The New Moon Rises

by Kit Wolfkat

Interlude 2: Before the Storm, Weather the Tide

Princess Luna laid in a warm bath of peached oaks and fragrant lavender oils enveloping her senses as she closed her eyes. The bath itself rose high above the clouds, with the light of the moon shining on her. She opened her eyes and looked around, the dreamscape was her haven, away from the political conundrum, away from the societal masses, away from the incessant responsibilities. She let out a long contented sigh, relaxing and fully absorbing herself in the serenity of the dream.

“Now this is perfect.”

For a moment, all was still, and the princess reveled in the peacefulness of the dreamscape. The tension in her body was slowly ebbing away as the soothing scent of lavender worked its magic.

She heard hoofsteps and looked to her right. A young thestral stallion, with a coating of grey covering him and a whitish mane, walked forward towards her, carrying a tray with a bottle of wine and a wine glass on it. He slowly lowered the bottle and poured the wine into the glass. Luna took a short glance at the bottle before settling on the glass itself.

Luna furrowed her eyebrows at the name. “Strange..”

But she dismissed those silly worries as of right now, it’s her relaxation. She quickly picked up the wine glass with her magic and took a sip, savouring the rich and fruity flavour that exploded on her tongue. The notes of black currant and red berries danced on her tongue, and for a while, it felt elysian.

As she turned to Fairswith, she could see the anxiety etched on his face and a light blush on slowly forming, “Thank you for being with me, my Fairswith.” she said softly, breaking the silence. Fairswith nodded quickly, a nervous grin playing on his lips. Luna chuckled to herself, recognizing his discomfort. “And of course, you’re not just here to serve me wine, are you?” she asked with a teasing glint in her eyes.

Fairswith looked taken aback for a moment before nodding slowly, “I am simply nervous the Faust out of my mind.”

Luna’s smile softened as she looked at him. “Oh Fairswith,” she said, leaning forward until their muzzles were almost touching. “When I lay here in this dreamscape, and I look at you. You know what I see?”

The thestral looked at her expectantly, “What is it?”

Luna held his gaze for a moment before replying,, “I see an inconvenient nuisance of the princess’ consort.”

His face fell into an annoyed look, scrunching up his mouth. Luna bursted into another round of laughter, “Hahaha! Oh Fairswith, it was merely a joke.” she said, grinning at the thestral.

Sighing at first, Fairswith smiled and grinned as he shook his head. “Luna, why do you have to tease me like that?”

The alicorn chuckled softly, her eyes still sparkling with amusement. “Because I’m the princess, I have the absolute right to tease my consort however much I wanted.”

He smiled at her, before laying down in the water bath next to her. His body stiffened at the temperature of the water, “Holy crap! Luna, this bath is extremely hot.”

Luna raised an eyebrow, “Is it really? I personally find it quite comfortable.”

Fairswith let out a low groan, “Well, I’m not an alicorn with a thick coat of fur like you.”

Luna rolled her eyes, before turning the temperature done with her magic. The steam from the bath slowly dissipated as the water cooled down to a more comfortable temperature. Fairswith let out a contented sigh as he relaxed into the water.

“Much better,” he said with a smile.

Luna returned a quiet nod to him, as she slowly settled in beside him. The silence between them was peaceful, the only sounds were the soft rippling of the water. The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying the warmth of the water and each other’s company.

As minutes passed, Luna turned to Fairswith with a calm look on her face. “So Fairswith, how long have you been my consort fairly speaking?” she asked.

Fairswith furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment before answering. “If we’re talking about the official title, it’s been about three years. But if we’re talking about how long I’ve been serving the crown, it’s been almost six years, I think.”

Luna nodded at his answer, “Back then you were one of the highest ranked officers of the Night Guard, but as soon as I asked you to be my consort, you folded up.”

Fairswith chuckled softly, “Well, when the Princess Luna asks you to be her consort, you don’t say no.”

She rolled her eyes, stretching her wings as settled further into the water. “Well, anyways how has your night been?” she asked with a curious tone.

Fairswith let out a heavy sigh, his eyes closing momentarily as he leaned back against the edge of the bath. “It’s been relatively quiet lately, so nothing much to go on,” he replied,“But two of my soldiers did arrest a couple of Solarian agents, near the town of Ponyville.”

