Oscuridad rose from the block of amethyst with a disgruntled groan. He would have to request a mattress from the Princess. Sooner rather than later, he preferred. His eyes squinted as he walked into the hall, the sunlight passing over him. The sudden light made him feel sleepy again. But he was in solar country, and his Princess was accustomed to sleeping at night, waking in the day.
He went back inside and picked up his armor, a metal face cover that slid over his horn and slid through his mane, his neck guard, his boots, his purple cape.
"Alright... I think I'm ready." He said to the mirror. As he looked away it changed back into featureless Amethyst.
~~~~
Twilight woke up slowly, her wings unfolding instinctually and lifting her somewhat out of bed. She stretched but found that that was exactly the wrong thing to do, her wings pushing her off the side and into the floor next to her bed with a crash. Six rumblings and soon there were six Longma standing near her, helping her back into bed. "I'm fine! I'm fine, I just fell... sheesh..." then her thoughts turned to the obvious question. "Wait... were you all up here, watching me sleep again?!"
"No. Just me." Jaeger said. "And since we're not in Canterlot anymore, and you don't have a door for me to stay behind, I figured that I would just stay in the stairwell or sit down here." He gestured to the floor below Twilight's bed/cliff.
"Well..." Twilight wondered at where a good distance would be. She felt kind of creepy, knowing they could see her when she slept. "Maybe the stairwell is a good border... now that I have guests here everyday... I should probably put a door in..." it occurred to her. The idea that she should start making changes to her house to accommodate the Longma haunted her the entire morning. When Spike made her breakfast, as per usual, she noticed that the Longma all said they weren't hungry. She realized the only time she actually saw them eat was at the party. Spike of course had his own collection of gems, and generously offered peppering their meals with them, a sentiment Twilight rewarded with a hug, but even then the Longma respectfully declined. When were they eating? Were they eating? Where were they sleeping? She had noticed a few of them fluttering around the room, subtly fixing books back in the nooks higher up on the walls. Were they sleeping on the library books? Were they even sleeping?
She could barely eat her breakfast. She realized none of them had beds. None of them had changes of clothing, none of them have asked to take a shower. She realized it had only been a few days, but still. Even just a few days without any kind of physical care would have a big effect on them.
"Are all of you really not hungry?"
"We would never impose on your hospitality, Princess."
"Then if you like the food, I order you to eat it. Spike, please fix them all breakfast, and prepare something for Captain Oscuridad in case he comes as well..."
The Longma looked at each other nervously before sitting down at the table, each quietly thanking Spike when he brought them their pancakes covered with tiny crystal shards mixed in with the syrup. They ate quietly and quickly, Twilight had barely finished a fourth of hers before they were all finished. Spike ate along with them, forking his food awkwardly in the silence.
"Well..." Twilight began. "I was thinking maybe we could try to get to know each other... I'll start." She put a hoof to her chest and smiled. "My name is Twilight Sparkle, my special talent is magic, and.. well, I was formerly a librarian, and now I'm a Princess. I like reading, keeping organized, and most importantly spending time with my friends, I dislike... unexpected things, and when there's disorder." She motioned for Spike to continue.
"What? Me too?" the dragon shrugged. "Alright, I'm Spike, I'm a dragon. I don't really have a special talent like a pony, but I'm Twilight's number one assistant! I like gems and Rari-....and I dislike bullies.."
The six Longma looked at each other nervously. Finally Jaeger began to speak. "Princess, as your guards you don't have to be familiar with us. You don't have to let us eat at your table or even sleep in your house."
Twilight smiled and shook her head. "How am I supposed to trust you with my life if I don't know anything about you?"
Jaeger blinked a few times before clearing his throat. "Alright, if you wish to know. My name is Jaeger, it means hunter in Dülmen. I've been a regal bodyguard since I was sixteen. I've been doing my job for twenty four years. My special talent is protecting ponies. I'd show my mark, but it... well, it's not visible any more. It was a black shield with a crescent moon over it... I like doing my job and drinking, I dislike sunrises."
