Max leapt from his seat and stretched, feeling something shift in his back. He’d been in Canterlot for just over a week, and already he seemed to have more work than he knew what to do with. Now that Nulpar had been created, it seemed like everypony and their dog wanted to know about it and the ponies that lived there, particularly the Equestrian Revenue Service. He guessed many of his people would be less than pleased about that. Still, if they were expecting to get aid from the rest of Equestria, they would have to pay the price. Not that they were getting much in the way of aid so far. He scowled at the thought of the large pile of partially completed forms sitting in the filing room; they all seemed to need authorisation from the heads of various committees who had been unable to see him so far. Well, he hadn’t been trying very long and they were of course all very busy ponies; he was sure they’d get round to him sooner or later.
The rest of his time, when not filling in paperwork, had been spent shadowing his new mentor, Fragrant. Although he could sense her anger had cooled a little since his outburst at her trial, she hadn’t fully forgiven him yet; she still seemed tense when he was around. Still, she had taken her job of teaching him the ways of the court very seriously. He had been invited to many of the committees she sat upon, though she had made it abundantly clear that he was not to say a word during them, even threatening to gag him. However, she did explain what had occurred after and even listened to any thoughts he had about them; rather than just talk about his issues, she insisted he write these thoughts up in formal reports… most of which she verbally ripped apart for their poor style later. He was improving, though. She’d only found a dozen or so faults in his last attempt. Plus she was actually putting some of his suggestions into action, admittedly after she had totally reworked them to make them acceptable to the committee. When he’d visited her disaster relief meeting, she had proposed his idea of visiting some of the areas affected by Corona in person. The chair, Viceroy Night Light, had not been keen at first, stating that it was more efficient to just rely on the reports provided, but Fragrant’s passionate argument swayed most of the committee; finally the Viceroy relented and agreed to arrange a fact finding tour in the coming weeks. The whole committee had been shocked when Fragrant had revealed that it had been Max’s idea.
Max yawned and padded across to the door between this office and the other room. The sun would be rising soon, and normally he would be going back to his hotel room to try to sleep for the day. He was having problems with keeping up with the Court’s schedule, but today he had something else he had to do.
“You’re still going ahead with this?” asked Mrs G, watching him over her glasses as he entered the outer office.
“Yes. It might not be that popular anymore…” Fragrant had been quite surprised when he mentioned it to her, as apparently the book he’d bought was a bit out of date. ”...but I think the vigil’s a good idea. Spending a day meditating on the importance of the Night Court and my role in it seems... right. It’s a big step after all, a huge honour, not something to just go into without thinking about. I’m going to be responsible for the well-being of everyone in Nulpar; thousands of ponies, goats, griffins, donkeys and the like.”
“Seems silly to sit in some gloomy dungeon all day, though. You could think about it all anywhere; you don’t have to lock yourself away to do it.”
“Well, it is traditional. Anyway, a bit of discomfort isn’t going to hurt me.” He slipped on the thin white shift that was apparently the traditional garb for this situation, supposed to symbolise purity. Not that Max considered himself all that pure given some of the things he and Zephyr had gotten up to, but it was the look that was important. He started to put on the thin red coat that represented his willingness to give his blood in the protection of Equestria when Mrs G stopped him.
“If you are going to do this then at least wear something a bit warmer.” She pulled out a thick knitted red coat from under her desk. Max thought he’d seen her working on it for the last few days.
“You didn’t need to do this, Mrs G,” said Max carefully, draping the garment over himself. He thought it looked like a large tea cosy, but it was at least warm.
“I wouldn't want you to get a chill,” she said kindly. “Turn around.” She twirled a hoof.
Max trotted around in a little circle, giving Mrs G a view of him from all sides.
“Not bad,” noted Mrs G. “I guess we should be off now.”
“Oh, you don’t need to come.”
“Nonsense. I want to at least see you off, dear.”
Max gave a smile as the two of them left his office and headed off into the depths of the castle. His strange outfit drew a few odd looks from servants and court members as they passed, and even a few barely hidden snickers, but Max wore it proudly anyway.
“Here we are now, my lord,” noted the custodian as he lead Max and Mrs G up to a large wrought iron gate. They were far below the currently inhabited parts of the castle, in the catacombs which filled part of the Canterhorn itself. “This was where they used to carry out the Vigils back in the day,” said the old stallion. “I’m glad somepony takes the old traditions seriously.”
Max shivered a bit; despite the sun rising outside it was cold here under the rock. “Well, it seemed a good idea to me.” He looked around. “What else is this used for?”
“Not much anymore. We occasionally get the odd academic down here to sniff around the tombs.”
“Tombs?” Max’s ears pricked up and he looked around nervously.
“Why yes, many of the earliest court members were interred here, oh long ago now. They even say that some of Equestria’s founders might be down here. It’s the reason why it’s used for the vigil, you see. They say the old courtiers appear to their descendants to give them advice.”
“Surely that’s just superstition?”
“Maybe, but I’ve worked here for over forty years, and I’ve seen some things that I can’t explain as mere magic... something supernatural. They say that sometimes those in the vigil come out injured when they got hurt in their visions. One pony, hundreds of years ago now, even died, horribly burnt and a look of terror on his face, they say.”
Max gave a shudder. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea after all. He’d come too far to give up now. “Thanks for walking here with me, Mrs G, but I should be fine.” The custodian walked forwards and began to unlock the gate with a large key.
“Oh, I’m going to wait here for a while.” She nodded to a bench by the door, presumably there for that very reason. “You’re right, it is a big honour to work for the court, and maybe I should think about it a bit as well. At least I can catch up with some things.” She indicated her saddlebags, which contained a paperback book and some knitting. “Plus you might want someone to get you out if you change your mind.”
“Thanks Mrs G, but you don’t need to do that. You need to collect our guest from the station.”
