Sombra's Bat

Chapters

Chapter 1: A Nightmare
Chapter 2: Old Wounds
Chapter 3: The Monster
Chapter 4: Lunar Guards
Chapter 5: Forbidden Friendship
Chapter 6: An Opportunity
Chapter 7: The Crystal Empire
Chapter 8: Storms Brewing - Part 1
Chapter 9: Storms Brewing - Part 2
Chapter 10: The Siege
Chapter 11: Not Evil
Chapter 12: Something About Destiny
Chapter 13: Messages of Good Will
Chapter 14: Visitors Not Wanted
Chapter 15: Beautiful Deadly Gifts
Chapter 16: More Annoying Than Bugs
Chapter 18: An Escalation of Events
Chapter 19: Forgiveness
Chapter 20: Secrets New And Old
Chapter 21: The Attack - Part 1
Chapter 22: The Attack - Part 2
Chapter 23: A Conversation With An Ally
Chapter 24: Mirror Mirror, On The Wall - Part 1
Chapter 25: Mirror Mirror, On The Wall - Part 2
Chapter 26: New Allies And Old Enemies
Chapter 27: Darkness - Part 1
Chapter 28: Darkness - Part 2
Chapter 29: Innocence and Guilt - Part 1
Chapter 31: Make Or Break
Chapter 32: Common Goals And Anger - Part 1
Chapter 33: Common Goals And Anger - Part 2
Chapter 34: Reasons To Be Anxious
Chapter 35: Thunder
Chapter 36: A Mother's Love, A Child's Forgiveness
Chapter 37 - Bitter Blue Blood - Part 1
Chapter 38: Bitter Blue Blood - Part 2
Chapter 40: Hook, Line and Sinker
Chapter 41: Warriors
Chapter 42: Hope - Part 1
Chapter 43: Hope - Part 2
Chapter 44: Wish Upon a Star - Part 1
Chapter 45: Wish Upon a Star - Part 2
Chapter 46: Tension in the Air
Chapter 48: The Shadows Clear And Show The Light - Part 1
Chapter 49 - The Shadows Clear And Show The Light - Part 2
Chapter 50: As One Journey Ends, Another Begins
Prologue: Daughter of the Night
Chapter 17: Dark Magic, And A Deal
Chapter 30: Innocence and Guilt - Part 2
Chapter 39: A Scared Princess's Musings
Chapter 47: Return of Chaos and Darkness

Chapter 1: A Nightmare

Moonlight's POV

I bolt upright in my bed, giving a small scream. "Celestiadammit!" I'm dripping in cold sweat, and my breathing is still heavy despite the memory of the dream slipping away from me. But although the details are hazy, I have an idea what the dream might have been about. Once again, it probably has something to do with Celestia. Once again, I'd like to blame her for this. If she can banish nightmares, then she can banish mine for me, surely. Or else Nightmare could actually bother to help me.

I look out of the hole in the roof in my single-storey, one-room house smack bang in the middle of nowhere. The moon has probably risen above the horizon, but not above the tree line here in the Everfree Forest. Wait... the moon. I remember something from the dream. Something about the moon. What was it about?

I stare at the stars that I love so much. I might have my issues with Nightmare now, but she does always put a lot of effort into the night sky. Hundreds, if not thousands, of them, scattered across the sky into different constellations. I find the North Star almost immediately, and look down at the purple star and silver crescent on my flank. The North Star and the moon, together. Supposedly.

The memories of the dream return in a flood, and I have to sit down and process each part slowly to actually understand it. Most of it was just a repeat of past events, the old classics, but there are other little things that don't make so much sense at the same time.

I had dreamt about that final time with my old mistress Nightmare Moon, after she had been turned back into Princess Luna. There are few traces of it in the history books after a thousand years, but I was one of many, mainly the Lunar Guards and other bat ponies, who supported her over Celestia for one reason or another. That didn't end so well for me, but never mind, that isn't so important.

When Luna came back and Nightmare Moon disappeared, I had tried to convince her that Princess Celestia was still the enemy, but she wouldn't listen. Even after the thousand years - yes, one thousand years - I spent with her on the moon, she ignored my pleas and told me that 'times had changed'. Then there was the fight, which ended up in me being injured and having to flee Canterlot. Just as it all happened a year ago, when we returned from our prison and the Elements of Harmony swooped in.

That scene also replayed in my head: of six mares who barely knew each other claiming they carried the 'magic of friendship' in their hearts and then using Equestria's most powerful weapons on us - for the second time. I don't think I'll ever get rid of the memory of how much that hurt. Needless to say, I haven't spoken to them since either, although occasionally word of their 'bravery and talent' is brought here.

Then there were little flashes of something else, something that I can't work out... flashes of something, of somepony... a silhouette of a unicorn. I don't know any unicorns, though. Not personally, anyway. That

Strangest of all, though, I remember an unfamiliar stallion's voice whispering to me, "It is not too late to change the world." Those words send a small shiver up my spine. I've tried to change the world already, I failed, and now I want to leave that behind me. Is this just my imagination? Maybe, but then why did it all seem so... so real?

I feel cold. Not just because my home is literally falling apart, but because of that last whispered sentence. I'm not sure that it was part of the dream. It feels connected, but the rest of my dream was of my memories, and I don't know anypony who would talk like that. It's something else, something sinister, something dangerous, and it's probably the cause of my sleepless nights over the last few weeks. This has been going on for too long already. Something has to be done.

I use bat pony magic to cast a homely light around the bedsit. (Yes, we can use magic without unicorn horns - what do you think those ear tufts are for? They aren't just there to make us look like bats, believe it or not.) My purple eyes adjust to the new light and I jump out of the bed, my magic still not warming me up. Breakfast awaits: fresh fruit from the Everfree Forest. I can hear other bat ponies already outside, either picking fruit or trading it with other ponies for whatever they need, as is the life of the so-called 'feral' ponies who live in places like this.

I fly out of the hole-in-the-roof-slash-skylight, my grey and purple mane blowing in my face, and make a beeline to the first apple trees I can see. I examine each fruit for any sign of disease or damage but all of them are fine. I pick the ripest one and my large fangs sink into it, sucking out the juice. I enjoy the rest of the apple, then head to the workplace and humble cottage of my closest friend, Wishbone Willow, ignoring the other ponies calling my name. This is more important than messing around or randomly bursting into song and dance. Not that I like singing or dancing, anyway.

Wishbone is a strange mare. She has a natural talent for Dreamwalking, visiting the dreams of others while she's asleep. To be honest, the idea of other ponies being in my dreams and being able to change them worries me, but I like Wishbone and we're quite good friends. I think. She's even teaching me how to Dreamwalk, and I'm slowly becoming less afraid of it. Slowly. I've got a way to go yet.

I knock on the door of Willow Practice, and she answers immediately. Her golden eyes light up when we see each other, and she brushes her green mane away from her face. She says happily, "Moonlight! What can I do for you?"

"Evening, Wish." I walk in and shut the door, sinking into an armchair. "You already know about my problems with dreams, but they've been... stranger than normal recently," I explain to her.

"Is that possible?" she snorts with laughter.

"Ha ha, crazy witch doctor bat."

"Fine, carry on."

"It's been happening for about three weeks now, and it got much worse yesterday. The last time I woke up in a cold sweat like that was years ago."

"Do you want to explain it, or should I have a look myself?"

I know what she is getting at. Alarm bells ring loudly inside my head not to let her, but I want to find the root of my problems. There is only one other pony who I know can Dreamwalk, and it took six of the most immature servants of Celestia to make her abandon me. Some ponies would say I'm only like this because of Nightmare Moon, and that's probably true, but I wouldn't have even had any trouble with Nightmare Moon if Celestia hadn't banished both of us!

I sigh to myself. Curse Celestia for trying to ruin my life, but that's in the past, I guess. I need to try and move on at some point and start enjoying this life away from civilisation, and that means getting rid of these nightmares and flashbacks. So I tell her, "Dreamwalking. It's easier for you to find out exactly what's happening that way."

"Fair enough. If you want me to stop because you're uncomfortable, just tell me." She sits in the armchair opposite me. A golden magical aura that matches the colour of her eyes forms on her forehead and snakes over to mine. We fall asleep in seconds.

I find myself standing at the edge of a cliff, Wishbone by my side. A river flows below us, and I feel unsafe. I bite my lip and take a step away from it.

"Wish, I'm not sure..." I trail off.

"Show me the nightmares when you're ready."

I understand what I have to do, but I'm having second thoughts. "Wake us up, Wish. I don’t think I can do this."

"It’ll be fine, Moonlight. I’m here for you." She smiles and rests a hoof on my shoulder. "You have to show me the dreams. It's the only way to get rid of these nightmares."

My slight nervousness changes to cold fear, and I don't have a say in when the dream starts properly, because I see a reflection of my memories on the surface of the water: flying through the forest in sadness and anger, trying to escape from Princess Luna, cursing the Elements of Harmony and Princess Celestia in Old Ponish. I have changed a lot since then, but the memories hurt. I still haven't forgiven Celestia and her minions who got rid of the Nightmare Moon I knew, the kind mare who kept me alive and happy when I was almost completely alone.

I hear hoofsteps, and both Wishbone and I turn around instinctively. A grey unicorn stallion looks at us, his red pupils glowing, the whites of his eyes green, a purple mist beginning to form around them. He is clad in silver armour, and a red cloak with a white trim. He wears on his head a helmet of some black metal, and a matching silver crown embedded with red jewels. His dark grey mane and tail are fairly short, but move as though caught in a breeze that doesn't exist; a mark that he is capable of using very powerful magic. Other than this, he moves not a muscle, but instead takes in my own appearance.

"Moonlight Amethyst Shade," he says finally, speaking in Old Ponish. My name is unusual, even by pony standards, but I grew up in Hollow Shades of all places, so I became used to 'unusual' long before Nightmare Moon got involved. I curse myself for getting distracted, because there is a pony who I don't even know in my Celestia-forsaken dream and he knows my full name without me telling him. "My name is King Sombra. I want to help you, but I need your help too."

Sombra. An Old Ponish word. Shadows. Darkness. Nightmares and the unknown. This is bad. This is terrible. I don't like this at all. I need to wake up.

"Get us out of here," I say to Wish.

The dream changes before she can do anything to help, and everything goes pitch black, darker than a moonless night. A storm rages around me and I can't see anything. I can hear Sombra shouting to me, "Listen, dear Moonlight! I want to help you! What you did and what you believed, none of it was your fault! It was Celestia's fault, and you know that! She hurt you and Luna so badly, then drove you apart! Please, listen, because I bring you no harm. If you join me..."

I notice two red eyes glowing in the dark, sickly purple magic flowing away from them. I barely catch his next words because they are so quiet, but they give me reason to fear him.

"All of your dreams will come true."

He appears behind me, and I try to run from him, but when I turn around he is there again. Something is very, very wrong, and the fact that I can't find Wishbone makes it worse.

"Is my offer not tempting enough?" he eventually asks.

"What do you want?!" I snap back, more out of fear than anything else.

"I want somepony to help me. I am a King who has had his power taken from him, and I want it back. You were the most loyal servant of one of Equestria's most powerful rulers, so I know you are able to help me."

"Servant?" I question him. I feel slightly insulted, and I try to think about that rather than about the mad Dreamwalker giving me nightmares. "She and I were like a mother and daughter. She was Equestria's Queen, and I was her Princess. If you want me to help you, at least treat me with a little respect."

He glares at me for a moment, sending fear coursing through my veins. Then his stare softens a little, and he continues, "Princess Moonlight, then. If you could help me, I could help you get back on your old enemy. The one who sent you to the moon and then stole away your best friend, that is, because I too have quarrelled with dear old Celestia. I could help you repair your friendship with Luna, even. How does that sound?" He holds out an armour-clad hoof, and for a moment I think he is sincere, but then I see through the mask. Behind those red eyes lie anger, anticipation, triumph. He plans to use me and discard me like a piece of rubbish, and I don't plan to fall for it.

"Sorry, but no," I say.

He stops acting like a friend and glares at me, and a blast of purple and green magic travels towards me faster than I can get out of the way and-

I bolt upright in the armchair and Wishbone glares at me. "That was not cool," she snaps.

"What did I do?" I ask, perplexed. "None of that was my fault!"

"You made me see some stuff that I'd much rather forget in that river. And you saw it all."

"I didn’t see anything, I swear. I only saw what happened to me after Nightmare Moon was gone. The only stuff I saw was in my past, with Celestia and the Element Bearers and-" I stop myself and backtrack before I end up saying something I'm bound to regret later. "But what about that pony? I heard him say his name was King Sombra."

"I didn't hear any of what he said, but... the name King Sombra rings a bell from an old pony legend." She's still hurt, but she hides it well and I push my guilt away. There are more important things to worry about.

"Old pony legends are usually just fairy tales, but I'm listening."

"You've been around for a lot longer than I have, so you might know more about this. Do you remember anything about the Crystal Empire?"

I think for a moment. "I remember Nightmare saying that it disappeared because of dark magic or something like that."

"He was the old ruler of the Empire. Tyrannical, he was. Celestia and Luna banished him to who-knows-where and the whole Empire went with him. If there are new ponies representing the Elements of Harmony, Celestia and Luna's connection with them will fade, which could weaken or undo the spell that was cast on Sombra and the Crystal Empire, causing them to return to the Frozen North. If this is true then he probably wants his power back."

And I knew it. Just another myth, maybe even another stupid way of Celestia scaring ponies into doing as she says. "Don't tell me: another greedy, corrupt ruler is trying to take advantage of me again, this time by using the dream world to get to me."

She nods. "He uses dark magic, which has the power to control ponies through fear..."

I find myself growing annoyed. "Well, this is a story and a half. Moonlight Amethyst Shade, the weak little bat pony cowering in the shadows if Equestria's worst tyrants. Let us prepare for the grand sequel, in which she faces dark magic and the Ruler of Shadows, King Sombra! Come one, come all, to watch her try and fail to live an ordinary life for once! It's the best show in Equestria!"

"Moonlight, I'm only guessing, but it's the only explanation I can find based on what I know. That dream wasn't like anything I've ever seen. Please, listen to me."

"I've just been delivered the news that the tyrant king of a place I don't know a thing about and vanished off the face of Equis itself over a thousand years ago is trying to use mind control or something on me through the dream realm. After everything that happened with Nightmare Moon, it seems a bit ridiculous that history would repeat itself and that he would target me specifically. Oh, and in case you didn't realise, history's a bit of a sore spot for me." I jump out of my seat and fly out of the front door, away from Wishbone Willow, because this sounds a lot like what happened between me and Nightmare Moon and I don't want a repeat of it. As much as Wish is a good friend, I need to clear my mind.

I head north, mainly just because it's away from Canterlot but also because I'm half hoping that I can see some proof for or against Wish's theory. The forest is vast, and connects to many other wooded areas across Equestria. I fly above the forest canopy, but I don't see anything for at least two hours. I've almost given up when I notice the ice blue tower in the distance, and the way that its colour scheme makes it almost invisible. I tell myself it's a trick of the light, but I've not kept track of how far I have flown, and bat ponies can fly as fast as pegasi.

Then those colours shift and become darker, more menacing. Storm clouds roll in and amongst the thunder, a menacing laugh rings out through the countryside. It sends me flying back home and wishing that I hadn't called my best friend a liar. Dread grows inside me, and with it the feeling that I will never escape my fears and my past.

Chapter 2: Old Wounds

Just before sunrise, I slip into bed, mulling over the whole situation. I've decided that I'll assume all of this is real until I find some proof that proves otherwise. So far, I've come up with empty hooves, but then again, when you live in the Everfree Forest there isn't a bounty of history books or a library sitting around anywhere.

Wishbone thinks that this King Sombra wants to use me to take over the Crystal Empire and then the rest of the world. He sounds pretty crazy, to be honest. All those poor ponies who lived under his leadership before the Empire vanished. I still can't understand why he would come after me of all ponies. Perhaps because of my connections with the royalty of Equestria, but I've already tried so hard to sever those ties. They've not done me any good, after all.

I am on the very edge of dozing off when I hear the knock at the door. "Moonlight?" I hear Wishbone call.

"Wish, let me sleep. I'll discuss anything important this evening."

"Stop talking in Old Ponish and pretending to be some stuck-up Canterlot noble. We need to tell the Princesses about you."

"No," I tell her firmly. The very thought of stepping back into Canterlot Castle is horrifying. Why is my past all of a sudden catching up on me?! "Tell the Princesses about Sombra if you wish, but leave me out of this."

"This is so much more than you and Princess Luna," she pleads. I wince as she says the name of my old mistress. "This is about all of Equestria."

"All of Equestria can wait."

She flies in through the skylight/hole in the roof. "It can't. King Sombra could be dangerous, Moonlight. I don't care what you think about me or anypony else, because this isn't just about you. We're going to the castle."

"And how are you getting there? Can you do long-distance teleportation?"

"I'll try."

"Go on, then."

Her furry ear tufts are surrounded by golden magic, then there's a bright flash of similar golden light. We teleport and arrive in the entrance hall of Canterlot Castle. It looks just how I remember it from a year ago: decorated in the Princess of the Sun's favourite colours, far too bright and bold for my tastes. It makes me sick to be here. She hurt my old mistress and turned her away, and then when we grew closer, she shattered our friendship and made me more alone than ever. If Wishbone hadn't taken me in, the leg injury Luna gave me would have been infected, and that could easily have turned into fatal blood poisoning. I push the details out of my mind.

"We need to see Princess Celestia urgently," Wishbone tells a pegasus stallion stood outside the throne room. "May we speak to her?"

The guard grunts. "What is it that's so important?"

"The Crystal Empire?"

He shuffles in his spot uncomfortably. "Go in."

Wishbone drags me into the throne room and I look at the floor as I walk towards the Princess of the Sun, who is sitting regally on her throne, the sunlight streaming in through the stained glass windows and shining on her snow white fur. Muttering obscenities under my breath, I bow to her as Wishbone does the same.

"Princess Celestia," Wishbone says. "My name is Wishbone Willow. This is my friend, Moonlight Shade. We think the Crystal Empire has returned and that King Sombra is back again too."

Princess Celestia does not gasp, but instead scowls at me. "Moonlight Shade? The old guard who was sent to the moon with my sister?"

"Yes," Wishbone answers for me. "She's changed a lot since then, although I think somepony still has a grudge over being sent to the moon for a thousand years." She chuckles, walks over to me and uses a hoof to lift my chin up. "Come on, Moonlight. I'm sure Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have changed as well."

"That's part of the problem," I grunt.

"Never mind, Moonlight. We need to tell Princess Celestia about your dreams."

I watch Celestia's eyebrows slant upwards. She clears her throat and asks me, "Moonlight, what are these dreams?"

"I've been having a lot of flashbacks to events in my past," I tell her with great reluctance. Wish gives me a small shove and a look of disapproval. "A stallion by the name of King Sombra might have paid me a visit in my dreams."

The look of alarm on Celestia's face is faintly amusing. Her next words less so. "I heard that the Empire was back, but this is much worse. You will both stay in the castle until further notice is given. We need to see if it is actually King Sombra in your dreams or not." She turns to Wish. "Wishbone Willow, have you been troubled by him as well?"

"No. I'm a Dreamwalker though, and I think I saw him in one of Moonlight's dreams. He tried to speak to us, but all I could hear was growling. Moonlight, did you hear anything other than his name?" she asks me.

I shake my head. "No. All he did was introduce himself." I don't want to tell Wishbone and I really don't want to tell Celestia. Why, I'm not entirely sure, but it feels wrong to tell them what I heard.

"Right. I will still keep both of you here for a few days. Princess Luna will monitor your dreams over this time period. She has trained a few others in Dreamwalking who can take her place temporarily, so she should have some time. Also, Moonlight?"

I grudgingly look up at the Princess of the Sun whom I hate so much.

"I would like to apologise for all that I have done. I sent you to the moon for a thousand years and I took from you the only friend you had for those thousand years. That is a huge mistake on my part, but I hope that this apology lessens any negative feelings."

That's it. She does the absolute opposite of what I expect, and confuses me completely, but a weight - a very small weight - is lifted from my chest as I digest those words. I still can't forgive her for wrecking my life twice, but I think I might be able to swallow my feelings towards her more easily and stop yelling at the sun every time I see it. Even if it's all lies, the fact that she bothered to say that makes a tiny difference.

"It does," I say truthfully. "Thank you, Princess."

We are led out of the throne room by two guards, up flights of stairs and down corridors that I don't remember. I can appreciate the castle's design more now: the swirling patterns on the wall are intricate but not messy; the tapestries are woven to perfection; and every stained glass window tells a story. I try to figure out where in the castle I am when we approach a familiar corridor: the one that leads to Luna's bedroom. I lost count of how many times I was on guard duty there before the Nightmare Moon incident. I internally groan whilst trying not to do so on the outside. My reunion with Celestia went without any hiccups, but I doubt the same can be said for Luna.

A guard knocks on Princess Luna's bedroom door, then steps back respectfully as the door swings open and the Princess of the Night appears. She looks just as she did before she became Nightmare Moon: tall, with a midnight blue coat and a darker mane that flows in an ethereal breeze. "What time d'you call this?" she yawns, forgetting her Perfect Princess Voice for a moment.

"Princess, two bats from the Everfree Village are here. One claims to have had dreams of King Sombra's return and the Crystal Empire."

"Bat ponies, you mean," she corrects him. Her eyes scan over us two, then her eyes grow wide and stares at me hard as she recognises me. I glower back. "We meet again, Moonlight," she snarls. I think - it is hard to tell. She might be happy, but I have mixed feelings. She's not Nightmare Moon, after all.

"I have changed, just as you have, Princess," I reply. "Your sister wants you to watch our dreams for a few days. Believe me when I say that I was just as unhappy with this-"

Luna suddenly has me in a huge embrace, and begins to silently weep on my shoulder. "I am so, so sorry for how I treated you the last time I saw you," she whispers. I am taken aback by this sudden attack of kindness, so I say nothing. She asks, "Can you forgive me?"

"I - I don't know. I th-think so," I stutter. "It will take time. First of all, help us out. We think this Sombra pony is popping in my dreams, but I have no idea why. Do you think you can help us?"

"Hmm, King Sombra. Yes, I can help. It means that I will have to go in your dreams as well."

Of course it does. The blood drains from my cheeks, and I don't say anything.

"Moonlight's scared of Dreamwalkers, but we've been working on it, since I've been a Dreamwalker for a few years," Wishbone answers for me. "This is serious, so I'm sure we can do something."

"That is fine. We never knew that King Sombra could Dreamwalk, so I am interested in what else we can learn from him. I know somewhere that we can go and won't be disturbed." She turns to the Solar Guards and tells them, "Guards, you are dismissed. I won't be spending much time in my chambers over the next few days because this is an emergency."

The guards nod and hurry away. Princess Luna leads us back the way we came, down an unfamiliar corridor, up a flight of stairs and to a tapestry. She casts a spell to extinguish all of the light in the hallway.

"It's a hidden passage. Walk through," Luna tells us.

Gingerly, I walk towards the wall, then it completely disappears. I see a torch burning in its bracket ahead and know that I am on the other side of the passageway. When I hear Luna and Wishbone are here, I let Luna take us wherever she thinks is the best place to keep an eye on us. All the while I feel like I am going to be a prisoner, and wish more than anything that nothing happens in my dreams so that I can go back to a normal life in the Everfree. All I want to do is forget the past, and now it's trying to creep up on me again.

Princess Celestia's POV

I pace back and forth in my chambers, digesting that little spanner that has found a home in the works. It cannot be. I thought Luna had scared her off for good. As if there was not enough to deal with, what with the Crystal Empire returning, and King Sombra too... She has to show up as well. The one I swore I would never speak to again. The little vampire; the thorn in my rump; the product of Grogar's dark magic, a traitorous vampire guard and dear Lulu's lack of sense. Daughter of the Night, Princess of the Stars, the one threat to my kingdom and my reign that the Elements of Harmony have been unable to cure.

I cannot let her get in my way. My subjects need me just as much as they did when I first became the ruler - no, co-ruler - of Equestria. If King Sombra has spoken to her, then they could all be in trouble.

I use my telekinesis to pull open a drawer in my vanity table, and grab a bottle of ink and a quill. Dear Cadance, I write, the one I told you about has returned, and has spoken to Sombra. You, Shining Armour and all the guards could be in danger. I will be sending the Elements of Harmony to help you so that the situation does not get out of hoof. If you can keep Sombra out of the Crystal Empire for long enough, I can keep the vampire occupied so she doesn't cause trouble. I will keep in touch. Your loving aunt, Celestia.

I send the letter without a second thought. Regardless of what has been said in the past, I will not let the darkness win. Even if she wrote it in the stars herself when she allowed Nightmare Moon to return, she will not bring the eternal darkness I fear.

She will fail, one way or another, and the sun shall remain in the sky.

Chapter 3: The Monster

Moonlight's POV

I lose track of where Luna is taking us, and nearly get left behind a few times. We have to walk through the hidden maze of Canterlot Castle for about half an hour, and I am exhausted by the time we stop outside a heavy wooden door. A plaque hangs on the wall, written in Old Ponish. I can only just understand what it says, since I haven't read anything in Old Ponish for many years, and the last time I heard somepony speak in the old language other than when Sombra used it was before Luna and I went our separate ways. I had almost forgotten how different the Equestrian language looks today compared to back then. The letters themselves are an art form.

Private - Thou Shalt Not Enter Without The Permission Of HRH Princess Luna.

The door swings open and Wishbone, Luna and I walk through. Another room with grey stone walls and a small fireplace. There are three beds with crystals built into the bed frames - two single beds and a double bed, presumably for Princess Luna - but there is no sign of bedding on any of them. There are a few cupboards in the room though. Luna opens one with her magic and out falls said bedding. It glides over to the beds and each pile makes itself into something I would actually want to sleep on. It seems this place hasn't been used in a while, but I've dealt with worse conditions before.

Sleepily, I ask Luna, "Where do I go?"

"Either one of the singles. Just to let you know, you will both have to stay here for a few days. You might be able to go down to the Lunar Guard Barracks during the nights when you're awake, just to socialise."

I choose the single bed on the left of the room and snuggle under the covers. The smell of lavender drifts my way as Luna casts a spell on those crystals, and I fall into slumber.

I find myself in a castle made of brilliant blue crystal. A light grey stallion with an almost black mane is standing on a balcony a few metres away from me. He wears a blue cape with a white fur trim, and a golden crown. He looks familiar somehow.

He turns and his blue eyes look sadly at me. He says, "Moonlight, it is I again." It's King Sombra's voice.

"Do you think I want to be involved in your lunatic schemes to take over the world?!" I spit at him to hide the fact that I am terrified. The fact that he is actually Dreamwalking and not a figment of my imagination just makes me fear him even more. He's in my dream, trying to give me nightmares, maybe using mind magic to control my thoughts...

"Oh, I clearly frightened you earlier. I am here to give you the chance to... reconsider your actions. The problem is, I never really introduced myself. Well, this is how I used to look before I discovered dark magic."

"Why do you think I care?'

"You do care, or you will in time. Listen to me.”

“Get to the point, then.”

He glares at me for a moment, then his expression softens and he laughs, “You must have a lot of courage to speak to me like that.”

“I’m saying what’s on my mind,” I shrug. At least he was able to laugh it off. “Now, I don't have all day.”

He takes a deep breath, then begins to pace back and forth slowly, not taking his eyes off me for a moment. “I tried to learn all I could about magic, but I followed the path of the dark arts, and it turned me into a monster." His appearance changes: his cape turns from blue to blood red, and his eyes change to that same hue. Grey-black armour forms around his neck and hooves, and the crown turns grey with red crystals embedded in the metal. The whites of his eyes shift to a sickly acid green and give off that purple smoke.

I hear Wishbone and Princess Luna approach from behind, but don't turn to face them. As much as I am glad that they've arrived to help me should things turn nasty, I don't want to leave myself open either. "So you’re a monster. What else do I have to know before you leave me alone?"

"Do you think that I like being this way? At first, the power went to my head, and I ruled with an iron hoof until Princess Celestia banished me. Now that I am back... I wish for that to change, but I am unable to get into the Crystal Empire because it is protected. I would love to ask someone if it is possible to reverse this," he gestures to himself with a front hoof, "but just imagine me walking into Canterlot Castle and asking to speak to Princess Celestia."

"It wouldn't work, would it," I say, the tone of my voice changing as the realisation dawns on me. I can see his point of view now, since I was the outcast once. Then again, it could all be a ruse to wrap me around his hoof. Considering his name is the Old Ponish word for 'darkness and shadow,' I probably haven't been as careful as I need to be around him. But something about him makes me think that I don't need to be. "Oh. I have no idea if this dark magic can be reversed, but maybe somepony as powerful as the Princesses can do something." I turn around to face Luna and Wishbone, who are both glaring at Sombra. "Right? Could he be helped?"

Wishbone's expression makes it clear that she thinks it is impossible. Luna... Her face doesn't give anything away.

"Luna, it has been a while," Sombra says to her. "I hear Celestia did something similar to you shortly after I was banished. Care to fill me in?"

"I would have thought you could find out all the details from your little Dreamwalking expedition, Sombra. After everything I said and everything my dear sister did, you are still doing this?" she sighs, exasperated.

"What do you mean, Luna? As I said, it has been a while."

"Then I must remind you of the little conversation we had." She walks towards him, wings flared, horn ignited, but Sombra stands his ground.

"I don't believe I went back on anything I said back then. You told me not to cause any serious harm, but what is a little walk through the dream realm to the crimes both you and I have committed? I believe you too have a little blood on your hooves." He smirks.

"And I feel remorse."

"As do I. When I started this journey I never had the intention of hurting ponies, and I am sure that a wonderful pony such as yourself will make sure I do not. Little Moonlight here seems to understand that I don't want to hurt others."

"Don't call me that," I warn him.

"My apologies. Hmm, and what about you, dear Wishbone Willow? I can understand ponies not wanting to outright join me and help me take back what is rightfully mine when they know so little about me, but can you bring me up to date?"

"I can. It’s no longer acceptable for monsters such as yourself to run around in other ponies' dreams and frighten them half to death for the thrill of it."

Sombra scowls. "How dare you?! Alas, it seems nopony is willing to assist me, not even dear Luna. How disappointing. It leaves me with the options of either leaving and staying away from you three, or telling you what I think. I know which one I would rather choose." That disgusting purple and green magic, dark magic, glows once more, and he grins menacingly.

The sensible pony would stand behind Luna and say nothing.

I, however, take a step towards him. "I'm pretty convinced that there's more to you than meets the eye, but everypony's different. If Luna is the same pony I know, then she probably needs a bit more proof before she trusts you." I look back at her. "Right?"

She casts a spell. The scene changes, and Sombra disappears. From the balcony I watch ponies, chained together in lines, descend into a mine.

"This is what he did before Celestia and I intervened," Luna answers sourly, wrinkling her nose. "He knows ways of taking a pony's free will away with his dark magic. He will not change, which is why I am here to protect you."

"What if he doesn't appear in my dreams again after this?" I see Sombra, in his pure, un-corrupted form, out of the corner of my eye. He raises an eyebrow.

"Then Wishbone Willow and I will not trouble you further, and allow you to get a decent night's sleep."

Sombra winks and disappears. Princess Luna may refuse to help him, but that means that somepony has to, and that pony will probably be me. Unfortunately, life has given me another basket of lemons.

I wake up and crawl out of bed. My short grey and purple mane doesn't look terrible for once, so I decide to leave it until after breakfast with the Lunar Guards. I wonder if the Barracks will look any different to when I was last there, over a thousand years ago.

"Moonlight," whispers Wishbone.

"Huh?" I ask sleepily.

"Don't talk to King Sombra any more. He's trying to manipulate you."

"Ok. I won't speak to him." If he speaks to me, that's fair, isn't it?

When we're all awake and don't look like we've just crawled out of bed, Luna leads us back through the maze of passages and hallways to the hidden tapestry. When we walk through, she teleports us just outside the Lunar Guard Barracks, and they look just as they did all of those years ago. Same dark colour scheme that doesn't match the castle, same banners hung up on the walls, same flags flying above it.

The sun is setting now, and Celestia waves at us from one of the balconies. We wave back, although I think about ignoring her, and Luna raises the moon. Its light brings out all of the softer shades and hues that I love.

Luna asks us to follow her into the Barracks. I hear bat ponies talking to one another, and then they all fall silent save one, who sounds like a stallion. He addresses the other bats and they applaud him briefly. Then suddenly, the applause dies down, and a door opens in front of us. Luna guides us forwards, into the light of the mess hall. Before us, bat ponies of all kinds are crowded around tables, not acting at all like guards, but like the audience at a pantomime.

"It is time to meet our special guests: Princess Luna, Wishbone Willow and the Little Princess, Moonlight Shade!"

Chapter 4: Lunar Guards

The next half an hour is chaos, to say the least. Everypony wants to say hello and talk to me about various things that are completely irrelevant to the King Sombra problem, when all I want to do is have some breakfast and enjoy my day playing cards or something. I take note of the comment about me being a little princess, but I doubt there was anything behind it. Probably just an old mare's tale about myself and Nightmare Moon.

Eventually the bedlam comes to an abrupt and highly overdue end when bats from the kitchen bring out fresh mangoes for everypony. Fresh mangoes! Is there no end to the funding for the Royal Guard? Mangoes can't grow in Equestria because the climate isn't warm enough, but it costs an extortionate amount to have them sent by airship. Back when I was in the Guard, these luxuries were few and far between as there wasn't the technology or the finances. Then again, mangoes are my absolute favourite fruit and I'm not going to complain.

I grab one and sink my fangs into it. The sour sweet juice is just what I need to survive a few days in my new home/prison while the Princesses decide whether I am in danger of being corrupted by dark magic from a villain who's been gone for a thousand years, is probably out of touch and said himself that he wants to change but needs help to do so. Lovely.

Three delicious mangoes later, a few of the guards who aren't on duty this evening start laying out packs of playing cards. It isn't known who started the tradition, but bat ponies have been playing for millennia. Ponies in the Everfree even make their own cards out of tree bark. Sometimes we will play poker and bet our meagre savings or belongings on who will win, other times we might enjoy a simple round of solitaire. I try not to get involved with the betting, but if somepony puts the best odds on me winning a round, I am more than happy to prove them right. If they put terrible odds on me, well, I am even happier to watch them part with however many bits they spent on trying to make me look rubbish.

That is exactly what happens. A stallion with a blue mane and greyish eyes walks up to me and says, "I bet twenty bits to one I could beat you in a round of cards." He screams arrogance, and I feel the urge to prove him wrong.

"I'll double that," I answer cheekily, and the cards are laid out into piles. A couple of other ponies choose to join in, and a small crowd forms around us.

We spend a good while playing. He is quite an opponent, I'll give him that, but his poker face could use some work. He howls and nearly pulls his fur out whenever I make a good move, whereas I just keep a cocky smirk on my face the whole time. Other bat ponies watch, and make bets among themselves as to who might win. Wishbone knows that the stallion has no chance, but she leaves him to it and goes off to play solitaire on her own.

I win on the strike of midnight. Half of the group, including myself, cheer and celebrate the win. The other half of the group count their bits and hand them over. The stallion swears to himself a few times.

I approach him and comment, "Good game. You're a lot better than some ponies I know." I glance at Wishbone, who is slowly but surely completing another solitaire game. Card games have never been her favourite.

"Thanks," he replies. "You're impossible to beat. How do you do it?"

"Thousand years on the moon gave me some time to practise. Don't ask the Princess about chess."

He stares at me. "Say what?!"

"I was accidentally banished with Nightmare Moon. I was begging her and Celestia not to fight, and then the power of the Elements of Harmony throws us into the air faster than a Sonic Rainboom. Next thing I know, I'm sitting on the moon next to the old Queen Nightmare."

"You're the Daughter of the Night," he breathes. "I thought I recognised your name! Pony legend says that you were Nightmare Moon's daughter, and you followed her when she was banished to help her escape."

I laugh to myself. No wonder that other pony called me a princess. I shouldn't be surprised - Wish had exactly the same reaction when I first told her who I was. "The whole story is a lot less pretty than that. I'm not the daughter of an alicorn, she just looked after me when we were stuck on the moon. Some stallion is messing around in my dreams now, so I'm here for a few days while Princess Luna sorts it all out."

"Some stallion?" he asks dubiously. "I've heard that is was King Sombra himself."

"You aren't supposed to know that!" I cry out.

"Everypony knows. News travels fast among the guards. Sorry."

"It's fine, I'm just a little surprised. I guess I forgot that all of the guards are gossips." The time that I mistook an orange bowling ball for an oversized mango comes to mind. I was a laughing stock for a while, but then they started talking about apples. Ponies will talk about anything.

"Moonlight," Wishbone calls.

"Ugh, what is it?" I ask as I walk over to her table. "I'm chatting to a cute stallion who I beat at poker, and he is reminding me of my old days here, when I used to have actual fun. What's the problem?"

"The fact that he knows about your dreams is the problem. Somepony found out and told the rest of the guards, and if the guards know that you're staying here in Canterlot, who's to say that King Sombra doesn't know? Maybe he could pop into their dreams. Maybe he learned about it in your dreams last night. There might even be a spy in the castle who's telling King Sombra everything that happens."

"That's a whole lot of maybes. Let me chat to cute stallions."

She pulls a face. "You are way too old for him-"

"And I look younger than him, so be quiet." I ruffle her mane, and go off to talk to the stallion again.

I have a good night, all in all. Most would have to pay good money to stay in the castle for a few days, but because this is an emergency and I know Princess Luna well, it is all free. I get to play cards with the guards, and eat decent meals. I feel a bit guilty thinking this, but really, being friends with a princess isn't all that bad.

The best part of it all, though, is fleetingly seeing a pair of sad blue eyes looking at me from behind an old oak tree in my dreams that day.

Princess Luna's POV

I watch Moonlight interacting with the guards. She isn't concerned that they know why she is here, and she has no need to be either. I trust these Night Guards with my life, so they deserve to know. Celestia does the same with her Solar Guards - they know many government secrets and are sworn to secrecy - so I have no issue with it.

Midnight Breeze approaches, shaking his head, his dark blue mane covering his eyes but not hindering his vision. He speaks to me in Old Ponish. "Princess, methinks thy daughter is a master of the art of poker. I ask thee, it practise, or just luck?"

"Probably both," I laugh.

"Surely somepony so good at taking gambles is perfectly fine, though? Besides, she used to be one of us, and she also hath protection in the Forest. And since she resideth so far from the Crystal Empire-"

"First of all," I interrupt him, "just because she has a skill at poker, it does not mean that she will be safe from harm. Second, King Sombra could not lay a hoof on dear Moonlight even if she were to travel to the Crystal Empire. His return may be alarming, but We loathe to think about it when We have a much more concerning worry."

"Daughter of the Night, and Bringer of the Light, thou told me."

"Indeed."

"And thou knowest this be true?"

"Mine sister is worried, so We know. She retreats to a hidden room and paces back and forth as We speak. Dear Moonlight knows not how much danger she may face. That is the only reason why We need to keep her from King Sombra, to protect her from light's wrath."

"Does thou need an extra pony to keep an eye on her?" His grey-blue eyes are filled with worry. He may not know the sweet pony I spent my time on the moon with, but every bat pony knows her tale and how important she is. Apparently, Celestia gave them all a bit of grief after my disappearance, fearing they were all trying to help me. But just because Moonlight stood her ground and tried to keep the peace between Celestia and myself it does not mean every bat pony in Equestria is going to try to overthrow her. Just because she helped me when I tried to do so, it does not mean she will lead a rebellion of her own.

"Methinks no. The young Dreamwalker Willow can keep her safe and inform Us of any problems."

"I trust thee, Princess."

"We shall inform thee and the rest of the Guardians of the Night if there be any. Until then, We are fine, thank you."

"Good." He walks away.

Midnight Breeze has always been a curious one. He cares a lot for myself and Moonlight, especially her. She may not know the entire story, but she doesn't have to, or at least not at the moment. All she needs to know is that the Night Guard will protect her from all harm, and anypony foolish enough to lay a hoof on her will have to face us too.

Chapter 5: Forbidden Friendship

After a few days of walking around Canterlot in the dark, playing card games with bat ponies and having Princess Luna scare off any sign of King Sombra in my sleep, Wishbone and I are free to leave. Although staying in the castle was pretty good, I'm glad to be back in my ramshackle little home.

The day after I return is the day that I see Sombra again. When I fall asleep, my dreams take me to the streets of the Crystal Empire. I look up at the Crystal Castle and it fills me with joy. It's absolutely stunning. Ice blue crystals that reach into the sky, high above everything around them for miles.

"Hello," he whispers, and I start. At least he has his disguise on so I don't have to look at those eyes.

"Hey, I don't think I can help you, judging by Princess Luna's reaction," I force myself to say.

"Hmmm, it does look difficult, sadly. Luna and Celestia have ample reasons to dislike ponies such as myself. There is only one other solution that I can think of."

This is news. "Say again? You think you have an answer?"

"Well, there are a couple, some of them nicer than others, and now that I've met you I don't particularly want to be horrible to you. You are a good pony, and I have more respect for you than the likes of Celestia. The ponies now are always talking about friendship being the most powerful magic of all, so maybe I need somepony to be my friend. If you are up for the job."

"Me? Befriending the evil King Sombra of the Crystal Empire?"

"You said yourself that you want to help me now that you know the other side of the story," he reminds me. "Also, you befriended Queen Nightmare, and ended up in a few history books. The legend of the Daughter of the Night. A bat pony made purely of shadow whose very purpose was to help Nightmare bring eternal darkness." He grins, "Nearly as good as the tales they tell about me. Anyways, you did it once before, and you can do it again, can you not?"

"I guess, but it's difficult being friends from so far away."

His blue eyes have a glint of mischief in them. "That is your answer, then. Come to the Crystal Empire. Tell everypony else that you are there to help, in case I accidentally give you any valuable information. Stay there for a couple of days, then sneak out just before sunset one day so that you can talk to me. Of course, those pesky guards may pose a problem, but then there is always the dream world."

I don't really want to be friends with another enemy of Equestria, but I decide to go along with it, because I don't want to be his enemy either. "Sounds like a plan. First of all though, you are asking me to be friends with you, and I don't actually know much about you. You can probably read my thoughts like an open book when you go Dreamwalking, but I can't do that."

"Whatever is it that you wish to know?"

"Favourite colour, favourite animal, favourite things to do. Silly things that you did as a foal."

"Well," he considers, "my favourite colour is grey."

"Grey?" I ask him doubtfully.

A huge chunk of rock appears by his side. "Yes. Rocks of different kinds are usually grey on the outside, but inside," the rock splits open, revealing deep blue crystals, "it could be a stunning geode of any colour. Just like you."

I snort with laughter. "Oh really. So you're saying that I'm boring and dumb-looking on the outside, huh?"

"I never said anything like that!" he protests. "I said that you were beautiful on the inside. I was complimenting the fact that you have decided to help me despite my own ghastly appearance and reputation."

"You commented on my inner beauty but compared my actual appearance to an uninteresting piece of rock."

"Ah, I have lost this battle." He shakes his head sadly, mocking me but not in a mean way.

"I never knew that you had a sense of humour," I tell him, surprised. Scratch what I said earlier, because he knows how to have a laugh. "If only we could show everypony how nice you are face to face, and maybe Princess Celestia would agree to help you."

"We will change their minds. These things take time, though. Talking of time, you will wake soon. The moon is rising."

"See you, Sombra. I'll try and find a way to help you, since I can't get rid of you now."

"Do not insult me, I can still use dark magic on you."

"I thought we were friends!"

"Is that how it works, then?"

I smirk, "Yes, Sombra." The whole dream starts to go hazy. I'm waking up.

"Goodbye, Moonlight!" he calls, and then I wake up to another mundane but enjoyable day.

He is there again the next day, lurking in the shadows of the forest in the dreamscape. "Thou tooketh thy time," he grumbles in Old Ponish.

"And?" I retort, though I'm just messing with him.

"Mere servants are not allowed to answer back to King Sombra."

"My apologies, Your Majesty."

"Do you really mean that, or are you just trying to annoy me?"

"I would have thought an experienced Dreamwalker could find out for themselves. Unless you aren't as good as I first thought."

"I spent many years honing my skills in using mind magic."

"Oh? What can you do?"

"Name one of the dark magic spells that is guaranteed to land a pony in Tartarus."

My heart skips a beat. I know the answer, and I don't like it. "Direct mind control."

"Correct," he says. "It is something that I have probably used a little too liberally."

"No wonder Celestia hates you so much."

"If I were to tell you every little nasty thing I have done in my life, you would be shocked."

"Do you regret any of it?"

He pauses. "Most of it, not at all. But I am not heartless. My heart just resides very deep down, in my horseshoes."

"Right." I know I shouldn't be smiling, but I can't help it.

"Oh, so you also have a sense of humour. Good to know that my partner in crime can take a joke rather than wondering if I am going to bring their worst fears to fruition whenever I speak."

"Partner in crime?" I question him.

"Well, we are working as a team, are we not? You said yourself, you and I are friends now."

"Fine."

We stand there in silence for a few moments. Then, he whispers, "I have something to show you."

"Oh?"

"Let me show you the Crystal Empire as it was when it was my home." Purple and green dark magic surrounds us and the forest disappears. The dream changes, and the fun begins.

We mess around nearly every day, talking, exploring different places in the dream realm and being proper friends. He's sweet once you get past his appearance and your initial judgement, a bit like Nightmare Moon. Wish visits regularly, so we have to be careful, but all in all, life is enjoyable. I learn about the Crystal Library - the place where Sombra spent most of his childhood - and learn my way around the Crystal Empire very well. He makes it more interesting, showing me the secret passages from all of the important buildings to the Crystal Castle, and some of its cleverly hidden features. A door with a portal that leads to the dungeon without having to trot down several flights of stairs. An ornate golden mirror on the wall that shows you scenes from the past. A beautiful sculpture of a tall mare with a long curly mane that has the password to enter the nearby Crystal Barracks inscribed on her hoof. It just makes me so much more interested in the Crystal Empire, although I have no idea how I am supposed to get there.

One morning I wake up and sunlight is still pouring through the skylight, so I don't know why I am awake at this hour. The sound of other bat ponies talking concerns me, and I jump out of bed. I rush outside, and about twenty ponies are standing outside holding signs that read "NO to King Sombra," and "Out With The Dark Magic." Some of the others have a picture of my face on them, covered by a big red X.

I think my mouth forms that perfect comical O, as they all give me the daggers and start shouting. How did this even get out?! I shouldn't be surprised though. Ponies have such slack jaws that they will spill absolutely anything to anypony else.

"WISHBONE!" I yell, flying in the direction of her home.

She is perched on the roof by the time I reach her. I tell her, "Somepony told everypony about Sombra. They want to get rid of me."

She sighs sadly, "Ponies will talk about anything, Moonlight, but the next day the talk stops, and they start on something else. By three o'clock in the morning they'll be talking about passion fruits, just you watch."

The night crawls past, and it just does not happen. The angry mob does not dissipate, but instead grows until about two thirds of the village is involved. Even Wishbone's uncle decides to join in. I lose count of how many times she and I slap our foreheads with our hooves. Look what happens when I try to hide the past and get on with my life: it returns like a boomerang to hit me on the head.

Nopony goes home until eight o'clock in the morning. They blockade the door and the skylight for all of that time. Honestly, there is a good reason why other pony races call us vampires. At the best of times, we are cuckoo. At the worst... Well, they can cause enough trouble to make a draconequus proud.

Sombra calls my name, and I relax now that I know that I am dreaming. Apparently I am in such a state that my appearance in the dream has been affected, because he comments, "Why, you look absolutely dishevelled. Is anything wrong?"

"Coming from the stallion who looks like a dragon ate him! But plenty of things are wrong," I admit. "Somehow, my whole village knows about you and they have the wrong idea. They want me to leave. Somepony told them."

"Oh. That is an unfortunate predicament. I would rather have waited for you to make a decision on whether you would visit the Crystal Empire, but now it looks as though you have to leave your village, and might be able to pay me a visit. Celestia would not deny you a place to stay in the Crystal Empire, surely."

The real meaning of his words clicks in my head, and I roar at him, "Sombra! You visited the villagers in their dreams! How could you?! If you want me to help you, you have to prove to me that you aren't going to brainwash me or my friends!"

He takes a few steps back, eyes wide like a startled rabbit. "I beg your pardon? You think I did this?!"

"Add it to the list of things you've done. Used highly dangerous and illegal dark magic, attempted a coup, attempted to enslave the ponies of the Crystal Empire... Who's to say you didn't pull some elaborate trick?"

"You and I both know that I did nothing of the sort."

"And how would you prove that? I can only Dreamwalk if Wish is here to help me, and something tells me she wouldn't be that pleased if she knew you were here."

"Fine. I am sorry if I was not careful enough. I was not sure how they would react. Or you, for that matter, but now I know I will ensure it does not happen again. I haven't had a good friend in a long time, Moonlight. A very long time." He looks at the ground in shame.

My anger fades instantly, and is replaced with guilt. As cheesy as his comment is, it seems genuine. I've lost a few good friends too. Everypony I knew before the Nightmare Moon incident (except Celestia and Nightmare, of course) is long gone, and I thought for a long while that I'd lost Nightmare - no, I can't keep calling her that. She's Luna.

"I understand, but you didn't have to do that. I was going to come along anyway. One problem: how do I explain to the Princesses?"

"Say that I might let something slip while tormenting you, and that you would be able to pass on the message immediately to the worthless idiots who keep trying to blast me across the horizon. Of course, not the last part. Call them the guards." He chuckles, and I join in. "Will you meet me in three days?"

"Will do, Sombra. What can we do now, though? I want to enjoy my sleep, because I'll probably get woken up early again."

Sombra's horn glows royal blue, and the scenery changes to a clearing in the forest. A red and white chequered blanket appears on the ground and a picnic basket a moment later. I walk over to it and open the lid. Inside is a fruitcake, decorated with chestnuts and slices of apple. I find cutlery and bowls in the other side of the basket and cut a slice for each of us. Even though I know I am dreaming, I swear I can taste the different flavours.

"Sombra," I say in between mouthfuls, "you are definitely forgiven."

He laughs, and I feel even happier than when I was with Nightmare Moon. This is the best that I have felt in a long time, and something tells me that I won't forget this dream so easily when I wake up.

Chapter 6: An Opportunity

Sombra and I are in the dream realm a few days later, just talking about his old life and what it's like to live in the Crystal Empire, when he jumps out of his seat in the cafe where we have made ourselves at home, ears pricked, eyes scanning the area.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Somepony else is here."

My stomach lurches. "Who?"

"I have no idea, but if they were to see me here, if they hear me... Our entire plan could be in danger before we even have a chance to make it work. And here I was thinking I would get back everything I lost. Damn Celestia."

"Shh. You don't want to be overheard, Sombra."

"Sorry, I-"

Wishbone trots into the cafe, and the moment she spots, Sombra, her eyes grow wide and her wings flare outwards. She approaches him and snarls, "Get away from my friend."

"And why would I do that if she is my friend too?" The scenery changes to that of a clearing in a forest. Not the Everfree, nor anywhere I recognise, but Sombra probably does. Proof that he is very much in charge. A small display of power, but a display of power nonetheless.

"What?! What do you mean, she's your friend too? Moonlight would never betray me or Princess Luna like that. Would you, Moonlight?!" She turns to me. "Explain yourself."

She doesn't see the wink Sombra gives me, or his lip syncing.

"Do you think I had much choice?" I say.

"No, you probably didn't. Well, it's a good thing Princess Luna isn't too far away. I'm sure she would love to hear what this 'friend' of yours is up to." She casts a spell, and a bolt of magic rips open a hole in the dream, travelling into the dream realm. A spell to allow Luna to find us in an instant.

Sure enough, she appears before Sombra can escape, and says, "Dear me, King Sombra, you never learn."

"You are correct, I don't, otherwise I would have used mind magic to ensure that my new friend Moonlight didn't rat me out." He gives me a glare, but I can tell it is an act.

"Leave, Sombra."

"As you wish, Luna. But may I talk to you a little later, once you have sorted this out with the little bats?"

Luna, to her credit, decides not to bother with trying to correct him. "Fine, then. We may talk later. But leave Moonlight alone."

He smirks, bows and disappears. That stallion is brilliant at acting.

"Moonlight, what happened?" Luna asks once she is sure he's gone.

"He waited a few days, then he started visiting again. I agreed to help him, just to get him to stop trying to give me nightmares. He's been teaching me about the Crystal Empire, but also about his plans to get back in there again."

"His plan?"

"He says there's some form of magic shield keeping him out at the moment, and he's just going to keep attacking it until it wears out. He wants me to go there and speed up the process or something."

"King Sombra will have to do more than that to get to the Crystal Empire," Wishbone says determinedly. Then, with a little less confidence, "Right, Princess?"

"I hope so. I am glad he didn't use any dark magic on you, Moonlight. If he had done so, who knows what the consequences may have been."

"What do I do now?"

"I shall speak to Celestia in the morning, Moonlight. I would not cut all ties with him, in case you find any valuable information that I need to hear. Good night, both of you. I will speak to both of you again very soon." She leaves the dream without another word.

"I thought I told you not to talk to him," Wish mutters.

"I had no choice."

"I know. It's just. Just." She looks at the ground. "We've known each other for nearly a year now. It's not that long for you, considering all the time you spent on the moon, but for me it is. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't. Not with you and Luna helping me."

"Good." She also leaves. Finally. I clear my throat, and Sombra appears once more, his mane slightly scruffier now.

"That was close. We'll have to be more careful," I tell him.

"Then listen to your King, get off your flank and travel to the Crystal Empire, worthless mare," he jokes.

"Worthless? Your entire plan hinges on me."

"Exactly. You have one job. Do not make any mistakes."

I pause to think about what Luna said. The Crystal Empire has some sort of protection, probably unicorn or alicorn magic. That means there are ponies there who want to know if Sombra is planning something so they can make a counter-move. Luna now knows that I have information, and she's going to tell Celestia, who of course will want to keep her little ponies safe.

"I know what you're thinking, and it is brilliant," Sombra laughs. "Just make sure that you don't actually tell them all of my plans. Feed them as many lies as possible. Maybe then I will get my kingdom back."

"I'm happy to help you, but I have one question."

"Oh?"

"Would you ever use mind control on me? Or Wishbone? Or Luna?"

He looks away guiltily and hesitates for a moment. "I never take these decisions lightly," he says. "If any of you were to force my hoof, then yes. However, at the present I have no reason to. You have no need to worry, little bat."

I don't bother to correct him. If he wants to call me that, he can and he will. It's better than being called a vampire, and much better than the thought of making him angry. "Thank you, Sombra."

He walks over to me and wraps a foreleg around me. At first, I panic, but then he talks to me and calms me down. "I promise, little bat, I will not allow any harm to come to you. Thank you, for listening."

"You're welcome." I blush slightly, just because I'm surprised. Nothing else.

"I must leave now, but I shall see you soon." He disappears before I have a chance to say goodbye, and I feel a slight pang in my heart. But I ignore it. He's still dangerous.

Princess Luna’s POV

I wait patiently for Sombra to arrive, and he does eventually, that arrogant smirk plastered to his face. He says to me, “Dear Luna, why the long face?”

“I’m not impressed,” I answer

“Why? I agreed to leave you alone, and I have done so until now, when I explicitly asked to speak to you and you agreed.”

“Because of her?” I ask.

“Which one?”

“Moonlight.”

“Whatever is the matter?”

“She is… important.” I choose my words carefully. Naturally, his Dreamwalking skills are too advanced and he reads my mind easily. He bursts into laughter.

“Oh, I understand now. You want her to be protected. Well, I am able do that.”

“You? Protect my sweet child?”

“Why, yes. I am not her enemy. We are friends.” He takes a low bow, like a musician at the end of a concert. Mocking me.

“I never realised that you were as petty as Discord,” I mutter, smiling ever so slightly.

“Excuse me?”

“That only proves my point. I have little doubt that Moonlight will be roped into one of your schemes, but tread carefully. I have kept her out of harm’s way, and I want her to stay there.”

“Do not fret, Luna. I will do nothing to hurt her, and leave her to make her own decisions.” He leaves, and in that moment I know that it is hopeless.

Moonlight's POV

"No, Moonlight. Princess Luna and I will not allow you to risk your life like this," Celestia tells me firmly. The look on her face is a warning that she wants me to leave. I have been here for an hour arguing my case, and I don't plan to leave until she says yes.

"Please, Princess, the bat ponies have burned down my house, and since I have nowhere to go, I want to be helpful. I could help with the battle against Sombra. He could say something important to me, but if I'm here, I can't give the information to Princess Cadance and Shining Armour."

"Moonlight, you make a convincing case, but this is dangerous. A small pony with no combat training could easily get hurt."

I cock my head to one side, insulted. "No training? I was a Lunar Guard before I was sent to the moon, and your sister was a brilliant sparring partner when we were there. I could take down King Sombra with my eyes closed," I boast. Of course it isn't true, but still, a thousand years is a long time to learn how to fight, both with my hooves and with magic.

Celestia looks at Luna, who is suddenly aware of the intricate details sewn into the red carpet.

"Fine," Celestia sighs. "You can go to the Crystal Empire if," she adds before I can celebrate, "you follow the guards' orders and keep out of danger. I will be in touch to make sure you stay out of trouble."

"Thank you, Princesses. I really appreciate it." I bow to each of them, then trot out of the throne room, a spring in my step despite the lies that I have told to my oldest friend and her elder sister. The possibility of seeing Sombra outweighs the minuscule feelings of guilt over telling a little white lie.

Wishbone is outside, and I hug her. She pauses for a moment before hugging me back, and that feeling of guilt in my stomach grows a little.

"When we get there, I want you to stay out of danger, ok?" she asks.

"Of course I will. Thanks for supporting me."

"It's fine. You seem like you really want to go."

"Well, I want to see the Empire and also help out with the effort to drive Sombra away," I lie, "and the villagers ostracising me sort of settled the deal," I finish, telling the truth. I hope that she can't tell that I am telling blatant lies to her face.

"Well, whatever makes you happy," she says, and I internally sigh with relief.

A few hours later, Wishbone and I are on a train heading to the Frozen North. All the more time to snooze and talk to King Sombra. When I fall asleep and get to tell him the news, he actually jumps for joy.

"This is excellent, Moonlight!" he says with relish. "How in Equestria did you manage to convince the Princesses?!"

"I had to fib a bit. I feel like I should be telling the truth, but at the same time I know they'd never let me come here if I did. Even Luna doesn't like the idea, and she probably understands you better than most."

"That is a disappointment. Explain, for I think I have missed something. What is the point of changing if other ponies refuse to let you do so?" he asks with exasperation. He throws his hooves up in the air.

"Good point, Sombra, but we have to keep trying. We have to do whatever we can to show them that you are a good pony. We have to make them see the truth."

"Make them?" He gives me a curious look.

"Well, yes. The easiest way is to show them that you want to be good and rehabilitate or something like that. Try not to break into the Crystal Empire as often, and only attack the guards if they attack you first. That's just the first thing that I can think of."

"What else could we do to make them see, then?"

I give him a confused look. "What do you mean? Visit their dreams? That seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Send them back in time? Most time spells only take you back a week and the others are too dangerous. Force them to see things the way we do with mind control? Illegal, dangerous and downright stupid. Forcing them to walk a mile in our horseshoes is exactly what they'd expect you to do, and we'll never get them to listen to you if we do that."

He sighs. It is annoying that nopony believes us. But we just have to keep trying to be sensible for now.

"We could stage something, maybe," he suggests. "Maybe I could pretend to attack the Crystal Empire, and then you could stop me and tell me that the guards are 'friends', at which point I stop attacking and am nice to everypony, and you are hailed as a hero by all those around you. Of course, I would never do anything without your permission, but it seems fairly logical, if a little childish. Friendship spreads between ponies faster than the flu, so what better way is there to convince them?"

I consider this, and he seems to be right. I am not fussed about being called a hero, I just want to help Sombra out because nopony else will. I can't believe that nopony accepts that ponies can change, especially the Royal Sisters. I would have thought that they'd accept Sombra immediately. Then again, he keeps trying to break into the Crystal Empire, so maybe Celestia has mistaken his efforts to get into the Empire to speak to somepony as an invasion. Luna... She should know better, but I'll have to deal with it.

"I can't think of anything better," I tell him eventually. "We'll stage something where I pretend to protect the Empire from you. It's a deal."

"Then, maybe, we can accomplish something. If I do manage to get reinstated as the King of the Crystal Empire, I am going to need a few guards to make sure the ponies of Equestria don't try to kick me off the throne again. Consider it, would you?"

Going back to being a Royal Guard, but in the Crystal Empire where I don't have to deal with Celestia? That's a dream come true! I grin from ear to ear.

"Of course I will, Sombra. There might not be fresh mangoes, but the further away I am from Canterlot, the better I feel. There's still scars from everything that happened. I mean, Celestia sent me to the moon for a thousand years. I lost all my living friends and relatives in one fell swoop. You can see why I started believing what Nightmare Moon said."

"That must be what caused us to cross paths, then. Our disliking for a certain alicorn with the sun on her flank. When I first met you, I saw you as somepony who would fall under mind control easily, but that isn't so. It looks like I have found a good friend, also." He edges closer to me.

Friend. Right. It might be because he's powerful and somepony I know would protect me, or because I'm the only one who knows that he likes to laugh, but he's beginning to feel like more than a friend. He's more than Wishbone, put it that way. And he doesn't look that bad. It's just taken some getting used to the dark magic and the eyes.

I suddenly feel somepony tapping me on the shoulder, and it's not Sombra. "Wait, I'll have to talk another time, I'm waking up. Bye, Sombra!"

"Goodbye, Moonlight!" is the last thing I hear before I come to.

Wishbone smiles at me as I open my eyes. "Wake up, sleepy head, we're here."

