Prince of Zebras

by RandomBlank

Late Night Guest

This story begins right after the end of  “Upon the Stars”, which is an independent story, but if you find some events of the first chapter as baffling as Celestia does, you might want to check it.

Late night guest

“I just need to spend more time with my sister.” I sighed, affixing the Sun to the beginning of its daily route. I walked back to my room, then stood in front of my ornate dresser, looking at my reflection in the tall mirror. I lifted my tiara to my eyes level. A symbol of status I never asked for. My glance stopped on a crude image of a zebra embossed in a small jade set in the piece that goes behind my ear. A memento from my last real crush, over two thousands years ago. I sighed at the emotional dreary of my life and placed the tiara on my head.
Four golden hoof-overs, worn to protect my hooves from poisoned caltrops. There have been no assassination attempts in over 1200 years, but I still needed them. My hoof surface got soft and sensitive from disuse, and I'd rub it sore from walking any more than several lengths of my bedroom without them. Sure after a week or two it would harden properly, but it would be a week or two of constantly sore hooves. So, hoof-overs it is. This last quad was barely 70 years old, after the old ones, nine centuries old, got so worn from constant use the steel soles became too thin for the guard captain's security clearance.
And finally the heavy, thick golden horse collar. My burden always weighing my neck down, even when not physically present on on it. A constant reminder, that we are servants to the country and ponykind. That we are condemned - sentenced - destined to serve them for all eternity, loyally, faithfully, benevolently and selflessly. Never a word of complaint. Always the gentle, gracious smile.
The ancients choose us - me and Luna - to serve ponykind as wise, noble rulers. Not true leaders, just figureheads to take care of the details of common country leadership faithfully, while the true masters would give us directions from the shadow. They shaped our curse as a pair of horse collars, successors to the yoke. The horse collar at the time was a symbol of progress, success, end of the era of shortages, hardships and famine. It allowed a pony to pull burdens many times heavier than the yoke did. Farming became efficient enough that no pony would ever go hungry again. So we would bear a burden greater than any ruler in the past, and our masters expected nothing would stand in their way. Oh, how wrong they were...
Very few ponies still remembered the meaning of my horse collar. Most thought of it as an ornate necklace meant to dazzle with sheer amount of gold and gems. The few knowledge-seekers who found the truth in old books were at least nice enough not to spread the knowledge. I could see their gaze stopping on the collar, and their faces softening in sympathy. But none dared to ever think of relieving me of my burden, even briefly.
It wasn't a bad fate, really. The gratitude I was receiving for my work was a valuable reward. The praise and respect were always nice. But deep respect comes at a price: solitude. I had only one peer, and very few of my subjects ever dared to approach me on a more personal ground. Sure, some would... “mingle”. Gain status by talking with the princess Oh, how I loathed to be treated as a social status dispenser machine! These much-sought personal audiences were so rare because they were so useless! All small talk, platitudes, flatteries, and boring, low gossip. If the nobleponies could hold an interesting conversation, I'd invite them every day!
A castle full of ponies and all I had for company was my sister, sharing maybe an hour or two of a day. And on rare occasions, Twilight. I loved her like a daughter. I wondered if that's how having a child feels. Luna was the one ever blessed with a son. I was...
I hid my head between my front legs. I was a coward. When she saw a true hero, she tackled the opportunity, twisted the rules around and “rewarded him with the hoof of a princess” herself. My lucky, brave sister! She was as happy as he was. Even after he died, a piece of him stayed with her: she bore a son, and her son had children too. She was the teacher for the future generations of her offspring ever since. Meanwhile, I played it safe. Too safe.
But even as much as she had wasn't enough. When Penumbra, her city, fell when the centuries of her work had to be abandoned, something broke in her. She lasted, she worked, but she had... retreated. The small talk, the audiences, the contact with ponies who show genuine gratitude helped me deal with solitude better. Her... she brooded alone; the ponies afraid to approach her. Finally, she lost it. I did the only thing that could be done. And after that, it wasn't good. Despite my best efforts, alone I could push the country only so far; there was a progress but it was slow. And I didn't want to mess with her bloodline, and as result, without proper care it... degenerated.
How good to have her back. And under no circumstances can I allow the old history to repeat itself. Spend more time with her. Find some friends for her!
But how?! I felt like screaming from frustration! I can't even find friends for myself!
Except for Twilight. But I'm too much of her idol to really have a talk like equals.
Time to wear a brave face and head for breakfast. Maybe with a full stomach I'll think up something better.

