Malevolence

by Caffeine Junkie

(2) the masks we wear

the masks we wear

The day prior to Twilight's departure...

It was a rather warm and gentle day. The air was filled with sweet scents and the wind enjoyed playing around the manes of everypony it encountered. For most ponies it would have been just another lovely day, however Trixie and her travelling companion were not like most ponies. The warm and gentle sun did turned their little trip into a march through tartaros.

Trixie was accustomed to travelling but usually she didn’t have to put up with so many nuisances at once. She missed the comfort of her caravan, she missed the comfort of roads and most of all she missed the comfort of travelling alone. Enduring her companion was a task that proved more and more difficult as time passed. Every few moments that mare would stop, look around and exhale in relief. At the first few times Trixie simply rolled her eyes whenever her companion displayed such paranoid behaviour but after some time she decided to ignore her odd behaviour.

Trixie and her companion walked for hours before they finally found a place to rest. Trixie immediately claimed a spot in the shadow of a big tree next to a small pond. The tree was already dead but its husk was still big enough to grant Trixie a place to cool down. Trixie’s companion also managed to find a place in the shadow even though hers certainly was not as comfortable.

The eyes of Silver Scroll wandered down to the small pond filled with dark water and turned into slits. So, she realised it too. All the vegetation around that place was dead. There was no grass near the pond, all the shrubs looked sick and the trees were nothing more than pitiful remainders of their former glory.

Trixie still wasn’t sure what to think about Silver Scroll though. The mare certainly emitted a strange kind of feeling. She had a rather sharp mind and was dangerously cunning, yet she seemed somehow harried and scampered. Well, after some time observating Trixie would figure out if her companion acted paranoid or if the feeling was truly genuine anyways…

After a few minutes sitting under the shadow Trixie decided to get out her uncomfortable black robe. The only reason why Trixie even decided to wear the stupid thing was that Silver insisted on it. Trixie was told that the fabric of those robes made a pony untraceable. Therefore it was no wonder that Silver glared evil at Trixie as soon as she got rid of it. Trixie explained that it was just for a moment and that there wasn’t anypony around anyways. The mare simply sighed and said that if Trixie didn’t put it back on in the next five minutes they would have to make a detour to shake off some possible stalkers. Trixie growled in frustration but decided to give in. It was not long after our discussion that they decided that they would sleep in turns until nightfall.

When Trixie woke up the moon was already illuminating the night sky. Silver was there sitting close to the pond softly singing something Trixie couldn’t understand. Not that Trixie cared. Trixie was merely upset that her companion did not wake her up as soon as darkness had fallen over the land. She walked closer to the singing mare, trying to remind her of what still had to be done. To Trixie’s surprise the song seemed vaguely familiar, like something she had heard years ago but forgotten.

Oh sweet mother moon,
Losing my way,
tell was it a sign
Forgive what I’ve done
I still love your shine

Oh sweet mother moon,
Looking at you,
tell why is there pain
Please let me cry
I’m living in vain

Oh sweet mother moon,
Loathing myself,
tell what have I done
Shatter my all,
I won’t even run.

Oh sweet mother moon,
Forgiving me still,
tell is that your boon
Justice will come,

As Trixie drew closer to the singing mare she couldn’t help but to feel a sudden surge of sadness flow over her. It was as if the lament of her companion directly touched Trixie’s heart. It was such a sad song; sad yet beautiful. Much to her own surprise it was in fact Trixie who ended the lament while her eyes were still locked on the moon’s reflection on the pond.

…and tears will fall soon.

Silver Scroll who had been entranced by the ripples the wind created on the surface of the black water immediately turned around. It was only now that Trixie realised that the mare had been crying before. Her bloodshot eyes no longer conveyed sadness instead they only showed the reflection of confusion, disbelief and a small portion of anger.

Well, Trixie would probably have been angry as well if somepony had sneaked up on her and caught her in such a pitiful and vulnerable state. Trixie didn’t like it but at that point she felt sympathy for the poor mare. However that feeling vanished soon after Silver regained her composure and rudely told Trixie to keep out of her business.

