Marabian Knights

by silvershad0

You Must Gather Your Party Before Venturing Forth

The royal palace of Canterlot, resident to two of Equestria’s ruling princesses ever since the return of the younger of the sisters, Luna. During Luna’s thousand year banishment on the moon for the crimes committed by the twisted form that would eventually consume her, Nightmare Moon, her older sister,Celestia, was left to run Equestria by herself. Now that she had returned and the evil had been purged from her body, Luna was eager to resume her responsibilities and ease the burden from her sister’s back. The nobles of Canterlot, however, were having none of it. Not that they doubted her abilities or royal status, but things had changed to better favor them over the last millenium and they feared she would threaten their comfortable way of life.

So there she sat, alone in her bed chambers, sighing deeply at just how bored she had been the last few months. Sure, she had resumed her reign over the moon and stars, but that took up all of an hour at best. What she really craved was more attention from her subjects, like she had received on Nightmare Night that year. She had so much fun and felt she grew closer to her beloved ponies. She sighed again as she mentally calculated how long it would be until the next Nightmare Night. ‘It’s like we’re back on the moon all over again. My sister is busy taking care of the kingdom, Twilight and her friends all sleep through most of the night, and the servants all give us ‘the look’ when we try to involve them in anything fun.’ She lowered her head and sighed even deeper. “We need more friends who are awake when we are.” Her head perked up at the idea as she began recalling some of her conversations with Twilight’s friends. They had mentioned that some ponies these days were referred to as night owls, meaning that they slept through the day and awoke at night like she did. Some did so as a personal preference while others did so because their jobs demanded it. It was the former that now piqued her curiosity.

‘If there are ponies who actually prefer staying up at night, perhaps we could join them and end this accursed boredom,’ she thought to herself. ‘Then again, our presence still intimidates even the most friendly of ponies, especially whilst in public.’ Her brow furrowed as she contemplated a remedy to the problem. “That’s it,” she exclaimed as she clapped her hooves together. “We shall simply go in disguise and bring the ponies back here. Once they get to know us, they will see how much fun we can be. Now we merely need some means of entertainment that can be enjoyed in this confined area.” She glanced around her room as she pondered what sort of games they would play once she gathered the players.

The room itself was circular in shape and large enough to hold at least a dozen ponies comfortably, but she decided that less would be more in the case of meeting new ponies and befriending them. The floor was covered in fine carpet, a dark shade of blue that matched her coat. The walls and ceiling were almost black in color, with little white specks blanketing them to resemble her starry night. Her fit-for-a-princess bed took up nearly a quarter of the room, adorned with soft, velvet sheets and cloud-filled pillows. A lone chest of drawers sat on the opposite side of the room, filled with old memories of her past and a few new books her sister had given to her to help catch up on all that she had missed during her absence.

She slowly made her way toward it as she continued mulling over ideas and began searching through the different compartments. She picked up several pictures and old letters and set them aside as a box came into view near the bottom of a drawer. A box she hadn’t seen since long before her banishment. There, alongside several large tomes pertaining to it, was her very own copy of Dungeons and Dragons, a gift she received when she was very young from the Griffon Empire on one of their many diplomatic visits. Back then she didn’t have many ponies to play with her just as it was now, but that didn’t stop her from inviting every staff member in the castle as well as her sister every chance she got.

With the entertainment decided and her resolve to make this night a success empowered, she quickly channeled her magic and began morphing her form to resemble an average-looking pony’s shape and size. She then changed the color of her coat to almost midnight black and donned some of the clothes she still had from when she had just been freed by the bearers of the elements, since they would be a better fit for her smaller stature while still hiding her wings. She glanced in the mirror to make sure any signs of who she really was were neatly hidden and smiled.

She channeled some magic into her horn once more and found herself off to the side of a mostly empty Canterlot street beneath the palace. That would take care of trying to explain her plan to the guards for now, but they would notice her missing if she was gone too long, so she knew her time was limited. The city was nowhere near as busy as it was during the day, but still by no means quiet. There were a few vendors here and there peddling food and trinkets to passersby. Many shops were still open for business as well, the light from their windows adding to the already well-lit streets and alleyways.

