Ever since the Second Rebellion began, Canterlot's atmosphere changed drastically. It used to be a place of grandeur, a place of high-class worship and luxury. Ponies from all over Equestria gathered under this capital landmark. Ideas were exchanged. Goods were traded. Entertainment was provided. There were even schools to provide high-quality education for talented young ponies with minds that were capable of shaping a better future. Despite the shops, the historical sites, the parties, and the grand events hosted for each major holiday, the castle was the most desirable place to be. The Royal Guard were kind and hosting. The gardeners provided endless amounts of stories and would often give tours to small groups of students or families. The maids, though rarely seen outside, were excellent servers to diplomats, scholars, town leaders, and other officials who would have private meetings within the castle court. And then there were the princesses. Everypony wanted to catch a glimpse of one of Equestria's fine rulers, though Princess Celestia was usually the alicorn that made herself presentable. Nonetheless, Luna, Cadence, and Twilight were all highly valued to the service they provided for the nation.
Nowadays, Canterlot is shrouded in a dark, stormy gray. The residents of the grand city are shut inside their homes; very few merchants have their stands open in the shopping districts, whereas food is still accessible. However, many members of the Royal Guard patrol the streets, and anypony they find walking in the openness is immediately cornered and questioned. Most are just regular citizens trying to find a way out of Canterlot. There has only been one amongst the solemn, tense city who has revealed herself as a perpetrator.
That was what today's meeting was about. They insisted I join.
I stood in front of a wide, spacious mirror, staring at my groggy reflection. Bags hung underneath my turquoise eyes, and my long, luscious locks of blue starlight hair were lazily waving to the floor. Tired. I was so tired. My hooves felt detached from my long legs. The wings on my back just didn't seem to stick to my sides. Why was I going to the meeting again? Celestia hadn't offered an explanation when she extended the invitation. She just said it was important. I yawned. It better be important, if I'm losing sleep over it.
“Um, Princess?” a masculine voice called out from the hallway. “Are you okay?” The magic holding my brush fizzled and broke, causing the brush to clash in front of my hooves. I jumped at my clumsiness and gritted my teeth in frustration.
“I'm fine!” I called back, trying to work my magic again. “Just a little slow!” The brush carefully floated again, wavering, but slowly climbing to where the first strands of my hair loosely lay. My eyes narrowed. My tongue slipped from out behind my lips. Those hard, ropey sticks of comb were so close...so...close. An inch away. A centimeter away. A millimeter. My eyelids drooped and my mind went numb. The brush fell again, and the clatter made me jerk awake a second time. My heart began to pound wildly, anger boiling through my body as fast as the blood was pumped. I raised a hoof, ready to smack it against the brush, when a strong, hairy hoof caught it just in time. I glanced over.
A handsome stallion stood right by me, his face twisted into an expression of fear and relief. The thick, gray coat he wore was neatly washed and groomed, including his fuzzy ears. Black hair tumbled from his head and neck, and a single white spot could be traced on the right side of his mane. Dim, golden eyes drew away from my hoof and melted into my own turquoise ones. I stared back at him, right into his pupils, which were slitted like a cat's. His embarrassed smile revealed an even set of white fangs. The leathery wings on his back twitched, as if they were uncomfortable, but quickly folded and settled again. The stallion closed his eyes, bowed his head, and pulled his hoof away respectfully.
“S-sorry, Princess,” he stammered. “I know you didn't want me to come in, but I just...” His voice trailed off in hesitance. My face warm, (mostly from having a tantrum in front of him) I reached my hoof toward his face and pressed it underneath his chin. He stiffened under my touch, but was obedient as I lifted his face towards me again. Those beautiful, golden eyes were bright in anticipation. My muscles softened into a slight grin.
“Don't be,” I whispered. His face reddened, and he slowly backed away from my hoof, trying to compose himself. I couldn't help but to let out a small chuckle; the way he looked, how he was so uncomfortable, was priceless. Of course, that had always been his personality: shy and reserved. But he was also loyal, which was what made him one of two of my Royal Guard.
“Uh, the meeting will start soon,” the guard informed, casting his eyes down. “Do you...need any help?” There was a lightness to his tone, as though he were hopeful. I considered his offer, remembering my failures with simple levitation spells. Finding my mischievous side, I nodded slowly and stood up. Turning my back to him, I sat down on the cushion and pushed the brush towards his hooves. Through the mirror, I could see his shocked face; he had seen the back end of one of the princesses.