Luna’s ears flared in alarm, “Casualties?” she asked, her eyes narrowing in concern.

Fairswith shook his head. “No, they didn’t resist. They were just loitering around near the Everfree Forest,” he explained, pausing for a moment before continuing. “They had no weapons, and all they had on them were some propaganda leaflets and their banner.”

“Propaganda leaflets?” Luna’s eyes perked in confusion.

Fairswith let out a laugh. “Their beloved RECLAMATION DAY, as always.” he said, a tinge of mockery evident in his tone. “Thinking that their goddess Daybreaker is gonna come back from the dead.”

Luna’s mouth turned down in a pout of ambivalence as she listened. Some memories came flooding back. “Oh.”

Fairswith noticed this and turned to her, confused. “What’s wrong with you, Lulu?”

Luna’s eyes met his and shook her head before responding, “Nothing, just a faint memory from the past. Nothing much to worry about and- wait, what did you call me?”

Fairswith furrowed his brows, trying to recall his words. “I called you Luna? Why?”

Luna placed her hoof on her neck as she felt a lump on her throat. “Nothing! Nothing, just uh… memories from the Olden Era.” she said, hoping that her response sounded convincing.

Fairswhith nodded, “Oh right, that makes sense I guess.”

Luna let out a small sigh of relief, grateful that her consort didn’t press the matter any further. She knew that Fairswith was a trusted friend and ally, but there were some things she couldn’t share with anyone, not even him.

“So where are they now?” she asked him.

Fairswith started to groom his wings, caressing it ever slowly. “We kept them in an outpost near the forest, to be safe from the public.”

She leaned back into the water, feeling the warmth and comfort of the bath soothe her nerves. She took the bottle of wine that she left floating in the dreamscape and poured her another glass.

After drinking another glass of wine, she threw the wine glass out of the bath and into the abyss below. But just as she was about to take another relaxing bath rest, she remembered something.

“Uh, Fairswith? What time is it now?” Luna asked as she turned to Fairswith who was leaning back against the wooden edge of the bath.

Fairwith thought for a moment, “I think three and a quarter in the afternoon?”

Luna’s eyes widened in shock, “Goodness Faust, I need to go for the parliament session! It starts at three thirty!” she said as she quickly enveloped herself in magic. “I’ll see you in the night after the celebrations!”

Fairswith nodded but with a hint of concern in his expression. “Alright, uh have a good-”

Luna had already disappeared in a flash of magic before he could finish his sentence. He shook in slight dismay but also understanding.

“Evening.” Fairswith muttered to himself as he was left alone in the bath. He took a deep breath and sank deeper into the water, relaxing his mind and body. “Ahhhh, dreambath….”

Luna slowly opened her eyes, feeling the warmth of her royal bedroom seeping into her bones. She got up from the bed and stretched her wings, feeling the familiar sensation of magic flowing through her veins. As she stood up, she glanced over at the mechanical alarm clock on her nightstand, noting the time.

Well he was half right. So I have some time to eat lunch and wear my attire.

Just as she was about to head into her dressing room, the door to the palace hallways suddenly swung open. A food trolley was pushed into view, and a servant was frantically pushing the handle of it while muttering to himself.

Luna paused, curious about the servant’s behaviour. As she watched him, she overheard him murmuring,

“Way to go idiot. You forgot to wake up the princess, you’re gonna get chewed out by the floor manager and-”

Luna’s eyes widened in surprise. Had the servant forgotten to wake her up? She felt a twinge of annoyance, but quickly pushed it aside. Taking a deep breath, Luna walked over to the servant with a calm expression on her face.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted him, she smiled warmly. “I’m assured you brought out lunch for me?”

The servant looked up at Luna in surprise, his eyes widening as he realised who he had been speaking to. “Your highness!” he stammered, bowing his head in respect. “I’m so sorry for forgetting to wake you up. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

But Luna shook her head in dismissal, “It’s alright, just don’t forget your responsibilities next time,” she said as she waved off his concerns. “In anycase, what has the chef conjured up for my meal?”