* * *

She's gone?
The guardspony wouldn't tell me much. Supposedly she left on her own business, she's not in any danger, and there is a good chance that she would be back soon. I still wondered what kind of affair it was that he had to withhold it from me just to maintain proper discretion of Luna's matters.
I didn't press the issue. Instead, I began brooding. The high officials of the court sharing the table with me didn't dare to utter a word, seeing my mood. Luckily my nephew was not present, I was sure he'd fill the table with his empty blather and I wasn’t sure if I would withstand it this time.
Taking a small bite of a croissant and filling a cup with tea, I tried to be reasonable. I hadn't ever expected such a simple issue would have such a bad impact on me. Our little daily ritual broken. Of course she has the right to her own business! Of course she can skip the breakfast if she wants! I have no right to require her presence. But... I miss her. I want her to be with me.
And all the raspberry syrup is gone.
The servants scuttled away to bring a fresh bottle.
...She used up all the raspberry syrup in the dark of the night! What is she up to?
*BAMF* Suddenly Luna appeared next to the table in a flash of teleportation spell! The maid carrying the new flask of syrup lost concentration and dropped it. The flask shattered, exploding the sticky sweet liquid all around.
I was too happy to see her to even badger her about the rude appearance, especially since she swept the shards and syrup up in a quick whirlwind spell, and helped the maid to dispose of them (Still, some servants would need to mop the sticky floor later. And of course all the raspberry syrup was gone. Again.)
Luna looked... frazzled. Odd. Eyes reddened from tears; one can recognize that after millennia of rule. Her cheeks still slightly damp from tears, tail ruffled and stained with something sticky, her wings in a bad need of preening, and... that smile! That mysterious, half-sad, half-cheerful, half-mischievous, half-kind smirk. She walked up to me and gave me a kiss on my cheek.
“Tia, I'm sorry I can't accompany you at the table today. I'm on my last legs. I really need to catch some z’s. I promise I'll make it up for you it in the afternoon!”
“Luna, what happened?”
“You don't want to know.” She grinned. “Chamberlain?” she turned to the old, serious servant, “Please wake me up an hour before the dinner is served, and have my bath ready for then.”
Huh? She never, ever demanded anything from the servants. If they didn't think it up themselves, she'd either do it herself or go without.
“Oh, and Tia, would you be so dear to ask Twilight Sparkle to visit me in the evening? I wanted to ask her for some help.”
My Twilight? Oh. I just caught myself on the “my”. Anyway... “Why? Maybe I can help?”
“I know you're better with the Equan Arts, but I need somepony with a scientific mind. Oh well, maybe you can help. Where can I find bulk amounts of electrons? Lots and lots of them!”
“Not a clue! Okay, I'll ask her!”
“See ya!” she grabbed a croissant and trotted outside, munching on it on the run.
What is she up to?!
And then she trotted back. “Oh, and could you draft a letter to the younger Zebra prince? An invitation for a visit, or something like that? Oh, and give a kind eye to the Northern Reaches settlement regulation, that matter got stalled in some office.”
The Zebra Prince?
I was sitting with my mouth open, while she left without missing a beat.
Something was ahoof. Something big. And my runt of a sister kept me in the dark! That  You don't want to know. It always ends with me getting furious once I find out! I will not force the guards to talk, but I'll be damned if I'm letting her off easy on that!
“Chancellor, would you be so kind as to cancel all my appointments starting an hour before dinner? And Chamberlain, that bath my sister requested... make it for two.”
Zebra prince?
Electrons?

* * *

Warm, almost hot water, and enough foam to build a pegasus home, not to mention the clouds of steam filling the huge, ornate royal bathroom. We'd usually use personal showers by our chambers, but I guessed sis wanted a long soak. The tub, more of a pool, was big enough for a whole herd, never mind the two of us. Sunk up to my chin I enjoyed the warmth soaking the fatigue from the long day off my bones; I enjoyed the moment of calm. ...Before the storm.
I heard hooves first, then saw my sister through the mist, even more frazzled than before. She yawned wide, and scratched her neck with her hoof. Not enough sleep; she never attends the dinner and we usually meet for a light supper later between sunset and moonrise.
I closed my eyes and dunked my head till only my nose was sticking out, hidden between mountains of foam. The sound of hooves sounded like distant cannon fire under water. Closer. Thump against the edge of the tub. A splash, waves, water displaced, more waves. A touch of her leg on mine and a squeak of surprise.
I pushed my head over the surface quickly. She fluttered her wings rapidly, leaping back and into the air, splashing water everywhere, blowing all the foam away from the tub and leaking rivers of water from her mane and tail. At last she recognized me, and landed, while catching her breath loudly.
“By the grace of Equestria, Celly! What are you doing here? Wait, don't answer that. I know you have some perfectly reasonable and completely useless explanation. Could you please let me take a bath now?”
“Sure, jump in!” I moved to a side, not that there wasn't enough room already.
“Sis, I mean... aww, ponyfeathers!” She gave up and rolled from the edge into the tub like a dead log, splashing water again, then letting the buoyancy bring her back to the surface. She settled against the side of the tub on her back and sighed, spreading her wings wide and making small waves with them, letting the water flow between her feathers. She squirted some liquid soap from the dispenser onto a sponge and began scrubbing herself, paying no attention to me, or at least pretending not to.
“I have a reasonable and useful explanation, Luna. The dinner table is always packed. We watch our every word. You'd never tell me everything I want to know. Just tell me tell me tell me!”
“Tell you what?”
“Everything!”
“So, in the beginning, as Discord ruled the land...”
“Luna, please! The zebras, the electrons?”
“The zebra prince wished upon a star for us to trust them more. I think it's high time to warm up the relationships between our countries a little. End of story.”
“And the electrons?”
“That's for a scientific project. I hope to build a machine that can count faster than all of the ponies in Equestria together. It's called a computer.”
“What for?”
“Oh, I'm not quite sure yet. It will certainly be helpful in the research of mathematics. You know, the mother of all sciences, whose inventions find use by physicists and mages decades later.”
“That's not all of it!”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly, that's all I intend to use it for! Oh, maybe for games too. And whatever other uses I can think up later. But I honestly swear I have no nefarious plans behind building it!”
“That's not all!”
“Okay. I admit. I'll be reorganizing the shadow guard a little bit. Creating a position of personal adjutant. Volunteers, trials. It should be some pony to talk with, a companion, maybe a friend. You're not angry, are you?”
“No, that's an excellent idea! I'm glad you thought this up, I was starting to worry about you, but it seems my little sis can take care of herself!”
That grin. That grin!
“Luna. You're still not telling me everything.”
Her grin failed immediately. “You'll be mad.”
“I promise I won't.” I crossed my heart, fluttered my hooves, then stuck one in my closed eyelid.
“Tia, I'm... I'm...” she stuttered... “ThereWasThatAbusivePonyAndISentTheShadowGuard!” she shouted out.
“Luna, you know I don't like that but I know it's a necessity, so I accept it and I certainly don't blame you. I'm not angry about that. Therefore, Luna... therefore... it is still not everything. Look, sis. We're stuck for all of eternity together. We must trust each other. Trust me, please.”
Luna lowered her head sadly, pulled her tail in front of her face and scrubbed it with both hooves, squirting the shampoo copiously. As if she was regretting it. As if she was feeling guilty about removing the stains. How did she stain her tail like that anyway?
I floated over to her, took some shampoo too and began washing her mane.
“Did somepony hurt you?”
“No! By Equestria, no!” she jerked her head off my grip and glared at me, deep fear in her eyes.
That fear! That protectiveness! At that point I decided to let go. But...
“Tia... I'm pregnant.”
what?
WHAT?!
“YOU UNGRATEFUL SPAWN OF A BUFFlblbl bl blrlr glbaalrlghl!!!” I dunked my head and screamed my lungful of rage under water. Then I rapidly surfaced and hugged Luna, sobbing. “I'm sorry sis, I'm sorry! I didn't mean that!”
Luna returned the hug, holding me close to her. Holding my head to her bosom. Where she carried...
I sobbed quietly. “You lucky sister of a mule. You're... again... And I... It's not fair! Luna, I... I envy you so much...”
“So you're not mad, sis?”
“No, I'm mad! I'm totally, completely mad! That it’s you who’s pregnant and not me! And that's completely selfish and wrong of me but I can't do anything about it! So who's the lucky colt?”
“...”
“Luna?”
“He's not a pony. Not even equine. He's a human.”
The first words that pushed to my tongue were a poisonous “Are you insane?”, but I swallowed them. Trust each other. Trust my sister. She does stupid things when she's lonely. No, trust her dammit! She's not stupid! She wouldn't...
Computer?
Really?
That hairless ape got to my sister through math! I'm sure he used lambda calculus! She loses her head when she thinks of lambda calculus!
No, trust her! That protectiveness in her eyes. He had to be better than that. How... just how did he get her so wrapped up around his... finger?
“Tell me more about him.”
“He... he was lonely. He spoke his love to me upon a star. You know one can't lie upon a star. The lie, or a false wish will not reach me - and his reached me across the worlds, twice. He threw his old life away to be with me. But I know I couldn't keep him, so I gave him a safe place to live far away.”
“Why did you take him in? Why did you allow him to throw his life away?”
I had her here. I knew it. Her face tensed.
Then the startled expression of her eyes softened. She blinked some tears away.
“Because I would throw my life away for somepony like him just the same. Except I can't, because I'm immortal and bound.” she ruffled the fur of her neck, where it was broken and matted from constant use of her horse collar.
“Luna...” I smiled to her. “I'm going to accept all this, I’ll trust you, I’ll support you completely and I’ll never mention it in any negative manner, but under one condition.”
“Sis?”
“You're not going to stash the foal away from me this time! Aunt Celly is gonna be almost as much of a mom as mommy Luna!”
Luna just hugged me tightly.

