//------------------------------// // Part One: Negotiations // Story: Winter Moon Rising // by Gloominosity //------------------------------// Cobalt glanced at his father nervously. This was the first time that earth ponies were being permitted to visit the unicorn stronghold. No other tribe had ever set hoof in this castle. It was an intimidation tactic, to show off just how strong and powerful the unicorns were. He was supposed to be there in support of his father, but he couldn’t help himself from wondering what were earth ponies like? Were they really as barbaric and uncultured as the texts claimed they were? He was excited - but also rather frightened - to find out. The palace was eerily quiet and dark in the moonlight. The sun had never risen that morning. Another intimidation tactic. The unicorn tribe was responsible for raising the sun and moon each day and each night, but they only did this in exchange for food from the earth ponies. The harvest this year had been pitiful and wouldn’t feed the tribe until the next one. Therefore, the brutal unicorn king refused to keep his end of the deal. Negotiations had been scheduled to take place in the Unicorn Kingdom around midday. The earth ponies must already be on their way here. Cobalt paced the floor of the throne room while he waited. He himself wasn’t much affected by the food shortage. His father, him, and his older sister were the first ones provided with a meal in the entire kingdom. It was the lower unicorns who were starving and begging for more food. As a king, it was his father’s duty to provide for all of his subjects. At least Cobalt would never be responsible for that himself. When his parents passed, it would be his older sister who would ascend to the throne. Then her children after her. He didn’t want the responsibility anyway. Platinum was born for the throne, he preferred the library. “Cobalt,” came a quiet voice. He turned to see Clover the Clever, his father’s advisor, waiting for him in the entranceway. “Yes?” “The earth ponies have arrived. Your father requests that you greet them.” Cobalt nodded and quickly hurried out of the throne room and into the grand entrance of the palace. Platinum and King Tellurium were standing just inside of the towering doors. They looked up when he approached. “They are waiting outside,” Platinum informed him. “Come, we are to greet them and bring them to meet father.” Tellurium regarded Cobalt with a dissatisfied frown, but said nothing. Then he trotted in the direction his son had come from, back to the throne room to sit on his imposing chair of black stone. Yet another intimidation tactic. Platinum didn’t bother to wait for Cobalt before opening the doors and trotting out to greet the foreigners. He scrambled to follow after her. It was still dark out, the full moon suspended at the peak of the sky. A carriage was halted at the foot of the stairs, pulled by two earth pony stallions. They were the first of the species he had ever seen. Then the door of the carriage swung open and out stepped a mare. Her coat was pale blue, her mane a smooth gradient of purple, red, and orange. She looked like a sunset, and was easily the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, even more beautiful than his fair sister. The mare turned to hold the door open for the rest of the occupants. Four more ponies stepped out, three more mares and a stallion wearing a frill. He seemed to be dressed as a bearded lizard that was being threatened, and looked utterly ridiculous. Cobalt snorted in laughter and Platinum shot him an angry glare. The frilled stallion trotted up the steps towards them. “Who are you?” Platinum’s nostrils flared in anger. “I am Princess Platinum. You must be Chancellor Hambone. Who have you brought with you?” She gestured a hoof to the other four ponies. He chuckled and raised a hoof to the mare on his left. “This is Vice Chancellor Puddinghead.” Then to the mare on his right. “And my advisor, Smart Cookie.” Smart Cookie cleared her throat. “Thank you for invi-” Platinum cut her off. “And the other two?” “My daughter Amaryllis. And her servant,” Hambone added, seemingly as an afterthought. The sunset mare sneered at having been called a servant, but no one noticed aside from Cobalt. He couldn’t help but smile at her anger, it was rather cute. If only her perfect features weren’t ruined by the lack of a horn, he might be attracted to her. Platinum frowned disinterestedly. “Come. My father is waiting.” “You haven’t introduced us to the stallion beside you,” Amaryllis, the daughter of the Chancellor, complained. Platinum looked at Cobalt. “My brother, Prince