When he awoke, Moonlit Jubilation found his body lying still against the cold cobblestone floor of the tower. Standing, he realized he was on the balcony. He had passed out. He could scarcely recall the events of the previous night. He searched the sky for something no longer present. The moon had already sunk below the horizon. The sun had yet to rise. The morning twilight lent the land a grey tinge. He looked to the balcony of the other tower. He recalled that the balcony had previously hosted an argument between two sisters, the Princesses. He remembered the argument.
On the balcony was a very tired-looking, puffy-eyed, pink-maned-Princess. He saw her pinkish puffy eyes and knew that she had been crying. As she, and the sun, rose he thought he saw fresh tears fall, but they were quickly dried by the warm glow of the fiery ball in the sky.
When she landed, she trembled slightly and one of her forelegs gave out. Jubilation moved forward as if to help her, but he decided against it: he did not want to draw attention to himself.
His movement, however, alerted her to his presence. As she faced him he watched most of that vulnerability flow out of her and regality and authority flow in. It formed an almost impenetrable shield. Her mask, however, was pierced, for he had seen her true nature, and what has been seen cannot be easily unseen. As he looked at her, he did not see a wise, regal, elegant, and very beautiful Princess, but a helpless, sad, crying filly in need. He pitied her; she had ruled for hundreds of years, yet she was so young.
“Lord Jubilation, why and for how long have you been standing there?” She called to him in a strong voice, betrayed only by an underlying sense of sadness.
He responded with a voice rife with reassurance, but he faltered, “I- I do not know.”
She eyed him curiously for a moment; he thought he saw a brief smile.
“Walk with me. Maybe you will remember. In the meantime, please join me for breakfast.”
Unprecedented, he thought. He had not expected an invitation of this kind. He still felt distraught over the events of that night and could not remember the exact details, but breakfast sounded good and he could not deny such a request.
She flew to his balcony and, together, they descended the spiral staircase. As he walked, deep in thought, he remembered certain fragments of his feverish experience during the night. He could recall only a vague feeling associated with the experience, but the feeling felt empty, as if it were missing something. He pondered it for a few moments more before he dropped the issue from his mind. Satisfied that there was nothing more to be remembered at that point, Jubilation exited his introverted world and studied the Princess.
The first thing he perceived was the aroma she emanated. Her scent was reminiscent of a golden field of wheat or an apple orchard in spring, smells that reminded him of his former home in Hoofshire, of pleasant memories and of his late sister. The fragrance was comforting like the warm flow of the sun on a chilly day. It was fitting.
As the pair moved into the entrance hall, Lord Jubilation noticed that Princess Celestia’s sadness seemed to have faded almost entirely. Even with his earlier keen awareness of it, he could barely detect it now. He was glad of this; he could not help but see the troubled little filly guiding him down the corridor. In his eyes, the less sadness she held, the easier it would be for him to remain calm and collected.
“Princess, I was standing on the balcony because I wanted to see the moon: I could not see it from the Court.”
She turned her head and smiled.
“Ah, I see. Do you also remember how long you were standing on the balcony?” The abrupt conversation caught the Lord off guard.
He quickly recovered and replied.
“I remember that it was dark.” There was a pause before he added, “Princess.” Even if he saw her as a filly, she was still the ruler of the land and deserved respect.
“Hmm, I see. Do you know why you do not recall the events of last night? If you do not mind our asking.”
The Lord nodded, “Not at all, Princess, I believe I…fell asleep.” His voice revealed that he did not, in fact, believe the words he spoke.
“Why do you withhold the truth from me?” Her words were gentle and kind, not prying or angry over the fact that he had just lied to the Princess of the Sun. He had lied because he did not want to frighten her or cause her to worry about him. She saw his lie for what it was though; continuing its perpetration would be foolish and futile.
“In truth, I do not know what happened. I believe I passed out.” She stopped walking and faced him.
The sudden pause allowed him to examine his surroundings. The pair of ponies was no longer in the entrance hall, but in a long corridor with a red carpet with gold trim. The walls were decorated with paintings of landscapes and of the different villages and hamlets throughout Equestria. Small tables, which held vases filled with colorful bouquets of flowers, hugged the walls at intervals of about 10 paces. Small, magical torches illuminated the hall, casting a golden glow across its entirety. The hallway was, in essence, a perfect hallway for a royal castle.
