Chapter 2

Sombra didn't feel cold. He was sure death felt cold and painful. But instead of cold he felt... warm. The good kind of warm. It was also... soft? How can death feel so nice? He tried opening his eyes but he didn't want to break the peaceful spell that was upon him. He wanted this to last as long as it could.

Suddenly a sweet scent filled his nose. It was like honey mixed with sunshine. Alright, someone has made the mistake of sending me to heaven. Sombra thought. He should not feel so at peace, so warm, so-

A sharp pain made Sombra snap open his eyes. He roared in pain and clawed at his wounded arm. "Don't do that! It will only get worse!" A quiet voice scolded him. He was about to glare at the pony who was responsible for awaking him from his slumber, but instead widened his eyes in shock. It was a mare. A very pretty mare. She had the coat color of a Topaz and the mane color of a Rose Quartz, her eyes the color Sapphires. She wore a very concealing green sweater and a long blue skirt that reached her ankles. Sombra could see a pair of wings behind her back. A Pegasus.Sombra concluded. "Please, you need to rest." She said again. Her voice was small, yet he was willing to listen to it for some odd reason.

He then laid back down and watched the mare as she dipped a fuzzy looking ball into a foul smelling elixir. When she turned back to him she reached for his shoulder which Sombra pulled away from her and growled. She jumped a little but didn't leave. Instead, she tried reaching for him again, this time slower and her eyes boldly glued to his. He couldn't resist the strange pull her eyes had. They were full of... something. Sombra had seen it before but it was long ago.

He felt a small buzz when she had touched him. It was amazing. Her fur was soft. He broke the eye contact they had to watch her fingers. The color was a bright contrast to his dark colored coat. Her hand was small compared to the rest of him. He knew he was built bigger than other ponies, most didn't even come close to his shoulders. Sombra knew that this mare was small and petite, just from her hand size. She handled his arm with care, as if she would break him. Her hand that held the fuzzy ball was just as delicate as the one that held her arm. She slowly drew the ball to the wound on his shoulder. "Um…" She stopped short of her task and looked up through her mane. It must have fallen from its place behind her ear and came forward, shielding her right eye. "This may hurt for just a second." She spoke quietly. Nothing I can't handle. Sombra thought. And just when he was about to voice his thought-

Another one of those stings came upon him. It sent him drawing back from the mare again. "THAT HURT!" He roared at the mare, sending her mane flying behind her. When she looked at him again, Sombra's face went from enraged to shocked. The mare was close to tears, her eyes glossed over with the tears that were threatening to spill. "Uh.." Sombra was at a loss, he never experienced such a thing. Well he had seen his subjects crying for many things many a times, but… this was different. It pained him to see this pony in such pain and it pained him even more that he was the one who caused it.

The mare sniffled. Then a small tear fell from her eye and slide across her cheek. In that instant, Sombra wanted nothing more than to hold her close to him and wait for the tears to go away. But that was ridiculous, he only just met her. It still did not explain the unexpected protective instincts over her. She wiped away the tear and the others with the sleeve of her sweater. She stood and gathered the objects and went to the door. Sombra just sat and watched her as she opened the door and left the room. It was then that Sombra noticed that he was without a shirt and freezing.

Fluttershy was upset and confused. After King Sombra had collapsed on her lawn, Fluttershy took an entire fifteen minutes finding a blanket and wrapping it around the unconscious king. She took another twenty minutes trying to drag him into her home and into the extra bedroom she had. And then she was so exhausted she slept for an hour before deciding what to do with his wounds. She had taken care the minor ones before daring to do the major one on his shoulder.

She was fearing for when she had to actually see him awake. He was the king who had sent his subjects into fear and darkness. He was the king who had been banished and sent an entire empire into banishment for over a thousand years. He was feared to whoever heard his name. But Fluttershy did not feel afraid when he awoke and looked at her.

