Cloudy Dawn bit her lip, as she tried to reach down her tight pocket to reach her clock,
“Ahh!” she creaked. “Rarity, I gotta go.”
“Already? Sweety, you just sat down!” Vexed, Rarity stopped stirring her tea. “Can’t you stay for a single cup at least?”
“No, Rarity. No way I can.” Cloudy picked up her bags, “Sorry.”
“Well, tell me at least what’s so urgent!” Rarity stood up from her place and followed Cloudy to the door.
“Dreamy Tears,” Cloudy explained, exiting Rarity’s room. “It’s the usual boring stuff, really. You know how it is.”
“Is it Full Moon tonight? I thought it came in a week or so,” visibly confused, Rarity expressed.
“No, it’s not that. They found a ‘Chosen’” -Cloudy gestured to Rarity her scepticism- ”Dreamy sent an official invitation to the Imperial Office asking for someone to witness their ‘Chosen’, and it’s my turn tonight to deal with their nonsense.”
“Who’s the Chosen? I never heard of thestrals referring to anyone like that before.”
“Beats me,” Cloudy shrugged. “Dreamy didn’t specify in the letter. Whoever it is, they are about to have their night ruined,” Cloudy giggled.
“Mind if I come?” Rarity offered.
“Please. Being bored to death is more fun together. Actually, since we are gathering a crowd, isn’t your Rainbow friend still around? I heard she had a fight with Thunder over her transfer.”
“Captain Thunder told her she can’t transfer until the Empress returns,” Rarity confirmed.
“Another nonsense regulation?”
“Not this time, Cloudy. It seems Her Majesty didn’t specify the time Rainbow will serve in the palace. So, legally, Rainbow needs to be dismissed first.”
“And the Empress is away. Awesome! I bet Rainbow is ecstatic. Let’s take her with us, the more the merrier. If anything I heard about her is true, she should be bored to the point of doing anything by now.” Rarity, evidently, enjoyed the idea.
“Last I heard, she was stirring trouble in the courtyard.”
“That’s convenient. Right along our way. Let’s do Thunder a favor and get her off his back for a few hours.”
Rainbow really was in the courtyard, tied up and hanging down from a lamp post. Rarity giggled.
“Yeah, laugh it up,” Rainbow louringly blurted.
“Lieutenant Dash?” Cloudy had troubles containing her own laughter. The Imperial Guard didn’t tolerate her nearly as well as she hoped, it seems. Rainbow sighed.
“Yes! The Imps tied me up and yes, they hung me here! Anything else you would like to know?” It seemed like Rainbow already had to explain it more than a few times.
“What did you do?” Cloudy asked out of genuine curiosity. This had to be something really good.
“Tried to flip a patrol with a tripwire. They noticed it. Get me down already!” Rarity began undoing the knot but Cloudy stopped her.
“Lieutenant, do you promise to tell us about it if we let you down?” Cloudy shamelessly pushed her advantage.
“Fine! I’ll tell you ALL about it! Just don’t leave me hanging here for every passing pony to laugh at!”
“I am a little tempted, to be tightly honest with you, dear!” Rarity continued undoing the knot. Soon the pegasus slipped out of the rope and dropped down to the ground with a dull grunt. Rainbow quickly picked herself up off her hurting plot.
“Can we, please, go off to somewhere now?” she hastily suggested.
“Excellent idea, Rainbow! We would be delighted to have you at Miss Tears’ ceremony!” Rarity enthusiastically continued to the gate.
“Tears? You mean that stiff from the Cathedral? Don’t tell me you got into that religious nonsense!”
“Don't you have even a little bit of faith, Rainbow?” Rarity teased.
“Okay, seriously, don’t scare me. You know the Hag isn’t a god...right?” Rainbow, really, sounded a bit scared. Rarity noted a new way to prank the seemingly fearless mare.
“Dreamy just wants us to be there tonight, Rainbow.” The Lieutenant breathed out her relief, “She says they found a Chosen.”
“Chosen for what?”
“That’s what we intend to find out, Rainbow.”
“Sssure...whatever. I suppose I can stick around for a while. Simply being bored is a lot better than being bored while also hanging from the lamp post.”
“That’s the spirit, Lieutenant!” Cloudy gladly approved.
After showing their IDs, the trio made their way through the gate and ventured down the moonlit streets, eventually, finding their way to the Darkness Cathedral in the lower city. The crescent-shaped building was hardly godlike in nature or finery, but this was the centre of the religious life in the city. A crowd of around a hundred bat-wings has already gathered, waiting for the High Priestess to lead them.
“I don’t understand this,” Rainbow admitted. “If they like their Hag so much, why won’t they do something useful for her? The Imperial Guard is terribly understaffed for the day shift, to name one.”
