Sombra's Bat

by Angel Midnight

First published 12th of September, 2020

Moonlight Shade, a bat mare, falls for King Sombra.

Moonlight Shade is a bat mare who was banished with Nightmare Moon for a thousand years.

A year after Princess Luna turned her back on Shade and Nightmare Moon, Moonlight starts having strange dreams. King Sombra of the Crystal Empire has returned, and is hungry for power. Moonlight has to choose whether she wants to leave her childhood dreams behind or follow them wherever they lead, even if that is to the darkest places.

Chapter 1

I wake up screaming in my bed. The moon has risen above the horizon, but not above the tree line here in the northern stretch of the Everfree Forest. I try remember what my dream was about, and slowly it comes to me again.

I had dreamt about that final time with my old mistress Nightmare Moon, after she had been turned back into Princess Luna. I had tried to convince her that Princess Celestia was still the enemy, but she would not listen. Even after the thousand years I spent with her on the moon, she ignored my pleas and told me that time had changed. When I tried to use magic to show her that she was wrong, I was blasted into the wall and my back leg was injured. Just as it had happened a year ago.

Then I remember a stallion whispered to me, "It is not too late to change the world." Those words send shivers up my spine.

I feel cold. Not just because my home is literally falling apart, but because of that last whispered sentence. I am not sure that it was part of the dream. It feels connected, yet not fully. It is something else, something potentially sinister.

I use bat pony magic - yes, we can use magic without horns - to cast a homely light around the bedsit. My eyes adjust to the new light and I jump out of the bed, my magic still not warming me up. Breakfast awaits: fresh fruit from the Everfree Forest. I can hear other bat ponies already outside, either picking fruit or trading it with other ponies.

I fly out of the hole in the roof that I have fashioned into a skylight, and make a beeline to the first ghost apple trees I can see. I examine each fruit for any sign of disease or damage but all of them are fine. I pick the ripest one and my large fangs sink into it, sucking out the juice. I enjoy the rest of the apple, then head to the workplace and residence of Wishbone Willow.

Wishbone Willow is a curious bat mare. She has a natural talent for dreamwalking, visiting the dreams of others while she herself is asleep. Quite frankly, it unnerves me, but I like Wishbone and we are great friends. She is even teaching me how to dreamwalk, and I am slowly becoming less afraid of it.

I knock on the door of Willow Practice, and she answers immediately. She says happily, "Moonlight! What can I do for you?"

I walk in and shut the door, sinking into an armchair. "I've been having weird dreams," I explain to her. "It's been happening for about two weeks now. Not every night, but frequently. It got much worse yesterday."

"Do you want to explain it, or should I have a look myself?"

I know what she is getting at. Alarm bell scream inside my head not to let her, but I want to find the root of my problems. There is only one other pony who I know can dreamwalk, and it took six immature slaves of Celestia to make her betray me. So I tell her, "Dreamwalking. It's easier for you to find out exactly what's happening that way."

"Fair enough. If you want to stop, tell me." She sits in the armchair opposite me. A golden magical aura forms on her forehead and snakes over to mine. We fall asleep in seconds.

I find myself stood at the edge of a cliff, Wishbone by my side. A river flows below us, and I feel unsafe. I bite my lip and take a step away from it.

"Wish, I'm not sure..." I trail off.

"Show me when you're ready."

I understand what she means, but I don't want to. "Wake us up, Wish. I can't show you."

"It will be fine, Moonlight. I am here. You have to show me. It's the only way to find out why you're having nightmares."

Cold fear courses through me, and I don't have a say in when to start, because I see a reflection of my memories on the surface of the water: flying through the forest in sadness and anger, trying to escape from Princess Luna, cursing the Elements of Harmony and Princess Celestia. I have changed, obviously, but the memories hurt. I still haven't forgiven Celestia and her minions who got rid of the Nightmare Moon I knew, the kind mare who kept me alive.

Then I hear hoofsteps, and both Wishbone and I turn around instinctively. A dark grey unicorn stallion looks at us, his red eyes glowing, a green mist beginning to form around them.

"Moonlight," he says. "My name is King Sombra. I want to help you, but I need your help too."

"Get us out of here," I say to Wishbone.

She casts a spell, and everything goes black. A storm rages and I can't see Wishbone. I can hear Sombra shouting to me, "I want to help you! What you did and what you believed, none of it was your fault! It was Celestia's fault! She hurt you and Luna so badly! Please, if you join me..."

I notice two red eyes glowing in the dark, that sickly green magic flowing away from them. I barely catch his last words.

"All of your dreams will come true."

I bolt upright in the armchair and Wishbone glares at me. "That was not cool," she snaps.

"What did I do?" I ask, perplexed. "None of that was my fault!"

"You made me see some stuff that I'd much rather forget in that river. And you saw it all."

"I saw nothing, I swear. I only saw what happened to me after Nightmare Moon was gone. The only stuff I saw was in my past. What about that Sombra pony? He said he was a king."

"Do you remember the Crystal Empire?" She's still hurt, but she hides it well and I push my guilt away.

I think for a moment. "I remember Luna saying that it disappeared."

"He was the old ruler of the Empire. Tyrannical, he was. Celestia and Luna banished him to who-knows-where and the whole Empire went with him. If there are new ponies representing the Elements of Harmony, Celestia and Luna's connection with them will fade, which could, hypothetically speaking, weaken or undo the spell that was cast on Sombra and the Crystal Empire, causing both to return to the Frozen North. If this is the truth, then he will want more power. He uses dark magic, which has the power to influence ponies through their greatest fears..."

"No!" I shout as the realisation dawns on me. "Stop lying! This is impossible. I have trusted you to help me, and then you say that the Crystal Empire has returned and it's crazy ruler King Sombra wants to use me of all ponies to regain power?! Oh my Celestia."

"Moonlight, I'm only guessing, but it's the only explanation I can find. That dream was unlike anything I have seen. Please listen to me."

"No. You're a liar." I jump out of my seat and fly out of the front door, away from Wishbone Willow. I head north, hoping that I can see some proof for or against Wishbone's theory. I fly above the forest canopy, but I don't see anything for an hour at least. I've almost given up when I notice the ice blue tower in the distance, and the way that its colour scheme makes it almost invisible.

Then those colours shift and become darker, more menacing. Storm clouds roll in and amongst the thunder, a menacing laugh rings out through the countryside. It sends me flying back home and wishing that I hadn't called my best friend a liar. Dread grows inside me, and with it the feeling that I will never escape King Sombra.

Chapter 2

Just before sunrise, I slip into bed, mulling over the whole situation. Wishbone thinks that this King Sombra wants to use me to take over the Crystal Empire and then the world. He sounds prety crazy, to be honest. All those poor ponies who lived under his leadership before the Empire vanished.

I am on the very edge of dozing off when I hear the knock at the door. "Moonlight?" I hear Wishbone call.

"Willow, let me sleep. I'll discuss anything important this evening."

"We need to tell the Princesses about you."

"No. Tell the Princesses about Sombra if you wish, but leave me out of this."

"This is so much more than you and Princess Luna," she pleads. I wince as she says the name of my old mistress. "This is about all of Equestria."

"All of Equestria can wait."

She flies in through the skylight/hole in the roof. "It can't. Sombra is dangerous, Moonlight. I don't care what you think about me, because this isn't about you alone. We're going to the castle." Before I can argue, we are both teleported away from the Everfree Forest.

We arrive in the entrance hall. It looks just how I remember it from a year ago: decorated in the Princess of the Sun's favourite colours and far too bright and bold. It makes me sick to be here. She hurt my old mistress and turned her away, and then when we grew closer, she shattered our friendship and made me more alone than ever. Had Wishbone not taken me in, the leg injury Luna gave me would have been infected, and that could easily have turned into fatal blood poisoning. I push the details out of my mind.

"We need to speak to Princess Celestia urgently," Wishbone tells a pegasus stallion stood outside the throne room. "May we speak to her?"

The guard grunts. "What is it that's so important?"

"Do you know what it is?"

He shuffles in his spot uncomfortably. "Go in."

Wishbone drags me into the throne room and I look at the floor as I walk towards the Princess of the Sun, who is sat regally on her throne. Muttering obscenities under my breath, I bow to her as Wishbone does the same.

"Princess Celestia," Wishbone says. "My name is Wishbone Willow. This is my friend Moonlight Shade. We believe that the Crystal Empire has returned and that King Sombra is back again too."

Princess Celestia does not gasp, but instead scowls at me. "Moonlight Shade? The old guard who was sent to the moon with my sister by accident?"

"Yes," Wishbone answers for me. "She's changed a lot since then, although I think somepony still has a grudge over being sent to the moon for a thousand years." She chuckles, walks over to me and uses a hoof to lift my chin up. "Come on, Moonlight. I'm sure Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have changed as well."

"That's part of the problem," I grunt.

"Never mind, Moonlight. We need to tell Princess Celestia about your dreams."

