Nightfall
It seemed a small eternity until nightfall, with the afternoon stretching on in a lazy, endless way. Part of Sombra wondered if perhaps Princess Luna wasn’t trying to delay on the promise to talk to him. Eventually however, the sun did sink below the horizon and dusk unfolded in the sky over Equestria. He watched out of one of the windows, heaving a sigh as the sky began to darken to a plum color. Was he relieved or anxious now that the time had come? He couldn’t really say for certain; perhaps it was a combination of the two. The anticipation of speaking with her was almost as awful as the anticipation of not getting the chance to speak with her.
With a deep sigh, he abandoned the fur-lined cape for the evening, donning a hooded traveling cloak in its place. A message had been sent to him earlier during the day, encouraging the switch for the night stroll in order to minimize the amount of ponies who might recognize him and cause a stir. He had almost gotten indignant on the topic— why should only he go out in disguise?— but decided against it in the end. There was wisdom in the decision and besides that, he had no way of knowing whether or not Luna might not also disguise herself. The last thing he wanted was to jeopardize this opportunity.
He slipped the cloak over his shoulders and pulled the cowl down as far as it could go before his horn protruded beyond its hem. Turning to give himself a once-over in a mirror, Sombra relaxed a little. He was certain that he would mostly go unnoticed by all except the most vigilant of ponies. Stealing another glance at the darkening sky, the unicorn king breathed deep and exited the room he’d been waiting in to hurry to the doors of the throne room.
His passage remained unhindered the entire way there. True, on occasion he would catch glimpses of other ponies at the end of distant halls or inside rooms with open doors, but he moved unbarred and nopony tried to interact with him at all. A part of him wondered if perhaps this wasn’t somehow Luna’s doing, if she had made it so this was possible. In the event she didn’t drop some sort of hint about it, he resolved to ask her directly. Of course the other possibility was that Celestia or Discord had prevented anypony from getting in his path, but somehow this felt less likely. Sombra had enough measure of the draconequus’s personality by now to know Discord wouldn’t help him without making sure the unicorn knew who was behind that help. And as far as Celestia was concerned, well…
“You hurt somepony who deserved better than this callous betrayal. I think at the very least you should know what that pony thinks of you.”
The elder Alicorn’s soft words, barely masking the upset she felt on her sister’s behalf, still rang cold in the unicorn’s ears. Much as he was loathe to admit anything that could be seen as weakness, he came to the conclusion Celestia was the last pony he would ever want to cross. He barely recalled much interaction with the Alicorn sisters when they had first wielded the Elements of Harmony against him over a thousand years ago and at that time, he thought very little about the two princesses.
Controlling upstarts. They’re seeking to expand their own rule as well! And now they’ve come to claim my Crystal Empire!
Such had been his thoughts at the time.
And then upon his interactions with Princess Luna he realized both princesses were trusting and forgiving to a fault.
“I was a fool,” he whispered into the soft light that illuminated the halls with its glow. Seeing the double doors to the throne room ahead, he trekked toward them, stopping to sit and wait when he was within a few strides of their shadow.
I was a fool to assume anything about either of them.
He waited, consumed by the silence and his thoughts. Strange, really. He had done the same when he was in the oubliette, and yet this was different somehow. Was it the atmosphere of this place, all of the positivity in the air?
“Halt! Who goes there?”
He looked up to see two armored night guards approaching from around a bend in the hall. Neither appeared to have recognized him yet, and he hesitated at the thought of lowering his cowl. It would be the simplest solution, it would reaffirm his rank above mere commoners…and yet he had the strong impression he shouldn’t do it.
If this is a test, I’ve no intention of failing it. Not with the chance to speak to Luna still before me.
Thankfully introductions were made unnecessary the moment the guards’ catlike eyes spotted his curved horn.
“Oh,” one of them spoke sourly, scowling. “It’s you.”
He bristled beneath the cloak but bit his tongue.
“Her Highness will be along shortly,” the other guard informed him. “She mentioned you would be accompanying her for the initial patrol tonight.”