“Please, brush my hair,” I said. He stood there for a moment, dumbfounded. It wasn't until I cleared my throat that he found his legs and came closer toward me. Sitting awkwardly by my side, brush in mouth, he carefully found my starlight strands and pulled them through the brush. The sensation was careful, precise, and particularly pleasing to the ends that attached to my scalp and neck; it felt as though I was getting a massage. The tangles were worked out, and the smoothness seemed to awaken the alicorn magic within me, for my mane began to sway with greater intensity. The guard's tenseness faded as he was focused on the task entrusted to him. He seemed to be lost in thought, the way his golden eyes traveled from hair to hair, as though it were a routine. It made me smile, seeing his ease. True, it was fun to make fun of him at times, but it was also fun to see him be happy. If only I weren't an alicorn princess, I would have asked him out.
“That's enough,” I declared, feeling the sleepiness fade from my body; I was completely refreshed. The guard stopped, blinking in surprise. Realizing once again what he was doing, he stepped away to give me some space. That side of me suddenly felt cold, where the warm air between us had faded. It was like a lingering touch, one that made you think about it for a while. I shivered as I found myself fantasizing, then pushed away the thought. “You are dismissed.” He stuttered as he bowed his head.
“Yes, Princess. I will wait outside the door until you are ready to be escorted.” The guard trotted quickly out of the room. I watched, wishing he had protested against my wishes. The way he said 'princess' was so...low, as though he could never amount to my level. What was I kidding? How can anypony match up to an alicorn? Still, he's so kind, so loving, so perfect. His affections toward me are clear, and my affections toward him are...less defined. Nonetheless, I feel them, and I wish I could settle down with him. Alas, pure alicorns never have companions; they just have partners, and I would never do that anypony, especially him.
Pull yourself together, Luna! I scolded myself, looking away from the door and back toward the mirror. The first thing I noticed was my mane, so beautifully neat and wavy. Smiling, I adorned my head with a black crown, drew a crescent-moon necklace over my shoulders, and slipped into silver shoes. Applying a little bit of eyeshadow, I fixed the features that would give away any signs of sleep-depression, including my wings, which I quickly preened. Satisfied with my appearance, I opened the door to my Royal Guard and his twin brother.
“Are you ready, Princess?” the black-maned guard prompted, smiling weakly.
“Everypony is waiting on you,” said the other bat pony guard, his darker pair of golden eyes narrowing on my thoughtfully. I gave each of them a nod of my head.
“Yin, Yang, please lead the way.”
They are identical twins, my only Royal Guard. Their existence and destiny are revolved around the renown Yin-Yang Symbol, which can be seen through their mane and personalities. Opposite to Yang's black and one white spot mane, Yin has a headful of white hair with one black dot on the left side of his head. Yin has a temper that's hot and fiery, and is also known for seizing power and authority; he is one of the most masculine ponies I know. Yang, though stunningly similar in looks, is more feminine and cool, something that I like in him. Nonetheless, both have pledged their loyalty unto me, and are equally skilled in the royal guard trade. I wouldn't know how I'd cope without them.
“Here we are,” Yin announced, waving his hoof to the tall, closed doors of the throne room. A pair of gray unicorn stallions were standing by them, stationary and holding the straightest of faces. I didn't hesitate to leave my guards behind and to approach Celestia's. They didn't even break their stare of concentration to acknowledge me with a look.
“May I go in?” I asked.
“The meeting has already started,” one of the unicorns explained. “But they are still expecting you, Princess.”
“Very well,” I sighed, and entered the room.
I had heard voices on the other side, but when my presence was known through the creakiness of the opening doors, all conversation was dropped and all eyes were turned toward me. Remembering what it was to be princess-like, I walked gracefully past the long, wooden table set up for advisors and officials with valued opinions. Five ponies took place at the table, casting me curious, and some furious looks. Keeping my chin up, I ignored the silent accusations and approached my throne seat, which was placed by Celestia's grand seat at the other end of the large room. Celestia herself was seated with her normal, radiant appearance. When her eyes settled on me, they sparkled in delight, as though the sun itself was casting its approval on me. I smiled back at her, and giving an apologetic bow of my head, I sat down and observed the members whom were attending.
There were two earth ponies, one unicorn, one pegasus, and a zebra. As their attention drew away from me, their arguments started up again.
“I'd say we torture the creature for information,” a scarlet earth pony stated, a dark look in her stormy-blue eyes. “If she knows something about the Enemy, we could use it to our advantage.”