“That’s not until this afternoon. I’ve got plenty of time.”
His guest would be one of the things Max thought he should consider while locked away. He didn’t doubt his decision had been a good one, but just as Greengrass had said, he had been approached by various ponies hoping to visit Luna with him, and many of them had offered him gifts. He’d had to explain he couldn’t accept anything like that, as it might seem like a bribe; his visitors had been understandably shocked at the idea. One of them had been a railway owner who would have been of great help in Max’s plan to link Nulpar to the rest of Equestria. Was it right for him to use this opportunity to do what he thought was right, or should it benefit his province? In some ways, he was glad he had already taken the decision before anyone tried to talk him out of it.
“There you go,” announced the custodian. “It was a bit stiff.” He stood next to the now open portal. “Just go on ahead, the magic lighting should activate as you go. If you need to get out, pull that rope there and somepony should be along soon enough. If not, I’ll be back just before moonrise.”
“Thank you,” said Max. “I’ll see you later.”
Mrs G gave him a wave and set herself down on the bench before opening her book. Steeling himself, Max walked into the darkness. As the custodian said, the lights flickered on and provided a dim glow as he passed; not enough to fully illuminate the room, just enough to highlight the shadows. He almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a clunk from behind him, as the gate was locked again. Fighting against the instinct to turn, Max forced his way further on.
The path turned out to be short and he soon came to a chamber filled with statues, somewhat weathered but still recognisable as the founders of the Equestrian nation. There was Commander Hurricane, spear seemingly raised to strike him down; nearby stood Platinum radiating an aura of faint disapproval; then Smart Cookie and Clover looking down wisely from their plinths. Behind the founders stood both Luna and… was that Corona? This place must be truly ancient if a statue of the tyrant sun still stood here. The walls were covered with engraved names, a few of whom he recognised as the most famous courtiers from centuries – if not millennia – past. Above them was a plaque with two lines carved on it.
The fate of Equestria rests on thy shoulders
Art thou worthy?
Max gulped. This place had been created to be intimidating, and it was certainly doing its job well. He guessed he should get started and knelt on the uncomfortably hard and cold floor, head lowered. He was glad for Mrs G’s gift as he huddled against the red woollen garment. Now that he was here, he had some thinking to do.
Thinking was boring, thought Max.
He’d already gone through his plans to try and modernise Nulpar and link it to the rest of the Equestrian railway network, as well as the various projects and committees Fragrant had discussed with him. Maybe he should have brought some paper to scribble down his ideas? He might forget.
He sighed. He supposed this was meant to be for deeper thinking – life, the universe, and everything stuff – but really, he considered himself more of a doer than a thinker. He just did what felt right to him, and worried about why later. If he’d thought about how he was going to rescue those foals from the avalanche a few months ago, he probably wouldn’t have done it in time.
His stomach rumbled loudly. That was another thing. He was supposed to fast for the vigil, which sounded easy; he’d certainly missed a few meals in a row in the past. But when you didn’t have anything to do but think to yourself, it became harder to forget how hungry you actually were. It was making him feel a little faint, or that might have been the tiredness; again, staying up all day sounded easy, but without anything to do he’d felt himself start to slip away a few times.
Trying to push away the latest wave of fatigue, Max got to his hooves and stretched before starting to walk around the chamber. Maybe getting the blood pumping a little would help him stay awake. To be honest, he’d lost track of time by now; he had no idea if the vigil had only just started, or if it was almost over. For all he knew, he’d been forgotten about and he’d missed his own ennobling ceremony. That would be a problem.
Putting such thoughts aside, he wandered from statue to statue, looking up at them. There was Luna looking down over the others. Next to her Corona seeming to shy away from her sister. He turned and found a statue he hadn’t noticed before and he couldn’t think why not. It was a statue of a mountain, or maybe just a mountain. If it was a statue, it was built on a one to one scale, easily ten thousand feet tall; he wasn’t sure how he’d missed it before – or, come to think about it, how it fit into the room. He shrugged. He wasn’t a sculptor; there must be some trick to it.
“Mounty Max,” said the mountain.
“Hello?” said Max. “Should you be here? I think I’m supposed to be on my own for the whole vigil thing.”
“You are inside a mountain, are you not? Then it must be acceptable to speak to a mountain?”
Max nodded slowly. That seemed to make sense. “Why are you here... I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.” Max felt a bit embarrassed. He was sure the rock formation in front of him was familiar; it was just on his tongue, but he couldn’t get it out.
“You don’t know? How quickly you forget,” said the mountain, sounding rather hurt. “Come closer, maybe you will recognise me.”
Feeling a little awkward, Max slowly stepped forward, starting to clamber up the lower slopes of the mountain. It seemed more and more familiar. Stretching up a hoof, he began to make his way up its side. Yes, he knew where he was now! That hollow in the rock, where he and Zephyr had carved their names... this was Braeriah, he was home! More or less. Sadlzburg was only an hour or so’s canter away.
“Max! Max!” came a cry from behind him. He turned to see a brown earth pony stallion scrabbling up the slope behind him. “I need a hoof!”
“Piste, what are you doing here?” asked Max. This didn’t seem right.
“Looking for you. We’re missing a pony, she got lost in Fellowfall Vale. I need you to come down to help look for her.”
“Hang on, I’ll be right down,” said Max, turning. The vale could be a dangerous place if you weren’t prepared – all sorts of dangerous creatures called it home. Then he paused. “No wait, I’ll get a better view from higher up. I’ll be more useful there.”
“You sure?” said Piste. “You’ve always been more of a hoof on guy. Isn’t there somepony else who can do that?”
Max considered for a moment. “No, I think this is something I need to do myself. You can manage a search from the ground, you don’t need my help. I’ll shout out if I see anything.”
Piste looked unsure for a moment. “If you’re sure...”
