffed full of supplies. Sombra wore just a scarf, the future king having long since grown used to the cold of the far north. He also wore similar bags around his sides, and though he too had stuff like clothes, and books the king had something different. Namely a secret lust potion, as well as a camera rigged to trigger every few minutes like clockwork while also remaining nearly invisible once triggered.

“You alright back there?” called Spearhead.

Sombra waved a hoof. “Just another minute. I think breakfast does not agree with me.”

“Well, Twilight was helping in the kitchen this morning…” Shining Armor remarked half-heartedly.

“That explains why the eggs tasted purple,” Sombra muttered.

The stallion stepped back behind the dumpster and lit his horn once more. This time the magic returned quickly, and held for a moment only for it to escape his grasp after only a few short seconds of focus. Frustration built, and the disguised stallion clenched his jaw so tight his teeth hurt.

“Why aren't you working? Why can't I call on my dark magic?” Sombra asked the empty alley.

When he attempted to grasp his magic a third time the pointed appendage atop his head barely even glowed. He could feel the strain of exhaustion begin to assault him, sapping his strength and weakening his resolve. Yet he continued to grasp at the trailing threads of his foul spellwork, attempting to gather at least enough to cast a single low-level incantation.

“Come on, come on,” Sombra muttered.

When his magic failed, and his horn shot a small jet of sparks against the wall, the stallion was tempted to scream. Instead, he bit his tongue, and stood there, breathing heavily for several long seconds. Only once the wave of rage passed did he move, picking his chin up and heading back in the direction of his so called friends.

“Feeling better?” Spearhead asked.

“Twilight didn't poison you, did she?” Shining Armor inquired.

The concern from two handsome stallions did little to buoy the disguised king’s mood but it was still nice.

“No. I think your sister’s latest attempt to kill me has failed,” Sombra murmured.

“This happens often?” Spearhead inquired, glancing from Sombra to Shining Armor.

“Eh, not that often,” Shining Armor murmured while rubbing the back of his neck. “At least not any more frequently than she inadvertently attempts to kill anyone she lives with.”

“Don't tell me she's trying to learn how to cast fireball again,” Knight Night added. “I still get nightmares about that last time.”

“Thankfully no, just a light poisoning this time,” Sombra replied.

“I think she was attempting to induce synesthesia in cooking in order to quote, expand one’s pallet to the rest of the senses,” Shining Armor remarked.

“Your sister is either going to be the most accomplished mage of our generation or in a loony bin by twenty and there is no in-between on that one,” Spearhead exclaimed.

Shining Armor groaned. “Let's just hope it's that first one.”

“Indeed, now I believe we had a train to catch?” Sombra offered.

“Oh shit, that's right. We better get moving. If we miss this one we’ll have to reschedule the whole weekend as the next one isn't till Monday!” Shining Armor exclaimed.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Lead the way mister royal guard,” Spearhead offered.

Sombra stared out the window idly, his mind distant and his gaze unfocused. Though the beautiful countryside passing by his window was spectacular and slightly reminiscent of his home, it garnered no attention from the stallion. Instead, his thoughts were utterly focused on his apparent failure to call upon his magic in a meaningful manner.

He ran through possibilities both great and insignificant in his mind, desperate to seek out an answer to his pressing question. He knew of dark magic’s intrinsic link to negative emotions and understood how one fed upon the other. Yet despite how well things were going, and how little he truly had to worry about he still held those foul festering feelings close to his heart. The hatred at being denied his destiny, the contempt at being bested by individuals so far beneath him. Both served as ample ammunition for his magic to feast and grow strong on, so that was simply out of the equation.

Perhaps, Sombra thought, that it may be the house that had stymied him. After all, it had quite detailed wards, and was capable of combating dark magic, but expunging it entirely… that couldn't be right. Complicated wards or not, that simply wasn't something a static defense could really manage on its own.

“Bit for your thoughts,” Shining Armor offered suddenly.

Sombra blinked and glanced away from the window to the stallion sitting across from him. Shining Armor wore a concerned expression and had a folded-up book resting on his lap. Spearhead wasn't present, while Knight Night was snoring softly next to Shining Armor, the male having evidently fallen asleep at some point.

“I was just thinking,” Sombra murmured, his gaze going back to the window and the snowy landscape beyond. “It looks so much like home, only not nearly as mountainous.”

