Part II
: click :
“Continuation of Twilight Sparkle’s second interview with Midnight Wind. Although... we really don’t have to do this, Midnight.”
“No, no, I want to continue, Twilight... I really do. I just had to... regain my composure.”
:sigh:
“Neskaza Lunee... I am ashamed.”
“Ashamed? Why is that?”
“A wampir... especially a nocferratan should never cry.”
“Midnight...”
“I am a warrior. Tears are not for warriors.”
: silence :
“Tears are for all of us.”
: silence :
“They show that we care. That we are not indifferent. That we love.”
: silence :
“And... I see that you loved her very much...”
: sigh :
“I did... You are right... Tears show how dear iaa dilece was for me...”
“’My beloved’?”
“Yes. My beloved. Iaa Waesper Strumiene. My Dusk Stream.”
“That’s a beautiful name. What was she like?”
“Her name was doing her justice. She was as mysterious as the first colors of night... and yet as joyful as the cold water of a mountain spring, wandering playfully amongst the rocks...”
“You describe her in such a unique way...”
“She was one of a kind, yes...”
: silence :
“I am sure Immaculate Moon found her worthy and took her amongst the stars, Midnight...”
: silence :
“I believe so too. Nevertheless... those words bring me great calm... Especially for they are coming from you. Thank you, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Don’t mention it, Midnight. I am glad that I can just be here for you.”
“You help more than you think, Twilight...”
: silence :
“Well...”
: sniff :
“...I guess I wasn’t ready for everything after all. That’s one way to start an interview.”
“Yeah...”
“We can move on now.”
“Alright. Maybe... maybe you can tell us something about your parents and relatives? I spotted a few questions about the Midnight Family in general.”
“Oh, certainly. Where to start... We are one of the ruling Families, as I mentioned before. We live in Iug u Maednoc, Mountain of Midnight, one of the Seven Mountains located in the northern part of Noctraliya.”
“I see. And your Lord? You said previously that you are his distant relative.”
“Yes. Honored Lord Midnight Eye. If I recall correctly from checking in the Family’s archives, his grandfather and my great-grandfather from my father’s side were brothers.”
“Ah, I understand. And... does your family have a ‘specialty’ of some sort? I remember you mentioned last time that the Shade Family has a substantial number of builders, for example.”
“I did say that, but you also might remember that Family affiliations do not put us all in one, specific caste.”
“Of course.”
“Still, Midnight Family is known for having the most chroniclers and historians.”
“Ah, so members of the “priesthood”, no?”
“Precisely. My father, Midnight Whisper, happens to be an archivist.”
“But you, yourself, ended up in the warrior caste. Like your grandfather, if I remember correctly, right? You mentioned him fighting in the last war.”
“That is correct. News about me being picked for the army were received by my mother with a measure of dread. But she got over it after some time.”
“And who is she?”
“Her name is Garnet Hoof. She is a caretaker and, might I add, a most lovely mare.”
“Oh? She is a manual worker then, being a caretaker?”
“She cuts gems for the local mine, yes. I always enjoyed watching her work, I have to admit. She is very meticular.”
“I think you mean ‘meticulous’, Midnight?”
“Oh, yes, my bad.”
“It’s fine. But, wait a moment, her name suggests she isn’t from a ruling family. Is that an issue? Your father married to a pony from a... lesser house, I guess one could say?”
“She is from a local lesser lineage, yes. It is not a socially unacceptable or awkward thing. Although...”
“Yes?”
“The Lord of the Family can step in and object to such a relationship, having in mind the “purity” of the noble line, but it is a practically abandoned convention nowadays.”
“Hmmm... Was that, throughout the history, a way of making sure that the Lord’s descendants have a proper lineage, without the addition of lesser blood, by any chance?”
“Pretty much, yes. A couple of famous cases I read about. And then, there was this situation lately...”
“Oh? Did a Lord stop a marriage?”
“Yes. Azure Mist, the haspadre of the Mist Family.”
“What happened?”
“Her son wanted to marry a lowborn mare from their peak. And I think he didn’t take into consideration that, in the Covenant, his mother is known as the most stalwart keeper of tradition. Or maybe he thought that she will suddenly change her mind when it comes to some customs. Foolishness.”
“So she said ‘no’.”
“If only that.”
“Was she that angered with him?”