I watch Celestia's eyebrows slant upwards. She clears her throat and asks me, "Moonlight, what are these dreams?"

"I've been having a lot of flashbacks to events in my past," I tell her. Wish gives me a small shove and a look of disapproval. "A stallion by the name of King Sombra might have paid me a few visits in my dreams."

The look of alarm on Celestia's face is amusing. Her next words less so. "I heard that the Empire was back, but this is much worse. You will both stay in the castle until further notice is given. We need to see if it is actually King Sombra in your dreams or not." She turns to Wish. "Wishbone Willow, have you been troubled by him as well?"

"No. I'm a Dreamwalker though, and I think that I saw him in one of Moonlight's dreams. He tried to speak to us, but all I could hear was growling. Moonlight, did you hear anything?" she asks me.

I shake my head. I don't want to tell her. Why, I am unsure, but it feels wrong to tell her what I heard.

"Fair enough. I will still keep both of you here for a few days. Princess Luna will monitor your dreams over this time period. She has trained a few others in Dreamwalking, so she should have some time. Also, Moonlight?"

I grudgingly look up at the Princess of the Sun whom I hate so much.

"I would like to apologise for all that I have done. I sent you to the moon for a thousand years and I took from you the only friend you had for those thpusand years. That is an unforgivable mistake on my part, but I hope that this apology lessens any negative feelings."

This comes as a complete shock, but a weight is lifted from my chest as I digest those words. I still can't forgive her for wrecking my life twice, but I think that I can swallow my feelings towards her more easily and stop yelling at the sun every time I see it. "It does," I say truthfully. "Thank you, Princess."

We are led out of the throne room by two guards, up flights of stairs and down corridors that I don't remember. I can appreciate the castle's design more now: the swirling patterns on the wall are intricate but not messy; the tapestries are woven to perfection; and every stained glass window tells a story. I try to figure out where in the castle I am when we approach a familiar corridor: the one that leads to Luna's bedroom. I lost count of how many times I was on guard duty there before the Nigtmare Moon incident. I internally groan whilst trying not to do so on the outside.

A guard knocks on Princess Luna's bedroom door, then steps back respectfully as the door swings open and the Princess of the Night appears. She looks just as she did before she became Nightmare Moon: tall, with a midnight blue coat and a darker mane that flows in an ethereal breeze. "Whaaaat time d'you call this?" she yawns, forgetting her Perfect Princess Voice for a moment.

"Princess, two bats from the Everfree Village are here. One claims to have had dreams of King Sombra's return and the Crystal Empire."

Luna stares at me hard. I glower back. "We meet again, Moonlight Shade," she snarls.

"I have changed, just as you have, Princess," I reply with just as much hatred. "Your sister wants you to monitor our dreams for a few days. Beleive me when I say that I was just as unhappy with the agreement as-"

Luna suddenly has me in a huge embrace, and begins to silently weep on my shoulder. "I am so sorry for how I treated you the last time I saw you," she whispers. I am taken aback by this sudden attack of kindness, so I say nothing. She asks, "Can you ever forgive me?"

"I - I don't know. I th-think so," I stutter. "It will take time. First of all, help us out. We think this Sombra pony is popping in my dreams, but have no idea why. D'you think you can help us?"

"It means that I will have to go in your dreams as well."

The blood drains from my cheeks, and I say nothing.

"Moonlight's scared of Dreamwalkers, but we've been working on it," Wishbone answers for me. "Since this is serious, I am sure that we can work on it."

"That is fine. We never knew that King Sombra could Dreamwalk, so I am interested in what else we can learn from him. I know somewhere that we can go and won't be disturbed. Guards, you are dismissed. I won't be spending much time in my chambers over the next few days because this is an emergency."

The guards nod and hurry away. Princess Luna leads us back the way we came, down an unfamiliar corridor, up a flight of stairs and to a tapestry. She casts a spell to extinguish all of the light in the hallway.

"It's a hidden passage. Walk through," Luna tells us.

Gingerly, I walk towards the wall, then it completely disappears. I see a torch burning in its bracket ahead and know that I am on the other side of the passageway. When I hear Luna and Wishbone are here, I let Luna take us wherever she thinks is the best place to keep an eye on us. All the while I feel that I am going to be a prisoner, and wish more than anything that nothing happens in my dreams so that I can go back to a normal life in the Everfree.

Chapter 3

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 just about understand what it says.

Private - No Entry Without Permission From Princess Luna.

The door swings open and Wishbone, Luna and I walk through. There are three beds - 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. 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.

Sleepily, I ask Luna, "Which bed do I get?"

"Either one of the singles. Just to let you know, you will 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, 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 stood 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, we meet again." Sombra.

"Do you think that I want to be involved in your lunatic schemes?!" I snarl 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.

"Oh, I clearly frightened you earlier. 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. I tried to learn all I could about magic, but 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. 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 purple smoke.

I hear Wishbone and Princess Luna approach from behind, but don't turn to face them. "So you are a monster. What else?"

"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 and Princess Luna 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 gestured 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 can see his point of view now. "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?"

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 spits, 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, uncorrupted 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 means that somepony has to, and that pony will be me.

I wake up and crawl out of bed. My short grey and purple mane doesn't look too bad, so I decide to leave it until after breakfast with the Lunar Guards. I wonder briefly 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 any more." If he speaks to me, that's fair game, 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 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.

"It is time to meet our special guests: Princess Luna, Wishbone Willow and Moonlight Shade!"

Chapter 4

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.

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 cannot grow in Equestria because the climate is not warm enough, but surely it costs an extortionate amount to have them sent by airship. Then again, mangoes are my absolute favourite fruit and I am 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.

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 which bat 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 savings 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 a bat 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 walks up and says, "I bet ten 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.

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 the solitaire game.

"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 sat on the moon next to the old Queen Nightmare."

"You're the Daughter of the Night," he breathes. "Bat legend says that you were Nightmare Moon's daughter, and you followed her when she was banished to help her escape."

I snigger. "The whole story is a lot less pretty than that. I am not the daughter of an alicorn, she just looked after me when we were stuck on the moon. Some stallion's 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 am 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 a mango comes to mind. I was a laughing stock for weeks.

"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 real fun. What is the problem?"

"The fact that he knows is the problem. Somepony found out and told the rest of the guards, and if the guards know, who's to say that Sombra doesn't know? Maybe he could pop into their dreams. Maybe he learned of it in your dreams last night. There might even be a spy in the castle who's telling Sombra everything that happens."

"That's a whole lot of maybes. Let me chat to cute stallions."

"You are WAY too old for him-"

"And I look way younger than him so shut it." 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.

The best part of it all is fleetingly seeing a pair of sad blue eyes looking at me from behind an old oak tree in my dreams that day.

Chapter 5

After a few days of walking around Canterlot in the dark, playing card games with bat ponies and having Princess Luna scare off any sign of King Sombra in my sleep, Wishbone and I are free to leave. Although staying in the castle was amazing, I am glad to be back in my ranshackled little home.

The day after I return is the day that I see Sombra again. When I fall asleep, my dreams take me to the Crystal Empire. I look up at the Crystal Castle and it fills me with joy.

"Hello, beautiful," he whispers, and I start.

"Hey, I don't think that I can help you, judging by Princess Luna's reaction," I force myself to say.

"Hmmm, it does look difficult, sadly. There is only one other solution that I can think of."

"Say again? You think you have an answer?"

"Well, the ponies now are always talking about friendship being the most powerful magic of all, so maybe I need somepony to be my friend. If you are up for the job."

"Me?"

"You said yourself that you want to help me now that you know the other side of the story," he reminds me.

"I guess, but it's difficult being friends from so far away."

"That is your answer then. Come to the Crystal Empire. Tell everypony else that you are there to help, in case I accidentally give you any valuable information. Stay there for a couple of days, then sneak out just before sunset one day so that you can talk to me."

"Sounds like a plan. First of all though, you are asking me to be friends with you, and I don't actually know much about you. You can probably read my thoughts like an open book when you go Dreamwalking, but I can't do that."

"What do you wish to know?"

"Favourite colour, favourite animal, favourite things to do. Silly things that you did as a foal."

"Well," he considers, "my favourite colour is grey."

"Grey?" I ask him doubtfully.

A huge hunk of rock appears by his side. "Yes. Rocks of different kinds are usually grey, brown or black on the outside, but inside," the rock splits open, revealing deep blue crystals, "it could be a stunning geode of any colour. Just like you."

I snort with laughter. "Oh really. So you're saying that I'm boring and dumb-looking on the outside, huh?"

"I never said anything like that! I said that you were beautiful on the inside. I was complimenting the fact that you have offered to help me despite my own ghastly appearance and reputation."

"You commented on my inner beauty but compared my actual appearance to an uninteresting hunk of rock."

"Ah, fair enough. I have lost this one." He shakes his head sadly, mocking me but not in a mean way.