* * *

“...So, what was he like?”
“Lay back.”
“What?”
“Lay back and spread your wings.”
...Okay? I relaxed against the side of the tub holding my wings spread far apart.
“I'm not sure if I'm doing this right. Besides, he has fingers; They can really do wonders.”
Luna sat upright in front of me, then rubbed my wings gently. Oh. Oh. Good. Gooooood.
A moan escaped my mouth as her caress began from the trailing edges and reached up to the wing base. She massaged the joint between my wings and my chest.
“This time I'm sure I'm not doing it right. He was doing a kind of... plucking motion. Taking a scruff of skin between his fingers and rolling it... I'd better finish, hooves really aren't any good for it.”
“Don't stop, don't stop! You're doing great!” My goodness, if that was this thing done wrong... whatever it was...
“Sis, maybe we'd better stop? We're getting dangerously close to incest.”
“Just a little more. By Sun and Moon, this is...”
“...completely wrong. Sis, when were you intimate with another pony last?”
“I've lost count. Over two thousands years.”
She muttered something... Property be damped?
“Sis, I'm doing this only this one single time because letting you wait another minute is plain wrong. And then after that we're finding some company for you.”
What? She's doing what for me?
And then the thought was blown away as a sudden spark flowed from my horn, through my spine.
She sucked on my horn tip.
And I was too overwhelmed to do anything, as her tongue pulled along the tip.
The bliss of her touch on my wings and the spark of magic her tongue excited in the tip of my horn transformed into... what felt like fire somewhere in my loins. I gasped loudly as the fire spread and concentrated in my sex, throwing me suddenly, immediately and uncontrollably into a wonderful, intense orgasm.
And then my horn filled with sharp, powerful, incredible magic of a kind that I had never tried in my life. It flowed down through my spine and...
I think I shouted in ecstasy. Maybe screamed. My mind rolled into the orgasm like never before. All the muscles all the way from my labia and anus, all the way up to somewhere near my stomach clenched in a delightful sparkling sensation. My heartbeat sounded like heavy rapid hoofsteps in a gallop.
Then the spasm let go and I entered a blessed bliss, my insides still feeling the exquisite sparkling, my ears still drumming with the hoofsteps.
The hoofsteps stopped.
Sparkling?
Sparkle?
Twilight Sparkle?
Wait! I can explain!
My ears drooped.
No, I can't.

* * *

Aaawkward.
Twilight was waiting in Luna's public office. Her purple fur took a reddish tint around her cheeks. I believe my blush was clearly visible. My lucky sister's dark coat hid hers well.
“Princess?”
“Twilight?”
“I'm so...” - we both began the same thing.
“Let us never speak of it again.” suggested my sister.
We both nodded eagerly.
Still, none of us spoke a single word during the dinner.
Then my sis kidnapped Twilight for that project of hers and I was left on my own.

