• Published 19th Jan 2013
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The Lunar Rebellion - Chengar Qordath



One hundred years after Luna’s banishment, unrest among the three pony tribes threatens to plunge Equestria into civil war.

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Ascendant Shadows Interlude 1

As had become my habit in recent days, I spent mine afternoon attempting to hammer some basic level of training into our earth pony recruits. Swift might see them as disposable fodder to be used to weaken and overwhelm enemy lines until he could find an opening for our pegasi, but as with many things, I did not agree with his assessment. If a few hours of my time could help our militia conscripts live to fight another day, then it was a worthwhile sacrifice.

I was quite surprised when I saw Sierra rushing towards us at a full gallop—we were supposed to have a truce for the day, so I could not imagine anything urgent had come up. However, judging by the speed of her approach something had gone awry. I quickly moved to meet her halfway—in all likelihood, her news was not something I wanted the entire militia to overhear. “What is it?”

She took a moment to catch her breath, her chest heaving in a way I might have found most delightful under better circumstances. “D-Dusk! Swift ... took Gale.”

“He did what?!” I leaned closer, gripping her shoulders. “Tell me everything that happened. Quickly.”

Sierra nodded, taking a few quick, deep breaths to steady herself. “Swift sent your brother to your tent, along with a dozen of his warriors. The guards you left there couldn’t refuse him, especially since he had written orders from the Avatar as well. I don’t know what Swift has in mind for Gale, but...”

“It cannot be anything good,” I finished the thought. The simple fact that he had taken Gale from my quarters while I was away proved that much—the only reason to steal her away in such a manner was if he knew I would oppose his schemes given the chance. Anything he was so certain I would try to prevent was almost certainly worth stopping.

The two of us rushed to the command tent, but found it empty aside from a few aides. Thankfully, one of them knew the Avatar and the others had gone to the front lines. And that they had brought Gale with them. That boded ill.

In truth, I had hoped to keep Gale far away from the Avatar’s notice. Though I still did not know to what degree the Avatar was my mother rather than Luna, ‘twas plain enough that Lance’s death was still a fresh pain for her. With the rumors that Shadow had not perished in battle, I could not imagine any good reason that the Avatar would have taken her daughter to a place where Shadow would be able to see her. If she meant to murder Gale before Shadow’s eyes in some mad attempt to avenge my sister...

Lance. In truth, I had not e’en been able to truly mourn her passing. There had simply been no time for it when every day it seemed that we stood upon the brink of a new crisis. It would be a poor service to her legacy if I neglected the cause she gave her life for in order to stride through the camp wailing and gnashing my teeth. Especially while villains like Swift abused her name to justify casting aside all that she believed in.

I would not allow it to stand. “Sierra, I need you to assemble as many loyal ponies as you can manage on short notice. Meet me at the frontlines, wherever Swift and the Avatar are.” If I knew the Blade ephor half as well as I thought I did, he would not be hard to find.

Sierra hesitated, frowning as her eyes flicked across the rest of the camp. “Dusk, you cannot intend to start a fight against an Ephor and your own mother for the sake of one prisoner. We must pick our battles if we hope to lessen Swift’s influence.”

“I do not plan on fighting Swift Blade,” I answered with a dry smile as I turned to leave the tent, Sierra falling into step beside me. “I intend to reason with him. I simply think he will be much more amenable to reason if I have a dozen good lances backing me up while we have our friendly discussion.”

Sierra sighed, reluctantly nodding. “I have to agree. And the fact that I agree with that troubles me all the more. What has the world come to when we cannot meet with the leaders of our own army without an armed escort to ensure our safety?”

“With any luck, it will be nothing but pageantry.”

Sierra fixed me with a piercing gaze. “And if we are unlucky? Dusk, surely you realize that Swift is just waiting for an excuse to move against you. We are trying to preserve whatever decency is left within Pegasopolis. Starting a fight with him over Gale is a fool’s errand that will undo all that we have worked for. The army will not support you against Swift merely because you are infatuated with Shadow’s daughter.”

“‘Tis hardly an infatuation,” I groused, “She is fine to look upon, but so are many other mares. And e’en with the current tensions, the captain of the hetairoi has no shortage of comely mares who would enjoy the honor of his company.” Not that I was interested in most of them: I would not want to bed a mare who found my title more interesting than the stallion who carried it.

