The Lunar Rebellion

by Chengar Qordath

Ascendant Shadows 5

My wounds—or perhaps ‘twas more accurate to call them the damage to my flesh—prevented me from partaking in the post-battle festivities. Some would call it a victory celebration, but I saw no victory in it. We had not beaten or broken the rebel army; we had merely survived their assault. Though I suspect many of the soldiers were well aware of that fact. Mayhaps for them, ‘twas enough that we had not fallen today.

I recall nothing of the actual healing. Sunbeam would later explain that she deadened my senses and stilled my body, that she might repair the damage without disturbance from me. If I were to be restored to my true self in the future, my flesh would need to be as intact as possible. I have seen what comes of a poorly healed head wound, and I do not think I could bring myself to leave my current prison if I knew that I would be a simpleton upon returning to my body. I would sooner lose all my limbs than my mind.

When I regained my senses ‘twas late into the night, and I lay in mine own bed. Howe’er, I could see little of my room, for Midnight Sparkle’s face dominated my vision. She stood at my bedside, her eyes locked upon mine own. I started back from her in surprise, though drowsiness and the bedcovers kept me from moving more than a few inches.

I met her gaze, and she blinked slowly. “Ah. Are you awake, or merely sleeping with your eyes open? I have heard that some ponies can do that. ‘Tis often attributed to powerful magi, though I suspect ‘tis an unfounded rumor since that is not the case with Mother.”

“I am awake.” I groaned and stretched all my limbs, ensuring that all of them functioned as they should.

The child nodded. “Ah, good then.” She rose up from my bed, where she had been kneeling beside me whilst I slept. “Mother has informed me ‘tis rude to wake a pony in the late hours, and while I had no wish to offend, I also had important matters I wished to discuss with you. I was worried I would have to wait all night for you to awaken.” She lit a candle, driving back the darkness of my room. “Now that you have finally awoken, we may begin.”

I grumbled and ran a hoof down my face. No doubt the child had taken her mother’s etiquette lesson in the most literal manner possible. Sunbeam had made no mention that ‘twas rude to enter a room uninvited and stare at a sleeper until they woke, so Midnight had presumed such behavior was acceptable. In truth, I was not e’en entirely upset by her presence, for all that I did not care to be woken in such an unconventional manner. At some point, young Midnight’s oddities had become less irksome, and more ... charmingly eccentric.

Howe’er charming her oddities, that did not change the situation, or mine own responsibilities. “How late is the hour? Does thy mother know where thou art?”

“‘Tis the hour of the wolf,” she answered dutifully. (1) “And Mother probably thinks I am asleep in my bed, though I cannot say for certain as she was resting when I left.”

1: An archaic term for the time of night shortly before dawn, roughly 3:00-5:00 AM

I sighed patiently. “Shouldst thou not be there, then? Such a late hour is hardly a proper time for young fillies to be wandering about unescorted, especially in a city under siege. ‘Twould be far better if thou wert abed.” Especially as I would know no rest either so long as the child was present, given her seemingly insatiable curiosity and utter ignorance of what constituted socially acceptable behavior.

Midnight cocked her head to the side. “Mother was tired and asleep, while I could not find any rest. I thought to read, but no books could hold my interest and I feared that the light from my candles might disturb her. She can be somewhat irate when woken in the wee hours.”

Sunbeam was not alone in that trait, though for the moment I held my patience and attempted to indulge the child. “And why couldst thou not sleep?”

She yawned, and I noted a slight bleariness in her eyes. “My sleep has been troubled of late. Dreams come frequently and are rarely pleasant.” She turned back to me, her eyes narrowing. “You should know that Nightmare Moon hates you. Fiercely.”

I could not help but wonder how young Midnight knew the Nightmare’s thoughts upon me. Twice the child had predicted the Nightmare’s arrival, during the wedding and then again at the attack upon the walls. ‘Twas suspicious to say the least, though I was hesitant to question Midnight too sternly at this late hour and in my half-awake state, I would have words with her mother on the matter later. For now... “The Avatar made her hatred of me quite clear when we battled. She still blames me for Lance's fate.”

“And now you have defeated her in battle.” The child frowned. “That will not make her like you any better. Next time will not be so easy.”

“I expect not, but I survived today. For now, that will suffice.” I did not doubt that the Avatar would be a far more dangerous foe when next we met, but I fully intended to familiarize myself with all that mine armor could do in the interim. I expected there were other capabilities within it that I had yet to tap.

She stared up at me, her eyes slightly out of synch as she blinked. “I see. A question, then: are we going to lose this war?”

A troubling question. We had come perilously close to a final defeat after the southern gate fell. I had no doubt we would have fought on for some time, but if the pegasi could break out of the tunnels that restricted their flight, they would have us at a severe disadvantage. Midnight was no simple child easily fooled by empty platitudes, so I answered her honestly while holding to what optimism I could. “I have no intention of losing.”

“I see.” She fell silent for so long that I wondered if she was lost within her own thoughts, only for her to suddenly announce, “Mother has been making contigengries—conticancies—” she scowled furiously, as though the word that so troubled her had done her some grave personal wrong. “Plans for her course of action if we are defeated. Seeking a way to escape the city and Equestria itself, then continue the war. She would not do so if defeat were not a possibility.”

That did not surprise me. If anything, I was surprised she had not approached me on the topic, though mayhaps ‘twas only because an opportunity to broach the subject had not yet presented itself. Or perhaps not. I do not know if I could bring myself to leave Canterlot, Celestia, and the bulk of my clan behind, even if ‘twas the only way to continue the struggle. Honor and obligation bound me to the city—I would either win the war here or perish in the attempt.

Howe’er, such words were unlikely to calm young Midnight’s fears. “Thy mother believes in planning for all possibilities, howe'er remote.”

“Aye, that is true.” She frowned, her tone musing. “Though I do not like the idea of becoming a rebel, off hiding in the woods. The woods are full of dirt and bugs, and there are no heated baths which I might use to cleanse myself. One of her plans involves working alongside Mossy Banks. He lives in a swamp. In other words, a forest with mud and slime instead of dirt, and humidity that would make it harder to maintain my books and scrolls. I cannot imagine why a pony would choose to live in such a foul place.”

If not for the fact that it likely would have offended her, I would have chuckled at her childish priorities. “I would not care to see thee subjected to such a fate either. Which is why I shall win this war to protect thee.”

“I would appreciate it if that can be done.” A flicker of concern passed across her normally stoic face. “Though do be careful. Your next fight with Nightmare Moon’s avatar will be worse than the first clash. Much, much worse.”

I frowned and risked a probing question. “How dost thou know so much of it? Thou wert not present for the battle itself, and thy mother was likely too occupied with her own conflict to witness my clash with her.”

She froze, and for a moment her expression reminded me of that worn by any child caught doing something they knew went against their parent’s wishes. She quickly recovered, her face falling back to a neutral mask. “‘Tis only logical. Now she knows your strengths and weaknesses, and she has experienced many battles in the past. She will be prepared.”

“And I will also be prepared to face her,” I assured her. “I know more of how the Avatar fights now than I did when last we met. We have weighed and measured one another, and I do not think either of us gained a great advantage from it.”

Her eye twitched in a most curious way. “If you are so certain of that, I will not dispute it. Though do please be careful. Mother would be most wroth if something were to happen to you after all the work she did to keep you alive.”

“And I would hardly want to invoke your mother’s wrath.” I placed a reassuring hoof on the child’s shoulder. “Do not fear, young Midnight. I have no intention of letting the Avatar strike me down.”

“That is good to hear.” She trotted towards the door, and for a moment I dared to hope she had been satisfied and would leave me to rest in peace. Alas, my hopes were dashed as she instead pulled a large bundle through the open door. “With that business concluded, I would like to move on to the second matter that brought me here. Namely, I would like to thank you for saving me during the battle yesterday. Without your aid I would have fallen to my death, or been crushed under tons of rock, turning me into nothing but a gelatinous mass of shattered bone and pulped organs. Or mayhaps trampled underhoof by waves of rebel soldiers until not e’en Mother would have recognized my mortal remains. Or some other gruesome fate.”

‘Twas strange to think that I was no longer even disturbed by the child’s morbid turns of thought. “I could hardly allow such a cruel fate to befall thee.”

“Still, I thank you for sparing me from such unpleasantness.” She ruffled her hooves through the bundle, searching for something. “To express my gratitude for your actions, I obtained a suitable gift.” She pulled out a finely woven cloak, dyed in the color of my clan and emblazoned with the Commander’s sun. “I bought this for you. I thought you would like a nice cloak when it rains or the weather turns cold.”

I accepted the gift with a warm smile, making a note to wear it on some occasion where Midnight was likely to see. “My thanks to thee, Midnight. That was most thoughtful, and thy kindness is appreciated.”

She smiled in response, and I was glad that my rooms were dark enough for the expression to be somewhat obscured. To my surprise, her cheeks also pinked. One hoof slowly dragged across the carpet, and after some hesitation she continued. “The cloak is not the only gift I obtained. I also prepared some scones which I hope will please you.”

“Didst thou now? Thou art most kind.” I took one of the proffered goods, biting into it as she looked on, eagerly awaiting my approval with tensed shoulders and a hopeful smile.

The taste was ... unique. Not bad in the sense of a traditional failure at baking. The scones were not burnt, flat, or otherwise inedible, yet there was something undefinably incorrect about the flavor of them. If I had to put a word to what the taste of her scones put me in mind of, ‘twould be ... despair.

With a supreme effort of will, I finished chewing the pastry and forced myself to both swallow and grunt in approval. Her relieved grin at my approval almost made it worth enduring her cooking. “That is quite good, Midnight. Most excellent indeed. I shall save the rest to break my fast in the morning.”

Much to my relief, she accepted my excuse at face value. “That is reasonable. Scones are more enjoyable when suitably accompanied. If you could direct me to whomever is responsible for preparing your meals, I will inform them that you will require a meal suitable to being eaten alongside scones.” She frowned in thought. “I hope a note will suffice. I have found that servants are often less courteous than they ought to be when roused from their beds, even when ‘tis with good cause. ‘Twould hardly be proper for me to wait for them to wake naturally, though. That would require many hours of patience, and I might wish to sleep at some point ere you are ready to break your fast, Honored Shadow.”

“I can see to the matter myself, Midnight.” Given that we had no servants in the sense Midnight was undoubtedly accustomed to, I could only see her efforts to arrange my breakfast ending in disaster. Those who were not accustomed to Midnight’s oddities would not react well to any innocent offense she might offer.

“Perhaps that would be best,” the child agreed. “You surely know what you desire better than I. Let us move on to the next of my gifts, then,” She drew out a scroll, which I noted to be rather long. Much to my relief, ‘twas not an extended list of all she intended to provide. “With Mother’s aid, I have also commissioned an epic ballad in your name, to commemorate your victory over the Avatar. I have been told it will be sung across the city and to the army.”

