Moonlight’s POV

Immediately, we all get to work. One of Skywalker’s friends guesses that we have roughly half an hour in which to get everypony out of the cave, so there isn’t a moment to lose. Consequently, most of the guards that accompanied us, including Skywalker himself, stay behind to defend the cave from any attack.

My job is transporting as many ponies as I can back to the castle. I don’t really trust myself to be able to teleport back and forth from the Crystal Empire to one specific spot in these mountains, and I’m slightly worried I’ll end up teleporting right into the middle of a group of Solar Guards. At the same time, though, I want to help these ponies in any way that I can. All I have to do is make sure that the unarmed mares, stallions and foals get to somewhere safe and stay in one piece.

Now that his lungs have been healed, Double Diamond seems to be the one running the rescue operation. Carrying foals through the incredibly narrow and partially flooded passage that leads out of the cave, shouting to make sure the ponies furthest from us are ok, just doing anything he can. If any other ponies were to use e Elements of Harmony, then he would be the Element of Loyalty, definitely.

I’m guiding the fourth group of ponies to a safe place to teleport when it happens. An arrow comes flying out of nowhere. I tell everypony to hide somewhere and the group of about ten ponies all run behind boulders. No more arrows appear, and I don’t see any other signs of Solar Guards, so I very carefully run from one little cluster of ponies to the next and manage to get everypony back to the Crystal Empire.

Hope and Wishbone are there when we arrive, and they have somehow gathered some of the new recruits from the Crystal Army to help out. The local school hall is being used as a place to keep ponies until something more permanent can be worked out, as well as the throne room. I tell Double Diamond to stay behind.

“And leave all of the others there?”

“I’ll be able to do this. Fifteen minutes is enough time to get the rest of them out of there. All you’ll be doing is risking your own life again, and after King Sombra used his magic to help you out-”

He nods. “Understood, um, Your Majesty.” Everypony’s started calling me that, and I’m not sure what to think.

By the time I get back to the cave, there’s only twelve minutes left before the time that Celestia’s guards are expected to arrive. I’m almost counting the seconds we have. I give up on running back and forth through the mountains and just take as many ponies as I can manage straight from the cave to the dais at the castle.

Eventually, it’s only the guards who are left and as I rush towards the cave one last time, the noises of swords clashing and multiples voices yelling and crying in pain reach my ears. I’m too late; the battle has begun.

Sombra would want me to stay out of the way, but something tells me that he hasn’t listened to what Skywalker said and he’s probably still in there. Which means that he could be in danger.

I sprint through the passage as quickly as I can, and find a bat pony mare wearing Crystal Guard armour rushing towards me. The two of us almost bump into each other.

“Your Majesty, the Colonel told you to leave-”

“Where’s Sombra?” I demand.

“He isn’t here,” she answers. “I think he’s back in the castle.”

“Right.” I look down the passage, my curiosity getting the better of me.

She grimaces and says, “Please, the Colonel said-”

I take the two of us back to the Crystal Castle, and I rush inside, asking everypony I meet if they’ve seen Sombra. I end up finding him in the lounge with Cozy Glow. Both are sitting close together on the sofa, staring at the odd mirror with the golden frame.

“Gee, that must’ve hurt,” Cozy mutters.

I sit down on the sofa on the other side of Sombra and realise that they’re watching the fight in the cave. Once again, I find myself wishing that those enchanted crystals weren’t so bright. My eyes focus on the mirror as best as possible and the horror hits me.

The clashing of swords keeps going on as the brutal fighting between both sides reaches its apex; several Crystal Guards attempting to maintain positions as a swarm of Solar Guards attack their most vulnerable points and try to break the line of shields and swords.

There’s bodies everywhere, mainly Solar Guards, but I can still see how some of our troops have lost their lives before I notice Skywalker. To my surprise, he isn’t maintaining himself on the rearguard; on the contrary, he’s actually leading the troops while yelling orders and making his own effort to keep the defence as stable as possible.

“Let’s not give them an inch!” he shouts. “They shall not pass!”

As he swings his sword to block an enemy’s spear, his left eye grows wide suddenly. For a moment I’m worried that he might be injured, but he continues fighting without any issues. I begin to wonder what could have shocked him, but decide not to say anything about it to Sombra. All I do is continue to watch the fight.

Suddenly, a magical blast sends some Crystal guards flying, Skywalker included, and they fall behind the defensive perimeter that they had put so much effort in maintaining.

While some are recovering and trying to stand up, a bat pony with a deep purple coat in Solar Guard armour knocks Skywalker and carries him on her hooves until sending him flying towards the wall. A crash is heard and a loud cry of pain escapes Skywalker’s mouth. I can’t be sure of what made him let out such a painful cry like that, but because of how he hit the rocks, I could say that his back was severely injured by the impact, making it impossible for him to compose himself.