“Is that so?” Shining Armor muttered wistfully.

For a moment the pair stared absently out of the window, watching as the train chugged around another corner. Dangling from the edge of a cliff hundreds of feet in height, the train only a single small screw-up away from plunging hundreds to their doom. Despite just how close they all were to potential death, Sombra gave such considerations no thought. The Equestrians were nothing if not sticklers for safety, no his thoughts went out beyond the cliff.

To the valleys and hills that lay out there, away from the Canterhorn, tucked away far from civilization. Though not terribly far from Canterlot, Sombra had noticed that the so-called ‘backside’ of the Canterhorn was sparsely populated. Here other, minor mountains were plentiful, though none could dare stand against the monster that the range was named after.

Connected only by train and a few winding pathways through the valleys and vales, the towns Sombra saw were small. Little more than villages of maybe a hundred ponies total, they attached themselves to natural resources like ticks on the backs of larger creatures. None so far had train stations, though a couple had at least a small platform should there be an emergency necessitating supplies.

Though his thoughts wanted to wander further, Sombra cut them off, pointedly stopping before he could start making comparisons to his home. For there were many, though even then the most hilly area he had known as a child could not be compared to the Canterhorn.

“Are you homesick by chance?” Shining Armor pressed.

“No, not really anyway,” Sombra murmured. “Though I sometimes yearn to return to the place of my birth, I don't believe as though I am ready quite yet.”

“What do you mean?” Shining Armor asked.

Sombra sighed and glanced at the sleeping Knight Night. “My family lands are not exceptional but should I return I would have to resume my duties as lord of my demesce. And though I was once confident in my skill, after coming here I have seen just how much I have yet to learn and how much I still must grow.”

Shining Armor nodded mutely. “That makes sense. I noticed that you were having a bit of trouble with that spell the other day. The one that was supposed to create a floating disc I think.”

“You were not meant to see that,” Sombra hissed.

“Hey, I wasn't spying or nothing. You were just in the backyard and I looked out the window,” Shining Armor quickly replied, raising his forehooves defensively.

Sombra sighed. “It's fine, and yes it is a bit of a struggle. The techniques taught to me as a foal are dreadfully antiquated and my… condition only makes things even more problematic.”

“How so? I thought it just made your ability to cast dark magic easier,” Shining Armor remarked, gesturing to Sombra’s bent horn.

“It does, though it also makes all other brands of magic more difficult,” Sombra admitted bitterly. “It makes what you call it, a catch twenty-two?”

Shining Armor nodded.

“Yes,” Sombra muttered, his lips turning into a bitter snarl. “Other magic is harder, and dark magic easier so why resist the temptation if you will never reach the mastery your peers are capable of?”

“Well I think the struggle makes your successes even more notable,” Shining Armor replied. “That and if it was easy would it even be worth doing?”

Sombra opened his mouth to reply, only to stop before he could do so. For a moment he just sat there, attempting to come up with some manner of bitter retort only to abruptly give up.

“I suppose,” Sombra reluctantly agreed.

“So buck up. You’re already the most powerful member of our friend group. Is it really so bad that you aren't also the strongest in our school?” Shining Armor continued.

“Hmmm,” Sombra hummed. “You speak truth though I still rankle under the restraints of my condition.”

“Fair,” Shining Armor remarked with a shrug.

Spearhead appeared a moment later, the stallion opening the door to their cabin. He then stepped inside and plunked down next to Sombra, the impact startling Knight Night from his slumber.

“What I miss?” Spearhead asked.

“Nothing,” Sombra replied immediately. “Nothing at all.”

Sombra trudged through the snow, each step making a soft crunch when his booted hoof punched through the thin layer of ice that had settled atop the white powder. The snow drift went up to about his knee, nearly going over the lip of his boot, though thankfully not quite. Before him the trail wound in a gentle rightward direction, his right flanked with tall frost-covered trees while on his left a small stream trickled past a dozen or so meters away.

The land was quiet, almost deathly so, a realization that made the disguised king pause. He then turned back and glanced down the trail, where he saw no one. Realizing that he was alone, Sombra chose to wait, though thankfully he didn't have to do so for long.

“Hold up Crystal!” Spearhead called.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Sombra called back.

Spearhead perked up, the stallion peeking over a bush half buried in snow in order to catch a glimpse of his partner.