Celestia and the Lord locked eyes when he returned his attention to her. A look of deep concern was present in her visage. The image of the filly was quickly replaced with that of a mother concerned for her foal.
“Are you alright?”
Jubilation thought about his response, but he could think of nothing to say that would show her that he was truly alright. He merely nodded. She looked at him for a moment more before continuing down the hall.
She returned to the previous conversation, “Do you know why you passed out?”
“No, no…I do not.”
She eyed the door at the end of the hall considering his response before she gave her own. “I’m sure you’re just nervous about your new duties in the Court, Lord Jubilation.”
“Most likely, Princess, and thank you…for your concern.”
Jubilation knew this was not the case, but he held his tongue; he was glad of her sympathy and did not want to weigh her down with his own problems.
As their conversation concluded, the ponies reached a sturdy wooden door at the end of the hall. The Princess’ magic flared and the door pushed open, wrapped in a magical glow. As he crossed the threshold behind the Princess, Lord Jubilation found himself in a large rectangular room. A long table, which ran almost the length of the room, was placed evenly in the center. Chairs surrounded the lengths of the tables, and at the heads were two large thrones, one throne for each end. The first throne was gold, engraved with symbols of the sun. The other was onyx, carved with symbols of the moon. A large chandelier, similar to the one in the Court, hung in the center above the table; its golden chains spanned the room connecting the light source to large gem studded hooks in the walls. The table itself was made from a study oak and decorated with ornate carvings along the edge, corners, and legs. In the middle of the table, on the side closest to what Jubilation guessed was Celestia’s throne, there lay platters of food.
There were piles of fresh sliced apples, glistening watermelon, juicy cantaloupe, and succulent honeydew. Another platter held ripe oranges, yellow bananas, and bunches of grapes. Then there were the baked goods: freshly-baked, piping-hot apple pies, from which a heavenly aroma poured; two loaves of fresh bread; a plate piled high with steaming corn bread; and a series of plates that contained assorted pastries and other sweet confections.
Jubilation watched as servants carried in even more food, for this breakfast was not large enough yet. The dome lids were pulled away to reveal a pile of hot scrambled eggs, a very large mound of steaming hash browns, and an assortment of butters, jams, jellies, and other spreads. Jubilation was so taken by the food before him that he failed to notice the other two ponies already seated at the table.
Lord Canter was the first to speak. “So lovely of you both to join us! Princess…”
He bowed to her, then turned to the entranced Lord, “…Lord Jubilation.”
He bowed again before returning to his seat.
Lady Lightfeather was next to stand and bow but she only said, “Princess.”
She sat as Celestia motioned for Jubilation to find a seat of his own. He took the seat across from Lord Canter, closest to
Celestia. He found himself across from the other two Nobles. Celestia took her seat on the throne and looked at each of them before smirking before saying, “Dig in!”
The breakfast had been as delicious as it was large. Lord Jubilation did not feel talkative at first, but Lord Canter and Princess Celestia were able to draw him out anyway.
“So, Lord Jubilation, what do you know of Canterlot?” questioned the gold-coated Earth pony.
“To be honest, I know very little of the city– only that it is the largest urban area in the kingdom and that your family founded it.”
“We did indeed. Of course, we were not alone. The city was actually built by unicorns, but those unicorns generously gave my family the privilege of founding the city. The actual founding took place shortly after the rise of the Princesses, as you may or may not be aware. Thus my family founded Canterlot on the principles of harmony. This is also the reason why we inaugurated the foundation with a party held in honor of all three races. You may know this celebration as the Grand Galloping Gala.”
“Of course, my sister and I were present throughout the process and we instituted the Gala as a yearly affair.” chimed Celestia.
“Ah, yes, of course. Thank you Princess…what was I going to say…ah! Yes! Anyway, Lord Jubilation, currently we are building a new palace for the Royal Pony Sisters. A stronger, more regal, better place for the two to rule in harmony.”
The Princess nodded kindly, and replied, “My only concern is that this castle will fall into a state of disrepair.”
“Please, Princess. I’ve told you countless times before: I’m sure Princess Luna and yourself will find a use for this castle as well.”
At the mentioning of Princess Luna’s name, Celestia’s eyes drifted away from the Nobles and towards some distant point Lord Jubilation could not spot. The Lord watched as his ruler’s eyes glazed over and she lowered her head in thought. Lord Canter failed to notice this, but as Jubilation looked up he caught the gaze of Lady Lightfeather. As their eyes connected he noticed that she too had seen the Princess’s momentary distress. He took the opportunity to change the subject to something that had piqued his interest.