* * *

On one hoof, I was still embarrassed. And scared. How would that affect Twilight? Would she ever trust me again?
On the other hoof, a terrible knot has been removed from my insides. I hadn't realized what a cramp, what a tension had existed within me. My legs still felt buttery. That thing Luna did with my horn... how did she even...?
On the third hoof, I was simultaneously jealous and happy for my sister. Dark Princess. There are certainly some upsides to being the Dark Princess, the naughty one.
And on the last hoof, she was right. I had to begin looking for company. For my special somepony. Even if it would only be for one night.
I drafted the letter, translated it into Zebraic to the best of my ability, and sent a guard to Zecora to have it proofread. I pondered how would she do as an ambassador - likely she'd refuse - and whether she'd make my letter rhyme in Zebraic too. Then the Northern Reaches settlement act... it was supposed to have been settled months ago!
I walked onto my room's balcony, then soared down to the Land and Estate Office down in the city-proper of Canterlot. I landed on the roof terrace of the big building. Of course the terrace door was locked from the inside, against my order, again.
This office was becoming unruly. I'm not going through reception and waiting to be announced this time, I'm a princess dammit! The warmth in my womb was still there and filled me with young vigor. I just reached with my telekinesis inside and turned the knob. I slipped in, quietly, magically silencing my hoof-overs. Diamond Quill is in for a surprise visit.
The upper atrium floor that the terrace door led to was empty, marble catwalks over the reception floor, stairs, offices. I approached Diamond Quill's office.
“Excellent work, Diamond Quill.” a female voice was heard from inside. “Another family of settlers gave up and bought my land. Here's your premium and keep stalling. As long as you can come up with more excuses the princesses can't do a thing.” I heard ringing of a bag of bits landing on a table.
“And my chance for the title to the territories increases as old Star Ringer's health falters!” That was the voice of my nephew Prince Blueblood.
Oh how I wished to be my sister right now! I had to come up with a wise, benevolent and merciful solution and I sooo wanted to send the three to the... Wait.
I-dea!
Removing the spell of silence I walked to Diamond Quill's office. He almost got to hide his bribe without me noticing. He was in company of Petunia Plot, a major land merchant, and Prince Blueblood the Awful, as I nicknamed him in my mind.
“Hello, I hope I'm not disturbing?” I asked with a smile.
“Not in the least, Princess” the scoundrel behind the desk lied through his teeth while the merchant swept the floor with her long mane in a bow, and my nephew gave me a sparkling, toothy smile.
“First things first, how is the Northern Reaches settlement act progressing?”
“The reports of sloping and drainage contained some mistakes so the measurements are being taken again. We can't risk the settlers getting flooded, can we?”
“Of course. Now for the other matter. I've been thinking of making some new lands available for settlement, and there's got to be at least a few thousands acres habitable in the area I'm considering. We need an experienced prospector to appraise the land, of course the prospector would get the first bid in license to trade the new plots...” I could see Petunia's eyes shine. “Would you be willing to undertake the task, draft borders and appraise every single plot of the new area? Take your time of course; I'd be expecting monthly reports, then a full report when the work is complete, and then we can proceed to actual trade.”
“Yes, Princess! I'd be honored!”
“Nephew, I believe as the first noblepony to put his hoof on the new lands, you will then have acquired the honorary title as ruler of them. But I'd expect you to assist in assessment and planning.”
“Auntie! I... don't know what to say! Is it my birthday? Of course I accept!”
“Now we can't have a private entity going unsupervised, so you, Diamond Quill, are to directly supervise the preparation of the report. Too much time behind the desk is not good for your health, you know. Time for some field duty.”
“But my cases! The Northern Reaches!”
“Apple Seed will be taking them over. I suggest you three pack up for a long trip, the land is quite extensive and it will take you quite some time to appraise it all!”
“When... and primarily where do we go?”
“Would you be ready this evening, just past moon rise?”
“As you wish, your majesty!”
“And as to where, this information is currently classified. You will learn just before the trip.”
“Yes, your majesty!”
“Thank you, your majesty!”
“Thanks, auntie!”
I gave them a kind smile and walked back to the terrace.
I wanted to jump up and clap my hooves! But that wouldn’t be becoming for a princess!
I beat my wings, flying back to Canterlot.
Sis would need to help them prepare for the trip. She's an expert on that land. After all, she spent a thousand years there!

* * *

Luna and Twilight were huddled around a tiny cloud in the middle of their room, the cloud floating above some rod connected to a lot of weird machinery with wires and test tubes. Luna was prodding the cloud with her hoof, making it shoot lightning at the rod, while Twilight was throwing some switches. They intently observed an unlit bulb extending from top of the machinery.
“Let's try that again in the AND configuration,” suggested Luna, readjusting some wires in the device.
“A off, B off,” Twilight said, throwing the switches.
Luna prodded the cloud with her hoof. A tiny lightning bolt hit the rod, emitting a loud crack of thunder.
“X is off” reported Twilight, observing the dark bulb.
“Yes, that's the expected result.”
“A on, B off.”
Another bolt.
“X is off.”
“Success!”
“A off, B on.”
Prod - crack!
“X is off.”
“Huzzah!”
“A on, B on.”
Another lightning.
“X is off.”
“Huh,” Luna frowned, ”It should be ‘on’. Anyway, we got three out of four right, that's better than any of our previous tries.”
“Maybe we should first concentrate on getting a steady ‘1’ signal? I don't think I’ve been able to say ‘X is on’ yet.”
“That's a rather boring avenue of research, but if you think so...” Luna removed a bunch of wires and ran one directly from the rod to the bulb. Prod, followed by immediate crack of thunder.
“X is off,” reported Twilight, unimpressed.
“Yay, we got a working NOT gate!”
“Not quite, Princess. It still doesn't produce positive output on negative input.”
“Can we... I dunno, call it Half-NOT?”
“I'm afraid that's more like a steady zero line.”
“Let me re-check the configuration. Oh, the bulb is burnt! Do you suppose this could be the reason for the faulty readouts?”
“Sis?” I knocked on the door frame, drawing the attention of the two. Twilight jumped up and ran up to me, to snuggle up the usual way, no unusual reservations. My heart skipped with joy. Luna turned to me, while removing the faulty bulb.
“The letter is being proofread. The Northern Reaches act should be finally on the right track. And I'll need to ask your assistance in one delicate matter concerning a certain three industrious ponies.”
I briefed Luna on my plans. At first she was feeling apprehensive about sending more ponies to the moon, but when I uttered Blueblood's name, she was sold and even offered to enchant a gateway talisman with the moon as a destination, a magical device any moderately skilled unicorn can use to teleport things between two points, and with enough skill - even ponies.
“Thank you, Luna. I see you found your source of electrons?”
“No, we abandoned the idea of using particles entirely! Thunder flow, spark energy, transmogrifiers, magistors, all our native physics! No need to import atomic matter at all!”
“That's good I suppose?”
“We'll have it working in no time! Do you want to join us?”
“No, I don't understand a thing about what you're doing. I'll just be on my way.”
Twilight simply nodded and returned to Luna's side.
I trotted to the exit. This time I think Twilight sounded more excited when she reported: “X is on!”

