Sombra's Bat

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.