An Icy Heart

by LolianTriforce

Chapter 2

Sombra was sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace 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 pendant 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 begin 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 and 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?”