Chap. 11 - A Hero of Legend and History
Genealogy - (or The Mating Habits of Nocturnes Pegasi)
A Hero of Legend and History
“It’s getting quiet out there.” Silver Spoon remained with her trembling head carefully against the library storeroom door, listening intently to the tiny squeaks and rustling noises that indicated somepony still out in the main library room. “Do you think they’re going to leave?”
“No,” whispered back Diamond Tiara despite her chattering teeth. “Something keeps moving around. And I hear voices.” She shifted positions in the dark library storeroom and tried to press her ear closer to the door. “Do you think being eaten hurts? I don’t—”
“Thank you for coming to the library, Princess Luna, and leaving all of your guards and witnesses outside.
“That’s the Evil Spawn that’s been nesting here,” hissed Diamond Tiara. “She’s captured the Princess?”
“We’re doomed,” moaned Silver Spoon.
“As your Princess of the Night, I demand to know why you have lured… invited me up to this room, and caused me to send my Guards away, including Twilight Sparkle who is no longer in the library.”
“It is the Princess,” whispered Diamond Tiara in a panic. “What’s she doing here? Doesn’t she know that thing is an Evil Spawn?”
“Look into my eyes, Princess, and you will find your answer there. Deeper. Deeper. You are now under my control, I am your master now!”
“Oh no. Your will is so much stronger than mine. I am at your mercy. Help. Help. Can somepony save me?”
“Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh!” Silver Spoon danced from one hoof to another, the little clicks of her hooves echoing around the pitch-black library storeroom. “The Spawn has the Princess! We’ve got to do something! We have to save her!”
“How? We’re just little fillies, she’s an Evil Spawn!”
“Yes, Princess. I’m holding you helpless in my mental grasp. It is too bad you did not keep one of your faithful guards about, for if I were distracted by even the smallest attack, I would be unable to control you. Now I will feed you to my horde of Evil Spawn children and they will take over the world! Bwahahahaha!”
“Oh help! Help!”
“We’ll save you, Princess!” Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon came bursting out of the library storeroom with fake cardboard wings from their disguise flapping in their wake, flinging themselves headlong at the charcoal-grey mare threatening Princess Luna. Silver Spoon wrapped herself around one foreleg and began to viciously bite, putting many thousand bits worth of costly orthodontic work at risk, while Diamond Tiara charged forward at full speed, proving that expensive jewelry, when impacting into the chest area, hurts like a (censored) for both parties of the collision.
“Run, Princess! Run!” Diamond Tiara bucked viciously at the unoccupied foreleg of Lamina, catching her painfully right above the knee.
“Ouch! You little pest! Grab them! Grab them NOW!”
“I don’t know,” said Pumpernickel, dressed in the formal Night Guard uniform and standing casually off to one side of the fight by the dressmaker’s dummy. He could not help but smile, watching the struggle with no small amount of pleasure. “Are you sure they’ve learned their lesson yet?”
“Get them off me you IDIOT!! Yaaahhh!!” Laminia gave off a piercing scream as Silver Spoon sank her expensive teeth solidly into a soft spot on her leg.
“Very well,” said Pumpernickel, sweeping down on where the two fillies had tackled Luna’s Hoofmaiden and tucking one under each powerful wing.
“Aaaahhh! Help! They’re gonna eat us! Twilight, do something!” Diamond Tiara blinked as she looked down into the library. “Twilight? Apple Bloom? Scootaloo? What are all of you doing here?”
Arrayed in a stunned circle at the bottom of the stairs and looking up at the Night Pegasi and Luna were all three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Each of them had an uncomfortable, responsible-looking pony standing behind them, although none seemed to be a parent. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were flanked by Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and a very sleepy looking Rarity, who still had parts of a mud mask on her face. In addition, there were an extremely irate looking Filthy Rich and Sterling Silver, both of whom were wearing an indigo-colored magical zipper across their mouths as they looked on their captured children with identical When-We-Get-Home expressions of impending doom.
Off to one side, Twilight Sparkle was silently scribbling notes, and Spike was gazing up at Princess Luna with a look of awestruck wonder. Rounding up the collection were several of the Royal Guard, all with their most serious faces on (even if they did look just the slightest bit amused). With all the chests holding the various Books of Tradition crowding the library main floor, it was just a little crowded.
