//------------------------------// // The Council of Three Sisters // Story: Imperial Revision // by The Sound of Loneliness //------------------------------// “Another rebellion then,” Nightmare Moon gloomily summed up. “Baron!” The stallion at the door rushed to the royal table, “Your Majesty,” the Guard promptly bowed. “Dispatch a squad to fetch Miss Applejack. I believe we’d have something to discuss.” “No, Nightmare,” Luna, seated next to her, touched the dark mare’s foreleg. “It’s not what they aim at! What they plan is peaceful! They just want to be heard!” “Well… We can safely ignore them then. Yes, Nightmare?” Daybreaker nervously smiled from across the table, the memories of their last talk still fresh. “What is it exactly they plan to do, Luna?” Nightmare Moon asked, her attitude unchanged. “They wish to have a peaceful gathering in Canterlot to voice their concerns. They wish to make clear that they threaten no one.” “Are you sure there are no violent splinter factions of these… dissenters?” “I don’t think they are even organized yet,” Luna shook her head. “Hmm…” Nightmare Moon quietly contemplated for the next minute. “Baron, delay the previous order. Tell Roling to dispatch someone to observe their preparations. They are permitted to assist if asked. Dismissed.” “At once, Your Majesty!” Sergeant sharply saluted and went for the door. “You… wish to help them to organize their meeting?” Daybreaker asked in confusion. “Do they serve your purpose somehow?” “No,” Nightmare Moon slashed. The black mare then sharply stood up from her seat and went for the window. With the sun down again she could see Canterlot, her city, without the light hurting her. Her eyes, quietly ventured along the numerous streets, lit with posts only bright enough for day-loving ponies to see their way. “Luna, where do they plan to gather?” “They want you to hear them, Nightmare. They will be where you can see them,” Luna avoided the straight answer. “The main gate,” Nightmare sighed, eyeing the lonely Guard standing on the outer side of the metal gates. “What are their demands?” “They didn’t speak of them. I think they didn’t formulate them yet.” “So be it then, I shall hear what they have to say firsthoof.” Daybreaker briefly widened her eyes, “Sister, you can’t be saying you intend to bow to this… rabble! These are the same ponies who attempted to slay you! They are unworthy of you!” she protested. “Let me face them! I shall carry your will to the rebellious dregs!” “I believe you have already done enough ‘carrying my will’ at this point, sister,” Nightmare Moon bitterly reminded. “But I already told you! I am sorry!” Daybreaker spoke apologetically, her explosive attitude immediately evaporating. “I simply wished to be useful to you!” Daybreaker said with genuine chagrin. “How could I know that you would have changelings in your employ? You do not share with me your plans. I believed you only had… Shadow, is it? I already told you: I knew nothing of the General. I believed your interest meant that you wished to study him more. I did not harm either him or his brother! I only detained them before you could make the decisions on whether to let them go or not!” Nightmare Moon turned away from the window again and slowly walked to her sister until she could almost touch her, “Sister, if I cannot see, how can I oblige you?” Daybreaker said, trying to catch Nightmare Moon's eyes. Against her expectations, Nightmare Moon discovered herself easing up. Daybreaker was right. Blaming her for being foolishly ignorant, when it hardly was her fault, would be shifting the blame. But the truth, as always, wasn’t satisfying. The truth was that Nightmare had no purpose to task her sister with. The regal mare glanced over at Luna, who calmly waited for her to say her decree. Suddenly, Nightmare could see why Celestia had such an issue to pay attention to her little sister’s needs. Nightmare Moon proceeded to give the situation a sad laugh. “Nightmare?” Daybreaker cautiously asked. “It is funny, really,” Nightmare explained. “How similar we have all grown. A Princess or an Empress, in the end, we have the same problems.” “Eh… as you say, sister,” Daybreaker communicated her confusion. “Luna, you mentioned that you tracked down the group that murdered Miss Lulanoon?” “Yes… I and Sombra caught one of the gang members and he told us where to find the rest of them. I