“Truly?” I cared little for Sunbeam’s prior musical commemorations, but mayhaps this time ‘twould feature less dishonesty. Certainly lies would not be needed for whatever ends she sought to pursue. Every warrior enjoys the prospect of having their deeds remembered in song, and ‘twould be good to hear the bards sing of my actual accomplishments rather than whate’er fiction Sunbeam believed would best serve the war effort. “I am quite flattered, Midnight. My thanks to thee.”

Midnight nodded, a faint frown flicking across her features. “I am quite pleased with the results. Mother was right to advise hiring a professional bard to assemble the ballad. His work proved far superior to...” She trailed off, mumbling something under her breath. Though ‘twas difficult to tell with only a single candle lighting the room, I was quite certain she was blushing.

Such reticence was unusual from the strange young filly, and ignited my curiosity. “Is something amiss? Thou canst speak honestly with me.”

At first she shook her head, but after several moments she relented. Her voice was far quieter than normal, and she refused to e’en look at me, her eyes firmly fixed on the floor. “I wrote a poem for you, but 'tis not very good. I have not written much poetry. Any, really. But from what I have read, a gift of poetry shows more personal dedication than mere purchases.”

“That much is true, aye. Thine own creative efforts show a more personal investment of time and energy.” I wrapped one of my wings around Midnight, offering some reassurance. “I would be glad to hear thy poetry. I am sure 'tis far better than thou dost think. The dedication thou didst show in composing an entire poem will surely shine through any minor technical flaws. Is it not often said that true art is appreciated all the more for the flaws that show the artist’s character?”

She frowned thoughtfully. “I have heard such sentiments expressed before, though I never understood what was meant by them. Regardless, if ‘tis truly your wish to hear my poem, I would not be so rude as to refuse to read it. Pray, do not think less of me after you have heard it.” She extracted a single scroll from her bundle, unrolling it and clearing her throat ere she began her recitation:

“The inky silence in the tunnels
Was broken at long last,
By warriors’ screams as they funneled
Into the cavern pass.
The foe’s crossbow sang its song
Though gladly missed its mark.
And crimson rivers staunched their flow
As horror emerged from the dark.
Yet the champion’s blades were true that day
Their fire blazing bright;
The scorched enemy fled away
Away, from the champion of light.
The truth has dawned upon her foes:
Death waits in the shadows.”

As the final words hung in the air she set aside the scroll, her gaze once more dropping to the floor, though a single eye lingered hopefully upon me, awaiting my reaction.

I knew little of poetry; mine own literary studies had focused largely upon either histories, military matters, or the thoughts of philosophers. Howe’er, I knew that regardless of whether or not her praise had been both effusive and unsettling, one does not harshly critique a child’s first effort. Especially when ‘tis offered as a gift. “That was a most excellent poem, Midnight. I thank thee for writing it in mine honor.”

“You enjoyed it?” When I confirmed as much, she offered another one of her enthusiastic smiles, gently pulling my wing tighter around her. “It gladdens me to hear that. I had feared mine efforts were not equal to you.”

“I am hardly so proud as to claim that any gift freely offered is beneath me.” I smiled down at the child, feeling a moment of almost maternal fondness for her. “Truly, thou hast been most eager to express thy gratitude, and I am quite flattered by the many kindnesses thou hast bestowed upon me. Howe’er, the hour is late, and thy mother would be most upset if she woke and discovered thou wert not in thy bed. Mayhaps I could escort thee back to—”

“A moment, please,” she interrupted, flushing again a moment later when she realized what she had done. “I do not mean to offend, ‘tis only that I had one last gift I wished to offer to you. The greatest of all my gifts.”

Alas, it seemed I would not be returning to my bed as soon as I had hoped. Though at least an end to her generosity was near. “Yet another gift? Truly, thou art being far too generous. My deeds are hardly worthy of such rewards.”

Midnight met my gaze unblinkingly. “You did save my life. I can think of no gift I could offer which would be of equal value to such a deed. Not unless I could save your life, or that of one you loved, and I am too small and weak to do such a thing. Thus, a few small gifts must suffice for the moment.”

She unwrapped the last item within her bundle, revealing an equine skull, which I noted with some concern had been painted a particularly bright shade of pink. “This belonged to Countess Glowing Brand, who lived in the era before Lyequinegus unified the clans. Do you know of her? ‘Twas said she refused to pay homage to pegasus raiders when they arrived at her castle, instead contacting Lyequinegus and forging a pact with him. An agreement often held to be one of the first steps on Equestria’s road towards unity.”

I stared down at the skull, uncertain how to respond. “Thou art giving it to me?”

She nodded, her face surprisingly grave. “I thought that perhaps you would appreciate a token reminding you of other times when honorable pegasi aided unicorns in resisting the attacks of their less noble kin. Surely if e’en the famed and admired founder of modern Pegasopolis found it necessary to fight his own kin in the name of honor and unity, then you are in good company by following his example.”

I could scarcely credit mine own ears. To allow myself to be compared to a figure as exalted as Lyequinegus seemed the worst sort of hubris. Howe’er, I hardly wished to chastise young Midnight, for she surely intended no offense. Instead, my mind settled upon a far less consequential matter. “Why didst thou paint the skull pink?”

“I like the color pink,” she answered. “It is a strong, forceful, and virile color that commands respect and shows dedication to one’s values. (2) Since the skull is one of my favorites, it seemed appropriate to paint it one of my favorite colors.”

2: Obviously, the meanings associated with the color have changed a bit over the years.

“I see.” I carefully took the skull from her, setting it to the side on my nightstand. “I shall treasure thy gift.” Regardless of the garishness of the paint and the morbidity of the gift itself, the skull was the mortal remains of an important pony, and deserved to be treated with an appropriate degree of respect (3).

3: The skull is still part of the Kicker clan’s private collection to this day. The pink paint is still in place, too.

She subjected me to another one of her joyful smiles. “Good, it gladdens my heart to see that you love it as much as I do.”

“I am pleased to hear it.” Much as I did not care for the timing of this particular bout of gratitude, I would hardly want to upset the child by seeming less than appreciative. For all her oddities, I could only imagine that Midnight was showering me with such favor in the hopes of winning mine approval. ‘Twould be most churlish of me to dash her hopes, e’en if not all of her gifts were entirely to mine own liking. “These presents have been most charming, and I am honored to receive each and every one of them.”

“That is good to hear. I had hoped to bring you some happiness.” Her smile faded, much to my relief. “There seems little enough of that in these dark days.”

After a moment’s consideration I pulled her closer, hugging the child reassuringly. “This darkness shall only be a passing thing, child. In time we shall stop the Avatar and end the rebellion, and all shall be right in the world again. Thou hast my word.”

She hesitantly wrapped her hooves around me as best she could, burying her face in my chest. “I hope so. Until your promise is fulfilled, I shall try and remain brave.” She pulled back from me grimacing angrily. “I wish there was more that I might be able to do. I am only a little filly, and I cannot char my enemies down to their skeletons like Mother, or decapitate and dismember them and watch the gore spurt from their severed stumps like you. I cannot e’en pierce their flesh with throwing spikes as Gale did. I cannot freeze them slowly to death, then shatter the frozen corpses into a thousand pieces for the rats and crows to feast upon, then watch the cats feast upon the vermin. I can only watch and hope that others will protect me.”

I placed a reassuring hoof on the child’s shoulder. “Thou hast done what thou canst. What more could we ask of thee?” A faint smirk crossed my lips as I added. “And ‘tis not as if thou hast done nothing to aid the war effort. I am sure many soldiers appreciate the water thou dost provide to them.”

Midnight scowled furiously at the mention of her duties. “I would much prefer any other task to the carrying of water. Would that I was old enough to go into battle, risking death or permanent maiming, and thus be spared the burden of bearing water.” She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I do not like being small and helpless. ‘Tis ... unsettling to know I have so little control o’er mine own fate.”

“I have ne’er cared for the feeling when I experienced it.” I smiled, offering what reassurance I could. “But do not fear for thy safety, child. That is why ponies like I are tasked with protecting thee from the dangers of the world.”

“Aye, I know.” She sighed, kicking the carpet. “That does not make the situation less frustrating. I would much rather to at least have the ability to crush mine enemies, see them driven before me and hear their lamentations.” She nodded to herself. “Yes, that would be good.”

Her eagerness brought a grin to my face. “Hast thou so many enemies thou wouldst crush?”

She pointed out the window. “Is there not an entire army laying siege to my home? One which would gladly see my mother dead?”

“That is so,” I conceded. I leaned down, grinning conspiratorially. “Well, in that case I shall promise this to thee. I shall crush thine enemies in thy stead.”

She smiled once more, which was especially unsettling when viewed in such close proximity. “I would like that.”

I returned her smile as best I could. “Very good then.”

---

Once I had seen the errant young child home, morning came all too quickly. While I could not say for certain whether my body still required sleep in my altered state, I certainly still felt tired. So far as I was concerned, that was enough to make the dawn unwelcome.

The morning did not endear itself to me any further when I opened my door to find a young unicorn mare standing in front of my door. It took me a moment to place her light yellow coat, purple mane, and general features. “White Knight, aye?” Radiant Day’s younger sister was as much a part of the clan now as anypony bound to us by ties of marriage, but I hardly would have expected to find her lingering outside my bedroom door. “What brings thee to my quarters at this early hour?”

The squire cleared her throat, standing stiffly at attention. I noted that her armor was not so pristine as it had been at her brother’s wedding, showing several fresh dents and damage to its enamel. “Archmagus Sparkle asked that I attend upon you, milady. There are several matters she felt you would wish to be informed of as soon as you had woken.”

“I see.” Certainly I wished for the usual reports on yesterday’s fighting, which I had not been able to hear on account of my wounds. I normally made a habit of visiting the wounded and inspecting the state of my forces after any major battle. While missing such duties on account of being wounded myself was quite understandable, I would still make a point to correct that lapse at the earliest possible opportunity. ‘Twas important for soldiers to feel connected to their commanding officers; they will fight and die far more readily if they believe their leaders care for them and value their lives.

Such briefing duties as White was offering to undertake normally would have fallen to Gale or Sergeant Stalwart, but... “Proceed,” I grunted out.

“As you wish, milady.” To my vague annoyance, the squire bowed deferentially. “I have taken the liberty of arranging for breakfast to be delivered to your quarters. If you wish, I can also attend to your armor while briefing you.” A faint frown crossed her face as she looked me over. “Did ... forgive me, milady, but did you sleep in your armor?”

“I did.” I had little choice but to do so in my current state. “There is no need to attend to my wargear, I prefer to see to that personally.” I would have preferred to see to my meal as well, but ‘twas a minor affair. Unlike with mine armor, her interference with my food would not cause me to lapse into a catatonic state and reveal my nature as an abomination. Not to mention that if the armor was my true body now, she might be cleaning and tending to me. That thought was intensely uncomfortable for many reasons.

White took my refusal in stride, thinking nothing of it. “As you wish, milady. Shall I begin your briefing now, or would you prefer to wait until your food arrives?”

