//------------------------------// // The Night Court // Story: Luna's Invitation // by CloudMagnet //------------------------------// Luna awoke groggy and irritable, she had not slept through the daylight hours well. As the princess of dreams, prophecies and The Night her arcane powers often led her down dark paths not entirely of her own volition. Flying back to Canterlot from her usual nightly post, surreptitiously observing Twilight’s Library, she had plowed unheedingly into a thick knot of twisted dreams floating in the air above the city’s financial sector. She had still been trying to get the foul taste out of her mouth at the morning meal, which had at least begun in a pleasant manner. She had been admonishing Celestia: “That will have to be dealt with, Celly. If those dreams are allowed to gather and fester for much longer they could become manifest as a being of evil intent and present a threat to the city.” Luna punctuated her point with airy waves of her gilded fork in between bites. Celestia had not been convinced. “What will it do sister? Stalk from dwelling to dwelling forcibly refinancing ponies mortgages? And that is NOT the right way to eat a doughnut. Just pick it up, nopony is watching.” Luna was finding it difficult to maintain a professional demeanour. These nuts of dough were delicious. Did they grow from a dough tree or were they some kind of ground nut? There was so much to learn in this new Equestria. “With my return and the strengthening of my domain, ponies dreams have taken on more power. Moreso than in the old era as there are so many more ponies now, all living on top of one another. The guard should be armed and trained against the possibility at least.” “Very well, Luna. You may be right,” Celestia conceded. ”I’ll leave the matter in your hooves. Don’t stay up too long working on the details; you need to be fresh for night court tomorrow evening.” Luna’s fork shot upwards at a velocity sufficient to pierce the beautiful domed ceiling of the breakfast gazebo, leave the atmosphere and begin a long career as Equestria’s newest and most confusing periodic comet. “TOMORROW NIGHT?” “Yes, sister. Had you forgotten? You promised me that you would give it another go. Ponies need to see you on the throne if they are to come to accept you again as Equestria’s co-ruler.” “After what happened last time? It’s only been six months, could we not wait a little longer?” Luna’s appetite had quite vanished, replaced with an urge to flee. "A generation or two should suffice." Celestia’s tone had been firm. “Ponies memories are short, at least when they are compared to ours. It will get better. Please Luna, give it another try.” “Celly, the repairs to the doors and the outer wall of the throne room took nearly three months to complete, must you insist on placing them at risk again?” “Oh Luna, cheer up, nopony blames you for what happened and there will be no need for you to hurl anypony forcibly through any part of the castle this time. I promise.” Celestia leaned forward conspiratorially, “I have appointed a wonderful new herald for your night court. She is a very bright mare, recently awarded a doctorate for historical studies of your era. I’m sure she will be able to discreetly assist you in matters of modern etiquette if you find yourself at a loss. Guards will also be stationed behind the curtains inside the throne room this time so you won’t have to take matters into your own hooves.” Luna’s mood lifted a little. “Well...” “And the guards have standing orders to arrest Prince Blueblood if he dares to show his face in your court again.” “I’ll do it.” -- c -- Luna moved through her chambers to her private reading room, a lit candleabra drifted absently behind, floating in a blue haze of magic. Shelves were packed tightly with bound books of all sizes, distressed tomes of ancient lineage, penned by hoof, sat side by side with books freshly minted from fancy new mechanical presses. The work benches and antique tables were stacked high with scrollcases and neat piles of parchments tied with ribbons. On a lectern placed prominently next to her writing desk was her single most important document. The rock with which she anchored her mind against these strange chaotic days and the even stranger ponies who lived within them. The master checklist. A checklist comprised of a list of all of her other checklists, recompiled no more than once per day and no less than once per week, unless Equestria found itself embroiled in a war or a comprehensive national disaster that demanded all of the princess’ attention. A ‘check’ showed that the points contained within the subordinate checklist had been addressed to her satisfaction. Of course, the subordinate checklists often gave rise to checklists of their own and so on. All were accounted for and filed, along with lists of appropriate reference materials available from the castle’s main library. Luna leant forward to smell the parchment. The smell was calming, like a pot of camel-mile tea. The texture of the scrolls expertly prepared surface on her sensitive nose put her in mind of the finest cotton sheets. Truly, reading and writing could be a delight to every sense, an addictive panacea in which she could lose herself for hours at a time. In the early days of the two sister’s rule the master checklist could be contained by the flat top of the lectern itself, but those days were long in the past, even before her banishment. With a flick of her telekinesis Luna unrolled the intimidating document along the walls of the library room in a great