locked him in one of the cells in the dungeon.” “Did you feed off him?” “Yes, but his life is not in danger. Nightmare, I wish for them to be trialled by law, do not send Guards after them. I want justice, not revenge," Luna determinedly proclaimed. "Let the police track them down and gather evidence.” “It will take months, Luna,” Nightmare Moon joylessly stated. “The wheels of law are slow to move.” “I do not care, Nightmare. This is the only right way to do it and I will see it to the end,” Luna finished with a clap on the wooden surface on the table. “So be it. I shall order a list of capable prosecutors to lead the investigation. I believe you will find there some familiar names you can trust.” Luna sat down into her chair again, satisfied with the offer. “Thank you,” Luna managed to smile despite the morbid occasion, “sister.” “Luna,” Nightmare Moon couldn’t help but smile back, “this is silly.” “Why? We already look the same, I even have fangs, just like you do,” Luna playfully demonstrated her long canines. “Well, maybe only slightly bigger. “You’ve been with me for even longer than Celestia was-” Daybrkeaker across the table frowned at the mentioning of the solar mare “-and you always had time for me, unlike her. As far as I am concerned, you are my sister.” “Oh, poor Starswirl, he didn’t teach you to be this way, Luna,” Nightmare Moon giggled. “No, he didn’t,” Luna proudly confirmed. “I never listened to anything he said.” “He must have disappeared out of shame for seeing you behaving like a filly. An old stallion can only take so much, after all.” “Oh, actually,” Luna suddenly turned her head towards Daybreaker, “I meant to ask. Celestia always refused to tell me where our old teacher went. She kept telling me that he won’t be coming back. Did she even know?” Daybreaker’s eyes immediately darted over to Nightmare for instructions, but the onyx mare turned her head away refusing the contact. “Ah...” Caught off guard by Luna’s sudden interest in her, Daybreaker stumbled. “Yes...” Daybreaker finally pushed out a response. “Well, the wizard, along with his merry band, went to deal with… Stygian, was that the name? They spoke of him betraying them and attempting to syphon their power away. It seems that Stygian not only attempted to do that, but also found some… other sinister force to aid him. I fear I cannot tell you anything else, Starswirl was deliberately vague.” “Curious. It seems that the Pillars did indeed succeed,” Nightmare Moon commented. “But I can scarcely believe all six of them perishing in the battle. Sister, couldn’t you possibly tell where their resting place ould be?” “You wish to recover their weapons, sister?” “I wish to recover their remains,” Nightmare corrected. “It is disgraceful to let our heroes bones lie scattered in the wilderness, they deserve a proper tomb.” “Starswirl specifically instructed Celestia to never try to find them, sister. He spoke of mortal danger,” Daybreaker warned, the slight notion of wariness apparent in her voice. “It has been over a thousand years, Stygian is long since dead regardless of what happened,” Nightmare Moon dismissed the notion. “Well… Starswirl did not say where to find them, but he did speak of a place to be found in case if they fail. He also instructed Celestia to bring one artefact for each of the pillar. I believe we can find some in their former homes, can we not?” “Well, not every one of them had a permanent dwelling, Rockhoof prefered sleeping under the stars, -” Luna slightly blushed “-while Misty Mane’s home she left behind in her homeland. It will be a wild goose-chase to search for her home in a land we know next to nothing about, if it even exists to this day. Starswirl should be easy, I believe Twilight can help us with finding a thing of his. Others we would have to research extensively with Twilight otherwise occupied.” “Sister, I have to protest,” Daybreaker had enough. “We are royalty, not archaeologists, this is not worthy of our time! Order your servants to tend to this.” “Sister, there are matters that cannot be left to commoners,” Nightmare Moon firmly declined. “This is a strictly royal business and attracting common subjects will only lead to unnecessary leaks.” “Nightmare,” Luna again softly touched her named sister. “You always baffle me when you speak of ‘commoners’. You sound dismissing but I know that this isn’t how you think of our