“W-w-well, there’s a variety of dishes, your highness,” the servant replied nervously, gesturing towards the trolley. “We have your favourite roasted lemon oiled chicken, some steamed vegetables, and a freshly baked apple pie for dessert.”

Luna nodded, though her mouth was already frothing at the descriptions of the delicious meals on the trolley. The servant pulled the bedside table near Luna and placed the tray of dishes on the table.

Lifting up the platter cover, Luna’s eyes widened at the sight of the perfectly cooked chicken, the vibrancy of the steamed vegetables, and the golden brown crust of the apple pie. Her mouth watered in anticipation.

She wasted no time, picking up the fork and knife and started to tear open the chicken inside out. As she ate rapidly as if she were a wild animal in the middle of spring, she realised something: the servant was still there in the room with her, waiting for Luna to say something to him.

She cleared her throat and turned to him, “You may leave, give my thanks to the chef please.”

The servant bowed his head respectfully and quickly left the room, leaving Luna alone to finish her meal. Then Luna turned to the meal in front of her, and started to devour each and every bit of it. The hearty chicken, giving a nice lemony flavour, the steamed vegetables provided a refreshing contrast to the chicken and the apple pie, perfect for a sweet finish.

After a mere few minutes of devouring her meal, Luna wiped the remnants of the food with a linen handkerchief she kept in a nearby drawer.

Rising from her seat, she made her way towards the dressing room to change into her royal attire. A light blue long-sleeved dress adorned with silver stars on its bottom half, and a necklace studded with the crescent of the moon.

“Perfect.” she said to herself, as she raised her wings to admire them. But as her gaze shifted from her wings to her eyes, her face fell, remembering why she was up so early. Realising why she’s up this early. “Parliament,” she sighed.

She turned to the wall on her right to look at the wall clock.

Well Luna, time to head to the common hall. Where the worst comes to shove itself into our face.

She exited the dressing room and returned to the bedroom, heading for the vanity mirror near the balcony. She pulled the drawer door and took out a small rectangular box.

“There it is.” the alicorn said to herself, as she pulled out a pair horn-rimmed round spectacles.

Luna placed the spectacles on her snout in front of her eyes, feeling the weight on her nose. She looked at herself in the mirror, adjusting the frames to fit better.

“Better,” she told herself as she forced a grin. “You look more like a princess now, even if time is not on your side Luna.”

Letting out a wistful laugh, she approached the bedroom door and pulled it open. As Luna walked out of the chamber, her hooves clopped softly against the polished marble floors of the hallway.

The bright light of the afternoon crept through the windows, casting long shadows along the walls. She passed another servant who instantly bowed as she made her way down the stairs, but Luna barely acknowledged them, too preoccupied with thoughts of the upcoming parliamentary meeting.

As she reached the bottom, Luna paused to take in her surroundings. The grand hallway was a masterpiece of architectural design, lined with various paintings that depicted the remaining histories of the kingdom. The warm glow of the glass chandeliers illuminated the space, casting intricate shadows on the walls. Luna stopped in front of an emblem sewn onto a tapestry, woven onto a golden fabric using dark green thread.

Luna stopped in front of a particular emblem, the emblem featured changeling holed-wings on both sides, the Changeling Queen’s horn in the middle with the crescent moon behind it and with five of the night stars circling around it. The words emblazoned under it caught her attention.

- Queen Magnolia (1 NE - 54 NE)

As she walked down the hallway, servants who saw her gave a respectful bow. Luna acknowledged them with a nod, but didn’t stop to exchange pleasantries. She had important matters to attend to, and didn’t want to waste any time.

She reached the front door of the palace, where a group of thestral guards were waiting for her. They saluted as she approached, and she returned the gesture.

“Your royal highness,” one of the guards said. “Carriages are ready, on your orders.”

“Thank you,” Luna replied curtly, her tone reflecting her sense of urgency.

As the carriage took off above the skies, Luna sat back, staring out the window at the passing scenery. The streets of Canterlot were bustling with activity, trams were rumbling along the tracks, and everybeing on the ground were either hurriedly making their way to wherever they were going or enjoying the beautiful day.

Finally, the carriage touched down onto the pavement in front of the Parliamentary Building. Luna stepped out of the carriage, her eyes scanning the surroundings. Some changelings and ponies were entering and exiting the building, some were carrying cameras in while others were setting up sound equipment.

