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// Night Court 
// Story: Winter Moon Celebration 
// by flutterdash1 
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Chapter 2: Night Court
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The worst part of Bright Light was his ability to be so irritating and yet pass it off politely and apologetically enough so as to make whomever he was angering feel bad for getting upset over something that, thirty seconds later, seemed trivial.  Moon Trot, for example, felt bad that she had gotten so snappy at the stallion for his idle curiosity, and yet she hated him for making her feel bad because she knows it was an act but at the same time she could do nothing about it.

Fortunately, he was soon leaving her presence, and Moon Trot would be able to forget about him once more.  She did not miss the verbal slip Bright Light gave to Luna but chose not to pursue it for the mere sake of keeping the peace.  Plus it didn't help that any attempt to reprimand her former superior would only come across as petty and ultimately cause more harm than good.

Moon Trot gave the night sky a long look before stepping into the stairwell and shutting the door behind herself and Luna.  "Your Night is lovely, excellency," she commented as they walked. 

"The stars hath answered thine call to shine at their most brilliant," Luna nodded as the pair made their way through the castle. "We shalt not dine now; we prefer to press on with the business of the state. We shall review the matters requiring our attention, prior to the beginning of Night Court."

The next place they would have stopped would have been the dining hal,l if Luna were feeling hungry, and while there they would have handled some of the administrative paperwork and reports, which would largely consist of Moon Trot summarizing summaries and passing a few scrolls to Luna to be signed.  Luna could read them, but anything worth reading would be given extra attention and be emphasized beforehand.

Since Luna wasn't hungry, they would bypass the paperwork until later in the night and instead went directly to the Caelos Atrium where any who desired an audience with the Princess of the Moon, had a good reason for seeing her, passed the security inspections, filled out the proper forms in triplicate, and arrived early enough, would be waiting.



As a consequence of being mostly diurnal, the castle was an altogether quieter affair under the gaze of the Moon. Ponies still flitted through, of course, but the hallways were wide and empty; the candles that flickered in the wind casting dancing, warping shadows on the stonework. Here and there one of those shadows stood immobile, unyielding - Limited proof that the Princess' own guards stood ever-watchful. Still, it was peaceful if not bustling and Luna was always grateful that she could indulge in her fondness for silence. That was not to say she preferred not to speak; only that she did not do so when she had nothing to say.

Several members of the Royal Court, such as Prince Blueblood, could learn from such a valid lesson.

Moon Trot made a gesture to one of the night attendants as they passed.  It was to have the attendant go to the kitchen and tell them to keep the Princess’s food warm- or cold, depending on the actual dish- for later.  A different gesture to a different attendant sent a pegasus flying through the halls to gather paperwork from various offices and bring them to Moon Trot.  A large portion of the papers were fluffed up bureaucratic memorandums, but at the core of each report was something that needed to be seen to by Luna or ensured that Luna was informed of it.

Once the pegasus came back with the stack of documents Moon Trot used her telekinetic magic to hold them in place at her side.  The first scroll floated in front of her and opened up.

"The first guest of the evening will be Torrent, captain of the Weather Patrol.  He wants your approval on the augmented winter weather schedule." She sent the scroll ahead to Luna so she could skim over it. Torrent kept his documents in tidy order and there was little room for Moon Trot to summarize since it was mostly just a bulleted list of dates and weather on those dates with a few crossed out in red and new weather patterns written in in red as well, with notes appended for why there was such a change.

"The petition for the alteration of the weather is granted," Luna nodded a moment after scanning the document. Nothing particularly challenging.  Moon Trot made a mental note to tell Torrent as soon as she saw him so that he could go rest for the night rather than wait through the Night Court.

"This one is just the invitation I mentioned earlier," Moon Trot passed it to Luna as well before going to the next one, "The railroad to the Crystal Empire is continuing on schedule...letter from the Ambassador saying how honored he will be to sit in your presence later...letter from the Astrological Institute that you mentioned earlier...invitation from Prince Blue Blood to his royal birthday party in a few months, please RSVP...a request for funding for research into...er...self-sustaining nightlights?" She read further into this document.  It must have been a last minute push by someone lower in the chain of command, "Apparently candles are being deemed dangerous for young foals who are afraid of the dark and a magical source of illumination that could last for the night hours without requiring a unicorn's constant presence would solve the issue of safety and allow the young ponies to sleep peacefully."  It was an interesting idea, to say the least.

The words from the Griffon Ambassador brought the smallest smile to the Alicorn's lips. "He hath started his duel early. Griffons value strength above all else, albeit not necessarily in the body while absent in the mind. Nonetheless, while it is not the easiest to see, that was a highly sarcastic missive, courtesy of the Ambassador. Thou shalt see, later, his kind in their element. Subtle threats, joshings, insults and mockery mixed with respect and warrior's honour. It is quite the eclectic conflagration to observe. We are sure thou shalt learn something from it."