"I never knew that you had a sense of humour," I tell him, surprised. "If only we could show everypony how nice you are face to face, and maybe Princess Celestia would agree to help you."

"We will change their minds. These things take time, though. Talking of time, you're waking up."

Everything starts going hazy, so I shout to him, "See you, Sombra!"

"Goodbye, Moonlight!" he calls, and then I wake up.

Sunlight is still pouring through the skylight, so I wonder briefly why I am awake at this hour. The sound of other bat ponies talking concerns me, and I jump out of bed. I rush outside, and about twenty ponies are stood outside holding signs that read "No to King Sombra" and "Out With The Dark Magic." Some of the others have a picture of my face on them, covered by a big red X.

I think that my mouth forms that perfect comical O as they all give me the daggers and start shouting. How did this even get out?! Ponies have such slack jaws that they will spill absolutely anything to anypony else.

"WISHBONE!" I yell, flying in the direction of her home.

She is perched on the roof by the time I reach her. "Somepony told everypony about Sombra. They want rid of me."

She sighs sadly, "Ponies will talk about anything, Moonlight, but the next day the talk stops, and they start on something else. By three o'clock in the morning they'll be talking about passion fruits, just you watch."

The night crawls past, and it just does not happen. The angry mob does not dissipate, but instead grows until about two thirds of the village is involved. I lose count of how many times Wishbone and I facehoof.

Nopony goes home until eight o'clock in the morning. They blockade the door and the skylight for all of that time. Honestly, there is a good reason why other pony races call us vampires. At the best of times, we are cuckoo. At the worst... Well, they can cause enough trouble to make a draconequus proud.

Sombra calls my name, and I relax now that I know that I am dreaming. Apparently I am in such a state that my appearance in the dream has been affected, because he comments, "Why, you look absolutely dishevelled. Anything wrong?"

"Coming from the stallion who looks like a dragon ate him! But plenty of things are wrong," I admit. "Somehow, my whole village knows about you and they have the wrong idea. They want me to leave. Somepony told them."

"Oh dear. That is an unfortunate predicament. I would rather have waited for you to make a decision on whether you would visit the Crystal Empire, but now it looks as though you have to leave your village, and might be able to pay me a visit."

The real meaning of his words clicks in my head, and I roar at him, "Sombra! You visited the villagers in their dreams! How could you?!"

He takes a few steps back, eyes wide like a startled rabbit. "I am sorry, I wasn't sure of how they would react. Or you for that matter. I am just so desperate to have a good friend after such a long time." He looks at the ground in shame.

My anger fades instantly, and I replaced with guilt. "I understand. I felt very similar when Nightmare Moon was defeated and Princess Luna came back. Luna hurt me without meaning to, and I left Canterlot, but then I realised that I had nowhere to run to, no friends to have my back, not a single shoulder to cry on. Sorry I reacted that way. Just next time, try not to do something too extreme. I was going to come along anyway. One problem: how do I explain to the Princesses?"

"Say that I might let something slip while tormenting you, and that you would be able to pass on the message immediately to the useless idiots who keep trying to blast me across the horizon. Of course, not the last bit. Call them the guards." He chuckles, and I join in. "Meet me in three days?"

"Will do, Sombra. What can we do now, though? I want to enjoy my sleep, because I will probably get woken up early."

Sombra's horn glows royal blue, and the scenery changes to a clearing in the forest. A red and white chequered blanket appears on the ground and a picnic basket a moment later. I walk over to it and open the lid. Inside is a fruitcake, decorated with chestnuts and slices of apple. I find cutlery and bowls in the other side of the basket and cut a slice for each of us. Even though I know I am dreaming, I can taste the different flavours.

"Sombra," I say in between mouthfuls, "you are definitely forgiven."

He laughs, and I feel even happier than when I was with Nightmare Moon. This is the best that I have ever felt in my life, and something tells me that I won't forget this dream so easily when I wake.

Chapter 6

"No, Moonlight. Princess Luna and I will not allow you to risk your life like this."

The Royal Canterlot Voice is quite a spectacle. The Princesses rarely have cause to speak in such a condescending tone. Luna once tried teaching other ponies how to use it. Long story short, they couldn't. It is far too powerful.

It hurts even more when you are in the firing line of the speaker.

"Please, Princess, the bat ponies have burned down my house. I could help with the battle against Sombra. He could accidentally say something important to me, but if I am here, I can't give the information to Princess Cadance and Shining Armour."

"Moonlight, you make a convincing case," Princess Celestia comforts me, "but this is dangerous. A small pony with no combat training could easily get hurt."

I cock my head to one side. "No training? Hmm. I was a guard before I was sent to the moon, and Luna was a brilliant sparring partner when we were there. I could take down King Sombra with my eyes closed."

Celestia looks at Luna, who is suddenly aware of the intricate details sewn into the red carpet.

"Fine," Celestia sighs. "You can go to the Crystal Empire if," she adds before I can celebrate, "you follow the guards' orders and keep out of danger."

"Thank you, Princesses. I really appreciate it." I bow to each of them, then trot out of the throne room, a spring in my step despite the lies that I have told to my oldest friend and her big sister. The possibility of meeting Sombra far outweighs the miniscule feelings of guilt over telling a little white lie.

Wishbone is outside, and I hug her. She pauses for a moment before hugging me back, and that feeling of guilt in my stomach grows.

"When we get there, stay out of danger, ok?" she asks.

"Of course I will. Thank you for supporting me."

"It's fine. You seem like you really want to go."

"Well, I want to see the Empire and also help out with the effort to drive Sombra away," I lie, "and the villagers ostracizing me sort of settled the deal," I finish, telling the truth. I hope that she can't tell that I am telling blatant lies to her face.

"Well, whatever makes you happy," she says, and I internally sigh with relief.

A few hours later, Wishbone and I are on a train heading to the Frozen North. All the more time to snooze and talk to King Sombra. When I fall asleep and get to tell him the news, he actually jumps for joy.

"This is excellent, Moonlight!" he says with relish. "How in Equestria did you convince the Princesses?!"

"I had to fib a bit. I feel like I should be telling the truth, but at the same time I know that they would never let me if I did. Even Princess Luna, who understands both of us and our points of view, doesn't like the idea of meeting even though you have said to her face that you want to change your ways."

"But what is the point of changing if other ponies refuse to let you do so, my dear?" he asks with exasperation, throwing his hooves into the air.

"Good point, Sombra, but we have to keep trying. We have to do whatever we can to show them that you are a good pony. We have to make them see the truth."

"Make them?" He gives me a curious look.

"Well, yes. The easiest way is to show them that you want to be good. Try not to break into the Crystal Empire as often, and only attack the guards if they attack you first. That's just the first thing that I can think of."

"What else could we do to make them see, then?"

"What do you mean? Visit their dreams? That seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Send them back in time? Most time spells only take you back a week and the others are forbidden because they are so dangerous. Force them to see things the way we do? Illegal, dangerous and downright stupid. You have to be able to use dark magic really well and..." I suddenly realise who I'm talking to. "I know you can use dark magic really well, but we are trying to show them that you do't just use it for your own personal gain, and forcing them to walk a mile in our horseshoes and controlling them is exactly what they think that you would do."

"We could stage something, maybe," he suggests. "Maybe I could pretend to attack the Crystal Empire, and then you could stop me and tell me that the guards are friends, at which point I stop attacking and am nice to everypony, and you are hailed as a hero. Of course, I would never do anything without your permission, but it seems fairly logical. Friendship spreads between ponies faster than the flu, so what better way is there to convince them?"

I consider this, and he seems to be correct. I am not fussed about being called a hero, I just want to help Sombra out because nopony else will. I cannot believe that nopony accepts that ponies can change, especially the Royal Sisters. I would have thought that they would accept Sombra immediately. Then again, he keeps trying to break into the Crystal Empire, so maybe they have mistaken his efforts to get in as an invasion.

"That, and a conference with the Royals in the dream realm, are the only things that I can think of," I tell him eventually. "It would work better if we staged something first where I pretend to protect the Empire from you. It's a deal." I suddenly feel somepony tapping me. "Wait, I'll have to talk sometime else, I'm waking up. Goodbye, Sombra!"

"Goodbye, Moonlight!" is the last thing I hear before I wake up.

Wishbone smiles at me as I open my eyes. "Wake up, sleepy head, we're here."

I look out the window, and my eyes grow wide at its sheer beauty.

Yes, I am here, Sombra.

Chapter 7

The way that the Empire has been described does not capture its true beauty in the slightest. Even though the windows of the train are caked in snow, the ice blue towers and spires of the Crystal Castle ringed by green grassland are unmissable and absolutely breathtaking. The best part of all of this is knowing that I will be helping Sombra claim it for his own again, and maybe fulfilling my own fantasies of becoming one of his top guards. That last one is far less important though: getting him back into the Empire is by far my top priority.