Sombra relaxed fractionally and gave him a small nod. He managed a curt “thank-you” in response for the sake of displaying a courteous and grateful air. It was difficult not to feel they were slighting him and not hiding their suspicion as they continued on their way, but that couldn’t be helped. After all when he came into power, wasn’t this what he had always wanted? Power through the manipulation of everypony’s fear and hatred?
“I never knew how lonely it would be,” he whispered to himself into the stillness.
“What is lonely?”
He spun around in surprised, stunned to find Luna approaching him. Her hoofsteps were so soft to the point they couldn’t be heard on the carpeted floor and the glow of the lights softened around her, giving the hall a comforting atmosphere. For a few seconds Sombra found he couldn’t think to formulate a response for her. The way she appeared in this moment was as breathtaking and beautiful as when he had seen her raise the moon, and he wished to capture the moment in his mind forever.
“Power,” he finally replied. “There is something about power that is lonely, I believe, looking at it all in retrospect.”
Teal eyes studied him carefully, her expression guarded. “Interesting,” she remarked noncommittally, and after a small pause she started to stride past him. He hesitated, not sure what to make of her statement, but he made to follow and kept a respectful distance behind her. Luna led him out of the palace through a side corridor down a hidden passage that opened out to a stone path through the royal gardens.
Outside the air was fresh and comfortable, not too warm but not chilly either. The world was colored with the deep blue shades of early nightfall and a soft, yellow-white moon was beginning to creep toward the top of the sky on its evening journey. The glow of moonbeams lent a quiet illumination to the garden, giving the flora a cast Sombra realized few ponies ever had the chance to witness. He slowed his stride, taking the opportunity to look out at the flowers, the ivy, and the carefully-tended topiaries.
“This is how you see the world,” he said to Luna, keeping his voice quiet. Her ears flicked back to hear him, and she too slowed down as she regarded the elegant grounds. He risked a glance and could have sworn he saw a small, tender smile flicker over her face.
“It is how I have always seen the world.”
“It is very beautiful, Princess.”
She returned his gaze and her smile slipped. It was as though she had just realized he was still walking with her—no, walking behind her—and wasn’t entirely pleased by the fact. Another cold, sharp jab in the hollow behind Sombra’s ribs hit as she turned away again, readjusting her wings beneath her cloak. She picked up her pace once more and he hastened to follow, determined to keep the chance to speak with her. Gradually the path through the gardens narrowed, walled in on either side by high hedgerows that appeared to close in on him more than the halls inside the palace had done. At the end of the path the stonework fell away and opened up to the border edge of a forest. Two more guards were patrolling around this point but they halted to acknowledge the approach of their princess.
Again Sombra slowed his pace in uncertainty. He was positive that Luna was willing to talk but the prospect of holding a private conversation with her while any guards were lingering around to overhear was less than comforting. He wanted to request they be left alone and given the respect they deserved, but he was given the impression demanding this openly would destroy the chance for conversation.
“Your Highness,” the guards intoned in sync as they bowed to Luna. Both raised their heads and cast suspicious glares Sombra’s way. He suppressed an abrupt surge of irritation. He wasn’t even doing anything, for pity’s sake! Thankfully Luna must have noticed something was wrong, as she looked from her guards to him and back again, lowering her hood.
“At ease,” she commanded them patiently. “King Sombra is my guest for the evening. I would speak with him as I walk.”
The distrust in their eyes never so much as wavered.
“Of course, Princess,” one of the two finally said in deference, bowing and stepping aside. His companion followed suit, allowing Luna and Sombra to advance unhindered, but the unicorn still felt their eyes on his back as he entered the forest behind the princess.
“They are suspicious of me,” he grumbled.
“Then walk up here next to me,” she offered, slowing down again in order for him to keep apace. “We can—and will be seen to actually be talking, so perhaps that will cut down on the unpleasant staring.”
He walked up next to her, the two of them falling into an easy, comfortable gait as they strode together. It occurred to Sombra this was not unlike before when they had journeyed into the Badlands together, and while he still felt a measure of guilt over his actions, he also realized how much he enjoyed this sort of companionship with the princess of the night.