“I see no reason to waste time waiting. Proceed.” I hesitantly removed my helm, checking my head in a nearby mirror. So far as I could see, there were no signs of the wounds I had suffered yesterday. ‘Twould seem Sunbeam and whoe’er might have aided her had performed their healing quite skillfully. That done, I took a nearby cloth and began polishing the helmet.

White frowned, one hoof twitching towards the helmet as though she found it grievously offensive that I was tending to mine own equipment instead of allowing her to do so. “Very well. To begin, we have reclaimed the Southern Gates in the wake of your victory in single combat against the Avatar. Our engineers are already constructing temporary defenses to hold the breeches in the walls, and are currently assessing whether ‘twould be better to attempt repairs or simply hasten work on the third line of defenses.”

I nodded along. I had made little study of siegecraft prior to the current conflict; pegasi rarely concerned themselves with how to build walls they could easily fly o’er. Howe’er, e’en I knew that ‘twas often quite difficult to repair a wall in a way that left it as strong as it had originally been. ‘Twas often easier and quicker to simply build a new wall than to properly fix breeches in an existing one. In any case, I would leave such determinations to the engineers whose expertise we were employing.

“In other news,” the young squire continued, “we recovered most of our wounded from the capture of the Southern Gates. The enemy withdrawal was swift and poorly organized, and none thought to arrange a guard detail to escort the prisoners they had taken back to the rebel camp.” She frowned. “Or mayhaps whoever would have arranged for such felt that the terms of the duel required surrendering any prisoners taken as well. There may be some truth to the rumors their supply situation is troubled, and the enemy was hesitant to add prisoners that would consume additional rations and require guards to watch o’er them.”

“Or mayhaps some combination of all those factors, or something else altogether.” I ran my rag along the helm, marveling at the subtle, intricate runework crossing it. Impressive as it was, I had a sense that what I could see was far from the truth of it. ‘Twas as if there were another, far grander design hidden beneath what was plainly visible. “Mayhaps ‘twill be of importance, but for now ‘tis enough to know that we have recovered soldiers who might return to the battlefield.”

“We need them,” White answered, a surprisingly bitter look upon her young face. “Our losses yesterday were heavy. Once the southern gates fell and the Dragon’s Teeth formations were broken, fighting devolved into a close melee. With the exception of the Order and your clan’s forces, our armies are poorly suited to such combat. Our losses were significant; and many of their casualties were amongst their earth pony auxiliaries, who have been easily replaced thus far. That does not bode well for our prospects.”

“They cannot compel earth ponies to take up arms indefinitely,” I mused aloud. “Farms require workers, and the harvest season is quite near. When it comes, they will have to release much of the militia or risk starvation.”

“That is one theory,” White growled out. “Another is that the honorless scum are prepared to allow a famine to occur if it leads to their victory.”

I raised an eyebrow at her acerbic tone, but made no comment on it. It might e’en be that she was correct, at least as far as Swift and the Nightmare were concerned. The both of them seemed perfectly willing to let Equestria burn so long as they could claim dominion o’er the ashes.

“Dark thoughts for dark times.” I sighed, shaking my head. “At least we won the day. Pray, is there any news that is not grim?”

“Few things,” the squire admitted. “For one, the Archmagus told me to inform you that a Sergeant Stalwart Kicker was recovered. His wounds are quite severe, but our medics are hopeful that they may be able to preserve his life. Though whether he will wake again, and how fit for duty he will be...” She trailed off with a helpless shrug.

Regardless of his condition, that Stalwart still lived at all was welcome news indeed. I had given him up for dead after the attack on the Southern Gates. The sergeant played a vital role for me, serving as an important connection to the sentiments of the common soldiers within my clan. In addition, he seemed blessed with a degree of common sense—a quality I have found to be egregiously misnamed, for it is anything but common.

“There is one other matter,” White began, her ears twitching. “Though the news is somewhat more ... bittersweet. Knight-Captain Radiant Day led a heroic defense of the Western Tunnels against a sneak attack by the hetairoi itself, facing superior forces. He succeeded at capturing a significant portion of their strength, including two of the Avatar’s children, Dusk and Dawn Charger.” A tremble passed down her spine, but after a moment she took a deep breath and forced her face back to the very image of stoic neutrality. “Father has requested that he receive the Order of the Rising Sun for his bravery on the field of battle, and that he be posthumously elevated to the rank of Knight-Commander for his victory.”

“Posthu—” I had the good sense not to finish my inquiry. ‘Twas not as if she could have misspoken about her brother’s death. I placed a single hoof on the squire’s shoulder. “Thou hast my sincerest condolences. He was a fine stallion.”

“Yes, he was.” She refused to meet my eyes, her gaze dropping to the floor. When she spoke again, the words came out heavily, and I suspected she hid her eyes so I would not see tears gathering in them. “I was there. In the Western Tunnels, serving at my brother’s side as was my duty. He is—was a far better knight than I could e’er hope to be. Yet he perished, whilst I survived. How can that be? The battle ... ‘twas darkness and chaos, yet I can only imagine that he must have worried so much for my safety that he did not look to his own.”

Her ears fell flat against her skull, and the next words were barely above a whisper. “I was there. I saw him die. Saw the pegasus tackle him to the ground, then bash his skull in. O’er and o’er and o’er. Yet I could do nothing. I was powerless to save him. I could not e’en avenge him. I ... when he died I was so shocked that I dropped my weapon. The rebels took it as a surrender. They spared me.”

Ah. White was not the first soldier I had seen afflicted with such guilt. The belief that she was somehow responsible for the deaths of those who fought alongside her. That had she battled more vigorously or found some keen tactical insight she might have turned the tide of the battle and saved their lives. I had experienced something similar the first time soldiers died under my command. ‘Twas difficult to accept that such death and devastation could come without any error being made. That I could have given all the correct orders, or White could have been the bravest and mightiest squire anypony could hope for, and yet those we felt responsible for protecting could still die.

There were no words I could offer that would instantly banish her pain. I spoke what truth I could, and hoped ‘twould bring her some comfort. “Thy brother died nobly, and shall be remembered with honor. He would not have wished for thee to perish alongside him. If thou dost truly believe that he gave his life to preserve thine, then do honor to his legacy. Live well, and live happily. I can think of nothing that would please him more.”

She nodded, then loudly cleared her throat in a way that I was quite certain was intended to hide other sounds. I gave her the time needed to compose herself, pointedly ignoring any evidence of her sorrow. If she wished to hide it, ‘twould be heartless to call attention to it.

After some time her sorrow passed, and if I noticed a slight redness about her eyes or a few lingering hints of moisture on her cheeks I took no note of it. I coughed to gain her attention, then pointedly moved to other matters that would not pain her. “Was there anything else the Archmagus felt I should be informed of ere I met with her?”

The young squire hesitated, worrying at her lower lip uncertainly. “There was one other matter. I ... I am now a squire with no master. Though Knight-Magus Shimmer has already offered to take me on as his squire, Archmagus Sparkle suggested that perhaps you would be willing to...” She trailed off uncertainly. “I would of course be most honored, but I would not wish to seem presumptuous by asking such a thing.”

I stared down at her, uncertain what to make of such an unusual request. “Thou wouldst be my squire?” She nodded, confirming it. As I had no idea how to answer her, I chose careful neutrality. “I see. I will consider thy request.”

She bowed gratefully. “Thank you, milady.”

“Good day,” I grunted out, wasting no more time before I departed for Sunbeam’s tower. It seemed I had e’en more to discuss with the mare than I had expected.

---

‘Twas with some surprise that I realized I had ne’er before been to Sunbeam Sparkle’s private tower. Whene’er we had spoken in private, it had been in my rooms or some other location. Though perhaps ‘twas not so shocking in retrospect; I had no reason or desire to seek her out prior to the war, and once battle had been joined a thousand other matters demanded my attention. I confess I was somewhat curious to see how the Archmagus of Canterlot lived.

I noted a faint glow emanating off the wood as I approached the front door, and when I raised a hoof to knock the door opened of its own accord, then closed itself again shortly after I stepped through. Plainly a bit of sorcery to allow expected guests to enter without trouble, and presumably impress those who had little experience with magic.

The foyer of her tower was the very image of opulence. In the center of the room hung a particularly grandiose portrait of Sunbeam herself, perched at the right hoof of Commander Celestia and seated upon a throne that was only slightly smaller than that of her ruler. Other paintings decorated the walls, showing her striking down warlocks and penning what I presumed were either words of wisdom or enlightened new laws. Lavish (and I presume o’erly soft) chairs were spread about beneath the artworks, flanked by bookshelves full of tomes whose spines teased of histories, magics, philosophies, and more. Scattered among them, often as bookstops, were elaborately complex instruments of some magely nature, as well as massive, uncut gemstones impaled on half-crescent holders. Though ‘twas not all encased in gold, enough precious metals glinted from the decorative leafing that I idly wondered how many Unicornian officers sacrificed their armor’s ornamentation to allow it. Mayhaps a few of them were e’en forced to wear something practical and effective.

After several seconds, Sunbeam emerged from doors set at the top of a long spiral staircase. She smiled down invitingly. “Ah, Shadow, 'tis good to see thee. I was hoping thou wouldst not make me wait too terribly long to speak with thee.”

“There are matters I would discuss with thee as well.” I took wing, bypassing the stairs entirely. From the nonplussed expression on her face, I suspect she had been looking forward to making me waste time and effort climbing them to reach her. ‘Twas no doubt one of the many ploys she enjoyed using to remind others of her power. I landed before her, meeting her gaze neutrally. “Dare I ask why thou art attempting to find me a squire?”

Her smile returned, though now there was a faintly mocking undertone to it. “Oh come now, dost thou not see the reasons? I hope thy mind has not been too addled. ‘Twould be most inconvenient if the commander of our armies could not e’en remember what she ate for breakfast, let alone how to lead soldiers in battle.”

I scowled at the aggravating mare, which only seemed to amuse her all the more, judging by her widening grin. Her remark also reminded me of the meal I had left behind at my clan’s compound. Irksome. “Squiring is a unicorn institution. Perhaps thou hast not noticed that I am sorely lacking in a horn, but blessed with wings?”

Sunbeam waved my objection away. “Mere technicalities in days such as these.” She pointedly looked down at the staircase. “Come, let us move to my private chambers. A far more suitable place to converse, compared to standing in the middle of a stairway.”

She proceeded to her private quarters, holding open the door so that I might join her. When I did so, I discovered something most unexpected. Where the foyer had been the very image of opulence and wealth, her private quarters were far more modest. Not poorly appointed by any means, but made with a degree simplicity and significantly more understated wealth.

She smirked, no doubt in response to my surprise. “Count thyself fortunate, dear Shadow. Few ponies have seen these rooms. I have another set of rooms lower in the tower for those who I wish to entertain. They are quite magnificent, and no doubt impress those who judge a pony’s worth by the amount of wealth they can waste on pointless displays.” She trotted to small but efficiently arranged kitchen and set to work preparing a pot of tea. “Now then, correct me if I am wrong, but have I not seen older pegasi mentoring their younger kin in the ways of battle? Is it not the very purpose of the Gerousia to have older, wiser, and more experienced ponies offer their wisdom to the new generation? How is that so different?”