* * *

I was very apprehensive about our meeting with the Zebras. Our last contact nearly two centuries ago wasn't very pleasant. Prince Veth was as handsome as he was arrogant, and my nephew could learn from him how to be a jerk. He was subtly rude, politely offensive, in ways that could not be treated as actual violation of etiquette but made me hate him fiercely. Each offered contract, under scrutiny, appeared to contain some caveat, trick, or deception that would leave us cheated out of some deserved part of the deal. When I confronted him about these, he covered surprise and disappointment with indignant pride, making outrageous demands in exchange for having the offending points removed.
So I just smirked and declared our long-standing mutual customs tax contract null and void, then taxed the hell out of their trade with buffaloes across our lands, while establishing a water route to the land of Minotaurs, circumventing Hippotigria, the land of Zebras entirely, then I ended our visit early and returned home.
Equestria came out ahead financially, and seeing the sour face of the thieving jerk was well worth the worsened diplomatic relationships. Our border guard would sometimes catch caravans of zebra smugglers since then, and collect the tax in form of a major part of their wares. That was the primary activity when it comes to relations between our countries ever since, so no wonder the common opinion about Zebras as smugglers and rogues was predominant in Equestria, and I guess the ponies were seen as greedy tax collectors by Zebras... Neither side trusted the other and contacts were scarce, very few traders ever crossing the heavily taxed borders with wares.
It was two months after the exchange of letters, and the first snows came when the guests from Hippotigria arrived. They were... pleasant enough. The liaison was honest, dedicated, well-mannered, and respectful, but he was all business. We discussed some contracts, profitable to both sides in all honesty. One somewhat dubious entry I found was straightened out immediately and with profuse apologies, and it all seemed to be on the best route to re-establish business relationships. Still, that was a long way from rebuilding the mutual trust. Especially when I was asking him about life in the Zebra lands, common things, such as to tell me about current rulers, he'd shake his head and utter the same “I'm very sorry, noble Princess, but I'm not at liberty to discuss this.”
There were seven other zebras in the liaison's court. An escort of three guards, two experts - mining and agriculture masters who helped come up with proper trade values of exports when their respective contracts were discussed, a translator, who helped to iron out the bilingual contracts and keep the entries in sync, avoiding subtle language differences, and an old Zebra merchant who served as a guide, leading the group across the more dangerous segments of the journey safely.
I tried to pull their tongues, but they were all very adamant about keeping it all business. Except for one of the guards, who... visibly hesitated. But as the three usually appeared in group, I couldn't catch him alone for questioning.
From the scraps of knowledge I still managed to gather, more from our own merchants than the zebra emissaries, I learned their domain had two rulers, princes Zenith and Nadir, and while the elder prince Zenith, ruling the south and married to a noble zebra lady was described as a calm, fair traditionalist, the young prince Nadir was the one whom I was actually doing business with through the liaison, and he was... a riddle even to his own people. Engaging in magical arts of alchemy and mysticism, past elite military training, learned in martial arts and engaging in extreme sports involving combat-related activities. But, allegedly, surprisingly gentle and sensitive.
The most about their characters was said by a merchant who had faced the Zebra court in the past, wrongly accused of a crime (and justly found not guilty), as he received this advice from a zebra friend:
“If you're innocent, have prince Zenith judge you swiftly and fairly. If you're guilty but regret it and want to fix the evils you committed, go to prince Nadir to be judged mercifully. But if you're guilty and you want to sneak your way out, better suffer Zenith's fair punishment than receive Nadir's wrath.”
So there I was standing on my balcony watching my sister weave an aurora. Not just any aurora though, but one to bring her past creations to shame. She'd got some extra fondness to weaving them in the recent months, the elusive art always gone in the morning light, but this time the white of the snow was giving this one a proper backdrop at last. The moon was rising slowly, still far from its peak of travel.
I pondered paying my sister a visit, but whenever she weaved an aurora she'd enter a weird fey mood, silent and distanced. I wouldn't disturb her tonight.
Interestingly, she claimed she had made friends with one of the Zebra guards, but she refused to make him to talk of things he was not comfortable talking about. It appeared that he knew a bit of mathematics good enough to give them a fair conversation (though... luckily? no clue about lambda calculus) and he was surprisingly good with tinkering, and helped her make quite a few improvements to the Computer which occupied a major part of the adjacent ballroom (and would occupy most of it once finished, as my sister assured me, before she'd cast a shrinking spell reducing it to the size of a sugar cube.) Interestingly, Luna insisted she knew the guard from somewhere, even though we both thought it rather impossible.
I levitated a blanket from my wardrobe and wrapped myself in it. I'd stay, watching the show, until I get too sleepy to keep on, or too cold... The sky was clear save for few motes of clouds, but some very light snow was falling. My dream-like thoughts got me wandering through the meanders of the aurora, climbing and sliding its drapes.
The moon was now high, and shining with nearly dazzling brightness. I don't think I could get the moon that bright ever in the times when I was doing the job, never thought it possible for it to be so bright. It must be sister's inborn talent. The aurora was complete, it lingered in its full beauty spanning half the sky, giving the lands below colors all different from a rainbow but no less rich.
And then, right across the middle of aurora, a shooting star!
A tear rolled down my cheek at the beauty... and my lonely fate.
I was about to roll my blanket and return, when a scroll appeared in a puff of dragon fire in front of me. Why would Twilight be sending me letters this late?
But as I unrolled the scroll, to my surprise, the writing was that of Luna.

Sis, you have a secret admirer. Play this right and you may get his wish granted. He's right behind and above you. I have recalled the Shadow Guard so you're on your own.

L.

ps. I was right that I knew him all along. Guess yourself.