Trixie and her companion walked for hours under the starlit sky without breaking the artificial silence. While she walked through the wilderness Trixie kept an eye on the other mare and became aware of something interesting. Her companion seemed to be completely lost in thoughts and even reined in her annoying habit of looking out for potential pursuers. The way she walked changed as well. No longer did she look like the weak mare she had been before. Instead of crouching she was now trotting erect and rather elegant. A faint smile formed on Trixie’s face when the puzzle finally fell together.

As a pony who lived all of her life relying on deception and illusion Trixie most certainly knew when somepony tried to deceive her. Well except for that one time when a mind meddling amulet, a doorstop and a certain purple unicorn were involved. However, not only was Trixie able to recognise most illusions she also had a lot of other powerful skills at her disposal.

Exploiting the flaws and weaknesses of other ponies was a trait Trixie had originally developed in order to survive but she took a lot of pride in perfecting it. Even as a travelling mage she found a way to use that skill to humiliate her opponents on the stage. This time however it wasn’t Trixie’s skill in observation that dispersed the veil of illusion but the fact that Silver allowed her persona to drop.

Just when Trixie was about to break the uncomfortable silence, her companion began to speak with an icy and demanding undertone. Silver Scrolls appearance completely changed and she even dropped her nervous attitude in favour of something more intimidating. Even the piercing eyes of the thoughtful scholar were now complimented by a rather high and haughty look.

“Who exactly are you?” Silver asked.

“Trixie believes that she has already given you her name.”

“Is that so? Then tell me, oh great and powerful Trixie…how would a fraud like you know a song that didn’t echo through the night for centuries?” she mocked Trixie.

“Trixie does’t know where she picked it up…”

“There is no way that you would have been able to pick up the “Lament of the Lost” by coincidence. Nearly all traces of the night’s princess prior to her return were purged from history by princess Celestia herself. So how could you have just picked it up, when it took me months to find any information on princess Luna at all?”

Before Trixie even had a chance to answer the eyes of the mare narrowed. With a subtle note of malice in her voice Silver asked the same words once again.

“So, who are you?”

“Trixie…Trixie Lulamoon”

Then for a long time there was only silence. Silver Scroll’s eyes widened and for a few moments she looked at Trixie in disbelief. As much as Trixie would have loved the idea of ponies falling into silence whenever they heard her name something about the situation felt flat out wrong. Trixie had told the mare her name before, so why was it only know that she…

“Lulamoon? Impossible...how come you know that name? The house of Lulamoon is nothing more than a myth, a legend, an old mare’s tale. Working in the shadows and loyal only to the moon princess the members of house Lulamoon soon earned a rather dark reputation. They were often referred to as “will of the night” or “envoys of death” but their existence could never be proven. The only sources that even mentioned them were either part of moon-cult collections or Celestia’s private library. So how did a simple trickster like you know about them?”

“Well, maybe Trixie is more than just a simple trickster. Underestimating her could cost you dearly…“

“Hmm, I suppose there might be more to you than catches the eye.”

Of course Trixie was just making things up as their conversation advanced. Truth be told, she was probably more confused by the situation than Silver Scroll. Trixie didn’t remember anything before her father’s death or rather she couldn’t. However, the possibility that Trixie was the descendent of a thousand year old linage of moon-cultists was just ridiculous. It was probably just a coincidence.

Trixie’s companion fell back into a thoughtful trot. She most likely considered everything Trixie said thus far and wagered her options. Those options were of course limited because Trixie was sure that Silver wouldn’t dare to compromise her own plan to satisfy her curiosity. Hearing a deep sight Silver probably came to the same conclusion as Trixie and decided to press the matter no longer…at least for now.

The whole conversation had turned out rather awkward but it finally gave Trixie the chance to take advantage of the situation. Silver’s greatest weakness seemed to be her curiosity. At first she tried to lull Trixie into a false sense of security by acting feeble. However, to satisfy her curiosity she even went far enough to drop her mask.

Exactly at that moment she found that exploitable weakness everything shifted in Trixie’s favour. Artificially raising Silver’s curiosity by keeping the “truth” to herself Trixie boosted her own position greatly. The only thing left to do was to casually offer Silver to answer her questions after their task was completed. By freely offering the “truth”, Trixie would not only be able to avoid being cheated out of her reward, no, she would also be able to gain some of the mare’s trust.