“I am curious about you, Lady Lightfeather. I have been here for well over a day and sat near you through the majority of that time, but I have yet to hear you speak a full sentence.”
Lady Lightfeather slowly exhaled before looking directly at Jubilation. She regarded him with a look of distrust and, he thought, minor annoyance.
“I only speak when I believe there is something worthwhile to be said. As you saw in the Court, there was nothing for me to say.” She looked over at her drink and became involved with the droplets of condensation forming on the glass. Not sure if he was satisfied, but sure he could get no more information, Jubilation dropped the subject.
Lord Canter spoke again, “Lady Lightfeather is a mare of few words. She descends from the family of pegasi who helped found Canterlot.” This comment elicited a small nod from the pegasus, but her eyes remained focused on the drink.
The Princess flashed a smile. She had noticed an opportunity to further acquaint Lord Jubilation with the other Nobles.
“Lord Jubilation experienced something rather strange last night.” the Princess reported, “He passed out on the balcony of the observatory and he knows not why. Have either of you been experiencing, or heard about, anything similar with any of the other Nobles?”
Both Nobles immediately looked up, concern plastered on their faces.
“No, no I have not, but why did you not mention this earlier? Are you alright, Lord Jubilation?” Lord Canter was out of his chair and moving toward Jubilation when the young Lord waved him back.
“Please, Lord Canter, don’t worry about my well-being. As far as I know, and as far as I’m concerned, I’m perfectly fine.”
Lady Lightfeather, who was no longer engrossed in the condensation asked, “Are you fit to participate in the day’s proceedings?”
Before Jubilation responded he noticed a glimmer of genuine concern in the green mare’s eyes. When she wasn’t engrossed in something, or showing her distrust, she was rather beautiful. Not in the same sense as the Princess was beautiful, but in a more down to earth, not-princess-of-the-sun way.
“Yes, you need not worry, I am most well. In fact, as the Princess pointed out, it was probably just my nerves getting the better of me.”
The two Nobles glanced at each other before looking back at him. He knew what they were thinking and made to reassure them, but it was Celestia who spoke first, “Please, rest easy Lord Canter, Lady Lightfeather. Lord Jubilation has assured me he will be alright.”
A silent moment passed. Lady Lightfeather, unsatisfied, looked into Jubilation’s eyes and asked a final time, “Are you sure?”
Lord Jubilation looked into her dark green eyes and nodded.
Content, the Lady put the subject to rest.
Princess Celestia had seen the look in Lady Lightfeather’s eyes and the expression that crossed Lord Jubilation’s when he saw that look. She smirked. While her method may not have been the most forthright, it had worked.
Several minutes of silence passed before everypony finished their meals and the servants had cleared the table of everything but the drinks. Princess Celestia motioned and a servant walked towards her. It was the same servant who had taken Jubilation's luggage the previous day. The servant levitated a scroll to the Princess and trotted off through a door that led into what the young Lord believed was the kitchen.
“Hmm…” The pink-maned Princess hummed as she read the scroll. The three Nobles looked to her out of curiosity. It was not for another thirty seconds that she looked and spoke.
“The scroll is the account of last night’s activities across Equestria written, of course, by my sister. Last night’s account, however, is lacking heavily. Even when mad at me, she always completes her reports with accuracy and objectivism. I’m afraid something may be wrong.”
The Nobles all faced the Princess; all three of them exchanging looks of concern.
Lord Jubilation caught the Princess’ eye and saw that she was thinking about the argument he had witnessed. He dropped his head to avoid her gaze, choosing instead to stare at the table.
The Nobles remained silent, unsure of what to say or do. After several minutes of silence the Princess spoke up.
“Burden yourselves not with my problems, Nobles.” After exhaling, the Princess continued, “Court will resume soon; we should make our way to the Court chamber now.”
- - -
The second session went much like the first: Nobles bickering about unimportant issues, not being able to agree on anything. This lasted until the early afternoon. It was at that point that the Nobles began discussing weather control and the creation of a new pegasus city, Cloudsdale.
Lord Greywing bellowed, “You impertinent Unicorn! Can you not see the benefits of having a centrally located pegasus city? We could improve weather control all over the kingdom. Our reach would extend twofold!”