He was handsome. His hair was messy from whatever he was doing before he came to her home last night. His eyes were ruby colored and even if he was missing those strange purple stripes, they were still a sight to behold. His lips were sensual and he had a small scar on the bottom lip that Fluttershy just wanted to lick and kiss. When she had to take off his shirt to study his wounds, she was surprised. He was well built. Sombra had a large, muscular chest and a toned stomach. Sweet Celestia, he had a serious six-pack that Fluttershy wanted to touch and lick. His hips were wide and Fluttershy was almost about to pull down those pants and…

Fluttershy shook her head when she entered her kitchen and quickly set down the bowl of alcohol and cotton balls. She grabbed the counters edge, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She looked behind her and found that her wings were fluffed and her tail was up in the air invitingly. Fluttershy shook her head again and went to fix her wings. It was about the time that she preened them. As she sat down at the round dining table, she felt that she was forgetting something. Was today some pony's birthday? Or is it a holiday today? These thoughts went throughout her mind as she looked at her calendar next to the kitchen sink. Her eyes widened in horror. In bold red letters it read: June 6, 2015 Heated Season Starts.

"Oh no…" Fluttershy whispered to herself. It was that time of the year. The Heated Season was the time when males are eager to make their mark on a mare and females were in heat. If a male or female were without a one another than the male would take a female by force and the female would allow it. Fluttershy had always stayed home and made sure to stock up on supplies the week before. She never wanted to test the waters as her friends had done. She never took a chance with her virginity. If she wanted a stallion then she was going to wait until before the Season, if she had any courage to act upon her plan.

But now she had put herself in danger. Not only was she alone with a stallion, but he would probably take charge and try to take her by force. Of course there would be the small chance that he wouldn't want anything to do with her, but she didn't want to risk the chance.

"Excuse me." Fluttershy looked up to see the stallion that was about to cause her a season of sexual frustration.

Sombra watched the mare closely. She looked pale, as if she just saw a ghost. But that was not the task at hand, what was was where she had placed his shirt. "Where is my shirt?" He demanded. She just stared at him. If she's going to stare she should at least get closer so I can remove some of that hideous clothing so that we are both half naked. His mind suggested darkly. He mentally shook his head and glared at the mare so she could stop. But she kept on staring, a blush spreading on her cheeks. He sighed and asked again in a softer tone, "Can you tell me where my shirt is, miss?"

That had gotten her attention. She looked toward the ground and nodded, her cheeks and neck a darker pink. She stood and walked toward him. His mind twisted to think that she wanted a kiss or something darker, but she walked past him and out the back door. Of course Sombra followed after her. She had a large backyard that led into the forest and what appeared to be pens filled with different creatures. She came to a stop in front of a line, hanging from it was what remained of his shirt. It was torn and bloody. He took a step toward it and muttered, "I'm going to have to buy a new shirt."

"That may not be a good idea." A soft voice said. Sombra looked over to the mare who was looking anywhere but at him. "You don't have any money and the town is far. You may not be able to know where anything is. And ponies will recognize you as King Sombra." She looked up and realized she must have been speaking louder than she anticipated. She then looked down and started to play with the grass with her foot.

Sombra thought. She has a point. I don't even know where I am. Suddenly he had a realization. She knew who he was. Why would she help me if she knows who I am? Did she believe she would gain something in return? He wanted to ask but he first wanted proper clothes. "What do you suggest I do then?" He asked.

She seemed surprised that he was asking for her suggestion. She looked around in thought for a moment before speaking. "I-I could help you…"

Now Sombra was surprised at the mare. She seemed more introverted and more connected with her own comfort zone. Not only that but she knew who he was and yet she still wanted to help? This time he did voice his thoughts. "Why would you want to help me?" He asked.

She looked at him and seemed to study him for a moment. He hadn't had much time to fix himself for the day and when he tested his magic on the wound on his shoulder, it was able to heal, but it still ached if he moved it too much. He knew that he was still attractive, but the mare looked more at his eyes, possibly looking for any hostility. Finally she said, "I don't know."

An awkward silence hung between them, the only sound was the wind and the rustling of trees. Sombra cleared his throat and asked, "When do you wish to depart?"

The mare looked and then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "We could go after I get my wallet and find you a temporary shirt to wear."

"No need. I will wear this for now." Sombra tugged the torn shirt over his head, mindful of his sore shoulder, and over his torso. He looked at her expectantly. She nodded and began walking toward the house, but close up and in daylight it appeared to be a house out of a tree. He almost forgot to ask, "What is your name?"

She looked back at him and smiled a pleasant smile that rivaled Celestia's sun. "My name is Fluttershy."