“Oh, there you are!” Spearhead shouted.

The stallion disappeared, only to reappear a moment later as he came around the bend in the trail.

“How the heck are you so fast? The snow is so deep!” Spearhead whined.

“This isn't that deep. It doesn't even come up past my knees,” Sombra retorted.

“Well some of us aren't like you, Crystal. We aren't used to wading through ten miles of snow just to use the outhouse,” Spearhead muttered.

“You are wrong,” Sombra retorted, pausing briefly. “It was eleven miles.”

Spearhead rolled his eyes.

“Wait for us, we’re, coming!” shouted the distant voice of Shining Armor.

“How is it that you are so far behind?” Spearhead called. “Aren't you training to join the royal guard?”

“Hey!” Shining Armor exclaimed. “I’m not slow. I’m just keeping Knight Night company back here.”

“Oh yeah, it's definitely not because you packed those super low-cut boots that Cadance recommended so you have to stop every few minutes to knock all the snow out of them lest you freeze your hooves off,” Spearhead added.

Sombra chuckled under his breath, and the pair of males exchanged a hoof bump.

“Keep laughing and you two can sleep in the shed tonight,” Shining Armor shot back.

“Meh,” Sombra remarked with a shrug. “Given the relative wealth of your family, I wouldn't be surprised if it was heated.”

“Damn, bro you got him pegged. It totally does!” Spearhead exclaimed.

“Whatever,” Shining Armor muttered, pausing to turn around. “Knight, are you alright back there?”

“I’m fine!” shouted back a familiar voice. “Just got a little stuck for a second.”

“Mmhmm,” Shining Armor murmured.

“So,” Sombra began. “How far are we anyway? I haven't been keeping track of the distance.”

“We’re almost there. Just one more turn,” Shining Armor offered.

Sombra nodded before setting off, with Spearhead falling in behind him a moment later. The pair powered ahead while Shining Armor hung back slightly, waiting for Knight to hurry up. Sure enough, the duo swiftly happened upon a single-story cottage made primarily of stone waiting for them around the final bend.

Slapped between the creek on one side, and a cliff on the other, the small vacation home didn't have much open space around it. There was just enough for a raised fireplace half buried in snow, and a shed that sat under a stony overhang jutting from the cliff wall. There was only one thing that was mysteriously absent, in Sombra’s estimation anyway.

“Where’s the outhouse?” Sombra asked.

“It's right behind the house, but you don't have to worry about the smell or nothing. You know that great aunt I told you about who worked on the house’s ward system?” Shining Armor replied.

“She also worked on this one,” Sombra assumed.

Shining Armor nodded. “She also put in more experimental enchantments.”

“Like werewolf detection,” Spearhead added in a low mysterious sounding tone of voice.

Sombra rolled his eyes. “There is no such thing.”

“Not anymore,” Spearhead replied.

“They say werewolves were a real threat back in her time,” Shining Armor offered.

“Ridiculous,” Knight Night retorted, pausing to take several hasty breaths. “The last confirmed werewolf died just over a thousand years ago.”

As the others moved toward the cabin, Sombra paused.

“Wait a second, is that true?” Sombra asked, hastily trotting after Knight Night.

“Augh don't listen to him, otherwise you’re going to end up believing in Mothman, the Jerseigh devil, and the Loch Ness monster,” Spearhead replied with a smirk on his face.

“H-hey!” Knight called. “Those are all true, except for the last one. That was just a weird-looking log.”

Shining Armor stopped at the porch of the small one-level cabin and placed his hoof against an abnormally large red brick in the wall. After a moment the door clicked, and swung inward slightly, pushed open by the ever-present wind that came down from the mountain.

“Alright everyone, pile in,” Shining Armor offered. “The sun’s gonna start setting soon so we gotta hurry up if we are going to do our polar plunge up at the spring.”

“Aww,” Spearhead complained.

Sombra raised an eyebrow. “Polar plunge?”

“These nut jobs jump into ice cold water and then compete to who can stay in the longest,” Knight Night answered.

“You don't participate?” Sombra inquired.

“I do, for like… two seconds,” Knight replied.

“This year I’m going to win for sure,” Spearhead proclaimed. “I’ve been taking nothing but cold showers for the last six months to prepare.”

