A Change in Darkness

by David Silver

9 - When the Moon Hits Your Eye

"Sister." Luna stepped around Celestia on her throne. There were no supplicants at that time. "Sister... Would you be upset if I went... hunting?"

Celestia cocked a brow. "There are very few things I could imagine you'd need to hunt, and fewer things I'd want you to hunt. What have you in mind?"

Luna sat and brought up her hooves together with a calculating smile. "Just one more changeling. Just one."

Celestia lifted the other brow to match. "You're kidding. Changelings tend to be very good at not being seen away from their hive, and at their hive, they are a force to be reckoned with, with a queen that would not favor such... poaching of her talent. This feels like an effort doomed from the start."

Luna snorted softly. "You have not been very supportive, sister mine."

"You are not thinking this through." Celestia glanced at the guards, who were doing their best to not pay attention. "What is the limit, and what are you inflicting on a future foal? To live as the only of its kind? That hardly seems a kind destiny, even if well-minded."

"I didn't say it has anything to do with that," defended Luna with a huff. "You are assuming things."

"Am I wrong?"

Luna looked away, rather than answer that question. "Besides, they wouldn't be. They would have an entire family, ready to deliver love and support. An extended family, even. Foals would weep to have such a large and supportive family."

"A family that is only wearing their reality as a suit of armor, literally." Celestia shook her head slowly. "Are you certain this is a good idea to entertain?"

"Your age has made you cynical." Luna trot off to see her schemes made true.

Celestia sighed gently. "That was a low blow."

---

Skyline soared with several others in tight formation. Their target was ahead of them, barely visible in the gloom of the night, but they had torches, which made it easier to pick them out. They being their target. None of the night guards carried any light. Sharp squeaks let them know they weren't crashing into anything, including each other.

It had taken practice for them to learn to use sonar properly. A funny thing, but one didn't need to be a bat to do that. Even a normal pony could learn to use sonar, but most didn't, as eyes worked pretty well. Big bat pony ears and being told, no, commanded to figure it out was motivation enough to get them all practicing until they could do such night missions.

Skyline waved to the left and right in precise motions, sending the others breaking away. They had a plan already worked out, long before they got there. A new squeak, a coded keyword that few but other bats would be listening for. The target was ready, guard was down. Hit it fast, get away. That was the goal. Skyline drew higher, not wanting the light they were aiming by to reveal him.

They were almost there and he checked the heavy package attached to him one last time. The straps were secure, the release felt ready to go. He couldn't test that, not that late into things. It'd work, or not, at that point. The night wind ruffling his fur, he made silent calculations on where to be and when to... "Now." Saying it was not required. It was for nopony's benefit. He yanked the cord in a rough pull and his flight became a wobble with so much weight being freed all at once.

He banked with the sudden momentum, wheeling away from his target. Hit or not, he'd do no favors to anyone on his side by sticking around. He could hear crashes behind him. He wasn't the only one bombing that night. Some dull thuds of things hitting the ground, but also splintering wood and squeals of abused metal. Ponies were shouting and panicking. They hadn't expected a bombing run in the middle of the night, clearly.

Ponies were creatures of the day. An attack in the night? Who would do that?

Skyline smirked at the thought. They would. Guards of the night. He let out a laugh, feeling far enough away for comfort. "She watches our dreams!" he shouted.

"We watch the rest," came the callback as others fell in line with him. They cheered as one, pride and triumph thick in the unit.

The return flight was unimpeded, smooth soaring through the uncombative skies. They touched down at the castle and most of them got to stripping themselves of the harnesses that held their attack salvos. Skyline went to the commander to report in. "Target struck. Lemon Patty was on over watch."

"Very good." He reached with a wing to pat Skyline. "I'll check with her for the rest of that report. Any casualties?"

"None, sir." Skyline glanced back at the others. "All intact and ready for more, sir. Do we have another assignment?"

