Rich grabbed a bowl and unceremoniously dipped it into the cauldron, passing it along to Rainbow. The pegasus stared at her bowl in confusion: there weren’t any spoons around.
“Hey, don’t you have some cutlery?”
Rich huffed, producing another full bowl for Snow Strike,
“What, you two never drank soup?”
“Well… It’s just improper.”
“Suck it up, buttercup. No servants around here to carry your two and a half tons of baggage.”
Snow looked at Rainbow with a silent question. Eventually, Snow Strike was the first to break out, taking a sip out of his bowl, being careful not to spill any of it on his dirty-white fur. Rainbow followed suit. After a short taste, she greedily gulped more. Rich snorted his amusement.
“See? No hair off your noble heads. Want some more?”
“It is thin, Master Rich,” Snow Strike remarked, passing his bowl back to Rich.
“Of course it is. How do you think we keep everyone fed? We don’t have much to work with here.”
“Your Lord must be rather closefisted. He would not even aid you in times of hunger, much less offer shelter.”
Rich glanced at the mostly done frame that they were building just moments ago,
“We do not have a Lord. Never did. Now we don’t even have a Lady anymore, either…, it’s just us now.”
Snow Strike looked at Rich with concern,
“How sad.”
“Not at all. We are better this way. Live once without anyone telling you what to do, and you’ll never want to come back.” Rainbow’s lips stretched into a thin line, “Besides, having your own things, instead of hoof-me-downs, feels good.”
“Your Lady must be very cruel indeed if that is how you feel,” Snow Strike summarized. “My father always treated peasants with kindness, unless they broke laws. I strive to do the same, most other Lords seem to agree with this philosophy regardless of the land they rule.”
Rich looked down at his own reflection in his bowl; frowning, he took a sip,
“It wasn’t that she was cruel, just aloof and controlling. All you did was because she allowed it and only until she allowed it. She once had a church dedicated to her; until one day, they were gone. Not dead, just disbanded. There was rarely any direct action from her, just a display of disapproval was enough.
“Rainbow over here was forced to serve in the army because no one else would offer her a job or even a home. Nightmare Moon offered her a commission because she knew Rainbow couldn’t refuse. Despite there being very little actual repression but everyone felt her hoof on their throat. I had a business back then, a pretty wife from a rich family and a daughter,” Rich finished bitterly. “She didn’t take any of it away, I don’t think she was even aware that I would lose something; but as soon as I got an invitation to hold an office, I knew I couldn’t refuse. She wanted me and she couldn’t care less what it cost me to serve her.
“This is better, everything I got now can fit in this wagon, but at least no one can take it from me.”
“I guess not all of it was horrible, in retrospect,” Rainbow added. “She actually cared enough to make sure everyone was fed and had a home, even if it made them dependent on her. She also didn’t oppress us much. If she was sure we wouldn’t be hurting her power, she just left us to our own devices. It was getting better with time. After a while, she relaxed a lot.”
“It sounds like she was trying to be a good Lady to the best of her ability,” Snow Strike calmly observed.
“I guess,” Rainbow reluctantly agreed. “She doesn’t fit the description of an evil overlord, and trust me, I know someone I can compare with. She was trying, I can give that to her. She was even preparing to abdicate in favor of Luna, that’s another Princess. I think if that had worked, things would’ve gotten much better. She would’ve still schemed in the background, of course. But ponies wouldn’t have been terrified of doing something she disagreed with.”
“What was she like? I never had an opportunity to meet Luna;, she was always very reclusive. I wonder if she was the reason why Nightmare Moon was so lenient.”
“Well, it was hard to tell with Luna being stuck in her head, but we did get to talk to her a few times when Nightmare Moon wasn’t working. Luna seemed weirdly happy:, she also showed Nightmare Moon, of all ponies, affection despite her ruining everyone’s lives. Rarity says they always were very close.”
“Didn’t think Nightmare Moon even understood what being close meant.”
“Well, maybe she didn’t. She still was a bloody tyrant. But when it came to Luna, she always was tender. By the way, how is Luna these days?”
“I wouldn’t know, never met her. Nightmare Moon said that Luna was elsewhere and that we were actually trying to find her until we arrived here. Nightmare Moon hadn’t sounded like she had any ulterior motives either and was annoyed when the ponies asked her to rule them again. Wasn’t anything like what I expected. It’s… weird… seeing her away from the Palace and servants; she is still so stuck-up that I don’t think she actually sees commoners as worthy enough to account for, but she was courteous regardless. Asked me if my family was alright. Paid me generously too.”