I look out the window, and my eyes grow wide at the sheer beauty of the Crystal Empire in real life. What I have seen of it in the dream realm doesn't compare to this.

Yes, I am here, Sombra. I am here to help you claim your throne again, and show Equestria that you're a good pony.

Chapter 7: The Crystal Empire

Princess Celestia's POV

King Sombra will not get away with this. I hope that he doesn't know, but even if he does, the little vampire has played right into my hooves. I have warned my fellow princess Cadance, who is currently in the Crystal Empire, that the vampire could cause problems if she listens to him. If she does, she will not get away with her little plan. If she does not, and listens to Cadance instead, we are in luck. Either way, we will win, my little ponies will be safe, she and her husband will have a kingdom of their own to rule, and I will remain on the throne of Equestria.

The reign of light will not succumb to the darkness so easily.

Of course, there are complications. Lulu's connection with the darkness through Nightmare Moon. The vampire's position of power that she has thrown away so far but could choose to reclaim. Yet the Daughter of the Night has not acted that way. She is no Princess of the Stars, she's just confused. She thinks I am wrong to protect my ponies from a much larger threat. She will learn, though. The stars create light, and the light will cut through the darkness always.

The reign of the sun shall withstand all.

Moonlight's POV

The way that the Crystal Empire has been described does not capture its true beauty in the slightest. Even though the windows of the train are caked in snow, the ice blue towers and spires of the Crystal Castle ringed by the city and the green grassland are unmissable and absolutely breathtaking. The best part of all of this is knowing that I will be helping Sombra claim it for his own again, and maybe fulfilling my own dreams of becoming one of his top guards. That last one is less important though: getting him back into the Empire is my top priority, just because it seems so unfair. If everypony got used to Princess Luna after she returned, then I'm sure Sombra can't be that much different.

When the train stops, Wishbone and I climb off, and we are greeted by several unicorn guards. The leader of the group turns out to be Prince Shining Armour, the Captain of the Royal Guard. I remember the news of his wedding travelled even to the depths of the Everfree Forest. To be honest, I'm surprised that somepony with such a high rank in the Guard was unable to realise that his fiancee had been replaced by a changeling, until his actual fiancee came into the room and made him realise what was going on. The things that love does to other ponies.

He watches the darkening sky nervously, then tells us, "Everypony, get to the Empire quickly, it's almost nightfall." Running behind him, I wonder what he means for a moment, when I realise that's probably when Sombra's trying to break into the Empire, which is currently surrounded by a translucent blue field of energy. They are so keen to see that he doesn't get in.

Darkness falls before we reach the blue shield that surrounds the Empire, and the sky is filled with a roar louder than any thunder I have heard. Shining and the other guards push us forwards, trying to keep us moving. I soon see what we are running from: a huge grey cloud swirls above us and shapes itself into the face of King Sombra, in his corrupted form. His irises are once again blood red, ringed by sickly green where the eyes should be white, and they give off that purple magic. When he appears in my dreams, he always looks like a normal pony, and I am not used to seeing him like this. Quite frankly, it chills me to the bone. He cackles, and his grey horn glows red as it tries to fire at the blue energy field that's protecting the Crystal Empire. Everypony except Prince Shining Armour fires spells at Sombra - or whatever that cloud in the sky is - and I notice for the first time the black crystals on his horn that stop him from using his magic. Sombra must have hit him with a spell, either accidentally or deliberately. Shining must have asked for it.

As the unicorn guards dodge attacks and Wishbone continues to run towards the safety of the Empire, I stop and yell, "Sombra, no!" I haven't seen this side of him, and I much prefer the side I know. I hope the ponies of Equestria will too.

As if on cue, he stops, and looks down at me.

"Sombra, it's Moonlight," I say.

The cloud dissipates and Sombra, the actual King Sombra, although still wielding that dark magic of his, looks at me affectionately. He jumps from cloud to cloud, trying to get closer to me. I don't know whether he has realised that this is our little act, but either way, he's acting just how he needs to.

"Moonlight Shade, get away from him," demands Shining Armour. Sombra sends a blast of magic in his general direction, then turns back to me.

"Please, don't keep on doing this, Sombra. Don't try to get into the Crystal Empire like this. There are better ways to be a leader."

The guards stand a few metres away, their jaws agape, shocked to the core and unable to intervene. Sombra looks like he is considering what I have told him, when I know that he is just choosing the right words to make the performance seem authentic. He stops using his magic, and his eyes stop glowing. "Moonlight, tell them that I have seen the error of my ways and that they are being unrealistic. They refuse to listen to me, but maybe they will listen to you."

"I'll try," I tell him. I actually will, because he deserves better, in the same way that Nightmare Moon just needed a little respect.

He gives me a nod. "Thank you, Moonlight. Will I see you again?"

"Sure! The Princesses said I'm welcome to stay in the Crystal Empire, so I'll be around for a while. It's a shame that they won't let you in, but what's to stop us from meeting on this side of the barrier?"

Sombra says, "Meet me here tomorrow evening, if you can."

"I will, and I'll try to get Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armour to let you into the Empire. See you tomorrow, Sombra."

I watch as he walks across the clouds and away from the Empire. He is incredibly skilled at magic, that's for sure. To be honest, he's very sweet when you get to know him. How everypony can hate him is beyond me.

It is quiet all around, save the whistling of the wind as it blows the snow across the plains. Shining Armour, the other guards and Wishbone all stare at me.

"How did you do that?" Shining eventually asks.

"He's visited my dreams a few times, and he seems to have a soft spot for me. He wants to be accepted into society again, but he doesn't really know how to act. All he sees is that he's being shut out of the Crystal Empire, where he belongs. I'll explain everything when I know I'm not going to get pneumonia."

He nods, and leads us towards the Crystal Empire.

When we cross the blue barrier, I feel the difference in temperature immediately: it is warmer than the Everfree Forest in the actual Empire, which is much smaller than its name suggests. Still, it is an amazing place, and how the crystal ponies thrive here is beyond me. I see some of them, but they look like they need a bit of cheering up. Their faces are unnaturally gloomy as they walk around the small town and their fur is not as vibrant as the coats of their counterparts from Equestria. I don't make any comments, though.

Eventually, we reach the castle, which is dead in the centre of the city. Wishbone - who is still shocked - and I are escorted inside, up a couple of flights of stairs, through a hall and outside onto a balcony. I immediately recognise Mi Amore Cadenza, the Princess of Love, by her wings that seamlessly change from pink at the joints to purple at the tips, and her long pink unicorn horn. However, for a princess, she looks dishevelled, with large bags under her eyes and her mane frizzy. She smiles at us nonetheless and introduces herself.

"Cadance, these fillies here are Wishbone Willow and Moonlight Shade," Shining Armour says, pointing at each of us as he tells his wife our names. I bow to her in respect, but silently resent Shining for using my last name.

"What brings you two so far away from home?" she asks with a voice like silk.

"I may have information about King Sombra. He seems to like me and has told me some of his plans."

Princess Cadance raises an eyebrow at me. "What has he told you so far?"

"From what I gather, he just wants to be back in the Crystal Empire and he's realised that he has made mistakes, but he's resorting to desperate measures, such as dark magic. He can't see the point in being nice if it won't allow him back into the Empire."

"Hmm. In what way would you say he likes you?"

"Umm..."

"Are you just friends?" The edge in her voice is noticeable.

I have no idea where this is going, but I can't refuse to answer to a Princess, especially when surrounded by guards and in front of her husband. "I am just friends with him... but we are quite close."

There is anxiety in her voice as she speaks. "Moonlight, today I received a letter from Princess Celestia. I hate to say this, but he's manipulating you into believing that he's innocent. He has done so many wrongs, and now we're trying to make sure that he doesn't repeat those mistakes and nopony else is hurt."

"You aren't even giving him a second chance!" I cry indignantly. I feel my emotions boiling over. What right did Celestia have to write a letter to her niece and tell her I was up to no good? I am actually trying to help here!

"He does not deserve one," she says coolly.

How is it that second chances have always been Celestia's way, yet she won't give one to the pony who reaches for it with both hooves?! I can't stand the hypocrisy for another minute, and fly away from the castle. I decide to visit the Crystal Library and search for anything that could give me a clue about how things were before and during Sombra's rule. I ignore the librarian, and find my way around based on the titles of the ancient books on the colossal wooden shelves, each of them easily three times as high as I am tall.

Eventually, I find the right section. I look for a few seconds, then I find just the right book that I need. I am about to take it off the shelf when a magenta aura takes it from my grasp. I try to find the source of the magic, and then I see her. The pale purple unicorn with the darker purple mane. Celestia's latest qualified puppet, the one who screwed up everything when I was with Nightmare Moon. Student of Celestia, Bearer of the Element of Magic.

Twilight Sparkle.

Chapter 8: Storms Brewing - Part 1

For about ten seconds, nothing happens. Twilight Sparkle just stares at me, and I stare back as the memory of our first meeting replays in my head. Then, she breaks the silence, and I remember just how much I loathe her.

"Oh! Aren't you the mare who was friends with Nightmare Moon? Hey, sorry about what happened a year ago. I heard that Princess Luna was less than nice to you afterwards. That was my bad. But what brings you to the Crystal Empire? Are you trying to help protect it from King Sombra?"

I yank the sacred book out of her grasp with a little magic. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you why I'm here."

"Tell me, because I might be able to help you out." She takes the book back and sets it on a nearby table.

"Fine. I'm trying to figure out two things. The first is how to get Sombra to show his nice side more often. He's decided he wants to be friends with me, but he's not great around everypony else. The second is how to get everypony to see his nice side and accept him into society."

A mare with a baby pink coat and a darker pink frizzy mane bounces down the aisle. Another Element Bearer. "Oh, you're being silly. Surely somepony like you who's been hanging around with villains for ages can realise that Sombra's just a bully! There's no nice side to somepony like him!"

"Lo and behold, the age old problem of stereotypes. I knew you wouldn't believe me." I throw my hooves into the air, just like Sombra did on the train. "Nopony believes me, because all anypony sees is his dark magic. Why not just sit down and talk to him? I thought that Equestria was built on peace and friendship."

"Is there another way of doing this?" Twilight asks dubiously, sitting down at a table. "If there really were another way, then I'm sure Princess Celestia would try to talk to Sombra. In my opinion, what you are trying is probably not going to work. He won't change. We just have to figure out some way of keeping him out of the Empire permanently."

"Say he isn't the one who needs to change," I suggest.

"Have you seen my brother's horn, covered in dark crystals? He can't use his magic now. I don't think there is a way of stopping Sombra from being evil. I hate to be like this, but I don't want you to end up where he is now."

I don't reply. Instead, I leaf through the book, titled The Historic Traditions of the Crystal Faire. The entire book is written in Old Ponish, which gives me a glimmer of hope before I realise it has nothing about Sombra within its pages, only about somepony called the Crystal Princess, Amoré. Supposedly, she created a crystal heart powered by the love and light from the residents of the Empire that would power a protection spell. The Crystal Faire was an annual event to rejuvenate that power. Unsurprisingly, Twilight takes one look at the book and cries, "GIRLS! IT'S HERE! I KNOW HOW TO PROTECT THE EMPIRE!" I fly out of the library so fast I am surprised that I don't perform a Sonic Rainboom. I don't need to listen to them singing about protecting the crystal ponies from somepony who doesn't want to hurt them.

I travel back to the castle and tell a guard to show me where my room is. I am escorted to a huge luxurious suite that is far too pristine in comparison to my dilapidated hut in the Everfree. When I spoke to the Princesses, before the train journey, I lied. My home was still standing defiantly, and hadn't been destroyed. By now, though, it could have been knocked down or burned. I can't see myself returning anyway. I would rather be with Sombra, travelling through the Frozen North, away from Equestria. He's a good pony, but nopony wants him to be good, ironically.

Though I feel mentally exhausted, sleep evades me, and I don't dare risk leaving the Crystal Empire to talk to Sombra in case I am spotted. Instead, I wonder why Celestia is so keen to stop me.

I know she was the one who defeated him the first time he declared himself King of the Crystal Empire, but what has that got to do with anything? Did he hurt Luna? If he did, I'll forgive him once I know the truth. Does she care that much for ponies who live in an entirely different country? Probably not, unless her plan is for Cadance and Shining Armour to take over the place once it's secure. Is there some other issue between them? Probably, but it's not my place to ask.

Is it because I am, according to legend, the Daughter of the Night? I'd say there is a ninety percent chance that that's the problem. As far as I know, I'm not even distantly related to her or Luna, but she still hates me because I was friends with Nightmare Moon. She probably sees me as a threat, and that's exactly what I am. If I was friends with Nightmare Moon, I might be friends with Sombra, and help him take the Crystal Empire, and throw a spanner in the works for her. I don't mind that. Whatever makes her more annoyed. She lied to me and pretended to apologise for what she did. She should have just told me the truth.

I am called to dinner an hour later. The other ponies - Princess Cadance, Prince Shining Armour, Twilight Sparkle and her silly friends - are eating breakfast, and I will have to as well, but all I wish for is the wonderful stew cooked in the Lunar Barracks at Canterlot Castle. I politely decline to join the others.

"Sorry. Princess Cadance insists," the red earth pony guard says. "Yeh gotta go talk to her."

"She can insist all she likes, but in this country I have free will, and I won't go," I answer back.

The guard grabs me by the mane, and I shriek as he pulls me out of my room and slams the door so that I can't scuttle to safety. The screaming alerts the other guards in the area and they rush to help.

"Let me go!" I tell the guard who is still trying to tug me away, faking tears. "Please! Tell him to stop!"

The guard finally lets go of me and shifts uncomfortably. "Princess said summat 'bout this one 'as ter join 'em. Said she 'as ter tell 'er somethin' important. The vampire answered back."

I gasp at the name 'vampire'. Bat ponies are the one group of ponies discriminated against the most, mainly for our unusual looks and nocturnal habits. The guards are usually the ones arresting ponies for anti-social behaviour, so I'm shocked that they would use names like that themselves, even if they work for Celestia. However, he has given me an advantage, and I might be able to get him sacked. I am not easily upset by name calling or the supposed high class ponies being rude, but a Solar Guard of all ponies causing the trouble? I won't let him get away with it.

I complain to him, "That's rude! How would you like it if I called you a mud pony? Or if I went around calling every pegasus I met an airhead? I would get arrested! If that is how the best guards in Equestria treat an innocent mare, I'll have to make a complaint to the Captain of the Royal Guard himself!" I turn my nose up at him and look away.

The other guards don't respond, but all look at the one who pulled my mane.

"Fine," he snarls at me. "Go ter the dining hall and tell the Cap'ain. Ah'll be watching yeh, vampire."

I fly all the way to the dining room, furious at the outrageous turn of events. Sombra would never let his guards do that! I admit that I don't like the idea of him using dark magic to control them, but I still think that it's better than allowing them to break the laws that they are supposed to uphold. I'll have to talk to him and get a second opinion at some point, but I have a nagging feeling that somepony has told Wishbone to keep an eye on my dreams, so that's likely gone out of the window.

I feel my old anger from when I was trapped on the moon returning, and try not to shout at any of the guards as I pass them. This is ridiculous. Calling me a vampire of all things? Thestral I could have lived with, but not 'vampire'. How do they get away with it?!

Curse you, Celestia. Maybe Nightmare Moon and I really should have knocked your sun out of the sky. Just wait until Sombra and I have taken over the Empire and got those guards under control, and then you can kiss our flanks for all we care. I will get him in, whether that's through brute force or just waiting for Cadance's magic to wear out, since she can't keep powering that shield forever. Sombra is coming, and I will help him until the Crystal Empire is his.

I have tried so many times to be nice to you: when I first joined the Lunar Guard, when I returned with Nightmare Moon, and very recently. But I can't stand you allowing your guards to call me a vampire, and your very careful, deliberate moves to work against me, like sending that letter to your niece to tell her not to trust me.

When Sombra and I succeed, you will pay for this.

Chapter 9: Storms Brewing - Part 2

When I arrive at the dining hall, I make my disgust clear as I enter. Stony faced, I sit down next to Wish at the large wooden table without saying anything and scowl at the tapestry opposite me, depicting the old Princess of the Crystal Empire with her long pink mane and cream coat.

"Is there anything wrong?" Princess Cadance questions me. She and Shining Armour are seated at the head of the table together.

"Oh, you could say that," I almost snap at her. "I wasn't feeling that great, and when a guard came to say that you wanted me to join you, I said that I didn't want to come down here. So he decides to pull me out of my bedroom by my mane. When I manage to call the other guards to help me out, the one who started it all called me a vampire twice and none of the others have anything to say about it."

"WHAT?!" Shining yells. "Moonlight Shade, who did this?"

"He's an earth pony. Red coat, blue mane and tail. His cutie mark is a golden spear. The others were a pegasus with a yellow coat and an orange mane, and a unicorn with a blue coat and mane. All of them were from Canterlot, but none of the Crystal Guards have acted like that. Yet."

"I will have words with all of them. I told all of the guards to treat you as they would any other pony." He glances at Wish. "Wishbone Willow, have you had any problems?"

I look at Wishbone, who I haven't spoken to all night. She admits, "Some of the guards wouldn't speak to me when I asked them to show me where my quarters were. I had to ask about three different ponies before one would actually take me there."

"This is ridiculous," he mutters. "Never mind. I will have words with them later. Princess Cadance and I need to speak to you about what King Sombra is doing, and how Twilight and her friends are going to protect the Empire on a more permanent basis."

I silently wish for Sombra to have mercy and rescue me while Cadance isn't reinforcing her silly protection spell. Although, it occurs to me that if I know how Celestia's minions are defending the Empire, I can work out how to get past them. It's official that she is now working against me, so it's just a matter of moves and counter moves.

"Well," begins Sparkle, "Last night we found a book about the Crystal Fair, an event that uses the positive emotions of the crystal ponies to help protect the Crystal Empire. This seems like a better idea than getting Princess Cadance and other unicorns to use their magic all the time."

"Good start," Cadance beams. "Once that is up and running, King Sombra won't be able to break into the Empire."

I try not to growl at Cadance.

The breakfast arrives, and we eat in silence. Wishbone and I would ordinarily be having a cooked dinner right now, probably vegetable stew. I am not used to going to bed at this hour in the morning, and a yawn escapes me. Wishbone looks at me strangely, as if she is thinking about something important.

"Are you going to try to talk to King Sombra in your dreams today, Moonlight?" she quizzes me.

"Sure. If he does pop up, then I've got to try and get some information out of him," I reply. "Why?"

"I wasn't sure if you wanted any company."

No. Please, no. I am actually more happy for Sombra to visit my dreams than Wishbone now. I have to make something up on the spot. "I'd love it if you could, but if you're there he might not trust me enough to say anything. He might not even show up if he knows that I have a friend with me." More importantly, I can't tell him how I plan to get him into the Empire.

I notice one of the Element Bearers, an orange-coated country mare wearing a Stetson hat, eyeing me with suspicion, but I ignore her.

"Oh," Wish says. "Ok. Just checking, because I haven't spoken to you all day. I only know about your Umbrum-whispering skills and your fight with the guards."

"Umbrum?" I have no idea what she's talking about.

Sparkle recites, "The Umbrum are a race of magical shadow creatures who are fluent in the practices of dark magic. They are often cruel, and put other ponies through extreme misery unless they themselves turn into Umbrum through the use of dark magic rituals. Once they are converted, there is no turning back for them, and they will stay alive unless killed. As is the case with windigos, the only way of doing this is through using the combined love and friendship of all of the ponies in a community." She pauses for breath. "There have been many conspiracies and rumours stating that King Sombra is one of them. It may not be true fact, but it seems like a pretty logical explanation."

"Wait. You..." Oh no. The love and light... the Crystal Heart... "You're planning to kill him?"

"Unfortunately, yes. If that's the only way to save the Crystal Empire from him, then that's what must be done."

"No. There must be something else you can do." I look to Prince Cadance and Shining Armour, hoping that either one of them would argue against Sparkle's reasoning. Neither one of them says anything.

I begin to get angry with them again. "You say that you're doing the best for Equestria and that you give everypony a second chance, but that's a lie. Ponies don't trust me for trying to find out what Sombra's doing, I'm treated like scum by the guards, and then this? Who the Tartarus do you think you are?!"

"Calm down," Wishbone comforts me, resting a hoof on my shoulder. "Look. You've been through quite a lot. Having that thing interrupt your sleep can't be any good for you, but a good night's sleep might help you see things clearly."

She's right, but not in the way she thinks. I walk out of the dining room, teleport to my guest room and try to calm myself down so that I can sleep.

Sombra is there when slumber stops evading me. Before he can ask what is wrong, I tell him, "They want to kill you by using the love and light of the crystal ponies. What will we do, Sombra? You're a part of my life now! I like having somepony to talk to! Nopony believes a word I say and they're going to ruin everything for us after all of that hard work." I sit down facing away from him and sigh in defeat.

"Hush, Moonlight. Calm yourself. Did anypony mention the Crystal Heart?"

"They said the old princess Amoré used a crystal heart to protect this place."

"A crystal heart, or the Crystal Heart?"

"What difference does it make?" I grumble.

"It can't just be any old sculpture. The Crystal Heart was purpose-made by my predecessor herself. Nothing will work without it, and it can only be accessed by somepony who can use dark magic, unless you go straight to where I have hidden it. That is in the," his eyes shift suddenly and he hesitates, "tallest tower. You cannot use magic to take it though, and even in that tower it is difficult to find. Nopony can find it there except myself."

I turn to see what he is looking at. I can make out Wishbone's form behind the crystal pillar.

"Wishbone?" I call her name.

"Give it up, both of you," she spits at me, stepping forward into the light. "I knew this was happening. I haven't left your dreams alone, and I could see the so-called friendship that you were building. The worst thing is that this is more than the kind of friendship where somepony takes advantage of you and stabs you in the back." She glares at Sombra. "It didn't even take a mind control spell. You are actually beginning to love each other, and Moonlight," she gives me a scathing look, "it looks you would even risk your life helping this crook."

"What do you mean?" I ask her, dread building up inside me.

"This is treason. You could be executed for this. I can't let you do this, Moonlight. You're a wonderful pony, and I have a lot of respect for you, but are you saying that you'd rather see the whole Crystal Empire in chains than see this crook punished for his crimes?"

I take a deep breath and stand up to face her. "Yes, Wish. I would, because we wouldn't put the Crystal Empire in chains. I didn't realise before, but..." I look up at Sombra, and a hundred thoughts race through my mind. He had so many chances to hurt me, but he didn't. He offered me friendship, a new job, a new life, and he stood up for me.

I suddenly realise how much this stallion's life means to me. I know we've only known each other for a few weeks, but standing by his side feels the right thing to do. "I think I'm beginning to love you. I'm not sure in what way, but I like having you around." I look back at Wishbone. "I'm sorry, but why would you hand me in?"

"I don't want to see my friend turned into an Umbrum, because that's what he'll do. If you decide to get together, he'll want some commitment shown."

"Then I'd become an Umbrum, for his sake," I counter. "If you say that you're going to hand me in, I'll leave the Crystal Empire, and Sombra and I will both try to get into the Crystal Empire each night. Why? A true friend would walk a mile in their friend's horseshoes. I have - I can see where you're coming from. You want the best for me and the best for Equestria, which aren't bad qualities to have. But I tried time and again to get Sombra a second chance, and nopony would listen, which is why I've sided with him. And if you do hand me in, my last request will be for you to watch."

"That won't happen. Swear to the good of Equestria or I tell the guards immediately."

"The problem is that you won't tell anypony, Wishbone," I say quietly. I nudge Sombra's front hoof. I don't know exactly how this works, or even if it will work, but I've seen him use magic in dreams plenty of times. "The problem is that you are going to help us, whether you like it or not."

It happens quickly, much faster than she can react. Sombra uses dark magic, and a beam of purple light hits Wishbone's forehead. When it disappears, she stands up straight and tall. "I won't tell anypony, Moonlight," she says monotonously.

"You are dismissed, and can return to your own dreams," says Sombra. "You will have no recollection of this when you wake."

Wishbone jumps through a mirror on the wall and disappears. She does not return.

"My goodness, how in Equestria did you know that the mind control spell could work in the dream realm?!" Sombra remarks.

"I've seen you cast spells in dreams before, so I guessed that you would be able to use a little mind control to buy us some time." That was brilliant, and the strange thing is, I don't have any regret. At all.

"Thank you for complimenting me on my magical abilities. The reason why that quick turnaround worked is because dark magic relies on emotions, and your emotions are not guarded nearly as well in the dream world. Also, what was it you said about potentially viewing me as more than a friend?"

"Well, um," I stumble over my words, "it's early days, but uh, you don't actually look that bad, and you have quite a fun personality. Others would say you're narcissistic, or hate you for what you've done in the past, but you have a soft spot for me, and I realise that." I turn away, blushing. He is sort of cute, I guess. I'm not fully admitting anything at the moment, though.

"Well, if all of this works out and you don't happen find anypony else, would you be interested?" he inquires.

"Slow down. Early days. You need to be made a King first."

"Too right. We have a time limit. Would you like to practise using dark magic? You might have to retrieve a certain Crystal Heart for me if they figure out that their entire plan depends on it."

"Where do we start?"

The scene changes, and I recognise the throne room of the Crystal Castle. Sombra sits on the throne in a relaxed position. "This is where the entrance to the secret passageway is at the real castle. You have to really concentrate on all of your negative feelings, and focus your magic on this throne." He jumps off and steps to one side. "Try it. I won't interfere with the dream."

I focus all my hatred of Celestia on one tiny crystal piece of the throne, and run through the mental list of all of the names that I want to call her one day. The crystal turns black and a long shadow is cast upon a section of floor. It disappears and reveals a long, winding staircase.

"Good job," he muses. "What thoughts did you use?"

"All the names that I would like to call Celestia. It is a long list. Can we go down?"

The scenery changes again. It's dark, but I have a feeling that this is the bottom of the staircase. A locked door stands in front of us. Sombra instructs, "Do not use dark magic here, whatever you do. It is a trap that I had specifically installed. A light magic spell for opening doors is fine, on the other hoof."

I zap the crystal piece above the door and it opens, revealing one of the Crystal Castle towers.

"Is this the tallest tower?"

"Wrong. That was a lie to get Wishbone off our tails. If she does remember anything, she will give everypony the wrong advice. This is the second tallest tower. However, if you just fly up there without entering the secret passage first, the Crystal Heart will be hidden from view, and only I know where it will be."

"That's interesting. How does that work?"

"It is a very clever string of spells that I invented, which an old friend of mine called the Wild Goose Chase Effect," he explains. "If the pony looking for the Heart goes straight to the destination, there is nothing there because they have to complete a series of spells to get hold of it, including dark magic spells. The spell is cast over the whole Crystal Empire and cannot be undone. At the top of the tower is the Crystal Heart. If you fly up there, you will find it, but it is not there in the dream realm. The other thing that I will point out is that you must be alone at the top of the tower, or crystals will prevent you from taking it." He looks longingly up at the tower. "Do you think that you can find the Heart and bring it to me?"

"I think I-"

There is a sudden clap of thunder that has nothing to do with the dream, startling both of us. Everything goes dark for a minute, then the scenery returns.

"It is happening," breathes Sombra, looking across the Crystal Empire. "Finally. The alicorn Cadance is growing weaker. Her magic will not last much longer. Some of my crystals have already penetrated the Empire." He turns back to me. "Hurry now, Moonlight. It is still day, but the other ponies will already be searching for the Crystal Heart and we must find it before it is too late."

"Goodbye, Sombra. I won't let you down."

I wake up, and all around is screaming and thunder.

Chapter 10: The Siege

I run out of my room immediately, and when I get to a balcony I find that the blue shield around the Empire is flashing. I can see those black crystals that he was talking about, and ponies running towards the Crystal Castle for safety. The problem is that somepony has probably worked out by now that nothing will work without the Crystal Heart, and they have probably gone looking for it.

My time is up.

I get to the throne room, and my suspicions are confirmed when I discover that somepony has already worked out how to access the staircase. I fly down, because trotting would take extra time, but I find that the door at the bottom has also been opened, although recently: Sparkle's voice still can be heard, coming from the second staircase. I can't just fly up to the top and take the Crystal Heart, because everypony will see me.

Instead, I follow them up quietly, until Sparkle casts a gravity spell. She goes wheeeee all the way up, and cursing Celestia's name, I cast a gravity myself and slide down - or up, depending on which way you think about it - the underside of the staircase. As I go, I see that the crystals are spreading further, until suddenly, the protection spell fades completely. Sombra's darkness cuts holes in the blue shield, and then I see his cloud apparition float towards the Castle. The crystal ponies start screaming and running towards the Castle too, in the vain hope of finding safety. I have no pity for them. What are they running from?

Just as I reach the top of the tower, Sparkle and the baby dragon take a step too close to the beautiful blue Crystal Heart. Lo and behold, black crystals appear, creating a large cage. Twilight jumps around, trying to get to the Heart but only trapping herself further, and her magic has no effect on the crystals.

"Wait. Is that Moonlight Shade?" she asks. Snap, she's spotted me. "Spike, Moonlight, don't move!" she yells.

I calmly stand still, while Spike tries to balance on one foot. Sparkle says, "Ok, you can move, just not towards me." I take a few steps towards the Heart, but Spike just puts his clawed foot on the floor. Unfortunately, he's still closer to the Heart than me.

"Which one of you is closest to the Heart?" Sparkle asks us.

"I am," Spike realises. Dammit!

"You have to give it to Princess Cadance, Spike."

"What about Princess Celestia's test, Twilight? You'll fail!" So they're being graded for their skills in saving ponies from anypony Celestia doesn't like? She probably wants her dear student to become a princess too at some point. Why am I not surprised?!

"I won't be able to get out of here on time, but you might, Spike. Protecting the Crystal Empire is more important."

He grabs the Crystal Heart. Sombra's black crystals writhe around him, and I have to dodge them in order to get closer to Spike. He is knocked off of the side of the tower, and the Heart goes plummeting with him. I dive after him, shouting, "I'll save you, Spike!"

The cloud of darkness vanishes and King Sombra appears, a huge black crystal lifting him off the ground. I know that he is going to try and grab the Heart, but he might not catch it. I see Princess Cadance, weaker than ever, on a balcony. Shining Armour scooping her up in his forelegs, her spreading her wings. He's planning on throwing her like a javelin so she can catch us. I am freefalling, but I know that everything will fall apart if I don't act now.

I close my wings and dive straight down, past Spike, and grab the Heart with both hooves. I hold Spike in my magic and spread my wings to slow myself down, then hover, halfway between King Sombra and Cadance, who is perched on one of the balconies. It looks like I will save the day when I send Spike over to Cadance and Shining, and everypony is about to cheer. It all depends on me.

How pathetic when I never wanted to save them, and that I have a more important mission: to save Sombra and expose Celestia's lies to the rest of the world. Apologies, Celestia.

I fly towards Sombra, land on the piece of black crystal, and focus all of my hatred of Celestia and desire to rule the Empire with Sombra and longing to see the Crystal Heart destroyed so that Sombra can complete his goals, on it. Black spikes grow out of its side, and the ancient magical artefact shatters. The Crystal Heart is rendered useless... by my own dark magic.

Everypony stares at me, aghast at what I have done. Sombra, though, he looks like a proud parent at a school rewards ceremony or something equally hilarious considering the situation.

"Well, done, Moonlight," he says, and fleetingly kisses me on the cheek. That's just... It feels amazing to have earned his respect. "Now stay out of danger while I scare out the scum from Equestria and make this our Crystal Empire."

"I could never do that, Sombra. I have to fight by your side."

I leave the huge piece of black crystal where I had perched and lunge towards Cadance. Shining Armour throws her out of harm's way so I jump towards him and hold him down. Guards run to his aid but I send a simple blast of dark magic their way. It knocks them unconscious immediately. Somehow, using dark magic is so natural for me, when I have heard that some of the greatest unicorns have had trouble mastering it. Maybe it's because I'm a bat pony.

"Why didn't you listen to me?" I snarl at Shining Armour, who squirms under me.

"You have no idea how much of a monster he is." He tries to lift me off of him.

"You have no idea that Celestia is the real monster. She never gave him a chance, and neither did you. You're her servant, you've been lied to." I pause for a moment. "You could stop being her servant and live under Sombra's rule, and I'd vouch for you. Say the word and I'll tell him to grant you amnesty."

"Never." He and I kerfuffle for a minute, each trying to overpower the other.

I throw him off of me and hit him with a spell. He falls over the railings of the balcony and all the way down to the ground, where his sister Sparkle and the Element Bearers are gathered. I panic for a moment and think oh my goodness what have I done I've just accidentally killed another pony what do I do? Thankfully. he isn't killed, because he gets up, but I can see that at least one of his legs is severely broken. The guards have recovered from the magical blast, but I merely cast them aside with my powers again. I don't even have to use dark magic.

I waltz through the castle, not encountering any guards for they are all busy outside, fighting Sombra in vain. I go down to the place where the Crystal Heart would be if it were powering the Empire's protection spell and start firing dark magic at the very centre of the snowflake design that runs throughout the entire Empire. I don't know why I do this, but it feels good to channel all of my emotions into something.

The dark magic spreads across the snowflake pattern, covering every road through the Empire, corrupting everything in its path. I can't help but laugh a little at the destruction that I have caused, and stand in the very centre of that snowflake, as the Crystal Castle above me turns from ice blue to jet black. I've done it. I've just gone and done it. Everything that Celestia always said about me is right, and I'm happy with that.

I move to one side a little and make room for Sombra to stand next to me when I see him approaching. He does, and whispers, "I think you may have just fulfilled Celestia's definition of evil."

"Probably."

"I hereby declare that you are the Captain of the Crystal Guard, Commander Moonlight Shade."

I gasp, "What? Me? Running the Royal Guard?"

"Relax, fellow warrior." He lifts my chin with his hoof so I look straight into his glowing red eyes. "I will teach you what you need to know. Then we can get this place into shape and teach a few ponies to be nice to us."

"Sounds like a plan, Your Majesty."

Despite what everypony now thinks of me, I am not heartless. Eventually, I get to work, bringing civilians to the safety of the Crystal Castle. I am far less kind to the guards, Shining Armour, Cadance and the Elements of Harmony. I round them up and make sure that they can't escape from the Empire, mainly because I want Celestia to worry about them for a while, even if I do eventually send them home. It will probably be up to Sombra to decide what to do with them.

When I meet up with him later, he is impressed. "I see that you have the crystal ponies all nice and safe. Even if you made the place look a lot more menacing, you seem like you are going to be a good influence on me."

"I want them to see that we have hearts, even if we don't let our soft sides show often."

"Believe me, I will be showing mine a lot less. Only you, the new Captain of the Crystal Guard, will get to know my softer side."

The auburn sky would frighten anypony else to death. For me, it marks a new era in the Crystal Empire, a new life as Sombra's top Royal Guard, and maybe, in the future, something more. First of all, though, Sombra and I have to make our mark on the Crystal Empire, and show the world that we are its leaders.

After the battle, I walk through the streets of my new home. Every Crystal Guard is dressed from head to tail in black armour with spikes along the back and on the shoulders. None of this worries me, save the helmets. They cover each pony's entire head, with a few small holes on the front so they can breathe, and glowing green slits where their eyes are. The mark of dark magic and the mind control spell. It makes me panic, and I make a mental note to speak to Sombra about it before moving on.

Apart from the guards, there are few ponies on the streets, and those who see me cower in the shadows. Fear. One of the strongest emotions. I don't know whether anypony would have had time to alert Celestia and Luna, but if they did then by morning everypony in Equestria will fear me. I don't know how to feel about it. Sombra would want me to be proud, but I don't want to be a fearsome ruler. I just don't want Celestia to say he isn't allowed a second chance.

I pass a few foals playing out on the street. One of them trips over all of a sudden. I hold out a hoof to help her up, but she shies away from me.

"It's ok, no need to be afraid."

"B-b-but you're working for him!" She points at the Crystal Castle.

"I'm sorry, I have to."

The foal jumps onto her feet. One of her friends says, "Did he use that nasty mind control on you too, huh?"

"No."

"Then why'd you have to help him?"

"Because he was nice to me."

"Tell him to be nice to us then," mutters a little colt.

"I will. I already have a few things I'm going to talk to him about."

"Will he listen?"

"I think he will."

"So... why does he listen to you and nopony else?"

"For the same reason I listened to him."

"You were nice to each other?" the first filly says dubiously.

"Yes. As long as you're nice to him, he's nice to you as well, I promise. Even if he isn't nice to all of you at first, I'll make sure he changes."

"With that freaky mind control? Ugh..."

"No, but I'll try everything else."

I leave the foals, and begin to wonder what he did to earn such a reputation. Doubts begin to creep in. Should I have helped him? Is he just using me and planning to discard me like a piece of rubbish now he has what he wants? I shake my head. He won't do that. How do I know? We're nice to each other. We're friends. Maybe I'm stuck with a pair of rose-tinted spectacles, but my instincts tell me that I've made the right choice.

Author's Note

Bonus: A Note About Chapters 1-10

As I write this, it is late March, 2021. It's been a while since I first wrote these chapters, and I've revised them recently, for a couple of reasons. I reread everything I've written, and I realised that this part of the story made little sense, and a few parts of the story later on didn't either, because I hadn't included enough detail in certain areas. So I've amended the mistakes I made, and now it flows a lot better than it did.

There's still a few mysteries. I haven't unveiled my entire plan for the story. But I've made them easier to solve by adding a few extra parts where you get to read about Celestia and Luna's viewpoints. These first ten chapters might not make complete sense, but the idea is that those gaps in your knowledge will be filled later on.

Now, a bit about why I started writing this in the first place. I'll jump back to August 2020. It was the summer holidays, but I was stuck at home due to Covid-19. I'd made my Fimfiction account, published a couple of silly stories, testing my writing skills. Two of those landed on the front page in the Featured box, which made me feel pretty good about myself. So I decided I wanted to write something a little longer.

I had a few ideas in my head. A rewrite of Equestria Girls if the Mane 7 were Sirens. A crossover of some sort with one of my other favourite franchises. A story about Twilight discovering why Luna became Nightmare Moon, in a lot more detail. But I had no motivation to write any of those.

Then, two ideas hit me at once. I thought about writing a story in which King Sombra actually succeeds in taking over the Crystal Empire, and re-watched the Season 3 premiere to find all of the variables that could have led to him winning. At the same time, I was thinking about what FiM would be like if Luna had a foal. These two lines started to merge, and I thought of a mare with an odd name constantly teetering on the edge of being a good pony or a villain, a mare who found herself admiring and helping King Sombra, a mare with close ties to NMM. Little did I know at the time that I was teetering on the edge of making a Mary Sue or a Villain Sue, or that OC x Canon stories are usually of really poor quality and get a lot of downvotes and nasty comments. I was walking into a death trap, and was going to get myself a bad reputation as an author before I'd even started, really. I was blissfully unaware and...

Nothing happened. Everypony seemed to like what I was writing, and it spurred me on, even when I learned what a close shave that was. :twilightblush: :rainbowlaugh:

My plan was that the story would end after 10 or 12 chapters. But as I was writing the first draft for the chapter you have just read, it hit me that I'd created a whole universe that I could explore. I suddenly realised how much fun I could have. And hoo boy, writing this story has been a lot of fun so far. At the time of writing this message, I still have a long way to go, but I'm enjoying it. I hope you are too!

~ Angel

Chapter 11: Not Evil

The underground room is in complete darkness. Sombra and I can barely contain our laughter as we walk in a circle around the prisoners: Shining Armour, Cadance, the six Elements of Harmony, Spike the baby dragon and Wishbone, along with a few guards from Canterlot. All of them have had their magic bound. They cry out, "What do you want?" and "Let us go!" and "Princess Celestia's going to stop you!" It's amusing because we don't actually want to hurt them.

"Oh, look at you all," I mock them. "Even after being trapped for a week, Celestia's servants defend her until the end. Sombra and I are going to tell you what we want in a moment, but you have to be patient while we think about what we're going to do with you." I look at Sombra, who is at the opposite end of the room. "I have an idea."

"Enlighten us," he answers. We are slowly beginning to learn to work out what the other is thinking and use telepathy spells, but I am more unpredictable than he is, so he doesn't immediately know what ideas I have to improve the Crystal Empire.

"I think we might be able to let our guests choose what they do with their lives. Go back to Equestria and remain her servants, or live here and enjoy themselves for the rest of their lives. I wouldn't make them work in the mines all day as long as they behave, as they have so much more skill than that. The guards from Canterlot could join our own guards, and I'm sure that we could find a role for the ladies here."

"Not a terrible idea. As you already know, Moonlight, I think they need to be sent back to Equestria, because the last thing I want is a war, and Celestia would surely be upset if they did not return home. Also, they have annoyed me enough already, complaining even though I have given them food, water and shelter. However, if you would like to, we shall give them the choice to stay."

"It has been decided, then," I address the ponies in the middle of the dark room. "You can stay here or go home. If you stay, you'll be rewarded for good behaviour."

"However," Sombra adds, "if you decide to encourage any little rebellions or protests, you will be treated how you treat us and our rules. Nopony is allowed to abstain, and if you refuse..."

"The decision will be made for you," I finish. "Decide now."

Unsurprisingly, none of them make a choice immediately. They still fight for Equestria and the good of its ponies, even though I have already encouraged Sombra to make better choices. He wanted to use dark magic to control the guards, whereas I told him that only those who cause trouble should have to be subjected to mind control. I also spoke out against him reducing the working age, and instead suggested that those who break the law can work in the crystal mines. I'll admit I don't know why he tells other ponies to go down into the mines for him when he can make those black crystals with ease, but I haven't had the chance to ask him about it.

"Tick, tock, tick, tock, time's up on the clock," I say in a sing-song voice, standing still after walking around the room for a few minutes. "If you want to stay in the Crystal Empire, go and stand with King Sombra. If you want to leave, come here and stand next to me."

There is movement in the room, and almost everypony walks over to where I am standing. Everypony except Wishbone, who remains in the middle of the room.

I tilt my head to one side as I look at her. "Wishbone?"

She does not reply.

"King Sombra, it seems that somepony isn't making a decision. Maybe she just refuses to speak to me."

He looks down at the bat pony. "Wishbone Willow, do you wish to remain in the Crystal Empire or return to Equestria?"

"Tyrant."

"Why, what name did you just call me?" he questions her, faking shock.

"You think that was aimed at you?" she screeches. She glares at me. "Tyrant. Monster. Liar. Traitor. What have you done to yourself?!" Her wings flare outwards menacingly.

Old me would be terrified by such a sight from my old friend. I just laugh as if she was telling me a joke. "What did I do? I set myself free."

I barely register anything before I am pinned on the floor. I try to roll her off of me, but it is hopeless. She spits at me, "You let Sombra control my mind for your own selfish whims. Why?"

"You were going to sell me to Celestia. You were going to tell her to kill me. I'm surprised you even remember what happened."

"Sombra's curse was never going to last forever. I'm a Dreamwalker. I know more about the mind and memories than the vast majority of Equestria. I figured out what he'd done, and it broke the spell."

"Clever. What's also clever is that the Elite Guards are now in this room and you probably didn't even hear them."

She looks around, startled. Sure enough, guards clad in black armour covered in metal spikes stand all around the room, ready to kill Wishbone Willow should she make a move to attack me. That moment of hesitation and fear is all I need to push her off of me and get up. I tower over her cowering form.

"Fine," she says shakily. "Do what you want. Under Equestrian Law, you can't lay a hoof on me. I am your teacher. I'm helping you learn to Dreamwalk."

"Well, guess what?" I retort. "I'm giving up my apprenticeship with you, and switching teachers to King Sombra. Since I can't bear to look at the one who wanted to sign my death warrant and stab me in the back, you're allowed to leave the Crystal Empire. Next time I see your face, I won't be as kind and make sure to give you a hard time. Goodbye, Wishbone Willow. I've made my choice, and you've made yours. Get out."

I watch as she rushes over to the group of ponies on the other side of the room before trotting over to Sombra's side.

"Guards," orders King Sombra, "please escort these ponies to the dining room so that they can eat and enjoy themselves for a while. The next train is not expected to arrive for another few hours. I am not merciless, and I also want Celestia to see that I am treating her ponies kindly." Everypony begins to move towards the door. "Dragon."

Everypony stops, and Spike gingerly steps forwards.

"I have a letter here." Sombra's horn glows purple with dark magic, and said letter appears, rolled up into a scroll and tied with a red ribbon. "Send it to Princess Celestia to inform her that you will be returning."

"Uh - uh - yes, Your Majesty," answers Spike, taking the letter quickly and retreating to the relative safety of the group.

We watch the group of ponies leave, and when the guards are gone, we burst into laughter. That was... ridiculous. Us, hurt anypony? Sombra wouldn't hurt a fly. The problem is, we have to act like that to get them to take us seriously, otherwise the two of us would be a laughing stock.

"Oh, you seemed so threatening! Where does your talent for acting come from?!" I giggle at Sombra. It's all a joke to us, a bit dark but still funny.

"I don't know, Moonlight. You seemed far more dangerous to those ponies than I did. I was trying my level best to be nice," he replies.

"They have no reason to be scared of you. They have faced oh-so-terrible villains before and have grown used to it. I used to be one of Them, and the fact that I changed, in their opinion, makes me seem like the bigger threat. Oh, you were never trying to be nice, were you? If you showed this side of your character they would've let you into the Empire to make everypony laugh enough to power the Crystal Heart!" I say jokingly.

"Ah, good one, Moonlight. You said it yourself, though. They see this." He points a hoof at himself. "They think that this is the only side to me. You were smart enough to realise that I was different. Their loss. What would you like to do now, my bat?"

"Eat. The Crystal Empire is far too cold for mangoes, but right now I wouldn't trade living here with you as my leader for all of the mangoes in the world." I kiss him quickly, and grin. "Besides, there is crystal berry pie here."

We laugh as we too leave the small room in the dungeons, and head for the dining room, all the while thinking how lucky we are to have each other and this kingdom. Celestia's biggest mistake was allowing this to happen, and I briefly wonder how she's sleeping at night now that we have succeeded before I remember that I don't care.

Princess Celestia's POV

When I receive the letter, I don't know whether to jump for joy or scream. Everything went silent a week ago, and for a while I feared the worst. I knew I could just find out for myself what had happened, but I didn't want to be injured in the process. My little ponies need me, after all.

So when I am given news that everypony who was captured by King Sombra is alive and going to return home on a train soon, I become giddy with relief, despite knowing that Sombra won.

My relief quickly gives way to despair as I read about the one pony who won't be returning to Equestria. It's her. She helped him. Without her, he would not be a problem. But they...

"Impossible," I whisper, dropping the letter.

"Is there a problem, Your Majesty?" my scribe Raven Inkwell asks.

"Yes indeed. Almost everypony who was sent to the Crystal Empire will return home. One isn't going to, and I am particularly concerned."

"Who is it?"

"The one we were all worried about. She's alive, but in a bad place. If she didn't go to the Crystal Empire... King Sombra would not have won. She was helping him right from the start."

"Her? Isn't she-"

"Yes." I don't want her to continue that sentence, because admitting that little fact would be admitting that I have close ties to a traitor whom I hate. She has now betrayed me three times, and I don't intend to let her get away with it. "A train will travel to the Crystal Empire to pick up the rest of them. As for her... I will wait until the rest return to the castle to discuss the matter." I glance at a Solar Guard. "Inform Princess Luna that everypony save... Everypony except Moonlight will be returning."

The guard nods and leaves.

"Raven, cancel court for today. This could be a big problem."

"Got it." She runs out of the room to make sure everypony knows.

The day passes remarkably quickly despite my nerves and anticipation, and eventually all of them are escorted into the throne room by the guards. I leap into the air from my throne and land softly on the ground in front of them, taking in their appearances. All of them have injuries, and one of Shining Armour's back legs is broken. Almost immediately, my sweet little student Twilight embraces me. I lower my head and wrap my forelegs around her. She begins to weep silently into my shoulder.

"I... I failed you, Princess," she cries.

"You failed your test, Twilight. But me? No." I look at the others: my adopted niece Cadance, who seems to be in a state of shock; her husband and Twilight's brother Shining Amour, scowling at the carpet; the other five Element Bearers, comforting each other; the dragon Spike who I know is like a younger brother to Shining and Twilight, wondering what to do; the guards, who all keep brave faces, though I know that they feel similar to Twilight at the moment; and the bat pony Wishbone Willow, Moonlight's friend. Or so we thought. "None of you failed me. You fought hard, and did what you could. Unfortunately, those two monsters fought hard as well."

"Don't call her a monster."

I look at Wishbone Willow. Her greenish mane is a mess, but behind it her gold eyes practically glow with anger.

"I understand, Wishbone. You were her friend."

"Don't use that word, either. She still is. She wouldn't abandon me like that."

"But she did," Twilight snaps at her. She stops hugging me and instead wraps her forelegs around Spike. "She saved Spike, but she messed with our heads. I was watching from above, because I was trapped in one of the towers, and she had the Crystal Heart in her hooves."

"The Crystal Heart?" Unfortunately, I know very little about the Crystal Empire. All of Princess Amoré's predecessors were incredibly secretive, and even though she gave visitors a much warmer welcome, I didn't spend as much time in the Crystal Empire as I should have done.

"It powered the protection spell to keep the storms of the Frozen North out. It could also have stopped Sombra, if Wishbone's 'friend' hadn't destroyed it. Then she knocked Shining off of a balcony. She's a monster. Wishbone, do you really still want to be her 'friend'? She doesn't care for anypony except herself and Sombra."

"And myself." Lulu walks into the throne room, her voice commanding everypony's attention as she approaches us. "So, the Daughter of the Night has turned to darkness again. You should not be surprised."

"Lulu," I say quietly.

"Don't interrupt me, sister. She does not care solely for herself. Wishbone, was she under the influence of mind control?"

"No."

"That proves that she cares for Sombra, as she sided with him despite our best efforts to protect her. I know she still cares for me, as we have a close bond." She closes her eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath before continuing. "Wishbone, when I found out that you were looking after her, you made a deal to keep her safe for as long as possible, and you have more than fulfilled your duty. You spent a lot of time with her, and she still cares for you."

"She doesn't," Twilight answers.

"Shut up, will you?!" Wishbone screeches. "She might have hurt me, she might have said that she doesn't want to be my student any more, but she still cares. I still care. There has to be something we can do to get her back!"

"Wishbone?" I ask. I am beginning to wonder whether the thorn in my flank did all of this alone. The alternative is far worse.

"Yes?"

"How much do you care?"

"What's it to you? You have the rest of Equestria to worry about."

"Exactly. I am just wondering whether she and Sombra would have been able to do all of this on their own."

She looks at me like I am going mad. "What?! I didn't help them, if that's what you were saying. I was going to tell Princess Cadance-"

Twilight shouts, "Then you knew this was going on!"

"I was going to tell you, but King Sombra's magic is more powerful than I thought. He used the mind control spell in Moonlight's dream. I don't even know how that's possible."

I look into those golden eyes, and decide she is telling the truth. "Neither do I. Thank you for being honest, Wishbone. I will keep in touch. If, as my sister says, she still cares for a few ponies, then we can use that to make her see reason. Now, I want all of you to get some food and rest. Shining Armour, you need to go to a hospital so a doctor can have a look at that leg. Cadance, go with him."

"I will." Her blue magic surrounds both of them and they teleport away.

"Lulu, take them to the private dining room if you can."

"I will, sister." She too uses magic to teleport everypony out of the throne room, leaving me to ponder what to do about the little vampire. If it is all true, if she is as powerful as they say she is... All of Equestria could be in grave danger.

Chapter 12: Something About Destiny

Moonlight's POV

After a few weeks, my new life in the Crystal Empire begins to settle into an enjoyable routine. Others would dread the life I lead under Sombra's rule, but he has a way of making everything feel as though he is trying to please me, which he is.

I wake at dawn, since the sun's rays are muted enough by the auburn clouds for my eyes to adjust to. I have a small breakfast with Sombra, and we talk about our plans for the day. He is usually in court, dealing with certain ponies who want to break free of Sombra's chains, which I am trying to loosen just enough for the ponies of the Empire to feel comfortable but not enough for them to escape from Sombra's restraints. After all, my fight isn't with the crystal ponies, it's with Celestia.

While Sombra is busy with his work, I travel around the Empire and help those who need it. Technically, I am a Crystal Guard, but I am more free than the guards who are clad in his black armour covered in spikes, and much more free than the guards who have to wear those helmets that cover their whole face save the eye slits that glow green, signalling that they are under the control of dark magic.

My work takes me to the mines where those who have tried to cause rebellions have to work as punishment. A group of about thirty ponies tried to storm the Crystal Castle a while back, but didn't get far thanks to the guards and Sombra's quick thinking. My job takes me to places where magical help is needed, because the Crystal Empire's population is mainly earth ponies. It takes me to schools, where I educate fillies and colts on how King Sombra and I are trying to make the Empire a better place, and ask what they would like to see changed. The one I hear most often is, "Can you make the Crystal Empire more colourful?" I tell them, "The Crystal Empire is already colourful. You little ones are all the colour we need."

When my duties are done, I have a couple of free hours to myself. I usually visit the various shops that have been re-established, and find little things that interest me. A beautiful scarf. A long, hooded cloak. Pretty little ornaments and ceramic figures of foals playing together. I often buy nothing, but occasionally I discover something that I really like. I give the shopkeeper some money and tell them to keep the change. So many of them refuse to talk to me, but I feel that I need to resolve that. Of course, I can never give them the solution that they're looking for, but I can try to be nicer to them. Sometimes.

In the evenings, Sombra and I have dinner together. Considering that he's the ruler of an empire, you would expect him to want a banquet every night, but he eats very little, which is fine by me. Dinner time is usually when he reads out his daily hate mail from the Royal Pain In My Flank Sisters, or rather, Sunbutt. These empty threats never fail to make me laugh, because I know they are meaningless.

"'Dear Sombra,' Oh no, they forgot to call me King Sombra," he'll go on. "'I am writing to you to ask you to give up the throne of the Crystal Empire before we get upset. You have taken the Crystal Empire by force and you are acting like a total jerk.' Oh, I wish they put that. 'You have three weeks to leave the Empire before we force you to leave. Yours not sincerely, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of Equestria.' This can go on the rubbish pile with the others."

Often, attached to these pieces of comedy sketches are tear-stained notes for me, begging me to 'think about what I am doing' and 'try to overthrow Sombra to make the Crystal Empire a happier place for the Crystal Ponies,' and so on. These letters are usually from Wishbone, the traitor who tried to hand me in 'for my own good' the lying brat. I couldn't care less about her. If I saw her now, my fangs would be going into her neck. As it is, there are a few hundred miles between us, which has got to be a good thing.

I don't hate Luna, though. She just seems weak to me now. Back when we were working together, she had the power to make Equestria a better place. She still has that power, and yet she cannot bear to lift a hoof against her sister. I wouldn't hurt her if I didn't have to, but she is a figure from my old life, and my new life with Sombra is far better. We are officially a couple now, although it is still early days. I have no idea where our relationship will go, but for now I am more than happy for it to continue.

To fill all of this spare time I have, I often wonder about the meaning of my cutie mark: a purple four pointed star next to a grey crescent moon. I earned it at a very young age, when my mother and I were stargazing one night.

I looked up at the deep purple sky and remarked, "Wow, the sky's so dark tonight!"

"Yes, indeed, my love," my mother answered, admiring the view herself from our village in the mountains. "But can you find the stars?"

I looked hard and saw the stars glinting at me. I found the North Star near the moon, which was a waning crescent. I told her, "There's the North Star. Right next to the moon. When it's dark like this, they both seem so bright."

"The stars in the sky allow travelling ponies to work out where they are," my mother explained to me, "so even on the darkest night, when they can't see landmarks like mountains or tall statues, they can find their way. If you can find the light in the darkest night, you'll never lose your way."

I was mesmerised. "Find the light in the darkest night. That sounds so cool. We're so lucky that we get to stay up in the night, unlike the day ponies. I bet that they don't ever get to see the stars."

"The day ponies don't always have time to look up at the stars because they sleep at night."

"Well from now on, I'll always make time to look up at the moon and stars." I smiled happily. There was a slight tingling on my flanks and a sudden flash, and lo and behold, there was my cutie mark, of the North Star next to the crescent moon.

"By the look of that cutie mark, I think you will," my mother said proudly. "We need to tell your father that somepony is going to be celebrating their cutecenera."

From this story, you would expect my cutie mark to be about stargazing, but I have no particular interest in it. I just like giving the night sky a little respect. I have practically gone about my whole life not really knowing what my destiny is. Enjoying the darkness? Why is there no dark patch, like Luna's own cutie mark? Was it my destiny to be banished to the moon? Maybe. How did Sombra find me so easily? Were we always meant to cross paths? Possibly, but I have never seen his cutie mark. He always wears that armour and that cloak.

One evening, Sombra and I are having a quiet evening meal together, when a guard shouts, "Post!" and a pile of letters land on the table next to Sombra.

"Ah ha, that explains why I did not get any letters from Equestria this morning. There must have been a delay." He uses magic to open one of them and reads it, grunting and humming to himself every so often. He discards it, telling me, "Problem with the train line, so I have to designate some money to get it fixed even though the fault is on Equestria's line, not ours. If I pay it, Sunbutt probably won't worry as much about us, but it still seems stupid to let them waltz in so easily."

I stifle a giggle. "Is it from her?"

"No. Not a single joke within its boring paragraphs, my bat." He looks at the next one. "Primary school needs funding for a new roof. Well, they are still innocent. They need to be treated well. I'll send the school a letter tomorrow. Ah, here it is, our daily death threat, along with an empty plea for you." A letter floats my way.

"Read yours first, Sombra," I say.

He clears his throat, then reads aloud, "Dear Sombra, I am writing to inform you that your deadline for leaving the Crystal Empire ends tomorrow. If you do not leave the Empire by then, we will assume that you wish to declare war on Equestria, and we will force you to leave the Empire. I would like to remind you that Equestria is far bigger than the Crystal Empire, with a vast army of willing Royal Guards and troops on our side." He pauses. "Hmm, they have a point. Do you think we are in trouble?"

I scoff. "Sombra, do you know how rubbish the Royal Guards are in Equestria?" I ask him.

"Enlighten me, so that I can prepare the correct response to this wonderful reminder of where everypony stands."

I hold one of my front hooves quite a way above the table. "This is where you expect the Royal Guards to be, in terms of training, experience and ability." I lower that hoof a little, so that it is just above the table. "This is the Lunar Guards. They are highly trained and have extra abilities because they are bat ponies, but there aren't that many of them because of the whole stigma around bat ponies." I stamp on the floor. "That's the Solar Guards."

He guffaws. "Is that so, or are you being biased?"

"There is not a shred of doubt in my mind. You know Cadance, the alicorn who came here to keep you out, and the Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armour?" I ask. He nods, so I continue, "There was a complete scandal ten months ago, when they got married."

"Oh?" He raises an eyebrow. "Tell me more."

"Cadance was kidnapped and replaced by the Queen of the Changelings herself, and only one pony noticed. That pony was Celestia's student Twilight Sparkle. Nopony believed her when she interrupted the rehearsal. The second time around, it was Cadance herself who broke up the proceedings. That was the Bug Queen's cue to reveal herself and call in her army, while nopony lifted a hoof. Cadance had to save the day single-hoofedly, apparently. All the while, the nocturnal Lunar Guards slept on peacefully, blissfully unaware of the chaos erupting outside of their blackout curtains."

Sombra roars with laughter, and takes a few minutes to compose himself. "Awww, poor old Sunbutt had a fight with her insect counterpart and nopony did anything. Tsk tsk tsk. I cannot bear to read the rest of that letter. It is far too morbid for the farce that is Canterlot right now. Read yours."

I take the letter in my hooves and my eyes scan the page.

Dear Mrs Shade,

I am writing to you regarding your decision to remain by Sombra's side during these turbulent times.

Both you and Sombra, the tyrant who calls himself King of the Crystal Empire, have received several warnings and you were informed to tell us where you stand by tomorrow. If we do not receive any confirmation of your decision by tomorrow, I will assume that you are an ally of his and you will be declared an enemy of Equestria and banned from entering our land of peace. There will also be a warrant for your arrest given to all Royal Guards and, should you be caught inside Equestria's borders, you will be taken into custody and tried for treason. If found guilty, you will face a lifetime sentence inside Tartarus High Security Detention Centre with no parole.

I should hope that you will make the right decision and send me a letter informing me that you wish to remain a citizen of Equestria and detailing when you plan to return.
Yours sincerely,
Princess Celestia.

"Another piece of fan mail from our favourite correspondent," I say to Sombra. "If I don't say sorry to Sunbutt by tomorrow I am wanted for treason or something in Equestria, and if I'm caught I go to Tartarus for life. Of course, I am only wanted in Equestria, not here."

"Moonlight Shade, wanted in the Crystal Empire," Sombra announces jokingly. His tone changes and he becomes far more serious than he usually is when we are alone together. "Wanted for being a beautiful future queen of the Crystal Empire and future wife to King Sombra." He slides a box across the table, and I find inside a gold bracelet with a swirling pattern carved into it.

"Now, is this a warrant for the protection of your perfect queen?" I question him. "Will I be kept safe within the Crystal Empire, away from the unforgiving land of Equestria and its evil alicorn ruler?"

"If you will be my wife."

"No offence, but so soon? We've only been together for a few weeks."

"Yes, we have only been together for a short time, but you have risked your life for me and I have a great deal of respect for you. If ever I need to, I will return the favour. Yes or no?"

"The answer's a no," I mess with him, "unless you teach me more magic and I eventually become one of the Umbrum. I can't really say no, since you've convinced me to come all the way here and turned me into an outlaw, but in the words of Wishbone, there has to be some commitment shown, or something like that."