circle. The ends nearly touched. With a contented sigh, Luna primly balanced her reading glasses on her muzzle and set to work. Leaving the checklist floating in a great loop about her desk she levitated several fresh parchments and quills from her desk. Luna added a new item to the end of the master checklist, then set to work on creating a points list for the training of the Guard. With the banishment of it’s major focus and source of power, dream magic had practically vanished from Equestria. With nopony skilled in it’s use it would fall to Luna to perform the training herself. Those dreams had been vile, selfish and small, but massed together they possessed great power. They had tasted of the petty arrogance and jealous possessiveness of Nightmare Moon. ‘This modern age is exhausting, everything changes so fast and the greed of ponies for novelty and wealth is all encompassing. They want and want, even when they have all they need.’ Through her window Luna could distantly hear the sounds of Canterlot city. The thick sounds of jingling tack, iron shod hooves and cartwheels on the old flagstone streets hung in the air about the castle as hundreds of ponies prepared for another normal day of business. Canterlot was itself a source of confusion for Luna. ‘From the moon it looked so cheerful and inviting with its hundreds of coloured lights, The cities were expressions of ponies will writ large upon Equestria itself. A feat only capable when thousands of ponies work together.’ So she had thought, giddy with the joy of discovery and freedom in the first weeks of her return. Now she thought of Canterlot, Hoofington and the other major population centres as more reminiscent of finding an impressive mound of colourful mould in your pantry. Those cities were the work of generations of ponies at each others throats. Trampling on each other to make a bit and then displaying that wealth through their possessions, each little light a ponies claim to property and status. The brightest lights of all were the gaily lit private gardens of the villas and minor palaces of the nobility. And she was expected to play host to these parasitic insipid nobles in her night court tomorrow. Without beheading a single one. Books flew from the orderly shelves, gliding neatly to their appointed places, reading stands for the major works, small stacks to the side for reference materials. Recent equestrian history, a list of the noble families and their holdings, modern financial theory and the latest royal budget. No matter what she thought of these ‘nobles’ elevated by wealth to a station made worthless by their very presence, they would not find fault with Luna or her court. She would be ready for them. -- c -- Nopony came. Her appointed herald had rather cheekily attired herself in the fashion of Luna’s old night court before her banishment. Obviously uncertain about her choice of attire, the mare had started the evening jittery and as Luna’s mood had soured, had progressed to terrified. The poor thing was shaking, barely able to hold onto her staff. Luna could not find fault with her for that. As the hours progressed in silence the displeasure radiating from the stiffly poised alicorn on the throne was so palpable it could have been quartered and sold by the pound. Luna felt like she was back on the moon. The silence, the darkness filling the tall windows of the throne room, even the silent herald standing to attention next to her. Silent and proper like the moon-ponies she had crafted from the lunar dust for her amusement during her exile. Nightmare Moon had needed subjects to rule over in her black castle. Luna found herself lost in a daydream. She sat upon her raised obsidian throne, her black armour spotless, her cat’s eyes quick, watching the crowds of courtiers as they played their little power games, positioning themselves to gain her favour, distancing themselves behind their ‘friends’ to avoid her displeasure. They were all constructs of her own mind of course, built of moon stuff and magic, but they were alive, after a fashion, and she could pretend. It was largely like every night on the moon during the period of her banishment. But tonight there was a splash of unexpected colour. Next to her throne, at the top of her stairs was a brilliant purple silk cushion, edged with a tasselled golden rope. Reclining upon it in a most sultry manner was Twilight Sparkle, Queen’s Consort and Arch Mage of the Moon. Her hooves were shod in gold filigree, her eyelids darkened with kohl. A single thread of beaten and drawn gold wound up the ridge of her horn to end in a tiny playful bell. Feeling the Queen’s gaze upon her Twilight looked up from her book. “My beloved Queen? May I assist thee?” Nightmare Moon felt .. Luna felt a genuine smile on her face for the first time that evening. How could she have thought herself alone with Twilight at her side? “What readest thou, Arch Mage?” Twilight inclined the book so that the Queen of her heart could see the colourful pages. “The Illustrated Camel-Sutra, extended edition for magic users.” She rolled onto her back on the broad cushion. As the gauzy strips of her rather minimal consorts costume fell open across the soft fur of her stomach, she stretched lazily and languidly. “Is court yet finished my Queen? I have learnt much, but the true application of science lies not in reading the results of other’s work but in prediction and personal experimentation.” Twilight rose to a sitting position and pointed her muzzle at the night queen’s own. “I predict that tonight will be memorable, the first of many memorable nights.” She closed the distance, lowering the lids of her eyes and inclining her head. “And I am eager to begin the experimentation.” Twilight parted her lips... Luna snapped back into the present, horrified. The fountain flowing under Celestia’s throne had stopped dead, frozen into a solid column of ice. ‘That was not a daydream. I feel that I have been made .. an offer.’ Luna cleared her throat. The herald ‘Eeep’ed, but admirably retained hold of her staff of office. “This court is now ended, call it Herald.” Luna sighed as she released her muscles from her rigidly held ‘regal’ posture, alternately stretching her cramped wings as she waited for her herald to deliver the set speech to declare the deserted night court closed. “Thank you Lily Gild, we are most appreciative of your forbearance with this tiresome duty and for your comely costume. It is quite correct in its particulars. I personally like the bells, most accurate.” “Why thank you your highness!” it was hard to tell whether Lily knelt or simply collapsed in gratitude. “My sister is adamant that we attempt this debacle at least once a week henceforth.” Experimentally, Luna offered Lily her most cheerful and supportive of smiles and was rewarded with only a slight blanching of abject fear. ‘The chambermaid I last tried that smile on fainted. I must be getting better at dealing with the servants.’ “Next time Lily, bring a chessboard.” Luna paused on the threshold of the throneroom, struck by a thought. “And doughnuts. With sprinkles.” Her duties to Equestria completed, Luna could return to her most pressing task, the current resplendent crown of her tasklist, starred and underlined for emphasis. What was she going to do about Twilight? -- c -- Above Ponyville a dark blue shape snuggled into a cloud leaving just a pair of eye holes visible from the outside. This cloud was perfect. Just a little innocuous puff floating above the town square. Small enough to go unnoticed by anypony out this late at night and commanding a fine view of the Ponyville Public library. Drifting about as a blue smoke was more secure against discovery but that magic was more suited to Nightmare Moon’s magical makeup than her own. Luna found that the transformation left her itchy all over in a most unpleasant manner. Luna was once again watching Twilight’s library looking for inspiration. Twilight was asleep, her innocent pony dreams drifting around her bed. Luna loved the form of Twilight’s dreams. They were rooted in simplicity, like those of any mortal pony but Twilight’s unique powers of self scrutiny and perfectionism combined with her prodigious intelligence caused her dreams to explode into stunning complexity. They were like beautiful wild vines growing out of control around her bed, choices and consequences chasing themselves down ever decreasing paths. Sometimes those paths ended with lovely flowers born of realisation or pleasant memories, often they vanished into nothing at all. Luna longed to plunge into those unruly tendrils. Twilight need never suffer such tumultuous rides through her subconscious again with the Princess of Dreams by her side. Every path travelled could end in a beautiful flower if Luna could be permitted to just reach out and touch... there and there. The temptation to meddle was strong, Luna could resolve her uncertainty right now with a simple application of magic. ‘It would be such a simple matter to enter Twilight's dreams and shape them into a scenario such as the one I experienced earlier tonight. Safe in the knowledge that she was only dreaming, she could give herself up to me or turn me down.’ Luna grimaced. A thousand years ago being touched upon by the Princess of the Night and taken into her domain was an honour, and usually indicative of the beginning of an entertaining and probably rather saucy evening. Luna had thusly acted as the muse for many of the most important artists of the pre-classical era. She could, if she wished, touch hundreds of dreams in a night, as delicate as a moonshower, gently soothing the nights of whole villages in turn, flying on her rounds over a darkened Equestria. Celly warmed the surface of Equestria with her loving sun, but Luna had given warmth to her ponies and showed her love through tending the wild garden of their dreams, weeding and sowing where she willed. But in this new world even that joy had been taken from her. After Luna had caused some ‘incidents’ and a minor panic amongst the castle staff Celly had informed her that in these enlightened times entering a pony’s dreams without permission was considered the height of privacy invasion and was very, very rude. Luna was sorely tempted to send such manners of mere courtesy to the moon and try it anyway, but Twilight was a very powerful and talented young unicorn. ‘She may be able to detect my presence in her mind, then I would lose any chance of truly befriending her. She would be furious. I guess a pony’s dreams are now merely their own to treasure and protect, but it does make me sad, there is so much unnecessary pain.’ Luna gasped as the realisation hit her: ‘It would be inexcusable for me to invade Twilight’s dreams without invitation, but it is entirely permissible for me to invite her to enter mine.’ She knew immediately what she had to do. If Rainbow Dash had been awake she would have seen a delicate white Moonboom spread across Ponyville's night sky as Luna broke the speed of magic streaking across the firmament to the old ruined castle in the Everfree Forest. It was time to fire up her old laboratory.