“Call it what you will, ‘tis still something Swift will try to use against you,” Sierra counseled. “Especially if you stand against him in any matter regarding Gale. Choose your words carefully, for he will try to twist anything you say to his advantage.”

“I never doubted that he would.” I considered mine options for a moment, then shrugged. “I doubted his forked tongue will impress many among the warriors’ ranks. And if he goes too far I can always strike him again and demand juris.”

Sierra sighed and shook her head. “He will have something prepared for that. He might be a fool with only low cunning to distinguish him, but he never forgets a slight. I assure you, he will have some unpleasant surprise prepared for you. Perhaps naming your brother as his champion to force a kinslaying upon you, or he might have convinced his warlocks to stand for him in battle.”

“If he has devised new tactics, then I shall adapt as well.” I shrugged, waving away her words. “That is the way of it, neigh? Moves and counter-moves.”

“Mayhaps.” Sierra agreed reluctantly. “But 'tis also the way of tactics to choose one's battles with care and avoid an unwinnable confrontation.”

“I quite agree.” I turned to her, wearing a confident smirk. “Which is why I fully intend to win this coming battle.” Sierra answered my wit with a flat, unamused look. I sighed and gently placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Sierra, whatever Swift has planned, its implications will reach far beyond Gale herself. If he intends to sacrifice her for more blood magic, do you think we can afford to let him act? What will become of our cause if we allow more executions of prisoners to fuel dark magics?”

Her ears fell. “Not to mention that the enemy will likely retaliate against Ephor Rightly if we continue murdering our own captives.” She closed her eyes, letting out a long, slow breath. “Howe’er, much as I mislike the situation, sacrificing yourself in Gale’s stead will do little to deter Swift in the future.”

“I agree, that would be a terrible plan.” My wingmare blinked in surprise and halted in mid-step, and I continued the thought with a grin. “I have no intention of making a martyr of myself. After all, I can hardly look upon Gale’s fine buttocks if I am dead.” Sierra rolled her eyes and one of her wings halfheartedly swatted out at me. I chuckled and dodged it. “Do not worry so much, Sierra. I am not entering into this blindly.”

Sierra answered me with a weak grin. “I hope not. We have limited time, aye, but it sounds as though you are relying on little more than luck.”

I shrugged, conceding the point. “I admit there will be an element of that to our plan. I do have a few ideas of how we will proceed, but we simply do not have enough information to formulate more than a very basic plan. I will have to improvise the rest of it once I learn what new madness he is plotting. Now, will you meet me there with the soldiers or not?”

“Of course I will,” she assured me. “You might be mad, but you are still my captain and friend.” She grinned at me, though the expression faded quickly. “And e'en if you were not, Swift's atrocities must be stopped.”

I nodded grimly. “Aye. So let us get to the task of stopping him.”


I did not know what I had expected to find upon arriving at the front lines, but the atrocity Swift intended managed to shock and horrify me. He had put our engineers to clearing out an area near the gates to the loyalists’ central redoubt, out of range from any attacks but within clear view of those standing upon the walls. A small honor guard of his clan’s soldiers stood between himself and the enemy gates, though carefully positioned so they would not block anypony’s view. More of his forces lingered in the side tunnels, lying in ambush. However, Swift’s soldiers were not what occupied mine attention.

Gale herself stood in the middle of the clearing, bound and displayed like a trophy. What truly aroused mine ire was not the chains binding her legs and wings, but rather the object Swift had positioned her next to: a whipping post. A quick search of the nearby soldiers revealed one of Swift’s retainers bearing a whip as well.

With a wordless snarl, I stormed up to the Ephor. “What is the meaning of this?” I angrily waved towards Gale and the post. “Stealing my prisoner from my tent like a thief in the night! And dare I ask what madness you intend to inflict upon her?”

Swift, whom I was somewhat pleased to note was only confronting me after two very large clanmates took his back, turned upon me with an unctuous grin. “Oh, I hardly intended to steal her, and in any case she is not your prisoner. She is the army’s; you merely hold her. The Avatar required her presence. You were not in your tent, and it could have taken hours to find you. I trust you know how hard it can be to find one pony from among tens of thousands.” His grin turned poisonously polite. “I took the liberty of retrieving her, and I knew that thou surely wouldst not wish to keep our Commander waiting.”