She neared one in particular that put all the others to shame with its brilliant, neon lighting and shaking walls. A line had formed all the way around the building with many eager ponies impatiently waiting for their turn to enter. A flashing sign read ‘Contrast’ in bright, bold letters near the top with ‘hottest nightclub in Canterlot’ in italics directly beneath. ‘A nightclub!’ she thought to herself gleefully as she began trotting to the entrance. ‘What better place to find night ponies looking for some fun.’

As she neared the entrance a large stallion held out his hoof to bar her entry, his eyes never leaving a clipboard he held in his hooves. “Name?” he asked coldly without ever looking up from his list.

“Princess Luna.” She replied automatically, causing the bouncer’s head to reach mach speeds to verify just who he was speaking to. She realized her mistake and thought quickly to herself how she would avoid ruining her disguise. She laughed nervously and tried to speak, but couldn’t think of anything to say, causing the guard to grimace and shake his head.

“Back of the line, your highness,” he said with as much sarcasm as he could muster before moving on to the next pony in line. A light blush covered her cheeks as she made her way around the building, receiving many angry stares from those who had actually been waiting their turn to gain entry.

~

“Come oooon, Tavi,” a white mare whined as she tugged on the grey mare standing beside her. “We’re gonna be late to the party if you don’t move your rump!” She mocked panting as she gave up trying to move her friend along any faster, her spiky, two-toned, electric blue mane fluttering a bit as a cool breeze blew through the streets.

“Vinyl Scratch, how many times have I told you not to call me that? My name is Octavia. Not Tavi, not Octy, and most certainly not Octobutt!” she said as she delivered a hoof to the back of the other mare’s head. Her own dark grey mane swaying as it caught another bout of the cool breeze. “Celestia’s grace, why did you let me leave without a scarf or a sweater tonight? I can’t stand the cold.” She shivered a bit to shake off the late autumn chill.

“You’re, like, the only earth pony I know who can’t handle the cold,” Vinyl said with a snicker. “I’m a unicorn and I can handle it twice as good as you can.”

“I spent most of my life inside my room, practicing my cello in a well-heated house. The cold and I are mortal enemies as far as I’m concerned.” She rubbed her hooves up and down her forelegs to try and warm them, eliciting more fits of giggling from the unicorn.

Vinyl readjusted the oval, purple-tinted shades on her head and started pushing the frigid mare from behind using her head. “If I don’t get there before the previous deejay gets off, both he and the crowd will probably start rioting in the streets again,” she said, recalling a previous incident where she had decided to just not show up that day. The owner had mailed her the bill and, needless to say, it had not been a pretty number.

Octavia wore a scowl as Vinyl hurried her along forcibly, muttering disapproval all the way to their destination. “Alright, we’re here now. Can you please stop pushing me, Vinyl? We’re in public for goodness sake!” She let out an exasperated sigh, signalling she had had just about enough.

Vinyl relented as they approached the large nightclub ,and upon seeing all her fans eagerly waiting in line to see her show, changed her happy-go-lucky demeanor to match her serious party animal alter-ego, DJPON3. “Good evening, fillies and colts,” she announced to the ponies waiting in line as she walked up to the bouncer. “Sure would hate for you guys to miss the epic show I’m about to put on cause you’re stuck out here in the cold.” She stated nonchalantly. With a nod of her head and a hoof on the bouncer’s shoulder, he knew what she was hinting at and also knew just how much trouble he was going to be in whether he agreed or disagreed with the crazy mare.

The buff stallion stepped away from the door as the line became a stampede of hooves rushing into the already packed building. After walking past two large double doors and crossing into the club proper, the two were nearly pushed back by the sheer volume the current deejay was blaring from the speakers. Octavia immediately covered her ears with her hooves and mentally prepared herself for another night of pounding headaches. Vinyl had already moved further into the club, heading straight for the bar.

“Two hits of the usual, Berry, and don’t skimp on the Red Pony. Gonna need the extra boost for tonight’s crowd, I can tell.” The bartender began mixing two concoctions that would likely be illegal in some parts of Equestria and passed them over to her. Vinyl downed them quickly, her face contorting several times as the liquid stung her throat and started invigorating her almost instantly.

