//------------------------------// // Moonshadow // Story: Imperial Revision // by The Sound of Loneliness //------------------------------// “Are you sure, Thorax?” Twilight queried in doubt. “It can’t possibly be the same pendant. How would the Empress get her hooves on it without sacking remaining Griffon castles?” “Miss Gilda said it could control the wind in times of King Grover, Your Highness. I heard her saying it myself!” the disguised changeling retorted. Twilight voiced her displeasure in a form of a low grumble and levitated herself a book from the depths of her archives. Thorax surprisedly blinked. “How do you do this, Your Highness? You did not even see it,” he curiously asked. “I don’t need to see it,” -Twilight began scrolling through the pages- “just know where it is. Then, draw a simple telekinetic matrix to set the trajectory. The only part that can be difficult is the range and angles.” Thorax blinked his eyes again but decided not to ask further. Instead he opted to simply watch as the Princess methodically flipped one page after another without touching the folio. “Didn’t all old books perish when the old Castle was destroyed?” Thorax asked again. “They did,” Twilight confirmed, “this one is mine.” “Oh...” “Okay,” Twilight, having found the page she was looking at, levitated herself an empty paper from the stack on the other side of the table and began scribing down notes, “Thorax, I’ve got another favor to ask. With Shadow in the hospital, someone would have to pull her chores. I need you to sneak into the Ministry of Finance and get me the schedule of the Minister. We need to have a meeting and I can’t just go there and ask.” “But why?” Thorax asked in confusion. “You have enough authority, don’t you?” “There is...” Twilight made an awkward pause, “It is more complicated than just this.” “Is this about one of those things you can’t tell me about, Your Highness?” Thorax asked, noticeably upset. “Shadow told me to not ask about those.” Twilight cast a worried look at him. To which Thorax tilted his head. How could one changeling be so different from another? Thorax had absolutely no idea where he was and what was his purpose here. Seemingly, just how Her Majesty intended him to be. “Thorax, I am being tested,” Twilight admitted. “The Empress wants me to resolve Gilda’s issue covertly and without using any of my legal powers, solely with my own connections and cunning.” A light suddenly appeared in Thorax’s eyes and his ears shot upwards, “Oh! A test!” he excitedly exclaimed. “Quiet, Thorax! I said covertly!” Twilight had to shut him down. “Oh, right,” Thorax whispered back. “I am sorry, Your Highness. I’ll get you the schedule.” “Thanks, Thorax, I owe you.” “Can I go see Shadow after this is done, Your Highness?” he hopefully asked. “I don’t see why you couldn’t. Just be sure to sneak past the guards and let no one know you were there,” Twilight quickly added noticing his excitement rising again. Twilight proceeded to help the changeling to the door and let him out. She waited for around a minute to let him walk off and went outside herself. Twilight nodded to the Guard by the door and he locked the archive behind her. Time to visit the supply department and prepare for the next stage of the plan. Twilight trotted through the winding corridors of the administrative wing, offering nods to those few bowing to her along the way, until arriving at the doors in question. Inside Twilight was met with a collection of shelves arranged in perpendicular lines with each crate having a number and the palace wing of destination. Twilight contentedly sniffed the oily, industrial smell of the storeroom, the staff here did a much better job than in the archives - each crate was carefully arranged depending on its size, weight and destination. Twilight proceeded to correct one of the crates on the shelves and went on to search for the Quartermaster. His desk was located right next to the grated weapons storage section. According to the procedure, military equipment was first placed in this storage before the Captain of the Guard had examined it and signed the delivery blanks. “Your Highness!” the Quartermaster hailed her from his desk, taking a break from his endless paperwork. “Good morning, Jousting,” Twilight responded in kind, even managing to smile. Jousting Price was the kind of a pony everyone wanted to be a friend of but no one really liked. “I won’t disturb you for long. Say, you still have anything left from this months’ crystal powder shipment? I also need you to find me a power crystal.” Jousting took his glasses off and put them down on the desk. ”Princess, I fear you are too late. Lieutenant Glimmer came earlier tonight and took the rest of the powder. She said the Guard unicorns were experimenting to improve their teleportation circles.” “And you just let her take the entire crate?” Twilight sighed. “Well, she had a signed order from the Captain.” Jousting dived under his desk, shuffling the papers. “Just tell me where she is, please.” “Well, magical experiments are forbidden on the palace grounds, so I