Trixie let her eyes wander to the gentle moon once more before she finally put her plan into motion. A faint smile formed on her face when Trixie looked at her softly glowing audience. The beauty of today’s night was truly beyond compare and who knew maybe it even marked the beginning of something special; the rise of Trixie Lulamoon.

Same time at the royal palace

It had already been a few hours since night fell on Canterlot and a subtle darkness embraced every spire of the royal palace. The bright glowing moon and the stars decorated the night sky and gently illuminated every alley, street and building. Even though this night was one of her best creations, the princes of the night couldn’t bring herself to enjoy it. Tonight she simply wouldn’t be able to find any peace. Trying to distract herself the regal alicorn with the blue etherial mane slowly paced up and down her balcony. Every few minutes she would stop and either look at her work in awe or down at the silhouettes of peaceful Canterlot.

It wasn’t long until a white alicorn descended from the sky and landed right next to her on the balcony. She was a bit bigger than her dark blue counterpart but didn’t look any less regal; in fact she she looked even more so. Her coat was as white as snow and her mane was flowing majestic in the air. Radiating with kindness and eyes full of concern the princess of the sun began to speak.

“Luna, I’ve been worrying about you for the last few days. You barely talk and the only thing left in your eyes is agony. Tell me sister, what is it that torments you so?”

The dark blue alicorn let out a deep sigh before she leaned against the parapet and let her eyes wander through the night sky. Luna was obviously worried but didn’t want to trouble her sister with her problem. Opening herself to others, even to her sister, wasn’t something that came easy to the princess of the night but Celestia had learned to cope with it and be patient. Luna’s gaze was still locked at the night sky but after a few moments of complete silence she at least responded to her sister.

“We appreciate thy concern Tia but thou don’t hast to worry sister. We are merely reminiscing about an event that hath transpired before our banishment and still pains us every now and then. We reckon that being haunted by our own guilt hath to be what we deserve for our past deeds…”

“You know Luna, now I’m even more concerned with your wellbeing. If something worries you so much that you don’t even realise that you have fallen back in thy old manner of speech, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

Princess Celestia’s attempt to lift the mood bore fruit; Luna had to chuckle. The princess of the night didn’t anticipate a humours confrontation at all. She had expected a painful scenario where Celestia wouldn’t back down until she heard the whole story. That was also the reason why Luna didn’t face her sister and looked at the sky instead. It simply wasn’t befitting of a princess to show her weakness…

“If you ever change your mind and want to talk about it I…”

"Tia, I..."

Celestia was already spreading her wings trying to take off when she was suddenly taken aback by that unexpected response. Folding her wings behind her back she looked at her distrait sister. Was she really taking her up on her offer right now?

“Tia, do you still remember when I told you that there were no ponies who cherished my nights?”

Celestia wasn’t sure in which direction this question was leading her but decided to answer it truthfully nonetheless. No matter what it was that torments her sister, she would not let her alone with her worries. No, not this time…

“Yes Luna, I do remember.” she replied softly.

“Well, that was a lie. Besides you, there were in fact two ponies who loved me and my nights.”

Celestia looked surprised. Whatever she had expected it certainly wasn’t what her sister just told her. Still facing the beautiful night sky Luna raised her right hoof in the air and pointed next to the moon where two bright stars looked as if they touched each other.

“Tia, let me introduce you to Artemis and Sopor (1). Even though they are long gone they shall illuminate my night until the end of time.” Luna said with an unusually affectionate voice.

“You must have truly loved them, for what you have done to honour them goes far beyond anything I’ve ever seen. So, would I be correct in assuming that it is the loss of your beloved ones that hurts you up until now?” Celestia said while eyeing the memorials in the sky.

“Sister, believe me when I say that it isn’t merely grief that pains me. It is the fact that I couldn’t help those dear to me when they needed me most. I swore to protect them but…” she said and let her voice drift into silence.

