Chapters After the previous adventure in the Crystal Empire, Princess Celestia had assigned Ornate Dash and Sombra, the previous King of the Crystal Empire, in exploring the untamed areas of Equestria.
Their first assignment was to head to the snowcapped mountains north of Equestria. There had been strange activity going on up there, and they were going to get to the bottom of it.
As they climbed the side of the mountain, a snow storm was raging all around them. The snow was blinding and hard to traverse through. Sombra was leading them. As he walked, the rope around his waist was tied to Ornate’s waist as well, helping her up the mountain.
“There’s nothing up here!” He called. “Maybe we should just go back!”
“No!! We’re almost there!” She called back.
He began to continue up the mountain with Ornate following close behind. He began to feel the snow begin to fall less and less. He quickened his pace and found the end of the steep cliff. He helped Ornate up, as well.
Ornate looked up and gasped. On the cliff was an ice palace. It gleamed in the sun, which was now mysteriously shining in the sky. She glanced at Sombra and began to start walking towards the palace.
Sombra followed her and walked by her side. He looked up at the ice palace. It was very tall and didn’t look comforting. He couldn’t imagine what might live in such a place. They climbed a small set of stairs up to the giant doors of the palace. They stopped in front of the doors, glancing at each other with doubt.
Sombra slowly held up his hoof and knocked on the door. Nothing happened. They looked at each other in worry. Sombra reached up to knock again, but that’s when the doors opened; fast and loud. Ornate jumped back in surprise. Sombra glanced inside. Finding nothing that would endanger them immediately, Sombra walked inside with Ornate behind him.
The room before them was a giant hall. It was all made of ice. They walked down the hallway, looking around at the ice decorations. The only door was the one at the end of the hall. Around them were vases with ice flowers. There were pictures of famous paintings recreated in ice. The sight was chilling.
They reach the door at the end of the hall to find it opened as they approached. They walked past the door to find a throne room. Once again, it was made of ice. At the far end there stood a large throne with two ice ponies on either side. They were tending to a light blue pegasus with white hair and a blue robe. She wore a purple tiara and a pendant around her neck. The pendant was a green cat’s eye with a purple pupil. The pegasus on the throne was busy talking, well, at the ice ponies.
She stopped suddenly and looked at Ornate and Sombra. She eyed them carefully, studying their appearances. But when she looked at Sombra, she smiled. She ushered the ice ponies away and stood up.
“What brings you here to my mountain?” she asked.
“We were sent here,” Ornate explained.
“By Princess Celestia,” Sombra finished.
She narrowed her eyes at the mention of that name, but she quickly shook it off. She continued to smile.
“Well,” she began, “How may I serve you?”
“Princess Celestia said there was a magic imbalance detected here,” Ornate started, “Many ponies would travel up the mountain, but they would never come back. We wanted to know if you have something to do with it.”
The pegasus immediately looked offended.
“I hope you don’t expect me to have anything to do with this?” she asked.
“No,” Sombra interrupted, “Of course not. We just wanted to know if you would help us figure this mystery out.”
The pegasus stared at them with intent. She eyed them suspiciously. But when she eyed Sombra, her face softened and a smile crept on her face.
“I will be more than willing to help,” she responded. “You will stay here for the time being.”
“Thank you,” Ornate replied, smiling.
The pegasus stomped her hoof twice. Two ice pony guards walked into the throne room and accompanied Ornate and Sombra down the hall to their rooms. Ornate looked at the guards. They were not real ponies; they were made of ice. Their glares were stone cold and they showed no emotion. She wondered how much they could trust that pony.
They stopped at a door down the hallway and turned their heads towards Sombra. He looked at them hesitantly, but nodded and entered the room. As soon as the door shut, the guards turned their heads back down the hallway and began to walk again. Ornate quickly followed.
They stopped at a door right next to Sombra’s room. They looked at Ornate. She shivered a little at their glares, but quickly walked into the room. She looked around at the room before her.
The ice room was more than one would expect. There was a fire place with a nice, roaring fire burning within it. On the other side of it, stood a queen sized bed with transparent curtains hanging down on all four sides. The blankets were made of wool and fur. By the bed were a small nightstand and a desk. The nightstand had a lamp and an unlit candle on it with a box of matches. The desk had a quill pen and parchment. The chair in front of the desk was made with ice, but the seating was made of fur.
She walked into the room and over to the fire place. There were chairs and a couch in front of it. She sat down on the couch and took off her bag and cloak. Her old burlap cloak was all she had left from their previous adventure in the Crystal Empire. She had been wearing it since she had run away from the orphanage. She had kept it in good condition since.
She opened her bag to see all that Princess Celestia had given her for the trip: food, rope, matches, warm clothes, an ice pick, and a hair brush. She grabbed a piece of bread and a slice of cheese and began to eat. She was hungrier than she had realized.
She finished her meal and walked over to the bed. She pulled the curtains on the sides of the bed and climbed into the comforter. It was quite warm. She began to relax, knowing the next day was not going to be as easy.
Sombra was sitting on the couch in front of the fire place in his room. He watched as the embers burned the logs on the hearth. He took off his red cloak and his travel sack and set them down beside him. He hoped that Ornate was sleeping well. He kept thinking about her, triggering his constant insomnia that haunted him every night he was away from Ornate. All he could do was sit in his room and watch the fire.