Twilight blinked. That was something odd. Kalt smiled at their leader and decided to go next. "My name is Kalt, it's Dülmen as well, meaning 'cold'. I'm thirty-six, I've been a regal guard for sixteen years. Before then I was an escort. My special talent is sniping. I like sleeping and looking at the moon, I dislike heavy weather."
"Sniping?" Twilight asked.
Kalt smiled. "Shooting accurately over a long distance, with cannons, crossbows, throwing spears, and even slingshots. I managed to sink a moving pegasus from two miles away with a crossbow once." she showed her mark, a crosshair and a target, halfway over each other.
Jaeger rolled his eyes "You're awfully proud of that shot. I'd think you'd be more proud of when you hit Princess Celestia with a cannon from three miles."
Kalt's smile disappeared. "She didn't sink."
Twilight looked back and forth nervously between the two. Sanguine was next. "My name is Sanguine, it means red, because of my reddish coat. I was an escort before I joined the military two years ago. This is my first time being a regal guard. My special talent is..." She sighed. "...playing games." She showed her cutie mark, Twilight wasn't really sure what it was. It was a grid, two tall eight wide, and surrounding it were either black or white bars. "I like gambling and drinking, I dislike idiots."
Crow gave a short laugh and ducked as Sanguine glared at him. "My name's Crow Moon. Originally just Crow. My special talent is fighting." His mark was two swords crossing over a full moon on a purple splotch. "I like fighting and racing, I dislike showponies and Wonderbolts. I was a Regal Guard for two months before now, and only a soldier two years before that. I'm Eighteen years old." He said in a quick breath.
Twilight frowned. What do you and Jaeger mean when you started when you were sixteen?"
"That's when everypony can first join the military." Den said. "Could I go next?"
"Sure..."
"I'm Den. I'm twenty-three years old. I've been a soldier for four years. This is my first time being a Regal Guard. My special talent is learning. And I know how silly that sounds, I just have a way of understanding situations from little clues. I was actually switched from being a strategist to a Regal Guard because I'm only good at realizing what the other guy's strategy is while he's doing it. I like reading, I dislike dra....umming. I can't stand the sound of drumming." He glanced at Spike, the dragon didn't look any different, so he must have not guessed. He let out a silent sigh of relief. His mark was simply a scroll with a feather behind it.
"Hm." Twilight nodded. "But this just leads to a few new questions... what's an escort? Why do you start in the military when you're so young?"
Sanguine smirked. "An escort is a popular job for young mares with strange coats."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Sanguine gestured to herself and Kalt. "You may have noticed, but us Longma don't come in all the shades of the rainbow like you solar ponies, er..." She stopped, not meaning the insult, but Twilight didn't seem to notice. "...I guess it's kind of symbolic... light can be a variety of colors, but dark is always just dark. It just depends on the shade. My red coat and Kalt's white made us good candidates because we stand out."
"Candidates for what?"
"For being escorts. An escort's job is pretty simple actually, wealthy single stallions pay us to come to parties and other gatherings with them." Twilight gaped. Sanguine frowned, but continued anyway. "It's kind of an honorary job, it's considered embarrassing when a stallion goes to a party by himself, so they'll hire an escort to stand with them during the party. It's a sought after job. It pays well, it's honorable, and it's easy. It helps that I had a red coat."
"Uh... well... that's an.. interesting job." Twilight began. "What about joining the military at sixteen thing?"
Den decided to elaborate this one. "Most Longma are required to spend eight years in the military, sixteen is the earliest age we're able to be accepted in, but we can join whenever we want." Den sighed inwardly. Leaving was the difficult part.
Twilight frowned. "Why would they have to? What Longma don't have to?"
"Mostly farmers. That and joining certain guilds can get you out of having to do military time." Den gave grim smile. "The solar ponies had a similar system back then, but they changed it when we declared war. Suddenly every healthy solar stallion in mainland Equestria was marching North."
Twilight frowned. Most of their lives revolved around military. She didn't have much in common with any of them, she didn't know anything about their culture... and somehow, it made her more curious than put off.
