Nightmare Moon quietly moaned. Luna immediately tried to pull away, but Nightmare Moon didn’t let her, firmly pressing Luna’s head to her neck,
“Shhh, shhh. It’s okay, it’s okay. Just a little tingle. You aren’t hurting me.” The words seemed to have their effect as Luna stopped resisting, “Now drink.” Luna quietly obeyed.
“Uh-hum-huhuhum-huhuuu-hu-huuu-hu-hum,
huu-huu-hum-huhuum-huhu-hu-hu-huuu huuum.
Huhuhu-hum-huhuhu-hum,
hum-huhuhuhum,
Huhuhu-hum-huhuhu-hum,
hum-huuu-huum-huum...”
Luna’s bite weakened, Nightmare Moon ceased her humming. Luna began pulling away again, this time Nightmare Moon let her go.
Luna looked miserable. Her chin doused in Nightmare’s blood, her teal eyes were clouded with tears. Nightmare Moon knew all too well what this broken mare felt now, centuries of sharing thoughts made this much inevitable. And so the black-coated mare wasn’t caught off guard when Luna quietly burst into tears.
Instead, she only sighed and drew Luna back to herself. No words were needed. Everything was already said a very long time ago. The bleeding was not important, it would stop, the tears would not. Tears were the only thing Luna had now, and if this was the only thing Luna had left, then tears the Mare of Darkness shall share with her.
“N-Nightmare I...” Luna cried out through tears.
“Shhh… There’s no need, Luna. Don’t say anything.”
“N-no, I w-want to say it - I am sorry!”
“You didn’t mean to. Shadow will understand.”
“I-I did mean it! She was... I was... Nightmare, I am so sorry! I should’ve listened to Sombra! He tried to tell me!”
“Shhh-shhh. Just forget about it. Shadow is okay. Doctor Sinew is with her. Remember her profile, this is exactly what changelings trained her for. Shadow is in good hooves.”
“T-thank you.”
“Quiet now. Everything is alright, everything is okay. I am right here for you, just like I always was. I’ll never let you go, again. Hold still now, we have to clear this spill off you.”
The door closed behind her with a quiet creak. Luna had to stay out of sight until Nightmare Moon could find a way to explain this to the public. She also had some griffon demanding her help and Pharynx no doubt would come after Chrysalis himself soon. Pulling the same trick twice, even on a simpleton, such as every soldier, would be unwise. Rainbow Dash was back from her assignment in the southern jungle and again needed something to do away from the palace, and Rarity needed to be kept busy with something worthy of her mindless approach, but nothing that could give her access to more secret information. And also Dawn needed to be rewarded for taking the foal in and personally instructing him. While Dreamy Tears needed to have a hint at exactly how much the Empress enjoys her attempts at fishing out the information from the courier with that leech of hers.
So much to do and this not even taking into account the orders she had to sign, together with other more mundane duties a royal needed to account for. Such a shame she couldn’t spare more than a few hours of daylight. Unlike Luna, Nightmare Moon had to sleep.
“Your Majesty.” And check up on Twilight too. Nightmare Moon looked down at her Princess, who offered her a tiny bow.
“How are you feeling, Twilight? Has your weakness passed?”
“It wasn’t weakness, Your Majesty. I was overwhelmed, too much happened in a short time.”
"You feel like you can't find your bearings anymore?" Nightmare Moon asked compassionately. "Lie and truth are no longer distinguishable to you?"
"Yes," Twilight weakly answered. Nightmare Moon noded.
"This is natural, Twilight. The greater workings of statecraft are confusing by design. They are not meant to be easily understandable, if they were - Equestria ponies would only remember their care-free and happy lives as something in distant past," Nightmare Moon delivered her lesson and continued solemnly: "Your burden is heavy, young Princess, but so is your ability. You will cope with this weight soon.
“For now, you can have a week more to rest, if you require it. My sister can take over your duties for this long, even if she would consider them beneath her.”