"I am sure that we can arrange something. In fact, I would be glad to fulfil that offer. Now we have to tell everypony else. Oh, this is going to go down among the civilians like a sack of potatoes, I bet. Guards," he calls, wiping all emotion from his face. I do the same.

Two stallions clad in armour enter the room. "Yes, sire?" one asks.

"I would like you to spread word that there will be a royal announcement at ten in the morning tomorrow, and that everypony will have the morning off of work and school to hear it."

"At such short notice, sire?"

Sombra and I give the guard the evil eye. I growl at him, "You will tell the other guards to spread word of a royal announcement at ten o'clock tomorrow morning. I do not wish to get my hooves dirty and neither does the King. Don't. Make. Us."

"I - I mean - yes, I will make sure that everypony knows," he stammers. Both guards leave the room, and the laughter begins again once the door shuts. Sombra always gives me a reason to be happy, and he has just given me the biggest of all. I leave my seat and trot around the table to embrace him, and we kiss for what feels like an eternity. The Crystal Empire, Equestria, the rest of the world are likely horrified. I am not. I am proud of myself for growing up and changing. I look down at my cutie mark and its true meaning becomes clear.

On that dark night aeons ago, I found the North Star with ease, as if I had been looking up at the stars for decades. I remember how brightly it glowed in the dark.

When I was banished with Nightmare Moon, we hated each other at first, but we soon grew to become friends. We found new and interesting things to do while we waited for the thousand year prison sentence to pass.

Now that I am with Sombra, I have found that, behind the ruler who appears to be driven mad by dark magic, he is actually a gentlecolt with a great sense of humour.

Finding light in the darkest night. That is my talent. That is my destiny.

Author's Note

I wasn't exactly sure how to pull off this part of the story. I originally intended for this to take up 2 chapters, but this seems a lot better.

Chapter 13: Messages of Good Will

It is five minutes to ten, and I am buzzing with excitement at the prospect of the Royal Announcement that is mere minutes away. Ordinarily, Sombra and I would have a speech written for us, but we have decided to keep everything a secret up until the moment that we tell everypony.

I sit in front of a half-written scroll, unsure as to what I should say to the crowds of ponies gathering in the streets. I know what Sombra is going to say, but he sums up everything that comes to mind in a few phrases. He really is skilled at being a leader, even if he is incredibly harsh at times. This harshness is never directed at me, however. In his eyes, I am the most sparkling gem in the Crystal Empire. Maybe. He's not really into Equestrian literature.

I hear him walk into the room. "Ugh, I have no idea what to say," I tell him.

"To be honest, neither do I. Usually I tell them what they want to hear, but I feel like this needs to be from the heart. From somewhere very deep down, in my horseshoes."

I snort with laughter. "Good to know it's still there."

"Most ponies wouldn't know. My heart has always been kept safe for a few ponies. All of those ponies are long gone... Except you, of course."

"Awww. Quiet though, or everypony will work out what we're going to say. It's supposed to be a surprise, remember?"

"Alas, I forgot. I have never been good at keeping secrets."

"Who are you, and what have you done with King Sombra? You have plenty of secrets. Your dark magic is more powerful than Celestia's light magic. You learned the secret of becoming one of the Umbrum. Nopony has ever seen the cutie mark that adorns your flank. Not even me."

“And what if I were to offer you an opportunity to unravel that mystery?” he asks slyly.

I suddenly realise the connotations of what he is saying. Rather than panicking, though, I smirk, "I think you’ll find that I would rather wait a little longer before you give me any of that talk, Your Majesty."

"Fine, that was a bit on the nasty side. Don’t worry, my sweet little bat, I wasn't planning on it. However, I am planning on making the announcement on time, and we have two minutes left. Would you like to put on that ring?"

I look at the box that contains the engagement present.

"Yes," I say, opening the box and slipping it onto my front left hoof. It fits perfectly, and I admire how well it complements my blue-grey fur. "Wow, amazing fit. How did you know which size to get?"

"It is enchanted to fit the wearer. I am glad that you like it. Now, I believe that there is a crowd of ponies outside to address. Oh, forget writing that speech, we can make up something half believable."

We leave the room together, head to the throne room and wait patiently to be called onto the balcony. Some random guard is outside, talking to the ponies. I hear the words, "And now I will hand you over to the great King Sombra and his top Royal Guard, Moonlight Shade!" It reminds me of when I stayed in Canterlot Castle, a couple of months ago now.

The doors are thrown open, and we both walk forwards, into the view of those thousands of ponies. The Crystal Empire is actually bigger than I first perceived it to be, but it is still dwarfed by Equestria. I smile at the crowds, and wait for Sombra to start speaking.

"Today," he says just loud enough for the wind to carry the sound, "Moonlight Amethyst Shade and I have called you here so that we can announce to all of you the news of our engagement."

To my surprise, the crowd is happy and actually cheers. This is probably because they know me as the mare who nudges Sombra in the right direction so that he can make the best decisions for everypony. I notice something strange happen as they all continue to cheer: a single piece of crystal in the castle's structure shines red for just a moment. It fills me with fear. What if destroying the Crystal Heart was not enough? What if Sombra's life could still be on the line? However, this piece of red crystal gives me a little idea. What is it that I always hear from the foals when I visit the schools?

"There are still many plans to be made for the ceremony, but I think that, to celebrate the changing of traditions in the Crystal Empire, there will be a Festival of Colour to show how we all stick together as a community through the changing times. This event will mainly be for the young colts and fillies, to show them that our true colours shine from the inside, regardless of the appearances of ourselves, other ponies or our town."

Sombra looks impressed. "Such caprice. Nice surprise though. You are one impressive mare, Moonlight. I would never have thought of something like that."

"I am only outshone by you," I answer. I rest my head on his shoulder and lean against him. I say to the crowd, "Foals of the Crystal Empire, when I next visit your schools, I want to hear lots of ideas for the Festival of Colour!" I watch a group of foals dance with glee. Something tells me that Sombra would be a lot more strict without a marefriend, which makes me all the more proud to be his.

"That is all that we have to say," Sombra tells everypony. "However, you do not have to go back to work or school today. Have the day off to celebrate and spend time with your friends and families. Life will resume as normal tomorrow."

As we trot inside, I say to Sombra, "Am I making you a better pony?"

"You truly are. I never would have been this kind without you. I was even nice to one of the guards this morning. Unfortunately, I could never tell Celestia that. She'd think she was hallucinating."

I laugh loudly, and a couple of guards give us curious looks. I pretend to be angry and snarl, "What are you looking at? Are a mare and stallion not allowed to enjoy their time together?"

"Spend all the time that you want together. We're just enjoying the fact that our King is a lot happier than usual. Often, he seems rather angry, but I think you are a good influence on him."

"I can be angry more often if you want," Sombra interjects, a frown on his face. The guards look as though they are about to burst with the giggles that they are struggling to contain.

"Sweetheart, I think they like it when you're nice," I laugh.

"Maybe they do, but I like being intimidating. It makes me feel like I'm in charge."

"You can be nice some of the time. Just remind me not to get too sappy with our subjects, I'd hate to turn into a Celestia, where you just give everypony what they want to shut them up. Talking of our good friend Sunbutt, I know how we can write that letter, Sombra."

"You mean the one we are going to write about the situation with the Crystal Empire, where we guilt-trip her and convince her not to declare war on us?"

"Precisely," I answer.

The guards look shocked, but Sombra brushes off their concerns. "Please, don't worry, you are far better than Equestria's guards. At some point Moonlight here needs to tell you about their recent royal wedding that got gatecrashed by a few changelings. Now, beautiful fiancee, tell me what you think we should write."

"First, Sunbutt needs a letter, but then I think we need to start writing out some invitations too."

The final product of our loathing for Celestia smiles at us, and I am so proud of how much effort we have put in. Even though we are beginning to lose our ghastly reputations, I am happy that everypony knows that we are engaged. Said engagement is a crucial part of the letter, for it allows us to guilt-trip, blackmail and humiliate Celestia all in one go.

"Would you like to read the final thing?" says Sombra, handing the pieces of paper to me. He knows that I have been longing to read it all afternoon. My eyes scan over the pages, and my smile grows wide.

Dear Princess Celestia,

We are writing to you regarding the string of letters you have sent us about our new roles as leaders of the Crystal Empire.

We understand that you are extremely unwilling to let us continue our reign, as it would show you in a bad light if you did not try to protect your ponies. However, we would like to tell you that the members of the public here in the Crystal Empire are enjoying their lives. They say that we seem much better rulers together, and we agree, so we have decided to announce to everypony that we are officially engaged. We would like to invite you to the wedding, but we genuinely fear that you may try to use the occasion to overthrow us, as a certain Queen of the Changelings tried to do at the wedding of Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armour.

Of course, it is not that we expect you to follow in the hoofsteps of the vile Queen Chrysalis, except that is exactly what we expect you to do. You were willing to let your subjects kill a pony without even a trial, so who knows where the end to your cruelty is? You have proven yourself to be a violent mare, throwing your subjects into battle without even the tools to defend themselves with. We are talking about the Element Bearers, who you are supposedly so protective of, the ones whose lives you feared for, only to find them returning unharmed. Oh, the sweet hypocrisy, and we were the only ones to notice.

Now, give our best regards to Luna, for she is the better sister for seeing things our way. Also, if you happen to see any Changeling hives around, please tell Chryssie that she and her family are invited to the wedding if they fancy a meal, as long as they all leave when asked and do not try to take the place of the Crystal Empire residents. We would hate to repeat your mistakes.

Yours not sincerely,
King Sombra and Commander Moonlight Shade
Crystal Empire.

"The other one?" I ask, grinning from ear to ear.

The other letter floats over to me, and I smirk.

Dear Queen Chrysalis of the Changeling Kingdom,

We would like to invite you and your extended family to the royal wedding of King Sombra and Commander Moonlight Shade of the Crystal Empire. We do not have a definite date, because we need a reply in order to make provisions for you all to come. We also invite you, Queen Chrysalis, to talk in the hope that we can form a political alliance, if only to spite our enemy, the wicked Celestia, who we are glad to say will NOT be invited.

Please RSVP as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
King Sombra and Commander Moonlight Shade
Crystal Empire.

"Pfft. When Celestia and our good Queen Chryssie realise how much effort we have put into these. Chrysalis, I expect her to be surprised. Hell, she might even be able to taste our joy. Sunbutt, though..."

"I hope she can see the humour in it. However, she will most likely be miffed - at the very least. Are you sure that you want to send these? It could increase the chances of Equestria declaring war on us."

"They're going to anyway, Sombra. We might as well have some fun before they do. Guards?"

A guard opens the door to the tower room. "Yes, miss?"

"Am I called miss?!" I growl.

He gulps. "Er, no."

"What am I called?"

"I was unsure how you would like to be addressed and whether you engagement changed anything."

"Call me Captain of the Royal Guard, Commander Moonlight Shade. After the wedding, I will be Queen Moonlight. Understood?"

"Yes, Commander. What can I do for you?"

I roll up the scrolls using dark magic. "The letter with the green ribbon is for Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings. The one with the black ribbon is to be sent to Canterlot Castle."

"Yes, Commander." He holds the scrolls between his teeth and leaves.

The room goes quiet for a moment. "A bit for you thoughts?" Sombra asks.

"You said earlier that your heart was kept safe for a few ponies. Who were those before me? Not that I'm jealous - as far as I'm aware, you haven't had a girlfriend since before my trip to the moon."

"Well, my last sweetheart was one Radiant Hope. She was everything that I loved about the Empire condensed into one pony. I wanted to rule, and she did too. However, I had a thirst for knowledge and magical power, and the monarch at the time, Amoré, distrusted me and banished me. Hope abandoned me for the Gifted School for Unicorns, and I developed a hatred for her and Amoré strong enough to cast dark magic with."

"Which led to you becoming an Umbrum."

"Yes, indeed. Hope watched it all unfold from Canterlot. She struggled to choose whether to help me or not, but in the end she chose not to. Her loss."

"Talking of the Umbrum, how does a pony change?"

"Well, dark magic becomes easier to cast than light magic. Also, Umbrum look a lot like the windigos of old."

"Can you show me?"

Sombra's horn is surrounded by shadows that travel down his body and engulf him. Once he is completely covered, I see a glowing deep purple form inside that looks similar to a pony but is clearly not. He looks a lot more sinister, more dangerous.

"What do you think?" Sombra asks.

"That... is amazing. Now how do I-"

I hear approaching hoofsteps outside the room and say to him, "Somepony's coming!" He changes back remarkably quickly, and just in time. A guard enters the room - hmm, I should teach him to knock - and announces, "We have a visitor."

Chapter 14: Visitors Not Wanted

I teleport onto the balcony where we made the announcement just a few hours ago, and spot the unwelcome "visitor" immediately. At the edge of the Crystal Empire there is a single pony, stubborn enough to be carrying a sword that has probably been enchanted. I feel my emotions boiling over and am about to leap into the air to chase her when Sombra cries, "No, Moonlight!"

I feel his magic latch onto me, and it holds me in mid-air. It drags me back to his side though I struggle to free myself.

“Let me go,” I say.

“No.”

“Why not?”

"Moonlight, she might try to kill you."

"Let her try," I screech, baring my fangs.

"If we go down there, we go together and with two members of the elite guard." He looks at a crystal pony stallion, who nods and leaves us on the balcony. Sombra stops using his magic on me. Instead, he embraces me with one foreleg. Comforting but still restraining.

"Why is she here?! I warned her, I told her not to come back, and she did!"

"She probably has her reasons, Moonlight, none of which have any huge value. We shall see if she wants to leave or if she is here for a fight, and then we will make our moves. If she is only here to deliver a message, I will get her to send a note to Sunbutt asking her to use the Equestrian Mail Service."

"What if she is here for a fight?"

"If I must, I will let you give her some trouble. Go easy, though."

The two elite guards - the ones who are under Sombra's complete control - arrive. Sombra teleports us down to where my enemy is standing, and we surround her.

"Wishbone Willow, why are you here?" Sombra questions her.

She points at me. "Celestia has a message for you: hand over the traitor or she destroys the Crystal Castle with you inside it."

"Three problems, Wishbone," I answer casually. "One, I am not a traitor, the circumstances have been stacked quite deliberately against me. Two, Celestia would never do that because she knows the falling rock would crush and kill everypony in the Empire. Three, how are you going to get that message to her so quickly?"

"Sombra's control over you has also lowered your IQ. It would take several weeks to plan it all. The first part of the plan is this: release me so we can begin planning, or Celestia assumes that there's a problem and comes looking for me."

"Interesting, Sombra," I say to him, "what do we do? We send her back, and they start Operation Blow Up The Crystal Castle. We keep her hostage, and draw Sunbutt's attention to us, and also potentially allow her to spy on us. We kill her, and we end up dying too, because Sunbutt will never allow such a thing to happen to her slaves."

"At least have the decency to call her Celestia."

"Sombra?"

"All three options are mercy to her. There need to be some regulations. How about... this?"

I watch as shadows snake towards the liar and surround her, lifting her form into the air. She screams, a blood curdling wail of agony, and notice something happening to her. Purple dark magic flashes by her temples, and she falls to the ground, unconscious.

"What did you do?" I ask Sombra. There is no hint of regret or pain in my voice, just mild curiosity, as if I were asking him how the weather was last week.

She wakes up, blinking a few times. Sombra, the two elite guards and I approach her. She tries to cast a spell and nothing happens. She tries again. Nothing.

"What have you done?!" she shouts.

"Not a whole lot. You just cannot use magic for a while. Your powers will be severely restricted for about a week, and then you'll wake up completely fine.”

"You're letting me go?"

"Not exactly." Sombra winks at me. I can almost hear him telling me, have some fun now, my love.

"No, I am afraid that we can’t let a spy go back so easily." I teleport us all to the dungeon room where she was kept before, with the other prisoners from Equestria. "Plus, we need a little chat. Two girlfriends, face to face."

Before she can react, I hit her chin with my hoof and lean down to whisper in her ear, "why? Why did you come back?"

"Because of you, it's all your fault these ponies have no minds of their own. You did this. It was you."

"Now I don't think that's why." I kick her flank, and she rolls over, hissing in pain. "Tell me."

"No," she whispers. Then she screams as Sombra uses a pulse of magic to shock her. I don’t really want to hurt her, but she shouldn’t have come back.

"I’m looking for the truth, and I always find the things I’m looking for. I could take a look in your mind and find out everything in a second, or I could just force you to tell me, but I’ll give you a chance to tell me on your own terms, because we’re supposed to be friends."

"I came here to kill Sombra."

"Why, though? Did you really want to do that, or did somepony else want to?"

"I came to end this for other ponies and get you-"

I focus all of my anger and frustration on her and ask her, "Why did you come to the Crystal Empire again?"

"It was Princess Celestia," she replies in a monotone voice. "She wanted to end this feud quickly and free the Crystal Ponies. She does not want to go to war, and thought that if she got rid of you and King Sombra before the situation worsened then the damage you have done could be reversed. I agreed to help to clear my own name: I am being investigated for aiding and abetting. Also, I want to talk to you again, because as you said, we are supposed to be friends."

"Finally, I have an answer. Celestia bribed you into this."

"Bribed? I chose so I could finish this, because I care. He's using you. And the two of you will never win," she says with defiance as the spell wears off. "Celestia will always win, because friendship is the most powerful magic of all, and I'm going to get my friend back no matter what."

"Sombra and I have that magic within us, and as long as we do, Celestia can’t hurt us."

Wishbone lashes out, but I gently place a hoof on her chest and hold her down. "What should I do now? Should I let you go? Or not?" I pick up the sword she brought with her and hold the blade above her with dark magic. I wait to see what she thinks of her predicament.

"Death is near for everypony, Moonlight. I’m not afraid. I have been in the dreams of the dying and it hasn't fazed me. Put me through as much pain as you like. Regardless of what happens, Celestia will come looking. She and I both want the best for Equestria and the Crystal Empire, but you’re standing in the way. Once she knows which side you've chosen she doesn't hold back. She banished her sister to the moon for a thousand years, so a little bat pony like you shouldn’t be a difficult problem to get rid of. And I..." She whispers, “I don’t want that for you.”

I nick her wings with the sword, and say to her, "I know that if she catches me she won’t show a shred of mercy, but she has to catch me first." I walk over to Sombra and place the sword by his hooves.

"Listen to me, Moonlight."

"What is it, Wishbone?"

"You're being an idiot. You keep trying to act like some tyrant, but that's not the pony I know. Don't let Sombra take the real you away."

"Celestia took the real me," I snap at her to bury the emotions threatening to rise in my chest. I look at Sombra. "Do something, my love."

"Do you want to let her go?"

"Really, yes, I can't stand being in the same building as her, but she'll tell on us if she gets back to Canterlot. Then again, if we don't return her, then it gives old Sunbutt another reason why not to leave us alone."

"If she is healed, then there is little that they can do." His horn is surrounded by a purple glow, and she screams as I watch her bruises disappear and her cuts heal. "I must at least try to keep the peace between our countries."

"Do you see what has happened to you, Moonlight? You're a monster. You're torturing me and healing my wounds so you can repeat the process for fun. Don't talk to Sombra any more. He will destroy you. I spent more than a year getting to know you well and keeping you out of trouble, and he has ruined your soul. If you walk away from this now and come home to Equestria with me, I will not judge you in any way. Even if you break bones and heal them to play your silly games time after time."

"It's too late now." I hold up my hoof and let her look at the gold bracelet. "Sombra asked me if I would stand by his side, and I said yes. I appreciate all the things that you did for me, but this is where I am meant to go with my life and I wouldn't want it any other way. I have tried to show you that he can change, but you are not interested, which is why I made this little game up. Just for you and me. Tell Celestia that if she wants to talk, we are free all the time in the dream realm. Leave before things get nasty."

She glowers at me. "Teleport me to Canterlot and I won't return. I can't do so myself, thanks to your childish antics. I’ve tried to salvage the best of you from the effect Nightmare Moon had on you, but there is nothing else I can do." She gives me a look, the look of a mother grieving the loss of a child. I make a portal for her to walk through, and she slowly drags herself to her feet. She walks through the portal and it closes behind her. I seal it so that nopony can reopen it.

“That was difficult," says Sombra to nopony in particular.

"I think she still wants to protect me, but a mother's love can only reach so far before a child walks off into the world."

"She needn't worry about you. She will, but she doesn't have to. Nothing will happen to you as long as I am here."

We stand together in silence for a few moments, then head upstairs for dinner, trying to put these events behind us, though I know Wishbone will come for me again one day. But more troubling is what she said about me turning into something I’m not. She acted like she was trying to protect me. The question is, who or what is she so worried about?

Chapter 15: Beautiful Deadly Gifts

It is strange how everypony has said that King Sombra is an irredeemable villain, that he has not a kind bone in his body and a heart made of iron, and I have been able to get through to his happy side just by holding out my hoof for him. It is also strange that I am now viewed as an enemy of and a threat to Equestria, but our good old friend Sunbutt has done absolutely nothing but send a few letters.

Wishbone, thankfully, does not return, and no new missionaries are sent to annoy us. However, the letters from Canterlot Castle become more frequent, forceful and threatening. They are now addressed to both me and Sombra but we never respond. Equestria have given us two more weeks before they declare war on us, and we have responded by deciding to teach the Crystal Guard some extra combat skills. Of course, Crystal Ponies have no magical abilities and no flight, but I have learned that they have strength, stamina and an immunity to some dangerous spells, which are reflected away from them and towards the attacker. Sombra and I decide that every guard will have the same training sessions and a good proportion of the more relaxed guards should be made into elite guards. I dislike seeing that they have no free will, but they serve us, and we cannot allow them to switch sides on the battlefield should it come to that.

Despite being enemies with Equestria, we have new allies as well: the changelings. Queen Chrysalis seems to have a sense of humour, and is desperate to come to the wedding. We have a deal to protect each other should some fiery alicorn try to blast us with the full power of the sun's radiation, and the changelings are welcome to visit whenever they like as long as they stay in their true forms. They are more than happy to oblige with this.

Added to our daily hate mail is now fan mail from Chrysalis. She says that her hive has been starving for a long time, and to a certain extent she has been forced to starve them. We have told her that there is plenty of love to go around here, and there is, since the Crystal Ponies have settled into the new regime fully and now appreciate Sombra as a ruler. Also, we have kept everypony in the dark about the war that is about to erupt, although the guards probably have some idea of why they need extra training.

I sit at the writing desk where I have made myself at home over the recent weeks. I have been tasked with teaching the guards what I know and designing a routine for training sessions. I can remember how I was trained back when I was in Equestria's Lunar Guard, but the system has its flaws and I have to think about how to correct these.

"Hello beautiful."

"Sombra, what a surprise," I reply, trying to hide the glee from my voice. I look at him. As always, his face is plastered with a cocky grin.

"I have a present for you." He uses his magic to place a large box at my feet. I don't even think of it as dark magic now. It is normal for me.

"Oh?"

"Open it."

I look at the box for a minute, eyeing the prize and thinking about how the thing inside will be all mine and not for anypony else and try to picture what is inside. I cannot see anything clearly, but my dark magic reveals what looks like a set of boots. "Clothing. Interesting," I tell him.

"Using magic spoils all the fun, but you are correct. Now open it before I use my magic on you."

I giggle and open the present. Yes, there are boots in there, tall boots that reach up to my knees easily when I put them on. I place those to one side and pull out the other garments: a chest plate, body armour and a helmet. This is not the ugly black armour that the guards are forced to wear; this is more sleek and stylish, yet I can see it is built to last. It is the same style as Sombra's own armour, but without the red cape and the crown that Sombra is never seen without. It also has that helmet, which is very similar to the ones the elite guards have. It is meant to cover my entire head, and has red eye slits like the green ones on the elite guard helmets.

"I hope you aren't going to try any of your fancy mind control on me," I say jokingly. "If you do you'll figure out how to make my voice sound like Sunbutt's."

"The armour is enchanted to help us communicate in dire situations, but not quite in that way. We have been trying to improve your telepathy skills, and this will improve the radius of your power to the diameter of the Crystal Empire in every direction. I am hoping that neither of us has to step onto the battlefield, but if that does occur then we will be able to give each other updates on what is happening. The spell only works if one of us needs to contact the other."

"This seems useful, but..." I trail off. There is an obvious problem that I need to talk about, because I want us to be able to trust each other as much as possible.

"But what?"

"Sombra, all jokes aside, would you ever use mind control on me?"

"No, Moonlight. Not ever. I may be ruthless with other ponies, but I would never forgive myself if I did that to you. Kings and Queens deserve better treatment. When we are together, there will be no secrets, no spies, no pain and no lies. Or something like that. I don't usually resort to making up stuff like that to impress you, but I guess it will have to do for now."

"Thank you." I give him a grin. "I take it you will also keep me on the home front when the war breaks out, although this armour is very chic."

"I would never put you into battle willingly. This is in case the war gets too close to us."

"Hopefully, it doesn't." Obviously.

"Would you like to see how this armour works?" he inquires. "It has various enchantments as well as the telepathy spell."

First of all, I put the boots on again. Although they are armoured on the outside, the insides are as soft as velvet. "So what do these do?"

"When you walk in this castle, there is always noise because the floor is made of crystal. Presumably, those boots with metal all around the outside are going to make a lot of noise."

I walk around him in a circle. I make no sound.

"With these shoes, you could gallop through a forest in the autumn and know that not one creature will hear you regardless of how many twigs and leaves you trample on."

"Nice. The chest plate?"

"The chest plate and body armour are able to deflect a variety of magical attacks, and will absorb any physical blows too. Put them on so I can see what you look like in them."

I slip on the armour. It is a perfect fit. I look at the final piece, and debate whether to put it on.

"The enchantment can be removed if you don't like it," Sombra says quietly.

"No it's just going to take a bit of getting used to. Having anypony able to read my thoughts whenever they like is unsettling. Before I met you I was petrified of Dreamwalkers, remember."

"What about now? Are you still scared?"

"No, because you look after my dreams and make sure nopony else decides to visit them."

"Of course. Try on that last piece of armour now; let's see how it works, fiancee."

He holds the helmet in his magical grasp and lifts it over my head. He puts it on with the most gentle care, making sure that my ears are not squashed and the straps are not too tight. The red eye slits, rather than hindering my colour vision, improve my overall eyesight. My mouth is covered but I can still speak comfortably. Of course, I haven't tried the telepathy spell yet...

Looks good on you, I hear Sombra think. It is just as unsettling as you would expect.

I gasp. Sombra, don't spook me like that!

My apologies. Should we see if this works over long distances?

I have to go and do the rounds, check on everypony, so that might be an idea. So far, we've only used short-range telepathy, so this will be a challenge.

Sounds like a plan. Speak to you later.

Is this speaking?!

Hmm, not sure. I'll have to think about that.

We're thinking now! Anyways, I will be back in an hour. I leave the room.

Goodbye!

Bye!

I try not to think about the possibility of him using dark magic to control me.

Princess Celestia's POV

"You failed me, Wishbone Willow," I say quietly, looking at her through the bars of her cell.

"I tried my best! I don't know whether it's some advanced form of mind control magic, or if she actually believes him. I swear, if I had known she would do this, I would have told you." There is desperation in her voice.

"You failed me, and she will grow stronger with every second that she spends with him."

"Please, one more chance."

"That was your last chance. I gave you the sword that you needed to deal with him, and you lost it. I gave you the chance to bring her back, and you didn't do so. I cannot trust you any longer. I will speak to you again soon." I trot out of the dungeon.

Silly vampire. Her friend is completely under the Umbrum's control. I will have to take far more direct action if I want to succeed. The Daughter of the Night is not allowed to win.

Author's Note

Hey, everyone. I have shown the telepathy scene here with underlined text, but if anypony has an even better solution then please tell me in the comments. I appreciate my feedback!

Chapter 16: More Annoying Than Bugs

Moonlight's POV

As I walk around the Crystal Empire, I think about how the enchanted helmet could be beneficial to us and try to distract myself from how creepy it is. The looks on the faces of the Crystal Ponies does not help, and I am asked often what I have done to deserve the so-called "hat of shame." I have to explain to them that it doen't work in the same way as they think. I have to take the thing off and put it back on a lot; the elite guards are forced to wear them at all times in public under Sombra's rules, so removing it serves as proof that I'm not like them.

Eventually, I get fed up of being asked questions and make my way to a primary school so that I can educate the colts and fillies, since they are bound to pass on the message to their parents. I have to go there anyway to inspect the new roof, so there's not much point in stalling.

First I take to the air to look at the roof. No sign of damage; the opposite of the little huts in the Everfree Forest. They are only still standing because of ancient magic that was used when the Everfree Castle was first built. The Everfree Castle, where Nightmare Moon appeared, I think. It was a long time ago. How strange that I always end up helping those who all-out hate Celestia.

I walk into the office and take off the stupid helmet by way of introduction, holding it with my magic instead. I explain to the mare at the desk, "Sombra gave me a new uniform."

"So you aren't like the other guards then? The ones who are, you know..."

"No. Is the new roof all ok?"

"Yes, Commander. Are you here to go and see the foals?"

"Yes. Lead the way, please."

I follow her to the hall where the foals are all gathered for their daily assembly. I ask the mare, "Should I wait for the end of the assembly and visit the classes separately?"

"You can go in there if you wish." A polite, emotionless response.

I open the door, and the crowd look at me with surprise. "I hope I am not interrupting anything too important. Headstallion, please continue and I will talk to the students afterwards."

"I have just finished talking to them, actually," he replies in a gruff voice. He seems to be telling the truth, so I step forwards to address them all.

"Hello, everypony, it's Commander Moonlight again. I am here for two reasons. The first and most important thing is to ask if the new roof is doing its job. Have there been any leaks?"

"No," say the colts and fillies, shaking their heads.

"That's wonderful!" I reply, putting some enthusiasm into my voice and breaking out into a fanged smile. "Now, has anypony noticed something different about me?"

A few hooves shoot into the air. I point at a colt with a silver coat in the second row and ask, "What have you noticed?"

"Well, your armour looks different. It looks more like King Sombra's."

"Correct! King Sombra gifted me this new armour this morning. This is the second reason I am here because I have a new hat as well. There are different types of armour for the elite Crystal Guards to the regular Crystal Guards. Can somepony else tell me what the difference is?"

A pink filly puts her hoof in the air first. "The elite Crystal Guards have enchantments on their armour that makes them act differently. I think it's a bit creepy, but King Sombra tells the Crystal Guards to protect us, so it isn't all bad."

"You're about right, little one. King Sombra can communicate with the elite Crystal Guards much quicker. They make the guards act differently, which is a little strange at first, but I have grown used to it. In fact, the reason why I am here is because he has given me a helmet to match my new armour. It works in a similar way, but it isn't quite the same." I hold it up in the air with my front hooves. "This one doesn't change the way I act when I wear it, but we can still speak to each other over long distances. We can do this by using magic to read each other's minds." I put it on for all of them to see.

The crowd of young ponies are impressed. I hear shouts of "Cool!" and "That looks amazing!" from them all. Good. They at least have accepted Sombra as the true King of the Crystal Empire.

Good, Sombra says. Or thinks. It makes me jump. Everyone gives me a curious look.

"King Sombra is just talking to me," I explain.

"Wow, you're reading his mind right now?!" a colt exclaims.

"Yes. It's going to take a few days for me to get used to it," I reply, giggling. The foals are impressed by your magic, Sombra, I tell him.

It works over long distances, then.

Yes.

That's brilliant!

I know.

One thing. Could you get back to the castle?

Copy that.

I am not a military commander.

Technically you are, but never mind.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but King Sombra says he needs me back at the Crystal Castle. I will visit again soon, though."

"Bye!" everypony says at once. The colts and fillies wave at me, and I wave back with an armour clad hoof. Then, just to impress them all, I use dark magic - if I can still call it that - to teleport to the small dining room of the Crystal Castle.

Where are you, Sombra?

"Right here."

I turn around and he is there. "How am I supposed to tell the difference between you talking and using telepathy?"

"Practice. Nothing else."

Let's practice then, shall we?

If you want to.

Why did you ask me to come back here? I sit down on a crystal chair, which fortunately has a cushion. Sombra makes himself comfortable next to me.

The secret location of Queen Chrysalis's hive has been compromised by Equestria. She is having to move all one thousand three hundred and twenty nine members of the hive, including herself.

Ouch. That's a lot of changelings. More than we can fit in this castle. Even if we had twenty to a bedroom we couldn't accommodate them all.

That is the problem. Is there anywhere else that they could go to?

I frown at him. Not many places I can think of on this side of the border. There isn't really a hotel or anything like that here. Unless we fill this dining room and the throne room with triple bunk beds there will never be enough space. Even then, we might have to ask some families to accept changelings into their homes, and where are over a thousand changelings supposed to wash and do their business?!

Chrysalis says that she will have to get them to build a new hive from scratch, but if they build their hive close to here-

They can help us sort out Equestria, I cut him off. Assuming that three hundred and twenty nine of them are hatchlings, how long does it take a thousand changelings to build a hive from scratch?

Not very long, I have heard.

Wait, is it warm enough for them this far north?

They say it is fine. Do we use a quill and ink or use magic to contact Queen Chrysalis?

Magic. This will be the first time I see Queen Chrysalis face to face.

"Fair enough."

While I remove that helmet so Chrysalis can see my face, he sets four obsidian orbs on the table in a square, and an image of the Changeling Queen appears, surrounded by blue fire that laps at the air. She has a dark grey coat, a blue-grey mane, glistening green eyes and a gnarled horn that must be a similar size to Celestia's. I also recognise a pair of translucent blue wings behind her. She seems to be in some sort of cave.

"Good afternoon, King Sombra and future queen Moonlight of the Crystal Empire," Chrysalis greets us. "How are you both?"

"Brilliant, thank you. There are only four days until old Celestia decides to send the Royal Guards here, but we already know how easily duped they are by the right disguise," I laugh. Chrysalis and Sombra laugh with me.

"Tut tut, even Celestia did not realise, the batty mare. No offence to you, Moonlight. Unfortunately, as you already know, I have had to abandon the current hive. I have no idea what I want to do: build a new hive not far away or move my whole family somewhere else."

"Sombra and I were discussing the benefits of you building the hive further north for all of us. We have found that there are issues with accommodating so many changelings at once, so we were wondering how long it would take to build a new hive."

"It depends on how hungry my brethren are. If you are willing to give some of your love to some very hungry changelings, then I can get them to build it within a week. In fact, it might only be three days before I can start moving some of them in."

I look at Sombra and raise an eyebrow. Do you think we can handle thirteen hundred changelings for a week?

He confirms, "I am confident that we can sort something out."

"Oh, that is brilliant! How wonderful! Ocellus, tell the others that we will be leaving at dawn for a place where the ponies love and appreciate us."

"Yes, Mother," a changeling replies from behind Chrysalis' huge wings.

Sombra says, "If you are not here by noon on Wednesday, we will assume that you have run into difficulties and contact you. Does that sound ok with you?"

"It is perfect. I hope I will see you before then." The flames disappear, along with the image of Chrysalis.

"Do you reckon she will help us if Celestia turns into some fire-maned beast?" I ask Sombra.

"She hates Celestia. Of course she will."

Chapter 18: An Escalation of Events

It happens the next day. One moment Sombra and I are enjoying our breakfast listening to the birds sing, and the next, there is shouting and the thundering of hooves on the floor and loud bangs from the edge of the Empire. Because the crystal ponies are incapable of using magic, it is down to Sombra and I to protect the Empire. We teleport immediately to the dais where the Crystal Heart once stood and have to use all of our combined magic to keep out the Equestrian invaders. As I fuel the protection spell, I watch the scene outside of the Empire. About two hundred ponies ready to storm in. Ready to take the Empire and the Crystal Castle. They haven't learned that they are expendable to Celestia. However, this raises doubts in my own mind. The moment Sombra and I give the order to send our own soldiers out there, it makes us just as cruel and uncaring. These ponies have families too, and though Celestia's evil rays of sunlight shattered mine long ago, it hasn't destroyed theirs yet.

Once we know the Empire is secure, I request an emergency meeting with the entire Crystal Empire. Although dazed and unsettled, the guards spread the message and it is a mere few minutes before the entire population is here. I fly onto the balcony to address the crowd. I prepare for the pain of what I have to tell them all.

"Everypony, we have the misfortune to currently be at war with Equestria," I announce.

A gasp spreads amongst the ponies. Some start heckling me, shouting, "Will we be safe?" and "Will the children be evacuated?" Soon the whole crowd is talking and they lose sight of the matter at hoof.

"LISTEN!" I yell with all the power of the Royal Voice of Canterlot. I don't mean to be so harsh, but I am having to choose between following my head or my heart, and in a crisis like this my head wins. I need to think clearly.

I continue, "We will not be evacuating anypony, nor will you be in any danger. Though we have enemies, who wish to destroy the peace that the King and I have tried to establish here, we also have allies: the changelings. Their queen, Chrysalis, has formed a deal with us and we have sworn to protect each other. They will arrive here soon, and they will build a new hive near the Crystal Empire. For a while, we may have difficulty accommodating them, for there are so many of them, but that means there are more of them to protect your homeland, which has become my homeland as well, and I will do anything to keep it and its inhabitants out of harm's way."

Sombra teleports to my side. "Regarding the Royal Wedding, it may not be as grand as we thought it would be, but we will begin to make preparations as a way to stay together in these times," he tells everypony. "There will still be celebrations. We will still have the Festival of Colour. It may be delayed for a while, but as soon as we can, we will make sure it goes forward."

The distraught looks on the faces of the foals breaks my heart. If Celestia only knew the damage she was doing, she would stop at once and leave us alone.

You think she has enough of a heart to do that? I am surprised to hear Sombra's thoughts, but I keep my cool demeanour this time.

Maybe, I think, giving him a look.

She doesn't, and we both know that. She didn't care about you, or me, and she refused to do anything but watch us trot down this path and then start a war. She doesn't care, Moonlight. Don't let the sun block out the truth.

If she decides that this will be a full-on war, we will soon see whether she is capable of seeing what she has done wrong.

If she DOES realise what a grave mistake she is making, I will eat the jewels in my crown.

"My suggestion," I force myself to continue, "is that you go about your lives as usual unless the front lie gets too close to our kingdom and there is some kind of disturbance to our normal routines. In this case, we will make extra efforts to find you a temporary place to go so that you are safe. This may be difficult for the next ten days once the Changelings are here but after that we will be able to accommodate you all."

Is that everything?

Yes. Let me finish off with some faintly sentimental words about sticking together through tough times.

"Now, do not allow this to get to you so quickly. No, we are Crystal Ponies, and we are strong. I want all of us to stick together as a kingdom. Apart from the Crystal Guards and the group of you who are under Elite Guard surveillance, you are all dismissed."

There is movement as most of the ponies leave the square. However, those who are usually forced to work in the mines are here to stay, along with the guards who make them work.

What are you going to do?

Brief them on what is going to happen.

And your plans for the prisoners are?

To make them loyal.

You're going to turn them into Elite Guards, aren't you?

Yes, I am. While there is a much more important reason for getting them down into the mines than what most ponies think, we ultimately need to have a large army to prepare for this war. Do you think this is an issue?

Well, yes. I don't like the lack of free will, to be honest. Do we have to do this to them? Surely this makes us no better than Celestia controlling Equestria like a ventriloquist and her army of puppets.

They can still walk around and interact with other ponies. They are not fully under my control, believe it or not. You have never used mind control on a pony properly, but it does not restrict them completely. They have a lot more freedom than what those who are locked in Tartarus get. That is what Celestia will do with you if we don't act. I am only doing this to protect you, my queen.

Fine. Lead the way.

"All of you, to the throne room," he orders. I walk there with him, and eventually everypony gathers there. We each take our places on the two black crystal thrones.

"First of all, I am to address those who have previously spoken out against me and refused to co-operate. For you, I have an offer. Join the Crystal Guard willingly, and you shall be allowed to stay here on the home front, or join the existing Elite Guard and be sent to fight for the Crystal Empire by force." He gives the group of unruly mares and stallions a deadpan stare. Most of them have filthy coats and need to brush their manes and tails. Some of them look wild and defiant, standing tall and staring back at us; others have lost the fight in them and bow in submission. Two Elite Guards walk through the crowd of prisoners and separate the fighters from the ones who have given up.

"Those of you who have refused once again to stand with me, know this: I am... disappointed that I have been unable to convince you to willingly become a part of this new society. I am not as cruel as I used to be. In fact, I have been incredibly lenient. You have made your choice to defy me once more, and now I will take the choice away from you, as I have already done with some of the others.

"However, those of you who have changed your minds have made me glad. I know that it has been difficult, but you have realised that really I mean no harm. I want the best for all of you. I will endeavour to keep you and the rest of the regular guards safe from the tragedy of war, and only make you join the fight on the battlefield if it is absolutely necessary."

Good speech, now why am I here?

I need to show you what happens when a pony joins the elite guard.

Now?

Not quite. I can sense your fear. Do not worry, it is painless. Also, I am protecting them from Celestia's putrid reign.

I still don't think this is right, but if you think it is, then continue.

"All of the current guards may go back to their usual duties. Those of you who would ordinarily be supervising the mines should patrol the streets or train together. I would also like all of those who have decided to become Crystal Guards willingly to go home for now and await further instructions."

I wait for the slightly luckier group of ponies to start leaving before I ask Sombra, So how do we decide which of these need to be fully under your control and which ones are "good"?

You don't have to watch if you don't want to. If he were speaking, his voice would barely be a whisper. He avoids my gaze. If this is not what you want for your subjects, I can find something else for them to do. I can relax some of the rules if you wish.

I would appreciate it. I don't know why I'm hesitating, but I'm worried we'll lose their trust if this is what we resort to every time Celestia threatens us. I also pity them slightly.

Have no fear, I can tweak my original plan.

"All of you, my future queen here wishes me to take pity on you. I see no problem in making you all join the Elite Crystal Guard here and now, and forcing my control upon you, but she has a much kinder soul than I, and her wish is to grant freedom for all ponies regardless of their actions." He looks at me and motions for me to step forwards and speak. I have no idea what to say, though.

Follow your heart. My heart has been twisted by anger and jealousy beyond recognition, but there is still light and hope in yours. Let me hear your plan.

"I want you all to understand that I have trotted this path in life because of the great injustice done to me by one of the rulers of Equestria. She took my home, my family, my friends, everything and everypony I loved. King Sombra happened to be in a similar position, and the only one that I knew would be there despite Celestia's corruption. Others may see it differently, but the Princess of the Sun had ruined my life up until the monarchy was re-established here.

"I am completely torn as to what to do with all of you. I know that we have to have the rule of law here, but I feel that the King and I have been harsh. All of you have been stood here together to defy King Sombra and myself, so I would like to know what it is that you dislike about us."

A stallion with a white coat and grey mane steps forward.

"Speak," I order.

"You and Sombra organised the coup of our homeland. You took away our right to choose our leader. You also put huge restrictions on what we can and can't say and do. There is so much secrecy around you both that we have no trust for you. One of you is a random vampire who showed up out of nowhere and declared yourself Captain of the Royal Guard, and the other is a thing who is barely associated with a pony." He spits on my hooves. "I spoke because I wanted to, not because you ordered me. I am a free pony."

I give Sombra a look of pain as I realise that there has to be a better way of ruling the land. Head or heart? What to do?

"Moonlight, Equestria doesn't get to choose their rulers. Their government is picked for them by Celestia and Luna. I rule this place, and you are going to rule it too. We have to do what is best for everypony involved."

"Is this the best thing? Look at them. They have a perfectly good reason to dislike us. Celestia would keep everything the way it is, because she is stuck in her ways and won't get of her high horse. Good leaders need to adapt to their circumstances."

I receive a few nods and murmurs of agreement.

"We are going to war, and Celestia did not back down like we thought she would. Moonlight, they have broken the law and need to be punished."

"Laws can change."

"Only if the monarch sees a good reason to change them," he counters.

I can feel my emotions boiling over. Yesterday, I was so sure that he was right, but now I am much less so. He cannot see that what he is doing is nonsensical and that there has to be a positive relationship between the rulers and their subjects. I raise my voice. "This is a good reason. Do you want to be King of the Crystal Empire or not? The Equestrian train line doesn't actually reach the Crystal Empire and has probably been cut off by now, but if you don't give everypony a good reason to stay then you won't have anything to be the ruler of. Besides, our war isn't with them, it's with Celestia."

"If they think that she is better than us, let them leave and see for themselves when this war really kicks off. The same goes for you."

His words are a thorn in my heart. I turn away from him. "You don't mean that, Sombra. You aren't thinking clearly."

"I am. Now make your choice. You can be my queen or Celestia's servant. Run along now, foals are not allowed to play in the throne room."

"What if I refuse to make a choice? Will you use your fancy mind control tricks on me?"

No reply.

"Answer me, Sombra, I haven't got all day. The fact of the matter is that I could leave and side with Equestria, which has the might of three alicorns behind it, and if I did then our power would vastly outweigh yours even with the Changelings helping you out."

"Go then! Get out of my sight! What you seem to forget is that I want the best for you. I gave you a chance to shine and this is what you do. So ungrateful, it's despicable."

"Ponies make mistakes, and your biggest is not realising how many irreversible mistakes you have made."

Out of pure anger, I walk down to stand with the convicted. An Elite Guard walks into the room and shoves me to one side. I watch as Sombra creates that cruel-looking black armour and puts it on them. The dark magic takes effect instantly. That ghastly purple gas forms around their heads and the eye slits on the helmets turn green. I have not witnessed this before, but I never imagined that it would be so horrifying. I have only seen one side of my fiance's character. I know that this is only a little hiccup, that we will make up quickly, but I cannot look at him. I teleport to my bedroom and lock the door.

Chapter 19: Forgiveness

I stay in my room for the rest of my day, reading and watching the world go by. Nopony except the poor prisoners saw or heard the argument we had, and they have probably had the event wiped from their memories. Throughout the day he does not try to approach me or apologise. I refuse to eat dinner with him, instead requesting that a servant bring it to me. Sombra has had all of the love and kindness sapped out of him by his transformation into an Umbrum, and I hate the idea of that happening to me. It probably will, but I will try all I can to keep a bit of positivity in my soul, or just try to think my actions and their consequences through.

When I finally fall asleep, I recognise immediately that something is wrong. There is a constant rumbling sound, like thunder. I try to fly around, but I cannot tell which way is up or down. Everything is pitch black and I have no way to find my bearings. I lower myself in the general direction of what I think is the ground very slowly and eventually I land on dry, infertile soil.

"Oh, Moonlight."

I turn around and Sombra is there. He gives me a mocking smile and says, "When we found each other, you were nothing and I wanted to turn you into a queen. I have changed my mind now, you worthless creature. You will always be nothing."

"No," I say to myself. "This isn't real. It is just a dream."

"I am a Dreamwalker, Moonlight. Dark magic works in dreams. I can prove that this is all real if you wish."

"Go on then. Prove it."

His eyes begin to glow, and as his red unicorn horn is engulfed by magic I realise what he is going to do. I jump out of the way and the mind control spell is fired into the abyss. I duck under a second blast and fly around a third. He is relentless, though, and I know that I won't be able to keep it up forever.

He appears behind me, and I turn around only to see him facing me again. I look both ways. There are two of him. One of them gives a maniacal laugh, but the other looks genuinely concerned for me.

"Moonlight, I am sorry," the second hallucination says.

"He is a figment of your imagination. He is the old Sombra. He is nothing, just like you are," the original tries to convince me.

"Don't listen to it! It is just your fear, nothing else. Fear creates dark magic, but those who use dark magic can conquer their fears!"

"Never listen to hope, because it will betray you and leave you with nothing but misery. I learned that the hard way and now you will too."

I curl up into a ball on the floor and cover my head with my hooves. I have no way of telling if one of them is the real Sombra that I know and trust. Would he even come and rescue me from a nightmare? I think he would, but after the argument...

There is a flash of blue light and I am scooped up and lifted into the air. I look up at my saviour and gasp. It is Princess Luna.

"Don't worry, Moonlight. You are safe now." Her voice is soft as silk and has no hint of disappointment or anger, which surprises me. I thought she would have been extremely hurt by my decision to side with Sombra and started lecturing me, but she says nothing as she carries me into the night and lands on a mountain that is illuminated by the full moon now that we are above the terrible darkness. She lowers me to the ground and I get up.

"Luna, why are you-"

She cuts me off. "My duty is to protect those who have nightmares from their worst fears, regardless of political affairs or what Celestia thinks of those whom I help. Despite the little hole you have dug yourself into, I won't to leave you to suffer. Don't fret, Moonlight, I won't say anything more on what is happening in our waking lives."

"What about Sombra? Would you save him from a nightmare?"

"Yes. I have misjudged you both. I can tell that you have had a rather bitter argument, but I also know that this is the first. It is also a very reasonable subject to have a disagreement over. King Sombra, come here, I have some advice for you both."

The real Sombra approaches us. I can feel the regret and sorrow radiating off of him. He cannot look me in the eye, so he must feel a great amount of guilt over the disagreement. "What do you wish to say, Princess Luna?"

"When it comes to ruling a country, it is hard to decide whether to rule with rational thinking or your emotions and feelings. However, if you rule with your heart, your subjects usually need little persuasion to do what you think they should do. Also, when you are a co-ruler, communication is key. Talking things out almost always has a positive result. Do the spectators have any memory of your argument?"

"Admittedly, no," Sombra heaves a sigh. "I looked in their dreams to check. Today has not been one of my best days."

"It's fine, I forgive you, Sombra," I tell him.

He looks at me with curiosity. "Really? I didn't think it would be so soon."

The dream version of him materialises again. I point at it. "This thing here is not the real you. I spent time and effort trying to find the real you, because I could see past the part of you that others called 'evil'. They saw shadows. I saw the light that the shadows obscured."

"Why, thank you." He embraces me and I rest my chin on his shoulder, rubbing my cheek against the grey fur on his neck. It seems that crying in dreams is possible, because I have to wipe my eyes.

"We will get through this together. Things might get tough, but we aren't known to go down without a fight."

"Now, you two. I have something important to say."

We both look at Luna. "Yes?" we question her at the same time.

"I am going to try and convince my sister to go back on her decisions, based on what I have seen here. You are both in fact kind gentle souls, and you have unfortunately seen the worst side of Equestria, and the two of us. When we were foals, back before the three tribes were united, we were unicorns and we were raised to believe that we were superior because we had magic unlike the other tribes. I soon realised that it wasn't the case, but dear sister has remained... stuck in her ways. She has resentment towards non-unicorn ponies who use magic. I have no idea how I am going to change her mind, but know that I am on your side. Also, if anypony from Equestria questions you at any point in this crisis, I was never here."

"Thank you so much, Luna," I whisper.

"Thank you," Sombra adds.

"I must now leave, but I wish the best of luck for both of you." She disappears.

I look at Sombra and ask, "So what do we do now?"

"Presumably, we forget this ever happened. Today I was rather cruel, and cruelty has been my way of dealing with problems for so long that I forgot how to be kind. As I have said before, my heart is buried deep in my hooves." He gives me a sad half-smile.

"I am happy to live with that, because there is still a beautiful heart in there. What should we do about those ponies in the Elite Guard?"

"Hmm, I am going to try thinking the way you do. Take off the mind control spell and ask them what they would do in our horseshoes. Most of them will likely feel some degree of hatred towards us - or at least, towards me - but time and gentle encouragement can heal a great many wounds."

"And Celestia?"

"A lot more time and encouragement, with the help of the Princess of the Moon, should she return. Wait, we stopped calling Celestia Sunbutt! When in Equestria did that happen?!"

We laugh together. He really isn't that bad. It took a good couple of months for us to have a serious argument, but I like the lack of perfection and simplicity. Together we make a stunning pair of diamonds, hiding amongst the pebbles.

Chapter 20: Secrets New And Old

The Changelings arrive, and within three days build a huge new hive from scratch. Apparently their journey was delayed by bad weather, but they are here now and that is all that matters. Chrysalis seems to like exaggerating everything in a very villainish manner, but she is really a mother who does everything she can for her young to thrive. She somewhat has a sense of humour, but not as much as Sombra, who seems to be in a good mood as of late, perhaps because he got all of that negativity out of his system. He is nice to our subjects and also makes a spontaneous decision that turns out to be absolutely brilliant.

The crystal ponies rejoice when he announces the abolition of the Elite Guard. He tells me it was a tough choice, but that he thinks it was the right one. Those who were in the Elite Guard are now regular Crystal Guards, and Sombra destroys all of the old armour that allowed the mind control spell to work. After the announcement, I notice that various black crystal structures change colour, and I point this out to Sombra.

"This is excellent, Moonlight. If we can have that Festival of Colour, then maybe the Crystal Empire really will shine," he exclaims. "It could be our ticket to ending the war with Equestria and getting the Crystal Ponies to truly see us as their leaders."

"What about us? The Crystal Heart would have destroyed you if I hadn't smashed it to pieces. Don't the Umbrum die when the ponies around them use their light and love?"

"I have something to stop that. I will have to teach you more about how our magic works. The thing is, our magic is not just fuelled by dark emotions. There are such things as Light Umbrum, but one must be a Shadow Umbrum to change, and something major must happen for it to work."

"What has to happen?"

"I must tell you more. Have you walked past the sealed door in the dungeon yet?"

I tell him that I have. I have seen it: there is a door that will not open regardless of what you do. It will not break if you kick it; there are seven locks that even the craftiest locksmith cannot pick; the handle will never turn; and you cannot teleport into the room behind it. I ask him what is in there.

"Let me show you."

We teleport to the dungeon corridor and check that nopony is looking. Then, once the coast is clear, Sombra walks through the wall opposite the door. Eyes wide, I follow him, and there is a corridor beyond that slopes downward. We walk down and down and down, then walk around a bend in the passage. He opens a door and I look into the room.

Crystals. Tons of them. Hundreds and thousands of crystals.

"Why?" I demand. " What for? It's pointless keeping them all down here. This seems crazy."

"Becoming a Shadow Umbrum means that your magic is created by your emotions. Shadow Umbrum are usually very negative beings. To turn to a Light Umbrum, the Shadow Umbrum must not have love and light directed at them, but must have it within them in huge quantities. When more love and light is channelled through crystals at the Shadow Umbrum, rather than banishing or killing them it makes them stronger, thus starting the transformation."

"Woah. That's why you had everypony in the mines. Just before the big event you were banking on, you could have ordered that they all stop working and that you wouldn't make them mine the crystals any more, so they were all in good spirits. So that means... you're waiting for me to transform before the wedding."

"Correct. I originally wanted Radiant Hope to be the one to transform into a Light Umbrum with me, but she was convinced that I wanted to harm her. After that, I decided that I would become a Light Umbrum on my own. You, however, are clearly pleased to be with me, and I enjoy the thought of us two achieving what so few before us have. First of all though, Sunbutt is a problem that needs to be dealt with. While I know that there is something that could separate us, I will not rest."

"Dramatic, but good. You seem to have a lot of love in your heart already, but when Sparkle wanted to use the Crystal Heart, you didn't and its use would have meant all of this preparation was for nothing."

"The Crystal Heart was created as a defence mechanism against Umbrum. Even if I were to get the crystal ponies to use it, there was a chance that something would go wrong. Amoré was not a nice mare, and it led to her downfall." He closes his eyes and lets out a sigh.

"What's wrong?"

"I have done so many regrettable things in my life, and the worst is having blood on my hooves. As of yet, she is the only pony who has died as a direct result of my actions. I have never been at war with another nation, nor asked my soldiers to kill another creature, nor harmed anypony with my own hooves before or since the incident with her.

"She would not admit it. I was being driven by my anger at the way she treated me and convinced Hope to give up on me. She convinced my best friend that I was a lost cause. She started the fire in my heart that has burned ever since. At the time, my takeover of the Empire had just taken place. I wanted answers that she would not give. I used the mind control spell, but when it wore off her own fiery soul wanted to fight. I thought of everything that I could do to stop the battle between us, but I lost control and chose to end it quickly."

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean, Moonlight. The instant death spell. She taught both Hope and I how to use it in case we were ever in a life-or-death situation. Then I went and used it on her."

I don't reply.

"I must seem like the most odd stallion in the world to you," he remarks. "On the one hand, I make often reckless decisions before thinking about their effects, and can be self-centred. I rush into things with no clear way out and have been known in the past for my temper tantrums. Then you see this side of me, the other side of the coin where I think too deeply about things."

"Don't let a few nasty thoughts get in the way of our goal, though. We want to live long, happy lives together."

"Yes."

He nuzzles the side of my neck and I plant a kiss on his forehead. He moves to kiss me on the lips. He says, "Don't ever leave me. We have both lost everything before, and you're all I have left. I was a complete idiot the other day."

"I've forgiven you already. Stop stewing in your regret, silly." I ruffle his mane.

"Stop before you mess it up. I have to look professional, you know."

"My mane is always messy and nopony seems to mind."

"They should. When you are my queen, you can grow it long and beautiful so that everypony has something positive to say about your appearance."

"What's your opinion on this?" I use magic to style my mane and tail into perfect spikes.

"Warrior manecut. Fitting. Come on now, we have more important things to discuss, such as our mutual defence policy with Chryssie."

We walk back to the dungeon corridor in silence. I didn't realise exactly how much Sombra has been through up until now, and how he punishes himself for the smallest of mistakes. "Hey, Sombra."

"Yes?" he replies.

"How much of this deep thinking do you do?"

"Too much. My sleep is plagued with nightmares as well."

"It's not healthy, you know."

"I do know."

"Just remember that I'm here. I can always come and tell whatever nightmare you're having to pick on somepony else. Even if it's really stupid, like Sunbutt writing a song about little things you've done that she doesn't like. Ok, now I think about it, maybe that is intimidating."

"It's not like that, but I appreciate the help."

The moment we step onto the ground floor, we are told that something is wrong. It doesn't take long to spot the pegasus mucking about in the clouds, and I recognise who it is: one of the Elements of Harmony. I Her name is Rainbow Dash. What she forgot is that the average bat pony can fly even faster than some of the Wonderbolts, and I sneak up on her easily, hiding behind a cloud. I grab her with my magic.

"Spying, are we?" I ask, bemused.

"Not. Cool. I'm one of the fastest pegasi in Equestria, and you sneak up on me without me realising?! Put me down."

"Prisoner of war, number one. What were you doing in the Crystal Empire?"

"So maybe I was sent to try and find some stuff out by Princess Celestia."

"Ha! I knew it!"

"Originally! Princess Luna told me not to listen to Princess Celestia for some reason and deliver a message. I heard absolutely nothing, anyway. The sound doesn't carry here like it does in Equestria. It's like the laws of science have changed here."

"What is the message?"

"Yeah, no. It doesn't work that way. You let me go, and I tell you."

I release her.

"Princess Luna says that it's going to take a lot of work to convince whoever it is she's trying to persuade."

"Thank you. Do you serve Princess Celestia or Luna?"

"How am I supposed to answer that?! I'm the Element of Loyalty! Both!"

"Tell Celestia to stop sending her missionaries to solve her problems, and that the next pony to set hoof on our soil won't be sent back."

"I'll be off then." She shoots off into the sky at a normal pace, then suddenly performs a loop-de-loop at such a speed that it causes a Sonic Rainboom. The blast nearly knocks me out of the sky. I have doubts, and follow her. Sure enough, a secret base has been set up by the Royal Guard in the mountains. All six Elements of Harmony are there, as well as a group of about a hundred guards, made up of all three pony races.

Where are you? Sombra calls.

Not far away, and that's the problem.

Chapter 21: The Attack - Part 1

I ask for Chrysalis and Sombra to meet in the Changeling Hive, which I feel is the most secure place to discuss our plans. It doesn't take long to tell them about the base. They are all shocked by the news.

"So Celestia does have a good old fight in her, then," muses Chrysalis.

"I can hear her taunting us," Sombra says, horrified.

"It's not huge, but it's too big to just be for watching us. Plus, the Elements of Harmony are there. I think that they'll have a few small bases for spies, and then the base I saw will be where their actual soldiers go." I place a few bits on a huge map of the Crystal Empire and the land surrounding it. "This is where they are likely to have their spies stationed. Close to the Crystal Empire, but not so close that they seem like a threat. The spies are likely to be earth ponies in order to avoid suspicion, but I think they will have a few pegasi stationed here as well. Unicorns will be kept for the actual fighting, because they're the strongest in the eyes of our fiery tempered princess."

"Where should we put our outposts, then?" Chrysalis asks.

"I think we need to send spies out first. If we can have someone in one of the small bases, Chrysalis..."

"I dislike sending my critters out to spy on the ponies, but I am sure we can arrange something. However, your plan is flawed. There may not be any of these small spy bases. They may have just planted the one."

"However, if we organise a coup of the main base and there are others, all of the smaller bases are going to immediately attack us, and their overall force will be more than that of the main base."

"A spy in each one?" suggests one of Chrysalis' top changeling guards.

"They'll suss out the changelings immediately, and who knows what they will do then? More of them are needed. At least two in the smaller outposts, if they really are there, and more than ten in that little camp I discovered earlier. Chrysalis, I know you'll be against the idea, but more of them could allow us to learn even more about Celestia's strategies than what our spy in the castle is capable of telling us."

"Spy in the castle?! Never!" the changeling queen retorts. "I refuse to believe that you have spies on Equestrian soil."

"They are right in the Princess of the Sun's inner circle. Haven't you heard? For more than a millennia I have been friends with Princess Luna. We went on a trip to the moon together. She went a bit darkness crazy too, so she understands that this is just a phase and she's promised to get old Sunbutt to go easy on us."

She licks her lips. "I can taste your contempt. Bitter arrogance, but you had an advantage that I have never had. I have no ties with the monarchs of other countries. Although, I suppose I should be glad that you at least have some idea of what you are doing. Fair enough. As much as it is petty, espionage will be our tactic for the meantime."

"First of all, we need to send scouts into the area to establish where the outposts are," Sombra reminds us. "I can prepare a group of twenty Crystal Guards if the Changeling Guard can match that number. Your opinion, Chrysalis?"