I suppressed the urge to turn around rapidly. Instead, I began folding the blanket neatly, while turning and glancing at the steep roof above my room. There! Fresh tracks in the snow along the upper edge, leading to the small chimney and ending there. And a slight shimmer of the invisibility potion effect!
I made the snow a bit more slippery, the chimney colder and then... a gust of wind, a gentle push, and suddenly the figure began slipping down. I cushioned the last bit of fall onto my balcony with my levitation, unnecessarily though as it landed skillfully on four legs.
I dispelled the disguise spell on him, and there appeared that one odd zebra guard. Young, though not a colt, big green eyes, fit, slim, rather short, no doubt very agile - climbing that roof alone was certainly a feat. His cutie mark was one simple black ring with a thick black dot in the lowest part. Currently, he was hanging his head low, in shame.
“You have caught me. Punish me rightfully, but don't bring harm to the liaison or the zebra nation please. It was a deed of me and my... brotherhood, not the doing of the rulers of my land.”
Heh, liar. I could see he wasn't a very skilled liar. Avoiding my gaze, picking at the floor with his hoof, all the signs of unskilled lie. But let's play along for now.
“First I want answers. Who are you?” I dusted off my zebra language skill. I might have sounded a bit anachronistic, it was roughly five centuries since my last Zebraic lessons.
“An assassin. Your death would benefit our brotherhood.”
“It would bring death and destruction to the Zebra lands.”
“As I said, it would benefit the brotherhood.”
“What brotherhood?”
“I can't tell that.”
“And why don't you carry any weapons with you?”
“I wouldn't need any weapons to kill you.”
“Why didn't you try over the few hours I was standing here?”
“I was... planning to kill you in your sleep.”
I could see him wince saying that.
“Why don't you try now?”
“If I am discovered, I will bring death upon the others.”
“But you are discovered already!” I was toying with him. “And I could well use you as a bargaining chip in our negotiations.”
“Please, Princess Celestia. Kill me or banish me to the moon, but don't give me back to the zebras!”
That would be a plausible request if he was telling the truth... But...
“Oh, I'm afraid you'll have to kill me to prevent that.”
Oh, the look of panic in his eyes!
Then he dashed over the rail and plunged head first down from the tower, maybe a mile of fall. Oh, no, you don't. I levitated him back onto the balcony.
“I may not be in my prime form, but let me try myself against a zebra assassin... If it's death you want, you'll have to earn it.”
I raised on my hind hooves and spread my wings, opening with the Capricorn pose. I waved my hoof encouraging him to attack.
He attacked, classic Zo-Fu, Sleepy Owl style. A quick slide, and... he completely failed the cover of his back. I tapped his neck lightly in what could be a quick killing blow had I wanted to kill him. Correct choice of attack style but the execution was... suicidal, actually. With one beat of my wings I was across the balcony, while he was confusedly touching his neck.
“Strike one. Three strikes and I'm bringing you to the liaison.”
This time I opened with the Dragon Spire pose. He seemed rather impressed. Modern Zo-Fu, drunken parasprite style? Now that's unorthodox of you! I struck out, a quick block, lever, oh, you're good at this! But did you know my Solar Guard has developed a counter-maneuver for that? I slid on my belly, lashed out with my wing under his legs, caught him over my back and bucked hard, throwing him rather violently high against the wall. But instead of crashing into it, he landed against the wall with his hooves and attacked in Fallen Phoenix style. I barely had time to drop low, and felt his hoof connecting with my horn. Ouch, that hurt! I staggered, my head throbbing, my ears ringing. My double vision steadied slowly on the zebra lying down, covering his head with his hooves.
“Why didn't you finish me off while I was stunned?” I asked.
“Princess, I beg you, finish me, end the shame! I can't stand it any more!”
“Why?”
“I hurt you! I never wanted to hurt you! Kill me but don't ask me to hurt you!”
“So we've established that you're not an assassin. If you were a spy, you'd sneak in much later, when I'm asleep. That leaves us with only one more option, of who could raid the roof of a lady's bedroom in the evening.”
Oh, the blush was so cute! But the way he's eying the balcony rail... no need to torment him more.
“Oh come on, don't feel bad. Getting hurt in a sparring is inevitable. I'd dismiss a guard unwilling to strike my horn if I gave them the opening in a sparring! So, one more strike and a tea break?”
He looked at me with disbelief.
“Come on, prince Nadir. Don't make a lady wait!”
Oh, I hope I didn't break him. The look on his face certainly suggested that.
“Okay, so tea first, sparring later.” I turned around, sweeping my tail over his nose and trotting into my room.
As I was preparing a fresh kettle of tea, he walked in, head down low.
“Please, Princess, accept my deepest apology and... let me beg for forgiveness...”
“Apology accepted!” I replied almost cheerfully. “But as for forgiveness...” I bowed my head to his ears “I'm going to tease you about this forever.”
Did I mention his blush was cute? Still, he hung his head down low.
“I have disgraced myself and my nation.”
“Your nation has nothing to do with it. I assure you this will not affect the negotiations in the least. As for you... just what did you wish for upon that star?”
He turned completely red. Even the black stripes on his face were red. And I was hearing Fluttershy. There was this strong, muscular zebra stallion in front of me, speaking something in Fluttershy's voice, too quiet for me to hear.
“I didn't quite catch that.”
squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak-
“Come on, use the royal voice!”
“I WISHED FOR YOU TO MARRY ME!” he shouted out in a voice that would easily compete with Royal Canterlot, then grabbed his mouth with both hooves in panic. Then he removed his hooves, dropped his head down low and quietly added “...but that was just a spur of the moment impulse. Just being friends would be fine.”
“Feeling lonely as the prince? No real friends?” I asked.
“Oh, by the Ancients, no! I have some good friends. Two of them, the other two guards, are actually my best friends. We train together, travel together, fight together. We share stories and jokes and songs. But I... I heard stories about you and your sister. Both beautiful and dire. And I wished to learn the truth.”
I prepared the tea and invited him to the table. We sat on soft pillows.
“So what did you hear, and what did you learn?”
“I've met your sister. She is beautiful, a scientist and an artist of untold skill; under the cool radiance the commoners fear so much she hides her temperamental and expressive nature, she's bold, patient but when her patience is exhausted she tends to let wrath guide her. She's very similar to me in many ways. But while I acknowledge her beauty and virtues, I don't feel comfortable around her. It is apparent to me that she loves another, and I'm not one to intrude into that. At least, I'm glad to dismiss the stories about Nightmare Moon returned. She is definitely not an evil spirit.”
He sipped some of his tea while I asked “And what about me?”
“Princess...” he shook his head “You are still an enigma to me. The stories are so conflicting that they make my head spin. Tell me, is there any truth to the stories that after your sister's return from the moon you banished your nephew there?”
I reached to my archive shelf filled with scrolls and floated last month's entries by my nephew and Diamond Quill. Next seven hundred plots drafted, assessed - all invariably good for mining moon dust and moon rock, but that would be too easy and could be done all too quickly, so they all varied in deposits of meteoritic starmetal, and thus in value. Prince Blueblood was complaining about lack of comforts of any kind, but Luna assured me they'd eventually find a nicely furnished cave.
“I've caught them in the act, exchanging bribes to stall new settlements for personal profits. In court, they would deny everything. So I picked a different course of action and gifted them with a... lucrative enterprise.”
The zebra prince was skimming the scrolls quickly.
“Princess, are they some kind of fools? They still don't realize this is a punishment?”
“Soon they will. They should peak at about a thousand plots assessed per month and they will realize the scale of the task, roughly twelve million plots to assess. They are still running on greed, delusion of profit and fame. Once the reality settles in and they realize the extent of work, once I return the first faulty reports for corrections, once they regret their actions, realize futility of their pursuits, and seek ways to correct their past evils, I will bring them back. Currently? They'd be inconsolable for me not letting them get their dream riches and a title to so much land!”
“So... I guess the legend is both true and false. Let's try a different one. Legends about your pranks, Princess?”
“I could have called “Prince Nadir, come down here and let's have some tea”, couldn't I? You set yourself up for that one too perfectly!”
He laughed sheepishly, ruffling his mane on his neck with a hoof. “I really wanted to kill myself from shame. I still do when I think about that.”
“So what more rumors did you hear about me? It's not that I get to hear them often.”
He shrunk a little. “There is also that... rumor, about your... insatiable libido. They say three times a week you take most of your solar guard for a few hours into a secret room of your castle... and they return totally exhausted.”
“Oh, my silly subjects. Sadly, that's untrue. The first part at least. You should guess the second part yourself.”
“Martial arts training, is it? I'd never thought you to be trained in martial arts.”
“It's better when it comes as a surprise to a potential assassin, isn't it?”
“Oh, that's true! But I still managed one strike on you!”
“And that's why I absolutely demand we spar some more. You have exposed a weakness in my technique. No pony would have recovered from that throw and maybe three can execute Fallen Phoenix properly. And even that would I dodge if you hadn't reached me with your hoof... How did you do that anyway?”
He covered his head. “In all honesty, Princess,” he spoke full of shame, “I can't execute Fallen Phoenix properly either! I flailed my hooves desperately and hit you by accident!”
“We should definitely develop it into a proper technique.”
“Please, don't mock me, Princess.”
“Oh, no I’m not! I'm completely serious about that.”
I finished my tea and cracked my fetlocks.

