Sombra's Bat

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."