Porcelain Heart

Chapter 6

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Solstice decides after a bit to head down to the nursery. She doesn't know why, but she does. She stares through the glass windows to each little room. The foals are so cute. They're all unique. She pauses, looking at her flank. It was a miracle she found her cutie mark. Most ponies here, as slaves, don't have one, so Sombra makes the ponies that have one cover it constantly. Hers is covered by powder, perfectly matching her color. She stares into the glass. These ponies will be forced to do labor. For their whole lives.

Solstice wants a child of her own, but... she didn't want a stallion, and the mines are no place for a filly. Or a relationship.

She sighs, and moves to the next window. The mothers are not allowed to know their fillies until they are of age to be a slave alongside them.

Next window. Would that be the case for her? Now that she's Sombra's? The whole being his thing is confusing to her. She sighs. Will she ever have a filly even?

She jumps slightly when she sees Sombra standing behind her through the glass. "Majesty," she says.

He watches her for a moment. "What are you thinking about?"

She tenses. "You wouldn't want to hear it."

"But I do," he has a hint of a smile on his face.

"You wouldn't," she assures, blushing slightly.

He notices her blush. "What if I command it?"

She sighs, flustered clearly. "Then I'd have no choice. Is it an order?"

He nods.

"Well, I was thinking how I'd always wanted a foal of my own, but the mines were never the most... friendly of places for one. And how the mothers can't see their fillies until they become slaves themselves."

A dark look seems to pass over his face. She fears she's angered him, or spoken out of turn, but he ordered. So, she continues.

"I was also thinking about how most ponies here don't earn their cutie marks. But if they do, they have to hide it."

He turns to the window on the other side of the hall, staring inside. He turns swiftly on his hoof and marches down the hall. She stares after him, slightly afraid to return to his room.

She does anyway.

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"This can't be true," he muses to himself. He stares at his own flank, covered by paint. He doesn't know if he'll ever pull the magic paint off of his flank. Maybe for Solstice if she asks...

He shoves the thoughts from his mind, and wonders if she has one. Would she ever show him if she did? He paces. "The children are taken from the mothers? They aren't allowed to see them?" He pauses. "She wants a foal?"

He shoves all thoughts from his head and marches down to his throne room. There is going to be a hundred stallions for him to morph.

He sits, and moments after the door bursts open. He feels a presence at his side and assumes it's a guard, lurking, ready. He's in a position where he couldn't see anything.

The people bursting in are not a hundred stallions in chains, but one, with guards dragging him in. "Sir, the rest are ready, but this one put up a fight."

Sombra peers down his muzzle at the stallion. "Why?"

The stallion is silent, just staring at him. He stares back.

"Why do you resist?"

"Because. I shouldn't have to become on of your stupid soldiers. I don't want to. Your mindless dummies, are hardly soldiers."

Sombra silently sends his guards out, erasing the last phrase for good measure. He's forgotten the guard beside him. Completely. "Mindless?"

"You control them. It's literally obvious."

"I do not."

"Liar." The stallion spits, right in front of Sombra's hooves.

"Do that again."

"Why would I want to?" The stallion doves at Sombra, blade held by magic. Sombra is completely taken off guard, and he sees a flash of blue as a guard intercepts the stallion, slamming him to the floor. They roll around fighting, and in moments, Sombra realizes that the pony is no guard. It's Solstice Love.

"Stop!" He booms.

Nothing, just continuing wrestling.

He can't see whose winning. There's a loud grunt, and a thud. His heart stops. Anypony but her. He pleads with fate. Not her.

There's no movement, both lie on the floor, motionless. Solstice sits up, no harm to her but a bleeding lip. He releases a breath, he had no clue he was holding. She stares at him.

"Why did you do that?" He asks quietly, gently.

A pause. "He could've killed you."

"You have no place to attack a stallion. What if you'd have been the one on the floor with a dagger in you?"

She swallows, looking pale. "I didn't think. That's the key. Now, I'm thinking. And... I feel quite ill." She swallows, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry for the disturbance. I'll be going now. I must calm my racing adrenaline."

He blinks as she turns to go. "Thank you," he says gently.

She pauses looking back at him, then she leaves. He says back into his throne.

She just saved him. Saved his life. His heart is hopelessly hers. But... why was she here?