“I’m sure. We’ve both got our parts to play here. You stay down there for the moment, I’ll climb. But don’t worry, I won’t forget about you, we can find her together.” Turning again, Max started to climb, hoof by hoof, up the mountain.
“Max!” came another cry, more feminine this time. Once again Max turned to see Zephyr hovering a short distance below him.
“Hi,” he called, waving a hoof. “Are you here to find this missing mare as well?”
“What mare, Max? Do you always need to be working so hard? Can’t you take a day off? Have a day to yourself – a day to ourselves – just the two of us?” Her voice grew husky and behind her her tail flicked lazily from side to side.
Max felt a surge of desire for a moment, but he pushed it aside. “I’m sorry, Zephyr, I don’t have the time. Maybe tomorrow?”
“It’s always tomorrow, isn’t it?” she snarled. “Never today! Why is this mare so special? What has she got that I haven't?”
“It’s not like...” his excuse died in his throat. “Actually, I think she is special. I’ve got to find her. Don’t ask me why, but I think I have to find her. She... I think she understands what I have to do. I’m sorry, Zephyr, but I can’t let you slow me down.”
“Can anyone slow you down?” asked Zephyr, landing below him. “Anypony from your past?“ Her mane and coat darkened, turning brown and orange, before she became bent with age and her wings vanished. “Well, is there?” said Early Delivery.
“Mum, what are you doing up here?” asked Max. There was something wrong with his old lover becoming his mother, but he preferred not to think about it right now. He had something important to do, even if he couldn’t remember what it was right now.
“I came looking for you,” she cried, as the wind started to pick up. “You know I don’t like you getting up this high. Not since what happened to your father, it... it was months until they found his body. He died alone, far from us.”
“I know, Mum, I know, but I’m going to have to go higher than Dad ever did to find who I’m looking for, I need to keep going. I’m sorry.” There was a rumble of thunder from somewhere near. “I have to keep going, I... I can’t help you right now. I’ve got something more important to do, Piste or somepony else can help you back down.” He continued to climb as quickly as he could. He knew the path, he had traversed it many times before. The cloud bank above him drew closer.
“Max,” cried Early from below, her voice growing fainter. “Please be careful.”
Max’s reply was obliterated as, with a clap of thunder, a lightning bolt struck the mountain near him, almost throwing him into the air. He had to get out of here, above the clouds where it was safe. Using all of his strength, he forced his legs to work, driving him further and further forwards. Just as his goal was literally within reach, one of his hind legs slipped, and for a second it seemed like he hung in the air with the whole of Nulpar stretched out below him. Then a grey tinged leg caught him, and with surprising strength dragged him through the clouds and up on a ledge.
“Thanks,” gasped Max.
“No problem, dearie,” said Mrs G placidly.
Max lay panting on the ledge. Here, above the clouds, all was peaceful, with no sign of the storm below. He looked up to see the full moon staring back like a lone eye. The mountain above looked different; he wasn’t in Nulpar anymore. “Where are we?” he asked, turning to Mrs Gobhar, who sat next to him, chewing the cud placidly.
“Where do you think we are?” she asked, staring at him.
The mountain did look familiar. He’d been here recently. Looking up, he noticed the peak was covered with buildings, all reaching up into the sky.
“Canterlot... this is the Canterhorn! How did I... wasn’t I somewhere else a minute ago?”
“Well, you were lower down the mountain, but it’s all the same mountain when you look at it. All mountains are part of the same mountain, really. All we can do is choose to climb up or stay in the same place; the only other option is to fall.”
“I... I think that make sense?” muttered Max. There was something wrong here but he couldn’t quite sort it out.
“If it makes sense, you’re not trying hard enough,” she said with a smile.
“We need to keep going. I need to find somepony.” He looked up again, staring at the light glittering in the city above. “Maybe somepony in the city can help. Come on, Mrs G.”
“Right behind you, dearie,” noted the goat, leaping spryly from rock to rock despite her age.
With a grin, Max started to make his own ascent, taking care where to put his hooves. He wanted to rush ahead, to get to the top as soon as possible, but sometimes slow and steady did win the race. As he pushed himself up, he noticed that Mrs G was starting to lag behind. “Do you need a hoof?” he called back.
“That’s very nice of you, but I think I’ve come as far as I can for the moment.” She sat on a small ledge and took out her knitting. “I’ll stay put for a while, but don’t worry; I’ll always be here if you need me, and maybe you’ll find somepony else to give you a hoof.”
Max stopped for a moment. Mrs G had been with him for a long time, through thick and thin; he didn’t want to leave her behind. “Wait there, I’ll come down to help you,” he cried. “I can carry you if needs be.”
“That’s nice of you dear but I wouldn’t want to weigh you down, like that poor filly there.” She pointed to a lime green mare struggling up the cliff below him; on her back was a large backpack from which poked large rocks. As he watched, she almost slipped under its weight.
“Hang on, Buttercup!” cried Max, moving down towards the struggling mare. “Drop the pack, it’s pulling you down.”
“I can’t! I brought it with me from the bottom, I need it!”
“It’s weighing you down, you need to let it go,” cried Max, reaching down to lift the younger mare. She took his hoof and pulled, the weight of her and her pack almost dislodging him from the mountain, but he managed to jab a hoof into a crack and take the combined strain for a moment before pulling the mare up alongside him. They both stayed there for a moment, panting from their exertions. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I’m going to the city as well. You’re not alone, you know. There are lots of us on the same journey.”
Max looked and realised that there were dozens, maybe hundreds of other ponies making their way up the slopes of the Canterhorn. Some were clambering steadily towards the peak, but most were sitting morosely on ledges. While he was watching, two climbers started to jostle each other, shoving and even biting each other over the best hoofholds.
“Stop that!” cried Max. “You’ll both fall!” But the fighters continued without pause.
“They won't listen, you know,” said Buttercup. “This is the way it always is.”