"Agreed. Before our guards are sent out there, however, I think our fastest fliers should go out there first in order to guide the team on the ground." She cocks her head to one side and looks at me.

"Me?"

Sombra marches up to her and growls, "How dare you suggest sending my future wife somewhere that she could be killed?! We have a deal to protect each other, not send each other's loved ones into battle!" The whites of his eyes turn green and purple mist forms around them. His horn crackles with energy. A group of changelings walk into the room. Either they can taste Sombra's love for me, or they are here to prevent a fight from breaking out. Sombra does not back down and I have no idea what to do.

"Oh, so that's how it is, then" Chrysalis mocks him. "Somepony lays a hoof on your girlfriend and your entire world collapses. It seems your love for each other is genuine. I did not mean to upset you, I was just trying to find a way to give us a tactical advantage over Celestia. However, you said that I was suggesting a loved one would have to go into battle, and yet she said the same thing not a moment ago, did she not?"

"Do not lose my respect, changeling."

"I doubt you would want to lose mine, either, especially while in my new home and surrounded by my children."

"Both of you, cut it out!" I shout. On impulse I create a magical blast that knocks them both off their feet and sends them flying away from each other. "We're going to look like fools if we keep arguing like this. I'm going out there, because this is our home and we need to protect it. Chrysalis, I need a guard to fly over with me, so that we can find out what the ponies are up to."

"Pharynx, you know what to do."

A changeling steps forwards. He is different from the rest: his fiery mane - if you can call it that - is red instead of blue, and his eyes are completely purple. He says to Chrysalis, "We will leave now. The sooner we find out what they are up to the better."

We leave the hive together and take off into the skies. In mid-air he transforms and ends up looking like a grey pegasus with a black mane and a bow and arrow cutie mark.

"Nice disguise. Know which pony this?" I ask him.

"Changelings don't have to copy the appearance of an actual pony," he explains, "but when I look like this, the ponies who don't know who I am call me Swift Arrow. As well as archery, some of my talents are performing aerial stunts and tracking."

"Interesting."

"Wait. There. Right there," he whispers.

A mere eighty metres from the Hive is a row of five small tents. I mutter a string of profanities under my breath. "Sunbutt knows how to annoy some ponies."

"What should we do?"

"An unprovoked attack could cause trouble, but they're so close that it would be stupid to do nothing."

"Let's go do a bit more exploring."

We take note of everything. A single tent here, an entire camp there. None of them are more than eight hundred metres from the Empire, or each other for that matter. This setup has been designed to intimidate, and it serves its purpose, for I feel a shiver down my spine that isn't caused by the bad weather.

"Pharynx, this is dangerous," I mutter. "The Crystal Empire and the Hive are surrounded. If things go wrong, the only escape route is right at the border between here and Equestria. They'll have us cornered."

"Their little Operation Outpost - if that's what we're calling it - is not a little as we thought. However, it has its weaknesses. They're working like a hive too. The main base is where the queen is, and the workers are scattered around that. They will all take orders from there. I heard your opinion that destroying that would incite an attack from everyone else, but they also have nopony to give them orders. I'll bet thirty bits that their only way of communicating with Canterlot is in that large tent." As we fly past the largest campsite, he points and I see it. The largest tent is also the most heavily guarded. Five soldiers are stood at each end.

"Brilliant. Most of the other campsites are very small, and all of them are a fair distance away from the, let's call it, the Queen's Campsite to avoid suspicion. We could use that to their advantage. To destroy the entire thing, or to sabotage the largest tent? That is the question we have to deal with now."

We return to the Hive and report our findings. Pharynx is clearly a lot more observant than I am, because he took notice of the different ponies he saw in each place.

"Contrary to our predictions, the team that has been sent here is mostly made up of unicorns. No earth ponies have been sighted save the Element Bearers, but there are a few pegasi further away from the Empire. The Queen's Campsite - that's what we're calling the largest base - is the primary concern of ours. It's a hundred and forty metres from here and the number of Solar Guards there is probably closer to two hundred. The campsite in front is only eighty metres away, though."

"Less than a hundred metres from my new hive?! The cheek!" Chrysalis remarks. "Tomorrow it shall fall."

"Too soon," I argue.

"Thoughts, then?"

"The day after tomorrow, two dozen Crystal Guards go for the second largest campsite. It's about half a kilometre from Queen's, which is a good distance away but close enough for them to want to intervene. A larger army will then head to Queen's before they can get back. If we are lucky, we can sabotage their communications with Canterlot before they get back, providing they take the bait and nopony else goes to Queen's to guard it."

"That's risky, but it might just work," answers Pharynx. He points to a coin that I had placed on the map to mark the location of a cluster of tents. "This is quite close to Queen's. A few changelings can go here to hold them off, increasing our chances of success."

"I do not like it," Chrysalis mutters. "There are a lot of possibilities for something to go wrong, and we are going to have to send out a considerable amount of our own guards in order to succeed. However, it is not as if we have much of a choice. Celestia has attempted to paint us into a corner, and we must find our way out."

"I think it will work. As long as there are enough distractions, then they won't be able to do anything. The day after tomorrow," Sombra confirms. We shake hooves with Chrysalis and leave the hive in order to prepare for the attack.

Chapter 22: The Attack - Part 2

The guards are ready. There are only a few minutes until the attack. Everypony is experiencing some degree of nervousness. Chrysalis is worried about her family. The troops are concerned because of the risks involved and because they do not want to use lethal force. I am only nervous because Sombra is being so quiet. He has barely spoken all morning.

"Thoughts?" I ask him as we wait for Chrysalis to signal that her guards are ready.

"So many things could go wrong. Why are we doing this again?"

"We need to cut the guards and the Elements of Harmony off from the rest of Equestria. If they can't contact each other, they can't call in more forces, and we can just take them all in one fell swoop. We never did anything to deserve being surrounded by an army that probably totals more than a thousand ponies, so I don't think there's anything wrong with doing this. Besides, Sparkle is the apple of Celestia's eye, just like I'm the crystal berry of your eye." I give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "If we capture her, she's our bargaining power."

"I see. However, the Element Bearers have such a large amount of power that they could cause some serious damage to our plans. If they defeat our guards and tell Celestia, we are, well... toast."

"What you might forget is that the actual Elements of Harmony are six little magic stones, and they have to have the stones to hurt us."

"You are suggesting that Celestia didn't give them the Elements."

"She might have given them the Elements, but if she did, they'll be in there somewhere. We could easily swoop in and take them. If there are no Elements then there isn't a problem."

"Did you give the order for the guards to look for them?"

"I said that they should only recover the Elements if they had enough time."

"Good." He suddenly turns very quiet.

"Sombra? Are you ok?"

"Yes."

This alerts me to the truth. "What is with the one-word answers?"

"Nothing."

"You can explain what's on your mind, you know."

"Guilt. Anger. Sorrow. The amount of pressure we have both been through. This is only the beginning of the war, and wars usually get a hundred times worse than this. I keep asking myself, why us? Then I remember that I am deserving of all this. I destroyed the life of an innocent mare. I turned my kingdom into a prison and my subjects into slaves. Now I am having to take part in the first real war Equestria has been involved in for a thousand years. All I hope is that you are not blamed for my crimes if Celestia beats us."

"Crimes? You made mistakes. Everypony makes mistakes, even leaders. Look at how much Sunbutt has screwed up."

"You say that like they are simple things that can be sorted out with a simple apology, like a fight in the school playground. I shaped the lives of those ponies out there in a bad way. I can never change that."

"But you shouldn't have to! Sombra, we are together because you have carried a lot on your shoulders. Rather than being forced into the light that shines on us from the sun, you need to recognise the light that shines in you. Yes, you have made mistakes, but I am helping you to correct them. Look at the progress we have made with the Crystal Guard. The guards are free, but they are still loyal to you, because they see that you are their king. The ponies of the Crystal Empire now wave at you when they see you, rather than cowering away. Think about the reasons why you turned to the darkness. You saw it as the only possible route out of your situation at the time. There was no other way to turn. Now we've found a better path that we're walking down together."

"I - I can't - I disagree. You have never had to do what I had to do."

"I'm sure Amoré would forgive you if she saw you now and how much you have changed. Look at what happened last week. We went from fighting to making a better choice for everypony, and it hasn't gone unnoticed. You can feel your remorse, and then learn from it. Sunbutt hasn't even made it that far yet."

"I suppose. Thank you, Moonlight."

A flame appears in the room. "Old Chryssie's signal. We should go to where all of the guards are."

We teleport to an area on the edge of the Crystal Empire. Many changelings and Crystal Guards are gathered there. I fly above them all and look to see what the Solar Guards from Equestria think. They have all gathered outside and are clearly waiting for something to happen. So far, we only appear to be having a discussion.

"Go," orders Chrysalis. I watch as Celestia's troops react to the sudden attack. Most of the combat is hoof-to-hoof. The ponies move around each other and fight in such a way that it looks like a frenzied dance. The magical attacks begin, and our own guards struggle valiantly to dodge the blasts. Most of the time, they succeed and trick the unicorns. A fanged smile creeps onto my lips as the guards from Queen's start charging towards the skirmish.

I teleport to the Hive and give the order for the second group of guards to start their attack on Queen's. Some of them split off from the main group to go after ponies that are occupying nearby tents, but there are still a hundred guards or so at the main scene of the fight. A few ponies sneak into the main tent, and a few sparks fly out of the makeshift door, accompanied by a cacophony of crackling noises. Everything is going well; whatever was in that tent has been destroyed, the Element Bearers have not intervened and...

Sonic Rainboom.

I am blasted out of the sky by the visible rainbow shock wave. That would be Rainbow Dash, then. The Element Bearers have their little trinkets with them, and hand them to one of their guards, realising too late that it is actually a disguised changeling. There are only six of them, but they move quickly. Eventually they recover the Elements, but I am just pleased that they were shocked. Then, I spy an opportunity. Sparkle carries the gems in a box balanced on her back. She sprints for another tent further away from the skirmishes, and I zoom towards her, only to be intercepted by the pink earth pony.

"Hiya!" she chirrups, bouncing into the air.

"Get out of my way!" I shout.

"Nuh-uh. These sparkly crystals belong to us. I have sprinkles, though." She shakes a little on the ground and dashes out of the way.

They sizzle, and I jump out of the way just before they explode. It isn't anywhere near enough to seriously injure a pony, but could cause a minor burn. This reminds me of the burning cold in my hooves. Most of this fight has been outside of the protection spell around the Crystal Empire, and I am surely not the only one who has been affected by the weather. I circle around to see what has happened in the seconds wasted by the confrontation with Pinkie Pie - I'm sure that's her name - and am shocked by what I see. The Solar Guards have badly injured the Crystal Guards, and my stomach lurches as I realise that there have been a couple of fatalities on our side. I told our guards to take it easy, but Celestia clearly has said nothing of the sort, as the once pure white snow is stained with red in places. I yell the order to retreat and most of the guards return to the safety of the Empire. Those who do not are in no position to do so. Dead, dying or captured.

Reluctantly, I return to where Sombra and Chrysalis are stood and report my findings.

"Have any changelings been killed?" Chrysalis demands. I shake my head; those who had disguised themselves as ponies would have changed back if they were seriously injured.

"It looks like our Sun Princess is serious then," Sombra groans. He punches a wall.

"What is with Celestia? Damn you, Sunbutt!" I screech. Sombra, Chrysalis and I may have bickered amongst ourselves, but we share the same sense of pain at the severity of the situation. None of us want to be in this, but we have all been thrown in the same boat, and it is going to sink if we do nothing. "I should never have suggested that. What did I do? I sent some of our guards out there to their doom. It's my fault."

"I did not object to it, Moonlight," Chrysalis reminds me, "and neither did King Sombra. We did not expect this to happen. Leaders make many tough decisions. My family were starved of love for many years before we came here. Now, though, we do not have to starve, because you are willing to share. Every cloud has a silver lining."

"I suppose, but why? Why is Celestia doing this?!"

"Because she knows that we will react this way," Sombra tells me, not hiding the pain in his voice. "She knows that we will either be indifferent and our ponies will revolt, or we will feel pain. Either way, she wins."

"How do we stop her from winning?" The desperation in my own voice makes me sound like a foal, but I couldn't care less.

"By hitting back stronger and harder."

He changes to his shadow form, and travels across the barrier. The sun is blocked out completely, which I am infinitely grateful for. I hear him say, "You have two days to leave before we force you to." His voice is like thunder.

He returns, then changes back into a pony and averts my gaze.

"It is absolutely horrible out there," he tells me. "I have never sent my soldiers to a proper war. It's worse that they are choosing to go, and they aren't under mind control. They know they are waltzing towards death's door."

"What do we do?" I ask nopony in particular.

"Speak to Luna, of course. One princess of three is on our side. She will know what to do," suggests Chrysalis.

"I suppose." It isn't quite a plan, but it's something we can work on. Six hours until dusk. Six hours until we speak to her.

Chapter 23: A Conversation With An Ally

"Hmm, it is difficult," says Luna.

"It's outrageous!" I groan to her. "Despicable, even! How you can allow this is beyond me. Honestly, I'm surprised that you are so indifferent to it all."

"Indifferent, my flank. I am just as astounded at what my sister is capable of. I just cannot let it get to me like I did before."

"Princess Luna, what is your opinion on what your older sister is doing, then?" Chrysalis asks.

The alicorn princess takes a deep breath; then, discarding her regal act, she shouts furiously at us, "To be quite frank, I want that donkey to bucking think about what she's doing, get off her large rump, speak to you lot and apologise to a few ponies. Excuse me for my language, but I'm sick and tired of her caring for nopony but herself."

Chrysalis, Sombra and I are silent for a moment while we digest this before bursting into fits of laughter. I tell her, "Oh, I needed to hear that."

"Luna, I didn't know that you could go on like that about Celestia," Chrysalis adds.

"Oh, I could go on for centuries about her. Why do you think I turned into Nightmare Moon? I was completely fed up, and spending a thousand years away from her hasn't done much good either, because I've had to learn to live with it again. A dung beetle has more brain cells than she has, honestly."

"Luna," I suggest, "you know, if you wanted to, you could always turn into Nightmare Moon again and-"

"No. I did enough damage the first time around. Sombra knows how that feels, and I imagine Chrysalis does too." She bows her head, and I can only imagine what thoughts are racing through her head. How she was swallowed by jealousy, how she twisted my opinions over time and set me on this path. I look at Sombra too, and he turns slightly paler. How that works in the dream world, I have no idea, even after my work with Wishbone. I know what it means, however.

"Unfortunately, I know exactly what you are talking about, Luna. You do what you think is right at the time, and it haunts you forever," he sighs sadly.

"Some of the things I have done in order to try and find food for my young are unforgivable, and if I could I would go back in time to reverse them. That is one of the most dangerous types of magic, and I do not want to risk it, but the thought still appeals. You yourself felt grief earlier today after you saw what the Solar Guards did, Moonlight," I am reminded by Chrysalis. "They are usually hopeless, but Celestia has most certainly upped her game."

My ears fold back. "I guess."

"No," Luna confirms, "I can't turn into Nightmare Moon again. For now, I am working on a covert operation to convince Celestia to change her mind. The Solar Guards listen to me as well as her, so I could always give them conflicting orders behind her back. Who they would believe depends on where their loyalties lie."

"That's too risky. We need something better," Sombra warns. "If you do that too much, somepony will snitch on you."

"I can do nothing in the open."

"Not even sit outside the castle with a placard?"

"No. Twilight Sparkle, who is not even in Equestria's government,, has more political power than I, one of the country's co-rulers, and Celestia is her absolute idol. The same goes for Princess Cadance and the Captain of the Royal Guard. Nothing anypony else does can sway the public. Once again, I have been forced to hide in the shadows."

"Wait. That's it. Shadows!" Sombra shouts. We give him a quizzical look. A crystal appears, and he uses dark magic to make it turn black. It casts a shadow that spreads across the floor, becoming much longer and wider than the crystal itself.

"You see?" He says. "Depending on the light used and the object that created it, a shadow can become much larger than the actual light used when it was cast. Protesting in public is like stepping into the light, which casts a shadow but also reveals the details that others cannot see in the dark. We don't want Celestia to know what we're up to, and openly admitting that you disagree with what she says is only going to be counterproductive in the long run, Luna. You will not be trusted by her or any of the guards. Writing anonymous newspaper articles, for example, keeps your name clear and pushes the truth into the light instead, and the truth can cast the longest shadows of all."

"That's crazy," Chrysalis objects.

"No it's not. When ponies learn what they perceive to be the truth after being fed lies, the latch onto the truth and don't leave it alone," I counter. "During our early days together, Sombra played a little trick and the way my fellow bats reacted was horrifying." I stroke his mane gently. "Of course, I've forgiven him. He was only trying to help me get to the Crystal Empire."

"You have a point, Sombra," Luna muses.

"How is this possible? I cannot comprehend the ponies of Equestria of all places turning against the mare who has been their ruler for more than a millennia over an exposed lie. Then again, I am not a pony myself so I wouldn't really know."

I tell Chrysalis that I can see how the truth can change somepony's behaviour completely. When the bat ponies tried to chase me out of the village in the Everfree, they became far more animalistic than I thought was possible of them. When Celestia began to suspect that I was working with Sombra, she did everything she could to stop me. When I destroyed the Crystal Heart, I saw in the faces of those whom I had supposedly betrayed disgust, fear, hatred, wrath. When Sombra and I announced our long-term plan to stay together, there was joy all around, as there was when we decided that the Elite Guard was no longer needed. Ponies act differently once they hear the truth.

"It seems that I have been outspoken," Chrysalis admits. "If you think it will work, then I am sure it will. We know what we will do. Is there anything else that could help in the long run?"

"Moonlight, I showed you a mirror once, did I not?" Sombra inquires. "I cannot remember if I did."

I nod. There was a mirror on the wall in the third floor corridor. If you asked it a question it would tell you the answer, or show you scenes from the past.

"I need to show you what it can do. We might be able to find more proof behind what Celestia has been saying. It is a scrying mirror, for revealing what was, what is and what might be."

"I thought all the scrying mirrors had vanished or been destroyed!" Luna exclaims.

"Well, I have a knack for finding little things that nopony else recognises for what they are." Clever unicorn.

"Tell me what you see tomorrow night. I have other dreams to visit. I bid you goodnight and hope your dreams are peaceful." She leaves.

"I do not trust her as much as you two," Chrysalis admits. "I cannot be sure if it is her or not. If it was really somepony like that Wishbone Willow you were talking about-"

"I don't think it was."

Sombra steps forwards. "Wishbone doesn't want to bother us again. We gave her a bit of trouble last time she visited."

I continue on his behalf, "She thinks the best thing for me is rotting in Tartarus until I see the light or something. I have seen the light, and it isn't all it's cracked up to be. The actual light is with you two and Luna, I believe."

"Well thank you," the changeling answers. She disguises herself as Celestia for a moment, except she grows a brown moustache for our entertainment. "Now, did the guards say what was in that tent?"

"Various gadgets for communication and some of their plans, which we managed to obtain," I say with a grin. "They want to cut us off from the outside world, then charge in when we're at our weakest. However, for the moment we are self-sustainable, and we can always establish trade elsewhere."

"That mirror is our priority though," Sombra decides. "As soon as we have breakfast, we will take it down from the wall and ask it a few questions."

Chrysalis agrees, then leaves to enjoy her own dreams. Sombra and I are left together.

"So what should we do now?"

"What do you think, Moonlight?"

"I'm asking you what we should do."

"Well, you tell me."

"Stop," I giggle.

"Should the two of us talk about politics?"

"We've done enough of that. Maybe we should just enjoy some time together doing normal things like we used to."

I use my dreamwalking skills to change the scenery to a beautiful meadow in a forest. A stream trickles down a waterfall near us. The light of the full moon weaves its way through the leaves overhead.

"Impressive. What are we going to do here?"

A picnic basket and tartan blanket appear. Strawberries, cupcakes and daisy sandwiches are the first things I think of, and they materialise on china plates. I can smell the food somehow.

"We," I finally answer him, "are going to be happy together. This forest is somewhat like my old home, but far more beautiful. And if you look hard enough," I point into the distance, where the tall, obsidian towers of the Crystal Castle can be seen, "you can find your way home in a heartbeat."

"This is somewhere that I am happy to stay until that cursed sun rises." So we stay in the woods together, in a world of our creation.

Chapter 24: Mirror Mirror, On The Wall - Part 1

Sombra leads me through the castle after breakfast to find the mirror, and we take it down to the dining room again. I am curious to see how it works. It stands on its own on the table, reflecting the darkness of the room. I have adjusted to the black crystal of the castle, but Sombra says that one day it may shine in a whole rainbow of colours if the mirror gives us the answers we need.

"Right, first we need to test it. Show me the corridor outside my bedroom right now," he tells it. Our reflections disappear, replaced with a view of the aforementioned corridor. "Now show me Moonlight Shade at the moment." Our reflections appear again. "It still works, then. Show me Celestia right now."

I watch as the throne room of Canterlot Castle appears. Celestia is writing a letter. A guard who I recognise as Shining Armour asks, "Do you think the others in the Crystal Empire are safe?"

"Of course they are safe. The Umbrum and the vampire are more of a nuisance than a threat. Their own guards were dropping like flies before the new communications system was destroyed. Your sister and her friends have the Elements of Harmony as well. Equestria is in good hooves."

I want to smash the mirror. Celestia uses that kind of language?! It turns out that my mistrust in her was qualified from the beginning when I first joined the Royal Guard, although I'm sure she wasn't this horrible back then. Mind, she's had a thousand years to turn sour.

"And what about the papers? They haven't been quiet since this whole issue started, and it's only going to get worse over time."

"The papers? Do you think there is much that they can do? I can pass new laws to tell them what they can and can't report on if it comes to that. Do not fret, Shining. I am the ruler of Equestria, and it is my duty to look after the ponies."

"Co-ruler," Luna corrects as she glides into the room. Thank goodness. "In my opinion, if they are only a nuisance they should be left alone to get on with it, sister, and I object to the censorship of the newspapers. They should be allowed to say what they want. We can dismiss any unsatisfactory stories as fake news and know that we will be believed. Those who are most powerful are not often questioned on such matters."

"You are right, Lulu. The ponies of Equestria believe me. Shining Armour, have no concerns. I will make sure that this war is won, so you and Cadance get your own kingdom to rule together and are both safe." She gives a warm smile that is twisted and full of lies. "You can go back home and look after her now, while she gets over this illness."

"What is this monstrosity ruling our neighbouring country?" I ask Sombra once Luna and Shining Armour leave the room in the mirror.

"It is called a Sunbutt Gigantus Maximus. It has a large rump, a high opinion of itself and a long nose to make regular ponies look far smaller than it when it looks down at them. It tells many lies and cares for nopony but itself, constantly attempting to make itself seem superior to even its equals."

"So Cadance is ill. Do you think she caught the flu?"

"I think she caught Sunbutt-itis. A Sunbutt Gigantus Maximus may resort to lethal methods in order to prove its worth, even when family is involved."

"You think she was poisoned."

"A Sunbutt Gigantus Maximus's character alone is toxic. She may have cooked something disgusting to upset her fellow alicorn's stomach? Wait, something is happening in the mirror."

Luna is back in the room. Celestia does not even look at her when the younger alicorn calls her older sister's name.

"What is it, Lulu?" the eldest sighs. "Your whining over silly whims has become annoying lately. Please let me get on with my work as long as Sombra isn't about to storm into Canterlot."

"Would it not be a good idea to talk to Prince Rutherford and the yaks about this business with the Crystal Empire? We are to the south of your enemy, and the yaks are to the north." I notice that Luna said that we were Celestia's enemy and not hers.

"Why should I? They won't give me anything of use, and have no magic."

"You are friends with Queen Novo of the Hippogriffs, who have little magic in them."

"I would not call it friends, and Hippogriffs are better than the rest of the horrible lot of creatures I could befriend. I would rather them than the yaks who throw tantrums whenever I speak to them."

"I wonder why," Luna grunts, barely audible. Speaking a little louder, she asks, "So what is wrong with our adopted niece Cadance?"

"Doctors have found traces of a dark magic spell. Sombra has cursed her. Such a monster should not exist in the first place. Why do you think he wishes to hurt the ponies so? Even the most mundane earth ponies do not deserve what he has brought upon the Crystal Empire. I have worked so hard to look after them, and after a thousand years I think my ponies deserve better treatment from him."

I give Sombra a questioning look, and he answers, "Cadance would be dead by now if I had cursed her. The dark magic spell that is affecting her has been cast far more recently, most likely by the Sunbutt Gigantus Maximus herself."

"I doubt it is really that bad," says Luna. Honestly, both of them are so deceptive that I have trouble working out if Luna wants to help us and if Celestia hasn't been foalnapped and replaced by somepony else. "He is only a small trial. Forget I said anything about the yaks. If you do not want to side with them, that is your choice. Sister, have you worked out how to communicate with the Element Bearers?"

"I would never scare them by trying to use a telepathy spell, but I feel that it might be the only way unless I am to travel there myself. I may have to, but I wish to wait to see if there is a surrender first. Let them see the effects of being cut off from the rest of the world before I act."

"That is cruelty."

"I am liberating them from cruelty, sister."

"Let me remind you that Sombra and Moonlight said the same thing about you."

"The filthy Umbrum and the vampire tell a lot of lies. Stop bothering me with such nonsense, Lulu. I will find a way of sorting this out in time." With exasperation, she teleports out of the throne room, and the mirror fades until our reflections show again.

"Ok," I say, "How in Tartarus does Luna put up with that every single day?! This is the worst kind of bullying. We need to do something to help her out before she loses it."

"I never knew that she had such an issue with non-magic creatures and non-unicorns who use magic. The thing is, you'd think that non-magic creatures having magic would make her happy, but apparently magic only belongs to unicorns."

"I know. I want to help Luna, but there's nothing we can do when we are surrounded. You said you would give them two days to leave, ending tomorrow. What's your plan?"

"Give them a good old scare. They won't like it if they have to run around in the dark. My shadow form blocks all light."

"That's not a very permanent solution. We need to drive them back properly, but they've split off into groups so it's harder to attack them. If we divide the Crystal Guards and the Changeling Guards into groups, they're actually weaker. What do we do, because I want us to be safe."

"I have just remembered something that may or may not be of use. There's an old story about a unicorn who helped raise the sun and a pegasus who controlled the wind. Each was trying to see if they could take a travelling earth pony's coat. The pegasus wanted to use the wind to blow it away, but the wind was so cold that the earth pony wrapped it around himself tighter. Then the unicorn made the sun really warm so that it was too hot for the earth pony to wear the coat and took it off. Obviously this was made up to ensure the message of unicorns having ultimate power was spread, but the point is that persuasion gets ponies to do things far easier than force. Instead of pushing them away from the Empire, they could be led away."

"I see your point. How to lead them away, though? Do we ask Luna to pull some strings and call them back, or do we ask Chryssie for a favour? Neither option sounds like it will work. The changelings won't want to get involved and disguise themselves, but Luna is unlikely to be able to do anything, judging by what we have seen in this pretty little mirror."

"Perhaps we will have to use a variety of methods all at once. I was making notes while that little conversation was going on, and I am sure that we will be able to do something with all of this." He holds up two rolls of parchment, each one entirely filled with his writing. If Celestia knew, she would be fuming right now. "We know that the newspapers have already caught on to the fact that something is amiss, and the extent of Sunbutt's twisted opinions. It wouldn't take much to upset the whole of Equestria. A few leaked documents and the whole country would be marching on her doorstep demanding for her to change or step down."

"It won't work like that. She won't allow it. She'll calm down any rebellions before they occur. She has a point, everypony believes the lies that drop out of her mouth whenever she opens it without even considering if there is another possibility, let alone questioning her."

"I am hopeful."

"Hope? Hope? Seriously? You're one to preach and not practise. Tell me where there is an ounce of hope in this Celestia-forsaken world," I laugh. "I don't believe in hope, because it's just another lie. I believe in accepting that there are battles to be fought in life and they are already decided before they start, depending on what the two opponents choose to do and how well they plan. Hope isn't planning, it's blind faith that everything will always work out."

He says nothing and turns away, his expression turning bitter.

"Hey, I wasn't insulting you. Cheer up, or the little ray of sunshine will be even meaner than usual."

"Some lies need to be believed. I believe in hope, mercy, justice, forgiveness. I need those things to get through."

"That's never made sense to me."

"Perhaps it is because you have never walked in my horseshoes before. Amoré's final words to me haunt me and remind me of how badly I have failed. Hope is the only thing that blocks them out. They have long faded into history, and are not even recorded in the history books, but echo through time and my mind all the same."

My ears prick up. I know what I have to do.

"No. You wouldn't."

"Sombra-"

"Asking that mirror for the answers would be like you using the mind control spell on me."

"The difference is I'm using it to help you."

"No. You forced me to draw a line, so why can I not do the same?"

"You can, but I have to know."

"Why?!"

"Because I care for you, and this is getting in the way of your happiness. If we can deal with this, we can deal with Celestia too."

He glares at me, then sighs, "Go on then."

"Mirror, show me Princess Amoré on the night that she died," I blurt out.

A cream unicorn with a slightly curled pink and blue mane appears in the glass reflection of the mirror. She wears unique ice blue jewellery with a matching crown, and her cutie mark - barely visible in the gloom - is of a snowflake. As well as her jewellery, she has a black crystal shackle around her hoof, with a long chain that is connected to the stone wall. She casts various spells but is unable to escape from the room she is trapped in.

Sombra waltzes in, looking exactly as he does now but without the benevolence that has changed him since. The two unicorns in the mirror exchange some small talk, mainly along the lines of Amoré pleading him to let her go and asking if the crystal ponies are safe and well, with a "You won't get away with this," thrown in somewhere.

Sombra asks Amoré to tell him why he didn't trust her and why he made Radiant Hope distrust him. She does not answer. He raises his voice, and is struck with a spell all of a sudden. Amoré breaks the chain attached to her shackle, but the black crystals still hinder her when she attempts to run. Sombra cuts her off before she leaves the room, and they begin to fire spells at each other. Amoré shouts something about how she always knew that Sombra would turn into this and that he had been a hopeless case from the start, which only angers him further. Each of the spells looks highly dangerous, with some of them creating cracks in the walls and breaking the bars of the cell. Eventually, she ends up cornered and with a huge black crystal growing around her horn. He tries to use mind control, but she resists and whispers something to him that I do not quite hear. The result is Sombra giving an unintelligible shout and a huge magical blast, before the mirror fades to show the real Sombra quietly shedding tears by my side.

Author's Note

I got the inspiration for the Scrying Mirror from various cultures and beliefs across the world, but mainly from this story:

TSecrets of the Past

After waking up in a jail cell within the Crystal Empire, Twilight finds herself powerless and the prisoner of King Sombra. However, this supposed villain holds secrets about the past that she never knew about.

CoJoThom98 · 21k words · 50 1 · 1.6k views

I highly recommend it to you all, even though it isn't complete.

Chapter 25: Mirror Mirror, On The Wall - Part 2

How do I respond? What is there to say about something like this? Sombra did what he had to do in order to avoid further conflict, and Princess Amoré had caused him so much misery - and continues to do so now. I lean closer and try to embrace him, to comfort him, but he lashes out and turns away. I don't get why he feels this way. I've never been in his situation before, although I probably will in time's due course. I just want to know why this affects him so deeply so he can move on.

I decide that a telepathy spell is the best route and try to focus on what he is thinking. It is comparable to tuning a radio to a faraway station with a low signal. I have to wait a while to make sense of anything.

Silly Amoré... You should have left when I warned you, before my invasion... I didn't want it to get to that point, but your thorns dig deep and sting... You were friends with Celestia... Met with her, had fun when she visited... No wonder you were so good at inflicting pain... Did Moonlight hear the last words we exchanged? I hope she didn't because those words have haunted me to this day... I cannot let her know. She may have been on the moon with Luna for a thousand years, but her spirit is still too young, too pure...

"Sombra, it's ok," I whisper. "We have a deal, remember? No secrets, no spies, no pain and no lies."

"I don't want to hurt you though," he answers plaintively, like a foal.

"If it was going to make any difference to me whether I got hurt or not, I wouldn't have helped you become the King of the Crystal Empire. Celestia sent me to the moon for a thousand years with Nightmare Moon, who taught me about how cruel the Living Sun really is. Celestia has become much worse over the years, but Luna is now actively trying to help us because she knows what will happen if she doesn't."

"Which is?"

I shake my head. He isn't thinking clearly. "You know this already. We lose this war, I end up in Tartarus, you most likely end up dead."

"You didn't hear the last things Amoré and I said to each other, did you? Just as I was about to cast the spell that would take her life, I had an epiphany. I wondered if there was some way that I could avoid this by getting us to rule together. She said one thing that made me cast the spell without any further hesitation.

"She said that I didn't understand what had to be done to be the ruler of a kingdom. She said it didn't allow you to care about the individuals, only about the whole. She said that as long as the majority were happy, she was happy, and that I would never be happy if I thought that utopia was within my reach. She told me to give up like she had and that my endeavours were hopeless. I shouted at her and told her that she was weak, which fuelled the spell because, as you know, dark magic is fuelled by emotions, and I was furious when she told me that I wouldn't be able to care for everypony. Since then, I have learned that she was right, that you cannot care because you already know what will happen, and I wake up hearing her say the word hopeless over and over again."

"Why does this hurt so much? I mean, I don't want to remind you of this, but you were perfectly fine enslaving an entire empire."

"Out of anger! But there are so many individuals that I have tried to protect over the years. Radiant Hope. Amoré, even. A small abandoned pegasus filly from Equestria whom my family cared for, but got thrown in Tartarus for conspiring with me. Cozy Glow, her name was. She was too young to be thrown in Tartarus really, but I led her down the same path I have led you down, and she got caught. She was considered to be poisoned candyfloss. Innocently sweet on the outside, but unforgiving and cruel when you got to know her flavour, as it were. She's still in there, I think, because the enchantments in Tartarus stop you from dying there. I think she actually wanted to be cruel, but I was only following my ambition to prove Amoré wrong.

"After our conversation last night in the dream realm, even when we were together in that forest, I could hear Princess Amoré and she told me that you and I were going to fail. She said it was written in the stars. Stars always outshine the darkness. I know we're already on a crash course to failing, and she'll be laughing up in the sky waiting for me to say that she was right all along. If there is no hope left, as you say, then we might as well let the inevitable happen. Let the sun's flames engulf us."

"Sombra, your fears are completely irrational, and you know that. The important thing that you have forgotten," I remind him, "is that we are meteors, travelling through the galaxies together, and though we may never outshine the stars, we are never trapped in their orbit either. Who knows, we may end up crashing into a black hole or into a burning ball of hydrogen, but we will continue to travel together regardless of the risks, because that's what you and I do. We stick together, even though the odds are against us."

He grins, and I silently wish for all it's worth that he says something equally as nice back. His next words dash these hopes, but I should know that he's far too quick-witted for my semantics. He answers me, "That is a terrible metaphor. I don't like stellar physics."

"And you just ruined it all. I am useless at trying to comfort you because you have to crack a joke every time I say something meaningful to impress you," I giggle. "I've reminded you why you have to keep fighting, now remind me why I bother to stay by your side."

He leans closer and kisses me. "This is why. And it's why I have to not give in to the Celestia-forsaken nightmares, with a bit of help from the warrior bat mare I know."

"So you're scared of failing because Amoré tried to get inside your head and play mind games before she died. She tried to make you think that we will lose this game no matter how hard we gamble, and that we might as well give up now. I don't believe that. If we gamble, we have a high chance of winning and there's not a whole lot to be lost. This isn't blind faith, or a lie, it is the truth. The only things of any value we have to lose are each other. Nothing else is of any importance."

"Show me how we will win, then."

I concentrate, and a pack of playing cards materialises on the table. "It's like a game of poker. You have to know when to bet and when to wait for the next deal. It seems impossible at first, but you have to learn to recognise the patterns. So far, we haven't been playing the game long enough to recognise the signs Celestia will unwittingly give us, although we will learn what they mean over time. However, I've been playing cards for over a millennium, so I have a few tricks that stop others from recognising the patterns that I use."

"Brilliant analogy."

"So, now I've cheered you up and made you feel a bit more confident in yourself, fancy a game of poker? I know you're supposed to be doing your royal duties, but I'm sure we can play just one game?"

He cannot resist. As we play, we talk about how we will get essentials into the Empire and who we need to contact. Obviously, the more creatures we drag into this, the more risks we are taking, but Celestia has left herself unprotected by trying to surround us. Two can play at all of her games, and the winner is decided before they start. She should have thought about what she was getting into before she put her money on the table.

Princess Celestia's POV

"No," Wishbone Willow pleads. "Anything but this."

"I don't care, vampire," I whisper. "You betrayed me. You helped King Sombra and her. My little ponies haven't returned yet, and you are going to help me get them back, like it or not." I focus all of my anger and a healthy amount of fear on her. "Fall asleep, Wishbone. You will listen to me and only me from now on."

Chapter 26: New Allies And Old Enemies

Moonlight's POV

The next night, we meet again with Luna and Chrysalis in the dream realm to discuss our plan of action. We take great pleasure in speaking about the overheard conversation regarding the yaks, but neither of us mention the conversation Sombra and I had after that. I don't exactly understand his fear of failing, but I am going to help him realise that we aren't ones to give up easily.

Luna invites Prince Rutherford of Yakyakistan to speak to us, and this huge lolloping ball of fur with two black horns and a minuscule pair of ears on each side of its head materialises. He shakes his head a little to move some of his fur away from his eyes.

"Where moon pony?" he asks. I hold my tongue and resist the temptation to laugh at his nickname for Luna. Moon pony?!

She steps forward to speak to him. "I am Princess Luna. These two ponies on my left are King Sombra of the Crystal Empire and his other half, Moonlight Shade." I blush momentarily. "To my left is Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings."

"Why is sun pony not here?"

"That's part of why you are here, actually," I explain. "None of us are really that keen on her decisions and we need a hoof."

"Sun pony not nice to you?"

"Well, no. She also, er, said some rude things about yaks."

"What sort of things about yaks?!"

"Well," Luna hesitates, "my sister has some, um, odd beliefs, and she isn't a huge fan of creatures who can't use magic. She basically said that, because you are yaks, she doesn't have much respect for you, and she made fun of the fact that you get upset easily. This is her opinion, not ours."

He stomps on the ground. "Celestia make yaks annoyed. Yaks may not have magic, and yaks might get upset, but yaks are strong. Yaks smash. You think yaks are good?"

"Rutherford, we think that you and your community are a lot better than Celestia could ever be," Chrysalis answers. "But it would be even better if you could give us some help. Celestia really does not like us, and has sent her guards and surrounded both the Crystal Empire and my new changeling hive. We haven't yet found a solution to the problem, but even after that, we will need help. The main thing that we are going to need is food, and I know that yaks are some of the best farmers around."

"Thank you, tall bug horse. You right - yaks spend lots of time farming, but yaks like trade. How will bug horses and crystal ponies return favour?" Bug horses. Oh boy. I don't want to upset him, but he makes it so hard not to burst out laughing.

"We'll protect you and make sure that you don't have to get involved in this argument between us and Celestia, because at the moment she's not taking prisoners," Sombra informs Rutherford. "We also have lots of crystal berries."

"Yaks like crystal berries. So yaks give crystal ponies and bug horses food and get back crystal berries, plus help if sun pony gets angry? Yaks have deal. But what about moon pony?"

"You don't have to give me anything, Rutherford. If you give me something, my sister will only take advantage of you."

"Why does sun pony want to make yaks angry?!"

"She is horrible, but don't you worry, you don't live with her. She's far easier to deal with from a distance... of five hundred miles, at the very least."

We all laugh at Luna's misfortune. I used to think that she was weak for not standing up to Celestia, but she is, in fact, incredibly strong for not giving in to this pain. I feel sorry for her, and vow to solve her problems at the same time as solving mine. Of course, there are other issues to deal with.

"It's good to know that we have a deal," I tell Rutherford, shaking his hoof, "but before that can happen, Sombra, Chrysalis and I have to work out how to get these ponies from Equestria to leave. We've already decided scaring them away isn't going to work. Do you have any ideas?"

"Yaks want to send sun pony angry letter, but yaks control temper for now. Perhaps yaks help crystal ponies and bug horses by tricking Equestria's ponies. Pretend to be friends, but get angry when time comes."

"That's an idea," I reply. "Sombra was speaking the other day about leading them away, and you might be able to do just that. If they don't realise that you are helping us, it will be all the better. It's safer than Luna getting involved - as much as I appreciate your help, Luna - and more likely to work than us attempting to scare them off."

"Yaks could call guards off, say message has been delivered by sun pony. Can moon pony forge sun pony signature?"

"I am... Quite confident. It is not that different to my own, and I've had my fair share of practise in forging signatures for a little endeavour of mine a thousand years ago."

This is news to me. I arch an eyebrow.

"The thing I was trying to do is of little importance right now, but I will discuss it with you at a later date. The main thing I have to do is send a letter before Celestia sends one. I will have to be quick if I don't wish to be caught out."

The word wish reverberates around the meeting room resembling the one in the Crystal Castle. I gulp. "Did anypony else hear that, because I don't think Luna and I are the only Dreamwalkers in here."

Everypony stares at me.

"Somepony really should have been careful what they wished for," I continue. A tree begins to grow in one corner of the room. A weeping willow. I decide to cast a spell to break up the shared dream. "Everypony will go back to their own dreams. I have something to do."

Luna, Sombra, Chrysalis and Rutherford disappear. I am left alone with the tree, which morphs into a certain bat mare with a sliver coat and green mane over time. I knew somepony would come eavesdropping sooner or later, but I had expected it to be later.

"Come to play I spy?" I question her.

A melancholy look on her face is the only answer I get.

"Oh, so you're pretending to be upset to win my sympathy and convince me to come along quietly."

She shakes her head. "Dreams are the emotions and spirit unguarded. I have all the answers I need already. Oh, don't worry, we won't hurt Luna, Celestia might just send her on a one-way trip to the moon again. Not yet, though. She's interested to see whether Luna sticks to her word or not. She might just do all of this to present evidence to her sister that you need to spend some time in Tartarus. To be honest, you do. Originally, I was trying to save you, and hoped that a bit of thinking time might help you become the mare I know you are again. Then I realised that there was nothing left of you to save. You've stopped using light magic already. I'm hoping that Tartarus can actually contain an Umbrum, or it will be the capital punishment." Her voice is hollow. Not hollow with sadness, as such, but monotone, robotic, like the machine in the Crystal Library which tells you where to find certain books, doing as it is told.

Like the old Elite Guards before Sombra lifted the spell on them.

"Wishbone, you've been caught. Somepony has cast a mind control spell on you, and it isn't me. I've just realised. I can lift it, if you promise to help us."

"Liar. Celestia knows what you really are, and so do I."

I cast a spell and lean through a window, into Sombra's dream. Amoré is laughing at him.

"Amoré, you're not real, this is a dream, so leave my other half alone," I tell her, grabbing Sombra's hoof. "Sombra, I have a problem we need to deal with." I drag him back through the window and into my own dream. "Have you cast any mind control spells recently?"

Sombra takes one look at Wishbone and replies, "This is Celestia's work. She hates dark magic, but uses it every so often when required. I'll have to teach you how to tell who has cast a mind control spell, when we've sent Wishbone back to her own dream."

"It's not happening. Moonlight knows that you can't escape the past."

I create a picture of Celestia out of thin air, hoping to frighten her. It works. Wishbone pauses, then backs away slowly, muttering to herself at a rapid pace. "It wasn't me, Princess Celestia, I didn't help her. I only want the best for her. Please go easy on her when you get her, please. I know who she really is. This isn't like her, I promise. Princess Celestia, don't do this. Don't hurt me to hurt her. I don't want to see her again. She hates me. I couldn't help her. I made a mistake. Please, no!" Her voice rises to a shout. She closes her eyes, then looks around the room again.

"What happened?" she asks herself. Then she spots me and her eyes narrow to slits. "Why am I here?"

"This is a dream, Wishbone. What is your last memory?"

"I was in the Canterlot Castle throne room this morning-"

Sensing her thoughts, I can tell that this is not true and I cut her off. "You taught me well, I'll give you that. You were there two days ago."

"That's the last thing I remember. Why does this matter? You've shown me that you don't care about me."

"Wishbone," Sombra explains, "We don't care for ponies who spy on us, but we do care for ponies that Princess Celestia uses mind control on. I know that you and Moonlight have a rocky history, but this is the truth. I can tell which ponies use dark magic. It's a signature that nopony can forge, not even me." He holds his hooves in the air. "You know how powerful dream magic is, so go ahead and check that I'm telling the truth if you like."

She does. "As much as I hate to say this, you are. Don't expect me to join your side, though. You have used dark magic on me yourselves and hurt me badly when I was forced to come here. I don't like being in your company, and I don't like the fact that you're both going to become Umbrum by the end of this. I won't give you any help, and if Celestia captures one of you, that's your fault, but I'm not going annoy you any more, and I won't ask you to help me either. She shouldn't have done that to me."

I nod. I've finally made her realise the truth about the Sun Princess, but I do not feel proud of what I have done. "I failed you, Wishbone. Dark magic uses emotions, but I let my feelings get hold of me. Don't feel bad about yourself, because I carry most of the blame here. I wish you luck in staying away from Celestia."

"Sunbutt, you mean." She disappears quite literally in a puff of smoke, leaving me feeling disorientated.

"Moonlight, you've only made the same mistake that I've made so many times. It's remarkably easy, dark magic or no dark magic. You just have to try to remember for next time."

I look up at Sombra. One sentence leaves my lips.

"I think I'm going to be tired in the morning."

Chapter 27: Darkness - Part 1

I wake up, and notice that something isn't quite right when I open my eyes. The sun is bright outside the window - curse you Celestia, since whatever is wrong is probably your fault - but the bedroom is dark, and there are no shadows being cast by the light. Something has messed around with the way light is performing. I try to cast a spell to light up the room, but the glow is dampened severely despite me pouring all of my energy into it and drawing in the magic in the air around the room. That's when the penny drops. I'm drawing the shadows towards me with my magic.

I get out of bed and look at myself in the full-length mirror in the dressing room. The shadows are drawn towards me, clinging to me and forming a black smoke. It is most noticeable around my chest and looks disgusting. It reminds me of decay. I realise that Sombra is going to want me to stay in bed for a whole month, maybe longer, looking like this because supposedly the next few weeks are going to hurt.

I use a telepathy spell to wake him up, hopefully not from a nightmare, and tell him to come to my room as soon as he is wearing his armour and cloak and his mane isn't a mess. He pretends he has no idea what I mean, but before he has walked into the dining room early in the morning without brushing his mane, and the guards spent the day quietly laughing when he wasn't in earshot.

Stop. I am a professional, he pleads. That never happened, and none of the other guards have any memory of it. Don't make me resort to a memory spell to get you to stop laughing.

I'm not laughing. There's a much more serious problem than your scruffy mane, but I still want you to look acceptable, or the gossipers among the guards will have a field day with the rumours.

Do I risk walking through the corridors and being spotted heading towards your room, or do I teleport there?

Teleport outside my door. If you teleport into my room, I'll nail your ears to the door so you remember to use it next time. Also, I want you to knock. I tell the guards off for walking into our meetings with Chrysalis without knocking, and just because you are the King of the Crystal Empire it doesn't make you above the Empire's laws.

So refusing to knock on a door before entering a room is now treason, hmm?

I'll have that law passed just to spite you.

Remember all the laws have to be run past me first before they are accepted.

Not all of them. You taught me how the system works in the Crystal Empire and I know of a few loopholes that would allow me to pass new laws even without your approval. I'm not telling you what they are at the moment though, because it's amusing to know something that you don't.

I hear a knock at the door. "I am outside, Moonlight," he calls.

"Well done for knocking. Don't come in. It's horrible to look at. I don't feel ill, but I look a bit of a mess."

I open the door a crack and he smiles at me. "This is a little miracle. So the spell worked, then. You are going to be an Umbrum within a month, and you won't always look like this. However, you are going to have to stay here, firstly because we don't want everypony to know about this, and also because it will hurt at times and I want to make sure you feel OK."

"I don't want to be confined to my room for a month. At least let me walk around the castle. Please?"

"I cannot say yes, because it is too risky. We can't take Wishbone's word for anything after what she did, and she could easily go Dreamwalking to see what the civilians know about us."

"There's no way I am staying here for a month," I protest. It then dawns on me that the Crystal Castle has some nice guest accommodation that has a lot more room and might feel less claustrophobic. I had refused to stay there because I knew that I wasn't going to be a guest, and I also wanted to spend more time with Sombra. "I know I turned it down when we first moved into the castle, but isn't there a spare guest suite with its own living room? It would make sense for me to stay there, because something tells me that when we're discussing tactics with Chryssie she won't want to turn into one of the Crystal Empire's miniature ewes just to fit in here."

He laughs. "I will ask the servants to sort the guest suite out for you, but I still don't want you leaving. It may seem draconian, but I want to protect you. Believe me, this is better than spending a month curled up on a cave floor groaning to yourself."

The guest suites each have a double bedroom, dressing room, bathroom and a kitchen/living room. It's slightly better, but I still dread the thought of being cooped up in such a small space for so long.

Sombra breaks the news to the guards that I have 'fallen ill'. Simple cover story, but they're never going to believe an elaborate tale. We both know that they will spread the word on our behalf.

Sombra gets on with his duties. I read a book about Starswirl the Bearded, and think. Speaking to Wishbone was strange last night. She went from completely hating me when controlled by Celestia, to suddenly realising that she had to move on. I never thought about how she felt, because I thought she was working against me the whole time, even when she said that she was caring for me and trying to get me away from Sombra because she thought he was dangerous. I assumed that was an act, even when I knew deep down she was probably thinking about me. I must have hurt her a lot over the last few weeks. I was so ready to get revenge because I thought she worked only for Celestia. It's still mainly my fault, but Sunbutt has some of the blame in this as well. I do not know if that alicorn chooses me specifically as the target of all her twisted jokes, or if everything she does affects me indirectly, but she is trying to strip away all the things that make me a pony. Becoming an Umbrum is just the final step.

Wish... Oh Tartarus, I should have been nicer to her. Technically, she was right from the beginning: Sombra is dangerous. He's not an ordinary pony. We found a common bond and rushed into things without thinking. We hurt those who actually cared for us because we thought they were going to tear us apart. Sombra has turned me into an Umbrum. At times, he's made me quite a horrible pony to be around. But I'm not going to let that hold me back. I can still be a good pony, even if I'm with him, and I can make him nicer too.

Eventually I get bored and decide that leaving the room quickly can't do any harm. Sombra is busy, so I am certain he won't notice if I slip out of my room for a while. I make it ten paces down the corridor before I hear, or rather, think, him talking to me.

Sneaking away isn't going to work.

I tell him that I am free to do what I like providing I don't break the law, and continue walking down the corridor.

Wishbone appeared again last night, and though she isn't helping Celestia anymore, we can expect somepony else to bother us soon.

Soon isn't now. Please?

I have a letter from Luna saying that we have a few leaks in our boat. Anypony could be giving the Sun Pony information.

Well, the Tall Bug Horse made a good point and suggested that Moon Pony might be our leak. Not impossible.

If you thought for one second that Luna was a traitor, you would have told me. Get back in your room before you are seen.

I grin. What if I say no?

Then I come here to make sure you stay. I'm trying to stop Sunbutt from finding out that you have actually decided to become an Umbrum. It could make things a lot worse, since she would know our biggest weakness if she found out. Right now she's playing a guessing game.

I trudge back into the room. He has a point too, as much as I don't want to stay here. I continue to read. It could be worse.

Four or five days pass, each one less interesting than the one previous. I run out of reading material. I have no idea what to do. He claims that it'll only be a short while before I want to stay in here all day, but as each minute passes my temptation to leave doubles, and eventually I give up and open a window. The attempt to squeeze through is almost successful, but Sombra just happens to be outside on a balcony not far away from me. He teleports into the room, and I shuffle back inside.

"I am so sorry about this, but you can't leave. It is too dangerous. I feel terrible about this. How about I come and visit you each hour to keep you company?"

"I need to see somepony other than you and Chrysalis. As much as you're great company, I have to see somepony else every once in a while. I thought you said I wouldn't want to leave in a few days."

"Clearly you have been affected differently. It's fine. Here, have one of these."

"One of-" My sentence is interrupted by a kiss. "So maybe that makes me feel slightly better."

The next day isn't any better. I am even more desperate to spend five minutes outside of the four walls that contain me. I decide that magic is the best course of action. The door is locked, and I have no hope of picking it because the lock is enchanted. The same goes for the window. I haven't been taught the dark magic spell for unlocking an enchanted lock. Teleportation it is then. The Crystal Library is as good a place as any to visit. Considering the time of day, there won't be many ponies there. I focus on the place, try to create the temporary portal, and nothing happens. A ward has been cast to stop me. I feel as though I am trapped in a fishbowl. It looks like the only way to escape is using some cutlery from the kitchenette as a hammer and chisel. I actually consider this idea for a few minutes before common sense kicks in. If only I could walk through the walls...

Walk through the walls. Sneak around unnoticed. Like a shadow.

Glass of water into a rain cloud. That was the analogy he gave me.

I concentrate on the shadows that have now almost completely engulfed me. I try to draw them in even closer with dark magic, focusing on my wonderful desire to escape, my hope that once I am out of here I am free to do as I like, and how the shadows are going to help. A strange tingling sensation occurs and I glide through the door as if it never existed. I reverse the transformation. Easy as pie. I look down at the remaining shadows, and cast them away so I look normal.

I go back to my old room via teleportation to put on my armour. I'd like to make an entrance when I walk into the throne room. I use teleportation again because I don't want to be spotted. There are two guards outside the throne room, but I hold one hoof up to my lips and they take the hint. Then, with all the power I can muster, I shove the doors all the way open and all eyes turn to me.

"I'm back," I cheer.

Sombra stares at me, not moving from his throne.

"I felt rubbish for a while, but I'm cured."

Sombra continues to stare.

"What? Did I miss something?" Dark thoughts begin to run through my head, of battles and blood and Celestia smiling wickedly at us.

"Stop messing with me. I told you that you needed bed rest for a good month. How on Equis did you get here without anypony noticing that you'd gone on a walk?"

"Sombra," I sigh, "you may have locked me in a turret room to keep me safe, but nothing," I pause to transform into my shadow form and glide over to the two thrones, "is going to keep me from your side." I turn back into a pony and sit on the second throne.

"I suppose you are correct, Moonlight. There is nothing I can do." He reaches over to embrace me, and I return the gesture. The changelings in the room are not the only ones smiling at the sight of us two.

"So, has anything happened while I've been going stir-crazy?" I ask after a moment.

"The Solar Guards from Equestria have left. The first shipment of food from the yaks is set to arrive by airship tomorrow. Everypony has been missing you. Sunbutt has sent us a letter, although it isn't that nice."

"Let me see this."

The letter floats over to me, and I begin to read.

Author's Note

I found this cute picture!

Source

Chapter 28: Darkness - Part 2

Dear Sombra and Moonlight Shade,

I am writing to you concerning the situation with the Crystal Empire.

Currently, you believe yourselves to be the leaders of the Crystal Empire. However, you and I both know that this cannot continue. While the Crystal Empire is an independent nation, it is still a land of ponies and I see it as my duty to protect everypony from harm and ponies like you.

Your move to form alliances with other nations seems weak, and is only going to cause the situation to escalate. I do not wish to hurt other creatures, but if they get involved then I am not going to show them any mercy. Do you really wish to be the cause of all of this?

This is your last chance. If you surrender now, I will give you both a fair trial and a second chance to prove yourselves. If you refuse, then I am afraid that I will have to use all of my power to force you from the throne of the Crystal Empire.

Yours sincerely,
Princess Celestia.

I give a hollow laugh. "What does Celestia expect to do? Give up? We've gone too far together to back out now."

"I know," Chrysalis affirms. "She can't expect us to just lose hope. The thing is, she has realised that she is not just fighting you two. She is fighting you two, myself, Rutherford and potentially other creatures too. She is intimidated by us."

"Good to know, and now - even though I'm not planning on revealing this to her yet - she has another reason to be upset. I'm a lot stronger now."

Sombra clears his throat. "It might be better if we go elsewhere to discuss all of this."

I teleport the three of us to the dining room where Sombra and I usually eat together. "Discuss away, Sombra."

"Moonlight, do you realise how incredibly foolish you were just a minute ago? You have me worried now. Any one of those guards could be the leak that we are all worried about. They all saw you in your shadow form and Celestia could find out about your decision sooner than any of us would have liked."

"Stop worrying. I doubt she would have one of the guards of all ponies be our leak. Does she know how terrible her own guards are?! It's more likely to be a servant, or one of the ponies outside of this castle. We just have to be careful."

"How am I supposed to stop worrying? You mad devil, Moonlight. You are crazy. I might love you, but you are still crazy and you rush into things without thinking."

"You think too much about things, though."

"For good reason. If I did not think things through, we would never have become the rulers of the Crystal Empire."

"There's a good difference between thinking things through and procrastinating for hours over tiny issues. Besides, if you were really concerned that one of the ponies in that room was helping Celestia, you wouldn't have shown me that letter until I got here. I promise you, it will be fine."

"Both of you have good points," Chrysalis interjects. "It took a lot of thinking and preparation to get where we are now, but snap decisions also work. To alleviate your fears, Sombra, if any of the ponies in that room were secretly working for Celestia, every changeling there - including myself - would have noticed something was amiss. I did not sense anything, so it was not anypony in the room at the time."

"How do we identify the spy, then?" Sombra questions her.

"I have an idea." I create a portal, reach through it, and pull out the scrying mirror from the third floor corridor. "Mirror, show me the spy within the Crystal Castle who is secretly in contact with Celestia."

A stallion appears in the reflection. At first, I struggle to see whether he is a crystal pony or not, but then I recognise him. He has a red coat, a blue mane and tail, and his cutie mark is a golden spear.

"He is the Solar Guard who pulled my mane with his teeth and called me a vampire in front of two other guards," I snarl, spittle flying from my mouth onto the mirror. I couldn't care less. "How did I not recognise him?!"

"The Crystal Guard armour covers the guards from head to hoof. It's not a surprise."

"Mirror, where is this pony?"

The mirror shows me the balcony, where he is stood looking out across the Empire. He holds a scroll in his teeth. Before anypony can stop me, I am on the balcony and I block the path back into the building.

"Hello again," I say casually before I hit him in the face.

"Darn yeh vampire, shoulda known yeh'd fahnd aht soon 'nough," he splutters, holding his hoof up to his cheek. The letter drops to the floor.

I catch the scroll and hand it to a Crystal Guard. Then I rip of his helmet so that I can see his face properly. "You're an idiot. For how long have you-"

"Ah managed ter sneak in when the Elements of Harmony were here. Rainbow Dash was ordered ter distract yeh while Ah found a way inter the barracks. Nopony e'er suspected me, and Ah overheard a few good conversations that Princess Celestia was interested ter hear about."

"I would have gone easy on you if you had let me finish my sentence. Now I'm just going to have you put in the dungeon and write a letter to Celestia telling her to stop sending ponies to do this for her."

"Good luck with tha', vampire. She'll never listen ter scum like yeh and Sombra. She ain't gonna leave yeh 'lone any tahme soon."

Two guards walk onto the balcony and grab him. He does not struggle but walks away with his head held high. He must see himself as one of Celestia's favourite guards, but really he is a moron who I am glad to see put behind bars.

You're not having fun, are you? Sombra asks me. The telepathy spell that allows us to communicate is useful, but he ruined the moment once more. Then again, it's sweet how he can remove all the tension from a conversation, and I know he only does this for me.

Of course I am! Send a letter to Sunbutt. Tell her to act like a grown mare and speak to us herself if she has an issue with us rather than sending messengers and threats in the mail. I would have thought she'd stop sending letters now we're technically at war.

Empty threats or just threats?

As tempted as I am to mock her, I think we need to act sensibly if we want her to follow suit.

Right. I am going to need your input, though.

I teleport and appear back in the dining room. Chrysalis immediately tells me that she can taste my satisfaction. I reply, "Enjoy it. Sunbutt's not going to be sending her spies after we've written this letter."

The process does not take long. Between the three of us, we have a letter that isn't going to make us look like idiots when Celestia reads it. Then we deal with the scroll that I stole from the spy.

StAy put. confuse Them. find out more about their plans. if possible, recover stolen Artefact left Behind by dreamwalker. careful, blade is enchanted. will get yOu out of there soon. GratEful for this.

"Typical Sunbutt talk," I groan comically, passing it to Sombra. "The grammar is terrible. She must have a brilliant scribe."

"Moonlight, you missed the most important details. Some of the letters are in capitals."

I find an extra piece of paper and write down the capital letters. S. A. T. A. B. O. G. E.

"It doesn't spell anything."

Sombra facehoofs. "It is an an anagram, Moonlight. It's not similar enough to be obvious, but it has the same letters as and looks like the word 'sabotage.' This is why we have to engage our brains."

I ruffle his mane, much to his annoyance.

"Moonlight, he is serious," Chrysalis tells me off. "Celestia wants to ruin something for us, and it's likely to be something more serious than destroying a wedding cake. Perhaps if you were clever enough to notice the letters in italics we would be a bit further forward."

I write down the second set of letters. M. O. I. R. R. R.

Chrysalis moans, "The whole thing says sabotage mirror. She must know about this." She points at the scrying mirror. "That is annoying, but if she knows we have it, she knows that we are watching her."

"One problem: the reason why there are so few of them left is that Celestia made it illegal to own one before I went on my trip to the moon," I remember suddenly.

Sombra laughs, "So, how many reasons has Sunbutt got to outlaw us, Moonlight? You and I organised a successful coup of the Crystal Empire, refused to give up our power, teamed up with Chrysalis, are now using dark magic and we also own banned magical artefacts."

