//------------------------------//
// Chapter 30: The Call to action 
// Story: Our new Friends, Our new Enemies 
// by The Potato Guy 
//------------------------------//


Solar Virtue


For once, it was Luna who had to wait. For once, it could be Solar who ventured towards her with his head held high. Indeed, why would he not? His new order, the NG, was gaining steam and power and despite its current size, he had no doubt that soon enough, its shall be Luna’s beautiful Night keeping Equestria’s citizens safe.

It had not been an easy journey to get to this point, nor was it easy still. Neon Edgy, the erratic, quite strange Bat Pony, of whom Solar had named NG Captain, had accompanied him to the seemingly hastily called meeting. Her personality and quite frankly, her entire life was a puzzle still left to be solved, even if its pieces were cast far and wide, such was her mysterious behaviour. Regardless, Solar was glad to have her here. She was now, effectively, Luna’s left hoof. The power and the might that her Guardians would enact. On the contrary, Solar, being Luna’s right hoof, was to be her confidence and protector, in both the real world, and the sinister. Together, Solar and Neon would be unstoppable.

And most likely hated by Celestia and her old guard of failures.

As the two king makers approached a visibly anxious Luna, no pony was ignorant to believe that whoever was behind these doors were going to be friendly. Such an immediately called meeting was often not one born of great and glad tidings. Solar had read the reports. An economy in recession alone was bad enough, but as of late, the, once considered dysfunctional and downright chaotic Griffonian Empire was prodding Equestria with such a sharp stick it was a pure miracle that the latter hadn’t yet bit back. To make matters even worse, notwithstanding austerity and a militaristic superpower picking for a fight, there had, for who knows however many weeks, a steady supply of reported missing Ponies. Bad in itself, yet these disappearances were not the rebellious teenagers running away from home, or tragic accidents made in the wilderness. These were entirely perplexing and mysterious incidents of Ponies literally going to the store one day, or coming home from work another, and completely vanishing, not a trace or hint of their disappearance remaining. From what Solar could understand, it was as if they had literally ceased existing. 

Alas, in his short time as Shadow Commander, there had been little done from Solar’s own actions. In a moment of brutal honesty he thought, such a thing paled in comparison to the challenges and even opportunities that otherwise faced him directly.

Right now, it wasn’t yet clear if it would be the former or latter.

“Solar, it does my heart well to see you here!” Luna beamed, as if Neon was not visible to the eye. “And who is this? Your date for the evening?” Luna then smirked, her eyes finally noticing Neon.

It never ends!

“Princess, this is Neo-“Then, as Solar gritted his teeth in embarrassed frustration from Luna’s never ending teasing, the Princess took the initiative.

“Oh please, come now Solar, you think I don’t know my own Shadows!” continued beaming Luna. “Fair Neon Edgy, I must admit, I am surprised to see you here!”

The Bat Pony smiled back, albeit with a slightly more unhinged, excitable look.

“Queen!” she cried out, as a filly would seeing said rank in a picture book. “You’ll never guess what happened to me!”

Just like that, the meetup deviated swiftly into some mare hang out as the two girls practically huddled up and started giggling like the crazy and murderous Bat Pony and centuries old god like Princess were filly’s in a school yard. It would have been quite the spectacle to see, were it not for the total exclusion of Solar, who felt quite filled with paranoia as the occasional glance was directed towards him.

“So its Captain Neon now, is it?” Then asked Luna, a sense of pride nestled in her voice. “Solar, I had not expected such a turn in events”. She said, looking towards Solar.

It was clear that, like Dark Blossom had been, Luna was surprised in his decision to name Neon as Captain, despite other Shadow’s being more than qualified enough. In contrast to the veteran Shadow however, Luna was not of a shocked or otherwise confused curiosity, not while her shining eyes and joyful smile was so on show.

“Neither had I, Princess.” Solar began, just as Neon too turned to face him, no doubt clearly interested to hear his reasoning behind her appointment. Curiously, just as Solar was about to continue, it wasn’t just interest of her own that now captivated Neon. She looked upon Solar with great thanks, as if he had saved her from the slums and elevated her to extreme power and comfort. Perhaps it was worry that Solar would somehow diminish her qualities with his words, or perhaps it was something else that Solar had not yet experienced.  Gratefulness from another.

“I suppose its life’s little surprises that make times like this so interesting.” In truth, this had been nothing but a throwaway line. One said just as small talk essentially, and perfect to get to the next point. Luna did not see it this way though. She smiled with such warmth, such radiance, it was disbelief that it was Celestia who rose the sun, and she the moon. Luna looked upon Solar as a surprise of her own, and one who, throw all the trouble and unwanted darkness, was an actual light to her, and one worth being thankful for. 

“Then I dare say this surprise has blessed us well today!” Luna proclaimed triumphantly, an attractive state of hers, before the doors were thrown open. “With you two by my side, let our conquests never cease!” Not literally so, thought Solar, although as the doors opened  into one of many palace state room’s, the figures currently present could have surely added plenty of assurance into that belief.