“Then they’re fools. I need to stop them,” Max started to make his way towards the fighting ponies.
“Wait!” cried Buttercup, reaching out with a surprisingly strong arm. “Leave them, we can get farther if we stay together. Please!” she said, pulling him close and nuzzling him.
“I... I don’t...” stuttered Max, feeling the heat of the younger mare’s body seeping into his own.
“It’s too late anyway,” she whispered in his ear before giving it a playful bite. Max’s head shot around and he saw the two struggling ponies fall, twisting in the air as they plummeted into the distance, still fighting. He turned his head away before they hit the ground.
“What a waste,” he muttered.
She shrugged. “It happens.” She reached out and took his head in her hoof. “You helped me get this far, I think you deserve a reward.” She leant forwards, lips puckered. For a moment Max considered kissing her. She was very beautiful, and her coat felt slick to his touch. As she drew closer he noticed her face was speckled with a black sticky substance. He pulled back in disgust, staring at her.
“What is it?” she asked, then put a hoof to her face before drawing it back and examining it. “Oh, it’s so difficult to keep clean up here, this stuff gets everywhere, look!” She pointed at Max’s hoof where he’d helped her up; it was covered in the same black ooze. Max shook the affected limb to try and wipe away the gloop, but it would not budge. “Once it gets on you it never lets go, you know, but you get used to it after a while. Now where were we?” Her tail thrashed from side to side seductively.
For a moment Max was tempted, but he was on a mission. He had to get to the top, he didn’t have time for anything else. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go,” he said, pulling himself from her grasp and starting to climb again, as quickly as his limbs would carry him.
“Wait!” she cried, reaching out with her hoof again, but Max flinched away.
“I’m sorry!” he cried. “But I think I have my own path to follow.” If she said anything further, he didn’t hear over the wind as it started to pick up again. Keeping his gaze forward, he continued to climb. It was getting harder the further up he went, and the mountain became less familiar.
The city above came closer and closer, and just as he was about a reach the lowest tier a shadow fell over him. Looking up, he saw a huge shape eclipsing the moon. He tried to push himself flat against the rock to get out of sight while maintaining his grip.
“There is no need to hide from me, Mounty Max,” came a voice that Max had first heard only a week ago, and would never forget. “What an interesting place this is,” noted Princess Luna as she hovered next to him.
“Your... your majesty,” he stuttered, trying his best to bow while attached to a rock face. “I’m sorry for my state. I didn’t know you would be here.” Without fully knowing why, he thrust the hoof dyed by Buttercup behind him to hide it from his monarch.
“Peace, Max. There is no need for ceremony here. If anything I should be apologizing to you for my intrusion. What brings you here anyway?”
“I.. I’m not sure, I think I’m looking for somepony. Somepony’s lost and I thought I might get a better view from the top.”
Luna looked up and then down. “The view from the top is good, but it can be somewhat distracting. Sadly, you often lose more ponies than you find on the way up. Having reached this far, what do you think?”
Leaning back as far as he dared, he looked down. The clouds had cleared and he could just about make out the foot of the mountain so far below. “It is a long way down, but I can still see the bottom. I don’t think I could have made it this far without help. Piste, Mrs G, I haven't lost them.”
“But they are no longer with you. They couldn’t make it this far.”
“Well, not everypony is as good a climber as me, but just because they didn’t make it this far doesn’t mean they aren't important to me. I’m only up here to do a job, to help those below find what they’re looking for.”
Luna smiled. “There are many who have forgotten that, Max. I’m glad you understand.”
“Understand what?”
“That you don’t understand, apparently. You truly are an interesting pony.”
“Um, thank you, your majesty,” said Max, not sure what she was talking about.
“There is no need to call me that, you know, I am not all that majestic. Now this mountain – that is majestic, and it manages it just by being. It doesn’t need to try and be majestic, it just is, and by being itself shows others what majesty can be. Try to be like the mountain, Max.”
“Um, I’ll try.” Max felt truly lost now; he didn’t have a clue how he could be like several million tons of rock.
“I’m sure you will, Max, and I’ll be watching.” With a mighty flap of her wings, Luna soared into the sky, momentarily framed in front of the moon before merging into its light.
Max gaped at Luna’s disappearance for a moment, before remembering his quest and reaching upwards again to haul himself onto the peak of the mountain. To his surprise, a hoof grabbed his and pulled him upwards. The hoof was attached to a pony apparently made out of the same black slime that had worked its way into Buttercup’s coat. Max tore his hoof away from the figure in disgust, then blinked. He couldn’t quite make out its features; they seemed to shift and change as he watched – one moment a mare, the other a stallion. The only thing that seemed to remain stable was the figure’s mane; it was on fire. No, it was fire, flashing and flickering with a bright red glow. “I never thought she’d leave,” the figure said.
“Who... who are you?” gasped Max, backing away from the heat of the flames as best he could. The two of them were standing on a small outcrop of rock making up the peak of the mountain. Max glanced down; it seemed impossibly tall, yet he could still make out the ground in detail below.
“Ah, names, so constricting... call me Fire Mane, Max. I hope you might even call me friend eventually, but for the moment, I think we can be more like business associates.” A white blur seemed to dance around the figure for a moment. Fire Mane cocked its head as if it was listening. “Yes, I’m sure we can help each other a lot.”
“Help me? How?”
“Well, now you’ve made your way here to the very top, what do you intend to do?”
“I’m looking for something, someone, I think.”
“Look down, Max what do you see?”
Max peered down, and below him the whole of nation was visible, from Neigh Orleans in the south to Rushia in the North. It all seemed so small; Nulpar was barely a smudge in the distance. “I see Equestria,” he said.
“Good. I can give it all to you, Max. Every city, every province, every stallion, mare and foal. All yours.”
Max frowned, “Why would I want that? I don’t think I’d know what to do with Equestria – I can barely deal with Nulpar.”