“So, King Sombra,” she prompted. “What did you wish to speak to me about?”
“Uh…”
He hesitated. He had wanted to talk, yes, but hadn’t expected being put on the spot. Was she testing him or just being impatient?
“I…I confess I hadn’t given too much thought to regular conversation.”
“And why is that?”
“I believed it would require more time, effort and apologies before you felt comfortable with mundane subjects of discussion,” he confessed.
She seemed to ponder this point as she led their way through the densely-clustered trees. “That is not an entirely unfair concern to have,” she admitted. “I have been...uncertain regarding speaking with you.”
He nodded in defeat, hanging his head a bit.
“I believe this is good and necessary though,” she added. “We need to be clear on what happened if we ever hope to heal these wounds.”
“Be clear?” he echoed. “What do you mean by that? We are both keenly aware of what last happened between us.”
Luna came to a halt and looked him in the eye, her expression bitter and guarded.
“We both know what happened, I’m sure. But what I need to know, Sombra, is why it happened.”
“Why?” he repeated softly. He wanted to say he wasn’t sure what she meant, but the words wouldn’t come out. Instead a very condemning voice in his head sneered, No, you know exactly what she’s talking about.
Her eyes darkened, her face going colder.
“Why did you do it?” she murmured. “Why did you betray and attack me? Why did you just turn me over to Queen Chrysalis like a cheap bargaining chip?”
He backed up a step, stunned. “I…”
“Be honest,” she commanded. “Be warned that if you lie, then any chance you have at my personal forgiveness is lost.”
His body trembled, shaking ever so slightly under the weight of her threat. He could tell the truth—and if he wanted things to improve, he needed to—but would it be enough for her? The alternative was to lie, to make his reasoning seem more acceptable perhaps...but was it worth never being forgiven? Never being able to see or talk with her again?
Perhaps it’s time to try the truth then, he thought in resignation. Shame crept in and he wanted to lower his head, but with a great effort he held her gaze.
“I had assumed you had figured out what my plan was,” he said simply. “I knew you wouldn’t approve of attempting to launch an attack on the Changeling court and when I spotted you using your magic on the lake, I knew you had to be contacting somepony to help. If you were to delay me and launch a preemptive attack with the aid of your elder sister and the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, then Chrysalis would have been none the wiser. You would have maintained your fragile illusion of peace with her court and imprisoned me once again. In the end I would have been back in the oubliette and forgotten again, never to rule or even see the outside world.”
Throughout his entire explanation she listened in stony silence. A chill ran through Sombra despite the warmth of the evening. Saying the words aloud, they somehow sounded even worse than they had in his head. But it was nonetheless the truth and she had wanted the truth from him. She had all but demanded it, so could she really blame him for what he said in honesty?
She won’t blame you for what you said, the nasty little voice at the back of his thoughts remarked. But she can certainly blame you even more for what you did. The truth is such a double-edged sword sometimes.
“I see,” she observed, her tone like frost. Sombra winced, but she wasn’t finished. “Let me guess—it was a logical line of thinking you had.”
He clamped his mouth shut and looked away, focusing his gaze on the trees nearby. Logic. Of course she would have remembered that from the story he told her before about his connection to the Crystal Heart. His words being thrown back at him stung, burrowing deep and gnawing at him like blood-sucking parasites. Working his mouth soundlessly for a moment, he finally nodded.
“Yes,” he confirmed. “Turning against you seemed the logical, tactical thing to do.”
Luna’s teal eyes narrowed, and a long silence passed between them both.
“I am sorry,” Sombra finally said, voice breaking a little under the strain. “What I did to you...was abhorrent, and it was wrong of me.”
The hard lines of her face seemed to soften at his apology and her ears pricked forward as she relaxed. She didn’t speak but the tension between them had somehow eased drastically. After a few more moments she resumed walking, tilting her head to indicate he should follow her, and he silently exhaled in relief. Perhaps she had accepted his apology?
No, that’s doubtful, he said to himself. Likely she hasn’t but at least it appears as though she’s considering it.
“Follow me,” she urged. “There is something that I feel you must see.”
