Shattering a Heart of Darkness

The crystalline equine citizens of the Crystal Empire were astonished by the conditions of their homeland, as it had radically changed in only a few days time, though if you were to ask any of them, they'd agree that it was nothing to complain about. It was, after all, unwise to question a good thing. Ever since the day King Sombra allowed them to hold a crystal faire, there was a steady alteration in their surroundings. The sky, which had been a dismal shade of brown, was once more a beautiful bright blue, complete with fluffy clouds and plenty of sunshine. Then there was also the atmosphere, which went from miserable and pessimistic to cheerful and uplifting, as if all of their pain and sorrow had suddenly decided to go on a permanent vacation. No more black crystal spikes, no more nightmares or terrible memories. Just peace and prosperity. Little did any of them know, it was all possible because of one mare and her effect on their seemingly-heartless monarch.

Summoning all of her magic, Twilight focused on the floor in front of her and felt the energy building around her horn until she released a crackling black bolt, flooding that one spot with dark magic. When the purple cloud dissipated, she was slightly disappointed with the tiny cluster of black crystals that'd sprung up from the spot, each one smaller than an acorn. What the hay? How did I mess up? She pondered where she went wrong, having studied Sombra's texts and followed his instructions to the letter. There was the soft clip-clop of hooves on the stone floor and Twilight saw Sombra stop at her left side.

"What did I do wrong? I applied your teachings."

Sombra smirked, "I think it's your technique. Here, let me show you." He wrapped one forearm around Twilight's midsection and placed his hoof on her stomach. "You're holding your stomach in. Try to relax. Magic comes from a place of wholeness; you have to let it come naturally rather than try to force it."

Twilight peered at him with good-natured suspicion. "Are you trying to help me or is this an excuse to touch me?"

"Why can't it be both?" Sombra asked with a wink. "Although your technique could use some work."

Eyeing him hungrily, Twilight seized his hoof and brought it lower down, using it to rub at her marehood. "Well in that case, why don't you show me how it's done," she cooed with a flutter of her eyelashes.

"Why Miss Sparkle, are you flirting with your instructor?"

Reality came crashing down on Twilight's head and she realized what she'd just said and done. Spending all her time with her nose in a book left her with little (actually zero) experience on romance, meaning that she'd never flirted with anypony before nor made any sort of intimate gestures like this. Thinking quickly, she nervously grinned, "Depends, is it working?"

Sombra leaned in closely so that their lips were only a centimeter apart. "Very...Miss Twilight. Still, this isn't the place for me to show you proper techniques. Let me take you somewhere we can further your...education," he whispered, raising a still-wet hoof to his mouth and cleaning it with deliberately slow passes of his tongue. Twilight couldn't contain the shaking of her knees at the action, knowing full well what that tongue of his was capable of. "Follow me."

Taking her by the hoof, he led her down a series of corridors etched with wall art depicting events and ponies that existed eons ago. One that was interest, however, showed the founding of the Crystal Empire and the creation of the Crystal Heart, which was held up triumphantly by a crystal stallion and mare, who looked to be the first king and queen. There was a moment when Twilight felt a buzz in the back of her head, a feeling as though she somehow recognized the two ponies. Heliodor and Rose Beryl. She frowned, unsure how she knew those names before reasoning that she must've read it in a book. So then why is it that they make me think of Sombra and I?

They soon arrived in a large octagonal chamber where a large artificial river surrounded the pillared room. It emptied into several large pools of steaming water, each one featuring a mosaic at the bottom to match the breathtakingly detailed walls. Twilight stopped to gaze past the stalactites and found that the ceiling was covered in a crystal-based portrait of two crystal ponies, one male and one female, as they laid their foreheads together, their eyes deeply staring into the other's. She somehow knew them to once again be King Heliodor and Queen Rose Beryl, though this time an image of the pair flashed through her mind, a vision of a yellow stallion and a pink mare snuggling beneath an emerald tree as gemstone flowers bloomed around them. Twilight mentally swept the vision away, deciding to look back on it another time and whistled, "Wow, so you have your own private sauna?"

