//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6 
// Story: A Change of Heart 
// by LolianTriforce 
//------------------------------//

Luna watched as Sombra ran off and disappeared into the streets. She flew up to the top of the tower where the Crystal Heart stood when the Crystal Empire had appeared. As she landed, she found Celestia standing near the edge of the platform. She was lowering the sun for her, but she looked angrier than ever.
“Hello, Luna,” she snapped.
“Hello, sister,” Luna answered. 
She began to raise the moon into the night sky. As she did this, Celestia began to fly down to the ground. Luna sighed quietly. All she hoped was that she didn’t see her releasing Sombra from his cell.


	***


Sombra stood in his room, getting himself ready for a night with Ornate. He was still wearing the black cape Luna gave him. He hoped to spend some time with Ornate without getting caught.
He walked into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He noticed his red eyes looked different. His oval shaped pupils were becoming more rounded and darker. He became curious as to how that was to happen. He shrugged the question off when there was a knock at the door.
As he opened the door, he found Ornate standing there, wearing her cloak. He smiled and joined her out into the hallway. They quickly walked out of the hotel together and began to roam around in the streets.
“Sombra?” Ornate asked.
“Yes?” 
“Where did you go when you disappeared for so long?”
He paused for a minute, thinking his answer through.
“Oh, well, the Princess wanted to speak with me.”
“She did?”
“Yep. We had a grand time talking to each other.”
“I see.”
They walked on in silence. He became worried that she suspected him for not telling the truth to her, but he began to calm down and continued to follow her.
Soon, they arrived in a park next to the river. It was midnight and everything was quiet. Ornate sat down on a nearby bench and relaxed. Sombra sat next to her and watched her out of the corner of his eye.
She looked sad and was close to tears. Sombra’s chest ached to see her like that. He began to get closer to her. He got closer and closer until he was barely touching her. She glanced at him for a while, and then returned her gaze to the ground. Sombra knew he had to act now.
“Ornate?”
“Yes, Sombra?”
She turned her head towards him and looked into his eyes.
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
“What would that be?”
He leaned in close to her and kissed her. His actions startled her and even tried to pull away from him, but he kept his arm around her, pulling her in close to him. She fought against him, trying to pull away. Soon she gave in, and kissed him back.
They sat there, kissing each other, until Sombra finally pulled away. He began to pant for air, as did Ornate. They knew that the kiss was longer than it should have been, but they didn’t care.
“Ornate,” Sombra whispered. “There was something I did need to tell you.”
“What is it?” she asked.
“I love you, Ornate. I realize that now. There’s nothing else in the world I could ever want.”
Ornate’s face became the deepest red he had seen her blush. She looked down a little and twiddled her hooves.
“Why do you love me?” she asked.
“You’re the most beautiful pony I’ve ever seen in my life,” he answered. “I’ve never loved anyone or anything in my life before. I can promise you that.”
She looked at him sincerely. Her green eyes shone brightly in the moonlight.
“Sombra?”
“Yes?”
“You said you would tell me about your past when the time is right.”
He was quiet for a minute. He looked at the ground. He didn’t want to lose her. He wondered what he could do to keep her. Then, he had an idea. He sat up and looked her in the eyes.
“Ornate?” he asked. “Do you love me?”
She nodded.
“And no matter what, you will always love me?”
She thought for a moment, and then she nodded.
“Alright, I’ll tell you my story.”


	***


After Sombra finished telling her about his past, Ornate was staring at the ground. She thought about how she was in love with him and how she said she would love him no matter what, but his story seemed so dark. She could not imagine how he could have such a dramatic change in his life because of her.
“So,” she started, “You were the previous king of the Crystal Empire?”
He nodded slowly.
“So why were you coming here before you met me?”
“I’ll admit,” he began to explain, “I was coming to get revenge and to take over the castle, but when I met you, all the evil inside me vanished.”
She began to think about everything they had been through together, but was soon interrupted.
“Ornate?”
“What?”
“Why do you wear that cloak all the time?”
She quickly froze when he had asked the question she dreaded. How would she avoid it? She stopped. 
“He was probably scared to tell me his past,” she thought to herself. “Maybe I should tell him.”
“Sombra?” she asked.
“Yes?”
“Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
“And nothing will change that?”
“Nothing could ever change that, Ornate. You know that.”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Without even thinking, she unbuttoned the cloak and pulled it off. 
Sombra’s eyes widened as he saw her blank flank. He stared and wondered how such a beautiful pony couldn’t have a cutie mark. He then turned his attention to her.
She was looking down with tears running down her cheeks. He held his arms open toward her and she immediately rested her face on his chest. She began to sob loudly into the dark night.