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// 10 - Visitors 
// Story: What Follows Hugs 
// by David Silver 
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Toby hopped from bed and was quick in dressing and surging from his room. There was so much to do, and he was eager to get started.

"Sir Toby," called a guard, making Toby come to a skidding halt in surprise. "Princess Celestia bade you to go to court. You are to remain quiet until it is in recess, then she wishes to speak to you."

"She calls for him?" Sombra approached with his usual scowl. "But not for me?"

The guard went rigid, glancing between the smiling face of Toby and the grimace that Sombra had to offer. "Uh, she only gave me the one message, sir."

"I am a king," hissed out Sombra, shadow licking through his clenched teeth.

"Y-yes, Your Majesty." He cleared his throat softly. "You may go as well if it pleases you? The court is public."

Toby suddenly grabbed Sombra and gave a warm hug. "Yes! We go together." Before Sombra could speak his mind on the matter, Toby had bounded off with his ruler securely in grasp.

The guard sagged with relief. "That could have gone better."

"Could have gone worse," noted one of his coworkers.

Toby landed just before the door to the court and set Sombra down carefully. He fretted over his dark ruler, plucking off the bits of fur that he had just gotten on Sombra a moment before and helping straighten things out. "All ready."

Sombra shook his head slowly. "I would thank you to avoid seizing me without my leave." His horn flashed as his suit was perfectly placed, negating Toby's efforts casually. "I was growing tired of that guard's ramblings anyway. Let us proceed."

Together they stepped into the court. Toby was capable of moving without hopping. Sure, he much preferred grand bounds from place to place, but he could put one foot in front of the other and walk like ponies did if he had to. Even he saw the court was no place for bouncing. He smiled at all the seated ponies, even as many of them gave a glance at Toby and Sombra.

Princess Celestia sat on an elevated throne. She nodded towards them as they entered. "Now is as fine a time as any to introduce our honored guest, King Sombra, of the Tsuki. Beside him is Toby, highest of the Tsuki beneath Sombra."

"Hello!" called out Toby, waving a paw eagerly at all the new ponies.

Sombra gave a more sedate nod.

Murmurs rippled through the room, gossiping running hot instantly. A well-dressed guard approached quickly and led the pair off to free seats to join the proceedings.

"Their timing is most fortuitous," spoke Celestia. "King Sombra has pledged assistance in dealing with the threat."

"That he made!" spat out a stallion, his monocle falling free from his face with his outrage.

Celestia shook her head. "That is no way to speak to a friend. The Tsuki and ponies are formally sworn as friends for a hundred moons."

Sombra rose up to his hooves, seemingly towering over those around him despite not being that tall, such was his dark charisma. "I will dispatch of your little... problem. This is a matter you would be best to avoid."

Celestia gave a nod towards Sombra. "This I can agree with. If you see any evidence of the shadow's presence, do not attempt to confront it. Get to safety, then report the incident here at the castle as soon as possible."

The court slowly settled as they put that topic aside for the moment and went on to far more mundane issues. They talked of welcoming a young pony to the ranks of the head of a household, and the need for repairs in a school, and on and on.

Most of it was mundane, at least until the court turned as one to see a unicorn mare drawn in with chains at her hooves and one thick band of metal around her horn.

Tsuki leaned over to Sombra. "Why?"

Sombra snorted softly, shadow billowing. "We will soon be told, but I would presume this pony has broken the laws of this land."

The crier did his job admirably. "Announcing the arrival of the accused, Summer Splash."

Celestia sat up straighter, looking down at the unicorn as she was led forward. "You understand the gravity of the crimes laid at your hooves, I hope?"

Summer's bright purple eyes glanced around from beneath her messy cyan hair. "N-not fully, um, your majesty?"

"Then I will explain. Should a detail be in error, you should bring it to light when I am finished." Celestia's wings spread. "You, a student of my school for talented unicorns, used your advanced knowledge of magic to bring direct harm to another pony. Two days previous to today, you met with a fellow student and fell into an argument loud enough that most of those present in the dormitory have already sworn to hearing it." Summer shrank as the day was described. "A challenge was issued, a magical duel. This is, itself, a crime, though a minor one. Students of my school are forbidden from this very act for this precise reason. Did you not hear that rule when you joined?"

"Y-yes." Her head hung low. "I didn't mean to..."

"Drawing a sizable group of curious onlookers, who should have prevented the duel from proceeding but this is not the time for them, you proceeded to escalating demonstrations of skill and power."

Sombra's whisper reached Toby's ear, "See, they are not nearly as perfect as they would have the world think. Even ponies can fail."