Entering the hallway, the inside was grand and imposing, with a high ceiling and a wide staircase leading up to the second level. The walls were a light peach colour and despite not having any sort of engravings, the minimalist aesthetic gave it an aura of sophistication.

In front of her were the Members of Parliament, sitting in benches in a row of threes. As soon as they saw her enter, they all stood up and started to bow. Luna nodded at the gesture before waving for them to sit down.

As she walked up the wide staircase, she was greeted by Prime Minister Shoals, who was waiting for her beside a door to the Speaker’s seat, the position where Luna had to manage.

“Your royal highness, the other MP’s are already waiting in the Common Hall for you,” he said to her. “Cameras and audio have been set up at the balconies and below to capture, and we want to start as soon as possible.”

Luna nodded, “I’m sorry for my slight delay, Prime Minister. I’m just hoping that this session will be better than the last bouts.”

Prime Minister Shoals shook his head as quickly as he could, “Nonsense, your majesty! I’m absolutely sure that this session is going to be tremendously better.” he exclaimed, though a slight nervous laugh escaped from his mouth.

Luna gave him a reassuring smile before entering the Common Hall. Luna walked to the front of the room and sat on the large throne-like chair that was reserved for her.

As she took her seat, she glanced around the Common Hall, taking in the rows of benches that were filled with Members of Parliament. The room was filled with the hum of whispers and the sound of shuffling papers as the MPs settled in.

The cameras flashed red, and audio recorders were up. The Prime Minister sat beside her, waiting for her cue.

Luna cleared her throat, the sound echoing throughout the hall. “Good afternoon esteemed Members of Parliament.” she spoke with a regaltone.

The whispers and shuffling of papers slowly came to a halt, as all eyes turned to her. Luna surveyed the room, taking note of the MPs who looked eager and those who seemed disinterested.

“Today is the 22nd of March of this year’s parliamentary questions.” she said, as she looked around the hall. She turned to the prime minister, who sat beside her, and added, “Prime Minister Salted Shoals, prepare your answers for the MPs and remember everybeing, be cordial and respectful of the instituted rules established during this session.”

An hour and a half of boring punditry later

Luna woke up, as she heard something being placed in front of her. The servants are serving up tea and biscuits. Luna blinked away the drowsiness that had overtaken her, her mind struggling to keep up with the mundane discussion that had filled the hall for the past hour and a half.

She rubbed her eyes and took a sip of the hot tea that had just been placed in front of her by a servant. The sweet aroma of the biscuits and tea did little to lift her spirits, but Luna forced a smile and thanked the servant nonetheless.

“AND THAT’S HOW WE SHOULD OWN THE RAILS!”

Luna was startled back to attention by the sudden outburst. She looked down to see Realis Bulionis, a Labour MPs from the constituency of Haylem, standing up and gesturing wildly to Prime Minister Shoals as she spoke. Friend of workers and farmers, she's mostly remembered as the one of the few changelings politicians who made a grand speech against golden tender, at the ire of many business owners.

“HERE, HERE!” Some of the MP’s beside her chanted, supporting what she argued earlier. There hears, a mixed cacophony of excitement and anticipation as the opposition parties.

As more MPs turned their attention to Realis, Luna took the opportunity to assess her. A tall and lanky changeling with a bright orange carapace and large, bulbous eyes that seemed to be constantly shifting in colour. Luna had always found her to be a bit eccentric, but her passionate speeches did garnered her a loyal following among her constituents.

Luna turned to Shoals, permitting him to speak. “Which in my opinion, is not a good idea.” Shoals responded calmly, as he stood up. “We can’t squander funds from our other enterprises, especially with our economical state. While I do understand my honourable councillor's worry about her fellow beings safety and livelihood, but I-”

Interrupting Shoals, Cash Course, one of the other MPs, suddenly spoke up. “ My Honourable Councillor, having the government own the Transnational Railway will not only destroy the competition that we worked steadily hard for over the years but would destroy our innovativeness!”