When the train stops, Wishbone and I climb off, and we are greeted by several unicorn guards. The leader of the group turns out to be Prince Shining Armour, Captain of the Royal Guard. I remember that news of his wedding travelled even to the Everfree Forest. To be honest, I'm surprised that somepony smart enough to have such a high rank in the Guard was unable to realise that his fiancee had been replaced by a Changeling, until his actual fiancee came into the room and made him realise what was going on. The things that love does.

He watches the darkening sky nervously, then tells us, "Everypony, get to the Empire quickly, it's nearly dark." Running behind him, I wonder what he means for a moment, when I realise that's probably when Sombra's trying to break into the Empire, which is currently surrounded by a translucent blue field of energy. So keen to see that he does not get in.

Darkness falls before we reach the blue shield that surrounds the Empire, and the sky is filled with a roar louder than any thunder I have heard. Shining and the other guards push us forwards , trying to keep us moving. I soon see what we are running from: a huge grey cloud swirls above us and shapes itself into the face of King Sombra, in his corrupted form. His irises are once again blood red, ringed by sickly green where the eyes should be white, and they give off that purple magic. When he appears in my dreams, he always looks like a normal pony, and I am not used to seeing him like this. Quite frankly, it chills me to the bone. He cackles, and his grey horn glows red as it tries to fire at the blue energy field that's protecting the Crystal Empire. Everypony except Prince Shining Armour fires spells at Sombra - or whatever that cloud in the sky is - and I notice for the first time the black crystals on his horn that stop him from using his magic. Sombra must have hit him with a spell, either accidentally or deliberately. Shining must have asked for it.

As the unicorn guards dodge attacks and Wishbone continues to run towards the safety of the Empire, I stop and yell, "Sombra, no!"

As if on cue, he stops, and looks down at me.

"Sombra, it's Moonlight. You know me. We're friends."

The cloud dissipates and Sombra, the actual King Sombra, although still wielding that dark magic of his, looks at me affectionately. He jumps from cloud to cloud, trying to get closer to me. I don't know whether he has realised that this is our little act, but either way, he's acting just how he needs to.

"Moonlight Shade, get away from him," demands Shining Armour. Sombra sends a blast of magic in his general direction, then turns back to me.

"Please, don't keep on doing this, Sombra. Don't try to get into the Crystal Empire by force. There are better ways to be a true leader of an Empire."

The guards stand a few metres away, their jaws agape, shocked to the core and unable to intervene. Sombra looks like he is considering what I have told him, when I know that he is just choosing the right words to make the performance seem authentic. He stops using his magic, and his eyes return to how they normally look. "Moonlight, tell them that I have seen the error of my ways and that they are being unrealistic. They refuse to listen to me, but maybe they will listen to you."

"I'll try," I tell him. I actually will, because he deserves better.

He gives me a nod. "Thank you, Moonlight. Will I see you again?"

"Sure! The Princesses say that everypony is welcome in the Crystal Empire, so I'll be around for a while. It's a shame that the Princesses would tell such a lie, but what's to stop us from meeting on this side of the barrier?"

We laugh together, and Sombra says, "Meet me here tomorrow evening, if you can."

"I will, and I'll try to get Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armour to let you into the Empire. See you tomorrow, Sombra!"

I watch as he walks across the clouds and away from the Empire. He is incredibly skilled at magic, that's for sure. To be honest, he's very sweet when you get to know him. How everypony can hate him is beyond me.

It is quiet all around, save the whistling of the wind as it blows the snow across the plains. Shining Armour, the other guards and Wishbone all stare at me.

"How did you do that?" Shining eventually asks.

"He has visited my dreams a few times, and he seems to have a soft spot for me. He wants to be accepted into society again, but to be honest, he doesn't really know how. All he sees is that he's being shut out of the Crystal Empire, where he belongs. I'll explain in more detail when I know I'm not going to freeze to death."

When we cross the blue barrier, I feel the difference in temperature immediately: it is warmer than the Everfree Forest in the actual Empire, which is much smaller than its name suggests. Still, it is an amazing place, and how the Crystal Ponies thrive here is completely beyond me. I see some of them, but they look like they need a bit of cheering up. Their faces are unnaturally gloomy as they walk around the small town. I don't make any comments, however.

Eventually, we reach the centre of the Crystal Empire, where the Castle is situated. Wishbone - who is still shocked over the Sombra incident - and I are escorted inside, up a couple of flights of stairs, through a hall and outside onto a balcony. I immediately recognise Mi Amore Cadenza, the Princess of Love, by her wings that seamlessly change from pink to purple at the tips, and her long pink horn. However, for a princess, she looks truly dishevelled, with large bags under her eyes and her mane frizzy. She smiles at us nonetheless and introduces herself.

"Cadance, these fillies here are Wishbone Willow and Moonlight Shade," Shining Armour says, pointing at each of us as he tells his wife our names. I bow to her in respect and Wish does the same.

"What brings you two so far away from home?" she asks with a voice like silk.

"I may have - or be able to acquire - information about King Sombra. He seems to like me and has already started telling me of his plans."

Princess Cadance raises an eyebrow at me. "What has he told you so far?"

"From what I gather, he just wants to be back in the Crystal Empire and has seen the error of his ways, however he is resorting to desperate measures, such as dark magic. He can't see the point in being nice if it won't allow him back into the Empire."

"Hmm. In what way would you say he likes you?"

"Pardon?"

"Are you just friends or more?"

I have no idea where this is going, but I cannot refuse to answer to a Princess, especially when surrounded by guards and in front of her husband. "I am just friends with him... but we are very close."

"Moonlight, today I received a letter from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. I hate to say this, but I fear that he is manipulating you into believing that he is innocent. He has done so many wrongs, and now we are trying to make sure that he does not repeat those mistakes."

"You aren't even giving him a second chance!" I cry indignantly.

"He does not deserve one."

How is it that second chances have always been Celestia's way, yet she refuses to give one to the pony who reaches for it with both hooves?! I cannot stand the hypocrisy of this conversation for a minute longer, and fly away from the castle. I decide to visit the Crystal Library and search for anything that could give me a clue about how things were before and during Sombra's rule. I ignore the librarian, and find my way around based on the titles of the various books on the colossal shelves.

Eventually, I find the correct section. I look for a few seconds, then I find just the right book. I am about to take it off the shelf when a magenta aura takes it from my grasp. I try to find the source of the magic, and then I see her. Celestia's latest qualified slave, the one who screwed up everything when I was with Nightmare Moon.

Twilight Sparkle.

Chapter 8

For about ten seconds, nothing happens. Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic, sister of Shining Armour and student of Celestia, just stares at me, and I stare back. Then, she breaks the silence, and I remember just how much I loathe her.

"Oh! Aren't you the mare who was friends with Nightmare Moon? Hey, sorry about what happened a year ago. I heard that Princess Luna was less than nice to you afterwards. That was my bad. But what brings you to the Crystal Empire? Are you trying to protect it from King Sombra?"

I yank the sacred book out of her grasp. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you why I am here."

"Tell me, because I might be able to help you out." She takes the book back and sets it on a nearby table.

"Fine. I am trying to figure out two things. The first is how to get Sombra to show his nice side more often. The second is how to get everypony to see his nice side and accept him into society."

A mare with a baby pink coat and a darker pink mane bounces down the aisle. "Oh, you're being silly. Surely somepony like you who's been hanging around with villains for ages can realise that Sombra's just a bully! There is no nice side to somepony like him!"

"Lo and behold, the age old problem of stereotypes. I knew that you wouldn't believe me." I throw my hooves into the air, just like Sombra did when we were trying to figure out a way of getting the ponies to like him. "Nopony believes me, because all they see is him and his dark magic. Why not just sit down and talk to him? I thought that Equestria was a nation built on peace and friendship."

"Is there another way of doing this?" Twilight asks dubiously. "If there really were another way, then I am certain that Princess Celestia would attempt to talk to Sombra. In my opinion, what you are trying is futile. He will never change. We just have to figure out some way of keeping him out of the Empire permanently."

"Say he isn't the one who needs to change," I suggest.

"Have you seen my brother's horn, covered in dark crystals? He can't use his magic now. I don't think that there is any way of stopping Sombra from being evil. I hate to be so cold, but I don't want you to end up where he is now."

I do not reply. Instead, I leaf through the book, titled The Historic Traditions of the Crystal Fair. It has nothing about Sombra within its pages, only about somepony called the Crystal Princess, Amoré. Supposedly, she created a crystal heart powered by the love and light from the residents of the Empire, that would power a protection spell. The Crystal Fair was an annual event to rejuvenate that power. Unsurprisingly, Twilight takes one look at the book and cries, "GIRLS! IT'S HERE! I KNOW HOW TO PROTECT THE EMPIRE!" I fly out the library so fast I am surprised that I don't perform a Sonic Rainboom.