For a long time neither of them said a word. Luna wasn’t sure how she should tell Celestia what happened next. In fact she wasn’t even sure if she could tell her without breaking into tears. Celestia however was patient and waited until Luna found her voice again.

“Tell me sister, what would you have done if your pupil wasn’t strong enough to stop the return of the weakened king?” Luna said with watery eyes and a trembling voice.

What if he had corrupted her?
What if she had already gone beyond redemption?
Tell me sister, what would you have done?”
I need to know. Please Tia…”

“You had to kill them? You had to kill those who you loved? Celestia whispered.

All the things her sister said finally fell into place. It was a rather dark topic indeed. The guilt of failing your loved ones is a terrible burden indeed. Celestia had experienced it first hand when she had to banish her sister. A thousand years of agony and she had to face them all alone. There wasn’t a single pony to comfort Celestia after she had killed a part of herself by saving her subjects. However, she wouldn’t let Luna go through the same pain…

“Oh, Luna…why didn’t you ever tell me?” Of course you couldn’t deal with something like that on your own. I doubt there is anypony who could?” Celestia said and embraced her sister.

“Do you want to know what hurt me most? They both thanked me with their last breath. They should have loathed me for failing to protect them but they decided to forgive me. How could they…”

”Oh sister, don’t be so hard on yourself. To forgive yourself isn’t easy and no pony knows that better than I do…nonetheless you should consider their feelings as well, Luna. The reason why they thanked you was most certainly because they wanted to give your mind peace, not to make you live in remorse. Even if that wasn’t the case, you already paid dearly for your past sins…”

"Tia…thank you...I...I just...“ she softly whispered.

Luna shook off her sister’s embrace and turned around, despite the fact that she had obviously been crying. Celestia was rather surprised when it was suddenly Luna’s turn to hug her and burry her face in her colourful mane, letting it all out. Sisterly moments like those were what she held most precious. Sadly those times when she wasn’t bothered by the weight of her crown and could simply be a caring sister were so rare. For a few minutes they both hold still in their pose, simply enjoying the company of each other. Of course there were still a lot of questions on Celestia’s mind but decided that she didn’t want to spoil this moment. She could still ask her sister the next day…

A few hours later

Subtle Edge was a guard in his late thirties. He was one among many thestrals who had joined the night guard when news of princess Luna’s return were proclaimed. Even if he wasn’t very ambitious he soon rose in rank. Subtle Edge was pretty sure that the reason for his success was not due to his skills but rather due to the lack of suited candidates. If he had to describe himself he probably wouldn’t find any positive qualities. However, his soldiers only spoke of him in the highest tones and boasted about his qualities as a leader. According to them he was courageous in the face of danger, incredibly loyal and humble to a fault; what a joke. Well, thanks to those rather unneeded recommendations he was now none other than the vice-captain of the night guard…

Up to this point it had been a very uneventful and peaceful night filled with nothing but mind numbing paperwork. Every few hours one of his guards walked into his office and gave him a status report. The last report had been rather delightful. One of the new recruits had rushed into his office with an useless attempt to hide his excitement. He proudly proclaimed that he had just arrested two public offenders and put them in the drunk tank. Subtle Edge put up a serious front and congratulated the recruit to his first successful arrest. He was always happy when a youngster showed pride and passion at his work and even more if it created a little diversion from all the dull paperwork.

When Subtle Edge was finally through half of the papers, he heard somepony knock at his door. The thestral hissed in frustration. There were only two reasons for a pony to knock at his door and both usually implied something bad. Either it was someone unrelated to the night guard or a soldier with bad news who tried to collect his thoughts before approaching the vice-captain. Subtle Edge moved his papers to the side and allowed his visitor entrance.

Subtle Edge offered the mare who had just entered the room a seat. The mare, Dark Vine, was one of his more seasoned guards and the fact that it was her who reported to him was an indication for serious business. She was a rather stern thestral who wouldn’t easily make a mountain out of a dust speck.

“What brings you here, soldier?”

“Bad news, sir. We have detected a breach in the vault.”

“What about the culprit?”

“When we discovered the breach he was already gone.”

“Who was assigned to guard the vault this night?”

“Cold Breeze and Sea Smoke, sir.”