Diamond Tiara stammered at the sight of her audience. “You mean—we aren’t going to be eaten? But what about the egg, Princess? Princess Luna!” The filly’s eyes got really big and she promptly pointed downstairs. “They made me do it!”
The Princess of the Night chuckled in a dark and very Spawn-like way. “Oh, how things never change. Little foals, what did you think…” She slowed to a halt and glared at Pumpernickel. “My trustworthy and loyal guard. Do you think I would like to speak to these little foals faces, instead of their other ends?”
“Oh! Sorry, Your Highness.” Pumpernickel turned around so the foals trapped under his wings pointed in the proper Royal direction.
“As I was saying, did you honestly think my trusted Nocturne actually hatched from eggs?” This set off a chaotic exchange of denunciations, accusations, charges and counter-charges between the five foals, culminating in Princess Luna getting in the last word. “SILENCE”
The Princess glared at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, trembling under Pumpernickel’s wings.
“You two little fools hath made us most vexed. First, you did spread the most malicious of rumours about my beloved creations. You then did lie to your friends, and did encourage them to take unneeded risks.
“Still, there are extenuating circumstances. You did take great care of the ‘egg’ when you found yourself in its possession, and even in your darkest hour and confronted with your greatest fear, you did not wish it to come to harm. In addition, the both of you placed yourselves at personal risk to save your Princess from what you perceived as a deadly threat.”
“Well, I—”
“SILENCE! The mercy you have earned from your honorable acts shall only reduce the punishment you so justly deserve. I hereby sentence you to—School.”
“Nooo!!” screamed Diamond Tiara, and paused. “What?”
Princess Luna smiled thinly. “We are fully aware of the need for an apology and forgiveness after transgressing against somepony. You may be assured forgiveness for these actions in my eyes, but only after you have served my punishment. You must permit my Hoofmaiden to educate you in what it means to be one of my Nocturne, and the Traditions of their clans.”
“No,” screamed Silver Spoon. “She’s gonna lay eggs in our bodies and we’re going to have Evil Spawns hatch out of—” The filly’s tirade cut off with a sudden Ooof as Pumpernickel tightened his wing around the frightened earth pony.
“That is not quite what I meant.” Luna sat down and gestured at the fillies. “You spread these debasing and degrading rumours about my Nocturne out of ignorance. Part of your punishment shall be for my loyal Night Guard and my Hoofmaiden to teach you about their history.” A subtle side-glance passed the intent for the lesson not to be personal history, but family history. “And in addition, the seven of you little foals shall labor for the next week at the behalf of Twilight Sparkle in her task of studying the history of the Night Pegasi.”
The faint scratching sounds of Twilight’s pen suddenly stopped. “Princess Luna? There’s only five little fillies here.”
“No, Twilight Sparkle. I am entirely correct.” The icy teal eyes of Princess Luna tracked to stare relentlessly at Laminia and Pumpernickel. “Of all ponies, these two little foals should have known better that to spread such rumours about their own kind.
Pumpernickel gave a nervous swallow, only relaxing microscopically when Luna turned her cold gaze to look down in the library at the four suddenly nervous Royal Guards. “And you four. Am I to believe my trusted Royal Guard have gotten so slipshod in their work that not only one, but two vicious assailants penetrated your security screen and assaulted my Hoofmaiden in front of my nose? For your punishment, you too shall be placed on leave for the next week, and shall labor at the sides of the two foals who did make you to look as such fools. Perhaps you can learn from them. Pumpernickel, release them please.”
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon hit the floorboards with a thump, and scurried off to rejoin their fathers, trailing the battered remains of their battered Night Pegasi disguises. The wires of Diamond Tiara’s signature tiara stuck out in all directions and were lightly stained red with the glory of combat, while Silver Spoon nervously paused by Laminia to spit out a hefty chunk of grey fur and futilely attempted to patch it back onto the bare spot on her leg.