“No, I am okay, really. Please, let us just continue on. I… don’t want to think about this anymore.” Twilight’s attempt was in vain, this was far too important to let it slide like this.
“You wish you’d never known," Nightmare Moon pointed out. Twilight gave off a defeated sigh.
“Your Majesty, why do we have to keep this many secrets? Even with us. Why did you have to keep secrets even from Rarity? I think I am losing my direction just like she did, I don’t know where the strings end anymore. The truth and deception look the same now!”
“Subjects like Rarity are not reliable, Twilight. She is loyal, unwaveringly so, even now. But letting her know more than needed will put all of us and, most of all, Rarity herself in great danger. The very reason why she snapped as she did was her learning something she was not supposed to know. This is why you are a Princess and Rarity is not.”
“I wish I wasn’t a Princess either.”
“I believe we all have our regrets, Twilight. Come now, we have much to do.” Nightmare Moon slowly trotted past Twilight, compelling her to follow.
“You have a griffon delegate tonight, her name is Gilda.”
“I heard you are acquainted. She is Rainbow’s filly friend, correct?”
“Yes… they were together in flight school. Probably this is why they sent Gilda specifically.”
“Hmm… Griffons wanting help, especially from us, means they are desperate. Perhaps she might prove not to be a waste of our time. There’s something I require for this meeting, though. Twilight, get your notes and bring me something from my quarters. It is a large silver pendant with an equally sizeable emerald on it.”
“Eh… alright. Can I ask why?” Twilight asked, supplementing the question with a perplexed look.
“It is important to get the right message across.” Nightmare Moon gave her Princess a sly wink.
Gilda was far from an impressive sight. Feathers cleaned and fur groomed, to the extent she could manage; but the griffons didn’t manage to find her a proper dress, even for such an occasion. She also clearly had troubles keeping her eyes open, no doubt due to the sudden transition to the nocturnal way of the Empire. Nightmare Moon suppressed a snort.
Gilda eyed the jewel hanging from Nightmare Moon’s neck with intent. At least she could take a hint.
“Miss Gilda,” Nightmare Moon gave Gilda a reserved nod.
“Your Majesty,” Gilda respectfully bowed. Well, well, maybe griffons weren’t hopeless in the end.
Nightmare Moon gave Twilight next to her an expectant look.
“Miss Gilda is on a ‘grifoniitarian mission,’ Your Majesty.” Twilight frowned at the queer word.
“Is that so. Miss Gilda, I believed your kind to be independent.” Gilda flinched at the stab. So easily dismayed, it was hard to find a worthy messenger these nights. Perhaps she would avoid the simple trap the Empress presented her with.
“We... ” Nightmare Moon offered the griffon a smug smile, as Gilda discovered her few options. Gilda, no doubt, wanted to confirm the assertion, yet she could not. The griffon had only two options, to confirm and to admit to the stereotypes, or to refute and sacrifice her pride. Oh, these petty creatures always were an absolute delight to play with!
“We are not,” Gilda conceded with a pitiful sigh. “Your Majesty, we are starving. The seasons and the long nights were not kind. In my hometown of Griffinstone, the rocky cliffs render barely enough growth to sustain what little population we have, with harvests decreasing we face starvation.”
Nightmare Moon let out a satisfied coo. Considering how much pride this creature had to swallow, her plea sounded rather impressive.
“I see, and what is your request, exactly?” This Gilda would still need a few more lessons in humility before this can get anywhere.
“We need your help,” Gilda finally spat out. “We don’t ask much. We only ask for a few tons of grain in spring. We have enough to make it until spring, but we will be left with no seeds to sow.”
Nightmare Moon offered Twilight a sly look. Twilight looked back with worry.
“Ah, so it is a trades deal you have in mind. My Minister of Finances shall receive you in the next few nights. He will see how to arrange this to our mutual benefit. May your night be pleasant, Miss Gilda.”
