"Come on, please", the filly wined from atop the mares back. "One more story, pleeeease, pretty pleeease."
Rarity could only give a heavy sigh as she levitated the young unicorn from her back and onto the fillies bed. Sweetie Belle pouted from where she sat , her forlegs crossed over her chest in annoyance. Rarity frowned at the fillys defyence and thought of a way to get the alabaster unicorn to go to sleep. Then, a thought brightened in her mind, and she gave a loving smile.
"How about a lullaby instead, after all tomorrow is your birthday, hm?" Sweetie gave a disappointed sigh, but nodded and crawled under her blankets. Resting her head on her pillow Sweetie looked at the older mare, waiting to hear the lullaby. Clearing her throat, the older mare softly began to sing.
"Hush now little one I'll sing you a song.
Of a handsome young king from days long gone."
Rarity smiled as the memery of the song slowly bubbled to the surface of her mind.
"He loved a young seemstress who thought him quite strong.
"They ran through the streets,
they ran through the snow,
they ran to places cold and unknown.
They ran with each other until their love had grown."
Slowly, as the song came to a close, Rarity noticed that Sweeties emerald green eyes were slowly closing as the soothing melody drifted her to sleep.
"She soon bared a foal they would call their own.
So they lived happily ever after, in the frozen unknown."
Rarity let out a silent sigh of relief as she heard the soft snoars of the little filly. Tucking the blankets around her, Rarity gently placed a soft kiss on Sweeties forehead, and left the room closing the door with a soft click.
Walking down the stairs of her home, the alabaster mare felt relieved to finally get some much needed work done. Walking into her designing room, she summoned her glasses and trotted over to her drawing table, where a sketch was already in the works of being finished. Taking in a breath she levitated a quill in her blue aura and began to set to work. As she worked, Rarity smiled at the thought of the dress she was soon going to make for the little filly.
After what felt like sevral hours of frantic drawing, cutting and measuring Rarity paused, just as she was finishing the dress. She felt a sudden pressure of cold that wasn't there seconds prior. Looking around, she couldn't help but notice that the room seemed to be darker then she last remembered. Looking up at the single lightbulb in the room, Raritys expression darkened as she saw that the shadows seemed to suck the light from its source.
Gritting her teeth in anger, Rarity galloped out of the room and up the stairs. Opening the door to Sweeties room she saw what her fears claimed to be true. Sitting in the middle of the fillys bedroom was a tall unicorn stallion with the coat of crushed stone, and a mane as black as cole. His eyes were an emerald green with purple smoke seeping through, and his horn was black from the base, but turned a rustic shade of red as it ran up to the tip.
King Sombra turned his head to face the raging mare in the doorway, his green locking with her light blue, causing a shiver to run up her back. However, she spoke calmly, dispite the shakiness in her legs.
"King Sombra, do what do I owe the pleasure of you being in my house?" Her eyes flickered to Sweetie Belle, who was thankfully still asleep. "Or, more accurately why are you in her bedroom?"
Instead of answering her, the crystal king levitated a small box with a red ribbon tied in a neat little bow.
"I came to wish her a happy birthday", he said in a deep gravly voice that made Rarity step back. She tried to make up for it and quickly composed herself.
"May we speak in private?" The mare asked, not taking her eyes away from the stallion. Sombra stole a quick glance over to the sleeping foal, and gently placed the gift on her nightstand. Then, he turned into a cloud of darkness, and left the room.
The two entered the kitchen sevral seconds later and had taken seats in front of one another.
"So, why are you here, Sombra?" Rarity asked, not using his title as a king. Sombra gave a little smirk at the seemstress.
"Always to the point, aren't we?" The glare Rarity gave him was all the answer he needed. Giving a slight polite cough he continued. "I have already told you on my reasoning for being here."
"Well then, if that's all, leave." Rarity got up from her chair and began to slowly trot to the doorway of the shop.
"I also came for one more thing." Sombras words forced Rarity to stop in her tracks, and slowly turning her head to the darker unicorn.
"And, what would that be?" She asked, fearing his reply.
"Forgiveness." Raritys fear soon turned into confusion and finally settled onto rage.
"Forgiveness", Rarity said in a low whisper. "You break into my home, sneak into her room, and ask for forgiveness? Do you have any idea what you did to her? To us?"
"Of corse I do", he snapped, glaring at the alabaster unicorn with a baleful gaze. "You don't think I spent every waking moment over the last 1500 years thinking of that day. Of the pain I caused the both of you." Sombras body shook in uncontrollable rage as he spoke. You don't think it hurt me more just doing it?"
"You carved out your own daughters heart!" Rarity retorted. "And for what, stopping a piece of dark magic from infecting her? You could've found another way."
"There was no other way. It was either let our entire empire die from the cold, or remove the curse that was causing it. Remember?" Rarity gritted her teeth.
"I remember the husband I married cursed his own family with immortality", she said in a surprisingly calm tone. "I remember you carving her heart out, and draining all the dark magic from it."
"I didn't want to loose you", he said.
"I know, but I would've rather died knowing the stallion I loved vanished as a hero, instead of seeing him return as a monster.."
"Do you remember the last thing I told you before the empire vanished?" Rarity looked up to see Sombra standing in front of her. Rarity smiled and a far away look came across her face.
"I will love you until the end of time", she said with a small smile on her face. "Then, you teleported us as far away from the empire as possible."
She felt the stallions ruff hoof gently brush her cheek, and felt his warm strong muscular body gently embrace her in a loving hug.
"And I still do", he whispered. Pulling away the two smiled at one another, feeling the spark of love they felt all those centuries ago. Slowly the two ponies lips drew together in a soft kiss. After sevral seconds passed and Rarity rested her chin on her lovers shoulder, she spoke in a soft whisper.
"I want us to be a family again. I want Sweetie to have a father who loves her, and can protect her." Sombras shoulders sagged at those words, he knew in his heart that he could never be the father he wanted his daughter to have.
Sevral seconds passed in silence before the old stallion spoke.
"She's watching us." Rarity lifted her head and turned to face the doorway. She caught sight of a small stranned of a curly pink and purple lock of mane just poking from the other-side.
"Come on out Sweetie", she sighed. Sweetie Belle slowly walked into the kitchen, staring down at the tiled floor. Rarity could already see the tear streaks that ran down her cheeks and the red puffiness in her eyes.
"M m mom?" She said giving a slight hiccup.
"Yes, what is it?" Rarity asked in a bit of a concerned tone.
"I want to be a family again", she said walking over to her two parents and giving them the tightest hug she could manage. "I miss us being a family, and I don't care what you did all those years ago. I miss you, Dad."
The two returned the embrace.
“I know, my child,” her father whispered. He took in a deep breath, and swore to himself that he would never leave his families side again.