There was a knocking at the door and Den quickly got up. "I'll get it Princess." He cast a split-second glance back at Spike before moving even faster back to the front door. He opened it and found Oscuridad. "Hello Captain." He saluted. "The Princess was serving us breakfast. It would be impolite to refuse, correct?"
Oscuridad nodded. "It would not befit a Shadhavar to insult somepony's hospitality."
Oscuridad and Den sat at the table and Oscuridad gave a long declaration of thanks before digging in. The others had finished a few minutes ago, and waited patiently for the Shadhavar to finish. "So, Captain. Princess Twilight was asking a little about our personal lives..."
Oscuridad frowned. "Oh?"
Twilight nodded. "I was hoping you could tell me a little about yourself as well.. like your special talent, what your likes and dislikes are... that sort of stuff."
Oscuridad nodded. "If m'lady wishes to know." He shifted slightly. "I was born in the heart of the Castle, like most Shadhavar, both of my parents were relatively wealthy, so I worked as an apprentice merchant in my father's store when I joined the military. They saw my talent and I rose to the rank of Vice-Captain. I fought my Captain in a duel and became the Captain of the Royal Guard. I like fighting and building, I dislike annoying things. My special talent is dark magic." An eight-pointed star, a purple-blue four-pointed star with four more black points coming from behind it.
Twilight smiled. There was a lot to learn about the Night Empire.
The only thing I thought was awkward was that all of their descriptions for themselves struck me as the same sort of thing you'd find on a dating website. But other than that, it was all good info.
Also...
i.chzbgr.com/completestore/12/6/29/wqqFKbW4WkuIoLYxjntOdg2.gif
Still waiting to see the Longma start to experience culture shock. They refer to Equestian's as "Solar" ponies and probably already think Twilight's coat is oddly dark for a Solar pony, but what about when they encounter ponies like Thunderlane and Twilight's dad Nightlight? How will they view ponies with dark coats and night oriented names and talents? I also wonder what about Pinkie's family, if rock farming is the growing of crystals and gems it would seem like a thing only crystal ponies did, there would be significant confusion among the night empire when they learned Solar ponies had learned to rock farm. The idea that Equestrian ponies began to mimic their missing crystal and night cousins does make some sense really, ponies would need to be able to adapt quickly to become the dominate species. With the crystal and night empires vanished for 1000 years equestian ponies would have started to take up their old roles. It's been 1000 years many things in Equestria are going to seem "off" to the night ponies, Solar ponies doing Night pony type things, technology, and attitudes in Equestria as a whole. While I can see the initial fear equestian ponies would have of the Longma I also see them quickly coming to accept them, much faster and more fully than any Longma would expect. And yes the fact that Twilight's sister-in-law is the Crystal Empress hasn't been broached yet. Lastly what about Zecora? What where relations and views on zebras like during the war, where their even any? or will Zecora be this mysterious unknown thing to them?
3086680 Okay... all of you are seriously too smart, or maybe my story is too obvious, you guys keep guessing future plots... but many of those things you're talking about are non-issues.
The culture shock on a scale you're waiting for is probably not going to happen, the Longma, while always more militant, and not very well trusted by the Solar Ponies, were still part of mainland Equestria up until the civil war, which was only a year long. So they know about solar pony culture, and at least a thousand years ago, the differences were accepted and understood. They have gone through a little though, such as their confusion at Pinkie's party supplies.
The comment 'light comes in all the colors of the rainbow, but dark is always dark' is more of a poetic touch than anything else. Most Longma are gray or dark, most solar ponies are colorful, but there exists variation in both groups. Kalt has a white coat and Sanguine has a red, and while that is unnusual, it's not unherd of or even strange. Having there exist dark colored solar ponies isn't a surprise at all, considering solar ponies cover the entire spectrum, including black, gray, and white. So color doesn't really add to culture shock.
As for night-oriented names and talents, they'll probably find it interesting more than anything else. Each pony's destiny is their own, and doesn't have much to do with the day-night orientation, after all, it's less about day and night as it is about the sun and moon. They won't find it strange if they find a unicorn with a special talent for star-gazing, or find it odd to find a Longma whose special talent is growing sunflowers.