Now that was strange. Was she trying to divert the subject? Did she not care about his apology? Or had she been planning something all this time? He followed with a mild sense of trepidation.
“You want to show me something? But why? What is it?”
“How often did you commune with your subjects, Sombra? As a prince or as a king?” she queries, keeping her eyes forward.
“My subjects? Hardly ever,” he answered with a puzzled frown. “They were beneath me, unworthy of having me walk among them like an equal. Why do you ask?”
“Because that is all the more reason why it is important that you see what I wish to show you.”
***
Night had fallen, the palace had been locked shut shut to the rest of Canterlot, and the vast majority of daily duties had ceased. Normally Celestia would have taken this time to relax and for the most part, she did feel a measure of calm at the end of this day. Still, that sense of calm was tempered by familial worry that refused to completely leave her.
How is their talk going? she wondered.
King Sombra’s purported regret was an uncertainty in her mind, though he did genuinely seem to want to speak with Luna. If he did regret what he had done to her sister—and Celestia had little doubt showing the witch-king unicorn Luna’s writings about him played no small part in that matter—then that called into question the claim that the Crystal Heart was in fact, his own heart. Surely he couldn’t feel such strong emotions or conviction if his heart had been removed? And yet…Cadence’s letter.
Celestia moved her horn in a quick, circular motion and the letter in questions appeared before her, held aloft by her magic. She unfurled the parchment, looking over its contents again with a worried frown.
It was small, barely noticeable Cadence insisted, but undeniable: the Crystal Heart was chipping away in tiny fragments here and there. She and her husband Shining Armor had cast an interwoven nexus of spells to contain any fragments that chipped off, and a powerful barrier kept anyone but Princess Cadence from getting too close to the Heart. Still they were worried, and a low key uneasiness was building in the ponies living in the Crystal Empire. Truly, who could blame them? Celestia looked away from the words on the paper, glancing out her window and looking up at the soft, glowing moon.
There is no possible way these two things are unrelated. But what could be done to restore the Crystal Heart? What happens if Sombra learns of what is happening to it? Does he already know? Surely he must if his claim is true.
The thought had crossed her mind before that the dark unicorn might know what was happening to the enchanted talisman that safeguarded his former kingdom. Perhaps he even knew how to save the Crystal Heart and restore it to its former state; he was reputed to be knowledgeable about crystal magic, possibly more than anypony ever had been. Whether or not he would be cooperative, even if he did know, was another matter entirely.
Thinking back to Twilight Sparkle’s account of what happened the first time she went to the Crystal Empire, Celestia recalled Twilight saying there were all manner of dark spells, curses and trap enchantments in her way to prevent anypony from getting to the hidden artifact. King Sombra had not wanted the Heart found and had gone to great lengths to safeguard it. They couldn’t be sure his stance on that hadn’t changed.
Yet they kept coming back to the point he said the Crystal Heart was his own heart. What did that mean for the land he once ruled, the land that depended on the talisman’s power to protect it? What did it mean for him, with what that hinted about his past? What was more, if Celestia recalled her sister’s words truly, then Luna believed the witch-king was afraid of reuniting with his heart. Yet what would he think if he knew of Crystal Heart’s deterioration? Could he be behind it or was it something else, something to do with the hint of change inside Sombra?
Celestia sighed heavily and released her magic, returning the letter from her niece back to where she kept it hidden. Too many questions and so far, no answers. When Luna returned, the two of them would need to set aside time and brainstorm on the matter. For now though, the princess of the sun needed a small distraction to take her mind off of worry.
“The cure for this,” she said to herself aloud, “is some tea and a snack cake.”
Strolling to the door, she exited her chambers with a casual gait, nodding to the guards outside patrolling the halls.
“At ease, my little ponies,” she said warmly.
“Do you need anything, Your Highness?” one asked, trotting toward her. “How can we assist you?”
“Don’t worry,” she assured him. “You have nothing to be concerned about. I was just planning to head down to the kitchen for a small snack.”
“But Your Highness, wouldn’t that spoil your supper?”
