//------------------------------//
// The Moonlight Rondo 
// Story: The Moaning Top Incident 
// by Visiden Visidane 
//------------------------------//

Of the three surviving cults of Princess Luna, I find the Moonlight Rondo the worst. We can rule out the Night Parade with their "Beauty and Dignity" motto. They march up and down the Barrier Lands during their selected "holy nights" to show off new costumes, songs, and such. They're predictable, nonviolent, and make it a point to obey Barrier Lands law. I have no problem with the Night Parade continuing in perpetuity, and this is hardly a controversial opinion.

That leaves us with the Blackmoon Blades and the Moonlight Rondo. You may think that the Blades are an easy choice for the worst among them. Surely, a group of shadowy assassins who insist on following their dogmatic rules have done worse than a group of party organizers. You would be wrong.

The Blackmoon Blades have been on a decline since news of Nightmare Moon came from the Heartland a few years back. Maybe, during their heyday, the Blades were a dangerous threat, but the scope and range of their murderous punishments, while horrific, has lost most of their impact on Equestrian society. It is precisely because they are so extreme and grim, that citizens have turned away from them. I can predict with certainty that, after a decade or two, the Blackmoon Blades will simply cease to exist without any prompting.

The Moonlight Rondo is different. The group hides behind a mask of benignity all the while tearing at the fabric of our society. They preach "the day is for action, the night for passion", as an excuse to hold wild parties all across the Barrier Lands, particularly here in the West. The thought of letting loose for a night or two is a tempting scenario for the average pony. Nopony would easily consider murdering in the name of Princess Luna, but it's hardly a conundrum to "have a bit of fun" for a night while the Rondo is around.

These "festivals" are a blight on Equestria. The mess and damage that they leave behind alone is a disgrace. I have visited a village that played host to the Rondo once, and, I swear to you, a passing storm or a horde of ursans would have been kinder to the place. The wine flows freely during these festivals, and that's the mildest drink they'll offer you there. The hazards from drunkeness have not only destroyed a great deal of property, but have caused a lot of injuries, and even ocassional deaths. More ponies have been killed by drunken accidents and brawls caused by the Rondo than by Blackmoon Blade assassination. It is an open secret that the Rondo also provides a variety of dangerous and addictive substances, many of ophidite origin. 

I would be nowhere near as vocal if injuries and property damage are all what the Rondo causes, but they're not. When these "festivals" take on a fevered pitch, they degenerate into orgies. Such reckless behavior has far worse consequences. I have no trouble betting money that a quarter of the children that live in our orphanages are the unfortunate results of a Rondo "festival", as are half of the sex-related diseases in any given Barrier Lands hospital. I say to you, what are a few horrific murders to the sheer damage the Rondo inflicts on the body and soul of our nation? It is apalling. Even more so as the Legion does not deal with the Rondo because they are a domestic issue, while local authorities don't deal with them because it will be an unpopular move for, I have to be frank, a large enough swathe of ignorant ponies eager to party. 

This will not go forever, fortunately. Mark my words, there will come a terrible incident, even worse than the Blades of Nightmare, because the rot in the Rondo was allowed to fester. These "festivals" have become steadily worse with each year. Clearly, they are constantly trying to beat their record. This terrible incident will break out within the Rondo and begin its much needed destruction. I hope it's soon, for Equestria's sake.

Muck Rake, Great Delve Times Writer





As the days leading to the Rondo's latest night festival wound down, the small village of Moon Basin found itself inexorably sinking into a morass of problems.

It had started out as a happy occasion. Representatives from the Moonlight Rondo had shown up to the village one day, speaking of a great festival they were holding on the slopes of Mount Moaning Top. The villagers were all invited. In return, the Rondo asked for some lodging for their caravans in preparation for the festival.

Life in Moon Basin was a serene monotony of tending to vegetable gardens and vineyards, the sort of dullness that often drove a good number of its young stallions and mares to depart for the Great Delve in search of excitement. The wondrous notion of taking part in a grand festival by the famed Moonlight Rondo proved a welcome and enticing prospect. They were happy to play host to some guests until the time came. Even the pretty and reclusive doctor from Arcanotropolis agreed to it.