“But… we cannot afford a deal!” Gilda was starting to get desperate. “If we could still buy what we need, our town would not have been in this situation! Your Majesty, I come to you because your subjects regard you as a magnanimous ruler, isn’t your reputation worth...” Gilda stopped mid-sentence, but Nightmare Moon’s pupils were already dangerously narrowing. The insult was already said beyond what could be have been brushed away as a misunderstanding.
“Miss Gilda, I imagine this concludes our discussion. Shall you require an escort?”
“Idiot,“ Nightmare Moon voiced her dissatisfaction, as the griffon left the throne room. “I wonder what she thought would happen with this outrageous request. Concern yourself not with this simpleton, Twilight.”
Nightmare Moon stood up from her seat and continued forth to the side exit; there was always paperwork to do.
“Your Majesty, just a moment!” Twilight called out to her, quickly catching up. “Should I order the requested cargo in advance?”
“Cargo?” Nightmare Moon cocked her eyebrow. “Oh, no, Twilight. Griffons are of no importance to us. Do not occupy yourself with non-consequential matters.”
“Non-consequential?” Twilight echoed as if assuring she heard right. “Your Majesty, griffons are facing starvation!”
“Griffons are not ponies, Twilight. We have no interest in helping them, this will prove to be a complete waste of the Empire's resources. Griffons won’t even remember this happened a few decades from now.”
“But… we can’t just leave them to their ends! Death from starvation is a slow and extremely painful one!”
“We can and we will Twilight. Not that they would die regardless of whether we help or not, they’ll simply desert that pitiful town of theirs and migrate to other griffon settlements in the region.” Twilight simply stared at Nightmare Moon in disbelief,
“Twilight, such sentimentality in our position shall put our subjects in peril. This is unacceptable.”
“Your Majesty! You are abandoning these griffons to starvation! How can you be so cold blooded?! They are not your subjects, but they are still people! Your Majesty, please!”
“Twilight, what would you prefer, the griffons or some of our ponies to die?” The question stopped the Princess in her tracks, “Have you conversed with your friend Applejack recently? She can tell you much about the state of agriculture in the Empire.”
“We… lack food?” Twilight struggled to comprehend the possibility. “But Equestria is known everywhere for our farmland! This is the reason why Gilda came to us!”
“Apparently it is no longer so, Twilight. I shall supply you with some of the income declarations, then you may compare the numbers of grain our farmers sell now to what it was several years ago. The trend is rather depressing.”
“But… why? Our farmers are stubborn in their refusal to accept you, but they work as hard as they always have! ...Don’t they?”
“Yes, Twilight, they do. Our subjects are not at fault here. It seems, the very land itself is losing fertility.”
“I… I need to look in archives if anything like this happened before.”
“Do not burden yourself, you’ll find no records. The entirety of Celestia’s library burnt down together with her old castle. But I believe I know what is at fault here. Twilight, you would have to return the Elements to the Tree once more. It draws its power not only from the jewels, Twilight. The suffering this land has endured greatly weaken the Tree, just like the spread of joy and happiness can bolster it. But I fear the second option is barred for us.”
“And what if it isn’t enough?! If the fertility rates continue dropping, we would face mass-scale famine! We must inquire further, there have to be ways of mitigating this brewing catastrophe!”
“In case if this does not resolve the issue, I fear the state of our lands shall return back to what they were before the Pillars created the Tree," Nightmare Moon predicted. "We won’t be able to support much of our current population. The alternative sources of provisions would have to be found. Seaweed, if vastly expanded in production, would offer much sustenance. Luckily we have a vast shoreline, but I am afraid the common bread shall become a delicacy.” Twilight slightly shivered.
“Griffons won’t have this option!”
“Yes, Twilight. You see now why giving them provisions shall prove to be a complete waste as they will die regardless of what we do.” This discussion started to bore the onyx mare,
“Twilight, I imagine the subject has exhausted itself. Come with me, I would have you give you something to Miss Dawn. I believe it is time you pay her another visit.”
“Your Majesty, just a moment more,” Twilight pleaded. “What if there was a way for griffons to be of benefit to us? Would that make the investment worthwhile?” Nightmare Moon sighed.
