//------------------------------// // Part I // Story: The Court of the Royal Pony Sisters // by Captain //------------------------------// Moonlit Jubilation received the letter in the fall. His uncle was dead. The recipient of the news was not surprised; he had been expecting it. His uncle had fallen ill two years before and his condition had been worsening at a steady rate. The stallion did not feel sorrow, though; he had never truly known the pony. What little he did know consisted of the uncle’s wealth, property, and his title: Lord. His uncle was Lord Crumpet. A rather humorous and strange name; not that the stallion was one to judge, since his own name was Moonlit Jubilation. One thing that did surprise the stallion, though, was the notice attached to the back of the letter. It read as follows: To Mister Moonlit Jubilation: As you should now be aware, I, Lord Reginald Crumpet have passed. I understand that this letter, my will, may seem strange, as you did not know me, but I can assure you that I knew you well enough that this seems completely natural. You see, your mother, before she passed, told me much of you. On her deathbed, I promised that I would get to know you; sadly, due to my duties with the Court, I was unable to fulfill that promise. I apologize for this. As I had no children of my own, you are the sole heir to my legacy. I hereby present to you the entirety of my amassed wealth and property. You are invited to claim your inheritance at your leisure, as these aforementioned items will await you at my estate in the hamlet of Hoofington. However, in order to claim these, your rightful inheritance, there is one concession you must adhere to. I do apologize, but the harmony of the Nobility must be maintained; that is a necessity. I was, obviously, a Lord. As you may or may not be aware, this title passes through the ownership of an estate. By accepting your inheritance you also accept the duties and responsibilities that come with the title of Lord. This will entail your attendance and participation in the Court of the Royal Pony Sisters in my place. As a member of the Nobility you must attend each meeting and assist in the decision-making processes that keep Equestria running. If you choose to decline I will understand, but you must understand that you will attain nary a single bit. As I have said though, this is beyond my control and I do apologize. Now, while you may claim the estate at your leisure, I implore you to decide quickly, as the next session of the Royal Court will be held in one week’s time. I hope you consider this request, my nephew. -With love, Your Uncle, Lord Reginald Crumpet The stallion blinked. He had not anticipated this. Of course, he spent no time considering the request; he had known his answer the moment he had read the suggestion. He would not miss an opportunity of this magnitude. He owed it to his apologetic, deceased Uncle to fulfill such a generous offer. However, the money and property were not his interest: he owned a house that suited him and had a sizeable amount of money already. But to be a member of the Nobility– that was an extraordinarily rare opportunity. Using his magic, he picked up a quill and scrawled a letter informing the Court. - - - The trip to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters was long and cold. As the carriage creaked along the road, Jubilation looked out of the window and noticed the leaves. Reds, oranges, and yellows fluttered about in a swirl as the carriage rode through them. Fall was a time of change, a shift from the summer to the winter. Jubilation could clearly see the first signs of winter in the grey skies and biting air. Content with his observations, he leaned his head against the back of the seat and drifted off to sleep. A sharp tapping on wood tore him from his slumber. “We’ve arrived, my Lord.” Peering out of the window, Jubilation examined his surroundings. He saw a sparse, albeit large, congregation of evergreens and assorted foliage surrounding a castle with a ravine in front of it. The gathering of young trees and saplings around him told of a forest that may one day grow. Stepping out of the carriage, Jubilation thanked the driver as a chilling wind blew through his short black mane. He quickly adorned his head with a tall black top hat that had a dark blue ring of ribbon around it. That hat, purchased by his late sister, matched his coat’s dark blue color. He thought of her for a moment before his concentration was broken by a hoof, firmly placed on the back of his scarf-covered neck. The hoof belonged to a light brown gentlestallion with greying hair and a wavy mustache; the pony was a unicorn. “Hello there, old sport. I am Lord Gallopsby of Trottingham. I believe you are Lord Crumpet’s nephew. Would I be correct?” Jubilation regained his composure and turned to face Lord Gallopsby. “I am indeed. Lord Jubilation at your service, sir.” “Splendid! It’s always refreshing to see a unicorn become a Lord. And it’s good that you’re young: we need youthful energy in the court again.” Jubilation was about to respond when a voice called out from above. Both Lords looked up to find a charcoal-coated pegasus with a brown mane and tail, although those too were greying. The Pegasus, his head adorned with flight goggles, landed on the ground near the two unicorns and trotted up to them. “So, this is your newest accomplice, Lord Gallopsby?” The Pegasus grunted in an accusatory