“And I’ve been letting Twilight test her cold enchantments on me for the last two months,” Shining Armor retorted.

Sombra was about to offer a boast of his own when he stepped into the house and looked around for the first time. Directly before him and to the left was a large living room with a fireplace at the far end. To the right, a kitchen, and just beyond, a narrow hallway that went to a bathroom at the end, and a bedroom on either side. Or at least, that's what Sombra assumed from the layout of the place.

“So Crystal. Are you going to join us?” Shining Armor asked.

Sombra blinked. “Oh yes. I think I shall, and not only that but I believe I shall give you all a run for your money.”

“Ha we’ll see about that,” Spearhead exclaimed. “I don't give up easily you know.”

“I give up!” Spearhead shouted before lurching out of the icy pond.

“C-c-coward,” Shining Armor shouted, the shivering stallion standing neck-deep in water.

“Don't listen to them. You beat your previous best and did really well,” Knight Night retorted.

Spearhead accepted the warm blanket offered to him by Knight Night. “Y-yeah but s-s-still. Crystal isn't even ph-ph-phased!”

Sombra blinked. “What was that? I was just about to doze off for a second there.”

“Thats inequine!” Spearhead exclaimed.

“When you have as long a winter as we do, you get used to it,” Sombra retorted.

“S-sstill,” chattered Shining Armor.

Sombra shrugged and reclined near the bank of the pool. “It's not so bad. Hey Knight, would you mind kicking that big hunk of ice into the water? It could be a little colder in here.”

“S-s-s-screw this,” Shining Armor chattered.

The stallion then surged out of the water, and once free, cast a heating spell on himself as well as Spearhead.

“You need to toughen up Shining Armor. How are you going to guard a princess if you can't even handle this?” Sombra teased, splashing a bit of water at the other stallion.

“I don't think it's ever going to matter, besides I uh…” Shining Armor paused and shook his head. “I don't believe there are many springs in Canterlot Castle which I may need to rescue the princess from.”

“Ha, true,” Sombra replied.

The disguised king rose from the pond, and trotted over to the others, the stallion accepting a warm place at the side of his partner.

“Either way we got lucky that the moon was so bright out,” Sombra pointed out.

“True,” Spearhead admitted, glancing up at the large, radiant heavenly body floating overhead.

“Let's not push our luck. There aren't many predators out here but I’d rather not run into anything,” Shining Armor exclaimed.

“I told you. The abominable snowman doesn't live in these mountains,” Knight Night exclaimed.

The sudden howl of a distant wolf forced the conversation to pause.

“Yeah, but there are wolves out here!” Spearhead hissed in a low tone.

“Right, let's go. I’ll lead the way,” Shining Armor offered.

“Do you ever get tired of being a knight in shining armor?” Spearhead teased.

Shining Armor chuckled. “Nope. I’d have to change my name otherwise.”

The group all chuckled despite their fear.

“Babe, are you coming to bed?” Spearhead whispered.

Sombra blinked and looked over to the bed, where his partner could be seen, or at least his head anyway as the rest of him was tucked securely under the covers.

“Just a second,” Sombra murmured.

“Got a lot on your mind?” Spearhead inquired.

Sombra closed the blinds and trotted over to the bed.

“I suppose,” Sombra admitted.

Spearhead pulled back the bedding, allowing Sombra to slip in next to the other male.

“What were ya thinking about?” Spearhead whispered.

“Just… how enjoyable this has all been so far,” Sombra murmured.

“And it's only been the first day,” Spearhead added. “We still got two more full days here.”

“True,” Sombra admitted. “What were we all planning on doing again? I can't recall.”

“All day d and d tomorrow, then a hike, board games, and finally…” Spearhead leaned closer. “Booze.”

“You’re an adult. Quit acting like you’re breaking the rules by enjoying alcohol,” Sombra retorted.

“But not like this. We are going to get like, drunk drunk. Not just tipsy off overpriced cider,” Spearhead replied.

“Hmm, fair,” Sombra admitted, turning around. “Wrap your hooves around me. I want to be the little spoon tonight.”

Spearhead smirked. “Sure thing babe. Anything for you.”

Sombra smiled faintly before closing his eyes and quickly drifting off.

Author's Note

This is a part of the Jest Days of Christmas, where I update something every single day of December. Go check out the link for the full list and check back everyday for a new update!