Author's Note

"Hello there! 😊 I want to let you know that I am not a native English speaker; I'm using a web translator. If you come across any errors in the stories, whether grammatical or otherwise, I apologize in advance! 🙏"

Chapter 10

Pillow Talks

Another night here meant another day without finding a solution. However, Sombra didn’t see it as so bad; this was the first rest he had had in centuries.

Retirement wasn’t treating him too badly. Besides, he was surrounded by "luxuries": a creaky armchair that groaned dangerously every time he sat down, as if his weight was too much, a rustic pillow with more holes than a ventilation net, and a lady who wouldn’t let him sleep all night. He had it all!

“Sparkle… could you… please turn off the lights?” he said wearily, with deep bags under his eyes. The truth was, the lady wasn’t letting him sleep, and he was right.

In these two days, he hadn’t seen Twilight sleep a wink. “Does she ever sleep?” he wondered.

“Just a bit longer, I might have found something. This book has something weird...,” Twilight said, completely absorbed in her reading.

“Good for you, but we—” he said before using his magic to take the book from Twilight’s hooves. “—all need to sleep…”

Twilight sighed and looked at him with a mix of resignation and exhaustion.

“By ‘we,’ you mean you, right?” she asked, not very convinced by his protest.

Sombra placed the book on a high shelf out of Twilight’s reach and then got up from the armchair, stretching with a grace that seemed almost feline. He approached her with a playful smile on his face.

“Twilight, a beauty must sleep well…” he began, and Twilight felt a warmth rise to her cheeks, misinterpreting his words and thinking he was referring to her. But before she could react, he continued, “Well, and you should sleep too. Of course, without prejudice to the appearance.”

Twilight stared at him for a second, both confused and embarrassed, while Sombra looked at her with that same mischievous smile.

“What?!” she exclaimed, her voice a bit louder than she intended.

Sombra looked at her for a moment, unable to suppress a soft laugh that turned into a cheerful chuckle. His laughter echoed through the library, mingling with the sound of the book pages flipping.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said between laughs. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just joking.”

Twilight, still blushing and with an expression of indignation, turned her back to him. Sombra’s laughter made her feel even more uncomfortable, and she hurried to her corner without saying another word.

Sombra, still laughing, went back to his armchair. He settled into it, sighing relaxedly while watching her from a distance.

“So, Sparkle, where do you sleep?” he asked, trying to sound casual. The curiosity in his voice was evident.

Twilight, hearing the question, tensed slightly. She looked at Sombra with an evasive expression, trying to avoid the topic.

“Oh, you know,” she said quickly, “I have my things. It’s nothing important.”

Sombra frowned, noticing the evasion in her response. It wasn’t as if he didn’t understand what it meant to stay awake for so long, but the way Twilight avoided the question seemed a bit concerning.

“Haven’t you slept?” he asked, his tone a little more serious now.

Twilight turned back to her book, trying to focus on the words to avoid Sombra’s inquisitive gaze.

“No, it’s not that,” she murmured. “I just… haven’t found anything useful yet, and I don’t want to waste time.”

Sombra leaned forward, a mix of concern and curiosity on his face. What could he do? He had decided not to cross the line, but after hearing Twilight, he slowly got up from his armchair, stretching his limbs with a weary grimace. Then, looking at Twilight with a mixture of curiosity and mischievous malice, he asked:

“So, where will you sleep?”

Twilight looked up and answered without thinking much:

“In my room, of course.”

Sombra raised an eyebrow, smiling mockingly.

“Oh, really? Wasn’t I supposed to be under your constant surveillance?” he said, his voice laden with amusement.

Twilight blushed, not knowing how to respond. Her annoyed expression was almost comical.
“If necessary, I’ll bring a bed here,” she said firmly, though there was a hint of irritation in her tone.

Sombra laughed softly, appreciating Twilight’s reaction.

“It won’t be necessary,” he said, rising from the armchair and moving a bit to the side. “You could sleep here.”

He gestured towards the space next to the armchair, as if inviting Twilight to come closer. Twilight stood stunned by the gesture and blushed, her mind racing at the unexpected invitation.

Sombra noticed her reaction and, seeing her blush more, quickly became nervous. He straightened up and raised his hooves in a gesture of surrender.

“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything weird,” he clarified quickly. “I just thought we could share the space in a… more comfortable way.”

Twilight, still blushing and bewildered, took a quick step back, trying to regain her composure. Her heart started racing; sharing a space with him? She wouldn’t survive the discomfort.

“Oh, um…” she stammered. “Okay, then. I’ll be back to get… another pillow!”

She hurried away, her face as red as an apple, as she tried to hide her agitation.

Sombra laughed softly as Twilight hurried away, his laughter resonating in the library. The situation had taken an unexpected turn, and now he found himself in a dilemma. He had never shared a bed—or in this case, an armchair—with another pony before. Although he wouldn’t admit it easily, he was nervous.

He finally sighed. Well, if they were going to do this, the only thing they had to do was sleep. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all, and if he thought about it, the company wasn’t so unpleasant.

A short time later, Twilight returned with a pillow and a blanket. She approached the armchair where Sombra was sitting, stopped there, as if waiting for permission from her companion to settle beside him. Sombra looked at her, noticing she seemed cute, a bit flushed, and avoiding his gaze.

“Alright, let’s do this,” he said decisively.

Twilight’s expression turned into an enigma of confusion. Do what? What do two adult ponies do together on an armchair? She blushed intensely, as if her retinas were about to tremble. Sombra looked at her, confused, until he realized what he had said and quickly corrected himself.

“S-Sleep! I mean, let’s go to sleep…” he said almost in a rush, with a stammering excuse. “No, don’t worry. I’m not going to do anything weird. I just… thought it would be good to relieve the tension…”

Sombra’s nervousness was palpable as he tried to reassure her. Twilight, although still a bit flushed, managed to catch her breath and, with a somewhat awkward gesture, moved closer to the armchair.

“Okay,” she said with a trembling voice. “Thank you for the… offer.”

They both settled into the armchair.