He hadn’t made a sound since he walked inside, but it wasn’t long before the pegasus walked into his room. Sombra stood up and walked over to her.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“You seem sad,” she began. “Why are you not asleep?”
“I guess I just cannot find rest.”
The pegasus walked over to him with a worried expression. Sombra backed up, a little panicked about what she might do. He had to buy him some time.
“So,” he started, “I didn’t catch your name. What was it?”
“My name is Snow Ire,” she answered, smiling.
Snow Ire gently placed her hoof on Sombra’s forehead. He felt an overwhelming power overcome him. He passed out and landed on the floor. Snow Ire gently lifted his body and brought him to the bed. She laid him down and pulled the blanket over his cold body.
She gently caressed his head. Snow Ire smiled at his charming face. She couldn’t help but notice how cute he really was when he was asleep. She placed her hoof right below his horn. Her eyes began to glow white. She saw an image of Sombra and Ornate living in a small house; together.
She quickly pulled her hoof away and growled. She should have known he was head over hooves for that zebra. She would have to get rid of her. She quickly ran out of the room and into a hidden door down the hall. Inside was a room where she could brew up potions to her whims delight. She closed the door behind her quickly.
She ran over to the cauldron and looked into its contents. The silver liquid inside bubbled gently. She slammed her hoof to the ground. Tears ran down her face.
“It’s not fair!” she screamed. “How could this happen to me?!”
She fell to the floor and sobbed. She finally found the stallion of her dreams, but he was too far from her to claim. He was in love, and she couldn’t change that… Or could she?
She slowly looked up and eyed a corner of the room. On a pedestal, there stood a Crystal ball on a velvet red pillow. She slowly took to her hooves and walked over to it. The cat’s eye pendent around her neck narrowed. Snow Ire’s eyes turned red as she looked at the orb. She smiled in delight.
“He can’t love someone that is dead,” she began, “Or, at least, gone.”
She grabbed a thick book off a bookshelf and began to look through it. It contained spells that she had used over the past few months, but she was looking for a spell she had never used before.
Snow Ire stopped when she found a page with a picture of a crystal ball. She began to read the spells. It had all kinds of spells used on a crystal ball: future reading, love reading, spying, eavesdropping… There it was; the spell of containment.
She quickly memorized the spell and slammed the book shut, returning it to the shelf. She began to plot her next move. She would have to lure Ornate into her brewing room somehow. Once she was in, Snow Ire planned to shut the door and cast the spell. It would trap the zebra in the crystal ball. She smiled deviously.
“Tomorrow,” she growled deeply with pleasure, “will be my time to shine!”
***
Ornate woke up as she heard some birds began to chirp outside her window. She quickly sat up and got out of bed. She had wondered how long she could have slept. She pushed the thought aside as she brushed her hair back into a ponytail. She tied her hair back and began to look through her sack for breakfast.
But before she could even find the food she had stored away, two ice guards walked into her room and looked at her. She dropped her bag in fright. She stood there, watching the lifeless soldiers stare at her.
“Do you need something?” she asked after a moment of silence.
No response.
“… Do I need to go somewhere?”
They both nodded.
Ornate quickly ran over to them. They both turned and walked out the door with her, leading her to the banquet hall. They entered the large room to find a long ice table with three chairs. Snow Ire sat at one end, while Sombra sat on the side of the table. The only empty seat sat on the far end of Snow Ire.
“I hope I’m not too late,” Ornate apologized.
“No, of course not,” Sombra began.
“Yes,” Snow Ire interrupted. “Sit down; we were just about to have breakfast.”
Ornate sat at the far end and eyed Snow Ire. Sombra sat up a cleared his throat.
“Well,” he started, “What will we be doing today, Snow Ire?”
“We will go outside and investigate that magic imbalance, no?”
“Ah, yes. I have a spell that can track it.”
Snow Ire began to panic.
“That will be no need,” she interrupted. “I know that spell as well. I want you to relax. I will cast it for now.”
Sombra nodded in agreement. Ornate sat quietly at her end of the table. She was unsure of Snow Ire. Could they really trust her? She couldn’t know for sure.
It wasn’t long before ice pony servants came and delivered their food to them.
“So, there is no one else here?” Sombra asked. “Besides you, of course.”
“No,” Snow Ire answered. “I live here alone. These ice ponies are all the company I need.”
“Oh, I see.”
Sombra finished his meal, not knowing how hungry he really was. He glanced at Ornate. She had barely touched her food. His heart ached to see her so sad.
“Is something wrong?” he asked her.
Ornate looked up, a bit embarrassed.
“No,” she quickly answered. “I’m just not hungry.”
Snow Ire growled quietly. His love for that zebra showed greatly. She quickly stood up, faking a smile.
“So,” she interrupted. “Who’s ready to go?”
It had been hours. Ornate, Sombra, and Snow Ire had walked all around her Ice palace. Snow Ire had been casting the spell to find the imbalance, but she had found nothing. Ornate had begun to tire after the long time of searching.
Sombra noticed Ornate’s fatigue and was quick to her side. Snow Ire noticed immediately, scowling in the process. Sombra gently lifted Ornate and set her on his back. She rested her head on Sombra’s neck and relaxed. Snow Ire turned towards them.
“I think it’s been too long,” she began, “Let’s go back inside and rest up, shall we?”
Sombra nodded and began to trudge through the snow. Snow Ire led them back inside the palace. Sombra began to walk down the hall, but Snow Ire stopped him.