On the subject of self-sustaining illumination, the Princess was intrigued. "Pretell, hath any technical documents accompanied this request? We are distinctly uneasy about the prospect of magic summoned forth and allowed to work free of a unicorn's influence. The magic of the Earth Ponies and Pegasi is more stable, alas it does not have the power or the range and thus it is usually impossible to see beyond the obviousness of walking on clouds, or tending to crops. We hath seen attempts at spontaneous magical collection and containment ... It did not end at all well."

Moon Trot shuffled through the scrolls to find the ones pertaining to the magical night light request.  "Uhm..." She said as she perused them.  "Nothing by way of schematics, formulae, or incantations," she said, "But here's a description of what they hope to do but...yeesh, they clearly didn't have anyone proofread it."  She passed the scroll up to Luna so that she could read about the plans to give the devices an initial 'charge' upon manufacturing and then have them absorb the radiant magic from the Sun and Moon when not in use to store up for the night where they will have an enchanted lever that, when turned to have one seal touch another seal, emit a soft light that glows with the brightness of a candle but without the heat or fire that were related to the devices.

Luna nodded attentively, until Moon Trot made mention of harnessing the radiant energy of the Moon. Instantly a deep frown creased her features and her wings flared instinctively. "This petition is rejected immediately. Inform those whom filed it that they are ordered, without prejudice or delay, to discontinue their investigations and experiments. Thou shalt make it clear that no attempt should be made to draw energy from the Moon or the Stars."

Luna's voice became quiet, making it all the more pointed and threatening. "We wish to make it clear. They are not to attempt to communicate with the stars. It is imperative that thou understandeth what we are ordering, Moon Trot."

Tipping her eyes upwards as if to stare at the Night through the ceiling of the chamber, the Princess shook her mane. "That will be insufficient. Have the Lunar Guard deliver thine order and confiscate any and all equipment, notes and studies into any processes they may have begun to communicate with the stars. We will not tolerate any attempt to cirucmvent thine authority. Are we clear?"

Moon Trot was taken aback by the sudden ferocity that Luna exhibited.  She could sympathize with a little of her frustrations since the scientists would be dabbling in her realm- the Moon- but her vicious tone and the even more silent order afterwards alarmed the Minister of the Night.  While part of her wished to speak up not on behalf of the scientists but in order to calm the Princess of the Night at least in part, she was currently too caught up in the tension of the moment.

"Yes, your highness," she replied submissively to the order.  A scroll materialized before her and a quill began to write on it before Luna rectified her order.  The Guard themselves were to go.  The drastic action was enough to point to Moon Trot that there would be no discussion of the subject.  Not right now, at least.  With a nod, Moon Trot had the half-written orders vanish and she walked away from the Princess. The nearest guard was just beyond the doors and she spoke to him.  He nodded his understanding and took off, leaving his partner behind to remain as door guard while he himself went off to speak with the Lunar Guard Commander, relay the orders, and more than likely go with a dozen or so other dark fliers of the night to uphold the orders of their Princess.

Allowing a few moments to collect herself, Luna's voice lost the knife-edge that had made it so powerful and unyielding a moment before. "Come, Night Court doth begin imminently and we are expecting the arrival of the Astronomical Society of Equestria firstly."

Moon Trot, glad that she had taken on her softer tones for the upcoming visitors, went to the main doors and opened them.  Many of the guests of the night were already lined up outside. She showed them into the antechamber where seats and refreshments were arrayed as well as an orchestral band to provide ambiance.  It took some time to find the speakers for the Astronomical Society but once she had rounded the three of them up she escorted them to Princess Luna and introduced them each by name.

"Your highness," she said, "These are Starlight, Glimmer, and Milky Way from the Astronomical Society of Equestria."  Each of the ponies bowed their heads one by one as they were introduced.

"Surveyors of thine sky and stars," Luna began after regarding each of the ponies assembled before her. "We are pleased to greet thee an audience before us. To what doth we owe the pleasure of this visitation?"

"Your ... Highness," Glimmer began, his voice as hesitant as his downcast eyes. "We're here to ask for ... That is, to seek your reasoning - but never to question - why you ..."

Starlight leapt to his colleague's assistance, poorly. "That is to say we're merely interested, as befits our expertise I mean we don't presume to know the will of a Princess--"

"Enough! Milky Way barked, exasperation painted across his features as his tail swished in irritation. "Princess, as the representatives of the Royal Astronomical Society of Equestria, we are here to seek an explanation for your recent activities."

Luna sat up, her expression betraying nothing as she leaned forwards imperceptibly. "Pretell, where did thou obtain the royal favour of your society?"

"The Princess," Milky Way replied too quickly for his mind to realise the error. "Princess Celestia," He amended.

"Princess Celestia Indeed," Luna repeated. "We had not realised she had dominion over our stars."

Milky Way stayed the course. "Princess, we're here to find out exactly why you've interfered with the position of the night sky and caused unheralded chaos."

The slightest tremor of displeasure ran through the Alicorn's eye - an almost-imperceptible twitch that went unnoticed by the three astronomers. "Explain," She snapped.