“Hah! Are you kidding? These creatures would kill themselves before they offered up a word about their hive!” the silver pegasus laughed. “It would be best to kill her off; she knows too much about Canterlot, now that we've given her the grand tour of the place.”
“We've never executed a pony before,” the unicorn reminded sensibly.
“There's always a first for everything,” a bright yellow earth pony shot back. “We've never had a war this serious since the yaks millenniums ago.”
“But what shall we do?” the zebra piped up, looking troubled. “I am out of ideas too.”
“The real question is,” the pegasus said, a scowl on his face, “is she even a pony?” I flinched at such an insult and felt my temper begin to boil. Lightning flashed outside, causing my eyes to glow a kindling white fire. I was ready to unleash my voice, and my wrath, upon the ponies there, but a strange sensation tugged at my heart and mind, bringing me back to reality. Looking over, I saw Celestia's horn glowing a faint shade of gold. Her eyes, stressed and worried, were searching my face for any signs of pain or suffering; I was okay. Letting out a deep breath, I composed myself. Normally, I would never grow angry at a counsel. I had gotten used to the insults ever since I returned from becoming Nightmare Moon, but this question had struck a special nerve. There was something these ponies did not know about the bat pony species, but even if I tried to explain it, they wouldn't understand. Even Celestia had difficulty finding empathy in the matter, but she was still supportive of my emotions.
Thankfully, I wasn't the one who had to respond to that comment.
“Of course she is a pony,” the unicorn scoffed.
“How do you know?” the pegasus demanded.
“I've done my studying. In fact, I went ahead and took a blood sample from her while she was asleep. I think you'll find it quite interesting, what I've discovered.” The unicorn pulled out several papers of what looked to be DNA tests. The other four ponies pushed against their seats as they tried to get a better look. Meanwhile, my heart was pounding; I knew what would be on that paper, and I dreaded the words that were next to come out of the unicorn's mouth.
“As you can see, my comrades, bat ponies are really ponies, because they have the DNA of a regular pegasus pony.”
“WHAT?!” the silver pegasus exclaimed, his pupils growing smaller and smaller in horror. “Impossible! That's just a bunch of horse apples!”
“The test says is all, Pin Prick,” the unicorn replied sourly.
“She is right,” the zebra confirmed. “There's no need to start a fight.”
Celestia stood up when Pin Prick was about to make another remark, and immediately, everypony looked at her, awed by her grand appearance. I watched my older sister carefully as she walked down from her throne. Her wings were outstretched to their full width, which was equally amazing and terrifying for a regular pony. Chin held high, Celestia stopped in the light of the nearest stain-glassed window, as though she was bathing in the creation of her destiny, the sun. Everypony was silent, waiting for her to speak.
“My little ponies,” the white alicorn hushed them all with a smile. “I appreciate each of your input.” Her long neck bowed as she matched the smaller creatures to their height.
“Pin Prick, it pleases us to know that you can address the things that need to be said, as harsh as they can be. You have provided excellent counsel to this meeting.” The silver pegasus, humbled by the remark, cast his green eyes down.
“Velvet Dawn, you've spoken of methods of torture. I would like to report that we have one more method yet to try, but if it becomes desperate, then it is our last hope. We thank you for your input and your concern for Equestria.” Velvet blinked in surprise, interested at what Celestia was proposing, but she waited patiently as the princess when down the line with her compliments.
“Lemon Drops, we'd like to thank you personally for your contribution to the organization of Equestria's Army. We know we can count on you for anything.” The yellow earth pony nodded his head briefly in acknowledgement, though his facial expression didn't change.
“Zecora, you have saved Ponyville, nay, Equestria many times and again. Your wisdom is much valued, and we're glad that you could have come to Canterlot to be a part of the counsel.” The shaman zebra smiled thoughtfully.
“Last of all, Moon Dancer. You have provided valuable evidence towards curing the poison of the creatures of the night. You remind me of my former student, Twilight Sparkle. There are many opportunities here for you to come again, if you are interested.” The yellow unicorn brightened when she heard the name 'Twilight', and her purple eyes seemed to sparkle from the recognition. Celestia gave Moon Dancer a wink, then looked over her shoulder at me. She gestured to me with a grand, horizontal wave of her hoof.
I stood up obediently, minding my posture.