“That’s where I come in. I can teach you, guide you, mould you. Make you what you are truly destined to be. Ponies don’t trust me, you see, say I’m different. But you... for some reason they trust you. Join me, Max, and together we can rule it all.” He pointed at Max’s tainted hoof, still stained black. “You have already taken the first step.”
Max considered for a moment. It made some sense to him; he’d climbed so far, shouldn’t he get something for it? But no, he didn’t know how to rule. He’d probably just make a mess of it for everybody. He backed away nervously from the burning pony. “That’s... that’s very generous, but I don’t really want to rule Equestria. I just want to find what I’m looking for. So, no.”
“That is very... disappointing,” rumbled Fire Mane. The white shape flashed around him like a miniature whirlwind. “Maybe something smaller? What do you love Max? You are alone. Is there somepony you desire? A mare or stallion. Yes, I see there is. Join me and she will be your slave!”
Max recoiled again. “No!” he said firmly. “Why would I want that! If I want somepony, I want them to want me too!”
Flame Mane sighed. “A pity. Still, there will always be others who make the climb. Maybe they will choose more wisely.” It looked up, its eyes blazing. “I’m sure you will see them on your way down.”
The mountain shuddered, and Max was sure he could feel the rocks themselves grow hot beneath his hooves. Fire Mane gestured; the top of the mountain split open and gallons of black sticky ooze poured out. Max felt his skin start to crawl. Noticing his discomfort, the burning pony grinned. “It’s never far away; this whole mountain is built on it. You were never very smart, were you, Max,” it taunted as the ooze started to spread towards his victim. “You should have cut a deal with me! You think the climb was hard? It’s the fall that kills you!”
Max staggered back again and felt his rear hooves strike against thin air. He staggered for a moment, then managed to regain his grip. He watched a small stone dislodged by his actions drop the seemingly infinite distance to the ground far below; it disappeared into a thick cloud bank. Max blinked; the cloud was shaped into the form of rows of buildings. Once again it was maddeningly familiar... Sadlzburg! It was Sadlzburg carved into the clouds, but it seemed to be empty. Then a flash of light caught his eye. There, standing on the top of the town hall was a figure wreathed in white light. He blinked, trying to resolve the shape. “Jump!” it cried.
Almost automatically Max’s legs started to coil to leap towards her, but he stopped himself. The city below was made of cloud; he didn’t have wings, he’d fall straight through. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the black ichor was only a few hooves away now. Maybe he didn’t have a choice?
The figure noticed his hesitation and leapt into the air, wings spreading almost as wide as the horizon. “I’ll catch you Max. Jump. Please!” A flicker of annoyance could be made out in its words. “Stop being silly, Max, it’s your only chance.”
Max jumped, legs flailing in the air for a moment, only to land in the figures long arms, their bodies intertwined for a moment. Even if he couldn’t quite recognise her, he was sure this was who he had been searching for all this time. He buried his face in her pink mane, drinking in her flowery scent.
“You don’t get away that easily, Max,” cried Flame Mane from the peak. It reared up and hurled a ball of gloop at the Max. It splattered over both of them, knocking Max from the pegasus’ grasp.
His saviour reached out to catch Max. “Stay with me,” she begged. The ooze covered much of her, but seemed to be flowing off of her, seemingly unable to stick too much of her form. Reaching forwards, she grasped his forearm, but her grip slipped on the gelatinous substance still coating the limb, and he fell again through the clouds making up the city below, her scream following him down.
Max fell and fell and fell, dropping further and further from the light of the moon. As he fell, he found his consciousness beset by visions. Sitting on the top of the palace looking down at the city below. Lying in a steaming bath with a glowing pony. Shielding Fragrant’s body as a strange ever changing creature ran through a crowded ballroom. Balls of light being thrown at him as he hung from a massive statue of a pony. Staggering through the streets of a city surrounded by sleeping ponies, as the sun rose over him, pushing down like an anvil. Barging into a room filled with robed ponies, the leader driving a knife down towards a mass of black gloop from which emerged the barest outline of a pony. An elderly stallion shouting at him and striking him with a cane. Two younger ponies kissing passionately, the stallion in armour and leaning over a desk.
His last thoughts before he hit the ground hard was that he’d always been told that your life flashed before your eyes before you died, and he didn’t remember any of that.
“Max! Wake up!” came a familiar voice.
“Huh, what?” muttered Max, trying to force his eyes open. He was sure he must be dead – there was no way he could have survived that. So whoever was talking to him could let him rest in peace and stop poking him.
“Max come on!” called Mrs G jabbing him with a sharp hoof.
“Huh, what... what happened?” he asked.
“You fell asleep. Your ceremony thing is only about an hour away. You need to get ready, have a bite to eat.”
Max struggled to his hooves, every joint aching, and blinked to see the old goat and the custodian standing over him. “I think I had a vision,” he mumbled. Looking around, he was back in the vigil room surrounded by the statues of Equestria’s founders.
“I think you were dreaming.”
“No it was a vision, I was...” He tried to gather his thoughts but his memory was already fading. “...climbing a mountain, I think, and you were there, and the princess, and Fragrant, I mean Duchess Posey.”
“Oh it was that kind of dream,” said the nanny, raising an eyebrow. “And just what were we all doing together?”
“No, it wasn’t like that, it was... oh, I don’t remember. I’m sure it was important.”
“Well that’s all well and good but we better be off. You don’t want to be late for your own ennobling, do you?”
“No, no I don’t,” said Max, shaking his legs to try and stop the pins and needles.
“Then come on,” said Mrs G, starting to butt Max towards the room’s exit. Limping slightly, he moved as directed.