That wonder and excitement intermixed with some trepidation as the Rondo moved in. The villagers easily recognized carts full of food: sacks of flour, fruits and vegetables from as far as Highstable to the south and SummerSteel to the north, and barrels upon barrels of wine. They also recognized other basic supplies like various colorful banners, tents, and cooking utensils. The sight of armed ponies arriving was disconcerting, but it did make sense. The Rondo had to protect itself. Then came the covered wagons, filled with supplies that the villagers didn't recognize and the guards wouldn't let them approach.

Village Constable Bronze Star suggested calling to the Legion, or, at least, to the other nearby villages for help in maintaining security. These were a lot of ponies, perhaps too much for him and his small posse. His fellows protested the idea. The Legion would quash this festival in a heartbeat. They never did have a favorable view of the Rondo. Meddling with increased security might simply agitate the Rondo, and make them leave. Already, the prospect of a wild party was too good to pass up for a good portion of the village.

That resolve found its test soon enough. While the Rondo may be building up to a great party, they were not averse to smaller ones along the way. They camped outside the village and closer to Mount Moaning Top, but their loud, jaunty music filled the air, always accompanied by laughter and whoops. Strange smells drifted down from their camp, and thick clouds of oddly colored vapors often seeped out of their tents. More than a few villagers complained of sleepless nights, and headaches they were sure were coming from the Rondo's camp. Even so, Moon Basin still eagerly awaited the big party.

For Cinder Spark, it couldn't come fast enough. Not for any love of revelry; she had left her partying days behind in the Atheneum. Gone were the nights of wild drinking after a successful presentation or another test passed. The last one was the night after her graduation. Conjuration School prided itself in producing things out of nothing, that apparently included barrels of beer, and an endless supply of honey-roasted, highland legumes. She didn't miss those times. She preferred quiet and relaxation. However, those times apparently missed her, and had come a knocking even after she had escaped to this sleepy getaway of a village. She looked forlornly at the big jar where she kept her willow bark. Empty again. Too many headaches going on at the moment. She was low on guava leaves too, and bandages. Those ponies from the Rondo loved getting into scraps with each other, and often came to her for disinfection and bandaging.

Her resources were straining, and it wasn't even time for the festival yet. Her garden was picked close to bare, and her suppliers wouldn't be back for a while. Cinder Spark sighed, then rolled her shoulders. She was going to have to rely on her magic to keep going. Creation conjurations were heavily taxing, and highly unstable. She would need time to produce even simple things like strips of clean cloth and plant leaves. That meant she had to start as soon as possible. 

A knock on the door to her clinic brought her up short. By the Prince, it had better not be another injury! She had warned the ponies from the Rondo that if they kept up their rowdy behavior, she was going to stop treating them. "It's open," she called out. "Come in."

A familiar white hoof pushed the doorknob in, followed by the grinning visage of a pink-maned pegasus mare.

"Cloud Breeze," Cinder said softly with a smile.

Cloud Breeze replied by flitting over Cinder, landing behind her to give a tight hug. Cinder replied with a smile and a nuzzle to the chin. "So, how was the marriage meeting?" Cloud asked.

"It went well," Cinder replied. "He agreed to help us even."

"Really?" Cloud turned Cinder around for a face-to-face. Her own was marred with worry. "Are you sure? He might be reporting to your father as we're talking. I told you it was a bad idea to talk about us to the Legion!"

"We can trust him," Cinder replied. "He's a good stallion, I can tell."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Really? How?" she hovered slightly and crossed her forelegs in front of her. "I find it hard to believe that he took it so easily that his newfound fiancee is not going to marry him."

"I don't think he was that particularly bothered," Cinder said with a smile. "He didn't seem that taken with me, and he has good prospects. He's handsome, he's rising in the ranks, he's well-mannered, obviously kind, and understanding. I've met plenty of legionnaires in my father's house, I know Legionnaire Coal Grey is different. He'll stay true to his word, so long as we don't force him to go against the Legion too much."