"Let me check with Lemon first." He waved a wing dismissively, already headed for Lemon Patty. "Soldier!" She jumped, and he got to pressing her on the details of how the run actually went. The ones doing the dropping couldn't also see the result of it, not if they wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Someone had to play over watch, to see what happened from just far enough away and not take part in the bombing itself.

"Sir! The tower collapsed. They took supports out with two boulders, the rest couldn't stand upright. Minimal pony injuries. Operational successful, sir." She saluted with a leathery wing at the end of that. "That is all."

The commander nodded at her. "Excellent. Did you hear them? Did they see what hit them?"

"They were in disarray, sir." She glanced away and back. "I think they were wondering where their night watch was... sir? Where was their night watch? They had a watchtower with no pony in or on it. That's not normal, is it... sir?"

The commander chuckled softly. "That would be us using the tools we have, soldier."

"Oh..." Lemon glanced away and back. "May I ask which tool that is, Sir?"

"All harnesses accounted for and stowed," barked out Skyline, returning to report that. "Will that be all?"

The commander threw an arm over Skyline. "Right on cue. Besides being a crack bomber, he's still a changeling. They have specific talents he lent us tonight."

That only made Lemon Patty more confused. "But he was bombing, sir... How could he be doing something else at the same time?"

Skyline flipped a tufted ear back. "I infiltrated them over the last week. They thought I'd be watching the tower tonight."

The commander snorted with a cruel smirk. "You were! You watched that tower very closely... Good job, all of you." His voice raised as he addressed all of them at once. "You're off duty. Get some rest and be proud, knowing you made Equestria a little safer."

The crowd cheered in victorious cries and many wing-slaps were traded in shared joy. Lemon wasn't quite sharing it. "Sir... Why did we bomb that? A tower isn't much of a threat to the country."

"You ask a lot of questions." He prodded her in the chest. "But, this isn't a secret, lucky you. The ponies holding the tower had it in their mind to make use of their fortifications to stir up trouble. They thought they were well beyond the sight and reach of any law. Taking it down like that? They won't make that stupid thought again."

"Oh." Lemon turned to Skyline. "Thank you."

"You're welcome? What am I being thanked for?" He peered at the mare with some confusion. "Just doing my job. Same as you."

"Y-yes..." Lemon inclined her head. "I was more impressed at your work, besides the bombing and being a guard. Spying on them meant you were away from the rest of us. You were in danger, but you did it anyway, without backup. That's... very brave."

Skyline colored lightly at the praise. "Just... part of the job. Um. Sir, retiring."

"See you tomorrow evening." They nodded at one another and he let Skyline withdraw. "Poor thing. You made his night, and made him flustered at the same time. Now, what are you waiting for? Get some rest."

"Sir, yes, sir!" She hopped to trotting off, rather than risking any further shouting.

---

Skyline skipped getting a bite. He didn't feel hungry just yet, so he walked past the room, cutting through it and those who were taking part to get to the hallways that led to the dorms. "Soldier." He knew that voice. Luna was standing just out of the way, where one could maybe not see her if they weren't looking for her. Who'd expect a random princess? "Come here."

He came as requested. She was the ultimate commanding officer. "Ma'am?"

"I want to speak frankly with you. Is this a good time?" She angled an ear at him. "If it is not, that is fine. Speak honestly."

"I'm not busy. We just finished a mission, ma'am." What was she thinking? He couldn't tell by looking at her. She seemed calm enough. More strange questions? That felt quite likely.

"Good, and congratulations. This way." She led the short way to a sitting room with a table and a few cushions around it. Tea was already set and she used her magic to pour out two cups, pushing one towards Skyline. "If you like."

"Um..." Being served by his boss felt odd. "If you insist, ma'am?" He took the cup and sipped it lightly. "How can I help, ma'am?"

"First, you will listen." She leveled a hoof at Skyline's tufted ear, even poking it, making it flick in the contact. "See that?"

