"Come now Midnight. Surely you could do better than that." Sombra said. He had found some way to transport himself and his only companion to a place much further away from the Crystal Empire by the use of a shadowform spell summoned by dark magic. He was fully aware of the fact that if they had been somewhere near the empire they could end up being spotted by a crystal pony, and Sombra here wasn't prepared for crazy things. Best be saved for when the proper time comes.

Midnight stood with her limbs parted with a bit of a distance. A concentration look painted on her features, her magic called upon her horn. A powerful and huge dark magic signature aura flaring. Sweat poured down her face, her wings sprang open, her mane blowing wildly.

Gathering her energy and putting as much force as she could muster in her channeled electrical-like dark magical energy. Dark thoughts played like a series of screenplays in her mind. She thought of the changeling queen she so dearly hated. The horrible memories of the Tree of Harmony absorbing the other servants she once knew. Madness, hate, fear, sorrow, sadness, misery, tragedy, pain, blood, and death. All those negative emotions were flooding her thoughts.

Eventually, Sombra's voice rang out.

"Release." He commanded.

Midnight did just that. She gave out a loud exhale of her breath and let loose a blast of darkness, shooting it against the snow-covered ground. Just as she did a wall of firm onyx crystals magically sprang out from it.

And then she let loose one last time. This time for the channeled magic rushing through her veins and onto her horn entirely. With an instant spark, it vanished.

She slumped almost less than a second later. She was still sweating. Then she just remained there, silently breathing rapidly to catch her breath. She shifted her gaze over to her instructor, expecting her result.

Sombra was smiling. Not wickedly, warmly. Which to Midnight was something she grew to prefer more than a 'not-so-nice' one.

"Wonderful, your performance was excellent" Sombra complimented his student. "I'm rather impressed, to be honest. Considering the fact that in so little time you've already accomplished much."

Midnight just stared bluntly but then couldn't help but crack a tiny smile at the compliment. Sombra's heart basically melted at the display, to see someone as stoic as her for once in an eternity smiling like that. Even if it was small, it was certainly a sight incredibly rare to see.

Over the time passed Sombra's feelings towards Midnight grew a lot. At some point, it reached a point where he started to feel nervous whenever in her presence. In Midnight's case as the months passed or nearly an entire year she began to slowly be more comfortable with having Sombra around. And maybe even develop a teeny-tiny bit of a crush.

Sombra's eyes moved to linger upon the darkening winter horizon in the distance, along with the notice of the temperature dropping. The air around became frigid. The wind blew Sombra's mane wildly. The pitch-black hair also got dotted with a ton of white snow. However, despite the air getting colder and colder, the unicorn remained unbothered. Midnight on the other hoof was bothered. VERY bothered. Sombra looked back at her as she sneezed 2 times. He could see her breath as clear as the full moon on a clear night. Also, she was shivering badly, even if she had on her winter stuff.

Sombra felt sympathetic while looking on. He then smiled as he channeled a normal unicorn aura. Its bright red color brightened the area around it. With its use, he levitated off the crimson fur cape on his back. Slowly moving it he placed it gently on Midnight's black cloak that she already had on.

Midnight for the first time winced as a double layer of warmth suddenly spread across her form. Her eyes were briefly fixed on the red cape before turning to the dethroned king. It only seemed like her stoic mask was still there but Sombra for the first time ever actually saw a mixture of surprise and grief as his blood-colored eyes looked deeply into Midnight's amethyst ones.

"Please, don't fall in grief. I gave this to you to my own accord. You are freezing, you have the need of it more than I." He assured her.

Midnight's gaze was sad but the lifelessness was there as well. She didn't say anything except for a sorrow-filled silent nod. Her still shuddering hooves moved upwards slowly to clutch the crimson cape a little tighter. Sombra stepped closer and gripped one of her hooves with his own for comfort and reassurance. A rosy blush bloomed slowly on the faces of both ponies. Their eyes still looked at one another.

Sombra gently tugged at her frozen hoof to pull her up to stand. She followed his movements soundlessly and stood. She winced again when he wrapped a foreleg around the base of her neck to pull her close, he whispered words of comfort and the fact that he was just trying to keep her warm in her ear.

"W-why?" She asks in a near-silent whisper.

"Because I care," he says into her ear.

The mare continued to shudder nonstop. Sombra understood that she needed to get warm. And to his thoughts, a cave wasn't enough. He wanted to give her more. An idea then emerged.

He moved a little while keeping his hoof around the alicorns neck. Soon, he found himself standing next to her. His horn glowed red and then became the familiar hue of dark magic. It grew in size after each second. A minute later it grew powerful enough for him to shoot some miles distant from them. With his magic still signaled from the ground several meters away a castle-like fortress rose up. No sooner later did it fully form itself. It was made from Sombra's usual dark crystals. Finally, the creation finished.