* * *

A pillow case wrapped around my horn to cushion the blows, a piece of open wall opposite to my bed, several hoofprints marring the paint somewhere near the ceiling. For the seventeenth time I bucked Nadir off my back at the wall. A perfect turn, push of his hooves and he spiraled down at me. I ducked along with most basic moves of classic Zo-Fu and felt the light knock on my horn. I knew he could shatter my horn if he took the swing differently but he got skilled with measuring strength of the blow. Then a smooth landing right on my bed, and he rolled off it, bowing to me traditionally.
“We should try the landing on the floor now,” he suggested. “I think I have the flight under enough control that I should be able to land it perfectly.”
“Ready when you are.”
“Celestia... what's behind this wall?”
“The ballroom Luna uses for her project.”
“I wonder if the noises don't disturb her.”
“She'll come and let me know if we overdo it. Now hop! I want to see the Royal Phoenix Tornado executed properly from beginning to end at last!”
He attacked, leaving me the proper opening for the throw. Roll, grip, buck... Now a flying perfection! I crossed my eyes to see his hind hoof just knocking the tip of my horn gently, then he landed behind me - slightly staggered but quite stable landing.
“Ta-da! The first martial arts technique developed jointly by royalties of Equestria and Hippotigria!”
“My turn now. Get ready.” I tied a small ribbon on top of his mane as my target.
“Wait! Do I really have to...”
“Serve as my target?”
“No, not that! I mean, do I have to...“ he pushed his hips up.
“Buck me against the wall? Absolutely! Don't tell me you can't!”
“I can but I'm still not sure about it.”
“It won't be fair if you're the only one of us who gets to learn the technique.”
“All right, do it then.”
I attacked. Whoa, roll, toss, reorient self...SMACK!
Ouch. The shock from my jaw hitting the wall spread through my whole body and made me totally numb. I lay sprawled against the vertical wall for a second, then peeled off and fell on my back. My mane cushioned the fall of my head mercifully. I could see all the stars. That wasn't graceful or royal or pretty.
Then I saw the prettiest pair of green eyes ever, framed by striped face and a blue bow of ribbon on top of a brushy mane. He was bowing above me. Like through the fog I heard “Celestia! Celestia, can you hear me?”
“You have beautiful eyes, Nadir” I muttered the only thought currently on my mind.
“You've got a concussion! I'll get some help!”
He ran out. I groaned inwardly, then I blacked out.

* * *

“Sis, what did you do to him that he had to throw you against a wall? That's not what I meant by playing it right!”
Take Luna's scowl away and give me Nadir's concerned, handsome face back.
Oh, my wish came true.
“Tia? Are you alright?”
I felt tingling of healing and the numbness was replaced by a dull ache, and a daze was lifted from my mind. At last I could heal myself fully. Wait, what did I babble about while concussed? Oh, only the honest truth. I think I flushed red.
“And Tia”, Luna's face returned to my field of vision, “Could you please stop hitting this wall with whatever you keep hitting it? I can't concentrate!”
“Sis, I'm going to need your assistance.” I picked myself up from the floor, recognizing the ballroom half-filled with Luna's construction. “I MUST learn this move. I thought I got it through observation, but I was wrong.”
“Celestia, I'm not sure...” Nadir tried to interrupt.
“So I need a wall tuned to my hoof-overs. Passing everything else.”
“You're gonna break your legs if you hit it at a wrong angle.”
“So you'll have to heal me again.”
“You wanted to learn more about my sis?” Luna turned to the prince. “There's one trait. She's stubborn.”
“Look, Tia.” Nadir was trying to convince me. “Fallen Phoenix is not something you can learn in one night! Even I didn't know it fully before you gave me some tips!”
“But I know Fallen Phoenix! look!” I ran up to, then up a wall, good one floor up the ballroom before my hooves began losing friction, then I flipped over and soared down in a violent spiral, wings close to my body. I landed perfectly, shaking my wings a bit. “It's that recovery from bucking against the wall that I don't know!”
“There's nothing we can do.” Luna spread her hooves helplessly, looking at the prince. “If she wants to hurt herself, we can't stop her.”
“Just what did I get myself into...” he shook his head, as Luna cast her spells at my hoof-overs and prepared a wall of energy.