“Hey there, miss Pon3,” a mint colored mare with a two-toned mint and white mane stepped up beside her and flashed a toothy grin. “Don't you think you’ve kept us all waiting long enough now?”

“Lyra!” Vinyl exclaimed, before her raw throat reminded her that it was, in fact, still in pain. After a bit of a coughing fit and a small glass of water, she continued. “I’m glad you could make it tonight. This party is gonna be epic, just you wait.” She looked around a little bit with a confused look on her face. “Where’s Bon Bon? Don’t tell me she couldn’t make it.”

“Nah, we ran into Octavia on our way in and she stopped to catch up with her.” Lyra checked around them for any signs of anypony else listening to their conversation before leaning in to whisper, “So, are you guys still fighting or what?”

Vinyl’s grinned dropped just the slightest bit as she contemplated how to answer. “Nah, we patched things up for the most part, and have come to understand each other a little better in the process. I agreed to be slightly less impulsive with everything I do and she agreed to be a bit more impulsive from time to time.” Vinyl’s attitude perked back up and a genuine smile replaced her grin. “How about you guys?”

“It’s been so great this last year. I’ve even almost got her to try researching humans with me a couple of times.” She laughed as memories flooded her mind. She looked around again, this time much more carefully until she spotted who she was looking for. “I can’t imagine spending my life without her anymore, which is why I plan on proposing in the near future.”

Vinyl nearly shouted but a mint hoof covered her mouth before any noise escaped. The white mare nodded that she was okay and Lyra removed the hoof. “That’s so great! You guys are totally gonna be an awesome pair.” The music suddenly stopped and the colt manning the deejay’s booth waved to Vinyl before disappearing into a sea of ponies surrounding him. “Guess that’s my cue,” she said as she made her way to the empty booth.

“So how are things with you and Lyra?” Octavia asked the cream colored mare standing next to her off in one of the quieter corners of the room.

Bon Bon ran a hoof through her dark blue and bubblegum pink, curly mane as a light blush appeared on her face. “Very well, actually. She may be a little eccentric and I don’t know if I will ever understand her fascination with humans, but she is just the sweetest and most romantic pony underneath all that crazy.” Both girls laughed a bit before sighing romantically.

“I hope someday I can look past all of Vinyl’s strange habits the way you do for Lyra.” Octavia stated as she watched Vinyl position herself up in the booth towering over the dance floor.

“Don’t be silly, Octavia. It’s not about looking past their flaws, but rather embracing them. It’s a part of who they are and you can’t just love part of them. Trust me, I’ve tried.” She laughed to herself as Octavia absorbed her words and their meaning.

Her deep concentration was quickly shattered, however, as pounding bass filled the room created by none other than the significant other she was reflecting upon. Ponies cheered and flooded the dance floor all at once, the already overcrowded building shaking violently as hooves stomped the ground beneath. The two mares covered their poor ears, neither accustomed to such volumes yet, despite knowing Vinyl for several years.

This went on for several tracks before Vinyl stopped the music and spoke to her subjects from on high. “This next one is dedicated to all you lucky ponies out there with another special somepony in your life. That’s right, just this once, I’m gonna turn it down a notch and give all you romantic types out there a chance to impress your date tonight.” With that said, a slow love song started playing and several couples began forming out on the floor.

A tap on Bon Bon’s back revealed Lyra grinning at her with an outstretched hoof. “May I have this dance, m’lady?” Lyra asked, eliciting a giggle followed by a nod from her marefriend. The two of them merged with the other ponies as smile slowly crept across Octavia’s face. She looked up to see Vinyl, who in turn lifted her shades momentarily and winked. The DJ then pressed a few buttons on her console, letting the machine autoplay songs for awhile as she stepped out of the booth to meet up with her friends.

Little did they know that their every word and action was being monitored by another pony who had come looking for fun-loving, night-dwellers such as themselves. She approached the group when they stepped off to the side so they could converse over the music and have any hope of being heard.