“An understatement. I don’t know the details, but... there was a rather grand turmoil within the Mist Family, after Azure Mist confronted her son. Strong acts, even stronger words. A rebellion became stirring, that’s what the news said.”
“An open conflict between them?”
“It was close to an uprising, yes. The entirety of Noctraliya was keeping an eye on the peak of Mist Family. But, not two days after the rift began to emerge, the mare that was the cause of the instability... disappeared.”
: silence :
“... what do you mean?”
“Ewanecee w opari. ‘Vanished in mists’ as we say.”
: silence :
“Wait, are you actually saying...?”
“That she got murdered? Well, let me put it in perspective... and explain that saying of ours properly at the same time. Azure Mist leads the majority of her Family in the noble art of subterfuge.”
“... by Princess Celestia...”
“It does not mean that the worst have occurred. To take the life of another noctral, personally or not, is considered one of the greatest crimes and sins, scarcely ever justifiable.”
“So... you think that the mare actually lives?”
“No telling.”
“But what is the general opinion? Do you all think that Azure Mist ordered her killed?”
“The haspadre is more clever than that. To make a blatant example out of the pitiable mare at the cost of her own good name was never her intention.”
“So, what did she do?”
“The uncertain fate of her son’s beloved is a trump card for her still. She gave him hope that the mare is still alive. So he remains obedient... for if he shall act against his mother...”
“... he will seal his love’s fate... That... that is...”
“Abominable, if quite clever. Officially, of course, Azure Mist had nothing to do with the disappearance and she simply convinced her son that this marriage wasn’t a good idea. But we all know what is really happening. Also, even if there is no evidence, there are rarely coincidences occurring if the Mist Family is somehow involved. And especially if there is no evidence...”
“... the Covenant must have done something about all of this.”
“Well, the remaining haspadri expressed their grand displeasure with the situation. Although there were, and still are, voices heard that the quick-thinking of Azure Mist stopped a looming rebellion within the Mountain of Mist, which would be an undesirable turn of events. Not to mention considered treacherous.”
“And what did the Lords decide after they agreed that Azure Mist’s actions were too severe?”
“Nothing.”
: silence :
“I don’t understand.”
“This whole situation is an inside matter of the Family and Azure Mist has every right to conduct actions as she pleases. Nopony may object, as long as those acts are within the boundaries of her peak and the Mist Family territory. Noctrali under her rule must also remain obedient, no matter her decisions. And they did.”
“But... but...”
“Also, her deed wasn’t a blatant attack on the interests of Noctraliya, nor was it an act considered blasphemous against the Immaculate Moon... Those two situations allow other Families to intervene. Even if this particular decision was met with critique and animosity, it was neither of those cases.”
“... I question this.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“This is wrong.”
“It is, I agree. In my opinion, no matter what the haspadre shall make her son believe, the mare is dead. Both the Immaculate Moon... and the Judging Sun shall remember this. Especially considering that the ill-fated soul didn’t do anything wrong, her only ‘sin’ was falling in love with the son of a Lord.”
“That’s not what I meant! Nopony did anything about this, aside from a faint ‘expression of displeasure’ from your Covenant?! Think about this for a second! Think about the poor family who lost a daughter!’”
“What would you expect us to do, Twilight?”
“I don’t know! Something! You can’t just leave it like this!”
“Would it be better for us to break the precepts that kept our country running through centuries? Go to war over one life, even if it was unjustly extinguished, yet of which we have no certainty, breaking all the rules our society formed in order to preserve peace?”
“No! I mean...”
“Justice shall be served. In this life, or the next. The Immaculate Moon... shall see to it.”
“... this...”
: sigh :
“... this interview is... harsh, so far...”
“Agreed... Do you need a break...?”
“Yes. I very much do.”
: click :
***
: click :
“Twilight Sparkle’s second interview with Midnight Wind, recording recommencing after a short pause…”
“Are you alright, Twilight?”
: sigh :
“Yes... I am. I’m sorry, I just... had to go outside. I needed a breath of fresh air.”
“I acknowledge that the atmosphere got a bit... dense.”
“Yeah... there are just... a lot of things I don’t understand about your country and your kind. And a lot of those I find... disturbing.”
“I do understand you. Or...at least I am trying to fully understand. But, I told you already, Twilight. We are who we are. We are noctrali. With all our virtues and vices. And we shall not feel ashamed by it. I...”