“That’s… a bit more complex than this, Lieutenant. Let’s not talk about it now, Dreamy is waiting for us.
“And, please, try to refrain from speaking ill of Her Majesty. Thestrals seriously can’t take it.”
Cloudy, with the expertise of a newsmare, pushed her way with Rarity in tow, wings spared Rainbow the need to bother. The ponies made sure to keep some distance from the entrance; no one wanted to taint Her temple by stepping in uninvited. Now only to wait for Sister Dreamy. She didn’t keep them waiting for long, appearing from the church in a snow-white mantle, accompanied by her priests in black robes, carrying moon icons. Dreamy gestured her priests to proceed and trotted over to the waiting guests.
“Sister Cloudy!” she warmly greeted the Imperial Minister. “We are honored to have you tonight!”
“Likewise, Your Excellence,” Cloudy respectfully bowed. “Allow me to introduce Miss Rarity Belle, Her Majesty’s personal advisor.” Cloudy barely avoided frowning from the subtle mock concealed in the official title.
“I am honored to finally meet you, Miss Rarity!” The High Priestess proceeded to bow her own head, “We all are blessed to have one of Her closest associates being our witness.”
“You are most kind, Your Excellence,” Rarity bowed in return.
The time had come for Rainbow. She needed no introduction. Every bat knew her. Both mares stared at each other in silence for a while, before the defeated Priestess sighed and gave the “demon” a short nod.
“Miss Dash,” she coldly greeted. Rainbow nodded in return. Satisfied with this much, the thestral gestured the guests to follow her to the head of the forming procession. She spoke no more words.
“Hah, I like her.” Rainbow deeply smiled, getting two surprised looks.
“Well, she surely doesn’t like you much, Lieutenant. Alright, let’s not make this worse and keep quiet.” No objections were voiced.
The procession soon left Canterlot entirely and marched down the mountain in silence, which was sacred; as Cloudy Dawn whispered to fascinated Rarity and the bored officer. She still received a few disapproving looks, but nothing more.
The nocturnal ponies were patient people, which they grudgingly demonstrated once more as Rarity had to disperse some of the holy darkness to see where they were going. She took care for the light not to be bright; slitted eyes couldn’t take much light without starting to pain.
Dreamy Tears led the way towards Ponyville, to everypony’s surprise. Rarity and Rainbow gave their quiet greeting to the familiar faces on the streets. Their procession proceeded towards the far edge of the town and stopped in front of the Everfree Forest. A single cottage, separated with a river, was at their wake.
“Uhm… Are we supposed to camp here, or what?” Rainbow whispered to Cloudy.
“Wait one, Lieutenant.” Cloudy trotted over to exchange a word with Dreamy.
“Ah, hay. Would be quicker to ask Fluttershy, she knows everything around anyhow.” Before Rarity could protest, Rainbow took off to the cottage.
“Hey, Fluttershy!” Rainbow knocked on the door. “You ain’t sleeping yet?”
The door quietly opened and Rainbow could vaguely make out the yellow pegasus inside.
“Uhm… Hi, Rainbow,” Fluttershy stepped aside to allow her in.
“I am just for a sec. Do you know who we supposed to be seeing here? That crowd over there” -Rainbow pointed across the river- ”is looking for some ‘Chosen’, you've got any idea who that can be?“
“Eh...”
“I mean, they wouldn’t go ALL the way here from Canterlot for nothing!” Rainbow continued. “Though, gotta admit: I wouldn’t be surprised. They are praying to the Hag! I mean like she’s the centre of the universe!
“Why won't they just check the facts before accepting them? They call me a ‘demon’, for Celestia's sake! They go to the other side of the street when they see me!
“Trying to kill the Hag wasn't my nicest move, I admit, but it doesn't make me an evil thing from another dimension or something!”
“Rainbow...” Fluttershy whispered, but the blue pegasus, having finally found someone to share her frustration with, wouldn’t be stopped.
“Just how much more ridiculous can this get? They just gather up and stare at the moon for a few hours straight! They don’t do anything useful, they don’t have fun, they don’t even talk! It’s just creepy! No wonder nopony ever liked them!”
“Rainbow!” Rarity’s disappointment was very apparent, but the Priestess next to her was hardly disappointed or much surprised. She said nothing and simply floated past the blasphemous infidel straight to the open doorway.
“Forgive me for allowing this insult to reach your ears, Great One.” Dreamy bowed to Fluttershy’s hooves. Rainbow dropped her jaw to the ground,
“I shouldn’t have allowed an Enemy of The Moon to follow us here.”
“Uhh… It’s… okay,” Fluttershy herself, clearly, had no idea what was going on.
“You are just as generous as the Goddess,” Dreamy said without lifting her eyes up at the pegasus.