I glared at the Ephor, barely restraining my choler enough to retain at least the appearance of civility. “And might I know why my mother needs Gale?”

Swift shrugged carelessly. “Considering thou dost insist upon naming her thy prisoner, I suppose there is no issue with thee knowing that she is to be used as bait for her mother.”

“Bait?” I repeated incredulously as I grasped the true foulness of Swift’s scheme. “You intend to torture her to draw Shadow out.”

“I doubt it will go that far,” Swiftly falsely reassured me. “Shadow has already been issued the threat of her daughter's punishment for treason, and I do not see her doing nothing while her daughter is flogged. She will only be hurt if Shadow forces us to act.”

“If she forces you?” I snarled, taking a challenging step forward that caused both of Swift’s guardians to tense. “Neigh, she will not force you, ‘twill be your choice to make. And make it you shall, for I do not think Shadow foolish enough to fall into such an obvious trap.”

Swift chuckled and shook his head. “Thou dost believe Shadow would allow her daughter to be flogged? Even knowing there is a trap? Come now, we both know what type of mare she is.” The smile he gave me dripped condescension. “Or at least, I do. One would have thought your time fostered to her clan would have given you some measure of her as well. If we do have to give Gale a few lashings to draw her mother out, she is strong enough that she should survive them. And if she does nothing while her daughter suffers, it will make Shadow appear weak, heartless, or both. I consider that an acceptable outcome.”

I stared at him for several long moments, trying to grasp how he could speak so casually of performing such monstrous acts. “You truly see nothing wrong with torturing her just to draw Shadow out? Have you no sense of decency?”

The Avatar, who up to this point had seemed content to ignore our discussion as she kept her eyes fixed upon the gates, spared us a brief glance o’er her shoulder at us. “Shadow murdered my daughter. Compared to that, a few stripes on Gale's back is nothing.”

Swift quickly followed the Avatar’s argument. “And 'tis one evil act to save the lives of many thousands. Thou wert one of the ponies who asked us to seek options that would lessen casualties, neigh? Well this is one. I would think thou wouldst be pleased.”

I snarled, shaking my head. “This ... neigh. This is not acceptable. For all your talk of saving lives, the acts you would perform there are dishonorable and cowardly. Not that I expected anything better from you.”

Swift scowled, and his two guardians took a threatening step forward. “Mind thy tongue, Dusk. Such insults could drive me to seek satisfaction from thee. Fortunately, I am gracious enough to allow thy rash words to pass unpunished. This time.” He waved his soldiers off, a smug grin fixed upon his face. “As for Gale, ‘tis a tactic that will help end this war. Probably with little bloodshed, for the Royalists cannot hope to stand without Shadow to lead them.”

“They endured her month-long convalescence well enough,” I countered. “And think upon what effect these actions will have on our own forces.”

Swift waved a hoof as though brushing aside a bothersome insect. “Far fewer of them will die in a cunning ambush than if we threw them against the enemy’s defenses.”

“If any of them remain.” I turned mine attention to the soldiers surrounding the area. Though they were Swift’s own clanmates, I saw more than one set of eyes lingering on Gale and the whipping post. I knew well the signs of soldiers who had resigned themselves to carrying out an unpleasant duty: slumped shoulders and shuffling hooves, and soldiers moving with the slackness of apathy. I turned back to Swift, feeling more confident in the rightness of my cause now that I had seen the private doubts of his own clan. “Unlike you, not all here have forgotten honor. What will good ponies think when they see you torturing a child in front of her mother to gain a tactical advantage? And what happens if Shadow does not come out? Will you make a blood sacrifice of Gale too?”

Swift scoffed. “Sacrificing the Archmagi was necessary to preserve the life of your mother, and to give us a valuable ally.”

I glared at him. “And is this also necessary?”