“‘Tis quite similar to some of our practices.” I thought back to mine own younger days, as a young mare beginning my first tour with the Long Patrol. ’Twas when I had first met Rightly, when he was a veteran on his second tour who took me under his wing. “Though I expect there are cultural differences.” I certainly hoped that White would not become infatuated with me as I had been with Rightly. Though what had begun as youthful admiration would later blossom into genuine love, once we met again in the Ephorate.

“Aye, I expect pegasus and unicorn practices are not identical,” she conceded with an uncaring shrug, casually heating her teapot with skillful pyromancy rather than a stove. “I am sure that thou art capable of o’ercoming such obstacles. For one, 'tis been mine impression that White Knight's training is nearly complete, so she will hardly be a burden upon thee. In fact, I expect she shall be quite useful; thou art in need of an aide with Stalwart's wounding.” She nodded to herself. “Aye, I suspect thou couldst have used one even before this. Thy time is far too valuable to be wasted on mundane tasks like making thine own bed.”

Much as I instinctively disliked the idea of declaring such tasks beneath my notice, I knew she was not entirely wrong. A commander must delegate tasks to their subordinates, else they would neglect the forest to focus upon a few trees. “She seems capable enough, and eager to be of assistance. Though I am curious why thou art so eager to arrange it.”

She chuckled. “Ah, because of course I could not merely be trying to help thee? Very well. In addition to the purely practical reasons, 'tis a matter of politics.” She checked the tea, and after finding it to her satisfaction poured a cup for each of us. “The nobles are becoming restive on account of how much power they have lost. ’Twas necessary and will ultimately prove to be for the betterment of Equestria, but their fears must be soothed. That, and their wounded pride.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Many now complain that this is a pegasus war, being led by pegasi but with the other tribes being made to die as to determine who will be Commander of Pegasopolis. And of course, the nobles have never loved me.”

She sighed. “I have had to make ... other concessions as well. Soon, Celestia shall grant me a title of mine own. No doubt the nobles hope that being a newly created noble shall make me more sympathetic to their causes on account of common interests.” She smiled coldly. “More fools, them. They think I will protect noble privilege and power when ‘tis mine as well, because of course I care only for wealth and power rather than higher ideals.” Sunbeam tsked and shook her head. “Still, such concessions are only worth so much. Grandmaster Noble Quest has not quite come into his own where politics are concerned, and being of lower nobility his influence is limited regardless. Especially when he is one of the few unicorns with a significant command, and never particularly inclined to favor noble interests.”

I followed her reasoning easily enough. “So my taking a squire is meant to further soothe ruffled feathers?”

“Aye,” she confirmed. “’twould place a unicorn, and one of noble birth, in a place of prominence without it upsetting the balance of power we have created. 'Twill also endear her parents to thee, especially with their daughter in a time of need.”

I nodded along, finding myself warming to the idea. “She seems a fine enough young mare. I have no objection to the arrangement.”

She smiled approvingly, sipping her tea. “Excellent. The arrangement will cost us little while securing an otherwise vulnerable flank. ’Twould not do to have the nobles become so discontented that one of them thinks they would be better served by throwing open the gates to the rebels.”

“Quite so.” I had made a study of siegecraft in recent months, and the danger of betrayal from within was mentioned frequently. ’Twas as great a threat as enemy siege engines or starvation, if one judged by how past sieges had ended.

I sipped the cup of tea Sunbeam provided, then grimaced. I have heard it said that tea is something of an acquired taste. E’en now, beyond the end of my life, I have not yet acquired it.

The Archmagus smirked at me over the rim of her cup. “Yes, it is rather revolting. The grim necessity of a siege, I am afraid. We have received no fresh leaves since the rebel army closed around the city. I suppose we should be glad of one thing: at the rate the war has been progressing, they will likely break our defenses ere we are reduced to boiling books or eating our own dead for sustenance. At least Mossy Banks is doing what he can to deny the rebels their own supplies.” She chuckled softly. “I suspect that despite living in a swamp, he is far better supplied than we are. He likely enjoys luxuries not e’en Celestia can have now, and made all the sweeter because his food is stolen from our enemies.”

She frowned, setting down her cup of something that was technically tea. “Speaking of matters within the rebel camp, that brings me to another point I wished to discuss with thee. We need to concern ourselves with the matter of succession within thy clan and who shall take up leadership in the event of thy death.” Her lips twisted bitterly. “The battle with the Avatar made it plain enough that thou art mortal, even with thine armor and the strength it brings. What wouldst happen tomorrow if thou wert to die today? Who would lead the clan in thy stead?”

’Twas not hard to guess what point she was driving at. My heir lay in the hooves of the enemy, and I had no other children—and from what I had heard, Stalwart had been vital to helping the Commander manage much of the clan’s day-to-day affairs whilst I was recovering from my wounds. While I could not deny the logic of her concerns... “I suspect I will not care for thy next words, Sunbeam.”

She let out a loud, haughty sniff. “Just because thou dost not care for them does not mean thou shouldst ignore them. Our entire cause could have been undone if thou succumbed to thy wounds, or even if they had merely disabled thee long enough. Any cause dependent 'pon the heartbeat of a single pony is begging for catastrophe to strike. How many wars have been lost because one side's leader was cut down in battle, or e’en died by some other means like disease?” She smirked coldly. “I am reminded of the tale of the battle ‘tween the pegasi under Commander Fear Striker ‘gainst the gryphon King Gustavus Coldtalon. The Gryphon High King led his elite guards in a bold charge cutting down the Striker, but died as well in the process. For a moment the battle hung in the balance, but the pegasi won the day because they had a chain of command. While the gryphons scattered and fled, Ephor Gallant Charger seamlessly took up leadership after the Commander’s death.”

“Thy point is taken,” I grumbled, not caring at all for a lesson in history I already knew quite well. “It changes nothing. I will not disinherit Gale just because she has been captured by the enemy.”

Sunbeam scoffed, waving away my objections. “Not disinherit her—merely appoint a second successor to thy clan. One legally behind Gale once she is freed, but who can assume thy duties if thou art unable to.”

“The intent behind it would still be plain enough,” I countered. “Nopony would doubt that I was replacing a lost heir.”

“I think most would see it more as a matter of having a spare.” She sighed, throwing her eyes up to the heavens as if I were being grossly unreasonable. “Everypony would understand that Gale can hardly lead the clan whilst in enemy captivity. Thou wouldst risk our cause because 'twould hurt her feelings? With the Avatar leading the rebels, surely thou must realize how foolish it is to let feelings override thy judgement.”

I scowled at her, quite offended by the implication of her words. “‘Tis not as if I am utterly short-sighted. Gale is...” I grimaced, hesitant to speak an unpleasant truth. “I am sure the rebels are attempting to turn her to their cause. And while she followed me when I ordered the clan to support Celestia, I think that in her heart Gale would have preferred to remain loyal to the Ephorate. Her loyalty is to me, and if she believes that I have betrayed her...”

“Ah.” She swirled the dregs of her tea. “So her loyalty is that tenuous, then? My dear Shadow, if anything, that makes the need for a secondary heir all the more urgent. I was concerned enough at the prospect of the Kickers merely being leaderless. If thou dost believe there is truly a chance thy daughter could declare for the rebels...”

“Gale would not betray me,” I growled.

“And yet, she is not among us,” Sunbeam countered. “And considering the presence of the Avatar and warlocks in the rebel camp, she need not be willing. Dark magic can bend and break the wills of others, especially when wielded by a being like the Avatar.” She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. “There are some matters that occurred during thy convalescence that we have not yet discussed. I know how much thou dost love to drape the cloak of modesty about thy shoulders, but surely e’en thou canst concede that thou art an important symbol to those pegasi who remain loyal to the throne. The prospect of losing thee ... troubled them.”

I frowned. “Troubled them? How so?”

“First, I would ask thy word that thou wilt not act hastily upon what I will tell thee. ’Tis a settled matter now, and dredging it up will only open old wounds.”

“I will think carefully on any actions I might take,” I conceded.

“Very well.” She set down her nearly empty teacup. “There was substantial dissent in the ranks. At one point I was worried thy clanponies were on the verge of mutiny, or at least a riot. For all that we reassured them that thou wert alive but wounded, they wanted to see thee for themselves. Given the arcane workings Celestia and I were engaged in, that was hardly an option. I think many of them suspected that we were lying to them, pretending thou wert still alive to keep them bound to our cause and avoid damaging morale.”

She hesitated a long moment ere continuing. “Had thy recovery been delayed much further, I might have taken drastic measures.” She waved towards a desk littered with papers. “One of those has a list of the most prominent dissidents within both thy clan and amongst the clanless and outcasts. I was planning to send them on a few high-risk missions. Nothing too blatant or pointlessly suicidal, goodness knows there is no shortage of dangerous tasks to be done during a siege. With any luck, the rebels would have culled our problems for us.”

I began to grasp why she had counseled me ‘gainst hasty action, for my first instinct was to rage at her. The thought that she would have arranged the deaths of mine own clansponies was beyond infuriating. I rose from my seat, stepping towards her, my wingblades readying themselves of their own accord. “Thou wouldst dare?!”

She answered my fury with an almost unnatural calm, remaining seated and meeting my glare unflinchingly. “Yes, I would dare. Didst thou not command hundreds of soldiers to their deaths in the battle yesterday, all to save Canterlot and Equestria from the Avatar? Yet thou wouldst condemn me for sending a dozen to their deaths to end the very same threat?”

“Always a clever answer or a witty retort,” I snarled, stalking forward. “Some glib turn of phrase to hide the monstrousness of thine actions. What thou wouldst have done would not be sending soldiers to war. ‘Twould be little better than murder.”

“Call it murder then, if it pleases thee,” she answered, rising as well and pressing forward, her nose almost touching mine. “And aye, I would murder thy kin if ‘twere necessary to save Equestria. Surely thou cannot be shocked to hear it. Dost thou know how many have already died in this war, and how many more shall perish if the rebels are successful? Make no mistake, Shadow—in the event of thy death, I will do whate’er is necessary to keep thy clan from joining the rebel ranks.” Her shoulders slumped, and she fell back into her seat. “I would much prefer that thou dost simply appoint somepony who can take up leadership in thine absence. Just because I am willing to take extreme measures if they become necessary does not mean I wish to.” She sighed heavily, sinking further into her seat. “I dreamed of making a better Equestria. Reforming outdated practices and ending threats ere they emerged to take innocent lives. Climbing o’er a mountain of corpses to achieve that goal was ... not something I wished for.”

“But thou wouldst do it,” I accused.

“Yes.” For all her weariness and resignation, she did not hesitate a moment with her answer. “I would burn Equestria to the ground ere I would let the Avatar take it from Queen Celestia.”

I could not help but compare her remarks to mine own earlier thoughts regarding Swift Blade and the Avatar herself. It seemed the war had almost become a curious sort of all-consuming madness, dragging us all into further and further bloodshed. Would this war carry on until the last surviving rebel and loyalist fell upon one another’s spears?