Of course, in no great surprise considering the apparent severity of the meeting, there were a number of Ponies whom Solar could only describe as lesser beings. Lawyers, scribes, various civil servants. These were not Ponies of which he wished to be bogged down with. Equestria’s issues weren’t of their own making admittedly, but through endless amounts of red tape and bureaucracy, simple mindedness and little vision, their contribution to society was relegated to little more than a stained failure at containing Equestria’s misfortunes. 

And that was Solar trying to be kind.

The truth of the reality was that Equestria was through and through rotted. It needed reinvigoration or failing that, a restart, and if Solar knew Luna’s mind-set recently and crucially if he knew himself, that restart didn’t have the luxury of happening by itself. It may just need a nudge to occur.

As bad as the egg heads were, at least Solar need not be surprised with their presence. For formalities sake, they basically had to be there. Where the surprise did come from however, was the presence of a couple of figures Solar had wished had stayed not only away, but totally in the shadows.

“Solar my friend!” cried out ambassador Victus, the Human proudly wearing his overly detailed and fancy suit of armour. Solar however, did not share in his enthusiasm. Firstly, since he became Shadow Commander, his line of work was now one to remain hidden if at all possible. Of course, because of his rank and closeness to Luna, professionally speaking here, total discretion in the halls of power wasn’t exactly possible, hence why his rank was more of a desk job. It was for the Shadow’s themselves, the Ponies in the field, to remain hidden. A decent comparison was the General of the Armies, or a Field Marshall in the case of other nations. These were high ranked figures, in charge of operations so secret that almost no mere mortal could know of them. Personally however, they were known, as was Solar. If he could keep the work of his Shadow’s in total mystery and his own job as ambiguous as possible, he could be happy. Unfortunately, as he had mixed with power makers prior to this rank, while he was only Night Warden, there were now many figures who knew him personally, as if they had got a hoof in the door. Victus was one of these individuals, as was, in magnitudes far worse than Victus, the other figure currently sat at the large round table.

In his content, there sat Blank Canvas. Solar had no idea which Pony actually invited, who was in effect, a crime lord.

“Victus, is it wise for…him to be here?” Solar asked, volleying the Human’s enthusiasm with calculated professionality of his own.

Victus, standing up apparently from sheer excitement, turned to face his partner in crime. For that was undoubtedly the reason Blank Canvas was here. The pact that Solar and Luna had created, the very one with the information broker and Victus being involved with, was one Solar had intended being secret. It would serve to orchestrate and influence however many events Luna’s reign required to increase in strength. Yet here they both were, in the open as if they lived in this very Palace.

“You forget, Solar, that I have the honour of being a senior business leader. Pray for the treasuries income should I not exist.” Blank Canvas was already busy being relentless with his words of poison. While it was true he had many legitimate businesses, almost certainly only created to hide his true, far more sinister motives and actions, the trick Solar now had to learn was far that forked tongue of his to be tamed, and used to benefit his and Luna’s cause. He knew it wise to not antagonise Blank Canvas, not to provoke the viper, yet there was never a moments past that Solar questioned his decision to even allow the Pony in on all this.

Unwilling to respond for fear of sparking some confrontation, Solar had neither expected nor counted on the fact that he would actually receive support in this verbal joust.

“Hiss!” 

Neon Edgy wasted no time or effort in seeing through the shady facade that Blank Canvas so dishonestly maintained. For a moment, Solar had totally neglected the fact that she was his partner essentially, and working together was the way to serve Luna best. 

Then, for the first time, as far as Solar could remember, he finally realised he had somepony who had his back.

“Leave him alone or I will come over there, sink my teeth into your neck and rip out your oesophagus!” 

Solar could safely say no pony present, warrior or not, had expected that. With such unhinged fury on her face, Neon Edgy sprang into action, and to the great discomfort of Blank Canvas, she had not yet finished.

“I will fucking tear you apart! Dismember you, and eat you alive as you choke on your own blood!"

Holy shit!

The room could barely react. What exactly had they just been subject to? Blank Canvas for sure, despite his ever smug and composed nature, finally was brought down a notch. His mouth was agape and his eyes flashed from side to side in a move that nearly resembled a cry for help. Everyone Pony else was simply too shocked or in too appalled amazement to even say anything. Even Solar, who wasn’t exactly known for acting the model of a servant to Royalty, and who had spent his fair share around lively characters, had not expected to witness such a moment of pure discord today. Even though he took so much satisfaction in seeing Blank humbled in such a brutal way, his own astonished awe could not be contained.

All Ponies were silent, except for Luna, who, once more captivating the room with shock, giggled.