: silence :
“I won’t feel ashamed by it.”
“Midnight?”
“I... Let us just go on with the interview, alright?”
“Is something wrong...?”
“Let us move on... Please...”
: sigh :
“Very well. We know about your parents. Do you have any siblings?”
“I don’t.”
“Is that uncommon? Actually, let me ask a general question. How are your families shaped usually?”
“A typical noctraliu household is composed of parents and one, two children. Three happens sometimes. More than that is extremely rare.”
“Why would that be? Oh... wait. Food is influencing that, yes?”
“Correct. Our numbers, throughout the history, are quite stable. Population booms occurred only when we found new, more efficient ways of land cultivation. We just know that we cannot expect to possess too many offspring, for we wouldn’t be able to feed them.”
“So it is a custom that was developed due to this situation... Do remind me to ask you something when we get to the part of the interview concerning your lands, alright?”
“Of course.”
“Now, I had a question here...”
: paper flick :
“Ah, here it is. ‘How did you get your cutie mark?’ Signed: CMC.”
“CMC?”
“Cutie Mark Crusaders.”
“Wait... those three little fillies without their marks running around the place, by any chance?”
“Precisely. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, who is Rarity’s sister and Apple Bloom, Applejack’s sister.”
“Ah, so those are their names. I spotted them spying on me once before.”
“Oh?”
: giggle :
“Why would they spy on you?”
“I was patrolling the town one night, trying to find an efficient way around for future sentries. They were always behind me, around one corner or another. And they had a surprising amount of equipment. Binoculars and all...”
: giggle :
“Maybe they decided to become vampire hunters?”
“They weren’t doing a particularly good job when it comes to a stealthy approach. Also, it was kind of late. Do you allow your children to stay up so long?”
“No, but nothing surprises me when it comes to this trio...”
: snicker :
“Why the laughter now, Twilight?”
“I came to think they might have just wanted to see Midnight at midnight.”
: silence :
“Sorry, couldn’t help it.”
: giggle :
: sigh :
“Well, they could have just approached me, I would have answered at least some of their questions.”
“Would you approach a vampire?”
“A ‘nice and kind’ one like me?”
: giggle :
“So, how did you earn your cutie mark? It looks like three leaves blown in the wind and the Moon above them…”
“That is exactly what that is. Many members of my Family possess the bright, midnight sign of the Immaculate Moon… for obvious reasons. And I earned it during my stay with the warrior caste, as you might guess.”
“Finding your place amongst the community.”
“Yes, like all of our young ones. I, personally, wanted to try myself in the advanced flying and scouting training while I was with the warrior caste. I felt that I might be good at it.”
“I see. It involves more than just the knowledge about techniques of dealing with mountain winds, no?”
“Precisely. Knowing how to fly amongst the peaks and fight snowstorms is a common thing among the noctrali, since we all go through that training. But the wampiri in our military forces know how to use those strong and unpredictable gales for tactical advantage. I cannot tell the details, though. Caste rules.”
“Of course! Understandable. But, you found out that you are really good at executing those techniques, yes?”
“Yes, I turned out to be a particularly crafty flier. I am not the fastest, but I know, intuitively, how to position myself so that the air movements affect me minimally.”
“And that is how you ended up with the cutie mark.”
“Correct, it was during one of the training sessions, when a particularly strong wind was blowing. My supervisor at the time, after seeing me deal quite easily with such a force despite my young age, decided that I shall be fit for active duty after I grow up. So I was assigned to the warrior caste, remained at the barracks, training and taking care of equipment. When I reached adulthood I officially became a scout for our peak’s armed forces.”
“And when batponies decided to come back to Equestria, you were chosen for the Nightguard, is that right?”
“Yes. Although it involved a lot more than just a random selection, like you made it sound.”
“Oh, no, that wasn’t my intention.”
“Fine then.”
“So, I think this answers the Crusaders’ question pretty well, thank you. It is amazing how early you assign your children to fill social roles.”
“Tradition. It makes them feel needed and teaches them that they are an important part of Noctraliya and our society in general. Actually, if I might express my opinion...”
“Sure!”
“I think if you had a similar assignment system in Equestria, those little ones would already have their marks. They look old enough.”
“Perhaps. But don’t say stuff like that to them. They might decide on going on a trip to join one of the castes, or something.”
“I do not see it ending well...”