Cobalt. Now come, my father is not a patient stallion.” The Chancellor trotted after her, followed by Vice Chancellor Puddinghead and Smart Cookie. Amaryllis was quick behind them, but stopped to look at Cobalt with a dreamy smile. He wrinkled his lip in disgust and fell into step beside the servant mare. As if an earth pony would ever have a chance with him. They were strange creatures, with no magical ability. They would ruin the bloodline. The servant glanced at him, then quickly away again. Cobalt admired her sunset mane. “What’s your name?” She jumped, as if startled to have been spoken to, then looked at him with a suspicious raised eyebrow. “What?” “Your name? The Chancellor only said you were a servant, he didn’t say your name.” The mare huffed unhappily. “I am not a servant. I came because Amaryllis asked me to. I’m her friend, not her servant.” “Oh.” Well, that explains why she was speaking to him. A lowly servant would never be permitted to talk to a high unicorn such as himself. “Well, I’m Cobalt.” “I know. Your sister said so.” He smiled. “Good memory.” “It just happened.” Cobalt frowned and fell out of step with her, instead taking the rear of the group. A mare like her should have been grovelling at his hooves, perhaps begging for her precious sunlight back. She should definitely not be acting so rudely. He hadn’t even learned her name from the exchange. A smirk spread across his face. He would learn her name. And by the end of today, she would be acting as she should act. A pitiful earth pony in the presence of a high and mighty unicorn. Platinum lead the earth ponies and Cobalt into the lavish throne room. Tapestries covered the walls, illustrating all the great kings and queens of the Unicorn Kingdom, as well as the tales of their strongest heroes and greatest tragedies. Upon a platform sat the strone throne, on which sat a large unicorn stallion, a purple cloak resting on his shoulders and a crown perched on his head. He looked down on the earth ponies as they approached. Chancellor Hambone trotted up onto the platform and spread his forelegs, as if he were preparing to embrace an old friend. “You must be King Tellurium!” The unicorn king glared at him. It was incredibly disrespectful for anyone but the king or queen to stand on the throne’s platform. “Chancellor Hambone. You have come to discuss the raising of the sun, I assume.” “You did invite us,” Vice Chancellor Puddinghead said with a little giggle. A giggle. While speaking to a king. “Let us converse within my private study,” Tellurium stood, the purple cloak swishing against his hooves as he trotted to a door leading out of the throne room. Platinum was right on his hooves, leaving the earth ponies to follow after her. Cobalt took up the rear again, finding it hard to not admire the sunset mare. The king’s study was a large room, able to fit a small library, a desk for private matters, and a long table fit for meeting with the king’s counsel. Tellurium took the chair at the head of the table and gestured for the Chancellor to take the seat to his right. It was a bold power move, but one that his father had been well prepared to do. Platinum sat to his left and Amaryllis beside her. Smart Cookie and Vice Chancellor Puddinghead took their seats as well. Cobalt remained standing, as it was never his duty to attend this meeting. He was to wait outside for them to finish. He was neither the king or in line for the throne, he had no business to listen to private matters between tribe leaders. “Dahlia, wait outside, would you?” Amaryllis asked the sunset mare. The mare, who was not a servant, looked up in shock. Then she forced a smile. “Of course.” She turned and trotted out of the room angrily. Cobalt followed her and the doors closed behind him. “Your name is Dahlia.” “Congratulations, you have ears.” He paused and looked her over. “Is Amaryllis your only friend?” Dahlia turned to face him. “Why would you ask that?” “You’re not very nice. I don’t see you having many other friends.” She hesitated for a few moments before replying. “Why are you not in there? With your father and sister?” “Oh, that meeting is none of my concern. I’m only here as a pleasantry.” He smiled proudly at her. “You’re not as pleasant as you think you are.” Cobalt’s smile faded away. “Earth ponies are very strange. How do you survive without magical ability?” “We don’t rely on magic like you do. We grow our crops using tools and our own strength. I guess some ponies aren’t as...lucky.” “Lucky?” “Lucky or stuck up.” He laughed. “You’re a funny mare. Is that why they keep you around?” “I told you. I’m Rylla’s friend.” “Rylla is Amaryllis?” “Well, like