“We thank thee all for coming. The Princess of the Sun and Night are grateful for all of thy services here today.” It was a small speech, miniscule compared to Celestia's individual conversations, but it seemed to please everypony just the same. As all of them stood up from their seats, expecting the counsel to have been dismissed by these phrases, Celestia cleared her throat to get their attention.
“As I have mentioned,” she continued, “there is one more method we have yet to try.” Her neck straightened, and her pink eyes flashed towards the doors at the end of the throne room. “Guards, bring in the prisoner!”
A second after the order, the tall, white doors folded back with a massive creak, revealing the five ponies waiting on the other side. Yin and Yang were among them, standing in their black and purple night-armor with the stature of a regular royal guard. They were off to the side as observers, but the moment the doors opened, their eyes looked past the counsel table to where I stood, making sure I was safe. Beside them, and the center of attention, were the two unicorn guards guarding the entryway. They held spears, each with one hoof, pointing it threateningly at the fifth and final pony standing in between them. The end of their spears were jaggedly pointed in the shape of a semi-sun, and little sparks of electricity jumped out of the sharpest edges. The pony in the middle flinched at every spark its eye caught, and its leathery wings flickered in unease.
She was a bat pony. Her coat was an average gray, but it was significantly shorter than most of the fluffy night creatures, especially at her ears. The hair of her mane was fine and short on the top of her head, but it split at the middle of her scalp and fell into long, blue strands at her sides. A pair of silver, cat-slitted eyes glanced to and fro at the scene displayed before her, nervous and confused. They traveled from face to face, starting with the ponies at the table. Velvet Dawn, Lemon Drops, Pin Prick, Zecora, Moon Dancer...and then they fell upon Princess Celestia and froze.
“NO!” she shrieked, tumbling back. An electric spear prodded her on her back before she could continue, and the bat pony wailed as her muscles spasmed uncontrollably, tossing her forward. “NO! The Sun Bearer has me! I refuse to move! Somepony help me!” My stomach churned. Even after all these years, that was still the attitude they have. Celestia and the sun were the enemy. The moon and the night were the kingdoms of paradise.
“Get up!” one of the unicorn guards snarled, taunting her with the end of his spear.
“Please, no!” the bat pony sobbed. “Just kill me already! I want to die!” The unicorn prepared to touch her again, but Celestia raised one of her wings, and he stepped away. Yin and Yang stared uncomfortably at the bat pony beneath them; watching one of their species be tortured and them being untouched felt so wrong.
I lost sight of the bat pony prisoner as Celestia walked past the table to approach the miserable creature. My curiosity overwhelming me, and having deep concern for the pony I felt responsible for, I stepped down from my throne to get a better look. Celestia spared a few feet, not wanting to invade the pony's space any more than she had to. Meanwhile, the prisoner was curled up in her own little ball, heaving and panting from a mixture of fear, exhaustion, and dread. She looked pathetic and unwell, the way she was trying to soothe herself into a world that didn't exist. I felt deep compassion for the lonely pony, who had nothing but interrogation since she stepped through Canterlot's walls. I could only hope that Celestia was still as merciful as she usually was. But with the tension of the war, I didn't know what my sister would do.
“Arise, my little pony,” the alicorn beckoned, her gaze sorrowful. The bat pony shook her head furiously.
“I am NOT your little pony!” she cried. “I belong to my queen! I belong to the night!” I stiffened, frozen in place.
“She is here,” Celestia whispered. “Just look over there, beyond the table. Your queen stands.”
“It's a ruse, a trick!”
“Open your eyes. It's real.”
“NO...No....no...” The bat pony couldn't help but to take a peek. When they rested upon me, they stopped having motion altogether. The eyelids stretched back into a wide expression. The pony's mouth parted open, revealing her yellow, unkept fangs. A banshee-like scream poured out from her lungs, and most of the ponies stuffed their hooves into their ears to spare their eardrums. I just stared at her, not knowing what else to do. Would she accept me, knowing that I am no longer the pony she hoped I was?
No, that was not even a consideration.
“My queen! Your grace! You are dead! There is no point! The Sun Bearer has won!” The bat pony's eyes were pouring with tears of sadness, tears of despair. “You have kidnapped my kind!” A hoof gestured back to Yin and Yang. “You have forsaken ALL OF US! There is no Queen of Nightmares! There is only Queen Ivy, ruler of the bat ponies, captain of all fleets!” She trembled with a ferocity that appeared demonic. “Kill me! KILL ME! Oh, KILL THE LOWLY EARLY BIRD!”
The bat pony passed out.