“Ah… Can you get back up, please?” Fluttershy cautiously asked. Dreamy immediately obeyed.
“You?!” Rainbow finally managed to pick her jaw up. “I...I don’t get it! Why the-”
“Quiet!” The High Priestess lost her temper, “You stand in the presence of a saint! You will not insult her any more than you already had!”
“This is bollocks!” Rainbow outraged. “Fluttershy, tell her!”
“Eh… What is going on?”
“...My deepest sorries, Great One,” Dreamy bowed again. “It was careless of me. We came here tonight to celebrate your divine mark. I should have sent a message.”
“Oh, dear.” Fluttershy rubbed her forehead, “What is your name?”
“Dreamy Tears. I am the modest leader of the Canterlot flock, Great One.”
“Dreamy, there must have been a mistake somewhere. I am not a saint. I don’t even know what you are talking about, really.”
“But you bear her mark! I see it in your eyes!” Fluttershy blinked her eyes in surprise.
"My...eyes?"
“Hold on!” Rainbow intervened, “Rarity, can you come here for a sec? I need a little help.”
“Don’t you dare to insult the Chosen with your cursed light!” Dreamy stamped her hoof.
“It’s okay, Dreamy. They just want to look,” Fluttershy herself stepped closer to Rarity, for the twinkle on her horn to light her face up. Fluttershy’s pupils were slitted, just like Dreamy’s. Cloudy gasped.
“See?” Dreamy victoriously grinned. “Moon’s blessing!”
“I can’t believe this!” Rainbow facehoofed herself, proceeding to uncontrollably laugh, “This is too good!” Dreamy began shaking with anger.
“Dreamy, wait!” Fluttershy asked.
“But… She is insulting you!”
“...No, Dreamy. Can we just talk about all of this, please?” Fluttershy pleaded.
“As you wish, Great One,” Dreamy bowed.
“Dreamy, someone made terribly big fools out you all!” Rainbow swept water from her eyes. “This isn’t a blessing! This is a spell! We’ve got a unicorn colt in 101st who can do this!”
“How can you even compare?! This is the gift from the Moon!” Dreamy reverently pointed in the sky, “Our Empress blessed one of Her subjects with night sight, so she can experience the wonders of the night to her fullest extent!” Rainbow looked at Fluttershy. She nodded in confirmation.
“Okay, I admit, it’s kinda nice of her. But this doesn’t make Fluttershy a living icon for her!”
“That’s the sign of Her attention!” Dreamy did not let in. Rainbow facehoofed herself again.
“Turns out I am a Chosen too!” Rainbow exclaimed. “I got the most of her attention here! She personally wrote my name into the ranks! I also managed to get her to stop mind-controlling ponies to make them fight for her! And she didn’t even kill me for it! I just have to be special!”
“Rainbow, a bit more modesty, if you will,” Rarity reminded.
“Look, Dreamy,” Rainbow erased the mock from her tone. “It happens, alright? We all get to be wrong sometimes. Besides, you all want to do your weird standing congregations? Then do it!” Rainbow conciliatory bumped Dreamy on the shoulder, earning a sharp look, “You wanna be weird? Why the hay not? You should’ve seen how weird Twilight was back in a day!” Rainbow continued, pretending to have noticed nothing.
“This is blasphemy! How dare you to question the Goddess!?” Rainbow sighed.
“Can’t you just snap out of it for a sec? I am trying to be nice, alright?”
“Dreamy, sweety, is Princess Celestia a goddess too?” Rarity cautiously asked.
“...Yes, she is. She’s the goddess of your cursed daylight!” Dreamy spitefully responded.
“What makes her a goddess, sweety?”
“She controls the Celestial Light,” Dreamy stated without delay. “She is undying, unaging and all-knowing! Just like our Empress! How can she be something other than a god?” Dreamy watched the four mares exchanging powerless looks.
"Your Excellency," Cloudy, professionally levelheaded, began her salvage operation. "What would you say if Rarity could organize an audience for you, so you could see for yourself?"
"If the Moon wanted to see me, she would have called for me. Nopony can make the Goddess see anyone," Dreamy declined, Cloudy couldn't help but feel a note of remorse.
"Oh, you should see what Rarity can do!" Rainbow blew the trumpet, earning everyone's attention. "What? It's true!"
"Your Excellency, why would the Goddess send the three of us to you tonight if she didn't want to see you?" Cloudy used her cunning.
"Nopony-" Rarity immediately gave Rainbow an insistent pinch. The pegasus took the hint.
"Wouldn't it be blasphemous to consider Her Majesty overlooking Lieutenant's...effect?" Cloudy continued her point. "She sent us to you for a reason. What else can it be?"
"This is... an unexpected perspective," the Priestess admitted.
"Her Majesty wants to see you, Sister," Cloudy Dawn concluded her treachery.