“I will take it from here,” Snow Ire explained.
Sombra looked at her with great curiosity. Nevertheless, he gently set Ornate to her hooves and walked to his room. Snow Ire beckoned for Ornate to follow her. She did so willingly.
Snow Ire quickly walked down the hall at to the secret door. She opened it and led Ornate inside. Ornate looked around. She was curious as to why Snow Ire would lead her here and not her room. She noticed the crystal ball in the corner and walked towards it.
She studied it intently, noticing how shiny it was. It was perfectly sculpted. Its surface had no dents. She noticed her reflection and glanced at it. She also noticed Snow Ire directly behind her.
As Ornate turned to look at Snow Ire, she noticed the scowl growing on her face. She mumbled the incantation she had memorized earlier and a glowing orb formed around Ornate.
She began to look around panicked. Before she could run, she was transported. A bright light surrounded her. As it faded, she looked around. She was inside the crystal ball.
Ornate ran around, panicking. Snow Ire laughed as she watched her. Watching her squirm in her crystal prison was the highlight of her day.
“Do me a favor and stay put,” Snow Ire smirked. “I’ll be back as soon as Sombra is mine.”
Snow Ire quickly left the room and ran down the hall. Ornate sat down and began to cry. She was stuck here, whether she liked it or not.
***
Sombra sat on the bed in his room. He wondered what was so important to Snow Ire that she had to show Ornate and not him. He sat on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was nice and warm, considering the whole room was made of ice.
It wasn’t long before Snow Ire walked into her room with a solemn look on her face. Sombra quickly sat up and ran towards her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“It’s Ornate,” Snow Ire began, “She ran off. She said she hated you. I watched as she ran down the hill into the storm. I couldn’t help her. She was attacked by arctic wolves.”
Sombra’s eyes widened with fear. He felt as if his heart had been ripped right out of his chest. It was unbearable. He fell to his knees and sobbed. Ornate was the only pony he had ever loved. He couldn’t love anyone else as much as her.
Snow Ire quickly knelt beside him. She gently put her hoof on his cheek. He pulled away. He fell down to the floor. He buried his head with his hooves. He just wanted to be alone.
Frowning, Snow Ire quickly stood up and walked out of the room and into the potion room. She saw Ornate curled up at the bottom of the crystal ball. Snow Ire began to pace around the cauldron in the middle of the room.
“Why is he acting like this?” she asked herself. “Why isn’t he getting over it?”
Asking these questions aloud brought Ornate’s attention towards Snow Ire. She gave her an irritated scowl; the dried tear stains on her cheeks were still visible. Snow Ire stopped and looked at Ornate, returning the scowl.
“What?” she asked. “You think you know why?”
Ornate nodded.
“Okay, smarty, what is your answer?”
Ornate began to explain, but the glass kept Snow Ire from hearing her response. She growled in frustration. She mumbled an incantation, allowing sound to pass through the glass.
“Speak up,” Snow Ire ordered.
“He loves me,” Ornate explained.
“Obviously,” Snow Ire mumbled.
“You don’t understand,” Ornate growled, “He was pure evil before he met me. I changed his heart. He loves me, and nothing will ever change that.”
Snow Ire growled loudly.
“He’s supposed to love me!” she shouted. “I love him more than you could ever love him!”
Ornate was greatly surprised at her response. She never knew how much Snow Ire had fallen for Sombra. She stood up and kicked against the glass. The force was enough to tip the crystal ball off the pillow, sending it towards the ice floor.
Snow Ire’s eyes widened. She quickly dove and caught the crystal ball. The sudden stop caused Ornate’s body to slam to the bottom of the crystal ball. Snow Ire set the ball back onto the pillow. She looked at Ornate with a cross expression.
“If you really want to get out,” she began angrily, “smashing the crystal ball won’t help. It will only trap you there for eternity.”
Snow Ire turned the leave. Ornate lay onto her side and began to sob loudly. Snow Ire glanced back at her.
“Don’t worry,” she began, “I’ll take good care of him.”
Snow Ire sat on her bed. Her room was three times the size of the guest rooms that Sombra and Ornate were assigned. Her bed was in the back of the room in the middle. She had a giant desk on one side piled with papers and documents, left and right. The fire place sat on the other side of the room. The chairs and couch in front of it were more lavish than the ones in the other rooms. It was quite warm.
She wore a dark, fluffy, purple robe around her instead of her majestic blue one. She had her long hair down. It had grown to where it dragged on the floor as she walked, but she didn’t believe she needed to cut it. She still wore her crown and her cat’s eye pendant.
Snow Ire had been reading a book for a couple hours now. She had tried to get Sombra to retire to his bed, but he had refused to. It wasn’t long before she had given up on him.
She glanced at the foot of her bed. On a different pedestal stood a crystal ball identical to the one in her brewing room. She also had a small one in her pocket. The other crystal balls allowed Snow Ire to keep Ornate in her sight at all times.
In the crystal ball, Ornate was lying on her side with her back towards Snow Ire. She had fallen asleep during the time Snow Ire had been reading. Her chest gently rose and fell with each breath. Snow Ire couldn’t help but notice how cute she was when she wasn’t yelling at her.
Snow Ire gently put the book down and walked down to the foot of the bed. She sat up and watched her. Snow Ire gently turned the crystal ball around to see Ornate clearly. She tried to do it slowly so she didn’t wake up.