"Come," Sombra said.

He moved his attention to a still shivering Midnight. Despite what he said she remained in her spot. Her cheeks become red from the bitter cold.

"Come" Sombra repeated, once more gently tugging at her leg.

"I c-can't m-move" she stuttered. "I f-feel n-numb."

The unicorn thought about this for a minute. Midnight was so cold that she couldn't even move properly. Then again, it wasn't her fault and Sombra was more than ready to help.

So then he transforms into a shadow and surprises her when he circles around her and covers her in a black void. once her entire form was surrounded in a shadow he lifted up and then zoomed off to the castle.

Midnight couldn't see anything but black. She didn't even feel cold any longer. Sombra's warm darkness around her protected her from the blizzard. However, it all felt like it lasted for one second as no sooner the void faded. Midnight found herself on something soft and squishy. When she looked up she saw a black ceiling. Finally, she figured that she was on a bed. Her winter garments were nowhere to be seen, even Sombra's red cape. Eventually, she looked up to see the very stallion that brought her here placing her removed clothes on a hook. The cape he gave her was once more placed on his back where it belonged. Midnight's attention was triggered as a heavy warm blanket was placed on her. She looked up to find Sombra standing by the bedside, giving her a kind smile.

"Thank you for this," Midnight said her voice pitched low.

"Anything for you," he responded.

He moved again towards the fireplace. His interesting horn lit up a crimson light. A small flame started to flare from the wood placed within the fireplace. Sooner later, it rose and became bigger.

When he was done he came towards the bedside again. He then seated himself beside it but remained silent. The quiet lingered in the room. Midnight was the first to destroy it.

"How did you manage to create all this on your own?"

Sombra chuckled softly. "Manifestation can create more than you can imagine my dear, and about the 'on my own' part it simply means that I have spent years training myself to come to a point where I could accomplish big things without any need of too much effort."

"Oh well, you're gonna have to teach me someday," the alicorn said with a smirk.

"For indeed I will" Sombra smoothly replied while joining her smirk with his own.

After another moment of silence, the unicorn king questioned his companion. "Midnight I was wondering something for some time now but I just couldn't understand when to ask, now seems to the best time."

"What?"

"Have you ever thought of giving romance a try?"

Midnight didn't respond right away. A blush rose on her cheeks. Sombra had never seen anything more adorable.

"W-what do you mean." She asked with uncharacteristic nervousness.

"I meant as in finding a partner, a lover," he said as he raised a hoof to point at himself, a big grin on his face.

"U-um b-but were villai-" Midnight actually squeaked and fell silent as both of Sombra's hooves gripped hers.

"Midnight," he said with a firm tone. "Do you honestly believe that just because we are villains we don't have the right to find love as well?"

Midnight didn't respond to that. All she did was shake her head.

"We do, don't we," he carried on. His hooves still holding Midnight's hooves with a strong but gentle grip.

She then protested "o-okay we do b-but I'm just not so certain yet."

"Why is that," the dark unicorn asked softly.

"B-because this is all j-just so new to me, I've never really experienced it before so I just need some time. N-not that I'm saying I don't like you." She finished quickly while glancing to the side.

"I understand," Sombra said in a reassuring tone. "And I'll be honest even I'm inexperienced with it, just as you are. This feeling is new to me as well but I know how to handle it at the very least. However, if you say you're not ready just yet I respect that. Take your time Midnight, come once you feel like you have adapted the confidence to. Once you are ready. Just keep in mind that a monster can love too."

Sombra, at last, released his grip on her hooves. He stood up and turned to leave. "I'll now leave you so you can get some rest. I shall see you tomorrow alright."

"Okay," was her answer.

Sombra gave her one last smile before trotting out the room and shutting the door behind with a soft click.

Midnight laid there for a while, Sombra's words echoed in her thoughts. A monster can love too. Midnight cringed at the words but couldn't help but admit at how right he was, they can. When he had given her his offer at romance she really, really wanted to so badly lung at him and hug him tightly and say yes repeatedly, but she just at the same time couldn't. Not when she felt this anxious with all of it.

She was at least thankful that Sombra gave her some time to think about it. She recalled him saying that he was also inexperienced with it. How could a stallion as handsome as him never have a lover she wondered. She was unfortunately too tired to think through all of it. Maybe tomorrow she could buy the time to sort it out but now wasn't the time. She then turned on her right side and closed her eyes.

Author's Note

Hi uh . . . after a while. Sorry for the long wait, been busy with life. Anyways here you are. Hope you like it. I believe there's only 1 chapter left. I'll try my best to not be so late with posting it.