“That’s exactly what I fear, Lord: your reach. What use would the pegasi have for a full-fledged city in the heart of our empire, unless they plan on poisoning us from the inside and exerting their force to seize the kingdom? That’s what I see here. Not an attempt to improve efficiency, but a traitorous plot. You’ve shown your hand, Lord, and I will not stand for it.”
With that, Lord Gallopsby teleported over his table and into the center of the room, where he produced a magical sword.
“HAVE AT YOU, YOU CUR!”
Lord Greywing matched Lord Gallopsby’s display by tearing off his cloak and revealing a large wing-attached blade. The Pegasus Lord flew toward Lord Gallopsby, who readied himself for the hit. The two were feet from each other when Princess Celestia intervened. A brilliant glow enveloped both the lords pulling them away and pinning them to the floor.
“Lords! How dare you even think of defiling this court by spilling blood within its sacred halls! AND IN MY PRESENCE, NO LESS! What were you thinking?”
The sun princess bellowed at the pair of lords in the Royal Voice. It was in the moments following this that everything fell apart, for it was in that moment that the fear and sadness, the same fear and sadness Lord Jubilation had witnessed earlier, became apparent in Celestia’s eyes. The Pegasus Lord, ready to cut the other Lord’s throat, noticed this temporary weakness and jumped on her like a pack of starving timber wolves would pounce upon an injured stag.
“How dare you release your anger upon me! I am Lord Greywing of Manehattan, a direct descendant of Commander Hurricane! Who gave you the right? You have no reign over me! By my eyes you are nothing but a naïve filly that happens to co-rule with her blithering fool of a sister! The only reason you're even needed is to raise the sun! Your worth is very little and your sister's is almost non-existent, as you could do her job! Now, I demand an apology lest you lose the support of the pegasi completely!”
Silence. Even Lord Gallopsby, whose eyes held venom towards Celestia, appeared to be quaking. All eyes were on the Princess. No one dared move a muscle. None save Lord Jubilation, for the brave young Lord stood from his seat, crossed the floor of the hall, and stood next to Celestia. She slowly turned to look at the blue unicorn. A hoofkerchief slowly levitated out of Jubilation’s coat pocket. He floated it up to the, now crying, Princess. Her magic, which no longer held the two other lords, took hold of it. While she used his hoofkerchief, Jubilation turned to Greywing.
“Leave the Court immediately.”
“…What did you say?”
“You heard me, Lord. Leave the Court now lest I throw you out.”
“You impotent little colt…how DARE YOU! WHAT, I- WHAT? YOU DARE DISRESPECT ME?”
The Pegasus Lord was trembling with anger.
“Frankly, my Lord, I don’t give a damn. All respect that I may have had for you was lost when you raised your voice at the Princess. That’s not to mention the insults you threw at her. There is a point, Lord, where respect must be shown for others if you intend to receive it yourself and releasing your anger on the Princess is unacceptable. Now, as I said before, leave the Court.”
“You stupid insolent foal. I’ll have you-”
Lord Canter’s hoof stomped firmly on the stone floor.
“You’ll do what, exactly, Lord Greywing? Throw him into a dungeon? Have him banished? Throw him into a dungeon in the place he is banished to? No. No Lord Greywing, you will do nothing of the sort. You will leave.”
Upon hearing this Lord Greywing stared daggers at the older pony. While, his eyes burned with passion, his demeanor became more subdued, as if he realized he was outmatched and knew it was time to exit.
“You’ve crossed the line, Lord Canter, but fine. I’ll take my leave. Come pegasi. We leave together.”
Lady Lightfeather spoke now, “Actually Lord Greywing, I believe that the pegasi will stay loyal to their Princesses. Your command over them never existed. You’ve fought a battle with a non-existent army. Now, please. Take your leave. And you, pegasi; any of you who wish to follow the Lord, leave now or forever hold your peace.”
After a brief moment of scanning the pegasi section and seeing no movement she concluded with, “That’s what I thought.”
“I…how could you all betray me like this… I… no… mark my words, I will return. You will pay for this. You will ALL pay for this.” With that, the distraught Lord Greywing exited the court, escorted by two royal guards.