“It is,” he answered simply. “If thou hast such strong objections to my chosen tactics, then by all means, make your own proposition. I would welcome a better means of winning this war and ensuring the Avatar’s triumph. So tell me, Dusk Charger, what course of action wouldst thou propose? Assaulting the walls, only this time with our best warriors? How many would die to the magi's spells with a frontal assault? Or do you suggest we content ourselves with starving the unicorns out, letting our forces suffer countless months of continued hardship? What happens when the time comes for the harvest, and Equestria’s farmers are still on the frontlines?”

“What I propose,” I snarled out, “Is that we do not sully our names and blacken the reputation of our cause with further atrocities. Have you forgotten that this was a war of honor and decency?”

“This war is aimed at removing the tyrant Celestia,” Swift countered mildly. “Or hast thou forgotten? Certain sacrifices must be made in order to secure the freedom of all Ponykind from the evils of the Sun Tyrant. Tell me, why is it more noble to send a thousand soldiers to die in pointless assaults than to whip a single mare?”

“You speak of removing a tyrant,” I waved towards the enemy fortification, “then use that to justify your own acts of tyranny. Tell me, if we sacrifice all decency, what makes us better than the tyrant we aim to remove?”

Swift sighed loudly, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “We hardly need to use such tactics once the peace has been won, and our liberties preserved. The cruel necessities of war will naturally end alongside the war itself.”

I heard a brief tumult on the perimeter, and a quick glance to the side confirmed that Sierra was approaching with a company of hetairoi and loyal ponies. Their arrival heartened and emboldened me. “You think our actions today will be forgotten once the war is over? All those who suffer because of your ‘cruel necessities of war’ will remember the evils you wrought, e’en after peace is declared. History will judge what you do this day.”

“Yes.” Swift drew himself up, standing as tall and proud as he could. “It will remember me as the one who had the strength of will and character needed to make the difficult decisions required to win this war quickly and decisively.”

“It will remember you as a villain and fool in equal measure,” I snarled. Attempting further reasoning with him was plainly an exercise in futility, so I turned to the only one who could gainsay him: the Avatar. My mother. I was no longer certain which term applied. “You cannot truly approve of this!”

The Avatar glanced back towards me once more. “I did.”

Swift nodded, a triumphant smirk on his face. “Like myself, the Commander knows that wars cannot be won without making sacrifices. You say history will judge us? So be it! Let the scholars of the future debate mine acts: I will rest easy tonight knowing that whate’er might be said of it, mine actions on this day saved lives and ensured the freedom of Equestria.”

It took all my discipline not to do something unwise to the Ephor. Hearing the delusional madness pouring from his lips shook me to the core. “This is no hard choice. You merely think yourself clever and strong-willed for possessing low cunning and a lack of moral compunctions.” Once more I turned my back on him, appealing to my Mother instead. After a moment’s hesitation, I used the strongest argument I could think of. “Lance would never have approved of this.”

The Avatar stiffened at my words, her face becoming an unreadable mask. When she did not immediately answer, Swift continued blathering. “Perhaps not, but she is dead—slain by the pony we now try to ensnare with our trap. This is our chance to avenge her murder.”

“Avenge her?” I snarled, barely restraining the urge to lash out at him. “You defile her memory by using her name to justify this! Just as you betray the memory of all those who have already given their lives by sullying the cause they died for.” One last time, I appealed to the Avatar. “What would Lance want of you? Do you truly believe she would approve of doing this to avenge her death?”

The Avatar turned to face me fully, yet her silence lingered for so long that I was on the verge of repeating my question when she finally spoke. “Let her go.”

The warlock Hidden Facts, who had thus far seemed content to ignore the debate, stepped forward. “Honored Avatar of Luna, surely I misunderstood you. I am quite certain that what you meant to say is—”

The Avatar turned upon him, and for a moment I was heartened to see the familiar fire return to my mother’s eyes. “I said precisely what I meant to. Release her back to Dusk, and take down that ridiculous whipping post. I hardly need such preposterous schemes to draw her mother into battle. Shadow will show herself on the field soon enough; she must if she is to lead the enemy army. When she does, I will strike her down fairly and honorably, as my daughter would have wanted. Let the world see that our cause is right, and justice is on our side.”

Swift blinked in shock, clearly taken aback by my mother’s words. “B-but the plan!”