“What use can these stuck-up, beaked barbarians have, Twilight? They can barely live out in their pitiful towns, bitter and bearing a grudge for everyone around them!”
“Exactly, Your Majesty! They’ll be glad to join your cause for the promise of a better existence. You do not need to provide much either, their standards wouldn’t be high, considering where they come from.” Nightmare Moon gave away a throaty snort.
“Are you proposing to include them in the Empire now? They’d rather die than drop their pride and leave their shacks, no matter what I promise them.”
“No, not at all, Your Majesty. You only need to negotiate special business rights for our own business ponies. Their mountains have never prospected properly and we know they are rich in metals, the stories of Griffon knights in their armor had to come from somewhere!”
“Hmm... ” This, might, actually, work. Griffons would grumble, as they always do, but they’ll have no choice in the matter. If they want food, they would have to pay for it. Even to griffons, this should be honest enough. But then…
“And if there would be no lucrative resources there?”
“Then we can simply refuse them the grain. Griffons would not refuse an offer that benefits them this much.” Nightmare Moon looked down at her Princess in pride. How quickly the young one learns!
“Very well, Twilight. Your reasoning is sound. Send a word to Gilda, we shall prepare the treaty.”
“I will, Your Majesty. As soon as I return the Elements.” Nightmare Moon slightly smiled to her and nodded. But…
“And, Twilight, I am impressed. You are grasping our ways rather quickly. Perhaps I would contemplate allowing you to have authority in the palace.” The comment served to confuse the Princess rather than pamper her, however.
“Don’t I… already have some? I mean, the Guards obey me and the staff does too.”
“Oh, Twilight,” Nightmare Moon softly laughed, which only caused Twilight to sulk. “Oh, don’t be like that now! Let me show you. Corporal!” Nightmare Moon called for Firestep stationed at his post by the main doors. While the Guard cantered to her, the onyx mare took off the silver jewel adorned with an emerald of her neck and gave it over to the Guard, “Give this to Miss Gilda and you, Twilight, watch what happens after she sees it. I believe Dash's friend would know exactly what this is. Then you may tell her we decided to grant her request. You may go now.”
"Eh... Okay..." Twilight proceeded to bow.
"Oh, wait just a moment more, Twilight. I almost forgot," Nightmare Moon added. "You may write Cadance back that she can come for a visit. She asked you to query about her in yesterday's letter. It's high time she, together with your brother, came out of their self-imposed exile."
Daybreaker pulled away from the keyhole and shakily made the first few steps towards her own place, Celestia’s old tower. A terrified half-whimper half-growl escaped the confines of her chest. Daybreaker could no longer restrain her horror. Her sister was coercing with the enemy instead of her! Curse this lying changeling insect for spelling her doom!
Daybreaker’s shallow breathing and looks would give her anxiety away to anyone who could see her, but she didn’t care any longer. The only one who’s opinion mattered already made it up.
She had no Guards, unlike her sister, she had no one to protect her from the incoming vengeance. Her ascent up the stair accentualized as much; her sister did not station the Guard in her tower. Moving mostly on reflex, the white mare opened the door to her quarter and closed it behind her. Her uneven breathing was even more pronounced than usual.
“Cree!” the sudden cry made the mare jump. Even the phoenix came to mock her now!
The dimly glowing bird was standing at the sill, waiting.
“Have you come to gloat?” Daybreaker asked the bird, knowing that there’s no point in hiding any longer. “To witness my doom? Or was it you all along? I know what you’ve been up to!”
Philomena continued to stare at the mare, completely unimpressed by the accusation. Daybreaker wanted to continue, but the fragmented pieces of word bits just stuck in her throat. What could she say? So noticed Philomena too. The phoenix spread her wing and knocked a small phial off the sill. Landing on the carpet it made almost no sound to overlap the sound of flapping wings as the phoenix left.
The mare picked up the vessel the phoenix brought with her. It was a simple glassy phial with messy brownish liquid inside.