Sunbeam slowly massaged her scalp. “Unless thou wouldst rant and rave at me further, let us return to more productive matters. It seems plain to me that thou wilt not name a new heir, and obviously a purge of dissidents is unacceptable. So be it. If that is thy desire, then mayhaps I can conjure up another answer out of the aether.” She refilled her teacup, sipping from it and grimacing at the taste. “There might be another solution, though I suspect thou wilt take at least some issue with it.”

A part of me did not wish to let the matter of her planned purge drop, yet I was already weary of the discussion. In truth, I was not e’en truly surprised at her willingness to kill those in my clan who might try to turn them to the rebels. In fact, I suspect that at least part of my anger was born not from her willingness to act, but from the idea that my clan might attempt to join the rebel cause if I were to die. I had thought better of them, though ‘twas perhaps foolish to believe that they were all unthinkingly united behind me, without e’en a single pony experiencing a single moment of doubt.

I set such dark thoughts aside for the moment and answered Sunbeam. “For all thy complaints about the difficulty of finding a new solution to the problem, it seems thou didst conjure one up quite readily.” I could not help but smirk knowingly as a thought occurred to me. “Or perhaps thou didst anticipate my resistance, and already had another scheme in mind? Mayhaps thou didst e'en suggest an idea thou didst know I would reject, so that I would be more inclined to accept the supposed compromise thou wouldst offer afterwards?”

She grinned. “Thou wilt never know the truth where my schemes begin and end.”

I scoffed. “Thou dost enjoy this serpent's game far too much.”

“It is one of my guilty pleasures,” Sunbeam confessed, her grin growing wider for a moment ere she settled back to the matter at hoof. “But aye, I do have an alternative solution. I say 'tis time we affirm our position as the true legitimate government of Pegasopolis.”

“What exactly didst thou—” I paused as I realized what solution she must have in mind. “Of course. We have but a commander and one Ephor. That leaves four seats empty.”

She nodded approvingly. “Exactly. 'Twould help enhance our legitimacy, and give us more leaders to fall back 'pon if thou wert lost.”

“The idea is not unreasonable,” I allowed. “Though we would need to find suitable candidates. Ideally ones representing the major clans. Our Ephorate would look hollow indeed if we named my clanponies to all the seats.”

“That is the greatest hurdle I can see,” Sunbeam admitted. “We need leaders who are loyal to the cause, but also have a valid claim to status within the Ephorate. I will not repeat the rebels’ mistake with Cyclone; an illegitimate Ephor is worse than none at all.”

Though I would have preferred that my father go unmentioned, her point was still valid. “Aye, we would need to make our choices carefully.” Perhaps I could prevail upon Rightly to join our cause once more. My pleas had fallen on deaf ears in the past, but with the Avatar’s emergence...

“I expect I will have to leave much of the process of selecting of candidates to thee,” Sunbeam declared, seemingly faintly annoyed at the prospect. “Surely thou wouldst know what thy fellow pegasi value far better than I would. I would still assess their loyalty, naturally. And we would need Queen Celestia to sign off on any appointments we make, as befits her status as the rightful Commander of Pegasopolis.”

“I would have it no other way.” I frowned, turning my mind to the matter of candidates for the new Ephorate. “It may take some time to decide upon who will occupy the new seats. Though I suspect thou dost already have a list of thy preferred candidates prepared.”

She chuckled, lightly brushing a hoof down my armored chest. “Ah, dearest Shadow, thou dost know me so very well.” She produced a list from within her robes, passing it to me. “Take the time needed to see the task done properly, but do not dally too long. I expect the rebels will want to strike again ere we finish repairing the breaches from their last attack. The only thing that might cause them to delay is the fact that we hold two of the Avatar’s children, though for all I could say it might actually fire her to attack sooner.”

“Ah, yes. Dusk and Dawn Charger are cooling their hooves in our cells.” I grimaced. “We shall have to think of what use we can find for the two of them. Normally my first instinct would be to trade Dusk’s freedom for Gale’s, but ... well, I have no intention of meeting the Avatar under a truce flag. Given their claims that I slew Lance at a parley, I rather doubt they would be willing to hear me out either.”

Sunbeam scoffed. “There is no negotiating with a monster. The best we could hope for out of any attempt to trade is that they would play along in the hopes of betraying us, and we would have to plan our own treachery in response. Such a farce would most likely end with all the prisoners slain.”

“Then what are we to do with her children?” I growled, frustrated that Gale was no closer to being rescued despite having such a perfect trade for her. “Do we leave them to rot in a cell next to Rightly?”

“I see no other option, for the moment,” she conceded with a shrug. “I doubt thou wouldst argue to slay them, for they are too useful to do such a thing. Not to mention that would provoke the Avatar to retaliate. And as we have discussed, we cannot trust the rebels to trade with us. I intend to have them questioned.” She held up a hoof to forestall any objection on my part. “Only questioned, no harsh interrogation. I see no reason to give the Avatar an excuse to claim we mistreated her children. But in any case, I doubt they will reveal anything.”

“Aye.” Bright’s children were no doubt as loyal to her as Gale was to me. “’Tis frustrating, though. ‘Tween the two of them and Rightly we hold valuable hostages, yet a hostage that cannot be traded and whom we dare not harm is of little use.”

“Lamenting the situation will not change it for the better.” She sighed, then finished the rest of her foul tea. “For the moment let us consider it well enough that they stay in our dungeons. It might provoke the Avatar to make a foolish move. If naught else, Dawn will likely agree to join our other chirurgeons.” She paused in thought. “I believe she was sired by a Kicker, aye? I would suggest having him meet with her, if he is amongst thy ranks. He might be able to sway her to reveal something of use, or mayhaps e’en convince her to defect. ’Twould be quite the coup if we could turn one of the Avatar’s own children against her.”

“I see little reason not to make the attempt.” I could not recall Dawn’s sire at the moment, but undoubtedly somepony else would. “Though on the subject of the Avatar, there is a matter I would discuss with thee.”

“Oh?” She leaned forward, showing a sort of eager curiosity. “How intriguing. What would that be? Some scheme to finally end her? Some hidden weakness thou didst discover in thy battle with her?”

“Neigh.” Though her words did remind me that I would be wise to think o’er the battle ‘gainst the Avatar and search for any advantages I might gain. “'Tis regarding the Avatar and thy daughter. I have begun to suspect that there is some manner of connection ‘tween the two of them. Twice now she has forewarned me of the Avatar's arrival, at the wedding and upon the walls. She speaks of the Avatar's thoughts and feelings as if she has some insight into them.” I frowned, musing half to myself. “And during the battle, she asked several questions about the status of our forces. The rebels attacked shortly afterwards, and struck well. Almost as if they knew I had already committed my reserves.”

For a moment Sunbeam went almost completely still, but she recovered swiftly, wearing an easy smile that likely would have fooled me had I not come to know her so well o’er the last few months. As it was, her tone was a touch too light, her body language so relaxed that ‘twas plain she was making an effort to show that she was unbothered. “My child, I admit, has always been a touch strange. And she is magically gifted. 'Tis not uncommon for magi to have certain eccentricities. And likely the rebels have been planning their assault for a month. ‘Tis no surprise they struck true, nor does it take any great military genius to anticipate that thy reserves would be used to plug a gap in thy walls.”

I held her gaze, not allowing her a moment’s respite to compose herself. “I am most disappointed, Sunbeam. I would have expected a far better lie from thee.”

Her eyes narrowed, and there was an almost growling undertone to her words. “Then why speak of these things, Shadow? For I cannot imagine thou wouldst bring these things to mine attention for no reason.”

“Thou knowest something of this matter,” I answered levelly. “And thou shalt share thy knowledge with me. If the Avatar somehow gained information about our defenses from Midnight, then I need to know so that I might address the threat.”

“My child is not a threat!” she snarled, rising from her seat and storming forwards until she was all but atop me.

I let her rage wash o’er me, answering with stoic calm. “Neigh, the Avatar is the threat. And I suspect e’en more of a threat to thy daughter than to most of us. A threat I intend to end, but which I cannot stop unless I have the needed information. Information thou dost hold.”

Sunbeam grunted, turning her back upon me and furiously pacing about the room like a caged lion. I recognized her mood all too well from mine own recent experiences—that of a pony with much fury, but no target to unleash it against. Finally, her shoulders slumped and she let out a long breath. When she spoke, the rage had left her voice, leaving only exhaustion and fear behind. “I am not clear exactly what type of hold the Avatar has on my daughter. Or more precisely, the control Nightmare Moon has.”

The distinction was a curious one. “Tell me whate'er thou canst, then.”

Her jaw clenched and her horn lit up. I recognized the spells she began weaving, creating extra layers of privacy and secrecy around the room. Her tower was already quite warded for such, but ‘twas plain she intended to be as thorough as possible. “Thou art to tell nopony what I am about to tell thee. Nopony. Not e’en Gale, should we recover her. If I even suspect thou hast told what is about to be said, we will find out exactly how much it will take to end thee. Am I clear?”

I frowned. “I will not swear an oath to keep secrets I do not yet know.”

“I was not asking for thine oath, Shadow.” She stalked over to one of her cabinets and extracted a bottle of gin. “I was informing thee of a reality. Offer an oath or do not, but if thou dost betray my secrets thou wilt suffer for it. I have only told one other living soul what I am about to tell thee, and that was ten years ago.”

“The Commander?”

“Aye, her.” She filled two tumblers. “Thou canst rest easy, for I am not asking thee to keep secrets from the Queen. Now then, dost thou remember Secret Word?”

I searched my memory for the name. “The name is passingly familiar. A warlock, aye?”

She nodded sharply. “He was a particularly difficult cultist of Nightmare Moon I had been tasked with bringing to justice. He was intelligent, skilled, and of no small talent. Though his greatest advantage was actually that he had seduced the apprentice to the Archmagus of the Eastern March. E’en as I hunted him, Clear Sight demanded reports on my progress in the Archmagus’ name, which she promptly delivered to Secret Word.” She scowled. “With hindsight’s benefit, I suspect Hidden Facts must have played a role in this as well. ‘Tis too much a coincidence that there would be two highly-placed traitors.”

I frowned, wondering why the tale of her child’s oddities began here. “This tale sounds as if ‘twill be lengthier than I expected.”

“So it is.” She chuckled humorlessly, then took a long sip from her drink. “There are many moving pieces to it. Mayhaps one day ‘twill make a story for the bards to sing of, though not until I am long dead.” She scoffed, shaking her head. “In any case, Clear Sight had always claimed to have a gift for looking into the future—always obsessed with divinations, prophecies, predicting what is to come, and all that foolishness. Future-telling is a pointless exercise in a universe where ponies have the freedom to determine their own fates at any given moment.

“Regardless of the validity of her predictions, she eventually abandoned any pretence of loyalty to the magi, joining her lover’s cult in an effort to free Nightmare Moon from her prison.” She swirled her drink, staring down into the liquor’s depths. “The Avatar was not the first attempt by a Nightmare cult to find a suitable host for the spirit of Nightmare Moon. Howe’er, all the previous efforts met with failure: either the host was insufficient to the task, the cultists too unskilled, or they could not summon sufficient power to do the ritual. We had become certain that such efforts were doomed to failure, and that Celestia’s seals could not be broken.”

