Stars, Fears, and Lies
Luna stood atop her tower and gazed upward at the fading rays of sunshine that illuminated the sky. Her sister always made the most beautiful transitions from day to night. Luna supposed that she must have practiced the art during her thousand years of raising and lowering both the sun and moon.
Luna smiled. She levitated a small device out of her saddlebag and placed her headphones over her ears. She casually flipped through her library of songs until she arrived at one that seemed appropriate for that particular night. She pressed play and readied herself.
Celestia’s sky was beautiful, but now the canvas was Luna’s. The Princess of the Night raised her horn to the heavens and closed her eyes serenely. Her magic reached out beyond the grip of Equus, further than the sky, and all the way to the beautiful moon that she knew so well.
Her eyes opened again. They glowed with a brilliant white light as she used her own special talent.
The moon slowly crept up above the far horizon. It glowed softly in the fading light of dusk. The stars appeared in the sky, one by one. The sky faded from rosey gold to purple, and the sun finished its slow march beyond the horizon.
Now the night had officially begun. The howl of a wolf reached out to Luna’s ears, cutting through the sound of her music. Luna smiled. She’d always loved the creatures that adored her night. Their calls of appreciation always captured her heart, and the wolves were some of her favorites.
She hummed along with the song as she continued to paint the sky with glimmering lights and beautiful designs. But tonight, her mind was wandering.
It had been a week since she’d talked to Fade about meeting him when he came to visit Canterlot. They’d played more of the game as if nothing were different, but Luna felt as if there was a tension hanging in the air. He would become a friend in real life, not just over the net, and the looming loss of anonymity gnawed at the back of Luna’s mind.
Her thoughts were disrupted as a small bat fluttered out of the sky and landed on the tower’s railing right beside her. The little creature tilted his head and looked at her.
“Greetings, little one! Are you here just to see me?”
The bat squeaked and hopped closer. Luna giggled. She reached out a hoof and the bat rubbed against it.
“Aww. Aren’t you sweet?” She smiled at her new little friend.
He squeaked once more and cocked his head sideways. She raised an eyebrow at him.
“Oh, so you like my talking, do you?”
The bat squawked again.
“Well, I suppose that you could join me tonight. It would be nice to have somepony to talk to. Or, somebat, haha.” Luna laughed.
The two of them stood beside each other as Luna continued to slowly manipulate the stars above. Ever since Celestia had lowered the moon a week ago, Luna had rededicated herself to making absolutely certain that Equestria received the best night sky that she could possibly provide.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter to you what we talk about, does it?” The bat didn’t reply, so Luna took that as a cue to continue. “Well, let me tell you about what’s on my mind. I have a friend, you see. I don’t know him out here in the real world, but I will soon. I thought that it would be quite an opportunity. I mean, he’s kind, smart, and the only pony who has listened to me without reservation. I know he doesn’t have an ulterior motive. How could he? He doesn’t know who I am…”
The moon glided through the finely sculpted sky until it came to a rest at its apex. Luna lowered her horn and sighed. “But… I don’t know. What will he think of me? I’m a princess. Everypony knows who I am, but nopony knows who I really am. Would he be different? Would he understand me? What if he doesn’t? Will I lose the only pony who cares, besides my own sister?”
The bat did not reply, but instead jumped off the railing and onto Luna’s shoulder. She stroked his face. He leaned into the touch and then nuzzled her neck.
Luna smiled, but it faded after a moment. “What if he’s afraid of me?”
There was no response, of course, and Luna sighed. “Maybe I’m just the one who is afraid… I don’t know.”
Shoulders hunched, Luna walked back toward the door to her chambers. The bat stayed upon her shoulder until she reached the entrance. After that, he gave one final squeak and nuzzle before leaping off her and taking to the night air.
“Goodbye, friend. Perhaps we shall meet again,” Luna whispered. She opened the door and allowed it to slowly swing shut behind her. She glanced at her computer at the other side of the room. Fade wouldn’t be back from work for a few hours, so she had some time to kill. Maybe she would—
“Princess Luna?” A soft voice accompanied a light knock at her door. “Princess Luna, may I speak with you, please?”
Luna strode past her bed and computer and cracked the door open. “Yes?”