Celestia tried not to look too startled by this observation and she chewed her lower lip. She’d been so lost in thought she’d forgotten supper would be within the next half hour. Oops.
“Oh! You’re absolutely right. Thank you; I shall have to tell the cook to delay my supper. It had slipped my mind just a bit.”
“You’re welcome, Princess,” the guard said humbly. She smiled, thanking him again, and strolled down the hall to head toward the palace kitchens.
Gradually she started relaxing again, but it was to be short-lived. She had made her way down two more halls when a sense of unease slowed her hoofsteps. Coming to a half, she looked all around her, trying to find any sign of something out of place. Nothing seemed unusual.
Yet the sensation of eyes on her back was difficult to ignore.
Quietly dubious, she started walking again and stayed nonchalant for the sake of appearances. But she was alert now and waiting for a sign of her suspicions to be confirmed. The corridor appeared perfectly normal, and down adjacent halls she saw different palace staff ponies going about finishing their duties. Nothing suggested any sinister motives were being hidden out of sight.
“Perhaps it’s just my imagination,” she murmured with a sigh.
“An imagination can be quite wild if you don’t stifle it, you know,” a familiar voice remarked. She paused and looked around, unsurprised when she found a small draconequus figure waving at her from a woven tapestry it clearly didn’t belong in.
“I’m not sure why you think I stifle my imagination,” she countered.
“You don’t use it, Celestia.”
“Not the way you use your imagination, no. Everypony is different, and just because we don’t implement them the same way, it doesn’t mean I’m stifled and don’t use my imagination.”
The minute figure in the tapestry sat down, propping his face up on his fists as he pouted. “I hate it when you use logic in our discussions,” he grumbled. “It gets cardboard.”
She tilted her head with the hint of a smile. While she still wasn’t entirely happy with his decision to free Sombra without warning or permission, it was always difficult for the Princess of the Sun to stay upset with Discord. He was a charming rascal and she couldn’t deny that. No matter what, he always seemed to pull a smile out of her when she least expected it.
“I’m amazed you’ve not gotten used to it by now,” she teased. “I thought you would after all these years.”
He popped out of the tapestry, the embroidered appearance unraveling itself to then reform into a full-sized version of the draconequus. Crossing his arms as he stood, he regarded her with the self-same pout that was gradually growing more and more transparent.
“Well, I can always hope you’ll shake things up every now and again to be more fun and follow my lead,” he retorted.
The smile slipped from her face as his words reminded her of her uneasy feeling from before. Glancing away to look behind her, she scanned the stretching expanse of the halls. THe sensation of eyes on her back had lessened but it still prickled at her spine, especially as she thought on it.
And still nothing.
“Celestia?”
She turned around again and was touched by the amount of tender concern and worry that she saw in Discord’s eyes.
“Hmm? Perhaps one day,” she responded. The attempt to remain casual and distract him didn’t work; his gaze turned skeptical.
“Is something bugging you, Sunshine?”
This time her smile was full and genuine, born from a warm, happy sensation in her chest at his use of a nickname. She rather liked it. Perhaps he would keep using it in the future.
“Please don’t worry about it,” she answered, shaking her head. “I’m uncertain what is bothering me and as I said, I believe it may just be my imagination playing tricks on me.”
“That’d be a sight!” the draconequus snorted. After a second’s hesitation, the concern was still in his gaze and he queried, “Uh…are you sure you’re okay? We’ve known each other for centuries now and you don’t spook or get set on edge almost ever. Seeing you like this…”
The corners of her mouth quirked and morphed her expression into a playful smile. “Are you worried about me?” she suggested, holding back the urge to chuckle.
He shrugged in reply, beginning to walk casually ahead of her. “Maybe, maybe not,” he retorted noncommittally. “You should know I don’t really take kindly to anything else bothering you more than I dlo.”
“Oh, is that so?” she prompted.
“Tia dear, I’m the spirit of chaos. By right, nothing else in all of Equestria should give you as much grief as me.”