you said, I don’t have any other friends, so who do you think Rylla is?” Cobalt found himself smiling, despite her unacceptable attitude. “Would you like to see the rest of the palace?” “Are you offering to show me around?” “Unless you want to stand here for the next several hours, waiting for the negotiations to be finished.” “I’d rather stand here then trot around a palace all day with an awful sta…” Her words faded away and a smile spread across her face. “Actually, yes. I want you to show me around.” He smirked. “What’s with the sudden change of heart?” “No earth pony has ever set hoof in a unicorn stronghold before today. I want to be the first to know everything.” She smiled sweetly. Innocently. Too innocently. Cobalt gave her a questioning look before turning away and starting to trot. “Come on, I'll show you the library.” “You have a library?” “Well, yes. Don’t you?” “A library wouldn’t do us much good.” “What do you mean? How would a library not do you much good?” “Most earth ponies don’t know how to read.” He stopped trotting and looked at her. “You don’t know how to read?” Dahlia looked away, clearly embarrassed. “No.” Cobalt lost himself in his thoughts for a moment. His life would be bleak without books. His greatest joy came from reading the stories of ponies long past and researching the history of his tribe. If not for the manuscript he was writing himself, he feared he would not have any meaning in life. “I...I’m sorry.” She looked at him. A thousand thoughts seemed to show in her eyes, a thousand facial expressions to go with them. Finally, she settled on indifference. “Like I said. Some ponies aren’t as lucky.” He smiled. It wasn’t a proud smile or a victorious smile or any kind of smile with a hidden meaning. He actually meant this one, and he rather liked talking to this strange, hornless mare. “I could teach you.” Dahlia snorted. “I couldn’t learn to read in just a few hours. Wouldn’t that take time?” “You could come back again.” “I’m sure your father would love that.” “Well, what if I came to you?” “Cobalt, stop.” She fixed him with a hard look. He froze at the sound of his name. No one used his name aside from his family and high-ranking unicorns. Everypony else addressed him as simply ‘Your Highness’. Dahlia sighed. “I won’t get much use out of a library. Show me something interesting if I have to be stuck with unicorns for the next few hours.” “Unicorns aren’t so bad.” “You take our harvest.” “We raise the sun and moon in exchange for food.” “Don’t you get it? You take so much that there’s hardly enough for us!” Cobalt frowned. “What do you mean?” “Earth ponies are starving. Starving and dying because your tribe takes our harvest. And you’re not the only ones, pegasi do it too. There’s not enough food for us.” “The purpose of these negotiations is to figure out what we can do to get more food from your tribe.” “We have no more to give,” Dahlia argued. “If we give up any more of our harvest, more and more ponies will starve every day. And as more ponies die off, the less crops will be harvested every year. Meanwhile, your tribe will keep growing. And growing. And growing. Until you demand ALL of our harvest, leaving NOTHING for us!” Cobalt stared at her, eyes wide. Nopony had ever raised their voice at him before. “I didn’t know you were starving.” “No one does. Only our tribe knows, and we would never tell you.” “You just told me now.” Dahlia fell quiet. “I need some fresh air.” “There’s a courtyard this way.” He led her down a hall and opened a stained glass door to let her outside. She trotted out and sat down on a stone bench under a willow tree. Her pale blue coat almost glowed in the moonlight. Cobalt trotted over and sat down next to her. “I didn’t know the situation in your tribe was that bad.” “We’re starving, but everyone is starving. Unicorns are starving too, isn’t that the reason for these negotiations in the first place? You won’t raise the sun until we give you more food.” “I…” “Do you know what it’s like to go hungry, Prince Cobalt?” He didn’t answer. “Maybe if you did, you wouldn’t be so harsh with us. We don’t grow enough food for you, so we are no longer allowed to the see the sun? Do you want to live in a world a darkness?” “Well, no, but the sun will be raised when your Chancellor-“ “Agrees to let us earth ponies starve.” “Agrees to give us more food,” Cobalt corrected. “There isn’t a difference. I suppose you believe that earth ponies were created to serve unicorns as well.” “Well, we are the higher race…” Dahlia scoffed. “Unbelievable.” He didn’t say anything more. She had given him a lot of things to think about. Could