She saw the pony on the other side of the door. It was an earth pony mare. She had a green coat and a reddish mane pulled back into a workable but pretty braid. She wore the clothes of a palace maid and blushed when Luna looked at her.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, ma’a— Oops! I mean, Your Highness!” Her voice cracked and her blush deepened.
Luna smiled at the young pony. “Don’t worry, little one. What is it?”
The mare cleared her throat. “Your sister has requested that you meet her in her quarters. She says she has something urgent to tell you.”
“This late in the evening?” Luna wondered aloud. “It must be important. Very well. You may return to my sister and tell her that I am on my way, Miss… what is your name?”
“Oh! Gem! Gem Petal, ma’am!” She curtsied. “I’m one of the new maids.”
“Very well, Miss Petal. Please return to Princess Celestia and inform her that I shall be there shortly.
“Excellent, ma’a— Oh, drat! Princess, I am so sorry. Excellent, Your Highness.” Gem shook herself and smiled sheepishly.
“Do not fret, Miss Petal. I will not hold it against you.” Luna nodded to her. “Now, if you will please excuse me.”
“Of course!” The mare curtsied again and walked down the hall briskly. Luna smiled and shook her head before returning to her room to prepare herself.
~~~
Luna knocked lightly on the door to Princess Celestia’s private chambers. Two members of her guard stood on either side of the highly adorned doorway. The guards nodded to her and Luna smiled in return.
“Enter!” Celestia’s voice called out to her. Luna pushed the door open and slowly strode into the room.
Celestia’s chambers were a stark contrast to the doors that granted access to them. While the twin doors were heavily adorned with sculpture of alabaster and beautifully wrought silver, gold, and gems, the room inside reflected the simplicity and serenity of its resident.
The walls were a soft eggshell white, and soft curtains covered most of the walls. What little of the walls were not covered by the curtains held numerous works of art from all over Equus. Celestia did love her artwork, after all.
The Princess of the Sun stood looking out the window. Her crown sat upon her nightstand and her hair wafted through the air. Celestia's face held a worried grimace.
“Tia? You asked to see me?” Luna approached her sister slowly.
The other pony turned to face her. “Ah, Luna. Good.” She levitated a piece of parchment off her nightstand. “I just received this message from Blueblood. He said it’s from one of his agents in the Griffon capital. The message references events from one week ago, and it only just made its way to Blueblood’s hooves. He passed it on immediately. It is far worse than we feared.”
Luna reached out and grabbed the paper. She skimmed the report until her eyes spotted words that nearly made her heart stop. “They… they eat each other?”
Celestia nodded. “Yes.”
Reading further, Luna felt her jaw drop. “How… how is this possible? Cannibalism, infighting, and sex in their throne room? They’re insane, Tia!”
“I fear that is true.” Celestia sat down wearily. “This makes no sense. They led a rebellion that had the support of the majority of the populace, their military is fanatically loyal, and they have successfully subjugated Yakyakistan, Crete, and Germaney. But they enslave the populace, punish failure with death, and eat their own. These military masterminds relish the most primitive of thrills and thrive upon an addiction to power.”
“This… I cannot believe this. Blueblood’s source must be lying.”
Shaking her head, Celestia pulled out a folder stuffed with paper. “Much of the information has been confirmed by multiple sources. They fired all of their servants a month ago and brought in prisoners that they had captured from other nations. The majority came from Germaney, but some were former citizens of Equestria who lived in the other nations. Since then, they have regularly brought more and more ponies into the capital. None are seen leaving.” Celestia closed her eyes as she hoofed the papers over to Luna.
“Impossible. There is no way that these monsters described by the agent could be in charge. The populace would rise up immediately and crush them.” Luna shook her head.
“They might, except for the griffon military. Their forces have complete control over the capital and all other major cities. The citizens have just endured the bloodiest civil war in all of their history. This ‘peace,’ if it can be called such, is preferable to even more death. It has happened before. A population will endure anything if it is so downtrodden and tired. At least, it will for a time.” Celestia walked toward her sister. “And that makes them dangerous. Far more dangerous than a sane enemy.”
“Can we even reason with them? Or will they attack like rabid dogs?” Luna asked.