“Greeting to thee, fellow night owls. How are you on this most wonderful of nights?” She asked with a grin so large it was beginning to look creepy. “We are currently in search of ponies such as yourselves to partake in a glorious night of entertaining games and general fun,” she said as tiny sparkles formed in her eyes.

The group just stared at the intruder for a moment in confusion before Vinyl finally spoke up. “What’s with the crazy accent? Seems kinda outta place for a nightclub. And that’s usually the kind of line a crazy psychopath uses to lure ponies to an old shed in the middle of nowhere.”

Octavia gasped and quickly delivered her hoof to Vinyl’s skull once more. “Vinyl Scratch!” she shouted, “There is no reason to be so rude to a pony you’ve barely just met. I’m terribly sorry, miss…?”

“That is not important now,” Luna quickly blurted, remembering her near fiasco earlier. “What is important now is your answer. We can personally guarantee it will be an experience none of you shall ever forget!” she exclaimed a bit louder than she intended.

Now Octavia and the others were starting to feel a bit uncomfortable and slowly started backing away from the crazy, black mare. Luna quickly realized what was happening, having had similar experiences the past Nightmare Night and quickly wracked her brain for a solution. Her misery must have become evident as the four other ponies nervous expressions changed to looks of concern for her.

“We apologize for being so direct and forward with this proposition. This is not our strong suit and we are pressed for time.” She channeled her magic and four small cards appeared in front of her. “Take these, and if you decide you wish to partake in the festivities we have planned, simply follow the instructions on the back.” After floating the cards over to them she hung her head dejectedly and vanishing in a flash of light, leaving the others a bit stunned as they gripped the cards.

The four looked the cards given to them over carefully, quickly noticing the Equestrian Royal Seal in the center of the card along with instructions on where to go once they entered the castle on the back.

“The castle?” Bon Bon asked the question on everypony’s mind. “What kind of festivities are going on at the castle this time of the night? And who was she that would have permission to invite someone to such an occasion?”

“Maybe it’s some kind of awesome party,” Vinyl said as she began imagining what kind of sick equipment it would take to shake the walls of the palace. “Besides, she said she had some way to make this night even better, and that’s all I need to hear,” Vinyl said enthusiastically. “I say we go check it out. Ten bits says she can't top anything I've ever put us through anyway!"

“I would normally disagree wholeheartedly with that statement, had the offer not come from somepony of apparently high station in the castle,” Octavia said. “I must say, I am curious to find out what this mysterious pony wants from us myself.”

“I’m game for it,” Lyra added.

“Well then, I guess it’s settled,” Bon Bon concluded. With that said the four exited the club, heading toward the castle for whatever awaited them there.

~

Exiting the club, Luna started walking down an almost deserted street, her head down in defeat. She just knew that the ponies from the nightclub would never accept her invitation after her botched attempt of convincing them. She was still relatively new to interacting with her subjects after her return and still couldn’t fully control the 'royal voice' she had been so accustomed to using in the past.

As she continued walking, she noticed another store still open at this hour on the side of the street and her curiosity got the better of her. Peering through the window she noticed all manner of antique toys and figurines lining its many shelves. Thinking back to the game she intended to play that night, she recalled its age. It had been given to her long, long ago and was sure to have some condition issues.

She entered the store and headed straight for the role-playing section of games, but was disheartened that what she was looking for was not on the shelf. In her haste, she hadn’t even noticed another pony across the aisle she stood in, distantly staring at a game she held in her hooves. A sigh from said pony caused her to glance over at the snow white mare. Her mane was a light pink and made up in a neat bun in the back. She then looked down to what the mare was staring at and saw the very game she had been searching for. Or was it? It bore the same name across the front in golden letters, Dungeons & Dragons, but it looked quite different from her own.

The other pony finally noticed she wasn’t the only one looking at the game and turned to see she was lost in thought. “Do you play?” she asked with a warm smile.

“We believe so, though it’s not quite as we remember it,” Luna said with a small frown. ‘Could this really be the same game I enjoyed so much as a filly?’ she thought to herself as she looked to the box again.

“Well, this is one of the newer versions of it, perhaps you played a previous version?” the pink haired mare responded. “By the way, I’m Redheart, a nurse visiting from Ponyville. Always a pleasure to meet a fellow D&D enthusiast.”

