The Shining Forest
The darkness slowly faded from Luna’s mind as she came back into consciousness. She blinked. She was laying on the floor again, but now the collar was a lot tighter than before. She sat up, groaning.

“Awake. Finally.” Sombra walked over with a bowl and put it in front of her. “I did actually make fruit salad for breakfast…three hours ago.”

“I’ve been asleep for three hours?!” Luna gasped.

“Not asleep. Unconscious,” Sombra corrected her, grinning. “Guess you don’t have a stomach for my charm.” Luna tried to cover her laugh but snorted so hard a piece of apple scraped in her throat. She put a=a hoof against her neck.

“Ow.” Sombra tried to look offended.

“You just won’t admit it,” he said airily. He trotted over to his couch and began reading an open scroll. Luna finished her food and laid down again with a sigh. She tried to get comfortable, but kept shifting and sighing as she tried to find the right spot. After two hours of this, Sombra finally looked over. “Bored?” he asked. Luna didn’t answer. He walked over and stood a few feet away. She backed up, remembering what had happened last time he came close. He cocked his head to one side and looked at her for a moment. Luna shuffled uncomfortably.

Finally, he spoke: “Come here.” He walked closer and Luna shrank back, pulling on the chain. She squinted her eyes shut and turned away as much as she could. A few moments passed, then… “You can open your eyes now,” Sombra told her, amusement in his voice. Luna opened one eye and looked. He was holding the end of the chain that attached to the floor in his magic. He had unhooked it from the ring in the ground and was looking at her, smirking. “A little nervous?” he asked.

“N-no,” she responded, embarrassed. He reached out with his magic and unclipped the chain that held her left hoof up, leaving the cuff. He tossed the chain to the side and gestured with his head.

“Coming?” he asked. Luna slowly got to her hooves, eyeing him with frightened suspicion. Why would he take those chains off? she asked herself.

“Where are we going?” she demanded, trying to keep her voice from shaking. Sombra glanced at her.

“You’ll see.” He lifted the collar chain and led her out of the cave into the tunnel where the water sounds came from. They walked around a bend and came into… _a forest? _Luna gasped as she looked around. There were giant glowing mushrooms, tall, leafy trees, silvery grass at her hooves, flowers with glowing pollen speckling the ground, crystals sticking up from the ground, and a crystal path under her hooves. All of this circled a small lake, maybe three hundred feet across. A stand of trees looked like they had been shaped into a pavilion, and across the water from the ponies was a huge glistening white tree with what looked like a crystal trunk. Leaves that looked like willow branches hung down, trailing in the water.

The water itself had a certain luminescence to it. It glowed a beautiful light blue-green on the ripples. A slight current kept the water moving, coming from a stream that wound its way deeper into the forest.

“What is this place?” Luna whispered, staring at the beautiful landscape.

“This is the Shining Forest. Another ‘Old Mare’s Tale’,” Sombra told her, smiling. “It is part of the Caverns of Time.” The both walked on the crystal path for a moment before he spoke again. “Come look at the water.” They walked through the soft cool grass to the edge of the lake. Sombra tapped his hoof in it. “This is the only true Crystal Water left that I know of. It comes from the Crystal Heart itself.” Luna put her injured hoof into the water and gasped as the water climbed up through her bandage. Sombra looked at her hoof curiously, then lifted it gently in his magic. “Hmm…” He carefully unwound the bandage an pulled the brace off. “Does this hurt?” he asked, moving her hoof in circles.

“N-n-no,” she stammered, not very keen on him holding her hoof.

“Hm. What about this?” He twisted her hoof smoothly in a circle.

“No.” She managed to keep the stammer out of her voice when she answered. “What happened?”

“It appears the water healed you.” He placed her hoof on the ground. “It only does that to a rare few.” He led her back to the path and they continued on it until they reached the stream. The path arched over it in a dazzling crystal bridge.

“Wow!” Luna whispered, staring at the graceful architecture. “Who made that?” she asked.

“I believe it was made naturally. The crystals in this cave are practically alive.” They walked onto the bridge and Luna sidled over to the edge to look into the stream. Just like the lake, the water was crystal clear with a beautiful glow to it. Small stones lined the bottom and a few glowing fish swam around under the surface. As she stood at the edge, her hoof suddenly slipped on the wet crystal and she fell into the stream, the chain Sombra was holding pulling tight. The collar, feeling her sudden intake of breath, tightened yet again, threatening to choke her.

Luna leaped out of the stream and began pulling at the collar with her teeth, trying to breathe. It wouldn’t come off. Instead, it tightened more, cutting into her skin. “Hold still!” Luna vaguely heard Sombra’s call, but black spots were rolling in front of her eyes. Suddenly, she could breath again. She looked up and saw Sombra’s face, hiw horn glowing. “Is that better?” he asked. Luna couldn’t answer for a moment, just gasped in air. “Can you breathe now?” he pressed, looking concerned. Luna nodded, water dripping from her mane. Sombra sighed. “Whew. You really had me worried there.”

“W-what?” Luna asked.

“Please don’t do that again. I thought you were dying,” Sombra replied. Luna looked closer at him and realized he was shaking.

“Sombra, are you…” Luna began.

“No!” he interrupted. “I’m not!” He put on a superior-looking face.

“I didn’t finish,” Luna said. Sombra huffed and turned around.

“Are you coming or not?” he asked. Luna followed him over the grass, not saying word. He was worried about me? she thought. _Why?

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Ooooh!!!_ Yeah, so I know Luna looks really like a freak in this picture, but try to ignore it.

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