She sat there, holding still. When Ornate did not react, she relaxed and continued to watch. Ornate had been sized down to fit inside the crystal ball. She was only as tall as the radius of the crystal ball itself.
Snow Ire began to wonder to herself. What happened to Sombra that made him love this pony so much? She wasn’t a usual pony. In fact, she didn’t even have a cutie mark. She wasn’t normal for sure, but that only confused her more.
As she lost her focus in thought, she didn’t notice Ornate wake up from her nap. Ornate noticed her and growled. Snow Ire snapped out of her trance and looked at the zebra. Ornate ran around the crystal ball furiously. She ran so fast that she would run up the walls of her prison, across the ceiling, and down the other wall. Snow Ire had never seen anything like it.
Ornate began to shout what looked like profanities, but the glass blocked the sound. Snow Ire mumbled the incantation to allow sound to pass through the glass.
“Why were you watching me sleep?!” she shouted.
Snow Ire was too shocked to speak. She only shrugged.
“Don’t do it again!!”
Ornate laid down on the floor of the crystal ball, facing Snow Ire’s bed. She glanced at her captor and gave her a sharp send off. Her face was all it took to send shivers up Snow Ire’s spine.
Snow Ire stood up and jumped off her bed. She quickly walked through an open door next to her bed. It was a bathroom much bigger than a regular one. On one side there was a long ice bar across the wall. It had fluffy towels hanging on it. At the end of the bar, there was a closet with all kinds of toiletries. On the other side of the bathroom, there was a sink and another door to another part of the bathroom. In the middle of the room, there was a giant bathtub. It, and the sink, was the only thing that wasn’t made of ice.
She walked over to the bathtub and turned it on. Hot water filled it until it was full enough to her liking. She stopped the water and took off her robe, letting it fall to the floor. She slowly climbed in and relaxed. Her muscles were tense after the long day. The hot water relaxed her sore limbs. Her wings stretched out, allowing all the tight muscles within them to loosen. She hadn’t opened them for a while.
She leaned back in the tub and began to think about the day ahead. What was she going to do with Sombra? Certainly it wouldn’t be too long before he got over the zebra… would it? His love for her was strong, too strong. How could she break a bond so tight?
She sighed, loud and long. All the unanswered questions swam through her mind, making her dizzy without much effort. She wondered about the zebra. She knew that staying in the crystal ball would keep her from needing to eat and burn off energy. But how willing would she be to stay in there just enough to ensnare the heart of Sombra? She wasn’t even willing to stay there for an hour.
Snow Ire finally began to feel relaxed and stepped out of the tub. She pulled the plug on the bathtub and grabbed a clean, fluffy towel from the bar and wrapped it around herself. She walked back into her room to get changed.
As she walked over to her bed, she saw one of the ice pony maids walk out. She walked over to her dresser and grabbed her snow white night gown with spaghetti straps. She quickly dried off and put it on over her warm body. She threw the wet towel into a basket by the door and walked over to her bed.
She drew back the covers and found the hot water rubber bed warmers at the foot of her bed. She carefully climbed in and pulled the comforter up. The warm glow of the fire place was dim enough for it to make Snow Ire weary. Before she closed her eyes, she glanced at Ornate.
The zebra had fallen under the deep spell of sleep that covered her. Her face showed the weariness within her. She was exhausted and she knew it. Snow Ire watched Ornate’s chest rise and fall until her eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer. She, too, had fallen under the spell of deep sleep.
Celestia sat at the throne. She kept filling out paperwork. Every time she finished a stack, a new two stacks would appear. Feeling uneasy, she decided to go outside and take a break. She stood up from her throne and walked down the hall to her personal balcony.
She watched at the sun got closer to the horizon. It, soon, would be time to lower the sun for Luna, her precious sister. Her horn glowed with gold magic, making the sun quicken the pace to lower below the hills in the distance.
She watched at the moon started to slowly-but surely-rise from the horizon and took its place in the sky. She looked over at the other balcony to see Luna. Her sister saw her and smiled, waving her hoof in the air.
Celestia smiled and waved back. She was glad that her sister had forgiven her after all those years of imprisonment. Having her sister back with her was a reward of its own.
Celestia looked out above Equestria. The night was soft and quiet. It was dark and all were sleeping. As she looked around, her attention was caught on the Equestrian Mountains. Flashes of light seemed to leap from its peak. Something was wrong. She would send for guards at the break of dawn. She might even go there herself.
***
Sombra walked around the outskirts of the ice palace. He had left Snow Ire in the prisons below the palace, still bound and without her crown to use magic. Now he was scanning the grounds to find the imbalance. The spell kept lighting up the ground instead of pin-pointing the exact location. This began to irritate him.
After a while, he stopped to take a break. He knew he was getting nowhere at this rate. He wondered if the imbalance was inside the palace rather than outside. He stood up and walked into the icy castle.
He began to cast his spell around the palace. Still the magic lit up the floor. He walked around while performing his magic. He noticed that since he took Snow Ire's crown, all the ice ponies and guards had frozen in time. She was probably controlling them the whole time.
He wondered about how someone could live for so long and not miss the company of other ponies. He knew that he was an evil king at one point of his life, but he changed and he knew it.