“Perhaps you are right,” Luna replied, her smile returning. It’s been so long since we played, we didn’t even consider that it might have seen change. Which version is this one?”

“This one is Dungeons and Dragons three point five,” Redheart said with glee. “I played it with all my foalhood friends every day after classes. Seeing it here takes me back to those days,” her eyes glazed over as she began thinking about her past again.

“We see,” Luna said, snapping Redheart out of her daze once more. “The one we own is just called Dungeons and Dragons, so we suppose it’s the original.”

“Wh-What!” Redheart exclaimed loudly, shock apparent in both her tone and expression. “That game is older than the founding of Equestria for Luna’s sake!” Luna’s eyes shifted back and forth upon hearing her name mentioned. “It must have cost a fortune,” she finished, her heart rate and voice returning to normal levels.

“Well, it’s not in the greatest condition because of it’s great age and how much it was previously used, which is the reason we are here now. We were hoping to find another copy for an adventure we are preparing for the near future, assuming we can find suitable ponies to participate in it, of course,” Luna said, grief evident in her tone.

“So then, I’m guessing you don’t know about all the rule changes they’ve made since the first version then,” Redheart commented.

“No, we don’t suppose we do,” Luna was now nearly on the verge of tears thinking about all the new information she would have to learn before she could plan out her adventure. She had already spent so much of her night trying to get everything together and now she was even further from her goal than when she had started.

Years of dealing with her many patients had given Redheart great insight to the minds of different ponies and it was screaming at her that this pony was very lonely and now on the verge of a mental breakdown. Sure, her accent was off and she kept referring to herself as multiple ponies, but it was nothing she hadn’t dealt with before.

Seeing the dark-toned mare about to crumble into a pile a sorrow, Redheart decided to act on her instincts. “Don’t let it get you down,” she said in a caring voice. “I know the rules inside and out and would be more than happy to go over them with you if you’d like.”

Luna looked up at her with a shocked expression. “You would take time out of your busy night just to help a stranger learn the rules of a silly game?” she asked nervously with a hint of hope returning to her eyes.

“Of course,” Redheart said as tilted her head a gave a large smile. “Just so long as you take back your remark about it being just a silly game,” her face changing to a playfully stern look as she said it. “Besides, I love almost everything about this game and would love to have somepony to reminisce over it with. And who knows, maybe I could become your first official party member!”

Luna’s whole face lit up at that remark she and lifted Redheart into the air, spinning her around and around as she began her joyful rant. “Oh, this shall once again become a most wondrous night!” she shouted with near deafening volume. “We shall head back and begin preparing immediately! If that is alright with you?” she asked cautiously.

“Sounds great,” Redheart said. “And I can fill you in on some of the basics on the way there.”

~

“Wow, the castle looks even more beautiful at night,” Bon Bon said as they stood before the grand gates that served as the massive structure’s entrance.

“Yeah, it kinda is, isn’t it,” Vinyl added. “But do you think these cards are gonna get us in?”

“Only one way to find out,” Lyra said with an adventurous grin on her face. With that, she walked up to the guard and pressed the card up to his expressionless face. “We were told to come by the castle for some kind of adventure or something?” Lyra asked, waiting for a response.

The guard only moved his eyes downward slightly to look at the card before giving her a set of directions to reach her destination. The group thanked him as they each flashed their own card before passing through the gates and into the castle. They climbed several sets of stairs before finally standing before a massive set of double doors, Luna’s cutie mark embedded into the center where they met. The four of them looked at each other, the confusion and anticipation each felt now skyrocketing.

“I just knew this night was going to be interesting,” Lyra said softly as she slowly raised a hoof and knocked on the door.

Hoofsteps could be heard on the other side of the wooden entrance, and when it finally opened, Princess Luna herself appeared at it’s threshold. She simply stared for a moment before her face became pure and unfiltered glee.

“You came!” she shouted as she stepped aside and motioned for them to enter. “We are so pleased you decided to accept my invitation. This night is turning out even better than we could have hoped for.”

