Luna signed the document first, already holding it, then she passed it towards Toby, floating in her magic. "Sign your name."
Toby understood the basic idea of writing, and reading, but he had not yet been instructed in how the magic worked, precisely. He took the quill and rubbed its feather against the paper. Its inky tip ground up and left some marks, and he nodded. "Toby mark." He passed it to Sombra with a grin. "Your turn."
Sombra let out a weary noise as his magic snatched both paper and quill and slapped the first on the table. With a great flourish, he signed his full name. King Sombra of the Tsuki. He slid it across towards Celestia. "And with your name the pact is sealed."
"Let it be known," said Celestia with great decorum and severity as she touched her quill to the paper. "That the ponies of Equestria and the Tsuki shall be friends for one hundred moons, and hopefully longer." She laid out her name neatly. "As part of this treaty, your people are free to come and visit, provided they obey the laws of the land."
Sombra was not to be outdone. He sat up tall. "Any pony that wishes may visit my people as well, provided they follow our laws, which are my laws.
Luna coughed softly into a hoof. "Perhaps it would be best to begin with some education?"
Sombra frowned at that. "Are you implying my people are inept?"
Toby wasn't exactly sure what was going on. "Edu... learn things?"
Luna nodded across at him. "Exactly. There are ponies who delight in teaching those who would listen to them. Provided they are fairly recompensated, they would gladly come to your kingdom and offer instruction. The three Rs would be a place to start."
Celestia pointed to the bag of bits that had been paid. "Fortunately, you have bits enough to keep them happy for a while and give your people a needed--"
"--I see your trickery!" Dark magic flared around his eyes. "You seek to gain the money you just gave me back so quickly. We paid you well, you won't swindle us so easily!"
Celestia gave a patient smile. "Do you have other uses already in mind? Your people are--"
"--Good," suddenly broke in Toby. "Tsuki are good."
Luna's smile was more genuine, but aimed directly for Toby. "Of that I have little doubt. You could be better, however. Your people have lived in isolation for so many years."
Sombra slid the pouch of bits off the table with his magic and it vanished under his cape. "I will consider your offer."
"That is all we ask," assured Celestia with a smile. "You've come such a long way, please, be our guest the night if nothing else."
The meeting was over. As everyone stood up, Toby turned to his boss. "You'll like this castle. So many nice things to look at and places to see. Garden is big and smells nice and has so many furry and feathery animals go cheep squeak and listen if you talk back. Toby not know what they say, but he en--"
"Thank you, Toby." Sombra gave a severe nod as he strode along, matching Celestia's pace. "Where will I be staying?"
As they all emerged from the meeting room, there was a guard looking nervous. Celestia quickly spotted him. "What's wrong?"
He dropped into a bow. "Princess Celestia! We've just received dire news."
Celestia glanced at the others, then back at the guard. "Time is important, speak."
"Yes, your majesty. There's been an attack inside the city!"
Celestia paled, then scowled, turning to Sombra. "What manner of attack?"
"Shadow creatures. Reports are sketchy at best."
Even Toby saw what was coming and threw himself between the two angry-looking ponies. "Sombra is good pony!"
"Is he?"
Luna cleared her throat, drawing attention. "Instead of arguing this, we should take action."
Sombra flashed a wicked smile, magic flaring out. "Yes, it is time for action. Allow us to demonstrate our skills. Shadow creatures should pose little trouble for me. Mere sniveling pawns before a master. Toby, let's go."
Toby suddenly turned and presented his side as he flattened out on his belly. Sombra mounted smoothly, reared up so only his hindlegs held firmly to Toby's sides. "We ride." Toby took off with a powerful leap.
The guard shook his head a little. "I didn't tell them where it was..."
Luna let out a little chuckle. "Toby is good at finding trouble. I have no fear that they'll find it."
Celestia tapped the ground. "Bring my carriage around. I will not sit idly by while my own city is put under siege. Let's see what Sombra is doing and make sure all it put to right."
As guards hurried to get Celestia to her carriage, Sombra and Toby flew through the air in athletic bounds of powerful rabbit paws. The trouble proved to be easy to find as it found them first. Toby just set down gently on a roof when the ground beneath him became dark as a moon-less night and tried to swallow him in great but toothless jaws.
Sombra slammed a hoof forward into the rising mouth and dark purple-green energy exploded, knocking the creature back, temporarily stunned. It was long enough for Toby to bound up into the air, soaring out of its open shadow mouth. "Found it," reported Toby joyfully.