"A multitude of ponies rely on the stars for navigation; we produce accurate charts and calibrate instruments to allow anypony to fix their position to considerable accuracy based on the position of the stars relative to them. Indeed, our methods are the only reliable means by which ponies-at-sea can navigate their ships across the oceans. Your recent movements have resulted in our charts becoming totally incorrect and our instrument calibrations misleading. Ponies are being lost and requiring rescue as a direct result of your actions. We petition you to immediately correct the stars you have moved."

"Correct?" Luna replied singularly. Milky Way nodded. "Correct?" She barked, forcing the astronomer to wince.

"WHO DOTH THOU CONJURE THYSELF TO BE, BEFORE OUR THRONE ON OUR NIGHT, TELLING US OF HOW THE STARS SHOULD BE? THY IGNORANCE IS NOTHING IN LIGHT OF THE OVERWHELMING ARROGANCE OF THY BELIEF IN USING WHAT WE HATH CREATED AND MAINTAINED. THE STARS WERE PLACED IN THINE SKY BY OUR FAIR HOOF, FIXED FOR ALL ETERNITY IN THE POSITIONS THAT PLEASED US! THAT THEY MOVED EVEN A SINGLE INCH WAS AS THE RESULT OF OUR ABSENCE AND OUR SISTER'S LIMITED ABILITY TO CONTROL OUR NIGHT. THEY WERE NEVER INTENDED TO DRIFT, AS THEY HAVE DONE!

From beyond the expansive windows which lined each side of the throne room, a terrible flash of lightning accompanied the peal of thunder that rumbled in time with the Princess' hoof striking the marble dais. "THY CHARTS, THY INSTRUMENTS, THY ENTIRE COMPREHENSION OF THINE STARS IS BASED ON AN ERROR, WHICH WE ARE CORRECTING. THOU PRESUMES TO TELL THE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT HOW HER NIGHT SHOULD UNFOLD? YOUR PETITION IS REJECTED AND WE SUGGEST THAT THY LEAVE IS TAKEN POST-HASTE, BEFORE WE HAVE THEE CONSIGNED TO THE BLACK PIT BENEATH THIS CASTLE WHERE THOU SHALT HAVE ONE THOUSAND YEARS, AS WE DID, TO CONSIDER THY ERROR!"

Moon Trot closed her eyes and cringed against the shouting.  The fury of Luna carried the bitter undertone of anguish.  To be reminded of her painful history was a terrible feeling- this Moon Trot knew on a personal level- but to be criticized for it could only be harder to bear..

The three terrified astronomers took Princess Luna's warning to heart and fled the room in utter terror.  They were not the only ones.  The booming shout of the princess and the lightning strike emphasizing her point had several of the lesser willed guests fleeing the antechamber, leaving appetizers and drinks to fall on the ground.

Attendants moved in to clean up the mess and Moon Trot stepped closer to Luna.  She spoke softly into her ear.  "I apologize for not handling that matter myself.  I'll accept full responsibility for the insolence shown to you by the astronomers."

Luna seethed, her teeth set together as her chest heaved with the effort of the booming threat she had just rung out through the throne room and the wider castle. How could she have been so misguided? So foalish? The Princess had been looking forward to the astronomical visit; she had expected praise, appreciation ... Love. Instead, she had been chastised for doing only what had felt so natural. Her stars had wandered, like sheep from an open pen and so she had simply corralled them back and made them safe again.

Only a few weeks ago she had learned what a "Shooting Star" was, and the revulsion had been difficult to overcome. How could anypony cheer such a sight, neigh - wish upon one? Her night was so disordered, confused, alone that the stars literally fell from the sky. How could they all just watch and do nothing?

She did not understand it. She did not understand this. Luna did not understand this world at all. it was as if she looked at everything through a grotesque parlour mirror - warping and twisting what she had remembered into something new and frightening. Nopony talked as she did, nopony acted as she did. It felt as if nopony understood her ... Not even her beloved sister.

This was a ruinous curse, surely the work of Discord. How could things have changed so completely? Worse, was she now so outdated, old-fashioned as to be as useful as the stone dragonesque in the gardens? Was Luna nothing more than a relic?

How could she hope to catch up? A thousand years had spawned an entirely new Royal Archive. Even if her immortality and entire dedication, Luna could surely not read the combined works of ten centuries of civilisation before the sun burned itself to a cinder. There was no way to learn it all. Ponies navigating by the stars? Sailing across oceans? Magical candles without flame? What would follow; voices and images being projected across great distances without magic? Earth ponies flying as easily as Pegasi in fantastical metal birds? The stress of her eruption and the thoughts that occupied her mind seemed to squeeze the base of her horn, flooding Luna's consciousness with a dull pain.

The time passed slowly for Moon Trot.  Luna neither responded nor reacted to her apology and as the seconds became minutes the Minister saw to her other duty of seeing to the other guests.  She apologized to all for the delay and saw to it that fresh Hors d'œuvres were served.  While doing this she also took a mental roll call to see who had left and who had stayed.  With the court now halved in size, Luna would have likely several extra hours of the night to relax.