With his armor and cape laid out on the floor, Sombra slid into the nearest pool and tutted her. "Correction: we have our own private sauna, my innamorata." Just when Twilight swore she couldn't have found the umbrum more attractive, she stared slack-jawed at Sombra as water cascaded down his body and the steam swirled around him. "Come on in."

You don't need to tell me twice! Twilight gulped as she joined him, moaning gently as the warm water began to unwind the knots in her muscles. She wadded towards Sombra with outstretched forelegs but he held out a hoof and levitated up a bar of soap, grinning widely and motioning for her to turn around. A heat independent of the water developed in Twilight's loins and she all too happily turned around, her nose twitching at the unmistakable scent of citrus. The bar of soap massaged her back in little circles and she leaned back leaned into Sombra's touch, not bothering to contain the moans that left her mouth at his touch.

"You may not be my wife or fiancée," Sombra murmured, his mouth both tickling and teasing Twilight's ear. "But you are still my queen and as such, you deserve to be pampered."

"I'm not really royalty...ah! Mmm, ah, th-that's the sp-spot!"

"Doesn't matter. You're my queen, my everything," Sombra said soothingly as he turned Twilight back around, his sudsy hooves caressing her chest. He then growled seductively, "My Rose."

"Your what?" Twilight went as stiff as a board, much to Sombra's confusion.

"You...don't like that? Would you prefer another flower? Orchid, perhaps?"

"No, no, 'Rose' is fine!" Twilight fumbled, gathering her long, soaking-wet mane over one shoulder. "Anyway, I was thinking of something. Maybe we should throw a gala at the castle and invite the whole Crystal Empire."

Sombra set aside the soap and crossed his forelegs. "Oh? Whatever for?"

"Well, since things seem to have gotten better, it'd be your chance to show your subjects that you've changed and that there's no reason to be afraid anymore. If they see that you're good now, then they'll accept you. Isn't that what you want?"

Allowing his shoulders to sag, Sombra sighed and stared down at his reflection in the water. "Yes, but can they? All it would take is one look at me and they'll be ready to rip me to shreds. It doesn't matter how much I change. All they'll see is the monster that ruined their lives. You can't change ponies' memories anymore than you can change my face."

Twilight lifted Sombra's head up by the temples and stared deep into his eyes. "Sombra, you are not a monster. I know our relationship had a rocky start but once I got to know you, I discovered how kind and smart you are. Give them a chance to get to know you, the real you. The you that couldn't bear to let little foals experience misery or the you that saved me from a pack of vicious amaroks and prevented me from freezing to death."

A small smile lit up Sombra's face. "I think...I could do it. If you helped me."

Twilight kissed Sombra's nose and drew him into a hug. "Of course, Sommy. Anything."

"So, um...you know about the body heat thing, huh?"

Twilight drew back, catching a glimpse of a sight rarer than Big Hoof: King Sombra blushing like a schoolcolt with a crush. She grinned and ran her hoof through his chest fur. "I thought I was having a fever dream that night but then Amber told me what happened. I was shocked at first but then I later clopped myself at the thought of you naked beside me."

"Yeah?" Sombra all but purred.

"Yeah," Twilight nodded and pushed Sombra's back against the edge of the pool. "That was the hardest that I had ever orgasmed while touching myself," she admitted, climbing onto Sombra's lap and placing her forelegs around his neck. "But that was before our special night and now I can't get you get of my head."

The Shadow King chuckled, "You know something, Twi? I've never made love in a sauna before. Care to give it a try?" His rock-hard erection throbbed against Twilight's stomach and she licked her lips at the thought of having such a large appendage inside of her once more. It'd been two days since they'd last made love and that was far too long in her book.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Twilight whispered and her lips greedily met his.