"Well, if you're going to get chucked in Tartarus either way, you might as well commit a crime that fits the punishment."

"Talking of Tartarus, what if we were to go and free an old friend of mine?" he speculates.

"Are you talking about doing a prison raid?" says Chrysalis. "I would rather not get involved."

"Sombra, my love, would you be talking about Cozy Glow, by any chance? The abandoned pegasus filly who plotted and planned your takeover of the Crystal Empire with you, over a thousand years ago?"

He nods. "Cozy Glow is probably still obsessed with kicking sweet Celestia's flank, and though my reasons for it have changed, so am I. She is very intelligent, and quite the trickster. Nopony in their right mind turns their back on her. If we can get her out, then she will probably be willing to help us and she might even know a few tricks from the other creatures that we could use."

"Chrysalis, what's you're take on this?"

"Most of the creatures in Tartarus do not need to be there, and have just been put there because Celestia has little idea what to do with them. However, there is one who, in my opinion, should stay there and rot for eternity. His filthy name is Lord Tirek, and he is a centaur. I have hated him for a long while now. He is arrogant and unprofessional. All of us have motives behind what we do - for you two, that is looking after each other and protecting the Crystal Empire, for Celestia it is ruling her kingdom and keeping her power, and for me it is keeping my hive safe - but his is ridiculous. He steals magic, just because he wants to impress his long-dead father King Vorak of the centaurs. If we encounter him, we are not going to let him out."

"Fair enough. I have one question, though. Do either of you know how in Tartarus we're supposed to get into Tartarus and back out again? I don't even know what defences it has and it already sounds Tartarus-forsaken impossible. I want to send somepony to Tartarus," I say.

"You will really want to tell Sunbutt to rot in Tartarus in a moment," Sombra assures me. "The place is guarded by Cerberus, her huge three-headed dog. Plus, there is only one door to the place, and usually the only way to open it is with a Key of Unfettered Entrance."

"Key of what now?" I ask him.

"Key of Unfettered Entrance. Unless you are able to use magic to pick the lock manually, which is much more difficult than it sounds, it is the only way of opening doors like the one that we will have to open."

"Tartarus be damned," I mutter. "I'm assuming you have one of these keys of whatever?"

"Two. If you go there with only one key, you will only be able to get inside. If you want to get out, I'll bring the second key."

"That sounds like a plan. A large rock that rolls around could keep Cerberus at bay, maybe. It depends if he likes to play. Now all we have to do is find the time to go and raid Tartarus."

"No time like the present."

"Sombra, I've only just turned into an Umbrum and am still getting used to all of this magic running around my system. Also, I thought you liked planning."

"We have just made our plan. Chrysalis can stay here to look after the Crystal Empire while you and I do a prison raid. Fun."

"Tomorrow," I protest.

"Fine. Tomorrow, we leave at first light. I have never been there before, so we will either have to travel on hoof or with our shadow forms. We'll get to learn a bit more about your new abilities, Moonlight, and it will make the trip interesting. You will also get to meet my old friend, of course."

"I will stay here in your place, but if you get into trouble, do not blame me," Chrysalis tells us.

"First light, my love." Sombra gives me a quick hug.

"Make sure you brush your mane first."

"Don't start that conversation."

"Promise me you'll brush your mane."

"I will. Now go explore the Crystal Empire again. Nothing much has changed while you've been recuperating, but I know you're itching to go flying."

He's right. I do not hesitate in running outside onto the balcony, spreading my wings and soaring into the auburn sky.

Chapter 29: Innocence and Guilt - Part 1

The flight around the Crystal Empire is nothing special, but I am glad to be able to stretch my wings. Why it took me so little time to change from pony to Umbrum, I have no idea, but I am glad to be back.

The ponies in the streets are pleased to see me again, too. They shout things like "It's good to have you back!" and "I'm glad to hear that you've recovered." It lifts my heart.

Meanwhile, I think of Sombra and Cozy Glow. What will the filly be like? She's probably the most innocent-looking pony I'll ever meet, but I thankfully know otherwise. She could cause serious trouble if she found out about something like the room full of crystals in the castle dungeon. I have no idea whether I can trust her or not, which is worrying, but Sombra trusts her, at least.

The next morning, I am ready and waiting for Sombra before Sunbutt even raises the sun. I have my armour on and have saddlebags containing food, water, and two Keys of Unfettered Entrance should he be unable to use magic to open the door.

About an hour after dawn, he finally shows up. "Come on, we're leaving," he says, trying to hurry me along.

"I got out of bed nearly two hours ago, and I've been filling my saddlebags with stuff we might need ever since. Where have you been?"

The answer is something about "keeping up appearances."

"Brushing your mane, then. It looks fine. Now, how far can we teleport before we have to travel by shadow?"

He takes me to the edge of the Crystal Empire. "I don't want to rely on dark magic too much once we cross the border to Equestria, unless we want Sunbutt to know what we're up to. From here, we have to travel south east, avoiding towns and cities as much as possible."

I transform into that odd shadow form, and watch as Sombra does the same. We fly - for lack of a better word - for several hours, in that time covering hundreds of miles of countryside, including the Everfree Forest. I have no idea how he is going to find that door, but he must know something that I don't.

Eventually, we reach a valley, and he starts circling the area. I ask what it is that we are looking for.

"A big black door, carved straight into part of the cliff."

I find it almost instantly, and land in front of it, changing back into a pony. Before I can take off my saddlebags to look for a Key of Unfettered Entrance, Sombra blasts the door open.

"Well, that was easier than I expected," I say to him. Then I realise that we are face to face with what I assume is Cerberus, who looks less than pleased to see us. A huge grey and black bulldog, except with three heads. His three pairs of yellow eyes narrow and each of his three pink noses wrinkle in annoyance. I fly right up to the face on the left, and he growls, ready to snap at me. Each mouth has one white fang sticking out, and I assume each of those fangs are about as long as I am tall. I have a plan, but whether it works or not is another matter. Sombra told me that Umbrum are almost immortal, so I assume that even if this huge head in front of me tries to eat me, I'll survive. The thought of being eaten doesn't really bear thinking about though, so I go ahead with my most risky and unbelievable plan, knowing full well that Sombra will most likely facehoof when I do so.

I reach out with a hoof and gently tap his wet pink nose. "Boop." The expressions on his grey faces soften; instead of baring his teeth his three colossal tongues hang out of his mouths, just like any other puppy. He rolls over on his back and lets us in, wagging his three black tails.

Sombra leads me down a path towards a cell containing a little pegasus filly with a baby pink coat and a baby blue mane and tail. I notice after ten minutes of walking through the cavern and are close to where she is being held, that both her mane and tail are curled into little ringlets and that her cutie mark is a brown chess piece in the shape of a castle tower. The rook. Cold and calculating are not the words that I would use to describe the figure cowering in the cage before me, but that is what her cutie mark suggests. She turns to face us and her somehow still innocent-looking red eyes are filled with delight.

"Golly, is that you, Sombra? Who's the bat pony? What brings you here, after such a long time? I thought you were dead!"

"Oh, Cozy, calm down and and be quiet before that dog comes back. I have missed you," he replies. "I've been stuck in Limbo for a millennia, but I am back and we are going to get you out of here. This," he points at me with one hoof, "is my future wife, Moonlight Shade, though we've had some little kerfuffles with Celestia and not had any time to hold the wedding."

"I can't wait to join you in your plans for world domination." She gives us a sly grin, then pulls the cutest puppy-eyes face that I will ever see. "But can you let me out of here first? I don't like the dark!"

"About my plans for the future, Cozy. They have changed somewhat over the last thousand years. I have realised that I will never be able to achieve what I set out to do, when we were planning all this together all those years ago, but we don't need to. Remember Princess Luna?"

"Oh. Her. Moonbutt. The slightly less annoying one of the Two Royal Pain In My Flank Sisters."

"She is on our side, Cozy. I'm not sure if the news travelled here, but she went a bit darkness crazy a long while back, while I was in Limbo. She and Moonlight were hanging around on the moon for a thousand years, and though her feelings of jealousy have dampened somewhat, Luna still doesn't like the way Sunbutt's running the country and can see that we aren't doing any harm to the Crystal Empire. I actually made the decision to keep everypony out of the mines and the guards aren't under mind control, so I am technically not doing anything wrong."

She looks at me. "Gee, this isn't the King Sombra I knew. Future Queen Moonlight of the Crystal Empire, tell me something. Has he lost his touch, or have you just made him soft?"

"It's probably my fault," I snort. Not that it's a bad thing. "Now we have to get you out of here without Cerberus eating one of us. Is there anypony here who you would like to join us?"

"I would have said Lord Tirek, but he broke out of Tartarus a while ago and left me here, even though I've kept him company for ages. Otherwise the only company he would've had was a few cockatrices. He was in that cage over there." She points to an empty one not far away. "You're the first creatures I've told about his little escape plan. I'm a bit sore that he left me behind, but I'm sure he has his reasons."

"Where's he going?"

"Well, he eats magic to make his own magic stronger, so presumably he's gone to do more of that until he's strong enough to have a good old fight with the Princesses."

I give Sombra a sidelong glance. "Do you think he would help us or just give us a hard time if we found him?"

"I would leave him to get on with it, for now. He is still helping us, but he is unaware of it. How much he can help us depends on how much magic he absorbs in the next two months and whether he decides to go after the Crystal Empire or not. Besides, Chrysalis told us not to talk to him."

"Fair comment. Now, Cozy, can you fit through those bars?"

She wriggles out with ease. "Yuppers. Now I get to test my wings again. I can fly around in that cage, but I don't often." She spreads her tiny filly wings and takes off into the air, hovering above my head. "Now all we have to do is fly past Cerberus. Something tells me he won't fall for the whole boop-him-on-the-nose trick again, but at the moment he's still rolling around on the floor. That was hilarious to watch, by the way. Gee, if I knew he was such a softie, I would've been out of here centuries ago."

However, on our way out, Cerberus is even less pleased to see us than before, probably because I discovered his weakness. When I go to give him a friendly scratch behind the ears, he swipes with one of his huge paws, nearly as large as the dais at the Crystal Castle. Thankfully, I notice what he is about to do and move out of the way. By the time his paw reaches the spot where I was hovering, he misses me by several metres.

I lead him away from Sombra and Cozy, allowing them to run for the exit. The creatures in the various cages, which turn out to be mainly cockatrices, watch with amusement, talking to each other in various tongues. I fly above Cerberus' head, too high up for him to reach, and address the audience: "This is only a small raid, but we'll be back for you another day!" The creatures cheer and shout in support. Then I fly for the now open door and Cerberus charges towards us. We slam the door just in time and hear a nasty thud from the other side, followed by a howl of pain.

"That really was easy," Sombra grins. He teleports us back to the Crystal Castle, where we collapse with exhaustion on the dais in front of Chrysalis.

"Surprise," I groan.

Chapter 31: Make Or Break

Nothing happens for about a week after we send the letter to Celestia. Of course she doesn't reply. She hates us, and she's probably trying to improve the security at Tartarus. Imagine her surprise when she discovers that two prisoners are missing, only to learn that one of them has been gone for a good long while. Cozy warms up to me over the next week, and she begins to adjust to her new life. We spend a day decorating her bedroom - my old room, since I've decided to stay in that guest suite for the time being - and we even have a game of chess. Naturally, she slaughters me within ten moves, and when I ask for a rematch she does the same.

"Check. Mate."

"I know, I know," I say. "And you think that you've lost your touch?"

"Well, you certainly have. When all this Sunbutt rubbish blows over I'm going to challenge Luna, and say that the winner gets to rule Equestria."

"She'll never allow that."

"Oh, a little filly like me can be very convincing when I want to be. Amoré had no idea I was working for Sombra, and neither did the Two Sisters for a good long while."

Then, one day, or rather, night, Sombra and I are called to another dream. We're understandably annoyed, and that is amplified about a thousand times when we realise whose dreams we're interfering with. Both of the Royal Sisters are there, along with Cozy, Chrysalis and Rutherford. We appear to be in one of the various reception rooms of Canterlot Castle.

"Is everypony here?" Celestia groans. I resist the temptation to attack her. It's only a dream, but she would still feel the pain if I decided to do something.

"Yes, sister. I believe that everypony who has been roped into this mess is here," answers Luna. She didn't mention whose fault it was.

"Right, Lulu. I presume all of our guests know why they are here."

"Why?" I say just for the sake of annoying Celestia further.

She facehoofs, which is quite a sight to behold. "We are here because you and Sombra decided it would be funny to start a coup of the Crystal Empire, actually succeeded with your ridiculous task, allied with other enemies of Equestria, own dangerous and illegal magical artefacts, practise dark magic and as recently as last week raided Tartarus to free two of its inmates. That reminds me, Tirek isn't here."

"Celestia, we do not agree on much," sighs Chrysalis, "but one thing we do agree on is how ridiculous that centaur is. According to Cozy Glow, he saw his opportunity when Cerberus went for his walk around Equestria a while ago."

"Yuppers," the filly confirms.

"Fine. You only freed one of the prisoners of Tartarus, but you failed to notify me until just a moment ago that another was missing. That's another mess I will have to clean up before my little ponies are hurt."

Sombra guffaws, and I try not to do so myself.

"Sombra, Moonlight, take something seriously for once. I am losing my patience. You asked me to stop sending letters and messengers, so I allotted some time in my schedule to speak to you. Speak."

Sombra manages to compose himself. "I will admit now that I often do things that are completely senseless, but what is even more senseless is this war that you've started, Celestia. I don't want much from you. All I want is for you to leave myself, Moonlight, the Crystal Empire and our allies alone."

"No."

"What do you want in return, then?" I question her.

"In an ideal world, I would like you to return Cozy Glow-"

"Nuh-uh," the aforementioned says, hovering next to my head. She pulls a pair of sunglasses over her eyes and crosses her forelegs.

Celestia glowers at her, then continues, "Return the prisoner, stop encouraging other nations to get involved, leave the Crystal Empire and give yourselves up so that you can own up to your mistakes."

"That is in an ideal world, sister," Luna reminds her. "You can come to a compromise, correct?"

"Yes."

Chrysalis suggests, "What if I remove myself and my family from the equation? What if we were to continue living in our existing hive, but agree that if the Crystal Empire gets into trouble, I cannot send my troops to battle?"

"I cannot trust you to keep that agreement, because changelings can disguise themselves as any other creature. Plus, you would find some other way of giving the Crystal Empire assistance."

Chrysalis mutters something under her breath. She was probably relying on Celestia being gullible enough to forget that. "And the yaks?"

Everypony looks at Rutherford for the first time. "Yaks want to help Crystal Empire, but yaks also want to keep peace. Yaks do what is necessary. If yaks have to stop trade and not get crystal berries from Crystal Empire, yaks will have to eat something else. Yaks will survive."

The yaks are strong, and brilliant allies, but I realise that those are the wisest words Rutherford has ever said to me. I nod to him. "We would be willing to make that compromise. Is that enough, Celestia?"

"Not quite. I need you to agree that if you continue trading with other nations, then you cannot ask them to attack Equestria."

"Fair enough." If they do anything on their own, well, we didn't ask them to.

"And what about me?" asks Cozy.

"Tia, I for one think that if Cozy Glow is to return to Equestria, she should not be sent to Tartarus or any other prison," Luna states, glancing at the filly. "I am sure that she has served a long enough sentence for everything she has done. Surely she can be integrated into society once more?"

"I'm not going back to Tartarus, that's for sure."

"Well," Celestia says slowly, considering the possible options. "It depends whether you can be trusted."

"Really, I'd like to stay in the Crystal Empire. Back when Sombra was first doing his stuff in the Crystal Empire, I didn't really understand it all. I sorta do now, and I don't like everything he's done, but he's like family to me. Same goes for Moonlight. Even if family does terrible stuff, you still want to be with them and support them. I'll go to Equestria if I have to, but I'd still like to talk to them every now and again. Please, Princesses?"

"What is it that you do not like about Sombra?"

The question is designed to make her tell Celestia something about us by accident to scupper the deal. She looks over her shoulder uncertainly, first at me, then Sombra. I can tell that she's making everything up as she goes along, but I doubt Celestia has the experience in Dreamwalking to recognise this. "Well, you probably know that he used to do the whole mind control thingy. I was never a fan of that, but Moonlight convinced him to stop. Everypony gets to do their own thing now. It's just like Equestria. Other than that, the only thing I can say they need to improve on is their chess playing skills."

"Right. So you would be willing to return to Equestria as long as you could speak to him and Moonlight every once in a while?"

"Yuppers."

"We can make an agreement."

"So this means that once Cozy Glow goes back to Equestria and we stop trading with the yaks, we don't have to continue fighting?" I clarify.

"Well, possibly," says Celestia, not answering my question. I watch Luna shift uncomfortably, and I look at her, cocking my head to one side. Luna shakes her head. Chrysalis looks displeased as well.

Sombra steps forward to speak. "Celestia, you are in a dream with three experienced Dreamwalkers and a changeling, four of the best individuals at recognising emotions and whether somepony is telling the truth or not. Now, you are in this situation, surrounded by living lie detectors, and you just told the most blatant and obvious lie if I ever heard one. You clearly aren't happy with the agreement that we have already made. What else is it that you want?"

"Free the Solar Guard currently in your custody."

"And?"

"Stop using dark magic."

"You have used the term Umbrum yourself when talking about me. You know that I am unable to meet your demands. I am not about to bore you with the entire story, but Moonlight is likely too far into her studies with me to stop. Be realistic."

"It is the awkward pony that makes the world turn, and I want as few compromises as possible so that my subjects are kept safe. Are you sure that Moonlight has reached the so-called point of no return?"

"That is," I trail off, "classified information."

The golden blast of magic would have taken my ear off if we were not in a dream. I scowl, "I assume you want to continue fighting, then. Are you really going to continue a war just because of some beliefs dating back to before the three pony tribes were united? The whole reason the windigos didn't freeze everypony to death is because the ponies decided to look past what made them different and just get along with each other. If you can't accept the fact that non-unicorn ponies can use magic, I really don't know why you are an alicorn representing all three of the pony tribes. That's ridiculous."

"Sister, Moonlight has a-"

"No, Lulu. I tried to negotiate with them, but I am not happy with the circumstances."

Luna holds out a hoof towards us. There is desperation on her face and in the tone of her voice. "You want to make them sacrifice everything and won't give up anything yourself. I would be willing to forget any of this happened and let our neighbours get on with it."

"I know what you want, Lulu, you want peace. I want peace too, but I don't want everypony using dark magic. It corrupts ponies."

"What if Sombra and I use it for good, to make the world a better place rather than using it for the sake of gaining power?" I beg.

No answer, but I can tell roughly what she means. She never wanted to make a deal with us if she thought I would keep using dark magic.

"Luna, please. You understand what we're going through. Tell Celestia that this is pointless. We don't want any more casualties. We just want to get on with our lives."

Luna rushes over to me, and places each of her front hoofs on my shoulders gently. She crouches in front of me and lowers her head, so I know she means no harm. "Moonlight, shh. I know that we have been good friends for a very long time, and I want to help you to move on from everything that's happened. She won't listen, though. I know her better than anypony else. You can lead the horse to water, but you cannot make her drink. Farewell for now, Moonlight."

"But-"

"I cannot stay here. My sister and I need to talk. I will try my best to get back in contact with you, but I need to leave for now. Remember, I am never far away." She stands, and leaves the dream with her elder sister.

I look around at the remaining creatures in the dream room. Chrysalis is baring her fangs at the place where Celestia was stood; Rutherford stomps on the ground, shaking the floor; and Cozy flutters around the room, but always staying close to Sombra. He... is angry. He shows no emotion on his face, but his feelings are bubbling quietly below the surface. He has that calm, quiet anger where you can never quite tell what he really thinks, and that scares me much more than when he displays his emotions and his power because you have no idea how he may act.

"Rutherford, Chrysalis," he says quietly, "I still want to work with you both. Cozy, Moonlight, I am going to dedicate all of my spare time to teaching you dark magic. I am unsure whether we should teach the Crystal Guards anything. Chrysalis, how experienced are your hive at using spells in combat?"

"Fairly good. They don't use dark magic, but their knowledge of light magic is extensive. Some of the best will be able to teach the others."

The dream begins to dissolve, and I realise that we are about to wake up. Sombra tells everypony, "We are not going to let her get away with this. She is going to fail, and we are going to teach her a lesson. I will speak to you all when I have a plan."

I open my eyes, and I can feel Celestia staring into my soul through her cursed sun. The warm rays it sends through the window are not comforting.

Princess Celestia's POV

"Tia, that was unreasonable," Lulu says.

"It may have been, but there is little point in being reasonable when dealing with unreasonable ponies," I counter.

"Maybe if you had let me deal with them-"

"And risk you talking to her again?"

"Do you not trust me? Your own sister?"

"Not with her driving a wedge between us. She cannot change, Lulu."

"I don't want her to, but I want to spend time with her nonetheless. She is a wonderful pony. Please, Tia."

"Are you Luna or Nightmare Moon?"

The question makes her freeze. "What do you mean?"

"Are you my sister or a traitor? If you are my sister, then you won't speak to her again. If you are the traitor, you will leave Equestria at dawn."

"I'll be here in the morning," she grumbles.

"Good, because I need your help. She is even stronger than I originally thought. You taught her too well, Lulu, and we need to rectify that before anypony else is killed."

"Or before you lose the throne."

"What did you say?!"

"Or before you lose the throne. I know what you are worried about, and you had the perfect opportunity to stop all that. But you did things your way. I can only try to help you, sister, but if you refuse to listen that is not my problem. Just don't come running to me when everything goes wrong." She teleports out of the throne room. I follow suit, and find myself in a secret turret room. I stand in front of a small mirror that is attached to the wall. I know what I have to say, but I can't. Let the dust settle first, Celestia.

I look at the mirror one last time, then leave the room and don't look back.

Chapter 32: Common Goals And Anger - Part 1

Moonlight's POV

Sombra's mood is reflected throughout the castle, and everypony has to walk on eggshells around him for days on end. Every time he enters a room, everypony in there falls silent and stays away from him. Every time I try to speak to him, he ignores me, and whenever I sit down and eat he isn't there. Eventually, I manage to track him down and find him eating lunch in the office.

"No secrets, no spies, no pain, no lies. Tell me what's wrong, my love," I say.

"Everything!" he fumes. "Everything is wrong! No matter what we do, Celestia is always going to be a step ahead. Even if Luna pulls the strings behind her back, she will eventually find out, and Luna doesn't have enough power because the system is rigged against her. Chrysalis has sent in spies, but because of her stupid bureaucracy they can't find out anything, and there is nothing you nor I can do without storming into Canterlot and getting ourselves caught. This is ridiculous! All I want to do is get on with my life!" He slams a hoof on the table, spilling most of his glass of water. I clean the mess for him.

"I know the feeling, Sombra. I spent a year trying to escape everything that happened before I met you."

"You have no idea, Moonlight. You don't know what it's like."

"I do. The fight between Celestia and I has been going on since before you tried to take over the Crystal Empire the first time around with Cozy Glow. I never liked her. Her smiles never seemed genuine. I was given a thousand year prison sentence on the moon, and I was with the Nightmare, who made me see the world in a different light. She made me see how dangerous Celestia is. Then I returned to Equis, and tried to put it all behind me, get on with my life. I couldn't escape the past, though. She was still there, in the back of my head, and then you found me, and she marked me as her target. I was a thorn in her backside from the beginning, and she never let it go. But if she had, I might not have met you."

"It does not matter. She will never leave us alone unless we do something about it."

"She's an alicorn, she's immortal."

"That wasn't what I was thinking of, Moonlight. We need to make some kind of plan so that we can get into Equestria and threaten her as much as possible."

"Your suggestion?"

He lays out a map across the table. It's a modern map of Equestria. It triggers a memory, and I realise that it is the one I brought with me on my way to the Crystal Empire. For obvious reasons, the Crystal Empire is not actually marked on there. He places a coin roughly where we are and explains, "There are a couple of options. We can either go south-west, which will take us to Vanhoover and the North Luna Ocean, due south towards Cloudsdale and Canterlot, or south-east to Manehattan and a little village called the Town of Starlight. I don't remember that being there a thousand years ago, so it must be relatively new." His voice is quiet and calm again, but I know the is still hurt and that I have to help him with that.

"It's only been there for a short amount of time," I recall. "I remember Celestia talking to Luna about a recently founded village in the north of Equestria. Apparently it had been there for about three years before we returned from the moon. It doesn't look all that big now, to be honest. I'm not sure that Celestia would bother defending it. Is it worth a look?"

"We will go there alone. Just the two of us. See what it is like, how far it is from other places, what sort of defences it has."

"Maybe Cozy Glow could come along, since she might be able to convince a few ponies to join our cause. That filly uses some kind of hypnosis, Sombra. Yesterday I found her in her room dancing above a bonfire made of pictures of Celestia she'd ripped out of a book. When I asked the guards they said she was just in there reading and had asked them to light the logs in the fireplace. Thankfully I was able to get rid of the scorch mark."

He snorts. "Is that so? I have no idea where she gets it from."

"You, probably."

"Don't start, I am not in the mood for jokes."

"Then I'll make you happy so you are in the mood for jokes." I step closer to him, lean over his shoulder and give him a little kiss on the forehead. He gives me a smile for the first time in days.

"Quit fooling around, you two," Cozy laughs at us. I had no idea she was even in the room. We turn around quickly and make it clear that we are not impressed.

"Cozy, you and I need to talk about fire safety," Sombra tells her.

"Gee, not this strict! You two are crazy unpredictable, even more than me. But I tippyhooved past and I heard you mention something about a village."

"Stop changing the subject, but yes. Once we speak to Chrysalis, we're going on a little journey to Equestria."

Three days later, I have cured Sombra's sulkiness and he, Cozy and I set out on the journey to the Town of Starlight, leaving Chrysalis in charge. We find ourselves in a bit of a situation when we set off, though. Sombra and I can turn into living shadows but Cozy won't be able to keep up with us. She and I can fly, but Sombra has no wings, and it will take days to get there on hoof. Eventually, we decide it would be best if Sombra and I turn into Umbrum, since we can run faster that way, and Cozy rides on my back. This would have been fine if Cozy didn't tell me to gallop faster every two minutes. I would do something, but I'm wearing my enchanted armour and a travelling cloak over the top.

It takes us three hours to get there even though we gallop for most of the journey. Eventually, we climb over a mountain and find two rows of buildings looking up at us. I estimate about a hundred ponies at the most live there. Sombra and I turn back into ordinary ponies again and make our way down the treacherous mountain path until we are on flat ground again. High time, too, because the sun is setting behind us.

The village has a cheery feel about it, yet there is a foreboding element to the seemingly happy atmosphere. Ponies come out of their houses to meet us, all of them with wide smiles. I cannot put my hoof on what is wrong, but their smiles seem false. I am glad of my cloak and armour when I hear the words cutie mark whispered a few times. Cozy has no cloak to hide hers, and I wonder if anypony knows who she is. They don't appear to recognise Sombra, however, even though he has made little effort to hide his identity, just making his eyes look more like those of a regular pony and wearing a cloak similar to mine rather than his usual regalia.

"Welcome." "Welcome to our village." "Welcome!" the ponies greet us, all with wide smiles. Nothing looks out of place. Everything is perfectly fine. Almost. As I look around, I realise that nopony here has a cutie mark. Or rather, they all have the same one; a black equals sign. I have no idea how that is possible, but I don't think I really want to know.

At some point, a pony with a white coat and mane asks us if he can help us. Sombra says that we are just passing through, and were hoping for a place to stay for the night. We are directed to a house that stands out from the rest quite literally, because it isn't in either of the two rows. He opens the door for us and calls, "We have visitors!"

A unicorn walks out of the back room. She a pink-purple coat, a deep purple mane with a cyan stripe, and teal eyes that widen with delight when she sees us.

"Welcome," she chirrups. "What brings you three wonderful ponies here?"

"We're travelling, and we were looking for a place to stay for the night," Sombra lies, not even batting an eyelid.

"Well, you are welcome to stay here in my cottage. There's just enough room for you. Oh, where are my manners? I'm Starlight Glimmer, the founder of this little town."

"I am Nightshade," I tell her. Lying has become a lot easier ever since I met Sombra. I'm not exactly proud of my newfound ability, but if it means going under the radar whilst we're in Equestria, it's a good thing. Cozy jumps off of my back and I point to her with one hoof. "This is Strawberry Blossom, and my partner here is Silver Shine."

"Nice to meet you. Shall I show you around the village?"

I give 'Silver' a sidelong glance. "Well?"

"I would like to have a look around before it gets dark," he says, walking towards the door. He stops and looks at Starlight. "By the way, Starlight, I have a question. Forgive me for being rude, but what in Equestria happened to your cutie marks?"

"Oh. You see, equality is our mission here. I find it hard to swallow when other ponies fight all the time, and then I found one of Mage Meadowbrook's nine ancient artefacts, the Staff of Sameness. It can be used to remove a cutie mark. Everypony in this village has given up theirs in order to live happier lives."

"Interesting." His thoughts suggest otherwise. He and I both know that Meadowbrook only had eight lost artefacts.

We are shown around the small village, and familiarise ourselves with it should we ever return. Really, I hope we don't have to, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and if desperate times come, then I want to know that there's somepony to support us. Hopefully, willing to support us, and we don't have to resort to mind control. I am just glad that nopony recognises us. Perhaps Celestia's influence hasn't been spread as far as I thought.

When we return, Starlight cooks us a little dinner. We have provisions, but she insists. I try to make myself feel comfortable, but I cannot help but feel that she has an ulterior motive. She asks a casual question, and I have no idea how to answer it.

"So, where are you from?"

"Uh, I used to live in a little village near the Everfree Forest, and I decided to move so I could be with Silver," I tell her. It's not exactly a lie.

"We live in the railway villages on the way to Vanhoover from here," Sombra continues. "It's a bit like this place, except bigger and with cutie marks. It's usually good, but recently we have had a bit of trouble from those above us. I can see why a life like this would appeal."

"There's room for more here," she suggests.

"We're on holiday," Cozy cuts in. "We're only staying for a little while."

I internally sigh with relief.

"Ah, that's a shame. Most ponies who visit end up staying here, but if you have places to be, that's fine too. Just remember that you're welcome here any time." She bumps into the table and dusts herself off. Sombra and I both notice something is amiss.

"Starlight," he whispers, grinning from ear to ear. "I am not going tell anypony, but... your flank..."

She looks down at herself. Where the equals sign was, she has accidentally rubbed off some of the make-up she had applied to blend in. Her actual cutie mark is a purple four-pointed star - coincidence, huh? - with two teal streaks above it. Another leader who arguably abuses her power, although I feel as though it's for a different reason. Her eyes widen, then she glares at us. "None of you are going any-"

"I am not going to tell anypony," he repeats.

"You won't?!"

"I am not a fan of your cheating, but it's incredibly clever, and we have more important issues to deal with. I'm not sure if you recognised me, but I am actually quite well-known... for all the wrong reasons. Have you heard about the whole Crystal Empire saga?" He lifts his hood so she can see him properly. I do the same.

"So you would be King Sombra," she spits at him. She turns and glares at me. "I have no idea about the filly, but I'm right, you are the Daughter of the Night. Servant of Nightmare Moon, and now this thing." She points at Sombra with one hoof. "News travels remarkably fast down here. We still have access to the media, and know all about your little plan. You know, I've never tried taking an Umbrum's cutie mark. That staff I mentioned is a piece of wood I found in the desert. I use my own magic to take them." A blue corona appears around her horn.

"I have never fought a unicorn who has a chance of beating me, either. I for one would love to see your try." The whites of his eyes glow a sickly green, leaking purple mist.

Cozy quivers with fear by my side. I tell Starlight sternly, "Look, we're not here to cause trouble. We were, but now that we've met you we think that you might want to help us. Celestia would surely send you to Tartarus if she knew about you stealing cutie marks, but you're still very determined. I have a feeling that you have something against her, just like us. Either myself or King Sombra can take a peek inside your mind, or you can tell us. Make up your mind."

Her anger fades as she realises that one, she might have something to gain, and two, even a mage with her magical ability would stand little chance against Sombra. Reluctantly, she takes a seat at the table and begins to explain the story behind the town with no cutie marks.

Chapter 33: Common Goals And Anger - Part 2

"Believe me, I'm not pleased to be telling complete strangers this story, but if it stops you from blowing up my village or using your dark magic on me, I don't have much of a choice," she sighs.

"When I was a filly, I had a friend. I think he meant more to me than I did to him, but we were still friends. The two of us were obsessed with magic, and he got a cutie mark in it long before I did. He was sent off to Celestia's school to follow his dreams, and like that, I was left behind. I tried to make friends after that, but nopony would. I was a blank flank for a long time, and got a lot of bullying from it. I became understandably angry. This is what cutie marks do to ponies. They tear apart friends, leave individuals to fend for themselves. I've attempted to trace him down for years, but I only received a letter once, saying that he didn't want me in his life. To me, the stupid things are a curse, and the only reasons I keep mine is so that I am able to free others from this pain, and remind myself why I do this. Ok, maybe I do enjoy having all that power over other ponies, but so do other ponies, namely Celestia." She looks away from us and says in a quieter voice, "It's not too late to free yourselves."

"Did Celestia not do anything to help you?" I ask.

"Nothing at all. It seems that even he must have disliked her, because he flunked out about two years before I was old enough to travel to Canterlot on my own and find him."

"Starlight, none of us like her either," Sombra consoles her. "In fact, we are only here because we're on a little mission to get payback for all of what she did. Our original plan was to cause a load of trouble here for her to clean up, but I think you can help us instead."

"Why should I?!" she snaps at him. "I mean, as far as I know, you are no better than Celestia! You're both cruel rulers of kingdoms who can't be challenged by anypony because you can just lock away those who speak out against you."

"Two things. One, the same could be said for you. Two, I convinced Sombra to put an end to that a long time ago," I say.

"What?! But he's evil!"

"I've made him a nicer pony and kept him on the straight and narrow. Yes, he used to be like that, but the one pony he won't hurt is me, and if I don't want him to do something, he stops. Our aim is to look at everything Celestia has done wrong and right those wrongs in our own country. For example, we don't protect our subjects from every bump and scrape, but we've got a team of guards that actually know what to do in an emergency."

She facehoofs. "I still don't trust you. Prove to me that I can."

"Well, Sombra and I have a motto to show that we can trust each other." I give him a sidelong glance.

"Moonlight made me agree that when we are together there are to be no secrets, no spies, no pain and no lies between us. These are the barriers that Celestia has put up, and we are slowly knocking them down."

"Well, it looks like everything the history books said about the Crystal Empire just got thrown out of the window. Fine, then. Tell me what you need me to do. I don't feel like I have much of a choice, but if it's going to help show Celestia that she's in the wrong, I think I can help."

I look out the window. "The ponies out there are gullible enough to buy into anything you say. Why not tell them about how Celestia wouldn't help you find your friend and how her lack of care for her sister led Princess Luna to become Nightmare Moon? Those are the real stories behind why you founded this village. Talking of Luna, she's a member of the anti-Celestia movement we've started. Trust her."

"I can barely trust any of you three, and now you're telling me to trust one of the alicorns? Seriously?"

"I spent a thousand years on the moon with her, and I don't doubt her one bit," I say.

She gasps. "I forgot. The Daughter of the Night. Are you really Luna's-"

"No. As far as I am aware, both of my parents were bat ponies who resided in Hollow Shades. Also, Starlight, your cutie mark reminds me of mine." I use magic to take off my cloak, and show her the four-pointed star and the crescent moon. "They say ponies have similar cutie marks because they are supposed to meet each other."

"Maybe, but you know I've never been fond of this mark. Should I tell them out there that I've kept it?"

"Not at the moment," Sombra advises her. "They would be understandably upset."

Cozy begins to come out of her shell. "Gee, somepony's got a Sunbutt-level of low intelligence! If you're breaking the law, you're not gonna tell everypony, cause then the Royal Guard find out. I reckon that's how they catch ninety nine percent of their criminals, 'cause they're handed everything they need to know on a gold platter."

Sombra and I laugh at her. She scowls indignantly.

"Anyway, it's getting late," says Starlight. "I need to get to bed. Let me show you to your rooms, and then I'll leave you be. I need to think about all of this before I decide what it is that I'm going to do once you're gone."

She leads us upstairs, then retreats to her own bedroom. There are two double beds in the guest room. Sombra suggests that the two of us share one of the beds and let Cozy have the other.

"Not a chance," I tell him with a smile and a kiss. "I might love you, and we might be engaged, but the key is in the word engaged and that means we are not married yet. Wait until after this whole thing with Sunbutt is finished."

"I wasn't suggesting anything of the sort. Either way, I thought you would be the first to spout off something about this being the modern era and some rules from a thousand years ago being stupid and pointless."

"I thought you'd agree with me."

"Well, if you do not want to have me next to you, I won't force you to do anything. However, you will either have to share with Cozy or kip on the ceiling or whatever bats do. Cozy gets the other bed though. Her snoring is terrible enough as it is. I would rather hear it from a distance."

"Gee, you're being weird, Sombra. Get to sleep. Moonlight, I'll put my head at one end of the bed and you can put your head at the other end. That sound any good?"

"Eh, yes. Don't blame me if I'm grumpy in the morning, though, I will quite literally be getting out of bed the wrong way."

I fall asleep easily, but am not prepared for the horrors that await me once my mind is allowed to freely wander. Conflict all around. Nightmare Moon versus Celestia, the battle of sorts that broke out after I destroyed the Crystal Heart, me fighting Wishbone, the argument Sombra and I had ages ago, the battle of the outposts. I want Sombra to be here, and then worry that I might have upset him earlier. I try to change the dream, but nothing happens. Then I find myself in a room where everything is white or light grey: the walls, the ceiling, the door, the table and chairs in front of me. Resting on the tabletop are a paintbrush and a palette with several hues of acrylic paint on it. They are the only colours in the room. Everything else is a blank canvas ready and waiting to be painted.

The door opens, and Starlight walks into the dream. I can tell immediately that she is not a figment of my imagination. I begin to panic. As well as having an extensive knowledge of the way that cutie marks work, she is a Dreamwalker. She can find out anything about me in an instant. She can do anything to me in a dream.

"You think I'm here to hurt you, don't you?" she asks with concern. "I'm not going to. I won't force you to stay and get rid of your cutie mark. I have never done that to anypony. I could sense your nightmare, and I thought you might need a hoof. You've had quite a colourful life, Moonlight."

"Please, go. The nightmares might be gone, but I don't like having Dreamwalkers around."

"Understandable. See you in the morning." She walks towards the door again.

"Wait, Starlight." There's something about her that I can't put my hoof on.

She pauses.

"Why aren't you going to do anything? You have all the power to do anything you like in a dream."

"If you aren't going to hurt me, there's no point in me hurting you. Plus, if I do anything to you, King Sombra's not going to go easy on me. I do everything I do for a good reason, because it seems like the right thing to do from my perspective. There's those out there who would call me evil, and there's ponies who think you and King Sombra are evil. Really, we're just trying to do everything that we think is right. I've instilled my ethos into my village, but I have no right to force my rules upon you. I was considering it, but it's not the right thing to do."

"At first, I thought you were like Celestia, but actually, you're the polar opposite to that monster. She seems to care about some of her subjects more than others, but you really are trying to stop that. I appreciate that, even if I don't see eye to eye with your methods. It shouldn't matter if you're a unicorn, earth pony or pegasus, yes, we should all be on a level playing field, but I think taking cutie marks is a step too far."

"You sound very determined to go against the grain."

"Look at me. I'm the ultimate misfit. I'm a bat pony, I have a ridiculous name like Moonlight Shade - thanks Mum and Dad! - and I always seem to end up befriending Equestria's worst villains and criminals. I got kicked out of my old home in the Everfree Forest before Sombra and I decided we were meant to be together. I find the darkness in the light and the light in the darkness. I make teal, light purple and grey look like they're supposed to go together. Apparently, when I started having lessons, I had a surprising knack for using dark magic even though I'd never used it before. I'm one of a kind."

She smiles. "I've just realised how silly my worldview is. It's not individuality or cutie marks or talents that I hate. It's having my friend stolen from me, and Celestia has a share in the blame because my friend Sunburst was sent to her magic school and he flunked out for whatever reason. I have no idea what happened to him, and I've been put off of socialising and making friends ever since."

"If you're looking for a friend, I've got your back." I change one of the walls of the room to display a painting of Sombra, Cozy, Chrysalis, Starlight, Luna and I standing over a defeated Celestia. "I want to make this happen. I've disliked Celestia ever since I joined the Lunar Guard over a thousand years ago, even before I met Nightmare Moon. There's no changing my mind now."

"I will be happy to help you, Moonlight. Just... Tell King Sombra that he's not allowed to use his mind control on my ponies."

"Don't worry, I gave him a hard time last time he did that. He's realised that happy me equals happy life."

We laugh. Sombra and I have a new ally, a new friend, and a new stance in our battle to get Celestia off the throne once and for all and live our lives the way we want to. Whilst I disagree with the idea, Starlight has chosen to found a village in which ponies live without cutie marks and she wants to run it without Celestia disrupting her way of life. Hopefully, if we work together, we can make sure that never happens.

Chapter 34: Reasons To Be Anxious

Our trip into Equestria was oddly successful in a way that I didn't expect to happen. I thought maybe we would be able to sneak in undetected, learn about Celestia's motives, maybe seize a small town to worry her. None of us knew that we would find another one of us: a misfit, somepony who doesn't match Celestia's ideals. Starlight promises to keep in touch and tell us about any juicy gossip drifting her way from the likes of Manehattan, which is more than we could ever hope for. Though we don't see eye to eye on the whole cutie mark thing, she's quite an interesting pony.

We return to the Crystal Empire by teleportation the next morning, making sure everypony watches us walk off until we are behind the mountains first. The last thing we need is an entire village watching us using dark magic. Starlight might start drumming it into the rest of the town that Celestia isn't the perfect princess everypony thinks she is, but regardless of that, the villagers aren't on our side yet.

Chrysalis immediately asks us how our trip went, and Cozy starts explaining everything before Sombra and I have a chance to stop her.

"Well, in this crazy village there were no cutie marks and then we met the village founder who gave us a tour of the town and then she cooked dinner and it turned out she had a cutie mark that she was hiding and she nearly took away our cutie marks but then Sombra convinced her not to and then it was really late and-"

"Stop there, Cozy," I tell her. Chrysalis doesn't need to know about me and Sombra, and the awkward conversation we had. "Long story short, Starlight Glimmer, the founder of the Town of Starlight, is helping us."

"Well, at least we have somepony in Equestria on our side. How did you convince her?"

"Well," Sombra hesitates, "we told her that we had no intention in hurting her. She probably felt a bit pressured into helping us, but in the morning she was really nice to us. She must have rationalised everything in her head. She's had a little run-in with our sun princess as well."

"I probably helped a bit. I had a nightmare and she popped into my dream to help me out," I admit.

All eyes turn to me. Cozy's surprised face is adorable.

"What?! I can't help having nightmares. Yes, I know that it was really stupid of me to just let her waltz into my dream without any idea of what she was going to do, but we had a conversation and she decided that working with us isn't so bad."

Sombra roll his eyes. "Really stupid is the understatement of the year, Moonlight. Honestly, stop rushing into things like this. One day you'll rush into something that you can't get out of."

I snort. "I didn't rush into anything. I can't do anything to stop Dreamwalkers from walking into my dreams, which is why I'm not keen on them in the first place. Also, about getting into sticky situations, that'll only happen if I'm on my own. I doubt that will ever happen now. I've got Starlight, Rutherford, Luna and you three. Sombra, you issued a warrant for my protection and happiness for eternity when you gave me that engagement ring or bracelet or whatever you want to call it. I doubt I'll ever escape your wonderful kingdom. I might have escaped that room when I was 'ill', but you actually wanted me to work out how to get out. If you don't want me to do something, I don't have a hope in Tartarus of doing it."

"Well, that is mostly true, but I worry about you. You are so determined, so strong that you get a bit arrogant, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"You're saying that I get arrogant and the rest of you don't."

"That is not what I am saying at all. All of us can get arrogant and egocentric, but you... you paint yourself into corners without a second thought. Here, my love." He wraps a foreleg around me. "You are going to stay right here. I want you to promise that you are going to think before you do things. Think about all of the consequences and whether something is worth the risk. I didn't think things through once. The result was that Cozy was sent to Tartarus and I ended up in Limbo. I even met a few other ponies there who did the same thing as me, plus a few Sirens, nasty creatures who like to cause arguments. Meeting Starswirl the Bearded taught me quite a lot, even though he was still filled with that unicorns-are-superior nonsense. I might be a unicorn but that doesn't make me better than anypony else. What makes me better than everypony else is that I use dark magic, rule the Crystal Empire, am a significant threat to Princess Celestia herself and have you here with me."

"Starswirl's in Limbo?! Is that where he disappeared to, then? He went missing hundreds of years before Nightmare Moon and I went on our forced holiday to outer space, according to the history books."

"Yes, along with the other Pillars of Equestria. One of them has been turned into a creature that looks like a cross between an Umbrum and what I have seen of Nightmare Moon in the dream realm. From what I gathered, he just wants a little respect, but I never got a chance to speak to the pony inside the shadows. He was rather busy attacking us, and none of the Pillars could get on with each other because the Sirens kept causing trouble. That's besides-"

"Gee, you two have forgotten that Chryssie and I even exist," Cozy pouts. Chrysalis glowers at her for using the nickname. "I have an idea. Surely, it's possible to go to Limbo, speak to these ponies and convince them to join us, and then drag them out."

"Uh, Cozy, Starswirl the Bearded was Celestia and Luna's tutor. He probably taught Celestia that unicorns are supposed to be at the top of the tree," Sombra reminds her.

"Oh. Right."

Sombra clears his throat. "That is besides the point. Moonlight, you have to engage your brain so that I don't have to worry about you."

"You don't have to worry about me anyway. I've told you to stop worrying plenty of times as well. Anypony who says that once you fall in love you live happily ever after needs to have their head looked at, because to be fair, we've been given a lot to worry about. Just remember, you and I are meteors travelling together through space and time."

"Stop that as well, cheeky."

"Never."

He pins me to the wall and laughs, "Equestria and the Crystal Empire, constantly at war! The servants of Celestia against the valiant King Sombra! Will the conflict never end?"

I struggle to get free, but he is so strong that there is nothing I can do. I tell him, "It will. There may not be a happily ever after, but there might be a true love's kiss." I give him one just to prove it. Cozy and Chrysalis start scowling.

"She started it," Sombra replies, releasing me. "Cozy, Chrysalis, none of us three started the fire that burns inside Celestia. We are only here now because of my little bat." I reach for his mane, and he turns to face me again. "Stop messing up my mane, you crazy mare. I'll have you thrown in the dungeon for that. Then you will never escape, and I can decide to keep you close to my heart forever."

"Poetic. I thought that was exactly the kind of thing you didn't want me to say. To be honest, we should probably go down to the dungeon at some point and see what information we can get out of that Solar Guard."

"I will go down there," Chrysalis volunteers.

"Me too," adds Cozy. "I'm not staying here whilst you two can't say anything that makes sense. Once you're done winding each other up, come down and tell us so we can continue running this country."

I giggle, "Fair enough, Princess Cozy Glow, the pegasus representing cuteness, cuddles, friendship and cunning. We'll see each other later."

Chrysalis and Cozy leave the room. Sombra and I fire silly spells at each other. At one point I give him a villain's moustache, and I end up with a much longer mane flowing behind me in an invisible breeze, just like the Royal Sisters. I try to make him sprout bat wings, but they look more like those of a moth. He makes my tufted ears look more like a cat's.

Another spell hits me and the world goes dark.

I suddenly have a flashback of Luna and I fighting after the Elements of Harmony got rid of Nightmare Moon. Immobilised by fear, I begin to breathe deeply. I can hear Sombra asking me if I am alright, telling me that everything will be fine. Then there's an additional set of hoofsteps, somepony running towards me, and I snap out of the trance. Sombra is by my side.

"What did I do to you?" he asks softly.

"The argument after Luna's return. I saw it all again. What spell was that?"

He refuses to make eye contact. "I... wasn't aware of what I was doing until it was far too late. I had a glimpse of what memories you were seeing, and I realised... I am so sorry. No secrets, no spies, no pain, no lies. What was I thinking?!"

Still shell-shocked, I put the pieces of the puzzle together. "Mind control. So that's what happens. That's why I kept having nightmares when you started visiting me in the dream realm."

"Unfortunately, yes. The spell makes you relive bad experiences and nightmares for a short period of time. Fear makes ponies easy to control. I didn't even think about what spells I was using."

I hug him. "It's fine. We all make mistakes. You don't need that spell to get me to forgive you."

"Your fault." He strokes my mane. "You asked for it. I don't like moustaches."

"I hate to admit it, but villainous moustaches don't suit you. You're also half right about Celestia not liking us. It's partly my fault, but Nightmare Moon helped me quite a lot. Oh come on, stop giving me that look. I know you're upset with yourself, but you shouldn't be. I didn't actually do anything under mind control."

"You didn't feel tired?"

"No."

"That means the spell didn't work properly anyway. I didn't hurt you."

"Wait, why didn't the spell work?"

"I am not entirely sure, but it isn't important at the present. What matters is that you were not harmed."

"Do you think we should go and see that guard? Let off some steam?"

"Maybe. Let us hope we don't have to use that spell again today."

We walk down the stairs to the dungeon together in silence. I have a nasty thought. If that spell makes ponies relive their worst memories, what did Wishbone Willow see?

Chapter 35: Thunder

I am the last pony whom that Solar Guard wants to see. Chrysalis, Cozy and Sombra all give me a wide berth as I stride up to the bars of his cell. I tell him immediately, "I want to talk to you. No messing around, or I make your life worse than Tartarus. Understood?"

"Darn yeh, vampire," he says, glaring. "Do Ah 'ave ter talk?"

"I said, no messing around."

"Don't look as though Ah have much of a choice here, so yeah, Ah get the gist of what yeh're sayin', dirty vampire."

"The first thing you have to do is stop calling me a vampire."

"Fine. What in Equestria do Ah call you if Ah can't call yeh that though? Commander? Queen? Cap'ain of the Crystal Guard? Or do yeh not 'ave a fancy title all yer own, huh?"

I scowl at him. "I have a title, but let's be on a first-name basis. Call me Moonlight. Who in Equestria, then, are you?"

"Ah ain't tellin' yeh mah real name, Moonlight."

"Fair enough. We haven't earned each other's trust yet, so I can understand that. I'm not going to call you Mister Solar Guard, though, that's ridiculous."

"Thunder. Mosta mah friends call me Thunder. Ah hate ter let yeh use mah nickname, but Ah ain't about ter tell yeh mah identity." He crosses his forelegs and continues to glare.

"Ok, Thunder. Now we know each other. We've both worked in the Royal Guard at different points, so we both know that Celestia lets slip most of her secrets to the guards, and the guards spread those messages around. Thunder, would you care to tell me what the last piece of news before you left Equestria was?"

"Tell yer mad friends to leave us alone ter talk about it. Ah know yer gonna tell 'em everythin' but Ah still want ter speak ter yeh alone. The less mad creatures Ah have tryin' ter wheedle information outta me, the better. Ah'll tell yeh what yeh want ter know, 'cause Ah know Ah have no choice, but Ah ain't havin' the rest of yeh watchin' an' interrogatin' me. How yeh expect me ter remember all this when Ah have so many pairs of eyes borin' inter mah soul, Ah dunno."

I look at the others. "Go. I'll be fine. There's nothing he can do whilst we're on opposite sides of these bars, and there's dozens of guards here." I watch them leave, then turn back to Thunder. "Is that any better?"

"Think Ah can speak now without thinkin' there's a hundred an' somethin' pairs of eyes on me. Mah special talent ain't performin' or speakin' ter crowds, after all. It's protectin' the Royals. It ain't sharin' government secrets either, but Ah can't exactly help that."

"You're stalling. What were your last orders?"

He rubs his chin with one hoof. "So, last thing the Princess told me face-ter-face was ter find out everythin' Ah could about yeh an' keep in touch with 'er."

"Did she want to know about our plans, or about us?"

"How do Ah know?! She just said find out what yeh can."

I growl at him, "Does she want to know what shampoo I use?"

"Eenope."

"So does she want to know about our plans for surviving this war or just our daily lives?"

"Both, Ah s'pose. Both. She wants to know all aout yeh. Says yeh're important or somethin', but even Ah ain't been told anythin'."

"If you expect Celestia to tell you everything without asking around, I presume you're part of the inner circle of guards right at the top."

"Yeh may or may not be on ter somethin'."

I sigh with exasperation. He knows how to avoid questions. "Please, Thunder, give me straightforward answers. I can either talk to you and get you to give me the answers I want willingly, or I can take a look at your memories, which is far more painful and unpleasant, no matter what you think of me. Which would you prefer?"

"Fine. Ah'm in the Corona Guard, known as the Inner Circle ter outsiders."

"I bet you get to meet a lot of interesting ponies."

"Ah know all kinds o' folk, from the Cap'ain of the Royal Guard ter musicians an' actors ter just the common folk in Canterlot. Ah know the Cap'ain Shinin' Armour's wife Princess Cadance ain't in a good place."

"If my sources are correct, they suspect it had something to do with dark magic."

"Uh-huh. Did yeh or Sombra do tha'?"

"It's King Sombra, and no, we didn't, Thunder."

"Tell the truth, yeh lyin' mutt."

I slam my armoured hoof on the bars, creating a small dent, and send a small blast of magic into the prison cell. He shies away from me and gulps. I tell him softly, "I'm not lying, Thunder. Yes, I do tell my fair share of tall tales, but this is the truth. I don't lie about things like this. Do you think I would lie about such serious matters?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Fine, Ah believe yeh. It ain't like Ah can argue with the ones who 'ave mah life in their hooves," he grumbles, holding his own hooves in the air and looking away from me.

"Good. By the way, how ill is Cadance?"

"If she weren't an alicorn, she'd 'ave been dead last week. She ain't quite immortal, unlike the Royal Sisters, but Ah'd say there ain't much that can get ter Princess Cadance, an' she's gonna pull through, miss Daughter of the Night."

I facehoof, frustrated at the name. "Don't call me that. Why in Equestria does everypony I meet think I'm Luna's-"

"Ah have mah reasons ter believe yeh really are Luna's foal. Most think it's just a legend, but Ah reckon there's some truth behind it."

"Oh?" I ask. "Tell me. Was I made out of the shadows using some dark ritual dating back to before the pony tribes were united? This will be interesting." I roll my eyes. I'm not about to use the mind control spell to get him to shut up, but I don't really want to hear this.

"Bein' in the Corona Guard gives yeh certain privileges, such as access ter the old Canterlot records and the restricted section in Canterlot Library. Ah done some light readin' in the past, and Ah found some old newspaper stuff 'bout Luna havin' a foal with a Night Guard. How old were yeh before goin' away with the Nightmare?"

"Twenty four."

"Well, about twenty five years before the Nightmare was sent ter the moon, give or take a year, there was a massive scandal or summat about Luna and this guard. 'Parrently he resigned an' ran off ter Hollow Shades after the foal was born. If Ah'm correct, yeh come from Hollow Shades."

"What else do you know?" As much as I hate this guard, I want to know more now, because what he's saying makes sense.

"The guard had purple eyes an' a greenish coat. Unusual colours fer a vampire - I mean bat pony," he hastily corrects himself after noticing my look of disapproval. "Unmistakable. Green an' dark blue together make teal or summat like that, so it makes sense that yeh got a teal coat, an' Ah already said the guard had purple eyes like yeh. Luna also has a knack fer dark magic, though she ain't one fer usin' it. Ah seen what she can do with tha' stuff, an' she ain't half dangerous. 'Parrently yeh learned how ter use the stuff quickly yerself. Yer small in stature, an' Luna ain't the tallest of the alicorns. She's barely taller than the average mare. Ah know yeh saw her when they got rid o' Nightmare Moon. Ah did too. She was tiny. Twilight Sparkle was taller than 'er."

The description of the guard matches what I remember of my father, and he makes a good point about Luna's height. When she emerged from within the Nightmare, she was as short as I am. I never knew that she was able to use dark magic though. It raises doubts in my mind over who cursed Princess Cadance. It was done with dark magic, so she would have been able to do something, perhaps if Cadance refused to listen to reason.

"Right. Are you sure you don't know anything else about this?"

"Tha's all Ah know."

"Thank you," I say. "Obviously, I'm not about to trust you wholeheartedly, but I've been..." I search for the right words, "intrigued by our discussion. As a reward for helping me, you get a decent dinner this evening. I believe the Crystal Guards are having crystal berry pie tonight."

"Why, thank yeh. Ah'm surprised yeh're actually goin' ter give me a treat. Thought this was supposed ter be like Tartarus."

"I'm not unreasonable, Thunder. I try my best not to be. I know you still think highly of Celestia, but you have no idea how unreasonable she is. There could have been an end to this war, which means you would have been allowed to go free, but she didn't want to make a deal with me and King Sombra."

"Ah wonder why. If yeh really are the Daughter of the Night, she's probably been hatin' yeh since before yeh were born. Now leave me to some peace. Ah need ter think about what Princess Celestia's gonna say ter me next time she sees me. Probably not singing mah praises, since Ah been captured an' interrogated."

I hesitate. Hopefully, when he says about the next time he sees Celestia, he means after the war or possibly escaping. He wouldn't get far, but that isn't the point. I want to make sure he doesn't have any contact with her whilst in the Crystal Empire. "I just thought I'd check. Is Celestia a Dreamwalker?"

"Appearin' in dreams? Sweet Tartarus, no. She 'ates Dreamwalkin'. Says it ain't natural, and summat about it only existin' 'cause of Grogar. Probably another reason why she doesn't like yeh, 'cause yeh have connections with Dreamwalkers."

Perhaps Celestia and I are not as different as I first thought, if we both don't like Dreamwalking. "Thank you. Goodbye, Thunder. If you ever have anything important you would like to tell me, I'm sure we can arrange something, like your freedom."

"Sorry, but Ah ain't takin' up on that offer now yeh're done interrogatin' me. Ah probably didn't make that too clear for yeh, but Ah'd rather be alive an' trapped here than back in Canterlot right now. Call me a coward, but Ah'd rather save mah skin than get killed, and now Ah'm done tellin' yeh everythin' an' makin' sure you don't kill me, old Princess Celestia ain't mah best friend no more. Ah still don't like yeh - no, not at all, Ah hate yeh - but far as Ah know yeh don't tell yer guards ter take oaths like that."

"I was thinking more along the lines of you being able to live in the Crystal Empire, but I'll keep that in mind. Goodbye." I walk down the corridor towards the stairway and begin to ascend the cold stone steps.

"Goodbye, miss Daughter of the Night," he shouts, to my annoyance. "Now, get me some good food, an' most importantly, don't get yerself killed."

Chapter 36: A Mother's Love, A Child's Forgiveness

I don't tell the others everything that Thunder and I spoke about. I know that Sombra and I have a rule that we always tell each other what's on our minds, but the situation with Luna is private. Is she my mother? If so, then who was the bat pony who cared for me throughout my childhood? It makes sense that I wouldn't have been told all of this, because my family would want to keep me safe, but why was I not told when I was old enough to understand, and why did Luna never say anything? I was on the moon with her for a thousand years, after all. She may have been Nightmare Moon, but she still knew everything.

My dreams are unpleasant, full of memories of my childhood and the ponies who I thought were my family, and thoughts of my father fleeing Canterlot, taking the same path through the Everfree Forest that I did. If the rumours are true, then we both fled from Luna due to misunderstandings. Eventually, I get bored of the dream and go looking for answers. Namely, walking through the dream realm to find Luna.

I pass many doors into dreams, and look into a few to find out more about where Luna might be. Dreamwalkers are able to sense upon approaching a door if the creature who is asleep is having a good dream or not. Most of the dreams I pass are fine, suggesting that either a Dreamwalker has passed through this corridor recently, or that everypony here is already having good dreams.

I rely on my intuition, and eventually find a place in the labyrinth where the dreams are not as sweet. I find a crystal pony foal called Ruby having a bad dream about a herd of sheep chasing her, and turn the sheep into butterflies so that she can chase them instead. She giggles and thanks me, and I feel glad to have helped her.

Unfortunately, though I help out in various dreams, I am unable to find Luna, or any other Dreamwalkers for that matter. I am about to give up when I see a flash of dark blue, and I fly after her. When I turn a corner, I see her properly, and shout her name.

"Moonlight?" she asks, turning to face me. "Why are you here? If you are spotted in a dream by a guard, or worse, my sister-"

"I have some news, and I want to talk to you about it. It wasn't the kind of thing I could talk to Sombra or the others about. This is more... private than that." I avoid her gaze.

"Explain, Moonlight."

"Well, how do I explain this? I went to question the Solar Guard currently in our custody-"

"I'm assuming you mean the dungeon-"

"Yes, the dungeon, but anyway, I was talking to him, and the conversation took a... a bit of a strange turn."

"Oh?"

I can barely bring myself to say it, and try to make the conversation longer. "Sometimes I don't even have to talk about being on the moon with you for ponies to call me the Daughter of the Night. And this Solar Guard, he's one of the most important guards - you probably know him - and he has access to the restricted section of Canterlot Library. He said he had found old records of family trees and newspaper articles and I found myself trying not to believe him. He had so much evidence, and was so sure of himself..."

"I have a hunch on what you are really talking about. What do you want to know?"

I muster the courage to look at her and ask her, "Are you my mother? Am I the Daughter of the Night? Who is the mare who looked after me as a foal?"

She cannot look at me either. "You and I have known each other long enough, and you have been around King Sombra long enough that even if I lied, you would see through it with ease."