I travel back to the castle and tell a guard to show me where my room is. I am escorted to a huge bedroom and luxurious en suite that are both far too pristine in comparison to my dilapidated hut in the Everfree. When I spoke to the Princesses, before the train journey, I lied. My home was still standing defiantly, and had not yet been destroyed. By now, it could have been knocked down or burned. I can't see myself returning anyway. I would rather be with Sombra, travelling through the Frozen North, away from the discrimination of civilisation.

I am called to dinner an hour later. The other ponies - Princess Cadance, Prince Shining Armour, Twilight Sparkle and her silly friends - will be eating breakfast, while all I wish for right now is the wonderful stew cooked in the Lunar Barracks at Canterlot Castle. I politely decline to join the others.

"Sorry. Princess Cadance insists," the Earth Pony guard says.

"She can insist all she likes, but in this country I have free will, and I refuse to attend," I answer back.

The guard grabs me by the mane, and I shriek as he pulls me out of my room and slams the door so that I cannot scuttle to safety. The screaming alerts the other guards in the area and they rush to help.

"I don't want to go!" I tell the guard who is still trying to tug me away, faking tears. "Please! Tell him to stop!"

The guard finally lets go of me and shifts uncomfortably. "The Princess says that Moonlight has to join them. Says she has to tell her something important. The vampire answered back."

I gasp at the name "vampire." Bat ponies are the one group of ponies discriminated against the most, mainly for our unusual looks and nocturnal habits. The guards are usually the ones arresting ponies for anti-social behaviour in public, so I am shocked that they would use such names themselves. However, he has merely given me an advantage, not to say a chance to get him sacked. I am not easily upset by name calling or the supposed high class ponies being rude, but a guard of all ponies causing the trouble? I refuse to let him go unshamed.

I complain to the group of guards, "That's rude! How would you like it if I called you a mud pony? Or if I went around calling every Pegasus I met an airhead? I would get arrested! If that is how the best guards in Equestria treat an innocent mare, I shall have to make a complaint to the Captain of the Royal Guard himself!" I turn my nose up at him and look away.

"Fine," he snarls at me. "Go to the dining hall and tell the Captain. I'll be watching you, vampire."

I fly all the way to the dining room, furious at the day's outrageous turn of events. Sombra would never let his guards do that! I admit that I dislike the idea of him using dark magic to control them, but I still think that it is better than allowing them to break the laws that they are supposed to uphold. I will have to talk to him and get a second opinion, but I have a feeling that somepony has told Wishbone to keep an eye on my dreams, so that has likely gone out of the window.

Curse you, Celestia. Maybe Nightmare Moon and I really should have knocked your sun out of the sky. Just you wait until Sombra and I have taken over the Empire and got those guards under control, and then you can kiss our flanks for all we care. I will get him in, whether through force or just waiting for your niece's protection spell to wear out. He is coming and I will help him until the Crystal Empire is his.

We will be unbeatable.

Chapter 9

When I arrive at the dining hall, I make my disgust clear as I enter. Stony faced, I sit down at the table without saying anything and scowl at the wall opposite me.

"Is there anything wrong?" Princess Cadance questions me.

"You could say that. I wasn't feeling that great, and when the guard came to say that you wanted me to join you, I said that I didn't want to come down here. So he decides to pull me out of my bedroom by my mane. When I manage to call the other guards to help me out, the one who started it all called me a vampire twice and none of the others have anything to say about it."

"WHAT?!" shouts Shining Armour. "Moonlight Shade, who did this?"

"He is an Earth Pony. Red coat, blue mane and tail. His cutie mark is a golden spear. The others were two Pegasi with yellow coats and a Unicorn with a blue coat and mane."

"I will have words with all of them. I told all of the guards to treat you as they would any other pony. Moonlight, haveyou had any problems?"

I look at Moonlight, who I have not spoken to all night. "Some of the guards would not speak to me when I asked them to show me where my quarters were. I had to ask about five different ponies before one would actually take me there."

"This is ridiculous," mutters Shining Armour. "Never mind. I will have words with them later. Princess Cadance and I need to speak to you about what Sombra is doing, and how Twilight Sparkle and her friends are going to protect the Empire on a more permanent basis."

Uuuuuuuuuugh. Sombra, have mercy and rescue me while Cadance isn't reinforcing her silly protection spell. Although, it occurs to me that if I know how Celestia's minions are defending the Empire, I can work out how to get past those measures.

"Well," begins Sparkle, "Last night we found a book about the Crystal Fair, an event that uses the positive emotions of the Crystal Ponies to help protect the Crystal Empire. This seems like a better idea than getting Princess Cadance and other unicorns to use their magic all the time."

"Good start. Once that is up and running, Sombra will never be able to break into the Empire."

I try not to growl at Cadance.

The breakfast arrives, and we eat in silence. Wishbone and I would ordinarily be having a cooked dinner right now, probably vegetable stew. I am not used to going to bed at this hour in the morning, and a yawn escapes. Wishbone looks at me a little strangely, as if she is considering something important.

"Are you going to try to talk to King Sombra in your dreams today, Moonlight?" she quizzes me.

"Sure. If he does pop up, then I have got to try and get some information out of him," I reply. "Why?"

"I wasn't sure if you wanted any company."

No. Please, no. I am actually more happy for Sombra to visit my dreams than Wishbone now. I have to make something up on the spot. "I'd love for you to visit my dreams, but if you're there he might not trust me enough to say anything to me. He might not even show up if he knows that I have a friend with me." More importantly, I can't tell him how I plan to get him into the Empire.

"Oh. Ok. Just checking, because I haven't spoken to you all day. I only know about your Umbrum whispering skills and your fight with the guards."

"What are they?"

Sparkle recites, "The Umbrum are a race of magical shadow creatures who are fluent in the practices of dark magic. They are often cruel, and put other ponies through extreme misery unless they themselves turn into Umbrum. Once they are converted, there is no turning back for them, and they will live forever unless killed. As is the case with windigos, the only way of doing this is through using the combined love and friendship of all of the ponies in a community." She pauses for breath. "There have been many conspiracies and rumours stating that King Sombra is one of them. It may not be true fact, but it seems like a pretty logical explanation."

"Wait. You... You're planning to kill him?"

"Unfortunately, yes. If the only way to save the Crystal Empire from him is wiping him off the planet, then that is what must be done."

"No. There must be something else that you can do." I look to Prince Cadance and Shining Armour, hoping that either one of them would argue against Sparkle's reasoning. Neither one of them says anything.

"You say that you are doing the best for Equestria and that you give everypony a second chance, but that is a lie. I am distrusted for trying to find out what Sombra is doing, I am treated like scum by the guards, and then this? Who in Tartarus do you think you are?!" I teleport to my room and try to calm down so that I can sleep.

Sombra is there when slumber stops evading me. Before he can ask what is wrong, I tell him, "They want to kill you by using the love and light of the Crystal Ponies. Oh no, what will we do, Sombra? I don't think that I can lose you now that you're a part of my life!"

"Calm down, Moonlight. Did anypony mention the Crystal Heart? No?"

I shake my head.

"Nothing will work without the Crystal Heart, and it can only be accessed by somepony who can use dark magic, unless you go right to where I have hidden it. That is in the," his eyes shift while he talks, "tallest tower. You cannot use magic to get it though, and even in that tower it is hard to find. Nopony can find it there except me."

I turn to see what he is looking at. I can make out Wishbone's form behind the crystal pillar.

"Wishbone?" I call her name.

"Give it up Moonlight," she spits at me, stepping forward. "I knew this was happening. I have rarely left your dreams alone, and I could see the friendship that you were building. The worst thing is that this is more than the kind of friendship where somepony takes advantage of you and stabs you in the back." She glares at Sombra. "It didn't even take a mind control spell. You are actually beginning to love each other, and Moonlight, it seems that you would risk your life helping Sombra."

"What do you mean?" I ask her, dread building up inside me.

"Your death warranty will be signed the moment I tell Prince Shining Armour. I can't let you do this, Moonlight. You would sooner see the whole Crystal Empire in chains than see this crook punished for his crimes?"

"Yes, Moonlight. I would. I didn't realise before, but..." I look up at Sombra, and I realise how much this stallion's life means to me. I know we have not known each other for long, but standing by his side feels the right thing to do. "I do love you." I look back at Wishbone. "Also, I am sorry, but why would you hand me in to be killed?"

"Heroism. Respect. Not wanting to see my friend turned into an Umbrum, because that's what he'll do. If you decide to get together, he'll want some commitment shown."

"Then I would become an Umbrum, for his sake. If you say that you're going to hand me in, I will leave the Empire today, and Sombra and I will both attempt to get into the Crystal Empire each night. Why, though? A true friend would walk a mile in their friend's horseshoes. I have - I can see where you are coming from. I have tried time and again to get Sombra a second chance, and nopony would listen, which is why I have sided with him. Also, if you do hand me in, my last request will be for you to watch."