Returning to her princess, Moon Trot mentally prepared a list of options.  The first one that she was obligated to offer was to cancel all of the appointments of the evening, but she was loathe to do that from a professional standpoint.  The politics of the situation were already against the Moon Princess- the deck had been stacked against her ever since her return- and canceling some of these meetings wouldn't reflect kindly upon her.  From a personal standpoint, however, she would be delighted to give Luna some alone time.  Some space to think and do as she pleased.

"We are ... We do not belong here ..." She said finally, several minutes later. "We are a relic of an age that is dead." 

Moon Trot frowned.  She searched her mind and memories for something comforting to say to her, but she had nothing.  Luna was the living embodiment of the past.  Her development frozen by centuries of isolation on the Moon.  But she was no relic.

"You're young." Moon Trot said.  The doors between the antechamber and the throne room were closed, so she was free to lift a hoof and place it on the Princess's shoulder.  She liked it when she could exchange these informal gestures with Luna; they made her feel better.  She looked solemnly up into Luna's eyes.  "One thousand years away from the world.  You haven't even been back one thousand days.  You're not a relic, Luna.  You just need time to learn and understand the world again.  And the world needs time to understand you."

She waited a few seconds to see if her words could sink in and be helpful in any possible way before adding "I can reschedule the audiences with you for another night, if you wish."  It was the carrot that ought not be chosen, but it just might be the right choice.

"We wish thy words felt true to us ..." Luna muttered, eventually. "We feel as old as thine Moon and just as scarred."

Taking a deep breath, the Princess forced herself to retreat behind the safety and stability of her title. "We appreciate thy words, they are nonetheless comforting unto us. Perhaps ... We will discuss this later but not here. Our duty is clear; we cannot be seen to be weak and, without doubt, the Griffon Ambassador will have heard of this situation already. To reschedule his audience is to admit to his people we are a pale shadow of what we once are. We will see him next, and we will be strong and befitting a Princess of Equestria."

"Perhaps before ..." Luna hesitated, "We shall have some sweet tea, to calm ourselves. Thou shalt join us in it?"

Moon Trot was glad that Luna was calming somewhat.  If another emissary upset her like that again, however, it might force Moon Trot to bring an expedient end to the night's schedules.  She highly doubted that the griffon would be critical of Luna.  Politically suave and full of double-talk, yes, but if Bright Light had any concerns about him encountering Luna he would have warned Moon Trot.  Should have warned Moon Trot.

With a weak smile, Moon Trot summoned a scroll that had Luna's nightly schedule on it.  "We will have ample time to discuss anything you want.  Not all of the guests were bold enough to remain in waiting after you demonstrated your mastery of lightning."  She tried to put a light hearted spin on the situation while scribbling a few notes on the scroll.  "I will be honored to sit with you for a cup of tea." She added.

One of the side doors to the room opened and several unicorn waiters entered with trays hovering over their heads.  They brought in a seat for Moon Trot and set up a quick but beautifully crafted silver table and set upon it a platter of crackers and fruit surrounding a large glass pitcher of tea.  They were in and out in seconds and Moon Trot took the liberty of pouring Luna and herself a glass.

Levitating the glass to her nose, the Princess took a deep breath, nostrils flaring at the tangy aroma of lotus flower and dandelion. "We hath partaken of this for as long as we can remember ... Celestia believes we could not give it up if we tried; ironic, given that we could drink nothing but vacuum and eat nowt but rock for a thousand years!"

Luna grimaced. "The Element of Laughter, Pinkie Pie, once told us that if we used our greatest regrets as the form of our japery, thine humour would disarm doubters and the negative. We ... Hath not yet been successful in employing reference to our time of exile in any humorous way. Indeed, ponies do not seem to know what to say to us when we do ..."

The Alicorn took a sip. "We suppose since we do not find it particularly funny, we cannot expect others to. When we told that jape to Celestia, she instead began to profusely apologise for her actions and it took many an hour to return her to some semblance of calm."

Moon Trot snickered a little at the bit about Celestia.  "I'm sorry your highness, I shouldn't have done that," she apologized, "But if I may speak freely, I do have to say that I pity your sister a little. What she did could not have in any way been an easy choice.  I think she's having a harder time moving on than you did."

She took a sip of the tea. She had a preference for berries, but there was nothing wrong with dandelions at all.  "As for humor, well, everyone has different tastes in humor.  And not everyone is good at telling a joke.  I'm simply terrible at telling jokes.  I can't even tell a simple knock-knock very well." She chuckled at the memory of a series of failed attempts at humor when she was younger.

"Time does heal wounds, but the bigger the wound the more time it'll take.  It takes even longer for the wound to be funny.  Like..." she tapped her chin a few times as she thought, "When I was a little filly," she gestured a vague height with her hoof, "I had an...accident...in school," She blushed a little, "It was mortifying, and the other foals didn't let me live it down for a long time.  Now, though, I remember it with humor because it was such a silly thing to be upset about.  When enough years pass, I know you and your sister will be able to laugh off the Nightmare."

Luna considered her Minister's words for a few moments. "Perhaps we could resurrect the role of Court Jestpony? Many centuries ago we employed a mare with suitable hilarity to bring forth an atmosphere of joviality when court became stifled and uninteresting. Their enthusiasm was quite unbounded, almost infectious. We can still remember the way they would sing, and dance and wave all at once as if they were powered by something more energetic than hay and barley ..."