am guessing she went to the airbase, Your Highness.” “Okay, thank you, Jousting. And the crystal?” “I think I have some left...” Jousting stood up from his place and ventured forth to the barred section. As Twilight left the storage with a pulsing crystal in her bag, her mind was cursing the poor luck. Twilight had no access to the military facility and even if she did, Starlight Glimmer, of all ponies, would not be the one willing to help her. Sweet Celestia, the Guard quite was a collection of truly remarkable individuals. To simply ask the Empress would be to fail the test, so alternative means had to be employed. With a sigh, Twilight ventured to the staff wing to find the officers’ barracks. Daybreaker dispelled her listening spell amongst the storage and lied down on her bed with a sigh, “What you are doing, sister?” Daybreaker whispered, beginning to mechanically stroke her burning mane. All of this was surreal to the mare. Sparkle now had more authority than even Celestia allowed her to have, despite her being openly associated with a traitor. The mare in question was not executed or exiled. Nightmare took her keys and ordered the Guard to refuse her orders, but otherwise Rarity was allowed to walk freely. This was not the way of a strong ruler, even Celestia understood this much, yet Daybreaker could not think of Nightmare as weak. Her grip was not nearly as strong as it used to be, but seeminly she was no longer required to demonstrate her strength for ponies to obey her. The Empire seemed almost as tranquil and sleepy as the old Equestria, as delusional as this tranquillity had been. Even the recent changeling war seemed a distant memory now. Twilight Sparkle, despite being granted vast privileges, did not attempt a single hostile action against either Nightmare or Daybreaker herself. Nor did she even tried to prepare. Nightmare's expectations were seemingly correct. Apparently, Nightmare even managed to lessen the degree of hostility the younger Princess showed towards Daybreaker, at least if their brief exchanges of looks in the hallways could be an indication. Twilight no longer looked at the other mare with hatred, but rather with disdain and even that was now slowly dissipating. But why Sparkle? Why not her own sister? Daybreaker anxiously rolled to the other side in Celestia’s bed, at least it wasn’t the same bed she slept in for the millennium; now she was facing the larger side of Celestia’s room with a large mirror Daybreaker still used to adorn herself every evening, having to look at her bitter enemy’s face every time she did so. Thankfully, with Nightmare gifting her this wondrous glowing mane, her visage now looked less like Celestia’s, almost enough so to bear looking at. Dyabreaker smiled to the mare in the mirror triumphantly, soon she won’t have to see her every evening and morning. Something else Daybreaker noted with pleasure is that she no longer smiled like Celestia either, no more of that artificial, plastic grin. It was deeper, or rather more honest. In truth, Daybreaker didn’t care how different it was, just that it was, in fact, different. It did wonders to her whole appearance too. Her eyes looked different, as did her entire face. Daybreaker lifted herself off the bed to walk closer to the mirror and peer deeper into the face. 'It doesn’t look like hers.' she could only think. Her look, her chin line, her expression, even her bearing was distinct. A different eyeshade and she would look like a completely different mare! The discovery settled in and the mare felt a sudden burst of joy. It was like seeing the sun for the very first time, it felt liberating, like getting something she was supposed to always have had. “Different,” Daybreaker whispered to herself, trying to feel the word. “I am different!” Daybreaker asserted to the reflection, proudly looking at the face that used to only provoke her anger. ‘Cast aside the shackles that bind you,’ her sister told her during their bath. “Oh, Nightmare!” Daybreaker whispered in awe. Her name did not do enough honor to encompass her true grandeur! Only now Daybreaker could understand enough to truly appreciate her sister’s wisely precious gift. Her freedom may have been granted to her by an accident, but Nightmare’s care was true. Her tenderness was no weakness, oh no. This was Nightmare’s most powerful weapon, as Daybreaker now felt it. Nightmare softly and subtly, both through her spanning network of intrigues and her direct action, delivered Daybreaker everything she never even knew she wanted. The alabaster mare could see now. Sparkle would never revolt, for she had no reason to. Nightmare was giving her exactly what she wanted and Sparkle paid her back with loyalty. But she already had her own sister’s loyalty, for there would be no one else to accept it, there needed to be something else Daybreaker could offer. Her service was not required at the moment, for Nightmare already had those she considered worthy, otherwise she would have already called for her sister. What else could Daybreaker offer back to her sister whom she owed so much?