Celestia shook her head. “I don’t think so. They don’t want to fight us yet. We are stronger than they are. It is in their best interest to wait to attack until they have built their industrial base. Griffon technology may be behind ours, but their production capacity could potentially dwarf our own, if they can get their industry started. Even magic and superior knowledge would not help us if they field the entire army that they could build within a few short years.”
“Then we should strike now! Hit them while they are weak!” Luna stomped her hoof upon the ground.
“No. That would not be wise,” Celestia replied.
“What?”
Celestia levitated the main report up into the air. “Look at this. Do these griffons sound like they could build a nation into a powerhouse? Do they look like they could even hold their own people together once their anger at these madgriffons outweighs the threat of death? No. History dictates that we wait, at least for a short while. Let them tear themselves apart while we build our own forces.”
“But what if you’re wrong?” Luna retorted. “What if they somehow keep their citizens under their talons?”
“They won’t.” Celestia shook her head. “But let us indulge in that possibility. Every day that passes, our forces become better equipped. Our borders become more secure. Their production grows, yes, but their citizens become more weary. If they do not revolt, we will still have time to intervene before they are ready to initiate the conflict on their own terms. By waiting, we potentially save the lives of countless of our soldiers and citizens.”
Luna considered this for a moment before slowly nodding. “Very well. But this entire idea hinges upon them not attacking us immediately. If they are so bloodthirsty, would they really be able to control themselves for that long?”
“I believe so.”
“Why?”
Celestia raised the paper once more. “Because of General Chaput. He is the only reasonable one of the group. The report says that he butts heads with the other leaders, and that is a very good thing. He is against the brutality. The others are against him, but they still listen to his advice. And that’s all that he’ll need. He’s smarter than them. Better educated, a hero from before the rebellion, and wise enough to see through the political fog. He called Father Dmitri by his first name, Sister. He hasn’t bought in.”
Luna shook her head. “But he’s still just one griffon. We cannot risk our nation on a single being, no matter how aware he is of his situation.”
“We don’t need to rely upon him. We just have to trust that he’s smart enough to see that waiting is far more beneficial to them than an immediate outright war. The fact that he is leading the diplomatic party that is coming to Canterlot is perfect. We will be able to judge him in person. Perhaps he may even be convinced to help his government change talons. I would much rather face him. He can be reasoned with.”
“That may be true, but I still do not like it. It’s too risky. We should prepare the army and attack as soon as possible.” Luna snorted. “The cost in lives may be great now, but the price would increase every day if you are wrong.”
“Indeed. Which is why we should keep our options open. Peace is our goal, and it may yet be attainable. Our best course of action may be to hold off on military conquest and instead engage in economic warfare. If we can hurt their industry, it will be even more difficult for them to threaten us.” Celestia opened her window. “I have already contacted the rest of the council. They will be gathering in the morning to discuss these events. There is nothing that we can do tonight besides think and plan.”
“Very well,” Luna muttered. “I don’t like this at all, Sister.”
“Me neither. I wish we had more information. We still know so little about all of the leaders. I am uncomfortable not understanding them.” Celestia flared her wings. “Luna, I must say something. Your night is quite beautiful. You have been working very hard on it, haven’t you?”
Luna smiled. “Thank you, Tia. I have.”
“I can certainly see it. Would you accompany me? I would like to fly with you and speak of less dark subjects.” Celestia waved out the window with her wing.
“I would like nothing more, Sister.” Luna trotted over to beside her.
“Lovely!” Celestia remarked. With that, the Princesses took off into the beautiful night sky.
Neither of them noticed the small blinking light beneath Celestia's bed. The tiny device flashed two more times to signal that it was transmitting its audio recording to a remote location far away. Then the device went dark once more and awaited the return of its prey.
~~~
Comrade General Chaput walked briskly down the stone corridor in the depths of Griffonspire Castle. Behind him were the two familiar forms of Father Dmitri and Vice-Chief Yvonne. They were followed by Dmitri’s four honor guards, as always, but Chaput didn’t pay attention to them.
“How much further?” Dmitri asked.
“Just through here.” Chaput pointed down another corridor that branched off from the one down which they currently walked. “Oh. And I need to speak with you both in private, please.”