tone. “He is indeed, Lord Greywing. He will be able to serve our cause far better than Lord Crumpet ever did. He’ll give you what for!” Jubilation noticed that, although at face value the conversation seemed like pleasant bantering, the tension between the Nobles was very high. “That fumbling old fool Lord Crumpet was your handicap! As this is his nephew, I see no reason to fear.” Jubilation finally decided to speak up, “Lord Greywing, sir, I hold no quarrel with you. I ask, though, that you explain what cause I am to serve and why you have insulted my uncle.” “A stupid little colt, isn’t he? Ha ha ha!” Lord Greywing laughed as he trotted off toward the castle. Lord Jubilation, puzzled at the actions of the Lord, attempted to call out. Before he could however, Lord Gallopsby spoke up. “They’re very crude aren’t they?” “Who?” “Why, the pegasi, of course. Absolute filth. I wonder, sometimes, if the Princesses really have wings. At least they aren’t vulgar like the pegasi.” With that, Gallopsby cantered off towards the bridge leading to the castle. Jubilation, still quite confused, turned to face his carriage. The young Lord was about to use his magic to move the luggage when another pony’s magic encased his items. The luggage floated along next to a servant pony dressed in black formal attire. “Excuse me, sir, but I can carry my own luggage.” The servant pony turned to face him, gave Jubilation a wry look of confusion, then turned back and crossed the bridge over the ravine, luggage in tow. A tame, elderly voice emanated from behind the Lord. “You’re new here, aren’t you?” Jubilation turned to see an old earth pony stallion walking toward him. The pony wore thinly rimmed spectacles, was well shaven, and had his sparse white hair combed neatly across his head. His coat was a faded, yet still regal, gold. “I saw you speaking with Lords Gallopsby and Greywing just a few moments ago. I didn’t recognize you then, but now I do.” The old stallion was now standing next to him. “You’re Lord Crumpet’s nephew. Shame he passed; we were good friends, he and I.” Jubilation waited for the old pony to continue, “My name is Lord Canter.” The older Lord extended a hoof, which Jubilation shook. The two started down the path to the bridge together. “Lord Jubilation at your service, sir.” “Indeed, that is how it should be: everypony at the service of each other, respectful. You aren’t like the others. Most new Lords have personalities exactly like Gallopsby’s and Greywing’s.” “And what kind of a personality is that, sir? If you don’t mind my asking.” “Not at all, Lord Jubilation, not at all. Gallopsby and Greywing are…well, bull-headed if you don’t mind my use of the term. Their arrogance and ignorance have made them dull.” “Ignorance, sir?” “Yes. They have held onto divisions that ended nearly two hundred years ago. When the three races united, most of the animosity between them faded, but some insist on preserving that animosity. That is what you saw between Gallopsby and Greywing, and what you will see when the Royal Court commences.” “Do all ponies on the court feel this way?” “No, but sadly, most do. I am one of the few who holds no such animosity for the other races. In fact, I believe we are all quite equal. I hope you share this belief.” Jubilation opened his mouth to respond, but stopped as he crossed the threshold of the castle’s entrance. Before him sprawled a crowded entrance hall with a balcony between two staircases, which flanked the room. The hall was decorated with regal blue and gold carpets, armor for all three races, and tapestries that held stories of the past: the imprisonment of the Lord of Chaos, the unification of the three races, the rise of the Sun and the Moon, and the sealing away of the evil King Sombra and the Crystal Empire. The room was bustling with Lords, Ladies, and servants. Jubilation could see the three races already beginning to segregate. The servants ran between groups of Nobles trying to appease every request. Before Jubilation was able to walk four feet past the entrance he saw her standing on the balcony. The Princess’ hair flowed as a river of sparkling pink would. The pink was not harsh to the eyes, but rather subdued, tamed, restrained. How the color of hair could be these things, Jubilation did not know. He knew only that her radiant beauty and her regality spoke volumes of her. Upon seeing her, he felt comfortable; he felt as if he knew her. In a way, he did. He had met her when he was just a colt. It was through his uncle he had met her the first time and now it was through him he had met her again. “Come now, don’t dawdle young one. We can’t be late.” The young colt scampered after the stallion in front of him. The young Jubilation’s mother walked next to the stallion. “Now remember, Jubie, be on your best behavior. It’s not every day that we get a chance to meet one of the Princesses.” His mother chimed as the three of them walked through the grand hall. The colt looked to his sides; his mother had told him that his father had once protected these halls. “Mommy, did Dad ever meet the Princesses?” The mother shot a nervous glance towards the stallion, who promptly turned to face the young Jubilation. “Jubilation. Your father, my brother, was a Palace Guard. He saw both Princesses almost every day of his life.” “Wow. So, he was important like you?” “More so. Your father protected the Princesses.” The stallion stopped and rubbed the colt’s mane before