Sombra walked down the hallway to the prisons where Snow Ire was held. Walking past the empty cells, he stopped in front of Snow Ire’s cell. She was lying on her side, curled up in her light blue royal robe that she had worn that first day. With a leather strap around her waist, her wings were restricted to her body and a magic spell kept the strap in place. Her mane was still in a braid, but it was starting to lose perfection and was fraying.
As if she could sense his presence, Snow Ire sat up and looked at him. Her icy glare shocked him a little, but he was angry for what she had done to Ornate. Their eyes locked onto each other and they stared for what seemed endless.
Finally, Snow Ire stood up and walked over to the door of the cell. Her icy blue eyes were filled with betrayal and hate.
“What do you want?” she finally asked.
“Ornate is still trapped,” he responded. “I need her out of the crystal ball.”
“Why? It’s much better to keep her in there,” Snow Ire’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
Sombra growled angrily and slammed his hoof into the ground.
“You’re the one who put her in there!” he screamed. “You know how to get her out!”
Snow Ire looked away with ignorance.
“I don’t know how to get her OUT,” she replied, “I only knew how to get her IN.”
Sombra felt her words stab him through the heart. Was it true? Did she not know how to get her out? Would Ornate be trapped forever? Sombra tried to shake the feeling away, but it haunted him.
Quickly, he ran out of the dungeon and down the hall. He sped to his room as fast as he could. He needed to know Ornate was okay. His legs clopped against the ice floor loudly until he reached his destination.
He ran into his room and looked around. His room was neat and clean with the bed made with new sheets and a new comforter. On the bed sat the crystal ball with little Ornate curled up at the bottom of her prison.
Quietly, he walked over to her and sat next to the ball. He watched her back rise and fall with each breath she took. His heart would not settle and hurt with the thought of her being stuck there forever.
With a sudden start, Ornate woke up and looked around. It seemed as though she couldn’t see him at all. She was panicked and paced around a little. Sombra was confused. What was happening?
“Who are you?” Ornate asked, looking around.
“Ornate?” Sombra asked aloud.
Ornate looked like she didn’t even hear him. She ran around frantically. Sombra was mortified. She couldn’t hear him? He had to get her attention. He pushed the crystal a little to the left. She didn’t even budge. It was as if the crystal ball was projecting an image instead of wielding his lover.
Suddenly, the ball clouded with black smoke. Frantically, Sombra tapped on the ball, trying to see what was happening. After a minute, the smoke cleared and Ornate couldn’t be found.
Sombra’s eyes widen in disbelief. Was she really gone? Tears formed in his eyes. He couldn’t lose her again.
Standing up, he ran out of his room and towards the entrance of the palace. Running outside, his aimed his horn to the air and a purple beam of magic shot from it and burst through the clouds above. Sombra could only hope that Celestia would get his signal.
Ornate could feel her heart beating. Its deafening sound echoed in the place she stood. Everything was cloudy and dark. She could only see so far ahead of herself. She wasn’t in the crystal ball anymore. But why was she here? And, more importantly, how did she get here?
She felt a cold pair of eyes burning into soul, but everywhere she looked, she saw nothing but darkness. She trembled as the cold air surrounded her. Her short coat was not suited for the cold. She shivered and started to walk through the darkness.
As she walked, she started to hear the music of a piano. She had heard someone play the piano once, but it was a long time ago. The somber melody was distant and almost faint. She started to walk closer to the location of the piano. With every step she took, she got closer to the origin of the music.
Ornate started to see a spotlight in the distance. She walked faster towards it. She then started to make out the image of a grand piano. Its black, sleek exterior shimmered in the light of the spotlight.
Sitting on a black piano bench was a pegasus, about Celestia’s height, with black hair. He wore a purple crown with a blood red ruby in the middle where his forehead would be. The crown acted like a mask and slightly covered his face. Around his neck was a purple necklace that matched his crown along with purple hoof covers on his hooves. Attached to the necklace was a long black cape that covered his flanks, concealing his cutie mark. His red eyes gleamed as the keys to the piano plinked out its solemn melody. There was a faint red magic around the keys, making them play. This pony did not have a horn, but could use magic; just like Snow Ire.
Ornate approached the mysterious pony and watched as the key continued playing. After a while the song became soft and slowly ended. She looked up to see the pony’s eyes inspecting his guest. He arose from the piano bench and started to pace around her. She waited patiently, wondering what he was doing. Finally, he stopped in front of her and smiled.
“What are you doing here, little one?” he asked.
“My name is Ornate,” she explained. “I’m not exactly sure how I got here.”
Smiling, the pegasus made the piano disappear with his magic.
“I guess I should introduce myself,” he began. “My name is Eternal, at least, that’s what my friends call me. You may call me that if you wish.”
Ornate smiled a little. At least this pony was friendly.
Eternal started to walk away from the spotlight. Ornate followed him, hoping he would lead her out of the strange place. The darkness enveloped them and Ornate strained to see ahead of herself. She didn’t want to stumble on anything.
Walking in the dark seemed to take an eternity. She wondered if Eternal could actually see in the darkness. She didn’t know. She wanted to be found in Sombra’s embrace. She missed him dearly. Tears formed in her eyes at the thought of being away from him. She couldn’t stand it.
***
Eternal glanced at her. He noticed the tears. He could feel her pain. His powers allowed him to feel another pony’s emotions. His soul began to hunger for the power to be had. He could taste the fear of this pony; her fear of being alone forever. It was bliss to have pure fear this close.