“Why? So that you can slit our throats in the dark?” Yvonne scoffed.
“Please, I merely require your undivided attention. Unneeded ears would only distract us,” Chaput said. He ignored the female’s snide comment, as always.
“Very well. Guards, please remain here and wait for us to return,” Dmitri said.
“Father! You cannot be serious!” Yvonne protested.
Dmitri rolled his eyes. “Very well. Guards, please come running if you hear any of us dying, wouldn’t you?”
Chaput chuckled, and the three griffons walked down the adjoined corridor. They came to the end and walked into a small room featuring a lit fireplace and three chairs around a circular table. The table held a bottle of wine, three glasses, a record player, and several folders.
“Shut the door,” Dmitri said.
Yvonne looked back down the corridor furtively. Seeing that nogriff had followed them, she slowly did as he had asked.
“Do you have the device?” Dmitiri asked Chaput.
“Of course.” The General pulled a small box out of his coat and pressed the large red button upon its front. The device beeped once, and then a light came on.
“We’re clean. No bugs,” Yvonne breathed.
“Good. Yvonne, don’t you think you were laying it on a bit thick back there?” Chaput asked, his beak twisted into a grimace. “‘Oh, he might kill us. Please, help us, oh noble guards.’” He snorted. “Overacting is your greatest sin.”
Yvonne smiled at him. “Oh, come on. You know as well as I do you deserved it. You constantly made fun of how I talk.” She punched him lightly in the shoulder.
Dmitri chuckled. “So, I suppose this means that you have heard back from Canterlot?”
“Indeed,” Chaput said. “My new little friend in the palace managed to slip a bug into Princess Celestia’s room. It recorded this just a few hours ago.”
The black and white general pressed play on the record player. The needle scratched, and then a voice began to speak.
“...ou asked to see me?”
“Ah, Luna. Good. I just received this message from Blueblood…”
The three griffons listened attentively through the whole recording. Their smiles grew and grew as the conversation continued.
“...would like nothing more, Sister.”
“Lovely!”
The record stopped playing, and laughter filled the room.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry that I doubted you,” Yvonne said. She slapped Chaput on the back. “That was brilliant.”
“They bought it! Ha!” Dmitri cheered. “As the saying goes, hook, line, and sinker! Absolutely bloody phenomenal.”
Chaput nodded. “I was worried that our little friend in your guard had been too scared to send his message. It appears that he merely waited. It would have worked, of course. We wouldn’t have known that he had contacted Equestria had we not already known of his identity.”
“A month of setup. Firing our whole staff of servants. Faking a feud between my most trusted advisors.” Dmitri cackled.
“And don’t forget the cannibalism. That was awful! Oh, and kissing you. Possibly worse.” Yvonne shook her head, but her smiled stayed on her beak.
“Chaput, you are a genius. They ate right out of our talons.” Dmitri spread his forelegs out and pulled his general into a hug. “Good show!”
Chaput returned the embrace for a moment and then let go. “Honestly, I was worried that we had taken it too far. I mean, eating another griffon? ‘The sight of you covered in blood is so enticing?’ If we weren’t dealing with ponies, this never would have worked.”
“Well, they do break into song and dance in the middle of the street on a nearly daily basis,” Yvonne remarked. “I don’t think they have a concept of anything being overdramatic.”
“And that kiss at the end was inspired, Yvonne. It really hit the act home.” Chaput clapped his talons together.
“And they thought that we had sex! All I had to do was kiss him!” Yvonne broke into a laugh. “Oh, wonderful. I do so enjoy ponies.”
“Yes,” Dmitri agreed. “This was very well done. But what is our next move? We cannot keep the palace crewed with slaves. There are far too many risks.”
Chaput nodded. “Indeed. Next, we will stage a rather public argument in front of at least two known spies. Yvonne and I will yell at each other until I end up convincing you to bring back paid servants and to stop killing our soldiers.”
Dmitri replied, “Ah, very good. You grow even more in the eyes of the ponies, and we are able to put things back how they were.”
“Precisely. After that, I will continue preparations for the diplomatic mission. By the time we arrive, I should have gained a great deal of their confidence.”
“Then the manipulation continues,” Yvonne finished. “It’s wonderful.”