"That's my ear, ma'am. What about it?"

"You are the only creature in all the nation with that model of ear... That isn't being forced into it with specific magic armor." She slowly brought her hooves together. "Bat ponies are not a thing. Not properly... I would like to address that."

He perked, both ears going up. "Ma'am? How would you do that, ma'am?"

Luna nodded slowly at Skyline. "I'm looking at what I hope can be one of the answers. You are a bat pony. You are also a changeling, but you are a bat pony. That's why I asked what I asked. Do you carry the potential for a new tribe of ponies? How deep does changeling imitation go?"

"Uh..." He was not hiding his confusion very well. "I never tested, ma'am? How would I test that?"

"I am glad you asked." Luna tapped the table between them. "Because I want to do just that. From what you've told me, there is at least one way forward. You need to be filled, gorged with love, to the point you can't take another drop."

Skyline darkened, thinking of the story he had shared. "I can't do that, ma'am."

"Why not? Be honest. If it cannot be done, simply tell me why."

Where to start? "For one... I don't have that much love, ma'am. I'm not hungry... The... others like me enough." He gave a shy smile at that. "Enough to live on and be happy, ma'am."

"Good." She set her glass down, her glow fading from around it. "Then if we get you a little more, we can start fattening you. The question that is far more pressing, is do you want to take part in this?" She leveled a hoof at Skyline. "Let me be perfectly clear. I don't control who and why and when you decide to have a child. That is your decision alone, save for wanting my guards to be proper while on-duty. This is your decision, not mine, not anypony else. If you say no, I will pout, but move on. Even a princess can't demand that. It will have no bearing on your standing as a guard of mine."

Author's Note:

Well, that can't be entirely true. Surely, if he did it, it'd have some positive effect, right? Pesky thing, that whole consent thing. But what will he say?

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Comments

[Emtu]

I will pout

Oh no! The darkest timeline!

[Eroraf86]

Pesky thing, that whole consent thing.

Now where did MAD!Sunset leave that rolled-up newspaper . . . ?

[redmar]

That Luna is being hones about the reasons for her questions is a good thing.

[Midknight Defender]

Luna? Pouting? Inconceivable!!!

[Scyphi]

*sees chapter title*

"Augh! I've got some Moon in my eye!"

*rubs aggressively at eye*

"You are not thinking this through." Celestia glanced at the guards, who were doing their best to not pay attention. "What is the limit, and what are you inflicting on a future foal? To live as the only of its kind? That hardly seems a kind destiny, even if well-minded."

Yeah, well, need I remind you, Celly, that you were the one who first put the idea for all this in her head? If you don't like the outcomes, then maybe next time you should know to leave well enough alone, right?

"If you say no, I will pout..."

And it will be a MIGHTY pout, worthy of the glory of the night!

[tsaukpaetra]

Well, if he keeps being awesome, maybe admiration would count enough? He's no rock star, for sure, but Shirley there will be some who would be interested in the creation of the first lines of a generation?

[David Silver]

11661152
Don't call me Shirley!

[StarzGecko]

Luna makes it sound like she wants to be a mother also is it me or the mares starting to fall for the changling?

Btw… the way it’s explained about what Luna wants him to do… does it sound like how a Pokémon Egg kind of appears? Just from the story so far it sounds like the love between both lovers causes some short of magic Egg to appear.

[David Silver]

11661718
The story was horrifically vague in how the egg manifested, or even where it did so, just that it did. Old folk tales can be like that.

[StarzGecko]

11661728
It's MLP, Folk Tales is like History to them

[David Silver]

11661772
The series starts with a folk tale they had to take a little less literally to make work.

[StarzGecko]

I wonder if Luna would really go hunting for little bug children

[0]

This Luna is creeping me out, a little.

Are there deeper reasons she is so focused in this idea?

[David Silver]

11698868
I can think of one big obvious possible reason. You?