“I am changing the plan.” She drew herself to her full height, towering over Swift. “You are my second in command. I am sure you are capable of coming up with a new plan, and hopefully a better one than this.” Her horn lit up, and Gale’s bindings came undone.

Swift clenched his teeth so hard I could easily hear them grinding, but he had no recourse. “Aye, of course, Commander.” He spared a hateful glare for me before adding. “I am sure I can come up with something. Something very noble and honorable to turn the tide.”

The warlock proved far more diplomatic in his acceptance. “But of course, honored Avatar. It shall be as you command.”

“Naturally.” She turned her attention fully to me. Despite her altered appearance, in that moment I fancied that I truly saw my mother once more. “Dusk, my thanks to thee for thy wise counsel. I will see to it that when next we move against the enemy, thou shalt have a place of honor on the battlefield. Thou hast surely earned it.”

“I ... thank you, Mother.”

She smiled, then placed a hoof on my shoulder. “Thou shouldst return to the habit of calling me that more often,” she gently chided. “E’er since mine apotheosis, thou hast called me Avatar far more often than Mother. I prefer the latter title more, my son.” Her eyes turned to Gale. “Go to her. Once I have slain Shadow, she will be the leader of the Kickers. If thou canst win her loyalty, we might be able to sunder the clan from my sister’s side.”

Mine answer died in my throat when I heard her name Celestia her sister once more. ‘Twas an all too potent reminder that whate’er her words, the being before me was not wholly my mother. Not anymore. In truth, I did not e’en know who or what she was.

I turned my mind from the matter and stepped o’er to Gale’s side. “Art thou well? I pray Swift’s minions did thee no harm.”

“Nothing significant.” She stretched her wings, rubbing them where the ropes had held her. “Though I am not certain I would say I am truly well. I suppose I am as well as could be hoped after barely escaping a flogging for the mere crime of being my mother’s daughter.” Her eyes turned to me, and there was a curious hesitation in her next words. “It would seem that I am indebted to you. If not for your actions...”

To my surprise, I found myself blushing slightly. “I merely did what any decent pony ought to do under the circumstances.” I took a moment to rally mine usual confidence around mares, then grinned. “Though I suppose if the fair maiden cared to reward her hero with a kiss...”

Gale rolled her eyes. “Surely thou couldst ask for something more reasonable. Perhaps my severed wings? My firstborn?”

I smirked. “I will note that for all thy complaints, thou didst not refuse my request.”

Gale groaned, yet took a step nearer. “Oh very well, if ‘twill discharge the debt...” She leaned forward, and her lips brushed my cheek for the briefest of moments. “There. ‘Tis settled. And do not think ‘twill e’er happen again. If thou wouldst have another kiss of me, then thou must perform another service of equal weight.”

While the kiss had been all too brief, I was still grinning like a fool at the memory of her lips on my skin. “So, thou art saying that thou wouldst consider kissing me again under the proper circumstances?”

I had expected a cutting remark from her, but instead her gaze shifted towards Swift and Hidden, who were in midst of a hushed conversation. “Mayhaps I will, though only if ‘tis thy dying request. Surely thou dost see the vile duo conspiring over there. The Avatar already ordered Swift to make a new plan, and Hidden is a warlock and no doubt the most blackhearted of plotters, given his betrayal of Celestia. And do not forget that you also humiliated Swift in front of his own clan. I doubt all of this means good things for your future. I would suggest finding a way to kill them, and quickly. For I assure you, they are plotting your death e’en as we speak.”

I turned mine own gaze towards the conspirators and grimly agreed with Gale’s assessment. I doubted Swift would allow me to continue undermining his power base without some form of retaliation. I tried to distract myself from the unpleasant reality before me with another jest. “I think I will need another kiss for good luck.”

Much to my surprise, Gale gently cupped my cheeks in her hooves and pressed her lips against mine. I confess, had she not caught me so utterly by surprise, I would have enjoyed the kiss far more than I did. She held my lips for several long moments before slowly breaking it. “That was only because you will need a great deal of luck to survive all the troubles your own idiocy has brought down upon you.” She smirked, slowly turning her back on me. “Try to avoid dying. My lack of disgust for you has almost reached the point where I can tolerate your presence.”