subjects.” “Luna,” Nightmare Moon sighed. “I differentiate us from our subjects because we are different from them. They have no understanding of the intricate and subtle art of statecraft. When ruling a land, one cannot let anyone dabble in royal matters, for they will inevitably make critical and costly mistakes for all of us. Our subjects are not meant to do our work, Luna. They have myriads of daily issues to resolve. They do not have either time nor knowledge on how to act without direct supervision. This is precisely the reason why Celestia never allowed you close to any real politics. To be a successful ruler, Luna, it is vital to understand the difference between a royal and a commoner, and why the latter cannot be allowed to dabble in the matters of state.” “And when she gave me a chance I ruined everything,” Luna morbidly summed up, making Nightmare Moon immediately sulk too. “Luna, I am sorry,” Nightmare offered her Princess a comforting hug. “Don’t be,” Luna answered, accepting the embrace. “Who could blame you for using an opportunity? I was the one to fail everypony. I should have let you be the one to do it from the beginning. You would’ve done it right and no one would’ve died. “...And I wouldn’t have lost my sister,” Luna added, barely restraining herself from crying again. Nightmare Moon started soothingly caressing her sister’s mane, “Thank you for not abandoning me after you got what you wanted.” "Oh, Luna, how could I? You were the only creature in the entire world to not flee in my wake," Nightmare Moon comforted the blue mare. "You were always beloved and cherished. Never let yourself forget." Nightmare Moon could see the moment when Daybreaker could take no more of this, her face stretching as she rapidly stormed out of the room, swinging the door closed behind her. "Do not pay her mind, Luna. She will see, eventually," Nightmare Moon calmly assured her named sister. "Nightmare, I meant to consult with you over an issue concerning her," Luna asked. "Nightmare, do you think that I can do something to ease our sister's burdens?" Nightmare shot Luna a surprised look, "Truly?" "I've been long dwelling on what I could do to help. I cannot help you to rule, but I can still help our ponies with their struggles. Daybreaker’s needs seem to be most gruelling." "This is very kind of you, Luna," Nightmare Moon smiled graciously. "But I do not think she would accept. She is still much too quail to trust Celestia's sister." "And what about your sister?" Luna smirked back. "Oh, come here, silly goat!" Nightmare Moon pulled Luna into an even tighter embrace. "Nooo, Nightmare! I am serious!" Luna laughed, trying to gently break free from Nightmare Moon's grip. "Let me try, I can do it." "I have no such doubt, Luna. But I am worried how Daybreaker will take this," Nightmare Moon finally let Luna go, settling down in concern. "Does she see me as a threat?" Luna asked, sudden realisation washing over her. "Is this why she cannot bear watching us together?" "She sees everyone as a threat, Luna," Nightmare Moon bleakly confirmed. "The horrifying truth of our nature, is that for our own life we must steal another's. My sister knows what ponies think of her and she is in the right to expect them to hate her. This is why secrecy is so important." "I see... Then... how do I help her?" "Try just being with her to begin," Nightmare Moon proposed. "My sister doesn't trust easily, but if she gets used to you being close it would make things easier." "She needs a friend," Luna assented. "It would help," Nightmare confirmed. Before Luna could respond, someone knocked on the door. Nightmare Moon waited a moment to let Luna hide herself back in the shadow, "Yes?" The door opened with a quiet creak letting in a tiny changeling in uniform holding a folder. The tiny creature quietly offered the folder to Nightmare Moon to take. The onyx mare took the folder and the changeling proceeded to swiftly make his retreat without a word. "I don't know her," Luna's voice stated as soon as the door was safely closed. "I don't either, she is in Major Mayfly's employ. She comes from time to time to update my intel," Nightmare Moon responded. "Luna, would you, please, go start searching something on the Pillars whereabouts?" she said, reading the folder markings. "And this is?" Luna asked instead, clearly meaning the folder. "A tribute," Nightmare Moon answered.