: giggle :
“I will be sure to stop them, don’t worry. Another question: ‘If we can call you Midnight, how would we need to call other members of your family, if you all share that part of your name?’ Signed by Roseluck.”
“Oh! Of course, a logical question. Let me explain. In Noctraliya you never abbreviate names, it is considered impolite.”
“So you always have to use somepony’s full name?”
“Exactly. Or, when talking to an elder or someone of revered status, you would need to say, for example... Oc u Rodine Maednoc. ‘Eye of Family Midnight’.”
“So, Midnight Eye, your Lord.”
“Yes. This is the most polite form, used as a sign of respect in conversations and letters.”
“Alright. But, if it is considered unkind to say just ‘Wind’, or ‘Midnight’, why do you want to be called in that way?”
“I spotted that Equestrians sometimes do that amongst friends. And when you wanted me to call you just ‘Twilight’...”
“Oh? Oh! Of course, Midnight!”
“There, you see?”
: laughter :
“Now, I have some little questions here... for example: ‘What is your favorite color and why black?’ Singed: Lyra Heartstrings.”
: chuckle :
“Is she prejudiced? I actually like dark blue the most.”
“Another: ‘What do you like to do in your free time?’ Signed: Aloe.”
“Nowadays, I spend my time learning about Equestria. Since I shall be stationed around Ponyville permanently...”
“Do you enjoy reading in general then? You seem to know a lot from chronicles and history tomes.”
“I do, yes. I guess it is thanks to my father. He showed me that knowledge can be a real asset. But I also spend a lot of hours practicing flying.”
“I presume that it wasn’t your talent alone that got you amongst the Nightguard, but a lot of training as well.”
“A correct presumption.”
“So, are you able to fly as silently in Equestria as you claimed batponies can?”
“In this aspect, I am definitely a mythical vampire, yes.”
: giggle :
“Good to know. Ah, Fluttershy wants to know if you have any pets.”
“No, I don’t. Although I wouldn’t mind one. We often keep bats around.”
“For communication, you told me that. Message carriers.”
“Correct. But we grow fond of them so I guess they would fall under ‘household animals’ by your standards. We also have a number of bat-handlers amongst our warrior caste.”
“Oh? Are the bats used in other ways in your armed forces?”
“Not allowed to say.”
“Oh, right, caste regulations. Sorry.”
“No worries.”
“I think that is all of the questions regarding you personally that I had for tonight, really. Would you like to share something more before we go on a break?”
“No, I need to have those tiny bits of privacy left.”
: giggle :
“Alright then, time for a break.”
“Fantastic! I got thirsty and there are delicious apples waiting for me.”
“Then let me quickly switch the recording off. We know already how loud you can get whilst drinking and we wouldn’t want to gross everypony out again, hmmm?”
“Tell me again, why am I even talking with you?”
: laughter :
: click :
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I approve of this.
4203218
More than glad, friend.
Would be interesting at the end of this if both Twilight and Midnight fell for each other... I bet that would send some shockwaves throughout his homeland... but that's just me and I like some of the Romance stories between the mane 6 and OC's.
This is really good.
4204002
Only thing I can suggest is staying for more, you know...
4204026
Thank you, trying my best...
I am shipping twilight and midnight, it's just too good!
4263099 me too!
4263099 I support this idea.
Wow, I'm not quite sure I can see Equestria getting along well with a nation that tacitly approves the casual murder of innocents... I wonder if Luna knows.
7093342
I'm imagining Luna's reaction...flying to Noctraliya, smashing through a wall, and forcing Miss Mist to either lie to her very goddess, or admit to murder....
Are we gonna see anything come from this? Maybe in one of the later stories? I REALLY wanna know what happened to her.
9339448
You have an entire "journey" ahead of you, friend.
It's at this point that the rot at the heart of batpony society becomes clear. The end-point of their fanatical and self-destructive adherence to a doomed system is a mother casually murdering her son's lover out of spite, and the common consensus is that it was the right thing to do.
9700925
Hah, glad to see such emotions.
I wonder how Luna, their very goddess in the flesh, would react if she was told about what was done to that mare and the son. Either the mother would have to lie directly to her goddess, or admit to cold blooded murder just to spite her son. Either way, shit needs to get unfucked and fast.
11864238
Glad to see another person diving head first into the convoluted problems of Noctraliya. Welcome!