"You knew!" I cry, the realisation dawning on me. "I was stuck on the moon with you for a thousand years and you knew!" What's worse is that she knew all this time why Celestia hates me, because that mare wouldn't be pleased if her sister had an heir to the throne. Luna knew where all of the problems in my life stemmed from, and said nothing. I bolt into a dream, jump from there into another, trying to find Sombra because he can stop Luna from following me. She doesn't even have to run to keep up with me, though, and takes me to her own dream. We are in the Everfree Castle, in its ruined state. Celestia and Luna used to live there some of the time, before the Nightmare Moon incident. After that, it was taken over by the forest. A smoke-like creature, not made of anything but rather a patch cut out of the dream, a patch of darkness and stars, floats around her head.

"Not now, Tantabus," she says, scowling. "Something more important has come to my attention. I can pay my debts later."

The creature seems to understand her, and moves away from her head. Luna casts a spell and the dream changes. It shows us the Lunar Guard Barracks at Canterlot Castle. I recognise my father standing at the entrance. A younger version of Luna approaches my father and whispers something in his ear. His eyes grow wide, and he says to her in Old Ponish, "I'm sorry."

"Celestia knows, and she's angry," Dream Luna replies, once again in Old Ponish. I'm a little surprised that I understand it still.

"The newspapers probably know already. She will never keep quiet on matters like this. Is my job on the line?"

"My suggestion is that you resign and go to Hollow Shades once the foal is old enough."

"But you are the child's mother!"

"I am afraid that I have no choice. Celestia thinks her position of power is at stake. She will not allow me to keep the foal."

"Your sister is a monster, Princess."

"I know she is, and I cannot stand her treatment of us. That doesn't matter though. The fact that we love each other counts for a lot more. Just promise that the foal never knows about this. I don't want Celestia to hurt it."

"I promise, my love."

The real Luna lowers her head, and the ponies who are part of the dream vanish. "He and I loved each other, but Celestia didn't want me to have an heir. I didn't want you to know because I wanted you out of harm's way. He married another mare, who looked after you and did not know where you and your father really came from. Does that tell you all you need to know?"

"What about when you and I were on the moon together? You had a thousand years to tell me. You didn't tell-"

She snaps, "I was angry. I was jealous because Celestia had more power and recognition than I did, and angry because she kept taking away everything I loved. Your father, you, my old life, my happiness. There are many things I haven't told you because I feared I would lose you again. I still might, because she is more determined than ever to get rid of you. I thought that telling you everything would only put you in more danger."

"You should have said something! All this time I've had to live with the rumours, and they were true! In the Everfree Forest, all of them knew. It took me ages to get them to accept me, to convince them that the rumours were false, and they were true!"

"No, Moonlight, they aren't. Most of them aren't. They say I created you out of shadows to help me bring eternal night and take over the world, but that's wrong. I never wanted you to go through so much trouble to protect me from Celestia. I never told you to come to the moon with me. I never asked you to fight a war, have your worldview ripped apart time after time, and endure all of this suffering. You chose to stand with me, and I am proud of you for being who you want to be."

"Telling me would have made it easier though. You could have made it easier for me to live with. At least then I would have known why I have the name and why Celestia didn't like me."

"I know. I admit my mistakes now. I have made a lot of them." I watch as the smoke creature creates a dream version of Nightmare Moon, who scowls at us. "Do not think I have forgotten the pain they have inflicted."

Nightmare Moon cackles, "Luna, do you think your daughter believes you? I could so easily remedy this, but you're not strong enough, are you? You could allow me to rise into the light again, and I could make everything perfect. Eternal night, no Celestia, a wonderful world for you, Moonlight and King Sombra to conquer and rule over. We could own the whole world, show them who Luna is, show them what strength and magic are."

"No, Nightmare. No, Tantabus. I don't want to hurt anypony else."

I work out that that is probably why the Tantabus creature is here: to remind herself why she can't turn into Nightmare Moon again to fix this mess. I realise my mistake. I should have been kinder. "Luna, I'm the one who should be sorry. I forgive you. For everything. It's not your fault, but we can't move on from all this unless you forgive yourself."

"I can't. What I did... I was the cause of so much suffering... You just told me how badly I hurt you..."

"This is probably really insensitive, but bad things have happened, and you can either keep reminding yourself what those things are and feeling rubbish, or not. Apologising for your mistakes is a good thing, but having the Tantabus around can't be good for you. I've had to tell Sombra this, and I might as well tell you because I can't stand seeing ponies in this state. I can't believe you still blame yourself for all of this. Be strong, for me."

"Luna," Nightmare says, "there are many ways to be strong. Which are you going to choose? Me, or her?" She points at me.

"I forgive myself, and choose to stand with my daughter."

Nightmare turns back into the Tantabus. Luna growls at it, "I don't need you any more. I've made my mistakes, and creating you was one of them."

It disappears with a loud pop. I look at Luna.

"Say something," she tells me.

I try to think of something rude to show my anger, but am only reminded of how she made sure I got a job in the Night Guard, how she helped me fit in with the odd family of bat ponies working in the Guard, how she and I grew close when we were alone in space together. Yes, she has upset me, but she has also tried her hardest to keep me safe, well and happy, tried to make sure I never fight my battles alone. When the Element Bearers were about to strike with their magic when we returned from the moon, she stepped forward and held out her wings in front of me so that I didn't go through as much pain. I remember when I was in the Everfree, and I was terrified that she was watching and that she would be upset with me. She probably was watching me, but only to keep me safe. When I first joined Sombra, and I thought she was weak, I was so wrong about her. She doesn't show her strength, but it is always there. It's a wing to shield you from the elements.

Only eight words come to mind to sum up how much I appreciate her help.

"You were always like a mother to me."

Chapter 37 - Bitter Blue Blood - Part 1

Luna promises that she will meet me again outside of the dream world at some point, and I return to my own dreams, which are peaceful. Unfortunately, I forget them the moment I wake up. However, there are more important issues to deal with.

Luna has sent a letter in secret. It has the time written on the top as well as today's date: it was sent only minutes after dawn. Once Chrysalis arrives, she uses magical flames to contact Rutherford.

"Huh? Tall bug horse, it's too early," he yawns.

"Unfortunately, Rutherford, we have more important matters. I know that you said you would visit soon, but we have received a letter from Princess Luna."

"Oh? Yaks want to hear what moon pony's letter says. Yaks think it sounds important."

I read it aloud. "To my friends in the North of Equestria, I am writing to you regarding some unfortunate developments here in Canterlot. A member of the aristocracy is returning today from a business trip to the south. He is Celestia's secret weapon. I have not a doubt that he will be sent to the Crystal Empire without haste and only hope that he is sent alone, without an army tagging along with him. I have yet to hear if there is any more news. I shall stay in touch. Please do not reply in case somepony else reads your letters before I do. L."

"Secret weapon?" asks Sombra. "My, Sunbutt has some nerve sending her little secret weapon to spy on us. Do you think he's a member of their Secret Service?"

"Would the Secret Service be sent here?" says Chrysalis dubiously.

"I doubt it. They work differently to the Royal Guard. There's barely any of them, and they usually deal with things where they aren't sure who the enemy is. They don't have tons of combat training. Their aim is to gather information so the Royal Guard can storm in. Thunder downstairs is a Royal Guard, so I doubt the Secret Service are involved at the moment," I tell them. All eyes turn to me. "Luna used to be in charge of it."

"Bat pony know much about Equestria," Rutherford says smugly, a large goofy grin on his face, "but Rutherford might know secret weapon already."

I'm the one who starts staring first this time. "Who are they?"

"Actual name is Prince Blueblood. Yaks call him Blue Friend. Yaks like him. You're safe."

A week later, Rutherford arrives with a few fellow yaks. They decide to stay for a while in case Blueblood pays us a visit, which he does. Along with no less than thirty Solar Guards to escort him to the Crystal Empire. Thirty. Sombra, Chrysalis and I all go to meet the group together, but Rutherford is delayed by one of his fellow yaks.

The plump, pale-coated unicorn wears no armour. His small blue eyes take in our appearance, and he raises his eyebrows at the small collection of our own guards stood behind us.

"Well, well, well, who's this?" I ask him.

He takes a small bow, his golden mane falling across one side of his face. "Prince Blueblood of Equestria, at your service. You would be the Daughter of the Night, Moonlight Shade." The name makes me scowl. Why does everypony have to call me that?! Thankfully, I have my helmet on so he can't read my facial expressions. I halfheartedly listen to the rest of what he has to say. "Nice armour, but could I please see your face? I like to know who my friends are."

That question hits a nerve. For Sunbutt's sake, leave me alone. I find myself thinking about ways of scaring him off for good. "Not whilst your little group of soldiers are here. I want to know if I can trust you first, and so far, it's not looking so great."

"I have a message from Princess Celestia."

"We asked Celestia to stop sending messengers to do her work for her," Sombra grumbles. "Did she not pass that on to you?"

"Well," says Chrysalis, "once we deal with this lot, we could send a few hundred of our own messengers to Canterlot to tell her to give up. Of course, let us wait to see what Blueblood's intentions are first."

"My intention is to get along with you three. I hear you have had a bit of a disagreement with Aunt Celestia. I am here in the name of Equestria to-"

"Shut up and leave? Or am I being hopeful?" Sombra cuts him off.

Blueblood looks highly offended. So he has a sense of pride then. I can use that against him. He glances at me. "Why on Equis do you stick with him? Surely you know that there are far more, ahem, noble and civilised suitors out there for a princess such as yourself, hmm?"

"Blueblood, I'm engaged to him. In Canterlot you might constantly be surrounded by a group of mares, both single and already married, but I'm not a Canterlot mare. I'm a Crystal Empire mare, and my knight in shining armour, so to speak, is King Sombra. Quite frankly, I'm disgusted. I am going to pretend you didn't say anything, and I will repeat what King Sombra said a moment ago: shut up and leave."

He smiles, embarrassed. Something seems to be penetrating his skull. "Moving on. The actual reason for my being here is to talk to you lot in a civilised manner and find out what the situation is so-"

"Spying, are we?" snorts Chrysalis.

"That's not what I said, Queen Chrysalis, I-"

"Well, that is what it sounded like from my perspective. I am a changeling, and I know a thing or two about spying, including how to recognise when somepony else is spying on me."

"That's not what I said," he repeats.

I refuse to stand for any more of his nonsense. Slowly, I take a few steps closer to him, and start speaking to him very softly to intimidate him. Now is my chance to have some fun and show him who is in charge when he steps on our soil. "Oh dear, Prince Blueblood," I say, "you are just like your mistress Celestia. You are both foolish, easy to make fun of, and need to rethink some of your decisions. Now, what would she think of you if we chased you away, and you went back to Canterlot Castle with empty hooves?" I begin to walk in circles around him. "Or worse, if you didn't return to Canterlot Castle at all? I, in fact, would tell my own group of guards to do something now, but I know that there is precious little I can do with all of your guards so very close. Is that why you brought them? Because you're too scared to face us like a stallion on your own, hmm?"

"You won't get away with this, you-"

"Ah ah ah," I interrupt him, holding a hoof to his lips. He freezes, eyes wide, not daring to even breathe. The Solar Guards prepare to fight. You could hear a pin drop. I put my hoof back on the ground, and he sighs with relief. I continue, "No, I thought you were here to be civilised. Name-calling is not nice, Prince Blueblood. Look, we never want to hurt anypony, but if somepony like you comes to the Crystal Empire with a group of Solar Guards, then we make sure that we can defend ourselves." I walk back to my place in between Sombra and Chrysalis. "Please, make the first move. If you leave, we won't follow you. If you surrender, we will make sure that you have food and water. If you attack, however, we will not hesitate in our retaliation."

He does nothing. We continue to stare at each other. I am glad that he cannot see my face, because I want to start laughing at how weak he is. I hear hoofsteps from behind, and turn around. Rutherford is here. I step to one side and allow him to see Blueblood.

"Blue Friend!" he says, rushing over to the stallion, who relaxes and hugs his friend.

"Rutherford! How great to see you again! How are you?"

"Yaks are great. How is Blue Friend?"

"Oh, I'm grand now I've got a friend with me. Tell me about your new friends over there."

Rutherford looks at us with uncertainty. Sombra gives a silent nod, encouraging him to talk.

"Well, new friends trade with yaks. Yaks give them food like wheat, which grow better in Yakyakistan to Crystal Empire. Crystal Empire gives yaks crystal berries."

"Oh, well that's good. Are they nice to you?"

"Crystal ponies and changelings very nice. No need for yak smash. Hooves all nice and comfy. No splinters."

I grin to myself and think, Hey Sombra, do you think old Blueblood might be less annoying with Rutherford around?

It looks that way. Also, that was a very nice intimidating speech. I could practically smell his fear.

What does fear smell like?

It's a poisonous smell. The worst stench you can imagine.

Worse than dragon dung?

Precisely.

I am interrupted by Blueblood asking where we can go so we can talk about current affairs. I groan internally. He wants to stick around. Chrysalis jokingly suggests the dungeon as a good meeting place.

"There's a restaurant only a short walk away that the Solar Guards can visit," I suggest, "but it's a little too public for us to have our discussion. However, I am reluctant to let you into the castle, Blueblood."

Oh, just let him in. How bad can he be?

Getting to know him defies the point of me threatening him and making fun of how much of a wuss he is.

Don't worry, you're bound to have another opportunity.

Sombra clears his throat. "Actually, going back to the castle might not be so bad, Moonlight."

"Fine. But only Blueblood. None of the Solar Guards."

Sombra arches an eyebrow at me. It is probably safer if they are in the castle and under our supervision.

I trust our guards to keep them in check.

Blueblood nods at his guards. "Don't stray from that restaurant. We're not here to cause trouble, regardless of whatever conflicting information you may have received. Got it?"

They nod. I volunteer to take them there. I'd rather deal with thirty Solar Guards than Blueblood.

The restaurant isn't made to deal with so many ponies at once, but the ponies who run it are up to the challenge. I use magic to create a few extra sets of cutlery, plates and glasses, then drop a few bits on the counter, thanking a waitress for her hard work and telling her to contact me if any of the Solar Guards leave. I tell the Crystal Guards who accompanied us to stay near the restaurant to help keep an eye on them.

Then I teleport back to the castle with reluctance. Now to deal with Blueblood.

Chapter 38: Bitter Blue Blood - Part 2

I find the others talking amicably in one of the reception rooms. At least they get on with him. I have yet to make up my mind if I can bear staying within earshot of him. He freezes and stops talking as soon as he sees me enter the room. I would much rather keep wearing my helmet to disguise my emotions, but remove it and place it on a coat hanger in the corner of the room. He relaxes.

"So, what have I missed?" I ask, settling onto the end of a sofa next to Sombra. I try not to look at Blueblood.

"Lots, beautiful," Sombra tells me, gently running a hoof through my mane. It feels comforting. "We've been talking about our friendship with Princess Luna."

"Oh, right. Yes." Of course somepony has to bring that up.

Is there something wrong? he questions me.

I spoke to Luna the night before we heard Blueblood would be visiting. We had an interesting discussion. Long story short, she's my biological mother. Not important at the present, but it explains why Sunbutt hates me.

Not important?! Sort out your priorities, Moonlight.

I'm trying to concentrate on what's going on at the moment.

"So you get on fine with Luna, but not Celestia?" inquires Blueblood.

"Celestia and I have been at odds with each other for more than a thousand years. Being sent to the moon didn't help. Anypony on her side either doesn't know about her nasty temper, or believes every word that comes out of her mouth."

"Oh, I know about her nasty temper. I've been on the receiving end of that myself more than once. And is it true that you're Luna's daughter?"

Don'twanttotellhimwhatdoIdowhatdoIdowhatdoI-

Tell the truth, my love. It will be better in the long run.

"Yes. I grew up away from her because she wanted to keep me safe from Celestia. Still, about a thousand years later, I'm fighting a war against her."

"And what is Princess Luna's take on this?"

"Do you really think she wants a war against her own daughter?" The comment sounds rude, even though I didn't mean it to. Still, this is Blueblood, so I don't mind upsetting him a little.

"No, and I don't want a war against Rutherford. So Aunt Celestia doesn't realise that she is the problem."

"You just hit the nail on the head, Blueblood," Sombra replies. "Is there anything you can say to convince her to stop annoying us?"

"Don't look at me. I might have a fancy title for services to Equestria, but really, I am not anything more than a diplomat sent to solve problems in other countries that Aunt Celestia can't be bothered to deal with. Earning the name Prince Blueblood hasn't given me any more power than the average pony, and Celestia is determined to get the Crystal Empire under her control. Direct all enquiries about convincing her otherwise to Twilight Sparkle."

I groan, "Twilight Sparkle is never going to do that. She'd lick a toilet if Celestia told her to. She's never going to take anypony's advice more seriously than Celestia's."

"You don't know that. King Sombra showed me that you three didn't mean any harm, and that was after you gave quite the threatening speech earlier, Moonlight."

I glare at him.

"All is forgiven, though, Moonlight," he says, holding up a hoof. "That was supposed to be a compliment. I'm glad to see a mare sticking up for herself and not pretending to be a damsel in distress for once. I am sorry for offending you."

"You're forgiven," I mutter. I don't know what it is, but there's something about him that really makes me want to hit him. Really hard. Perhaps it's the half-smirk that's constantly plastered to his not-exactly-handsome-more-like-ugly face. Maybe it's his slight resemblance to Shining Armour; in fact, I initially thought it was Shining before I approached him and saw he had a blond mane, not blue. It might be his accent too. I can tell that he's spent a lot of his life in Canterlot.

"Well, are you willing to help us?" inquires Chrysalis.

"Of course. Any friend of Prince Rutherford is a friend of mine."

Rutherford smiles. "Thank you Blue Friend."

I would relax, but I can't. I excuse myself from the room and go to check on those pesky Solar Guards. As you might expect, they didn't do as they were told. 'Stay in the restaurant,' they were told. Not 'fight the Crystal Guards.' Honestly, they don't use their heads at all. Probably not the best decision I've ever made, but I'd prefer to tackle them in an open space than in the lounge back at the castle.

"Ahem. Solar Guards? What is this? You're in the Crystal Empire, not Canterlot. You can't just beat up anypony you want."

About half of them begin to charge at me. I stand there, smiling beneath the helmet. What a wonderful mask it is. Nopony other than Sombra has any idea what I am thinking as long as I wear it. I teleport away at the last second and they crash into one another. I round up the rest of them quickly and the Crystal Guards form a ring around them.

"Now, you lot. Am I to put you in the dungeon for some thinking time, or am I to send you back to Canterlot?" I say sweetly. "Do any of you have any information I would like to hear, that might let you off the hook?"

"I do!" one exclaims, earning a round of angry whispers and glares.

"Tell me."

He grins. "Trust is a good quality, but if you give it too easily ponies let you down."

"Elaborate, dear soldier."

"I was told that you're a smart mare. Work it out. We cause a big scene here and you're told to deal with it, or you come to check up on us and find us causing a ruckus."

"But you lot are just a distraction," I realise. "Does Blueblood really care for Prince Rutherford?"

"A gentlecolt like Blueblood caring about an ill-tempered oaf with no magical abilities whatsoever?! Really?!"

"Guards, escort all of them to the dungeon below the Crystal Castle, second entrance. I have some unfinished business to deal with."

I teleport right behind Blueblood and say, "I've just been told there's a traitor in our midst."

"Blue Friend not traitor!" Rutherford objects.

"Moonlight, relax," Sombra sighs, "Do you really think-"

"Yes I do. The Solar Guards set up a distraction, and when I rounded them all up they spilled the beans. Now, for somepony who set up such an elaborate little trick, Blueblood, care to say what other tricks you have?" I walk around his armchair to face him.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"The Solar Guard who spoke to me said that you didn't like Rutherford, that it was all a little act. Well Blueblood, my friend," I drop the tone and volume of my voice, "you're not the only one who's good at acting."

"I didn't mean any harm. Those guards-"

"That's the problem with stallions like you. You never mean any harm, but oh, you cause so much heartache. Thank goodness I was immune to your sickly sweet charm. I'm surprised Chrysalis didn't pick up on anything." I look at her for barely a moment, raising an eyebrow.

"I did not sense anything," she confirms. "Are you sure he is lying? You must have keen senses to notice."

"Partly that, and partly the Solar Guards are so keen to sell each other out in the vain hope of earning freedom. Pity, Blueblood."

He starts to say something in his defence, but I get annoyed and use the mind control spell. Unlike when I used it on Wishbone, I get a glimpse of his memories. He is not a leader: his worst memories are of feelings of insecurity: being mocked as a colt, struggling to find a place in the world, uncertainty over what to do with his life after earning his title. However, none of the memories are recent. I ask him, "Blueblood, whose side are you really on? Celestia's or Luna's?"

"Princess Luna's."

I gasp, and stop using the spell. "You want to... help us?"

He seems to shake off the effects of the mind control spell quickly, and offers an explanation. "I have been living outside of Equestria for quite a while, and the Solar Guards do not know a thing about me, Moonlight. It seems that you do not trust easily. Whilst that is a good thing, it's best not to cut your muzzle off to spite your face. I am not as bitter as you have been led to believe. Princess Luna has always been kinder to me than Celestia. In fact, I only call her Aunt Celestia because she's like a wicked stepmother from a fairy tale."

"Moonlight," chuckles Sombra, "you are making snap decisions again. Apologise to Blueblood."

I facehoof. "My mistake, Blueblood. I shouldn't have listened to those guards. It's just, there's a guard in our custody at the moment, and he's the one who told me that there was some truth behind the rumours about Luna being my mother. He was the one who convinced me to ask her about it. I often struggle to work out who to give my trust to, and since he told me the truth, I figured those other guards would too."

"Easy mistake to make, Moonlight," Blueblood says."Very easy. I can forgive you. Just try not to walk around me in circles and intimidate me. I get enough of that from Celestia."

"Oh really? Then I have no choice but to save that exclusively for when I feel like mocking her. Which is, admittedly, a lot of the time."

He laughs. "You know, you're not a bad friend to have, Moonlight." He looks up at the other three creatures in the room. "I'll be willing to help you four and Luna. I can probably wheedle a bit of information out of her, since she probably doesn't expect me to be on your side. I tend to agree with her a lot and every so often when she's been talking about you, Moonlight, I have used the term - mind my language - vampire, to avoid suspicion. Of course, I don't mean it. I would never say a thing against such a beautiful and brave pony like yourself."

"Don't push it," Sombra warns him.

"Tsk tsk, it seems Celestia has given all of you trust issues. I was not trying to suggest anything like what you think I was saying. Don't fret, you can rely on me. The friend, the diplomat, the one who most others seem to get along with. I might be of use convincing a few other creatures to join the cause and then, I'm not sure, maybe you can storm Canterlot and show Celestia who's in charge?"

"That's the plan, providing she doesn't come after us first," I tell him.

"I will be delighted to delay that as much as possible. Oh, and keep the Solar Guards, pesky little things. I am quite sure I don't want them."

Author's Note

Bonus: The Writing of Bitter Blue Blood - Parts 1 and 2

I might as well say it now: I don't like Prince Blueblood at all. Not only is it because he treated Rarity terribly, but it's also because we never got an explanation as to why. Yes, he got a little bit of character development in the comics, but I don't have the comics at home, which means spending hours scrolling through the MLP FiM Wiki Fandom pages looking for more information about him. I had to go with what little I was given for these two chapters.

As you can expect, I was at first stuck as to how to write about him. In fact, I had entirely forgotten about him, and when I remembered how much I disliked him, I had to try and make a decision as to whether or not he would appear. Over at The Writer's Group, I made this little thread asking what to do about Blueblood AKA The Plot Headache. That was a lot of fun, and it yielded some hilarious results. In the end I combined a few of them. He hadn't been present up until now because he had been abroad, since Sunbutt is usually too busy dealing with issues at home, and then she decided that he might be able to help, unaware of Blueblood's true opinions.

Since I don't like him, I always knew that I would try and take the mickey out of him as much as possible. I thoroughly enjoyed writing the scene where Moonlight tries to intimidate him, similar to how she and Sombra acted when they had only just taken over the Crystal Empire. They were keen to show everypony who was in charge, then reined in their emotions over time. Doing this over the course of only two chapters was a bit harder because I knew the chapters needed to flow, but I made it work.

Even though I wanted to be horrible to Blueblood, the thread I gave a link to had some good suggestions on how he could have a more positive role too. Blueblood and Rutherford are good friends in the comics, and I wanted to make sure that that was incorporated into the story. I thought that the role of double agent would be fitting for him, since he is the last pony I would expect to choose helping King Sombra over Princess Celestia. When Moonlight says that she's "not a Canterlot mare," I liked the idea of him not really being a Canterlot stallion either. He's not really got a place in society, and that's something I hope to expand on in later chapters.

The Solar Guards... I'm not sure what I think of them. It probably would have made more logical sense if they had gone back to the castle, but then again, Moonlight often has moments where she doesn't think logically, and this was one of those. She gave them a chance to prove themselves, and they took advantage of that to cause some chaos. Talking of chaos...

I wanted to include a lesson in here too. There's a couple really. One of them is not to judge a book by its cover, since Moonlight judged Blueblood based on his first appearance in the story, as did I back when I first watched The Best Night Ever. The second is to be careful who to trust. Moonlight is still trying to work out who in this world is reliable and who isn't. All of us are learning. Sometimes, it's not easy to work out who is who, and our experiences in life change that, but just because something worked last time it doesn't mean it will this time.

The last lesson is one that I'm sure we've all heard: Don't cut your nose (or, in this case, muzzle, since we're talking about ponies) off to spite your face. What this means is that you shouldn't react to problems in a way that's self-destructive and is only going to cause more problems in the future. Moonlight could have angered Blueblood and made him decide to work for Celestia instead, but Blueblood stayed calm due to hi experience as a diplomat. Still, things could have gone a lot worse.

Overall, these chapters were full of interesting moments, some better than others. I managed to make the best of a bad situation (ie Blueblood being canon) and I don't think it turned out too bad. I hope you all enjoyed reading this.
~ Angel Midnight.

Chapter 40: Hook, Line and Sinker

Moonlight's POV

I know we are in trouble when the letter from Blueblood arrives. He tells us that Celestia is sending her army north, to the border of Equestria. Then it gets worse.

A creature from the Garden of Statues has been released... and is working for Sunbutt.

"Joy of joys," I grumble when Sombra reads the letter aloud for me.

"Do you know which creature it is?"

"No, there's hundreds of statues. Some of them are those who have been trapped in stone for committing crimes, others are just ordinary statues made to honour those who have helped Sunbutt over the years. You can't tell which is which just by walking in the garden."

"An unknown enemy. Fun. We will ready the guards, and have scouts in the area. If there is any sign of the Solar Guards, we'll send our own to meet them."

"What do Chrysalis and Rutherford think?"

"Yak friend send urgent supplies by airship to Crystal Ponies," Sombra says, mimicking Rutherford. "Tall bug mare sending scouts."

"Not the time for jokes."

"I am sorry, but I need a good laugh."

About three days later, a good laugh arrives, except the joke backfires on us. I am on my way to the Changeling Hive and it starts raining, except it isn't normal rain. Sunbutt knows how it is possible for the clouds to rain chocolate milkshake of all things.

Uh, Sombra, you might want to step outside for a moment.

Ok, I am going out onto the balcony as we speak, but what's- No. Impossible. Is it raining chocolate milk for you as well, or am I hallucinating?

Everypony else has chocolate flavour rain. What does this mean?

Trouble. One, it is going to ruin my cloak if I stay outside for too long. Two, this is probably one of Sunbutt's little tricks.

This isn't her style. The pony who did this is probably working for her though.

I take off into the air, and look through the clouds for anything that might be causing the rain to become chocolate flavoured. I catch sight of a red dragon's tail, and fly towards it, but the realise that there is a mirror of all things in the clouds, and that the dragon - or whatever it is - is actually behind me.

The mirror disappears, and I turn around. No sign of the creature. I head back to the relative safety of the ground, but my armour gets snagged on something in the sky, and I am slowly lifted upwards. An oversized barbed fishing hook is lodged in one of the plates of my armour. I know immediately that I'll never be able to get it free or take off all of my armour in time, and the string that is hauling me into the clouds won't snap, even when I try to bite myself loose with my fangs and try to cut it with a large pair of magical scissors.

Sombra, I'm being lifted into the clouds by a fishing rod. I can't cut the rope and the hook won't come loose at all. Get here now.

"Moonlight, I am down here. What do you expect me to do? Unlike you, I don't have wings!" he shouts.

"Find Chrysalis, she can help," I reply, wincing as the rope pulls me further into the air with a sudden jerk. "And I'm pretty sure you can fly. Teacup into a rain cloud." I try to fly away, but the rope must have elastic qualities because I spring back to where I was, only a little higher up in the air. I even attempt to switch to my shadow form, but the hook remains stuck regardless of what I do.

I watch his tiny far-away form sprint towards the Changeling Hive. Drenched in chocolate rain and tired out from trying to free myself from the fishing line, I decide to let the draconine beast haul me into the clouds and give him a piece of my mind.

Soon, I catch sight of it, relaxing on a sunbed at the edge of a large cloud and wearing ridiculously oversized sunglasses. The orange hat does not quite cover his thin grey face, or his one deer antler and one gnarled horn. He has a mane that I would associate with a zebra's if it were stripy, but it is completely black. He has a lion's paw, a griffon's claws, and the feet of a goat and a dragon. Then there's that long red tail, and his mismatched torso. I have a feeling I know who this monster is, but I want to hear him say it first.

"Can you take off the fishing hook, please?" I ask him. He stops reeling the fishing line in, so that I am suspended in the air just below the cloud.

"Oh, little bat pony, how could I ever do that? I have a job to do, you know."

"Which is?"

"It used to be causing chaos and destruction, but I've reined myself in so to speak and retrained as a fisherpony. This catch might get me quite a bit of money, you know. I can't just let you go."

"I'm guessing you're Discord."

"Right-o, right-o." He removes his sunglasses and hat with a flourish of his claw. "You guessed who it was below the disguise. Mind, I'm quite a distinct character. So are you, little Daughter of the Night."

"For Sunbutt's sake, don't call me that. Look, I want to make things plain and simple. Let's do a little Q and A."

"Ooh, an interview with Discord. Do you want to write it down?"

"No, I have a good memory. Question one, who asked you to come here and catch me?" I decide to be as methodical as I can, just to wind him up.

"Oh, I thought you would have known. It was Sunbutt, the princess who I have begrudgingly agreed to work with. She has a lot of rules, but she also gives a good wage, you see."

"Question two, how much money did she say she would give you?"

"If I get the one she's looking for, which happens to be you, millions of bits. Quite a nice life. It's not chaos, but I can make chaos happen. I control chaos magic. I'm Discord, the Spirit of Chaos. I'm one of the ones who likes to make life more chaotic."

"Third question. You said you were the Spirit of Chaos, but you're one of the ones who makes life chaotic?"

"That's not exactly what I said, but yes. Confusing, huh? I might be the Spirit of Chaos, but I'm not the only one who dictates how the world works. You and King Sombra are two of them. You used to rule a kingdom. That's gone out the window." A window appears, and he throws both his hat and his sunglasses through it, breaking the glass, which promptly turns into more chocolate rain. "Sunbutt's face is going to glow as brightly as the sun when she sees you."

"You," I say, "are going to let me go."

"Am I? I don't think so."

My blast of magic hits him in the face, and he drops the fishing rod. I fly until it is out of his reach, then remove the hook from my armour. "Discord, think about it. Sunbutt told you to come here and catch me, and I bet she asked you to cause a bit of mayhem that would have to be cleared up. However, I bet she doesn't let you do this back home."

"What are you trying to tell me?" He jumps off of his sunbed, which disappears. He pulls a large net out from behind one of his ears, and throws it over me. It turns into a bubble that lands on a cloud. The walls are like steel, but apparently made of soap and water. He begins rolling it southwards. I don't bother fighting him. I have a plan, and though I am not the best at things like this, I have no doubt that it will work.

"Sunbutt has strict rules, and while she's going to let you cause your mayhem here, she's only going to do that until she gets what she wants. As soon as she has the Crystal Empire under her control, she won't want you playing any more jokes. You'll have to say, Yes Princess, No Princess, I'll Do Exactly As You Tell Me Princess. I don't think all the money in the universe can buy you freedom and happiness."

His face falls, quite literally. His snout becomes even more elongated and drops to the surface of the cloud. "Fair point. Obviously, there is the appeal of migrating to another planet, but oh so few of them have any life on them, and if I move there the money she's offering me is worthless."

"King Sombra and I will have to decide exactly how much fun you can have, but if you help us we're willing to let you have free rein to a certain extent. Wait, the Northern Lights here aren't actually all that impressive. I bet you could put on a real light show for the foals. They're not easy to please though. You'll have to do more than just a few blue and green wavy lines in the night sky. Also, I don't know if you play chess, but I have somepony who might want to challenge you."

His face returns to how it normally looks, though "normal" could never really describe him. He holds his paw to his ear and tilts it towards me. "I'm listening. Tell me more about your kingdom."

"I think you might like the Crystal Empire. It might look rather bland at the moment, but that's only temporary. As soon as Sunbutt is dealt with, there's going to be a massive party, complete with rainbows of colour and an all-you-can-eat buffet. A gift from King Sombra and myself for those who choose to help us."

"HmmmmmmMmmmmmmmmmmMmmm..." he hums, imitating a wasp. "I think we can make an agreement. What are the rules?"

"Rule one: you can safely ignore whatever Sunbutt tells you to do, but you absolutely MUST listen to myself, Sombra or Princess Luna."

"Ignore Sunbutt, listen to Moonlight, Sombra or Luna. What else?"

"Rule two: if you hear anything you think we need to know, especially about Sunbutt, tell us."

"Eavesdrop on Sunbutt and tell Moonlight whatever nonsense I hear."

"Rule three: Sunbutt is the only one who you are allowed to give a nickname. Also, when talking to me, King Sombra or Princess Luna, use our proper titles."

"Give everyone nicknames but don't use them when talking to them. Use proper titles, for example King Sombra, Princess Luna, Princess Moonlight, the sweet little Princess of the Stars." He looks at me, and I raise an eyebrow. "Well, you are related to Princess Luna as far as I know. I've been told that you are."

"Rule four: if you betray us, prepare to go through Tartarus."

"Ignore Sunbutt's offers, because Moonlight can double anything Sunbutt gives me."

"Can you deal with that?"

"Hmmmmmmmmm, I think so. Sunbutt has a lot of cash, but you have told me you can give me almost complete free rein. There's a lot to say for that. I think you just burst her bubble." He pops the bubble with a claw. "I am going to have to consider everything maybe write down some things so I don't get confused, but I think I might help you out. Happy?"

"Yes. Now what are you going to do? Tell Sunbutt that you're not interested, or stay with her and see what you can find out?"

"I'm staying with the Element Bearers, and they don't keep many secrets. Toodleloo, I'm off." He and his flock of chocolate rain clouds vanish, accompanied by a loud POP.

I return to the Crystal Castle by teleportation, and explain everything to Sombra.

"Hmm, next time you see this Discord creature, tell him that he can have as much fun as he likes annoying Sunbutt for us."

"Right-o," says Discord, popping into the room, this time sporting a green cape that has been fashioned out of some old curtains. "Right-o. I'll annoy Sunbutt as much as possible, which is a lot if I bend the laws of physics to my liking. Also, in a week's time, look at the stars. You might find a hidden gem." He disappears.

"Look at the stars and find a hidden gem." I murmur. My special talent. I smile in anticipation at the gifts Discord is going to bring.

Author's Note

Writing Discord is very headache-y. And how much did I actually accomplish there? Hmm, I think I have a new minor story arc to explore. OK, that could be fun. Also, since Discord is a performer, expect him to dress up for the occasion if he appears again. Top hat and waistcoat? I could imagine it, but something tells me that's a bit too fancy for somepony like him. Brown waistcoat and lime green scarf? Now that's more like it.

I have a story recommendation for you all. This inspired me, and not a lot of Fimfiction authors have done that. It has Best Princess and an awesome OC.

[Unpublished stories cannot be embedded]

Go read it to clear your head of the nonsense that is this chapter.

Chapter 41: Warriors

Five days later, Chrysalis' scouts spot the first Solar Guards on the horizon, and immediately sends her own to meet them. The era of negotiations via post and dream conference is coming to an end, overtaken by violence. I watch them battle it out, spells flying in every direction.

"Nasty, huh?" says Cozy as she hovers by my side. "This is bad, isn't it?"

"It is. We might have the changelings and the yaks to help us, but none of the others can send civilians into the fight, and even though there's quite a few of us, Equestria's a big country with a lot of ponies. Plus, if Sunbutt recruited Discord of all creatures, she's probably spoken to a few other nasty ones too."

"Tartarus be damned, she's probably spoken to my old buddy Tirek!"

"Language," I scold her.

"It's not really language. It's not like saying buck."

"Language," I repeat.

"I was just giving an example. I wasn't using it to be rude. I could go ahead and start calling all the crystal ponies and earth ponies mud ponies or call another pegasus an airhead or tell an old pony that they're a donkey and say that you're a vampire and use all sorts of colourful language to get my point-"

"You've got your point across, and you're also going to land yourself in the dungeon if you don't watch your tongue. You were beginning to sound like Sunbutt for a moment."

"Gee, don't you think that's a bit-"

They say that if Luna glares at a pony they wither away until there's nothing but a pile of dust where they were stood. It's an over-exaggeration of the truth, but not far off. I've seen first-hoof what that glare does. The look I give Cozy has a similar effect.

"Sor-ee!" she gulps, putting a few metres between us. "Maybe we should just concentrate on what's happening over there."

I growl at her, then focus on the matter at hoof. It does not look good. This is only the first wave of the attack, but I know already that the changelings are outnumbered, and tell a nearby guard to send the order for more ponies to be sent out there. Into the cold wasteland. Into a battle.

"Where's Sombra?" asks Cozy after a while.

"He said he was going to talk to Chrysalis. They're discussing tactics. Hopefully, they'll agree with my decision."

At that moment, the view of the battle is shut out by what look like huge storm clouds. I squint, and notice Sombra's face on the front of the cloud. He is very liberal with his use of magic to repel the Solar Guards.

"Stay away from my Crystal Empire and my queen," he roars. "Anypony else interested in fighting?" And not you, he adds, speaking through telepathy.

Why not? It looks like fun.

Sorry, but I am not going to let you get in trouble. This is too dangerous.

Too bad. I'm going to join you.

Seriously, no, Moonlight. You are in no position to step, fly or teleport onto this battlefield.

Fine, I'll go back to looking after Cozy Glow. I remain where I am and watch the chaos unfold. Discord should be here. He'd love it.

Eventually Cozy and I go back inside. A Crystal Guard passes me a scroll. It's a letter, addressed to me and only me. I recognise the hoofwriting, but do not want to read it. Or, at least, I am unsure whether reading it would be a good thing. That little pest of a filly tells me that if I don't look at it she'll read it aloud, and I give in.

"Fine, I'll read it. It's not meant for anypony else, so no spying, and don't think your sad face is going to make me lenient. I'm immune to your charm."

I hold the letter in my magic and my eyes scan the page.

Dear ~~Commander~~ ~~Princess~~ ~~Queen~~ Moonlight,

It's me again, your old friend, if there is still a friendship here. I know I said I wouldn't be getting involved in your life again, but there's been some - how do I put this? - interesting developments on this side of the border that others might not have told you about ~~because Celestia's probably tried to ramp up the censorship as much as possible~~.

Some ponies (maybe you've told them to, maybe not) have been exposing Princess Celestia's mistakes and lies, and the ponies of Equestria are buying it. There's been protests, nothing big enough to make national headlines, but ponies are angry. The Everfree Village and Hollow Shades in particular have been shaken by this, though I'm not sure what the Lunar Guards think. I've been spending my time to-ing and fro-ing between Hollow Shades and Everfree, since The Princess isn't all that pleased with me right now. ~~She thinks I've been trying to help you, and I am now because I realise I was wrong, but still, what's her problem?~~ I've also been up north, and I came across a place called the Town of Starlight or something like that, and a fellow Dreamwalker, Starlight Glimmer. ~~The Cutie Mark Thief.~~ We have actually met each other before ~~back before she started taking cutie marks~~, and both agree: You and King Sombra are quite a force to be reckoned with, and a force that we want to help grow.

Also, ~~I wanted to say that I think~~ I've forgiven you. You may have used - ahem - unorthodox methods when ~~interrogating~~ questioning me whilst I was working for The Princess, and that dark magic has made me remember some of the ~~most terrifying~~ not-so-great times of my life, but you're off the hook. You are so many things to me: a friend, a sister, a student ~~(or rather ex-student, but don't let me guilt-trip you)~~ and life without you around hasn't been as bright and cheery. You're a pony who can help others open their eyes, and you've opened mine. What that means for me, I don't know, but what I do know is that us two ~~bats~~ vampires, if that's what she says we are, will hunt down that sun-loving princess when it gets dark and kick her sorry flank to Tartarus and back. (With help from King Sombra and whoever else you've recruited on this little mission to change the world and make it your own.)

To be honest, I'm really proud of you. Though you chose to go your own way ~~and broke my heart and spirit in the process~~, you've succeeded in life. It looks like you're quite an experienced Dreamwalker now, and your fear of other Dreamwalkers has faded quite a bit if you've befriended Starlight. (Talking of our unicorn friend, she said she's going to smash the Cutie Mark Vault, and give everypony their talents back. She still wants ponies to be equal and happy, but said something about you showing her a better way to do so.) I have a feeling you've taken leaps and bounds in your magical ability, too. You've held up a mirror and showed the world its reflection. ~~It's quite ghastly, when you think about it.~~ That is something that not many ponies have done, regardless of how many aeons they've had to do it in. Moonlight Shade, you are a warrior. It's you, me, King Sombra and your ~~ragtag bunch of misfits~~ allies against the world, and I don't doubt for a moment that we are going to achieve something big if we can work together again. ~~Can we? I miss you so much. I know I failed you and didn't believe in you for ages and probably put you through as much heartache as I've been through, if not more, but I want you to be my friend still.~~

One thing I will ask of you ~~(I've already asked for so much and understand if you don't listen to me)~~ is that you keep in touch. Since I'm moving around a lot, send them to Starlight's place, and she can send them to me from there. Hope that isn't too big a problem. ~~Mind, I know you have bigger problems to deal with, like The Princess. In fact, it makes my problem look too small. I feel so stupid now.~~

Keep fighting, fellow warrior.
Your friend ~~(are we still friends?)~~,
Wish.

"Oh, Wishbone," I sigh.

"You mean the bat pony you used to be friends with?"

"Yes. She's sent a letter asking if we can repair our friendship. I need to speak to her at some point. I need to hug her and tell her that I miss her. Sure, I don't think about her every minute of each day - I mean, I've got you, Chrysalis, Rutherford, Luna, Starlight and most importantly Sombra to think about - but I've missed her nonetheless."

"Are you trying to sound cheesy?"

"No, it's genuine emotion, Cozy."

"It sounds really cheesy."

"Go tell Queen Chrysalis that the holes in her hooves look like the holes in a block of cheese, and see what she does."

"Fair point." She pauses for a moment, then says, "I never understood this whole best friends and family bonds thing. I mean, my old family were alright, but I didn't really-" She stops herself and her eyes grow wide for no apparent reason.

"Cozy?"

"I'm not supposed to say anything nasty about my old family, but I just remembered something really horrible. I'd almost forgotten about my teddy, but I remember now. I was only seven and I spilled the sugar all over the floor and said that my teddy did it, and Father said that naughty children were punished if they did something wrong, and he took teddy away and..." she trails off.

"It sounds like the past has come back to haunt you as well." I scoop her up in my forelegs. She's quivering. "It's fine, though. You can tell me. I won't tell anypony, not even Sombra."

She whispers to me, "I found the rags. I wasn't supposed to say."

I try not to think about the filly's background. Poor thing. No wonder she's shaking like a leaf. "Cozy, they're gone now. They've been gone for hundreds of years. You don't have to worry. You're pulling on my heartstrings now. First Wishbone, now you? I'm going to start crying in a minute, and Sombra will start fussing over me, which is admittedly cute, but he has more important problems."

"Gee, the sappy romance stuff is back. I knew I shouldn't have said anything."

"Yes," I laugh for a moment before returning to the matter at hoof, "but that's not important. We have a little group of creatures who don't like Sunbutt, but as well as that, we have our fears. Every living creature has its fear. The aphid fears the ladybug which fears the spider which fears the cat which fears the dog and so on. You have just told me what makes you afraid, but that's a good thing. Once you know what you're scared of, you can fight it. Fear can overwhelm ponies, Cozy, but warriors can overcome their fears."

"I guess, but as far as I know you're not afraid of anything. You flew up to Cerberus and gave him a little boop on the nose without a second thought. I'd never do that."

"I'm afraid of a lot of things. I worry about Wishbone, about Sunbutt beating us, about how Sombra feels, lots of things. My two biggest fears are of other Dreamwalkers and the mind control spell. For me, there's nothing worse than being powerless, and completely at the mercy of somepony with a lot of power over you." There's one other thing though, something I'm not sure as I want to tell her about.

"That makes my fears seem pretty small and irrelevant, you know."

"Nothing is too small for you to be afraid of it. How many foals are scared of spiders in your class?"

"Quite a lot, but I like them."

"Exactly." I sit down on a sofa with her still wrapped in my embrace. "True warriors can master their fears. You've never spoken about this before, which makes me think that you're already most of the way there to conquering yours."

"Maybe I am." She wriggles out of the hug and sits next to me. My mind wanders to Wishbone, since I still don't know what she saw under the influence of mind control. I also think of Sombra and his biggest fear: failing and proving Amoré right. Irrational, but then most phobias are. Mine is just as unusual.

Mine is hurting others by accident, and I secretly wish that Sombra and I have to give up before too many lives are lost.

Chapter 42: Hope - Part 1

Sombra, Cozy and I don't speak much when we sit down to eat dinner. Each of us are focused on different things. I'm not sure what the others are thinking about, but I really want to know how my old friend is doing, and I can't find the right words to put into a letter, bearing in mind that Starlight will probably read it. What do I say to Wishbone? She took care of me, and I paid her back by hurting her because my emotions got to me, and I was enjoying the new sense of power and responsibility associated with being Sombra's top guard. It's not a moment that I am proud of.

"I'm done," says Cozy after a while.

"Do you want to stay here, or go play in your room or something?" I ask her.

"Well, one of the guards said they could beat me at a game of chess in ten moves. I'm interested to see whether they can live up to their bold statements."

"Probably not. I'll be surprised if they do. Prove me right."

She leaves her plate, cutlery and empty cup at the table, and zips along on her tiny wings, leaving Sombra and I together. I raise an eyebrow at him. "A bit for your thoughts?"

"What do you mean? You're not worried about me being quiet, are you?"

"Yes. What are you thinking about?"

"What do you expect me to think about? You, my bat. My beautiful little bat."

I grin. "Tell the truth, Sombra. Tell me what strange battle tactics Equestria have used and your plans for blowing up Sunbutt's castle. I want to make sure that Luna and the Night Guards at the very least won't get hurt."

"No, I am thinking about you. I am not going to think about the chaos happening out there when I have you to think about." He points out of the window. "The situation, so far, is under control, and the Solar Guards have retreated to Equestria for the moment. Yes, I do need to plan for when that changes, but I want to think about good things too."

"Right. Anything in particular?"

"So, you already know about my old love Radiant Hope who was snatched from me. Did you have a sweetheart before you went on holiday to the moon?"

I so badly want to say no, but, not including a few crushes as a teenage mare, there was one stallion I had eyes for. I tell Sombra, "He was a bat pony called Casper. Light brown fur, green eyes, dark brown mane. Before Luna became Nightmare Moon, I had decided to ask him out on a date, and the day before I was going to ask him Luna and I were sent into the sky to live on a hunk of rock in space for a millennia. Obviously, he's long gone. There's a lucky few ponies good enough at magic to extend their lives by a few hundred years or maybe longer, but he wasn't that good at casting spells. He once tried to impress me by making some flames from a candle turn into a bird. It was supposed to fly a few metres above our heads, but it nearly singed the tips of our ears off."

"Really?!"

"It's true. One of his ears was actually set on fire, and I had to put it out for him. It took months for the fur to grow back."

Sombra guffaws. "So much for trying to impress you. That is just ridiculous."

"He was really embarrassed and kept saying to me, 'You didn't have to put out the fire. I had it all under control. Part of the show.'" The smile falls from my face. "He was a brilliant friend, but Sunbutt snuffed out those flames by zapping me to the moon in a rainbow laser. Typical."

"I know. Anything on your mind?"

"Wishbone says she's forgiven me. She's probably not too pleased about you stealing her best friend, but she wants to try and start over."

"And what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," I admit. "I keep thinking about what her worst fears are, since we've both used the - the mind control spell on her."

"I would tell you, but I think it would be better if you asked her yourself. It would be a shame if I were to shatter your friendship. Unfortunately, I have already done that once, and I'm not proud of it."

"Neither am I, Sombra. What do I say to the mare who saved my life, mentored me and took care of me for a year, before I just outright walked out of her life and was horrible to her without giving an explanation? Luna unintentionally hurt me after we returned from the moon, and by the time I reached the Everfree village infection had sent in. If I hadn't had found her I might have ended up with sepsis. Then I go ahead and practically torture her, and use the mind control spell on her. How am I supposed to mend that?"

"She forgave you. That is something you have and Radiant Hope doesn't."

"What's Radiant Hope got to do with this?"

"I haven't forgiven her, not completely anyway."

"You're talking about her as though she's still alive."

"Well, due to the much more unpredictable side of magic, there is actually a slight chance that she is. Just because she left me when I needed her, it doesn't necessarily mean that she didn't do anything about the situation after I disappeared. To be honest, I don't know if she did anything or not, but I have a feeling that she is still out there, deciding what to do about all this. She was a very powerful unicorn, and even went to Princess Sunbutt's school. In truth, that is part of why I decided to take over this place, but she might still be around."

"What do you think she would do if she saw you?"

"I don't know. She might be happy, or upset, or furious. After all, I have hurt a lot of ponies, and I don't have a doubt that I shocked her when I tried to take over the Crystal Empire the first time around."

"Hope is a lie, Sombra. It's the mere belief that things will improve. They will, but you have to work hard for it first."

"How very pessimistic, and cynical too. That's not a philosophy I believe in. Perhaps we need to change that saying. What I have found is that hope and hard work go hoof in hoof to achieve success."

"I agree with-"

Cozy throws the doors open and bolts into the dining room, holding a scroll in her teeth. "POTHT!" she lisps.

Sombra grabs it in his magic and begins to read, then groans, "I have a report that at six fifteen this evening the newly dug trenches where the Solar Guards were positioned was unexpectedly attacked. Apparently there was a small explosion. There's no reports on how the Solar Guards are faring or who did it, but none of our guards were hurt. It's supposed to be a good thing, but I can't help but wonder if there is a catch."

"Is there?"

"A cloaked figure was spotted near the scene, and then vanished without a trace just after the explosion. It could have been anypony, and I don't know whether it was done to frame us and increase our bad reputation on the other side of the border or help us. Chrysalis sent the letter and she has no knowledge of who did it."

"Starlight and Wishbone would have said something if it was-"

"POST!" declares a guard, galloping into the room. He places a second scroll on the table in front of Sombra, then leaves.

"It's from Luna. She's contacted Starlight and Wishbone, since they're all Dreamwalkers, and none of them know who did it."

"Who do you think is behind-"

"POST!" a third guard shouts, bringing Sombra yet another letter. His eyes scan the page.

"Our scouts are checking to see if there's anypony matching the description of the pony in the area. Obviously, we don't know much, but they used light magic, so they have to be a unicorn, bat pony or kirin. Mind, I can't remember if the kirin are actually real or if they're just a legend. These things tend to get confusing."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure they're real. Whew, I wasn't interrupted that-"

"POST!"

I facehoof. "Sombra, what does it say?"

"It's from Chryssie. She says that there's a mare who wants to talk to us at some point. Do we go and speak to her now, or do we wait?"

"Let's talk to the two of them now. It's late, but this could end up being really important. They might know something, like details of Sunbutt's plans. Or maybe they were behind the attack on the Solar Guards. We know that Sunbutt's resorted to traditional methods of fighting wars, but we don't know what else she might be up to."

"Right, then." He begins preparing to leave.

"Gee, I exist," Cozy pipes up with frustration.

"We know you do, but you're not the one who makes the decisions," I remind her. "Are you coming or not?"

"Eh, it might be fun, and I'm always interested in meeting new ponies. To the Changeling Hive!"

I decide to put on all of my armour, just in case there is any trouble. As soon as I am ready and have assured Sombra that his mane isn't in too bad a state, we teleport to the hive's main entrance. Pharynx greets us and leads us to the throne room.

"Queen Chrysalis, I have King Sombra, Commander Moonlight and Cozy Glow here," he calls.

"Tell them to come in. I have quite a nice surprise for them. Well, it might be nice, but then again, they are unpredictable."

We enter the throne room. A pony wearing a brown hooded cloak is stood in the middle of the room, facing Chrysalis' throne.

"Hello?" I ask. "Who are you? Are you behind the attacks on the enemy's trench?"

They speak not a word, but turn around to face us instead, and take off the hood, revealing a pink-purple coated unicorn mare, with a wavy light blue mane and tail and similar coloured eyes that take in our own appearance.

"Hello, Sombra. Hello, Cozy Glow," she says.

Sombra and Cozy both gasp.

"Yes, it's me. I was behind the attack, or rather, I directed the whole affair. Some other ponies chose to help me. I've been hovering around the Crystal Empire for a while now, trying to stay hidden, and I was only just caught by Sir Pharynx here. Who is the pony covered from head to hoof in armour?"

I take off the helmet. "I'm Commander Moonlight, leader of the Crystal Guard, future wife of King Sombra."

She turns back to Sombra. "So, Sombra. After seemingly disappearing from the surface of Equis, you and the Crystal Empire have returned, you've taken over the place, allied with the Changelings and a few other ponies and creatures, freed Cozy Glow from Tartarus, and you also have a fiancee. Yet you have not made one single effort to find me. Is it because I left you here and travelled to Canterlot? Is it because you knew I was going to become a princess and you didn't want that? Did you grow tired of me acting childish, and decide that you didn't want to be my friend any more?" There are tears in her eyes.

Nothing.

"Sombra, say something," Cozy tells him.

Still, he says not a word and continues to stare.

The mare looks at me. "Did you do something to him?"

"No, he isn't usually like this."

She looks over her shoulder at Queen Chrysalis. "Are you sure you haven't done anything to remove his voice?"

"I have done nothing but help him. He has a voice, just not the guts to use it."

The mare turns to face us again, and begins to walk forward slowly. "Commander, I believe Sombra would have told you the story of his childhood friend, Radiant Hope. The two of them were awfully close, but Hope travelled to Canterlot to study magic, and something happened to Sombra, turning him into," she holds out a hoof toward him, "this. If you are so deeply in love with him, then you are either under the influence of a strange type of magic, or you know what he is and love him regardless."

"I know who he is and what he did," I confirm.

"So why do you still love him?"

"There's light and there's dark, and a lot of colours in between. I could see all of those colours in his soul when nopony else seemed to. I helped him take back the Crystal Empire, and made him a better pony."

"Commander, I can see those colours too, but I think I might have sent him into shock by accident."

"Sombra?" I ask him. Then, through telepathy, I ask him what in Tartarus is going on.

"There's something here that we haven't had in a long while, Moonlight," he finally tells me. "Something that we urgently need. Something I have missed for a long time, and I think Cozy has too."

"He's right," replies Cozy.

"And what would that be?"

"Something you don't believe in, but is right here in front of us now. Hope." He and Cozy sprint forward to meet the pony, and the three of them embrace each other. "Radiant Hope."

Author's Note

Hope has returned... and high time, too. The Daughter of the Night is going to need it.

Chapter 43: Hope - Part 2

The two of them stand there like that for a moment, and I piece the puzzle together. The mare is Radiant Hope. I have no idea how I didn't figure that out sooner, but at least I know what in Equestria is happening now. There's a small knot of jealousy in my stomach, but I try not to think about it and enjoy the moment.

Sombra pulls out of the hug and cries, "Oh, how I've missed you, Hope. You have no idea how much has happened since the two of us parted ways. It has been a literal nightmare at times."

"I know how crazy this world is, and I want you to tell me every little thing that I've missed. I am... a little disappointed that another mare stole your heart, but what can I say? I wasn't there and Moonlight was. By the way, Moonlight," she says to me with a smug smile on her face, "how did you manage to find Sombra's heart? Surely you know it's very deep down, in his horseshoes."

Chrysalis mouths at me, "I don't want to get involved."

I teleport all of us - except Chrysalis, of course - outside. "When he and the Crystal Empire returned, he went on a little tour of the dream realm looking for those whom he thought he could convince to help him. Then he found me, and he convinced me, but decided not to use dark magic to do so. We became friends, and all of a sudden friends became a bit too casual a word to describe the connection between us. Then, I had to make a choice between him and the good of Equestria. Me, being the crazy fool, chose him, but most ponies don't know that really my intention was to choose both."

"Dark magic?" she questions him. "Sombra, you've been nasty. What did you turn to dark magic for?"

"After Amoré taught us, I found myself using it quite a lot. Long story short, it turned me into an Umbrum."

"It takes quite a lot of strong emotions for that to happen." She closes her eyes and exhales deeply. "That was partly my fault, wasn't it?"

"Hope, relax. It is fine. I'm just glad to have my friend back."

"Well, there's that. I'm here again." She smiles again. "So, tell me exactly how much has changed. I know that you are friends with the changelings now, so what else has happened?"

I explain, "You might have noticed that it's a lot darker around here. That's probably my doing. The Crystal Heart would most likely prevent all that, but-" I pause, and give Sombra a look. What do I say to her?

No secrets, no spies, no pain and no lies.

"Something... happened to the Heart," I tell her.

"My guess is that it's either missing or destroyed. Not the best thing to do, but the temperature isn't too bad so I'm guessing you have cast spells to keep the storm clouds at bay. I know the Crystal Heart is the best way of bringing more colour to the Crystal Empire, but you should do something about the colour scheme around here. The black crystals could make some shimmering reds and greens and blues really stand out. Then again, would it go with the sky? Brown isn't really a nice colour, but never mind."

"We are going to sort that out at some point, but there are some more important issues to deal with," Sombra tells her.

"Oh?"

"As you might have guessed, we are currently at war with Equestria. Well, not all of it, only Celestia, but since she's in charge-"

"I get the point, Sombra. You and her don't see eye to eye. To be honest, I'm having trouble wrapping my head around it. My childhood friend goes from being the perfect colt to a mad power-hungry monster, no offence, and then the next time I see him he's almost back to normal, except he's a leader and he's matured quite a lot. I thought you would be the last stallion to settle down with a marefriend."

I take the opportunity to poke fun at Sombra. "Well, if you think about the time scale compared to the other foals you grew up with, he was the last stallion."

He frowns at me, and both Cozy Glow and Radiant Hope start laughing.

"Moonlight, Hope, Cozy, you aren't beginning to team up against me, are you?"

"Of course we are! Us three fillies have to stick together," Cozy replies.

"This is deeply unsettling. It feels unsettling to have two old friends and a new marefriend all together at one time."

"Well, Sombra, we always said that the three of us would be weird together," Hope says. She looks at me. "He and I were at the same orphanage and we were ostracised by the other foals. They were always calling us names and we found a bit of refuge in each other. Then, later on, Cozy joined our ranks."

"This is news to me," I tell her. "Sombra, you never told me you grew up in an orphanage."

"Perhaps I was slightly embarrassed, since you always seemed to have such a close-knit family."

I facehoof. Cozy and Hope roll their eyes.

"What?! You had a loving mother and father, and I didn't!"

"I also recently found out that the mare who cared for me in my early years was not my biological mother, Sombra. I have a philosophy about family. There's three types: the family you're related to by blood, the family who raise you, and the family you choose. Sometimes they are the same, and sometimes not. We're all part of your chosen family. Each of us has played a part in making you who you are, and I'm pretty sure none of us would want it any other way."

"Moonlight, that is not even poetic, it's just cheesy."

Cozy giggles, "He's right."

I shake my head. "I tried."

"So, who is your mother?" Hope asks me.

"I don't know where you've been over the last thousand years, or even how you survived, but you might still know the story. I am the fabled Daughter of the Night, child of Princess Luna. For those thousand years in which Celestia had been enjoying peace and keeping her large rump planted firmly on her throne, I was with Luna - well, really it was Nightmare Moon - up in space."

"Wow, so my friend Sombra has married into royalty then."

"Yes. Now the only problem is that we're not officially married. If we have a wedding now, Aunt Celestia's going to try and ruin it."

Sombra looks mortified. "I will be related by marriage to that thing?!"

"At least you aren't actually related to her." I turn back to Hope. "So, where have you been whilst Sombra's been in Limbo and I've been on the moon?"

"Sombra isn't the only Umbrum in the world. I found a few others. One in particular took care of me, and made sure I wouldn't age. I'm still, well, a regular pony, but I've wondered for a while if I should change."

"Moonlight has," Cozy informs her, "and I've been thinking about it. Sombra worked out that anypony can use dark magic, not just the ponies who use regular magic, and I've been getting lessons, just in case old Sunbutt decides to do something mean."

"Sunbutt. I'm assuming that's your endearing nickname for Celestia. Well, I decided that she wasn't great either. I couldn't concentrate on studying after she-" She stops and glances at Sombra. "You know, after the Crystal Empire disappeared."

We reach the castle and lead her up to the lounge. Sombra, Cozy and Hope all occupy one sofa, and I make my way into an armchair, a little annoyed. There's no point in denying it: I feel left out. Yes, these three all knew each other before the Crystal Empire disappeared, but Sombra returned, she wasn't here and I was, so why is she trying to get so close to him again all of a sudden? What right does she have? She's not the one engaged to him! I find myself wondering what Sombra will do if she decides to stick around, and jealous thoughts swirl around in my head.

