Not so Dark After All

Part 1: The Calling

Princess Luna was replacing the wall sconce flowers. She smelled another bouquet of lavender with a smile before using her magic to take down the wilted one in the wall, replacing it with the utmost care. She wanted the ponies of the castle to sleep well, as well as make less work for herself. The castle was empty. Luna was due to raise the moon any minute now. She had to hurry, otherwise the ponies of Equestria would be left sleeping in the hollow sunset of dusk. Replacing the cart back in its hidden spot, she galloped down the hall. The reverberation of her hooves against the floor made her feel smaller than she was. Guards greeted her with a curt nod as she flew down the hall. Casting as sudden spell, she heard a poof, and found herself standing on the highest balcony of the castle. Her sister, Princess Celestia, was standing here, her wings spread and lowering, the sun following her movements.

"Hello, sister," she said softly. Luna smiled and raised the moon slowly. Its ghostly glow covered the land. Celestia grinned down at her sister.

"Goodnight, Luna," she said. They embraced.

"Goodnight, sister. Sleep well. Make less work for me, will you?"

"I'll try. No promises."

Luna watched her cast her own spell, disappearing somewhere in the castle. Luna waited until she saw the lights of Canterlot go out, one by one. Then she called the Dream Realm forth. A dark cloud of magic enveloped her, and she was surrounded by dreams. Not many nightmares tonight. She saw the round, floating images. One filly was dreaming of Nightmare Night with her friends. Another was picturing a grand meeting with her idols. Always curious, Luna checked on Pinkie Pie. She always had the most interesting dreams. Indeed, tonight was no different, as she appeared to be surfing on a wave of cake frosting. Luna laughed to herself.

But she turned, and saw the subconscious of a pony she'd never seen before.

This dream was all alone. Dark. Huge. Strangely blank. Luna flew to it. The aura around it was heavy and sad. Luna flinched as she came near it. The aura blasted into her, making her feel as if she had just been flung into a wall with force. 

Then the dream possessed eyes. Red ones.

"Hello, Princess," a voice said with a chuckle. It sounded like it was all around her. 

"Who's there?"

"Relax, Luna. It's just me. There's no need to fear. I'm not here to hurt you; Only to deliver a message."

Luna squinted her eyes, flaring her wings. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"You have every right not to trust me, Princess. But I'm not here to hurt you, I promise. Just listen closely, and I will not harm anypony under your rule."

"Tell me, then."

"You're not saying 'us' anymore. Has it been that long? Do you not recognize my voice? My eyes? Has your mind gone blank?"

Luna thought for a moment. Yes, the voice did sound familiar. But she couldn't seem to find the source, and she shook her head. "You, I do not remember, I'm afraid."

"Well, it matters not. I wanted to tell you this: I need you to come back to me."

"Back?"

"Yes. Back. I remember the day you and Celestia defeated me. You looked lovely, clad in dark black armor. It complemented your fur. You looked so fierce. So much larger than your sister. I must admit, I was relenting. I was reluctant to fight you. But now that you have banished me from my own kingdom, I can confidently say that I'm not afraid to ask you to come back to me."

Luna still had a hard time grasping this concept. The voice and the eyes she still could not place. "Who are you?"

The voice sighed. "Your words pain me. But I still prefer you over your sister. Please, Luna. This is the most I've ever begged anypony in my entire life. Please come back to me. I'm so far away from you. I'll be waiting, in the empire of crystals, where the winter bites at me." 

The dark dream disappeared, and the presence was gone. 

From the author

WOAH! TWO STORIES AT A TIME?! ISN'T IT AMAZING?! Anyway, in case you were wondering, yes, this is a Luna x King Sombra fanfiction. I'm working on another fanfiction for you guys, in case you don't like this one. I also saw how many of you added my Fluttercord story to your libraries. EEK! I mean, it's not a lot, but it happened in such a small amount of time. With this story, I'm not sure. But let me know if you guys want more of this. I already have the plot planned out. I just need to write it.

Love, Annie