he really expect more from the earth ponies, knowing that they would be starving while unicorns were fed. His father could, but he was not his father. He couldn’t agree with this. It wasn’t fair. Even if earth ponies weren’t as gifted or intelligent as unicorns. They were still ponies. Dahlia was right. Cobalt rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof. “You’re right.” “What?” “Unicorns aren’t higher than earth ponies. We’re all ponies. It shouldn’t be one tribe or the other. There has to be a way to grow enough food for all of us to be fed.” She seemed surprised that he had agreed with her - he was surprised himself - but she quickly recovered. “You could help us instead of expecting us to do all of it ourselves.” A thought occurred to him. “Dahlia, there’s something you should know about the negotiations.” “What is-“ She looked up. There was a shadow in front of the moon. Quite a few shadows. They were moving, no, flying. As they watched, the pegasi folded their wings and dove towards the palace. Dahlia gasped. “Pegasi!” Cobalt swallowed nervously. “My father told them about the negotiations.” “What?!” “He thought they should know. Pegasi are starving too.” Dahlia galloped out of the courtyard and back through the throne room, to the entrance of the palace. Cobalt was right on her tail. Three pegasi were trotting up the stairs and entered the castle, trotting right past Dahlia and Cobalt without any regard for them. The leader was a large stallion wearing a helmet and suit of armor. The two mares beside him were obviously subordinates, but stood tall anyways. “You.” The leader turned to look at Cobalt, who nearly jumped out of his hide. “Y-yes, sir?” Cobalt stared up at the huge pegasus. “I am Commander Hurricane. Where is King Tellurium?” “He’s meeting with Chancellor Hambone right now. I can bring you to his study.” The commander raised an eyebrow at him. “And you are?” “Prince Cobalt. Son of King Tellurium.” “Hm.” He nodded, turning his gaze to Dahlia. “And who is this?” She glared straight back at him. “I’m Dahlia Dawn.” “Oh? An earth pony, I see. Why are you here?” “The negotiations. Why else would I be here?” Commander Hurricane just looked at her for a moment, before disinterestedly moving on. “Prince Cobalt, where is your father’s study?” Cobalt cleared his throat nervously. “Right this way, Commander.” He led the three pegasi to the study where the other tribe leaders were meeting. One of the subordinate pegasi stepped forward to open the door for her Commander. She saluted him as he and the other mare trotted inside. Then she respectfully closed the door, shutting herself outside with Cobalt and Dahlia. Dahlia tilted her head. “Who are you?” The pegasus mare did not answer, she just gazed straight ahead with a blank expression, standing in front of the doors. She was meant to be a guard, Cobalt realized, but why would Commander Hurricane leave a guard at the door? Was he expecting to be interrupted? Cobalt waved a hoof in front of her face. This received no reaction. “Cobalt,” Dahlia whispered. “Is there any way to hear what’s going on inside of that room?” He looked at her, debating whether he should answer honestly or not. “My grandfather built this castle and left ways for himself to eavesdrop on anyone from anywhere. He was a very paranoid stallion that was constantly afraid of rebellion.” “So there’s a way for us to eavesdrop on them?” “Yes, but...we’d have to be completely silent. Why do you want to hear what’s going on in there anyway?” “I just...I need to. Help me. Please.” She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. Cobalt could see just how strongly she felt about this, he could almost feel her desperation. She believed the fate of her tribe may be dependent on the words being exchanged on the other side of the door. “Okay.” Dahlia looked at the pegasus guard. “You don’t think she’ll sell us out, do you?” To both of their great surprise, the pegasus turned her head to look at them. “I want to hear too.” “Uh…” Cobalt was unsure what to do. “You want to eavesdrop on your Commander?” She nodded. “My name is Autumn. Private Autumn. I’m not supposed to be talking to you.” Dahlia extended a hoof. Autumn slowly reached forward and shook it. “I’ve never seen ponies of other species before. You’re an earth pony, right?” She nodded. “Yes, and Cobalt is a unicorn.” Cobalt looked at them. “If you want to hear what’s going on in there, come with me.” He trotted away from the door and down a hallway, looking over his shoulder to make sure that the two mares were right behind him. He opened an unmarked door and trotted into a broom closet, delicately