continuing. “Now, Jubilation, your father would want you to enjoy this. So, I want you to think of his smile going into this. I want you to be happy. Does that sound good?” The colt nodded and the stallion turned back to face the mother. She whispered. “Thank you, Crumpet.” He nodded as the pair of guards that flanked the door in front of them ignited the magic within their horns and opened the massive entrance. To Jubilation it was like two mountains parting. As he passed between he imagined the entrance was a valley, and beyond… The colt beheld the Princess of the Sun in all her radiance. The pink mane, the pure white coat, the shining sun on her flank. He turned his head and looked into the visage of the younger sister, the Princess of the Moon. Her light blue hair and kind face sparked something within him, a sense of love and joy. He stared into her teal eyes and witnessed the night sky staring back at him. Jubilation was awe struck. Princess Celestia spoke. Jubilation snapped back to reality. “All members of the Royal Court please head through the doors that this session may convene!” Her use of the Royal Voice merely projected her speech, rather than overpowering the ears of her audience– a practiced skill. The servants guided the congregation into the court. As he entered, Jubilation beheld a large circular room with a high-vaulted ceiling. Several tall windows streaked down the walls flooding the room with light. The other light in the room came from a chandelier, which hung from the center. The chandelier was composed of an indistinguishable metal, pale blue with a sheen of resplendent gold. The Royal Crest ornamented the main body. Small bulbs of flawless crystal alighted themselves on small flares off of the arms of the chandelier. The bulbs extruded what seemed like moonlight that radiated the warmth of the sun. Suspended high in the center of the room by ropes of the remarkable metal the chandelier represented the harmony of the sisters in an extraordinary fashion. Wooden seats for the Nobles were present behind curved tables that twisted around the room following its circular design. At the far end of the room, opposite the door, were two large thrones, one of which was crafted from gold and adorned with symbols of the sun, the other of which was made of onyx and etched with depictions of the moon. Beside the thrones were three more wooden seats with a table in front of them. The young Lord watched as the Nobility found their respective seats. They divided into three groups– the three races. He watched as members of each race took seats next to their own kin. The Earth ponies took the position closest to the door, in front of it. The Unicorns positioned themselves to the right of the door, opposite the Pegasi, who were to the left of the door. Jubilation could see banners unfurl as the Nobles sat– a banner for each Lord and Lady. Each banner held a name, a racial symbol, and the town with which each Noble was associated. He searched for an empty seat in the Unicorn section. He saw several, but they were quickly filled by the stragglers. “Lord Jubilation!” Searching for the source of the call, the young Lord spotted Lord Canter on the far side of the room. The area the elderly Lord was sitting in seemed to be its own section farther from the rest of the Nobility, directly next to the thrones. Of the three seats to the right of the thrones, two were filled. The seat closest to the thrones was taken by a green pegasus mare with dark green eyes, whom he identified by reading her banner – Lady Lightfeather of Canterlot. To her right sat Lord Canter, and to his right was an open seat, which Lord Canter motioned Jubilation towards. As he walked across the room, he felt the chill of silence and knew all eyes were upon him. He could feel the icy stares of the Unicorns, glaring at the replacement for their former “handicap.” When he reached the seat and took his position, he heard his banner unfurl. He could only assume, and hope, that it displayed Lord Jubilation, Unicorn, Hoofington. While he fretted over whether or not he was in the correct seat, he did not notice that the rest of the Nobility was now standing. When he did notice that the other Nobles had stood, she was already in front of him. “Lord Jubilation, we welcome you to our court.” He recognized the voice and was instantly on his hooves. “My goodness, Princess, I am so sorry. Forgive my lack of attention.” He bowed to the Sun Princess and hoped she was feeling amiable. “Please, Lord, we can understand being lost in one’s thoughts. We see that you have taken the late Lord Crumpet’s seat. We are most pleased by this.” With that, Princess Celestia walked over to her throne and sat. “Now then, the first order of business is to clarify that my sister, Princess Luna, will not be joining us for the following proceedings.” She levitated a scroll out of a small case, and unfurled it. “With that out of the way, let’s begin.” - - - The session proved largely to be a waste of time. The Court had accomplished nothing but reinforce the fact that the three races were very sectionalized on almost all issues. Moonlit Jubilation wondered if they ever accomplished anything; on that day, they had done literally nothing. One interesting thing that the Lord did notice, however, was that the majority of the court was silent, while only a vocal hoofful traded insults and accusations. The Court continued into the night. Servants hauled