"Moonlight? Did you hear me?"

"Oh," I say. "Sorry, no."

"I was asking how long you and Sombra had known each other."

"Many months now." Not long at all compared to a thousand years.

"Did you always know that you would become partners?"

I don't know why she cares, but answer anyway. "I didn't. In fact, when Sombra first started visiting me in the dream realm, I half hated him and was half terrified of him. Then he explained to me why he had done all this." I gesture to the dark, uninviting decor. "Another thing he told me is that he wanted to change his ways but couldn't. I've lived with Nightmare Moon, so I know how he felt."

"After that," Sombra continues, "she decided she was fine with me being around."

"Hey, it didn't happen like that. You were trying to persuade me to trust you, and I was unsure what to do. Then I discovered your sense of humour and found that you weren't all bad. Anyways, Sombra and I became friends, I came here to help him, he took his place on the throne as King of the Crystal Empire, and then he decided he wanted a queen."

"There were also hiccups where I messed up. I tried a little too hard to convince her to visit me."

"My village nearly kicked me out, and you came up with a cheesy saying to try and cover up your mistake. Something about wanting a good friend again after so long."

"Well, now you have your good friend again," says Hope.

"Friends," I correct her.

"Well, friends and marefriend."

Correct, Radiant Hope. Marefriend who wants to actually sit next to her stallion.

Moonlight, Hope's downfall is that she's childish some of the time. I would say there is a ninety percent chance that she has no idea you feel this way. Come over here, though, and I'm sure she'll make a space for you.

I get up out of my seat and trot over to them, and proceed to mess up Sombra's mane.

"What do you think you are doing?" he questions me, trying to bat my hooves away. I cast a spell and it moves in a nonexistent breeze, growing to about twice its usual length. "I'm not an alicorn, you know."

"Well, you should be," Hope tells him. "Both of you should." She turns to Cozy. "I can imagine you as an alicorn too, but something tells me they don't let you make all the rules."

"Nope. They occasionally say that I'm the Princess of the Crystal Empire, but I'm not given special treatment at all. Where's all the crystal berry pie when I need it?!"

We all laugh, and finally Hope shuffles to one side, allowing me to sit between her and Sombra. She looks at the two of us. "You two are very close. And where was I? I feel like an intruder."

"You're not the only one," I say without thinking.

All eyes turn to me.

"I don't know. You three have known each other for so much longer than I have."

Hope looks horrified. "Oh, Moonlight, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's fine," I mutter, trying to brush off her concerns.

"No, it's not, or you wouldn't have said anything. Look, my cutie mark is in healing, and I hate seeing others when they're hurt or hurting them by accident. Please, don't feel left out. I'm the unlucky one who hasn't been with Sombra through all of this."

"I'm not hurt, or at least, I shouldn't be. Pretend I said nothing."

"I can't now. You said it, and when I find problems I want to fix them."

Sombra is annoyed. "And where do I stand in all of this?! Moonlight, Hope wants to help us. Hope, Moonlight is probably just tired."

"I'm not tired, and I'm thinking clearly, and I can see this mare who's been messing around with pixies for a thousand years pop up out of nowhere and want to spend as much time as she can with my partner."

"Moonlight, Sombra and I were never more than friends - were we, Sombra?"

"Well, we might have been, had you not run off to Canterlot so quickly and abandoned me when I needed you the most. I can see why Moonlight is annoyed with you. Talk about causing unnecessary pain."

"I didn't know you were going to turn into an Umbrum and try to rule the kingdom with an iron hoof now, did I?!"

"I was angry. You left me behind to go to magic school, Amoré openly hated me for no reason, Cozy had her own problems to deal with and I was more alone than ever. I didn't know what I was supposed to do, and I was angry at the world."

"Gee, considering you grown-ups are supposed to be friends, I think you need to do a little less arguing and a little more being friendly!" Cozy shouts, interrupting the argument. "I exist! I'm part of the equation! Yes, I might have my own problems that are nothing to do with you, but all of your problems are mine too! And the one thing I'm not going to do is let you lot bicker over something pointless like this. I'd rather go back to Tartarus."

Hope looks down at the ground. "Cozy's right."

I feel my own anger fading, but still, why is Radiant Hope even here? What does she want from us?

"Moonlight, remember that one time when you said we were like a patchwork quilt?" Cozy asks me.

"I - I think so." Cozy was trying to work out where she fitted in the pecking order. Really, she still is.

"Well, I want all three of you to think of it this way. If you don't have all the knitted squares, the quilt isn't complete. Each of us probably feels like the extra square in one way or another - I do, since I'm the only foal around here and I tend to be ignored by all of you - but really, if one of us wasn't here, we wouldn't have a whole blanket. And even now, it isn't complete, not really. You can always add more squares, and as long as you knit them together properly, the patchwork quilt won't fall apart, and it will be bigger and better than before."

I am a fool. Radiant Hope is here to add another few squares to our patchwork quilt. She's a good pony, and I was worried for no reason. She reminds me of Wishbone. Another pony I need to apologise to, because I don't think before I act. Stupid stupid me.

"I'm sorry, Hope. Maybe I am tired," I say.

"Nopony can blame you. If Celestia's sending Solar Guards here she must really have it in for you. We'll have to find some way of dealing with this, where ponies won't get hurt as much."

"We will discuss battle tactics in the morning," Sombra tells us firmly. "Hope, where would you like to stay?"

"Somewhere comfortable. Are there any guest bedrooms?"

"There are two suites available. Moonlight's in the other one. She can show you how to get there."

You can, and you will, ok?

I wasn't going to say no.

"Sure. Follow me."

We trot in silence through the quiet corridors, and Hope settles into one of the guest suites. I return to my own bed and crawl under the covers. As I sink into a deep sleep, I realise there's a little more hope in our lives and our quest to find peace and happiness.

Hope is real. You just have to work hard and look in the right places.

Author's Note

Bonus: Writing Hope - Parts 1 and 2

It's been a while since I first wrote these, but they were absolute monsters to write at the time. I knew from the start that I wanted to introduce Radiant Hope at some point, because the story of Sombra feels incomplete without her, but I wasn't sure at first how to incorporate her... Or how Moonlight would react to her sudden appearance, either. I knew there would be a clash of some sort, but it took me a while to work out that it would be because all four of these characters feel isolated for one reason or another. A wonderful PMV helped me; the lyrics were about Luna being the "spare" Princess, and
that influenced me quite a lot. Here's the link to the animation "Spare" if you're interested.

Something I felt was important was that Moonlight had to learn something from Radiant Hope that could help her fix her friendship with Wishbone. However, it wasn't really Hope who taught her a valuable lesson. Cozy Glow said something that made Moonlight realise that Wishbone was still an important part of her life. Cozy mentioned the patchwork quilt, which was the analogy Moonlight used back in Innocent and Guilt - Part 2 because Cozy was unsure how she felt to be part of a family again. I decided to bring the patchwork quilt back because each of the characters was left out in some way, like the circles of a Venn diagram. They're interlocked, but there's some that are closer and more connected than others. Something that I really love in stories is when an event that happened in an earlier chapter is mentioned again later on, or you have quotes that are used at many points in the story. This is just one of the ones that I am going to use.

One of the most important elements that I felt needed to be included in these chapters is the abolition of Moonlight's old, pessimistic philosophy on hope. Remember, she's had her life shattered on several occasions. She hasn't had it easy. Old Sunbutt's been gunning for her from day one. Celestia's attempts to be nice in the early chapters were a last-ditch effort to stop Moonlight from causing trouble, though I doubt that's happening now.

That's all for these two chapters. As I've said before, I have been hinting at something big in these last few chapters that will be revealed soon. All I'm saying is that Moonlight, Sombra and the others are going to need all the hope and luck they can get.

~ Angel

Chapter 44: Wish Upon a Star - Part 1

My dreams are peaceful, but I have something important to do. Sombra has taught me a spell for locating other Dreamwalkers in the dream world, and I use it to tell Wishbone where to find me in the ever-changing labyrinth. She appears almost immediately and I throw my forelegs around her.

"Wish, I am a very stupid pony, and I'm sorry for everything," I say. "I hurt one of my best friends without thinking."

"You? I should have believed you! I was just as horrible to you as you and King Sombra were to me. Well, you two were quite a bit worse, but I can deal with it."

I chuckle. "You're not the only friend who's come out of the woodwork recently."

"Sombra's old friend, Radiant Hope. I can tell that you didn't get on too well when you first met, but you resolved it."

"All thanks to Cozy Glow. That filly is a real pest sometimes, but she's also really sweet."

"I wonder what she'll think of me when I meet her."

"She'll like you. So will Hope. She's a healer too. You'll get on with all the others like a house on fire. Wait, I know this is a lot to wrap our heads around, but would you be able to visit?"

"When were you thinking of?"

"Follow me."

I jump out of the dream and into Sombra's. He looks at the two of us and breaks out into a smile. "Moonlight! I see you have spoken to Wishbone. So, have you sorted everything out between you?"

"I've had a lot of time to think about things, and when I found Starlight, she told me all about you and how you've changed her opinions," Wish explains. "It's changed mine too, and I owe you an apology."

"Apology accepted. I didn't treat you too kindly either," he answers.

"Thank you. Moonlight was wondering when I could visit the Crystal Empire. I'm moving around a lot, trying to avoid Celestia should she come looking for me."

"Whenever you want to. We managed to house thirteen hundred changelings for three days, so I'm sure we can handle two unexpected visitors."

"Tomorrow morning, then. I'll probably be tired since I don't really have a sleep schedule at the moment, but I can teleport there, since my magic isn't restricted any more." She pretends to clear her throat.

He harrumphs. "Sorry."

"You're forgiven for almost everything. The one thing I won't forgive you for is stealing my best friend. I didn't recognise you, Moonlight. You scared the Tartarus out of me. Try not to do that again."

I grin, showing off my fangs. "No promises."

In the morning, Sombra and I tell the servants that an extra plates of breakfast are needed. However, there is a key difference between how most royals and aristocrats treat servants, and how we treat them. Sombra and I always carry the dishes back to the kitchen afterwards, and if there isn't much to do, I don't mind doing a bit of washing up. Today, Sombra really surprises everypony and offers to help prepare the meal. The maids politely refuse to let him.

"But I insist," he tells them.

"I don't wish to insult you, but you run a country, not a kitchen. I can tell you're in a good mood, but we can handle this," a silver-coated mare assures him.

"Just promise that you will not mess up. I have some very important ponies joining us."

Wishbone appears out of nowhere, wearing her saddlebags and carrying an additional two shopping bags of luggage. At first, the guards rush to surround her, but I dismiss them with the brush of a wing. "She's a friend now. Treat her as you would any other citizen of the Crystal Empire."

The guards leave, and the two of us trot into the dining room.

The cooks have really gone over the top. There are two large bowls of fresh fruit, a plate stacked with slices of toast and a selection of cereals to choose from. I would normally only have a small meal for breakfast, but there are so few occasions for celebration at the moment and I want to enjoy the reunion. There's more than enough food for five of us, and then Chrysalis shows up, asking what the commotion is and grumbling about being able to hear us even in the Hive. Thankfully, we have a large table. Sombra takes his place at the head of the table, and we all crowd around him from there.

"So, introduce me to everypony," says Wishbone.

"Everypony," I say, "this is my old friend, Wishbone Willow." I point at each pony - and creature - as I say their names. "This is Radiant Hope, Cozy Glow, and Queen Chrysalis, leader of the changelings. Obviously, you've already met Sombra."

"Is this the same Changeling Queen who crashed the wedding last year?"

"Yes, that was me," replies Chrysalis, smiling. "Had I not made a miscalculation, I would have sorted out the Royal Guard immediately."

"Oh, why's that?" Hope asks.

Chrysalis, Sombra and I share a look. "Hope, you've missed out on one of the highlights of Chrysalis' life and the failure of the Royal Guard. Who wants to tell her?"

Chrysalis explains, "Radiant Hope, my changelings feast on emotions. The best thing for us to eat is love, and we had been starved of it since Celestia does not like us. The royal wedding of Princess Cadance and the Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armour, was approaching. This was not one of my best plans, but I hid Cadance in the caves below Canterlot and took her place. Only one pony noticed, and that was Celestia's student, Twilight Sparkle. Nopony believed her, and she was even prevented from attending the wedding. Still, I decided that she was a little too large a threat, and sent her into the caves too. Unfortunately, she found Cadance there, and they revealed my plan, but otherwise not even the guards would have noticed anything was amiss. Then, when I was forced to reveal myself, my changelings and I defeated the guards and Celestia herself with ease. The only reason I didn't succeed was because Cadance used magic to banish the lot of us. Otherwise, I would have beaten King Sombra to taking over Canterlot and kicking out Celestia."

"Oh, Tartarus," Hope groans comically. "Now I'm beginning to see why you all hate Celestia so much."

"It's Sunbutt, actually," Cozy correct her. We all laugh, and continue eating whilst recounting our battles.

Afterwards, Sombra and I help clear up, whilst Cozy and Chrysalis dig out a chessboard and Hope talks to Wishbone. However, once we have all of the dishes, cups, bowls and cutlery in the kitchen, the servants promptly kick us out.

"Now listen to me," the mare from earlier tells us sternly. "You two have a country to run, and visitors to entertain. Go and do what you're go at, and we will do what we're good at. You'll have to throw all of us in the dungeon before we let you do all of the work in here."

"That can be arranged," Sombra jokes, then the two of us leave them to it.

"So, are you going to throw them in the dungeon?" I clarify.

"Of course not. I'm pleased that they are acting like this. It means they like us."

We return to the dining room, where everypony is enjoying themselves. I decide to play a little joke of my own, and as we walk into the room, I shout, "Come on now, we need a War Council meeting to discuss what to do with those Tartarus-forsaken Solar Guards. Pack away your chessboard, wrap up your conversations, let's go, go go!"

For about five seconds, they take me seriously, until Sombra ruins it by saying, "How dare you, Moonlight? You think that those Solar Guards are actually causing a problem?! Relax, everypony. If we receive news that things aren't going well, we will sit and discuss what we need to do. Otherwise, we can enjoy ourselves for an hour."

It earns me a few glares, but nopony can keep a serious face. Sombra and Hope sit down to talk to each other, leaving me and Wish together.

"I'm assuming it's not like this every day," she comments, looking around at the six of us.

"No, it's not usually this lively. Normally, I go on guard patrol around the Empire, teach the guards a few new combat skills, and help Sombra in court. It's still exciting. There's always surprises, both good and bad."

"Don't tell him this, but the two of you are good leaders."

"Thanks." I think about what to say next. There's something I really need to know, but how to ask without being intrusive? "Uh, Wish. I have a bit of an awkward question. About you."

"Just ask me. I won't mind."

"Well, I know what the, um, mind control spell does to creatures now. It shows them their worst fears. Finding out about that made me worry about what you saw when I-"

She says, "I don't know whether I'm the right pony to tell you."

"What do you mean?"

"I know, but the thing I'm scared of the most..." She pauses, probably to work out how to phrase her answer. "The thing I'm scared of is a prophecy. A prediction."

"Tell me more." Unfortunately for her, she's captured my interest.

"Can't."

"Wishbone, Sombra and I have a little rhyming rule. No secrets, no spies, no pain and no lies. We tell each other the truth, no matter what."

"Right," she says slowly, unsure as to what to do. She looks around the room. "I think I can tell you. It doesn't look like anypony's listening."

"We can go somewhere else that's a bit more private."

"I'd prefer that. You'll probably tell them later anyway, but I'd like to talk to you away from unwanted listeners."

I teleport the two of us to the lounge, and we sit on the sofa together. "Is this better?"

"Yes. Now, let me think. It's very complicated. It surrounds the Royal Sisters and an unknown mare. I can't remember it word for word, but I know most of it off by heart. Fear makes you remember things in more detail, I guess. Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"I'm sure that I'm sure, for several reasons. One, I need to know what you're scared of to help you get over that fear. You did the same for me, after all. More importantly, and I'm going to quote you here, this isn't about you alone. If this has something to do with Celestia and Luna, it could change this entire war."

"That's partly why I'm worried, but you have a point." She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, running a hoof along the soft velvet sofa. She tells me, "For as long as time itself, there has been light and dark. They are supposed to be equal, and balance each other out. However, they are not. Each side is constantly at war with the other, trying to get even. This fight has divided entire kingdoms and even the Royal Sisters at times. One mare, the child of two guardians of Equestria, is willing to sacrifice herself and has the power needed to restore the balance between light and dark. She knows what the darkness and light really are, and is constantly stood on the border between the two, and sees the world with different eyes to the rest of us. Many may fall before her, but in the end she will be the one that matters most. Only she can call a world of warriors to battle, and only she can convince both sides to lay down their arms."

"A mare able to restore the balance between light and dark, the child of two guardians. What does all that mean?"

"Moonlight, I'm not supposed to be telling you any of this-"

"Who's supposed to be telling me then?"

"Nopony. I was told that if I told you, I would wish I was in Tartarus. Luna made me-"

"What?! Luna knows, and she said nothing. Again. Since Starlight is also a Dreamwalker, she probably knows too. Sombra might have even been told about this. But why?"

"Moonlight, I never take these decisions lightly, and neither does Luna. Starlight has no idea, and Luna only told King Sombra a few nights ago. I should have told you this before, but two months after I first found you and started taking care of you, Luna contacted me in the dream realm, and she told me that I was to protect you, no matter what. It's why I hated Sombra for so long, because I thought he was going to hurt you."

My ridiculously slow brain finally catches up. A child of two guardians of Equestria, somepony who can see the light and dark for what they really are. A child of a Princess and a guard, who has been around ponies who are considered enemies of Equestria. "That prophecy... it's about me, isn't it?"

"It's not."

"No secrets, no spies, no pain and no lies, Wish. I don't take these decisions lightly, either, but I am both a Dreamwalker and a pony with experience of using dark magic. Is it about me or not?"

She flies across the room, sits on the sofa next to me, and wraps me in a hug. "Nopony knows, but Luna thinks it might be. If it is, then you're in more danger than you know, and that's why I'm scared. You're a friend, and I want the best for you. All of your burdens are mine too."

"What about the dream before I smashed the Crystal Heart?"

"I wasn't going to let the guards kill you. It was a test to see whether Sombra was using mind control on you, and whether you realised how much danger you were in. You knew what you were doing, and yet sided with him anyway. After that, I was trying to convince you to walk away, because I didn't want it to start coming true. I was concerned."

"Let me remind you of something you told me once: this isn't all about you."

"But-"

Sombra, Cozy, Chrysalis and Hope all teleport into the room. Sombra steps closer to me and Wish. "Us four already know everything, Wishbone. You know our golden rule: no secrets, no spies, no pain and no lies. Admittedly, I broke the second part of that rule, but for a good reason. I needed to know what the two of you were talking about, and I now I know I'm concerned that she wasn't told sooner."

"I don't want her to-"

I interrupt them before things get out of hoof. "Cozy Glow, I realise how you feel when all of us keep talking and ignore you. Wishbone, back when Sombra first appeared in my dreams and you said the problem wasn't all about me, you were only half right. This isn't all about me, but clearly the world thinks I'm crucial to fixing things. I'm the child of two guardians, a Night Guard and a Princess who also protects ponies in the dream world. I've seen the light and dark for what they really are. I found that Sombra never meant to hurt anypony, and that Nightmare Moon just wanted respect, and that Celestia wasn't the nice mare she claimed to be. I've had to make the decision between which to follow, and I'm always on a thin boundary between the two. I can see why you wanted to shield me from this, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. If this prophecy is about me, and it's about how this war is going to end, I'm up for the job of kicking Sunbutt's sorry flank into next week."

"Did you miss the bit about the mare in question being willing to sacrifice herself?" Wishbone snaps, more harsh than what she probably intended.

"I heard that part, and that could mean a few things."

"I think Moonlight can do it," says Cozy all of a sudden. "I've seen her fly straight up to one of a Cerberus' faces without a second thought, and get away unharmed."

"But we don't even know if it is her," Hope argues. "I don't believe in destiny. When I was young, the Crystal Heart said I was destined to be a princess, and I threw that away. It wasn't something I wanted. Prophecies don't always come true. She has a choice." She looks at me. "What is your choice?"

"My choice is to stand with my friends, and see what happens. If anypony told me a year ago that I was going to fall in love with Sombra, I wouldn't have believed them. I don't know whether to believe a word of this prophecy right now. But I have you five, and Rutherford, Starlight, Blueblood and Luna. If it is true, I'm not going down without a fight. In my mind, that's all that matters at the moment."

Wishbone's golden eyes lock with my purple ones. "This is why we're friends. And I'm happy to support you."

Everypony else nods confidently.

"Alright, Celestia," I say. "I'll admit I'm worried about the future. But I have friends to help me. It's your move."

Author's Note

Bonus: A Note About the Prophecy

There you go. That's the bombshell I've been teasing you all about for weeks. A pony of light and dark with the power to stop a war. If you're clever, you should be able to work out what my plan is for the rest of the story from the hints I've dropped here and there. But if you can't work I out, I'm bit going to spoil it for you

Moonlight, little bat, you have a long journey ahead of you. But you're not alone.

~ Angel

Chapter 45: Wish Upon a Star - Part 2

That night, after dinner, I go flying around the Crystal Empire. I feel... Confused. There's a lot to think about, after all. There's a prophecy stating that a mare has the power to stop a war. That could mean a lot of things. It could mean that I'll eventually negotiate a deal with Celestia. It could mean that I'm going to defeat her. There's another thing, too. Something that I really do not want to face. I became an Umbrum to secure my future. I want to live a long, happy life with Sombra, and as many other ponies as possible. I thought that by joining the Umbrum I would live forever and turn the Crystal Empire into a beautiful place again, and that Sombra and I would be free from the worries that most ponies have. Yet because I pressured Wishbone into telling the truth the seed of doubt has been planted in my mind, the thought that everything I have worked for might be for nothing.

I don't want to die.

Then, I have the insight that Radiant Hope gave me. She doesn't believe in destiny. She's right. The future can be full of surprises. Everything that was said in that prediction might happen, but it might not, too. I still have no idea how - or even if - this is linked to me. Yes, in some ways I do fit the description of this heroic mare who is supposed to save the world, restore harmony and so on, but in many ways I don't. I'm not heroic. If anything, I started a war, just because I fell in love with the "wrong" stallion. I make huge mistakes nearly every day. I've endangered those who are important to me and not realised until it's too late to go back. I don't think I can fix things just like that.

I sit on a rooftop, careful enough not to knock off any tiles. It is a clear night, so I look up at the stars. The North Star is almost directly above me. The moon hasn't risen far above the horizon yet. I feel a chill creeping up on me, but ignore the biting cold in my hooves. The mare who claimed to be my mother used to say that one of those stars was me, and that no matter how far away we were, we could always see each other in the stars. But she wasn't my mother, not really. All of a sudden, secrets are coming out of the woodwork and making my future uncertain. What in Tartarus do the stars want me to do? Am I still a star? Do I want to be a star, even?

"It's not simple, is it?" asks a familiar voice. I turn and notice that Starlight Glimmer is sitting right next to me.

I gasp, "Starlight? What are you doing here? How did you get to the Crystal Empire so quickly? Why didn't I see or hear you?"

"Moonlight, it's a dream. You've been asleep for half an hour."

"Of course. I take it you already know everything, then."

"Yes. In my opinion, she shouldn't have kept it from you, but that's hypocritical coming from me."

"I hear everypony in your village has their cutie marks back."

"I told them all that I had made an error, and that the problem wasn't with our cutie marks, but with losing a friend. I admitted to them that I had kept mine, but they forgave me pretty quickly once they had theirs back too. I still run the village, but differently to how I used to."

"Wow. You seem to know what you're doing with your life. I wish I knew."

"Wishing won't make it happen. In my opinion, you need to find out what you want to do, and work from there."

"I want to rule the Crystal Empire with Sombra, and keep my friends and family safe."

"That is your goal. Now, what do you need to do to accomplish that?"

"I don't know."

"Think about it."

I sigh, "We're at war with Celestia, and the only way to keep them safe is to resolve the conflict, which is what this mad prophecy wants me to do."

"Why do you believe this?"

"Celestia was supposed to banish Nightmare Moon forever, but somepony said that the stars would help her escape and return to Equis. Depending on which way you look at it, I'm probably the 'star' mentioned. I helped her with the spell that allowed the two of us to get back to the ground safely. Cutie marks are also a prediction of what you're good at and what you are going to do in the future. Magic makes things like this very accurate."

"Yes, but there's always a chance that they're wrong."

"Tell me what my cutie mark is supposed to be. I don't know what it means! The moon and a star, that means nothing! The only things that make sense are to do with magic and the night, but neither of those make sense now! What am I supposed to listen to? This prophecy that Luna didn't want to tell me about? Or my cutie mark? Sweet Celestia, what is wrong with me?! Earlier, I didn't realise just how important this could be, but it's made me wonder who the Tartarus I really am."

"You're Princess Moonlight Shade, Daughter of the Night. 'Sombra' is Old Ponish for 'darkness,' which makes you a representation of the darkness, but you can also show ponies like me the path to the light, to being better ponies. You are a bat pony, and an Umbrum now. You're unusual. There's something different about you that nopony can put their hoof on. The world is split into light and dark, but you have so much of each in you."

"I understand why Wishbone is scared for me. I'm scared for me too. I don't want to stand out, to be connected to the light and dark and in a position where I can decide which nations are going to go to war and which side is going to win. I just want to be me."

Starlight thought for a moment. "This is you. You might not like the future that's laid out for you, but you can take it or leave it, and so far you've taken it. Rather than doing what anypony else would and try to banish him from the Crystal Empire, you chose to help King Sombra and the two of you have done brilliant things together. Every creature has the power to do something great, no matter how insignificant they think they are. I used mine to found a village, a sanctuary from the rest of Equestria. You have the ability to do even more than I did."

"There's so much to think about though."

"You're not alone, though. It's your decision whether you continue fighting for King Sombra or go into hiding, but you have a good network of friends to help you decide."

"What would you do, then?!" It sounds more harsh than it needs to.

"I've yet to fall head-over-hooves in love with somepony, but I would continue helping that pony, no matter what, because that's what friends do. You only get one family. There's only one King Sombra, one Princess Luna, one Cozy Glow, one Wishbone, one Radiant Hope, one Chrysalis. There's only one Prince Blueblood, even."

"I wouldn't go as far as calling Blueblood a friend or family member."

"He's still helping you, though, and he's still important. Think of the patchwork quilt. Moonlight, you're not a square. You're the main piece of yarn holding us together. I don't care whether you like it or not, but you are special to a lot of ponies. Even Celestia. I wouldn't recommend it, but if you used that mind control spell on her, I can almost guarantee that the only thing she would see is you, because you are so much better than she is and she doesn't like that."

"Is that good or bad?"

"I don't have the answer to that. It's the way it is. Blame the stars up there."

"Stars above, go to Tartarus," I grunt.

Starlight laughs. "If this prophecy is your destiny, I want to stand by your side." The dream becomes hazy. "You're waking up. I'll speak to you again when I can. Remember, as far as all of your other friends and I are concerned, you're the brightest star in the sky."

"Goodbye, Starlight."

I shudder awake and find myself wrapped in Sombra's tight hug, on the sofa in the lounge. I begin to silently shed tears. I don't know why. I don't want to be the brightest star in the sky, because I don't want to go supernova and I don't want anypony close to me hurt either. It's probably down to tiredness, but so little makes sense. I look up at Sombra, and his glowing red eyes meet mine.

"You are awake, I see," he says.

"I should go back to bed." I try to lift his hoof off of my chest, but his foreleg remains around my shoulder and neck.

"No. You are my prisoner. Forever. I'm going to put you in the dungeon and keep you locked away, where Sunbutt cannot lay a hoof on you."

"I'm scared."

"You are scared because the future isn't black and white, but I don't think you would want it any other way. Most of the time, fears are completely irrational. I hate to say this, but yours is a little bit that way too. The future can be wonderful and exciting."

"What do you think of it all?"

"I think we will take each day as it comes, and trust each other to do what is right." He pauses. "If you trust me, I know a spell to help you fall asleep. I wouldn't ordinarily use it, but these are... special circumstances."

"If it helps," I say.

His magic glows softly, casting dark shadows around the room. The aura surrounds the top of my head like a halo for a moment before disappearing. He whispers to me, "There you are. There's no need to worry now." He moves his hoof and begins to gently stroke my mane.

The spell works quickly, calming me, allowing me to see things the way I did earlier. "The prophecy might be right, just not in the way we think. It said the mare in question would be willing to sacrifice herself. That might just mean I have to fight somepony. Probably Sunbutt. It never said I would lose."

"Finally, some sense kicks in," Sombra mutters.

"Hey."

"I have every right to treat my prisoner as I wish."

"Am I stuck here forever?"

"Yes. That prophecy will not come true, because I won't let anypony hurt you. Got it?"

"Yes, my love."

I rest my head on his chest and fall asleep. Occasionally, I hear him talking to me, telling me that it will be alright in the morning, and catch a glimpse of the deep purple light, but for most of the night there is only silence, and I feel temporarily at peace.

Author's Note

Bonus: Writing Wish Upon A Star - Parts 1 and 2

Originally, Wish Upon A Star - Part 1 and Hope - Parts 1 and 2 were all part of one story arc, which I had named Hope and Best Wishes, but I decided to change things a bit because it felt too long. There was too much crammed into one space. I can't tell if this was still too rushed, but it flows nicely in my head, so this is what I went with.

Wishbone has returned, and both she and Hope are going to have a chance to shine in the next few chapters. They're both very kind ponies and healers, and their good nature should rub off on Sombra and Moonlight. Oh, and Cozy might get a little more attention too. I repeat: we have the mature bat pony, the slightly naive unicorn, and the demon foal in the same room. I wonder how that will go.

Starlight? She appeared because I realised I needed Guidance Counsellor Starlight. Moonlight's just had what might be the shock of her life, and she has received a lot of conflicting messages from ponies who are in her close circle of friends, and she needed somepony outside of that equation to knock some sense into her. Somepony who was mostly impartial. She's not going to play as big a part in the next few chapters, because even though I've only just dropped a bombshell on you, there might be another one on the way shortly. If I remember. Ponyfeathers, that might be a clue. Never mind, because nopony will be able to work it out from that alone.

The kitchen scenes were a lot of fun to write. If this story could have more than three tags, I would be slapping on the Comedy tag, because there's a lot of room for laughs. I wanted the kitchen staff to get a bit bossy to show how they've come to accept Sombra and Moonlight as their leaders and grown more comfortable around them. Earlier on in the story, when Sombra had only just secured his place on the throne, everypony was very nervous around him, and didn't know of his soft side. They were all too scared to share their true opinions. Moonlight has influenced him in a good way, and I wanted that to reflect throughout the castle as well as on their friends and allies.

The sweet little scene at the end of this chapter with Moonlight and Sombra felt like it was needed. The two of them tend to laugh a lot and take the rise out of each other, and this happened a little bit, but they were much more serious. I need to focus more on Sombra's thoughts in future, on how the unfolding events affect him. Other characters have been hogging the limelight. There's another thing I should add: if you're wondering about that spell he used, I'll explain about it in the next chapter.

Finally, there's the prophecy. When I first started writing Sombra's Bat, I expected the story would only cover the events leading up to the coup of the Crystal Empire and finish there. Then I realised that was only just the beginning of the story, and it's become a lot more than that. You probably have some idea of what I am going to do with this story now. If you do, well done. If not, no spoilers! But really, this prophecy is going to be one of the biggest plot twists. It's been in my head ever since I realised there was more to this story than just the Crystal Empire and Sombra. There's the other royals to think about. There's the Mane Six. There's Discord, Starlight and a whole range of villains from Friendship is Magic that are likely to be included later on. There are so many ponies who are important to the story, and they'll all have to make their choice: light or dark, head or heart, tyranny or friendship.

I hope you're all really enjoying reading this story as much as I am writing it!
~ Angel Midnight

Chapter 46: Tension in the Air

I jolt awake, and take in my surroundings. The soft velvet sofa. The black crystal walls. Sombra's thick grey fur. His face looking down at me with a neutral expression. I don't even remember how I got here.

"What happened?" I lift a hoof to my forehead.

"You were worrying about the future. Not something that I would lose sleep over if I were you, but we all have our worries. I helped you get a decent night's rest. I didn't want to wake you up, so I stayed here."

"What was that spell?" I ask as I sit up next to him.

Silence.

"Sombra, my love, what was it?"

"You're not going to like the answer," he grimaces.

My stomach lurches. Was that the mind control spell? "I have a hunch."

"Spells can be adapted for different purposes. It was an altered version of the mind control spell. The original uses fear to shock a creature, and then they relax which allows the pony casting the spell to take over. However, there are variants, some much worse than others. I changed the spell so that it skips the first part. This version doesn't use fear at all. It isn't strong enough to properly control another being with, but alleviates pain and brings comfort so that the individual the spell is being used on is relaxed. When in this state, ponies do not question you if you tell them to do something, and usually they sleep off the effects."

"So you took a really horrible spell and made it into something to help ponies."

He gives a grim laugh. "Unfortunately, my intentions at the time were not as noble. I was still trying to help, but I wasn't anywhere near as kind as I am today. I wanted a less extreme form of the mind control spell for foals, to make sure that they were not as fearful of me as the adults were but still submissive and willing to follow my orders. I didn't want to wear them into the ground so hard that they wouldn't get back up again."

"Still, you've repurposed it to help others. I can forgive you because it certainly helped me last night."

"I am glad to hear it did. How do you feel now?"

"I feel like I wasted my time. What will be will be. What I hope will happen is we get to ridicule Sunbutt until the end of time."

"Me too. By the way, if you were in a position to do so, would you send her to the moon or the sun?"

I stop and think for a moment. Hard one, but I don't really want to be cruel. "I don't like the idea of her spending the rest of her immortal life being turned into a phoenix, so probably the moon, but it depends on whether she does anything worse than what she's already done."

"I doubt she is about to stop making life difficult for us, but the thing is, she's making it difficult in many ways. As well as the obvious ones - declaring war on us and all that - if we are ever in a position where we rule Equestria, she has not done a good job of caring for her subjects."

"Oh?" I need to hear this.

"First, there is the Royal Guard. We already know somepony needs to look at that as soon as possible. As well as the guards being sloppy, though, I have a feeling very few of her subjects know how they would survive if the alicorns or Element Bearers were unable to protect them from the issues life throws at us. Equestria is where it is now because it has not changed leaders for such a long time. If somepony else were to take the throne, the land would crumble. This is something I thought about quite a lot before Luna revealed she was on our side; how to rule Equestria without it falling completely to its knees and being vulnerable to other attacks. Thankfully, if our plan succeeds, Luna can gradually introduce measures, and the system is less likely to collapse."

"You've spent a lot of time thinking about this."

"It comes with being a leader. You have to consider how each law affects the ponies, and whether the benefits outweigh the downfalls. That is why you shouldn't make decisions on the spot, including going on a flight around the Crystal Empire without telling me. Just because magic can be used to bring us back if something kills us, it doesn't mean we can't still die, and catching pneumonia is horrible."

"Hey, I thought you said something about Umbrum being immortal, and that the only thing able to kill us was love and light."

"Love and light are the only things able to wipe us out completely, to the point where even dark magic can't bring us back." He shakes his head and scowls.

"Point taken. No need to scowl at me, Sombra."

"I'm not scowling at you, silly. I just keep thinking about why Celestia is fighting this way. She keeps sending everypony in waves, rather than just gathering them all and storming in. Surely she can see that we are getting back up each time?"

"She might think we're going to get arrogant."

"That we probably will. However, at some point she is going to try and shock us. It is like playing chess with Cozy. She starts off all nice and innocent, but then she will get all of her pieces into position and put you in checkmate. Usually, you can't even see it coming. You might be right about that filly using hypnosis. She has spent a lot of time in the library as of late, reading books about Grogar and dark magic. It makes me wonder what she's up to, but I rarely have the chance to keep an eye on her, what with Sunbutt threatening us."

"Who knows, at some point Celestia might even have the Element Bearers all storm in here with their trinkets and threaten to use the rainbow laser."

"That is very likely to happen. But do you know what I would do?"

"Tell me."

"I would tell them the truth: we already know that friendship is magic. Hopefully, the two of us could make the Elements doubt themselves and Celestia."

"Make Twilight Sparkle doubt her mentor? I wish. She's never going to believe you."

"She might believe us. You shocked the world when you chose me over them, because they thought you were one of them. They thought you were a perfect little pony."

"Wrong. Some of them knew I wasn't. The amount of times I have been asked if Luna and I are related, if I still think about Nightmare Moon. Celestia probably knew. When I held that Crystal Heart in my hooves and I saved the baby dragon, most ponies thought that I was going to say goodbye to my past. Because the dragon was safe, they thought they were too. Celestia made it so difficult, though, that I took the choice my own heart wanted to make." I look directly into those huge red eyes, and for a moment, I think he might take the sentimentality seriously.

"Now that is just embarrassing," he says.

"Sweet Celestia, you ruined it again! Why?! You can say stuff like that to me, and I'm fine with it, but the moment I say something nice to you, you just can't stop yourself, can you?!"

"No. Fine, Elements of Harmony, I know friendship is magic and all that, but those sort of heartfelt speeches are for special occasions, and I decide when those occasions are."

I ruffle his mane.

"Stop that."

"You have a spell on your mane which makes it move on its own, and it looks messy most of the time anyway."

"Messy? I make it look regal, and have it exactly how I want it, but you just have to-"

"Now you know how I feel."

"Fair point."

We sit there in silence for a moment. I think about Celestia, and why she is acting so strangely. Fear, anger and sadness turn ponies into something else. This is probably why she won't just walk in and evict me and Sombra. She hates Sombra and she is afraid of me. If I am the mare in this prophecy and I'm supposed to restore the balance between light and dark or something like that, the darkness is probably a bit fed up with her. She banished myself and Luna to the moon; turned Discord to stone; sent Chryssie and the bugs flying across the horizon; wanted her subjects to kill Sombra; oh, and she kept Cozy Glow in Tartarus for a thousand years.

"Ready for breakfast?" he finally asks.

"I'm ready to confront the world, discuss what to do about the Solar Guards with Chryssie, send junk mail to Sunbutt and cause a whole load of trouble."

"You like being awkward, don't you?"

"I like being myself. The pony who made that prediction about the future of Equestria can go to Tartarus, because I'm going to do what I'm going to do. If that means I eventually send Sunbutt on a little trip to space, then that's fine, but usually things don't work out how anypony expects. For all we know, Twilight Sparkle might end up being the mare in the prophecy."

"You sound tired and hungry."

"Actually, the more I think about it..." I trail off. "I don't know enough about her, but she certainly sees things differently to other ponies, and she could probably write a decent speech calling all of Equestria to fight."

"Considering the fact that she is not on our side, I would rather not think about it. Breakfast. Now. Before I decide I don't want to eat."

We teleport to the dining room and take our seats. Hope and Wishbone are already there eating breakfast. Cozy Glow, however, is nowhere to be seen, which is worrying.

"What happened to the demon filly?" I ask them, pouring some cereal into a bowl.

Wishbone wrinkles her snout in disgust, and I notice her mane is wet. "I opened the bedroom door and nearly drowned in a bucket of water, that's what. I yelled at her and she disappeared. I haven't seen her since."

The door opens, and speak of the devil, she scurries in, avoiding Wishbone in particular. She takes a seat at the table next to me, and I notice the tearful expression on her face. It makes me want to cry too. Either she's really upset or a brilliant actor.

"You ok, Cozy?"

She shakes her head.

"What's wrong?"

She points at Wishbone with one hoof.

"You know, you can't go throwing buckets of water at ponies."

"Changelings?"

"You can't throw buckets of water at anycreature. Got it?"

"Yes, Moonlight." She seems really down.

"Wish, what did you say?"

"I can't remember exactly, but I told her I was disappointed."

I shake my head. "Cozy might be completely mad, but she's had it rough. Probably you reminded her of something she wanted to forget." I turn to the cowering filly, and stretch out a wing to wrap around her. "Here, it's fine. Wish was just annoyed. It's not often that somepony pulls a prank on her successfully."

"Oh?"

I use magic to grab a slice of toast and cover it in jam for Cozy. "I tried a few times, but only one thing worked. She'll tell you about the time I pretended Nightmare Moon had returned."

Some ponies who live in places like the Everfree Village and Hollow Shades are known as feral ponies. They are wild, dangerous and will not listen to anything anypony else has to say, save their family. Wish apparently used to be feral, and I can tell from the glare she gives me. I believe it translates to Say that one more time, and I'll rip you to pieces.

"Gee, she's not going to fess up, is she? Guess I should be proud of myself for managing to get at her so easily," Cozy smiles.

"She's probably disappointed, but you've made my morning for certain. Cleared the air a bit before we talk about the rubbish that is Celestia."

"Do we have to talk about her?"

"Yes, because the fields between here and Equestria were turned into a battlefield two days ago, and the Solar Guards may have retreated for now, but they haven't gone far. We need to sort out something. If only Starlight could help out."

Wishbone seems lost in thought for a few moments. "Maybe she could. Of course, her village is the only one where ponies definitely support you, but there are bound to be others."

I look at Sombra and raise an eyebrow.

"Let me get this straight," he says after downing a mouthful of coffee. "You think the best way to resolve this situation is to go on a pointless expedition to try and whip up more support and risk your life on multiple occasions in the process? I'm not sure as I agree because if my beautiful bat gets hurt in any way I will be absolutely distraught."

Wishbone clears her throat. "Bat. Pony. We are not bats."

Cozy giggles, "No, just pegasi whose genes have been slightly altered by dark magic because of somepony who we technically owe our lives to, the necromancer Grogar. He created dark magic, and he used it to spread terror wherever he could. He's the reason why you're a bat pony and not a regular pony. Those he recruited - willing or under the influence of mind control, he didn't really care - were transformed through magic into bat ponies or Umbrum. At the time the three pony tribes weren't united, but the changed ponies were banished and they moved to places like the Everfree and Hollow Shades. So you and Moonlight are both descended from convicts who worshipped Grogar and were crazy enough to earn the nickname 'bats' even if their appearance didn't already remind other ponies of the creepy flying monsters."

"Know-it-all," I laugh.

"My Celestia," Wish mutters. "I didn't know that."

Sombra answers, "You wouldn't. Information like that is not in most Equestrian history books because Celestia cannot bear to be reminded that she could have prevented all of this from happening. Had she stopped Grogar before he used his dark magic on those ponies, we would not be here today and she would not have told Sparkle to try to assassinate me."

"Why does she hate you so much? I mean, it can't just be because you're ruling this place."

"Luna knows. She helped me the first time I rose to power. She might not have been all that pleased at first, but-"

This sets off a hundred alarm bells in my head. He hurt Luna. I snap at him, "What did you do to her?!"

He holds up a hoof to silence me. "Calm down, I didn't hurt her, nor did I use dark magic on her. She and I made a little spell. That is all."

"I'll ask her myself later."

"And she will confirm what I just said. In times like these, I would not lie to you, Moonlight." He looks at Cozy, Wishbone and Hope in turn. "I wouldn't lie to any of you in times like these. Now hurry up and finish your breakfast, because we have a kingdom to protect."

Sighing, I continue to eat, noticing how nearly everypony is on a knife-edge. Wishbone keeps exchanging annoyed looks with Cozy; Cozy refuses to speak to any of us; Sombra won't look at me, and I don't dare read his mind because I don't want to know if he hurt Luna; and I'm just as wary of everypony. Naturally, Hope is the only one who seems happy, but then again, she could be thinking about anything.

Dear Luna, why must there be so much to worry about?

Author's Note

Bonus: Where I got some of my inspiration from

I've borrowed some of MlpHero's headcanon on feral ponies. Often they speak in very basic language, ie "Me Angel" and "Apples tasty," and they live in places like the Everfree Forest and Hollow Shades. They're pretty much cut off from the rest of the pony world, but in this story, the ponies who live in the Everfree speak Proper Ponish and their village is somewhat connected with Canterlot and Ponyville.

The stuff about Grogar is based on what I remember from Season 9 and my own theories surrounding his "epoch of darkness." From what Discord-disguised-as-Grogar said, it sounded like he was around long before the three pony tribes were united, but my guess is that he stayed alive after his initial defeat with the help of dark magic, and tried again about three hundred years into the reign of the Royal Sisters, only to fall once again because friendship. I made up all the parts about him creating dark magic, bat ponies and Umbrum. He seems like the kind of monster who'd do that.

I need to put an official timeline of this AU's events before the actual story starts in the Author's Notes at some point.

~ Angel

Chapter 48: The Shadows Clear And Show The Light - Part 1

I spend a few minutes reading over the speech that Sombra has written for us. It's not too frosty, but still gets our point across. How he writes like that, I have no idea.

"That would be Princess Amoré's fault," he answers, startling me.

"Ah! Stop reading my mind!" I say.

"What? I can't exactly help it! Dark magic is influenced by emotions, and I was wondering what was on my beautiful queen's mind."

"Stop trying to flatter me. It's not an excuse for scaring me like that. Besides, I'm not your queen just yet." I shake my head. "Never mind. You say Amoré taught you to write speeches."

"Myself and Radiant Hope. She had the two of us down as potential heirs to the throne."

Hope walks into the room, and her ears prick up, a smile forming on her lips. "Talking about Princess Amoré, are we? How she offered to teach the two of us? Moonlight, you wouldn't believe how eager to please we were, Sombra especially."

"I think I do," I tell her, ruffling Sombra's mane and causing him to scowl. "There's only two ponies I've known who are so eager to impress, and both of them are stallions." Sombra, and my old friend Casper the guard. That doofus was always trying to please me, even if he made a complete fool of himself in the process. I pause. "What happened, though?"

"I don't know. Sombra?"

An uncomfortable silence fills the room before he finally mutters, "You know the story already."

I clear my throat. "Not all of it. We aren't about to judge you, Sombra. If I judged you, I wouldn't have decided to help you in the first place."

"I'm not sure that we should be discussing something like this in here," he says quietly.

"The guards aren't going to tell everypony, Sombra. Even if they do, it doesn't matter. It's in the past now. Telling us won't hurt." I glare at each of them in turn. "You're not going to tell anypony, or you'll find yourselves in the dungeon. There's a particularly annoying draconequus and a few Solar Guards down there for company, but that's it. Understood?"

"Yes, Commander," they chorus.

I look at him. He glares, then sighs. "Fine, then. Many things happened. You already know that Hope and I were bullied as foals. We didn't fit in. Then Amoré took us in, saw our potential. She taught us how to use magic properly, and had no problem with us learning dark magic in a safe environment. When Hope gained her cutie mark, she was adored. Me? Not so much. Nopony knew what mine meant, whereas hers is a symbol of beautiful healing magic."

"I'm sorry-"

"Stop trying to take the blame for my mistakes."

"But-"

"No," he snaps at her. "The blame does not lie with you, Hope. Let me continue."

She gives up on trying to reason with him, and just gives him a nod.

He tells us, "Amoré continued teaching us, and one day she taught me an odd little spell. I have no idea why, but Hope wasn't there. The spell, it made me see everything differently, as if I had been wearing a blindfold my whole life. I was shown how much power I could have. I wanted to follow that dream, to have that power, to be able to change things and make my mark on history.

"I tried harder than ever in our magic lessons, and I asked questions. About ruling the kingdom. About powerful magic, dark magic in particular. One of its nicknames is alicorn magic because it is so powerful, and after seeing Celestia and Luna's power, I was curious as to whether an ordinary unicorn could use this wonderful 'alicorn' magic. These questions made Amoré suspicious that I was planning something, and she told me so. Hope went to Canterlot to study under Celestia. Cozy Glow was popular. She had her own friends, and I felt stupid spending so much time around a foal so much younger than I. The orphanage kicked me out, and I struggled to bring home enough money to rent one room. Then Amoré and I had a fight, one that led to my banishment. I disappeared into the Frozen North for many months." He looks at the guards stationed in the room, all of whom are surprised to hear him tell us so much. "You know the rest. I returned and took out my anger on Amoré, claiming the throne of the Crystal Empire for myself."

"You've still done good things, silly," I tell him. "You opened my eyes too, and I didn't like what I saw. I saw an angry cow called Sunbutt, and wanted to stop her from being a cow."

That lightens his mood. "Really?!"

"I saw that I'd been looking at the world from the wrong perspective, like I'd been dangling from a tree branch my whole life. Quite possible, since I'm a bat pony. You taught me that the world isn't black and white, and choosing a path isn't easy. But you helped me choose as well. It led me here."

"And let me think what else I did. Enslaving an empire was not one of my proudest moments. Amoré kicked me out for a reason, and I should have stayed out."

"You're looking at it all wrong, Sombra. You're looking at all... this." I hold out a hoof towards him. "That's what other ponies see. Not us. I see what's in here." I place a hoof on his chest, or rather the plate of armour covering it.

Hope laughs, "You're forgetting that his heart's a lot further down than that, in his horseshoes."

The guards manage to keep straight faces. I wonder how they do it.

"Ha ha, very funny, Hope," Sombra replies. "Just so you know, there is a dungeon downstairs, and you don't want to upset me."

"I'll take my chances, as I did with Amoré that one time when I borrowed an ancient spell book from her. And didn't give it back for nearly three months. Was she furious."

I can barely contain my laughter as a brilliant thought occurs to me. "You know the Bearer of the Element of Magic, Twilight Sparkle? She's a complete bookworm and perfectionist. Apparently, she's never returned a library book late in her whole life. If she heard what you two just said, what would her reaction be?"

"One of complete and utter horror. She would probably say something like, 'I knew you were always evil!' That is a look I would love to see on her face. I don't believe that she and Celestia would rather destroy another being than try to resolve the situation using their own methods of acceptance and friendship."

"With Celestia, she was so determined to stop me, that she made me want to fight her. It's not my fault I'm related to her, even if it is a huge bugbear for both of us."

Another round of laughter. Another guard enters the room carrying a letter, and we compose ourselves.

"Your majesty, it is addressed to you directly."

Those words spark curiosity and mild panic. Most ponies would address a letter to both of us now, not just Sombra. He takes the scroll in his magic and reads it aloud. "Here is what it says. 'Dear King Sombra - if that's what you're calling yourself - you'd better be ready for us. Leave the Crystal Empire before we blast you to Tartarus.' That is it. They didn't even give their name. Should we be worried?"

I sigh, "Well, the two of us already have to talk to the ponies out there. Guards, spread word of a royal announcement, but don't repeat anything else we said. Sombra, what time would you say is best?"

"This afternoon, five o'clock."

"Yes, your majesties," all of the guards answer, rushing out of the room. There was an 'es' on the end of that sentence. Though I am not technically the Queen of the Crystal Empire, the guards seem to act that way around me. Despite the less-than-ideal situation with the mystery letter, I can't help but feel happy.

Hope looks around to make sure the guards haven't stayed behind to eavesdrop, before she asks, "Any ideas who wrote that?"

"Either it's from a group of ponies, or the one who wrote it speaks in The Royal We," I say. "It could be from Celestia, Cadance and Shining Armour, the Elements or somepony else whom we haven't met but is clearly hacked off with us. It isn't important, though. Whoever is sending us hate mail is going to have a hard time living up to their postal threats unless they appear before we make the announcement."

"True. Let's hope that doesn't happen."

Thankfully, it doesn't and there are no unexpected guests. At twenty minutes to five, ponies begin making their way to the centre of the town. I stand on the balcony looking down at the crowd, keeping my face expressionless as I listen in on the conversations some of the ponies are having. Some of them are excited. Most are worried. As they should be. I have a feeling that our mystery pen pals are the Element Bearers and I don't fancy the idea of being hit with another rainbow laser. They hurt. A lot. I've been hit by those things twice with Luna - one from Celestia, another from those six mares - and I'm counting on the fact that lightning doesn't strike three times in a row. Then again, I have had some outrageous luck.

"Stop worrying," Sombra tells me, his voice drifting towards me from within the castle.

"Gah! Really? Everypony's watching us, and you scare me like that?! I've already told you not to do that."

"I didn't mean to. Never mind, I have to make a speech to the public."

"And what about me?"

"How do I put this without upsetting you? It would be best if I handled this alone."

"Understood." I take a few steps forward and say to the crowd, "It is time for King Sombra to deliver his message."

Silence falls, and Sombra walks to the edge of the balcony. The ponies in the streets below look up with a mixture of fear and awe. Although I would never dream of using magic to find out, I sometimes wonder what they really think of us, and this is one of those times. Are they accepting of us? Do they see us as the rulers of the Crystal Empire? Or do they plan to get somepony else to sit on the twin crystal thrones in the room behind us?

Sombra clears his throat, then begins. "It has come to my attention that our enemies are growing smarter and stronger, and the Crystal Empire is becoming increasingly vulnerable. Regardless of your opinions on myself, Commander Moonlight, Celestia or anypony else involved in this war, none of us want the front line and the home front to merge. I am looking at pursuing different methods of increasing our security whilst also bearing in mind that I want to keep all of you safe, well and happy. After discussing with Commander Moonlight, Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings and a few others, we came to the conclusion that a curfew is one of the best ways to protect the Crystal Empire. Between dusk and dawn, I expect only the guards who work on the night shift to be outside. Anypony else spotted outside, including changelings, will be arrested immediately and punished accordingly. My hope is that you all co-operate with these new rules, and that said punishments do not have to be given out.

"The Crystal Guard will also be undergoing a few minor changes. Before you all start panicking, I have no plans to bring back the Elite Guard. What I will say is that I have noticed a few of the guards are not taking their role as seriously as they should be. From today, should I encounter any guards who are not doing their job properly, I will make sure that they know what they are supposed to do in future. I hate to revert back to some of my old customs, but I cannot stand for weakness, especially from the ones who are supposed to protect the Crystal Empire and its ponies. I hope that all of you are understanding of this, and that we, the crystal ponies, can rise above the challenges we currently face, and shine like we always do in the face of adversity."

Something hits me in that moment. Sombra is more proud of the Crystal Empire than Chrysalis is of her hive. I arch an eyebrow at him but get no response. However, I can tell he is annoyed for some reason.

They're not listening.

What do you mean? I ask. They look like they are to me.

Look down there. Even as I speak the guards are ignoring me, talking about something pointless amongst themselves.

Should I-

No. Please let me sort this out on my own.

Fine. You want to do things your way, so I'll let you.

Thank you.

He looks at the scroll he has been reading from, then discards it, a scowl on his face. He closes his eyes, and I can tell that his emotions are weighing him down, though of course no tears fall. He is too strong and stubborn to be seen in such a state in public. "I may have disagreed with the Crystal Princess Amoré on many different accounts, but she was right about one thing especially: we are diamonds. We might not always be recognised for what we are among the pebbles, and we may be left in the dust and darkness at times, but when we step into the light and show our true colours, the world notices us. We are stronger than everypony else, we are unique, we have a rich and interesting history, the light within us reflects across the world, and pressure only makes us better than we were before. The world may have changed a lot since Princess Amoré said those words, but we will always be diamonds. I am ashamed that most of you forgot that."

Author's Note

Not sure exactly what to say here. I feel like this doesn't flow properly, but let me know what you think. Maybe you can see something that I've missed.

~ Angel

Chapter 49 - The Shadows Clear And Show The Light - Part 2

Few ponies dare to even breathe as the weight of Sombra's words hits all of us. He has rarely spoken to me about Amoré, and none of the Crystal Ponies have spoken of her around me, so his use of one of her quotes - and one that even I recognise - is shocking in itself. The context of his speech makes it worse. He has gone from being scared to talk about his past in front of the Crystal Guard, to letting out all of his feelings at once. He has always been unpredictable, but even by his standards this is unsettling.

He turns on his heels and walks back inside the castle. I follow him, and hear the crowds of ponies talking as some begin to disperse. Radiant Hope rushes up to me, and the look of surprise on her face tells me all I need to know before she starts talking.

"This is not Sombra. He wanted to hit a nerve and hurt those ponies out there, and oh Tartarus, those words were like thorns. I don't know whether it's because of everything that happened this morning or not, but he's angry, and you're probably the only pony able to find out why."

I find myself worrying again, and go to talk to him.

He isn't in the dining room, nor the throne room. I knock on his bedroom door and there is no reply. He hasn't come looking for me, either. I return to the throne room and ask the guards stationed there how long it has been since they last saw him, and am told that he went to the dungeon. Sighing, I fly down several stairwells to the dungeon, and look at the prisoners as I pass their cells. The Solar Guard called Thunder gives me a scowl.

"Yeh fin'lly come back ter speak ter me an' the other Solar Guards, 'ave yeh?"

"Unfortunately, no," I admit. "I need to speak to you again though. Things have been busy recently."

"Now yeh sound like Celestia on her bad days."

A few other Solar Guards laugh at that.

"I promise I'll come back down here as soon as possible. But I'm looking for Sombra."

"The more annoyin' one of the two of yeh? Tha' way." He points to his left, in the direction of the sealed door.

"Thank you," I say. I walk down the corridor and through the wall opposite the sealed door. Then down, and down, and down, until I reach a slightly open wooden door, and dare to enter the room.

Lining the grey stone walls are torches in their brackets, and they have all been lit fairly recently. Sombra is sitting in the middle of the room, looking at something hanging on the wall that I think is a mirror, but in the dimly lit room it's hard to tell.

"It's a type of mirror, enchanted with dark magic, Moonlight," he explains.

"How did you know it was me?"

"I knew it was either you or Radiant Hope, and even though it is dark I could tell it was you from your height. You and her are the only two ponies besides myself who know how to get here. The only ones alive, I mean."

"Tell me what's on your mind." I take a seat next to him.

"What's on my mind is that our ponies still wish Amoré would return, that the alicorn Cadance who looks so similar to Amoré would take her place, our place. The way Wishbone acted earlier confirmed my suspicions that ponies still do not accept us, and I will admit that it hurts. I chose those words because I knew they would make everypony look at both of us differently, especially me. The crystal ponies know that you are really soft and want to do the right thing. They don't know that I am the same, or at least they didn't."

"You told them that you still wanted the best for them, but that you were upset they thought otherwise."

"Exactly. I want them to know that I do things a certain way because I think it is the best way for everypony. Remember that day with the other mirror, when some of my more irrational self-doubts came to light? I told you what Amoré said to me about being a ruler. She is probably right still. You can't win every battle, and you certainly can't make the right decision every time, but neither can you beat yourself up when you make a wrong decision. Part of ruling is accepting your mistakes, keeping a cool head and learning from where you went wrong. If a pony got hurt because of that mistake, it is what they would want."

"No. You should care, Sombra, and what you did out there is you told the world that you do. Ponies are going to start seeing you in a different light. They probably do already, but they're going to look at you like you're one of them."

"Is that a good thing or not?"

"I think it's a good thing. It means they don't think of you as a monster, which you aren't. We are ponies just as much as they are."

"We are also diamonds. You especially. You aren't grey really, despite your whole analogy about the light and dark in the world. Yes, you might seem grey on the outside, but on the inside, you are the brightest crystal in this universe."

"Grey on the outside," I say slowly. "Grey, dumb and boring. Nothing's changed since you and I first met, then. I need to grow my mane longer and see if that makes a difference."

"That is not what I meant."

"I know, I'm joking. Nothing has changed, though. It's still you and me against the world, except a little bit of the world believes us now. Would you want it any other way?"

"Yes. I want the two of us to tie the knot officially."

"Wait until we can have a proper ceremony. Then we will. Promise." I lean over and kiss him. "Will that do for now?"

"Yes. Now let's go see what the world thinks."

"Not just yet. What's with this mirror?" Up close, I can see that there are many jewels embedded in the silver frame. I see nothing but our own reflections in the glass, though.

"I created it."

"What's it for?"

"It was one of several traps I made in this castle. As you know, I am proficient in spells that have an effect on the mind. This mirror can show a pony a lot about themselves and use it against them. The things that are most important to the individual, their fears, their weaknesses, their destiny, and whatever is in their heart. Who they are, in other words. Usually, it only works on one pony at a time, so I doubt you can see anything other than our reflections."

"What do you see?"

"Amoré telling me that I failed. A pair of glowing red eyes in the darkness. The crystal ponies refusing to look me in the eye. Radiant Hope asking me why I chose this path, as she has done so many times. Crowds of ponies and creatures unable to accept that this is me, not least myself. Black crystals everywhere, and a dark purple star. Celestia and the Element Bearers. And then... I see you."

"Just me?"

"Just you. You are always on your own."

."And what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I love you, I'm afraid of you, and you are important to me."

"Afraid? I didn't realise I was that ghastly."

He laughs, albeit grimly. "Not in that way. You have no idea, but most ponies and creatures feel some degree of fear towards you. Remember Starlight Glimmer? She didn't recognise me at first, but she knew exactly who you were. The crystal ponies have always been willing to do as you say, haven't they? Considering you didn't even grow up here like I did, that is quite a feat. Celestia, the Element Bearers and everypony else tried to slam on the breaks and stop you from, I don't know, turning into a crazed monster capable of using powerful dark magic, and since they were unable to do that, they're worried. And occasionally, I worry too. I worry that either you will become like me or you'll get hurt."

"Am I supposed to be proud, concerned or offended?"

"Not offended. Definitely not. You should be proud because you chose your own path in life. Concerned? Maybe. You are a very special mare, one who I want to protect. That is something I have never wanted for anypony else before. All this talk about destiny, about Celestia and an unnamed mare, that is something to worry about, but we can't cross that bridge before we find the river."

"True."

His foreleg wraps around my chest and pulls me closer to him. "What now?" I say.

"King Sombra wants attention."

Sighing, I hug him back, and he holds me there, my head resting on his shoulder. His tall, muscular form makes me feel even smaller than I am, but also makes me feel safe. I know that no harm will come to me whilst he is around. I want more of these moments. His hoof suddenly moves, and lifts my face towards his. He casts a spell, and I find my mane moving in an invisible breeze. He smiles.