"That will never happen, you know. Swear your allegiance to the good of Equestria or I tell the guards immediately."

"The problem is that you won't tell anypony, Wishbone," I say softly. I nudge Sombra's front hoof. "The problem is that you are going to help us, whether you like it or not."

It happens quickly. Sombra's horn glows red, and purple light surrounds Wishbone's head. When it disappears, she stands up straight and tall. "You are right. I will not tell anypony. Instead, I will help you and King Sombra take over the Crystal Empire."

"You are dismissed, and can go back to your own dreams," says Sombra. "You will have no memory of any of this when you wake."

Wishbone jumps through a mirror on the wall and disappears. She does not return.

"Wow," I say to Sombra. "Impressive dark magic. The strange thing is, I don't have any regret. At all."

"Thank you for complimenting me on my magical abilities. Also, what was it you said about loving me?"

"Well," I stumble over my words, "it's early days, but you look amazing, and you have quite a fun personality. Others would say narcissistic, psychopathic even, but you have a soft spot for me, and I realise that."

"Do you remember my offer of you being a queen?" he inquires.

"We have to make you a King again before I become a Queen."

"Too right. Would you like to practise using dark magic, because you might have to retrieve a certain Crystal Heart for me."

"Where do we start?"

The scene changes, and I recognise the Throne Room of the Crystal Castle. Sombra sits on the throne. "This is where the entrance to the secret passageway is at the real castle. You have to really think about all of your negative feelings - not just sadness and anger, but greed and desire too - on this throne." He jumps off and steps to one side. "Try it."

I focus all my hatred of Celestia on one tiny crystal piece of the throne. It turns black and a long shadow is cast upon a section of floor. It disappears and reveals a long, winding staircase.

"Good job," he muses. "What thoughts did you use?"

"All the names that I would like to call Celestia. It is a long list. Can I fly down?"

The scenery changes again. It is dark, but I have a feeling that this is the bottom of the staircase. A locked door stands in front of us. Sombra instructs, "Do not use dark magic here, or the door will show you whatever you fear the most. Alight magic spell for opening doors is fine." I zap the crystal piece above the door and it opens, revealing one of the Crystal Castle towers.

"Is this the tallest tower?"

"That was a lie to get Wishbone off of our tails. If she does remember anything, she will give everypony the wrong advice. This is the second tallest tower. However, if you just fly up there without going through the secret passage first, the Crystal Heart will be hidden from view."

"That's interesting. How does that work?"

"It is a very clever string of spells that I invented called the Wild Goose Chase Effect. If the pony looking for the Heart goes straight to the destination, there is nothing there because they have to complete a series of spells to get hold of it, including dark magic spells. The spell is cast over the whole Crystal Empire and cannot be undone. At the top of the tower is the Crystal Heart. If you fly up there, you will find it, but it is not there in the dream realm. The other thing that I will point out is that you must be alone at the top of the tower, or black crystals will stop you from taking it." He looks longingly up at the tower. "Do you think that you can find the Heart and bring it to me?"

"I think I-"

There is a sudden clap of thunder. "It is happening," breathes Sombra. "Cadance's spell is wearing off. Her magic will not last much longer. Some of my black crystals have already penetrated the Empire. Go now, Moonlight. It is still day, but the other ponies will already be searching for the Crystal Heart."

"Goodbye, Sombra. I won't let you down."

I wake up, and all around is screaming.

Chapter 10

I run out of my room immediately, and find that the blue shield around the Empire is flashing. I can see those black crystals that he was talking about. The problem is that everypony will now be looking for the Crystal Heart.

My time is up.

I get to the throne room, and discover that somepony has already worked out how to access the staircase. I fly down, because trotting would take extra time, but I find that the door at the bottom has also been opened, although recently: Sparkle's voice still can be heard, coming from the second staircase. I cannot just fly up to the top and take the Crystal Heart, because everypony will see me.

Instead, I follow them up quietly, until Sparkle casts a gravity spell. She goes wheeeee all the way up, and cursing Celestia's name, I cast a gravity myself and slide up the staircase. As I go, I see that the crystals are spreading further, until suddenly, the protection spell fades completely. Sombra's darkness cuts holes in the blue shield, and then I see his cloud apparition float towards the Castle. The Crystal Ponies start screaming and running towards the Castle too, in the vain hope of finding safety. I have no pity for them.

Just as I reach the top of the tower, Twilight takes a step too close to the beautiful Crystal Heart. Lo and behold, the black crystals appear. Twilight jumps around, trying to get to the Heart but only trapping herself further.

"Wait. Moonlight Shade? Spike, Moonlight, don't move!" she yells.

I calmly stand still, while Spike tries to balance on one foot. Sparkle says, "Ok, you can move, just not towards me." I take a few steps towards the Heart, but Spike just puts his foot on the floor. Unfortunately, he is closer to the Heart than I am.

"Which one of you is closest to the Heart?" Sparkle asks us.

"I am," Spike realises.

"You have to give it to Princess Cadance, Spike."

"What about Princess Celestia's test, Twilight? You'll fail!"

"I won't be able to get out of here on time, but you might, Spike. Protecting the Empire is more important."

He grabs it. Sombra's black crystals writhe around him, and I have to dodge them in order to get closer to Spike. He is knocked off of the side of the tower, and the Heart goes plummeting with him. I dive after him, shouting, "I'll save you, Spike!"

King Sombra appears, a huge piece of crystal lifting him off the ground. I know that he is going to try and grab the Heart with his magic. I see Princess Cadance, weaker than ever, about to fly towards the Heart. I am freefalling, but I know that everything will fall apart if I don't act.

I close my wings and dive straight down, past Spike, and grab the Heart with both hooves. I hold Spike in my magic and hover, halfway between King Sombra and Cadance, who is perched on one of the balconies. It looks like I will save the day when I send Spike over to Cadance, and everypony is about to cheer. It all depends on me.

So sad that I never wanted to save them.

I fly towards Sombra, land on the piece of black crystal, and focus all of my hatred of Celestia and lust to rule the Empire with Sombra and longing to see the Crystal Heart destroyed so that Sombra can complete his goals on it. Black spikes grow out of its side, and the artifact shatters. The Crystal Heart is useless.

Everypony stares at me, aghast at the terrible deed that I have done. Sombra, though, he looks like a proud parent at a rewards ceremony.

"Well, done, Moonlight," he says, and kisses me on the cheek. It feels amazing to have earned his respect. "Now stay out of danger while I scare out the scum from Equestria and make this our Crystal Empire."

"I could never do that, Sombra. I have to fight by your side."

I leave the huge piece of black crystal where I had perched and lunge for Cadance. Shining Armour throws her out of harm's way so I jump on him and hold him down. Guards run to his aid but I send a simple blast of dark magic their way. It knocks them unconscious immediately. Somehow, using dark magic is so natural for me, when I have heard that some of the greatest unicorns have yet to master it.

"Why did you not listen to me?" I snarl at Shining Armour, who squirms under me.

"You have no idea how much of a monster he is." He tries to lift me off of him.

"You have no idea that Celestia is the real monster. She never gave him a chance, and neither did you. You are merely her slave." I pause for a moment. "You could stop being her slave and live under Sombra's rule, and I would vouch for you. Say the word and I will get him to grant you amnesty."

"Never."

I throw him off of the balcony and he falls all the way down. He isn't killed, because he gets up, but I can see that at least one of his legs is severely broken. The guards have recovered from the magical blast, but I merely cast them aside with my powers. I don't even have to use dark magic.

I waltz through the castle, not encountering any guards for they are all busy outside, fighting Sombra in vain. I go down to the place where the Crystal Heart would be if it were powering the Empire's protection spell and start firing dark magic at the very centre of the snowflake design that runs throughout the entire Empire. The dark magic spreads along the edges, covering every road through the Empire, corrupting everything in its path. I laugh at the destruction that I have caused, and stand in the very centre of that snowflake, as the Crystal Castle above me turns from ice blue to jet black, moving to one side a little and making room for Sombra to stand next to me.

However, I am not heartless. Eventually, I get to work, bringing civilians to the safety of the Crystal Castle. I am far less kind to the guards, Shining Armour, Cadance and the Elements of Harmony. I round them up and make sure that they cannot escape from the Empire.

When I meet up with Sombra after gathering all of the Crystal Ponies together, he is impressed. "I see that you have the Crystal Ponies all in the Castle. You seem like you are going to be a good influence on me."

"I want the Crystal Ponies to see that we do have hearts, even if we don't let our soft side show often."

"I will be showing mine a lot less. Only you, the Captain of the Crystal Guard, will get to know my softer side."

The auburn sky would frighten anypony else to death. For me, it marks a new era of darkness in the Crystal Empire and a new life, as Sombra's top guard and maybe, in the future, his queen.