She scoffed, shaking her head. “Perhaps ‘twas a sort of hubris, to believe no mortal unicorn could undo the work of an immortal alicorn. Secret decided to attack the problem from a new direction: if the selection of ponies available to him were not equal to the task, then he would make one. So he plotted with his turncoat lover, and together they conceived a foal with the intention of making her serve as a vessel for Luna’s spirit.”

“Midnight?” I concluded.

“Aye, Midnight.” She drained her tumbler dry, grimacing at the taste. “I do not know all the details of how it was done, but they had managed to make a child that was a piece of Luna, in blood and soul, and Clear bore the foal. When Midnight was born, Nightmare Moon would have had an agent on our world, one of power. One that could wield her power, and might very well have been able to free her.”

She paused for a moment to refill her glass. “‘Twas one of the most difficult warlock hunts of my life. My foes were cunning, skilled, and utterly dedicated to their cause. In the end, I had lost everypony that had joined me on the hunt before I had even confronted Secret Word.” Her eyes turned distant, as though lost in memory. “And so ‘twas that I at last found him on the winter solstice, exactly one hundred years after Queen Celestia had banished her sister. Such things have power; the portents could not have been better for a ritual connected to the Nightmare. ‘Twas on that night that they planned Midnight's birth. I had already learned of enough of their plans by interrogating captured cultists to know that I had to stop them, whate’er the costs. So I threw myself into the battle.”

‘Twas easy enough to guess the outcome from there. “I presume thou didst succeed in slaying the warlocks, but not before Midnight was born. Which left thee to decide the fate a newborn, innocent, and parentless child?”

“Aye.” She frowned, her tone turning quiet and almost contemplative. “I do not e’en know what slew the mare that brought Midnight into the world—whether ‘twas me, one of the warlocks, or mayhaps the stress of the birth itself.” She scowled and angrily waved her hoof as though warding off an annoying insect. “It matters not, in the end. Regardless of how she died, it left me with a terrible question on what to do with the wailing foal.”

Though I could surmise how events had proceeded from there, the reasoning eluded me. “Thou didst decide to keep her, and raise her as thine own. I confess, that is unexpected. I would have thought thee more likely to seek a ... different solution.”

She shrugged. “It... surprised me also. I think at first ‘twas but a whim.” She poured the remainder of her glass down her throat, only to fill it once more. “I ne’er sought out to become a mother. I had worked hard to make sure I would not be one, in fact.” She stared contemplatively at her glass’ contents, idly swirling them about. “I had borne a son once, long ago.”

I blinked, my mouth hanging open at the sudden revelation. “Truly? I did not know of it.”

“That is not a surprise, I did everything I could to keep it hidden.” Her smile was almost wistful. “I was younger then. Filled with ambition, desires, and a lust for life. Not to mention I lacked many of the connections my noble-born peers enjoyed. I took many lovers, a long string of patrons who I used, then cast aside when they had no more to offer me.” She snorted, setting her drink down on the table. “And then one of them did me the unkindness of putting a foal ‘pon me, despite all my precautions ‘gainst it. Bearing a bastard was hardly in my interests. I had neither the time nor the desire to raise a child in between advancing as a magus and hunting warlocks, not to mention the complications that likely would have arisen from the sire.”

She shrugged, seemingly dismissing the father of her child from her mind. “Fortunately for me, a magus’ cloak and some illusion spells did wonders to keep my condition from being discovered. Once I was heavy with child, I requested a break from mine other duties to devote time to my studies. E’en then I had many allies within the Cult of Sol Invictus, and in fact they maintained a modest country estate intended to help mares such as myself who found themselves with foals that, for one reason or another, they did not wish for.”

“And there thou didst bear thy hidden bastard?” Several seemingly innocuous facts fell into place. “Knight-Magus Shimmer?”

One of her eyebrows quirked up. “‘Tis that obvious?”

“Not to most, neigh,” I assured her. “But he is a bastard, a member of Sol Invictus, and a talented magus who from what I have seen is a capable pyromancer. And in the duel with Valiant Doo, thou didst chose to face Valiant thyself rather than let thy ... thy son do so.”

“All those things are true.” An almost proud smile grew ‘pon her face. “I admit, I have followed his career with great interest, though I have tried to keep my patronage subtle. I suspect he has inherited the talent to be an archmagus. I could hardly let him risk his life in a pointless scuffle with a common thug.”

“He is of thy blood.” Though she might have put him aside, ‘twas plain enough from the pride in her voice, that she felt some fondness for Daylight. Likely she would have kept him, if not for her o’erpowering ambitions. Pity Unicornia looked so poorly upon such births; certainly bearing many children that would have been bastards by unicorn standards did nothing to impede Bright’s own rise to the Ephorate. “Is that why thou didst keep Midnight? Some regret for lost chances with thine own child?”

“Perhaps so,” she allowed, her gaze dropping uncertainly to the floor. “Though it seems far too sentimental a reason. I confess, my first instinct was to kill the foal and be done with the matter. ‘Twas the safest course. She had been born with an evil purpose in mind, and as long as she lived, she would be a threat to all of Equestria. Why allow a being who had been bound to the Nightmare from the moment of her birth to live?”

“Yet instead, thou didst keep her.” I shook my head. “Neigh, far more than just keeping her. I have seen how thou dost look upon her, and she with thee. Thou hast raised her and come to care for her as if she were thine.”

Sunbeam rose from her chair, her eyes suddenly aflame and her teeth showing in an almost animal snarl. “She is MINE!”

I almost instinctively backed away from her, surprised by the sheer ferocity of her response. I had seen her frustrated, murderous, and enraged, but ne’er before had I felt such pure fury radiating from the mare.

She began pacing furiously back and forth ‘cross the room. “I had two purposes: first, to remove the taint of the Nightmare. Neigh, not merely remove it, but turn her own tool against her. Beyond that, I required an heir, somepony to carry on my legacy. So I made Midnight mine own.” She whirled to face me, drawing far closer than I cared for. “I performed rituals, secret ones only indirectly mentioned in the deepest recesses of our greatest arcane libraries. I took my blood and shards of mine own soul and gave them to Midnight. Made part of her me, as though she were of mine own body.”

She took a long breath, trying to regain her composure. “Aye, I wished to make her mine, but a part of it was also removing her ties to the Nightmare. ‘Twas mine hope that such efforts would remove the threat Midnight's life posed. I e’en removed whatever evidence I could that would link Midnight to what happened the night of her birth—burned documents, disposed of evidence, and ensured that all the cultists were summarily executed rather than brought back for trial. As near as anypony was to know, my daughter came out of the aether one day. Ponies would come to their own conclusions, and any of those were better than the truth of the matter.”

I frowned. “Yet it seems that for all thine efforts, some connection to the Nightmare remains.”

“So it does,” she snarled, resuming her furious pacing. “That was the flaw to my plan. There was one pony who knew the truth and whom I could not touch: the Nightmare herself, damn her dark heart. I became worried after the Avatar was created. Midnight started having her nightmares, and her behavior became unusual.” A faint, humorless mockery of a smile twisted her lips. “Strange e’en compared to her normal self. I gave her potions to deal with the dreams, and placed wards about her to prevent Nightmare Moon from intruding upon her. Yet it seems that my potions become less potent by the day, e’en after increasing the dosage and using rarer and more potent components. I dare not give her any more than I am already, else I might cause her some lasting harm. As for my wards ... thou didst reach thine own conclusions based on her behavior.”

I nodded gravely. “It seems the Nightmare's work is not so easily undone.”

“Neigh.” She snarled, smacking the remnants of her drink from the table in frustration. “This will not stand! I am not some helpless foal! I am Sunbeam Sparkle, the Archmagus of Canterlot, Grand Vizier of Unicornia! Bane of warlocks and destroyer of darkness. I am the one who will burn away the night, to forge a more glorious dawn for Equestria! The Avatar has no right to take Midnight from me! She is my daughter—mine! If the Nightmare thinks she can steal my child, then I shall show the world how an immortal dies!”

I set a calming hoof upon Sunbeam’s shoulder. “I have already pledged it to Midnight herself, but let me repeat it to thee. I will protect her from any who would bring her to harm, e’en if ‘tis the Nightmare herself.”

She nodded slowly, her face carefully unreadable. “I will hold thee to that. Midnight ... she is my daughter.” She said nothing more. As a mother, I knew nothing more needed to be said.

I smiled reassuringly. “Aye. What use is my strength, if I cannot protect a single innocent life? Especially one I have grown quite fond of.”

She met my smile with one of her own. “Aye, ‘tis so. And such gallantry should not go unrewarded.” She sauntered to my seat, then brazenly draped herself across me, pressing herself enticingly against my body. “I would be glad to reward thee in whate’er way thou wouldst desire.”

I did not rudely remove her, but I offered no encouragement to her advances, merely tolerating her presence. “Do not speak of such acts as mere rewards, and there is other business to be settled regardless.”

“Oh very well,” she huffed, seeming irritated with my rejection, but in no hurry to remove herself from me. “If the Nightmare has a hold o’er my daughter, that does bring up the question on what to do with her.” She scowled. “‘Twould not do for her to spy for our enemies, e’en if ‘tis not her intention.”

“I think ‘tis plain she cannot serve upon the walls any longer.” A faint grin crossed my face as I added, “I am sure she will be devastated to hear she can no longer carry water to our soldiers.”

Sunbeam chuckled, leaning in a way which felt far more genuine and pleasant than her earlier attempt to seduce me. “Aye, from the way she carried on, one would think I was sending her to be whipped and beaten in a salt mine.” She sighed, shaking her head. “There are times I wonder if I have spoiled her. ‘Tis hard to say, I suppose. I ... at her age, I did not enjoy the luxuries I can provide for her. Perhaps my adversities did grant me some of the strength I needed to grow to the mare I am today, but I hardly think she would grow to be a better magus with no books, meagre meals, and a small and uncomfortable bed.” She grimaced. “At least she will find being confined to my tower more tolerable than most. I can see to it she is provided with all the books she desires, and other comforts and luxuries to make the confinement less burdensome. And ‘twill be easy enough to explain away, given that she was placed in mortal peril during yesterday’s battle.”

“I expect thou canst ensure that she does not see anything that could damage our cause.” There would be many details to finalize for such an arrangement, but I was confident in Sunbeam’s ability to do so. There was another matter to raise, though. “Mayhaps the Commander might be able to aid thee in shielding her from the Nightmare?”

“She is my child,” Sunbeam growled. “It is for me to protect her. I will not go begging to the Queen to mewl of my weakness and beg for her aid.” For a long time she said nothing, merely looking into my eyes and pressing ‘gainst me. Finally she sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping in resignation. “Still, I will not have it said that I put my child in danger. If there is an avenue to make her safe that I failed to explore, and she comes to some harm because of that...”

I nodded, grasping her thoughts. “Better a wound to thy pride than a wound to thy daughter.”