Max nervously paced back and forth, sweating uncontrollably in his red jacket and brown trousers as he waited for his big moment. Fragrant had suggested having a suit made especially for the ceremony, but he preferred the one he’d bought last week. He’d only just had time to grab something to eat and change before the ceremony. He was standing in a small antechamber not far from the Selenic Cathedra itself, Luna’s throne. He had been told to wait here until summoned and that had been far too long ago, hadn’t it? Had something gone wrong? Had they forgotten about him? Had they decided there was a better pony to represent Nulpar? Had Luna reconsidered her decision in light of his actions at the inquest? Was she planning to banish him from Equestria? He shook his head try to clear the nightmarish scenarios running through it. The door creaked open and his head snapped around to watch the portal and the guards standing unmoving, seemingly carved from stone, next to it. To his surprise, Fragrant entered. She was wearing a flowing dress made of triangles of black, brown and white silk, with her mane and tail ornately braided.
He rushed over to her. “What’s the delay, what’s gone wrong?” he asked.
A smile broke through the near permanent frown she seemed to be wearing around him recently. “Max, breathe, it’s only been ten minutes.”
“Are you sure? It seems...”
“Very sure, now are you ready? You should be called in a few minutes. Do you know your lines?”
Max indicated the prompt card he had been given. His book hadn’t contained much information about the ceremony itself – it was considered a very private matter, apparently – but he had been provided with the responses he would need to make to the Princess. “I think so, but what if I get it wrong?”
“Then you will be prompted again until you get it right. It’s not that unusual to make small mistakes. I got a line wrong when I joined the court. It’s embarrassing, but not fatal.”
“Look, Duchess.” He took a deep breath. He had meant to talk to her all week, and in some way his terror had given him the courage to finally spit out what he wanted to say. “I’m sorry about last week, the inquest. I’m sorry you’ve been shackled to me.”
She stared at him for a moment. “Yes, well, it hasn’t been much of a hardship so far. You are a good pupil, Max. And maybe you were right, I should do something about the feud with Jet Stream. In her own way she was looking out for the best for Equestria. I may have been hasty in my actions on the longest day.”
“No, you did what was best for Equestria.”
“I should not have tried to trap her at the inquest. Further enmity between our families does not benefit Equestria.”
There was a quiet cough and Max looked past to see one of Luna’s personal pages standing at the door. “My Lord, Lady, it is time,” she announced.
A look of terror passed over Max’s face, and Fragrant took his hoof in hers and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Good luck,” she said, before turning and rushing from the room to take her place.
Looking rather stunned, Max watched her leave, his hoof tingling where she had touched him.
The page cleared her throat again.
“Right, um, lead on,” muttered Max.
The page bowed and walked slightly ahead of him as the two of them entered the throne room itself. The chamber was huge and was as awe inspiring as it should be, having been built and improved by the best artists of each generation for a thousand years or more. Around it hung newly spun banners showing the flag of Nulpar, a black mountain part covered in white snow with a grey sky beyond it; to Max’s embarrassment it had been based on his own cutie mark. He had tried to complain, but apparently it had all been decided before he even arrived in Canterlot. The room was filled with ponies, hundreds of them; if not all of the court, then at least the vast majority. They were seated in order of importance – the Viceroys at the front and mere Barons at the back. Each noble sat in silence, all eyes locked onto him. Max’s own eyes immediately locked onto Fragrant, standing near the front looking rather flushed after presumably having to rush to take her place. She gave him an encouraging smile. Dragging his eyes away from his mentor, Max turned to Luna who stood at the front of the chamber, just below her own throne, wearing her full ceremonial vestments. “Approach,” she announced, her words falling like blocks of lead on his ears.
Struggling to keep his legs under control, and wishing he'd used the bathroom before the ceremony, Max left his guide behind and started to walk down the centre aisle towards his monarch. As he did so the chamber seemed to telescope, with Luna getting farther and farther away as his steps echoed down the otherwise silent room. He blinked and suddenly realised he was only a few steps away from the Princess, and stopped before he walked into her.
The Alicorn of Night, Lady of Dreams, Queen of the stars, examined the pony in front of her for a moment, and Max had a strong suspicion that she didn’t like what she saw. “Kneel,” she commanded.
Almost without conscious thought, Max dropped to the ground, bowing his head so low it almost touched the ground.
“Montgomery Maximus Junior,” intoned Luna, looking down at the prostrate pony in front of her. Max’s head shot up. The princess had used his full name, only his mother knew... his eyes widened. Luna had spoken to his mother! He tried to keep down the terror growing within him. She’d probably just found his birth certificate somewhere, right?
“You have been chosen for one of the highest honours, and responsibilities, it is in my power to grant: membership of the Night Court and with it part rulership of the land of Equestria. Answer me before the throne and before your peers to be: are you worthy of this honour?”
For a moment Max’s head was completely empty; then the words came to him, almost unbidden. “I am, your majesty.”
“Do you swear to uphold and enforce the laws of Equestria, in both the light of day and the dark of night?”
“I do.” Max struggled to remember the rest for a moment. “Neither light... nor dark will blind me to my duties.”
“Do you swear to protect the ponies of Equestria with your blood, even to the last drop?”
“I do. I will die before I allow harm to befall my little ponies.” Max drew himself up a little more. This was really happening; he was responsible for the well-being of the whole of Nulpar, thousands of people. It was sobering.
“Do you swear to care for and nurture your people to provide for them like your own family?”
“I do. All that I have will be theirs, I will not eat if they do not. ” He knew it wasn’t that literal, but it brought back a memory of Greenleaves; he did need to provide help with the farms in Nulpar. It was all on his shoulders now. He hoped he was strong enough – he had to be, for the good of all of his friends.
Deep in thought, Max almost missed Luna speaking. “Who among our honoured company...” Max thought he imagined a touch of sarcasm in Luna tone; that had to be his imagination. “...is willing to stand by Montgomery Maximus Junior in the night court?” Max’s eyes widened. This hadn’t been on his prompt cards!