Chapter 11

The room is in complete darkness. Sombra and I can barely contain our laughter as we walk in a circle around the prisoners: Shining Armour, Cadance, the six Elements of Harmony, Spike the baby dragon and Wishbone, along with a few guards from Canterlot. All of them have had their magic bound. They cry out, "What do you want?" and "Let us go!" and it is all so amusing.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Oh, look at you all," I mock them. "Even after being trapped for a week, Celestia's perfect slaves are defiant and trying to defend her until the end. Sombra and I are going to tell you what we want in a moment, but you have to be patient while we think about what we are going to do with you." I look at Sombra, who is at the opposite end of the room. "I have an idea."

"Please, enlighten us," he answers. We are slowly beginning to learn to work out what the other is thinking, but I am more unpredictable than he is, so he doesn't immediately know what ideas I have to improve the Empire.

"I think that we may be able to let our guests choose what they do with their lives. Go back to Equestria and remain her servants or live here and enjoy themselves for the rest of their lives. I would personally not make them work in the mines all day as long as they behave, as these lot have so much more skill than that. I mean, the guards from Canterlot could join our own guards, and I am sure that we could find a role for the ladies here. Maybe, they could lift the spirits of the Crystal Ponies, or could be trained to become teachers in the schools."

"Mm-hmm. Not a bad idea. As you already know, Moonlight, I think that they need to be sent back to Equestria, because the last thing I want is a war, and Celestia would surely be upset if this lot did not return home. However, we should give them the choice to stay."

"It has been decided, then," I address the ponies in the middle of the dark room. "You can stay here or go home. If you stay, you will be rewarded for good behaviour. However, if you spread discord among the Crystal Ponies and encourage mutiny, you will be treated how you treat us and our rules. Nopony is allowed to abstain, and if you refuse the decision will be made for you. Make your decisions."

Unsurprisingly, none of them make a decision immediately. They still fight for Equestria and the good of its ponies, even though I have already encouraged Sombra to make better choices. He wished to use dark magic to control the guards, whereas I told him that only those who cause trouble should have to be subjected to mind control. I also spoke out against him reducing the working age to eight years old, and instead suggested that those who break the law can work in the crystal mines. I still am unsure why he encourages other ponies to go down into the mines for him when he can make those black crystals with ease, but I have not yet had the chance to ask him.

"Tick, tock, tick, tock, time's up on the clock," I say, standing still after walking around the room for a few minutes. "If you wish to stay in the Crystal Empire, go and stand with King Sombra. If you wish to leave, come over here and stand next to me."

There is movement in the room, and almost everypony walks over to where I am stood. Everypony except Wishbone, who remains sat in the middle of the room.

I cock my head to one side as I look at her. "Wishbone?"

She does not reply.

"King Sombra, it seems that somepony is abstaining. Maybe she just refuses to speak to me. Would you wish to ask her, or should we make a decision for her?"

He looks down at Wishbone. "Wishbone Willow, do you wish to remain in the Crystal Empire or return to Equestria?"

"Tyrant."

"Why, what name did you just call me?" he questions her, faking shock.

"You think that was aimed at you?" she screeches. She glares at me. "Tyrant. Monster. Liar. Traitor. What have you done to yourself?!" Her wings flare outwards menacingly.

Old me would be terrified by such a sight from my old friend. I just laugh as if she was telling me a joke. "What did I do? I set myself free."

I barely register anything until I am pinned on the floor. I try to roll her off of me, but it is hopeless. She spits at me, "You let Sombra control my mind for your own selfish whims. Why?"

"You were going to sell me to Celestia. You were going to tell her to kill me. I am surprised that you even remember."

"Sombra's curse was never going to last forever. I am a dreamwalker. I know more about the mind and memories than the vast majority of Equestria. I figured out what he had done, and it broke the spell."

"Clever. What's also clever is that the elite guards are now in this room and you probably didn't even hear them."

She looks around, startled. Sure enough, guards clad in black armour covered in metal spikes stand all around the room, ready to kill Wishbone Willow should she make a move to attack me. That moment of hesitation and fear is all I need to push her off of me and get up. I tower over her cowering form.

"Fine," she says shakily. "Do what you want. Under Equestrian Law, you are unable to lay a hoof on me. I am your teacher. I am helping you learn to dreamwalk."

"Well, guess what. I am giving up my apprenticeship with you, and switching teachers to King Sombra. Since I cannot bear to look at the face of the one who wanted to sign my death warranty and stab me in the back, you are allowed to leave the Crystal Empire. Next time I see your face, I will not be as kind. Goodbye, Wishbone." I watch as she rushes over to the group of ponies on the other side of the room before trotting over to Sombra's side.

"Guards," orders King Sombra, "please escort these ponies to the cafeteria so that they can eat and enjoy themselves for a bit. The next train is not expected to arrive for another few hours." Everypony begins to move towards the door. "Dragon."

Everypony stops, and Spike gingerly steps forwards.

"I have a letter here." Sombra's horn glows, and said letter appears, rolled up into a scroll and tied with a red ribbon. "Would you please send it to Princess Celestia to inform her that you will be returning?"

"Uh - uh - yes, your majesty," answers Spike, taking the letter quickly and retreating to the relative safety of the group.

We watch the group of ponies leave, and when the guards are gone, we burst into laughter. "Oh, you seemed so threatening!" I giggle at Sombra.

"I don't know, you seemed far more dangerous to those ponies than I did. I was trying my level best to be nice," he replies.

"They have no reason to fear you. They have faced terrible villains before and have grown used to it. I used to be one of Them, and the fact that I changed so suddenly, in their opinion, makes me seem like the bigger threat. Oh, you were never trying to be nice, were you? If you showed this side of your character they would have let you into the Empire to raise the spirits of the Crystal Ponies!" I say jokingly.

"Ah, good one, Moonlight. You said it yourself. They see this." He points a hoof at himself. "They think that that is the only side to me. You were smart enough to realise that I was different. Their loss. What would you like to do now, my bat?"

"Eat. The Crystal Empire is far too cold for mangoes to grow, but right now I would not trade living here with you as my leader for all of the mangoes in the world." I kiss him quickly. "Besides, there is crystal berry pie here."

We laugh as we too leave the small room in the dungeons, and head for the dining room, all the while thinking how lucky we are to have each other.

Chapter 12

After a few weeks, my new life in the Crystal Empire begins to settle into an enjoyable routine. Others would dread the life I lead under Sombra's rule, but he has a way of making everything feel as though he is trying to please me, which he does.

I wake at dawn, for the sun's rays are muted enough by the auburn clouds for my eyes to adjust to. I have a small breakfast with Sombra, and we talk about our plans for the day. He is usually in court sessions, dealing with certain ponies who want to break free of Sombra's chains, which I am trying to loosen just enough for the ponies of the Empire to feel comfortable but not enough for them to escape from Sombra's restraints. After all, my fight is not with the Crystal Ponies, it is with Celestia.

While Sombra is busy with his work, I travel around the Empire and help those who need it. Technically, I am a Crystal Guard, but I am more free than the guards who are clad in his black armour covered in spikes, and much more free than the guards who have to wear those helmets that cover their whole face save the eye slits that glow green, signalling that they are under the control of Sombra's dark magic.

My work takes me to the mines where those who have tried to cause mutiny have to work as punishment. It takes me to places where magical help is needed, because the Crystal Empire's members are mainly Earth Ponies. It takes me to schools, where I educate fillies and colts on how King Sombra and I are trying to make the Empire a better place, and ask what they would like to see changed. The one I hear most often is, "Can you make the Crystal Empire more colourful?" I tell them, "The Crystal Empire is already colourful. You little ones are all the colour we need."

When my duties are done, I have a couple of free hours to myself. I usually visit the various little shops that have been re-established, and find little things that interest me. A beautiful scarf. A long, hooded cloak. Pretty little ornaments and ceramic figures of foals playing together. I often buy nothing, but occasionally I discover something that I really like. I give the shopkeeper some money and tell them to keep the change. So many of them refuse to talk to me, but I feel that I need to resolve that. Of course, I can never give them the solution that they're looking for, but I can try to be nicer to them. Sometimes.

In the evenings, Sombra and I have dinner together. Considering that he is the ruler of an Empire, you would expect him to want a banquet every night, but he eats very little, which is fine by me. Dinner time is usually when he reads out his daily hate mail from the Royal Pain In My Flank Sisters. These empty threats never fail to make me laugh.

"'Dear Sombra,' Oh no, they forgot to call me King Sombra," he'll go on. "'I am writing to you to ask you to give up the throne of the Crystal Empire before we get upset. You have taken the Empire by force and you are acting like a total jerk.' Oh, I wish they put that. 'You have three weeks to leave the Empire before we force you to leave. Yours not sincerely, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of Equestria.' So sad. This can go on the rubbish pile with the others."

