//------------------------------//
// Humble Openings 
// Story: Conclave of the Clairetti 
// by Talidin1337 
//------------------------------//


Written


by


Travis Montgomery






Chapter 1: Humble Openings

The sun now truly did set, leaving none of the orange haze that had previously existed. Drapney stared up at the stars as soon as she could when there was no solar interruption. It is said that the stars will serve those of a pure heart, like when they free'd Luna from her thousand year old prison. Drapney starred at them desperately, hopping that they would chose to serve her, and then she would have the power to not only take Derpy back, but to overthrow the entire Solar Kingdom. But it was all just a myth, in truth, no one knew how Luna got out of that prison, but it was always nice to have hope, it made you feel alive, like you existed.

Draighholl, a Zebra friend of Drapney's, climbed out from the cave to spy on Drapney. This wasn't anything new to his eyes. He would constantly find her dreaming or praying for something or other. One day, it would be to find direction, and another, it would be to safeguard Derpy. Draighholl was familiar with the sight of Drapney hoping, but he never thought much of it.

"Outside already are you?" Draighholl motioned with a turn of the head to the sky. "The stars are beautiful tonight".
"They're just about as luminescent as last night" Drapney stated matter-of-factly.
"That may be so, but not many people study them as you do", Drapney smirked at the remark.
"I do spend a lot of time hoping in unfulfillable dreams that only waste everypony's time." 
"You know that's not true Drapney, all of us wish for something out of our reach to happen, and most times it does happen."
"Most times doesn't sound good odds to me." Drapney finally turned to face Draighholl, "do you know what it's like to lose someone you love?"
"Drapney, you know I do"
"Then why do you not sit here and hope with me?" This question caught Draighholl off guard, for he never had considered it himself.
"Well, Drapney. It's… because…" Draighholl found it hard to gather the courage to effectively answer this question. "I've lost faith Drapney, I know that there is no way to bring her back"
"So I am just a foolish dreamer after all"
"But that doesn't mean you should give up Drapney, don't follow my example, actual do something about the Tyranny of the Day"
"Draighholl, I never said I was giving up, I'm just against the odds. Why would I ever abandon my sister in that cursed realm?"
"You wouldn't Drapney, we both know that."

There was then a moment of silence, no words were spoken for a long while as Draighholl made preparations for their next meal. Draighholl strolled through the forest to gather firewood, knowing very well what danger lay ahead of them, and what they were planing on attempting. Just beyond the next mountain that could be clearly seen from where they stood, lay the Groulgs, a race of massive, highly territorial creatures that are known to be brutal, and merciless. The Groulgs had unwisely chosen to settle near an entrance of a Clairetti Branch, and despite all warnings, they refused to relocate, and even threatened for war. The Clairetti accepted their plea for war, and had sent Drapney to fight for them. One Clairetti verses an entire battalion of Groulgs. Drapney wasn't even the best warrior they had available, but they believed that she was beyond adequate. Although the Groulgs may be fierce, and strong warriors, one thing was for certain, the Clairetti were stronger.

Now this location Drapney was headed to wasn't the main camp of the Groulgs, but only a look out. There were a good amount of soldiers posted guard though, good enough that if they all were defeated by one Clairetti, it would scare the rest of the enemy forces into submission.

Drapney had brought Draighholl along as an assistant, but in truth, she needed a friend. Draighholl, like Drapney, is haunted with the pain of losing somepony to the Day. That long lost pony for Draighholl, had been his lover, the one that was to be with him forever. She was a gem, a sorcerer, an expert voodooist, and the best thing that had ever happened to him. Far beyond in the land of Kuulla, they were to be married. It is natural for one Zebra to venture far away from home in order to study other lands and/or peoples of another, and to simply feel alive in the new environment. This great venture is encouraged by the Elders, and is a part of the marital ceremony. If two lovers can live five years apart from each other, and still be in love when they return, then they were meant to be together, to traverse the world and their native land forever. It was in this ceremony when Draighholl's fiancé left on her five year journey, but she never returned. Fear had struck the entire tribe, fear that she had died, but that didn't stop Draighholl. Draighholl, regardless of what the Elders had told him, ventured out into the direction he last saw his lover traveling in. He searched for many months, asking anyone friendly enough to tell him where she may have gone. It wasn't until he met somepony named Daring Doo, who had briefly traveled with the female Zebra, was he able to learn that his future wife had gone into the Everfree Forest. Draighholl had charged head first into the Everfree forest, unknowing the exchange it had between the Day and the Night. He knew something was terribly wrong, because he felt weird. His weird feeling wasn't due to a mix of emotions, but rather a lack of emotions. Charging out of the Everfree Forest about as quickly as he had gone in, Draighholl spewed tears down his face, and left a trail of moist dots of dirt in his trail. Where had she gone? Was she alright? He had seriously doubted it.

Ashamed, and broken, Draighholl never returned to the land of Kuulla, living in self-banishment and exile until he had found his wife, thus fulfilling the great duty he had signed away to when she had first left.

It didn't take long for him to find Drapney, an equally as broken being who was in need of comfort as much as he was. They become close friends, and they promised each other never to leave one another until they had both found their loved ones, and where able once again to live life as intended.