levitating a board away from the back wall. He silently gestured them closer, holding a hoof to his lips in a sign for silence. On the wall that he uncovered were hundreds of holes, no bigger that pinpricks. Dahlia, Cobalt, and Autumn flicked their ears and pressed their cheeks to the wall, hardly daring to breathe. “It’s not enough,” came the voice of King Tellurium. “My unicorns are starving. We are a proud tribe and I can not let my ponies starve. We are prepared to offer you a steady supply of scrolls and books, texts that are written to inform and expand the mind. Perhaps they will help your tribe to gain a bit of culture and intelligence. In return, we ask for an additional half to our current supply.” Chancellor Hambone laughed. “I’m afraid that my tribe will have no use of your books and scrolls. Most of my earth ponies don’t know how to read.” “We can also offer lessons on reading and writing. My scholars are more than capable-” “Let us make our offer, your highness.” Commander Hurricane cut their argument off. “My pegasi already provide you with weather control. There’s not much else we can offer you, but heed my warning. Your pleasant, cloudless days will be a thing of the past. We will drown your farmland under torrential rain, torment your land with endless storms, and bury your measly civilization under mountains of snow! Unless, of course, you provide us with double the amount of food that you currently do…” Cobalt’s eyes widened as he made eye contact with Dahlia. Her expression was horrified. The pegasi were threatening her tribe if they didn’t provide more resources, resources they didn’t have. Chancellor Hambone made some sort of nervous squeaking sound. “I-I’m afraid that we can’t deliver either of your demands, there just isn’t enough food…” “Because you’re hogging it all!” Platinum snarled. Dahlia pulled away from the wall, ears folded down. Cobalt understood that she must be scared. He reached forward and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. She looked up at him, tears pooling in her eyes. “They’ll never understand,” she whispered. He nodded, not knowing what he could say. The voices on the other side of the wall grew louder. “If you cannot provide us with more food, then we will take it from you,” Commander Hurricane said coldly. Autumn frowned. Hambone tried to laugh it off. “I-I don’t think you’ll do that, Commander…” There was a slam, like hooves on the table, then Vice Chancellor Puddinghead spoke up. “Earth ponies are not pushovers! We will protect our farmland!” King Tellurium cleared his throat. “Are you proposing war against the earth ponies, Commander?” “If that is what it takes to feed my tribe.” Chancellor Hambone was clearly growing desperate. “Commander, please th-there isn’t any reason for bloodshed!” Amaryllis chimed in for the first time. “Father, there isn’t any reasoning with these ponies. We should go home. Build up our defenses. These ponies are barbaric!” “We are barbaric?!” Platinum hissed. “You are disgusting! Just look at that clown suit your leader is wearing!” “We are prepared to declare war as well,” Tellurium added. There was the sound of movement. “I-I think my ponies and I will be heading home now,” Hambone stuttered nervously. Nopony else said anything, no one tried to stop him or threaten him. Cobalt pulled away from the wall and beckoned for Autumn and Dahlia to follow him. The three ponies left the broom closet exactly as they had found it and hurried to stand outside the doors of the study, just as they were thrown open wide by Commander Hurricane. He stormed out. “Private Autumn. We are returning to our home.” Autumn saluted and followed him, looking back at Cobalt and Dahlia. She gave them a sad smile and waved. “Dahlia,” Amaryllis growled. “We’re leaving. These ponies will never be satisfied until they’ve starved us of our own farmland!” Dahlia looked at Cobalt, and he back at her. “I…” Cobalt shook his head. “It’s best if you don’t say anything. Goodbye, Dahlia.” She closed her mouth and followed after Amaryllis, Hambone, and Puddinghead. Platinum scoffed and trotted up to stand beside her brother. “The nerve of those ruffians!” Tellurium watched the earth ponies and pegasi leave unhappily. “They won’t be a problem once we show them the true strength of unicorns.” Cobalt looked at him. “Father? What do you mean?” “If the earth ponies are keeping their harvest to themselves, then we will have to take what we need by force.” “You don’t mean start a war with the earth ponies?” The King smiled. “Not just the earth ponies, but the pegasi too. We alone will have claim over the earth pony harvest.”