“My little pony! The Thestrals are truly a gift to behold!” Luna snickered, yet not in some humour born of surprise. It sounded just as if she had not only expected such a threat, but almost hoped for it. Solar may have thrown his lot in with them, but here was a reminder that he, a mere Earth Pony of no clan nor blood line, had a lot to learn about the Night. 

“My apologies, Mr Canvas. Hell hath no fury, as they say” Luna then said, caring not of the fun she was seeming to have. Blank Canvas in response practically appeared to sink into his chair, determined to not again make himself the centre of attention. Rightfully so, thought Solar, who knew his uses to be better suited to servitude, and not from the front. Still, even Luna through her smiles of joy, could see that her Commander was still concerned with the presence of that Pony. “Commander, Blank Canvas is here at my own personal invitation.”

Solar didn’t dare argue with her. Not in fear of gaining her disapproval, on the contrary. It was he who now had the position to argue against her, and seem all the better for doing so. He was to be her trustworthy advisor now, and when now he held his tongue, fear instead arose that poor Blank Canvas may receive even more abuse from Neon Edgy, effectively forcing him out of the deal.

Still, with a nod of the head to the little insane Captain, Solar was sure to show his genuine thanks, and Neon never fell under the illusion that Solar wasn’t happy to finally have somepony to trust.

“Should make for some interesting conversation then…” Solar muttered as the entering trio each took a seat at the rather large round table. Solar scanned his whereabouts. It was a large room, decorated in typical Canterlot fashion.  Clearly a room for great meetings, but its current occupants, of whom Solar now saw were figures including Thunder Mist, the Night Guard Captain, who sat two seats down from Luna. Then, now directly sitting next to Solar, was another ancient figure, one whose pomposity was only rivalled by a degree of regimental discipline.

“And who might you be?” Solar asked, only taking seat after Luna, who was no flanked by Solar and Neon on each of her sides, did so. 

The Unicorn in question was old, but not at the expense of his physicality. In fact, the white coated individual did in fact maintain his rather large stature, and behind that rather large and magnificent moustache, there lied a Pony who had truly seen it all.

“General Cast Hoofstrong, at your service!” the obvious Military Pony shot back proudly, his medals and uniform adorned almost artistically. “Princess Luna’s new Shadow Commander, if I might hazard a guess?” he proceeded to ask, looking Solar up and down as if this was some parade inspection.

“Correct.” Solar replied.

“A sound enough decision, replacing your predecessor.” Now Solar raised his eyebrows. While it wasn’t exactly surprising that a General would know the Shadow Commander, he was instead more interested in reassuring his own belief that all this change was happening for the best.

“No friend to the Army, was he?” 

General Cast Hoofstrong scoffed as if Solar had asked him for his very rank. “Whoever is? No, he always struck me as an individual always willing to do exactly not what needed to be done.” The General appeared quite dejected as he described the previous Commander as an ineffectual, incompetent leader. Solar understood. A probable, pragmatic and efficient officer would ideally always do what needed to be done, and as the old saying goes ‘who needs a military?’, Solar could sympathise quite well with a leader whose talents were most likely underappreciated, even by the Shadows.

“I do not claim to know the Pony well, but from my position, his investigations, his Shadow business so to speak, seemed rather…ignorant.”

Solar, mindful that the meeting may begin at any moment, tried desperately to get to the point.

“What does that mean?”

The General searched for the words, almost antagonising slow, to Solar at least.

“Well, and take this as one old Pony’s opinion, as the Commander of the Shadow’s, a highly effectual and practical group, as I’m sure you know, I would have expected his leadership have gifted more results. My judgment will tell you that he seemed quite susceptible to influence from Princess Celestia. More willing or blinder to matters that truly required the attention of the Shadows.”

Solar froze, if just to save his realisation appearing too dramatic. A rush of possibilities flooded through his head as consideration was given to a worrying, far more severe fact. Not only had Steel Onyx, the previous Shadow Commander, been dangerously incompetent to the point of very nearly getting his Princess killed, but now was being essentially accused of serving the literal inn correct Princess, consciously or not. This set an alarming precedent, one that could very easily refer to Celestia as having a far more sinister hoof in this mess than previously thought.

If only he could bring it up with Luna without fear of being overheard by all the no ponies, and without having to dilute the possibility that Celestia may, yet again, be up to her terrible tricks.

“Welcome, my friends!” then suddenly boomed Luna, the royal Canterlot voice being put into good practice. “I thank you all for attending today, so hastily I may add. Your commitment to the cause will never be forgotten!”

Solar was already liking the current tone. One of determination, strength and alliance. All qualities that would ensure a prosperous future.

“The reason I call you all here today, alas, is not for celebratory reasons. Disturbing news has reached my ears, and we, lovers of our benevolent Night, have to act. Decisions will be made today, Strategies will be formulated but I promise you friends, when you leave this chamber, you shall leave empowered and perhaps most importantly, hopeful for our future!” A thunder of hooves banged onto the table, all present showing their loyalties and appreciation to the Princess. “I would also like to address the elephant in the room, or rather, the Human in the room…”

With this, Victus, until now in some permanent state of seeking Solar’s attention who could do little but act ignorant, stood up respectfully. It was seemingly true that many Ponies present were not yet fully accustomed to the new species. Still, they could count themselves fortunate in actually knowing of them.