Subtle Edge was boiling inside. It was bad enough that their lousy excuse for a captain was never there when you needed him but he also managed to assign the most unapt ponies for the job. Not that anything was wrong with assigning Cold Breeze for a job. She was a conscientious pegasus but in the end she was still nothing more than a rookie who didn’t even serve one winter as a guard. Sea Smoke on the other hoof was the embodiment of laziness and a constant reminder of nepotism within the guards. If it wasn’t for his relation to the captain, he and a few others would have already kissed their jobs goodbye.

“What about their condition?”

“Breeze was knocked out cold, sir.”

“What about Smoke?”

“He was found deep asleep in the staffroom closest to the vault.”

She paused for a few moments before she added a little bit of her personal thoughts. Usually it was an unspoken rule among the guards to never badmouth your colleagues, even more if they were related to nobility but she did it nonetheless. Due to the fact that Edge didn’t care about his reputation with the nobles he would probably just scold her and if that was the price she had to pay, she’d do it gladly.

“That false and honourless little plot-kisser seriously claimed that he had been put to sleep…against his will. As if any attacker would move him to a comfy chair…” the mare hissed.

“I asked you about the facts, not about your opinion soldier.” Edge said in a cold tone but couldn’t completely suppress the smile that formed on his face.

At every other night he would have been more than happy to get a reason to let Smoke clean every last spire of the castle with his toothbrush but tonight was different. A breach into the vault wasn’t something to be ignored and it was primarily his duty to deal with it.

“Do we already know what has been stolen?”

“No, sir. The vault is still in disarray but we have already started taking inventory.”

“Did you also send note to the princess and the captain?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, you can return to your post.”

Subtle Edge waited until Dark Vine had left his office and was positive she wouldn’t hear him anymore before he stomped down in frustration. How should he explain the situation to the princess? No matter how stupid the roster of the captain was, the breach still happened under Edge’s watch. The captain would also try to pin all the blame on him, again. Even if he was lucky enough to keep his rank, something he seriously doubted, he would have to deal with lots of additional paperwork.

Time passed and the captain still didn’t bother to show up in Edge’s office. He probably went straight for the princess, bent on damage control. Subtle Edge already knew what that meant for him.

Well, at least he felt some cold comfort in the fact that Sea Smoke wouldn’t get out of this unscathed either. Just when Edge finally came to terms with the fact that he would be discharged soon he heard a faint knocking at his door. With a deep sigh he told his visitor to come in. Much to his surprise it was Cold Breeze who entered. Without waiting for permission to speak the pegasus spilled out the words Edge had already been waiting for.

“Sir, the princess requests your presence at the vault, immediately.”

They trotted down the stairs in a fast pace. Subtle Edge wasn’t very eager to get scolded by the princess but he knew that it wasn’t wise to keep royalty waiting. The pegasus next to him reactivated her armour and instantly looked like an intimidating thestral. It was merely a standard procedure to look tougher in front of the common ponies in the midst of night. However, the disguise also had a tactical advantage; it hid the capabilities of the guards. Enemies wouldn’t know if they faced a strong earth pony, a fast and agile pegasus or a thestral with improved senses and reflexes. (2)

“Well, soldier I’m happy that you are alright.”

“Does that mean your aren’t crossed with me because I’ve failed my duty, sir?”

This time Subtle Edge couldn’t reign in his laughter completely and let out silent chuckle. Cold Breeze looked at him in confusion and his vice-captain began to explain.

“Soldier, you merely completed your basic training and didn’t even serve for a full year. However, leaving your inexperience aside, you tried your best to fulfil your duty. What more could I ask for? Sea Smoke on the other hoof would have a lot to answer for because it hadn’t been the first time he neglected his duties and left his post under some kind of shady pretext. Even if I was angry, my fury would most certainly be directed at somepony else. So don’t you worry soldier, you did a good job.” the vice-captain answered.

“Thanks, sir. That really means a lot to me.”

Subtle Edge took a short breath and collected his thoughts. Instead of dealing with emotional gibberish he should rather try to focus on the tasks that lay before him. It would probably also be to his advantage if he had some more information before facing the princess and so he decided to ask Breeze a few more questions on their way to the vault.