She nodded reluctantly. “Mayhaps Her Majesty will have a solution. Though the Avatar is not wholly her sister, I expect the Queen will know much of the Nightmare’s power, and her mind. ‘Twould be foolish not to speak with her on the matter. Though this goes no further—only evil can come of more ponies learning the truth.”

“I will show the utmost discretion,” I assured her.

She nodded gratefully. “I am glad to hear it. Above nearly anything else, the Avatar cannot lay her hooves on Midnight. If she were ... ‘tis best just to prevent such a thing from happening, rather than speculate upon the consequences.”

“Agreed.” A part of me could not help but think just how far it might be necessary to go to keep young Midnight from the Avatar’s clutches. As hateful as the thought was, once it occurred to me I could not cast it from my mind. Far more troubling, I could not convince myself that it might not be necessary.

Author's Note:

As always, thanks to my pre-reading and editing team for all their hard work. Also, I would like to thank all my dedicated Patreon supporters. You guys are awesome.

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Comments

[alexandria2k]

Daylight Shimmer. I hadn't even blinked twice at his name until now. D'oh. Ancestor of Sunset Shimmer possibly, I take it? Would explain the talent and the ambition.

And the info on Midnight's past is delicious. I was absently wondering each chapter who would have been crazy - or ambitious - to sire a kid with Archmagus Sparkle. Was either going to be a political ploy, or magic, but the answer....wow. I like.

[Peachy Keen]

Fantastic as always!

[darkangel_31314]

Huh... so Twilight Sparkle really is the descendant of Nightmare Moon?!

[Cyrano]

One of my favourite parts of this story is the strong themes of motherhood, and the foils of Sunbeam and Shadow. The later grows even stronger now that we see that both of them have daughters who, while not related to them by blood (barring some ancient rituals, it seems) , they care deeply for.

Also, it seems that we already have half an Ephorate locked in the dungeons. Conveniently it's made up of ponies of important clans who seem to be nice enough folks. Just saying...

[wolfstorm56]

Looks like they're starting to get comfortable together. Very interesting.

Midnight's origins are awesome, just as twisted as we've come to expect when it involves her in any way. Her little crush (it seems?) on Shadow is pretty cute too.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

poor Radiant, another cool character you killed off. I hope he at least left one last gift for Nimbus.

I wonder if Luna, Twilight, and Sunset will ever learn of their connection?

[Crochettail]

First reaction: OH MY FRICKING GOD IT UPDATED
This is the first time I've got to see this story update since I caught up, so I am [hopefully understandably] freaking out.

But Radiant Day . . .

"The Avatar has no right to take Midnight from me! She is my daughter—mine! If the Nightmare thinks she can steal my child, then I shall show the world how an immortal dies!”

Bright/Nightmare?
Just a note.
You really don't want to fight that lady.

[Reese]

I'm afraid that I'm rather low on time at the moment and don't have my usual error spotting, but the chapter did certainly contain some interesting things.

[AltGrendel]

Best origin ever.

No, really.

[Comma-Kazie]

7174229

Bright/Nightmare?

The Brightmare, if you prefer.

.... I'll show myself out.

[Spectrumancer]

Aww, Sunbeam does have a heart, after all.

[Crochettail]

7174571
"Brightmare Marger"
No, no, "Brightmare Choon" is better

[ElkinFencer10]

I didn't realize until today that you had a Patreon account! I just went and pledged some. I wish I could give more since I'm a HUGE fan of your work, but alas, teachers in North Carolina aren't exactly rich folk...but I absolutely love your Winningverse stories and have even convinced a couple of my students to read The Lunar Rebellion and Midnight's Shadow. =P

[son_of_heaven176]

Wow. What a chapter. I wonder what fate has in store for young Midnight.

By the way, a few errors slipped through:

Our engineers are already constructing temporary defenses to hold the breeches in the walls, and are currently assessing whether ‘twould be better to attempt repairs or simply hasten work on the third line of defenses.

You have the correct spelling later in the chapter: it's supposed to be spelled "breaches".

She trotted to small but efficiently arranged kitchen and set to work preparing a pot of tea.

Missing a word: "she trotted to a small but efficiently arranged kitchen."

[thefirewarde]

Well. That was unexpected.

[_CheckMate_]

7173796 We need a scene were Twilight calls Luna 'Grandma', or at the very least freaks out about it. Or Cloud freaking out over screwing both Luna and her many-times great-granddaughter.

And now we know for sure about the shared lineage connecting Sunset and Twilight mentioned in the Pheonix Empress.

[ShadeTail]

14,500 words to write *two scenes*.

Overall, I am enjoying this story, but damn. A narcoleptic snail goes faster than that.

[Flynt Coal]

Gonna be honest, I actually thought Midnight's poem was pretty good. Definitely better than anything I could write at her age. And wow, the revelations are real this chapter. Also, I find it kinda funny that discounting some blood rituals, Sunset Shimmer is technically more closely related to the Sparkle line than Twilight is!

7174630 That would be an awesome curriculum. Just saying.

7174644 Not entirely sure, but I think "breeches" is the old fashioned way of saying it.

[Triaxx2]

What? No, no. Use her connection. Leave out false reports for her to read, and that sort of thing.

Though I suddenly have this amusing thought that perhaps Cloud is some distant relation of Sunbeam, given such similar proclivities for... afterschool entertainment.

[punzil504]

Another chapter that lends itself to my personal love/hate relationship with Sunset. Just when I want to like her, she says stuff like she did at the beginning of the chapter, and just when I want to hate her, she reveals Midnight's origin.

7175819

Heh. I take it you've never looked into FoE: Project Horizons?

[Vendable Sheik]

Wow, what a twist. I loved this chapter from the dialogue to the revelations. It's awesome to see a bit deeper into Sunbeam's true self. That being said I got a serious Past Sins/Nyx vibe here but I'm definitely not complaining.

[Comma-Kazie]

7176184

Not entirely sure, but I think "breeches" is the old fashioned way of saying it.

Actually, he's correct. Thus sayeth Merriam-Webster, breeches are "short trousers fastened just below the knee, now chiefly worn for riding a horse or as part of ceremonial dress", while a breach is "a gap in a wall, barrier, or defense, especially one made by an attacking army."

[dmmm123]

So this little bomb of information draws some interesting connections to Luna for a few characters in the Winningverse:
- Since Midnight is part Luna/Nightmare Moon and part Sunbeam Sparkle, AND is most likely Twilight Sparkle's ancestor, Twi is distantly kinda-sorta related to Luna - same goes for Shining Armor....
- Daylight Shimmer is most likely Sunset Shimmer's ancestor, and since he is Sunbeam's biological son, Sunset and Twi (and Shiny) are kinda-sorta distant cousins...
- And since "The Study Of a Winning Pony" is ALSO part of the WInningverse (with a few inconsistencies with the main fic, but....eh *shrug*), the revelations and connections made in that fic are also canon, so through the Sparkle family - Sparkler, Dinky, and Derpy/Ditzy are connected....
- And TECHNICALLY Rainbow Dash is connected, too, since it's been hinted in one or more of the Winningverse fics that RD is from the Charger clan ....even though Bright Charger's kids were born BEFORE the whole Avatar thing...

There are probably some connections I'm missing from other Winningverse fics, but I'm too tired to think. It is interesting to think about, though.

[kooarbiter]

that forshadowing at the end wasn't subtle at allwe all know shes either going to be captured, or killed to prevent that, or even have someone become a noble sacrifice to prevent it

7173796

unless sunbeam managed to get another kid some time down the line

[burning4rr0w]

I was there. I saw him die. Saw the pegasus tackle him to the ground, then bash his skull in. O’er and o’er and o’er. Yet I could do nothing. I was powerless to save him.

...
Dusk killed Radiant... Dusk killed Radiant... Dusk killed Radiant... Dusk killed Radiant... Dusk killed Radiant....

...this chapter... Shit gets darker from paragraph to paragraph, we seem to be on a downwards spiral to hell... Wow...

Between dirty politics, dark magic and plot twists I wasn't sure if I was reading an MLP fanfic, something from the GoT franchise or something out of the F/SN universe. While it would be too much to say the revelations about Midnight being a pony equivalent of Illya von Einzbern and an abomination on par with the Avatar were unexpected, they certainly were carried out in a satisfying manner. As well as the revelations about houses Shimmer and Sparkle being related (even if technically Sunbeam was not related to the next generations of Sparkles by blood)

Also did I understand correctly that the foal Sunbeam was accused of murdering was in fact Midnight? Bc that would change the way I view her character a lot. If not, she's still one of the best written characters I've seen, with Dusk following short after. The complexity of your writing makes me wonder why you don't do it for a living.

[Tsuguri]

7179440

Also did I understand correctly that the foal Sunbeam was accused of murdering was in fact Midnight?

I don't think so. If I'm remembering correctly, the foal that Sunbeam killed belonged to different Warlock. She used their own kid as a living bomb to get through their defenses.

[FanOfMostEverything]

Fascinating stuff here. I honestly do hope Shadow takes on White Knight; she could use the support right now. (And I'm honestly not sure which she I mean there.)

Midnight's nature definitely makes a lot more sense now. The genealogical implications of Sunbeam's complex family are also intriguing, though other commenters have already touched on that.

Also, that bit about the memoirs apparently being written "beyond the end of my life" makes me tilt my head. There's definitely a story there...

[pahnazd]

So, a pretty big revelation. That explains so many things though.

But it was nice to see Sunbeam as such a fierce and proud mother, in all those aspects which she displayed.

[Chengar Qordath]

7189489
Yeah, for massive social and economic reforms a thirty year timetable is pretty reasonable if you don't want to cause a huge disruption to the existing society. But it doesn't do a very good job of placating people who want change "right now."

[RoboRed]

I really enjoyed this chapter and how it showed more of the true Sunbeam Sparkle through her story about Midnight's origins, and her actions during the telling thereof.

“And there thou didst bear thy hidden bastard?” Several seemingly innocuous facts fell into place. “Knight-Magus Shimmer?”

Daylight Shimmer? Well, I'll be...

[Forderz]

Any spell can be countered... Or reversed. Midnight's link with the Avatar is as much a security hole for the Nightmare as it is for the loyalists, and NMM can't get locked in a tower for a few months.

[Batbrony]

Another excellent chapter, as always. Very sad to hear about Radiant Day, though to be honest the second that he got married I was worried that something was going to happen to him or his bride. Still, at least he went out protecting Equestria, even if it was in a grueling and terrifyingly chaotic battle.

Wonderful bits with Midnight too, both in the opening scene and the revelation we got about her. She continues to become more and more interesting as this fic continues, and I commend you for remaining so devoted (as you always and ever have) to fleshing out so many supporting characters in your fics in general. They are all the richer for it, in setting and story, and it really makes the worlds of your fics come alive.