That bat mare flies through the chaos and lands next to him, carrying a sword with her magic. I can actually recognize it as one of the mythical Lunar swords that were once used by those national heroes, still decorated by characteristic bat wings.

She grins at him and says, “So, did you miss me, brother?”

He spits some blood as an annoyed look appears on his face.

“Thought you were dead,” he admits, coughing.

“As did I,” she replies. “It's a shame you’re in this condition. I would have enjoyed fighting you personally. Just like the old days.”

A laugh and a little blood escape the Colonel’s lips. “You know, I’ll never forget the favour you keep owing me.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Oh, what would that be, brother?” I bite my lip and wait for the worst.

He smirks. “I believe the saying goes... an eye for an eye.”

With a quick move, he picks up his sword with his magic and attacks the mare. Her eyes widen and she has to dodge the blade quickly. Despite being in such a state, Skywalker is still able to defend himself and the mare has trouble keeping out of the long sword’s reach until a wrong move lets the weapon reach her left eye.

A loud, agonising cry comes from the mare as she covers her now bleeding eye with a hoof. I think for a moment she might try to attack him; however, they stay silent for a few seconds whilst the battle rages around them. Then, I hear the mare’s voice again.

“And do you, oh dear brother of mine, know what you owe me?” She asks in a calm, slightly playful voice.

“Your darn Sunbutt knows.”

As she takes the first step towards him, the Colonel’s sword raises surrounded in magic once again, though - on this occasion - her reflexes allow the mare to avoid another attack and she manages to kick the sword far away from both of them. Defenceless, Skywalker makes an effort to stand up and escape, but the pain on his back is too severe. I ask the mirror to change angle and the scene shown hits me hard.

His eyes reflect the terror inside of him as the guard approaches the Colonel at a calm pace, finally reaching him as his body trembles in one last attempt to escape from her hooves; nonetheless, all of this is in vain as the mare puts both hooves on his throat and giggles sadistically.

“A slow, painful death.”

From one moment to another, her hooves press hard on the only valve of oxygen that our friend has left; as she does, the sound of Skywalker’s voice being cut off begins to rise as his expression shows even more panic and fear towards who will soon be his cold-blooded killer. Tears fall from his remaining eye as mild begging from him seems to have no effect on his sister.

“I can’t watch this,” Sombra mutters. “Sorry, Cozy.” A small blast of magic knocks her away from him. His magic then surrounds the two of us, and I gasp as he teleports both of us to the scene. I thought that he’d stopped anypony from being able to teleport in or out of the castle, but that isn’t my main concern.

He doesn’t even use magic, he simply kicks the mare out of the way. Skywalker gasps for air a few times, trying to get as much oxygen back in his body as possible.

“D-D-Damn you, Your Majesties.” He coughs. “I t-t-told you to stay at the c-castle.”

“Did you really think I was going to let you die like that? I am not heartless, although this mare who calls herself your sister clearly is.” He strides over to her, his magic at the ready. “Astral Charm, is it?”

“Buck you,” she spits.

“How unpleasant. Well, if you have nothing else left to say-” Without warning, an arrow hits him from nowhere, lodging itself in one of the plates of his armour. He wrinkles his nose and pulls it out with his magic. Thankfully, he seems to be unharmed.

I turn my head towards the battle and I see as another mare in Solar armour, a unicorn with a snow-white coat and a pink mane, holding a bow and arrows. The next arrow is being aimed in my direction. She shoots and I duck. The arrow goes soaring over my head and hits the cave wall. I try to join Sombra again so I can see if he’s been injured, but the unicorn teleports in front of me and she’s so fast that I don’t even have time to react before the spell hits me.

I gasp in pain and fall to the ground. Oh Tartarus, it feels like I’m on fire. I writhe in agony and try to shuffle away from her. The unicorn looks down at me with a mocking smile.

“Look at yourself, Your Majesty,” she sneers. “You’re going through all of this for what exactly?”

“Because your lovely Sun Princess wouldn’t listen to me.”

“But does your so-called husband really listen to you?” She pauses and waits for my answer.

“He does more than your beloved Sunbutt!” Skywalker intervenes, laying on the ground, making her turn to him.

“Quiet, traitor.” She says as the arrow is shot towards the bat pony; to his disgrace, it gets him right on the throat and, while his eye widens, his voice gradually begins to sound filled with blood as he tries to get rid of it by spitting.

“Now that that is sorted, you and I can talk.” She looks around for a moment. “Good, your lover is busy trying to defend himself from my comrades. Both of us are very similar, you know, and you’re being used by King Sombra. I’m here to help you see the tru-”

I teleport behind her and grab a sword from a fallen Solar Guard. I’ve already heard this too many times. She said almost exactly the same thing in that vision of sorts earlier.

“Good one.” I swing the sword and I’m lucky enough to get her left hind leg. She screams in pain and lashes around. I knock her bow and arrows to the floor and smile down at her. I don’t particularly want to kill her, but I can’t just let her run off, so I concentrate on my dark magic and black crystals surround her, trapping her in a small corner of the cave.

