Dream's Fading Shadow

Voices from Beyond Part II

He couldn't sleep anymore, not even try. Was he really being deprived of his only pleasure? It seemed so. Since the last time he helped that pony escape before one of his versions tormented her, even though he said he wouldn't intervene, he did. That's why you should never trust someone like him; he never kept his promises.

But today he wouldn’t do the same. He had sworn to God and the Devil. Today, he just wanted to sleep. And, sure enough, he couldn't sleep. But something bothered him: there it was again, the same presence. He had no choice but to get up. With the routine he had? Better to let him sleep.

He watched the pony approach. He just observed her, because he had said, “Today, I won’t do anything.” The pony approached him without fear. Why do people think that if a dog doesn’t bite once, it won’t bite the next time?

"Who are you?" she asked. He thought maybe she just liked asking that question.

He decided to growl a little. After all, she was the only entertainment available, and the others weren’t around, so why not do the dirty work today?

She talked and talked, mentioning that he "needed help." The truth was, he wouldn’t have minded some help. At some point, her constant chatter disturbed his mind, so he decided to leave. How would she wake up from the sleep? Well, darkness would take care of that.

He returned to his usual place, wondering why that pony talked so much and why she worried so much about him when she clearly needed help.

"Why don’t you just ask for help? Why do you think you can do everything on your own?" he thought as he tried to fall asleep.

Sombra couldn't sleep; in fact, he had lost track of time. In this place, time was a meaningless concept. He didn’t know if it was night or day. Everything was enveloped in impenetrable darkness, even for him.

The pony returned the next day, though Sombra was not surprised. What did strike him as odd was the absence of his previous versions. Those cocoons had disappeared as if they had never existed.

The pony was shouting, demanding that he show himself. "I want to talk to you!" she insisted. Sombra wondered if something had changed in her. He no longer perceived the same fear in her voice. His curiosity, dormant over time, was now awakened.

Finally, he decided to reveal himself to the pony.

“Weren’t your eyes green?” she asked, with a mix of doubt and challenge.

Sombra blinked, confused. His eyes? He had never cared much about them. Had they been remnants of his old magic? Now, however, his eyes were the deep red they had always been.

With growing curiosity, he moved closer to the pony. She was tiny compared to him, a fragile creature, like a bunny facing a relentless predator.

"You’re very tall... and strong..." she murmured, almost as if thinking out loud.

Sombra looked at her in bewilderment. Was that a compliment? He wasn’t sure. No one had ever complimented him before, at least not in that way. The only "praises" he remembered were the ones he gave himself or those born from the fear he inspired. But this? He felt a slight pang in his chest.

"Heart, are you still there?" he wondered, perplexed. This feeling was new, strange. Was his ego swelling from these unexpected praises, or...?

"What do you want from me?" Twilight asked, her voice trembling slightly as she didn't get an answer. She looked at him intently, trying to maintain her bravery, challenging him with her gaze. Sombra noticed something inside him starting to change. Forgotten feelings were stirring within him.

He decided to have a little fun. With no versions of himself around to bother her, why not take on that role himself? He leaned in slowly, bringing his face close to Twilight's ear. She shivered, her body trembling at the gesture. How amusing.

"What—what are you doing?" she asked, taking a step back, her confusion growing with Sombra's proximity.

Sombra smiled, delighting in her reaction. It was a game, one he was enjoying more than he had anticipated.

What if I try something else? Sombra thought, a spark of mischief lighting up his mind.

Suddenly, Sombra moved even closer, and in an unexpected move, he licked the pony's ear.

“What?!” Twilight exclaimed, recoiling sharply, her face flushing with indignation and embarrassment. What was this thing doing? “I—I don’t want to play with you! If you need something from me, just tell me. Stop tormenting me!” she shouted, frustrated.

Sombra watched her, fascinated. Now he understood why his other versions had so much fun with her. Twilight was the type of pony you could bother endlessly, and it only got more entertaining.

Suddenly, Sombra pulled away, feeling a wave of doubt. What the heck am I thinking? In the end, he was doing the same thing as his other versions. Was he not different from them? he wondered, uneasy. No, he wasn’t like them... was he?

"What’s wrong with you?" Twilight asked, concern in her voice.

Sombra quickly moved away from her, unable to continue. He was confused, disoriented. He opened his mouth, trying to tell her that the time was up, that the dream was over, but once again, no sound came out.

She was here again, once more. As always, she bombarded him with questions, as if she were in an endless interrogation. He tried to annoy her in various ways: hugging her, snuggling up to her, or even licking her. He was having so much fun with the game. Until, inevitably, she had to leave.

"Am I having fun? Have my emotions returned?" Sombra wondered if it was true, but he wasn't entirely convinced.

Every time Twilight left the dream, he lost all his emotions again. Nothing mattered. Did being with her somehow influence his feelings? Not only that, but he could feel his limbs when he hugged her, he could sense her body warmth—he felt something.

There was something else. When she entered this surreal reality, Sombra could transform his surroundings. He could turn the dark space into whatever he wanted at that moment, but only when she was there. Perhaps the pony's magic was the core of this power.

One day, when he felt her presence in the dream, he decided to do something different. He covered the dark sky with thousands of stars—stars he had once seen, perhaps a long time ago.

to be continued.