//------------------------------//
// The Long Dark Twilight 
// Story: The Rising Night 
// by Sixes_And_Sevens 
//------------------------------//

The Doctor frowned as they entered the boundaries of the little township. Where was everypony? Were they already too late? No, there was a stallion over there. “Halloo!” they called, waving a hoof at the stranger.
The brown pony glanced over in surprise. When he registered the Doctor, his eyes narrowed. “What doth thou want? It’s not tax season.”
The Doctor smiled at him cheerfully. “No, I’m just here to take a census of the town. What’s your name, please?”
“Corn. Councillor Barley Corn.”
“Ah, local government.” The Doctor nodded. “Would you mind terribly taking me to your duly elected rrrepresentative, please?”
“Yes,” the stallion growled, then stalked away.
“Hm. What an odd fellow,” the Doctor murmured, watching the other trot along the path into the woods. Then, donning their hat, the Time Lord continued on their way.


***

Barley Corn stormed into the forest. Pegasi! Here, in the village! The gall of it was almost too great to be borne. That upper class twit, with his fancy language, looking down on him like that, oh to see that self-satisfied smirk wiped off his face…
Yes said a voice that seemed to come from all around him On that, we art in agreement.
Barley looked around. “Who goes there?” he demanded, seeing nopony.
I be the spirit of the forest whispered the voice. I have seen thy soul, pony, and have seen fit to give you aid in thy struggles.
Barley frowned. “What sort of help? Help with what?”
What thou most desire, Councillor. Power. Complete and total power. 
The shadows seemed to swirl, and for but a moment, Barley could see himself in the robes of the Chancellor. He could see everypony who had ever wronged him bowing down to him. He saw walls with trophies of wings and horns mounted upon them, the last vestiges of the unicorns and pegasi. In one very special corner, he saw one plaque that had both wings and horns, one set white, the other midnight blue. He breathed out. “Tha’— that would be impossible,” he whispered.
There is no such thing as impossible, my dear Chancellor, the voice said. There is only weakness. We two are very strong, are we not? For us, there is nothing that cannot be done…
“Aye…” Barley muttered. “Strong…”
Let me help you, Barley. Let me help all of thy dreams come true…
Barley paused. “All of my dreams?” he asked, mildly worried.
The voice paused. Is there something wrong with that? There was a note of menace in it, suddenly.
“No, no. Nothing, really. It’s just, well, I’d rather the dream with the pig an’ the tub o’ jelly… ye ken.”
Ah. That can remain a dream, yes.
“Thankee, spirit,” the councillor said, relieved. “How wilt thou do it?”
I am not strong enough, it admitted. Not yet. I must have help from you before I do anything.
“What’s that, then?” the councillor asked, suspicious.
Oh, nothing much, it said. You need merely to send out, say a scouting party to this corner of the wood. I shall do the rest… Now go. Time is of the essence. Already, your enemies act against you.
“...Aye,” Barley Corn agreed, dazed. “Aye, they’ll no' catch me out so easily!”
No. Not without a pig and a tub of jelly, anyway, the voice muttered, so low the councilor couldn’t hear it.


***

The Doctor strode into the town hall. Almost instantly, all eyes fell on them. They stepped back slightly. They were rather used to this body going unnoticed by everyone that they met. This inversion felt rather unpleasant, particularly now that they lacked a rather volatile friend to watch their back. “Hello,” they said pleasantly. “My name is… Query. From the University of, ah, Stratus. I’m here to take a census. May I please speak to whomever is in charge here?”
The Doctor did their best to radiate innocence. Eventually, a maroon mare stepped forward. “Thou did miss him,” she said. “He’s gone back to his quarters.”
The Doctor sighed. “And where would I find those?”
The mare shrunk back, apparently having used up all her courage in one short speech. Eventually, a green stallion stepped forth. “I’ll take thee to him. Got to see him myself.”
“Thank you,” the Doctor said, “I’m terribly obliged.”
The ponies all went back to murmuring among themselves as they left, but in much more secretive and serious tones than before.


***

The Doctor and his guide walked along in silence for a time. Eventually, the green stallion spoke. “So,” he said, “What might yer name be, stranger?”
“Query will be sufficient,” the Doctor replied. “Prrrofessor will do fine as well. What’s your name?”
“Cookie. Smart Cookie,” the other said heavily, as though Smart Cookie wasn’t a very good thing to be.
Smart Cookie had continued on for a good few paces before he realized that the Doctor had stopped dead in his tracks. “Be ye alright there, sirrah?”
“Smart Cookie? THE Smart Cookie?” the Doctor asked, incredulous. “My dear chap, I’ve been a great admirer of yours for some time. That new justice system you proposed, simply brilliant!” They shook the surprised councilor firmly by the hoof.
“...Aye… Well, I wish that others shared thy views.”
The Doctor frowned. “Whatever do you mean?”
Cookie shrugged his broad shoulders. “What I say. Not everypony feels that I do my job well. They say I’m wasting my talents with yon book learning, that I should be trying to work out how to get us earth ponies equal rights— ah, no offense to yourself.”
“Oh, none taken,” the Doctor assured him. “Harmony among the tribes is a goal of mine as well.”
Cookie gave him a sidelong look. “Is that so?”
“Oh, yes. I foresee a day will come— not too long from now— where the tribes will unite against a common foe and rise up as one whole. I strongly suspect you will even be alive to see it!”
Cookie snorted and shook his head. “A pleasant dream, Professor Query,” he said, “But that’s all it be.”
The Doctor’s eyes twinkled slightly. “Time will tell…” they murmured, a smile on their face.
That smile quickly vanished when a cloud passed across the sun, darkening the village. “Tell me, how long until we reach the Chancellor’s quarters?” they asked, a note of urgency in their voice.
“It be yonder, perhaps three minutes more,” Cookie said, inclining his head toward a structure at the end of the road which, oddly enough, resembled a gingerbread house.
“Good, good. What say you and I hurry in? It looks to me as though night may be falling sooner than expected…”


***

Barley glared around the compound. “Right,” he barked. “There have been more than a few disturbances out in yon woods, as ye all ken well. Pease Porridge, Dowsin’ Stick, ye shall be searchin’ the forest tonight.”
This was immediately met with protest from the two ponies in question. “Ah, shut yer gobs, or I’ll make sure ye shall be on that duty fer the next fortnight,” he said. “Nex’ assignment’s harvesting the 'taties. Caber, ye be on duty for tha’, along wi’ Spade and Trowel, Gatherin’ Moss…”
“I can’t believe we’ll be outside all night!” grumbled Dowsing Stick to his partner. “Thou knoweth he’s only doin’ it because he don’t approve of us!”
Pease Porridge smiled slightly. “Look on the bright side,” he suggested. “We’ll be outside, all night… and all alone…”
Dowsing Stick brightened. “Well, we’ll be investigatin' the loud noises in the night anyways…” he grinned. He kissed his lover’s cheek gently, drawing a few smiles and winks from the surrounding ponies. “No’ a bad idea, luv.”
Barley glared at them. Look at them! Carrying on like that in here! There were foals present! The others were all so blind, thinking it didn't matter so long as they were happy and got their work done alright. But it did! It had to! They couldn't reproduce, couldn't create a new generation of laborers. The village would fall to ruin. 
He would make sure that there would be no more of that sappy ‘luv’ nonsense when he was in charge! No, t’would be work, work, work all the time! It was the only reasonable plan.