* * *

Nadir was trying his Poni, chatting with the Shadow Guard pony currently serving as Luna's adjutant, while I was trying to get her to give me tips and pointers on how to continue. She wasn't very sure herself, but suggested to let him set the pace, which seemed like a sound advice. Anyway, her idea for a coffee break was definitely good, the excellent coffee removing most of our fatigue.
I finished my cup, as Nadir was finishing his. His gaze swept the ballroom. “You must have wonderful galas, balls, parties in here. My brother sets the tone of the court and such things are frowned upon back home. One big celebration of new year, and one harvest festival, but we're not supposed to mingle.”
“Yes, we do have huge parties. The Grand Galloping Gala for instance. You'd drop dead from boredom, I assure you.”
“This bad?” he frowned. “I can't believe it could be this bad.”
“Normally it is.” I gave a knowing smirk. “I hope to change that. Last year was definitely a success.”
I think he learned to read my smirk. “Tell me tell me tell me!”
“So, I invited the bearers of Elements of Harmony...”
I wove the tale, while Luna busied herself with some papers at what she called “the console”, a big mess of switches, buttons, screens, and other devices. She was flipping the pages of what I recognized as note sheet under what appeared to be some odd camera. She put earphones on, flipped some switch and began nodding her head rhythmically. She turned some knobs and grinned, removed the earphones and galloped around the room, charging the noise wards - spell talismans built into columns around the room meant to keep loud music from spilling into adjacent rooms, so that two different bands in two ballrooms don't jam each other.
“There! I've got the synthesizer ready!” she grinned, stopping in front of us. “I've got some of The Bitless scanned in.”
She flipped some switches and suddenly a piece of the weird machinery began playing music. Loud, clear as a real orchestra, with some really deep bass and strong rhythm. The Bitless were a band some fifty years ago, really avant-garde, shunned by the elites but I liked the music personally. Too bad I never learned to dance to that!
And then I saw Nadir taking the introductory pose of the seventh kata of classic Zo-Fu. I felt a wide grin entering my mouth, and stood in position. As the intro of the song ended and it blew at its full, we swirled and danced in the perfectly trained forms, strikes and blocks gentle, throws becoming graceful rolls, he'd pull me in into what was originally a deadly, bone-shattering lock, but executed by him - a tender embrace, I'd free myself playfully and flee, whipping his nose with my tail teasingly, a hit of his head to the base of my horn that would knock me out became an intimate touch of our foreheads, a hit of my wing that normally blinds the eyes of my opponents became a soft stroke that ruffled his mane and caressed his ears. The song ended and we stood, catching our breath in a pose which would assure our mutual death if we led it to the end, but felt... extremely intimate.
These eyes. Who'd suppose green can compose with black and white stripes so nicely. We stood there in the deadlock, and our mouth were getting closer.
Then the eyes suddenly widened in terror.
He released the grip, turned, and threw me to the ground - violently, painfully.
Ouch. Why?
“Zephyr you idiot...” gasped Nadir and dropped to the floor like a log. There was a tiny dart in his chest.
A zebra - another of the zebra guards - ran up to the fallen prince, dropping a small blowpipe on the way. “Nadir! Nadir!” he shouted, crouching by the paralyzed body. I stood up and tried to approach him but he drew a long, narrow dagger hidden somewhere in his mane and pointed it at me. “Stand back, you witch!” he muttered in Zebraic around the handle.
He was lithe, almost girlish, but judging by his speed I could say he was a competent fighter, and very, very desperate at the moment.
The act of threatening me with a dagger would not go unnoticed by Luna's adjutant. He galloped in our direction quickly.
Not good. This may end really badly.
“Flash, sis!”
Luna covered her eyes as I cast a blinding flash of light, and immediately pushed back with my wings, adding a shield spell as the dagger hit the empty space. The zebra struck again at my shield, but it withstood the blows easily. The blinded guard stopped, dazed and oriented himself at the noise.
“Guard, stop!” I shouted, while maintaining my shield and leading the zebra away from the group. Luna used the moment to approach fallen Nadir and focus on healing him. The zebra attacking me noticed the sounds of her spells and turned to gallop back, to attack Luna.
My sister pushed herself with her wings backwards, raising a shield spell too, but she didn't get the opportunity to use it. As the zebra was jumping over the fallen prince, suddenly legs shot out from the paralyzed body and tangled with hooves of the attacker. A blink of an eye later the one Nadir called Zephyr crashed face first into the floor, and Nadir was on top of him, pinning him and talking to him in a hushed, angry voice. Then he pulled a dart off his chest using his teeth, and spat it on the floor. I think I saw Zephyr's black stripes fade slightly to white.
The two approached me. Zephyr knelt before me bowing his head to me. “Princess Celestia, my life and death is in your hooves. I do not ask for mercy, because I don't deserve it.”
“Stand up, young zebra. No harm, no foul. You will not repeat your mistake next time.”
“Thank you princess. That I won't, this is certain.”
Nadir approached me. His cockiness was replaced by something like melancholy, almost sadness. “Celestia, thank you. This was a wonderful night. I'm happy I got to know you. Let us now retire to our chambers.”
I lay my head on his neck, hugging him tenderly. “Take care. Tomorrow there's a night too.”
The two walked to the exit.
Something was wrong.
“Luna?”
Luna stood oddly still and silent.
“Luna, say something!”
She walked up to the discarded dart and picked it up with her magic. There was genuine fear in her eyes.
“Tia, I don't know what this does. But it's more than paralysis. More than what I healed.”
She concentrated on the dart some more, ran more spells through it.
“It's the Crown Venom. He has less than a week to live. And there is no antidote.”
Nadir? A week to live?
I wanted to run. To shout for help! To do something!
Suddenly the hours of activity and shock caught up, and despite my best efforts I collapsed.