The Princess smiled at the thought. "Perhaps the Element of Laughter would be a suited replacement? We hath found the more efficient ways of modern court to be somewhat lacking in pomp and circumstance, as we are used to."

Moon Trot couldn't help but giggle when Luna suggested that Pinkie Pie be hired on as the new court jester.  She nodded agreeable, though, and explained her laughter "I was actually imagining the very same pony when you described what the jester's duties were.  If you would like, I could draft a proposal for the Element of Laughter later this evening and send it to her to see if she would like the position."

She finished her cup of tea and inhaled the remains of its aroma.  Setting her cup down she levitated a napkin to wipe off her muzzle.  "Shall I admit the griffon ambassador and continue the Night Court?" she asked.

Setting her own cup down, Luna nodded. "Thou may do so but, firstly, have the Lunar Guard enter from behind the throne and assemble in front of our presence. Extinguish all light save the solitary candlesticks either side of our throne. Appearances are of upmost importance when dealing with Griffons; thou shalt see soon enough. We wish to warn thee that our tone and attitude will be ... Of ages passed; do not allow it to concern you. It is an act, a charade - It is precisely as the Griffon Ambassador expects us to act."

Summoning forth her powers, the Princess allowed a sinewy, thin coil of magic to slip forth from her horn and rise upwards until it slid lazily against the ceiling. Invisible before, hundreds of points of light began to shimmer and coalesce until the ceiling of the throne room more resembled the night sky outside than the polished obsidian and marble. Spirals of galaxies pulsed and span in intricate, orchestrated patterns.

"We are ready."

Moon Trot nodded and did as requested.  She went to a side room and fetched other guards that wouldn't be observed by those attending the court.  She gave them their orders and they assembled before Luna as instructed.  She gathered the two candles and placed them so that they were symmetrical on either side of Luna.  Once they were lit she extinguished the lights and found her way by memory back to the main door.

She went out into the more brightly lit hall and looked around for the ambassador.  Finding the griffon, she addressed him quietly and informed him it was his turn.  Ambassador Gayzes smiled mischievously and followed the black unicorn into the darkened chamber.  His eyes could only make out the two points of light from the candles, but when the door shut behind him and his eyes adjusted he was slowly able to make out more details; the stars and nightscape of the ceiling and the figure of Luna behind a wall of guards.

"Your majesty," he said, bending his forelegs and giving her a graceful bow, "I am honored to be in your presence."

"We had always thought Griffon-kind to pride themselves on storytelling ..." Luna drawled lazily, her eyes rolling across the ceiling without regarding the Ambassador. "And yet, here stands one of their respected members of government, and he calls us not by the name that we hath earned - nay - demanded from Griffonkind for many thousands of years, but with the same platitude reserved for middle-nobles and courtesans!"

Luna pushed herself up from the throne, fixing her inscrutable gaze on the Griffon. "We hath not battled Discord, and our own Sister - twice - to be shown such disrespect! Thou shalt call us by the name all Griffonkind should know us well by, or thou shalt turn and leave thine sight post-hence!"

"The Dread Empress of the Night hath no time nor inclination for the games of Griffons!"

Moon Trot was glad that Luna had given her the warning ahead of time to expect the mannerisms and behavior she was witnessing now.  If she hadn't been warned, she'd be more than a little frightened, and probably seeking a way to end the meeting tactfully.  She was able to focus on the griffon instead so as to observe what he did and how he acted.  What she observed wasn't entirely comforting.

He did not quail nor quake before Luna.  His respectful, if not slightly amused, smiled remained on his face and he made another, deeper bow.  "My most humble apologies, Dread Empress of the Night," he corrected himself, "It has been a long, long time since any of my kind have had the privilege to kneel before one so divine. I myself was not alive, nor my father, nor my father's father.  I beg your pardon that some traditions have changed or been omitted in my education over the centuries."

"Thy words are truth and since the truth deserves no punishment, we shall not hold thy error against thee."

Levering herself up to all fours, the Princess descended the hoof-full of steps down to the floor of the throne room. "Indeed it hath been a great many centuries since we hath dealt with thy kind. We hope thou hath no become used to dealing with thine sister; she is most benevolent, accommodating and kind."

A dark scowl and a disturbingly genuine smile creeped across the Alicorn's features. "We are not not nearly so. We hath not merely taken this meeting to exchange meaningless pleasantries. Whilst our sister hath a great many tribulations and trials to administer, our time was spent looking across the past. We hath analysed ten centuries of Griffonkind action andnoticed a pattern ..."

Ambassador Gayzes maintained his partially amused expression as Luna saw his honesty and approached him.  "Why yes," He spoke, "Your elder sister is an amazingly benevolent princess.  Quite kind and yet still regal and maintaining a poise and grace that most could only aspire to."

Luna began to circle the Griffon, the tendrils of her mane and tail seemingly stretching; growing until a band of shimmering, twisting blue formed a billowing circle about them all. 