Bulionis turned to her, a slight rabid look on her eye. “Of course it will!” she barked out. “I’d rather something that we can guarantee than to let some corporate moguls usurp out pockets. And not only that, haven’t we learned our lesson from the many strikes of yesteryear?”

Shoals tried to speak up but Cash Course quickly spoke again for him, “Which is why by refusing to give in, we have ensured that we won't be easily destroyed our economy that we tried to recover for so long. Ever since the riots of the 60s!” she said defiantly, turning to the prime minister.

“Even though the queen hasn't yet approved the plans for the national but with the princess' backing on her behalf, surely-"

“I AM NOT FINISHED, THAT IS MERELY A BAND-AID! YOU AND YOUR PANTY-WAIST CRONIES ARE DESTROYING EVERY WAGE KNOWN TO JOBS! ” Bulionis shouted out, her eyes raging over to the other MP.

“How dare you! You have no authority to-”

“HEEEEEEERE!” The rest of the parliament shouted out, as sides were quickly being taken. Cash Course and her constituents on one, Bulionis and her constituents on the other.

“Everybeing please stop..” the prime minister tried to calm them down.

Luna sighed adamantly, politically skewed debates and questions always drew her out. Luna felt a sense of frustration wash over her as the discussion continued to spiral into arguments, counter-arguments and the counter to counter arguments.

I much prefer military campaigns than political ones, seems more dignified somewhat.

She took a sip of her tea and nibbled on a biscuit, trying to tune out the noise and focus on something more calming. But the argument continued to rage on, each side becoming more and more entrenched in their positions. She felt her patience wearing thin as the sound in the hall became much louder and more chaotic, as more and more MP’s joined the fray.

At least the cameras are enjoying this.

Luna took another sip of her tea, closing her eyes briefly as she savoured the warmth and comfort it brought. She just wished that if another question comes up, she'll close her eyes.

But as she opened her eyes again, a glass of tea was launched, hitting her squarely in the muzzle. Tea and glass shattered all over her, and Luna winced as a sharp piece of glass cut her lip.

The entire room went silent, Prime Minister Shoals’ mouth agape, the MP’s frozen in shock while the cameras zoomed in ever closer on the princess. Every being stood in shock, unsure of what to do next.

Luna stood up slowly, wiping the tea and blood off her muzzle with a handkerchief. She took a deep breath, and started to leave the hall, ignoring the gasps and whispers that followed her, ignoring the cameras and audio that was recording her. As she walked out of the door, she heard the commotion in the hall erupting once more.

“Mares and gentle stallions, I think the parliament’s adjourned.” she heard the prime minister say aloud to the rest of the MP’s in the hall. “And hopefully the viewers and listeners at home will find this week’s parliamentary session fruitful.” he said, a nervous tone escaping from his smile.

But as soon as the cameras stopped rolling, one of the MP’s shouted out.“Did that just happen? Who- who attacked the princess?”

As Parliament started to become louder again, Luna felt a bit of frustration. Not too much to the point of outright calling for execution of whoever just threw a cup at her, Faust no! But more so she just wanted to stay out of politics for the time being. And probably skewer the hitter’s coattails.

Just one day, I wanted a peaceful session not a damn bar fight. If I find that bastard I’ll..

Luna reached outside to where the carriage was waiting. The thestral guard were lounging near the parliament gates, much to her annoyance. One of the thestrals pointed his comrades to the princess, and they quickly gathered near the carriage.

Entering the carriage and sitting on its albeit less comfier seat, she turned to one of the surprised thestral guards who was supposed to be leading the carriage. “Take me to Ponyville, this instant. I don’t hear your other words, the celebrations will start in a few minutes.” she said firmly.

The guard hesitated for a moment, unsure and a bit scared at the princess’s sudden request. He knew that something must have happened in the Parliament that had upset her, but he didn’t want to risk her wrath.

“Y-yes your royal highness.” he stammered before quickly turning to the others and started preparing to take off. A few seconds later, the carriage took off from the tarmac and into the evening clouds.

Luna relaxed in the carriage seat, albeit the seat itself much less comfier than the one in parliament.

I wonder if Twilight Sparkle is having a much better day than me.

Luna pondered for a moment before settling on a single, and finally positive thought she needed for a long time.

Well, it’ll be a good opportunity for her to make some new friends.