Sombra's Bat

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!"