Despite still being quite shocked by the unexpected kiss, I managed to squeak out an answer. “I—I will do my best.”

I stared after her for several seconds, until Sierra strode up to my side, chuckling. “That mare is going to be the death of you, Dusk.”

“Aye,” I agreed, mine eyes affixed to Gale’s swaying rump. “But what a death it will be...”


I remained awake long into the night, poring over our half-finished map and thinking upon how I might deploy my forces in the coming battle. While the Avatar had charged Swift with devising the battle plan, I had no intention of blindly following any plan he wrote. I was quite certain that his battle plan would involve placing me in as much peril as he could without arousing undue suspicion. Since I had no intention of dying, I needed a plan of mine own.

With Gale already resting on her sleeping palette, I had the tent to myself and was quite absorbed in my work. So absorbed, in fact, that I failed to hear somepony entering in my tent until he spoke. “Can you spare a moment, Captain?”

I managed not to jump in surprise, but only barely. Especially when I realized that mine unexpected visitor was the warlock Hidden Facts. I set down my quill and turned to face him, affecting an air of casual calm. “Mayhaps ‘tis different for unicorns, but amongst the pegasi 'tis considered rude to enter a tent without requesting permission first.”

The warlock glanced back at the entrance, then shrugged. “Alas, 'tis rather difficult to knock upon a cloth tent. Though I thought that my request for entrance implied when I asked if you could spare a moment. Since it seems you can...” He stepped fully inside. “Good evening to you. Much as I enjoy our current discussion, I did not come here to debate a point of courtesy. I apologize if any offense was given; ‘twas not mine intention.”

I sighed and nodded, setting aside my work. I could hardly draw up plans to escape whatever trap Swift Blade intended for me while one of his closest allies was in my tent. I reluctantly gestured for the warlock to make himself comfortable, though with a pointed look towards Gale so that he would not disturb her. Unless I missed my guess, she was almost certainly only feigning sleep after the warlock’s arrival, but ‘twould make a good excuse to cut the discussion short. “Very well then. What did you wish to discuss?”

“Ah, straight to business then.” Facts grinned, the low candlelight within the tent causing his smile to resemble the rictus of a skull. “To begin, I thought you would like to know that Swift intends to murder you in the coming battle.” He paused a moment, then amended. “Or rather, not so much murder as place you in a position where the enemy will almost certainly end your life for him. ‘Twould be simple enough to withdraw his forces and leave your flank exposed at a key moment, or some other gambit when the opportunity presents itself.”

Though the news was hardly a surprise given the enmity ‘tween us, having it confirmed still drew mine ire. “He would act so boldly?”

“Swift is quite bold whene’er he thinks the odds are stacked in his favor,” Hidden answered with an uncaring shrug, glancing about my tent with idle curiosity. After several moments, he drew a bottle out from beneath his robes. “Might I offer you something to drink? It’s a lovely vintage; I took it from Polaris’s personal stores. He might have been a pompous fool, but he had excellent taste in wine.”

“My thanks for the offer, but it is a bit late to indulge.” And of course, I was not about to accept a drink from a known turncoat aligned with mine enemies.

“A pity.” Hidden opened the bottle and poured himself a glass. “Perhaps when we execute Polaris, I should turn his skull into a goblet. There is something wonderfully poetic about drinking his wine from his skull.” He sipped his drink. “But back to the matter at hoof. It would be all too easy to blame leaving you in an exposed position on the chaos of the battlefield. Ponies would suspect he acted against you, but Swift believes that so long as there is no proof he has nothing to fear from whispered rumors. And you certainly have earned his ire.”

“Truly? I thought we were well on the path to becoming close friends.” A pity Gale was facing the other direction when I spoke—the smirk on her face would undoubtedly do away with her preposterous charade.

The warlock chuckled, topping off his glass. “But of course you are. We are all friends united by our common cause. Which is why I thought it best to warn you.”

“So you warned me in the spirit of friendship?” I asked, making no effort to conceal my skepticism. The warning was largely superfluous, for I had already suspected he would move against me in some way. More intriguing was why the warlock had come to my tent in the dead of the night to deliver his message.