“Do you remember the attacker?”

“No, sir. Suddenly everything went pitch black and before I could react I was knocked out. The medic who treated me was pretty sure that it had been an advanced knock out spell. Considering that my armour didn’t show any indications of physical damage he was probably right.”

“Great, so a user of advanced magic managed to break into a vault that was filled with some of the most dangerous magical artefacts in history? Be honest with me, how mad is the princess?”

“I considered myself happy that I wasn’t born a thestral. If that had been the case I’d be probably deaf now. Well, consider yourself happy, sir. She probably has calmed down by now…”

When both of them reached the vault it was dead quiet. Princess Luna was standing in the midst of the chaos with her eyes focused on the pitiful mess right in front of her, captain Nightfall. Watching her from afar Subtle Edge realised why some ponies were still so afraid of her. The night wasn’t as forgiving as the day.

For a few moments Subtle Edge was reminded of his first day at the night guard. Princess Luna had just left her chariot when she suddenly realised a new face within her guard. With a faint smile she had ordered all the other guards to leave them alone so that she could speak with him in private.

“Guard, know that we feel truly blessed by thy decision to put thy life in our service. Still, thou hast to understand that we are not like our sister. We do neither forget nor forgive. If thou serve us well we make sure to reward thee accordingly but if thou ever fail or dishonour us gravely thee won’t find any forgiveness under our night.“

The captain had probably just learnt the meaning of those words first hoof. Still, he was certainly luckier than most who had incurred the ire of the moon princess. Even if he squirmed like a worm in front of the princess for a moment, Nightfall already knew that she wouldn’t be able to give him more than a simple scolding due to the fact that he was born a noble. As his second in command, no matter if he liked it or not, Subtle Edge would probably end up as the scapegoat for his superior. However, unlike his captain there was no safety net for him. Knowing what was bound to happen he took a deep breath and reported his arrival.

“Vice-captain Subtle Edge at your service your majesty.”

The princess neither turned around nor did she even move an inch. She was still staring down at the captain. The whole room felt her brimming with some kind of fury no mortal would be able to withstand for too long and there was not a single scrap of mercy to be found in her dark cold eyes. When she finally started to address him again her voice was like ice.

“Duke Nightfall, I hereby relieve you of your duty as the captain of the night guard.”

“With due respect your majesty, you simply can’t…”

“Duke Nightfall, do you really think it is up to you to decide what I can and can’t do?” the princess said in a cold tone, putting him back into his place.

“Be thankful that I merely stripped you of your rank and didn’t decide to take your title as well. The only reason you were even allowed to keep your rank as captain when I returned from my banishment was merely to please nobility. Tonight I was proven a foal for ever leaving my hard line. Not only did I forfeit the trust my sister had put in my judgment, I also endangered the safety of my subjects by leaving such an important task in your inapt hooves.” Luna proclaimed.

After she was done with the captain the princess shifted her attention to Subtle Edge. When her eyes fell on him he noticed a subtle change in them. She wasn’t trying to intimidate him like she did the captain. The stare she gave him was different. It was the look of cold determination, the look of a mare who knew what had to be done, whether she liked it or not.

“Subtle Edge, it truly pains me that you haven’t been given any choice in the upcoming matter but I hope you understand that a wise ruler has to do what is best for her country. Time and time again you’ve proven a reliable soldier, an excellent leader and loyal to the crown. In order to honour you for your deeds I hereby declare you, Subtle Edge, captain of the night guard. Furthermore I also put you in charge of this investigation.” the princess said with a tone that left no doubt that her decision was final.

For just a moment it seemed as if time itself had stopped. Everypony within the vault looked incredulous at the princess. However, the silence vanished rather fast and the whole room soon burst out into applause. Well, at least everpony besides the former captain applauded…

“…but he isn’t even of noble birth and a batpony on top of it.” Duke Nightfall screamed.

The whole room instantly turned quiet. Most ponies already knew that Celestia didn’t take kindly to those who used words like “mudpony” in front of her but they had never seen Luna’s reaction to a similar affront. Usually those in her presence were rather intimidated and therefore wagered every word carefully before they addressed their princess.