For a moment, there was silence. Then a feminine voice rose. “I, Duchess Fragrant Posey, will stand with him,” announced Fragrant. She made her way from her seat towards Max and took a place to his right.
Luna nodded to Fragrant. “And a second?”
“I, Baron Rolling Fields, will also stand with him,” came a weaker voice from the back of the hall. The old stallion stood and slowly limped forwards. Buttercup was not present to help him, and for a moment Max was afraid he would fall, but Rolling stood up straight and continued to march forwards, stopping at his left side. Max shuffled sideways to let Baron Fields lean on him for a moment.
“Will the two of you stand in harmony with Montgomery Maximus Junior? Will you raise this spirits even when all hope seems lost?”
“We will, your majesty,” chorused Fragrant and Rolling.
“Will you show him compassion when he is at his lowest?”
“We will, your majesty.”
“Will you stand with him and his duties, even to death?”
“We will, your majesty.”
“Will you speak truly to him when lies would be easier?”
“We will, your majesty.” Fields’ voice cracked a little, and Luna paused for a moment for the old stallion to clear his throat.
“Will you share all you have with him?”
“We will, your majesty.”
“Are there any among this august assemblage who know of any reason why Montgomery Maximus Junior should not be granted this boon? Why he is unfit to rule?” For a moment Max was sure somepony would raise an objection, but silence continued to reign.
“Then by the magic of Equestria, I accept his petition for entrance to the court.” Luna nodded to first Rolling, then Fragrant, and finally fractionally lower to Mounty.
Max looked between the two ponies standing next to him, at his friends, and thought that his heart might burst with pride.
Fragrant and Rolling took two steps back, and Luna lowered her head so that her horn touched Max’s shoulder. He felt a faint tingle through his coat, like static. “Then in the name of Equestria and all of her people, I dub you Baron Montgomery Maximus Junior of Nulpar, member of the Night Court of Equestria. May you rule wisely for as long as you live.” She raised her head and lowered her horn onto his other shoulder, then stood back.
“Arise, Baron Maximus,” she proclaimed.
Feeling a little floaty, as if this was a dream, Max slowly turned to face the assembled courtiers. To his surprise, there came a mighty roar; for a moment he thought some star beast was breaking into the castle, but then he realised it was a rousing cheer from the Night Court members behind him. Fragrant was standing not far behind him, stamping her dainty hooves and looking very proud. His face broke into a huge grin. One by one, the members of the court began to file forwards to congratulate him on his new position.
“Congratulations, Baron,” said Viceroy Night Light a little stiffly.
“I look forward to doing business with you,” said Vicereine Puissance.
A short, somewhat pudgy mare with a curly red mane, pumping his hoof enthusiastically and mouthed a greeting to him but her words could not be made out over the crowd.
As pony by pony wished him luck, their faces began to blur into one.
“Ah, Baron Max. It is good to finally talk to you in private,” said Luna, turning from her paperwork as her secretary Moneypenny lead him into her chamber. “I have great hopes for you in the future.”
“Thank you, Princess,” said Max, shifting nervously from hoof to hoof.
“There is no need to worry, I don’t bite,” said Luna with a smile. “Sit down. Do you want something to drink?” she offered.
“No, I’m fine,” said Max, remaining in place.
Luna looked around for a second. “Did you choose to bring a guest?”
“Yes, well sort of. Princess Luna...” He stepped aside to reveal a red coated unicorn colt with a dark green mane. The colt stared up at the princess with a mix of awe and fear tinged with excitement. “May I introduce Brave Heart, a citizen of Nulpar.”
Luna stared at the colt for a second, then slipped forwards off her seat and knelt to put herself more at the colt’s height. “Pleased to meet you, Brave Heart,” she said gently.
“Ha… Hi...” the colt stuttered, shifting uncomfortably in the fancy new clothes he was wearing.
“What can I do for you, Brave Heart?”
The colt looked up at Max expectantly. The older stallion cleared his throat. “He was involved in saving some foals during an avalanche. I thought talking to you would be a fitting reward.”
“What happened?”
“It was when your sister returned.” Luna’s jaw tightened slightly. “Brave Heart, his mother Tender Heart, and about a dozen other foals were buried in the snow. Tender Heart managed to get a field up in time to stop them being crushed, but she had to keep it going for a long time, and it was almost eight hours before we dug her out.”
“Momma said she needed my help to save the younger foals, she needed me to help her be strong,” said Brave Heart, looking down.
“It seems like his talent,” he indicated the heart symbol with a plus sign in it on Brave Hearts flank, “Is to lend strength to others.”
Luna considered for a moment. “Yours is a very rare and powerful mark, young one. Please, can you demonstrate?” she asked. Lowering her head slightly, her horn began to glow with a blue light. The young pony gulped, then closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating. The glow emanating from Luna flickered for a moment before growing a little brighter. “Thank you,” said Luna as she extinguished her horn. “Most impressive. You could go far. Maybe you could even join my school, here in Canterlot; they could teach you much there.”
“Thank you Princess,” said Brave Heart. “But I don’t like school much.”
The Princess gently snorted. “Many your age do not, but I think you will find that it is not as bad as you think it is. I will have to talk to your parents, of course.”
The foal flinched a little and sniffed.
Luna looked up at Max. “What happened to his mother?” she asked.
“She used up all her magic protecting the foals and exhausted herself.”
“She over channelled?” asked Luna.
“That’s what Doctor Housemartin called it.”
“She won’t wake up!” exclaimed Brave. “We tried everything.”
“The whole village has been working together to look after her, but her condition hasn’t improved,” said Max gravely.
Luna sighed sadness in her eyes. “I am sorry, but there is little even I can do in this situation.” She reached out to the child and laid an arm over his back, his form looking so small next to her own. She looked up at Max. “Is this why you brought him here?”
Max looked uneasy. “Partially. When I helped dig him and his mother out, I sort of... promised him a medal for his bravery.”