“I did.” He took a seat, a faint frown playing across his lips. “If we might speak in confidence, I confess that I am growing ... less than wholly satisfied with mine arrangement with Swift Blade. Not only that, but the Avatar is certainly less fond of him now than she was previously, while you stand high in her favor.”

“I am her son,” I answered neutrally. “Though I am curious—I thought you and Swift were working quite closely with one another?”

“Oh, he has no cause to think I am anything less than his most trusted friend.” The warlock’s answer only made me all the warier of him, considering his choice of words. The miniscule, hastily-concealed glint in his eyes did not help matters either. “However, it seems prudent to have more than one friend in this camp. We will have a much easier time of this war if we work together.”

I could read his intentions easily enough. “So you think that your current friend is about to fall from favor then, and seek to ally with somepony who will be in the Avatar's good graces once he is out of power?” I was tempted to scoff—and were it not for the fact I did not know the full extent of his powers, I would have. “It seems your friendship is a matter of politics and convenience.”

“I have found that most friendships are.” He paused, then amended. “A measure of mutual self-interest also helps with such things. Regardless, I think Swift’s defeat is a likely enough possibility that it is sensible to approach you. I wish to be on good terms with the army’s leader, regardless of who that is. I would certainly be a valuable ally, I assure you. Magic is a precious resource, and all the best mages in this army answer to me.”

“If you think a few magical trinkets will buy my loyalty, you are mistaken.” I certainly saw no reason to align myself with Hidden Facts. The warlock had already betrayed Celestia and now aimed to betray Swift as well. That alone made it quite clear how long any arrangement with him would last. “So you want to retain your position in the army if Swift falls? Tell me then, what do you plan on doing with your influence? From what I have heard, magi do not tend to just gain power for its own sake.” Though such behavior was more typical of warlocks.

“Not political power, certainly,” he agreed. “Mages who lust for power prefer to focus on the magical arts rather than other pursuits. As for mine intentions, I would continue to do much as I have thus far: drive forward the war effort in a sensible direction to ensure our ultimate victory.”

“But of course.” I fixed him with a piercing gaze. “And after the war?”

“After the war? Hmm...” He tapped his glass against his chin, deep in thought. “I admit that I am somewhat tempted to follow Sunbeam's example. The positions of archmagus and grand vizier would both suit me, though merely one or the other would suffice. You can be Luna’s warmaster or whatever other post you desire. I am sure she will be most grateful for those who restore her to her rightful throne.”

I cared little for the idea of placing Luna or any other pony upon a throne, but thought it best to continue playing along for the moment. If nothing else, it might prompt Hidden to reveal something of himself. “And what would you do as grand vizier and archmagus?”

Hidden smiled, his countenance once more reminding me of a grinning skull. “Why, I would reform Equestria into a fair and just society under Luna's rule. Starting, of course, with removing some outdated restrictions that are needlessly holding back the progress of magical research.”

“You would legalize black magic.” I sighed and shook my head. “Small surprise, coming from a self-declared warlock.”

Hidden let out a soft, humorless chuckle. “Ah yes, black magic. Warlock. Useful labels, are they not? Tell me, Dusk, what do you know of the forbidden arts?”

“I have had no reason to study them,” I answered neutrally. “As you no doubt noticed, I cannot use magic, black or otherwise.”

“Quite so.” Hidden drained his wineglass. “And yet, you still believe that the forbidden arts are evil and ought to be opposed. Curious, that you are so certain a thing you know nothing about is wicked, isn’t it?” He set his empty glass to the side, his motions somewhat more animated than his previous casual ease. I suspected this was a favorite topic of his. “Who decides what types of magic is dark and forbidden, and what is acceptable? The Queen? The Archmagi? Surely you have seen how fallible both of them are.”

“Perhaps,” I allowed, “but surely you must acknowledge that there are some spells which have no legitimate use.”

To my surprise, he nodded. “But of course. Where I differ from many of my former associates within the magi is on where that line should be drawn. Nopony wants mad necromancers raising armies of the undead to spread chaos and misery across the land, or mindbenders turning entire towns into puppets. However, I do not allow my fear of those risks to blind me to the numerous legitimate uses that currently forbidden spells could offer.” He waved a hoof towards the back of the cave, where we had established a supply dump. “Do you know how many earth ponies we must employ every day to keep our forces supplied? Every single soldier in our army needs at least two pounds of fresh food every day—and ideally more beyond that. All that food must be hauled from hundreds of miles away, each wagon requiring around a week to make the trip from our siege camp to our supply depots. Not to mention travel time from individual farms to our granaries. And of course, all this travel time is limited by the physical capabilities of ponies. They require rest, sleep, food, and other considerations for the weaknesses of the flesh.”