***

Luna stood on her porch in her castle, high within in mountains of Prevalence. She gazed deep into the distance, the moonlight dancing on her mane as is slowly flowed through the air with unearthly movement. The night was her realm, and she had guarded it just as well as any princess should. But uneasiness had settled within her. The magic of the Night had been weakening, the Day get progressively stronger, and was now strong enough to be considered a major problem within her Kingdom. Talk had spread across her domain that the Day has lately been preparing for war once again, and this time Luna didn't believe she could stop her sister from finally over running the Night, and bringing eternal Day. A feeling in her heart told her that this time unlike the last should be taken with extreme caution. Something was different about the Day, and it wasn't for the good of the Night. It was in moments like these where Luna truly worried about the safety of her little ponies; not many things can match up to the pain she felt for losing her sister then the loss of her subjects, the ones who had been so diligent in following her, and even though they had gone through ruff times, they never consented to join the Day, where pain and suffering is supposedly non-existent.

She looked down upon her subjects from high above on the porch. They walked calmly, soundlessly. It seemed that for this immediate moment, nothing would harm them, but she felt that in the blink of an eye, a war could explode, and she needed to be ready for anything. Luna then walked back into her chambers, the furniture looking just as it had when she last walked in. The drapes flowed with a movement to rival that of Luna’s mane, the carpet beneath her feet swirling into an array of different hues of blue, until it reached the center. Luna’s bed lay perfectly made; the pillows still propped up and untouched. She hadn’t slept in days, but it didn’t affect her as much as it would have if she lived in the day. In the Night, you are tired less often, and sleep more soundly. Luna, being the princess of the Night, rarely ever sleeps, and even more so when she was in her Nightmare Moon form. Nightmare Moon had been a gift, a blessing from the stars. The stars, that one fateful night, had destroyed the boundaries between the conscious and sub-conscious minds. In that form, she could never be harmed, never fatigue, and prance around with untold abilities. This was all possible because in Nightmare Moon form, she was a dark mist, an entity that exists within whatever she creates. Now tell me, how do you defeat a Magical Mist that is strengthened with the power of the universe? You can’t. This is why Celestia resorted to banishing Luna to the moon, because she was incapable of defeating her sister while in that form. Nightmare Moon, the embodiment of the Dark Side of the Moon, is stronger than Celestia, and is Luna’s main weapon against major threats such as the Solar Kingdom. Luna, the embodiment of the Light Side of the Moon, rules over her kingdom with peace and love. Nightmare moon, the sub-conscious mind of Luna, lives in harmony with Luna, to the point where they don’t have to share the same body, but can live in their own forms at separate times.

“Luna” Nightmare Moon spoke from inside the thoughts of Luna, “You worry too much about the future”.
“You feel it too Nightmare Moon” Luna said out load, not worrying if anypony was listening, “Do you think we can defend ourselves from the Solar Kingdom this time?”
“Always. The Night is too strong and pure to be destroyed. This fear that what we feel is actually directed towards something else, not the Solar Kingdom”. Luna trusted the words of Nightmare Moon, but her heart couldn’t shake the feeling.
“Then what can it be Nightmare?”
“I agree that this feeling originates from the Solar Kingdom, but I have a deeper feeling that it doesn’t regard Celestia. Thus, whatever grave danger you think is coming, wouldn’t come from Celestia”. Nightmare Moon stated, nailing Luna. The true source of her sickening feelings was the thought of facing her sister again, and after Nightmare’s counsel, Luna began to finally relax, but then quickly tensed up again.
“Then who or what in the Solar Kingdom could raise this much alarm within us?”
“I don’t know Luna, but that’s the source of my worries. Whatever it is, you do need to relax. The stress you’re emanating is painful”
“Sorry Nightmare, if only cousin was here, she would be able to help”
“Curse the Day, they took over her kingdom swiftly and without mercy, we didn’t even have time to warn her”
“Poor Cadence didn’t even know what hit her” Luna said almost sadly. In a flick of a second and a flash of light, Luna turned into Nightmare Moon.
“I know how much you love her Luna, but one day I will kill Celestia” Nightmare said with a grave tone, turning her head to look out the wide French doors, “Unless she turns her back on her silly crusade that has caused so much pain”
“Please Nightmare, don’t speak such things concerning my sister” Luna now speaking as the voice in the Nightmare’s head.
“She killed Shaddow Sun, my sister. And you expect me to forgive her so eaisily?”
“I agree that there is much Celestia has done that we both wish could be taken back, but we can’t change that. I’m sorry about your loss though, I’m truly sorry.”

Nightmare Moon turned back around to look at the mirror, her darker frame standing boldly as she marveled once again at her form that she had only recently been able to behold, after being freed from the place known as Luna’s sub-conscious mind. They were now able to live together like no other pony could, and they both enjoyed it that way.

Lightly walking back towards the porch, Nightmare Moon took a turn look into the distance, the moonlight dancing on her mane as it flowed through the air. Her expression looked just as Luna’s had moments earlier, she now assuming the royal duties as Luna slept within her. ‘Don’t worry, my dear Luna, I will protect them for now’ she seemed to think within her head.