Porcelain Heart

Chapter 8

Sombra returns to his rooms, feeling quite empty. He could never tell her. Ever. It... it would do to her what it'd done to him. He couldn't have that. She was his only ray of sunshine in his pitch black world, his heart.

He sighs and stays awake the rest of the night, heart thumping in his ears.

~•~•~•~•~

Right at daybreak, she follows her gut feeling to where he is. She knocks on the door, and he opens it. "How did you know I was-"

"Don't ask. It... you probably wouldn't believe me."

"Try me," he says, a smile playing on his lips.

She sighs. "Can I explain in your rooms?"

He laughs gently. "Sure. I'll order some breakfast."

"Breakfast?"

"I have to talk to you."

"Okay," she says and they head down the hall.

She settles into her favorite chair in the room. He settles across from her. "Now, explain how you knew where I was."

"It was a gut feeling I guess. I just hoped it was right." She cringes at the oddness of her words.

"I understand that."

She blinks at him. "You do?"

"Yes, I've felt it before."

She pauses. "With me?" she yearned to ask, but kept quiet. "You said you wanted to talk to me."

He nods. "In about three weeks, you won't see me much. We... we're preparing for war."

She gapes at him, unable to stop. "War?"

"Yes, war."

"With Celestia?"

He nods, silently.

"Was that what the nightmare was about?"

He blinks at her. "Kind of."

She hesitates. "War?" she asks again.

He doesn't even reply.

"How... does it look?" she whispers quietly.

"I can't tell," he stands pacing.

She stands, and puts herself in his way. "Are you worried?" she asks gently.

He moves to pace around her, but freezes. "Say that again," he murmurs, expression unreadable.

She swallows, afraid he's mad. "Are you worried?"

He stares at her. He swallows, and his eyes go wild. He tears away to pace in the opposite direction. He stops, looking at her. "Help me."

She freezes. "How? What's wrong?"

"I'm worried," he murmurs, seemingly more to himself than to her. "I'm worried," he says, slightly louder. He walks up to her. "What do I do? I'm worried, worried out of my mind."

She follows her first instinct, which was a wild, reckless one. She kisses him. She likes it. He kisses back. She pulls away, running a hoof down his jaw soothingly. "It's okay."

He stares at her in awe. "You just kissed me," he says.

"I did," she grins, not afraid of what he could do to her.

~•~•~•~•~

He feels a million emotions at once. Fear, for both what's to come for him, and for her. Love, for all of her. Want, for another kiss, for her to get away from him, his lingering danger, the danger that could get her killed. Hurt, for what Celestia could do to her if she won. The roaring fire, burning his heart, burning it to ash. Love.