Sombra's Bat

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.