This was his nature. He was a demon that fed off the fear and terror of others. That was how he retained his powers. His power was fading. He needed fear; and lots of it. In fact, he neglected to tell this poor pony his full name: Eternal Terror.
He unfolded his wing and wrapped it around her. Ornate looked at him in surprise. He smiled, knowing she couldn’t see his face in the darkness. He continued to walk.
Soon, they reached a pillar of light streaming from above. He stood beside it and folded his wings back. He looked at Ornate and noticed her blank stare. She was confused, to say the least. He smiled.
“This shaft of light will take you back to your world, little one,” he said reassuringly.
She smiled a little and stepped into the light. As quick as a flash, she disappeared. Eternal smiled wickedly.
“Yes, return to your loved one. But be prepared, little one, for I shall return to your precious world to reclaim my power and do away with the useless pegasus.”
***
Sombra paced the floor. He had a sick feeling in his stomach. He had searched for her with no avail. He had to know she was okay. His thoughts were racing and his heart felt like it would beat out of his chest. The panic feeling was overwhelming.
Celestia watched Sombra pace. She was worried, but not as much as he was.
“Sombra,” she started, “We’ve been looking for hours. I know you’re worried, but there’s nothing we can do.”
As if on cue, Ornate appeared in front of them in an instant. Seeing her sparked a flame of joy inside of Sombra. He ran over to her and hugged her tight, tears running down his cheek with relief. Celestia’s eyes widen with disbelief.
“I-I missed you so much,” he sobbed.
Ornate hugged him back just as tight.
“I missed you, too.”
Celestia stood up and walked over to them.
“It’s heartwarming to see you two together, but we have bigger problems,” Celestia interrupted. “The magic imbalance is in the castle and in the dungeons. It’s time to go and take a look.”
“The dungeons?” Sombra asked.
Celestia nodded.
“We go there at once.”
Celestia lead the way to dungeons. The air felt heavy all around them. As they walked, they filled Ornate with all the details. Sombra’s magic beam could be seen over all Equestria, and Celestia knew immediately what to do. With some help with Sombra, she was able to create a portal to the ice palace and bring some guards with her. Now, she was here to help.
They walked through the dungeon to find Snow Ire, asleep on the floor. Celestia looked at her and studied her.
“This is who you found here?” she asked.
Sombra nodded.
“She was wearing this,” Sombra added as he held up Snow Ire’s crown with his magic. “She used it to have magic.”
Celestia’s eyes widen a little. It was unheard for a pegasus to wield magic. There were artifacts that boost unicorn magic, but none of them give them the ability to wield magic.
Celestia opened the cell and walked over to the sleeping pegasus. Her horn flashed gold and a gold stream of light surrounded the cat’s eye pendant around Snow Ire’s neck. Using her magic, she pulled the pendant off of the pegasus.
Suddenly, Snow Ire’s eyes opened and looked around. She looked panicked and scared.
“Where am I?” she asked.
“In the icy north, Snow Plain,” Celestia responded.
Sombra and Ornate looked at Celestia with a look of confusion.
“Her name is Snow Ire,” Sombra corrected Celestia.
Celestia glance back at them.
“That is not the case,” Celestia responded. “This pony has been missing for months. Her name is Snow Plain, and I am relieved to have found her.”
Sombra was still confused.
“Then why did she say her name was Snow Ire?”
“This is the reason.”
Celestia showed the pendant.
“This has powerful dark magic ingrained into it. Someone else was controlling her. I thank you for your help. This was the source of the magical imbalance.”
With that, Celestia walked out of the dungeon with the pendant. Snow Plain quickly followed her. Sombra looked at Ornate in relief.
“I’m glad that’s over.”
Ornate nodded and hugged him. He embraced her. It was bliss to finally have her close to him. He knew that she was the answer to his life. He knew she was the one; but Ornate was not ready for that kind of commitment yet. Therefore, he would have to wait.
***
Returning to the Crystal Empire was exciting. Ornate was happy to be back. The warm sunlight felt good against her short fur coat. Being in the snow wasn’t pleasant, but getting the job done was all that mattered. She walked down the streets of the crystal city ready to start the day.
Sombra watched Ornate look around excitedly. He smiled. He always thought it was cute to see her like this, but right now, he had a bigger problem. He was supposed to pick up an order he placed right before they left on their mission, and it was supposed to be a surprise for Ornate. He had no clue how to distract her.
Suddenly, Tailored Velvet ran up to Ornate and hugged her. Ornate embraced her back.
“Ornate!” she exclaimed. “I’m so glad to see you!”
“As am I,” Ornate responded happily.
“Hey, I have a reservation at the spa today,” Velvet explained. “I was wondering… would you like to join me?”
Ornate’s face lit up. But she stopped and looked back at Sombra. Sombra smiled. This was the distraction he was looking for.
“Go ahead,” he said. “I’ll meet you back at the hotel.”
Ornate smiled and nodded. Then both girls walked off down the street.
This was Sombra’s chance. He quickly ran down the street and into the jewelry shop. Inside was a collection of the finest Crystal Empire jewels you could ever find. There were a few ponies around, but a clear path allowed Sombra to walk up to the counter.
The counter was manned by a pony with a tan coat and a black mane. He wore an apron and a green visor, along with an eye piece that allowed him to see things clearly. He looked at Sombra and smiled.
“I got it this morning,” the tan pony said.
