//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: A Change of Heart 
// by LolianTriforce 
//------------------------------//

All ponies in Equestria are always kind toward each other and are always ready to help others. Unfortunately, most ponies will shun things that are not normal. Each pony has their own cutie marks; each cutie mark shows the talent of the pony that wears it on their side. This is very normal for a pony to have a cutie mark. But this is the story about one pony that was not normal.
Ornate Harmony is a zebra with light green skin and dark green stripes. She has orange hair with beads and feathers on her hair and her tail. She was the prettiest pony ever known, but she didn’t have a cutie mark. She was orphaned right after she was born. After living five years in a Ponyville orphanage, she ran away, exploring all of Equestria. While traveling, she would wear a brown cape to conceal her flank.
After thirteen years of exploring, she had memorized all the routes to each town. Each town she arrived in, she would find a job, earn her pay, gather supplies, and leave for the next town. She promised herself to never stay in town too long so ponies would never find out her flank was blank. 
After finishing her recent stop in Baltimare, Ornate Harmony was following the train tracks to the river until eventually she would end up in the Crystal Empire. After two days, she finally reached the river and began to head north.
“I hope it doesn’t take long to get to the Crystal Empire,” she thought to herself. “Though, it helps that no pony else is out here and that I can travel at my own pace.”
She walked for hours until the sun began to set. She made camp next to the river, ate her dinner, and rested on a nearby bush. The night was cold, but her cape became warm quickly, allowing her to fall asleep.


	***


After two years of being destroyed back in the Crystal Empire, Sombra had finally formed back into his pony self. He was angry after what had happened and sought revenge. He looked around and found himself a long way away from the Crystal Empire. He growled to himself and began to walk, following the river. 
After a minute or two, he stumbled upon a zebra pony asleep on a bush, shivering due to the wind. He probably would have taken no mind to her and would continue to walk to the Crystal Empire, but something about this pony took his interest. He felt warmth coming from his chest. He felt it pound, but he couldn’t place it. He took off his cape and gently placed it over the zebra’s shivering body.
The zebra stopped shivering and curled up. Sombra was just about to leave her there when he felt a pain in his chest. He stopped and walked back to the bush. He sat down next to her. As soon as he did, the warmth returned, spreading to his whole body.
“What is this strange feeling?” he wondered. “It’s nothing I have ever felt before.”
He began to relax and his eyes began to close.


	***


After what felt like five minutes, he opened his eyes. The sun was already up and so was she. Standing in front of him was the zebra, digging her hoof into the ground. She looked mad and a bit scared. 
She stamped her hoof down a couple of times, and then began to charge towards him. He moved aside at the last minute, making her lose her balance and fall face first into the bush. She squirmed, trying to get out, but she was stuck.
Sombra walked over to the side of the bush and looked at her.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“I’m fine!” she grumbled, squirming.
Sombra grabbed her tail and pulled her out of the bush. She shook her fur, shaking the leaves off of her body. She immediately glared at him.
“What were you doing asleep next to me?” she asked.
“I noticed you looked a little chilled last night, so I lent you my cape,” he answered.
“I didn’t need warmth. I am fine on my own.” She stuck her head up.
“Has anyone told you how pretty you are?”
The zebra’s face immediately turned red and she looked flushed. Sombra was confused towards her reaction. Did she not like compliments? Maybe he was too forward with her.
“I’m sorry to make you feel uncomfortable,” He began, “But I would like it if you would tell me your name. Would that be alright with you?”
“I guess so,” she said slowly. “My name is Ornate Harmony, but you can just call me Ornate.”
“Ornate, huh? Your name is just as pretty as you are.”
Ornate’s face became even redder. She shook the comment off and started to gather her belongings together. Sombra watched her do just that.
“So,” He said, breaking the silence, “Are you going somewhere?”
“Yes,” she said, packing, “I’m going to the Crystal Empire. It’s the next place on my route.”
“That’s quite the coincidence. I was on my way there as well. If you don’t mind, I can accompany you on your journey.”
She looked at him with great hesitance. After a while, she looked away.
“I guess,” she sighed, “I wouldn’t mind having company.”
Sombra smiled a huge smile. He hugged her tight; happy she would include him in her journey. Ornate gently pushed him away; she felt like her personal space had been invaded. Once she finished packing, she slung the pack onto her back and began to walk. Sombra followed her, the smile still spread across his face.


	***


The few hours of silence were music to Ornate’s ears. She loved to listen to nature and not noises from bustling cities and ponies trotting down the street. It relaxed her mind and gave her the clarity to think clearly. She began to think about the strange pony that she found asleep next to her. She didn’t even know his name. In fact, this was the only pony that was willing enough to talk to her. It was almost fun to have a friend, if that is what you can call him. The only thing she hoped was that he didn’t see her blank flank.
Sombra walked behind Ornate. He frowned at the silence. He wanted her to break it with her soft voice. But he dared not break the silence first. He couldn’t wait to get to the Crystal Empire. Suddenly, a dark thought entered his mind; the people of the Crystal Empire would attack him if they saw him back and alive. He had to change his looks.
He put his hoof on her shoulder, forcing her to stop. She looked back at him with a confused look.
“I need to do something before we reach the Crystal Empire,” He began, “It won’t take long.”
She nodded, letting him trot off a short distance from her. He took all of his armor, crown, and cape off. He used his magic to dig a hole and bury his items beneath the dirt. Then, he used magic to make his horn look like a normal unicorn horn instead of a sharp, pointed one. The purple smoke that billowed from his eyes quickly disappeared as well. 
After making sure he didn’t look like his old self, he walked back over to Ornate, who still had a confused look. He smiled and gestured to her to continue. She began to walk again and he quickly followed. Soon, they would arrive in the Crystal Empire.