“Now,” said Luna. “Since the five of you adults accept responsibility for the actions of your little troublemaking charges, it seems only appropriate for you to labor at their side this week, does it not?” Both Filthy Rich and Sterling Silver nodded, followed reluctantly by Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and lastly Rarity (although it might have just been her dozing off).
“Good.” Princess Luna nodded firmly. “I shall make arrangements for a support staff to arrive tomorrow morning, bright and early, to assist Twilight Sparkle with making copies of the Books. I anticipate it to take slightly less than a week. We expect all of you here at that time to begin serving your sentence. But first—” She turned to the stunned Night Pegasi. “I would like a sample of what you plan on teaching the young ones. The both of you are well-versed in your history. Please regale us with a story.”
“Now?” Pumpernickel tried his best to hold a stoic guard face while his mind paged through the foals stories he had memorized as a colt.
Memri and the Blazing Inferno? No. The Frog and the Moonwell? No. The Sleeping Princess? No. The Princess and the Bean? Oh Heavens no, far too embarrassing. The Prince of Winds? How would she react?
“Princess, allow me.” Laminia stepped forward and bowed. “This was always one of my favorites when I was a foal, even if it is wrong.”
The Cycle of Day and Night
Once upon a time, there were two regal sisters who ruled Equestria together, and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the warm sun at dawn, while the younger brought out her beautiful moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies.
But as time went on, the younger sister grew sad. The ponies relished and played in the rather plain day her elder sister brought forth, but were too tired to appreciate her beautiful night.
One fateful day, the younger unicorn decided to keep her beautiful stars and moon in the sky so that all the ponies would be able to see and appreciate their glory. When the little ponies woke up and went outside, they were amazed at what they had missed. Many of the ponies went to the younger Princess and asked her how they could stay awake at night to appreciate her beautiful sky. In her joy, the younger unicorn blessed these ponies with many gifts: Glowing golden eyes so they could see in the dark nights, strong wings so they could play among her beautiful stars, and soft silken coats the same color as her own.
The elder sister grew jealous of the attention her ponies were paying to her sister, and their newfound joy for her beautiful night. She tried to force her blazing sun into the sky and drive the beautiful moon and stars of her sister away before all ponies could appreciate and grow to love them. The younger sister fought, but the older sister was too strong for her. In desperation, she drew upon the powers that both sisters were supposed to share, but even there her elder sibling struck first, using their powers to imprison the younger sister forever in her beloved moon.
Realizing what she had done, and being deep in grief for her beloved younger sister, the elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon, and has ruled Equestria ever since. The ponies that loved her sister all went their separate ways; The Earth ponies passed into the ground and caused the most beautiful of flowers to blossom during the nights, the Unicorns dissolved into magic itself, causing the fireflies and stars to sparkle, and the moon to glow at night, but the Pegasi felt sorry for the elder sister, and pledged themselves to her protection.
From that time on, we Night Pegasi have shouldered the responsibility of guarding Princess Celestia and protecting all of Equestria from danger, until Princess Luna returns from her exile and resumes her proper place as our Queen.
“I… see,” said Princess Luna, blinking a bit. “Your history seems to be… slanted somewhat in my favor.”
Laminia jerked her chin up to meet Princess Luna’s hesitant gaze. “It is as I was taught, as a foal, from the very Book of Tradition that lies within this room.”
“Very well. Pumpernickel, do you have a story you were taught that you may share?”
There was a shade of carefully hidden desperation in the look the Princess cast at him. He swallowed, looking down into a sea of attentive eyes (and Rarity) and nervously began:
The Very Lonely Pegasus
Once upon a time there was a loving pegasus family who were expecting a foal. The mother pegasus had a beautiful light blue coat with flowing yellow mane and eyes of the deepest violet, and she hoped her little foal would look like her. The father pegasus was a light creamy white with sky-blue mane and eyes of sapphire-blue, and he also hoped the foal would look like him.
“Hey Scootaloo, that sounds like--”
“Shh! I’m trying to listen.”
When the foal arrived, both parents were shocked. Instead of their colorful coats and manes, the little colt had a coat of charcoal-grey, and a mane of deepest violet; instead of their feathered wings, he had membranous wings much like a dragon. But that was not the worst of their surprise, for when his parents looked into his tiny little eyes, they were the deep golden color of freshly-minted bits, and slanted as if they belonged to a cat.