"Thy kind hath grown bold in our absence. Reports of piracy against thine ponies hath increased four-fold in the border regions, and we notice that Griffon settlements now encroach on land seceded to us by Magnus the Iron-Feathered, one thousand eight hundred and ninety nine years ago. Griffonkind hath repeatedly broken the spirit, if not the letter of the dozens of treaties we personally negotiated. So tell us, Most Honoured Representative ..."

The griffon fell silent once more as Luna continued to speak.  He didn't seem frightened by the display and casually turned his head about to examine the circle of ethereal energy surrounding him for a moment before locking his gaze with that of the princess.

"Hmm, such offenses should be examined," Gayzes said, "Of course, I cannot speak for every infringement by every griffon in the last thousand years.  The acts of piracy can hardly be considered government sanctioned, but I shall look into them and insist that any living culprits of piracy are apprehended with the full force of the law, though punishing the descendants thereof seems highly unfair.  The settlements I will look into as well.  Perhaps changes in the landscapes and new methods of creating maps have shifted the borders from what you may recall."

The Princess paused before the Griffon and stepping forward, brought her features a scant few inches from the Ambassador's polished beak. "Are we to take these brazen acts as a challenge to us?"

Again, he did not flinch nor show any sign of cowing when Luna stepped up into his face.  Moon Trot was tensed, as were the guards; their princess was well within reach of the Griffon's talons and none of them were happy about it.

"Challenge?  I would never dream of challenging  the great Prince-, pardon me, Dread Empress of the Night."

"Thou requires not this charade, here and now," Luna hissed. "Thine guards are sworn to silence and would rather die than divulge a word of what hath passed here, from us to thee. Our Minister of the Night similarly is bound to our will; she would never take action in deeds or otherwise that we do not approve or allow. Indeed - we would wager thine life on her loyalty and respect for our ways."

The Princess remained a scant inch from the Griffon's beak, their gazes locked. "Given that, we wonder whether Griffons hath become soft in the centuries of waist-expanding, mollycoddling peace thy kind hath enjoyed with thine. Perhaps what we mistake for good manners, a predator's smile so to speak, is in fact all that is left of the so-called great Griffon temperament."

The Princess's voice dropped to a sound only audible through magical amplification. "Art thou thinking of how swiftly thy claws could rend our throat in twain? We remember when, a time long before thy father's father's father walked amongst us, when Griffon-kind would routinely submit the honour of a duel with us, in order to gauge the success of a would-be Ambassador ..."

Moon Trot was thankful that the room was so dark so as to make her nearly invisible.  Her blush and nervous twitch when Luna expressed an immense level of trust in her went unnoticed.  She probably had a guilty expression on her face as well, but she couldn't see herself.

The griffon she could see, however, his face was illuminated in the soft light glow from Luna's mane.  His expression of bemusement had finally given way at the last comment, the mention of a duel.  His eyes widened and for a full second his face was the definition of horror.  He composed himself as quick as he could, however, then lifted his claw to cover his mouth as he cleared his throat.

"Oh, um, I do not think that would be necessary, my Empress," he said, lowering his gaze submissively.  "I shall look into the settlement infringements for you.  Is there any other way I may be of service?" he asked, his tail coiled up on the floor,  almost near enough to be considered between his legs.

Turning away, nose upturned in the air the Princess stalked back towards her throne. "We hath nothing more to discuss."

As quickly as the clouds of magic had formed, they dissipated into nothingness and returned the chamber to relative darkness. From behind the Ambassador, the great double doors barring entry swung open; heaved apart by a pair of silent, hulking guardsponies. 

"Thou art dismissed from thine presence," Luna commanded coldly. "We expect thy return forthwith, where thou shalt tell us of the ways in which our demands were met and our questions answered."

The ambassador bowed his head and muttered "Yes, my Empress" before retreating backwards through the open doors, not daring to turn his back to Luna until he was out of her sight.  As he retreated, Moon Trot advanced to Luna's throne, glancing at the doors to make sure the Griffon wasn't returning.

"That was very informative, your Highness, just like you said it would be," She said.  "Did you really duel past ambassadors?" she asked, genuinely curious as to that tidbit of information.

"Many centuries ago, a time older than all but the most ancient books in the oldest, darkest depths of the Royal Archive, things were not as developed as the civility of now. We had no Minister, no staff save our Hoof Maidens and Honour Guard. Thine beloved sister and ourselves ruled directly; our eyes saw all and our words reached all. Equestria was nought but one tenth of its current frontier; Canterlot had not yet been hewn into the side of this mountain and, indeed, the cosmopolitan ventures of Manehattan, and Trottingham were nothing more than trade caravans and log cabins."

Luna's gaze drifted up towards the ceiling, as if recalling memories. "Equestria-then would be as alien to thee as the surface of thine Moon, now. In those ancient times, the tribes of ponies - though united - still lived separately. It was not until the founding of the City of Everfree, of which nothing today remains, that thine little ponies began to live together in peace."