She shook her head and rolled her eyes. Spontaneous and unpredictable though he was, there were at least some things about Discord that didn’t change, and for those she was grateful. She resumed walking the hall, listening to him avail the high points of his ‘vexing nature’ and wondering whether it would still be worth delaying supper or just taking her meal in the kitchens.
Although…
She glanced behind again, the smile vanishing. Only the warm glow of the lamps on the walls flickering and dancing marked the length of the corridor. The feeling of being watched by unfriendly eyes had all but faded completely. Discord hadn’t been wrong in his observation: she rarely allowed anypony to witness her worry. The fact that she had felt this sensation out in Canterlot square wasn’t as concerning as feeling watched in her own palace. That was alarming and if it continued, she and Luna would have to be on high alert at all times.
Please, let it just be a product of my overactive imagination.
***
At first the unicorn king couldn’t believe his eyes. What appeared to be a stream of pure light the color of so many intertwining sapphires and aquas glowed before them as the trees fell away and opened to a glade. The air was clean and beautiful here; still and quiet, but in a harmonious, calm way. Yellow-green spots of light flickered, vanished, and reappeared all over the glade as fireflies added their own glow to this ethereal place.
“What is this place?” he asked in a whisper. Strange though it was, he felt it was best to keep his voice lowered here. Luna approached the small spring in the heart of the glade from which the stream of light poured forth, opening her wings wide as she moved. The hues of the stream danced like northern lights in her teal eyes and a soft, protective sort of look stole over her face.
“This,” she answered quietly, “is the dream river.”
“The dream river?” Sombra echoed hesitantly, stepping forward. “I thought you said before there was something else… Did you not speak of something called the dreamscape?”
She didn’t look at him but her brows rose slightly while she looked over the spring. “The dreamscape, yes,” she confirmed. “Both exist and meet and entwine, but they don’t serve the same purpose or are the same thing, if that’s what you were wondering about.” After a second her gaze moved to him with a measure of appraisal. “I am surprised you remembered my mention of the dreamscape at all.”
He shifted his weight from hoof to hoof self-consciously. “To my recollection, it came up frequently during our initial discussions when you graced me with your presence in the oubliette,” he replied. “Did you not suspect that I was passing through the Shadow paths into the dreamscape to threaten the safety of you and your subjects?”
The look she gave him was positively icy, and he regretted having reminded her of their initial talks.
“Yes,” she finally answered, her voice surprisingly neutral. “Some of our interactions in my nightmares were a little too real for my comfort.” She glanced back to the spring that originated the dream river, keen to put the subject of their early interactions aside. “But in any event, the dreamscape is wide, vast enough to encompass all that live in Equestria. Loosely it is all connected and I am able to venture through its passages in order to ensure the safety of everypony in their sleep, though few of my subjects’ personal places in the dreamscape ever overlap or interact with one another.
“The waters that flow from this spring have been enchanted with the magic to touch all those parts of the dreamscape and therefore allow everypony to dream. I sometimes consider the dreamscape to be as one large city of the night with many various canals or channels, and each dream rests in their own gondola. As such, the dream river is the current that carries them all through their canals, while I travel throughout it to ensure all are safe.”
Sombra frowned as he listened and tried to picture what she was suggesting. It was a struggle for him. He had rarely left the Crystal Palace to explore different places in his youth and so the very concept of canals instead of streets proper was only something he’d read about in books. The idea baffled him and such, here he was left puzzled. A headache threatened to build around the base of his horn and he gave the dream river a disbelieving stare as he tried ignoring the building pressure in his skull.
“Your explanation is nothing short of perplexing,” he grumbled. “I always thought the dreamscape to be more of a dark and shadowy forest of unrivaled size.”
For some reason Luna’s smile resembled a bit of a smirk when she responded to him.
“Very well then. If you prefer that analogy… If we look at the dreamscape as a forest, then everypony is a traveller in it. The dream river then, is like a path laid out before them and they each have a guiding lantern as they take their own paths to dream.”
“So what are you in this analogy?” Sombra inquired, unable to stifle his curiosity.
“The spirit that protects the forest and all who pass through it,” she replied, and this time the playful smirk was evident. “I doubt I could be anything else.”