His horn lit up, conjuring an illusionary wagon being hauled by a pair of skeletal ponies. “Now, imagine if we had undead carrying our supplies instead. They never tire, so they could move at a run all day without slowing. They require no sleep, and so could carry on straight through the night. No stopping for food, water, or to relieve themselves. We would only need a quarter of the wagons we use now, because our supplies would arrive far more swiftly.” He waved grandly, encompassing the entire camp. “And that is but one example in one field of study. I do not deny that some magic is dangerous, but the current regime has let fear blind them to so many useful possibilities. We could reshape Equestria into a new, better, wealthier, and happier realm if we only dared to act.” He stood, drawing himself up to his full height. “And so, I shall dare to go where others fear to tread.”

I remained silent for some time, uncertain of how to answer his brief speech. It sounded like a rehearsed justification he gave to others who questioned his means and goals—though for all I knew it may well have been what he told himself when he began his dark pursuits. Though I lacked the magical expertise to counter his points, I suspected that he was downplaying the dangers of his work far too much. If necromancy and other black magic could be used safely and harmlessly, one would think it would have happened at some point. ‘Twas also likely far more complicated than Hidden made it sound. Such matters always were.

Hidden cleared his throat, then poured himself another glass of wine. “Ah, forgive me for rambling on. I confess it is a topic for which I have a great deal of enthusiasm. Let us return to the matter that brought me here. Do we have an accord?”

I saw no reason to reject him outright. Not that I cared for the idea of aligning myself with a warlock, but anything I could do to undermine Swift Blade and divide mine enemies was worth pursuing. “I will consider it, on one condition.” He lifted a single eyebrow and motioned for me to proceed. “I want to know exactly what you did to my mother.”

Hidden smiled and nodded. “Ah, of course. To spare you a very long and complicated explanation, I think it would suffice to say that we both preserved her life and linked her spirit to Luna. The transformation that followed is a result of her being linked to Luna’s mind, spirit, and power. Yet she is also still your mother.”

I hesitantly nodded and to my surprise confided some of mine own observations. “I have noticed moments of ... confusion within her. Like there are two different personalities. In one breath she names Lance as her daughter, and in the next speaks of Celestia as her sister. I do not know whether Luna and my mother share control of the body at all times, or if one holds it while the other fades into the background.”

Hidden nodded along with my words. “Since we are being honest, I will admit that I am not entirely certain myself. The spell should have left your mother in command of her body, with merely a link to Luna. However, I obviously have never made an Avatar of Luna before, and there is often a difference between how a spell would function in theory and how it works when cast. Once times are quieter, I would enjoy a chance to study the Avatar more closely.” He fell silent for a moment, then shrugged. “In any case, I would presume that once we succeed in freeing Luna from her imprisonment, your mother would resume much of her old form. Luna will need no avatar once she walks the world once more.”

That much was heartening to know. That once we had won the war my mother would return to being the mare I knew. Howe’er, his answer was so hopeful I quickly grew suspicious of it. A practitioner of dark magic and turncoat would have no compunctions against lying to me in order to secure my loyalty. And what better way to ensure I worked alongside him than the dangle the promise of restoring my mother before mine eyes?

Regardless, I saw no reason not to play out the remainder of this farce. If nothing else, ‘twas in mine interest to encourage any rift ‘tween Swift and Hidden. And e’en if I had no desire to use his forbidden magics to my benefit, there were other possibilities opened by improved relations with him. After all, his cultists should be wholly capable of managing less morally questionable forms of magic. I cleared my throat. “In the spirit of our new understanding, Hidden, might I ask a boon of your mages?”

The warlock grinned, eagerly leaning forward. “But of course! How can I be of assistance?”

I answered his grin with one of mine own. “Fire gems. As many as your cult can make.”

Author's Note:

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