"Why, Baron, not even a day into your duties and already making such bold requests of the crown?"
“Um, I know it’s not really within my power, but I wasn’t thinking right then but, er, I think I can recommend members of my province for such honours, can’t I?”
“Indeed you can, although normally through more official channels.” Her tone was mildly disapproving. “Still, I did happen to receive such a recommendation only a few days ago, signed by a Lord Mayor Mounty Max. A relative, perhaps?” she asked with a smile. “And from what you say, Brave Heart and his mother did perform an act of great gallantry.” A circle of silvered metal with a red ribbon attached appeared floating in the air next to her. “Brave Heart, for you and Tender Heart’s act of heroism in the saving of a number of foals during an avalanche, I award the two of you jointly with the Princess's Gallantry Medal.” The medal hovered over towards the foal, but it was intercepted by his aura and pushed aside.
“I don’t want a lump of metal, it won’t hug me or tuck me in at night. I want my Momma back.” mumbled Brave, water starting to collect at the edges of his eyes.
Max looked shocked at his actions. “I’m sorry, lad, but the princess just offered you a great honour. I know it’s not easy, but you have to be brave.”
“I.. I’m tired of being brave,” cried the colt. “I don’t wanna have to be brave, I want my Momma back.” Tears dripped down his face as he started to blubber. Max stepped forwards to try and comfort the distressed colt, but Luna got there first. She held out one large blue wing. Staggering slightly, Brave Heart rushed forwards and latched onto her leg before her pinions enfolded him entirely, hiding him from view.
For several moments the two of them, goddess and child, remained entwined. Luna whispered unheard assurances to the foal.
“Please, please help my Momma,” sobbed Brave Heart. “I’ll do anything.”
A look of utter sadness passed over Luna’s face for a moment. “I am so very sorry, but I cannot.”
“But you’re the Princess, you can do anything!”
“If only that were so. There are limits to what I can do, the same as every other pony.”
“Please!”
“I will do what I can. It is not within my power to awaken your mother, but I can send my best doctors and medicines to help. I promise I shall do everything I can to make her sleep a pleasant one, for as long as I have to. When she does awake, I’m sure she will be so very proud of you, doing all you can to help her.”
The little foal staggered back, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes with a hoof.
“Tha… thank you.”
Luna once again levitated the medal and placed it over the boy’s neck. “Now remember, that is for you and your mother. Keep it safe for her.”
The colt tried to salute, resulting in him smacking his own ear with his hoof.
“And remember what I said about my school. Your talent is very special, and with some training you could go far.”
“I’ll have to ask Uncle Sure Heart,” said Brave Heart.
“I only ask that you and your family think on this. It is a big step to take, and not for everypony.”
Max stepped up and gently started to manoeuvre Brave Heart towards the door. “Why don’t you go back to Mrs Gobhar for a while? I think she has some of those toffees left.”
The prospect of the sticky treats caused Brave Heart to rush for the door, in a far better mood.
“I’m sorry,” said Max somewhat awkwardly. “For the boy, he’s had far too hard a time for the last few months.”
“Don’t be, I should thank you. I would love to live in a land where a hug and some kind words would help with any problem.” She sighed, and for a moment Max could see every year of who knows how many millennia weighing her down. Then she straightened again. “I am afraid I do not have the time to cover everything with you that I might want. However, no doubt you are a little surprised by your appointment?”
“Well, yes, your majesty. I’m a little different from the other courtiers.”
“And that is not a bad thing, Baron Max. I sometimes worry that the court is losing touch with the needs of my little ponies. Never forget where you came from, Baron.”
“I’ll try not to, your highness, but they seem like nice enough ponies. Most of them, anyway.”
Luna sighed. “Yes, most of them are, but it only takes a few bad seeds to spoil the crop. I hope I have some time before I have to plant again.”
“Your majesty?”
“Oh don’t mind me, I was just being maudlin. Just keep being like a mountain, Baron Max, and I’m sure you will go far.” A frown crossed Max’s face. That seemed familiar. “Now I am afraid I do not have much more free time. Is there anything you wanted to ask me?”
“We’ll er... there is one thing. My province’s name.”
“Nulpar?”
“Yes, why call it that?”
“I hoped you could make it live up to its name.”
“But it...”
“Means ‘Nowhere’ in Prench.”
“I know that.” Well, he did once Conn explained it to him. ”But, begging your pardon, your Majesty, I’m trying to make it a somewhere. We might be on the edge of Equestria but I’m trying to get it better connected. We’ve got some great people, we don’t deserve to be called nowhere.”
“Ah, but the term ‘nowhere’ has another meaning as well. In Hippopotamian it is utopia: the perfect place. I was hoping you could work towards that, if you can.”
“Oh.” He felt rather overwhelmed for a moment. “Well, I’ll try. I’ll try my best,” he repeated with more force.
“That’s all I can ask of any of my little ponies,” said Luna with a smile. “I’m afraid our time is up, Baron Max,” she said, leading Max towards the door. “I hope I will get to talk to you further later.”
“Thank you, your Majesty.”
“I will be watching you with interest, and I hope you and Duchess Posey don’t find each other too distracting.”
“Err, Well... I, we,” spluttered Max, quite discombobulated. Luna was grinning as she shut the door.
Max sat alone in his office, while Mrs G was showing Brave around the city. His brain was buzzing from the events of the day; the vigil, his ceremony, meeting Luna. Tiredness was starting to creep into him, but at the moment he felt on top of the world. He was here now, he thought, truly part of the court. He slowly got up and walked over to the pile of half-finished paperwork still awaiting signatures; this one an application for a permanent school, that one for funding to help with the flooding caused by the longest day. Picking one at random, he made for the door; he was an important pony now, and he was going to make sure that before he went to bed, this form would be signed by the proper authority – even if it took all night. It was time to start acting like a mountain, and nothing would stop him now.