“Neigh.” She snarled, smacking the remnants of her drink from the table in frustration. “This will not stand! I am not some helpless foal! I am Sunbeam Sparkle, the Archmagus of Canterlot, Grand Vizier of Unicornia! Bane of warlocks and destroyer of darkness. I am the one who will burn away the night, to forge a more glorious dawn for Equestria! The Avatar has no right to take Midnight from me! She is my daughter—mine! If the Nightmare thinks she can steal my child, then I shall show the world how an immortal dies!”

s2.quickmeme.com/img/1f/1fed6c68d4872cb8fd709289b61cee69b07542e398b4151b597d924c9550d991.jpg

I won't lie, that was incredibly badass. Definitely one of Sunbeam's finest moment's thus far, and I can only imagine it was terribly fun to write. That's the type of line an author lives to come up with and makes sloughing through the writing of countless pages of exposition and mundane character actions completely worth it.

[Batbrony]

7178118

that forshadowing at the end wasn't subtle at allwe all know shes either going to be captured, or killed to prevent that, or even have someone become a noble sacrifice to prevent it

Actually, Ponibius has his own fic starring an older Midnight set in the Winningverse after the Lunar Rebellion, so I don't think there was any grim foreshadowing intended at the end of the chapter. Simply knowing that fic exists tells us that Midnight makes it through the conflict. That does not mean, certainly, that peril may not come to her at some point, but I don't believe there was any attempt at foreshadowing.

[kooarbiter]

7252694

well she was created with dark magic so who is to say that necromancy/involving her crows could come from this

[djthomp]

Geeze, Midnight, you aren't getting less creepy.

Really, it's probably for the best that Midnight doesn't end up in the swamp with Mossy. She's disturbing enough as is without adding swamp magic skills to the mix.

“I would appreciate it if that can be done.” A flicker of concern passed across her normally stoic face. “Though do be careful. Your next fight with Nightmare Moon’s avatar will be worse than the first clash. Much, much worse.”

Hmn. More than the likely connection to Nightmare Moon, that's some straight up prophecy right there.

The taste was ... unique. Not bad in the sense of a traditional failure at baking. The scones were not burnt, flat, or otherwise inedible, yet there was something undefinably incorrect about the flavor of them. If I had to put a word to what the taste of her scones put me in mind of, ‘twould be ... despair.

Hah!

I dunno about about anyone else, but that seemed like decent poetry to me. But then again, I know basically nothing about poetry.

A pink skull? Seems appropriate.

“Aye, I know.” She sighed, kicking the carpet. “That does not make the situation less frustrating. I would much rather to at least have the ability to crush mine enemies, see them driven before me and hear their lamentations.” She nodded to herself. “Yes, that would be good.”

Oh, just give it time, Middy.

I raised an eyebrow at her acerbic tone, but made no comment on it. It might e’en be that she was correct, at least as far as Swift and the Nightmare were concerned. The both of them seemed perfectly willing to let Equestria burn so long as they could claim dominion o’er the ashes.

That does seem quite likely.

“There is one other matter,” White began, her ears twitching. “Though the news is somewhat more ... bittersweet. Knight-Captain Radiant Day led a heroic defense of the Western Tunnels against a sneak attack by the hetairoi itself, facing superior forces. He succeeded at capturing a significant portion of their strength, including two of the Avatar’s children, Dusk and Dawn Charger.” A tremble passed down her spine, but after a moment she took a deep breath and forced her face back to the very image of stoic neutrality. “Father has requested that he receive the Order of the Rising Sun for his bravery on the field of battle, and that he be posthumously elevated to the rank of Knight-Commander for his victory.”

Dammit. Dammit!

Figures that the wedding was too bright a spot of happiness to last.

Really, Sunbeam's thinking here with White Knight makes perfect sense. Gotta keep those brand new pegasi/unicorn ties tied tight, especially since Radiant isn't alive to do it himself these days.

“It is one of my guilty pleasures,” Sunbeam confessed, her grin growing wider for a moment ere she settled back to the matter at hoof. “But aye, I do have an alternative solution. I say 'tis time we affirm our position as the true legitimate government of Pegasopolis.”

“What exactly didst thou—” I paused as I realized what solution she must have in mind. “Of course. We have but a commander and one Ephor. That leaves four seats empty.”

This is a pretty great plan, too.

Though I would have preferred that my father go unmentioned, her point was still valid. “Aye, we would need to make our choices carefully.” Perhaps I could prevail upon Rightly to join our cause once more. My pleas had fallen on deaf ears in the past, but with the Avatar’s emergence...

It would be quite the coup to have the original rebel commander join up with the loyalists. You'd need to be pretty damn sure of his loyalty, though. Could explain why we still have a Doo family in Canterlot in 900 years, but not a Charger family.

Speaking of which, I'm really interested to see what happens with Dusk and Dawn. Whatever it will be, it does seem like it'll probably be different than what happens with Rightly.

Ooo, time to find out the truth about Midnight.

She scoffed, shaking her head. “Perhaps ‘twas a sort of hubris, to believe no mortal unicorn could undo the work of an immortal alicorn. Secret decided to attack the problem from a new direction: if the selection of ponies available to him were not equal to the task, then he would make one. So he plotted with his turncoat lover, and together they conceived a foal with the intention of making her serve as a vessel for Luna’s spirit.”

“Midnight?” I concluded.

“Aye, Midnight.” She drained her tumbler dry, grimacing at the taste. “I do not know all the details of how it was done, but they had managed to make a child that was a piece of Luna, in blood and soul, and Clear bore the foal. When Midnight was born, Nightmare Moon would have had an agent on our world, one of power. One that could wield her power, and might very well have been able to free her.”

Oooooo. No wonder her scones taste of despair.

“And there thou didst bear thy hidden bastard?” Several seemingly innocuous facts fell into place. “Knight-Magus Shimmer?”

One of her eyebrows quirked up. “‘Tis that obvious?”

“Not to most, neigh,” I assured her. “But he is a bastard, a member of Sol Invictus, and a talented magus who from what I have seen is a capable pyromancer. And in the duel with Valiant Doo, thou didst chose to face Valiant thyself rather than let thy ... thy son do so.”

Now that's really interesting, so Sunbeam is the source of the Shimmer line in addition to raising the start of the Sparkle line (though not by blood, which is a twist I didn't expect).

She began pacing furiously back and forth ‘cross the room. “I had two purposes: first, to remove the taint of the Nightmare. Neigh, not merely remove it, but turn her own tool against her. Beyond that, I required an heir, somepony to carry on my legacy. So I made Midnight mine own.” She whirled to face me, drawing far closer than I cared for. “I performed rituals, secret ones only indirectly mentioned in the deepest recesses of our greatest arcane libraries. I took my blood and shards of mine own soul and gave them to Midnight. Made part of her me, as though she were of mine own body.”

No wait, so Sunbeam is kinda sorta connected by blood to Midnight.

“Neigh.” She snarled, smacking the remnants of her drink from the table in frustration. “This will not stand! I am not some helpless foal! I am Sunbeam Sparkle, the Archmagus of Canterlot, Grand Vizier of Unicornia! Bane of warlocks and destroyer of darkness. I am the one who will burn away the night, to forge a more glorious dawn for Equestria! The Avatar has no right to take Midnight from me! She is my daughter—mine! If the Nightmare thinks she can steal my child, then I shall show the world how an immortal dies!”

*fist-pump*

[The 24th Pegasus]

Well, I'm all caught up. Now what am I going to do with my life?

[Biker_Dash]

7344118 But it seems that half the fandom forgets that fact.
And now we have Spawn of C'Thulhu Flurry Heart... Fortunately, the show gave pretty much proof positive (through their own testimony) that Cakebutt and Luna are ASCENDED alicorns.

My theory borrows from CvBrony's headcanon, that the Abomination from Tartarrus Flurry Heart is actually a winged unicorn, a.k.a. a pegacorn. (A hybrid of a unicorn and a pegasus.) I have further theories on how something such as this might occur.

[Chengar Qordath]

7344184
It's inevitable a lot of the fandom is going to forget/be unaware of that, seeing as it's never been put in the show. I've never read the book that established Cadance's backstory/origins, and only know of it via online summaries.

[Biker_Dash]

I've read the fimfic based on the book. Was pretty well done.

So... What would be the odds that Lunar Rebellion follows in the hoofsteps of Winning Pony, and ends up as a book?

[Chengar Qordath]

7344467
There are plans for something along those lines.

[Biker_Dash]

7344536 *squees*

[Chengar Qordath]

7347024
Yeah, technically it should've been Greenwall vs. the Avatar, but both sides let the technicality slide because the Avatar really wanted to face Shadow herself, and Shadow wasn't okay with sending Greenwall on a suicide mission.

[JediWyrm]

I am glad that Stalwart didn't die. He might be comatose, but some minor mind-magic, very carefully done, could technically bring him out of it. Now if only there was a very powerful unicorn who happens to have a very gray and practical view on things.

7344409 Same here actually. Also, just finished reading through this... was surprised that it is still ongoing, don't know why just kinda thought it was a finished story. Then again, it only took me a few days to read the almost half-million words.

7175546 Don't think Cloud would freak out to majorly. She is far more squiked about possibly being related to Celestia and therefore Luna. She also noted at one point that Derpy is technically closer related than some of the ponies with Kicker in the name.

[StarStrider]

7328228 When the best old timey war-fic writers collide

[Circut Breaker]

“The inky silence in the tunnels
Was broken at long last,
By warriors’ screams as they funneled
Into the cavern pass.
The foe’s crossbow sang its song
Though gladly missed its mark.
And crimson rivers staunched their flow
As horror emerged from the dark.
Yet the champion’s blades were true that day
Their fire blazing bright;
The scorched enemy fled away
Away, from the champion of light.
The truth has dawned upon her foes:
Death waits in the shadows.”

I believe this was responsible for the clan words being changed. No doubt it surfaced after the memoirs were released.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

7344184 actually no Biker still gray there.

[ClosetKnight]

7347106

There seems little enough of that in these dark days

I immediately thought of Dumbledore's quote in Prisoner of Azkaban: One can find happiness in the darkest of places if one remembers to turn on the light.

[erictheblue]

“Aye, I know.” She sighed, kicking the carpet. “That does not make the situation less frustrating. I would much rather to at least have the ability to crush mine enemies, see them driven before me and hear their lamentations.” She nodded to herself. “Yes, that would be good.”

oh, this kid...

[WanderingPony]

9427528

And it is known that the pegasi understand the riddle of steel. Literally.

[Dorath]

Midnight and her gift of skulls is creepily adorable.

Sergeant Stalwart Kicker was recovered

E’en now, beyond the end of my life, I have not yet acquired it.

Was this a mistake, or am I misunderstanding this phrase? Because it sure reads like Shadow is writing her memories from the grave.

Future-telling is a pointless exercise in a universe where ponies have the freedom to determine their own fates at any given moment

And yet Celestia runs her nation and gambles all of her subjects lives based entirely on her own future-telling.

So ... if Twilight is descended from Midnight, and not another foal of Subeam's, than she is ... what ... a many-times great granddaughter to Luna? And Sunset's distant cousin ... at least the relation is distant enough (now) to not cause any issues if the Archon of Freeport and Princess Twilight do decide to marry