cots into the large circular room and hooked them into slots on the back of the tables. The Princess of the Sun took her leave as the Lords and Ladies laid down to rest. After an hour the only sound in the room was that of ponies sleeping. The occasional rustling of covers could be heard, but otherwise it was rather quiet. All had drifted off to sleep save for one young unicorn Lord. He lived up to his name: he was a pony of the night. His cutie mark, a crescent moon radiating moonlight, served only to reinforce that. Jubilation stared out the window at the stars for what seemed to be an eternity. The night sky had always fascinated him, even as a very young Colt. He spent his foalhood staring at the stars and the moon trying to comprehend their splendor. The other foals always thought he was weird for doing that. Most foals preferred the day to the night, but Jubilation thought that was silly. Things always looked their best under the jeweled night sky. He fondly remembered the day he projected a miniature night sky onto the ceiling of his bedroom. “Mom! Quickly!” The shuffling of hooves was followed by the opening of his bedroom door. “Jubilation, wha- Oh my Celestia! Jubie! Oh my little Jubie! And look at this!” She pointed to his flank, which now prominently displayed his cutie mark. His mother, then pregnant with his sister, embraced him. “Your father would be so proud! Oh, and just wait until I tell your Uncle!” It was one of the happiest moments of his foalhood, until: His mother’s face contorted in pain as she cried out. Jubilation, afraid and unsure of what to do, reached out with his hoof. The contact made his mother aware once more, whereupon she spoke. “Oh. Oh my! Jubilation, go down to the Coachmare; tell her to ready the carriage. Your sister is on the way.” Wide-eyed and hurriedly, Jubilation galloped to find the Coachmare. Much to Jubilation’s chagrin the thin width of the window obscured his view of the moon. After quietly rising, the Lord tip-hoofed through the court. He was determined to find a balcony to enjoy his namesake. Upon reaching the door, he silently pushed the massive golden handle. The door –rather quiet during the day– acknowledged his exit with a loud groan. Hoping that he hadn’t woken anypony he rushed through the threshold and closed the door behind him. It shut with a disturbingly loud thud. Slightly irritated, he continued though the castle. In the entrance hall, the Lord crept up one of the flanking staircases. Upon reaching the top, he wandered aimlessly, trying to find a way up. Eventually he came upon what appeared to be the entrance to one of the castle’s spires. No sign marked the path so he saw no reason not to proceed. As he climbed, he became increasingly more aware of what sounded like two mares talking. Who could be up at this hour? He laughed silently as he realized the question applied to him as well. The conversation remained indistinct until he reached the top of the tower. He stepped out onto the balcony and searched for the source. When he eyed it, he had the sudden impulse to gallop away, but he couldn’t. Some fiber of his being held him, tethered him, to the tower. He couldn’t leave; he had to listen. The force was so powerful that he felt if he were to deny it, it would kill him. Princess Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna, were arguing. “Luna, you are most wrong. How you could be so foalish, I cannot even begin to comprehend.” Celestia’s face showed signs of frustration with her sister. Jubilation could not tell if Luna shared the expression as she was facing away from him. Luna retorted, “Sister, you are the foal. How do you not see the obvious truth? They hate me. They hate my night. Nopony loves me, or my moon. Nopony!” She accented her statement with a stomp. Moonlit Jubilation, upon hearing Princess Luna’s words, instantly knew she was wrong. He loved her and her night. He loved them more than anypony knew. Ever since he was a colt he had always preferred the night. His parents had named him Moonlit Jubilation in honor of Luna, but they couldn’t have known that he would develop into a creature of the night himself. Luna was wrong. He wanted to shout at her, scream his love for the night. The force that tethered him to the spot where he stood quickly transformed into a wild torrent of energy, flooding into him and ebbing away to reveal his core. It frightened him; the fright made him feverish. He felt like leaping from the tower and curling into a ball, like screaming and staying absolutely silent all at the same time. It was an impossible feeling, but he recognized it. He wanted to fly to the moon and embrace it. He wanted to reach out to it and become one with it. He was shaking as the energy rushed into him again. His blue eyes were wild and his knees buckled. He thought he was yelling, but he was unsure if it was only in his head. Trapped there, screaming, clawing, fighting for a way out. The power flowed out of him again and it seemed as if he could feel the edge of the horizon, where the sky met the earth, where the moon rose and the sun fell each night. To him, it seemed as if he could reach out and stroke the surface of the moon, marking it with his own hoof. As the energy rushed into him once more, all outside awareness was lost. The sound of Luna and Celestia arguing, the howl of the wind at the top of the dark spire, and the sound of his own heartbeat were lost. Everything went black.