“Thank you, Ambassador Victus.” Luna nodded, allowing the Human to sit back down. “The Ambassador has, wisely, established full diplomatic contact with our cause. Make no mistake friends, while this may seem as if we and Equestria have spilt, I can reassure you all firmly that this is not a unilateral decision. Victus has received approval of this development from his land of Salutis, and I, as Princess, have the power authorise this through perfectly legitimate governmental means. The necessary laws are available if you wish to read them.”

Solar wasn’t exactly sure if he should have known about this approval from Human command. Of course, knowing so would be surely considered spying. Perhaps taking some time to shape into his new role was better than jumping right into espionage. 

Hearing no objections and crucially, no mention of Celestia overruling the arrangement, Luna took this as acceptance. A powerful message to all those who’s corrupt nature had consumed them.

“Firstly however, I regret to inform you all of a disconcerting fact. One that will, undoubtedly, strike grief in all of our hearts…” All eyes were on the Princess, some worrying more than others. “One of our greatest servants to Equestria has, alas, gone missing. An element of Harmony no less…”

The room erupted into a series of muttering and gasps. Solar however, could not force himself to sympathise. The elements, he thought, were overrated. An overused last resort born of failure. The very fact these Ponies, civilians of all walks of life, were so often called in the defence of the very nation was a farce. Trusting a dress maker, a part planner no less to protect every single Pony was idealistic at best, an embarrassing bankruptcy in Equestria’s prestige at worst. Little wonder the Griffins felt the courage to provoke the country.

Regardless of Solar’s sure opinion, other Ponies still held them in a high regard, even if that regard was the status of celebrity. 

“Which one, Princess?” came a voice, irritating Solar somewhat as the topic was continued to allow living. 

Luna then sighed. Solar understood this much at least, from her personally. It was the elements who had freed her from the clutches of Nightmare Moon. So to an extent, they too had Solar’s thanks. Yet as of recent times, what had the freedom actually done? Naught but pain and misery for Luna, who once more had to see her great nation suffering and teetering on collapse.

“The Element of loyalty, Rainbow Dash. You will never find a Pony with a stronger heart, and one of the likes of which bravery has made its home.”

Solar could feel the general mood of the room, and for once, among Luna’s most ardent supporters, it wasn’t one of anger about the state of things, not determination for the future. Politics was thrown out the window, leaving only a sincere and intimate feeling.  Calming in a way, once the troubles of State were not in the way.

Calming for him too, until he realised a horrible thought. Rainbow Dash was the very Pony he had met in Ponyville, a moment which seemed a life time ago. There had been quite the altercation between the two, leading to the Pegasus storming off in a sulk. While there was no suggestion Solar had any implication for her disappearance, questions did arise internally of if he had played his part, somehow.

Eh, not important enough

“Furthermore, I anguish to inform you that she is not the only soul to have been reported unaccounted for…”

Solar had heard the reports, but had chosen consciously to set them aside. He was not the Guard. It was not the Shadow’s responsibility to investigate the whereabouts of missing Ponies. There was no apology in serving Luna fully, even if that meant other, unrelated issues went ignored.

“…have faith though! With the rise of my noble new Order, known to you, I’m sure, as the NG, we will no longer have to sit idly by as this distressing news reaches our ears. Friends, I call upon your help to support the NG, so we do not ever again have to suffer the tragedies that today face us!”

Another round of hoof banging, Solar included. Well-deserved also, for Luna’s words were true and carried a weight behind them, stronger than any legal clarity. Belief.

Luna believed her words, and increasingly, so were others. The only concern in Solar’s mind was would this rhetoric last? Would her words go far enough to get the populace on side? Possibly not, he thought. Luckily, he was no passer-by anymore and definitely not the weak, selfish Pony he once was. He had power and he had cause. 

What could possibly stop him now?

The Princess then continued her speech, more so to inform the less informed, and to officiate her intentions and recent events. As Luna expressed her wishes for the NG and lectured various points of order, Solar decided to play his part. Leaning over discreetly to General Cast Hoofstrong, the Shadow Commander stuck to his name sake, and played the game.

“General, meaning absolutely no offence, I wonder how the Army can sit by as our country descends into chaos. Has there been any planning for the, I’m sure, eventual offensive from the Griffons?” Solar whispered, still trying to seem a part of the meeting.

The General however, concluding his answer internally, could not show such discipline, and that both worried and excited Solar.

“As much as I can say, Commander, we are ill prepared for even a skirmish with the Empire, let alone a war…” A Military Pony lamenting the militaries ability to even defend. A worrying tale, but not one without opportunity. Opportunity to excite Solar.