“Duke Nightfall, a thousand years ago even my sister would have pilloried you for your unbefitting behaviour. I probably never had to make myself clear on that topic but like my sister I don’t take lightly to tribalistic insults. Beneath my night everypony is to be treated equally, do you understand?

The old captain of the night guard had never been very popular among the commoners but now his reputation just reached a new time low. Most ponies in the room had already put on a smug smile waiting for the duke to apologize in front of the princess but instead he did something unthinkable; he threatened the princess.

“You dare to humiliate me in front of all these peasants? For a princess you are rather foalish indeed. Do you really think that the other nobles would simply sit idle if I was replaced by a mere commoner? Without our support you are nothing; a princess in name only.” he hissed in anger.

“Watch your tongue, duke Nightfall. You insolent foal should be grateful I simply decided to accuse you of incompetence instead of high treason. If any of my former captains had left the vault in such a vulnerable state I would have been certain that it was on purpose and as a result they would have been beheaded for crimes against the crown. The only thing that still keeps your head on your shoulders is the fact that I think you a foal. So, do you truly want me to revoke my previous judgement?”

Before Nightfall could even answer the princess, a wicked grin began to spread on her face. She obviously wasn’t done with the duke. Considering how fast those droplets of sweat began to form on his forehead he probably already anticipated another blow. However, nothing could have prepared him for what the princess had still in store.

“Duke Nightfall, even though I don’t like the way you voice your concerns I have to admit that you have a valid point. It is indeed unbecoming of a commoner to be appointed captain of my guard but I can guarantee you that there won’t be much of an uproar. They will just have to accept him as one of their own after he has been ennobled. In order to have representatives of each pony tribe within nobility, my sister has already been playing with the thought of offering some thestrals the title of count or countess. Due to your discharge Subtle Edge just turned out to be the first among many …” the princess said with grim satisfaction while the duke realised that his world just shattered like glass.

At that moment everypony in the room could feel it; the true beauty and terror of the night.

“B-but you s-simply can’t…” was the only thing the duke could still stutter.

“Guards, please remove the duke from the crime site for his presence is no longer needed.”

The guards reacted quickly and walked the duke out. As soon as he was gone the facial expression of the princess softened and she let a victorious smile form on her face. It certainly wasn’t the first time she had to deal with cocky nobles but no matter how much time passed, she would never stop to enjoy putting them back in their places.

After the room calmed down enough for her to talk again she faced her new captain. Subtle Edge still looked as if he had been frozen solid. Luna knew that everything had probably been just too much for the colt and so she tried her best to suppress a chuckle on behalf of her poor, dumbstruck subject. She then proceeded to clear her throat a few times until her captain finally realised his surroundings again.

“Captain Edge, listen closely because as you know I don’t like to repeat myself.

First and foremost I want you to send out guards to look for a pony carrying a dark elaborate halberd. I don’t know what else is missing but that weapon certainly is. Furthermore I don’t want any information concerning the breach made public. To avoid any kind of mass panic I even authorize you to use the “spell of binding silence“ (3) on anyone who knows about the breach.

I also want any traces of the previous captain’s nepotism in my guard purged within a week. When you are done with these rather simple tasks I want you to meet up with a mare called Gallant Gale. She is one of my…kinder…instructors in court etiquette and will teach you anything you need to know in order to get through your ennoblement. You probably won’t be able to cover more than the basics but I suppose it will be enough to content the nobles.”

“I won’t disappoint you, princess.” the thestral said and saluted.

The princess acknowledged his words with a nod and a faint smile before she headed off to her private chambers. There were a few things she originally intended to tell the colt but even words like “good luck” or “I wish you well” had a large effect when a princess spoke them. The last thing she wanted was that some ponies thought she had no faith in her new captain.

When Luna finally reached her destination she let herself fall on a pile of cushions. She already assumed that a lot of her subjects thought that she was a little awkward but if they could see her now they would be assured. The princess was lying on her back, watching the night through the enchanted ceiling of her room and stretching herself from time to time. Of course she locked the door to her room beforehoof. She wouldn’t want Celestia to barge into her room telling her how adorable “cute little Lulu” looked while tossing about her cushions…again.

