Skyline knocked at the door. "You summoned, ma'am?" He glanced aside at the guard on either side of the door he stood before.
"Come in," came Luna's voice, muffled by the door. The guards nodded as one, hearing the command.
Skyline was free to go. He pressed the door open and stepped into the moodily-lit bedchambers. Luna was seated before a mirror, gazing at herself, and Skyline from that angle. "Ma'am." He closed the door behind himself and walked towards her. "How can I help?"
"I wanted an update." She sharply turned from the mirror to face Skyline. "On your thoughts. This project can't continue without you, so..." She rolled a metal-clad hoof in the air. "A bit for your thoughts?"
"No." His face was even, eyes searching over her. "Not until I hear yours. Ma'am, why do you want bat ponies so badly?" He flicked a tufted ear. "Don't get me wrong. I like this form, growing fonder of it by the day. But that's hardly reason enough for all of this. Tell me why, the real reason why."
Luna nodded slowly, weighing her words before speaking.
"You are right to question my motivations," she began. "The truth is, I have always felt a kinship with the night and those who dwell in darkness. For so long, the bat ponies existed only in myth and legend. I wanted to change that."
She rose and paced around Skyline, her armor clicking softly. "To have an entire tribe connected to my night would be a great comfort. The bat ponies could be a balance to my sister's bright day. And..." she hesitated.
"I confess, part of me hopes such a tribe may help me feel less alone. For all her good intentions, Celestia cannot truly understand my affinity for shadows and dusk. Perhaps a pony of the night could."
Luna stopped before Skyline, meeting his gaze. "Of course, this is not only about me. The night deserves its own tribe and champions. If you consent, together we could make that dream a reality."
Her eyes were alight with fervor. "I know it is much to ask. But will you stand with me, Skyline, and bring bat ponies out of legend and into life?"
Skyline rose to his full height. "That can't be entirely true, ma'am. There are ponies, right now, that enjoy the night. They revel and dance. They drink and make love." That said Love made him salivate a little he kept to himself. "Times have changed, Your Highness. The night is no longer a still time of quiet. But you still want a night tribe?"
Luna nodded slowly. "You make a fair point. Ponies today are not so fearful of my night as they once were. And yet..."
She gazed out the window at the inky black sky. "The night remains distinct from Celestia's day. It has always called to me in a way the sun's brightness never could. Even if other tribes enjoy the night, none are truly bound to it as their destiny."
Turning back to Skyline, Luna continued, "Imagine if there were skilled flyers to guard the night, messengers to swiftly carry word through the dark, scholars to study nocturnal magic. The night deserves such specialties in a way it does not yet have."
"It is true, I wish for ponies who share my affinity," she admitted. "But I also believe the night itself warrants champions of its very own. The moon should have a tribe as the sun does."
Luna met Skyline's eyes earnestly. "I know I ask much. But will you help me bring about this dream, not only for myself but for the night itself?"
Skyline twirled an ear back. "I... That's a better way of looking at it." A little smile peeked free. "Focus on that. Ma'am, I appreciate you, but you come across as self-centered at times."
"Me?!" Luna recoiled at the suggestion. "I guard the dreams of everypony! I act in their best interests. How can I be self-centered?"
"Half of it is how you say it, ma'am." He turned to point outside. "You made it sound like this was a project for you, about you. As if this was your project, dreamed up by you. Any new tribe we create is in... for a hard start. New lives are hard, for anycreature. A tribe isn't different."
Luna's eyes widened at Skyline's words, then her ears drooped in thought.
"You're right," she said slowly. "In my enthusiasm, I have been thinking of this primarily as my own vision. But any new tribe must be about more than my desires."
She began pacing, her hoofsteps echoing in the large chamber. "A tribe needs a purpose, an identity. It must bring something to Equestria that does not yet exist. You are correct that I have been focused inwardly, not considering what bat ponies could offer to others."
Luna stopped and faced Skyline resolutely. "Then let us reframe this. What could a night tribe provide that would benefit ponykind? What niche may they fill? I still wish to make this dream reality, but you are right that I must approach it as more than my own fancy."
She met his gaze. "Help me see beyond myself in this matter. How can we shape the bat ponies into a tribe that serves Equestria and the night, not only my desires? I will follow where your wisdom leads."
Skyline smiled at Luna, more genuinely. "You're getting confused, ma'am. You already gave a few good reasons. You want a tribe that lives at night. Studies it, savors and celebrates it. Some of them may stir during the day, just as some day ponies stay up to enjoy the night, but they would be a tribe of the night." He reached up to rub at his tufted ear. "Since we're discussing it, what were your thoughts on letting the guards keep their tribal gifts? Horned bat ponies and stocky ones that remind you of earth ponies. All winged, of course, but with tribes in the tribe of their own, like day ponies."
Luna frowned with thought. "I had considered your words. I do listen! Allowing the guards this... I could do, but is it wise to make the whole of the night tribe follow in this way?"