“How dare you use dark magic on me, vampire?!”

I ignore her and survey my surroundings. The floor of the cave is littered with the fallen and their blood, but nopony is about to back down. Really, we need to get everypony out of here and back to the Crystal Empire, but I’m not sure which way to turn or what to do. I find Sombra as he finishes fighting a group of three Solar Guards at once by using the mind control spell on them.

“What now?” I ask him.

“Now, my love, you duck,” he instructs me. A wall of shadows appears and blocks a few arrows.

“And now? Really, we need to get everypony who’s still alive out of the cave.”

“Now, we go and show Astral Charm and her friend what the consequences are of trying to kill the Colonel of our army.” He teleports both of us back over to them.

Skywalker is still alive, barely. Astral is holding her knife in the air, ready to stab him in the heart. I’m shocked that two siblings could hate each other so much, but I never had brothers or sisters, and I don’t know the circumstances.

Sombra uses the mind control spell on her without batting an eyelid. She screams, then her eyes glow green. I can hear Sombra talking to her quietly, and I can only imagine what must be happening inside her head. “Yes, listen to me, Astral Charm. All of this pain, I can prevent it. Listen to me and everything will be fine.”

She shakes her head a few times and mutters to herself under her breath rapidly, then stops struggling and puts the knife down on the floor without a fuss. Skywalker mouths something but his voice is barely a whisper and he keeps coughing blood, so I’m having trouble understanding him. I walk over to him but I still can’t hear any of his speech. I decide to try to read his mind. A migraine is the last of my worries at the moment.

Can’t walk, can’t even bucking speak. This is wonderful. May the Ancestors damn you, As-

Skywalker, it’s me, Moonlight, I tell him. I know you don’t like mind magic, but I need to know what to do next.

For a moment, he hesitates, and I feel a sharp pain deep inside my head, but it passes quickly and he gives me his orders. ...Please, your Majesty, alert the troops. I don’t want to lose any more of them.

Understood.

Your Majesty?he asks.

I turn back to him. Yes?

How bad is it? My throat.

I bite my lip, drawing a little blood. It’s quite bad. I don’t know whether you’ll survive.

It’s ok, then.He looks at me.If I’m not worth the effort, let me die. My troops’ lives are more important.

I glare at him. No. I’m not leaving you here. Give me a minute.

I said if I’m not worth the effort-

But you are.

I look at Sombra and say, “Give the order to retreat.”

“Yes, my bat.” A beam of dark magic shoots into the sky and explodes in a shower of red sparks. He starts shouting orders at the rest of the Crystal Guards, but once again I hear Skywalker trying to talk to me with the telepathy spell.

My sister, I… she… He shakes his head. Not today. I… I just hope she survives.

I hear the galloping of hoofsteps approaching us. The last of our troops are running towards us, most of them injured as well. Once everypony is close enough, Sombra sends out a wave of dark magic that surrounds all of us and the Crystal Guards. I close my eyes, and when I open them again we’re all back in the Crystal Empire, on the dais.

“Medics!” Sombra shouts at two guards standing at the entrance to the castle. “We need medics for the wounded!”

They nod and rush inside the castle. Less than a minute later, they come back, Hope and Wishbone not far behind, carrying medical supplies on their backs. After them, some more guards - accompanied by a pair of medics - and Starlight appear from the castle with worried looks and, oh my goodness, they are right to be so. All of us are a mess, covered in blood and with arrows stuck in us and all manner of injuries. But we’re not in as much of a state as the ponies from Starlight’s Village. At least we didn’t have to deal with a fire as well.

Wishbone and Hope quickly find the guards who are in the worst condition and begin treating them. Wish is trying to tend to Skywalker’s wounds, but he’s protesting. Probably he wants us to help the others, but if Wish thinks he needs helping first, then he needs it.

“Stop,” I tell him. “All you’re doing is getting yourself in an even worse state. Let her help you.”

He grumbles something unintelligible and spits out another load of blood. The expression on his face speaks far louder than his words ever could.

“You can argue all you like, but everypony else here will live and you won’t. I thought you wanted-”

“F-Fine,” he whispers. Ma’am… You remind me... he coughs, of myself and my… sister. We all have… he smirks, stubbornness issues.

You don’t say. I stop reading his mind.

“Moonlight, could you teleport us to the Crystal Hospital?” Wish asks.

“Any particular part?”

“The ward on the first floor, near the operating theatres. Can you do that?”

I nod. “I can.”

Then, I gather as much magic as I need to carry out the correct spell. It takes a few seconds, but when I feel like being able to teleport us all, we disappear in a snap.

Author's Note

This chapter is grim. So is life. But all of us have the inner strength to overcome challenges. And if we work together, we're even stronger. Friendship is magic.

~ Angel