Not so Dark After All

Part 5: Realization

Luna woke up refreshed. The bed King Sombra had made for her was surprisingly comfortable. Yet she found, to her dismay, that she could not use her magic. The barrier Sombra had placed on the cavern was preventing her from doing so. 

She stretched, heading for the kitchens. Sombra, to her surprise, was in the next room over, eating politely his breakfast. He had no armor on. Luna blushed. He cocked his head. 

"Why, whatever's the matter?" he asked. Then he looked down. "I see. Is this uncomfortable for you?"

"I little, yes," Luna answered honestly. 

"I did not realize. I apologize, as it makes me more at home, being in my palace without formal dressing. Especially since I live alone."

Luna decided that, since he was being so civil, she would put aside her hate for him and try to talk politely. "Well, whatever makes you happy. This is your home, after all." 

"Thank you for understanding. You do not wish for me to change?"

"Like I said, if it makes you happy, I'm fine with it."

Sombra smiled. He got up, placing his plate on the counter. For a palace, the kitchen looked rather peasant-like, especially for somepony as self-centered as King Sombra. 

"What would you like for breakfast, Princess?" he asked Luna. 

"Do you have a, say, banana?"

"Why, of course." Sombra produced one for her. 

She ate it in the next room, while reading a rather large book she had found on one of the shelves. The cover read History of the Crystal Empire. Luna had not much learned about the empire, and so decided that this book would be interesting. As she studied the pages, she had not realized that Sombra had laid down beside her, reading quietly over her shoulder. She turned to him. 

He smiled. "Is this wrong?"

"Not at all."

They continued to read the book in silence, passing away a full hour. Sombra helped her with things she was confused on. The writing style was so different from the ones that she was used to. But what puzzled her most was the fact that Sombra was being so friendly to her, and she to him. Her hatred dimmed. 

Luna sniffed the air. She thought she smelled exotic flowers. "Do I smell a garden?" she asked him curiously.

"You do. Do you wish to see it?" 

Luna nodded. Sombra rose, extending his hoof. Luna took it, allowing him to help her get up. With steady steps, he led her to the garden. 

It was surprisingly beautiful and large. Luna had never thought of Sombra being the gardening type. But then again, he probably used his magic to plant the beautiful flowers. They were indeed exotic, icy blues and vibrant pinks poking out from dense bushes and patches of flowers. Tall, dark trees grew here, covering the space in a canopy that let few rays of light through. Luna was entranced. She continued up a dirt path that ran through the middle of it. It seemed more of a forest, rather than a garden, as it was too large to be the latter. 

Sombra followed her into a clearing, where the trees parted into a small meadow. Luna laid in the middle of it, Sombra joining her.

"This is beautiful," she said softly.

He said nothing. He only watched as her teal eyes examined the space. Her cat-like grace, thin limbs and intelligent, aloof expression only pressed him into silence. While Luna was captivated by the garden's beauty, the only thing captivating Sombra was her. 

From the author

I have a feeling all the chapters for this fic will be short. They seem to have minds of their own. Anyway, I hope you guys are liking the story so far. Yes, I will continue it in my own time. I uploaded three chapters in one day, so you don't need to worry about me stopping anytime soon. 

Love, Annie