“Pardon my brashness General…” Solar started, acting the part, but hiding more sinister intentions. “…but Celestia will not be rectifying that mistake. Not at all…” His point was well made regardless, provoking an almost attention grabbing shock from the officer.

“Commander, you know as well as I that we are not bound to any particular Princess, or else Nightmare Moon’s rebellion could have been far bloodier. We serve the State, and act as the Government dema-“Solar knew the details, but this was not what he was suggesting.

“I get that General, and worry not, I’m not asking you to overthrow anypony.” This seemed to calm the top brass enough to at least continue. “Your impartiality will remain, I can reassure you. I just wonder, should the time come, and let us pray it never does, but if it should, can we rely on you to ensure Equestria remains safe and free from chaos, even if that terrible affair may come from…within?”

Solar didn’t need to explain any further. The General, however dreadfully, understood what Solar’s words were implicating Celestia, and what could happen should she fall from grace. 

Treason, possibly, but again, Solar would never apologise for serving the nation and its bigger picture.

General Cast Hoofstrong, on the other hoof, had to act far more tactfully. His role wasn’t shadowy puppeteering from the darkness. He was an upfront Pony, with his heart on his sleeve. Still, he did not differ to Solar in where his true loyalties lie.

“…The Army serves Equestria from any threat. Externally….or internally…” And just like that, the General proved he too could act tactfully. 

Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? 

Solar smiled. He at least had now ensured a possibility that came ever closer. That Celestia would not dominate the future.

Back to Luna however, her gaze fell down to a list, probably topics of which to speak about. The next, it seemed, concerned the devious duo that formed the pact of steel that Solar had created. Victus Vane in particular, seemed somewhat concerned, while Blank Canvas, now at least somewhat recovered from his blasting from Neon, appeared less so, but what concern did appear was most likely feigned, concluded Solar.

“I now refer to Ambassador Victus, who has chosen to share with us, in advance of his updates anywhere else, news of another troubling development, that of the heinous assassination of Commander Starvation.”

Solar paid close attention to this. The previous Human ambassador’s death had been essentially put aside in recent weeks, not least of all because the death had come under curious circumstances.  A sudden poisonous end for the bold Human Commander, and from then, nothing. This wasn’t right, and the use of poison did not restrict itself to its victim, for such a cowardly yet ominous attack never went without reason.

“Thank you Princess.” Stood up Victus, his eyes with just the right amount of concern in them to fool the crowd. That or the Human truly was more trustworthy than Solar would like to believe. “In my short time as Ambassador to your great and gracious land, I have learned more than I could ever have expected…”

Yeah, play the audience. Maybe even cry a little. That works wonders.

“…Your People are a welcoming and kind inspiration to us all, and I pray that one day, your prosperity and loving hearts will find a home too in my land. For your collective vision of a truly good future for all, I would like to thank you all, and you in particular, Princess.” Opening his arms earnestly, the Human in his glistening armour appeared the friendliest of all in the room, and his sincerity now find its target in Luna. “Princess, I have not known you long, but you have proved yourself a true leader if there ever was one. Dare I say, were my land to have a figure of just a fraction of your character, then I would wish disappear well, for we would never become even acquainted”.

A smile erupted on Victus’ face, as his played the political role well. Solar did not share in the warmth of his kind words however, not as Luna seemed borderline confounded with embarrassment upon listening. A humble reaction perhaps, but not seen by Solar in that way. He felt his jaws clamp down as his teeth ground against each other, and his eyes shot daggers into the Human who he was supposed to trust.

This was not justified hatred at all, but it was jealousy, all for Luna. Continuing the pattern, Solar gave no apology, now while the Pony he loved seemed to be somewhat on the receiving end of a, admittedly, very well spoken flirt. 

This deeply compromising feeling was made only worse when Luna, how could do little but be courteous in the face of such intimate diplomacy, decided to smile back as if she was love struck. When she then began to speak, Solar’s very heart stung, and the meeting so nearly descended into a bloody brawl.

“The kindness your words do for us simply cannot be put into enough gratitude, Ambassador. We are graced to have such an envoy with us.” Both Princess and Human shared a candid nod, creating more good will between the species in that moment than had ever existed between Pony and Griffon for as long as their races had existed. This was, predictably now, a buck in the envious heart of Solar.

Hate him Luna. Please, give me a reason to fight for you.

By perhaps some gracious miracle of his own, Solar held his hoof back, and for the good of peace between species, did not attack his deal partner out of petty spite. However he could, he would just have to sit back and listen to these two trade compliments.

Fortunately, the mood wouldn’t remain so sickly and sappy for long.