He pulled out a small package and handed it to Sombra. He used his magic to open the package. Inside was a small black velvet box. As he opened it, the shimmer of an emerald ring shone in his eyes. He gasped. It was perfect.
Sombra handed the tan pony the bits for the ring and took the box outside. Quickly, he galloped to the hotel and walked inside. His heart raced as he entered the bedroom. He grabbed a pouch that he had brought with him to the mission. Carefully, he placed the box in it and closed the pouch. He knew he had to wait, but he wanted to say those four little words so badly.
He sat on the bed and wondered how much longer Ornate would be. He hated to be away from her for very long. Sombra laid back and closed his eyes. The bed was very comfortable, and it wasn’t long before sleep washed over him.
***
Night fell upon Equestria. It was a warm night in the summer. The full moon shone above the sleepy land. It was calm and quiet. It was perfect for a break in.
Eternal’s magic transformed himself into a shadow. He crept across the floor of the Canterlot palace and headed towards Celestia’s room. Creeping under the door, he was able to gain access to the princess’ room. There on the bed was a sleeping Celestia. On her nightstand sat the pendant that belonged to him.
Quietly, the shadow slithered across the floor and reached for the pendant. As soon as he laid his claw on it, the lights turned on. Celestia looked on in horror at the shadow that had infiltrated her room.
She stood up and shot a beam of magic at the shadow. It swallowed the pendant and dodged the beam. Like a flash, it ran out of the room. Celestia called for the guards as the shadow ran out of the castle and out of Canterlot.
As soon as it arrived in the forest, Eternal resumed his pony form. He looked at the pendant and smirked.
“You may have won this time, but I will find a new host for my plan.”
When Ornate returned to the hotel, she and Sombra spent the rest of the night together. They went out to eat, dance, and have as much fun as they possibly could. By the end of the night, they had ended up in the same bench they had gone to in the past. It seemed like a sacred place to them; a place where they had let the truth out. It was the place where Sombra told Ornate about his past and where Ornate revealed that she had no cutie mark. It would always hold a place in their hearts.
As they sat and reflected over the fun they had, Sombra glanced down at his coat pocket. He had brought the ring with him, even though he knew she would only turn him down if he asked her again. It was always torture to think about what might happen. He knew she wasn’t ready, but he wanted her for himself. She was precious to him and he could not lose her.
He watched as she looked out across the river that stood next to the bench. It glimmered in the moonlight and lit up her gentle face. Her sage green eyes shone in the soft light and her beauty was radiant. Her orange hair had gotten a little longer since the day they had met, but it was still relatively short.
Sombra reached across her and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. She relaxed and welcomed his embrace. He enjoyed they little moments they had together. The night had gotten cold, so they shared their warmth.
Ornate looked up at Sombra. Their eyes met and they couldn’t break their gaze. As they watched, they got closer to each other. It wasn’t long before their muzzles met and a warm kiss was shared. All the tension that was left in their bodies had melted away. Nothing could have made their night better.
As they pulled away, their gaze was locked again onto each other. Sombra couldn’t stand it. He wanted to ask her badly. It was the perfect moment. His hoof crept into his pocket and grasped the velvet box. As he pulled it out, he sat up and kept it at his side so she wouldn’t see.
“Ornate?”
“Yes, Sombra?”
There was a pause. He began to get nervous. Would she reject him again? It wasn’t that long ago that he had first asked her.
“Ornate…. I know we haven’t known each other that long, and that you have previously said no, but there is only one thing in the world that would make me the happiest colt alive. I wish that we could share the rest of our lives together.”
He used his magic to lift up the box and got off the bench and on his knees. As he opened the box, Ornate’s eyes widened. The emerald ring glimmered in the light. Her face flushed red. Sombra looked her deep in her eyes.
“……Will you marry me?”
Ornate didn’t move. She was paralyzed in shock. What could she say? She pondered on the question. Was she ready?
She slowly opened her mouth to answer, but then a palace guard ran up to them. Sombra sighed in defeat and put the box away and stood up.
“What is it?” Sombra asked.
“New orders from Princess Celestia,” one of the guards answered. “She said it was urgent.”
The guard handed him a letter. Sombra used his magic to take it and open it. It read:
Dear Sombra and Ornate,
I’m afraid something terrible has happened. Something breached security here at Canterlot castle and stole the pendant that Snow Ire was wearing. I’m afraid that whatever stole it was the one who started this whole fiasco. As soon as it was stolen, I could sense another magic imbalance. This time it is in the deep jungles. It is time for you two to set out at once.
Sincerely,
Celestia
Sombra finished reading and sighed. Ornate looked at him with a confused look. Sombra glanced back at her.
“Time to head out.”
***
Ornate had finished packing. She was so happy to be back that she didn’t want to leave. She was still shaken up from that last adventure; she had barely had time to relax. And what had last night…
Sombra walked into the hotel room with a back packed full of the gear they would need while traversing through the jungle. He grabbed his original bag and put it on.
“Are you ready?” he asked Ornate.
Ornate nodded. She put on her bag and walked out of the room with Sombra following. They checked out of the hotel and walked down to the train station.
Velvet stood next to the tracks, waiting for them. She ran up to them as soon as she saw them. She handed both of them a ticket. She hugged Ornate tight.
“Do you really have to go so soon?” she asked.
Ornate nodded.
Sombra dropped his bags off on the train and signaled for Ornate to join him. Ornate quickly said goodbye to Velvet, dropped her bags off, and boarded the train with Sombra.