The comfort of her room was one of the things she always enjoyed the most. There was no pony who dared to bother her and therefore also no appearance to keep up. She could just be herself, relax and calm down while the time around her simply passed. Looking at the enchanted ceiling she thought about the recent events.

Relieving her former captain of his duties was probably something she should have done quite a while ago. That pegasus was even arrogant enough to assume that she had been oblivious to all the wrongs within her guard. Well, today she put him right. Subtle Edge was probably overwhelmed by everything but at least she knew that he would soon grow into a better captain than duke Nightfall ever was.

About the stolen weapon she didn’t really worry much. It was indeed a powerful artefact but there was no pony alive besides her and her sister who could even wield it. No, it wasn’t the fact that the weapon had been stolen that worried the princess, it was the fact that she didn’t know if there was something else missing. The content of the vault had been locked away for a reason. Some of those artefacts were sinister, dated back to a time when “Malevolence” still roamed free or even had a will of their own. The possibility of a powerful unicorn in the possession of such an item was unsettling on its own but what really sent shivers down the princess’ spine was the fact that some of the artefacts were designed to impose their creator’s will on the user.

Even though a lot of vicious wizards took great joy in imbuing their more powerful creations with their will it had also been practice among their honourable counterparts. Starswirl the bearded for example knew that his time was limited and so he decided to let others continue his legacy. Of course he used a rather subtle kind of manipulation instead of forcing his ideals on others. Ponies who came in contact with his artefacts became more curious and even started to scrutinize things they had always taken for granted. Still, no matter how subtle the influence, meddling with another ponies mind was something Celestia wouldn’t tolerate.

While studying some of the rather harmless imbued artefacts was entirely possible if one obtained special permission, the dangerous ones were never to be studied; Celestia made herself very clear on that. Considering that even Starswirl crafted his share of devastating artefacts, one couldn’t even fathom the terror emanating from those which were crafted by Sombra at the peak of his power (4). As soon as Luna’s mind stumbled upon his name her thought process came to an immediate halt. It had been millennia since “Malevolence” were vanquished but simply thinking about one of them was enough to make her blood run cold. No, there was no reason to brood over them any longer…

Luna shook off the thoughts about the distant past and focused on the present again. Dawn would break soon and therefore it was time to lower the moon and inform her sister about everything that transpired during her rest. Luna was sure that Celestia wouldn’t be pleased but right now there was nothing she could do other than trusting the guards to do a good job. Even though the most important quality for a princess was to have faith in her subjects Luna was still not comfortable in delegating every little task.

While her sister learned to rely on others and now saw it as their duty to guide her subjects in the times of need, Luna still had a hard time to leave matters in the hooves of others. It wasn’t a lack of trust but the simple thought of sitting idle when she could have tried to chase down the culprit herself that made her feel so uneasy. Of course it wasn’t her intention to make ponies depend solely on their powers but shouldn’t there be times when a princess was supposed to intervene? How did her sister manage to keep her calm when the outcome was never certain?

Well, nopony could deny that the world went through a lot of changes in Luna’s absence. Equestria was no longer in need of their warrior-princesses, for the true threats of this world had already perished. Ponies wanted a wise and caring ruler who was able to sort out their internal problems and therefore Celestia had to fill that role. Giving up on her sword was certainly not easy but through time the fiery force of righteousness, Celestia, turned into a gentle guiding figure. Descending the stairs in order to meet up with her sister for breakfast Luna mused about her own future. Was time really all it took? Would a few centuries be enough to invoke the same changes in her? Or would she stay a warrior at heart forever?

Author's Note:

(1)...Eyuup, those names don't sound very pony-ish but there is a reason for that and I'll provide the explanation in a future chapter
(2)...Unicorns aren't part of the nightguard due to the fact that spellcasters aren't very subtle and that a lot of spells require to have a target.
(3)...A spell that temporarly prohibits talking about something the target has agreed upon.
(4)...Not like the rather weak and easily beaten Sombra who reappeared with the crystal empire.
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