What? Where?! When did this... this THING get the opportunity to sneak up on him? Not at all realizing it had formed directly above him, Ashen was already on his hooves and making a mad dash for the inner halls of the castle while galloping as fast as he could to get out of the monster's bright light that spoiled his powers. Wait. Light. It had just occurred to him that one of his tendrils had been carrying his gun, Leifthrasir. Being caught in the light had caused the shadow to dissipate, and so... Before he turned the corner to head deeper in, he hesitated and looked back. That was a one of a kind model that was passed down through generations... however as the figure of what appeared to be her highness Luna closed in on where he once stood... surely, if this was indeed some kind of trick, then he would be a sitting duck if he only had his blade. He had no choice.

Gritting his teeth, the Bat turned back and with the force behind his wings carrying him on his own wind he galloped, leaped high into the air and dove straight for it. Narrowly avoiding the terrifying nebulous beast that discovered him, the gun was snatched up into his maw and quickly flipped around by his tongue so that he could get the tip of it against the trigger, and the barrel pointed toward his foes. Along with that, he knew that it was far too late to escape seeing as how the figure and the beast were nearly on him, and so with practiced motions his wings snapped out and caught the outermost membranous ridges on a form fitting wing-length clamp that attached deadly silver blades that were concealed in slits along the rear length of his coat. Under the beasts light they glimmered. 

Ashen took a stance that was taught to him by his self-defense teacher, a classic that all Bat Ponies used back in the war. To anybody else, it simply looked like he was crouching low, with his right wing and it's blade facing his opponents, and his left wing raised behind his back with the blade facing behind him, his hooves placed in a particular way. Perhaps, he thought, if this was Luna, she would recognize it as a reliable defensive stance that allowed a quick and punishing attack by twirling through the air after dashing from stand still. Like an airborne blender. Of course, she may also recognize the outfit he was wearing... it was heavily modified, and did not have a cowl, but still... Ashen was prepared to fight for his life yet again.