“She was frustrated when I met her. Had a whole bunch of changelings with her. I don’t think it was because of them, though… I think she likes them. She had a changeling in her court long before I got there.”
“Sounds like something she would do, yeah. Changelings are very good at spying, after all.”
“Oh, you don’t even know one half of it,” an excited smile appeared on her face. “Shadow was one of the coolest creatures I ever knew. She was absolutely badass. Could kick you in the flank, and you would’ve never known it was her.”
“Wait, Shadow is still alive, she is there with her now. Scarred more than any veteran I’ve seen and completely devoted to her. Always thought it was weird for a changeling to be a maid.”
“I think Shadow has something wrong with her head, to be honest. It’s like she’s incapable of thinking about anything not related to Nightmare Moon. I know she can, I got her to talk about a few other things, but she quickly gets nervous and wants to go back to her duty, or something else close to her goddess. She’s very bright, though and also doesn’t have these patterns that changelings usually think in. As long as she’s thinking about her job, I think she’d give Twilight a run for her money.”
“That good, eh? Well, Nightmare Moon sure likes her. Seems to be the only one she genuinely trusts.”
“There’s also Rarity, but she’s just so gutless and non-combative that Nightmare Moon spins her like a yarn. She likes her, though… in the way you like your favorite hammer.
“She also likes Twilight and she actually respects her too. Never walks on her as she does with Rarity. Twilight also said that Nightmare was trying to teach her how to hold court; but I don’t know anything about that, I was never let anywhere close. I’ve seen them about on the palace grounds sometimes, and Twilight acted like she was a school filly again. Always carried around a notepad and scribbled down things. I think Nightmare just had her helping with paperwork and notes.”
Rich grunted and set down his bowl,
“I should go see if anyone needs anything.”
“One more issue, Master Rich. This noble lady you speak so much of is truly fascinating. Is there any possibility of you introducing us?”
Both Rainbow Dash and Rich simultaneously cried out, perfectly interrupting and cancelling each other out. After a mute stare, Rainbow won,
“My Lord, didn’t you hear? She is dangerous, contact with her is a source of great woes.”
“I fully intend to heed your warning, Divine Wind. I will not let her ensnare me like she did your friends. But there is so much to be gained! We have to at least try and benefit from this situation. At the very least, she could help us get home.”
“I guess if Princess Cadance can’t help you, you’d have to go through Nightmare Moon,” Rich reluctantly agreed.
“But… It’s…” Rainbow tried to protest but couldn’t come up with any more reasons. Luckily, her stubbornness couldn’t be called into question in time.
“Hey! Everypony!” a bulky purple dragon wearing a cape and a golden ring around his biceps was quickly rushing towards them.
“Spike? The hay are you wearing?” Rich asked, raising his brows.
“This… I met a sculptor that recognized me and made me pose for a statue. What can I say: I am famous here. Anyway! I came as soon as I heard. Rainbow! It’s so good to see you!” Spike stepped forward, opening his arms wide. Snow Strike immediately furrowed his brows and jumped in front of him.
“Uhh… Hi?” Spike offered.
Rainbow stood up and pushed the two apart,
“My Lord, this is Spike. He is an old friend, and he is a dragon.”
That comment immediately changed the atmosphere. Snow Strike now looked on curiously, studying his large form. Spike stood silently, hoping someone was about to answer his silent question.
“Curious, I I never thought they would be this small…”
“There are large dragons as well, My Lord. They grow throughout their entire lives based on accumulated wealth.”
“Uhh… Rainbow, are you gonna introduce us? Maybe then this won’t be so weird,” Spike suggested.
“Spike, this is Lord Snow Strike, he is here with me.”
“Okay… So, how have you been? Haven’t seen you in absolute ages!”
“I… eh… It’s a lot to tell.”
Spike smiled at that,
“I got time! Don’t think any crystal ponies will want a photo with me again for now, and I love stories!”
“Oh, if you’re gonna tell the whole darn, stinking thing, count me in too. Creatures in the camp can wait just a bit longer.”
Rainbow warily glanced at her master and began thinking about how to best tell her friend that she tried to forget him.