"North, West, East and South our enemies probed and fought in skirmish and war constantly. Dragons, Diamond Dogs, Griffon-kind and other, unspeakable evils worked to snuff out the embryonic Equestria before it had been given any chance to grow."

Luna frowned. "As befitting our role, ourselves and Celestia fought at the forefront; securing our borders and silencing our enemies. In those dark times, strength and the illusion of it was all important. As powerful as we were, we simply could not be in more than one place at one moment; were our enemies to gather under one banner, there would be little we could do to prevent the destruction of Equestria."

"As such, we worked tirelessly to appear strong, as well as to show our strength when necessary. A method we used was, indeed, duelling. The Griffons value power and, invariably, sent their greatest warriors as so-called Ambassadors. They reasoned that diplomacy could be used as readily a weapon as a spear or a wing-blade. Unfortunately for them, we agreed."

Nostalgia forced a strange smile from the Princess. "If thou were wondering, we engaged in three hundred eleven duels. We were victorious three hundred and eleven times."

Moon Trot listened to Luna with wide eyes as the interesting history was summarized to her.  She could scarcely conceive of a smaller, endangered Equestria.  It had always been the approximation of paradise.  Thinking of it being under assault, having to be defended against external forces with the princesses on the front lines,it was so foreign that Moon Trot struggled to imagine it as truth and not just a story.

There was a moment of silence after Luna finished speaking where Moon Trot struggled to think of something to say, but could think of nothing.  She cleared her throat before continuing on for the matters of the evening.

"The remaining two guests of the Night Court are your nephew, Prince Blueblood, and  master Jet Set.  Which will you see next?" she asked.

Luna's smile faded, to be replaced by the flicker of a scowl. "Whilst we would greatly prefer to delay any sight of Blueblood until after all the stars in thine sky had burnt to nothingness, we would prefer to conclude it as swiftly as possible. Admit him to our presence next."

"We urge thee not to dwell unduly on times of danger. The era of duelling Princesses is long passed. We hath made this land safe for all thine ponies. We shall continue to do so until the end of all things, when we are no longer required and shall fade away unto nothingness with the stars."

Moon Trot nodded and was about to turn to the door when Luna added the calming comment about not worrying about the harrowing past of Equestria. "I do not worry about it, my Princess.  I have complete faith in your ability to protect everyone." She gave Luna a smile then went out into the anteroom.  She found Prince Blueblood and invited him in.  He took the lead with his normal pompous attitude and walked ahead, right up to the foot of the stairs that led to the throne.

"Good night, my darkest Aunt," He said with a smile, "How has your evening progressed thus far?" he asked while glancing at his own, well manicured hoof to make sure it appeared as beautiful as he desired it.

Luna was suspicious. Blueblood was legendarily slow to rise even under the brightest sun; why he would be awake and looking as perfectly manicured and dressed as always at the height of the Moon could mean only one thing. He wanted something. That he was standing here, instead of before Celestia, suggested whatever it was, had already been refused once.

The Princess was not even sure how the title "Prince" came to be bestowed upon this effeminate unicorn. Surely it would require a relation and neither Luna nor Celestia could bare foals in a way that would give them such. Even if they could, to produce Blueblood would surely be shameful. 

"Our night endures, as always, and we bid thee welcome to thine court," Luna answered. "To what doth we owe this visit unto?"

The blonde maned pony smiled devilishly and stood a little more upright before Luna.  He chuckled a little at her archaic mode of speech but didn't make a comment on it. "Oh dearest Auntie," he said, "You can request the honor of my presence at any time you desire.  But for this evening, I'm gracing the court with a personal request that you attend my birthday party tomorrow evening.  I was hoping you would put my likeness in the stars so that all of Equestria can adore my," he shook his head to get his hair to dance around his neck and grinned, "brilliant visage."

Moon Trot turned away and made gagging face, using one of the Lunar guards to obscure her gesture from the prince.

The Princess cocked her head to the side, catching her chuckling Minister in the periphery of her vision. "Alas, thy request hath come too late for us to accommodate," Luna offered evenly. "It takes us many days to re-orientate the sky and we would require many days notice to fashion your likeness ... Even if such a task would not be particularly difficult to achieve."

"We would be pleased to accept thy invitation," The Princess nodded, the crease of a smile appearing under her eyes. "We would also wish to bring our Minister of the Night, Moon Trot, as our guest."

Whilst she could not see it, Luna assumed the smile had been totally and thoroughly scoured from Moon Trot's face. The Princess resisted the urge to look smug, though she felt every inch of it. 

One did not attempt to get one over on the Princess of the Night.

Blueblood pouted for a moment, then scowled, then composed himself again. "But of course, you may bring the help if you so desire." He said, "But are you certain you cannot rearrange the stars?  I mean, you are the goddess of the night aren't you?  Should not you have complete control over the night sky?  A few years ago Auntie Celestia was able to put my face in the stars for my birthday with just a few hours of preparation, and she's supposed to be the Sun Princess."

Luna narrowed her eyes, stepping down onto all-fours and descending from the throne to the floor. "Is that so? Rest assured we shall be interrogating thine sister as to making such frivolous use of our stars. We attempted to save thy face but if thou must know - we hath not changed thine stars in the sky since we fashioned each one from our own magic. They are not for advertising nor inflating thy ego."