Celestia leveled a hoof at Summer. "It completed with a spell that destroyed your fellow student."

"No!" squealed Summer, bouncing on her hooves. "I didn't do that!"

"Then tell us what you did. You cast a spell of staggering magnitude, according to the witnesses, then they were gone."

"It was just a teleportation," said Summer in a pathetic whine. "She was supposed to just be sent across the city..."

Celestia drew a ragged breath. "You have not yet been given proper education in the methods, and safety, of teleportation."

"I read it," confessed Summer. "I read it and I practiced. I could make things jump from place to place easily."

Celestia's expression softened a little. "A pony is much more difficult to transport than a fork or an apple. Do you understand what you've done?"

"She has to be safe! She's just lost," insisted Summer. "I didn't mean to hurt her, really! I swear! She's my best friend!"

Sombra cleared his throat. It shattered the tense quiet of most of the courtroom.

Celestia cocked a brow at him. "Do you have something to add?"

Sombra stood up. "I do. If the pony has mismanaged a transportation spell, there is a good chance your lost student can be retrieved."

A flash of hope went across Celestia's face before it quickly settled back to poise. "And how would you propose this?"

"Young Miss Splash is not incorrect. Her friend is lost. There is a very high probability she has been thrown where I can reach her. If she is there, I will find her... for--"

Toby suddenly tugged at his cloak, cutting off his attempt to name a price. "Do nice thing," he whispered. "Do nice, get nice. Friends."

Sombra glowered at Toby a moment before softly snorting. "My assistant reminded me of another matter. As I was saying, I just need a description of the pony to be retrieved and I will see if she is where I imagine she is."

Summer was quick to begin describing her friend in a long rambling mess. "Oh, and she was wearing a ribbon! Yellow, right in her mane." Her chains rattled as she gestured wildly in her efforts to describe her friend with exacting details. "Oh, please find her! Please!"

Celestia was not blind to Summer's sincere hope for her friend's safety, but... "Even if we assume your friend is found, you, Summer Splash, have, at the minimum, broken several rules of my school."

Summer deflated instantly. "I'm ready to be banished forever."

Celestia stepped down from her throne. "I should think not. However, when your friend is retrieved, I believe you owe her far more than a casual apology."

Summer looked up at Celestia, wet eyes blinking. "What else can I give?"

"That matter will wait until we can be sure Miss Strobe can be recovered safely. For now, you are free to return to your dorm, where you will stay, outside of meals. The horn band remains for now."

Guards stepped forward and undid the metal that clasped Summer's hooves.

She surged forward and hugged Celestia tightly. "I'm sorry!"

"I know," whispered the kind ruler as she folded her wings over Summer, shielding her from the room for a precious moment. "Let us hope Sombra can make good on his claim."

Sombra shook his head. "I intend to make this quick. See what Celestia needs with you, Toby. Be ready to deliver a full report." He vanished, discorporating into shadows that spread out and faded as they went.

Toby was left nodding at the empty space. He would do his job. He was a good Tsuki! Or so he meant to keep trying to be.

Summer sat down beside Toby right where Sombra had been sitting. "You're his friend?"

Toby blinked in surprised. "Friend, yes. Tsuki and pony friends too." He grabbed Summer to prove it to her, hugging the teary-eyed mare close.

She squeaked in shock, but her tension swiftly died down, then she began to cry. She sobbed into the great beast that held her, her face buried in his armpit where she could get at his fur through his armor. Her little noises were muffled by his bulk. Toby was left wondering if he had done something wrong, but the mare was hugging him back, and she wasn't trying to get away, so he held onto her and rocked slowly, letting her cry her tears as long as she needed to.

A guard gently tapped Toby on the back. "We should return her to the dorms, Sir Toby."

Toby nodded softly. "When she's done."

The guard had no ready argument for that, so he waited for the emotions to play through the mare before he could guide her away towards her room.

Court ended without any further drama, at least that Toby could comprehend. He watched the ponies get up and walk out as the court was called to recess. Celestia motioned for Toby to come with her and he gave a powerful bound to join her. With court no longer in session, bouncing felt right again, and he liked bouncing.

He landed beside her and matched her pace.

She looked thoughtful. "That was a kind thing you did. I could not offer her further kindness, not while this matter remains unresolved. I do hope Sombra locates Dusk Strobe." She glanced aside at Toby. "Do you think I was mean?"

Toby blinked, not expecting that question. "Sun Butt is nice princess."

Celestia quirked a smile at that. "I will accept that in the kindness it is offered."