Well, the parents loved their little one deeply and tried to raise him as best they could, but they always knew he belonged elsewhere. And the colt knew it too, from the questions he asked. Why don’t I have colorful coats like the other pegasi? Why don’t I have feathered wings? Why am I so sleepy in the day and awake at night? Why do they all look at me that way? Did I do something wrong?
He was so very lonely, and had no friends. So when his parents heard of a family of pegasi just like him in the city of Canterlot, they brought him to meet them, and oh, what fun they had. He played with the other dark-colored pegasi all night long, and when the night was over, they all cuddled together to sleep away the day. His parents loved him very much, but when they saw how well he fit with the other pegasus family, they agreed to let him stay there.
His new family taught him all about his history, how a beautiful and mysterious Princess named Luna created the Night Pegasi many centuries ago, and entrusted them to guard the kingdom while all the rest of the ponies slept. She gave them their beautiful golden eyes so they could see any dangers in the dark, their strong dragon wings so they would be able to fly faster and farther than any feathered pegasus, and last she gave them a bit of her beautiful dark coat and mane, so they all would reflect her beauty to any who saw them.
The lonely pegasus wanted to show just how much he appreciated the gifts he had been given, so when he grew up, he applied to become a Royal Guard, so he too could guard the kingdom. Guard training was rough, for there were many ponies who wanted to join, but only a few positions opened up every year. He worked very, very hard, and before he knew it, he had graduated and was appointed to guard Princess Celestia herself.
But something still troubled him.
Now he had many new friends in both the Day and Night Guard, so he was not lonely. He had a new family who loved him and appreciated him, so that was not it. He had a purpose in his life where he contributed to the safety and security of all ponies, but that was not it either.
Then one day, something wonderful happened. Princess Luna, who had created the Nocturne so many centuries ago, returned. All of the Night Pegasi were excited, and more than a little shocked. She had only existed in stories and legend for so long that many of them were not happy. They said, ‘Our Luna was Princess Celestia’s sister? Why did she not tell us? Did she not trust us?’
The Guard was very happy, and did not question the Princess, but went straight to her and begged to become one of Princess Luna’s Royal Guards. And to his great joy, Princess Celestia granted his request.
Now he was finally happy, because he was able to thank Princess Luna for the wonderful gifts she had given her children so many centuries ago.
“Is that it?” asked Scootaloo?
“Yeah, didn’t he find a very special somepony?” Sweetie Belle looked sad, and suddenly perked up. “Maybe we could find a very special somepony for him.”
“Yeah, that’s a great — Ouch!” Apple Bloom rubbed the top of her head and glared at her sister. “What’d ya go and do that for?”
“‘Cause we’re still paying off that ring from the last time you three decided to play Cupid,” snapped Applejack.
Link: Foals Tales from the Book of Tradition - A History of the Night Pegasus
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Huh, somehow the punishment managed to provide Twilight with all the help she needed to make the copies. Funny how that worked out.
I've been deeply curious about this comment ever since it was originally posted in the other story. Considering that it came immediately after the description of the parents, I'm gonna guess that Pumpernickel is the older brother of a certain Ponyville pegasus.
Heh, I've also been waiting for a response like that to the first story.
1465799
Isn't any history slanted to someone's favor. Usually it is the winner of the battle so in the original version (Celestia's version) it is naturally slanted against Luna. Can't complain.
1465799 3632152 Well, there's slanting in your favor, and then there's coming back from a thousand years of imprisonment for trying to destroy the world, only to find your creations have made your crime out to be some sort of noble sacrifice worthy of hundred foot tall statues and choirs of angels singing hosannas to your glory. (Shades of MIB2 where K retrieves his watch from the bus station locker/other world that has made it into a religious icon)
Pfff wow. Laying it on really thick
And this is the story of how Pumpernickel mooned the Princess of the Moon.
Are those two stories related, by any chance?
It is a slight possibility that this may possibly be slightly redundant, it is. Also, pegasus.