Her smile was charming and vexingly infectious. He felt the corners of his mouth starting to turn upward and fought the urge as best as he could. Simultaneously he was acutely aware of the hollow sensation in his chest. There was no pain this time, only the feeling of emptiness. Again something about this was alien and yet vaguely familiar.
Am I feeling the absence of my own heart?
“Fascinating,” he murmured, more to distract himself from his treacherous thoughts than anything. “May I ask why you wanted to show me this?”
“Actually this isn’t what I wanted you to see,” she returned evenly, catching him unaware. He blinked, staring in surprise.
“No? Then pray tell, what is the benefit of bringing me here and telling me about the dream river?”
Luna raised her head high and her gaze pierced him for a small eternity trapped in a breath, searching him at his core.
“Because it will be easiest to bring you into the dreamscape with me from here.”
Sombra’s mouth fell open as he tried to process her statement. Shock and disbelief warred in his mind. No...no surely she hadn’t been considering taking him on one of her dreamwalks? Was this the very same mare who had been distrusting, who had been suspicious that he had been entering the dreamscape to terrorize her subjects?
“You...want me to accompany you into the dreamscape?” he faltered, taking a couple of uncertain steps back. Luna never wavered in her patient scrutiny of him, keeping her gaze level as she nodded an affirmative.
“It would mean a great deal to me if you did,” she appealed, keeping her voice soft.
In that moment the unicorn realized something inside him was melting and he couldn’t stop it even if he had wanted to. Relaxing, he approached her again, bowing his head this time.
“Then I am honored to accept your gracious invitation, Your Highness,” he said. “How shall we accomplish this, then?”
As he raised his head to meet her gaze again, she lifted her eyebrows.
“Do you trust me?” she questioned. Before he fully thought it through, Sombra nodded. Once upon a time long ago, he wouldn’t have trusted anyone. He hadn’t trusted anyone and to some extent, he still didn’t. Here and now though, he knew he trusted Luna.
So much is changing so fast.
“Then what I need for you to do,” Luna declared, lowering the point of her horn and aiming it at him as it shone with magic, “is sleep.”
Questions were on the tip of his tongue but a powerful drowsiness overcame him, and the glade vanished in the embrace of the comforting, familiar darkness of deep sleep.
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I'm so happy right now and cursing my lack of words to express how happy i am, just leaving a comment to show i'm here :(
Great chapter
Noice, keep it coming.
Excuse me, I need to go rethink my life as a writer.
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It means a lot to me just knowing that you're here and you've been reading~. *hug*
Aaaawww, thank you!
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; ; Please forgive me, I think I've got to take a minute to fully give a proper response, but I want to cry happy tears now. Thank you, because writing has been my passion for years and in all that time, this is probably one the most wonderful and nice (if not THE most wonderful and nice) things anyone has ever said to me about my writing. Thank you, because you have made my day so much brighter and you got me to smile at a time when I've needed it!
Wow, I remember when this was first published, and I was really thinking "I'll let it get a few chapters first so I can binge it," just realized now would be a perfect time, and involved excited for what is yet to come.
I love this story !
How is possible write amazing story like this ? I Can´t wait for another chapters. 
Holy crud I have only looked at the titles and I have already grown excited. Shiznit you are too good at this.
hey where is the next?it is a year since you made this I would think you have a next one you can link to me thanks in advance;) ps.I love this story !!!!!🌈
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why? why must this join the list of great, yet dead, stories
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The author more frequently updates their DA, and is in other fandoms. She's just writing other stories, and takes time to update, as you can tell by the post dates of previous chapters.
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He’s been offline for almost a year, that is hardly accurate.
8987044
Her last journal on DA does make it clear there was busy life stuff happening, as I recall, do I wouldn’t consider this story dead.
8844168
No worries! Sorry for the long delay, but I'm working on the next chapter right now!
8987044
Yeah, sorry about that. Life kind of got in the way and I've been MIA for quite a while on the internet. I'm back now though!
9037853
so do you have a planned update?
9071274
Planning to upload in the next 20 minutes or so.