“Then Princess, as a gesture of our two people’s friendship, I will provide you with information that…well…would usually be reserved for only the closest of allies.” Victus began, really stressing his language of friendship. So far, it had gone down well, either for the benefit of all here, or the start of, like Solar, quite the puppet show. “In recent weeks, we have all been scratching our collective heads at who and how our Commander was so tragically poisoned.  With help from the brightest and best of Princess Luna’s servants, we concluded that the poison in question was a concoction delightfully known as “Flaring Dust”.

Solar was no expert on poisons. Personally, he considered it a cowardly way of fighting ones battles, but in all adventures and tangles with crime, that philosophy could not protect him from exposure to the substances. His acquaintance with it had taught him one thing, that a successful poisoning was not the work of some cheap low life. However painfully the Human Commander had died, his death was orchestrated that way, and its orchestrator was powerful enough to have wanted it.

This conclusion too seemed to resonate within Captain Thunder Mist, the Night Guard captain most likely having experienced the sinister weapon at least once in his long career.

“A disturbing thought. Made from a plant native to the jungles near Tenochtitlan Basin.  Said to give the victim feelings of their cardiovascular system flaring up, thus restricting it, before causing total heart failure. This combined with the airborne method of induction within a small distance, very much like dust, has ensured its name is well earned.” Solar considered the Captains knowledge of such matters impressive, if somewhat concerning. 

What’s the extent of your experience with it, old man?

Of course, Solar did not suspect the Pony of disloyalty. His obedience to Luna was well known, to the point that now he seemed to be drifting away from his own guard. In his age, he had demonstrated his willingness to fight for Luna, and the look he then shared with her, only the Princess could truly interpret correctly.

“Princess, I trust you are more than aware of the significance of that area? Its history remains…concerning, especially to this day.” 

Only Luna seemed to understand the implications of this development, as even Victus looked to have his speech and information usurped from him. Solar too, despite having ventured to those humid bug hells that were the southern jungles, had no idea what the Captain was insinuating, and why it concerned he and Luna so much.

“Captain Thunder Mist speaks true. Such a toxin is extremely rare, and not one easily obtained by any means.” Luna spoke, a heavy heart accompanying her words. “Were the poison used, as you say it was, Ambassador Victus, we should all fear. Even for the most brazen and experienced of assassins have difficulty harnessing such terrible power.”

Victus, in response, was still up on his feet and now, confidence lacking. Shuffling as if he was being judged, Solar could tell something was up. Something bad.

“Princess, if I may, what exactly is the significance of that area?” Victus asked, his eyes fixated on Luna.

“I will gladly share that information with you, Ambassador.  For in aligning your cause with ours, I can say, within that jungle, there was, many years ago, a settlement of deranged worship for my Sister, Of Celestia. In secret, their cult grew like the cancer it was, eventually developing enough strength to cause untold horrors to that region of Equestria.”

Solar did not dare voice the amount of irony currently present. His own knowledge of the cult was limited to stories, but they bore an unmistakably large resemblance to the Shadow’s in their infancy. Both groups were effective cults, each dedicating their entire existence to their respective Princesses. However, the difference now was that the Shadow’s still remained with Solar a member of it, and they did not. 

“The Celestial state, they called themselves. Vile cultists who seemed to revel in their fondness for Pony sacrifice. Like I said, it was a long time ago, but memories of their horrible existence still haunt me to this day…” Luna hung her head as low as her rank allowed. While she pained in memory of the Celestial State’, It was now Victus, of whose court the ball was now in, who took his turn in suffering.

“That…is not good news…” He finally managed. 

He knew something the room did not. Information which carried dangerous consequences, and Solar was slowly beginning to guess what they might be.

“… with our analysis, we uncovered that the poison was delivered to our Commander via his drink. This, however, was done at the scene, for the Commander was quite clear in that he always acquired his own food and drink. This means that…well…”

Solar’s mind was racing. The implications of this information was becoming clear, as was its possible meaning, especially regarding who exactly carried this act out.

It was Luna too who was catching on to such conclusions. Victus did not need to finish his point, for this investigation was suddenly becoming full of life.

“Somepony had laced the Commander’s beverage with the poison…” Victus nodded as he readied himself for the next question, which now, would be obvious. “…but who? Who had infiltrated the tower?”

Solar paid close attention too. He was eager to get to the bottom of this mystery, for the Human’s themselves were equally one, and while Solar had long relinquished his claim of Victus’ own involvement, the developments within this strange new race were not ones to idly ignore, less the whole of Equestria suffer for it. 

“We have no indication that the Sovereign Tower was infiltrated. Therein lies the issue you see, for the Commander, in his down time, was a solitary man. He allowed no Guard nor anyone else into his own personal room, the place of his poisoning. If you required an audience with him, that meeting would take place at a location of his choosing.”

This alone did not solve the question of who the murderer was, but in this momentarily silence, there remained no doubt. Victus, in his discomfort, had a strong idea.