"Tell us ..." The Princess began, danger laced in each word. "Art thou doubting us?"

Blueblood's expression degraded into fear once more as Luna descended towards him.  He took a few steps back, away from her, as she questioned him.  "N-no, I don't doubt you at all dear, sweet auntie," he said, trying to turn on the charm to spare him something, "I, um, I look forward to your attendance." he added, hastily backing away.  

Moon Trot shut the door after the prince had retreated.  She looked to Luna and said "So...I'm having a trouble seeing the family resemblance."

"Blueblood and his ilk are a product of Celestia's politicking; she believed that as Equestria grew, a greater - more extended - Royal Family would be required. Whilst we are immortal, all-seeing, all-knowing we cannot be in more than one place at a time. Thus, she reasoned by spreading power and influence, the prosperity of all ponykind would be enhanced."

The Princess scowled. "Her logic was sound, remains so but we find it difficult to stomach this new breed of "Royalty". What doth his kind bring, other than fawning, meaningless praise and a single-minded obsession for accruing wealth and prestige at the expense of all others?"

Luna sighed, settling down on her haunches. "Still, if nothing else we will shortly be given an opportunity to dress as befitting a Princess. We hath not been so attired in over a thousand years ..."

"We hope thou hath something to wear befitting of accompanying us," Luna enquired. "It is a great honour to be chosen as the companion of a Princess of the Realm."

Moon Trot pondered the information.  She had often wondered who Celestia had courted to sire a relative.  It had never occurred to her that her 'nephew' was part of an adopted family of sorts.  It made much more sense though, and it made it less ridiculous than thinking that Luna was somehow related to that snob.

Moon Trot was about to say she didn't have a dress when the princess's choice of the word 'companion' gave her a blush.  "Oh! Um..." she stammered, clearing her throat.  Remember, one thousand years she thought to herself.

"Uhm, I think guest is a more appropriate term, your highness," Moon Trot said respectfully, trying not to appear nervous despite a couple of amused grins and more than one curious glance from the Lunar Guards in the room.  "In modern vernacular, 'companion' has...intimate connotations in the context you used.  As for the dress, I regret to admit that I haven't owned a dress since I was significantly smaller.  I'd have to find a new one if I were to be your guest at the Prince's party."

"We art confused then," The Princess replied. "Doth thee not provide advice beyond the professional? Hath we not leaned upon thee for all manner of support, beyond thy mere remit as Minister of thine Night? From where we stand, Companion indeed seems a justified, reasoned term to use. We see no reason to change."

"As for thy lack of formal wear," Luna pursed her lips, considering. "We shalt instruct our Royal Tailor to outfit thee as befitting a companion of the Princess of the Night!"

The compliments and explanation only served to deepen Moon Trot's blush, but she also smiled that Luna thought so highly of her, and she would be lying if she tried to say she did not like the informal title.  Her smile broadened when Luna said she would have a dress made for her.  Though not much of a party goer, not even Moon Trot was immune to the glamour a nice dress could bring.

"Well...thank you, my Princess," She said, giving Luna a quick bow, "Well then, the final attendee of the Night Court is Master Jet Set, I'll show him in." With that she vanished out the doors to find the ritzy pony.

The well-to-do unicorn followed Moon Trot back into the chamber of Luna's court and gave the princess a respectful bow. "Your highness," he said, giving Luna a slightly forced smile, "My beloved wife Upper Crust, and myself, would like to personally extend an invitation to you for a garden party we are hosting this evening.  She would have been here with me but it started about an hour ago and she needed to remain as hostess.  Its going to be an all night event though so if you happen across free time tonight we want you to know that you are more than welcome to stop by and enjoy the frivolities and jocularity."

Luna's expression remained expertly neutral as she heard Jet Set's request, even if - internally at least - she was less than enthusiastic about the prospect of socialising where not absolutely necessary. As Royalty, however minor, Blueblood's party could not be overlooked by a Princess unless there were extenuating circumstances. For a minor pony like Jet Set, even if to hear it would do his pride no small amount of injury, she was under no such obligation.

The Princess resisted the urge to ask Moon Trot aloud to confirm if there was any remaining business. She was as likely as her sister to do what she could into "encouraging" Luna to attend.

She had precious few options.

With no forthcoming comment from the princess, Jet Set bowed again and thanked her before gracefully leaving the throne room...far more gracefully than the previous prince.  Moon Trot checked the antechamber to make certain she had not missed a pony then returned and announced "The Night Court is complete.  Two hours ahead of schedule, if I may add." Now with the airs of formality over with she let out a sigh to relax herself.

"Indeed ..." Luna replied absentmindedly, as the doors to the antechamber were swung shut. "Thou may dismiss thine guard back to their duties."

Returning to the throne, the Princess settled down on her haunches. She had no intention of pre-empting her MInister. Perhaps if she did not utter another word that was not strictly related to business, there would be no opportunity to discuss the attendance of frivolous parties.