They were seated together and the train left the station. Their stop would take them to the edge of the jungle. From there, they would have to travel through to get to the magic imbalance.
The ticket-master came through and punched both their tickets. Ornate started to stare out the window. She hoped that this adventure wouldn’t be as long. She wanted to get it over with. Little did they know, they would be diving deeper into a dark and nefarious plan.
Sombra sat on his bed. The night had been long and unbearably painful. He couldn’t sleep and the lack of it was very noticeable. His heart was heavy, but it was empty without Ornate. His energy was low, and he didn’t have it in him to eat or sleep.
He couldn’t go on without Ornate. He didn’t know much about this world. It had changed too much since his reign in the Crystal Empire. He was used to her helping him adapt. She was his crutch, and without her, he was helpless.
Sombra looked outside of the window next to his bed. He watched the sun begin to rise past the horizon. He knew that Snow Ire would be back any minute to check on him again.
Instead of waiting for her, He stood up and walked out of the room and headed towards the bathroom. He walked inside and grabbed a fluffy gray robe. He walked over to the showers.
The long room had showers all around the wall. The whole room was tiled instead of being made of ice. He walked to an empty shower and set the robe on the tile shelf in the middle of the room.
Sombra walked to the knob on the wall. He turned it to the left, making sure that the water that turned on became warm. The steam from the water gave him the clue that it was ready.
He stepped under the flow and began to wash himself off. He tried to let the water wash away his worries. But they were too heavy against the weak water flow.
He turned the knob, making the water stop. He shook off the water from his fur as much as he could. He grabbed his robe and put it on. Walking away from the showers, he found a surprise awaited him.
Standing in front of the door to the hallway, Sombra found Snow Ire. She was wearing a white night gown with a white shawl over her shoulders and wings. She saw him and smiled gently.
“I see you had your shower,” she remarked.
Sombra nodded, looking down. Snow Ire frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
Sombra growled softly and walked past her, gently pushing her out of the way. He walked into his room and locked the door behind him. He quickly walked over to his bed and took off his robe. The only thing that was wet was his mane and tail.
He sat on his bed once more, crying softly. He missed Ornate dearly and would do anything to get her back in his arms. He grabbed one of his pillows and hugged it gently. It was the only thing he had left.
***
Ornate sat up and rubbed her eyes with her hooves. The crystal ball wasn’t the most comfortable place she had slept, but it wasn’t the worst. She slept fine, considering the hard floor.
She looked around to find the room empty. She couldn’t see any signs of Snow Ire anywhere. She stood up quickly. But that’s when she heard the door open and slam shut.
She turned around to find Snow Ire sobbing uncontrollably. She ran to her bed and collapsed to the mattress. Her sobs became loud and long. Ornate watched as the pegasus kept crying.
After about an hour, Snow Ire’s cries had stopped and Ornate found she had fallen asleep. It was now her time to shine.
Ornate gently tipped the ball to the side, making it roll onto the bed. She carefully moved the ball to the side of the bed. The ball tipped over the side and was heading to the ground, but luckily, there was a fluffy carpet on the floor.
Once the ball had landed, she quickly ran to the door. She stopped and stood still. The ice pony maid usually came around that time. She had to wait for the door to open.
It wasn’t long before the door opened. Making sure the ice pony did not see her; Ornate ran through the door and headed down the hall; towards Sombra’s room.
Ornate felt like a hamster running in a hamster ball. She stopped in front of his bedroom door and gently rammed the crystal ball into it, making a soft knocking noise. This made Sombra open the door and look around. Ornate quickly ran in before Sombra closed the door.
Ornate ran the crystal ball to Sombra’s bed. She watched as Sombra walked to the bed. Before he could lie down, she ran the crystal ball around him. This startled him a little, but he immediately noticed Ornate inside it.
His heart skipped a beat as he picked up the ball.
“Ornate!” he exclaimed.
“Shhh!” she answered.
Sombra quickly looked around. Finding no one had heard him, he brought his attention back to the small pony.
“What happened?” he asked quietly.
“Snow Ire has feelings for you,” she quietly explained. “She knew that you loved me more than her, so she trapped me here to win your affection.”
Sombra growled.
“When I find her, I’m gonna—“
“Wait!”
He stopped and looked down at her.
“Don’t do her physical harm,” she started. “She might harm me if you threaten her.”
Sombra nodded.
“I’ll do my best.”
Sombra gently set the crystal ball under his bed. He ran out of the bedroom and into Snow Ire’s room. He found her sitting up and wiping her eyes. When she saw him, she smiled gently.
“You’re back,” she replied softly.
Sombra glared at her with a dark expression. His anger filled him. Snow Ire noticed this and began to fear him.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“What have you done?” he asked her.
She was confused.
“What do you,” she started.
“You’re a monster!” he cried.
Snow Ire’s eyes widened.
“Why have you kept her from me?! Why did you lie?!”
Snow Ire began to understand. She looked at the pedestal at the foot of the bed. The crystal ball was gone. She growled.
“So, you’ve found out,” she started. “You were supposed to love me!”
“I could never love a monster.”
Sombra casted a spell and sent it towards Snow Ire. It bound her legs and wings together. He ran over to her and removed her crown.
“Now,” he started. “I will cast the spell and search for the magic imbalance. You will stay out of the way.”