Often, attached to these pieces of comedy sketches are tear-stained notes for me, begging me to 'think about what I am doing' and 'try to overthrow Sombra to make the Crystal Empire a happier place for the Crystal Ponies,' yada yada yada. These letters are usually from Luna, although I do receive them from Wishbone Willow, the traitor who tried to hand me in 'for my own good' the lying brat. I couldn't care less about her. If I saw her now, my fangs would be going into her neck. As it is, there are a few hundred miles between us, which has got to be a good thing.

I don't hate Luna, though. She just seems weak to me. She has the power to make Equestria a better place, and yet she cannot bear to lift a hoof against her sister. I would not hurt her if I didn't have to, but she is a figure from my old life, and my new life with Sombra is far better. We are officially a couple now, although it is still early days. I have no idea where our relationship will go, but for now I am more than happy for it to continue.

To fill all of this spare time I have, I often wonder about the meaning of my cutie mark: a purple four pointed star next to a crescent moon. I earned it at a very young age, when my mother and I were stargazing one night.

I looked up at the deep purple sky and remarked, "Wow, the sky's so dark tonight!"

"Yes, indeed, my love," my mother answered, admiring the view herself from our village in the mountains. "But can you find the stars?"

I looked hard and saw the stars glinting at me. I found the North Star right next to the moon, which was a waning crescent. I told her, "There's the North Star. Right next to the moon. When it's dark like this, they both seem so bright."

"The stars in the sky allow travelling ponies to work out where they are," my mother explained to me, "so even on the darkest night, when they can't see landmarks like mountains or tall statues, they can find their way. If you can find the light in the darkest night, you'll never lose your way."

I was mesmerised. "Find the light in the darkest night. That sounds so cool. We're so lucky that we get to stay up in the night, unlike the day ponies. I bet that they don't ever get to see the stars."

"The day ponies don't always have time to look up at the stars because they sleep at night."

"Well from now on, I'll always make time to look up at the moon and stars." I smiled happily. There was a slight tingling on my flanks and a sudden flash, and lo and behold, there was my cutie mark, of the North Star next to the crescent moon.

"By the look of that cutie mark, I think you will," my mother said proudly. "We need to tell your father that somepony is going to be celebrating their cutesenera."

From this story, you would expect my cutie mark to be about stargazing, but I have no particular interest in it. I just like giving the night sky a little respect. I have practically gone about my whole life not really knowing what my destiny is. Enjoying the darkness? Why is there no dark patch, like Luna's own cutie mark? Was it my destiny to be banished to the moon? Maybe. How did Sombra find me so easily? Were we always meant to cross paths? Possibly, but I have never seen his cutie mark. He always wears that armour and that cloak.

One evening, Sombra and I are having a quiet evening meal together, when a guard shouts, "Post!" and a pile of letters land on the table next to Sombra.

"Ah ha, that explains why I did not get any letters from Equestria this morning. There must have been a delay." He uses magic to open one of them and reads it, grunting and humming to himself every so often. He discards it, telling me, "Problem with the train line, so I have to designate some money to get it fixed even though the fault is on Equestria's line, not ours."

I stifle a giggle. "Is it from Sunbutt?" I ask.

"No. Not a single joke within its boring paragraphs." He looks at the next one. "Primary school needs funding for a new roof. Well, they are still innocent. They need to be treated well. I'll send the school a letter tomorrow. Ah, here it is, our daily death threat, along with an empty plea for you." A letter floats my way.

"Read yours first, Sombra," I say.

He clears his throat, then reads aloud, "Dear Sombra, I am writing to inform you that your deadline for leaving the Crystal Empire ends tomorrow. If you do not leave the Empire by then, we will assume that you wish to declare war on Equestria, and we will force you to leave the Empire. I would like to remind you that Equestria is far bigger than the Crystal Empire, with a vast army of willing Royal Guards and troops on our side." He pauses. "Hmm, they have a point. Do you think that we are in trouble?"

I scoff. "Sombra, do you know how rubbish the Royal Guards are in Equestria?" I ask him.

"Enlighten me, so that I can prepare the correct response to this wonderful reminder of where everypony stands."

I hold one of my front hooves quite a way above the table. "This is where you expect the Royal Guards to be, in terms of training, experience and ability." I lower that hoof a little, so that it is just above the table. "This is the Lunar Guards. They are highly trained and have extra abilities because they are bat ponies, but there are not that many of them because of the whole stigma around bat ponies." I stamp on the floor. "That's the Solar Guards."

He guffaws. "Is that so, or are you being biased?"

"There is not a shred of doubt in my mind. You know Cadance, the alicorn who came here to keep you out, and the Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armour?" I ask. He nods, so I continue, "There was a complete scandal ten months ago, when they got married."

"Oh?" He raises an eyebrow. "Tell me more."

"Cadance was kidnapped and replaced by the Queen of the Changelings herself, and only one pony noticed. That pony was Celestia's student Twilight Sparkle. Nopony believed her when she interrupted the first ceremony. The second time around, it was Cadance herself who broke up the proceedings. That was Bug Queen's cue to reveal herself and call in her army, while nopony lifted a hoof. Cadance had to save the day single hoofedly, apparently. All the while, the nocturnal Lunar Guards slept on peacefully, blissfully oblivious to the chaos erupting outside of their blackout curtains."

Sombra roars with laughter, and takes a few minutes to compose himself. "Awww, poor old Celestia had a fight with her insect counterpart and nopony did anything. Tsk tsk tsk. I cannot bear to read the rest of that letter. It is far too morbid for the farce that is Canterlot right now. Read yours."

I take the letter in my hooves and my eyes scan the page.

Dear Mrs Shade,

I am writing to you regarding your decision to remain by Sombra's side during these turbulent times.

Both you and Sombra, the tyrant who calls himself King of the Crystal Empire, have received several warnings and you were informed to tell us where you stand by tomorrow. If we do not receive any confirmation of your decision by tomorrow, I will assume that you are an ally of his and you will be declared an enemy of Equestria and banned from entering our land of peace. There will also be a warrant for your arrest given to all Royal Guards and, should you be caught inside Equestria's borders, you will be taken into custody and tried for treason. If found guilty, you will face a lifetime sentence inside Tartarus High Security Detention Centre with no parole.

I should hope that you will make the right decision and send me a letter informing me that you wish to remain a citizen of Equestria and detailing when you plan to return.
Yours sincerely,
Princess Celestia.

"Another piece of fan mail from our favourite correspondent," I say to Sombra. "If I don't say sorry to Sunbutt by tomorrow I am wanted in Equestria and if I'm caught I go to Tartarus for life. If I say sorry not sorry, I face the same fate. Of course, I am only wanted in Equestria, not here."

"Moonlight Shade, wanted in the Crystal Empire," Sombra announces jokingly. His tone changes and he becomes far more serious than he usually is when we are alone together. "Wanted for being a beautiful future queen of the Crystal Empire and future wife to King Sombra." He slides a box across the table, and i find inside an intricately carved golden hoof bracelet.

"Now, is this a warrant for the protection of your perfect queen?" I question him. "Will I be kept safe within the Crystal Empire, away from the unforgiving land of Equestria and its evil alicorn rulers?"

"If you will be my wife."

"The answer's a no," I mess with him, "unless you teach me more magic and I eventually become one of the Umbrum."

"I am sure that we can arrange something. In fact, I would be glad to fulfil that offer. Now we have to tell everypony else. Oh, this is going to go down among the civilians like a sack of potatoes. Guards," he calls, wiping all emotion from his face. I do the same.

Two stallions clad in armour enter the room. "Yes, sire?" one asks.

"I would like you to spread word that there will be a royal announcement at ten in the morning tomorrow, and that everypony will have the morning off of work and school to hear it."

"At such short notice, sire?"

Sombra and I give the guard the evil eye. I growl at him, "You will tell the other guards to spread word of a royal announcement at ten o'clock tomorrow morning. I do not wish to get my hooves dirty and neither does the King. Don't make us."

"I - I mean - yes, I will make sure that everypony knows," he stammers. Both guards leave the room, and the laughter begins again once the door shuts. Sombra always gives me a reason to be happy, and he has just given me the biggest of all. I leave my seat and trot around the table to embrace him, and we kiss for what feels like an eternity. The Crystal Empire, Equestria, the rest of the world are likely horrified. I am not. I am proud of myself for growing up and changing. I look down at my cutie mark and its true meaning becomes clear.

On that dark night, I found the North Star with ease, as if I had been looking up at the stars for decades. I remember how brightly it glowed in the dark.

When I was banished with Nightmare Moon, we hated each other at first, but we soon grew to become friends. We found new and interesting things to do while we waited for the thousand year prison sentence to pass.

Now that I am with Sombra, I have found that, behind the ruler who appears to be driven mad by dark magic, he is actually a gentlecolt with a great sense of humour.

Finding light in the darkest night. That is my talent. That is my destiny.

Author's Notes:

I wasn't exactly sure how to pull off this part of the story. I originally intended for this to take up 2 chapters, but this seems a lot better.