“So no one ever entered his quarters… no one. Not, as you say, no Pony.” The room took on a suspenseful inhale of air. They all knew what was coming. “Princess Luna. Court of the Night. From all our detailed and thorough analysis, we can conclude, combined with our visitor logs, that the only other individuals to have entered the Commander’s quarters…were members of the Day Guard…”

As if rehearsed, the room took, however predictable, vow of unholy silence. Anypony could ponder their own explanations for such an occurrence, even to the point of false justifications that only served to further their denial, but the truth was painfully clear now, no matter how little anypony wanted to say it.

Celestia was, at least partially, responsible for the murder of a high level diplomat. A species that had, on the surface of it, come peacefully and offering their hands of friendship. Solar was convinced the room didn’t need explaining on how severe this issue now was, but in their shock, the question of why would seemingly forever taint the information with more questions.

“Why in Tartarus would the Guard do such a thing?!” exclaimed Captain Thunder Mist, who upon hearing of the crimes of his comrades in his opposite order, was most likely apprehensive in having such connections to them.

Luna too seemed concerned but curiously, just the same amount as everypony. This was of course, greatly so, even to the point of sickness. Were all this true, then Celestia was not just a rival, but a potential enemy. To the Human’s indeed, this could not stand and Victus, as unlike the Commander as he could possibly be, was only buying time until the inevitable diplomatic incident. 

At this stage however, the shock was new, and as Victus clearly had not all the answers, the entire room, ranks both low and high, exploded into outrage.

“Idiots!” cried one angry pony.

“Why?!” demanded another.

Solar did not join them. As chaos conquered, his gaze moved right to Luna, who still sat there, almost not shocked enough. Neon too, being the diligent servant she was, seemed concerned over Luna’s reaction. Together, their dedication to their Princess triumphed over any and all outrage.

“Princess, are you ok?” asked Solar carefully. The severity of the situation was not lost on him, and he knew deep down within Luna, that she was hurting.

“If confirmed….Celestia either knows of our acts in the shadows, or she again shares too little, and see’s danger and potential threat within the Humans. These…are not actions befitting a Princess….”

It was true. The shock of it all had taken her. Luna stared into space as blankly as Solar had ever seen. She was disarmed by Victus’ revelation and now, in a cruel turn of fate, was suffering from Celestia’s potential treachery, something Solar could not stand for.

Celestia had done enough harm to her.

“We cannot know for sure right now, Princess. Facts in total elude us.” He said, wishing to start off as logically and thus, trustworthy, as he could. This got Luna’s attention at least, but that alone wasn’t enough. Solar needed to get her on side, and pull her out of this pit of despair. “However, we can’t wait for that moment. Such affliction to Equestria demands immediate action. Whatever Celestia’s intention are, they are born of misguidance and chaos, and we cannot allow such a virus to spread!”

While she did not reply, Solar saw in Luna’s eyes that she agreed. She trusted Solar, and she knew his intentions to be for her own good. She knew he was right.

The Shadow Commander, meanwhile, left nothing to chance. This was an opportunity, and one to finally shape the future of Luna’s Night.

“The NG is ready to defend our interests! Diplomatic ones too. Maybe Celestia wishes to disrupt us, or maybe she hates the Human’s. These opinions matter little in the face of a strong, stable Equestria. Our way of life in this country is not one of provocative, lawless actions of discord, as Celestia seems to live by. For the good of all your Ponies, we must act before Celestia has a chance to drag the country’s good name into the fiery pits of anarchy any further.”

Effective, is Solar could say himself. His point was clear, that Luna need only rectify what mess there currently was, no matter who caused it, and who caused it to what. The Human’s were an enigma and maybe even one day, an enemy in battle. Right now however, Luna knew that they were diplomatically protected, under law. For this murderous act upon them was seeming ever so likely the first of many acts of chaos, which in reality, it was.

Good intentions, for good of Equestria. Solar knew this to be in Luna’s mind and heart, but for whatever reason, he fired one more shot to get Luna on board. 

“The…assassin meant for you, Princess. He implicated Celestia, however off his mind seemed. Combined with all her secrets, her withholding of key information regarding the Humans and failures as a leader, I think we can assume she is no longer fit to lead at best. At worst….” Solar paused for a moment, giving Luna a second to move past the shiver she received upon thinking about the attempt on her life. Following this however, Solar’s point was becoming clear to her, and through baited breath, she agonisingly waited for the conclusion. 

“….At worst, she has gone mad, and no longer sees you as her Sister.”

Solar’s point was well founded. Through his adventures, and through Luna’s age, they had both undoubtedly met the tragic face of madness. This did not necessarily mean of the crazy, medical definition of insanity. Madness in this form could stem from greed, from power, from danger or in this case, from repeated failure and tragedy.

No pony needed remaining of the issues Equestria faced. They were obvious, but what wasn’t brought up enough was that Celestia, in his attempt at seeming all powerful and benevolent, took these issues directly upon her, and when she failed personally, be they failures from the whatever the Elements of Harmony and fixed, or failures of friendship itself, Celestia increasingly became more consumed by madness born of her misguided protection of Equestria. 

