“I think we should send out a search party. Oh! Good Morning Sombra.” Twilight turned away from her friends, plus Luna, and smiled warmly as Sombra stopped walking and looked to her. Turning, he began to head toward the stairs to the observatory. Twilight turned her attention toward Luna as she spoke.
“We can’t have you going missing too Twilight, the Elements are much too risky to send after some forces that went missing.” Luna bit her lip and folded her wings, standing up and taking a step toward Twilight, who flared her wings, and situated a glare on Luna.
“I am not just the Elements! I am Twilight Sparkle!” Twilight folded her wings, and looked to her friends, smiling as they nodded, walking forward to stand beside her. Sombra paused midway up the stairs, and turned his head to look at them from the corner of his eye.
“Yes! That may be true but you still have a duty to Equestria that must come before your own desires! What if something happened to the Elements?” Luna flared her wings and lowered her head, meeting Twilight’s eye. Both frowned, and sighed, looking away as they reached an impasse. Twilight blinked, noticing Sombra watching them. Breathing out, he walked down the stairs and headed for his room.
“Luna, I did not stand by while every other pony was battling the Everfree’s black weeds. I am not going to stand by while ponies could die from my orders.” Twilight turned, folding her wings and looking at Luna, a hard edge to her eyes. Luna growled, and flared her wings more, before folding them and sighing.
“Twilight, a good ruler knows when to take risks, and when to let others take the risks. I have a squadron flying here that will be here by tonight. Please Twilight, this is a time to let them handle the risk.” Luna saw the hard edge fade slightly from Twilight’s eye, but not fade completely. Both looked away, flicking their ears and turning their head as Sombra emerged once more.
“What are you doing Sombra?” Twilight tilted her head, noting the crystal sticking out of Sombra’s mouth as he slowly chewed it, and swallowed. Was that a part of her castle? No, that crystal was black, not purple. Sombra levitated another out of his worn saddlebags, and pulled out a large map-like piece of paper that Twilight did not recall Sombra having.
“Pest Control,” he replied, walking over to Rarity. After a moment, Rarity jumped as her memory kicked in, and pulled out a purple crystal she had brought for Sombra. Sombra swallowed it with one bite, and turned back to his map. Twilight leaned over, and widened her eyes, it was a detailed map of the Everfree, before it was the Everfree.
“That’s the old castle, you’ve been there?” Twilight searched her memory, noticing all the hidden passageways detailed, including some she hadn’t heard about from the others. Sombra folded the map up, and turned toward her, giving a slow nod. Twilight bit her lip, and turned toward Luna, pointing to Sombra.
“I’m going with him.” Twilight waved a wing to her friends, and they filed into a ragtag group behind Sombra, who glanced back, and frowned. Luna stepped forward, blocking Sombra’s path as she flared her wings and glared at him.
“Oh no you don’t, don’t you dare do this to me Sombra. You’re supposed to back me up here.” Luna softened her eyes as Sombra raised his head to meet hers, and breathed out audibly.
“A good ruler knows when to take risks, and when to let others take the risks.” Sombra turned, and walked around Luna, who stood there, eye twitching. Twilight hurried after Sombra, glancing back at Luna as she stood there, eye still twitching. Turning to Sombra, she raised an eyebrow.
“I thought you two made up last night?” Twilight jumped slightly into the air as Luna landed right beside her, and glared openly at Sombra as he led them into the forest without hesitation.
“We did, Sombra’s just a jerk.” Luna' glare deepened as Sombra glanced back to her, before once more focusing on their path. Twilight tilted her head at the behaviour, but turned her attention to a different question.
“Sombra, where exactly are we going?” Twilight bumped into Sombra as he stopped, everyone managing to bump into her from behind, sending Sombra a step forward. Turning around, he seemed completely uncaring about the fact they were so close, almost touching horns.
“We are going to the bug nest.” Sombra turned, and once more began to walk. Twilight picked up the pace, and fell into line beside Sombra. Well, as best she could considering the root encrusted terrain.
“But how do you know the way?” Twilight stepped to the side as Sombra once more paused, this time no one bumping into him, and pulled out a small piece of paper with a sort of honeycomb-looking circle on it.
“Oh hey, I remember that plant, you gave it to me as a gift when I was younger.” Luna smiled, and then paled as she remembered exactly how big that plant grew. Sombra nodded, and opened his mouth to speak.
“It is highly likely to assume the Changelings found this hive-like plant, and drove out whatever resident made it home before they arrived, and is currently still resting there, with two squadrons of ponies to feed them.” Sombra put the paper away, and once more began walking. For a few moments, there was silence.
“I think that plant looks like a Pinata,” commented Pinkie Pie.
“Mon dieu, tuez-moi maintenant avant que mes oreilles saignent.” Sombra lowered his head and gave an exasperated sigh. Luna chuckled quietly, much to everypony’s confusion.
“Venez maintenant, sûrement la nature n'est pas si mal que ça.” Luna chuckled once more, flaring her wings and landing beside Sombra’s other side, quickly matching his stride. Sombra glared at her venomously.
“Je parlant était pas sur la nature. Je parlais de votre voix de chant.” Sombra saw Luna’s eye twitch, and smiled mockingly as she huffed, and looked away.
“Au moins la mienne t pas fissure pas les fenêtres,” she countered, smirking herself as Sombra growled.
“Je vous préviens suis vous, ne le fais pas.” Sombra glared as Luna turned her head, and replied with a casual tone in her voice.
“Did you know Sombra once shattered the crystal castle due to his singing voice? It took four months to fix, even with his magic.” Luna smirked as all gasped, and looked to the glaring Sombra.
“Je vais te avoir pour cela, et votre petit chien aussi.” Sombra’s ears fell back on his head in irritation as Luna merely raised her head, and laughed loudly to the sky.