“Thank you, Jubilation… I… thank you…” Celestia could hardly speak. Her entire royal demeanor had collapsed. She was that young filly again. Lord Jubilation looked to her and saw the puffy pink eyes and the wet fur upon her cheeks. His heart ached at the sight, but before he was able to do anything he heard a thunderous noise and a steady rhythmic chant. It started quietly at first, but slowly rose to a roar. As he looked around he saw the Nobles all standing, stomping, and chanting his name.
“JUBILATION! JUBILATION! JUBILATION!”
The young Lord looked around confused. Lady Lightfeather, seeing his confusion, rose from her throne, walked over to the Lord, and touched him with her hoof to gain his attention.
“They cheer for what you did, Lord, for you did a brave and noble thing today. If you were out of favor with any of them you are no longer. You’re probably the most loved pony in this room, maybe more so than the Princess herself. Now is our chance; maybe with this we can finally unite them. Maybe they will stop their petty bickering and work together. The goal that your uncle, Lord Canter, and I had been working towards for so many years. Go, Lord Jubilation, speak to them– and guide them.”
With that the Lady stepped back. The Lord looked around for a moment and took in the scene before motioning for the crowd to silence.
He spoke.
- - -
“How could they do this? Me…I’m Lord Greywing…I am Lord of the pegasi. No… I am the pegasi. They can’t do this to me! How could they? It was all that insolent, idiotic colt… no… no it wasn’t just him. It was that… that little pink-haired whore… Princess Celestia… In the hundreds and hundreds of years that the “so-called” Royal Pony Sisters have been in control, what have they accomplished that we, pegasi, have not accomplished on our own? Celestia… Princess… BAH…and her filly sister, Luna. ‘Oh Cellie!’ What a feather-brained, pampered little-”
The Noble sulked through the halls. The dark clouds that controlled the Lord’s mind grew with each step. His ire-filled concentration finally broke when he found himself standing face-to-face with a blue alicorn: Princess Luna.
She had been sulking in her own misery when they ran into each other. The two made eye contact. Greywing, oblivious to her desolation and filled with a rage of his own, decided to vent all of his anger and frustration on a mare teetering on the edge of her own existence.
“YOU! You and your whore of a sister have caused my kind and me nothing but trouble! Your irrelevance is insufferable! Even now you dare to stand in my path! I am Lord Greywing of Manehattan! I am a pegasus! You are nothing but the bringer of darkness! The lesser of two inconsequential and worthless halves! Out of my way, you impertinent youth. Step aside before I crush you with my might!”
And with that the elder stallion stomped a hoof to the ground.
A sharp ring resonated through the halls. After its death there was no sound in the room, aside from the breathing of the Lord.
Luna had affixed him with an icy stare. A stare that pierced the soul and tore apart all good. In that moment something within the Moon Princess’ mind snapped. The last fragment of harmony broke like a twig under the weight of a boulder. Luna’s path was unalterable. The Noble had sent the teetering Princess over the cliff and into the abyss. There was no return.
“You are brave, Noble, to speak to Us in such a manner.” the Noble moved to speak, but was silenced as the night mare continued, “But, bravery can be easily confused with arrogance. And for you We’re afraid that is indeed the case. You are foalish, yes, but it is through this that I am born. So We guess We owe you Our thanks.”
The Noble’s rage faded and was replaced with sheer confusion.
“Confused? Of course you are. We are not Princess Luna. She is gone. We are the darkness and evil in her heart. We are her jealousy, rage, and lust for power.” As she spoke an envelope of darkness began to engulf both ponies.
“We are the beast that exists only in her nightmares. We will enrapture the world in eternal night. And it is all thanks to you.”
The Noble attempted to backpedal, but the darkness had already fully encased him. He watched the once youthful blue princess transform. Tendrils of black wrapped around her, twisting her form. She grew to a size comparable to Princess Celestia. Darkness began to impart itself onto and over her flesh. Her coat shifted to a deep black and armor formed around her head, chest, and hooves. The Noble watched in horror as her mane grew and shifted and phased into the night sky itself. Finally, he locked eyes with her and beheld the most horrific sight of all. The eyes were not those of a pony, but some wild, ferocious beast, some evil creature with no hope for atonement. The Noble’s fear overtook him and a warm pool formed under him. His knees buckled and he cried out before being consumed by the darkness.
The Nightmare sighed and glanced out a window into the castle grounds. She needed to scar the ponies that had wronged her. The time was not yet right. She stepped out a door and into the gardens before taking off towards the Princesses’ Spire. She would wait.