"Yes..." Sombra squinted at the shadow serpent as it recovered and followed after them as if the air served it sell as a surface to slither along. "Lead it to an open space."
"Yes." Toby had to duck and change his heading to avoid its sudden lashing strikes. When it wasn't trying to swallow him whole, it lashed out with its tail like a whip. One such blow scored solidly on Toby's flank, ringing out against the metal loudly. Toby yelped with fear and a little pain, going all the faster.
He saw an open square up ahead. There were no ponies. It was what was asked for. He landed right in the center of it. "Found--"
The serpent landed on him. Darkness was all he knew. Darkness and isolation. He couldn't even feel Sombra on his back. He was alone, entirely. Somehow he was even more alone than when he was by himself in the jungles and didn't even know the magic of spoken words. He was truly alone. He didn't like it.
In the dark nothing, a point of light came to being. It was a sickly purple, but it grew rapidly. Toby could feel Sombra again. His king's horn was glowing viciously as magic streamed from his eyes almost like tiers as he roared in defiance. It was as if even the shout was testing the integrity of the slowly swelling bubble within the shadow around them.
The snake could not hold it in. It became too much and it exploded outwards, bursting the snake from the inside. Two great broken pieces fell to the ground at either side, twitching and boiling. Sombra gave a feral grin. "You thought you could challenge me?"
It did, and it wasn't done. The two parts drew tight and became two two new beasts, nothing but claws and teeth, like two demons made from the same formless dark. Only their edges seemed clear, and they were ready to battle.
Those were enemies Toby knew how to fight at least. "I'll help." He reared up into a ready position.
Sombra slid off to the ground. "I'll handle the one on the left. Toby, do not fail me."
Toby stepped towards the right shadow, claws flexing. He didn't like using his claws for fighting, but it was time. "Say sorry and no hurting." The shadow chose to instead swipe at Toby. He wasn't fast enough to dodge out of the way, but he rolled with the blow and was on the creature. He grabbed it in his mighty arms and gave it the move that worked equally well on friend or foe. He hugged it. He hugged it for everything he was worth.
Unfortunately, it was still a shadow, and after a precious instant of squeezing it, the shadow surrendered its physical form and Toby fell through it back to all fours. It reformed already on top of Toby and grabbed him firmly, as if trying to peel him right out of the armor he wore.
Toby suddenly hopped. The creature was still on him, pulling and prying. That was alright. Toby spun around at the arc of the bounce and they came down with the shadow first. The shadow didn't have time to dissolve itself as it smashed into the cobblestones violently and evaporated into formless shadow, fading away quickly. Toby had won.
Sombra was in a more energetic battle with his, exchanging bolts of dark power when not clashing hoof to claw. The creature attacked with fierce energy, but Sombra was not surrendering an inch to it. "It is time to end this." The creature reared in defiance.
Whatever ending Sombra had in mind was not realized. Bright light like that of a suddenly risen dawn came down on the creature. It gave an unearthly shriek, as terrible as it was brief, gone. Celestia stood there on her carriage, scowling. "Are there others?"
Sombra snorted softly before he gave a light nod. "Good shot... That was the last that we saw."
Toby bounced over to Sombra's side. "We fought shadow things, gone now."
Celestia nodded. "So I saw. King Sombra, in the spirit of the document so freshly signed, I will extend the benefit of the doubt. You are... an expert in such things. Will you assist us in ridding ourselves of them?"
Toby thrust up a paw. "Trade!"
Celestia blinked with surprise. "Pardon, Toby?"
"Trade. You send nice ponies to show Tsuki good things, we help."
Sombra growled. "Don't forget your place," he hissed at the Tsuki, moving to step in front of the rabbit. "My knight speaks well... Do you accept this proposal?"
Celestia found a smile forcing its way onto her face. "This is a deal I can accept. Come... provided you believe they will not strike again tonight, your room awaits you back in the castle."
Sombra moved towards the carriage. "I believe we are safe tonight. Tomorrow evening, that I cannot assure. We must be ready and crush them when they appear. I will not allow them to tarnish my good name."
Celestia's face barely twitched at the mention of Sombra's reputation being damaged. "We can't have that..."
All three rode back to the castle. It had been an eventful enough day and conversation was minimal at best. Well, except Toby. He watched the city go by with a happy smile. "Ponies have good city."
"Ours is better," grumped Sombra.
Toby seemed to consider that a moment. "Tsuki city is good city. Pony city is good. Different goods."
That would have to suffice. Sombra didn't argue further for supremacy and they all eventually retired to their rooms. There would be more to deal with in the coming day.