“Very much so,” Dmitri agreed. “But what of our friend, the spy in our guard?”
Chaput cocked his head to the side. “We should allow him to remain. The spy we know is more useful to us than the spy we don’t. Then, once he has outlived his worth, we catch him red-taloned and host a public execution. We denounce the ponies, and then we use that as diplomatic leverage.”
Yvonne shook her head. “You really do think of everything, don’t you?”
“Not everything,” Chaput admitted. “But I do think of a lot.”
Dmitri picked up the bottle of wine and filled all three glasses. “Well, if this doesn’t call for a toast, then nothing will.” He raised a glass. “To victory, comrades. May our talons strike true, our words bring honor, and our enemies fall. To victory. To Father Griffonia!”
“To Father Griffonia!” The glasses clinked together, and laughter filled the room.
Out in the corridor, distantly removed from the three griffons, four guards stood. They heard none of the laughter, and they held their ceremonial blades at the ready. One of them shifted uncomfortably as a shiver ran down his spine.
The air had become very cold.
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Oh snaps! Late night update!!!
Oooh, more. I really want luna to meet Button Mash!
And....
I have completely have to rework the initial thoughts of what I had for the Gryphons.
Very well done and I have to say, keep up the great work, I enjoy looking forward to your chapters as they come out.
Regarding the last line of this chapter, my first thought was: Windigos?
holy shit even if this invasion fails it will go down as one of the most thought out and under handed plans in history and I approve 110 percent.
Good work hope to see more soon.
Calling it. Windigoes.
While I am the biggest buttonbelle shipper ever I do have to say this is a very well written story and to be honest I wasn't expecting this strategy from the griffins. Look forward to more and it's lucky my horrible abdominal pain is keeping me awake. Or I would have had to wait to read this chapter.
I love this story
though I would like if it just focused on Button and Luna. Are they not the main characters of this story?
Oh so it does go like that!
That would explain the clichés, then.
Ahhh, this makes so much more sense. These griffons are gonna send the Princesses on one hell of a ruse cruise by the time this is done, I'm sure of it - and it's going to be an amazing read all the way through!
Also this chapter has gotten me curious about what actually happened to those pegasi from the previous chapter. Quietly deported? Held in a prison out of the way of the 'slaves'? Simply released back to wherever they were captured from?
6270181
cdn1.lockerdome.com/uploads/40e4b0e148523836cd33c2fc9c9682abf802921174153faa2babf73689ea4e25_large
6269901
The human equivalent of the aforementioned, but yes.
Fear not! Celestia already knows that the bug was placed! That's why she chose that specific room to talk to Luna. By pulling the same stunt the Griffons pulled, they will have no idea what will hit them when they turn over their mastermind to her! Unfortunately, for this to work, she had to play the part diplomat to Luna. She knows that Ponies are melodramatic to a fault, especially her sister, so she had to hide the fact that she knows for the conversation to seem be genuine.
I look forward to evil's demise!
Awww hell.
They were bugged, and everything was staged! D'x
Fuck...
Nice job!
Wowwww, you write incredibly fast
Great story so far, can't wait to see the rest of it!
I'm interested to see how the two (so far pretty disparate) halves of this story will come together, if they do, and thank goodness for the gryphons not really being that cliched.
Wow. That was actually really smart.
Wow, I mean just wow. Griffons were so smart they had the READERS fooled!
...huh
Clever girl
Really good, love both the length and content of the chapters. I think that Luna should disguise herself as a bat-pony when she meets Button Mash.
Moar pl0x!
The plot thickens!
6270326 or the guard was a spy.
Okay added for coninued perusal
This story is awesome!! I only wonder how Button would play into this? Maybe his gaming skills will come in handy? I don't know, but this is great! Anyone else suspicious of the bat or Gem Petal?
If the bat: He dropped the bug in Luna's hair and it fell out (intentionally)
If Gem: She's a stallion in disguise and planted the bug. I mean really, what kind of name is Gem Petal? It sounds like the love child of a miner and a florist. Petal Gem sounds more realistic like a gem the shape of a petal.
Did they actually eat that other griffon and do they really eat ponies? And if not, I'd love to know the trick behind the cannibalism act!