“Hold up,” Vinyl said, the cogs in her head catching up to what was transpiring. “That was you at the nightclub who invited us here?”

“That was just a simple transformation spell I cast on myself to keep from being hounded by the ponirazzi and the royal guards,” Luna said as she toned her grin back a notch.

“That’s so awesome! Luna herself came to see yours truly perform at a nightclub of all places,” Vinyl said with beaming pride. “My fanbase is gonna double, no triple, and I’ll become the biggest deejaying star in all of Equestria!” She imagined all the millions of ponies gathered around her for autographs while cheering her name.

“Aaand we’ve lost her,” Octavia said with a sigh as she turned her attention back to Luna. “So, it was you who wanted us to play some sort of game with you then?” she asked with a bit of skepticism.

“That’s correct. You four looked like perfect candidates to form a party and go adventuring in my latest campaign I’ve come up with, thanks in part to Redheart here,” she motioned to the mare sitting to the side of the room writing something on a piece of paper.

Redheart finished what she was writing and trotted over to the group to introduce herself. “Hello, I’m Redheart, a nurse from Ponyville and longtime fan of D&D.”

“D&D?” Bon Bon asked.

“Dungeons and Dragons,” Vinyl answered, finally snapping out of her daydream. “It’s a fantasy role-playing game where groups of friends can go on adventures and complete quests and other neat stuff,” she clarified for the group. “I played it on weekends for a little while at Uni.”

The group of four friends then took turns introducing themselves to Luna and Redheart as well as telling them a small bit about themselves.

“So then, you want us to play this role-playing game with you because...?” Octavia was still unsure as to why one of the rulers of a kingdom needed their help in matters of entertainment.

“To put it quite simply, it’s because we’ve been dreadfully bored since our return from the moon and there are only so many things one can do by themselves to keep entertained.” She gestured around her mostly barren room. “Even when you’re a princess,” she added. “Besides, fun experienced with others is so much more rewarding than when you’re alone.

“Makes sense to me,” Lyra chimed in with a cheery smile. “So where do we start?”

“First, you’ll need to make a character to role-play as,” said Redheart. “Here are a list of races and classes you can choose from,” she passed a book with information and pictures listed on a page, “though you can be pretty much whatever you want to be, so long as the Dungeon Master, or DM, approves it.”

Lyra lit up light a firecracker upon hearing that and instantly teleported over to Luna’s side, looking up at her with pleading eyes with her front hooves pressed tightly together. “Oh please, please, please can I play a human?” she begged a startled looking Luna.

“What is this ‘human’ you speak of?” Luna asked her.

“Oh Celestia, not this again,” Bon Bon said, facehooving in frustration.

Lyra then started trying to explain the foreign creature to the princess at speeds that would make an auctioneer envious. Instead of trying to take in all of this information at the moment, Luna simply agreed to let her have her way. She could care less what they were, so long as she had ponies to play in her masterly-crafted adventure.

They spent another good portion of the quickly fading night making their characters while the basic rules were explained to them about gameplay. When they were each finally satisfied with the character they had created, they turned their information into Luna. She looked each one over as though she were a teacher grading homework to make sure they were both balanced and didn’t contain any mistakes. Excited to finally begin, she set them down and glanced up at the five members sitting in front of her. ‘Now to ensure this campaign is one to be remembered for all time!’ she thought to herself as an almost creepy smile formed on her lips.

She started gathering an incredible amount of magic into her horn as the others just sat and watched in awe. “Allow me to show you how I came to be called the Princess of Dreams!” she exclaimed as she released the collected magic. The world around the five other mares grew dark and cloudy as they each slowly fell to the floor in silence.

Author's Note:

So I rewrote the first few chapters to see what I could do with this story. Still working on some of the other rewrites and even making some progress on future chapters to come out. Just couldn't bring myself to abandon this story until it's finished, rather anyone is still reading it or not. Any inspirational words or useful feedback is still greatly appreciated since this is my first story.

Comments

[MrAskAPirate]

Holy crap, you're alive!!

[Solas Mean Oiche]

Holy shit, dat Baldur's Gate reference! I love it. Also, yay, another chapter! Luna and Celestia bless you!