"What is it?" I ask.

"When your mane is like this, you look a lot like Luna. I'm assuming you take most of your looks from your father, but you do remind me of her. From the moment I first saw her I thought she was quite a stunning pony."

"Oh, so now you tell me that you had a thing for my mother when-"

"I didn't, but at one point when I first rose to power she and I met each other, and I realised at the time that she was very elegant, but not over the top. Ponies worship Celestia, but they admire Luna in a different way. Celestia is treated like a goddess, but with Luna, you know that she is still a pony, and all she wants is to be treated as one. I, admittedly, did not treat her nicely, but I held back a little at the time. For some reason, I did not give her everything that was on my mind. A lot, yes. I've heard that it took her a few months to heal. But I could have done much worse, and I decided not to. Perhaps some part of me knew that she and her child would help me later on in life. I have the right words now. You cannot help but think of her as a mother figure."

"I believe you."

"She is quite a stunning mare, and that was passed down to you. Although, there is something about you that she doesn't have. It is not easy to explain. I always had some idea, but I didn't realise how much it meant when I first met you."

"What do you mean?"

He uses magic to draw symbols in the air. Two red shards of crystal, and a black four-pointed star. Then, he stands up, and just for a moment, I notice his cutie mark. The same crystals and star are there. I look down at the crescent moon and the purple star that adorns my own flank.

"You and I have almost the exact same star on our cutie marks. I never knew."

"I didn't want to tell you, in case you decided to change your mind and do something else with your life. However it seems you have made your choice, and I'm more than happy with that. Should we go and confront the world now?"

"Whatever you say." I stand and the two of us trot through the corridors back to the dungeon.

The world thinks King Sombra is a different pony. The guards stand taller, and nod at us as we pass. The servants do not say anything, but they don't scurry around in the shadows and avoid us, either. We walk outside, and when we do, the crowds are there again. One pony starts clapping, then another, then another, until hundreds and maybe thousands of ponies are joining in. Many changelings are in the crowd too, taking part. I am taken back by this sudden show of support, and wonder what the catch might be.

Four guards approach us, between them carrying two large wooden boxes, each one painted black. Sombra and I open them together, and find matching red cloaks with fur trims, though they are longer than Sombra's current cloak. There is another much smaller box for me as well. Within I find a silver tiara, embedded with rubies and pieces of what I believe is a rare purple sapphire.

"What's all this about?" I ask.

A stallion at the front of the crowd explains, "It's our way of showing you that we accept you as our leaders. The cloaks are made of the finest furs that we could afford as a community. The tiara is made of jewels and precious metals found in the mines. It was finished a few days ago by Radiant Hope and Wishbone Willow. We decided not to say anything until these were complete. The truth is, few of us worry about the past, and we've known for a long time that you care for us as deeply as Princess Amoré did, if not, more so. Perhaps that's what led you to making some of your decisions. Either way, you are both forgiven, and we hope these gifts help you to forgive both us and yourselves."

He sinks to his knees in a low bow, and the motion spreads throughout the snowflake pattern of the Crystal Empire. Then, something magical happens. The dark crystals that the city is made of begin to glow in different pastel colours, like they used to before Sombra invaded, and the coats of each pony look a little brighter than they used to. The buildings begin to lose their colour again after a few seconds, but the ponies remain the same; glowing with happiness.

"Wow," I breathe, "thank you."

Are those tears I see in Sombra's eyes? I cannot tell, because he blinks and they disappear. He tells the crowds, "Moonlight and I are happy to take the places as the co-rulers of the Crystal Empire. I... I didn't truly feel like a leader before. This is more than I expected from you. I should not have lost my temper earlier. I am not ashamed of any of you. I had no idea that you thought of us this way."

Gradually, the ponies rise to their hooves. A mare steps forwards. "There is one more thing we would like you to do before you go back inside, and there are two more gifts we have to give. We know that a huge celebration would be the perfect time for Celestia's guards to attack so we aren't going to have any of that until this nonsense with Equestria is over, but we should make everything official."

Another mare adds, grinning, "That way, you are both legally in charge, and Celestia has nothing to complain about."

One more box is placed at our hooves. Inside are two gold rings. A four-pointed star is carved into each.

Sombra looks at me. "Moonlight, what do you think?"

"We need to sooner or later, and I think sooner is better than later," I answer. I place my ring on my left front hoof, and Sombra does the same.

The crowd parts, and four smiling faces approach us: Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, Wishbone and Hope. They each bow to us, and Wishbone walks closer, carrying a book bound in a leather cover with her cutie mark on the front. Back in the Everfree Village, she was sometimes asked to conduct wedding ceremonies. She opens the book, and reads aloud.

"Do you, King Sombra, accept the wonderful Moonlight Shade's hoof in marriage?" she asks. I try not to roll my eyes when she uses my surname.

"I do."

She turns to me. "And Moonlight, do you accept King Sombra's hoof in marriage, and your new responsibilities as Queen of the Crystal Empire?"

"I do," I reply.

"And does anypony have any objections to this?"

You could hear a pin drop.

"In that case, King Sombra and Queen Moonlight are now married, and the official rulers of the Crystal Empire. King Sombra, you may kiss the bride." She nods, and Sombra and I lean forwards, closing our eyes as we kiss. He picks up the tiara in his magic and gently places it on the top of my head.

"My beautiful queen," he says. "Remember our little golden rule?"

"No secrets, no spies, no pain and no lies. Our vows to each other."

"Good."

There is a moment of silence. Then, all at once, the guards, servants and civilians cheer, "Long live the King and Queen!" We listen to the second round of applause.

I smile at Sombra. "See? You're one of the crystal ponies. I am too, now. A whole treasure trove of diamonds to the north of Equestria. Celestia's going to be annoyed, and our subjects are going to help us show her who's in charge."

He grins back, and I suddenly find myself wrapped in his embrace. "These ponies are mad if they can forgive me just like that."

"We aren't mad," a guard replies. "We just have our opinions. Now do your job and show Celestia who you are."

Author's Note

Bonus: Writing The Shadows Clear And Show The Light - Parts 1 and 2

Woah. We've officially reached 100k words. That's amazing! And thank you all for joining me on this journey. :heart:

Much of what I included in these chapters was supposed to be at the very end of the story. However, it didn't feel right in my head. This story is going to be quite a bit longer than I originally thought back in August 2020 when I started writing it, and as I was writing the first of these two chapters, I realised that I couldn't make you all wait until the end of the story. I know these last few chapters have been very detailed, and I've given you, dear reader, a lot to think about. But what with Chapter 50 around the corner, it just felt right to include what I did in Part 2.

These are really an extension of Wish Upon a Star - Parts 1 and 2, in the sense that more of the prophecy has been revealed. Something I love about Sombra is his apparent lack of a cutie mark, which means we get to have a little bit of fun and be creative. I knew from very early on in the story that Sombra and Moonlight would have very similar cutie marks. The four-pointed star was always meant to be there. They were always meant to be together. It's symbolic of the saying Only in the darkness can you see the stars. What that means for Starlight Glimmer since she has a purple four-pointed star on her cutie mark too, I don't exactly know, but I plan to give her a larger part later on in the story. Hopefully you enjoy what I have planned for her, but that's for another day.

In these chapters I got to explore more of the Crystal Castle. I know in the comics there are a network of caverns beneath the castle, but in this story I want it to be more organised, the tunnels purpose-built, everything unusual to an outsider but making perfect sense to those who call the Crystal Empire home. A large part of the Crystal Castle is its defences. I haven't talked about this up until now, but in the season 3 premiere I loved the idea behind the secret passage and the door that trapped you with your fears. As terrifying as that would be in real life, it makes sense that Sombra would install traps like these should somepony try to attack the Crystal Castle. Once again, they will be featured much more later on.

Regarding Princess Amoré: she's quite an unusual character to me. I don't include the comics in my headcanon as I don't really read them and only go off of what's on the MLP Wiki Fandom, but she definitely feels like an important part of the Crystal Empire and I see her as the ruler of the place I have come to love in FiM. I don't know if you picture her this way, but I imagine her as being just like the Empire itself: breathtakingly beautiful; very pure (before Sombra took over); but so cold it burns sometimes. She was kind to Sombra originally, but became suspicious of him and cut him off, which of course only led to him following a darker path in life.

I also think she is very proud of her kingdom, and that's probably where Sombra gets his sense of pride from. The reason Sombra's use of her quote was intended to hurt was because of the purity in her heart and his supposed lack of it, to show that she had the power to hurt and he had the power to be good. Of course, he had no understanding of his subjects' true opinions of him. Anger clouds our judgement. He's still learning to control his emotions and trying to become a better a pony, but he'll get there eventually.

Now I've finished writing and proofreading them, these chapters - and Chapter 50 - bring me a sense of peace. They signal the end of one of the major arcs of this story. However, this is only the end of the beginning. When I was writing these two chapters I forgot about something. Something... big. Something that's going to make the chapters after Chapter 50 very interesting. If anypony can guess what it is, they get to choose an OC who will make a small appearance. I'm probably going to need one.

So, that's a bit about these two chapters. I hope you enjoy them, and I wonder if you can find out what I forgot!

~ Angel

Chapter 50: As One Journey Ends, Another Begins

The crowds disperse, and Sombra and I go back inside, joined by Wish, Hope, Cozy and Chrysalis. I only need to look at Sombra to know that I am not the only one with questions. Eventually, I decide to break the silence.

"So, how long has everypony been planning this for?" I question them.

"Hope and I haven't been here for that long," Wish answers.

"I don't know exactly," says Cozy.

"It apparently started with a stallion guard called Obsidian," Chrysalis tells us. "I noticed when I first arrived that the ponies here were still recovering from the shock of you two suddenly rising to power. However, he was very optimistic in comparison to his friends and colleagues, and it seemed to spread."

Sombra looks at a guard. "Find the guard Obsidian and tell him to meet us in the throne room. Also, tell him that it is for a good reason, though I would rather you didn't specify what that reason is." He puts on a mischievous smirk.

"Yes, your majesty," he answers, sprinting down the corridor.

"This Obsidian is going to get the scare of his life. You just earned the respect of your subjects, and you-"

"Not my subjects. Ours."

"Anyway, we've earned everypony's respect, and you just have to go and play a joke like this."

"Yes, I do."

"I'll have you in the dungeon for treason."

"You would never do that, my queen."

Cozy sighs, "Gee, they're like an old married couple already. I wonder how long it takes them to start yelling at each other."

Sombra and I glare at her.

"Evil little fire starter," Hope giggles. "Cozy, you need a bar of soap in your mouth."

Cozy squirms. "Sorry! But those two are constantly bickering over pointless stuff. It drives me crazy. I mean, aren't you supposed to be in love? Surely this isn't-"

We ignore her, and continue walking up the flights of stairs to the dining room.

When we get there, dinner has already been laid out. It's stew tonight. Nothing too fancy, but still delicious. Stew has always been a favourite of mine. You can rely on it to fill you up when there's not much in the cupboards. I always had enough to eat when I was growing up, but Hollow Shades and the Everfree Village aren't connected to the rest of Equestria, so there were often long waits in between shipments of food. Thankfully, almost everypony had a vegetable patch, and if one pony was going without food, everypony else used to pool together their resources. Here in the Crystal Empire, many ponies grow some of their own crops, there are a couple of farms, and the yaks bring us a lot of food. However, the meal makes me slightly nostalgic. It also makes me think of my stepmother, running around the kitchen, carrying pots and pans. Who was she?

"Moonlight, what's up?" asks Wish.

"Just thinking," I reply. "I think I'm only just beginning to realise what I've been through in my lifetime. None of us have led normal lives, but I've always seen it as normal because I never knew anything else."

"And it should stay that way. Don't start pining for what Celestia refused to give you, because none of us have had normal lives either, except maybe Wishbone," says Sombra.

"I had a normal life, until a whirlwind dropped on my doorstep," Wish deadpans. "Everything 'normal' went out the window when Moonlight turned up. But you know what? I like it that way. My life was boring up until then. What was it Neighsphere said about life? 'To be or not to be? To endure the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune?' We've had the most outrageous luck, and I think all of us are willing to put up with it."

"Gee, don't go like this on us," Cozy tells me. "Be happy. Smile. If your time on the moon was anything like my time in Tartarus, then it was probably maddening. But you had Luna, and even though I couldn't do anything about the massive door keeping me in there, I was able to fit through the bars of my cage and speak to other creatures. It might have been crazy, but it could have been much worse."

Chrysalis speaks next. "I have never had a 'normal' life even by changeling standards, I must admit. I was raised differently from my brothers and sisters. The queen before me singled me out and chose me as her successor. However, a 'normal' life to me does not sound like a life that I would want. Also, we have not had the worst luck. The Element Bearers have had to deal with Luna, Discord and us, and we - or rather you and King Sombra - have stopped them and knocked them off course. It is rather amusing, actually."

"Fair enough," I laugh. "Worse has happened to other ponies." I take another spoonful of stew. "I was just thinking about family. The one I grew up with. I'd like to know who the mare who raised me was. I know barely anything about her."

Sombra, Cozy and Hope share one of those looks. Cozy says, "Gee, you think you've got it hard? Spend eighteen years in an orphanage, and we'll talk. Maybe part of why I put up with being in Tartarus is because it was better than that place."

"You have no idea, Moonlight," Sombra groans, though I can see he is smiling.

Knock, knock.

"Right, everypony, pretend we've been having a serious conversation and look really annoyed," he whispers. I wipe the emotion from my face and Sombra calls, "Come in."

Three guards enter. One walks slightly behind the others. He has a straight coal-black mane, a grey and white spotted coat, and greenish eyes. I recognise him. I once had a go at him for calling me 'miss.' This could be fun.

He takes a low bow. "Snowflake Obsidian," he introduces himself.

"Obsidian, we have heard rumours that you were the pony who came up with the idea of creating the cloaks and rings for myself and the King, as well as my crown," I say calmly. "I hope you are aware that this means you stole materials from the mine that we asked to be brought to the castle, and kept secrets from us."

"But-"

"No buts. Your methods were illegal, and the opposite of what any sensible pony would have done." He gives me a look of horror and opens his mouth to speak. I hold up a hoof and smile at him. "Relax, I'm joking. Please don't hate me for it. It was King Sombra's idea. Not only did you have the guts to do that, you also convinced everypony else to accept us. You gave us the most pleasant surprise we've had in our time together, except maybe the moment when Sombra proposed to me. You are one amazing pony. In fact, you remind me a bit of myself. You noticed what nopony else did, and tried to do the right thing. Thank you."

He sighs with relief, then glares at his colleagues. "You two told me I was in trouble. What happened to that whole speech about taking our roles seriously?" He looks back at me. "Your majesty, surely you could do something about that?"

"I will tell my co-ruler to act sensibly," I say. "Isn't that right, Sombra? You are going to act like a king. You're going to be regal, and have your thoughts collected. You will be focused on the matters at hoof. Not playing games like this and abusing your power. As I am now your equal by law, I could oust you whenever I like."

"Fine. If you were anypony else, I would be upset, but you have a point. Obsidian, I apologise. Now, all three of you, leave before Queen Moonlight starts telling me off in front of you."

The three of the bolt for the door and slam it shut behind them.

We continue to eat in silence for a few minutes. A letter arrives, telling us that Celestia's army is retreating but more guards are needed. It gives me an idea. The leaders of other countries are going to want to know about me becoming the Queen, after all. Two in particular come to mind.

"Could somepony bring me a piece of paper, a quill and an ink pot?" I ask.

"Could you get it yourself?" Cozy shoots back.

"I am the Queen of the Crystal Empire now. There is a hierarchy in this kingdom, and Sombra and I are right at the top. Chrysalis is too. The rest of you, including you, Cozy, are Royal Advisers, and whilst you are near the top you are still beneath us. So get me a piece of paper, a pot of ink and a quill. I've left you to your own devices a lot, but now I am officially in charge I'm not going to let you mess around."

Cozy grins. "Right you are, Queenie." She fetches the materials I need, and I begin to write. The others watch me with anticipation as I carefully choose my words. I want to make it comical, but also get a point across. I smile as I think of something to say and scribble it down. I sign the product with my name, and look up at my new family.

"Ready to hear it?"

Five nods reply.

"Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna: we write to inform thou that We hath been wedded to the noble King Sombra of the Crystal Empire, and We are now legally recognised as Queen of the Crystal Empire. Said wedding and coronation happened earlier this afternoon, and We received the full support of Our subjects. This means thou no longer hath reason to be at war with Our nation, and we ask thou to revoke thou decision. If these demands are met, We will leave Equestria and its ponies unharmed. If not, prepare for Our wrath upon thy kingdom. We shall give thou one whole week to make thy decision. We view that as a more than reasonable amount of time. Choose wisely. Sincerely, Queen Moonlight of the Crystal Empire."

The five of them stare at me for a moment, mouths open, completely gobsmacked, before they burst into a hysterical fit of laughter. Even Chrysalis cannot stop herself.

"Is this for real?" says Cozy, hovering over to me and reading over my shoulder.

"Yes. Now that We are the Queen, We insist that We speak only the language of Royals, known amongst commoners as The Royal We. Or maybe not. It's exhausting, I'm telling you. That was just for a laugh."

"Who do you think will be most annoyed?" asks Wish. "Celestia was probably looking forwards to crashing your wedding in changeling style, with a whole army." She nods to Chrysalis, who transforms into a clone of Celestia, sporting thick black eyebrows and a pair of oversized glasses. "Then again, Luna probably wanted to be there to see her daughter being married off."

"Oh no. She's going to have a fit," I say, as the doors open and the kitchen staff carry in a small wedding cake. I gasp, "You shouldn't have!"

The silver-coated mare replies, "Nothing is too much trouble, your majesty. You pay us, and we cook. Now enjoy it." The servants leave.

Sombra cuts the cake into six pieces. Each piece is levitated onto a plate and lands in front of us. I use magic to send the letter to Canterlot Castle, and tuck into the luxury chocolate cake. Being a bat pony, I have an affinity for anything sugary, including fruit, biscuits, cake and sweets. Wish also thoroughly enjoys her slice of cake, and practically licks the plate clean.

When we're all finished, Chrysalis bids us goodnight and leaves the castle. Wish, Hope and Cozy leave the dining room together, leaving Sombra and I alone. I get out of my chair, and start walking towards the exit closest to my bedroom.

"And where in the Crystal Empire do you think you're off to?" questions Sombra.

"What do you... Oh." I suddenly realise what he's talking about, and walk back to his seat. I plant a gentle kiss on his cheek and smile. "I understand. As you wish, your majesty."

I follow him through the labyrinthine halls of his castle - no, our castle - and think of the first time he spoke to me. All your dreams will come true was one of the things he said. Now, I have a stallion who cares for me, I'm friends with Luna again, I've become the Queen of the Crystal Empire, and Celestia is absolutely furious. I think that's pretty close.

Author's Note

Bonus: Celebrating the 50th and final chapter of Sombra's Bat, what to expect in the sequel, and other little notes from the author

Whew. We did it. 50 chapters, over 100k words, one epic journey. This is the final chapter of Sombra's Bat, but by no stretch of the imagination is it the end of the story. The next story is already in the making and I'm excited to see what you all think of it.

Moonlight and Sombra are now the official King and Queen of the Crystal Empire. Celestia now has a growing problem to deal with. From the beginning, this story was the story of how Moonlight and Sombra fell for each other and how they became the Crystal Empire's leaders. But they also stole the limelight a little from some of the even more interesting aspects of the tale.

Their entire tale revolves around chaos theory. Every action has a consequence. That's why dark magic exists; which is why Celestia hates bat ponies, and why she made Luna give up Moonlight; why Luna went to the moon with Moonlight (I need to expand on that because currently you don't really know what I'm talking about); and why Moonlight and Sombra met each other and Moonlight helped Sombra take back the Crystal Empire. But that is going to have consequences too. One thing I've not really spoken about at all is what the ponies of Equestria think of all of this. We saw the reactions of the Everfree villagers when they found out about Moonlight and Sombra back in the early chapters (I will explain that later too) but a lot has happened since then, including the famous infiltration of Tartarus and the trip to Starlight's village. Now, all of this could have some serious effects on the rest of Equestria.

One idea I have is to include snippets from newspaper articles - I can imagine the headlines for certain stories clear as day. There's potential for a chapter in the dream realm where Moonlight or one of the other Dreamwalkers could interact with a pony from Equestria just to talk to them, but that one's less likely to take off. Of course, I can occasionally switch point of view, and I'm going to do that a little, but I don't want to overuse this. In fact, the only reason I introduced this is because eeeeNOPE I am not going to spoil that for everypony. You'll have to wait and see what I'm talking about.

Another potential spoiler, but one I won't cover up. This story has a few red tags, but the death tag hasn't really been used. It's just because the characters talk about it a bit. But I have a bad feeling that not every character will make it to the end of the sequel. Now you just have to wait and see who I'm talking about.

Now, here comes the fun part. Inventing a title for the new story. I'm currently thinking of something along the lines of Fire and Shadows, but I'm not 100% sure if I'm going to go with that or not. I am open to suggestions if you have anything better in mind. I might even make a blog post where you get to vote on a selection of names, but it depends if anypony thinks of anything else.

Oh, and the sequel's cover art will hopefully look pretty cool. I've got a few ideas floating around in my head.

I hope you've been enjoying this story, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the sequel!

~ Angel

Prologue: Daughter of the Night

Princess Celestia's POV

3rd February, 2019 A.G (After Grogar)

Predictions and Prophecies: The Daughter of the Night

9/1/994 - Child of a Dark Winter's Night
Before the century draws to a close, a creature of darkness will be brought into this world: the child of a dark winter's night, a few stars and glimmers of hope in a tormented soul dark as jet. If she is not watched carefully and guided on the path to light, she will grow different from the rest, into a seemingly sweet pony but rotten to the core. She will try to undermine this kingdom and overthrow the rule of the Royal Sisters who have thus far protected the ponies of Equestria. The years shall not wither her so easily as ordinary ponies, and she'll witness drastic change in her long life, all of which will lead to her choosing darkness over light when presented with the choice. Whether the sun shall rise after darkness falls is not set in stone, but those closest to her can change her destiny if they act.

17/4/1005 - Sombra the Fallen King of Shadows, and the Birth of Nightmare Moon, Queen of Darkness
War has recently erupted between the Crystal Empire and Equestria after the discovery of the former's new ruler: King Sombra, the Fallen King of Shadows. He barely resembles a pony, and through the use of dark magic and tainted crystals corrupts all around him. He threatens to reign with an iron hoof and bring an era of despair not seen since Grogar was slain. The soldiers of Equestria shall fight with valour and succeed in ridding the world of his darkness, but not before one of them is corrupted herself. At first she will do nothing, but over the years the curse of the Shadow King shall wear away at her until it consumes her completely, and she will become Nightmare Moon, the Queen of Darkness. She will threaten a night without a dawn, and an army shall gather to her side at speed. But most feared of all will be the Queen herself and her daughter.

Created of the night sky herself, she shall never leave her mother's side until they are both cured of darkness. Her mother will fall taking a blow for her daughter, and when the sun rises the sky will be filled with a glorious rainbow light. But there are many days and nights to endure yet, and there must be a night of a thousand years before the dawn finally arrives.

3/7/1684 - Mare in the Moon
The Mare in the Moon, myth from olden pony times. A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria, defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal.

19/7/2006 - The Balance of Light and Dark

I glance down at the latest entry. I haven't looked at this dusty old book in years, but I had forgotten that my copy changes every time an important new prediction is made. I really should check these pages more often, make sure that there is no threat to Equestria's future.

My eyes scan the page, and I furrow my brow at what is written, trying yet failing to make sense of the half-truths that have annoyingly been recorded here.

For as long as time itself, there has been light and dark. They are supposed to be equal, and balance each other out. However, they are not. Each side is constantly at war with the other, trying to get even. This fight has divided entire kingdoms and even the Royal Sisters at times. One mare, the child of two guardians of Equestria, is willing to sacrifice herself and has the power needed to restore the balance between light and dark. She knows what the darkness and light really are, and is constantly stood on the border between the two, and sees the world with different eyes to the rest of us. Many may fall before her, but in the end she will be the one that matters most. Only she can call a world of warriors to battle, and only she can convince both sides to lay down their arms.

It seems I had also forgotten that the book sometimes gets things wrong. The last time it happened was back in 1913, but I had to move a group of pages to a completely different section because a prediction was made about the griffons fighting the changelings instead of the dragons. This only confirms what I said about Twilight Sparkle from the beginning. She's always been exceptional, and she fixed the rift between myself and my sister. She has faced Discord too, and she was amazing against the changelings, even if the rest of us didn't realise that dear Cadance had been replaced by Queen Chrysalis.

No, this is all to do with what I have predicted myself: that in a few years' time she will face three monsters with her friends, and everypony that they have helped will stand by their side as they do. Equestria is safe.

For now.

I glance out of the window, and imagine the mountains of the Frozen North somewhere, and the shimmering crystal kingdom that should be there somewhere. But before long I trot to the other side of the turret room and stare at the Everfree Forest. One day I'll go back there, look for the old castle, maybe order for it to be restored to its former beauty. But life is not all palaces and princesses and fairy tales.

No, there's a whole lot more underneath.

Author's Note

This was not originally part of the story, but I added it because the beginning seemed too fast-paced without it and I wanted to make sure new readers had some idea of what was going on.

To new readers!

This story was only written because of two What If questions:
1) What if Sombra had a lover who tried to help him take over the Crystal Empire?
2) What if Luna had a child, or somepony she cared for like a child?
I think I was up late one night and these two questions began to blur together. All of a sudden, a story was born. I didn't really know I was in dangerous territory as far as Royal OCs and Mary Sues / Villain Sues go, because I started writing and began publishing chapters a couple of weeks later, when I had about 10 chapters written. This is the result.

Feedback is always welcome, because I'm still learning how to be a good author and this story is a series of writing experiments. This is where I test myself, but I also have a lot of fun, and I like pushing the boundaries of what makes a story "good" to see if those boundaries are actually needed or not.

Get yourself a nice hot drink, sit back and enjoy the journey, my friends.
~ Angel

Chapter 17: Dark Magic, And A Deal

I wake up one morning and I know that the two-week warning from Celestia has expired because I can hear the thunder outside of the Crystal Empire. The pegasi will have stopped taking care of the weather this far north, but closer to Equestria things will probably be a lot different.

Neither Sombra nor myself receive any post, because the Equestrian Mail Service will not cater to foreign countries in times of unrest. It isn't a bad thing to stop being sent hate mail, though, and since Sunbutt doesn't get on with the Changelings either the bug horses deliver the mail themselves.

As we sit there eating breakfast, I ask him, "Do you reckon somepony's upset?"

"Yes, Moonlight. Somepony is very, very upset. Something is going to happen today. Maybe those Elements of Harmony ponies will be sent here, or a quantity of the very rubbish Royal Guards of Equestria. If she's really upset, we might even get to see an alicorn in the flesh."

"I doubt it. However, we need to be cautious. You'll have to tell the elite guards to be extra vigilant."

"They listen to both of us now, remember."

"We will tell them, then."

"Yes. However, there is something else that we need to do once you finish that porridge. Hurry up, because it's exciting and I've been wanting to show you for weeks."

I swallow the last mouthful and show him the empty bowl. "You were saying?"

"Guards," Sombra calls.

Three guards gallop into the room immediately. "Yes, your majesty?" one asks.

"Moonlight and I have to go and talk in private. We will be in my private chambers. I request that you make sure nopony comes in and stop laughing because it is NOT for the reason you think it is for."

The guards stop chuckling immediately. I glower at them. "Don't you dare insult the King, and if you decide to go spreading rumours, you will be put in the elite Crystal Guard. Does that sound nice?" I threaten them.

No answer.

Sombra teleports all of us outside of the room. "Good," he says. "Now, if anypony asks, tell them that I am busy and Commander Shade is out on her daily patrol. We shan't be long."

We both walk into the room, and Sombra uses magic to lock the door.

"So why are we in here?" I finally have the sense to ask.

"Do you still want to become one of the Umbrum?"

"Yes."

"Follow me, then." His dark magic reveals a door in a section of the wall. I follow him through the passageway and down a spiral staircase.

"Why can't we just teleport to the room?"

"Magic. I wanted to make the passages in this castle maze-like for outsiders, but if you look on the torch brackets at the intersections and stairwells they tell you which of the hidden rooms you are closest to."

At the bottom of the staircase, I look at a torch bracket. In the flickering firelight, I can see Sombra's chambers and an arrow pointing up the stairs inscribed in the metal. "Clever... wait, you aren't related to that unicorn Clover the Clever, are you?"

"No. Are you forgetting your history? He died about four hundred years before either of us were born. We are here."

He opens a door, and beckons for me to follow him. I trot in behind him and close the door. Using magic, he lights the torches in their brackets.

I am instantly blown away by the intricate tapestries on the walls and the stories that they tell. They show innocent-looking enough ponies using dark magic and changing into their Umbrum forms, which I recognise because I remember what Sombra looked like: a glowing purple form surrounded by shadows and mist. One Umbrum appears more often than the rest. She has a light green form, wings and a curly mane, but no visible cutie mark.

"Where are we?" I whisper because the place has taken my breath away.

"This is a little collector's room. There's a lot more the further into the room you go. These are some tapestries of the Umbrum, made to make them seem like creatures who are less than their pony brothers and sisters. As you know by now, this is nonsense."

"I thought that Equestria always wanted to spread peace and friendship, and this was just everypony not realising who you really were behind your sometimes unnerving but stunning appearance. I didn't know that this had been going on for so long. Why hasn't old Sunbutt stopped it?"

"Celestia does not like dark magic. It is something outside of her control, because it relies on the emotions of the user, not their magical ability. Anypony, even pegasi and earth ponies, can use dark magic if they try hard enough. She remembers when the three tribes of ponies lived separately and, although she gets along with earth ponies and pegasi, she still sees the unicorns as dominant, as she was a unicorn before she discovered alicorn magic."

"But that's hypocrisy!" I cry. "So she dislikes anypony who isn't a unicorn but can use magic. No wonder she didn't trust me when I wanted to get here." I pause for a minute. "You look a lot like windigos."

"Umbrum is a Prench term that translates roughly to pony of shadow and frost. What are windigos? Pony-like creatures who spread darkness, icy weather and frost. Nopony before has realised that we are very similar creatures. The main differences are that Umbrum are corporeal beings that ponies turn into through the use of dark magic, and windigos are pure spirits born out of disharmony between the pony races."

I stop in my tracks. "Is that why you live in a place called the Frozen North?"

"The Umbrum don't directly control the weather, but we can cause enough trouble for windigos to appear if we like."

"How about showing me a bit more of this place?" I inquire.

"Follow me."

I go deeper into the cavern and discover ancient artifacts, more artworks and even huge novels. I know that there is something in particular he wants to show me and ask, "So what are we looking for?"

"This."

I look at Sombra, who holds a scroll in his magic. "Never have you been so secretive about something as you are being now. Details, or I'll have no idea what I'm doing, which you will find hilarious and I won't. Please tell me," I pout.

"This scroll contains the spell that will allow the transformation to take place. It takes a few weeks to work, and the changes will be very minor at first. The one thing you must do to set off the reaction is stop using light magic altogether."

"Should be able to do that. I'm not sure how much light is left in my heart now, after being so broken by Celestia. She'll have her comeuppance, though."

"Too right. The first change you will notice is the way that light works will change. It generally seems as if you are repelling the light so that the shadows are closer to yourself."

"That sounds strange, but a creature that literally commands the shadows would be able to mess with the way that light and shadows normally work. Then?"

"At some point, you will start looking more like a transformed Umbrum. At that point, you will have to be confined to bed rest for a good long while, mainly because we don't want everypony knowing about the choice you made, but also because it can get very painful."

"Right," I say slowly. "That sounds... Less fun. How long is a good long while?"

"A month. This is when most of the major changes to your body will happen. You'll know that you are ready to go back into the public eye when you can control certain aspects of your appearance."

"So I will be able to change from looking like this," I point at myself with a hoof, "to my Umbrum form?"

"Well, you have three forms. Your pony form," the shadows surround him and transform him into one of the semi-corporeal horses displayed on the tapestries, "Your Umbrum form, and your shadow form, which is the one that looks like the windigos." He seemingly disappears, only for a huge dark cloud to fill the room. A glowing pair of red eyes appear on the front of the cloud. He looks how he did when I first arrived at the Crystal Empire.

"How is this even possible?!"

"Transformation magic. You can turn a glass of water into a rain cloud. What makes this so different?"

"I... I don't know. I guess this is real and I'm not dreaming."

"You aren't, believe me. I was just as baffled once, when I found these scripts in the Crystal Library. Amoré believed in sharing the truth with others. One of the perks of having her in charge was that she often wouldn't judge you if you asked questions on some of the less pretty subjects of life."

"Why didn't she trust you, then?"

"Ah, I asked one too many questions and she asked me where it was leading. I said that it was just for academic reasons, but she warned me that I was delving too deep into dark magic, and she ticked me off. At the time, it was purely academic."

"So, go ahead and cast this little spell then."

He does nothing.

"Sombra?" I ask.

"Just reminiscing, don't you worry. Are you one hundred percent sure you want to do this?"

"Hey, I only lived for a thousand years because I was trapped on the moon with an immortal alicorn who pitied me and kept me alive with magic. You're almost immortal, so you're going to be King of the Crystal Empire for a long time, and I want to be your Queen for a bit longer than sixty years," I remind him.

"Fair point. Close your eyes."

I do so, and Sombra reads something from a scroll. The temperature in the already cold room drops to almost freezing, and I shiver. Still, I keep my eyes closed until I feel magic surrounding me. It raises the hairs on the back of my neck, unsettling but also exciting.

"Finished," Sombra tells me.

I open my eyes. "So what did that do?"

"You can no longer use light magic, and over the weeks you will start to look more and more like an Umbrum. Congratulations on joining us."

I walk over to him and kiss him on the cheek. "May the sun be blocked out by our immortal shadows," I say.

Chapter 30: Innocence and Guilt - Part 2

Cozy Glow is an adorable bundle of cuteness, and it soon becomes apparent that she has not aged physically or mentally whilst being trapped. This brings some problems, as it means Sombra and I have to look after her, and neither of us have any experience of being parents. We might as well have adopted a foal from the orphanage. Chrysalis has plenty of advice, but not a lot of patience. After two days of her mad antics, we encourage Cozy to sit down, stop running and flying everywhere and talk to me.

"Cozy, how old were you when you were sent to Tartarus?" I ask, settling into a sofa. We're in the reception room where Sombra and I spend most of our time together.

"Eleven."

"And you haven't aged since then? You haven't grown any bigger at all?"

"Nope. I'm actually one thousand and twenty five in a few months' time, but according to the laws of magic, I'm still eleven."

"Right. Eleven," I say slowly. She's the same age as me - in fact, she's a few months older - but her appearance and mental age probably hasn't changed much from that of an eleven-year-old. "That means you haven't finished your education."

Her eyes grow wide and her mouth forms an O. "No. You are not sending me to school. Gee, Moonlight, Sombra might be the only family I have now, but if you're going to be like some wicked stepmother from a fairy tale, take me back to Tartarus. I'm not going to school."

"Cozy Glow..."

"Don't you dare Cozy Glow me. This is completely uncharted territory for you, and you're about to step across the point of no return. Sorry, but I'm not going to school."

"Yes, you are, Cozy," Sombra scolds her. "You are going to school, and in return, I am going to teach you how to use dark magic in case we end up in a situation where we can't protect you from Celestia."

"Dark magic? I thought only unicorns and bat ponies could use magic!"

"Nope. Anypony can use dark magic, which is why old Sunbutt hates it so much."

"Maybe I won't go back to Tartarus, then. Dark magic would let me settle the score with Sunbutt, at least. I must admit, it would be real funny to just walk into the throne room at Canterlot Castle and say Here we are, Sunbutt, have a taste of our magic! And then we could just blast her all the way to the sun, give her a taste of what she did to you and Luna, Moonlight. The only reason I am going to school is because I'd love to be taught how to use magic."

I sigh. She might be a smart cookie, but she's no different to any other filly: excitable, zany, out of control. I watch her leave the room, zipping along with those tiny wings. When I know she's out of earshot, I ask Sombra, "What is it with her?"

"Foals are foals. They are always going to be trouble. I didn't expect her to be like this, but we have to remember that she has been in Tartarus for a long time."

"Sombra?"

"Yes?"

"Stupid question, but if two Umbrum decide to have a family, are their children Umbrum as well?"

"Yes."

"Are they just as crazy as the average foals?"

"Even more so. They can use dark magic from birth, just like unicorns and bat ponies. Also, if they are born with wings, you might as well have a dark-magic-using alicorn foal. The only difference is that they don't have earth magic."

I look at him with confusion. "Earth magic?"

"I have a hypothesis about how magic really works. There are three types of light magic, one for each of the main pony races. Unicorn magic allows unicorns to cast spells; pegasus magic allows pegasi to fly, walk on clouds and control the weather; and earth magic allows earth ponies certain abilities, such as helping plants and animals. I think there are other abilities for earth ponies too. If I remember correctly, one of the Element Bearers can predict certain events a few seconds before they happen, which I believe is because of magic that is sent through the ground, like echolocation. However, where things get really interesting is when we talk about the so-called sub-species that Celestia hates: bat ponies and crystal ponies.

"Crystal ponies not only channel magic through the ground: they reflect and magnify it, whether the magic is light or dark. That applies to the pegasi and unicorns among us too, like myself, Cozy Glow, Radiant Hope and," he pauses, "Princess Amoré. Bat ponies, however, are the one species of pony I haven't been able to figure out as of yet. You share most of your traits with regular pegasi: you can fly, you can walk on clouds, things like that, but you can cast spells too. I can't work that one out."

I hesitate. Why are bat ponies able to use magic in the same way as unicorns? I can only use dark magic now, but before I decided to become one of the Umbrum, I was able to use both. When I first used it, I had no issues with it either, whereas most unicorns are unable to do so. I think hard, but don't really come up with a conclusion. "Perhaps we're thinking about this from the wrong perspective. I've always found that light and dark are closer than you think."

"You don't know, do you," he sighs, grinning madly from ear to ear.

"No, but what I do know is that there's black and white, with every shade of grey and every colour in between. Before we met each other, we were at opposite ends of the spectrum. You were surrounded by dark shadows and unable to be happy, and I didn't want to stay in the bright light because it burned me and restricted what I could do. Then we met each other, became closer, and made this wonderful tapestry, this colour that doesn't fit the colour scheme we were given. We're awkward, you and I. There might be certain rules about how magic is and isn't supposed to work, but I think we're both secretly proud of breaking the rules."

"For Sunbutt's sake, stop trying to impress me with poetry, you know I don't like it and that I will never take you seriously," he laughs.

"Hey, every so often you say something like that to me. This is me returning the favour. You can tell me to stop any time."

"No."

"You mean no, you're not going to stop me?"

"No, I mean - wait, what do I mean?!" He facehoofs. I take a step closer to him, but hesitate when I hear the door creak open. That pest of a filly has returned. Sombra and I both give her the death glare.

"Meh. Doing your dragon face doesn't scare me. Moonlight, it must be a compulsive habit for you to pull that face, because you deadpan whenever I'm around. Carry on doing your slushy romantic stuff. It's gross, but also kinda funny too. Gee, who'd have guessed that it would be you of all mares that Sombra chose in the end?"

"Cozy. Get. Out."

"Moonlight. I'm. Not. Listening." She squeals when I grab her with my magic and tickle her, though. "Ohmygosh, stop! Nononononohahahaha! Geroff haha! You - ha - batty - haha!"

I eventually let her go. "Cozy, let me tell you something. Sombra is the King, and I am his fiancee. Though I am not the Queen yet, I am the second most powerful pony in the Crystal Empire. Sombra is the first, and Chrysalis is the third. You, however, are a regular pony, and live under our rules. That means you take orders from Sombra, Chrysalis and me, or you go in the dungeon. Understand?"

"Gee, you're strict. But yes, I understand. I have to do whatever you say, when you say and without asking questions. Otherwise I end up being thrown in the dungeon, which is probably not that bad, but I don't want to know for real."

"Good. Now run along like a good little filly, and allow the two of us to enjoy ourselves."

She does as she is told, and even closes the door behind her. Finally we are left in peace, and I can enjoy annoying Sombra by ruffling his mane before he stops me by giving me a boop on the nose and a kiss on the lips. Us two will never take each other seriously or be the perfect pair, but that's part of why we're together, regardless of what that mad filly says. Cozy might not have been part of the plan, but I can live with her antics for a while, and really she's just trying to establish her place in the pecking order. I notice her trying to creep into the room again and give her a knowing smile. "Nah ah ah, Cozy."

"Sorry," she winces, backing out of the room quickly. It suddenly dawns on me that she is probably overwhelmed by the new set of circumstances, and also quite lonely. When the Nightmare and I were first sent to the moon together, I refused to talk to her for ages, even though she kept trying to talk to me. It took me a while to realise that she was probably as afraid of me and the new environment as I was, and that her sister cutting her off from the rest of Equis had had a profound effect on her. I was also scared stiff when I returned from the moon and Luna and I went our separate ways. I realise how stupid I was by attempting to scare Cozy into behaving. Dark magic really does mess with you sometimes, but at least I recognised it this time.

"You haven't had a family in a while, have you?" I inquire, stopping her in her tracks. "Even before you met Sombra."

"You're right, but I shouldn't keep sneaking in here. Sombra probably remembers when I used to do this, and try to sneak into his room to talk to him at night. Old habits die hard, even after a thousand years."

I pick her up with my magic. She struggles to break free, but I console her rather than telling her off. "Shh, it's fine, I won't hurt you. Sorry about that." I place her on the sofa between us. "There's no need to keep running off. I don't know what you think of this, but really you're family now. We might as well have adopted a filly from the orphanage. We're a really mismatched dysfunctional family, a proper patchwork quilt, but the extra knitted squares you've given us are going to make it bigger and better than before."

"We will look after you, and I will ensure Moonlight is nice to you as long as you follow our four rules," Sombra continues. "No secrets."

"No spies."

"No pain."

"And no lies," I finish, wrapping a foreleg around both of them.

"Sounds simple enough. Guess we really are a family. And the only rule other than your little rhyming thing is that I have to go to school if I want magic lessons?"

"I believe so, but that's more of an agreement between us than a rule."

"Gee, I've got a family. When in Tartarus did that happen?" She smiles awkwardly. "I guess it happened when I left Tartarus. Heh."

"Sunbutt's going to be pulling her mane out over our little family of darkness," I say to her. "Now, I bet you're starving. Let's have a decent meal tonight, with crystal berry pie for dessert. That ought to teach you that I'm really a big softie. It's Auntie Chryssie you've got to watch out for."

She squeaks with happiness. It might take a while to get used to her, but she's not that bad. I was much worse than she is at her age. Not that I'm going to admit it to her any time soon, the sneaky little devil.

Chapter 39: A Scared Princess's Musings

Princess Celestia's POV

I sit on my bed staring out of the window. Pegasi keep the skies clear, allowing me to gaze at the sun. It is maybe an hour until I have to lower it and Lulu has to raise the moon. The time ticking away concerns me, although for a different reason. I have yet to deal with her, and the longer that time passes, the less likely it is for me to win this fight.

The vampire has been a part of my life for more than a thousand years, and I have despised her from the start. Just the simple fact that she was a vampire and not a unicorn means she dishonoured the family name. How Luna fell for such a stallion, I have no idea. Even before I heard the prophecy, I knew that she was trouble, for she looked so similar to both of her parents, and both of them were incredibly skilled at magic. Then I was told that she would bring darkness to my kingdom, and she has done so. Three times. The first two times with Nightmare Moon, which I managed to stop, and now with the Umbrum, which I have not managed to deal with at the present. She has threatened the peace I brought to my kingdom, and that is inexcusable.

Blueblood returned earlier, looking as though he had been through Tartarus. Apparently he had fought, and the guards I sent with him had chosen to stay so that he could flee the Crystal Empire. However, he seemed as though he was holding something back. I have had my suspicions for a while that Lulu has chosen to work with her filthy daughter, but she could become a threat if Blueblood is helping her as well. Two powerful unicorns who rarely use their power and are therefore easy to underestimate, combined with the dark magic of Sombra and the vampire...

I banish the thought. Blueblood, working with King Sombra and her? No, I am panicking. He dislikes vampires just as much as I do. Besides, nopony has done much in this war yet. Perhaps I can fix the issues of the past without the vampire and her little group of friends hurting me. I think it might be time to start sending my little ponies out to protect their home from invasion. To protect their princess. I want my ponies to thrive, but they cannot without me. Should I be unable to look after them, the land will fall. I have protected them for fifteen hundred years, and now they must return the favour.

Somepony who has made this situation slightly better is Lord Tirek, ironically. It was easy to find him, as he left a small trail of destruction in his wake. I followed it like a breadcrumb trail and found him. He was eager to please. Of course, he has only decided to help me for his own selfish reasons, but if he can help me get what I want, I am happy. What do I want? I want to see the vampire and the Umbrum gone. I want to remove all traces of their dark magic. It is unnatural. It doesn't belong. Light must fill a room, and the shadows must not fight back. Yet they do. They seek to claim what they know isn't theirs. I want light to be returned and restored to my kingdom. I want the vampires to retreat to their homes in the caves and forests, never to bother me again. I want the Dreamwalkers to stop tormenting me. I want light.

I'm scared of the dark.

There is a knock at the door. "Come in," I call.

Lulu opens the door and takes a seat next to me. She holds a coin in her magic. "A bit for your thoughts, sister?"

"I don't know what to think," I sigh. There are too many things to think about and it is driving me crazy, though I can't let Lulu know. "I want my kingdom to be happy, and that extends to the Crystal Empire."

"I feel that it is not our business what happens in the Crystal Empire. Let them be. They will not attack us unless we attack them."

"I know, but..." I trail off. I decide to be honest. Honesty is one of the Elements of Harmony. I have to set a good example at some point. Maybe it will change things. "Sister, perhaps it is time for me to admit I have grown used to calling Equestria mine over the last thousand years. I cannot help it. My little ponies are my children, and I care for them deeply. I want them to be safe. I want there to be light in their kingdom, whether that is the light of the sun or the moon. I fear if King Sombra's influence were to spread here, there would only be darkness, and nothing for them to look forward to."

"I understand. I know this pain even more than you do. I have been through it many times myself."

"Don't talk about her." The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them.

"Am I not allowed to mention my daughter in my own home?" she growls. "I know what she has done, but that doesn't stop me from loving her. Sister, if Twilight Sparkle were to kill somepony, would you put her in Tartarus and never speak to her again?"

"No, but that's different."

"It is exactly the same. I want to see my foal again. I can guide her on the right path, I can-"

"Join her and overthrow me."

"You are full of praises for your only living family," she spits.

"Lulu, you and your daughter have already tried to do exactly that twice. I have put up barriers because I do not trust others. Twilight, my wonderful student, has not yet had that experience of a close friend letting her down. She may think she knows all about harmony, but she doesn't really know about how light and darkness balance each other out. According to ancient law, there has to be both."

"So why are you so concerned about Moonlight and her little bit of darkness?"

I know the answer, though I could never tell anypony. Not just out of pride, but out of fear. Cold hard fear. King Sombra's speciality. He and the vampire could find out at any time with the scrying mirror in their possession - and I thought I had destroyed them all bar my own - but I doubt they would know the right question to ask. They don't know that those mirrors can show more than just glimpses of the past and events in the present. Those things can be used to make prophecies and show a pony their true self. I don't like what I see whenever I ask my own mirror, in the secret tower room where I have made myself a little place to hide from the world. I asked it to predict my future as recently as last week, and it yielded the same result as always. That little bit of darkness is dangerous.

"Sister, what's wrong?" Lulu asks, snapping me out of my trance. She wraps her wing around me.

"Everything. The world is on fire, and I can't control it."

A gold corona surrounds my horn and the sun dips below the horizon. Lulu drags the moon into the sky, then leaves. I find myself in the turret room, stood in front of the mirror. I do not remember walking or teleporting here. I know what I have to say, but the words are stuck in my throat, suffocating me, trying to save me from the pain that is yet to come. Still, I have to know if anything has changed.

"Mirror, show me my fate," I eventually choke out.

I am shown a solar eclipse, and the moon that covers the sun absolutely. To the right, mocking me, is a large bright star. I hear her voice, the vampire's sickly sweet voice. It says things that I don't want to hear, that I have heard enough times already, words that drive daggers into my heart, but I have no way of stopping them. I hear her, and King Sombra, and Nightmare Moon, and other voices, other vampires and monsters in the night, saying what I have always feared. Then the world is on fire, and I can't control it.

I look at the flint and steel in my hooves, and throw them across the room. The vampire is the spark that sets the world on fire, but I can't do anything. Just as Lulu and I are equals, the vampire and I are too.

Fire and shadows. Fire and shadows. I am stuck with the voices in my head. I want to get rid of the fire and the shadows, but they are oddly intertwined in a way that makes no sense, and they lead to darkness. I had hoped that, when she left Canterlot Castle after Lulu returned, that I would never see her. When she returned, I had worried that she would once again try to overthrow me. I told Lulu to convince her not to listen to King Sombra, but of course she did. Or perhaps she listened to destiny. I hope she hasn't realised what hers is yet.

I like my life. I like being Princess Celestia. I like ruling Equestria, and making sure everypony is happy. King Sombra and the vampire don't want everypony to be happy; I am sure that is right. No, they want to hurt those whom they think are below themselves. They only care for themselves - and each other, of course. Their evil has made them grow closer. Perhaps I can use that to break them.

Yes. Love and light can kill an Umbrum. A plan unfolds in my head. Of course, I was always going to have to do this, but if I can capture one of them, I can use that to convince the other to surrender. Perhaps I can still prevent the events the mirror has shown me for over a millennia.

Now all I have to do is coax them in the right direction, and hope that Lord Tirek or one of my other new allies can help me.

There is a loud POP behind me. "Discord," I mutter.

"Right-o, Princess."

"I fear you are one of the only ones able to stop her."

"Yes indeedy."

"Go to the Crystal Empire, and bring her back."

"Alive?"

"It doesn't matter either way."

"Yes, Princess. One thing, though. You can't keep all those secrets to yourself. Luna already knows the entire story. She's visited your nightmares often enough."

"And?"

"I don't know what she plans to do. I doubt she wants it to come true either, but they say these things are written in the stars, and the sweet Princess of the Stars is-"

"She is not a princess."

"She is a princess by blood, Celestia. She could control the stars if she wanted to, write her own fate. But because she doesn't know, she can't make a choice. Maybe if you had told her from the beginning it wouldn't have been a problem."

"Bring her back, Discord, and speak not another word of this. If I need to I will speak to Luna about it, but it is not your place to question me."

"Yes Princess." There is another POP and he disappears, leaving me with my thoughts.

Author's Note

This is a step away from the main story, but still important. I wanted to delve into why Celestia hates Moonlight so much. Things will make sense in a few chapters' time. :trollestia:

Chapter 47: Return of Chaos and Darkness

After breakfast, we call Chryssie over for a War Council meeting, and gather in the lounge. I am just about open my mouth to speak when we all hear a loud POP.

"Greetings," says Discord, bowing, his snout almost touching the floor. "It is I, Discord, with news for you all. I heard that you were going to be having a little meeting about the Solar Guards at the border. I believe they've all retreated but they're planning something else."

"Discord," Chrysalis sighs, wrinkling her muzzle up. I know how she feels.

"Oh, Queen Chrysalis, my fellow prankster."

"I am not interested in anything you have to say. Get out."

"But I'm friends with little Princess Moonlight of Equestria, future Queen of the Crystal Empire!" he pouts.

I wouldn't call us friends, but I want to keep the peace. Already there are too many reasons to be stressed. "Discord, Chrysalis, it's clear you two don't like each other, but we have more important things to think about. I hate to take a leaf out of Twilight Sparkle's book, but maybe let's have a little less arguing and a little more friendship."

Discord's stripy blue and white sun lounger materialises, and he falls backwards onto it. Chrysalis says something rude under her breath and takes a seat on one of the sofas. Sombra and I sit next to her. Cozy and Wishbone sit at opposite ends of the other sofa, with Hope in between them.

"Discord, would you care to-" Sombra tries to say.

"Give me an update first. I don't know all of your faces. There's three all on one sofa that I have never seen before."

"Radiant Hope," she introduces herself.

"Wishbone Willow."

"Cozy Glow."

"Aha! You three. So you're all in this little gang trying to wind up Sunbutt. The thing is, Prince Blueblood and Princess Luna are already on board too, as is a unicorn I've never met but heard of: Starlight Glimmer. Plus you have Mister Yak Smash on your side, and, of course, me. Why can't we all walk into Canterlot and tell Celestia to leave now?"

"Think of it like a game of chess, Discord," Cozy tells him, rolling her eyes. "The enemy player's king is still surrounded by all of his pawns, rooks, knights and bishops. Plus, there's probably a queen in there, maybe in this case Princess Cadance, who we really need to find a nickname for. You aren't going to send your own king in there until you've taken out some of the enemy's chess pieces, otherwise it'll be checkmate faster than anypony can say-"

"Daring Do?" he inquires, holding up the latest novel in the adventure series.

"Yes, now stop interrupting everypony's sentences, it's really-"

"MOOOOO," says a black and white cow stood in the corner. It is wearing a bright red collar, with a name tag that reads INTERRUPTING COW. There is a loud POP and it disappears, leaving us in peace.

All of us glare at Discord.

"What? Is that all? You aren't going to throw me in the dungeon?"

I look at each of my friends, and can tell that Cozy, Chrysalis and Sombra are all considering it. "We would like to," I snap. "I'm not sure as the punishment fits such a petty crime, though. Don't use that as an excuse to make even more trouble, Discord. King Sombra and I still have to decide how much free rein to give you."

"Fine, miss."

I raise my eyebrows. "Are you asking for trouble? I've already told you to use our proper names and titles."

"Ah, but here's the thing, O'Princess of the Stars," he says conspiratorially, teleporting from the sun lounger to the space behind the sofa and towering over me and Sombra. "You are telling everypony not to do things, and yet these things are still happening. You and King Sombra have become soft as butter." The two of us find ourselves trapped in a huge block of butter, which melts and drips to the floor. Then the mess disappears, and thankfully the sofa and our coats remain unharmed, though Sombra's cloak needs a wash. "You need to harden up a bit. It's good that you're being nice, but already you two are becoming like Mistress Sunbutt, oh so willing to let your subjects get away with plain murder and only focused on one thing. It gets a little boring. Rules are made to be broken, but if there aren't any rules to break and there isn't a deterrent the dare becomes pointless. Now what fun is that? Suddenly you can't put anypony in the dungeon because everypony has broken the law and it has become nil and void. Breaking that rule becomes the norm."

Chrysalis clearly wants to hit him. "I hate myself for agreeing with him, but he's right."

Wishbone, Hope and Cozy Glow all nod in response.

"Fine, we'll toughen up a little. It's not like we weren't going to, what with the Solar Guards threatening us," I sigh. "But you don't know what it's like to be in our horseshoes."

"Did you ever hear the story of the prince who poisoned a princess's drink with a love potion?" Wishbone inquires.

"Enlighten us," Sombra tells her.

"The two ponies fell in love, cared only for each other, forgot all their royal duties, and both of their respective kingdoms collapsed. Now just look at you two, and think about the Crystal Empire and Equestria."

Cozy and Discord start laughing. Hope tries her best not to, but a smile creeps onto her lips nonetheless.

Beautiful, this is getting out of hoof. I for one am not going to let them walk all over us.

Restrict Discord's magic. That should shut all of them up.

Sombra casts the spell, and Discord snaps his claws, but nothing happens. The Spirit of Chaos has been caught out, and he makes it clear that he is not impressed by pretending to faint onto his sun lounger.

"What happened to my magic? I'm done for!" he wails.

"Discord," I say, a triumphant smile plastering itself on my face, "you messed with us. As recently as last week, you tried to kidnap me. Today, you insulted myself and King Sombra, tried to drown us in butter and told us how to rule our kingdom even though I don't recall making you one of our royal advisers. However, we decided to take your advice and - what was it you said? We hardened up a bit. Enjoy your stay in the Crystal Empire dungeon. Perhaps by the end, your attitude might have improved a little. A non-arrogant Spirit of Chaos would be a welcome change."

Two guards approach him, and he gasps, "I was joking about you putting me in the dungeon!"

"Before you go," Sombra tells him, "you said you had some information for us. We might go lenient if you know anything of use."

"Said information being that somepony offered me a hoof in friendship and I know that they are much less likely to betray me than either you or Sunbutt. I'm handing in my notice, giving up my job, because I have a very very good friend and I would help her no matter what. Just like you two. I doubt there are any limits to what you would do if it would save the other."

"And who would this pony be?"

"A mare who is growing out of her shell into a wonderful pony, and as much as I despise some of her friends, she is important to me, and I always liked her, even when I started my temporary chaos reign over her home in Ponyville. She's very understanding, taking in all kinds of waifs and strays as well as endangered species like me."

I sigh, "Would she be the Element of Kindness?"

"Right-o. I think she might be a bit more than a friend to me. Let me make this clear: I am working only for her. I said I would follow your orders because I know you can double any reward Sunbutt offers me, but my dear Fluttershy can double any offer you give me. She will most likely panic when I do not return, but I have gone on two-week-long voyages into the realms of outer space before, so she's unlikely to gather the Elements and all that she-bang. Oh, where's the sound effects when you need them?"

"Wait," Chrysalis says. "The Element of Kindness is going to worry if he does not return, or if he returns without his magic intact. How long does that spell last?"

"A week," Sombra admits, "and I have yet to find a way of reducing that time. Because of Discord, we seem to be in a bit of a pickle."

"You're welcome," he answers. "Oh, where's the pickles when you need them?!"

"Guards, take him down to the dungeon. It's up to you, but you might want to have him gagged, depending on how much he talks."

The two guards seize him and he wails, "Fine, I'll continue helping you! I am multiverse-renowned for my methods of persuasion! I can get the Elements on your side, just give me my magic back!"

"Too late now," I grin. "In a week's time, you will get your magic back and we might allow you to go free. We trust that you won't keep bothering us after that, and that you won't work for Sunbutt. If you do, King Sombra and I might have to restrict your magic on a more - hmm, how do I put this? A more permanent basis."

"Not fair! And after I told you to look up at the stars, you missed it!"

"What did I miss?" What I really want to do is tell him to shut up, but that's never going to work.

"I aligned the stars to spell Sunbutt. Just for you."

"You're still going to the dungeon, and you're not having your magic back. Goodbye."

I am not supposed to like the howl of frustration and sadness that Discord gives as he is led out of the room by the guards, but it gives me a sense of satisfaction that might be associated with the phrase good riddance to bad rubbish.

"I am really questioning the ethics of using that spell," Wishbone sighs.

"I know, Wish, but did you hear him?! Chrysalis, now I get why you hate him so much. All of that, and what did we achieve? Nothing!" I massage the side of my head.

Chrysalis deadpans. "Now, because of that little piece of scum, we are going to have to prepare for the Elements of Harmony to turn up. Also, we need to discuss the situation with the Solar Guards. They are currently staying at the border, but could return to the Crystal Empire at a moment's notice. We might have to prioritise where the guards are needed."

"Beautiful?" Sombra asks me.

"Yes?"

"How much trouble are we in?"

"We're Tartarus-deep in trouble, and we're going to end up looking ridiculous if we can't stop bickering amongst ourselves. The last thing I want is to make ourselves look like an easy target."

"What do you think we should do about it?"

"We don't want to send any more guards out there, unless they are urgently needed. Our security is beginning to look shabby, so I'm going to speak to the Crystal Guard and make sure they know how much they are being relied on. Hopefully, I can shame them into doing a good job. We might need a curfew, so if any of Sunbutt's friends pop over, they'll only be able to do so by daylight."

"Hey, you two do realise that anypony can just teleport straight into your throne room and kick you out, right?" Cozy hesitates. "I mean, Discord just appeared in here and none of the guards did anything."

Sombra says, "Cozy is right. We might have to have a ban on teleporting in or out of the castle. I hate the idea, but if it delays an invasion, it is worth a try." He pauses for a moment, then casts the spell. "Now we have to go and tell the public the last thing they want to tell them." He looks at the other three fillies. "Could you help us out, so we don't seem like complete and utter monsters?"

"Gee, do you really think any of us are going to do that? You are monsters. No point in trying to tell everypony otherwise." Cozy, the little pest.

"I'm still annoyed at you, Sombra," Wishbone mutters.

All eyes turn to Hope.

"I - er - um - if you-"

Wishbone gives her the daggers.

"Sorry, no."

"Thank you for nothing, you crazy fillies. Now I have some speech-writing to do." He tries to teleport out of the room, causing the girls to erupt into a fit of laughter. Even Chrysalis joins in. Then, a look of disgust on his face, he walks out of the room, and I follow suit.

Author's Note

Bonus: My thoughts on writing chapters about Discord

Writing Discord isn't too bad, but he eats up your word count and you don't actually achieve much when he appears.

~~"Too right, I~~ completely ~~steal the show," said Discord, poking his head through a large hole in the fourth wall. "Everypony loves me! Forget proper stories, just write about me being me! Please, Angel?"~~

Ignore him. If I do any Slice of Life stuff, it probably won't be about Discord. Anyways, how can we call anything Discord-related Slice of Life?!

~~"Good question." The entire fourth wall was turned into shortbread cookies and came crumbling down.~~

Ugh. Stay out of this, Discord, and fix the fourth wall. Unless you want me to walk through and tell Moonlight and Sombra that you've escaped?

~~"Well, when you put it like that..." The wall turned back into a proper wall.~~

Thank you! Finally you do something useful!

~ Angel