For a moment, it seemed as if a chill wind turned Cloud Breeze's smile into a cold, emotionless mask. "Is that right?" she asked flatly. "Maybe you really should marry him. He's got better prospects than me, obviously, and it'll be a lot less trouble."

"Cloud..." Cinder chided softly. She held out her forelegs for a hug. "That's nowhere near what I meant at all."

Cloud Breeze responded with a smile and dove in to accept the hug. They did a little spin before settling down, their forelegs still entwined. "You're done with him, right?" she asked.

It was Cinder's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Done with who?"

"That Legion boy," Cloud replied, "and your father, and the Legion in general. We'll lose ourselves in this big party, then disappear where we can be happy together, away from the Legion and its reproductive directives!"

"Yes," Cinder replied. She stared at Cloud Breeze for a while. Back in the Atheneum, she would have never imagined falling for this mare. Cloud had a wildness about her that let her fit perfectly with the Moonlight Rondo; loud, passionate, fun-loving, brash...almost an antithesis to Cinder, but her mere presence quickened the blood and got the heart pumping. It felt...good, in it's own way. And certainly, Cloud was beautiful; long, wispy pink mane, a soft, white-blue coat like the sunny side of a cloud, blue eyes like a summer sky, strong and wiry muscles accentuating a lithe, cuddly frame. Sure, she had a...temper of sorts, but nopony was without flaws.

Seeing the stare, Cloud Breeze grinned, and pulled her closer. "C'mere you," she said huskily.

Cinder leaned in to take the kiss, only to pull back when Cloud's breath hit her nostrils. "Cloud, you smell like those vapors the Rondo keeps smoking," she said. "I asked you not to smoke that with them!"

"It was only a few puffs!" Cloud protested. "And only because Spared Rod was there and he insisted!"

"I can smell some wine there too," Cinder added. "Honestly, how do you Rondo ponies get any work done for your festival when you're always drinking and smoking?"

Cloud grinned. "We manage. Come on, Cinder, it's a couple of puffs and a couple of swigs. Is that enough to make me repulsive?"

Cinder replied by closing the distance between their lips this time. Cloud still tasted of wine; a heady, sweet tinge mixed with her warm softness. When Cinder tried to pull back, Cloud wasn't quite ready. Another moment, and they were staring at each other again.

"I was meaning to talk to you about Spared Rod," Cinder said. She wiggled out of Cloud's grasp, and stood up.

Cloud shrugged. "What about him?" she asked. "He leads the Rondo, like I said."

"I've heard some stories..."

"Which ones? From the Legion?" Cloud waved a hoof dismissively. "Lies just to get to him."

"Is it true that he has an unhealthy fondness for colts and fillies?" Cinder asked. A resolute look from her cut through Cloud's flippant dismissal.

"That was from one incident," Cloud replied. "It was a misunderstanding. The local guard cleared him of wrongdoing."

"What about the ones that say he was seen with ophidites in previous festivals?" Cinder asked.

"If there was even some small proof that Spared Rod was working with the Empire, he would have lost his head." Cloud frowned, then snorted derisively. "Who have you been listening to to get these stories? Your father? He doesn't know anything. Not about you, and not about Spared Rod."

"But—"

"I don't want to talk about Spared Rod anymore, alright?" Cloud snapped. "Not if it sounds like some Legion investigation. He's a good pony. All of the Rondo are. We get a bad reputation from the Legion because we get to have fun, but they don't."

Cinder bit back her concerns. Perhaps, Cloud Breeze was right. In the end, maybe she was still in her father's shadow; sharing his concerns, and doing things his way. She wasn't Legion, she wasn't even Arcanis Atheneum. She was just herself, and she just wanted to settle down, away from those stifling organizations with Cloud Breeze. So all she replied with was a smile and a nod.

"Don't be such a worrier, Cinder," Cloud said. "I promise you, this will be a party you will remember for the rest of your life. We've got it all lined up: food, drinks, entertainment...other fun stuff. You'll love every second, and you'll be thanking Spared Rod for setting up the whole thing."

"If you say so, Cloud."

"Of course, I do." Cloud's harsh gaze softened and she placed a hoof on Cinder's shoulder. "Now, come here. I wasn't done from earlier..."