Anyway, let's go to war!
6270707 Thats so insane it just might be the case.
I get the feeling that Tia knowe what's going down on the bird side of things. I mean how old is she? This is just a move in the political chess game she plays.
Also, wondering how Button will react to Memory being Luna.
Why is my spy sense going crazy when Gem talks?
Well. This is interesting. Their status as "The enemy" hasn't changed in the slightest but they are far more cunning than they appear to be. Wonder how being seen as mindless, violent animals is to their advantage?
*unidentifiable screams and cusses*
I ran out of chapters!
More! Naow!
I need by LunaMash, I mean
...........
Good plot, good characters. I'm looking forward to what comes next.
6272107
Maybe, but I'd personally be more inclined to believe the guard is a spy if this chapter had ended one sentence sooner, stopping at:
However, as it stands right now, I simply can't bring myself to believe that the griffon guard is a spy when I consider these three factors:
1. From the second to last paragraph, it explicitly mentions that the four guards "heard none of the laughter," which I'm also assuming means they heard none of the conversation.
2. Just before the meeting with the griffons started, they used a device to scan for listening bugs to make sure they were clean, furthering my assumption that the four guards heard nothing that was said.
3. The chapter doesn't end at the guard shivering, but at this line:
The narrative is stating that the air became cold as a matter-of-fact, rather than a feeling of foreboding.
I couldn't help but laugh at how the griffon's were outlining everything they've done up to this point as if someone needs reminding. It was for the reader's sake, but whenever this is done in story telling, I giggle.
"Yes, I agree, that part of the plan was the most brilliant! Muhahaha!"
"Oh, and then we pretended to not see the hero coming so we could reverse get the drop on him. It worked like a charm!"
"Ha! I know! I was there! That was almost as great as when we leaked information about the 'secret-passage' into our lair to lure him into the trap in the first place!"
"Bwahahaha...! Phew, my sides... Hey, why are we telling each other all this stuff? It just happened, like, five minutes ago."
"... I dunno."
*Minion #32 barges in* "Your evilness! The prisoner has escaped!"
"Dammit! What do I pay you idiots for!"
"Uh, you don't pay us, sir."
"What do I keep you alive for, then? Augh, come on evil number two! We'll handle this!"
After all that Equestria has faced, from changelings to Tirek, the thing that takes them down is a troupe of actors... Sounds about right.
Looks interesting, I'm always up for supporting featured stories! I give you a fave for now, until I get the time to actually read this.
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so ponys vs a county full of assholes. i have mixed feelings.
Hail Hydra!
static2.hypable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/hail-hydra-meme-lion-king.jpg
6274275 You called?
6274734
You should probably get that looked at.
6273771 Love it.
On one hand I like this and all. On the other, the intrigue seems to be one of those 'Here, we have villains seemingly way more competent than the side that ought to be smashing them competency-wise, because...well. Celestia, foremost. But also arguably Twilight. Unless you want to be playing 10 dimensional chess. As-is, I'm witholding judgement, at least for now.
6273370
I think it's about the same line of reasoning as the Major's Plan.
EDIT: Removed the video because i found a better place for it.
6263072 did anybody else asked you which was the third one?
6275327
Nope! The third is actually Dungeons and Dragons Online. The idea of having three classes and racial abilities comes from there, as the game allows a very large amount of multi-classing. I also based the party system off that game.
You'll also see hints of WoW, Portal, and several other games, but most of the inspiration is SAO, Destiny (which I've never actually played but have studied from a theory standpoint), and DDO.
6275371 Thanks for answering, now off I go to check out DDO,
Good day.
~Leonzilla
*looks at pic* ugh, gamer Luna...
*reads description* BUTTON MASH AND LUNA
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES
Gonna read this one soon (hopefully tonight)
6275266 as a HUGE fan of hellsing ultimate, and the abridged series, I have to agree
This last scene seems cliche. I will reserve my judgement until next chapter, but...
jk
6276799
Oh, you troll.
I personally can't truly enjoy this story much, the concept is superb but the execution feels a little uninspired. Good story though, there is definitely quality and polish in each chapter, so don't mind my nitpicks much.
Overall, I bestow upon this story a stalwart rating of 7/10. An excellent story.