As for Rock-Farming, I'll touch on that in the future, for now though: Shadhavar, Crystal Ponies and mixed crystal-earth ponies can rock farm as part of their magic.
As for Twilight's and Cadence's new relationship, it'll become a major point later on in the story.
And aren't we already seeing the solar ponies accepting the Longma quickly? While many are still afraid, Twilight's gotten used to them, and the solar ponies of ponyville are willing to go to a party in celebration of a Shadhavar-built tower.
As for Zecora... I don't know, they aren't going to find her new and mysterious, but the Zebra didn't have much of a role in the war, it was a civil war after all, with both sides not wanting other countries to get involved. Though they did have a lot to do with the aftermath after Castle and the Crystal Empire disappeared.
So... just wait and see. There's just a few more chapters of character development and such in Ponyville, and then we move on to Castle, where the real 'story' starts. We'll see more of the Longma's culture and views, of the way the world is reacting, and of how it relates to the Crystal Empire.
3086791
Just my two cents, but I think that there is some real culture shock that needs to be addressed. It's been a thousand years, a lot can and probably did change in that time. Especially with regard to military action/behavior and the way you move up the ladder. Also, the term 'solar' pony is a bit out of context since it is no longer entirely useful in referring to Equestrian and most ponies sleep at night. Frankly their society, unless it is truly self contained is going to have to learn/deal with the reality that they are no longer fighting a war and that they cannot hold the same assumptions they used to.
It seems silly of you to make culture shock a non-issue, especially as you've spent a lot of time talking about the nocturnal tendencies of these ponies and their connections to Nightmare Moon. A little more background on how they got involved with Princess Luna/NMM and her war with Celestia would be nice.
3086791
I was already guessing that especially since the nightponies view the crystal ponies as cowards while the crystal ponies might take offense with the "army of sombras" the nightponies have.
Political problems incoming^^
the problem with the involvement of other countries in a civil war is to get them out afterwards
3086938 you'll get the background around the war eventually, and I suppose you're right about the culture shock.. I just don't know how to show it, but I don't understand your bit about 'solar' ponies being out of context. It's a means of classification; the solar ponies are the ponies who don't eat crystal and follow Celestia, the Lunar ponies are the ponies who do eat crystal and followed Luna. Crystal ponies are lunar ponies, but aren't nocturnal. That's all it means. Though, now the terms could be considered out of date, considering the 'solar ponies' are ruled over by both Celestia and Luna, and the Crystal and Night empires both have their own rulers. But hey, this could be expanded on.
I just looked up the process of culture shock, and that might actually make for an interesting story element, honestly though, these guys are the best of the best, and I've already shown that they're nervous around solar ponies, that they don't exactly trust Twilight (not that that'll keep them from doing their job) and that they're confused about a few modern things, like party supplies, and really, they've been in modern times for only about a month, and in modern equestria only about a week. They're still at the level where culture shock is at the minimum, as time goes on and as they learn more about modern solar pony society the culture shock will increase.
Once again, just give it time.
3088149
Ok.
I'm sorry, the what? shadhavar? What is?
3089690 This is where I found the name. I'm using the term 'shadhavar' to describe Sombra and Oscuridad's species. They have sharp teeth, curled horns, and dragon eyes, they can't be normal unicorns, so I made up a sixth species, the Shadhavar.
I like it, and these guys are highly professional soldiers still on duty; they haven't had time to be shocked by modern culture, or even seen a lot of it. The real shocks they'll get are learning that Twilight genuinely cares about their well-being, and that that doesn't mean she's weak.
3089809 THANK YOU! Someone gets what I was going for!
I liked it and its the kind of thing Twilight would do.
I just
The only thing I can think of when Jager's name is said is
3189586 It's German for hunter, and I made up the characters before I heard of Attack on Titan. Even so, I thought it was a fun coincidence.
This description is both mathematically impossible and contradictory to the image you provided.