The darkened figure of Sombra sat resolutely upon his throne, gazing about at every shadow in the room with a newfound sense of terror; for they were growing, moving and pulsating until they began spreading across the room and started seeping under the crack of the door out into the palace beyond. His eyes were drawn to the large open pit in the middle of the room, a pit which one of his servants had just crossed before the king could cry out in warning. The crystalline pony, however, had simply delivered his dinner with a courteous bow before leaving the room in the same way he had come, which made it look as if he'd been walking across thin air. That same dinner, now two hours cold, still sat on the arm rest of his throne, and he hadn't even spared it a passing glance. His mind still yet lingered on the door below, and the manner in which he had chosen to lock it.
It had all started two days ago, when he'd been visiting the southern section of his kingdom to check on the progress the ponies were making for party decorations. A young filly, running far ahead of her poor, out-of-breath mother had all but bowled him over in her haste to actually meet him. Ignoring the pleas of her mother to return to her side, she bubbled with energy and enthusiasm, all but forcing even Sombra, who's mind had been on other matters, to smile. "King Sombra!?" She squeaked excitedly. The king, rather than replying immediately, did a full 360 degree turn with a confused look on his face, as if he were looking for someone.
"What? Where?" He asked, prompting an outburst of laughter from the filly and a nervous smile from the mother who'd finally caught up but had retained a respectful distance away. He carried on the act for a couple more seconds before breaking into a smile himself. He waited for the giggles to subside, and after a quick glance at the mother to reassure her that her foal was not troubling him; he looked down at her expectantly. The foal didn't waste time beating around the bush, and simply opted to ask directly.
"King Sombra, I know it's early… But can I see the Crystal Heart? I've been really good this year," she cast a glance back at her mother, looking for confirmation, and when her mother gave her a strained smile she carried on in the same breath, "It's just I could stop thinking about it since last year and I was wondering if I could sneak another peek." Before the king could reply, she played what she thought would be her trump card. "I won't have any sweets for two weeks!"
The manner in which she said it, coupled with her solemn expression, suggested that this was an incredible sacrifice for the young filly, and he had to stifle his intense amusement in an attempt to not offend her. Even her mother's smile had widened, and it looked like she was having a fair bit of trouble trying not to burst out in laughter as was evidence by how hard she was biting her lip. Instead, he made himself appear thoughtful and stern, as if seriously mulling over the matter. "If you promise," he began in a deep, commanding voice, "to not eat any sweets for one day… I will bestow upon you the honour of seeing the crystal heart before it is to be revealed." The filly stayed solemn and nodded slowly, as if the notion brought great pain to her. She gave no indication as to whether or not she'd heard his revision of her deal, but her mother looked at him with an appreciative gaze. Obviously she hadn't been looking forward to two weeks of her daughter looking forlornly at the sweets jar and sighing deeply.
He circled the podium, covered in a light blue silk cloth, and slowly gripped it with his teeth. The young filly looked ready to explode from all of his teasing, as he'd gotten 'lost' twice on the way here, and then pretended to forget where he'd put the Crystal. Now, as he slowly pulled the cloth away, she almost cried out from excitement. Finally, taking pity on the poor thing, he pulled it away and revealed the gorgeous crystal in all its glory. Now the filly did cry out, an appreciative outcry of pure pleasure that gave voice to the innate connection all crystal ponies felt with the Heart. Sombra smiled, though not without a little jealousy; he couldn't help but wonder what it must be like to be so filled with jubilance and ecstasy from a mere object, not that the Crystal Heart was a 'mere' anything, but it was an object nevertheless. He allowed the two of them, for her mother looked to be enraptured as well, marvel at the object for a couple more minutes before finally putting the cloth over it again.