Good intentions weren’t good enough, especially if those intentions directly fed her madness. 

Luna finally saw this. Her gaze turning to frustration, then to anger. Luna had, wisely or not, given Celestia space and understanding, even recently. This proved to be ineffective, and now, as the world seemed ever more unfamiliar, that action of what she spoke of, the action that had borne the NG, needed to be called upon again, and this time, with proper vigour.

“Solar, Neon…” Luna began, emitting their titles as if they were just friends fighting against a much bigger problem. “…Pray your Order is ready, for I fear it may be required before the day is over even...”

Solar and Neon stared at each other. This was action in its entirety. However, the NG was not yet fully prepared. It needed more Ponies within it, and Solar knew now, while Celestia embraced her madness, the Night needed time to counter it.

“Victus!” cried out Solar suddenly, creasing the lawless nature of the room. The Human seemed just relieved for the noise to stop, and Luna seemed curious into what her Commander was about to do. “Who else entered Commander Starvations’ quarters with the Guards, if anypony? I do not believe he would just invite any lowly Private for a chat”. Solar had an inkling, and were it proven wrong, then maybe he would panic, but if it was right, then the justification to stand up to Celestia may proceed as planned.

“Well, yeah, another Pony did enter, but everyone I’ve talked to clearly puts her out of the picture.”

This did raise eyebrows. Some in the room blindly expected this to still mean the extra Pony was the assassin. Solar however, stuck to his guns.

“Who?”  He asked.

“A Pony belonging to the group you call, ‘the Elements of Harmony’. Rarity, I believe her name was.

Yes!

This gave another clue. Rarity, the Element of generosity, clearly was not a Pony of murder. None of them were, but it gave a new trail to track.

“Rarity? I know her well.” Intervened Luna, surprised at the Elements involved, but not at all suspicious of her. “I do not think for a second that she would be responsible for this heinous action, Ambassador, and let that come close to a fact as it may ever be.”

This seemed to rule Rarity out at least to the room.

Solar, continuing his trailblazing, continued.

“And her purpose was…. clothing for the Commander?”

“I suspect so. He did express interest in procuring a more casual, respectful piece of attire that would please your people.” Victus replied, quite nonchantly. 

“I can attest to that.” This was the first input of Blank Canvas, one that Solar suddenly turned to face with a frown. Anything that Pony said seemed far lacking coincidence, as if he was always searching for something. “My Ponies saw her in Canterlot. A trunk full of fabric and other boutique items accompanying her.”

Neon Edgy, who so admirably stepped in to defend Solar from this sinister Pony, alas did not know him as well as Solar did. She did not know of the extent of his spy network, so almost angrily, at least wisely distrusting him, demanded to know more.

“Hey! How do you know what she had? Sneaky!” the Bat Pony cried out, almost innocently. Solar smiled at this. She may be a little more ignorant on this matter than he would like, but she was proving to be a reliable, perhaps even fun character to have at ones side. For that, Solar was grateful. 

“Because my Ponies asked her. It always pays to be in the know, you know?” Blank Canvas replied with an ominous wink, maybe in payback for the roasting he received from Neon. Fortunately, the Captain didn’t seem fazed by the actions of such a normal Pony, and ignored it well.

Regardless, this new information gave them a name to follow where previously no names of the Guards were given.  This would not only uncover the mystery, but give Luna and her Night concrete evidence to use against Celestia, hopefully removing her from positions of influential power.

“Hm, then we will require an audience with Miss Rarity.” Luna finalised, looking upon Solar and Neon. “My new Order will investigate this lead, and perhaps, for the sake of us all, Pony and human, we will bring justice to those responsible for the damage they have caused, and finally, we will-“

Solar, the whole room even, listened to their Princess enthusiastically, and with a glimmer of hope. To it, this was just the start of fixing just a single issue, but after a trend of consistent decline, ever a single point of reversal for Equestria and Luna’s Night was something, and the Princess now proudly looked upon her followers with a hint of personal strength.

A beautiful moment that was sadly disrupted, as the great old doors of the hall scraped open revealing the one figure whom Luna was not ready to see.

“What is this Luna?!” demanded Celestia, her voice hoarse and weakened with despair. “Why are you doing all this?!”

Tears were in her eyes, but that probable show meant nothing, as they weren’t the only thing Celestia had brought with her.

Golden glad Guards rushed into the room, flanking their Princess with protective aggression. Luna did not have her company of Guards, for she had not expected this martial like action, but notably, none present for this meeting betrayed the loyalty to their own Princess, and now stared angrily at her coup like intruders.

“Explain yourself, Sister!” Spat Celestia with more pained sorrow than Solar thought possible. But no response came, only disgust from Luna, provoking the mother of all responses from a, anguished Celestia. 

“Guards! Arrest these conspirators!”