"What's the alternative?" Skyline shrugged lightly. "Have night pony foals that are all defaults, wondering why some of their supposed kin look so very different than they do? Why do none of us have horns? Why are some of them so heavy? Foals, children of any kind, are observant. They'll see, and they'll wonder."
Luna nodded slowly, considering Skyline's perspective. "You make a compelling case. Consistency and kinship among the tribe would be important."
She began to pace again as she thought it through. "If we allow diversity from the start - horns, sturdiness, and of course wings - then it will simply be accepted as the norm for bat ponies. The foals would see that variety amongst their kind and not question it."
Turning back to Skyline, Luna dipped her head respectfully. "Again, you show wisdom in this matter that I lacked. Very well, if we are to bring a night tribe into being, let them reflect the diverse gifts of all ponykind from the beginning. It shall be a union of all tribes under the banner of the moon!"
Her eyes shone with excitement at the thought, but she tempered it with a demure nod. "But as you say, we must think of how they shall serve Equestria. I am listening - what other counsel do you have for shaping this potential new tribe?"
Skyline took a step back, nervously fidgeting. A lot of responsibility was suddenly being heaped on him. His words could shape the future of an entire tribe of ponies. Three, technically? Maybe more? The scope of it was staggering. "Well..." He plumbed his knowledge of ponies, and an idea came to mind. "To start, the night watch, yours, is fine, but it's one force in one place. Ponies, most of them, have only trust to keep them safe at night."
He paced, far less agitatedly than Luna had. "Scholars of the night, casting their eyes on the stars and moon. Um... I don't know why..." He nervously paced in place. "Why do ponies look at stars?" He was but a changeling infiltrator. The reason behind astronomy was entirely beyond him. "Um! But... they can do it easier! They're awake when the moon and stars and things are out. You mentioned nocturnal magic. Does pony magic change during the night?" He has as many questions as ideas. He was trying, with what information he had. "Um..."
Luna smiled warmly, clearly appreciating Skyline's efforts despite his uncertainty. "Peace, you needn't have all the answers now. This is but the first step in a long journey."
She paused, gathering her thoughts. "You make excellent proposals. Yes, expanding the night guard beyond Canterlot would bring comfort and safety to all of Equestria's ponies. And you are right that scholars of the night sky and moon's magic are most needed when the sun slumbers."
Luna began slowly pacing again as she continued. "Magic does change in subtle ways under the moon's glow. And you are wise to recognize there is still much we do not understand about the cosmos. Unlocking such knowledge would surely benefit ponykind."
Turning back to Skyline, Luna said, "I believe we have the core purpose identified - to be champions and custodians of the night, in all the myriad ways that may manifest. This shall guide us as we take the next steps toward nurturing a tribe."
Luna met Skyline's eyes. "Again, I thank you for your perspective. I would be lost without your wisdom. But working together, we may yet realize this dream."
Skyline tensed, just for a laugh to bubble free. "Oh! You are using flattery." He waved a hoof at Luna. "I know that technique. It can be very effective. You're inflating my self-value, so that I give you what you want. Without me, this project is... over before it even begins." He sank to his haunches. "I hate that it's working... I can already feel the love, of ponies, of my fellow guards, of you..." He could feel the radiant adoration of Luna, soaking into him warmly from her direction. "I have nowhere to put it. Unless I run away, that egg will happen."
Still, it was his admission that it was coming, perhaps not entirely with his consent. "But even that we can't be... entirely sure of," noted Luna, tapping her hooves together. "This remains a myth, an old-mare's tale... How confident do you feel it'll even happen?"
Skyline let out a tense breath in the warm room. It smelled of lavender, one of Luna's favorite plants. He'd heard it helped calm creatures. He wasn't feeling very calm. "I can't say... I don't know. It may just hurt me, or kill me... Luna, ma'am. I would ask... that you protect me, if there's still a me to protect. This is stupidly dangerous. This whole project is crazy." He smirked a little. "But here we are."
Luna's expression grew solemn. She stepped forward and placed a gentle hoof on Skyline's shoulder.
"You speak truthfully. There are no guarantees of success or safety in what we attempt. I allowed my zeal to blind me to the risks."
She met his eyes earnestly. "You have my oath that I will do all in my power to shield you from harm. Your life is infinitely precious, with or without a new tribe arising."
Luna nodded slowly. "Perhaps we are both fools to entertain such unlikely myths. And yet..." A small smile returned to her lips. "I find it difficult to abandon this dream. But it must remain only that - a dream - unless you are willing."
She searched his face. "Skyline, for your sake most of all, but for Equestria's as well... will you take this leap with me into legend? The path ahead is shrouded, but I believe together we can see it through."
Luna extended her hoof in invitation. "What say you, brave one? Shall we embark on this mad quest to bring bat ponies out of myth and into life?"